The National Register. — London, England, 1812-12-06 00:00:00

prC. n. foil , we d the ni r.h (t the troops tecer my corn cant!. I eon, lude diet tee tw corps w ill unite, which, in eoneequence of threituatteo cf the Dettro, I could nDt pi event. Chula! Rodrigo, NGV 19. The troops under the comm a nd of Lieutenant .C)eneral s:r Row. laui 11 1: rossed the Tormes. at Alba, on the Btit io:Ntam, and those wider 47; . erumnd took their position on he iieights of St. Christoval de is Cuesta oil the same dey ; Ilrigedier Generel Peck's brigade oc eurentg Ahica Leneua, and Brigadier-General Br elford's Cabrerizes on the right ; at.' the British cevalry eoverieg our front I had de er- leetneoant-General Sir R owland Hill to occupy the town and ca• t AF)e, with Major-General Howarit's brigaleot the 21 d;vi von. eiving Lieuteuant-General Hamiltoe's Pertuguese d‘vise , n on the Ice of the Tonnes to support those troops ;• while the 2d divi tier posted in the neignb -urhood ot the fords of Encinas and Th- ; a;'d the 3d and- 4th divisions remained at Calvarassa de Ariba reserve, On the 9th, the enemy drove in the picqeets of Major.Gereral Corgis brigade of cavalry, in front•of Alba ; ,and Major-Genies! Long MIS obliged to withdraw his troops through Alb] on the morning ot the leth. In the course of .t he day, the enemy's whole army ap proncled (set - positions on the 'formes, and they attacked the troops n Alba with 20 pieces of cannon, and a considerable body of infantry. They male no impression on them, however, and withdrew the.can eon, and the ereater part of the troops on that ni e ht, and this attack teas never renewed. I enclose Lieutenant• General Hamilton's report to Sir Rowland . Pill of the treesactions at Alba, which were -highly creeitable to the mop. employed.---From the 10th tili ehe 14th, the time was pissed in serious recoenoissances, as well of the ferds of the 'formes as of the position which the troops under my eomtrand occupied or. the tight of thet river, ie front of Salamanca; and on the 15111 the client , cooed that river in force, at three tools near Lucivas, about two jeaeues above Al-ba. I kneneliatelv broke tip from St. Christoval, and ordertd the troops to move towards Arapiles o - and as soon as I hed.ascerteined the direc tion of the enemy's march from the terds, I moved with the 2,1 di sin of infantry, and all the cavalry 1 could collect, to attack them ; leaving Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill with the 4th, and Lieu tenant-General Hamilten's divisions, in front of Alba, to protect this movement ; and the 11 divisicn in the reserve on the A rapiles, to se cure that possession of that position. The enemy, however, were already too numerous, and too strongly posted at Mozarbes, to he attacked; and I confined myself to a cannonade of their cavalry, under cover of which I reconnoitred their position. In the evening I withdrew all the troops from the neighbourhood cf Alba to the Arapiles, leaving a Entail Spanish garrison in the castle, and having destroyed the bridge. In the course ot the night, and following morning, 1 owed the greatest part of the troops through , salamanea, and placed Lieutenant-General Sir Edward ,Paget orth ' the Ist division of infantry on the right, at A Idea Tej it, order to act ire that pessage for the troops over the Zungneto in ca'c the move meats of the enemy on our right flank should render it necessary for me to make chOice either of giving up my communications with Ciudad . Rodrigo or Salamanca. On the 15th, in the morning, I found the enemy fortifying their position at Mozarbes, whreli they hal taken up the night before ; at the •;:tme time that they were moving bodies of cavalry and infantry towards their own left, and to our contmunicatems with Ciudad Ro drigo. It was obvious that it was the euemy's in to act upon our