The National Register. — London, England, 1809-09-10 00:00:00

7S pushed his parties almost to the gates of Madrid, with which city he was in communication; and he would have been iu Fladrid, if I had not thou ht it proper to call in, in ex pectation of that general action which took place on the tZStit of ly. lie afterwards alarmed the enemy on the right of his army ; anti throughout the service, sheer ed himself to be an active mid intelli ent ,partizan, well acquainted with the country in r.iiich he was acting, and pobsesbing the confidence of the troops hic 11 he commanded. .Being persuaded that his retreat was not open by Arzo Bispo, be acted right •in taking the road he did, with which he was acquainted;well and although tmeiccessful in the actioa which he fought. (which may well he accounted for, by the superior numbers and description of the enemy's troops,) the action, in a opinion, does him great credit. 1 have the honour to he, &c, Plc. &c. &c. (Signed) ARTHUR W ELLEstare. Miranda de Castenar, Aug. 13, 1809- have the honour to acquaint you, that 1 was on march ;yesterday morning on the road of Grenadetia from Aldea Neuya. to `rettore my communication with the allied army, when a pea sant assured us, that considerable quantity of dust which we per ceived in the road of Plasencia, proceeded from the march of a tit dy or the enemy. 1 immediately returned and took post in front of 'Banos, with my pickets in advance of Aldea Neuva, selecting such points for defence as the exigency of the time . permitted. The enemy's cavalry advanced on the high road, and drove bark my small cavalry. posts; but a picket of Spanish infantry, which t had concealed, poured in on the cavalry a steady and well directed fire, that killed and wounded many of them. The two hundred Spanish infantry in advance of Aldea Netrya, continued, under the direction of Colonel Grant and their officers, to maintain their ground most gallantly, until the eitemy's cavalry and chasseurs a Cheval, in considerable betties, arpeared on both flanks, when they were obliged ta retreat. Tat enemy's chasseurs a Cheval and cavalry advanced in great min:hers in every direction, and pushed to cut off the legion post ed bet keen Aldea Neuvaaud Banos ; but by the steady conduct of ollicers and men, the enemy could only advance gradually, and ti it h 'a very severe loss from the commanding tire thrown on them% The Merida battalion, however, having given way on the tight, a road was laid open, which cut behind our position, turd I . was obliged to order a retreat on the heights above Banos, when I was again necessitated to detach a corps, in order to scour the road of Monte Major, by which I saw the enemy di recting a columa, and which road turned altogether the Puerto de Banos, a league in dui . rear. At this time, Don Carlos Mar quis de Estrafme came alt- with his battalion of light infantry, mitt • in lite must gallant mannar, took p os t a l ong t h e h e i g h ts, , commanding the road of Banos; which enabled me to send some of the Merida hattalian on the rannetain on our left, cammaad big the main road, and which the . 'enemy had tried' to ascend. The battalion of light infantry, the netaClement of the Legion on its right continued, not withstanding the enemy's fire of artil . lery'and Musketry, to maintain their ground ; lint, at six o'clock tit theevening, three ctilurnns of the enemy mounted the height Ott our left, gained .it, and poured such a fife on the troops that longer defence was impracticable, and the whole ivas obliged to retire on the mountains on our left, leaving open the . main road, ailing which considerable column of cavairy immediately poured. The battalion of Seville had been left at Bejar with orders to fallois me nest day, bululten 1 was obliged to return, and .the action cdmthenced, 1 ordered it to Puerto Banos, to watch the 'Monte Major road, and the heights in the rear of our left.— When the.ettemy'S cavalry came near, an officer and some dra plater Called out to the t ommanding officer to surrender, but a 10::.-4 hie:land his party, and then tie! battalion proceeded to rfinant the heights, in which movement it was attacked and surroiroded by - a 'column of cavalry and a column of infantrv, Gait Cut its way and 'cleared itself, killing a great many of the *Healy; brcially of bis cavalry. • The enemy is now passing to Salahlanir.with .0,4' expedition; I lament that I'could no 'Unger arresilift progress, hut, when the enormous superiority of the enemy's farce is Considered, and that we had no artillery, vett that the•Puetto . tte Banos on time E6tremaduran side, is not a uf each strength as on the side of Castille, ejpecially hoot gorls,'l !lope that Ha* rNistance Of nine hours, which must have the Ottemy air:eat Many•men, will nut be deemed inadequate to snit' meniff:' • I flat e irk *Ono wledie the services rendered me cm this te,etision i by ''Coti- Cram, Major Itfisnan, Don Fermen , Adjulitat- Nfojiir Of the drdgootts of Pavia, Captain 11;:riv. and ; and to express thegreatest approba• iwo-tr !no- comp:title, of the Merida battalion lidvaand is 11 • ;•! : 'l i e t l Ili • *lf it 4.. e• tt .t..