The National Register. — London, England, 1808-09-11 00:00:00

~N, 5O AN ACCOUNT OF THE BATTLE OF VIMIERA • MILTING AS AST IMPLANTATION TO TNT raArr. ill be an Hiportant era in our Illisto *.ve occurrences which not only ter , and annihilate the resources of the enemy in produce a decided superiority in the subse- If the stars. In this it bears a strong rescm- Marengo, Ulm, and Jena. It has haracter of the war. The French, ears in the habit of carrying fire of their enemies, and of subsisting will now be reduced to the ne , frontiers against an invading force. Sir Arthur Wellesley is so clear, ,westimption to add tiny thing to it. stands in a valley, through which runs back, and to the Westward and is a mountain, the western point of he eastern is separated by a deep . which passes the road which leads Northward, to Vimiera. The greater 2d, 3d, 4th, .sth, and Eth brigades 1, with eight pieces of artillery ; ing on the right ; Major-Gen. Fer one battalion on the heights, sepa in the eastern and southern side of entirely commanded, particularly on to the westward of the town, and in the neighbourhood to the South ich Brig.-Gen. Fame was posted with regiment, and Brig.-Gen. Anstruther a brigade of six-pounders and half The ground over which passes commanded the left of this height. - we of artillery were in the valley, the infantry stood; both flanking r-General Fane*s advanced guard. at eight o'clock in the morning, in our left upon the heights on .he road obvious that the attack would he I'd, and the left of our position ; ,on's brigade was immediately moved heights, on the road to Lottrinha, with was followed successively by Brig.- 1 brigade, and three pieces of ran d:tad with his brigade, and Briga his brigade. These troops were l 4's brigade in the first liner' 's in the second; and Brigadier.' .'s, in commits in the rear) on those: ton the valley which leads into Vl he other Ravine, which separates which terminates at the landing- Aese last-mentioned heights, the Por ' been in the bottom, near Vioniera, amid they were supported by .'s brigade. s attack began in several columns upon the whole . _ :troops on this height ; on the left they advanced, notwith- Standiug the fire of the riflemen, close to the both regiment, and were checked and driven back only by the bayonets of that Warps. The 24 battalion, 43d regiment, were likewise closely swaged with them in the road which leads into Vimiera ; a pieta that corps having been ordered into the church-yard to prevent them from penetrating into the town. On the right of she position they were repulsed by the bayonets of the 97th regi r eon. which corps was successfully supported by the 2d batta aze. regiment, which, by au advance in column, took the y in lank. Nearly at the same time the enemy's attack commenced upon the jtcights on the road to Lourialia. This attack was support ed by a large body of cavalry, and was made with the usual im petuosity of the French troops. It was received with steadineur by Major-General Ferguson's brigade, consisting of the 36th, 40th, and 71st regiments ; and these corps charged as soon as the enemy Approached them, who gave way, and they continued to advance upon him supported by the 82d, one of the corps of Brigadier-General Nighting ale ' s brigade, which, as the ground extended, afterwards form ed a part of the first line; by the 29th TgSzscot, and by Brigadier-General Bowes's and Ackland's hri vbile Brigtitlier-Generat Craufurd's Brigade, and_ tbs. . . • • • ' • • THE NATIONAL REGISTER. : - :.. SEPTEMBER 11. Portuguese troops, in two lines,. advanced along the h e i g h t on the left. In the advance of Myor-General Ferguson's brigad e six pieces of cannon were taken from the enemy, with many pri. soners, and vast numbers were killed and wounded. The enemy afterwards made an attempt to recover a part of his artillery by attacking the 71st and 82d regiments, which were halted in a valley in which it bad been taken. These re giments retired from the low grounds in the valley to the heights, where they halted, faced about, fired, and advanced upon the enemy, who had by that time arrived in the low ground, and they thus obliged him again to retire with great loss. In this action, in which the whole of the French force in Portugal was employed under the command of the Duke D'Abrantes in persist), in which the enemy was certainly supe rior in cavalry and artillery, and in which not more than half of the British army was actually engaged, he has sustained a signal defeat, and has lost 13 pieces of cannon, 23 ammunition waggons, with powder, shells, stores of all descriptions, and 20,000 rounds of musket ammunition. One general officer (Be niere) has been wounded and taken prisoner, and a great man) officers and soldiers have been killed, wounded, and taken. ANECDOTES RESPECTING THE CAMPAIGN IN PORTUGAL. In the battle of the 21st. the French had in the field about 15,900 men, of which 1200 were cavalry : this latter force by no means distinguished itself, not having once come to a charge in the course of the day ; but its position and numbers were for midable, and it contributed to keep a considerable body of the British troops in check, occupied by watching its movements. Their uniform was green. The Shrapnel' Shells (so called from their inventor, Colonel Shrapnel', of the artillery) in particular made dreadful havoc among the ranks of the French. They contained about 100 musket bullets, and ate calculated to ex plode at given distances, on which they instantly spread death and devastation around. What contributed materially to the defeat of the French, was the scientific manner in which the Commander in Chief met their attack. The French army ad vanced in three, large columns, in such a manner as to bring them alt to bear upon the British left and centre.—lnvariably as each advanced, independently of the resistance it met with ie the front, it was taken on each flank by the fire of corps ad vanccd for that purpose, by a small change in their position; by whiell means they lost a surprising number of men before they cool', put it to the issue of the bayonet, In no case did the French come to the resort of this latter weapou,.that they were not instantly broken, not standing its push au instant. The adVance of the enemy to the attack was impetuous, awl even furious. As they approached. they saluted the English with every oppruhrions rpithet in which their language is so eminently fertile. While, on the contrary, the latter, in deri sion, cheered them as they approached. Their dress was sin gular: it was blue, with white facings; over the whole of which was worts a white woollen surtout, somewhat like a waggoner's smock frock; their caps square, like those of the w !Watts; and goat skin knapsacks. Their musquetry was roughout formidable, particularly that of two Swh.s regiment , : in their service, who behaved most gallantly. Their Voltigeurs were, upon the syhole, good; but far inferior in activity and real service to the English riflemen. The proportion of forces in the field was greatly in favour of the English, but not so of those who were actually engaged. In short, the battle of Vi micra was decided by superior Generalship in the Leader, and superior bravery in the soldier—every manceuvre was practised in it which could arise out of the combined and various move ments of attack and defence—repeated change of position occur red on both sides. and the palm of victory was at length the, prize of him who best deserved to wear it, after a long and ar duous contest of nearly four hours. Respecting the Fiend' Generals engaged on that day, a few words may not he uninteresting. Of the personal conduct of J uno t, who commanded at the battle of Vimiera, little is known. His captured O ffi cers, and even those of high rank, spoke very slightly, and even of reprobation, of his manoeuvres during the action. General Loison is as little spoken of ; he has, howeyt..r, the reputation of being an able man. General Laborde d in guished himself at Roleia on the 17th, when the mountain pa were so ably contested with the Ettglish. His reputation is t hat of an experienced Officer, but he bears a most ferocious charac ter. General Breniere was also distinguished at the a trair . of Roleia. He thrice led the attack which proved so destrucuie to the 9th and 29th regiments of foot. and thus covered tliefitr:;-, treat of Laborde with the main bo d y of the army, and The Battle of Virisiera will be an ry. It is one of those decisive occur minute a campaign, and annihilate ti thatquarter, but produce a decided quest operations of the victors. In I blattee to the battles of Marengo, changed completely the character who had been for so many ) ears in and devastation into the states of thei their armies at their ex pence, will cosily of defending their own frontie The account transmitted by Sir A so judicious, that it would be presum The village of V imiera stands in the river Maceira ; at the back, NOthward of this village, is a um which touches the sea, and the east ra int from the heights. o‘er whirl' fr Lourinha and the Northward. of the infantry, the Ist, Yd, 3d w posted on this mountain, wit' M Gen. Hill's brigade being on 's on the left, having one bat laird from the mountain. On the town is a bill which is entirely its right, by the mountain to the coplamading all the ground in the t ward tied Eastward, on which Brig, hl4 riflemen, and the 30th regiment with his brigade, with half a brigt a brigade of nine-ponaders. The the read from Lourinha commaadei The cavalry and the reserve of a between the hills on which the it sail supporting Brigadier-General 1 The enemy first appeared at eigt lat bodiesof cavalry on our left I to; arinha; mad it was soon obvii made upon our advanced guard, as and Major-General Ferguson's bell across the Ravine to the heights, of th r oe pieces of cannon t he was fol CIOMM Nightingale with his briga anit brigadier-General Ackland diprrGesteral Bowes with his hi fottaed (Major-General Ferguson' Bitgadier-General Nightingale's in General Bowes's and Ackland's, in heights, with their right upon the miens ; and their left upon the of these heights from the range w hi< plate at Macceira. On these last tugaese troops which had been ii were posted in the first instance, Brigadier-General Craufurd's brig The enemy's attack began in sev of the troops on this height ; on tin 4, ~,~•. . • _ • On Ide of ich re- its, the tad in Ike PC - ialf d a ion and Be- an} Mut : by lrge. for- the !nts. rom ulat 'hey ex- eat!' the I the ad- 'ring ably th ie ad- ; by they the were and glish is so Jeri- ; sin- le of he a f the was nent ;;eurs } and Orces .0 of ' vi- , and tied nove- ccur- . l ) tile, ad ar• few 'et of lowa. very r ig the ever, It in* pas:cs is that ante- air of unite Ire re- after • I 1~