Star.
London, England, 1809-01-25 00:00:00

LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.

DOWNING-STREXT, JAN. 24, ltiiii.
The Honourable Captain Hope arrived latfr last
night with a dispatch from Lienteriant-General Sir
....
David Baird to Lord ViscOunt Castlereagh, one of
his Majesty's'Piiiiciptif Sekret,Ariei of State, of which
the following is a copy. '
His Majesty's Ship Ville de Paris, at See, Jan. 11, 1509.
MY Lotter—By the muoh-lamented death of Lieu-
tenant-General Sir'John Moore, Who. fell in action
with the enemy-on the 16th inst. it has become my
duty to acquaint your Lordship, that • the French
army attacked the British troops an the 'position they
occupied in :front of Corunna, at about two o'clock in
the afternoon of that day.
A severe wound, which ccanpelled me to quit the
field a short time previous to the fall of Sir John.
Moore, obliges me to refer your Lordship for the
'particulars of the action, which was. long and oh-.
stinately contested, to the inclosed report of Lieu-
tenant-General Hope, who succeeded- to the Com-
mand of the army, and to whose abilityand exertions
in direction of the ardent szeal'and uncontitierable va-
lour of his Majesty's troops, is to be attributed, under
Paovioswer, the success of the day, which terminat-
ed in the complete and entire regilse and defeat of the
enemy at every point of attack.
The Honourable Captain Cordon, my Aideide.
Camp, will have thelioneser Of delivering this dispatch,
and will be able to give your LOrdship any further
information which may be requited.--I have the hp.
sour to be, &c. D. BAIRD, Lieut. Gen.
Right Hon. Lord Viseo ant Castlereagh. ~
Rh Majesty's ship Audacious, off Climes, lan. t &
Sin---In compliance with the desire contained in
yogi- communication of yesterday, I avail myself of
the first moment i have been able to command, to
detail to you the occurrences of the action which took
place in front of Cotten; on the 16th inst.
It offilse in your recollection, that about one in
the' afternoon of that day the enemy, who had in the
morning received reinforcements, and who had placed
some guns in front of the right and left othisline,
watored to be moving troops 'towards his left
,fit, and fdrming various columns, of attack at that
extremit of the strong and' commanding position,
in which the ornmstithe 15th he had taken in our
ism'
eia l
ate front.
Thi indication of his intention was immediately
succeeded by therapid and determined attack which
he made upon your- diviaioa which occupied the right
of our position. The events which occurred during
that period of the action you are fully acquainted with.
The first effort of. the enemy was met by the Com-
mander of the Forces, and by yourself, at the head
•. of the 42d regiment, and the' brigade under Major-
General Lord William Bentinck.
The village on your right becaMe an object of ob-
stinate contest.
I lament to say, that soon after the severe wound
which deprived the army of your. services, Lieute-
nant-General Sir John Moore, who had just directed
the most able disposition, fell by a cannon-shot. The
troops, though not unacquainted with the irreparable
loss they had. sustained, were not dismayed, but by
the most determined bravery not only repelled every
attempt of the enemy to gain ground, but actually
forced him to retire, although he had brought up fresh
troops in support of-those originally engaged.'
The enemy, finding himself foiled in every attempt
• to force the right of the position, endeavoured by
numbers to turn it. A judicious and well timid
movement which was made by Majoa-General Paget, '
with the reserve, which corps had moved out Of its
cantonments to support the right of the army, by a
vigorOui attack, defeated this iutentioq. The Major
General, having pushed forward the 95th (rifle corps)
and Ist battalion S2d regiments, drove the enemy
before h'an, and in his rapid and :judicious advance,
threatened the left of the enemy's position. This cir-
cumstance, with the position of Lieutenant-General
Fraser's division, (cailculated to give still further se-
curity to the right of the line) indused the enemy to
relax his efforts in that quarter.
They were however more forcibly directed towards
• the centre, where they were again successfully re-
sisted by the brigade under Major-General Manning-
ham, forming the left of your division, and a part of
that division under Major-General Leith, forming
the right of the division under n?rniosrrs. Upon the
leiii:, the enemy arfirst contented h. withan attack
upon our pi quet s, which however in general maintained
their ground. Finding, however, his efforts unavailing
on the right and centre, he seemed determined to rem.
der the attack upon the left more serious, and had
succeeded in obtaining possession of the village
through which the great road to Madrid passes, and
which was situated in front of that partof theliue. From
this post, however, he was soon expelled, with con-
siderable loss, by a gallant attack of some companies
of the 2d battalion 14th regiment, under Lieutenant-
'Colonel Nicholls ; before five in the, evening, we had
Lot only successfully repelled every attack made upon
the position, but had gained ground in almost all
points, and occupied a more forward line, .than 4 the,
commencement of the action, whilst the enemy Cal•
fined his operations to a cannonade, and the fire of
4iis light troops, with a view to draw off his other
corps. At six the firing entirely ceased. The dif-
ferent brigades were re-assembled on the ground they
occupied in the morning, and the picquets and ad-
vanced posts, resumed their original stations.
Notwithstanding the decided and markedsupericwiry
which' at this moment the gallantry of the troops had
given them over an enemy, who from his numbers
amithe commanding advantages of his position, no
doubt expected an easy victory, I did not, on review,
lug' alt circumstances conceive that I sheuld be war.;
, eausadindepartillg from what I knewwas the fixed and.
/initials determination of the late COmmander of the.
forces to wi.hdraw the army on the evening of the 16th,
for the purpose of embarkation, the previous arrange-
ments for which had already been made by his order,
undo.= in fact far advanced at the commencement
of the action.
. The troops quitted their position about. ten at
right, with a degree of order that did them credit.—,
Tin:. wisaliof the artillery that remained uneinbarked
having iieeti withdrawn, the troops followed in the
order prescribed, and matched to their respective
points of embarkation lathe town andjeighbourhood
.. ... • .