United we Stand, Divided we Flee

There's plenty of reason these days to wonder about historical precedents for relations between countries after a war. Our own relations with the British between the Revolution and the War of 1812 were not the smoothest. In fact, we didn't really get on such great footing until World War I, despite sharing a common language and distaste for the French:-) The argument was played out in the newspapers, both in America and in Britain, as the following reprint illustrates:

Portsmouth, May 13th (Taken from The London Times, July 16th, 1785)

To such a pitch has British insolence arrived that, added to their prohibiting all American vessels from entering their ports in the West Indies, they will not suffer an American to command a British bottom, unless he can produce a certificate that he served in the British forces during the late war: an American Captain lately arrived here from Grenada, was thrown out of employ (after engaging his freight with the expectation of sailing for Europe) upon no other pretext than that he was an American. If any American vessel happens to appear within gun-shot of any British Frigate or fort, with their colours flying, they are interrogated with the greatest impertinence, and very often complimented with a genteel broadside. If they put in through distress, lack of water &c, they are ordered to come to an anchor at some distance; when a boat is ordered on board either from their shipping or forts , to enquire of their business, and on being informed that they are in want of provision &c, they will not suffer them to send their boat ashore, but by a stretch of their boasted humanity, bring it off to them in their boats, accompanied with the most peremptory orders for their immediate departure. These are stubborn facts, which the warmest advocates for Britain cannot deny.

From the above circumstances, the necessity and importance of investing Congress with full powers to regulate both internal and external commerce, must appear plain and obvious; and the policy of several States acquiescing in such measures as they in their wisdom may adopt is too clear to need any comment.

Clearly a call for unity amongst the young states in the post Revolutionary period couched in terms of Naval distress. United we sail, divided we sink. We continued to sink for another decade until the six heavy frigates (the famous constitution is one of them) were authorized in a direct response to the Barbary Pirates (modern day Lebanon) who liked kidnapping American sailors and treating them like dogs, thanks to religious differences.

Slavery Insurance - The Business of the Slave Trade

England emancipated slaves throughout their empire one generation before the American Civil War. But, English merchants with the protection of the British Navy had provided the backbone of the slave trade the long generations that went before. The following excerpt is from the Universal Daily Register (predecessor of the London Times) 220 years ago, July 1, 1885.

LAW REPORT
Trinity Term, 1785
Jones against Small
This was a case on a policy of insurance, and the action was brought for the loss of a great number of slaves by mutiny, which slaves had been insured at 10% from mortality by mutiny.
Captain Richard Bowen deposed that he was Captain of the Wasp trader; that he shipped 225 negroes, they were prime slaves, sailed from the coast of Africa May 11th, 1783, had then 217 slaves on board the 30th of May. Before he sailed an insurrection was attempted. The women seized him on the quarter-deck, and attempted to throw him overboard. He was rescued by the crew, the women and some men threw themselves down the hatchway, and some were bruised. He sent the ringleader on shore. The men were not active: 12 men and a women died of those bruises and from abstinence. On the 22nd of May, twelve days after sailing, there was a general insurrection. The crew were forced to fire upon the slaves, and attack them with weapons.; the slaves cut the mate desperately, and fractured a boy’s skull, who died. It was a case of eminent necessity. Several slaves took to the ships side and hung down in the water. Three were killed by firing, three were drowned. They hung in the water from chains and ropes, some for about a quarter of an hour. Many of them were desperately bruised, other almost drowned, fifty-five died in consequence of bruises, swallowing salt water, chagrin at disappointment, and abstinence; thirteen died of bruises, several of fluxes and fevers in consequence of swallowing salt water.
Lord Mansfield here stated a question, "Whether some did not die as a consequence of despair, and not in consequence of insurrection?"
Mr. Gorman (a juror) observed that the flux was a common disorder amongst slaves on shipboard. In answer to a question from Mr. Gorman, the witness said the slaves had no fluxes before they swallowed the salt water.
Lord Mansfield said, he would give no charge, but laid it all to the jury, if it had not been for the proviso in the instrument of insurance, which gave ten percent on mortality by mutiny, he thought the case was not within the instrument. This was not like the case of throwing negroes overboard to save the ship. Here was a cargo of desperate negores refusing to go into slavery and dying of despair.
Capt. Richard Bowen. Thirty-one died of natural deaths. The average loss by natural death in a cargo of such a number is twenty-five. They killed each other after they were landed, and when brought to market, sold at a loss of 6l [six pounds] per head.
On cross-examination, his proteit did not state losses by bruises, the reason, because he had not the surgeon’s book.
Lord Mansfield. It appears by the policy, that the underwriters are exempt from losses in boats, mortality of negroes by natural death excepted. This was explained to mean an exception of payment for negroes.
Mr. Mactaggart. Is conversant in the African trade; he has known losses by insurrection. It has been usual to pay for such losses.
Question from Mr. Gorman. "Is it the usage to pay insurance for negroes, who, after an insurrection die of chagrin or abstinence?"
It is; he has known negroes paid for who have died as a consequence of leaping into the sea. He has never heard of an insurer making difficulty in such a case.
Mr. Vaughan. By the usage, where the death has been a consequence of insurrection, the underwriters have paid – but what if the consequences have been disputed? He shewed the case of the Cato slave ship exactly in point, upon which his son recovered.
Lord Mansfield. You cannot recover under this policy for damage done to negroes, but only for mortality.
The policy is absurd – the particular case in the question is not within the penalty of the policy; but there is an exception which takes in mortality by mutiny.
There are three classes of this mortality:
Those who are killed, and those who die of their wounds, these are clearly within the policy.
But on the other class there is a doubt; those who died of abstinence, gnawing at their chains in despair, died not of mutiny, but of disappointment of a mutiny.
The other class is those who receive some hurt in the mutiny, but not mortal, and afterwards die of other causes. This appears to be the principal object; there is no law in the case; the jury must determine.
The jury made the following rules:
That all slaves who were killed or died of their wounds were to be paid for.
That all who died by leaping into the sea were not to be paid for.
That all who died of bruises, accompanied by other causes, by swallowing salt water, should be paid for.

