Star.
London, England, 1812-09-08 00:00:00

• THE „FiLkqOF PRUSSIA

The late conduct, and the consequent fate of the
King of Reuesta eehibits a fresh instance of the pu-
'milaninsity of the Continental Sotereigits. and reads
p severe hut salutary lesson to the nations over which
they rule. do late as September 1811, FREDERIC..
Wieiaan was warned of the approach of the storm
th:st was soon to hang over his own dominions, and
burst upon the whole of the North of Europe. He
erned to be senehle of the perils that menaced him
v listened to the advice of those who admonished him
p prepare to meet them, and immediately issued or.
ders for making those preparations for defence, of
!which the threat and approach of such an attack so
forcibly incnlcated the necessity. He was still in
poxseskire of eight fortresses of greater or less strength,
land measures were ordered and taken for putting
them in an adequate state of defence. With.the su-
perintendance of 'this work General Hummel was
entrusted, whose patriotic spirit apd military talents
have been too coaspiceonsly displayed now to require
any notice or panegyric, 137 the indefatigable ens..
tiqng of that distinguished veteran, the eight Prussian
• fortresses were soon supplied with suitable garrisons
and storey of every description ; fresh levies were
raised,• and the whole Prussian army placed on the
prat reipeetahle and formidable 'both*. It never
appeared, to be better appointed and equipped, or to
be aninaited by a better spirit. These preparation;
Were tarried i n with the knowledge 'of 'Russia and
Great Britain, and in concert with the 'Governments
or the two countries. It has even been calculated
Ispy General Ilieucosa how long each of 'these for-
tresl-,s might stand out against the enemy •; and the
p•• ed of their resistance was expected to. be MI6-
,e-aetly protragted to allow of the apprdach of the
-Russian army-to co-operate with the Prussians against
the common invader. BONAPARTE was, as- usual,
-poon apprised of the preparations and determinations
pf Prussia toresist, and accordingly communicated his
koowledge of them to the King of PRUSSIA, first with
soliciting to desist from such preparations, and soon
.-Pfter with remonstrances and threats if he did not.
13e even insisted that General Beuenia should be re-
.-inoved from the command, and that all warlike pre.
partitions sit( uld be instantly discontinued. Bona-
*muse it seems, was well acquainted, by former ex-
perience, with the character he had to deal with; and
134 •threats had accordingly the effect of unnerving
the mind, and altering the resolutions of faznaruc-
Wmerast, linder the influence of this new penis,'
ISM only did 'he countermand all further pprepara-
.
• .pons tot resistance, but to still More servile acquies-
' eent‘e in BouaranTes wishes, he not only dismissed]
rtuculit from' his command, but ordered that faith-1
d adviser and tried general to withdraw froth hie
dominions. What ensued is present to every mind:
French aroops took possession of all the Prussian for-
tresses, and 'even of the capital of Prussia; where they
closely Watched the Prussian Monarch as their pri-
soner ; and now that he his tamely submitted to all
the orders, and answered all the views of the Corsi-
Fan, he is at' last commanded to abdicate his Royal
authority, andto transfer it to the hands of his Mi-
nister, who, perhaps, was the tool of the very man
!silo dethrones him 1 thus compelled to reward the
treachery and season of thp servant who prepared
- his fall, and helped to deliver him into the power of
his enemy. Such is' the destiny that naturally awaits
such pUsillanimous -Prince's. •
naI:MAIO WILLIAM is now confounded with a
Louts OTia JEROME pONAEARTF, and Ordered, like
them, to the baths or springs of some watering place,,
for the supposed recovery of his health. Will he there
find even the drowsy virtue of the 'Lethean stream
to induce thioblivion of his former elevation and hie
Pre!e4 fsU f

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.."01 tale

• '•••*1%'..,••••

fPAklilf PAPER.

