The Statesman.
London, England, 1812-12-08 00:00:00

; three Commissaries of , Marshal NEvi,
•Corps; and 130 soldiers. General NISEORADO,
wyrcu attacked the enemy oo the morning of thi
3d November, near the town of Viesma. The bat-
tle continued even until the enemy retreated into the
town, from whence he. was driven with the bayonet
by the Ilfh and 26th divisions, under Major-Gene-
rals PAsxwurscit and lutiocr.oxoTr.—The
fantry regiment of Pernlw, which was the fore-
most of thecolumns,was the first that enfteredthe town
with colours flying and. music, playing,,:and,made a
road for the rest of the troops over the Oa& bodies
of the enemy. According to the prisoner's ropott,
three of the enemy's corps were in the brie, namely,
those of the Viceroy of ITALY, and Marshals DA.
TOCST and Nov. The loss of the ef emy is 6060
men iu killed and wounded, and 2,400. are made
prisoners, among whom is ;he General, of 'Artillery,
tATTIEN, with his Adjutants, and the Chief of Mar-
shal llxvousT's General Staff, Colonfl Monxv.—
Our loss in killed and wounded does .Rot exceed 5t
men. After the taking of Viascaa, our van7goaid
advanced past that place on the road to Smolensko;
and our light troops, under ,thq command of General
PLATOFF, pursued the enemy from Viasma, as faro
Ereitina. We have taken from the enemy one pair
of colours. and 1000 prisoners, exclusive of the.sick
and wounded. Re has, besides, leftagreat number
of. dead on fhe'road.

(Translation.)

INTERCEPTED LETTERS FROM TIIR VICEROY OF ITALY
TO THE PRINCE OF NELFCIIATEL•

Laselie, Nov. 7.
I have the honour to inform your Highness that I j
marched out this morning at four o'clock, but the
difficulties of the ground and the slipperiness of the
roads, obstructed the movement of my army to such
a degree, that it has not been possible for its ran-
guard to reach this place till six o'clock this evening,
ar.d that the rear has been prevented from taking up
a nearer position than two leagues behind us.
From two to four o'clock the enemy has been I
hovering on my right; he attacked almost at the I
same time with artillery, Cossacks, and dragoons, the
van, the centre, and the rear. In the van he dis-
covered an opening of which he profited to penetrate,
and carry off two battalion guns, which were draw-
lag up a very steep acclivity. The 9th regiment of
infantry hastened to the spot, but the field-pieces
were already taken.
Upon the rear, tho enemy fired with font- pieces of
ordnance, and General Ornans thinks (without be-
ing positive) that he saw some infantry. Oa each of
the two other points there were two field-pieces.
-Your Highness nill easily conceive, that being en-
cumbered with my heavy baggage, which has been
restored to me, as well as with a numerous artillery,
whereof upwards ef four hundred horso have died
to-day, my position is sufficiently critical. ''shall,
however, continue my march, and se.t out very early,
in order to reach Cologni. From thence I mean to
send out reconnoitring parties, and according to the
information they may bring me, I shall either take
the 'road of Douboutchina or Bruzo.
I canattot refrain from informing your Highness
that, after employing every means in my power,
find it unfortunately impossible to transport my ar-
any further, and, that your Highnessi•in this
respect, must expect very great sacrifices. A num-.
ber of pieces have been rendered useless, and buried
by me today. I amv •&c •

..-.:-.

Before passing tbo Vop. Nov. 5. 1812.
I enclose your Highness a letter which I %rote
yesterday, but which could not come to hand, as
the otEur who was the bearer of it was taken into a
wrong road by his guide.
Your Highness will be surprised to find, that I
am only arrived at the Vep ; yet I set out this
morning at five o'clock from Laseli r but the road
is so intersected by ravines, that it required extra-
ordinary efforts to arrive here. lam sorry to find
art) self reduced to the disagreeable necessity of own-
ing to you the sacrifices which we have made in or-
der to hasten our march. The last three days :jour-
ney have cost the army two-thirds of its artillery.--
Yesterday four hundred horses perished, and to-day
perhape tulre ei itlanzt pot including ttl great num-
-1),.r of horses which I bad .caused to be added both
for military and , private carriages. Sometimes all
the horses that were drawing a carriage perished at
°Hu.; several carriages were even furnished three
times with fresh sets. "
The army has not been harassed in its progress
to-day. Outy a few Cossack% have appeared without
artillery, for which I cannot account. If I may
believe the report of a voltigeur, who we; sent out
marauding, a column of infantry, artillery, and ca-
valry; is taking the same direction with us, namely
towards Douboutchina. To-tilgbt I intend tending
a strong reconnoisanci to Deoboatehina, add hope
to arrive there to-morrow, if the enemy does not
prevent it 'by serious opposltiou ; for I mud frankly
own to your Highness. tar euferiegs' during the hist
three days have so used dispirited, tits "Wiest, that
1 thitik them little etstilitt pr eat to make an effort.
Mani men hays died'arith
.biter or cold ; otherti,
beinfechiren to desPeration, oak tbelogeher to be
taken by the ester.
I ails
• Ott viewing the aggregate
by the -different'
that NaeoLrou'l
were at Smolensk.

