is, in every view, well adapted for the instruction of youth; the clear and accurate information it conveys upon a most important subject, and the truly christian tincture of its maxims and principles are well calculated to enlarge the understanding and improve the heart! We beg leave particularly to recommend it to the attention of schools in which, we conceive, a general acquaintance with the laws and constitution of the country might be cultivated with much advantage as forming a proper preparation for the active scenes of life." On this recommendation we beg leave to remark :-That if the most degrading views of the divine government-if the most servile adulation to our rulers-if the most shameful, apologies for public corruptions and abuses-if inaccuracies and mistakes on the plainest points of the laws and the constitution-if high church prejudices peculiarly disgraceful to the present age -if panegyrics on test laws which are equally a violation of the civil rights of citizens, and a profanation of the most sacred ordinance of christianity-if these constitute a recommendation of a book for the instruction of our British youth, we do not, we confess, know of one more entitled to consideration than the work before us. persons It has been reported that several dissenting ministers of respectable talents, are employed as writers in the Eclectic Review. If this be the case, it is high time such should look about them, and be cautious how they commit themselves. The quotation we have made from the Review (and we have observed similar sentiments in other articles) may be in character, from writers, who, as their prospectus informs us, adopt their principles from the creeds and" confessions of national churches, and that a constant reference to those principles, in their disquisitions on morals and character, is a peculiar feature of the plan of their work!" How far such a work deserves the encouragement of the friends to ci vil and religious liberty in general, or of protestant dissenters in particular, we leave others to determine. With respect to Mr. Custance, we hope he will not think us unfriendly, when we earnestly recommend him impartially to review his religious principles, more particularly by the light of that volume, for which he professes so peculiar a venerationThe Bible. He will find therein nothing but principles of purity, and which demand purity of conduct in public as well as in private life. It is owing to a want of attention to the precepts of christianity, which are without partiality and without hypocrisy, that there are so many persons making great professions of religion, and who practise many virtues in private life, but who in the senate can countenance almost every species of wickedness. Witness the uniform support given by professedly evange、 lical christians to unjust wars, to those enormities practised in Ireland and in the East Indies, to the infernal expedition against Denmark, &c. &c. Christianity requires as the test of sincerity, that a man should be in public the same as in private. We more particularly press it on the attention of Mr. C. to be careful how he presumes to plead as an excuse for corruption and wickedness, or for attempting to discourage reformation, that nature of which God is the creator, and which, however frail, affords no excuse for the wilful de pravity for which men will be accountable at the day of judgment, when we are persuaded, they will find it an aggravation of their crimes, that they acted not agreeably, but contrary to that nature which God had given them; and that therefore their condemnation will be just. But we are fearful that Mr. C. with his views of his own religious superiority, will, wrapping himself up in his own righteousness, exclaim in the language of the pharisees of old, which appears to be his favourite phraseology, Thou wast altogether BORN IN SIN, and dost thou teach us?-We therefore take our leave of him with the friendly advice, to be cautious how he becomes in future the apologist of corruption under the cloak of religion; and that amidst all his evangelical professions he would ponder the important admonition of our Saviour, Take heed, therefore, that the light which is in thee be not darkness; for if the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness ! FOREIGN INTELLIGENCE. OFFICIAL ACCOUNT By General Cuesta, of the Battle of Talavera, addressed to the Secretary at War. Seville, Sept. 7. Most Excellent Sir, I removed my head-quarters on the 21st curt. to Velada, according to what I mentioned in my former dispatch of the same night. This communication was made after I had seen at Oropesa in the evening of that day, the gallant and illustrious army of the British. These forces having all re-united in that town, I ordered my vanguard to be placed before Veleda, concluding that the firing I then discovered, was a skirmishing of our parties with an advanced body of the enemy, stationed at that time in the district of Gamonal, two leagues distant from Talavera, and which in the sequel was routed and pursued to Casar. At break of day on the 22d, my army being assembled in the extensive plain between Velada and Talavera, I directed that the vanguard, under the intrepid chief Brig.