The Sun.
London, England, 1817-07-09 00:00:00

REPORT OF THE CoMMANDER.

to accomplish what I had the honour
of communicating. to your Excellency froin Pirnto,
in my dispatch bearing date 2d of April iusi. I
ordrred the army on the 3d to con►inence its

march on the 4 b, and in the morning I arrived
at the mouth of Baicara, where I was j(Tined by
the expedilion from Cumana.—At seven o'clock
of the sth I formed my columns to take posses-
sion-of Barcelona, after which the army entered
the town with that martial and warlike appear-
ance which is the true patritiaony of valour and

victory.
- lAalready had ordered Colonel -Don Manuel
Batista, commander of the column of light infantry
marching at the head of the army, to remove
every obststele in his way, until getting pOsses-
shin of the most immediate house to the fortifica-
tion. „oil to sbto-the-entrance-of the streets with
parapers in-order to encompass the enemy its
,his
entrenchmeut, and at the arrival -ofthe a*tillers,
-
to occupy the battet log redoubt, whereof the con-
struction ha beep' rusted by me to the activity
-and valour of Eueenio Arana, Captain of the
•regiment. of BarbaStio, and to Don Juan Calvet,
'brevet lieutenant•-of that of Grenada.
The light infantry performed --their duty-to toy
-entire Satisfaction, and desttoyed• stone wretches
-who presented themselves in the streets; Y had
placed a reserve in the great square; and the rest
,of the army took up a proper station in front of
the building fortified by the enemy.
'Pavitig thus the whole of the city at my dis-
posal, and the enemy being narroWly shut up in
Isis fortification, I resolved to take possession of
the rest as soon as possible, and therefore ordered
the artillery at the month of the river to be
brought up, in which manceuvre I was assisted by
the courage of Don Jose Maria Chalon, a Captain
in the navy, acid -coMmander'of the royal. squa-
dron: On-the 7th; at dray-break, I already had
two pieces tnotinted,' opposite to the last part of
the foiti&d house, and at noon of the same day, I
placed another piece to the right of the house,
wherewith, and the two pieces already placed at
a distance of 1000 paces trom the enemy, and com-
manded by Don Francisco Maya, Lieut. of the
artillery.; Such'a siestrsicive fire was made,tthat at 2
o'clock pat t of the front ispiece had given way. This
battery wai defended by 12artjlleriit's, Whereof ten
were wounded. I immedrtttely commanded a strong
'column, grenadiers avid light infantry, to com-
menCe the at rack; which entrusted' to thewell-
linOwn bravery of the' LientenantsColonei of the
-regiment. of. the Union,. Colonel
.Doir; Joaquin
Urreiztieta, and the rest of the burps of OW bastro,
tinder Major Don Vicento 13auza;••to,remsin as
a Reserve to be employed at the proper miitnent,
*hilt!. the • mounted di agoons, and the yeoman
cavalry .under Dan JoseffNavas, coinurauder of a
squadron, placed themselees''ori 'the' burying
,grotool,.which partly is situated in front of the
breach, with inteutiou to destroy the enemy.in
case (as it was to be' presumed) 'he would endea-
.voUr to make his escape by that side. After those
dispositions, site Colonel of thecorps of Barbastro,
Don Juan secondin cOintnanif of the army,
to whose skid and good advice 1 fen' the greater
part ascribe the good success of my attetnpr,
aril- Lieutenant - Colonel Doti ManuLl Bansa,
chief ad-interim of the Staff, remained with me, to
observe the motions of the enemy, to .the left of
the sault, and to execute such-orders as I might
find proper to issue.
The columns-destined for th e attack then ascended
the height pointed ont to them, and afterwards,
at'the energetic cry of " God save the King ! !!"
the forerunner of victory, Colonel Urreiztieta
came up with his brave warriors, headed. by the
companies of light infantry of Grenada, and by
those of the Union, under Captain Don Juau
Faustino Nargaues. le would however be dif-
ficult to ascertain which was the first—the march-
ing of our troops to the- charge with fixed bay.-
onets, or the flight of the enemy through the
breach, to the left of which, covered by '4 most
nlOl4B fire front a parapet, they endeavoured
to make their escape.
When Urreiztieta arrived at the -breach, he
found its approach impracticable, being protected
from behind by a wail and ditch. Islowever, far
front being disheartened by this obstacle, our sol-
diers disputed, with almost a desperate bravery,
the honour of making a new opening in the wall,
and-climbed with such intrepidity acid courage' on
the parapet, that I always shall temember it with
admiration.—But not withstanding their valour,
findbig that the enemy was reilooreing himself on
the left flank, I ordered the Reserve- of the corps
of Barhastio, under 'Major Vioceate Rausa, to
march,
,who took them by storm, and forced them
to abandon their position and to retire to the ttt;•
Lions on the left.
Our soldiers then entered the entrenchments,'
assisting each other to ascend the height, situated
at acdistance of shoot 18 feet from the ditch.
A, soon as ue orre in possession of that post,
and' Urreiztiela having marched into the tort, 'the
issue- was no longer doubtful to the enemy, who,
having lost the last means of defence, endeavoured
to escape in every infection. However, be 5585
prevented in his .fltgiat, Icy the regiment of the.
king, under Doo Jaime Preto, statiosed in our in-
trenChuteut, and by a detachment of infantry of
the
,Uoion, and the cavalry tinder its brave coin--
sumwer .Navas, together with ,a patty of dis-
mmotted bat taboo, who Ai carne out ill that mo-
talent and put every one to the sword.
The garrison had upwards of tine thousand men,
killed. amongst whom were several private
tviduals, addicted to she cause of the insurgents,
who were in the home. and paid their madness
with the loss of their lives. The: commander of
the fort Pedro Maria Freites, and the iuteudeut'

