Exemplary conduct of Marquis Wellesley.

he heard so much of the state of the country, that he thought he could not honestly confine his attention to the precise point of service confined to him.

In consequence of his new adopted plan, he first made a proposal to Generals Clairfayt and Walmoden to unite their forces, and act from Bruges to Thieldt, upon the left wing of the French.

From General Clairfayt, he soon after received a declaration that on account of Prince Cobourg's defeat, he could not fulfil any engagement with him, and that he expected to evacuate Ghent in a few hours.

A careful consideration of all these circumstances induced his Lordship to resolve on the plan of marching with his force of 10,000 men to join the main army, by the route of Ecloo and Ghent; but still it was thought prudent to evacuate Ostend, as its further possession was no longer of importance to the general cause. Accordingly he ordered that the troops forming the garrison should be immediately embarked; which was done with such promptitude and judgment, that in the short space of one day (July the 1st, 1794,) the whole garrison, with their baggage, and all military stores, were safe on board the transports. Owing to the exertions of Lieutenant (now Sir Home) Popham, then agent for transports, all the ships were got clear of the harbour, notwithstanding the enemy's fire, except an old Indiaman, the Glatton, and a prison-ship; but as the wind freshened, and blew strong into the harbour, it became impossible to move them.

Intelligence of an event so important could not fail of being sent to the French, by their friends in the town, which induced them to make such a rapiḍ march, as to have their advanced guards close to the walls in the evening of that day; so that indeed a party of them marched in even whilst the last division of the British troops were embarking, and immediately turned the cannon, of the different forts

upon.

System of Republican plunder.

upon the boats and transports; from all which it is evident that nothing but the promptitude of decision on the part of Lord Moira, the extreme activity of Colonel Vyse, to whom the conduct of the business was entrusted, and the cordial co-operation of all the other principal officers, could have saved that remnant of the British force, consisting of the 8th, 33rd, and 44th regiments, which were to land in Zealand, and thence proceed to join the main body.

It might fairly have been supposed that the advantages resulting from the occupation of Ostend, by a British garrison might have had some effect on the self-interested minds of its inhabitants: yet so infatuated were they with French politics, or so ignorant of French rapacity, that the advanced troops on entering the place were received with the loudest acclamations, and with open arms; which generous reception the French commanding officers immediately repaid by a new system of organization according to the most approved and most practised rules of French fraternity.

On taking possession, taxes to the amount of two millions, were levied, and all the warehouses put in requisition. Indeed every other town and village shared the same fate; and Lisle and Dunkirk being fixed on as the depots of plunder, every young man from 15 to 30 was obliged to work on the canal from Nieuport in order to facilitate the transport of the goods and of the harvest. No alternative was allowed; submission or the guillotine excepted.

The Earl of Moira himself and his small force had now to proceed by land to the British head-quarters in the face of a superior enemy; he had taken care, however, with the most admirable degree of military precision, to secure a communication, and to ensure his junction with that part of the allied army under General Clairfayt: and the rapidity of the march fortunately exposed nothing to chance, though the French General had orders to strike at the corps at

2.

E

all

Attempt upon Alost.

all events, and had taken every preliminary measure for that purpose.

Though the evacuation did not take place until the 1st of July, yet Lord Moira had pushed on so fast with the main body of his little force, that, on the 29th of June, he had arrived at Malle only four miles from Bruges on the way to Ghent.

On this route he received a letter from the Duke of York, (which had come round by Sluys in consequence of the great part of the country being in possession of the enemy,) desiring him to embark his whole army, and to join him at Antwerp: but the proceedings were too far advanced to execute this order. Soon after he received another pressing order to march by Sluys and Sas de Gand, the Bruges road appearing impracticable to His Royal Highness, and thus to join the British army more rapidly than the passage by sea would allow. Feeling himself completely now justified in his course of proceedings, this prudent and indefatigable officer had after a most tedious and difficult march, and encountering continual obstacles, reached the town of Alost; but such had been the previous sufferings of his troops, that from their leaving Ostend until their gaining that position they were without baggage or tent, and exposed through all their route to the inclemency of a wet and unhealthy season.

