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T H U R S D A Y |
January 15, 1795 |
[No. 2505] |
BERGEN -OP-ZOOM
The French commandant, in the barony of Breda, demanded at Hoeven, Etten, and other villages, a list of every thing to be furnished to the French army, by way of requisition; these requisitions are to be paid for by fills of exchange upon the house of the widow Nettine and sons at Brussels; which bills will be signed by two generals, and paid to the respective municipalities.
Some of the commissioners of the convention informed the assembly at Paris, of some acts of violence committed by the French advanced guard upon some villages, and we learn that the commanding officers are made responsible for those acts.
Both Flanders and Brabant have already their representatives in the convention, but the French constitution has not yet been introduced in those provinces.
It is now certain, that our troops will evacuate the whole of Dutch Flanders. The regiments of Orange, Nassau, Stadt, and Land, will be quartered here, and the rest of the troops and the cavalry are already shipped for Amsterdam.
UTRECHT, October 16.
A gentleman who left Bois-le-Duc the same day as the Dutch garriso, gives the following account of the circumstances that preceded, and followed its surrender:
On Thursday, October 9, the town was summoned for the last time, and at night a capitulation was agreed upon, but not signed before Friday night, the fate of the French emigrants having cuased that delay. The article of the covered vessels and waggons was rejected. Saturday at noon the French commissioners came within the town, and dined with the governor; they received the inventories of the magazines and arsenals, on which they put their seals, and specifications of all the provisions to be found in the houses of the burghers were drawn up Sunday morning the French relieved the Dutch guard, and about three thousand of them entered the town. It has been agreed upon, that they should not be quartered in the burgher's houses, but in the barracks, these however, not being quite ready for their reception, they remained with the inhabitants. - At eleven o'clock the same morning, the garrison marched out with all the honours of war, colours flying.
On their march to Grave, they passed by about 10,000 French, whose advanced posts were but half a league distant from that place. - The next following day they continued their march through Nimeguen to Arnheim, where they still remained. - Several French emigrants, who, in various disguises had left Bois-le-Duc with the Dutch garrison were apprehended by the republicans, and sent back into the town.
During the siege five houses are said to be burnt down, and fifty men killed in the place.
POSEN, October 23.
Of the battle between Kosciasko and the Russians, on the 10th instant, we have yet only the following particulars:
The battle lasted from 7 o'clock in the morning till 12 at noon. Koserusko shewed much greatness of mind. He was constantly in the midst of the fire. Three horses were killed under him. With the first he fell into a morass. The loss of the Russians is estimated at 1000 men.
From the FISTULA, October 25.
The Russian lieutenant-general, baron Van Fersen, has written the following letter to the king of Poland:
SIRE;
The total defeat of a Polish corps, stationed at Kamock, the making prisoners of a great many soldiers and officers of all ranks, of the commanding general, and finally, of him who had the general command of all, (the chief of the revolution of 1794, Kociuszko were the happy successes of the 10th of October. Thaddeus Kosciusko[kos´´Eus´kO] Convinced that your majesty and the republic of Poland have now re-entered their original right, I hasten to address myself to this lawful authority, to reclaim the liberty of all Russian generals, officers, soldiers, and domestics, as likewise the liberty of the members of the diplomatic corps and of the ladies, who, against all the laws of nations, are kept prisoners - I wish that they may be sent back to the corps that I command. Their speedy return must augment the inclination which I have to do, on my part, as much as is permitted me and is depending on me, in hopes that attempts to restore a firm and wholesome peace in Poland will now succeed, and that I may be able to assure your majesty of my respect before the end of the current year. I request that you will please to accept the expresions thereof, as well as the sentiments wherewith I have the honour to be, etc.
The king hereupon answered,
That the captivity of the commander in chief did not decide the matter, nor could induce him to reliquish a revolution which he had sworn to maintain, and to the principles whereof he would remain faithful; neither could he agree to release the prisoners, according to the request of the general, unless he would enter into an exchange of the same.
LONDON, October 19.
According to letters from Brussels of the 4th inst. Clairfayt's army, before repassing the Rhine, lost as many men by desertion as by death. The old __anoverian grenadiers were daily arriving at Brussels, as deserters, a circumstance, it is added, before without example.
The failure of commerce is severely felt in Germany; the fair at Leipsic was very thinly attended; from some places whence many merchants were expected, few or none are arrived.
The empress of Russia has intimated to the Jesuits in her dominions, that henceforward they are to write only on subjects of natural history and mathematics.
Oct. 25. We were yesterday favoured with the Paris papers of the 9th, 10th and 11th instant. The moderate party, and the authority of the Convention, are every where gaining ground. The markets of Paris are now abundatly supplied with butter, eggs, meat and other articles that were lately scarce. In the sale of these articles, the price fixed by law is very little attended to, at which the police or the government thinks proper to connive.
