occasion, in which he has been severely wounded, and his long and active services as a cominander, justly entitling him to their lordships' protection, and finding it expedient to place his flotilla collectively upon the establishment of a thirty-six gun frigate, I have appointed him to the command thereof. Captain Montressor, whom I have placed in the command of the gun vessels, until Capt. Lockyer's wounds will admit of his serving, and Captain Roberts, whom I have before had occasion to mention to their lordships, together with Lieutenants Tatnell and Roberts of the Tonnant, and the whole of the officers mentioned by Captain Lockyer, I trust will not fail to meet their lordships' notice. Our loss has been severe, particularly in officers; but, considering that this successful enterprize has given us the command of Lac Borgne, and considerably reduced our deficiency of transports, the effort has answered my fullest expectation. I have the honour to be, &c. His Majesty's sloop Sophie, Chat Island Roads, Dec. 18, 1814. Sir, I beg leave to inform you, that in pursuance of your orders, the boats of the squadron which you did me the honour to place under my command, were formed into three divisions, (the first headed by myself, the second by Captain Montressor, of the Manly, and the third by Captain Roberts, of the Meteor), and proceeded on the night of the 12th inst. from the frigate's anchorage, in quest of the enemy's flotilla. After a very tedious row of thirtysix hours, during which the enemy attempted to escape from us, the wind fortunately obliged him to anchor off St Joseph's island, and nearing him on the morning of the 14th, I discovered his force to consist of five gunvessels of the largest dimensions, which were moored in a line abreast, with springs on their cables, and boarding nettings triced up, evidently prepared for our reception. Observing also, as we approached the flotilla, an armed sloop, endeavouring to join them, Capt. Roberts, who volunteered to take her with part of his division, succeeded in cutting her off and capturing her without much opposition. About ten o'clock having closed to within long gun-shot, I directed the boats to come to a grapple, and the people to get their breakfasts; and as soon as they had finished, we again took to our oars, and pulling up to the enemy against a strong current, running at the rate of nearly three miles an hour, exposed to a heavy and destructive fire of round and grape, about noon I had the satisfac tion of closing with the Commodore in the Seahorse's barge. After several minutes obstinate resistance, in which the greater part of the officers and crew of this boat were either killed or wounded, myself amongst the latter, severely, we succeeded in boarding, and being se conded by the Seahorse's first barge, commanded by Mr White, midshipman, and aided by the boats of the Tonnant, commanded by Lieutenant Tatnell, we soon carried her, and turned her guns with good effect upon the remaining four. During this time Captain Montressor's division was making every possible exertion to close with the enemy, and with the assistance of the other boats, then joined by Captain Roberts, in about five minutes we had possession of the whole of the flotilla. I have to lament the loss of many of my brave and gallant companions, who gloriously fell in this attack; but considering the great strength of the enemy's vessels (whose force is underneath described) and their state of preparation, we have by no means suffered so severely as might have been expected. [The letter concludes with expressions of acknowledgment to several officers.] (Signed) NICH. LOCKYER, Capt. Sir Alexander Cochrane, &c. &c. &c. A return of the seamen and marines killed and wounded in the boats of his majesty's ships at the capture of the American gun vessels, near New Orleans. Total-3 midshipmen, 13 seamen, 1 private marine, killed; 1 captain, 4 lieutenants, 1 lieutenant of marines, 3 masters' mates, 7 midshipmen, 50 seamen, 11 marines, wounded. Grand total-17 killed; 77 wounded. Armide, off Isle-au-Chat, Jan. 18, 1815. Sir,-An unsuccessful attempt to gain possession of the enemy's lines near New Orleans on the 8th instant, having left me to deplore the fall of Major-General the Hon. Sir Edward Pakenham, and Major-Gen. Gibbs; and deprived the service of the present assistance of Major-Gen. Keane, who is severely wounded; I send the Plantagenet to England to convey a dispatch from Major-General Lambert, upon whom the command of the army has devolved, and to inform my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty of the operations of the combined forces since my arrival upon this coast. The accompanying letters, Nos. 163 and 169, of the 7th and 16th ult. will acquaint their lordships with the proceedings of the squadron to the 15th of December. The great distance from the anchorage of the frigates and troop ships to the Bayone Catalan, which, from the best information we could gain, appeared to offer the most secure, and was indeed the only unprotected spot whereat to effect a disembarkation, and our means, even with the addition of the captured enemy's gun-vessels, only affording us transport for half the army, exclusive of the supplies that were required, it became necessary, in order to have support for the division that would first land, to assemble the whole at some intermediate position, from whence the second division could be re-embarked in vessels draught light into