Star.
London, England, 1811-06-29 00:00:00

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lIATTLB OF ALBUERA.
RXTRACT OF A LETTER FROM AN OFFICRR DI MARSHAL
BEREWORDPS ARMY.
Is Elvis, May tt.
should have laughed at any person who would
suppose that a more bloody battle could be fought
than that of Talavera, but the destruction of British
troops at Albuera requires no comparison, it speaks
for itself. We broke up from Badajoz on the 14th,
after having broken fresh ground within 40.) yards
of that fortress that morning, and buried ourselves
full four feet for an extent of 700 yards, before d iy-
light. We joined Colonel Colburn's brigade at Val-
verde, and marched on the following morning to Al-
bnera, where we found the e lemyl tnd our picqucts,
occupying opposite banks of a small river, close to
this town; on our arrival we piled arms, and began
to amuse ourselves, supposing that the enemy, as
usual, would content themselves with looking at us,
and decamp in the night. About midnight, General
Blake, with ten thousand Spaniards joined us, well
armed and tolerably clothed ; they were inspected by
Marshal Beresford, and took up their ground upon
the right. The line then stood as follows : The Dons'
on the right supported by British cavalry, the Portu-
guese on the left, and John Bull in the centre.—Du-
ring the night a deserter came in, from the Polish
regiment of cavalry, armed with spears—he told us
his regiment was promised by Soult in person, a re-
ward of a commission to each non-commissioned offi-
cer, and three months pay in advance to every private,
if they succeeded in breaking the English lines—that
the left of the enemy was composed of 12,000 infan-
try and 5000 cavalry, and that the centre was made
up of corps which he did not know ; and that it was
Soak's intention to attack next morning ; but little
attention was paid to this man's account. However,
at half-past six in the morning, the enemy were seen
advancing all at the same moment, breaking from
the wood in the most regular order. This wood pre-
viously concealed them, while our line was perfectly
exposed since we left Valverde.—Their columns op-
posite the town halted, and were exposed to a dread.
ful fire from the artillery, which soon forced them to
move elsewhere, while the left, composed of their main
body, pushed over the river, and gave the Spaniards
on our right little time to form. The attack became
very brisk before we were well under arms. At this
moment the fusileer brigade, under Sir Wm. Myers,
arrived with General Cole, from before Badajoz ;
they immediately pushed on by our rear to succour
the Spaniards on the right, where they dashed into the
thickest of the action at once. It was now 9 o'clock,
and it was evident that the real attack was made upon
our right. The fact was, those columns of the enemy
opposite the town were placed there, to prevent us
from making any attack on their rear or right, by
crossing the bridge.
"Colonel Colburn's brigade was now ordered from
defending the pass of this bridge, and moved off in
double quick time, after the fusileers, to the right,
where they soon got their share of the work, by the
regiment of Poles getting round their right flank, and
thereby surrounding them. lam sorry to say, that
at this moment, the 2d battalion of the 480, and the
66th regiment lost their colours, and but few men es-
caped the carnage. A dreadful shower of rain that
fell at this time prevented our seeing 20 yards before
us, and this was the cause of so heavy a loss. All
movements were now done in double quick time, and
at that rate we broke into companies, right in front,
and some came within range of their round shot and
shells, though we had nearly a mile to run, over
ground so heavy from the rain that we could hardly
keep our legs. The 29th regiment, being in front of
us, first formed a line, and immediately charged, but
were obliged to halt, in consequence of the heavy co-
lumns on their front ; the 4Sth and 57th regiments
then got into line, but found the Spaniards, and part
of General,Lumley's brigade in their front, and in-
stead of allowing the Spaniards to continue the ac.
tion, which they were doing in the most gallant man.
ner, they rushed between them and thg French ;
but not until by an unfortunate mistake, a volley had
been fired directly into the rear of the Spaniards,
which, of course, threw them into some confusion.—
The steadiness of the 48th, and which distinguished
this regiment so much at Talavera, was here most.
conspicuous ; when they saw the fire, as if by instinct,
they came to a recover, not a man pulled a trigger.
At this moment the officers fell so fast, it was hard to
say who commanded the brigade, and some precious
moments, in consequence, were lost, in not charging
immediately. The brigade was within thirty yards
of the enemy, and never before was so dreadful a fire
kept up. I here got my wound, and was obliged to
withdraw. Fortunately the remains of the 29th re-
giment were ordered at the same time to the rear,
and they took care of me. I know nothing further,
except that I have heard the brigade charged imme-
diately after, and dtove a column of the enemy half
.4 mile before them. After the action, the brigade
was commanded by a Captain of the 48th—the 29th
regiment by a Captain of six months standing ;—the
4Stli by a L'eutenant ; and the 57th by the Adjutant.
I am happy to say the Spaniards behaved mostt
lantly. Lord Wellington arrived here on the a
and immediately proceeded to the field of battle—.
never was an action fought on more equal ground.
Nothing could exceed the desperation of the Poles.—
Individuals of them charged round the flanks of the
Spaniards, and would not surrender until cut down
within fifteen yards of out line ; some of them were
on fort, without any arms. Their pikes resemble
standards, having a flag under the pike, I suppose, to
conceal themselves, and to frighten cavalry. They
all appeared to be drunks"

As Captain Masts, of the 12th Regiment, was re.
turningto town. accompanied by his servant in a gig,

~;.

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41° l'i!1 Ldiff 1167LLICE,VCR.

