FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. FROM THE LONDON GAZETTES. The Gazette of the 28th ult. contains a letter from Captain Mends, of the Arethusa frigate, stating that on the 25th ult. he had a communication with the junta of Gallicia and Asturias; that he took on board his ship and other vessels five hundred Spaniards, under a Spanish general, and scoured the whole coast of Spain from Bayonne to Cape Ortegal. He destroyed 200 Frenchmen, spiked 100 pieces of cannon, and took Santano, but was unable to make himself master of Castras. All this was effected without the loss of a man. The Spanish force he took on board was increased by 300 Spaniards, who were rescued from the enemy during this expedition. Downing-street, July 21. Extract of a dispatch from Lieut. General Lord Viscount Wellington, to the Earl of Liverpool.-Alverca, July 11, 1810. The enemy passed the Agara in force on the morning of the 4th inst. and obliged Brig.-Gen Crauford to fall back with his advanced guard to the neighbourhood of the Fort of La Conception, which had been occupied by a part of the third division of infantry. In making this movement Capt. Krauckenburg and Count Cordeman, at the head of a small body of the 1st hussars, had an opportunity of distinguishing themselves by making a gallant charge upon a superior body of the enemy. The 1st hussars had 5 men killed and three horses wounded, and the 16th light dragoons 3 killed. Ciudad Rodrigo surrendered to the enemy yesterday evening. There was a large practicable breach in the place, and the enemy had made preparations for a storm; when Marshal Ney having offered terms of capitulation, the garrison surrendered. The enemy took up their ground before this place on the 26th of April; they invested it completely on the 11th of June, and opened their fire upon it on the 24th of June; and adverting to the nature and position of the place, to the deficiency and defects of its works, to the advantages which the enemy had in their attack upon it, and to the numbers' and formidable equipment by which it was attacked, I consider the defence of Ciudad Rodrigo to have been most honourable to the governor Don Andres Hervasti and its garrison.-There was an affair between our picquets and those of the enemy this morning, in which the enemy lost two officers and 31 men, and 29 horses prisoners. We have had the misfortune to lose Lieut.-Col. Talbot, and eight men of the 14th light dragoons killed, and 23 men wounded. The Gazette of the 8th instant contains a letter from Capt. Brenton, of the Spartan (the ship has arrived at Portsmouth,) giving an account of the ship having had an action in the Bay of Naples, on the 3d of May, with a French squadron, consisting of a frigate of 42 guns, a corvette of 28, a brig of S, a cutter, and 8 gun-boats, wherein the brig was captured, and the rest forced to fly under the batteries. Also a letter from Captain Maxwell, of the Alceste, mentioning the destruction of a battery in the Agaye, the capture of 4 feluccas, and the destruction of 2 more. Also an account of an attack by the boats of the success, under Lieut. Sartorius, on some vessels on Castiglione beach. The boats struck on a sunken reef, and were swampedthe ammunition was all wet. The officers and men swam on shore with their cutlasses in their mouths, landed under a fire from cannon and musquetry, and drove the enemy first from behind the rock, and next from the houses. They then spiked the guns on the beach, burnt two vessels, launched their own boats again, and returned on board with only two men killed and two wounded. A letter from Capt. Reade, commanding a flotilla, dated Messina, June 11, gives the particulars of his having captured fourteen large boats, some of which were laden with fieldpieces and ammunition. Eight gunboats that were placed in front of Bagnara, at a distance of 130 yards from each other, were sunk by the flotilla. A letter from Capt. Eyre, of the Magnificent, at St. Maura, dated April 18, details his proceedings in an attack upon St. Maura, accompanied by other ships of war, conjointly with a British military force, under Brig.-Gen. Oswald, and the final reduction of the citadel and island. Much skill, bravery, and perseverance appear to have been displayed by Captain Eyre, and the captains, officers, and men under his orders; and an infinite deal of credit due to all concerned in the enterprize. Downing-Street, Aug. 11, 1810. A dispatch, of which the following is an extract, was this morning recerved at Lord Liverpool's office, addressed to his Lordship by Lieut.General Viscount Wellington, dated Alverca, July 25, 1810. The cavalry attached to General Crauford's advanced guard remained in the villages near the Fort of La Conception till the 21st inst. when the enemy obliged it to retire towards Almeida, and the Fort La Conception was destroyed. From the 21st till yesterday morning, Brigadier-General Crauford continued to occupy a position near Almeida, with his left within eight I VOL. VIII. hundred yards of the fort, and his right extending towards Junca. The enemy attacked him in this position yesterday morning, shortly after daylight, with a very large body of infantry and cavalry, and the brigadier-general retired across the bridge over the Coa. In this operation I am sorry to say that the troops under his command suffered considerable loss. The enemy afterwards made three efforts to storm the bridge over the Coa, in all of which they were repulsed. I am informed that throughout this trying day the commanding officers of the 43d, 52d, and 95th regiments, Lieutenant-Colonel Beckwith, Lieutenant-Colonel Barclay, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hull, and all the officers and soldiers of these excellent regiments distinguished themselves. In Lieutenant-Colonel Hull, who was killed, his Majesty has lost an able and deserving officer. Brigadier-General Crauford has also noticed the steadiness of the 3d regiment of Portuguese Chasseurs, under the command of Lieut.