communications; and as they were too strong, and too strongly posted for Me to think of attacking them, I determined to move upon Ciudad Rodrigo. I therefore put the army in. march in three co lumns, and crossed the Zetaguen, and then passel the enemy's left dank, and encamped tint night on the Vainusa. We continued our march successively on the 16th, 17th, 18th, and this day, whe.i pert (lithe army crossed the Agueda, and the whole will cross that liver to-morrow. The enemy followed our movement on the 16th with a large body, Probably the whole of the cavalry, and a considerable body of in !entry, but they did not attempt to press upon our rear. They took advaltage of the ground to cannonade our rear sward, cousisting of the li!ht divisions, under Major-General Charles Al ton, on the 17th, oil its passege of the Hueba at San Munoz, and occasioned some loss. The troops have suffered considerably from the severity of the wea ther, which, since the 15th, has been worse than 1 have ever known it at this seasen of the year. I am sorry to add, that we have had the misfortune to lose Liente eant-General Sir Edward Paget, who was taken prisoner on the 17;h. He commanded the centre column, ant the fall of rain having e reatly Injured the roads and swelled the rivulets, there was an interval be tween th- sth and 7th divisions of infaetry. Sir Edward role to the rear alone, to discover the cause of this inverval, and, as the road passed through a wood, either a detachment of the enemy's t avany Rot upon the road, or he the road, and fell into - their hands in the wood. I understand Sit Ed ward was not weueded, but 1 can not sufficiently regret the loss of iii; assistance at this moment. In ms disoatch of. the 4th instint, I communicated to your Lord ship my opinion of the etreegth of tlyienemy, as tar as I could judge IS it from the reports I had mere; and tIOM what I bad seen. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 763 • !)Ave since learnt that General Catlivelli, with the army he N-rth. certainly jointn with the army of Portugal, kilei,ll I; limit !irate left Madrid tit the 4th instant, an] arrived at 11'4 Bth, leaving at Madrid the civil authorities of his GGveintmilt, a ! a small girrison. These Nuthorities and Twits evacuated Maaritt the 7-li, and marched for Castile: end CO Don Juan Pa!area the Medteo took possession of that city. Your Lordship will have seen Gereral B illasterns's letter of the ‘24 , 11 of October, to the Regency. from which .ou will observe, h t he.hati beyed the orders of the Governwent, given to Tin' !t nor su;gestion, t , - march his troops' into LA Mamba, and 114ne tn. t,e •nemy's kit flank, because the Regency and Cones had offered me the chief command of the Spanish arnies. The whale of tit., tmerfly's disposaOle fore Splin was therefore upon the Tortes in the middle of this month ; and they ere cer tainly not oess than eighty thousand n . wn. but mote probably tun,..ty •lirmabd ;of thee ten thousand were ctrlry ; and as O! 3 r,; of Portug d alone hid one hundred pieces of cannon * it is pr.oabll via they had not less in all the armies than 203yieces. (ENcLotAIRF, No. J.) A ha (1-.. Tornes, Nrw. 11. S it—l have the honour to report the steps I Wive tak , :n 4 , 7 carry into eft ct tour instructions for the tiefet;ci..ol this place, eirliien, 1 ant liaiyy to say, have obliged the !