Star.
London, England, 1808-11-25 00:00:00

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SPAIN.

MADRID, NOVEMBER 9.
Last night the posts frem CaMeta, and
I3urgos, came in at a very late hour; for it appears
that in the latter city there was some bustle among
the inhabitants, in consequence of the French having
sent to demand of them a great number of rations.
It is certain that they will not come to fetch them, as
the troops of Estramadura have already arrived in
that city with their cavalry and an excellent train of
artillery.—The Central Junta is expected to remove
to this capital by the 16th instant.—Every prepara-
tion is making to attack the French at Logrono, before
they have time to fortify themselves there.

ARANJUEZ, NOVEMBER 9.
Count Florida Blanca has received the following
dispatch from Field Marshal Count Belveder, dated
Burgos, the 7th instant :
Most Serene Seignor—On the sth inst. I arrived
with the first division of the army under my command
at Aranda de Duero ; and on the 6th, continued my
march as far as Lerma, though the excessive fall of
rain had rendered the roads almost impassable. I ar-
rived, however, at dusk, the troops having accom-
plished a march of seven leagues, notwithstanding
their having had to walk up to the knees in mud, and
though it continued to rain without the interval of a
single minute. On my reaching the last-mentioned
place, I learned that all the in'habitants of Burgos
ha 4 left that city, in consequence of their having re-
ceived information of the approach of the enemy. I
immediately gave orders to prepare for marching this
day-in that direction, allowing the troops no longer
repose than was necessary to enable them to resume
their route ; and, notwithstanding some difficurties
which occurred, in consequence of the inclemency of
the weather, I arrived at half past four o'clock in the 1
afternoon, having only halted the men for a quarter
of an hour, to take some refreshment, when they had
performed One half of thiS long day's march. I had
sent on before me Brigadier Don Josef Maria de Alos,
to take the command of the troops, to examine the
situation of the enemy, to station the corps that were
previously there, and had evacuated the city, in pro-
per positions, and to collect whatever information he
could for my guidance. This officer has, in every
respect. performed his duty, as have also ;he Lieute-
naut-Woriel of Engineers Don Josef Piero, and Cap-
tain Don Sebastian S. Juan, Wham I placed under his
orders.
4, The company of chasseurs of the army; whom
I 6(1 ardered,to advance from Aranda de Duero,
with #:). dragoons of the reginamt of _volunteer chits.
sears of Spain, entered this place at day-break this
city; and, conformably to my instructions to them,
and subsequent orderi, communicated in consequence
of intelligeuce
in which I had received, joined the ad-
vanced guard front of the enemy.
14 About five o'clock this afternoon, word was
brought that the enemy were advancing. Orders
I
were consequently given for the troops of the pro- 1
vincial regiment of Tui, with some horse, to proceed
to meet them. They met a detachment of 30 dra-
goons, forming the advanced guard of a corps ofl
700, of the same description, who were at a league's I
distance from this city. Eight only of our soldiers
were sent to reconnoitre, but in the sequel they were
joined in the attack by 40 of the above-mentioned re-
giment of volunteer chasseurs of Spain, under the
command of Cornet D. F. Civaldos. They threw
the enemy into disorder, and killed ten of them. On I
our side we had only one horse wounded, belonging
to the serjeant of the party. It is impossible to deJ
scribe the ardour and gallantry of the troops in this
petty rencontre ; but as it would be improper that
they should proceed farther, both on account of the
advanced hour of the evening, as well as to prevent
their falling into any ambuscade, and becoming the
victims of their valour, orders were given for them to
retreat, and to re-occupy their funnier positions.
~ All the Staff of my army, and the above-men-
tioned first division, have this day arrived in this
city. The cavalry and the company of horse artillery
belonging to the second division will arrive to-morrow,
and the.remaining corps of this, and also the third
division, will arrive in succession, without delay, as
I have given orders for their making all po:.sihle
expeciition.
~ All which I communicate to your Serene High-
ness, in compliance with my duty, and shall continue
punctually to apprize you of whatever occurs.
May Gon, &c. (Signed)
" COUNT rE BELVEDER."

'• Head-quarters, Burgos, Nov. 7.

