The National Register. — London, England, 1812-04-05 00:00:00

APRIL 5. The enemy who used to reproach our brave and skil ful commander in the Peninsula with acting always on the defensive, have already found cause to lament that he should have altered his plan. They urged our forbear ance as a proof of our weakness, and endeavoured to im press on our Spanish allies the belief that we were either unable, or unwilling, to yield them any effective assist ance. The capture of Ciudad Rodrigo had already re futed these misrepresentations, and the important opera tion now undertaken by his Lordship in person, is another pledge of his ability to act offensively. Fle commenced by clearing Portugal of its invaders, and had no sooner secui - ed that kingdom from inoult and outrage, by repel ling every attempt made upon its frontiers, and depriving the enemy of the threatening post they occupied at Ciudad Rodrigo, than he directed all his views and his power to the liberation of Spain. For this purpose, he has now commenced the siege of Badajoz, and having collected 211 his force in the South, invites the French to a general bat tle, which they cannot refuse without occasioning the fall of that city, and the probable recovery of the whole of Estremadura and Andalusia to the lawful Sovereign. His Lordship does not profit by the division of their forces. He dares them to the field in their plenitude of combined sit cngth ; and whilst his artillery thunders against the wrlls of liadajoz, two divisions of his army, commanded the one by the Hero of Barrosa, the other by the Conque ror of GHin RD, penetrate deep into Estremadura, and hull defiance to the tardy foe. On Wednesday last, dispatches were received from Lord NVELLINctoN, dated March 20, and brought an account of the first proceeding of the siege, and of the advantages already gained. The following summary of their con tents has been circulated in the Government Offices in the shape of an oflicial bulletin. The dispatches them selves will be found in another part of our paper. WAR DEPARTMFNT, APRIL I. Diqmtches have been received from the Earl of WELLINGTON, dated the 20th of March. _ _ _ " His Lordship inveJted Badajoz on the 16th, and broke ground on the following day, forming his first parallel within 200 yards of the outworks, called La Picurina. Lord WELLINGTON conducts the siege in person, with the 3d, 4th, and light divisions upon the left of the river. " Sir Tv ost AS GRA HAM crossed the Guadiana on the 16th, with three divisions of infantry and two brigades of cavalry, and marched upon Santa Martha and Valverde, while Sir Rowta ND HILL, with two di visions and a brigade of cavalry, moved upon Merida, where he made some prisoners. These movements induced General DROUET to retreat from Villa Franca to Homaclv , s, to preserve his communication with Gen DANI CAN'S division , St ttiuned at l Arena. " Upon the Ilth, a sortie was attempted ty the garrison of Badajoz. Two thousand men pushed out against the.riEht flank of our work, but were immediately driven in with considerable loss, by Major-General w " lu this atnir General Pre. - rois's Aide-de-Camp, Captain Cv belt r, was killed, and Lieutenant-Colonel Ft.r..ecuElt slightly wound ed. Since the commencement of the operations, the• loss of the allies has been a►.nut 150 killed or wounded. " There was no general movement of the enemy upon the side of Ciudad Rodrigo, so late as the 17th March, but two of the three divi sions of MARMON r's army, which had been upon the Tagus, had moved through the mountains in the direction of Valladolid. The rains had been very heavy fur the last three 04) Whilst the operations of the siege have so fortunately commenced, the motions of the French are so irregular and complicated, that it is impossible clearly to ascertain what is their intention. It is naturally supposed, that they will unite all the troops they can draw from the other parts of Spain, and make a grand effort to relieve Badajoz ; but it is evident that they will lose so much time in marches and counter-marches, that it is probable the for tress may have surrendered before ,they attempt to effect their purpose. Those varicu* movements are,. perhaps, THE NATIONAL REGISTER. made to conceal the reported an ival of SUCHET with the army of Valencia, in order that they may surprise and terrify us at once by the magn'tude of their force. Such an effect, however, it is not in their power to produce, and even were they to bring the troops which are men tioned, and to appear suddenly before us with 65,000 men, they would find the allied army but little inferior in numbers, in discipline and skill their equal, and their superior in confidence and enthusiastic bravery. The following statement, taken from the official returns last received, will show the exact force now under the corn. mand of Lord WELLINGTON :•—• Aggregate of British force serving now in Portugal • • Ot these there arc in garrison, in command, sick, wounded, and convalescent, &c. . . . . . 