enemy have withdrawn the great force | rounded me with all his army, and awaited which they had in the neighbourhood of Badajoz. Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton reconnoitred, with part of the cavalry, along the Xevora and the Guadiana as far as Montigo, on the 2nd inst. and found no troops excepting a small body of infantry and cavalry at Montigo; and near Badajoz the cavalry belonging to the garrison.-By all accounts, the Army of Portugal are on the right of the Guadiana, between Montanches and Merida, keeping a small post at Montigo; and the Army of the South on the left of that river, extending their left towards Zafra.-The enemy have withdrawn from Badajoz their train of artillery with which the place was taken, and have sent it to the southward.-A part of General Bonnet's troops, whose evacuation of the Asturias has been confirmed, have gone to Leon; and I have a Report from General Silveira, of the 25th of June, stating that the enemy had, on the 19th, evacuated Astorga. By accounts from Val-hand the two consequences which my reladolid, it appears, that Marshal Bessieres had quitted that place the 12th, with all the troops he could collect, and went to Rio Seco, from whence he moved, on the 15th, towards Benavente -The Guerilla force appears to be increasing in numbers, activity, and boldness, in all the northern parts of Spain.-I have no authentic accounts of General Blake's movements since the 27th of June, on which day his head-quarters were at Alosno, in the Condado de Niebla, and his advanced-guard, under General Ballasteros, at El Cerro.

my sallying out to drive me back.—To speak of capitulation was unworthy of the heroic defence which the place had made. The Marquis of Campoverde had promised to present himself with an army for my relief; the English had arrived two days before with another division of troops for my support, but they did not resolve upon disembarking when they saw the danger in which the place was of being invested; and thus, in spite of the aid of our troops, and the presence of our allies, I saw myself reduced to my own soldiers.- In this state of things, knowing the activity of the enemy, who would not lose a moment in attacking me before the ill-combined operation for raising the siege could be carried into effect, an operation which lasted a number of days, I took that measure which was due to Spanish honour, to my character, to my personal reputation; and resolved to die fighting, rather than think of a surrender.-I saw before

SPAIN.—TARRAGONA.-Paris, 25th July, 1811.-Literal Translation of a Report of the Siege of Tarragona, which GENERAL CONTRERAS, Ex-Governor of that place, addressed to the Council of Regency On the 28th instant (May) at daybreak, the enemy opened his fire to batter in breach the curtain of the front of St. John, at the angle which it forms with the left flank of the bastion of St. Paul. Our artillery and our infantry behaved heroically; they several times succeeded in silencing their fire, and retarding an operation which threatened us with an assault.—The situation of Tarragona became at this moment most critical; for, from the want of shipping, of time and opportunity, I found it impossible for me to save my garrison by sea; as little could 1 do so by land, because the enemy sur

sistance would infallibly produce: either the confusion, the defeat, the flight of the enemy, if I was victorious; or, if I failed, and the enemy penetrated into the place, a horrible carnage of my soldiers and of the inhabitants. But in foreseeing all this, in determining to receive and to repel the French upon the breach, I again consulted, whether my force was capable of that enterprize, one of the most heroic which the war presents, and to which few men know how to make up their minds.— In reality I knew that I had still 8,000 of the best and most warlike troops of Spain, who had immortalized themselves in the

defence of Tarragona, and to whom only this last effort was wanting for the completion of their work.-Resolved, then, to resist the assaults of the enemy, I placed, in the face of the breach, two battalions of provincial grenadiers and the regiment of Almeria, with orders not to fire a single musket, and to throw themselves upon the breach as soon as the French should appear there, in order to drive back their column at the point of the bayonet (for it was thus that this terrible operation was to be executed); and on compelling them to retire, such a terrible carnage was to be made among them, that they should not dare to return a second time.-I distributed among the soldiers wine, brandy, and tobacco. I spoke to them myself so as to inflame their courage; and I took all the precautions which were proper to be

