The Sun. — London, England, 1812-12-22 00:00:00

FRENCH PAPERS. PAR 4, DEC. 1 .—We are enabledytoittatisfy the impatience of the public, relative to ttie„grand events which signalize and mark the termination of the campaign of 1812. The following details are not official-; but the source from whence they are drawn deserves much confidence : " A great movement is operating on the banks of the Dwina and the Daieper. ,One impulse moves the French and confederate masses, whilst .the measures of -the Russians are subservient to the diversity cf the views, talentS, and intentions, of as many Chiefs as there arc separate and iso- Ltia corps. Every one must feel the different influence which this must have on the execution of measures. , c` His Majesty the Emperor determined to quit Smolensko on the .14th at night, - and proceed to Orslia,•in front of the 2d and 9th corps, drawn into that direction probably with, the view of frustrating . Count De Wittgenstein's plan of tEntt Municating. with Admiral Tschitscha / gOff. The Admiral, on his side, advanced with kbe . same - view, and we knew it, to Slonim. These two Generala .must have been ignorant of what was, passing on the MoscOw road;—one cannot other wise explain the imprudence of their resolution. HoWeves this may be, the followingis what we know down to the present moment of the respec tive details of the movements' of the two parties. The Viceroy detached with the army of Italy, by Vitepsk, came naturally on the rear'df the - COrps. of Wittgenstein, which had in front and on its flanks the 2d and 9th corps, and the troops his Majesty had with him. We may calculate :the embarrassment and peril of that situation. On the other side, Prince Schwartzenberg arrived, with the- advanced guard at Sloniin, at th t e o - rn,o ri went in which the enemy, not expecting to - be followed so close, abandoned that city. n. "A corps of 29;000 or 25,000 men, conimlindw ed by General. Sachen, wished to es , eape. the 16th, 17th, and ISth.there were, actions, and always to the advantage of the Allies. At length, on the 19th, we pursued the remnant of this Rus- , sian corps, which is flying towards Volhynia. The issue of these different affairs is 3000 prison ers, ten caissons, and a great quantity of baggage. All the villages are filled with wounded Russians. We give these anticipated details on the faith of private news ; we hope that . the first official re ports, by confirming them, will develope the ul terior views upon which such great interests de pend." PARIS, DEC. 13.—Letters from Wilna of the lst state; that : an Officer of the light horse of the Polish Guards had just arrived there with letters from his Majesty for the Duke of Bassano. He quitted his Majesty at Zembin on the 2Sth ; he waS in perfect health ; the army wag in the most satisfactory state, and continued its march quiet ly. The horses of the cavalry, and the train of artillery, had suffered, but not so much as notio be speedily restored when they have plenty of fo iage. This Officer, who Made the campaign of 1806, says, that they were nearly in the same state in which they were when, ailer the affair of Pultusk, the army returned, to take nil winter quarters, and re-appeared, after some weeks rest, .. wore brilliant.than ever. General Vandedem is arrived at Wilaa, having quitted the head-quarters of the Emperor at Zern bin on the 29th. He confirms all the details of the Polish Officer. The King of Naples and the Viceroy are in good health. Prince Schwartzen berg re-marched upon Slonim and Minsk,- after having completed the destruction of Gen. Sachen . ,.: who had delayed him in the first movemiyt i e made in that direction. ' Pr PARTs, DEC. 15.—His,Majesty arrived 011 the 29th November at Moldeschcnow; on the great road from Wilna to Minsk. There was an affair on the 28th November with the corps of Tschi-. chagoff, which was very suecessful. We made some thousand Russians prisoners. On the same day the corps of Wittgenstein wished to snake a diversion, but it was kept in check by the pa w of Reggio., . , . We have in France" very exaggerated ideas of the .intense.. cold, i ,:of a winter n- Poland. . The cold is rarely greater than in Holland, and what renders the winter preferable in Poland is, that it is free from rain or damp. . The soldiers can ea sily, secure themselves against the .cold in a coun try Where it Is easy to take all necessary precau tions--)hence they prefer, dry - wea - the* to a foggy Itimospbere, and to rains ,that render the colnirtu-I tlication difficult; The French troops have„ al r - 1 ready passed - a winter in Poland, and Frenth troops support the cold as Well as the PoleS'iiiiil ' T 1. I , people themselves. We - remark,. that of all , people in the world the French are those