The expedition to Copenhagen excited much dis cussion and difference of Opinion in England, • par. titularly when it was avowed that ministers had no evidence of an intention in Russia to coerce Den mark, and still less of a disposition in Denmark to give way to such coercion. The only tenable ground was, to acknowledge at once that the Danes had given no provocation; that their conduct had been strictly neutral ; but ihat they would evidently have been unable to defend ,themselves, had Russia and France united against them. Still it was extremely questionable, whether we, to ward off a contingent annoyance, should commit a present aggression. The success of our attempt, considering our naval supe riority, the insulated position of Copenhagen, and its unprepared state, admitted of little or no doubt. But this was not all. There remained farther and more important considerations ;—the odium that would be thus excited against us in the Danish nation, and that closer approximation of Russia to France, which could hardly fail to follow so open an affront to a power professing to take a lead in the political ar rangements of the Baltic.
The Cape of Good Hope surrendered to an arma ment from England in January 1806. After this, Sir Home Popham, who commanded the naval part of the expedition, ventured to make, without the sanction, or even knowledge of government, an at tempt on Buenos Ayres. Our troops, though under 2000 in number, effected a landing, and occupied the town. Intelligence to this effect having reached England, the popular notion, that Buenos Ayres would prove a great market for our manufactures, induced government to take measures for completing the new conquest. And, though the inhabitants soon rose, and drove out the feeble detachment under Sir Home Popham, an armament, which arrived in January 1807, under the command of Sir Samuel Auchmuty, attacked the fortified town of Monte Vi deo, and carried it in an assault, conducted with great skill and gallantry. But a very different fate awaited our next enterprise,—an assault on Buenos Ayres, planned by General Whitelocke, an officer wholly unfit for such a service. Our troops, 8000 in num ber, were successful in some parts; but failing in others, the result was a negotiation, and a conven tion that we should withdraw altogether from the country, on condition of our prisoners being re stored.
But, in another part of the world, and against an enemy in general far more formidable, our arms had been attended with success. Naples had been en gaged in the coalition of 1805, with a view to assail the French on the side of Lombardy ; but an Anglo Russian army, landed for that purpose, had been pre vented from marching northward by the disastrous intelligence from Germany. They were subsequent ly re-embarked, the British withdrawing to Sicily, and Palermo becoming once more the refuge of the Neapolitan court. That court, eager to excite in- surrection against the French as Calabria, prevailed on General Sir John Stuart, in the beginning of July 1806, to lead thither a detachment of our troops. They landed, and soon after received intelligence, that at Maida, distant only ten miles from our en campment, was a French corps, already nearly equal to our own, and hourly expecting reinforcements.
Our troops marched to attack them on the morning of 4th 'July, and at nine o'clock drew near to their position, which had a river in front. General Rey flier, who commanded the French, having received his reinforcements the preceding evening, and seeing that our small army was unprovided with cavalry, made his men march out of their camp, and advance to charge us on the plain. - Our force, including a regiment landed that morning, was nearly 6000 ; that of the enemy above 7000. The French, who knew our troops only by report, marched towards them with confidence, and hardly expected them to stand the charge. Our line formed, faced the enemy, and advanced. The firing commenced at the distance of about 100 yards; but it had not long continued, when the extreme of each line, as if by mutual con sent, suspended it, and advanced towards the other with fixed bayonets. The advancing division on each side was composed of choice troops. On our side, of light companies ; on that of the French, of grena diers. They crossed bayonets, and were about to begin a conflict hand to hand, when the firm aspect of our men daunted their opponents. The French gave way, and were pursued with great slaughter. The rest of the enemy's left now drew back, but at first in good order ; for they stopped occasionally, fired, and retreated only as our troops drew near ; at last they fell into great confusion. Their right flank being in like manner repelled in an attack on our left, the field of battle remained entirely in our pos session. The French loss in killed and wounded was nearly 4A00; ours only between 800 and 400. This brilliant exploit produced the evacuation of part of Calabria by the French, but had no other result ; our small force returning soon after to Sicily.
Our next operation in the Mediterranean was an unsuccessful menace of the Turkish capital. That court refusing to enter into our plans of hostility to France, our ambassador withdrew, and re-entered the Straits' of the Dardanelles, with a squadron of seven sail of the line, exclusive of frigates and bombs. They suffered considerably in passing the narrow part of the straits, between the ancient Ses tos and Abydos, now called the castles of Romania and Natolia. Anchoring at a distance of eight miles from Constantinople, our Admiral, Sir J. Duck worth, threatened to burn the Seraglio and the city, but in vain. The. Turks continued adverse to our demands, and employed the interval assidu ously in strengthening the formidable batteries of the Dardanelles. It soon became indispensable to withdraw, and to repass the straits ; but this was not accomplished without a loss of 25 men in killed and wounded, the cannon at the castles being of great size, and discharging granite balls. A descent made soon after in Egypt was equally unfortunate. A detachment of troops landing at Alexandria, oc cupied that town, but suffered a severe loss at Ro setta, and eventually withdrew, on the Turks con senting to give up the prisoners they had taken. Peace was soon after concluded with the Turks, and our operations in the Levant confined to the capture of the Ionian Islands from the French. Zante, Ce phalonia, Ithaca, and Cerigo, were taken by a small expedition in 1809, and Santa Maura the succeed ing year.