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. , LOJfLOIT, QBoher 14, - ■ ‘ .V.
■ yvV- <Drttoihg'tt£ft,. Oftober ; •$;
/"I \ ISPATCHES, of which the fofitfwirit- are cdpies}’
•'JLjrf were this evening received fron} field marfli&l his,
royal highness the duke of York. ‘ 1
Headquarters, Alkmaer, ORoher 7, T7<Jt).
Siß,—The enemy, after the attion of the ad, having
taken up the position between Beverwyck and Wyck op
Zee, I determined to endeavor to force him thence before
he had an -opportunity of ftrengthenihg by works the (Row.
and very indefenfiblt line which he occupied, and to oblige
Trim ftiir further to retire before he could be joined by the
reinforcements which I had information were upon their
march. Preparatory, therefore, to a general forward move
ment,’ I ordered the advanced polls which the army took
up on the 3d inst. in front of this place, of Egmont op te
Hoff and Egmont op Zee, to be pullied forward, which
operation took place yesterday morning. At firfl little
opposition was fliewn, and we Succeeded in taking possession
oS the villages of Schormerhoorn, Achcr Sloot, Linimen,
Baccum, and of a position on the sand hills near Wvck
op Zee: the column of Ruffian troops under the command
of major gen. d’Effen, in endeavoring to gain a height in
front of tl cir intended advanced post at Baccum, (which
<vas material to the Security of that point} was vigorotuly
oppoled, and afterwards attacked by a ilrong body of the
-enemy, which obliged gen. fir Ralph Abercromby to move
up in Support with the referv’e of his corps.
The enemy on their part advanced their whole force;
the action became general along the whole line from Lim
men to the lea, and was maintained with great obilinacy
on both Sides until night, when the enemy retired, leaving
us mailers of the field of battle. The conflict however
Jjas, I am concerned to Hate, been as Severe, and has been
attended with as Serious a lols (in proportion to the num
bers engaged) as any of those which luAe bet., /biigfie by
the brave troops composing this armv.finee their arrival
Holland. The gallantry they difplkyed, and the'perse
verance with which they supported the fatigues of
rival their former exertions.
To gen. fir Ralph Abercromby, and the- other
officers in command of the brigades before
ttlfo to col. McDonald, my warmest acknowledgments are
due, for their spirited and judicious exertionsduring this
affair; nor ought I to omit the praise due to col. Clephane,
commanding four companies of the 3d and one of the Cold--
flream regiment of guards, who, by a spirited charge, drove
two battalions of the enemy from the poll of Acher Sloot,
making 200 prisoners. I have sincerely to regret that in
the course of the action major gen. Hutchinson received
a mulket fiiot wound in the thigh, which, however, is not
furious.
I have not yet received any reports of the kilted and
wounded, but I am apprehenfivc that the number cf British
is not Isis than 500, and that the lols of the Ruffian troops,
as far as I can understand, amounts to 1200 men. I (hall,
as early as circumllances possibly admit, tranfinit particu
cular returns.
The loss of the enemy upon this occalion has been very
great, and, in addition to their killed and wounded, 500
prisoners fell into our hands.
(Signed) Frederick.
The right hon. Henrv Dundas, &c. &c. &c
Headquarters', Schagenburg, OSlober 9, 1799.
Sir,—-I have already acquainted you with the result of
the arition of the 6th hist. which terminated Succefsfully to
the allied arms, and at the fame time pointed out the ne
cefiity of the movement which produced this affair.
From the prisoners taken upon the 6th infl. I learnt the
certainty of the enemy having been reinforced since the
action of the 2d by two demi brigades, amounting to a
lxnit 6000 infantry, and of their having llrengthened the
position of Beverwyck, and fortified strongly in the rear
faf it points which it would be necessary to carry before
Haerlem could Ire attacked.
- It ought also to be Hated, that the enemy had retired a
large force upon Purmirind, in an alinofl inacceflible posi
tion, covered by an inundated country, and the debouches
from which were strongly fortified and in the hands of the
epemv; and farther, that as our army advanced this corps
was placed in our rear.
But fiich obllacles would have-been overcome, had not
the flute of the weather, the ruined condition of the roads,
and total want of the necessary supplies arising from the
above caufcs, presented difficulties which required the moft
serious consideration.
