The Statesman. — London, England, 1812-09-05 00:00:00

Ml 4 • . ad by General Prince Bagration, to open his way open Mohllow ; but that the enemy, after having jolt 10(X) men, was obliged to desist from his attempt. 66 The General of cavalry, Prince of Schwartzen berg, confirms that the corps Warmer under his com snand is in tee lent condition, teat it is abundantly rovid d with ever, tiling necessei•y, and is partial.. lady di-tioguished for its discipline and good ap pearance." GERONA (CATALONIA), Ave. 4.—One of the greatest obstacles experienced hi the war of Catalo inia is the difficulty of communication. • The ancient Government believed it vets a mesas of defence, and that idea, joined to the idleness of Ministers, was the cause of that title province being without reads. Some great towns, such as Gerona, Olot, and Vicht, communicated only by roads passable for mules ; for a long time it was .sot known that the grand road from Barcelona, when t oilitarily traced, vasses under the forts of Figueres, Gero n a, and Hestalrich. Af terwards was tutele the road called La Maune, when the fort of liostaltich was rendered useless, being no longer upon the line of operations. At the commencement of this war, the English, who thought more of the safety of some points which • they occupied upon the coast, than the interests of Catolia, intersected the Maune Road, and the towns of Callus, Canet, Aunys, &c. &c. &c. had no longer any communication, except by sea, or small paths traced out upon the declivity of the mountain. This want of communication rendered difficult the occu pation of the coast, and the Insurgents established themselves in hlataro and Arens del Mar, where they received succours from the English, and believed themselves unattackable. Things were in this state, when Lamarque's division, braving the proximity of the English squadron, occupied and fortified Meta- TO. Not wishing to repair the old read, he under took to form a new one; and, to the great astonish-' silent of the Catalonians and English, who could not prevent it, a fine road was opened from hlongat to a space of nearly ten leagues. It is every where out of the reach of the enemy's ships. Al seedy have many convoys passed over it; it is an other bond which attaches Barcelona to France.— The army le_s since made a road from Figueres to Olot ; thus the famous defiles of Casteifollet, of which so much mention is made in M. de Noailles' Memoirs, are passed without danger, and the ar tillery is conieyed where mules could with difficulty pass. The port of Palamos, which appears to be the na tural port for the wild place of the department, had no practicable communication with Guil). They will now be able to proceed thither by two routes, of vghich one passes by the Col de Calooges, and the other by Palafrugal. A third road, passing by Pate, will open a communication with Torruel la de Mongri and Figeeres. Every where the peasants, who as sist the soldiers in these works, do so without any kind of restraint, and shortly they will reap the ad vantages of them. Thus on one side the English, calling themselves the friends of the Catalonians, ra vage and destroy, whilst the French repairer create means of amelioration or prosperity. GOTTENBURGII MAIL. GorrENntinon, A uo. 29.—Official intelligence is just received from ritockholm, that a Russian Courier arrived them as the post was coming away, with an account of a great battle having been fought near Smolensk, in which the Russians were victorious; the particulars are not known. The Russian Turkish army has joined the Grand Army ; it consists of about 6().(1)0 men. It is stated in private letters front Virtue', that a report having been there circu lated of a great victory having been gained by Lord 'Wellington over the French, the French Ambassa. dor immediately circulated hand-bills, declaring it to be a mere invention of the enemy, and requested the Austrian Government to make diligent search for and famish the English Agents. It was nevertheless gully believed that Merment had been completely touted. FRONTISILS Or RUSSIA, AUG. 9.—According to Intelligence from the army, dated the 7th instant, the Russian% have in vain tempted Fortune by par tial disembarkations in the neighbourhood of Riga. Daring advanced a little, the Prussian troops under Generals Grauwert and Pest attacked them with , such vigour that they were obliged precipitately to , run back, with the loss of a considerable number of ; men and fourteen pieces of cannon. ' V I Rt 4 N 4, AUG. 11.—Our Gazette contains the fol lowing circular :--44 To cover the extraordinary ex pellees % hich the armaments become necessary, in con>equence of treaties concluded for the good of the country, demand, and to prevent the measures adopted for that purpose, which, appearing less bur densome at the present moment, should in the end be attended % ith fatal effects upon the state of the fittan crs, his Mojesty has ordered a contribution of a florin per head upon all the population of the Ger•l man provinces." • I Extract of a letter from a Prussian Officer, dated ' Daleukirch, near Itiga, July 2-1:-.