The Rhode-Island Republican. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1809-1841, 1811-10-09


| pei the assault.
Sen. Suchet, convinced by the powerful,
| reasons which gave him, treated me az last.
as well as the other general and private oiFic-
ers, win all the distinction which we had
meritcd by our resistance.
I" The garrison behaved beroicaiiy in the
defence UP TO the moment of the ASSAULT
thcn Showed some weakness. the soldiers
gave way aud were fntimidatcd The cfficers,
ON the contrary, always behaved lerfcctly
well, and, sabre in hand, made the creates
efforts to kecp-thc men 20 their duty, and 70.
collect them in order that they might resist
and attack the French, who were pursuing,
and cutting them down in the streets-Buf,
their ierrour increased every moment, and
: they let themselves be sabred even by Us,
without even then resolving 10 reeommence
the combat.
Every thing has conspired against this
poor garrison CampovcrGe, on leaving IL,
himself, promised to come spc Aily TO its re-
ief and deliyerance, and never did SO, tho
he daily renewed his promises, as may be
seen. from great number of letters which T
have preserved, and of which i send copies
subJoined. & The kingdom Of Valencia SEM
to tue aid of the place, Gen. Miranda, with a
division of the troops Of that kingdom, who
landed at Iarragona, and the day following.
re-embarkcd and was TO join ,,he army OF
Campoyerde. An English division made its
appearance on the 26th. Col. Skerrii, who.
commanded it, came on shore to confer with
me. On~the ,27tb, the English engineers
came To reconnoitre the front of attack and
convinced that,the place was capable of resis-
tance they returned 10 their ships so that
they all kept aloof from the place, though
they hau come TO relieve it.. This abandoD-
ment on the part OF those w',o came in order
TO save it,is the worst Of all it made such an
impression on the spirits of the soldiers, tha.
they began TO forcsee that they were LOST
they were cast down--they only continued
their resistance IN consequence of my contin-
ual exh hortatlons, because they saw my cool
ness, which Iielt, that if they executed my
orders, tire freRth would never effect an, en-
trance. 8 4 hese reasonings were only of
weight fora few boups the idea Of seeing
themselves abandoned, so6n laid held OF
their minds, and completely subdued them.
The Eng!ish commandant came on the
evening OF the 26th, and asked me what I
wished he would do with his troops'9I repli-
ed, that If he would discpbark, aud enter
he place, he should he received with ioy,and
reated as he deserved that he had ONLY 10
choose the point which he wished to defend,
and that should Immediately consent to 1t.
" If the Marquis Of Campoverdc had not
promised TO come to our relief, without keep
ng his promise II Gen. Miranda had. .g,nes
only to appear ane disappear, like a fash, ct
ig ghtning if the English division had never
come in sight if tie garrison, in sbort,had
lot been told every day and hour Of its Lass
hat ~ .l,o kn rols yoI
convinced, then, that 1t had to depend only
IN its bwn strength, it would have done ;s
yreat deal more but this asscmblage Of cir
SO good and excellent in appear
.nce, bnt most pernicious IN rcality,, BECAUSE
hey rested on no plan, good or bad, discour-
gcd the garrison, and have been the cause
# that fatality, by which it lost all the merit
I had acquired up to the moment Of assault
+" A great number of officers fAcd from
rarragona to avoid the hardships and the
langer, some without permission, others So
letting it upon pretexts that were far from,
n short, committing acts of basenoSs to coD-
zeal their p,xllanimity and these not only
ncri, no distinction, but ought to be cashicr-
ID otherwise they will still have the iuapu-
lcnce to appear with their decoration, and
ay that they were at the siege.
"Thc greater part of the corps werc eoni-
handed by Captains, from the want, OF Com
nandants who had departed. These Cap
aims ought to be Colonels, and those who
,ave gone OF, and have been amusing them
selves at Villanueva and elsewhere, should
&c dismissed the service otherwise Justice
viii not be done, and it is necessary that JUS
ice should be done. -
AS to myself, have never asked any
hing, and wish nothing else at present but
o be exchanged if possible.---I anxiously
wish to re.en,er the field and in the mean
ime hope that my wife, who is at Majorca,
will receive a part Of ny pay, thing, how
,ver, which should not ask, If my proper
was not in the pswer OF the enemy.
r.. fore the fall OF the place, / wrr.c ard