Those of you who followed with interest Captain Dyneley's account of MAIDA [in Nap N&Q 4] might like to read an 'Official' version, sent by Major-General Stuart and printed amongst the London Gazettes.

SIR, It is with the most heartfelt satisfaction that I have the honour of reporting to you, for the information of his Majesty, the particulars of an action, in which the French army quartered in this province have sustained a signal defeat by the troops under my command.- Gen. Regnier, having been apprised of our disembarkation at St. Eusemia, appears to have made a rapid march from Reggio, uniting, as he advanced, his detached corps, for the purpose of attacking, and with his characteristic confidence, of defeating us.

On the afternoon of the third instant I received intelligence that he had that day encamped near Maida, about ten miles distant from our position; that his force consisted at the moment of about 4000 infantry and 300 cavalry, together with four pieces of artillery, and that he was in expectation of beingjoined within a day or two by 3000 more troops, who were marching after him in a second division. - I determined therefore to advance towards his position; and, having left our four companies of Watteville's Regiment under Major Fisher to protect the stores, and occupy a work which had been thrown up at our landing-place, the body of the army marched the next morning according to the following detail:

Advanced Corps, Lieut.-col. Kempt, with 2 four-pounders. Light Infantry Battalion. Detachment Royal Corsican Rangers. Detachment Royal Sicilian Volunteers. - Ist Brigade, Brig.-gen. Cole, with three four- pounders. Grenadier Battalion. 27th Regiment.- 2nd Brigade, Brig.-gen. Ackland, with three four pounders. 78th Regiment. 81st Regiment. -3d Brigade, Col. Oswald, with 2 fourpounders. 58th Regiment. Watteville's Regiment, Five Companies. 20th Regiment, Lieut-col. Ross, landed during the action.-Reserve of Artillery, Major Lemoine, four six-pounders, and two howitzers.-Total : Rank and File, including the Royal Artillery, 4705.

Gen. Regnier was encamped on the side of a woody hill, below the village of Maida, sloping into the Plain of St. Eusemia; his flanks were strengthened by a thick impervious underwood. The Amato, a river perfectly fordable, but of which the sides are extremely marshy, run along his front; my approach to him from the sea side (along the borders of which I directed my march, until I had nearly turned his left) was across a spacious plain, which gave him every opportunity of minutely observing my movements.

Had Gen. Regnier thought proper to remain upon his ground, the difficulties of access to him were such, that I could not possibly have made an impression upon him. But quitting this advantage, and crossing the river with his entire force, he came down to meet us upon the open plain - a measure to which he was no doubt encouraged by a consideration of his cavalry, an arm with which, unfortunately, I was altogether unprovided.

SKIRMISHERS

After some loose firing of the flankers to cover the deployments of the two armies, by nine o'clock in the morning the opposing fronts were warmly engaged, when the prowess of the Rival Nations seemed now fairly to be at trial before the World, and the superiority was greatly and gloriously decided to be our own. The corps which formed the right of the advanced line, was the Battalion of Light Infantry commanded by Lieut.-col. Kempt, consisting of the Light Companies of the 20th, 27th, 35th, 58th, 61st, 81st, and Wattevill's, together with 150 chosen battalion-men of the 35th Regiment, under Major Robinson. Directly opposed to them was the favourite French Regiment the 1st Legere.

The two corps at the distance of about 100 yards fired reciprocally a few rounds, when, as if by mutual agreement, the firing was suspended, and in close compact order and awful silence, they advanced towards each other, until their bayonets began to cross. At this momentous crisis the enemy became appalled. They broke, and endeavoured to fly, but it was too late; they were overtaken with the most dreadful slaughter.- Brig.-gen. Ackland, whose brigade was immediately on the left of the Light Infantry, with great spirit availed 'himself of this favourable moment to press instantly forward upon the corps in his front; the brave 78th Regiment, commanded by Lieut.-col. Macleod, and the 81st Regiment, under Major Plenderleath, both distinguished themselves on this occasion.

The enemy fled with dismay and disorder before them, leaving the plain covered with their dead and wounded.- The enemy being thus completely discomfited on their left, began to make a new effort with their right, in the hopes of recovering the day. They were refitted most gallantly by the brigade under Brig.-gen. Cole. Nothing could shake the undaunted firmness 'of the Grenadiers under Lieut-col. O'Callaghan, and of the 27th Regiment under Lieut.-col. Smith.

CAVALRY

The cavalry, successively repelled from before their front, made an effort to turn their left, when Lieut.-col. Ross, who had that morning landed from Messina with the 20th Regiment, and was coming up to the army during the action, having observed the movement, threw his regiment opportunely into a small cover upon their flank, and by a heavy and well- directed fire entirely disconcerted this attempt. This was the last feeble struggle of the enemy, who now, astonished and dismayed by the intrepidity with which they were assailed, began precipitately to retire, leaving the field covered with carnage.

Above 700 bodies of their dead have been buried upon the ground. The wounded and prisoners already in our hands (among which are Gen. Compere, and an Aid-de-Camp, the Lieut.- colonel of the Swiss Regiment, and a long list of officers of different ranks) amount to above 1000. There are also above 1000 men left in Monteleone and the different posts between this and Reggio, who have mostly notified their readiness to surrender whenever a British force shall be sent to receive their submission, and to protect them from the fury of the people.

The peasantry are hourly bringing in fugitives, who dispersed in the woods and mountains after the battle. In short, never has the pride of our presumptuous Enemy been more severely humbled, nor the superiority of the British troops more gloriously proved, than in the events of this memorable day. His Majesty may, perhaps, still deign to appreciate more highly the achievements of this little army, when it is known that the second division, which the enemy were said to be expecting, had all joined them the night before the action; no statement that I have heard of their numbers places them at a less calculation than 7000 men.

Our victorious infantry continued the pursuit of the routed enemy so long as they were able; but, as the latter dispersed in every direction, and we were under the necessity of preserving our order, the trial of speed became unequal. The total loss occasioned to the enemy by this conflict cannot be less than 4000 men.

When I oppose to the above our own small comparative loss, as underneath detailed, his Majesty will, I hope, discern in the fact the happy effects of that established discipline to which we owe the triumphs by which our army has been latterly so highly distinguished.- I am now beginning my march Southward.

LOSSES

1 Officer,
3 sergearts,
41 rank and file killed,
11 Officers,
8 sergeants,
2 drummers,
261 rank and file wounded.