The Sun.
London, England, 1819-12-25 00:00:00

SATURDAY, DECEMBER 25, 1819.

JAMAICA,rAPERS.

Additicinal Postscript to The Royal Gazette, Saturday, Oct. 23,

Relation of APGRaGoR's Proceedirigs, from the
lime of his Departure from "lux-Cayes, .to the
Capture of Rio- de-la-Hache, with 'a. Protest
against (is Conduct, by Officers who had embarked
in the Expedition.

We, the Undersigned; feel it a duty incumbent upon us to
give publicity to the following circumstances, not only ;%s
justification of the line of conduct which we hirve been obliged
to ado, but as a warning to others, who, from inexperience,
or a spirit of enterpise, might feel inclined once more to fol-
low the.fortenes of a needy and spiritless adventurer.
From a variety of causes, the detail of which is here unne-
cessary, we were induced to enter into the. service of Sir Gre-
gor M'Gregor, who, under the specious and honourable pre-
text of liberating an enslaved and suffeling country, but
really to further his oo n selfish views, has seduced to total
ruin an immense number of veterans who had frequently
fought under the banners of Wellington, and brave young
officers who, in the legitimate service of their own country,
would make distinguished figures in the road to honour.
In order that the public may be fullyaware of the ruinous
system, or rather want of system; pursued by M'Gregor, it
is necessary to state, that after the re-capture of Porto-Bello,
and his shameful desertion of his unfottunate.troops at that
place, this adventurer proceeded to the town of Aux-Cayes,.
in St. Domingo, where several vessels arrived- successively
from England and Ireland, laden with troops, whose bril-
liant hopes of victory and wealth were stink in a premature
grave, the result of famine, sickness, and want of medical
attendance.
To detail. the sufferings of these miserable and deluded
wiTtehes at Aux-Cayes, would be to fill volumes of unheard-
of calamity; upon which. the meretricious cause looked with
lack-lustre eye, and a Mind totally sunk in inanity and stupe-
faction. Let it suffice to say, that of 1,250 men and officers,
who at different times arrived at Aux-Cayes, sihee The loss of
Porto-Bello, M'Gregor, when lie found himself at length
obliged to quit that place, could only muster 200, the remain-
der having died miserably, or engaged themselves on the
plantations.

With this small force, half naked, and very scantily snp-
plied with provisions, M'Gregor sailed from Aux-Cayes on
Sunday, the 27th of September, on board a schooner, a cor-
vette, and a cutter, and after two'days beating about the
mouth of the harbour, without end or object, lie shaped his
course for the Spanish Main, and, on the morning of the
4th of October, cline in sight of the town of Rio-de-le-
l:Liebe, where we had a melancholy specimen of the courage
of our Commander-in-Chief; for a Spanish schooner appear-
ing ia the offing, it was fully expected that the vessel in
which M'Gregor was (the only armed'one in the fleet) would
give chase, instead of which she immediately stood out to
sea, thereby Leaving his other two vessels unprotected, arid.
affording an opportunity of escape to the enemy, which was,
fortunately, not a vessel of war. This' circumstance tended
very much to weaken the confidence Of the troops in their
Commander-in-Chief,' whose conduct at Porto-Bello now no
longer remained doubtful.
About noon Mqdregor stood into the harbour under Eng-
lish colours, which acre of course respected; but, upon his
hoisting the New Grenadian flag, he was fired at from a
battery on shore, which obliged him to make a precipitate re-
treat. During the whole of the day, the fleet continued beat-
ing off the mouth of the harbour, and towards evening came
to anchor about three miles from the town, when the troops
received an order to hold themselves in readiness to land at
.midnight, receiving an assurance from their Commander-in-
Chief that they would meet with no opposition whatever, as
the inhabitants were all Patriots, and had frequently invited
him to come to their deliverance. About one o'clock no the
morning of the sth of October, tire troops began to disem-
bark, under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Norcott,
whose orders from M'Gregor were of the most indefinite de-
scription ; namely, to laud the troops, and wait his arrival on
the beach ; an obediencb to which subsetprent events proved
would have been fatal. • To the astonishment of every body,
the landing was undisputed--a circumstance which appeared
totally inexplicable; from the lengths of time afforded to the
enemy to prepare themselves.
About two o'clock our videttes were attacked by a piquet
of the enemy, upon which the bivouac of the troops was bro-
ken up, arid Lieut.-Colonel Rafter's Rifle Corps of Salabrieta
was ordered to advance. To understand the subsequent
movements of the troops, it is necessary to say, that the coun-
try, -for several miles round Rio-de-la-Hache, consists of an
almost impenetrable forest of brushwood and brambles,
Which, as it is well known within the tropics, form a defence
of a yery formidable nature. This forest, intersected by ra-
vines and hollows, and peculiarly unfavourable to an attack-
ing army, ends in an abrupt precipice on the shore, where a
very narrow beach is washed by a violent surf, unfavourable,
and frequently dangerous, to the landing of troops.
In consequence of the attack, Col. Norcott advanced his
force along the bench, while the *Rifle Corps scoured the
wood, and dislodged some parties of the enemy, with whom a
light skirmishing continued until day-light, at which time a
position was taken up about one mile and a half from the
town—the General's Guard of Honour on the beach, and the
Regiments of Salabrieta and Hibernia in the woods. 'Here
Col. Norcott determined, according to order, to await the ar-
rival of the Commander-in-Chief, whose absence was loudly
complained of by the troops, and appeared entirely unac-
countable to all those who were trot aware that his Excel-
lency was at that tiine.enjoying a sound sleep on board his
vessel, unconscious and undisturbed by the passing events on
shore.

