The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-04-14
TWENTY SECOND BULLETIN.
BENEvENTE, Dec. 81.


On the 30th, the cavalry commanded by
the duke of 1stria passed the Ezela. On the
evening OF the 3Oth it traversed Beneyente
and pursued the enemy as far as Puenta de
la Vilana. On the same day the head quar-
ters were established at Benevente. The
English were not satisfied with destroying an
arch of the bridge of Ezela, but they also
blew up the buttresses with mines, a damage
wholly Improbable and which could only be
hurttul to the country the rear betook
themselves to the most shocking pluHderiDg.
The soldiers, in the excess of their continual
intemperance, gave reins to all the licen-
.tiousness ofbrutal incbriety. Every thing in
their conduct bespoke rather All hostile army
than one which came to the assistance of a
friendly power. The contempt of the En-
glsh for the Spaniards gave sharper edge to
the impression made by so many outrages.
This experience will throw salutary damp
on those instructions instgated by foreign
ers. One cannot help regretting that the En-
glish had not sent an army into Andalusia.
The army that passed through Benevente
ten days ago, triumphed already ir hope, and
already having their colours hung with tro-
plies, nothing could equal the audacity and
security they displayed. On their return,
their countenance was sadly changed. They
were harrassed with fatigue, and seemed to
be borne down with shame of retreatinc
without battle. In order to anticipate the
just reproaches of the Spanards, the English
continued necessarily to repeat that they lad
been promised to be joined by numerous for
ces; and the Spaniards repealed their calum-
NOUS assertions by arguments to which there
was no answer. Ten days ago, when tn c
English were traversing the country, they
well knew that the Spanish armies had been
destroyed.
The commissaries whom they employed
to accompany the armies Of the left, of the
centre, and of the right, knew full well that
it was not $4,000 men only, but 10000 men
that the Spaniards had put under arms that
these 10000 men bad fought, while for six
weeks the English had remained uncon-
cerued spectators of their troubles. These
commissaries could not but have made it
known that the Spanish armies had ceased
to exist. The English, therefore, could not
be ignorant that the Spaniards were with
out armies. When ten days ago, they again
moved forward, Intoxicated with the silly
hope OF dcceivins the vigilance Of the French
general, they fell into the snare which the
French general had laid for drawing them
into the open country. They had before
made some marches on their return to their
ships. "You ought" observed the Spaniards,
"to have persisted in tha' prudent determiua-
ton, or else you should have been in force e.
noHgh to balance the destinies of the French
Above all, YOU ought not to have at first adj
vanced with such confidence, only after
wards to fall back with so much precipita-
ton. You should not have drawn the thea
tire OF the war among us, and exposed us
to the ravages of the two armies. After
having brought down upon our heads such
accumulatioBs of disasters, you ought not to
throw the fault upon us. We have not been
able to resist the French troops; nor do you
seem more able to- make head against them
Forbear, therefore to accuse us to out
rage us; all our misfortunes we owe to you"
The English had reported throughout the
country that they had defeated 5000 of the
French cavalry on the banks of the Ezela,
asd that the f.ald of hattie vas covcrsi with