with the fhips as near the fhore as poffible, in readiness to afford every assistance in my power. I am forry to fay it now appears that the gun veffels had previously fhifted their birth with the ebb-tide, and were lying a-ground when the boats got in, at a place where it was impoffible to get near them. The ofAcers and men were therefore ordered to cut out as many veffels from the Wadde as it might be practicable to bring away, and I have the fatisfaction to add, they fucceeded in getting out twelve, without a man being killed or wounded, though the enemy annoyed them as much as poffible from their batteries Six of the veffels have valuable cargoes, and were bound for Amfterdam; the others in ballast. I have the honour to remain, &c. &c. Downing Street, July 10. Difpatches, of which the following are copies, have been this day received from the Right Hon. Lord William Bentinck, hy the Right Hon. Lord Grenville, his Majefty's Secretary of State for the Foreign Department. MY LORD, Placenza, June 22, 1799. Before I begin to relate the different actions which have taken place, and which I am happy to fay have terminated in the most complete fuccefs, it will be neceffary previously to state to your Lordship the fituation of the Allied Army, by which you will be better able to understand the views of the enemy, and the movements by which they have been defeated. The great and extenfive plan of operations undertaken by Field Marshal Suwarrow have neceffarily very much divided his force. Befides the hege of Turin, Mantua, Alessandria, and Tortona, were blockaded.--The paffes of Sufa, Pignerol, and the Col. d'Affiette, have been occupied. Major-Gen. Hohenzollern was posted at Modena with a confiderable corps; Lieut.-Gen. Ott with Ten thousand men, at Reggie, obferved the movements of the eneiny on that fide, while Field-Marhal Suwarrow remained at Turin with the reft of the army. This divided flate of the army appears to have presented to Gen. Moreau the most favourable opportunity of retrieving the French affairs in Italy. He hoped, by ftrongly reinforcing the army of Naples, that Gen. Macdonald would be able to defeat the separate corps of Generals Ott and Hohenzollern, and afterwards to effect a junction with the army under his own command; and he probably conceived that the Field-Marshal was too diftant to afford affiftance. With this view the army of Macdonald, which had advanced very lar to the North of Italy, was joined by the diEd. Mag. Oct. 1799. 1 vifion of Victor, and, from the report of the French Officers taken, must have amounted to near Thirty Thousand men, compofed entirely of French, with the exception of one Polish Legion. Field-Marshal Suwar row having received information of the intention of the enemy, immediately collected all the force at Aleffandria, whence he marched on the 15th, with Seventeen Battalions of Ruffians, Twelve Battalions of Anftrian Dragoons, and Three Regiments of Cofacks. In the mean time, Gen. Macdonald had fallen upon Major-Gen, Hohenzollern, and had obliged him to cross the Po with confiderable lofs Lieut.-Gen Ott had also been obliged to retire fron. Reggio to Placenza. On the 17th, the French attacked Gen. Ott, and compelled him to fall back upon Caftel S. Gioanni, when the arrival of the army under the command of Field-Marfhal Suwarrow, enabled Lieut.Gen. Ott to repulfe the French hehind the lidone river, with the lofs of one piece of cannon and feveral prifoners. On the 18th, the army marched in three columns to attack the enemy. The Ruffian Gen. Rofenberg commanded the right column, the Ruffian Gen. Foerfter the centre, and Gen. Melas the left. The Ruffian Major-Gen. Prince Prokration commauded the advanced guard, Prince Licktenstein the referve. The columns moved at 12 o'clock. The country is perfectly flat, and very much interfected with ditches and rows of vines. It does not appear that the enemy occupied any particular position. An advanced corps of two battalions and two guns at Caffaleggio was attacked by the Ruffian grenadiers, and the whole made prifoners. The French line retired behind the Trebbia. It was too late, and the troops were too much fatigued to make a general attack, which was ordered for the next morning. The Trebbia is the most rapid torrent in Italy. The distance from one bank to the other is near a mile. The intermediate fpace is an open fand, divided by feveral streams which at this feafon is fordable any where. The French occupied the right