On his march from Sahagun, on the 20th, lord Paget, with two squadrons of the 10th, attacked a detachiment of cavalry at Majorga, killed, twenty and took above 100 prisoners. Our cavalry is very superior in quality to any the French have; and the right spirit has been infused into them by the example and instruction of their two leaders, lord Paget and brigadier-general Stewart. 1 Astorga, Dec. 31, 1808-1 arrived here, yesterday: major-general Fraser, with his division, will be at Villa Franca this day, and will proceed on to Lugo. Lieutenantgeneral Hope with his division, stopped yesterday two leagues from this, and proceeds this morning, followed by sir David Baird. The two flank brigades go by the road of Penfereda. I shall follow with the reserve and cavalry, to Villa Franca, either this night or to-morrow morning, according as I hear the approach of the Frenc. The morning I marched from Benevente, seven squadrons of Buonaparte's guards passed the on Sahagun, though at great risk to ourselves, has been complete; it remains to be seen what advantage the Spaniards in the South will be able to take of it; but the march of the French on Badajoz was stopped when its advanced guard had reached Talavera de la Reyna, and every thing disposeable is now turned in this direction. The only part of the army which has been hitherto engaged with the enemy, has been the cavalry, and it is impossible for me to say too much in their praise. I mentioned to your lordship, in my letter of the 16th, the success brig. gen. Stewart had met with in defeating a detachment of cavalry at Rueda. Since that, few days have passed without his taking or killing different parties of the French, generally superior in force to those which attacked them. On the march to Sahagun, lord Paget had informa tion of 6 or 700 cavalry being in that town. He marched on the night of the 20th from some villages where he was posted in front of the enemy at Majorga, with the 10th and 15th hussars. The 10th march-river at a ford above the bridge.-ed straight to the town, whilst Lord Paget, with the 15th, endeavoured to turn it. Unfortunately he fell in with a patrole, one of whom escaped and gave the alarm. By this means the French had time to form on the outside of the town, before lord Paget got round. He immediately charged them, beat them, and took from 140 to 150 prisoners, amongst whom were two lieutenant-colonels and eleven officers, with the loss, on our part, of six or eight men, and perhaps twenty wounded. There have been taken by the cavalry from 4 to 500 French, besides a consider able number killed; this since we begun our march from Salamanca. They were attacked by brigadiergeneral Stewart, at the head of the piquets of the 18th and 3d German light dragoons, and driven across the ford. Their colonel, a general of division, Lefebre, was taken, together with about 70 officers and men.-The affair was well contested. The numbers with which bri gadier-general Stewart attacked were inferior to the French; it is the corps of the greatest character in their army; but the superiority of the British was, I am told, very conspicuous. I inclose, for your lordship's satisfaction, lord Paget's report of it. Benevente, Dec. 29, 1808.-Sir, I have the honour to inform you, that that about nine o'clock this morning I received a report that the enemy's cavalry was in the act of crossing the river at the ford near the bridge. I immediately sent down the piquets of the night, under lieutenant-colonel Otway of the 18th. Having left orders that the cavalry should repair to their alarm posts, I went forward to reconnoitre, and found four squadrons of imperial guards formed and skirmishing with the piquets and other cavalry in the act of passing. I sent for the 10th hussars, who having arrived, brigadier-general Stewart immediately placed himself at the head of the piquets, and, with the utmost gallantry, attacked. The 10th hussars supported in the most perfect order. The result of the affair, as far as I have yet been able to collect, is about 30 killed, 25 wounded, 70 prisoners, and about the same number of horses. It is impossible for me to avoid speaking in the highest terms of all those engaged. Lientenant-colonel Otway and major Bagwell headed the respective night piquets. The latter is slightly wounded. The utmost zeal was conspicuous in the whole of my staff, and I bad many volunteers from head quarters, and other officers of your army. Amongst the prisoners is the general of division Lefebre, (who commands the cavalry of the imperial guard) and two captains. Our loss is, I fear, nearly 50 men killed and wounded. I will send a return the moment I can collect the reports. I have the honour to be, &c. PAGET, lieut. gen. I have forwarded the prisoners to Baniza. On the other side of the river the enemy formed again, and at this instant three guns of Captain Donovan's troop arrived, which did considerable execution. Intercepted letter to the Marquis De Romana : "SIR-I should not have detained your instructions so long, had not sir John Moore returned very late to Villa Franca. He arrived greatly fatigued. I delivered your letter to him, to which he cannot return an answer till to-morrow; but he desired me to inform you, that he would set out at an early hour.