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

GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY,

Published at Saragossa', Saturday, Deeeruber S.
u In consequence of the actual situation of this-
city, threatened with a siege by the enemy, it bait
been until now found impossible to lay before
public an official account of the details of the atiack'
and obstinate battle fought at Tudela on the 23d ult.
a battle equally fatal and glorious to this army, which,
supported only by its own strength and its own valour,
maintained the contest for eight hours in the midst cf
the most dreadful fire.
44 It impossible to convey an adequate idea of
the number of heroic achievements performed by the
Officers and soldiers, whilst one half of the army
was defending their posts with discharges of musketry,
and the other were maintaining the contest with the'
bayonet, until the number of the slain on both sides
left scarcely room for action, and both the contending
armies retired. The Captain-General of this excellent
army of reserve has received the following detailed
dispatch from Lieutenant-General Don Juan O'Neil,
who commanded the troops in the engagement, from
Illueca, whither he retired with Field-Marshal D. Fe-
lippe St. March.
. Most Excellent Seignor—A few hours after my
conference with your Excellency, at Caparoso, respec-
ting the good condition of the troops under my corn-
mind, at that most important point, (full of ardour
and enthusiasm, from the superiority which they con-
ceived themselves to possess over the enemy, who,
for so long a period, had not dared to attack us, and
from advantages of greater magnitude which they
anticipated .in the direction of Pampeluna ; and when
your Excellency, convinced of the necessity of not
permitting a favourable opportunity to pass, for exe-
cuting designs in which I cordially concurred, pros
seeded to consult with the Captain-General of the
Army of the Centre) I received a dispatch from the
Captain-General of the Army of the Centre, and the
Representative of the Supreme Central Junta, Don
Francisco Palafox, dated the 21st ult. informing me
of the extreme utency that all my troops should im-
mediately put themselves in motion, and proceed by
way of Tudela, to the right of the line, which was to
be formed upon Cascante and Tarragona, as far as
the heights of Moncayo ; and charging me not to
lose a moment, since they had given orders for the
march of the Army of the Centre, and were on the
point of attacking and defeating the enemy, in order
to save that army ; an object, the attainment of which
would be of the greatest importance for Spain, and
totally disconcert the plans of the enemy.
4 Surprised at the novelty of this dispatch, so com-
pletely at variance with the plan we had agreed upon
at Caparoso the day before, I sent to inform your Ex-
cellency, and before I received your answer, your
dispatch, dated at Tudela on the same day (the '2lst)
reached me, directing, that in consequence of what
the Captain-General of the Centre had stated to you,
I should, the instant I received it, march with the
whole of my army, and the troops belonging to the
Centre attached to it, for Tudela, there to fix my
head-quarters, it being understood that the troops
that occupied the posts of Cintriunego, Calahorra,
and the other parts of the Ebro, were already on their
march for Borja and Tarrazona, and consequently
that any delay might be very injurious, and expose
the army to be turned in that quarter. On the same
day, as my troops were just setting off, I received
your Excellency's answer, confirming your previous
order, in consequence of the army of the Centre hav-
ing already commenced its movement.
I cannot describe to your Excellency the sensa-
tion felt by the troops under my command, in conse-
quence of this retrograde movement, as all of them,
previously animated by the preceding fortunate move-
ments, found all their hopes frustrated, and saw them-
selves removed from the advanced situation that they
always occupied in front of the enemy. An event so
unexpected disheartened them; and in order to inspire
them with the same degree of ardour which they had
hitherto manifested, and to prevent the fatal conse-
quences of which i was apprehensive, I exerted my
authority, accompanying it with the most energetic
persuasion, and shewing them the crder of that even-
ing, according to which the safety of the whole army
d •pended upon our retrograde movement, and in short
telling them that it was die result of the express orders
of your Excellency, and must be obeyed.
This representation, in some degree, tranquillized
them, and I proceeded with my troops to Tudela,
where your Excellency, the Seignor Representative,
and the Captain-General of the army of the Centre,
were already arrived.
At nine in the morning of the following day,
(the 233), Colonel Don F. Ferena sent to inform me,
that two columns of the enemy were deploying in
front of Ablitas. In consequence of this intelligence
and the Captain-General of the army of the centre,
having, the preceding evening, informed me, that
the enemy had entered Cintriunego, I ordered the
generale to be beaten, apprising, at the same time, the
Captain-General, that as Commander-in-Chief, he
might make the necessary dispositions. He ordered
some reinforcements to advance, and soon after
caused General St. March to do the same on the
left, sending various corps of my division to the
heights of Santa Barbara, to reinforce that impor-
tant point, and 0 support the troops already oc.
cupying it belonging to the division of General Roca.
As he left me on the high road with the remain-
der of my troops, I sent to him my Aid.cle-Camp,
D. B. Gelabert, to ascertain what I was to do, as the
engagement was already begun. His answer was,.
that I should proceed to the centre of the line where
he was posted. Soon after, he ordered the remain-
der of the troops to join him, and he assigned to me
the command of the whole of the left wing. When
I arrived, I found the heights on the left already
occupied by the enemy, who threatened to turn .us ;
bill having received his order to attack them, and an
assurance that the division of General
la Pena would
advance to my assistance, I determined to execute
the a tick by schellow of battalions. The battalion
of the Royal Spanish Guards commenced it with such
unexampled gallantry, that the enemy instantly aban-
doned that important post, leaving the field of battle
covered with dead bodies. The same success attended
the attack In front, by the regiments of the volunteers
of Castile and Segorbia, While I was indulging in
the satisfaction produced by our success, and con-
(eidering the hat:le gained, two orderly Officers of

