Star. — London, England, 1809-07-29 00:00:00

POAT&GUESZ - P;u o tli;S 7.6" . LISBON, JULY ft. Sir Artliur.Wellesley is by this time at Placentia, :-nd you may shortly expect to hear either of a battle, r that our army is besieging Mailrid. GALLICIA, JUNE 27. A division of the Marquis Romana has already en-1 • ei-ed Corunna, and in the vicinity of Ferrol a de (l;ment of English troops has disembarked. The hcle of Gallicia is free from the French, and the YaTquis Romana is about to establish his head-guar .( TS in Orense. Kellerman is at present in the neigia bourhood of Cuidad Rodrigo. Soult is retiring from tallicia by the route of Puebla de Scnobria, where he still was on the 25th inst. Ney has left Lugo for Castile, by the way of Villa Franca. ALMAREZ, JUNE 24. Yesterday evening I went to reconnoitre the French batteries which defended the passage of tine Tagus, ever the bridge of Almarez ; they consisted of two (1 six pieces, add one of four, which traversed the h;}th road, so that not a single person could pass, and it was evident they we: e determined to use every cx ertien to prevent our army from constructing a bridge of boats, li-ut they were unable to prevent it, since they retreated this morning early, abandoning their batteries. _ Our army continues in pursuit, and General Cuesta is at this time passing the bridge. The enemy leaves proofs of his barbarity, by reducing to ashes the very towns - to which they are indebted for subsistence— Almarez and Novalmaral de Placencia are now in !lames. E::tract of a letter from a Portuguese Officer, dated Head-quarters, Almarez, June Y 9: 66 The latest advices fro.m our army confirm the intell4;encc that on the 21. th it was preparing to cross t: e Tagus, in two grand divisions, one by the bridge of Arzibispo and the other by that of Almarez :)th had been abandoned by the enemy, who, accor ding to all accounts, had taken the direction of the HO: road to MAIL' with the design of joining the army of - La Mancha, who had taken the same route, and by this means avoid the destruction that awaited the two armies, weakened by the continual losses they have suffered." GERMAN PAPERS. T. PETERSEURGH, JUNE 28. Three English frigates have taken possession of Catherine harbour, in Kola, neat the Icy Ocean, and s,f all the stores belonging to the Company of the White Sea, consisting in salt, cordage, &c. as well u time vessels lo:tded with corn. 'The garrison has Iso been in Kola, from which place the few inhabi tants bad fled. These frigates are now cruising at the mouth .of the White Sea. The Government has pnt an embargo upon all vessels in Archangel, that they may not fall into the hands of the English, who seem to have devoted their attention principally to the corn v,ssels from Archangel. This k the first attack -Of the English upon the Russian territory. • Baron Stedingk, who was many years Swedish Am bassador at this Court, is expected here from Stock holm in a shial time, in the same charactei. Peace with Soreden seems to be near. JULY 5. According to intelligence received here yesterday, an English squadron has appeared between Mochtard• and. Cronstadt, in presence of the ltussian Refl. 'A naval engagement is expected. The fu . reign merchantmen in Cronstadt have received notice th they may sail when they please, but at their own risk.—Our Court Gazelt..: contains what follows: " Aus'ria has asserted in her Proclam:.:ion, that Frail ce lOoks in vain for assistance fi+•rn her allks. It t►is observation should be applied to Ru,sia, it will be a sufficient refutation to state, that on the 4th of June the b.ailluarters of the Russian annY were at Lublin." • SEMLIN, JUNE 24.—(From a French Paper.) According to intelligence from Turkey the Turkish t - nops which had arrived at IsTissa, Rudschuk, and Slistria, consisting fur the greater part of 'Asiatics, rich in the beginning of spring were collected in the ne . glibourhood of Adrianople, and in the last month pr seceded in this direction, have suddenly united with th: troops under the Paellas and Agas of Bulgaria. Taeir number is great, and they daily receive rein for...an-lents. A ceordiilg to a firman of the Grand Se'gnior's, the Vizier of Travcnich, in Bosnia, is in lik : manner to bring fiirward a corps of 20,000 men, an I advance with tl:c s.tine towards the Lrin and Bu .awa. On the 14Th inst.int a re:lt Council was held at Begrode, when it nas decri.c,l, that all who can bear arms sluld be cAled into service fur the defence of Servia, as the. Tuiks arc in great force in Bulgaria. On the 17th and ltith, a cannonade was