“The result of all this is, that with a very small force, I have had to conquer difficulties, which were only got the better of by that terror which the British flag inspires; that I never was consulted by the Cardinal relative to the capitulation; and that I had neither instructions, nor any document, to assist or guide me.”
The following is the plan of the capitulation for the forts of Nuovo and Uovo, as translated by Captain Foote.
Article I. The Forts Nuovo and Uovo shall be delivered into the hands of the commanders of the troops of the King of the Two Sicilies, and those of his Allies, the King of England, the Emperor of all the Russias,and the Ottoman Porte, with all warlike stores, provisions, artillery, and effects of every kind now in the magazines, of which an inventory shall be made by commissaries on both sides, after the present capitulation is signed.
Art. 2. The troops, composing the garrison, shall keep possession of their forts until the vessels which shall be spoken of hereafter, destined to convey such as arc desirous of going to Toulon, are ready to sail. The evacuation shall not take place until the moment of embarkation.
Art. 3. The garrisons shall march out with the honours of war, arms and baggage, drums beating, colours flying, and lighted match, with each two pieces of artillery; they shall lay down their arms on the beach.
Art. 4. Persons, and property, both moveable and immoveable, of every individual of the two garrisons, shall be respected, and guaranteed.
Art. 5. All the said individuals shall have their choice of embarking on board of cartels, which shall be furnished them to go to Toulon, or of remaining at Naples, without being molested either in their persons, or families.
Art. 6. The conditions contained in the present capitulation are common to every person of both sexes now in the forts.
Art. 7. The same conditions shall take place with respect to the prisoners which the troops of His Majesty the King of the Two Sicilies, and those of his Allies, may have made of the Republican troops, in the different engagements which took place before the blockade of the forts.
Art. 8. Messieurs the Archbishop of Salerno, of Micheroux, of Dillon, and the Bishop of Avelino, detained in the Forts, shall be put into the hands of the commandant of the Fort St. Elmo, where they shall remain as hostages until the arrival of the individuals, sent to Toulon, be ascertained.
Art. 9. All the other hostages, or state prisoners, confined in the two forts, shall be set at liberty, immediately after the present capitulation is signed.
Art. 10. All the articles of the said capitulation must be fully approved of by the commandant of Fort St. Elmo before they can be executed.
(Signed)* F. Card. Ruffo, V. G.
(Signed)* Kerandy Neut Prescaje.
(Signed)* Bonieu Kubuffuterre.
(Signed)* Edward James Foote.
Commanding the ships and vessels of his Britannic Majesty in the Bay of Naples.
* I could not decypher the signatures of the Russian and Turkish commanders, and I am therefore by no means certain that they are correctly spelt. – E. J. F.
