The Sun.
London, England, 1812-12-22 00:00:00

NAVAL NEWS.

$ '
PLYMOVIII, DEC. 20.—Arrived this
the French brig privateer, San Saud,' of .16
and 70 men, captured on Tuesday last, alltul
chace of twelve hours, by ,hiS• Majesty's frigtl
Andromache and Briton. The above privateer
been out of St. Maloes six weeks, and made 01
prizes ; the Frederick, of London, •Capt. I.lODl'
froin the South Seas, for London, after a so.o
action.of about au boar, in which Captain 134.
and three or font; Men
_were's cv erely:Wounded, 01
the Mate killed, two or three Frettchmen 10'1
wounded. She also captured' the Swedish sll4
,Speculation, train. Cork, bound to Lisbon with pro'
visions: The French privateer, the night before
captured the Swedish ship, spoke an English brig
laden with bale goods, that bad previously heo
captured by another privateer.—Arri ved tbelkincri'
can brig Leaver, MILLS, from Boston, 30 days pa;'
sage, botindto Bourdeadx, captured bythe Briton,
and ilndromache,t frigates. Arrived a ,Frenel'
schooner laden 'with stores, captured by the
Constant gun-brig.

FALMOUTH, DEC. 19.—Arrived last evening bl
`Majesty's ship Andromeda (in lieu of the
drpo
genic) having on board Rear-Admiral LlNzElf'
who proceeds with the Mediterranean convoy#
hourly expected off this port.
Put back, with loss of maintop-mast, the brig;;
John and Thomas, Moßalsow, with copper ore, fur:

Arrived the brig Traveller, SWAN, Master, front
Lisbon, bound to London.

Also arrived the Duke. of Kent packet, Cross
(acting), from Corunna ; and the Princess Eliza-
beth packet, KIDD, from Lisbon, last from'Scilly•
put in there by contrary winds.
A letter from Captain DANCEY, of-the Carteret
packet, which left this On-the 17th inst. for Co-
runna, mentions his having seen-two sloops of
war, one a ship and the. other a brig, engaged
with a frigate, (which he. Supposes to be Ptench),
that soon after the former made sOl tO the;
southward, and the latter to the westward ; be
supposes that the sloops of war found the:frigate
too warm fur them, and the irigate was not in,
dined to renew the action.

Sailed this evening the Lapwing packet, Captain
VINICOMBE, with dispatches )viiieh were received
last -night, tor Lisbon, supposed to be relative
to the great victories in Russia.

ISLANDS.OF SCILLY, DEC. 16.--Caine in a:very
large American schooner from New York, prize
to his Majesty's, brig Zephyr, -Capt: fricticss,
laden with sugar, coffee, elephants' teeth, &c.
supposed worth 30,0001. sterling.

The brig Harmon' y) of Teigninonth, WILLIAMS,
from Newfoundland, with fish and oil, bound to
:Torbay, yesterday got among the rocks:, and-was
in great danger ; but several pilots. going off to
her, she'was brought into harbour without being,-
damaged, for which they were awarded, by-arbi-
tration., the sum of fifty pounds.
A. brig, name unknown, is
.on shore this even-
ing ; it is reported she is from Ireland, laden vbitla
provisions.

The cutter Pearl, of London, BEATIE, from
London bound to Vigo, is
_under repairs, baying
carried away her bulwarks.

His Majesty's sloops Aehates, Reindeer, Sher; p-
shooter, and Helicon, are in the .roadsted. The
Achates will take convoy up Channel.
Dac. 17.—The vessel, or brig, mentioned is
my letter of yesterday, being on the rocks, name
unknown, now proves to be the Thomas-and Sally,
of London, MARTIN, from Waterford, bound to
London, with butter, bacon, and lard. The
weather being very tempestuous, she is an entire
wreck, but a great part of the cargo has been al-
ready brought t.) the warehouses.

PoßTsmouTa, DEC 21,7—arrived his Majesty's -
ship La Hogue from the Downs.
Sailed his Ara:jes-ty'S ship Bermuda for off-Cher-
burgh ; and the Elgin cutter with a convoy froJA
Plymouth.

