The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-01-27 00:00:00

acted wukr a ITILINos INTATUATION:n

4.41 S (NG of the SIEGE of TARIFA.
„RETRE.IT OF THE FItENCII.
The Tenteraier, of 98 guns, arrived yesterday at
Portsmouth from Gibraltar. She brings an account
that the French troops abandoned the siege of Ta-
rifa on the sth of this month, leaving ten pieces of
cannon behind them ; they had previously assaulted
the place, but had been repulsed with much loss on
their part. They are represented to be greatly dis-
tressed for provisions, and very sickly from expo-
sure in heavy rains. General BALLASTEROS was
said to be harassing their retreat. The following
lmter, containing some particulars relative to the
operations of the enemy against Tarifa previous to
the raising the siege, will be found interesting. We
copy it fr(.rn a Gibraltar paper of the Ith instant :-
1. TARIFA, Dec. 31.
" f am trlppy to inform von, that the enemy has been repul-
sei in an attempt to assault this place. After my letter of yes-
terday was seat off, the breaching, battery, which seems to have
four 16-pounders, and one 13 pounder, continued its are, and
made an opening of about la yards, being neatly the whole
spare between two of .he fiat/king towers on the east ride of the
town. In the afternoon a summons was sent by General Leval,
who stated that the defence bad already been honourable, and
that the breach was inneticahle the day before. On an answer
being returned, the firing was resumed, and continued all
night, without doing any material injury to the garrison. The
'army made bat little adaltion to the entrenehrivilts ; but early
this morning we saw than filled with troops, and observed that
great numbers were passing down to the valley, through whit%
flows the stream that passes through the town, and in labials the
breaching battery is established. The violence of t e torrent
bad daring the night swept away the rows of palisades outside
and inside the wall, and even bent the portcullis. The enemy
appears to have supposed this also had been carried off, as he
advanced along the bed of the stream, and came directly to it.
The breach its ouly a few yards from the entrance of the water,
but not a man strewed himself on it. Finding that there was no
opening, and that they were exposed to a most galling fire from
a;I parts, the assailants, though they bad Several hundred
men under the wall, bc.e,ia to retire in about half an
hour, and again bid Themselves in their trenches—
Their loss has been very severe. Most of them badly *ounded
hare been brought in, including sis or seven officers. The six-
pounder, under Ca tin Mixestitta, was of most essential use;
indeed half the execution, at least, was done by it. Our loin is
not great. L;entonant LONGLEY, of the engineers, and Lieutes,
cant MAU., of the filb, are killed; also a man of the rile carper
and there are about 10 wounded. From the wounded prisoners
I tears, that flrneral Leval has with him altogether 14 pieces of
artillery, all of which are it; battery, Lad nearly 10,000 men;
that the storming party consisted of 20 companies of grenadiers
and voltigeurs, and two of sappers, making from 1,500 to 24100
men.

" JAN. 2.

" The weather here has been dreadful. Two Spanish gun-
boat. hare been 10.91 ; but ire ought not to complain of the rain,
since itmust be more annoying to the enemy than to as. lie hat
dome aothiag slue the asatult, and there has been !attic Wog ea

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