been received from General Tolstoi with respect to the inadequacy of the Russian and Swedish cavalry under his command, in the event of active operations. With a view of facilitating the disembarkation, if it should immediately be directed to take place, the German Legion will be ordered to precede the British troops, whose arrival, however, I trust, cannot be delayed for many days, and no time will be lost in forwarding cavalry from hence as speedily as transports can be fitted for their reception. Full instructions shall be forwarded for the direction of your conduct with respect to the course of your proceedings within the Electorate, before your return from Berlin; and I rely upon your transmitting to me every information which can enable his Majesty's Government to judge of the supplies and horses which the country may be expected to produce, and what must be forwarded from hence. I enclose to you the copy of a private letter received this morning, and you will take every means to inform yourself as to the truth of the statement it contains. PS. The intelligence above alluded to is referred to in a despatch from Mr. Thornton, of the 11th instant, as having been in circulation at Hamburgh, but he states it to be devoid of any foundation. Octobre 19, 1805. Monsieur J'apprends dans ce moment, par un ami arrivé hier et parti lundi dernier de Schleswig, le fait suivant que je crois devoir vous communiquer, au risque de vous apprendre ce que probablement vous savez déjà. Le Comte de Lynar a reçu samedy dernier à Schleswig une lettre de son beaufrère, le Baron de Wense de Hanovre, qui lui marque que 9,000 François sont rentrés en Hanovre; que 5,000 sont dans la capitale, le surplus réuni à la garnison de Hameln, qui étoit déjà de 2,500 hommes, et qui se fortifient jusqu'aux dents. Le rapport de cette nouvelle, avec la proclamation sur la levée du blocus de l'Elbe, et avec le débarquement de la légion Hanovrienne, est assez clair pour faire excuser la communication que j'ai l'honneur de vous faire. Le Prince de Hesse-Cassel qui commande en Holstein a reçu le même avis. Je suis, avec respect, Monsieur, Votre très humble et obéissant serviteur, C. TINSEAU. Lord Castlereagh to Lieut.-General Don. Downing Street, October 19, 1805. Sir-Since I closed my despatch of this day's date, I have received from his Majesty's Hanoverian Minister, Count Münster, an instrument signed by his Majesty, directing his Hanoverian servants and subjects to afford their best aid and assistance to the British forces in their operations for the recovery of his Electoral dominions. I also forward a memorandum of the course of policy which it is his Majesty's command you do pursue, in case you should direct his troops to be disembarked; also the form of a Proclamation, which, in conformity to the principles stated in the memorandum, you are authorized and directed at a proper moment to issue. In any use you may find it expedient to make of the instrument under his Majesty's sign-manual, you will take care to act with all proper attention to the safety of individuals, till they are relieved from all danger or apprehension of the resentment of the enemy. I am, &c., CASTLEREAGH. Memorandum relative to the Projected Expedition, for the consideration of the Cabinet. Downing Street, October 21, 1805. Since the decision of the Cabinet to send a force to the Elbe was taken, the German Legion has been embarked, and will sail the moment the wind permits. Two battalions of Guards, the 4th, 14th, and 23rd Regiments of Infantry, five companies of the Rifle Corps, and a due proportion of Artillery, amounting to near 6,000 men, are in progress of embarkation, and will be ready to sail on Saturday next. The six following regiments, viz., the 8th, 9th, 28th, 30th, 36th, and 89th, consisting of 5,638 rank and file, are ordered to embark immediately at Cork, and proceed to the Downs, there to receive further orders, where they may be expected to arrive, if the weather is favourable, in about ten days. Two thousand cavalry are held in readiness to proceed to the Continent, so soon as cavalry transports can be assembled for their reception, or those now proceeding to the Elbe are returned to England. The only impediment at present to operations on a large scale is the want of tonnage fit for the reception of cavalry. Our arrangements have hitherto been framed with a view to demonstrations and to expeditions, where the attack was to be made in the nature of a coup de main, rather than that of a regular military operation, supported by the due proportion of cavalry and Horse Artillery: the most active efforts are, however, now making to supply this defect in the shortest possible time. For the transport of infantry, we have a full supply of tonnage for the reception of 20,000 men. The Admiralty have been called on to state what number of men the lighter armed vessels in the Navy can, upon an emergency, transport to the Elbe or to the coasts of Holland. No regular notice has yet been received; but Lord Keith, in a private letter, states that he considers the armed ships now under his flag to be capable of receiving on board about 14,000 men. It may, therefore, be assumed that we have the means of conveying as large a force of infantry to the Continent, even during the present season, as the most favourable events can call for, and that our means of sending cavalry will be progressive so long as the weather is open. With a view to facilitate the execution of any military measures which his Majesty's servants may hereafter recommend, Lord Castlereagh wishes to suggest the expediency of forming the present disposable force into one connected army for active operations, from which detachments may be made correspondent to any service to be undertaken; and that the Staff should be immediately appointed for the whole, under the chief command of the Duke of York. As the officers to be named will be selected from among those now on the Staff at home, no additional expense will be thereby incurred: they will be enabled at once to take charge of the particular corps to which they are to be attached on foreign service, without being altogether withdrawn, so long as they remain at home, from local duty. And, when the array is once formed as a whole in the manner proposed, operations not requiring the application of the entire force may be undertaken without hazard of the object of attack being brought into suspicion by the selection of a particular staff for the immediate service. If the Cabinet should think fit to recommend the above. arrangements for his Majesty's approbation, including the German Legion and the British troops embarking, the arrangement may at once be formed with reference to a force of 40,000 infantry, rank and file, and 10,000 cavalry, with the due proportion of artillery, subject to be increased in whatever extent the German Legion may be augmented on its arrival at Hanover. With a view to this increase, means of equipment will be forwarded for 10,000 men. Upon the whole, this force may be estimated, for active service early in the next year, at an army of 60,000 rank and file at the least. Whether the whole, or what proportion of the army so to be rendered disposable, shall be actually detached on foreign service, and at what time, must necessarily depend upon It may, however, be satisfactory to the Cabinet that the general distribution of our military force should be so far events. stated as to bring before them what the amount of the army left for the home service will be, supposing circumstances should induce them to advise that the entire of the above force should be employed in offensive operations abroad. The total force, in rank and file, at present, including militia and artillery, is 256,609. The force on foreign stations, including the troops under the orders of Sir James Craig and Sir David Baird, amounts to, rank and file . At home Total, as above 75,162 181,447 256,609 If from the home force 50,000 rank and file, with the requisite artillery, be detached, there will remain about 130,000 rank and file, for internal defence, composed as follows: Regulars 55,251 74,749 130,000 The general distribution would then stand thus; stated in round numbers, considering the force under Sir James Craig and Sir David Baird, viz. 12,000 men, as acting offensively: -- The active force, above stated at 63,000, then, it is presumed, may, before the spring, receive an addition of 10,000 Hanoverians; in which case, after appropriating above 60,000 men to Colonial service, the army for offensive operations will exceed 70,000, rank and file. Lord Castlereagh has not thought it necessary to delay submitting the above to the consideration of his Majesty's servants, till the line which the Court of Berlin means to pursue shall be finally disclosed. The system of Prussia may influence materially the course of our future military opera |