The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-01-01 00:00:00

.....,5a...~.,,

Arrangemeats were, on the same day, made to
proceed on the demolition, by mining, of the
triers and masonry of the flood gates at the en-
trance of the great naval basin, tinder the direr..
Sibiu of Captains Squire and Fanshawe of the
*oral Eaginers.
1 hare now **honour to inform you, that the
services allotted to the Royal Navy have been most
effeatually accomplished) the Jock-yard, arsenal,
magazine., and every ,building belonging to the
naval establishment being, wholly destroyed. The
entrance of the harbour is also blocked up, by
sinking of vessels filled with heavy materials, .so
as to render the passage of ships of war imprac-
Usable.
The destruction of the defences towards the sea,
under the direction of Captain Rmlyerd, has also.,
been completely carried into efot, Sty dismant..
ling the batteries, throwing (Wills the parapets;
and in every respect extending the devastation of
such works, as far as could be accomplished with.
oat hazarding an inundation of the town ; hat
with regard to the important service of the mines,
employed as the means of destroying the piers and
abutments of the flood-gates which secured *el
.hasin, lam to acknowledge theikilful directions.',
of Captains Squire and Fanshawe, and the per.
sonal exertions of the other Officers of the Corps,
of Royal Engineers, and assistant engineers em.
•ployed under them, as the undertaking happily
.terminated in an explosion that succeeded in dis.:l
placing the very Foundations throughout the whole
work.

I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) K. PILKINGTON,
Lieutenant-Colonel Royal fAtt7::Tes.
To Lieutenant-General Dun, &c. &c. &c.

.I.J
in.
...tralty.o.ffice, Dec. 30.

Copy nfa Letter from Sir Richard John Strachan,..Bart.nod
R. B. Rear-Admiral of the Red, &c. to John 11, ilson Cro-
ke'', Esq. dated on board his Majesty'. ship St. Domingo,
in the Downs, 28th of December, 1839.
Sig—lt is with great pleasure I inform yoti of
the arrival of Commodore Owen in the Clyde, who
gives me the pleasing intelligence of the division
under his command, and that under Capt. Mason,
having sailed from the East and West Scheldt, and
are by this time it the mouth of the Thames, if
not at the places of their respective destinatien ;
I inclose tho Commodore's report of his pro.
• *clings. It is my duty. to draw their Lordships'
.ottantion to the excellent conduct of Commo-
;dors Owen, in the discharge of the various and sr.
thous duties he had to perform : and I beg, in the
—eon earnest manner, to recommend to their
lordships' notice, the zeal; bravery, and perse.
verance of the' Captens; Officers, and Seamen,
• comprising the flotilla under the Commodore's or-
ders. The same good conduct has pervaded the
Captains, Officers, and Seamen of the flotilla un.
der Captain Mason, of the Fisgard ; and when 1
get that Officer's Report, l shall have great plea-
sure in introducing his merits to their Lordships'
particular notice.
I have the honour to be, &e.
(Signed) H. J. S.TitACHAN.

His Aloi!stY'l %tip Clyde, nil the North
foreland, Dee. 28, 1809.
Silt Obi:S.l4We to the direction of Rear_
Admiral ;Away, I hare the honour to lay before
•tlit the following detail of my proceedings in
carrying into execution the orders to efacuate
that part of the Island of IValcheren, with the
duties of which I had the honour to be charged.
Of our previous state of preparation you have
been acquainted, and that all the stores, guns,
and ammunition, nut j wird immediately necessary
. to our defence, had been withdrawn and put on
board, and every arrangement made in the begin.
ping of December.
I have likewise had the honour to report to you,
that the enemy's anxiety to complete his works on
Wolversdykc and South Bevelgnd, for the par.
pose of clearing the Slou, and driving our advanc-
ed divisions from the channels which lead to it,
bad obliged me to commence a system of offensive
operations, and the result thereof has likewise been
submitted' Ca you.
1 had further informedyou of the necessity I
fejt fur shifting my pendant to the Cretan, that
I might be better situated to direct our move-
ments.
Our flotilla held their forward stations when,
en the morning of the 9.3 d, I received your
letter, acquaiutidg me that you intended to quit
Flushing on that day, provided the wind would
permit the line of battle ships to pass the Duerloo.
I immediately made preparation likewise to with.
draw. The boats assembled, and embarked the
rearguard of the army, under the direction of the
Honourable Captain Cadagan ; whilst the few
remaining guns of Veer and A rmuden Points were
rendered useless, and every other article of stores
was taken off.
In the meantime our advanced divisions fell

back, and collected at their defensive stations,
but it was two o'clock before those duties were
completed, and there was no chance of clearing
any considerable part of our force from the Veer
Gat before dark, whilst the wind, which was
very light, hung so tar to the westward, as to
leave me doubtful of your succeeding with the
line of battle ships ; I therefore ordered the Clyde
only, whose draught of water might embarrass us,
to shift out to the Roompot, whilst I seat an in-
telligent person to Flushing for information of
your movements.
Colonel Pack (with whom it has been say gooil
fortune to eo-operate) was good enough to offer
the Town-Majur of Ter Were for this duty, Cap.
Lain Clements of the 71st regiment, who returned
to me at fivacitelock, with the ioformatien that
every thing was *leer except two fill/ale!, and a
tee-decked ship, end the stay,of theie seemed to
be•the effect of chance alone, and I concluded they
Would follow in the- morning. Capt. Clements
Jested the towns.dMiddleburgh sad Flushing oc.:
'espied by Burgher Guards, and at four on the
16noviag morning, the gates of Vecre were like.
wise given to the Berghers.
At daylight of the 44tb, I made the signal for
• our distant ships to move, but the transports at
the entrance of the Gat did not succeed in gettipfg
pet till lark,
Capt. Davis's division of the e'ffen-boats however
meld the anempot and were disarmed.

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