Star. — London, England, 1808-09-03 00:00:00

TILE EVENING STAR LONDON. • . SATURDAY, SEPTEMBER • QPISTOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK: malley, 60—for ace. Kit—Reduced 66k. • ' Dioftbui: 43. 53. pr. vlcronufs .b • OVER GENERAL JUNOT. Languor &ilet describe the raptureus applause with Which ill rants' its this' inimense capital received Yesterday the intelligence of the splendid Victory obtained by Si? ARTHUR WELL WILEY - and the gallant British Army now in Portugal. The particulars communicated in tke STAR of Yesterday were ample, and, we are hippy to find, very correct, as our Readers will see by the following Official Details, published this morning in the LONDON. GAZETTE EXTRAORDINART, SEPTEMBER 3. DOWNING-STREET, SEPTEMBER 2, 1808. Dispatches, of whicb the following are Copies and Extracts, were last night received from Lieutenant General Sir Harry Surrard Ind Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley. dated from Head-Quarters at Lourinha, addressed to Viscount Castlereagh, tape of his Majesty's principal Secretaries of State, and brought by Captain Campbell, Aid-de-C amp to Sir Arthur Wellesley. Extract of a Letter from Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur 'Wel- Lesley, dated Head -quarters at Caldas, the 16th of August, 1808. I matched from Lyria on the 13th, and arrived at Ahobaca on the 19th, which place the enemy had abandoned' in the preceding night ; and I arrived here yesterday. The enemy, about four thousand in number, were posted about ten miles from hence, at Borica ; and they occupied Brilos, about three miles I from hence, with their advanced posts, As the pos session of this last village was important to our future . operations, I determined to occupy it ; and as soon as the British infantry arrived upon the ground, I di rected that it• might be occupied by a detachment, consisting of four companies of riflemen of the 60th and 95th Regiments. The enemy, consisting of a small piquet of infantry and a few cavalry, made a trifling resistance and retired ; but they were followed by a detachment of our riflemen to the distance of three miles from Brilos. The riflemen were then at tacked by a superior body of the enemy, who at tempted to cut them off from the main body of the detachment to which they belonged, which had now advanced to their support ; larger bodies of the enemy appeared on both the flanks of the detaclpent, and it, was with diffieulty that_hirajar-General Spencer, who had gone out to CEbidos when he had heard that the riflemen had advanced in pursuit of the enemy, was enabled to effect theft' retreat to 'that village. . They have since remained in possession of it, and the enemy, .haverstired enoy 4 frani the neighbourhood.. . In thislittle lasi, of the advanced posts, which was occasioned solely by the eagerness of the troops Ii pursuit of the enemy, I am concerned to add, that Lieutenant Bunbury, of the 2d battalion of tha 95th, was killed, and the Honourable Captain Pakennam wounded, but slightly ; and, we have lost some men, of whose number I have not received the returns. iteturn of Killed, Wounded, and Ming in the Action at Lou tinha, August 1.5, 1808. sth Bat•alion 60th Foot—i rank and file, killed; 5 rank and Ole, wounded ; 17 rank and Me, missing. 2d Battalion 95th Foot-4 rank and file, missing. Officers killed and wounded. 95th Foot--Ideutenaut Bunbury, killed; Captain the Honourable H. K. Yakenhani, wounded. G. B. TUCKER, Deputy Adj. Geo. i Head Quarters at Villa Verde, August 17, 1808. MY Loan—The French General. Laborde having continued in his position at Roleia since my arrival at Caldas en the 15th instant, I determined to attack him in it this morning. Roleia is situated on an eminence, having a plain in its front, at the end of a valley, which commences at Caldas, and is closed to the southward by mountains, which join the hills, forming the valley on the left, looking from Caldas. In the centre of the valley, and about eight miles from Ro leia, is the town and old Moorish fort of (Ebidos, from whence the enemy's piquets had been driven on the 15th, and front that time he had posts in the hills on both sides of the valley, as well as in the plain in front of his army, which was posted on the heights in front of Roleia, its right resting upon the hills, its left upon an eatinecce on which was a windmill, and the whole covering four or five plisses into the mountains in his rear. I have reason to believe that his force consisted of at least six thousand men, of which about five hun tired were cavalry, with five pieces of cannon ; and there was some reason to believe that General