I cannot exactly afcertain the enemy's lofs, as they fudioufly endeavour to fupprefs it, but have reafon to think it confiderable. They have fuffered very much from fome powder flasks and combustibles taking fire which they had prepared with an intent to board us. Several of their men jumping overboard were drowned, and many others miferably burnt, fome of whom have ince died. The damage they futained was very great, her top mafts being hot away, and her rigging, both standing and running, cut to pieces. The Spencer's (except her mizen-maft badly wounded, and fome of the running rigging rendered ufelefs) is not material.

I have judged it proper to make this port to land our pritoners, whofe numbers far exceed our own, as well as to refit and complete ourwater. I am, &c. A. F. EVANS.

Hon. A. F. Cochrane, Commander of bis Majefty's fhip This, and Senior Officer at Bermuda.

MY letter of the 13th inftant acquainted you, for the information of my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that I had fent out La Trompeufe floop to meet the Unicorn, and her prize La Tribune, and afford them any alfiftance they might need; you will now pleafe to communicate to their Lordships, that, in execution of the fe orders, La Trempeufe, within a few hours after failing from hence, on the 12th inftant, difcovered two brigs, the nearest of which, a collier, having been just before captured by the other, was immediately retaken, and Captain Watfon proceeded in chace of the privateer, which he had the good fortune to come up with, and to capture about ten o'clock the fame evening, clofe in fhore, between Bally Cotton and Cable inland. She proves to be L'Eveille, mounting fix guns, four of which were thrown overboard during the chace, but carrying one hundred men; had been out ten days from Breft, and had in the morning, well to the fouthward, taken a Newfoundland outward-bound brig, which our other cruizers are kely to intercept.

ADMIRALTY OFFICE, JUNE 28. Extract of a Letter from Admiral Sir John Jervis, K. B. Commander in Chi-f of bis Mai Av's Ships and Felels in the Mediterranean, to Mr. Nepean, dated on board the Victory, off Toulon, May 11, 1796.

I DESIRE you will communicate in the Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, the enclofed letter from Commo. dore Nelion, addressed to me: and the fatisfaЯtion I feel in having an Officer of fuch zeal and local knowledge on the important ftation he occupies.

Agamemnon, of Loana, April 25, 1796.
SIR,

This morning having received' information that a convoy laden with ftores for the French army had anchored at Loana, I loft no time in protteding off that place, with the fhips named in the margin. I was forry to observe, on my approach, that, inftead of a convoy, only four veffels were lying under the batteries, which opened on our approach, and their fire was retu ned as the fhips got up, under cover of which our boats boarded the four ref fels, and brought them off. The refle's lying very near the hore, a heavy fire of mufquetry was kept on our boats, and it is with the greatest grief I have to mention, that Lieutenant James Noble, of the Agamemnon, a moft worthy and gallant Oficer, is, I fear, mortally wounded. The fire from the hips keeping under the fire of the batteries, we futtained no damage; the Agamem non was, believe, the only fhip ftruck by fhot. The principal part of this fervice fel! on our boats, whofe condut and gallantry could not on any occafion have been exceeded, and I with fully to exprefs the fenfe I entertain of the gallantry of every Officer and man em. ploved on this occafion. Herewith I tranfinit a lift of wounded, and of the veffels taken, none of which had any colours hoisted, or men on board when taken.

I have the honour to be, &e. HORATIO NELSON. Sir John Jervis, K. B. Wounded. Lieutenant James Noble, of the Aga

memnon.

Twe feamen of the Meleager. lift of Weffels taken. One fhip of eight guns (four of which

were brafs) and twenty brafs patterarees, laden with corn and rice. One ketch, laden with mufquets and cafes of ammunition. One galley, laden with wine. One ditto, laden with corn.

Officers employed in the Boats. Lieutenants Suckling, Noble and Compton, of the Agamemnon. Lieutenant Calverhoufe, of the Melenger!

Lieutenant Ryder, of the Diadem.

HORATIO NELSON.

