Star. — London, England, 1811-04-08 00:00:00

F I ~. , LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. SUNDAY, APRIL 7. DOWNING-STREET, APRIL 6. Captain Camac arrived this morning Vvith Dispatches from Lord Viscount Wellington to the Earl of Liverpool, dated Villa Secs, 14th, and Louzao 16th ult, of which the following are extracts.. made prisoners a.detachment of the enemy's cavalry which were upon the road. We found the 6th and Bth corps formed in a very strong position near. Carat Nova this morning, and the Light Division attacked and drove in their out posts. But we could dislodge them from their p osi-I tons only by movements on their flanks. According- , ly I moved the 4th Division under Major-General Cole upon Papella, in order to secure the passage of the river Esa, and the communication with Espinhel, near which place Major General Nightingall had been in observation of the mcvements of the '2d corps since the 10th ; sand the 3d Division, under Major-General Picton, more immediately round the enemy's left, while the Light Division and Brigadier-General Pack's Brigade, under Major-General Sir W. Erskine, turned their right ; and Major-General Alexander Campbell, with the 6th Division, supported the Light Troops by which they were attacked in front. These Troops were supported by the Cavalry, and by the Ist and sth Divisions, and Colonel Ashworth's Bri- Villa Seca, March 14. The enemy retired from their position which they bad occupied at Santarem and the neighbourhood in the night of the sth inst. I put the British army in motion to lollow them on the morning of the 6th. • Their first movements indicated an intention to col lect a force at Thomar, and I therefore marched upon that town, on the Bth, a considerable body of troops formed of part of Marshal Sir William Beresford's corps, under Major General the Hon. William Stew. art, which had crossed the Tagus at Abrantes, and afterwards the Zezere, and of the 4th and 6th and part of the Ist division of infantry and two jarigades of British cavalry. The enemy, however, continued iris march towards the Modego, 'having one corps, the 2d, on the road of Espinhel ; General Loison's division on the roacref*Anciao, and the remainder of the army towards Pombal. These last were follow. ed and never lost sight of by the light division and the Royal Dragoons and the Ist Hussars, who took from them about 200 prisoners. On the 9th the enemy collected in front of Pombal the 6th corps, with the exception of General Loison's division, the Bth corps, and the 9th corps, and Gene. cal Montbrun's division of cavalry. The Hussars, which, with the Royal Dragoons and light division, were immediately in front of the enemy's army, dis tinguished themselves in a charge which they made en this occasion under the command of Colonel Arenschidlt. A detachment of the 16th Light Dra goons, under Lieutenant Weyland, which had been in observation of thd enemy near Leyria, made priso ners a detachment, consisting of thirty dragoons, cm' that morning; and had followed the enemy from Lei ria, and arrived on the ground just in time to assist their friends the Hussars in this charge. I could not. collect a sufficient body of troops to commence an ope ration upon the enemy till the 11th. On that day, the Ist, 3d, 4th, sth, and 6th, and the light divisions • of infantry, and General Pack's brigade, and all the British cavalry joined upon the ground immediately in front of the enemy, who had come.enced their re treat from their position during the night. They were followed by the light diiision, the Hus jars and Royals, and Brigadier General Pack's bri gade under the command - of Major General Sir Wil liam Erskine and Major General Slade, and made an attempt to hold the ancient castle of Pombal, from which they were driven ; but the 6th corps and Ge neral Montbrun's cavalry, whidi formed the rear guard, supported by the Bth corps, held the ground en the other side of the town, the troops not having arrived in time to complete the dispositions to attack -them before it was dark. • Upon this occasion Lieutenant Colonel Elder's Battalion of Portuguese Caeadores distinguished themselves. The enemy retired in the night ; and on the 12th the 6th corps, with General Montbrun's cavalry, took up a strong position at the end of a defile between Redinha and Pombal, with their right in a wood upon the Soure river, and their left extending towards the bigh ground above the river of Redinha. This town was in the rear. I attacked them in this position on the 12th with the 3d and 4th and light divisions of infantry and Bri gadier General Pack's brigade and the cavalry, the other troops bein - in reserve. The post in the wood upon their right was first for ced by. Sir William Erskine with the light division.