Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-04-07


GAL and SlHsin, being but just promoted from
the rank major general to that OF i'eu''
general, ad by far the junior Of leut, g.
nerals sir Hugh Dalrymple, sir Harry bur
rard, andsir John Moore, the second OF
whom arrted in the field Of battle soon al.
Ter the commencement of the attack at VI
miera, but declined supersedng geineafai
Wellesley Until the contest was decided.---
In his dipateh, announcing the. victory,
and inclosag sir Arthur rePort Of the bat
lie. he Observed. was fortunate enough
10 reach III, field of action III time to wit
ness and approve Of every disposition that ul.
had been I'D was afterwards made by SIT
Arthur WELLESLEY, his mprchenslve MUD
furnishings ready resource in every emcr-
eency, ana4rendering it quite unnecessary
to direct aIyg alteration" Indeed it IS I'M
possible I'd conceive more mastery military
dispositions than those which appear to have
been adoped BY the general upon that oc-
casion. Had Bonapartc commanded the
French tpops in person, the result could
not have lien different. He would never
have beenable, either to have ouihanked
the British line, or to have pierced me cen
ire, and A7aaed through the opening on the
trot. III WeHes1ey Of Vimiera was very
different commander from the Cassanos OF
Tudela. And here we are able, eontsaIy
to all expectation, 10 make some use OF the
curious qlotaticn which we made some days
since from tie paper Of the rev. MIR. Bent
ley, which will afford a moments amuse-
ment, thought it cannot be productive OF
instruction. C If Casranos be not Castanos,
then the French may not be the French, and
then the English, for the first time in the
war, may fight like heroes" The rev. E
ditor's hypothesis, absurd in the extrene as
it appeared to be, has been verified. The
Castanos of Baylen and the Castanos OF
TudeIa, although one and the same person,
can hardly be considered as the same mill
tary character and the French who surren-
derrd with. Dupont, were not the French
who conquered at Tudcla and Cascante.-
But what connexion has all this with the cir
eumstance of the English fighting or not
fighting like heroes? And how uncandid
was it in Mr.. Bentley to insinhate that they
had not acquired the heroic character in the
wa. with France. Have they not been he
roes in Egypt, ant. on the plain Of MAZDA,
10 say nothing of the conquest Of Portugal /!
We do not feeltha we hazard any liking in
asserting that whenever two bodies q. Bril-
fish and. French regular troops, OF equal
numbers, shall meet al the point OF the bay
ohet; the latter Will immediately give way.
Expericncehas already demonstrated the
TACT. And general Wellesley ie SAID to
have made recent declaration TO this ef-
feet, in The most unequiTocal and emphatic
terms.
The British troops landed ON the coast Of
Portugal, at considerable distance north Of
Lisbon, which city, with the adjacentcoun-
try, was then in the possession Of the
French, early in August last. They aa-
vanced by Lyria or Liera, and Atobaca or
Alcobaco, to Caldas, about 50 miles from
Lisbon, on the 18th Of August, keeping at
The distance of several mics from the sea.
An advanced division of the cheny, con-
sisting Of only 1000 men, occupied Borca,
about ten miles from Caldas, and had
small picquet OF infantry, and some few Of
what The Romans called autecess0rs eqssitts,
in French dOaRtcouriers, a mere scouting
party of light horse, at the little village Of
Brilos, only league fom the British head
quarters. Gen. Wellesley considered it i'm
portant to take possession Of Brilos, ard
ordered four companies of rnlemen TO an
dertake that service, who accomplished the
object without difficulty bu: small party
of the riAemen, flushed with success, and
too ardent to'pursue a flying foe, immediate
~ proceeded another league, in advance of
Brilos, when they were met By superior ho-
dy of the eneilny, and compelled toretreat in
their turn. Meanwhile the main body Of The