The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1809-10-11 00:00:00

BATT).E of ALCAION.

On the mornis.g of the Othi the advanced Mid
of the I,it curps met a few cavalry at Tornio%
whom it pnr•uud. They reteeated upon Makin.
by the delile of Oliveira. The enemy hod formed
in the plain of Alcabotri his right wns appsied
upon the Chapel of Domingo, rod In. kft on the
road of Dorniugo Perron. lie prevented 1.000
cavalry, supported by six pieces of cannot'. Ail
the cavalry eetnittand,..,l by General Latour Mat►
bourg formed parallel to the enemy's line, and
marched .11) to it ; the latter maintained itself for
rome time in iti prortion, but as sans as it Ia the

columns of infantry advance. it begun to reterot.
General Latour Mauhourg cushied it to be closely
punned. At the defile of Alcahon, AO engage.

iornt of cavalry took phole, outlet the direction of

Gent rtl Nlerliu. commanding the light rovairy of
the aria'', in which, the dragoons of Villaymeinsa
were • ,smptetely deatiotesi by the gfll •inti
a split:iron of the sth chassours. Gentral Beau-
mont, who commanded this charge, executed it
with skid anti bravery. 'Chia General was ably
seconded by Colonel Buiritentaw, commanding
the sth horse chasseurs. sod the the/ere:each-094
Iluhiui de "ioulaise, commanding the 2il hussars.
'i'nc destroctiomi of the dragoons of Villariciosit
struck great terror into the rest of the enemy's
troops, and, hum that moment, they thoniht
of retreating. The ground was tugged amid nail--
teeter! by ravines, which prevented this corps from
being entirely destroyed. It aims conirounileil by
Zaps, amid formed the advanced guard of Criesta's
army.

The next toy, (the rth.) the imp, red army ad-
vanced np..n Talavera; Cue.t.'4 arinv had retreat.
ed &on (he right bank of tLe All.erelie„ and join-
ed the English army near Witten..
Meanwhile, the advanced pant of the Eugliah
army, comprised of a corps of about 10,000 men.
who had prised the 46th at Coialegat., had march-
forward to.cover the retreat of Cncsta'is attar : this
advanced guard wee met by the. cavalry of the Ist

carpi, ma, after a new cannon shot, it retire) preci-
pitately along the right batik of the Alberche.

. _
The Ist corps had concentrated itself ou the plain
*ltihstve the Alherclie, at ens p. ta. The 4th corps
and the reserve aUCcessively iirtired. From the
plain of the Alherche were perceived movements of
troops on the plain: in the rear, and to the notch
of Talavera ; bat the force and disposition of the
euesny'a army could not be ascertained, the inter-
vening space between the Alberehe and Talavrra,
and the plain übove that town, berm;; coveted with
olive-trees, mad oak woods. It sirs by tabour of
thissawoods that the enemy masked his disposition:.
The Duke of Bellow), who had passed over the
ground on which the enemy was manceuvring, ob-
served to your Majesty, that this army, instead of
retreating, uterine imagined, was taking a position,
its right supported upon Talavera, and its left oat
the mountain which answers to the hollow of Titter.
This position is fortified by a hill, which, toward
the Euat, presents a very steep declivity, and which,
sinking toward the West, by a much more gentle
slope, joins a range of hillocks, extending iu the
direction of Talavera. Between the principal hil-
lock and the mountain, is a valley about 300 fa-
thoms in breadth. Here commener• a revise, which
runs from north to south, and %Atilt, covering the
enemy's left and centre, terminates in the valley
of Talavera, at the beginning of the olive-trees, on
which the enemy's right was supported. This right
lord in its front various incidents of ground, of
which the enemy availed himself, eithiltr by con-
structing works, or forming obelus, to reader it the
more difficult to come at hint. Two easy roads.
passable for artillery, lead from the Alberehe to
the enemy's position ; one is the high road from
Tel , the other commences at Casa del Campo
de Salinas; you follow it for half a league in a fo-
rest of oaks, and to get to it you toast ford the Al.
hereto. (.low Cssaleipss. •

