The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1855-09-11 00:00:00

THE BALTIC.

ATTACK ON BRANDON, IN THE GULF OF BOTHNIA
INTREPID CONDUCT OF LIEUT. BURSTALL.

HER MAJESTY'S STEAMER FIREFLY, Ledsund, Aug. 20.
On Wednesday, the Ist of August, the two paddle-box
boats of the Firefly, and the captain's gig, left the ship at
Korsoren, which is at the estuary of the inlet leading to
Wasa, and pulled up to Brandon (12 miles), the seaport and
great depot for shipping; here they cut out a barque and
towed her two and a half miles out and anchored her, when two
Russian soldiers (deserters) came off to them and brought infor-
mation that the troops had left Brandon to go to Wasa, thinking
that an attack would be made on that town. Captain Otter
pulled back to the ship on Thursday, when the Firefly weighed,
and, after a great deal of difficulty in finding the channels,
arrived at Brandon at midnight, where she anchored about
400 yards from the town, and a little island off it, on which
were a great many storehouses of tar, resin, and a great
quantity of timber. The boats landed on the island, and
broke open the storehouses, expecting to find the rigging
and sails of the barque, but, failing in this, they sent a
message to the owner (Mr. Wolff) at Wasa, requesting
him to give them up, or else his stores would be burnt
as soon as the wind shifted (to prevent the fire com-
municating to the town). Pending his reply, Lieutenant
Burstal went in charge of the two paddle-box boats, and
scoured some islands and inlets, where he discovered five
vessels secreted. The first was an old schooner, which was
hauled out, and, as it was a fair wind, he sent her with two
men to the ship, and then went and found four very fine new
ships, two barques from 400 to 550 tons, and two brigs about
220 tons, quite new. The owners, seeing our movements, had
sent out some men to scuttle them, but they had not time
enough to do it, so, having plugged up the holes, Lieutenant
Burstal left them in charge of Mr. Bull, in the paddle-box
boat, while he returned to the ship to report progress. By
this time the schooner was taken alongside the store house
island, and a party of men were employed clearing the stores
and putting them on board of her. In the afternoon some of
the inhabitants had cautioned our people against remaining on
the island, as troops were expected every moment. However,
no notice was taken of it, and at half-past 7 o'clock Mr. Haim
came off with the working party, who were relieved by another
party in charge of Lieutenant Burstal. After he had visited
the sentries and seen all the people at work, at about half-past
8 o'clock Captain Otter went on shore to see how things
were getting on, and while conversing on a conspicuous
' position on the island, about ten minutes after landing,
a tremendous fire of musketry from the houses, sheds, and
behind the rocks near the town opened on us ; the rifle balls
and splinters of planks flying about like hail, but, fortu-
nately, no one was touched. The working party hurried down
to the boats, which were near the schooner, and all got safely
on board the Firefly, which immediately after the first volley
of musketry, opened her fire upon wherever the musketry
came from. On the way off to the ship the boats were struck
several times. In the hurry consequent on the sudden firing
there were left on board the schooner seven muskets. The
paddle-box boat (which was away getting a barque out about
two miles off) soon came up and opened fire upon the town,
and threw shells into the woods among the troops. The ship
was engaged with them from nine p.m. till five the next morn-
ing ; the enemy's fire was nearly silenced at 11 o'clock, with
the exception of a stray shot now and then. The schooner
was completely riddled, and hopes are entertained that the
muskets are destroyed, for it would have been highly impru-
dent to send a boat to her, being within 250 yards of her
guns. At six a.m. the Firefly steamed off a mile and a half,
and took away the largest barque and burnt the three
others she had taken, one pierced for twenty guns. Hav-
ing towed the barque out, and anchored near the former
prize, it came on to blow and rain. The bad weather
continued till Monday and Tuesday. On Tuesday night
information was obtained that the enemy had received a rein-
forcement of 800 men and eight large guns, and that they
had twenty-five men killed and eighteen in hospital wounded,
but, as the storehouses were not burnt, it became necessary
to keep the promise of doing so ; therefore, on Wednesday
the Firefly went in and fired at 1,500 yards with hot shot at
the island ; but some batteries had been erected in the mean-
time, which replied to us. The red-hot shot had the effect
of setting fire to the storehouses, which very soon made a
tremendous conflagration. Late in the afternoon the paadle-
box boat, with Lieutenant Ward, went in to reconnoiter
and attempt to fire another part of the island to expedite
the destruction, but he opened fire on the schooner, which
had been shifted to the main land ; he continued firing until
he saw troops about 250 yards off, who opened fire on the
boat, which was struck several times ; and had it not been for
a hammock as a barricade, he (Lieutenant Ward) would have
been struck. The paddle-box boat was then recalled, and about
seven p.m. the Firefly weighed, and stood in a little closer to
give them a parting salute, which brought out the fire of some
heavy field guns and an immense number of rifles, which sent
their missiles on board, over a-head and astern, but no one was
hit. Several shells were droppped among them, and at half-
past nine we fired a parting shot, having expended nearly all
our ammunition, and leaving the storehouse a mass of flames.
No account has been received of the Russian loss on the
second day. The' Firefly took her two barques in tow, and
got them safely to Ledsund. The weather in the Gulf of
Bothnia seems to have broken up, and a succession of gales
from all quarters is now a frequent occurrence. We reckon
we have burnt about 820,000 worth of storehouses, besides
tar and timber ; captured two fine barques, and burnt five
very fine new ships.
A list of vessels and property belonging to the enemy
taken or destroyed by her Majesty's ship Firefly from the Ist
to the 11th of August, 1855 :—The Fides, barque, 300 tons ;
cargo 228 barrels of tar ; cut out of Wasklot, near Brandon.
The Precioso, barque, 420 tons; cargo, none; cut out of
Wasklot, near Brandon. A barque, 300 tons ; cargo, none ;
burnt in a creek near Brandon ; pierced for 20 guns, not
quite finished. A brig, 230 (?) tons; cargo none, burnt as
above. A schooner, 230 (?) tons ; cargo none, burnt as above.
A flat, 15 tons ; cargo, firewood. A boat, 10 tons ; cargo,
salt. A sloop, 20 tons; cargo, 8 tons of salt and 5 bales of
cotton. ;The Island Smoltan, near Brandon, having 50 to 70
magazines, containing coals, tar, resin, salt, spars, boats, &c.