Star. — London, England, 1809-01-23 00:00:00

Air, January 10th, 1809. A T a Meeting of the Noblemen, Gentlemen, Free- A.A. borders, Conunissksnen of Supply, and Proprietors of the county of Air, convened to consider of a Subscription for Cloth ing and other necessaries in aid of the brave Spanish Patriots, Dow struggling in the field to defend their Country front t foreign and cruel Invasion. The Etrl of EGLINTON in the Chair. Mr. Hensikon of Sur.drum, the Convener, stated, that having received a letter from the Committee of Correspondence, for the subscription in aid of the Spanish Patriots, set on foot in London, with a copy of their proceedings till the i9th December last, for the information of the Gentlemen of this county, in the prosecu tion of a measure expressive of the general sentiment with refer ence to Spain, he had given directions for calling the present Meeting by advertisement, in order that be might submit to their consideration these proceedings of the Committee of Correspon dence which had been transmitted to him, and which be moved should be read to the Meeting, which was done accordingly. The Earl of Eglinton stated, that he approved of the present meeting being called, but regretted that the same was so thinly at tended, owing to the extreme badness of the day; his Lordship, however, had no doubt but that that generous sentiment, which is so universally felt throughout the kingdom for the success of the. Spanish cause, will induce every individual of this county u support a subscription which seems to be generally gone into by the nation at large. Thereafter a subscription paper being made nut, the same was signed by the Members present, when the following sums wert subscribed, and agreed to be paid in to Messrs. Hunters and Co. in order to be remitted to the Committtee of Correspondence at London, vii : Earl of Eglinton • Lord Montgornerle - Sir A. Cathcart, of Carle ton - - • So 3. Hamilton, of Sundrum 20 J. Fergusson, of Crossbill, X2OO 100 W.Fullarton, of Skeldon 10 IP Capt. W. Neil, of Schaw 10 0 E. Goldie, of Belvicw • 5 5 R. Davison, of Drumley 5 5 R. Reid, pfAdamton - 10 in R. Robertson, of Duncan- _ _ Advocate - - - 20 Cot. J. Boyle, of Shewal _. ton - - seamuir - - S 5 J. Cuthbert, of Decal/L.2s 5 5 Major M'lsh:ighc, yr. of Barns - • - 5 5 J. Johnston, of Shaltoch- . 20 A. Morriee, of Craig . 20 R. Glasgow, of Mount greenan . • • 20 31 Hamilton, younger, of Sundrurn - 20 D. 'Amend, of Dali& - 20 P.kennetly, of Dromellan 10 Major J. Webster - • 10 I 4594 7 The Earl of F.glinton, as Preset, was requested to transmit to the Nobility, connected with tht county, Copies of the minutes and subscription paper, for their concurrence and approbation; and the Clerk was directed to furnish copies of the same to his Lordship (or th.t purpose. In order to render the subscription as gent ral as possible, the Clerk was further directed to semi iftopy of the minutes and subs a; tiptlon paper to the several Cleritymenht the county, and request arm to use their best endeavours to pramt.te the Subseripton in their different parishes, and to remit the sums so received by them to the Bank at Air; and the Meeting named and appointee the Convener of the Chanty; Mr. Reid, of Adamton • t Mr. Ken sled'', of Drumellan ; Mr. Davidson, of Druniley ; Colonel Came ron, and isla;or Webster, as a Committee .o see the Subscription remitted: to London ; after which the Meeting requested the Committee to publish the names of the whole Subscribers in the Air newspaper. The meeting also ordergd the foregoing minutes, and the sub scriptions now made, to be inserted in the astral newspapers, and a copy sent to the Committee of Correspondence at London. Colonel Boyle moved the thanks of the meeting to the Earl of F.glinton, for his conduct in the Chair this day, which being se conded, pasted unanimously. The Fad of F.glinton then moved the thanks of the meeting to the Convener, for having cant d the present meeting, which was seconded, and passed also unanimously. Latracted from the minutes of the meeting, tri HAM. BOSWELL, Clerk. wreck . . . 5 5 hlungo Smith, of Drongan 100 The Hon. R. Rollo - 2 2 Col. Cameron, of Air - 10 0 AMMOM-111 10 _ es COUNTY OF AIR. ! Chas: Air. isnuary 10th. 1809. FRENCH BULLETINS, TWENTY-MST BULLETIN .OF THE ARMY 07 SPAIN. (NO DATE.) el The English entered Spain on the e 29th October .