Star.
London, England, 1811-04-16 00:00:00

• •

itorieriti Waft ask Ow
as my well 1 On the Nod /MI I art
a great many deid Frenchmen, and a vast aumber of
bottles, mules, and asses. This retreat is elual to -a
victory."
Estrus of * Letter from a Gentleman vase seemitpmdrd Lard
Wellington's Army in Fungi: of the French, this their retreat
from Santarem 3
" It is impossible to describe the scenes of horror
of which I have been an eye.witnen, sod which will
for ever brand the name of Macsena with execration.
It is htrti for any one to believe that human nature
could be guilty of such ebormus and wanton wicked-
ness. The city of Leyria had been eleven days ca ire
when I was there, and was burning still. Every Wag
that could be taken away was removed, and the test
destroyed. The images in the churches were is
pieces, the graves were actually opened for the sake
of plunder. The nuns and friars. at all the town
where we came, had fled to the mountains ; their
convents were destroyed, and we found none bat a
few Pertugneseperishing withhunger andillareatmeat,
4, At every place where we halted, if we saw any
thing like a house with a door standing, we made it
our -head-quarters, and took possession of any table or
chair that might have escaped the general devastation,
as the mansions had no tenants to dispute our rights—
All was dreadful silence and desolation. The floors
of almost every-house had been pulled up wherever we
passed, particularly at Leyria, where there were about
12 miserable wretches, who had been unable to move

from wounds and famine, some of whom expired be.
fore us. This city four years ago contained 80,000 in-
habitants. Libraries were burned and scattered, and
it seemed to be the intention of the enemy to leave a
dreadful memorial of their fury, that never should be
effaced from the recollection (4 the country."
A letter from an Officer gives the following pare,.
culars of the 'victory obtained by Marshal Buts.
FORD :—The French were di iven, it appears, from
Portalegre on the 25th, and closely pursued by our
troops until they came to Campo Maier, where they
formed on a hill to the right of that town. The 13th
Light Dragoons, the 3d Dragoon Guards, and tbe4th
Dragoons, immediately charged, and with the assist
tance of some pieces of artillery, which cattle up at the
moment, drove the French two miles towards Badajos,
Here four regiments of French cavalry, viz. the VOtla
and 25th Dragoons, and the 4th and 10th Hussars,
wheeled round, and prepared to receivE the charge of
our brave cavalry. The 13th Dragoons, which wets
in advance, hesitated not an instant, but charged the
four French regiments, in the usual style of British
troops. 'They quickly succeeded in forcing a passage
through the enemy'sline,wkich was immediately closed,
at their rein At this critical time, the 19th wheeled,
charged, and cut their way through a second time.
The French Infantry then commenced a heavy fire on
these gallant (allows, who continued to pursue tbt
enemy until he took shelter under the walls of Dada.
jos. From the account of the French. Quarter.master
taken prisoner, we learn that the French cavalry
amounted to 880 men, the 13th did not exceed 200.
—A great number of prisoners were taken, and the
road was covered with the slain of the enemy. The
letter speaks io terms of high commendation of Cala
nel HIAD, Who commands the 13th, and of the gels
lant manner in which General Lona led them to the
charge. We had 40 men killed, and $9 wounded.
Lieutenant SMITH, of the 13:11, a fine young Officer,
is wounded, rather dangerously ; Lieutenant Gm.%
and the Adjutant, were likewise wounded, The 15th
were at one time in possession of 16 pieces of artillery
and a quantity of baggage ; but were reluctantly
obliged to abandon them to a large body of the enemy,
who unexpectedly made its appearance.

'l`iiF. 0' E iCgit STA a.

LONDON.

TUESDAY. APRIL 16.
EAsTti-TvDAT—Haliday at tie Public.olllces.

We stated yesterday that accounts had ,been re.
ceived from Oporto, via Guernsey, of the &lett of
Manful Nay's Division. The account came, at wt
before stated, from the Prince de BOUILLON, but the
victory is said to have been effected by Lord Wet-
tworox--not by Marshal BILNILSFORD, as at first
ported.—A letter from Guernsey gives the following
particulars :

a GUERNSEY; APRIL 11.

" The ship Eliza, from Oporto, which she left on
the 4th inst. brings intelligence that, just before bee
departure the Captain had seen the Consul and ano-
ther person, who told him that accounts had been ob-
tained from Lord Weizatacrron's army, that Marshal
NKr, and 7000 men, had been surprised and takes
prisoners."
It is known that the allied army was to be collected
in the neighbourhood of Celerico on the 28th ult. anti
that the enemy had withdrawn from Pilau: across
the Coa. The Coa is distant not more than two mart
from Almeida ; ,Almeida is between six and seven
leagues from Guarda ; and Celerico is nearly opposite
to the centre, or rather to the kft of the centre, of the
extended line occupied by the enemy ; for it is stated
that the French were in strength at Guarda. Nothing
therefore can be more probable than that the troops
occupying this position at Guarda ( if these were NO'S
division, but of this we know nothing) may, by a
spirited movemrsa on the part of Lord WoczitroroN,
have been cut off from the main body. It is known
that Net commanded the rear-guard of MAsscria's
army on the retreat ; but in the absence of any far-
ther official accounts from the allied army we mot
wait with patience their arrival, expressing in the
mean time our strong conviction that the present re-
port is not altogether without foundation.
In the mean time we have to announce the arrival
of the Monitnie of the 9th inst. containing the French
account of the retreat of MASSENTA up to the 23d ult.
when his head-quarters were at Celerico, and on which
day one of his Aid de-Camps was dispatched to PA:.i
with the intelligence of the retrograde movenicats of
the French arm'

The immediate cause of the retreat is stated, sui

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