The Sun. — 1832-12-12 (London, England)

BRUSSELS, MONDAY MORNING.  Accounts have reached here which left the headquarters of the besieging army at an advanced hour last night. They bring down the proceedings to a later period, but beyond that they do not differ in character from those which reached yesterday and the day before,—still describing the most daring bravery of attack on the one band, and the most determined boldness of defence on the other. The Dutch seem to have made up their minds to obey the sanguinary mandate of their cold •hearted Sovereign to the letter, and to hold out to the last. The fault is not theirs, but a dreadful responsibility will rest on the head of him through whose selfish obstinacy, in holding for a few days' longer a place which his General must eventually eive up, thousands of brave men must be sacrificed at both sides.  We now hear no further talk of any bombardment of the city, but still there are many whose fears on the subject have not been set at rest, and who think that Chasse, irritated at the prospect of defeat, may signalize the fall of the citadel by the contemporaneous ruin of the city. True, he niay do so, but at present I think it extremely improbable.  The firing at and from the citadel yesterday continued without intermission ; but the chief, at least the most de structive part of the contest, lay in the vicinity of Fort St. Laurent, which the enemy were disputing almost man to man, and foot to foot. This close firing was, of course, productive of corresponding loss on both sides. That Of the French was, I understand, more on yesterday and Saturday than on all the previous days of the siege put together. The engineers and artillery engaged in the advanced works of the besiegers have suffered most. One  party of sappers advanced,-I understand, without due  caution, so as to bring themselves directly under the fire of one of the batteries of the citadel. The moment they were observed, a discharge of grape came amongst them, 'lad not a man escaped. In a few moments their places were supplied by another party, who advanced with more prudence, but began their work as coolly as if they were employed in digging a pleasure ground. The alacrity and even gayety with which fresh parties of workmen go on to the very bead of the works to take the places of their comrades, whose mangled limbs strew their paths, are, I understand, the astonishment even of those officers who have seen many campaigns, and who have had much experience in such thing. The same sang froid is displayed in the trenches ; but there, as yet, the fire has been very slightly injurious. It was expected, when the last accounts came away, that every thing would be ready to carry the Lunette St. Laurent by about noon this day. The contest on that point will be of a most murderous kind. The following are extracts from the papers of this morning : The King has conferred the first decoration of the Order of Leopold, under the following circumstance In going round the trenches in front of the citadel, his Majesty met a sapper carried on a litter. "My General," said the brave and unfortunate soldier, with a firm voice, " I have lost a leg and an arm. It was at the head of  the sap, where I was at my post." On returning to the Palace the King sent to General Gerard the first decoration of the Order of Leopold for this brave fellow, accost  panied by a sum of money.