quainted with the particulars to enable me to detail them, though I presume due and full information of this unfortunate and important event, must have been transmitted to you soon after its occurrence.

You are aware, Sir, that the command of His Majesty's land forces, at present in this river, devolves upon me; with which, in co-operation with the squadron under Sir Home Popham, it is my intention to occupy a favourable position, until a reinforcement shall arrive, or I may be honoured with your further instructions; and trust that, by an early opportunity, I shall be able to afford you a satisfactory report of my arrangements and operations in carrying your designs into execution. And am, &c. &c. To Lieutenant-General Sir D. Baird, &c.

The immediate departure of the ship for England, and the situation in which I find myself unexpectedly placed, prevent any further communication than what is contained in the preceding letter.

I have the honour to be, &c.

T. J. BACKHOUSE, Colonel cominanding 47th Regiment.

The Right Hon. Wm. Windham, &c.

Copy of a Dispatch from Lieutenant-Colonel Backhouse, to the Right Honourable William Windham, dated Moldonado, on the River de la Plata, 31st October, 1806.

SIR,

In my letter of the 13th instant, I had the honour to transmit a copy of my letter, of the same date, to His Excellency Lieutenant-General Sir David Baird, apprising him of my arrival in the river Plata, and of my inten tion to occupy a position on shore, to await his further orders.

I, in consequence, immediately reconnoitred, from one of the frigates, which carried me sufficiently close in shore for the purpose, the works of the place, and the positions and defences in the vicinity of Monte Video, from which I formed, as the most eligible mode of attack, the idea of being able to carry the town and citadel by assault, on the south face edging on the water, in co-operation with the ships of the squadron, under Commodore Sir Home Popham, which were to silence the batteries on that face, so as to enable the troops to land and enter. The attempt was accordingly commenced on the 28th, by the Navy; but the water proving too shallow to admit of the ships coming sufficiently near to cannonade it with effect, a further effort was necessarily given up.

Upon this I deemed it advisable, with the co-operative concurrence of Sir Home Popham, to take possession of the town of Moldonado, as a favourable position for the purpose of refreshing the troops, mounting my cavalry, and carrying on such other arrangements as might thereafter appear

most necessary.

Not a moment was lost; and, accordingly, on the evening of the 29th I landed with about 400 men, composed principally of a part of the 38th regiment, under Colonel Vassal, and advanced against the town, which seemed to be occupied by about 600 regulars and militia, mostly mounted with one howitzer, and one long four pounder field piece, both brass.

Notwithstanding we were without any artillery, the enemy were soon dispersed, with the loss of their guns, and about fifty men killed and wounded. The loss on our side was two killed and four wounded, of His Majesty's 33th regiment.

To the cool intrepidity of our little column on this occasion, much praise js due, as it advanced with the utmost steadiness and alacrity, and without

firing a shot, until sufficiently near to make a certainty of carrying both the guns and the town, which was principally done by the bayonet, notwithstanding the advance was made under heavy discharges of grape and musketry.

To the well known gallantry and ability of Colonel Vassal, I feel myself much indebted; and the conduct of every other officer in the field has commanded my thanks.

At day-break yesterday morning I detached Colonel Vassal to take possession of the heavy batteries on the beach of the harbour, and on the peninsula, which precluded any cominunication for the enemy between the main land and the strong island and post of Gorretti, situated in, and much commanding the Bay of Maldonado; and which, in consequence, in the course of the day surrendered at discretion to a summons sent from Sir Home Popham, and thereby prevented the necessity of carrying it by storm, and the consequent bloodshed that might have ensued. During yesterday and this morning, the chief part of the remainder of the troops have been landed; and I have already contrived to mount nearly one half of my cavalry.

The Wellington transport being directed to sail immediately to England, I have taken the liberty of addressing this short account of my proceedings directly to you, Sir Home Popham having represented to me his inability to dispatch a vessel at this time to the Cape of Good Hope, precluding me the power of making my report through the regular channel of Lieutenant-Ge neral Sir David Baird.

I ought not to omit to mention the very steady and praise-worthy con duct of a small party of marines and armed seamen, sent on shore by Sir Home Popham, who joined and composed part of our column on its way into the town, and occupied such positions as were allotted to them during the night, in such a correct manner, as to reflect the greatest credit, both on the officers that commanded them, and their own zeal and discipline.

I should also be wanting in justice to my own feelings, if I closed my dispatch without acknowledging the services I have received from Lieute nant-Colonel Brownrigg, Deputy Quarter-Master-General, and Major Trotter, of the 83d regiment, acting Deputy Adjutant-General to the forces at present under my command. And I also beg leave to acknowledge the assistance afforded ine by Major Tucker, of the 72d regiment; who, hy permission of Lieutenant-General Sir David Baird, is with me on this occasion, and acting in the capacity of Military Secretary.

I herewith have the honour to enclose the return of such ordnance, ammunition, and stores, as have yet been discovered. I have the honour to be, &c.