Oct. 28. The duke of Brunswick has accepted the command of the allied troops in Holland, and is shortly expected at Nimeguen. The duke of York will serve under him for the present, but is expected in England during the winter. By a letter received from Genos, dated September 24, we learn, that the Austrians and Piedmontese had gained a complete victory over the French, in which they killed 5000 men, besides taking the French general and a great number of prisoners. The action took place near the confines of Genos. This news arrived at Genoa the following day, by an express to the government and the English consul; and our ships in the harbour fired a feu dejoie on the occasion.
Yesterday M. Fagel, the grand pensionary of Holland, arrived in London, charged by the states general with the important commission of enforcing to the British the necessity of an immediate peace with France; and to intimate to our ministers, that if they will not concur in a negotiation for a general peace, they shall treat exclusively for themselves. Such is reported, without reserve, to be the object of M. Fagel's mission.
In the attack on the duke of York's posts of the 19th, the 37th regiment suffered so severely, that only major Hope, and about fifty men, escaped. There is, however, reason to believe, that as eight of the officers were taken prisoners, the greater part of the privates were so too, and that the number of killed is not so great as was at first imagined.
The prince of Rohan's battalion (French emigrants), is said to have lost 400 men; and the 55th regiment suffered very considerably.
From the point in which the French made their attack, viz. at Drutin, about half way between Nimeguen and the conflux of the Meuse and the Waal, their intention seems to have been to cut off the communication between general Abercrombie in the Bommelwaert, and the rest of the duke of York's army; as intention, which, if his royal highness's information of their force be correct, nothing but a very material change in the position of the British troops, perhaps even abandoning the Bommelwaert, can prevent them from effecting.
At the same time that they pshed forward so unexpectedly in this quarter, they marched a body of troops, whether of Pichegru's or Joudan's army is not known, to Guildres and Cleves, both which places they entered without resistance. From the latter place they threatened the British posts at Emmerick as well as Nimeguen, neither of which it is feared can be defended.
By accounts received yesterday at Lloyd's coffeehouse, it appears, that a squadrom of French frigates in the North Seas has lately taken 100 of our merchant ships.
The peace-mongers of the present moment seem to reason somewhat like the Irishman, who concluded himself to be half married to a rich heiress, because he had obtained his own consent. They appear to have no idea that concurrence on the part of the French is necessary to effect so important an event.
The London Gazette Extraordinary, October 27.
WHITEHALL, October 26.
A dispatch, of which the following is a copy, was this day received from his royal highness the duke of York, by the right honourable Henry Dunda_, one of his majesty's principal secretaries of state.
Head Quarters, Nimeguen, October 20, 1794.
Sir,
Yesterday morning the enemy attacked the whole of the advanced posts of my right wing, in very great force, particularly that of Drutin, which was defended by the 37th regiment, and that of Appelthern, where the prince of Rohan's light battalion was posted. Nothing could exceed the gallantry with which the whole of the troops on the advanced posts (particularly those two corps) behaved; but at last the post on the left of the 37th regiment, which was occupied by a detachment of Rohan hussars, having been forced, major Hope, who commanded the 37th, and who distinguished himself exceedingly, was obliged to retreat upon the dyke along the Waal, which he continued for some time, without being much annoyed by the enemy. Unfortunately, however, a strong body of the enemy's hussars, being mistaken for the corps of Rohan, the regiment allowed them to come upon them unmolested, when the hussars immediately attacked, and the narrowness of the dyke, which, on every occasion, must have afforded a security to the infantry, in this instance acted against them, as they were driven off it by the enemy's charge, and I am sorry to say, have suffered very considerably.
As they were upon the advanced posts, I have not as yet received an exact return of their loss; but I understand that captains Baird, Hendley and Duff, lieutenants Mitchell, Thompson, Colquhoun and Murray, with the quarter-master, Mr. Luxall, were made prisoners, of which number captain Duff, lieutenants Mitchell and Colquhoun, are wounded. All the prisoners who were taken agreed in the intelligence that the enemy had brought over thirty thousand men; and at the same time I received the report that a very considerable body of them, having passed the Mease between Ruremonde and Venlo, were advancing upon my left flank, and had already taken possession of Cleves.
Under these circumstances, (never having intended to risk an action in my present position) which I only kept in order to preserve a communication with Graves, and to cover the reparations which were intended to have been made to the fortifications of this place. I determined to pass the Waal, and to take up the different cantonments, which were already marked out for the defence of the river, leaving general Walmoden, with a corps to cover the town.
Part of the troops began their march yesterday evening, and the remainder this morning, without any molestation from the enemy.
I am, etc.
FREDERICK
P.S. I am sorry to add, that lieutenant WADMAN of the light infantry of the 37th regiment, who was upon picquet, and had distinguished himself by his intrepidity and prudence, is also dangerously wounded, and was brought in the evening to this town.
Right hon. Henry Dunda_, etc. etc. etc.
