The National Register.
London, England, 1811-04-14 00:00:00

NATIONAL REGISTER.

withdrew from .geVille *all the force that could be
spared, and invested Badajoz. Had this fortress
syeedily surrendered, the progress of this division
must have been rapid, and rendered the fate of the
Campaign doubtful. An expedition was planned
at Cadiz, by a powerful diversion to frustrate
SOULT7S intended operations, and c-orrip'er him tp
divide his troops, and send a strong detachment to
assist or relieve the Thike of BELLI:No. This design
would have been carried into instant execution, had

not the state of the wind and weather prevented, for
several days, our transports from, reArAing their dqs-
tinatiop. Our troops and their allies, however,
landed, and your scattered garrisons tied before
them, and collected in the vicinity of Chiclana,
where, strengthened by thy corps stationed at Vic-
Tort's head-quarters, they manfully awaited the
approach of three thousand Britons, and only
ran away when they found that use had not
blunted the points of our bayonets, leaving in
our hands two Generals, several hundred
soners, six pieces of cannon, one eagle, and the
field strewed with wounded and dead. The defeated
Marshal instantly sent a dispatch to the Duke of
DALMATIA stating the amount of his loss at 3500
men, and requesting immediate assistance. This
dispatch which was intercepted by our allies, did
not reach SOULT in time to prevent the fall of Ba 7
dajoz ; but the intelligence of our victory, received
after he had become master of that place, and Cam-
po Maior, and when the Alentejo lay open before
him, instantly checked his progress. His advancing
at such a moment, might have arrested MAS..
SENA'S flight, by alarming our pursuing ar-
my and .forcing it to weaken itself by
sending detachments to the left bank of the
Tagus, Yet the apprehensions which our brilliant
success had created for the safety of Seville and
all Andalusia, outweighed every other consideration
in his mind, and he evacuated Campo Major, left a
small garrison in Badajoz, and moved towards
Seville, abandoning MASSENA'S army to its, fate,
and thus completing its ruin. This was the object
of our expedition, and I. trust you are not so dead
to every sense of truth, as not to .feel, although you
may (dill deny that we have completely attained it.
Your's undauntedly,
JOHN BULL.

It would seem from, the following extract .of.;
letter from Sicily, that MURAT has not abandoned
his projects against that•island •
" FFP, RU RY RAT is building boats very fast on the
'coasts of his own kingdom. I suspect we shall have Warn}
work in the spring : he intends to have a very great superiurity
of gun-boats. We are .building rtaluubts, forts, towers, batteries,
awl cutting canals in every quarter. The army i:, as healthy
as it can-be ;• not one twentieth part of it in the hospital."
.Five tsail bf the line, and about 250 transports,
may be, hourly.expcetedfrom Lisbon, as they were
to sail from the Tagus for Enzhin.4l a few days after
the packet that has arrived.

I

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~T

FPftEiGNIINTPLLIGENCE.

BATTLE OF BARROSA.

_ •

PARIS, APRIL S.
EXTRACT FROM THE CORRESPONDENCE OF .TITE ARMY
OF THE SOUTII OF SPAIN, OF miiica *l6.

An army of 1G to 18,000 men, of which 6 or 7000 were Eng-
lish, landed at Algesiras on the '2Bth of February. It consisted
of 4000 English troops front Cadiz, 300 from Gibraltar, 6000 •
iploiards from Cadiz, and about 4COO collected from diffetent
parts of the coast. The Spaniards who sailed from Cadiz were
embarked in the bay on the (Ist of February, but they were
not able to put to sea until the '.46t h. On the 28th they formed "
Munction at Algesiras with the other troops.—On the .2n4 of
arch this corps adyanced to Cassas Viejas.
The plan of the enemy was to raise the siege of Cadiz, and
to take all the French lines in the rear, while an attack was to
be made on the works before Cadiz, by the garrison of that
places At the same time Cie ships of war ar.d gtm-boats were
to threaten deba-kation on every point ; Ballasteros was to
march upon Seville, and an insurrection was to break out in the
mountains of Ronda, which town was also be attacked. This
vast project has, however, been totally defeated.
After having issued orders respecting his line, the Duke of
Belluno formed a reserve at Chiclana, composeil of the first
bri ;aye of the division of Ruffin, and of the second brigade
of Leval's division, and reinforced the garrison of Medina Si-

