Star. — London, England, 1811-10-16 00:00:00

r 'f his day were published, In 4to. with Plans of Battles, and accurate Maps of the Country now occupied by the Allied Army, &c. price OBSERVATIONS on the PRESENT STATE of the PORTUGUESE ARMY, as agonised by Lieute. rant-General Sir WILLIAM CARR BERESFORD, 'K. B. Field Marshal and Commander in Chief of that Abny: 'With an Account of the diffefent Military Establishments and Law, of Portugal, and a Sketch of the Campaigns of the last and pre sent Year, during which the Portuguese Army was brought into the Field, againit the enemy, for the first time, as a regular Force. To which is subjoined, a Return of British Officers serving with the Portuguese Army ou the 16th July . 1411. By ANDREW HALLIDAY, 14. D. Printed for John Murray, 32, Fleet.street,• London; Mottley end Mills, Portsmouth; William Blackwood, Edinburgh; and M. N. Mahon, and John Cumming, Dublin. SICIL r. NUMBER VII. • Having, in former Numbers, h.td before the ?Odic many striking and attested facts, all tending to illus trate the difficult;es of our situation with respect to , the affairs of Sicily, we suspended our obsetyations for a few days, in the hope that something would have transpired relative to the return of Lord Wm- LiAm BENTINCK, which would have eased the minds of our merchants connected with that island, and the friends and relatives of the army stationed there... , , In this hope we were disappointed ; but in the inte rim several remarks have appeared in the Daily Pa pers, some of which have tended to corroborate our statements. Others, of a different tendency, have appeared ; and one has had the effrontery to charge the British in Sicily with having, by their conduct, alienated the Court from its duties to us; stating, that in every instance, excepting three, the misunder standings that have Arisen were to be ascribed to the misconduct of our own countrymen. The Paper which admitted this libellous untruth has since amply vindicated its own proper principles, and saved us the trouble of recapitulating the numerous instances of systematic fraud and enmity of the Neapolitan Cabitiet, which we have already made public.—But we must affirm, that not a single instance has been adduced of even an indiscretion in any of our mer chants or military, numerous as they are, who reside in Sicily ; and we dety the author of that paragraph to produce even the shadow of a pretext for his as sertion ! " A Man of Plain Notions" has also favoured the Public with a defence of the Conn of Palermo; in which he admits the head and front" of the offee eive and insulting conduct of the Neapolitan Cabinet. tut, in that old spirit which has so long rendered our alliances only burdensome and disgraceful, he pro poses to call upon the Sicilians to defend themselves, with a threat, that if they do not, we shall quit the island by a certain day ! I and leave them to their fate !! ! This is just what the Neapolitan Cabinet wants ; but no British Minister can have the auda city to, commit an act of such political turpitude-- To abandon Sicily, would be like a General giving tip an important fortress % merely because dissatisfied with some of the members of the garrison. In the vresent, as in any similar case, the turbulent indivi duals ought to be coerced into subjection and to the performance 'of their duty. We have more then once heard it proposed to Bring the dispute to an issue, by taking military pos session of the country, a: France would do; but though uo man competent to form an opinion upon the sub ject can think that our army should be withdrawn, so cnc, on the other hand, that knows any thing of Sicily, would consider tile military possession of the country as of the smallest beuefit to the Sicilians for the question with regard to Sicily turns wholly upon the Sicilian interests, and, as we have shewn, our particular interests are not in any degree bene. fited by this alliance. At the same time, we are .aware, that whatever can really benefit the Sicilians will ultimately promote our own interests; and there. fore it is desirable, that on this important subject the British interests should not be of primary considera. tion, but only the amelioration of the condition 'of the Sicilians ; and 'how this may best be effected, is ;he grand problem of the Sicilian quettion; • Sicily hai a regular constitution,' partly monarchi cal, partly baronial, partly ecclesiastical, sad partly i~mocra&ical--in many parts resembling the British, and fully adequate to all the exigencieS of thenation. But' . who could have credited that :this venerable frit= of Government should have been, in a great .