THE

UNIVERSAL MAGAZINE.

N LII-VOL. IX.J

For MARCH, 1808.

[NEW SERIES.

"We shall never envy the honours which wit and learning obtain in any other cause, if we can be numbered among the writers who have given ardour to virtue, and confidence to truth."-DR. JOHNSON.

BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCHES.

JOHN WHITELOCKE. O proceres censore opus est, an hd ruspice nobis?

West Indies: it remained some time, among the Windward islands, when

it was sent down to Jamaica.

IN whatever way a man becomes Mr. Whitelocke's promotion was notorious he becomes an object not very rapid, for in the year 1787 of curiosity. The name of Mr. he was only a lieutenant in the army, Whitelocke, which, but for his con- and then quartered at Chatham, duct at Buenos Ayres, might have where he held some kind of garrison been confined to the pages of the army rank in the depot. At this period list, and the immediate circle of his captain Lane was senior officer, Mr. friends, is now spread over the whole Brownrigg was second, and Mr. kingdom, and inquiry is on tip toe to Whitelocke third in rank. It was learn something of his history. To about this time that he married a sisgratify this eagerness is the object of ter of Mr. Lewis, the present first the present memoir. clerk in the war department, another sister at the same time being married to Mr. Brownrigg.

Mr. Whitelocke ean boast no il lustrious line of ancestry, and had his career been glorious, this would have added rather than detracted from his merit. His father was employed in some domestic or confidential situation about the person of the Earl of Aylesbury, and his lordship, from regard to his services, extended his pro

tection to his son.

.

At the breaking out of the late wat in 1793, we find him Lieutenant Cotonel of the 13th regiment of foot, and then at Jamaica with his regiment. Previously to this the disturbances in St. Domingo had obliged General Williamson, the governor of Jamaica, to be much on the alert, and had John Whitelocke was born about even induced him to keep the troops the year 1760, and received a gram- in a state of readiness for service, as mar school education at the town of several deputations had been sent to Marlborough; he was afterwards him from St. Domingo, requesting brought to town and placed at a mili- military assistance. tary academy in the neighbourhood of Chelsea, then kept by Mr. Lochee. Here he remained till 1777, when the Earl of Aylesbury procured him a pair of colours in the 14th regiment. This regiment was then quartered in Chatham barracks, and here he formed some of those connections that were afterwards of service to him, particularly with the present Quarter Master General Brownrigg, who was then a lieutenant, and afterwards an adjutant in the same regiment. The regiment remained in England till the early part of the year 1780, when it was ordered to the UNIVERSAL MAG, VOL, IX,

While waiting for orders from England the troops were appointed for the expedition, and the command was given to Lieutenant Colonel Whitelocke, who sailed from Jamaica with a force of about 700 men under the protection of Commodore Ford's squadron, in order to proceed to Jeremie in St. Domingo to give protection to the unfortunate inhabit ants, who were suffering under all the horrors of civil commotion, and of the insurrection of the slaves.

We shall not here detail the operations that took place against St. Domingo, as that has been already large2 A

ly done in Vol. II. of the Universal fall; leaving to you the choice of Magazine, pp. 106 et seq. 205 et arms, either on foot or on horseback. One event, however, we will our situation as my enemy, on the venture to re-capitulate, as it involved part of your country, did not give you Colonel Whitelocke in much oblo- à right to offer me a personal insult, quy at the time, and in our opinion, and as a private person I ask satissets the noble disinterestedness of an faction for an injury done me by an enemy in an amiable light. individual."

The speedy possession of Port au Colonel Whitelocke, however, did Prince, the capital of the colony, was not accept the challenge, and we are deemed a matter of much import- at a loss to conceive how he could ance and the Colonel, therefore, justify the action in his own breast, xvas-induced to make some primary or at least, the declining its conseattempt for its surrender without quences. It may be said that in war waiting for reinforcements, and for all stratagems are fair: so they are: but this was an insult, not a stratathis purpose he made the offer of a sum of money to the officer com- gem: and it was such an insult as no manding. truly dignified mind would offer.

This general officer, named Laveaux, was of the ancient Noblesse, and though of small fortune had been long in the royal army, and eveu comimanded a troop of dragoons, previous to the revolution. Some have blamed Colonel Whitelocke for making this attempt, and for improperly supposing that the General could be bribed; others have asserted that his orders were improperly executed, and that it was merely the fear of discovery induced the General to refuse, by which he obtained additional fidence from, and additional respect in the republican army; however, it certainly appears that an officer was sent with a flag of truce, bearing a letter in which there was an offer of 5,000l. to surrender the place. Laveaux having read the letter, asked the officer, to declare upon his ho. nour, if he knew what it contained; the officer having assured him he did not, Laveaux told him it was well, as otherwise he would have ordered him to have been instantly hanged.

con

The letter was then read to those who were present, and Laveaux is stated to have given this answer,

Another, and more successful at: tack took place about this time under the auspices of Colonel Whitelocke, who, hearing that Rigaud, a Mulatto Chief intended to make an attack with 1,500 men on the post of L'Acul de Leogagne, sent out a de

tachment of 400 men under Baron de Montalembert to intercept them.