The Spanish scouts apu"ared on the 4th of March, in the
dliection of Chiclann. On the sth, the enemy's army advanced
to take possession of that town, which they knew contained
the depots, magazines; and head-quarters of the French army.
The Duke of Belluno mardted towards C.em with two bri-
gsdes; three squadron of cay.alr:, two batteries of artillery, and
ahout &CO men.—All who chewed themselves were driven
back upon the sea, and, his plan was thereby already rendered,
inipracticabte.
The Duke of Bellunor in prosecuting his success, arrived
*lose upon the sea-shore, whence he perceived that the import-
ant position of Barrosa was occupied by an English brigade,
formingthe rear-guard of the allied army. He ordered Gene-
ral Ruffin to take possession of that height, which was carritd
at thepos•du charge, and several pieces of cannon 'and SUMO
fprisoners weryaken.-7.-le teen advanced upon the enemy's
fkuk, towards the sea, at thc same time that a brigade of Vii-
latte's •divistion,.which had taken. possession of the tete-die-punt
of St. Petrie,
,prOceeded against the head of the column. '1 hese
three brigades of the French army had thus almost enveloped
the enemy. .
Meanwhile the enetriy, sensibleof the difficulties of his posi-
tion, determined to resins; and
.presented four lines, which
appeartd to consist of 401'0 each. As soon as the Duke of Bel-
Lunt) saw that the enemy's force was so considerable, and that
the hagfish formed a.great part of it, he ordered General Vil-
latte's brigade to leave the passages to the Isle of Leon open,
and to advance towaldA his right, and he also directed General
Rues to evacuate the.height; and to close upon his left, being
na longer in expectation of surrounding the eletny, but cpniln-
ing his object to the establishinent of a line psrallel to the sea,
.and including within it a Spanish. distision, which had been cut
of by .a detachment of 1500 men of the, main body of the. corps
&armee. General Rain was already engaged with thi.: divi-
sion. He repulsed-, with great vigour, two attacks of the ene-
my, in v:hich they were alWays two to one. Being severely
w Junded, he remained on the height with about 100 s)ldiers,
svho were also wounjed, and Ms brigade joined the Duke of
Beton° on his left. Successive'attackc took pl Ice en the centre,
but every time the enemy presented themselves they were re-.
pie4ej. Copitiantly disappointed in the plan of advancing to
CAL:Jana, confined tow,irds the sea, and convinced that all
thelreiFortithad_grgved abortive, and the field of battle being
crewed with their dead, they considered themselves, fortunate
to have the' oppefftinity of profiting of the movement which
had been made by General Villatte, and of throwing themselves
into the Isle of Leon, which they did without any .considcra-
tion Tor one of the Spanish divisions, which was thus separated
from Cadiz, hut vvhich,.having wandered all the following
day, succesjed in entering the .Isle of Leon during the night,
as the bioCkade was hat re-established on that point until
the 7th.
Thus between 5' and 6000 'lmperial troops disappointed the
execution of a plan long meditated by the enemy, drove them
up against the sea, and compelled them to return to Cadiz,
whence the..greater part of their force bad sailed only a week
before. The Duke of Belluno took three standards, four field-
piece., and nsade 7°o prisoners.

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T. REGISTER.

