The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-05-24
From tAe SAM TO the same.


From the same TO fhe same.
HEAD QuARrERS. OAprra do Hsse tak March
81 1911.
The en- my suffered the action oil the 18th.
much greater loss than / had imsg ined, when
,ddressed your excelency my despatch of the
ION. The firing continued all night, and ii an.
pears he lost great number of men who were
drownedn attempting 70 ford the Ceira--i
the course of the 10Th, the enemy withdrew his
rear guard from that river, which We crossed on
tae l7th, taking post on Mount Murcella. At
| this juncture the enemy occupied very strong
position on the right of the Alvs, the bridges on
which he had destroyed. On the 18Th we turn
ed his left flank by the mountain Santa Quiteria
with the LIST, I'd, and 5th divisions, while the
light and Ga divisions mancuyred in front from
Mount Murcella. These movements induced
the enemy TO order those truops, that had mar
chcd OH the night before, to return to the noun
| tain of Moits, Withdrawing at the same time the
troops which had bean left III the Alva, and in
TINS manner he united his army on the ridge of
Moits, at the same time the light troops OF our
right wing were in the vicinity of Arganil, and
those of our left had crossed the Alya.
On the night of the I8tn the enemy retreated
from his position of Moita, and has continued his
retreat with almost precipitation.
imagined that his rear guard reached Cello
rico on taat day On the l9 IA we united our ar
my on the ridge of Moita, and that dsy our add
vanced post extended themselves beyond Pin
nd
Trsnt were at ForRos
We have taken great number of prisoners.
and the enemy continues to destroy his Wagons
and artillery and every thing that can retard tte
progress of his retreat Most of the prisoners
we made on the 19tn belonged to detachments.
which the enemy had sent to forage in the di
rection of the Mondego, from whence thep had
orders to return to the position on the Alva.
from which circumstance, concluded that the
enemy had intended to occupy that position for
some days,
Since my last to your excelleucy, have rece;-
we'd letters from gen. Mandizabel, & others, re
lative to the loss of Badajos. The governor of
that place had written on the 9th inst to the
Spanish minister of war, in which letter he ex-
pressed no apprehension for the safety of the
place.---He stated that ske garrison kent un
steady and well directed fire against the besiep.
ers, and had that day dismounted one of six 6at.
fe,i1g pieces, which the enemy had opened on
the place On the 9th he informed gen. Latte.
that he was well acquainted with the purpose
OF my message. On that day the firing ceased,
and on the 10th & not on the 11th as Thad first
understood, the place capitulated In the Stb ar
tlcle it is stipulated that fort St. Christopher Il
the head of the bridge which is on the Gusdia
ma, was to- be delivered up to the enemy, as soon
as he could take possession OF those works from
this article we may collect the spirit which die
tated this capitulation-
After the loss of Badajos the enemy directed
his forces against Campo Mayor which place
he summoned, and it having refused to surrea.
der, he immed ateiy opened his trenches against
IT. A Portuguese g7rrison had been introduced
and sltho' ii is place Of little strength, hope
it will hold out until Marshal Beresford arrives
to its assistance TIE troops under his command
will he concentrated in Portslegre tomorrow.
4 Here Lord Wellington speaks ofthe operations
before djz, with which the public are already
acquainted.J
SOui' has returned towards Seville after tab
iEE B9dalos, and II is said that 5000 French re-
turned south wardh, and had passed through
Baccarrota
Your exceliency has probably seen the impe-
rial decree, app hitting Marshal Bessieres gov
ernor ofthe 9th DIVISION of Spain, which compre.
lends CASTLE, and the PROVINCES to the north of
il. The troops d stDed for this Generals com
mand, do not make strong corps,nor can he be
said to have any disposable force, except imperial
guard Which has been more than twelve months
in Spain, in al probability with the view II at
tending the emperor, shesld he think proper 10
visit The Peninsula
have still adyices that Marshal 9essieres has
reunited about 1000 men in Zafnors, Of the ip-
perlal guards, & troops drawn from the gsrrisons
Of Castle.
have the honor to b., &C. &c.
WELLINGTON.
This PLACE sa,rea4eyed to the French on The
22d March, i, had only a gayyiso' of4CO men
On the 25th marshal Bcyes}oyd 0-yived there