I can add nothing to point out the coldly mercantile tone of the proceedings. There's no whitewashing of the humanity of the slaves, that they were desperate human beings, dying of despair, refusing to eat, and if I understand the line "killed each other after they were landed," even engaged in mutual suicide pacts once they arrived at their destination. But the question at hand was a legal one, which dead slaves the insurance company was required to pay on. Lord Mansfield had a up-and-down judicial career with respect towards slavery, and the situation ramined confused until 1807 when the trade was abolished. Slaves in England were not emancipated until 1833.

Arming for War - Losing our Hearts and Minds

America didn't always have the world's most powerful and best equipped military, and although Commodore Perry had forced the opening of Japan with a small force of steamships in the 1850's, the oceans definitely belonged to Old England. Global power shifts happen much quicker these days, primarily due to the fact that perceived power (that which is reported on by the media) has replaced steel and guns in the thinking of most leaders and intellectuals. It's an interesting outcome, that the power to utterly destroy one's opponents is held in low esteem as long as one is self-restrained from doing so on humanitarian grounds. What strikes me as particularly ironic is that the ideological basis of many of today's terrorists, destruction of the West's corrupt way of life, would have signed their death sentence in in the 1800's, had the the corrupt Western governments of that time been equipped with modern weaponry. The following is from the New York Daily Times of June 29, 1882 - 123 years ago today:

PROPOSITION FOR NEW CRUISERS

The Senate Committee on Naval Affairs to-day authorized Mr. Rollins to report favorably a bill authorizing the construction of a number of vessels of war for the Navy and appropriating $10,000,000 for that purpose. The bill provides for the construction of six open-hearth steel cruisers, two of them to be not less than 5,000 for more than 6,000 tons displacement, and to be armed with 4 breech-loading rifled cannon of not less than 8-inch calibre, and 21 breech-loading cannon of not less than 6-inch calibre; the remaining 4 to be of not less than 4,300 nor more than 4,700 tons displacement and to be armed with 4 breech-loading rifled cannon of not less than 8-inch calibre, and 15 breech-loading cannon of not less than 6-inch calibre. The bill also authorizes the construction of one steel ram of not more than 2,000 tons displacement, four steam cruising boats and four steam harbor torpedo boats. It further provides that the steel used in the construction of these vessels shall be of domestic manufacture, and that one-half of the number of vessels authorized to be constructed, including their engines and boilers, shall be built in the navy-yards of the United States, and that the others, in their whole or part by contract. The bill was reported to the Senate this afternoon and placed on the calendar to await further consideration.