bank, the Allies the left. On the 19th, while the Allies were preparing to make the attack, the French began a very heavy fire upon the whole line. For a moment they fucceeded in turning the right of the Ruffians at Caffaleggio, and obliged them to fall back; but at this inftant Prince Prokration, who had been detached with the fame intent on the enemy's left, fell up on their rear and flank, and took one piece of cannon and many prisoners. The French did not, however give up their object They renewed the attack repeatedly upon the vil lage of Caffaleggio, but they were always defeated by the obftinate valour of the Ruf. fians. The attack upon the centre and RI Jeft left was equally violent. For fome time the fuccefs was doubtful, but at night the whole French line was repulled behind the Trebbia. It was now the intention of the Field-Marshal Suwarrow to have followed up this fuccefs the next morning, but the French army retired in the night. On the 20th in the morning, the army purfued the enemy in two columns. The Ruffians on the right marched by Settima, Montaruno, and Zena, where the rear guard of the French, after an obftinate refiftance, laid down their arms. The left column, com I have the honour to inform your Lordhip, that on the 3 inft. a confiderable corps of the right wing of Gn. Maffena's ́army under the command of the Gen, of Divifion Le Courbe, attacked Gen. Vellachitz's position in the canton of Schweitz on the whole extent of his front, from the Sill to Schweitz and Brunnen. The affair lafted the greatest part of the day; and although the French at first gainpofed of Auftrians, marched on the greated fome ground, they were afterwards comroad from Placenza to Parma as far as Ponte, pletely repulfed; and Cen Yellachitz's corps Nura. On the 21t the army moved on to reoccupied all its former pofts, except BrunFiorenzolo. Lieut.-Gen Ott was detachBen, of which the enemy retained poffeffion on the evening of the 3d, but from whence he was alfo repulfed the next morning. ed with a corps of Auftrians in purfuit of the enemy. Several prifoners have already been fent in. Gen. Ott has reported, that the French are retiring in two columns, one up on Parma the other upon Forte Novo. Prince Hohenzollern has again advanced to Parma. Seven pieces of cannon, Four French Generals, and above Ten Thousand, prifeners, have fallen into the hands of the Allies. Gen. Moreau has advanced to Tortona, where he gained a flight advantage over the advanced posts of Gen Bellegarde. Gen. Moreau's army, from all reports, does not exceed Twelve Thoufand men, among whom are a vast number of Genoefe. Not having feen any recurn of the killed and wounded of the Auftrians, it is impoffible for me to fay what their lofs has been: it must have been confiderable. I am &c. William Bentinck. Surrender of the Citadel of Turin. MY LORD, Placenza. June 23, 1799. Since I had the honour of writing to your, Lordship yefterday, the very important news of the furrender of the Citadel of Turin has arrived. The Garrifon is to return to France immediately, to be exchanged for an equal number of Auftrian prison ers. Gen Fiorella, the Commandant of the Citadel, and all the French officers taken with him, are detained as hoftages till the articles of the Capitulation are execut ed. Field-Marshal Suwarrow arrived here this morning with the main army; he will march to-morrow towards Aleffandria, in order to cover the fieges of that town and of Tortona. Gen. Ott has formed a junction with Major-Generals Klenau and Hohenzollern at Parma. Gen Macdonald has retreated with his whole corps by Ponte Nove towards Genoa. I am, &c. William Bentinck. Downing-Street, July 10 1799Difpatches, of which the following are a copy and extract, have been received from praife on the conduct of the Contingent Major-Gen. Yellachitz beftows great troops of the Cantons of Glavis and Schweitz. I have the honour to be, &c. Robert Craufurd. Extract of a Letter from Lieut. Colonel Craufurd, to Lord Grenville, dated Zurich, 7th July 1799. I have much fatisfaction in being able to inform your Lordship, that in confequence of the total Defeat of General Macdonald's army and the retreat of Moreau, General Haddick's corps, the deftination of which has been fo frequently changed, is now decidedly on the point of entering the Valais. Extract of a Letter from Admiral Lord Duncan Commander in Chief of his I tranfmit for their Lordships information, another letter from Capt. Winthrop of