Under the date of the Bth inst. the Supreme Junta
of Government has received the following accounts'
front persons of respectability, who were eye-witnesses
of the factl they relate :
The surrender of the battalion of the sharp-
shooters of Cadiz is known to the pnbfic ; but few
are apprized of the circumstances that occasioned it. I
Their commander, Cruz Moitrgeon, having been sent
to occupy the town of Lerin on the 20th October,
and having examined his situation and the distance
he was from Lodoso, upon which he was ordered
to retreat in case of being attacked, informed the
General of his division, Don Pedro Grimarest, that
his retreat was absolutely impossible, as he had to
pass a plain which the enemy would most probably
occupy with their cavalry previous to any attack. '
On :he 21st, toe said Seignor Grimarest proceed-
ed to reconnoitre the town, and approved of three
points of iefence that had been fixed upon, and it
• was agreed, that, in the supposed case of an attack,
he should defend himself until he v..as relieved.
" On the 24th and 25th, La Cruz was employed
in lowering some mud-walls belonging to the garden
of the Convent of Capuchins, which post the troops
were to occupy, from the corner of the Charnel-house,
in order to cover the approaches to his left flank. He
also fortified the palace as well as be could, which be
intended to use as a citadel, for the purpose of mak-
ing a last defence. These works were forwarded in
consequence of his receiving information that they I
meant to attack him during the whole Of the 25t11,1
which, however, they did not do ; but they incommo—
ded him during the whole of the night of the 24th
with their detachments of cavalry, which fell back to
their positions at four o'clock on the morning of that
day, of which he sent information to Lodoso, and the
posts of Sesma and Carcai, which Were under arms
during the whole of the night.