Loi son, who was at Rio Major yesterday, would join General Laborde by his right in the course of the night. The plan of attack was formed accordingly, and the army having broken up from Caldas this t m o r ning, was formed into three columns 1, the right, consistiog of twelve hundred Portuguese infantry, and fifty Portuguese cavalry, destined to turn the enemy's left, and penetrate into the mountains in his rear ; tie left, consisting of Major-General Fergu spa's and Brigadier-General Bowes's brigades of in tantryiihree companies of riflemen, a brigade of - light artillery, and twenty British and twenty Portu gaese cavalry, was destined, under the csavnand of Majos-Oentral Ferguson, to ascend the hills at (Ebi • ars, to , turn'alt Vuemes posts on the left of the valley l .ls I ell light of his post at Roloia ; this Ain Irasafscrdeiiinidto Waiab.tboisiotions of Ge- 41 Itto- . neral Loisolf, mate enemy's right, who I had lsedtd• had moved tram Ree Major towards Alcoaitxe last sight. The centra'column, consisting of 'Major neral Hill's, Brigadier-General Nightingale's; ' gadier-General • Cranfurd's; and Brigadier-Generni Fane's brigades, (with the exception of the riflemen, detached with Major-General Ferguson,) and font hundred Portuguese light infantry, the British and Portuguese cavalry. a brigade of nine-pounders, and a brigade of six-pounders, were destined to attack I General Laborde's position in front. The columns being formed, the troops moved from (Ebidos about seven o'clock hi the morning. Briga dier-General Fane's riflemen were immediately tached into the hills on the left of the valley, to keep up the communication between the centre and left columns, and to protect the march of -the limner along the valley ; and the enemy's posts were succes- I sively driven in. Major-General Hill's Irigade,l formed in three columns of battalions, moved on the right of the valley, supported by the cavalry, in or der to attack the enemy's left; and Brigadier-Gene rals Nightingale and Craufurd moved with the artil lery along the high road, until at length the former formed in the plain immediately in the enemy's front, supported by the light infantry companies, and the 45th regiment of Brigadier-General CraufurilS Bri gade, while the two other regiments of this brigade (the 50th and 91st), and half of the nine-pounder brigade were kept as a reserve in the rear. Major-General Hill and Brigadier-General Night ingale advanced upon the enemy's position, and, at the same moment, Brigadier-General Fane's rifle men were in the hills on his right ; the Portuguese infantry in a village upon his left ; and Major-Gene ral Ferguson's column was descending from the heights into the plain. From this situation the ene my retired by the passes into the mountains with the utmost regularity and the greatest celerity ; and, not withstanding the rapid advance of the British infantry, the want of a sufficient body of cavalry was the cause of his suffering but little loss in the plain. It was then necessary to make a disposition to at tack the formidable position which he had taken up. Brigadier-General Vane's riflemen were- already in the mountains on his right, and no time was lost in attacking the different pas ,es, as well to support the riflemen as to defeat the enemy completely: The Portuguese infantry were ordered to move up a pass on the right of the whole; the light companies of Major-General Hill's Brigade and the .sth Regi ment moved up a pass next on the right ; and the 29th Regiment, supported by the 9th Regiment, un der Brigadier-General Nightingale, a third pass; and the 45th and 82d Regiments, passes on the left. These passes were all difficult of access, and some of them were well defended by the enemy, .partictilarlY that which was attacked by the 29th and 9th Regi ments. These Regiments attacked with the greatest impetuosity, and reached the enemy* before those whose attacks were to be made on their flanks : the defence of the enemy was desperate, and It Was in this attack principally that we sustained the loss which we have to lament, particularly of that gallant Officer tl.e Honourable- Lieutenant-Colonel Lake; who distinguished himself upon this occasion. The enemy was, however, driven from all the posi tions he had taken in the panes of the mountains, and our troops were advanced in the plains on their tops. For a considerable length of time the 29th and 9th Regiments alone were advanced to this point, with Brigadier-General Fane's Riflemen at a distance on the left, and they were afterwards supported by the sth regiment, and by the light companies of' Major. General Hill's brigade, which