The British Press; or, Morning Literary Advertiser.
London, England, 1818-10-13 00:00:00

•• Baia' trieferced by five Speuitbh

rected ou thcleth ofjuly to move by`the'Vera di
'Plaientla ou Vacations. .SKI • lbw* 'the enemy in
'his positions. These orders were successfully ex-
tented. vhe corps occupied Evasions. notwith-
standing the immediate neighbourhood 'irf the
French antsy. proceeded to Natitl-Callmirb,*and
reached, with its detachments, the Guadaraina
river. Already a ..eciatuntutication was established
*ith the inhabitants its Madrid. and General Bit-
Tut :to, aware aits'apindich, and the correspond-
'lug movement, Ol6esieral Vawstiss, from Toledo,
propoved to evicoate the city. and Withdraw into
-the El Retie*, which had been fortified as 'citadel.
" The entrance into Madrid was oancertd for
the some view, when a peremptory aril's recalled
the corps to the Allied army. as a general
was expected.'
At • Cooncil held in i'sdavers, front the koott-
ledge he had acquired of thirt'weitoy'epesitiesstead.
the interveninrcoootry between him and Weld.

he undertook so 'make such a movement with his
eorps upon the right flaiik of the enemy's army,
',Anvil still continued under Marshal Viciolt 00,
'the A lberche, and withitituasket shot if the Allies,
'.iss should oblige or influence him total book,- and
'thus relieve Sir A.WELCist.eir from thr apprehen-
sion of being attacked in rear, when retrograaing
to oppose Marshal Sou LT, wfiewas advancing from
Salanunica by the Puerto di Banos, with three
Corp d'Areave Ifiloattia, Nit) through
Placeutia, or of exposing Grams! Cutiree, who
Twos charged witisthe defence of the position of Ta-
lavera, to an attack in his absence, which the Spa-
'mush army could infttave resisted. The effects of
this operation are detailed in the Report bf Marshal
'Jou RDAW to King l'irgron. contained in the Moil-
"er of September 27. flog. from which it appears
that the movements of Sir R. WILSON'S corps threw
back 'VlcToe's ormfabooe 'thirty miles, prevented
all knowledge of Son tr's rd;ance on PhiCetiliii
un-
til the Silt August, and reLunicin of the French ar-
mies during the 7th, during -Milos interval Sir
A iisrtiaWactust.i'Y had been able to evade the
perils which menaced him'troirs superior force, act-
'tog in front and rear of his columns Of march, and
to retire across the Tagus at the Bridge of Atzu-
`hippo. After this dating operation,-be found him-
self on his return to Talavera, in consequence of
information, that the Anglo-Spanish Army was
shout ro abandon the right batik of the ITagus,
'without ...y appose:it &earls of retreat, the enemy •
hiving occupied till the roods end passes leading to
•Placentia or Allmaraz. Thus Eireunistanced, lie
aetersuined to attempt eke passage of the Serra di
Grejos, a mountain perpetually-covered *hit >now,
and which was thought by many to be-impractica-
ble for troops; 'hut as lie 'learnt that it was occa-
sibnally Interned by shepherds;the attempt because
justifiable.

The following is Sir ROBERT WILSON'S seeoutit
'of 'Orin ititereeting expedition :
'" 'The enemy bcettpied a village, from which it was neees.
• ary to dislodge Diem, that the proposed movement might'be
effected. At sight-fall the &High was made, and proved
successful. The generous Spaniards, fully aware of our
distress, voluateered their services as guides ; sail such was
their fidelity, that altlatrues nay servant and others, aids se-
veral led horsed 'value aid mosey fur the payment of the
troops, were cut eff by an inteivening detachnieut of the
enemy ; they sought them out is the glen were they hail re-
tired, mad conducted them to me several ileys afterwards In
safety over lbe mountains. The passage of the Serra wis
stoat difficult, and several of my Mei perishedfrom fatigue;
but we at length reached Boborjo, a village which hail never
been visited by troops, and which seemed insulated like the
romantic Las Batureas. Here the inhabitants supplied all
our wants, and I should have been inclined to have rested
The corps, bet its precarious oilstone's allowed no inilnlgence,
and by oesesiniug forced marches we reached Banos on
the 1110'

