The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-03-22

StShS pau WA u
the French after hin towards Lisbon ; in
this case, it did appear somewhat strange,
that he should have exposed. General Graz
furd's corps to an attack at Fort Concepti-
on. There were other attempts at, or
shows OF resistance, too. which. i'm the case
supposed, did not appear necessary to the
execution OF the long meditated plan, aud
which, indeed. might, by giving the enemy
the alarm, have defeated that plan altoge
ther.-But, whatever effect these circuin-
stances, which seemed to me to indicate an
0~nSsainynesS to move back, might have
had upon my mind, and especially when [
saw refnforcemcnts daily marching To ioin
our chief, and which reinforcements appear
ed to me to indicate any thing rather than
a design to draw the enemy into the heart
OF the country whatever effect these Cir
cumstances might have had upon my mind,
before the news of the victory of Busaeo
was received, that news removed all doubts
upon the subject, For, when l saw, that
our commander, even after beating the
French. after killing outright z. GOO oftheir
meE, and "putting 10. 900 of them horS de
COMBAT" when l saw him after this, after
so signal a victory, "forbiddins a PURSUIT."
and, ON the contrary, turning upon his heel
and making off back towards Lisbon alter
seeing this, it was quite Impossible for me
TO doubt. that his plan was t. druzv tire e.
"e"g NDfcf NNMt SOihG WHERE OF Otnef. and
accordingly, it now appears that this deep
laid scheme of drawing the enemy from the
frontiers to Torres Vedras, a distance fin
Guiding the windings,) OF no. less than 400
good miles, hiss succeeded even beyond ex-
rectation. and perhaps. beyond the limits of
the most ardent wishes. One cannot how
ever, help being a little staggered at the idea,
OF this cunning Frenchman having been so
deceived, during such a length of time, and
1 am inclined, as to this point, to adopt the
so well a d so forcibIy expires
sed by the editor of The Times, on the 2ofh
inst. Still it cannot enler into our concep
ton, but that MasSena must be ensurifr
ms more absolute ruin by these desper t.
movements IN The tace of a Superior and
victorious army they are the most sin
'guIariy daring of any that ever occurred
in military history Mas,ena may have
been urged to his rapid advance through
the wants OF his army, and the hope of
anticipating b. his CELEBRITY the destruc-
ton Of The resources of the Country ac.
cordinS to the system hitherto D aclised
by the English General; and if famine IS
earring UPON OR enemy, it may have been
as well ,osufer so useful an aVy, 20 ter
FORM HS comfLete 7york, and to clear q
Stree range and Scohef for is oherations, be-
fore we mt in aid :hc S7vord II. indeed
the latter, is yet to terminate the dispute.
we hail 1t as an auspicious omen. thai he
Conflict will take place neara sput already
'consetrafed 10 Me glory Of the british
name, the town OF Nimiera" TIL armie..
however, passed through, or by The own.
at the distance of about twenty miles from
where they now are. This idea of our
Clearing a free range and scope for he
operations of our ally. by famine, is beau
titul, aud opens TO one quite a new view of
the ma ter. But, with submission, this
clearing the scope for our ally. may have
boen Carried a little too far because we all
know, how very formidable hunger is to the
opponent OF the hungry party. Il is said.
you know, that hunger will break through
stone walls. and, therefore, we should, by no
means, be DESTROYS OF seeing an army under
such influence. aSsailiEg our q" fortified
positions" If, therefore, / we're to We,
ture 10 point out any part of the cam
p9ign, in which l think it possible that
our commander has committed a little over
sight. it would be, that he did not leave some
little matter of eatables and driDkables to
amuse the French on the way between Coim-
bra and Torres Vedras. But he knows best
and, perhaps, the sooner they got to him the
better; the sooner he drew them into his
last trap. the sooner would they be DESTROY
ed From the above inserted bulletin. it an
pears, that our army reached it's long medi
tated destination on the 9Th and 9Th instant
and mat, on me last mentioned day. the
feriodicai rains set in. This seems to have
been owing to something of a supernatural
interposition aud it will doubtless be as
cribed to "divine providence under which
we have, ~agreeabiy to the expressions we
see made use OF, been so long carrying on
the good cause. That we should have fine
weather to get along all our cannon and bag.
gage that the sun should shine, till our
army got into the houses and huts; and that
the rain should Instantly set in, and. as il
were, fall or the French without mercy. is
really very surprising but there is no rea-
soning against factS. and this fact, be it OBJ
served, communicated to us IN a government
buIletin.-Let Us now, by way Of conclusion,
take one more look at the relative silua-
ton Of the two armies, the Conflict between
whom has, in all probability. taken place
some days back, seeing that the French
were in such distress for provisions, and in |
the language OF our authorities had nothinp.
In the Courier of this evening, it is stated
in express terms that our commander has
planted, on his lines tzvekUe hundred hie.
ceS Of cannon, which, IA one piece i'm eyery
5hirty.four yards, would reach tSventy-
three miles. leaving for that distance.
scarcely room 10 4 single Frenchman to
creep through, though here were neither
horse nor foot to oppose him. The same
print says, that the right Of our line will be
supported by gun boats and launches from
the men of war that (Which can surprise
nobody } Lord Talavera is rather DESTROYS