474 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



we made but four prisoners, the 

 commandant of the battery, Mon- 

 sieur le Murche, a lieutenant, and 

 two inferior officers. The battery 

 guns were burst in pieces, the em- 

 brazures demohshed, the gun-car- 

 riages burnt, together with the ma- 

 gazine, guard-houses, &c. &c. The 

 powder we brought off, together 

 with six waggon loads of confis- 

 cated merchandise. 



I beg leave to state to you. Sir, 

 -for their lordships information, how 

 much I feel indebted to captain 

 Goate, for the zeal and ability 

 evinced by him on this, as on all 

 other occasions, during the time he 

 has been commanding officer on 

 the station. 



I also feel indebted to captain 

 Pettet, for his punctuality and 

 promptness in executing my orders ; 

 and can only regret that an oppor- 

 tunity was not afforded him of dis- 

 tinguishing himself on this occasion 

 congenial to his wishes. 



But 1 beg leave particularly to 

 mention captain Watts, of the 

 Ephira, who, in the most gallant 

 and active manner, advanced intre- 

 pidly in front of the attacking party 

 amidst the enemy's galling fire, and 

 rendered himself equally conspicu- 

 ous afterwards, for his unremitting 

 exertion in the complete demolition 

 of the battery ; in the execution of 

 which service, I am concerned to 

 say, he received a wound in the leg, 

 but which, from its nature, will in 

 no shape incapacit^jte him for fu- 

 ture service. 



A want of zeal and activity was 

 discernible no where ; to every offi- 

 cer and man I must award the meed 

 of praise so justly their due; but of 

 lieutenant Burges, of the Pincher, 

 and W. Hawkins, second-lieutenant, 

 of L'Amiable, I am more compe- 



tent to speak in favour, for their 

 indefatigable exertions in forward- 

 ing mj' orders to the different de- 

 tachments. 



The distance from Gessendorfto 

 Cuxhaven is 28 miles; I leave it 

 then to their lordships to estimate 

 the spirit, alacrity, and expedition 

 with which this service must have 

 been performed, when I state, that 

 in 24} hours from our departure, the 

 whole detachment returned, and 

 were safely embarked on board 

 their respective ships, without the 

 loss of an individual. 



I have the honour to be, &c. 

 (Signed) 



G. Stuart. 

 Sir R. J. Slrachan, Bart. 



K. B. Rear- Admiral of 



the White, Sfc. Sfc. 



Frotn the London Gazelle Extra- 

 ordinary. — Dovoning-street, Au- 

 gust 7. 



The following dispatches were 

 received last night from the liarl 

 of Chatham. 



Head-quarters, Middleburgh, 

 August 2. 

 " My lord — I have the honour 

 of acquainting your lordship that 

 having sailed from the Downs early 

 in the morning of the 28th ult. 

 with rear-admiral SirRd. Strachan, 

 in his majesty's ship Venerable, 

 we arrived the same evening and 

 anchored in the EastCapelle roads, 

 and were joined on the following 

 morning by the division of the 

 army under lieut.-gen. Sir John 

 Hope. It blew in the course of 

 that day a fresh gale from the west- 

 ward, which created a heavy swell ; 

 and the small craft being much ex- 

 posed, it was determined to seek 

 shelter for them in the atichorage of 



the 



