Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1810-05-18


ma. The duks OF r arque s6as % Elanpuyre
upon the Escurial. and alarm the Ereneh on
thar side Of Madrid, willis Gise duke of Al,
buaae rcas ssSs, 90 move ID the direftionSof
Vt era: The lsrisish were se1uestsd %
favor thsss nsovernertss ! 3, By the nasre
efEses of wanoeuvtes the enemy would have
been obliged 90 retife until bic reinfofee.
uen,s arrived, behind the Ebro, without
beipg7able 10 eight a.batsle. The srst part
.,oE the plan as we'll but owing to
thssimpruasnce and folly Of Arissga, all
Was lest. !. s. So
Lisusenant: general Afiesga was appoint.
ed late Ia October 60 the command Of the
army af La Mancha; which had been for
some time stationed in and about La Caro-.
lima, behsnd> che pass OF thee 0pineopeao,
aud in the rneuatains Of the Sierra Morena.
ION the Cd Of Noyember, the army, con-
sistihg of 6, 500 effective cavalry, $1,000 eff
fsctive infantry, and so pieces of cannon,
with eight days provisions in Wagons, left
La Carolina, & descended from the noun
tains into the plains Of Ia Mancha, march.
ed partly by Daymet to the left, and along
the high read 10 Madrid, through Wade.
penes and Mansanares, towards the aBus,
in the following order-- I.
The advanced guard, consisting of 1000
cavalry, were one days march in front -
then the seven divisions of infantry, with
the reserve of cavalry, and the headsquar-
tiers last. The army had no tents, marched
from go to so English miles day, & slept
in the towns. ~.
The French on it's approach, retired a:
cross TO Guadiana. About the sixth day.
march, General Freire, who commanded
the cavalry, and who always marched with
the advanced guard, was very near SUR
rounding and taking the French general of
division, Latour Maubourg, with 2, 100
horse, at Msdridejos. "A SERGEANT Of the
dragons of 7Alcantara having deserted at
night; gave the enemy~intima.ion; * they
had just time to get out of the town when
the Spanish hussars and Dragons attacked
them at day-hreak, with great courage, and
killed a great many. The army con,inued
Its march through Tembleque to Dos Bar.
rios. For three or, tour days the Spanish
cavalry was engaged IN very spirised COM
bats with the French cavalry, and always
succeeded in driving the enemy. At La
Guarda, the day beforethe army arrived at
Dos Barrios, che horse grenadiers Of Fer.
dinaud VII. the regiments Of Fornese and
Pavia sabred, for four miles, the dragoons
Issf the French rear guard No prisoners
were taken on these occasions. =. =
The army advanced to- Ocana there a
great fault was committed hitherto, every
thing had gone on well. The march WAS
admirable, aud the conduct Of the cavalry
brilliant /; the infantry had not been engag.
ed. Just in front Of Ocsna, the French
rear guard Of the cavalry presented itself,
aud was charged. 1t opened right and left,
and the Spanish dragons came upon re-.
gimsAt OF infantry who were drawn upa.
gainst the town, which gave shes, volley,
killed 200, and took two pieces OF cannon Of
the horse artillery. Ten thousand French
staid oil night in the town, and re,rea,ed
aerossths Tagss early in the morning, al.
though thirty thousand Spanish infantry
6ioonGeeussd close to the town. The gene.
raj in chief was with them, and must Of
| course bear all the blame Of this fatal mac.
tipity.
The geperaI on quitting Carolina, said his
| iaten.ion was to march rapidly upon Ma.
drid, before the French could collect and
concentrate their army but his ineapacity
became soop evident. He delayed three
days at Dos Barrios. He then made q We.
ny dangerous flank march, by his right par.
alIel to the Tasus, to Santa Cruz de Ia Ear
"a, twenty English miles from Dos Barrios
While the army remained at Dos Barrios
the cavalry was Engaged every day. The
royal calbineers distinguished themselves,
particularly at Mora on. the left. AZ Santa
Cruz the general threw bridges over the
Tagus, and passed q division over. The
army continued in slsis position three days.
Il had suffered much the clothing was We.
~ bad. The long marches and wet had de-.
stfoyed the shoes half the army was bare.
footed, bur the troops were in high spirits.
Nothing can exceed the Spanish soldiers for