-General Don Josef de Zayas, should charge the enemy, who had been reinforced with the division of cavalry of General Latour Maubourg, and I directed that the divisions of infantry and cavalry should march in close order, that thus advancing towards Talavera, they might resist the attack, if the French should endeavour to force the entrance to this place, as they seem to have determined. The whole army followed the vanguard, passing by Talavera, and took up a position in the olive grounds, between that town and the river Alberche. The British army, on the night of the 21st, marched from Oropesa, and on the following morning, united with us, and while the vanguard attacked and repulsed the enemy, the British also filed off by Talavera, to take up a position on our left, according to the plan agreed. It was, most excellent Sir, a magnificent exhibi tion, when we saw the combined armies in a plain of two leagues extent, advancing upon the enemy, and most brilliant and gratifying was the admirable order, firmness, and gallantry, with which' this movement was performed by our allies. The whole evening of the 224we were reconnoitering the camp of the enemy, when we took some prisoners between the wood and the olive grounds, who could not reach their vanguard, which had been obliged to retreat in consequence of an intrepid charge by our cavalry. During the whole of the 23d nothing deserving notice happened. It was employed in examining the position of the enemy, who had again contracted his forces in the district of Casalegas, and on the adjacent heights, preserving his vanguard supported by some pieces of artillery on the bridge and shores of the river Alberche, and which fired the greater part of the day on our skirmishing parties. I had agreed with the general in chief of his Britannic Majesty's army, Sir Arthur Wellesley, as to the attack on the bridge and shores of the river before day-break on the 24th, and to this purpose, I sent onward the 5th division of infantry, under Marshal de Camp, D. Luis de Bassecourt, in order that, after having crossed at the fort of Cardiel, three leagues from Talavera, they might march by the contiguous heights, so as by break of day on the 24th to fall on the rear-guard and right flank of the army of the enemy at Casalegas. At the same hour, I proposed to attack in person on the left flank, and a part of his front, while the British army assailed the whole of his right. The flight of the enemy during the night of the 23d disconcerted this plan, and when at dawn. of the 24th, we saw the French camp. abandoned, I thought it proper to follow them with my army alone (as the British army remained in Casalegas and the shores of the Alberche,) with the hope of reaching his rear guard, or some portion of it. The news which I acquired of his route, apprised me that he had proceeded in two columns by Santa Olalla and Cebolla, and in consequence, I divided my army so as to follow hin in both directions. Notwithstanding the forced march of my army, who made their day's progress without fatigue, we could not accomplish our object, as the enemy had early commenced his retreat, and had proceeded with great rapidity. On the 24th, having posted myself in Santa Olalla, I ordered the troops which had taken the road of Cebolla to join me, with the exception of the 5th corps, which I left there to watch the district, placing the vanguard in the neighbour hood of Alcabon, from whence the piquets of the enemy were dislodged, and pursued to Torrijos, where a considerable part of the enemy were stationed. The whole of the 25th was engaged in giving repose to the troops, and in apportioning the rations, which were extremely deficient. Parties of the French during the day were employed either in endeavouring to dislodge us from our posts, or to reconnoitre our situation, but in both attempts they were disappointed by the valour of the officers commanding the skirmishing parties, who attacked them on all sides, and prevented their approach, At nine o'clock at night, of the same day, I had information that the enemy was advancing upon Torrijos, and that his whole ariny was in movement, but my advices did not instruct me to which point the greater part was proceeding. On hearing this, I apprised the generals, and dispatched an officer to General Wellesley. In consequence of his determination and direction, and on finding my vanguard powerfully attacked on the morning of the 26th, by a very superior force, and the enemy indicating a design of making a general attack, I resolved to make a retrograde movement upon Alberche, to reunite with the British, which I effected on the evening of the same day. Thus the evening of the 26th concluded; and, after having conferred with General Wellesley that night on our situation, I resolved to repass the Alberche on the morning of the following day, when we agreed that the right line should YOL. VI. be taken by the Spanish, and the left by the English army. The English vanguard remained during that night in Casalegas and on the heights near it, under Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke, with orders to retire to the opposite side of the river, which were obeyed on the morning of the 27th. I must now observe, that at dawn on the 24th Marshal Victor had withdrawn from the post he occupied on the shores of the Alberche, in order to avoid the attack