292640307

. fc« 3

■ '.

: :

■ w :

•r :"v- WW . I cannot close this letter without expressing lo your. Lordship my sense oF the good colidudt of the troops; a ll concluded themselves with th& Hitniost steadineesV.hut 1 dvnnot avoid to mention particularly the 93d regiment, under the Com* imand of Lieutenant-Colonel'Napier; the 1st bat* tallion 95th Regiment, under the command of. Lieutenant-Colonel Beckwith; the British Artil­ lery, under the command of Captain Newhouse; the Hanoverian hussars, under Colonel Rodent and the Hanoverian Eight Artillery, under C^p- tain Sympter, as a corps that had particular op­ portunities of distinguishing themselves; X am. also much obliged to General Linsengen and to ■ Brigadier - General Stewart, for the assistance I received from them in the formation and execu* tion of the plan by which the enemy have been, defeated* The Officers of the Staff have also rendered me much assistance; and 1 must par­ ticularly me'ntion Captain Blaquire and Captain Campbell. I have the honour to- be, &C. ■'>, (Signed) A r t h u r W e l t e s t e y * Lieutenant-General Lord Gathcart, K. T. &c. P. Sr We have-taken a large store of ,poW- der and other military stores in this town, which •I propose to* destroy, if I should not be able to prevail upon the Captain of ohe of his Majesty’s ships to take charge of them* ' r N ° . 3* ■•T— ■

/

34

Head-quarters before Copenh. Sept. 3, 1807* . M y L ords ! Forty-eight, mortars and howitzers of diffe­ rent natures being in battery, and twenty twenty- four pounders, I proposed to .the Admiral to summon the place on the 3st instant,, offering the terms which we ,had agreed .to propose at this period, for the reasons stated in my dispatch, of the. 3tst ultimo. I hare now the honour to inclose Gopies of ,the Summons, of the Answers thereto, and of nur Reply, to that Answer; which last was sent as soon as communication could be had with the Admiral on board, and closed the Correspon­ dence. "• s. ' , ; ' At half-past seven in the afternoon, all our batteries opened for the first time, and the town was set on fire by the first general flight of thells. ■ ■ ■’ * • It was afterwards On fire in another quarter, i; The Navy also threw some shells, and the firing continued on shore 12 hours without pro­ ducing any overtures on the pari of ihe ’gar­ rison. ‘ i-'" • r ■ / • The enemy’s frre was very slack during the night, and progress has been made in the hew •works of attack. - - I have the honour to be, fcc. :■ ‘ ' r (Signed).' * Ca th e a r t . ; ’The Lord Viscount Casllereagh, &c. . , -

;.r ; K a ®. 'The inclosures alluded to m the above swre the same a* are annexed to Admiral Gam- bite's Letter of the sd Semtember.

‘ r • ;' ’ Copies of ]tfotes which passed between LieUle- ndftt-General Lord Cathcart and General Pey- itoann alluded to iri the Dispatches of Admiral Gambier, and Lord Cathcart. 7 1 Copenhagen, September 5, 1807. M y Loan! » For preventing further the effusion of blood find not exposing the city to the sad consequen­ t s of a longer bombardment, I propose an Ar­ mistice of twenty-four hotfrs, ift etder to come to ari agreement that may lend to the (Settling of the'Preliminary",Articles of a Capitulation.' " It is with the highest persoWat eatosidetation -f have the honour to be, fta. •" (Signed). P e p m a n . ' ’ Commander in Chief of hjV Danish • Majesty’s Land Forces.. The Commanders in Chief of the Brittish - . Sea and Land Forces. , • A ' M e r h b r a t ld ti m. >

Head-qflartafs,’ before Gopetsh. Sept 5* 1807,

t S ir ! The same have recourse *

necessity tthich has- obliged us to to arms in the present occasion, • I W ^

.*36 compels me to decline any overture' which'might be productive of delay only: but to prove to you my ardent desire to put an end to. scenes which I behold with the greatest grief,' I send an Offi­ cer who is authorised to, receive any Proposal you may be inclined to make relative to Artic­ les of Capitulation, and upon! which it m ;

3 r ..

i >* *Head-qhartfers, before Copenlv Sept. 6, 1807. ... • • - S ir ! ‘ * *■ [ Having communicated to Admiral Gariibier ‘ your Letter .received this morning,'together with thos^-qf .last night, I ‘have, to acquaint you, that we w i l l consent .to treat with you for.,-the capir tulation of Copenhagen, on th e ;basis of your, de­ livering up the Danish fleet. , ^But as .you have not forwarded articles of capitulation, Officers of rank, ip the sea and Land service of his Britannic Majesty , shajl be tent ,forthwith, to prepare articles with you, or wi^th the Officers you may appoint, and which *nay, if possible^, unite the objedts you have in view, in regard to the occupation of Copenha­ gen,.with, ^he performance of the service entrus- tes to US. ’ u u. (Signed). V C a t c a r f , .Lieut. Gen. |Jis Excellency Major-Gen. Peymann, Com- - s;tnander/in Chief of. his Danish Majesty’s Dand0Forces,r Copenhagen. M y L ord ! ' I a'ccept of your proposal'with resjpedt to the delivering .up his Majesty’s fleet, aa>the fun­ damental basis of hegociatibns; but with this, proviso, that no other English troops enter the city than those Commissaries/Officers,' and jfii- x - - • -* Copenhagen, September 6, 1807.

