Star.
London, England, 1809-07-19 00:00:00


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TARPAGONA,.JUNE S.
The skirmishes which take place in this country
are incessant, and greatly harass the French. The
'regular force of the enemy prepohderating over our
own, he has had the audacity to undertake the siege
of Gerona. The division before that fortress has been
reinforced by four or five thousand Miqueletes, f-rorn i
French Roussillost. These troops are said to have
been led by' the traitors Garriga and Duran. The
enemy will not fail to be driven back with shame.
LETTER OF GENERAL BLAKE TO THE SECRETARY OF
THE WAR DEPARTMENT..
4‘ Head Quarters, Caspe, May 30.
tg MOST EXCELLENT Slit.--I communicated to you,
OR the 21st inst. the evacuation of Alcaniz by the
enemy, and their retreat to Hijar, Puebla de Hijar,
and Samper. In the latter place they left a pretty
strong detachment. On the 21st I sent D. Casimero
Loy, Lieutenant Colonel of the Spanish hussars, with
eighty men of his regiment and two hundred volun-
teers of Valencia, to reconnoitre the positions of the
enemy. He not only effected his purpose but attack.
ed the detachment stationed at Samper, forced them
to abandon their quarters and baggage, atid 'retreat
to Puebla de Hijar.
" Meanwhile the enemy were joined by the troops
which they expected from Zaragoza to the number o!
three thousand men. Having thus collected a force
of ten thousand infantry, eight hundred cavalry,
and twelve pieces of cannon, they marched fi)ril..ard to
attack us. Informed of their movements, we pre-
pared to give them a proper reception.
" The plain of Alcaniz, which has witnessed this
glorious action, is surrounded with mountains of un- 1
equal heights, and at various distances from the posi-
tion which our troops occupied. At about two mus-
ket shots from the city rise some hills accessible to
cavalry, and divided in the centre by the road to the
capital, which sinks with a gentle graduation till it
reaches the plain. On these hills the main body of
our army was placed, its flanks supported by two bat-
teries, which, as well as some others in the centre,
protected effectually the whole extent of our line.
" The part.2f the plain which lay on our right is
the lowest, and forms a kind of fen, the more dan-
gerous, as it is covered with trees. The heights which
surround the orchard terminate at a short distance,
from this fen, and are commanded by a single hill on
the top, on whick stands an hermitage, that serves as
a key to the road to Caspe, which runs in that direc-
tion. In order to prevent the enemy from availing
themselves of the advantages which this position
offered, it was occupied by two thousand men, com-
posed of the battalions of Daroca, the reserve of Ar-
ragon, the sharp-shooters of Murcia, and the 2d di-
vision of Volunteers of Arragon, under the command
of Field Marshal D Juan Carlos Areizaga.
44 The vanguard were posted on one of the heights
in front of our position, and consisted of a battalion
of Ferdinand VII. three hundred men of dee battalion
of Volunteers of Valencia, two cotnpanies of grena-
diers of the regiment of America, and. two others of
that of 'Frazier, under the orders of Lieutenant Co-
lonel D. Pedro Texada.

" In the olive gr-unds on our left were placed our
light troops, to prevent our being surrounded, and
the cavalry commanded by the Brigadier D. Miguel
Ihariola, took post in advance of our position on the
road to Zaragoza.
" At six in the morning the enemy shewed them-
selves on the heights in our front, and directed a
warm fire against our advanced troops, which fell
back towards the corps to which they belonged. The
vanguard, supported by the cavalry, and several
pieces of flying artillery, not being able to resist the
superior numbers of the enemy, retreated, the infan-
try to the Hermitage, and the cavalry under the pro-
tection of our batteries, which began to fire upon the
enemy with no small effect.
66 It was necessary to take possession of the Her-
mitage and route the corps by whom it was defended.
in order to attack our position. The enemy, ther%!
fore, advanced over the neighbouring heights towierd.'
the post guarded by Areizaga, but their fire of mus
ketr,y and artillery was coc.rageously supported and
returned by our infantry, to the assistance of which a
howitzer had been sent. Yet the enemy did not desist
from their attempt, but by an incessant fire from the
whole of their line, covered the march of a close co-
lumn of 900 or 1000 grenadiers, who, with their bay-
onets fixed, and horrid yells, rushed to the foot of the
hill on which the Hermitage stood—but their impe-
tuosity yielded to the firmness of our troops, and they
soon shewed their backs to our warriors.

" Perceiving that the enemy did not seem to have
given up his intention of taking the post of the Her-
mitage, I ordered Colonel D. Martin de Manchaca,
to attack their centre, in order to form a diversion in
favour of our right. Notwithstanding this movement
they renewed their attack on the Hermitage, and
met with a similar repulse.
I had previously ordered the cavalry to repair',
from the road of Zaragoza to that of Caspe, to join
Areizaga, but no sooner did it issue from the plain,
than it received a discharge from the French infantry,l
by which Brigadier D. Miguel Ibarrola was wounded.
Their cavalry then charged ours with great advantage,'
and compelled it to abandon its position. Unable to
fore,e our right, the enemy suddenly attacked Man-
chaca's advanced column.

" As it was merely intended to make a diversion,
and was in a situation in which it could defend itself
long, it fell back upon the main army, with the ex-
ception of the first light battalion of Zaragoza, which
effected its retreat to the Hermitage. This success
-induced the enemy to attempt passing through our
centre In order to execute this bold design, they
formed themselves in our front, and under the pro-
tection of a tremendous fire of musketry and artillery,
sent a column of 2000 men by the road of Zaragoza,
which passed through the middle of our position.
" In its course, this column routed every thing be-
fore it ; neither the fire of our infantry, nor the
quickly-repeated discharges of our artillei y were able
to check its progres. Resolutely scorning every dan-
ger, it rushed impetuously forward to take possession
of our centre batteries, and had not fortunately the
Officers by whom they were served, preserved the
most astonishing coolness, and reserved their fire until
the enemy almost touched the mouth of our cannons,
the French had perhaps then succeeded to break- our
line: The fire of musketry of a battalion of the Ist
and 2d regiments of Vakncia, and one of that of
America ..placed on the left of our centre, contributed,
greatly to its security.
" In the frenzy of his attack, the enemy almost