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

ACTION OF JULY 24.

Marshal Massena, not content with the, gross mis-
representations which were contained in his first
official account of the affair of the :22d July, near
Almeida, has in a subiequent dispatch reverted to it
in a tone of boasting wholly unjustified by the cir-
cumstances, assuring the War Minister that his
whole army is burning with impatience to teach
the English army what they taught the division
of Craufurd in the affair of. Almeida, Briga-
dier-General Cranford has therefore determined
to give this public contradiction to the falSe as-
sertions contained in Marshal Massena's report
of an action, which was not only highly honour-
able to the light division, but which positively ter-
minated in its favour, notwithstanding the extraor-
dinary disparity of numbers. A corps of 4,000 men
remained during a whole day in presence of an army
of 24,000 men ; it performed in the presence of so
superior a forCe one.of the most difficult operations
at war, namely, a retreat tram a very broken and ex•

tensive position, over one narrow r',efile ; it deiel'ted,
during the whole of the day, the first defensible petsllo
on that was to be found in the neighbourhood ot 'rse
place where-the aEtion commenced; and in Ihe co
this
of the glair, this corps 014,000 men inflicted oP°.,est
army of 24,000 men a loss equal to double
which it sustained. Such were the circrenst"de
of the action in which Brigadier-General Crant.irby
corps was opposed to the army command'!"
and
Marshals Massena and Ney, on the .'4th July' esst
it is, therefore, indisputable that they had the
of it.
From Marshal Massena's official dispatch, e°111310..
11;
ing a statement of the force to which we werie
posed, it appears that the cavalry consisted 0..1' ed ,
hussars, 15th chasseurs, tulle loth, and a 511.,
goons ; and that the whole of the infantry of J-Ndcii,)i,
carps was present, except one regiment of ttte
stop of Marchand. The infantry of Nee's c°rP,,,ted
cording to the intercepted official returns, anti:3'7oes
at that time to upward of 22,000 eth.,ttlves .40
cavalry regiments were certainly between Si% the
seven hundred each. It therefore appears tildroa.
force with which Marshals Massena and NeYeeig
vaeced to attack the light division, on the, 00"" ;id
of the 24th July, consisted of 20,000 intantrY
between 3 and 4000 cavalry ; to which were
the
posed three English.battalions (433, .52d, and 95„e.e)
two Portuguese battalions (Ist and 3d chneje
and'eight squadrons of cavalry', making. in the wouesd
a force of about 3200 British, and 1100 Follup
troops.
edge Almeida is a small fortress situated at the e
the declivity, forming the right bank of the ',be
of the Coa, which river runs from the sooth t°,lo
north, and the bridge over which is nearly an fleelt
mile west of the town. FlOgl the 21st to the edS„
July, the chain of our cavalry outposts for being
semicircle in front of Almeida, the right flank blot
appuye to the Coa, near AS NdieS, W hie!) is a alio
three miles above the place, and the lett flancii
appnye to the river, near Chico Villas, ‘chtce
about three miles below the fortress. The cents to
this line was covered by a small stream and eft
616
principal roads by which it was expected
enemy 00,1
enemy would advance, namely, on the rigi'trei
centre of this line, the cavalry pests were suPP°
by picquets of infantry. e Olt
The only road which, our artillery and "-
of our cavalry could make use of to• retreat is' de
Coa, was that which leads from Almeida et,iisult
bridge. The nature of the ground made it 11.`
for the energy to approach this road on our /elt:i the
is to say, on the North side of the toWn tt.3P°'
intantry of the division was therefore place(' ":2,,50/1
sition to cover it on the right or South side, !Jse,
its right flank appuye to the Coa above the 6/1410
its front covered by a deep and rocky ravhie,
left in some inclosuies near a windmill, whiGj I.l°,
the plain Amu. 800 yards south of the town' tletY
Governor intended to mount a gun upon thts
mill; and one was ataually in it, but 'it Was t's, et'
as it was not mounted ; and another (also disn'eitso
ed) was lying near the mill. These aretbi,olo
guns which Marshal Massena says he 100 k ,
action. r
On the morning of the 24th, the centre of
line of picquets was attacked, namely, that
occupied the road leading from Almeida t°,
la Mula, which village is about four Englis`l,or,tsl';
east of the fortress. These piequets were slqj b 0"
ed by the 14th light dragoons and too gun:t's (ft:
when the head of a considerable column, ''„oth
tillery, presented itself, and began to fora'
other side of the rivulet, the picquets were eft'
drawn. The enemy thes passel the rivulet' nye "1,
nonade took place, and the eaetny formed °,ooo'
fifteen squadrons of cavalry, 'at the distance oeV
a mile from the above-mentioned windat'7,oo
artillery in its front, and a division of ah°LiteolJV
infantry on its right; other troops were seen,
riot so distinctly, e upon dvancing.upo our right'eesed ste
It being. now evident that we were orr
such a force as to render it impossible for Dt'ol, the
General Crautord to prevent the investrnenit 0r3511'
place, be determined to cross the Co.. he, e to'
ed the artillery and cavalry to move off by ;sill;
leading from the town to the bridge, and ,t`;o3l-j
try to follow, retiring across the vineyards 'shoo'
the bridge. He directed that the infantry oecei'
move off in echelon from the 'left, it beingte
nary to hold the right till the last, in ordcl.„-s feet"
vent the enemy approaching the bridge w'betv
coming from Junca, and which runs in the
of the valley close to the river. of
,• Some companies, which formed the left
line, were in a vineyard, which had been 5°00:
pletely inclosed by a high stone wall, that it vselo
possible for cavalry to get into it ; but the. V °ld
ding night. having been excessively 50nierl
bad, •
It
troops. who had been stationed in this 00)30141
Unfortunately pulled/ dawn. the .wall many e
shelter whic
to make use of the stones to form a
the rain, which -was mos' 'violent. This well'aco°;
Brigadier-General Craufurd had considered Oo
plea defence, was, therefore, no longer siticefk
_„l"hs
after our artillery and cavalry had move" tv",,tl
enemy's cavalry broke into the inclosure 3.-er9
• several prisoners. Our total loss in Pris°,nree"P'i
missing amounted to about sixty,
were at first returned as such had joined
the
ments. • ,
The 433 regiment, having been on the 'e'„
, line, was the first that arrived near the bridg`oi
Brigadier-General ordered some cornpaoie6A the it(
occupy a height in front of the bridge, an,",5001,1,
tuainder to pass over, and torn) on the heiga",it-Ped,
after all t"'ir resl
otherd
side of the titer. Part of the 9' In te°
and the 3d battalion of Chasseurs, who ja
rri thilef
were formed on the right of these reel('a!`,l)l„--e.
43d regiment, that were in front of the 01%,
position was maintained until every thing istven %lee !'
and until one of the horse artillery tennun' rl 5-
a „es b
Bons, which had been overturned in a ver e sidcoi
ation, was got up and dragged to the othe` jay rd
the men. During the remainder 01 the ,fetfreo
bridge was most gallantly defended by the dox
part of the 95th regiments, arid after it
d,
retreated from the Coe.
To retire in tatheal order over sorb ter p
broken, rocky, and Interseeed with Inl'`'eyealiii
which separated the,firse position front tiooder,
would have been impossible, even if n°t 013°
fire of the enemy and the Mound on 11),,