A few musket-shotfired Goths right of the army,
and the dust Ulrich was observed rising from the
forest of asks, kr the direction of Gun de Salinas,
caused it to be presuMed that the enemy had there
a corps of his advanced gourd. Your Majesty, in
consequence, ordered Marshal the Duke of &Hullo
to ford the Alherche, and attack the advanced
guard of the hostile army. The Marshal immedi-
ately complied with TOM' Majany's commands.
The division of General Lapis,* advanced upon
Casa de Salinas. General Ruffill's division was
directed to hllibi3Ort, on the right, the movement of
that of General Loping.. The 16th light idolatry,
which beaded the division ofthe latter, loon opened
a fire of musketry, which was briskly kept up for
an hour. Tor enemy bad at this point six thousand
men, supported by four pieces of cannon ; be was
nevertheless obliged to retreat. Gen. Clieudron
Rousseau, who directed the 16th regiment, judi-
ciously took advantage of a spot, not so much co.
erred with tyre., and ordered that regiment to
charge with the bayonet. It oheyed with all tit*
intrepidity which it is distinguished. The etie-
tny was soon I otnpletely misted. and thought only
of running to join the main body of his troops.
The division of Vilatte also forded the Alherche,
.ind followed the direction of that under the coin.
mond of Gen. Ruffin. The brigade of light cavalry,
under Gen. Beaumont, supported the division of
Gen. Lapisse. When the advanced guard of the
enemy's army was di-lien from Casa Salinas, the
first corps continued to adestree.
While Marshal the Duke of Belles* attacked
the eitetny's advanced guard at Casa de Salina.,
Gru. Latour Nlaishourg. and Gen. Merlin's division
of light cavalry, passed the Alberche. and formed
in the plain, between the high road of TAlavera
and that of Casa de Salinas. This movement was
soon followed by the nth corps and the reserve, who
forded the Alhr re ie in close columns, by brigades.
The division of dragoons, commanded by General
Milhaud, was directed to cover the left of the in-
fantry of the 4th corps, and to watch the high road
of Tolseers. lu flop order, the army advanced to
within eanuon-shot of the enemy's army.
Meanwhile the divisions of Lapisse stud Ruffin
hod cleared the oak 'forest. The country began to
open, mud the movements of the enemy might have
hero easily distinguished, had it not been so late.
It was nevertheless perceived, that a corps of 10
or ism* meu was hastening to reach its position.
The artillery of the tat corps, which was as forward
as the divisions, did considerable mischief to these
troops, and threw them into the greatest confusion.
This disorder was gent rat along the whole of the
enemy's line, which had not yet had sufficient time
to form.

• Marshal the Duke de Belluno conceived', that if,
by favour of the darkness and the-confusion which
prevailed in the enemy's ■rsoy, the hillock could be
taken, on which that army supported its lett, alai
which might be considered as the key of its posi-
tion, the enemy solidd not he able to maintain
himself in it. lie. in Consequence, ordeked Gene.
ral Ruffin to take the hillock with his three re.gi-
oleos; at the tiArlle time directing General Vlhate
to support the attack.and General Lapis.e to make
a (Overseen on the centre of the enemy's stmt, but
without engaging. Marshal the Duke of Bellsno
has informed your Majesty, that the 9th regiment
of light infantry, which headed this attack, wed
which kept it up wink its characteristic bravery.
waa not supported. In the derlciiers which prevail-
ed• tile g4th regiment ►ee- wi.taa the 4weyren.

\

the march of the 96th was impeded by the passag e
of the ravine. The enemy, fully sensible of the
importance of the hillock, had there posted several
battalions, Nhi l, be reinforced with other troops,
as soon as he vie it attacked. The furin of the
hillock enabled him speedily to send assistance,
while our troops had to pass a very difficult and
steep piece of ground. The gth regiment had
nearly reached tl:e summit of the hillock; some
men were evil) killed just at the top; but being
obliged to renew the engagement with fresh troop*,
it was compelled to retire to mid-way, where it
maintained itself. The Duke de Ilelluno adds,
that this regiment acquired. great glory in this
affair. Its coliniel, M. Meunier, particularly dis-
tinguished liturielf; he received three musket
belly.

Theist corps took a-position at the foot of the

Your 51ajety bivouaqued in the centre of the
reserve, within cannon-shot of Tulovera.

It hail been ase rtaiued it the evening, t!int the
enemy had made Talavera an unattackahle post.
It had likewise bean ascertained that the centre •f
the enemy's army was covered be rugged ground,
with olive trees and vines. This position was,
moreover, fortified by some 4416 s and tit W-works;
while the mistimes of the obstacles,. which Mambo!
the Duke of Belluno encoentered in the attack of
the hillock, proved how difficult it wild be to
force the enemy's left.

Nn intelligence mu yet received Of themarcia of
Marshal the Duke of Dalmatia; sad it wus re-
solved to attack the enemy.

M totltinued.]

PARIS, SCPT. 27.

ENGLAND.
LONDON, AutivsT 19.
Extra ti from 'Tile GLOBE newspaper of the
19th ,►usust, 1►09: