Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-04-29

British halted waiting for the divisi-
on from Torres Vedras to Join, and
that day pushed their advance on to
Coldas.
The French had retired in three co.
lumns from Thomar and the British
light troops came up with their rear
guard, and several severe conflicts
took place.
On the 9th the whole army was in
molten, and it was then supposed that
the French had occupied the strong
position at the Pont de Murcella, and
that they meant to make stand there.
"A great number of prisoners were
made, composed principally Of persons
exhausted by fatigue, and apparently
much emaciated from want of food,
and several deserters also came in TO
the British.
On the 9th, the British army was
forced to halt for want of provisions !;
the French having DESTROYED every
thing of that description on the whole
line of their march, and for several
miles on every side. The French had
not reached Coimbra on the 9th.
On the 10 h, dragon of The guards.
who brought dispatches to an officer at
Santarem, stated, that The advance of
the British had come in contact the
preceding day with one OF the French
divisions, about stage distance from
Ihomar, on the Abrantes road he
said the French had been taken so
much by surprise, that they were seen
ieaping from the windows of the hou-
ses IN which they had went to rest.
The British infantry were under or.
ders for forced marches, since the pnr-
suit began, and it was not doubted at
that time, that the whole BODY of the
French would be compelled to fight.
The division of General Hill was
pushed forward with great celebrity, TO
intercept the French n the passage of
the river.
In the British army, the sudden re.
treat OF the French was attributed to
the desertion oflieutenant Burke from
the British, as he was supposed to have
carried with him accounts of the large
reintorcements that had lately arrived
from England. Among the prisoners
taken by the British in their pursuit.
were some deserters from thSir own
army.
The army of general Beresford hav-
ing abandoned the left side of the Ia
gus, great numbers of the people from
that side crossed over, and sought re.
Tug IN the ruins Of Santarem.
On passing up the Tagus, IF err the
evaceation OF the lines by the B itish
army, the line of defence is seen with
out difficulty, and there is one deep
broad entrenchment from the Taeus 10
Torres Vedras, and thence to the sea 4:
In the rear of which works the most
formidable are erected at eyery point.
The operations thence to the 9Th of
April, we have received no minutes of.
ia Their than that on that date, the Brl.
fish head quarters were at Thomar on
the Zezare, the former depot of the
French and that the French head
quarters was at Coimbra, near 60 miles
apart.
The 4th regiment of infantry which
had just arrived from England. had
joined general Beresford's division &
the I'd regiment had Joined lord We'll
lington's division.
The following two paragraphs we
copy literally from the minutes of a
British officer -
" The appearance Of the French pri.
soners sufficiently shew the situation
they must have been in from want of
provisions, quite emacisted, & brok zen
down with hunger and fatigue.
1t was suggested that Massena's
game is to draw our forces from Lis
bon as far as possible, to enable Soult.
who is coming from The neighborhood
OF Cad z, with strong force to ioin
Mortl,r, in order to take possession
OF the province of Alenteio, and again
bring the war as near the capitol as pos
sible."
Such is the account OF the adyices to
tho 9TH of April, from the armies. A
vessel was TO sail in three days after
the WIN. Penn, from Lisbon for this
port, which may, perhaps, bring later
advices the distance Of the head ouar.
ters of the fxyo ar,.;o. -