The Statesman.
London, England, 1814-03-14 00:00:00

.

b ~`

Ti IE S FESMAN

-....--. -
operation 'several men
the nlacei outring which
possible, and then to proceed to clear the rampart the ice, and ascending the ramparts of the body of
and assist the centre column, or to force open the , e
4 were-jost by a {ire. from
ent revert. After we
ike
Attekv"r Gl*. l.
: .'*
' '.. . • 1, Wereeeteblished on the ra rt, and had occupied
,441: iketprcteci qlllolo9 about Passittethe ditch ' atone :hisiises,, from whence we might have been
had sent a strong patrole
me siire,ice,- hkluirottliged Major. Gen.; Cooke to , mach annoyed, and
..
to-
change thelintlie of *neck,hadentered, I
tenant-Colonel Carleton .
a considerable delay en.. wards the the point. at which Nlajor-General Skerrett
sued, add that column did not gain the rampart tilt d
fdlentacheedu Lieutenant-Colonel Clifton with-Pert of the
half-past I L.` ' ' " . , I,lst guard•s, to secure the Antwerp Gate, and to see
Meanwhile the leinented fall of arigadier-GeteLilf he could get any information of the column under
Gore and Lieut.-Col. the Hon. Geo. Carleton, and ...•w .ieuteuant-Colonel Morrice. , Lieutenant-Colonel
9
the dangerous wound of Major-Gen. Skerrett, de-'. Clifton reached the gate, but found that It could not
-priving the right -column of their able direction, it be opened by his men, the enemy throwing a very
fail into disorder and .suffered great loss in killed, ; heavy fire up a street leading to it. It was. also
found that they occupied an outwork, commanding
wounded, and prisoners. The centre column having,
the bridge, which would effectually.render that' out-
been forced back with considerable loss by the heavy !let useless to us. I heard nothing more of this de.
fire of the place (Lieut.-Col. Morris, its Commander,' tachinent, but considered it as lost, the communica.
end *Lieut.-Col. Elphinstene,commanding the 334 tion having been interrupted by the enemy.
Regiment, being both wounded), was reformed we: Lieutenant-Colonel 'Woke, with pert of the 3d .
guas, was afterwards sent in that ection; rove
der Major Muttlebury, marched round and joined
, therd enemy from the intermedie dir
te rampart,d and
Major-Gen. Cooke, leaving the left wingof the 55th ,
/ reached the gate, when he found it useless to at-'
th remove the wounded from the glacis. However, tempt any thing, and ascertained that the outwork
the Guards tee had suffered very severely during the' was still occupied. We were joined in the course
night, by the galling fire from the houses on their of thenight by the 33d, 55th, and 2d battalion of
position, and by, the loss of the detachment of the I 69th regiment, but the state of uncertainty as to
what had passed at other mints, determined me not
Ist Guards, which, tailing been sent to endeavour
a ' „,_ 1 se weaken the force now collected, by attempting to
to assist Lieut..Coia usrieton,. and to Seceto_a
_tiii I carry points which we could not maintain, or pene-
Aetwerp-gate, Was cisoff, after -the most gallOalt grate through the streets with the certain loss of a
1 resistance, which cost the lives of many molt welmebli . great.number of men; partienlarly as I heard that*
. -.
• Officers. . ~, e i mops at the Water Port Gates•under Lieut.-Coldnel
,
At day-bread 'the imeiny having turned ihe WS . eller; were very seriously; opposed. I sent the*
I
of the place, opened their fire
'of-0C
on tbe unprotected rempart, antilie reserve ...
egaihst dee treats% /0-- reinforce him.
t 'The enemy continued a galling fire upon ha, and
it ciee time held the adjoining bastion, from the
4th column (the Royal Scotch)! retired from the angle of which they completely commanded our
Water Port Gate, followed 'hy the 33d. The communication' with the exterior, .and brought their
former regiment getting ender a cross fire from the guns at that angle to bear against us. They were
charged an driven away by .Majors Muttlebury and
I place and Water Port „redoubt, soon afterwards
I ,• • Hog; stith tu
lle nth and 55th; in a very spirited and
laid down their arms. : •
, .
Major-General Giotto .thirn 1
despairing of success, . gallant style.
Finding that matters were becoming more serious,
directed the retreat of as &Ord?, which was con- I and being still without any information from other
ducted in the most orderly itpiunter, protected by I points, excepting that of the failure of Lieutenant-
-1 the remains of the 69th regiment, and of the right.' Colonel Morrice's column near the
.Nourel Gate, I
wing of the 55th (which corps repeatedly drove the determined, at the suggestion of Colonel Lord Proby,
part of the troops
enemy back with the bayonet) under the Major- to let withdraw, which • was done
The General after-
at the ladders wherethey entered.
General's immediate. directktu. About . day-tight the enemy having again pos-
wards found it impossible to withdraw these weak iessed.thensselvel et the before-mentioned bastion,
battalions, and having thus, with the genuine feel- they:were again thiven from it by Majors Muttle-
