van-guard entered the town, and contributed very much towards preffing the rear of the enemy. I am not at this moment able to ftate to your Lordship, with any degree of accuracy, the lofs of the Auftrians in the different actions fince the 17th, but am confident that it does not exceed a thousand men, killed and wounded. Amongst the latter is General Count Wartenfleben, who received a grape hot in the arm, whilst leading his column to the attack on the 19th. There is, however; reason to hope that the wound will not prove dangerous. The lofs of the enemy has been very confiderable. Several pieces of artillery, and upwards of 2000 prifoners, have fallen into the hands of the Auftrians. The number of killed and wounded is certainly not fmaller. MY LORD, I have the honour to be, &c. ROB. ANSTRUTHER, Head Quarters of bis Royal Highness the I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship, that his royal highnefs the Archduke yesterday attacked General Moreau's army in the formidable pofition of Schlingen, with fo much fuccefs, that the enemy quitted it last night, and is now in full retreat towards his tete-de-pont near Huningen. Notwithstanding the victory obtained by the Archduke on the 19th, and the confequent operations of the 20th and 21ft, General Moreau, contrary to what was expected, determined to make another effort to maintain himself on the right bank of the Rhine, or at least to defer, as long as poffible, the paffage of the river; and for this purpose, he took up a pofition near Schlingen, the uncommon ftrength of which could alone have enabled him to adopt fuch a refolution, without expofing his army to deftruction. This pofition, which General Moreau had ehofen, is fo uncommonly ftrong, that I will attempt to defcribe it to your Lordship, in hope of conveying fome faint idea of the difficulties of the operation which has been performed. The flat country, which, extending from the Meyn to within two German miles of Bafle, feparates the mountains of Franconia and Suabia from the Rhine, becomes, to the fouthward of Mulheim, almost a regular oblong, about an English mile and a half in breadth, at the fouth-eaft angle of which is the village of Schlingen. This plain is bounded on the fouth by a rivulet, which, rifing at the foot of the high mountain called the Hoher Blauen, near the village of Sitzenkirchen, runs to Ober Eckenheim, and from thence, in a western direction, through Nieder Eckenheim, Liel and Schlingen, to Steinftadt, where it falls into the Rhine. At Schlingen, the hills on the right of the rivulet, (which are fteep and covered with vineyards) turn fuddenly to the northward, and running in that direction towards Mulheim, from the eastern boundary of the plain; but those on the left bank of the rivulet, which are very high and commanding, continue quite to the Rhine, when they terminate abruptly. Not far from the fource of the abovementioned rivulet, there rifes another, which, taking an oppofite, oppofite, that is fouth-eafterly direction, paffes through Sitzenkirchen, and, at the village of Candern, falls into the rivulet of that name; which, running fouth and fouth-weft through a very deep, and, for a confiderable diftance, almost impaffable ravine, difcharges itself into the Rhine fix or seven English miles above Steinftadt. A third rivulet, gifing about an English mile to the weftward of Cantern, runs in a nearly parallel direction to the latter, through Fuerbach, Reidlingen, and Badenmuhle, and falls into the Rhine a little below the mouth of Cantern. Between the heads of the abovementioned ravines is a chain of high rugged hills, covered with extenfive and very thick woods. In this almoft inattackable fituation was placed the right wing of the enemy's army. The corps which covered the extremity of it occupied Cantern, Sitzenkirchen, and the furrounding heights, from which the line proceeded along the hills above Ober and Nieder Eckenheim, Liel, Schlingen and Steinftadt, all of which places were strongly occupied ; and the left flank of the line came quite to the Rhine, which runs clofe under the heights of Steinstadt. Advanced before the centre of his army the enemy had a very ftrong corps of infantry on the heights and in the vineyards between Schlingen and Felberg. About an English mile in the rear of the centre of the position, that is to the fouthward of Liel, is the village of Tannenkirch; between it and Liel is the highest hill of the whole pofition; and from Tannenkirch to the ground falls towards the ravine in which Riedlingen is fituated; fo that in cafe of the right wing being driven from the extremely ftrong ground on which it was pofted, it had (by falling back to the heights of Tannenkirch) another good pofition, rather en potence, indeed, to that of the left wing between Schlingen and Steinftadt, but the falient part is fecured by the high and almost inattackable hill between Tannenkirch and Liel. An attempt to oblige Moreau