who ' accommodate theinielves best-to the different cli- Mates. J. J. Rousseau was the first that made this remark, and numerous exaniples justify it. At the period of the conquest in Holland, the winter Was as sharp as it , may be no.. in Poland, for 'the French. passed over the ice : yet the cold did not check the ardour of 'the troops, and there Were feW ;sick in the hospitals. We made the same remarks Awing the campaign of 180 G; and it is a fact Cwt. - in large armies, diseases arc rarer in winter than in summer. , We think these4ibserVations; fouided on experienee and truth, will be agree..; able to persons who have relations and friends in the army. . . , All the letters that arrive from Dautzie, 'War saw, Wilna; and Grodno, announce ,, , that immense Magazines are formed, and that they contain every.. thing usefUl to a great army in winter quarters. We have no uneasiness .respecting subsistence, and since the provisioning is completed, grain has fallen in Prussia and in Poland. Letters from , Philadephia announce, that.the election of President of the United States is over, and that Mr. Madison has been re...elected by ..a . , „ „ important - great **majority. This . news, is in the 'Boston Journal, called the Columbian Centinel. It is added, that Congress has met, and that Mr. Madison made a speech full of eloquench and pa triotism. The Federalist Party, which is in fit.; 'your of England, has been beaten in the princir. , pal States of the Union, and every thing .faroui*s , 'the presumption that the. present war wilt f 5 eteine a national war, and. be prosecuted with. activity. \ COPY OP A LETTER WR:TTEN BY Flts MA.YEgTY TIT* KING OF SPAIN, TO THE MINISTER FOR "THt WAR DEPARTMENT, DATED SALAMANCA, NOV. 20, 1812. " MONSIEUR LB Due, • "- By illy letter of the 9th from Arevelo, I re quested your Excellency to announce - to the Ein-_ peror the union of the army of Portugal :to the armies of the Centre aud the South: " On the 11th I adVanced against , Atha, which was occupied by _the enemY: L descended the Tormes to. Huerta, to examine thefords and to reconnoitre the, English army. It -had taken a position, and was extended from Alba to San Christoval; ,Geri , -ral Hill on the right, and Lord Wellington on the left.—The enemy seemed de termined to accept battle, I ordered every pre-' paration for passing the river, and made the ne cessary dispositiims for it on the 14th. " To the force under the command of the Duke of Dalmatia, I added two divisions of in ' Pantry and one division of the Army of the Centre. I gave to the Count D'Erlon the command of ,the Army of Portugal,. and I placed my Guards land the Spanish troops umier the orders of Gene ral Merlin. • " The position occupied by the enemy was for,' midable. It bad long - since been studied—it wak still that of Arapiles. I was at first . tempted td attack it in front, for by penetrating the centre, the enemy Would perhaps hare been cut in two, and would have lost the half of his army; but I was struck by the observations : of the General, who' are acquainted with the - country, and I resolved to operate on the' right of 'the enemy, passing the. Tormes at Galistmcho. " The armies of the South and the - Centre were to effect this passage .on the 14th in • the ` , Morning; that of Portugal to make demonstra-' tions on the fords of lluerta, opposite Alba de 'TOrines, to take possession of Alba as soon as t ihat town should be evacuated in coin,equence of the movement of the left, and, after effecting the passage of Alba, to put itself in line with the other armies. In case Alba should not be found abandoned, this army was to pass the river at the stile points by which. the artines of the South and the Centre had passed. The bridges Ivere thrown' over the Tormes 5 but the ardour of the 'tooops did not allow them to wait for their complete recortstruction,, and the passage was accomplished with. success on the morning of the 14th., The enemy's pa - As of ob servation were carried 5. the 8000 men. who de fended Alba evacuated it. In the night bet Ween the 14th and 15th the armies were on the left of the Tonnes, the army , of the South having its left at. Mosarbes. The cavalry of the lrmies of the South and of the Centre was - advanced. on the 'evening of the 14th in front. of Nnestra Senora de- ITteria, One division of the enemy's infantry theweditself, supported by some pieces of artillery, whichlerowned the T heights. . They seemed at first inclined to occupy this flat summit.; bat :we esta ,blished out selves there-. .It appeared that this movement of the enemy bad no object but to cover the retreat of the corps which had aban doned Alba. . . The army of Portugal was ordered;..on the 15th, .to rest its right'on the Plateau of Nuestra de Uteria ; those