were repulsed; Murillo charged their right flank; Carrara, with the rest of the army, advanced against their front; and they were twice driven from the positions in which they attempted to make a stand. Murillo entered the city, drove them through the streets, and pursued them to the distance of more than a league beyond it. Their second in command was killed, and their general severely wounded. This was the intelligence which Ney received on his return from Asturias. He learned also that Soult, with his fugitive army, had entered Galicia; and it was concerted that Ney should retake Vigo, and then forin a junction with the army of Portugal, as it was termed, at Orense, to hem in and effect the destruction of Romana. In pursuance of this arrangement, Ney, with a force of 8000 infantry and 2500 horse, marched from Mondonedo and Lugo upon Santiago. Carrara, whose force was very inferior, retreated to Caldas and Pontevedra, where he was joined by the Count de Norona. The Count determined to retreat to the bridge, because two of the arches having been broken down, it afforded a favourable position for making a stand, and covering Vigo, from whence the patriots now received their stores. Boats were procured from Vigo and Redondela to form a bridge for the troops; enough could not be found to construct one in the usual form, and it was necessary to moor them broadside to the stream, fasten them together head and stern, and then lay planks along, torn from the neighbouring houses. The narrowness of the bridge considerably lengthened the time employed in passing, nevertheless the passage was effected before the enemy appeared. Now it was seen with what wise foresight Murillo had acted in throwing up works at this position. The troops were formed on the southern bank; they were now increased to between 6000 and 7000 men, besides 3000 who were without fire-arms; they had 120 horse and nine field pieces, and a battery of two eighteen pounders, planted on a height above the bridge. Captain M'Kinley, who was still in the port of Vigo, was informed of this on the evening of the 6th of June. Early the following morning he went up in his barge to S. Payo, and while he was conferring with Carrara, the French appeared on the opposite bank. The Galician troops had undergone great fatigue, having been constantly exposed to continued and heavy rains: nothing, however, could exceed their spirit; it required all the efforts of their officers to prevent them from pushing across and attacking an enemy whom they had such cause to hate. Ney posted his troops in the houses on the right bank, and in a wood a little below, and

kept up his attack the whole day. During the night he erected a battery; some of his men also laid ladders upon the first breach, and got upon the brink of the second; but when day-light appeared, they were soon driven back.

Captain M'Kinley, passing safely within gun-shot of the enemy's field-pieces, returned to Vigo as soon as the action commenced, and with the assistance of Colonel Carol, he provided for the defence of that place, and the Spanish Commodore sent up three gun-boats to assist in the defence. One of these Captain Wynter manned, under charge of Lieutenant Jefferson. A Spanish schooner, commanded by Lieutenant Toledo, and a Portuguese one under Lieutenant Alves, both active and zealous officers, went also upon this service. At day-break the French battery opened both upon the troops and the boats; but the latter, taking advantage of the tide, got near and destroyed the battery. When the tide fell, the enemy made two desperate attempts, with horse and foot, to cross above the bridge the patriots steadily resisted, and both times drove them back with great slaughter. Baffled here, a detachment went up the river, thinking to cross at the ford of Solto Mayor. Murillo was sent to oppose them, and that excellent officer, after they had vainly persevered in their attempt for an hour and a half, compelled them to retire. They made another attack under cover of a thick fog; this also was as unsuccessful as the former, and Ney being thus defeated by a newly-raised army of inferior numbers, half of whom were unarmed, retreated during the night, leaving some of his wounded, and having sustained so severe a loss, that, even with Soult's assistance, he now despaired of being able to keep his ground in Galicia.

The victory which the Spaniards thus obtained, was hardly less important than the battle of Baylen. It effectually defeated the plan of co-operation with Soult, and it cleared the province of the enemy. Ney retreated to Santiago, whither Carrara pursued and destroyed 500 of his army. The French General now thought of nothing but effecting his retreat into Castille: he reached Coruña on the 13th of June, and made preparations for evacuating that place and Ferrol; he destroyed the magazines and stores of every kind, and the defences on the land side, spiked the guns, and completely disarmed both the place and the people. Ferrol was evacuated by the last division of the enemy on the 21st, Coruña on the following day, and Ney retreated through Lugo, Villa Franca, and Astorga. He had formed an encampment between Betanzos and Lugo; and this, before his final retreat was known, kept the

