The Sun.
London, England, 1810-11-21 00:00:00

OUI.

I have reason to btlieve the number of prisoners
exceeds five thousand, of whom nearly-tour thousand
are marched otf tywards. Oporto, including au en-
tire coirimy of the Emperor's marine guards ;
three thousand five hundred fireiocks are found,
and ahnolt the whole Jo aled, :ruin whence sots
may form an idea of the nunab:r in a state for
• defensive syrvice ; those arms I hive distributed
aniongst the Ordinanzd of the country ; we found
no artillery. We got possession of a quantify of
oxen and sheep, ‘A hien were coitected tor u:9l
subsistence of t.iC enemy's troops, and hav e proved
a 'Seasonable
.supply to our. own. Amongst the
priSoners' are, I should suppose, eighty ()dicers.—
The CommisSarie Ordinateur en Chef M. Flandin,
who represented a Governor, will reaLitu sick iu
Coimbra.
From the nature of attack, your Excellency tie
will eakdy conceive how difficult it-was to cum rout
the soldiers,' or to prevent the armed peasantry from
plundering. "Tin se latter I am sorry to_say, com-
mitted aos of 'violence, but bbelieve not more than
six or eight Frenchmen were the victims of - theirtre-
sentinew. I: should here observe, that nothing
-could possibly exceed the state of wretchedness...lu
which I. found rile. city ; the enemy, not content
with sacking it to the very utmost extent, and strip-
ping the few housekeepers uho remained of their
persontil clothing, had wantonly set tire to some
Itous, and bad Escaped in the stieeis, in one general
Masi ,if disorder, all the Ihrriiture winch they could
not • take with the army ; it cannot be expected,
therefore, that soldiers, of whom eight • hundred,
were•rt4atives of the town and its neignbouthood,
accompanied by their wretched relatives, could pa-
tiently witness a scene of devastation in which their
property had Leen thus unjustifiably and irretriev
ably destroyed. I request your Excellency, Lbw.
ever, to ,be persuaded that every possible exertion
has been . made to give protection to the French
Who'have fallen into our hands, and, after the first
`Moments, I succeeded in securing them from insult.
' As Brigadier-Genei-al Miller, and C.oor:el Wil-
son's corps; will arrive here to-morrow, I propose to
one of_my brigades behind, and to tuarch,with
the remainder of my division, as an e4ort to Oporto;
for suchis the animosity of the people of this country
excited bj the late passage of the French army, that
I consider my presence_ absoluttly necessary, parti-
'colarlyin the intermediate distria between Motidego
and
-:- I shall conclude this report by assuring your Ex-•
cellency that the spirit of ihe Militia upon 411(soc-
casino was gui:h as would dr, -credit 19 any troops
of the line, andl have observed no individual ex-
ception do nut, 4tieretote, ,compliment any par.
titular officer. I have the honour to be, 'Sze.
(Signed). N. TRANT.

MY LORD, Pero Negro, 27th Ott. iS co.
I enclose two letters from Marshal iferestord,
.with reports from Brigadier-General Blunt, ofsue-
Cesses against the enerny's deiacbuients, by patties
detached from the. garrison
.of Poriiene.. T!se for-
mer was mentioned to your Lordship in my die-
patch of the 20th inst. I have,:
(Signed) , WELLINGTON,
MY LOf D, HeA_Quart.r., Ca4i CocLin,
1
'O.
rbave the honour to annex the2uth es.tratl ot r. !k•ttek
I have this instant recci,ed tenni Brigadkr Ocive-
rarßlow, •by which ) our. Lordship wlt see he,
tinues to pick up the marauders and siragg,ers horn
the enemy., have, Bfc,
(Signed/ W. C. BEAESFORD3
l‘larshataud

I: of a Letter fJora Brigadier-General Blunt, to Lieti-
t:mant-Colutw,l Arbuthnot, dated l'eniche, t3th Odotier,

i• 10.

