The Sun.
London, England, 1812-12-05 00:00:00

ARMY OF PORTUGAL.

Extract of a Letter, written to his ExtelLency
the -Minister atiWar, by General Count SOI.THAN

" TbRDESILLAS, NOV. 12.

"Monseigneur—When I arrived at the Army
of Portugal to take the command of it, it occu-
pied cantonments between the right bank of the
Ebro and Briviesca. Wishing to force the enemy
to raise the siege of Burgos, which the English
Army covered, I ordered the Army to unite pre-
paratory to advancing.

" On the 18th of Octoberit put itself in mo •
tion, and was followed by a corps of infantry and
- cavalry belonging to the Army of the North, un-
der the orders of Gen. CAF,FARiLtLI. The head-
quarters . were •established at BrivieSea.- The ad.-
vanced-gus,rd of the Army occupied the villages
of Queutanovedes •and Santa Ololla, which the
enemy had been forced to evacuate, and we to'lk
a good number of prisoners froul
_ .
" In the night between the 18th and .11th Oct.
.tile enemy abandoned Quonasero, and Indieate.d
by his retreating movement that he renounced the
hope of being able to: defend the fine position
which commands that village; and which 4-as
immediately occupied-by our troops. I then
wished to- reconnoitre . the position which
the English army had chosen, and, in conse-
quence, on the morning of the 20th, I ordered
Gen. MAccuNE, commanding the 'advanced guard
bf the army, to March with the sth and Bth divi-
sions, and part of the light cavalry, to Quintana-
palla, and drive the enemy from it, which
was immediately successfully executed.--This
.
movement shewed the English army, which was
encamped upon the heights behind Olmos and
Quintanapalla. After having observed the uneasy
manoeuvres-of his divisions, I made the army take
a' position -upon the heights before Monastero;the
right at Temino, and the left 91 Fresno di Ae-
buro. The enemy then being convir_ced of the

1;

niPossibilfty of longer continuing the fruitless at=
tempts which h'elMd made to obt te3-ion of
Burgos) decided upon retreating; vl-hich he began
to carry into execution on the night between the
21st and 22d. The Army immediately pursued
him; the right marched upon Vellalon; and the
tame day entered Burgos. At Villa Toro We found
twolB-pounders which the enemy had been oblig-
ed to abandon.

' On the 23d in the army .eon-,
tinned its march upon the traces Of the English
Army. The advanced guard which had the pre-
ceding evening pursued it to San_Mames, and
'taken an eight pounder from it, was not long in
joining it. The light brigade of cavalry. under
the orders of Colonel • SHEE, precipitated itself
upon the enemy and completely routed him. In
this brilliant affair, Colonel SItEE displayed much
intrepidity and sang froid. - •

".A second charge, executed some time after-
wards, by the brigade of cavalry commanded by
Colonel MumN, finished throwing the enemy's
ranks into disorder. The English army pressed
so briskly, then felt the necessity of supporting
the retreat of one of its columns, which followed
the road of Castroneriz, and which was nearly be-
lug reached:

" Ills rear-guard had been reinforced by all
his cavalry, and it had slackened' its movement,
upon the height of Celuda. I immediately or-
dered the brigade of cavalry from the Army of s
the North to advance and charge ,the enemy,.
who, notwithstanding his superiority, was over-
thrown as soon attacked, and abandoned the
field of battle, which he left covered with his dead
and wounded.

On this day the cavalry of the army of the
North covered itself with glory. Colonel BE-
_
TULLE, commanding the gens-d'armes legion, and
Colonel FAVEROT, commanding the IZ-th cb as-
seurs, as well as the Commandant of the lancers,
particularly distinguished themselves. The first
'was dangerously wounded. We continued to
briskly pursue the enemy, of hom we made se-
-I:eral hundred prisoners. Night alone suspended

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