9111141:r4 lii 1419UsT e.
In consequence of notice received' from Cartha-
gena, dated, the '2Bth ult.' of an individual 'having
died in Maiarriin; six leagues from that city, 'of the
Yellow; (flier: all eenlniunifatio'n 'between this garri-
son by Liitd, aiid.the neigfilioiirhood;"his been
ped Vessels proCeilding from '
the East, the ports
of Malta,' 6CCilye4tidCtidetia excepted, are to. per-
form qu'arii'aine fir 14 ' Those 'from the West,
its tar a. lymortfel.'inlucitrig the Bay of Gibraltar,
Ceuta, and the 6trilights',. only 10 days. • '`. •
, AUGUST a. • •
•
•.
154140* 1541 f, Ai, 'Martin Ins marched for
Madrid *with 'in4, 600 horse, for .die
purpose of joining the iftrucig'wbe stirronnd that place:
lln the older thi day of the 13th instni; to the
Frenidis'enny brthe ontlii they are informed 'that
pie* niigft tfieli'Filfecti, • as. thy,.!ere going to
parch to reViiiis4l4e sutra gg committed upon the
Imperial Eagle* fortifications of Al-
cola have burn abandoned: Medina has been eva-
kuated. ' 4.- • ••• -0. •. ,
• pv,lltE, 4t.10,74T p.
It appears that Soc. t has thoughts of attaching the
'English, for Oh ch great preparstiOns are making.
.4Y4)401,.7;, 41./61/ST 11. •
• Apercon . &Ville; who informs
Ins; th..t on the 6:b, a great requisition Was'inae
there oriwore th4"n TWO horses if all Orts.;—le Was
• said they were ping . " "
CADIZ, AUGUST 11.
General Esp.l has frAimit4Stor Es-
te June %.9th.' statements of *Maui encounters
Which his troffs h ive had ieith thesooesny. Five,
liundted' kili:4.4' with` bilk loss our part. 'ate the
fruits .0 'these attact& prFlhninirt to a isiviiiitable
'action.
• Awousr 1/1.-T4t appears that Conde Moirilla
"ire in the Coniaollt de whert farm
cores trues to 12,L90 men. • •
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1

Atlaiss ntsgtish entered Mal
I It& Joseph. with his fugitive co" was
rombined expedition from the Mec
has, in nuotber 14.,009 men, effected its d
tion Ia Alicante. We skre assured of our
taken an 4meripas ship with 60Q0 moskets, _
fqt Caraeeu.
Anwar 18.-The pipers .come sown from Murcia
to the 9th instant, bringing acconots of three actions
fought by the Enspecinado ; in the last he received
' a hill in hii breast, which, according to the latest
.telligence, will not prove mortal.
On the 12th, Generals Villate and Brigno were in
Bornos aod Villemarten with a, division, ready either'
to act,against Ballastero_s, or proceed to Seville.
Auousr 10.—Ii is said, that Soult, leaving a gar-
rison in themes before this place, has collected the
remainder of his forces from Andalusia, one of which
be has marched in the direction of Talavera, and the
other of La Mancha. According to letters from
Madrid, of the Ist August, General Meodizabal en-
tered tilboa on the 23d July ; and under date of the
6th, that more than 3000 juranontados had deserted
Joseph.

