The Sun.
London, England, 1832-08-01 00:00:00

" OFFICIAL DESPATCHES.

" Most Illustrious and Excellent Seuhor,—Enclosed I
transmit to your Excellency a despatch which I have re-
ceived from Lieutenant-Colonel Hodges, who commands
the column by which the troops of the enemy assembled
at Penafiel were dispersed. From his letter you will per-
ceive the gallant and able manner in which that officer di-
rected and executed the movement which his duty required
him to make,—a conduct which warrants my recom-
mending him most particularly to the consideration of the
Government of his Most Faithful Majesty, and to his Im-
perial Majesty, as General-in-Chief of her Majesty's
armies ; and also the officers and soldiers of the column,
more especially those which the said Colonel mentions
with particular approbation.
" God preserve your Excellency many years,
" Conde De VILLA FLOE."
" Head-quarters. Oporto, July 20."
" The Most Excellent Senher Agootinho Jose Freire."

"LIEUTENANI-COLONEL HODGES'S DE-
' SPATCH.

"Most Illustrious and Excellent Senhor—ln pursuance
of your Excellency's orders, I marched at one o'clock in
the morning of the 17th on Vallongo, with the Ist bat-
talion of infantry, No. 18, part of the battalion under
my immediate command, and a detachment of cavalry.
Being there informed of the passage of the Douro by some
of the enemy's troops in the heights of Carvoeiro, I ad-
vanced to reconnoitre that movement as far as the town
called—, where I remained without discovering any
hostile force whatever, until, in obedience to fresh orders
from your Excellency, I returned to Vallongo, where 1
was joined by the corps of Donna Maria's volunteers,
commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Luiz Pinto de Men-
doza Arraes. Thus reinforced, I advanced to Baltar, having
been informed that the enemy's corps, which passed the
Douro, had ventured to concentrate itself at Penafiel, and
to assume a menacing attitude.
" I found this information confirmed at Baltar ; and, it
being your Excellency's wish (according to your orders)
that these rebels should be dispersed and chastised for
this attempt on our flank, I advanced along the vallies
which lead to Penafiel. In the course of our march I
observed armed men in motion, appearing and disappear-
ing on the summits of the mountains which overlook those
vallies.

" On a curtain of hills in the front of Penafiel, and
within a mile of the town on this side, we perceived a line
of vedettes which covered the enemy. Some cavalry being
set.t forward against these vedettes, they fell back, and dis-
covered the enemy's force in the position in which he was
prepared to receive me.
" The enemy occupied a line which had its right resting
on a convent almost in the extreme left of the city of Pena.
fiel, and its left on the ridges and rocks beyond the city,
towards the banks of the Douro. On these ridges a con-
siderable number of men, irregularly armed, were col-
lected. The front of the city was uncovered, and there
appeared on the right a quantity of baggage and waggons,
with some troops, which convinced me beforehand that the
enemy intended to retreat in that direction, on being driven
from 'his first position. . _

" I immediately called up my artillery to the front, and
having destined the volunteer corps for dislodging the ene-
my's line, I ordered the battalion of the 18th, under the
command of Captain Jose Athanasio de Miranda, to occupy
the town, and the Marine battalion, under the command
of Captain Shaw, to proceed to the right of the town, to
cut off the enemy's retreat. The artillery opened its fire,
and without losing time in a useless fusilade, the columns
advanced rapidly and vigorously on the enemy, who after
repeated discharges and a great loss, . abandoned his first
position, upon which the volunteers instantly occupied the
convent on which the enemy's right was supported.
" The enemy marched rapidly from the town, and pro-
ceeded to fortify himself on a hill to the tight, in his rear.
But they had scarcely taken up this position, when the
volunteers advancing again upon them, once more dis-
lodged them ; while the Marine battalion invested and
took the convent of Rostello,—an extensive edifice, sur-
rounded by a strong wall, and capable of a vigorous de-
fence, and strongly garrisoned by the enemy, perhaps as a
point of support in his retreat.
" The enemy, however, did not yet entirely yield the
ground, but he:d in occupation the rugged rocks to the
rear and right of the city. There he formed for the
third time; but attacked with the same vigour as before
by the volunteers and the Marine battalion, which marched
from the convent, be was completely defeated, routed, and
obliged to fly in disorder. Having thus accomplished the
proposed object, I ordered the troops to assemble in the
town of Penafiel, which I found abandoned by the inhabi-
tants, and already occupied by the battalion No. 18.
" The enemy's loss cannot be exactly ascertained, in
consequence of the great care with which he carried off
the killed and wounded, but it cannot be estimated at less
than 200 men; but without doubt, that which he has sus-
tained by dispersion must be enormous, and will serve
as a serious warning to him not again to attempt so rash
an enterprise.

