The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-09-26
SEVILLE July 3, 1899.
OFFICIAL ACCOUNT OF THE DE-
FEAT OF GEN. BLAKE.

forwarded to your siency under date
OF the 18Th d June, from CaIanda, repre-
sentation to his ma Jestv of the unfortunate
result Ut the action of Belchite, acouainting
MN at the same time. that in consequence
OF a depression of mind, Twas unable to give
the details OF that distressing event Though
| q bare not rscavercd from rho detection of
TINS defeat which either the nation nvc.lF
nor the faithful officers of my army ought
to have anticipated, / consider il nv duty.
no longer to be dispensed With, to inform
your eXceiency, and through you his ma
iJesty, not of the minute details of a battle
winch was never fought, but rather of those
circumstances which must excite amaze
inent at what has so essariIy happen
led.
| In my dispatch to your excel'ency of the
DAY preceding thus sad event, described our
situation, which was such, that / confident
| ~ trusted, that II the enemy lttsckcd us in
the front we should repu!se him. Never
theiess knew hat fortune migl.i be adverse
TO US but never could suspect or APP
P"ehenu, that my troops would fly without
hShting that tew shot from the enemy's
artillery would make them abandon q posi-
ton in which they had nothing 20 dread Ell
ther from cavalry, or from those sudden
turns in battle which have sometimes struck
panjck terrour into armies
Belohite is placed on the declivity of the
mountains which almost surround It, taking
its beginning from the Dad of Zeyla. But
to enter the tnwn there is u descent which
begins at q poiiat called Ca,vario. Sad
heights c,ntnue along the road which goes
to fuendetodos and passes beneath / hi! n
I advance, where the hermitage of Pee is
situated the frUnt and avenues of IN
ragoSSa are smooth country covered
with orchards and olive "oe g. with.u a.
my interruption but tat. Of q w ridges,
which conduct TO the road Of Albo,on about
a leago distant from Belchite. The heights
which pass the above mentipned T., Il of
Fueudetodos, begin from Belci :e at tne ~
mi age NJ Santa Barbara in whose ric;I!ty
tars my straw lofts, and TWO gc.uc blid-
ing IN cattle. These buildings md hermi-
tag were the right fl NIX OF our position, in
consequence of which they were made loop
Ihocd In the front and left were the chain
of ridges, with some spaces, and fnalI, at
1.-THE back ian Canal WhiIh terminates at
the orcna d, between the heigAts of Calva-
TO and Pueblo. The troops which were de,
tached in the hermit, &c and straw lofts,
could not be attacked !5y he cava,ry--nci-4
ither could the centre without being exposed
to terrible cross firing: those of she tef
could always retire to the hermitage If Sa
ia Barbara, Consequently the hermi1ag
tPiceyo was occupied, and the tops of Ca <
rio, by two regiments, and the artillery wa
was placed behind The olive gardeus pa par
likewise garrisoned, i
The cavalry were In the avenues oe
town and road Of Zaraso9sa TO cover IT
and they were Supported by anothc, .hel
mcnt of infantry the remainrer reg
troops occupied the heights f,oa % I" IN
ibara towards the road OF Fuende- oar
connected with the ground O. The ou
so that in some part lines we 70 'I|tor
moreover columns for the attack 'Co
ready, that If in case the enemy "er
hard on the left we might face them ? s'ushet
tensively. Even if they had routedt = act OF
could have retired to the Cent?, 'hern, ~
Hank, having then nothing to f. ana lIsh
the front, and to render the "l on' IRON
the attack impossible. fnaP =, -' ~ o
was SO placed as to protect he 80. %'til'erI
columns and IN case of nee 60 ;.a0A % Sa,'
n 'r III P0.t "lsf's the troops wers >,
rangued I h1 "e'e already posted and ba
To :, mn,v ,,;,h y, ihey promised faithful,
ter having showed tn emselves 4 fro enemy at
OF the town ct Alb orton I'D off mr ,ae 'oP'
60 d column adVf mcing with two Nee y,
"Luliely. lheir artillery fred FIVE ~. ~; "
80 -: S ''''' e time two or three grenade,
o o'i, 81 %n'ch " ounded S or men ON W.
80 NeSan TO attack theirs or rather IN a.,
,'I'r TIre, when all of sudden :, re
,g;tho'', ee gan to ny III the greatest disorder
"r''out r-ring gun. A grenade from rho o.
: ehy Us said to have fallen AMONG then, ~
n n.tr without firing did the same, and :,
n;o::"e>c, and finally in few minutes the ,,o
: I,t.on wa abandoned, some corps Rvipg po,
ENG able to sustain the inpetuositv viii
which they rushed upon each o:her and ,,,a
> vented their firing Thus we the gemlr,I.
ana ohcers remained alone in the middle
or the field without being enable 70 eli, =
; single corps, and l had the grief m .an :"
army dispersc, abandoning it's effects thro ",'
> ing away their arms and dress, from hn,
single body Of the enemy and two n;ecoa O.
> aFtiiery We could not halt until uo 80:
yea at some strong place, not being ensh,a5
20 muster more than 200 men t. face nv,
; enemy. 1t is well known, that tbev -
not IN want Of ammunition and prov;s;o,s
wv that on my side had omitted no,h;na,
isure them victory; at least n enah,ss
~ TO maintain the honor of our 49, ~
the opinion OF the world. If his maiss,s ar N
Ceaes to what / requested Of him ~ n,3, ao'
presentation Of the 18th,->I hope IN 80 &c
more fully what | affirm. These d;.na,.o,s
ons are unfortunately too common in en- 81
mes do nor think this a proper rls,.. at"
point out the cause; but ] cannot ba,,' ",! 20
ing that few individuals, who set ~ say
ample can do much TO discourage an aa.f-
without the generals knowing II r. ,ohny'
ears the conversation of weak me ""oss
~ communicated. If the love r. No., - rare