his Majefty's fhip Circe; much praife is due to him and the officers under his command, for their fpirit and enterprife and good conduct on this as well as on a former occafion. MY LORD, Circe, of Ameland, ed for his coolness and judgment in the management of this affair; and alfo to Cap tain Boorder, whofe local knowledge has been of great use to me. Lieutenant Searle, who commanded a fchoot converted into a gun-boat, and Lieut Pawle, who com manded the Circe's boats, upon this as well as upon a former occafion,) conducted themfelves much to my fatisfaction, as did the honeft fellows under their command who were at their cars fifteen or fixteen hours in a very hot day, opposed to an enemy of fuperior force, but I am happy to fay not a man was hurt. I am, &c. R Winthrop From the London Gazette, July 30, Journal, from the 19th of May to the ad of June, of the taking poffeffion of the Piedmontefe Fortress Ceva, by the Imperial Royal Troops. On the 19th of May, orders were iffued by Major Gen. Baron Sekendorf, to the regiment Efterhazi, to fend a divifion of two hundred and fifty men by forced marches, with the neceffary ammunition, a corporal of the artillery, eight gunners, and fourteen affistants, to Ceva, to garrifon this Fortress. At ten o'clock in the morning on the fime day, Capt Schmelzer fet off with the divifion to which he was appointed, and marched over Trefonaro, Rivolta to Acqui; the Imperial Royal Troops, however, were not permitted to pafs here, becaufe they were mistaken by the people for French dreffed in Imperial uniform. Although Captain Schmelzer adduced every poffible teftimony of veracity, yet he could not fucceed in removing this error from the minds of the people. He there fore took a position upon an eminence be fore the town, placed his picquets, fent out patroles from the peafantry in the adjacent country, and. on account of the proximity of the enemy, ordered his troops to be partly under arm. He himself went to Acqui; and, by the active mediation of the Archbishop of that town, he fucceeded in obtaining the paffage for the following day. fion of Gen. Grouchy, who were plundering in the mountains of Caffano, had been acquainted with his march, and collected themselves to pursue him. He fortunately paffed with his detachment through two columns of the enemy to the environs of Monaftero and Celule. On the 21st of May, he paffed the over Nicla and Beibo, and arrived at Ceva, where they made fome fcruples of receiving him, occafioned by the above-mentioned report. He therefore went into the fortrefs, and convinced the commandant Francolino and feveral other chiefs of the armed peafantry, of their mistake, that his detachment was fent to them from the Commander in chief of the Austrian army in Italy He then, conformable to his orders, entered the fortrefs drums beating, &c, [The Gazette then states, that finding every thing in the garrifon in great diforder, the works demolished, &e Captain Schmelzer took the neceffry measures for putting this important place in a proper Itate of defence Admiralty Office, Aug. 3, 1799. Copy of a Letter from Sir William Sidney Smith, Knight, Captain of his Majesty's Ship Tigre, to Evan Nepean Efq.dated at Acre, the 3d of May, 1799.. SIR, I have the honour to inclose you copies of my letters to Earl St. Vincent, of the 7th of April and ad inft. for the infor mation of my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty; as alfo a sketch of the polition of the forces. The enemy have made two attempts fi ce yesterday morn ing to force the two English_ravelines, but were repulfed with lofs. The works have now cannon mounted on them, and are nearly completed We have thus the faisfaction of finding ourselves, on the 46 h day of the fiege in a be ter state of erence than we were the firft day the enemy opened their trenches, notwithftanding the increale of the breach which they continue to batter with effect: and the garrifon, having occafionally closed with the enemy in feveral forties, feel greater confidence that they fhall be able to refift an affault, for which they are prepared. I am, &c. W. Sidney Smith Tigre. St. Jean D' Acre Bay, April 7. On the 20th he continued his march with all neceffary circumfpection But because the report had fpread itfelf over the whole country to Ceva, that his troops were French difguifed, he always fent, half an hour before him, feveral peasants, who had been previoufly fully convinced that they were Imperial foldiers, in