1807.] 
(28801) 
STATE OF PUBLIC AFFAIRS IN SEPTEMBER. 
Containing official and authentic Docume nis. 
—— 
GREAT BRITAIN, 
TEUTENANT Colonel Bourke, De- 
puty Quarter-Master-General to his 
Majesty’s troops serving in South Ameri- 
sa, arrived on the 13th of September at 
he office of the Viscount C astlereagh, one 
xf his Majesty’s principal Secretaries of 
State, fromthe Rio de la Plata, with a 
Dispatch from Lieutenant- General White- 
locke, addressed to the Right Honour 
able. William Windham, of which the 
fullowing is a copy: 
Buencs Ayres, Fuly 10, 1807. 
Sir, \ 
I Hane’ the honour to acquaint you, for the 
information of his Majesty, that upon being 
joined at Monte Video on the 15th of june, 
by the corps under Brigadier General Craufurd, 
not one moment was lost by Rear Admiral 
Murray and myself in making every necessary 
arrangement for the attack of Buenos Ayres, 
After many delays, occasioned by foul winds, 
a landing was effected, without apacenion: on 
the 28th of the same month, at the Ensinada 
de Barragon, a small bay about thirty miles to 
the eastward of the town. Thecorps employ- 
ed on this expedition were three brigades of 
light artillery, under Captain Fraser ; the 5th, 
S8th, and 87th regiments of foot, under Bri- 
gadier General Sir Samuel Achmuty 5 the 
17th lightdragooas, 36th and 88th regiments, 
under brigadier General the Honourable Wil- 
liam Lumley ; e'ght companies of the 95th re- 
giment, and nine light infantry companies, 
under Brigadier General Craufurd ; four troops 
ef the Gth dragooa guards, the 9th light dra- 
goons, 40th and 45th regiments of foot, un- 
der Colonel the Honourable T. Mahon; all 
the dragoons being dismounted except four 
troops of the 17th, under Lieutenant Colonel 
Lioyd. 
After some fatiguing marches through a 
sountry mnch intersected by swaimps and deep 
muddy rivulets, the army reached Reduction, 
@ village about nine miles distant from, the 
bridge over the Rio Chuelo; on the opposite 
bank of which tlie eneniy had constructed bat- 
teries, and established a formidable line of de- 
fence. I résolved, therefore, tv turn this po- 
Bition, by marching in two columns from my 
deft, and crossing the river higher up, where 
it was represented fordable, to unite my force 
inthe suburbs or Buenos Ayres. I sent di- 
rections at the same time to Colonel Mahon, 
who was bringing up the greater part of the 
Brtillery under the protection of the 17th light 
dragoons and 40t!i regiment, to wait for iur- 
ther orders at Reduction. 
Major General Leveson Gower having the 
@ommamd of the right column, crossed the ri- 
Wer ata pass calied the Passo Chica; and fall- 
ta i in witha Corps | of the enemy’s gallantly 
~< 
ttacked and defeated it, for the particular of 
which action, I beg to refer you to the annex 
ed report. Owing to the ignorance of my 
guide, it was not untii the next day that I 
joined with the mainbody of the army, whenIT 
formed my line by placing Brigadier General 
Sir Samuel Achmuty’s brigade upon the left, 
extending it towards the Convent of the: Ree 
coletes, from which it was distant two miles, 
The 36th and 88th regiments being on its 
right 5 Brigadier General C Crausunds, brigade 
occupying the central and principal avenues 
of the town, being distant about three miles 
from the great square and fort; and the 6th 
dragoon guards, 9th light dragoons and 45th 
regiment being upon his si cht, and extending 
towards the Residencia. ‘The town was thus 
nearly invested, and this disposition of the ar- 
my, and the tircumstances of the town and sue 
burbs being divided into squares of one hun- 
dred and forty yards each side, together with 
the knowledge that the enemy meant to oc. 
cupy the flat roofs of the houses, gave rise to 
the followmg plan of attack. 
Brigadier General Sir Samuel Achmuty was 
directed to detach the 38th regiment to pos- 
sess itself of the Plaza de Toros, and the adja- 
cent strong ground, and there take post: the 
87th, 5th, S6th, and &8th regiments were 
each divided into wings: and each wing order~.. 
ed to penetrate into the street directly in its 
front. The light battalion divided into wings, 
and each followed by a wing of the 95th regi- 
ment, anda three pounder was ordered to pro- 
ceed down the two streets on the right of the 
central one, and the 45th regiment down the 
two adjoining; and aiter clearing the streets 
of the enemy, this latter regiment was to 
take place atthe Residencia. ‘Two six poun- 
ders were ordered along the central street, co- 
vered by the carrabineers and three troops of 
the 9th light dragoons, the remainder of which 
was posted as a reserve in the centre. Each 
division was ordered to proceed along the street 
directly in its front, till it arrived at the last 
square of houses next the river Plata , of which 
it was to possess itself, forming on the flat 
roo s, andthere wait for further orders. The 
9dth regiment was to occupy two of the most 
commanding situations from which it could an- 
noy the enemy. ‘Iso corporals with tools. 
were ordered to march at the head of each co- 
lumn for the purpose of breaking open the 
doors ; the whole were unloaded, and no firing 
was to be permitted until the columns. had 
reached their final points and formed; a can- 
nonade in the central streets. was the signal for 
the whole to come forward. 
In contormity to this arrangement, at half 
past six o’clock of the morning of the Sth in- 
stant, the 58th regiment moving towards its 
left, and the 87th straight to its front, ap-, 
preached the strony post of the Retiro and 
Plaza 