For two hours we continued in this position, enjoying a
deceitful calm, and impatiently expecting the:arrival of the
Commander-in-Chief to lead us against the town, when sud-
denly a simultaneous attack was made upon our little force
by an invisible enemy, upon all points except the sea-side.
After the first fire, by which' we suffered considerable loss,
Col. Norcott advanced the whole of his force into the wood,
and attacked the enemy, who continued a very smart galling
Are as long as concealed ampngst their native fastnesses, but

amessmanni
' fled in confusion. on the approach of the British`
bayonet'
Our little force now advanced upon the town, overcoming
with matchless fortitude the difficulties of the country, and
the opposition of an enemy treble our own numbek assisted
hythe fire of a battery, from which round shot and grape played
upon us with destructive rapidity. Our men began to falter ;
difficulties and dangers seemed to increase at every step,
and the absence of the commander-in-Chief struck a damp
on all hearts, and destroyed every ray of confidence. In vain
did Col. Norcott and a few of his officers cheer the men for-
ward. The cries Of " Where is M'Gregor?" and " We are
betrayed," resounded from 'all quarters, and no less than
three times did the men retire towards the beach. Retreat
howeVer, would have been total destruction to the,whole
force. In this conviction, a few officets generously devoted
themselves, and in a moment of enthusiasm rushed into the
battery (the fire of w'aich had been so destructive), and car-
ried it with rapidity; about 50 men followed, and in the
course of an hour the town was completely cleared of the
enemy, and the flag of New Grenada hoisted amidst shouts of
joy and victory. Thus, after a continued action of 5 hours,
was taken the town of Rio*tle-la-Hache ; but our victory was
like one of Philip's—such another would hare ruined us. Our
loss (out of about 170 men, which were landed). consisted of
3 officers, and 20 rank and file killed ; 14 officers, and 31 rank
and file, wounded ; and 2 officers, and 4 rank and file missing.
The batteries and military stores taken were as follow :

