WALCHEREN, An island belong ing to the Province of Zealand, Netherlands, at the mouth of the Scheldt (Slap: Netherlands, B 31. The Sloe, now bridged. passes between it and the island of Smith Beveland on the east. Length, 12 miles: area. 80 square miles. The island is protected from the sea by dunes and dikes, and is very fertile. It contains Middelburg and Flush ing. Walcheren was the scene of a British mili tary disaster (hiring the Napoleonic wars. In July, 1809, a British fleet comprising nearly 250 vessels of war and 400 transports carrying sonic 40,000 men set sail for Holland with the inten tion of seizing Antwerp and obtaining command of the Scheldt. Criminal negligence was dis played in the preparations for the expedition, and both Sir Richard Strachan, the naval commander, and the Earl of Chatham, who was placed at the head of the land forces. were markedly in capable. time was wasted in the re
duction of Flushing, and not until late in Au gust was Chatham 'prepared' to march on Ant werp. By that time, however, the French forces in ilolland had been greatly strengthened, and the British commander deemed it inexpedient to pur sue the campaign. The French assumed the aggressive and in the first (lays of September the British abandoned Flushing. Chatham with part of the forces returned to England, leaving 15.000 men on the island of Waleheren. There I he swamp fever played have.! with the men, and the medical authorities were utterly in competent to combat the ravages of the disease, The island was finally abandoned in tle latter part of December. the results of the expedition being a loss of 7000 dead and the permanent disablement of half of the remainder.