The National Register. — London, England, 1812-06-07 00:00:00

348 The following is an extract of a letter from New York, dated 6th of May, received yesterday at I.Lovuo's :-- 4, it appears to be the determination of the majority in Congress to go to war with Great Britain ; and preparations of every kind are making, with activity, for this purpose. Still many well informed characters in America doubt such an event taking place this year; end their opinions ar e founded on the unprepa red state of this nation for war, and on the public mind being oppo sed to it. Uncertainty attaches to all popular Governments, and this remark has been pre-eminently confirmed by the proceeding of Congress ; stiii we cannot help thinking that emigre-4 will, in the present case, carry their determination into effect without adverting to the serious consequences which probably will attend it.— Should war be declared, the American frigates and sloops will proba bly lose no time in eruizing to intercept the ships going to, or returning from, the West Indies; and American privateers will swarm in the tro pical climates." —...........--. ---- - • DEFEAT OF THE FRENCH BY GENERAL HILL. A Lisbon Mail was received on Thursday which brought intelligence of the highest interest, and of the most satis factory nature. The incursion which by the recent ac counts we had reason to anticipate on the part of General BILL into Spain, has taken place and suc ceeded to the ct full exteLt of the most sangu i n e expectation. The objeof the expedition was to destroy the woi ks and bridge at Al marez, which afforded the enemy the means of keeping open the communication between their forces in the North and South of Spain. The result has added another laurel to the brow of General 14 Lr., and deprived the enemy of an important and ;nvaluable link in the chain of his com munications. It was on the 19th ult that General HILL arrived at Al marez, and made himself master of the bridge and works, without any very serious opposition. The place appears to have been, surprised, inasmuch as the General who commanded was captuted amongst the 300 prisoners who weie made on the occasion. One hundred of the enemy are said to have been killed, and two hundred and fifty c rowned in attempting to escape across the Tagus. A vast quantity of stores and ammunition was found in the place. After destroying the bridge and works, and carry ing off all the artillery, ammunition, and provisions taken on the occasion, General HILL returned to his former quarters. This exploit, though not so brilliant as the surprise of rilaMtli, at Arroya de Molino, is still not less useful and important. It has not cost the enemy so great a numerical loss, but it has much mire effectually impaired their means, by cutting off all direct means of co-operation between the extremes of their line. This success is so much the more valuable, because it has been achieved with so small a comparative loss on the side of the Allies, a loss which does not exceed one hundred in the All wounded. The Portuguese Gazettes, of the 26th ult. contain two dispatches from the Earl of WELLTN . GTON to the Poratu guese Secretary, dated Fuente de G uinaldo, May 13 nd May 20 respectively. Neither communicates any intelli gence of interest The first mentions a rumour, of which no official confirmation hadbeenreceived, that King Jost:pit had been appointed Generalissimo of the French armies in Spain, with the exception of the armies of Arragon and Catalonia. The latter communicates only the advance of a body of 2500 men from Seville towards Ayamonte, go near which they arrived on the 10 t h." We should not omit, however, to notice, that his Lord. • ship's dispatch of the 13th, states, gi that the guerillas are extremely active in all parts in attempts against the enemy, in many of which they have recently been very success ful." This intelligence, so gratifying to learn, and so favourable to the cause of the patriots, is fully confirmed by the contents d i ffers isbon Journals, in the shape of in froms parts of Spain. If the French THE NATIONAL REGISTIMI JUNE 7 be for any length of time exposed to such losses as they appear to have sustained within the short period of which the Papers received give an account, without any regular supply of reinkarcements, it is easy to foresee that they gradually be rendeied less able to make head against the guerillas, or any effectual resistance to the accumu lating numbers and vigour of the Dispatches from Lord WELLINGTON, whose