The Express.
London, England, 1847-01-05 00:00:00

PORTUGAL

Yesterday we were enabled to presnt some portion
of our readers with the following letter from our
Lisbon correspondent. The news it communicates is,
it will be seen, of importance. We had once more
the gratification of adding another to our recent series
of victories over the " combined "by presenting it to
our readers exclusively. The intelligence was con-
veyed by the Peninsular and Oriental Company's
steam ship " Ripon," which, on its way with the
India mails, touched at Lisbon.

LISBON, DEC. 29, 2 P.N.
A delay in the departure of the Itipon enables me
to send this off, and, in case you should not hare re-
ceived my previous letters, of December 22, 23, 23,
and 26, by courier and by Rattler war-steamer, I think
it advisable to recapitulate the events of the last ten
days, in as brief a manner as my limited time enables
me to do. The Roy-al Tar had scarcely left the river,
on Sunday the 20th, before the whole of the troops in
Lisbon were called out, and marched forthwith to the
lines, the account which I sent you of Itomfin's
expected apparition at Torres Vcdras having proved
correct. Daring Sunday, Monday, and Tuesday, the
capital was kept in a state of suspense and excite-
ment, which was not allayed by the sudden entry
within the lines of two regiments (the 9th and 14th
Infantry), which had been stationed at Alhandra, just
below Villa Fiance, in order to guard the road to
Lisbon. _ .

On Wednesday, the 23rd, intelligence was received
of au action having been fought by Saldanha, and a
slight idea only of what the result had been was
given in a supplement to the Diario, stating briefly
the fact that a victory had been gained by the
Queen's troops.
The accounts on Thursday were fuller, and on Friday
letters were received in town from several officers of
the Queen's army, detailing the facts, from which it
appears that Bomfin was, on the 22nd oftl
December, very strongly posted at Torres
Vcdras, having possession of the lines, the redoubt of
San Vincent, two bridges covering his flanks, the Old
Tower, and the town. Saldanha, having divided his
troops into four brigades, made the onset at
about ten o'clock, A.m., on the 22r.d. The
first he sent to attack the redoubt of San
Vincent, which they did in good style
whilst this was going on two other of his divisions
attacked the bridges simultaneously, and, after
• hard struggle, the redoubt was surrendered
(some assert, treacherously), and the 300 men who
defended it gave up their arms.
The bridges were taken one after the other, and
then the 4th division, by Saldanha's orders, entered
the town on the south-west side, and thus Bomfin
and about 1,300 of his men were completely
hemmed in in the old Moorish tower, where he had
posted some of his troops. On the following day, the
23rd, Saldanha, having got his cannon into position,
sent a summons to surrender, ere he opened fire, on
which the whole of the troops (1,300 in num-
ber) then remaining under Bowfin's command, toge-
ther with his chiefs laid down their arms.
The prisoners taken were, Bomfin, Nlonzinho (who
was badly wounded, and is since said to be dead),
Villa Real, the two Valdez (Bomfin's sons), and
many others, whose names you will find in the bul-
letin sent herewith. The regular troops, being
disarmed, were also retained as prisoners.
The armed peasants and guerillas either took
themselves off or were allowed to disperse, and
numbers of them have since joined Das Antes.
Bomfin and his principal officers were brought into
Lisbon on the 26th of December, and then imme,
diately lodged on board the Diana, Portuguese frigate
which was lying in the river.
Das Antes, who was unable to get up in time to
assist Bomfin, has gone to Coimbra, whither Sal-
I danha has marched to attack him.
A division of the Queen's forces, under General
Mesquite, has entered Santarem, which place they
occupied yesterday (Dec. 28), at two P.M.
Notwithstanding this very serious blow, the
confidence of those who promote and act in
the movement of the Septembrist party, is in no
degree shaken, but, with an elasticity. that is
highly energetic (which is only not surprising be-
cause it is based on the national sentiment),
the agents of the Liberals are already preparing to
give fresh impulse to their determination to resist,
what they term the despotism, folly, and corruption
of the actual Government. The canoes out of
which this feeling springs I have now no time to
enter upon ; but in my next I may, perhaps, be able
to state a few facts which will forcibly illus-
trate the hopelessness of the attempts now
making by the Queen's present advisers to follow
out the policy which they decided upon pursuing
when they counselled the coup d'etat of Oct 6.