The National Register. — London, England, 1809-05-28 00:00:00

MAY 24. MY LORD, Oporto, Mau 12, ISO 9. I had the honour to rpprizo your Lordship, on the 7 th instant, that I intended that the Army should march on the 9th from Coimbra to dispossess the enemy of Oporto. The advanced go:lrd and the cavalry had marched on' the' 7th-, and the u hole had halted on the Bth to afford tim • for Atarshat Beresrord with his corps to arrive upon the Upper Douro. The infantry of the army was formed into three divi sions for this expedition, of which two, the advanced guard, consisting of the Ilano%erian Legion and Brigadier-General R. Stewart's brigade, with a brigade of six-ponuders, and a bri gade of three-pounders under Lieutenant-Genova' Paget, and the cavalry under Lieutenant-General Paste, and the brigade of Guards; Brigadier-General Campbell's and Brigadier-Ctsner.il brigades of infantry, with a brigade of six-pounders, under Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke, moved by the High Road from Coimbra to Oporto, and one composed of Major- Ceneral Hill's and Brigadier-General Cameron's brigades of infantry, and a brigade of si x-pounders, ender the command of Major-General Hill, by the road from Coimbra to Aveiro. On the 10th in the morning, before day-light, the cavalry and advanced gnard crossed the Vouga, with the intention to surprise and cut off four regiments of French cavalry, and to battalion of infantry and artillery, cantoned in Alhergaria Nova and the neighbouring villages, about eight miles from that River, in the last of which we failed ; but the superiority of the British ca valry was evident throughout the day ; we took some prisoners and their cannon from them ; and the advanced guard took up the position of Oliviera. On the same day Major-General Hill, who had embarked at Aveiro on the evening of the 9th, arrived at Ovar, in the sear of the enemy's right ; and the heap of Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke's division passed the Vouga on the same evening. On the 11 tit s :he advanced guard and ca valry continue:l to move on the high road towards Oporto, with Major-General Hill's division in a parallel road, which leads to Oporto from 0 var. On the arrival of the advanced guard at Ven das Novas, between Sonto Redondo and Gripn, they fell in Kith the nut-posts of the enemy's advanced guard, consisting of about 4,000 infantry. and some squadrons of caialry, strongly posted on the heights above Grijon ; their front being cover s-<t by woods and broken grounds. The enemy's left.flank was turned by a movement .well executed by Major-General Murray, with Brigadier-General Langworth's brigade of the Hano verian Legion ; while the 16th Portnguese regiment of Briga dier-General Richard Stewart's brigade attacked their right, and the riflemen of the 95th, and the flank companies of the 4:ld, and std of the same brigade tinder Major Way, at tacked the infantry in the woods and villages in their center. These -ttacks soon obliged the enemy to give way; and the Hon. Brigadier-General Charles Stewart led two squadrons of the 16th and '2oth Dragoons, wider the command of Major Blake, in pursuit of the enemy, and destroyed many and took many . prisoners. Oil the night of the 11th the enemy crossed the Duero, and destroyed the bridge over that river. it was important, with a view to the operations of Marshal Beresford, that 1 should cross the Door° immaliateht; - and I had sent Major-Ge tter:it Murray in the moraing with a battalion of the Hanoverian legion, a !quadrat) of cavalry, and tarn six pounders, to endea vour to collect boats, and, if possible, to *cross the river at Ovintas, :shoat four miles above Oporto ; and I had as many Neat=asconld he collected brottcht to the tia ry, immediately above the towns of Oporto and Villa Nova. The ground on the right bank of the river at this ferry is protected and com manded lm the tire of cantata, placed on the height of the Sierra Convent at Viila Nova, and there appeared to he a good posi tion for our troops on the opposia, si ie of the river, till they should be co!I•aleil in sufficient netalwrs. The enemy tusk no notice of our collection of traits, or of the embarkation of the troops, tilt after the first ba.ttalian (the Buff-) were landed, and had taken np their in it i under the command of Lieut.-General Paget on opposite side of time river. They then commenced an attack upon them, x% ith a large body of cavalry, ittfautry and artillers., under the command of Marshal Soul t, which that corps most gallatWy sastaimal, till suaparte I, successively b , . ! th e .18th an d 66:h rt g l beioadi t.:! - to alajor-General Hill's hri,aide, and a Po rtuzatese battalion, and afterwards by the first Initial jou of detachments belonging: to Brigid lc r-ra!neral Richard Stewart's brigade. Lient.