Star.
London, England, 1809-10-03 00:00:00

notice happened. It was employed in eraminirq
position of the enemy, who had again ceneent.r),,„l
his forces in the district of Casalegas, and on the :'ci
jacent heights, preserving his vanguard suppoile2
some pieces of artillery opt the bridge and
the river Alberche, and which fired the gre.ner /;.1!:
of the day on our skirmishing partici.
" I had agreed with the General in Chief r,f
Britannic Majesty's army, Sir Arthur V.vi,„*.,,
to theattack on the bridge and shores of t1..2 ;::.
fore day-break on the -24th, and to this
sent on-ward the sth division of infantry tind..l-
shal de Camp D. Luis de Bassecourt, in the. a t••
of the 23d, in order, that after having cros
Ford pf Cardiel, three leagues from Tala:, era, t: • ._
might 'march by the contiguous height., i,A,
break of day on the 24tb to fall on the reai-,•1.!:-.!
right flank of the army of the enemy at C.:,
At the same hour, I proposed to attack in ,
the left flank, and a part of his front, w! ;.:
lish army assailed the whole of hi; right. 1-,c,
of the enemy during the night of the 2
ed this plan, and when at dawn of the ‘.n ,
the French camp abandoned, I thought
follow them with my army alone (as the
remained in Cas.tlegas and the shores of the illberdw'
with the hope of reaching his rear-guard, ur
portion of it. The news which I acquired c; !;.;
route, apprized me that he had proceeded in tr.,
lumns by Santa Olalla and Cebolia, and in
quence, I divided my army SO as to Ellow h;rn
bothdirections. Notwithstanding the forced
of my army, who made their day's r);:,
fatigue,. we could not accomplish our e I,i
enemy had early commenced his ietr2.it,
proceeded with great rapidity. On the c2i..!,,!,•,,,„
posted myself in Santa Olalla, I ordered 111.,!
which had taken the road et Cebolla to join
the exception of the sth corps, winch l kit
watch the district, placing the vanguard in the ;lesg:,.
hourhood of Alcabon, from whence the piquets
the enemy were dislodged, and pursued to To!
where a considerable part of the army el the enemy
was stationed.

The whole of the 25th Aras engaged ;a semi :,v
repose to the troops, and in apportioning the ratio;,,
which were extremely deficient. Parties of the French
during the day were employed either in endeavouring
to dislodge us from our posts, or to ree.ourooiii-,2 oL
situation, but in both attempts they were Jisappoia.
ted by the valour of the officers commaniing
skirmishing parties, who attacked them on .1!1 :.(!?t,
and prevented their approach. At nine ..;
night, of the same day, I had information that ELf:
enemy was advancing upon Torrijos, and that
whole army was in movement, but my advice. i 3•
not instruct me to whidi point the greater part was-
proceeding. On hearing this, I appliseil the Gen-
rats, and dispatched an otTicer to Genetai
In consequence of his determination :IA ::t.;eint,
and on finding my vanguard rowel fully :ittat.k..:l oa
the morning of the ',26th, by a very .!:per:.r
and the enemy indicating a deign cd M.LLW.-;
ral attack, I resolved to make a reirogr.ii'e
upon the Alberche, to reunite with z:,e.
I effected on the evening of the same d
" The dispatches & Brigadier Gmei., -Om Jes,!
de Zagas, and of Lieutenant Gencyai 1.)474,e it
Alburqaerque, Nos. 2 and 3 (n it ye: pu..iiis::ed)
plain the particulars of the (NI !!:e moaning of
that day, and in which the ecrps
acquired great credit for their firmness
" Thus the evening of the D.lLh concluded ;
after having conferred with General Wellesley t:,‘:
night on our situation, I resolved repass the .;1.
berche on the morning of the lollosring day,
we agreed that the right line should be taken L
Spanish, and the left by the Englisli'army. The 111,.,
lish vanguard remained during that night in :;:-
gas, and on the heights 'tzar it, under Lieuterfnnt Ge-
neral Sherbrooke, with orders to retire to the .'i+pll•
site side of the river, which were obeyed on the M 1.1.1-
ing of the 27th.
I must now observe, that at dawn on 07e
Marshal Victor had withdrawn from the post I.e t.c-
oupied on the shores of the Alberche, in order to µ•.- -•:d
the attack meditated on that day by the allied army ;
and he afterwards united' himself, in the neighb,t4-
hood of Toledo, with the forces under Genet ai Seint-
tiani, and with eight thousand men composiag the
guard of the royal impostor, who took the command
of the whole, thus congregated, assisted by Marshal
Jourdan and Victor, and by General Sebasiiani.

" It now appeared that the enemy wished to bir.,.!
on a general action, by the frequent approach is
advanced guard, and by the occupation of Santa 011 ala
by the whole of his army on the evening of the 2titli.
His outposts then approached the allied army. Ties
circumstanced, at break of day on the 27t1:, the p.)-
sition agreed upon was taken ; and Sir itthin kVe!-
lesley ordered General Mackenzie, with a division of
English infantry and a brigade of cavalry, to ciLti.
nue in the olive plantation on the right side et :n
Alberche, where this party, composing the vanguard,
might cover the right flank of the British army.
" The whole combined army occupied an exteat
of ground of above three miles ; the right towa:Ji
the Tagus, was covered by our native troops reach-
ing to the front of Talavera. The ground on ew
lett was occupiil by the English army, open to and
commanded by an elevation, where was assembled is
a second line a division of English infantry, ial:Itl:c
orders of General Hill. Between this hei:;at
chain of mountains at some distance, thi.re is an
closure, which, in the first instance, General
ley did not order to he defended, because is was c,.:;:-
manded by the height, and because it wiri cvsi&rei
too distant to he useful in the approaching battle.--
The whole of the;;round on which the
was drawn up, was covered with dive plantic.: .i.,1
intersected by sinuosities, inequalities, and c(-trig'‘.
The great road towards the bridge of Alberclic
defended by a strong battery, served by ow:
try, in front of the Hermitage of Our Lady Pi
Prado. The other avenues of the district were u_-
fended in 'a similar manner. Talavera was protec,
ted by an appointed garrison, and the rest the Spa-
nish infantry, forming two lines, was placed braiad
village which is at the extremity of the districr,
formed a line in continuation of the position taken by
the English army. In the centre, and between thz
two armies, there was a rising ground, where. the Eng-
lish had begun to construct a rong redoi!bt,liarir&
in their rear a small plain. ..t this point was sta,
timed the English General Campbell, who c am rital•
ded a division of infantry, slipporked by the brigade