• • • measure, destroyed, by a foreign faction, availing itself of the subordination anct quietness maintained ty the presence - of a British army ? Who could have supposed th at we, professing ourselves to be the :user tors of ::ncient faith and justice, sh 3uld have submitted to be`th us made the degraded tools frevolutionarydes. potisin and oppression ? But thefact is undeniable : the charters at the Sicilian nation have been torn : her I , independent Nubility have been' banished : her Ally, (who has innocently ministered to all this) has been trcattcl with insult. and contempt : and it it ;o la;:. fear .i.l, that the very elements destined for the pro motion of :lie common interests have been circuitously Iran . omitted into the hands cf the common eisemy,— To vpeak plainly—the Neapolitin Cabinet never would have . ventured upon that system of l awless" taxation which it promulgated on the 23d of Febtva.: ary, 1811, bat for the presence of the British army. The part to be performed by us is delicate and dif ficult. It will be a great example to posterity if we act aiight : it will be a perpetual stain and dishonour Itpon ot,ir ;pis:Airy if we blunder. One thing is obvi. 'out, the ancient eonstitution should instantly be re-, edifier(; or, if Sicily must have a new constitution, every party concerned should have a voice. No one party should be permitted to dictate le the others ; and language does not furnish terms of sufficient force to express the detestation with which we should behold oUr own Government transmitting a consti tution for the Sicilian people, or pretending to remedy their grievances in any other way than by protecting the regular convocation of the States of the kingdom. This is the only way in which we can act with ho nour, and we are called upon by every principle of honour to act in this way. The delicate trust that has devolved upon us (for we are not allied only to a party), of obliging the King to call the States together, ought not to be left in the hands of any one. Minister : a mission, consist ing of at least three of the most esteemed men in this country, the purest in their private and public cha racter, ought to be appointed to this extraordinary embassy ; and, to prevent that intimidation of indi viduals which may naturally be expected to be at tempted by the enemies of the Sicilian rights ; and also to check that violence of proceeding which may arise from the irritation of parties, and from the States of a . kingdom called together while still smart ing under the sense of wrong, these missionaries should have a seat, but not a vote in the Parliament, till the purposes for which they assemble may be ef fected.—Who would call this dignified ,counselling a violation of the rights of an independent kingdom, when its very object would be to secure and establish those rights. It is the peculiar destiny of the Bri tish nation to be exalted by the independence of other. nations ; and the common enemy of all independent States has himself confessed this in that presumptu ous moment when he said that she could not single handed contend with France. AMERICAN PAPERS. COMMODORE RODGERS. Counr or INQultty.—The Gentlemen who com pose the Caurt of Inquiry, appointed by the Secretary of the Navy to investigate Commodore Rodgers's conduct, prior to, and during his engagement with the sloop of war Little Belt, assembled this morning, on board of the United States frigate United States, now lying in the port of New York, and entered upon the business of their appointment. The Court is composed of Commodore Decatur, as President ; Captains Chauncey and Stewart, associated Mem bers ; and Adjutant General William Paulding, Judge Advocate, in the place of Nathan Sandford, Esq. who declined serving in that capacity on account cif ill health. It is supposed that the business will occupy the Court several days.--New Teri, Tstetelay, September 3. NEW YORE, SEPTEMPER S. It having been rumoured that the Court of Inquiry, to investigate the conduct of Commodore Rodgers was sitting in secret, we are authorized to say, that any person of respectability will be admitted at the said Court (on board the United States) which opens daily at ten o'clock, and continues till four. The Court will not, it is supposed, complete the Inquiry before next Saturday: SEPT. s.—By the Rising States, Capt. Livington, from Norfolk, we learn, that the brig of war Nauti lus, -ind two gun boats, were ordered down the roads on Friday last, to demand the impressed American seamen on board the British sloop of war Tartarus, lying at anchor in Hampton 'Loads ; but before the Nautilus and gun boats got down, the sloop of war sailed. The British frigate Belvidera, Capt. Byron, and Tartarus sloop of war, Capt. Pasco, are cruiziog off the Capes. SOUTH AMERICA. EXIRACT OF A LETTER FROM LASUIRA, DATED AUGUST 8. I gave you a description of this place, at least the situation of it. At present it differs but little to what it did when 1 last wrote ; nothing but confusion reigns all over South America. People are daily taken up as suspected of plots against Government ; all foreigners are fearful of assembling ; in fact a to tal