Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1841-10-22
From the PHILADELPHIA hguu er.
BRITIsH FORCES IN AMERICA

~ pdSs6u d COHSlueTdUl6 pOTtlUD Ol llHlt
in England and who, while there, de
voted much attention TO an examination
Of the affairs of the British empire
called upon US yesterday and in the
course OF conversation took occasion to
alude to the report that has been circu.
lated. 10 the effect that The British have
10000 troops in North America and
10000 in the West Indies he ridicuIes
the matter as an absurdity, and says
that one half Of the stories that have
been published in relation 10 British
forces, power, &c should be regarded
as so much wind, put forth on brag
Ipriuciple. He afirms, and some of his
statements upon this ubject have alrea-
Edy appeared in print, that The English
Navy concentrated into one fleet, could
not send 10 sea sixty ships of war. He
said he had an opportunity last year Of
verifying the fact personally. Their
Aeetin the Mediterranean-and we may
quote, from an article recently publish
ed in the Peuns yIvanian, and the truth
Of which he pledges himself to corrob
crate, should It be denied on respecta-
bic, competent and unprej JUDGED author
ity-at moment of great peril and I'M
minent danger, did not amount to more
than eighteen ships, andnot one of these
was fully manned, some Of the ships in
the Levant could ohIy man one side Of
the ship in case Of fighting, The
French force in the Mediterranean last
September, was superior TO the English
in men and guns, nor could the English
ships be manned; sailors could not be
procured. "They even sent to the Ork.
ney Islands 10 hire lrishmen, as they
returned from their summer fishing;
some Of these sailors were brought TO
London and shipped there. Crews
whose terms Of service had expired
were not suffered to land, and we're
transferred 10 other ships. whilst the
greatest CONSERVATION prevailed on the
river Thames and its neighborhood from
the reports Of press gangs-a mode Of
raising men which, at this lime would
BE- followed by instantaneous revolt
The next British feet Of any conse
quence was in the East India seas or IN
China, and in situation far more fee
Bile than the Mediterranean fleet: it
consisted of some fourteen or sixteen
ships ol war. The rest Of the English
ships in commission, armed and manned
for efficient service we're very lncnn-
siderable indeed. The feet that Eng-
land could now concentrate on our shore
could not cope with our navy, provided
our ships were al home and prepared
for action.
His views Of the British army are not
less in contrast with the vaporing state
meets that are put forth in some Of the
Canadian and English journals. On pa,
per, and in print, he says, they make
tremendous show; but much oI what
is thus circulated is moonshine, and IN
tended either TO gull The nation at home
or Intimldate people abroad Thus he
alfirms that what are frequently put
down as regiments sent to Canada or
other places, are but mere fragments Of
such regiments; the various portions Of
which are scattered all over the g obe
He states that the whole Of the regular
British forces in Upper Canada, New
Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince
Edwards Island, is composed Of parts
Of 20 regiments varying from two com.
pAnies 10 a battalion, but in no instance
is there more than half regiment,
and some imported regiments have but
two companies, no matter what their
statements may be 10 the contrary A
British regiment when Iul and complete,
officers and men, amounts 10 500, but
as the regiments are never full, II is
rare that regiment can muster more
than six hundred men. He says that it
is a very frequent circumstance that
parts OF two, three, and even four regi.
menls wi be mustered 0nder one CO.
lionel, and go forth to the world Os so
many regiments; sometimes the COM
mnnding officer will be oI the grade or
Genera then all these companies flour
ish as regiments to give eclat to the
commander in chief When in London
last winter, at time when vast mum,
Der Of English supposed the war had al
ready hegun, in company with Two very
intelligent men, one from Nova Scotia
ant the other from New Brunswick. we
carefully and scrupuIousIy examined
the composition of the British Army in
North America, and we were unani
nous in the opinion made up from Off
cla documents, that The whole British
force in North America did not exceed
eight thousand men; my own belief
was that i. did not exceed six thousand
men, bu, am positive it did not exceed
eight thousand men. The Times sta
ted the whole force TO be twenty balal'
lions, and did not even claim more than
eipht Thousand Ask VourseIv he