222 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



CHAP. XIII. 



The conduct of the British Government in the present war characterized.— 

 British Expeditions from Sicilj/ against the Soutli of Italy and the 

 Kingdom of Naples.— And against the strength of France, on the 

 River Scheldt. — Refections. 



THE grand features of the mili- 

 tary conduct of Buonaparte, 

 as already observed, were celerity 

 of movement and the direction of 

 a mighty force against the main 

 strength of his enemy, wherever that 

 strength was to be found. The 

 conduct of the British ministry was 

 that of Buonaparte inverted ; their 

 movements were tardy, and they 

 sent forth their force in separate 

 divisions against the points where 

 they conceived the enemy to be 

 weakest. In the beginning of 

 June, sir John Stewart, who com- 

 manded the British army in Sicily, 

 embarked with 15,000 British 

 troops for the south of Italy and the 

 capture of thecity of Naples, and he 

 vvassoonafterwardsjoincdbyabody 

 of Sicilian troops, under the com- 

 mand of one of the royal princes. 

 A brigade was dispatched by the 

 British general to reduce Lower 

 Calabria, and afterwards to join 

 him overland. This brigade took 

 possession of the line of posts which 

 the French had formed directly 

 opposite Messina, and of which 

 therefore it was of considerable 

 importance to deprive them. But 

 the first point to be attacked by 

 the main army was the island of 

 Ischia. The batteries, by which 

 the shores of this island were for- 

 tified wlierever accessible, were 



turned by the British troops, and 

 successively deserted by the ene- 

 my, who retired into the castle. 

 On the 6th day after which, the 

 French garrisons of both Ischia 

 and Procida surrendered to the 

 British. The reduction of Procida 

 led to the destruction or capture of 

 40 heavy gun-boats in their attemj)t 

 to pass in their voyage from Gaeta 

 to Naples. By the capture of the 

 two garrisons and part of the flo- 

 tilla, 1,500 regular troops were 

 made prisoners, and one hundred 

 pieces of ordnance were taken. 



The Neapolitans were led, by the 

 proclamations of gen. sir J. Stew- 

 art, to believe that the principal 

 object of the expedition was, to 

 re-establish Ferdinand IV. on the 

 throne of Naples. But sir John in 

 his official dispatches,* discovers 

 that his leading and paramount 

 object was, a diversion in favour of 

 our Austrian allies. This object 

 was accomplished in some small 

 degree, and for a short time. For 

 on the first appearance of the 

 English on the coast of Naples, 

 a considerable body of men who 

 had been sent to reinforce the 

 army under the command of the 

 viceroy in Upper Italy were re- 

 called, as well as the whole of the 

 troops, who, after the dethrone- 

 ment of the pope, had taken pos- 

 session 



ArF. CuRON. p. 457. 