The Venus fripte is_ apptAnted-convoy for tio
East Indies, and will sail to-morrow, if tl3 Iv* befair,

iTA.IIVI CH' DEC. 21.—We omitted to men-
tion yesterday that ten sail of Liverpool ships
arrived .at Outtenburich the daN the packet sailed,
Slited the following packets, Lord Duncan,
Lady Nepean, and Earl Lc ester, for Gotten-
burgh ; and the Kini, George and Lark for Ifeli-
gorand.

P. S.—The Lo:•d Punctin 'juke is detaiaed far•

a Messen,or.

CORK, DEC. 16.—.0n Monday, arrived his Ma-.
jesty's ship SYbelle, Cap. IleToN, from Plymouth,
Which place she left on Sunday. Me Indian sloop
of war, capt, JANE, arrived.tbe sameday. •

FRENCH PAPERS.

PAR 4, DEC. 1 .—We are enabledytoittatisfy
the impatience of the public, relative to ttie„grand
events which signalize and mark the termination
of the campaign of 1812. The following details
are not official-; but the source from whence they
are drawn deserves much confidence :

" A great movement is operating on the banks
of the Dwina and the Daieper. ,One impulse
moves the French and confederate masses, whilst
.the measures of -the Russians are subservient to
the diversity cf the views, talentS, and intentions,
of as many Chiefs as there arc separate and iso-
Ltia corps. Every one must feel the different
influence which this must have on the execution
of measures. ,

c` His Majesty the Emperor determined to quit
Smolensko on the .14th at night,-and proceed to
Orslia,•in front of the 2d and 9th corps, drawn
into that direction probably with, the view of
frustrating. Count De Wittgenstein's plan of tEntt
Municating. with Admiral Tschitscha/gOff. The
Admiral, on his side, advanced with kbe. same
- view, and we knew it, to Slonim. These two
Generala
.must have been ignorant of what was,
passing on the MoscOw road;—one cannot other
wise explain the imprudence of their resolution.
HoWeves this may be, the followingis what we
know down to the present moment of the respec-
tive details of the movements' of the two parties.
The Viceroy detached with the army of Italy, by
Vitepsk, came naturally on the rear'df the-COrps.
of Wittgenstein, which had in front and on its
flanks the 2d and 9th corps, and the troops his
Majesty had with him. We may calculate :the
embarrassment and peril of that situation. On
the other side, Prince Schwartzenberg arrived,
with the- advanced guard at Sloniin, at thteo-rn,ori
went in which the enemy, not expecting to-be
followed so close, abandoned that city.
n.
"A corps of 29;000 or 25,000 men, conimlindw
ed by General. Sachen, wished to es,eape.
the 16th, 17th, and ISth.there were, actions, and
always to the advantage of the Allies. At length,
on the 19th, we pursued the remnant of this Rus-,
sian corps, which is flying towards Volhynia.
The issue of these different affairs is 3000 prison-
ers, ten caissons, and a great quantity of baggage.
All the villages are filled with wounded Russians.
We give these anticipated details on the faith of
private news ; we hope that . the first official re-
ports, by confirming them, will develope the ul-
terior views upon which such great interests de-
pend."
PARIS, DEC. 13.—Letters from Wilna of the
lst state; that:an Officer of the light horse of the
Polish Guards had just arrived there with letters
from his Majesty for the Duke of Bassano. He
quitted his Majesty at Zembin on the 2Sth ; he
waS in perfect health ; the army wag in the most
satisfactory state, and continued its march quiet-
ly. The horses of the cavalry, and the train of
artillery, had suffered, but not so much as notio
be speedily restored when they have plenty of fo-
iage. This Officer, who Made the campaign of
1806, says, that they were nearly in the same
state in which they were when, ailer the affair of
Pultusk, the army returned, to take nil winter
quarters, and re-appeared, after some weeks rest, ..
wore brilliant.than ever.