The action was extremely obstinate. The• French charged
several times with the bayonet. •We had 1300 men killed;
wounded, or made prisoners. Among the latter were 150 men,
all wounded, who were taken on the height defended by General
Ruffin, and about thirty sharp-shooters, who were .the only
French niade prisoners wit out being-lvoinided. The first bat-
talion of the Bth regiment was charged in a wood of olives, in
which it was placed as a corps of sharp Fhoott.rs. The eagle-
bearer being killed, his eagle could nut be tumid.. This :vel-
ment having been employed is sharpehooters by the General's
order, it ought not to be blamed for the loss of the rink.
General Rain is among the prisoners, and his wound is se-
vere. It is believed, however, that it will hive no dangerous
consequence This General evinced the greatest intrepidity,
and his miefortune was entirely owing to his being wounded.
'The General ()flit igede Chaudron lkousieate and Col. Antler,
are killed. These Officers were distinguished fur their bravely,
and haerefallen gloriously.
The number of the enetny 'counted dead on the field of battle
is 900, including 300 English ; anti we are assured that a great
number were carried off: The eneney'sloss cannot be estimated
at less than 4,000 men, that is to say, the triple of ours. One
half of this loss, at least, was sustained by the roops.
On the titb the English vessels made an attack along the whole
of our line. • They effected several deleirkatiolib, Inn were every
where repulsed at the point of the bayouet. them different
affairs we made about 50 prisoner-. Fuur gunboats were sunk.
Several pinnaces, which were to serve for the re-embarkation,
came on shore, without any person on board, the whole of their
crews having been lost. It is to be regretted that the Duke of
Dalmatia, when he set off for Estremaditra, did not leave the
whole of Andalusia and the kinedoin of Grenada under the or-
ders of the Duke of Beaune. The 4th corps was thus left inde-
pendent, also the Ones of Generals Godinot aalearrican, and
cite Duke of Belluno'had only the troops ems in the siege
at his disp ,sal, to guard his immeose line, to repulse the real or
false atrecks mute at all points, and to oppose the army In front
of him ; so that whilst the enemy had united all his means, the
4th corps, and the corps of observation, under General Godinot,
that is to say, more than 'e5,000 men, were of nu use in this im-
portant affair.
The 4th corps supposed that the debarkation at Ale,eeiras
menaced their rich!, at the same time that the Mercian insur-
gents were attatkftg its left.. General Sebeetieni only learnt,
when too late, that the troeen that bad distotiberked were
marching against the left oldie blockadirg army. if one of his
divisions bad acted upon the rear of the teieuty'e corps, and if
the Duke of lithium bad only to oppose its entranre into the
Isla of Leon, the whole of this corps would have laid down
their arms. The Commander of Ronda ha repulsed end dis-
persed the insurgents in the moantaiits. As soon as General
Sebastiani was informed of the march of the enemy's corps
against the first curs, he detachtel a div;sion towards Cadir.
Gen. Godinot also deta,: heti nine battalions; hut these reinturce-
ments which might have been useful arrived tea late. TJ:e
enemy, after their defeat, placed themselves .n a state of'securi-
ty within the walls of Cetee. We are resured that thi4 affair is
a source of discussion and dissetisfaction between the English
and Spaniards.
Mere 4.--Tree ltfmitcur contains the following Notes upon
the account of the battle of Barrosa, bent by Lord Liverpool to
the Lord rviavor of London :
Leffee-e.'4 The army of Marshal Victor, composed of the
two divisions of Ruffin and Laval."
Moniteer—" 'There wa: only one brigede of each division,
and each consisted of less that* 2.70te men. Four battalions
had been detached to reinfot ce the garrison of Medina Si-
donia."
Lester—" The enemy was completely repulsed, with, the loss
.•
of an eagle and six pleCes of cannon." i.
allouiiegir—'4 You mean two pieces of cannon and four Ca,.
SiOni ;and you say nothing
oil three stand of .colours."
of year having lost four pieces of

cannon a., thx...
tier-64 Tilt. General of Li-vision, Ruffin, &e. and 450 rank
and file were made prisoners."
Moniteur=3 You took, at the most, 250 wounded men, and
you lost
Letter-1' It appears that the enemy had about 8000 men
encleed."
Mutrifteur—" That is to say, less.than 5020:'
Letter--" The British, whh the Spaniatds attaeled to theins
amounted to 5600."
htnii.' cur," There were 7000 Englisit,:t 0r.9000 Spaniards,
and,looo Portuguese, which znaLes a total of between sisteen
and eigiateun thousand men. In the return of the wonucled
officers, you *motioned eleven Eneish regimezirs vit. three
regiments of Guards ; the 9th, 28th, 47th, 67th, Ski VW-and
95th of the line, and the 2d Hussars, to which is added ,ttie
Portuguese; in all twelve different corps, makini fiftren Ett-
Lall which, at :411 each, Ji -4,5011 a. P4e.