Sydney Gazette and New South Wales Advertiser (NSW : 1803 - 1842), Saturday 1 April 1815, page 2


Sydney.

Sitting Magistrate - W. Broughton, Esq.

Death. - A London Paper of recent date an-nounces the death of ''Vice Admiral Arthur Phillip; at an advanced age." This event took place at Bath, on the 31st of August last.

To this Gentleman the Colony of New South Wales owes its original establishment in 1788; and in taking a retrospect of the arduous duties of such an undertaking, the many difficulties he had to struggle with, and the perils to which he was ex-posed, it will be only rendering a just tribute to his

memory to remark, that GOVERNOR PHILLIP manifested during the period of his administration much fortitude, zeal, and integrity ; and that to the wisdom of his early regulations and undefatiga-ble exertions, the present flourishing state of the settlement bears most honorable and ample testi-mony. Governor Phillip died in the 77th

year of his age.

Yesterday morning a young man, a private of the 46th, named Frederick Morrison, was found on the beach at Cockle Bay, with his head blown to pieces by the explosion of a musket, the muzzle of which had to all appearance entered at his mouth. The same day an Inquest was held on the body, before which some circumstances were brought which war-ranted a suspicion that it was not an act of felo de se but that deceased had perished by the hands of as-sassins. The investigation which was held at a public house in Clarence-street, continued to a late hour in the evening, and adjourned to this morning; and after occupying the whole day, the exami-nations were found to be attended with such cir-stances of perplexity as to require a further adjournment to Monday. Several persons are in the meantime held in custody to await the final event of the investigation.

Mr. Moore has opened an Office at his House George-sheet, near the corner of King-street, for the arrangement of business previous to the opening of the Courts under a new patent ; and for the preparing of conveyances and every other descrip-tion of business in the law department. - Office hours from 9 in the morning till 5 in the afternoon.

Death of Major-General Ross. - This distinguish-ed Commander effected a landing of his division of the army on the morning of the 12th of September, on the left bank of the Patapsco River, 13 miles from Baltimore, in an assault upon which town he expected the naval co-operation of a number of frigates, bomb ships, and the flotilla of the fleet. After an advance of two miles, where a close wood-ed country affords shelter to the enemy's riflemen, the gallant General received a shot in the breast, which proved fatal, an which be only survived long enough to recommend a young and unprovided family to the protection of his King and Country. Thus, fell, at an early age, this meritorious Officer, whose prudence, zeal and intrepidity were alike the admiration of the army, and whose fall will ever be lamented as his virtues will be appreciated, by a generous Nation. After this severe misfortune the command devolved to Colonel BROOK, who continued the advance, and pressed the enemy to within a few miles of Baltimore, driving them in from their advanced positions, and in a single ably executed charge upon a body of 5 to 6,000, one tenth of their number were left upon the field. -Arrangements to attack the town, which was pro-tected by a chain of fortified hills, were then con-cluded, and Capt. Brook received advices from Ad-miral Sir ALEX. COCHRANE that the naval force would assume its station the next morning ; but the enemy, anticipating a complete overthrow unless its junction could be prevented, choaked up the en-trance of the harbour by sinking a number of [?] shipping across it. As the naval co-operation [?] thus rendered impracticable, and Colonel Brook considered the defeat and losses of the enemy suf-ficiently demonstrative of the superiority of His Majesty's arms, he relinquished any further opera-tions against the town, and after waiting some time in front of the enemy, hoping they might be induced to quit their entrenchments and attack him, but which they evinced no inclination towards, he em-barked his forces on the 15th, together with 260 prisoners of the best families in Baltimore. The town of Baltimore is completely surrounded by strong de-tached hills, on which the enemy had constructed a chain of pallisaded redoubts. One of these, called Chinkapin Hill, which lay in front of Col. Brook's position, completely commanded the town, and was the strongest part of the line. Those works were defended, according to the best information, by 15,000 troops, and a large train of artillery; but no numerical superiority, or other advantage whatever, could induce them to act otherwise than defensively.

The total loss of the British forces employed on this brilliant service, that always operating against positions strongly defended, and exposed on its ad-vance to the galling fire of concealed riflemen, was considerably less than that of the enemy, as ap-pear from the following report copied from the London Gazette Extraordinary of the 17th of Oct.

last.

Total Killed - 2 officers, 2 Serjeants, 35 rank & file. Killed - General Staff Major General Ross. - 21st

Fusileers, Lieut. Gracie - 11th Regiment, Capt.

Hamilton Greenshields.

Total wounded - 7 captains, 4 subalterns, 11 ser-

jeants, and 229 rank and file.

Of the Navy - Killed, 1 petty officer, 3 seamen, 3

marines. - Wounded, 1 officer, 6 petty officers,

22 seamen, 14 marines.

On the side of the enemy one entire regiment (5th militia) was represented as nearly annihilated, while at the most moderate computation he was at least 1000 reduced in his effective strength.

About the same time an expedition against Fort Washington, conducted by Capt. Gordon, had in its success exceded every expectation ; the populous city of Alexandria capitulated, and 21 of the enemy's ships and vessels were there captured.

* Want of room obliges us to hold in reserve a

pleasing and interesting account of the Active's late visit to New Zealand, which we shall give as early as possible.

SYDNEY ; printed by G. Howe.