The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-01-25 00:00:00

gained gmund in almost all point', and occupied

_
a more forwird lice thou sit the cilia,ia

it of

the action, whilst the enemy coutincil Ins operations
to a cannonsole, and the the of Itis light troops,

with &I View to draw off his other coll.'s. At six
the firing entirely ceased. The dull:mid brigades

were re-alsembled on the g..ounil thi occupied in
the morning, ani the Picquets and advanced pmts

resuine4l their original stations.
Netwitirstanding the decided and nEirked supe-
riority which at this umniciat the gallantry of the

troops had given them over an enemy, who, from
his number and the erantnanding advantages of his
position, no doubt expertad an easy victory; I
did not, on reviewing all circumstance-, conceive
that I should be warrantedin departing item a hat I
knew was the fixed and previous determination of
the late Commander of the forces, to withdraw the

army on the evening of the Hith. for the pur-

pine of embarkation, the previous arningements

for which hart :dready been matte by hi; order.

and were, in fast, far advanced at the commence.

went, of the onion. The troops quitted their
pobitioa about ten at night, with a degree of
order that did them credit. The *hole of the ar-

tillery that remained nnerabarked hating been
withdrawn, the troop* followed in the order pre-

scribed. and marched to their respective points of
embarkation in the town and neighbourhood of Co-
runna. The picquets remained at their 1s .t until
five on the morning of the 17th, when they were

also withdrawn with similar orders, and without the
enemy having discovered the movement.
By the unremitted exertions of Captains the
Hon. ( %um:kw, Gosaelin, Boys, Rainier, Serrett,
Digby, Carden, and Mackenzie, of the
Royal Navy, who, in purftuance of the orders of
hear Admiral de Canrcy, were entrusted %%trig the
service of entbat king die to my ; and in cuose-
quence of the art angeittetitti mode by Commisilouer
Bowen, Captains Ilinten anti Shepherd, anti the

other agents for Van:lents, tne whole of the :army
were enilunke.l %Coil an expedition which has gel-

(loin been equalled. With the exception of the
brogadeo under Major-Generals 11111 and llere.sford,

which were destined to remain no shore, mail the
movements of the enemy should become manifest,
the whole was afloat before day hest.
The brigade of Major-General Benesford, which
was alternately to form our rear-guard, occupied
the land front of the toau of Ceriuma ; that under
Major-General 11111 was stationed it, reserve on the
promontory in rear of the town.
The enemy pushed his light troops towards the
town soon after eight o'clock in the morning of the
17th, and shortly after occupied the heights of St.
Lucia, which command the harbour. But notwith-
standing this circumstance, and the manifold defects
of the place. there being no apprehension that the
rear-gourd could be forced,and the disposition of the
Spaniards appearing to he good, the embarkation of
Maj.-Gen. Hill's brigade was commenced and com-
pleted by 3 in the afternoon ; Maj.-Gen. Beresford,
with that zeal and ability which is so well known to
yourself and the whole army, having fully explained,
to the satisfaction of the Spanish Governor, the
nature of our movement, and having made every
previous arrangement, withdrew his corps from the
land front of the town soon after dark, and was,
with all the wounded that had not been previously
moved, embarked before one this morning.
Circumstances forbid us to indulge the hops:, that
the victory with which it has pleased Providence to
crown the efforts of the army. can be attended
with any very brilliant consequences to Great Bri-
tain. It is clouded by the loss of one of her best
soldiers. It has been achieved at the termination
of a long and harassing service. The superior
numbers, and advsmegeous position of the enemy.
not less than the acmel situation of this army, did
not admit of any advantage being reaped from
success. It must he however to you, to the
army, and to our country, the sweetest reflection,
that the lustre of the British ernes has been main-
tained, amidst many disad va ntugeous circumstances.
The army which had entered Spain, amidst the
fairest prospects, had no sooner completed its
junction, than owing to the multiplied disasters
that dispersed the native wailer oreuud us, it war
left to its own resources. The advance of the
British corps from the Duero. afford el the best
hope that the south of Spain might be relieved,
but this generous effort to save the unfortunate
people, also afforded the enemy the opportunity of
directing every effort of his numerous troops, aunt
concentrating all his principal resources for the de-
struction of the only regular force in the North of
Spain.