meditated on that day by the allied army; and he afterwards united himself, in the neighbourhood of Toledo, with the forces under General Sebastiani, and with 8000 men composing the guard of the Royal Impostor, who took the command of the whole, thus congregated, assisted by Marshals Jourdan and Victor, and General Sebastiani. It now appeared that the enemy wished to bring on a general action, by the frequent approach of his advanced guard, and by the occupation of Santa Olalla by the whole of his army on the evening of th 26th. His outposts then approached the allied army. Thus circumstanced, at the break of day on the 27th, the position agreed upon was taken; and Sir Arthur Wellesley ordered General Mackenzie, with a division of British infantry and a brigade of cavalry, to continue in the olive plantation on the right side of the Alberche, where the party, composing the van-guard, might cover the right flank of the British army. The whole combined army occupied an extent of ground of above three miles; the right towards the Tagus was covered. by our native tooops reaching to the front of Talavera. The ground on the left was occupied by the English army, open to and commanded by an elevation, where was assembled in a second line a division of English infantry, under the orders of General Hill. Between this height and a chain of mountains at some distance, there is an inclosure, which, in the first distance, General Wellesley did not order to be defended, because it was commanded by the height, and because it was considered too distant to be useful in the approaching battle. The whole of the ground on which the Spanish army was drawn up, was covered with olive plantations, intersected by sinuosities, inequalities, and cottages. The great road towards the bridge of Alberche was defended by a strong battery, served by our infantry, in front of the Hermitage of Our Lady of the Prado. The other avenues of the district were defended in a similar manner. Talavera was protected by an appointed garrison, and the rest of the Spanish infantry, forming two lines, was placed behind a village, which is at the extremity of the district, and formed a line in continuation of the position taken by the English army. In the centre, and between the two armies, there was a rising ground, where the English had begun to construct a strong redoubt, having in their rear a small plain. At this point was stationed the English General Campbell, who commanded a division of infantry, supported by the brigade of dragoons of General Cotton, and by some squadrons of our cavalry. Our combined army being thus arranged, the enemy presented himself in considerable force to our view, manifesting, at first, an intention to attack the division of the van-guard under General Mackenzie. In point of fact, he fulfilled this design before that officer was enabled to retire to his proper position, but these gallant and disciplined troops which composed the brigade of General Mackenzie, of Colonel Donkins, the brigade of cavalry of General Anson, and their corps, supported by General Payne, with four regiments of cavalry, posted in the plain and olive grounds of Talavera, retired in the most admirable order, but not without some loss in the olive grounds, particularly two of the corps of this division. The regularity, steadiness, and fortitude of all these troops, as well as the military talents of General Mackenzie, were conspicuous in every movement, and this officer is deserving of the highest praise and admiration for the coolness and serenity with which he withdrew this division to the left of the British army. which disconcerted the purpose of the enemy, and put him to flight at a quarter past eight. During this time, a strong division of the French advanced by the valley to the left of the height occupied by General Hill, of which, with very great loss, they obtained a momentary possession, but Hill returned to the charge presently with the bayonet, drove off the enemy, and recovered his ground. In the night the French repeated their attack, but without succeeding, and with great loss. At break of day on the 28th they returned with two divisions of infantry, but they were repulsed by the brave Hill, who could not be intimidated by their repeated attempts, or by the progressive accumu lation of the forces of the assailants. General Wellesley, in consequence of these renewed exertions of the enemy by the valley, on the left side of the height, ordered thither two brigades of his cavalry. The French, seeing this movement, sent sharp-shooters into the chain of mountains to the left of the valley, who were attacked by the 5th division of my infantry under Marshal de Camp Don Luis Bassecourt, who' dislodged them with much loss. The general attack commenced by the advance of different columns of the enemy's infantry, with the intention of attacking the height occupied by General Hill. These columns were charged by two parties of British dragoons, under the command of General Anson, led by Lieut.-Gen. Payne, and supported by the brigade of cavalry of the line of General Tanne. One of these regiments of British dragoons suffered very much; but this spirited charge had the effect of disconcerting the designs of the enemy, who sustained a very great loss. At the same time, the French attacked the centre of the army, where the British General Campbell was stationed, having on his right Lieut.