Francisco Esteban Rivas, anti goat few prisoners,
were.onlrwounded, and now are sent to your Ex-
cellency, to account for their conduct to his Ex-
cellency the Commander-in-Chief.
Onr soldier 3, of evei'y rank and station, con-
dticted themselves in a most exemplary manner,
and perfortnell such acts of heroism, as exceeded
the limits of their duty. They all, without ek-
ceptiou, u;se entitled to your Excellency's consi-
deration, and I certainly would tail in my duty,
an l undervalue the general good behat'iour of all,
was I to Make any exception in that respect.
When I first entered the town, on being in-
formed that some families, thoogh not armed, at-
tached to the enemy's cause, had taken shelter in
tie fortified honse, I inotadiately proposed to the
rebels in the name of the soi'creign, previous to
commencin4 my °pet ations, to surrender at discre-
tion; and that their lives then would be respected.
In acting -in this manner, my intention was to
prevent the bloodshed which otherwise was inevi-
tahle.—But my summons was rejected, and his
Majesty's name insulted.
A few Moments previous to the march of our
columns theenemy had the audacity to hoist the
black 6,4. and when we took eossession of the
house, 700 men, who were defending it, together
With 300 of the others, lost-their lives.
Our loss since we took possession of the town
till the surrender of the fortification, as also an
entrineration-of the articles taken from the ene-
my, are in the annexed returns.
As in justice I.cannot make
.any e%ception in
Tecomniending the army to your Excellency, the
whole individually and collectively having so well
done their duty, i herewith inclose the original
reports of the different commanders, in order that
your Excellency may dispose as you, will find
proper-.
Such articles taken from the enemy as were of,
.no use to we for the army are embarking on board
:..he squadron for La Guayra.
God preserve, &c.
. (Signed)
Barcelona, April 10, 1817.

JUAN DE ALDAMA.

TO THE CAPTAIN-GENERAL OF VENEZUELA.

Return of the loss sustained by the Army in tl►e
siege and assault on 'the fortiflyd house„ defended
by the rebels, on the 6th :nd 7th in*t.
Total-2 officers, 21 privates, killed-4 utlicers,7l privates,
wounded. General tntal-98.
Head quarters of New Barcelona, April 9,-1817.
(Sig.ned) MANUEL BAUSA,
JUAN DE ALDAMA.
The Royal Cdrpa of
Return of the Artillery, Arms, Ammunition, &c. found in

the fortified house of Barcelona - •
I..a.hortbrass 4-pounder, 13-pounder do. 3 iron 8-pounders,
2 12-pounders, 4 4-pounders, 2 3-potrialerP, 1 2-pounder, 7
swivels, .1 .4-pound•liowitzer 2 18-pounder field-pieces. '2-
pounder do. 3 4-pounder Cio. 1 3-pounder do. 1-ship's 6-
poulider coir.plett, as IS-pounder cartri4lges, 24 12-pounder
do. 134 4-pounder do. with grape shot,' 36 do. powder only,
55 4-pounder .do. with grape-chat, ,36 do.: powder only, 93
chests of Mus.ket,cartrid;:es, 400 in each,. 48 barrells do. 400
each, 916 muskets of different matitifaCtures, 497 bayonets,
207 musket barrels, 2400 musket balls, •2000ib: flints, 70001 h.
lead, and other ai tides, 2 ovens; 8 4,air .tongs, o hainineis,
large au: iis, 1 small do. 12 iron hoops for wheels, 1 lathe, 3
do. with wouden pivots, 1 single saw, 1 (battik do. 1 dd.: not
mounted, 6 augers, 3 pincers, 2 hues, 25.5h0ve15,.2 'iron pikes,
1 canllier's hammer,- 255 24-pound .•ba115,.90 -pounder•do.
236. 8 pomade'. do.. 3 18-poundee samrods.and ladies, 4 4-
pounder. do,
Head-gaugers; Barcelona, •1•1•,41-11 8, 1817. •- '
. The Commander of Artillery.
• (Signed) FItANCItCO -01AYO.