The Sun.
London, England, 1854-08-24 00:00:00

ADDITIONAL DESPATCH

FROM

SIR CHARLES NAPIER.

[FROM A SUPPLEMENT TO TUESDAY'S GAZETTE.]

ADMIRALTY, AVG. 23.
The following additional despatch has been received from
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.8., detailing opera-
tions connected with the fall of the fortress of Bomarsund :

No. 340.
ulldo. off omarsund, Auust 11, 1854.
Sir,—.By the
lastmail I ißnformed their lordships of the
arrival and debarkation of the troops ; I now beg to
acs
quaint you that, on Wednesday morning, the 9th instant,
the troops were in position, both to the north and south,
and the western battery of the enemy completely in-
vested.
2. It was now time to land the guns, and as we had no
horses, it was nocessary to employ the ships' companies
instead. Enclosed is a copy of the order I gave to Rear-
Admiral Chads, and his report of proceedings.
3. There were many instances of last war of guns being
placed in extraordinary positions, but I do not believe that
in any one case such difficulties were overcome as in
tho present instance.
4. The moving of the guns was under the command of
Captain Hewlett, of the Edinburgh, but Admiral Chads,
with his usual activity, was there to cheer them on, and
indeed al: the captains occasionally gave the benefit of their
presence to the men employed on this hard and fatiguing
service.—l have, dtc.,

CHAS. NAPIER,
Vice-Admiral and Commander•in-Chief.
The Secretary of the Admiralty.

Enclosure No. 1, in Sir Charles. Napier's letter, No. 340.
Bull-dog, off Bomarsund,
Aug. 9, 1854.
(Memorandum.)
I wish as many thirty-two-pounder guns as General Jones
may require to be landed from the Belleisle, and conveyed
to him.

Having the fullest relianee oh your skill and exertions
to ,perform this difficult and important service, I shall
give you no other instructions than to get them there.
If the pOrtion of your squadron now hero is not suffi-
cient, you shall have what further assistance as is in my
power to give you. _

(Signed) CHAS. NAPIER, Vice• Admiral.
Rear-Admiral H. D. Chads, C. 8.,
H.M.S. Edinburgh.

Enclosure No. 2, in Sir Charles Napier's Letter, No. 340.
No. 18. Edinburgh, off Bomarsund,
Auust 12, 1854.
obedience to your directions to give every aid
from the four ships of my squadron named in the margin,*
to Brigadier-General Jones, to form a breaching battery,
I consulted with that officer, who proposed to compose his
battery of six thirty-two pounders of 42 cwt., which guns
you had forwarded in the Belleisle, when the following
operations were undertaken.
Each ship having previously prepared two sledges, after
a pattern made by Capt. Ramsay, for dragging the guns,
four were landed on the morning of the 10th, to convey three
guns and the carriages and the gear, with 150 men to each
sledge, under their respective senior lieutenants, the whole
being under the command of Captain Hewlett, of my flag-
ship, encouraged occasionally by their own captains.
The situation selected for the battery from the landing-
place was four and a half miles distant, over execrable
ground, the greatest portion of steep rocky hills and
ploughed fields.
_ _

At five o'clock the boats left the ships, erected shears,
landed the guns, and had them in the General's camp by
one o'clock; the exertions and good will of the officers and
seamen created much astonishment in the encampment of
the French troops, who cheered them in passing, and on
some of the most difficult ascents, went in voluntarily
and most cheerfully to the drag-ropes, and gave their
assistance.
On arriving in camp the men were much exhausted and
laid down to rest, and prepare their dinners, when an order
arrived that they were to embark immediately, as the
Penelope was on shore under the fire of the enemy, and
their ships might be required ; the order was received with
cheers, and, forgetting dinners and fatigue, rushed down
to their boats in three quarters of an hour by a short route
but close under the enemy's fire. ,
Qn the next morning the same number of guns were
landed, but on this occasion, with 200 men from each ship
—as the parties the previods evening were much fatigued
—these guns were in the camp by 10.30.
The bands of the ships attended the parties, and the
whole march was ono of triumph over difficulties that pre-
viously had been considered almost insurmountable; the
spirits of the men were occasionally excited by a dropping
shot from the enemy.
It is unnecessary for me to expatiate on the merits of
Captain Hewlett, the officers, and seamen in performing
this arduous service, but to express my admiration of their
great zeal and perseverance, as from personal observation
on the spot you will have formed your own judgment. -I
hare, &c.,

H. D. CHADS, Rear-Admiral, 8:c.
Vice-Admiral Sir Charles Napier, K.C.8., ttc.

Enclosure No. 3, in Sir Charles Napier's Letter. No. 340.
Bulldog, off Bomarsund,
August 12, 1854.
(Memorandum.)

The Commander-in-Chief begs to convey to Rear-Ad-
miral Chads his admiration of the great exertion made by,
Captain Hewlett, the officers and men employed in land-
ing and transporting six thirty-two pounders to General
Jones'E; camp, a distance of four miles and a half. The
Commander-in-Chief, in the course of his service, has
seen guns moved on difficult places, but never on such
roads and to such a distance as in the present instance.
The cheerfulness and exertions of the men were won-
derful, nor must it be forgotten, when the Penelope
got on shore under the enemy's battery, and it was
probable they might be wanted on board their ships,
regardless of their fatigue, they abandoned their dinner
and hurried down to their boats to embark, and rendered
assistance to the Penelope in distress.
(Signed) CHAS. NAPIER,
Vice-Admiral and Commander-in-Chief.
Rear-Admiral H. D. Chads, C. 8.,
H.M.S. Edinburgh.

* Edinburgh, Donald Mc L. Mackenzie, Senior Lieutenant ;
Hogue, Thomas Davies (B), Senior Lieutenant ; Blenheim,
Geo. H. Clarke, Senior Lieutenant; Ajax, Walter J. Pollard,
Senior Lieutenant.

THE SOLDIERS' WIVES AND CHILDREN RELIEF FUND.
—lt was stated at the weekly meeting of the Leicester
Board of Guardians on Tuesday that relief from the
fund recently subscribed for the wives and children of
soldiers in the East was only administered to those who
received parochial relief. The Vice-Chairman said that
Col. Hawker, of Leicester, gave only to those who were
relieved from the poor rates, and gave just the same sum
as their pauper allowance. This practice was consi-
dered a great evil by the guardians, who held it to be
adverse to the wishes of those who had subscribed to
the funds. It was asked by a guardian whether this
arrangement was general or local, but the vice-chairman,
who had introduced the subject, could not say. The
board appointed three of their number to wait upon
Col. Hawker in reference to the subject.
THE PENINSULAR AND ORIENTAL COMPANY.—This
company have now three steamers building—the Nta!
Pera, and another not yet named ; and the Royal West
India Mail Company have one steamer building.
called
building,
of
the Tyne. When these ships are finished, the
and
fleets
both companies will be complete. The Peninsularn ye-
i 2 Oriental Company will then have 48 steamers .
The
d a
Eels, and the Royal Mail Company steers
officers belonging to the Peninsulara3ndOrientalo7,
Com-
pany, from commanders to boatswains, 11°vf number
of which 32 are nuattached.