The National Register. — London, England, 1812-12-06 00:00:00

TILE NA'FIONA rGisTEn. treat on our part necessary, for the purpo:.e of concentrating our fbrees, but at the same time vointz• out the advantages which the very exertions of the FR itch to compel us to fail back have produced to the cause of one half of whose provinces have thus been liberated flout the oppre,:ion of the invaders. These sentiments we were the first to express and whil , t some of our political prophets announced no thing but impending ruin, at u their sanguine opponents, carried away by a contrary feeling, thought the re-occupa tion of Madrid by the enemy impossible, we did not allow unfounded fears or hopes to bias our judgment, but assured our readers that prudence required the evacuation of the Spanish capital, and that our Commander was too expert in war not to effect his retreat safely, before the immense supe riority of force by which he was menaced. We are now dispos ed to go still farther. We think that it would be conducive to the success of the war, that our army should retire within its lines at Torres Vedras, provided it should be followed there, by that of the enemy. For, in that case, the French force remaining in Spain would be so inconsiderable, and so divided, as to be easily conquered by the Guerillas joined to the Spanish regular corps still existing. The host that would have entered Portugal, during the sterility cf winter, when the harvest has been reaped and secured, would thus be cut oil' from all communications with Spain and France, and would either starve before our inn-ctch ments, or would have to retreat from Santarem to the Pvie nees, pursued by our refreshed and encreased numbers, and attacked on all sides, no longer by Guerillas, but by regu lar Portuguese and Spanish armies. In such a case Soul, is campaign might prove as unfortunate as that of his Emperor, and the total liberation of the Peninsula might be the resuq of that very retreat which has filled some of our politicians with such groundless alarm. FOREIGN IN7'ELLIG ENCF. TWENTY MGM!' BULLETIN'. - - 53tor.mtcn, Nov. IL-jibe Imperial head-quarters were, on the I st November, at Viastnit, and en the 9th at Smolensk°. The weather was very fine up to the tith, but on the 7th winter began. The ground is covered with snow, the roath have become very slippery, and very difficult for carriage horses. Wc have lost many tuen ity cold and fa tigue ; and night bivonacings are very injurious U. the m . Since the battle of Maledaroslawitz, the advanced-!tard has seen no ether enemy than the Cossacks, who, like the Arabs, hover upon the flanks, and fly about to annoy. On the '24, at two in the afternoon, 1.2,000 Russien infoury, covered by • cloud of Cossacks, intercepted the communication a iew leagues • distance from between the Prince of Eckundil and the Vice roy. The Prince of Eclimuld and the Viceroy marched njloll this column, drove it from the road, and overthrew it in the wood ; took a Major-Gener $l, with a good number of prisoners, and carried off six pieces of cannon; since that time, we have not again seen the Russian tatantry, but only Cossacks. Since the bad weather front the tith, we have lost more than 3,000 carriage horses, and !wady 100 of our caiss-)ns have been cl,!stroyed. Cseneral Wittgenstein having been reinforced by the Russian di visions from Finland, and by a great nnatber of troops front the militia, attacked, MI the 13th Ikt. Marshal Gonvion St. Cyr, he was repulsed by that .Marshal and Coen. I .Vrede, who took more than '3,000 prisoners, and covered the field of battle with his dead. Ott the VIM h, nashal trionvion St. Cyr having ha eu intOrmell that Marshal the Duke of Beduin', with the 9th corps was marching to re inforce him, mt-passed the Dwina, and march( d to meet him, in order, on baving effected a junction with hint, to tight Witt:::enstein, and oblige him to re-pass the Owns. Marshal Gouvion St. Lyr bestow-es the Inghest eulogiums The Sw' colonel G• %Alatsbul St, sa-g boict tltri bravery. was wwitided. .Alavylial 1.)41.t of DEC.(; arrived to repiace hi.u, uud le-taken the cornarti:d ti e The- health of the E•operor hos nevtr been better.