The National Register. — London, England, 1811-10-13 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER left Oporto on Wednesday the 2d inst. brings an account of a general engagement betwen Lord WELLINGTON and the Fieneh army on the 25th or 6th of September last, when the French were de feated with great loss, and driven six leagues from Oudad Rodrigo. The above was transmitted to a gentleman of respectability, a passenger in the above vessel, by Col. FAcAN, on the authority of Col. ,TRANT, Governor of Oporto." The General Advertiser adds the following very important one " ANOTHER AC7OUNT.—Captain WARD of the Briton, -rho left Oporto on Thursday the 3d inst. says—that he had the authority of the British Consul, to publish in his name, when he arrived in England, that Lard WELLINGTON had pined a victory over the French." This is a very material addition to the pre ceding ; and, as Mr. GORE, the Proprietor of the General Advertiser, being on the spot, had an opportunity of seeing Captain WARD, and ascer taining the fact, we take it for granted he would not have published the intelligence unle:s he had obtained the Captain's authority. We are aware it will be asked, why did not the Consul or Governor TRANr send a short dispatch ? A very natual ques tion this : and we should attach some weight to it, if we had not had so many instances of great news having been first brought from this very town of Oporto, and from Lisbon by private vessels and individuals. The following extract of a letter, derived from a most respectable source, alludes to the preparations made by MAamovr, previously to the 25th ult.:— " Head-quarters, Sango, Sept. 18, 1811. " The enemy, it appears, were about to throw into Ciudad Rodrigo a large supply of provisions two days ago. " MA RMONT has sent all his sick hack to Placentia. His head-quarters were removed to Talavera de la Beyna. He gave out 15 days rations of biscuit ; and announced to the army in general orders, that the y would be put in motion as this day. From • some forward movements on the part of ()lir army, it would appe,ir that Lord WELLINGTON does not intend that Ciudad Rodrigo should receive the sup plies without a fight for it." By the arrival of the Aim, Captain BOYD, which sailed from the Tagus on the Ist instant, we find that the rumour was not confined to Oporto, but had extended to a far greater distance, as it was then reported in Lis►bon, that a heavy battle had been fought with the 6th division of the army. The Captain has forward.fd the following letter to his owners : " The Downs, Oct. 10, 1811. G FNTLEMEN-I have just time to inform you of my arrival here. I sailed from Lisbon on the Ist inst. The day I sailed it was reported, that a heavy battle had been fought with the 6th division of the army. The packet was detained at Lisbon in consequence of the above report. (Signed) •4 JAMES BOYD." It is impossible that a rumour of this nature could have been fabricated at once at various points so dis. tant from each other, we must, therefore, conclude that it is founded in fact, and that the nest arrival will put us in possession of the details of an action, which, fought by. British soldiers, under the guid ance of Lord WELLINGTON, can have but added fresh laurels to the many wreaths which our tried Commander and heroic army have already won on the fields of the Peninsula. VICTORY OF GENERAL BALLASTEROS OVER A DWI.. SION OF TIIE ARMY OF MARSHAL SOULT. ~~ Dispatches were on Wednesday received at the Office Of the Earl of Liverpool, from the Lieut.. Governor of Gibraltar, dated the 27th ult. by which it appears, 66 that . General Ballasteros had arrived at Algesiras with liis division of troops, and had assumed the command in that quarter. He immediately marched upon Ximera ;. and hav ing employed a few days in collecting the Patriots. he commenced his operations on the 18th. His first movements were directed to Alcala de los Gon zales, where the French had made themselves mas ters of the cattle ; but Generrl Ballasteros succeed ed in dislodging the troops which occupied the town, and drove them hack to Chichina. In the mean time, Mg,lial Sault was -tdvancing with about 6000 men by the routes of Übrique and Villa Martin, apparently with the intention of occupying the whole of the coast from Cadiz to Gibraltar. How ever, a movement on the part of our squadron, and of the forces of Cadiz, had the immediate effect of checking his -advance. His left column,. consisting of about three thousand men, was then directed against General aillasteros, who fell back as they approached 'from Ximera to Gancin, but imme diately counter-marching, and returning with great rapidity to Ximera, he appears to have in some measure surprised the French division, and after a sharp action (in which the enemy's loss is repre sented to have been very severe) the Spaniards proved victorious, and drove the enemy in great confision back to Alcala." Of this important affair, the following additional particulars are given in a letter dated San Roque, Sept. 26 I hasten to impart to you the pleasing news of the defeat of the French, by General Ballasteros, which took place yesterday. Their division was 3000 strong, and had arrived at Ximera after seve ral marches and counter-marches, in which they had plundered and burnt Montajaque, Bona-agan, and El Bosque, petty towns or villages in the Ronda Mountains. Our General abandoned Ximera to them, and fell back upon Ga cin, but without en tering the town, he performed a counter-march, and reached Ximera at the time the enemy fincied him to be in ft4ll retreat, and were accordingly pre.