The Sun.
London, England, 1832-08-13 00:00:00

LISBON.

JULY 20.—An Extraordinary Gazette gives a short
despatch from General Santa Martha, dated Head-quar-
ters, from Ponte Ferreira, 22d June, containing a notice
of an action that morning, in which the enemy were de-
leated.—[For particulars see the detailed despatch below.]
JULY 28.—An Extraordinary Gazette contains two
short despatches from General Santa Martha, dated Head-
quarters, Penafiel, July 24, with the notice of the defeat
of the whole force of the enemy on the 23,1, after a battle
of ten hours.

(From the Lisbon Gazette of July 31.)
OFFICIAL.

DESPATCH OF GENERAL SANTA MARTHA ON THE AC-
TIONS OF THE 22d AND 23d JULY, WHICH ARE
MENTIONED IN THE DESPATCHES OF THE SAME GE-

NERAL, PRINTED IN THE EXTRAORDINARY GAZETTE
OF THE 22,1 AND 23d INST.
" Must excellent and illustrious Stnhor,
" I have not been able to send to you before to-day a
more detailed account of the movements of the fourth di-
vision, under my command, since the night of the 18th,
till to-day, the 26th. It bega❑ its movement to pass to
the right bank of the Douro on the ['mining of the 18th.
The first brigade crossed the river on the 19th, in the
morning, and took post in Subrado, and I, with six pieces
of artillery, the battalion of Royalist Volunteers of Vil-
lonia, and four squadrons of cavalry, passed at Cirvoeiro
early in the morning on the 20th, and joining to t':is force
the first brigade, took post on the evening of the same
day i❑ Recarein, four leagues to the north of the river.
The column which was with me, had thus made a march
of nine leagues in the most difficult roads, especially for the
artillery, passing the lofty mountains of Aquiar de
Sousa. On the morning of the 21st I began my
march to Polite Ferreira, where I took a position, and du-
ring the day joined the second brigade, commanded by
Brigadier Ozorio, by the road from Penafiel, which bri-
gade bad previously passed to the north of the Douro, and
the third brigade under Brigadier Cardozo, which hail
passed the river at Carvoeiro eight hours after I hul
crossed at the same place. Thus there were a,senibltd in
the position of Granja or Ponte Ferreira, the Ist, 2,1, and
3,1 brigades of the division of infantry, the three squa-
drons of cavalry of Chaves, and one of the police of
Oporto, and ten pieces of artillery; and expecting that
in the course of the following day I should be joined by
the 4th brigade, which was to pass the Douro. The re-
bels, who could not discover this movement to the north
of the Douro, had not come to hinder the passage; but,
being informed that the lot brigade was at Ponte Ferreira,
they appeared the following day (the 22d), with 5,000
men, a 6 pounder, and a 5111-inch howitzer, and attacked
the advanced posts of the 4th division, which fell back to
the heights half-way between Ponte Ferreira and Val- ,

longo. I then moved the battaloo of Royalist Volun-
teers, supported by two companies of grenadiers of the
V dmea regiment of infantry, and by the militia regiments
of Braga and Basto. The height of the Cruzeiro was
taken and re-taken three times, till at length the enemy,
being dislodged, took a position in the thick pine woods,
and iu sotni houses to the left of the road to Val-
longo, obstinately maintaining their ground. At this
time half a squadron of cavalry of Chaves charged
some infantry of the extreme right of the rebels, which
charge was bravely hd by Captain Antonio Cardozo de
Albuquerque, of the cavalry of Chaves, who had his
horse killed under him, and by Ensign Francisco Coelho
Teixeira, of the same regiment, who also lost his horse on
this occa-ion. The valour of these two officers is worthy
of all praise. The rebels, however, continuing to defend
the wood and the houses at all hazards, Brigadier Gouvea
Ozorio made a movement with his brigade, and occupied
the heights on our right, in the flank of the rebels; they
thin abandoned all the parts of their line in full rout,
most of them following the road of Vallongo; and it was
there that they had a great number of killed and wounded,
and lost the howitz-r, with its train of mules, which was
taken by Jose Maria Gonza'ves, Lieutenant of the Royalist
Volunteers of AlirandelL, accompanied by a sergeant and
six sharpshooters ; and the right of the enemy retreated
in confusion by the mountain to our left."
(Here follow high encomiums on the conduct of all the
troops, with the names of many officers who particularly
distinguished themselves.)
.. .

" Towards evening the corps which had been engaged
returned so their several cantonments, and the enemy
in the night of the 22d ultimo withdrawing all the force
that they had on the left bank of the Douro, and break-
ing down the bridge, and leaving in the city of Oporto
only some artillery, and two companies, came again to at-
tack the fourth division, in the position which they had lost
the day before ; but I, observing that a column of the rebels
hail descended the mountains in front of our extreme right,
and had placed itself in ambush bel.ind the fir woods and
groves of Sobrado, which was to the right of our position,
directing, at the same time, and openly allowing two columns
of attack in the centre and left of our line ; that on the left
marchin; very openly, to cover by this movement that of
the column which caine to Sobrado, in order to take in
flank the left of our position, I formed the line of battle
on the hills, in front of Esauj I, having the brook of Sauna
in the front of our line, and the 3d brigade, commanded by
Brigadier Cardozl, two squadrons of cavalry, and one
piece of cannon, being on the other side of the brook, op-
posite the right column of the enemy. When I had made
these arrangements, and the fire of the sharpshooters com-
menced, Major. General the Viscount de S. Joao Pasqueira,
with the troops under his command, arrived by the road
froin Baltar, and took a position much to our left. After
a well-supported fire of the sharpshooters for three hours,
the left column of the enemy, consisting chiefly of French
and English, in spite of the continued and well directed
fire of the division commanded by the First Lieu'entht
Acacio Jose Ferreira, succeeded in dislodging our sharp-
loootei s from the side of Sobrado, and the reserves of our
sharpshooters were also ob'iged to yield the heights on
which they were posted. The enemy were proceeding to
prosecute their momentary advantage, by charging with
the bayonet our reserves and sharpshooters, but Cipt. Assez,
coininanding the squadron of cavalry of Chaves, which was
given to support the first brigade, charged so seasonably
and with so much bravery the English soldiers in the
service of the rebels, that they speedily fell dead on the
ground which they so unjustly trod. The Transmon•
tone cavalry had had the good fortune amply to revenge
their country. Captain Assez, who was wounded at the
commencement of the action, still continued to head hi.
troops ; he also had his horse wounded ; and Ensign J.

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