The National Register.
London, England, 1808-11-21 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

advantages not only in point of number, but in artillery It
and cavalry, the Spaniards did not lose a single inch Of
;round; and at the close of the engagement, they retired,
in the greatest order, and without the loss of prisoners,
or of a single cannon, or baggage waggon. The British
Officer, who makes the report, describes the conduct
of the Patriots, though more than half their number
consisted of recruits, who had not seen four months
service, as beyond all commendation. They displayed,
during the whole action, the cool, steady courage of
veterans, with the impetuous bravery, which marked
their character in the early part of their history. It is a
circumstance worthy of notice, how little the manners of
some nations are altered by a lapse of centuries : the inha-
bitants of that very Peninsula, about two thoasand years'
ago, the greater part of whom were afterwards extermin-
ated by the Romans, the Visigoths and Vandals, displayed
the same unconquerable attachment to their soil and insti-
tutions; and opposed more resistance to the Romans, than
they ever encountered from any other people in the career
of their victories and subjugation. For two centuries they
maintained against these dangerous invaders a series of un-
interrupted victories; and the most skilful of their generals
carefully avoided giving the antient Spaniards an opportu-
nity of displaying their wonderful prowess; and they were
obliged to oppose all the resources of the military art, the
most consummate prudence, with the strictest and most
\ i4ilant discipline to the irresistible impetuosity, and
the proud courage of the gallant inhabitants. On
reading the exploits of the Numantines, in particular,
we feel eneration, blended with the strongest sympa-
thy, fur the generous barbarians. Their ungovernable
abhorrence of slavery, their love of their country, their
preferring death and the horrors of famine to surrender-
ing themselves to the enemy, and the massacre of their
wives and children before they rushed on their own swords,
or immolated themselves on heaps of sacrificed Romans,
excite sensations of pity and and interest unequalled in the
the history of any other country. Such they were at that
time; and the inhabitants of the same peninsula, alter a
:aeries of centuries had elapsed, showed an equal determina-
tion to resist the invasion of the Moors, who were little in-
ferior to the Romans in ambition and in love of distinction
And conquest.
To resume our subject. The dispatches received by
Coverninent enable us to contradict the rumour of a !mita-
l..on of the North having been cut to pieces by the French ;
as none of that corps had reached General &AN E'S army
till after that engagement. During the whole of this me-
morable day the Officers vied with the privates in actions
of heroism, and General fiLAKE acquired immortal honour
hY his conduct, displaying all the bravery of the soldier
with the duty and prudence of the Commander. lie con-
tinually exposed his person where the danger vtias most im-
minent, and the battle hottest ; encouraging his men by
reseme and his actions ; and was the last man to quit
•the field, covering himself the rear of his retreating army.
This distinguished Officer acquired, if possible, greater
honour in the days of the Ist and 2d inst. ; and a juster
title to our esteem, and the confidence of his own soldiers.
An extraordinary scarcity of provisions prevailed among his
troops, who for sonic days had nothing else hut a slight ra.
tion of bread and to this privation they submitted without
nitirmuring, and even with cheerfulness, when they saw
their seneral, riot oni sharing their ganger and fatigues,

nut likewise their coarse fare. He afterwards conducted
his army without confusion to Bilboa, without the enemy
making the slightest effort to harms him in his march ; a
proof of the reception they had received in the battle of the
31st. in this place he left a small detachment; with injunc-
tions to abandon it, should the enemy appear before it in
great numbers. He afterwards tell back to Valmaseda, in
,wder to effect a junction with 10,000 Asturians, the army
of the North, and the fourth diyision of the army of Ga-
licia. On the 4th, after he had concentrated his army, he
received information, that a numerous body of the French
was moving along the heights of Ontara, with an intention
of cutting off a division of his army, stationed near Valma-
sedn. He put his troops in motion on the morhing of the sth,
and at one o'clock attacked the enemy. After a most
obstinately (contested engagement, he completely routed
the enemy, with great slaughter, taking from then; a con-
siderable number of prisoners, one howitzer. smite ammu-
nition waggons, and a great quantity of provisions. Till
eleven o'clock at night, when the Dispatch was sent otr,
-prisoner?: and bae,-Ta,,,-e continued to be brought in. The
strongest hopes were entertained that the greater part of
the enemy would he captured, who were defiling by the
edge of the mountains, in which direction they were
closely pursued. Early on the 6th, the whole army
marched forward ; and they earnestly entreated their Ce-
ncral to enter Bilboa at the point of the bayonet. We
wait with the utmost impatience the result of enter,
prise, and entertain the strongest hopes of its succo;s.

BONAPARTE, who is stated to have arrived at Vittoria
on the fifth, fortunately arrived in the cry nick of
time, in order to judge of the facility he will have
to march to Ntadrid, and crown his brother King of
Spain. What pleasing sensations the haughty Usurper.
spoiled by uninterrupted success, must have felt, Pt
hearing of this reverse, the very day of his arrival at the
army. However, in order to give our readers a more sa
tisfactory idea of the difficulties he has to encounter, ive
lay before them the number and positions of the different
Spanish armies. The right wing is composed of the united
armies of ('asTANos and PALA rox, amounting, it is said, but
which we do not credit, considering the great confidence
reposed in the abilities ()I' Co.'a:11:,»). to only tio,00();
lir-axes army, forming the lett, ousiskal id. more thaa •
35,000, after his junction with Lite Asturians and the Ni)ir-
quis de la Ito,IAN A'S corps: whilst the British force under
Sir Jou N MOORE, at least 30,000, and the army of -Fastra-
madura, amounting to 23,000, were to form the centre ;
and to these two corps the protection ()I ;he capital was tole
particularly confided. REDING was advanciog slith L 6,600.
to Catalonia : and the Murcian and Valencian Levies r ere
computed at 20,000. The Supreme Junta is, in the mean
time, neither dilatory, nor inactive iii their preparation .
They are making every effort which prudence can sng,iest
or authority enforce, to increase the effective strength of
the armies. They are said to have adopted the extraort
nary resolution of placing all the horses in the kingdoi , •
in a state of requisition, for the public service ; •and flit y
have nominated one of their own memiiers, brother !o
li General PALAroN, and invested with all the power of the
Junta, to attend the Army as Commissary ; iu which capa
city he is to concert with the Generals the most prow pt
means of repelling' the enemy I and to produce in tlic.r,
operations a unity of sentiments and views.'