was boarded, carried, and cut out, about 20 miles above the shoals, within two heavy batteries, in spite of all resistance, by the first lieutenant, Mr. Haswell, Mr. Sutherland, the master, Messrs. Perkins, Crawford and Thompson, together with the quarter-masters, and such of the seamen, the serjeants, and marines, as were fortunate enough to find place in the boats. The tide of flood ran strong at day light, La Tapageuse made sail; a general alarm was given; a sloop of war followed, and an action continued, often within hail, till, by the same bravery by which the Tapageuse was carried, the sloop of war, which had been before saved by the rapidity of the current alone, after about an hour's firing, was compelled to sheer off, having suffered as much in the hull as the Tapageuse in the rigging. The conduct of the officers and men will be justly appreciated. With confidence I shall now beg leave to recommend them to the notice of the lords commissioners of the Admiralty. It is necessary to add, that the same morning when at anchor, waiting for the boats (which, by the bye, did not return till this morning), three ships were observed, bearing down towards the Pallas, making many signals; they were soon perceived to be enemies. In a few minutes the anchor was weighed, and, with the remainder of the officers and crew, we chased, drove on shore, and wrecked, one national 24 gun ship, one of 22 guns, and La Malirieuse, a beautiful corvette of 18 guns; their masts went by the board, and they were involved in a sheet of spray. All in this ship shewed good zeal for his majesty's service. The warrantofficers, and Mr. Tattual, midship. man, supplied the place of those commissioned. The absence of lieut. Mappleton is to be regretted; he would have gloried in the expedition with the boats. The assistance rendered by Mr. Drummond, of the royal marines, was such as might have been expected. Sabjoined is a list of the wounded, together with the vessels captured and destroyed since the 26th ultimo. COCHKANE. Adm. Thornborough. Killed-None. Wounded-Three. Vessels taken or destroyed - Le Dessaix, chasse maree, takeu; L'Isle Daix, ditto, taken; La Pomone brig, taken ; a large brig, burnt; a chasse marce, wrecked. National ships-La Tapageuse, of 14 guns and 95 men, taken; La Malicieuse, of 18 guns, wrecked; Imperial ship, of 24 guns, wrecked: Imperial ship, of 22 gunis, wrecked. Dispatch from Lord Cochrane, dated Pallas, St. Martin's-Road, Isle Ree, May 10, giving an sccount of his Capture of some Signal Posts on the Coast of France. SIR, The French trade having been kept in port of late, in a great measure by their knowledge of the exact situation of his majesty's cruizers, constantly announced at the signal. posts, it appeared to me to be some object, as there was nothing better in view, to endeavour to stop this practice. Accordingly, the two posts at La Pointe de la Roche were demolished; next that of Caliola; then two in L'Ance de Repos, one of which hieut. Haswell and Mr. Hillier, the gunner, took in a neat style from upwards of 100 militia. The marines and boats' crews behaved exceedingly well ; all the flags have been brought off. and the houses built by government burnt to the ground-Yesterday too, the zeal of lient. Norton, of the Frisk cutter, and lieut. Gregory, of the Contest gun-brig, induced them to volunteer to flank the battery on Point d'Equillon, while we should attack it by land in the rear, but it was carried at once : and one of 50 men, who were stationed to three 36 pounders, was made prisoner, the rest escaped. The battery is laid in ruins, guns spiked, carriages burnt, barrack and magazine blown up, and all the shells thrown into the sea. The signal-post of L'Equillon, together with the house, shared the fate of the guncarriages; the convoy got into a river beyond our reach.-Lieut. Mappleton, Mr. Sutherland, the master, and Mr. Hillier, were with me, who, as they do on all occasions, so they did at this time, whatever was in their power for his majesty's service.