HISTORY OF EUROPE. 
a desperate action on the 12th in 
the streets and great square of the 
town, in which they were attacked 
with incredible fury, and severely 
annoyed by a destructive fire from 
the windows and balconies of the 
houses, they were compelled to lay 
down their arms. The terms on 
which they surrendered, became af- 
terwards a subject of dispute and 
recrimination between generals Be- 
resford and Liniers, who acted as 
commander in chief of the Spani- 
ards. This much only is certain, that 
contrary to the articles of capitula- 
tion signed by Liniers, the English 
were detained prisoners of war and 
marched up the country. The loss 
of the British army in the action of 
the 12th amounted to 165 killed 
wounded and missing, besides 1300 
made prisoners. Thus terminated 
the first expedition to Buenos Ayres, 
and such were the bitter fruits of an 
enterprize, undertaken without au- 
thority,and originating ina ‘‘ breach 
of public duty,’’ which, though al- 
leviated by circumstances, was ad- 
judged by a court martial to be 
‘¢ highly censurable,” and, for the 
general good of his majesty’s ser- 
vice, deserving of a ‘‘ seveie repri- 
mand.’’* \ 
Sir H. Popham, the origin of all 
these calamities,was on board of ship 
when the city was retaken; after 
which with the squadron under his 
command, he continued to blockade 
the river, till the arrival of troops 
from the Cape of Good Hopet cna- 
bled him to recommence offensive 
operations. He then attempted, in 
the first place, to make himself mas- 
ter of Montevideo, but finding it im. 
+ 
239 
possible for his ships to get near 
enough to batter the walls, he was 
forced to desist from this enterprize.f 
A body of troops was then landed 
at Maldonado, under colonel Vas- 
sal, and the Spaniards haying been 
driven from that place and from the 
isle of Gorriti§, a sufficient space 
was gained for the encampment of 
the troops, aud a tolerably safe an- 
chorage procured for the ships. In 
this situation our army in South 
America remained at the end of the 
present year, rectiving successive 
reinforcements from. England and 
the Cape, and preparing for further, 
and as it turned out, still more dis- 
astrous successes. 
The fear of disobliging the court 
of St. Petersburg had determined 
the English government, after listen- 
ing under two successive administra- 
tions || to the projects of Miranda,and 
encouraging to a certain degree his 
designs, ultimately to refuse him its 
assistance. Disappointed jn his 
expectations from. England, — that 
adventurer had recourse to the 
United States of America, which 
were at that time upon bad terms 
with the court of Madrid; and 
though he failed in persuading the 
cautious, timid administration of 
Mr. Jefferson to take an open part 
in his enterprize, he was sufiered to 
fit ont a small armament at New 
York, with which he set sail for the 
Spanish main.* * His force consist~ 
ed of the Leander armed vessel: oi 
18 guns and two small schoon. 
ers, on board of which he had some 
arms and ammunition, and iacluding 
seamen, about 360 adventurcrs ot 
different nations. Such were the 
* Sentence of the court martial in the trial of sir H Popham, March 11th, 1807. 
+ Oct. 5th and 12th. 
} Oct. 28. 
| Mr. Addington’s, and Mr. Pitt’s, in 1804. q In 1805, 
Oct. 29th and 36th. 
** In March 1806- 
meaus 
