The Sun.
London, England, 1809-07-13 00:00:00

SP.INISII PAPERS

The Governor of Lerida has sent to his Excel-
lency Don AntoniO Camel, the following dispatch
" After the French Generals Count. Gerran and
Martier had arrived with their divisions on the cult-
fines of this important district,l endeavoured to draw
the attention of the enemy, according to the instruc-
tions I had received from Gen. Blake, towards the
banks of the Cinca, observing with the greatest vigi-
lance, at the same time, his intentions and move-
mentsi and availing myself for these pUrposes of the
troops to be employed as the garrison of this place.
The enemy was then occupied with the city of
Barbastro, and various parishes in its neighbourhood,
as also some .others on the right there of the Cinca.
On the left he pOssessed Monion,, and the castle
belonging to it, from %hence he was enabled to mo-
lest, with every species of military oppression, the
neighbourhood, requiring from its distressed inha-
bitants, provisions and,other contributions.

" The town of Albelda having Tensed to surren-
der, the enemy determined to make an , example of
it, and, for this purpose, he advanced with 1400
men. This purpose he was obliged disgracefully
to abandon, he being defeated at Tamarite by the
troop's posted there under my orders, consisting of
about 700 men, commanded in person by ColOels
Perena and Baget, and by some Arragottese and Ca-
talonian riflemen. The greater part of the French
withdrew to Barbastro, teal, mg about 200 in Mon-
zon. The natives of thetown, irritated by the yoke
imposed upon thew, after some days Of sutreriog,
rose upon the French in Monzori, and with only
sticks and knives and 70 muskets, they killed twelve
of them in the streets, while the rest fled towards
Barbastro.

" The enemy, anxious to avenge himself for thin
injury, proceeded on the right bank of the Cinca to
Pomar, and on. the 16th curt. in greater numbers,
they passed the ford, resolved to carry all before
them by fire and sword. Supported by a competent
proportion of cavalry they.commenced the attack in
the town of Mono°, where Colonel Perena, with
his reduCed battalion, and a third part of the garrison
of the city, was posted. With this small force,, by a
continued and well directed fire, he not only -re-
strained the impetuosity of the trench, bui he drove
them from Pueyor, of which they possessed them-
selves. The following day, with a stronger force,
they renewed the
.attack upon MOIiZOD, and pene-
trated even to the streets of the town ; but Colonel
Perena was by this time supported by the troops
under Colonel Bagel, which flew to his assistance
from Fonz, and the result was, that the enemy in-
gloriously retired with great loss to .Pueyo. Of, all
these transactions, punatual and frequent intorma-
lion is given to me, and, in consequence .ot such
'communications, I gave the suitable orders, endea-
vodring to give spirit to she operations, and sending
to the points of attack ammunition, and other ueces-
sary supplies.

•
" Mortified by these defeats, the enemy brought
to his assistance the. 2000 men which remained in
Barbosa°, who, fuil of , self sufficiency, hastened to
incorporate themselves with their fellows, jointly
to attaci4pur brave troops with this superiority of
numbers. Fortunately. the Cinca had risen, I.vhiclt
they were obliged to ford, and not withstanding their
increased strength, they- could not accomplish the
paSsage of the river to unite with their companions..
The event was, that those who were on the left
bank, intimidated by this unexpected accident,, took
flight to Albalate, intending to retreat by tine bridge,
of Fraga. I foresaw their design, and arranged mea-
sures accordingly to frustrate their purpose; I or-
dered 50Q men to be drawn from the garrison of this
place, and sent with them the grenadiers of the
regiment. of Granada infantry, with the viewsihat
they should occupy this bridge, and, .1f necessary,
break it' down. This order was properly obeyed.
'"
I gave notice of this ..proceeding to Colipels
Baget and Perena, diretting them to pursue the fu-
gitives, which were in number. about 1000,, with
40 cavalry. Thus pressed on all sides, the .enemy
'fell back upon Vinefar and. San Esteban .towards
Fonz and Estedilla to save themselves repassing the
Cinca among the mountains situated at -the' con-
finence of the Esera, and thus arrived in the
vi-
cinity of
.Estada, galled at. every step by our aCtive
warriors.