DOWNING-STREET, JUNE 30. Dispatches, of which the following are copies and extracts, have been received from Lieur, Col. Craufurd, by the Right Honourable Lord Grenville, his Majef. tv's Principal Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs.

Baumholder, June 1, 1796.
My Lord,

I Have the honour to inform your Lordship that hoftilities commenced yefterday morning at half an hour past ten o'clock. The enemy attacked the village of Walhaufen, fituated near the fource of the Nahe, and occupied by the Auftrians as an advanced poft ; but they were repulfed, lofing from fixty to feventy killed, and near four hundred taken príloners.

The Auftrian General Schellenberg took poffeffion at the fame time of Kern, upon the Nahe. The enemy made fe veral unfuccefsful efforts to diflodge him from that post, and sustained a confiderable lofs.

To-day a part of the Auftrian Hulans, and the Salkbourg light infantry, attacked and defeated one of the enemy's pofts near Steinberg, towards the fource of the Bufs. There have been other triding kirmishes that are not worth noticing, in all which the Aufrians have had the advantage. In the courfe of yesterday and to day, their lofs has been four officers, and between ie. venty and eighty non-commiffioned officers and privates.

I have the honour to be, &c. &c.

C. CRAUFURD. Ober Mufchel, June 6, 1796. On the 4th and 5th reports were received from Prince Ferdinand at Wirtemberg, who commanded the corps upon the Sieg. They stated in fubftance as follows:

The two divifions of the enemy's troops that were in the neighbourhood of Duffeldorf, being confideraly reinforced from the army of the North,

marched towards the Sieg; and, after fome fevere kirmishes, forced the Prince of Wirtemberg's advanced pofts to quit that river on the ft. His Serene Highnefs then took a pofition at Crobach, near Hackenburg, having an advanced guard at Altenkirchen.

On the 3d the enemy attacked the post of Altenkirchen, and carried it with great lofs, after experiencing the most obftinate refiftance that it was poffible to make. Nothing could furpass the bravery that was difplayed by the Austrian troops, but they were obliged to yield to the fuperiority of numbers, the enemy having brought the principal part of the force which they had on the right bank of the Rhine against that one point.

Head Quarters,

My Lord,

Hockheim, June 10, 1796.

I Have the honour to inform your Lordship, that on the 6th inftant Prince Ferdinand of Wirtemberg, upon finding that the enemy was nianceuvring to turn his right flank, retired from the Synbach Rivulet to the Lahn, and took a pofition near Limburg, having a corps upon his left at Naffau, and one upon his right at Weilberg; the latcer detached five fquadrons of light cavalry to the neighbourhood of Wetzlar, for the purpofe of obferving the enemy's movements on that fide. The first reinforce. ments that were fent to the Prince of Wirtemberg joined him on the 7th." Several other troops have fince arrived in the polition of the Lahn, and the further pregrefs of the enemy is ef fectually topped by the active and ener getic measures which the Archduke has employed upon this important occafion.

General Jourdan, immediately after the fuceefs of General Kleber against the Prince of Wirtemberg, threw bridges over the Rhine at Neuwied, and he is af fembling with the utmolt diligence the. principal part of his army on the right bank of the Lahn. His first intention evidently was to advance to Frankfort ; but, as the Archduke has completely foiled him in that project, he feems now to confine his views to the fiege of Ehrenbreititein, which fortrefs he has invetted. The Archduke is now marching againit him with his main army, having left a confiderable corps under General Mercan. tin in the pofition behind the Seltz rivulet between Mayence and Altzey. His Royal Highnes's head-quarters were moved, on the 6th infant, from Obermuichel to Wonfheim,

Wonfheim, on the road from Creutzenach to Altzey; on the 8th to Nider Ulm, and on the 9th to this place, where they remain to-day. All that part of his army, which is destined to act immediately against General Jourdan, has paffed the Rhine at Mayence, and is advancing towards the enemy, full of fpirits and confident of victory.