•-during the months of November and December they beheld the destruction of the army of Galicia at Espinosa ; of the army of Estramadura at Burgos, _of that of Arragon and Valencia, at Tudela ; of the Army of Reserve at Somo-Sierra ; in fine, they be. held the fall of Madrid, without making a single movement, and without any attempt to succoure Spanish armies, to whom, however, a division of the English troops would have proved of censiderabk assistance. In the beginning of December, informa tion was received that the columns of the British army were retreating on Corunna, where they were to re-embark. By:later accounts, it afterwards ap that they had halted, and that on the 16th of December they set out from Salamanca in order to take the field. As early as the ISth, the light cavalry bad marched from Valladolid. The whole of the , English army passed the Douro, and arrived on the Ind in presence of the Duke of Dalmatia at Saldanha. As soon as the Emperor was apprized at Madrid of this unexpected determination on the part of the English, he marched in order to cut off their retreat, and pursue their rear. But notwithstanding the dili gence exerted by the French troops, the passage of the Mountain of Gnadararna, which was covered with snow, the incessant rain, and the overflowing of the torrents, delayed their march full two days. On the 22d the Emperor left Madrid. His head quarters were on the 23,1 at Villa-Castin, the 2.5 th at Tordesillas, and on the 27th at Medina de Rio-Secco. On the 24t h, at break of day, the enemy had begun to move, in order to outflank the left of the Duke of Dalmatia, but having been informed during the morn ing of the movement that took place at Madrid, they immediately began to retreat, abandoning their Spanish adherents, whose passions they had inflamed, the re mains of the Galician army, that had conceived fresh hopes, some of their hospitals, and a part of their baggage, and a great number of stragglers. They trimmed great devastations, the inevitable result of frrced marches of troops in retreat ; they carried away with them mules, horses, and several other effects ; they pillaged a great number of churches and con vi rts. In the Abbey of Sahagun, which contained t: 0 Monks, and which had all along been respected by the French army, they committed every sort of depredation. Every where the Priests and the Monks w er e seen flying at their approach. This disorderly conduct exasperated the country against them, and their difference of language, manners,ittnd of reli gion. contributed not a little to that disposition of Teen's minds. They reproached the Spaniards with Saving no longer an army to unite with theirs, and with having deceived the English Government. The Spaniards returned for answer, that Spain had nume rous armies, but that the English had allowed them to b e destroyed, without having made any effort to I I assist them.' During the fifteen clays that have just elapsed, they did not fire a single musket. The light cavalry only had given some blows with their swords. General Duresrel, at the head of 400 light horse of the guard, fell in at the close of the evening with a column of English iiibrantry on their march, sabred a 11 , 1 rut suitat.is, And carried disorder into the co lumn. General Lefebvre Disnonettes, Colonel of the' Chasseurs of the Guard, who was detached twe days before, with three squadrons of his regiment, having . taken a quantity of baggage, of women and straggle a, " and fi nding the bridge of Ezela cut down, imaginedthat the tawn of Bcnavente was evacuated. Carried away by that impetuosity with which the French soldiers have been so often reproached, he swam across the river, in Order to make for Benavcnte, where he fell in with the whole of the cavalry of the rear-guard of the English : a long contest here ensued, of 400 men agAiiist 2000. There was no resisting numbers.— Those brave fellows recrossed the river. The horse of General Lefebvre was killed by a ball. He had himself received a wound from a pistol shot, and be ing dismounted, was made prisoner. Ten of his chasseurs, who had also been dismounted, were like wise taken, five were .drowned, and twenty were wounded. This sharp affair must have convinced the English what they would have to dread from such men in general action; General Lefebvre undoubtedly committed a fault, but it was the fault of a French man ; he ought to be blamed and rewarded at. the same time. The number of prisoners taken from the enemy up to the present moment, and who are chiefly composed of scattered individuals and stragglers, amounts to 300. " On the 28th the head-quarters of the Emperor were at \raid-eras ; the head-quarters of the Duke of Dalmatia at Manilla, of the Duke of Elchingen, at Villafora. On his departure from Madrid, the Em peror appointed King Joseph his Lieutenant-General, with