Having maturely weighed the circumllances in which
the army was thus placed, and having felt it my duty, on
a point of so much importance, to consult with gen. fir
Ralph Abe rcromby and the lieutenant generals of the ar
my, I could not but confider (and their opinion was unan
imous on the fiibjedt) that it would be for the benefit of
the general cause to withdraw the troops from their ad
vanced pofiticn, in order to wait hU majelly’s further in
flrtidlioosc
I mull requell \eu will again represent to his majcfly
the diflinguilhed conduct of his army, which, while acting
under the pressure of uncommon difficulties, never for a .
moment ceaj'ed to be a&pated by the noblest feeling for
the fuectfs of the public cause, and the honor of the Bri
tish arms.
’ As there arc many points resulting from our present si
tuation r.pon which you may require particular information,
and fnch details as cannot be brought within the compals
of a letter, I have thought it necessary to charge my se
cretary, col. Brownrigg, with this difpatth, v. ho will be 1
able to explain fully all matters relating to tins artfiv,
’ I tranfinit a return of killed, wounded, and miffing,
of his majdly ’*and the Ruffian troops, in the adtion of the
6th ihtl mt. ’ I moil heartily lament that it has again been
so serious, and that lb many brave and valuable men have
fallen. * (Signed) Frkdkkick.
’ The right hon. Henry Duiiclas, &c- ficc. &c.
Ref urn of killed , wounded, and miffing, of bis tniljrf
t y’r forces under the command of bis royal highness
ifyc duke of Fork, in the aclion of tbc bib October,
1 799* . • ... ■ ,
Total*-*-j'lteiitetJaut colonel', 1 fubalterrs, 3 ferjear.ts,
1 Colonel, •
* ;010n41,_ f captaipff.ji J. fubaltefris,-
1 f 2 31 fifi&raok and hpi-fes, -iivound
cd; e 2 lieutenant colonels, j major, 5 captains, n fiilsah*
erns, ‘l3 ferjeants, 2'drutijmers,. j’Oq ran’. md file, miffing.
October 19. Bankruptcies are qot .confided to Hani
bujjjh only; they aihe ; rajftdly extending to the other trad-,
ing of the cqri}inent}. 7,hbufes have ftqpt t Bremen,
11 at Frankfort, and. 14 at 4mlhgr:iajn'
■r i *"”■’ -f” r * Ph? . a \,
E£tra3 of a letter froy\ an officer <f the British army
in Holland to bis lady In Canterbury , elated
kcr 9.
“ I lhall as concisely as I can give you the. information
of the battle of which you wiflied an account. On the 2d
vVe marched at 2 in the morning after the enemy, and a
bout 8 the engagement commenced; they were polled ad
vantageously on the (and J til Is, so lituated as to enable
their riflemen to do great execution, while our • men,
though they kept up a continual fire,, were not halffo fuc
cefsful; however the 93d regiment gave them a smart
charge, which obliged them to retire fome difiancc, but
they soon rallied, and opened their cannon on our whole
column; the 63d tlien advanced in upon the sand hills,
supported by two battalions of the 20th, and fired iucef
lantly on them; they still appeared to be too much for us,
and about 5 o’clock in the evening we were at a (land,.
doubtful whether to return or not, when the 63d 1 volun
tarily proposed to charge them, and fir Ralph Abercrooiby
expressing his approbation, we rallied oh them with fixed
bayonets, and drove them 3 miles and a half, before us,
our dragoons at the fame time charging their cavalry,
which gained us the day. In this .engagement capt,“
M‘Nevin was (lightly wounded,, a mr. Hall got a baJl
through both his checks, a mr. Legeyt was woundod in the
leg. We remained that night and next day on the hills,
and on tlie evening of the 3d inarched into Egmont op
;Zee, which was evacuated by the enemy; but on the 6th
‘they got reinforced by'a large body, and then a desperate
engagement took place; there was an immense daughter of
our. regiment, 205 Were killed and wounded. Poor Mack
intolh was kHled. Sir John Wardlow Percell, Sankcy,
and Bennett, badly wounded; the latter also had his thigh
broken.- On the 7th, about 8 o’clock, our whole army
was obliged to the severity of the march, added
to the -former is lcarce to be deferibed.
Bennett is dead having to move him 23
miles before his tlijgh mtrtification ensued.”
His royal in chief desires the
troops will accept his brirthanks for the persevering brav
ery and good order which has so eminently diftinguifiied
their conduit during the whole period from the 2d to the
Bth pall, although fuffering from the inclemency of the
weather, and precarious supplies ncceffarily originating out
of the situation of the anny. From the former of thef#
causes his royal highnefshas found it necessary to withdraw
the troops from a situation where they mult have been con
tain .*!/ exposed to infnppoitable hardships, and which no
effoi-ts of an enemy twice beaten could have effected.