" It would detain your Excellency too long if I
were to notice all the circumstances under whiclrour
officers, subalterns, and peasants, have distinguished
themselves. The latter flocked from all the neigh-
bouring districts to participate in these glorious ac-'
tions. It wily be enough to tell, you the lay re-
sults of these laboiious but honourable days, princi-
pally the 16th, I /ill, and 2tst instant. More than
600 soldiers, and a considerable number of officers,
are prisoners. The Commander, a principal officer
of the Legion of Honour, was ducked in the torrent.
of the Citida ; many others fell in the field of battle.
and many were wounded and drowned, in 'the same
river : in short, 1300 of the best `French troops are
annihilated in these conflicts, so honourable to ou'r
arms, and so disgraceful- and destrudive to the
..enemy.

"The gGOO men which remained on the rlgbt"
bank of the Cinea, returned to Barbastru on the
morning of the 2 I st, and, full of shame and terror,.
withdrew to Pina.

" I have progressively imparted these transactions
to the General in Chief, but their acknowledged
importance, the general enthuaiasm displayed by the
loyal Arragonese, the revived courage of these op-
pressed districts, and the advantage which may be
made of their patriotism, assisted by the natural ad-
vantages possessed by their mountains by• the Riba
Gorza, and by the territory•of Barbastro; all these
circumstances, I say, have induced me to commu-
nicate direCtly to your Excellency, the honour of
whose approbation I hope to deserYe. At the same
time I entreat that you will have the goodness to.
communicate the whole particulars to his Majesty,
should your Excellency think it expedient to, do so.
God preserve you, tizc.
(Signed) " JOSEPH CASIMIR° DE LAVALLE."
Lerida, May 22, 1809.

The Captain-General of Arragon has sent the fol-
lowing dispatch, under date of the 20th of May :
" I hate already informed your Excellency, that,
in order to oppose the French troops which occupied,
Alcaniz and its neighbourhood, and to proted A part
of 'the provinces of Catalonia and Valencia where
tl ey unite with Arragon, some force was posted at
Niovella, so as to form a line with the banks of the

