THE MONTHLY REGISTER FOR NOVEMBER 1799. Intereting Intelligence from the London Gazettes. Downing Street, Aug. 16. 1799 ISPATCHES from the Right Hon. Lord Henley and the Right Hon. Lord Wilam Bentinck, of which the following are Copies and Extracts, have been this day received by the Right Hon. Lord Grenville, his Majefty's Principal Secretary of State for the Foreign Department. Copy of a Letter from Lord Henley to 35. 1799. MY LORD, I have the honour of enclofing to your Lordship two Extraordinary Gazettes of this place, the one published yefterday evening with the important intelligence of the furrender of the Citadel of Alef fandria on the 21ft paft, and the other published this afternoon with the Articles of Capitulation of that Fortress. - The batteries againft Mantua were finished on the 23d; and on the following day a moft formidable and tremend., ous fire was opened upon that place from III pieces of artillery. M. Fiorella, late Commandant of the Citadel of Turin, having endeavoured to inculcate into the minds of the inhabitants of a small place near Verona, where he refided on his parole, his own feditious principles, has been fent to the caftle of Ruffstein; and it has been notified to fome of the principal Cifalpine prifoners for the information of the French Directory, that if any cruelty be exercifed on any of the French Emigrants in the fervice of this country made prifoners by the French, fevere reprisals will be made on them (the Cifalpines) and fuch other prifoners as were not natives of France. It is with great pleafure that I mention that the report of M. de Chaftelet's death, which was confidently reported, is not true. I have the honour to be, &c. Henley. Vienna, July 30. 1799. General Melas has rent from the Head-quarters at Aleffandria the agree able news of the furrender of that citadel. An approach was made from the fecond parallel against the Gl cis on the night between the 19th and oth, and by this means 30 paces were gained from the Glacis towards the covered way. As the batteries of the fecond parallel were now finished, and the artillery placed in them, the firing was re-commienced with the utmost energy. The enemy then bandoned the covered way, and retired within the works. As the affault projected against the covered way was now no longer neceffary, Field-Marthal Lieut. Bellegarde deter mined on the following day to attack the counter-guard, to maintain himself there, and in the mean time to crown the falient angles of the covered way, and to re-establish the neceffary communica tions. On the 21ft this work was completed upon the falient angles, and efpecially upon that of the counter guard of the ravelin between the baftions Beato Amadeo and St Carno. A demi-fappe was alfo pufhed forward in the centre, to within 20 paces of the angle of the baftion Amadeo, and by means of three boyaux on the left wing, to within 30 paces of the pallifades. In the mean time our batteries con tinued firing in the two parallels, and the enemy anfwered them briskly. Gen. Gardanne, Commander of the Citadel, feeing the approaching danger, and probably unwilling to fuftain an affault, fent, at three in the afternoon of the 21ft, his Adjutant General Louis, with a letter to. Field-Marfhal Lieut. Bellegarde, to the following efft &t: "That the answer which he had give en him to his firft fummons to furrender was fuch as his duty required of him, and fuch as the Field Marthal Lieutenant would have made had he beer in his fituation:-but that now, being enabled to liften to the voice of humanity, without atting against his confcience or fear of reproach, he was difpofed to enter into a negociation for a Capitulation upon conditions which Frenchmen could accept, who knew how to facrifice every thing for their honour." As the bearer had no full power, he was immediately fent back with injunc tions to procure inftructions. and full powers within two hours, and to inform the Commandant that he should be re fpontible for any lofs occafioned by his delay. At eight in the evening the firing on both fides ceafed: the Capitulation was concluded: the Garrifon in confequence was made prifoners of war; they marched out on the 22d at four in the afternoon, laid down their arms on the Glacis, and were fent by Pavia into the Hereditary States. Gen. Melas means hereafter to tranf. mit the Articles of Capitulation, together with a lift of the effects found in the Citadel, and an account of our lofs during this obftinate fiege. By an unfortunate accident General Chaftelet was feverely wounded by a ball in quitting the trenches. Field Marshal Lieut. Kray writes under date of the aad, that I batteries had been constructed before Mantua, and that the artillery would be placed in them the following night, in order to batter the body of the fortrefs. Vienna, July 31, 1799. General Melas has difpatched Baron Ertel with fix pair of colours, taken from the Garrison of Aleffandria, and with the Articles of Copitulation: [Then follows the Capitulation.] There were found in the