You twill be pleased to report to his Excellency
,rshal Beresiord, that, in consequence of in-
-14-rnation, I detached a party on the 17th under
;he command of Major Tlvares to fall in with the
enemy's foragers, bat-untortonately -the enemy had
rctired. .
_ _

jor Pinto was detached .ye,terday for the same
rirpose to a distane4-..0f five leagues. • He suc-
.;....eded in taking_ twenty-three prisoners, two of
enemy were killed and one of the recruits.
—lt is great gratification to see the alacrity with
..vlnch they offer thernSelves on every occasion.

MY LORD, Pero KegrO, Oct. a 7, aro.
The enemy still occupy the same positions in
ont of this array which they held when I ad-
.;lres,ed you on the 20th instant. They have de-
..:aciied some troops towards Santarem, and on the
.'..;3d General Loison marched towards that place
the division under his command; and it appears
rum accounts from the •Com.natidng Officer at
.thrantes, of the 24th, that a body of the enemy's
:oral-ivy and cavalryentered Thou-tar on that day.—
Die reports which I have received from the prisoners
:Ind deserters which have been brought in concur in
the accounts of the distress felt by the enemy for
t lie want of provisions of all discriptions. They state
t hat ttwy are collecting and preparing materials to
c-oustrutt a bridge over the Tagus ; but although
ve have a good view of that river from different
parts of the ground occupied by the army, and have
Officers and others employed on the left of the Ta-
gil:, to obseive the motions of the enemy, I have
riot been able to discover either where this work ,is
carrying on, or where the bridge is to be placed on
the river, if it should be construeled.
'The enemy appears to be very 4nxinus to collect
boats; and on the 24th endeavoured to drive a
party of the Ordetianza from Chamthea, by the fire
of artillery, in order to obtain possession of some
which were under that place.
Colonel Wilson tad been at Leyria, with the
eayairy attached to G. neral Barciar's 'division, and
had proceeded to Outem. The Advance of the in-
fantry was at Pumbal.
• On the side of Obidos and Ramalhal, the British
cavalry and a battalion of Spanish light infantry,
~rid :lie troops of the garrison of Peniche, confine
the enemy's detachments; and they really possess
no part of the country, excepting that on which
their army stands.
By the last accounts from General Silveira of
the 171 h instant, it app;ars that all was quiet in the
North; and he had not received any accounts of
the march of troops in
The patties of guerillas had isen more daring
than usual; and they bad united in the neighbour-
hood of Valladolid, early in the month of (ktober,
to the amount of fiteen hundred, in order to carry
off a convoy of money which bad been raised in
contributions !ran the country, in which attempt,
however, they failed.
According to the accounts of the 2 I st, from Es-
tremadura, ;t appears that Marshal Mortier's corps
was still at Seville, and General Ballasteros was ob-
serving it from Aracena.
The second Division of the Marquis de la Ro-
!liana's corps under General Carrera, arrived at
Lisbon on the 25th, and will be with the army
this day.—Nly last accounts from Cadiz are of
the 4th instant. 1 have, &c.

(Siisued) WELLINGTON.

NIY LORD,

Pero Negro, 34 Nov. 18(0.