-The petty officers, seamen, and marines, failed not to justify the opinion that there was before reason to form; yet it would be inexcusable were not the names of the quarter-masters Barden and Casey particularly mentioned, as men highly deserving any favour that can be shewn in the line to which they aspire. I am &c. COCHRANE, Seamen slightly wounded, Wm. Barden, quarter-master; Wm. Coburn, seaman. Marine slightly wounded, Robert Boulden. This letter is followed by another from lord Cochrane, dated off the Isle of Oleron, May 14, and giving an account of a very gallant action with a French frigate and three three brigs, which the Pallas cut out from the harbour, though supported by the batteries ashore. The Pallas being reduced to a mere wreck, was obliged to abandon the contest,in consequence of three other French frigates arriving in sight. The French frigate which sustained the action, was beaten almost to pieces. In this affair the Pallas had one marine, named Thompson, kill ed; and Mr. Andrews, midshipman, with four seameu, slightly wounded. Letter from Sir Sidney Smith, dated Pompee, at anchor off Sealia, May 24, containing an Account of Proceedings in Calabria. MY LORD, Gaeta, and of communicating to his serene highness the governor (on the Breach battery, which he never quits), the assurance of farther support to any extent within my power, for the maintenance of that important fortress, hitherto so long preserved by his intrepidity and example. Things wore a new aspect on the arrival of the ammunition; the redoubled fire of the enemy with red hot shot into the Mole (being answered with redoubled vigour) did not prevent the landing of every thing we had brought, together with four of the Excellent's lower deck guns, to answer this galling fire, which bore directly on the landing place. A second convoy, with the Intrepid, placed the garrison beyond the immediate want of any I arrived at Palermo in the Pom- thing essential; and the enemy, pee on the 21st of last month, and from advancing his nearest aptook on me the command of the proaches within 250 yards, was resquadron your lordship has done duced to the defensive, in a degree me the honour to place under my dreading one of those sorties which orders. I found things in the state the prince of Hesse had already that may be well imagined, on the shewn him his garrison was equal to, government being displaced from its and which was become a much capital, with the loss of one of the safer operation, now that the flanktwo kingdoms, and the dispersion ing fire of eight Neapolitan gunof the army assembled in Calabria. boats I had brought with me, in adThe judicious arrangement made by dition to four his highness had alcapt. Sotheron of the ships under ready used successfully, would cohis orders, and the position of the ver it, even to the rear of the eneBritish army under sir J. Stuart at my's trenches. Arrangements were Messina, had, however, prevented put in a train for this purpose; farther mischief.I had the satisfac, and, according to a wise suggestion tion of learning that Gaeta still held of his serene highness, measures out,although as yet without succour, were taken for the embarkation of from a mistaken idea, much too a small party from the garrison to prevalent, that the progress of the land in the rear of the enemy's hatFrench armies is irresistible. It teries to the northward. I confided was my first care to see that the ne- the execution of the naval part of cessary supplies should be safely this arrangement to capt. Richardconveyed to the governor. I had son, of H. M. S. Juno, putting the the inexpressible satisfaction of con- Neapolitan frigate and gun-boats veying the most essential articles to under his orders. His serene high ness, possessing the experience of European warfare and a most firm mind, having no occasion for farther aid on the spot, I felt I could quit the garrison without apprehension for its safety in such hands, with the present means of defence, and that I could best cooperate with him by drawing some of the attacking force off for the defence of Naples. I accordingly prodeeded thither with the line of bat tle-ships named in the margin*. The enemy's apprehension of attack occasioned them to convey some of the battering train from the trenches before Gaeta to Naples. The city was illuminated on account of Joseph Buonaparte proclaiming bimself king of the two Sicilies! The junction of the Eagle made us five sail of the line, and it would have been easy for their fire to have interrupted this ceremony and shew of festivity but I considered that the unfortunate inhabitants had evil enough on them; that the restoration of the capital to its lawful sovereign and fugitive inhabitants would be no gratification, if it should be found a heap of ruins, ashes, and bones; and that as I had no force to land and keep order, in case of the French army retiring to the fortresses, I should leave an opulent city a prey to the licentious part of the community, who would not fail to profit by the confusion the flames would occasion: not a gun was fired. But no such consideration operated on my mind to prevent me dislodging the French garrison from the Island of Capri, which from its situation, protecting the coasting communication Southward, was a great object for the enemy to keep, and by so much one for me to wrest from him. I