APPENDIX TO CHRONICLE. 



221 



been removed from Salamanca to 

 Fontieros. 



By a letter from Sir Howard 

 Douglas, of the 24th instant, 1 

 learn, that the troops under Gene- 

 ral Bonnet, after having made two 

 plundering excursions towards the 

 frontiers of Gallicia, had again en- 

 tered the Asturias, and were on 

 the 17th in possession of Oviedo, 

 Gijon, and Grado. 



In the mean time the troops 

 under General Mendizabel, are in 

 possession of tlie town of Burgos, 

 the enemy still keeping the castle; 

 and in ail parts of the country the 

 boldness and activity of the chiefs 

 of Guerillas are increasing; and 

 their operations against the enemy 

 are becoming daily more impor- 

 tant. 



I forward this dispatch by Ma- 

 jor Currie, Aide-de-Camp to Lieu- 

 tenant-General Sir Rowland Hill, 

 ■whom I beg leave to recommend 

 to your Lordship's notice and pro- 

 tection. 



Truxillo, May 21, 1312. 



My Lord ; — I have the satisfac- 

 tion to acquaint your Lordship, 

 that your instructions relative to 

 the capture and destruction of the 

 enemy's works at Almaraz have 

 been most fully carried into effect 

 by a detachment of troops under 

 my orders, which marched from 

 Almandralejo on the 12lh instant. 



The bridge was, as your Lord- 

 ship knows, protected by strong 

 works thrown up by the French on 

 both sides of the river, and further 

 covered on the southern side by the 

 castle and redoubts of Mirahete 

 about a league off, commanding 

 the pass of that name, through 

 which runs the road to Madrid, 

 being the only one passable for 



carriages of any description by 

 which the bridge can be ap- 

 proached. 



The works on the left bank of 

 the river were a tete-du-pont, built 

 of masonry, and strongly entrench- 

 ed ; and on the high ground above 

 it, a large and well-constructed 

 fort, called Napoleon, with an in- 

 terior enti-enclnnent, and loop- 

 holed tower in its center : this fort 

 contained nine pieces of cannon, 

 with a garrison of between four 

 and five hundred men. There 

 being also on the opposite side of 

 the river, on a height immediately 

 above the bridge, a very complete 

 fort recently constructed, which 

 flanked and added much to its 

 defence. 



On the morning of the 16th, 

 the troops reached Jareicejo, and 

 the same evening marched in three 

 columns ; the left column, com- 

 manded by Lieut.-Gen. Chowne 

 (28th and 34'th regiments under 

 Col. Wilson, and the 6th Portu- 

 guese Ca9adores), towards the cas- 

 tle of Mirahete ; the right column, 

 under Maj.-Gen. Howard (50th, 

 71st, and 92nd regiments), which I 

 accompanied myself to a pass in 

 the mountains, through which a 

 most difficult and circuitous foot- 

 path leads by the village of Ro- 

 mangordo to the bridge ; the cen- 

 ter column, under Major-General 

 Long (6th and 18th Portuguese 

 infantry, under Colonel Ashworth, 

 and 13th Light Dragoons, with the 

 artillery), advanced upon the high 

 road to the pass of Mirahete. 



The two flank columns were 

 provided with ladders, and it was 

 intended that either of them should 

 proceed to escalade the forts against 

 which lliey were directed, had cir- 

 cumstances proved favourable ; the 



difficulties, 



