and his dernier resort in Lower Ca- at the several places. From fogs labria, in point of position, together with the removal of his stores, &c. might contribute to prevent his attempt to re-enter the province.' [The terms were, that the French should march out with the honours of war, and deposit their arms; after which they shall be sent to Messina as prisoners of war. The private property of the officers and soldiers to be respected, and the public property to be delivered up.] Dispatches from Major-general Beresford, in South America, with an Account of the Capture of Buenos Ayres, dated July 2. SIR, and baffling winds, we did not meet the Narcissus until the sixth day after our arrival in the river; and I had there the satisfaction to see, in company with her, the Ocean transport, which had parted from us previous to our going to St. Helena. Sir Home Popham and myself immediately consulted, whether it would be better first to attack the town of St. Philip of Monte Video, or Buenos Ayres, the capital of the province; and, after much reasoning, we determined to proceed against Buenos Ayres, which made it necessary to remove from the linc-of-battle ships, the troops and marines, and such seamen as were incorporated with the latter, and others that had been practised to arms during the passage, into the transports, and his majesty's ship Narcissus; which was effected on the 16th ult. And though then only about 90 miles from Buenos Ayres, still, though to his skill sir Home Popham added the most persevering zeal and assiduity, yet from fogs, the intricacy of the navigation, and continual opposing winds, it was not until the 24th, at night, that we reached opposite to it. I had the honour to communicate to you, by my letter dated the 30th of April, the circumstances of my arrival at St. Helena, and the result of the application to the governor of that place for troops.The fleet sailed thence the 2d of May, and, after a most unexpected long passage, made Cape St. Mary on the 8th of June. The Narcissus had been dispatched from the fleet on the 27th of May, and sir Home Popham thought it right to proceed We found ourselves the next in her, for the purpose of making morning about eight miles from the himself acquainted with the naviga- Point of Quilmes, where I proposed tion of the river, that no delay might landing, having been informed by an occur in proceeding immediately on Englishman, who was pilot for the the arrival of the troops, to such place river, and had been taken by the as our information should induce us Narcissus out of a Portuguese vesto attack first. I had sent captain sel, that it was an excellent place, Kennet, of the royal engineers and an easy access from it into the (not liking myself to leave the country. As soon as the wind would troops) in the Narcissus, to make permit, on the 25th, sir Home Popsuch reconnoitring of the enemy's ham took the shipping as near as it places on the river, as circumstances was possible for them to go, and at would admit; and to collect every a convenient distance for disempossible information concerning barking, which was effected in the them, and the strength of the enemy course of the afternoon and night, and without any opposition, the enemy remaining at the village of Reduction, on a height about two miles from us in our front; the whole intermediate space, as well as to the right and left, being a perfect flat but my guide informed me, that though in winter it was impassable, it was then very practicable, and easy for us to pass. It was eleven o'clock in the morning of the 26th, before I could move off my ground; and the enemy could, from his position, have counted every man I had; the numbers as per margin *. He was drawn up along the brow of a hill, on which was the village of Reduction, which covered his right flank; and his force consisted principally of cavalry (I have been since informed 2000) with eight fieldpieces. The nature of the ground was such, that I was under the necessity of going directly to his front; and to make my line, as much as I could, equal to his, I formed all my troops into one line, except the St. Helena infantry, of 150 men, which I formed 120 yards in the rear, with two field-pieces, with orders to make face to the right or left, as either of our flanks should be threatened by his cavalry. I had two six-pounders on each flank, and two howitzers in the centre of the first line. In this order I advanced against the enemy; and, after we had got within range of his guns, a tongue of swamp crossed our front, and obliged me to halt, whilst the guns took a small circuit to cross, and which was scarcely performed, when the enemy opened their field-pieces on us, at first well pointed; but, as we advanced at a very quick rate, in spite of the boggy ground, that very. soon obliged us to leave all our guns behind, his fire did us but little injury. The 71st regiment reaching the bottom of the heights in a pretty good line, seconded by the marine battalion, the enemy would not wait their nearer approach, but retired from the brow of the hill; which our troops gaining, and commencing a fire of small arms, he fled with precipitation, leaving to us 4 fieldpieces, and 1 tumbril, and we saw nothing more of him that day. I halted two hours on the field, to rest the troops, and to make arrangements for taking with us the enemy's guns and our own, which had now, by the exertions of Capt. Donnelly of the Narcissus, been extricated from the bog.