Marthal Wurmfer has detached to the Upper Rhine a fufficient number of troops to put his left flank in fecurity against any attempts which General Moreau might now be induced to make on that fide, and his Excellency ftill maintains a position, with a part of his army, on the left bank of the Rhine, from Reh Hutte to Frankenthal, the left of which is covered by the lower part of the Rehbach rivulet, and the front and right by the canal called the Plotebach, that interfects the plain from the Rehbach to Frankenthal, and runs from thence through part of the wood of Friefenheim into the Rhine.

I hope foon to have the honour of tranfmitting to your Lordship, accounts of his Royal Highnets's fuckels againit General Jourdan, and the confequent relief of Ehrenbreiteir; events, which the vigorous offentive mealures that will be immediately purlued in that quarter feem to infure.

I have the honour to be, &c. Ste.

C. CRAUF RD.

Head Quarters of his Royal Highness the Archduke Charles of Auglia, Hacken. bourg, June 18, 1796.

1 Have the honour to inform your Lordfhip, that the Archduke's head-quarters were moved from Hockheim to Schwalbach, near Koningtein, on the 11th inftant, to Hefte Homburg on the 12th, and to Graffin Wilbach the 13th, where they remained the 14th: on which, day his Royal Highnets completed the neceflary arrangements for the defence of the Lahn, between Braunfels and the Rhine, which chiefly confifted in polting a large corps at Limbourg, with two others of interior force near Naffau and Weilburg. On the 14th a confiderable corps, under the command of Lieutenant-General Werneck, arrived at Wetzlar, the Saxons at Butz. bach, nearly fouth of Wetzlar. Another trong column, commanded by General Kiay, marched the fame day to the neighbourhood of Braunfels, and a parufan corps pufhed acrols the Lahn to Koningf berg, which lies between Giellen and Her born on the Dille.

The river Dille formed the natural left flank to the enemy's line of defence,

which was covered on the right by the Rhine; and as the hills on the right bank of the Dille are very steep, woody, and difficult of accefs, it was eflential for the enemy to occupy them, but more efpeci ally fo, to take the polition between Hermanitein-on that river and Altenbourg on the Lahn, as the Auftrians would then have been completely prevented from crofling at Wetzlar, and obliged to manœuvre, by Gieffen, towards rborn and Dielenburg.

The Archduke ordered General Werneck to push his advanced pots across the Lahn and the Dille at Weizlar on the 14th, and to pais, on the 15th, with his whole corps; to support which manceuvre, the Saxons were directed to advance to Wetzlar the fame day, and General Kray to occupy the heights between Braunfels and Leunon on the Lahn. The French General Le Fevre was in march with a large corps for the fame object at the Lime time. The herds of his columns attacked General Werneck's advanced guard, which, after making a very long and mo obtinate refiftance, was obliged to yield to the great-fuperiority of members. The enemy then occupied the abovementioned polition, with their right to the Lahn and their left to the Dille, and began a fevere cannonade upon the Auftrians, who, though at the foot of the heights, with the rivers clofe in their rear, had tormed

again, and flood firm. His Royal Highnefs the Archduke having arrived jult as the advanced guard was retiring, ordered the Saxons to accelerate their march, and particularly their cavalry to advance with as much expedition as poffible. His Royal Highnefs kkewife ordered that part of General Werneck's corps, which had remained in referve on the left bank of the Lahn, to join their advanced guard, and left the detachments on the left oppofite Altenbourg, and on the right at Aftar near Hermanitein, as they had been at first poited, in order to fecure the flanks. In this very critical pofition his Royal Highness remained, anfwering the enemy's ca..nonade from a battery of twelve-pounders, and determined to attack as foon as the head of the Saxon column fhould have pafled Wetzlar.

The pofition that General Le Fevre occupied, was compofed of a range of neights, which, from the broken ground in their front, are difficult of accels. There was a projecting point of a wood that formed upon the face of thete heights a falient angle to the reft of his line; and this

wood,

wood, returning through the center of the pofition, extended to the right and left behind each wing, to the Lahn and the Dille.

