Star.
London, England, 1814-03-21 00:00:00

I?

I

THE LATE .47-1:1CK ON BERGEN-OP-ZOOM.

The late disaster at Bergen-op-Zoom ought to give
Politicians a lesson, that they ought not to estimate
the merit of a plan by the success of the execution.—
Never was a measure planned with more spirit, ge-
nius, and precision, than that attack ; never did a
Commander deserve more credit than Sir T. GRA H AM.
. Four attacks were or&ted to take place at the same
moment, and in fsie only circumstance which could
ensure success—three real, and one false ; the troops
composing them were to meet on the ramparts, and
the fort tilu,t fall. The time was fixed with minute

exactness, half after ten. •
The flu st, the false attack, in its ea!rerness to per-
form its orders, was a whole hour before the time.—
Finding themselves alone, the brave band of heroes
changed the false into a real attack; but they alarm-
ed the besieged, and were overpowered. The others
were punctual ; but in the darkness of the night, one
turned to the left instead of the right ; another made
a similar, but contrary mistake. One only reached
the place of destination at the appointed time: thus
accident frustrated the effects of the greatest valour
that perhaps ever was displayed by officers and men.
Even in these disastrous circumstances, success was
so nearly crowning so glorious an attempt, that the
French General was once surrounded by our men.
He afterwards acknowledgd, that nothing hut the
sublime genius and practical abilities of a GRAHAM,
and the determined spirit of an English army, could
have undei taken such a masterly attempt ; and that
nothing but accident could have made it unsuccess-
ful—Thus it appears that the failure of the attack
can be attributed to nothing btit the eagerness of our
brr.ve tr:)(lpsi to enter on the field of action, and their
determined spirit to c.;iicioer or perish.
We are' sure we shall not be accused of party me-
tires by those, who have observed our principles
during the whole war, if we recall the circumstances
of the year 1809 to the recollection of our Readers.
Had the expedition to Walcheren sailed three months
tallier, the island and the fleet would have been in
our hands ; the whole of Holland and of the Ne-
therlands would now be acting on the offensive, and
the gallant GRAHAM would be now assisting the ex-
ploits of the great WaLuNoroN. It is gratifying to
the country that the measures of the present Admi-
nistration cannot be charged with errors so fatal to
the cause of Europe.

to Charlemont. Zieglectiag all the places pf the
Meuse, the enemy advanced by Bar and St.
The garrison of Verdi!Whas come quite 'to St. Wild.
Near Bar a Ruisiait'neneral, who remained some
moments with fifteen men after the departure of his
troops, was killed, with his escort, 'by the peasants,
in revenge for the atrocities he had ordered. Metz
pushes its sorties to Nancy ; Strasburg, and the other
plaeesof Alsace, being observed but by small parties,
there is free ingress and egress, and provisions arrive
in abundance. The troops of the garrison of Mentz
go as far as Spires. The departments having hastened
to complete the corps of battalions which are in all
these places, where they are armed, equipped, and
exercised, we may say, that there are several armies
in the rear of the enemy. His position cannot but
become more dangerous daily. We see by the re-
ports that have been intercepted, that a regiment of
Cossacks, whose force was 250 men, have lost up-
wards of 120, without having been in action, but
Only by the hostilities of the peasants.
64 The Duke of Castiglione manoeuvres on the
Rhone, in the department of the Aisne, and in
Franche Conite. Generals Desaix and Marchand
have driven the enemy from Savoy. Fifteen thou-
sand men are passing the Alps, to eeinforce the Duke
of Castiglione.
" The Viceroy has obtained great successes at
Borghetto, and has driven the enemy upon the Adige.
" General Grenier, who set out from Placentia on
the 2d March, beat the enemy at Parma, and chased
him beyond the Taro.
64 The French troops that occupied Rome, Civita
Vecchia, and Tuscany, are entering Piedmont, to
pass the Alps.
" The exasperation of the popu'ace increases daily
in proportion to the atrocities which are comMitted
by these hor,l,:s, more barbarous still than their cli-
mate, who dishon:ur the human race, and whose mi-
litary existence has for its object pillage and crime,
instead of honour and retro " n.
" The conferences of Lusigny for an armistice
have failed. We could not agree upon the line of de-
marcation. We were agreed 'upon the points of oc-
cupation to the North and East, but the enemy wish-
ed not only to extend his line upon the Saone and the
Rhone, but tcs enclose Savoy in it. We replied to this
unjust pretension, by proposing to adopt on this line
the status quo, and to leave the Duke of Castiglione
and Count Bubna to settle it upon the line di their ad-
vanced posts. This was rejected. It was then neces-
sary to renounce the idea of an armistice for a fort-
night, which was -attended with more inconvenience
than advantages. The Emperor, besides, did not
think he had a right to place a numerous population
under the iron yoke from which they had been deli-
vered. He would not consent to abandon our com-
munications with Italy, which the enemy had so otten
and so vainly attempted to intercept, when our troops
were not yet united.
" The weather has been constantly very cold ; the
tiveuacs are very distressing _during this season; but
each party has been exposed to the sante sufferings.
66 It appears even that sickness makes great havoc
in the enemy's army, whilst ours has but few sick.
PARIS, MARCH to.
According to the latest tams from Lyons, the
Duke of Castiglione was proceeding frOm Macow, in
considerable force.
General Carnet has made a sortie from Antwerp,
and taken 600 prisoners.
We see every day waggons, and a great number of
horses, arrive and quit Paris for the army. We have
have this instant received the follow log letter :
" 'MEDI% MAIWII 13.
" The Prussians and Russians attacked t )-day our
town at three points. General Corbineau spewed the
greatest courage in defending it till a corps of his
Majesty's troops got into the town, and completely
beat the enemy, who lost 5000 men and 22 pieces of
cannon. We are pursuing the enemy's columns, who
are retiring in thegreatest disorder by different roads."
PARIS, MARCH 16.
Her Majesty the Empress Queen and Regent has
received the following intelligence of the situation of
the armies to the 14. th
" General St. Priest, commanding in chief the eight
Russian corps, had been for several days in position
at Chalons-sur-Marne, having an advanced guard at
Sillery. This cops, composed of three divisions,
which ought to have formed 18 regiments and 36 bat-
talions, had actually only eight regiments or 16 bat-
talions, making about five or 6000 men.
"General Jagow, commanding the last column of
the Prussian reserve, and having under his orders four
regiments of the Landwehr of Prussian Pomerania
and the Marks, forming 16 battalions, or 7000 men,
who had been employed in the sieges of Torgau and
Wirtemberg, joined the corps of General St. Priest,
whose force must, therefore, have been about 15 or
16,000 men, cavalry and artillery included. .
' 'General St. Priest resolved to surprise• Rheims,
in which was stationed General Corbineau, at the
bead of the National Guard and three battalions of
the levy-en-mass, with 100 cavalry and eight pieces
of cannon. General Ccrbineau had placed General
Defrance's ditision of cavalry at Chalons.sur-Vesle,
two leagues from the town.
" On the 12th, at five in the morning, General St.
Priest presented himself at the different gates. He
made his principal attack on the gate of Laon, which
the superiority of his numbers enabled him to force.
General Corbineau operated his retreat with three
battalions of the levy-en-mass, and his 700 cavalry
fell back rapt,. Chalons-siir.Vesle. The National
Guard and the inhabi-

itants

ai ed very well in these