The following dispatches and letters narrate the
subsequent occurrences. The lint isSir ItosEnT
WlLsores dispatch to Sir 'itimituft Witt:LEst.se,
uiting an account of his action with the enemy. Ii
this be the dispatch to which the'iteviewer eludes,
it will be seen that Sir *Roanici Wil.seN, so far
from falsely laying claim to a victory, nelaittu!edges
that he was compelled to gins way to soperftr nom-
hers after a rigorous resistance of mine hours :

DISPATCH THOM SIR RORISIT WILSON TO SIR
ARTHUR WELLZILZT.

Mina& deCastetiar, August 13, 1,09.

Sin-1 have the honour to acquaint 14,11, that 1 wag. on
match yesterday morning oa the road of Grenadeliu from
Aide' Nueva, to restore my 'coninutuitatgua with the tithed

as my, when a peassot assured us that a cunsiderabliquan-
tidy duet, which we .7ereeived in the road uf Placentia,
proceeded from the march of a body of the enemy.
I immediately returned and took post in frnnt of Banos,
with my *frith in advance of Alder Nueva, selecting
ism* points fu► defence as t►e .exigsocy of the time per-
stilted.

The eanny'a cavalry advanced on the high toad, and
drove beck my small cavalry posh ;but a pirquet of Spanish
iiifintry, which I had concealed, poured in un the cavalry
a wteady and well-directed 'Ore, that killed and wounded
mash of them.

Thr 100 Spann. infantry in advance of Atoka Nueva con-
tinued, tinitcr Ihr *lire et inn of Colonel Giant and their olfi-
r maintain their grnmul tnot.t tralLintly, moil the
tnctiq's cavalry and cliaaseun a theta', in considerable

comensatliog
The Merida'
--three, barb* givest- i4ad was laid opals,
which tatitetilail Olaritosilion, soil was obliged to order's
'retreat ',slim heights above Hanoi, wbeu I was arils umies.
suited to delaeb'a *Cerra, order to stieure the road- of
'Monte Major, by which I saw the enemy erecting a colonial,
aid widebroad tuned itteiet6er the Puerto de limo% s
league in our rear.
At ibis time Dun Ca&s%lffatiiinis il'Esperse came Op
with iii battalion of light infatitiy, and, in the most pliant
msolier, Molt post algae tie heights cOmairsadirrc die road
of Bakes, which enabled me to read some of the Merida
battalion on the mountain on our le*, cummandiag the
main road, and which the eneraftili tried to ascend.
The bittlatiou of light infantry, with the detachment of
the legion ' too its right, continued, soterithataadiog tits
enemy's fire of artillery and musketry, to inaintsia their
ground; bet st sic o'clock is the evallOg, three column of
the meaty micatod the height on our left, piamt.fh and
pored such ire on the troops below, that agar deft ace..
wasluipractieable, and the whole were *WigelM retire oa
tbeliwuntsiosai'mor right, leaving opal the tensile road,
a'aoasidorabis isolomis of cavalry imenodialcly

The Mita had been left at Mae with orders
to follow me net day ; but when I was obliged to return,
sad the seta, commenced, I ordered it to Puma Banos, to
watch the Mint, Brijee road, and the heights in the rear of
our left.
When the methyl cavalry came near, an officer and some
dragoons called out to the commanding officer to surrender,
but &svelte/ killed him and his party, and then the Wilda.'
penceedurlo mount the heights,l9 which movement it was
attacked aorserroanded by a tislnnie of cavalry and a co.
Irma of infantry, bet cut its wry and cleared itself, killing
a great many lathe mammy, especially of his
Theerenly is now passing tolakinawca with great rape-
. dition. I lamest that I could no Imager arrest his progress;
but, *lwo Bat enormous superiority of the enemy's force is
considered IP, that we had no artillery, sad that the Puerto
de Banos, on the Eatrainailora side, aunt a place of such
strength as on the side of Castille, especially without gnus.
• I hops that a redefines fur alas hours, which trust have
cost the enemy a great many men, will sot be deemed Inade-
quate to our means.
Il have to ackuowledge the sirvices rendered me on this
egemiiou by Colonel Grant, 111104* Reiman, Duos Ferman
Marquis, Aletiut-Mireer coffin Deagouss of Pavia, Coital°
Charles aud Mr. Bohm's' ; and to express the greatest ap-
-probation of tiro anaphase .r• the Merida battalions ad-
vaisced in front, and fif the Commanding Officer and eul-
diweel-k she Muslims, of Seville end the Portage** bet-
gaffes. haveekendy noticed the distinguished conduct of
Dos Carlos, and his battalion merits the highest enco-
mionte.
"I have not yet been able to collect the returns of our loss.
Pro* fit nature of inaccala la warfare, many wen are miss-
ing, who cannot join fur a day or two; but I believe the
•enelny will ouly.have to boast that be bas achieved his pas-
sage, and 7nis tilled and wounded *ill bell great distinetion
of kis elefary.-I lave honour to be,lic.
'Sir A. Wellesley, ice. ice.
ISISPATCII rittal SIR A. WRLI.RILRY TO LORD
'EASTLIERII•GH.