taken under such circumstances. The re- capitulation, on the 28th of June, a day sult did not answer my expectations. Our that will be memorable in future times for troops received the French with a firm- the tragical end of this ancient capital of ness worthy of admiration; but they did Spain, which has been condemned to see not altogether follow my instructions, its temples and edifices destroyed, during which were to attack the assailing column the siege, by more than 4,000 bombs or in its advance; and the regiment of Al- grenades, and an innumerable quantity of meria soon yielded the ground which it bullets and of balls, which filled with occupied for the purpose of supporting terror the isles of Majorca and Minorca, the grenadiers, and acting as a reinforce and the coasts of the Mediterranean, the ment and a reserve. At last 1,500 of the hospitals of which are filled with its enemy's grenadiers, supported by 5 or wounded defenders; which, in short, has 6,000 men, without reckoning the bulk of seen at the last moment of its existence so the army of Suchet which surrounded the many victims slaughtered.-On the folplace on all sides, entered the breach. lowing day, General Count Suchet caused Our troops began to retire in disorder me to be conveyed on a litter to his headfrom the wall; and although all the of- quarters at Constanti, where I found Geficers and myself made every effort to nerals Courten, Cabrer, Brigadier Mesina, stop them, and prevail upon them to and other Chiefs, who had been made charge the enemy anew, and defend them- prisoners, with 7,800 men, of whom 400 selves in the streets, this was impossible; were officers, who have been conducted the soldiers thinking to find safety in to France. The General sent for me, and flight, threw themselves down on the side in presence of the principal officers of his towards the sea, leaped over the walls and army, openly told me, that I was the cause pallisades, and attempted to escape; but of all the horrors his troops had committed they were taken by the enemy's troops, in Tarragona, because I had defended mywho invested us on the Barcelona side of self beyond the limits prescribed by the the place. In proportion as our troops laws of war; and that these laws authogave way, the enemy occupied the ram-rised him to punish me even with death, parts of the old and new town, and entered the streets, where all were killed or wounded without distinction of class, age, or sex. This tragedy was only less cruel, because the French officers, full of generosity, saved all they could, and even exposed themselves to become the victims of their own soldiers, who, burning with the thirst of carnage, thought only of slaughtering. At this moment, running myself to the gate of San Magin, to collect there, if possible, some soldiers, in order to charge the enemy, to save them during the night, or to attempt to break through, I was wounded in the belly by the stroke of a bayonet, and made prisoner by an enemy's detachment. The report then spread, that I was killed; and the general disorder increased to such a degree, that the soldiers might be seen throwing away their arms, taking to flight, and thus falling into the hands of their enemies, who made them all prisoners.-lowing, both from Campoverde, and from Tarragona, in fine, after one of the most obstinate sieges, during which I left untried none of those measures which are dictated by the art of defence, and which the smallness of my force and means permitted, Tarragona fell, amidst the horrors drawn on by the heroism of a garrison which shut its ears to all proposals for

for not having demanded a capitulation as soon as the breach was practicable; that on entering by assault, he had a right to put every thing to fire and sword; and that, by consequence, the besieged ought to have hung out the white flag, as soon as the breach was opened.-I replied, that if it was true, that the laws of war prescribed, that if the assailant enter, he may deliver up a town and its inhabitants to plunder, flames, and the sword; and that they in consequence indicate, that the moment when the assault is about to take place is the time to capitulate; these same laws, however, do not prohibit the garrison to defend itself, and endeavour to repel the assailants; that I had resisted, because I had a force sufficient to repel his, which would doubtless have been the case had my dispositions been obeyed in the way that I ordered them; that, besides, I expected succours on the day fol

the sea, &c.; that having resisted until the breach was practicable, I should have passed for a coward, had I not dared to defend it; and, in short, that no law forbad me to repel the assaults.-General Suchet, convinced by the powerful reasons which I gave him, treated me, at last, as well as the other general and private

