Upon this occasion the Commander in Chief, in his public dispatches, was pleased to express his obligations to Generals Craddock and Doyle, and recommended them as officers highly deserving his Majesty's favour.

On the surrender of Cairo the country fever seized the troops; and General Doyle, with many others, was sent ill to Rosetta, where, before he had recovered, he heard a rumour of an intended attack upon the French at Alexandria. Urged by this intelligence he left his sick bed, mounted his horse, and rode forty miles through the desert, under an Egyptian un in the dog-days, with the fever upon him, and arrived the night before the attack. In that successful enterprise he commanded, and had the good fortune to defeat the attempts subsequently made by General Menou upon a part of his position.

Official Report to MAJOR-GENERAL CRADDOCK.

"Camp before Alexandria, 17th August, 1801. DEAR SIR,

"I have the honour to enclose you a return of the killed and wounded of the brigade under my command in the affair of this morning.

"As you were a witness of the gallant conduct of the troops, and the several movements of the day, it is unnecessary for me to trouble you with any details, had I even time to give them.

"Colonel Spencer was so good as to take charge of that column of the brigade destined for the attack of the enemy's right work; and you are too well acquainted with the character of our gallant friend to be surprised at his judicious and spirited conduct during the day. He speaks in the highest terms of Lieutenant-Colonel Lockhart, of the 30th regiment, who, under Colonel Spencer's direction,, charged and repulsed a very superior body of the enemy.

<< The

The Captains Hamilton and Gray, of the 30th regiment, were particularly distinguished for their exertion.

(Signed)

"I have the honour to be, &c.

"J. DOYLE, Brigadier General."

Major-General Craddock, &c. &c. &c.

"Camp near Alexandria, 18th August, 1801.

"Returu of the killed, wounded, and missing, of the 4th brigade, under the command of Brigadier-General Doyle, in the affair of the Green Hills, 17th August, 1801.

Rank and File. Sub. Serjts. Rank and File. Total.

30th regiment....3...........2.

..22......28

.50th ditto..... .0.... -0.....0...................... 1...... 1 92d ditto..................0.... ..0.....0...................... 3................ 3 A. I. Fencibles... 1

.0..

1

33

(Signed)

"J. DOYLE, Brigadier General."

The Commander in Chief next day, in the most animated and warm manner, thanked him publicly in the field; but unhappily in writing his public dispatch, he not only forgot to transmit General Doyle's official report, or mention even his name or exertions, but actually stated his brigade to have been commanded by another.

When General (now Lord) Hutchinson discovered his mistake, he felt as every man of honour would have done; and wrote immediately to Lord Hobart, the war minister, expressing his regret that in a former dispatch he had omitted the name of General Doyle, of whom he spoke in the highest terms of praise. Extract of a Letter from GENERAL HUTCHINSON to

LORD HOBART.

"Malta, 9th January, 1802.

"In my last, which alludes to the capture of Alexandria, I have worded a sentence in so confused and inexplicit a manner, as

to render it doubtful whether Brigadier-General Doyle was actually present or not with his brigade on that day: he not only was at their head, but conducted himself, as he always does, in the most gallant and handsome manner.

"I am happy to have this opportunity of doing justice to the merits of a most active, diligent, and zealous general officer. "I have the honour to be, &c. " J. II. HUTCHINSON."

(Signed)

Lord Hobart, &c. &c. &c.

This letter fortunately arrived in time to enable Lord Hobart to do justice to the wounded feelings of this gallant officer; and accordingly at the close of the session, in moving the thanks of Parliament to the army and navy, his Lordship thus notices it:

"The British army was also entitled to a high degree of praise; wherever it was engaged on equal terms, it was victorious. A great part of our successes during the war were owing to our military; and although the valour of all our officers was already so well known as to render it unnecessary for him to mention particular facts or individuals, yet there was one officer whom he should name, because by mistake no mention had been made of him in the dispatch of Lord Hutchinson; and to pass him by without notice, would be doing an irretrievable injury to his fame. The officer he alluded to was General Doyle. It happened at the time his division proceeded to attack a fort near Alexandria, that he was at the distance of near forty miles, labouring under a severe fit of illness; the moment he heard of the intended attack, he got out of his bed, rode over the desert, joined his troops, and fought with the same degree of bravery which he had always displayed on every former

former occasion. His Lordship then read a letter which he said he had received from General Lord Hutchinson, dated Malta, in which that brave and noble person expressed his regret, that in a former dispatch he had omitted the name of General Doyle, of whom he also spoke in high terms of praise. His Lordship said, he thought it but justice to state this fact."

General Hutchinson, not satisfied merely with this public reparation to General Doyle's feelings, addressed, on his arrival at Malta, a letter to General Doyle, which, whilst it must have been highly gratifying to that General, did his own head and heart the highest honour; nor did he confine his sentiments of approbation to this circumstance alone, but thus expresses himself:

MY DEAR DOYLE,

"Malta, December 22d, 1801.

"Though I sincerely regret the cause of your letter, I am at the same time extremely happy that you have given me an opportunity of explaining my conduct. I do assure you that I had no intention of wounding your honourable feelings, or of de. tracting from that merit or those services of which no man can be more sensible than I am. You will be convinced, from what I said to you next day, how perfectly satisfied I was with your conduct; and indeed I had a feeling at that time, that you had ventared your valuable life rashly, in quitting a sick bed to do your duty in the field, to which your health appeared to me to be entirely unequal. That sentence in my letter I confess to be confused and embarrassed, and not at all conveying my real meaning; but I wrote it in extreme haste, broken in upon almost every instant, and under the pressure of severe pain. Nothing can afflict me so deeply as the wound it has given to your feelings; but I hope you will do me the justice to suppose

that

that it was not an intentional act upon my part, and that you will not entirely condemn me for one aukward expression, occasioned by the inadvertence of the moment, and the pressure of a thousand disagreeable circumstances. Nothing can be sɔ far from my heart as to do injustice to those brave men whom I was so fortunate as to command in Egypt, particularly one whom I have so much reason to love and esteem. It was not only on the 17th of August that I had reason to applaud your manner of acting, but during the whole course of a long and arduous campaign, your zealous exertions gave me the greatest reason to approve of your conduct, and I shall ever acknow ledge them to have been highly beneficial to the public service. You may be assured, that upon all occasions, and to all persons, I shall be ever ready to do you that justice which you deserve: were 1 not, it would be a severe accusation against my own head and heart. Believe me, what has happened has given ine more pain than I can express.

"Believe me to be, my dear General,

"Truly and affectionately yours,

(Signed) Brigadier-General Doyle.

“J. H. HUTCHINSON, Lieut. Gen."

After the close of the Egyptian campaign, another opportunity unexpectedly occurred for the manifestation of his ardent zeal for the interests of his country. When at Naples for the recovery of his health, which had been greatly injured by his exertions in the late campaign, the British ambassador found himself in great distress for a confidential person to carry some very important dispatches to government.

The General, forgetful of health or ease, at a moment's notice, undertook a long and fatiguing journey, travelling night and day, in order that the king's service might meet with no impediment: and this was a service of no smail danger, as the country

through