Algal.- The dutyOf this detachment was to protea
the defiles through which the French might threaten
'Tortosa, or to obstruet the conamunicaiion between
this place arid Mequinenz, The troops of Alovella
defended one of the principal roads leading to Va-
lencia.
The Supreme Junta having authorised me‘ to
undertake the dislodgment of the division of the
enemy which occupied these territories,4 afterwaids
endeavoured to unite these troops; "and having join-
ed, I reinforced with others which I drew, from the .1
garrison of Tortosa. Lieutenants General the Map
quis of Lazan. led to the point of rendezvous tWe ,
forces -of the Algas, and Field-Marshal Don Pedro
Roca,' those under his orders in Newrella. The
army of the enemy consisted of a division of the '3d I
corpS, which is that which occupies Arragon, and
is commanded by General Junot. This division,
when it commenced the,siege of Saragossa, consisted
of from ten to twelve thousand men, of eight
hundrd to one thou&and horse ; but according to
the best accounts 'I could procure, it waa reduced
afterwards to six or seven thousand men, and five
hundred or five hundred and fifty horse, and is now
under General Lasalle.
• This Commander had his head-quarters in Al-
caniz, where he usually retained his main body, but
making occasional sallies and sending large
.detach-
ments to harass us, who were frequently apProach-
ing him' to observe and to destroy the Freoch out-
posts. By accident, Lavalle was making an excur-
sion of the kind alluded to, with two orthree thou-
sand men; occupying the town of Beceyte, on the,
same day that the Marquis de Lazan purposed hini=-
Self to arrive.there with his troops. :Altlibugh this,
Gen,-ral, conformably with my instructions, was to
avoid every conflia with the enemy until his junc-
tion with our other forces, he felt ,confidently that
he ought not to allow the enemy, in such citcurn-
stances, to retire unpunished, and he ordered- some
light troops to occupy some advantageous positions
to annoy Lasalle, who was misguided by his own
presumption. In the result, , when he retreated to
Alcaniz; ' he was under the necessity of passing
through the fire of our posts, and he shamefully
fled with the loss of 80 or 100 men at least, in killed '
and wounded ; among the
,former of which was a
Lieutenant-Colonel of a Polish Regiment; whereas
we had:ooly two killed and three or four wounded.'
" On the following day, which was the 17th, the
Marquis continued to advance, and the junction was ,
effeCted at Monroyo, notwithstanding the great dif-
ficulties in the -conveyance of the artillery over the
rocks that intervene between Tortosa and Mo-
Tells, and even front Morella onwards. On the 18th
we proceeded to the hermitage of Fornoles; and
'from thence to Alcaniz, distant about five hours and
a half, ,undertaking during the darkness of the night
'our march for the immediate attaCk.• The vanguard,
'commanded. try Lieu teuant-Colotiel Don Pedro Trex-
ada, endeavoured if passible - to-interpose between
Alcaniz and Val de 'A gorta. The usual position of
the advanced d ut. the, enemy, and abe.distriCts
of Castelseras ati t Torreeillo were occupied by two '
columns _ter the command of 'Colonel Martin
Gonzalez 'de Mencilacaand Don Joseph Cucalo,
Coin,eander of the Battalion called the Reserve of
Arragon. The rest of the small army, viz. three
columns of infantry, under Colonels D. hatizon
Petez, and D. Luis Anariani, and Lieutenant-Col.
D. IVlaneel Carhoiz ;. the cavalry, under. Brigadier-
General D. Miguel Iharrola; and the train of artil-
lery, under Commandant-General D. Martin Garcia
Loigorri, proceeded by the only path that leads from
Morella to",Alcaniz.
'As soon as , we arrived in sight of Val de Al 7
gorfa, I instructed Carboiz to send forward a consi-
derable number of 'small parties, suppoLting them
with the rest of 'his. column. Observing that the
enemy proceeded. towards it by,some mud .walls and
rocky eminences at the entrance of the place, and
that be could only be dislodged with loas-, especially
as he was defended by a parapet, which he had sur-
rounded 'by a ditch, with the view of waiting there
for reinforcements; I directed that two cannons out
of fourshould play open him to obstruet his purpose.
In the event, atter tour or five discharges, the five or.
six hundred French began to retreat by the way of
Aleaniz, but not without 'being , rapidly pursued by
.our small parties. They had not fled half a league,
when falling in with Trexada, they were complete-
ly disperied. distributing themselves in narrow and
obscure tracks, and were prevented
,from accom-
plishing their object of uniting with the division at.
Alcaniz.
`,‘ The columns of Menchaca and Cucala intend:-
ed to support the attack on the left, approaching the
van-guard at this moment, the enemy deter Mined
precipitately to retreat by the way of Samper, hastily
leaving behind him the rest of •our troops, which
were advancing with extraordinary zeal to participate.
in the action ; but the only consolation they had was
the discovery of the track to be pursued, by the car-
cases of men and horses, by the stains of blood on
the earl li, and the like desolations of the course of
the flight of the enemy. The loss of the latter must
hive been cOnsiderable, bui our own consists only
of -six or eight killed or wounded., We_ could not
make more than ten or twehe pr.tuncrs, lan account
of the velocity with which the French took to their
heels.
" r cannot justly describe to, your Excellency the
spirit of our larave troops, or the admirable order
with. which they proceeded under the able command
of their respeetlye Chiefs and ,Otficers, to which my
two subordioate Generals, the Marquis of Lazan
and D. Pedro Roca, essentially contributed. I onglit'
to mention with particblar distinttion those Officers
and troops of the columns which joined in .the ac-
tion, and - their several Commanders, D. Martini-21e
Menchaca, D. Joseph Cucalo, D. Manuel CAoiz,
and D. Pedro Trexada. It was impossible tiwithess
without extreme sensibility a numerous people ria-
ing, from beneath the yoke of oppression, and re-
ceiving their deliverers with expressions of the most
ardent gratitude. If it were possible that the Tyrant
of the World could have seen the effusion of heart-
felt joy, and could have heard the continual excla-
matioos—‘ May Spain flourish—May Ferdinand
VII. live fur 'ever—May our .sacred Religion be
preserved !' he would have been fully undeceived as
to the possibility of his brother acquiring in any part
of Span), I will not say the affections, but-the obe-
dience of her natives.
" We are lulu' rued, that yesterday evening late,
Lavalle arrived at Ifijar with his division, cannoning
his troops in that district, in Sainper, and in the ad-
jacent territory, and that the, two detachments of

606 and 200 men evacuated Caspe. and Catania
with great recipitaiion. - .
" I give your ,Exe.ellehey ioformatioU of t.!)?..
events, that you may subinit it to the notice 'of hi
Majesty.

