Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1809-06-03

III this does them nolols aii ulasA 80
4 he cure and attention of the generals and
&c Who conducted the marches, and
'ba are IN the imsns diate command Of the
hoops. ;th tha cor,s
.a;cb marched from Radajos, in the difec-
,,an of Madrid, will arrive, with the mead OF
.S.t division, at Arevola on the 18th, where
/, aave ordered i; to halt and close up. Inc
sst Of the troops, under sir David Baird,
.om Corunna, reached Astorga on the 18th
nj the whole, Including the 9TH, 10th, and
- Dragons, viii be assembled there q
taA the 5th December, before which time
rnl Hopes corps will also be collected at
arivola,
II we are not interrupted, the junction OF
he army viii be effectedearly mnext month.
But the French after beating the army OF
Estremadura, are advanced At Burgess
General Blake's army in Biscay has been
lsfcated. dispersed, and It's officers and SOL
l;ers are fying in every direction and the
armies Of C%astanos and Paiatox, on the Z
bro and Arragon, are at too great a distance
% render me the smallest assistance. Tn
der such circumstances the junction OF this
sym{ becomes exceeding precarious, and
; ouires to be conducted with much cireum-
%sDection. Should the French advance upon
rs before it is effected, sir David Bard
must retire upon Corunna, and shall be
obliged to fall back upon Portugal, or to
ioin general Hope, and retire upon Ma
drid.
The information which your lordship
must already be IN possession OF renders 1t
perhaps less necessary for me to dwell upon
tle state Of affairs in Spain, SO different from
that which was to be expected. Had the
real strength and composition of the Spanish
armies been known, and the defencelSss
state of the country, | conceive that Cadlz,
and not Corunna, would have been chosen
for the Decentralization of the troops from
England, and Seville or Cordova not Sala-
manca, would have been selected as the pro-
per place for the assembling of this army.
The Spanishgovernment do not seem ever
to have contemplated the possibility of a Sc
cond attack, and are certainly quite unpre-
pared to meet that which is now made upon
them--their armies ali inferior even in num-
Der to the French that which Blake com
handed, including Romana's corps, did not
rxceed37ooomen, a great proportion of them
mere pcasantry. The armies OF Castanos and
Palafox united do not now exceed 10000,
and are not, / suspect, of q better descrip-
ton, and until lately they were much weak
er. In the provinces no armed force what
ever exists, either for immediate protection
or to reinforce the armies. The French ca
yalry from Burgos, IN small detachments,
are o%verrunning the province of Leon, rails
ing contributions, to which the Inhabitants
submit without the least resistance. The
enthusiasm OF which we have heard so much
no where appears ; whatever good will there
Is (and / believe amongst the lower orders
there is a great deaD is taken no advantage
Of.
am at this moment in no communication
With any of the generals commanding the
Spanish armies. / am ignorant of their
plans, or those Of the government. Gen.
@Castanos, with whom, after repeated appli-
cation, | was desired to communicate, Tor
TIE purpose of combining the operations of
he British army, was deprived Of his COM
nand at the mo ment | had begun my COR
pspondence with him. The marquis of
Romano, who is appointed his successor, is
still at St. Ander. 1t is difficult for me to
fern any plan for myself beyond the assem-
ty of the army. i shall then be in a state
to undertake something; and if the Spani-
ards, reused BY their mlsfortunes, assemble
Ouud US, and become once more enthuslas-
tic and determined, there may still be hopes
Of expelling the French. 1t is my wish to
g before your lordship, for the information
Of government, things exactly as they are.