4ei

_
OFFICIAL ARTICLE.
The Brigadier Adjutant-General of Staff, Don haw Poroces
and Moxie 4, Chief of the Staff of the Second and Third Art
mks, writes from Orehuela, undtr date of the 51st July, to
the Chief of the General Staff, as follows ;
f' E.xcuLaNT Ste--,I have giyen your Excellency
as account of the onfortunate attack made by the
greater part-te' the disposable force of the 'Second
nnerhird Armies, ou the 21st July, on the points ofl
Castellas, Ibi, and others in the Servaacas, in which
was situated Suchet's advance.
,‘ On the 26th the enemy, as I informed yon, had
made no movement, and to-day they still remain In
the same positions, as all our troops, though much
reduced, in those they occupied anterior to the of.
.titer. The following are the details :
" It being the object of his Excellency the Coos-
mander in Chief, according to his well.digested and:
combined plan, to attack, beat, and drive the enemy
from the points maintained in our frdnt to the left!
banks of the Jucer, the requisite orders were given
for the movement of troops, which was immediately
commenced by the Ist battalion of Burgos, and the
2d of Majorca, which entered Alicant on the night of
the 18th instant, marched to the mole, and made a
feint of embarking in the English and Spanish shim'
Which the 2d battalion of .Majorca only did. This, ,
with the number of ships of which the convoy was
composed, in appearance carrying a great number
of troops'for disembarkation, was intended, and sue.
ceeded in amusing the enemy in the towns on the coast.
" On the night of the 20th, the right of our lioe
landed between Xyena and Ibi, which point was to
be attacked the following day by the division of re-
serve, which sailed from Alicant, with the regiments
of Coincella, Canaries, Volunteers of Aiken:, thirty
miners, fifty horses, and the first battalion of Burgos,
the whole under the command of Field. Marshal
Roche and Brigadier Creagh. The centre bivouacked
within half a league of Castella, with the Corunna
and-Guadix battalions, under Brigadier Machilimi, '
and the reserve, with the battalions of the Royal
Walloon Guards, and the Ist of nadajoz and Cuen-
ma, under the command of the Conde de Montego,
a league in its rear, passed the Yenta de Tibe.
" The left wing, composed of the third section of
infantry, the battalions of Baylen, Alcazar, and Lo-
rea, and the second of horse, with the provisional re-
giment of Hussars, and the Ist and gd dragoons,
both directed by Brigadier Santestiban and Colonel
Meayres, were, the latter beyond Pitrel, and the for.
merialthough he ought to have been between Saland
Biar, placed himself in Villena, both having for ob-
ject to attack the points of Castella, Ooel and Bier,
and fall upon Ibi, if the enemy should unite in it,
and not stiffer to fall unpunished on the centre and
right of our line. 'Their cavalry, the greater part
of whom were known tp be in Biar, two pieces of ar-
tillery and two sqnadronsaf the 2d tegiment of provi-
sional cavalry, remained two leagues from Castellar.
" From these positions the troops marched on the
morning of the 21st, the guerillas having opened
their fire at three in the morning, both on the centre
within sight of Castella, and Uu thy' right wing its
front of Abi. At break of day the infantry of the
left were at the Siena de Ced, and haying discovered
the enemy, the Tiradores and Alcazar regimeot
were ordered to descend by the west side of the castle
of Castella, the other corps following, which move-
ment, without doubt, obliged the French to abandon
the place, through which Michelana passed, pursu-
ing the enemy. .
" Our opponents made a firm stand and augmen-
ted their fire from three or four pieces of artillery in
a- battery, which they had in the direction of IN,
when some cavalry and infantry reinforced them ;
potwitlistanding which the attack began at that point,
and the guerillas penetrated into the place, without
regarding the fire of a cannon placed on a wall.—
Our two pieces, with the squadrons of the provincial
firlfarry;PaSied by Castella, and the reserve was pla-
ced upon its right ; when I took for granted the in-
fantiy of the leffivai in the valley ; and some 150
cuirassier pipepting themselves in front of our squa-
dron's were imtiediatety attacked by the latter, and
obliged to fly:"' At'thiS fiery moment 400 dragoons,
whOhad been in giar, hastily advanced, an char.
ging with great rapidity elm short number of cavalry,
And part of the infantry, succeeded in surrounding
the former, to Which the cOifassiers assisted, putting
in disorder tke Miayres, CitArans, and also sabring
,those of cosur.aa and Guadiz:—
~ His Lacellency the'Cominander in Chierobierv-
ing this, went in person, ordered the reserve to be
formkd'en mane, and placed his battalions in eschelons
•ii'pon the road, and caused the' Whllocins to march
towards the flank of the enemy; 'but their cavalry,
which pursued our beite.i troops, endeavoured to sur-
round them upon the right ; and although they wete
grade to change their airection, they charged With
lila unNualled O•ortiptitude, that our troops had
got time tJ tire at single shot, being either sabred or
taken prisoners.
I''l4 On this accident tie Badajos Regiment gpt into
dist). rder ; Vilat' of Cuenca inamtained itself froth res-
alining the enetny,''and retired iti'goodotder fel the
'smelts of the Sierra Cole,' which gave an opportunity
to link of our 'lwo' hewn lquadrdoh wAicb took to
,
:he'X.iid Sierra to join; prat eetec by the Mena Re-
gimei;t; IA hd in this 4ay gave Proofs of its discipline.
" The enemy being now freed frOta the Cat vihkh
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#sei F • • •
tigritexeCtifoft Caste le tamed dam, mitt Wenn"
mides.valry against Oar svoops'atlbi. The serenity
/if thee troops, and itie manner in whigh thity re-
ceived the enemy, causing them great loss, and ob-
ng them to retrocede thrice, merit euloginre, and
prove the state of discipline, and what may always
be expected from sorb troops,
Its •CommxnAustp•after discovering die neon
of the centre, observed the reitgorcement. Colllllls
from Ahoy, and in the greatest order disposed his
retreat, being much incommoded in it by the enemy,
part of whom marched upon his flank, placing them-
selves in the Sierras, Notwithstanding all this, some.
times taking positions, and sometimes dislodging the
enemy from theirs, his division pursued its retreat
to Xigona, and from thence to Ailicant, with its
wounded.
44 Brigadier Santesieban, with the section of horse..
arrived in the neighbourhood at-break of day; took
a position behind that town ; and between 4i I And
seven in the morning, when he had intelligence of
the enemy having evacuated Bier, marched for this
town, advancing a squadron, but the lateness of this
movement prevented his support in at action, and
was, in my opinion, the principal eittse of its being
lost. Our loss is excessive. compared to that of the
enemy ; but in the midst of our misfortune, the beha-
viour of the troops appears to be encouraging, since
to avoid dispersion they allowed themselves to be
killed, wounded, and made prisoners, We sufficiently
know from the declarations of the Chiefs and Officers
taken prisoners, that the loss in killed and wounded
was very great."

