Page images
PDF
EPUB

guns (6 pounders), afford the best proofs of the manner in which both services did their work: very few of the enemy's cavalry escaped.

The determined manner in which Major Stewart led his men to the attack of the enemy's position, did him infinite honour; and the army will share my regret at the loss of this brave officer, who fell by a musket-shot, while with me pushing off from the shore, after the troops were embarked. Lieutenant Campbell, of the 75th, who commanded the advanced, was particularly and generally noticed. I cannot sufficiently express my admiration of the very exemplary conduct of Lieutenant Le Hunte, who was the observation of sailors and soldiers.

Colonel Robinson superintended the debarkation, and was very active. The ariny flotilla officer, Don Luigi Muallo, is always distinguished on these occasions: Captain Imbert, of the Neapolitan navy, placed his division of gunboats in a manner that did him much credit. I solicit your lordship's recommendation of this officer, with Don Gesolmino Patella and Don Pietri Trapani, to the notice of his royal highness the hereditary Prince. I have the honour to annex a list of our killed and wounded on this occasion, which your lordship will observe is very iritling compared with the enormous loss of the enemy. This of itself speaks more for the discipline of the 75th than any eulogium, which, as an officer of a diffe ent service, I can presume to bestow.

(Signed)
R. HALL,
Captain and Brigadier.

[blocks in formation]

Copy of a letter from the Hon. Captain Irby, of his Majesty's ship the Amelia, to John Wilson, Croker, Esq. dated at Spithead, the 22d instant.

Sir, I beg leave to acquaint you, for the information of the Right Honourable the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that when I was about to quit Sierra Leone river for England, in his Majesty's ship under my com❤. mand, on the 29th of January, Lieutenant Pascoe arrived there with the chief part of the crew of his Majesty's gun-brig Daring, he having been obliged to run his vessel on shore, and blow her up at Tamara (one of the Isles de Loss) in consequence of having been chased by a French frigate, in company with two other ships, apparently frigates: he reported having left them at anchor off the islands on the 27th. I immediately dispatched L'eutenant Pascoe in a small schooner to reconnoitre the enemy (he having volunteered his services), and

on the 3d of February he returned, having ascertained their force to be two frigates of the largest class (L'Arethuse and Le Kubis), and a Portuguese ship, their prize; that they had nearly completed their water; and, after unloading the Portuguese ship, intended to give her up

ta

to the crew, and proceed themselves to sea to intercept our homeward-bound trade. Conceiving that if I cruised off the Isles de Loss (in the event of their not having left them), I might be enabled to fall in with any of his Majesty's ships that might be coming down the cast, and also protect the vessels bound to Sierra Leone, of which I had received intelligence, I prepared to weigh; when a cartel arrived from the islands with the master and boat's crew of the Daring, and the master and crew of another vessel they bad taken, whose accounts corroborating Lieutenant Pascoe's report, I left Sierra Leone river, and worked up to the islands: standing in at day-light on the 6th ultimo towards the island of Tamara, we joined the Princess Charlotte government schooner, who informed me, one of the frigates was at anchor at a considerable distance to the northward from the other, which was apparently unloading the prize. I dispatched the schooner to Sierra Leone, to leave directions to any ships that might arrive to repair to me. Having neared the island in the evening, the frigate to the northward weighed, and stood out to sea; the other frigate bad signals flying, and being observed at sun-set with her topsails hoisted, I stood off for the night; and the next morning one of the frigates, (I believe L'Arethuse,) was just visible from the deck; it was then calm; on a breeze springing up about noon, she stood towards us. As I had hopes of drawing her from her consort, we continued standing out to sea till sunset, when not perceiving the other ship from

the mast-head, and the breeze falling, we shortened sail, wore, and stood towards her. A little after seven the enemy observing us near him, tacked and hoisted his colours. At 45 minutes past seven p. m. being within pistol shot on his weather-bow, both ships commenc ed firing nearly at the same time, which continued (remaining nearly in the same situation) until 21 minutes past 11, when she bore up, having the advantage of being able so to do, leaving us in an ungovernable state, with our sails, standing and running rigging cut to pieces, and masts injured. During the action we twice fell on board the enemy, in attempting to thwart his hawse, when he attempted to board, but was repulsed by the marines (which were commanded by Lieut. Simpson,) and the boarders. Though I most sincerely lament the numerous list of killed and wounded which amountto one hundred and forty one, yet it is the greatest consolation in reflecting, that we were never once exposed to a raking shot, or the slightest accident occurred; all fell by fair fighting.