accordingly summoned the French commandant to surrender on his nonacquiescence, I directed capt. Rowly, in H. M. S. Eagle, to cover the landing of marines and boats' crews, and caused an attack to be made under his orders. That brave officer placed his ship judiciously; nor did he open his fire till she was secured, and his distance marked by the effect of musquetry on his qħarter-deck, where the first lieutenant, J. Crawley, fell wounded, and a seaman was killed; although capt. Rowley regretted much the services of that meritorious officer in such a critical moment, he has since recovered. An hour's fire from both decks of the Eagle (between nine and ten o'clock), with that of two Neapolitan mortar-boats under an active officer, lieut. Rivers, drove the enemy from the vineyards within their walls; the marines were landed, and gallantly led by capt. Bunce; the seamen in like manner, under lieut. Morrell of the Eagle; and lieut. Redding of the Pompee, mounted the steps for such was their road, headed by the officers, nearest to the narrow pass by which alone they could ascend.-Lieut. Carrol had thus an opportunity of particularly distinguishing himself. Capt. Stannus, commanding the Athenienne's marines, gallantly pressing forward,gained the heights, and the French commandant fell by his hand; this event being known, the enemy beat a parley, a letter from the second in command, claimed the terms offered, but being dated on the 12th, after midnight, some difficulty occurred, my limitation Pompee, Excellent, Athenienne, Intrepid as as to time being precise; but on the assurance that the drum beat before twelve, the capitulation annexed was signed, and the garrison allowed to march out and pass over to Naples with every honour of war, after the interment of their former brave commander with due respect. We thus became masters of this important post. The enemy not having been allowed time to bring two pieces of heavy cannon, with their ammunition, to Capri, the boat containing them, together with a boat loaded with timber for the construction of gun-boats at Castilamare, took refuge at Massa, on the main land opposite to the island, where the guard had hauled the whole upon the beach. I detached the two mortar-boats and a Gaeta privateer, under the orders of lieutenants Faliverne, and Rivera, to bring them off, sending only Mr. Williams, midshipman of the Pompée, from the squadron, on purpose to let the Neapolitans have the credit of the action, which they fairly obtained; for, after dislodging the enemy from astrong tower, they not only brought off the boats and two 35-pounders, but the powder (20 barrels) from the magazine of the tower, before the enemy assembled in force. The projected sorties took place on the 13th and 15th in the morning, in a manner to reflect the highest credit on the part of the garrison and naval force employed. The covering fire from the fleet was judiciously directed by captains Richardson and Vicuna, whose conduct on this whole service merits my warmest approbation. I inclose captain Richardson's two letters, as best detailing these affairs, and a list of the killed and wounded on the 12th. On the 19th ult. the boats of the Pompée, under lieutenant Beaucroft, brought out a merchant-vessel from Scalvitra, near Salerno, although protected by a heavy fire of musquetry. That officer and Mr. Sterling distinguished themselves much. The enemy are endeavouring to establish a land carriage there to Naples. On the 23d, obtaining intelligence that the enemy had two 36-pounders in a small vessel on the beach at Scalia, I sent the Pompee's boats in for them; but the French troops were too well posted in the houses of the town for them to succeed without the cover of the ship. I accordingly stood in with the Pompee; sent a message to the inhabitants to withdraw; which being done, a few of the Pompee's lower-deck guns cleared the town and neighbouring hills, while the launch, commanded by lieutenant Mouraylian, with lieutenant Oats, of the marines, and Mr. Williams, drove the French, with their armed adherents, from the guns, and took possession of the castle, and of them. Finding, on my landing, that the town was tenable against any force the enemy could bring against me from the nearest garrison in a given time, I took post with the marines; and, under cover of their position, by the extreme exertions of lieute nant Carrol, Mr. Ives, master, and the petty officers and boats' crews, the guns were conveyed to the Pompee, with 22 barrels of powder. (Signed) W. SIDNEY SMITH. [The articles of capitulation for Capri, state that the troops are to march out with all the honours of war, and their arms, to be conveyed to Pozzuoli.] |