The Sun.
London, England, 1810-08-29 00:00:00

"'ROM THE FRENCH PdPERS.

PARIS, Au 4.

LETTER. FROM HIS EXCELLENCY THE MIME OF
ESSLING. TO HIS SERENE HIGHNESS THE PRINCE

OP IsIIthFcHATEL, MAJOR-GENERAL.

" Sia—All the accounts which I have received
announced that the English arrny were making a re—
trograde frvivement ; a reconnoitring was ordered
and exeetved on the 41St. Marshal the
.11nke of
Elehingtlt direCted General Loisnu to .assemble at
Gallegossooo men of his div,sion, the light cavalry
under the orders of General Treilhard, and a few
-pieces of light artillery ; and ordered him to march
at two o'clock in the morning In the diredion of Fort
Conception, by way of Villa del Puerto, Castillego,
and the Casas. The General, at the latter point,
fell in with the enemy, who fled at hiS approach.,
The English cavalry, however, seemed disposO4 to
defend the high plain on which Fort CooceptiOn
stands. Ge,eral Treilhard charged, and drove them
before' him in. so spirited a manner that the enemy
were compelled precipitately to abandon the tot
- without having time to fire'all the mines whio they
had formed to blow up the works. Three of the
chambers remain entire, but those which were set
fire to hate destroyed' the horn-work and several
half-moons.

" Master of the high plain of La Conception, Ge;.
nertl Loison had, in the next place, to ascertain the
position of the enemy's army. He (lireeted General
Treilbard to turn the village of Val de la Mak at
the sime time that he tna.ie General Simon attack
it in front. General Treilhird,, by his movement,
dislodged the enemy's inlantry andcavalry posted on
the lett bit.k of the Turone.z, and compelled 600
horse, phi ed on the 'road to Almeida, to retreat.
The enemy, in hii retreat, abandoned some sharp-
shooters to us, who were ( ut down w ith our sabres,
and he fell back upon the glacr; Ot. that toriress.• He
then returned-withtwo t» talions of. infantry, 3 pieces
of cannon, and about 1800 horse; and drew up on
the lett of the Ravine which separates Val de la Mula
from Almeida ; but the three regiments of light ca
valry under the,oideri of General Tteilhard marchel
against him with an assurance which speedily de-
cided his retreat. .

" .The left bank of the Ravine was immediately
occupied, without pushing on too far, in_ order ma
unnecessarily to attraa the .fire of the [Axe, within
gun-,hot of which we were, and under which the
enemy .need desirous of thawing Ll4.' In conse.
quenco at this rtlrograde movement of the English,
the right was at La Guardi, and their left extended
towards Pmbel.'

" I caused Almeida to be invested. The gteakr
part of the troops of the 6th corps were assembled
will this view st .Fort de la Conception, and de-
bouched from Val de la Mula on the 24th, at six in
the morning. The brrgade of light cavalry, com-
posed of the 3d regiment of, hussars,-and the )sth
chasseurs, under the orders of General Lamotte, and
preceded by a battalion' of besieging chasseurs, open-
ed the march. It was follo'wed. by the 15th- and
25th dragoons, commanded by General- Gardanne.
General Alontbrun direaed- the movewent of this
body, of cavalry.
The division of infantry, under General Loi-
son, formed in two columns. It was supported by
the division of Met met, the head of which
marched the'ioth dragoons, and by three regtutents
of infantry of Marchand'. di
,Marshol the
Duke of Elchingen, in person, d:rected • all the
movernei,ts. •

" • he• advanced guar lof the English, army, com-
manded by I,ieutenant-Central Crauturd, consisted
of 2000 cavalry and 800 a infantry, occupying the
position to the right of Almeida. His light in-
'antry and .eteral squadrons of hussars, formed the
posts in •.drance, and on the tioks of that fortress.
'Die attack on the part of our troops was vigorous,
and 'made in the hest older. The enemy defmded
the ground, and kept up a brisk fire • of muiquetry
and field-pieces, but they were successively driven
from their - ;,o4s at the charge, and without the
ka,t hestia'i,at: General Cranford), after placing
all his division under thq guns of the place, thought
that we would take up a position without daring'to-
attack him itt so formidable a post. He aas pro-
tecie•t.by a reserve on the ilici2hts of the left hank
of the Coa, but lour columns marched dire& for
the enemy, and closed with them with the greatest
intrepidity, without returning their fire. That of the
fortress, though badly enough direCted, became ex-
tremely brisk at this moment. The 3d hussars,
supported by the rest of the cavalry; charged the
Eyglish infantry at the gallop, and sabred a great
number °Villein. The ground, however, was so
difficult, thatit was impossible for the rest of our
cavalry -to take part in this fine charge. The ene-
my's cavalry uniformly declined to meet ours at the
sabre, and after rallying under the ramparts of the
place, hastened to repass the Coa.
In the mean time, the brigade of- General
Ferey,having already out-flanked the right of the
enemy, Seas on- the 'paint of cutting off his retreat,
or cotepelling him to throw himself into Almeida,
'when the English General felt the-necessity of fall
ing back, Winch he could only effeCt in great dis-
order ;. for our battalions pursued them at a nl-
ning sty p, to such a distance as to enable the columns
appointed to invest Almeida to execute that opera-
tion without any difficillty. '
" The troops of his Majesty gave a fresh proof
upon this occasion, that there is no position which
can resist their intrepidity, All of them perreCtly
performed their duty.
" The English sustained a considerable loss in
this action, Their estafette-man, or chief courier,
has been taken with all his dispatches ; several of
which, dated the 25th and 10th, represent the.
English army as in full route ; that it is impossible
to form an idea of its deplorable condition ; that the
English never, were engaged in so brisk an affair ;
and, in short, that they had lost Go officers, -24
,of
whom havebeenAnterred in the field of battle; 400
rank and file killed ;' and 700 wounded. Among
the, slain were the Colonel of - the 43d, that of the
6th dragoons, and Major Brown, of the 52d. We
have taken fi-Om them one stand of colours, 400
men, and,t .vo pieces of cannon ;• our loss amounted
to nearly 300 killed and wounded.
" On the 25th, Marshal the Duke of Elchingen
regulated the investment Of Almeida, so as to ren-