J. T. BACKHOUSE, Lieut. Col. 47th Regiment,

Return of the killed and wounded of the Troops under the Commard of Lieutenant-Colonc! Buckhouse, in the Attack of Maldonado, on the 29th of October. 1806.

38th regiment.-2 rank and file killed, 4 rank and file wounded.

W. R. TROTTER,
Major 83d Reg. Acting Dep. Adj. Gen.

Return of O; dnance, Ammunition, and Stores, &c. taken from the Enemy in the Town and Vicinity of Maldonado, and Island of Gorretti, on the 29th of October, 1806.

Brass Ordnance.

1 six inch howitzer, with ten rounds of ammunition; 1 six pounder, with ten rounds of ditto.

Iron Ordnance.

Twelve twenty-six-pounders, on sea batteries; twenty twenty-four-pound

ers, on the Island of Corretti; seven hundred muskets; two hundred pis. tol; three hundred swords; and one hundred and eight barrels of powder. A. WATSON, Capt. R. M. Artillery.

N.B. The above is the most correct return I have yet been able to collect, W. R. TROTTER, Acting Dep. Adj. Gen,

ADMIRALTY OFFICE, JANUARY 27, 1807. Dispatches, of which the following are Copics, have been received at this Office from Commodore Sir Home Popham, addressed to William Marsden, Esq. His Majesty's Ship Diadem, Rio de la Plata, August 25, 1806.

SIR, When the events of war cease to be favourable to any armainent, I consider it the duty of Commanding Officers to state all the circumstances under their knowledge or information with clearness and perspicuity, which, either progressively or suddenly, led to a reverse of fortune.

In pursuing this course, I feel confident I shall be able to satisfy the Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty, that the liberal and beneficent principles upon which the Government of General Beresford was conducted do more honour to His Majesty's arms, and the character of Great Britain, than if he had resorted to expedients completely within his powers which would have effectually annihilated all the efforts of the enemy, and wrested, probably for ever, these countries from the crown of Spain.

Pueridon, one of the municipality, appears to have been the greatest organ of the revolution. He applied himself with great art and address in preparing the people for a general insurrection.

The arms in the town were secreted, ready for the moment of action ; the discontented assembled every night, and attended to his instructions; and he raised all the rabble of the country by the ample supplies of money with which he was furnished on the north side of the river. Colonel Liniers, a French officer in the Spanish service, and on his parole, successfully employed himself in collecting people at Colonia.

Terror was established, and every person who refused to contribute his assistance to this conspiracy was threatened with immediate death.

I have traced this from very unquestionable authority; and so rapid was the progress of the revolution, when it first showed itself, that it was not till the 31st July that I learnt by a dispatch from the General, which reached me at Ensenada, on my return from Monte Video, that he was apprehensive, from the information he received, an insurrection would shortly be made.

I heard at the same time, from Captain Thomson, that seventeen of the enemy's vessels had just arrived at Colonia; and as it was reported that Force was still to be increased from Monte Video, I sent orders for the Diomede to be brought to Ensenada, and for Captain King of the Diadem to come up with the remaining few marines, the two Companies of Blues, and as many other men as could in any degree be spared from the ships, for the purpose of arming some vessels to attack the Enemy at Colonia, as it was impossible to prevent his crossing from the north shore whenever the wind was fair.

On the 1st of August, in the afternoon, the Leda anchored off Buenos Ayres, about twelve miles distant; and on my landing on the 2d, which I did as soon as the weather would admit of a boat getting on shore, I found the General had just made a very successful attack on about fifteen hundred Spaniards under Pueridon, five leagues from the town, with five hundred men, in which he took all the enemy's cannon (I think nine pieces) and several prisoners.

On the 3d I attempted to return to the Leda, in the Encounter, which Captam liony man brought within a few iniles of the shore for this purpose,

as it blew very strong; but the wind freshened so considerably from the eastward, that we could not get to windward.

On the 4th, in the morning, it was very thick weather, and the gale increased so much that it was impossible to weigh.

About noon Captain King arrived in a galivat, with one hundred and fifty men from the Diadem, for the purpose of arming and commanding the few small vessels we had collected in the harbour; but he was not able to get there till the following day.

On the 5th, in the morning, it moderated, and I reached the Leda, when I received a report from Captain Thomson, that in the gale of the preceding day the enemy had crossed from Colona totally unobserved by any of our ships, except the schooner under the command of Lieutenant Herrick, who was lying in the arrow gut leading to Conchas and St. Isidro, but the easterly wind had thrown so much water in the river, that the enemy were enabled to cross over any part of the Patmas Bank without the necessity of making a greater detour by going higher up the river.

On the 6th and 7th it blew a hurricane; the Leda was lying in fourfathoms, with two anchors down, and her yards and topmasts struck.

On the 8th I heard from Captain King that five of our gun-boats had foundered at their anchors; that the Walker had lost her rudder, and that the launches and large cutters of the Diadem and Leda were lost.

