The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1811-04-30

1
| ;hcer OF the British army ut Lisbon, ct
the period of the departure of The VIM.
| Penn.
! The headquarters of the British army,
under lord Wellington. on the 18th of March,
was at Car,aXo near Villa Franco, on he
fagus, 30 miles n. f.. from Lisbon, his di-
vision. the centre consisting of %, 900 ct
fective British troops, and iwo bi .gades OF
| Portuguese.
on The same day, was at Chamasco, 40
miles eastward of Cartaxo, and OIL the left
OF the gus. his force consisting Of 81 200
I men, principally Portuguese, with some
squadrons OF British cavalry and British
art cry.
| The. left of the army under general Drum
mosd had its head quarters at Furres We
dras, % miles due notth OF Lisbon. aud Il
bout lO miles from The sea, commanding
tn i"wer road be ween Lisbon add Lcyria
the force Consisting of 5000 BRITISH and
1000 rtuguese viii. some auxiliary Spa
niArds
| The Head Quarters of the French com
mander IN Chief Was at this time and
on the 5ih OF March at S.narem, %
miles n. L. of the British Head Quar-
! terS.
J Inc reconnoirtng- parties of the right
wing under general Bercs.orl, had ocoasi-
onhly CT 'ssed t. thr right >de of the ragus
and mad IN Ade some tlemonslra ions Oh that
side the position of general Bere be-
ing 20 miles above the French head quar-
ters; but on III. morning OF the Sun March
lit was found that he Frenci. had rerired
from this position having left Tn their out
posts runber at uniformed effigies, IS
deception tue. mex day, &c II ri M Gu
the division of gen al bere,tord CT ,ssed
he Iagus. add formed junction with tue
RICH, OF The division OF general Wellesley at
Galaga
The whole army was now in pursuit of
the French "ho had made vey RAPID tor
ced maIcn,s oantarrm fro i s ex,ent
may be supposed to have Contained about
Is QUO inhaGitdn S, but 1t now Exhibited a
heap OF runs {; only. out or houses
were hab,table, the rest, wiIhou, exc, p.ior,
UNI 90 ed and gutted was there a d. or
or W ndow De seen SONG had been cunL
sumed by mr., ana me runs we've s II sino
king on the 9th. One church on.y e>ca-
ped, the oJhers >oh red in the general
wreck, nor was hyre a particle OF pro-
visions nor any thing Of any value to be
found.
A; the position of Santarem, the two
great roads united, The low CT leads t. Lcyria
from which 1t is about 81 miles distant. in
du ectIon something wtsl of north this
Is he road to Coimbra. over which
BOTH armies had travelled as tar as Ley
ria, alter the battle of Busaco Cuirn-
ora Is distant fr"m Santarem about eighty
miles.
The other or main road, called the upper
road passes by r en-; depot OF provisions
/ AID hospitals "a lhomar, which was on the
II zdrC rivcv " miles nearly north o; San
tarcu. Inc position OF general Beres OF d,
was below the confluence of he Y, care
wi'h the lagus, and Consequently me"aced
the lett OF the French and commanded the
upper road which leads thi ough ne
strong mountain c"un r. towards Guarda
and AIneida and div. ded Ro, rigo, which
have been already distinguished s:by tho
| military operations of he same armies
The rear guard OF the French was over
| taken and some skrmisninp ,ouL place, in
which there we've Some Ives los, and DR.
sonets taken on bcth sdcs the British light
Infantry are reported as having suff. red We
ry severely, but they compelled the French
to fy~
On the 7,h the main body of the British
halted waiting for the division from Torres
Vedras TO JON and that day pushed their
advance o" to Coldas
The French had reiired in 8 columns from
fhomar. and the British light .roops came
up with their rear guard, and, several Sc
vee conflicts took place
On the n, 'he whole army was in mo !
ton. and was then supposed that the
French had occupied he sr'ng position at
the Pont dc Mutcella and inat they mean !
IL make stand there n great number of I
prisoners were made, composed principal
ly OF person exhausted ~ f gue, and ap-
parenty much einaciAled from wait of
iopd, AMI several deser ers also came into
the British.
On the h, the British army was forced |
to bait lor want OF provisions The French
having destroyed every thing of that de
scrip on on the whole line of their march,
ana tor several miles on every side -
The French had not reached Colmbra nm
tn n.
On the 10Th dragon of the guards
who brought despa cues to an officer Al
Santare'D, stated. that the advance of the
British had come in contact he preceding
day with Une ut the FIR nch divisions. about
a stage distance from Thomar, on the A |
brmtes road he said the French had been
taken so mach by surprize, that thew were
seen leaping Il ON the windows of the hons |
es in winch hey had wen, 10 rest The |
British infantry were under orders or to. |
ced marches, since the pursuit be .an. and Il |
was not dOub cd a. TN At time. mat the whole !
body ut the French wou be compelled to
fight
The division of General Hill was pnsh-
ed forward vita great CELEBRITY, 70 inter
cept the French IN tie passage OF the riv
er.
! In the British army, the sudden retrea, of
Inc l. iron Ia 81