the command of the garrison of the Capital, to gether with the corps of the Dukes of Dantric and lielluno ; the divisions of cavalry of Lasalle, Mil haud, and Latour-Maubourg are left for the protec tion of the centre. ‘, The weather is extremely bad. To a piercing cold, heavy and continued rains have succeeded. We suffer, but the English must suffer still more." TWENTY-SECOND BULLETIN of the ARMY of SPAIN. " Bensvente, December SI. 41 On the 30th, the cavalry commanded by the Duke of Istria, passed the Ezela. On the evening of the 30th, it traversed Benavente, and pursued the enemy as far as Puenta de la Vilana. On the same dig the head quarters were established at Benavente. The English were not satisfied with destroying an arch of the bridge of Ezela, but they also blew up the buttresses with mines, a damage wholly unpro fitable, and which could be hurtful only to the country ; the reat betook themselves to the most shocking plundering. The soldiers, in the excess of their continual intemperance, gave reins to all the centiousness of brutal inebriety. Every thing in their conduct bespoke rather an hostile army than one which came to the assistance of a friendly power.— The contempt of the English for the Spaniards gave a sharper edge to the impression made by so many outrages. Phis experience will throw a salutary damp on those insurrections, instigated by foreigners. One cannot help regretting . that the English had not sent an army into Andalusia. The army that passed through Benavente ten days ago, triumphed already in hope, and having their colours already hung withl trophies, nothing could equal the audacity and secu rity they displayed. On their return, their counte nance was sadly changed. They were harassed with fatigue, and seemed to be borne down with shame of retreating without a battle. In order to anticipate the just reproaches of the Spaniards, the English con. tinned incessantly to repeat, that they had been pro. raised to be joined by numerous forces ; and the Spaniards repelled their calumnious assertions by ar guments to which there was no answer. 44 Ten days ago, when the English were traversing the country, they well knew that the Spanish armies had been destroyed. The Commissaries whom they employed to accompany the armies of the left, of the centre, and of the right, knew full well that it was not 50,000 men only, but 180,000 men that the Spa niards had put under arms that these 180.000 men had fought, while, for six w:eeks, the English had re mained unconcerned spectators of their struggles.— These Commissaries could not but • have made it known that the Spanish armies had ceased to exist. The English, therefore, could not be ignorant that the Spaniards were wit hout armies. When, ten days e ago, they again moved forward, intoxicated with the silly ho of deceiving the vigilance of the French General, -they fell into the snare which the French Ge neral had laid for drawing them into the open coun try. They had before made some marches to their return to their ships. u You ought, observe the Spaniards, to have per sisted in that prudent determination, or else you should have been in force enough to balance the des tinies of the French. Above all, you ought not to have at first advanced with such confidence, only af terwards to FA back with so much precipitation.— Yon should not have drawn the theatre of the war among us, and- expose us to the ravages of the two armies. After having brought down upon our heads such accumulated disasters, you ought not to throw the fault upon us. " We have not been able to resist the French troops ; nor d 6 you seem more able to make head against them. Forbear therefore to accuse us, to outrage ds— all our misfortunes we owe to you. " The English had reported throughout the coun try that they had defeated 5000 of the French cavalry on the banks of the Ezela, and that the field of battle was covered with their dead. The inhabitants of Benavente were much surprised upon visiting the field of battle, to have found there only three Eng lislimen and two French. That contest of 400 men against 2000, does great honour to the French. 