Star.
London, England, 1808-09-24 00:00:00

TO THE GENERAL IN CHIEF DUHESME.

Gerona, August S.
EXCELLENT SIR—We admire the trait of humanity
which your Excellency has discovered in sending back
a fool, who, in consequence of insanity without any
object, fled from this city three days ago, and whom,
being examined, your Excellency could not have
failed to recognise as such, knowing at the same time
that your troops,- in the attack of Orriols, on the 2d
inst. acted with the greatest inhumanity towards two
soldiers of the regiment of Rosas, and one of the vo-
lunteers of Barcelona, who having alone surrendered,
and being wounded besides, were murdered in cold
blood, against every law of nations.
Since the commencement of our hostilities, more
than 500 French prisoners have been sent into this
place and remitted to the interior, where, in every in-
stance, humanity and their misfortunes have been re-
spected. They have been treated as religion and
Spanish generosity required. The French Commis-
sioner Schirisvit, your aides-decamp, and other offi-
cers, live and exist, and have been treated conform-
ably to their rank and character. They can inform
you of the truth of what we now say.
On the 20th of June, your Excellency attacked this
city, and particularly the suburb of St. Clara, where
several French soldiers remained prisoners and tvound-
ed. They were conducted to the hospital, where they
were taken care of, and attended as if they had been
our brothers ; for Spaniards combat their enemies
front to front, with arms in their hands; but when
they are wounded or disarmed, they no longer con-
sider them as enemies, but as prisoners and christians.
In fine, not a drop of French blood has been spilt in
this city, because religion and Spanish magnanimity
are deeply engraved on the hearts of its inhabitants.
If your Excellency do not restrain the excesses of
your soldiers, who, before our very eyes, burn, lay-
waste, and destroy our harvests and our houses, car-
rying on war in a way unheard of, and hitherto un-
known among civilized nations, your Excellency will
have to repent of it when it is too late.
Don Francisco de Milans has sent an account to
the Junta of this city, dated the 11th inst. of the at-
tack which he sustained with the troops under his
command, from the French in tile environs of this
city. The following is a part of the relation :
" Yesterday evening having advanced with my
troops to harass the enemy, and seized all the points
which appeared to me convenient, I ordered one com-
pany to attack them in their encampment. Our ene-
mies took to their arms, and, advancing against our
troops, they attempted to force the point three times
-with infantry. Not being able to dislodge us, they
resolved to attack me upon the left, making a thou-
sand manoeuvres with their cavalry before they at-
tempted it ; but they were received with valour, by a
company placed there in concealment, which drove
them back with great loss. At last, after having
attacked me on five points, the enemy was driven
back, and forced to make a hasty retreat, only three
of our troops being wounded. The officers and troops
behaved with the greatest bravery, and Don Juan
Caragol having distinguished himself, I have made
him my Aid-de-Camp."
Yesterday the Junta of this city received a letter
from General Duhesme, in which he says, " that
having received formal orders from his Majesty Joseph,
King of Spain and the Indies, to keep in consideration
the city of Gerona, in case of its submission to his
authority, with the assurance of oblivion for all that
has passed, whatever it may be, I propose to your
Excellencies that you should send deputies to treat of
the surrender of the city of Gerona, otherwise I shall
forthwith engage in the 'operations of a vigorous siege,
which will commence with the ruin and conflagration
of the city. However much calumniated by many
of their writings, I am nevertheless persuaded, that
sensible and well-meaning people, as also the soldiers
that are among you, will do justice to my frankness,
and to the desire which I feel to prevent the misfor-
tunes which impend over this unhappy city. I beg a
prompt answer from your Excellencies."
The General Junta of this city unan
turned the following answer :
" Excellent Sir—The Junta has received your letter of to day ;
and they reply by doing themselves the honour to inform you, that
from the moment when this city devoted itself to the just cause,
they foresaw the evils which you threaten. They are net intimi-
dated, but abide with constiaicy by their first resolution, and in
the belief that they do not want means to defend it. God keep
your Excellency many years. (Signed)
JULIAN,DE BOMA, ANTONIO WICELLI,

isly re-

" MARTIN DR Rukauts, NAACISO DR ■URGURS TAt
" Gerona, August 12, 1808. CARAMANI."
TARRAGONA, AUGUST 22.