LONDON.

- THURSDAY, JANUARY 12.
PRICE OF STOCKS THIS DAY AT ONE O'CLOCK.
per Cent. Consols for money 65i—for ace. 6.4
Omniuns 14 dls.—Excheq. Bills 9s.pre.
PRICE OF STOCKS YESTERDAY.
Bank Stock 238 I India Steck lint 182!
3 per Cent. Red. 65i 66 India Bonds, 9s. 101. prem.
3 per Cent. Cons. 65 if Imperial 3 per Cent. 65
4 per Cent. 8114 Ex. Bills, Bs. a 10s. pre.
5 per Cent. Navy Nil Omnium lit dis.
Long Ann. 18 1-16t1i • Cons. for open. 66/-

We can add nothing certain to what we have al-
ready stated respecting the situation of our army in
Spain. To repeat the idle, absurd, and contradic-
tory statements in which some of our contemporaries
indulge, would be only to abuse the good sense of
our Readers. We cannot, however, refrain from,
noticing the hasty and unjust censure which some
have presumed to throw upon Sir JOBN Moon & Ac-
cording to them he ought to have advanced, fought,
and destroyed SouLT's army before he commenced
his retreat ! This is all mighty fine, and it is possi-
ble that those who speak thus, might have acted in
this manner ; but nothing could have justified Gene-
ral MoonE, had he been guilty of sttch
We have already had occA,sital fa' titlark. that iv
..• r 1

might be presumed Sir Imo had intelligence of a
different kind from any that has, appeared in the Spa-
nish Journals published under the imprimatur of the
Juntas. Were we still without any other accounts
but those to which we 'save just alluded, those who
censure the retreat would have had at least a sem-
blance of reason for their bold opinions. But in spite
of the attempts that have been made to disguisefacts,
a number of truths have been established, which ren-
der it difficult to account for their conduct.
Our troops have been for more than three months
in Spain, and in ali that time have not been joined
by more than six thousand Patriots ! The Spa-
niards were to defend- Madrid for months, and to
bury themselves in its ruins, rather than surrender
to NAPOLEON-It surrendered in three days ! The
Patriots and their brave leaders were to advance and
cut off the retreat of the French from Madrid.—ln-
stead of which NAPOLEON was left so much at his
ease, that immediately after the surrender of Madria
he was able to send off his cavalry to harass the un-
supported handful of British, till he could bring his
whole army against them !
The Commanders of the Patriots, we were told,
were unanimous, brave, and loyal. It now appears
that they are divided by dissentions and jealousies---
or some of them actual traitors !
_ _ _

Advance tohla Some: army 1 ! Already the French
cavalry, in numbers more than equal to the British,
were upon the skirts of our army, and others coming
up in succession, with upwards of 100,000 infantry
in their rear, and other forces bending their course to
the same centre paint. Had Sir JOHN MOORE advanced
against SOULT with the utmost rapidity--had he met
with no impediments whatever--had he even annihi-
lated Souvr's division in one hour's conflict, and then
commenced his retreat, he would have lost three days
before he coed have brought back his army to the
point from which he set out. Could Sir JOHN have
been justified in a measure which would thus have
exposed his army to certain destruction even in the
event of victory ?
It would be a waste of time to enquire what would
have been the result had he advanced, and Soma-,
in place of fighting, continued to retreat before him.
But we hesitate not to assert that it will be seen in the
end, that the British, so far from having three days
to throw away; had not three hours !—The enemy
will be at the gates of Vigo as soon as our troops ;
and it is much to be feared that the troops, which
may cover, the embarkation of the rest, will not get
away, but be obliged to capitulate or surrender.
To talk of the necessity of hazarding certain sa-
crifices to attain great objects, is only to deal out
truisms. Three and two will make five—but three
apples and two pears will never make five plumbs.
A General has no right to expose his armyto de-
struction, without any object but that of :hewing
how dearly his men can sell their lives.

