Alexandria gazette & advertiser. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1822-1824, 1824-02-10
HORRORS Of A RETREAT.

kuO TOti0oS W. INV
under Lord Wellington, from COIN
bra, took place early in the Peninsu-
Lar war. Threatened by Massena
with an overwhelming force, his
lordship was compelled to evacuate
the greater part Of Portugal, and to
take up the formidable position OF
tho Torres ycdras, which saved his
army.] " =,
The evacuation of Coimbra, the
Bath, il may 50 call it, ofPortu.
gall is preseat to me now, as tho
il had occurred but yesterday see
the immense population-men, wo-
men, and children, Of all ranks, and
of all ages,-pouring out, at an hours
notice, through the Lisbon gate OF
the city and rushing upon a jour
new which not one in five OF them
could hope to accomplish. 1t was
little to have abandoned home and
property !; to have set forth on foot
ifor The army had seized all convey
aucel-on foot. and unprovided, in a
long and rapid march through dis.
tracted, ravaged, lawless, tract OF
country; if to have suffered this was
much, the trial was still to come. ]
saw these multitudes, spent with ira
vel and with hunger, reach towns, in
which every hovel--every she'd
was filled with troops. saw fami-
lies upon families, yet new upon
thrir piigrimage--not yet so tanned
and beaten down by suffering as will
lingly to carry their daughters into
tbs guard rooms Of an Infatuated SOL
diry--I saw them lying, (for even
The churches were filed with our
sjck and wouuded.) lying unsheIter-
ed all night in the fields and open
squares, waiting. with feverish rest
lessness, the appearance Of morning,
a, though new light (repose apart?
would be to them an accession OF
new strength. :,
The vast column rolled forward
on the high road to the capital, COL
iecting the population Of the country
over which it passed. Behind were
left the weak, the aged. and the dy-
ing; and some few wrethes Of pro-
fession, who, tempted by tho hope Of
gain, took their chance (and lost it)
Of mercy from the enemy. But tho
every step over which the mass al.
vauced gave addition to its numbers.
there were drains at work and fear
full ones to counteract tho reinforce
ment. Cold dews at midnight, burn
Ing suns by day, scanty provisions
and fatigue unwonted--theso minis
tiers did their work, and especially
among the females. Towards the
close Of the second days march, the
women began to fail rapidly. At
first, when q girl grew faint, and un-
able to proceed. her sister would
stay by her. This feeling. however,
was not fated to last long, soon the
sister dashed desperately forward :
70 sink herself. and meet her own
fate some leagues farther on.
Isaw one company halted between
Leira and Pombal, which must have
consisted of 500 or 1000 individuals.
These people came from the neigh
borhoods of Coimbra and ConGaixa {;
some of them from as far up as Mon.
eoslde and Wien. There were
girls of IA or IS clad in their gayest
apparel--their only means of carry
ing, or Gas they sadly Of saving"
it. There were old men and grand
danes ; peasants, male and female /;
friars, artisans, servants, and reli.
giases. After travelling, most Of
them, more than fifty miles on foot.
and passing two or three nights in
the open air, they were lying upon
the banks of river, waiting for the
sunrise. as ] rode past them. I ne
YER can forget this scene ). and yet
] feel that it is impossible for me to
describe it. The stream I believe
ii was a branch Of the Montego) was
dark and swollen, from the effect Of
recent rains; and it rushed along be-
tween the willows, which grew on
either bank, as though sharing in
the hasty spirit which animated eve
ry object about it. On the road
which lay to the right Of the river,
troops and fagitives were already in
motion. 1t was just dawn when |
came up. A light breeze was half
clearing OF the fog from the surface
- Al ,,,a<n, T.ouo kho 1svsnp pnnAa