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Stephens, three gun-boats, and five transports, having on board a body of troops under Brigadier-general Oswald, sailed from the island of Zante, and arrived the same evening off St.-Maura. The Imogene and gun-boats anchored to cover the landing of the troops ; and at daybreak on the 22d the whole disembarked, in the face of a slight resistance from some batteries. To the troops were added the marines of the Magnificent and Belle-Poule, and also of the Montagu 74, Captain Richard Hussey Moubray ; which ship, having knocked off her rudder in working into the road of Zante, had for the present been left behind. Captains Eyre, Brisbane, and Stephens, accompanied the troops in their march ; and Captain Eyre was severely wounded in the head, and Captain Stephens in the foot, at the storming of the first redoubt : in the attack upon which the 38-gun frigate Leonidas, Captain Anselm John Griffiths, who had been detached to cruise to the northward of the island, lent her very effective co-operation. On the 30th the Montagu, having rehung her rudder, arrived at St.-Maura. Immediately two of her lowerdeck guns were landed, and 100 of her seamen joined themselves to the 150 previously landed from the Magnificent, who had also sent on shore 10 of her 18-pounders. On the 16th of April, after batteries had been opened against it for nine days, the fortress and island of St. Maura surrendered on capitulation. The loss of the British army, including the foreign troops serving with it, amounted to 16 officers and men killed, 86 wounded, and 17 missing, and of the British navy, to two seamen and six marines killed, and Captains Eyre and Stephens, one Captain of marines (William Havisand Snowe), one Lieutenant (Vernon Lamphier), one Lieutenant of marines (Arthur Morrison), six seamen, and 27 marines wounded ; total, 24 killed, 127 wounded, and 17 missing. The French garrison amounted at the capitulation to 714 officers and men, exclusive of 17 sick and 69 wounded. The number of killed must also have been considerable. We now return to the Toulon fleet. Vice-admiral Ganteaume had been succeeded in the command of it by Vice-admiral Allemand. The Borée had got back to her port from Cette ;* and the Robuste and Lion, her less fortunate consorts, were about to be replaced by three new ships, the Wagram of 130, Sceptre of 80, and Trident of 74 guns. The first of these ships was launched on the 30th of June, and another three-decker was immediately laid down upon her slip. Exclusive of those three ships, the French fleet consisted of 13 sail of the line (one 130, two 120s, one 80, and nine 74s), besides eight or nine frigates and several large armed store-ships. Since early in the month of May Admiral Sir Charles Cotton had arrived on the station as the late Lord Collingwood's successor; and the force under the admiral's command, cruising ^ back to top ^ |
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