Treaillo, August 'ft,
Whe Itattet —rhea 1 .essiched Yroin Talavera int the 3d
with • view to oppose the Preach corps, which we
had heard had pas ad through theiluerto di 'kenos, and bad
arrived et Placentia, Sir'Rubert Wilson wai detached upon
Ike left of tie army tosrardr Esdioun; and before I
smirched on that ))))) roing,l put him iu cumanwicatiuu with
tie Spiuish Gene's! Curate, whu, it had teen settled, was
to 'cumin at l'alirveen. I understood ibaeGenetal lettesta
put Sir Robert in commUitication i►ith his advanced guard,
which retired Guns Talaitera or the right of the'gth : I was
obliged to retire wintuut 'suds eutbutunic.gtiou being esta-
blished.

Siritolrert iV Wan, bswever, did sot arrive at 'Vela&
fill the Maid of the 4th, baring made a long march through
the mountain.; and as he was then six leagues froth the
bridge of Arsoirispo, and had to cross the iligh road (ruin
%west to Talavera, of which the enemy Was its possession,
he cusoeind that be was too late to retire *to Arsobispo,
and lie'delerinincil to more by Vents St:Junco sad Centi-
steno towards he Titter y, and menu that river towards
the mountains separate Camille fcuon*Estramadurs.
Souses( Sir Robert Wilson's ditititChes baying missed me,
I am Mtn aware by which of the passiello'Went through the
sturuestriim, hull 'relieve by Toriavitiss.
Ile arrived, bowevr, at *Hanes On the 11th, and on the
12th was attacked and d4-eatett by the French corps of
Maras.' Ney, which, with that of Sault, returned to Pla-
centia on thrdMle, !bib, and 11111,.that of Ney hiving since
gone us towards Salamanca.
I enclose Sir Robert Wilson's account of the action. He
has been very active., intelligent, and woeful in the command
of the l'oringue,e and Spanish corps, with which he was de.
tdited`frolti this army.
%Sore the battle of the 28th of July, he bad rirlied his
parties almost to the gales of Madrid, with which city lie
was in,coniuttuicatiou : and he would have been iu Madrid,
'if I bad not thought it proper to call hint in, in expedition
of that gei.eral adieu which took place on the 26th of July.
Ile afterwards alas:shut the 'newt Cm the viola of his reran;
and thrunghoirt the service chewed himself to be an active
and iateltifeilt Par/fres, well areptiniteci with the -cousin
in which lie Was acting, and pommelling the confidence of the
troops which be commanded.
ileing persuaded that retreat was not open by Arco-
bispo, be anted right in taking tile road he did. with which
he was well acolisinted; and although ancticcemful iu 'the
*diem which haought (which may well be accounted fur,
by the superior numbers and deacciptiou of the enemy's
the action, in my ripiniusi,dues tint great credit.
-I have the licitiour to be, See.
(Signed) A RTIHJIt WF.LLESLEY.
Sir Arthur 11'ellesley, in a part of the private
letter already milked, adverted to my relation of

• Nry's complete cusp, coutaisiesi uut kiY than 14,000
mew, with 541 piens of •uttiller),&r.
_ _

