Gazette Of The United States & Evening Advertiser

NIEUPORT, October 23.

The attack which the Carmagnols commenced yesterday upon our town, and which continued to-day, would certainly have reduced the place, but for the inundation, which though very unpromising at first, about five o'clock in the afternoon, began to succeed so well, that at six the whole flat country around the town was overflowed about two feet high, and we saw the Carmagnole with a great deal of difficulty wading through the encircling flood. As the next tide, which comes in to-morrow morning about four, will raise it at least two feet higher, we are pretty sure that the Sans Culottes will move off during the night, as quiet as possible; and we are in hopes that they will not be able to save their artillery, which, as far as we already know, consists of four twelve pounders, and four howitzers.

This attack was, no doubt a part of an extensive plan, concerted by the committee of public safety, to fall at one and the same time upon our whole chain of positions from Nieuport to Maubeuge; and if possible, to strike a grand and decisive blow before the end of the present campaign. As far as it concerns Furnes and Nieuport, it was executed in the following manner:

The Carmagnols advanced yesterday morning in two columns against Furnes, the one from Hondschoote on the causeway, the other from Dunkirk, along the canal, which goes from this place to Furnes; each column consisted of about 3000 men. Our corps posted at Furnes was about 1200 men strong, but strange to tell, had not one single cannon. Four companies of the Legion de la Charte, who formed our advanced guard near Bulckamp, fought with the greatest gallantry, and out of eight officers, five were wounded. The great superiority of the enemy in number and artillery obliged our troops about two o'clock to fall back.—They retreated in good order to Schore. Our garrison was by this retrograde movement increased to about 1000 men, but we had on our ramparts not one heavy cannon, and our whole artillery consisted of a few six pounders and field pieces.

The Sans Culottes made their appearance before our town yesterday evening, and began to erect a battery near the Pelican, and situated on the right side of the canal, about half a mile from Nieuport. We fired a few shot against the battery, but without effect. This morning at half past nine o'clock, a French trumpeter arrived with the usual summons, wherein the commanding General of the Carmagnols allowed our Commandant, the Hessian Colonel Wurmb, a quarter of an hour to consider on his proposals to surrender.—The answer was, that the garrison were determined to defend themselves to the last extremity.

At twelve the cannonade began upon the town, and unfortunately the very first shell thrown into the place, fell into a hay loft near a distillery and set it in flames, which threw all the inhabitants into the utmost consternation. We returned the enemy's fire as well as we could, but, having no heavy cannon, and seeing no possibility of saving the town by any other means, but that of inundating the surrounding country, the necessity of our situation forced us to adopt it.

A little after three o'clock the first sluice was opened, but with so little effect, that, despairing of success, our Commandant gave orders, that whilst the cannoneers and a part of the garrison continued firing upon the enemy, the rest should begin to file off towards Ostend.

A great part of the garrison had already left the town, when, about four o'clock the opening of the second sluice having been effected, the inundation answered our most sanguine expectation. The troops, which were on their march to Ostend, then received orders to return, and an officer was sent to General Ainslie, with the important news of our unexpected relief; whilst from our ramparts we enjoyed to see the consternation and fright of the disappointed Carmagnole banditti, wading to and fro through the encircling flood like so many ducks, without knowing on which side to turn to effect their escape.

The subjoined copy of the summons, sent us by the General of the Carmagnols is taken from the original, and is highly worthy of the person who penned it:

To the Inhabitants of Nieuport.

'The 2d day of the 1st decade of the 2d month of the 2d year of the French Republic, one and indivisible. (This is October 23.)

'I summon you to surrender yourselves immediately to the victorious arms of the French Republic, before which every thing must yield: and that six citizens repair to my camp;—in failure of which, surrounded and attacked as you are both by sea and land, your town shall be laid waste, and I will enter it over the smoking ashes of your houses, and the palpitating remains of your members.

'Let the example of Furnes be a warning to you not to rely on those who call themselves your defenders; and who calumniate us, because we beat them.

(Signed) The General commanding the advanced guard of the French troops before Nieuport.'