The torrents of rain that fell during the 6th, 7th, and 8th, had rendered the roads totally impracticable for any thing but cavalry, and consequently General Beresford was most seriously disappointed in his determination, to attack the enemy at a distance from the town: in which, bad it taken place, I entertain no doubt that his army would have added another trait of its invincible spirit under his dispositions,

The enemy, however, by his inexhaustible supply of horses, suffered little inconvenience from the state of the roads, and he was therefore enabled to approach the town by several directions, without giving the British army any opportunity to attack him,

On the 10th, in the evening, the castle was summoned, and on the following day I landed, while our remaining vessels were firing on the Spanish posts, and I learned that, exclusive of the Spanish army, which was divided into many columus, occupying the various avenues of the town, the inhabitants were all arined, and sheltered on the tops of the houses and churches, with a design of carrying on a war of ambush.

Under these circumstances, and the manifest disposition of the enemy to prevent an engagement, it was determined to embark the wounded that night, and cross the Rio Chello, for the purpose of moving towards Ensenada; but this measure was in a great degree frustrated by the weather, which became very violent during the night, and consequently retarded the progress of embarkation, though the enemy added a consi derable number of men to the houses and churches near the castle, and advanced by all the streets not under the influence of its fire: in short, Sir, his object was to avoid by every means a general action, and to place his men in such a situation that they could tire at our troops while they remained in perfect security themselves.

On the 12th, at day-light, I understand a smart fire began from the enemy's advanced posts, but was soon returned with great effect from our artillery, which was planted towards the principal streets leading to the great square, and for a short time the enemy by his immense numbers showed a greater degree of firmness than on any other occasion, and rushed forward with three pieces of artillery; which Colonel Pack of the 7'st soon charged and took from him. During this time, however, reinforcements crowded the tops of all the houses commanding the great square from the back streets, and our troops were soon considerably anuoyed by people they could not get at, The enemy commanded the castle in the same way, with the additional advantage of a gun on the top

of one of the churches, which I consider an indelible stigma against the character of the Bishop, not only from his situation, but the professions he made.

I can easily conceive how the feelings of General Beresford must, at this moment, have been on the rack; disappointed in his last efforts to induce the enemy to a general engagement in the great square, his gallaut little army falling fast by shots from invisible persons; and the only alternative which could present itself to save the useless effusion of so much valuable blood was a flag of truce, which was hoisted at the castle about one o'clock.

In an instant there were near ten thousand men in the great square, pressing forward in the most outrageous manner to get into the fort, and even firing at our men on the ramparts; so much so, that it was with extreme difficulty the British troops were prevented revenging this insult: indeed the General was obliged to tell the Spanish officers, if their men did not retire in the course of one minute, he must, as the only measure of safety, haul down the flag of truce, and recommence hostilities: this firmness had the desired effect, and he then sent his conditions to the Spanish General, and they were instantly acccded to.

I enclose a copy of the capitulation; and I trust the high and independent language in which it is couched, and the terms dictated by General Beresford to an officer at the head of myriads of people, will do him infinite honour in England, and obtain for him His Majesty's most gracious approbation of his conduct.

I have received, and annex a return of the killed, wounded, and missing; by which it appears, that there are two officers, two Sergeants, one Drumner, forty-three rank and file, killed; cight officers, seven Sergeants, ninety-two rank and file, wounded; and nine, missing; making a total of one hundred and sixty-five; and scarce any of those misfortunes were occasioned, except from the inhabitants on the tops of the houses and the churches.

The enemy confesses to have lost about seven hundred killed and wounded, in the short conflict in the streets; and if it had not been for the inhabitants, I have little doubt that the Spanish troops would have been completely defeated, although seven times the number of the British forces.

Nothing is more difficult than to give their Lordships an idea of the number of men in arms; but from the best accounts we can obtain, it is thought Pueridon, and the other principal people engaged in this plot, had collected from eight to ten thousand men in the country; that Leniers may have brought over from eight hundred to a thousand; and the town furnished, though armed in various ways, about ten thousand, under the secret arrangement of the Magistrates.

When every vessel that could escape from Buenos Ayres had joined, I proceeded towards Ensenada, to retire the detachment of marines; Licutenant Groves, of the Diadem, was obliged to quit the Eelem schooner, as she would not work out; one gun-boat and a settec, a prize, were also left in the harbour, with the Justina, a small English merchant ship that had followed the expedition from St. Helena. Captain Thomson, of the Neptune, who was in the castle, was made a prisoner; and Lieutenant Burgh, of the Raisonable, with Mr. Ramsay, a Midshipman, and seven men, who were in the settee, as her boats could not hold them. Lieutenant Herrick, in the Dolores, the other armed schooner, worked out in a manner which, coupled with his own conduct on the whole of this business, does him great credit.

On the 13th, in the morning, the detachment of marines, under the command of Lieutenant Swaile, was embarked from Ensenada, and his two Spanish field pieces spiked and thrown into the river,

On the 14th I sailed for this anchorage, where I arrived the following day, and immediately addressed the Governor of Monte Video on the subject of our troop.