394 
with any guod effect; but whatever I resolve 
on this head, I hope your Lordship will rest, 
assured, thar I shall accept no terms that are 
in the least dishonourable tothe army or tothe 
country.” 
Captain Preedy, Aide-de-Camp to 
Lieutenant - General Beckwith, Com- 
miander of his Majesty’s troops in the 
Leeward Islands, in Downing-street, on 
the 12th of April, with» dispatches from 
the Lieutenant-General, to Lord Vis- 
count Castlereagh, one of his Majesty’s 
Principal Secretaries of State, of which 
the following are copies :— 
Head-guarters, Martinique, Feb. 28. 
My Lorp—In my letter of the 15th in- 
stant, I had the honour to transmit to your 
lordship the details of our operations to the 
iith preceding; from that period until the 
19th we were incessantly employed in the 
construction of gun anc mortar batteries, and 
in landing cannon, mortars, and howitzers, 
with their ammunition and stores, in drag- 
ging them to the several points selected by 
the engineers, and in the completion of the 
works, and in mounting the ordnance. The 
exertions of Commodore Cockburn, and other 
naval officers under his orders upon the right, 
and of Captdins Barton and Nesham, of the 
navy, upon the left, in forwarding these ser- 
vices, were most conspicuous. The enemy 
during the interval fired upon our encamp- 
ments with shot and shells, but fortunately 
with little effect, and his piquets, when pres- 
sed, constantly fell back under the protection 
of his works. 
On the 19th at half past four in the after- 
Hoon, we opened from six points upon the 
€nemy’s fortress, with fourteen pieces of 
heavy cannon, and twenty-eight mortars and 
howitzers, and the cannonade and bombard- 
ment continued with little remission until 
neon of the 25d, when the French general 
sent a trumpeter with a letter to our advanced 
posts, near the Bouillé Redoubt, in the front 
of attack. In this communication General 
Villaret proposed, as the basis of negociation, 
that the French troops should be sent to 
France free from all restriction as to future 
Service; but this being admissible, the bom- 
bardment recommenced at ten at night, and 
continued without intermission until nine 
o'clock of the 24th, when three white flags 
were discovered flying in the fortress, in con-~ 
sequence of which, our fire from the bat-~ 
teries immedivtely ceased. 
It is with the most heartfelt satisfaction I 
have now the honour to report to your Lord- 
ship, for his Majesty’s information, that, 
“supported by the talents of the general offi- 
cers, andin particular of Lieutenant-General 
Sir George Prevost, and of Major-General 
Maitland, the experience and zeal of all the 
other officers, and the valour and unremitting 
Jabeur of this army, strengthened by the ine 
Capiure of Martinique. 
[May 1, 
defatigable exertions of Rear-Admiral Sir 
Alexander Cochrane and the squadron, the 
campaign, notwithstanding incessant rains, 
hes been brought to a glorious conclusion in 
the short space cf twenty seven days from 
our departure from Barbadoes. 
The command of such an army will consti- 
stitute the pride of my future life. Tothese 
brave troops, conducted by generals of expe= . 
rience, and not to me, their king and country 
owe the sovereignty of this important colony 3 
and [ trust that, by a comparison of the 
force which defended it, and the time in 
which it has fallen, the present reduction of 
Martinique will not be deemed eclipsed by 
any former expedition. 
I have the honour to inclose the articles of 
capitulation, as originally produced by the 
French commissioners, in consequence of 
General Villaret’s application to me for this 
purpose, during the forenoon of the 24th, 
and acceded to by Lieutenant-General Sir 
George Prevost, Major-General Maitland, 
and Commodure Cockburn, appointed by the 
rear-admiral and myself tomeetthem. ‘This 
capitulation, which was mutually ratified the 
same night, will, I trust, be honoured with 
his Majesty’s approbation. 
By the next conveyance, I shall have the 
honour to submit to your Lordship’s consider- 
ation the various details which are now refer- 
red to in general terms, and to report the 
merits of the several corps; but the science 
of the officers of the royal artillery has been 
too conspicuous not to be particularly noticed, 
the interior of the enemy’s fortress being 
torn to pieces by shelis: his works have also 
been much injured by shot from the gun bat- 
teries, manned by the seamen under the di- 
rection of Commodore Cockburn, and other 
naval officers. , 
After the embarkation ofthe French troops, 
I shall have the honour to command the 
eagles taken from the enemy to be laid at 
the king’s feet. 
Captain Preedy, of the 90th regiment, one 
of my aides-de-camp, has the honour to be 
the bearer of this dispatch: he is am officer of 
service, and I beg leave to recommend him 
to his Majesty’s favour, ‘and to your Lord- 
ship’s protection. ; 
I have the honour to be, &c. 
(Signed) G. Becxwirs, Com. Forces. 
Sir Harry Neale, bart. first captain to 
Admiral Lord Gambier, commander in 
chief of his Majesty’s ships and vessels 
employed in the Channel Soundings, &c. 
arrived at the Admiralty-office, on the 
Zist of April, with a dispatch from his 
lordship to the Honourable William Wel- 
lesley Pole,of which the following is acopy: 
Caledonia, in Basque Roads, April 14. 
Sir—fhe Almighty’s favour to his Ma- 
jesty and the nation has been strongly marked 
in the success he has been pleased to give to 
the 