64 During the whole of the 29th, the river conti nued to swell considerably, so that at the close of the evening it became impossible to ford it. It was in the middle of the river, and at the moment he was on the point of being drowned, that General Lefebvre, being carried away by the current to the side occu pied by the English, was made prisoner. The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded in that affair of advanced posts ' has been far greater than that of the French. The flight of the English was so precipitate, that they left at their hospital their sick and wounded, and were obliged to burn a fine magazine of tents and clothing. They killed all the horses that were over fatigued or wounded, and which might embar rass their retreat. It is scarcely here to be, credited ; how that spectacle so shocking to our manners, of: hundreds of horses shot with pistols, is revolting to the Spaniards. Many persons look upon it as a sorti of sacrifice. Some religious rite which gives rise, is the mind of the Spaniards, to very strange pictures of the religion of England. The English are retreating in the utmost haste. All the Germans in their pay are deserting. Our army will, this evening, be at Astorga, near the borders of Galicia. TWENTY-THIRD BULLETIN OF THE ARMY OF SPAIN. " Benevente, Jan. 1. The Duke of Dalmatia arrived bn the 30th Dec. at Mantilla, where was the left of the enemy, con sisting of the Spaniards under General Romana.— General Franchesi overthrew them in a single charge; killed a great number, took two standards, and made prisoners a Colonel, two Lieutenant-Colonels, 50 officers, and 1500 soldiers. " On the 31st the Duke of Dalmatia entered Leon, where he found 2000 sick. Romana has suc ceeded Blake in the command after the battle of Es pinosa. The remains of that army, v. - high, while before Bilboa, consisted of 50,000 men, were reduced to almost 5000 at Mancilla. These wretches, with out clothes, and oppressed with every misery, filled the hospitals. " The English are held in detestation by these troops whom they despise, and by the peaceable in habitants, whom they abuse, and whose substance they devour, in order to support their own army. " The mind of the people of the kingdom of Leon is much changed. They loudly cry out for peace and their king ; they curse the English and their fal lacious insinuations. They reproach them with being the cause of the shedding of Spanish blood, in order to feed the English monopoly and perpetuate the war on the Continent. The perfidy of England, and her motives are now obvious to tbe meanest and most illiterate Spanish peasant. They know what they suffer ; and the authors of their suffelllngs are before their eyes. " Mean time the English retreat with the utmost haste, pursued by the Dtlk.2 of Istria with 9000 ca valry. Among the magazines which they burnt at Benevente were, independent of tents, 4000 blankets and a great quantity of rum. We picked up upwards of 200 waggons of baggage and ammunition, left on the road from Benevente to Astorga. The shattered remains of Romana's army threw themselves into the latter town, and increased the confusion. " The events of the English. Expedition to Spain must furnish materials for a fine opening speech to the English Parliament. The English nation must be informed, that her army remained three months in a state of inaction, while it was in their power to assist the Spaniards ; that its leaders, or those whose orders they executed, have been guilty of the extreme fully of making a movement lorvrard after the Spanish armies had been destroyed ; that, in a word, k entered upon the new year by running away, pumed by an enemy, whom it did not dare to fight, and by the curses of those whom it had stirred up to resistance, and whom it was its duty to support. Such enter prises and such results can belong only to a count? y that has no government. Fox, or even Pitt, would not have been gaiity of such blunders. To contend against France by land, who has 100,000 cavalry, 50,000 horses for all sorts of military equipment, and ' 900,000 infantry, were, on the part of England, car rying folly* to the utmost extreme ; is betrays indeei a greediness for disgrace ; it is, in fine, to administer the affairs of England just as the Cabinet of the Thuil leries batik' wish them to be administered. It betrays no small ignorance of Spain, to have imagined that any importance could be attached to popular com motion, or to indulge the smallest hope, that by kind ling in that country the flames of sedition, such a conflagration could be attended with any decided re sult or any material duration. A few fanatical priests are quite sufficient to compose and propagate libels, to carry a momentary disorder into the minds of men ; but something else is required to cause a nation to rise to arms. At the time of the French Revolution, it required three years and the presence of the Con vention to prepare the means of military successes ; and who that does not know to what hazards France was, nevertheless, exposed ? France was, however, stirred