distinctly heard in the neighbourhood of the Drin ; the issue is yet in known. As far as we yet • knoow, the Turks have forced the passage of the Drin. GO77'ENBURGH NAIL. A Gottenburgh Men arrived this morning. We :re sorry to find that the Swedes and Russians still continue hostilities against each other. Skirmishes are daily fought between the contending armies • and if we may believe the reports of the Swedish Com manders, generally to the advantage of their • own troops. The Peterburgh Court Gazette elects to blame the English Ministry as the cause of the conti nuance of the war between Sweden and Russia, and takes credit to the Russian Cabinet for a variety of attempts to keep the peace'of the Continent undisturb ed, by proposing conciliatory measures alternately to Austria, Sweden, apd France. STOCKHOLM, JULY is. By a declaration, dated Stockholm Castle, the 146 of this month, his Royal Majesty has proposed to the Diet, with and by the advice of the Secret Committee, prince Christian Augustus, of Schleswic Holstein, Sandisbuigh, Auf:entenburgh, as Prince Royal of Sweden, and his successor on the Swedish Throne ; and the States of the Peasantry hive already acceded t' the King's prorosal, and elected the said Prince their future Suiten ign. Letters from Dantzie state, that the following ships —Fortuna, Captain 'reedman ' • Diedrey G e b ru d er , C. , plain Kunst ; and Cath ar i ne Maria, Capt. Schron betk, all dirge tvparred by the French privateers Til me Vsntlgenr, were sold there witi, thtir.nargoes, its tLe coarse of lust month. • SATURDAY, JULY 29. PRIMO!' STOCKS THIS bAY A'l' ONE O'CLOCK. Cons. for money 673—for August Omnium 1 preen.—Esch. BD, 6s. 101. pm. iri LONDON. This morning an order was sent to the Custod►. house, and from thence conveyed to the Out-Ports, permitting all vessels to sail which were bound either for the Southward or Westward. Vessels for the Mediterranean, fcc. and for the West Indies, will of course proceed on their voyage. The Embargo still continues in force with respect to such vessels as are bound for ports in a Northern or Eastern direction. A mail has arrived fiorn Jamaica, brought to Fal mouth in SS days from Crooked Island, by the Di ana packet. She has brought home, as remittances to the merchants, about 200,000 dollars. The Ja maica fleet was to sail in about eight days after the Diana. The exredition against St. Domingo sailed from Jamaica on the 6th June. The ships Comet and Hawkins, fcr London, sailed on the same day with the packet. The Express, Captain But.Loctc, with Mails from Cadiz, in 19 days, has also arrived at Falmouth.— By this conveyance, dispatches have been received, announcing that the French troops had retreated to wards the Northern frontiers of Spain, where they had concentrated their force, amounting to about 5,000 men. King JosErn, of whose departure from Madrid we were some time ago informed, is along with them. The acconus received by this vessel repeat the statement of Sir ARTHUR WELLESLEY and General CurerA having joined their forces, amounting to about 65,000 men. The French under NEY and ,SOULT re treated with all the alacrity in their power, burning the towns and wasting the country. About 40( of them who had ot into the Val de Pena, were, during the night, surrounded by a body of Spaniards, and entirely cut to pieces excepting one man. Sir ARTHUR WELLESLEY, in one letter, is stated to have reached Placentia, on his way to Madrid, and we may therefore soon expect to receive some impor tant intelligence from that quartor. Rumour, with her hundred tongues, has given cur rency to various reports :—Sir ARTHUR WELLESLEY is said to have overtaken the French, fought them, defeated them, and taken three Generals ! We wish we could confirm this statement, but we believe it to be entirely unfounded. The Spanish Journals received by thii conveyance are to the 4th instant.—The following are extrags : EXTRAORDINARY GAZETTE OF GOVERNMENT, JULY 3. 