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presents very little of hope, and a great deal to fear. In my view of the matter, nothing can be more unwise than to hold forth the notion, that the safety of England depends, in any degree, upon the result of the war in Spain and Portugal; for, if that were the case, what would be the feeling of the people here, in case of a total failure in that war? That that war would have been ended long ago, if Napoleon had not been bent upon his objects in the North, no one can, for a moment, doubt. One half of the French army which has marched against Russia, would have put an end to the Peninsular war a year ago; and, if that army, by any means, should return to the South of Europe, why is not the same effect still to follow? In answer to this, I shall, perhaps, be told, that the French army in the North is totally destroyed; that it is annihilated: and just so were we told, only three months, three short months ago, with regard to the French armies in Spain. We were told, that they were totally broken up; that their scattered remains were collecting in order to escape, if possible, to France. The public will hardly have forgotten this; and yet, we now find, that, so far from those armies having been annihilated, they have rallied in sufficient force to make those who were said to have annihilated them resign all their conquests, and retreat over the ground on which they had advanced. With these facts before our eyes, can we so readily believe in every story we hear of the annihilation of French armies? Can we be persuaded to believe, that it is quite certain that final success must attend us in the Peninsula? I say final success; because, it is by the end, that I, for my part, am resolved to judge. It is useless for Lord Castlereagh to tell us about his four years of victories, if we, in the end, are compelled to suffer the French to remain master of Spain and Portugal, or even of Spain. If we fail in the end, the failure will be greater and more mischievous than if we had failed at the beginning; and the reason of this is as plain as it would be in the case of a gamester, who should persevere till he had lost a hundred bets instead of leaving off with his first loss. If we should fail in the end, there will be all the dangers to us from without which the possession of the Peninsula by the French presents, and, in addition to them, all the dangers and miseries which the expenses of that war will have created within. If we should finally fail in that war, what an account will there then be to settle with those who have promoted it and urged its

extension? They never seem to think of
this; they appear to look upon failure as
impossible. They, in fact, do not appear
to reflect at all, but to be hurried on by a
sort of senseless dread of Napoleon, with-
out any regard to what may probably hap-
pen even before the end of a year. To me
it has long appeared plain, that the war in
the Peninsula was, upon our principle, an
unwise measure, and every day serves to
strengthen this opinion, which I distinctly
state; because, if I am wrong in my opi-
nions, I by no means wish to disguise the
fact from the public. As to the military
merits of Lord Wellington, those who have
served with him say they are great. I do
not dispute the fact. I take it for granted. :
All I say is, that he appears to me not to
have been successful in this campaign, and,
therefore, I would have voted against the
grant.
WM. COBBETT.

London, 11th Dec. 1812.

had appointed to be held on the first Saturday in N. B. The Meeting at Winchester, which I December, was, by myself and the Gentlemen who communicated with me on the subject, agreed to be postponed till the Meeting to petition for Peace Gentlemen, who did not communicate with me, should take place. I am sorry to find, that other were, for want of notification, disappointed at not finding me at Winchester on Saturday last.

OFFICIAL PAPERS.

LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.

(Continued from page 725.) whole army approached our positions on the Tormes, and they attacked the troops in Alba with 20 pieces of cannon and a considerable body of infantry. They made no impression on them, however, and withdrew the cannon and the greater part of the troops on that night; and this attack was never renewed.- I enclose Lieut. Gen. Hamilton's report to Sir R. Hill of the transactions at Alba, which were highly creditable to the troops employed. From the 10th till the 14th the time was passed in various reconnoissances, as well of the fords of the Tormes as of the position which the troops under my command occupied on the right of that river, in front of Salamanca; and on the 14th the enemy crossed that river in force, at three fords near Lucinas, about two leagues above Alba.

-I immediately broke up from St. Christoval, and ordered the troops to move towards Arapiles; and, as soon as I had ascertained the direction of the enemy's march from the fords, I moved with the 2d division of infantry, and all the cavalry

