obliged to be contented with taking possession of two schooners, laden with sugar, which he most gallantly brought away from alongside a wharf, in spite of repeated discharges of musketry from the troops and militia, which poured down in numbers from the surrounding country. I should not have been thus particular in recounting a circumstance which was not attended with ultimate success, were it not to mark my admiration of the noble conduct of lieutenant Oliver, in so gallantly attacking and carrying a fort which, with the men it contained, ought to have maintained its position against fifty times the number that were opposed; but nothing could withstand the prompt and manly steps taken by that officer and his gallant crew on this occasion; and as, in my humble judgment, the attempt was most daring and hazardous, and had the privateers been there, I doubt not but success would have attended it, so I humbly solicit the honour of your notice to this most gallant officer. C. Dashwood. Interesting Account of Lieut. Yeo's gallant Action at Muros Bay. In a Letter from Capt. F. Maitland to Admiral Drury. Loire, at Anchor, Muros Roud, Spain, June 4. Sir,-Being informed that there was a French privateer, of 26 guns, fitting out at Muros, and nearly ready for sea, it struck me, from my recollection of the bay, (having been in it formerly, when lieutenant of the Kingfisher,) as being practicable either to bring her out or de stroy her, with the ship I have the honour to command. I accordingly prepared yesterday evening for engaging at anchor, and appointed Mr. Yeo, first lieutenant, with lieutenants Mallock and Douglas, of the marines, and Mr. Clinch, master's mate, to head the boarders and marines, amounting, officers included, to 50 men (being all that can be spared from anchoring the ship and working the guns,) in tanding and storming the fort, though I then had no idea its strength was so great as it has proved. At nine this morning, on the sea-breeze setting in, I stood for the bay in the ship, the men previ ously prepared being in the boats ready to shove off. On hauling close round the point of the road, a small battery of two guns opened a fire on the ship; a few shot were returned, but perceiving it would annoy us considerably, from its si tuation, I desired Mr. Yeo to push on-shore, and spike the guns, reminding the men of its being the anniversary of their sovereign's birth, and that, for his sake, as well as their own credit, their utmost exertions must be used. Though such an injunction was unnecessary, it had a great effect in animating and raising the spirits of the people.As the ship drew in, and more fully opened the bay, I perceived a very rently nearly ready for sea, and a long corvette, of 26 ports, appalarge brig, of twenty ports, in a state of fitting; but neither of them firing, led me to conclude they had not their guns on board, and left no other object to occupy my attention but a heavy fort, which at this moment opened to our view, within less than a quarter of a mile, and began a wonderfully well-directed fire, almost every shot taking place in the hull. Perceiving that, by standing farther on, more guus would be brought to bear upon us, without our being enabled to near the fort so much as I wished, I ordered the helm to be put down, and when, from the way she had, we had gained an advantageous position, anchored with a spring, and commenced firing. Although we have but little doubt that, before long, we should have silenced the fort, yet, from the specimen they gave us, and being completely embrazured, it must have cost us many lives, and great injury to the ship, had not Mr. Yeo's gallantry and great conduct soon put an end to their fire. I must now revert to him and the party under his command:-Having landed under the small battery on the Point, it was instantly abandoned; but hardly had he time to spike the guus, when, at the distance of a quarter of a mile. he perceived a regular fort, ditched, and with a gate, which the enemy (fortunately not suspecting our landing) had neglect ed to secure, open a fire upon the ship: without waiting for orders, he pushed forward, and was opposed at the inner gate by the governor, with such troops as were in the town, and the crews of the French privateers. From the testimony of the prisoners, as well as our own men, it appears that Mr. Yeo was the first that entered the fort, with one blow laid the governor dead at his feet, and broke his own sabre in two; the other officers were dispatched by such officers and men of ours as were most advanced, and the narrowness of the gate would permit, to push forward: the remainder instantly filed to the far ther end of the fort, where, from the ship, we could perceive many of them leap from the embrasures upon the rocks (a height of above twentyfive feet); such as laid down their arms received quarter.-For a more partiular account of the proceedings of Mr. Yeo, and his party, I beg leave to refer you to his letter enclosed herewith, and have to request you will be pleased to recommend him to the notice of the lords commissioners of the admiralty, being a very old officer, and in the two late instances has displayed as much gallantry as ever fell to the lot of any man; he speaks in the strongest language of the officers and 'men under his command on-shore, and I feel it but justice to attribute our success wholly to their exertions; for although the fire from the ship was admirably directed, the enemy were so completely covered by their embrasures, as to render the grape almost ineffectual.