suspension of business, as well as society, at pre sent reigns. The order of the day is Liberty and Equality.' •' I left Caraccas yesterday, at five a. m. ; nothing then had been heard from the army that had gone against Valencia ; perhaps they have taken it and marched against Cora ; there are various eonjectures. Dispatches are daily receiving from General Miranda, but not made public, and daily do people go equip ped by Government as Volunteers to join the Army at the different gates leading to the City of Caraccas, where the heads of the Traitors are stuck up on poles, and under written, ' thi., man has died for being a Traitor to his Country.' Two men were hung yes terday—their crimes were not made public. The time for apprehending offenders is in the dead of.the night. We deem it dangerous to be seen three together talk ing in the streets, and highly so to express our senti ments. This is precisel; the situation of the country at present." • ANOTHER LETTER-SAME DATE. 41 , At the different gates leading to the City of Ca. raccas, are the heads of traitors, stuck up on poles, and underneath written, 4 this man has died for being a traitor to his country . ."cwo men were hung yes terday ; they were condemned by the Patriotic So. c:ety ; their crimes were not made public. The time for apprehending offenders is in the dead hour of the night ; a guard enters the house and takes the offen. der out cf his bed,, and the next morning his head pays the forfeit Of his imprudence. We deem it dan gerous to be seen three together talking in the streets, and highly so to express our sentiment's, or criticise on the conduct.of the Government even in private parties, as we know not but that our own servants may he employed as spies against us. This is pre cisely the situatien of this country at present. I hesi tate not to say, that things , are coming nearer every . day to a close; that South America will be in,l et ,..r._ , dent is certain ; for it is impossible to he otliqw:se." The following. intelligence from Mexico, is of a mach more recent date than any before receiyed : • ~ The Commanders Torre and Mora l who have ' been so eminently distinguished for ;heir services, , have fallen into the hands of the Rebels, and with them some excdlent soldiers belonging to their divi sions. This success has increased the insolence of the insurgents, as well as occasioned the retreat of Sr. Emperan to Toluca, who was not in sufficient force to penetrate into Zitacuaro, where there are 'JOAO Rebels in the deep ravines of the mountains. I , This Commander has visited the Viceroy in this City, with whom he has had long conferences, the re sult of which was, that many pieces of artillery have been sent to the army, probably to enable it to pro ceed to Zitacuaro, which is at present the principal den of these wolves. " Seignor Callega 4 in Leon, and it is said that the. Conde de Alcaraz is gone to Toluca to take the corn . mand of the division of Emparan, the latter having withdrawn in consequence of the wounds he received in the b.ittle of Calderon. Our troops are inll of en- Zacatecas and Guadalaxara all is per fect tranquillity. A duty of one per cert. is to be imposed on treasnre and property cxported, and mer chatidize imported, in order to maintain a corps of 1600 dragoons, to guard the roads, whiCh are intested by fiords of robbers. The Commander of Accorde. da has sent off many parties to destroy them, one of which arrived at Colima, where many of these pub lic disturbers were executed." SPANISH PAPERS. The following is an interesting account of two ex ploits of the celebrated partisan, the Phyr:aan, con tained in a letter from General Castanos to the Conn cil cf Regency, dated head-quarters, at Valencia de Alcantara, Aug. 2,6. 4. Don Juan Palarea, the Physician, commander of the squadrons of Nurnantine hussars, informs me by a letter, dated the 10th, of an action which he had in Vill t iviciosa, for the purpose of capturing a notary Wand some alguazils, who were sent by ttie Madrid Police in order to make various inquiries and seizures. The escort of 27 gendarmes which accompanied these agents, was attacked by a guerrilla of Palarea's, com posed of only 16 men, with a view to drive the ene my out of the village ; while the squadrons, in three columns, took post in different directions, that none of them might escape : but the ardour and im- • patience of these sixteen soldiers did not permit them to use their muskets, and they tell upon the gen darmes sword in hand, who did not give ground till they saw the columns. They then tied, and were pursued as far as the mud-walls of Leganes and Ca rkvanchel, and the turnpike-gate of the bridge of Se govia, though the garrisons of these villages had beat the generale, and turned out under arms. The result was, that only five gendarmes escaped, all wounded ; six remaining prisoners, with the notary and his f01..1 