I could collect, to attack them; leaving | Sir Edw. Paget, who was taken prisoner Lieut. Gen. Sir R. Hill, with the 4th, and on the 17th. He commanded the centre Lieut. Gen. Hamilton's divisions, in front column; and the fall of rain having greatly of Alba, to protect this movement, and the injured the roads and swelled the rivulets, 3d division in reserve on the Arapiles, to there was an interval between the 5th and secure the possession of that position.- 7th divisions of infantry. Sir Edward The enemy, however, were already too nu- rode to the rear alone, to discover the cause merous, and too strongly posted at Mozar- of this interval, and, as the road passed bes, to be attacked; and I confined myself through a wood, either a detachment of the to a cannonade of their cavalry, under co- enemy's cavalry had got upon the road, or ver of which I reconnoitred their position. he missed the road and fell into their hands ་ -In the evening I withdrew all the in the wood. I understand that Sir Edtroops from the neighbourhood of Alba to ward was not wounded, but I cannot suffi the Arapiles, leaving a small Spanish gar- ciently regret the loss of his assistance at rison in the castle, and having destroyed this moment.In my dispatch of the 7th the bridge. In the course of the night and inst. I communicated to your Lordship my following morning I moved the greatest opinion of the strength of the enemy, as part of the troops through Salamanca; and far as I could judge of it from the reports I placed Lieut. Gen. Sir E. Paget with the had received, and from what I had seen. 1st division of infantry on the right, at I have since learnt that Gen. Caffarelli, Aldea Tejada, in order to secure that pas- with the army of the North, certainly resage for the troops over the Zunguen, in mained joined with the army of Portugal. case the movements of the enemy on our Joseph Buonaparté left Madrid on the 4th right flank should render it necessary for inst. and arrived at Penaranda on the 8th, me to make choice either of giving up my leaving at Madrid the Civil Authorities of communication with Cuidad Rodrigo or Sa- his Government, and a small garrison. lamanca.On the 15th, in the morning, These Authorities and troops evacuated I found the enemy fortifying their position Madrid on the 7th, and marched for Casat Mozarbes, which they had taken up the tile; and Col. Don Juan Palarea, the Menight before; at the same time that they dico, took possession of that city.- -Your were moving bodies of cavalry and infantry Lordship will have seen General Ballastetowards their own left, and to our commu- ros's Letter of the 24th of October, to the nications with Cuidad Rodrigo. It was Regency, from which you will observe, obvious that it was the enemy's intention that he had disobeyed the orders of the Goto act upon our communications; and as vernment, given to him at my suggestion, they were too strong, and too strongly post- to march his troops into La Mancha, and ed, for me to think of attacking them, I de- hang upon the enemy's left flank, because termined to move upon Cuidad Rodrigo. the Regency and Cortes had offered me the I therefore put the army in march in three chief command of the Spanish armies. columns, and crossed the Zunguen, and The whole of the enemy's disposable force then passed the enemy's left flank, and en- in Spain was, therefore, upon the Tormes camped that night on the Vamusa. We in the middle of this month; and they continued our march successively on the were certainly not less than 80,000 men, 16th, 17th, 18th, and this day, when part but more probably 90,000; of these 10,000 of the army crossed the Agueda, and the were cavalry; and as the army of Portugal whole will cross that river to-morrow. alone had 100 pieces of cannon, it is proThe enemy followed our movement on the bable that they had not less in all the ar16th with a large body, probably the whole mies than 200 pieces. of the cavalry, and a considerable body of infantry, but they did not attempt to press upon our rear. They took advantage of the ground to cannonade our rear guard, consisting of the light division, under Major Gen. C. Alten, on the 17th, on its passage of the Huebra at San Munoz, and occasioned some loss.- -The troops have suffered considerably from the severity of the weather, which, since the 15th, has been worse than I have ever known it at this season of the year.I am sorry to add, that we have had the misfortune to lose Lieut. Gen.

(Enclosure, No. 1.)

Alba de Tormes, Nov. 11. Sir, I have the honour to report the steps I have taken to carry into effect your instructions for the defence of this place, which, I am happy to say, have obliged the enemy to withdraw the greatest part of the force opposed to us; and I feel almost confident we shall be able to retain our position as long as you may deem expedient.I yesterday garrisoned and provisioned the castle, and, by the exertions of Capt. Gold

Return of killed and wounded of the Army ander ́ the cominand of the Marquis of Wellington, K. B. in an affair at Alba de Tormes, on the 10th and 11th November.

Total British loss.-15 rank and file killed; 1 Lieutenant, 3 serjeants, 52 rank and file wounded.

Total Portuguese loss.-8 rank and file killed; 1 captain, 1 lieutenant, 1 serjeant, 33 rank and file wounded.

