The National Register. — London, England, 1808-07-31 00:00:00

ti THE NATIONAL REGISTER. 490 we thciefore stlicerely hope that the journey of the gallant Gustavus wilt contribute to this much wished fur event. In opposition to the public opinion, it is now positively said, that the DukE of Yonx will command the Grand Expedition. The nomination of Sir HARRY BE RRARD was only a temporary expedient, preparatory to his Royal Highness taking upon himself the command. We have good authority for stating this ; and we sincerely regret that no disinterested friends of his Royal Highness had been con sulted by him, before he had resolved on this step. They would have told him that his nomination will be displeas ing to the people at large; and whatever opinion we may entertain of his experience, personal bravery, and tactical know ledge, we are convinced that it v. ill be equally dis pleasing to the people he is going to assist. Ile is known on the continent only as an unsuccessful officer ; and when we reflect what a pernicious influence this circumstance may have on the SUCCCS3 of the most important Expedition that ever left this country, we cannot remain silent : how ever, vi e will confine, for the present, our strictures to these few remarks, as still wish, if not hope, that h:s Rola! Highness may : , c prev-.iled on to change his resolution. The Eurydice frigate has arri e(1 at Plymouth, and has brow ht with her a Spanish schooner, whit h was cut out of St. :.ebastian, by the boats of his Majesty's ship Unicorn. St. ehastian is a sea-port in Biscay, and a very - small dis tance from Bayonne, the resideace of Bonaparte. The Spanish schoener had on board 3000 stand of arms, and cl!spatches from King Joseph to Buenos gyres, and the. Spanish Colonies in smith America. This is the second Dispatch-vessel, sent by Bonaparte or his agents, to the Spanish Colonies, which has been intercepted by our cruiz ers. The Fairy d:ce A% S only three days on her pass'gc. From the Udell genre which had reached St. Awdero before she sailed, it appears that the French had suffered much mare sevefelv than the Patriots, in the battle that took place near ValFalolid. We suppose we shall he informed of the result of Sir Ar thur Wellesiey's Lxyedition about the hegginning of next month ; he sailed on the IYth, and would reach the Tagus probably about the tiK2(l; his force ;s equal to that tinder Junot, of whom we hope he has by this time given a good a( count. Sir Charles Cotton will give as good an account, we trust, of the H tiss:an squadron. Private letters from !Tolland to the 2'2d instant, state, that the troops were marching out of that rountry in all al the inhabitants were called upon to do duty in their place. At the date of the latest accounts from holland, an embargo was expected to take place in the Dutch ports ( EsEßrt. Joacer.—This officer was (nigh-illy a private in the ranks, and owes his present elevatioa to a very singu lar circumstance. During a battle on the Continent, Bo naparte had occasion to send a dispatch to one of his Ge nerals, and having rode tip to the company in which Junot served, he asked if any man among them could write: Junot instantly replied in the affirmative. lie was accord ingly called out of the ranks to a drum bead, and Bona parte dictated his dispatch. While Junot was writing, a cannon bail struck the ground near him, and covered him with dost.—" That will do," said the soldier, " for I want ed some sand for my letter."—" You are a brave fellow," observed apoleon, " wind is there I can do for you ?"- 44 lia‘e. " said Junot, these worsted epaulets taken oft' my shoalilerS, and replace them with sik er." It was ac cordingly douse; the soldier was promoted, was made Go vernor afterwards of Palle, and elevated to his present rank. Junot is a brave and excellent General, but must be of a captious divoidion, as lie has fought not less than fifteen duels. SAILING M ATCII.---FiVe boats started at iiix o ' clock on Friday evening from Blackfr:a s-bridge to Putne, for the Cup and (: o , er annually given by the Proprietors of Vaux hall. Mr. Astley's boat, the Mercury, was the winner. JULY 31. To-morrow being the first of Augas:, icet.rditsg to an nual custom, conformable to the will of Mt. :logget, (p. median, who was a great amateur of ayi atic p!etisure, young men lately out oftheic appronticesnips wilt start I. mu the Old Swan, London Bridge, iw SIX sitterries, and tow against tide, to the Swan at Chelsea ; the are that ar m ei there will be entttled to a Coat and Sliver Ladge ; th e .