Star.
London, England, 1809-08-28 00:00:00

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Roirals, and the flank. and five battalion ;companies oil
the sth, They were driven at the point of the bayonet
with great loss, ism the pretincts of the fort. • Many .
prisoners were made on this occasion, an it was ob-
served that the greater part of them were found to be
intoxicated. The loss of the British in repelling this
onset may be computed at little less than ISO M killed
and wounded, among whom were several Officers.
'A report was in general circulation at this time, and
credited, that the supposed object of this sortie was
to plunder the town of Middelburgh, an attempt
which was certainly as hopeless as it was hazardous.
1 The intelligence that an English army intended to
make a descent on Walcheren had been communica-
ted to General Mom*, the French Commandant on
the island, who lost no opportunity of procuring re-
inforcements of troops. Several thousand men, who
were on their route from the banks of the Rhine to
I join the army under the command of Bonaparte, ,
i were ordered to march for the purpose of reinforcing
I that under General Monnet ; and a considerable
number of men had been tkrown into Flushing front
the fort of Bresicens, on the island.of Cadsand, imme-
diately .opliosite. On the evening of the liith, the
etremy sOceeded in throwing in 900 men from the
same place, in defiance of our fleet, which was so si-
tuated as to he unable to prevent it.
On the Bth, 9tl;, and loth the enemy continued to
molest the artificers in the construction of the bat-
tteries, which, however, went on with great forward-
ness, though they were not so soon completed as was
expected. The picquets, advanced parties, Ste. were
continually harassed by the enemy without our troops
being able to dislodge them from their cover.
In the afternoon of the II th ten sail of frigates
passed mood the western end of the •island at a short
(distance from the batteries of Flushing, for the pur-
. nose of entering the mouth of the Western Stheldt.
But it must he mentioned, that previously to this
movement of the ships of war, the fiat of Ramakins,
commanding the Southern point of the island, and a
great check on the shipping passing from Camveer
between Walcheren and the island of South Beveland,
had surrendered after an obstinate resistance. The
passage of the frigates was warmly disputed by the
enemy, but owing to the spirited fire of these ships,
they succceeded in effecting the attempt with a very
trifling loss, although every thing; was done on the
part of the enemy to hinder it. Thus the efforts of
the French to convey reinforcements into flushing
were by this movement rendered abortive.
In the mean time every preparation was taking for
the approaching bombardment, and the enemy sheav-
ing an obstinate and determined spirit of resistance,
the British General ordered eery engine at hand
to be employed in the reduction of the fortress, for
the purpose of bringing the operations to as
speedy a determination as possible. In addition
to shot and shells, a great quantity of Mr. Con-
greve's rockets were brought up. It appears that
about this time the inhabitants of F: .thing had urged
M. 'Monet, the Commandant, to permit the women
and children to go out of the town before the opening
of the English batteries, which was now hourly ex-
pected, which proposal was refused, although it was
said to be sanctioned by the British General.

It: the afternoon of the 13th August, all the cannon
and mortar batteries having been completed, mount-
ing nearly 60 heavy pieces of both descriptions, the
enemy's fire was answered from our advanced bat-
tery on the right, while at the same time a fire of
rockets was directed from the left. It was not long
after the commencement of this fire, when a part of
the town was distinctly seen to be in fi.imes. The
fire of the enemy was principally turned upon the
advanced battery, which seemed to gall them very
much with its fire. The fire continued the most of ;
the night from our batteries.
In the morning of the 14th, eight line of battle
ships approached the town, and opened a very heavy
cannonade on it. The enemy answered the fire for
some time, but the batteries were at length silenced.
on that side. On this occasion Sir IC Strachan's ship
(Tot aground, and sustained the tire of one of the sea-1
h '
batteries for two hours. In the course cf this after-I
noon, it appears that the enemy sent out proposals!
for delivering up the town on certain conditions, which
not being acceded to, at half past nine this evening
the mortar batteries opened with :t tremendous tire,.
which was continued without intermission till half
past three 0-. e following morning. At midnight a
stormi;ig party, consisting of 150 men, from the 36th,
71st, and German riflemen, the whole under Lieu-
tenant-Colonel Pack, of the 71st regiment, advanced
under the cover of the night, and, without firing a
shot, surprised.one of the enemy's advanced batteries,
mounting two pieces of cannon. About thirty of the
enemy were made prisoners on this occasion—the rest,
who retreated, galled our people greatly with their
fire as they fell back upan their own works. Lieu.
tenant-Colonel Pack having spiked the guns, thought
it advisable to abandon the post. In this spirited at-
tack Lieutenant Ingram, of the 71st, was killed, and
four officers wounded, among whom was Major
Mackenzie, of the I:6th regiment, an old and expe-
rienced officer.'

