Star.
London, England, 1808-11-18 00:00:00

THE OFFICIAL REPORT.

" On the 51st of October, four divisions of Gene-
ral BLAKE'S army were attacked by 25,000 French.
After fighting as hecall*,..valiapt Spaniards during the
whole day, General BLAKE, in order to prevent being
surrounded, determined to fall back and to form a
junction with the divisions of the Asturias and the
Marquis de la ROMAN A. The retreat was conducted
in the best order, without the loss of cannon, colours,
or prisoners. They halted during the night of the Ist
of November, at Bilboa. General BLAKE having re-
solved to take post at Valmaseda, the army marched
on the 2d inst. for another position, where it was joined
by the Asturians, the troops of the North, and the 4th
division of Gallicia ; a small detachment having been
left at Bilboa. On the 3d, the French appeared be-
fore that city in great force, and the few troops that
were there evacuated it in good order, and fell back
on Valmaseda.

,e In the action of the 31st, allthe divisions displayed
the greatest gallantry, in maintaining their position
against a very superior force during the whole day,
with unexampled energy, and left the field of battle
with reluctance ; the enemy, notwithstanding his su-
periority, was unable to gain a foot of ground. The
loss of the Spaniards was considerable, but that of the
French much greater ; so that they were incapable of
molesting the Spaniards in their retreat, which was
effected in the most orderly wanner, without the loss
of a single knapsack.
4' The army being concentrated at Valmaseda, Ge-
neral BLAKE received information, on the 4th, that a
division of the enemy, consisting of 10,000 men, was
marching on the heights of Ontara, with a view of
cutting off a division of his army posted in that place.
He therefore put his troops in motion at day-break of
the sth, and at one o'clock attacked the enemy. Af-
ter an obstinate battle, which lasted till dark, he com-
pletely put them to the rout, with great slaughter,
and the loss of many prisoners, one howitzer, two
ammunition waggons, and a considerable quantity of
provisions. Till eleven o'clock of the night of the
sth, when the dispatch was sent off, prisoners and
baggage continued to be brought in. The number
land rank of the prisoners cannot be exactly stated, as
our troops continued the pursuit, and there were the
best founded hopes they would be able to capture a
great part of the French division, who, finding their
retreat by the high road cut off, defiled by the edge
of the mountains, skirting the valfies, in which direc-
' tion they were closely pursued. On the morning of
the 6th, all the army marched forward, and earnestly
solicited permission to enter Bilboa at the point of the
bayonet. We an.xiously await the result of this en-
L terprize, which, there is every reason to hope, will
prove successful."

By the official return of General BLAKE'S army
published in the Mao Viet Gazette of the 21st ult. it ap-

pears, that the number of efeetive men on the 9th of
October was short of 23,000; the sick, absent, ser-
vants, the artillery of reserve (a marine battalion),
•ad those appointed to wain the recruits, amounting
o more than 3000 men, which, joined to the above
number, constitutes the whole of the strength gene-
rally assigned. in this are not included the division
of the Asturias, amounting to 8000 men, and the
troops from the North that have since joined. It is
therefore obvious, that in the action of the 31st Gene.
ral BLAKE had only 17,000 men ; for, deducting from
the 23,000 the 4000 of the 4th division who were not
in the action, those who garrisoned Bilboa, and the
outposts in the rear and on the flanks, there remain
only 17,000; and these were destitute both of cavalry
and artillery, the nature of the country not allowing
that description of force to act.—lt is, therefore, evi.
dent that the force of the Patriots in the late contest
was considerably inferior to that of Nsv—a circum-
stance which says much for their steadiness, resolu-
tion, and valour, and affords the most flattering hopes
that they will finally triumph over their adversary.
To what is stated in the above report we have only
farther to add, that Major Cannot, in his dispatches
to Government, affirms, that no troops ever con-
ducted themselves with greater valour and intrepi-
dity than the Spanish soldiers; and as a proof of the
patience with which they endured privation and fa-
tigue, he states, that during the above time the Spa-
nish army had no other supply of provisions than a
scanty ration of bread, furnished them at Gilboa on
the night of the Ist, and some articles of provisions
which they collected its the neighbouring mountains 3
notwithstanding which, the greatest regularity and
cheerfulness prey fled : their minds being wholly in-
tent on attacking the enemy, and calling on, the Ge-
neral to lead them to Bilboa, to carry it at the point
of the bayonet.

The illustrious Brass, who has acquired so much
glory since the commencement of his operations, was
present in the hottest parts of the battle exposing his
person like a private soldier, wherever necessity re-
quired, and cheering and animating the troops. He
would ■ot entrust to any one else the command of the
division which covered the retreat, but conducted it in
person. In the same manner he superintended, on their
arrival at Bilboa, the distribution of the scanty ration
furnished to the troops; his own food consisting only of
the common rations ; and this rule he observed so
strictly,' that from the Ist to the 3d, during the tem-
porary scarcity, he was the last to receive his allow-
ance, and his only sustenance was a piece of ammuni-
tion bread given to him by his servant.
Major CARROL states, that the retrograde movemen•
on the Ist, besides the object of forming a junction
with the division in the rear, was also adopted with a
view to the concerted operations of the armies of the
centre and the right, and that the Gallicians expected
to return in a few days to recover the ground they
had lost, which expectation was fulfilled by their
march forward on the following days.