The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1840-12-01 00:00:00

THE CAPTURE OF ST. JEAN D'ACRE

(From the Times of Saturday)
The following are the detailed accounts of this glorious
action, • furnished by our various correspondents, some of
whom were present during the capture :•—•
MALTA, Nov. 15.—8 y the arrival of the Minos this morn-
ing we have advices from Constantinople to the sth instant,
from Egypt to the 6th, and from Smyrna to the 9th.
The news is not important. At none of these places was
the capture of St. Jean d'Acre known. It is said that there
is a strong fermentation in Damascus in favour of the Sultan.
Some Tatar couriers have arrived at Constantinople, bring-
ing the confirmation of the evacuation of Tarsus, Adana, and
the defiles of the Taurus by the Egyptians. Troops continue
to be sent from Constantinople into Syria. The Sultan's
army now, with the troops just sent, will amount to 20,000
strong. Orders have been sent to the Emir Bechir, now in
Malta, to go to Constantinople. He is at liberty to go or
refuse, as he is under British protection. (He may thank God
for that !) The Sultan has had another daughter, and pro-
mises to have a large family. The late Austrian, Prussian,
and Russian Consuls-General in Egypt arrived at Smyrna,
from Beyrout, on the 3d instant. Sir Moses Montefiore and
suite arrived here to-day by the Minos. Hosref Effendi,
despatched by Mehemet Ali to search out for Ibrahim, could
not find him, or at least get near him. He had a particular
mission.

The French packet agent in Malta, and the Russian Con-
sul, had a regular fight with sticks, owing to the arrival of
the news of the fall of Acre. This is a most disgraceful busi-
ness—a farce, if you will, after the tragedy of St. Jean d'Acre !

(From the Malta Times.)

THE BOMBARDMENT AND FALL OF ST. JEAN D'ACRE

MALTA, Nov. 15, 1840.—The Phoenix steam-frigate ar-
rived on Thursday evening last, bringing the momentous in-
telligence of the capture of St. Jean d'Acre—the far-famed
fortress of the Levant—by the combined fleets of the allies.
The action is the most splendid of all the recent naval achieve-
ments in these seas, demonstrating to the staggering faith of
the politicians of Europe that nothing can withstand British
genius and valour. Vainly have the French incendiaries de-
fied the British naval forces to take the great " fort of the
East ;" for, whilst they pour out their bitter invectives, and
s ng their savage war-whoop of nationality, a council of war
is formed to attack these redoubtable batteries, it is decided
in a moment, and in another St. Jean d'Acre is a heap of
ruins, dyed with the profuse blood of the enemy !
We cannot pass by the splendid action of Admiral Stopford
—an action which has covered the Admiral with immortal
honour. It was Admiral Sir Robert Stopford who left his
flag-ship for the Phoenix—who directed the attack—who fired
the first shot upon the devoted fortress, who neared the for-
midable batteries, and under the bristling cannon (the labors
and accumulations of ages) stood up with coolness, daring,
unshaken courage, and commanded the whole operations

The Admiral, ,„
however, was nobly seconded by General Sir
C. F. Smith, of the Royal Engineers, who was with him on
board the Phoenix, and by other brave and intrepid officers
under his command. Commodore Napier—the glory of the
British sailor—headed one of the two divisions, and would
not cease his fire till every gun of the enemy was silent. Ad-
miral Walker behaved also most admirably, and took his flag-
ship under the guns.
_

The result of this grand action is 3,000 prisoners, an im-
mense quantity of warlike stores, accumulated for years in
this celebrated fortress, and possession of the entire coast of
Syria.

The fall of Acre will echo and re-echo throughout the
world. The sovereigns of Europe will see that the spirit of
Nelson still lives in the British navy—that her fleets can yet
batter down mighty works, deemed by ordinary people im-
pregnable, and that England is yet the undisputed mistress
of the sea.

We refer our readers for the details of this splendid
achievement to our correspondents' communications from
the scene of action.

The Phoenix steam-frigate arrived in port on Thursday
afternoon, from Acre the 6th instant, with the important
intelligence of the fall of that fortress on the 3d.

The attack commenced at half-past two o'clock p.m., and
became general at 3 p.m. At twenty minutes past 4 a large
magazine blew up, by which one entire regiment was sacri-
ficed ; at 5 o'clock the southern division ceased firing, and
at forty minutes past 5 the north-western. The batteries
fired until the last. During the night the place was evacu-
ated. At 3 a.m. Walker Bey landed with some troops and
took possession.
British Loss.-14 killed and 42 wounded.

Egyptian Loss.-1,500 to 1,700 killed by explosion. 500
killed on the ramparts. Wounded unknown.
The only officer killed was Lieutenant Le Mesurier of the
Talbot, who received a severe contusion, of which he died
on the following day.
The British ships engaged were the Princess Charlotte,
Powerful, Thunderer, Benbow, Revenge, Edinburgh, and
Bellerophon of the line ; Castor, Pique, Carysfort, and Tal-
bot, frigates ; Wasp and Hazard, sloops ; Gorgon, Vesuvius,
Stromboli, and Phoenix, steam frigates ; two Austrian fri-
gates and a corvette, and a Turkixli ship-of-the-line, with
the flag of Admiral Walker.

