Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-10-25
70 R E l G n.
VIA NEW YORK. !,
QUEEN, August q.
PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE. !
q Placentia, 18th July, 1905

My, DEAR SIR,
We arrived here TO day, when we o.
yertook the army under Sir Arthur Wei
lesley, after fatiguing march OF a days /;
in which time we completed mafch OF
26o miles, hauling only two days on the
road. The enemy is said to be at ialave-
"a. strongly posted, wishing our arrival.
:. 7atapera, s5th July, 1909.
u We marched on the 18th from Placsn-
tia nothing particular till the 2o,h--when
within 4 miles of Orepesa, with orders TO
be under arms before daylight, the Spanish
army about miles in our rear, On differ
ent road. We halted there on the 21st ior
want of bread. The Spanish army at least
$4,000 men, pushed on ahead and the
whole of our line was seen by General Cu-
esta.
The Spaniards kept ahead ON the $780,
and at 8 O'Clock, A. M: at small village
at this side Of T alayera, we heard sklrmlsh-
ING. which we afterwards learned TO be the
French advanced posts attacked by the Spa
, niards, which they drove in, and proceed
ed beyond Taavera, when they halted.-
shortly after, we passed several Frenehrnen
laying dead ON the road but SO bcreh OF
clothes, &c. that were we not told they
were SO, we might as soon have taken them
for English or Spaniards. In their retreat
the enemy set fire to all the corn ilelds,
which is now perfectly ripe; so that at our
approach to the town, We could see nothing
but FIRE and smoak The evening ct this
day was taken up liz reconnolTlng the enc
n,-the result of which was report from
the officers employed in this.servlce,Q cam
not say English or Spaniards) :" that they
were strongly posted with river IN their
front, about four miles distant from | ala
vera"
s. We now made every arrangement ter
a morning attack-we received orders TO
parade a, 2 O'Clock in the afternoon, with
out drum 9, noise of any kind. ihe p!ar
of attack cannot say any thing oi--nor OF
the formation of any of cur own columns
except one (my own under General Hi.
consisting of six regiments OF infantry and
one Of cavalry, with field pieces but un
derstood our army was to attack the right
Of the enemy. We arrived within about a
mile, or less, of this post, little after day
light, and formed line OF each regiment,
one in rear of the other, | mean General
Hil's)-this was done in order to give sup
port to any point In need ct Ii, as his was
/ the reserve. Here conceive us without a
nnorsel of bread, about to commence an &C
ten which we had little doubt would not
terminate before nisht-and il it did, We
were ready to follow up the blow, which
we did not doubt would terminate in Our
favor. Here we remained III awful sus-
pence for about half an hour--ln momenta-
nv expectation Of cannonade commencing
ON one of our TANKS, when word ran down
the lines, that THEY WERE OFF,. In fact
the evening before they made every prepa-
ration. and seemed determined to oppose
our passage but marched. out silently du-
ring the night-so that when we arrived
there was not Nan to be seen.
Z" Itwas found impossible to proceed with
out provisions, so after remaining till twelve
O'Clock in line, we retired back to Talevera
where we still remain for want ofbread =
sometimes getting half, and at Others not
more than quarter allowance men and OF
fcers are at times glad TO go TO field ano
she'll wheat for their soup; the allowance ]:
ID Of meat, and 1 10 OF bread, the 10 mel
has been served out pretty regular. lht
unfortunate result of this is not the suffer
ings Of the men, but the time given to Tho
enemy to receive reinforcements, which they
are said to be drawing from Saragossa
which will make their whole strength abou
10000. This force we are not afraid te
meet single handed, though with not more
than $4,000, but the possibility is we mus
remain here one or two days more,bY which
time we expect the light brigade consisting
of the 43d, SD, and 95th, with cavalry :
and it is whispered that sir Arthur will pro
coed 10 Madrid and no farther on .accoun