,
711 E 45124A15H CORM.

SEVENTEENTH DAY.

Senor the Marquis of VW.* FRANCA delivered a
representation of the Superior Junta of Murcia, in
which it was asserted, that the misfortune of the Se-
cond and Third Army, was greater than had been
Stated by the General in Chief, Don Jose O'Donnel,
in his dispatches ; that all the forces of the province
had been useless ; that the action at B4za, which the.
Gisette of the Regency had represented atsilltictorr;
had been. nearly .as. disastrous as that at Camelia,
though not conspicuously so. He proposed, there-
lore, that all the Cniefs of that army should be
;hanged, including the Staff, on account of the little
confidence which the people have in them. He said
that the number of the enemy was about 8000 men,
;Ind our forces exceeded ten thousand. :le demanded
a speedy remedy.
The dispatch of General Cl'Deptiel. was read—in
which he says, shafrtlie Army, the action of Cas-
, tella, after having gained .advaptages., had suffered
I some loss, in consequence of 'this squadrons of ca-
valry having been beaten on the left fl Ink—that he
hoped the action would have nd ill consequences,
though he sensibly felt that it hadlrustrated his de- i
signs. The dispatch of the &line General, relative to
the action at llama, was read.
Senor Vii.t.nrausva proposed that the Regency
should be requested to furnish fulland accurate intim.-
rnation on the whole. .

The Count Ds Toassiss proposed that the Secre-
tor y at War should be sent tur.
Senor Taiwan, after having referred to ilitlol3s
notes which he had relative to this action, and shit,
conduct of the Commander-in-Chiet, added, that it
was suggested he had a firm support in the Regenty
because his brother was a Regent—but surely, said
he, neither he nor his broths can think themselves
secure in your presence, unless they have justice on
their side.

