H́nh ảnh trang
PDF
ePub

attempt to exprefs it; his advice,
his active affiftance, and cordial
co-operation on every occafion,
have never been wanting, and en-
title him to my warmeft gratitude.
I have the honour to be,
with the greatest respect, fir,
your moft obedient,

humble fervant,
J. H. CRAIG, major-general.
I have the honour to enclose a

return of the killed and wounded during the period of my command. Right hon. Henry Dundas, one of bis majefty's principal fecretaries of ftate, &c.

[Then follows a return of the killed, wounded, and miffing, of the troops and feamen under the command of major-general Craig, between the 7th of Auguft and the 3d of September, 1795; amounting in the whole to 3 rank and file killed; 1 major, 2 captains, I fubaltern, I drummer, 32 rank and file wounded; 5 rank and file miffing.]

Names of the officers wounded. Major Moneypenny, of the 78th regiment; captain HerculesScott, of ditto; captain Dentaffe, of St. Helena corps; Mr. Hardy, midshipman, R. N.

J. H. CRAIG, major-gen.

Cape Town, Sept. 23, 1795. Sir, My letters from St. Salvador, by the Chatham brig, will have acquainted you of our leaving that place and I have now the honour to inform you that all the India company's fhips, having troops on board, arrived off the Cape of Good Hope on the 3d, and entered Simon's Bay on the 4th inftant, where I found the admiral in poffeflion of

3

the harbour, and major-general
Craig at Muyzenberg, a poft of im-
portance, about fix miles on the
road to this place, with a corps
compofed of feamen and marines
from the fleet, fix companies of the
78th regiment that came in it, and
a detachment of the Eaft-India
company's troops from St. Helena,
amounting in all to about 1,900
men, and the enemy, who had pe-
remptorily rejected all negociation,
in a state of active hoftility against

us. Under thefe circumftances it
'became neceffary to endeavour to
effect the execution of our orders
without lofs of time; I therefore,
in conjunction with, and aided by
the admiral, difembarked the regi
ments, artillery, and neceffary
ftores, and forwarded them to the
advanced poft as faft as poffible,
where, through his ardent zeal for
the public fervice and indefatiga-
ble exertions, as much provifion
was collected as we hoped might
enable us to fet down before the
town, and go on till we could com-
municate with our fhips in Table
Bay, or draw fome afliftance from
the country behind us: and having
made the beft arrangement we
could for transporting our provi
fions, guns, ftores, ammunition,
and neceffary articles of every kind,
by the only means in our power,
men's labour, we marched on the
14th from Muyzenberg, leaving
a fufficient detachment for the pro-
tection of our camp and ftores at
that place. The enemy could fee
all our motions, and the country
through which we were to pass for
feveral miles being very favourable
to the fort of warfare that it was
their bufinefs to purfue (many of
them being on borfeback, and
armed with guns that kill at a great

diftance),

Our

afking a ceffation of arms for 48 hours to arrange and offer propofals for furrendering the town; but I did not think it prudent to grant more than 24, in which time every thing was fettled agreeably to the articles of capitulation that I have the honour to enclofe, whereby the regular troops that formed the garrifon became prifoners of war, and his majefty put into the full poffeffion of the town and colony, which I hope will prove acceptable to him, and juftify the commendation and report that I think it my duty to make of the meritorious fervices of all the officers, foldiers, feamen, and marines that have been employed in this arduous fervice. The difficulties and hardships that great part of them have experienced are extreme, and the perfeverance and chearfulness with which they were encountered do them the higheft credit, and, I am perfuaded, will recommend them all in the ftrougeft manner to his majefty's favour.

diftance), I had reafon to think we might be greatly haraffett and fuffer much on our route. lofs, however, from the precautions taken, and the fhynefs of the enemy, fortunately proved less than might have been expected, having only one feaman killed and feven teen foldiers wounded in our progrefs to the poft of Wynberg, where the enemy were in force, with nine pieces of cannon, and had determined, as we are told, to make serious refiftance. But having formed the army from columns of march in two lines, and made a detachment from my right and left to attack both their flanks, while I advanced with the main body and artillery, (which, much to the credit of major Yorke, was extremely well conducted and served) against their center, they found themselves fo preffed by us, and at the fame time alarmed by the appearance of commodore Blankett with three fhips the admiral had detached into Table Bay, to caufe a diverfion on that fide of which they were very jealous, that they retired with the lofs of a few men from our cannon, before we could gain the top of the hill; from whence we followed them close for two miles; but dark coming on, and great part of the troops being much fatigued by the burdens they carried, and the haraffment they met with through very fwampy ground in the courfe of the day, I determined to halt for the night in the pofition I found myfelf, which proved favourable for the purpose, with the intention of profecuting my march at daylight next morning. In this fituation an officer arrived with a flag and letter from Governor Sluytkin,

The general character of fir George Keith Elphinstone, and his ardent defire to ferve his country, are too well known to receive additional luftre from any thing I could fay upon that fubject; but I fhould do injuftice to my own feelings if I did not exprefs the obligations I am under for the ready co-operation and affiftance that he afforded upon every occafion, which fo eminently contributed to the fuccessful iffue of our joint endeavours.

