Orders have been given for the two corps assembled in the Downs to proceed to sea together, and his lordship has no doubt you will regulate the force of the convoy accordingly. I am, &c., E. COOKE. Lord Castlereagh to H.R.H. the Duke of York. Downing Street, October 29, 1805. Sir-Advices having been this morning received, that not only the German Legion, but also the brigade of Guards, with the 4th, 14th, and 23rd Regiments, and 500 of the Rifle Corps, had been embarked in the Downs, I am to signify to your Royal Highness his Majesty's pleasure that you do issue the necessary orders for the whole to proceed to the Elbe as soon as the wind will permit. I am, &c., CASTLEREAGH. Lord Castlereagh to Lieutenant-General Don. Downing Street, October 30, 1805. Sir I have received your letter of the 29th instant, proposing that Brigadier-General Decken should be sent forward in a fast-sailing vessel to the Elbe, to gain information, and make arrangements, viz.-1st, to engage pilots; 2nd, to make preparations for the disembarkation of the troops, and for immediate forward movements: 3rd, to procure information as to the situation of the allied corps, and the movements of the enemy; 4th, to communicate with Mr. Thornton, his Majesty's Minister at Hamburg; 5th, to send an officer to meet you at Heligoland, with information on the above points. In answer thereto, I am to express my approbation of the measures you have proposed, and am to acquaint you that the Admiralty have been desired to instruct Lord Keith, or RearAdmiral Holloway, to furnish a fast-sailing cutter accordingly, on the application to either of them by Baron Decken. I also am to convey to you my approbation with regard to to which you intend And it may be expe And it those objects of inquiry and arrangement pointing your orders to Baron Decken. dient for you to open to him the various points of the instructions which you have received from me, and by which the Baron may further regulate his proceedings. I think it right to suggest to you the expediency of sending forward also the Commissary-General with Baron Decken. I am, &c., CASTLEREAGH. Mr. Cooke to Lieutenant-General Don. Downing Street, October 30, 1805. Sir-Lord Castlereagh directs me to acknowledge your letter of the 29th instant, stating that Major-Generals Finch and Paget have reported that the following articles have not been embarked with their respective brigades, viz.-field artillery; reserve musket ammunition; reserve musket flints; hospital stores; purveyors' stores; hospital staff for the two brigades. In answer thereto, I am directed by his lordship to acquaint you that twelve battalion six-pounder guns have been embarked, and the vessels sailed yesterday for the Downs; that 3,000,000 rounds of ammunition for the German Legion are embarked, one half in the River, and one half at Portsmouth, and ordered to the Downs; that the same quantity, for the British force, is embarking in the River, and will be forwarded. There are five transports, laden with ordnance stores, at Portsmouth, and six with medical stores and camp equipage, which will sail for the Downs as soon as the wind changes. If the corps under your command shall have sailed, they will be forwarded without delay under convoy. You will be furnished, as soon as possible, with a complete detail of the articles ordered to accompany your expedition. I am, &c., E. COOKE, Lord Castlereagh to H.R.H. the Duke of York. Downing Street, November 3, 1805. Sir-His Majesty's confidential servants, with a view to facilitate the execution of offensive operations against the enemy, have humbly submitted to his Majesty the expediency of forming the present disposable force into one connected army for active service, from which detachments may be made correspondent to any service to be undertaken; and that a staff should be immediately appointed for the whole, under the chief command of your Royal Highness. I have the honour to acquaint your Royal Highness that his Majesty has been graciously pleased to express his entire approbation of this arrangement, and I am directed to convey to your Royal Highness the King's commands that your Royal Highness should take his Majesty's pleasure without delay upon the detailed military arrangements for carrying the same into execution. I am to request, so soon as the above arrangements are completed, that your Royal Highness will communicate to me, for the information of the King's servants, the numbers and formation of the army so rendered disposable for foreign service, as also the amount and nature of the force which will remain for the defence of the Colonies and of the United Kingdom, in the event of the whole of the disposable infantry, a due proportion of artillery, and a corps of about 10,000 cavalry, being detached on foreign service. 1805. I am, &c., Chronological Memorandum. CASTLEREAGH. August 3. First order for providing transports. September 29. Orders to the Commander-in-Chief to canton the troops near the coast, so as to be in readiness for embarkation. From August 29 to September 10. The troops at Boulogne broke up, and marched for the Rhine in divisions under Davoust, &c. From September 5 to 10. The troops in Holland broke up from Zeyst, &c., and marched in divisions for the Danube, under Marmont, &c. September 16. The French army under Bernadotte evacuated Hanover, and marched towards the Danube. September 18. Decree of Buonaparte for enrolling the conscripts. September 25 and 26. The first divisions of French troops passed the Rhine, and advanced into Suabia. October 3 and 4. The Bavarian troops entered the Prussian territories in Franconia, and Bernadotte passed through Anspach. October 18. This intelligence received in London. October 5. Russians landed at Stralsund. About October 12 or 13. The King of Prussia gave leave to the Russians to pass through his territories. October 11. Augereau's army from Brest passed the Rhine at Huningen. October 10. Order for embarking the German Legion. October 16. They embarked. October 17. Order for embarking the first division of British, and 5,000 troops ordered from Ireland. November 5. They sailed. November 3. Order for preparing the whole disposable force for foreign service. November 28. German cavalry of the Legion sailed. December 14 and 15. Put back. December 22. Sailed again. October 21. Lord Nelson defeated the combined fleets of France and Spain. November 6. Account of the victory received at the Admiralty. Lord Keith to Lord Castlereagh. Sunday, November 10, 1805. My Lord-Messrs. Rob and Muchett are this morning arrived off this coast, and came on shore in an open boat, leaving the larger one becalmed at sea. I send their report, and the answers to some questions I put to them, also some late papers. The winds and thick weather prevent the arrival of transports, which I lament on account of those men who are on board with the horses. There are some transports in the Downs, with horse-artillery on board; the officers have inquired of me whether they are to proceed with the Germans or not, and, of course, with the first convoy; to which I could not answer. Will your lordship send them or me instructions on this subject? I send a sea-chart of the Dutch coast, and have the honour to be, &c., KEITH. I cannot help entertaining some apprehension that our friends tell us more than they can actually have seen in so short a time. At first Rob said he had not seen General Murat, and, some time after, repeated a conversation he had held with the General; but, observing my surprise, he said— "It was the General's secretary I saw, not himself." Lord Keith to Lord Castlereagh. November 12, 1805. My Lord-Soon after the two men Muchett and Rob quitted their lugger at sea, to come on shore with the information I had the honour to transmit, it was seized by the Watchful gun-brig and Griffin cutter, and brought into the Downs. I wrote to S. H. Low, commander of the Watchful, that I had knowledge of mission. Mr. Low is here, and willing to give up the vessel, provided the Board of Customs and the Griffin |