The National Register.
London, England, 1809-08-27 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER..

LONDON GiZErrE EXTRAORDINARY.

SUNDAY, AUGNST, 20,1809.

Downing-Street, August 10.

A Dispatch, of which the following is
.a copy, was this day
received at the Office of Viscoukt Castleieagli, one of his Ala-
jesty's principal Secretaries of State, from Lieutenant General
the Earl of Chatham, K. G. dated head-quarters, Middleburg,
August 16, 1809. _

Headivarters, Middleburg, August 16.

MY LORD,--•-I have the honour of acquainting your Lordship.
that on the 13th instant, the batteries before Flushing being
completed (and the frigates, homhs, and gun-vessels, basins. at
the same time taken their stations), a tire was opened at about
half past one p. m. from tifty-two pieces of heavy ordnance,
which was vigorously returned by the enemy. An additional
battery of six twenty-four pounders was completed the same
night, and the whole continued to play upon the town with lit-
tle or no intermission till late on the following date. On the
morning of the 14th inst. about ten o'clock, timeline of battle
ships at anchor in the Durloo, Passage, led by Rear-Admiral
Sir Richard Strachan, got under weigh, and ranging up along
the sea line of defence, kept up as they passed a tremendous can-
nonade on the town for.several hours with the greatest gallantry
and erect. About four in the afternoon, perceiving that the
fire of the enemy had entirely ceased, and the town presenting
a most awful scene of destruction, being on fire in almost every
quarter, I directed Lieutenant-General Sir Lyre Coote to send
in to summons the place; General Monnet returned for answer,
that he would reply to the summons as soon as he had consulted
a Council of War; an hour had been allowed him for the pur-
pose, but a considerable time beyond it having elapsed without
any answer being received, hostilities were ordered to recom-
mence with the utmost vigour, and about eleven o'clock at night,
one of the enemy's batteries, advanced upon the Sea Dyke in
front of Lieutenant-General Fraser's position, was most gal-
lantly carried at the point of the bayonet, by detachments from
the 3Gth, i Ist, and light battalions of the King's German Le-
gion, under Lieut.-Colonel Pack, opposed to ;Treat superiority
of numbers; they took forty prisoners, and killed and a outfeed
a great many of the enemy.
" I must not omit to ssention, that, on the preceding even-
ing, an intrenchment in front of Major-General Graham's
position was also forced in a manner equally undaunted, by the
14th regiment, and detachments of the King's German Legion,
under Lieut.-Colonel Nicolls, who drove the enemy from it, and
made a lodgment within musket-shot of the walls of the town,
taking one gun and thirty prisoners. About two in the morning,
the enemy demanded a suspension of arms for forty-eight hours,
which was refused, and only two hours granted, when he agreed
to surrender according to the summons sent in, on the basis of the
Garrison becoming Prisoners of War. I have now the satisfac-
tion of acquainting your Lordship, that these preliminaries being
acceded to ; soon as the Admiral landed in the morning, Col.'
Long, Adjutant-General, and Captain Cockburn, of time Royal
Navy, were appointed to negociate the further articles of capi-
tulation, which I have now the honour to inclose. They ((ere
ratified about three this morning, when detachments of the Royals
on the right, and of his Majesty's 71st regiment on the left, took
possession of the rates of the town. The garrison will march
out to-morrow, and will be embarked as speedily as possible. I
may now congratulate your Lordship on the fall of a place so
indispensibly necessary to tor future operations, s so large a
proportion of our force being required. to carry on the siege with
that degree of vigour and dispatch which the means of defence
the enemy possessed, and particularly his powers of inundation,
which was rapidly spreading to an alarming extent, rendered
absolutely necessary. Having hoped, had circumstances per-
mitted, to have proceceded up the river at an earlier period, I
had committed to Lieutenant-General Sir Lyre Conte the direc-
tion of the details of the siege, and of time operations before
Flushing, and I cannot sufficiently express my sense of the un-
remitting zeal and exertion isasith which he has conducted the
arduous service entrusted to him, in which he was ably assisted
by Lieut.sCols. Walsh owl Offerey attached to him, as assistants
in the Adjutilit and Quarter. laster-Generars department. 1
have every reason to he satisfied with theiudicious manner in
which the General Officers have dire( ted the several operations
4s well as with the spirit and intelligence na :ni fasted by the
Commanding Officers of corps, and the zeal and ardour of all
ranks of (deers. It is with great pleasure I can report the
uniform good conduct of the troops, who have nut only on all
OteaSiUUS StlelVl4 the gavot intrepic.ity iu proence of the eaeuiy,