-J.0 The loss of the Russians in the battle at Eckaw, was three times greater than that of the Prussians. It was the Prussians only that took any share in the combat, for the Marshal (Macdonald) had, together with the Bavarians and Poles, marched direct en Frederick., stadt. General Ewis commanded the Russians.— Tne troops being wearied, and consequently not j to pursue the Russians further, bivouqued ! t.t. night over on the field of battle. On the 20th, Lieutenant-Colonel Von Horne received orders to pursue them with the vanguard, but did not come up With them. On the 21st, the vanguard marched Into 1 Daleukirch, two German miles from Riga, the su burbs of which latter place had been burnt by the Russians. The Marshal had crossed the Dwina at cdei ickstadt, and is marching on towards Riga, the Ait.ge of which city appears to be entreated to him.— On the 30th, a reconnoisance was taken close under the battery at the bridge. The troops are now in a fine country, where they are richly supplied with every thing necessary. Sre.ti.seeo, Auc. 1-I.—ln the night between the 11th I,na 12th inst. an English frigate, belonging to the escort of a courpy which was lying at anchor off AVelstrow, on the road of Mec4lenburgh, sent a bark, pantit.ll with about 120 sailors, to attempt a landing •tit that port. The military guard posted there, as fikewise tie Custosu-hppe Oficers, suffered the bark ~' . 1 ); i ,i .; 1 1 :1,1. - i ro'l i ►„ I • I 1 A I t THE STATFSMA N. to crime within musket shot of the shore, aiid then suddenly received it with so lively a fire of musketry, as semi obliged it to retire to the anchorage place Of the English shipping. INTELLIGENCE FROM THE ARMIES. ST. Picruttsattian, 15TH (26T11) AUGUST.—Tbe enemy made a great blunder, in permitting the junc-1 tion of the two grand armies. We are indebted principally for this to the vigorous attack made by I (len. itaviesky, on the 11th (23d) July, which pro. duced indecision in the movements of the enemy, and enabled the former to gain two marches in advance I towards the army of Prince Bagration. Since this . time we have learned that the French have retired 80 wcrsts, and that our troops have advanced a similar distance. The move of General Tormazoff's army caused this event. The General has been reinforced , by troops fromWallachia and Moldavia, amounting to 50,000 men, so that at present he is in a condition to fall upon the rear and wings of the enemy, with , a force of more than 100,008 men. Count -- has made an incursion into the Grand Duchy of Warsaw, which has been attended with the greatest I • success, and General Meleradnmcht has arrived at Keerlanga with 15,000 fresh regular troops; to ! which will be joined the militia which has been raised in the Government of Moscow, Twee, &c. &c. &c. which, together, will form an army of 80,000 men• TO HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS THE PRINCE REGENT OF GREAT BRITAIN. Sre,—l take the libarty of respectfully presenting to your Royal Highness, on your birth-day, the vows which I perform, with all Eiglishmen, for your hap. piness, which you deserve hr your desire to render happy all the inhabitants of the British Empire. Seduced by the promis^s of English agents, I have been in England these '26 months, without having ob tained a decision suitable to my principles of honour, conformably to the usages folle wed by all civilized nations. Ministers refuse to treat me as an English man should be, who would have been named Lieut.- Gen. on the Bth of October, 1798, the day of my exchange for General Sir 11. Burrard. They have sent me, it is true, some proposals, which, had I been base enough to accept them, would have ren dered me the vilest of men, since they would have assimilated me to an ox sold at Smithfield market. I wish to obtain a passport to go to Sweden, to join my old friend the Prince Royal of that king. dom. I have declared myself a Swedish citizen from the ath of April last, after having seen my petition rejected by Parliament, and my lodging surrounded by Bow-street officers. Till I receive permission to quit England, I beg your Royal Highness will be pleased to order that I may be allowed, as a Prisoner of State, means of subsistence suitable to my rank, and the services I have rendered to England. I am reduced to the utmost misery, and obliged to be in rags.