lowers, and the rest were killed. " The same Palarea, united with D. Gregnrio Go.l mez, commandant of the hussars of Avila, were ea.! deavouring to intercept with their parties the enemy's convoys, on the road from Madrid to Estremailura ; and on the 22d, they learned that a convoy, escorted by 500 men, had set out from Talavera ; but while on their march to place themselves in ambush, they received notice that 70 French dragoons, with twn officers, convoying an Aide-de-Camp of Marmont's, with a Courier, had just entered Santa Olalla. On the 23d they discovered them from some olive-grounds, ' in which they drew up a. squadron of the Numan. l tines, under cover, to attack them in front; while art. other squadron of the hussars of Avila was to attack them in the rear. As soon as they were drawn up,l at the words " Upon them ! they are the fellows of Tembleque," the charge was given in such good time, and with such velocity, that the French had! scarcely time to clap their hands to their swords, and immediately fled out of the road ; but none of them escaped death, wounds, or capture. Very few sur rendered without defending themselves obstinately: arms, horses, and baggage, all fell into the hands of our gallant hussars ; with 57 prisoners, among whom were a Captain, a Lieutenant, and two Serjeants.— The rest were all killed : with this remarkable cir. cumstance, that there were among them the three oldest soldiers of the regiment ( which is the 18th dra goons), decorated with the Cross of the Legion of Honour; This action did not cost our hussars a sin-, gle drop of blood. " The Numantine dragoons deserve the greatest praise for their valour and generosity ; for, though justly exasperated at the 13th dragoons for the cruel vengeance which they inflicted at Tembleque, on the sth of January, on the soldiers of the first squadron of Nuttantines, they spared the lives of the very dra. goons who, on the sth of January, had massacred their companions after their surrender at Tembleque. " These commandants have sent me, from their ambulatory headquarters, at Sans Pablo, under all escort of fifty hussars, 67 French prisoners, and 4$ captured Spaniards, deserters and male:actors of all classes, among whom are the Notary and Algnazils, commissioned by the Madrid police, who have been placed in security at my head-quarters, that they may suffer the punishment which each of them deserves * according to his crimes." DECREE OF THE CORTESi. The General and Extraorditary Cortes, taking into consideration the urgent wants of the country, and the necessity of providing by al possible means for the clothing and subsistence of the armies which de tend it ; and considering that exemptions from the military service for fines, the produce of which enters the military chests of the respective armies, may con tribute in part towards such indispensible s rvices-- decree, that exemptions from military service be gran ted, under the following regulations : 1. Exemptions shall only be granted after the lot has fallen upon the individuals, and before they sct out to join their regiments ; witl.out the townships being obliged to replace those who are exempted tor money. 2. These exemrions shall last for three years ; after which, the individuals shall be again subject lo enlistnsen;. 3. Exemptions shall be granted for the sum of 15,000 reals in speCie. 4. They shall not exceed the number of thirty for every 1000 liable to - service ; and those shall be pre . tem(' whO first make payment of the money." LISBON M4JL. 4.ISTION, SEPITMIER The enemy, collecting from all qaatttrt. an any. ing on Rodrigo; Marmont by Puerto de Bann, bar ing left 10,0(X) men at Placentia. The corps at SA lamanca is greatly strengthened by reinforcements stated to hare arrived under Suchet, who is saisi to have come from Catalonia, csdlecting traps and sup. plies on his route. When the whole is united, use force is variously estimated at from 40 to 60,0'X) feet, and 8 to 10,000 horse. I believe it is very ccrtais, they have thrown supplies into Ciudad Rodrigo; and it is not improbable that they may make a to:ward inovemmt. Lard Wellington has thus obliged them So draw by forced marches from Gallicia;Catalonia. Placentia, and all parts, every man they could ow. ter, to relieve Ciudad Rodrigo; while he drew hi. own army quietly from a sickly to a healthy country, much neater to his supplies at Porto, Coimbra, &c . We are told, our cavalry drove in the French cavalry piriucts, and took some prisoners, on the 23d or 24th. Latterly, the enemy deserted to us in rather consi. derahle numbers. (krona I.