-The instant the union was displayed at the fort, I sent and took possession of the enemy's vessels in the road, consisting of the Confiance French privateer, pierced for 26 twelves and nincs, none of which, however, were on board; the Belier, a French privateer brig, pierced for 20 18-pound carronades; and a Spanish merchant-brig in ballast. I then hoisted a flag of truce, and sent to inform the inhabitants of the town, that if they would deliver up such stores of the ship as were on shore, there would be no farther molestation; the proposal was thankfully agreed to. I did not, however, think it advisable to allow the people to remain long enough to embark the guns, there being a large body of troops in the vicinity. A great many small vessels are in the bay, and and hauled up on the beach: none of them having cargoes of any value, I conceive it an act of inhumanity to deprive the poorer inhabitants of the means of gaining their livelihood, and shall not molest them. On inspecting the brig, as she had only the lower rigging over-head, and was not in a state of forwardness, I found it impracticable to bring her away, and therefore set fire to her she is now burnt to the water's edge. I cannot conclude my letter without giving the portion of credit that is their due to the officers and men on board the ship; they conducted themselves with the greatest steadiness and coolness, and, although under a heavy fire, pointed their guns with the utmost precision, there being hardly a shot that did not take effect. To lieutenants Lawe and Bertram I feel much indebted, as well as to Mr. Shea, the purser, (who volunteered his services, and to whom I gave the charge of the quarter-deck carronades in Mr. Yeo's absence,) for the precision and coolness displayed by the men under their command in pointing the guns, as well as the exact attention paid to my orders, and ceasing fire the instant the union jack made its appearance on the walls, by which, in all probability, the lives of several of our men were saved. Mr. Cleverly, the master, brought the broadside to bear with much quickness and nicety, by means of the spring. I send you herewith a list of our wounded on board, and on shore, with one of the enemy's killed and wounded, and an account of their force at the commencement of the action. I have been under the necessity of being more detailed than I could wish, but it is out of my power, in a smaller compass, to do justice to the exertions and conduct of the officers and men employed on the different services. It is but fair at the same time to state, that, much to the credit of the ship's company, the bishop and one of the principal inhabitants of the town came off to express their gratitude for the orderly behaviour of the people, (there not being one instance of pillage,) and to make offer of every refreshment the place affords.-l am now waiting for the land breeze to carry us out, having already re called the officers and men from the fort, the guns be ng spiked and thrown over the parapet, the carriages rendered unserviceable, and the embrazures, with part of the fort, blown up. I am, &c. Fred. Maitland. Rear-admiral Drury, &c. Cove. Loire, Muros Bay, June 4. Sir, I have the pleasure to acquaint you, that I proceeded on shore with the party you did me the honour to place under my command, for the purpose of storming the port on the Point, agreeable to your orders, which on our approach the soldiers quitted. On my arrival, I observed a strong fort at the entrance of the town, opening a heavy fire on the ship; and, judging it practicable to carry it by storm, from a thorough knowledge I had of the determined bravery of all the officers and men, I ordered them to follow me for that purpose, which was obeyed with all that energy and gallantry which British seamen and marines are so well known to possess on such an occasion, and in a very short time reached the outer gate, when the French centinel fired, and retreated into the fort, which we instantly entered, and were met by the governor and all the garrison, &c. when, after a dreadful slaughter on the part of the enemy, the remainder surrendered, and I instantly ordered the British colours to be hoisted.-I feel it my duty, as well as the greatest pleasure, to mention the great support I received from lieutenant Mallock, of the royal marines, and Mr. Chas. Clinch, master's mate, as, from their being near me all the time of the action, I was enabled to observe their very cool and gallant behaviour, as also of lieut. Douglas, of the royal marines, who, though engaged at different parts of the fort, I have no less reason to be highly pleased with. I must now beg leave to say how much I am indebted to every seaman and marine of the party, who behaved so unanimously brave, nothing could withstand them; and, to their credit, as Englishmen, as well as their profession, the instant the fort was in our possession, they seemed to try who could be the first to relieve and assist the poor wounded prisoners, who were lying in numbers in different parts of the fort; and I had the pleasure to see their humanity amply repaid by the gratitude the unfortunate men's friends expressed when they came down to take them away. I am, &c. James Lucas Yeo. Wounded on Shore belonging to the Loire. Lieut. J. L. Yeo, slightly; Mr. Clinch, master's mate, ditto; H. Gray, M. Hendrickson, J. Paine, seamen, ditto; J. Leonard, marine, ditto.