to quit his pofition, by marching a very ftrong column through the mountains on the left bank of the Cander, and through the Wifental, fo as to threaten his communication with his tete-de-pont at Huningen, would have been too tedious an operation in the present fituation of affairs, and attended with the utmost difficulty now that the rains have rendered the roads fo bad. The Archduke therefore determined to attack the right wing of the enemy's army, and if poffible to diflodge it from the hills above Cantern, Fuerbach, Sitzelfkirchen, and Ober and Nieder Eckenheim; after gaining poffeffion of which ground, his royal highnefs, if the enemy had perfevered in maintaining his pofition, could the next day have proceeded to the attack of the heights behind the ravine of Reidlingen; The attempt was arduous; but every thing was to be expected from the exertions of the army; for the gallant examples invariably fhewn the troops, in the most trying fituations, by the brother of their Emperor, and the great ability with which he has commanded them, has infpired the whole army with a degree of confidence in, and attachment to, his royal highnefs, which is carried to enthusiasm. The attack was performed in the following manner. The army was divided into four principal columns; the firft, or right column, confifted of the Prince de Conde's corps, commanded by his ferene highness, its advanced guard being led by the Duke D'Enghein: the fecond column confifted of nine battalions and twenty-fix fquadrons, commanded by the Prince of Furftenburg: the third column of eleven battalions and a brigade of cavalry, under General La Tour: and the fourth column confifted of the whole advanced guard of the army, under Major-general Nauendorff. The two first columns were deftined to employ the enemy, so as to prevent his detaching confiderably from his left wing, but not to attempt any real attack on the main pofition of that wing, the ground from Schlingen to the Rhine being too strong to admit of it. The third and fourth columns were to make the real attack on the enemy's right wing, and to endeavour to get round in flank. The Prince of Conde's column affembled at Neuburg, and advanced to Steinftadt, which village they attacked and carried, and maintained with great firmnefs during the whole day, though entirely commanded by the left of the enemy's pofition. The Prince of Furftenburg's column affembled at Mulheim, and advanced towards Schlingen. It took poffeffion of the heights oppofite the enemy's pofition behind Schlingen, and maintained them under a fevere cannonade. General La Tour's column marched from Vegefheim through Feldberg. The right wing of it attacked the enemy in the vineyards, between Feldberg and Schlingen, whilst the left drove them out of Eckenheim, then paffed the ravine, and attacked the woody hills behind it. The nature of the ground was fuch, that both these attacks met with the most obftinate refistance; the right, however, at length fucceeded in forcing the enemy to quit the vineyards, and retire behind Liel, and the left, after driving them out of a part of the wood, took a pofition with its right flank to Nieder Eckenheim, and its left extending towards Feuerbach. General Nauendorff's column had preceded General La Tour's as far as Feldberg, from whence it took to the left along the foot of the mountain, on which ftands the caftle of Burghleim. It then divided into feveral columns; one of these attacked the village of Sitzerkirchen, and after carrying it, defcended by the ravine I have described towards Cantern. Another column, of much more confiderable force, to the left of the former, was commanded by General Nauendorff himself. He attacked the ftrong height fituated between the ravine of Sitzenkirchen and that of the Candern, and having gained poffeffion of them, after much oppofition, he arrived immediately above the town of Candern. A third column of light infantry and huffars, commanded by Major-general Merfeld, drove the enemy from the ftrong woody heights to the right of Sitzenkirchen, and got poffeffion of all the high ground between Candern and Feuerbach, which forms a part of the chain that runs between the heads of the ravines, and is connected with the high hill between Tannenkirk and Liel. By this means General Merfeld was enabled to establish a communication near Feuerbach with General La Tour's left. The enemy was now alfo driven from the village of Candern. General Nauendorff's corps had been in march all night, and owing to the extreme badnefs of the roads in the mountains, (rendered almoft impaffable) had not been able to commence its real attack till two o'clock; fo that it was late in the afternoon before it fucceeded as far as I have mentioned. An extreme thick mift, followed by a violent torm, which lasted till dark, put an end to the action. The . The enemy, finding that the operations of the day had completely prepared the way for an attack upon