Regent, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, may be graciously pleased to bestow such marks of distinction.

2nd. That no officer shall be considered a candidate for the medal, or badge, except under the special selection and report of the Commander of the Forces upon the spot, as having merited the distinction by conspicuous services.

3rd.—That the Commander of the Forces shall transmit to the Commander-in-Chief, returns signed by himself, specifying the names and ranks of those officers whom he shall have selected as particularly deserving.

4th. The Commander of the Forces, in making the selection, will restrict his choice to the under-mentioned ranks, namely,General officers; Commanding officers of brigades; Commanding officers of artillery, or engineers; Adjutant-General, and Quartermaster-General; Deputies of Adjutant-General, and Quartermaster-General, having the rank of field-officers; AssistantsAdjutant and Quartermaster-General, having the rank of fieldofficers, and being at the head of the staff, with a detached corps, or distinct division of the army; Military Secretary, having the rank of field-officer; Commanding officers of battalions, or corps equivalent thereto; and officers who may have succeeded to the actual command during the engagement, in consequence of the death, or removal, of the original commanding officer.

The Prince Regent is therefore graciously pleased to command, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, that, in commemoration of the brilliant victories obtained by His Majesty's arms in the battles of Roleia and Vimiera, Corunna, Talavera de la Reyna, Busaco, Barrosa, Fuentes d'Onor, Albuhera, and Salamanca, and in the assaults and captures of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz, the officers of the army, present on those occasions, shall enjoy the privilege of bearing badges

* It appears that the Duke of Wellington was in favour of a more general distribution, for in a letter dated Vera, 6th. November, 1813, addressed to Marshal Sir William Carr Beresford, K B., in reference to his claim for the Ciudad Rodrigo medal, he remarked, "In regard to the medals, I have always been of opinion, that government should have extended the principle more than they did; and in executing their orders, I believe it will be found that, whenever a medal could be given to an individual under the orders of government, I have inserted his name in the return. However, my decision on this or any other subject is not final; and if anybody doubts, I wish he would apply to superior authority."-The Wellington Dispatches.

of distinction; and His Royal Highness having approved of the crosses, medals, and clasps, which have been prepared, is pleased to command that they shall be worn by the general officers, suspended by a ribbon of the colour of the sash, with a blue edge, round the neck; and by the commanding officers of battalions, or corps equivalent thereto, and officers who may have succeeded to the actual command during the engagement, the chiefs of military departments, and their deputies and assistants, (having the rank of field-officers,) and such other officers as may be specially recommended, attached by a ribbon of the same description to the button-hole of their uniform.

The Prince Regent is also pleased to command, in the name and on the behalf of His Majesty, that those badges which would have been conferred upon the officers who have fallen at, or died since, the above-named battles and sieges, shall, as a token of respect for their memories, be transmitted to their respective families.

By command of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. FREDERICK, Commander-in-Chief.

H. TORRENS, Colonel and Military Secretary."

AFFAIR OF CHATEAUGUAY.

26TH. OCTOBER, 1813.

THIS was one of the actions which occurred during the war between Great Britain and the United States. In the autumn of 1813, a great effort was made by the Americans for the invasion of Canada at different points. The expedition commenced with the advance of Major-General Hampton to the frontier, whilst Major-General Wilkinson, in co-operation, embarked with ten thousand men, on Lake Ontario, and proceeded in boats down the river St. Lawrence, with the intention of reaching Montreal. On the 8th. of October, Major-General Hampton occupied with a considerable force of regulars and militia, a position on the Chateauguay river, near the settlement of the Four Corners. The American army crossed the line of separation between Lower Canada and the United States early on the 21st. of that month, surprised a small party of

Indians, and drove in a picket of sedentary militia, posted at the junction of the Ontard and Chateauguay rivers, where it encamped, and proceeded in establishing a road of communication with its last position, for the purpose of bringing forward its artillery. All arrangements having been completed on the 24th., the American General commenced on the following day his operations against the advanced posts of the British; at about eleven o'clock in the forenoon of the 26th. of October, his cavalry and light infantry were discovered advancing on both banks of the Chateauguay, by a detachment covering a working party of habitans employed in felling timber, for the purpose of constructing abattis.

