Majesty's principal secretaries of we failed; but the superiority of the British cavalry was evident throughout the day; we took some prisoners and their cannon from them; and the advanced guard took up the position of Oliviera. . I had the honour to apprize your lordship, on the 7th inst., that in tended that the army should march. On the same day. Major-general The infantry of the army was formed into three divisions for this expedition, of which two, the adyanced guard, consisting of the Hanoverian legion, and Brigadier General R. Stewart's brigade, with a brigade of six-pounders, and a brigade of three pounders, under Lieutenant-general Paget, and the cavalry under Lieutenant-general Payne, and the brigade of guards; Brigadier-gen. Campbell's and Brigadier-general brigades of infantry, with a brigade of six pounders, under Lieutenant-general Sherbrooke, moved by the high road from Coimbra to Oporto, and one composed of Major-general Hill's and Brigadier-gen. Cameron's brigades of infantry, and a brigade of six-pounders, under the com mand of Major-general Hill, by the road from Coimbra to Aviero, On the 10th in the morning, be .fore daylight, the cavalry and ad vanced guard crossed the Vouga with the intention to surprize and cut off four, regiments of 'Freuch cavalry, and a 'battalion of infantry and artillery, cantoned in Albergaria Nova and the neigh bouring villages, about eight miles from that giver, in the last of which Hill, who had embarked at Aveiro on the evening of the 9th, arrived at Ovar, in the rear of the enemy's right; and the head of LieutenantGeneral Sherbrooke's división pass ed the Vouga on the same evening. On the Fith, the advanced guard and cavalry continued to move on the high road towards Oporto, with Major-general Hill's 'division in a parallel road, which leads to Oporto from Ovar. On the arrival of the advanced guard at Vendas Novas, between Sonto Redondo and Grijon, they fell in with the outposts of the enemy's advanced guard, consisting of about four thousand infantry, and some squadrons of cavalry, strongly posted on the heights above Gri jon, their front being covered: by woods and broken ground. The enemy's left flank was turned by a movement well executed by Majorgeneral Murray, with Brigadiergeneral Langworth's brigade of the Hanoverian legion; while the 16th Portuguese regiment of Brigadiers general Richard Stewart's brigade attacked their right, and the rifles men of the 95th, and the flank companies of the 29th, 48d, and 52d of the same brigade under Major Way, attacked the infantry in the woods and villag in their centre. These attacks -soon obliged the enemy to give way; and the Hon. Brigadier-general Charles Stewart led two squadrons of the 16th and 20th dragoons, under the command of 1 of Major Blake, in pursuit of the enemy, and destroyed many and took many prisoners. On the night of the 11th the ene my crossed the Douro, and destroyed the bridge over that river. It was important, with a view to the operations of Marshal Beresford, that I should cross the Douro immediately; and I had sent Majorgeneral Murray in the morning with a battalion of the Hanoverian legion, a squadron of cavalry, and two six-pounders, to endeavour to collect boats, and, if possible, to cross the river at Ovintas, about four miles above Oporto; and I had as many boats as could be collected brought to the ferry, immediately above the towns of Oporto and Villa Nova. The ground on the right bank of the river at this ferry is protected and commanded by the fire of cannon, placed on the height of the Sierra Convent at Villa Nova, and there appeared to be a good position for our troops on the opposite side of the river, till they should be collected in sufficient numbers. The enemy took no notice of our collection of boats, or of the embarkation of the troops, till after the first battalion (the Buffs) were landed, and bad taken up their position under the command of Lieut.general Paget on the opposite side of the river. They then commenced an attack upon them, with a large body of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, under the command of Marshal Soult, which, that corps most gallantly sustained, till supported, successively by the 48th and 66th regiments, belonging to Major-general Hill's brigade, and a Portuguese batta lion, and afterwards by the find battalion of detachments belonging to Brigadier-gen. Richard Stewart's brigade. Lieut-gen. Paget was unfortunate ly wounded soon after the attack commenced, when the command of these gallaut troops devolved upon Major-general Hill. Although the French made repeated attacks upon them, they made no impression, and at last Major-general Murray having appeared on the enemy's left flank on