The Sun.
London, England, 1810-01-12 00:00:00

first d io n -The& la rgeZ:tifil tWil eller:ay y
••• • rn f ' • 3 • - •
was gorampeed %Olt the greateSt ardour :and lin-
. pettiOSity.' Vbricavalry being-very interior in arms,
hoties.,lnd .4ppeJiltinents to the enemy, which was
miustt b IlliAntty equipped gaVe Way,- fetreating to
the=ton, and:leayht -the first' division and 'van-
e • •
guarfincoVeral And unpriateCted. The first di-
. vision received the enemy's Charge with the greatest
' firMuess, pouring upon'hirn an incessant file fire,
which obliged him to retreat;to his'line, after sustain-
ihg a considerable loss'k the great division also suf.
'feted considerably.
" The enemybeing reinfored, renewed his at-
tack in a solid coltdin againSt the vanguard, which
was formed ;in an oblong 'squate. Previous to the
charge, the ;enemy' parleyed through lire medium of
one of his-Officers, who advanced for the purpose,
calling out, " General,' peace—surrender." The
answer of the column of Patriots, with Generals
Mendizabal and Carrera at their head, maybe easily
conceived. The French messenger' retired. The
Patriots gave loud vivas or cheers, atideoninienced
the fire, the front rank kneeling, with charged bay-
onets; the second division advanced in column, to.
support the vanguard and Ist division, should it be
necessary: The enemy thrice charged the van-
guard, without being able to make any serious itu-
pressien, and retreated, after sustaining a consider-
able loss. The enemy once more cotnrnenctd an
attack on our left, for which he detached a party of
200 cavalry, along the, edge of the river; these,
however, being kept in cheek by the sharp-shooters
of the 2d division, the enemy relinquished his in-
tention of hazarding another charge, and therefore
retreated to the main body et his force, from whence
he opened a heavy but ill-directed fire of shot and
shells against the different divisions. Night comieg
on, and our artillery 'having crossed the bridge,
orders were given for retreat.
" Our retreat being across a very long and narrow
bridge, embarrassed with cars, mules, and baggage,
was necessarily, in some degree, disorderly The
3d and sth divisions were stationed on the heights
on the left bank of the river, to saver our- retreat,
which being effebed across the bridge, the entire
army proceeded to retreat by ditfereet roads: 'the
night being dark, and no point of rendezvous hav-
ing been signified to the troops, each column march-
ed by the toads which first presented themselves;
in consequence of which a ten-wormy separation of
the divisions had taken place. They Irre, however,
uniting; and as we have received intelligence that
different parties of the dispersed have united at Ba-
nos;, Bejar, &c. and are now on their march, there
is no room to doubt, that in a very few days the
army will be in a state to resume operations against
the enemy. Our sth division garrisons Ciudad Ito-
drigo. it appears to have been the Duke del
Parque's intention to have forced the passage of the
Duero, menacing, at the same time, the points of
Tordesillas, Toro, and Zamora, and capon securing
the pa,sage of the river, his Excellency would, co
doubt, have united his force, and proceeded by rapid
marches to join his fourth division, now 'at Astorga,
and thus occupy the advantageous line of position
from Zamora to Leon, having. G 'Mei.) and Asturias
open to his rear, from whence to draw supplies and
reinforcements by the strong ?asses of Manzanare
and Pajares."