Star.
London, England, 1808-09-05 00:00:00

POATTIGAL.

-COIMBRA, AUGUST

The following is a copy of a Report made by Elesia-
tio deCarvalho to the Commander in Chief, relative to
Vteescape of the corps of cavalry hel inging tothe Police
Guard of Lisbon, who arrived here on the 4th inst.:--
a Having received positive information that the city
of Coimbra and the provinces of the North had pro-
claim., d the Prince Regent ottr Sovereign, and organiced
a considerable army, in order to expel from Lisbon, and
the restof the kingdom, the perfidious French usurpers,
we determined to communicate our patriotic sentiments
to some of our Officers: but these did not approve of
our projects, from want of resolution, fear, or urgent
considerations of private interest. Far from being dis-
couraged by this circumstance, we were on the contrary
i rather nduced to persevere in our purpose of quitting
Lisbon, which we accordinglyeffectedat two o'clock in
the morning; the persons concerned in the scheme being
Eksiario de Carvalho, AntonioVieira,Joaquim Miguel
de Andrada, Joaquim Manoel Ferreira Pt a tas, Thomas
Pesos, Domingos Jose Teixeira, Jose Germano,
Joaquim Antonio, Antonio Jose de Castro, and Joao
Manoel. The following are the particulars of this
hazardous en
a At one Ogorek in the morning, Elesiario, who
commanded the first company quartered at Necessi-
tades, having assembled his soldiers, invited them to
aid in the glorious enterprise of restoring the inde-
pendence of -Portugal, which had been so basely
wrested from its lawful Sovereign. He at the same
time most energetically impressed them with the cri-
tical situation to which they would be reduced, should
the Portuguese army come into contact with the corps
to which they belonged ; that they would be forced
into an action with their fellow-countrymen, and in-
volved in the guilt of mutual destruction—in the most
dreadful and horrible of all contests ; that victory
would infallibly be the result of the enthusiasm, and
just resentments of the brave Portuguese; that should
any of the corps survive their unfortunate comrades,
it would only be to suffer a still greater calamity, that
of seeing before them heaps of dead bodies, some of
them perhaps their fathers, spouses, children, friends,
and relatives ; and finally, that all of them ought to
detest the horrible idea of supporting the cause of
perfidy and irreligion, of increasing the force of the
universal enemy of the human race, of sustaining the
most insatiable ambition and despotism, and of con-
curring in erecting-upon the dead bodies of our fel-
low creatures, and that for the advantage of a single
family, Thrones treacherously usurped from their
lawful Sovereigns.
a The moment he finished his speech, which made
strong impression on the minds of the soldiers, they
vied with each other in declaring their anxiety to set
off. The word was given, they fell into the ranks,l
and the whole of the company, braving all obstacles,
instantly began their march for the Campo Grande,
the place of rendezvous, under the command of Ser-
halnt Teixeira. In the mean time Elesiario, who
d charged himself to induce the 4th company,
quartered at Salitre, to adopt the same resolution,
proceeded to thatplace, and having called up the sol-
diers under pretence of immediate service, addressed
them in the same manner as he did the-first company,
and with,equal success. All of them were animated!
with the same enthusiasm, though it was not their
commander that addressed them ; and they set out
with all possible expedition for the appointed rendez.'
volts. Orders had been previously sent to the sewn:
company, quartered at Andalouse, directing them to
proceed to the assistance of the Corregidor Mor, at,
Villa Franca. The Quarter Master Castro, who
commanded there, being apprized of the scheme,
drew out a strong picquet, which immediately set out
to execute the order. The third company was inune.
diately assembled by Serjeant Thomaz, to whom the
soldiers were much attached, and, who having got
every thing in readiness, with his comrade Prata, was
the first who arrived at the Campo.
a The different companies being assembled, they
were formed into a squadron of .56 files, under the
command of the said Elesiario and Andrada. They
set out for their destination, preceded' by a strong
'advanced guard, and with patroles three quarters of a
league in advance, and on the flanks, forming a re-
gular communication with the column. Advancing
by the road to Loires, they passed through Togel,
Sobrel, and Merciana, where a picquet from the rear
came in with Serjeant Gamboa, who had received a
reward from Novion, to convey the following order
to the French Governor of Santarem ;