COURT OF KING'S BENCII, JUNE 2S.
The Court heard special arguments on reserved
points of law, which were of no interest but to' the
profession.

MR KING 410. LAWLOR.'
The Rule for a criminal information against Capt.
Lawless of the Navy, for assaulting a gagi,trate of
Portsmouth, was agreed by the Counsel, should stand
over until next term.
BLICKE, KNIGHT, V. DUDLEY) CLERK.
This was a motion for a new trial, in an action
where the plaintiff, as executor of one Mrs. Allan,
deceased, had recovered a verdict against the defen-
dant for a pretended breach of covenant in a lease, in
cutting timber without licence ; to which action the
defendant had pleaded a licence given by Mrs. Allen
to cut the timber for the purpose of repairs. The
rule had been directed to stand over till the plaintiff
at law had answered a Bill filed by the defendant ire
the Court of Chancery.; Sir C. Blicke being only the
nominal plaintiff, and the action having been, in fact.
brought in his name, by another person claiming the
benefit of such covenant. 'lt being, however, cl my
admitted by the answer of Sir Charles Blicke that
Mrs. Allen had given the defendant licence to cut
the timber in question, the Court not only granted
the defendant's motion for . new trial, but rectunmen-
ded the parties to leave the matter to reference.

At the close of the Poll fur Sheriffs yesterday, the
slumbers were, for
Mr. Aid. Birch - 1129 I Mr. Ald. M• gnay 2F3
Heygate • 549 . Bridges 37
Sanderson 287
A CARD TO A CRITICAL REVIEWER. —Mr. Thel-
wall's compliments to the writer of the article on Lis
44 Letter to Henry Cline, Leg." in the Critical Review
for March, in which it is enquired—" Where is the
discovery ?" &c. will be much obliged to the Critic
for any information relative to any book, in any larn

guage, in which even a hint is to be found upon the
subject of the Physical cause of Rhythm:, or the irevi.
table alternations of heavy and light, in the succes-
sion of organic sounds, and the application of the laws
resulting from this primary principle of physical'ne-
cessity to the remedy of Impediments, and the im-
provement of the grace and harmony of human ut.l
terance. When this enquiry is answered, Mr. 'P. will
suggest two or three other particulars (hitherto re-
garded as novelties in his system) relative to which
it would be equally interesting to be favoured with
the anticipation: of the learned Revieweit—lnstitution,
kc. Bedford Place, Rate 22.
Mr. ADAM Baowsz, farmer, of Gatestacki, in the
parish of Durisdeer, in the county of Dumfries, ie.
turning from the market of Dumfries on Wednesday
se'nnight, lost his way in the twilight, and strayedi
down the banks of the romantic but daterous water
of Linclouden. His body was found ate:e bottom
of one of the pools en the following Monday ; and
his pocket-book, containing 4700, the gift of a West
India relation, was found a little w:;y rtmoved Irons
the body, both of which were restored to his family.
During a thunder-storm at Cottingham, on WeJ-•

_.ing a
nesday afternoon, the 12th inst. Mr. S
son William, and a nephew, who were hoeinit turnips
on one of their fields, were suide•nly invi,lted in -t
frightful storm of fire and rain. The son, a yiatth of
22 years of age, was struck dead ; l.is clothes were
torn to pieces, and one side of his face scorched.
A dreadful peal of thunder, on the sth, struck on
a miner's cabin, near Castleton, where a woman and
man were sitting. The woman was thrown into ter-
rible disorder, from the suffixating fumes of sulphur,
and on recovering herself found her companion bowed
down to the floor a lifeless corpse, without the least
appearance of injury on his person or clothes.
Three thousand five hundred panes °Mass belong.
in g to the green-houses and hot-hou es in the gardens
of Earl Fitzwilliam, at Wentworth, in Yorkshire, were
broken by a storm.
In the West Riding of Yorkshire, the rain which
accompanied the thunder wrought up the little rills
into torrents, and the rivers into a deluge. Many
mill-dams were swept away, bridges broken down,
and houses filled wish inundation. The low lands
which were banked were overflowed, and the fields
frightfully plowed by the new created torrents. Much
damage has been sustained by the crops and fences.
A seizure took place on Thursday by. the Sheriffs
and proper officers of the plates and notes, at the Fleet.
Prison, that have been issued in imitation of the notes
of the Bank of England. It is understood that an in-
dictment will be preferred againtt the parties COll.
cerned•in issuing them.
Friday se'nnight, E. Evans, one of the convicts
under sentence of impris nmint in Shrevisbury jail,
on his return from vvorku:ar tee Ei.glis'i bridge, made
an attempt to escape from the person who had the
charge of him and others while at labour, and was
unfortunately drowned in the Severn, into wh;ci, he
had plunged wits an intention of evading his pursuers,
but the link on his leg proving too heavy, he sunk ere
he could reach the opposite bank.
Mr. BOLLAND, jeweller, of Piccadilly, in his endea-
vours to press through the crowd on Wednesday, to
obtain admission into Carlton House, had his pocket
picked of his pocket-book, containing upwards of £3O
in Banknotes.
EXTZNSIVE ROBBERY.--A young man, in the em-
ploy of a watch-maker, in St. James's Parish, was
yesterday re-examined at Marlborough-street, on the
charge of having stolen watches froth the shop of his
employer to the amount of £7OO. The prisoner, it
appeared, had been foreman in the shop several years,
arid was considered a man of unimr tchable charac-