(Signed)

JOACMI:q

" To Senor D, --Actoni)A.7ornel " •
• From the same General, on the 21st of May, WI,
sent the following dispatt:'
" The 'details from the of Merline:l,,,,,
,with respe& to the burning of the flying brid
the Ebro, were delayed some days, and at the too-
ment when I received them, I was proceedi,l; to en=
gage in the expedition I mentioned, and I !lett.-
fore had not time to prepare t hem for the
of your Excellency. Separating ;ill supfriiu,Kt-. n,
ter from these details, the affair -was concis4, as
.follows :—A detachment of 300 men tin,t-1. the

ders of D. Augustin •De Roda, proceeded to the
neighbourhood of Alborge, 'Where the Inidg,-
extended, consisting of• a species of pont-0 11,.•
launches, competent to convey over some hundreds
with their anus and equipments, much-like that
which the enemy had cqustt'ueted oppo,ite toe Fpe,.
Some combustible muter .was prepared, and then
floated to the works,. in consequence of which the
bridge was destroyed. The guard, of the liking
bridge consisted of about 31) men, besides t ?
toners. The whole. party was surprised, and f
lieve that not one escaped, as our traps, mad,-
prisOcters, ten- of them were wounded. and t.,,,eke
or thirteen were killed. The promptitude, secre;:yi
and good order with which this operation was CM,
duCted,: WifhOut the assistance of any ortire neigfi%
bouring detachments, is very meritorious.' •
• (Signed) JOACFIt M BLAKE."'
" To Senor D. Antvnio'Cornel."

The General of the Army of La Carolina, by
Marshal de Camp Don PedroGormare,4t, hag sent the
following dispatch, dated the 24-th'nty r
Without admitting ,any unnece3sary delay, I
transmit to the hands of your Excellency the
which; at nine o'clock this night, I received from
Brigadier-General Don- Diego Badesteros, Colonel of
the Regiment of Dragoons of Granada, and Com-
mander of my van-guard in the action in the neigh-
bourhood of Alcabillas, under the orders of the Capl
tali) of the Regiment IX Nugiul Roz,:tles, on the
22d of the present month. The cotarageand enthu-
siasm of the Spanish trdops ought at all times to be
conspicuoue, but especially` when. they - fight for
their , highest and most sacred interest, and. for the
restoration to his lawful throne of a Sovereign who
deserves the most ardent affe6tion of all the people
of Spain and the Indies, Our oppressed Ferdinand
the Vllth. • ,

