The Portland gazette. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1818-1824, 1820-09-19
LORD COCHRANE.
Extract OF letter from Chill, dated Valpatai-
So Apfil II

Eatrsct OF letter from Chill, dated Valpatai-
so, April IL.
" BY the next ship viii send you de-
tailed account OF Lord Cochrane's capture OF
Valdiyia, which, in my opinion, equals, III
does not exceed, any exploit OF The kind ever
before performed. AT present | have only
time to say, ihat in the hands Of our people II
is impregnable.
/" VaIdvia is defended by no less than sil-
teen forts 80 placed in respect TO ona another
that no ship could remain hall an hour IN llse
Bay, much less could any one he al anchor
there. These forts mount upwards OF one
hundred pieces Of cannon, most OF them "a
Founders, aud most of lhsip having furnaces
TO heat shot. The communication ot one tort
with another is IN many places only very
narrow defe, composed OF large rough stoves,
and torluous paths ct grea.decIiviiy. Acoup-
lie OF pieces OF cannon would render any one
oil them utterly impraciicable To any humber
Of men. handful oil men might prevent The
landing of any number OF men, even II boats
were allowed to approach the shore; bui no
boat could advance within Cannon shot with
out being subjected TO q cross hse, aud instant
" sunk. The beach is beset TO The very wat.
er's edge With bushes aud shrubbery, by
means ol which, even when landing was ei
iecied, small number Of men might securely
remain, aud eul of the invaders on the beach.
"Spile OF all these obstacles Lord Cocbisne
boldly entered the harbour with biis aud
schooner, on board OF which he had cram,ned
three hundred and twenty men.--",lh THIS
erce, a, night fall be attacked one Vi lie ior's,
landed his men, bealiDg The oPania'ds before
him, and carried the small tori, lie enemy m
The other forts treating the attack win eon-
temp, Oh account OF Lis LordshIp's small torce,
But such was The ,mpeiuosiiy vi the Ch'iians
and the very few Englshmen who were win
them. tina, they drove The opsaiards through
the fort, mixed with them, carried another lot,
AMI struck such terror into the Spaniards, who
had but the moment before dcspised them,
that IN panic they abandoned their post, and
Tort after fort fell into the hands vi Lord Coch
rane.
g In lhe morning the Spaaiards were lost
in asionishmeni at what had happened; but II
was then too late, the whole oi lie tVris as
well az tbs town were III the POSSESSION OF
Lord Coehrane, and Doihirg remained but
quiet submission. The Governor, with about
800 men, had fled into the interior, leaving
behind him the military standards, The m'l''
tary ehes, OF the Spanish army OF the South,
and the whole OF the stores and ammunition.
"About 100 men, with their Colonel, were
taken prisoners aud in the bay large hne
ship, deeply laden, called the Dolores, was
captured.
" Lord Coohtane, having planted the Chr
Ian flag in the great square, summoned the
people 10 meet and choose their own Cover.
nor. Al private property was strictly respec-
ted, and the inhabitants, delighted as well with
the sudden and unexpected change as with the
sudden and unexpected change as with the
unexpected forbearance OF their conquerors,
expressed their attachment to the new govern
nent by every demonstration in their power.
" Thus has the only place which the Spa
niards possessed North Of Chill been emanci.
paed, and the few men they have in this
province must speedily submit"