The National Register. — London, England, 1812-04-26 00:00:00

APRIL 26. directed, and act the example of gallantry which was so well followed hi their men. Marshal Sir William Beresford assisted me in conducting the details of this siege, and I am much indebted to hint for the cordial assistance which I received from him, as well during its progress, as in the last operation, which brought it to a termination. 'fhe duties in the trenches were conducted successively by the Hon. Major-General Colville, Major-General Bowes, and iMajor-General K e nt, under the superintendance of Lieut.-General Picton. I have had occasion to mention all these Officers during the course of the ope rations, and they all distinguished themselves, and were all wounded in the assault. I urn particularly obliged to Lieut.-General Picton, for the manner in which he arranged the attack of the castle, and for that in which he supported the attack, and established his troops in that im p ,rtant post. I.teutenant-General Leith's arrangements for the false attack upon the Pardeleras, and that under Major-General Walker, were likewise most judicious, and he availed himself of the circumstances of the mo nte:it, to push forward and support the attack under Major-General Walker in a manner highly creditable to him. The gallantry and con duct of Walker, Walker, who was also wounded, and that of the officers and troops under his command, were highly conspicuous. l'he arrangements made by Major-General, Colvi ll e, for the aitackihy the 4th division, were very judicious, and hei led them to the attack in the most gallant manner. In consequence of the absence, on account of sickness, of Major. Ccneral Vandeleur and Colonel lleckwith,Lieutenant-Colonel Barnard cumnianded the light division in the assulti f and distinguished him self, not lest by the manner in which he made the arrangements Ifor that operation, than by his personal gallantry hi its execution. I have also to mention Major-General Harvey, of the Portuguese ser vice, commanding a brigade in the 4th division, and Brigadier-Gene ral Champlemond, commanding the Portuguese brigade in the 3d divi sion, as highly distinguished; Brigadier-General Harvey was wounded in the storm. Your Lordship will see, in the list of killed and wounded, a list of the commanding officers of regiments. In Lieutenant-Colonel MiLeod, of the 43d regiment,who was killed in the breach, his Majesty has sus tained the loss of an officer who was an ornament to his profei;sion, and was capable of rendering the most important services to bis country. I must likewise mention Lieutenant-Colonel Gibbs of the .57th regiment, who was wounded, and Major O'Hare of the 9.5:h, unfortunately killed in the breach ; Lieutenant-Colonel Elder of the 3d, and Major Algeo of the Ist Cacadores ; Lieutenant-Colonel Harcourt, of the 40th, like wise wounded, was highly distinguished ; and Lieutenant-Colonel Blake ney of the royal fusileers ; Knight of the 27th; Erskine of the 48th ; and Captain Leaky, who commanded the 23d regiment, Lieutenant-Co lonel Ellis having been wounded during the previous operations of the siege. fn the sth division I must mention Major Hill, of the Rth Cacadores, who directed the false attack upon the fort Parde:eras. It was impossi ble for any men to behave better than these did. I must likewise men tion Lieutenant-Colonel Brook of the 4th regiment, the Honourable lieutenant-Colonel Carlton of the 44th, and Lieutenant-Colonel Grey of the 3)th, wbo was unfortunately killed. The 2nd battalion of the 38th under Lieutenant—Colonel Nugent, and the 15th Portuguese regiment under Colonel de Regoa, likewise performed their part in a very ex emplary manner. The officers and troops in the 3d division have distinguished them selves as usual in these operations. Lieutenant-General Picton has re ported to me particularly the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel Williams of the 60th, Lieutenant-Colonel Ridge of the sth, who was unfortunately killed in the assault of the castle, Lieutenant-Colonel Forbes of the 45th regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Fitzgerald of the bOth, Lieutenant—Colo nds 'French and Manners of the 74th regiment, Major Carr of the 83d, and the Honourable Major Pakenham, Assistant Adjutant-General to the 8d division. • He has likewise particularly reported the good conduct of Colonel Campbell, of the 94th, commanding the honourable Major-General Ceiville's brigade during his absence In command of the 4th division, whose conduct I have so frequently had occasion to report to your Lordship. 'The officers and men of the corps of engineers and artillery were equally distinguished during the operations of the siege, and in its tloe. Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher continued to direct the works (not withs!anding that he was wounded in the sortie made by the enemy on the 19:h March), which were carried on by Major Squire and Major Burgoyne, under his directions. The former established the detach ments under Major Wilson in the ravelin of St. Rrque on the night of the storm; th e l atter atten d e d t h e attac k o f t h e 3 d d iv i s i on on t h e cast l e . l •lare likewise to report the good conduct of Major Jones, Captain Nl clv.,!:is and Captain Williams of the royal engineers. Major Dickson conducted the details of the artillery service daring ~ siege, as well as upon former occasions, tinder the general super intend:ince of Lieutenant-Colonel Framingham, who, since the absence f Majw-General Borthwick, has commanded tie. artillery with this arnly. I cann ot su ffi c i ent l y app l au d the officers and soldi( rs of the Bri tl3c aad P or t uguese artillery during this siege, particularly Lieutenant ,,;:ri Rohe, who opened the breaching batteries, Majors May and ,: r ' l "mibe, Captain Gardiner and Lieutenant Bouchier, of the royal ar . " , :r . Y; Captain De Ret:ht rg, of the King's German artillery; and Ma- J''; luilOh a of the Portuguese. 