General Vandedem is arrived at Wilaa, having
quitted the head-quarters of the Emperor at Zern-
bin on the 29th. He confirms all the details of
the Polish Officer. The King of Naples and the
Viceroy are in good health. Prince Schwartzen
berg re-marched upon Slonim and Minsk,- after
having completed the destruction of Gen. Sachen.,.:
who had delayed him in the first movemiyti e
made in that direction. '
Pr
PARTs, DEC. 15.—His,Majesty arrived 011 the
29th November at Moldeschcnow; on the great
road from Wilna to Minsk. There was an affair
on the 28th November with the corps of Tschi-.
chagoff, which was very suecessful. We made
some thousand Russians prisoners. On the same
day the corps of Wittgenstein wished to snake a
diversion, but it was kept in check by the paw
of Reggio.,

.
, .
We have in France" very exaggerated ideas of
the .intense.. cold, i
,:of a winter n- Poland. . The
cold is rarely greater than in Holland, and what
renders the winter preferable in Poland is, that it
is free from rain or damp. . The soldiers can ea-
sily,
secure themselves against the .cold in a coun-
try
Where it Is easy to take all necessary precau-
tions--)hence they prefer, dry- wea-the* to a foggy
Itimospbere, and to rains
,that render the colnirtu-I
tlication difficult; The French troops have„ alr-1
ready passed- a winter in Poland, and Frenth
troops support the cold as Well as the PoleS'iiiiil '
T 1. I,
people themselves. We - remark,. that of all ,
people in the world the French are those who '
accommodate theinielves best-to the different cli-
Mates. J. J. Rousseau was the first that made this
remark, and numerous exaniples justify it. At the
period of the conquest in Holland, the winter Was
as sharp as it , may be no.. in Poland, for 'the
French. passed over the ice : yet the cold did not
check the ardour of 'the troops, and there Were feW
;sick in the hospitals. We made the same remarks
Awing the campaign of 180 G; and it is a fact
Cwt.- in large armies, diseases arc rarer in winter
than in summer. , We think these4ibserVations;
fouided on experienee and truth, will be agree..;
able to persons who have relations and friends in
the army.
. . ,
All the letters that arrive from Dautzie, 'War-
saw, Wilna; and Grodno, announce,,, that immense
Magazines are formed, and that they contain every..
thing usefUl to a great army in winter quarters.
We have no uneasiness .respecting subsistence,
and since the provisioning is completed, grain
has fallen in Prussia and in Poland.
Letters from, Philadephia announce, that.the
election of President of the United States is over,
and that Mr. Madison has been re...elected by ..a
. , „ „ important -
great **majority. This . news, is in the
'Boston Journal, called the Columbian Centinel.
It is added, that Congress has met, and that Mr.
Madison made a speech full of eloquench and pa-
triotism. The Federalist Party, which is in fit.;
'your of England, has been beaten in the princir.,
pal States of the Union, and every thing .faroui*s ,
'the presumption that the. present war wilt f 5 eteine
a national war, and. be prosecuted with. activity.

\

COPY OP A LETTER WR:TTEN BY Flts MA.YEgTY TIT*
KING OF SPAIN, TO THE MINISTER FOR "THt
WAR DEPARTMENT, DATED SALAMANCA, NOV.
20, 1812.
" MONSIEUR LB Due, •

"- By illy letter of the 9th from Arevelo, I re-
quested your Excellency to announce-to the Ein-_
peror the union of the army of Portugal :to the
armies of the Centre aud the South:

" On the 11th I adVanced against , Atha,
which was occupied by _the enemY: L descended
the Tormes to. Huerta, to examine thefords and to
reconnoitre the, English army. It -had taken a
position, and was extended from Alba to San
Christoval; ,Geri,-ral Hill on the right, and Lord
Wellington on the left.—The enemy seemed de-
termined to accept battle, I ordered every pre-'
paration for passing the river, and made the ne-
cessary dispositiims for it on the 14th.

" To the force under the command of the
Duke of Dalmatia, I added two divisions of in-
' Pantry and one division of the Army of the Centre.
I gave to the Count D'Erlon the command of
,the Army of Portugal,. and I placed my Guards
land the Spanish troops umier the orders of Gene-
ral Merlin. •

