Newspaper Page Text
GEORGIA GAZETTE.
Number 14.
Fran tie LON D O N GAZETTE.
Ci Admiralty-Office, (Whiteball) April 19.
flcpy (if a letter from Vice Admiral CorniJh y to Mr. Cleveland,
dated in the Bay of Manila, the 31// cf October, 1762.
is with the greatest pleasure I have the
honour to acquaint their Lordfiiip* with
the success of his Majesty’s arms in the
g4s! j BSs redu&ion of the city of Manila, which
was taken by storm on the morning of
the 6th inil. In my letters of the 23d
and 31st of July, I acquainted their
, Lordihips with my proceedings to that
time; after which I used every poflible means at Madras for
dispatch, the decline of the S. W. morvfoon making it of
the utmost importance. To promote this end, I compleated
the Elizabeth, Grafton, Lenox, Weymouth, and Argo,
with such of the troops and military (lores as they were to
take on board,, and oh the 29th sent them aw ay under the
command of Commodore Tiddeman, to proceed to Malla
ca, with a view that they might compleat their water there
by the time I (hooki arrive with the remainder of the squa
dron. * \ ‘
Having accomplilhed the embarkation of every thing de
igned for the expedition, with a dispatch much beyond
my expedition, as we had the whole time of my being
there a violent furf to contend with, I failed the ill of Au
gust with the (hips undermentioned, viz. Norfolk, Panther,
America, Seaford, South Sea Castle florefhip, Admiral
Stevens’s (lorefhip, Ofterly Company’s (hip, leaving the
Falmouth, at the requeit of the President and Council, to
convoy the F.fTex India (hip, who was not ready to fail,
having the treasure to take on board for the China cargoes,
and to bring to Manila such of the company’s servants as
were#o be put in poffeflion of that government, if the ex
pedition fucceedrn.
The 19th, I arrived at MalJaca, and was diiappomted
in not finding Mr. Tiddeman there, who did pot join til!
the 2ill, having met with long cahns. The dirficulty of
watering the squadron at this place made it the 27th before
1 covld leave the road.
On the 2d of September I arrived off Pulo Timean, and
was joined by Capt. Grant in the Scahorfe, whom I had de
tached upon mv firft arrival at Madras to cruize between
this ifiand and the ilreights of Sinoapore, to (lop any veffcl
he might fufped going to Manila.
On"the 19th, I made the coail of Luconia, hut was
drove off again by a (Irong N. E. wind, which separated
fome of the"fquadron. The 22d, the gale broke up, and
the wind lnifting to the S. W. the 23d we recovered the land
again 4 the next day entered the bay of Manila, and, in the
ciofe of the evening, anchored off the fort of Cavite with
the whole squadron, except the South Sea Callle and Ad
miral Stevens, the Falmouth and Essex having joined me off
the conll. In the night 1 lent the mailers to found about
the fortifications of Cavite, and, by their report, found
that it might be attacked by Ihtns.
The *sth in the morning, the wind not being favour
able to attack the Cavite, I took two of the frigates, and,
with Gen. Draper and fome other officers-, reconnoitred the
(liore about Manila, and obfei ved fome churches and other
buildings to lland near the wcrk> cr the south fide of the
toy.n, particularly towards the S. Vv. ballirn. e had
fome dong'll of attacking the Cavite rir.l, to have had tnc
conveniency of that port for the (hipping, but comlJcred
that though the attack ihould be attended w':tli ail the iuc
oefs we con Id hope, yet it would caute a delay at lead of
two days before W'e could lard, at Manila, which time w ould
afford opportunity to ;he :? detnotilh the buildings
T H U R S D A Y, July 7, 1763.
near their works, and to prepare many obftaqles to our
landing, and perhaps recover from that conllernation our
unexpected arrival had thrown them in* and farther, Ma
nila being the capital, if that fell, Cavite would in confe
quencc.
From those confidcrations, I joined in opinion with the
General, to take advantage of circumilances, so favourable
for a defeent, and land the troops with all dispatch, and
endeavour to get poffe(Turn of fome polls near their works,
which, if effeded, would greatly facilitate the redudiou
of the city. *
In conlequence of tlrcfe rcfolutions, I immediately made
the signal on board the Scahorfe for the squadron to join
me, and for the troops to prepare to land.
About seven in the evening, the 79th regiment, with the
marines in the boats under the direction of the Captains
Parker, Kcmpenfelr, and Brereton, pulhed for the (hore,
and, under the fire of the three frigates, effeded the land
ing at a church called the Moratta, about a mile and a half
from the walls. We had no opposition from the enemy,
but fome difficulty from the furf which run high, and bilged
all the long bo ts, but happily 101 l no men.
The next morning the General took an advanced pod a
bout 200 yards from the glacis, and there, under cover of
a blind, intended his battery again 11 the face of the $. W.
ballion. The number of troops being finall, I landed a
battalion of feamcn, confiding of about 700 men, under the
command of the Cap.ains Collins, Pitehibrd, and George
Ourry. /
The 25th, I dispatched three armed boats after a galley
coming up the bay tp Manila; they came up with her, rc
folulely boarded hc4, ar and took hec, not.vithllanding (lie
kept up a smart fire with pattcraroes and mulkcts. She
mounted two carriage and 17 brass swivel guns, and had 80
men. By letters found in her, we difeovered die was dis
patched from the galleon St. Phillipina, from Acapulco,
and w hom (he had left the loth of September at Cajayagan,
between the Embocaicro and Cape Sp ritu Sante. Upon
this difeovery, I came to a resolution to fend the Panther
in quell of her, but it was the 4th of October before the
weather permitted their failing.
The 28th of September, the General acquainted me that
he was beginning to work, on the battery, and that if fome
(hips could get near enough to throw (hot on the works of
the town opposed to it, it might take off fome of the ene
my’s fire and attention, and thereby facilitate its conllruc
tion. In conlequence of this, I ordered Commodore Tidde
man, with the Elizabeth and Falmouth, towards the town,
as near as the depth of water w ould permit, and to place
the (hips in such a position as w uld bell anfwcr the purpose
intended, which was accordingly done the next day, and
their lire had good effed.
On the 30th, the South Sc* Castle arrived with (lores,
w-hich were much wanted, the intrenching
tools, for want of which the army had been so greatly di
llreded, that I was obliged to employ ail the forges in mak
ing of spades, pickaxes, See. for them. Iheut of Octo
ber it began to blow frcih, and in the night increafcd to 3
hard gale, which drove the South Jea Callle aihorc near the
Pulvcriila, a little to the fouthw'ard This ac
cident, however, had fome confiderablc advantages attend
ing it, as the situation (he lay in made her cannon a pro
tedion so;- the rear of our camp; it was likewise the meant
that all her military llores were got on ihore with fafety and
dispatch, and the arinv supplied with the provisions (he had
on board, both which'articles they irood in immediate peed
of, and which could not have been supplied bv boats, as it
continued blowing weather for lever.d days after, as : the
furf breaking very high on the beach.