• . SEPT. M. • front, and of mite commanding officer and soldiery of the batta lions of Seville. and the Portnguese brigade. I have already. noticed the distinguished conduct of Don Carlos, and his batta lion merits the highet encomiums. I have not yet been able to collect the returns of our loss. From the nature of mountain warfare, many men are missing who cannot join for a day or two, but I believe the enemy a ill only have to boast that he has aichieved his passage, and his killed and mounded will he great diminution of his victory.--1 have the honour to he, &e. Sir A. Wellesley, &c. &c. &c. ROBERT WILSON: Truaillo, Aug. 21, 1609. General Cnesta moved his headquarters from the neighbour hood of the brid, eof Arcobispo on the night of the 7th instant, to Peraleca de Harbin, leaving an advanced guard, con.-isting of two di v isions-af infantry, and the Duke D'Alburquerque's divi sion of cavalry, Nr the defence of the passage of the Tagus at this point. Ilse French cavalry passed the Tagus at a ford stn. niediately above the bridge, at half-past one in the afternoon of_ the Bth, and surprised this advanced guard, which retired. leav ing behind them ail their cannon, as aell as those in the bat. aeries constructed for the defence of the bridge. The General then moved his head-quarters to the Mesa d'lbor on the even ing of the Bth, having his advanced at Bohoral. Ile resigned the command of the army on the 12th, (on account of the had state of his health,) which has devolved. upon General Equia. The head-quarters of the Spanish army are now at I)eleytosa. It appears that a detachment of Vanegas's army had some success against the enemy, in an attack made upon it in the neighbourhood of Aranjuez, on the sth iostant. General Vanegas was then at Chaim, and he had deter. mined to retire towards the Sierra Morrena ; and after the sth, he had moved in that direction. he returned however towards Toledo, with an intention of attacking the enemy on the 12th, but on the 1 1 th the enemy attacked him with Sebastiani's Carps, and two of Victor's in the neighbourhood of Almora cid. The action appears to have lasted some hours, but the French having at lna gained an advantage on General Vanegas's left, he was obliged to retire, and was about to resume his posi tion, in the Sierra Morena. On the 9th, 10th, and 11th, targe detachments of the French trooi:s which had conic (rein Pla sentia, returned to that quarter, and on the 12th, they al tacked and defeated Sir Robert Wilson in the Puerto de Banos, on their return to Salamanca. I rap pears now that the French force in this part of Spain i 5 distributed as follows ; Marshal Victor's corps is divided between Talavera and La, Mancha ; Sebasti ani sis in La Mancha : Marshal alortier's at Oropesa, Arzosi bispo, and Navalmoral ; Marshal Soult's at Plasencia ; and Marshal Ney's at Salamanca. Distress for want of provisions, and its edects, have .at last obliged me to move towards the frontiers of Portugal, in order to refresh my troops. In my for mer dispatches 1 have informed your Lordship of our distress for the want of provisions and the means of transports. Those wants, which were the first cause of the loss of many advantages after the 22d of 3 uly, which were made. known to the Govern ment, and were actually known to them on the 20th of 'last month, still exist in an aggravated degree, and under these cir cuiustances I determined to break up on the 20th .from Jaraiceje where I had had my Ileadsquariers since the nth, with the advanced posts on the Tagus, near the bridge of A Imaritz, and to fall back upon the frontier of Portugal, where 1. hope I shall lsesupplied withevery thing I want.. • —mow— Admiralty-Office, Sept. 9., NM. A Letter has been receiVed at this Office by the Hon. Wm,. Wellesley Pole from Vice-Admiral Lord Collingwood, dated on board the Ville de Paris of Toulon, the 214 June last, trans, taittin ,, two letters from Captain Stewart, of his Majesty's shill Sea-lrorse, and one from Captain `.lazwell. of his' 3lajesty's ship Aleeste, detailing their proceedings on the coast of Italy.-- Captain Stewart reports the destruction of the enemy's forts on the small islands of Giannti and Pianoso, in Which services great gallantry appears to have been displayed by the officers and men who were employed under the directions of Lieutenants Bennett and Pearse, of the Sea-Horse and Haleyon. About one hundred of the enemy were made prisoners.. One' private marine of th# Sea-Horse only was kilted, and another wounded. Captain Maxwell states the desttuction of two gun-boats a t Terrarina, by the Alceste and Cyane ; the bringing-Off frosts a depot of timber on the coast as much Wood as tOe two ships could curry'. and . the demolition of three strung blartcll6 towers by a curry''; of seamen and tphrines, coasmaudect by Captain Staines, of the Cyane, whdAisplayed equal juagniciAS uud rtholutieu vo the 'occasioa. ' Whilst the . ships were miting :4 •%! -i•••• • • g i! '•• • •1 • • •••• . '4i • • t•: -! • • :N. THE NATIONAL REGISTER.