That we've been building and deploying some pretty powerful weapons systems around the world since the ocean going Monitors of the post Civil War period is known to all. The subtle change in the balance of power is the growing obsession in the Western World with television images and collateral damage. Collateral damage wasn't always viewed as a bad thing, in fact, all damage inflicted on the opposition was once seen as good damage, because it had become apparent that modern wars couldn't be won by simply destroying a professional military group on the other side, it required destroying the opposing group's places to hide and will to fight. Our new morality demands that we play by a unilaterally imposed set of rules and wait until we destroy our own will to fight, at which point we lose. It seems we're doomed to become a fine bunch of humanitarians, damned for our humanity, and scheduled to be written out of history.

Dogs or Bears - Modern Value Systems

I usually depend on old newspapers for historical source material, but today I'm going with a 200 year old diary excerpt from Meriwether Lewis, of Lewis and Clark fame.

June 28, 1805 "The white bear have become so troublesome to us that I do not think it prudent to send one man alone on an errand of any kind. they come close around our camp every night by have never yet ventured to attack us and our dog gives us timely notice of their visits, he keeps constantly patrolling all night. I have made the men sleep with their arms by them as usual for fear of accidents." Lewis

Science tells us that Dogs and Bears evolved from a common ancestor, creatively named the "dogbear." I grew up with dogs running around the neighborhood, and never saw a live bear outside a zoo until one came wondering up my residential street a couple years ago with two cubs in tow. I've encountered bear in town twice since, once walking to the supermarket when I looked up and saw a large brown bear loping towards me from about 100 ft away, and once walking in the evening when a mother bear with three cubs wandered across the main drag, with a tardy cub causing a driver to lock up the brakes.

I don't have anything against bear, though one coming at me gave me a scare. What bothers me is the judgment made by society around here that wandering bear are good but dogs off leash are bad. Civilized man (and dogs) made our choice thousands of years ago. We're on one side, and the bear are on the other side. The earthy-crunchy types in the 300 year old Massachusetts town I live in have decided that bear are somehow more valuable than dogs (amongst a raft of other revisions to traditional value systems) and don't see the harm of bear wandering freely through town at night. I figure they'll change their minds when some cute kid tries to pick up a bear cub that's eating out of the garbage and the mother bear breaks the kid's skull.

Bear and people aren't meant to share the same space. Yes, we can manage it for a short while, when the number of bear is low and the local wildlife cops can tranquilize the young males and move them somewhere where hunters are still active, but sooner or later as the bear population continues to grow, it's going to be us or them. I'm in favor of us, or at least, me, and a few dogs running around off leash and barking at bear would be a good start.

D.C. Housing Bubble - 110 Years of the Washington Post

Somebody once said there are only two groups of people in the world: The first group believes there's housing bubble, the second group wants to kill the first group. Being in the first group, I suspect the second group has a classic Karen Horney neurosis they would go mad to protect, but I'm getting way off mission here. If you want to know about the housing bubble in Washington D.C., the Washington Post would be a good place to start. I started with a sampling of the Real Estate ads from the Post of 110 years ago today, June 27, 1895.

FOR SALE - 2 BARGAINS, TO-MORROW - Look- 6-room brick, 2d and N sts, se., bay window; water, sewer and gas; $1700; $700 cash; cheap at $2,000; 5-room frame, N st, near 11th st. se.; rented at $9, for $950 cash. JOHN F. DONOHOE, 308 East Cap. st.

FOR SALE - $8,000 WILL BUY AN ELEGANT new brownstone and press brick bay-window house, 1342 U st, near 14th; lot 18x100 to paved alley; 9 rooms and bath; handsomely papered throughout; this is a great bargain. Apply on premises.

NEARLY NEW BRICK; 6 ROOMS; bath, concrete cellar, papered; lot 18x90; in good location; northwest; only $3,500; worth $4,500; owner must sell. BOOTH & BRUNER, 1003 G nw.

and, from a large agency ad:

REAL ESTATE BULLETIN BY
THOMAS E. WAGGAMAN, 917 F ST. NW TWO-STORY BRICK AND FRAME HOUSES FOR SALE

413 O st nw, b, h, 9 rms........................................$5,200
1343 and 1345 V. st nw, b, h, 6 rms....................$3,500
Stable, bet 20th and 21st and L and M sts nw..$2,500
Hurst Place, Conduit road, f, h, 6 rms.................$2,200
Frame Cottage, Brightwood, 9 rms.....................$6,500
422 and 422 1/2 11th st sw b, h, 6 rms each.....$3,000
2009-11-13 and 15 Gale st ne f, h, 6 rms..........$1,060
27 Dingman place nw, b, h, 5 rms.......................$750
13-15 and 17 Burk's alley sw, f, h, 4 rms............$900
109 and 111 N st se, b, h, 6 rms...........................$900

So the average price for a decent size house for the times (probably around 1500 sq ft, max) was around $3,000. You could get cheaper by living in a much smaller house or in a cheaper area, or you could pay more for 9 rooms and a bay window, but $3,000 looks around average. Now, according to Robert J. Shiller, as reported by the Post in April, housing prices in the U.S. have risen at an average of 0.4% above inflation since 1880, with most of that gain coming in the last few years. We're only going back to 1895, but let's look at our $3,000 investment with simple annually compounded interest over the last 110 years.

