SINGULAR ADVENTURE OF A In the year 1799, when the war with America was conducted with great spirit upon the Continent, a division of the British army was encamped on the banks of a river, and in a position so favourable by nature, that it was difficult for any military art to surprise it. War in America was rather a species of hunting than a regular campaign. ance.-It was necessary that the station, from a stronger motive than ever, should not remain unoccupied; they were compelled to leave another man, and return to the guard-house. The superstition of the soldiers was awakened, and the terror ran through the regiment. The colonel being apprised of the occurrence, signified his intention to accompany the guard when they relieved the centinel they had left. At the appointed time, they all marched together; and again, to their unutterable wonder, they found the post vacant, and the man gone! In order to limit as far as possible this species of war, in which there was so much loss and so little honour, it was the custom witn every regiment to ex- Under these circumstances, the colonel tend its outposts to a great distance be- hesitated whether he should station a yond the encampments; to station cen- whole company on the spot; or whether tinels some miles in the woods, and keep he again should submit the post to a sina constant guard round the main body. gle centinel. The cause of these repeated A regiment of foot was at this time sta- disappearances of men, whose courage tioned upon the confines of a boundless and honesty were never suspected, must savannah. Its loss was likewise great. be discovered: and it seemed not likely The centinels were perpetually surprised this discovery could be obtained in perupon their posts by the Indians, and sisting in the old method. Three brave were borne off their stations, without men were now lost to the regiment, and communicating any alarm, or being heard to assign the post to the fourth, seemed of after. Not a trace was left of the nothing less than giving him up to demanner in which they had been conveyed struction. The poor fellow whose turn away, except that, upon one or two oc- it was to take the station, though a man, casions, a few drops of blood had ap- in other respects, of incomparable resopeared upon the leaves which covered lution, trembled from head to foot. “I the ground. Many imputed this unac- must do my duty," said he to the officer, countable disappearance, and. suggested" I know that, but I should like to lose as an unanswerable argument, that the men thus surprised might at least have fired their muskets, and communicated the alarm to the contiguous posts. Others, who could not be brought to consider it as treachery, were content to receive it as a mystery which time would unravel. One morning, the centinels having been stationed as usual over night, the guard went at sunrise to relieve a post which extended a considerable distance into the wood. The centinel was gone! The surprise was great; but the circumstance had occurred before. They left another man, and departed, wishing him better luck. "You need not be afraid!" said the man with warmth, " I shall not desert!" The relief company returned to the guard-house. The centinels were replaced every four hours, and at the appointed time, the guard again marched An hour had elapsed, and every ear to relieve the post. To their inexpres- was upon the rack for the discharge of sible astonishment the man was gone! the musket, when, upon a sudden, the They searched round the spot, but no report was heard. The guard immetraces could be found of his disappear-diately marched, accompanied as before, 66 A man imranks, and Every mouth "I will not my life with more credit." by the Colonel, and some of the most experienced officers of the regiment. As they approached the spot, they saw the man advancing towards them, dragging another man on the ground by the hair of his head. When they came up to him, it appeared to be an Indian whom he had shot. An explanation was immediately required. "I told your honour," said the man, "that I should fire if I heard the least noise. The resolution I had taken saved my life. I had not been long on my post when I heard a rustling at some short distance; I looked, and saw an American hog, such as are common in the woods, crawling along the ground, and seemed looking for nuts under the trees and among the leaves. As these animals are so very common, I ceased to consider it for a few minutes; but being on the constant alarm and expectation of attack, and scarcely knowing what was to be considered a real cause of apprehension, I kept my eyes vigilantly fixed upon it, and marked its progress among the trees; still there was no need to give the alarm, and my thoughts were directed to danger from another quarter. It struck me, however as somewhat singular to see this animal making, by a circuitous passage, for a thick coppice immediately behind my post, I therefore kept my eyes more constantly fixed upon it, and as it was now within a few yards of the coppice, hesitated whether I should not fire. My comrades, thought I, will laugh at me for alarming them by shooting a pig; I had almost resolved to let it alone, when just as it approached the thicket, I observed it give an unusual spring. I no longer hesitated; I took my aim, discharged my piece, and the animal was immediately stretched before me, with a groan, which I conceived to be that of a human creature. I went up to it, and judge my astonishment, when I found that I had killed an Indian! He had enveloped himself with the skin of one of these wild hogs so artfully and completely, his hands and feet were so entirely concealed in it, and his gait and appearance were so exactly correspondent to that of the animal, that, imperfectly as they were always seen through the trees and jungles, the disguise could not be penetrated at a distance, and scarcely | discovered upon the nearest aspect. He was armed with a dagger and tomahawk." Such was the substance of this man's relation. The cause of the disappearance of the