This falient point was ftrongly occupied with infantry, as well as the heights and village of Altenberg, and on the height above Hermanftein the principal part of the cavalry was formed, being fupported by infantry posted in the wood in their rear; the artillery was diftributed upon the fpots most favourable for raking the face of the pofition. In this order General, Le Fevre waited the arrival of the rest of his corps; had it come up before the Archduke attacked, the Auftrians must have retired across the Lahn at Wetzlar. His Royal Highness, perfectly aware of this circumstance, refolved not to delay his attack a moment after the Saxon cavalry fhould have arrived; this did not happen till feven in the evening, and the difpofition was then made in general as follows: three fquadrons of the Auftrian cavalry, the regiment of Carachy, fupported by that of NaTau, were ordered to charge the left, and the Saxon cavalry the front of the heights above Hermanftein, while the Auftrian grenadiers attacked the enemy's center in the wood; the left wing was kept back. The regiment of Carachy advanced through the hollow ways and ravines, and, when arrived at the top of the height, charged the enemy with a degree of intre pidity that must do them immortal honour; but as they were very much broken by the Extre ne badness of the ground, and as the French cavalry was numerous, and drawn up in perfect order to receive them, they were repulfed. The regiment of Naffau bad, in the mean time, reached the fummit and formed; they therefore received the regiment of Carachy, which allied under their protection, charged the enemy again with part of the regiment of Naffu on their Banks, and part as a fecond line, and, after as regular a fhock as could take place, they proved victorious. This happened before the Saxon cavalry had reached their point of attack, or the grenadiers had arrived at the wood; and the enemy finding themselves taken in flank, and mott vigorously purined, retired; their fira line with great precipitation abandoning the falient point of their centre, and their defeated cavalry threw itself in diforder into the wood behind their infantry. Part of the regiments of Carachy and Nailau followed them, cut to pieces a battalion which had formed where the road leading from Wetzlar to Grieffeuftein enters the wood, and took several pieces of cannon; VOL. XXX. AUGUST 1796.

but upon endeavouring to continue the purfuit ftill further, they were received by the fecond line of French infantry, who gave them a fevere fire, and obliged them, to return out of the wood to form again. However, they brought off all the cannon and ammunition waggons that they had. taken. The enemy till kept the heights of Altenbourg, their line extending from thence towards Alfteden on the Dille.

The Auftrian grenadiers now attacked and defeated the French infantry in the wood.

In the rear of the enemy's left flank, at the distance of about two English miles, lay, the village of Barghaufen on the Dille.

In the vicinity of that village the wood retires from the Dille in the form of a half circle, leaving a confiderable space of open ground; through this the road, by which the left of General Le Fevre's corps was obliged to retreat, paffes and enters the wood again over an height that affords an excellent pofition for infantry, not only from being fo immediately on the edge of the wood, but more efpecially as the foot of it is covered, in the greatest part of its extent, by a ravine that is very difficult to crofs.

It was on this height that the enemy had formed three battalions, with a battery of artillery, to receive their troops that had been defeated by the Auftrian cavalry and grenadiers; and at the fame time finding that vistory was declared in favour of the Auftrians, they retired their right from the heights of Altenbourg, forming the troops that liad occupied that wing of the pofition in the thick wood which was immediately in their rear.

Four fquadrons of Saxon cavalry, as if determined to emulate the exemplary conduct of the Imperial troops, together with a squadron of the regiment of Carachy, advanced through that part of the wood which had been cleared by the grenadiers, and, without waiting for further fupport, and not accompanied either by cannon or infantry, defiled along the road, and fcrambled through the ravine under the enemy's fire, formed, and attacked the height which I have juft defcribed: After, fuffering great lofs, they broke the three battalions; cut down every man who could not fave himself by flight in the wood, and took the cannon.

The night now came on, and put an end to this very brilliant affair. Nothing' could furpafs the ft adinefs and intrepidity, with which the Auftrian and Sxon troops executed his Royal Highness's masterly and decifive manoeuvres.