-He had accidentally landed, and accompanied the troops on seeing them advance to the enemy; and I am much indebted to him for his voluntary assistance. I then marched, in hopes of preventing the destruction of the bridge over the Rio Chuelo, a river * Actual state of the Troops under the command of Major-general Beresford, at the Point de Quilmes, June 26th. After specifying the number of officers and men in each corps, the following is given as the total.-1 major-general, 1 major of brigade, 1 aid-de-camp, 1 assistant quarter-master-general, 1 assistant commissary; 1 surgeon, and 1 assistant-surgeon (of the staff); 1 captain, 3 lieutenants, and 4 midshipmen, (of the royal navy); 2 lieutenant-colonels, 2 majors, 15 captains, 20 lieutenants, 7 ensigns, 1 paymaster, 1 adjutant, 1 quarter-master, 2 surgeons, 4 assistant surgeons, 72 serjeants, 27 drummers, 146 effective rank and file, 16 effective horses, 1 wheeler, 1 collar-maker, 4 artificers, 2 five and half-inch howitzers, 4 light six-pounders, and 2 light three pounders. W. C. BERESFORD, Major-general. Q q 3 at on at this season of the year not fordable, and which lay between us and the city; distant from it about three miles, and cight from our then situation; and, though I used every diligence, I had the mortification to sce it in flames long before I could reach it. I halted the troops for the night, a mile from it, and pushed three companies of the 71st, under lieutenant-colonel Pack, with two howitzers, to the bridge, to endeavour to prevent its total destruction. I accompanied this detachment; but, on reaching the bridge, I found it entirely consumed; and as the enemy, during the night, was heard bringing down guns, I withdrew the detachment before light, as their position was thought too open, and exposed to the enemy's fire, who had, at nine o'clock, on hearing some of our soldiers go to the river to get water, opened a fire from their guns, and a considerable line of infantry. As soon as it was light, I sent captain Kennet, of the engineers, to reconnoitre the sides of the river; and found that on our side we had little or no cover to protect us, whilst the enemy were drawn up behind hedges and houses, and in the shipping on the opposite bank, the river not 30 yards wide. As our situation and circumstances could not admit of the least delay, I determined to force the passage, and for that purpose ordered down the field-pieces, which, with the addition of those taken from the enemy the day before, were 11, (one I had spiked and left, not being able to bring it off), to the water's edge, and ordered the infantry to remain in the rear, under cover, except the Jight company and grenadiers of the 71st. As our guns approached, the enemy opened a very ill-directed fire from great guns and musketry: the former soon ceased after our fire opened, the latter was kept up for more than half an hour; but, though close to us, did us but little or no injury, so ill was it directed. We then found means, by boats and rafts, to cross a few men over the Rio Chuelo; and, on ordering all fire to cease, the little of them that remained ceased also. The troops which opposed us during these two days, appear to have been almost entirely provincial, with a considerable proportion of veteran officers. The numbers that were assembled to dispute our passage of the river, I have been since informed, were about 2000 infantry. I had no reason from their fire to suppose their numbers so great; the opposition was very feeble; the only difficulty was the crossing the river to get at them. I cannot omit reporting to you, that I had the most just cause to be satisfied with the conduct of every officer, and all the troops under my command: to lieutenant-colonel Pack, of the 71st, every praise is due, as well as to that excellent regiment. The bat talion of marines, commanded by captain King, of the royal navy, not only behaved with the utmost good conduct, but with a discipline in the field much beyond what could have been expected, though every exertion to effect it had been used by commodore sir Home Popham, and every officer of the royal navy during the passage. A corps of seamen, who had been drilled to small-arms, were also landed; they were between eighty and ninety in number, and I was under the ne cessity of attaching them to draw the guns, which they did with a cheerfulness and zeal that did them