of the South ad Abe Centre, to make a movement on their lett, in ,order to ad vance upon the enemy's right, and intersect his line of operations. " The same day the Army of Portugal occu pied this Plateau, and the troops of the. armies 10ft:the-South and, the Centre, the heights of the Chapel of NeuStra Senora de Valhurena ; but .the lAiDvements of the enemy were concealed by a Lick fog, to which succeeded an uninterrupted rain, which rendered.fruitless all the efforts that were made: The smallest rivers suddenly became torrents, which singularly confined all our nidve meas. "Mean while several explosions took place at Salamanca, and, indicated the retreat of the ene- Any. The . eaialry advanced on the co mtunnica tion of Ciudad Rodrigo. The enemy's army was irn . xeatity•in fulL retreat. The cavalry followed it on the next day, the 15th: • • • " Some thousands of prisoners, including many Officers, among whom is General, Paget, coin mandirgthe first division of .the English army, a graat quantity of baggage, and a number of Car riages, have fallen into the power of the cavalry of the armies of the South, of Portugal, and of die - Centre.—The particular Reports of the Gene- . rals commanding the armies, whith I shall take cai`ko address to your Excellency, will 'enable yOktO pilt the Emperor. in possession of every thing that has passed'. " I do not consider it any exaggeration to state, that since the union of the armies of the South and the Centre, which Compelled the enemy ,to abandon his projects on the North, hiS army has 105t.12,900 men at Chinchilla, at the passage of the - Tagus, at Burgos, at Cadiz, on the Tonnes, Mantilla, &c.. I pray your Excellency to accept.niy sincere attachment. " Yours affectionately, JosEnt." I!?cTAACt OF A LETTEICWRITTEN TO THA MINIS y:! TER AT WAR. 11X tiPtERAL- REY. " Burgos, I: cc. 2. YAL I have received a note, from the Count. ili:Erfon, Commander in Chief of the Army of Portugal, announcing that 3000 prisoners, Eng lish, Portuguese, and Spanish, left Valladolid on the 29th to proceed to Burgos, under,the escort of a brigade of infantry and a brigade of light ca valry. Among the prisoners are Lieut.-General Paget and several other English Officers. Tbcy will arrive at Burgos this day or to-morrow. (Signed) " REY. ," Governor General of the sth Government." Awhinisical lapsus lingua occurred at the Cha pel Royal, Brighton, not lOpg since. The Clerk there, who is often employed as porter at. sales, in announcing that a Serinon would be preached there for the .benefit . Of Schools' of Industry, accident-. ally concluded his notification by , loudly observ ing, instead of the service, that the sale would begin precisely at eleven o'clock: ItriSSIAN* REF:IAT. OF THE. ADJUTANT GENERAL 'i\TATlclurs TO HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY > DATED RIGA, Nov. - 18. [Cortclude4 froz on I 4 aper of I'esterday.j The enemy, wh o had a greater number of troops especially cavalry and artillery, the half of whiar_ was horse artillery, drove back the adviinced guard posted :at th,! Custom-house and 'Plankluzum,- and forced them to fall back upon -their own corps. Lieutenant-General Count Lewis left the posi tion behad Wilbert° Occupied near to Dalic•Church, • and took another which was far more advantage ous for his forte, at the distance of three vierstr from his former one. The former position was advantageous to us on account of the surrounding morasses ; but this atl- . vantage was now lost, as being at the present season of the year rendered by the frost in some measure passable for the cavalry, and conse quently the, corps of .Lieutenant-General Lewis, being very inferior in cavalry to the .enemy, might easily have been turned ; whereas the new posi tion being less extended, strong by means of the defile, and surrounded by coppices,P,does not per- . ilia the enemy's cavalry to act with effect. This action, which.b ease& when night came on, was not decisive, : and . on . the following day, being the• 4th (15), at nine o'clock in the morning; the enemy ''retiewed his attack with a heavy cannonade. Our artillery , by a well directed tire, soon silenced that of the enemy . , and slur 'cavalry hniing a favoura ble position, although furiously attacked by that of the enemy s repulsed it, and obliged it to re treat; Which, by the'good effect of our artillery, was done in great disorder. In such'a manner all the enemy's attempts were defeated at every point, and he, at 12 o'clock at noon, entire y discontinued his attack ? being com pelledetO retire. In this action the enemy lost about four lnmdred men killed, and eighten were made prisoners. On our side, we had about .100 men killed or wounded.. . • . Up to thishour the troops are employed in 'car rying my-plan into execution, agreeable to the, supreme commands of your Imperial Majesty, and although I cannot as yet say that every, thing has been completed according to my plan, yet - I must do justice to-the ardent zeal and skilful rites , sures of Lieutenant-General Lewis; nor can I sufficiently = praise the judgment, prudence, and zeal of Major-Gencral Wilgamonow, Colonel Re dinger, Majors Bojanow and Jelistratow. • 'As soon as the movements with regard to this undertakingare finally completed,, shall have the hap p iness of transmitting a partiettlar report to your Imperial Majesty, both concerning these movements, as likewise mentioning the other staff and chief oiters who have Signalised them- Selves hi this action.