,__

edge' °f
h to tb6,
tgli9h
be $
Orr
1k bell
is'
301 C -15
bi°bof
7eotre
oti
that t
.I(p°
Y°r : cll

THE SUN.

QUIS DICIAZ FALSUM AUDSAT ?

L 0 N D' 0 N.

WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 21, 1810

CO
ori
05,04,
ielll/
069
t3°

the the rwer Wfa as equally unvourable for re-formingkn regiments. w loever knows any thing of war,
v0(4% that in such an operation, and upon such
vitr, some derangement of regular Order is ine-
die- lie; but the retreat was made
i in a military sal-
tatr.'lke Manner, and without the slightest Prec,Pl-
pre". In the course of it th't enemy, when he
52d8secl) was attacked in different places by the 43d,
, and 95th regiments, and driven before them.
With
,t4respea to the_ enemy's loss, it is of course
flcuit to say what it was, because we know, that
th,,71111 commencement of the revolutionary war to
eo%Present day, no French official report has ever
contained true account of their loss. Upon this
one stop' Marshal MAiSENIA says, " We have taken
pi: stand of colours, tour hundred men, and two
i:es of cannon ; our loss amounted to nearly three
odred killed and wounded." He took no co-
lours;s the cannon were two dismounted guns be-
g to the fortress, which were lying in and
Ilea'. the windmill ; and instead of 400 prisoners,
to:00k only about 60, supposing every one of those
44°14 we returned as m:ssing to have fallen alive
• la the enemy's hands. Now, if in the same pa-
. eafiraPh in which he states his own loss at 300, he
60 prisoners 400 ; we may fairly inter, that
not more accurate in the one than in the other ;
of ,11tis circurn,tance, as well .as the usual practice
it service, and,the probability of the thing from
it tlat. we could observe, fully justify us in assuming
kii`tcr have been from 6 to 700 : ours amounted in
t'd and wounded, and prisoners, to 330.
risat e true account of this affair, upon which
itt4;uNclah Marshal rides himself so much, but in which
is certain that the advantage was on our side. We
could not pretend to prevent the investment of the
pi but in our retreat we did not lose a gun, a
vi°PnY, or a Single article of field equipment ; and
of
e inflided on the enemy a lass certainly the double
that which we sustained.
th The account. contained in the commencement of
2 e Mat shars dispatch, of what had passed on the
tatp_st of July, is equally contrary to the ,rtith. He
th" of having forced the passage of the little rivulet
at is between Almeida and Val de la Mula on
the
21st . whereas our picquets remaineLi there,
c' not a single Frenchman passed it until the morn-
tilbg of the 24th. H, says, that many of our sitar...
is4)nrets fell into their bands on the 21st; truth
theY did not take a sUrgie man.. The retreat of
4: 14th dragoons from Val de la Mull was cop,
eted in the most slOw and regular manner ; and
Ivour intentions with respect, to Fort Conception
ere corri ple • ely fulfilled.
(Sigz,ed) ROBERT CRAUFURD,
istidier.Ceneral.

