being to the northward, prevented my getting up there in time to ftop them from burning the town; but I have the pleasure to say, after an action of near two hours, Í effectually relieved that land by taking the fhip and finking the brig. The fhip proved to be Le Décius, mounting 24 fix-pounders, a twelve-pound carronades, and 2 brafs field pieces, with 133 men of her own complement, and 203 troops, commanded by Citoyen Andrée Senis, and the brig La Vaillante, mounting 4 twentyfour pounders, with 45 men and 90 troops, commanded by Citoyen Laboutique, The particulars of the action I have tranfmitted to Rear Admiral Harvey, for the information of their Lordships. I am, &c. R. BARTON. N. B. I am informed that they were picked troops from Victor Hugues, for the fole purpofe of plundering and de#troying the island. R. B. PARLIAMENT-STREET, JAN. 16. DISPATCHES, of which the following are an Extract and Copy, have been this day received by the Right Hon. Henry Dundas, one of his Majefty's principal Secretaries of State, from Major General Charles Graham, commanding his Majesty's troops in the Leeward Iflands, in the absence of Lieutenant General Sir Ralph Abercomby, K. B. Extract of a Letter from Major-General Charles Graham, to the Right Hon. Hemy Dundas, dated Head Quarters, Martinico, OH. 16, 1796. OUR affairs in Grenada wear the mcft favorable afpect; I may fay indeed tranquillity is completely restored, as they enjoy it in the most comprehenfive fenfe. The communication throughout the island is perfectly open; there are fume few ftragglers, no doubt, in the woods, but they never moleft even fingle paffengers, and their sumber is fo inconfiderable and their ftate fo wretched, that they rather deferve our contempt than merit our refentment. Fédon has not yet been taken, and opinions are various with refpect to his death or escape; the former however I think moft probable, as it is reported a canoe, that had been overfet, was found by a veffel at fome diftance from the coaft, with a compafs qaned to the bottom, which was known to be one that he had had in his poffeffion; it is therefore likely he may have been loft in endeavouring to make his efcape. I embrace with fatisfaction the opportunity this affords me of having the honour to inform you, that a negotia tion has been opened for a general exchange of prifoners with the Commil miffioners of the French Republic at Guadaloupe; the Commiffary fent here to treat on that bufinefs has in confequence returned with two hundred ; an equal number of ours are to be fent by the cartel, When the bufinefs is finally fettled, I fhall have the pleafure of acquainting you with the particulars. SIR, Head Quarters, Martinico, Nov. 13, 1796. IT affords me great fatisfaction to have an opportunity of informing you of the entire reduction of the Brigands and Charibs in St. Vincent's, which was communicated to me by Major-General Hunter, fhortly after I had the honour of addreffing you on the 26th ultimo; a copy of whofe letter I herewith tranfmit, together with the return of the killed and wounded. I have the honour to be, &c. SIR, Major-General. St. Vincent's, Of. 18, 1796. WHEN I had the honour of writing to your Excellency on the 22d of Auoffered to the Charibs by Governor guft, I inclofed a copy of the terins Seton and myfelf, in confequence of Sir Ralph Abercromby's orders and inftructions to me upon that fubject. At the fame time I acquainted you with the plan I had adopted in order to reduce the remaining Brigands and to compel the Charibs to furrender. I have now the fatisfaction to inform you of the total reduction of the Brigands and Charibs on this ifiand. Marin Padre (a negro of St. Lucia), who has commanded the Brigands and Charibs fince the capture of the Vigie, and who had great influence and authority over both, furrendered on the 2d inftant. The number of Brigands who have furrendered or been taken, fince the 4th of July, amounts to 725, the number of Charibs to 4633, including women and children. I have I have much pleafure in making known to you, for his Majefty's information, the zeal, activity, and humanity, which have actuated every defcription of officers and foldiers employed under my command during the whole of the Charib War; and I am happy to fay, that, notwithstanding the feafon of the year, and the fatigue the troops have undergone, they are in general very healthy. Inclofed you will receive a return of the killed and wounded of his Majesty's troops fince the commencement of the Charib War, I have the honour to be, &c, P. HUNTER, Maj. Gen. To bis Excellency Major-General Graham. Return of the killed and wounded of his Majefty's Forces in the land of St. Vincent, between the 20th of July and 15ib of A&. 1796. 26th Light Dragoons.-1 ferjeant, 1 rank and file killed; I rank and file wounded. Roval Artillerv.-1 gunner wounded, 3d Foot (or Buffs).