— Pronits:::,, No:. OFFICIAL RUSSIAN BULLETINS. AUM IRA LTY OFFICE, DEC. 4, 1812. Rear-Ad:a. Hope has transmitted to Mr. Croker the following tra!s lati,:n of two Russian Bulletins, dated St. Petersburgh, 9th real 1 Itrt of November, t.q,:etl.er with an Extract of a Letter received at Ci'a tenburgh, front his ExeelleLev Count Rosin Governer of that place, (fated Stockholm, Nov. 19. The Bear-Admiral had not received apy count. ofliciaNy. Rear-Admiral Hope also acquaints Mr. Croker, under date of tie 24th of November, dill the wit:At! Rus.tan fleet, of about 9.0 sail of the line, had passed the Belt in sal..ty, and Captain Drury, the be:.rer of the dispatches, reports that they were standing into Hawke Ito.aii when he sai!ed. ST. Purtasaunc Ir. Nov. 9 —General Wittgenstein reports to his Illaiesty Oct. 31 : " After our entrance into Polotsk, the enemy has suffered much by the fortunate operations of Count Steichell's corps. The loss , f the en.- my at the battle of Polotsk, and during their retreat to Lepel, aniouos in prisoners to 11:11 st.a ff . officers, (among whom are five Col. nels) ("1000 privates; nine pieces (.1 canrint, the whole baggage belonging to the Bavarian rcgiment, 90 powder waggons, and great nuirib:r gun carriages the guns being thrown into the river by the enviny. " Their loss in killed must have been immense, as not only the frt.l of battle, but even the whole road is covered with dead bodies, so this coil's of the enemy is entirely destroyed ; b?sides, this had firctl Victor with his corps to separate limn the grand army. They have left Smolensk by forced marches, and joined the weak remains of St. Cyr's mint., which is commanded by General Le Grand ; St. Cyr having (,;:;: to %Vilna on ace tinht of wounds. " Sr. PUTLIt s u nen, Nov. I:l.—After Moscow was rcti!ken by the Russians, under General Winzing , tode'.s command, NaiWcon moved Iris whole army on the road to Kaluto , a, against Borowsk, thinkaz, is proved by letters found un a_Courier taken prist,ner, to force 11 . 10 belt into tile most fruitful nrovinces. .General Kutousoff entirely counteracted this plan, by a scrim], at which took place on thi.: _`-left October at Alalovaroskavitz ; this little town was taken and re-t:then eight different tiwes ; thg French were obliged to rem at with the loss of 10 pieces of earaam. " Napoleon then gave up his plan, 101 the array, r.nd 10(11, th tidri to Smolensk, tiler he hail given orders tor the wh..le army to fello , v in.t!.te same road. To conceal us much as possible this his rerretY, he ordered one c o rps to march to M‘dyite, as if he bad intended to mart!' round the Russian left wins ; this time, Ur! guards, with tt:g greatest)) ;rt el the army. marched towards Mojaisk. " As soon as General Kulousoff was apprized of this, he broke up with his whole at my, and t6llowed the enemy. " Russian advanced-guard under' Plattiw, overtook live riench army on the Ist November, near Kulotsk, not far from Borodino, :aid to9k from them two colours, and .2.1 peices of cannon. "The 3tl Nov. Gen. Mt loradowitesk, supported by Platow, several French corps near Viasina commanded by the Vice-Kinv, ot l)avoust, and Ney : these corps were completely oefeated, iirld . l "St colour, five cannon, and t , OOO prisoners, alitoogq Stliont Cite. lien. The whole road to :Alojai , k covered with a mount:twit 1v , •• gulls and dead hors::a. The. Irene!' army retreats daily upwards A ersts, Tschetcliakolf's advanced-guard, under Genet . Tch7P' litz, entered Sluni:o ou the "Ist October, anti twit: Lieuet al lianopl,o, with the tvliolc of t h e tlaree Lhllu regiments of guard', prisoners. OIL Teliertiist , off, with a detached curls,, had advanced near NV:trsaw• corps, belonging to Gen. %Vritgenstein's army, has Piaci Wi;e1) : '• EXTRACT OF A LETTEIt FROM COI7NT ROSEN, DAILD f•mol.l.l4sS, NOV. " Ttvo Messengers arrived to-nii.Tirt frosts Russia. Wittgensteia totally destioyed Victor and St. Cyr's armies, and is now near S.;;(:. lensk. NVhen Ilitoriaparte left Nltiscow*, he ordaed Maria to allacti General Ilenningsen, Ina he was driven back. Iltron”p site thin tacked Kiitusotf in person, with great deiperarion, near 1\ kenvetz, and was again rept;lsed. Ile theu intended to tight a g ene: - I , battle, and it he trust conquered, to march by way of Kaloti.4a to rd - . laud, and there remain in winter quarters, as riedr Galicia as posi ible . , but lie found the Rai..sians so fortified, that a was impossib l e ; lie loth therefore, nothing left bra to cencontrate It.; %%hole force , and of * lo rue written copy it isl..lat 111$Wast be 04 ''' l the 'transcriber. 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