quarters at Toledo. Thus all the central part of Spain remained in possession of the invaders.

Lord Wellington, with his babi. tual activity, was employed in visiting different parts occupied by the allied troops; and in Dec. 24th he arrived at Cadiz, where he was respectfully waited upon by a deputation from the Cortes. That at this time the Spanish government experienced considerable opposition to its measures, may be inferred from a proposition sent from the Regency to the Cortes for suspending various articles of the constitution by which personal freedom, and the liberty of the press, are guaranteed. The reason given was that there existed a conspiracy to subvert the national representation and the government by a popular insurrection; but the committee of the Cortes, to which the proposition was referred, reported that there was no necessity for the suspension of any of the articles of the constitution, not even for a moment; and this report was approved of. Lord Wellington, after having transacted with the Spanish government the business which brought him thither, returned by Lisbon, at which capital he was honoured with a most triumphant reception. (See Chronicle). His lordship's visit to Cadiz was probably connected with a decree issued by the Cortes, dated Jan. 6th, for the purpose of rendering more efficient the powers of the commanders of armies, drawing the line between their authonity and that of the civil governors and municipal councils of provinces, and providing for the mainter ance of each ariny. On Je 17th, the Regency issued an

order for a section of the general staff to attend upon the Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo (Lord Wellington), to be the channel of commuDication between the duke as commander in chief, and all parts of the army.

The French cantoned about the Upper Tormes were in motion on Feb. 19th, and on the following day made an attack upon a post at Bejar, occupied by Lieut. Colonel Harrison, under the command of Sir Rowland Hill, but were repulsed with loss. Sir Rowland afterwards pushed forward a brigade from Coria to occupy Placencia. Not long after it appears that the revulsion of the war in Germany was felt by the French armies in Spain. Lord Weilington, on March 24th, communicates the information that nearly all the French troops are withdrawn from La Mancha, and that the army of the south was concentrated between Talavera, Madrid, and Toledo. Joseph was supposed to have quitted Madrid. Col. Bourke reported from Corunna, on April 1st, that a division of the French army of Portugal, which had assembled at Valladolid, had marched for Burgos; that their garrison at Leon was diminished, and that they were strengthening Bilboa. These movements indicated an intention on their parts to retire from the central provinces, and take strong positions in the north and north-east, suitable to the contracted scale of their powers. From the allied army in Alicant, Lieut. Gen. Sir John Murray sent a dispatch, dated March 23d, mentioning his having attacked in force the position of the French at Alcoy, and driven them some miles

out

out of the town, after which he had fixed his own head-quarters at Castalla. He likewise reported, some other partial successes of the allies. In consequence of his advance, Suchet had quitted Valencia, and assumed the command of the troops on the right bank of the Xucar.

The French were still moving from the Tagus to the Douro in the month of April. It was computed that in February and March, there had been drawn from their armies in Spain, and sent into France, above 1200 officers, 6000 corporals and serjeants, and 16,000 soldiers. Some conscripts had indeed arrived to supply their places, but the change must have materially diminished their strength. Little besides movements of troops occurred about this period in the northern parts of the Peninsula; but from Valencia, Sir J. Murray, en April 14th, communicated to the commander-in-chief the result of an action of some importance. Suchet, it appears, had for some time been collecting all his disposable force, with which, on the 11th, he dislodged with some loss a Spanish corps, posted by General Elio, at Yecla. On the next day he advanced to Villena, and captured a Spanish garrison which defended its castle. He then fell upon the advance of the allied army under Colonel Adam, which, after a gallant contest with a much superior force, fell back mpon Castalla, where the main body was posted. On the 13th, Suchet made a general attack upon the allied army, which was drawn up in a long line, occupying a range of hills and other strong ground, protected by batteries. The

attack was vigorous, but was repulsed with equal spirit, and the enemy was foiled at every point. He sustained a severe loss, estimated at 3000 in killed and wounded; but though he was pursued to some distance, he was so well supported by his reserve that no trophies were left in the hands of the victors. The loss on the part of the allies in killed and wounded amounted to about 600. Suchet, after the action, retreated to Villena, which he hastily quitted at midnight, to fall further back. He still, however, must have maintained a superiority of strength, since he was able soon after to detach a strong division against the Spanish General Villacampa, who had gained some advantages.

The French, who had been twice repulsed before the walls of Castro de Ordiales, a port in Biscay, reinvested it on the 25th of April with augmented forces, and on May 11th carried the place by storm. At length, after long expectation, the delay having doubtless arisen from the necessity of waiting for the recovery of the numerous sick, the arrival of reinforcements from England, and the many preparations requisite for opening a campaign, the army under the Marquis of Wellington moved from its quarters at Freynada, and on May 26th arrived at Salamanca. A division of French infantry, with so:ne cavalry and cannon, were still in the town, which they evacuated on his lordship's approach, but not in time to prevent a considerable loss from the British cavalry in their retreat. The troops under Sir Rowland Hill came up on the two following days, and were established between

