20 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1818. [Feb. 



tlon at that moment was naturally 

 formidable. Posted in ambush 

 on the right and left of a narrow 

 road, and with the river and 

 almost an inaccessible bank in 

 his front, no place was left by 

 which we could make an attack ; 

 but our infantry, burning for ac- 

 tion, boldly pushed on, notwith- 

 standing the disadvantage of the 

 ground. Tlie Guards of Honour 

 to the Supreme Chief were the 

 first who entered into action, with 

 singular dexterity and intrepidity, 

 and they were followed by the 

 battalions of Apure and Barlo- 

 vento, causing great havoc to the 

 enemy. The pass would have 

 been forced without the aid of 

 the other battalions which re- 

 mained in reserve, if a movement 

 on the rear of the enemy had not 

 been attempted by our cavalry, 

 whose co-operation the infantry 

 were ordered to await. In this 

 interval the enemy abandoned his 

 positions, leaving in our posses- 

 sion 150 prisoners, and the ground 

 covered with killed and wounded. 

 He continued his retreat by the 

 road of Barbacoa, where he ar- 

 rived the same night ; and this 

 day he has proceeded on towards 

 Camatugua. Such is the terror 

 with which he is possessed, that 

 he is afraid to take rest, notwith- 

 standing the fatigues of the Spa- 

 niards is so great and insupport- 

 able that they deliver themselves 

 up as prisoners without resist- 

 ance. The loss of the enemy, 

 from the time he commenced his 

 retreat from Calabozo up to this 

 day, exceeds 800 Spaniards in 

 killed, wounded, and prisoners. 

 The King's army has disap- 



J)eared, and the remnants that 

 lave escaped from the combat 



will Soon perish from hunger and 

 weariness. Soon shall the flag of 

 liberty wave over the wreck of 

 our tyrants in the whole of Vene- 

 zuela. Our total loss on this 

 brilliant pursuit is only 80 killed 

 and wounded. The whole of the 

 plains are free, and the enemy, 

 without troops, cattle, cavalry, or 

 credit, cannot defend the capital, 

 to which place the Liberating 

 Army is advancing. Head-quar- 

 ters, Sombrero, &c. 



Chs. Soublet, Chief of 

 General Staff. 



10. President's House. — The 

 following Message was received 

 from the President of the United 

 States by Mr. J. J. Monroe : — 



To the Senate and House of 

 Representatives of the 

 United States. 

 As the house appropriated for 

 the President of the United 

 States will be finished this year, 

 it is thought to merit the atten- 

 tion of Congress in what manner 

 it should be furnished, and what 

 measures ought to be adopted for 

 the safe keeping of the furniture 

 in future. All the public furni- 

 ture provided before 1814 having 

 been destroyed with the public 

 building in that year, and little 

 afterwards procured, owing to the 

 inadequacy of the appropriation, 

 it has become necessary to pro- 

 vide almost every article requisite 

 for such an establishment ; whence, 

 the sum to be expended will be 

 much greater than at any former 

 period. The furniture, in its kind 

 and extent, is thought to be an 

 object not less deserving atten- 

 tion than the building for which 

 it is intended. Both being na- 

 tional objects, each seems to have 



an 