—On the 25th, Marmont advanced, and 4060 of his cavalry attacked a Portuguese de. tachment, commanded by Major Arenctiitd, drive them, and took their guns; but our stb foot, sup. potted by the 11th dragoons (light) most gallantly charged the enemy, killed or woimuled upwards ct 400, and retook the guns. The sih suffered ver7 little—the 11th light dragoons nor,. severely. Our army has retired, and taken a position in front cr Guinaldo, where some works have lately been thrown up. In this movement, our army suffered a little from the enemy's artillery. The conduct of the 5:11 foot and Itch light dragoons is very highly exttlled. It is said the sth had only one Officer and one private hurt in this gallant affair. Marmont commands the armies. Being se near, we expect to hear of a mom serious affair every hour.- Ocroinnt 2.—No dispatches as yet. Our private 'letters say, that Lord WArtngton retired, to draw Ca the enemy, on the (27:.11 and 28d , , to the neighbour h•kid of S.ibug.il ; that the enemy followed, skirmish, ing, on the €27al; then halted. o.lr lo 5; is said to be very trifling I no Officer killed or badly wounded, and only five cr six slightly. OCTOBER 4...ACCOrtiing to letters worthy of cre dit,•it appears, that on the `27th ult. the enemy par tially attacked our army near Alfaetes ; and that, being completely repulsed, they prepared for retmug • 04 the 28th, and on the 29th effected it. LISBON, OCTOBLR 5. COPY OP A LETTER FROM MENTZ OUIEALOO, DATEIS, SEPTEMBER 25. 46 Yesterday was a day glorious to our army. The enemy, between seven and eight in the morning, pre sented himself in the front of our army, and made an attack upon our centre, in which was the 3d divi sion, and as he fell with 4000 horse upon the artil lery it was surrounded, but afterwards retaken by three squadrons only of light cavalry, the sth rest-, anent of British infantry, and by the 21st Portuguese. who displayed the greatest bravery, and obliged the enemy shamefully to retire, leaving the field covered with his dead. • " His Excellency gave his orders in the conl , s; i inanner, under a heavy tire of the enemy's artacry." COPY OP A LETTER bROM QUADRAZJES, DATED `.::::i SEPTEMBER. ss On the 26th inst. the eneTy advanced in front of Guinaldo, where they made some manmuvres br: did not attack ; at ten at night our army retired to take a fresh position. On the 27th the enemy appeared in , Aldea da Ponte, and between that town and Alfactes there was an encounter, in which the I lth and 23d regiments, and our cavalry, greatly distinguished themselves, obliging the enemy to retreat to Alber. garia, and in this action General Cole was wounded. ,On the approach of night of the same day, the enemy made a reconnoitring on the light division, which was covering Nave, but this had no result. gg Yesterday they began to retreat, and to-day they are beyond enselhas. Our headquarters will to. morrow remove to Reixosa, and the army, as it ap. pears to me, will take cantonments." LISBON, °CI OBER G. The enemy has comple:ely retired. Our head. quarters are at Reixosa. Oar army occupies a pusi. tion along the right bank of the Cos ; and, no doub7, will remain in quiet tor the rainy season. Our lira in the whole el the skirmishing is about '250 British, and SOO Portuguese ; that of the French 61i) men. The Ist Hussars, the 11th Light Dragoons, And thq sth Foot, have particularly distinguished themselves. Lord Wellington personally commanded ou the 25th; he did wrong ; his life is too precious to be so lightly risked. The affair of the 27th was confined solely to the 4th division, (General Cole's), and to General Slacle'S brigade of cavalry; but they had not an opportunity' of doing much. The enemy's cavalry were very shy; they still smarted under the beating they got on the esth. Major Areachild was not with his brigade of guns, being confined by illness, when it was amcked on the 25th. VALENCA D'ALCANTARA, SEPT. N. The troops from the county of Niebla have entered Seville, alter committing the most horrid excesses, and imposed contributions which it is impossible for tl:* inhabitants to pay. In Estremadura they levied contribution of 400 mules for the artillery. ORIBUDA, SEPT. 5. On the 31st the enemy made their appearance nbctit . five in the morning, at the distance of about a leagtm from Lorea, to the number of 200 horse and 200 in fantry, proceeding to the Casa del Meca, with a con voy of about 60 beasts of burtheni which they meant to load with grain. ii. signal was immediately made from the Castle, and our troops sallied out to prevent the robbery ; and Nt hen tl!ey approached the enemy, commenced so brisk a fire that they obliged them to retire to their posts without finishing lading their beasts. The firing lasted two hours, and our parties filloaed them in weir retreat. On the same morning there was an action between Velz Branco and ltubio, the result of which w.ts, 80 artillerymen wore surprised who had gone out to procure forage wit!) ;0 mules. Our parties made 1 24 prisoners, and kii.vd As many more ; they also took 37 mules•and a Fiore—the peasantry likewise took several mules. At one in the afternoon of the SAM, day, the 31st, the booty was canted into Lithui Diary, Ca. 1. IP 'I