APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 



•545 



]y opposite to Fort Amsterdam is 

 I'ort Purmurent, having ten guns 

 mounted, its rear and Hanks pro- 

 tected by impra6licable marslies and 

 woods. The fire of all these works 

 and batteries intersect in the chan- 

 nel for ships going up the river. 

 The town of Paramaribo is defend- 

 ed towards the water by a battery 

 of about ten guns, mounted in Fort 

 Zelandia, a place otherwise of no 

 defence. The 28th, the ships of 

 war and other vessels proceeded up 

 the river as fast as the tides would 

 admit of. A plan was formed for 

 making an attempt on Fort Purmu- 

 rent; a detachment of the 64th re- 

 giment, under captain Burton, ac- 

 companied by captain Drummond, 

 my aid-de-camp, with a body of 

 armed seamen, commanded by capt. 

 Jervis, embarked at eight o'clock 

 at night for that purpose, but on 

 approaching the fort they found the 

 tide was unfavourable for the un- 

 dertaking, and returned. On the 

 Syth, lieut.-col. Shipley, command- 

 ing engineer, went on shore at the 

 plantation before stated, below the 

 enemy's batteries, to endeavour to 

 procure intelligence; and on return- 

 ing, reported, that he had every rea- 

 son to believe that there was a 

 practicable way through the woods, 

 by which a body of men might be 

 conducted to the rear of the Forts 

 Lcydcn and Frederic!. Lieutenant 

 colonel Shipley was indefatigable in 

 ascertaining the accuracy of this in- 

 formation, iji which he was ably 

 assisted by lieutenant Arnold, of 

 the royal engineers, and Mr. Hobbs, 

 a(5ting engineer, and the result was 

 such, thatadetachmcntof 140 men of 

 the 64th rcgt. under the command of 

 the hon. lieut.-col. Cranstoun, with 

 major Sfirkc, of the 6th W. 1. regt. 

 10 men of the 6th W. 1. rcg. with side- 

 Vox. XLVI. 



arms, having felling-axes ; twenty 

 of the artificers' corps provided iu 

 the same manner ; and about thirty- 

 armed seamen, commanded by cap. 

 tains Maxwell, Ferris, and Richard- 

 son, of the royal navy, the whole un- 

 der the command of brigadier -general 

 Hughes, accompanied by lieut.-col. 

 Shipley, lieut. Arnold, of the royal 

 engineers, and Mr. Hobbs, acting 

 engineer, whose local knowledge 

 proved extremely useful on this oc- 

 casion, landed between the hours 

 of ten and eleven at night, at Re- 

 solution Plantation, and proceeded 

 through the woods with negro 

 guides. A great quantity of rain 

 having recently fallen, it was found 

 that the path, at all times difficult, 

 had become almost impassable ; but 

 no obstacle could damp the enter- 

 prising spirit of our seamen and sol- 

 diers, who, with persevering cou- 

 rage, after a laborious march of five 

 hours, arrived near the rear of 

 Frederici battery. The alarm hav- 

 ing been given, a considerable fir« 

 of grape shot was made upon the 

 troops before they quitted the wood, 

 whilst forming for the attack, and 

 of musketry as thty approached the 

 battery. The assault of our intre- 

 pid seamen and troops with fixed 

 bayonets was sa animated and vi- 

 gorous as to prevent any further' 

 resistance. The enemy fled to Fort 

 Leyden, having set fire to the pow-. 

 djip -magazine; by the explosion of 

 which a few British officers and men 

 were severely wounded.— Brigadier- 

 gen. Hughes used no delay in mov- 

 ing on to the attack of Fort Ley- 

 den, but being under the necessity 

 of marching by a narrow road, 

 which was enfiladed by four or five 

 guns, received a considerable fir« 

 of grape shot on his march, and of 

 musketry ou his aearer approach ;. 

 N B wUick 