5% - $642,605
6% - $1,822,915
7% - $5,120,788
8% - $14,247,358
9% - $39,267,750
10% - $107,230,078

The long-term return expected through the stock market is usually kicked around at 10%, and that $107 million dollars looks a lot better than having owned, maintained and paid taxes on a house in D.C. for 110 years. Even the 5% simple interest isn't bad, and $642,645 is just a little more than 200 times our $3,000 investment. The interesting point here is that absolute inflation over the last 100 years is generally given as x20, ie, our dollar today buys about 1/20th of what it bought in 1900. Assuming there wasn't a huge run-up in DC real estate between 1890 and 1900, this would indicate that real estate does much better than the .4% above inflation. Even if compounded continually, 0.4% interest will barely ad 50% to a sum over 110 years, so we would expect our $3,000 house in D.C. to cost $90,000 today, which is obviously low.

According to a recent Economist article, housing prices in the US have actually gotten cheaper on an inflation adjusted basis since 1900, I'd estimate about 30% cheaper, according to their bar graph:-) You could argue the Economist numbers (at the top of our bubble) to suggest that housing is a bargain, but I would argue their numbers, and the basic interest calculation above, to suggest that housing is just a lousy investment.

Public Transportation and Sport Don't Mix - Especially with Steamboats

Today's post includes a length excerpt from a gruesome newspaper article published 110 years ago, today. I wouldn't suggest it to the squeamish. What's particularly fascinating is this entirely avoidable accident was brought about by sport, two excursion steamers racing on Lake Michigan. Can you imagine two jumbo jets operated by competing company's racing across the U.S. until one of them shook itself apart? Yet this story was hardly a rare event in the 1800's. If I recall Mark Twain's brother was killed in such an accident racing riverboats on the Mississippi (Samuel Clemens who was also a riverboat pilot took the pen name "Mark Twain" from the call of the boatman who would check the river depth with a lead weight). You would think by 1895, the passengers or crew would mutiny if a boat got involved in a race, but adrenaline conquers all.

BURST A STEAM VALVE
Serious Accident on the Christopher Columbus.
Two Killed; Thirteen Injured

Result of Reckless Racing on Lake Michigan - The Officers of the Big Whaleback Were Bound to Beat Their Rival, the Virginia, and Overpressure of Steam Did the Rest - Judge Grosscup Calmed the Excited Passengers and Prevented a Panic. By the explosion of a steam valve in the whaleback Christopher Columbus, off Waukeegan, two men were killed and thirteen were dangerously or painfully injured. The victims were:

DEAD

FRANK WILSON, coal passer
E. J. STREIT, fireman

INUJRED

Edward Darow, leader of the orchestra; scalded on the face and hands very painfully.
John Hopper, fireman, inhaled steam, and face, neck and breast seriously scalded.
George W. Keil, waiter, Buffalo, hands and face scalded.
John W. Keough, meat carver, Buffalo, hands and face scalded.
Arnold Klein, passenger, Dubuque, Iowa, face and hands badly scalded; accompanied by student, also scalded.
Robert McConkey, coal passer, back terribly scalded.
Miss Miller, orchestra, scalded and hands and face burned.
Frank Rosner, fireman, badly scalded on face, hands and body.
James E. Ryan, fireman, scalded on back, neck and hands.
Nic Sasser, water tender, Cleveland, Ohio, hands scalded.
Miss Voxhelmer, orchestra, face painfully scalded
W. L. Webster, chief engineer, hands scalded
James Lorimer, coal passer, face, neck, breast and hands seriously scalded.

It was the homeward run of the whaleback in its opening summer excursion to Milwaukee. About 350 souls were aboard. Flying flags, with music and dancing was the order of the evening.

