406 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



[_This liberal and spirited eulogy 

 is succeeded by a lid (if the Officers 

 and others of the Spanish army, 

 •who deserved the high reward of 

 the approbation of their Comman-. 

 der, among whom is distinguished 

 a lad of IQ years of age, who killed 

 four Frenchmen with his own hand. 

 We are sorry our limits do not 

 allow our inserting the catalogue 

 of the names of these brave cham- 

 pions of Spanish independence."] 

 (Signed) Gregorio de 



LA CUESTA. 



To his Excellency Don Antonio 

 Cornel. 



From the Government Gazette ex- 

 traordinary of Nov. 23. 



Two dispatches have just been 

 received from the general Don 

 Juan Carlos de Areizaga, dated 

 19th and 20th, in Turleque and 

 Daimiel, both of which arrived at 

 the same time. 



In the first he states, that the 

 enemy having attacked our army 

 in the center and on the flanks at 

 Ocana, but making their principal 

 effort against our right with a view 

 to turn it, an obstinate resistance 

 ■was made for three hours, when 

 they were repulsed by the division 

 of the gallant brigadier Lacey ; but 

 the superiority of the enemy's ar- 

 tillery caused a dispersion, which 

 obliged our army to retreat under 

 cover of our vanguard, and 6th 

 division ; that our loss is consider- 

 able, but the enemy's not less so, as 

 he was repulsed several times by 

 our infantry, and the brisk fire of 

 the artillery. 



The Dispatch of the 20th is as 

 follows : 



Excellent Seigneur — I arrived 

 here this night, and to-morrow I 



shall proceed to Santa Cruz, where 

 1 have directed the infantry should 

 join, and the cavalry of this dis- 

 persed army will join in Manza- 

 nares, v.'ith the exception of a part 

 of the second division, under the 

 command of brigadier Don Gaspar 

 Bigodet, in order to check the ene« 

 my (whose advanced posts have 

 this day reached Madridejos, and 

 of whose main body I know no- 

 thing), not to permit his drawing 

 near the Sierra Morena, and to 

 preserve my supplies from La Man- 

 cha. Then, should it be possible 

 for me, I will give your excellency 

 an account of'our loss. I can, how- 

 ever, in the mean time, inform your 

 excellency, that it had been very 

 considerable in good generals and 

 officers, which is the best proof 

 that these have distinguished them- 

 selves on this occasion with the 

 greatest honour; following the ex- 

 ample of the generals of divisions, 

 who have givsn proofs of their skill 

 in their good dispositions, and of 

 their characteristic intrepidity. 

 God preserve your Excellency. 



(Signed) 

 Juan Carlos de Areizaga. 

 Head-quarters, Daimiel, Nov. 20, 

 1809. 



Proclamation of the Junta, dated 

 Royal Alcazar of Seville, Nov. 

 21 ■ 1809. 



Spaniards !— Our enemies an- 

 nounce, as positively certain, a 

 peace in German}', and the circum- 

 stances which accompany this no- 

 tice give it a character of truth which 

 leaves little room for doubt. They 

 already threaten us with the power- 

 ful reinforcements which they sup- 

 pose to be marching to complete 

 our ruin ; already probably elated 



with 



