The Sun.
London, England, 1811-02-15 00:00:00

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St/PPLEM t NT TO Tll
LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDMIRt
'WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 13.

Friday, Feb.ls, 1811.
A Dispatch, of which the following is an extract,
itas been received lions the Honourable Major-
'General Abercrotnby by the Earl of Liverpool, one.
'of his Majesty's principil, Secretaries of State, dated
fort Louis, Isle of France, December 7, 1810.
I have the honour to iniurin your Lordshi that
p,
the !tient France. surrendered by capitulation, on
3d iursidur to the milted force under the corn'
Illtad 01 Vice-Admiral Berl ie and myself.
must refer your Lordship for the: particulars of
.11toopeistions which led to tins fortunate event to
114 copy of iny official letter to the Right Honour-
able the Governor-General, which, together with
'other oocunients, 1 have now the honour to liana.
to your Lordship,
lo conformity with the instructions which I
.had
'theli honour to receive mn Lsial Min to, I have
1113ce'd Mr. Fintinhar iii charge oi toe Govef nment ;
andcohfidently iru.o, 1114 in having
re adopted this
the'k, I hhitil not incur the displeasure of his
l‘iajtoy's Government.
ties
by ~+ptaiu dispatch ‘kill be delivered to your Lordship
- Hewitt, toy
lich Aide-de-Cnin :and I be-
your Lordship will find lino peileoly qualified
to allurcl you ever
"ire y information w tacit you May re-
force. in reaped to the late operations of this

To the it (6 Honourable Gilbert, Lord Minto,
acc. &c.

etl
CAIA'

141 Y
1.01(1),
I fled the honour to inform your Lordship,.
thetoy' dispatch of the 21st ultimo, that although
the divisions from Bengal and the Cape of 'Good
troth
had not arrived at the rendezvous; it had•
been determined that the Fleet should proceed to
sus on the fulluwin
lawn of g morninis, as from the advanced
the year, and the threatening appearance
1);(:, the
1 weather,. the hips could no longer be eon-
'4(l s,!euie in their anchorage at Rodriguez; and•
4A
myseit the honour to state to j our Lordship
the area:tures which it was my intention to purvue,
d we should still be disappointed in not being r°i'leJ by vo large' a part of the artname.it.
1141 Y on the morning. of the 22d, V4:e-Admir4ißraunlteeived a cotrtmunication from Captain
411°uhl°11, of his 4,jevty'a sinp ,Illustri.us, an-
:44'l'4 off the Island with 'the convoy
had 1,
t w'eighed. at daylight, as
that
day"etil ,tiy, array.ged, and: in the CA....111 Se of
jilki .klon having' bten furnitd with this
iv il4lO the iLet note up tor. the Isle oh France.
14The grease„ on,taties opposed to an attack .on this
6.4114 wide a considerable flee, have. invariablyc4t)h,LL;.,,,..l to de petal uu the difficult of el-
klieS y
a itinet..g, trom t he reefs which surround
tviiery
Part of the coast, and the supposed impusbl-
i'llY of being eukled to find anchorage-for a fleet
"41 4411511418,
11,1'6'e difficulties were fortunately removed by
1;e: itkielatigabie exertions of ComModore Rowley,
k3te4 by Lieutenant Street, of the Staunch gun-
-I.ittiteneint Blickistoii, of the Madras En-
-4 and the Masters of his Majesty's ships
hkaille and Boadicea. Every part of the. lee.
ward sitle 01 the isianci was minutely exainned and
141440, and it was discovered that a fleet might
alanin the narrow passage formed by the small
4 °t the Gunners' Coin and the main land
141,14 that at this spot thers were openings through
reef which would, admit several boais to enter
Ikit 44'1. 'these obvious advantages. fixed my de-
althoughl regretted OM circumstances
wild not allow of the diverhbarkation bein etTe6t-
tel at a shorter distance. from Port Louis. g
11 °ing to g winds, th e fleet did.
It Was light and bitil+ni
.4444'e in sight Of the Island until the-28th; and
the It-wining of the following day, before
y
tl of the ships came lean anchor.
'very arrangement for the disetnbarkation bar-
d.% heen previously Made, the first division, con-
hing rd. the Restive, the Grenadier Company of
t 69'11 Regiment, with two six-pounders, and
howitzers, under the command Major-
i:4lal Wade, effekled- landing. in, the Bay of
'Oll, without the smallest opposition, the enemy
lies
retired from Port Marinstri, situated at the
lelti of Grand Bay, and the nearestort to us
Which they, occupied. p
l'iy aS a sufficient part of the European force
ea formed, it became necessary to move for-
a ward,
rhe first five miles of the road lay through
utmost vets
thick wood, which made it an ohjeal of the
oportat,ce, not to give the enmity time to
Lieutenant.
tltcolonet Smyth having been left with
4t3l4ladu to cover the landinkplace, with or-
-01411" next morning, the coltaiLn Inuched

