Alexandria daily gazette, commercial & political. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1808-1812, 1812-05-25
From the London Gazette, of.Afrl IA.

EIGHTY-SIX DAYS ]---.E e7o- 1 oih GH<ctSC'5 IS
From the London Gazette, Of .4tr1l "A.
A dispatch, ofwhich the following is an ex-
tract. has been this day received at the Earl OF
Liverpool's Office, addressed to bis Lordship
by General the Earl of Wellington, dated
Camp before Badajoz, March 27, 1912.
The operations of the siege OF BadaJoz have
continued since addressed you on the 2ota,
Notwithstanding the badness of the weather,
till the 25th inst. On that day We opened our
FIRE from twenty eight pieces of ordnance IN
SIX batteries, in the first parallel; two OF which
were intended to fire upon the outwork called
La Picurina, and the other four to enhlade or
destroy the defences of the fort on the side at
tucked. | directed Major General Kempt,
who commanded inthe trenches on that after
noon, to attack La Picurina by storm, after 1t
was dark that night, which service he effected
in the most judcous and gallant manner.
The attack was made by 500 men of the Sd
division, formed into three attachments the
right under the command Of Major Shaw, OF
the 74th the centre under the Hon. Capt.
Powys, of the SD; and the left under MAJOR
Rudd, OF the 77th regiment. The comnunl-
cation between the outwork and the body OF
the place was entered on its right and lett by
the right and left detachments, each consisting
of 200 men; half of each of which detach
mcnts protected the attack from saliies from
the fort, while the ether attacked the work in
It's gorge.
It was first entered, however, by the centre
detachment of 100 men, under the command
of the Zion. Capt. Powys, of the regiment,
who escaIded the work at the salient angle, at
point at which the palisades had been inur-
ed by our fire. The detachments which at
tackled the work by the gorge had the most Sc
rious difficulties to contend With, as 1t was
closed by not less than three rows OF strong
palisades, defended by musketry, and place
of arms for the garrison, musket proof, and
oop-holed throughout. When the attack up
on the salient angle, however, succeeded, The
whole got into the work.
The enemy's garrison in the outwork con-
sisted of25o men, with seven pieces of artil-
lery, under the command of Col. Gaspard
rhicry, ofthe Etat Major Of the army OF the
South; but very few, if any, escaped. The
Colonel, three other officers and Sc men, have
been taken prisoners, and the remainder were
either killed by the FIRE of our troops, or
drowned in the inundation of the River Rivel-
las, The enemy made sorte from the rave
vim called St. Rogue, either with view to re-
cover La Picurina, or to protect the retreat of
the garrison, but they were Immediately dri-
ven in by the detachment stationed in the
communication to protect the attack.
Maior-General Kempt mentions in high
terms in his report the cool and perseyefing
gallantry Of the officers and troops; of which
indeed the strength OF the work which they
carried affords the best proof. He particular
ly mentions Lieut.. Colonel Hardinge, OF the
Staff Of the Portuguese army, who attended
him on this occasion, Capt Bennett his Aide
de-Camp, and Brigade Major, Wilde, who
was unfortunately killed by cannon shot after
the work was in our possession likewise
Capt. Holloway, Lleuts. Gibbs and Stairway,
of the Royal Engineers, who conducted the
several detachments to the points Of attack
and Majors Shaw and Rudd, and the Hon.
Capt. Powys, who commanded the several de-
tachmcnts. These three officers were wound
ed, the latter on the parapet of the work,
which he had been the first to mount by the
ladders.
We thus established ourselves in La Picu-
rina on the night of the 25th, and opened the
second parallel within three hundred yards of
the body of the place in which two batteries
were commenced last night.
tits impossible that can do justice to the
zeal, activity, and interchangeable labor of the
officers and soldiers with which these opera
tons have been carried on in the most unfa-
vorable weather. The Guadiana swelled so
considerably, that, notwithstanding all precau-
tons, our bridge Of pontoons was carried a
way on the 22d inst. and the flying bridges