Gazette Of The United States And Daily Evening Advertiser

We hear a heavy firing on the side of Malines, commonly called Mechlin, the enemy as we are informed having attacked that place. The Earl of Moira with a great part of his army has marched to its relief.

11 o'Clock, P. M.

The force which the enemy carried against Malines, amounted to between 6 and 7000 men and 5 pieces of cannon with which they kept up a brisk fire on the town for some time. They however began to retreat before Lord Moira's army could reach the place. On this occasion a Captain of O'Donnel's corps was killed: one subaltern with about thirty men were killed or wounded; and several horses were damaged by the shot of the enemy. At the commencement of the attack the garrison with that precipitation and terror which have but too conspicuously marked the conduct of some of our Allies on different former occasions set fire to the bridge across the canal immediately in front of Malines, altho' it turned on a pivot, and could be withdrawn in an instant by which they have deprived themselves of the only means they had either to pursue the enemy or reconnoitre their situation. The French may now approach the town in the smallest parties with impunity, as they know that the garrison has no mode of crossing the canal to molest them either in their approach or retreat.

Sunday, July 13.

The present position of the Duke of York and the Earl of Moira's armies, tho' a position necessary to be occupied by some troops, is the most unfavourable that can be conceived for the British to act in; the country being so completely intersected by woods and hedges, that ground can hardly be found to encamp or draw up a single battalion upon. Our formidable cavalry would be entirely useless where we now are; and even the bravery and discipline of our infantry would avail them little where every poltroon, who can fire from behind a tree or a hedge, becomes the equal of an intrepid soldier: The weather has been hot in the extreme for some days past. from which circumstance, and the scarcity of water, the troops have suffered exceedingly.

Monday, July 14,

We are beginning to send off our heavy baggage; and all our sick at Antwerp, about 1200 men, are embarking on board transports to be conveyed to Flushing, which induces us to believe that we shall shortly fall back from this into Holland. Indeed, as this country is now completely lost to the Allies, the sooner we quit it the better; or any action in our present situation, however successful we might be, could not be productive of any one benefit to the Allies.

The Earl of Moira's army are still without tents; but tho' they are hutted very indifferently, there is not a single murmur among the troops, who every day witness their commander, whom they venerate almost to adoration, subjecting himself to the same hardships with themselves—sleeping on his cloak on sand-hills, or in a wretched hut of straw, and not better accommodated than the lowest soldier in his army.

It is impossible to describe what a disappointment the army has experienced by not receiving any accounts or letters lately from England—Baillico, who brought the last dispatches to the Duke of York, left the army bag of letters behind him somewhere on the road. His Royal Highness immediately ordered him to return and bring forward the bag.

Tuesday morning, July 15.

Early this morning the enemy made an attempt to pass the Canal that runs in front of Malines, but they were at last repulsed, after a heavy firing of cannon and small arms.

5 o'clock, P. M.

The enemy have again advanced, and are now keeping up a very heavy fire, with a view of attempting to pass either the canal or the river in our front. The Earl of Moira has marched to defend the road from Waelhem, and the bridge which crosses that river.

Half past 8 o'clock, P. M.

The enemy having succeeded in their attempt to cross the canal, have taken Malines, and are now advancing two miles on this side of it, close to the bridge of Waelhem, within 4 miles of our camp. Lord Moira's army is at this moment drawn up on the banks of the river, to oppose any attempts of the enemy to cross it; and the bridge is covered with combustibles, ready to set fire to, the moment the enemy shall approach. We do not however expect that the enemy will attempt any thing farther to-night; but to-morrow it is probable they will—from dispositions, however, which are now making, we have reason to believe that, by that time, we shall have retreated to Antwerp.