The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1833-02-12 00:00:00

PORTUGAL.

Accounts from Oporto have been received to the Ist instant.
They. communicate important intelligence. Don Pedro has
sustained another defeat. :The latest accounts ,stated that great
efforts had been made by the forces of Don Miguel to the north-
ward of Oporto to cut otf Don Pedro's communication with the
sea. We have also had accounts of the marching of troops in
that direction, and the construction of works'tu command the
bay and the small fort erected by Don Pedro in the neighbour-
hood of St. Jean-de Foz.- These preparations had been watched
by General Soiignag with Much anxiety, for had they suc-
ceeded, the supplies of Don Pedro would have been entirely
cut off from Oporto by, sea as well as by land. The case -was
'urgent, and-in consequence it was resolved to hazard a general
engagement. The attack took place on the 24th ult.., A de-
tachment of British troops attacked the fort erected between
the bay and the Foz; it was carried gallantly at the point of
the bayonet. On the capture of the fortification a signal was
made, as agreed upon, lor the remainder of the army- under
Don Pedro to advance in the rear, and attack the Miguelites:,
amounting by computation to 3,00 U men. To the astonishment
of Solignac, however, the army which was to
.have advanced
had retired by order of Don Vedret- to Oporto, he having been
persuaded by his officers that the attack. would be ruinous, and
that the detachment which had advanced under Solignac by the
sea coast .had been unsuccessful, as the signal had not been
made exactly at the time appointed. The squadron of Don
Pedro was in the bay, and had greatly assisted the attacking
party, by keeping up a continued fire upon the line of posts cf
Don Miguel, and when retiring (not being joined by the army
of Dun Pedro,) the squadron again covered- the• retreat, but it
proved disastrous, as the brave British troops were left without
succour. The numbers lust are variously stated; the highest
statement of the loss is 503 on each side, but some accounts say,
E 0 rank and file and fivd- officers of Don Pedro's forces, three
of the hitter wounded and two killed, Captains :Hanby and
Clarke; who were buried afterwards with mintary honors. The
Pedioites in the eir,y ailect.to treat the whole as a trivial affair,
and have very in..ustriously handed about their own account of
it. . The following is theirbuletin, which we give entire ; 'it is
evidently by a foreigner,. and certainly nut a military man
Extract of a letter dated Oporto, Jan. 28.—" By the news-
L,apers you will rind an account of a sortie made by us on the
4th, which was well planned; but, owing to stupidity ordelay,
failed. The shipping could have conimenced two hours before
but at one to two o'clock they began blowing away at a felt
that had been built to prevent our landing horses at St: Jean
de Foz; at the' same time, 203 men of the 4th battalion, (Bri-
tish) under Brown, advanced against the lines, attacked' the.
Miguelites on the left, which, at a certain signal from the Ad-
miral that he had silenced the forts, the- right, under Pedi,o,
were to commence, and to tlke the enemy on the left flank and
drive them ipto the sea. The forts were evacuated; •Brown
took possession of the hill- at'thc • point of 'the bayonet, driving
them like sheep, and Would have taken a tower but for want of
scaling ladders. The tignal being made for the right to ad-
vance, Solignac was surprised to find • it not ,affected, the .Biu
peror being advised not to run the.men into unnecessary risk;
so that the day being advanced, he Macle.a signal for returning;
so ended the affair. The loss'iS trifling, three officers.wounded
and- two killed."

After this failure, General Solignac, it is stated, resigned in
disgust, and is said to have used the most unqualified lang-uaso
in speaking of the conduct of the eat-Emperor; but by tie in-
tercession of friends the affair was made up, and he remained
at Oporto on the 31st ult.