order to pacify the armed peafantry, who had threatened I have the honour to inform your to affail them This was the more neceffa- Lordship, that as foon as the return of ry, as Capt Schmelzer received informa- fine weather, after the equinoctial gale, tion that the French foldiers, of the divi-llowed me to approach this unheltered MY LORD, Rr 2 anchor. to anchorage, I refumed my flation in the bay with the fquadron under my orders. I found that the enemy had profited by our forced abfence, to push their approaches to the counterfcarp, and even into the ditch of the north-eaft angle of the town wall, where they were employ ed in mining the tower, to increase a breach they had already made in it, and which had been found impracticable: when they attempted to form on the rft inft. The Alliance and Prize gun-boats, which had been caught in the gale, had fortunately rode it out except one; and Capt. Wilmot had been to indefatigable in mounting the prize guns, under the direction of an able officer of Engineers, Col. Phelipeaux, that the fire there from had already flickened that of the enemy; ftill, however, much was to be apprehended from the effect of the mine, and a fortie was determined on, in which the British mariners and feamen were force their way into it, while the Turkish troops attacked the enemy's trenches on the right and left. The fally took place this morning juf before day light; the impetuofity and noife of the Turks rendered the attempt to furprise the enemy abortive, though in other refpects they did their part well. Lieut. Wright who commanded the feamen-poineers, notwithstanding he received two fhors in his right arm as he advanced, entered the mine with the pikemen, and proceeded to the bottom of it, where he verified its direction, and deftroyed all that could be defroyed in its then ftate, by pulling down the fupporters. Col. Douglas, to whom I had given the neceffary step of rank to enable him to command the Turkish Colonels, fupported the feamen in this defperate fervice with his ufual gallantry, under the increased fire of the , enemy, bringing off Lieut. Wright who shad scarcely ftrength left to get out of the enemy's trench, from which they were not diflodged, as alfo Mr Janverin, midshipman of the Tigre, and the reft of the wounded. The action, altogether, fpeaks for itself, and fays more than could be faid by me in praife of all concerned. J feel doubly indebted to Col. Douglas for having preferved my gallant friend Lieut. Wright, whofe life, I am happy to fay, is not despaired of by the furgeon. We have, however, to lament the lofs of a brave and tried officer, Major Oldfield, who commanded the Thefeus's marines, and fell gloriously on this occafion, with two of the men under his command. Our lofs in wounded is twenty-three, among whom is Lieut. Beatry, of the marines, flightly. The Turks brought in about 60 heads, a greater number of mufquets, and fome intrenching tools, much wanted in the garritou. A further attack on the enemy's fecond parallel. was not to be attempted without a greater number of regular troops. The return of the detachment was well covered by the Thefeus's fire, Capt. Miller having taken an excellent pofition to that effect. The refult of our day's work is, that we have taught the besiegers to relpect the enemy they have to deal with, fo as to keep at a greater diftance. The apprehenfions of the garrison are quicted as to the effect of the ane, which we have befides learnt how to countermine with advantage, and more time is gained for the arrival of the re-inforcements daily expected. I am, &c. W. Sidney Smith. The enemy continue to make the most vigorous efforts to overcome our refiftance in the defence of this place. The garrifon has made occafional forties, pro tected by our small boats on their flank with field pieces, in which the most ef fential fervice has been performed by Lieut. Brodie and Mr Atkinson of the Thefeus, and Mr Joes, mafter of the Tigre, who commanded them. 2. Yesterday the enemy, after many hours heavy cannonade from 30 pieces of ar tillery brought from Jaffa, made a fourth attempt to mount the breach, now much widened; but were repulfed with lofs. The Tigre moored on one fide and the Thefeus on the other, flank the town walls; the gun-boats, launches, and other rowing boats continue to flank the enemy's trenches to their great annoyance. Nothing but defperation can induce them to make the fort of attempts they do to mount a breach