-Col. Elder. Since yesterday the enemy have made no movement. Copy of General Crayfords Report, inclosed in Lord Wellington's dispatch of the 25th July. Carvelhal, July 25, 1910. MY LORD-I have the honour to report to your lordship, that yesterday morning the enemy advanced to attack the light division with between three and four thousand cavalry, a considerable number of guns, and a large body of infantry. On the first appearance of the heads of their columns, the cavalry and brigade of artillery attached to the division advanced to support the picquets, and Captain Ross, with four guns, was for some time engaged with those attached to the enemy's cavalry, which were of much larger calibre. T As the immense superiority of the enemy's force displayed itself, we fell back gradually towards the fortress, upon the right of which the infantry of the division was posted, having its left in some inclosures near the windmill, about eight hundred yards from the place, and its right to the Coa, in a very broken and extensive position, which it was absolutely necessary to occupy, in order to cover the passage of the cavalry and artillery through the long defile leading to the bridge. After this was effected, the infantry retired by degrees, and in as good order as it is possible in ground so extremely intricate. A position close in front of the bridge was maintained as long as was necessary, to give time for the troops which had passed to take up one behind the river; and the bridge was afterwards defended with the greatest gallantry, though I am sorry to say with considerable loss, by the 43d and part of the 95th regiment. Towards the afternoon the firing ceased; and after it was dark, I with ed; and after it was dark, I withdrew the troops from the Coa, and retired to this place. The troops behaved with the greatest gallantry. R. CRAUFORD. (Signed) To Lord Viscount Wellington, &c. &c. Those returned as prisoners and missing were taken in a charge of, the enemy's cavalry just after our cavalry and guns had began to retire. Return of the number of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing, of a Division of the Army under the Command of his Excellency Lieut-Gen. Lord Viscount Wellington, K. B. in Action with the French Army, near Almeida, on the 24th July, 1810. Cassadores wounded, rank and name Dutch and French papers, the former to the 3d inst. and the latter to the 30th ult. contain the official account, by Massena, of the taking of Ciudad Rodrigo. The garrison, consisting of betweeen 6 and 7000 men, are to be marched into France. Massena does ample justice to the bravery of the garrison and of the inhabitants. The account states "that the governor hung out the white flag, and by surrendering at discretion, prevented the horrors inseparable from an assault; and thus, after the most obstinate defence, and a terrific fire of 16 days, fell this fortress, which was one of the last bulwarks of the The Moniteur states,-That on the 5th ult. the Marshal Prince of Essling sent a party of 800 horse to TOTAL-1 lieutenant-colonel, 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 3 serjeants, 29 rank and file, 3 horses, killed; 1 staff, 1 majo, 7 captains, 12 lieutenants, 1 ensign, 10 serjeants, 164 rank and file, 12 hor-drive in all the English posts which ses, wounded; lieutenant, 1 serjeant, 1 drummer, 80 rank and file, missing. N. B. One officer of the Portuguese were before him, and to reconnoitre the position of the English army. These posts all fell back, and only The a few skirmishes took place. enemy had his left wing supported by Fort Conception, and his line extended along the rugged mountain which looks towards Almeida. On observing our reconnoitering party, he drew out 11 battalions, 8 squadrons, and seven pieces of cannon. The peasants' accounts make the enemy's army to be withdrawing beyond the frontiers of Portugal, that the English left the defence of Almeida to the Portuguese, and that Lord Wellington had placed the Spaniards on his flanks and his front. -Ciudad Rodrigo is putting in a state of defence, and preparations are making for speedily undertaking the siege of Almeida." The retreat of Lord Wellington is stated in several private letters from Lisbon; and it is said that ministers have suppressed that portion of the dispatches which adverts to this important event. Among the letters is the following, brought by the packet which conveyed the official dispatches inserted in the Gazette. Lisbon, July 29. "We understand, that since the retreat of Gen. Crauford, Lord Wellington and his whole forco are upon the road to Lisbon; he has broke up his camp in the mountains, and has sent the baggage before him. We look for him near Lisbon, but when he will arrive we can form no conjecture. The French are stated to be upon his heels, and occupy his ground as fast he quits it. Every pass in the mountains up to Lisbon is fortified by the peasantry, under the orders of British engineers, so that it is not likely that the enemy