-There are at Benevente, 2 or 300 of the French cavalry, who annoy our stragglers between Benevente and Villa Franca. General Moore begs you will place a battalion on the heights over the road, where they may fire on them without any risk. There is no news. We know nothing of the movements of the French, and we continue to retreat. I am not certain that sir J. Moore will allow me to return to your excellency. In that case, permit me to express au hope of meeting with you in London, in better times; for be assured, sir, I retain a grateful recollection of your kindness, and am, with the greatest respect, &c. M. LYMER." Villa Franca, Jan. 2. 1809. Some months, which would have given me great pleasure. As I am a person of some consequence, I am never addressed but as Seignor, the Commander of the English troops; I am well lodged, and have an agreeable society about me, all which comforts I shall be very sorry to quit. The French are the most uncivil people in the world. I think they have very little to eat or drink themselves, and, therefore, they have nothing to do but annoy us poor fellows, when we are just sitting down to a good repast. Last night I was called up by a Spanish dragoon, who brought letters from Corunna, informing me that a part of our army would soon reach St. Jago, and that I must hold myself in readiness to march along with it upon Vigo. I could not close my eyes the whole night, for thinking at every instant that our troops were arrived; but till the present moment not one man has made his appearance; and I begin now to think that the whole has been a dull joke. As you are nearer the theatre of war than myself, you will oblige me by giving me a true account of the present state of affairs. If there is reason to think that we are going to re-embark, and to be, as it were, hunted out of the kingdom, without ever coming to blows, a pretty figure we shall make of it! I think I already hear Cobbett's sarcasms upon us, who will not fail to represent us as the heroes of Spain, cooped up in their own transports. (Signed) Honour, Commissioner of his Majesty the Emperor and King, Commander in Chief of Cayenne and French Guyana, and accepted by James Lucas Yeo, Post Captain in his Britannic Majesty's Service, commanding the Combined Naval English and Portuguese Forces, and Manuel Marques, Knight of the Milita ry Orders of St. Benoit d' Avie, Lieut. Col. in Chief, and Director of the Corps of Artillery of Para, commanding the advanced Army of the Portuguese, dated Jan. 12th, 1509. Although the advanced posts have been carried, and that the commissioner of the emperor and king is reduced with his garrison to the town, he owes it to those sentiments of honor which have always distinguished him, to the valour and good conduct of the officers and soldiers under his command, to the attachment of the inhabitants of the colony for his majesty the emperor and king, to declare publicly, that be surrenders less to force than to the destructive system of liberating all the slaves who should join the enemy, and of burning all the plantations and ports where there should be any resistance. The com missioner of the emperor, commanding in chief, after having witnessed the burning of several plantations, particularly his own, the most considerable of the colony, had attributed it at first to the casualties of war; and the disorganization of the gangs, and the liberation of L. E. THURN." the slaves, appeared to him a momentary measure; but being assured in writing, that the English and Portuguese officers acted in virtue of the orders of his royal highness Capitulation proposed by Victor the the Prince Regent, and wishing to save the colony from total destruction, and to preserve his august master's subjects, who had given him so many proofs of their attach ment and fidelity, the commissioner of his imperial and royal majesty surrenders the colony to the forces of his royal highness the Prince Regent on the following conditions: Art. 1. The garrison shall march out with their arms and baggage and all the honours of war; the officers shall retain their side armis, and those of their staff their horses; the garrison shall lay down their arms and engage not to serve against his royal highness and his allies during one year. 2. Vessels shall be furnished at the expence of his royal highness the Prince Regent, to carry the garrison, the officers, civil and military, and all those employed in the service, with their families and effects, direct to France, with as little delay as possible. 