up. Supported by tke unanimous resolution to reassert rights of which she had been deprived in times of obscurity : In Spain, it was a few men who stirred up the people, order to preserve the exclu sive possession of rights odious to the people. Those who fought for the Inquisition, for the Franciscans, and for feudal rights, might be animated by an ardent seal for their personal interests, but could never in fuse into a whole nation a firm resolve or a permanent opinion. In spite of the English, feudal rights, the Franciscans, and the Inquisition, have no longer any existence in Spain. " After the capture of Rosas, General Gouvion St. Cyr shaped his march against Barcelona, at the head of the ith corps. He dispersed evtry thing that he found before that place, and formed a junction with General Duhesme. That junction brought his army to 40,000 men. " The Dukes of Treviso and Abrantes have car ried all the outworks at Saragossa. The General of Engineers, Laco&ti, is preparing the means of getting possession of that city without any loss. 4 , The King of Spain is gone to Aranjuez, in order to review the first corps, commanded by the Duke of Belluno." TWENTY-FOURTH BULLETIN OF THE ARMY OF SPAIN. " Astorga, Jan. 2. 44 The Emperor arrived at Astorga on the Ist of January. The road from Benevente to Astorga is covered with dead horses belonging to the English, with travelling carriages, artillery, caissons, and war like stores. There were found at Astorga magazines of sheets, blankets, and the tools and implements of pioneers. 44 As to Romana's army, it is reduced almost to nothing. The small number that remain are with out coats, shoes, pay, food, aad it is no longer t. be considered any thing. " The Emperor has charged the Duke of "Dalma tia with the glorious mission of pursuing the English to the place of their embarkation, and of driving them into the sea, at the point of the sword. " The English will learn what it is to make an in considerate movement in presence of the French army. The manner in which they have been driven from the kingdoms of Leon and Gallicia, and the destruction of a part of their army will, no doubt, teach them to be more circumspect of their operations on the Con tinent. - All that remains of the Spanish insurgent troops has been wit hi nt pay for several months back.' - r PORTUGAL. LISBON, JANUARY a. Yesterday the following important intelligence received by a Gentleman here, from his correspon( at Elvas, who received it express from one of Junta at Badajoz. Although no official account this news has been received, it seems to ghtn eredi and several letters from ELvas to Badajof (and • said from Madrid) give similar accounts: " BADAJOZ, JAN. 6.—We have just received an express Madrid,with the pleuingintelligence that the French army has b, defeated by the English and Spanish troops. Geueral Monier killed, and Marshal Moncey severely wounded. The Erne lust in the action 15,000 men, and 9000 who were at Madr, were afterwards made prisoners by the Duke d'lnfantado." DECEmbEft 26.—8 y order of the Supreme Juns this Province, it is announced in the Diary, that troops commanded by the Major-General .Don Fi tisco de Frias, had attacked the enemy on the A, bishop's bridge on the morning of the 22d. Our ! troops put to flight the advanced guard, but as could not force the enemy's entrenchments the' turned to their position, having lost only eight killed and 18 wounded, while the loss of the ener, was much greater, as they were seen to throw a grezt • number of dead bodies from the bridge into the riv General Frias highly praises the valour of our diers. The English have had several successful, counters with the enemy. The Marquis of Arbenl Colonel of the volunteers of Seville, with 500 II( and 1000 light troops, attacked 2000 dragoons, wl were pillaging in Manzanares, killed 255, and sued the rest with every prospect of overtaking thi An English frigate has arrived at Cadiz, with millions and a half of hard dollars, and the Marge of Real Thesouro, who commands the San Justo every hour expected with another million. It is on the 20th of December there were employed again Saragossa 27,000 men, but this number has been f • minished by six thousand, theinhabitants continr to defend themselves brively. FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. VIENNA, DEC. 21. We have, for the last twelve flays, looked in for the arrival of the post from Constantinople. positively stated, that Government have not recc dispatches of a laterdate from our Envoy ; a circ stance which excites apprehensions for the fate of Christians