Star.
London, England, 1811-10-18 00:00:00

WELLINGTON'S ARMY.

" Rovina, September 21.
44 I travelled from Lisbon to Nive in company with
Captain The latter place is our head-quar-
ters, and distant about a league and a half from the
frontiers. Nearly all the way from Lisbon here, ex-
cept in a very few instances, is a continued scene of
depopulation and misery ; almost every village, par-
ticularly those by which the French retreated, are en-
tirely destroyed. The churches seem to have been
a particular scene of devastation, they are quite in
ruins, even the graves opened, and bodies and coffins
strewed about in every direction ; it is impossible to
say what misery the French have caused in this
wretched country. The only town during my march
through a great portion of the country, that bore any
sign of returning prosperity was Santarem, it is the
boundary of the lines, and is a noble position. That
you may be enabled to trace my route on the map, I
shall name some of the principal towns from Lisbon,
all along the banks of the Tagus, to Abrantes, through
Villa Franca, Azembaja, Santarem, Goligao ;—near
the latter place we crossed the Zizere on a bridge of
boats, and reached Abrantes. I again crossed on
a bridge of boats, over the Tagus, to Gaviao,. then
Nive, Castello Branco, Peira, Macor, Sabugal,
and Nive. Some of the way was over dreadful roads,
along high mountains, over tremendous precipices.
—You, being accustomed to English roads, can have
no idea of the way, nor can any thing I can write
give you a sufficient idea of these miserable roads.
There is scarcely any siga of cultivation from Abran-
tes. Here is one continued scene of barren atoun-
tains, sial, sand, and stones ; and yet in these bar-
ren places the olive, orange, and lemon-trees, and
almost every scarce and valuable hot-house plant,
flourish most luxuriantly, and in some places form-
ing the most wild romantic views that can be ima-
gined. For every day of my march, the heat Was
almost insufferable, and these last two torrents of rain
have come down, and it now resembles a very cold
March English day. Lord Wellington's head-quar-
ters are at Fuentes de Guinaldo, three leagues south
of Cividad Rodrigo ; he has with him six divisions of
the army, and three brigades of cavalry. The light
division is .ia advance towards Civialad. I inaagipe,
Lord Wellington will not invest Cividad Rodrigo.
The battering train consists of seventy pieces of heavy
ordnance, each require 20 bollocks to get it alongs
and with carts, ammunition, Scc. &c. required 500
bullocks; it, when on the move, readied near a
league ate,a halt. They came from Oporto, up the
Douro, to Lamego, thence proceeded to Villa d.!
Ponte, and Francoso, where they received orders to
halt. Unless with a certainty of success, to move such !
an immense body, would be dangerous; in case of a
sudden retreat all would be lost. I fear nothing can
be done this some time. The last return of men and
horses at combat amounted to 17,000, and 700 0 fti-1
cers—a dreadful number. The 12th have nearly
One half in hospital. Part of General Hilt's division,
consisting of the Buffs and 57th, both very strong,
being reinforced from their two battalions, are at
Castello Branco ; also the 29th, 31st, and 66th.—
These three form one provisional brigade, and are
not more than 450 strong. An attack was expected
upon the bridge of Boats (near Villa Vellia) over the
Tagus. By very great labour they were got iso far
up the river : it they were destroyed, our supplies
from the extensive Abrantes depot would be cut off.
Apprehending this has caused the move to Castello
Branco, an order came to us yesterday, to send our
, bullocks and carts to Nive, for the conveyance of the
sick to the rear, and for us, with three days rations'
of meat, biscuit, and rice, to be ready to march at a ,
moment ; three days provisions also for the horses.
We expected to move during the night, but did not.
Our forage here consists of rushes and straw, for
which we have sometimes to send two leagues, and
an allowance of 101bs. of corn a day : with our work
and food the nags do not look quite so fat and sleek
as in England. From sickness we were relieved from
the advance, which, with the Royals, under General
Slade, we had made with General Alton's brigade,
the 11th and Ist Germans.

" Murrell', October 1.
" I have not had a moment to myself since the
prior date of this letter, Monday, 23—We marched
to Ituera, in Spain, and iivemaid under the trees,
that is, the heavens were our only covering.—Toes.
day, advanced to Campello, where we had the same
accommodation that we had the night before.—Wed-
nesday, 25—We were on horseback an hour before
day, and returned to our breakfast ; we were scarcely
back when, without our drinine, we again mounted ;
the French being advancing, a Lieutenant was sent
forward to reconnoitre, and to report the movements
to Gen. Pack and Slade. He saw the French about
a mile in his front driven down a hill near Elbadon,
which they endeavoured to possess themselves of four
times. At last we retired; the 3d and 4th divisions,
with the 11th and Ist Germans, were warmly enga-
ged ; the cavalry (the 12th) charged them 8 times.
—Having again joined the brigade on the plains
of Gninaldo we advanced to attack them : they de-
clined it, we remained in our position all night, and
the whole of die next day, when at nine P. M.
(Thursday, 26th) we retreated to Albegeria,liveeec'd,
we were scarcely mounted on Friday, when some
French patroles came on ; we skirmished with them
the whole of the day ; the balls from the infantry
whistled about very thick ; we fell back behind Al.
&yaws, aad had some slight skirmishes. Saturday