Star.
London, England, 1811-04-25 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

PRIVATE LETTERS.
* Ariegams, 4 leagues from Ciudad Rodrigo, April •.
" I intended to have written you before, but really i
could not find an opportunity. Our division had all
the hard work in following up the retreating army.
We arrived at this Spanish town today, about half a
league from the Portuguese frontier. It is now exactly
thirty-one days since we commenced our operations
against this wonderful French army, which was to
have driven us into the sea ; however, fortune has
favoured us, and at this moment we are strongly
posted on the Spanish frontier.

- _
" The entry of the Frenck into Spain has been
difficult; they passed through this town without
doing the least injury to the inhabitants. Our regi-
ment distinguished itself in the presence of Lord
Wellington and a great part of the British army.—
!The enemy were posted strongly at Sabugal, the Coa
river in its front. The division, on the morning of
the 3d of April, having been ordered to ford the Coa
half a league to the right of Sabugal, our brigade
took the lead, composed of five companies of the
95th riflemen, 43d regiment, and first Portuguese
light regiment. The latter under Colonel Elder
moved nearly two miles to the right ; the riflemen
skirmished ; the enemy's picquets fell back from the
river as we advanced ; we pressed through the water
and gained the opposite height. As our companies
arrived, we formed line, and advanced under a heavy
fire. The riflemen, who had been skirmishing in our
front, were driven in, and the heads of two strong
columns of the enemy appeared in view. The second
brigade of our division had not yet crossed the ford,
and one battalion was unsupported, with the whole
of the second corps (General Regnier's,) of the
Freoch army in its front, close to our line. We
fixed 'bayonets, and charged them, determined to
clear the way before us : their columns were routed,
and fell back in great confusion. We found them, as
we advanced, forming fresh bodies still stronger, and
a wall in the front lined with a battalion. We fell,
back to the ground we charged from, and again for-
med under a heavy fire of.grape, canister, and mus-
ketry. )They again advanced upon us, and we again
charged them, gained the heights they possessed, and.
took a howitzer that had very much annoyed us ; -it
was posted in the rein. of the battalion that was formed
under cover of the wall. Our people advanced with
so much impetuosity that our front was rather scat-
( tered. Their cavalry took advantage of it, and charr
ed us. The wall we bad before taken was near ne,
and we fell back upon it in full run. They took also%
30 or 49 of our people. We gave them a volley, tam-
bled some of them, and the others retired with preci- '
citation. We, again pushed on, secured the howitzer
we hid before taken, and which their cavalry made;
a charge to recover ; we were so hard pushed at &al
that our right was actually surrounded. Our second,
charge cleared the way and saved our guns.
44 The brigade about the same time made their,
appearance. - The 52d formed on our right ; the re-
mainder of the brigade, a second line. Another divi-
sion of the arnsy shewed themselves on our left ; the
enemy formed column and retired, our dragoons fol-
lowing. Our total loss was only 80 ; one officer killed
and five wounded. The enemy's fire was very bad,
although close to them. They had ten times our
number. k appears almost impossible that a single
battalion should be so long opposed to such a supe-
rior force, drive it before them, and only lose 80 men.
The enemy disgraced themselves ; not a man of our
regiment ought to have escaped. Their cavalry de-
serve praise, hut their infantry behaved most dastardly.
44 Colonel Beckwith commanded the brigade, and
was with us during the whole of the affair :—he was
slightly wounded in the forehead. This action closed
the Portuguese campaign. The enemy retired across
the frontier that night.'
The following interesting information is contained
in letters from Officers of high rank in the Army of
Lord WALLINGTON :
Aldea de Ponte, April Se
44 Here has been a halt this day, which has given
me the opportunity of writing the enclosed. I can
now congratulate you on the expulsion of our barba-
rous enemy from a country which he has ruined for
the next thirty years. Almeida, the only place in
his possession, is invested, and will fall directly. This
has been a glorious chace, but a fatiguing one. The
action at Sabuial cost him about 2000 men, and this'
was his last attempt to retard our pursuit."
" Val Formoso, Apra 9.
44 The enemy are out -or Portugal, and I do not
' think they will come agillet in a hurry. A small gar-
aison, however, is left in Almeida, which we invested
with our cavalry on the 7th, and which we shall in-
vest to-day with the infantry if it does not surrender,
' which, however, I expect it will. We gav,‘ the 9th
corps, which was before it, a complete chace on the
7th, with the cavalry and horse artillery. In a few
hours we drove them out of Portugal, and took many
prisoners.
44 On the 3d we had an affair with the 2d corps at
Sabugal. Our light division was chiefly engaged,
and beat the whole of Regnier's corps-300 were left
dead on the field—lsoo were wounded, and we took
many prisoners. They attacked us in columns, so
that their strength must have been immense. We
took their howitzers, but their guns they got off. Thai
French say they have lost 25,000 men since they came
into the country."