Guadiana, and Zalamea de la Serena and Llerena, apparently with the view of keeping the communication open between the army of the South and the divisions of the army of Portugal stationed on the Tagus. Lieut. General Sir Thomas Graham made a movement to Llerena on the 25th at night, but the enemy, consisting of three battalions of infantry and two regiments of cavalry, which were there, having heard of his march, retired into the mountains during the night. Lieut. General Sir Rowland Hill has likewise sent a detachment to La Guareña, and proposed to march himself this morning upon Medellin, in order to co-operate with Lieut. General Sir Thomas Graham in obliging the enemy to remove to a greater distance, and to endeavor to destroy some of their detached corps.

'The divisions of the army of Portugal which were in Castille, and those which have lately marched thither, have not yet moved, and the object of their movement is still doubtful. It is understood to be to attempt a coup de main upon Ciudad Rodrigo, or to blockade the place. But I consider the success of the former impracticable, and that the latter is equally so at present, as the rain, which has been general, has filled all the rivers in that part of the country.

'I am sorry to say that the Spanish authorities have neglected to transport to Ciudad Rodrigo the provisions which I had given them from the British magazine at St. Joao da Pesqueira, and a part of these provisions only will arrive at that place on the 30th of this month. The place has now, therefore, in it only one month's provisions for the garrison, which I had been able to give them from the stores of the army before I quitted Castille.

'I have transmitted to Mr. Wellesley, for the information of the Spanish Government, the copies of the correspondence which I have had with Don Carlos de España on this subject, in which His Majesty's Government will see the measures which I had adopted to secure this important place, and the state in which it is at present.

I have not heard from any authority that the troops have yet moved in the south, but it is reported that those at Seville had marched upon Cordova, to which point I understand that those at Granada had been brought.

I enclose the return of the killed, wounded, and missing, from the 18th instant.'

General the Earl of Wellington, K.B., to the Right Hon.

'MY DEAR HENRY,

H. Wellesley.

'Camp before Badajoz, 28th March, 1812.

I enclose my dispatch of yesterday, and a paper directed to you from Madrid, which is well worth reading, and indeed ought to be sent home. It came to me open from the Spanish General at Plasencia, who informed me that the person who brought it lost his Spanish passport.

We are going on well, and shall open our fire from 35 pieces of artillery, en brèche, on the morning of the 31st. Ever yours most affectionately,

'The Right Hon. H. Wellesley.

'WELLINGTON.

The man who brought the enclosed papers having expressed a desire to return to Madrid, I have given him 150 dollars, and a receipt for them, and desired him to return.

'Some of my friends in Castille have desired me to remonstrate against the 's appointment to be Captain General of that province. I believe he is a very bad fellow."

SIR,

Generul the Earl of Wellington, K.B., to His Excellency

Charles Stuart.

Camp before Badajoz, 28th March, 1812. When I received your letter of the 27th September, 1811, in which you announced to me that the committee for the management of the money raised in Great Britain and Ireland by subscription, for the relief of the suffering Portuguese, had determined to place the sum of 15,000 dollars at my disposal, for the relief of the people inhabiting the country on the banks of the Coa and Pinhel rivers, I employed the Rev. S. Briscall, the chaplain to head quarters, and the chaplains to the several divisions of the army, to make inquiries regarding the state of the people in the neighbourhood of the cantonments occupied by the troops, to which these gentlemen were attached, in order to enable me to form a judgment regarding the best mode of laying out the money with which I had been entrusted for the benefit of the people.

'Mr. Briscall was unfortunately taken ill before he had completed his task, but not before he and the other gentlemen had made reports which, at the same time that they showed the general distress of the district, proved that no information could be obtained, according to which a distribution of the money could be made, which would satisfy my mind that I had done that which was most beneficial to the people.