officers, with all the distinction which his troops; I replied, that if he would we had merited by our resistance.. disembark, and enter the place, he should The garrison behaved heroically in the be received with joy, and treated as be defence up to the moment of the assault; deserved; that he had only to choose the it then shewed some weakness, the soldier point which he wished to defend, and that gave way and was intimidated. The offi-I should immediately consent to it.-If cers, on the contrary, always behaved per- the Marquis of Campoverde had not profectly well, and sabre in hand, made the mised to come to our relief, without keepgreatest efforts to keep the soldiers to ing his promise; if General Miranda had their duty, and to collect them in order not shewn himself in the place with his dithat they might resist and attack the vision, only to appear and disappear, like French, who were pursuing and cutting a flash of lightning; if the English divithem down in the streets. But their terror sion had never come in sight; if the garincreased every moment, and they let rison, in short, had not been told every themselves be sabred even by us, without day and hour of its last extremity, that it even then resolving to recommence the was about to be relieved; convinced, then, combat.-Every thing has conspired that it had to depend only on its own against this poor garrison. Campoverde, strength, it would have done a great deal on leaving it, himself promised to come more; but this assemblage of circumspeedily to its relief and deliverance, and stances, so good and excellent in appearnever did so, though he daily renewed his ance, but most pernicious in reality, bepromises, as may be seen from a great cause they rested on no plan, good or bad, number of letters which I have preserved, discouraged the garrison, and have been and of which I send copies subjoined. the cause of that fatality, by which it lost The kingdom of Valencia sent to the aid all the merit which it had acquired up to of the place, General Miranda, with a di- the moment of assault.-A great number vision of the troops of that kingdom, who of officers fled from Tarragona to avoid landed at Tarragona, and the following the hardships and the danger, some withday re-embarked, and was to join the out permission, others soliciting it upon army of Campoverde. An English divi- pretexts that were far from honourable, sion made its appearance on the 26th. others feigning sickness, others, in short, Colonel Skerret, who commanded it, came committing acts of baseness to conceal on shore to confer with me. On the 27th their pusillanimity, and these not only the English engineers came to reconnoitre merit no distinction, but ought to be the front of attack; and, convinced that cashiered, otherwise they will still have the place was incapable of resistance, they the impudence to appear with their decoreturned to their ships; so that they all ration, and say that they were at the siege. kept aloof from the place, though they-The greater part of the corps were comhad come to relieve it. This abandon-manded by Captains, from the want of ment on the part of those who came in order to save it was the worst of all: it made such an impression on the spirits of the soldiers, that they began to foresee that they were lost; they were cast down; they only continued their resistance in consequence of my continual exhortations, because they saw my coolness, and the confidence which I felt, that if they executed my orders the French would never effect an entrance. These reasonings were only of weight for a few hours; the idea of seeing themselves abandoned soon laid hold of their minds, and completely subdued them.-The English Commandant came on the evening of the 26th, and asked me what I wished he should do with

the Commandants who had departed. These captains ought to be colonels, and those who have gone off, and have been amusing themselves at Villanueva and elsewhere, should be dismissed the service; otherwise, justice will not be done, and it is necessary that justice should be done.

As to myself, I have never asked any thing, and I wish nothing else at present but to be exchanged if possible. I anxiously wish to re-enter the field; and in the mean time I hope that my wife, who is at Majorca, will receive a part of my pay, a thing, however, which I should not ask, if my property was not in the power of the enemy.

(To be continued)

Published by R. BAGSHAW, Brydges-Street, Covent - Garden :~Sold also by J. BUDD, Pall-Mall,

LONDON:-Printed by T. C. Hansard, Peterborough-Court, Fleet-Street,

LONDON, SATURDAY, AUGUST 10, 1811.

"Let him who fairly wins receive the prize."- -DRYDEN.