It is with the most poignant regret I have to mention the names of the senior and second lieutenants, Jaines Bates and John Pope, and Lieutenant Granger, of ma rines, among the slain; they fell carly in the action: having been more than five years in the ship, I have had ample opportunities of knowing their inestimable characters, and the consequent loss the service has sustained by their falling. It is with equal concern I have to mention Lieutenant George Wills, the junior lieutenant, who fell while carrying on the duty on

the

the quarter-deck, when I had received a wound which obliged me to quit it; and also that of that good and zealous officer, Lieutenant Pascoe, late of the Daring, who commanded the midship guns, on the main deck; Mr. John Bogue, late purser of the Thais (invalided), received a mortal wound below, after having been before wounded on the quarterdeck.

When I have the misfortune to state such a severe loss, I trust it will be clear every person must have done his duty. I feel most grateful to my gallant officers and crew, as well as the supernumeraries late belonging to the Daring, for their cool, steady, and perserering conduct, which was worthy the utmost success; but the superior force of the enemy, (she carrying on her main deck heavy French twenty-four pounders,) the considerable quantity of gold dust we have on board, as well as the certainty of the other frigate coming up, would have prevented me seeking a renewal of the action, if it had not been totally impracticable.

I should not omit to mention to their lordships, the admirable conduct of Mr. De Mayne, the master, who placed the ship so ably at the commencement of the action, and his unremitting assiduity till the enemy kept away. My most grateful thanks are due to Lient. Simpson, of marines, and John Collman, the purser, who exerted themselves to the utmost, as well as Mr. Saunders, of the African corps. Having received the greatest assistance from Lieut. Reeve, invalided from his Majes

ty's sloop Kangaroo, who was wounded more than once during the action, I have appointed him to act as first lieutenant of the ship. Mr. Samuel Umfreville, master's mate, a deserving and valuable officer, as second, and Mr. Edward Robinson, master's mate, who has received a severe wound, as third.

The crippled state of the ship, and deplorable condition of the wounded, having rendered the object for which I sailed from Sierra Leone abortive, having every reason to conclude that the state of the enemy must have been such as to have greatly foiled him in his intended operations, being much cut up about his hull, I thought myself justified in not remaining on the coast, and therefore proceeded with the intention of touching at Madeira or the western islands, for refreshments for the sick, which the badness of the weather prevented, and arrived here this day.

I must not omit to report to their lordships the high sense I entertain of the humane and skilfu! attention of Mr. Williamson, surgeon, and Mr. Burke, assistant. as also that of Mr. Stewart, late assistant-surgeon of the Daring, to the wounded, since this sanguinary conflict.

I should also state, that although our numbers were apparently strong at the commencement of the action, yet from the length of time we had been on the coast, and much reduced by sickness, we had barely our complement fit for duty, and they much enervated.

Herewith I transmit a list of the

killed and wounded'; and I have commends them both for promothe honour to be, &c.

FREDERICK PAUL IRBY,

Captain.

John Wilson Croker, Esq. &c. Total killed 46-wounded dangerously 16, severely 35, slightly 44.-Total 95.

COLONIAL DEPARTMENT.

Downing-street, June 2. Sir George Prevost, in a dispatch, dated Niagara, Feb. 27, 1813, acquaints Lord Bathurst, that on the 21st of February, he arrived at Prescott, within a mile of the enemy, posted at Ogdensburgh, who had availed themselves of the frozen state of the St. Lawrence, in that neighbourhood, to carry on repeated nocturnal enterprises against posts of communication which were occupied by the militia, and to commit frequent depredations upon the persons and property of his Majesty's subjects, carefully selecting objects beyond the immediate support and protection of a regular military force.

