ron, Major Kerchzenga, as well as myself, thought it most prudent to embark with our party, and endeavour to dislodge them with the squadron. Just as our party got into the boats, the French entered the fort. The moment I got on board, I made the signal to engage, and could see many of them falling, as they at first exposed themselves very much to our fire. Finding it impossible to dislodge them, as the fort was so low in the centre that all our shot went over them, I made the signal, after two hours’ constant firing from the squadron, to discontinue the action. This morning, some pilots stole off to us, and informed me, that 20 waggons of wounded passed through the town, from the fort, last night. I shall keep a sharp look out on the enemy, and take every opportunity to annoy, and, if possible, make them quit the place. I have the honor to be, &c.
On the 10th May, Captain M‘Kerlie received information, by the Hamburgh mail, of a great battle having been fought, eight days before, near the plain of Lutzen, where the Swedes, in 1632, lost their great king, Gustavus Adolphus, in the moment of victory. This intelligence he immediately despatched to Admiral Young, and at the same time expressed a hope that the enemy at Cuxhaven would be obliged to fall back immediately ; “in which case,” added he, “I shall watch their movements, and, of course, take every advantage with the force you have done me the honor to put under my command.” Whatever were the events on the field, however, it cannot now be doubted, from the consequences, that the engagement was most severely felt by the allies, who afterwards made but little opposition to the advance of the French to the Elbe, a distance of 80 miles from Lutzen. On the 29th of the same month, Baron Von Tettenborn informed the senate of Hamburgh that he had no longer the means of defence, and left it entirely with them what measures to adopt: he then departed with his Cossacks; and on the following day, that city was again in the possession of the enemy.
About this period; many Danish seamen arrived at Bremen, and it was considered probable that gun-boats were about to be equipped in the upper part of the Weser, where their preparations and movements could not be watched, and would therefore be unknown to Captain M‘Kerlie. In consequence of this, Admiral Young desired that, in the performance of his other duties, he would not on any account lose sight of the protection of Heligoland, which he was to consider as the chief
