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TO CORRESPONDENTS.

THE Editor must be allowed to express his hopes, that the MILITARY CHRONICLE of this Month will give gencral satisfaction. From the distance of some of the Writers, it was not in his power to procure the contributions of the whole of them this Month, but in the fifth volume he hopes to produce his whole array.

The Supplement of the Fourth Volume of the MILITARY CHRONICLE is published this day, it contains the Life of Charles the Twelfth, verbatim, from the octavo volume of Voltaire. The campaigns of this conqueror were precisely upon the plan, and, in good part, upon the same ground with the present one of Buonaparte.

On the first of next month, together with the MILITARY CHRONICLE, will be published the Life of Peter the Great, by Voltaire.-These two works should be inseparable companions from each other, as each of these contain the life of the most surprising men of the age they lived in; the one, the Alexander of the day-and the other, the founder of a mighty empire; a singular mixture of greatness, ferocity, natural ability, and savage irregularity; and who, moreover, has impressed his character both upon his people, and succeeding sovereigns. Both of these lives, moreover, were written from the communiThe Empress Catherine the Second cations of the respective courts to the historian.

sent the materials of the life of Peter the Great, from the archives of Moscow, to Voltaire. I do not know three more pleasing and able books than the Memoirs of Captain Carleton, the Life of Peter the Great, and the Life of Charles the Twelfth.

A most finished engraving by Cordon, will be given in our next. mous price for it, and we trust it is worth it.

We paid an anor.

The First Number of Danville's maps will be shortly ready for delivery.

The Life of Cornwallis in our next.-This is a trifling irregularity, which, for the sake of procuring good memoirs, the Reader must occasionally pardon.

Our next will likewise contain a great variety of correspondence which we have been

compelled to keep back from the pressure of present matter.

The Obituary on the new plan will commence in the next volume. It will be seen there was no room for it in this.

The Index and Title page to the Fourth Volume will be given in our next.

ART OF WAR.

From the length of this, and some other articles in this Number, the Publisher has been compelled, in the absence of the Editor, to put aside the article of the Art of War, for the next Number. He trusts that the most distinguished ability (if he may risk his own judgment) of the whole of the articles inserted in this Number will render any further apology for this omission unnecessary. The next Number will begin the fifth volume, and the Art of War, in a regular system, will be commenced in it, and will never be, in future, discontinued or omitted.

ROYAL MILITARY CHRONICLE.

OCTOBER, 1812.

MILITARY BIOGRAPHY.

COLONEL HENDERSON.

AS the object of biography is to hold up for the imitation of mankind such characters as have distinguished themselves for their good conduct, we have particular pleasure in presenting to our readers, one, who, had he been spared to his country, would have continued, as he was, an ornament to the military profession.

The late lieutenant-colonel Henderson, of the royal York rangers, was a native of Scotland, born near Aberdeen, on the 16th September 1775. His father, the late captain Henderson, was descended from an old and respectable family in Perthshire. He served his country for twenty years in the army, and retired to Newton, a small property he had on the banks of the Dee, where, having a numerous family, he educated three of his sons for the profession of arms. His eldest son, Patrick, the subject of this memoir, prosecuted his studies under a private tutor, till the age of 15, when he was entered a student of the university of Marischal college, Aberdeen. He there continued till the age of 18, when he raised men for an ensigncy, and joined an independent company attached to the 29th regiment, commanded by Lord Cathcart, whose favourable opinion he had the good fortune to acquire and retain.He accompanied part of the regiment on board the Glory, and did marine duty for two years, during which he was in the actions of 27th and 28th May, and was wounded in Lord Howe's glorious victory of the 1st of June. His good conduct on that occasion gained him the particular thanks and recommendation of Lord Keith. On the report of captain Elphinston, who commanded the Glory, he was soon promoted to a lieutenancy, and sent to Scotland on the recruiting service, where he raised upwards of 100 men.