This action has had the beneficial effed of disap-
pointing the well-known intentions of the enerey,
mid of causing to him much greater injury than the
loss we have suffered. The advantages we haVe
obtained With'inferior forces, also place this. conflict
:amongst the most distinguished of our- country.—
.The recommendation that Brigadier-General Balks-
.teros gave of the valour of Captain Miguel RoLedes
will tieselve your respea.—lie was the fist who, at
' theiticad of the 'cavalry, within pistol shot of the -
enemy, darted into the midst of their troop 4, which
had A powerful effect in the example -it presented,
and•the result of the action sufficiently evinces the'
the military talents' of this Officer. •
With this dispatch, Gortuarest accompany •
ilia of Captain'Rozales who, 'without speaking of
the part which he himself performed in this glorious
contest, speaks in the following terms-of the troll.)
he 'Commanded :—‘' The
.simple narrative that I
:present to your Lordship of-the action of yesterday,
is the best recommendation of the officers and troop
under my orders. Both of these in general, and of
each one in particUlar, I may say, that they attacked
the enemy with promptitude and intrepidity, and
thus guarded themselves from the destrudion he
had prepared for Its ; and he has been taught to ret.
speEt even our small body; by the union and excel.
lent discipline which they preserved.'
" The infantry, under the orders of Captain Josef
de Villa-Senor, manifested the utmost coolness,"-and
were not in the least` intimidated by the cavalry,
Which bore down upon them.
" The patroles of Spanish horse, and of their).
fantry of Cindad Real, commanded by Don Juan
Moran, made a diver ion, which prevented the
whole body of the enemy's cavalry from attacking
me, and deStroyed by- an aetive fire a great part of
his troop. The dragoons of Granada, without .fir-
ing; sustained the criarges of the French, and des.
pising their attacks, advanced sword in hand upon
their opponents with the greatest enthusiaSm.
The courageous carbineer, Juan Molina,--de-,
seems the particular resped of your. Lordship,. He,.
was alone, in the midst of a party of horse 'grena-
. diers of the enemy, killed those who were nearest
to thin, and distributed his blows so turionsly, that
being intimidated, they,Opened a passage-for him.
I reckon among the.most fortunate circumstances of
-yesterday, that we did no lose this brave fe110a,,,,
notwithstanding he received one stroke with a
sword, another with a bike, seven bullets in his ho-
- dy, aid fifteen in his clothes, the marks of all which,
with the utmost composure, he shewed to his com-
panions, and - lamented only, that with our, little
force we-could not destroy all the Frenchmen. This
example of heroism, in perfeal conformity with his
general' character, gives him a claim to the thanks
of his Majesty, and to your august recommeodation
of him ;to the '-General in Chief, in order that he
, may be rewarded in proportion to his exalted merit.
" On our part, we have only, had six killed,
at/long whom-is the cadet Don Luis Saavedra, eight
wounded, and four prisoners, and with the latter is
the cadet-Don Manuel Garcia Biedma. The lOss of
our enemies is estimated at from fifteen to twenty
killed; and more than thirty 'Woutxled ; by which
they will learn, that they cannot intimidate us by
numbers, and that their superiority in this respect
will: not always enable them to obtain the victory,
when opposed to brave Spaniards." .
The. Supreme Junta of the Government of the
Kingdom, in the name. of his Majesty D. n
Ferdi-
nand VII. has ordered General Don Francisco \re.
negas to acquaint the troops conce-ned in this ac-
tion, that the Sovereign IS pleased with the
One and valour it has manifested; and that
jesty, ever ready to reward the meritof the worthy
defenders of their country, has appointed Don Mi-
guel Rozales to the rank of Lieutenznt-Colonel ; and
the Carabineer, Dun Juan Molina, is nominated •to
the rank and pay of an Ensign of. Cavalry, with the
use of the Sskrrd of Honour:

EAST-INDIA. HO-USE,

THITEspAT, THE GTII ar JULY, 1809.

