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APPENDIX.

DEFECTS of H. M. S. 'Orion' after the Battle of Trafalgar :

Fore-mast wounded.

[Page 71.]

Main-top-gallant-mast shot away.
Main-top-gallant-yard shot away.
Main-top-sail-yard shot away.
Main-top-gallant-studding-boom shot away.
Main-top-mast-studding-boom shot away.

Black strake portrell sperquiting shot through.
Several shot in the wales.

Hanging knee abaft the after port in the wardroom shot away.

Transom and counter timber shot through, officers' cabins. Rudder casings, &c., injured.

Top timber by the breast-beam of the round house shot through, larboard side.

Staircase frame on the quarter-deck shot away.

Sashes, and sash half-ports in the captain's cabin and wardroom, injured.

Several strakes on the quarter-deck shot through.

Several shot below water's edge.

Anchor stock shot through.

Short stuff between the ports damaged by shot.

Boats in bad condition.

Head ledges carried away.

Captain C. to Admiral Sir Charles Cotton.

[Page 220.]

'Blake,' of Villa Neuva: June 15, 1811.

SIR, AS Captain Adam has informed you of the occurrences at Tarragona during my absence, up to the 5th June, I have only to add that although the French have advanced

their works to within half pistol shot of the lines of the Puerto, besides having entirely destroyed the battery of Francoli and formed a post under the position of the ruins, they have been beaten off with very serious loss on their part in some desperate attempts to storm the Orleans and Saint Josef batteries; and that the Spaniards under General Sarsfield have made several successful sorties with the few troops that could be spared for the purpose. My last letter to you, dated May 15, will have informed you of my intention of proceeding to Valencia and Alicant with General Doyle, and I have now to make known to you the successful result of our visit to those places. Leaving Tarragona on the 16th, we reached Peniscola on the forenoon of the 17th, where, finding the Invincible' with four empty transports bound to Carthagena, I directed Captain Adam to remain until he heard further from me. From thence General Doyle wrote to General O'Donnell an account of the situation of Tarragona, and of my detaining Captain Adam at Peniscola in readiness to receive any reinforcements, which he might be pleased to send to that garrison. Upon our arrival at Murviedro we found General O'Donnell had already ordered the embarka tion of 2,300 infantry, and 211 artillerymen, &c., &c., which, by the zeal and exertion of Captain Adam, who received 700 of them on board the Invincible,' were safely landed at Tarragona on the 22nd.

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Delivering to General O'Donnell 2,000 stand of arms, accoutrements, and clothing, to enable him to bring into the field as many of the recruits already trained as would supply the place of the regular soldiers thus detached from his army, we proceeded to Valencia, and landed the remainder of our cargo; by which means the troops of General Villa Campo, then dispersed as peasantry for want of arms, were enabled again to take the field; and the corps of Mina, and the Empecinado completed in all the requisites for active warfare, and the army of Aragon thus brought forward to act in conIcert with the movements of that of Valencia. At Alicant we procured as many necessary materials for Tarragona as the ship would actually stow, besides eighty artillerymen, and a considerable quantity of powder, ball cartridges, lead, &c., &c., sent in the Paloma,' Spanish corvette, from Carthagena, in company with a Spanish transport from Cadiz deeply laden with similar supplies. As it was impossible to receive these stores on board the Blake,' they were conveyed, at my request, in the Paloma,' with the ship under convoy direct to Tarragona. After returning to Valencia, where we landed the additional arms, &c., for the Aragonese army, we moved

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CAPTAIN C. TO SIR C. COTTON, JUNE 15, 1811. 481

