Star.
London, England, 1811-11-23 00:00:00

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sty's treepsllllled the village of Pm], which I had had also their horses shot under them. The brave
' quitted ; 6000 men attacked my right, which were Cola's! Gudin, of the 16th of the hue, although very
a fuel league from me. severely wounded, wished not to quit the bead of his
44 Finding myself thus outflanked on both sides, regiment. All the troops of the army, Monseigneur.
' I formed a determination to penetrate the centre of rivalled each other in the endeavour which should '
the enemy. Scarcsy had I quitted a height which I best serve his Majesty on this day ; they fought for
considered convenient to favour my attack, when seven hours, and followed up their victory to the
1000 cavalry and 6000 infantry came to occupy it in I close of night. I have been particularly satisfied with
ray place. The hussars af the 4th charged with va- , the incessant zeal with which my Aidessde-Camp and
lour, and though three times repulsed returned again ' my Staff have saved.
to the charge. " I shall not go at any length into particular ea-
4, The fire of nine 2f:-pounders, which were hatter- negyrics open the conduct of the Generals or ot the
ing in breech at Saguntum, could not repress the troops. I believe I have said enough on this head to
enthusiasm of the garrison ( f Saguntum, which, ob- your Serene Highness, when I detailed what they
serving a movement in their view in which they be- i had done on the field of battle. The result is, thel
lieved they might soon take a part, went so far as to victory of Saguntum places in the power of the Em.z
throw their caps into the air, and cry, " Come on to peror 4639 prisoners, of whom 230 are Officers, 40
victory !" This first effect was checked by our in- Colonels or Lieutenant-Colonels, two Field-Marshals,l
Pantry, which arrived in columns on the line of bat- 16 pieces of artillery, eight. caissons, 4200 English
de._ I ordered General Harispe to attack the enemy. muskets, and four stand of colours.
He advanced with General Paris, at the head of the " I have the honour to transmit to your Highness
7th of the line ; the 116th and the 3d of the Vistula a list, by name, of the officers prisoners, and an ag-
coming after, with their arms on the rt st, deployed, igregate statement, by regiments, of subaltern ofliters
under a heavy fire of grape and meeketty, like troops : and privates. . I
accustomed to conquer. The brave 7th carried the j " I beseech your Highness to call the attention and
breast-work with the bayonet, repulsed the ene-: goodness ot his Majesty to the officers in whose favour
my, and pursued them. Our artillery occupied the j I solicit rewards. lam assured, Monseigneur, that
breast-work, but the enemy returned to the charge. , they have rendered themselves worthy of them.
Our artillerymen were surrounded and sal4ed. Ce- I " I am, with respect, &c.
neral Boussart St. George, chief of a squadron, at I " Count SUCIIET, Marshal of the Empire.
the head of the 13th cuirassiers, vigorously charged f "Camp at Murviedro, Oct. 26."
1500 cavalry, which General Caro, brother of Ito-. To ills HIGHNESS Tills PDINCE OP WAGRALt AND NEUF-,
',"mairee brought up with great resolution. The con- . . CHATEL, vicrecoxeraut.E.
r flict was long, but the valour of the hussars and etti- et Monseigneur—After the battle of Saguntum 1
j. rassiers triumphed. The Field Marshals Caro, Go- left the army a league from Valencia, and returned at
• vernor et Valencia, and Almoyer, who cattle from night to my camp at Murviedro. -
Cadiz, were wounded and made prisoners by Quer- 4, During the day the breach .had been merely
ter Masters Bazin and Vachelot, of the hussars. Six formed, a fire of some‘hours 'would have sufficed to
pieces of cannon were taken. render it practicable ; but it wzs of consequence to
44 During this time the enemy was making some profit by the victory which had been gained under the
progress on the left ; sorre piquets of our cavalry eyes of a whole garrison, for, your Highness is aware
were obliged to fall beck by the Spanish cavalry.— t' et the isolated heights on which Saguntum is built
Gen. Palombini, at the head of four battalions, re- command the entire plain. I wrote the inclosed
ceived them with the greatest coolness : the '2d light, letter'to the Governor, by means of which reminding
' and the 4th 'of the line, Ittli ins, by a well served him of what he had witnessed doting the day. I of-
fire, repulsed the charge, and covered the field-of feted him permission to send two officers in order to
bitale with dead bodies. In direciing the division of i- form himself of the successes which the French army'
Gen. Harispe to the centre, I ordered Gen. Habert had obtained. My dispatch was received at seven
to move with his corpseupon the great read, and to o'clock on the morning of the 26th, and a Lieute-
take possession ef Puznl. He had in front the divi- cant-Colonel of artillery was ordered to carry an an-
sion t f Albuere ; he caused it to be charged first by ;were obtained egress with difficulty, all the out.