-At -a 'GENERAL COURT of the Ifs-11mi 'COM-
PANY OF MERCHANIt OF EUGLAN;IS. TRADING TO

3'111,' EAST-rICDIE3, held _Oils clay,

liaving.- taken into
.
its se, ious consideration the Report laid before iron
the 2911, ot March last, purporting to be. a Repo'rt
from a Sel,Ct Committee of he House of COMmons;
appointed to inquire into the existence of any col-
rupt practict.s is regard to the appointhient and no-
mination of Writers or Cadets in the -service of the
East-lb,lia Company," 'cannot but express its deep,
r-e,grei at the corrupt and improper transaetions there-
in discinsed ; and that this Court; while it obs,rYeS
with great pleasure the declaration of the said Corn-
inittee, ihat Ihrdughout the whole of the,evidence
ihey remark nothing which traces any one of such
car. pt or improper bargains .to any Director, or in:
a reasonable suspicion that they were done
ith his privity bi connivance;_ decidedly. of
.)pinion, That it greater degree of circtiMspeaiori in
tie appointment of the civil and military Servants of
fire 'East-India Company is not only eStbittial to'its
aed to the success ot its affairs; but highly
important to the public interest i It doth therefore;
deti'2'l=t:iiine, That in future,' all Wrlters and Cadets;
as well as the Students meant for such appointments;
shall be examined and.chosen in,an open Court of
Directors, which Court shall be bound to make, by
the interrogation of the candidate and of the person
recoptr.ending him, and by such other examination
and means as shall seem to them to be expedient for
the purpose, a.full inquiry into the character, con-
ncaions and quakfications Zl the said candidate, as
well is into the means of his introduaion to that
Court, and to record upon their proceedings the re-
sult of such inquiry, with their determination there-
on..
That ail such candidates stroll present petitions
for their appointments; but that no petition shall be
entertained or discussed, unless the same be indorsed
or underwritten by a DireCtor, in the following terms,
over and above any, declaration now required, viz.—
" I, A. B, bcin'g one of the DireCtors of the East-
ludia Company, do declare, that I have fully inqui-
red into the charaaer, the cOnneCtions,' and qualifi-
cations of the within petitioner, C. D. and that in my
oiiinion, he is a tit person to petition the East-_lndia
Company for the appointineut which he herein soli-
cits." But that nothing contained in the said,
or any other declaration from a DireClor, shall
'relieve the said Court from the obligation of pursu-
ing, with the utmost strictness, the aforesaid inquiry.
And that it shall not be lawful for any Dii-eatoi to
circulate any written recommendation of any can-
didate, or otherwise , interfere in his appointment,
than in an open Court of Directors. Provided al-
%says, that each DireCtor shall beat liberty so to in-
dotse, or underwrite, so many and such petitions as
be would, according to the present mode.atid rules
respecting patronage, be entitled to sign nominations
and no more. And that the Court of Diredors do
lay before this Court, at least once in each year, or
oftener if required, an account of the number of
Writers, Cadets, and Students, whose petitions have
been rgreed to, as well as the number of those whose
petitions have been rejected.
Resolved unanimously—That the thanks of •this
Court be given to George Smith, Esq. M. P. for the
very honourable promptitude with which he pro-
posed, in his place in the House of Commons, an in-
quiry into the alleged abuses, with respea to the
appointment of the civil and military servants of this
Company ; and to,Charles Grant, Esq. M. P. who
seconded the same; and such others of the Direc-
tors, %sho, as Members of the House of . Commons,
supported with so much zeal and unanimity the said
inquiry.

, Resolved That the said Resolutions be printed
for the use of the Proprietors, and inserted in the
public papers, together with such resolutions as the
Court of Direttors may have come to on the same
suhjed

At a Cuurt of Diniaors, held on Thursday, the 28th

tebruary, 1799.

Resolved unanimously—That, on occasion of any
recommendation for a Writership, which recommen-
dation has already taken place this season, or may
take place in this and any succeeding season, decla-
ration in writing upon the petition to the following
purport, be made by the Diredor who gives the
same, viz.

I recommend this petition, and do most solemnly
declare, upon my honour, that I have given this no-
mination to A. 13. ; and that T neither have received
myself, nor am to receive, nor has any person, to
the best of my knowledge or belief, received, nor is
to receive, any pecuniary consideration, nor any
thing convertible, in any mode, into a pecuniary be-
,netit, on this account.As witness my hand."
Resolved unanimously—That • every appointment
made in consequence of corrupt practices, in regard
.to the disposal of Patronage, shall be null and void,
unless the parties to whom the appointment is given
Nall,
upon examination before the Committee ap•
pointed to investigate the circumstances attending
the distribution of Patronage, enable them to report
so the Court, that he has made a fair and candid
ilisclosure of all circumstances attending the

Inc.

At a Co.art of Dire&ors, held on Wednesday, the
Pith Augusi, 1E,()(3.
_ .

Resolved—That any person who shall, in future,
tle nominated to a situation, ci' her civil or military,
in the service of this Company, and who shall have
,Otaitted such nomination, either dire&ly or indi-
rectly, by purchase, or agreement to purchase
r •ilrou it the mediuM of an agent or other person
-
-,hall be rejeiSted,and the person, so nominated shall
be rendered inc apable of holding any situation what-
so‘vcr in the Company's service. And in the event
of any person having obtained an appointment in
the manner before stated, and proceeded to India
previous to its being disco% ered., such person shall be
dismissed the Companyb.service, and ordered back
'to England, and shall also be rendered incapable of
holding. any situation whatever in the Company's
service.

at a Secret Court of Direaors,,held on Tuesday, the
14th February, 1699.

The Court having considered thecontents Of these
letters* :

Memorandum... These are letters relating to Mr, Thel-
ILISSIJICL patrcrrage,