An Old Newspaper Days of the Late

Evening Post, Volume CXXVII, Issue 117, 20 May 1939, Page 21

An Old Newspaper Days of the Late

AT the close of the eighteenth century, J, C. Mottley, of Portsmouth, England, decided to publish a weekly newspaper to be devoted

mainly to naval and military affairs and interests. Mr. Mottley was evidently an energetic business man, for already a bookseller and chemist, he was now blossoming out as a newspaper publisher, who used his journal to advertise his wares. He called the publication the "Portsmouth Telegraph; Mottley's Naval and Military Journal," and a copy of the first issue, dated October 14, 1799, was recently presented to the writer by a Portsmouth resident when visiting New Zealand.

The "Telegraph- was oorn shortly before Napoleon's star was in the ascendant, for only a few days before (October 8) he reached France from Egypt, having successfully eluded the English Fleet. The coup d'etat of November 10 made him Third Cons!, Ihon immediately afterwards First Consul.

Napoleon's future conqueror, . the Duke of Wellington, then Colonel Arthur Wellesley. was Governor of the fortified town of Seringapatam, and commander of the forces in Mysore. He already was displaying that forceful personality which was to make him renowned. The fortress was taken on May 4 previously, and the "Telegraph" records that the partition of the captured treasure and spoils, had been arranged thus: the King to receive all arms and military stores of the garrison, and the besieging troops to have a clear moiety of all the other produce, and the East India Company the other.

It was a very disturbed epoch in the world's history. War was raging between the Allies and the French in Europe, in the East and elsewhere. The paper is, therefore, full of tidings of important naval and military engagements and movements.

There had been heavy fighting in Switzerland, and Massena, General-in-Chief, reports f-'om Zurich that he had entered that city, having completely defeated the Austrian and Russian armies. The enterpriring Russian commander, Field-Marshal Suvarov, had fared ill from the outset. He heard first rumours of the disasters when near Altdorf. Struggling across the mountains to Muotta, he beat off several attacks, and finally reached winter quarters in Lindru. In this campaign Switzerland witnessed the most

dramatic series of disasters ever brought about by the jealousy of allies. The Duke of fork's dispatch of Oct ber 4 from his headquarters, printed in full, speaks of the operations of his army in Holland, in. conjunction with Russian troops, and tells of "a severe and obstinate action on October 2, in which the Allied forces prevailed throughout and the enemy, entirely defeated, retired from the positions he had occupied." Subsequently, howev- \ a reverse made the Duke fall back on his entrenchments at Zype, and various adverse - circumstances, including sickness, which was beginning to wast the Allied forces, decided him to conclude a convention on October 18 with the French General. Brune. Under the terms of this Le agreed to evacuate Holland, the British retaining the Dutch Fleet.

As a sidelight on the British soldiers' life abroad, one reads that "Private letters from Holland state that the British soldiery now use an exceedingly good substitute for bread, which has been among their greatest privations. They fry sliced potatoes and afterwards butter them. Th« butter in North Holland is both cheap and excellent,"

The French account of the recap;

ture of i^boukir in Egypt by Napoleon is given. This stated that Napoleon landed his field artillery, and being reinforced by 50 ships, completely vanquished the Turks, who had 6000 killed, with a loss'to ihe French f 100 men killed and 50 wounded. Herbert Fisher, in his book "Napoleon" says of this affair that if the comparative percentage of casualties is the crucial measure of success in a battle, the French victory was the most complete in history.

In addition to British troops, foreign levies were employed in the far-spread scenes of fighting. So one reads that "A fine body of German recruits and Dutch levies are training at East Cowes under the command of Colonel Maclean, preparatory to their being embarked for service as the 6th,Ba +.Fiion of the 60th Regiment of foot. The French assert-that thirteen thousand Bavarians are to be in the pay '"f this country, besides , the Elector's contingent."

Other military intelligence mentions that "this morning the whole light infantry battalion of the Guards, under the command of Colonels Calcra t, Campbell, Disney, and Wortley marched from St. James's Park to Greenwich, where they are to embark for Holland. Tn jy were ordered to be on the parade at 7 o'clock, but were not mustered till near ten. being obliged to be collected fiom the publichouses, where many of these were taking a farewell of their friends. They were all in high spirits as they pro-' ceeded along Westminster Bridge and sang 'God Save the King.'"

Lying at Spithead were over thirty naval vessels, headed by the Queen Charlotte of 110 guns, Admiral Lord Keith. On the Royal William/of'B4 guns, was Admiral Milbanke. The names ,of some of the warships were peculiar to the period, such as Stately, Glory, Europa, and Haerlem. The Por-