Grand total.-21 rank and file killed; 1 captain, 2 lieutenants, 4 serjeants, 85 rank and file wounded.

finch, of the engineers, it is put into as good | conduct.To Capt. Pinto Savedra, my a state as circumstances will admit; he is Assistant-Adjutant-General; to Capt. Watcontinuing strengthening it. Capt. Gold- son, Light Dragoons, Assistant-Quarterfinch has been of great assistance to me. Master-General; and to Capt. Bunbury, my -I have appropriated to each regiment Aid-de-Camp, I consider myself obliged, a district of this town, and the command- for their prompt execution of my orders. ing officer has barricaded the streets and -I enclose a return of the killed and buildings in a very judicious manner. Bri- wounded, and trust we shall not have many gadiers Da Costa and Campbell's brigades more casualties.- -I have the honour, &c. are in our position on the left bank of the (Signed) JOHN HAMILTON, Lieut. Gen. Tormes. Brig. Campbell reports his havLieut. Gen. Sir Rowland Hill. ing caused the enemy some loss, in their attempt to pass a ford near his position.Lieut. Col. Tulloh has made so good an arrangement of his two brigades of guns, that, united with the position of the two brigades of infantry on the left bank of the Tormes, I consider my flanks secure. Early yesterday morning Major Gen. Long, commanding the cavalry in front, reported that the enemy were advancing in great force; I was, therefore, induced to retire the cavalry. About 10 o'clock the enemy appeared on the heights in considerable force of cavalry and a few infantry, covering, as I conceived, a reconnoissance of several officers of rank. About two o'clock the enemy's force was increased to 15 squadrons, and 6,000 infantry, and 20 guns, including six 6-inch howitzers, which immediately commenced firing, and continued until it was dark. The enemy's light troops advanced close to the walls we had hastily thrown up; but from the cool and steady conduct of the 51st regiment, Col. Stewart; 71st regiment, the Hon. Col. Cadogan; the 92d, Col. Cameron, Gen. Howard's brigade, the enemy dare not attempt the town. About eight o'clock in the evening, I was repeatedly informed that the enemy's infantry was considerably increasing, which induced me to order three battalions of Brigadier Da Costa's brigade into town, leaving his other battalion for the protection of the fords.

The enemy, during the night, withdrew their artillery, and I have left a small force of cavalry and infantry, who keep up a smart fire. I have to regret the loss of a considerable number of men, but which I trust you will not deem great, when you consider the heavy and incessant fire of artillery for so many hours. The loss of the Portuguese was while on duty this morning, and I have real pleasure in reporting their steady and -I feel much indebted to Major-Gen. Howard, who rendered me every possible assistance, as also to every officer and soldier of his excellent brigade, for their steady, zealous, and soldier-like

animated conduct.

Names of the Officers wounded. 92d Foot, Lieutenant A. Hill, severely.

British

Portuguese.-2d Regiment of the Line, Capt. Rezinde, slightly. Lieut. Pinto, dangerously. Return of killed, wounded, and missing in the movements of the army under the command of his Excellency General the Marquis of Wellington, K. B. from the 22d to the 29th of October, 1812, inclusive.

Total Portuguese loss.-4 serjeants, 2 drummers, 32 rank and file killed; 1 Major, 2 Capjeants, 1 drummer, 125 rank and file wounded; tains, 3 Lieutenants, 4 Ensigna, 1 Staff, 9 ser2 serjeants, 1 drummer, 14 rank and file, missing.

Total British loss.-2 Captains, ? Lieutenants, 10 serjeants, 75 rank and file, 74 horses, killed; 3 Lieut.-Colonels, 1 Major, 4 Captains, 20 Lieutenants, 6 Ensigns, 26 serjeants, 2 drummers, 514 rank and file, 65 horses, wounded; 1 Lieut.-Colonel, 1 Major, 2 Captains, 2 Lieutenants, Ensigns, 10 serjeants, 1 drummer, 207 rank and file, 59 horses, missing.

General total of British and Portuguese loss.' 2 Captains, 2 Lieutenants, 14 serjeants, g drummers, 107 rank and file, 74 horses, killed; 3 Lieut.-Colonels, 2 Majors, 6 Captains, 23 Lieutenants, 10 Ensigns, 1 Staff, 35 serjeants, 3 drummers, 439 rank and tile, 65 horses, wounded; 1 Lieut.-Colonel, 1 Major, 2 Captains, 2 Lieutenants, 2 Ensigns, 12 serjeants, 2 drummers, 221 rank and file, 59 horses, missing.

KILLED, 25th Oct.-Capt. Todd, 38th Foot, 1st Bat.; Lieut. Lennon, 44th Foot, 2d Bat.; Capt. Sternfeldt, and Lieut. Hartwig, of the Brunswick Light Infantry.

WOUNDED, 23d Oct.-Lieuts. Lye and Knipe, 11th Light Dragoons; Lieut. Taylor, 12th ditto; Capt. Murray, Lient. Lockhart (since dead), 16th ditto; Major Meydell and Lieuts. Deeken and Phibbs, 1st Dragoons, K.G.L.; Lieut. Hugo and Cornet De Massau, 2d ditto.

