DENMARK.

New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume v, Issue 421, 15 August 1849, Page 4

DENMARK.

Hostilities have commenced in good earnest, and, at the onset, the Danes, whether from mismanagement or accident, have fared the worst. The King of Denmark took the offensive as soon as the armistice expired. The Danish forces landed at several points from Alsen, a strict blockade of all the German ports was declared, the western isles on the coast of Schleswig were occupied, and the main body (some 8000 strong) was ordered to advance on Flensburg, which town was to be attacked by sea and land. The King of Denmark had left Copenhagen for the army, and some dozen German vessels had been taken into Danish ports as prizes. It was thought that a general battle would take place in the vicinity of Apenrade. On the evening of the 4th instant a Danish flotilla, consisting of the line-of-battle ship Christian VIII., 84 guns ; the frigate Gefion, 42 ; the brig St. Croix, and the steamers Geyser and SHrner, were observed approching Eckrenforde. At nightfall the flotilla cast anchor off Noer, in in the bay. On the following morning, at five a.m., the brig and one of the steamers got under weigh, taking an easterly direction; at seven a.m. the other vessels weighed, and with a light breeze sailed into the port of Eckrenforde, where they opened a brisk fire on the batteries on shore, which was equally well replied to, the firing never ceasing till one p.m. The fire of the northern battery was silenced by the well-directed fire of the Geyser. At one p.m. the Christian VIII. ran aground in the inner port, and the rudder of the Gefion was shot away. A flag of truce was hoisted, and a notification sent to the effect, that if the batteries on shore would cease firing, so as to allow the vessels to retire, the town would be spared ; if not, it would be reduced to a heap of ashes. This was rejected, but a truce of two hours was agreed upon by his Highness the Duke of Saxe-Coburg Gotha. All remained quiet till five p.m. The line-of-battle ship got afloat again, and the steamers had made for theroads to repair their damages. TheChristian VIII. having signalled a steamer to take her in tow, one of them approached for that purpose, but was so warmly received by the batteries, that she put out to sea again. The line-of-battle ship now put on all the canvas that she could carry, and weighed anchor, with the intention of bringing her broadsides to bear on the south battery, the fire from which was very galling. This manoeuvre was done in so lubberly a manner that she again got aground, this time within range of the batteries, which, firing rsd-hot balls, set her soon on fire, which the crew in vain endeavoured to extinguish, and thus the Danish colours of an 84-gun ship were lowered to a four-gun Schleswig- Holstein battery. At a quarter-past seven the vessel blew up with about 200 of the crew on board, the remainder of the crew having got off, and surrendered themselves prisoners. The Gefion shortly 1 afterwards hauled down her colours* and the German standard was hoisted in their stead. It is difficult to imagine what the real object of the Danish commander can have been. With the wind blowirig right in ahtae, 1 witfc

no intention of effecting a landing, be risked the safety of the flotilla entrusted to his care. Captain Meyer, the commander of the Gefion, is reported to have blown out his brains. The Danish Minister of Marine has published, under date of April 3, a notice that, in addition to the ports of Schleswig-Holstein, which it was declared by proclamation of the 7th ult. should be in a state of blockade, also the ports of Cammin, Swinemunde, Wolgast, Griefswalde, Straslund, arid Rostock, should be blockaded from the sth instant ; and the ports of Pillau, Dantzic, and the rivers Elbe, Weser, and Jabde should be so from the 12th instant. A great number of vessels had been brought into Cuxhaven Roads, or captured among the Danish islands in the Baltic. How the Danes will keep up the blockade after the loss of their ship of the line and steamer it is somewhat difficult to conjectute. —Bell's Life, April 15.

The Revolt at Beescia. — A rising in Brescia is mentioned while the people were ignorant of the defeat of the Piedmontese and the defeat of Charles Albert. Some statements say that the city is burnt to the ground; others, that, after being battered for three days with heavy siege pieces, they continued to fight in a part of the town not yet destroyed, the Austrians being obliged to beseige, as it were, every street and house, so desperate was the resistance. Bergamo had also revolted, but had been subjected by an overwhelming force in two days. A whole division, besides artillery, had been sent by Radetzkyt o enforce submission. An official account in the Wiener Zeitunh says of the struggle in Brescia, " the bayonet was mainly resorted to. The troops fought most gallantly, but suffered severely. Col. Favancourt was killed, and Lieut Col. Miletz, who had been badly wounded, was barbarously murdered by the rebels. Major General Nugent was wounded in the ancle, and amputation became necessary. We had five officers and eighty privates killed, and about twice as many wounded. A fine of 2,000,000 florins (£200,000) has been imposed on the city, and 100,000 florins (£10,000) extra for the widows and orphans of the fallen and wounded, and for the troops employed in the expedition. All the rebels taken with arms in their hands were shot in the principal square. — Liverpool Albion, April 16.

Charles Albert. — The Patria says, "King Charles Albert, while at Bayonne, was recognized by several persons by whom he was known in 1823, when the French army, in which he, served as a simple grenadier, passed through that town. In this campaign Charles Albert, who was then Prince de Barignan, was noticed in an older of the day to the army for his valiant conduct in the attack of the Trocadero. Another circumstance attracted further attention to him at Bayonne. On the return of the^rmy, in 1824, a violent fire broke out at Bayonne. The prince, with a few sappers, was the first to give assistance, and on the roof of the burning house risked his life in his endeavours to extinguish the fire. Charles Albert left Bayonne on Monday. At the moment of departure, his carriage was surrounded by an immense crowd, who stood bareheaded, notwithstanding the heavy rain that was falling. He took the road to Saint Sebastian, hoping to find there a steamer for Oporto." — Liverpool Albion^ April 16. The King of Prussia and the Crown of Germany. — The answer of the King of Prussia to the Frankfort deputation, offering the Crown of Germany, is called by some a conditional acceptance, and by others a qualified refusal. We cannot help regarding it in the latter sense. He has certaiuly not accepted, although he shows a disposition to dally with the splendid offer, or, as others allege, he is not indisposed to allow the Germans still to entertain a hope of his ultimate acceptance. The conditions annexed being, as they are, so different from the views of the Frankfort majority, amount in our minds to a virtual refusal. — Observer^ April 9. Moldavia and Wallachia. — The Russian general Mouravieff has arrived in the principalities with an army of 24,000 men* and another Russian general has advanced' upon Ibraila, and has commenced building barracks for his troops- in the environs of that city. Further, the Russians have towed into the Danube, by one of their government steamers, five gunboat*. This, being done in direct contravention of the treaty of AdrK anople, will, there- can be little doubt; give rise to serious discussions. — Liverpool Albion t April 16.