—(Supplement to St. Peters.- burgh Gazette, Nov. 12 (24.) OPFICIAL ACCOUNTS FROM THE AnmiEs--.IIEIIORT OF TIPE EMPEROR'S ADJUTANT, COLONEL IS .CHERNISCHF,'W, TO GENERAL COUNT WITTURN- STEEN; CATED THE 17TH. NOVEMBER. . Whilst Admiral Tschitschagoff 'was advancing with his armyfroin .Brzisc to Minsk ;Ale bn'the 6th November 'detached, Colonel Ischernischew with a regiment of Cossacks, to open a direct. communication with Count Witgenstein, of whose' , operations no intelligence had been received for a long time past. But on the same night the Admi ral received a report from Lieutenant-General Sackeri, who bad been left in the vicinity of Brzesc, that Prince Schwarzenberg bad,'sent considerabre number of troops to Wolkowisk and Selwy, which threatened to cut of the communi cation: 'between 'General Sacken and Admiral Tschitscbagoff ; Colonel Ischernischew therefore received 'orders to go for the present with his re giment to . .Selwy, and there watch the enemy's motions. On the Bth„ when he came to Derets chin, he was informed that an enemy's corps un der General Moor was employed in throwing a bridge ovethe, k river • Neman. , At 'the wine time hi wasdiiifiirmed - by the spiesheAsad sent Out; that another corps of the enemy had already taken pos session of Wolkowisk,„ and was on its march 16' Selwy. He then resolved immediately to ,go against the e - nenay, in order to destroy all the bridges over. the river. before their arrival, in which 'he Was successful. .Fourteen werstS from Selwy, he•fell. in 'with the vanguard, consisting of sonic Squadrons of cavalry,, who attacked the Cossacks With: great fury, in hopes to press for ward to'the'bridges hefore they were destroyed; 'but when, they found, their mistake, they on following day withdrew to WolkoWisk. . Colonel lschcrnische , ,r wa.sjust preparing to tollow ,the enemy, when he received- orders froth the Admiral to proceed. along the,Neinan to -Novogrodek, dud fom' ththice onwards to his first destinatiOn. FrOm,Novogrodek„, whither he had gr."Le by fore tharehea, that is to. say;' ten G marl'titres aklay,,9i;. mpg, be entered' on his hold expedition, noiWithitanefing that Belizy, NikOlagen, and other places ware in possession of strong detachi intents - of the enemy, and Dombrowsky's whole: cop Wks in the vicinity. In. .Kamen and Jwenez be found. an enemy's hospital of 800 sick protected by 100 men, but in consideration of the great nu portance of hiS destination, and his great distance 7 from the artily,' he 'could not _encumber ; himself-, with these •:prisoners; and therefore contented himself with destroying their arms and provisions, and icarrying',:4l their horses. Tivo German miles from DithrovVh, be Met with a French picquet of • ;20 men; whotiv he likewiSe set . . at liberty, after disarining them. They informed, biat,. that the French main army had retired to .Smo lensl4,7land that the whole of the Russian -force was candling' on Minsk, Or Mohilow ; so that the French -'were fearful of being cut off from Wiltia. "That . finally. ',after . marching night and flay, and, at least nine,aniles per day in general, he one night :-fbffttnitely - crosSed the high road, on which strong columns of the enemy were always' moving`: in the day time, and halted in a secret ? place, three worsts a the main road, in order from thence to , watch the enemy, and stop their - couriers. Here he was so fortunate as ; to release from French captivity Adjutant-General Baron Winzingerode, as also, Major Naryschkin, Major- General Swetschin, and several . other persons ; he likewise took three French cabinet couriers, Jug% One of whom-vas going from Parit to tl4 and two from tiffs seamy to Paris the papers foiriia on theca were of-the greatest consequence. nel Tschernisi:littiv tifterwards continued his 'tiara, until he cameup with Count Wittgeasi.cin s ariny, ee hick s accordiag to his instructions, he w;as to join. , Thus wa s thi s remarkable expedition Com pleted, hi which he had in the since of fir days -attt-tralf, - marchißlThfrards of 350 wersts; sur= rounded