„._ cond to 51.; and the third to st. sthich they will receive at Watermens'-hall. AKOTHEIL CHIN. CON. CASE.—Tuesday a l a h our i p ,, man having found his wife in an illicit amour, the ILA . - hand, without waiting the tedious process of the ('‘).!rts of Law, thought fit to bring his action on the srol, and so completely covered him with mud, by robing h;n: kennels of Drury-lane, that it was impossible to discover a feature in his face; t!.e Defendant, however, took to his heels, and thus releAsed himself from No dirty an affair. FROM THE SPANISH' PATRIOTS. Dispatches hare been received from Sir T. Dyer, dated B,s. nevento, July 16. They contain an account of a hati'r h..- t ween the French and Spanish armies, commanded by lielier.t! Las•.oles and Cuesta, on the 14th, at Rio Seco, near Valladolid, which linted from half-past eight till half -past twelve. Thn French force consisted of 10,0(X) infantry, 2000 cavalry and ar tillery, and a large proportion of cannon, that of the Patriot% amounted to 14,000 infantry, with only sOO cavalry, 41i pi , •ccs of cannon, and a body of peasantry. The ardour and i..pettios situ of the new levies in the Patriot Army were not to he re strained, and consequently they fell in upon the French, and, in the first onset, drove the enemy bark, capturing four pieers of cannon, which they spiked. The country, howevm, being; open, and the French being greatly superior in cavilr% and ar tillery, the brave Patriots were unable to maintain the tage they had gained. They however retreated in good order to Benevento, under cover of the Spanish regiment of Carabi 'leers, leaving behind them 13 pieces of cannon; hut the French had sutlered so desperately in the action, t Ira they were not in a condition to enter Rico Seco tit four hours after the battle, and they made no attempt to pursue the Patriots to Ile nevento, where (general Cuesta continued at the date of Sir T. Dyer's letter, receiving reinforcements, which vs mild speedily enable him to court another meeting with his adversary, anti w ith eery prospect of a different result. It must, however, be ad . mitted, that in the plains of Leon and Castile, the enemy, w hil-t they maintain a superiority in cavalry and horse artillery, tight w it It great advantage against raw troops, inadequately equipped. The loss, in killed and wounded, is not mentioned. It was .re ported that the French GeneralLassoles was killed, and Ms horse was said to have been found without a rider. A Gentleman arrived in town on Friday from Billion, whirls he left on the I.7itit inst. According to hi information there had been two engagements in the neighbour) ood of Saragossa.-- The first, which we have already published, under the emcee 01 Pak& v, is conceived to be an exaggeration, although the re. stilt is understood to have been decisively against the French. — The second engagement, which took place upon the Ist and '2l of July, was fought with uncommon fury, particularly on ' part of the Spanish Patriots. On the Ist, the ('atria' with muskets, against batteries erected by the Frenei seems that the Spaniards were the assailants. But aimn musketry being found comparatively unavailing, the threw down their muskets, placed their, jackets on the and with their bay nnets alone rushed upon the most foi batteries of the French, v% ham they dislodged by a moss elfort. In these attacks the Patriots are said tie have ' formly followed by the women, w ho, actuated, by patri dour, and fearless of danger, carried wines, and every sl refreshment, for the Patriots. Such, indeed, was the these women, that they followed the body of valiant made the attack we have mentioned upon the French and a number of them were the victims. Extract from the Porto Journal, " The Loyal Pori —Porto, the 13th July 1808; Expectata dies aderat 6t MADRID. JUNE 22.—Within these few days laden with wounded Frenchmen, arrived in the city. quence of the insurrection in Andalusia. Castanos li regular Sp;u►i,h troops, and 6000 English. from even assistance has been afforded—all the Proclamatil 6 1 V 011 f or foualit rh, for it in the '1.(1. Patriots icir arms, irmidable st gallant uni- riotic ar- species Of ardour of men who battery, rtuzucse•" 60 carts in ramr- ins 25,000 Gibraltar ions have 0 ', l A 1 ~l