oeT
`'`vo EDI I lON of ,TARS. CARTER's and Mlti.
1 .4 1.131/T's LETTERS.
Ilan& rus Day was pubi:sned,
'nrnely printed in Four Volumes, price, in boards,
ASERIES of LEITERS belween Mrs ELIZA-
H k, and
.Miss CATHERINE
'ow the Year 174: to X 770,
To which are added,
t Letters from Mrs. Elizabel.i Carter v, Mrs. Vesey, he-
W.c4fn ih
1" e 'oars 1763 and ;7;0; '9lfcli Mrs. Vesey earnest-
.; FlqUeSted "(,ilid be
, Published troin the ()li.-L-h"4l.l‘hnuscriPts'
erl3Y the Rev MONTAGU PENNINGTON, M.A.
l tinted for E. C. and I Riyington, No. 6z, St. Paul's
ii•ilurelt-yard i Sold also by I. Hatchard, No. 190, Picca.-
1 Y.
B
1104 • A few Copies rfmain of the 1.-.2narto Edition,
wov°,:rnlY printed with Mrs. Carter's Memoirs, on a tine
PaP Two large Volumes,Price, in boards,-
3).
3s apex,
Of the abovementioned Booksellers may be had,
veil. Mr. Penningtou's Memoirs of the Life of Mrs. Carter.
yo, her Poems, &c. The Second Edition, in Two large
'ol.ines, Bvo. price, in boards, IL is.
fr:: Mrs. Carter's Translation of the Works of Epictetus,
:in the original Greek, a new Edition, in Two Vols. Bvo.
rhee in boards. 16s.
bok few Copies remain of the Quarto Edition, price, in
4tds, 11. ris. 6d.
_3. The worKs of the late Miss Catherine Talbot, first
144,11 by the late Elizabeth Carter, and now repub-
_"l, with' some few additional Papers : togethe.r with
u,nees and Illustrations, and some account of her Lite. I.n
n large Volume /Ivo -c in boards, 9s. or on fine
pier, . . pri e,
, price, its.

MAILS.
Alta rvao—t Malta. Dcia—ii Malta, 3 Waterford.

• . PRICF. OF STOCKS
so_ THIS DAY AT TWSLVI O'CLOCK.
"'I Is - 67j,i Red. Ann. -66

" Windsor Castle, Nov. 20, 1810.
Hall-past Eight P.M.
" The KING'S fever has not increased in , the
tourse of this day—His MAJusTY has had some
sleep this evening.

" H.R. REYNOLDS.
" H. HALFORD.
to W. HEBERDEN.
" M. BAILLIE.
" R. WILLIS."

"s Windsor Castle, Nov. 20, at°.
His MAJESTY continues much in the same
state as he Was yesterday."

" H. R. REYNOLDS.
" H. HALFoRD.
" W. HEBERDEN.
" M. BAILLIE.
R. WILLIS."

