The Sun.
London, England, 1809-12-29 00:00:00

GENERAL MOIVAET.

PARIS, DEC. 10.—The Council of Inquiry ap-
pointed by virtue of a sealed letter addressed by his
Impetial Majesty to Count Hunebourg, dated Scho-
enbrunn, the ' 7th of September, to examine the
condua of General Mcnnet with respe& to the sur-
render of Flushing, terminated on the sth of No-'
ember its operations, and submitted the result to
his Majesty, in a verbal process of its sittings, of
which the following is the substance
" The Council of Inquiry ,appointed by his Ma-
jesty the Emperor and King, and ,convoked by his
Excellency Count Hunehourg, Minister at, War,
conformably to the sealed letter of •his Majesty, dat-
ed Schoenbruun, the 7th November.
ic Assisted by M. Benson, Chief of 'Division to
the Minister at War, Member of the Legion of
Honour, Knight of the Empire, exercising the
functions of Secretary,to the Council. Having ex-
amined the annexed pieces, to the number rd 174,
and considering thatanteriorlY to the 15th of,,March,
his Majesty the Ecoperor and King had himself
given particular instru6tions to the General of Divi-
sion, Monnet, to place the town of Flushing and
the Isle of Waicheren in security from any military

attack.
• "
Considering, that on the 22d of April, the
Minister at War wrote to this General, that a con-
siderable armament was prpparing in England, and
commanded him to make the necessary disposi-
stions to place that fortress in a state of security from
the enter prizes eft he English ; and that this General
answered that all.disposit ions had,been mae.e_, and pre-
cautions taken, to defend the town of Flushing in the
most vigorous 'manner possible; tharall his bat teries
were in good condition, and well supplied, and that he
had a sufficient stock of provisions and ammunition

for a siege.
" Considering, that on-the 30th of Jelly follow—
ing, the enemy eirefied a landing between the forts:
of Haak and Polster ; that his force was presumed
to beslB,ooo men ; that on the 2d of August, he
was before Flushing, and had taken a position.
1. At Nolle, 'about 800 metres from the- fleche of
Platendech... 2. A little to the left of the road which
leads to Middleburg, in the place called the Chemin,
des Dames, at about 800 metres from the salient•
angle of the
.bastion No. 4, 3. At the new fort
established between Flushing and the fort of .Ra-
mekens, at 'about too metres from the port of
Raalekens; that the fleche of Platensiech, and that
on the side of Rarnekens, are distant from the body
of the place about t t o metres, and that the enemy
remained in these positions till the moment of ca-
pitulation, with the exception of some attacks on the
advanced posts.
" Considering, that General Monnet transmitted
art account on the 13th of July last, to Minister
at War, of the movements and position of the ene-
my, and that on the,. ad of August, his Excellency
reminded him of' the orders, and instructions given
him by his Majesty, with respect to the manner
in which he should a 8 to prevent the enemy from
taking a position-in the Isle of Walcheren ; i hat the
instruaions of shis Majesty ordered this General, in
case he should find himself pressed by the enemy,
to cut the dykes rather than surrender the place ;
that this -General seemed offended at receiving this
letter from the Minister at War, and answered to
' the General and Senator Rampon, that it was use-
less to remind him of his duties, and the firm inten-
tions of his Imperial and Royal Majesty 3. that at
all times, and in all circumstances, he should know
how- to fulfil the one, and conform to the other ;
yet, nevertheless, General Monnet being pressed
in Flushing by a superior force, hesitated to cut the
dykes; that he pierced only one on the side of Ra-
rnekens, which he stopped again during 24 hours,
- then re-opened ; that this opening produced
but little effea, because the point where it had been
made had not been well chosen ; that it ought to
have been made 50 metres farther on the 'side of
Ramekens, and besides that the dyke 'on the side of
Old Flushing ought to have. been pierced, which
would have produced immediately a sufficient in 7
undation,
" Considering, that according to the statement.
• drawn up by General l'sionnet, on the isth of July
18°9, the garrison,. of Flushing consisted of. 4481
men, and sevenzeen horses, of whom 3853 men
and seventeen horses were in the place; that the
Generals 'tampon, Chambarlhac, and Rousseau,
threw into Flushing, between -the. Ist of August,
and the 6th of the same month, 3143. men, viz. on
the Ist of August 660 men of the 3d battalion of
the 05th regiment ; on the 2nd of August 1003
men, pf whom 608-were from the 4th battalion of
the • 3d demishrigade of reserve, and 375 from the
25th, 72d, and tosth, with twenty gunners; on
the 4th of August 320 tnen of -the 4th battalion of
the 4gth regiment ; on the Gth of August, 1160
men, of whom 550 were from the Bth
gade ; 420 from the 48th regiment, and 190 from
the regiment of Prussia, forming a total of 6996
men, and 17 horses ; and that according' to the let-
ters written to the Minister at War by General
Monnet, and dated Litchfield the Bth of OCleber
last,'there were only 1963 men killed, wounded,
or made prisoners.
" Considering that at the moment when -the
enemy appeared before the place, it contained pro-
visions for 4000 men and _too horses during ninety
days; that General Mobnet, in his .beforestnen,
tioned letter, dated Litchfield, asserts, that the fire
of the enemy consumed foar principal magazines of
provisions ; whereas it has been declared by the Sieur
Dourster, of the guard of engineers, that he knew
nothing of this; by-the Sieur K.oziouski, Com-
mandant of the Ist
,Irish battalion, that the fire of
the enemy had destroyed neither provisions nor any
thing necessary for the defence of the place; and
.by the Mayor of 'Flushing, -that it had only burned
two magazines of forage. Considering that the
place. had only suffered a bombardment of 36 hours,
ear the 13th, Oth, and t sill of August;' that this
betmberdment, or:the cannon of the enemy, had not
done any remarkable damage to' the body of the
. place ; that at the moment of capitulation there was
no breach -in the ramparts ;, and that the place had
been surrendered, before the enemy had effected the
_ passage of the fosse, without having sustained any
assault, and .when the troops were still in possession
of the outworks.