Need we now ask what the Supreme Junta has
done since it took all power from the people ? Need
we ask what has become of the large supplies of
money which have been sent from this country ?
Need we ask whether they have b!en contending
solely and exclusively for the same objects which first
roused the people to resistance ? Have they kept
pace with NAPOLEON in the boons held out to the
people ?
By letters from Lisbon to the 19th ult. it appears,
that massy of the British merchants who re-visited
Portugal in the month of October last, were making
preparations to return again to England.--Measures
of the same description were in contemplation at
Oporto.

PITILACT OP A LETTPII,, DATIL, IN Tit TAG $, WIC. IS, 1808.
" A brig arrived last night, in consequence otothich the Plan-
tagenet, Resolution, and Audacious, were ordoili: to my and
will sail this day for Vigo. They ire to be said* to the Chan-
nel fleet.

" Sir•Cnwacos COTTON goes home inrmedlately. 'the re-
ports from Spain are various ; but on the whole are rather favour.
able. The Spanish Ambassador is in hourly expectation of news
of high importance."

Lieutenant CARRoLL, Aid•de-Camp to Sir SIDNEY
SMITH, has arrived with Dispatches from Rio Janiero,
which he left the beginning of November.
It appears, by the account of Capt. SMITH, (whom
Sir SIDNEY had sent to Buenos Ayres), that the
French dispatches, sent out from BONAPARTE and
JOSEPH, in May last, had been intercepted, and the
French Officer put in confinement.

Yesterday, about twelve o'clock, their MAMMA
and the PRINCESSES arrived at the Queen's Palace,
from Windsor, soon after which the Prince of WaLas,
the Dukes of Yolut, CUMBERLAND, SUSSEX, and CAM-
BRIDSE, waited upon their Majesties and the Princesses
to pay their respects.
At two o'clock, his MAJESTY held a private Levee,
at which the following had the honour of being pre-
sented :

The Earl of PLY mown', on coming to his title. •
Brigadier. General tiourrox, on his marriage.
Brigadier-General Easzitir, on his promotion.
Captain Gwaru, K. N. on his promotion.
Captain Pan Li moss, R. N. on his, promotion.
The Earl of Livittroot. on coming to his title.
Sir Tnoacas TROWIIIIIDOI, on coming kq his title, and MITI
from India.
Colonel DitINKIVATER laid before his MAMMY. *
Eihth Report of the Commissioners of Military
qut , •
Family •
• '•
The Royal ale.rricoid tojemaja .11110W11
till aftqr the.ce.lobratimpf thi:,Qneents birth-day.
Yesterday.the.Duke of PORTLAND =Tie plaiiited the
tiling', Minister; with' k'stankttnato .414,A11, at his
't I • • ••• -; r
•. 3 • •

THE ARMY.

The expedition,- which was first delayed at Poe
month for one corps, then for another, then for hors,
and baggage, and at last when all of them wet,
ready, was delayed by a faeouralle wind shifting„
now likely to be disembarked, and return to quarter.,
greatly to their harrassment, and with an expence
the officers, which their pittance of pay little enablt
them to sustain.

The first news from Spain will certainly be vel,
disastrous. Yet our Commanders there are of tI4
first rate, and the world cannot boast of better troop
—but they are a handful.

On Monday the bus frigate sailed for Spain, wip
General MURRAY and Colonel WALICILL Genell
MURRAY was brought up in the Guards. and in 179
Was Aide-de-Camp to the Duke of You ; while L
brother, Sir JAstss PULTRNRY (then MURRAY), viz
Adjutant-General to the army on the Continent.
WEST INDIA ENtEDrTION.
We have received letters from several officers it
the different islands, which arrived by last fleet. Tip
different islands are rather unhealthy, particularly St
Vincent's and Grenada, and the mortality was great,
especially of Medical Officers who died of the yells,
fever.
The Commander-in-chief, General 13xcawrrn, wa
busied preparing for the Expedition from Barbadon.
The Troops consisted of
Royal Artificers, strong Dstachment.
Royal Artillery, ditto.
63d Regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Faractottou.
Royal York Rangen, Major Hmumaasos.
Ist West India Regiment, Lieutenant•
sd Ditto
4th Ditto
7th Ditto.