—Ministers refusing to give me even a farthing, unless 1 consent to acknowledge myself a freeman, and satisfied with their proposals. As it has not been in their power to induce me to violate truth to i eulogize their political and military measures, they appear to order that I must either live by falsehood or die of hunger: in a word, they intend to dis honour me; but they are grossly mistakes; and I shall prove to theni that a. brave and virtuous man can preserve his honour till his last sigh. I must repeat to your Royal Highness what I said to Lord Cochrane in my letter of the 9.lst of March last, the same day on which his Lordship was en trusted , a ith the commission of making me proposals from Government. I did offer by that Jotter to write to the French Emperor, under the dictation of a Minister, and in the presence of two Members of ; Parliament, aft that they might think to be most ad. vantageous to England: and besides, I consented to be shut up in a dungeon till the accomplishment of the proposed plans. I was Induced to make such an offer, in order to confound my adversaries, who sent me at that time an anonymous letter, in which I was told that I was eiatelligence with Bonaparte. Some persons have done all in their power to put me , in correspondence with France by means of my pub. , lications. What an absurdity, and at the same time what a wickedness They thought to succeed in avenging themselves of my firmness, by endeavour. big to induce me to believe that Bonaparte was , changed in my belie; and after I should have been the victim of my credulity, then they would have re presented me as a madman, or perhaps even as a traitor. They did take me once by promises and signals : they may rest assured that I shall not be deceived by ciphers. I wish to have authentic writ ings. I wish to obtain a passport, I wish to quit England honourable. Should, however, Govern ment continue to refuse me the moans of subsistencg, which are granted to the greatest villains, sentenced to' death, till the moment of their execution ; and should the alms I intend to solicit in that case not be suffi cient for my sustenance, I do declare to your Royal Highness that I shall avail myself of the fi rst favour-' Ole opportunity to depart for Sweden, being under no obligation to obey the English Government, ex cept the law of the strongest, since they refuse to treat me conformably to my rank, which is in the English army after his Royal Highness the Duke of Gloucester. I renounced my pretension of being recognised as an Englishman, on account of the restrictions put upon foreigners by the English Constitution. What ever conduct may be adopted by the Ministers on my account, I do protest against my detention, the most arbitrary ever mentioned in the annals of na. tions; and I do declare, that I shall receive any sue t cour in money which shall be granted to me On ac e count of the sum of *,5641. 10s. the yearly pension allowed to the rank of General, the equivalent of which I can obtain in any other cpusitry, if I am allowed a passport. Besides no authority hoe the right, of depriving me of that allowance, as bug as am detaiued in England. I do declare, also, that since Ministers have not settled any price about my notes and plans, I insist upon the payment o of 60,0001. already asked by my memorial,* which sum is only, the loath part of their real value, referring moreover to the decision of a Committee of formed Generals. j am, with the most profound respect, Sir, Tow molt obedient and most humble servant, promiAL SARR 4ZIN s - Swedish CEO", rrlioner of Slate in Cagliari. hoodoo; Aag.l2, 11112. LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY. FRIDAY, lUT. 4. Downing-street, Sept. 4, 1812. Major Burgh, Aid-de-Camp to the Marquis of Wellington, has this day arrived at Lord Bathurst's Office with dispatches, addressed to his Lordship by Lord Wellington, dated Madrid, the 13th and 15th vit. of which the following are extracts : AludriA, August 18. Having found that the army under Marshal Mar moat continued their retreat upon Burgos, in a state not likely to take the field again for some time, I de. termiued to bring Joseph Bonaparte to a general ac tion, or force him to quit Madrid. Accordingly I moved from Cuellar on the 6th inst. We arrived at Segovia on the 7th, and at St. Ildefonsaen the Bth, where I halted one day, to allow the right of the army more time to come up. No opposition was made to the passage of the troops through the mountains ; and Brigadier-Ge : neral D'Urban, with the Portuguese cavalry, and Ist light battalion of the King's German Legion, and Captain Al'Donald's troop of horse artillery, had been through the Guadarama pass since the 9th. He moved forward on the morning of the llth from the neighbourhood of Galapegas, and, supported by the heavy cavalry of the King's German Legion from Torrelodones, he drove in the French cavalry, about two thousand in number, and placed himself at Ma jalahonda, with the Portuguese cavalry and Captain M'Donald's troop, and the cavalry and light Winn. try of the King's German Legion at Las Royas, about three qoarters of n mile distant. The enemy's cavalry, which had been driven off in the morning, and had moved towards Naval Car, nero, returned about five in the afternoon, and Bri. gather-General d'Urban having formed the Porta , guese cavalry in front of Majalahonda, supported ' by the horse artillery, ordered the cavalry to charge ! the enemy's leading squadrons, which appeared too I far advanced to bo supported by their main body. The Portuguese cavalry advanced to