-4 rank and file killed; 2 ferjeants, 19 rank and file wounded. 40th Foot.-4 rank and file killed; 1 Lieutenant, 2 rank and file wound ed. 42d Foot.-1 rank and file killed; 3 rank and file wounded. 63d Foot.-3 rank and file killed; 1 ferjeant, 6 rank and file wounded. ad Weft India Regiment.-1 ferjeant, 4 rank and file killed; 1 Lieutenant Colonel, Enfign, 3 rank and file wounded. Lewenftein's Chaffeurs.-4 rank and file killed; 2 Lieutenants, 1 ferjeant, 8 rank and file wounded. Lieutenant-Colonel Haffey's St. Vin cent's Rangers.- ferjeant, 8 rank and file killed; 1 Lieutenant, 6 ferjeants, 16 rank and file wounded. Major Trench's St. Vincent's Rangers. 2 rank and file killed; a ferjeants, 8 rank and file wounded. Total.-3 ferjeants, 31 rank and file killed Lieutenant Colonel, 4 Lieutenants, Enfign, 12 ferjeants, 1 gunner, 66 rank and file wounded. Officers wounded. sign Towes, of the 2d West India Regiment. Lieutenant Millar, of the 40th Regi ment, Lieutenants Beaufire and Roquier, of (Signed) W. J. CURREY, WHITEHALL, JAN. 16. A Letter, of which the following is an extract, has been received from Governor Seton, by his Grace the Duke of Portland, his Majefty's Principal Secretary for the Hoine Department, da ted St, Vincent's, Oct. 12, 1796. I HAVE the fatisfaction to inform your Grace, that tranquillity is Colony, owing in a very great measure on the eve of being restored to this to the unremitted exertions of Major. General Hunter,and to his humane con duct towards the enemy of every defcription. All the Charib Chiefs have furrendered, their people are coming in daily, and we have at this moment about 3500 in our poffeffion. Nearly all the Brigands, with their leader, have alfo furrendered. By a fubfequent Letter from the Governor to his Grace, dated St. Vin cent's, the 16th of November laft, it appears, that the remainder of the Charibs and Brigands had furrendered themfeives, and that the inland was in a ftate of perfect tranquillity. WHITEHALL, JAN. 17. Extract of a Letter from bis Excellency the Lord Lieutenant of Ireland to bis Grace the Duke of Periland, dated Dublin Caflle, Jan. 10, 1797. I HAVE the fatisfaction to acquaint your Grace, that fince the information tranfmitted to Mr. Greville, that the French had entirely left Bantry Bay, there has been no re-appearance of them upon the coafts; fo that I truft, from the violence of the tempeft, and from their fhips being ill found and ill victualled, their expedition is at prefent fruftrated. Upon reviewing what has paffed dur ing this expedition of the enemy, have the fatisfaction to reflect, that the Lieutenant-Colonel Graham and En- beft fpirit was manifefted by his Majef I ry's fy's Regular and Militia Forces; and I have every reafon to believe, that if a landing had taken place, they would have difplayed the utmoft fidelity. When the flank companies of the Antrim regiment were formed, the whole regiment turned out to a man, with expreffions of the greatest eagerness to march; and the Downfhire regiment, to a man, declared they would stand and fall by their Officers. At the time the Army was ordered to march, the weather was extremely fevere; I therefore ordered them a proportion of fpirits upon their route, and directed an allowance of fourpence a day to their wives until their return. During their march, the utmost attention was paid them by the inhabitants of the towns and villages through which they paffed; fo that, in many places, the meat provided by the Commiffariat was not confumed. The roads, which in fome parts had been rendered impaffable by the fnow, were cleared by the peafantry. The poor, people often hared their potatoes with them, and dreffed their meat without demanding payment; of which there was a very particular inftance in the town of Banagher, where no Gentleman or principal farmer refides to set them the example. At Carlow a confiderable fubfcription was made for the troops as they paffed, and at Limerick and Cork every exertion was ufed to facilitate the carriage of artillery and baggage by premiums to the carmen; and in the town of Galway, which for a short time was left with a very inadequate garrifon, the zeal and ardour of the inhabitants and yeomanry were particularly manifefted, and in a manner to give me the utmoft fatisfaction. In thort, the general good difpofition of the people through the South and Weft was fo prevalent, that had the enemy landed, their hope of affiftance from the inhabitants would have been totally difappointed. From the armed Yeomanry Government derived the moft honourable affiftance. Noblemen and Gentlemen of the first property vied in exerting themfelves at the head of their corps. Much of the exprefs and escort duty was performed by them. In Cork, Limerick, and Galway, they took the duty of the garrifon, Lord Shannon informs me, that men of three or four thoufand pounds a year were employed in efcorting baggage and carrying ex. preffes.