" The position occupied by the enemy was for,'
midable. It bad long-since been studied—it wak
still that of Arapiles. I was at first . tempted td
attack it in front, for by penetrating the centre,
the enemy Would perhaps hare been cut in two,
and would have lost the half of his army; but I was
struck by the observations: of the General, who'
are acquainted with the -country, and I resolved to
operate on the' right of 'the enemy, passing the.
Tormes at Galistmcho.
" The armies of the South and the - Centre
were to effect this passage .on the 14th in • the
`,Morning; that of Portugal to make demonstra-'
tions on the fords of lluerta, opposite Alba de
'TOrines, to take possession of Alba as soon as
tihat town should be evacuated in coin,equence of
the movement of the left, and, after effecting the
passage of Alba, to put itself in line with the
other armies. In case Alba should not be found
abandoned, this army was to pass the river at the
stile points by which. the artines of the South and
the Centre had passed.
The bridges Ivere thrown' over the Tormes 5
but the ardour of the 'tooops did not allow them
to wait for their complete recortstruction,, and
the passage was accomplished with. success on the
morning of the 14th., The enemy's pa-As of ob-
servation were carried 5. the 8000 men. who de-
fended Alba evacuated it. In the night bet Ween
the 14th and 15th the armies were on the left of
the Tonnes, the army, of the South having its left
at. Mosarbes. The cavalry of the lrmies of the
South and of the Centre was -advanced. on the
'evening of the 14th in front. of Nnestra Senora de-
ITteria, One division of the enemy's infantry
theweditself, supported by some pieces of artillery,
whichlerowned theTheights. . They seemed at first
inclined to occupy this flat summit.; bat :we esta-
,blished out selves there-. .It appeared that this
movement of the enemy bad no object but to
cover the retreat of the corps which had aban-
doned Alba. . .

The army of Portugal was ordered;..on the
15th, .to rest its right'on the Plateau of Nuestra
de Uteria ; those of the South ad Abe Centre,
to make a movement on their lett, in ,order to ad-
vance upon the enemy's right, and intersect his
line of operations.
" The same day the Army of Portugal occu-
pied this Plateau, and the troops of the. armies
10ft:the-South and, the Centre, the heights of the
Chapel of NeuStra Senora de Valhurena ; but .the
lAiDvements of the enemy were concealed by a
Lick fog, to which succeeded an uninterrupted
rain, which rendered.fruitless all the efforts that
were made: The smallest rivers suddenly became
torrents, which singularly confined all our nidve-
meas.

"Mean while several explosions took place at
Salamanca, and, indicated the retreat of the ene-
Any. The . eaialry advanced on the co mtunnica-
tion of Ciudad Rodrigo. The enemy's army was
irn .xeatity•in fulL retreat. The cavalry followed it
on the next day, the 15th:
• • •
" Some thousands of prisoners, including many
Officers, among whom is General, Paget, coin-
mandirgthe first division of .the English army,
a graat quantity of baggage, and a number of Car-
riages, have fallen into the power of the cavalry
of the armies of the South, of Portugal, and of
die-Centre.—The particular Reports of the Gene-.
rals commanding the armies, whith I shall take
cai`ko address to your Excellency, will 'enable
yOktO pilt the Emperor. in possession of every
thing that has passed'.
" I do not consider it any exaggeration to state,
that since the union of the armies of the South
and the Centre, which Compelled the enemy ,to
abandon his projects on the North, hiS army has
105t.12,900 men at Chinchilla, at the passage of
the-Tagus, at Burgos, at Cadiz, on the Tonnes,
Mantilla, &c..
I pray your Excellency to accept.niy sincere
attachment.

" Yours affectionately, JosEnt."

I!?cTAACt OF A LETTEICWRITTEN TO THA MINIS-
y:! TER AT WAR. 11X tiPtERAL- REY.
" Burgos, I: cc. 2.
YAL I have received a note, from the Count.
ili:Erfon, Commander in Chief of the Army of
Portugal, announcing that 3000 prisoners, Eng-
lish, Portuguese, and Spanish, left Valladolid on
the 29th to proceed to Burgos, under,the escort
of a brigade of infantry and a brigade of light ca-
valry. Among the prisoners are Lieut.-General
Paget and several other English Officers. Tbcy
will arrive at Burgos this day or to-morrow.
(Signed) " REY.
," Governor General of the sth Government."

Awhinisical lapsus lingua occurred at the Cha-
pel Royal, Brighton, not lOpg since. The Clerk
there, who is often employed as porter at. sales, in
announcing that a Serinon would be preached there
for the .benefit. Of Schools' of Industry, accident-.
ally concluded his notification by , loudly observ-
ing, instead of the service, that the sale would
begin precisely at eleven o'clock: