Star.
London, England, 1807-11-18 00:00:00


•
IuRNAL, OP THE _OPERATIONS OF THE

BRI FISH ARMY AT BUENOS AYRES.

(Continued from the Si*l oryelterday)

NUMBER V.

I retsan to the advanced divition'of the tansy
der Major General Gowan Earlyin the morning of
the 3d July, they had received no intelligence regar-
ding the army in their rear, and the General was
neeetarily perplexed, and befitated in what manner
he ought to prnteed, with the belt profpef. of fuccefs.
Occupying an unfavourable political in an hatile
country, within a (bolt clitlAnce of the enema) town
and citadel, which contained a.numeroue army; ad-
vanced alma beyond the poftihility of retreating
from even the molt defpicable foe, and at a great
diflanee from the main army, the General teemed
anxious to gain time, in expeitation of the fpeedy
junEtion of General WHirexocx E. With this appa-
rent intention, General Gowsa difpatched a flag of
truce to the Spanilh Governor, conveying a (urn-
s:Dons to furrender the town and citadel to his Bri
tannic Majefly. An anfwer was returned to the Ge-
neral, Rating, that the Spanifli Governor would liften
to no terms, unlefs they were communicated in wri-
ting. During this time, detachments of the Rifle
Corps had been fent out to fcour the ground in the
frnnt'of the Bridal line, which, at the diflance of half
a mile, afforded Thelter to the enemy. The Spa-
niards appeared in great numbers, under cover of
hedges and houfes, and alfo in a wood on the left ;
and the firing on both fides was warmly fupported,
even during the palling of the Rig of truce. To fop-
port and AM the riflemen, parties of the 36th and
88th were alfo ordered out. The lkirmifhing was now
carried into the lanes by the riflemen, and afterwards
into tbe ftreets, where the firing continued warm dur-
ing the whole day. The parties which were ordered
to !import the riflemen had pofitive dilations not ip
fire on any account whatever.

About noon, General WHITtLOCIIi not havingar-
rived, another (ominous was fent in to the Spaniih
general in writing, demanding the immediate un-
conditional furrender of the place ; to which an an•
Ewer was returned by General LiNletts, the Spanifh
Commandant, that they would defend it.

Before the arrival of this anfwer in the Britifh lines,
all the troops were drawn up under arms in readinefs
to ea; and intelligence was immediately communi.
cated that the enemy were advancing to attack them
in a large body. Reinforcements were inflantly
ordered out to flrengthen the fkirmifhing parties.
There parties in advance recei
ved orders to engage
the enemy and to retreat regularly, in order if pal.
tile to decoy the enemy into the open ground. where
it was intended to give them battle. One half of the
troops remained on the open ground at El Miferere,
in readinefs to meet the enemy, while the remainder
retired under cover of a thick hedge immediately in
the rear, in equal readinefs to charge with the bay-
onets fo !bon as an opportunity should offer. Several
pieces of artillery were planted in filch pofitions as
were likely to have the greatelt effeEt.
The enemy advanced from the city in two irregular
columns with a number of field pieces. The firing
tt er warm between them and the fkirmifhing parties
o the Britifh, which fait, after a thrift time, began to
give way on all fides, as had bees concerted. The
enemy, however, purlued but cautioully, and kept
efp a heavy fire of cannon and mufketry until they
reached within boo yards, and fcarcely in fight of the
Brien. They then reefed to advance, burtontinued
an ipeeffant fire which was antwered by one of our
fietd pieces; about an hour before fun fet the enemy
flackened their fire and retreated flowly into the
......0
Wan a veil &oil time afterwards.

At this pet ioa General W HITS LOCK a was announced
to have arrived with the troops under Sir SAMUEL
AUCHMOTY, and ellablithed his head quarters under
a very hong guard in the rear. 'I he weather was
rainy and Rill appeared very florany and unfettled ;
glad the troops wtre ordered to take polreflion of the
neighbouring buildings for the night..
In the courts of the fkirmilhing of this day, the
parties of tißemen penetrated the fireets to a tonti.
derable dillance, and killed many of the enemy.
Their loft could not be afcertained. That on the
Ale of the Britifb was vtry ttising. During the
sight the advanced polls of the latter extended to
within three quarters of a mile from the citadel.

At nine in the morning of the 4th July, the 36th
and 88th regiments formed on the grouid which
they had occupied the day before,'with the intention,
it was believed, of entering the town on one fide,
while the brigade under Sir &muss AUCHMUTY,
conning of detachments of carabineers and 9th dra-
goons, the sth, 38th, and 87th regimentp, as well
as the 45th, it was fuppofed, had been ordeted to
attack it in another quarter. With this fuppofed
ebjea in view, the 36th and 88th immediately
snatched forward, as far as the advanced polls of
the preceding night, which, as we formerly men.
booed, extended to the entrance of the flreets,
or within three quarters of a mile of the citadel.—
There regiments were formed into a fon of detached
or interrupted line (in confequence of hoofs: and
other intervening Attacks) parallel to the city; their
left, conning of the 36th, being polled in the direc-
tion of the ftio Plata, and their right fupported by 2
firponnders, extended beyond the extremity of one
if the principal tireets. Thefe corps were under the
.cromand of Brigadier General Loans tr, who °cm-

pied a pofition near the right, and difpatehed his
inbrations to the different officers who commanded
divifions, all of which, from the nature of the ferviee,
sifted independently of each other, and coanged their
pofitinn as citcumaanees rendered it neceffarv, either
fur the rapport of other divilions, or to places where
their Cervices might prove more clearance to the
enemy whenever it appeared =diary, or as often as
they received orders for that purpofe. The enemy
alfembled in great numbers under cover of houfes,
wills, hedgis, Sec. and kept tip a warm fire on our
troops, whe.were perfeftly unfheltered for the molt
part, and unaceullomed to this kind of warfare.
Towards the left, the enemy preffed hard on the 36th,
and endeavottred as it were to turn that.flank, which
at one time 'teemed to be driven back. • Being rein-
forced, hoivever, from the right, and With the Alf
lance of one of the &pounders, the progrefs of the
enemy was faddenly checked, and Lieutenant Colonel
BuRNI, of the 36th, maintained his original pofi:ion
to the lea. A little before fun let, the firing Leafed
on both fides ; and the 36th and ffBth Conn retired,
leaving the advanced polls in polf(flion of the 6th
Dragoon Guards, and a part of the 9th Light Dra-
goons, which arrived for that purpofe abont an hour
atter fun let. the loft fultained by the 36th and 88th
this day was two Officers wounded, and about twenty
men killed and wounded. I !hall not detain you to
detail any cnnjeture on the motives of this day's
proceedings, which are not defcribed in the public
accounts by the General ; but (ball limply obferve
that, whatever might have been the objet in view,
no apparent advantage W 45 obtained to compenfate
for the loft fuaained by the irave troops, as well as
the loft of a whole day, which was of great impor-
tance to the interefis of both armies, but particularly
to the enemy ; on the contrary both fides continued
.in their refpedive fituations of the preceding day.
Hitherto I have been defaibing the operations of
the Light. Brigade under Brigadier General CIAO
Fulln, and of the 36th and 88th Regiments, under
the Honourable Brigadier General Lusns ; which
were the only part of the army that had as yet been
employed againft the enemy. In my next I (hall
proceed to the melancholy detail of the tranfadions
of the following day, viz. the sth of July, which
minded in the complete failure of the expedition, and
in the total lofttof South America.—( To be smtinued.)