QA 4 
87th regiment, and Qd battalidn Sist regi- 
ment, in ‘he wood. Upon this occasion the 
steadiness and discipline.of the 4oth regiment, 
and of the 5th battalion 60th regiment, were 
consp:cuous 3 and I had particular reason for 
being eatisfied with the manner in which Ma- 
jor-General Mackenzie withdrew his advanced 
guard, - 
As the day advanced, the enemy appeared 
in larger numbers on the right of the Alber- 
ché, and it was obviets that he was advan- 
cing toa general attack upon the combined 
army General Mackenzie continued to fall 
back gradually upon the lett of the position 
of the combined ara ies, where he was pla- 
eed in the second line, inthe rear of the 
guards, Colonel Donkin being placed in the 
Same situation, further upon the left in the 
rear of the King’s German Legion. The 
enemy immediately commenced his attack 
in the cusk of the evening, by a cannonade 
upon the left of our position, and by an at- 
tempt with his cavalry to overthrow the 
Spanish infantry, posted, as I have before 
stated, on the right. This attempt failed 
entirely. Early in the night he pushed a di- 
vision along the valley on the left of the 
height occupied by General Hill, of which 
he gained a momevtary possession, but Ma- 
jor-General Hiil attacked it instantly with 
the bayonet, and regained it. This attack 
was repeated in the night, but failed, and 
again at day Hightin the morning of the 28th, 
by two divisions of infantry, and was re- 
pulsed by Major-General Hill. Major-Ge- 
neral Hill has reported to me in a particular 
manner the conduct of the 29th regiment, 
and of the 1st battalion 48th regiment, in 
these different affairs, as well as that of Ma- 
jor-General Tilson, and Brigadier-General 
R. Stewart. 
We have lost many brave officers and sol- 
diers in the defence of this important point 
in our position ; among others I cannot avoid 
to mention Brigade-Major Fordyce, and Bri- 
gade-Major Gardner; and Major-General 
Hill was himself wounded, but I am happy 
to say, but slightly. 
The defeat of this attempt was followed 
about noon by a general attack with the ene- 
-my’s whole force upon the whole of that part 
of the position oceupied by the British army. 
in consequence of the repeated attempts 
upon the height on our left by the valley, I 
had placed two brigades of British cavalry in — 
that valley, supported in the rear by the Duc 
d’ Albuquerque's division of Spanish eavalry. 
The enemy then placed light infantry in the 
range of mountains on the left of the valley, 
which were opposed by a division of Spanish 
intantry under Lieutenant-General De Basse- 
court. 
The general attack began by the march of 
several columns of infantry into the valley, 
with a view to attack the height occupied by 
Major-General Hill... These columns were 
immediately charged by the Ist German light 
State of Public Afuirs in Augusta 
[Sept. ly 
dragoons, and 25d dragoons, under the com4 
mand of General. Anson, directed by Lieute- 
nant-General Payne, and supported by Gee 
neral Fane’s brigade of heavy cavalry; and 
_although the 23d dragoons suffered consider< 
able ‘Toss, the charge ‘had’ ‘the’ effect of pre- 
venting ttre execution of that part of the ene- 
my’splan. At the-same time he directed an 
attack upen . Brigadier-General Alexander! 
Campbell’s position in the centre of the com- 
bined armies and on the right of the British. | 
This attack was most successfully repulsed 
by Brigadier-General Campbell, supported by 
the King’s regiment of Spanish cavalry, and 
two battalions of Spanish infantry 5 and Bri- 
gadier-General Campbell took the enemy’s 
cannon. i 
The Brigadier-General mentions particue 
larly the conduct of the 97th, the 2d battalion 
7th, and of the 2d battalion 53d regiments, 
and I was highly satisfied with the manner 
in whieh this part of the position was defended. 
An attack was also made at the same time 
upon Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke’s divi- 
sion, which was on the left and centre of the 
first line of the British army. This attack 
was most gallantly repulsed by a charge with 
bayonets, by the whole division; but the 
brigade of guards which were on the right 
having advanced too far, they were exposed 
on their left flank to the fire of the enemy's 
battery, and of their retiring columns; and 
the division was obliged to retire towards the 
original position, under cover of the 2d line 
of General Cotton’s brigade of cavalry, which 
IT had moved from the centre, and of the 1st 
battalion 48th regiment. I had moved this 
regiment from its original position on the 
heights, as soun as I observed the advance of 
the guards, and it was formed in the plainy 
and advanced upon the enemy, and covered 
the formation of Lieutenant-General Sher- 
broke’s division. Shortly after the repulse 
of this general attack, in which apparently 
all the enemy’s troops were employed, he 
commenced his retreat across the A!berché, 
which was conducted in the most regular or 
der, and was effected during the night, 
leaving in our hands twenty pieces of cannon, 
ammunition, tumbrils, and some prisoners. 
Your Lordship will observe the great loss 
which we have sustained of valuable officers 
and soldiers in this long and hard-fought ac- 
tion, with more than double our numbers. 
That of the enemy has been much greater ¢ 
I am informed that entire brigades of infantry 
have been destroyed, and indeed the bat- 
talicns that retreaced were much reduced in 
numbers. By all accounts, their loss is ten 
thousand mtn. Generals Lapisse and Mariot 
are killed; Generals Sebastiani and Boulet 
wounded, I have particularly to lament the 
loss of Major-General Mackenzie, who had 
distinguished himself on the 27th ; and of 
Brigadier-General Langworth, of the King’s 
German Legion; and of Brigade-Major Beckett, 
of the guards, 
‘ 
Your 
