The Alexandria herald. [volume] (Alexandria [Va.]) 1811-1826, 1823-09-17
FROM SPAIN.

rhOM SPAlN.
| NEW YORK, SEPT 1S.-We are favored
WIN Gibraltar papers TO August 9TH, and
me following interesting letter from a
| very respectable gentleman at Cadiz.
oADIz, LIST AUG.-"The situation nj
this city is neither better nor worse sine
| last wrote you. The French have
been four months in the count ~ and I cor.
ceive their cause loses ground daily. The
character OF the Spaniards is not to brook
suoJecton from foreign power, and
though they have in the first place Yield.
cd, 1t has been more the effect of the Sc.
ductive arts employed by their own coup.
trymen, than of the epemy's arms. A
reaction will ultimately produce the eff
fect OF their total destruction.
N Catalonia there is no end to the f;pbt.
ing-the Spaniar6s always successful.
In this province, where Ballasteros is
now gaining ground, we look TO active
measures. A sally that was made here
from the lines showed that our men know
how &c fight, They marched u2 to the
enemy's parapets without firing shot,
MI they reached them. All the force
employed on our side was not more than
about three thousand men. The French,
however, in their bulletin, stated our loss
70 nave been from two TO 10 three thou,
sand,limiting theirs 10 five hundred. The
latter part believe. On our side we had
about twenty killed and two hundr ed
wounded. No prisoner.
"ihere are accounts to-day that the
advanced guard of Bsllasteros and gen.
Moliter have met and the victory decided
in favor oil the former.
"The detection of MorilIo is quite an
extraordinary event, as il has produced
no alteration In the army, which all abaD.
doned him, as it did Abisbal on former
occasion.
"ProvisIona arc not scarce-this place
is constantly supplied from Gibraltar"
Cadiz was provisioned for 4 months,
and had garrison of / ,On0 regulars,e x.
elusive of the militia.
The packet ship William Thompson,
capt. Croker, arrived at N.York, on Sa.
turday, from Liverpool, whence she
sailed on the Cd of August. We have
London papers to the S1st July inclusive.
A cutter had arrived at Falmouth from
Corunna, with Information 10 the 92d of
July, when the French he desisted from
their enterprise, and withdrawn from the
heights round the town although the di-
rectioD they had taken was not ascertain.
ed. Since the 10Th the firing had totally
ceased, and when the cutter came away.
disposable force of 1900 men was pre-
pairing to follow the rear of The French.
under the expectation that plan of ope-
ratioDs would be formed with the GOO re-
gulsrs concentrating on the side of Vigo
and Orense, with view 10 harass the
enemy III long and difficult retreat,
which alter the Ccrunna affair it was sup.
posed the invaders would be compelled
to take. Sir Robert Wilson has sailed
Tor sigo, for the purpose Of preparing
and Fastening this movement but ow-
ing 10 adverse winds, il was apprehended
he would have very long passage. The
brave defenders of Corunna, however,
had determined to follow up their victory,
by hanging on the rear Of the enemy, till
the main army came up TO act in concert
Several prisoners were taken by the
Spaniards. Some wounded men had also
been picked up, and they were bringing
in few stragglers who had hid them.
selves in woods and houses in the neigh.
borhood, and the picture they give of the
loss of the French in killed and wounded,
almost exceeds belief. Gen. de Bourck,
in fact, advanced on CoruDna with firm
determination to take the place by as
sault, coufe qui coute, unaware, no doubt,
OF the difficulties of the enterprise, and
besides ignorant Of the additional prepa>
rations for defence, rendered extremely
effective, although done in the hurry Of
the moment. After the trial made on
the place on the 18th, many of the French
officers were of opinion that the attack
was too hazardous with so small force
lit did not exceed 5000 men j but gen.
de Bourck considered that 10 desist from
the enterprise, after the expectations
raised, would, in moral point of view,
have an effect equally as bad as a defeat,
besides duplicating the character of the
Bourbon lilies. He overrulcd the opinion
of his officers, and the next day. the 10Th,
he ordered the attack 10 be made with
his whole strength. a considerable
quantity Of brandy was distributed 10 each
man, and iDsensible of the heavy fire to
which they were exposed, they rushed
on to the attack, and by the grape shot
from the baltiements were moved down