other centinels was now apparent. The Indians, sheltered in this disguise, secreted themselves in the coppice; watched the moment when they could throw it off; burst upon the centinels without previous alarm, and, too quick to give them an opportunity to discharge their pieces, either stabbed or scalped them; and, bearing them away, concealed them in the leaves. The Americans gave them rewards for every scalp of an enemy they brought. INTREPIDITY OF COUNT SAXE. COUNT SAXE, the hero whom France yet honours with its regret, happened, in the year 1705, to be at the city of Lemburgh, waiting for an escort to accompany him to Warsaw, where the court then was. Having learnt that there was a truce between the Saxon troops and the confederates, he wished to avail himself of this interval; and towards the end of January, quitted the place, with a few officers and men. He stopped at a small inn in the village of Craknitz, with an intention of passing the night: not being aware that the truce had been broken, and that the Polanders were informed of his departure, and intended to carry him off. They even dispatched to this village eight hundred cavalry: expecting also to find there marshal count Fleming, who had taken the same route. Count Saxe was about to seat himself at table, when he was informed that a great number of horsemen had entered the village, and that they appeared to be advancing towards the house where he then was. On receiving this intelligence, he instantly made the necessary dispositions for his defence. Seeing that it was not possible to guard, with only eighteen persons, the whole of the premises, which lay scattered, he abandoned the court and ground-floor, and betook himself to the upper part of the house; placing two or three men in each chamber, with orders to bore holes in the floors, that they might be able to fire upon whoever should enter below : and finding. that he could afford some relief to those in the house by means of the stable, he posted himself in the latter spot with the rest of his people. These dispositions were scarcely made, when the attack commenced. The doors of the ground-floor were first forced open; but the rooms being all low, the count's people were able to direct their fire with certainty and accordingly, every one of those who first entered was instantly killed. The Polanders, supposing this part of the house full of the count's people, and thinking the upper stories might be forced with less difficulty, abandoned this quarter, and scaled the windows of the chambers which they discovered to be empty, in order by this means to come at those which were guarded. This manœuvre embarrassed the count, because it was impossible to prevent it. He suffered them, however, to ascend. He then resolved to mount himself, and enter the chambers after them, sword in hand, accompanied by a few brave officers: thus hoping to astonish the enemy by a vigorous charge, which might produce the happiest effect, especially in the middle of a dark night; a time when courage supplies the place of numbers, which are then always thought greater than they are in reality. A musket-shot which the count now received in his thigh, did not prevent him from making this attack. He threw himself into the first chamber, which was already filled with the enemy: all of them who did not escape by the windows, were immediately put to death. The Polanders made a second attempt, which succeeded no better, and they were compelled to retire. They then determined to blockade the house till daylight. The count instantly perceived their design; and while he was meditating the means of escape, an officer advanced to summon him to surrender; threatening, in case of refusal, to set fire not only to the house but to the whole village. He ordered the officer to retire; and on his refusing to do so, fired on him, and killed him on the spot. The Polanders sent a Dominican friar with a second summons, who met with a similar fate. The count then assembled his people: "You see," said he, "that we can hope for no quarter; to save our lives therefore, we must force our way through the enemy sword in hand. They are dispersed in small posts; the bulk of their force is at a distance: let us avail ourselves of the darkness, to gain the woods which lie contiguous to the village. If we should fall in with one of their outposts, we must instantly put them to the sword. Let us depart.' They then left the house, to the number of fourteen persons. They had proceeded a very short distance, before they found one of the enemy's guard; who thinking himself secure from all alarm, had composed himself to sleep. How indeed could it have been supposed that such a handful of men would take a resolution so daring? Nothing surely but that ardent attachment to life which is inherent in the breast of every one, could prompt in so desperate a measure. The count's people dispatched the sleeping man before he could utter a word; and afterwards proceeded in safety to Sendomir, where they found a Saxon garrison. SPIRITED BEHAVIOUR OF A DRUMMER. This AN English drummer having wandered from his camp, and getting too near the French lines, was seized and brought before the French commander, on suspicion of being a spy disguised in a drummer's uniform. On being asked who he was by the general, he answered, "A drummer in the English service." not gaining credit, a drummer was sent for, and he was desired to beat a couple of marches, which accordingly he did, and removed the Frenchman's suspicion. However, he desired the drummer to beat a retreat. "A retreat, Sir," replied the Briton, "I know not what it is, nor is it known in the English service.” This answer so pleased the French officer, that he dismissed the drummer, and wrote to his general, commending his spirited behaviour. NOTICE. Subscribers and the public are respectfully informed; that the original edition of the Tales of the Wars, or Naval and Military Chronicle, is published only by W M. CLARK, 19, Warwick-lane, Paternoster-row, & J. Pattie, 17, High-street, Bloomsbury; J. Cleave, 1, Shoe-lane; J. Hetherington, 126, Strand; Brittain, Paternoster-row; and may be had of all Booksellers in Town and Country. J. LAST, Printer. 