The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-05-21

w NV ido uub al iItS1 COnSCTlDUOn OeCn call =
ed out and provisions been sent to the
Troops i-Or, why has Masse ma himself re
NAMED so long before the British entrench-
meats '-These are questions which are
much easier asked than ans7vered
The French nave fought. It's true, against
he most SeriouS Dads The British were.
masters ar seu-and could thus throw in re
lntorcements and provisions, as they were
wanted. The French, on the other hand.
had no subsistence but what hey could CLEAN
from an exhausted coun ry--lnd no troops
but what they could lead, over long and
perilous tract of land, from the confines IF
France.-But this is not the only case IN
hich British troops have proitted by their
prepoRderance at sea In '96 when sir Sid
ney Smith toiled Bunaparte before s.. Jean
Acre, in Syria, lthe only time that he was
ever seriously foiied, the British " commo
OF the French fotillla laden with heapU car
ron, ammunition, platforms. & other arti
cles necessary for Bonaparte's army t. un-
tlertake the siege. This artillery "a pie
ces) was i'm mediately mounted on the ram
part of Acre" and turned against the
French.
The order of this retreat, whatever he its
causes, is detailed iii the official dispaich
es of.I.d. Wellington of the 18th, 10th. o1st
& 9Th MarCh-from shese we extr.c,
the following Coup d. Gel of events. froo,
the 9Th t. the 27th Mar, h.
On the night OF the S n March. thev he
gan their treat.-.They had bu, abort
wav the Stcrt Of the British, for the next
morning they oo gan their pursuit-The
French bent their steps N towards the
Mondego-On the Oh, they were posted
IN 'front.' %! Pombal.-Op the 11th. the. Bri
fish had concentrated sufficient forces 70
attack them in their POSITIONS; but in the
mex nigh, they continued the retreat
On the 18th. they took post between Pom
bal and Redinha ; but being dislodged with
some loss) by charge of the enemy. they
setreated over the river Redinha its mar
row bridge and tordiug place being within
the range of their artillery On he 13,h
the French ook post 1T Cunde,xa, and be
gan sending # their baggage by the road
leading to the bridge of Murcella. over
the Mondego-their retreat 10 Coimbrs be
ing Intercepted by he Portuguese Militia
under Col rant, who was still in that CT
V-ih ne b. threatened to cut them of
| from the road to MuIcella, md the F re-
treated to the mountains. near Casat Nova.
| three miles from Candeixa-(This opened
communication to he B. with Co. Frant
at Colmbra).--On he II a, The manoeuyres
ot the b. induced them 10 retire "a Mi
randa de Corbo and upon the river E.za
| IL Ihe results OF these operations were
CHImbra saved, the Country to the N of he
Mondego not only saved, but free com
muhication opened with it. Here ends the
first despatch of Lord Wellington.
In the night of the 18th. the F. retired
from Miranda de Coroo and pos ed them
selves on he banks of The Ce;r4-On the
18Th, the evolutions IF the b. induced them
TO cross me rver--In the night, they dcs-
troyed the bridge, anG retire .---On he 10th.
the b. lay still, partly to recruit their
troops, and partly 70 wait Tor provisions.
On he 17,h, the F. crossed The Ava "a
branch of the Mondego) and DESTROYED the
bridge.-They cetreatad % Muita--On he
night OF the 18th, 'hey pursued their line
OF march the British took many prison.
ers (; most of them belonging to foraging
parties, which had been detached in the di
recuon of the Mondego This is Sue
spirit OF the Cd and Sd dispatches.
The b. cavalry and Light troops went or
--the rest of the army halted; till the
supplies which had been sen round from
the Tagus to the NJ ,ndego, should come up.
Every day threw them farther from the
magazines on the Tagus and every day
supplies became more scauty and precari
Gus. Between the 22d and 25th, the F ook
post at Guarda--on the 26th, the B. were
to take position IN he neighbothood OF Ce-
ierico
Thus, we have details of events from the
5th, to the 25th. From these it appears.
that the f. had relreated to the south of
the Mondeg THAT they had cached Guar
da, on ths route to AimeIda. Ciudad Rodri
60 &c.--that hey had to Contend with a
most OF opposition, the British at their,
heeis' the militia on their famks, and ia
mine IN their ranks . that they had lost
most OF their artillery, ammunition and bag
gag ---scarce any 'hing wi IN them bat their
kpapSacks aud musquets--and yet that
they had disputed almost every inch OF
ground; marching in solid mass, and pro-
tecting the rear with one or more corps,
that lowered on the Heights. SUCH is tre
British Account!
retreatng army has some few advan.
tageS-they may CLEAN few provisions,
and break down the brldges-but these
were more than counter balanced, in the
case OF the French, b, the superior plenty
enjoyed by the enemy.
1t this be, indeed, a retreat tits certain.
" naSterIy one-No stroke of genius
seems 10 be wanting-no severe disasters
are sustained. For as to the rumor, about
Ney' and 5000 troops iuthe rear Of The ar
my being cut off, it rests in the first
place, upon the credibity of mere skip
perrin the ID, there IS one part of It. evi
IDENTITY false; for il makes the Marshal Be-
Iesford and the Portuguese have the Gre
ui' OIL II, hen they we're at that very mo-
L.