Citadel one hundred and three guns of a different calibre; the other ftores were not particularized at the departure of the exprefs. The number of prifoners of war of the Garrifon was 2400, except the fick that were left behind. According to the reports of Gen. Klenau to Gen. Melas, dated the 20 h, from Florence, the people of Tufcany, encouraged by the victories of the Imperial armies, and by the love of their Country and of their Prince, and a hatred of the enemy, have invefted Leghorn, Pifa, Lucca, and Pefcia. three guns and 21 men. Volterra and the whole country about Rome are free; and only Perugia and Civita Vecchia are occupied by the enemy, of whom, however, a great number are fled to An cona. Extract of a Letter from Lord Henley to Lord Grenville, dated Vienna, Aug. 3. It gives me the greateft. fatisfaction to be enabled to clofe my official correfpondence from this place, with the important intelligence of the Surrender of rier is juft arrived from Gen. Kray, with Mantua to the Imperial Arms. A Coudispatches of the 30th ult. ftating, that on the 27th the Horn work was taken ; on the 28th the town was fummoned; on the 29th the Capitulation figned; and on the 30th the place was occupied by the Imperial troops. The Garrison are prifoners of war; the privates have liberty to return to France, on the condition of not ferving against the Emperor or his Allies till they are exchanged against an equal number of Auftrians. The exchange, it is ftipulated, fhall take place immediately; and the Officers are to be kept for three months in this country as hoftages for the exact fulfilment of this Stipulation. Permit me, my Lord, to convey to you my moft fincere congratulations on this moft fortunate and important event, which will furnish fuch facilities to the further progrefs of the Allied Arms; and to add my moft cordial wishes, that the fucceffes of the Allies may be continued with the fame brilliancy and rapidity which have diflinguished all the operations of this remarkable campaign. MY LORD, Head quarters, Bofco, July 30. I have the fatisfaction to inclose the Capitulation of Mantua. The trenches had been opened only 14 days. The Garrison I am informed amounts to near 13,000 men; the sick, including the noncombatants, are about 5oo. The lofs of the Auftrians does not exceed more than 200 men. I have the honour to be, &c. W. Bentinck. [Then follows the Capitulation.] Admiralty Office, Aug. 13. [A letter from Lord Nelfon, dated July 14, inclofes the following copy of his letter to Lord Keith.] According to this report, the Infurgents of Florence have invefted the For treffes of Antignano and Pombino, made 200 Frenchmen prifoners of war, took eight guns, and a French privateer with “Ed. Mag. Nov. 1799. 3 D Foudroyant, Bay of Naples, July 13. MY LORD, I have the pleasure to inform you of the the furrender of Fort St. Elmo (on the terms of the inclofed Capitulation,) after open batteries of eight days, during which time our heavy batteries were advanced within 180 yards of the ditch. The very great ftrength of St Elmo, and its more formidable pofition, will mark with what fortitude, perfeverance, and activity, the combined forces muft have acted. Capt. Troubridge was the Off cer felected for the command of all the forces landed from the fquadron. Capt. Ball affifted him for feven days till his -fervices were wanted at Malta, when his place was ably fupplied by Capt. Hallowell, an Officer of the moft diftinguished merit, and to whom Capt Troubridge expreffes the higheft obligation. Capt. Hood, with a Garrifon for the Caftle Nuovo, and to keep good order in the Capital, an arduous task at that time, was alfo landed from the fquadron; and I have the pleasure to tell you, that no capital is more quiet than Naples. I tranfmit you Captain Troubridge's letter to me with Returns of Killed and Wounded. I have alfo to ftate to your Lordship, that although the abilities and refources of my brave friend Troubridge are well known to all the world, yet even he had difficulties to ftruggle with in every way, which the ftate of the capital will easily bring to your idea, that has raifed his great character even higher than it was before. Kent, at anchor off the Texel, Aug. 28. SIR, Be pleafed to acquaint the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that I fhall go on from my letter of the 25th inftant, and fay it blew to freth on Sunday that we could not approach the land, but the weather becoming more moderate on Monday, the whole of the fleet, with the tranfports, were at anchor clofe in fhore by noon on that day. I fhall not enter into a detail of the landing the troops, or what happened on Tuelday, as their Lordships will have that ftated by Vice-Admiral Mitchell: fuffice it to fay, the troops rowed towards the fhore at day-break, and landed, though immediately oppofed by numbers, and from that time till half paft four P. M. were continually in action. However, the gallantry of the British troops furmounted all difficulties, and drove the enemy wherever they met