Col. Piper, 4th Foot, 1st Batt. slightly; Lient.
Oct. 25th. Lieut. Johnstone, Artillery. Lient,
Edgell, ditto, severely. Lients. Ackland, Tay-
lor, Hon. W. Curzons, Ford, 9th Foot, 1st Batt.

severely; and Ross Lewin, slightly. Capt. Hit chins, Lients. Andrews, slightly, and Lumley, 30th Foot, 2d Batt. severely; Lieut. Brisac, Ensigns Beere and Tincombe, ditto, slightly; Madden, ditto, severely. Lieut.-Col. Harding, 44th Foot, 2d Batt. slightly; Lieut. Elwis, ditto, dangerously; Ensign Smith, ditto, severely. Capt. Nassan, Brunswick Oels; Ensign Joze de Moneado, Sd Portuguese Regiment of the Line; Major Hill, slightly; Capt. Western, severely; Capt. Manoel Castin, slightly; Lients. Antonio Carlos and Joao Baptist, severely; Lt. Domingo Fontenha, slightly; Ensigns Joao dos Santos, Joao Sebastiano, and Ridrigo Navarre, and Adjatant Leech, severely; 8th Cacadores.

27th October. Lieut--Col. Rope, Royal Artillery, severely, not dangerously.

28th October.-Lieut. Hickie, 51st Foot, severely, arm amputated.

MISSING.-Lient.-Col. Pelly, and Lieut. Baker, 16th Light Dragoons. Major Fischer, 1st Pragoons, K. G. L. Captain Lenthe, Cornet Droege, and Cornet Schaeffer, 2d Dragoons,

K. G. L.

25th October.-Lieut Whitley, 9th Foot, 1st Batt,; and Brevet Major Evans, 38th Foot, 1st

Batt.

S. A. GOODMAN, D. A. A. Gen.

LONDON GAZETTE EXTRAORDINARY.
Tuesday, Dec. 8.

St. Petersburgh, Nov. 11, 1812. My Lord,-1 have the honour to acquaint your Lordship, that Buonaparte has escaped from the Government of Moscow, and has followed the road to Smolensko by which he came. Generals Count Platow and Count Orloff Denizoff have been incessantly in his rear, and on both flanks of his line of march; the former attacked a position defended by infantry and cannon, which he carried, taking two colours, twenty-two pieces of artillery, and such prisoners as could be saved. Count Orloff Denizoff has likewise met with resistance which he has every where overpowered, and has taken many trophies and quantities of baggage, ammunition waggons, with prisoners, and some ordnance. From the quantities of ammunition blown up by the enemy, and from the state of the road, described to be covered with the bodies of dead men and horses, the retreat of the rear divisions of the French is stated to have every character of continued flight.——On the 3d of November, General Millaradovitch, with the column under his command, reached the main road near Viasma, where he had a sharp engagement with the rear-guard, which is reported by the prisoners to have been composed of the divisions of Beauharnois, of Davoust, and Ney; their divisions

in vain attempted to arrest his progress,
and, after several brilliant charges by the
Russian cavalry, were driven through the
town of Viasma at the point of the bayonet,
and pursued to Erenina by the light cavalry
under General Platow: in this attack the
infantry regiment of Pernoff, led by its Co-
lonel, General Tchoglokoff, and by Major-
General Parkivitch, formed the head of the
column, and charged into the town with
drums beating and colours flying.The
loss of the enemy in killed and wounded in
this affair is stated to be at least six thou-
sand, with two thousand five hundred pri-
soners, among which are General Peltier,
of the artillery, and Colonel Morat, Aid-
- In the
de-Camp to Marshal Davoust.-
course of the pursuit from Viasma, great
numbers of the enemy were killed, one
standard and three pieces of cannon were
taken, and upwards of one thousand men
made prisoners.- In the former part of
the retreat, Ramusé, Secretary to the Duke
of Bassano, was taken, with all the Chan-
cery. -Referring to the relations which
have been regularly transmitted for more
minute details of the several actions, I will
briefly recapitulate the few great movements
which have taken place since the arrival of
the French at Moscow.--Marshal Kutu-
sow continued in his position behind the
river Pokhra till the 28th October, cover-
ing the old road to Kalouga, the Toula and
Rezan roads; but having made occasional
movements on the same line, according as
the enemy's operations appeared to point to
either flank.In the mean while the
enemy, by his own 20th Bulletin, and by
his conduct, seems to have been for some
time uncertain of the position of the Rus-
sian army. As soon as it was ascertained,
a considerable portion of the army under
Murat occupied the intermediate country
between Moscow and the Pokhra.--It
was presumed that the French, having it in
their power to bring forward their whole
force to either flank of Murat's position,
would endeavour to manoeuvre so as to in-
duce Marshal Kutusow to retire behind the
Oka, in order to procure a more extensive
theatre of ground, with the convenience of
moving either on Kalouga or Smolensko; to
avoid which, and with a view to preserve a
more certain conveyance for provisions and
reinforcements from the south, and at the
same time to hold the command of the Smo-
lensko road, the Russian army began its
march to occupy the position behind the
river Nara, changing its front to the right,
upon or parallel to the old Kalouga road.

