not be accepted. They did not return until next morning, bringing, however, the intelligence that the terms of the capitulation had been agreed to. These included the unconditional surrender of the Danish fleet. During the evening of the 7th the citadel was taken possession of by the Grenadiers, accompanied by a detachment of the German Rifle Corps, a troop of Dragoons, and a brigade of Artillery. On the same evening the following General Order was published:

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1807

"The Commander of the Forces cannot delay expressing Head"his warmest thanks to all the General Officers and Staff for quarters. Hellerup, "the great and able assistance he has received from all of 7 Sept. them, in their several ranks and stations. And he feels. "himself, in like manner, obliged to all the officers com"manding brigades or regiments, and the officers and "soldiers under their command.

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"He must, however, be allowed, in a particular manner, "to express his thanks to Major-General Blomefield and "Colonel D'Arcy, and the officers and corps of the Royal Artillery and Engineers, whose laborious science and "success, collectively and individually, have been most "remarkable, and reflect great honour on that branch of "His Majesty's service."

The naval stores captured were very valuable, and their weight exceeded 20,000 tons. No fewer than 3500 pieces of ordnance were also taken. By the 20th October the whole army had re-embarked, and reached England without loss. One cannot but regret that the object of the Expedition could not have been attained in a different manner; and that the means employed were not as justifiable as they were successful.

There are various points of interest connected with the services of the Artillery during the siege which seem worthy of mention. The following extracts from General Blomefield's letters to Lord Chatham speak for themselves:

. . . It is with great satisfaction that I have to con- Dated "gratulate your Lordship on the fortunate issue of our 1807 9 Sept. Expedition, and on the distinguished share which fell to

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Dated

12 Sept. 1807.

Lord Chatham to

General

Blomefield, Sept. 19, 1807.

"the lot of our corps in accomplishing so desirable ar " and I should do them great injustice were I not to "their exertions in the strongest manner, as well "laborious task of landing and transporting the A "and stores to the batteries, from four to eigh "distance, as in the active and intelligent use o "when employed. . . . . I believe there are very "stances of so powerful an effect being produced in "a time, and with so little loss of lives. Six th "shells and carcases were thrown into the town (v very spacious), from mortars, howitzers, and guns, "the short period of two nights and one day."

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Again: "I cannot sufficiently commend the conduc "officers and men under my command. Your Lordsl "observe by the enclosed sketch of the batteries, h "midable the attack must have been under those "excellent officers, Lieut.-Colonels Harding, Rob "Cookson; and nothing could resist so heavy a fire.” The satisfaction of the Master-General may be ga from his reply:

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"I received your letter of the 7th inst., and rejoice truly in the prosperous issue of the Expedition to Z "The satisfaction I derived from this event was, I assu "much increased from the very highly honourable an "tinguished part borne in this enterprise by the C

Royal Artillery under your command, and whose ex "are the theme of general admiration. I am sincerely "in communicating to you that His Majesty has ann "his gracious intentions of conferring upon you the d "of a Baronet, as a testimony of the sense entertai your eminent services on this occasion. . .

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"a sad contrast is the miserable business of Buenos A On the 28th September, Lord Cathcart received a de from Lord Castlereagh, expressing His Majesty's approbation of the army's performance; and this was municated to the troops on the same evening. Lord Ca Gen' Order, took the opportunity of thanking them again "f patience, discipline, and exertions of all regiments,

28 Sept.

1807.

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"and departments, to which, under the blessing of Provi"dence, he was indebted for the complete success of the Expedition, and for the most gracious approbation which "His Majesty has been pleased to declare of the whole "service." Military science has advanced, and may continue to advance, with prodigious strides; but success will never be possible without the same weapons as those to which Copenhagen surrendered patience, discipline, and exertion.

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፡፡

dated

A long-standing right was claimed for his corps by General Blomefield, from Lord Cathcart, after the siege. "It being Letter "an invariable custom in our service, whenever a place cupi- 12 Sept. "tulates after a siege, to allow the officer commanding the 1807. Royal Artillery a claim of the bells in the town, and its dependencies, or a compensation in lieu of them,-which "has twice occurred upon services in which I have been employed, viz. the sieges of the Havannah, and Fort Royal "in Martinique,—I conceive it to be my duty which I owe to my brother officers, as well as myself, to express my hope "that in the present instance it will not be dispensed with."

