The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-07-06 00:00:00

and au unexpected occurrence has alone deprived me
of the glory of a complete victory. lam surround-
ed by wounded, none of whom, howeser, received
their wounds with the bayonet or sword, although
all arms were used. The loss of the French I believe
to have been not less considerable, for they did not
venture to throw a single party across the Guadalete
to molest my retreat. I remain in my positions, de-
termined to perish with my troops rather than aban-
don one wounded man: I am at a great loss how to
provide for marmot transporting them, as there are
Done ha this part of the country.
God preserve your Excellency many years,
FRANCISCO BAI.I.3Sri:ROS.
To the Must Excellent Senor the
Governor of Gibraltar.

Admiralty-Office, Jdil.9 4, 1812.
Admiral Lord Keith has transmitted to John Wil-
son Croker Esq. a letter from Captain Sir Home
Hopham, 'fated on board his Majesty's ship Vener-
able, off L•quitio, the 21st of last month, giving an
account of an attack made upon the French troops
in possession of that place by the Spanish Guerillas,
aided by Sir Home, and the officers and men of his
Majesty's ships under his orders.
I he enemy had possession of a hill fort command-
ing the town, calculated to resist any body of in-
fantry; and also two hundred men posted in a (edi-
ted convent wit: 4:, the town, the walls of which
were impervious to any thing less than an eighteen
pounder.
The convent might have been destroyed by the
ships ; but as the town wou:d have materially suf-
fered, and as the guns of 60 Venerable riade no
visible impression on the fort, it was determined to
erect a battery on a hill opposite to the latter, which
the enemy considered as quite inaccessible to cannon,
ind iu that confidence rested his security.
A gun was aceordiugly landed in the forenoon of
the loth (chiefly by the exertions of Lieut. Groves,
of the Venerable), notwithstanding the sea was break-
ing with such violence against the rocks at the foot
of the hill, that it was doubtful whether a boat could
get near enough for that purpose. It was then hove
up a short distance by a moveable capstan ; but this
was found so tedious, that men and bullocks were
sent for to draw it ; and it was at length dragged to
the summit of the hill by thirty.six pair of bullocks,
four hundred Guerillas, and one hundred seamen,
headed by the Hon. Captain Bouverie. It was im-
mediately mounted, and fired its first shot at four iu
the afternoon.

The gun was so admirably served, that at sun-set
a practicable breach was made in the wall of the fort,
and the Guerillas volunteered to storm it. The first
party was repulsed, but the second gained possession
without any considerable loss : several of the ene-
my escaped on the opposite side, and got into the
convent.

In the course of the evening the sea abated a little,
and a latidiog upon the island of St. Nicholas was
effected, though with some difficulty, by Lieutenant
O'Reilly, of the Surveillante marines were also
landed from that ship, the Medusa, and Rhin, with
a carronade from each ship ; and Captain Malcolm
took the command of the island during the night,
whilst Captain Sir Geotge Collier was in the Vene-
rable's battery on the hill.
At dawn of the 21st, a twenty-four pounder wu
brought to the east side of the town, within two bun-
dled yards of the convent, and another was in the
act of being landed upon St. Nicholas to bombard it,
when the French Commandant Gillort, Chef de Bat-
talion, beat a parley, and surrendered with the re-
mainder of his party, consisting of two hundred and
ninety men of the 119th regimeet.
The enemy's loss had not been ascertained, but it
'was supposed to be considerable, as the Guerillas,
who were better posted and fired with more celerity,
had fifty-six men killed or wounded. Not a man
was hurt in his Majesty's squadron, either by the
surf the enemy.
There were two eighteen-pounders mounted on the I
fort, and three small guns in the barracks ; the lat-
ter,
u-iflt the uuskets, were given to the Guerillas,
who were Also with every descriptinn of mi-
litary stores o! they stood in need. The guns
in the fort were gseless, the fort destroyed,
and the convent blow. op.
Sir Home Popham ccamends in high terms the
conduct of all the officers and men erlN.Jvue. on this
occasion ; and expresses his sense c-f assistance
rendered by Sir Howard Douglas end Cie!,..tal Car-
rol, who had embarked in the Venerable, and voluit-
tNred their services wherever they could be em-
ployed,

Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew has transmitted
to John tVi'son Croker, Esq. two letters, addressed
to him by Captains Campbell and Thomas, of his
Bfljesty's ships Leviathan and Undaunted ; the for-
mer giving an account of an attack made on the 29th
rpf April last by the boats of the Leviathan, under
the directions of Lieutenant Dobbs, on a French pri-
vveer and several merchant vessels at Agay ; four of
the latter were brctight out, and the privateer, a
brig of llguns and SO men, was taken possession
of; hut having been hauled on shore she could not
be got olf, and being set on fire it was afterwards ex-
tinguished by the enemy : the vessel was carried
without any loss on our part, but during the endea-
•ours made to bring her off, two men were killed and
four wounded by the enemy's fire from the shore.
The latter reporting an attack made on the same
day on a French convoy near the mouth of the
Rhone, by the boats of the Undaunted, Volontaire,
and Blossom, under the directions of Lieutenant Ea.
gar, of the first ship; of 26 vessels composing the
convoy, seven were brought out, 12 burnt, and two
left stranded on the beach : a national schooner of
four 18. pounders and 74 men was amongst the m-
eek burnt. This service was performed without any
low, the boats beiug ably protected by Captain
Stewart in the Blossom sloop.