Schagen, Oitober 12.
The enemy having been firongly reinforced from the
Netherlands, the whole of the army was ordered to retreat
after th battle of the 6th. The artillery began their re
treat by 4 o ? clock in the evening; at 7 the infantry fol
lowed, and the last division of the cavalry left Alkmaer,
Egmont op Zee, &c. by 2 o’clock in thq morning. The
retreat was cohriudled in a very riiafterly manner, and be
fore daylight’ the whole of the Britilh and Ruffian forces
were within their old fortified redoubts, extending from
Petten to Medenblick. I know not how long we lhall
remain in’ this position, but every means is taken to
ilrengthcn it,- as you will fee from the following general 1
orders issued here a few days igo:
Headquarters', Schagenburg, OftobeT 9.
Parties of pioneers are to attend the engineer*,, in order
to complete ftich bivaßWorks and redoubts within the chain
as fitall be pointed out between and upon the flanks of the
different dykes. Until further order, the line will turn
out by 4 o’clock in the morning, and remain under arms
until half an hour after daybreak,’'then to be difmifftd if
r.ot previonfly called on,
On the morning of the 9th the enemy advanced upon
the dyke leading Iron Groot to Krabendam, and upon the
dyke leading froiy Kamp to Petten, and attacked our out
polls at both thfcfe places; they, however, soon retreated,
upon feeing a reinforcement of foot advance to the affill
ance of our troops who were engaged; they threw leveral
lltclls upon our works, but no person was hurt. There has
been no movement made upon our part. We aid at present
on. the defen live.
Odfober 16.
There is the created difficulty in procuring forage for
the cavalry, and even bread and flour for the troops; ve
getables are also extremely scarce; the army'is served with
bifeuit from the fliip-.. On the 12th there arrived a fleet
of tranfport* at the Helder, having on board-1500 liorfes
for the Britilh and Ruffian artillery, but not one of them
has yet been landed;, it isfuppofed they will return imme
diately to England.
Oude Sluys, Oclober 16.
, Having received advice that the enemy intended Ipeedily
and vigoroully ‘to attack us induced our commander in
chief to anticipate the'defign, by fonning v an immediate
attack upon them. Tliis brbught on a general aftion on
tile 6th; but, though a heavy cannonade’ and partial
attacks were kept up by our left and centre, which
occupied the plain between Alkmaer and the hills, it
was our right, conqrofed wholly of Britilh, and the. en
emy’s left, being entirely Freftch, that bore the brunt of;’
“the contest. In the format-part of the day we were every ‘
w lie re conipletely fuccefsftil, driving the enemy before its;)
beyond all the villages of Egmont; but about 1 o’clqck’
the ‘cueiify raTlied arid made a desperate Hand, by which -
they repiilfed our advanced column, that confided of col.
M 4 Donalds corps dc reserve, unci which had with undaunt
ed ardhjt.jjalhed.-an
fupported; that carps therefore fell back with
lq!s,.wht(e the enemy attacked in turn, and drpve us ag fer
is tbev liad been'driven in the-former part of the day*
Night was now approaching, wheti they detached a column,
which marclied ott'to the left with the apparent design of
effecting a coup de main on Alkmaer; but .this hostile co
liimn was soon checked by the good countenance Os gen.
Coote’s brigade, which had not as yet been engaged, but
which, yith the aid of fome fi< ldpi.eces and niortars, soon
made the enemy on tjbat fide face aboiit,’ aijd leave in our
hands about 300 prisoners. It was not till 9at night tbit
the firing entirely ceased. It rained incessantly all the ev
ening, during which, and in the night, the army fuffered
excessive harclfliip's, having neither covering, food, nor li
quors, .and the wounded lying on the ground exposed to
the inclemency of the weather, , ~
* -Col. Clinton, who is hourly expected at mr. Dnndas’s
office with the terms of the convention, the basis of which
was fettled on the r 6th inffant, is not yet arrived, but the
outline is now accurately known. An armistice for 14
days was agreed upon between the duke of York arid gen.
Brune, during which time a convention ffiould be finally
ratified and exchanged, that on or before the end of No
vember next the’ Englifli and Ruffian, armies and fleets
Ihould evacuate Helder and the Texel, leaving the forts
and arsenals in the condition in which they were taken by
fir Ralph Abercromby and Admiral Mitchell, and that
8000 French or Dutch seamen, prisoners in-England, or
absent on their parole,’ (admiral De Winter to be one of
them) fitall be delivered lip without an equivalent. It is
fufpedted ?lfd that there are secret articles, which it is
probable wiil not fpcedily be made public.
