The Statesman.
London, England, 1809-09-04 00:00:00

tuwilling to give too much credit lb these repotts,
and I was determined to persevere until I was sa-
tisfied, upon the fullest information, that all far.
ther attempts would be utrarrebisisie.
From all our intelligeuce, it appears that' the
force of the enemy in this quarter, distributed be.
tween the environs of Bergen.op.Zuom, Breda,
- LiUo, and Antwerp, and cantnned on the oppo-
site coast, is nut less than tbirty-five thousand
men, and by souse statements is estimated higher.
Though a landing on the Continent might, I have
no doubt, have been forced, yet, as the siege of
Antwerp, the possession of which could alone
have secured to us any of the ulterior objects of
the expedition, was by this state of things ren-
dered utterly impracticable, such a measure, if
successful, could have led to no solid advantages ;
and the retreat of the army, which must at an
early period have been inevitable, would have been
exposed to much hazard.
The utmost force (and that daily decreasing)
that I could have brought into the field, after
providing for the occupation of Walcheren and
Soutb.Beveland, would have amounted to about
twenty-three thousand infantry and two thousand
cavalry. Your Lordship must at once see, even
if the enemy's force had been less numerous than
represented, after the necessary detachments to
observe the garrisons of Bergen-op-Zoom and
Breda, and securing our communications, how
very inadequate a force must have remained for
operations against Lille and Lief kenshoetk, and.
ultimately against Antwerp ; which town, so far
from being in the state which had been reported,
is, from very correct accounts, represented its be
in a complete state of defence; and the enemy's
ships had been brought up and placed in security
under the guns of the citadel.
Under these circumstances, however mortify.
lag to me to see the progress arrested of an army,
from whose good conduct and valour I had every
thing to hope, I feel that my duty left me no
other course than to close my operations here;
and it will always be a satisfaction to me to think,
that I have not been induced lightly to commit
the safety of the army confided to me, or the re-
potation of his Majesty's arms. It was an ad.
ditional satisfaction to me to find that the unani.
mous opinion of the Lientenant.Generals of this
army, whom I thought it right to consult more
out of respect to them, than that I thought a
doubt could be entertained on the subject, con.
curred entirely in the sentiments I have submitted
to your Lordship.
I am Concerned to say, that the effect of the
climate at this unhealthy period of the year is felt
most seriously, and that the number of sick al.
ready is little short of three thousand men.
It is my intention to withdraw gradually from
the advanced position in this island, and sending
into Walt:nen:it such an additional force as may
be necessary to secure that important possession,
to embark the remainder of the troops, and to
bold them in readiness to await his Majesty's fur..
titer cominauds, which I shall most anxiously
expect.
I have the honour to be, &c.
(iniard) CHATHAM.

4timiralty.Offlef, Sept. 2.
txtreet of a Letter from Rear-Admiral Sir Ricb. John Stria'
chat,. Bart, K. D. to the Him William Welleiley Pule
Oaten on board his Majesty's skip the St. Domingo, oti
Bats, the 25th Aug. 1809.
I have now to acquaint you, fur their Lordships'
information, that the liat-hoits of every deserip-
lien of •esselsi being assembled, sad every neces.
miry arrangement made on the part of the navy,
for lantfing the army near Sandfleet, on the beach,
vihich had been previously reconnoitred, and not
hearing from the Earl of Chthatn respecting his
intentions, I communicated with his Lordship on
the 24th inst. and on the follow:7s; day I found
his Lordship had not come to a determination, on
account of the increased force of the enemy, and
the army getting sickly, and that he had sent 'for
.Generals to consult ; 1 therefore, on the morning
of the 9.41 th, wrote to his Lordship, and I soon af.
ter went on shore to the meeting of the Lieute.
oant-Generals of the army, taking with me Rear.
.Adu►ira! Sir Rickard Keats. I found them deck!.

redly of opinion that no operation could be under-
taken against Antwerp, with any prospect of suc-
reit, at this advanced season of the year, and the
enemy increasing in strength, and our own forces
diminished by sickness ; and that, as the taking of
Lillo and Liefkenshoeik would not ensure our ob-
taining the ultimate object of the expedition,
without Antwerp being reduced, and the country
near these fortresses being inundated, it was also
their decided opinion, that the army ought not to
tnake any attempt upon them.
I had already, iii the most unqualified manner,
offered every naval assistance to reduce these for-
tresses, and also in aid of every other operation of
the army.
Conceiving the subject of the deliberations of the
Cenerals perfectly military, I withdrew with Sir
Richard Keats. The ships of the enemy, which
were above the town of Antwerp, about five
miles, have come down, and arc now extended
along the river lace of it, except two of the line
lower down, in the reach above Liefkenshoeik—
and four fri4ates went to Lilly. An immense
number of small gun-boats are on the boom ; be-
hind them a crescent of sixty gun and mortar_
brigs. The battery between Lillu and Frederick
Hendrick is finished ; it has ten guns. The enemy
has been driven from that which he was eonstiuct-
ling on the Doel side with loss, by the fire of our
bombs and gun-vessels.

OMM.Imm•Im•

Rear Admiral Sir Alci. Cochrane has trans-
mitted to the Honourable William Wellesley Pole
a letter from Captain Pigot, of his Majesty's ship
the Wens, giving an account of his having, on
the t(t of June last, captured La Felieite, a
French frigate, pierced for forty-two guns, but
having only fourteen of her wain-deckers mount.
ed, and voile hundred and seventy-four men on
board. She had left Guadeloupe in company
with another frigate, boend to France with colo-
nial produce. Her consort escaped through supe-
rior sailing, after a long chace by his Majesty's
sloop Cherub.