I am sorry to say that I could not get from the curates of the villages the fair source of information regarding the distresses of the poor, any account of the number in real distress, or a list of the names. All had suffered from the invasion, but not equally. The distinction of rich and poor still remained, and the former, although in a reduced state, possessed generally means of subsistence and to improve their situation, while the latter were really in want. Yet I am concerned to add that the rich in every village insisted upon their names being inserted in the list of distressed persons, in order to participate equally with the poor in the distribution of money or food; and the curates of the villages were apprehensive of the consequences of resisting these unreasonable pretensions; and the lists of the persons in absolute want furnished by the curates, were lists of the inhabitants of the villages.

It would have been impossible for me to attempt to distribute the money excepting through the medium of the curates, and it was quite clear that the sum distributed to the whole population in equal proportions, would have relieved the distresses of none.

Under these circumstances I had at one time determined to return the money to the committee, to which determination I was further induced, from observing that the people were likely to overcome the distress of the winter by attending the troops in their cantonments with various articles for sale, by which they gained a subsistence, much more beneficial to them than any which charity might give them.

Nearly about this time (in the end of October) I had an interview with the Bishop of Pinhel, and having mentioned to him the difficulties which I met with in distributing the money in question, and an idea which I had of returning it to the committee, or of purchasing cattle with it, to be afterwards distributed to the people, he entirely concurred with me regarding the impossibility of distributing the money in a satis

factory manner, so as to be of use to any body; and he observed that it was not then wanted, as the people gained much from the troops, and he earnestly recommended that I should adopt the measure which I had in contemplation, and that I should buy cattle to be distributed to the people in

March.

'I determined accordingly to carry that plan into execution, and I enclose the account of the purchase of 276 bullocks, and the receipt for that number by the vicar general of Pinhel. I likewise enclose the distribution of 200 dollars, which I gave to General Pack, to be divided among the inhabitants of Freixo and the neighbouring villages, when the troops commanded by him had quitted the villages, and the people had no longer the means of gaining a livelihood by supplying the troops with what they wanted.

'I likewise enclose a copy of the paper given to the Bishop of Pinhel, containing the plan according to which the bullocks are to be distributed to the villages of the district. In adopting this plan I also acted in communication with the Bishop.

I was informed that the temptation of a large price had induced many to whom the bullocks had been given to sell them, and the Bishop concurred with me in opinion that the plan which I proposed, and which is detailed in the enclosed paper, would be more likely to promote the renewal of industry and agriculture throughout the district than any other; at the same time that if those entitled to the use of the bullocks should not be in possession of seed corn, or should not be inclined to make use of them, they would acquire a profit by selling their right to the use of the bullocks to the more wealthy proprietors.

I beg you to lay this letter and the enclosed papers before the committee.

General the Earl of Wellington, K.B., to Lieut. General

'I enclose some letters which I have just received from my brother, from which you will see that Soult broke up from

before Cadiz on the 23rd and 24th, and commenced collecting his troops on Seville. It is probable that the corps from thence will march upon Guadalcanal, in order to communicate with, or join Drouet.

It is very desirable that you should come back to Villa Franca, Zafra, &c., keeping your cavalry out in front; and that Sir R. Hill should come to Merida. I write to him immediately to request him to fall back.

The troops will commence crossing the river to-morrow morning.

"I have received your letter of 6 P.M. of the 27th.

'Lieut. General

Sir T. Graham, K.B.

'Believe me, &c.

• WELLINGTON.

'I do not send the enclosures of these letters, as I have not yet read them.'

General the Earl of Wellington, K.B., to Lieut. General

'MY DEAR HILL,

Sir R. Hill, K.B.

'Camp before Badajoz, 29th March, 1812.

9 A.M.

I received this morning your letter of the 28th, 10 A.M. I have this morning received letters from Cadiz to the 24th, at night. Soult broke up before that place on the 23rd and 24th, and commenced collecting a force at Seville. He may therefore be expected shortly in Estremadura, probably by Guadalcanal.

'I have written this intelligence to General Graham, and have requested him to fall back upon Villa Franca and Zafra. I think you had better bring the troops which you have at Medellin and Don Benito to Guareña, and fall back thence on Merida, on the day that General Graham's troops will fall back on Villa Franca and Zafra.

'I have not heard from Sir Thomas Graham since the 27th, in the evening. He was then at Valencia de las Torres, and his infantry at Maguilla.