two battalions of the sth light infantry ; a very brisk lets fortress being walled up. I had him con-
cannonade was kept up on both sides; Gen. Mont- duc the Generals Caro and Almoya, through
' marie, with the 16th of the line, supported the sth ; the midst of the officers and all the prisoners.
the action was maintained with great slaughter ; the "He could no longer doubt of the loss of the battle.
energy defended themselves in the houses of hizol, He returned at five o'clock in the evening—he came
theough the windows, and from the roofs ;., a body off with the Colonel of the regiment of Don Carlos, bring-
; Spamsh cavalry shewed an inclination to turn our ing in information that the Governor had come to a
! tioops, and to advance by the great road of Valencia. resolution to accept the terms I had offered.
IThe General of cavalry, Delort, received orders -to 44 I consented to terms of capisulation subjoined,
Overthrow the enemy with the '24th dragoons ; he and at nine o'clock at night the Brigadier Andrianie_
; executed this operation with the greatest valour, and eight officers of high rank, and 2572 soldiers, filed off
drove back the enemy, beyond the Albalata, without through the breach, laid down their :urns, and six
'suffering himself to be impeded by the fire of some stand of colours, and were conducted as prisoners of
'battalions which were placed in ambush ; he took on war to Murviedro.
I the road one howitzer, one 4-pounder, and 30 artil- 46 We found in the place 17 guns, 800,000 car-'
lerymen. Nevertheless, the enemy, though far out- tridges, 20001bs. of English powder, 6000 balls, and
fleuked, defended themselves still to Putoi, and had 2500 English muskets, &c. &c. I have the honour
net abandoned the heights of I'ueh ; the 16th of the ,to transmit to your Highness the detailed account
line vigorously cloirged them from street t i street thereof, as well as that of the provisions.
sword in hand ; the sth light infantry succeeded in " Difficulties vanquished by the science of fortifi-
surrounding 700 of the Walloon Guards, and made cation—the hollowing a passage in the rock for tht
them lay d ,wn tlwir arms. artillery, and making. approaches upon the single
44 Gem Chlopiski, to whem I had entrusted the coin- accessible point of the torts of Saguntum—the labours
mend of my.riglir, very seasonably perceived that it of the artillery, in the erection of their batteries, all
was of coa'.equence not to suffer himself to be out- raised upon points of rocks brought to a level by
flanked. He ordered General Robert to attack and means of earth brought from a distance : all this,
fellow up the troops of Obispo and Miranda. This effected under a heavy fire, do honour to the Colonel
Genera executed with success several charges of in- ofthe Engineers, Henry, who displayed a great con-
fantrk ; the 114th and the Ist of the Vistula fought stancy and activity, as well as to the Chiefs of the
well, and lost no time in repulsing the enemy. Atter bettalion Capelle and Charu, who particularly distill-
thisaGen. Chlopiski, with the llth, and the dragoons guished themselves by their exertions.
Napoleon, came to take a glorious ihare in the suc- is I have the honour to transmit to you the views
cess of the centre. The Colonel of dragoons, Schia- and plans of the forts, and a detailed report of the
real; at the head of his brave regiment, broke through extraordinary labours by which a passage to them
three battalions of the enemy, and made 800 pri was effected. The task was very severe, and would
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sonars. From this moment the hussars, the cuiras-
s;ers, and the Dragooisd Napoleoo, found thems Ives
Oti.the same field of battle. They overthrew all the
corps of cavalry that presented themselves, broke all
the squares which the enemy endeavoured to form ;
and .tor the space of two leagues covered the ground
with arms and dead bodies, and made 2000 prisoners,
amongst whom are 150 officers. Generals Haripe,
oussart, and Chlopiski, pressed hard upon the ene-
my, by my orders, without intermission. Neverthe-
less, the enemy contrived to form again behind &-
tem; by the favour of a deep ravine. We were im-
peded some time, the infantry not having been able
to keep up with the rapid movements of the cavalry.
As soon as the infantry arrived, the enemy no longer
locked for safety but in flight.
I had allowed some rest to the troops of Gene.
rals Habert and Palombini ; I now ordered the latter
to pass its the plain the Village and the heights of
Puch with his Italians and the Sd of the Vi,tula,
while General Hubert was to attack the heights of
Puch, which was defended by Blake himself, with
his reserve, and five pieces of cannon. The Chief of
battalion, Passelar, with a battalion of the 117th, ar-
rived first on the ridge which the enemy occupied,
whilst General Montmarie forced it on the left : the
enemy Med in disorder, the five pieces of artillery
were taken, and it was under the protection of the
English ships that these troops sought shelter. At
this period the English fleet, which since the morning
had approached to take part in tho battle, executed,
at the same moment, with its allies, its retreat to.
wards Grao de Valencia. •
" The loss of the enemy in killed, wounded, and
prisoners exceeds 6500 men : on our side we have
128 killed and 59i wotim;ed, according to the ac-,
companying returns. Amongst the latter are Gene-
ral Paris, who had his ptiercA by a ball, the Chief
of he '

have been much more so if the enemy had had time
to place 24-pounders in the forts.
