Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1809-10-31
BRITISH AFFAIRS IN SPAIN.
OFFICIAL.
LONDON, September 4.

OFFICIAL.
LONDON September 4.
The following ofii;iaI papers are extrac-
ted from the London Gazette of Saturday
last.
Downing Street, Sept. 2.
A despatch, of which the following is 4
COPY, was on the 30th nit. received At the
ofIice Of Lord Viscount Cas,lereagh, one of
MS majesty's principal Secretaries of State,
from Lieutenant General Lord Vlscouns
Wellington, dated
DeIevton, AUG. 8, 1909.
| My LoRD---I apprized your Lcrdship
| IN the first inst. of the advance of a French
corps towards the Puerto de Banos, and
| Of the probable embarrassments Of tie op.
eratons of thc army which iss arrival at
placenta would occasion and these en-.
| barr ssm snts having since existed % a de-
| gree so considerable, as to obl,g US to
| fall back, and 10 take up defensive Do.
sition on the Tagus I am induced to trou.
BILE yon moro at ieHs'h w.th qqg .--"""e
| of what has passed unnn III subject
When entered Spain, had a commu-
lnicat:on with Gen. Cuesta, through Sir
Robert Wilson and Col Rookie, respec ting.
the occupation of the Puerto de BanOs and
the Puerto de Peraies, the former OF which
Ii, wis last settled, should be held by a corps
lt, he formed under the NJ rquis de a Reyna,
toconsist of battalicns from Gen Gust IS
larny, & two from Bejar and hat the
Puerto de Perales was 10 be taken care of
: by the Duque del Parqne, by detachments
: from the garrison OF Cindad RodriA
{ go.
Il doubted of the capacity OF the garrison
, of Cindad Rodrigo to make the detachment
of the latter, but so little OF the effectuai
occupation of the former, that in wTitn,;
- TO Marshal Beresford or the 17th Of July,
5 desired him 10 lock to the Puerto tie
< Perales. but considered Banos as secure
J. as appears by the extract Of my letter
n which / enclose.
l., On the 3O,h intelligence was received al
:. ITalavera. that IL, 600 rations had been Of =
- dered ut Fueute Duenos for the 28,h, and
= %, COO at Los Santos for the same day, for
'. 4 French corps which it was believed was
, IN its march towa rds the Puerto de Btnos
Gen Cuesta expressed some anxiety re.
sp citing this post, and sent me nesscn
d ger to propose that SIR Robert Wi,soI
5 | sh uld be sent there with his corps.
, | SIR Robert was on that day al raiaveri
A OUT his corps was IA the mountains u
NJ, wards Escalona and rs he had alread
- made himself very useful IN that quarter
O and had been near Madrid, with whc
~ city he had Il commun cation, which wa
b" DESTROYS of keeping up, proposed that {
spanish corps 5nOhtd uc SCIih w BATS
b without loss Of time.
az could not prevail with Gen. Cuests
although he certInly admitted the nece,
n sity Of n reinforcement, when he propose
-, THAT Sir Robert Wilson shouid be sen,
=, lBanos and he was equally sensible wit
"a myself, of the benefit To be derived to I'll
ID cause, from sending SIR Robert back
ny Escalona.
ave At this time, VIC had no further inteil
ac- sence or the enemy's advance, than tn
in( the Tations were ordered, and had hop
Ia. that the enemy might be deferred fro
@. advancing by the intelligence o. our 81
r - cess on the 2Sth, and that the troops
the Puerto might make some defence a
GU that, under these circumstances, 1t was
: Nc desirable 20 divert SIR Robert Wilson irt
ON Escalona.
his On the 3o.h, however, / renewed
or h application 70 general Cucsta, to 81
8, g. there Span sh division Of sufficient SIRE
rhty IN letter 70 general 'Donnoghue. OF VIII
~ II incloss COPY, but without ef CT I;
t,;.t Inc did not detach general Bassccourt
zine morning of the 81, alter We had he
8" that the enemy had entered BeJsr, AM
lnh Twas obvious that e troops 10 the Pa
Keep would make no defence.
and On the I'D we received accounts,
the enemy had catered Placeata IN
ng to columns.
wa The marquis de la Regina, whose
e tht lD,ttalions consisted If ouly SIX hun,
n, b lmen, with only twenty rounds OF amBu
milf lon each map, retired iT0m the Puerto