3. A convenient vessel shall be furnished to convey to France the commissioner of the emperor, commanding in chief, his family, his officers, his suit and effects; the chief of the administration of the finances, the commander of the troops, the inspector and the commandant of artillery, with their families. 4. A convenient delay shall be granted to the officers, who have property in the colony, to settle their affairs. 5. The arsenals, batteries and every thing belonging to the artillery, the small arms and powder magazines, and the provision stores, shall be given up by inventory, and in the state in which they are now, and the same shall be pointed out." - 6. The slaves on both sides shall be disarmed, and sent to their respective plantations. The French negroes whom the commanders by sea and land of his royal highness the Prince Regent have engaged for the service during the war, and to whom in virtue of their orders they have given their freedom, shall be sent out of the colony, as they can only remain there in future an object of trouble and dissension.-The commanders engage, as they have promised, to solicit of his royal highness the Prince Regent, the replacing of those slaves, as an indemnity in favour of the inhabitants to whom they belong. 7. The papers, plans and other articles belonging to the engineer department, shall be equally given up. 8. The sick and wounded who are obliged to remain in the colony, may leave it, with all that belong to them, as soon as they are in a situa tion to do so; in the mean time they shall be treated as they have been hitherto. 9. Private property, of whatever nature or description, shall be respected, and the inhabitants may dispose of it as heretofore. 10. The inhabitants of the colony shall preserve their properties and may reside there, conforming to the orders and forms established by the sovereign under which they remain; they shall be at liberty to sell their properties and retire wherever it may suit them, without any obstacle. 11. The Civil Laws known in France under the title of the Napoleon Code, and in force in the colony, shall be observed and executed until the Peace between the two nations; the magistrates shall only decide on the interests of individuals, and 13. The papers concerning the controul and matriculation of the troops shall be carried away by the quarter-master. 14. Desirous of preserving the spice plantation called La Gabrielle in all its splendour and agriculture, it is stipulated that neither it, nor any of the plantation trees or plants shall be destroyed, but that it shall shall be preserved in the state in which it is given up to the commanders of his royal highness the Prince Regent. 15. All the papers of the stores of inspection of the Customs, or of any responsibility whatever, shall be deposited in the Secretary's office, or in any other place that may be agreed on, to be referred to when there is occasion: the whole shall be under the seal of the two governments, and at the disposal of his imperial and royal majesty. 16. The present capitulation shall be written in the three languages, and signed by the three officers stipulating. At the advanced posts of Bourde, JAMES LUCAS YEO. The following Extract from the last Letter of General Sir John Moore has been printed, in pursu ance of the order of the House of Commons: Extract of a Letter from Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, to Viscount Castlereagh, dated Corunna, Jan. 13, 1809. "Situated as the army is at present, it is impossible for me to detail to your Lorship the events which have taken place since I had the honour to address you from Astorga, on the 31st of December: I have therefore determined to send to England brigadier-general Charles. Stewart, as the officer best qualified to give you every information you can want, both with respect to our actual situation and the events which have led to it. Your lordship knows that had I followed my own opinion, as a military man, I should have retired with the army from Salamanca. The Spanish armies were then "beaten; there was no Spanish force to which we could unite, and I was satisfied that no efforts would be made to aid us, or to favour the cause in which they were engaged. I was sensible, however, that the apathy and indifference of the Spaniards would never have been believed; that had the British been withdrawn, the loss of the cause would have been imputed to their retreat, and it was necessary to risk this army to convince the people of England, as well as the rest of Europe, that the Spaniards had neither the power nor the inclination to make any efforts for themselves. It was for this reason that I made the march to Sahagun. As a diversion, it succeeded; I brought the whole disposeable force of the French against this army, and it has been allowed to follow me, without a single movement being made to favour my retreat. The people of the Gallicias, though armed, made no attempt to stop the passage of the French |