Documents

Lot 3735    SESSION 12 - 11.30AM Thursday 31 July    Documents

Estimate $500
Bid at live.noble.com.au
SOLD $1,900

ORIGINAL DOCUMENTS FOR THE BRITISH OCCUPATION OF SENEGAL, 1809, include; 1. Article of Capitulation, three pages written in French, setting out the nine conditions of surrender by the French, signed personally at 11am, 13 July 1809 by John Huddle (acting as Aide-de-Campe and possessing Full Power from Commodore Columbine, Commanding the Naval, and Major Charles William Maxwell, commanding the Land Forces of His Britannic Majesty, employed in the expedition against the Colony of Senegal, on the one part and M.Degrigny, Commissary of Marine, Administrator in Chief of Senegal, and M.Durecu, Merchant, possessing Full Powers from M.Levasseur, Commandant of Senegal, for the surrender of the Island of St Louis and its Dependencies on the other part; also signed by E H Columbine, commanding the Squadron of His Britannic Majesty, and C W Maxwell, Major of Infantry, Commanding His Britannic Land Forces; and at the end, viewed and ratified by the interim Commander-in-Chief Levallent. 2. Draft of a letter by Capt E.H.Columbine H.M. sloop Derwent off Senegal, July 20th 1809 to The Honourable W W Pole, Admiralty, giving a detailed account of the capture of Senegal, being five foolscap size pages with corrections and various other adjustments and additions to original text, as well as details of the British and French flotillas in the margins and appears to be removed from a journal or log book; written in the hand of and signed by E H Columbine. 3. Proclamation from Commander Columbine and Major Maxwell at Goree to the inhabitants of Senegal, being two handwritten documents, one in French and one in English, both of two pages, advising the inhabitants that the impending Occupation of Senegal is not directed against them but rather to relieve them from the oppression of French control so that their businesses can once again prosper without the heavy tax burdens but also stating that those aiding the French will be treated with all the rigours of war, property confiscated and themselves imprisoned. These are important, historic, and rare documents in very fine condition.

Together with copies of London Gazette pages 1342-1345, which report on the above documents including an English translation of the Article of Capitulation and the final letter as drafted above by Commodore Columbine is reported under Letters on Service, Admiralty Office, August 26, 1809, in an abbreviated format as follows,

'A letter has been received at this office, from Capt. Columbine, late commander of his Majesty's ship the Solebay, addressed to the Hon.William Wellesley Pole, and dated on board the Derwent sloop, off Senegal, the 20th of July, 1809, giving an account of the surrender of that settlement to his Majesty's arms. Some depredations having been committed on the trade in the neighbourhood of Senegal, by small privateers fitted out there, Captain Columbine, and Major Maxwell, commanding the garrison at Goree, determined to make an attack upon the place, and proceeded against it on the 4th of July, with the Solebay, Derwent sloop, and Tigress gun-vessel, and some merchant and smaller vessels, having on board a detachment of one hundred and sixty men from Goree. The enemy at first appeared disposed to offer some resistance, but the detachment being landed, together with one hundred and twenty seamen and fifty marines, the enemy's force, consisting of one hundred and sixty regulars, and two hundred and forty militia, retreated, and on the 13th a capitulation was signed, by which the Island of St.Louis, and its dependencies, were surrendered to the British forces, the garrison being conveyed to France as prisoners of war, not to serve against his Majesty or his allies, until regularly exchanged. The only loss sustained by the English on this service, has been that of Captain Frederick Parker, of the Derwent, Mr.Francis Atterbury Senley, midshipman of that sloop, and six seamen, drowned in attempting to cross the Bar of Senegal.

Captain Columbine speaks in high terms of the conduct of the officers and men employed on the occasion. On the 11th of July, the Solebay, in moving up the river, got on shore and was wrecked, all her men and part of the stores were saved.'