The Sun.
London, England, 1809-09-05 00:00:00

SP4 AISII,PAP:p:I?3,

„

The Governor of Gerona addressed to the Supreme
Junth 'the 4ollowing representation; which, contains
mime itnvortant circurii4tances relative to the heroic
defence of that place, attacked with so much furyby
a'satitntiffarienemy. ;I '-‘ - • -
I
SEN(;e--I consider it my duty to lay. at, the feet of
your Majesty a 'brief gtateinent of the
,Siege and brim-
bardnient which this. heroic city is suffering, the Go-
vernment of which your Majesty has been pleased to
confide to me ---'But-as the-detail of these aclions,
and. the proofs_ of them would be too voluminous,
and' the'pfesent moment i so prefciods, as• well for
the exalted cause of your Majesty as for- the klive
situation in which. I am placed, I shall. now confine
myself to giving to your Majesty a'slight proof of the
sentiments Which animate me; and of the state of the
place.' This is the 70th day of the siege, the 48th
since the trenches, were opened, and. the 33d of in-
cesSant bombardment ; the castle of Mongevick,which
completely commands it at a very short distance, and
is its principal defence; has • for thirteen days had a
pra&icable breach for a front of 50 men. In this time
the enemy had thrown 10,000 bombs and grenades,
and the consequence of all this fury has been the re-
ducing of the houses.to ruins, bnt not to debilitate
in arty degree the spirit of their inhabitants, who every
day, with increased enthusiasm; and love for the just
cause which we defend, run to arms wherever they are
required. The garrison, although small, as it scarcely
amounted t0'2,500 men, has performed prOdigies of
valour, • and in three sorties and two attacks (one of
them repeated three times at the breach by the enemy,
and repelled with considerable loss), has well mani-
fested the discipline and courage with which Spaniards
fight ; but all these details have doubtless already
reached your Majesty through the General of this
army, whom I have regularly informed of the whole.
Your Majesty, who ever have your paternal anxieties
fixed on maintaining the national honour, knows well
the great benefits which the inhabitants of this city
have rendered to the country. Never, Sire, have I
seen their precious enthusiasm extinguished for a mo-
ment; a thousand times would they have sallied out
to seek a glorious death in the field of honour, if their
number [lad not rendered it necessarylo restrain them
in this critical situation. I have repeatedly represented
to the Marquis de Coupigny, theld in command of
thisarrny,that he shouldreinforce me with 2000 men
at least, .although even then the garrison would
barely amount to !mil its complement; but hitherto
he tia§ not'ilonet, notwithstanding thatiin,proport ion
to exigency of circumstances, my instances have been
urgent ; the whole of which I think it my dirty to lay
before your Majesty, assuring you that this important
bulwark of Catalonia will defend itself to the last
extremity, and sacrifice itself for our adored . So-
vereign, Don Ferdinand the Seventh,. whom God,
preserve many years, renewing the memory of Nu-
mantia and Segonturn, rather than bend its neck to
the yoke of the Tyrant. I
,have pledged myself to
this.effea, at the head of those brave Spaniards, and
I now again renew it at the feet of 'your Majesty,
assuring you that the enemy shalt enter this city
only over ,my dead body. The
.subjoined Procla-
mation * will better. inform. your. Majesty of the
sentiments which animate me at ' the feet of your
Majesty.

MARIANO ALVAREZ,

•
Gerona, fitly t 6.
• ,f The Proclalintion referred to is dated the Ist April,
when the enemy threatened the' place.. It concludes with
imposing the perialry'or death (to be executed immediately)
upon, any person, without exceptimi of class, rank, or condi-
tion, who should have the basenes-s to propose subjeCtion or
caPnulation.HGmernment Gazette, Aug. to.)