" Thus uniting the pi isoners taken at the battle of
the 25th, and the garrison of Saguntum, I am about
to send to France, in three columns, 7211 prisoners,
of whom more than 369 are officers.—l am, &c.
(Signed) " SUCHET, Marshal of the Empire.
" Camp of Murviedro, October 27.
" P.S. I have the honour of transmitting likewise
to your Highness the reports of the Generals of Ar-
tillery and Engineers, Vallie and Regnat."
COPY OF THE LETTER OF HIS EXCELLENCY MARSHAL
COUNT SUCHET TO BRIGADIER ANDRIANI, GOVERNOR
OF THE FORTS OF SAGUNTUM.
" Camp before Murviedro, Oct. 23.
" You have witnessed the battle of to-day. Three
stand ot. colours, 20 pieces of cannon, 43(X) prisoners
(among whpin are Generals -Mahi and Caro) have
fallen into the hands cf the French army. I offer
you permission to obtain what information you may ,
want, by sending some &Recr to the French camp.
After that, I shall grant 'you terms of capitulation,
which, in giving you, the honours of war, will secure
to you the right of filing off through the breach, and
of laying down your arms outside the fortress ; and
further, I shall consent that the officers should retain
their arms and baggage. I require an answer in the
course of an hour. (Signed)
" Sucher, Commander in Chief of the Army
of Arragon, and Marshal of the Empire."
The substance of the capitulation is, that the gar- ,
rison shall march out, through the breach, prisoners ;
but, with the honours of war, shall file off with their
arms and baggage, and lay down their arms outside
the fort.
The Officers shill retain their arms, equipages, and
horses, and the soldiers their haversacks. eersons not
bearing arms shall be free, and may immediately re-

kt
. scptadrou, 0)..: 4d) hussars,
who was turn to their homes.
wounded in the arm, the Aides-de-Camp, Peridon, of
General Harispe, Bran, of General Habert. The REPORT WM/ amyl= To THE woaxs satecTitto II!
young Debilly, Aide-de-camp of Gen. Montmarie, a w
THE ENGINEERS DURING Tne s: us sAnuNrust.
had his arm shot off : is a brave officer, for whom I " The army arrived on the 23d of September bet
I shall solicit the favour'Of bis Majesty the E alpernT. j fore the fortress of Saguntum. The same day the
M. Troquereau, Aide-de-tail-4) of (general Paris, town of Murviedro was taken possession of, and all
was severely wounded. I was myself in like manner the enemy's. posts were driven in, and the fortress
struck by a trill ie the shoulder. Gen. Montmarie completely invested. For some nisjua following,
received many engtosiong, and had several. bid Id
iets ; commtoications were formed in usiiedro, where
through his clothes. General Harispe. had (1. horte,s 'we were. screened from the enemy's fire, The streets
shot under him. Colonels Christophe and Meelod were laArricadedi and embrazures were opened in the
_ _

houses on the side next the fortress. These xorks
which were executed under a heavy fire, met the lives
of several mine a, and that of Retard, Lieutenant of
Engineers, a bray t and zealous young officer.
64 The rock of aguntism is situated en the right
bank of the Miotiediu—it is insulated from all the
heights, and rises in a peak on the half of its peri-
phery. The other hail falls in aa-ry abrupt decliya
ties, and is accessible but on a very few p iota, ott
account of the jetting of the rock. The *mint the-
me of S sguatura is about half way tip. partly cut out
of the ruck, and, at the fuot of ihe rock, is the lowa
of Murviedro, the walls of which are washed by the
river of the same name. 'On the long an! narrow
Ilridges of the rock are tha remains of ancient work,,
attributed to the Moors ; the Spaniards have repaired
them—have added new ones, erecting flanking works,
and have formed tenures fir the batteries and para-
pets. The entire mass of these works forms a very ir-
regular fort ef 400 toises in length ; and in br,al;ll
from- 30 to 60 t It is divided into four p.ir;s or
places, so that a part of the fortress being taken, the
remainder may be still deteitded. The redoubt of St.
iFertrandwis on the highest point, and cemm gl, all
the rest. The great roads from Valencia to B,trce.
lona meet and pass under the guns of the place.
