The National Register.
London, England, 1812-02-09 00:00:00

S-‘2

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

Cetieral to advance into the interior of Spain, the old
charges of temerity and .prccipitation may be renewed.
Such charges an impartial Public will not fail duly to
appreciate ; but, at all event, the conduct of the object
of them cannot fail to reinte. _ _

Of the influence which the conquest of Ciudad lto-
tFga mAy hive nitou tlic affairs of Spain we feel no
doubt, though we think it not unlikely that it may be
questioned as to any important benefit to be expected
from it. No pers,m will venture to deny, however, that
it opens the heart of Spain to the British Army, at the
same time that it closes the North of Portugal against the
enemy. Coupling these advantages, then, with the re.
pills- of "V; -Tort at Tariffa, the defeat and destruction of
the division fGI ~A ;it Arroyo de Molino, and the re-
cent fliAlit of Dtiouf.:r and capture of Merida upon the
advance of General HILL, the whole proves, that though
the French made some and formidable progress on the east-
ern co.ist of Spain, the Allies have exclUsively the mastery
on the whole line of the western frontier, from Gibraltar
to the Bay of Biscay. Through,:ut the whole of this
extee they have, with the exception of Badajoz, the
poris:.s.,ion of every strong position, and the choice of
any I:ne of operation. Necessity obliges the French to
dts:),se of their forces in small corps, individually inca-
pable of successful resistance to any respectable force that
may be brought against them ; and the difficulty of sub
sisling large bodies in an exhausted country, must make
it scarcely less dangerous for them to concentrate all these
corps, in the event of Lord WELLINGTON'S moving for-
wald to assail them.

FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE.

FALL OF VALENCIA.

FEB. 9.

REPORT OF GEN. CnUNT sucitzr, TO HIS HIGHNESS THE

PRINCE OE WAGRAM AND NEUFCHATEL.

" Camp before Valencia, Dec. 29, 1811.
44 11losf•IGN EMl—After the battle of Sagunto, I• remained In my posi.
tion, with my right at Lyria, my left at Grao, and my centre in the
suburbs of Valencia.
" Durinc this time, the enemy collected all the disposable force
they had ii L .arcia, and the other points of Spain.
" I had juuged it necessary, before investing the place and opening
the trenches, to have every requisite fur the siege in readiness. A pan
of the carts were employed in bringing in provisions for the army. It
was only with the greatest efforts that I was able to collect, in the course
of the month, 100 20-pounders and 30 mortars and howitzers, with their
necessary apparatus ; they are at this moment annexed to the park of the
sit Pe.
" On the 24th T repaired to Segorbe, where I received the division
of General Count Reille, which I found in the best condition; I am ahu
extremely well satisfied with the division of Severoli. I caused these
troops to arrive, by a forced march of fifty hours, on tke banks of the
Guadalaviar. _ _ _

" On the 26th, in the morning, two wooden bridges were speedily
established by the corps of engineers, and the artillery at the same titre
threw over a bridge of boats. General Reille began to pass the rivc7,
General Harispe advanced upon Torrente ; General Boussard, at the
head of 460 hussars, passed- the river, and charged a squadron of the
enemy, which he broke; but, abandoning himself to the pursuit, he
arrived on the line of the insurgents, wounded, and fell into the hands of
the enemy ; his brave Aide-de-Camp, Robert, perished; making his
body a rampart for his defence. The rest of the detachment escaped
with only the loss of eight men. Immediately the 4th of hussars, and
15th of cuirassiers, who were on their march, put themselves on the
full trot, and loon came up with the cavalry of the insurgents, which
they defeated, and rescued General Boussard.
The insurgents, however, preserved a good countenance in the in-
trenched camps of Manisser and Quarte. Gen. Musire marched straight
upon the camp of Manisser. I had ordered the division Palombini
advance upon the right flank of the enemy, between Valencia aril
the entrenched camp. This attack was seconded, but it became pri; -
cipal. It was said the success of this day would be owing priticip.Xy to
the soldiers of Italy. The intrepid Italians crossed the river with the
water up to their middle, and charged the enemy, with shouts of Viva
l'Ernperatur Re (Long live the Emperor and King). General Balathier,
at the head of the td light and 3d of the line, Italians, forced several en-
trenchments, crossed several canals, and maintained himself agzinet
triple the number of troops, and gave time to the 2d brigade, consist-
ing of the sth and 6th of the line; to join. Never was Italian courage
displayed with greater intrepidity; 50 dragoons of Napolerm
extremely brilliant charge. In the mean time, the Capt. of Engineers,
Henri, caused a bridge to be established, and on the works, to supp..rt
it, the battle continued, when Gen. Robert, whom I have already
had so much reason to praise, arrived at the head of the 117th and of the
let regiment of the Vistula ; the entrenched camps of Manisser and
Quarte were forced—cannon, baggage, caissons, all were taken. At
this moment Gen. Count Reille, with the brigade of Bourke and the di.
vision Severoli, arriving on Aldaya, entirely turned the enemy; the 9th
of hussars charged, and made a great number of prisoners. Cut oil
from the road of Murcia, Blake was thrown into Valencia.
" While these events were passing, Gen. Harispe, who was appoill•
ed to blockade Valencia, and pass the Guadalaviar at its mouth, 1111.1
himself master of the laaaret, took from the enemy several pieces of en:-
non, and made a number of prisoners. Two vessels, two frigates,
and a great number of English gunboats, kept up a fire, during two
hours, from sixteen pieces of artillery, planted on the mole of the Grad;
they were obliged, however, to sheer off.
" General Harispe arrived at Cantarroja, and took at Afagar a quail.
tity of baggage and ammunition, and one howitzer.
"An hour before night Valencia was invested on all sides. All Os
small entrenched camps were forced, the enemy every where beater,
two stands of colours, 30 pieces of cannon, and 100 caissons, and the
baggage waggons taken. Part of the enemy's army have been pushed
into the marshes of Albufera, where it has most probably perished.
The loss on our side has been sustained principally by the division of
Palombini. I have particidarly to regret the loss of Colonel Barbieri,
of the 2d regiment of light infantry and Captain Ordenari, of the
engineers. We have had 20 Officers and 200 soldiers killed or wound-
ed ; amongst the number of the former is Colonel Perpi. The loss of
the rest of the army has not exceeded 150 Mei. Th.: corps of Freyre and
of Bassecourt, which were at Requena, are cut off from Valencia.
" General Delort arrived at Aleiras, on the Zucar, on the £gth.
He there fell in with the corps of Malic and of Obispo, which fled with
precipitation, after having cut the bridges. The inhabitants hastened to
repair them, anti received our troops with demonstrations of joy.
46 I am, with respect,
(Signed) 44 The Z/Larsbal Count SUCIIET."