his march from Ovintas, where he had crossed, and Lieutenant-general Sherbrooke, who by this time had availed himself of the enemy's weakness in the town of Oporto, and had crossed the Douro at the ferry, between the towns of Villa Nova and Oporto, having appeared upon the right with the brigade of guards, and the 29th regiment, the whole retired in the utmost confosion towards Amaranthe, leaving behind them five pieces of cannon, eight ammunition tumbrils, and many prisoners. The enemy's loss in killed and wounded in this action has been very large, and they have left be hind them in Oporto 700 sick and wounded. Brigadier-general the Honourble Charles Stewart then directed a charge by a squadron of the 14th dragoons, under the command of Major Hervey, who made a successful attack on the enemy's rear guard. In the different actions with the enemy, of which I have above given your lordship an account, we have lost some, and the immediate services of other valuable officers and soldiers. In Lieutenant-gen, Paget, among the latter, I have lost the assistance of a friend, who had been most useful to me in the few days which had elapsed since he had joined the army. He had rendered a most important service at the moment he received his wound, in taking up the position which the troops afterwards maintained, and in bearing the first brunt of the enemy's attack. Major Hervey also distinguished himself at the moment he received his wound in the charge of the cavalry on this day. I cannot say too much in favour of the officers and troops. They have marched in four days over eighty miles of most difficult country, have gained many important positions, and have engaged and defeated three different bodies of the enemy's troops. I beg particularly to draw your lordship's attention to the conduct of Lieut.-general Paget, Major-general Murray, Major-general Hill, Lieutenant-gen. Sherbrooke, Brigadier-gen, the Hon. Charles Stewart, Lieutenant-colonel Delancey, deputy quarter-master-general, and Captain Mellish, assistant adjutant-gen., for the assistance they respectively rendered General Stewart in the charge of the cavalry this day and on the 11th, Major Colin Campbell, assistant-adjutant-general, for the assistance he rendered Majorgeneral Hill in the defence of his post, and Brigadier-general Stewart in the charge of the cavalry this day; and Brigade-major Fordyce, Captain Corry, and Captain Hill, for the assistance they rendered General Hill. I have also to request your lordship's attention to the conduct of the riflemen and of the flank companies of the 29th, 43d, and 52d regiments, under the command of Major Way of the 29th, and that of the 16th Portuguese regiment, commanded by Colonel Machado, of which Lieutenant-colonel Doyle is lieut.-col., and that of the Brigade of the Hanoverian Legion, under the command of Brigadiergeneral Langworth, and that of the two squadrons of the 16th and 20th light dragoons, under the command of Major Blake of the 20th, in the action of the 11th; and the conduct of the Buffs, commanded by Lieut.-col. Drummond, the 48th commanded by Colonel Duckworth, 66th commanded by Major Marray, who was wounded, and of the squadron of the 14th dragoons, under the command of Major Hervey, in the action of this day. I have received the greatest assistance from the adjutant-general and quarter-master-gen., Colonel Murray, and from all the officers belonging to those departiments respectively throughout the service, as well as from Lieut.-col. Bathurst and the officers of my personal staff, and I have every reason to be satisfied with the artillery and officers of Engineers. I send this dispatch by Captain Stanhope, whom I beg to recommend to your lordship's protection; his brother, the Hon. Major Stanhope was unfortunately wounded by a sabre whilst leading a charge of the 16th light dragoons on the 10th instant. I have the honour to be, &c. (Signed) ARTHUR WELLESLEY. Abstract of the killed, wounded, and missing of the army under Lieut.-gen, Sir Arthur Wellesley, in action with the advanced posts of the French army at Albergaria Nova, 10th May, 1809. "None killed; 1 major, 2 rank and file, wounded; 1 rank and file, missing-Total 4. "Names of Officers wounded. Hon. Major Lincoln Stanhope, of the 16th dragoons, slightly wounded in the shoulder.' Abstract of killed, wounded, and missing in the army, under the - command of Lieut.-general Sir "Arthur Wellesley, in the action on the heights of Grijon, May 11, 1809. Nineteen killed, 63 wounded, 14 missing.Total 96. Names of Officers killed and wounded. 16th light dragoons-Captain Sweataran, wounded slightly; Lieut. Tomkinson, severely. 