The Statesman.
London, England, 1810-11-21 00:00:00

Qhe

PRIM at b.

troops
s►otrptts, who have always coednited themselves
:1"
Oa the 14th, they attacked with infantry,
ported by artillery, a small detachment of the 71st
regiment, which formed the advanced guard of
Lieutenant-GetieraL Sir. Brent Spencer's ;
near Sobral de Muntagaree. in order to cover one,
of their reCoanuitring parties. This detachinent
having the Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Cadogao and
Lieutenant-Colonel Reynell at their head, charged
the enemy in a most gallant style, and drove them
into the town.
The whole of the Bth Corps de Armen, hOwevert
and part of the 6th, arrived on the ground near'
Sobral on that evening; and I therefore thought it-
proper to withdraw Lieuteiiaot.General Sir Brent
Spencer's division from the advanced Ml4lOlOll
which it bad occupied, and these troops marched to
IZibreira, about one Mile in the rear, on the 15th
in the morning,
The gen.busts on the Tagus,. under Lieutenant
Berkeley, with which Admiral Berkpley has sup-
ported the right of the plug near Allmidra, have
likewise been engaged witletikeeettely'S reantrio6
tring parties, and hate been of greetiersice to us.
I have the pleasure to 1410(11/ rive Lordship, that
the report wlHch kcomatunicated to yua my last
dispatch, regarding the march of the detachment
of troops under the command of General Berea-
lar, has been confirmed.
Colonel Trent arrived near Coimbra GB the 7th,
and immediately attacked the moire outposts;
which he cut off from the town, Mid he then pushed
into it and took possession of it. The. resistance
made try the enemy did met last keg, and kapok
eighty officers and five thoasand es& (principally,
sick and wounded), prisoners. I hate the hoarser
'to enclose the copy of his report to Marshal Beres-
ford, and of i letter from Marshal Beresford upon
this success.
On the following day Brigadier-General Miller
and Colonel Wilson arrived, at Coimbra with their
detachments, and they have since taken about three
hundred and fifty prisoners, being soldiers who
bodotraggled from their regiments, oft the enemy's
march, as they say, in search of food.
Colonel Waged has since advanced to Coudeiza,
with an advanced guard of infantry and •cavalry,
and Brigadier. General Miller is at Coimbra.
I enclose a letter from Marshal Beresford on
these transactions.
A detachment from the garrison of Peniche, sent
out by Brigadier-General Blunt, under Captain
Fenwick, has been successful in a similar manner,
and has brought in forty-eight prisoneri made in
the rear of the enemy's army, having killed nine ;
and Lieutenant-Colonel Waters, who has been em.,
played by me with small detachments 9f cavalry and
infantry, also in the enemy's rear, has tak.en many
prisoners.
The difficulties which the enemy esperience
in
procuring subsistence, owing to their haalag invaded.,
this country without magazines, and having adopted.
an measures for the security of their rear, or of
dreir cornmunication with. Spain, has rendered it
necessary for the soldiers to straggle in search of
food ; and not a day passes that prisoners and de.
setters are not sent hi.
All remained quiet in the north of Portugal, ac.
cording to the last accounts. Marshal Mintier re.
tired from Zafra and Los Santos on the Bth ; and,
according to the last accounts, he had arrived at
Seville with the troops under his command. Gene.
rat Ballasteros had followld him to the neighbour.
hood of Castillo de las Guarding, and the Portuguese
and Spanish cavalry had moved on from the Gus.
diana towards the Sierra Moreno.
In the meantime, the Worthy of the Marquis de
la Romana's corps was put in motion for this quer.
ter on the Bth instant, and the head of it (the divi.
aims under the command of General O'Donnell)
arrived at Cabeca do Monteehique yesterday, having
crossed the Tagus in the morning.
My last accounts from Cadiz are of. the 4th inst.
I have the honour to be, Stc.
WELLINGTON.
Head-gunmen, Fort Sobral,
October 17, 1810.
MT Loan,--I bars the honour to report to your
Lordship, that, by letters from Brigadier-General
Miller, from Coimbra, I am informed of our North.
ern Militia having entered that place on the Bth
inataut. Colonel Trant, with the Oporto Militia,
it appears (I have no report from that Officer), first
entered it; and Brigadier-General Miller and Cul.
Wilson, who, with the Militia of the Minho, and
some regular cavalry had followed the enemy along
his own of marc, on the eastward of the Sier.
ha
of Caramels, entered a few hours after Colonel