Jaroslaff, establishing his head-quarters two wersts to the southward of that town, which was burned, and detaching a considerable corps under General Platow, to Medina, on his left, where he took eleven pieces of cannon, and left the ground co

contest for Mala-Jaroslaff, with other circumstances, tended to confirm the FieldMarshal's opinion, that the object of the enemy was to force a passage to the Southern Provinces; and although there were also strong grounds to believe that he was prepared to attempt a retreat upon Smolensko, and by Wilna to the Niemen, yet the Marshal deemed it necessary to direct his principal attention to the roads pointing to the southward; and, with a view to obtain more complete command of them, retired to a position within 40 wersts of Kalouga, near Gorki.——Finding that the enemy were moving, by Verrea, on Mojaisk, he again advanced upon Medina, and having received intelligence that the French head-quarters were, on the 30th of October, at Coloki, a monastery not far from Borodino, he formed his disposition to attempt to intercept him near Smolensko.

This position, strong in itself, and | Marshal, in the mean while, put his army strengthened by art, was not likely to be in motion by the left, and arrived at Malaattacked in front; but it was of course foreseen, that if it were to be attacked, a previous disposition must be made by the enemy on the new Kalouga road, to turn the left and rear of this position, and the Marshal professed his readiness to meet the enemy upon that ground.The move-vered with dead. -The obstinacy of this ment was completed on the 3d of October; on the 4th of Oct. a smart affair of advanced guard took place with most decisive success on the side of the Russians, which was followed on the 5th of Oct. by the flag of truce sent by Buonaparte, with an overture to obtain an armistice, and to open a negociation, which was rejected.At this period several considerable detachments were made to harass the enemy, which appear to have been conducted with equal skill and success: the most important of these was the one against Verrea, which place was taken by assault on the 14th of October.On the 16th of October, several regiments of Cossacks having arrived, it was proposed to attack Murat; the attack did not take place till the 18th of October.--The enemy after this affair, of which I had the honour to transmit to your Lordship a report in my dispatch, retreated behind the little river Moza.--Buonaparte was not heard of out -Platow and the Cossacks having been of Moscow or its vicinity till after this pe- detached for the purpose of barassing and riod. The only detachment of any im- surrounding the enemy, Marshal Kutusow portance made by the French in a northern reinforced General Millaradovitch's corps direction, was the one stationed at Deme- to upwards of 18,000 men, and directing trioff, which was recalled in great haste, as him to march by his left towards Viasma, soon as the evacuation of Moscow was de- the Marshal himself proceeded by Spaskoi termined on. The Russians occupied the and Gelinka, in a parallel direction to that latter city on the 22d of October, with the allotted to General Millaradovitch; the loss of Lieutenant-General Winzingerode, main road forming an arch, these parallel most treacherously carried off, with his lines of march were shorter, but exposed Aid-de-Camp, Captain Narishkin, while to greater difficulties, the roads being less advanced with a flag of truce to remonstrate practicable.The head of General Milagainst a protracted and unnecessary resist-laradovitch's column reached the main read ance on the part of the rear-guard.Ou the 24th of October, the French army was reconnoitred by an officer of Cossacks belonging to the corps of Moscow, who saw four camps, one on the new Kalouga road near Borofsk, and three on the left bank of the Protya. -In the night of the 24th of October, General Dorocoff was ordered to Occupy Mala-Jaroslaff, a post-town on the new Kalouga road, between Borofsk and that place; that General already found it occupied in force by a French detachment; a very obstinate contest immediately took place, in the course of which the troops on both sides were reinforced, and the town was taken and retaken eleven times. The

first, near Viasma; the head-quarters of Marshal Kutosow were established at the village of Bikovoi, a little to the southward of Viasma.- -In regard to the French army, it appears by the papers of a Commissary-General, who was made prisoner, that they victualled one hundred and twenty thousand men, but that their efficient force was reduced to eighty-five thousand, at the period of the evacuation of Moscow, and that Buonaparte had contracted with a company of Jews for a supply of provisions in the line of his retreat. His guards, and some select corps, have been nursed with peculiar care, and kept as much as possible out of action, and these corps appear

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