The Duke of Dalmatia, in his general | them. But, we are told, indeed, that orders, issued about the 20th of June, says, there is a small garrison left in Madrid, that on that memorable day, 20,000 and that the necessary number of troops French fought 45,000 enemies; that they remain posted, before Cadiz : that is to made 1,000 prisoners; that they took six say, that the metropolis of Spain is in the colours and five cannon; and that, during hands of the French, and that they have the battle General Philippon made a sally cut off the only great sea port town and from the town of Badajoz, and destroyed naval arsenal from all communication the works which the English had erected. with the land. Madrid is mentioned, Now, I am not inclined to believe here, in a very slight way, but the menthis Duke of Dalmatia, upon his bare word, tion is worthy of particular notice. any more than any other military com- We of this "most thinking" nation, have a mander; but what I do believe is, that the thousand times been told, that all around Duke of Dalmatia would not wish to pass Madrid the Guerillas (a Volunteer Corps, I supamongst his own soldiers and officers, for pose) were in such force and so extremely a notorious liar; and, therefore, I do be- active, that King Joseph was in the, utlieve that this statement of his must be most danger, being, besides, held in the pretty nearly the truth; because, if false, utmost abhorrence by the people of the that falshood must have been immediately city itself, who only waited for a fair opknown to every man in his army, this portunity of rising upon him and his being, not a dispatch to amuse the people partisans; and further, our industrious at home, but an order issued in his army, news-papers have furnished this "most and read, of course, at the head of every thinking people" with divers intercepted company in that army.- -There can be letters from King Joseph to his brother little doubt, then, I think, that the French Napoleon, complaining, in most desponddid take six English standards in the ing terms, of the state in which he was battle of Albuera, though, in the reported placed, of the dangers to which he was speech of Mr. Perceval, mention was exposed, and earnestly praying to be sufmade of only two. At any rate, the fered to abandon an enterprize that proFrench did take some standards, and no-mised nothing but vexation in the progress body has yet pretended to say that the and ruin in the end. But, now, behold, allies took any. Yet, the ministerial after all this, our own Commander in news-papers tell us, that when the news Chief gives us, under his hand, an assurof our victory at Albuera reached St. [ance, that there is only a small garrison in Petersburgh, the court was delighted, the Madrid, and, that there are no French rich people gave balls and other enter- troops, at all, in the whole of the country tainments in the way of rejoicing, and that round about it; which, I take it, is a even the Russian soldiers shouted for joy! pretty satisfactory proof, of one of these But, what have they not told this "most two things; either, that what we were "thinking people" in all Europe?—To before told, was shamefully false, or, that return to the consequences of raising the the Guerillas are become less active than siege of Badajoz: Lord Talavera informs they were, that the people of Madrid us, that the enemy had drawn together have changed their opinions, that King the whole of their force from Castile, Joseph's situation is become less dangertheir whole force from Madrid, and allous, and his prospects more fair.-In their force from Andalusia, excepting what was absolutely necessary to main tain their position before Cadiz, together with the force under Sebastiani in the Eastern Kingdoms of Andalusia. He adds, that they have abandoned Old and New Castile, with the exception of a small garrison in Madrid, and have risked every thing, in all parts of Spain, in order to collect this large army in Estremadura. -From this picture, one would be led to suppose, that all the rest of Spain and Portugal was totally deserted by the French, and that we might expect, soon to hear, that Spain was totally free of

the next dispatch, (see page 153,) our
commander tells us, that the cavalry of
the French army succeeded in cutting off
a picket of the 11th dragoons, who mistook
a body of the enemy, for a body of our
own troops; and he says, that the 2nd
Hussars, also, suffered on their retreat to-
wards Elvas Now, let us hear what
Dalmatia says upon this subject.
says (see page 152), that a brigade of
French cavalry, and not "the cavalry of the
French army," having the first regiment of
the Vistula, at its head, destroyed, not

66

He

a picket" of our horse, but two squadrons of the eleventh regiment of English