Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1811-04-03
INTERESTING.
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t.tSss
u,nt Interesting account of the situation,
SC, Of the contenaing armies in Portugal. The
Information it derived ron Official sources,
;al It's accuracy rn,,y be relied on
Alter the bAttie of Bussaco, lord Weillng-
,on retired with The British army, from A;,ni-
Il, to the h.iglts OF Torres Fcdras.--Oi TINS
c.:reat, being Atout Al leagues III distance,
III re can b. little said us it was acco apaihed
ws,a 70 nl.i;t,~v ,nove nents oEany importance.
T.a rcsr tu..s,l OF the English and the ADVANCE
OF The French were CONSTANT engage1i IN skir.
m;sh;aa. but net to al extent productive OF
any ;,onoriant conse1uences.--The town OF
A,,occticr near the first liaes OF defence, al
not C,r distant from the Tasus, Was the only
n,,cc vhcr.. the int;atrv of the French came
nm With Tie Enc;isi army. There smart
.,;,,,,ish took place between the French and
the,irht division commanded by br,gadlcr gen.
Crawford. This WIS the only rencontrc which
tonk p!ace until lord Wellington's army was
ceDtoucd ar Torres Vcdras, within the British
lines, and al about ) leagues distance trom
Lisbon, towards the shore of the atlantic, and
ccl. Massena possessing himself oil height
running parable! 10 that pl.ce. OF the three
lines OF defence which have been thrown UP by
thc E.agiish and Portuguese, there can be no
adaiu..te description given THE first, or
moss eastern one passes through the town OF
Torres Vadr..s, extending from the Allan
tic to t!le river Tagus, and is ABOUT 20 miles
il extent : The second passing through Mad
r.. is aoou, Is miles in extent and the third
D ,ssing between MARA and Cintro, occupies a
distance Of about q miles.
Gen. Nassena continued in the position
60 ,oi ltp IN
Vce!ras for more than six weeks, continually
RECOMMENDING the position OF LORD Wclilngton's
ANY, accompanied Ivy his staff and engineer
oiicers. TIE difficulty OF supplying his army
with provisions, the country about MIN not be-
Ing fruitful, and the mills having been prlnci-
ply destroyed, induced gen. Massena to re-
tire fron before Torres VCdras, and he ac-
cortli. glr fortified ard retreatcd TO the town
ofH,i.taren, his present headquarters, which
lies upon the river Tagus, ABOUT II leagues
ABOVE Lisbon.--H2 h4d previously formed de-
pots of provisions and forage at this place to
very large extent. He commenced ms retreat
on the night Of the 18th OF November,
and conducted it in very mastery mal-
Ier he took with him all his baggage,
carts, Sc leaving his sick and wounded to the
mercy OF an advancing army. HE advance
GUARD of the English came up with the rear OF
the French army at C&Ctsxo, at which place
IN. French drew up three regiments of caVal-
r. upou a. plain extending towards Santrem.
Nv. o5th regiment OF English rliemen were
oyclsred C Commence fire, to induce them TO
re,raSt. Tnis produced no effect; and Gen.
Crawford drew up his light division Ill riS!it,
: aid would have immediately commenced the
attack, but, it is Said, was checked by Lord
WelHnptoA, WHO reminded him, that he mad
o:liy 1900 in his advance, and that he Was d
bout 10 attack Gen. Junot With $4,000.
i. Genera Crawford accordingly advanced no
f,fther but retired to CartaXo, at the Same
time that the French cavalry moved OH to
Siatarem. The following morning, at day
break general Cr:twford's division advanced on
thc rod towards Santarem, the remainder OF
the army being immediately in his rear. a
geacr%I engagement WAS fully contemplated,
evcrv division taking its position according to
general orders for attack. Every necessary
arra,gcmr'.t having been made, the whole ar
INV VS. anxionsly waiting for an order to adj
vance, WEES al aid belonging to col. Pack,
who co.ncnards a brigade of Portuguese, an
rived. Informing that his commanding officer
was advancing on the road to Cartaxo, dame
tica!lv opposite to the orders Of lord Yelling
ton. This circu instance retarded the advance,
Aid in all probability prevented an attack that
day. The evening was employed in recon-
noiteri y, and the result of a consultation was,
a REIMBURSEMENT of the plan OF attack, and an
order that the army should return t. its Cam
toEnents, where it still remains.
The town Of SAntarem is situated on hill,
commanding valley on its left, which ex-
tends to the river Rio Major, over which there
is bridge of 100 yards in length, and which
is the OILY pass to the town on that side. The
Pear OF the French army is not confined to
S4ntarem, bu. occupies the grand military
road towards Abrantes, for several leagues
The town is very strongly fortified. General
M,sseua, having Caused to be erected around
the nil three regular rows OF trees OF gross
timber, focked, to prevent ascending, as we'll
as FIR cover in the event Of an attack. OPP
pos;se 20 Santlrem, on the south shore OF the
Taeus, tae country is occupied by general
Hi!ps brigade, he being stationed at a place
M ~ l,l>a p,rfy