The Sun.
London, England, 1810-01-01 00:00:00

Front tie LONDON'GAZETTE; Dec.3o, 1809.

R)Oniny-stieet, Dec. 30, 1809.

A Dispatch, of which the following is a Copy,was
yesterday morning received at Lord Liverpdol's
Odrei'is;rtd to his Lordship by Lieutenant-
General 1) al, dzted his I.llljeS'y's ship Caesar, on. the
Duer!o), P,ssage, December '22, 1809.

M Y 1.0111),

His Majesty's Ship Cxsar, offthe
Duetloo Passage, Dec. 23. 1809.

h,ough I have reTil trly communicated to your
the principal circumstances which have oc•
corrrd, relative to the acmy under my command,
ytt I have judged it advisable to postnOne my de-
tßikci report on the evacuation of the bland of
Waf-
eheren until' the troops were withdrawn anti the
fl, et -had sailed.

On -the
.receipt of your Lordship's Dipatch of the,
13th of lastenonth, conveying to me his
.Majesty's
commands to tviCti.iic island of-Walcht;ren h
the-Forces undt,r my orders, and further. signifying
the determination of- his Majesty, that prevlousfy to
the evacuation I should take such measures is I mi'4ht
deem most efie6tual for the demolition of the
of Flushing; and the naval defences of the island, I
made the necessary preparations for the_ removal *,)t
the sick and convalescents of the army, and t:.e it
rival of a divHoit of transpor s atior'ed mt: the
rne,mi!of completing their eatharkatiu., on the 2jth
•

Oil the same day the new frigate that -,.vas ‘b.114 in
the dock-yard was got out of the basiniand which
enabled me on the following morning to commence
the derholition of the sea defences, dock-yard,
arsenal, magazines, naval Store-houses, &c. of the
town of Flushing, the total destrutlion of which wai
completed on the t tth inst. , ,

These service, were conduEted under the itnine.
diate 'direarion and sperintendance of Lieutenant-
Colonel Pilkingt,n, Coininanding .Engineer, assisted
by a strong party from the navy, under the'command
of Captain Moore, and for the
,particulars I beg
leave to refer your, Lordship To the Lieuienant,Co--
loners report, a copy,of which I
The. Very judipious and skilful manner which
these measures have been conipleted, retteas great
cr?,dir upon Liew.7,Colonel Filkington, and the 'seve-
ral C..)rli4rs-who acted with him, arid j an, persuaded
it will afford' your Lordship 'peculia• salistattion to
know, it:a, the• whole of this extoosive work has
been acconiplished Without any injury- being done
to the iniiabilants ; she destruc.tion not having ex-
tended beyond what Was necessary' to duprivc ihe
enemy of the advantige of Find:log as a naval station.
The einbarkation of the ordnance, and the stores
of the several departments having been completed,
the artily was' withdrawn and ealb.iiked on the gi h
instatti, but the weather being ex.i'resnely unsettled,
and conceiving it probable frciin the e.tite and con-
tinued preparations of- the_ enemy, that he might.
hazard an auacit;,r-r-Judged it-ex.redient sill to hold
the towns Attid-Ilent.,rg, and Ter Veer,
.and .Fort aaininekins; at th Sadie cline I made an
estrangement for the disembarkation Of the army, the
four divisions of Which were stationed ai totim„vs,
viz. the tst Division immediately oft 'the town of
Flushing; od bivis.on to the Westward: of t‘hat
.triwn ; 3d Division between Flushing and FOrt
Ramtnekins,•to'att and co-opera. e with the naval
force in 14e. SLio Passoge, under Captain Mason ;
and. th 4th oti Ter Veer, to act and co-operate with
the naval force between the Veer Gat. and Wolvers-
• •
dyke; rnmunder Coodofe Owen.' • -

By this disposition, had the, enemy attempted to
invade the island, the tour posts 'above. mentioned,
could e,sily have been reigtorced, and the enemy, in
the event of his etiecting a landing, attacked in his
flanks and rear as from the:precautionsl had taken
in stopping the fresh water sluices, his advance into
the country must have'been Confined to the dykes
and causeway, from Ter Veer throe b Middleburg
to Fioshing. •
_ _ _

The fleet continued wind-bound until the morn-
ing, when the rear-guards were withdtaWn, the
ships of war and transport.; from the West Scheldt
got under weigh, and I conclude those in the Veer
Gat moved about the same tilde.'

I teei great satisfaction in mentidriing the very able
and cord;al support I have unifornily
:received from
Rear Admiral Otway, and that bur 414atigemenis tar
the.final evacuation of the Island ere approved of
by ltear-Admiral Sir Richard Strzi;:nan, Ca: his ar-
rival on the I id, instant.

I cannocconcinde this report without acquainting
'your Lordship that I 'lollllli ttv army in an exceilent
state of discipline, and that the conduct of the,
troops has in every respect merited tuy warmest al.-
probation.
On the day of embarkation, the different corps pf
the' artny marched_-from the several points, and 4:m.
barked in the.rnost perfeet order-and regularity, and
the MagiStrates- of the towns and villages, expressed
to he ()dicers left in the:command cf the rear guards,
that the troops on their departure had in no instance
Molested or injured the inhabitants.
I have the honour to be, &c. • •
•(Si4ried) G.• DON, Lieut.-Gen.
Flushing, Dee. is, ilkg.

SIR;

In obedience to your orders of the'2slll ult. and
with the concurrence of Captain Moore of the Royal
Navy, the necessary diredtions were given to com-
mence the demolition of the Basin, Arsenal, Dock-
yA'id, Natal Defences, and Magazines of this place ;
and on '26th, a party of seamen, under the soperin-
telida"nee of Capt. Totulinson, began at low water
to destroy such partS of the Break-waters as appeared
to "plotett the entrance of the harbbur. . On the fol-
lowing day, Capt. Moore, with parties of seamen,
proceeded on the deStrublon of the Whirling of the,
Basin and of the Dock-yard, and both %vete accom-
plished in a few days in the most effet:ival manner.
The demolition of the sea defences was also began
upon on the 26th ult. under tile immediate superin-
tendance of 'Capt. Rudyerd of the'Roval Engineers,
assisted by Captain Read, with a .det.achment of o:1-;.-
cers and men of the Royal Staff-co-psi and Captain
Donovan and a detachment of offic#4.and mon of
the R
' Arrangements were on the same day made to
proceed on the demolition, by mining of the Piers and
masonry of the Flood-gates 'at the entrance or the
Great Naval Basin, under the di..Ctions of Captains
Squires and Fanshaw.2.,, of • the Royal Engineers.
,I have now the honour. to intorm you, that Ole
services altotted to the Royat-Navy.have- been most
effeCtually accomplished, the dock-yard, arsenal,
magazines, and every building belonging to the na-
val estalAishmen't being wholly destroyed. The ga •
trance of the harbour is also blockaded up,- by

A