The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-10-04
bis sfmy, openly told me, tAas 1 was the

h'Ncu iu tarraSOna, because mad defend |
ed myself beyond the limits prescribed by |
ne laws 1T war; aud that these laws lutho-
Llsed hing to punish me even with death,
tor not having demanded capitulaton rs
soon as the breach was practicable that
ON entering by assault, he had 2 right to put
every thing to fire and sword and mat,
oy consequence. the besieged ought to have
hung out the white flag as soon as the
breach vas opened.
al replied, that if it was true, tina, the
laws OF war prescribed, that il the assail- |
ant enter. he may deliver up a town and its
inhabitants to plumber. flames and the sword
and that they in consequence indicate,
thal the moment when the assault is about
10 take place, is the time TO caritulate
'heSe same laws. however, do net prohibit
the garrison 70 defend itself, and endcavor
to repel the assalanls that | had resisted
cause had force sufficient TO repei his,
"hich would doubtless have been the case,
mad NY disposition, been obeyed in the way
that ordered them; that, because, / ex.
pected succours on he day following, both
from u IMP verde, and from the sea- Sc
that having resisted until the breach was
practicable, i Should have passed for COW.
ard. had not dared to defend it: and
IN short, that no law forbade me to repei
the assault
'' General Suchet convinced nv the now
ertui reasons which gave him, treated me
| at last, As well IS the other General and
private Officers, with all the distinction WHICH
we mad merited bv our resistance
| ne Carr son behaved herocaliy in he
defence up 70 the mrmen, of the assault
II hen showed some weakness the soldiers
gave way and were intimidated. The Of.
ncers. on the contrary, always behaved Der
'ectly well. and. sabre in hand, made the
greatest efforts tn keep the soldiers to their
\ dnty and RI ~ -
might resist and stack the French. who
ere pursuing and cutting them down in
the streets,--Bui their terror increased
every moment, and they let themselves be
ssored even by us, withoui even then resol-
wing to recommence the mhat
Every thing was conspired against this
poor Garrison. Cam .-.de. Oil leaving il.
himself promised to come speedily to its
re'iet and deliverance, and never did so
.nGugh he daily renewed his promises, as
may be seen from great number of letters
winch have preserved, and of which
send copies subjnned The Kingdom of
Valencia sent % the aid of the place Gen
Miranda. with division OF the troops of
that Kingdom, who landed at Tarrapona
and the following dAg &c embarked, and
was to join the army OF Campove,de. An
Enghsr DIV sion made its appearance on the
goth Col. Skerret who commended il.
IL
l21th the English engineers came TO recon
po' re the 'front.' of attack and convinced
mat me place was incapable of re sstancs
l'ney returned To their SHIPS so that they
all Kept aioof from The place though they
had Come to relieveit. This abandonment
OH me part OF those VIII came in order TO
save IL, was the worst OF all it M de such
an impression on the spiri S of the soldiers.
mat they gan to foresee that they were
WRr 4
tlnued their resistance IN consequence of nv
continual exhortations because hey saw
my coolness, aud the confidence which I
ieH' ina II they executed my orders. tie
French would never effect an entrance -.
hese reasonings were only IF weight for a
few hours the idea of seeing themselves
abandoned soon laid hold of their minds &
completely subdued them.
The English Comm andani came on the
evening OF the 26th, and asked me what
wished he should do With his troops Ire
pied. thar if he would disenbark and en-
ter the place, he should be received with iov
and treated as he deserved that he had
Ionly to choose the point " hich he wished TO
defend, and that should immediately CON
sent to it.
II the MARQUIS of Campoverde had not
PROMISED 20 Come to our relief without
keeping his promise if Gen. Miranda had
not shown himselfin the place with his d.
vision, only to appear and disappear, like a
Hash OF lightning ; if the English division
mad never come in sight; if he garrison
s$l short, had not been told every day and
4 Rour ofits last extremity, thai it was about
10 b,1relie Sed convinced .ahen, thar il mad
g. dependNs0ly on itsSswh snshgth. Il woaM
nave done great deal Hler4; but this ass.
s sembiage OF circumstances, so good and exI
eellent III appearance, but most pernicious
IN reality, because they rested on no plan.
good or AID, discouraged the garrison and,
have been the cause of that fatality, b,u
which 1t lost all The merit it had ACQUIRED
up to the moment of assault
" n great number of officers fed from
arragona to avoid the hardsh ps and tie
danger, some without permission. theirs
soliciting 1t upon prstexts that were far
from honorable, others feiguine sickness.
others, IN short, committing acts of baseness
to conceal their pusilanimity, and these OF
only merit no distinction, but ought to be
cashiered, otherwise they will still have the
lmPudence to appear with their decorations
ana say that they were at the siege.
be greater apart of the corps were
cS@1kanded by soeNains, from the " mt of
cSnMandants w5Qkfad departed. These
caPGnns ought 20 be colonies, and those
who have gone Off. and have been amnsin,
themselves at VIIanueva and elsewbere
oh Il IL