had come up on their right ; and by the (*her troops ordered to ascend the mountains, who came up by degrees. The enemy here made three most gallant attacks upon the 29th . and 9th Regiments, supported, as I have above stated, with a view to cover the retreat of his defeated army ; in all of which he was, however, repulsed ; but he 4 succeeded in effecting his retreat in good order, owing, principally, to my want of cavalry, and secondly, to ; the difficulty of bringing vp the passes of the moun tains with celerity, a sufficient number of troops, and of cannon, to support those which had first ascended. The loss of the enemy has, however, been very great ; and he left three pieces of cannon in our hands. I cannot sufficiently applaud the conduct of the troops throughout this action. The enemy's posi tions were formidable, and he took'them up with his I usual ability and celerity, and defended them most . gallantly. But I must observe that although we had such a superiority of numbers employed in she ope rations of this 'day, the troops actually engaged in the heat of the action were, from unavoidable cir. cumstandes, only the sth, 9th, 29th, the riflemen of the 95th and 60th, and the flank companies of Ma- ! jor-General Hill's brigade, being a number by no t means equal to that of the enemy :—their conduct therefore, deserves the highest ccimmendation. I cannot avoid to take this opportunity of ex pressing my acknowledgments for the aid and sup. port I received from all the general and otheroffieers of this army. • I am particularly indebted to Major- General Spencer for 'the advice and assistance I re. ceived from Mm—to Major-General Ferguson for the manner in which he led the left column, and to m a _ jor-General Hill, and Brigadier-Oenerais . Ngltingale and Pane for the manner In Which they tonducted the different attacks which ;belled: I deiived most terial assistance also from Lieutenant-Col. Tucker , . ajetUellninaat-Col. Bathurst in ihebliefrofteirety Vies!! and DeputNuarter-Master sir al, and Ire** Officers of tlse.Stall emiloyed mullet them. I mitt also mention that had every reasonp be sa tisfied with the artillery under Lieutenant-Cal. Robe. I have the honour . to *lose herewith a return of loiled. wounded, and missing.—l have the honour &0:...t~ btu (Signed) ARTHUR WELLE:LEY. Lauri) iiT thkilliad, Wounded, and Missing, df the army tinder the Commaid of Lieutenant-Gestral the Right Hon. Sir Ale. T 202 Wri.ses/mr, K.B. on the 17th of August, 1808. Had-quarters, Lourinha, Aug. 18, 1808. General Staff-1 Captain killed. Royal Artillery-1 Captain killed, 1 rank and Me wounded. Royal Engineers-1 Captain wounded. Ist Brigade-Major-General Hill. a c k Foot,-3 rank and file killed ; 1 Major, 1 Lieutenant, 2 Ser jeants, 39 rank and file wounded. 9th Foot-4 rank and tile killed ; 1 lieutenant-Colonel, I Major, • 1 Captain, 1 Ensign, 3 Serjeanta, 49 rank and file wounded, ,12 rank and Me missing. 28th Foot-4 rank and file wounded. 3d Brigade--Brigadier.General Nightingale. 2901 Foot-1 Lieutenant-Colonel, 2 Serjeants, •31 rank std Me, ! killed; 1 Major, a Captains, 3 Lieutenants, 6 Serjeants, 105 rank and We, wounded ; 1 Captain, a Lieutenants, 1 Serjeant, 1 Drummer, 32 rank and Me, missing. 82c1 Foot-6 r ank and file, killed; 1 Lieutenant, 1 Serjeant, 1 7 rank and file, wounded: 1 • Sth Brigs le—Brigadier-General Cmufurd. 40th Foot-,-1 Bnidpi, killed; 1 Lieutenant, 9 rank and file, wounded. gitia Foot-2 evil and file killed, 1 yank and file wounded. , 91st Foot—None killed or wounded. 4th Brigade--Erigadler.General Bowes. 6th Foot-1 Captain, 2 rank and file, wounded ; 1 rank and file, a sluing. 32d Foot-1 rank and file killed, S rank and Me Wounded. Ifff" 2d Brigade—Major-General Ferguson. Seth Fotk.—None killed or wounded. 40th Foot—l rank and file killed, 2 rank and file wounded. 71st toot•.-••I rank and file kilied,l rank and file wounded. 6th, eilight—Rrigadier•Getteral Fane. 24 Batt. 95th Foot-1s •ttit, 6 rank and file tilled; 3 Serjeants, 25 rank and file, wolm• • 7 rank and fi le, missing. i sth Batt 60th Foot-8 rank and file kilted; 2 lieutenants, 1 Staff, 8 Sedeants, 34 rank and Me wounded ;16 rank and file missing. Cavalry. 1 20th Light Dragoons-1 Horse killed ; t rank and ale, 2 horses wounded. Total-1 Lieutenant-Colonel, 2 Captains, 1 Ensign, 3 Ser. jeants, 68 rank and file, 1 horse killed; 1 'Lieutenant- Colonel, 3 Majors, 6 C a ptains , ' ptains, aLieutenants, 1 Ensign, „ 1 Staff, 20 Serjeants, 295 rank and file, 2 horses, wounded; • f Captain, S Lieutenants, 1 Serjeant, 1 Drummer, 68 rank and Me missing. 