Trant.
Brigadier-General Miller had collectill, of strag-
glers and pillagers loft la the tear Of the French

Sta,--,You 141 be pleased In represent to his
Excellency Manual Beresford, that a few days since
I seat out a party) consisting of one serjeant and
eighteen privates of the Tondella Militia (volun-
teers) with the view of intercepting couriers, or any
other service by which they might annoy the ene.
ley; they relented yesterday, bringing with them
two cavalry ,herses equipped, some swords, pis-
tols, caps, &c.
The reticent reports having fallen In with thirty
horsemen, at the moment dismounted, attacking
them, and killing five; the rest made their escape.
'rho horses flew hi diffrent directions, so that only
two could be secured. 'One militia-man was killed
and two wounded. ti
You will also be planiesi mixt to his Excel.
homy, that in consequence te its(ortnetion received
from the country-people, that *wean two and
three hawked marauder* were distroyibg the habi.
iations, and committing dreadful outrages on the
few peasants That fell into their hands, about five
leagues and a half from this, I detached the Major
de Praca Fen wick, with 150 recruits and Militia,
yesterday evening to disperse or bring them in, in
which he has succeeded, killing a few men*, and
loakiag 28 prisoners, with the loss of only two
Alen. Major Feowick speaks in the warmest terms
of the ardour of the ,recruits and Militia, with the
Officers who commanded them • but what, under
circumstances, he has considered equally worthy of
Admiration, was to see resentments stifkl, and the
soldiers alive only to the feelings of hunowity, anxi.
,ous to ;pare thoosomy they had subdued.
You will also be pleated to report the arrival of
12 deserters, who with the prisoners shall be sent to
.Lisbou the first favourable occasion.
I have the honour to be, &c.
(Signed) tt. BLUNT, Brig.-Gen.
Lieutenant-Wesel Arbuthnot, Military
Secretary, dm etc.
I hops his Excellency will not disapprove my
having permitted the party of
.Militia to dispose of
the horses.
Cizal Cochin, Oct. 20, 1810.
, MY Leap,—Since writing to your Lordship the
information I have received from Brigadier. General
Miller relative to the re-occupation of Coimbre, I
have received from Colonel Trent a more detailed
statement of the circumstances, and which I have
the honour of annexing a copy of for your Lord. i
ship's information.
The prisoners, by Colonel Trant's statement, ap-
pears to have been more numerous than by the first
accounts we were led to consider them • 3 qr 400
afterwards collected by Brig,..Gen. killer,. diE.:
persed its plundering parties in the neighbourhood
of Coimbra, will have to be added to what Colonel
Trani captured.
The circumstance and mode of Ilse ratsccupation
of Coimbra is an additional proof of the activity
and prudent enterprise with "kids Colonel Trent
has fulfilled the objects of the inienctious given to
him, and which I have no.darOt your Lordship
will appreciate.
(signed) W. C. BF.ItESFORD.
Coimbra, 7th Oct. 1810.
SIR,— I have much ;Assure in acquainting your
Excellency with my having successfully attacked
the town of Coimbra this day, with the loss of
only a few men killed and wouutled.
In my letter of the G tit, A had the. honoUr to in.
form you, that it was my intention to proceed to
Mealhatla in the course of the day, with an expec-
tation of forming a,junction with the corps under
the command of Brigadier-General Miller and Co-
lonel Wilson, and combining art attack on this
city; but, on my arrival there, I learned that those
two corps were delayed from want of supplies in
the very exhausted districts extending immediately
North of Busaco, and that the cavalry attached to
them could not move forward in consequence of
the fatigue it bad experienced in its former marches.
I had now no other alternative; in order, to pre-
vent any measures of defence taking place at Coim-
bra, from whence I was only three short leagues
distant, than to proceed on with mj, own division,;
Ale yet a strong probability existed of my arrival
at Welhada not being made known.
I therefore marched at mid.day, having a soot;
Aran of cavalry in my front, undee the command
of that pliant young Officer, Liesitenant Dutel,
whose name I hive already had occasion to submit
to your Excellency's\ imam, supported by 200
light troops ; the column of infantry *AL...headed
by the Coimbra regiment as the poet of honour. In
my plan of attack it was intended to enter at two
points at one time, one division by the high road,
from Oporto, the other to branch at( from the co.
luaus on having mood Pomo, Iwo 'sr neetrding
the heights to -the eastward of thirkisios eater by
the Arco Santa Anna, pessiltttlosegilt Loretto ;

• ft. Fire killed, ton witodei.