practicable only by the means of fcaling ladders, under fuch a fire as we pour in upon them; and it is impoffible to see the lives even of our enemies thus facrificed, and fo much bravery mifapplied, without regret. Our lofs is as per lift inclosed, and we have therein to lament fome of the bravest and best among us. Capt. Wilmot was shot on the 8th ult. by a rifleman, as he was mounting a howitzer on the breach: his lofs is feverely felt. We have run out a ravelin on each fide of the enemy's nearest approach, in which the marines of the Tigre and The feus 6 Return of the Cafualties, Killed, and Wounded, belonging to his Majefty's hips Tigre, Thefeus, and Alliance, betqueen the 8th day of April, 1799, and the ad day of May, following, employed in the defence of Acre. Tigre.-Mr Edward Morris, midfhipman, and James Maughan, Andrew Wall, and Robert Bennet, feamen, kil led Lieutenant Knight, a contufion on his breaft, John Bolton,boatswain's mate, William Hutchinfon, William Picard, feus have worked under a heavy and inceffant fire from the enemy in a way that commands the admiration and gratitude of the Turks, as it is evident the flanking fire produced from them contributed much to fave the place yefterday. Col. Phelipeaux, of the Engineers, who projected and fuperintended the execution, has fallen a facrifice to this zeal for this fervice; want of reft and expofure to the fun having given him a fever, of which he died this morning; our grief for his lofs is exceffive on every account. Col. Douglas fupplies his place, having hi-James Bailey, Jofeph, Hudfon, Jofeph tberto carried on the work under his di- Vincquez, and William Price, feamen, rection, and is indefatigable in completeing it for the reception of cannon." I muft not omit to mention, to the credit of the Turks, that they fetch the gabiens, fafcines, and thofe materials which the garrifon does not afford, from the face of the enemy's works, fetting fire to what they cannot bring away. The enemy repair in one night all the mifchief we do them in the day, and continue within half piftol fhot of the walls ing soon nie fpite of the conftant fire kept up from the ramparts under the direction of Lieut.. Knight. wounded. Thefeus-John Rich, feaman, killed; John Chidlow, marine, wounded. Alliance, Captain Wilmot, killed by a rifle hot as he was mounting a howit zer on the breach. Total. One captain, one midshipman, and four feamen killed; one lieutenant, one boatswain's mate, 6 feamen and one marine wounded. July 11. W. Sidney Smith. Extract of a Letter from Mr Chriftopher Anderfon, Commander of the Bull Dog Privateer, to Evan Nepean, Efq datI hope I need not affure your Lorded in the River of Vianna, Portugal, fhip that we fhall continue to do our duty to the utmost of our power, in fpite of all obftacles; among which, climate, as it affects health, and the expofed nature of our rocky anchorage, are the moft formidable, fince they are not to be of vercome, which I trust the enemy are by I am, &c. our exertions. I W. Sidney Smith. Return of the Killed and Wounded belong ing to his Majesty's fhips Tigre, The feus, and Alliance, at the fortie from the town of Acre, against the French befieging that town, on the 7th day of April 1799. Tigre.-Lieut. Wright, Mr Janverin, midshipman, and eleven men wounded. Thefeus.Major Oldfield, of marines,e and two privatecmarines, killed; Lieut. Beatty of marines, Mr James M. B. Forbes, midshipman, (flightly,) Serjeant Cavanagh, and four private marines, wounded. ร * 31 J' 37% Alliance One Seaman and two Ma rines wounded, Total One Major and two private marines, killed one hieutenant, one lieutenant of marines, two midshipmen, one ferjeant, fix private marines, and twelve feainen wounded. W. Sidney Smith. I take the liberty to acquaint you, that on the 7th inft. being in Vigo Bay, I took and deftroyed four small coafters, having on board empty pipes from Ferrol to Vigo, and fent the crews on fhore in a fishing boat. On the 9th, coming. out of Marim Bay, fell in with E! Juego Spanish fchooner privateer, commanded by Remao Rodrigues Treiles, of 10 mufkets, 10 pifiule, and to fabres, manned with 16 tout men, of the burden of about 10 tons, quite new and coppered, had come from Ferrol about two days before, and had not taken any thing; which veffel I brought to this places t Captures La Vigie, of 14 guns and 71 men, by the The Anacreon, of 16 guns and 125 men. by the Champion, Capt. Graham, L' Hipolite Letter of Marque, and the men, |