them. The Ratrizan Ruffian fhip got afhore on the South Haik, in coming to the anchorage, where the remained some time in great danger; but by timely af fiftance, and exertion of her Captain and Officers, in getting out fome of the guns and lightening her, he was got off, and last night reported to be again fit for fervice. At five P. M. the Belliqueux, with her convoy from the Downs, anchored. This day it blows ftrong from the Weftward with a great furf, so that I fear little can be done; but I am fure the Vice-Admiral will avail himself of every opportunity to carry on the service, as I never witneffed more attention and perfeverance in fpite of meft unfavourable weather, to get the troops landed; and nothing fhall be wanting, on my part, towards furnishing him with every aid in my power, in order to bring the busi nefs to a happy determination. I am, &c. Duncan. P. S. Eight P. M. The weather is fill bad; but a lugger is juft returned with an answer to a letter I wrote Vice-Admiral Mitchell this morning, by which I find the Helder Point was last night evacuated and the guns in it fpiked up. The Lieutenant of the lugger likewife reports, that the General and Vice-Admiral had not fent off their dispatches; and as I think it of the greatest confequence that Government fhould have the earlieft notice, I difpatch a cutter with this interefting intelligence, although it was my original intention only to have fent fent one away after the General and Vice Admiral had forwarded their difpatches; and as i have not time to alter my other letter to you of this date, I beg to refer their Lordships to Lieutenant Clay, of his Majefty's fhip Kent, an intelligent and deferving officer, for further particulars. Downing Street, Sept. 2.! A Difpatch, of which the following is a Helder, Aug. 28, 1799. From the first day after our departure from England, we experienced fuch a feries of bad weather, as is very uncom mon at this season of the year. The ardour of Admiral Mitchell for the fervice in which we were jointly engaged, left it only with me to follow his example of zeal and perfeverance, in which I was encouraged by the manner that he kept a numerous convoy collected. It was our determination not to depart from the refolution of attacking the Helder, unless we should have been prevented by the want of water and provifions. On the Forenoon of the 21st inft. the weather proved fo favourable that we food in upon the Dutch Coaft, and had made every preparation to land on the 22d, when we were forced to fea by a heavy gale of wind. It was not until the evening of the 25th that the weather began once more to clear up. On the 26th, we came to anchor near the fhore of the Helder, and on the 27th, in the morning, the troops began to difembark at day-light. Although the enemy did not oppose our landing, yet the Firft Divifion had fcarcely begun to move forward before they got into action, which continued from five in the morning until three o'clock in the afternoon. The enemy had affembled a very confiderable hody of infantry, cavalry, and artillery, near Callanftoog, and made repeated attacks on our right with fresh troops. Our pofition was on a ridge of fand hills, ftretching along the coaft from North to South. Our right flank was unavoidably expofed to the whole force of the enemy. We had no where fufficient ground on our right to form more than a battalion in line; yet, on the whole, the pofition, though fingular, was not, in our fituation, difadvantageous, having neither cavalry nor artillery. By the courage and perfeverance of the troo, the enemy was fairly worn out, au obliged to retire in the evening to a pofition two leagues in his rear. The conteft was arduous, and the lofs has been confiderable. We have to regret many valuable Officers loft to the fervice, who have either fallen, or been difabled by their wounds. The corps principally engaged were the referve under the command of Colonel Macdonald, confifting of the twenty-third and fiftyfifth regiments. The regiments of Major Gen. Coote's brigade, which have been much engaged, were the Queen's, the twenty-feventh, twenty-ninch, and eighty-fifth regiments, Major Gen. Oyley's brigade was brought into action towards the clofe of the day, and has fuftained fome lofs. As the enemy ftill held the Helder with a garrifon of two thousand men, it was determined to attack it before daybreak on the morning of the 28th, and the brigade under Major-General Moore, fupported by Major-General Burrard's, were deftined for this fervice; but about eight o'clock yesterday_evening, the Dutch Fleet in the Mars Diep got under weigh, and the garrifon was withdrawn, taking their rout through the marshes towards Medemblick, having previously fpiked the guns on the batteries, and deftroyed fome of the carriages. About nine at night, Major-Gen. Moore, with the fecond battalion of the royals, and the ninety-second regiment, under the command of Lord Huntley, took poffelfion of this important poft, in which he found a numerous artillery of the beft