the

the Tormes and Douro; and Lord Wellington repaired to the troops on the Esla, beyond the Douro, under Sir Thomas Graham. The army continued to advance by Zamora to Toro, beyond which latter place, on June 2d, the advanced guard of English hussars fell in with a considerable body of the enemy's cavalry, which they overthrew, and pursued many miles, taking from them above 200 prisoners. The French troops at Madrid, and the detachments on the Tagus, had already broken up and crossed the Douro, and Valladolid was entirely evacuated on the 4th. On the 7th, the allied army crossed the Carrion; and on the three sub. sequent days followed the enemy across the Pisuerga. On the 12th, Lord Wellington moved forward his right wing under Sir R. Hill to reconnoitre the enemy's position and numbers near Burgos, and to force them to a decision whether they would abandon the castle, or endeavour to protect it. They were found strongly posted on the heights; but their right being turned by the allied army, and their left threatened, they quitted their position, and began a retreat across the Arlanzon, which they conducted in such excellent order, that although vigorously pushed by the cavalry, they sustained little loss. In the night they retired with their whole force through Burgos, having destroyed, as far as they were able, the defences of the castle which they had constructed at great expense; and they marched towards the Ebro, on the road to Miranda. On the 14th and 15th the allied army crossed the Ebro, and continued its march towards Vittoria, The

enemy assembled a considerable corps at Espeio, which marched to Osma, and there encountered: Sir T. Graham. They made an attack upon him, but were repulsed and pursued to Espeio. At the same time a French detachment which had moved from Frias upon St. Millan was driven from that place with loss by the light division of the allied army under Major-gen. Alten.

The French army, commanded by Joseph Buonaparte, having Marshal Jourdan as his major-general, and consisting of the whole of the armies of the south and centre, of four divisions, and all the cavalry of the army of Portugal, and some troops of the army of the north, took up a position on the night of June 19th, in front of Vittoria, its left resting on the heights which terminate at Puebla d'Arlanzon, and extending from thence across the valley of Zadora, its centre occupying a height which commanded the valley of Zadora, and its right stationed near Vittoria, for the purpose of defending the passages of the river Zadora, near that city. The allied army halted on the 20th, in order to close up its columns, and on that day Lord Wellington reconnoitred the enemy's position preparatory to an attack on the morrow. For the particular detail of the battle of Vittoria, fought on the 21st, we must refer to our extract from the London Gazette, only here touching upon its principal circumstances. The operations began with the occupation of the enemy's post on the heights of la Puebla by Sir Rowland Hill, who first detached a Spanish brigade under General Murillo on this service. The ene

my,

my, aware of the importance of this post, sent strong reinforce ments for maintaining it; and on the other hand successive detachments of British troops were ordered to the attack, and a severe contest took place at this point, which ended in the possession of the heights by the allies. Under cover of this position, Sir R. Hill passed the Zadora, and the defile beyond it, and gained possession of a village in front of the enemy's line. The difficulties of the country retarded for some time the advance of the other columns to their stations; they however at length crossed the Zadora at different points, and the divisions forming the centre of the allies moved to the attack of the heights in the enemy's centre. The line of the latter, however, had been so much weakened by the detachments sent to strengthen the post in the hills, that he abandoned his position as soon as he saw the disposition for attacking it, and commenced his retreat in good order to Vittoria. The allies continued to advance over the broken ground, keeping admirable order; and in the meantime Sir T. Graham, commanding the left wing, moved on Vittoria by the high Road from Bilboa. A part of his troops turned the enemy's right, and gained some strong heights covering the village of Gamarra Major. This village was carried by storm at the bayonet's point under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry, and every effort of the enemy to recover it was repulsed. Another village was also carried; and the possession of these villages intercepted the nemy's retreat by the high road to Fiance, and obliged them to take

that of Pamplona. Still they had”. two divisions in reserve on these heights to the left of the Zadora, i and it was impossible to cross-by the bridges till the troops from the centre and left had driven the enemy from Vittoria. This was effected, and the pursuit, in which all joined, was continued till after it was dark. The retreat of the enemy was so rapid that they were unable to draw off their baggage: and artillery, the whole of which: therefore fell into the hands of the... ✓ victors. Lord Wellington speaks with high encomium of the conduct of all parts of the allied army; and the victory, so happily named of Vittoria, will rank among the most signal exploits of this great.com-s mander. With his usual modesty and caution he has given no esti mate of the loss of the enemy, which must have been severe; and ... 1 only says, that there were taken - 17 from them 151 pieces of cannon, 415 waggons of ammunition, all their baggage, provisions, cattle,p. and treasure, and a considerable number of prisoners. Among the trophies was the baton of Marshal Jourdan. The loss of the allied. army is stated at about 700 killed and 4000 wounded, of whom the greatest share were British. Auadditional dispatch from his lordship, dated on the 24th, mentions the continued pursuit of the enemy, whose rear reached Pamplona on that day. It also relates that the French General Claysel, with part of the army of the north, and one division of that of Portugal, approached Vittoria on the 23d, but learning the events that had » passed, retired upon La Guardia, and afterwards to Logrogno,

1

On June 25th, an account are 4 1