44 We were obliged to have the artillery for the
siege-brought frcm Tortosa; but the little fart of
Orepesa, which the enemy occupied in our soar, in.
terropted the way in -a defile. A battery of three
twenty-four pounders, and a mortar a as raised against
this Fort, which surrendered on the llth of October,
after a cannonade of eight hours.
44 Ali that was necessary for the siege rf S :gun,
tun was then free to pass, and the toois and ~cia
earth wanted by the engineers were forthwith coa-
veyed thither. All the coUnterforts of the rock were
too low to permit our erecting in them works to hat.
ter i n breach, except a ridge °frocks which strelches
for 200 toises in front of St. Fernando, so that Cat a:-
tack was necessarily made on that side.
46 On the sth of Octohet the officers of engineers
commenced the approaches, formed coveted ways
through the rock, and lodged picquets of infarary
witbin 70 toises of St. Fernando ; profiting by the
occasional protection which they derive from tae ir-
regular fipats of the rock. The artillery began to
batter in breach on the extremity of the platform at
the distance of 160 wises. Colonel Henry and Major
Chulliot had a road formed with great diligence, iq
order to bring up 94-pounders to the battery. They
were constantly obliged to level the rock by mining.
4, On the 12th, they claimed the first point behind
which they had stationed themselves, in order to reacts
the covert of the rock, which runs out from that on
which St. Fernando is situate; they got through the
rocks on the right, taking advantage of such veins of
earth as were in their way, and making use of sacks
of earth and gabions. On the night of the 15th they
reached a place within 35 toises of the fortress, co.
vered by a bead of the rock, which afforded a place
of rendezvous for the troops who were to be engaged
in the assault. Major Chul'iot, who had directed a
part of these works with great bravery, was severely
wounded.
440 n the 17th the ertilleey began to bombard with
three 24-pounders, two howitzers, and five mortar..
They attempted the tower of the outwork of St. Fer-
nando. It was constructed of hard and thick mason-
work, and the battery was at too great a distance, so
that the breach was but slowly effected, which in-
duced a determination to batter the angle formed by
the tower and the flank, which prove.: as matter of
greater facility.
4, On the 18th the fire was kept up, and at feur
o'clock in the evening the breach was practicable ler
Lye or six men abreast ; but it was still of rather dis.
ficult access. It was formed only of the rubbish of
the walls, without any admixture of earth. It was
30 feet high, and its base being, cn an inclined rock,
it was, of necessity, very steep. The enemy appear.
ed'above with much resolution, and neither our artil-
lery or musketry could repel them, nor preveot them
from constantly repairing the parapets with sacks of
earth, as they were levelled by the gnus. Orders
were given for the asault at five o'clock in the evening.
64 The column of attaek assembled in the pl ice,
which had been formed within 35 toiseaof the workt
pushed on to the breach, and some gallant fellows
actually reached the top ; but they were driven dcwn
by a shower of grenades and hobits, and their failure
determined the retreat of the column.
" In this unfortlmate affair we lost 12) Ten.—
Larneran, Captain of Engineers, %V. 4 killed in the
breach, together with some miners.
14 The assault had failed, because the breach was
in a recess covered by the fire of the enemy, because
it was too narrow—because the troops debouched
from too greit a distance. grid finally, because the
battering train of three pieces of cannon was insuffi-
cient to level the parapets and drive the enemy from
the breach. A resolution was adopted to erect a new
battery nearer, to increase the number of guns, and
to push the covert ways to the foot of the breach.
44 On the 19,h, Colonel Henry caused the troops
to advance in an indented form. Steps were cut in
the rock behind which they were stationed, to
facili-
tate the ascent, and when they had reached the sum-
mit of this rock, they approached the breach by the
aid of an indented covert formed of sacks of earth;
and on the night of the 24th they were within three
toises of the fort of the breach, when they formed a
small parallel. All these works were executed on a
naked rock', with infinite difficulty. All the parapets
of the trenches were formed of sacks of earth, which
were brought from a great distance, and it was ne-
cessary to raise them seven or eight feet, in order to
protect our soldiers from the enemy's works, which
commanded the position.
~ These works do much credit to the conductor
of the attack, Henry, and to the Engineer Officers
under his ordcrs.
66 We lost several sappers in ehe execution ci
works so difficult and so near the enemy, bath by
musketry and by the grenades and stones thrown by
the Spani srds.
" On the 25th, the artillery began firing from the
new battery, at 70 toises distance from the wo:k, and
bombarded with success the tower of the outwork of
St. Fernando.
4.4 In the morning, General Blake advanced at the
head of 30,000 men, to raise the siege ; Marshal
Suohet advanced to meet him, and gained a com-
plete victory.
" On the 26th, the breach was practicable for 20
men a-breast, and we were well, established at the

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