In consequence of this proceeding, the President of the United States, in November, proclaimed, that the former restrictions of intercourse should cease to exist with regard to the trade of France and her dependencies ; and that, if Great Britain should not rescind her orders in council before the of February 1811, the act of non-intercourse should, from that date, be revived, so far as it relates to Britain and her dependencies.
The Spanish campaign of 1811, was distinguished, at its very commencement, by one of the most severe and brilliant engagements that has occurred during the present war. About t he end of February, an exp? dition set sail from Cadiz. under the command of the Spanish general La Pena, and of our gallant countryman, Gene ral Graham. It consisted of 3000 British troops, and of 7000 Spaniards. They landed at Algesiras, and moved from Tariffa towards Barhate on the 28th of February, with the view of attacking the enemy's lines before Cadiz. After a night-march of 16 hours, from the camp near Veger, the army arrived, on the morn ing of the 5th, on the low ridge of Barrosa, about fouv miles south of the mouth of the Santi Petri river. The vanguard of the Spanish army, under General Cadri zabel, having opened the communication with the Isle de Leon, by a successful attack on the rear of the enemy's line near Santi Pctri, General Graham was ordered by La Pena to move down from the position of Barrosa to that of the Torre de Bermesa, about half way to the Saint Petri, for the purpose of securing the communications across the river, over which a bridge had been lately thrown. During his march to the Bermesa, General Graham was informed that the enemy had appeared in force on the plain, and was marching to the heights of Barrosa. In order to support the Spanish troops under La Pena, which were left to defend the heights, the General immediately countermarched ; but, before his army was disentangled from the wood, the troops on the Barrosa hill were seen returning from it, while the enemy's left wing was rapidly ascend ing. The right wing, at the same time, stood on the plain on the edge of the wood, and within cannon-shot. Under these circumstances, a retreat was impracticable ; and General Graham determined upon an immediate attack. A powerful battery of ten guns, in the centre, was opened by Major Duncan ; and, as soon as the infantry was formed, the guns advanced to a more favourable position, and kept up a most destructive fire. The right wing, under Major-general Mkes,
advanced to the attack of General Ruffin's division on the hill ; while Lieutenant-Colonel Barnard's battalion, and Lieutenant-Colonel Bushe's detachment of the 10th Portuguese, were warmly engaged with the enemy's tiraillcurs on the left. In spite of the havoc made by Major Duncan's battery, the division of Laval con tinued to move forward in very imposing masses, open ing their fire of musketry, but it was checked by the left wing, which advanced firing ; and a determined charge by the three companies of guards, and the 87th regiment, supported by the rest of the wing, decided its defeat. This division was closely pursued beyond a narrow valley, where a body of reserve shared the same fate. The right wing of the British, under Gene ral Dilkes, was equally successful. The enemy, con fident of success, encountered it on the ascent of the hill, where a most sanguinary contest ensued ; but the undaunted perseverance of our troops overcame every obstacle, and succeeded in driving General Ruffin's division from the heights. In less than an hour and a half after the commencement of the action, the enemy were in full retreat ; but, having afterwards halted, and evinced a disposition to form, they were quickly dis• persed by a new and advanced position of our artillery. During the action, an attempt was made by a corps of French infantry and cavalry to turn the Barrosa height by the sea ; but this force was kept in check by General Whittingham with three squadrons of cavalry.
From the exhausted state of the troops, General Graham found it impossible to pursue the enemy ; he therefore took a position on the eastern side of the bill. During the whole of this brilliant engagement, the Spanish troops under La Pena, though within a quartet of an hour's ride of the scene of action, remained in a state of total inactivity, and the Spanish general seemed to have been completely ignorant of what was going on in the field. The British division had to struggle alone in this unequal conflict, in which they lost one fourth of their number, and were rendered unable to follow up the victory which had been so dearly won.