-Mr. John Latouche, who was a private in his fon's corps, rode twenty-five miles in one of the feverest nights, with an exprefs, it being his turn for duty. The merchants of Dublin, many of them of the first eminence, marched fixteen Irish miles with a convoy of arms to the North, whither it was conducted by reliefs of Yeo.. manry. The appearance in this metropolis has been highly meritorious. The corps have been formed of the most respectable Barristers, Attor neys, Merchants, Gentlemen, and Ci tizens, and their number is fo confiderable, and their zeal in mounting guard fo ufeful, that I was enabled greatly to reduce the garrison with perfect fafety to the town. The numbers of Yeomanry fully appointed and difciplined in Dublin exceed two thou fand, above four hundred of whom are horfe. The whole number of corps approved by Government amount to four hundred and forty, exclufive of the Dublin corps. The grofs number is nearly twenty-five thousand. There are alfo ninety-one offers of fervice under confideration, and one hundred and twenty-five proposals have been de clined, and, in reply to a circular let ter written to the Commandants of the refpective corps, their answers almoft univerfally contained a general offer of fervice in any part of the kingdom. Many prominent examples of individual loyalty and fpirit have appeared. An ufeful imprettion was made upon the minds of the lower Catholics by a judicious Addrefs from Dr. Moylan the titular Bishop of Cork. I cannot but take notice of the exertions of Lord Kenmare, who fpared no expence in giving affiftance to the Commanding Officer in his neighbourhood, and who took into his own demefne a great quantity of cattle which had been driven from the coaft. Nor could anything exceed the ardour of the Earl of Ormonde, who, when his regiment of Militia was retained as part of the garrifon of Dublin, folicited with fo much zeal a command in the flank companies, that I thought it a measure due to his Majefty's fervice to encou rage his Lordihip's request. ADMI SIR, YOU will please to acquaint their Lord hips, that a few hours after I anchored with the fquadron in this Bay, the ad inft. I received a letter from Capt. Barton of his Majefty's thip Lapwing, acquainting me that he had defroved the French fhip Le Decius and LaVaillante brig, off St. Martin's, and that two French frigates, La Thetis and La Penfée were at anchor off St. Martin's, referring me to Lieutenant St. Clair for farther information. In confequence of the two frigates lying at St. Martin's, I immediately ordered the Bellona and Invincible to St. Kitt's, and directed Capt. Wilson to obtain fuch information as was necefceffary at that ifland, and then proceed towards St. Martin's and Anguilla, ufing his best endeavours to take or deftroy the French frigates, and protect the island of Anguilla; and he failed the fame evening on that fervice. Captain Barton, having referred me to Lieutenant St. Clair, whom he detached in a Danish schooner with his letter, it appears that the French had landed about 300 men on the island of Anguilla on the 26th ult. and that after having plundered the island, and burnt feveral houfes, and committed every devaftation poffible, attended with acts of great cruelty; that on the ap. pearance of the Lapwing they re-embarked their troops on the night of the 26th, and the following morning early the Lapwing came to action with the Decius of 26 guns, and Vaillante brig mounting 4 thirty-two and twentyafter a clofe action of about an hour four pounders, as a gun-veffel; that the brig bore away, and in half an hour after the Decius ftruck her colours. The brig ran on shore on St. Martin's, and by the fire of the Lapwing was deftroved; that on the Lapwing taking poffeffion of the Decius, it was found the had about 80 men killed and 40 wounded, being full of troops; that chafed by two large French frigates, the following day the Lapwing was to take the prifoners and his men out and Captain Barton found it neceffary of the Decius, and fet fire to her, when he returned to St. Kitt's, and landed 170 prisoners. I fhall take the earlieft opportunity of tranfmitting any farther accounts which may be fent by Captain Barton; but it evidently appears, that Captain Barton's conduct was highly meritorious by the capture and deftru&tion of this force of the enemy, and faving the island of Anguilla from farther depredation. The French troops employed on this fervice were picked men from Gua daloupe; and there is great reafon to fuppofe the greatest part of them have been taken or deftoyed. Many of the foldiers were drowned in attempting to fwim to fhore. The Lapwing had but one man killed (the pilot) and fix men wounded. I am, &c. (Signed) HENRY HARVEY. ADMIRALTY-OFFICE, JAN. 20. Extra of a Letter from