1 Names of Officers Killed, Wounded, and Missing, on the 1 itis _ ___ 1 . of August, 1808. General Staff—Captain K. J. Bradford, 3d Regiment Foot Guards, Deputy Assistant-Adjutant-General, killed. Royo.d Artillery—Captain H. Geary, killed. Royal Engineers—Captain Howard Elphisistone, badly wounded. i sth Foot : —Major ants, slightly wounded i Lieutenant Doyle, vniuoded. 9th Foot—Lieutenant-Colonel Stuart, severely wounded; Major Molle, wounded; Captain Saokey, wounded; Ensign Nichols, wounded. Mb Boot—Lieutenant-Colonel tbF Honourable G. A. F. Lake, tilled; Majors G. Way and Thomas Egerson, wounded; Cap tains P. Hodge and A. Pathan, wounded; Lieutenants R. Bir- Mingham, St. John W. Lucas, and Robert Stannus, wounded ; Captain George Todd, missing; Lieutenants W. Birmingham, -Ambrose Newbdid. and Thema* Langton, missing. 6th Foot—Captain John Currey, slightly wounded. 45th Foot--Ensign Dawson, killed; Lieutenant Burke, slightly wounded. 82d Foot—l R.Reld, dangerously wounded. 60th Ft Kiety, slightly wounded; Ensign Dawes, Gilso, slightly wounded; Adjutant De _.O, slightly wounded. 95th coot—Captain Creagh, slightly wounded; Lieutenants Hill and Cortmaa, slightly wounded. Abstract of the above Return. 4 Officers IMO, 20 Officers wounded, 4 Officers missing ; ..ambsioned Officers and Drummers killed, 20 -ommissioned Officers and Drummers wounded, 2 ~n-Commissioned Officers and. Drummers missiPE t 63 rank and file killed, 295 rank and file wounded; 68 rank and file missing; 1 horse killed, 2 horses wounded. Total Officers, Non-Commiistoned Officers, rank and file, and hones killed, wounded, and mining-482. G. B. TUCKER, Dep. Adj. Gen. • N( Held Quarters at Lourinha, August 18, 1808. My Lord—Since I wrote to you last night, I have heard &oils Brigadier• General Anstruther; that he is on the of . Piniche, with the fleet of victuallers ' and store-ships, in charge of Captain Bligh of the Alfred, with a part pf the force detached from Eng land under 'Brigadier-Oeneral Ackland, in conse qUence of thdieceipt of Orders which I had left at Monde& Say for General Ackland, which he had opened.— .. i have ordered Brigadier General Anstru ther tg land immediately, and I have moved to this place, in order to protect his landing, and faciliate his junction. _ General Loison joined General Laborde in the course of last night at Torres Veda-as ; and I under sttnd that both began their march towards Lisbon this miming : I also hear that General Junot has arrived this day at Tones Vedras, with a small corps from Lisbon ; and I conclude that the whole of the French army will be assembled between Torres Vedras and the Capital, in the course of a few days. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) ARTHUR WELLESLEY. To the Right Hon. Lord Castlereagh, &c. &c. ° - 'Head QuarteniMaceira, August 21, 1108. My Lord—The report which I have the honour to inclose to your Lordship, made at my request by Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley, conveys information which cannot but prove highly gratifyirg to his Majesty. On my landing this morning, I found that the enemy's attack had already commenced, .and I was fortunate enough to reach the field of action in time to witness and approve of every disposition that had Seen, and was afterwards made by Sir Arthur Wel •lesley, his comprehensive mind furnishing a ready resource in every emergency, and rendering it quite unnecessary to direct any alteration. am happy on this occasion to bear testimony t u . . the ,fit spirit and good conduct displayed by all thp troops composing this gallant army in this well contested action. I send thi s dispatch by Captain Campbell, Aid-de- Camp to Sir Arthur Wellesley, no person being bet ter, qualifted ,to give your Lordship inform4ion. I have thp.bouotF ;so, be, &c.. .(Signadj- ;: -I 1.., 1 1 4iRttir BLIRIAIte, Lieut.-012w To the night Hem Lord Castlereagh, &c. Ste. intieft, August St, lore, Sir—l have the honour to report to you, that tee enemy attacked us in our position at Vimiera chit 'Morning. The village of Vimiera stands in a valley, through which runs the river Maceira at the back, and s e the westward and northward of this village; is a mountain. the western point of -which touches th e sea, and the eastern is , separated by a deep ravine from the heights, over which passes the road which leads from Lc urinha and the Northward, to Vimiera, —The greater part of the infantry, the Ist, 2d, ,Id, 4th, 'sth, and Bth Bligades were posted on this mountain, witk eight pieces of artillery ; Major. Gener:il Hill's Brigade being on the right, Major. General Ferguson's on the left, having one Bata. lion on the heights, separated from the mountain, —On the eastern