— We were then able to form the troops in the plain beyond the defile ; and the 3d division under Major General Picton were formed in two lines in the skirts of the wood upon the right ; the 4th division under Major General Cole in two lines in the centre, having General Pack's brigade supporting their right, and communicating with the 3d division ; and the light division in two lines on the left. These troops were supported in the rear by the British cavalry, and the Ist, sth, and Gth divisions were in reserve. The troops were formed with great accuracy and celerity, and Lieutenant General Sir B. Spencer led the line against the enemy's position on the heights, 1 from which they were immediately driven, with the loss of many men killed and wounded, and some prisoners. Major General Sir William Erskine particularly mentioned the conduct of the 52d regiment and Co lonel Elder's Cacadores in the attack of the wood ; and I must add tli:a i have never seen the French in fantry driven from a wood in a more gallant style. There was but one narrow bridge, and a ford close to it over the Redinha river, over which our light troops passed with the enemy, but as the enemy com manded these passages with cannon some time elapsed before we could pass over a sufficient body of troops to make a fresh disposition to attack the heights on which they had again taken post. The Sd division. cro wd however, and manoeuvred again upon the enemy's left flank, while the . light infantry and ca valry, rtipptirted by the light division, drove • them upon their main body at Condeixa. • The light infantry of Major General Picton's divi sion, under Lieutenant Colonel Williams, and the 4th C,asadores, under Colonel de Regoa t were principally • Once:veil in this operation. We Maud the whole army yesterday, with the ex .-eeption of the second corps, which was still at Espin bel, ill.a'very strong position at Condeixa ; and I ob served tNitt they were sending off their baggage by the road of Ponce de Marcella. From this circum stance I concluded that Colonel Trant had not given up coimbra ; and that they had been so pressed in their retreat that they had not beep able to detach troops to force him from the place ? I therefore /Parched the $d division, uncle; Major General Pic ton, through the mountains upon the enemy's left, towards the only road open for their retreat ; which had the immediate effect of dislodging them from the strong position a Condeixa ;_and the enemy encam T • ped last night at CAUL' Isioya in the mountains, about 4 league from condeiza, ill4M4i t !lT f°IPRIFiCIEC4 CPIPOr4 ant - as an advanced guard in front of Toy d'Aronce oi this side of the river. I immediately made arrangements to drive in the advanced guard, preparatory to the movements which it might be expedient to make to cross the Ceira this morning. Brigadier-General Pack's Brigade had been de-' cached in the morning through the mountains to the left, as well to turn the enemy in his position at Mi randa de Corvo, as in view to any others they might take up on this side of the Ceira. The light division, under Major-General Sir W. Erskine, was ordered to possess some heights immediately above Foy de Aronce, while Major-General Picton's division was moved along the great road to attack the left of the enemy's position and of the village. The 6th division, under Major-General Campbell, 1 and the Hussars and 16th Light Dragoons, supported the Light Division and the Ist Division of the Ilth and Royal Dragoons, the 3d. These movements succeeded in forcing the enemy to abandon his strong positions en this side of the Ceira, with considerable loss. The Colonel of the 39th regiment was made prisoner. The Light Troops of General Picton's Division Under Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, and those ofl Major-General Nightingall's Brigade, were principally engaged on the right, and the 95th Regiment in front ' ,of the Light Division ; and these troops behaved in the most gallant manner. The Horse Artillery like wise under Captains Ross and Bull, distinguished themselves upon this occasion. The troops took much baggage and some ammunition carriages in Foy de Aronce. 1 I had been prevented from moving till a late ho ur in the morning by the fog ; and it was dark by the time we gained possession of the last position of the enemy's advanced guard. In the night the enemy destroyed the bridge on the Ceira, and retreated, leaving a small rear guard ' on the river. gade in reserve. These movements obliged the enemy to abandon all the positions which they successively took in the mountains, and the two Corps d'Armee composing the rear guard were flung back upon the main body at Miranda de Corvo, upun the river Esa, with con siderable loss of killed, wounded and prisoners. In the operations of this day the 43d, 511 and 95th Regiments and 3d Cacadores, under the com mand of Colonels Drummond and Beckwith, and , Major Patrickson, Lieutenant-Colonel Ross and Ma jots Gilmour and Stewart, particularly distinguished themselves ; as also.the Light Infantry Battalions of General Picton's Division under Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, and the 4tli Cagadores under Colonel de Regoa, and the Troops of Horse Artillery under the command of Captains Ross and Bull. The result of these operations has been that we have saved Coimbra and Upper Beira from the ene my's ravages, and we have opened the communica tions with the Northern Provinces, and we