The National Register.
London, England, 1811-04-14 00:00:00

DISPATCHES FROM LORD WELLINGTON.

Dispatches were on Friday night received from
Lord WKLLINGTON. They are dated from Couvea
on the 27th ult. Our :lrmy still continued iii, pur-
suit, and the enemy in full retreat. No general
action had taken place ; but incessant .kirmiches
between the advanced guard of the pursuing, arid
the rear guard of the retiring army. In these
skirmishes the superiority of our horse was inva-
riably proved, and the enemy have received as con-
vincing a proof of their inability to withstand a
charge of our cavalry, as they have received of
their inability to resist a bayonet charge of our
infamry. On one of the days of the retreat, we
believe the 24th, the Light Dragoons were favoured
with an opportunity of charging a regiment of
Hussars. 46 They dashed at them," says a private
letter, '' in the first style, and almost in an instant
the French. horse were broken"--inany were cut
down, two or three officers and about 40 privates
wete taken, and the rest dispersed. Lord Wei,-
:LIGTON was to he in Celerico on the 28th. MAs-
sEsA was „be.ycind the Coa. It was reported that
)ie would halt there, but we are more inclined to
that he will not stop Lill he enters Spain, nor

think himself safe till he has got to the borders of
the Agueda.
Devastation and slaughter, useless havoc and
murder, continued to mark his retreat. The pro.
spect before our advanced guard was always that
of burning villages, of plundered cottages, of mur.,.
dered peasants—the roads were covered with the
dying and the dead, with cannon, baggage, and
ammunition, which the enemy could not carry off ;
with mutilated cattle, with every thing, in short,
that could create horror and disgust, that could
make the heart feel sentiments of indignatim
against the barbarous enemy, and of pity for the
suffering and ravaged natives. Not unfrequentJY,
how!!ver, the latter were able to revenge upon the
invader the cruelties lie had committed, lii some
of the villages the peasants had cut off detachments
of the enemy and put them to instant death.
In a military point of view, say the accounts from.
our Army, MASsENA's retreat is conducted with
great ability. His, rear is always compact and
solid, and his. movements are not more remarkable
for their promptitude than for their sagacity. This
praise must not be refused him; but it is our con.
solation to know that it is still a retreat. The more
talnts the enemy displays in making it, the greater
tribute does he, pay to, the skill and science of. the
British General, and the courage and discipline of
the Brit:sll Army.
We have no means of forming any very, accurate
opinion of the enemy's loss. The manner in which
he has covered 'his line of march, has occasioned his
loss in prisoners to be less than it would -otherwise,
have been. •

SUCCESS OF MARSHAL BERESFORD.

A dispatch was also received on Friday night
from Mr. STEWART? our Minister at Lisbon, dated
the 30th ult. informing. his Majesty's Ministers ot,
Marshal, BERESFORD haying, on the 25th, attacked
the enemy with his cavalry, and defeated them
with the loss of 600 killed and wounded.—Campo.
Maior, which had only four days before fallen into
the hands of the enemy, wa.s evacuated, and they
were pursued to the very g:-.tes of Badajos. AU
their corps atilt were on side of the Guadiana
have been obliged to cross it. The last advices
from Marshal BEttEsFoaD left him at Elvas. SouLT,
who had moved .southward after the surrender of •
Badajos, has halted near .Llerena:
Meanwhile the Spaniards are not inactive is the
Southern parts of Spain. General ZEyAs, who de.
lendcd the bridge.of Sand Petri so gallantly, has
landed with 600() men from Cadiz, and reinforced.
BALLASTEROS, who is near Avamonte. The latter
had previously surprised the French General RAMON
at Palma, and
.taken from him all his baggage,
artillery, ammunition, and 500 prisoners. Some
partial success has been gained over the enemy at
Medina Sidonia ; and we trust we shall soon see
them as humbled before Ckliz as they have been •
before Lisbon.

ATTACK ON I\NHOLT.
The attack of four thousand Danes on the Island
of Anholt, where they were defeated by three bun-
('red and fifty Englishmen, affords another proof,.
if pros were wanting, of the superior prowess of. •
our countrymen. The possession of a barren islan.l3