The National Register. — London, England, 1808-11-27 00:00:00

54 THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 1 I *. ~,; genius and activity of our neighbours have taken s different direction. We remained for a long time bnatfected by this change, till one of the greatest of our Statesmen, and one of the stroneed advocates for maritime pursuits, grew sen sible at last that the navy alone was quite inadequate to our security, and the preiservation of what we already possess ed. But this conviction was felt too late, and operated too slowly; for whilst we were deliberating as to the necessity of deviating from our usual• line of conduct; the enemy had already advanced us, with gi4autic strides, in a career we arc now reduced to the necessity of treading after him. but this is not the only inconvenience, and disadvantage we have to labour again:it in the new pursuit : Whilst our ad versary 11%4, in the very beginning of his course, flung away evry trammel and ineuml•rance, which might encumber him in the, prosecution of his undertaking, we fondly retain a number of uselesi and embarrassing ornaments, which ex pose us, at every step, to the danger of tripping; and though we have a more. considerable distance to run than the ene my, .re still keep on the useless and cumbersome frippery ; whilst he, divested of every impediment of the kind, has the advantage of ground, as well as convenience. Ids this stihjtrt i+ particularly interesting in Me preqent mo ment, ve intend to dilute it heyond the lanai extant of our disqui ritiunr, (17,d to ..unclesde it in ova nest.] FOREICiN IN'FELLIGENCE. d•IMM•111110..... • SPAIN. toad;; A Nov. 115.—The retreat effected by the army under General Blake from Valniaseda, after a confirmed engagement, from eight in the ;morning until nine at night, was as brilliant as a victory could have been. It is posi tively stated, that the euemihad upwards of five thousand killed.—Among the prisoners was a General. We must also necessarily have sustained some loss. It -would be ab surd to think otherwise. According to report, the 4th di vision were the principal sufferers. They write from Catalonia, that the reinforcements sent from Portugal, Arragon. and Valentin. had already arrived is that principality, and that the troops under Signor eilin;; were on the point of catering it : that the alacrity and entlinsinsm of the inhabitants were daily increasing, whilst it was evidontiy perceived that the confidence of the French troops, aod even Leal himself, was very consider ably . lowered ; and that no doubt was entertained, that, within a very few days, Duhesme would solicit terms of capitulation. .-.llrAeosss, Nov. 5.-111 the Murcians have this day marched off for Navarre. The General set Of last night for Tuleda, where General Castanos is. It is supposed 4 t hat they AIM concert measures for an attack upon the enemy, and we are confident of success. Mariam, Nov. .--Last night the posts from Castile, Galicia, Ind Burgos, came in a very late hour ; for it nopears that in the latter city there was some bustle among the inhabitants, in consequence of the French having scut to demand of them a great number of rations. It is cer tain that they will not come to fetch them, as the troops of Pistremadura have already( arrived in that city with their cavalry and an excellent train of artillery. The Central Junta is expected to remove to this capital by the iisth instant. Every preparation is making to attack the French at Logrouo, before they have time to fortify themselves there, EXTRA CT OF A LETTER FROM VIEJO! OCT. 30. " I informed you in my former letters, that our ad vanced guards were every day engaged with those of the enemy, in which the advantage was always on our side. But still nothing was done on our part to take pos.segsion el . the positions war the city (Logrous) such RS 1711.111, alff •. o. 11, Catherine -street s Str.tid ; and may be Lad of all tit. "`~ monMing - I;iiia erg ~~ _L.= - 7." • . • • . . Pr - VOV. 27. Oyon, Montecorvo, Cerro, Cantabria.. &c. and conteut ing ourselves only with placing some posts of 40 or 60 men at the utmost. At the same time 1 told you, that PintL '►• had come as Provisional General of the Army, ha taken the command from Equia, the hrother.in',4:l: Godoy.. It has since been apprehended that this has givena'red rise to sonic infamous conduct , and that a* treat y ans Cr.. tered into with the French f or the deliver y of Logroua, and also of our army into the ir hands. This, however, ads happily prevented by the ar rival, last Tuesda y evening, of General Castanos. la the meanwhile our small ady posts were furiously attacked by the whole French army, and driven into the town. .Whiie we were at our several posts, the enemy's troops took possession of the pusitiw.4 near the city, which we ought to have occupied, notoeh• standing our artillery did some execution at the 1,64 , and at Ilalbuena, against the enemy's cavalry. it was l; evening, and the enemy's large tires being seen near the city, me received orders to retire within the city Muhl , the night. As soon as day broke, we covered our posts be fore the city t and as soon as the artillery percetwt the approach of some detached bodies, after four dischays, they retired. It was now noon, and we had not hied a gun, nor eaten any thing, when, from a battery which way raised between some olive trees very near the tom u, heavy discharge of,balls, bombs, and grenades, were mad,: upon the cis y, but the artillery being p ointed too high my damage was done. to it. We answered this diseha ur ntell a re fm the batteries, rind with more e ff ect, for we dismo cannon, and killed all who were near it. At two in the afternoon, the firing having ceased for a time, weri: ordered to fall back in good order. When we returned tc the town, we found the g ates shut, and a g reat uninhcr of persons wanting. General Castanos had also left the phtfe, for.vvhea he discovt red the treachery, and saw there,- tions which had been loqt. he was in a gre at mg.. learned, that the night before, the French had el:oche:I torch-light to attack Lodosa, where his troops were. 'fix General, therefere, ordered a retreat towards Calahorri, in order to unite the two armies, and commanded that the traitor should be transported to Soria. At three in the afternoon we effected our junction, and at midnight set out for Nalda, three leagues to the right of Logroaa, through a horrid way. The principal inhabitmts of 1;:e city, who were dispersed, joined us, leaving their h9r.•• abandoned. The bridge was destroyed, which had beer. undene several das bef. " It n is no d w three days sinc e we have been iwirchca i!:!y and night, without food, and through roads mbich secioed impassable. Yesterday we arrived at this place, which 1.0 . 11 .01 " three leagues from Calaborra, and five horn We are waiting the innet ion of the armies, rion wlu'mt to strike a blow at the enemy ; hoping for good success is God, the Virgin, and th e intre p idity and : . .00( 1 n" . h 4 of Castanos. "Within a week something, decisive is to done; Is for it. is thought the enemy is to be attacked bctof3 he has fortified himself in the city. V/I.I..AFTe VVC A, OCT. 31.-~011 the `2.lth in t. arrWerl at d'e! head-quarters, D. Juan Miguel de Viv es, Captaa,r,j! of this army, and the principality of Catalonia. Be tand:,( l the day before at Tarragona, and there and here reel the warmest reception. Two days before, there ikc t l; barked at the same port, besides the remaining part ot Spanish hussars, and other detachments from )1 for 11,1(1,,! the Spanish troops that have come from Portug:ll of I It 111 principality. The latter are under the commato • Marshal D. Gregory Laguna, scows of provisional grenadiers of the two castiles, troops of Valencia and Torragona, and the .Santi.... v • f 11511-0- ardticr. • giment of cavalry, and two conames o They have also bronght with th em eO,OOO musk: 1 araitug the Catalonian troops.and consist of vario:lsc.y. the; an d :id I , r t e h s e h h al e i t n l- o va b r e ter s s n tore n ll should cause the ene m y to retire er it urnediate l is Y " 11. " 15 cin this walls of Barcekma. w r z b e e d rir a l it,.o. *I N' ..,..,., 0p,,,•• . ,~.-~* v -' .- - ,~ Rl' Mho.— -- J