fi resolution was thdn read, passed by the Con',
gress in secret session, in the time of the former Re-
gency, authorising General Ballasteros, who was to
go to to require, by means of the Intea
dant of that.army, such supplies as he might think
necessary for the subsistence of the army, the cons-.
mind of which they entrusted to him. He said that
this order of the Congress had been decidedly fOr
General Ballasteros, and not for any other chief ;
but that the present Regency having assumed the
Government, they conferred the command of that
army with those means upon General O'Donnel.—
He observed also that Senor Ribas, the Intendant of
that army, was the brother of another of the Regents,
so that there existed a kind of semi-Regency, without
the knowledge of the Congress. He proposed, and
it was unanimously approved, that the Regency
should be applied to, to send immediately to toe Con-
grecs the Secretary at War, with the original dis-
patches which the Regency had received relative vs
the action at Castello, with the orders and provisions
made by the Regency to investigate the causes of
the loss of this action, the change of the General in
Chief, and the destination of the former.
After Some other business had been gone through,
the Minister at War appeared, and read the dispatch,
which the General in Chief had transmitted relative
to the action in quest,ion.
' It appeared that the cavalry, under the command
of hrigacher-General Santestevan, which ahould hat*
li.een between §a* and year, had posted itself behirld
Villena, withouttlie knowledge of the General • thek:
the first charge of the cavalry was repulsed, bat
not the second, to which the infantry was sabred,
the battalions of Cadiz and Corona not moving, that
the enemy's cavalry was Checked by the regiment of
Cuenca, under its Colooel, the Count del Montigoj
accompanied by the General in Chief—that the
enemy only pursued the army to about a league and
a hall from Castalla—thaeall the battalions (except
that of Badajos, which fell into diearder without
being charged) behaved perfecOy well, as likewise
did the provisional squadrons' of the line; and the or.
dinanzas of the General ; that thiindery would have
been ours, if Brigadier Saniestevan had acted with
the 763 horse under his command qo the left; he was
immediately suspended. The date of this dispatch'
.
is Orchuela, July 30.
That the statement of the loss was as follows; I,
,
officeni 3, Officers 13, dadetsS, ;
serjeants 16, soldiers 364, horses 4—Wounded, P.
opal officers I,' Officers 30, Cadets 4, serjeants 18,'
soldiers 401, 'hones B.—Prisoners, Principal officers ,
9, Officers 67, Cadets 8, Serjeants 102, soldiers 2685,
horsei 10. , He alto gave m a Statement • of the posi-
tions hecupied in .6 astella. by 'the enemy, and our
troops, and a copy of the initeuctions peen by the
dreneral, with one of the number of wbich the corps
eNnsisted ; as alio the declaration of an officer taken
prisoner, who hid escaped, which wasp that there had

__

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yeti

•isfe
ism but few dispersed, almost the whole loss _
silting in killed, wounded, and prisoners.
The Regency has appointed Field Marshal N.
xavier slio, Commander in Chief of the 2d and 34
Army. and ordered him to nominate m; officer of
'character to enquire into this.
The PREEiDgarr-w,, I ask what de:genic:l;lmA%
given to General O'Donnel
The MINISTER—" The organization of 24 arm?
of reserve; to Senior Cruz Mounzeon, and in his sts,
ounce to Senior Lagoni, the comment:lot the Ito
Senor TRAVER called the attention of the
to the application of the deputation from Vateititi
the' Regency of Spain, to avoid this caw/1i
which they momentarily feared, and thought' '
this was a case which required responsibility,*
from General O'Donnel, but the Regency of Spa
He again mentioned the order (which in his amedo •
discintirse he quoted) relative to' General 4ause
notwithstanding which the Regency appoioMd%•
Joseph O'Donnel, who came flying from!**
General of the Secnnd and Third Arnsiesoakiekdo
authorication of' the Cortes alone gave to Gang
Ballasteros. He read the applications made to tile •
Regency and the Cor:es by the deputationlmovo,,
lencia.. They preferred charges against O'Doyad.
who was rewarded ; at present no complaint krt..,
ferred against O'Donnel ; it is against the R
of Spain that charges are preferred.. The G,Rees.
meat is bound to bring forward O'Dtmeeli the b.,
nour of his brother, the Regent, is compsomiked. It
is necessary that this investigation shoule be made
by, epme individuals of the Congress, Among the
military melt there AM none who can investigate it ;
all are under the infliieuce of the Regency. W)lae
will the astonished Congress say to the ctedect cf
the Regency in employing O'Donnel in eppesitiee
to the judgment of the nation. Let the invesugatiee
take place in Alicant, and not in Cadiz, as in the
case of General Blake, and let it be made by Been.
ties from the Cortes.
Senor VILLANUEVO (for tho information of flo.
vernment, as one of their Members was present) ita4
a paragraph from the Commission of. Goverieneet
from Valencia upon the state of the army. On the
14th, it in substance said, that from the occupation
of the capital, a force of 10,000 men had lorded it
over all the kingdom, and now only with 50u1 ma,
and some trifling parties ; that our army consists of
10,000 infantry, 1300 horse, and an abundant te.
tillery, in addition to an army of 6000 men in Ali.
cant. They complain that the inhabitants maintsia
an immense mass of men from a country which der
do not defend.
Senor TRAVER supported the propnsition, recces.
mended energy to ihe Congress, and said it was le.
sponsible to the nation.
EIGHTEENTH DAY.
The Secretary of War presented himself and took
his seat. The Commission of War inculcated do
necessity of investigating the disgrace of the Mini
'Army, in Casten*, according to the establided ism;
it did not approve of the prop *ions passed, and
therefore proposed,
Mat the Regency should inarrinfattly appaist a pm*
of acknowledged tompartialtey, who should torestleste setellee
upon this action, withm I; days.
xd. That a Copy of it be transmitted to &Ore,
r •
who would examine its legality, and that whoa eat nay
Ad it should be printed.
r 31. That it disapproved of the Regency hewing appointed Cr
sera! O'Douuts.r. General of an Army of Roserse, phut to kis
being tried and acquitted.