Other military operations took place, in which Colonel Whitelocke was concerned, and in which much commendation was bestowed upon his services by General White, and he returned to England with dispatches on the 10th of July, 1794.

After so long an absence it is natural to suppose he might wise for some interval of repose and domestic e, mfort; and we do not therefore and that he proceeded again on foreign service; but having some interest La his matrimonial connections, he was soon placed upon the home staff. be got the rank of Brigadier Gene.al, and afterwards became successively Major and Lieutenant General, with of foot. About the year 1797 he was the colonelcy of the 8th regiment appointed second in command at Portsmouth, and in 1800 had the command of the depot at Carisbrooke, in the Isle of Wight, conferred upon him a trust of much exertion and considerable responsibility.

"You have endeavoured to dishonour me in the eyes of my troops, by supposing me so vile, so base. and flagitious, as to be capable of betray ing my trust for a bribe; this is an af- When we considered the situafront for which you owe me personal tion in which Mr. Whitelocke lately satisfaction, and I demand it in the stood, we necessarily felt it a dename of Honour. Wherefore, pre- licate and difficult task to narrate vious to any general action, I offer the circumstances of his life; for you single combat, until one of us though we have, from every principle

of candour and humanity, forborne to Whitelocke's career which has made give currency to a thousand reports him notorious. that are in circulation against him, The business of South America yet we hold a part of justice to de- must exhibit a strange appearance to clare, that there was perhaps no of the world, and will be regarded with ficer of rank in the British army who stranger feelings by posterity. One was so universally spoken of without officer tried by a court martial for esteem. In every command, and in gaining the conquest, and another for every situation which he has held, losing it! The footing which bad his conduct has been such as to call been made on the banks of the Plata forth no sentiments of regard to- by Sir Home Popham and General wards him. It will doubtless be Beresford was to be secured and exurged, that every man is exposed to tended by subsequent armies, and the insinuations of malice, and the al- General Whitelocke sailed to take legations of falsehood; and that he the command of these in 1807. Of whose duty it is to enforce the duty an expedition which has eventually of others, must often appear harsh been so minutely investigated, and when he is compelled to run counter detailed to the public in such a vato individual feelings and inclinations. riety of ways, it will not be expected All this is true; but it must at the that we should say much. The same time be remembered, that causes of the failure are now fully Mr Whitelocke has not been alone illustrated; to recapitulate even the in his stations of responsibility; and heads of them would demand a that many are the generals in our greater portion of space than the army, who know at once to win the pages of a Magazine can allot : and, affections of those whom they com- to garble them in a disjointed and inmand, and yet to enforce a strict accurate manner would be to delude. obedience. In fact, no man is uni- our readers with a shew of informa versally reprobated without being, in tion without the substance. Those some respect, really culpable. The who are anxious upon the subject, writer of this article has had opportu- (and what Englishnian is not ?) will nities of conversing with officers of do well to peruse the two octavo all ranks in the army, and he can volumes of the trial, as taken down truly affirm, that he necer heard and published by Mr. Gurney: we Mr. Whitelocke's name coupled shall content ourselves by observing, with the language of praise, in their that the expedition having completemouths. We are bound to say thus ly failed, in consequence of a most much, because we do not wish to shameful and infamous line of con make the pages of the Universal Magazine subservient to courtly artifices; or to salve over with the honied words of adulation the sores of any man. All truth is valuable; but all moral truth inestimably so. Biography, which ought to give the First Charge-That Lieutenant Gevery man, is false to her highest trust neral Whitelocke, having received inwhen she prevaricates; and with the structions from his Majesty's princi same feeling generosity that we will pal secretary of state, to proceed for record, and have recorded, the vir- the reduction of the province of Buetues of our contemporaries, with the nos Ayres, pursued measures ill-calsame manly independence will we proclaim their errors when they come before us. We are actuated by no party feelings of any description: we steer our course straight forward, anxious for applause, but determined to deserve it by a fair character.

We shall now proceed to an account of the only action in Mr,

duct on the part of the commander, in-chief of that expedition, General Whitelocke was put under an arrest on the 9th of November last, and afterwards tried on the following charges:

culated to facilitate that conquest; that when the Spanish commander had shewn such symptoms of a dispo sition to treat, as to express a desire to communicate with Major General Gower, the second in command, upon the subject of terms, the aid Lieuteuant General Whitelocke did return a message, in which he demand