boats sent to the attack of Campvere, his pilots having declared that they could place him close to the town, in an advantageous position. Unfortunately, in working up the Veere Gat, his brig grounded several times, and ultimately stuck fast, so near the enemy’s batteries, that he was obliged to cut away the masts and throw every thing overboard, in order to get her afloat.
The Reynard was afterwards sent to the Baltic station, where Captain Steuart continued until a communication was opened with Riga, in June 1812; at which period he received orders from Rear-Admiral T. Byam Martin to assume the command of a flotilla, hastily equipped, at the request of General Von Essen, to act against the French and Prussian armies under Marshals Macdonald and Yorck. In an official letter to Sir James Saumarez, dated Aug. 4, 1812, the Rear-Admiral expresses himself as follows:–
“The way Captain Steuart has conducted himself, in the command of the Russian and English gun-boats, is highly praise-worthy; and his unremitting activity, so creditable to the country, has been willingly imitated by the officers and men of the Aboukir and Ranger, who are placed under his orders: they have unquestionably kept the enemy from crossing the river, at the falls above the town, where a body of infantry and horse still remained entrenched; the only time they ever advanced towards the boats they were dispersed in a very few minutes, after having 5 men and 2 horses killed.”
The subsequent operations of the combined flotilla are thus detailed by Captain Steuart, in a letter to Rear-Admiral Martin, dated at Riga, Oct. 3, 1812:
“In my last I had the honor to inform you, that an attack on the Prussians in this vicinity was intended to take place about the 26th ultimo. A considerable body of troops, under Count Steinheil, left Riga on that day[1], and the gun-boats under the command of the English officers accompanied a strong division of 40 Russian boats, besides 10 launches, under the command of Admiral Muller, up the river Aa.
“The enemy had withdrawn bis troops from Schlock, and his other posts, on the approach of the boats. We therefore did not meet with any opposition until the 29th, when about 5 miles below Mittau: the enemy had there placed three different booms across the river, about half a mile distant from each other. Within pistol-shot of the third boom, which was very strong and well constructed, were placed three batteries of 4 guns