In 1799 he accompanied his regiment in the expedition to Holland; where` he commanded the grenadier company (his captain being wounded at the landing) in various actions; in one of which he was slightly wounded, and gained deserved applause by his brave conduct. He was honoured, on this occasion, with the particular thanks of his commanding officer, Sir Eyre Coote, and colonel, now general M'Donald, who commanded the reserve.By these officers he was strongly recommended for promotion. The latter, in particular, having afterwards occasion to speak of him officially, stated, "that he first fell in with lieutenant Henderson, in command of the grenadier YOL. IV. No. 24.

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Colonel Henderson.

company of the 29th regiment, in a trying situation, pressed by the enemy on the sand hills in Holland, where he conducted himself, as he remembered to have expressed at the time, with the gallantry of a soldier, and the judg ment of an officer."

In 1801 he again raised men for a captain-lieutenancy, soon obtained a company, and proceeded with his regiment to Halifax, where he remained two years, when he returned home for the benefit of his health. He was then again employed on the recruiting service, and raised upwards of 100

men.

In 1806, by the recommendation of many general officers, he was appointed major of the royal African corps; and, remaining in London, he raised nearly 700 men, which were afterwards drafted into, and formed the royal York rangers. This regiment, disciplined by his exertions, and animated by his example, gained the highest honour by their gallant conduct in the West Indies. He accompanied these recruits to Guernsey, and continued to discipline them until he embarked with them for Barbadoes in 1808. This regiment being actively employed in the attack and reduction of the Saints and Martinique, he was again slightly wounded. His very distinguished conduct on these occasions was rewarded by the public approbation of general Beckwith; and he was appointed fort captain of Fort Royal. He remained there until the attack on Guadaloupe, which occasioned the loss of a life valuable to his country, and deservedly precious to his family. The enemy having been successively driven from every position, at last retired to that in which they intended to make their great stand, and which, naturally strong, had been previously fortified. The royal York rangers, although a newly raised corps, was always selected for the most active and dangerous service: major Henderson was accordingly ordered to make a detour to the right, so as to be ready, next morning, in the intended general attack, to drive the enemy from the position on their left, which was by them considered impregnable. Having discovered, however, a shorter route by a ford, he proposed an immediate attack. This was accordingly ordered by major-general Wale, who commanded the detachment, which succeeded after a stubborn resistance on the part of the enemy, and great loss on both sides. Next morning the enemy, finding their position turned, surrendered the island, and themselves prisoners of war. In ascending the hill, which was very rugged, the royal York rangers had great difficulties to encounter, and particularly where the enemy were posted, which was almost perpendicular. In this situation the greatest loss was sustained; but, animated by the example of their gallant leader, British valour at last prevailed. In the moment of victory major Henderson received a dangerous wound in the breast, but from which he might have recovered, had not his zeal for the service led him into exertions far beyond his strength, before he was restored to health. The general orders and Gazettes bear ample testimony to his meritorious conduct on that occasion: and, in consideration of his services,

Colonel Henderson.

bis Majesty was pleased to confer on him the rank of lieutenant-colonel.-Notice of this, alas, arrived but too late, for this promising officer had finished his career at the early age of 34. The following extracts will justify what we have written, and may be acceptable to our readers.

BRIGADE ORDERS.

Mourne Mannell, Feb. 4, 1810.—Brigadier-general Wale has the honour to congratulate his brigade upon the complete success of the action of yesterday, in which as much real, cool, and intrepid courage was displayed, as ever appeared among the annals of history!-- Six hundred of the royal York rangers went to the attack of 500 of the best troops of the enemy through passes deemed, by them, impracticable, and routed them from a post considered as inaccessible. By this gallant achievement, the whole army has this day the proud satisfaction of seeing the flag of truce displayed upon all the enemy's batteries, indicating the approaching end of our present labours.