A Gazette Extraordinary was published yester-
(lay afternoon, with the Dispatches from Lord WEL-
LINCTON and Sir JOHN STUART. The substance of
the latter we laid before our Readers on Monday.—
The Dispatches from Lord WELLINGTON are of the
ttost gratifying nature, and inspire us with the
strongest hopes of ultimate success. A Morning
paper, which seems determined never to omit an
°Planrtunity of attacking Lord WELLINGTON, has
thought proper to sneer at some expressions in these
,ro\

Dispatches, respeaing the distress of the enemy
for want of provisions. We are tdld that " all
the narratives of C.rnnt UGouNo are trifles, to the
gift of starving possessed- by MASSEgA and his fol-
lowers. He displayed his talent for starving in no
common degree at Genoa, but he has fully demon-
strated his powers of abstinence in Portugal."
From the former of these paragraphs, we pre-
sume we are to understand, that the case of a man
shut up in a dungeon, • and aaually starved to
death, is a trifle, when put ,in comparison with
the situation of those who . are only sa:d to
be distressed for provisions. We believe very
few people will • assent to that' proposition,
and still fewer perhaps will be able to find out how
it applies to Lord WELLYNGTON'S dispatches. With
respell to AlAssENA's having displayed his talent for
starving at Genoa, the simple fad is, that he de-
fended that place as long as his provisions lasted,
and then he gave it up. Lord WELLINGTON has
never said that the French had no proviSions, he has
said that.the enemy
." experience difficulties in pro-
curing subsistence," that the prisoners and deserters
reported that the enemy " were in distress for want
of provisions." In the last dispatch his Lordship
says, the deserters report that the enemy con-
tinues in great distress for want of provisions,
and he adds—" It is impossible to form an estimate
" of the . quantity of provisions, which they found
" in'the villages on the ground which they occupy ;
" but it is certain, that they cln draw none from
any other part of the country, the whole'being in
" the possession of our troops."—Upon these state-
ments,, the. attacks, or rather the sneers, in the p -
pers alluded to, are founded, . with what justice we
leave to the public to decide.

We have this morning received Letters and Pa-
pers by the Gibraltar Mail. We are happy to find
'hat up to the period of our last acc(,unts, the yel.
low fever had not made appearance in the gar-
rison, as was reprirted. Some inte&ed vessels had
arrived in the Bay from Carthagena about the be-
ginning of last month; but th'e precautions taken by
the Governor were so effectual, that neither the
prrison nor the inhabitants had suffered from that
dreadful disorder.

We are under the necessity of postponing the
details brooght by this Mail till to-morrow.

OrORTO, OCT. 26.—. We are assured here that
the greatest discontent and jealousy subilsts between
MASSENA, JUNOT, and NEY, and that the former
threatened to send the two latter to France. MAS.
SENA is also 'much displeased with the Marquis of
LORNA. The French have only 800 men at Al-
meida, and not above half that number in Zamora ;
and 2000 at Salamanca—

Villa Franca is nearly destroyed, in consequence
of the fire of our gun-boats when the French en-
tered.

Yesterday morning the QUEEN and PRINCESSES
came out of Windsor Castle for the second time
since the death of the Princess-AmELIA, and took
an airing to Froginore.
The Prince of WALES arrived at Windsor on
Monday.'

Government have advertised for a large supply of
tonnage to convey cavalry to Portugal.
We have received German Papers to the date of
the 6th instant, and have extraaled from them the
following interesting particulars :
VIENNA, OCT. 26.-News from the Russian
army has been received to the 10th of this Month.—
The fortifications of Rudschuck, Guirgowa, and Ni-
copoli, are repairing with much dispatch, and al-
though it only begun on the 30th ult. has already
proceeded far. At Nicopoli the whole of the walls
have been destroyed, but at Rudschuck they re-
mained tolerably entire, as the place was taken by
surprize.

" It is mentioned with much confidence that the
GRAND VIZIER, despairing of receiving supplies and
reinforcements from Consrtantinople, has sent a flag
of truce to the Russian head-quarters, offering to
surrender quiet possession of Moldavia anal Walla-
chia, on condition that the Russian armies should
evacuate all other places. It is added, that the
messenger was favourably received, and that much
discussion took place in the Russian camp. Pre-
vious to this offer, the Turks had retired a consider-
able distance south of Schumla.

" BERLIN, Nov. 2.c—His Majesty the King pro-
poses to return to this.capital on the loth inst. when
business of more than usual importance will be
transaEted.

" From Riga we learn, by to-day's post, that the
Count VON GOTTORP, GLIST?ArtIS ADOLPH us, has
made his escape on board a ship, and has joined the
British fleet. This design was carried into execu-
tion during the night.
In the Baltic ports affairs continue with no al-
teration. Almost all the ships laden with produce
have taken their departure on various destinations.
The port of .Croostadt will shortly be shut up, in
consequence of the coldness of the weather.

fIAMBURGLI, Nov. s.—ln consequence of a
notice issued by the Senate of this city, advising all
the good citizens to submit with due obedience to,
and to assist in the execution of the decree against
British manufactures, we are happy to find that the
best disposition prevails for the support of the sys-
tem which will be adopted throughout Continental
Europe, and which has already been commenced in
the towns composing the Hanseatic League."