Government House, Jeremie Houfe, SIR, FROM the intelligence you will probably have received from other quarters, you will not be furprised to hear of the pofts on the extre mities of this dependency, both eaft and weft, being attacked in force on the fame day. On the 8th of Auguft I ordered Lieutenant Bradfhaw, with twenty-two of the 13th light dragoons, mounted, to march for Du Centre; and Captain Whitby, two fubalterns, and fixty privates of the 17th light dragoons, with non-commiffioned officers in proportion, embarked the fame evening for Caymites, from whence they arrived, without any accident, at Du Centre and Raimond, which was a most fortunate circumftance, as the next day, the 11th, the enemy appeared before Poft Raimond, and after keeping a very heavy fire on the Block-houfe with little effect, they attempted to ftorm it in confiderable force four different times, and were each time repulfed with great lofs, and their chief killed. In this business only one British and two chaffeurs were wounded. On Captain Whitby's arrival at Du Centre he detached Lieutenant Gilman, of the 17th light dragroons, with twenty men, to Poft Raimond, who immediately placed himfelf in the Block-house with his detachment and a larger party of Chaffeurs. On the 12th the enemy ftill continued before the Block-house, which is fituated on a small height, about one hundred yards from the fort, keeping up a fire with mufketry with as little effect as before, when Lieutenant Gilman made a fuccessful fortie with the whole of the 17th and fome chaffeurs, driving the enemy before him into the woods, who left fixteen whites and forty-feven blacks dead on the fpot, and many dead and wounded were afterwards found in the woods and road leading over the mountains to Aux Cayes. Some four-pound fhot, a twopounder mounted, feveral firelocks, and other articles, were left by the enemy in their retreat. I am happy to report, that in this gallant affair the 17th regiment had only two privates wounded. The chaffeurs had one officer, Captain Dutoya, and three chaffeurs killed, and fourteen wounded. It is fuppofed the lofs of the enemy must have been very confiderable indeed, as from every account of spies and deferters, above forty whites are among the killed, and thofe dead of their wounds and found in the woods, which I can eafily conceive, as the affault of the Block-houfe was made by about two hundred whites, formerly foldiers in the regiment of Berwick, affifted by the brigands. Captain Whitby reports, that the honour of the British fervice was never more ably maintained than in the engagement at Post Raimond, and expreffes himself highly grateful to Lieutenant Gilman and the fol diers of the 17th, as well as thofe of the colonial corps, for their active exertions in fo bravely checking the enemy in the attempt on this poft. Indeed, Lieutenant Gilman's intrepidity and cool conduct on this occafion, appear to me fo praifeworthy, that I fhould not do juftice to him or my own feelings on this occafion, if I did not strongly recom. mend him to you, Sir, for promotion. I am also happy to have it in my power to report, that the enemy has been under the neceffity of raifing the fiege of Irois, before which they lay eighteen days. On the 11th ult. General Rigaud, with three or four thousand brigands, appeared before it, and fent a fummons to Captain Beamish to furrender the fort to the republic of France; Captain VOL. V. Beamish U Beamish very properly anfwered, he fhould defend it to the laft extremity. The enemy had in the night landed a fixteen-pounder and a mortar, which, with incredible labour, they got up, and opened on the fort the next day, within about 450 yards. The moment I heard Irois was invested, I ordered 100 privates, officers and non-commiffioned in proportion, with Lieutenant-colonel Hooke, of the 17th, to embark for that place, where they arrived fafe. Lieutenant-colonel Hooke took the command of the fort and troops, in which station he has rendered very meritorious fervices. Finding the enemy had advanced a confiderable force between Irois and L'Ance Eros, which hut up by land the communication with jeremie, I determined, with what force I could colle&, to attack them on the Morne Gautier. On my arrival at L'Ance Eros the 16th, a plan was agreed upon to march in three columns on the 19th, fo as to arrive before Morne Gautier at day-break. Obferving, on my approach, that a few men of the 17th dragroons were killed and wounded, and that firing at a distance anfwered no purpose, I determined to carry the hill by affault, had formed the 17th dragoons for that purpofe, ordered the 12th to difmount, and was endeavouring to rally the negroes, who had been thrown into fome confufion, when I received a fhot in my left breaft, which caufed me to fall from my horfe; afterwards I knew nothing of what palled, except by report; and I was forry to hear that we were under the neceflity of retreating, with the lofs of the threepounder we had with us. Fortunately this little check did not effect the fafety of the