231) Adverting to the extent of the details of the ordnance department during this siege, to the difficulty of weather, &c. with which Major- Dickson had to contend, I must mention him most particularly to your Lordship. The officers of the Adjutant and Quarter-Master-General's depart ments rendered me every asssist nce on this occasion, as well as those of my personal staff; and I h:.ve to add, that I have received reports from the general officers commar.ding divisions, of the assistance they received from the officers of those departments attached to them, the greater number of whom, and of the:r personal staff, are wounded. In a former dispatch I reported to your Lordship the difficulties with which I had to contend, in consevence of the failure of the civil au thorities of the province of Alentejo to perform their duty, and supply the army with means of transport; these difficulties have continued to exist; but I must also do General Victoria, the Governor of Elvas, the justice to report, that he, and the troops under his command, have made every exertion, and have done every thing In their power to contribute to our success. Marshal Soult left Seville on the Ist instant, with all the troops which he could collect in Andalusia; and he was in communication with the troops which had retired from Estremadura, under General Drouet, on the 3d, and he arrived at Llerenn on the 4th. I had inten ded to collect the army in proportion as Marshal Soult should advance; and I requested Lieutenant-General Sir Thomas Graham to retire gra duafly, while Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill should do the same front DO.I Benito, and the upper parts of the Guadiana. I do not think it certain that Marshal Soult has made any decided movement from Llerena since the 4th, .:Ithough he has patroled for ward with small detachments of cavalry, and the advanced guard of his infantry have been at Usagre. None of the Army of Portugal have moved to join him. According to the last reports which I have received to the 4th instant on the frontiers of Castile, it appears that Marshal Marmont had esta blished a body of troops between the Agueda and the Coa, and he had reconnoitered Almeida on the 3d. Brigadier-General Trant's division of militia had arrived oit the Coa, and Brigadier-General Wilson's divi sion was following with the cavalry, and Lieutenant-General the Conde D'Amarante was on his march, with a part of the corrs under his com mand, to-wards the Douro. I have the honour to enclose returns of the killed and wounded front the 31st of March, and in the aassauic of lial.joz, and return of the ordnance, small arms, and ammunition found in the pioce; I will send returns of the provisions in the place by the next dispatch. This dispatch will be delivered to your L..rd , ,hip by my Aide-de. Camp, Captain Canning; whom I beg leave t., recommend to your protection. He has likesvi‘e the colours of the garrison and the colours o f the liesse D'Armstadt's regiment, to be laid at the feet of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent. 'fhe French battalions in the garrisons had no eagles. (Signed) WELLINGTON. THE NATIONAL REGISTER. Copy of a Dispatch from the Earl of Wellington, dated, Camp at Badajoz, April 8. Ms LORD—It gives me great pleasure to inform your Lordship that our numerous wounded officers and soldiers are cluing well. I have 11.16 1;r , at reas..n to be satisfied with the attention paid to theft( by Mr. M‘Gretior, the ln.pertor.Gen!ral of Hospitals, and the medical gentlemen under nis direction, and I trust that the loss to the f.crv:ce, upon this eccaAon, will not eventually be i; at. I have the honour to he, &c. The Earl of Liverpool, &c. WELLING TON. Return of Killed, Wounded, and 11 , 11s.sidg of the Army under the Com mand a/ his Excellency General 'Arthur, Earl of Wellington, at the siege of Badrjlx. Total British loss-51 Officers, 40 serjeants, 560 rank and file. killed ; 213 OfficerA, 153 serjeants. 12 drutn:!.er,, 1f.;71 rank and file, woul,ded; 1 serjeant, 21 rank .o:d file, missing. 'Total Portuguese 9 otlicets, 6 serjeants, 1 drummer, 149 rank and file, Ic!11:.1; 32 se! jeant., 3 crumr.;:r.i, 478 rank a d tile, wounded ; 30 rank and !iic, Grand total, Baltiqi an•l Portu:;uese, from March to 7th April, 1812, inclusive-72 officers, 51 st ,:li.nn.l , rs, 910 rank ..1,1 killed ; 306 officers, 216 serj.-ants, 17 u 3,`..:43 rank alit:, tile, wounded; 1 serjeant, 62 rank .ud fire, on , -1 , g. Names (film Ulcers killed and ir•ntivid at ti!: Badajofs, from 3!:! KILLtn.-4.5th Foot, Licute:iant Artillery, Capt. Antonio Vellez Carr( ir.).-2t, . to I4lajor-Gtnt..,l - Artillery, 1 •t:euni.—Royal En.tineers, Lietstenants 'Ph 1 - oot, Captain Belifiglieln, ut. jol Batt. 7th, I‘la . j. , r ti.ni•Lr, •• • ,itik\ i is I .iews. ray, J'il.e. —lst Batr. 1"2,1, Ca I sit -•.- ••!i, t Jones, I..it:littratit, Sin:cor, ~.r . • . Evans-11t 4'411, I..it •r7c..i.u.r, A a;!, • •:,•,!1.,. , 4;t. 43 !,I,it.utc,:t: - .:-L01 . )ni•I .` a •cl, ar , t •t , • 13att. k i. 4r7 ' (An Herrick, !•': • • r, Lieu Is • R 0;. ~ Batt. 83d, Captain ' L.t• ant Alanstiell,Lieuttrian,.