An Exciting Race

Half a mile in the boat's wake plowed the rival excursion steamer, the Virginia, which, clearing the harbor some fifteen minutes later, had on every pound of steam possible to overtake her competitor. On the outward trip the Virginia had not only held the advantage, but doubled it, and the crew of the whaleback were determined that they should not be passed. And the Virginia was gaining. As the sun went down the boats pushed ahead neck and neck, not more than 300 yards apart. The decks and promenades of both steamships were blackened with passengers. Shouts and waving garments told the same interest in the outcome that attends the race course. The Virginia surged ahead. Word passed from the engine room that the Christopher Columbus was resolved on a little fun. The rival boat should be allowed to gain a half mile on the whaleback, and then steam was to be run up and the situation would be changed before reaching Chicago harbor. Scores went below to watch the machinery.

The clouds of black smoke forming a dense low-hanging airwake to the whaleback, the vibrations of the craft from stem to stern, the unusual plowing of the water, all told that the Columbus was under a giant strain and would win if it was in her. Some grew anxious, Judge Grosscup and his party, who were sitting aft, deserted their seats and stood under the bridge.

A Steam Valve Burst

Those watching the gauge said that the pressure was exceeding the limit to which the boilers had been adjusted. From 132 pounds the steam had run up to 177 pounds and was still rising. Suddenly there was a shock of explosion. The steam valve in a six inch connecting pipe over the starboard notary of the three boilers had blown off. Down in the hold, six firemen and a waterman found themselves enveloped in a scalding mist so thick that one could not see his hand. When they tried to make the ladder, they jammed against the heated oven doors. In their frenzy they fell over one another and delayed embracing the slight chance of escape offered. The blinding vapor made help impossible. The steam crowded everywhere. It was instantly in every compartment of the vessel.

In the main saloon, 150 persons seated or reclined were suddenly seized with panic. It was increased by all the lights going out. The passengers rushed to the decks. Several women fainted. The men did all in their power to quiet the frightened. Many believed the ship was sinking. Then the steam reached the passengers. A score or more of women who had inhaled steam swooned, and in the excitement, their friend believed they had been overcome by breathing deadly vapor. (For the rest of the story, see the June, 24th, 1895 edition of the Washington Post).

I can't think of many industrial acidents nastier than steam burns. Steam actually contains about five times the calories (heat) as boiling water, so steam burns from pressurized steam always result in serious injury. When I wrote a novel about a troubled young engineer who wrote poetry about engineering disasters in the early 90's, I

East India Company Dispatch - Real Corporate War

The following dispatch from the commanding officer of an East India Company expedition in 1805 speaks for itself. The British Empire took over India less by design than by mercantile accident, the ready availability of British troops to compliment company forces, and the fact that India had been occupied by Muslim Mughal's for a few hundred years and was anxious to see them off. Presented in its entirety:

From the London Gazette, Saturday, June 23
The following intelligence has been received at the East-India House, from Bengal
To his excellency the Most Noble Marquis Wellesley
My Lord - My dispatches of the 24th and 25th instant [letters were not received] will have informed your Lordship of the complete success of our operations against the town and fort of Deig. I attribute our early possession of this strong fortress entirely to the panic which the garrison experienced, on witnessing the irresistible valour and intrepidity of our troops in carrying by assault the outwork, and storming their numerous batteries under the walls of the town, which were supported by extensive entrenchments, occupied by a large force consisting of several of the Rajah of Burtpore's battalions, and the remaining infantry of Jeswunt Rao Holkar. The number of enemy killed on the night of the 23rd inst. Was immense. The ardent zeal, energy, and irresistible valour which marked the conduct of our Officers and troops deployed on the occasion, under circumstances of peculiar difficulty and danger, must ever reflect on them the highest credit and the benefit the nation has received from their exemplary and heroic behavior, must be matter of proud exultation to every well wisher of the British empire. Too much praise cannot be bestowed on every corps engaged, for the perfect regularity with which this service was performed. I found it necessary to divide the force, destined for this service, into three columns, the whole moving off so as to reach different points of attack a little before twelve at night. The right column, under Captain Kelly, consisting of four battalions companies of the Hon. Company’s European regiments, and five companies of the 1st battalion, 12th regiment Native Infantry, were ordered to carry the enemy’s batteries and trenches on the high ground to the left of the town. The success of this party was complete, and entides Capt. Kelly to every praise for the manner in which it was conducted, and for the coolness and gallantry he displayed under every trying circumstance, exposed to heavy fire from artillery, which was defended with desperate resolution. Captain Raban, of the Artillery, who accompanied this party for the purpose of spiking or bringing off captured ordinance, particularly signalized himself in this dangerous service. The left column under Major Radcliffe, consisting of the remaining four battalion companies of the Honorable Company’s European regiment, and five companies of the 1st battalion 12th Regiment Native Infantry, were destined to carry the trenches and batteries on the enemy’s right. The column was equally successful with that opposed to their left, and the service was performed with equal gallantry and spirit, and reflects infinite credit on Major Radcliffe. The centre column, led by Lieut. Col. Macrae (who had the general command of the whole), consisting of the flank companies of his Majesty’s 22d, 76th, and of the Hon. Company’s European regiment, and of the 1st battalion 8th Regiment Native Infantry, composed by the storming party. I have hardly words to express my sense of the conduct of this party, who, under a galling fire, on their flanks, of cannon and musketry, from the enemy’s batteries and trenches, and over broken and extremely unfavourable ground, rushed onto the breach and gained possession of the work, with a spirit and ardour which must have ensure success, whatever might have been the opposition.

