Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-04-20
BOSTON, HhrH Is.

Capt. Foster did not bring any LISBON pc, pa,
pers: and we have only seen ore Oh INC LII 1
March. which came inclosed IN letter. nc
Official accounts Of the retreat oil the ffcnch
must have been published in proceeding Pa
nsrs nc We find in that ofthe l4th numerous re-
marks on the events which made the retreat OF
the invaders inevitable. 1t appears, that the
first object of Prince Massena, alter the LATHE
of Bussco, was, bv rapid march 20 plant the
imperial eagles on the walls OF LISBON anu
drive the English into the lasuS or the SEA-
This he boosted he would do; and III the at
tempt he was guilty Of SO much lTnpro'ie,ehce,
that his whole medical staff, With ms Sioa- a'!o
wounded, fell into the hands OF MS enemy !;
and NEGLECTED. measures for the est&hnshihent
Of magazines to supply his array. lie NOR
iteur squnts at this inlproyidence, but apollo
cizes for the first and aoiest OF Napoleon
Lieutenai,ts, by impuiing it TO tee ardency OF
his desire 10 overtake the English before they
should drown themselves. Iii this attempt ne
was completely frustrated by the stlA, pru-
dence and foresight Of Lord Wellington, COM
manding an inferior force, OF which great
part was Portuguese militia. Massenas next
attempt Was to pass to the LETT oark OF INC
Taeus: hut in this he was also tolled by the
talents of his opponent, assisted by the cnef-
pies ott.a British tars; and tie far-famed lie.
gions of France, led by host OF Marshals, and
which had passed the Rhine, the Danube ana
the Pc in triumph, were unable TO pass the l a.
gus, rivulet compared with those mighty
streams His next scheme was, by rapid re-
treat, to induce Lord Wellington TO quit his
entrenched camp, .,ad attack him at Santa
rem. But the russo de gnerre was too shall
low not to be seen through. During these at
tempts the French army experienced great
depriyations. their line OF communication with
Spain being frequently cut of, the supplies OF
tine army precarious, and those obtained being
of very bad quality. 1nactlon, desertlon, sick
ness and death were the consequences, partl-
cularly from 9iarrtoes and putrid fevers, occa-
stoned by the bad quality Of the meats consum-
edwithout salt; and tine Lisbon Gazette states,
that of $4,000 Cavalry which entered Portugal
last summer, only 5000 were Mt Tor service IN
the month of February retreat of the
French, accelerated by the relniorcements
they had received, became unavoidable; they
took the desolated road by which they advan-
ced towards Lisbon and the paper adds, that
their losses in men, horses, and equipage, had
been imUcnSc. Ills ID lliSiit PiooSp'jN iip-li
the state of the country through which the re-
treat was made, and the proximity OF the allied
army to them in that retreat.
Capt Foster also informs, that on the 18th
March an official account reached Lisbon, that
Spanish and English force had entered Sc
vile. This fact Capt. F. was assured was au-
thentic.---Ne had before learnt that Of the
French corps in Andalusia, the one under
Soult had marched for and penetrated into the
centre of the Portuguese province of Alentejo
and that Mortier had also advanced into Spa
nish Estrerladura, with his corps. This must
have left the French army in Andalusia, not
Immediately employed in the siege of Cadiz,
in a reduced state and it is possible, the ex-
petition from Cadiz, which sailed the last OF
February. and which made demonstration TO
the southard of that port, had actually sailed to
the northward, and disembarking near the
| mouth Of the Guadalquiver, had penetrated to
. Seville, distance of about 50 miles from the
| coast
| From TIE .MAeTWIs7oaEDIA.