The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1810-07-24
PARTICULARS OF The SURRENDER
OF ASTORGA.
Villa Franco, AprR 2a--Frons erio Ite letter en-
tilted to full creiir

I" Astorga and its msgnanimous and brave
Governor, have been under the necessity Of CAPT
tuiat,ng and surrendering the GARRISON b ing
prisoners ot war, but the peassntry To go free
without regard 10 any part they may have taken
Ias information we have from several persons,
who escaped IN disguise, or providence favor
ed them, from the city after its surrender anil
their statements, dvested of the superAuous
and improbable matter, ale in substance fol
lows:
Junot. fearful that perhaps this army, aided
byth Portuguese, might hsrrass him, or com.
pei him to raise the serge, thought to hasten as.
fairs in this manner HE took fnm he garri-
sons OF CASTLE, men TO support the seIge, and
added from l0to 10 600 infantry, 1900 horse,
1000 artillery, half on foot and the other hall
mounted, and % pieces of artillery, among
which were twcaty four Founders. and some
elghteens and tweiyes, and yoYl howitzer.--
They fought for the weakest side of the walls
which believe was by the Puerta de fey, and
planted there the prncipsl battery, well con
structed with SUCCESSES at The distance of one
third OF a gunshot, they constructed covered
way to protect themselves, aud by that meaus
brought two o! the pieces OF large caibre still
nearer. They opened the most lively and nCes-
SAINT hire that had been known, on Good Friday
before day bre Ak, and on Saturday evening they
had made breach Of about ten yards. as clean al
1T 1t had been demolished With pick axes Three
times they made general assault, mounting the
breach and scaling the walls and as many times
as they attacked they were repuls ed at the point
OF the bayonet, and with the most horrible fire
that can he conceived of The whole circul OF
the walls and the approach to the breach were
IN moment covered with dead bodies falling in
heaps upor each other, until the horror of the
scene, and night put cessation 10 the efforts of
the besegers and beseiged
The beseiged, however, and their worthy Co
vernor, pcrceving it was temerity TO make any
further resistance to force so much superior
and under such disadvantages, and tine srtinun-
tIou tor cannon growing scarce, and being desir-
Gus of avoiding The bloody fate which infallibly
awaited his garrison and the whole city cgpitu.
tatpd in the most honorable manner on Sunday
morning the psasantry being left free, and their
conduct not 10 be questioned, and ne had his gar.
sson prisoners, tie officers reservng their bor-
V SEES, swords and baggage, and the soldiers their
knapsacks, This article OF tue capltuiation has
been most Outrsgeously violated, for we are IS
cured, by the time they passed Bene1a they had
3 been stripped of every thing, and on foot,
except Ssnlpcldes aad Guerrero, the laLler Of
oiic regiment Of SugJ. The troops that ent red
80 take possession were ONLY battaliOns of in
fmry, q some horse, with Junot at their head he
received the sword ofths Governor, but returned
IT To him, observing that it should be his, for he
bad well deseryedn He was astonlshed that a
garrison of only $500 men had made SUCH hotri
BIZ destruction, for his loss amounted to 1000
Killed and wounded.