1st batt. detachments-Captain Owens, 38th foot, wounded; Lient. Woodgate, 52d foot, severelywoundred. Names of Officers killed, wounded, 繁 • Lieutenant-general Paget lost his arm, but doing well. Capt. Hill, Aid-de-Camp to Ge neral Hill, slightly. 14th light dragoons-Major Hei vey lost his right arm, but doing well; Captain Hawker and LieutKnipe; slightly. 3d foot Lieutenant Monaglan, slightly win 48th foot, 24 batt-Major E kine, slightly. 66th Foot, 2d batt-Major Murray, severely in the' arın; Captain Binning, slightly Roval engineers-First lieutenant Hamilton, severely. Oporto, May 15, 1809. Return of ordnance, ammunition, carriages, and ordnance stores, &c. taken in the arsenal of Quartieri St: Oviedo, on the 12th May, 1809. Brass guns French, the carriage broken to pieces 10 twelve pound 1st batt. king's German legioners, Captain Delanring, killed. 2d ditto-Captain Langrelin, severely wounded.ent Rifle corps king's German legion Lieut. Lodders, wounded. Abstract of killed, wounded, and missing in the army, under Lieut.general Sir Arthur Wellesley, in action with the French army under the command of Marshal Soult, in the passage of the Douro, May 12, 1809. Twenty-three rank and file, killed: 2 general and staff officers, 3 majors, 2 captains, 3 lieutetrants, 1 -serjeant, 85 rank and file, wounded; 2 rank and file missing. Total-23 killed; 96 wounded, 2 missing-121. *』 12 eight-pounders, 18 fourpounders, 16 three pounders. Brass Howitzers French, one carriage good-2 eight inch, 1 sirinch. French Caissons-4 serviceable, 36 unserviceable. Three thousand whole barrels of English gunpowder. Three hundred thousand- English musket cartridges. Round shot-2000 nine-pounders, 256 eighteen-pounders, 508 twelve-pounders, 656 eight-pounders, 580 four-pounders, 200 Uhreepounders. Shells 400 six inch. Six hundred flannel cartridges. Case shot-120 six inch howitzers. Wheels Wheels good-8 guns, 30 howitzers, 18 carrs. Sixty brandspikes; 12 tarpaulins; 3,000 French flints; 10 slow matches; 100 spunges; 30 copper ladles. G. HOWARTH, Brig.-Gen. Royal Horse Artillery. Protest against Buonaparte. Pius VII. Pontiff. The dark designs, conceived by the enemies of the Apostolic See, have at length been accomplished. We should all cover ourselves church, if we suffered our subsiswith ignominy in the face of the tence to depend on the power of him who usurps her authority. We commit ourselves entirely to Providence, and to the affection of the faithful, and we shall be contented piously to terminate the bitter career of our sorrowful days. lity God's inscrutable decrees; we We adore with profound humiinvoke his commiseration upon our joy and our crown; and after havgood subjects, who will ever be our ing in this hardest of trials done what our duties required of us, we exhort them to preserve always untouched the religion and the faith, and to unite themselves to us, for the purpose of conjuring with sighs and tears, both in the closet and before the altar, the Supreme Father of Light, that he may vouchsafe to change the base designs of our per After the violent and unjust spoliation of the fairest and most considerable portion of our dominions, we behold ourselves, under unworthy pretexts, and with so much the greater injustice, entirely stripped of our temporal Sovereignty, to which our spiritual independence is intimately united. In the midst of this cruel persecution we are comforted by the reflection, that we encounter such a heavy mis-secutors. fortune, not for any offence given to the emperor or to France, which has always been the object of our affectionate paternal solicitude, nor for any intrigue of worldly policy, but from an unwillingness to betray our duties. To please men and to displease God is not allowed to any one professing the Catholic Religion, and much less can it be permitted to its Head and Promulgator. As we, besides, owe it to God and the Church, to hand down our rights uninjured and untouched, we protest against this new violent spoliation, and declare it null and void. We reject, with the firmest resolution, any allowance which the Emperor of the French may intend to assign us, and to the individuals composing our College. VOL. LI. del Quirinale, this 10th of June, Given at our Apostolic Palace, 1809. (Locus Signi) PIUS PAPA VII. Excommunication of Buonaparte. mighty, and of St. Paul and St. By the authority of God AlPeter, we declare you, and all your which you are executing, to have co-operators in the act of violence incurred the same excommunication, contemporaneously affixing in the which we in our apostolic letters, usual places of this city, declare to who, on the violent invasion of this have been incurred by all those city on the second of February of last year, were guilty of the acts of violence, against which we have LI protested, |