The Statesman.
London, England, 1815-01-19 00:00:00

1)41 yell wider:rand the pea.atit himself. or
;. interpretation undo stood thi
O. Did Ii ti‘e the or the f'.“alail dialect:
-A. I tie t , hut aith a mixture of the
si ;in n.

Q. (2 Id ou understand a dialect so (Eirt`roilt
fren. (In dialvet Spain that our h,.,t
iu-
r•n eitql tilr(cers find it didicult to converse in ;;
A• Y-s, will enough to nutke out %%lilt tItE, r.ea•litt
tvi d. _ _

flow came you, Oleo, to retrito C-I.;Nlaticori
i:.,t :I.roza:;ott ?—.X. I%•cauet there ono or
.•,,!, in OW (:...tal%ll di elect %sldelt 1 dill :tot mitiiply
• !,,•.a.id, tLe man iiirected Lib coo.
. 16. w to Col. :113,,

iu iv• cr hr n,lother cuter'.,
I:!at ts;:t,%l Si .1.111,ti.,;-ictl Its wutl to nu(lct: and
11„;s1.,•:INIu:t slct Li:lt the Frenclt were
V;!!•francs.

Cai,toin John !4tod,lart, 'he next %situps:, corn-
mended the !to 111 1".1.5h of
June, 1813. He uas sent on tie: day to Tolle de
Barra, and directed by the Admiral to lal,e a posi-
tion fur covering the roll to Tar rl,,arna, in case the
enemy should adiance (tons the eastward. lie was
ass. directed to obtain what information he could
respiTtin; the sits: oleo ofrunty. 110 went
on shore accordin,ly 1.1 Torre de liirra, and saw
Colonel Zslareo,, sth s shlted to him, that he had re-
ceived orders ahem au limn• before to leave his posi.
tion. 1.114 a Issd vial if Gl. troops wire about to em-
bask from Ta t r ? Ile r..1,:e1, that he believed
they were. Colorsol Mans"! expressed great regret
and astonishment at heltio,g it. lie then asked
Cu!. Nlan cut, whether Le could give bins any informa-
tion about the encas% • whether they were likely to
askance Colunel Marssol gave it as his opinion
that they were not likely to advarice.
(7oort considered that the mere opinion of
Colonel Nlarssnl e as nut evidence to be admitted.
The witness then continued his narrative, and said
that he had also been informed by other persons of
the situviots of the enemy. He went on shore the
next morning for the purpose of obtaining informs.
tion. About ten in the morning of the 13th, he
conversed with a peasant who had left Villafr•nca at
half-past seven, and informed him that he had left a
French division of about 50(X) men there, having
two mountain-guns, two field-pieces, and a how-
Pier. He asked the peasant, was it probable that
the French were advancieg, but the peasant could
not tell.—After having received this information, he
-returned and joined Admiral Hallowell.
The witness ilati then asked, was the Strombollo
in a pairion to have plevented the enemy from
corn:rig on the high road from Villafranca to 'farra-
go's:l ?.- lie answered, that there was a broad road
leading along the b-aels, which he conceived that he
was perfeer:v its a situation to cover. Ile did not
know. how .vi.r, whether this was called the high
road or trot.

Admiral liallonell ohserved, that this was the
road w.hi.ll he ab„,,l.
The %. 'lite- • furtl.or sated, that he was all the
Cane in inimerti ae romnwilic.ition pith the Athoital,
and could have info:toed him if the
enemy hal been advancing.
then stated to the Court, that
he Was t.kit mely st,rry that the information derived
from the opinion of Colonel Nlattsol could not he al-
lowed to bo :;it en in evidence. That officer com-
manded the bri;;ade in adv.ture, and was the most
likely person to he %tell informed of the situation
of the enemy. ne, however, often received his in:
formation front the accounts eileit by peasants.
.

'rho 1)1:1:stnt. NT of the Court informed Admiral
Hallowell, that although such information might he
Very good groutol for au oflicer to art upr•r, yet
that it cool 4 not ea•ity he made good legal evidetice
before a Court-Martial.

'Cite witne,:i was then cross-examined by Sir J.
1%1 o r y anti aslsed the foUowio4 questions :
Q. %Vas the peasmit known to him, or a perfect
b!, —A. ile was a perfect stranger.
Q. Did the Al:altle, or any other respectable matt
in the answer for the peasant's being &wir-
ing of credit, oc even for his not being a spy of the
eneme C —A. No.

Sir •t. AL:nay stated to the Court, that his ohject
in asking those gnections nos to show on n hat
slight grounds those charges were supported.
The exa Ininetl as to his knowledge
in the •;itanisli langua4e, said, that he did not under-
stand it sufficiently well to carry on a conversation in
it, but he understood it enough to know per-
fectly %hat the peasant said to him about the Ftcnch
being at Villaftanca.
On hi, return to Admiral Hallowell, ite reported
to him both the opinion of Colonel Mansol, and
Is hat he hail himself heard from the peasant.
Upon his re-examination by Admiral Hallowell,
he swot!, that those reports had been also confirmed,
by meting the inhabitants of Torre tie Harra;74e-
-lurning on the 13th to their homes, from which they
Lad tied, nu hearing that the French were at Villa-
franca.

• The next WItIIPCS Xt'n; I,ieutenant-Cclonel WO-
n con,manded the nvtit!ery at the siege of
relst of the preceding wit.

, :; rr4,;n'~3.

oar. (led by a c! cement in the-nay of nar-
rative'. About Itlf.rast '.levee, on the night of the
1 I th, he met a Itaiietricer, who inf.:riled Itiot that
Sir Joint M array dt-iiie.l ro see hint at his heatl.quar.
vers. Ile at rived thete about 19, and Sir .Jonn told
him that he intended to raise tha siege, and desired
him to make preparations for getting the gaits im-
mediately .-ti. He expt essed greot regr:.4. to Sir John
upon the eiienmstance. and that he had not made
him sootier aciptinted the t irenms::tnee. Ile also
represented to hint, that as it was thin; liolf-jr.st 19,
and that it would be daylight in about three hours,
it would be impossible to get sufficient working par.
ties, and to remove the guns from Oliva before day.
light, when the mete would be exposed to the fire of
Tarragona, which almost enfiladed part of the road
to the beach. lie told him that he had never been
led to suppose that he would raise the siege in a bur.
Tied and precipitate manner, without previous ar.
ringements or preparations; and pledged him.
cell, that if Sir John would stay till the next night,
he wont() take every thing safely to the beach,
where, by the assist.ince of Admiral Hallowell, they
Height heal! embarked by six or seven o'clock the nest
morning. lie also assured the Ge.teral, that by this

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