DURING the summer of 1807, a very formidable expedition was assembled at Yarmouth; the object of which was, to secure the Danish fleet, at Copenhagen, and to prevent it from falling into the hands of the French. Upwards of eighty ships were collected, and all the transports had as many flat-bottomed boats on board as they could stow. About 20,000 troops were also embarked, under the command of Lord Cathcart. The naval part of the service was placed under Admiral Gambier, Vice Admiral Stanhope, Rear Admiral Essington, Sir Home Popham, (captain of the fleet) Commodore Sir Samuel Hood, and Commodore Keats.

The force sailed from Yarmouth towards the latter end of July, and had assembled off Elsineur, on the 12th of VOL. I.

August. Every disposition was made for disembarking the army; but, the wind not allowing the transports to move towards Copenhagen, it was not until the evening of the 15th, that they arrived off Wibeck, a village situated about midway between Elsineur and Copenhagen, where, on the following morning, the army was disembarked without the slightest opposition. Previously to this, however, at an interview with the Prince Royal of Denmark, Mr. Jackson, the English envoy, had requested to be informed, whether the Danish government intended to declare for, or against England; because in the present system of violent measures adopted on the Continent, the neutrality of Denmark could no longer be acknowledged. His Royal Highness made this reply :-"I will consider any

2 G

power as an enemy, which shall en- | deavour to make me depart from my neutrality." And having thus delivered his sentiments, the Prince immediately set off from Kiel for Copenhagen, where he arrived on the 11th of August. It appears that our admiral waited the result of Mr. Jackson's mission before he commenced his operations.

No sooner had the landing of the troops been effected, than the British commanders issued the following proclamation :

"Whereas the present treaties of peace, and the changes of government, and of territory acceded to, and by so many foreign powers, have so far increased the influence of France on the continent of Europe, as to render it impossible for Denmark, though it desires to be neutral, to preserve its neutrality, and absolutely necessary for those who continue to resist the French aggression, to take measures to prevent the arms of a neutral power from being turned against them. In this view the king cannot regard the present position of Denmark with indifference; and his majesty has sent negotiators with ample powers to his Danish majesty, to request, in the most amicable manner, such explanations as the times require, and a concurrence in such measures as can alone give security against the further mischief which the French meditate through the acquisition of the Danish navy.

"The King, our royal and most generous master, has therefore judged it expedient to desire the temporary deposit of the Danish ships of the line in one of his majesty's ports.

"This deposit seems to be so just, and indispensably necessary under the relative circumstances of the neutral and belligerent powers, that his majesty has further deemed it a duty to himself and to his people, to support his demand by a powerful feet, and by an army amply supplied with every preparation necessary for the most determined and active enterprize.

"We come, therefore, to your shores, inhabitants of Zealand, not as enemies, but in self-defence, to prevent those who have so long disturbed the peace of Europe from compelling the force of your navy to be turned against us.

"We ask deposit, we have not looked to capture; so far from it, he most solemn

pledge has been offered to your government, and is hereby renewed, in the name, and at the express command, of the king our master, that if our demand is amicably acceded to, every ship belonging to Denmark shall, at the conclusion of a general peace, be restored to her in the same condition and state of equipment as when received under the protection of the British flag. It is in the power of your government, by a word, to sheath our swords, most reluctantly drawn against you; but if, on the other hand, the machinations of France render you deaf to the voice of reason, and to the call of friendship, the innocent blood that will be spilt, and the horrors of a besieged and bombarded capital, must fall on your own heads, and on those of your cruel advisers.

"His majesty's seamen and soldiers, when on shore, will treat Zealand, as long as your conduct to them permits it, on the footing of a province of the most friendly power in alliance with Great Britain, whose territory has the misfortune to be the theatre of war.

"The persons of all those who remain at home, and who do not take a hostile part, will be held sacred. Property will be respected and preserved, and the most severe discipline will be enforced.

"Every article of supply furnished or brought to market will be paid for at a fair and settled price; but as immediate and constant supplies, especially of provisions, forage, fuel and transports, are necessary to all armies, it is well known that requisitions are unavoidable, and must be enforced. Much convenience must arise to the inhabitants, and much confusion and loss to them will be prevented, if persons in authority are found in the several districts to whom requisitions may be addressed, and through whom claims of payment may be settled and liquidated.

"If such persons are appointed, and discharge their duty without meddling in matters which do not concern them, they shall be respected, and all requisitions shall be addressed to them through the proper channels and departments of the navy and army; but as forbearance on the part of the inhabitants is essential to the principal of these arrangements, it is necessary that all manner of civil persons should remain at their respective

habitations; and any peasants or other persons found in arms, singly, or in small troops, or who may be guilty of any act of violence, must expect to be treated with rigour.

"Given in the Sound, under our hands and seals, this 16th day of August, 1807. (Signed) "JAMES GAMBIER, "CATHCART."

