Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-01-31

anxiety Oh ts.Sir nuacrni:S f-ieiis And ,.c,a-f
tons IN this neighhorhood. isseven d.,y,
nays elapsed and tiree regular post, FROM
Madrid haze arrived and ysh:ch mss, .r.
ce,ves the letters from Biscay. sc. i, bse
bags, and still without letters from the az
my. The inference to be drawn fcom
this is very obvious Nevertheless. snch !.
the unwilliugnsss of all men to receive mn
welcome Information, that they reluctantlv.
tho unconsciously deceive themselves n.
the ready admitance of any suyy.st,on.
however improbable, which serves e. re,
iievc them from the necessity of believing
what they do. not choose tn believe. l'ns.
non arrival ct letters was ascribed To an or.
der of the Central Jnnta, that they ,no,,lf
be forwarded to Madrid-xnd the cotem..,
porary and still more vague inform ,t,un az
other attacks by. the enemy nearer NJ.
varre, gave rise only to tales Of treash.ry. {.
which have not to this hour been either flis.
proved or verified. 49,
"Yesterday, however, fourth mail ar.
rived which oughs TO have bro't the Castle
letters, but it contained none EXCEPT thass.
from Lugo. The Madr.d bags had no, ar
rived, we are told, ut ten O'clock on the
preceding evening, and it was thought pro-
per not to wait any longer for thesn. we
are stiit promised che arrival Of ha .yiadr,d
letters, and indeed there is little uou,r mat
recovered, for the posit.on of the f.enchbs.
tween this province and Madrid W IL nor
suffice to destroy all communication
Y" Early yesterday morning, however, DIS
patches were received from the Eneli.h
head quarters at Astorga, the con eats sf
which have this morning been published Nv
the government. This is the sole source
OF the public information, and the members
OF the actual government. aihrm they know
no more. ms account states In substance
(for am not disposed To copy the meian.
choly delaiD that on the
31st ult.-The French attacked At Zor
| osa.
| 5,h inst.-GeneraI Blake drove them be-
yoad Balmaseda
! 7th-GenI Blake attacked at Guianas.
oti. An cngasem mt on the rear-gdard.
1Oti,. The French attacked at Espnusa
l1th. The French attacked again, and
app-Ar % have cut off the retreat in part.
18th. Genl Blake retired to Reynosa to
collect ais army.
! 18Th, The gen'l was attacked there, and
| he TetreatSd towards Samander
/ Thus the army of Gal.icia has sustained
seven attacks vaiantly though unsuc cess
fully; and the Character of Its eener.l in
}chef has not suGk In Gus estimation from
1.-THE calamities TO which he has been ex.
posed. Vino that knows the French sys-
TEN OF Warfare, and recollects tue positioa
and the div. ded force OF the Spanish arm en-,
Can wonder at the result?
AT the same time We are informed that
ioetweeh or 5000 men have penetrated be-.
You'd burgos in the plains OF Castle. We
know from former statements, that from
the Ebro iikewise the French have made
successful advances, aud there Can be no
doubt that their vehement and repeated att
y r ~al a.. l..
maze 10 en-bie the French To proceed to.
I @~rds the metropolis, not su6lect to mo-
iestation from the right.
Whesher they will now proceed to Ma
dt,d or whether they Will first Commune heir
attack against the remains OF genI Biak 3
larny In the mountains OF Assuria in whose
rear, namely, al or near 81. Anders, are tie
troops IRON the north, and afterwards adj
vance into Lem upon the EngIisn forces,
whose head quarters are at Astorga, re-
mains to be seen.
Whatever may take place, the province.
al government appears TO be ronsed to I'M
usual exertions Orders have been sent to
!, cali INTO action the wIole force OF the king
ldom o Gall ci.. Tne British troops, aud
al the spanish iorces winch Can be collect
ed, viii re-unItc at tue pass Of Gailicia
and the mnu.Gains which surround the pro-
vince, form 81 strong a natui al bulwark,
That the Et.s .Sh army alone il is said, viii
ne Sufficient for e defence of the passes
tor very co,s.derao,s tine. vi inese-
passes there are Two, one in the neighbour
hood OF V,ilafranca and Ponterrade, and
he other by Montefoft. mention the
name you Will ind ON the smaller maps.
| These two points oeiag secured, there are No
entrances into Oaiiicia except by Portugal and
| Asturia. Th- mountains of Asttlris. arc a. O
difficult OF access f; ana there the remains of
! 8lske's army, the trooy from the north, aud
a brave and hardy race ii MountSii,eers, they
4 who had the hoaor to asslst tue otner pyo,it-
ces in The revolution. to defend their own soil,
/ IN the strictest scnse ofthe tern. The north
OF Portugal also presents some excellent points
/ Of defence, and is besides 81 sic,ent distance
to occasion necessary waste Of time in tae
marching thlther--so that NC flatter ourselves
we are secure from an immediate sa,ilt, tho
this country Affords so many advantages 10 the
enemy, that the possession Of it cannot nut be
Az object particularly desirable to him.
| " But IN t'e mean time, what is the fate of
the armies OF the centre and the right! We
have had no precise information Il late con-
lcerning the forces under Palafox and Castsuos.
The French have oyerwne med, by superior
power, the army OF the left, in . jite of a viqo-
rous and obstinate resistance. l. rs hardly con-
ceIyable tlat the reintorcements iron, france