The cessation of fire from the British batteries early
in the morning of the 15th, was in consequence of a
flag of truce having been sent out from Flushing,
offering an unconditional surrender of the fort and
town. Previously to this, however, it appears that
the enemy had attempted to inundate the island, by
opening the sluices at Flush:ng, with a view to de-
stroy our works, and diskdge the army from their
position before the town. In this attempt, however,
they were not successful farther than in damaging the
fields, which were irrigated to such a depth and ex-
tent in consequence, as to he iticapabL7 of cultivation
far i long period. this, the ditches
of Flushing were so much ,-,v!rflowed as to render all
(communication `i•twecn the enemy and their advanc-
ed works almost impracticable.
Thus fell the important fortress of Flushing, after
`holding out for a period of 14 days inst an army of
110,000 men. We shall at present decline offering any
oiaservations on the manner in v.hich the operations
were conducted in the reduction ef the place, but shall
'simply express our regret that the object could not
have been obtained in a shorter period, particularly as
rho great length of time occupie4in the siege afforded
the enemy a good opportunity of removing their fleet,
which had been stationed at Flushing, to a great dis-
tance up the river Scheldt, which will prevent, =least
for a tinie, every chance of their falling into our p-s-
-session,

---cmrszyrassiwriwireriortriniiiig *ere fiferfii:
see** of by the British Guar& ; and on the 17th the
piece was garrisoned by our troops. In the morning
of the 18th the Frenkh garrison marched out priso-
ners of war, and embarked at Terveer, on board ships
of war.
Generals Monnet and Oiten embarked at Terveer
on the 20th, for England. The former is reckoned
by the inhabitants of-Flushing as an austere, and op-
pressive officer. The character of Osten is that of a
mild, honourable and good Officer.
General Grosvenor's division embarked at Rama-
kens on the lgth, to proceed up the Western Scheldt.
Sir Richard Strachan had proceeded up that branch
of the Scheldt with six sail of the line. The enemy
had, it was said, drawn up their fleet above Antwerp,
which a high spring tide that happened daring the
operations against Flushing had greatly facilitated.

" MIDDIME URC , AUG. go.

