The National Register.
London, England, 1811-06-02 00:00:00

INTELLIGENCE.

NEWS FROM THE ARMIES OF SPAIN AND
PORTUGAL

ARMY OF' PORTUGAL.
I iiaie the honour to inform your Highness, that on the 24
May, at day-break, I ordered the body of the army to pass the
Agueda, at the-bridge of Rodrigo, and to proceed, the 2tl upon
Marialva, the Bth and 9th upon Carpeo, with the reserve of
cavalry; the 6th upon Espeja, with the rest of the cavalry. The
movement was effected with much order, the advanced poets
of the enemy were driven in, and the preparations which they
had made to defend the defiles of Marialva, were rendered
useless by the passage of the Azava, at Carpi°. This operaziott
was executed without much obstacle from the enemy, and theie
advanced guard 0 14 squadrons of cavalry, supported by scme
hundred of fantassins, with artillery, was warmly treated to
beyond Gallegos. The army took the following position : the
9cl corps in the rear and to the right of Gallegos: a division of
the Bth on the left (Atha village, which was occupied by the ad-
vanced pots : the 6th in the rear of Espeja, and the 9th in
reserve before Carpi°.
The inforniaticin I had relative to the enemy, stated that they
occupied, with 40 to 30,000 men, a fine line of battle behied the
brook of Onero on a hill whose left, of difficult access,
_ ' was sup-
ported by Fort Conception; the right, more accessible, was at
Nava de- Avel; the head-quarters at Villa Formosa. Yet thie
position of the enemy was not without danger to them, since
they had behind their front the rocky bed cif the Coa and but
-a single carriage communication, sufficiently difficult, by Castel
&int.

On the ad, in the morning, the army marched forward, the
second corps forming still the right and proceeding upon Ala-
meda, a division of the. eel:, on the left of that village, and the
6th, with the cavalry, marched from Espeja upon Fuentes
d'Onoro. My plan was, to proceed in force on the right of the
enemy, and to seize the ceternfunication of Castel Born. In con-
sequence, and whilst the second and seventh corps, and the di-.
vision of the eighth, kept thd centre of the enemy in check, I
.proceetled towards the right with the 6th corps pursuing their
rear guard, the greater part of which was warmly repulsed in
Fuentes d'Onord. This village is hidden by the nature of the
ground, and placed in part on the foot of the little hill which the
enemy possessed. I hoped to carry it and keep it—l attatiked it,
and it was soon occupied. The English General who saw a part
of the line cut off• by the occupation of this important post, did
nut cease to throw in fresh troops, and he got possession of it.
The division Ferey, which was alone employed in this attack,
had soon driven the enemy fron► the village. It lost in its turn ;
in line, having seen it taken and retaken, I sustained the divisioe
with tour battalions of reserve of the division of Marchand,
with the 6th corps, and the greater part of the village rema nevi
in our hands during the sight. In the mean time they exchang-
ed some caution in the centre, and they disputed feebly some
small posts ; the village of Alameda remained with us.
On the 4th, at day-break, the enemy, extremely uneasy at the •
• occupation of Fuentes ii' Onoro, which opened us a debozuLe-in
the midst of their line, endeavoured in vain to retake it ; they
were warmly repulsed; they then filled with troops the avenues-
of the village, the rocks and walls the• ft:inked is, and ren-
dered, by all sorts of means, the entire occupation of the
upper part of the village very difficult. Hence I saw thet
the advantage would cost the army too dear, and I employed
myself in the dispositions• necessary for a fresh stuck. I recor-
noitered carefully the flank of the enemy which were guwec.l
by the cavalry and the militia of the county. I found an acces-
siblegroundbetween Nava de Aval and Posobello,aud I resolved
to direct the army thither. The orders were cent oft• the even•
tug, and the movements were executed during the night.
On the sth, at day-break, the army was placed as follows :
The Ist and second divisions of the .'th corps in face Sf Puso-
bello, having the :td division of the Bth in reserve ; al; the cavairt
of she army waited under the orders of General fslontbrun, en
the left of the infantry. The troops, placed opposite the right
of the enemy, were destined to turn and overthrow it. The 8d
division of the 6th corps, occup) hue a part of the village of
. Fuentes d'Onoro, and destined to a:tack it again, formed the
centre with the 9th corps, which was in the rear and in reserve.
On the right was the second corps, the first division of which
leaned upon Alameda, and the A had been placed interme-
diately between that village and Fuentes d Onoro. These
corps of the army had orders to favour, by petty attacks, the
grand movement of the army, and to manoeuvre in such a mai:-
. ner as to unite with it in proportion as it gained ground tipoie
the enemy. The village of Pusobello, and the woods that itiek
it, were full of English infantry; they were viguruu;ly•attacktd
' by the first division of the 6th corps, and carried by the.bayonet.
' 113 e euerny lest many killed and made prisoners. The three

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