persons whom he had established in authority in fear or hope of his return, so that no communication was suffered with the British ships, except by flag of truce. The batteries and lines on the seaside having been left uninjured, Captain Hotham, of the Defiance, impatient of this conduct, landed a party of seamen and marines, and dismounted all the guns that bore upon the anchorage. When the Count de Norona arrived a few days afterwards he expressed some displeasure at this; but the propriety of the measure was so evident when the circumstances which occasioned it were explained, that the feeling could be only momentary. Captain Hotham having thus opened such a communication with Coruña as was equally desirable for both nations, on the 26th of June sent Captain Parker to Ferrol, where the joy of the people at seeing an English officer in their streets was manifested by the loudest acclamations, and by every possible mark of attachment. The castle of St. Felipe was still held by a traitor, whom Ney had appointed to the command. He had under him a legion which the French had raised while they were in possession of the two towns, and over these men he retained his authority as long as the real state of affairs could be concealed, for probably Ney left him with a promise of returning as soon as he should have effected his junction with Soult. This traitor gave orders to fire upon any English ships or boats that might attempt to pass; Captain Hotham immediately upon hearing this stood over to Ferrol in the Defiance, and landed the marines of that ship and of the Amazon, with a party of armed seamen under Captain Parker, who proceeded to attack the castle. But though the men who garrisoned it had been weak enough to suffer themselves to be enrolled in the intruder's service, now that it was in their power to deliver themselves, they refused to obey their Commander, and joyfully welcomed the English, who entered preceded by the Spanish colours. The people of Ferrol than arrested the traitorous governor in the name of Ferdinand. Soult was at Lugo when these events occurred. He left there 977 of his sick, and endeavoured to bring Romana to action, committing his accustomed cruelties wherever he went : but Romana was too wary; and though it was the advice of Ney that Soult should remain in Galicia, and co-operate with him in recovering possession of the province, the latter General, who is the ablest of all the French Commanders employed in Spain, was induced to form a different determination, both by political consideration, and by necessity. He had now received neither succours of any kind nor instructions, nor even in. telligence, for five months, so well had the Spaniards and Portu

guese cut off all communication with Madrid. There was no place in Galicia where he could rest and supply his troops, and leave his sick in security; he therefore retreated to Zamora.

Immediately upon the recovery of Galicia, the central Junta took. measures for removing the Ferrol fleet to Cadiz, thus anticipating the wishes of the English government. As soon as Romana arrived at Coruña, he erected a monument there, with this inscription:"Grateful Spain to the glory of the English General, Moore, and his valiant countrymen.”

(Continued in the Supplement.)

MILITARY CORRESPONDENCE.

INSPECTING FIELD OFFICERS OF YEOMANRY AND VOLUNTEERS.

Sir,

WHEN corps of Volunteers and Yeomanry were first embodied, it was thought expedient to appoint certain Officers to inspect them occasionally, for the purpose of maintaining and carrying on the discipline. The gentlemen selected had a competent salary given them, and the rank of Lieutenant-Colonel: they, very probably, from the scarcity of Field-Officers at the period of their first institution, were chosen from those Officers who had retired from the service, most of them having sold their commissions therein to some considerable advantage. This arrangement, for the moment, was, perhaps, unexceptionable; but, in the progress of this hard-fought war, there are a great proportion of Field-Officers whose services, whose merits, whose sufferings, certainly give them a superior claim to occupy the situations filled by gentlemen heretofore described.

Is it not natural to draw this conclusion, that when the abovementioned corps are governed by Inspecting Field Officers, who from dislike to the service, or for individual convenience, or private emolument, have preferred the safe side of the question, and have thought a round of beef preferable to a breast-work, and a feather bed more comfortable than a bundle of straw, or field exercise with a brace of pointers to a dashing charge at the enemy; is it not fair to suppose that gallant men, who have honourably volunteered their services, should feel disgust for such Officers, and be averse to their instructions; or that they would prefer those officers who have served their country for a length of time-officers who have

shed their blood, and have exhausted their constitution in their country's defence.

At this critical moment, when every feeling, every sentiment, should urge a man in the enjoyment of health and vigour to continue his services; if he chooses to shrink from his duty, and dispose of his commission at a great price, he should, at all events, not subject himself to universal contempt, by employing his interest, whether borough, parliamentary, or the like, in opposition to the wishes of our illustrious Commander-in-Chief, to obtain the situation of an Inspecting Field Officer, to the detriment of brave and meritorious men.

A man thus circumstanced would appear to me as apeing the character he fears to assume.-He cannot conceive himself justified in holding such an employment after having relinquished the service, from motives of personal emolument.-On examining the list of Inspecting Field Officers of Yeomanry and Volunteers, I can observe but one name out of seventeen to which the sign of being in the service is annexed. This one out of seventeen is on halfpay; but I see many names of gentlemen who have disposed of their commissions.-If there are among these, gentlemen who have been obliged to retire from the service, owing either to misfortunes or pecuniary difficulties, those gentlemen may feel assured I most highly respect them; but I cannot consider the conduct of those justifiable, who, from dislike to the profession, &c. have quitted it, and obtained a recompense, the right of meritorious officers.

A MILITIA Officer.

Sir,

MARCHING MONEY TO OFFICERS.

THE movements of a regiment when stationed in Great-Britain, from one quarter to another, must be considered as an indispensible measure, and therefore some consideration should be made to Officers, for the increased expense it occasions them, when on the march. The Mutiny Act, it is true, directs inn-keepers to provide Subaltern Officers with a dinner, at one shilling each; but, will it be said that an Officer can procure on those terms a dinner in any degree comfortable?

When an Officer arrives at an inn after a long march, his subsistence for two days is more than equal to his pay for three, if he lives moderately; and thus he incurs unavoidable debts and misfortunes. Would it not therefore be advisable to amend the Act,