Senor GIRALDO strongly opposed the first of these
propositions, quoting the success of a similar com
mission given to the Governor Cf Peniitol4, antis
Navarro, (who subsequently suirendered that tot►
tress) to investigate the excesses of the 3d army, 4
La Mancha, a commission which no agent of Napa
leon could have discharged more to his satisfactios,
and stated that two of the Regents had two brothers
in that army. -
Senor CAFbIANY • entirely disproved of every
thing contained in the Report of the Commission of
War, and urged that strong measures should be
adopted in such critical circumstances. " Whit,"
he exclaimed, 4, route upon route—no care; excess
upon excess—no justice ! Who has the power of
remedying this ? Your Majesty alone, who is the
Father of .the Country, formed to save the Nation:
it is time to think of revenging the country, baclll
defended in some parts. What said Lucullus, van.
quished by the Parthians, to his soldiers who
wished to disperse, in presenting to them the head of
his son? 4, The grief is mine, the vengeance yours."
The Commission wishes the investigation to be bud•
ted to the General's conduct, and I wish that tir
should extend to the time when he took the cora
mend. I wish the Ministers to inform us of the Gen
neral's dispositions—whether he attacked or was at•
tacked— what were his forces, and what were those
of his opponents."
The Minister said, that the General's Report, read
yesterday, contained all the information demanded.
which could again be read if required.
Senor-Bosnia, disapproved thapropositions of the
Commission of War.
Senor CALATRAVA supported the Commission...-.a
Gpti forbid (he said.) that the functions of Gorr.
ment should be exercised by 180 persons—if the Re!
geney is blameable, render its responsibility effective.
Senor TriAveas44 Yeeterday I offered to probe
that the Regency was culpable. Iliad documents is
my hands for this purpose. Your Majesty either hat
or has not confidence in the Regency : if you haves
proceed—if not, act. I oppose the Comenission.”
Senor GOLFIF supported the Commission.
Senor Prztosuls proposed
1. That the Corte, order the Commission of Valencia dial
name a Commission, which, joine4l to that appointed by the Rl'
gency, shall assist at the investigation, as the most c!rtaln sins*
of ensuring the confidence of the Nation.
L That the proem:lap be printed.
S. That the General, whose military coodnit is beim Inver'•
gaud, be not ioeviduals of the Councils of .War, sad tilit egav
1 tersest be also ezatidoett as to the facts.
Senor AttGusums.--‘4 'Fhere is no confidence, in
'the nevernment. I enarely approve of ever,' thing'
said by Senor Calatrava. What confidence can the
nation have in a government whichhas di:-.lredited it •pl,
I
The Ministers retired, and :he Report of the Corn
missio. n was confirmed in all its parts.
Senor
vote, when the first and third were rejected, sad 01
Peligrin's propositions were then put to die'
second &proud. .