-On board, J. Caldwell, seaman, dangerously; M. Johnson, seaman, lost his right leg above the knee; C. Wilson, seamen, calf of his leg shot off; J. Whitecombe, seaman, severely; J. Plummer, M. Archer, T. Lloyd, J. Moulds, J. Gillett, seamen, slightly.-Total, 2 officers, 12 seamen, 1 marine. Spaniards Killed and Wounded. The governor of the fort, and a Spanish gentleman who had volunteered; the second captain of the Confiance, and nine others, killed. Thirty, amongst which were most of the officers of the Confiance, wounded.-Total, 12 killed, and 30 wounded. F. L. Maitland. Enemy's Force at the Commencement of the Action, when opposed to His Majesty's Ship Loire, in Muros Bay, June 4, 1805. A fort of 12 Spanish 18-pounders, mounted on travelling-carriages, 22 Spanish soldiers, and several Spanish gentlemen and townsmen volunteers, and about 100 of the Confiance's ship's company.-The small battery on the Point, 2 Spanish 18-pounders, 1 mounted as above, the other on a ship carriage, manned by 8 artillery men and 10 other Spaniards. In the Bay.-La Confiance of Bourdeaux, pierced for 26 guns, twelves and nines, (not on board) 116 feet long on the main-deck, 30 feet wide, measures about 450 tons, is in good order, and a very fit ship for his majesty's service; is reckoned to sail excessively fast; was to have gone to sea in a few days; bound to India, with a complement of 300 men: brought away.-Le Belier, of Bourdeaux, pierced for 20 guns, also fitting for sea; was to have carried 18-pound carronades, and 180 men, supposed to be destined to cruize to the westward of Cape Clear: burnt.-The guns on the fort and battery spiked, and thrown over the parapet. The car riages broke, and rendered unserviceable. The embrazures blown up. Forty barrels of powder brought on board, with two sinall brass cannon, and 50 stand of arms. (Signed) Fred. Maitland. Letter from Vice-admiral Sir Robert Calder, to Admiral Cornwallis, giving an Account of his Success against the combined Squadron of France and Spain. Prince of Wales, July 23. Sir,-Yesterday at noon, lat. 43 deg. 30 min. N. long. 11 deg. 17 min. W. I was favoured with a view of the combined squadrons of France and Spain, consisting of twenty sail of the line, also three large ships, armed en flute, of about fifty guns each, with five frigates, and three brigs; the force under my directions at this time consisting of fifteen sail of the line, two frigates, a cutter, and a lugger. I immediately stood towards the enemy with the squadron, making the needful signals for battle in the closest order; and, on closing with them, I made the signal for attacking their centre. When I had reached their rear, I tacked the squadron in succession; this brought us close up under their lee, and when our headmost ships reached their centre, the enemy were tacking in succession; this obliged me to make again the same manouvre, by which I brought on an action which lasted upwards of four hours, when I found it necessary to bring to the squadron to cover the two captured ships whose names are in the margin.* I have to observe, the enemy had every advantage of wind and weather during the whole day. The weather had been foggy, at times, great part of the morning; and very soon after we had brought them to action, the fog was so very thick at intervals, that we could with great difficulty see the ship ahead or astern of us: this rendered it impossible to take the advantages of the enemy by signals I could have wished to have done; had the weather been more favour. able, I am led to believe the victory would have been more complete. I have very great pleasure in saying, that every ship was conducted in the most masterly style; and I beg leave here publicly to return every captain, officer, and man, whom I had the honour to command on that day, my most grateful thanks, for their conspicuously gallant and very judicious good conduct. The hon. capt. Gardaer, of the Hero, led the van squadron in a most masterly and officer-like manner, to whom I feel myself particularly indebted; as also to capt. Cuming, for his assistance during the action. Inclosed is a list of the killed and wounded on board the different ships. If I may judge from the slaughter on board the captured ships, the enemy must have suffered greatly. They are now in sight to windward; and when I have secured the captured ships, and put the squadron to rights, I shall endeavour to avail myself of any opportunity that may offer, to give you some further account of these combined squadrons. R. Calder. Admiral Cornwallis. Ships under the Orders of Vice-admiral Sir R. Calder, Bart. July 22. Hero, hon. A. H. Gardner. J killed, 4 wounded-Ajax, William * St. Rafael, 84 guns. Firme, 74 guns. Brown, |