great obli and I was under great in King, for his activity activity in preparing rafts, boats, &c. to pass the Rio Chuelo. Lieut. colonel Lane, and the St. Helena troops, also merit my thanks for their good conduct; as does captain Ogilvie, commanding the artillery, for the manner in which the guns were conducted and served. Capt. Kennet, of the royal engineers, was particularly serviceable by his intelligence and zeal; as were the honourable major Deane, my brigade-major, and the honourable ensign Gordon, of the 3d guards, my aid-de-camp. By eleven o'clock, A. M. I had got some guns, and the greatest part of the troops, across the river, and secing no symptoms of farther opposition, and learning that the troops in general had deserted the city, motives of humanity induced me to send, by the honourable ensign Gordon, a summons to the governor to deliver to me the city and fortress, that the excesses and calamities which would most probably occur, if the troops entered in a hostile manner, might be avoided; informing him that the British character would insure to them the exercise of their religion, and protection to their persons, and all private property. He returned to me an officer, to ask some hours to draw up conditions; but I could not consent to delay my march, which I commenced as soon as the whole had crossed the Rio Chuelo; and, on arriving near the city, an officer of the governor again met me, with a number of conditions, to which I had not then time to attend, but said I would confirm by writing what I had promised, when in possession of the city; and the terms granted and signed by sir Home Popham and myself, I have the hopour to annex. I also transmit a return of the killed, wounded, and missing, on the 26th and 27th of June, as well as the return of the ordnance taken. I cannot conclude without assuring you, of the unwearied zeal and assiduity of commodore sir Home Popham, in whatever could contribute to the success of this expedition, and of the cordial co-operation, and great assistance which I have received from him. W. C. BERESFORD, maj. gen. Sir D. Baird, commanding in Chief, &c. Killed, Wounded, and Missing, on the 26th and 27th of June. St. Helena artillery, 1 rank and file wounded.—7th reg. 1 officer, 1 serjcant, 5 rauk and file, wounded. St. Helena infantry, 1 rank and file wounded; 1 officer missing.— Royal Marines, 3 rank and file wounded.-Corps of seamen, 1 rank and file killed. Officers names.Capt. Le Blanc, of the 71st regiment, shot in the leg, since amputated above the knee.Assistant-surgeon Halliday, of the medical staff, attached to St. Helena regiment, missing. [The terms granted to the inhabitants of Buenos Ayres, consist of 10 articles. After the usual stipulations respecting the entrance of the troops, &c. and the marching out of the prisoners with the honours of war, they state that all bona fide private property, whether belonging to the people, the churches, or the public institutions, shall be unmolested; that all the inhabitants shall receive protection: that the different taxes shall be collected by the magistrates, &c. as usual, until his majesty's pleasure be known; that every protection shall be afforded to the exercise of the Catholic religion; that the coasting vessels in the river shall be delivered to Q 94 theat their owners, and that all public property shall be surrendered to the captors.] Ordnance, &c. captured. Iron ordnance, of different calibres, from 18 to 3-pounders, 45 pieces.-Brass ordnance, from 32 to 3-pounders, including mortars and howitzers, 41 pieces. Total 86.550 whole barrels of powder, 2064 muskets with bayonets, 616 carbines, 4019 pistols, 31 musketoons, 1208 swords. J. E. OGILVIE, capt. commanding Royal and St. Helena Artillery. Since the above return was sent to Sir D. Baird, the following guns, left by the viceroy in his flight, have been taken, and arms, &c. received, brass ordnance, 7 pieces; 139 muskets with bayonets; 71 muskets without bayonets, 85 pouches, and 39 swords. Extract of a Letter from Majorgeneral Beresford, to Lord Castlereagh, dated Fort of Buenos Ayres, July 11. "I trust the conduct adopted towards the people here has had its full effect, in impressing upon their minds the honour, generosity, and humanity of the British character. His majesty's ministers will see by the detail of our proceedings, that after the army had passed the Rio Chuelo, the city of Buenos Ayres remained at our mercy, and that, in fact, the only conditions on which I entered, were such as I pleased to offer, and which humanity, and a regard to our national character, would naturally induce me to give under any circumstances. However, to quiet the minds of the inhabi tants, we not only consented to put *It has been found difficult to procure, the return of vessels here alluded to, at least the names of all. They are of various classes, from 150 tons downwards, and amount in the whole to 180 in number. |