will be able to do much harm as Lord Wellington retires. "Weawait the arrival of transports with reinforcements with ceaseless impatience, which is increased every moment they are delayed. In Gen. Crauford's affair, we are afraid the English were much worsted." Dispatches have been received by, the Walsingham packet from Lord' Wellington, which confirm the statement of his lordship's retreat. They are dated the 1st instant from Celorico, to which place he had retrograded, and where the head-quarters were then established. The infantry under Brigadier-General Crauford were posted in the valley of Mondego. General Regnier having made a movement with his division, the British cavalry were in advance watching the motions of the enemy. General Hill had marched to Sarzedas in consequence of Regnier's having made a movement upon Salvaterra, but still kept up his communication with Gen. Coles, who was stationed at Gerada. The enemy did not then appear to be making any active preparations for besieging Almeida, which is stated to be abundantly supplied with every article necessary for resistance. The letters by the packet state, that the proportion of cavalry in the enemy's army exceeds that in our own by five to one. Before the English varied their position they conveyed away all the cattle, sheep, swine and poultry in the neighbourhood, and the more effectually to prevent the French from obtaining provisions, they levelled every corn mill with the ground, burning the wood of which they were constructed. At Oporto the inhabitants are under the most serious apprehensions, and the writers of some of the letters mention that they had shipped off their property, and that they themselves were ready to embark at an hour's notice. It was imagined that the French would reach the mouth of the Douro in the short interval of a week. The letters assert that the enemy was advancing under Junot 'by the way of Tralos Montes. They say that there was not a soldier in the place to defend it, and that Gen. Trent was gone to Almego to take the command of 1500 militia in that vicinity. Provisions had been so extremely scarce that the poorer orders were destitute of the common necessaries of life, but they had been in some degree relieved by the arrival of two American ships with flour, and by the partial collection of the harvest. The exchange had fallen from 72 to 69. The following detail of the retreat of the British army in Portugal, is extracted from the letter of an offi cer:- After Gen. Crauford's action on the 24th, near Almeida, General Paton's division was on the night of the 25th obliged to abandon Pinhel, and next day it fell back near to Villa Franca das Naves. The light brigade also retired to Fraxedas, about a league in front of Alverca; the light cavalry remaining in advance. Early in the morning of the 28th, the brigade under Lord Blantyre, which was at Villa Franco das Naves, retired about a league and a half to join the guards under Colonel Stopford, and on that same day Colonel Stopford's division, consisting then of the guards and of Lord Blantyre's brigade, retreated seven leagues and a half to Sampayo, on the high road to Coimbra.-The whole retired about the same army time, and the light division was that night (the 28th,) at Celorico. The cavalry alone were left a league in front of that place. Next morning, the 29th, Col. Stopford's division retired to Pinhancos, two leagues from Sampayo, where most probably it will remain as long as it can to enable the sick and wounded to get a-head as much as possible, and also to get away the stores of provisions, &c. The weather is very hot, and our men suffer much from the heat. Col. Stopford's division, which has hitherto been in advance during the retreat, will, it is supposed, in future, along with the light brigade, cover the retreat, and the rest of the army will pass it at Pinhancos.All the villages are deserted, and the poor inhabitants are flying in all directions with what little property they can carry away. It is thought that the army will retire by Coimbra. Gen. Hill's corps has retired to Sarzedra, in consequence of Regnier's army having advanced to Zarza la Maya. Some persons imagine from Massena's not following the army closely, that he is detaching corps to get on its flanks. By a vessel that arrived from France on the 15th, we received an imperial decree which has excited general astonishment, and which is certainly the most important commercial arrangement since the ele vation to the throne of France of the family of Bonaparte. It is as follows: IMPERIAL DECREE. NAPOLEON, &c. of our council for the administration of After having attended to the Report finances, founded on the general system; and also to the report of our minister of the interior, we have decreed, and do decree as follows: The duties on wares and merchandizes hereafter named, are determined to be according to the subsequent rates-that is to say Acayow Wood, 50 franks-Campeche do. 80 f.-Pernambuco do. 120 f.Wood of wet dye, 100 f.--Brazil, Cayenne, Surinam, Demerary and Georgia Cotton, of long staple, 800 f.-Levant Cotton, by sea, 600 f.-Do. by land, 300 f.-Cotton of every other country, Naples excepted, 600 f-Coffee, 400 f. Cocoa, 1000 f.-Cochineal, 2000 f. Cloves, 600 f.-Indigo, 900 f.--Sugar, 2000 f.-Black Pepper, 400 f.White do. 600 f.-Brown Sugar, 300 f. -Clayed Sugar, 400 f-Hyson Tea, 900 f-Green Tea, 600 f.-All other Teas, 150 francs. NAPOLEON, &c. Executed at our Chamber of Commerce, this 5th Aug. 1810. |