but have sustained, with great plensare and cheerfulnrss, the
laborious duties they have have had to perform. The artiseatad
.persevering exertions of the Royal Engineers have been con-
ducted with much ',kill and judgment by Colonel Fyers, aided
by Lieutenant-Colonel D'Arcey, and it is impossible for iine to
do sufficient justice to the distinguished conduct of the officers
and men of the Royal Artillery, under the able direction and
animating example of Brigadier-Ceneral
The seamen, who,ze labours had already been so useful to the
army, sought their reward in a further opportunity of distir.
guisin.• themselves, and one of the batteries was accordingly
entrusted to them, and which they served with admirable vitmur
tnd effect. I must here beg to express my strong sense of the
constant and cordial co-operation of the navy on all occasions.
;tnd nay warmest acknowledgments are most particularly due to
Capt. Cockburn of the Delleisle, commanding the flotilla, and to
Capt. Richardson of the Ctesar, commanding the brigade of
seamen landed with the army. I have the honour to enclose a
return of the garrison of Flushing, in addition to whi h I ha e
learned, that besides the number killed, which was ron3iden We,
upwards of one thousand wounded men were transported to la.t-
sand, previous to the complete investment of the town, 1 al•o
subjoiti a statement of de,erters and prisoners, exclusive of the
garrison of Flushing. This dispatch will be dills ered to your
Lordship by my first Aid-de-Camp, Major radford, who is
fully qualified to give your Lor.iship every further information.
and whom I be lease earnestly to recommeutt to Lis Majesty's
protectiou.-1 have the Inotour to he, &c.
(Signed)

CIIATUAM.

ARTICLES OF CANTUIATION.

Art. T. The garrison of Flushing shall he prisoners of irar,
and shall march out of the place with all the tiling rs of war.;
hey shall deposit their arms on the Qaay of the Water Gate ;
they shall return to France on their parole. and shall not for
vne year bear a,ats against his Ilrittanic Niaje ty, or the Allies
w hum he may have at t he time of capitulation.
Answer.—The garrison of Flushing will be pc: milled to
march out of the toon w ith the honours of war required, and
they ss ill lay down their arms on the glacis, but must be con:
dead as prisoners of war, and sent as such to England.
The officers of marine will share the fate of the rest of tho
Garrison.
Art. IJ. General and staff officers, officers of the marine and
of the corps composing the garri,on, shall keep their arms, their
homes, and all the property w hid, belongs to them. The non-
commissioned officers, soldiers, seamen, and officers' servants
shall keep their hay resacks.
Answer.—Granted.

Art. M. The sick and wounded capable of being sent nut
shall be forwarded to France, the yenta ining sick shall be left to
the care and hmanity of the General commanding the troops
of his Britanni:! Majesty, a2d sent In the French dominions
as soon as their condition will permit; there shall be left a
sufficient number of medical attendants for the care of the sick ;
the medical attendants shall receive the same allowances as those
of his Britannic Alajesty. •
A uswer,—The sick and wounded tnu;t he consieered as pri-
soners of war. Such as are in a state to be retnoled he
embarked with the garrison; the rest ts ill remain under the ca.e
of the trench physicians and surgeons until sufficiently recovered
to admit of their lig..ing removed.
The physicians and surgeons will receive the allowance
usually granted to prisoners of war of their rank and desct ip-
Oen, together with such further remuneration for their attend-
ance on the sick ac the General commanding the British army
may be pleased In grant.

Art. iV. The non combatants, such ;IS the sub-inspector, the
commissary at war, the medical attendants, the heads of the dif-
ferent administrative departments, shall not he considered pi i-
soners of war ; they shall be at liberty to dispose of their ef-
fects, their private and personal property, and to carry it to
France, as well as all documents relative to their accounts, in
order to justify their conduct to the French Government. This
arrangement is applicable to the commissaries and civil office's
of the marine, to the officers of the customs and duties, as well
to the paymasters of the army and navy,
Answer.—The officers and others mcniioned in this nttsitle,
all attendants on the French army, and in short Frenchmen of
every description, tint inhabitants o' Flushing previous to she
year 1807. will be sent to England, and hereafter treated accord-
ing to suck arrangement as 111,1 y take place between the two
vernments respecting non-combatantc ; their private and
pc -nav-
al property shall be rcspec tett, and perathsiou wl/ ,be giveu