fort; on the contrary, the enemy, who must have fuffered more than ourfelves, evacuated Gautier, and retired the next day to Rigaud, on the other fide of the Irois; and on the 29th, Lieutenantcolonel Hooke wrote me he had raised the fiege entirely fo that, Sir, I may now congratulate you on this dependency being wholly freed from the enemy, and on your having it in your power to acquaint his Majefty's minifters, that he has been beaten, and failed in every quarter of this ifland under your command.. I have not hitherto been able to procure exact returns of the killed .and wounded, but I conceive that the 17th regiment had about feven killed, and fourteen or fifteen wounded; none dangerously in my affair of the 19th ult. Lieutenant-colonel Hooke has not yet made his report; .but I do not believe that more were killed at Irois, and three or four wounded: fo that the enemy's fhot and fhells had little effect. I am forry to fay that Brigadier-major Manners received a ball through his thigh, but as it miffed the bone, no bad effect will arife, and he is doing well. I have the honour to be, &c. HENRY BOWLR, Major-general. Downing Street, Dec. 20. DISNATCHES, of which the following are extracts, have been received from Robert Craufurd, Efq. by the right hon. Lord Grenville, his Majesty's principal fecretary of state for foreign affairs. Hend MY LORD, Head Quarters of his Royal Highness the I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship, that in the night of the 21t to the 22d, the trenches were opened before Khel, on the right bank of the Kinzig. The first parallel of this attack, with its commu nications, proceeding from the right and left flank of the right wing of the line of contravallation, were fo far completed during the night, that before day-break the men were tolerably covered. The enemy did not attempt to interrupt the work, nor had he yet fired a fingle fhot upon the trenches; but early yesterday morning (the 22d) he made a fudden attack upon the left wing of the line of contravallation, and, after an action, than which nothing could be poffibly more fevere, was driven back into his works with very great lofs. The enemy having, in the courfe of the night, from the 21st to 22d, brought over a large body of troops from Strasbourg, formed his column of attack clofe behind the chain of his advanced pofts, with fo much filence, that they were not perceived. Juft before the break of day (which however was rendered extremely obfcure by a very thick mift, that lafted the greater part of the forenoon), these columns began to advance. The inftant the Auftrian videttes and centries gave their fire, which was the only notice of their approaching attack, the enemy's infantry rufhed on with the utmoft impetuofity, without firing a fhot, and in an inftant they were mafters of two redoubts on the left of the first line. The village of Sundheim was attacked in the fame manner, and with equal fuccefs; after which, coming in the rear of the curtain that connects the village with the first redoubt to its left, the enemy immediately carried that work, one face of which was not quite finifhed. Upon this large bodies of their infantry rufhed through the openings in the curtains on the whole front of this wing; and, whilst part advanced against the second line, the others endeavoured to poffefs themselves of the remaining redoubt of the firft; but thefe, though perfectly left to themselves for a confiderable time, entirely furrounded, cut off from every affiftance, and attacked with fury by the enemy, who frequently got into the ditches, and attempted to climb the parapet, were defended in a manner that reflects the highest honour on the officers and troops that were in them. The lofs in all of these redoubts was confiderable; and in one the artillery drivers were at laft obliged to fire the guns, but all the attacks were repulfed. The enemy's right column, after occupying the two works which they had carried, pufhed on between the dykes to attack the left of the fecond line; but Prince Frederick of Orange (whofe gallant and judicious conduct cannot fufficiently be praifed) having rallied his brigade, placed a part of his infantry behind the dyke, which connects the third redoubt from the left of the first line with the work which is on the left of the fecond; and in this fituation he refifted the most severe attack that can be imagined upon his front, whilft thofe bodies of the enemy's infantry, which had pierced between the redoubt of the first line, were actually in his rear; he not only maintained his poft, but completely checked the enemy's progrefs on his flank. A great A great part of the troops on the left wing had been working in the trenches on the right wing of the Kenzig. General Latour, who commands the army of the fiege, formed three of these battalions which happened to be juft returning from work, and retook the village of Sundheim, which he maintained, though the enemy made great efforts to diflodge him. Lieutenant-general Staader (who commands the left wing) drove