The Sun.
London, England, 1812-08-19 00:00:00

r!_vrTi.,-.c OF S.ALA:%IANCA.

(EXTRACT Of A PRIVATE LETTER)...
" Salamanca, July 26,
. . .
" Si ou will he glad, no doubt, to have a few
details respecting the battle of Salamanca, which
has been in every respect the most brilliant affair
this or any British army has been engaged in. I
will not attempt to give you all the different move-
ments, but to point cut the leading features which
have characterised this glorious day.
" The enemy having been reinforced; made a
feint to cross the Douro, at Toro ; but immedi-
ately when he thought Lord Wellington's atten-
tion was directed to that point, pushed along .the
right bank to Tordesillas, and in the night.cross-
ed his whole army at and near that place.. The
allied army moved to Canisal, with an advance
to.castragon a and the advanced' posts came in
contact at the latter on the morning of the 1.9.tb,
apd.the enaluy actually cannonaded us into the
position of Canisal
`‘,OtiAlie evening of 20th, Marshal Mar-
mont moved his whole army by their left, with
an intention •of- turning our right flank.' This.
was done
,fast before dark ; and when day. broke
next'. thorning, he had the satisfaction of finding..
the"Liitiah line drawn out opposite,- and 'ready'
tither to light or to manianyre,.as he chose. Ile.
again procepled by his left, and of course LOrl.
Wellington kept pace a-vith him, which preSentect
an extraordinary sight ; two large armies march-
ing parallel to each other, as if by mutual con-
,* octaslotially cannonading each other, as.
oppcirunities of This. flank movement con--
tinued Cor upwards of three leagues, when the
allies hilted about that distance from the position,
in .front of Salam'anca, and the French continued;.
their route to pass the Formes at Alba and iliteria.'
This they did 'on the 21st, and Lord. Wellingtoa
on the evening of that day, likewise passed the.
river, and took up a position, covering the town
of Salamanca, and defend:ng the Ciudad Hoarier%)
roaa.

We encamped late at night in the most tre-
metidiiiii thunder-stom I ever -witnessed, whit:'*
added to the picturesque effect of the thing ; but
couldnot be exactly styled as Buonaparte ci.d the
one which oc 4-red when he crossed the Danube,
theforerunuer of a day glorious to the Frenc)i,
army." So violent was the effect of the thundre
storm, that upwards of 50 dragoOns were manned
by the cavalry horse; breaking loose ; many a
the latter galloped off in all directions, and SOMC
never returned.

"f At day-light on the 22d, the enemy berg
skirmishing in our front, and their columns er
infantry,.and cavalry were seen in motion, iipra". •
ready still "moving to the left. We had a wood
in onr front, and the enemy having one direcUf
on his left, his movements were in some im:asure
concealed from us, and rendered doubtful.
upon getting more extended to his left we had 4
clear view-of the movements of his
Marmont then commenced manceuvring, and en-
deavoured by the uncertainty of his motion.* to
distract Lord Wellington's attention, and drat;
our force to points where he only meant to thre-5--
ten, But there Lord Wellington shcwed himself
more then equal to the French Marshal, and cao4-
teracted all his plans. We had a deal of cannow-
ading-during the whole forenooi. At one point
the artillery of our division commenced operations
upon some heavy columns of the creiny,' and tile
long six-pounders sent the shot into the vtql.
centre of them. They• moved farther. •cff-, j..2:ig-
ing, no doubt, that' the better part of valrmr
discretion.
. .

" Thio sort eff wOrk continued-the whofe fore
noon,and we lost considerably from the Cannol'-
ade which they incessantly kept up upon one or
other part of the line. About:two- o'clock 11*'''
were or4ered to_` move to the ri:rht, and form. in
two 110 -npon the flank of. the 4th division; he"
conliug.,6o4is means the c' 6e ,riwie
o infantiyi, with the e:,:ception of the third divl-
sion. Vilm :e.aele this movement under a hcall
fire of lit and shells from the .heights c•-:995t."
which the enemy had pushed on, and taken F`"
session df.
No .w arrived the critical moment which de"
-Bided- the fate of the French army. Lord WW e`"
lington found Ihe enemy stillcominuing to ,pen
to his left7.----their impertinence in cannonading us
put. hitu out of all pAtieuce and when an Officer
arrived with information that the enemy were
still further off, going to their left, he said"-
„"_,Theh, by God, we will attack them." Tbest
words 'fell like a thunder-bolt on the French army;
and in three hours they were in flight and c°lll,-,
fusion in all directions, and those very guns Which
had been firing upon, us on their way to Sall' -
manca, were escorted by British soldiers into Sit,