Yon ate well aware with wbat diligence this
system has been
These circumstances produced the necessity of
rapid and harassing marches, which had ttt itt ;sh-
ed the numbers, exhausted the strength, and impair-
ed the equipment of the army. Notwithstanding all
these disadvantages, and those more immediately at-
tached to a defensive position, which the imperious
necessity of covering the hat boor of Coruna:A for •
time lead rendered indispensalele to immures the
native and undaunted valour of fliiti h troops SH4
never snore conspicuous, and must have eNceeded
what even your own experience of ►feat itiveluable
quality, so inherent in them, may have: tiught you
to expect. Wileu every one that had an opportu-

nity stem
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cogagrd
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O►' TUESDAY, JANUARY 24.

Admiralty-Office, Jammary 24,1809.

I.
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nify seemed to de is improving it, it is difficult for
inc. in making this report, to sett et particular in-
stances for your approbation. The corps ehiefly
engaged were the brigades under Major-Generals
Lord William Bantinck, and Mainninglium, and
Liith ; and the brigade of Gnards under Major-
Graeral Wardc.

To these officer 4, and the troops under their im-
mediate orders, the greatest praise is dire. Major-
General Hill and Colonel Catlin Crawford, with
their brigades oti the left of the position, ably sup-
ported their advanced posts. The brunt of the ac-
tion fell upon the 4th, 42d, Stith, and Mist regi-
ments, with parts of the brigade of Guards, and the
2btle regiment. From Lieutenant-Colonel Murray,
quarter-Master-General, and the Officers of the
tlPiieral Staff, I received the most marked assist-
41,ev. I had reason to regret, that the illness of
li-igndier-Generul Clinton, Adjutunt-General, de-
prived me of his aid. I was indebted to Cr giulier-
General Slade during the action, for a zealous offer
of ins personal services, although the cavalry- were
embarked.

The greater pert of the fleet having gone to sca,
yesteiday evening, the whole bring under weigh,
and the corps in the embarkation necessarily much
mixed on board, it is impossible, at present, to lay
before you a return of our casualties. I hope the
loss in numbers is not so considerable as might
have been expected. if I was obliged to form an
estimate, I should say, that I believe it did not ex-
ceed in killed and wounded from seven to eight
hundred; that of the enemy must remain un-
known, but many circumstances induce me to rate
it at nearly doublethe ohm e number. We have some
prisoners, but I have not been able to obtain an ac-
count of the number; it is not, howe•rr, consider-
able. Several Officers of rank have fallen, or been
'monde& among whom I am only at present en-
abled to state the names of Lieuteriant-Co-
lone! Napier, 924 regiment, Majors Napier and
Stanhope, bOtli regiment, killed; Lieutenant-Co-
knel iiVitich, 4th regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel
iiiarx ell, Itith regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Fane,
.•'ith regiment, Lieut.-Colonel Griffith, Guard►,
Majors Nliller sod Wilhains, 81st regiinent, wound-
ed.
To you, who are acquainted with the excel-
lent qualities of Lieutenant-Gen. Sir John Moore,
I need not expatiate on the loss the army and
his country have sustained by his death. His fall
ha• deprived use of a valuable friend, to whom long
experience of his worth had sincerely attached me.
But it is chiefly on publingrounds that I nauttlautent
the blow. It will be the conversation of every one
who loved or respected his manly character, that,
after conducting the army through as arduous
',treat with consummate firmness, he has termi-
nated a career of distinguished honour by a death
that has given the enemy additional reason to
respect the name of a Di itish soldier. Like the
immortal Wolfe, he is snatched from his country at
an early period of a life spent in her service ; ►ike
\Voile, his last moments were gilded by the pros-
pect of success, and cheered by the acclamation of
•ictory ; like Wolfe, also, his memory will for ever
remain sacred in that country which he sincerely
hived. and which he had so faithfully served.
It remains for me only to express my hope, that
you will speedily be restored to the service of your
contutry, and to lament the uafortnnate circum-
stance that removed you from your station in the
held, and threw the momentary continild into far
less utile hands. I have the honour to be, arc.
JOHN DOPE,
To Utubratint-Grocral Sir D. Baird, &e.