the attack, but unfortunately turned about before they reached the enemy ; and they fled through the village of Maja !Rhonda, and back upon the German Dragoons; leaving behind them, unprotected and unsupported, those guns of Captain Macdonald's troop, which had been moved forward to co-operate with the ca. valry. By the activity of the officers and soldiers of Captain Macdonald's troop, the guns were however moved off; but owing to the unavonrable nature of the ground ever which they were moved, the car• j riage of one was broken, and two others were over. turned ; and these three guns fell into the enemy's ! hands. The Portuguese dragoons having led through Ma. jalahonda, were rallied and re.formed upon the heavy dragoons of the King's German Legion, which were formed between that village and Las Royas. The German cavalry charged the enemy, although under many disadvantages, and stopped their further pro. gress ; but I am sorry to say, that they suffered considerable loss, and that Colonel Jonqueires, who commanded the brigade, was taken prisoner. The left of the army was about two miles and a half distant, at the Ppente de Ratamnr, on the Guadarama River, and Colonel Ponsonhy's brigade of cavalry and a brigade of infantry of the 7th division hawing moved forward to the support of the troops in advance, the enemy retired upon Majcinhonda as soon as they ob served these troops, and night having come on. they retired upon Alcorcon, leaving our guns at Majala -1 honda. I ens happy to report that the officers of the Por- tuguese cavalry behaved remarkably well, and *hewed a good example to their men, particularly the Vis conde de Barbacena, who was taken prisoner. The conduct of the brave German cavalry, was, I un derstand, excellent, as was that of Captain M4Do nald's troop of horse artillery, The light infantry battalion was not engaged. The army moved forward yesterday morning, and its left took possession of the city of Madrid. Jo seph Bonaparte having retired with the Army of the Centre by the roads of Toledo and Aranjars, leaving a garrison in the Retiro, It is impossible to describe the joy manifested by _ _ the inhabitants of Madrid upon our arrival ; and I hope that the prevalence of the same sentiments of detestation of the French yoke, and of a strong de. sire to secure the independence of their country, which first induced them to set thb example of re sistance to the Usurper, will induce them to make exertions in the cause of their country, which will be more efficacious than those formerly made. I have not yet heard that Astorga has fallen ; but the garrison which the enemy left in Tordesillas, about two hundred and sixty in number, surrender ed to General Santopildes on the sth inst. I have received 90 further reports of the situation of General Ballasteros since the 21st of July. I have letters from General Joseph O'Donnell and General Roche of the 26th July ; and the army of Marcia, cruder the command of the former, was de feated by General D'llarispe on the 21st of July.— It appears that the Spanish troops moved forward to amp* General D'Harispe's posts at Castella and at Ybi; those which attacked the former were repulsed with the loss of two thousand men and two pieces •of ean9pn; those which attacked the latter, under the command of General Roche, conducted themselves remarkably well, and covered the retreat of the troops under General O'Donnell, and after. wilds effected their own retreat, in good order, to Alicast. Madrid, Aug. IS. I Lave the pleasure to inform your Lordship, that the 'garrison of the Retiro surrendered by capitulatio n y es . terday ; and I have now the honour to inclose a trans. lation of the capitulation. We invested the pleat completely on the evening of the 13th; and in the night detachments of the 7th division of infantry ue der the command of Major. General Hope, and of th e 3d division of Infantry, ander the command of Major. General the Hon. E. Pakenhasn, drove in the enemy's post from the Prado and the Botanical Garden; and the works which they had constructed outside of the Park wall ; and having broken through the wait in different places, they were established in the palace lof the Retiro, and close to the ext er i or o f t h e enemy's works, inclosing the building called La China. The troops were preparing in the morning to at. tack those works, preparatory to the arrangements to be adopted for the attack of the interior line and building, when the Governor sent out an Officer to desire to capitulate, and I granted him the honours of war, the baggage of the officers and soldiers of the garrison, &c. as specified is the inclosed agree ment. I inclose a return of the strength of the garrison, which marched out yesterday at four o'clock, on their road to Ciudad Rodrigo. We have found in the place one hundred and eighty.nlu e pieces of brast ordnance, in excellent condition ; nine hundred barrels of powder ; twenty thousand stand of arms ; and coo, sidemble magazines of clothing, provisions, and am. munition. We