.

J

arraegentent was to take place on4y in the
-T finding the enemy on his guard.
distance from Fornos, towards Meal.
Ith a detachment of the enemy to
village ; it commenced firing, bat
on the cavalry to Foraos, I sec.
tang it off from ail conununicatieg
- el
, and it 'erten u•m
Set, 110 SAW the enemy. r
tv - gailQp
tthhelMundt!le, principalandf
t .Lisbensroad, to intercept sapf
to the • main army. This was of.
utmost spirit by Lieutenant Detelp. I
only and dragoon killed. I die.
• of infantry into the principal
, ; an unconnected resistance took
4 hour, in which we had only two
Colonel Serpa,. el the Yuman!, and
about $5 men wounded of that cerPs. Colonel
Serpa commanded the first brigiale, and his.spirited
conduct has entitled him to your Excellenq's ap.
probation. On the Santa Clara side of the Monde.
go, where a great proportion of the enemy's force
was stationed in the convent, some irregular firing
was kept up upon the cavalry in crusting the
bridge ; but the French Commanding Officer, im;
mediately after Lieutenant Dutel had crossed, pro.
posed Capitulating. I proceeded to the convent,
land would allow no terms but discretion. On my
promise of exerting my protection against the insults
of the peasantry, the troops laid down their arms
and marched out.
.1 have reason to believe the number of prisoners
*ceeds fire thousand, of whom nearly four thou.
,sand are starched 11,t1 towards Oporto, including
Ain entire company of the Emperor's MarineGeards ;
-three thousand five hundred firelocks were found,
and almost3the whole loaded, from whence you
may form an idea of the number in a state of de.
1 fensive service ; those arms I have distributed
amongst the Ordenanza of the country ; I found
no artillery. We got possession of a quantity of
oxen and sheep, which were collected for the sab-
sistence of the enemy's troops, and have proved a
seasonable supply to our own.. Amongst the pri.
sittiets are, I should suppose, eighty Officers.—
the Commissaire Ordnateur ea Chef, M. Flandin,
who represented a Governor, will remein sick at
Coimbra.
From tits nature of attack, your Excellency wilt ,
easily conceive bow difficult it was to controui the
10idiell, or to prevent the armed peasantry fruits'
' plundering. Those latter, lam sorry to say, cum.
stilted acts of viuleoce, but, I believe, not more
than six or eight Frenchmen were the victims of
their resentment. I should here observe, that no.
thing caw possibly exceed the state of wretched.
ness in which I found the city ;• the enemy, not
content with sacking it to the very utmost extent,
and stripping the few housekeepers . who remained
of even their personal clothing, had wantonly set
fiat lolloMOilettlCS, and 'had heaped into the streets,
in one general mass of disorder, all the furniture
which they could not take with the army ; it can.
not be expected, therefore, that soldiers, of whom
shout eight hundred were relatives of the twin and
its neighbourhood, accompanied by their wretched
relatives, could patiently witness a scene of devas.
tation in which their property had been thus nu.
justifiahry and irretrievably destroyed. I request
loe r ' Excellency, however, to he persuaded that
*very possible exertion has been made to give pie. .
Oction to the French who have fallen into our
'toads ; OW the first momenta I succeeded
en,,_
securing,them from insult.
As Brigadier-Gov.al Miller and Colonel Wit.
ion's corps, 'will arrivehetis to-morrow, ',propose
to leave• ono of milar:gades behind, and to march,
with the remainder of my diVipiant, as an escort to
Oporto ; for such is shelantinosity of the peophi•of
this country, excited by the An passage, of the
French army, that I consider ay.) ire taco ,stbso.
lately necessary, particularly 11f, the inteoulti4ata
districtbetween Monckga and Votsga... : „. ~ '..
I shall conclude this report by *saucing your )}as
cellenci that. tiro spirit of the Militia upop. tjis
occasion was such as would do credit to any trot*
of the line, and I have obterved no individual. ex. •
ception ; I do not, therefore, compliment any
particular Officer.
I have the hononi to be, &v. ~: .. .
(Signed) ' itc
h.
Pero Negro, 47th Oct: MO.
MY LORD,—I enclose two letters from Marshal
Beraford, with' reports from B'rigadier.General .
Blunt, -of successes against the enemy's detach.
meets, by parties detached front the &orlon of Pe.
niciii. The former Was mentioned to your Lord-
ship in my diipatch or the !Ott instant. .
I have, &c.
(signed) WELLINGTON.
)lead-oparters, Canal Cochin, 90th Oct. icon.
MY Loan,--I have the honour to annex (heel.
tract of a letter I have this blatant received from
Bwirligal
teediehr-eCrceoonetrainlutialtuonte,ichkyuwohitehheyinosurer
uttersLordswhildp
stragglers from the *nosey. --.I have, Sec.
(MONO W. C. sEßEsrtian.
Marshal and Lieut.-Goopopl.
Eat of a Letter from kvigadier-General Blunt to Lioniti.
'tow- Arbothoot, dated Peniche, October, 19, 1810. '
YOU will be pleased to report to his Excelleircy
,dal aerostat!, that in consequence of inform*.
eine/ I- detached a party 'on the 17th, • under the
cotntwaed of Mayor Taverns, to fall in with the
I enalny's foragers, but nnftirtudately the enemy had
retired. . -
I Major Pinto was detached yesterday.for the fame
purpose, to a distance of five leagues. He succeed.
ed in taking twenty-three ptisours. Two of the
e:letny were killed and one of the recruits. Li is

o,

_. f •

:NT-GARDEN. GAZETTE EXTRAORDIN4RY. army; about 350, and mare were continually bring. but this arreggent(
;, November 21, ."........11111 log in. Colonel Wilson, with an advance guard of event of my Madill,
rof TUESDAY, NOY.:AIk, . about 200 cavalry, aad font battalions of Militia; At a short distal
iDAND ; was to he at Condrisa op the 10th and 11th. - hada, I fell in wit
INDON. •
Downing-street, Non. 19, 1810. The whole of there poisoners have been sent off to the right of that v,
!reacts Rionghead,
wrietors of the Iv- Dispatches, of which the following are Copies, ,°Perte' I have, thc. having pushed on
RTON; Square Ri-
have been roceived at the Earl of Liverpool's . (SOW W. C. BEIREBFoOD. ended in camel;
t, Mr. FAR‘EY t k .. Caul Cochie, October t 9, 1810. nrith Coimbra, and
Townly,
_Mrs. N. Mee; addressed to his Lordship, by Lieutenant. We Lottol—l bete the honour to annex for . 3 y ..{
MOO , -sm et.
TON; Lad s- General Vlsonnist Wellington. These a the sa your Lordship's information, a letter which Ilihwie
y, Mrs. Gls S.
received from Brigedier-Geoeral Ti . - even
emeietenevy, Domes, hohlt of November were received upon the 16th WWI •; ... imf of •—migkiondmato
Drama of reales.," pa bar penetrating into tl
; those of the 27th October, upon the 17th blatant; die eseserky seWitwelt tlirtiee isiht out from his information sent t
_.,
;LAND. and those of the 21)th Octtitber, this dire _. . , Ittlirses, and drthe goad conduct of those Troops
;N A, jun. - Theodore . •.,• .. ' . . reolgilligoarii:lol, .of the Line and Militia employed on those occa. fatted with the ut
with the loss of o
241" Pet' Mn.
tigiiiiio4olkrieddretiled you, eu Minty. ekes.
the DeWitt* liii_arp, , .. patched divisions
oUsdia), Il&•weir bat ledge*. peticipally its Jeconnoitring (Signed) W. C. RERESFORD, • •
Morbid aad Lieetesam-Gaterel. parts of the town
- - ~.. the positions occupied br her troops; and In .;..
-a- his Exedienc alse Marshal-General prime daring an it
ga eauriverVilery7s: steene_._.: &ening their own. is effecting the former o Lord Viscount *dilution, K. B.
s.-1 men killed ; Cold
werpet they have skirmished with the troops'on ode • . Pcolcbe. October 17, 1810.. about U 5 men s
. ,