531
POST-CAPTAINS OF 1802.
531
“Surveillante, of Passages, St. Sebastian, Sept. 9, 1813.
“My Lord,– It is with sincere pleasure that I do myself the honor to report to your Lordship the fall of St. Sebastian, the northern Gibraltar of Spain. Yesterday at 10 A.M. the breaching and mortar-batteries opened a most ruinous fire against the castle of La Motte, situated on the crown of the hill, and the adjoining works. In a very short time General Key, the governor, sent out a flag of truce to propose terms of capitulation, which were concluded at 5 P.M. when the battery du Gouverneur and the Mirador were immediately taken possession of by our troops. The garrison, still upwards of 1700, became prisoners of war, and are to be conveyed to England from Passages. At this season of the year the possession of St. Sebastian becomes doubly valuable; it may be considered the western key of the Pyrenees, and its importance as to the future operations of the allied army is incalculable. The town and works have suffered considerably, and it must be a long time before the former can recover its original splendour; I cannot, however, avoid congratulating your Lordship on its fall on any terms, as the gales now blow home, and the sea is prodigious; all the squadron were yesterday forced to sea, with the exception of the Surveillante and President. The former good conduct and gallantry of the seamen lauded from the squadron, under Lieutenant O’Reilly, and serving in the breaching batteries, have been most conspicuously maintained. Lieutenant Dunlop, as well as Mr. Marsh, (having sufficiently recovered from his wounds[1]), were also at their former post. The Surveillante’s 24-pounders, mounted on Santa Clara, and dragged up by Captain Smith, of the Beagle, were admirably served by a party landed from the Revolutionaire, Magicienne, and Challenger; their fire had totally silenced, the enemy’s guns opposed to them. Captain Smith speaks in high terms of the general zeal evinced by all under his orders. The most perfect cordiality was maintained between the officers and seamen under Captain Smith, and the party of the 9th regiment, under Captain Cameron, The Captains and Commanders of the ships, &c. named in the margin[2], have all been usefully employed, and the situation many of them have been unavoidably placed in, has called forth proofs of professional skill and perseverance seldom surpassed: and I have the highest satisfaction in being able to report that in no instance has it been more tryingly evinced, than in the conduct of Lieutenant the Hon, James Arbuthnot, of the Surveillante, which he has proved himself fully equal to. Messrs. Marsh, Harvey, Bloye, and Lawson- ↑ Lieutenant Robert Graham Dunlop was wounded on shore, previous to July 21.
- ↑ Andromache, President, Revolutionaire, and Magicienne, at anchor off St. Sebastian; Sparrow and Challenger off the Bidassoa; Constant gun-brig, and Nimble cutter, in that river; Juniper and Holly, stationed west of Cape Higuera.