the Lake, as near the Bayone as might be practicable, and remain there until the boats could land the first division and return. Upon the 16th, therefore, the advance, commanded by Col. Thornton of the 85th regiment, was put into the gun-vessels and boats, and Captain Gordon of the Seahorse proceeded with them and took post upon the Isle aux Poix, a small swampy spot at the mouth of the Pearl river, about 30 miles from the anchorage, and nearly the same distance from the Bayone, where Major-General Keane, Rear-Admiral Codrington, and myself, joined them on the following day; meeting the gun-vessels and boats returning to the shipping for troops, and supplies of stores and provisions. The Hon. Captain Spencer of the Carron, and Lieutenant Peddy of the quarter-master-general's department, who were sent to reconnoitre the Bayone Catalan, now returned with a favourable report of its position for disembarking the army; having, with their guide, pulled up in a canoe to the head of the Bayone, a distance of eight miles, and landed within a mile and a half of the high road to, and about six miles below, New Orleans, where they crossed the road without meeting with any interruption, or perceiving the least preparation on the part of the enemy. The severe changes of the weather, from rain to fresh gales and hard frost, retarding the boats in their repeated passages to and from the ship ping, it was not until the 21st that leaving on board the greater part of the two black regiments and the dragoons), we could assemble troops and supplies sufficient to admit of our proceeding; and on that day we commenced the embarkation of the second division in the gun-vessels, such of the hired craft as could be brought into the Lakes, and the Anaconda, which by the greatest exertions had been got over the shoal passages. On the 22d these vessels being filled with about two thousand four hun dred men, the advance, consisting of about sixteen hundred, got into the boats, and at eleven o'clock the whole started, with a fair wind, to cross Lac Borgne. We had not, however, proceeded above two miles, when the Anaconda grounded, and the hired craft and gun-vessels taking the ground in succession before they had got within ten miles of the Bayone, the advance pushed on, and about midnight reached the entrance. A picquet, which the enemy had taken the precaution to place there, being surprised and cut off, Major General Keane, with Rear-Admiral Malcolm and the advance, moved up the Bayone, and having effected a landing at day-break, in the course of the day was enabled to take up a position across the main road to New Orleans, between the river Mississippi and the Bayone. In this situation, about an hour after sunset, and before the boats could return with the second division, an enemy's schooner of 14 guns, and an armed ship of 16 guns, having dropped down the Mississippi, the former commenced a brisk cannonading, which was followed up by an attack of the whole of the American army. Their troops were, however, beaten back, and obliged to retire with con. siderable loss, and Major-Gen. Keane advanced somewhat beyond his former position. As soon as the second division was brought up, the gun-vessels and boats returned for the remainder of the troops, the small-armed seamen and marines of the squa dron, and such supplies as were required. On the 25th Major-General Sir E, Pakenham, and Major-Gen. Gibbs, arrived at head-quarters, when the former took command of the army. The schooner which had continued at intervals to annoy the troops ha ving been burnt on the 27th by hot shot from our artillery, and the ship having warped farther up the river, the following day the general moved forward to within gun-shot of an entrenchment which the enemy had newly thrown up, extending across the cultivated ground from the Mississippi to an impassable swampy wood on his left, a distance of about one thousand yards. It being thought necessary to bring heavy artillery against this work, and also against the ship which had cannonaded the army when advancing, guns were brought up from the shipping, and on the 1st instant batteries were opened; but our fire not having the desired effect, the attack was deferred until the arrival of the troops under Major-Gen. Lambert, which were daily expected. Major-Gen. Lambert, in the Vengeur, with a convoy of transports, having on board the 7th and 43d regiments, reached the outer anchorage on the 1st, and this reinforcement was all brought up to the advance on the 6th inst. while preparations were making for a second attack, in the proposed plan, for which it was decided to throw a body of men across the river to gain possession of the enemy's guns on the right bank For this purpose, the canal by which we were enabled to conduct provisions and stores towards the camp, was widened and extended to the river, and about fifty barges, pinnaces, and cutters, having, in the day time of the 7th, being tracked under cover and unperceived, close up to the bank, at night the whole were dragged into the Mississippi, and placed under the command of Captain Roberts of the Meteor. The boats having grounded in the canal, a distance of three hundred and fifty yards from the river, and the bank being composed of wet clay thrown out of the canal, it was not until nearly day-light that, with the utmost possible exertions, the service was completed. The 8th regiment, with a division of seamen under Captain Money, and a division of