40 Although the enemy did action- ewe their
tea on the rug& of the 25th, he redoubled YiS
nels and his vigilaece, so that a four o'clock he had
a detachment ready to receive the enemy. •
gg At five in the morning the firing began at the
advanced posts, and soon after the enemy attacked
the position at the Charnel-house and garden of the
Capuchins, with 2000 infantry and 300 cavalry, whom
his brave sharp-shooters repulsed with unexampled
gallantry. Seignor La Cruz, on perceiving
their
precipitate flight, leaped from the parapet of e prin.
cipal gate, and pursued them with the 4th company,
and his 30 horse, as well as the nature of the ground
would admit ; but the fire of the enemy's reserve
compelling him to fall back, he resumed his former
position behind the ruins.
" At niae o'clock, the attack wal resumed by ano-
ther body of troops, who had arrived to relieve the
former corps, and hey compelled the four first com-
panies to fall back to the palace, more by the fire of
their artillery than that of their infantry ; for the
cannonade was so powerful and brisk, which they di-
rected against the Convent, that the falling rubbish
occasioned considerable damage.
" At half past ten o'clock they summoned him to
surrender, immediately after they had offered to his
view three 8-pounders, one howitier, a 6-pounder,
from 5 to 6000 infantry, from 6 to 800 cavalry,
which, at the commencement of the first attack, had
proceeded to occupy the avenues to the place on the
right flank ; but this no way intimidated him ;
on
the contrary, he answered that he would never sue-
render while be had .ammunition and bayonets.—
Their General, upon this answer, ordered his citadel
to be attacked, with all his artillery and two b:ttta-
lions of infantry. From this operation our troops
sustained but very little additional loss, whereas that
of the enemy was so considerable, that they fell back
in disorder.
At one o'clock they returned to the attack, but
with no better success than in the first instance.—
They satisfied themselves with leaving two companies
of grenadiers posted in the adjacent houses, who most
severely galled our troops.
" At five o'clock, they again sent in a flag of truce,
summoning him to surrender under pain of being put
to the sword. La Cruz felt himself placed in a very
painful situation ; but seeing in the countenances of
his brave Officers and soldiers a determination rather
to perish than surrender, he answered the enemy, thet
they might save themselves any further trouble, as he
would rather die than yield.- The firing of artillery
and infantry was resumed, and continued until dark,
when all our men exerted themselves to repair their
parapets, in the expectation that the following day ,
would bring them relief, as none had arrived that
day ; but what was his affliceon, when casting his
eyes over the plain he could not perceive even a
vidette, and what was worse, he saw his detachment'
without bread or water, or :my thing to support their
ardour, having already passed tin ee days in that cita,
del, destitute of every thing, with the melancholy
spectacle before their eyes, of an immense number of
emended, *hose cries pierced the heart. This latter
circumstance, more than the want of provisions or
ammunition, induced him to call a Cou,ncil of War,
to determine what was to be done, having previously
apprised the Captains, that the cartridges in their
muskets were the only ones remaining. At length,
at half past seven in the morning, it was resolved to
capitulate, the soldiers being, from fatigue, scarcely
able to utter a word, from want of water, except such
as drank vinegar in place of it.
gg Notwithstanding this determination, they conti-
nued upon the defensive until half past three in the
afternoon, when he sent out a flag of truce ; in con-
sequence of .he enemy having advanced their artillery
to ivithin 100 paces of his front, with an intention of
battering down the- gate ; but notwithstanding this
obstinate and continued resistance, the flag of truce
was received. The troops went out with the honours
of war, baggage, and equipage, to proceed to France
till they are exchanged, and in their own estimation,
their cpndition frill be very unfortunate, until they
are able to return to the field of honour.
" To praise a particular officer or soldier would be
to do injury to the rest. All have proved themselves
heroes, worthy of immortality. All were models to
each other. Their only recreation from fatigue con-
sisted in attending to the wounded, and administering
to .them consolation in the absence of the necessary
means of relief.
" In this, action served as Aid de-Camp the Lieu-
tenant of the Regiment of Cavalry of Spain, D. Jo-
sef Garcia, whe is at present here, and who, anxious
to participate the glory of these brave defenders of
their country, did not accompany the cavalry of
Bourbon, whom -the commandant La Cruz ordered
to join the out-post of Sesma.
The company of Catalans, under D. Francisco
Tong, equally distinguished themselves with the thip..
seurs ; and also the out-posts of Sesma, under the
command of the Captain of battalion of the sharp-
shGoterspf Spain, D. Josef Giron.
" So far we state on the authority of eye witnesses ; ,
but we farther learn, from positive information, that
the French General Grandison, the Commander of
their division, returned their swords, after the capi-
tulation, to the Spanish Officers, in compliment to
their brave defence, and that he treats them with re.
gard and distinction.; assigning as an escort to them
and their brave soldiers, who have had the misfortune
to fall into his hands, from 7 to SOO of his best
troops.
I! We also are positively informed, that our loss in
this affair, ris glorious as it has been unfortunate,
cousists of from fifty to sixty killed, about fifty
wounded, and a few more than four hundred pri-
soners, including officers and privates.
64 Arnong the killed, is Lieutenant D. Josef Bausa ;
among the wounded, Captain-Lieut. D. Josef Marti-
nez, Brevet Captain D. Mauricio Estrada, and Sub-
Lieutenant D. Manuel Oromi ; besides Captain D.
Francisco Farinas, who received a contusien, all be-
longing to the sharp-shooters of Cadiz.
" The Supreme Junta, who have beheld with the
most lively interest the heroic valour of these troops,
so inferior in number to tlie enemy, and who,convinced
that the same spirit animates thewhole army' entertain
therefrom the most confident expectations of the salva-j
Lion of the country, and the chastisement of the enemy]
have taken the proper means to discover, with promo=
titude, those who may have incuTred any blame in this

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affair, to adjudge suitable rewards. to those 'AO have '
desarilveell,and above all, to procure due information
respecting the families 4f those defenders of the coun-
try, that use Junta may assign a proper remuneration
to the relatives of such as sacrifice themselves for their
country—a duty which the Junta will enr continue
to discharge in a manner worthy of tht.nation for
whom they'contend.
Spaniards ! you will remark, in one of the dis-
patches, the astonishing conduct of our brethren, who,
when their ammunition was spent, rushed upon the dead
bodies of the enemy, to supply themselves from their.
cartouches. Neither Greece nor Rome ever present-
ed an example of such valour, steadiness, and cool-
ness. Such are the avengers of Ferdinand VII. such
the defenders of the country ; with whom, and assist-
ed by Goa, the justice of our cause, and our exalted
patriotism, we fear neither the numerous hosts of the
enemy, nor the iniquitous means which, in other quar-
ters, have aided his detestable designs."