Star.
London, England, 1809-01-12 00:00:00

cavalry came to desire ate, on the part of the Captain
General, not to be alarmed by the a ce of a
column of infantry, with a considerah body of ca-
valry, who were ad'eancing on the left, as they were
the troops of General la Pena coming from Cascante.
Congratulating myself upon this aid, which would
have decided the battle in our favour, I rode along
my left to direct General St. March to continue the
attack in the same order, when that General surprised
nie'by telling me that it was necessary we should re-
treat, as our right had been forced, that the enemy
were in Tudela, and that all the troops that occupied
the centre of one position had retreated.
6 This intelligence astonished me the more, as the
Cart an-General had sent me no information of this
event, a circumstance which appeared to me impos-
sible ; but a firing being heard in the rear of the olive
I iantations, I was convinced of the fact. In this me-
lancholy situation, the division of General Pena not
having moved, and that which was announced as his
division proving to be a corps of the enemy of about
8000 infantry and 2000 cavalry, I gave directions for
retreating in the best possible order; placing the 2d
regiment of Valentia in an oblique position, to cover
the reti eat of our troops. The troops were surroun-
ded on all fides, but they gallantly cut their way
with the bayonet. I put myself at their head, and
left General St. March with the cavalry to protect
this daring and only recourse that was left to us. The
General discharged this trust with the same exactness
that he did every other duty confided to him during_
the action. I can assure your Excellency, that I
never witnessed an occasion in which all the officers
and soldiers more completely performed their duty ;
but of those who were under my orders, I ought to
make particular mention of the 3d battalion of the
Royal Spanish Guards, and the regiments of Castile,
Sergobia, and Turia. D. M. Velasco, Commander
of the Artillery of my division ; D. A. Ulloa, Com-
mander of General St. March's ; D. J. Monino ;
D. R. del Pino, who, although surrounded by the
enemy, spiked a part of the artillery which they could
not bring off, are very much entitled to consideration
for having entirely destroyed three columns of the
enemy.
4 The enemy's loss cannot be less than 8000 men,
as we may assure ourselves, when they admitted it
exeeeded 4000. I have not yet received all the re.
turns of the loss on our side ; but I doubt whether it
amounts to 2000, in killed, wounded, and missing.
I have the satisfaction of having saved half of the
artillery, which was brought off by routes almost im-
practicable ; and of being a near spectator of every
thing that passed, to the last moment. I can assure
you, that in this unfortunate event all those under my
command have done their duty to their King and
country ; and that, had the Captain-General ordered
the army of the centre to support us, it would, beyond
all doubt, have been the most glorious day for his
Majesty's arms, of any recorded in the history of this
war.—May GOD preserve your Excellency many years.
(Signed) JuAN O'NXILL.
' Mien, November 24, 1808.
' To his Excellency Ceignor Don Joseph Paige::