- .
t The con ct lonic lots Iwo already 0:1041; 1 could not
deacend a luw as rota St. Juli,o, Caollatello, and Toros-

should have owed my safety to the Swiftness of my
horse. He was afraid 1 had given Athe troops snore•
credit than they deserved, mud that-he considered it
fatal to the inteh6ts of the ceutitiy, and particu-
larly to the British army, that the delusion respect-
ing Spanish troops should be antinued. He,
therefore, should have sent the riport back to me
for revisio►t if'the communication It'd been tug,

and if the delay in sending to England might not
have been injurious to myself." At the concluding
part of the letter, Sir Arthur Went Hey desired list
to rejoin him, is it was his intention gay caps
should form a part of hie army.
So for from tieing hurt by `these observations,
which were expressed in a letter replete with proofs
of confidence and friendly sentiments ; so far from
being mortified at the expression partisan used in
,the dispatch, wit had been gratuitously ['regained,
because a welliciiowit popular writer forgot tbat a
Loudobn and a filantecoeuli felt themselves distin-
guished-by that appellation, I was grateful to Sir
Arthur Wellesley for the terms in which he had
mentioned my services, and I replied to him in the
following letter, dated August 30th :
Castello' 'Branco, August 30, 1000.
Kr DEAR Gen lave received your letter, enclos-
ing the letter to Lord Castlereagh, which kind letter coin-
inands my grateful ackaowledmeents, and proves tbe air
eerily of your friendship. With regard to the miscarriage
of my letters, I must regret tkeetny dispatch frop.llejar did
sot reach you, as therein I detailed the causes and lint of
my movements, sod this dispatch, passed to Marshal Berea
ford, but was detained from the fear of being intercepted by
the enemy.
In respect to the inconsistency of Col. Grant's separation
from myself, I must beg you to re-consider the position
I had to defend : rfilte of anon pal: frost Alden Negro to
Ptierfo di halite; which two companies of the Merida, auil
detachments of the legion wider Colonel 'Grant, steadily
protected, and from which they gradually retired, while the
remainder of the battalion of Merida rapidly uncovered
my right flank without error a shot, and passed to die
rear of Butts.
The elevation a' the mounts's, forming the post em the

Estrarnadars side above the village, was the next point of
defence. A high rued passed between tie mouniicas; os
each side my traps were placed, and tome also on the
road, where certainly es long es the fire was only in front,
every resistance that could be trade was tnadefor seven
hours *, mid the 'trebly with all his artillery and infantry,
could wills great difficulty bays forced me; but, when the
height bu oe: left was gained, and the French cots mu passed
rapidly on the high road, all communication bk7.ween posts
wu cut uff, and the only retreat that could beveffected was
en the mountains en each side end Not elotig any road.
'Culusel Great was 'from his situstios, obliged to ascend and
pus the hill to Caudelero. I was on the male road, because
I could give directions to all, mod whild be tely hers on
horseback, the itoutitains on the right and left admitting
of no cavalry passage.
At the instant of the attack, I wee endeavouring to as-
certain where the Seville battalion mild mount the heights
ou our left, to form • reserve assisst the Freuch columns
mbnutiag introit arose left. The enemy's cavalry drove
along (all tbose'wbo were moult* on the high road, and
'if he had not been pressed for time, his infantry 'maid have
rendered the diapersios of say infantry far More disastrous :
but geuerally eipesiking, the dispersion 'roars separation by
efetaChwests, and not individuel.llot.
I am not elisions to give 'praise to the Spaniards where
they do sot deserve it, or eneonrsge any eironeoue impres-
eion of the conduct of Spanish troops.
My painted censure of the fdeiide (by particularising

only two companies as doingiiiir duty) is a prodf, and
every °Merl have given bears testimony of my ditties to
seek popOlciity by suck daisgeroat iikiarepretestations.
I ma too solicitous fur my own character to form a pablic
opinion which compromises myself so much; tot is the pre-
lent ►lute of the organisation of the Spanish army, with
their incapable officers and sic system, I feel the most seri-
ous cuucern in all military operation., end I shentd tie the
first officer to delineate their rat eharOber, asd intlee'd of
the Portuguese, for the best °Man cannot act indiPeudet; t
of constaut superintendence; and they never will form,
whilst in their own neighbourhood, so well as they could be
made to do when more remote; but I believe it is the fault
of the officer (in general) and not of the men, fur the latter
have mony military gualiiieal.
_ _