head, quarteis are at Fuente Guinaldo, have also been IC. ceived. Dispaches were likewise received at Downing-street on Friday, from Sir llowAnD Douoi.ns, confirming the report of the French having re-entered the province of Asturias. - The enemy, to the number of 8000 men, under General BotiN ET, have occupied their former quarters in Oviedo, Grado, Gijon, &c. General MENDIZABEL has entered Burgos, as before stated, and the activity of the guerilla parties continue to cause the most scriogis em barrassments to the operations of the enemy in the North of Spain. Don GERONINIO ) an active guerilla leader, having taken prisoners a body of .500 men, immediately retaliated on the French, by putting to death twenty for each of the three Members of the Junta of Burgos, and ten for each of the Meiino soldiers, who were lately put to death by the enemy. • This act was accompanied by a de claration, that the same ratio should be observed in ail future measures of retaliation. - The following Bulletin was issued on Friday DOWNIN(3-4 FR FRT, JUNE 4. 44 Dispatches have been this day received from Sir kiuwA R U DOUCLAS, of which the following are extracts:— " SAN TIMIO, MAY :1.3. " On the lath inst. General CAS con received in from Ole Marquis of Po R TA GO, who ti,ev commands the division 01 the 6 h Army in Viergo, that the enemy had collected about 15,000 men cm the El y and Orbigo, and that it appeared to be their intention to advanze upon Villa Franca and Puebla de Sanabria. This r. -union to threaten Galicia was only a feint to favour the ulterior design of advancing into Asturias; which the enemy accomplished upon the 176 inst, with about flOOO men, Under Gen. BONNET, and they now occupy their former quarters in Oviedo, Grado, Gijon, &c. c c SANTIAGO, MAT 24. " .rt,i, town is row the seat of the provincial Government, and I am happy to say it is in perfec.t harmony with General CA s I AbjoS. He in vited a deputation of the Junta to meet him here. I was then at Corunna, and promoted the transfer of the whole body as the nio. , t likely me;:ns of destroying difference.—Gcn. CASTAIJOS'I wisdom has done the reit. 1 : I have the honour to transmit intelliLence from Burgoi ; the entry of Gen. MENDIZARF.L into Burgos is corroborated by :his, 3;Itl with the other enclosures shows how very seriously the enemy are ha rassed by the activity of the parties in the North. Don GERONIM/i MERINO ccommonly called EL CORA Dm VILLov,t -no), a most able and enterprising guerilla, has succeeded in making 500 prisoners, including I Lieut.-Col. and 11 other officers, after a resistance which cost the enemy 73 killed anu 97 wounded. 4 ‘ The prisoners immediately suffered in the proportion of ..?0 for each of the three Members of th e Junta of Burgos, who were lately put to death by the enemy, and in the proportion of 10 for each of the 'MERINO'S soldiers, w ho lately shared the same fate. his act was accompanied by .a declaration that in this ra V tio la Franca retaliation with t would alwayst:tin be der observed oad, of . On the 28th, when retiring to ilhe ren bis p r i so ners, MERINO took post wi th a p art of his force at a cross r where lie expected a rescue would be attempted. 13eing apprised of the advance of the enemy -in Fut:suit of the convoy, accordingly he dressed an ambuscade, into which the enemy tell, and there left dead thirty-sil men, having also a considerable number of wounded." The letters brought by the Lisbon Mail were, on Friday ; but they furnish little or , no inforMation in addition to that which is to be found iii the extracts from , the Lisbon Papers, except that General DaCiturrearne ull delivered after the affair of General HILL at Almaraz, and after • • • British reconnoitring the force, retired without attempung any thin_g. Amba ssado r The Duke DEL INFANTADO, late Spanish Amha to our Court, arrived at Portsmouth on Monday, and ill the course of the day bailed for Cadiz in the Ilaccbah, frigate. • JUNI The vith d. French resonrc Neap& had re the No' of the y throlegl the glit to these the foil , willing scripts PARIS, meat of I has also bundrrd The rre,pnt the mo: the con silt of f, number comple and for prevail laid or vessels enemy, this rel cffott v mense Russiat ter of sl the last Poland, A n o of Nor through of Fran This of subeque prevalet was me, attempt We r 4 tion of 1 though liarly a/ dom those ni which t sometini Let, the nomitrat to be foi Than, to and as t the desti his Java and con for GoC and devi for the interpret Lions, ca niinds,