I have not observed any alteration in the enemy's
position or numbers since I addressed you on the
eith ult.
They have a considerable body of troops, prin-
cipally cavalry, on the Tagus, between Punhete
and Santarem; and I have reason to believe that
Loison's Division of Infantry had not marched in
that direction, as I reported to your Lordship they
had in my last dispatch ; some of the corps corn-
posing that Division have certainly remained in the
camps in front of this army.
The enemy have pushed some troops, across the
Zezere above Punhete, principally cavalry, appa-
tently to reconnoitre the roads in that direction and
the fort at Abrautes ; but I conclude that the rains
which have fallen within these few days will have
swelled that river, and that these troops will have
retired again. •
They are still reported to be at work upon ma-
terials for a bridge both at Santarem and Barquinha;
bat I have detached Major-General Pane with a
body of cavalry and infantry to the left of the Ta-
gus, from whom I hope to receive accurate accounts
ut what is passing apposite to hiM on this side ; and
he will endeavour to destroy these materials if it
should be pratElicable.
It is reported by all the deserters that the enemy's
troops continue to suffer great distress from the
want of provisions.
It is impossible to form an estimate of the quan-
tity of provisions which they found in the villages
on the ground which they occupy ; but it is ceftain,
that they can draw none from any other part. of the
dountry, the whole being in the possession of our
troops.
The garrison of Peniche, and the garrison of
Obidos, which place Captain Fenwilll, of the Per-
tugese service, has lately occupied,' under the di-
rection of Brigadier-General Blunt, and the British
cavalry, continue to carry on a destructive Warfare
to the rear of the enemy's right, while the high
road from Coimbra by Leyria is in the possession of
Colonel Wilsott's detachment.
I enclose a Letter from Marshal Beresford, on
the effects of the operations of Brigadier-General
Blunt and Captain Fenwick.
I have received no Letter from General Silveira of
a later date than the l nth October. He had not
at that time, heard of the march of any of the cue-
My's troops in Castille.
He occupied with his detachment the roads from
Almeida to Trancoso, Celorico and Guarda. He
Lad heard that General Bonnet had evacuated the
Asturias, and, it is supposed, had moved into Bis-
cay.
I have letters from Estreinadura and Castromarin
of as late a date as the e'rtli of-Oacker, stating that

Mortier's corps was still at Scvitie in a very.ir“:ifi...
eicnt state, and having.many sick.
My • last accounts flout Cadiz are of the 2:.•d tilt.
(Signed) • WELLINGTON.
Y LORD, Sapataria, 3d Nov. ‘8(o.
I have the honour to annex a return taken from
the several Reports received fiorn Brigadier-General
Blunt, of the number of killed and prisoners to the
detachment which be sent flora Penich6 to Obidos,
under the command of Captain Veowick (Lieuten-
ant in the Buffs) since his former Reports of the
proceedings of that Officer, and which, with what
had been previously reported upon, will make the
amount of the enemy's loss to that detachment, be-
sides the wounded which they are generally emibled
to carry off, about 169 men.
• I take the occasion of remarking to your Lord-
ship the zeal and
,judgment of Brigadier-General
Blunt in re-occupying the towu of Obidos when the
principal force of the enemy had passed it ; and be
gives much applause to Captain Fenwick for his ac-
tivity and conduct in the command of the small de-
tachment he has been enabled to detach from Pe-
niche, under his command.
I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) . W. C. BERESFORD.
To Lordyiscount Wellington,

&c. &c. &c.

Return of Killed, Wounded, and Prisoners,.by the Detach-
ment at Obi dos, under the Orders of Captain Fenwick,
since last freport. '
01. 27th—I Serjeant, 19 privates, prisoners.
Nov. is;-5 iirivates prisoners, 7 privates killed.
1.1. S 46 bullock and zoo sets of Hospital bedding taken
from the enemy on the ist of November, likewise a horses.
Sepataria, 3d Nov. /810.
Return of Killed, Wounded, and Missing of the Army un.
der the Command of Viscount Wellington, in skirmishes
with the Enemy on the 9th, tut), 13th, and 14th Odober,
1810.
Killed —1 Serjeant, 19 rank and file, 22 horses.
Wounded— 7 Officers, 7 Serjeants, 77 rank and file, to horses.
Missing —1 Serjeant, 41 rank and file, i 2 horses.
Names of Officers IVounded.
Ist Hussars, king's German Legion—Captain Linsingen,
slightly ; Captain Aly, ditto.
9stli Regiment—Captain per,ival, severely, not dangerous-
ly ; Lieutenant Ecles, severely.
sth Batt. King's German Legion—Lieutenant Muller, se-
verely.
Brunswick Infantry —Captain Schufeldt, severely.
General Staff—Captain D. Nlerceo,

Downing-Street, Nov. 19, 1810.

A Dispatch, of which the following is a copy,
has been this nuynitig received at Lord Liverpool's
Office, addressed to his Lordship by Lieutenant-Ge-
neral Sir John Stuart, K. 8.• dated Messina, 22d
September, 1810.