on to Murviedro; where the Count of Bisbal proceeded from Valencia to join us in a consultation with his brother, although, on account of his wound, he was very unfit for such a journey. The result of this conference was a determination, on the part of General O'Donnell, to commit to my protection, for the succour of Tarragona, another division of his best troops, under Major-General Miranda, consisting of 4,000 men, whilst he himself would move forward with the remainder of his army to the banks of the Ebro; where, in concert with the Aragonese divisions, he might threaten, and perhaps destroy, the different depôts of General Suchet. I therefore hastened to Tarragona to collect the necessary shipping for the purpose of giving action to these liberal and patriotic intentions. Again fortunately meeting the 'Invincible' on the night of the 6th, I directed Captain Adam to anchor at Peniscola, and wait my return to that rendezvous in company with Captain Pringle, whom I ordered to do the same with the Sparrowhawk' and the transport 'William,' whenever he should have landed the mortars, &c., at Valencia, with which he was charged. On the evening of the 7th we reached Tarragona, landed the whole of our cargo in the course of the night, and, after a consultation with General Contreras, again left that anchorage at ten o'clock in the forenoon of the 8th, taking the 'Paloma' along with us. We reached Peniscola on the noon of the 9th, where the Invincible' had already anchored with the four transports, and were joined on the 10th by the Centaur,' 'Sparrowhawk,' and William' transport. From the critical situation of Tarragona, I left orders with Captain Bullen that whatever ships of war might arrive before my return, should join me immediately; and to Captain White's promptness in obeying this order, and consenting, in common with Captain Adam and myself, to receive each a battalion of 800 troops, with the proper proportion of officers, I am indebted for the power of embarking the whole 4,000 on the forenoon of the 11th, and landing them at the garrison of Tarragona during the night of the 12th. The frequent disappointments which the brave Catalonian army had heretofore met with from Valencian promises, made the sight of so extensive and disinterested a reinforcement the more truly welcome, because the less expected; and the admiration which was thus created in the besieged appeared to produce proportionate anxiety on the part of the enemy. As soon as the troops were ready for embarkation at Peniscola, I sent the 'Sparrowhawk' forward to prepare the garrison and also the Marquis of Campo Verde for our arrival, and in conse

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quence of the Marquis's letter in answer, General Miranda requested I would again embark his division for the purpose of joining the Marquis in the neighbourhood of Villa Nueva de Sitges, in order to threaten the flank of the besieging army; and this further service was so speedly executed by means of the boats of the squadron, that the whole division was again safely landed at this place on the evening of yesterday, from whence it marched this morning for Villa Franca, intending to join the Marquis of Campo Verde tomorrow at Igualada. If any further assistance should be wanted off Barcelona than that already stationed there by your order (dated May 30), I shall direct the whole of my attention to the neighbourhood of Tarragona, in readiness for harassing the retreat of the French army if General Suchet should fortunately be obliged to raise the siege, and for re-embarking and restoring to General O'Donnell whatever may remain of the Valencian troops, according to the solemn pledge he exacted from me before he would consent thus to part with the flower and strength of his army. He even went so far as to declare in the presence of General Doyle, Captain Adam, Captain White, and myself, that he considered me as entirely answerable for the safety of the kingdom of Valencia; and that if I should fail in redeeming my pledge, he would resign his command on that particular account. Fully persuaded that the fate of Tarragona depended upon my decision, I felt it my duty to keep both the Invincible' and Centaur' under my orders until this important point be decided. And I confidently trust that, whatever may the result, I shall have your sanction for the heavy responsibility which I have undertaken, and of which, I beg to assure you, I feel thoroughly sensible every hour of the day. It is but justice to myself, however, that I should tell you that I did most distinctly warn General O'Donnell, that I could in no case answer for his army if placed under the immediate direction of the Marquis of Campo Verde for any distant inland operations; more particularly as I knew that in addition to his own deficiency in ability, he was surrounded by people whose advice and whose conduct was in no case to be relied on.

I have, &c.,

EDWD. CODRINGTON.

be

FALL OF TARRAGONA.

483

From Admiral Sir Charles Cotton to Captain C.

[Page 221.]

'San Josef,' off Toulon: June 28, 1811.

6

I highly approve of your detaining the Centaur' under all the circumstances of your present situation, and I cannot refrain from thanking you, and all the captains and officers under your orders, for the great assistance you have rendered the brave garrison of Tarragona. I almost despair of ultimate success; but the hope that the reinforcements may arrive in time, and the strong force under Campo Verde in the rear of the besiegers, may yet save the place, &c., &c.

C. COTTON.

From Captain C. to General O'Donnell.

[Page 230.]

'Blake,' off Tarragona: June 29, 1811.

MY DEAR SIR,-Yesterday evening about six o'clock the French, after making a breach, assaulted the town, and carried it with so little opposition that they were in full possession of the place in the course of half an hour. Upon seeing the enemy begin to collect in their trenches, I ordered all the gunboats and launches of the squadron to push for the Barcelona road, where I knew the garrison would come out in case of failure; and yet such was the precipitation with which the people came out that they were absolutely in the possession of the enemy and marching tamely up the hill, before our boats could reach the shore; some throwing themselves over the walls of the town, others swimming naked towards the shipping, and all (on the east side of the town at least) submitting to be made prisoners or killed by so small a force of the enemy that they might have overpowered them merely with stones. Our boats have saved a few hundreds only, none of which can give us circumstantial information of this disastrous, and I must add disgraceful affair. The enemy set fire to the town directly, and it is now falling rapidly into a mere ruin. I shall proceed to Villa Nueva the moment any wind rises (it is now a calm), and embark your division, if they should not be already embarked in the vessels belonging to Valencia, which I left there with the Paloma.'

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