have obliged the enemy to take for their retreat the road by Ponte de Murcella, in which they may be annoyed by the Militia acting in security upon their flank, while the Allied Army will press upon their rear. The whole country, however, affords many advan tageous positions to a retreating army, of which the enemy have shewn that they know how to avail themselves. They are retreating from the country as they en tered it, in one solid mass ; covering their rear on every march by the operations of either one or two Corps de Armee, in the strong positions which the country affords; which Corps de Armee arc closely supported by the main ; body. Before they quitted their position they destroyed a part of their cannon and ammunition ; and' they have since blown up whatever the horses were unable to draw away.— They have no provisions excepting what they plunder on the spot ; or having plundered what the soldiers carry on their backs; and live cattle. I am concerned to be obliged to add to this ac count that their conduct throughout this retreat has been marked by a barbazity seldom equalled, and never surpassed. Even in the towns of Torres Novas, Thomar, and Pernes, in which the head quarters of some of the corps had been for four months, and in which the inhabitants had been induced by promises of good treatment to remain, they were plundered, and many of their houses destroyed on the night the enemy withdrew from their position ; and they have since burnt every town and village through which they have passed. The convent of Alcobaga was burnt by order from the French head quarters. Th 4 Bishop's Palace, and the whole town of Leyria, in which General rouet had had his head quarters, shared the same fate ; and there is not an inhabitant of the country of any class or description, who has had any dealing or communication with the French army, who has not had reason to repent of it, and to nom plain of them. 1 This is the mode in which the promises have been performed and the assurances have been fulfilled, which wete held out in the proclamation of the French Commander in Chief ; in which he told the inhabitants of Portugal, that he was not come to make war upon them, but with a powerful army of 'one hundred and ten thousand men to drive the Eng lish into the sea. It is to be hoped that the example of what has occurred in this country will teach the people of this and of ether nations what value they ought to place on such promises and assurances, and that there is no security for life or for any thing which renders life valuable, excepting in decided re sistance to the enemy. I have the honour to inclose returns of killed and wounded in the several affairs with the enemy since they commenced their retreat. I have received the most able and cordial assistance throughout these operations from Lieutenant-Gene ral Sir Brent Spencer, and Marshal Sir W. Beresford, whom I had requested to cross the Tagus, and who has been with me since the 11th instant; from Ma jor-Generals Sir William Erskine, Picton, Cole, and Campbell, Major-General Slade and Major-General the Honourable C. Colville, and the General and other Officers commanding Brigades under their or. dens respectively. - I am particularly indebted to the Quarter-Master- General Murray for the assistance I have received from him, and the Deputy Adjutant-General the Honourable Colonel Packenham, and the Officers of the Adjutant and Quarter.Master•Generars depart ment's: also to those tf my personal Staff, who have siren cal every assistance in their power. Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing, of the British and Portuguese Forces in the several Affairs with the French Ar my, from the Gth to the 15th of March 1211. Bth and 9th March-1 Horse killed; 2 rank and file, 9 horses, wounded; 7 rank and file, a horses, missing. 11th March-11 Rank and file killed; 9 Ensigns, I Serjeants, 16 rank and file, wounded. 1 12th March—► 7 Auk and file, 3 horses, killed; 3 Captains, I Lieutenants, 3 Ensigns, 1 Staff, 7 Serjeants, 153 rank apd file, 4 horses, wounded; 1 Serjeant, 14 rank and file, missing. 14th March-1 Lieutenant, 14 rank and file, killed; 1 Major, I Captains, 4 Lieutenants, I Ensign, 12 Serjeants,ll9 rank ani file, wounded ; 4 rank and ile, missing. 15th March-2 Lieutenants, 1 Serjeant, 6 rank and Me, killed; 1 Liestenant,l Ensign, 1 Serjeant, 59 rank and file, wounded. Names of Officers Killed, Wounded, and Missing, of the Artny under the Command of Lieutenant-General Lord Viscount Wellington, K.B. in the several Affairs with the French Army, from the 11th to the 14th of March 1811, inclusive. March-1n Battalion 59th Foot—Second Lieutenant Hop woodi wounded. 3d Casadores—Ensign Jere Joaquim Figeo, severely wounded. 11th Mar.ch-24 Battalion sth Foot—Lieutenant Clarke, severe ly wounded. Ist Battalion 45th Foot—Lieutenar let Battalion 52d Feet—Lieutenant jutant Winterbottom, wounded. Ist Battalion Beth Foot—Lieut. Heppenstal, slightly 'rounded. 94th Foot—Captaln Bogue, severely wounded. let Bat. 95th Foot—Lieutenant Beckwith, wounded. Ist Cacaciores—Captain Chapman, 95th Foot, ditto. 