The arrangements made by major-general Craig previous to my arrival, and the active fervices he rendered afterwards claim my thanks, and furnish the best proof of his having conducted his majet

F 4

ty's

ty's fervice in a manner honourable to himself and beneficial to his country.

troops, and to vice-admiral the hourable fir George Keith Elphinfione, K. B. commanding the hips of war of his. faid majefty.

Art. I. The caftle and the town thall be furrendered to the troops of his Britannic majesty.

Lieutenant-colonel M Murdoc, deputy quarter-matter-general to the expedition under my orders, will have the honour of delivering this difpatch. He is well qualified to give you every information that An. The capitulation being his thort refidence here will admit; figned, the cattle and the town muft and I take the liberty, fir, of re- betarrendered to a detachment of commending this old and most valu- bis: Britannic majefty's troops at able officer to your good offices and eleven o'clock this day. his majefty's favour.

I have the honour to be with the highest respect and regard, fir,

your moft obedient and most faithful humble fervant,

ALUKED CLARKE.

P. S. The quantity of ordnance, ammunition, naval and other ftores that we find here is very confiderble; but as there is not time to have it examined, and properinventories made before the departure of the ship which conveys thefe difpatches, we muft defer fending fuch documents as may be thought neceffary upon this fubject till another opportunity.

[ocr errors]

The regular troops made prifoners of war amount to about one thoufand, fix hundred of which are of the regiment of Gordon, and the reft principally of the corps of artillery. Enclofed is a return of the killed and wounded on the 14th A. C.

inftant.

ARTICLES OF CAPITULATION propofed by the honourable commiffay and council of regency of the Cape of Good Hope, to general Alured Clarke, commanding his Britannic majefty's

-(

Art. II. The military thall march out with the honours of war, and fhall then lay down their arms and become prifoners of war; but the officers thall retain their fwords. Anf. Agreed.

Art. III. Such officers as fhall be defirous of leaving the colony fhall have permiflion to do fo, they giving their parole of honour that they will not serve against Great Britain during the prefent war; and there fhall be no impediment to their going home in neutral fhips, if they chufe it, at their own expence.

Anf. Agreed; and in the mean time they thall remain prifoners on their parole at the Cape Town.

Art. IV. Such officers as chufe to remain here without fervice fhall have leave to to do.

Anf. Agreed.

Art. V. All property belonging to the Dutch Eaft India Company thall be faithfully delivered up without refervation, and proper inventories furnished to fuch officers as fhall be appointed to receive it; but all private property of every fort, whether belonging to the company's civil, naval, or military fervants, to the burghers and inha bitants, to churches, orphans, or

[blocks in formation]

felf, and which may appear neceffary to him for the vindication of his conduct during the time of his miniftry, in the fame manner as he might have done, had he been difcharged by his fovereign.

Art. XIII. No perfons whatever, whether fervants of the company, feamen, military, burghers, or others belonging to the colony, thall be preffed into his Britannic majetty's fervice, or engaged but by their own free-will and confent. Anf. Agreed. (Signed)

ALURED CLARKE, General.
GEO. KEITH ELPHINSTONE,
Vice-admiral.

Additional Article.-It having been represented to us, that the utmoft confusion must ensue in the colony, and that it would, in all probability, be attended with the entire ruin of it, if the paper money pow circulating in it were deprived of that fecurity which can alone give any effect to the eighth article, we therefore confent, that the lands and houfles, the property of the Dutch Eaft India company in this fettlement, fhall continue the fecurity of that part of the money, which is not already fecured by mortgages upon the eftates of individuals, by its having been lent to them. This is to be, however, without prejudice to the go. vernment of Great Britain having the ufe of the buildings, &c. for public purpofes. And we will further reprefent to his majefty's government the infinite importance of this fubject to the future profperity of the colony, and request that they will take it into confideration, in order to make fuch arrangements as may appear proper

for

[blocks in formation]

fhips from Salvador arrived in Falie Bay; his majefty's fhip Sphynx, which failed with them, having met with an accident, was obliged to return to the former place for repair.

"On the 4th general Clarke came into the harbour, and on a conference with him it was determined to land the troops without a moment's lofs of time; but, notwithstanding the utmost exertion of the troops and feamen, it was the 14th before provifion, guns, ammunition, &c. could be collected to enable the general to move forward from the camp at Muyzenberg.

"On the morning of that day

95th ditto. 4 rank and file the army marched, each man car

wounded.

rying four days provifion, and the

98th ditto. 2 rank and file volunteer feamen from the India

wounded. 78th light infantry. file wounded. 95th ditto. wounded.

2 rank and

2 rank and file

[blocks in formation]
[ocr errors]

fhips dragging the cannon through a deep fand: the country being difficult to proceed on, they were confiderably galled by the enemy during a fatiguing march perform. ed in hot weather.

"At Wyneberg the bulk of the Dutch made a fiand, but were foon diflodged by his majelty's forces; and nearly at the fame moment commodore Blankett, whom I had previously detached for the exprefs purpose of alarming the enemy, and giving them a diverfion on the Cape town fide, appeared off Camps Bay with the America, Echo, Rattlesnake, and Bombay Caftle India fhip, and performed that fervice in the completeft manner. At eleven P. M. the commilfary Sluytkin fent in a flag of truce to demand a cellation of arms for 48 hours; and on the following morning the colony was furrendered to his majefty.

"I cannot conclude this letter without

« TrướcTiếp tục »