Vice Admiral Kingfmill, Commander in Chief of bis Majefly's Forces and Veffels at Cork, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated on board the Polyphemus, Jan. 13, 1797. PLEASE to inform my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that his Majefty's ship Druid is arrived at Kinfale, detached from the Unicorn and Doris, with a large French hip armed en flate, captured by them, named La Ville d'Orient, having on board 400 of the enemy's huffars, completely equipped, befides fome mortars, cannon, mufkets, powder, clothing, &c. being one of the ships on the expedition against this country; and the Unicorn and Doris were left following up the intelligence they had received for the farther annoyance of the enemy. [FROM [FROM OTHER PAPERS.] Miffage from the Executive Directory to the Councils, Feb. 11. "Citizens Reprefentatives, "Mantua furrendered the 2d inftant, at ten at night. The garrifon are prifoners of war. The Executive Directory will make known the articles of capitulation. "The brave army of Italy took no repofe after this fuccefs. It attacked and defeated the enemy in the Tyrolefe, purfued him as far as St. Michael, and made goo prifoners. 1 "On another fide, a column entered the territory of the Pope. The van guard of General Victor's divifion, commanded by General of Brigade Lefne, in which were the grenadiers of the legion of Lombardy, attacked the army of the Pope on the Cenio, turned it in fording the river, and the enemy was affailed and routed in the fame moment. The grenadiers of Lombardy carried the batteries with fixed bayonets, covering themselves with glory. "The Pope has loft in prifoners 1000 men and 26 Officers; in killed from four to 500 men, and eignt ftand of colours. We have taken 14 pieces of cannon and eight caiffons. There were nothing elle to take. The 7th regiment of Huffars, commanded by the Aid-deCamp Junot, purfued the Papal cavalTy for 10 miles, without being able to come up with it. "REWBELL, Prefident. "LAGARDF, Sec. General." Bounaparte, in his difpatch to the Executive Directory, fays, "I have endeavoured to difplay the generofity of a Frenchman towards General Wurmfer, who is feventy years of age, to whom fortune has been particularly cruel during this campaign; but who has never ceafed to manifeft a conftancy and a courage which hiftory will record. Surrounded on every fide, after the battle of Baffano, and having loft, at one blow, a part of Tyrol and of his army, he yet dared to hope that he fhould be able to take refuge at Mantua, from which he was at the distance of four or five days journey he paffed the Adige, routed one of our advanced guards at Cerea, crossed the Mulinella, and arrived at Mantua. Shut up in this city, he made two or three forties, all of them unfortunate, though he himself commanded every time. But befidts the very confiderable obftacle which our lines of circumvallation prefented to VOL. XXXI. MARCH 1797. him, augmented by tracts of country, which he was obliged to furmount, he could only act with foldiers difcouraged by many defeats, and weakened by the peftilential fickness which prevailed in Mantua. That numerous body of men who always make a point of calumniating the unhappy, will, however, doubtlefs, load Wurmfer with calumny." The French Commiffioners employed in collecting Works of Art and Science to the Executive Directory. "Citizens Directors, Loretto. "THE General in Chief Buonaparte, in collecting, on account of the French Republic, the articles which Colli, the Pope's General, had not time to carry away of the treasures of Loretto, has got poffellion of thofe portable objects of which the Priests made use to abuse the credulity of the People, &c. 1. The wooden Image, pretended to be miraculcus, of the Madona. 2. A rag of old camlet, which is faid' to have been the Virgin Mary's robe. 3. Three broken porringers, of miferable workmanship, which, it is faid, made part of her furniture, but which certainly are not of fufficiently high antiquity for that." Paris Journals of the 4th and 5th inft. give intelligence that Peace is concluded between the Pope and the French, in confequence of an application by letter, on the 12th ult. from the Pope to Buonaparte. The Pope's letter and the General's answer are very pretty fpecimens of hypocrify. The Pope, in his Epiftle, calls the General his Dear Son, and concludes as follows: " Affured of the fentiments of good will which you have manifefted, we have abftained from removing any thing from Rome, by which you will he perfuaded of the entire confidence which we repofe in you. We conclude by affuring you of our most perfect efteem, and in giving you the paternal apoftolic benediction." Bounaparte replies, "Moft Holy Father, I ought to thank your Holiness for the obliging things contained in the letter, which you have taken the trouble to write to me. |