DUBLIN, October 25.
Extract of a letter from Cork, October 22.
"The Penelope, captain Thomas, is just arrived from Gibraltar, which place he left the 30th of September. At the time of his coming away, two frigates passed close by him having the national colours flying with the English flag over them; he saw also, eight or ten much larger vessels with the same colours at a distance in the bay, going in."
Letters have been lately received in Scotland, stating the death of Muir on his passage to Botany bay. Palmer and Margarot at the time were in good health.
It was yesterday reported on the authority of some letters from London, received by the last mail, that it had been decided at a meeting of their high mightinesses, the states general of the united provinces, on the 13th of this month, to make overtures for peace to the French convention, on any conditions that can be obtained short of a dereliction of the Dutch constitution, and of the great act of union of 1579. These accounts add, that this determination of the states general had been officially transmitted to the British ministers.
The French have very little impediment to contend with except the inundations which may be made between Bois-le-Duc and Amsterdam. These, it seems, the inhabitants of the country will not submit to, prefering rather such terms as the generosity of the French may dispose them to afford. Of course, it is fair to suppose, that before many weeks elapse they will be in possession of Holland, from one end to the other.
Oct. 27. A letter from Rotterdam to a merchant of this city, by the mails which arrived here yesterday, contains the important intelligence that the French had embarked a large body of troops on the Scheld at Phillipine, and made good a landing on the great island of South Reveland, of which they have made themselves masters, which movements cut off all communication at Bergen-op-Zoom with Middleburg and Flushing. The landing on South Beveland took place on the 14th of this month.
There are also advices from Amsterdam of the 19th October, that represent the state of public credit having fallen to so low an ebb, that bank money on that day would bring nothing more than 73 per cent.
It is, however, no small consolation to find, that the British funds, so far from being affected by the disastrous condition of affairs in Holland, that they appear from the last quotation to be looking up; the consols, which had fallen under 64, having on Tuesday last been done on the stock exchange at 64 5-8.
In no former wars, says a mercantile correspondent, even when the whole naval force of Europe was combined against us, did the commerce of these kingdoms suffer so much as by the present. With a fleet of line of battle ships and frigates, more than double the number of the enemy, manned by the ablest seamen in the world, and appointed as well in every respect as ships can be, how comes it that we are not better protected?
A squadron of five frigates and two corvettes sailed from Brest the 15th July; on the 21st they were in the station appointed them to cruise, from lat. 40; 30, to 50, and long. 11, 30, to 12, 30, that is a little to the westward and southward of Cape Clear, where they remained unmolested until they captured more prizes than they were able to man, and that circumstance, and that only, obliged them to quit their station on the 26th August.
Another squadron of four frigates, two corvettes, and a brig, cruised for nearly the same time, off Cape Finisterre, and with equal success.
Two frigates and two sloops, dispatched from L'Orient, went to the North Seas, where, and on their passage to that station, they captured upwards of sixty sail of ships, part of which they sunk and burned for want of hands to man them.
While this havock was making among the ships and seamen of Great-Britain and Ireland, admiral McBride, an officer of distinguished activity, in a line of battle ship (the Mino___r) and five of the finest frigates in the British navy, were uselessly employed in maneuvering at Weymouth. Another squadron of five frigates was lying at Falmouth, besides a powerful fleet at Portsmouth and Plymouth.
Will it not appear astonishing that in a period of about eleven months above 960 sail of ships, belonging to different nations, have been captured by the exertions of only sixteen frigates and eight corvettes and sloops! The evil, however, is not confined to the loss of property; for would the war continue, as things go, there would shortly be a very great want of seamen, for the number now in prison in France is perhaps beyond what is generally imagined. The blame rests some where, for the naval force of the nation, if properly directed, is amply sufficient to protect us. It is therefore in the ignorance or neglect of the lords of admiralty, or in the total want of system in their orders, that the commerce of this great empire is thus injured! If either or both of those causes operate, may it not be asked, "Why those things are so!" and wherefore should the strength of the nation remain inactive, at the expence of millions of property, and the confinment of thousands of the most valuable class of men belonging to the nation in loathsome prisons?
We will not say that the way could be avoided, but there are some who think it has been conducted in the most infamous manner. Our losses by sea might have been prevented. A strong squadron of frigates, stationed at the westward and southward of Capt. Clear, would have yielded more protection than all the navy of England, conducted as it is at present. This is a fact which every seafaring man will acknowledge.
PHILADELPHIA, January 7.
An article under the Paris head of the 21st October, as published in the Courier Francois of yesterday says - "It is rumoured that Spain wishes to enter on negotiations for peace, it is added that an envoy has arrived here (Paris) from the court of Madrid, we are not officially informed of this, but it is very certain that since the Jacobins have lost their influence, the number of our enemies is diminished on the interior of the republic, and that the French government acquires abroad a preponderance so great as to alarm and disoncert the coal____ powers."