The brigadier-general deeply regrets the loss of some gallant officers, and brave soldiers, but it was not to be expected that one of the strongest defended passes of the enemy, and the key to their intrenched camp, could be carried without considerable loss. To major Henderson, who led the attack, the brigadier-general has not words to express his high sense of that officer's invincible intrepidity in surmounting all difficulties, nor to captains Starck, Sutherland, Darling, and Mathewson, and the officers and soldiers in general, in support of their gallant leader. The brigadier-general calls to mind the critical moment when so many officers and men were killed and wounded; when, but for the undaunted firmness of the rest the day would have been lost. But when the brigadier-general recollected the former exploits of the royal York rangers, he was convinced they would ultimately overcome all difficulties. The brigadier-general desires that the names of the gallant officers who fell in this action, lieutenants Coply, Symonds, Martineu, and Gregg, may be recorded in orders, as having greatly conduced to the success of the day. The brigadier-general returns his best thanks to major Hadden, the officers and soldiers of the grenadier battalion, for their support on that day. To brigade-major Brereton, and assistant-quarter and barrack-master-general Gray, the brigadier-general feels highly indebted for their gallant, great, and meritorious exertions,

GENERAL ORDERS.

Head-quarters, Beauralon, Guadaloupe, February 5, 1810.-The commander of the forces not being yet in possession of official reports from the general officers commanding divisions and brigades, intended to have deferred adverting in public orders to the high sense he entertains of the eminent services rendered by the generals, the staff, the officers of all kinds, the noncommissioned officers, and soldiers of the army now serving under his immediate command, until the final reduction of this important colony: but the conduct of the royal York rangers under the command of major Henderson,

Colonel Henderson.

in the presence of brigadier-general Wale commanding the reserve, of which corps this regiment forms the principal part, has been of a nature so brilliant, and so decisive in its effects, that the commander of the forces feels it his duty to return his thanks in this public manner to brigadier-general Wale, major Henderson, and to the officers and men of the royal York rangers for their distinguished manner in forcing the enemy from their intrenchments and fastnesses in the woods and mountains on the evening of the 3d instant, turning the left of their position, seizing and maintaining the heights which commanded it. And the general is most sensible of the merits and discipline of this young corps in having the next morning at day-break, after being deprived of the talents and appearance of the brigadier-general, and major Henderson their commanding officer, both of whom were carried off the field wounded during the night, persisted in completing the important end arising from their position, by detaching under their captains, whose individual merit he cannot at this moment designate; and, driving the enemy from his batteries, opened the passage of the bridge to the army which was not to be forced in front. Such a service is a precious deposit in the history of any corps, and cannot fail of being honoured with some signal mark of approbation of their king and country, and the commander of the forces trusts that the state of discipline of this regiment, its distinguished merits last campaign, in maintaining Fort Edward, under the ordnance of Fort Dessaix, and the exertions of Major Henderson, its commanding officer, on that and the present occasion, will secure to that officer all that consolation and promotion his uncommon services so highly entitle him to.

MORNING BRIGADE ORDERS.

Guadaloupe, August 29, 1810.-With poignant sorrow major-general Carmichael last night received the report of the decease of the late major Henderson of the royal York rangers. This melancholy event he deplores as an officer in an important command, where the distinguished abilities and gallantries evinced on the conquest of this island might still further tend to maintain the sovereignty and happiness of this part of his Majesty's dominions. The major-general laments that the military profession, and society in general, has suffered the privation of a member as honourable in mind, and mild in manners, as firm in action.

He condoles with and participates in the grief of major Henderson's numerous friends, who were acquainted with his private principles and disposition. However adverse the major-general is to expose the troops at military funerals, to an inclemency of weather at this season, upon this particular occasion he is desirous to pay every tribute of honour and respect to the remains of that truly and most deservedly lamented officer, major Henderson, of the royal York rangers, who, at the head of his regiment, by bravery and fortitude, forced a pass otherwise impregnable; and was arrested at the moment of victory by a severe wound, and now removed at an untimely age, by the hand of death, from his country and friends.

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