on all sides hy. ,numeraus oodies of the - erteTtl", — Waefeiricross four rivers, --destroyed a great:nal - Tibet' of baggage waggons, and -iihiong them. the medicat.stores of the French Guards, and took 50, priscinerS'. A.llo,,..llussian loss consists in four - CoSsacks killed, five Wounded, nod sik miss= MORE RUSSIAN BULLETINS REPORT OF TUE ADJL'T.:k.NT-•GENEIIAL `srPAtTLiJC6i'C '. O lC ilii IMPERIAL MA/ESTY, D.ITED RiGA, On the 20thi - n4. - intelligence was received from Major-Gen. Weljaniinow stating that the enemy, vva approaching With 10,000 men and 30 pieces Of artillery, and appeared intent on making an at tack. Major-General Wcljaminow received di- rOtiOns in such case to retire to his ,tortner posi . tier') and TActitenatit:-Peneril ,who corn. , ma.nded Colonel Riedinaer's corps at Fried rickstadt, was ordered to- approach . Riga, aird and . to tae position on the right bank of the bwina, whilst Major-General Weljaminow kept posiession of the left. By this the city vas per fectly secured, .but the enemy did not think pro per to venture an attack, but immediately retired on All points„ and on the evening of the 2Lt our patroles lost ,sight of him. Major- General WeljaminOw was therefore ordered to collect his whole force, and with the needful pre cautions pursued the enemy on' the roads to Eckau and INfittau. According to all the intelli gence received, Marshal Macdonald .wAs Con cen - twins- his whole force at Eckau, from Ivhich it • may, be with certainty inferred, that he intends joining the French main arm' y with the greater part of his troops which certainly stands highly in need of such reinforcement. REPORT FROM GEIj.ERAL COUNT WITTGEgSTEIN TO HIS IMP.EffiAL.IIATZSTY, DATED TC.HASCHNI. KI, NOY, 22,; , *7, .1 7 ns his reporListatevtltat: the enemy commenced his retreat on tireeirening of the 21st, and was pursued by General Wittgenstein. It is imagined that the enemy will shape his retreat towards ei ther Tolotshin or Surulensko, to join his main .army, 'which appears to be . 'still standing on the Dnciper. ADP:TANT-GMT. PRINCE WOLKONSKIJ, TO iZIS IMPERIAL MAYESTYy NOV. 5, (17.) The Chonenshji Beloussow of Lieutenant Co lonel Tschemosnbols' 's regiment of Cossacks, who had been sent= .from the - detachment of troops under my corn much, :to procure intelligence of the enemy ilk the Circle of Duchowschtschina, on the Ist (13th) instant, • sent into the town of Beloi eighty-one private, soldiers:whom he had taken prisoners.. Captain Tichanowskji, •of the Werchuei-Ural garrison regiment, who on the same day entered the town Of, Welish with the • - sth,BasOh-kir regimentunder his-command ; took there three marauders, and 1000'puds of rye-meal .left by the enemy, as :also 500 of hay, 50 ischet werts of oats, and 60 head of horned cattle. This regiineut has likewise taken six maurauders on their march in the Circle of Welish. The pa troles of ,this regiment, which were sent to Po retschje and to - SUMil, l lld not found any of the 10 [1 enemy remaining. • . - COMMON COUNCIL ELECTlONS.—Yesterday, according to annual custom on St: Thomas's Day,. Wardmotes Were. held . in the several Precincts for the Election Of, Common Council for the yea: en -Suing, together With the minor Officers. In some of the Wards some slight alterations took place. Alder!.4gate, Kay was elected, vies Rose, removed oat- of the: Ward. Cripplegatc Within, Heath opposed the old Members, b►it declined a poll. Bisbopsgate Ward,-.Bumstemt- was with.. out opposition, vice Marsh; resigned'. ,Candle- Wick Ward, Eaton was .elected, vice Payne, re signed. • The annual Meeting of die Bath and We,t of England ,at Bath on Tuesday awl Wednesday, w4HtkOttroinsly attended by all the . diStingUiShed characters for agriculture and science in that , part of tAtie ;kinOdom, as well as many strangers. The. President, Sir Benjamin Hob- , house, Bart. was votetilhe Bedfordean medal, for the zeal, assiduity-, and impartiality with . which , he has so long and so admirably conducted the husineSs of the Society. New proofs were pro duced of the great utility of cultivating Fiorin Grass, and the premium was awarded to W. Dick enson, Esq. M.P. for his successful experiments On that subject ; and the Rev. Dr. Richardson Was unanimously elected an honorary Member, and a silver medal voted him for his liberal cominimi dations-to the public on the inanifold advantages . cf that grass. 'A tes*tiqii passed for presenting , a petition' to Parliament for a General Tnclosure Bill.- - The show of lives cattle greatly exceeded, : in point of number as well as value, that of the preceding year. Nearly one hundred members dined at the White Hart, with the greatest bar mony, and were 'gratified by conversation highly interesting as well as beneficial to vie public.