Lieutenant-Colonel De Salaberry, who had the command of the advanced pickets, composed of the light infantry company of the Canadian Fencibles, and two companies of Voltigeurs, on the north side of the river, made so excellent a disposition of his small force, that he checked the advance of the principal column, led by Major-General Hampton in person, and accompanied by Brigadier-General Izard; whilst the American light brigade, under Colonel M'Carty, was similarly repulsed in its progress on the south side of the river, by the spirited advance of the right flank company of the third battalion of the embodied militia, under Captain Daly, supported by Captain Bruyer's company of Chateauguay Chasseurs. Captains Daly and Bruyer being wounded, (the former twice severely,) and their companies having sustained some loss, their position was immediately taken up by a flank company of the first battalion of embodied militia. The American troops rallied and repeatedly returned to the attack, but were foiled at all points by a handful of men, who by their determined bravery, maintained their position, and protected the working parties, who were enabled to continue their labours.

Nearly all the British troops having been pushed forward for the defence of Upper Canada, that of the lower province depended in a great degree on the valour and exertions of its incorporated battalions and its sedentary militia. This loyal and honourable line of conduct was persevered in by the Canadians.

It appeared by the report of prisoners taken in the affair

on the Chateauguay, that the American forces consisted of seven thousand infantry and two hundred cavalry, with ten field-pieces. The British advance force, actually engaged, did not exceed three hundred, and the enemy suffered severely, not only from the British fire, but also from their own, some detached corps in the woods having fired upon each other.

Lieutenant-General Sir George Prevost, Bart., solicited from His Royal Highness the Prince Regent five pair of colours for the first, second, third, fourth, and fifth battalions of the embodied battalions of the Canadian militia, as a mark of royal approbation of their conduct.

The loss of the British was but small:-Canadian Fencible infantry, light company, three rank and file killed; one sergeant and three rank and file wounded. Third battalion embodied militia, flank company, two rank and file killed; one captain, and six rank and file wounded, and four rank and file missing. Chateauguay Chasseurs, one captain wounded.

A medal was granted for this service, which was similar to that authorized for the Peninsular actions, and it was afterwards commemorated by a bar, when the general war medal was distributed.

PASSAGE OF THE NIVELLE.

10TH. NOVEMBER, 1813.

AFTER the fall of St. Sebastian, the hostile armies remained for some time inactive, or occupied only in strengthening their respective positions, and preparing for the further prosecution of the campaign. The troops, however, suffered severely from the inclemency of the weather. Exposed on the bleak summits of the Pyrenees, they gazed with intense longing on the beautiful plains of France, which lay stretched out beneath their feet; but the close neighbourhood of a watchful enemy rendered the greatest vigilance necessary, and the duties were severe.

Flushed with success the British troops ardently longed for further victories. This moment at length arrived. Early on the morning of the 7th. of October, the army, under favour of a dark and stormy sky, descended from the heights, crossed the Bidassoa, and with little opposition established itself on

the French territory. The continued inclemency of the weather, and the badness of the roads, retarded the further advance of the army till the 10th. of November, when all preparations being completed, the columns moved down the passes of the Pyrenees in the most perfect silence, and lay down, each at its appointed station, to await the dawn of day to make their attack. This was commenced by the fourth division, which carried a strong redoubt in front of the village of Sarre, drove the enemy from that village, and continued its advance against the heights in its rear, exposed to the fire of entrenchments by which the position was secured. These, however, were successively abandoned as the division advanced, the enemy flying in great disorder, towards the bridges on the Nivelle; the garrison of one redoubt, which alone offered any resistance, being made prisoners. The other attacks were all equally successful; the enemy driven from the centre of his line, concentrated himself on the heights above St. Pé, whence he was dislodged by a flank movement of the third and seventh divisions on the left, in conjunction with the sixth division, which procceded in the contrary direction. Marshal Soult at length withdrew the whole of his army, and resigned his position to the allies, who went into cantonments in advance of the Nivelle, where they enjoyed another interval of repose.

In the Marquis of Wellington's official report occurred the following; after speaking of the handsome attack of the sixth division, he continued, "I likewise particularly observed the gallant conduct of the 51st. and 68th. regiments, under the command of Major Rice and Lieutenant-Colonel Hawkins, in Major-General Inglis's brigade, in the attack of the heights above St. Pé, in the afternoon of the 10th.”

The 43rd. and 52nd. regiments added to their former renown on this occasion, especially in the storming of the Petite Rhune, and in the completion of the victory.

Considering the strength of the positions attacked, and the length of time (from daylight till dark) during which the troops were engaged, the loss, although severe, was not so great as might have been expected.-Twenty-six officers, twentyeight sergeants, four drummers, and two hundred and eightyfive rank and file killed; two generals, staff, (Major-Generals