in Pera. Two Turkish Couriers lately passed through city, on their way from Constantinople for Paris they observed the most profound silence regardin), contents of their dispatches. This state of uncertal is extremely painful to our mercantile people, have connexions of such importance with Turkey. It continues to be rumoured, that his Majesty tends to make a tour to Gallicia. He is expected set off early in• tke ensuing month. His Mak' since his return from. Moravia, has been closely pied with business, relating principally to affairs finance and internal administration. At the date of the last advices from Wallachia, Russians were very quiet in their cantonments, there was no appearance of anj event that coul, casion their quitting them. 'I he greater part of Servian troops were certainly disbanded by an from the Senate at Belgrade, but with an intimal that they should be in readiness to re-assemble at earliest notice. BESANCON, DEC. 29. Since the 15th inst. this city has, in successi4 seen within its walls the two divisions of the army der the command of Generals Boudet and Mol The two last detachments are expected here to. row. All of them have been received with those timents which are entertained for warriors coy with glory, and fellow-countrymen who are seen • after a long absence. EVENING STAR. LONDON. MONDAY, JANUARY 23. PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE CYCLOC Consols, for money, 65k --for February 654—R1141%1A Oznnium it dis. PRICE OF STOCKS ON SATURDAY. per C. Red. Ann. 65i Irish 5 per Cent. 95 if 3 per Cent. Cons. 65itt Omni= it dis. 4 per Cent. India Stock ISlt 5 per Cent. Navy, 9711 India Bonds Long Ann.lB 1-i 6ths 8-16ths f Excheq. Bills, 105.141. p S per Cent. Imperial 641 Lottery Tickets 211. 195. tiny. Annuities 7f 9-16ths Consols, fur act. 651 In our last we informed the Public of the 131 Army having effected its retreat after various mishes. The particulars were more full and correct than we could possibly have expected, the of dispatches not having reached town when we rec( our express. Brigadier-General STEWART arrived after, and in the afsernooss , the following was is! -BULLETIN. " Brigadier-General Srawmtv arrived this morning at CASTLZ% albGill'S Office, in Downing-street, with dispatshes Sir J. Moose, dated Corunna, the 19th inst. upon which be had directed his march, instead of Vigo, as he had originally Intended. " Sir JonEt Monet had effected his retreat, with the only part of his baggage. There bad been repeated skirt with the rear-guard, in which we bad uniformly rep wised the my, and at Lugo Sir J. Moats offered the Enemy Battle, • they declined. " The enemy, when Brigadier-General STZWART left runna, were in force in the neighbourhood; but it was that Sir JoaN Mooar would effect his re-embarkation with( much loss, as the transports which be had sent for from " were entering the Bay at Corunna when General STE , sailed." The following was, in the course of the afterni also circulated in the Ministerial circles, and a; Public Offices : '• Brigadier-General STZWAILT, who arrived in town morning from Sir Joist; MOORE, left Corunna on Friday night. At the time of his departure, the entire of the army had arrived at Corunna, or were quartered within mediate vicinage—our most advanced guard was stationed Burp, where General BERESFORD s with a corps of 5000 ' was occupied in constructing works to defend the passage river. " The enemy were in force on the opposite bank, Cdd" tad the Duke of DALMATIA was understood t ;ence !spondent e of the ccount of a credit ; and it is rpress frorn my has beea Mortier i. he Frenct, at Madr, ;, s••• Junta t.f that tl.e )on Frat,- he Arch. Our light Lt as the ; they re- ight me:: lie enemy w a grez.t the river. our soi l , essful en. krbentos, 500 horse ns, which and pur. ing them. with two Marquis Justo, is It is said, d against been di- )ntinuing NI in vain de. It is t received a circum- ite of the nigh this 'axis ; but Irding the acertainty )ple, who .'urkey. [ajesty in- spected to Majesty, sely occu- affairs of achia, the eats, and could oc- art of the r an order ntimatiou ible at the ,uccession, army un- d Molitor. e to.mor. those sen- s covered seen again 'LACK. luct.4 ilt 141. pr. . 19s. he British rious skit- ad correct he official e received rived soon as issued : ling at Lord latshes from which place ad originally h the loss of skirmishes lsed the ene• tattle, which ItT left Ca was trusted ion without • from Vigo I STEWAICT afternoon, ad at the s town this Friday gen. the Britiv 'ithin its ire. stationed al f 5000 meos 'sage of di rank, and e wod to 11,34