Some of the ships were a good deal cut up about the rig-
ging and spars, and a prodigious quantity of powder and shot
was expended: . _

The .Phcenix proceeded to England yesterday with the
despatches from Admiral Stopford.

THEATRE OF WAR.-OPERATIONS OF THE ALLIES OFF

THE COAST OF SYRIA

ACRE, Nov. 6.—Since my last, strange events have oc-
curred, of which I will endeavour to give you a sketch.
On the 24th ult. the Medea steamer arrived from Malta
and England ; the same day the Turkish Admiral (Walker),
with the Gorgon and Phcenix steamers, sailed for Acre ;
and the day following, having reached their destination
(where they found the Revenge and Pique), sent in a flag of
truce, summoning the town, which, however, was not re-
ceived, and the boat was threatened to be fired on, if not
immediately off. The Gorgon and Phoenix, therefore, re-
turned to Beyrout, but on the latter's arrival there she found
that the Admiral, with the Bellerophon and Edinburgh, and
the two Austrian frigates, had sailed for Acre, to which
place she accordingly returned, and learned that on the pre-
vious evening the Gorgon had fallen in with the Princess
Charlotte, and, strange to say, received orders for all the
ships, excepting the Pique, to return to Beyrout, to, which
place we all accordingly proceeded. On the 29th the Vesu-
vius steamer arrived from Malta and England, and the same
day an Austrian steamer from Constantinople, bringing
troops and despatches from Lord Ponsonby. On the 30th
ult. a general order was issued by command of the Lords
Commissioners of the Admiralty, thanking the fleet for their
zeal and exertions, and on the same day a council of war was
held, at which an immediate attack on Acre was decided on.
The same evening the supernumerary marines were ethbark-
ed, and on the following day about 3,000 Turkish troops,
each ship taking a portion according to her size, General Sir
C. F. Smith, R.E., accompanying them. In the afternoon
the steamers Gorgon, Vesuvius, Stromboli, and Phoenix
started for their destination. On the morning-of Sunday,
November the Ist, the steam division arrived off Acre,
where they found the Pique, and in the forenoon commenced
throwing shot and shell into the devoted town, which was
briskly returned, but fortunately without effect. This
amusement continued at intervals during the day, and must
have harassed the enemy a good deal, as a number of shot
and shell were seen to fall and burst in the very centre of
the toWn. In the evening the steamers anchored just out of
range, and the Talbot and Wasp joined. At daylight on the
2d the Turkish and Austrian admirals made their appearance,
and at eight o'clock the steamers weighed and resumed their
work, which was continued at intervals throughout the day,
the batteries returning the fire as yesterday, and with the
like harmless effect. In the afternoon we had the satisfac-
tion of making out the Admiral and squadron running down
before a fine breeze from the northward : shortly before sun-
set the whole anchored off the town. The forces now as-
sembled consisted of the following vessels :—Princess Char-
lotte (flag), Powerful (broad pendent), Thunderer, Bellero-
phon, Revenge, Edinburgh, and Benbow of the line; Castor,
Pique, Carysfort, and Talbot, frigates; Hazard, corvette;
Wasp, brig ; and the steam-frigates, Gorgon, Vesuvius,
Stromboli, and Phoenix ; the Austrian frigates Gueriera and
Medea, and a corvette, and the Turkish Admiral and cutter
tender. The night was spent in sounding, laying down
buoys, and making the necessary preparations. It was ori-
ginally intended that the steamers should lash alongside and
tow the liners into their stations ; but, finding too much
swell on in the morning, that plan was necessarily aban-
doned, and it was determined to proceed to attack under sail.
At half-past nine, a.m., all being ready, the signal was made
to weigh, with a light wind from the south west. The Ad-
miral and Sir Charles Smith went on board the steam-
frigate Phoenix, from which vessel they conducted the at-
tack ; the flag, however, still remained flying on board the
Princess Charlotte. Unfortunately about noon the wind fell
very light, and the ships were obliged to wait for the sea
breeze, which happily sprang up sufficiently strong a little
before one p.m., when the signal was made to bear up, and
for the steamers to engage (they had in the forenoon thrown
a few shot and shell). At 50 minutes past one the Phoenix
opened her fire. The Powerful, closely followed by the
Princess Charlotte, Thunderer, Bellerophon, and Pique,
stood to the northward (it would be as well to state here
that the town presents two faces to the sea, one to the
west and the other to the south), and then bore up, and an-
chored off the north-west angle of the town, in the order
named above. The Castor, Carysfort, Talbot, Benbow,
Edinburgh, Turkish Admiral, Hazard, Wasp, and Austri-
ans, stood in for the south face ; the Revenge was ordered to
keep under weigh as a reserve. At a quarter past two o'clock
the batteries to the south were opened on the Castor, as she
most gallantly, and to the admiration of the whole fleet, took
up her station within about 700 yards of the batteries, where
she and her consorts opened their fires, as had also by this

time the northern division ; the steamers were placed he
tween the two divisions, under weigh, and thus the actio
became general. It would be impossible to attempt a_ de

t this moment, but had those Who hay

very and constancy of the

itnessed

nimated fire kept up by the
batte-
ries, they would no longer be sceptical as to their courage or
endurance. At about three o'clock the Revenge was ordered
in to support the Powerful's division, and took up an admi-
rable position ahead of that ship. At about twenty-five mi-
nutes past four, the action being at its height, a terrific ex-