The Sun.
London, England, 1812-01-29 00:00:00

Admiralty-Office, January 28, 1812.

Copy of a Letter from Vice-Admiral Sir Edward Pellew,
Bart. ( .mmander in -Chief of his Majesty's Ships awl
Vess, Is 111 tue Mediterpnean, to john Wilson Croker,
. Esq. dated 'on board His Majesty's Ship the Caledonia,
Port Mahon, 16th December att.

Ihav'e the honour to enclose a letter from Re. r
Admiral. Freemantle, giving cover. to one from the
Honourable Henry Duncan, Captain of his Atrjes-
ty's ship linperieuse, detailing the particulars of 3
very gAllant service performed by that - ship and
the 'Thames, at Palinuro, on the coast of Calabtirr,
bn the '2lst.of °Eicher last, aided by a party of
the 62d Regiment, under-the Comniand of Major
parley.
Captain Duncan; on this as on all other occasions,
has she% n the greatest judgment snd euterprize;
and I have read with great satisfaaion the handsome
expressions which he uses.ibtvards Captain Napier
and Major Dailey, the officers and men under their
orders.

I have to regret th's very gall Ant affair has not
been performed without loss; and sincerely lament
that i he public service has been deprived of Lieu; e-
rrant P.pon, of the Royal Marines, and Lieutei,aor
Kay, of the 62d, killed, and the severe wound of
Captain Oldham, of that regiment, on this
.occa-
sion.

I have the honour to be, tic.
E. PELLEW.

John Wilson Croke, Esq. Secretary to
the Admiralty, &c. &c. &c.

His Majesty's Ship Imperieuse, Melazzo,
Nov. 6, 1811,

SIR,

I have the honour to inform you, that on the
:list u:t. the 1 enperieuse and Thames discovered ten
of the enemy's gun-boats in the port of Palinuro,
with a number of merchant vessels, and a quantity
of spars (intended for the equipment of the'Neapo-
litan navy)--hauled up on the beach; but, /from the
strength and situation oft he harbour, I did not think
the force I then had sufficient to attack it with a
prospett of complete success, I therefore sent the
Thames to Sicily to request the assistance of a de-
tachment of soldiers ; and on the 28t. she rejoi,ed
me with two hundred and fifty of the 62d Re.yment,
under Major Darley, but unfortunately at.the com-
mencement of -a S. W. gale, whicti precluded all
possibility of landing till the evening of the t.a, •
when the trooi.s, together with the marines of both
snips, under Lieutenant Pinot), and detachments of
seamen under Lieutenant Trovers,, of the Imperi-
euse, the w hole commanded by Captain Napier,
were disembarked from the Thamts at the back of
the harbour, and immediately asc,Atcled the heights
in a very gallant style, under a heavy fire from the
,enemy, who were assembled in force to opp.nse
them, and who, soon after dark, endeavoured Co re-
take their position, but one volley obligedl hem in-
stantly to retire. . The ImOerieuse had, in the mean
time, been endeavouring to occupy the attention of
the gun-boits and battery in front, but light and
bafiliog. winds prevented our getting nearer than
long range during that evening. Next morning,
. finding that nothing could be done on the land side
against the battery and a strong tower that protetted
the.vessels on the beach, and within pistol-shot of
whigh the gun-boats were moored, I ordered the
Thames to, close; and having directed Captain Na-
pier to retortion board her, we bore up at the com-
mencement of the sea:breeze, and running along the
line of gun-boats within half musket-shot, obliged
-them almost instantly to surrender, and two were
sunk. We then anchored dust to the fort, which
in about fifteen minutes was completely silenced,
and in a quarter of an hour more the colours on the
tower were struck to his Majesty's ships, and it was
instantly taken possession of by Lieutenant Travers,
who, on seeing us stand in, had most gallantly i,ush•

the lull with a

of.marines and sea;