- Our anriy had to treat under circumllances the moft
dreadful; they had neither (hips to bring them away, nor
provilipns to maintain them where they were. Within
this week pad even provisions have been sent them, so
confidently did our miniffers rely on thq friendlhip with
which they were to be received in Holland—-indeed we all
. know that they held it as a libel on human nature to
suppose the Hutch could pofiibly do otherwise than re
ceive Cur troops w ith joy and tranfport!!’ a
Upon the whole, if we wave the consideration avfte
humiliated situation in which the event of the expedition
has unfortunately placed us, we lisa!! find but little cause to
regret the nature of the terms to’ which we have thus been
induced” to agree. ( The acceding to them was on our part
dictated by the pure and amiable principle of humanity;
and the laudable determination of saving our brave coun
trymen by negotiation from the dtftrudtion which other
wile ft-i-med to await them mull be considered as paramount
to every- other feeling, whether of mistaken honor or na
tional pride-
We are happy to have it in ourpower to Hate, that col. >
Francis Cunynghame, of the guards, though moft severely
wounded, is in a fair wav of recovery. This gallant and
meritorious officer, in going forward to direct tlie fire c-f
fome gun boats againfi a column of the French, happening
to have his hand at his face, a cannon ball carried away the
whole of his lower jaw, and (battered his left hand. t 0
pieces; he is now at the Helder, and expe&s to b e s oon
well enough to return to England. ‘y'^
Deal, Oclober 22. The Hornet y ar w hich
arrived in the Downs yesterday mornyrg f roni t j ;e q
left it on Friday last, and brings uofother intelligence from
the army than that they still re-ffiaiA in'their infrenchments
at Schagenburg. Ihe day prior to the Hornet’s failing
two feamen we-; c fl lot by an unknown hand from a
chamber window a- t he Helder; and on Friday ’ morning
they had connr.enced Iliipping heavy ordnance. Admiral
jvhtchdl lia-i returned to the Texel, leaving a detached
iquadroi*. cruifmg in the'Zuyder Zee.
. October 23. His majesty’s (hip the. Alkmaer has ar
rjved in the Downs'with ab ut 600 Dutch ifeldiers and RL
fleers ori hoard from Holland; it is fiippbfed they are gi
ing to enter into our service; they wear the Orange cocl
ade. Mr.-Mole, the pilot, in a letter to his family, fays
that Admiral Mitchell had proceeded up the Zuyder Zee
as far as Enhuyfen, where he found two 64 gun fliips
building and two frigates, all of which he set fire to and
burnt.
Skeernefs, CSlober 23. Arrived this morning the
Amethyst frigate,- capt. Cook, having on board major gen.
Moore and other officers, from Holland.
Yarmouth, Oclober 23. ‘This morning arrived the
Circe frigate, capt. Winthrop, who landed the hon. mr.
Thomas Grenville and suite from the continent.
Hamburgh, CBobcr 2. Last night the famous Nap
per Tandy, with his three companions, was delivered over
by our magistracy into the power of the Engliffi. At 3
o’clock in the morning they were conducted from their
prifonS .in four separate carriages, escorted by 100 Ham
burghefe soldiers, to the guardhoule on the banks of the
Elbe. An Englifli Hoop was in readiness to’ receive them
on board. At 7 o’clock in tlie morning his excellency mr.
Craufurd went to the guardhonfe to identify their persons
which being done they were put on board'the Hoop. I
this manner has terminated a business which has caused so
much noise in the world.
Paris, Oclober 12. A message of the dlre&ory of
yesterday contains the following particulars refpedling Bu
onaparte: , .
. “ The diredlory announces to you, citizen reprefenV
tives, with pleafiire, that they received news of the arrriT*”
of hgvpt. Gen. Berthier, who landed on t'He 9th inffant
at Frejus, with the general in chief, Buonaparte, -the ge
nerals Lane, Marmont, Murat, and Andreoffy, and tlie
citizens Monge and Bertholet, inform, that they have
leit the French anny in the moft favorable situation.”
Telegraphic difpatcbes $f OSlober 12.
- “ Gen. Maflena to the du^jjSory.
I have completely beaten the enemy anef'driven them
* beyond tlie Rhine; 2000 men have been killed and wound-*
. c d) and 1000 made prisoners; .6 Hands of colors and many
cannon have been taken; among the killed was found a
general of the. corps of Coride.”
j OBober 16. We are assured that tlie diredlory
embargoed all the Hamburgh vessels in our poxts. y