the Lahn, may be estimated, without exaggeration, at twenty thousand men, a number which must be daily increased by desertion, in the prefent ftate of his army. The conduct of the French, during their abode in this country, has exhibited a scene of depravity which is degrading to human nature. Robbery and peculation have been univerfal in every rank, and in every department of the army. Every fpecies of violence has been exercifed on the perfons, as well as on the properties of individuals. Many villages have been reduced to aflies, without the exiftence of even a pretext for this act of barbarity; and the countries through which their army has paffed, exhibit every where a spectacle of the utmost defolation and distress. MY LORD, I have the honour to be, &c. ROBERT ANSTRUTHER, Head-quarters of his Royal Highness the Archduke BY report received from General la Tour, it appears that on the f and 2d inftant, Moreau attempted, with his right wing, to make himself master of the bridge on the Yfer at Munich. After a very obstinate combat, which lafted the whole of both days, he was repulfed by the Prince. of Fuftenberg with confiderable lofs. General la Tour, in the mean time, having formed a junction with the corps of General Nauendorff, attacked, on the 2d, the left wing of the enemy, and drove it before him the space of fix leagues. In the neighbourhood of Langenbruche, however, the enemy, having received confiderable reinforcements, pofted himself fo advantageoufly, that General la Tour, after feveral fruitless attempts to diflodge him, judged it expedient to retire to his original poft behind the Yfer; having, however, fucceeded in the object of his operation, which was to weaken the enemy's attack on the Prince of Fuftemberg. There is as yet no pofitive information that Moreau has begun his retreat, although from the late movements, there is reafon to apprehend that he is making preparations for it. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) ROBERT ANSTRUTHER. Captain 3d Guards. Wilhemfbad, near Hanau, Sept. 6, 1796. JOURDAN continues his retreat in the fame diforderly manner: numbers of ftragglers pafs by Hanau, and likewife on the other fide of the river by Steinheim; but the principal part of the army feems ftill to direct its march by Fulda and Gettenhaufen. About two hundred artillery men paffed this place yesterday, without even fide arms: they faid they were difarmed and ill-treated by the inhabitants of the Speffart. appears that great numbers of the enemy have been killed by the pealants; they fell upon the Quarter-master-general Ernouff, who was retreating with what is called the grand etat major of the Army, killed the greatest part of the efcort, feized the military cheft, and divided the money they found in it. General Ernoff, who is arrived at It 4 Frankfort, Frankfort, only escaped by the fwiftnefs of his horfe. As foon as the French appear, the alarm is given by the ringing of bells, when the peasants immediately affemble where they think they may be able to attack the enemy to advantage. From the LONDON GAZETTE, Sept. 24. Afchaffenburg, Sept. 8, 1796. FROM the returns which have been made it appears, that in the action of the 3d, 3200 men were made prifoners, exclufive of the number that were killed and brought in by the military and peasants; 2 standards were likewife taken: 127 French ammunition waggons, and 15 pieces of cannon, among which were fix field pieces, were found in the citadel at Wurtzburg. The enemy at Schweinfurth left 90 pieces of cannon, and 60 at Freudenberg, feveral magazines in the town of Wurtzburg, and in the citadel a large cheft containing fpecie, mandates, and affignats. From the LONDON GAZETTE, Sept. 27. Admiralty Office, Sept. 27, 1796. Extracts of Letters from Vice-Admiral Kingfmill, Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Veffels at Cork, to Evan Nepean, Esq. dated on board his Majefty's Ship Santa Margaritta, the 18th and 20th of September, 1796. YOU will pleafe to inform their lordships, that L'Indemnite, a fast failing brig privateer, out of Bourdeaux, peirced for fourteen guns, mounting ten, and fixty-eight men, arrived here the day before yefterday, fent in by his Majefty's fhips