Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1823-09-16

L i 80
directed tagainst the French force AT
Puerto Real.} besides the GARAGES,
which il an bland from the Ise of Leon.
The progress of the narrative. however,
will show moro clearly what the nature
of the close blockade, which the French
saw they have established, must be-
None Of the columns, according to the
French account, proceeded far, except
The column which proceeded along the
road to Chiclana, and that which issu.
ed from the bridge of Santi Petri; in.
deed, it should appear that all the 9th
er sorties were intended merely to call
off the attention of the French from the
attacks of these two columns, which
were directed against Chiclana. The
following is the French official account
of the progress of these corps:
1.-THE column which had advanced as
long the road to Chiclana, presuming
that the fortified house situated in ad.
vance Of the town, was abandoned:
marched on with great confidence to
cries Of viva Riego.' On arriving at
within Is PAGES of the house, it was re.
ceived by the fire Of the troops who oc.
cupied it, and of the sharp shooters sta.
toned in its rear. The column then at
tempted to deploy, but General Count
de Betsy, who had two bastalions, and
three pieces of artillery Of the guard,
masked in the wood, gave order for ti-
ring, and marching on the column Tor
ced it to retire. 1t was pursued nearly
to the canal and suffer ed great loss
"Tbe column that issued from point
near the fort Of St. Petri had arrived
within gun shot Of the chapel Of st.
Anna. near Chiclana, and the Prince dc
Carignac, who occupied that point with
a battalion of the Goth, Immediately EN-
gagged it. Protected by various obsta-
Giles, it had maintained its ground for
upwards of an hour, when General
Betsy, having driven back the troops
that had marched upon him. advanced
with battalion upon St. Ana. This
last column then experienced the fate
of all the rest. 1t retired in disorder,
and with difficulty regained its boats,
which our troops attempted to seize,
notwiths, anding tho cross fires from
the fort of st. Petri battery, and two
gun.boa,s. Its line was worry near the
boats"
10 order to understand these accounts,
it is necessary to o bssrvs that the Bird
ges of Suazo and santi Petri, from
which these columns respectively lssu'
ed, are thrown over the channel when
divide the Isle of Leon tom the land,
sir miles distant from each other. Inc
column from the bridge Of suazo had
about five miles to march to Ghiciana,
inclining to the right;-the column
from the bridge of Santi Petri flve
miles inclining to the left, crossing the
bridge of the mill Of Almanac, and
leaving the scene of the gallant action
Of Barrosa. What is to be remarked
is. that both these columns reached
Chiclana. or St. Anna, which is close
to it; that one of them maintained itself
there for an hour; and that they, final
ly retired, without any part beng cut
off, and without losing any prisoners:
at least, if the French took any, they
have the modesty not to notice them.
II must be manifesto any one who will
look at the map ofthe country before
the Isle OF Leon, that no effective block
ade can have been established; for if
there had been any French troops on
the road from the bridge Of Santi Pc.
tri to C,nil, column of 2 thousand
Spaniards could never have proceeded
from that bridge along the woody
heights to Santa Anna and Chiclana
without the certainty Of being cut off
Yet the French tell US it did pro-
coed thither, and after staying therean
hour, returned again to the bridge
The road to Conil along the coast must
consequently be entirely open, and if
this was the case, the French forces be-
fore Cadiz must be very inadequate to
the operations of siege,
A morning paper which speaks the
sentiments or the hopes of the violent
party in France, says, that MoLiToR
with his corps, will speedily join the
force before Cadiz. Ere Molitor can
do this, however, he must get rid Of
BALLAsTERos; who is in the difficult
country of Granada. Molitor too must
mask the strong place Of Alieant,
and still more important fortress of
Carthagepa, AS he has already left
garrisons in Sarsgosss, in Murviedro,
in Valencia, and in Murcia, and has to
keep up all the line Of communication
along that coast, Nlolitor's corps could
not reach the line before Cadiz with any
considerable force.
MADRID, July 81 Yesterday, the