The National Register.
London, England, 1811-05-12 00:00:00

NATIONAL RECISTER.

T:

TUESDAYS LONDON GAZETTE.

FOREIGN-OFFICE2-RoWNING-STREET, MAY 7.
A Dispatch, of which the following is an Extract, was on
Sunday night received at Lord Liverpool's Office, addressed
to his Lordship by Lieutenant-General Viscount Wellington,
• dated Portalegre, .sth April 1811.
I have the honour to inform you, that since I addressed you,.
I have been in Estremadura, from whence I am now on my
return to the troops stationed bet Ween the Agueda and the
CXsa.
I have the honour to enclose the report of Marshal Sir Wm. •
Beresford on the surprise of a squadron of the 13th light dra.-
goons, on the night of the 6th inst. together with a return of the
loss upon that occasion.
Sir Wm. Beresford employed the 4th division under the com-
mand of the Honourable Major-General Cole in the attack on
o,ivenca, which place surrendered at discretioa on the 15th
Instant. I have the honour to enclose the report of the Hon.
Major-General Cole to Sir Wm. Beresford, and returns of ord-
nance, arms, &c. and prisoners taken in the place.
As Sir Wm. Beresford deemed it desirable to oblige the ene-
my to retire from the province of Estremadura entirely, before
he should commence his operations against Badajoz, he moved
forward with this view, while Major-Gen. the Hon. G. L. Cole
was engaged in the attack upon Olivenca, as well as to give sup-
port and protection to Gen. Ballasteros's division of Spanish
troops, which had been obliged to retire from Fregenal success
lively upon Xeres de los Caballeros and Salvatierra on the 13tli
and 14thinst. by a division of French troops mid% the command
of Gen. Marensin.
The Marshal marched on the 15th to Santa Martha, and on
the 16th to Los Santos, where the British and Portuguese caval-
ry fell upon a body of the enemy's cavalry, and to WO pripon-
ers, and killed and wounded a great many. The cavalry con-
ducted themselves with the utmost steadiness and good order.
The enemy having retired to Guadalcanal, and the corps un-
der Gen. Marensin having retired through the Sierra, the troops
were put in motion to return to the northward, and to take their
stations for the operations of the siege of Badajoz, and the Mar-
shal met me at Elvas on the 21st.
We reconnoitered Badajoz on the 22d, escorted by the the two
light battalions of the King's German Legion and two squa-
drons of Portuguese cavalry. They brought three battalions
out of the town, which skirmished with our Troops ; but I have
not yet received the returns of our loss upon this occasion.
As the preparations for the siege are nearly completed, the
pla:e would by this time have been regularly invested, only th..t
on the night of the 23d the floods in the Guadiana carried away
the bridge which Wm. Beresford had, with great difficultl,
-constructed tinder Juranienha ; and the river was no longer
fordable any where. Under these circumstances, t este. day
desired him to delay the operations of the siege, till he should
have been able to re-establish his bridge, or until the Guadiana
should again' become fordable, still keeping Badajoz blockaded
as closely as might be in his power.

Olivenca, April 16, 1811.
SIR—My letter of yesterday by my Aid-de-Camp, Captain
Roverca, will have informed your Excellency of the surrender of
this place, the particulars attending which I had deferred stating
to prevent any delay in your receiving this information. I have
now the honour to report, that on the night of the 12th instant
(die morning of which your Excellency left the camp) we took
possession ()I an enclosed lunette which the enemy bad left un-
occupied in front of the San Francisco Gate, and distant from
the curtain about two hundred and fifty yards. As the only
entrance into the work was through a gate in the rear of it, much
exposed to a fire-of musketry from the place, we were under the
necessity of making another passage for the artillery at the out-
ward angle, which was executed, and a breaching battery of
four guns compl,,t;..d on the 13th, and I had hopes, as I stated in
my letter to your Excellency of that day, that wo should have
been able to bave got the guns into it in the course of the night,
but in which I was disappointed ; for notwithstanding every ex-
ertion was made on the part of Major Dixon, of the Portuguese
artillery, it was found impossible to effect it, from the badness
of the r)ad and the circuit they were obliged to take to avoid the
fire of the place. We were, therefore, under the necessity ofde-
ferrtrg it until the folldwing night, as the lur.ette was too muci
expe:vii to the tire of the place to attempt it during the day.
1-iirving succeeded in getting the guns into the battery during
the with!, and got every thing ready before tiff-break on the
15th, and algo established two flanking batteries of field-pieces.
I sent a summons to the Governoro a copy of which I have the
honour to enclose, with his answer, which being a refusal to ac-
c-pt the t.frnis I off red, our lire immediately commenced, and
vas returned with s. me spirit from the town. At eleven o'clocz.

301

a white flag was hoisted by the enemy, and an officer came out
with a letter from the Gowernor, a copy of whiclt I have the
honour to inclose, with my answer, and the Governor's reply.
to which I sent none,- and recommenced our fire. After a tew
rounds, a white flag was again hoisted, and they surrendered at
discretion, and the Franciscan Gate was taken possession 01l
by the Grenadier Company of the 11th Portuguese regiment.
The choice of the situation of the battefies, and the expeditiota
with which they were completed, do great credit to Captain
Squire's (Chief Engineer) judgment and activity ; and I ant free
to say, that it has been principally owing to his exertions, and
those of Major Dixon, that I am indebted for the speedy surren-
der of the place; and I feel great satisfaction in saying, that du:
conduct of the Portuguese artillery employed in the breaching
battery was highly creditable. To the fire kept up by the Bro.,
tish light companies, and the rifle companies of the 60th and
Bt unswick regiments, under Majors Pearson and Birmingham.
and the flank companies of Col. Harvey's Portuguese brigade,
• principally attribute the trilling loss we sustained. I have tlae
honour to enclose the return of the casualties, as also of the.
ordnance found in the place, and of the number of prisoners
taken. I have, &c.
(Sigued) G. LOWDY COLE.

Return of the Casualties which have occurred in the Division
the Jelled Army rosployed at the Siege of Olivenia, under
ti:e'Cutonnand of Mojor General the Honourable G. L. Cole.
Olivenca, 15th April, 11111.
BRITI9H.-4St. Batt. 7th Royal Fusilecrs, 1 rank and file
wounded.
2d Batt. 7th Royal Fusileers, 1 rank and file killed.
27th Foot, 1 rank and the killed; s rank and We wounded.
Brunswick Rifle Company, 1 rank and file killed.
PORTUGUESE.--Sd Regiment Royal Artillery, 1 rank and file
killed; 2 rank and file wounded.
2.5 d Foot, 3 rank And tile wounded.
Ist L. L. Legion, 1 rank and file wounded.
Total-4 rank and Me killed; 10 ran l; and file wounded.
(Signed) R. EGERTON, Captain.
Dep. Assist. Adj. Gen.
Return of Wounded, made Prisoners, and Miming in the Corry
of the Allied ilroty under the Cuiatneancl of Marshal Sir W. C.
• Beres ford, K. B. on the .illoritinglf the ith April 1811.
Camp on the Left Bank of the Gaudiana.
13t-h Light Dragoons, S rank and file wounded; 1 Major,
1 Lieutenant, 1 Troop Serjeaut-Major, 2 trumpeters, 49 rank
and file, 63 horses, 2 mules, prisoners.
Ist Batt. 40:1 Foot, lwounded, 1 prisoner.

97th Foot, 3 wounded, 2 prisoners.
Total of Wounded, made Prisoners, and Mis.sine.
7 rank and file wounded; 1 Major, 1 Lieutenant, 1 Troop
Serjeant-Major, 2 trumpeters, 49 rank and Ale, 65 hoots,
mules, prisoners; 3 rank and file missing.
Names of Officers taken Prisoners.
131 h Light Dragoons, Major Morris and Lieutenant Moss.
(Signed) T. REYNELL, Lieut. Col.
Assist. i;tljt. Gen.
Return of Spanish Prisoners released at the Capture of Olinencrt,
ly a Divi..iot of the Allied Aroiy under the CeNnownd If Ma-
jor-General the Honourable. CL L. Cole.

9 Officers, 80 NI
total 89.
(Signed)

15th April, lall.
Officers and rank and file,

R. EGERTON, Captain,
Dep. Assist. Aaj. Gen.
Return of the Officers, Non.conunissioned Qfliters, ow(
File, composing the French Garrison of' Oliorain, which eavre,i-
dered to the Division of the Allied Army, nailer 1.1,e continua
of .illojur-Generut thell'un. G. .L. Cale.
I.sth April, 1811.
1 Colonel, 1 Lieut.-Colonel, I Captain, 6 Subalterns, 16 11,147
dical Officers, 3 Corninisialiat Department, 357 Nui:-courtius-
eionedY3liicers and rank aud %le effective, 96 sick and wounded
in hospital.—Total 481.
(Signed)

R. EGERTON, Captain,
Dep. Assist. Acii.,,thn..
Return if Ordnance and Sturgis bxpturci at Oliocnia,

pra, 1811.
Ordnance mounted, 1 brass tight-pounder, 2 ditto four-pound.
ers, 5 iron twelve-pounders, .2 ditto eight-pounders, .2 tutu, sip.
pounders.
Ordthince dismounted, 1 brass eight-pounder,2 iron twelve-
pounders.--Wrotal
AlllMlrnitioll tumbrils, GC,500 =squat ball-cartrisiges,
musguets, 1592 bayonets.
(Signed) A. DIXON, Ma;
Commanding Portu,,,uust..AKliile., y ye.

302;

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