the heights of Tannerkirchen, (which was to have taken place this morning) did not chufe to await it, but retreated in the night. His rear-guard quitted the heights behind Schlingen about four o'clock this morning, and he appears to be retiring towards his tete-de-pont at Huningen. MY LORD, I have the honour to be, &c. ROBERT CRAUFURD, Head Quarters of his Royal Highness the I HAVE the honour to inform your Lordship, that in the course of laft night General Moreau's army retreated across the Rhine at Huningen. The laft of his rear-guard was this morning on the heights of Weiller, on which he had conftructed a large and folid work; but, after a little fkirmishing with the huffars, they evacuated the height and redoubt before any infantry could come up; and nothing now remains on this fide the river, but a few troops in a fall tete-de-pont behind which is a kind of horn-work, lately conftructed on the island called Shueter Infel. I have the honour to be, &c. From the LONDON GAZETTE, November 25. Admiralty Office, November 19, 1796. Extract of a Letter from Captain Moore, Commander of his Majefty's Ship Melampus, to Evan Ñepean, Efq. dated off the Isle of Wight, Nov. 14, 1796. I HAVE to acquaint you for the information of their Lordships, that yesterday morning at day-light, his Majesty's fhips Minerva and Melampus drove a French national corvette on thore, at the entrance of Barfleur harbour. The wind being directly on fhore, and the tide falling, it was impoffible for his Majefty's fhips to get near enough to deftroy her; but I have no doubt she must be totally loft, it being half ebb when she struck. Captain Peyton having ordered me to work up towards Havre, with the Melampus and Childers, we parted with the Minerva in the evening, and at eight A. M. this morning, the Childers being in company, we discovered a fhip, to which we gave chace: at four P. M. we began to fire our bow guns at her, which the returned with what guns fhe could bring to bear at half past five, being within half mufket fhot, and going to give her a broadfide, the difcharged her guns in the air, and ftruck her colours. She proves to be L'Etna, of 18 twelve-pounders and 137 men, commanded by Citizen Jofeph La Coudrais, a national corvette, from Havre bound to Brest, laden for the republic with naval and and military stores,, and various other articles. The prifoners inform me, that the other corvette afhore at Barfleur had failed the night before L'Etna did from the bafon of Havre, is called L'Etonnant, mounting 18 eighteen pounders, bound for Breft, and laden with naval and military ftores. They are both quite new, very complete fhips, and their first cruize. Extra of a Letter from Captain Borwater, Commander of his Majefty's Ship Trent, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated Yarmouth Roads, October 16, 1796. YOU will be pleased to inform their Lordships, that, in confequence of the reprefentation of the mayor of Yarmouth, informing me that two fhips paffing between Oufley Bay and this place, were attacked by a fmall cutter privateer, off Southwold, on Monday eve, about nine o'clock, I yesterday morning difpatched the Phoenix hired cutter in queft of her, and to give information to the Efpeigle brig, on that station. Thursday Morning, Nov. 17. THE wind blowing very hard all day'yefterday from the westward, prevented my fending this to the poft, and fince that time the Phoenix has returned to this place, bringing in with her the privateer cutter fhe was fent after. The privateer had been four days from Dunkirk, and had taken a light collier brig the day before fhe was captured. Copy of a Leter from Lieutenant William Sharp, commanding bis Majefty's armed hired Cutter the Dover, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated Swanfea, Nov. 16, 1796. SIR, I AM to acquaint you, for the information of their Lordships, that on the 12th instant I captured, in his Majefty's hired armed cutter Dover, under my command, feven leagues fouth of the Land's End, the Providence lugger privateer, a new faft-failing veffel, carrying four threepounders, and pierced for eight, with 29 men; out four days, from St. Maloes, and had not taken any thing. I am, Sir, &c. W. M. SHARP. Admiralty Office, November 18, 1796. Copy of a Letter from Commodore Sir J. B. Warren, to Vice-Admiral Colpoys, dated on board his Majesty's Ship La Pomone, at fea, ad inftant. SIR, I BEG leave to inform you that this morning, Ufhant bearing N. E. eight leagues, I difcovered his Majefty's fhip Thalia in chace of ftrange fail; and the Artois being pretty well to windward, I made her fignal to join the purfuit alfo, and have the fatisfaction to fay, that Sir Edmund Nagle brought her to, at eleven A. M. Ufhant then bearing N. E. by E. eleven leagues. She proves to be Le Franklin, mounting twelve fix-pounders, and a complement of 100 men. I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. Vice-admiral Colpoys, Ec. From |