•:..etry t , witildr..iv tile greatest a a of the f ice Opr)Sed to US ; and I ‘VC.. , %41 1 . tae able t.' retain our position as long 3,; yO`t tray deeari exped!enr. I yesterday garrisoned and ptovist it-le, oy the ex -r• tintis of Capt. Goldfinch of the enijneers, it ,s out. it • ,s,;otail .. state • as circumstances will aimit ;he is cootinitiog ,strengthening it. Capt. Goldfl.lci has beenot great assistance to loos I hive appropriated to eacit iegitticnt a of this town, and the ccruiminditig Officer has birticaded the sl , eets a ,4 h ;iliangs in a very judicious manner. Brigs:her di Costa and CampOcii's nr..gades are in our positi non the left b or: .'f the 'formes. •Briga4.O.:r C..rnp bc.l reports his baying caned Ole enemy some loss in weir attount, to piss a tOrd near his position. nrele so good an arrangemenz 01 . his 'vro liri..a , !e gum's, That, is .bed with the position of the tiv? of , infantry on the Pit )•!iik•of !he Tunas, I emisiiter my fiaAs secure. Early )esterday mo7ning I'vlaj , ..r-Gen. Long, coltr andhig the cavalry in front, r•sp.;rtect that the enemy ‘sere advanciog iu s eat force; I was th'refure minced to retire the cay.•irv. , About ten o'clock the ene.ry api:eared on tlte li•nelits in consider.. able farce of cavali y, and 3 teiv infantry, coverti.g, as I conceived, a reeonnoisaree of sever. 0111cers of rank. Ah nt t ivo o•clo• k 11 , e enemy's force was increased oo so i tiz!•,:ofis, and 610;) ii;calirrf and 20 uns, inclu ling six 6-inch h!)witZers, 1)1114;!:,Itc1) c • menced firinit, and continued tiotil it was dal . , tialnv's '•••,)t troops advanced close to the walls we t I r •w• ; f.:ut from the cool and steady conduct of t .51:t •.: 4' .I Stewart ; 71 st regiment, the Honourable Cat' •.• -g: ; Colonel (.7.interosi, Genetal Howaid's Brigade, the • -col , . •• •1 ,sot at r-rit pt t lie town. Mho' , eight o'..lock in the evening I was repi - tatedly n.l r—ed that the eiiciny', infamy was consider bly increasing, iti.tti , -d nee t-' Order three bittalions of Brigadier D 4 Cos;a 'e Into town, leaving his other battalions far the pro•ection at he fords. The enemy during the night ivitlicl•ew their at y, I have left a small force of citvalw and infantly who keep it:: a - I.:A t fire. I have to re: re , the toss of a considerable numher of but it. , •it, 1 trust, you will not deem great, when yon consider the heavy .5;•-: i.n..essant fire of artillery for so many hours. The loss of .the rut; tt, , ,tiese Was while on duty this morning, and I have real pTasure ii reporting their steady and animated c:aucluct. I fecl much indebted to Major-Gen. Howard, who reidered rise every possible assistance, as also to every ottker aw.l solit,ar of tits ex celLnt brigade, fcr tt.cir steady, zealous, and conduct. To Captain Pinto Sat rola, my Assistant Atljtttaat Gei.crat ; to Capt. Watson, light dragoons; Assistant Quarter Master General, and to Capt. Bunhttry, my Aid tie Camp, i consii.ter myself oblig:d, for their prompt execution of my order , . I enclose a return of the killed and wi.utitted aLtd, tru,..t, that we ~hall nut have many more casualties. I have the fa•ri-ttr. JOHN HAMILTON, Lieut.-Gen. (Sioe(I) Lieut.-Gen. Sir R. Hill. !Zeturn of Killed and Wounded of the A ITN tinil . yr the cr.mrr,and of ' hi, Excellency General the Nl, , r( i lits .)t A.Vcl;;. gton. K. hi an arni: at A 1! de Tcrtnes, an thy 3[1(1 11th N v 1;t11. Total BrTti,li lo.zs-13 rank and killed ; 1 ilea:chant, a erj t s 53 rani: and file wourxled. Tot:sl Por: ugt:ese !ost-8 rank and file killed; I captain, 1 lieu tenant, I ,erjoint, raAk and fie , wciltAlcd. Grand uttal-21 rank and rile ; l capta.n, 2 lieutenants, 4 ser jeants, 85 rank and tile wounded. • Return of Killed, Wounded, cud Nli,slnt of the A rim , under the corn. mand of his Excellency Gey.cral the Nlarquis W, Minton, K. R. in the movements of the Army front the i2d to the ::9th October. inclusive. Total l',2rtugnese loss-4 scricant, 2,Ltrumnicrs, 32 rank and file. . 6 _~ 2, Car• I Jan, coutt, p. 12, idler's 1, 141 i k.r, Dti. ;v1 ow. 5, 19, Sher. a ford. 1, at,,l 9. and Lied- n \emu 1,k111;, tl;:t• d:ap<, atner, :ortp, co I .14 ~r;~:r:, , Lin- in, 11'. ad lc r ' s I Jan. iuke•, g (23, D~I!If>~ kora. Factor, i lir. a :co. ; Aga at on*, 'c , l last qui4 Lit v. I. ivria nitinue ni as 1 Moire uf Sr. i tioder 1)::UIC