The National Register. — London, England, 1811-10-20 00:00:00

44.6. ... e.. • -.- ISo. AL dingly,..when he found MAamoNr.reposing his corps in the rich and abundant country about Placentia, he resolved to carve out employment for him, which should draw him from opportune and con venient quarters, and with that view directed his course towardi the North. He had already at tempted Badajoz, which •he was prevented from reducing by the junction of SOULT and M ARMONT ; and •if he were to renew his attack upon that city, after it had been amply supplied with every requi site to stand a protracted siege, he might again be foiled in his attempt to take it , . hy a similar j unction to that which had frustrated his previous efforts. Souer and MARMONT had not separated so widely that they might not have speedily re-united for the purpose of saving such a fortress as Badajoz. In this state of the compaign, then, Lord WEL if,NcroN determined to proceed towards the North ern frontier, where Ciudad Rodrigo, from its sup posed security against attack, was comparatively ill-supplied for a siege, and where the impediments to any very powerful concentration of the enemy's force to interrupt his operations held out a pro speCt of its reduction before any relief could be- effectually afforded. Had he pressed the siege with vigour, and without regarding the amount of sacrifice he should make for that ob ject, •he must have reduced it long before the Freiich came up to its relief. But the posses iron or d single fortress within the Spanish frontier, which might cost him some thousands of his army to acquire, and would emp lo y some thou sands more to retain, could not have been of suffi cient importance to compensate so large a sacrifice. He blockaded.the city therefore, but did not regu larly invest it ; the means he resorted to for the purpose of preventing the introduction of supplies would have forced it to capitulate, if no effort had been made by MA RMONT for its relief. Thus the Allied Army, without being subjected to more inconvenience than in its former position, and with out 'being exposed to any loss, might have com pelled the .surrender of an important fortress, or would have forced the French General at any price, and at ail hazards; to resume active opera tions, and abandon the state of security and repose which he enjoyed at Placentia. Such were the relative and respective situations (if the two armies. Before Ciudad could be starved into a capitulation the French armies were assem bled from every point to make a concentrated effort for - its deliverance. Lord WELLINGTON apprised of ,their approach, and variously informed as to their actual strength ; though he had resolved not to risk a battle for Ciudad 10.1rigo against any commanding superiority of force, d 4 collected the British Army in positions from which he could either advance or retire without difficulty, and which would enable him.to see all that was going on, and the strength of the enemy's army." This short pa ragraph is enough to prove the justice of the ob servation which we have premised above as to the precise objects of Lord WELLINGTON in the block ade of that fortress. In drawing the enemy, from aliparts towards his position, he had harassed them with forced marches, and exposed them to all the Consequences of incessant fatigues during the sickly season. His great object being thus accomplishedk he no longer had any inducement to remain beyond the Portuguese frontier, and consequently, after some partial but brilliant affairs, which were no less conspicuous for the ability of his dispositions than the discipline and bravery of the Allied troops, he retired to a position in Portugal, where the enemy, after some ineffectual efforts, did not venture to molest him. According to the dispatch it appears that it was on the 25th that the first affair took place. Four-' teen squadrons of the cavalry of the Imperial• Guard proceeding to reconnoitre towards the lower' Azava drove in the British outposts, and; after crossing that river, the Lanciers de Berg were charged, and driven back by two squadrons of the 16th, and one of the 14th light dragoons ; and were prevented ' from rallying by the fire of light infantry of the 61st regiment, posted by General GRAHAM in a wood on the flank. The principal attention of the enemy, however, was directed against the 3d division on the hills between Guinaldo and Pastores. Lord WEL LINGTON) perceiving the object of the enemy,; reinforced the troops on the hills ; but after they had successfully sustained the attack of the French cavalry and artillery, on seeing fresh French troops brought up to the attack, he thought it prudent to withdraw the post• from the hills, an I ordered the troops to retire to Guinaldo. The enemy's *ca valry, in this affair, amounted to between thirty and forty squadrons, supported by fourteen bat; talions of infantry, and twelve pieces of can non. In the course of the action one regi, ment of French dragoons succeeded in taking two pieces of artillery that were posted on a bill on the right of the British troops, and which were al most instantaneously recovered by a charge of the 2d battalion of the sth regiment of British infantry, under the command of Major RIDGE. Whilst Qs British troops were retiring to Guinaldo, they were formed into squares and repulsed repeated charge; of the enemy's cavalry, directed, at the same time, against three sides of the square. In _reading the account of these movements one cannot sufficiently admire the steady and cool discipline which thus realised, in presence and under the pressure of a very superior force of cavalry, all the accuracy of the evolutions of a parade. It is thus that the enemy will be deprived of the advantages he has' hitherto derived from his numerous cavalry. The 2d battalion of the sth and the 77th British infantry distinguished themselves by this combination of courage and discipline. The 21st Portuguese in: fantry also performed the same evolution in a very steady manner. • The Public. will observe with pleasure, that the whole loss of the Allied Army very little exceeded two hundred men. A subsequent Dispatch, dated Frexada, Oct. the 22d, states, that MARMONT had retired towards Placentia, and the Army of the North towards Salamanca. We are glad to find that Don JULIAN SA/4CHEZ, and Don CARLOS D'ESPAGNE I have continued to act with the Allied Army. AI4HOLT MAIL. A Mail from Anholt was received on Wednesday, by which Hamburgh and other papers came to hand.