From the dispatches transmitted to his Excellency
the Captain-General of this principality, by Count de
Caldagues, Commander of the army of Gerona, dated
the 18th inst. we collect the following narrative of
the details of the glorious victory acquired by the
troops composing that army :
•4 The Count, having received orders to compel the

Fr ench to raise the siege of Getona, instantly resolved
to carry them into execution with his characteristic

rilan. He began his march, for this purpose,
IVlrYartorell ; and being informed on his route,
that the enemy's force was not less than from 7 to
MVO infantry, and from 8 to 900 cavalry, with a
complete train of artillery, he proceeded to form a
junction between such troops as he could collect from,
the precincts of Vich, Manresa, Granollers, and Tar.'
rage, and those that were commanded by Captain D.
Juan Claros, and who had for some been occupied in
annoying the separate convoys which the enemy were
conducting from France, by the way of Figueras, to
Gerona. On his arrival at the town of Castello, he
found that he could muster about 6000 men in arms ; and
thoughthere were among them only about 300 veterans,
and but a few more that were formed into companies
of miquelets, he did not hesitate a moment to attack
the enemy, upon a system adapted to the nature of
his and their force. On the 15th, in the morning, he
reconnoitred the camp and positions of Duhesme.
The fortress of Monjui, reduced to the utmost ex-
tremity, could scarcely hold out twelve hem, inwhich
ease the loss of Gerona would be inevitable. He
therefore immediately issued orders for an attack the
'next morning, according to the following plan :
Don Juan Claros, who was posted at Los Angeles
with 2500 miquelets and peasants, was to move from
his position as soon as the advanced guard of the main
body came in sight, and to attack the Hermitage of
St. Miguel, which was occupied by the French; then
forming his force into two or three columns, he was
to proceed to attack the remaining positions of the
enemy, until he dislodged them from the town of
Camdura, and the adjoining encampment. Here he
was to maintain himself, in order to prevent the junc-
tion of any succours which the enemy might bring
from Sarria and Pont Major, to draw off the attention
of the troops occupied in the siege of Monjui, and
thus to facilitate a sally from the fortress, whilst
Caldagues should in the mean time support these
operations, by attacking the batteries which played
upon Monjui in breach and in reverse.
This meritorious Commander arranged his march
in four divisions. The first was under the command
of Don Francisco Milans, who, with 500 men, was to
lead the van, and to serve as a skirmishing party ; to
this division were attached 50 Royal sappers, com-
manded by Don Honorato de Fleires, and two field-,
pieces, under the command of Don Diego de Lark I
Lieutenant of the Royal Corps of Artillery. The
second division consisted of 200 of the infantry of
Soria, and 948 miquelets, under the command of Don
Manuel Bodet, Captain of Grenadiers. The third
consisted of 743 men of the 3d battalion of Lerida,
commanded by Colonel Don Juan Baget, whose rear
was covered by the two remaining field pieces. The
fourth column, or the corps of reserve, consisted of
1,145 men, with 145 grenadiers of the infantry of
Bourbon in their van, under the orders of Don Juan
O'Donovan, Commandant of the 3d battalion of the
regiment of infantry of Ultonia. Proceeding in this
order, and arriving within a suitable distance of the
enemy, who were besieging Monjui, he ordered the
division of Milans to form two subdivisons, and to
ascend the mountain to the right and left; and that,
at the same time, the '2d and 3d columns should ra-
pidly advance both to favour the sally from the for-
tress, and to pursue the enemy posted at St. Miguel,
their advanced parties, and those who occupied the
pass and the encampment of Camdura, who were
then retreating before the troops of Claros ; and after-
wards to proceed against those who were posted at
Sarria and Pont Major.
4' if the plan was concerted with judgment and
foresight, the result most completely corresponded
with it. All who had any share in executing it gave
the most brilliant proofs of their skill and valour.—
The regiment of Altonia, and the 2d of Barcelona,
those irresistible warriors, under the command of their
worthy Officers and valiant Chiefs, D. Narcisso de la
Valeta and D. Henrique O'Donnell, attacked the
enemy's batteries with the bayonet, with such ardour
and celerity, that they scarcely gave the enemy time
to think of resistance. Defeated and thrown into
confusion in their positions,they perished or fled under
the impulse of the terror with which they were struck
by the valour of the above-mentioned troops. A mo-
ment of repose induced them to return, in order to
reconquer what they had just so ignominiously lost ;
but in this they were disappointed by the opportune
arrival of the second division ; and on the advance
of a small party of the grenadiers of Soria, under
the command of their brave Lieutenant D. Tadeo
Aldea, who received a glorious wound, the enemy
retreated. Beaten at all points, they precipitately
sought for safety in the centre of the plain of Sarria,
on the other side of the river, and under the protec-
tion of the whole of their cavalry. In this descrip-
tion of force we were unfortunately deficient, owing
to the Governor of Majorca having refused to assist
us with the regiment of Spanish. Hussars, who having
been raised in time of war, having served with repu-
tation, and being in a better and more complete con-
dition than any other corps in Spain, would, beyond
all doubt, have completely routed the enemy on this
occasion ; but, instead of this, the brave men who
are so lavish of their blood in the service of their
King and Country, groan under the misfortune of not
having been able to reap the just fruits of their
heroism.

