The National Register.
London, England, 1812-04-19 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL RECM4TEII.

eieht pieces of ordnance in six batteries, in the first parallel; two of
which were intended to fire upon the outwork called La Picurista, and
the other four to inhlade or destroy the defences of the fort on the side
attacked. I directed Major General Kempt, who commanded In the
trenches on that afternoon, to attack La Picurina by storm, after it was
dark that night ; which service he effected in the most judicious and
gallant manner.
The attack was made by 500 men of the Id division, formed into
three detachments ; the right under the command of Major Shaw, of
the 7-Ith ; the centre the Hon. Capt. Powys, of the eld; and the left
under Major Rudd, of the 77th regimen:. The codunnnication be-
tweon the outworks and the belly of the place, was entered on its right
and left by the right and left detachments, each consisting of 200 men;
half of each of which detachments protected the attack from sallies
front the fort, while the others attacked the work in its gorge.
It was first entered, however, by the centre detachment of 100 men,
under the command of the Hon. Capt. Powis, of the 83d regiment,
who escaladed the work, at the salient angle, at a point at which the
palisades had been injured by our lire. The detachments which at-
tacked the work by the gorge had the most serious difficulties to'contend
with, as it was closed by not less than three rows of strong pants:ides,
defeeded by musketry, and a place of arms fur the garrison, musket
proof, and loop-holed throughout. When the attack upon the salient
angle, 11,,wever, succeeded, the whole got into the work.
The enemy's garrison is the outwork consisted of 250 men, with
seven pieces of arti'lery, under the co:nmand of Colonel Gaspard
Tillery, of the Etat Niejor of the Ariny of Cie South; but very few,
if any escaped. The Colonel, three other Officers, and We men, have
beim taken prisoners, aed the remainder were either killed by the lire
of our troops, o; drowned it) the inundation of the liver Rivellas. The
enemy made a sortie from the ravelin called Se Roque, either with a
view co recover I.a Picw.ina, or to protect the retreat of the garrison,
but they were immediately driven in by the detachments stationed in
the communication to protect the attack.
Major-General Kentpt mentions in !nett termi in his report the cool
and persevering gallantry of the Officers and troops; of which indeed
the strength of the work, which they carried, allot d. the best proof.
He particularly mentions Lieutenant Colonel Heruinge, of the Staff of
the Portuguese army, who attended him on this occasion, Captain.
Bennett his Aide-de-Camp, and Brigade-Major Wilde, who. was um+,
fortunately killed by a cannon-shot after the work was in our pose
session; likewise Captain Holloway, Lieutenants Gip.ps and Stanway,
of the Royal Engineers, who conducted the several detachments to the
points of attack ; and Majors Shaw and Rudd, and the Hon. Capt.
Powys, who commanded the several detachments. These three Offi-
cers were wounded, the latter on the parapst of the work, which he
had been the first to mount by the ladders. I have to add to this ac-
count, the high sense I entertain of the judicious manner and gallan-
try with which Major-General Kempt carried into execution the ser-
vice which 1 had intrusted to him.

We thus established ourselves in La Picurina, on the night of the
25th, and opened the second parallel within three hundred yards of
the body of the place; in which two batteries were commenced last
night.
It is impossible that I can do justice to the zeal, activity, and inde-
fatigable labour of the Officers and soldiers with which these opera-
tions have been carried on in the most untavourable weather. The
Guadiana swelled so considerably, that, notwithstanding all precau-
tions, our bridge of pontoons was carried away on the 22d instant ;
and the flying bridges were so much injured, as almost to become use-
less ; but still the operations have been carried on without inter-
ruption.
Since I addressed ••our Lordship nn ti a 20th, General Drotiet has
had his troops on the lines between Medellin on the Guadiana, and Zt •
latnea de la Serena, and Llerena, apparently with the view of keeping
the communication open between the army of the South, and the divi-
sion of the army of Portugal, stationed on the Tagus. Lieutenant-Ge-
neral Sir Thomas Graham made a movement to Lierena on the 25th at
night, but the enemy, consisting of three battalio s of infantry, and
two regiments of cavalry, having hear,. of his march, retired into the
mountains during the night.
Lieutenant-General Sir Rowland Hill has likewise sent a detachinEnt
to La Guarena, and proposed to march himself this morning uptin
Medellin, in order to co-operate with Lieut.-Gen. Sir T. Graham.
I inclo.e the return of the kilted, wounded, and missing, from the
18th instant.