MY LORD,
Early on the morning of the 18th inst. our at-
tention was much occupied by the opposite move-
ments of General Murat, who, by. she embarkation
of the principal body of his army in the whole of
his long range of boats at Scylla and the Punta del
Pizzo, and the disposition of these vessels after be •
ing cast off from the shore, seemed to indicate a
conclusive design upon the part of our line extend-
ing towards the Faro.
While the attentiop of our left was engaged by:
the above operation, inforniation was brought to
me that a division of the enemy, having embarked
at Reggio during the preceding night, had been
perceived completing a landing upon our right, just
before dawn, at about seven miles to the southward
of Messina.

Reinforcements, which were held in reserve in
this garrison to move according to circumstances,
marched to sustain our posts at the invaded point
upon the first signal of alarm ; but the active vigi-
lance of the trobps stationed at that extremity of
our defences, and their prompt and spirited beha-
viour, under the conduct of Major-General Camp-
bell, had already happily rendered the pregence of
these succours unnecessary.
The repulse of the enemy in this partial enter-
prize, and the equally 'disgraceful and precipitate
flight of the French General who commanded it,
with the sacrifice of so considerable a part of
.his equipment, are more fully detailed in the ad-
joined Report from Major General Campbell
to myself, on . the _ proceedings of this fortunate
day ; and I hope his Majesty will be graciously
pleased to draw an augur from the relation of" this
officer of the future condual of this army at large,
in any emergency of service which it way become
their duty to encounter.
The zeal, the warmth, exemplified by the neigh-
bouring peasantry in our behalf, and which were
not manifested without a loss, and the judgment as
well as alacrity with which I have since learnt that
those in remoter distrias made immediate disposi-
tions to obstruct the progress ,of the enemy it,4 their
possible attempt to penetrate into the country, were
far beyond what I could have hoped or expected
from their peaceful habits and so strongly was
their animosity marked towards their, invaders, that
the interposition of our escorts were frequently ne-
cessary to protea. our prisoners from their fury, in
conducting thew, after their surrender, to the cita-
del of Messina.

A colour inscribed as a gift from Gioacbino Na-
poleone to the Royal Corsican corps, said to be new
for the occasion of the expedition, fell among other
captures of the morning into our hands, and I hoPe
his Majesty will be graciously pleased to approve my
transmittal of this trophy to be respe&fully laid at
the feet of his Sicilian Majesty, as a token of our
zeal in support of his royal cause, and as a record
that the first effort of a daring enemy to plant the
standard of usurpation in this his second kingdom,
and which still owns his rightful dominion, was re-
pulsed by a British army.
I cannot close this communication to your Lord-
ship without expressing my official acknowledge-
ments to the great assistance I have derived from
Lieutenant General Lord Forbes, as well as the
other General Officers, and indeed, every depart-
ment and rank of this army, during a long period
of four months, in which the contiguity and con-
stant menaces of an enterprizing enemy have de-
manded from us a system of unabating vigilance, to
which every mind has submitted with cheerfulness,
but which your Lordship will believe has not been
without its fatigue.

The -habitual, cordial, and friendly co-operation
which I have received from Admiral Martin and
the Naval force uuchir his orders, during this inter-

cal of anxiety, I have before hat occasion to men-
tion to your Lordship.

I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) J. STUART,
• count of Niaida.
SIR, .• Messina, Sept. IS. 1810.
_ _

Being apprized about a quarto- past four this
morning, that a detachment of the enemy's boats
had apia.oached and fired upon the cavalry piquet
at St. Stephano, I deemed it expedient to repair to-
wards that place ; and on my way thither, diico-
%wed (before day-light) a smart fire of nmsquetry,
apparently near Mill. On my arrival at Mili„
found Lieutenant-Colonel Adam, with the 2 ts t re-
giment, very judiciously posted in that advantageous
spot (supported by the 3d King's German Legion)
with two six pounders ; 'and the riflemen of the
King's German Legion in his front, beyond the
AEU Fiumara, briskly exchanging shots with the
enemy.
Thus situated, and when full daylight rendered all
objects distinctly visible, I clearly observed about forty
of the enemy's large boats disembarking troops be-
tweeen St. Stephan° and Galati, which, as they
gained the shore, pushed on and occupied the Crest
of the whole ridge of rising ground, extending from
the place of their debarkation to the front and right
of the Mili Fiumata. •