party
, ‘,vas waitir.g almost under the walls of the
ready to take advantage of any stiperiority the
slits -might have over it. The guns
.(twenty-fotur
pounders) were thtn thrown into tlie,sea, the gun-.
-tIJ its secured, and the crews of both ships sent to
latifich :he vessels and spats, which could- not be
co:npleted till after noon next day, when the troops
(who had all this time remained in undisturbed
possession of the heights) were re-ernbarlied, the
marines withdrawn from the tower, Which was com-
pletely blown np, together with two batteries and a
signal tower.on the hill, the ;hips and prizes•put.to
sea with tko land. wind. Cracciolo, Captain of a
frigate commanded the division of gun-boats, and
General Pignatelli Cercero the land forces, which
consisted latterly of about seven hundred men, in-
cluding peasantry.
I cannot sufficiently express my_high approbation
of the condud and gallantry of every otlicer and
man belonging to both services. Captain Napier, of
the Thames, particularly distinguished himself both
on shore, and in the command of his ship. • Major
Dailey also deserves eery praise, and is entitled to
my best thanks for his intrepidity and judgment,
which could not be exceeded. I have before had
an opportunity of representing the gallantry of my
first Lieutenant, Travers ,•- his behaviour on this
occasion was most exemplary, and called forth the
admiration of every otlicer, -whether of the army
or navy. Captain Napier and Major Dailey, most
handsomely allot.v to him the credit of having
discovered, and led them by, a short cut, to the
heights, which most probably saved the lives of many
men.

Inclosed is a list of the vessels taken and destroy-
ed, and and a return of the killed and wounded.—
Among the former I have to regret . Lieut. Kay, of
the 62. i Regiment, and Lieut. Pipon, of the Royal
Marines of the bnperieuse.
I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) H. DUNCAN, Capt.
T. F. Freeinautle, Esq. Rear Admiral
• of the Blue, &c. Sicily.

List of Vcssels taken and destroyed in the Harbour of
Palinuro, Nov. I and z, Orr.

gnu-boat, carry ing two eighteen-pounders, and- co men ;
destroyed.
3 ditto, carrying one eighteen-pounder and 3o mcn each ; de.
stroyed
6 ditto, ca-rying one eighteen-pounder and 3o men each ;
taken.
2 feluccas loaded with oil, cotton, figs, raisins, silk, &c. ;
taken.
2o - large spars, intended for the equipment of the ships of
war at Naples ; taken.
to feluccas loaded with oil, part of the above convoy, taken
on the zest 96tober by the I inperieuse.
Total taken and destrc;%ed—to gun-boats, 32 sail of
merchant vessels, and zo large spars.
Return of Men killed and wounded at the attack of Palinuro
Nov. t and 2, ISII.
lmperieuse—t killed and 2 wounded..
Thames —2 ‘tioUnded.
bid Regiment— 4' killed and 7 wounded.
Names of Officers killed and wounded.
I mperieusc— Lieutenant Pipon, Royal Marines, killed.
tad Regiment—Lieut. Kay, killed ; Captain Oldham, se-
verely wounded.

(Signcd) H. DUNCAN; Captain.

From the LOiVDON GAZETTE, Jan. 27, 1812

WAR DENAR MFNT.

Douwni►rg-street, Jan. 27, 1 812.

A Dispatch, uf which the following is an extras,
was this morning received at Lord Liverpool's
Office, .addressed to his Lordship, by General Vis-
count Wellington, dated GAlegos, J to. 9,!tEft 2.
I invested Ciudad Rodrigo yesterday. Since the
enemy have had possession of tie place they have
constructed a palisadoed redoubt on the hill of St.
Francisco, and have fortified three convents in the-
suburb,. the defences of which are conneded with
the work on the bill.of Sr. Francisco, and with the
old 'line by which the suburb was surrounded. By
these means. the enemy have increased the difficulty
of approaching the.place ; and it was necessary to
obtain possession of the work on the bill of St. Frau •
cisco:before we could make any progress in our at-
tack. Accordingly Major-General Craufnrd direCted
a detachment of the light diviiion, under the com-
mand of Lieutenant Colonel Colbourne, of the 52d
Regiment, to attack the work shortly af,er it was
dark. The attack was -very ably concluded by
Lieutenant-Colonel Co!bourne, and the work was
taken by storm in •a short time: two Captains and•
forty seven men were made prisoners, and- the re-
mainder of the garrison were pUt to che sword.-
-We took three pieces of !cannon. I cannot suffi-
ciently a., placid the conduct of Lieutenant-Colonel
Colbourne, and of the detachment under his coin-
-1.1,0t1 0.14' occasion-. lam happy to add, that
our loss in this'affair has not been severe, six men
having been killed, Captain Mein and Lieutenant
Woodgite, of the 5'.l(L Lieutenant Ha k‘ley, of the
95in, Aid fourteen men having been wounded.,
The success of this operation' enabled us immedi-
ately to creak ground within six hundred yards of
the place, not w*hstanding that the enemy still held
the futtified convents : and the enemy's work has
been tut tied ii:to a part of our first parallel, and a
grand communication made with it.

