Virginia Argus. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1796-1816, 1811-07-18


very OF every corps ana individual was suit
able to the opportunity that they had to dis
tinguish themselves. j know not single in
dividual who did not do his duty well
l. have to lament the loss Of col Collins,
commander of 4 Portuguese brigade; cam
non ball took off ore of his legs; he is an
officer OF great merit and / deeply lament
the death OF major gen. Houghton and of two
loflcers' OF great hopes, lieut.. col. sir Why
ers, and lieut.. col Duckworth.
have great satisfaction in informing your
|exceliency,1 not only of the firm and brave
conduct of our allies, the Spanish troops,
commanded by his excellency gen Blake, but
also to assure you that there was a perfect
harmony between us; and that gen. Blaky
not only confronted in every respect to the
general plan proposed by your excellcncy,
| but IN the details, ard in every thing
that i suggested to his excel!cncy--
l received the most immediate and cordial
consent and cooperation, and nothing was o.
I mitted on his part to secure the success Of
| our combined forces and during the battle
he contributed most essentially BY his cxpe-
Renee, knowledge and zeal, to it's happy re-.
suit. .
His excellcncy capt. gen. Castanos, who
mad joined the few troops that he had fit for
service to- those Of gen. Blake, and placed
them under his orders, assisted in Person in
the field; not only on this bat ON ali qcca-
slons, owe much to gen. Castanos, wao Is
| always eager to do whatever can contribute
to the success OF the common cause.
Though unfortunately ! cannot designate
the corps, or the many individuals OF the
Spanish troopswho distinguished themselves.
will not however omit the names of gen.
baiiasteros,' whose valor was conspicuous;
as was also that of the corps under his COM
mand, and likewise that Of gen. Zavas, and
OF don Carlos d'Hespanha. The Spanish ca
VARY behaved extremely we'll, and the count
de Penne Vilemur merits to BE particular
iy mentioned 80
i annex the return of our loss in this action.
which IS very heavy; to it we must add the
loss OF the troops under the command of his
exeellency general Blake in killed, wounded
and missing, but of which / have not the re-
turn. Though cannot know the loss of the
enemy with Certainty, it must be still prea-
ter; they left about 1000 dead on the field
OF battle, and We made from 900 to 1000 pri-
| soners; they have five generals killed or
wounded J, OF the former the gems. of division
Merlem and Pefim; Gazan and two others
among the latter. Their force was much
more considerable than we were informed at
first, for what was displayed l cannot esti-
mate at less than from 90 to $4,000 infantry.
and they had certainly 1000 horse with a nu-
| merous and heavy artillery. Their numer-
Gus cavalry suspended and limited all our o.
perations, and their artillery saved the infan.
try after it was routed.
They retreated after the battle to the
ground which they had previously occupied /;
and this morning, or rather during the night,
commenced their retreat by the road by
which they came towards Seville, and aban-
doned Badajcz to its fate. They left a num-
Der ofwounded in the Camp from which they !
reiterated, to whom we are giving all the as
sistance in our power. have ordered our
cavalry to pursue the enemy; but ne is too
strong in hat;descriptiofI of troops fer US to
attempt any thing in the plains that he is
crossing.
We have thus reaped the advantages that
we had proposed to ourselves when we op-
posed the attempts of the enemy and as he
was obliged to abandon the object, ON account
of which he had nearly stripped Andalusia
OF troops, instead of fulfilling the arrogant
boasts and promises which Marshal Soult
made to his troops on their setting out from
Seville; he returns thither with a defeated
army, and what perhaps is still more preju-
dicial, with diminished reputation.
In enumerating the services which haze
received from the officers of my staff, ought
particularly to call your Excellency's atten-
SOh w IhoSc vi DiiS- OSli. ~ CTOdnO, quar-
ter-Master-G General of the Portuguese army,
which it is impossible to praise sufficiently;
on all occasions have experienced the be-
neft of his talents and services, and more es-
pecially on this, when they essentially con-
tributed to the triumph of this day; nor can
here omit the name of Col. Hardinge, De-
putty Quarter-Master General of the Portu-
guese army, whose talents and exertions de-
serve my thanks. am indebted for his as
sistance to Brig. Gen. Mozinho, Adjutant
General of the Portuguese army, and to Lieut.
Gen. Rookie, Assistant to the Adjutant Gene
raj Of the united British and Portuguese for
ces. Brig. Gen. Lenlos, and to the officers Of
my own staff.
/ also owe much to the services Of Lieut..
Col. Arbuthnot, major IN His Msjesty's SER
vice) and he is the bearer Of this to your Tx
cellency. and is fully able to give you any in
formation that you may desire, and is very de-
serving of any favor that your Excellency may
think proper to solicit for him from his Royal
Highness the Prince Regent.
have the honor, &c.
(Signcd)