The Sun.
London, England, 1809-08-25 00:00:00

GENERAL ORbERS.

The Commander in. Chitfhas received the Kitig's
commands to notify to the army she splendid victosy
Obtained by his troops in Spain, under the command
of Lieutenant-General the Ri4lit Hon. Sir Arthur
Wellesley, the 27th and 28th of last month, 'at
the battle'of Talavera Lie la Reyna. •
His Majesty is confident that his army will learn
With becoming exultation, that the enemy, after
escaping by a precipitate retreat from the well-con-
certed attack, with which Sir Arthur Wellesley, in
conjunction with the. Spanish army, had threatened
him on the 24th of. July, concentrated his force, by
calling. to his aid the corps under the French General
•Sebastiani, and the garrison of Madrid ;
,and thus
reinforced, again approached the allied army on the
27th of July; and, on this occasion, owing to the
local circumstances of its position, and to the delibe-
irate purpose of the enemy to direr his whole efforts
against, tl~e troops of his Majesty, the British army
sustained nearly the whole weight of this great:con-
test, and has acquired the glory of having vanquishd
n French army double their numbers, not in a short
and partial struggle, but in a battle obstinately con-
tested on two.successive days (not wholly discontinu-
ed even throughout the intervening night), and
Ibught under circumstances which brought both
inn:es into close and repeated combat.
The King, in contemplating so glorious a display
lot 'the valour and prowess of his troops, has been
gracioUsly pleased to command that his royal appro-
bation of the conduct of the army serving under the
ofl'imand of Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Welles-
ley, shall be thus publicly declared in General Or-,
tiers.

The Commander in Chief has received the King's
commands to signify, in the most marked and spe-
Vial manner, the sense his Majesty entertains of
Lieutenant-General Sir Anhui. Weilesley § personal
services on this memorable occasion, not less ,dis-
played in the result of the battle itself, than m the
"consummate ability, valour, and military resource,
with which the many dirriculties of this arditow,
protracted contest were met and provided lor oy his
experience and judgment.
The conduCt of Lieutenant-General Sheibrook,
second in command, has entitled him to the King's
ruarlced approbatitAl. His Majesty has observ.- d,
with satisfaction,he manner in which he led on the
troops.to the charge with the bayonet, a specks of
combat which on all occasions so weil accords with
the dauntless character of British soldiers.
His Majesty has noticed, with the same gracious
approbation, the conduct of the several General and
Other Officers. All have dune their duty most of
them hate had occasions of eminently distinguishing
themselves, the instances of which have nut escaped
bis Majesty's attention
It is his Majrii)'s command, that his royal appro-
bation and thanks shall be gken in the most distinct
and most particular manner to the non-commissioned
officers and private men. la uo instauce have they
displayed.with greater lustre their native valour and
'characteristic energy, nor have they on ally former
occasion more decidedly proved their superiority over
the inveterate enemy of their country.
Brilliant, however, as is the victory obtained at
Talavera, it is riot solely on that occasion that Lieu-
tenant-General Sir Anhui Wellesley, and the troops
tinder his command, are entitled to his Majesty's
applause. The important service effeded in an early
part of the campaign by the same army, under the
command of the same distinguished General, by the
rapid march on the Duero, the passage of that river,
the total discomfiture of the enemy, and his eXpnl.-
%ion from the territory of one.ot his Majesty's an-
cient and most faithful allies, are circumstances
Which have made a lasting impression on his Majes-
Ws mind and have induced his Majesty to dired,
that the operations of this arduous and eventful cam-
Paignshall be thus recorded, as furnishing splendid
examples of military skill, fortitude, perseverance,
ancl,of a spirit of enterprize, calculated to produce
emulation is every part of his army, and largely to
add to the renown, and to the military character of
the British nation.
By, order of the Right Hon. the Commander in
Chief,

HARRY CALVERT, Adj.-Gen.
Horse Guards, Aug. 18, 1809.

•
Extract of a Letter frotn an Officer, dated Mid-
dleburgh, Aug. 17.—" I yesterday went Into Flush-
ing, which I found almost battered to pieces :
scarcely a house but has from 30 to 40 shots in it ;
the Stadt-house, principal Church, and whole
'streets, burnt to ashes. Lord Chatham sent in
twice to offer General Monnet to allow the women
and Children to come out before the commencement
of our bombardment, which he would not accept
of: the poor creatures have therefore suffeted much,
report says nearly 1000 inhabitanti were killed and
'wounded. The garrison march out this day to em-
bark for England. Antwerp, the ultimate objed
`of our expedition, I hear, is very strong." •
Another letter, of the same date, says, " On
Friday evening the town of Flushing was still burn-
ing in various parts, and the streets, in several quar-
ters, reduced to a mass of ruins, presenting a shock-
ing spectacle. , The French bad been allowed three
days to bury their dead ; but they only stripped
aneo'n, and
threw them naked into the cellars, or
_ ng the ruins. Even the streets which had suf-
fered least from;
the • bombardment, were strewed
with human limbs, swords, muskets, and arms of
every kind, mixed
in horrible confusion ; and the
effluvia from the putrid bodies threatened infeotion.
'.file barracks Presentett a frightful scene of slaugh-
ter, and the beach was covered with our cannon
balls, which had rebounded from the walls of the
fort, and rolled down to the water-side. When the
garrison marched out, in their rage and vexation,
inany of them threw their arms into the river, and
others forced their swords into the ground, up to the
hilt."

•
Several private letters were received yesterday
from Nliddleburgh, dated the 21st. They state that
Lord CHATHAM had that day proceeded to' Beveland
himself. The amount of the force left in the Island
Walcheren is 5000 men. The whole of the Bri-
tish fleet had assembled off Bathz, and the enemy's
ships, as we have already stated, had gone up the
river above Antwerp.