Every measure of precaution was adopted to oc-
cupy the mountain passes adjacent to the Mai posi-
lion.; • and while thus employed, and eagerly watch-
ing the enemy's further movements, I observed not
only an hesitation and period to his further advance
upon the heights, but that he was actually hastily
re-embarking his troops nearest the beach, occa-
sioned, I have no doubt, by the spirited and unt•x-
pealed manner in which he was brought 'to action
by the 2d Light Infantry, under Lieutenant-Colonel
Fischer, which, moving from its cantonments of St.
Placid.,, hung uvon his rear and left. I had no
sooner satisfied 'myself as to this point, than I di-
rected the 21st regiment, with two six-pounders, to
move briskly forward by the great road and beach
from Mdi, preceded by the riflemen of the 3d and
4th liiHg's German Legion, and hankers of the 21st
regiment, which produced the double effect of pre-
cipitating the enemy's retreat to his boats, and throw-
ill; into our power the whole of the corps which had
gained the heights, and others whom their boats
abandoned to his fate.

I understand this corps to have been under the
orders of General Cavignac, and to have consisi-ed
of two battalions of Corsicans, I ,t battalion of the o
Neapolitan Light Infantry (6 companies), Ist batta-
lion of the line Napoleon Infantry (6 companies); Ist
battalion of the 4th of the line Neapolitan Infant!),
(six companies), in all about 3500 men ; of whom,
oue of the Corsican battalions, with a stand of co- •
lours,. a Colonel and Chef de l'Etat Major oiDivi-
sion, a Lieutenant-Colonel Commandant, with forty
inferior officers, including an Aid-de-Camp of Ge-
neral C.Nlgnac, and upwards of eight hundred sot-
dier, have surrendered prisoners of war at discretion.
It is now only necessary for me to add, that the.
corps which repulsed the enemy were Capt. Joerres'
troop of the 20th Light Dragoons; the 2d Light In-
fantry Battalion (to whom every praise is due for
the spirited and masterly manner in which it made
the first impression upon them) ; tic riflemen of
the ad and 41h- King's German Legion ; the 21st
regiment; and a portion of the 3d King's German
Legion ; as also a detachment of the Royal Artillery,
with field-guns, under Lieritenant Cotton.
To Lieutenant-Colonel Adam, of the 21st regi-
ment, I was peculiarly indebted : his thorough
knowledge of the country and passes would have
enabled us to anticipate and check the enemy, had
be endeavoured to move further than
I was accompanied by my Aid-de-Camp, Captain
A'Court, whose alive exertions were Conspicuous
to all. I have also to mention, in terms of acknow-
ledgment, Captains Hill and Frcul!er, Assistant-
'Adjutant-Generals, and Lieutenant Burke, Aid-de-
Camp to Major-General Spencer. The whole of
the condud of the troops was cheerful and animated;
and the best disposition in aid of us waS exhibited
by the peasanty of the country, who, with arms,
and every other weapon of offence they could coi-
led, flocked to our immediate assistance; and, what
is most consolatory, we have not to' regret the loss
of a single officer killed or wounded.. Two men of
the 21st regiment, and one rifleman, were slightly
wounded in this singular incursion of the enemy.
I have the honour to be, &c.
J. CAMPBELL,
Maj. Gen. and Adj. Gen.
P.S. I have not been able accurately to ascertain
the loss of -the enemy. Two Officers of the Corsi-
can battalion are among their wounded, of which
there were many, as well as killed upon the field.
His most material loss must have been upon his re-
treat, and in the boats which were completely within
the range, not only of our field guns, but also of
our musketry ; one boat was sunk, one deserted to'
us, and 'many were disabled. Reports have also
been received that several dead bodies have floated
on shore near the scene of action. The peasantry
have likewise brought in as prisoners a considerable
number, who concealed themselves' in the country.
J. CAMPBELL,
Maj. Gen. and Adj. Gen.