Diana, Cerberus, and Seahorse. September 20, 1796. PLEASE to inform my Lords Commiffioners of the Admiralty, that his Majefty's floop Penguin arrived here yesterday, and brought in Le Taupe a L'Oeuil, French privateer brig, as will appear more particu larly by the inclofed accounts from Captain Pulling. SIR, Penguin, Cove of Cork, Sept. 19, 1796. CRUIZING, in confequence of your orders, yesterday, at four P. M. after a chace of ten hours, from the fouthward, I took the brig Mary, of Liverpool, (taken off Waterford by Le Taupe a l'Oeuil French lugger privateer, of eight guns, and forty-two men, on the 13th inftant,) when the Frenchmen finding her a fait failer, abandoned the privateer, taking out the guns, arms, ammunition, and armed the Mary, (changed her name to Le Taupe a l'Oeuil) giving up the lugger to the English prifoners they had on board from their different prizes, fince which they have been cruizing in the channel, and had taken the brig Liverpool, of Liverpool, from Lifbon; however, I have the fatisfaction fatisfaction to inform you none of her prizes efcaped the Penguin, as you will fee by the lift I have the honour to inclofe; the lugger, at the time the enemy abandoned her, had been eighteeu days from Breft. I have the honour to be, &c. Robert King fmill, Efq. Vice-admiral of the Red, &c. &c. J. K. PULLING. Lift of Veffels captured by Le Taupe a L'Oeuil, French Privateer Lugger, and recaptured by his Majefty's Sloop Penguin, J. K. Pulling, Efq. Commander. Iris, Samuel Walters, mafter, of and from Swanfea, bound to Cork, laden with coals, taken the 11th of September, retaken the 12th. Betfey, William Biggs, mafter, from Exeter, belonging to Teignmouth, bound to Milford, laden with pottery, taken the 12th of September, ranfomed; ranfomer and bond retaken in the Mary the 18th. Mary, John Laughton, mafter, from Leghorn, belonging to Liverpool, bound to Bristol, laden with merchandize, taken the 13th of September, retaken the 18th. Liverpool, Underwood, mafter, from Lisbon, belonging to Liverpool, bound to Bristol, laden with cotton, taken the 16th of September, retaken the 16th." From the LONDON GAZETTE, October 1. AN eftafette from Ratisbon is just arrived at this place, informing us, that on the 11th inftant, the Auftrian Generals Frolich and the Prince Furftenburg had made a fuccefsful attack on the enemy's forces, affembled near Munich, and forced them to a precipitate retreat, with the lofs of about 2000 men killed and wounded, and 1500 made prifoners. This victory was chiefly decided by a fkilful manoeuvre of General Hotze, in confequence of which he had effected a paffage over the Danube near Donawert with a confiderable body of Imperial troops, with whom he attacked moft vigorously the French corps befieging Ingolftadt, and obliged them to raife the fiege with great lofs. From the LONDON GAZETTE, October 4. Admiralty Office, October 4. Copy of a Letter from Jofeph Peyton, Efq. Admiral of the Blue, and Commander in Chief of his Majesty's Ships and Veffels in the Downs, to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated Oct. 2, 1796. CAPTAIN ROE, of his Majefty's floop Racoon, acquaints me, by his letter dated Seaford road, the 30th ult. at eleven P. M. the night before, off Dungeness, he fell in with and captured the Active French privateer, privateer, mounting fix carriage guns, three-pounders, and fome fwivels, and 23 men. She came from Boulogne the preceding afternoon, had taken nothing, but was in the act of boarding a veffel when the Racoon fell in with her. I am, Sir, Your moft obedient humble fervant, From the LONDON GAZETTE, O&tober 8. Admiralty Office, October 8, 1796. Copy of a Letter from Commodore Sir John Borlafe Warren to Evan Nepean, Efq. dated La Pomone, Falmouth Harbour, Oct. 3, 1796. I BEG you will communicate to their lordships, that in confequence of the activity of Captain White, whofe letter is enclosed, in company with the Argus lugger, the privateer mentioned in my last was this day brought into Carrick road. Copy of a Letter from Captain John C. White, Commander of his Majefty's Sloop the Sylph, to Commodore Sir John Borlafe Warren, SIR, IN obedience to your orders, received on Friday evening, directing me to proceed