lain an ea .
" The ,3d division, under. General,Pakenharn,
wheeled forward their right, and came upon tr..
left flank of the enemy; while ,the:sth on th4°.`
left, in two lines, advanced" up the hill, oPull
which were formed the enemy's columns,
under
cover of their guns. Lord Wellington's worcts
''
one of our Generals were instantly put in exec'.
tion—" You will attaelabein, and drive them t°
the Devil." Shot, shells, grape, and mut'ketrY'
could not unsteady the step, or waver the !M of
e t
the Britisl infantry ; nor did they even fire a sll°.
until within about forty yards of the cueniy,
columns had formed into squares, and receiveLf
them, the moment they surmounte'd the brow o.t.
the hill, with a fire of musketry, which was 1311.
once returned ; the line gave one geueral cheer
and dashed into the midst of the enemy -5
h-
broke, and gave way,
,and the heavy cavalry
jug through the intervals between us an 4 the 7e.
.division, charged them, and added to the Paget
and slaughter. The 4th division on our left ITI
with a flank Pare, and were compelled to retiree •
hut the 6th (in reserve) coming up, carried .t 1
height they had attacked. .Farther than this, ac:
to the detail. of the husiness',- I cannot give ari lv
count, except that every point was successivAs' u
forced, and the French army put to 'the iont•
eagle and two standards, with four pieces of can
non, were taken by the sth division.
Not an hour did it require to put the 611
in execution ; it was absoltitely like electricitYto,
the people who were lying down endeavourillg,,og
avoid the effects' of a heavy cannonade, sPr;cr,
upon their legs as if touched by a magic wiso-it-
and without any alteration of .•positioo,

env formation v;+::--tvv-, iiO4.llfi-7
advance(' ur frc drove eyery
t,bat appeared to pieees ; llnti tipt
same army v:}l:.c'h bravildo 11:v1 on--
boyed, awl apparclit/y cu.l;t•il us, •iVere turued
pore, defeated, and p,:t. to fliglA. wal
11*.ntitig hint the word l'Svlarmont;hrouglit it
upon himSeit. Lord W. Itivys, "he fotced to
lick him." It WRS impossible to have seen feiion-s
go at the ererny z:s out soldiers did, withoet be-
ing entliusiastic„ Victory never could shave been
dvubtful."

ILLUMINATIONS.