Ilst Battery, mounting two 36-pounders, six 9-pounders,
and two 6-pounders; middle battery, mounting three long
9-pounders; and a fort, mounting two 36-pounders, nine
9-pounders, three 4-pounder brass field pieces, an- immense
quantity of ammunition, shot, shells, grape, cannister, and
db9ut 300 stand of arMs, ,besides 2 schooners at anchor in
the harbour.
When the delirious of victory had in some measure abated,
and guards were placed, our attention naturally turned to-
wards our shipping, which, to our inexpressible astonishment,
we beheld under weigh, arid Standingtiut to sea. Thus we saw
our little force nearly destroyed from loss and fatigue, on the
point of being totally deserted by their Commander-in-Chief,
Who, apparently in the design of acting over again the catas-
trophe of Porto-Bello, was evidently withdrawing the only
means of salvation remaining for the miserable remains of
his deluded •ictirtis. -At this crisis Colonel Norcott jumped,
into a boat with a feW men, and rowed off to the Comman-
der-in-Chief's vessel, for the purpose of re-assuring his Excel-
lency, and reducing to a stale of calrunes-, his agitated spirits.
The presence of Colonel Norcott bad the desired effect; our
vessel stood in shore and came to anchor, but the Common-
det•-in-Chiel did not make his appearance.

r In the.mean time affairs began to wear a gloomy aspect
on shore; the town was totally abandoned by the inhabit-
ants; the soldiers, and several of the officers, exasperated
at the resistance they had experienced, broke o?ea some
'stores of wine and spirits, and a consequent scene of ine-
briety, confusion, and even mutiny, ensued; and at this
-moment, had the enemy again attacked, total destruction
to our little force must inevitably hare ensued. Fortu-
nately, however, the dirtily were disheartened by the de-
termined obstinacy of our attack, and the loss they had
suffered, which was considerable, and -they did not again
snake their appearance. On the morning of the 6th the Cow-
mander-in-Chief having sent for Lieut.-Cols. Norcott auk
Rafter on board the schooner, received them with the utmost
affability, paid them many compliments, and conferred on
them the rank of full_ Colonels, and the title of Members of
the Green Cross, an Order which had been established ou the
taking of Porto-Bello. At the conclusion of these ceremo-
nies, which cot his Excellency a little superfluous breath,
these Officers thought it their duty to represent to him the

injury his absence had caused, the critical situation in which
he and his troops were placed, and the absolute necessity of
taking some immediate measures to allay the discontent of his
soldiers, and frustrate the further designs of the enemy ;
upon which his Elmellency, after having sipped his coffee,
smoked a few segars, and adorned his person, resolved. to
venture on shore.

The presence of Sir Gregor M'Gregor on shore, from which
such happy results were expected, produced no very favour-
able effect; he was received with most palpabl4 signs of con-

tempt by'his soldiers, many of whom even expressed an in-
tention, of shooting him : discburaged by such a reception,
he sought relief in another quarter i• and, getting round him

a few miserable ragged inhabitants, some Indians, and
women, whose insignificanee was their best protection from
the riotous soldiery, he wasted the day with them in fraternal
embraces, cries of " Viva la Patria," and in thinking
healths " nine fathom deep," to the success of the glorious
_cause of patriotism. In the evening all the Officers dined
with the Commander-in-Chief, when he assured them that
all the inhabitants were enthusiastic in his favour, and that
the next morning he would hare a force of 300 native cavalry
at his command, which, he added, would render him indr-
pendent of his.own.troops, whose further assistance he was
totally careless about.

Elated by the sound of his own bombast, his Excellency
became, in vulgar phrase, " pot-valiant," and marched at
the livid of his officers, into the fort, where, under the safe-
guard of his unfortunate troops, who still would hare been
happy to die for him, he slept in profound repose till morn-
ing. ,

The assurances.of the Commander-in-Chief of the preced-
ing evening, of the assistance to he expected from the inha-
bitants, inspired the troops with,a little hope, which was,
however, totally destroyed next. day, when we learnt that
amongst the enemy who had so obstinately disputed our en-
trance, there had been only 80 Spanish Soldiers; a circumstance
at 6rst view almost incredible, hut which, from the most un-
questionable evidence, we found to be a certain fact, the
enemy having consisted of about six hundred inhabitants of
the town, and a number of Indians; in fact, the whole popu-
lation of the place. Upon inquiry into this circumstance, we
learnt from several natives that they were induced to resist
us, under the supposition that we had been pirates, and not
friends. This explanation Was sufficient for the Commander-

. .
in-Chief, woo Continued his blind'confidence, notwithstanding
the damning proofs we' every day received of the inveterate
opposition of the natives; amongstseveral instances of whit!)