Lieutenant Genera' Hill arrived at M..rida on the
h of December. He had'hoped to burp' iSeGe-
neral Dombrouslii (who I had been led to imagine
was killed in General Hill's last affair with the ene-
n )) in that town but his advanced-guard Wa; dis-
ccvered on the 29th by a patrole from a small de-
tachment of the enemy, which happened to be at La
Nava, wtrch.elfeaed its retreat to Merida, notwith-
standing the efforts of a detachment of Lieutenant-
General Hill's cavalry to prevent it. General Dom-
bronskt retired from Merida in the night, leaving a
maaazineot bread, and one hundred and sixty thou-
sand' pounds of wheat in tile town, and several un-
finished works, which the enemy had been con-
struang.
On the Ist, General Hill moved forward with
the intention of attacking General Drone!, who
commandsjhe sth corps at Alrnendralejo. This
General, however retired upon Zafra, leaving a ma-
gazine in the town, containing tour hundred and
titty thousand pounds of Wheat, and score barley.—
On the 3d, Lieutenant General Hill sent a detach-
ment consisting of the 28th regiment and two squa-
drons of the 2d Hussars, some squadrons of the t to h
Portuguese Cavalry to Puente del Maestre, under
the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Abercromby.
Our cavalry defeated a body ref the enemy's cavalry,

which wis there ; baying. taken two officers and
thirty men prisoners.

. ,
Lieutenant General Hill having found that Gen.
Drouet had retreated uponLlerena,and that it would
be impossible for hirn to follow, to a greater distance,
returned to Merida on the sth, in order to place the
troops under his command in better.eautonments,
during the. h3d weather.

I hsve the honour to inclose letters from Lieut-
nant General Hill, of the 30th of December, 2d
and 6th of January, giving an account of his opera-
tions, returns of killed and wounded, &c.
Return of killed, wounded, and missing of the Army under
the Command of his Excellency GeneraL.Viscouni Wel-
lington, K. B. in carrying a Redoubt beture Ciudad. Ro-
drigo, on the night of the sth inst.

Ilead-cpaiters, Gallegos, lan. 9, IS'l2.
431 Reg. Ist Batt.'—z rank and file killed; prank and file
wounded.

Std ditto, xst 13att.--2 rank and 61e killed ; t Captain, t Lieu-
tenant, 2 rank an I tile, wounded.
Sul ditto, 2d Batt.—t rank and tile killed ; t rank and file
wounded.

95th ditto, Ist Batt.--1 rank and file killed ; t Lieutenant,
- 4 rank and file,. wounded.
95th ditto, zit r rank and file wounded.
9sth ditto, 3d Bat t. —z rank and file wounded.
Total.-6 rank and file killed; t Captain, z Lieutenants,
17. rank and file, wounded.
- (Signed) CHARLES ST EWA RT,
• Major-General, and Adjut. Gen.
Note.— r Captain" of Artillery, t Subaltern, and 46 rank
And file, taken prisoners in the redoubt, and 3 pieces of ord.
howitzer, and z four pounders.

Nantes of Officers wounded on the Bth of lantiary 'Six.
Ist Batt. szd Regt. Mein and Lieut. Woodgate,
both sevil-cly, but not d.ingeroiisly.
Ist Batt, yith ltegt.—Licut. liar+•ksleyk severely, but not
-dangeruusly.

MV LORD, Merida, Dec. 3*, att.
In pursuance of your, Lordship's instrnaions, I
put the troops under my orders in march from !heir
several cantonments, and entered this Province on

the '27th instant by Albilqnergne, Villa de Rey, ard
St. Vicente; and by the intelligence which I re-
ceived-from various quarters; I was led to era ertain
the most sanguine hopes that I should have-been
able 'to surprize the enemy's'-troop.i stationed in
this town. I was, Ito ever, disappointed in my
expetiations, by finding in 1,1 Nava, on our
approach to that l'illogt! yesterday, with the

luwn from Albuquerque, a par-ty of the enemy,
cons sting of about three hundred V,ltigeurs and a
few Hussars, being part of a detachment whiclrbad
arrivvd there the flight preceding, apparently on a
plu,idering excursion, the remainder whereof has
proceeded to Cordivallas, adother village about two
-leagues distant.
A patrole from Ll N:n a fell in with the head of
our column, and gave the alarm to the detachment,
which immediately commenced its retreat towards
Merida, followed by the cavalry of my advanced-
guard, consisting of between three and tour hundred
.of the 13th light dragoons and 2d hu,4!•ars.
As I considered the intercepting of the entire of

this party to be-of the greatest importance to our
ulterior operations, I du-cc:led the cavalry above-
unt-Ittioned to make every etivit to effeal it, or at
least to check iN march until ttte arrival
.of sotne
infantry.