off the Lizard, in search of an enemy's cutter that had been feen on the coaft, we immediately got under way, in company with the Argus lugger, and at day-light on the following morning, the Lizard bearing N. N. E. eight leagues, I had the pleafure (among many veffels) to difcover the above cutter standing to the eastward, and after a chace of four hours, the Sylph came up and captured the Phoenix French privateer, of four guns and thirty-two men; a new and remarkably faft failing veffel, on her first cruize from Cherbourg. She had been out fix days, and had taken, between the Land's End and Lizard, four prizes, (three floops and a brig) which were ordered to make the first convenient port in France. The crews of the floops had been put on board a neutral veffel- to be landed in England; those belonging to the brig were the only English found on board her. After fhifting the prifoners, we ftood to the S. E. in hopes of falling in with the brig, which they had taken only the preceeding day, but were not fo fortunate as to intercept her; and as your orders strictly required me to return to Falmouth on Sunday morning, I have loft no time to gain this port. I have the honour to be, &c. JOHN C. WHITE. From From the LONDON GAZETTE, O&tober 15. Admiralty Office, O. 13, 1756. Extract of a Letter from Sir Edward Pellew, Bart. Captain of bis Majefty's Ship Indefatigable, to Evan Nepean, Ejq. dated the ad of Odober, 1796, off Cape Penus. HAVING, by the recapture of the brig Queen of Naples, from Lifbon to Cork, received information of two fchooner privateers which infeft the feas in the neighbourhood of Corunna, and that one of them had, two days before, taken a valuable brig from Bristol, laden with bale goods, which the fuppofed could not be arrived at her deftination, which was Corunna, I immediately pushed for that port, and was happy enough this day to capture one of the schooners, the Ariel, of Bofton, from Bourdeaux fourteen days, mounting twelve guns and 75 men; the other schooner, called Le Vengeur, of the fame force, I am in great hopes we fhall meet with. The Bristol brig, however, is, I hear, arrived at Ferrol, into which port I have driven two frigates. Admiralty Office, October 15, 1796. Extract of a Letter from Captain Mowat, of his Majefty's Ship Afifiance, dated Halifax, September 14, 1796, to Mr. Nepean. I HAVE the honour to acquaint you, for the information of my lords commiffioners of the admiralty, that on the 28th of last month, about four leagues E. S. E. from Cape Henry, the Thibe, who had been fent to look out in the E. N. E. quarter, a little after five in the morning made the fignal for three ftrange fhips being in the E. S. E. The Bermuda, who had been in chace of a brig the evening before in that quarter, and who was seven or eight miles nearer the strange ships than any of the fquadron, the Thibe excepted, repeated or made the ignal, that the hips feen were enemy's fhips, upon which the admiral immediately made the fignal for a general chace. The fquadron was then compofed of the flag fhip, the Affiftance, Thetis, Thibe, Topaze, and Bermuda. So very light was the breeze, and withal partial, that the ships did not fteer for fome time. The Topaze was the first that had the breeze, the Thetis, being at fome distance from her, was the next, and the flag fhip foon after; the Affiftance being to leeward and aftern, did not obey her helm before the Topaze was eight or nine miles advanced, the Thetis and Refolution about half that distance, The fquadron continued in purfuit, and about half paft five in the evening the Topaze brought the nearest ship to action, upon which the returned a broad fide, and hauled down her colours. The Bermuda being near, bore down to the prize, and the Affiftance's fignal was made to take poffeffion of her. The flag fhip and the frigates, without a moment's lofs of time, continued in chace of the other two frigates. The admiral's verbal meffage to me, by Captain Maxtone, was to pro cede to Halifax with the prize. Upon my taking poffeffion of her, I found her to be L'Elifabeth, mounting 36 guns, 24-pounders on the maindeck, and 12 nines on her quarterdeck and forecaitle, a large fhip, faid to be about a thousand tons. From |