U

The

The lofs of the Auftrians and Saxons amounted to about five hundred men, including feveral officers; that of the French, judging from the number left dead on the field, and from the accounts given by deferters and prifoners, and by the inhabitants of the country through which they paffed in their retreat, must have been very great. It is reported that General Le Fevre, who commanded in perfon, was wounded badly in the arm.

Having failed in his attempt to make himself master of this important pofition, General Jourdan determined to raise the blockade of Ehrenbreitftein, and recrofs the Rhine. Four of the fix divifions which compofed his army have directed their march towards Neuwied, the two others towards Seigburg, Cologne and Duffel

dorf.

On the 16th the Archduke marched in purfuit of General Le Fevre to Greiffenftein, where he was joined by General Kray, who had croffed the Latin that morning at Leun.

On the 17th his Royal Highness marched to Renderodt; his advanced guard pufhing on to Altenkirchen, aud on the 18th to Hackenbourg. The corps at Limbourg, Naffau, and Weilburg croffed the Lahn, and purfued General Jourdan by Montabauer and Thierdorf, whilft the partizan corps on the right advanced to the Sieg. But notwithstanding the utmolt diligence has been made ute of by the Auftrians, no affair of confequence has taken place fince the 15th, as the enemy have retired on all fides with the utmost preci.. pitation.

Intelligence is just received that Marshal Wurmfer's pofts in the front of Manheim were attacked on the 14th inft. and that his Excellency defeated the enemy, and took from them several cannon. Head quarters of bis Royal Highness the Archduke Charles of Arfiria." Hackenbourg, June 20.

I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship, that his Royal Highness the Archduke's advanced corps, commanded by General Kray, marched yesterday morning at day break in pursuit of that part of the enemy's army which, after un ting at Altenkirchen, was retiring, under the orders of General Kleber, to wards Siegburg on the Sieg, with the in tention of proceeding from thence to Co. logn and Duffeldorf.

General Kleber found himself under the neceifity of halting that day on the heights that lay between Kirpen and Ukareth on the great road to Siegburg, in

order to give time for his referve, athinë. nition, and baggage, to pass the Sieg: he therefore occupied the very advantage. ous pofition that thefe heights afford, with about 24,000 men. The front of both his wings, as well as his flanks, were covered by two deep ravines, that could only be paffed at a very few points. The approach to his centre was about 300 yards broad, and ran along a ridge that connected this pofition with the heights of Kirpen, and in which the two ravines above mentioned take their fource. At the village of Kirpen there is another range of advanta gecus heights, parallel to those where the enemy was pofted; their right (looking towards Ukareth) terminates in a deep ravine; their left on a plain oppofite to the enemy's centre. This plain is bounded on its left by a finall wood that extends towards the ravine which covered the enemy's right wing, leaving the approach to their centre clofe on its right. From this wood a long range of inclofures and small copfes, intermixed with two villages and feveral scattered houfes, extend in a parallel direction to the right of the enemy's poti. tion, nearly on a line with the heights of Kirpen.

On the Altenkirchen fide of Kirpen, about feven hundred yards from the latter, is a third range of heights, which take exactly the fame direction as thefe I have juft described, their right being covered by a deep ravine, their center and left falling gradually into a plain that is bounded by Kirpen, and by the inclofures and fmall villages above mentioned.

General Kray's corps confifted of about eleven thousand men, viz. thirtytwo fquadrons of light cavalry, two battalions of grenadiers, fix battalions of fufilcers, two battalions of Sclavonian light infantry, with a corps of riflemen, and a proportionate number of heavy and horfe artillery.

The Auftrian huffars fell in with a large patrole of the enemy at the village, of Weyerbufch, and drove it back to Kirpen; there they came up with Ge neral Kleber's pofs, which they im mediately forced back toward his po fition, and General Kray's advanced guard, confifting of one Sclavonian light infantry, and one Walloon battalion, with feveral squadrons of light cavalry, and fome horfe artillery, formed upon the heights of Kirpen.

General Kieber, who could eafily dif cover General Kray's ftrength, immedi ately determined upon attacking part of

the