IHary mew , who shall be . stipulated and igreed on in the Course of the said negotiations, l h4vet.be Honour J>e# &c. . ' (Signed).. . , JPfy manju Commander in Chief of hi?' • "■ Majesty's Land 'Forces.' 1 Lotd Cathfcart, Commander in Chief / ' " [ ~ - of the! British ireops. \ ^ ”•;•;:Ci ;y- . •;...;vj L a neutral place, out of the town, where to meet’., on both sides for regulating the Articles of Car pitulatiori, Officers provided with full' powers for negotiating shall be sent, and in the interirA the armistice is' considered as ‘subsisting! -t il oontfa iy orders should be'given. J - 1 have the honour to be, &e. ) c > .(Signed). • P e y m a n n . 7 ..i ‘ - - ; * Commander in Chief of his Majesty’s Land Forces,1 Lord Cathcart, Commander in Chief of thg -British Troops. . Copenhagen, September 6 » ’tfioy. "My tiOnn! ' *’’ As soon as you shall be pleased to' appoint ' ' ‘ ' ‘ "‘l'J’ Head-quarters, before Copenh. Sept. 6, 1807. S ir ’ The Officers appointed to treat with you are Major-General the Right Honourable Sir Arthur ■ Wellesley, K. B. ; .Sir Home Popham, Captain of the Fleet j and Lieut. Col. Murray, Deputy

Quarter.r Master r General of the Army., • Thes$ Officers are waiting at the Barrier, and.will meef the Officers named,.by. you, at any place you p a y appoint, for immediate discussion, between, our advanced po$.ts and your lines. , .. Orders were given to desist from the bom­ bardment, and ‘to cease firing, the moment your' first letter was received; but there lias been no armistice concluded; a proof of which is, that a hoi^se im the subui'bs has been set on fire wit­ hin these few minutes, by your people, close to our centinels. ' 7 As we have already stated more than once, we can admit of no delay in this business, ana therefore it will immediately appear, whether the articles proposed are of such a nature as to warrant ah' armistice. 1 have the honour to be die . iJ:” " * v*‘ ; ' i. (Signed)!. Ca tk .c a r t . r His Excellency Major-General Peymann; Com- . mander in Chief of his Danish. Majesty’s , r Land Forces', Copenhagen. , 1 . • . •]*' ■ . . ' ‘ ■ His Majesty owes to himself and'to Europe a frank Exposition of the motives which have dictated his late measures in the Baltic. . His Majesty has delayed' this Exposition, only in the hope of that more amicable arran­ gement with the court of Denmark, which it ’ i ’ ' D ’ e c l « r a t i o n. ;

40 was his Majesty’s first wish and endeavour to obtain, for which he was ready to make great efforts and great sacrifices; and of 'which lje ne^ ver lost sight even in the moment of the most decisive hostility. '"•••'* ■ Deeply as the.disappointment of this hope has been felt by his Majesty, he has the conso­ lation of reflecting, that no exertion was lef$ untried on his part_tp .produce a different re­ sult, And while,he laments the cruel necessity which has obliged him to have recourse to acts of hostility against a nation with .which ,it was his Majesty’s; most earnest desire to. have esta­ blished the relations of commop interest and al­ liance; his Majesty feels, confident that,, in the eyes of Europe and^of the world,, thp justifica­ tion of his conduct will be found in the kot% manding and indispensable duty,; paramount to all others amongst the obligations of a : Sove­ reign , of providing, while there was yet time, for the immediate security of His people. His Majesty had received* the most positive information of the determination of the present Ruler of France, to occupy, with a military force, the terriitorry of Holstein, for the purpose of excluding Great Britain from all her accustomed channels of communication with the continent — of inducing or' compelling the Coui't of Denmark to close the passage of the Sound against the. British commerce and navigationV and o f aval-