1809: ILEFORT OF GENERAL BLAKE. ig Most Excellent Sir—on the LSO of last month, I addressed to his Majesty, from Canada, a Mense-• in which I gave you an account of the disgrace fal action of Belchite ; and stated, at the same time, that, from the disgusted state of my mind, it was not possible for me to enter into the particulars of that calamitous event. Although it is no easy task to dis-, card from my mind the anarchy and other unforte• nate results v, l .hich may arise from the above defeat, which neither the nation nor I and the good officers at the army could expect, yet it appears to me indispen. sible to state this to your Excellency, in order that you may be able, to communicate them to his Ma jesty. " In the report I made to your Excellency on tbe" 17th of this current month, I stated to you our situa tion, and my confident hope that in case of being attacked by the enemy opposed to us, I should be able to beat him. Fortune might have been so ad verse to us, as to be defeated by the enemy ; but I could not expect that the troops under my command could take to flight without fighting, and that in con sequence of a few cannon shot being fired they would abandon a position, in which they had nothing to fear' from the eramy's horse, not from those advantages which at times strike armies with a panic terror which induces them to fly without knowing why. " Belchite is situated on the declivity of BOOM heights which nearly surround it, and begin from the road of Zela, so that the entrance of the place lies on a declining ground, beginning at a point called Calvario. The above heights stretch along the road which leads to Fuente Rodos, and passes the foot of a lull more advanced than the rest, on which stands the hermitage of Pueja. In front of Saragossa, the country is a plain covered with gardens and olive plantations, without any other broken ground than a few ravines, through which passes the road to Albostan, which is one league distant from Bel. chite. The heights over which lies the road up Fuente Rodos, begin at the hermitage of Santa Bar bara, near Belchite, on the environs of which are tztensive pasture-grounds, and two large buildings for the reception of cattle. These buildings and her mitage supported the right flank, and our vosition.— Our front and left stretched along the aforesaid hills, where there is but 'little broken ground, and in the rear of our position was garden-ground, passing be. tween the height of Calvario asid that place. " The troops posted at the hermitage of Santa Barbara and in the pasture ground, could not by any ( means be attacked by cavalry, nor could the centre be charged by the enemy's horse without being ex. posed to a destructive cross-fire, and the troops who' 'MOW the left wing had a retreat open to the said point of the hermitage of Sante Barbara.. is The hermitage of Pueyo was accordingly occu pied by our troops; two regiments were ordered to take post on the height of Calvario, and the park of artillery was placed in the rear. The olive planta tions were also occupied by our troops. " The cavalry was posted in -the environs of the place, and in the road to Saragossa, to cover the same, supported by another regiment of foot. The rest of the troops occupied the heights from Santa Barbara, • to the road of Puente Rados, drawn up ac cording to the nature of the ground, so that in some places they formed three ranks. " Besides these, columns of attack lecre formed in order to fall upon the enemy in case he should make any obstinate attack on our left, and act offen. sively against him. Should these columns even have , been routed, they might have retreated td the , centre and right wing, where they had nothing to fear but in front, and where it would have proved alto- gether impossible for the enemy to continue the attack. Lastly the artillery was posted in such a' manner as to cover the attack to be made by the said columns, and in case of any unfortunate event it could fall back to the same point as the troops. " In this manner were the troops drawn up, and they made repeated promises to do their duty. —The enemy after having first made his appear. ante on the heights of Alhostan, marched in the mean time against oar left, and one column advanced with two pieces of cannon, preceded by a strong ad vanced party. - Which our's was falling back, the head of his column appeared on the heights, and his artillery fired four or five shot ; at the same time he threw two or three grenades, which disabled four or five men. Our artillery began to combat his, or ra ther returned his fire, when one regiment was thrown into confusion by one of the enemy's grenades, as they say, and fled in the utmost disorder, without firing a shot. " It was followed by another, and a third, all flying without having discharged a gun, and in a few mo ments the whole position was abandoned, some corps taking probably to flight for no other reason than that they were not able to maintain their position amidst the confusion caused by others, which fell upon them and obstructed their fire. " Thus we the Generals, and some Officers, were left alone without being able to rally a body which could make opposition, and