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Naval History of Great Britain - Vol II
1799 Surrender of Corfu 271

where, overcome by his sufferings both of mind and body, the old man died.

At the close of the preceding year we left the Russians and Turks beseiging the city and fortress of Corfu. On the 3d of March, and not before, the garrison capitulated ; and the republican troops obtained permission to return to France, on their parole not to serve again within the period of 18 months. We formerly mentioned that the French 74-gun ship Généreux, Captain Lejoille, had quitted Corfu, and proceeded to Ancona in the gulf of Venice. The only vessels of war, therefore, except a few gun-boats, which the conquerors of Corfu found in the harbour, were the late British 50-gun ship Leander, and the French 28-gun frigate Brune. The first-named ship the Emperor of Russia afterwards restored to Great Britain.

A few days after the occupation of Corfu by the Turks and Russians, but before the event had become known at Ancona, the Généreux, accompanied by nine transports, having on board about 1000 troops under General Clement, with a considerable quantity of provision and military stores, sailed for the relief of their countrymen. Previously, however, to his entering the channel of Corfu, Captain Lejoille wished to learn the fate of this finest of the Ionian islands. He accordingly steered, with his 74 and transports, towards Brindisi, a small port in the Neapolitan province of Otranto, and now occupied by a weak detachment of Cardinal Ruffo's troops. Owing to the carelessness of the pilot, the Généreux grounded close under the guns of the castle of Brindisi ; and upon which, from her position, she could only bring her aftermost guns to bear. Almost the first shot fired from the castle killed Captain Lejoille, and badly wounded General Clement.

After the cannonade had lasted in this partial manner for about two hours, and several of the French seamen and soldiers had been killed or wounded, the fortress surrendered. The transports immediately anchored in the harbour ; as did the Généreux, as soon as she could be got afloat. The news of the surrender of Corfu arriving a day or two afterwards ; the Généreux, now under the command of Lieutenant Claude Touffet, accompanied by the nine transports, sailed back to Ancona.

Six or eight weeks after the surrender of Corfu, a Turco-Russian squadron of six or seven sail of the line, under the Russian Rear-admiral Woinowich, set sail to make an attack upon Ancona. About the middle of May the squadron arrived and anchored off the town. The French troops within it amounted to between 2000 and 3000, and were commanded by General Monnier. The three ex-Venetian 64s, Beyrand, Laharpe, and Stenge, lay at the entrance of the harbour with springs on their cables. Another ex-Venetian 64, the Hoche, but without any guns on board, was inside of the harbour ; as were two or three

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