ling himself of the aid of the Danish marine,' for the invasion of Great Britain and of Ireland; Confident as his Majesty was of the' autheri-’ ticity of the sources from wich this iritelligeride was derived, arid confirmed iri the credit which hri gave to it, as well by "the Enemy, as by the poforous and repeated declarations of tlie Enemy,’ ; , and by his recent occupations of the towns and fiev- xitories of other neutral states, as by the prepa­ rations actually made for collecting ’ a hostile, force upon the frontiers of his Danish Majes­ ty’s cbiitinental dominions, his Majesty would yet willingly have forborne to act upon this intelli­ gence, until the complete and practical disclosure •of the plan had made manifest to all the world the absolute necessity 1 of resisting it. His Ma­ jesty did forbear,!as l'ring there could be a doubt of the urgehey of the danger, or a hope of the teffectual counteraction to it, in the means or' in the disposition of Denmark, : : v ' * But his Majesty COukl riot recollbct that when; at the close of the former war, the Court of Denmark, engaged •’ in a hostile' Confederacy' against Great Britain, the apology offered by .thiii 4 ’’ Court for so unjustifiable an abandonment of neutrality which his Majesty’ had never ceased, to respect was founded on its avowed inability to "resist the operations o f external influence,' and the threats of a! formidable neighbouring Power. His Majesty could riot but compare the degree' of influence,5 which ' at that time deter-

mined, the decision of the Gourt of Denmark/ in violation of positive engagements, solemnly contracted-hut six. months before, with the in­ creased operation which France had npw thq jneans oX giving to the (same principle of inti- jnidation, with kingsdom.s prostrate at . her feet, and with the population >of nations under her banners. . ... ,, / .. , . y Nor was the danger less iijnminqnt than cer^ tain, Already the army destined fur th e in va ­ sion of Holstein was assembling of tl$e violated territory of neutral Hamburgh. And, Holstein once occupied, the. Inland of Zealand was; at', the mercy of France, and the navy jof Denmark af her disposal. _ , ,j. !r c ,\t ,It is true a British force ipight ;have found its way into the Baltic, anjd^checket for a time the movements of the Danish irnarine.. .,But thp season was approaching vyhen that precaution would no longer have, availed; and .when hi$ Majesty’s fleet must have retired from that sea, and permitted Frante, in undisturbed security, tp accumulate- the means of offence against hi? Majesty’s dominions, ,., Yet even under these circumstances, in cal­ ling upon Denmark,, for the satisfaction and se­ curity which his Majesty was compelled to re* quire, and demanding the only pledge by which, this security could be rendered effectual the temporary possession of that fleet, which was the chief inducement to France for forcing

• «

Denmark, into hostilities-with Great “Britain,; his Majesty accopatiiedi this demand with the offer, of every conditipa avhich- co».dd tend to recpumJe^ it to., th e ’interest's and 'the feelings' o£ the C&uv\ of .Denmark. ;*'; •.*. .-•. ;■ ; ; *’ •. - i It wasi Denmark herself to state the terms, /ood-stipwlationa which -ahe ,might require. • . ■- . If Denmark \v.as apprehensive that the sms. , render of her fleet would be resented by Franco as an Act. of Connivance, his Majesty had prepay red a force of such formidable magnitude•/a* must: haye. made concession justifiable even iu thq estimation of France, by, rendering resistance al­ together, unavailing. V ; If Denmark was really prepared to >resist the .demands of France, and to maintain -her ink dependence, hi$ Majesty proffered* his co.opera-. • tion for her defynce^naval, military, and.pecu* niary aid; the guarantee of her European, terri$ lories, and the security and extension o f .her cow lonial possessions* , That the sword has been drawn in the exev eu tion .of 'a sgrvise indispensable to the safety: of his Majesty’s dominions, is matter of sincere, and painful regret to his Majesty. That the stater and circumstances of the world are such as ttr have required and justified the measures of self-i preservation, to which his Majesty Has found himself under the necessity of resorting, is a truth which his Majesty deeply deplores, but for- which he .is in no degree responsible.

44 His Majesty has long carried'on a most UU-* equal contest of ‘scrupulous forbearance against unrelenting Violence and oppression. But that? forbearance , has its - bounds. *• When1 the design was openly avowed, and already but too far ad-v vanced towards its accomplishment;' bf subjecting the Powers of Europe to one universal Usurpa^- tion, and of combining them, by terror or by forte, in k : Confederacy against’-the; maritime- rights and political existence o f this' KirlgsdOm,- it became necessary for his Majesty to anticipa­ te the success of a system,; iiot more fatal to his interests than to these- of the Powers Who wei*e' destined to be the instruments of its execution.* " It waS time that--the effects of that di'ead Which France has inspired 'into the nations o f the world should be counteracted by in exertion- 6f the poWer of Great Britain, -called for by the' exigency of the crisis; and proportioned to the magnitude' of the -danger.- '■ , ' f - ■■(■' Notwithstanding the Declaration of War bli­ the part of the Danish Government, it still re­ mains for Denmark to determine, whether waf* shall continue between the- two Nations.' His* ' Majesty still proffers an amicable arrangement.- He is' anxious to sheathe the sword,- which ‘he has *been most reluctantly compelled to draw.* He -is ready to demonstrate to Demark and tof the world ,< that having adted solely upon the- aense of what was due to the security of his own* dominipns, he-is gaol desirous,- from any other* ;