kind, both of heavy and field train. All that part of the Dutch Fleet in the Nieuve Diep, together with their naval megazine at Nicuve Werk, fell into our hands this morning; a full detail of which it is not in my power to fend. This day we have the fatisfaction to fee the British flag flying in the Mars Diep and part of the five thousand men, under the command of Major General Don, difembarking under the batteries of the Helder. During the course of the action, I had the misfortune to lofe the fervice of Lieutenant General Sir James Pulteney, from a wound he received in his arm, but not before he had done himself the greateft honour, and I was fully fenfible of the 3 D 2 lofs lofs of him. Major-Gen. Coote fupplied his place with ability. Colonel Macdonald, who commanded the referve, and who was very much engaged during the courfe of the day, though wounded, did not quit the field. Lieut. Col. Maitland, returning to England to go on another fervice, and Major Kempt, my Aid-du-Camp, and bearer of this letter, whom I beg leave to recommend to your notice and profection, will be able to give any further information which may be required. A lift of the killed and wounded, as far as we have been able to afcertain it, accompanies this letter. I have the honour to be, &c. Ralph Abercromby. [Then follows a return of killed and wounded, of which the following is the amount:] Total Lieut.-Col. 1 Subaltern, 3 Serjeants, 51 rank and file, killed; I Col. I Lieut.-Col. Major, 9 Captains, 6 Subalterns, 18 Serjeants, Drummer, 334 rank and file wounded; 26 rank and file mifling. Admiralty-Office, Sept. 2. [A letter from Lord Duncan inclofes the following from Admiral Mitchel to him:] MY LORD, Ifis, at Anchor off the Texel, Aug. 19. In a former letter I had the honour to write to your Lordship, I there mentioned the reafons that had determined Sir Ralph Abercromby and myfelf not to perfevere longer than the 26th in our refolution to attack the Helder and Port of the Texel, unless the wind became more moderate. Fortunately the gale abated that morning; and although a very heavy fwell continued to fet in from the northward, I thought a moment was not to be loft in making the final attempt. The fleet therefore bore up to take the anchorage, and I was happy to fee the tranfports and all the bombs, floops, end gun-veffels in their tations to cover the landing of the troops by three in the afernoon of that day, when the fignal was made to prepare for landing. The General, how. ever, not thinking it prudent to begin difembarking fo late on that day, it was determined to delay it until two in the morning on the 27th. The intervening time was occupied in making the for mer arrangements more complete, and by explaining to all the Captains indi vidually my ideas fully to them, that the fervice might profit by their united exertions. The troops were accordingly all in the boats by three o'clock; and the fignal being made to row towards the fhore, the line of gun-brigs, floops of war, and bombs, opened a warm and well-directed fire to fcour the beach, and a landing was effected with little lofs. After the first party had gained the hore, I went with Sir Ralph Abercromby, that I might fuperintend the landing of the reft, and with the aid of the different Captains, who appeared animated but with one mind, the whole were difembarked with as great regularity as poffible. The ardour and giorious intripedity which the troops difplay ed, foon drove the enemy from the neareft fand hills, and the pretence of Sir Ralph Abercromby himself, whole appearance gave confidence to all, fecured to us, after a long and very warm conteft, the poffeffion of the whole neck of land between Kick Down and the road leading to Alkmaar, and near to the vil lage of Callanftoog. Late last night the Helder Point was evacuated by the enemy, and taken poffeffion of by our troops quietly in the morning; as were the men of war named in the enclofed lift, and many large tranfports and Indiamen by us the next day. I difpatched Captain Oughton, my own Captain, to the Helder Point laft evening, to bring off the pilots, and he has returned with enough to take in all the fhips neceffary to reducing the remaining force of the Dutch Fleet, which Lam determined to follow to the walls of Amfterdam, until they furrender or capitulate for his Serene Highness the Prince of Orange's fervice. I muft now, my Lord, acknowledge, in the warmeft manner, the high degree of obligation I am under to your Lordfhip for the liberal manner in which you continued to entrust to my directions the fervice I have had the honour to execute under your immediate eye; a behaviour which added to my wish to do all in my power to forward the views of Sir Ralph Abercromby. It is impoffible for me fufficiently to exprefs my admiration of the bravery and conduct of the General and the whole Army, or the unanimity with which our whole operations were carried on; the Army and Navy on this occafion having (to use a seaman's phrase) pulled heartily together. Where |