11th Portuguese Regiment—Captain Waldron, 27th Foot, ditto 4th Cacadores—Ensign Jose Filicissimo, ditto. nth Ditto—Ensign Jose P. de Carto, ditto. 14th March—lst Bat. 52d Foot—Lieutenant Thomas Gifford, tat Bat. 43d Foot—Captain Napier, severely wounded; Captain Daizell, slightly wounded; Ensigh Carroll, severely wounded. let Bat. 52d Foot—Captain George Napier, severely wounded; Captain William Mein, slightly wounded ; Captain William Jones, severely wounded. sth Bat. 60th Foot—Lieutenant Wynne, slightly wounded. 74th Foot—Lieutenant Crabb, ditto. Ist Bat. 95th Foot—Major Stewart, severely wounded (since dead); Lieutenant Strode, wounded. Ist Casailores—Lieutenant Joaquim Manuel, wounded. 15th March-sth Battalion 60th Foot—Lieutenant Sawatzky, killed. Ist Battalion 88th Foot—Lieutenant Hefspenstal, ditto. st Battalion 95th Foot—First Lieutenant M'Culloch, severely wounded; Second Lieutenant Kinnaird, slightly wounded. t March, slightly wounded. Cross, Ensign Liford, Ad. Louzao, Mardi 16. Major-General Cole joined Major.Geperal Nightin gall at Espitihel, on afternoon of the 14th, and this movement, by which the Esa was passed, and which gave us the power of turning the strong po sition of Miranda de Corvo, induced the enemy to abandon it on that night. They destroyed at this place a great number of carriages, and buried and otherwise destroyed or concealed the ammunition which they had carried ; and they likewise burnt much of their baggage, and the road throughout the march from Miranda is strewed with the carcases of men and animals, and destroyed carriages and t?V.PI e ! We' found the enemy's whole army yesterday io a !TT supng poptum 4 * Ole C.CIP., 01/rng pne FPrps 1 1 0117'11GUESE ?AM.!. finding the The enemy, w L h ts o i c O o N n t , i MARCHnn econtinues to as. retreat, bridge at Ponte de Murcella broken down, went up the Alva in search of a ford; they lose immense numbers ; their barbarity exceeds all belief. They burn and destroy every thing. and murder men, women, and children. It is supposed they will retreat at once to Almeida ; there, perhaps, they may have a respite. Their rear consists of $O,OOO men, all that. could fight in their army. • °rinse h Mire - rot from his Excellency Marsha!-General Lord WextittoroN, dated Head-quavers, Villa Seca, the 14th of March, 1811, to his Excellency Senior D. Moo xi. Pumas. FO&JAZ. . After giving an account of the operations to this date, the same as in the London Gazette, his Lord. ship proceeds thus : . 44 I am much concerned to have to inform your Excellency, that the town of filadajos surrendered on the 11th instant to tile enemy. Though I have not yet learned all the circumstances of this event, I can have no doubt with respect to the fact. From the intoment when the enemy entered Estremadura, and employed his forces against that place, my attention was called and directed to the means of saving it. 64 Antecedent to the unfortunate battle of the 19th of February, I determined to reinforce the Spanish army, in order to oblige the enemy to raise the siege of that place, and I should have carried into effect this my determination, had I been joined by the re. reinforcements which I expected to arrive in the Ta. gus about the end of the month of January. The battle of the 19th February destroyed the Spanish troops on whose aid and co-operation I had depended. It was, in consequence, impossible to detach a suffi. event number of troops to effect the object I bud in view. I determined, however, after the arrival of the reinforcements, though the enemy should not have, retired from his position on the Tagus, to attack him, should the state of the roads permit. —The reinforce ments arrived in the beginning of March, but had not then joined the army ; and in the night of the .sth, the enemy retired from the position he occupied. On the 6th instant, I desired General Leite, the Go., vernor of Elvas, to communicate to the Governor of Badajos, by means of signals, or in any other man ner which might best suit, that Massena had begun to retreat, and that he might be assured that I would succour him as soon as possible ; in the mean time I trusted that he would defend himself to the last ex tremity. I had in consequence made every arrange. ment to detach a body of troops when the enemy should leave the Tagus and the Zezere, and accord. ingly, with this view, troops marched from Thoraar on the 9th, as they did also from other points, that part of the corps of Marshal Beresford which had taken 'post on the other side of the Tagus, and the vanguard of which had advanced to within three marches of the fortress of Elvas. a On the morning of the 9th, I received at The. mar intelligence of the most favourable kind from Badajos ; by which I was induced to believe, not only that the place was not in any actual danger, but that the fire made on the enemy was much superior and effectual to that received from him ; and that, with the exception of the loss sustained in the death of General Menacho, it had suffered very little ; that there was no want of provisions or ammunition; anti that it was in fact in so good a condition, that it was