45 motive , or for any *object of advantage or ag­ grandizement the necessity, which -has lgr6dace of Militia or other troops that may remain. A return of the ordnance and stores taken . and destroyed,, or embarked in his. Majesty’s .ships at Ridge, the amount of which is very considerable, will be transmitted ns soon as it can be made .up. ... t . ■ I lave the honour to be, & g . . / • '(Signed^, C( i t h e a r t , •The Lord Viscount Castltreagh, #c. . 5 . . ... *v- i' .* I.'have-jhe honour to:inclose an ertraAt of y

> ’46

Extract; ‘of ■'&*■ Letter from Majors General' -Sit lv -Arthur Wellesley, K. B ., dated’ Brasenborg, Sept. 2, 1807. >*> I have the’ honour to inclose ^ detailed re­ port of the operations of the corps under Major- Dirt'sefigen on the 29th. , -■ ; v t : Lieut.-Gen. Lord Cathcart, See. . . . ,r>; ... I have the hpnour herewith to transmit a .detailed relation of the engagement before Kid- g.e> op the■,29th instant, in as far as it was con­ nected with the troops I had the honour to command on that day. ■ t-. I remain, &c. ■ i; (^Signed . L i n s e n g e n , Major-Gem JMajo-v-Generel the Right Hon. Sir Arthur \ Wellesley,. K. B. drons of the rst, fid, nnd 3d Light Dragoons, 'King’s German Legion, five companies of the 95Tb, half a battery of the horse artillery, the 43d foot, and the 6th line* battalion, King’s Ger­ man Legion, broke up from Roiskiold- by -five o’clock on the 29th instant, reached Arstead by eight o’clock,. when mb squadrons that had been seW’ the'Wight before frdm Raiskiolcl to Arstead, did join the’iSvaSeM:-;- -This- detachment, imder i<> . V r,:; j > ' Ringstedt, August 31, 1807. s " - . , Rihgstedt,, August 3r, igof. / • The right column, consisting of six squa­ S i r ! " . '

, ' 4 7 the command of Major Grote, ist light -dragoons, Had been sent to Arstead for the purpose to get information with regard to the enemy at and in the neighbourhood of Ringstedt and Kioge. The Major took two prisoners in the night; the' one carrying dispatches directed to a Danish Ge­ neral, and detailing all our marches, and ascer­ taining the strength of our corps. The Major likewise took thirty whggon? with provisions. The column again, - aftelr a short halt, moved towards Laddger, on the road to Eigbye; having reached the former place, some armed militia, and small, detachments, were seen towards Eig- hye. • ; As it was •my intention to cross the rivulet' that runs from Gungard to Kioge at Yderholm or Littenge Gaard, I detached one squadron, on6 gun, and two companies of the 95th riflemen, to the right', to reconnoitre either passage, un­ der the command, of Major Plessen of the ist light dragoons. The grounds between Eigby6 and DalbyS being greatly covered with wood,' intersected by a large morass, and found imprac- tiable for a column'to pass, the passage at Ye- derholm was given up, and that of Littinge Gaard forced on. The •detachment under Major Plessen went along the left bank of the column,' which moved on by Eigbye a t about half past nine ■o’clock, A. M. ■ The cavalry being arrived at the banks of the rivulet, near Littenge Gaard, the planks oveY the bridge had been taken up, '

q,a&' nothing Remained -fur tine cavalry and, part of the h,orse hrtillery,. .but to ford the rivulet, >vhich they instantly did, and.advancing along the right bank, of it,, halted, to await the. infantry and the rest of the horse artillery,, who by this time had arrived in close column at the bridge. The pioneers, of the 6th batallion of the line repaired it s.o; far in twenty-five minutes time, that the .infantry werfc, enabled to pass.by single siles (which retarded .much the progress of the column) whilst the rest of the horse artillery passed through the ford. Till, now the .enemy did not in the least attempt to opposfe us. After having passed the bridge, the infantry moved on in close columns through Littenge Gaard, on the road to Kioge, between the rivulet and the wood. Here I ordered part of the 95th to clear the woods to the right of the column; the de­ tachment of the 43d to do the same in front} and forming the 6th battalion, and the rest of the 43d, in line, advanced with them and the horse artillery in rear of the cavalry, four squa­ drons of which had already reached the' plain .at the ends of the wood. In the mean, while I •detached two squadrons in the rear, directing them-to cross the wood' on the right, and to ’advance upon Swansberg S3rllem, to the Bridge an the-road between Hortfolge and Soeder.

Made with FlippingBook - professional solution for displaying marketing and sales documents online