The Sun.
London, England, 1809-10-04 00:00:00

after hitying•conferred with General Wellesley that
night on our situation, -I resolved to repass the Al-
berche on the morning of the; following day, when
we agreed that the right line should-be taken by the
Spanish, aud the lett'by the.. English army: The
English vanguard remained during that night at Ca',
salegas, and on the heights'neaiit, Lientenan t-
General Sit6rbrooke, with dt&rs'totetire to the op-
posite side Of he firer, were obeyed on the
mottling of the 27th. • • • ,•
" I nitistrnow.cbserve, that at dawn on -the 24th
Marshal Vigor had WithdraWn from the post.lieoc7
tupied on the shores of the Alberche, in -order. 'to
avoid the attack meditated on t hat ,day .by the allied
army ; and he afterwards united himself, in tfid
neighbourhood of Toledo, with the forces under Ge-
neral Sehastiarti„ and. with 800 men conpOsing the
guard of the Royal Impostor, who took the com
mand 'of the whole, thus congregated; assisted
Marshals Jourdan and Vigor; .and by General Se-
bastiani.

"It now appeared that the enemy wished tol-iring
on a general attion,by the freqUent approich,of his ad-
vanced guard, and-by the occupation of Santa aalla
by the whole of his army on the•evening of the.26th.
His outpoSts ,then approached the. allied army. 7--
Thus circumstanced, at bfeak of day on the g7th,
the positio❑ agreed upon was taken ; and Sir Arthur
Wellesley ordered General Mackenzie, with a divi-
sion-of EtrigliSh infantry and a brigade of cavalry, to
continue in the olive p!antation on the right side of
the Alberehe, where this party, composing the van-
guard, might cover the right flank •of the BiitiSh
army.

" The whole combined army occupied an,
extent of ground of abOVe three miles ; the right
towards the Tagus,- was covered by burii iy6 -t toopi
reaching. to the. front of Talavera. The ground
on the irk Was occupied by the English.army, open
to and 'commanded by an elevation, where was as-
sembled 'ln a, Second. lithe a divisidn of English in-
.fanny; under the, orders of Gen.. Hill. Between ~
this height,an-d a chain of mountains at some dis-
tance,
there is an indosore,-which iry he first instance
.Gen. Wellesley did not order .to be defended, be-
cause it was commanded by he. height; and because
it was considered too distant.to .be oieful in the ap-
proaching battle. The the ground on which
the Spanish army :Was dr7l)_ was-covered with-
olive plantations,- interse&ed by sinuosities, inefina-
-litie4,
_and cottages. 'The great road towards the
bridge of Alberche was defended by a strong bat-
tery, served by our infantry, in front of the hermitage
of Our Lady of the Prado. The other avenues of
'tile district were defended in 'a similar manner. Ta-
lavera: was proteCted by, an- appointed garriSon, and
the rest, of: the Spanish infantry, forming twO,lines-,
was placed behind a village which is at .the
extremity of the district, and formed a litre in con-
tinuation m the position taltf-m by the English army.
In the centre, and between the two armies, there
was. a rising ground, whereAlre English had begtin
to 'construct a strong redoubt, !laving in their rear a
small piaitz. At this, point was 'stationed the: Eng':
lishGeneral ,Campbell, who:Commanded a division
of infantry, supported by the. brigade,of dragoons,of
General Cotton, and by, soru squadrons of our ca-

Vairy.
" Our. combined army being thus arranged, the
eneuty presented hiniself in considerable force to our
l• view, tyymit,sting, at first, an intention to attack the
di%ision et the vanguard under Gen. Machenzie.—
In .'point of fad, he fulfilled this design before that
Officer Was enabled to retire to'his-proper positioh ;
but these gallanLand_disciplitted troops WhiCh COlil-
posed the brigade of Gen. Mackenzie, of Col. Don-
kins; the brigade.of cavalry of• Gen. Anson; and their
corps, supported by. Gen. l3aytie,..wit h tour- regiments
of cavalry, posted hi 'the 'plain. of olive grounds of
Talavera, -retired in rnos-f-adtnirable4der, but not
without some loSs in tice:olhe Wounds,-particularly
t wed of the corps of* this diyision.. The, regular:ty,
steadiness,and fortitn a of all these troops, as'.wellas
t he military talent s of Gen. IVlaekenzieokereConspicu-
ons in every movement, and,t his officer is deserving
of the highiteSt. praise and admiration for the coolness
and serenity with which he withdrew this :divisien
to the left of the British army.
" Tire niumber of -the enemy increased on the
right:bank of the Alb,n-chegs the day advanced, and
every thing indicated iiisdeterMination to give battle
to the combined lorce.
"As dusk approltdied,' he cymmenced fitriOus
• affficktiji a-Cann:o(4lC/ and a charge by die whole.ot
his ttualry, on the'tighf,l-Occopied by the Spranish
infantry"; with . the ' atparent design 'of breaking
theOugh our ranks, poSted as'l have beforedescribed.
This attack was(r,ceived,by an active -fire lierfealri
well'iffistaitied,bothol carth n and musketry, which
di.lconcerted- the purpose Of the enemy and •put hint
to flight at a quarter past eight. During this tine a
strcritg;diVi4ion.rif adv.ynced by the valley
to' the'lefebrf .the ,I;eight occtipted by the Etiglish
General Rill, of, which, with very great loss, they
Obtained a momentary Possession, but Hill returned
to the-charge plesently 'with the bayonet, drove off
the enemy, and recovered his ground.' In the night
the French- repeated their attack,' but without' suc-
ceeding, and with great loss. At break .of: day on
the 28th they returned with two divisions: of infan-
try, but they. were repulsed by the bravekliili who
could tact be intimideted•bY their repeated attempts,
or by the pregtes'siYe a&umulation of the forces of
the -assa i [ants. •
General. WelleSley,• its consequence of these•re-
newel exertions of the enemy by the valley; on the
left side.of't he height, ordered thither two brigades
of his cavalry'; supported 6y Lieut.-General the Duke
of Albuquetque, with the whole of his division of ca-
valry. - The French, seeing'.this movement, -sent
slkarp-shooters into 'the chain of Mountains to the
left of the valley, who were attacked by the stli di- •
vision of my infantry under Marshal de Camp Don.
-Lois Bassecout t, who dislodged them vv,ithltuudi.,