back the enemy, who had advanced against the right of the fecond line of it, and retook the redoubt on the left of Sundheim; and the Prince of Orange, advancing between the two dykes, defeated the column with which he had been fo feverely engaged, and recovered the redoubts it had carried. The enemy then retired into his entrenched camp. The loss of the Auftrians amounted to forty officers and about 1300 men killed, wounded, and miffing, which, confidering that not more than half the left wing was engaged, is certainly confiderable; but that of the French must have been much greater. The ground round the works was in fome parts covered with their dead bodies, and I am very much within bounds in ftating their lofs at 2000 men. During the time the French were in poffeffion of the redoubts on the left, they found means to carry off five pieces of cannon. The others were all retaken. It is impoffible to attempt to do juftice to the conduct of the Archduke; he animated the troops in retaking Sundheim, directed the attacks on the work that had been loft to the left of it, and, under the heaviest fire, gave his orders, with the greatest coolness and the moft perfect military knowledge. Lieutenant Proby, of his Majefty's 9th regiment of foot (attached to Lieutenant-colonel Craufurd's miffion) was wounded by a musket shot; but I feel great fatisfaction in being able to add that the wound is of a very flight nature, and will have no other confequence whatever than that of a very short confinement. MY LORD, I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) ROBERT CRAUFURD. Head Quarters of his Royal Highness the IT is with much fatisfaction that I have the honour to inform your Lordship, that after an interval of ten days, without any advices from Italy, his Royal Highnefs the Archduke has this day received a report from General Alvinzy, the tenor of which is fuch as to confirm the hopes which his former difpatches infpired. This report, which is very fhort, is dated Calabro, November 13, and is in substance as follows: After the action of the 6th, near Baffano, the enemy continued to retreat, abandoned even the ftrong pofition of Montabello without refiftance, and croffed the Adige at Verona. On the 11th General Alvinzi arrived near Villanova, and the fame evening a confiderable part of the enemy's army, commanded by Buonaparte in perfon, advanced from Verona, and took poft in the neighbouring mountains. Early Early on the 12th Buonaparte commenced a general attack upon the whole line, which, though made with infinite violence, was refifted with the most perfect fteadinefs and bravery. Whilft Buonaparte was thus employed, in repeated though ineffectual efforts to force the front of the pofition, General Alvinzi detached a column against each of his flanks. No fooner had thefe arrived at their point of attack, than the enemy retreated with precipitation; and a moft severe and important affair was thus completely decided in favour of the Auftrians. Two of the enemy's generals were known to have been wounded, and a third was amongst the number of prisoners already brought in. I have the honour to be, &c. MY LORD, (Signed) ROBERT CRAUFURD. Head Quarters of his Royal Highness the I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship, that after the affair of the 22d inftant, nothing remarkable happened here till the night from the 26th to the 27th, in which the enemy made a fally, in confiderable force, against the first parallel of the attack, on the right bank of the Kinzig. The enemy was inftantly repulfed, with the lofs of about forty killed and wounded. Amongst the killed was the commandant of a battalion. The batteries of the first parallel, as well as the guns in all the redoubts to the right and left of it, commenced firing this morning; and in the course of the forenoon the enemy's advanced pofts were driven out of the village of Khel. MY LORD, I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) ROBERT CRAUFURD. Head Quarters of his Royal Highness the IT is with much fatisfaction that I have the honour to inform your lordship, that his Royal Highness the Archduke has this day received a report from General Davidowich, dated Piovenazo, November 18, in which he gives an account of his having, on the preceding day, attacked and entirely defeated the enemy on the heights of Rivoli. The attack commenced about feven in the morning of the 17th, and, after a most obftinate refiftance, the enemy was entirely driven from his pofition, and purfued as far as Cambara. General Davidowich took twelve cannon, about eleven hundred pri foners, and many officers. Amongst the latter are Generals Fiorella and Valette. He praifes, in the warmest terms, the conduct of his generals, and the difcipline and remarkable bravery of his troops. The enemy having, in the courfe of the night from the 17th to the 18th, received confiderable reinforcements, took another pofition on the heights near Cambara; in which General Davidowich attacked him the next morning, and drove him back beyond Peschierra. |