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18 11.] 
- useless valour; but who ever doubted 
the superior prowess of the British sol- 
diery, and their power of defeating an 
equal or moderately superior number of 
any other troops in the world? What 
was done at Cressy, Poicriers, and Agin- 
court, may be done again by English 
troops on any suitable occasion. We 
have subjoined the interesting dispatches 
of Genera Granam. 
; Dowsing-strect, March 25. 
Dispatches, of which the following are 
copies, were last night received at the 
Earl of Liverpool’s Office, addressed to 
his lordship by Lieut.-Gen. Graham, 
dated Isle de Leon, 6th and 10th of 
March, 1811. ; 
Isle de Leon, March 6, 1811. 
- My Lorpv,—Captain Hope, my first Aid- 
de-Camp, will have the honour of delivering 
this dispatch to.inform your lordship of the 
glorious issue of an action fought yesterday by 
the division under my command, against the 
army commanded by Marshal Victor, com- 
posed of the two divisions, Rufin and Laval. 
-The circumstances were such as compelled 
me to attack this very superior force. In or- 
der as. well to explain to your lordship the 
circumstances of peculiar disadvantage under 
which such an action was begun, as to justify 
myself from the imputation of rashness in the 
attempt, I must state to your lordship that 
the aliiedarmy, aiter a night’s march of six- 
teen hours from the camp near Veger, ar- 
* tived in the morning on the fifth, on the low 
-sidge of Barrosa, about four miles to the 
southward of the mouth of the Santi Petri 
river.  This*height extends inland about a 
mile and a half, containing on the north the 
extensive heathy plain of Chiclana. A great 
pine forest skirts the plain, and circles round 
the height at some distance, terminating 
down to Santi Petri; the intermediate space 
between the north side of the height, and the 
forest being uneven and broken. 
-A well conducted and successful attack on 
the rear of the enemy’s lines, near Santi 
Petri, by the vanguard of the Spanish army 
under Brigadier General Ladrizabel, having 
opened the communication with the Isla de 
Leon, I received General De Penas?s direc- 
tions to move down from the position of Bar- 
rosa, to that of the Torre de Bermesa, about 
half-way to the Santi Petri river. in order to 
secure the communication across the river, 
over which a bridge had been lately esta- 
blished. This latter positian occupies a nar- 
ig . . . 
row woody ridge, the right on the sea cliff, 
the left falling down to the Almanza Creek, 
on the edge of the Marsh. A hard sandy 
beach yives %n easy communication between 
' the western points of these two positions. 
My division, being halted on the eastern 
slope of the Barrosa height, was marched 
_ about twelve o'clock through the wood to- 
_ ‘Waids the Bermesa, (cavalry patroles having 
“State of Public Affairs in March. 
275 
previously been sent towards Chiclana, with” 
out meeting with the enemy.) On th® 
march, I received notice that the enemy had 
appeared in force on the plain, and was ad- 
vancing towards the heights of Barrosa. 
As I considered that position as the key of 
that of Santi Petri, I immediately counter- 
marched, in order to support the troops left 
for its defence 3 and the alacrity with which 
this mancuvre was executed, served as a 
favourableomen. It was however impossible 
in such intricate and difficult ground to pre- 
serve order in the columns, and there never 
was time to restore it entirely. 
But before we could get ourselves quite 
disentangled from the wood, the troops on 
the Barrosa hill were seen returring from it, 
while the enemy’s left wing was rapidly as- 
cending. At the same time his right wing 
stood on the plain, on the edge of the wood, 
within cannon shot. A retreat in the face of 
such an enemy, already within reach of the 
easy communication by the sea-beach, must 
have involved the whole allied army in all 
the danger of being attacked during the un- 
avoidable confusion of the different corps ar- 
riving on the narrow ridge of Bermesa, nearly 
at the same time. 
Trusting to the known heroism of Brifish 
troops, regardless of the numbers and position 
of theirenemy, an immediate attack was de- 
termined on. Major Duncan soon opened a 
powerful battery of ten guns in the centre, 
Brigadier-general Dilkes with the brigade of 
Guards, Lieutenant-colonel Crowe’s (of the 
28th) flank battalion, Lieutenant colonel Nor- 
cott’s two companies of the 2d rifle corps, and 
Major Acheson, with a part of the 67th foot, 
(separated from the regiment in the wood) 
formed on the right. 
Colonel Wheatly’s brigade, with three 
companies of the Coldstream Guards, under 
Lieutenant-colonel Jackson, (separated like- 
wise from his battalion in the wood), and 
Lieutenant-colonel Barneard’s flank battalion 
formed on the left. 
As soon as the infantry was thus hastily 
got together, the guns advanced to a more 
fayourable position, and kept up a most de- 
structive fire, 
Phe right wing proceeded to the attack of 
General Rufin’s division on the hill, while 
Lieutenant-colonel Barnard’s batialion, and 
Lieutenant-colonel Bushe’s detachment of the 
20th Portuguese, were warmly engaged with 
the enemy’s tirailleurs on our left, 
General Laval’s division, notwithstanding 
the havoc made by Majer Duncan’s battery, 
continued toadvance in very imposing masses, 
opening his fire of musquetry, and was 
only checked by that of the left wing. The 
left wing now advanced, firing; a most de~ 
termined charge by the three companies of 
Guards, and the 87th regiment, supported by 
all the remainder of the wing, decided the 
defeat of General Laval’s division. 
The eagle of the eighth regiment of light 
infantry» 
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