Totttr.
• Dux BAIL
SLACILWIELL

Bth Ditto
Sir GEORGE Pawn:tar. Bart. was didirlOoked for,
. -r
with
The •tth, or Royal Furileara.
- - Bth Regiment.

13th,
£3d, or Welch Foslivers, and' '

101st,
Making in all a force of 11.000 men.
Lieutenant-General Sir GaQEOE PREVOST is to hare
the Chief Command of the Expedition. He has under
him those gallant and distinguished Officers Briga.
dier-Generals HOUGHTON and COL/SILL!, besides some
other General Officers.
The last accounts from North America 2111201IRC$
the sailing of Sir Gnome Passvost od the troops fa
the rendezvous at Barindoes.

..1

So great is the popularity of the new Cprnedy of I
Man and Wiji, that nearly.two thousand copies were
sold on the day of its publication.
Yesterday a Court of Directors was held at the
East-India House, when the following Commanders
took leave, previous to departing for their respective
destinations, viz. I
Captain E. C. BRADTORiII Lord Dan= ; Csptatn 1. CAM*
cm, Baring—for Madge and Bengal.
Captain W. ttaattiroa, Lady Castlereagh; Captain W. P.
D'Erraant, United Kingdom foe k. Helena and BespL
The under-mentioned Captains were sworn into the
command of their respective ships, viz.
Captain I. DaLavaarsr, Marian of Ely; Captain I. Hay,
Coutta—for China direct.

Captain C. Lc BLANC, Marquis Weßesler-for Ceylon awl
Bengal.

Monday night an order was sent from the Admi.
ralty to Admiral COTTON, requiring his attendance
in town.
Tuesday arrived in the 'Melpomene frigate a Co.
lonel of the Spanish army. One of the chief objects
of his voyage to England is to purchase a quantity of
saddles for cavalry. There are in Spain about 40,000
horses fit for military service.
The Melpomene, on her passage from Cilia, cap-
tured the French corvette Amelia, which was trying
to make any port in France, with dispatches from
VICTOR HUGHES, which were preserved, and sent to
Government.

In consequence of the return of Capt. Sir THOMAS
WILLIAMS to England, the following appointments
had been made by Sir ALLICANDZR COCHRANE:—
Capt. DILKES, of the HAZARD, posted to the Nu.
*TUNE; Capt. CAMERON of the ACHATLS, to the HA.
ZARD ; Capt. PINTO, of! the DART, to the ACHATEi;
Lieut. SLOAN, of the Nr.rruns, made Commanderof
the DART.
A battle was fought on Tuesday, at Hazele)'
Hants, for 20 guineas, between a black, named Moss,
and a rustic,. named Groves, the terror of his village.
The battle was fought in a 15 feet ring ; but although
there was abundance of resolute rallying, the rustic
iras not able to plant a hit, and was completely beaten
in 25 minutes. To add to the barbarous sport, a bull
was baited, which destroyed four dogs. Surely Jus•
tice is lame as well as blind I.
Friday, Mary Bateman was- fully committed from
the Town Clerk's office, Leeds, for the murder of
Sarah, wife of WrFerigo, Of 'Brantley, in May 1807,
by poison. Full particulate of this horrid transaction
have been already laid before the pitblic.
On Tuesday evening a tvoo , woman, named Lof.
•tusl.carrylne alpundle of linen; *as hustled by a
`number of 6Uys,..bi PettlicOat-litte, and robbed of the
same. • .
A ciiribiletniiing to 'Mrs. Otto"? ofDover.street•
was overulr:norion.Tuesday, at the end of St. James's•
street; oecasionacik the coachman putting the horses
on at speed tq clear two drays, by which the hinder
,wheel of tile'th,ariot came in contact with that ofone
:the drays. In th 4 inside were Mrs. WILKES and two
young ladies, with knursery maid, all of whom were
-tuns,,but.particuiarlY the servant, whose arm, which
she was leaning out of the chariot window, was so
rt,-01 bruised that it is feared she must undergo am.
putation. The cofchtnin was utdpirt.,
• s • -, • •t. •