To prevent any reinforcements, or supplies, from being thrown into Zealand, or the contiguous islands, Admiral Gambier found it expedient to surround them with his shipping, and to declare them in a state of blockade. In the mean time, the seige of the Danish capital had been commenced; into the military details of which, however, it is not our intention, at present, to enter. Under the date of August 23d, Admiral Gambier, in his journal of the proceedings, says: "The battery on the left wing of the army (which is calculated to defend its advance from the annoyance of gun-boats) being completed, and mounted with thirteen twenty-four pounders, the construction of mortar batteries, under cover of the above, are in progress. The enemy observing these movements, appeared yesterday to be collecting their praams and gun-boats near the harbour's mouth, in preparation for a powerful attack on our works. Our advanced squadron continuing in their position for defending the operations on shore, were, about ten A.M. attacked by three praams (carrying each twenty guns) and a considerable number of gun-boats (said to be more than thirty), in addition to the fire from the Crown battery, floating batteries, and block ships, which was continued for more than four hours. The fire was returned with great spirit from the squadron, and some attempts were made to throw Mr. Congreve's rockets, but the distance was too great to produce much effect from them. About two P.M, the gun brigs which were farthest advanced, not being able to make any impression

to.

"The object of securing this fleet," observes Lord Cathcart, in one of his official dispatches, "having been attained, every other provision of a tendency to wound the feelings or irritate the nation has been avoided; and although the bombardment and cannonade have made considerable havoc and destruction in the town, not one shot was fired into it till after it was summoned, with the offer of the most advantageous terms; not a single shot after the first indication of a disposition to capitulate; on the contrary, the firing, which lasted three nights, from his Majesty's batteries, was considerably abated on the 2nd, and was only renewed on the 3rd, to its full vigour, on supposing, from the quantity of shells thrown from the place, that there was a determination to hold out for some length of time.

"On the evening of the 5th of September, a letter was sent by the Danish general, to propose an armistice of twentyfour hours, for preparing an agreement on which articles of capitulation might be founded. The armistice was declined, as tending to unnecessary delay, and the works were continued; but the firing was countermanded, and LieutenantColonel Murray was sent to explain that no proposal of capitulation could be listened to, unless accompanied by the surrender of the fleet.

"The ratification was exchanged in the course of the morning of the 7th, and at four in the afternoon of the same day, Lieutenant-General Burrard proceeded to take possession.

"The British grenadiers present, with detachments from all the other corps of cavalry and infantry, under the command of Colonel Cameron, of the 79th regiment, with two brigades of artillery, marched into the citadel, while Major

General Spencer, having embarked his brigade at the Kalk Brauderie, landed in the dock-yard, and took possession of each of the line-of-battle ships, and of all the arsenals; the Danish guards with- | drawing when those of his Majesty were ready to replace them, and proper officers attending to deliver stores as far as inventories could be made up.

"The town being in a state of the greatest ferment and disorder, I most willingly acceded to the request that our troops should not be quartered in it, and that neither officers or soldiers should enter it for some days; and, having the command of possession from the citadel, whenever it might be necessary to use it, I had no objection to leaving the other gates in the hands of the troops of his Danish Majesty, together with the police of the place.

"We have consented to the re-establishment of the port; but all arrivals and departures are to be at and from the

citadel.

"The amount of the garrison of the town is not easily ascertained. The regular troops were not numerous; but the number of batteries which fired at the same time, together with the floating defences, prove that there must have been a very great number of militia and burghers, with other irregular forces; and their ordnance was well served."

This expedition cost Britain, of the navy, about twenty killed, and forty wounded; of the military, about fortytwo killed, one hundred and forty-four wounded, and twenty-four missing.

It may in truth be remarked, that an expedition more adequate to its object has seldom been equipped, than that which effected the reduction of Copenhagen, and the capture of the Danish fleet. By this grand coup de main of the British government-a stroke by which Buonaparte was completely outwitted-we wrested from the grasp of the enemy eighteen Danish ships of the line, mounting from sixty-four to ninetysix guns each; three ships of the line, upon the stocks; fifteen fine frigates; six brigs; twenty-five gun-boats; and an immense quantity of naval stores and

ammunition.

We confess ourselves to be amongst those who regard the necessity of the case as a sufficient apology for our con

duct. Britain acted on that first principle of our nature, self-preservation The question was simply this: whether Buonaparte should be permitted to seize upon the Danish fleet, and to employ it in hostile purposes against England (as it was proved, from unquestionable authority, was his intention), or whether, by securing that fleet ourselves, we should deprive him of the means of annoying us, and insure our own safety? His Majesty's ministers wisely preferred the latter. Yet we intended no injury to the Danes. Disclaiming all idea of capture, we solicited only a deposit. The proposal was even merciful to the Danes; as, had they acceded to it, their fleet and naval stores would have eluded the rapacious grasp of Buonaparte, and have been safely restored to them at the conclusion of a general peace.