Intelligence has been just received from the vi.
cir.ity of Lillo, stating, that the flotilla under the
command of Sir Home Popham had been attacked
by nearly one hundred French gun-boats and brigs,
and that the result was, as usual, decidedly in favour
of our navy, although possessing scarcely half the
strength of the enemy.
" Our vessels have taken three of the French brigs
and sunk one, the others sought safety in flight.—
, They have gone up above Lillo, near to where the
French fleet lie. This was the boasted flotilla which
was, in conjunction with the fort of Lillo, to have
given protection to the French fleet. The number
of that fleet is now accurately ascertained—they
amount to nine sail of the line and four frigates,:
Before they can be approached, the immense chain
and boom which is across the river must be broken,
and the fort of Lillo must be passed. The chain is,
I understand, considerably larger and more difficult
to be broken, than that which crossedllasque roads.
The attempt to break is was to have been made, and
probably has before now, by the Courageur, Capt.
Plampin. The distance between Lillo and Fort de
Lief kenshoch is not half a mile, but these b4tteries
are not strong. • I am told by persons of intelligence
on whom I cen rely, that the French ships may pass
Antwerp, and go up too high to be followed by our
fleet, if their masts and guns be titken out. It is still
resolved to attack Antwerp. It is stated that Bona-
parte has collected a strong force. While our army
and navy were occupied before Flushing, and Sir
John Hope waited the result in Feveland, Bona-
parte's agents were actively engaged in providing
this force—amcing those agents was King Louis
himself. He was at Antwerp and Lillo on Sunday
last, to review the troops and the fortifications. The
I royal salutes upon his arrival at each of these places
were heard by our vessels.
I " some deserters have since come over to us, who
saw his Majesty, and who describe him as very eager
I to forward the preparations for resistance of our at-
tack. The report of these deserters, however, as to
the stature of the French force, is very encouraging.
But who ever heard any report of a contrary nature
, from a deserter ? Among these deserters are some
Hanoverians, who state, that the whole force assem-
bled in the vicinity of Antwerp does net c::ceed
15,000 men—that they consist of persons of different
nations, who were prisoners of war in France, and
who were forced by ill treatment (to escace starva-
tion indeed) to enter into the French service. This
may be true, but I remember that we had a similar
story about the garrison of Flushing ; and it was ex-
traordinary with what eagerness these ill-treated pri-
soners fought for the power which so forced them
into service.

" The garri'on of Flushing consisted of nearly
9000 men, not one-third of whom were French, and
yet how few of them deserted to us,scarcely any indeed
hut Our own countrymen, who are, for the most part,
subject to- the suspicion of having before deserted
from our own army or navy. They state generally,
that they were taken prisoners at Copenhagen, or
Spain, or elsewhere, and forced out of prison to tight
against their country. But the evidence of the. sus-
picion I have mentioned appears from their having
been sent with the French prisoners to England.
" General Nlonnet and suite, t )gether with 30 or
40 prisoners of war, who have been caught in diffo...
rent hiding places throughout the island since the
surrender of Flushing, embarked this day for Eng-
land—fivo boats were filled with the baggage of Mo-
net's mite. Monet is not considered as a man of
ability—he is a mere soldier, devotecl.to Napoleon
but he endeavours to write. I haye. seen some pa..
pers he addressed to the inhabitants of Flushing in
the course of the siege, . and they are perfect rhodo-
montade, remarkable-for vapour and inanity. Gene-
ral Lusten,whO was second in command, is a clever
man. These Generals do not disguise the fact, that
they had no hope of holding out long at Flushing, !
after their -communication with Cadsand was inter-
cepted ; but that they were enjoined to resist as long ;
as possible, in order that the English army should be
so detained that time might be afforded for the col-
,!
lection of a force at Antrea. If, however, the
communication with CadsandThad not been cut off,
they were not without hopes of receiving a mallicient 1
force to qualify them for making a general attack
upon our army. The reinforcement they did receive
from Cadsand was about 4000 men. It therefore
now appears quite evident that the Marquis of Hunt-
ley was not only justifiable in declining to disembark ;
at Cadsand, but that he would have been extremely
culpable had hQ attempted to risk his force under the
circumstances in which he was placed. On all hands,
it is confessed, that Commodore Owen could not fur-
nish boats to land more than 700 men at a time,
while, from the nature of the weather, it was impos-
sible for then, to take more than one trip in a tide.
What then, with such a force on .Cadsand, was to be-
come of 700 men before they could be reinforced ?
But the fact is, that the enemy had a force at Cad.
sand considerably outnumbering the whole division
under the command of Lord Huntley. It is there-
fore peculiarly fortunate, that what was so much re-
gretted some days ago did happen to take place, and
in consequence, the conduct of a gallant Officer,
which was for some dayS the subject of much ani-
madversion, stands now perfectly vindicated.
" But Many persons very naturally ask, why was
not the communication of the enemy with Cad-
sand sooner prevented by the interposition of our
liavy ? Had the frigates, u hose gallantry I men-
tioned in a former letter, made a similar da h at the
outset of the siege, the communication "nd to