I had the mortification to see an army dispersed, abandoning all its baggage, and throwing away its arms and even its clothes be fore a single corps of the enemy. Nor were we able to avail ourselves of the defence of any strong place, as it was impossible to collect two hundred men to make head against the enemy. It is well known they were not in want of ammunition or provisions, and that on my part I neglected nothing that might ena ble them, if not to obtain victory, at least to maintain the reputation of our arms. If his Majesty should accede to the request T made in any representation of the 18th, 1 hope I shall be able to rove still more satisfactorily what I affirm. Thesedi spersions are, to our disgrace, too frequent in our armies. Ido not think this to be the place to' point out their causes, but I cannot avoid saying that a few individuals, who shew a bad example, tnat contribute to discourage an army, without the know ledge of the General, whose ears the conversation of these timid find ignorant men, who are on that ac.' count mote C2WlOll$ and rfserved, with difficult) , reach. If the love of my country did not supercede in me ever/ other coeskleration, I should be perfectly easy in the recollection, that this same army con fesses I omitted nothing as a General or a Soldier, to lead them. in the path of honour. The false hoods they have circulated, to excwe their unex ampled cowardice, that the French had received a reinforcement of 15,000 men, shews that they cannot but acknbwledge that they fled without knowing on whom to throw thC blame.—Goo preserve your Ex cellency many years. (Signed) " JOAQUIN BLAKV.." " 'Una, June .22. THE GRAND EXPEDITION. Yesterday morning Mr. WAGSTAFF, the Messenger, arrived in town with intelligence of the whole of the , Expedition having sailed from the Downs with a fa 'curable wind. The following is a correct statement of the forces embarked, under the Earl of Chatham : Cavalry - - 26(50 Artillery - - 2000 Staff - . 100 'Waggon Train - . 140 Guards . . - - 208 Infantry of the Line - noctio - Detachment of R. V. Batt. r - BO Total . The amount of the 2d division under the command of the Marquis of Hut:mu consisz!, of six regiments, the 6th, 50th, 91st, 9th, *3Bth, and 42d—amounting to 1982. " CANTERBURY, JULY 27. '! At length we have to announce, that in a short time the largest force that ever left the British shores at one time, will in all probability have reached its destination. " Nothing can be so unfotuaded as the idea that the disasters of the AuStrians would prevent the de partUre of this armament ; the very reverse is the tact—if possible, it has rather accelerated it, and if at any prior period it was important that a blow should be struck, it is mote than doubly important that it should be struck now—now that we have no other motive to action bitt self-defence. We have al ready pointed out the mai9 914ect oi this force, but there are minor parts which. may now be triscllsesi besides the island of Walch-ren, there are other islands at the mouth of the Scheldt which are to bt: occupied ; Cacisand on the, right, in order to obtain a communication with the Continent for the advane , Antwerp, it which case the strong fortress of Si iyc will probably be attacked ; the north 11; , verland and Casts on the left, by which the course of the east.±rn, Scheldt w;11 be commanded, and the escape of the shspping by that channel prevented. " The debarkation on each, it is supposed, as fir a• circumstances will admit, will be combined at the same moment, and that nn Walcheren will probably be on the coast near Soutlande, between West Capel and Flushing, where there is a bay with a deep water, and a bold beach backed with sand-14;1s. , e Colonel HAIAILTON, of the Royal Waggon Train, goes out with the Expedition as Inspecting Cotn••:; s . airy and Naggon Master Qeneral, a new appcitotnieL.. which has been suggested as necessary, from experi. ence on farmer Eipeditions," " RAMSGATE, JULY gg The wind became favourable this morni ng the fleet's sailing, but it havin g been very fo ry thick weather the whole day, it could not La .cawed from hence whether or not the ships were g,::. Ling under weigh. " The Marquis of Horritr, Generals DYOTT and MONTRESOR, several Officers of the Staff, Bcc. \yea from hence this morning in Sir War. Cult 's patch for the Downs, accompanied by the worthy Baronet, who attends the expedition in his own vessel. The embarkation of horses continues going (1 ) here ; many for the artillery service have been shippej to-day. “ PEAL, JULY es, Seven o'clock, A.M. cc