The intrepid and admirable manner, hoWever,
in which the enemy retired, his infantry formed in
squate, and favoured as lie was by the nature of
-The country, -r-if which he knew how to take the
fullest advantage, prevented the cavalry alone from
ajy thing against him, and after following
him for upwards-of a league, and making an ineffec-
tual attempt to break him, I judged it advisab!e to
give over the pinsoit, aid he et-fa:led his retreat,
with ihe loss of about twenty killed, and as many
wounded, froM four nine-pounders, Which, by the
grelt exertibns of Major Hawker, and t,is ogicers
and men, got within range, and followed him for
son,e d stance, but were unable to close upon
ow rig to the deepness of the country.
One wing of the 7ist light infantry; under Lieu-
tenant Colonel the Hon. H. Cadogan, also exerted
themselves in a most laudable manner to overtake
the enemy, but were at too great a distance to admit
of their-accomplishing it in any reasonable time.
The. arrival of the above-mentioned party atMe-
tido made the enemy acquainted with our 'approach,
of which I have reaion to think he Was befOre en-
tirely ignorant, and he in con-equenceaevacuated the
town during the night, leaving unfinished some
works which he was consttuaing for its defence,
and we entered it in the course of, the day.
regret to state that we had two men killed and
some wounded in the affair of yesterday, of whichl
inclose a return.

I have, &c. (Signed) R. HILL.
Lord Viscount Wellington, &c.

Since writing the above, it has been reported to
me, that one hundred And eighty lanegas of wheat
have been found in the Depot of this town, belong-
ing to the French, besides a quantity of bread.

Reiurn of, killed, wounded, and missing of the Second Divi-
sion of the Army under. his Excellency Lord Viscount
Wellington, K.B. in action with the Enen►y near La Nava,
on the 29th Dec. 1811.

Head-Quarters, Gallegos, lan. g, 1812.
13th Light Dragoons-3 !wises killed ; rank and file, is
hoises, wounded ; r rank at-at ide, 1 horse, ,missing:
211 Hussars,. King's German Legi,lt•- 2 rank and file, in
1;o 3es, kelt d; t Lieuyetiant,-; serjeant, 7 tank and file, 17
horses, woundc.d; ; rank snit file, r horse, missing.
Total-2 rank and file, 13 horses, killed ; t Lieutenant,
serjeant, IS rank and file, 3z horses, wounded; a rank and
tile,_ 2 horses missing.
(Signed) CHARLES.STEWART,
Major-General, and Adjutant-G corral.
Officzo- wounded.—Lieutenant Issendurf., ad Hussars King'*,
German Legion, slightly.

•
Extra a of a Letter front General Hill to Lord Viscount Wel-'
lington, dated Alinendralejo, 1812.

Since -my letter to your Lordship from Merida of
the 30th ult. I hive the honour to. report, that from
all the information I had received, I had reason to
suppose, that Drouct was concentrating his troops
at • this place, I consequently moved on yesterday
for the purpose of attacking him.
.On my approach
to the town, I found that the greater part of the
enemy's troops had moved off the preceding day, in
the dire&ion of Villa Franca, and that his rear-
guard was .on its march, covered by his cavalry,
which skirmished with the hussars of nay advanced
guard, and retired after receiving a few rounds from
►he harse artillery. In this town we found a few
stores, of which the enclosed is a return. I thought
it possible the enemy might have afforded me an
opportunity of doing something here.

Return of Casualties of the Second .Division of the Army'
under the Command of his Excellency General Lord Vis-
count %Veiling:on, K B. in Action with the enemy at'Al-
mendralejo, on the tst of fanuary,
Head-quarters, Gallegos, lan. 9, 18!2.
2d NuSsars King's German Legion-1 horse killed; 5 horses
wounded.
- (Signed) CHARLES STEWART,
Major:.General, and Adjutao4-General.

My LORD,

Merida, jan. 6, 1812.