Presuming on the fatigue they had endured, and trusting to their consequent weariness, the French attacking them on the 6th of July; of which the commander-in-chief's account stated:

"Since writing my last letter, I received a report from Lord Moira, that on the morning of the 6th the enemy made an attack upon the outposts at Alost. The picquets being driven, they penetrated into the town; but, upon his Lordship advancing with a reinforcement, the enemy retreated in confusion."

Lord Moira speaks highly of the conduct and spirit of the officers and men who were engaged upon this

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occasion;

Admirable presence of mind.

occasion; and particularly of Lieutenant-Colonels Doyle and Vandeleur, who were both wounded."

The occurrences, however, which took place upon this occasion, deserve more particular notice as illustrative of the advantages resulting from presence of mind on trying occasions. General, then Colonel Doyle, having accompanied his Lordship with his new raised corps, the 87th, or Prince of Wales's Irish regiment, he was ordered, during the march, to take post with his battalion at this village, to cover the movements of the army, as this was supposed the most likely route by which the enemy would attempt an opposition. The judgment which directed the movement was correct, for the Colonel had scarcely taken possession of the place, when he was obliged to defend himself against the immediate attack. He had scarce

time to occupy the houses commanding the principal street with the main body of his corps, and was himself just returned from posting his picquets, when a squadron of British dragoons, who had been advanced in front, came back on a full gallop, pursued by a large body of the enemy's hussars, who had even mixed with them and entered the town. Colonel Doyle was in the street, and still on horseback, but attended only by his two orderly dragoons, (one of whom was killed by his side,) and had scarcely time to caution his young troops against firing, lest they should, in the confusion, kill the British dragoons as well as the enemy; and so much was he taken up with this duty that two of the enemy's hussars advanced to attack him unnoticed. One of these gave him a severe cut on the head; and, when he was in the very act of turning to defend himself, he received another wound in the arm from the second hussar. The period, nay the moment, was critical; nor could he have escaped with his life, had not his grenadier company, with a well timed precision, commenced a fire from the flanks upon a part of the hussars, who being thus thrown into confusion the whole gave way,

E 2

and

Attempt upon Alost.

all events, and had taken every preliminary measure for that purpose.

Though the evacuation did not take place until the 1st of July, yet Lord Moira had pushed on so fast with the main body of his little force, that, on the 29th of June, he had arrived at Malle only four miles from Bruges on the way to Ghent.

On this route he received a letter from the Duke of York, (which had come round by Sluys in consequence of the great part of the country being in possession of the enemy,) desiring him to embark his whole army, and to join him at Antwerp: but the proceedings were too far advanced to execute this order. Soon after he received another pressing order to march by Sluys and Sas de Gand, the Bruges road appearing impracticable to His Royal Highness, and thus to join the British army more rapidly than the passage by sea would allow. Feeling himself completely now justified in his course of proceedings, this prudent and indefatigable officer had after a most tedious and difficult march, and encountering continual obstacles, reached the town of Alost; but such had been the previous sufferings of his troops, that from their leaving Ostend until their gaining that position they were without baggage or tent, and exposed through all their route to the inclemency of a wet and unhealthy season.

Presuming on the fatigue they had endured, and trusting to their consequent weariness, the French attacking them on the 6th of July; of which the commander-in-chief's account stated:

"Since writing my last letter, I received a report from Lord Moira, that on the morning of the 6th the enemy made an attack upon the outposts at Alost. The picquets being driven, they penetrated into the town; but, upon his Lordship advancing with a reinforcement, the enemy retreated in confusion."

Lord Moira speaks highly of the conduct and spirit of the officers and men who were engaged upon this occasion;

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