The men of war, with the troops on board (rain the Westward, having arrived in the Downs in the course of last evening, and during the night—the first division of the Grand Armament, consistin g of be. tween two and three hundred sail, among which are the:Amethyst, Sir Itterwth STRACHAN, and Vener able, Sir HOME POPHAM, with Earl CIIATRA board, are now getting under weigh with a favour. able breeze from the S.W. ; the other divisions will sail in succession. - 0 The first destination of this immense flotilla is the island of Walcheren ; Flushing and Middleburrii must consequently soon surrender to the British arms, together with whatever men of war and other ship. ping may be in the road and harbour of the former. The Island being thus secured, the grand army will be disembarked, and proceed on the right and left banks of the Scheldt to Antwerp, to burn and destroy whatever men of war and shipping may be there col lected. 4 , The whole military force it is supposed will then proceed towards Hanover, to create a diversion in favour of Austria, should not the late disastrous events render assistance too late. " TWELVE O'CLOCK, A. M.—The men of war ,nd transports having on board the troops composing the first division, arc now entirely oat of sight, with a fine and favourable breeze—Goo send them a propitious voyage ! The second division will sail this after:woe, and the third and last to-morrow morning, if the tide suits. gg QUARTER PAST TWELVE P. M.—At the irrtl7: I am closing my letter, the 2d battalion of the man Rifle corps is just arrived from the Barracks, and our boats are npsv lying close in shore ready:. receive them." • ANOTHER ',NITER, SAME. DATE. " Rear Admiral sraicuAN. in the AMETHYS; with the V2NERABLIt, having on board the Eirl of CHATHAM, General 1311OWNI1GG, with their staff and suite, with a great part of the Expedition, sailed this morning at six o'clock through the TIL morning marched in from Doyer the second light battalion of the King's Gerinan 4egioth ntuler the command pf Colonel Hai.gr:yr, Onsisting of about TOO men, and wereimmedic .ely=hailed on board the ships in the Dtrins.—Arrived the Hardy and 'Defender gun-brigs from, from ortsrnouth. " Sailed the Agincourt, Monmouth, Pnwerfui, princess of Orange Adamant; Leyden, Clyde, St. Fiorenzo, Sta. F.;iryatuf?Hefoine, Eucepbal•ii, Salcette, Hussar, Larinit, Nympben, Ulysses, Magnet,'Peneozk, Zenobia, Ra;qti t, Cordelia, Trompeuse, Fly, '.:briny, Rairigh, Reindeer, C:ocus, Cherokee, Pandora,:erapis, Cn,clter, Protector, Gallant, Attack, Furious, I.old, Martial, and Inci;suant, HI the Sql.adioa of Transports, under the command of Rear-Admiral Sir 12:cm A RD STRACUAN." _ _ _ " Admiral OTwAY, with the fleet of men of wax and transports which arrived yesterday trorn mouth, are expected to sail this evening o: to.mori . cw morning." ANOTHER. LETTER, SAME DATE. 4 f This morning sailed the first division of the Grai.d Expedition. To-day the 24 Battalion of the King': Getman Legion embarked—they go in the Lord RossLrb: goes in the same vessel. • " The fleet sail in three divisions, one following another, after the lapse of '2l hours. The whole are certainly going tp Walcheren." ~ HARWICH, lULY 28. " The Euryatus frigates appointed convoy to that pan of the Expedition collecting here, is now at an• chor 0.. this harbour. The transports with the tro,.p: have dropped lower down, ?and it is anderstood they are to sail to-morrow morning." We have the satisfaction of stating, that 2, Tc 1:• graphic Dispatch reached the Admiralty this morn• ing, announcing that the last division of the Expedi. tiun, under the comm end of Admiral Orwav, from the Downs at five o'clock this morning, with favourable wind. The former divisions, wehave no doubt, have butbre this time reached dm phsce oitbeff destination. FALNOU7I-1, JULY 2G. Arrived this day dlie Diana packet, Captain P.O. sozo, with mails from Jamaica ; also arrived the Lt . press, Cnp BULLOCK, with mails fiom Cadiz, - days passage.-:-.The express spoke about :so sail terday of Scilly h-om Gibraltar, out 40 days. FORTSMOUTIL JULY .28. Arrived the Niobe higate with a fleet of transrcra from Oporto ; and his Majesty's ship Piocr MAttoi with a fleet of transports from Lisbon : the two tire , are about 10U sail. I'assed by the West India fleet. about 200 sail. The Ann, May, (of Lynn) from Warburg, was taken on :1;' 9th inst. off Lessee. Drie Gebroders, KostPr, bound to Heligoland, is totally icier. The Wrangler sloop of war arrived at iial:iroe about the bth inst. with six Russian pries. lasica with corn. brandy, Sc.;