The Illuminations of ieee. ti ght excelled, to point
of brilliancy and variety, those of the preceding
tight.
The house ofehis Excellency the Spanish Ambas-
sador, in Spring Gardens, was agaie ,last night
brilliantly illumin ited. In addition to the former
spirited motto, of " To Britain Jriumphaet ;
kpaiii grateful; and the Hero's name surmounted
With a laurel Crown," a new and most brilliant
transparency was last night displayed, op which
'we read with truly sympathetic feelings, the foie'
lowing noble and manly ee utenents, which we arc
weli assured will he re-echoed by every true nil
honest man of both nations; " Eternal Alliance
between England and Spain; God Save the King;
Long Live the Priece Regent ; and, May 'God
eestore Ferdinand VII. to the bosom of his loyal
and loving People."
The Foreign Office in Downing-street.--Large
flambeaux at the entrance.
The War and Colonial Office, in Downing-
street, displayed the Flag, and the two Eagles
brought on Sunday ley Lord Ciinton..
The Secretary of State's 011iee for the Home
• 'Department, was illuminated with the. name
"Marquis Wellington." '
• The Horse Guards displayed " Wellington and
Victory," with eumeroue columns and festoons.
The Marqui of Salisbury's, the Earl of Sefton's,
aid the Marquis Camden's, were the best illunii-
ttated houses in Ailington-street.
In Pell Mall, at the Exhibition opposite Marl-
borough:House, appeared a grand transparency
of vast dimensiope, it occupying the whole of
the front ; the subject represented the 'dispersion
th,P French Army, with Lord Wellington in
Pursuit. The effect of such a scene, from the
ample scope afforded to the painter, was
tahly'grand and appropriate.
The Chevalier Ruspini's, in Pall Mall, attract-
td :notice from a treespareney of -Lord Welling-
ion trampling on despotism,
The house of Oliphant and Son, in Cockspure
street, ewhiCh exhibited the teams E.W.V. Luc
teounted by a crown, very brilliantly executed,
'Producing an effect by no means inferior to-any-
Veiug we witnessed. ,
ACKFAIMANN'S' Repository in the Strand, was
11!tearkable, having on the leads a row of has
lights.
St. Sanies's4treet, from one end to the other,
was a mass of brilliancy ,; tut eebseriptien houses'
taiue the -lead, and thee finer Habitations fol-
loWintie their example. "'VictOry." and " I'Vel-
lingtun,." a " Crown," and the '' British Star,"
fippeaeing, every wl.ere.
Haucoek, Shepperd, and Rixon, in Coekspeere
street, excelled in brilliancy and taste the exhibi-
tion of Monday. The letters E. W. of great tnsg-
'Pude, appeared in the centre of the traileing ; un-
erneath " the Army," in -large capitals, With
cell:inns, wreath, and festoons ; and, to complete
The -612 i) d'ceil, the whole was
.sarmounted by the
British Star," and " Victory," encircled by
laurel leaves, represented by R....p1c lamps. There
Rene likewise two triumphal arches, properly
Pleeed, to complete the emblems.
e- Every house in St. James's-square was a lelnze
ec'r light.—The Doke of Norfolk's, Lord Ellen-
iorouge,s, Lord Eliot's, Earl of Hardwieke'e,
elr• Byng's, Sir Watkin Wynne's, and Lord C:
'Aerea rose resplendently beautiful. The Duke
€ Devonshire dispeayed numerous flambeaux on
sits ")
walls iii front of his house, and likewise on
'Lie terrace in the interior of the court-yard.
ais Hight:less the Duke of Gloecester, the Earl
c'ef Guildford, Mr. Coutts, Lord Cholmondeley,
°Le- illuminated in the-tame manner.
Wend-street was universally brilliant. At Oak-
straight rows of variegated lamp extended
ts" Whole length of the magazine ; and in the in,
elin, on the right, appeared a large transparency,
,rainted on glass, representing Lord Wellington
the
on his charger, At the opposite end of
e front was placed Pame with her trumpet, at-
"elided by proper attributes.
y, Carpenter, the Prince Regent's Bookseller, and
'ding, the furniture printer, displayed great
ee L
4tness and taste.
di vlortimg
and Son's,'t James-street---_iJames-street---_irand.
SP '?y of fireworks which produced the most
Magnificent effect.
eieteir, Stuart's, in Downing-street, illuminated in
interior of the centre window, a -large-din-
c,; ; and the right and left windows tastefully
slily J'etl.
\.ar
betty, in Conduit-street, was very splendid.
Ail he principal residences in Berkeley-square, and
r srs. Gunter, the confectioner, vied with each
et
ieriil splendoer
I,'erthuneberland-house was lighted up in a
si-
ilai'Stile to the exhibition of the preceding night,
ti;e cept that the two towers were. illuminated fur
first time.
',l:lleßritish,Coffee-House, again very brilliant,
.
eehugton and Victory," with the British
lan r
't Anticipating the advancement of the gal-
eeer, Mei--ers. Morley added the letter Tsi.
BlansioneHouse Was illuminated' with
lain
round the windows, but the' lighting did not
Igi4 till
very
late, and therefore the early
I'sP„~ of this quarter of the City Were disap-
, it;)
neeee
Neale and Bailey, and Messrs. Pellatt
ree G'r'een, in St. •Paul'e Churcheyard, had the
tart ,Crs Ir , . ,
• VI in variegated- lamps, surmounted
he
tue
Cron, and wwith,wreathe6l laurel under
Oett •-
z 4, , house- of Messrs. Rundle and -Bridge, on
eroatt
was richly U der the
b and ornamental wreaths,- Wire the letters
' .
and under diem 'was the letter W.
blades 1-
Nee au had' "Lorei ellingeon varice
.
'ket-4'42.azie
s., surmounted 'with 'en ornaMeetal
\t\\*
•