about tour 'o'clock, and succeeded in gaining (lit
more open country, without any efforts having
been made by the enemy to retard our progress, a
few shot only- having been fired by a small piquet,
by which Lieut.-Colonel Keating, Lieutenant #sh
of his Majesty's 12th regiment, and a few men of
the advanced guard, were wounded. liaving halted
for a few hours during the night, the army again
moved forward before day- light, with the intention
of not halting till arrived befo.re Port Louis but the
troops having become extremely exhausted not only
from the exertion which they bad already made,
but from having been almost totally deprived of
water, of which this part of the country is desti.
tune, I was compelled to take up- a position at
Moulin A Poudre, about five miles short of the
town.

Early the next morning Lieutenant - Colonel
M'Leod, with his brigade, was detached to seize the
batteries at Tombeau and Tortue, and open a com-
munication with the fleet, as it had been previously
arranged that we were to draw our supplies front
those two points.

The main body of the army, soon after it had
moved off its, ground, was attacked by a corps of
the enemy, who, with several field-pieces, had
taken a strong position, very favourable for attempt-
ing to make an impression on the head of the co-
lutnn, as it sheaved itself at the end of a narrow
road, with a thick wood on each flank. The Eu-
ropean flank battalions, which formed the advanced
guard, under the command of Lieut.-Colonel Camp-
bell, of the 33d Regiment, and under the general
direction of General Warde, formed with as much
regularity as the bad and broken ground would ad-
mit of, charged the enemy with the greatest spiiit,
and compelled him to retire with the loss of his
guns, and many killed and wounded. This ad-
vantage was gained by the fill of Lieut.-Colonel
Campbell, a most excellent and valuable Officer ;
as well as Major O'Keefe, of the 12th Regiment,
whom I have also every reason sincerely to }egret.
In the course of the forenoon the army occupied
a position in front of the enemy's lines just beyond
the range of cannon-slot ;on the following morn—
ing, while I was employed in making arrangements
for detaching a peril to the southern side of the
town, and placing mySelf in a situation to make a
general attack, General de Caen proposed to capi-
tulate. Many of the articles appeared to Vice-Ad-
miral Bertiu and myself to.be pettedly inadMissible
but the French Governor having, in the. course of
ttig same day, acceded to our ierma,, a capitulation
for the surrender i
this Colony and tsoependent;es
was final:y concluded.

Your Lordship will perceive that the capitnlation
;s in strict conformity with the spirit of your in-
struetions, with the single exception, that the gar-
rison is not to be made prisoners of war.

