The Sun.
London, England, 1813-01-25 00:00:00

kuNts'ma AT wAIL

In
„. 4104 Y oF Notura OF SPAIN.
Ctift:",e tbOath Septelalwr )ast, whilst Genera,
116 'ren for iiionicat- evacuated the eoast
of
hi;eY, auwent with a part of the troops under
w °Vet% t linself with the army 'of Portn-
1° raise sivge of Burgos, the ihsurgeuts

and tile English, assembled near Santniia, oten-
pied all the postswhich connected their.communi-
cations, and used all their efforts to forward the
reduction of that place. They had already pre-
pared to change,the blockade into a siege 3 they
gathered all the bands round it, raised batteries
before the gates, 'causing the neighbouring
vii
'ages to be evacuated, and collecting at Santan-
der such force by land or sea, as no longer suffer-
ed any doubt to remain of their intentions. in
this state of things, General Caffarelli WI the
necessity of relieving Santona, and in the latter
end of December repaired towards that city, in
hopes of finding the greater part of the united
bands, and forcing them to battle. That General
actually did arrive at Santona, but without being
able to find a single corps of the enemy, who had
precipitately dispersed themselves oil his approach.
The following dispatch, addressed to his Exzel-
lency the Minister at War, contains the particu-
lars of this expedition

EXTRACT OF A LETTER TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE
MINISTER AT WAR, AY GENERAL. COUNT CAF-•
FARELLI, COMMANDER OF THE ,ARMY OF THE

NORTH OF 'SPAIN.

" Santona, Jan. 7, 1913..

" MYLoao,—l am this instant arrived at San-
tona ; at the approach of the troops, "the- siege
was raised, and the enemy tied by the vallies of
Sofia and Ruesga, with so much precipitation,
that we could hardly exchange some shots of mus-
ketry with their rear-guard. I 'can as yet say
nothing respecting the place, as I have not had
time to examine it very particularly ; but on my
taking a rapid turn round it,, I could perceive that
the works were in good condition, and. that the
service of the place was well performed.
" I had the honour to inform your ExCellency
of my departure from Mondragon. on the 29th of
December : I arrived on the same day at Durango,
on the 30th at Caldacano, and on the 31st at
Bilboa. 'General Vai-ideramessen departed on the
30th for Vittoria,- on his way to Lloclio, where
be rested 'on the 31st._ The intent of , this move-
ment was to confine the enenty.between .-Castro
and Bilboa, and force him to battle; hut; every
one of his corps took a direction across the tiionn.-
tains; so that Separately, and as it May be said,
without orders, they have thrown themselves
into' the hilly country between Castile and Biscay.
We left Bilboa'on the Ist of Santiaty,' and on
the same day General Vandermaessen pushed for,
wards towards Arcennego, and General Minions-
tier to Llodic4 on'the 2d, the former arrived nt
Villasana, and the latter at Arcennego. On the
3d and 4th, General Vandermaessen rested at Vil-
lasana, to obtain provisions, and collect oxen to
throw into Santana. The divisionFiol, Dunionstier
occupied Limpias, Colindres, and ,Laredo. The
English left Lantander some daSrs ago.
" During this movement, General Vandermaas-
sen's troops have bud some affairs with the insur-
gent troops, near to Llodio and Arcennego,
in
one of whichan Aide-de-Camp of General Dubre-
ton's was wounded in the arm. We have taken
from them somel_carriages, baggage, and a few
men ; five mules laden with cartridges, and in all
twenty-one males and three horses. I cannot as
yet give yourExcelleney any detail of the situation
of the country ; hut so far :ts Lhave been able to
see, that part of it which has been occupied by
the 'brigands is horribly eXhausted, and the coun-
try _is ,waste. Those wretches have followed a
system of devastation which is without example;
a system evidently dictated to them by the Eng-
lish. I receive nothing but complaints and lamen-
tations, and unfortunately they are too well

founded.
" The English had caused row-boats to_
built at, Colindres, but which they could not get
finished ; and on leaving that place, they' hid
them in the inlets, where the sea flows up into
the river of Aron, at a small distance from San-
tana. I shall send to look for them to-modow.
Lime the honour, &c.
(Signed) " The Gen. Count CAVFAItELLI."

The Gazette of Saturday night contains the no-
mination of the late Major-General Isaac Brock
to be a Knight Companion of the most Honour-
able Order of the by, warrant, bearing, date
the 10th of October last, in consideration of his
services in Upper Canada, where, with a force of
seven hundred ,men, be, accomplished the, capture
of the post of Fort Detroit, on the 16th day of
August last, and the surrender of two thousand
five huntlrecl of the enemy's troops, and about
pieces of ordnance, without the lost of n British.
subject.