56,000 22,000 Which leave a total British force effective in the field of . The total amount of the Vortuguese regular force, according to . official returns, is . . . . Of these there are in garrison, in command, sick, wounded, and convalescent, &c. . . . 56,000 32.000 Which leave a total Portuguese force, effective in the field, of 24,000 To this list we must add 2,000 British and Portuguese artillery, and we shall find that his Lordship is now at the head of an experienced, brave, and well.affectioned army of - 60,000 men, fully equal to the task of defeating the enemy. Our greatest apprehension is, lest conscious of the fatal, and, perhaps, irremediable consequences that would flow from their defeat, the French will not give us an opportunity of trying their courage in the field. The following are the most interesting private letters that have been received from the besieging army : Camp before badajoz, Marc h 20. " We were before nightfall on the 17th in the trenches, about 200 yards from the enemy's works, and had completed our first parallel, and began the second. Rapid work this. The enemy kept up all the 17th a heavy fire upon us, which did us however but little damage, and occasioned no interruption at all in carrying on the work. We had not more than forty men killed or wounded in the !; - eneh, as small a number as possible, considering the nature el the work and our conti guity to the enemy's battery. The Mb ' we proceeded on our second parallel, but not so rapidly as on the 'lay befor e, a heavy rain setting m which continued the whole day. I suppose the enemy thought ot.r works would be damaged by it, and our ardour damped; for on the 19th we observed them, first mike some signals and a con siderable bustle in that part of the town nearest our left Bank. —This was to deceive us into an idea of an attack being medi tated upon that part of our parallel ; but it did not throw us off our guard on our right flank. We were prepared to receive them on either side, and the weather, which had been hazy as well as rainy, just then clearing up, we observed a column pushing out upon oar right—" They are coming," and have at them was the exclamation of our gallant fel lows, who longed for the attack, and wedasheo at them in good style. They did not like as at all, and if the Goveroor saw the manner in which they were received, I think he wont rank another sortie. I het.r that the French, if they draw North and South, and join, can bring about 65,000 men against us. We can twister about 60,000, and I suppose we shall not decline a general battle." " Lisbon, March 24, Mt " Lord WCT.LINGTON, we now understand, is determined to act on the offensive. General lint, with his divi,ion, has pushed as far as Almarez, near which place, it is understood, M ARNOW! . means to co:- lect his force. Gen. GR AHAM, with his diVition, has crossed the Gua diana, and taken up a position a little to the Southward of Gen. HILL, to support him if necessary. The Portuguese regiment of Algarve, in the ceremony of crossing the Guadiana, the bridges not being quite ready, rather than wait, swam across, and volunteered to lead their brave associates on every aml any enterprize against the enemy. • Col. TRAN . r has entered Spain to the Northward with 5000 Portu guese Militia, those joined by the Spaniards in that part,will prevent the French from sending many troops to the South." - - 44 CAMP BEFoItE BADAJOZ, 21S1' MARCH ONE DAY LATER THAN THE DIsPATCH Es). Tit; Earl of WELLINGTON asrAye:d_ar„, Eivas on the 12th.—On St. Patrick's-day, this auspicious day, the ground was broke, and firing com menced. On that ki:ly the Commander in Chief of the British,the Com mander in Chief of the Portuguese, as well as many of the leaders, and a great proportion of the gallant army, being sons of Erin, opened on the French. 1‘ The weather was unfavourahle,.and the siege ii likely to I.e protract ed. The enemy has spated neither art uor skill tern,ilder it a strong great work; and it is gurrissoiried by' nearly lOW eickediroops. • r . ' • i • : SIEGE OF BADAJOZ. 215 F