1 shall we to Villa Velha *a the 3d, and after my com-
inienicatiou willisCresieral Cranford, direct my farther ataich
towards you, ma such points as I think 'you would aria : but
1 hdpe to Mitt*Captain Charles no tbecoad. Willi grateful
esteent,

remile, my dear General,
(Sighed) R. WILSON'.
I subseitimitly saw Sir Arthur Wellesley at flailajos, and
was kuthorised to feel limited my explanation bad been
quite satisfaCtury. Some tithe afterwards, at Lisboa, Sir
G. Murray, the Adjutant-General, met me and ansgratu-
lated me on :the arrival of a Motile= , with the fulinwing
dispatch df Marshal Ney, which, be *said, ascribed much
more immanence to the action than wily own dispatch had
done, and Must be gratifying .to me, is it was the justice
rendered by a generous enemy, in Which sentiments Sir
Arthur Wellesley, on the evading of the same dap, con-
curred, and 'I neve cleave had 'As sligttest cause to inspect
a change of opinion. •
leoport*rff Ike Duke of glethogent, Maraud goifit.
Oh the Sib, while the army was taking the bridge of Ar-
zubispo, I had detachments on the bank of the Thietat,
near Villa Nueva, to watcla'the turps Ef the English Gene-
ral Wilson.

Oa the It'll, the corps of the erne* set out .ea stone
from Placeutia. On ►eachinl4liva, 14earut the eaiany 1/C-
-eu pied is 'force Alden Nueva, and peisicipally the heights
anJ defiles of Nasals. 111 y advanced ivard, under Geseral
Lured, composed or vultieurs of the lah light istoutry,

• The action, (rum the brat cotionittleeeuseut, 'lamed alto-
gether wine.
t I alluded to the general 'deacripsion of officers. 'Mut
there were wmc brilliant eacartlion taibeSpaniab and Ver-
tugueve army.

. \
%•.
'41... * '.."44:..... . '''''''....
\ • -
• - - ' . ,
-4.
• , • ~141
• ,40,
•. r .
• . or • . . - 4 •
the action.* otaland, it not iudvitipid 17 lb regiment oftyne,23ii Jrs lAile
4111 a . ' lllo‘i*
campaign, dieuiuiah'.the peatetiikmi of this state- bodies, Ilblrad
II mem, urged in favour of the brave officers and n't •, ' "al•. I"- 4,;* I 11141
Thy the natur*,o t, but rUii
mu, . ~. speak forWe —lie did
.., - have behoved to well; and y : It Itionii to, , • battalion of' it
copid ' ......fdreetniss gm. • sally:pit.* with tie tam, at
. 'Thieve. The enact mud, '
t men serving with me." ige16411"_1... eillik tr. dis ~ . . ,
.. , awe**e wertitiphldly rapid.
s' The pueittou wee taken, ask the 34 hussars made en admire-
" When Sir A. WEL•LEPLIST re-advanced into trees p.iitea maven Miss Nseiaapd Bans;
so coniplettly that both myself and Colonel Grant We charge. The routed showy rejoiced, iu small conspa-
i Spain, in the summer of 1809, I was *pp-elided to deadifoodyng of Alien Red 'nen, the 'sway ._ .
same timi, and th„t 1 I were ocieeried by Getter. id ITilshit with 4 or 6,000 men.—
_, _
.._,
4.....
A...
c......m.
Sh.ft.lia.ns_ acua:malicend-gierlairakifiartnytir= wouithehn...",e4 severs 1,..4,.,,a74f onoula have been separated from (hem, that he ' airs, biiprieeipsl cwrps. ea' the height, of moe„. The..
cover_
..th,a_t_u_pe.,faCti_on., should have bieu missing
~ i That I :•lid`rfkl . IV lua n. .:•:.i.....1 i.,.. •. •