-Gen. Don Francisco de Eguia; the enemy was driven back, by both these Generals, who had their infantry supported by the King's regi ment of cavalry, and by the division of As dusk approached, he commenced Lieut.-Gen. Don Juan de Henestrosa. a furious attack by cannonade, and a This corps covered itself with glory in charge by the whole of his cavalry, on the charge that it made on the infantry the right, occupied by the Spanish in- of the enemy, during which it turned fantry, with the apparent design of breathe column by which it was assailed; king through our ranks, posted as I have before described. This attack was received by an active fire perfectly well sustained, both of cannon and musketry, The number of the enemy increased on the right bank of the Alberche as the day advanced, and every thing indicated his determination to give battle to the combined forces. under which advantage the British infantry, protected by the Spanish, possessed themselves of the artillery of the enemy. At the same time with these 1 proceedings, the French attacked with fury the centre of the British army, commanded by General Sherbrooke. The foes were received with extraordinary courage, and were driven back by the whole British division, with charged bayonets. But the British brigade of guards, which was carried onward precipitately in the ardour of battle, advanced too far, and was in consequence obliged to withdraw under the fire of the second line, composed of the brigade of cavalry of Gen. Cotton, and a battalion of infantry detached from the height by General Wellesley, as soon as he observed the remote situation of the guards. General Howard, who commanded the British artillery, was distinguished for his extraordinary courage, and performed the most important services. Lieut.-Gen. Don Franciso de Eguia, my second in command, was posted on my left, with the 3d, 4th, and 5th divisions, under Generals the Marquis de Portago, Don Rafael Manglano, and Don Louis Alexandro Bassecourt, but the latter was ordered to support the division ot cavalry of Lieut.-Gen. the Duke of Albuquerque, which was detached to reinforce the British army. I took under my particular orders the centre and the right, without neglecting, however, the superintendance of the rest, and with much satisfaction I noticed the conduct of the Marquis de Zayas, and Don Vicente Iglesias, as well as Don Juan Berhuy, and Lieut.-Gen. Don Juan Henestrosa, &c. The loss of the enemy was very great. They left on the field of battle from four to five thousand men, and the number of their wounded is computed at 5000 more. Two or three generals were killed, several wounded, and at least 400 other officers. We have taken 10 pieces of artillery, and many waggons of ammunition, and the rout was one of the most complete, considering that we were acting on the defensive. The British have lost General Mackenzie, Brig.Gen. Langworth, and other officers of distinguished rank and merit. The total of their officers, killed and wounded, is 260, and that of their rank and file 5000. Our diminution is much less. Don Rafael Manglano was wounded, and 1,150 rank and file. Our artillery was served with ability and fortitude, and the names of such officers, whose talents were most conspicuously dis played, are mentioned in the dispatches from the respective Generals. I should be negligent of my own duty, if I did not communicate to your excellency, for the information of his Majesty, that the conduct of the British General in chief, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and that of the Generals, subordinate officers, and soldiers under his command, is above all praise. I have seen the enthusiasm with which these faithful allies have in copious streams poured forth their blood in the defence of our liberty; and no language can adequately express the sentiments of gratitude with which our breasts are animated. With the highest satisfaction I have noticed my army hailing our companions for the victory obtained, and mingling with exclamations indicative of the warmest affection, the appellatives of our country, and Ferdinand, with those of our powerful and generous allies. [This liberal and spirited eulogy is succeeded by a list of the officers and others of the Spanish army, who deserved the high reward of the approbation of their commander, among whom is distinguished a lad of 16 years of age who killed four Frenchmen with his own hand.] GREGORIO DE LA CUESTA. Dated head-quarters, Olive-hut, Aug. 7, 1809. To his Excellency Don Antonio Cornel. Paris, Sept. 20. GENERAL STAFF. Order of the Day, 30th Sept. Agreeably to his Majesty's intentions, and in pursuanece of the orders of his excellency the minister at war, the national guard of Paris is to bé relieved, from and after the 1st of October, from doing any military duty in this place. The several posts in the capital shall all then be occupied by the troops of the line of the garrison of Paris, The commanding general in Paris avails himself of this opportunity to express to the national guard the witnessed the punctuality and zeal high satisfaction with which he has displayed by all its members, in the execution of the duty committed to them. |