The Sun.
London, England, 1811-07-30 00:00:00

ti'3solted by the difFEITOrt at Li 4 troop 3 with tile'
ol ivain4 of them he has _retired to Moutseri at,
*hither he is ciosely pursued.

Literal translation of a report of the siege of Tar.
ragtime which Ckti. Contreras, Es-Govertior of that
place,- addressed to the Council of Regency .
" On the 2tith inst. at day-break, the enemy
opened his fire to,hatter in hieaeh the ctiria,m of the.
front of St. John,_ at the angle which it forms with
the left tlatili'd 'the bastion of. Sr.. Paul. Uur•a`rtil-
ery our infantry 'behaved heroically'; they se-
veral times succeeded in silencing their fire,. and re-
. tarding an operation which threatened us with an.
Insult.
" The situation OlTarragona became at this mo-
menomost critical ; for, froinahe'wantorshipping,
of time awl opportunity, I found it impossible for
me to sate iny.gartisoe by sea, as little could .I do
ao bilantlebecause the enemy sotrounded me with
all his army, and awaited my sallying 'out to drive'
rile beck.
" To speak' of Caphtilation was' unworthy of the
heroic defence which . the place had made. The
l‘dat'quis of Campnverde fold promt,eer to present
himself with an army for my relict ; the ttglish.
had arrived two dabs before with angither
of troops .for isiy support; but they did not reselve
upon dittetniharking Whin they saw the daeger in
which-the- place wa• of being invesied ; aid
in spite of the aid of our troops, and the presence
of our - allies, I' saw myself •reduced to my own .
soldiers. "
‘‘ In thii state of thine's, knowing the Oivity of
the enemy, who. would° not lose a moment iti at-
tacking me before the ill-combined` operation for
raking the siege could be carried into effect, an ope-
ration which tasted a number rif 'days, '1 took that
titeasure which was due to Spanish honour, to my
character, to my personal reputation, and resolved
to die fighting, rattier than think of a surrender.
" I saw beloreloind.the two consequences Which
try resistance 'would intallibty produce ; either the
contusion, the defeat, the 'flight of the enemy, if
was victorious'; or,' it I tailed, Mid the enemy pe-
netrated irto the place, a horrible carnage of my
aoldiersand of the
" But in foreseeing all this, in determining to re-
ceive and to repel tf,e French upon the bleach, I
again corisalted, whether triy force was capable of
that enterptize, one of the most heroic winch the
wart resents, and to which few men Snow how to
wake tiptheir minds.
" lit •reality -I knew that I had still 8000 of the
best an:frying warlike troops Spaitt, who had kn.
otortalired themselves in the defence of Tarragona, ,
and to 0, horn only this last effort was wonting for
the Completion of•their work.
" Resolved, then, to resist the assaults of 'the
enemy,
,1 placed, in the face' of the bread),
,two
battahotts .01, Provincial grenadiers and the regiment
of. Almeria, with orders nut to fire a sinele 'Musket,
ea throw:. themselves ,upoti the breach as soon as
the. French ShOuld'apeear there, in order to drive
'back their column at the point 05 the bayonet (tor, it
-Was thus thaOthis rible 'cipertiti(n was to be ex-
ertuted).; anti on cooteelling them to retiie, such a
tertible cartoge u asilo.be made among them, that
they should nut dare to return a ,second time.
" I a,toribulesi timon the soliCers wine, brandy,
sitil totsacco. I spoke to them myself so as: to inflame
-their courage ; and 1 *took all the pteCautions which
wcte proper tolie:. taken tinder•seeh circontotances.
The' result' did"not answer my expectations. Orr
c& ed 't French ivirts a artiste* ' wort by:
of ad toira; ion'; but they did'ilet,- altogether :follow
.which were to attack the assailing
colonto in its advance'; atid the-, regiment of Al-
ritvrta 'soot► yielded the -ground, which tt occupied tor•
the purpooeof supporting the greriadiereeand acting
a reitiforeenient and a reserve;
Ae task t Ono t,t 'the enemy's grenadieri, sup-
ported by 5 ~v 15,000 men,' wirhout leckoning the
hulk it the army' 01 ,Suctier,' which surrounded the
tit coon ail S.tles, entered the breach. Our troops.begat, to retire in disorder from' the wall ; and al-
tootigh ail tt,e nfticers and teysell made every effort,
to stop thrtn, and prevail upon them to charge the
c;:erny alif!worid defend thetuselyns in the streets,
I hi, was impossible ; the soldiers, thinking to find
sAlety in :high', threw themselves down on the side
iorooods. tic.. sea, leaped, over the walls andpalisades,
tool it.t.,.-ioeted to escape; but, they were taken by
toe e1;1'114"*:troops, IPveslP4 us oh the Marcelo-
to tilde of the place. ,
~.• In proportion ail our troops, gave way; the ene-
nee occupied the ramparts of the oldoand pew town,
and (Totted the street*, Where all. welt; killed :or.
woutoied, without diatinetion of classoageeor
This tragedy was only less cruel, becauSe the French
thiieers, tullof,gentrosity, saved all they could, and
even exposed Aherneelveit to become the viCtims of '
.their own soldiers, who, burning with the thirst of
eareagebAhought only Ofslaughtering.
o fti this moniente runnieg myself tee the gate of
Zia situ, to-co-Ilea there, it possible, some sot-
,)tder. to charge tho enemy,. to save them
night, or Jo:attempt 10 :break through,
woieote.l ttt ties belly by the stroke of a bays);
0,0-„ ;e viioilevby an enemy's_ detachment.
"j tae 11',/.43 S.itr.ii spiced. that .1 wet, killed ; and the
r. Felt oivekler increased to such a degtee, that
%oilier* might be seen throwing away their
4r,nS, thlng: to ',ft lltt
.arid it is tailing into the
Ot their .4itertLes who made. them all pri.
autitTs.,,
• " Tarragona, in fire, after one of the loose eb-
pin oar:lol4es, fluting which I left -nioried none- of
tttei rne.4ssureS which ateditiatett by rhe,art, of de-
, froce„ aid .which. the smallness -oe my force: and
tnelti4 perinitted,---.l.3rragon aioiclst the hope
:-ras dr.!.i,vn on by- theheroisin • of a g„irri‘oll which
shut its ears to:an proposals fora cai:itrihnion, on
Ific2;itil of .lone, a thy, that, wilt be-memorable in
(iotureaimes for she tragical sod of this ant jot es.,
'l4l e,t Spalo, vittiett has -been condemned to see
41,3 (v.4410;11)(1 edifices destra) id, riming the siee,
mere (41, thoesand bombs or, grenades, and
•nliewerable tortnlity.• Oct bullets and of
a 9 1
~, •• •
'which wieit, terror she islets of Ma jorca and
i‘t,intirea, and the' Coaste of, the Mediterranean, the:
11c spitaig of Iviiiela are filled with, its wounded de..
t".l.,der* w !itch, iii slrert, has
.seen at the last
rooms.: eirail,eAcerop many V . 4
• 'Ctims slaughtered,
(,
" 03t 1 PI 41(i.vving day, General. l cunt Sachet
t to his head
sosed toe to pesouveyed 0n.3