[ocr errors]
[blocks in formation]

tion.

The following is the report of the above affair transmitted to Sir

G. Prevost:

Prescott, Feb. 22, 1813. Sir, I have the honour to acquaint you, for the information of his Excellency the Commander of the forces, that, in consequence of the commands of his Excellency to retaliate, under favourable circumstances, upon the enemy, for his late wanton aggressions on this frontier, I, this morning about seven o'clock, crossed the river St. Lawrence, upon the ice, and attacked and carried, after a little more than an hour's action, bis position in and near the opposite town of Ogdensburgh, taking 11 pieces of cannon, and all his ordnance, marine, commissariat, and quarter-master-general's stores, 4 officers and 70 prisoners, and burning two armed schooners and two large gun-boats, and both his barracks. My force consisted of 2bout 480 regulars and militia, and was divided into two columns: the, right, commanded by Captain Jenkins, of the Glengarry light in fantry fencibles, was composed of his own flank company, and about 70 militia; and from the state of the ice, and the enemy's position in the Old French Fort, was directed to check his left, and interrupt his retreat, whilst I moved on with the left column, consisting of 120 of the King's regiment, 40 of the Royal Newfoundland Corps, and about 200 militia, towards his position in the town, where he had posted his heavy field artillery. The depth of the snow in some degree retarded the

advance

advance of both columns, and exposed them, particularly the right, to a heavy cross fire from the batteries of the enemy, for a longer period than I had expected; but pushing on rapidly after the batteries began to open upon us, the left coluinn soon gained the right bank of the river, under the direct fire of his artillery and line of musketry, posted on an eminence near the shore; moving on rapidly my advance, consisting of the detachment of the Royal Newfoundland and some select militia, I turned his right with the detachment of the King's regiment, and after a few discharges from his artillery, took them with the bayonet, and drove his infantry through the town, some escaping across the Black river into the fort, but the majority fled to the woods, or sought refuge in the houses, from whence they kept such a galling fire, that it was necessary to dislodge them with our field pieces, which now came up from the bank of the river, where they had stuck on landing, in the deep

snow.

Having gained the high ground on the brink of the Black River opposite the fort, I prepared to carry it by storm; but the men being quite exhausted, I procured time for them to recover breath, by sending in a summons, requiring an unconditional surrender. During these transactions, Captain Jen. kins had gallantly led on his coJumn, and had been exposed to a heavy fire of seven guns, which he bravely attempted to take with the bayonet, though covered with 200 of the enemy's best troops: advancing as rapidly as the deep snow, and the exhausted state (in

would

consequence) of his men woul admit, he ordered a charge, and had not proceeded many paces, when his left arm was broken to pieces by a grape shot; but still undauntedly running on with his men, he almost immediately afterwards was deprived of the use of his right arm by a discharge of case shot; still heroically disregarding all personal consideration, he nobly ran on, cheering his men, to the assault, till exhausted by pain and loss of blood, he became unable to move. His company gallantly continued the charge, under Lieut. M'Auley; but the reserve of militia not being able to keep up with them, they were compelled, by the great superiority of the enemy, to give way, leaving a few on a commanding position, and a few of the most advanced in the enemy's possession, nearly about the time that I gained the height abovementioned. The enemy hesitating to surrender, I instantly carried his eastern battery, and by it silenced another which now opened again, and ordering on the advance, the detachment of the King's, and the Highland company of militia, under Capt. Eustace, of the King's regiment, he gallantly rushed into the fort; but the enemy retreating by the opposite entrance, escaped into the woods, which I should effectually have prevented, if my Indian warriors had returned sooner from a detached service on which they had that morning been employed. I cannot close this statement without expressing my admiration of the gallantry and selfdevotion of Capt. Jenkins, who has lost one arm, and is in danger of losing the other. I must also report the intrepidity of Capt. Le

lievre,

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »