The National Register. — London, England, 1811-09-08 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL •LETTER FROM THE DUKE OF TARENTO TO HIS EXCEL LENCY THE MINISTER AT WAR. 44 Camp before Figueiras, Aug. 17, 1811. " MoNstroe Dux e—l have the honour to inform your Ex cellency, that the eff.c ive part of the garrison of Figueiras, to the number of 3500 men, last night unsuccessfully Attempted to make their escape.—This general sally took place on the side towards the plain, but the fire of our advanced posts havieg given notice of it. the enemy was received with so warm a fire of musketry, accompanied with shouts of Long live the Em peror and by Si, many shells' and chaiteshot, that he preci pitately retired in disorder to his ramparts; day-break disco vered to our view the field covered with dead, wounded, and shattered remains. From the account of several superior Of ficers taken this morning, their loss in wounded was numerous ; not a man was able to clear the first line of abattis ; and they had besides other obstacles to surmount before they could reach our beyonets.—For two days the Spaniards had been employed in breaking and destroying that which they could not carry off or burn ; the ovens were destroyed. They had distributed a double ration of brandy and three days' bread. Such is the ac count which his Excellency the Colonel-General has sent me this morning, at the same time begging to be authorised to take advantage of the confusi :n and terror which the above reception must have produced in the Spaniards, by summoning them to surrender at discretion , on pain of being put to the sword. Though I place little dependence on the success ct this sum mons, which would hasten, by some days, the surrender of the fortress, yet I have given him that authority. My advanced posts at Liers were attacked yesterday by the Miquelets: I or. ciered a general beating tip, which diseersed them all. It would appear that seven or 800 of these people were endeavouring to favour the evacuation of the fort. Every thing leads to a belief that the fall of Figueiras is near at hand. I have the honour, &c. (Signed) " The Marshal Duke of Taunt°, M‘DONAI.D." LETTER 11. " Camp before Figueiras, Aug: 19, 1811. ti M O NSIEUR Dux c—l have the satisfaction to inform your FxcelNicy, that the valour, the zeal, and perseverance of his Vaj.,:sty's army in Catalonia, have triumphed over the perfidy of the traitors who delivered the fortress of Figueiras to the enemy ; they arc in irons. That fortress is this day re-con qeered, and in the pesver of the Emperor. The Spanish - garrison having in vain attempted to escape in the night of the 16th, and with a loss of 400 men, has been forced to surrender at discretion, and the oily favour granted is saving their lives. It came out of the fortress this morning without arms, 3,5e0 in number, and 350 Officers, of whom the Field-Martial arti nez, several Generals of " Brigade, 80 superior Officers, &c.; it was marched in three columns towards Perpignan, where it will errive on the 21st and 22d. This garrison lost during the blockade more tan 2,00 men by our fire, or by a natural death ;-1,500 sick rem in in the hospitel, and there are two hteldred non-combatants, who shall he dismia:ed. The army of hit Majesty braved more than 60,030 cannon-shot, and two trillion rounds of musketry, without much loss: It has borne, with a constancy truly exemplary, labour, fatigue, and the in clemencies of the weather during a blockade of four months and nixie days; and since the 24th of July has spent 25 successive niehts eta!er arms. The works of the lines of countervaUation and circumvallation are immense; his Majesty will be able to judge of them, should he condescend to look at the plan whi c h I teansmit to your Excellency. The engineer department di rected'them with constant zeal and activity. The artillery de partment has been excellent, as it always is; the General of Di vision Tamil commands it: and General Kourrey erected and pointed all the batteries, some of which were boldly placed at Itss than 300 toises from the fortress. The brigades of the 37th of the line, of tl:e Sth light, 16th and 67th of the line, 32d light, 11th, 81st, 60th, 63d, those of the Imperial Gendarme rie and of the Westplialians, were the names of the corps which constantly worked there ; the first-mentioned were within niesket shot of the covered way; the 3d, and 23d light, also laboured a great deal.—These corps, under the orders of Generals Quesnel, Clement, Palmarole, I'lansonne, Lefebvre, Colonels Lamarque and Petit, formed the line of blockade, or relish): cod it every night. The squadron of the 20th and 29th Chasseurs, the squadron of the 24th dragoons, and the lanciers gendarmes, were also on horseback in part. In fine, a select reserve. consis:ing ut the foot gendarmerie, and of detachments from differeet cerps, commanded in turn by Generals Favier, Nourry, and Frost, and adjutant-Commandant Nivet, was Pined to support all the points that were threatened. His Excellency the Colonel was every where. He displayed very great acAtvity ; in genera: every One has perfectly done his duty. feel pleasthe in doing this justice to the army, in the hope OM the fsstwezor will deigu to cast a look of favour on these eAr.ai AIM „ 7\'..4...sty's army in Catalonia, hav of the traitors who delivered ti. enemy ; they arc in irons. 'llia qtered, and in the power of the En having in vain attempted tq esca and with a loss 4f 400 men, has discretion, and the odly fitvour came out of the fortress this mo number, and 350 Officers, of wh nez, several Generals of ” Brigad it was marched in three columns will arrive on the 21st and 22d. blockade more tan 2,00 men death ;-1,500 sick remain in rho hirldred non-combatants, who sl of hi; Majesty braved more than million rounds of musketry, with with a constancy truly exemplary clomencies of the weather during nine days; and since the 24th of niehts ent?er arms. The works o and circurnvallation are immense judge of them, should he condesi r. - ansmit to your Excellency. rected'them with constant zeal at part meat has been exce/lent, as i! viiion Tamil commands it: and pointed all the batteries, some o lts') than 300 toise', front the f 37th of the line, of tl:e Sth light, light, 11 th, 81st, COth, 63d, thus rie and of the Westplialians, v which constantly worked then within niesket shot of the cover , also laboured a great deal.—Th4 Generals Quesnel, Clement, Pa. Colonels Latnarque and Petit, fo reinfieced it every night. The Chaseurs, the squadron of the gendarmes, were also on horseb reserve. consis:ing of the foot get from differe:a corps, conimande )knirry, and Prost, and Adjut destined to support all the pun Excellency the Colonel was eve great activity ; in genera every feel vlr.s.ui e in doing this j Out the Uwe:or wlll deip to c • ST. brave men,—also begging your Excellency to Cause his Maj,•sty to remark, that' his army of Catalonia had nothing to do with the event which brought them under the walls of this place. I have just displayed the Imperial flag upon the walls ; it was sa luted by a hundred rounds of cannon this salute will be heard by the English ships on the coast, and the assemblages of in surgents at Olot; it will make known to them the re-capture of Figueiras, and the termination of the war in this part of Catalonia. " I have the honour, &c. " The Marshal Duke of 'Trento, M‘DONALD:' " P. S. Your Excellency's Aid-cle-Camp, the Chief of Batta lion Schneider, hearer of this dispatch, has shared in the fa tigues of the troops, passing whole nights in the trenches; he has seen the fort, the prisoners, and can give your Excellency all the information which you may think necessary." TRANSLATION OF A LETTER WRITTEN BY GENERAL JUAN ANTONIO MARTINEZ. COMMANDANT OF THE PORT OF SAN FERNANDO DE FIGUEIRAS, TO THE PRINCIPAL JUNTA OF THE PRINCIPALITY OF CA• TALONIA. 41 Ponte de Moulin, August 19. 46 MOST EXCELLCNT SEtiol,--After enduring more than four months blockade, without any relief on the past of the army, I have found myself under the necessity of surrendering the fort of San Fernando de Figueiras, from the total want of provisions. I have employed even the last resources; from our horses down to the lowest insect', all has been eaten up. On the night of the 16th, I attemp ed a sally at the point of the bayonet, with all the garrison; and in spite of the obstacles in which the line of circumvallation opposed, I myself reached the abattis, or trunks'of trees obstructing our passage, which could not be 1 effected, m consequence of the great strength of this impene trable line. In fine, I hive this day surrendered prisoner of war, with the garrison, which has been treated by the French with the generosity which characterizes that nation. (Signed) • " JOHN ANTONIO MARTINEZ." TURKEY. CONSTANTINOPIA, JULY 22.—The Sublime Porte has just published an official account of the success of the Turkish army upon the Danube—it is as follows: " All the world knows how many efforts the Sublime Porte has made to save and tear from the hands of the Russians, the enemies of the Mussulman faith, and the Ottoman Empire, the places, forts, and countries upon which they had seized. It accumulated this year larger means and made greater military preparations than in former ones; and if in the past year Bor nak Aga, Commandant of Rudschuck, was obliged to sur render that place, it was nut till after a siege of three mouths and a half, when provisions failed, and the garrison even then marched out with the honours of war, arms and baggage. Tha Grand Vizier has inspired the army with fresh courage, and all the true believers are animated with similar spirits and zeal. " They have delivered from the hands of the enemies all the places upon which they bad seized along the Danube, from Samne Rogazi to Silistria; and after that Silistria had been taken, through the general efforts of our warriors, it was projected to deliver Rudschuck from the hands of the enemy—our victorious army first marched to the village of Cazlllini near Rudschuck —it gave battle under the orders of his Excellency Ali Pasha, of Cars, commanding the advance of the army ; there the Rus sians, being completely beaten and routed, retired to Sauboes, placing themselves under shelter of the entrenchments which they have erected. Three day after his Excellency Veli Pasha, commandant of the right wing of the army, with other chiefs cx - firnanding tlie left wits, vigorously attacked the enemy. The blood of Russians run between seven and eight hours, when the enemy being no longer able to resist the courage and iti tri-pity a the true believers, proclaimed their defeat. Our victorious troops enriched themselves with the spoils of the enemy, who sought for safety within the walls of Rudschuck. " On the 4th of July, the Grand Vizier, with all the Chiefs and Pashas of the army, marched against the enemies of the faith. Although the bombs and bullets of the Russians str rounded our troops, they made them lose nothing of their cou rage and firmness. Three times they attacked the works, but their efforts failed before the fortifications of the place. Never theless the Russians feared being able to resist a tourth assault., which our troops were preparing to give, and evacuated the place in the night. 4 4 As soon as our troops were informed of the fligirt - of the enemy, they precipitated themselves into Rudschuek,' 4 lllthough General Kutusow, with forty thousand men, had passed the right bank of the Danube, and the Russians who were Zit Wid din, amounted to a considerable army. " Nevertheless with the assistance and aid of the Most High and the spiritual succour of the Yriace of claw Prokiwu, . 01 0 r