probable it might hold out a month. General Imaz, a person of equal reputation with the late Governor. succeeded to the command, and the greatest confi dence was reposed in him; but he surrendered to the enemy on the day following that on which he received my assurances of succour, at the same time that i urged him to defend it to the last extremity. a It is useless to make any reflection on the lam here stated. The Spanish nation has lost in the course of two months the fortresses of Tortosa, Olivenza, and Badajoz, without any sufficient cause ; and at the same time Marshal Soult, with a corps of troops which never was supposed to exceed 20,000 men, be. sides the capture of the. two last places, has made pri. soners and destroyed above 22,000 Spanish troops. " I have the honour to remain, with sentiments of esteem and consideration, your Excellency's most faithful servant. (Signed) 'WELLINGTON. " Head Quartets, Villa Seca, March 14, 181 i." SECOND DISPATCH. After :.taring the movements up to the 16th, as given in The London Casette, his Lordship thus pro. ceeds : " The destruction of the bridge of Foy de Aronce, the fatigues which the troops had suffered tor several preceding days, and the want of provisions, induced me net to continue on this day the march of the army. a After I had sent off to your Excellency my for mer dispatch of the date of the lath, I learned scale further particulars of the surrender of Badajos. It Lisbon, March 23. appears that the enemy had on the 9th made a breath The army of General Massena continues to retreat nearly 18 feet in breadth, bat which was not rracti• towards the frontier, and every march is facilitated by cable. the abandonment of wounded, the destruction of bag. "On the same day the Governor of the place 3C• gage, and whatever can encumber their movement. knowledged the signal and Cherceip ot the messi;F: They attempted during the 18th and 19th to make I had sent to him ;on the IGt he di,contintied ho, a stand in the Sierra de Moita, but they were driven tilities, and cn the 11[11 surrendered the place, de:.. from that position with the loss of six hundred priso- vering up the garrison prisoners of war, which w..: ners on the 19th. On the 21st they reached Galiza. allowed to match out with the honours of war. The The British head quarters were at Pombeira on the 18th, and at Algazil on the 20 th. The cavalry and number of the garrison at the time of the sumn , ,! : , was 9000, while that of the enemy was rniy 9,6- 1 light troops continued in sight of the French rear- infantry and 2000 cavalry. The garrison wiete4 guard, and the movement of the allied army along neither provisions nor ammunition. the skirts of the Estrella, which flank the position in the valley of the Mondego, promises new impediments Governor of Elvas to desire the Gevernoi of Badaj,.. " In my letter of the 6th instant I requested the to their retreat. to observe secrecy with respect to the retreat 01 :d is. The accounts from the frontier of Spanish Estee- i sena, to prevent its reaching the knowlcJge . f t• e , enemy by madura state, that the greater part of the French force ' d the in. 1 with him again at Badajos, but he publis.ie .. which came from Andalusia have returned to that ' means of deserters, as I thought to tri...et telligence as soon as he received it, asserting, at ea: province. ! same time, that he did not believe it. He, ;a I.ke Marshal Soult moved in the middle of the month , manner, communicated it to the French G eneral. towards Seville at the head of four thousand infantry , 1 .. W hen Badajos had surrendered , the enem y .1i• and one thousand five hundred cavalry. No consi i meted his operations against Campo ISl:ijor, in %% 11 . 6 I derable force has been left in the town of Badajoz. 'direction he has moved. The siege of Campo Major continued during the " I have the honour to be, with consideration art 19th, 20th, and 21st. A breach having been effected, particular esteem, your Excellency's attentive slid the place capitulated on the morning of the latter faithful servant, (Signed) " WELLINGT O%. day. The garrison, in number about two hundred , " Head-quarters, Lanza°, Much 16, 1911." and fifty militia, have remained prisoners of war.— ' LISBON, MARCH r. The French force before the place consisted of four List of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing ot tie Port , ,t),it thousand infantry and five hundred cavalry: March. The advanFed guard of Marshal Beresford reached lO wank and ;It i Corps to the North of the Tagus, from th e 6th to the 15th 4 MARCY 11.—Sd Regimen . t of Cacadore s, Portalegry pq Ole th, where 111:1! coffmer leaf ex - pcece4Pa cioy, wadded, MARCY it--Fin[ JIM, i Captain, 2 berjetuns, and iI3 ri , ! 014 i Ensign, a eeritants, pt rank and fi le wounded. , 11111411011afinki*Alle!=.111la fliv° , 0 '' I FOREIGN OFFICE, APRIL & A Dispatch was recetved this morning by the Marquis WelleOey from Charles Stewart, E.g. his Majesty's Minister at Lisbon, of which the following is an Extract I I 1.. and yd C A I e 4 th ditto rank kill kilk and Je' Q 7 I Lie 321 bor the wei oft botJ 30$ Jos, B: P' ta be Ca