•ings of a true soldier, devoted himself, he surren- bury and Hog, with' their Weak battalions, in the 1
oi pine galliet manner. I' soon afterwards began
dered to save the lives of the pliant men remain;
with him. sending off some mote men, le hen Lieutenant-Colonel
.. Wines who bad been taken prisoner in the night,
I should setteh to dojo !doe 10 the. grea t elierti odd &meta .me, (accompanied by a .Fiench officer, who
and 'conspicuous gallantry of tit these Offieelleihe smmmetied me 10 'outsider) and Wormed: ow that
bad the opportunities ofdicelraioliMOg themselyea-e- bieuteisent-releeiel Mellor, arid the troops at the
I have not as yet been able' ttli Coped Sufficient in. Water Port Gate had been obliged to surrender, and
formation. . . were marched prisoners, into &d':, when [also
learnt tjso fate of Lieutenant-Co-Neil Clifton's de.l
Major-Getieral Cooke rem:4,40,1H his . kiegsl,ftie %meats and of mirieo.vown_± __ a"--erat sumo, maiar. 1
approbation generally of the lelleers and men em-' Genirai Gore, and Lieutenant.ColoneiCiewetn!
*yea near sum, particularly
.:meistioning Colo*, Oat the troops which had followed theetbadi e •
Lord Proby Lite tenant-Colons frenkikcommand-l-very pied, and had been repulsed fug thereilakticed .
the Coldstreiim Guards, Mercer, of the 3d.i pitints along the rampart where they lied paseteeted
was
would
anth that
saws!: rfnerssconuftilnisuaesecennol
Guards, 'commanding the light companies of the Ito.
brigade (the latter unfortunately' among the killed), i the contestl
without a prospect of relief is we were situated. I
Majors Muttlebury and Hog, of the 69th and 55th, therefore consented to adopt the mortifying alterna-.
as deserving of his warm pease. Ile laments, in tine of laying down our arms. • ' :
common with the whole corps, the severe loss to the I have new to perform the just sod latlsfacterw II
service of these distinguished officers, Lieutenant. duty of conveying to your Excellency, my Muse of.
i •
'Colonel Clifton, 'commanding the Ist Guardss-and the merits and good conduct Of the officers aild'
~
Lieutenant-Colonel the Hon. James Macdonald, of soldiers ,in this bold and arduous enterprise; I have
only a knowledge of what passed under my oerd
that regiment. These officers fell, with many othersi observation, and I lament that the • loss of Major-
at the Antwerp Gate, all behaving with the general Skerrett, from his dangerous wounds, and
greatest intrepidity; and Lieutenant-Colonel Jones; of the other superior officers employed at the other
with the remainder of the detachment , was forced to points of attack, prevents me form giving such de-
- I
tailed :praise of the merits of the officers and soldiers,,
surrender. as I have no doubt they deserve.
The service of conducting the columns was ably I I beg to repeal-my sense of the distinguished
provided for by Lieutenant-Colonel • Carmichael conduct of Colonel Lord Proby ; Lieuteeiit-Cole.
Smyth, of the Royal Engineers (he himself accord- I eels Rooke and Mercer, commanding the•3d guards,
panied Major-General Cooke, es 'did also Lieute- 1 and light infantry, distinguished themselves by their
nant-Colonel Sit Ceorge Wood, commanding royal ac_ty and bravery Majors Muttleburys and
artillery) who attached OCficers to lead each column, warm
Hog, of the 69th and 55th regiments, deserve my
praise for the conduct displayed by those
viz. Captain Sir George Neste, and• Lieutenant Ab- corps in the charges I have before mentioned. I
bey, to the left; and Lieuteasos *parting to the :have every reason to know that Lieutenant-Colonel
right, and Captain Edward Michell, royal sdlllery, Clifton conducted his detachment In the most gal-,
who volunteered his services, to thecedtrettelaam, .lent and officer-like manner, and
.I. have. to lament,
each having a perty of Sappers lad snipers i,j,.• :.• that his death deprives me of receiving his report o 1
"'Pr his "
,the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonels M‘Doneld and',
command. . • . •.,. '
.... •I Jones, and the officers and soldiers of the Ist yards,
....:.- ,2,...-
Lieutenant Abbey arm wangerously7woundek • 'tinder his command. .
...,
Captain Michell was covered with wounds liii desi lam not yet enabled to transmit an mulct relent
act of escalading the scarpwad, or the place, bat / of the prisoners taken at different times by the
trust there are good hopes of hie :Sot *lig Last to eneely, nor of the numbers taken from them:
the service. . I • 1- . 1 Ihave the honour to be, &c.
• • • i:" (Signed) J. G. COOKE, Majer•General.
Your Lordship will readily believe, that it General tllr Thowl Graham.
is impossible not to feel the disappointment °Olt
i ultimate failure in this attack, I can fonlyte •
present with the deueet. segvet-ortlie-Usi
many of my gallant comrades.

pist 6f the (Ulcers Killed, Wounded, end Missin of the Army
uxWes. the 42nrenuttiff Of his ExcelleimY Sir Thomas Graham,
A. B. in the attack upon Bergett-op-ZothlStorta, on the
lileitof the Bth and morning of the 9th a

~i~ 'f