•
My letter of, the 2d and 3d instant would ac-
quaint your Lordship of my having, on the Ist in-
stant,-marched wiih the corps, wader my comm,nd
to Almendralejo, in the hope that Count d'Erlon,
wit. had collected the greater part 01 hit troop; at
that place, might have given me an opportunny of
coining io contaa with him, as well as of my dis-
appointment in that respect, he having previously.
fallen, back in the direction of. Lerena, leavin.; only
a small rear-guard in Alinendralej‘t, which retired
also on our approach. 1 have the, honour to ac-
quaint your Lordship, that, it was my intention to
have followed the enemy, and, tailing in my desire
to bring him to action, to have given hint
,every
possible amloyance in his.re“eat ; but the dreadful
state of the weather, the conditiOn of the roads
(which are daily becoming worse), and the conse-
quent difficulty of getting up my supplies, render
any. further operations on my part impossible for the
present, ,without incurring risks, and making sacri-
fices,-greater than could • have been justified by the
occasion, or by your Lordship's instruciions.
therefore deter Mined, after halting two days at
Almendralejo, and occupying Franca and
Fe ante des Maestre, to put ttie troops into canton-
ments in this town and neighbourhood, there to
'await a more !avowable opportunity of acting ;
trusting that the alarm occasioned to the enemy by
the movement already made, will have in part
effeCted one of the objeas with which I was in-
struated by your Lordship to take the field. A
part of the troops accordingly returned here yester-
day, and the remainder are now.on their march ;
the enemy being, by the last accounts vvhich I have
received, also in full snatch towards tie South, his
rear-guard, aving left 7rtra and Los Santos yester-
day. I !save the satitadicn to enclose, for your
information, a letter front the Honour-
afde Lieutenant-Colonel Abercrornhy, detailing the
particulars of a successful attack, made by some
of the 2d hussars and Nrtuguese cavalry, acting
under his raiders at Feetve del 111a,!stre, on a body
of the enemy's dragoons, which reflects the greatest
credit on Lieutenant-Colonel Abercromby who di-
rected, and the officers and nun-commissioned
officers and men who executed it. •
1 have, &c.
(Signed) R. HILL.

SIR,

Merida, Jan. 5, tBiz.

In obedience -to your orders, I marched On the
3d instant from Almendralejo at noon, with the
column you did me the honour to place under- my
commalid, and reached Fuente del Mdestre ai a

little alier four o'clock in the evening of that day.
Oa my arrival, h learned that some u: the enemy's
cavalry wee still in the neighbourhood ; and hay •
ing passed through the to :stn, 1 halted the column,
and proceeded to reconnoitre fn front. About one
hundr.ed of the enemy's horse were discoqled on
the Los &twos road, who, appnrrnit:y ignor,-int of
our ftirce,•formed squadron, and athauced tow,nds
us. The Portuguese cjvalry-exaanged a few AO's
with. them Until the huSsars were brought up ; the
enemy then halted, and sheaved a disposi-tion to
charge ; in this, however, be was wiickly frustrated.
The two squadrons of the huss3rs were fumed on

the right, and one squadron of the WI Portu-
guese cavalry on the left. I:.s!anily the enemy
were charg,d on one flank by the squadron of Po--
tuguese,_ under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, and
by Captain Cleve S's
.squadron on the .other. The
right hussar squadron remained in reserve. A few
minutes decided the contest. The enemy being
completely routed, left in our hands two officers
and thirty men, beside; several killed. The squa-
dron which remained in reserve w,is then sent in
puisuir, as fir as prudence would allow.
No language of mine can do sufficient justice to
the 'gallantly of Lieutenant-Colonel as
well as that•of Lieutenant Hutchinson, the other
Officers and men composing the squadron of Portu-
guese cavalry. Suffice it to say, that on this,occa-
ston the hussars under Major Busche upheld the h.gh
military charatler they ale so universally known to
posses._ _ _

This little of sir Us been achieved viiih very
rifling losi on our side._

IncTosed I have the honour to transmit to you a
Lst of the killed and wounded.

(Signed) A. ABE4CROMBY, Lieut. Col.
To Licut.-Gcn. Fti,t, &e.

Returns of killed, wounded, and missing of the Second Di-
. -v.sion of the Army under his ExiellenLy Gerierd Lord
Viscount Wellington, k... 13. in action with the Enemy
near Fuente del Nlaestre, on the 34 of January,
Bead Quarters, Gallegos, lan. Bi 2:
•
2d Hussars King's German I.eioti7--1 rank and tile, 2 horses
killed ; 2 6erjeants, 12 rank and tile; 4 horse.,, wounded.
l'orttiguese Cavalry- i Stall, 5 rank as. el tile, a horse,
w,niudeit ; i hue e
Total--r rank and tile, 2 horses, killed; i Sufi; 2 ser)cants,
Q. rank and tile, 5 horses, wouneed ; t horse missing.
(Swied) CHARLES S-1 EWART,
-MajOr:-General and Adjutant.L;eneral.

FQ.R COUGHS, COLL)S, &c.
IVALSH's coLTsF9o-r LOLL