Return of Killed, Wounded, and Missing, of the Army under the Com.
mand o 'his Excellency General Ai thur Earl of Wellington, K B. at
the Siege qf Badajox, from the iSth to 26th March, 1112,
Total British loss.—? officers, 5 serjeants, 95 rank end file killed; 28
officers, 15 serjeants, 2 drummers, 447 rank and file wounded; 11 rank
and tile missing.
Total Pretuguese loss.-2 officers, 1 drummer, 19 rank and file
killed ; 6 officers, 5 serjeants, 83 rank and file wounded.
Total loss from 18th to 26th March.-9 officers, 5 serjeants, 1 drum.
mer, 114 rank and file killed ; 31 officers, 20 serjeants, 2 drummers, 580
rank and file wounded; 11 rank and file missing.
Names of Officers Killed and Wounded at Me Siege of Rednjot, from the
18th lo the 22d of March. 1212, inclusive.
KILL D...-231 Purtuoest:, Ensign Seirerino Jose
Autos.

23:;

WOuNDEP.-7-418th Foot, Liqutetiant Farris. severely.—Captaiii Ro-
bert Cuthbert, A:d-iie•Casup to. Lieutenant-General Picton, severely,
(since deatl).—Royal Engineers,Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher, sli4ntly.—
lit Batt. 28d Foot, Brevet-Major Putter, severely, (since dead).-74th
Foot, Lieutenant Atkinson, slightly.-7th Portuguese Cac idores, Lieu-
tenant Frederick Cesar de rrutus, stigt l'ortugue‘e Line, Ca p-
tain Jaze de Forrista slightly.-23d ditto. Ensign Francis de
Pales, slightly.—Royal Enginects, Lieutenant Wright, slightly.-Ist
Batt. 85th Foot, Lieutenant l'reer.-Ist Batt. 43d Foot, Captans Johnson,
Batt. 88th Foot, Lieutenant North, severeiy (since de.id.)
—2lst Portuguese Lane, Captain Joaquim Carrette, slightly.—tst Ba t.
51.1 Foot, Ensign George Hall, sever, ly.

Names of Officers Kali and Wounded at Me Siege or Badajos,.froin
the .23d to the 26111 of Mardi, 1812, inclusive.
_ _ _

24th Airrch —KILLED.--sth Foot; Lieutenant-Fairclough. Wou ND ED
--4,51 h Foot. I ieut,nant Metcalf, slightly —9th Poi tutuese Regiment.
Captain Mathias Jose De Souza, slightly.
26th Alurch.—KILLED.---437th Foot, Brigade-Major Wilde.—Royal
Engineers, Captain Mulcaater —93 th Foot, I,ietttenant Akins.-74th
Foot, Captain Cotlins and Lieutenant Raniadge.--48th Foot, Lieutenant
Johnson.--Portuguese Artillery, Captains allio Cezar and Pera, de
Artnoral. WouNDED—Royal Artillery, Lieutenant Grinner:—Roval
Engineers, Brigade-Major M`Leoit and Captain Holloway, sever
—4311 Foat, Captain Ferguson, slightly.-45th Foot, Captain Lie'ttfoot
amt Liente-ant Metcalf, slightly; Lieutenants Marsh and .I:ltlrewL ,
severeiv —s2d Foot, Capt.:tin Fwart, sitrhtly; En4,,,n Nixon, s•v.•rei .
—74th Foot, Major Shawe and Lientfn tot I .istt r, severely.-77iit Fetot,
N•laior Rudd, severely.--Sid aptain Powys, sever. ;
Ilackett, dangeroudy.—Stith Foot, Captath Oates, severely,-
91 tit Foot, Captain Kyle, st:verely.-Ist Portuguese'C..cadures, Lieute-
nant Joze Maria St. `ilex.