SUPPLEMENT
TO TIM
LONDON G,4ZETTE EITR4ORDINARY

Capp of a Letter from tLe llooarimark Michael be Courey,
llisar-Atlmiest of the White, to the Ilan. llllliitas Welles-
ley Pole, dried on board His Majesty's ship the Tuatmat,
at Cu, 111102, the 17th and lath instant.
JANUARY 1;, 1809.

Sin—liming it in design to detach the Cosurk
to lism!dini us soon as her boats shall cease to be
essenti il to the embarkation of troops, I seize a
moment to acquaint you, for the information of the
Lords Comini.sioners of the Admiralty,' that the
ships of war, as per margin,• mid transports,
ender the orders of Rear-Admiral Sir Samuel
Hood, and Commissioner Bowen, arrived at this an-
chorage Irons Vigo on the 14th and LAI instant;
the Alfred and Ilindostan, with some transports,
were left at Vigo to receive a brigade of three
thousand live hundred men, that hail taken thut
route under the Generals A !ten and Crawford.

In the vicinity of Cornnna, the enemy have
pre•wd upon the British in great force. The em-
istrli.itian of the sick, the cavalry, and the stores,
aria mi. The 'sight of the 16th Was appoiated for
the vesperal embarkation of the billintry ; and,
Meta talat, the enemy prepared for attack. At
three p.par. en action comnsenevd ; the miens),
%Melt had 1y1:11 10),tOti on a lofty hill, entle.svoisr-
to force the British on another hill of inferior
and lie:lft7 the toots.

The wibesirs, *err drivels 1134 nal' great staulh-
ttr: belt tery ►orry am 1 to zulll. that the British,
though ttiutnphaut, hare suffered severe loses. 1
au uilatde W COJZlZAtialtAge Ifurt!ter particulars,

than that Sir John ,bore receive() a mortal wound.
of which he died at ui.ht ; that Sir David Baird
lost an arm ; that several Offitars and many men
have Leen killed and wounded : and that the ships
of war have received all such of the latter as tiwy
could irecoininodate, the remainder bring sent to
transports.

The weather it now ttuipestuous, and the dif-
Acuities of emburkatiou are great. All except the
rear-guard are embarked ; consisting, perhaps, at
the present moment, of two thousand six hun-
dred men. The enemy having brotight caution to
a hill overhanging the beach, hare forced a ma-
jority of the transports to cut or slip. Embark-
ation being no longer pntetieuble at the town, the
boats have been ordered to a sandy heach near the
Light-house; and it is hoped that the greater part.
if not all, will still be embarked, the ships of war
having dropped out to facilitate einlearkatiou.

JAN. IS.

The embarkation of the troops having
the greater part of lust night, it has not been in my
power to &tat li the Cossark b, Pure this day ; awl
it is with satisfaction I sun able to add, that, in
consequence of the good order maintained by the
troops, and the unwearied exertions of Commis-
sioner Bowen, the Ceptains and other Officers of
the Navy, the Agents, as well as the boats' crews,
many of whom were for two days without food
and without repose, the army have been embarked
to the last man, and the shirt are now in the °fling.
preparatory to steering for England. The great
body of the transports having lost their anchors,
ran to sea without the troops they were ordetcd
to receive, in consequence of which there are some
' thousands on board the ships of war. Several
transports, through mismanagement, ran on shore.
The seamen appeared to have abandoned them, two
being brought out by the boats' crews of the men
of war, two were burnt, and five were bilged.
I cannot conclude dig hasty statement without
expressing my great obligation to Rear-Admiral Sir
Samuel Hood, whose eye was every where, and
whose exertions were unreinitted.
I have the honour to be, &c.
Nl. DE COURCY.
Hazy weather rendering the Cossack obscure, I
detach the Gleaner with this dispatch.

ERRATUM.

In some few copies of The Extraordinary Gurgle of this
day, page 91, col.:, line id, for Major Wilkins, • ist Rai-
ment, read Mao* Williams, hit Regiment.

• Ville de Paris, Victory, Ballieur, Zealous, Implacable,
Elizabeth, Norge, Plantagenet, Resolutiou, Audacious, En-
dynsioa, sltdiator.