marines under Major Adair, the whole amounting to about six hundred men, commanded by Colonel Thornton, of the 85th regiment, were embarked and landed on the right bank of the river without opposition, just after day-light; and the armed boats moving up the river as the troops advanced, this part of the operations succeeded perfectly; the enemy having been driven from every position, leaving behind him seventeen pieces of cannon. The great loss, however, sustained by the principal attack, having induced General Lambert to send orders to Colonel Thornton to retire, after spiking the guns and destroying the carriages, the whole were re-embarked and brought back, and the boats, by a similar process of hard labour, were again dragged into the canal, and from thence to the Bayone, conveying at the same time such of the wounded as it was thought requisite to send off to the ships. Major-Gen Lambert having determined to withdraw the army, measures were taken to re-embark the whole of the sick and wounded that it was possible to move, and the stores, ammunition, ordnance, &c. with such detachments of the army, seamen, and marines, as were not immediately wanted; in order that the remainder of the army might retire unencumbered, and the last division be furnished with sufficient means of transport. This arrangement being in a forward state of execution, I quitted head-quarters on the 14th instant, leaving Rear-Admiral Malcolm to conduct the naval part of the operations in that quarter, and I arrived at this anchorage on the 16th, where I am arranging for the reception of the army, and preparing the fleet for further operations. I must in common with the nation lament the loss which the service has sustained by the death of Major-General the Hon. Sir Edward Pakenham, and Major-Gen. Gibbs. Their great military qualities were justly estimated while living, and their zealous devotion to our country's welfare will be cherished as an example to future generations. In justice to the officers and men of the squadron under my command who have been employed upon this expedition, I cannot omit to call the attention of my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to the laborious exertions and great privations which have been willingly and cheerfully borne by every class, for a period of nearly six weeks. From the 12th of December, when the boats proceeded to the attack of the enemy's gun-vessels, to the present time, but very few of the officers or men have ever slept one night on board their ships. The whole of the army, with the principal part of its provisions, its stores, artillery, ammunition, and the numerous necessary appendages, have been all transported from the shipping to the head of the Bayone, a distance of seventy miles, chiefly in open boats, and are now re-embarking by the same process. The hardships, therefore, which the boats' crews have un. dergone, from their being day and night continually passing and re-passing in the most changeable and severe weather, have rarely been equalled; and it has been highly honourable to both services, and most gratifying to myself, to observe the emulation and unanimity which have pervaded the whole. Rear-Admiral Malcolm superintended the disembarkation of the army and the various services perform ed by the boats; and it is a duty that I fulfill with much pleasure, assuring their lordships that his zeal and exertions upon every occasion could not be surpassed by any one. I beg leave also to offer my testimony to the unwearied and chearful assistance af. forded to the rear-admiral by Captains Sir Thomas M. Hardy, Dashwood, and Gordon, and the several captains and other officers. RearAdmiral Codrington accompanied me throughout this service; and I feel much indebted for his able advice and assistance. Capt. Sir Thomas Troubridge and the officers and seamen attached under his command to the army, have conducted themselves much to the satisfaction of the generals commanding. Sir T. Troubridge speaks in the highest terms of the captains and other officers employed under him, as named in his letter (a copy of which is inclosed) reporting their services. He particularly mentions Capt. Money, of the Trave, who, I am much concerned to say, had both bones of his leg broken by a musket shot, advancing under a heavy fire to the attack of a battery that was afterwards carried. The conduct of Capt. Money at Washington and near Baltimore, where he was employed with the army, having before occasioned my noticing him to their lordships, I beg leave now to recommend him most strongly to their protection. The wound that he has received not affording him any probability of his being able to return to his duty for a considerable time, I have given him leave of absence to go to England, and shall entrust to him my dispatches. I have not yet received any offi cial report from the captain of the Nymphe, which ship, with the vessels named in the margin, were sent into the Mississippi to create a diversion in that quarter. The bombs have been for some days past throwing shells into Port Placquemain, but I fear without much effect. I have sent to recal such of them as are not required for the blockade of the river. I have, &c. June 5. Letters, of which the following are extracts, have been this morning received by Lord Castlereagh from E. Cooke, Esq. one of his Majesty's under secretaries of state for foreign affairs, dated Rome, a Via della Croci, I enclose copies of military reports |