I feel myself under the greatest obligation to Lieut. Col. Macrae, to whose conduct on this occasion I attribute the ultimate success of the attack. Lieut. Col. Ball, who commanded the 1st battalion 8th Regiment Native Infantry, is entitled to the greatest praise for the activity and spirit he displayed in leading on his men; and for the able assistance he rendered Colonel Macrae, in the adoption of such measures which afterwards became necessary to secure us in possession of the place. It is with sincere grief I add that this Officer received a severe, though, I trust, not a dangerous wound, but which, I fear, will deprive me of his services for some time. The conduct of Capt. Lindsay, of his Majesty’s 22d Regiment, has been represented to me as highly meritorious; I lament to add that this gallant Officer is likewise wounded. It is unnecessary for me to detail more fully the conduct of individuals, on a service where merit has been, throughout all ranks, so eminently conspicuous; but I feel it my duty to draw your Lordship’s attention to the services rendered by Lieut. Col Horsford, commanding the Artillery, to whose professional knowledge and service throughout this siege, and on every other occasion, I feel infinitely indebted, as well as to the whole of that corps, for their spirited and unremmited exertions. The Officers of the Engineer department, Capt. Robertson, and Lieut Smith, have particular merit, and are entitled to my best thanks and approbation. The corps of the Pioneers, under the orders of Capt. Swinton command my warmest praise for the cheerfulness with which they performed their laborious duties, and particularly the alacrity the displayed on the night of the 23rd inst. Too much credit cannot be bestowed on Capt. Swinton, who on this and every former occasion has been most zealous and active. I am sorry to add that this excellent Officer is severely wounded, as is Lieut Forrest of the same corps, whose conduct was equally meritorious. Your Lordship will, I am confident, receive much pleasure in learning the highly exemplary conduct of the three corps of British calvary in the camp, the whole of whom volunteered their services as working parties for the trenches and batteries, and assisted very materially in accelerating our operations against this place; they have received my sincere thanks for this duty, and for a zeal so honourable to the British character. I have the honour to enclose returns of the killed and the wounded during the siege, and on the night of the assault, with a return of the captured ordinance &c. The fugitives, composed of the Rajah Burtpore’s battalions and his garrison, with the remainder of Jeswunt Rao Holkar’s infantry, appeared generally to have taken the direction of Burtpore. By every information, great numbers have deserted; and I do not imagine they will again attempt to oppose us. I shall move toward Burtpore as soon as possible. Before I conclude this dispatch, I beg leave to mention to your Lordship the very spirited conduct of Mr. Metcalf of the Civil Service. He volunteered to accompany the storming party, and was, I am informed, the foremost to ascend the breach.

I have the honour to be, &c. G. LAKE
Head-quarters, Camp at Deig, Dec 26, 1804
Total Return of Killed and Wounded of the troops that formed the Storming Party, commanded by Brigadier Macrae, on the night of the 23d inst:
Europeans, 28 killed, 78 wounded – Natives, 101 killed, 100 wounded, 5 missing (supposed to be killed).
(Signed) J. GERRARD, Adj. Gen

As it turns out, the town and the citadel were taken, but the fortress at Burtpore never was, despite several assaults. It's interesting to note that this dispatch, written the day after Christmas in 1804, didn't reach England and get published until June 23rd. The only other thing I have to add to this excerpt is a minor note on English literature. I've often come across the phrase "mentioned in a dispatch" as a testament to the worthiness of a character in a novel. One such civilian is mentioned in this dispatch, he earned his placed by being first into the breach. Not an easy way to get your name into the newspapers. Franklyn Dailey has transcribed a Parlimentary debate about the condition of the British soldier about this time, the third reading of the Mutiny Bill.