A Collection of Papers Relating to the Expedition to the Scheldt, Presented to Parliament In 1810.

Parliament,

A Collection of Papers Relating to the Expedition to the Scheldt, Presented to Parliament In 1810.

London: Printed by A. Strahan, Printers Street. 1811

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$275.00

A Scarce Example of the complete collection of official parliamentary reports, speeches and other papers related to the disastrous British Expedition to the Scheldt during the Napoleonic Wars, known as the Walcheren Campaign of 1809. An Association copy.

The volume(s) measure about 21.8 cm. by 14.4 cm. by 4.6 cm.

Each leaf measures about 209 mm. by 135 mm.

The full title reads as follows:

“A Collection of Papers Relating to the Expedition to the Scheldt, Presented to Parliament In 1810. / London: Printed by A. Strahan, Printers Street. 1811.”

The volume is paginated as follows: [4], 792, [24 (index and final blank)].

Association Copy: Bookplate of Robert Dundas (1771-1851), 2nd Viscount Melville, President of the Board of Control (1807-1812), Chief Secretary for Ireland (1809), First Lord of the Admiralty (1812-1830). Frequently referenced in Patrick O’Brian’s Aubrey-Maturin novels, and a member of the Privy Council during the Scheldt Expedition.

The volume contains the following: the speech of the Lords Commissioners to both houses of Parliament; the address of the Lords; the dispatches of Viscount Castlereagh, the Earl of Chatham, General Coote, and General Don; the correspondence between the Commander in Chief and the War Office; Admiralty intelligence; Admiralty documents concerning the preparation of the naval force, armaments, naval operations during the course of the expedition, and the evacuation of the troops; Lord Chatham’s statement concerning his actions; and letters from Admiral Strahan.

The volume is in excellent condition internally, with clean pages, clear print and ample margins throughout. The binding is in good to very good condition, with a strong book-block, but bumped at the corners, and with the hinges holding by the cords (the front hinge somewhat weakly). The boards are mildly scuffed and the edges show moderate wear. The original red morocco label is retained upon the spine and the binding remains attractive.

Please take the time necessary to review the photos On Our Website in order to gain a better understanding of the content and condition of the volume.

 

The Walcheren Campaign was an unsuccessful British expedition to the Netherlands in 1809 intended to open another front in the Austrian Empire’s struggle with France during the War of the Fifth Coalition. Around 40,000 soldiers, 15,000 horses together with field artillery and two siege trains crossed the North Sea and landed at Walcheren on 30 July. This was the largest British expedition of that year, larger than the army serving in the Peninsular War in Portugal. The Walcheren Campaign involved little fighting, but heavy losses from the sickness popularly dubbed “Walcheren Fever”. Over 4,000 British troops died (only 106 in combat) and the rest withdrew on 9 December 1809.

The primary aim of the campaign was to destroy the French fleet thought to be in Flushing whilst providing a diversion for the hard-pressed Austrians. However, the Battle of Wagram had already occurred before the start of the campaign and the Austrians had effectively already lost the war.

The army was commanded by John Pitt, 2nd Earl of Chatham whilst the navy was commanded by Sir Richard Strachan. As a first move, the British seized the swampy island of Walcheren at the mouth of river Scheldt as well as South Beveland island, both in the present-day Netherlands. The British troops soon began to suffer from malaria; within a month of seizing the island, they had over 8,000 fever cases. The medical provisions for the expedition proved inadequate despite reports that an occupying French force had lost 80% of its numbers a few years earlier, also due to disease.

The French forces were commanded by Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte, who had just been stripped of his command after disobeying orders at Wagram. Dismissed from Napoleon’s Grande Armée, Bernadotte returned to Paris and was sent to the defence of the Netherlands by the council of ministers. He led the French forces competently and although the British captured Flushing, after a ferocious bombardment, and surrounding towns on 15 August, he had already ordered the French fleet to Antwerp and heavily reinforced the city. With the main objective for the British out of reach, the expedition was called off in early September. Around 12,000 troops stayed on Walcheren, but by October only 5,500 remained fit for duty.

In all, the British government spent almost £8 million on the campaign. Along with the 4,000 men that had died during the campaign, almost 12,000 were still ill by February 1810 and many others remained permanently weakened. Those sent to the Peninsular War to join Wellington’s army caused a permanent doubling of the sick lists there.

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