-General Paget was unfortunately wounded soon after the attack commenced, when the cowman:! of these gallant troops devolved upon Major-General Hifi. —Although the Ft each made repented attacks is twit them, they trade no impression, and at last Major-General. Murray having appeared on the enemy's left flank on his mareh nom 'shire he had crossed, and Lieut.-General aherbrouke, w.tu b.. , 351 this time had availed himself of the eneEny's weakness in the town of Oporto, and had crossed the Douro at the Ferry, be tween the towns of Villa Nova and Oporto, having appeared upon the right with the brigade of Guards, and the .1911), regi ment, the whole retired in the almost confusion towards Ama ranthe leaving behind them live pieces of cannon, eight ammuni tion tumbrils, and many prisoners. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded in this action has been very iarge, and they have left behind them in Oporto WO sick, and wounded. Brigadier-General the Hon. Charles Stewart t hen directed a charge by a squadron of the 14th Dragoons, under the command of Major Hervey, who made a successful attack ()a the enemy's rear-guard. In the different actions with the enemy, of which I have above given your Lordship an account, we have lost some, and the immediate services of other valuable officers and soldiers. In Lieut.-General Paget, among the letter, I have lost the assistance of a friend, Tho had been most useful to me in the few days which had elapsed since he joined the aria). Ile had ren dered a most important service at the moment he received his wound, in tuki:l4 up the pos.tion which the troops afterward; maintained, and in bearing the first brunt of the et.emy 's attack. Major Harvey also distinguished himself at the moment he received his wound in the charge of the cavalry mi this day. I cannot say too much in favour of the officers and troops. They have marched in four days over eighty miles of tnost ctidii cult country, have gained many important positions, and have engaged and defeated three different bodies of the enemy's tronpf. I beg particularly to draw :sour lordship's attention to the conduct of Lieutenant-General Paget, Majot-General Murray, Major-General Hill, Lieutenant -General Sherbrooke, Brigadier. General the Honourable. Charles Stuart. Lientenant-Colonel Delancey, Deputy Quarter-Master General, and Captain Mel iish, Assistant Adjutant-Genefal, for the assistance they re spectively rendered General-Stewart in the charge of the cavalry this day and on the 11th, Major Colin Campbell, Assistant-Ad jutant General, for the assistance he rendered Major-General Hill in the defence of his post, and Brigadier-Genet - al Stuart in the charge of the cavalry this day, and Brigade-IX jot . For.. dyce, Captain Corry and Captain Hill, for the assisaince they rendered General Hill. 1 have also to request your Lordship's attention to the con duct of the riflemen of the flank companies of the t.;9th. 43d, and &id regiments, under the command of Major Way of the _-9th, and that of the 16th Portuguese regiment, commanded live olo nel Machado, of which Lieutenant-Colonel Doyle is Lieu-tenant Colonel, and that of the brigade of the Hanoverian Legion, under the command of Brigadier-Gem - AA Latigworth, and that of the two squadrons of the 16th and t"Oth light dragoons, under the command of Major make of the 201 h, in the action of the llth ; and the conduct of the Buffs commanded by Lieutenant- Colonel Drummond, the 421 th, commanded by Colonel 141cl:- worth, and 66th, commanded by Major Murray w Ito vs ret w mold ed. and of the squadron of the 14th dr.:goons urder the command of Itlajnr Hervey, in the action of 'ilk day. I have received the greatest assistance from filo Adintant neral and Quarter-Master. General Coloeol Murray, and from all the officers belonging to ihoK. depai t mew.: reipectivel v through out the service, as well as from Lieut. Col. Bathurst and the officers of my personal Stoll; and 1 have every reason to be satki tied with the artillery am! officer' of ergireers. 1 send this dis patch - by Capt. Stanhope, w hem 1 heg to 1-4:commend to your Lordship's protection ; his brother the Hon. Major Stanhope was onfEirtanately wounded by a sabre whilst leading a charge of the 16th Light Dragoous, en the 101 h in: t. 1 il:Lvethe Honour to he. &c. (signed) A mils 1.7 a NV LLLESLIZY. Xame of ob7cer wounded. lion. 'Major Lincoln Stnitlinpe, of the lath Dragoons, slightly wounded in the shoulder. Abstract of killed, wounded, and InisPirg ia the army under th* comatonil of !dent. Urn. Sir /I rthur Welteidev, in the action on the Ileig kis of Gijon, un t;?c 11th Mny 1809. 19 killed, 0.3 wounded, 14 tnising.—Total 96. Names of gerers killed anti troondee. Itith Light Dragoor.s--Capt. S eatinau, wounded slightly ; To:likinson, severely. 1,.4. Hatt. Detachnieuls—('ript. Owens, ICtli Foot, wounded.; Lieut. Woodgate, 5 . 71.1 I'not, seierely uoutAlti• I St. tiltt. “rtotnt) I,r•gioN--41; j st. 3):iA:117;4, ed .Litle Corps .1 !,:;;'• ntli4ll - !Ai:IA - • THE NATIONAL REGISTER.