On the 3rd November, 1807, General Blomefield was created a Baronet; and the story of the Expedition concludes with the thanks of the Houses of Parliament being voted to the army and the fleet which had been engaged. This was communicated by Sir Thomas Blomefield-now at Woolwich-to the officers and men who had served under him, both belonging to his own corps and to the Artillery of the King's German Legion. In the language used by him in addressing the former, may be detected the strength in his bosom of that Regimental feeling which it is the main object of this work to strengthen. "It therefore only remains "with the General," he wrote, "to add his sincere thanks "for their highly meritorious conduct, by which they have

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acquitted themselves no less to their own credit than to "that of the corps in which they have the honour to serve."

NOTE. It may have been merely accidental, but it is worthy of note that while the Master-General corresponded directly with General Blomefield during this service, the Deputy Adjutant-General corresponded with the Lieutenant-Colonels employed on the Expedition.

Letter to

D. A. Gen.

12 Jan. 1806.

אן

CHAPTER XI.

MONTE VIDEO AND BUENOS AYRES.

[N a letter from Lord Chatham, quoted in the last cl allusion is made to a campaign in South America contrasted unfavourably with the successful siege of hagen. The plan of this work requires that the should now turn to this unsuccessful Expedition, a how bravely English troops endeavoured to compensa their exertions for want of generalship in their leader the Artilleryman this chapter will have a special inter from the fact that two of the officers who took a prom part in the campaign were destined to become very en in their corps and profession-Sir Augustus Frazer, al Alexander Dickson.

On the 12th January, 1806, Major Spicer, who comm the Artillery with Sir David Baird's Expedition to the of Good Hope, reported that, two days previously, Cape had fallen into their hands. During the operations resulted in this important capture, the officers and under his command behaved in a "persevering, cool "steady manner." The heavy surf prevented him landing more than six 6-pounders and two 5-inch howi the whole of which were in action and did good se although outnumbered, three to one, by the artillery o enemy. Captains Turner and Ogilvie received s mention for their conduct on the occasion.

In the beginning of April, Major Spicer went on a of inspection round the outposts, leaving Captain Ogilvie Brigade-Major-sick at Cape Town. He had barely st when the Admiral, Sir Home Popham, resolved-on his responsibility, and entirely without the knowledge of the lish Government-to proceed with a naval and military

to South America, for the purpose of attacking the Spanish settlements, and securing the trade of the country for England. General Beresford was put in command of the military part of the Expedition; and the detachment of the Royal Artillery, which was at first ordered to accompany it, consisted of Lieutenant A. Macdonald, 1 bombardier, 1 lance-bombardier, 18 gunners, 1 conductor, 1 wheeler, 1 collar-maker, 1 corporal and 9 men of the Gunner-driver Corps, and 18 horses. Captain Ogilvie having offered to resign his staff appointment if allowed to accompany the force, his offer was accepted; and in a letter which he wrote from St. Helena, en route, he was able to announce that the detachment under his command had been augmented by an officer and 100 gunners of the St. Helena Artillery. The fleet consisted of 5 men-of-war, and the military force, in addition to the Artillery, was composed of a detachment of the 20th Light Dragoons, a few Engineers, and the 71st Regiment. The Expedition reached a point about twelve miles distant from Buenos Ayres, and on the 25th June, 1806, a landing was effected. Advancing boldly, and driving the Spanish troops before them, the English reached the city, and on the 28th June summoned the Governor to surrender-a summons to which he immediately yielded. So small, however, was the force under General Beresford's command, that he could not hold the city; and in a very short time the English troops had actually to surrender as prisoners of war. Sir Home Popham continued to blockade the river for some time; but was soon ordered home to be tried by court-martial for his unauthorized proceedings. Thus ended the first act of this unfortunate drama.

The English Government, although disapproving of the original Expedition, was compelled to take some steps to avenge the disaster to Beresford's force. The fleet, now under the command of Admiral Sterling, had already been considerably increased; and reinforcements from the Cape of Captain Good Hope had arrived, including a few Artillerymen under D. A. Gen. Captain A. Watson, four troops of the 20th,-and two of the 8 Oct. 21st, Light Dragoons, the 38th, 47th, and a detachment of

Watson to

1806.