The engagement commenced at seven in the
morning, and lasted until late in the evening, when
there tieing no longer any enemy to fight, the Com-
mander gave orders for properly garrisoning the dif-
ferent points of defence, aad fur permitting the troops
to repose themselves. At day-break, advice was re-
ceived that the enemy were retreating in two divi-
sions, one towards Barcelona, and the other towards
Figueras, the only points of rendezvous which re-
mained to them, leaving behind them considerable
quantities of powder, shells, grenades, balls, cannon,
howitzers,mortars,muskets, wheat, and other articles,
the fruit of their rapine. Milans and Claws are pur-
suing them in their retreat, in the routes which they
have respectively taken.
Such is the result of this memorable day, in
which the troops, miquelets, and peasants have co-
vered themselves with glory. Gerona is delivered—
Duhesme humbled—the garrison of Barcelona ex-
tremely weakened—our troops Bushed with an ardour
suited to the advantages they have obtained, and the
eagles of the great Napoleon laid prostrate in the
dust, and besmeared with the blood of his legions.—
Though we have not yet received a detailed statement
of their killed and wounded, we can positively assert '

that on the tops and sides of the mountains, in the
dales, in the vicinity of the farm-houses, and iii short
in all directions, are to be seen the dead bodies of
Frenchmen; and, according to the information re.
ceived, they carried with them 30 waggons filled with
the wounded.
In acknowledging in general the merit of all
-those who contributed to this glorious triumph, And
their indisputable claims to the gratitude of their
country, we feel it our duty to particularise the indi.
viduals who comanstaded at the different points of at,
tack, inasmuch as their tions principally contri.
buted to the glary antis Majesty's arms. In this list
we have to meotion.D. Nmiuo de /a Valeta, Com.
mandant of the 2,1 of Barcelona ; D. Francisco Mi.
lane-del Bosch, Lieutenant-Colonel of the Garrison
Battalion of Ceuta ; D. Juan O'Donovan, Commaa.
dant of the 2d Battalion of Ultonia ; D. Henriqua
O'Donnell, Serjeant Major of the same corps, who
has been wounded ; D. Juan Baget, Colonel and
Commandant of the Sd of Lerida ; Don Juan Cla.
ros, a Captain on the half.pay ; Don Manuel Bodes,
Captain of the grenadiers of the regiment of Soria;
Dun Manuel Montessinos, Captain of the infantry of I
Estremadura ; Don Manuel Antunez, Ensign in the
Spanish Guards • Don Cosine Garcias, Brevet Cap.
tun in the Bourbon regiment of infantry ; and Don .
Thomas Garcias, Commandant of the corps of Ve.
guda : all of them are deserving of their country's
gratitude, and are entitled to the consideration of
your Excellency.
" I have also to recommend, in a particular MU.
net, Don Josef AJloi, Serjeant-Major of Engineers,
acting as Major-General of the division he served
with, and whose skill and bravery most certainly
contributed chiefly to its successful operation ; and,
finally, Don Santiago Nogues. Lieutenant in the re.
giment of Bourbon, who acted as his Aide-de-Camp,
and who, with the utmost celerity, and amidst the
greatest dangers, carried his orders to all points."
Since the arrival of the above dispatches, his E reel-
lency has received others from Hostalrich, Mat aro,
Granollers, and Calella, detailing various encounters
with the fugitives on the road to Barcelona, in all of
which they proved to be in a state of complete dis.
order, and at every step of their progress many of
them paid the forfeit of their lives ; so that their dead,
almost touching each other as they fell, clearly mark
out their track until their arrival at Barcelona, where
without knapsacks, muskets, shoes, or even their or-
derly-books, their remains being about 800, formed a
junction with a corps which advanced from Barcelona
to protect them in their flight. Their passage through
the country cost them 1200 men. Most assuredly
they have good cause to learn, as is their practice, all
the turnpike and bridge-gates in Catalonia, for we
must do them the justice to admit, that the toll they
have paid has been rather extravagant.
It is affirmed that Lecchi ordered the cannon of
Barcelona to be immediately fired, to announce an
event so fortunate to his arms. Catalonia would at
this moment be completely rid of those miscreants,
were it not for the walls of Barcelona and Figueiras,
the only places of refuge for their cowardice. But
these .strong holds will avail them little ; the bravery
of our army will speedily overcome them.
• From the returns annexed to these dispatches, it ape
pears that our loss on the 16th was, of the regulars 7
killed and 38 wounded, and of the miquelets 15
killed, 70 wounded, and 13 missing.

Y