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Admirable presence of mind.

occasion; and particularly of Lieutenant-Colonels Dovle 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 scarcely 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

Anecdotes of Colonel Doyle.

and retired, leaving a great number o wounded behind them.

But the danger of the Colonel was although his immediate assailants had their attack, yet in the confusion a part. had pushed past him, and then occupie and only passage by which he could rej of his troops. Finding retreat impossibl very precarious, he, with great presen adopted the sudden resolution of goin same direction with the flying enemy, t more favourable opportunity of extricat It is supposed that his being wounded ma him in some measure the appearance of and, not being known as the command the detachment, he was permitted in t to accompany them unmolested, for a sh when passing by several parties, more in own safety than on securing him, he da cross road, and got back to his regime mand.*

* Another instance of his gallantry in early life is of notice, and was indeed the first cause of his prom quent patronage. Whilst a lieutenant of light infa regiment under Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, whose the younger part of the officers of his corps is said to be considered by them as a father, he also filled the o At the battle of Brooklin in America on the 27th Colonel Grant being desperately wounded early in action becoming extremely hot, in the very spot wh Doyle, fearful that his estimable and gallant friend n to death, rushed in with a few brave followers, to the enemy, and dragged the body of his commander fr feet; but it was only his body, for his soul had, in parted for a better world. This generous act of s of almost filial piety, not only gained the applause of ed it, but produced a very handsome and energetic the commander-in-chief, and laid the basis of his fut It is impossible to quit this subject without noticing th ral Doyle that a great proportion of our regular arm

Gallantry of a private soldier.

Though the name of Lieutenant-Colonel Wellesley was not mentioned particularly in this affair, we have

on the Irish establishment) are indebted for their present comfortable subsistence, when worn out veterans; for although the sister country there was an institution, something similar to that at Chelsea, yet it was on so confined a scale, both with respect to the numbers provided for, and to the amount of their stipend,' that few could hope for relief; nor was that relief adequate to the end proposed. To General Doyle, then member of Parliament for Mullingar in 1782, it was left to bring forward a measure of such great importance as the improvement of this national desideratum; and to eloquence may it be said that the improvement was owing. Unused to the technical modes of Parliamentary business, he might have failed; but his eloquence was irresistible. His speeches on the different stages of the business were master-pieces of simple, yet expressive, oratory; and his anecdotes were so well timed as not only to awaken all the finer feelings, but to produce conviction in the minds of his auditory. In recapitulating various anecdotes of the gallantry of the common Irish soldiery, he related one which we transcribe verbatim from his own word on the occasion. "Another brilliant example of tried fidelity flashes upon my mind; when Lord Rawdon was in South Carolina, he had to send an express of great importance through a country filled with the enemy: a corporal of the 17th dragoons, of known courage. and intelligence, was selected to escort it. They had not proceeded far until they were fired upon, the express killed, and the corporal wounded in the side. Careless of his wound, he thought but of his duty he snatched the dispatch from the dying man, and rode on till from the loss of blood he fell; when, fearing the dispatch would be taken by the enemy, he thrust it into the wound until it closed upon it. He was found next day by a British patrole, with a benignant smile of conscious virtue on his countenance, with life sufficiently remaining to point to the fatal depository of his secret. In searching the wound was found the cause of his death; for the surgeon declared that it was not in itself mortal, but rendered so by the insertion of the paper.

Thus fell the patriot soldier

Cut off from glory's race,

Which never mortal was more fond to run; .
Unheard he fell!

In rank a corporal, he was in mind a hero. His name O'Lavery; his country, Ireland; Down was his county, and the parish Moira, in which a chaste monument records at once his fame, and the gratitude of his illustrious commander and countryman Lord Rawdon. While memory holds her seat, thy deed, O generous victim! shall be pre

sent

Success of the Republicans.

have been given to understand that he (although his own regiment was embarked) had accompanied the army on their march, and commanded a covering party in the rear, on which service he was highly instrumental in the repulse of the French army upon this occasion.

Two days after this action, on the 8th of July, Lord Moira effected a junction with the Duke of York. They posted their united forces along the canal between Brussels and Antwerp; but here they were not permitted to remain.

Previously to this, in consequence of General Clairfayt's retreat to Ghent, General Count Walmoden had been obliged to fall back with the Hanoverians, upon the right flank of the Austrians, by which means Bruges had been abandoned as early as the 16th of June: on which the municipality of that place sent deputies to the French army, with an invitation to them to visit the town, and assuring them of a most cordial reception, accompanied with many high compliments on their known good faith and generosity.

The French with great politeness accepted of this invitation, but were obliged to apologize for postponing the visit, in consequence of the expected advance of the British: but, afterwards advancing, taxed them, to the amount of four millions of livres.

The fall of Oudenarde being followed by that of Ghent, on the 5th of July, the republican forces, by the possession of this very considerable city, were enabled to form an important station, and thus to

support

How

sent to my mind: I would not for worlds have lost thy name. would it have lived in Greek or Roman story! nor the Spartan hero of Thermopylæ, nor the Roman Curtius, have in self-devotion gone beyond thee! Leonidas fought in the presence of a grateful country; thou wert in a strange land unseen. Curtius had all Rome for his spectators; the corporal was alone in a desert! He adopted the sen timent without knowing the language, and chose for his epitaph,

Dulce et decorum est pro patria mori.”

Attack at Mechlin.

support a numerous force, sufficient to keep the allied army in a constant state of alarm.* The position of the British troops under His Royal Highness was no longer tenable; therefore, under the circumstances of the case, he judged it most prudent to evacuate his post, and to approach towards Antwerp, in order to shorten the distance, and thereby facilitate the junction between his army, and that advancing to his relief under Lord Moira.

The French attacked them in great strength on the 12th of this month: and they were compelled to take shelter before Mechlin, closely pressed by their assailants: from the post of annoyance, however, which they had possessed themselves of, they were, in their turn, driven by a reinforcement brought up by Lord Moira, and obliged to fall back on their main body with great loss. This little enterprize kept the enemy in check for three days; but they a second time attacked the posts in front of Mechlin, on the side towards the canal, near which the British troops occupied the dyke, from whence they were not dislodged until after a very obstinate resistance. The French, however, were too numerous for the retention of the post; accordingly no measures were taken to regain it and the British, after retiring to Mechlin, finding it untenable, evacuated it immediately. Antwerp was now their last resource; and though the Duke was convinced that it was not possible to retain it even for any length of time, from the commanding force which the French possessed enabling

them

* Ghent was taxed to the amount of seven millions of livres by the Republican army on taking possession. The convent of Nobles in one million; that of Bodeloo in eight hundred thousand; and the mercantile houses in proportion; where no specie was to be had, the goods were seized upon. All carriages were considered in a state of requisition; and the owners ordered, under pain of death, to send them to the abbey of St. Pierre, which was converted into a repository. Bruges was taxed to the amount of four millions of which the clergy were to pay two, the nobles one, and the citizens, leaving upon their income another,

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