and southern side of the too; is, a hill, wlflels is entirely commanded, particu. larly on its right by the mountain to the westward of the town, and commanding all the ground in the neighbourhood to the southward and eastward, (4 Which Brigadier-Gener al Fane was posted w i t h hi s Riflemen and, the 50th I?..egiment, and Brigadier-Ge. neral Anstruther with his_Brigade, with half a Bri. gade of six-pounders, and half a brigade of nine. pounders, which had been ordered to the position is the course of last night. The ground over which passes the road from Lourihna commanded the left of this heigh4, and it had not been occupied, es. cepting by a piquet, as the camp had been taken tp only for one night, and there was no water in the neighbourhood of this height. The cavalry and the reserve of artillery were in the valley, between the hills on which the infantry stood, both flanking and supporting Brigadier-General Fane's advanced guard. The enemy first appeared at eight o'clock in the morning, in large bodies of cavalry on our left upon the heights on the road to Lourinha ; and it was soon obvious that the attack would be made upon our ad vanced guard, and the left of our position ; and Ma. jor-General Ferguson's Brigade was immediately moved across the Ravine to the heights, on the road to Lourinha, with three pieces of cannon : he was fol. lowed successively by Brigadier-General Nightingale with his Brigade, and three pieces of cannon ; Briga dier-General Ackland with his Brigade, and Briga dier-General Bowes with his Brigade. These troofs were formed (Major-General Ferguson's Bsigade in the first line ; Brigadier-General Nightingale's in the second ; and Brigadier-General Bowes's and Act. land's, in columns in the rear) on those heights, Kith their right upcn the valley whickleads into Vimiens; and their left upon the other Ravine, which separates these heights from the range v.hich terminates at the landing place at Maceira. On these last-mentioned heights, the Portuguese troops which had been in the bottom near Vimiera, were posted in the first instance, and they were supported by Brigadier-General Cr/. turd's Brigade. The troops of the advanced guard on the height to the Southward and Eastward of the town were deemed sufficient for its defence, and Major-General Hill was moved to the centre of the mountain on which the great body of the Infantry had been post ed, as a support to these troops, and as a reserve to the whole army. In addition to this support, these troops had that of the cavalry in the rear of their right. The enemy's attack began in several columns upon the whole of the troops on this height : on the left they advanced. notwithstanding the fire of the rifle men, close to the 50th Regiment, and were checked and driven back only by the bayonets of that corr. The 2cl battalion, 42d Reg . mont, was likewise close', engaged with them in the road which leads into Vim iera ; a part of that corps having been ordered into the church-yard to prevent them from penetrating into the town. On the right of the position they were repulsed by the bayonets of the 97th regiment, which corps was sticcessfully supported by the 2d battalion 52d regiment, which, by as advance in column, took the enemy in Besides this opposition giveft to the attack of the enemy on our advanced guard by their* own exer tions, they were atta&cd in flank by Brigaiier-Ge• neral Ackland's brigade in its advance to its position on the heights ou the left, and a cannonade was kept up on the flack' of the enemy's' columns by the ar. riflery on those heights. • . At length, after a most desperate contist, the ene. my was driven back in confusion from this attack with the loss of sevetk . pidces of cannon. many pri soners, and a great number of officers and soldiers killed and wounded.' He was pursued by the de tachment of .-the..sloth light dragoons, but the ene• my's cavalry Viere.so much superior in numbers that this detachment has suffered much, and Lieutenant. Colonel Taylor was unfortunately killed. Nearly at the same time the enemy's attack coin. menced upon the heights on the road to Lourinha. This attack was supported by a large body of ca. 'airy, and was made by the usual impetuosity of the French troops. It was received with steadiness by Major-General Ferguson's brigade, consisting of the 36th, 40th, and 71st regiments ; and these corps charged as soon as the enemy apprOached them, 4;4 , 9 gave way, and they continued to advance upon him supported by the fld, one of the corps of Brigadier. General Nightingale's brigade, which, as the ground extended, afterwards formed a part 4f the first line 1