The National Register.
London, England, 1809-01-29 00:00:00

TIIE NATIONAL REGISTER;

force to bear on our army ; and the glorious result of the
memorable battle of Corunna, under all the inconveni-
ences our soldiers laboured under, will teach, at last,
the country and the Cabinet, that the idea of our beating
the French on their own, or Spanish, or any ether ground,
is not so chimerical, as has been imagined. Almost half '
the enemy's force in Spain had been detached against this
handful of ours ; and with all their celerity, impetuosity,
and generalship, they were unable to prevent our retreat;
and, at its termination, were signally defeated. The tyrant
himself, who iiwnediately after his arrival on the 25th at
the army, had witnessed the exploits of Our cavalry, and
judging there were more blOws than honour to be acquired
in directing the operations against the British Army, mean-
ly stole away from the field of honour, and confided to one
of his Subaltern ruffians the dangerous task of driving it
Sato the sea. He had, at St Jean d'Acre, a specimen of
the laurels to be gained in fighting with our soldiers, and
the wary, cunning and dastarly usurper thought it safer
to compose, under the name of Bulletins, atrocious
libels against our troops, than to fight them manfully.
If this circumstance is not capable of extinguishing the
admiration .of domestic panegyrists of that usurper, and of
rousing the confidence and energy of Ministers ; we will
only say the inveterate stupidity of the one is incurable;
and that the latter are incompetent to administer the

affairs of this country. The base detractors of our co-ope-
ration in support of continental independence are silenced,
for ever, by the victory at Corunna; and the public will
be sensible. at. .last, that 100,000 rum of such mettle, as
triumphed.on the 16th are not only competent to resist the
invaders ; but to lash them, covered with shame and con-
fusion, beyond the Pyrenees.
. On Wednesday, the 11th, the army reachtie Corunna.
On the 12th, the advanced-guard of the French arrived at
Betauzos, a place about twelve miles from Corunna. On
the evening of the 14th, a hundred sail of transports en- '
tered the bay from Vigo; and the following day the re-
mainder arrived. By this tune the greater part of the
enemy appeared in the neighbourhood, and occupied the
adjacent heights; so that the Commander in Chief could
no longer expect to continue the embarkation, which be-
gan on the 14th, without interruption ; and, in fact, our
troops were engaged, during the whole of that day, in in-
cessant ,kirmishes with the enemy. They declined, how-
'inter, a general engagement, as their intention manifestly
was to prevent our embarkation till their entire force had
arrived, when they thought themselves certain of over-
whelming our army. These having accordingly arrived
i:nder the command, as it is said, of .14170 T, the enemy

were seen, early on the 16th, making a movement, evinc-
ing an intention to envelope our men; whilst their principal
force was directed, however, against our right. wing,
which was towards Encobras, and consisted of the 4th,
42d, and 50th regiments, composing the brigade of Lord
Be:NITINCK. Under these circumstances Sir liar,
MOORE prepared to sustain an engagement, which was now
become unavoidable.
Our position was reconnoitered by Marshal SovLT, be-
tween 10 and 11 o'clock in the morning, and the attack

7S

was notwithstanding a feint upon our left by a column and
four pieces of artillery, made by the French upon our right
wing, with great impetuosity, and resisted by our gallant
troops with undaunted firmness and perseverance. It was
obviously the design of the enemy to turn the right wing,
and thus interpose between th© army and the place of em-
barkation.

The heroic gallantry of men and officers frnstrated this
attempt ; and notwithstanding their repeated elrorts, the/
were, in every new attack, repulsed with great slaughter..
At last some confusion appearing in their ranks, our men
became, in their turn, the assailants. The charge was
made with the bayonet ; and on this, as on every other
occasion, the enemy were not able to resist it a single in-
stant. In this attack, during which the whole army cover-
ed itself with glory, the Guards, it is said, particularly sig-
nalized themselves. The French were so completeV rout-
ed, and fled with such precipitation, that they did not
dare re-appear for fourteen hours afterwards. This in-
terval was occupied in embarking our troops. Thus an
engagement, where the desparity of numbers were so very
considerable, was decided by the irresistible effect of the
British bayonet, in less than three hours, from two o'clock
till five in the evening.
Our loss, on the occasion. is much less than could ha% n
been expected, not exceeding in killed and wounded seven
hundred men ; among whom are several officers,—a glori-
ous and incontestible proof of their bravery I In the begin-
ning of the engagement Sir J. Nlooas received the fatal blow
on the breast, by a nearly spent cannon ball. Sir DAVID
BAIRD'S arms was shot away► near the socket by a chain
shot, but, with inexpressible pleasure, we announce that
hopes are entertained of his recovery. The command of
the army then devolved on Lieut.-General Horn, who, no
this arduous occasion di:-played equal bravery, foresight
and activity. The command could not have fallen to the
share of a more worthy Officer.

The transports with our troops from Corunna, we are
happy to state are already arrived. Almost all the letters
from our sea-ports coincide in depicting a sce►►e of distress
and horror inexpressible. Whilst we so cordially sympa-
thise in the sufferings of these generous victims, we :is
warmly execrate the spirit of vacillation, folly and l►rocras-
tination, which rendered the exertions. of this patriotic
band absolutely useless. They were dragged about from.
one province of Spain to another ; and in perfect unison
with the consequences of the battle of Vimiera, they were
ordered. after one of the most splendid victories in our
annals, to abandon the scene of their exploits and succesF,
and to fly from a &malted and panic-struck enemy.
How galling that must be to the feelings of our vic-
torious countrymen I They were sent to the Continent for
the purpose of fanning the last flame of expiring freedom--
a mission so hoimurable and gratifying to British soldiers,
they gave, in every opportunity which was allowed them of
displaying their prowess, the most signal proofs of their
superiorit y over the enemy ; and, when their services were
most urgently requisite, when. their example and presence
might have supported the drooping spirits of our allies,