1S3 



State of Pubiic jiffairs in August, IS06. [Sept. \^ 



. " I had the fatisfaftion of learning that 

 Caeta ftiU held out, ilciiough as yet witiiout 

 fuccoii), from araiftaken iriea, much tuo pre- 

 valent, that the prcjgrefs of the French armies 

 is irrenftiblefc^it was my firft care to fee that 

 the necefiary fupplies (houh! be fafely convey- 

 ed bo the Governor. I had the ir.expreiTible 

 fetlslaftion of conveying the pioft cffcntial ar- 

 lacles to Grictii, i,-d of co.Timunicating to his 

 Serene HIghnefs the Governor (on the Breach 

 Battery.) which. he nevi;r quits,) tlie afiu- 

 jance of further fupport to any extent within 

 any power, toi' the maintenance of that im- 

 portant fortrefs, hitherto fo long prefeived by 

 his intrepidity and example. Things wore a 

 new afpcft immediately on the arrival of the 

 ammunition : the redoubled fire of the ene- 

 my vvitli red-hot (hot into the Mole (l)cing 

 anfwered with redoubled vigour,) did not 

 prevent the landing of every thing we had 

 brought, together with four of the txcellent"s 

 lower-deck guns, to anfvver tlieir galling fire, 

 which bore direiUy on tiie landijig-place. A 

 fecond convoy with the Intrepid, placed the 

 garrifon beyond the immediate want of any 

 thing cd'ential, and the enemy, fiom advan- 

 cing his naireft approaches within two hun- 

 dred and fifty yards, was reduced to the de- 

 fenfive in a degree, dreading one of thofe fur- 

 ties which the Prince of HelTe had already 

 flicwn him his garrifon was equal to, and 

 which was become a much fafer operation, 

 row that the flanking fire of eight Neapoli- 

 tan gun-hoats I liad brought with me, in ad- 

 dition to four his Highni-fs had already ufed 

 fuccefsfuUy, would cover it, even to the rear 

 of the enemy's trenches. Arrangements were 

 put in train for this purpoic, and, according to 

 a wife fuggeiHon of his Serene Highnefs, 

 nieafures were taken ior the embarkatiun oi a 

 fmall party from the garrifon to land in the 

 rear of the enemy's latteries to the northward. 

 " I confided the execution o* the naval 

 part of this arrangement to Captain Richard- 

 fon, of his Majcity's (hip Juno, putting the 

 Neapolitan frigate and gun-boats under his 

 orders. His Serene Highnefs, poffclling the 

 experience of European warfare, and a moft 

 firm mind, having no occ.ifion for further aid 

 on the fpot, I felt I could quit the garrifcn 

 without apprthenfion for its fa ety in fuch 

 hands, with the prcfent means of doience, and 

 that I could belt co-operate with him by 

 drawing fome of the attacking forces off for 

 the defence of Naples I accordingly proceed- 

 ed thither with the line of battle fliips Pom- 

 pee, Excellent, Athtnienne. and Intrepid, 

 The enemy's apprehenfion of attack occafion- 

 ed them to convey fome of the b.ittering train 

 from the trenches before Gaeta to Naples. 

 The city was illuminated on account of Jo- 

 ftph Buonapaite proclaiming himftU King of 

 the Two Sicilies ! The junction of the 

 Eagle made us five fail of the line, and it 

 would have been eafy for ^heir fire to have in- 

 terrupted this ceremony and ihew of feflivi- 

 ty J b\ic 1 confideicd that the unfortunate in- 



habitants had evil enough on them ; that the 

 reftoration of the ca]>;tal to its lawful Sove- 

 reign and its fugitive inhabitants would be no 

 gratification if it fiiould be found a heap of 

 ruins, a(hes, and bones j and that, a» I had 

 no force to land ar;d keep order, in cafe of the 

 French army reti; 'ir^ to the fortrclTes, I fhould 

 leave an opulent city a prey to the licentious 

 part of the community, who would not fail 

 to profit by the confufion the flames would 

 occafion. Not a gun was fired. But no fuch 

 confiderjtion oper.ited on my mind to prevent 

 me diflodging the French garrifon from the 

 Ifiand of Capri, which, from its fituatipn, 

 protefting the coafting communication fouth- 

 ward. was a great object for the enemy to 

 keep, and by fo much one for me to wreft 

 from him. [ accordingly fanimoned the 

 French Commandant to furrender ; on his 

 non acquiefcence, Idirefled Captain Rowley, 

 iii his Majefty's ihip Eagle, to cover the 

 landing of m.irir.es and boats' crews, and 

 cauled an attack to be made under his orders. 

 That brave o(Kcer placed his fliip judicioufiy, 

 nor did lie open his fire till (he was fecurtd, 

 and his diftance marked by the effeA of muf- 

 quetryon his qu.irter deck, where the Firft 

 Lieutenant, Jame< Crawley, lell wounded, 

 and a fcaman was killed. Although Capt.\in 

 Rowley regretted n;uch the lervices of that 

 meritorious oflicer in (nch. jl critical moment, 

 he has iinv.e recovered, 



*' An iiour's fire tVom both decks of the 

 Eagle, (between nine and ten o'clock,) with 

 that of t.vo Neapoi-tan murt.ir boats under ad 

 aiStive oliicer, Litijtenant R....;a, drove the 

 enemy from the viiieyards. .vithin their walls. 

 The marines weie lanc^ ' and gallantly led 

 by Captain Bruce ; the Itamen, in like man- 

 ner, under Lieutenant Viorrell, oi the Eagle, 

 and Lieutenant Reddin;;, of the Ponipce, 

 mounted the fleps, (for fuch was their road,) 

 headed by the rfiicers, neaieft to tlie narrow 

 pafs, by w..ich alunc they could afcend. 

 Lieutenant CairuU had thus an opportunity of 

 particularly dirtinj^uifhing himlelf. Captain 

 Stannus, commanding the Athenienne's ma- 

 rines, gallantly prelling fovwavd, gained tie 

 Jieights, and tlie French Comir.andajit fell by 

 his hand, Thhs event being known, the ene- 

 my ueat a parley : a letter trom the focond in 

 command claimed the terms otlcred, but bs- 

 ing dated the lyth after midnight, iome diffi- 

 culty occurred, my limitation as to time be- 

 ing precife ; but on the alTurance that the 

 drum beat bei'ore twelve, tiie capitulatiori 

 was figncd, and the garrifon allowed tom.ircti 

 out and pais over to Naples with every ho- 

 nour of war, after the interment of their for- 

 mer brave Commander with due refpe£l. We 

 thus became matters of this Important poll. 

 The enemy not having been allowed time to 

 bring two pieces of heavy cannon, with their 

 ammunition, to Capri, the boat containing 

 them, togetiier with a boat loaded with tim- 

 ber for the conftruftion of gun boats at Caftel- 

 L'.roare, took refuge at Alalia, on tlie main 



land 



