Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-03-17
'Castanos to the South 1t crossed the

Ccano. AS no dates are assigned t.
these operations, and no specific &C
counts given of the route by which
Castanos's army was endeavoring tt
|retreat, it is impossible to ascertain
what probability there is OF it's beins
able to reach the southern provinces
fThe confusion and obscurity of these
"details are aggravated by the inaccu.
Tracy of the translation, for which we
Fare not responsible, as the bulletins
ibid not reach us, and we. only copy
them from an evening paper, to which
they were communicated by govern
ment.
2wo divisions of cavalry, under the
command of generals Lasalle and Mil
baud, are stated to have advanced TO
Talavera, on their march to Portugal.
The former fell in with 16 unfortunate
stragglers belonging to the British ar
my, some of the sick probably of ge.
neral Hopes brigade, whom they muir
dered in cold blood This is the only
notice taken of our troops NOR do the
bulletins contain any accounts of the
procs edings of that part of the French
army by which Castanos was defeated.
L, would seem that Bonaparte expects
The surrender of Madrid will have
fsome effect upon the gallant populati
on OF Sarragossa, in which we trust he
will be disappointed. The inhabitants
nave had sufficient time to make all
the preparations for defence which it
I is capable ofreceiving, and we believe
they have not unemployed it. Until
this town shall have fallen, the enemy
will not, we apprehend, attempt to
push their conqursts beyond the Sier-
ra Morena.
The Spanish papers afford little in
formation respecting the state of the
war. The deficiency is in some mea-
sure supplied by our private cores.
FPondence. 1t was understood at Co.
runna, that the intention of retreating
to Portugal was given up, and that
Sir David Baird's army, part Of which
had fallen back SO far as Lugo. were
advancing again. The dispatches from
Sir John Moore are OF the 9Th instant,
he IS reported 10 state, that he had
not received any positive intelligence
oil the progress of the French, but had
accounts that Madrid still held out.
Sir John also adds, that he was taking
measures to effect a junction between
his own army and that of Sir David
Baird" Private accounts state, that
tor the purpose of eifecting this juno
ton, Sir John had pushed forward a
corps to Zamora. The army of the
Marquis de Romano, assembled at
Leon, is said to amount to &c, 900 men.
Should these unite with the British,
there would then be combined army
OF between so and 10000 men, which
IN the course of a week, might throw
Itself IN the rear OF the enemy, and
cut oil all communications between the
capital and the passes of the Pyrenees.
We ardently wish to hear of this Juno
ton. 1t is high time that our troops
should do something to atone for the
lunaccountable inactivity which has
prevailed among them Sir John
Moore's army, with the exception of
general Hopes brigade, was collected
AZ Salamanca, by the middle of last
month, and there, it appears, it still
continued on the 9th. Sir David
Baird's was equally dilatory. 1t has
for weeks been marching and counter
marching between Astorga and Villa
Franco. During all this time, there
does not appear ~ have been the small.
lest obstacle to a junction.
The French bulletins were commu,
nicated in an extraordinary, though
not an unprecedented way. They were
put on board an empty boat, which
was set adrift. 1t was taken up by one
Of our cruisers, which brought the
bulletins to Dover, from whence they
were forwarded to government. The
spanish papers were brought by the o.
restes sloop Of war, which arrived al
Falmouth on Sunday, after eleven days
passage from Corunna.
LIST OF ACTS.
Passed at the Second Session offhe Tenth