Although the determined courage and high state
of discipline of the army which your Lordship has
done me the honour to place under my command,
could leave not the smallest doubt in my mind in
rope& to
,ths issue of an attack upon the town, I
was nevertheless prevailed upon to acquiesce in this
indulgence being granted to the enemy, from the
desire of sparing the lives of many brave officers and
soldiers, out of 'regard to the interest; of the inha-
bitants of this island, having long laboured under the
most degrading misery and oppreasion, (and knowing
confidentially your Lulf,hip's further views in regard
to this army) added to the late period of the sea Son,
when etery hour became valuable; I considered
these to be motives of much more national import-
ance, than any injury that coiild arise frOm a small
body of troops, at so remote a distance from Europe,
being perMittedtOeturn to their. own country, free
from any engagement. In every other particular,
we have gained all which could have been acquired
if the town had been carr;ed by assault.
During the course of this short service, the elle•
my' has not afforded an opportunity to the army in
general for displaying the ardent zeal and animated
courage with which every individual is inspired;
but it is nevertheleis my duty to represent to your
Lordship,ln the strongest terms, the merits of every
corps under my command. The officers and men,
(European as well as Native) have cheerfully and
patiently submitted to the greatest fatigues and pri-
vations. During the advante of the army, the
troops were unable, for the space of twenty-four
hours, to procure a sufficient supply of water, but
this trying circumstance did not produce a single
murmur, or the smallest unrrk of discontent or dis-
approbation.

I feel myself particularly indebted to Lieut..Colu.
nelslon, Gibbs, Kelso, Keatiug, M'Leod, and
Smyth, who commanded the different brigades, es
well as to Major Taynton, the senior Officer of the
Artillery, of whose services I was deprived by a
wound which he received on the day the army oc-
cupied a position betore this town;

Although thave every reason to be satisfied with
the teal of the Heads of Departments. I feel it a
particular duty incumbent upon me to express in
the most pointed manner the obligations which I
owe to Dr. Harris, the superintending Surgeon,
and to the Medical &aft in General„ for their un-
remitting attention, in discharge of the important
duty reposed in them.
• I have received every assistance from Lieutenant
Gregory, my Military Secretary, and the whole of
my personal Staff.

To Major Caldwell, of the Madras Engineers,
and who accompanied me from India, Pain indebt-
ed for the most able and assiduotis exertions. Since
his arrival amongst these ilands; he has been in-
.
&fatigable in procuring the necessary information,
in resped to the defence of this colony; and
through his means .1 was put in possession of an
accurate plan of the town, some time previous to
the disembarkation of the army ; and I trust your
Lordship will permit me to recommend to your
Lordship's proteaion this valuable and experienced
officer.

It is not in my power to do justice to the merits
of Major-General Warde; I have on every occasion
received from him the most cordial co-operation and
assistance; and during the short operations of the
army he was constantly at the bead of the column,
direding the advanced guard, and animating the
soldiers by lib personal example.

The most poled harmony and cordiality have
subsisted beween the navy and army ; and I have
received every assistance from Vice-Admiral Bertie
and the squadron unaer his command.
The arrangements connected with the disem-
barkation were conducted in the most able and judi.
c►ous manner by Captain Beaver, of - his Majesty's
friate Nisus ; ,andduring the subsequent operations
of the army, lam indebted to him for his unretnit:
Ong attention and assiduous exertions in landing the
necessary stores and provisions.

To Captain Briggs, of his Majesty's ship Clorinde,
and to Captain Lye, of the Doris, who were em-
ployed under the orders of Capt. Braver, my most
grateful acknoWledgements are clue for the services
they performed, as well as to the officers and sea-
men under their cottituan.l.

A body of seamen was landed from the fleet, on-
,
tier the command of Cairt. Montague; the exer-
tions which were used to brio; lon% art!' tie guns
through a most dillicult country, were such as to
attract the admiration of the whtle army ; and fully
entitles Capt. Molita4ue, Lieutetimt Lioy4 of 11).c
Afticanit, and every ottie. r and sailor, 10 the etICO•
albums lean pass on their condna.

The battalion o! Marines, under the command of
Captain Liarder, supported the reputation' of this
distinguished corps.

This aispatch will be' delivered to your I,lrdship
by my Aide,•de-Carilp, Lieritenatit 141‘Murdo of the
Bombay EstabliAment, who will afford your. Lott:-
ship auy further inturtuation you may require re-
spetling the late opt...rations of the Army.