have likewise found the eagles of the 13th and 51st Regiments., which I forward to England, to be presented to his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, by my Aid-de-Camp, Major floret. I see by a letter from General Baßatter's to Lieu. tenant-General Or Rowland Hill, of the 29th of July, that he had been in Dialog; on the 14th of that month, after an engagement with General Laval, near Coin. General Halinaterno IMP at Grueler* on the 29th, I hare a letter from Lieutenant-Gem. ral Sir Rowland Hill of the Sth instant; and al. though General Droest had been in MiTaillett for three days, it does not appear that his movements are of any imperial*. I inclose rotates of** killed, wounded, and mits f log, In the affair at Majtlahonda, on the 11th in ` stunt, and of the loss in the attack of the verb of the Heim, This dispatch will be &altered by my 41(1-deXamp, Major Burgh, who will be able to explain any further clrinunstaness relating to oar slr tuation; and I beg leave to popoonssad hips to your Lordship's protection. F. S. Since writing this dispatch, I hive received(' letter of the -1111th instant, from Gemini Yakked, j from Aliaant, is which that Mar informs meths he had on that day landed at that place, (TRANSLATION). Capitulation proposed by General dieted et Weisel, Co* pleader in Chief of the Allied Army, and steepled by Cole, nel La Food, Commandant of the Fort of La China, 14th Aagast, 11114. Article I.—The garrison shall march out of the feet with the honours of war, and mail lay down their arms on the Gin& Art. garrison, and persons of every description, in the fort, shall be prisoners of war. Art. lll.—The Officers shall be allowed to retain their swords, their baggage, and their bones, according to the gopher allow ed them by she regulations of the French army; sad the eddies ohalt keen their knapsacks. Art. I V.—'llte magazines of the fort of every description, shall he deliyered to Vie Officers of the respective departments, and the 'French Commandants of artillery and of mimes, shall furnish lists of the contents of each depot.—The plans of the tort shell also be delivered to the Commanding Oilker of the British engineers. Art. Y.—Theis capitulation shall take place at fear o'clock in the afternoon, and the gates of the fort shall be occupied by the troops of the Allied Army as soon as this Capitulation lariat+ Signed on the part of General the Rani of Wellington, FITZ ROY SOME it SET, Lieut.-Col. and Military Sec. WELLINGTON. Ratified Signed on the part of Colonel La Fond, R. DE LA BRUNE. This Capitulation is ratified by the Colonel Commanding the Fon of La China. (Signed) LA FONI% Return of Prisoners of War taken at the Fort de la Ching 111 the Retlm and in the Central Haspital la Mocha, on Stls 14th Aug. 'lBl2. Staff-1 Colonel, 2 Captains, 2 Saba!teens, I Seat, Chit 'Officers, 16 'etyma*, drummers, and task and alekamatort-to Artillery-1 Liesteaans.Coleue4; Ifi liva." l4 1 1 355 serierults, drummers, and rank turd ,46 banes and tan Eagineers-1 Liestentutt-Colonel, 2 Captains, 1 %bolters , 70 serjeants, drummers, and rank and flle. 'Detachments of several regiments of ?ensile the marrison-z-1 Colonel, 2 Lieutenant-Colonels, 9 Captains, IV Subalterns. 14W serjeants, drummers, and rank and lie. independem Garrison Cam : any-1 Captain, S lubffitems• 91 vrjeants, drummers, and rank su l ad th ile. Total taken at the fort-2 Colo , 4 Lleatestant.rokniek 1 ft Captains, 36 %bakery's, 7 S of, 3 Civil UjiM, IV" serjeants, d and rank and Ale, 46 florets sad males. Stud-12 Civil dicers, 1 rank and die. Sick and Convalescents—l Captain, b Subalterns, 4 Cl 4 Or' beers, 420 serjeauts, drummers, and nick and die. Total taken at the General Having... 4 4.lsptaill 2 § llo 16 Civil Officers, 429 serjearns, drummers, and rank and he M rseneral Total taken-2506. N. B Besides :me above number, 6 oak and lie Brithbodni 6 O ffi cers and 144 rank and Spaniards, were maker ia fort of La China. • JOHN WATERS. Lieut.-Col. and A. A. it Return of Killed. Wounded, and Missing at the Army sad" the Command of his Excellency theserat the Earl of Wellies ton, K. IL in an Affair witn tee 'I CaOalry, in treat the Village of Maialakonds, the 11th Idil. Rosa. Hone Artillery-6 rank and file, $ hones, killed rank. and file, wounded; 1 Captain, 12 rank and 11109 Walt mitsir.r. Royal Foot Artillery-1 rank and file, wounded; rank asa file, pilaing Ist Dra4nono, King's Derma Left onA4 tank and ! hems, killed ; 2 Coptalas, 1 Lieutenant. 4 serpents, 15 ra n k and file, 6 horses, wounded; 9 rank and file, 1 hoer. mlssillt• • 4d pinto . Ditto—l Cornet, 1 serJeant, 7 rank and die, 7 horse, killed ; 'A t.ieutenants., 1 'Mem, 15 rank, an d me, 6 horses, wounded; 1 LieutenanteColonel, 3 rank and file, 10 horses. Missing. Total British Loss-1 Cornet. 1 nerjennt. 18 rook and fill. 19 horses, killed ; 2 Calming, 3 Lieutenants, 5 see cant: . Si rank and file, 12 horses, wounded ; LieutensoteC o lonel, I captain, 20 rank and file, 44 horses, *suing. 1 5 F , ~; r ~. ~, (t f..