" Our loss is incomparably less. It consists only of
three killed, and three wounded—namely, Ensign Moura
Coutinho, of Donna Maria's Volunteers, slightly wounded ;
a soldier of the same corps, severely wounded ; a soldier
of No. 19, slightly wounded ; and three soldiers of the
Marine battalion killed. We have not lost a single pri-
soner or _ _ straggler.
_ _

" I fulfil, v;ith the greatest satisfaction, the sacred duty
of laying before your Excellency my testimony to the
ardour and gallantry which all the troops I had the honour
to lead to battle displayed ; more particularly the Volun-
teers of Donna Maria, whose valour in combat can with
difficulty be equalled, and never was exceeded. It is
equally my duty to inform your Excellency of the activity
and ability displayed by Lieutenant Jose Julio de Atnaral,
attached to the Staff of the second Infantry division, in the
distribution of the orders, both during the action and the
marches. It is also but justice that I should mention the
name of Senhor Leal, who lost his horse in the action, and
thus give hint a public testimony of my approbation. Fi-
nally, I hope that on the contents of the present dispatch
being made known by your Excellency to his Imperial
Majesty the Duke of Braganza, that that august Senhor
will be satisfied with the intrepidity and firmness with
which the troops of her Most Faithful Majesty prove them-
selves on all occasions determined to defend the most noble
of causes. God preserve your Excellency.
G. LLOYD HODGES.

" Head-quarters, Vallongo, July 19.
"To the Most Illustrious and Excellent Senhor Conde de
Villa Flor."

The private letters from Oporto by the Colombia, which
are dated on the 24th ult., were delivered yesterday morn-
ing, and supply further details of the battle near that
city. It was of a very sanguinary nature, and it seems
that no doubt can now remain of its having terminated in
favour of the Constitutionalists. The action is said to
have arisen out of a movement made by a large body of
the Miguelite troops, consisting of not less than 10,000,
to attack the Constitutionalists in the rear, and it took
place at Valongo, which is on the north side of Oporto.
This circumstance it is material to bear in mind, as the
return of Don Pedro to Oporto, after the battle, was re-
garded by those tvho believed it to have been fought to the
southward of that city, as a retreat. The numbers engaged
on the side of the Constitutionalists are stated to have
amounted to 7,000. The battle lasted during nearly
the whole of the 22d and the 23d ult., which proves
the Miguelites to have fought with considerable
bravery. Some of the letters state two or three regi.
invnts of Miguel to have deserted after the battle ; but
others mention this merely as a report. The accounts
re differ
sults
of
the i na
action,sti b
still reoattetos
rhdoegree which
a l nr
econsidered
regard
to
be the
the most authentic, assign a loss to the Miguelites of be.
wholetwisen 20
f,Ot Oh Oe
artillery.a nd 3 ,O 00 it nt
said, is lted though
ua however,
itlv wounded,el
vs
ec:thatntwithnd
etd i e
heretthe
that
at-
tack had been renewed on the south side of the Douro
when the accounts came away, from which it might be
inferred that the victory in the first battle was not so de.
cis ire
attack was made
ed;h
by a distinct force of the
this as
secondhad been
enemy, which attempted to cross the river to join ti .e main
body; but was fru,trated in that attempt. Don Pedro
returned to Oporto at about nine in the evening of the
23d. On the whole, the acectuattl are deemed highly NA-

tisfactory, and have caused much exultation among the
friends of the cause. It was reported that an official ac-
count of the battle of Valongo had reached town, but 00
inquiry wa learn that this is not the case.
The following extracts contain all the details which
were known yesterday :

EXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM OPORTO, DATED THE 20T0

OF JULY.

cc An action took place at ten in the morning of the
18th, in front of Penafiel, six leagues to the eastward 01
Oporto, between a moving column of Don Pedro and s
considerable body, composed of guerillas, volunteers, and
militia of Don Miguel, in which the latter were routed and
dispersed, after being driven from the convent of Bastelloo
near Penafiel.

" It is said that the moving column of Don Pedro, with
other troops, sent some days since to Braga, had returned
to Oporto." .

EXTRAT OF A LETTER FROM OPORTO, DATED JULY 22.
" A supplement to the Chronica of the Sth contains an
account of the two actions at Penafiel, and of a third attack
in the rear of the city, whence Miguel's forces were finall/
dislodged. The people had fled from Penafiel. Pedro''
army returned to Oporto ; Miguel's troops rallied, and on
the 20th, in the evening, advanced to Vallongo, a town
only two leagues distant from Oporto, and on the high
road to Penafiel, and to Amarante, on the Tamega. The
inhabitants of Vallongo (chiefly bakers) are said to have
come to Oporto.

" Active preparations are, however, in progress for mi-
litary stores, which are embarking to accompany Doe
Pedro's army southward.

" Pedro has published an amnesty with some excep-
tions."

(From the Messager des Chambres.)
TELEGRAPHIC DESPATCH.
" BAYONNE, JULY 27, 4 o'clock in the afternoon.
" Nine battalions of Don Pedro, one of which are vete-
rans, have been formed at Oporto; 3,600 troops of Don
Pedro on the 10th carried the positions of the troops of
Don Miguel. A battalion of the latter went over to the
former, and marched upon Azurard with them. This
column has nine pieces of artillery.
On the same day a column of 2,400 men belonging to
Don Pedro marched upon Braga, which it entered on the
13th. It was reinforced by the Constitutionalists on its
march. This column has no artillery.
" Ponte.de•Lima was occupied on the 17th by 500 of
Don Pedro's men. Numbers of Portuguese emigrants
had arrived at Tuy, in Galicia.
" It is believed that the troops of Don Pedro will occupy
Lisbon on the 18th.
" It is said that Don Miguel is already in retreat upon
Spain.
" This news is dated the 18th, from Vigo, in Galicia.'