. . zda

ilagaiines on the borders or the Divinit ; and that,
' u o?rder to intercept such ti tiOvements Cone Wirt-
tt. .
ow/stun marched towardl WiteOlt, which place
hß,took, while • General Kurt/owl after defeating
the Viceroy of tirit:ir at •Porngabugah, marched. t•
Krasnoff, to Intercept the left of the French armsf;
and prevent them from advancing towards Minsk,
on the road to France, through that quarter.
Thus, after experiencing one of the most disastrous
retreats ever recorded, it appears by the Russian ac-
counts, that DONAT;ARTIr. and Ms army are Surrounded
on all sides, without any chance of extricating them-
selves, except by giving battle to the Russian armies,
'in order to gain some place of security; where they
can establish their winter-quarter, after having been
so completely disappointed in the grand object
of the campaign, by the unexampled sacrifice made
by the Russians in 'the burning of Moscow ;
and we shall rejoice to find that the result of this
`sanguinary campaign may lead to that pacification
I which is so necessary to the repose and prosperity
of all Europe. We had intended to make some ob-
servations at large upon the above important news,
qt the length of the Gazette, and foreign Papers
received this morning, have prevented us.

We have this morning received the following ex-
tracts from the German and Swedish Papers, to the
2d instant :
EXTRACT PROM THE DAGEISH ALLEIJANDA, OF

TIIE STATESMAN

We have th.day received accounts of the Saxon
corps; it marched upon Slenim, whilst- Princ.
Scuwarmwseau marched upon Rojana. On the
10th, the Austrian head-quarters were in Zelva.

These two united corps follow Tsciirrgcuaaorr,
who retreats upon Slonim arid Nickvietz, and runs a
risk of shortly being inclosed between the Austrians,
Saxons, and the Grand Army.

Various complaints having been made by men be-
longing to different regiments of militia, that they
were not permitted by their Officers to make their
own choice of regiments of the line, to transfer and
extend their services, the General ()dicers com-
manding districts, have been ordered to investigate
this abuse of the Act of the Legislature.
The French fleet at Brest are said to be destined
for America. The following is ar► extra►ct of a letter
from an Officer belonging to the blockading mina-
j dron

" Boyne, Douarneaez Bay, Dec. 3.

" On Saturday, Nov. 28, we reconnoitred the
enemy, and found thorn six sail of the line, five fri-
gates, and two sloops of war, all prepared for sea,
in the outer road, Brest, and apparently ready for the
start. We are four sail of the line and two frigates.
You may suppose we are keeping a sharp look-out,
as we know they are going to .71mcrica. Two fri.
gates slipped out of the Loire on the 25th ultitno,l
and fairly gave our ships the double. There is no
doubt of their being gone to America."
The new system for recruiting the Army is intended
to be extended to Ireland and Scotland immediately,
in consequence of which, Lieut.-General Sir JOHN
HOPE, and Lieut.-General ‘Vvri Yam) have re-
ceived orders to make the necessary preparatory com-
munications within their respective commands.
*
Another great question, manifestly of much im-
portance to each Bat-rust' Orrteutt in the Army; is
now pending, viz.-44 Whether foreign corps and
officers who are VOHF.TONERS, sheet(' have perma-
nent establishment, and their rank go on, accord-
ing to the dates of Commissions in the List of the
Army ?" If the Fdreiga Ojficers are so to be esta-
blished and 'advanced, what befals all the &Risk
Officers who have bought Comntissidits ? Where
is the TAITH (implied by 10tr,,--; custom !) under which
they were tempted to buy them ? Will toot such
Comtism:4-s be.proportionably depreciated ? and the
prospect of l'anatoTion, from routine and seniority,
become at once (by such" unexpected inroad of fo-
reigners) so distant as to lewd to nothing—but de-
spair ? 64 A L' Echelon" on the ladder of preferment,
will not the go:nuclear gnotAwn thus lose• near-
-1000 srePs upon that ladder ?
The letters from Cadiz, delivered yesterday, state,
that a perfectly good understanding subsisted be-
tween Marquis Wer.t.txoron and the itegeucy, and
that General Emo had been appointed to the imme.
diate command of the army lately under Bay...tsre: