466 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



tack, and each man zealous to emu- 

 late their noble example, and the 

 most complete success has been the 

 consequence of such determined 

 bravery; of eight gun-boats, each 

 mounting a thirty-tW'O, and twenty- 

 four pounder, and 46 men, six have 

 been brought out, and one sunk; 

 and the whole of the ships and ves- 

 sels (12 in number), under their 

 protection, laden with powder and 

 provisions for the Russian army, 

 brought out, and a large armed 

 ship taken and burnt; I have deep- 

 ly to lament the loss of many men 

 killed and wounded, and especially 

 that most valuable officer, lieute- 

 nant Hawkey, who after taking one 

 gun-boat, was killed by a grape- 

 shot, in the act of boarding the se- 

 cond. No praise from my pen can 

 do adequate justice to this lamented 

 young man ; as an officer he was 

 active, correct, and zealous, to the 

 highest degree ; the leader in every 

 kind of enterprise, and regardless 

 of danger; he delighted in what- 

 ever could tend to promote the glo- 

 ry of his country ; his last words 

 were " Huzza! push on ! England 

 for ever!" 



Mr. Hawkey had been away in 

 the boats on different services, since 

 last Monday, accompanied by lieut. 

 Vernon, whose conduct in this af- 

 fair has been highly exemplarj', and 

 shown him worthy to be the com- 

 panion of so heroic a man ; but 

 while I am induced to mention the 

 name of Mr. Vernon, from his con- 

 stant services with Mr. Hawkey, I 

 feel that every officer, seaman and 

 marine, has a claim to my warmest 

 praises, and will, I trust, obtain 

 your favourable recommendation to 

 the lords commissioners of the ad- 

 miralty. Lieut. Charles Allen, of 

 the Bellerophon, was the senior 

 officer after Mr. Hawkey's death. 



I have just been informed, that 

 lieut. Stirling of the Prometheus, 

 who was severely wounded, is since 

 dead ; his conduct in this aifair was 

 very conspicuous, and captain Fo- 

 rest speaks highly in praise of the 

 zeal and activity of his services on 

 every occasion. I am sure you will 

 readily believe that captain Forest 

 did not witness the preparation for 

 this attack, without feeling an ar- 

 dent desire to command it, but I 

 was obliged to resist his pressing 

 importunitj', as a matter of justice 

 to Mr. Hawkey. 



The Russians have suffered se- 

 verely in this conflict; the most mo- 

 derate statement makes it appear 

 that two thirds of them have been 

 killed and wounded, or Jumped 

 overboard. Inclosed is a list of 

 killed and wounded, the names of 

 the officers employed, an account 

 of vessels captured, and number of 

 prisoners. 



1 have the honour to be, &c. 

 T. B. Martin. 



Dispatches from Sir Arthur 

 WeUesley, K. B. 



PLacentia, I5th July. 



My lord, — After I had written to 

 your lordship on the first instant, 

 Joseph Buonaparte crossed the Ta- 

 gus again, and joined Sebastiani 

 with the troops he had brought 

 from Madrid, and with a detach- 

 ment from marshal Victor's corps, 

 making the corps of Sebastiani 

 about 28,000 men, with an inten- 

 tion of attacking Venegas's corps. 

 Venegas, however, retired into the 

 mountains of the Sierra Morena, 

 and col. Larey with his advanced 

 guard attacked a French advanced 

 corps in the night, and destroyed 

 many of them. The French troops 

 then returned again to the Tagus, 



which 



