The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1809-10-27


DunLIx, Aug. 81.
PRIrxTE CORRESPONDENCE.
i 80. "PLAcESrIA, July Ia, 1909.
= M Dear Sir,
"We arrived here to day, when
We overlook the army under Sir Arthur Welles.
hey, after fatigting march OF IL days in which
time, we completed march of 300 miles, halt
ing onlytwo days on the road. The enemy is
said to be at Talavera, strongly posted, wishing
our arrival.
"TALAvxnA, July IS, 1909.
1--WE marched on the 18th from Placentia--
nothing particular till the 20th--when within 4
miles Of Orepesa, with orders to be under arms
before daylight, the Spanish army about eight
miles in our rear, on different road. We halt
ed there the 21st,tor want of bread. The
Spanish army, at least forty.6ve thousand men,
pushed on ahead and the whole ofour line was
seen by Gen. Cuesta.
a. The Spaniards hept head on the add and
at O'Clock A. M at small village at this side
Of Talsvcra, we heard skirmshing, which we at
forwards learned, To be French advanced posts
attacked by the Spanards, which they drove in,
and proceeded beyond TalSvera, when they halt
ed. Shortly after passed several dead
,Frenchmen on the road but so bereft of clothes,
&c that were not told they were so, we
might soon have taken them for English or
Spsniartls. In their retreat, the enemy set fire
10 alLthe corn fields, which is not perfectly ripe
so that at our approach to the town, we could see
nothing but fire and smoak The evening of this
day was taken up in accommodating the enemy
the esuh of which was, report from the Off
GERS employed in this service, Il cannot say En-
glsh or Spasiards.) "that they were strongly
posted with a river in their front, about miles
distant from Talavera.
"We now made every arrangement for
mornings attack-we received orders To parade
at two O'Clock in The afternoon, without drum or
noise of any kind. The plan of attack, cannot
say any thing of--nor the formation of any our
own columns, except one under Cen Hill, con-
sisting of six regiments ofinantry and one of cav
airy, with six field piecesi but understood our
army was to attack the right of the enemy We
arrived within about mile, or less, of this post .
a little alter day light, and formed line of each
regiment, one IN rear of the other, (I mean Gen
hii's) this WAS done in order to give support
to any point in need of it, his was the re-
serve. Here conceive us without morsel of
bread, about to commence an action which we
had little doubt would not terminate before night
and, ii II did, were resdy to follow up the
blow, which we did not doubt would terminate
in our fayor-Here we remained in awful sus-
pence Tor above an hodr--in momentary expec.
tation of cannonade commencing on one of our
HanEs, wien word ran down the lines, 4" thar they
acre .r"-in fact, the evening before they ma de
every preparation, and seemed determined to on.
pose our passage ) but marched out silently tlI,-
ring the nght-so that when we arrived there
was not man to be seen.
J. sit was found impossible to proceed without
Provisions-so after remaining till 10 O'Clock N
line, retired back To Talavera, where we still
remain for want of bread sometimes getting
half and at other times not more than quarter nj.
lowance--Iaen and officers are al times pi.d To
go 10 a field and shell wheat for their soup the
allowance is ID. meat, and l . of bread, the
former has been served out pretty regular
The unfortunate result of this is not the suffer-
1ngs OF the men, but the time given TO the enemy
to receiyt reintorcements, which they are said
TO be drawing from Sarragossa, which " III make
the whole strength about 10000. This force we
are not afraid TO meet single handed, though with
not more than %. OO9, but the possibility is we,
must remain here one or two DAYS more BY
winch time We expect the light brigade consist.
ing ofthe 4Sd, sd, and 95th, with cavalry and
it is whispered that Sir Arthur will proceed TO
Madrid, and no farther, on account of the alarm.
Ing consequences that might result from the inef
Gcent supply OF provisions, for really it is with
d,inculty can procure cart or two, now and
tten TO carry our sick. This place is about nine
miles FROM Placentia--in that short march we
lcaye upwards of3u0 sick in the hospitals here.
Those distances calculate by the hours we took
to march, otherwise it would be impossible L, de.
termine for instance, they say in fortug.fsuch
place is so many Siscanines or Granae Leagues
the former generally under miles, hut the lat
ter I'm sure sometimes exceed 7 or 8 though
understood to be 1-2-msny a hearty curse
have I-given some of their Grande leagues D..
AS for the country along the banks of the
Tagus, which was our route, nothing could be
more beautiful for up Yards of one hundred miles.
After leaving the river the country becomes as
barren as possisle--the frontier towns ylnder
ed, and tor the most part destroyed, and nothing
but The most miserable wretclies to be SEEN
most OF whom deserted their houses on our an.
proach. So that on march to The army we
have often been obliged to force tn doors in or
der to get place to cover the Ttel. AS Tor the
officers, generally preferred pitching our
tents. On our entering Spain, we had orders not
to go into any town, except to purchase provisi.
Ons--so that since that time the men have al ;v,vs
built hu,s for the night bat often, after fatirr
uine march, would NOT take that trouble but prt.
fer sleeping under trees.
This town is shockingly despoi,ed by the en-
euly--at least two out of three of every house in
town IS destroyed A for the population of the
country destroying the enemy in their retreat, I
don't look for il and my think YOU viii
account good one--I C lnnot see any population
II there is, don't know where it is concealed
IS We have often tr'Ncl'ed ten or fifteen miles
without seeing q house except IT be the walls
believe the people are, for the most part, gone
to inc sea coast or joined Che army
"1be Spanish soldiers may fight yell-.-but
they are q set Of miserable looking fellows.
However / believe Cucsta insisted on comrnen-
cine me attack, and am not sure but he has fol-
Ewed the French, which generally now sun.
posed not TO exceed $4,000 men, this side of Ma
drid.- We are all yexed at this disappointment.
HID we attacked them on tie evening we came