The National Register.
London, England, 1813-08-08 00:00:00

REGISTE rt.

507

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widening at every moment.—and the full expectancy of- an
order to storm at midnight. In short, we made sure of
Tar-
ragona. At eleven o'clock the *same night, we received an
order to re-embark the stoles, and dismantle the batteries. I
leave you to imagine our astonishment : but the ratne thing
was actually done ; and in the groans and shame of the whole
army, we marched back to our transpoits, after spiking and
leaving for the French, eight Jong 24-pounders, five mortars,
with irons beds, and five fine brass hawitzers, with alt their.
equipage. This we did in submission to orders; but as wig, ..
were in too great a hurry to save ourselves, than to think of'.
any thing else, we left behind us 1,900 shells, and about-
-6,000 24-pound shot, with all the oak platforms for the bat- •
teries. A great quantity of ordnance and other stores
were burned. To make this more palatable, we have since
discovered, as it was sufficiently known at the time, that the
French could net have brought wore than about 7,000
men against us, as a considerable part of their force was then.
left in check of the Spaniards, and even actually engaged
With them in Our absence. Wheiever there might be weak-
ness, it was not at least in our numbers ; as, by the aceesshok
of Colons, who joined us on landing, we could not muster
less than 2 2,0u0. The convoy, which was probably tho
grand elThrt of SUC H ET, for saving the town, we met ;.11
three days after, straggling among the mountains, and colt.-
sisting but of 3,000 men, who ran at the first glimpse of t:.
Every thing seemed continuing to add to our shame in aria
retreat ; the people of the plain were friondly and brave, and
full of the unavoidablc hatred that must be felt fir 01e.-
French wherever they are. We had lest but one ofEccr4 atA
25 men, in our operations. While we %vele moving off, a
shell from one of the bomb-vessels set tire to the enemy's
magazine of biscuit and ruin. The garrison were without
an idea of relief; many of their gulls had been silenced ;
and it was generally believed, that however the assault Of the
night milzlit. be repelled, the town could not hold out two.
days against our fire. Under this calamity, and we consider
I it a serious one, we have, however, the consolation to know,
that those by whom it was bronght upon a lit itish army, have
no pretence to say', that they were not entirely warm d. We
believe that the strongest rept esentations were made to itt-
,
duce the revocation of the order; or. at least; its execution
in some lees disgraceful manner. The o!d Admiral, who
may be proud'of Navin_ actuany cried, when he found that
all his remonstrance= apd intreaties failed with Sir J. M Pit-
rv, A washed his Inlncl,; of the disgrace, by sending off an
•,
overland Ll:se:itch to Lord \V ELLINGTON, with the detail,
i which, we presume, must evidently produce a eouit-inartial.
II Every thi„2. from that moment was; unlucky. We continued.
il lingering oft' the shore, embarking and disembarking, until
IL the I 7th : and those singular operations closet; with see-
itlug the (;ativnirAl.e, of .20 guns, and t 4 transports, driven
on shore at the mouth of the Ebro; four of ilio,,e ttansports
going; to pieces before us. On the t 7th, in the evening.
1.1,
Lord W ra. Bus TI NCIC joined, in the Caledonian, to the ge-
neral joy of die army. We then pu,bed for Ali:: alli, anil
so wound up our experhtiou. It is supeosed tla we slull
move forwa; d slimily : hut though we have been consider-
li ately smell limn any cutitact with the Frehch, we are al-
-11 most a., hodly 01Va, if we bad been defeated. We want pul-
li visions, equipape, aud al t;lhry, and some tune must pass Itc-
hfore we can be tit for useful service. The Engh,li mill pa-
!! totally make a hustle idiom this, an:l we shoud not he sot--
. i
{of wd t• they did. The cyinions of the aP111) cannot be
{I loud, but they arc deep; and they will Grid it be and ema-
il nu:n lot bearance to acquit the man, and his advi-er., Who
!
ilhave covered them with shame, almost on the very gmuud,
aid within the healinz of 1:4;.;;;Iish victory."

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