The National Register.
London, England, 1811-11-24 00:00:00

'HE NATIONAT, REGIS"'

and baggage, and lay down

arms, equipages, and horses,
. Persons not bearing arms
shall be free, and may immediately retdrn to their homes.
REPORT IVITII RESPECT TO TIIE WORKS ERECTED BY
ENGINEERS. DURING TILE SIEGE OF SAGUNTIUM.
The army arrived on the ‘2.3d of September before the for-
tress of Saguntutn. The same day the town of Murviedro was
taken possession of, and all the enemy's posts were driven in,
and the fortress completely invested. For some nights follow-
ing communications were formed in Marviedro, where we
were screened from the enemy's fire. The streets were bar-
ricaded, and embrazures were opened in the houses on the side
next the fortress. These works, which were executed under a
heavy lire, cost the lives of several miners, and that of Raiford,
Lieutenant of Engineers, a brave and osalous young Officer.
The rock of Saguntum is situated on the right bank of the
Murviedro—it is insulated from all the heights, and rises in a
peak on the half of its periphery. The other half falls in very
abrupt declivities, and is accessible but on a very few points, on
account of the jetting of the rock. The ancient theatre of Sa-
guntum is about half way up, partly cut out of the rock, and, at
the foot of the rock, is the town of Murviedro, the walls of
which are washed by the river of the same name. On the long
and narrow ridges of the rock, are the remains of ancient works
attributed to the Moors, the Spaniards have repaired them—
have added new ones, erecting flanking works, and have formed
tenures for the batteries and parapets. 'lle entire mass of these
w.srks torms a very irregular fort of 400 toises in length; and in
breadth front 30 to CO toises. It is divided into four parts or
places, so that a part of the fortress being taken, the remainder
may he still defended. The redoubt of St. Fernando is on the
highest point, and commands all the rest. The great roads from
Valencia to Barcelona meet and pass under the guns of the
place.
We were obliged to have the artillery for the siege brought
front Tortola; but the little f trt of Oropesa, which the enemy
eccupied in our rear, interrupted the way,in a defile is a battery
of three twenty-four pounders, and a mortar was raised against
this fort. which surrendered on the 11th of October, after a
ea monade of eight lws.
All that was necessary for the sle'e of F.agtintion was then-
free to pass, and the tools and sacks of eanit xv,nted by the en-
gineers were forthv..ith conveyed thither. .A.ll the counterforts
of th., rock were too low to permit of our erecting in them
works to batter in brei.ch, except a ridge of rocks which
stretches for :100 toises in front of St. Fernando, sa that the at-
tack was neces,..arilv made on that side.
On the sth of October the officers of engineers commenced'
the approaches, formed covered ways through the rock, and
lodged picqucts of infantry within 70 toises of St. Fernando;
profiting by the occasional protection which they derive front
the irregular form of the rock. The artillery began to batter in
breach on the extremity of the platform at the distance of lfio
toises. Colonel I leay and Major Chulliot had a road formed
with great diligence, in order to bring up '2.1-pounders to the
battery. They were constantly obliged to level (he rock by
mining.
On the 12th, they claimed the first point behind which they
had stationed themselves, in order to reach tine covert of the
rock, which runs out front that on which St. Fernando is si-
tuate they got through the rock% on the right, taking advan-
t;,ge of such veins of earth -as were in their way', and making
ust!'of sacks of earth and gabions. On the night of. the 15th
they reached a place within thirty-five toises of the fortress,
covered by a head of the rock, which afforded a place of rem.-
devious for the troops who were to be engaged in the assault.
Major Chelliot, who hail directed a part of these works with
bravery, wits severely wounded.
Ott the 17th tint artillery began to bombard with three 24-
li
potioders, two howitzers, and five mortars. They attempted
tie tower of the outwork of St. Ilernando. It was constructed
of hard and thick mason work, and the battery was at too
great a dm:lnce, so that the breach was but slowly rffe...teti,
which induced a determinat ion tt; batter the an„ le formed by
time tower and the flank, which proved a matter of greater
On the ISth the fire was kept up, arci at four o'clock iN the .
eve ing the breach was practicable tor five ur six men abreasti
but it wa still of ratter difficult access. It was formed only of
the rubbish of the walls, without any admixture of eA-th. It
was 30 feet high, and its bast: being on an inclined rock, it was,
of necessity, very steep. The enemy appeared above with
much rt.solittion, and neitly-r our artillery or rousl:etty could
repel them, nor prevent them front constantly repairing the
"parapets with sacks ~f earth, as they were levelled by the puns.
01.-,'ers were giv, a f tlo, assault at five o'clock in the evening.
The contain of attack assembled in the place, which had

been formed within 35 toises of the work, pushed on to the
breach, and some gallant fellows actually reached the top; but
they were driven down by a shower of grenades and hobits,
and their failure determined the retreat of the column.
In this unfortunate affair we lost ;20 men. Laineran, Cap-
tain of Engineers, was killed in the breach, together with some
miners.
The assault.had failed, because the breach was in a recess
covered by the fire of the enemy, because it was !co narrow—
because the troops debouched film) too great a distance, and
finally, because the battering train of three pieces of cannon
was insufficient to level the parapets and drive the enemy from
the breach. A resolution was adopted to erect a fieW hatterl.•
nearer, to increase the.number of guns, and to push the covert
ways to the foot of the breach.
On the I feth, Colonel Henry caused the troops to 'advance in
an indented form. Steps were cut in the rock behind which
they were stationed, to facilitate the ascent, and when they had -,
reached the summit of this rock, they approached the breach*
by the aid of an indented covert formed of sacks of earth ; and
on the night of the 24th they were within three toises of the
foot of the breach, when they formed a small parallel. All
these works were executed on a naked rock, with infinite diffi-
culty. All the parapets of the trenches were formed of sacks
of earth, which were brought from a great distance, and it was
necessary to raise them seven or eight feet, in order to protect
our soldiers from the enemy's works, which commanded the
position.
TheFe works do much credit to the conductor of the attack,
Henry, and to the Engineer Officers under his orders.
We lost several sappers in the execution of works so difficult
and so near the enemy both by musketry and by the grenades
and stones thrown by the Spaniards.
On the 23th, the artillery began firing from the new battery,
at 70 toises distance from the work, and bombarded with suc-
cess the tower of the outwork of St. Fernando.
In the morning, General Blake advanced at the head of
30,000 men, to raise the siege, Marshal Suchet advanced to
meet him, and gained a complete victory.
On the Dith, the breach was practicable for 20 men abreast,
and we were well established at the foot of it.
The Marshal summoned the garrison, which surrendered by
capitulation. .
The same day we entered the fortress, and became masters
of a place which had so long braved the efforts of the Carthage-
nian General.
I.IroGN, Oct)T2B,, General of Division of Engineers.
From Mur N
1811.
(Journal de l'Empire, Nov. 14.)

PARIM, Nov. 12..—Their Majesties arrived at six o'clock in
the evening (iitli Nov.) at the Imperial Palace of St. Cloud..
Their return was announced to the Capital by discharges of ar-
tillery.

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73g
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of war, shall file off with their arm
the arms outside the fort.
The officers shall retain their
and the soldiers their havresacks.
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