Government are known to have received the most positive intelligence, that Buonaparte had formed a plan for occupying Zealand, and that, having possessed himself of the Danish navy, it was his intention immediately to invade Ireland. In this intention he was happily frustrated. We fear, too, that, viewing our maritime ascendancy with a jealous eye, the Danes would rather have facilitated than thwarted his views. We have a right to infer this from their former conduct at the period of the Northern Confederacy; and from the uncommon abundance of stores which were found in their arsenals; stores which could not have been amassed but from hostile aims. There was something determined, also, in their opposition. They extinguished the lights of Anholt, Skagen, Fakkeberg, and Langeland; and it is said, that the Crown Prince gave orders for the burning of the fleet, rather than that it should be suffered to fall into the hands of the English.

The Danes are said to have sustainea a loss of from five to six thousand in killed and wounded; the steeple of the great church, in Copenhagen, fell in with a tremendous crash; eighteen hundred houses were destroyed; and the conflagration of the town was terrific almost beyond description.

"Besides the principal church," says an article in a foreign journal of the time, "several streets in the northern quarter of the town are mostly in ashes; there

is scarcely a house that is not damaged. According to report, the bombs, grenades, and rockets thrown into the town, exclusive of the cannon shot, exceeded two thousand in number. Fifteen hundred burghers and inhabitants have lost their lives; and four hundred wounded persons, of both sexes, have been carried to Frederick's Hospital. Notwithstanding this dreadful devastation, the courage and valour of the garrison, supported by their burghers, can scarcely be described. The king's life guards, mostly composed of students, under Count Hauch, distinguished themselves to such a degree, that the English called them the corps of officers. Their loss consists of sixty killed and wounded. The artillery, and the officers of every description, have done all that could be expected of brave men. The commandant, Major-General Peyman, was wounded by a musket-ball in the attack upon the Classen Garden. Several officers are dead of their wounds." Nothing, however, can prove the moderation of the English character more decidedly than the conduct which was pursued by our commanders at Copenhagen. From the first moment of our landing, the most efficient measures were adopted for preventing the oppression or injury of individuals; and, no sooner had our object, in acquiring possession of the fleet and arsenals, been accomplished, than affairs were suffered, as much as possible, to revert to their former channels. Were not comparisons odious, we would exultingly exclaim— Look at the conduct of the British, in the conquest of Copenhagen, and that of the French, in the subjugated territories of the continent!

Immediately after the intelligence of the capture had arrived in London, directions were sent to Chatham and Sheerness for receiving the Danish fleet at those places; the Trinity houses, at London, Hull, and Leith, were ordered to furnish a certain number of masters and pilots, well acquainted with the navigation of the north seas, to pilot them to England; and a proclamation was issued by government, offering an allowance of 21. 10s. and able seaman's pay, to the crews of the Greenlandmen then lately arrived, and to other sailors employed in the British fisheries, &c. to induce them to proceed to Copenhagen, and to assist

in navigating the ships to this country. It is scarcely necessary to add, that a sufficient number was very speedily obtained; and, in due time, the Danish navy was conveyed in safety to the shores of Britain.

The capture of the Danish frigate, Fredrickscoam, by the Comus, Captain Peywood, is one of the extraordinary exploits performed on this occasion, which particularly merit notice. The vast disparity of force between the two ships is the first object which must strike the reader. The Frederickscoam had twentysix twelve pounders on the main deck; four six pounders, and six twelve pounder carronades, on the quarter-deck and forecastle; and two hundred and twenty-six men. The Comus had only twenty-two nine pounders on the main deck; eight twenty-four pounder carronades, and two nine pounder carronades, on the quarterdeck and forecastle, and one hundred and forty-five men. The Frederickscoam had quitted Elsineur roads on the night between the 12th and 13th of August; and the Comus, which, with the Defence, had been sent in pursuit, came up with her on the night of the 14th. A severe action of forty-five minutes ensued; when, the two ships falling on board of each other, the boarders from the Comus, headed by Lieutenants Watts and Knight, very gallantly boarded her bow, and finally obtained possession of her. It is remarkable, that, during the contest, the Comus had only one man wounded; while the Frederickscoam had twelve killed, and twenty wounded, several of them mortally.

THE DISTRESS AND HEROIC RESOLUTION

OF LADY HARRIET ACKLAND.

Lady Harriet Ackland had accompanied her husband to Canada, in the beginning of the year 1776. In the course of that campaign, she traversed a vast space of country, in different extremities of the season, and with difficulties that an European traveller will not easily conceive, to attend him in a poor hut in Chamblec, upon his sick bed. In the opening of the campaign, 1777, she was restrained from offering herself to a share of the fatigue and hazard expected before Ticonderoga, by the posi tive injunctions of her husband. The day