The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-10-31 00:00:00

FRENCII PAPERS.-

PARIS, Oct. In. •
TO Ills EICELLENCT TILE DV OF raven; MM.
TElt .11 WAILS AT PARIS.
" Ilead-quarters at Seilla, Sept. 28, 1910.
M 0 setc, six -- I had the honour of giving an
aerount io your Excellency of the attack made on
r, 11th instant, by the English, on the transports
0i t: e of Reserve, commanded by General
:
c„,4ime, a hick wore at that period lying at anchor
in the bay of Pentimele, near Reggio.
b 4 I now hasten to communicate to you a journal
of ,1„ „vents w hick have taken place since that time,
up the 25:11
On the 12th, 13th, 14th, 15th, and lath,
t:,cre 110111111 g new. •
.4 O the morning of the 17th, his Majesty hare
lug mitered that some troops of his guard should re.
c ,nuoure a transport ship to the south of Messina,.
there issoed from the pert of that city several gun-
h,,ati, which came to attack them. His Majesty
then, also, sent several gun-boats to support t'hcir
Are, together with some light vessels filled with
troops,' with the design of hoarding the enemy.
Ia the enemy's vessels then formed in line, and
opened a very well-supported fire on, those of his
jkiaj,ity. 'I he latter advancing in order to'board,
did a •t r .iern the fire, lest their progress should be
thereby retarded ; but the enemy having perceived
their design, tacked :shwa", and regained with all
sail the clast of SiCily. 'The vessels of his Majesty
then taking the enemy .in flank, kept up upon him
very brisk cannonade, and a well-supported Ire
el musketry. •

►► His Majesty, present at this action, directed
all the movements. The enemy's lon- must have
been considerable.
44 On the same day, his Majesty having given
orders at four in the afternoon, that all the troops
1/f the army should hold themselves in readiness for
embarkation, each corps was in consequente placed
behin,! the boats destined fur its respective trans.
port, frir the purpose of effecting their einbarka.
110 u Kith the least delay when the order should 'be

gli
" At ei;ht in the evening, the order for ember.
lation WaS given; the Division of Reserve, eight
miles di,t•int from the others, did not receive the
order till half-past nine. The wind, which (luring
the whole day had been favourable for this expedi-
tion, had totally ceased in the Channel at nine in
the evening; it still lasted, however, at Pentiumle,
where tho Channel, beginning to widen, affords a
freer approach to the southerly winds.
" The divisions PAriOllllOllllZ and A.iainarque were
embarked at 'eight ib the eyeing,. as. Well, es the
It4yal Guards; at half past nine .thd Reserve was
also embarked, so that at ten -the whole army was
ready to sail ; his Majesty Nth himself embarked,
together with all his Sta.
" Detailed instructions tied hten given to rack of
the Generals commanding the divisions and the
comsat guards, with regard to the manner in ‘v-hich
they were respectively to act, and stool after the
debarkation, with regard to the plan of 'attack, the
only one which local circumstance', permitted his
Majesty to adopt t it was -perfectly understood ;
but there was room to regret that it could be only
partially carried info effect.
" The General. commanding in chief the Attn..
lery and corps of Englotrepsy, had also received the
Instructions necessary for their service, as well as
the head commandant and director in chief. of the
marine. In short, nothibg had been ted by
Lis Majesty to secure thosuccesa of such an tinter.
prize; the good spirit of the army give every yea.
sun for hope.
" The wind continued during the whole night
deficient in that part of the channel occupied by the
two divisions Partonneaux and Lamarqiie, end the
Royal Guards ; but it still blew, though weakly,
off Pentimele, where the division of. Mier** at
anchor.

" This division set sail about half past ten, and
arrived, without meeting the enemy, ou the coast of
Sicily, not at ScaJetta, -which was the point marked
out fur its debarkation (the sea.brecze which it fell
in with on the coast not having pern.itted it to as.
cend so high), but at Saint Stephan!, four miles
farther to the north, and of course nearer to Messina.
" All the troops were landed and formed in an
instant, so as to leave nothing to fear from the dis,,
positions which the enemy might adopt. All the'
dispositions to be wished for in such circumstances
were taken by General Cavagnac.
44 In the mean time the two d visions Partonneaux
and the Guards found themselves constantly des.
titute of the least breath of wind, and could not
execute their movements. His Majesty vainly hoped,
and waited the whole night in his barge with the'
mast lively isipatience fur a breeze to till his sails;
the most complete calm on the contrary prevailed,
and lasted till daybreak.
" It was far (ruin being supposed, that the sea
at Pentimele was not subject *.o the' same calm
watch prevailed at the Punta &el Mao, there
being Pii;j eight miles distance between them. II
It was, therefore, with surprise and extreme
eneasiness, that his Majesty at five in the morn.
ing learnt that the diviiion of reserve had been
able to execute its movement, and was on the
Opposite shore : a very brisk firing at the point of
its landing confirmed this intelligence, and unfortu.
:lately the signals agreed upon could nut be given at
hat hour. Bat as that division had orders to retreat,
Case the twu others could out effect their passage ;
it saw, at the sate time, that the divisions Parton.
heaux and Lamarque were still on 'the Calabria!
beach, and General Cavagnac ordered a return.
46 Two brigs and an English corvette, followed
by a great number of icorridors, immediately is.
sued from Messina to attack this convoy, but a con-
trary wind slid not permit them to execute this de-
sign, and they were obliged to confuse themselves to
a fruitless cannonade.
" His Majesty had hitherto preserved the hope
that his reserve ,division had returned untouched,
and eveu after having obtained some advantage over
the enemy ; but by a fatality, which in great enter-
prises often depends on the smallest details, thir.
teen of the transport ships, after having landed the
troops which they had sin • board, profited by the
darkness of the night looregain the coast of Cala-
brshss So that a part of the Lroups which they had