• Lisbon, August 1,1.808.
• SIR-A party of the cavalry of my legion has just deserted,
with their arms and baggage. They have most probably taken
the road to Mafia or Obidos. I request, in the name of his Ex-
cellency the Duke of Abrantes, that you will place in ambush some
piquets of infantry, in sufficient force to intercept this party, who
are proceeding to reinforce the insurgents, and to apprehend some
of thins, for the purpose of making an example.
• I conceive that it will be necessary to send a strong picquet,
In the direction of Obidos. for the purpose of intercepting their
march, should they attempt to reach Leiria, where-they would
naturally endeavour to meet. For the rest, 1 place every. reliance
in you, and that you will do every thitig for the good of the ser-
vice, and to deprive the enemy of this accession of strength, for
which I shall personally consider myself as under great obligations
to you. 4 1)5 Novios, 1-lead of the Police.'
P.S. They are armed with pistols, a sabre, and six rounds of
ammunition.' _

gi Serjeant Gamboa, a worthy and faithful Portri=
guese, who with all his comrades had constantly en-
tertained the greatest h2tred and aversion to the
Freach Government, in..ead of executing the above
orders came to join us. We continued our march
through bye-roads and passes very dangerous and dif-
ficult. On the 10th at night, we foraged in the en-
viron of Allegoa, where we were informed that a
French column was marching towards us from Obidos.
We immediately retreated, net so much from any fear
of falling in with them, as not to deviate from our-line
of march. At day-break see an iced at Cevallos ; but
at the instant when we conceived ourselves perfectly
secure, we were informed that a body of troops were
coining in pursuit of us from Rio Major, or Alec).
bona. We immediately. set out-for Batalla, and thence
for Leiria, where we arrived at one in the afternoon.
It gave us great pleasure to remark the activity of the'
Portuguese army ; for on our quitting Leiria, on the
way to Pumbal, we fell in oa the road with the ad-
vanced= of the camp at Pc mbal, wl:ere we ani.
ved at o'clock the morning. At seven in the
evening, we continued our march to Cen:exa ; but
with what enthusia m did we lize our ez3ectations,
when we beheld a trong column of infant-y opening
their line in front of us, in order oal.cilitat: our jour-

ney to Coimbra, where we arrived at one o'clock !.
We were conducted by the Commanding Officer of
the Cavalry, and a picquet from the garrison, to the
residence of his Excellency the Governor, and thence
to his Excellency. General Andrada, amidst the war-
mest acclamations of all the inhabitants, who received
us with enthusiasm and the strongest approbation
of our fidelity. The Commandant Elesiario addressed
the General in the following terms :
• A body of brave soldiers and faithful Portuguese appear in
your presence. If we have abandoned our posts, it was for the
purpose of adding to the strength of your army, and that we
might enjoy some share of the glory of assisting in the re-estab-
lishment of the Government of our beloved • Prince Regent,
whom alone we acknowledge and revere as the legitimate Sove-
reign of Portugal. The effort to restore him is heroic; our fide-
lity is unalterable, and under your command we shall, without
drtad, encounter every danger.•the enemy, or even death itself."

! •••
I

SPAIN.

MADRID, AUGUST 13.
Jcs?ph Napoleon having returned to Burgos, and
since taken the road to Vittoria, has been compelled
also to leave that city, in the vicinity of which he en-
camped his army so as to oc-nspy a space of two
leagues. Ten thousand Valencians and Murcians
have just entered this capital. We have not learned
whether any new attack has been made on Saragossa,
whither 15,000 Frenchmen were directed.—[The ac-
counts in the STAR of Saturday confirm the defeat of
this curps of the enemy by Palafox.]