3, Edward-st.Hampstead-rd. NAPOLEON being relieved by the treaty of Luneville, from all apprehensions of a serious continental struggle, turned all his attention to the shores of Great Britain, and made important preparations for invasion on his own side of the Channel. Though not of that magnitude of character which they afterwards assumed, these efforts were of a nature to claim the most serious attention of our Government. From the mouth of the Scheldt to that of the Garonne, every creek and headland was fortified, so as to afford protection to the small craft which were creeping round the shore from all the harbours of the kingdom, to the general rendezvous of Dunkirk and Boulogne. The latter harbour was the general point of assembling; gun-boats and flat-bottomed praams were collected VOL. I. in great quantities, furnaces heated for red-hot shot, immense batteries constructed, and every preparation made, not only for a vigorous defence, but the most energetic offensive operations. The immensity of these preparations was studiously dwelt upon in the French papers; nothing was talked of but the approaching descent upon Great Britain; and fame, ever the first to sound the alarm, so magnified their amount, that when a few battalions pitched their tents on the heights of Boulogne, it was universally credited in England, that the army of invasion was about to take its station preparatory to the threatened attempt. The English fleets at this time in the narrow seas were so powerful, that no attempt at invasion by open force could H French army would never embark at Boulogne for the invasion of England; and he owned, that this boat-warfare was not exactly congenial to his feelings. Into Helvoet or Flushing, he should be happy to lead, if Government turned their thoughts that way. 'While I serve,' said he, I will do it actively, and to the very best of my abilities.' be made with any chance of success, | himself scrupled not to assert, that the there being fourteen ships of the line under Admiral Cornwallis, off Brest, and seventeen in the German Ocean, observing the Dutch harbours: but it was impossible to conceal, that the same wind which wafted the French flotilla out of its harbours, might chain the English cruisers to theirs; and, notwithstanding the greatest maritime superiority, we had had many proofs, that it was impossible at all times to prevent a vigilant and active enemy from putting to sea during the darkness of autumnal or winter months; and it was easy to foresee, that even although ultimate defeat might attend a descent, incalculable confusion and distress would inevitably follow it in the first instance. "The attack was made by the boats of the squadron in five divisions, under Captains Somerville, Parker, Cotgrave, Jones, and Conn. The previous essay had taught the French the weak parts of their position; and they omitted no means of strengthening it, and of guarding against the expected attempt. The boats put off about half an hour before Influenced by these views, the English midnight: but, owing to the darkness, Government provided a powerful armaand tide and half tide, which must alment of bombs and light vessels in the ways make night attacks so uncertain on Downs, and intrusted the command to the coasts of the Channel, the divisions Lord Nelson, whose daring and suc- | separated. One could not arrive at all; cessful exploits at Aboukir and the Nile, another not till daybreak. The others pointed him out as peculiarly fitted for made their attack gallantly; but the the enterprise. Having hoisted his flag enemy were fully prepared: every vessel in the Medusa frigate, he went to recon- was defended by long poles, headed with noitre Boulogne; the point from which | iron spikes, projecting from their sides; it was supposed the great attempt would strong nettings were braced up to their be made, and which the French, in fear lower yards; they were moored by the of an attack themselves, were fortifying bottom to the shore: they were strongly with all care. He approached near manned with soldiers, and protected by enough to sink two of their floating bat- land batteries, and the shore was lined teries, and to destroy a few gun-boats, with troops. Many were taken posseswhich were without the pier: what da- sion of; and, though they could not mage was done within could not be have been brought out, would have ascertained. “ Boulogne," he said, "was been burnt, had not the French resorted not a very pleasant place that morning to a mode of offence, which they have -but," he added, "it is not my wish to often used, but which no other people injure the poor inhabitants; and the have ever been wicked enough to emtown is spared as much as the nature of ploy. The moment the firing ceased on the service will admit." Enough was board one of their own vessels they fired done to show the enemy that they could upon it from the shore, perfectly regardnot with impunity come outside their less of their own men. own ports. : "Nelson's eye was fixed upon Flushing, to take possession of that place,' he said, 'would be a week's expedition for four or five thousand troops.' This, however, required a consultation with the Admiralty; and that something might be done meantime, he resolved upon attacking the flotilla in the mouth of Boulogne harbour. This resolution was made in deference to the opinion of others, and to the public feeling which was so preposterously excited. He "The commander of one of the French divisions acted like a generous enemy. He hailed the boats as they approached, and cried out in English: Let me advise you, my brave Englishmen, to keep your distance; you can do nothing here; and it is only uselessly shedding the blood of brave men to make the attempt.' The French official account boasted of the victory. The combat,' it said, 'took place in sight of both countries; it was the first of the kind, and the historian would have cause to |