DOWNING STREET, April 24.

A dispatch, of which the following is a copy, was received this evening from LieutenantGeneral the Right Hon. Sir Arthur Wellesley, by Viscount Castlereagh, one of his Majesty's Principal Secretaries of State.

Oporto, May 12,1809.

My Lord, - I had the honour to apprise your Lordship, on the 7th instant, that I intended that the army should march on the 9th from Coimbra, to dipossess the enemy of Oporto.

The advanced guard and the cavalry had marched on the 7th, and the whole had halted on the 8th, to afford time for Marshall Beresford with his corps to arrive upon the Upper Douro.

The infantry of the army was formed into three divisions for the expedition, of which two, the advanced guard, consisting of the Hanoverian Legion and BrigadierGeneral R Stuart's brigade, with a brigade of six-pounders, and a brigade of three-pounders under Lieutenant-General Paget, and the cavalry under Lieutenant-General Payne, and the brigade of Guards; Brigadier General Campbell's brigade of Infantry, with a brigade of six-pounders, under Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke, moved by the high road from Coimbra to Oporto, and one composed of Major-Ceneral Hill's and Brigadier-General Cameron's brigades of infantry, and a brigade of six-pounders, under the command of MajorGen. Hill, by the road from Coimbra to Aveiro.

On the 10th in the morning, before daylight, the cavalry and advanced guard crossed the Vouga with the intention to surprise and cut off four regiments of French cavalry, and a battalion of infantry and artillery, cantoned in Albergaria Nova and the neighbouring villages, about eight miles from that river, in the last of which we failed; but the superiority of the British cavalry was evident throughout the day, we took some prisoners and their cannon from them; and the advanced guard took up the position of Oliviera.

On the same day Major-General Hill, who had embarked at Aveiro on the evening of the 9th, arrived at Ovar, in the rear of the enemy's right: and the head of LieutGen. Sherbrooke's division passed the Vouga on the same evening.

On the 11th, the advanced guard and cavalry continued to move on the high road towards Oporto with MajorGeneral Hill's division in a parallel road, which leads to Oporto from Ovar.

On the arrival of the advanced guard at Vendas Novas between Sonto Redendo and Grijon, they fell in with the outposts of the enemy's advanced guard, consisting of about four thousand infantry, and some squadron. of cavalry, strongly posted on the heights above Grijon, their front being covered by woods and broken ground, The enemy's left flank was turned by a movement well executed by MajorGeneral Murray with Brigadier-General Langberth's brigade of the Hanoverian Legion; while the 16th Portuguese regiment of Brigadier-General Richard Stewart's brigade attacked their right; and the riflemen of the 95th, and the flank companies of the 29th, 43d, and 52d of the same brigade, under Major Way, attacked the infantry in the woods and village in their center.

These attacks soon obliged the enemy to give way; and the Hon. BrigadierGeneral Charles Stewart led two squadrons of the 16th and 20th Dragoons, under the command of Major Blake, in purruit of the enemy, and destroyed many and took many prisoners.

On the night of the 11th the enemy crossed the Donro, and destroyed the bridge over that river.

It was important, with a view to the operations of Marshal Beresford, that I should cross the Douro immediately; and I had sent MajorGeneral Murray in the morning with a battalion of the Hanoverian Legion, a squadron of cavalry, and two six-pounders, to endeavour to collect boats, and, if possible, to cross the river at Vintas about four miles above Oporto; and I had as many boats as could be collected brought to the Ferry, immediately above the town of Oporto and Villa Nova.

The ground on the right bank of the river at this ferry is protected and commanded by the fire of cannon, placed on the height of the Sierra Convent at Villa Nova, and there appeared to be a good position for our troops on the opposite side of the river, till they should be collected in sufficient numbers.

The enemy took no notice of our collection of boats, or of the embarkation of the troops, till after the first battalion (the Buffs) were landed, and had taken up their position under the command of LieutenantGen. Paget on the opposite side of that river.

They had commenced an attack upon them, with a large body of cavalry, infantry and artillery, under the command of Manhal Soult, which that corps most gallantly sustained, till supported, successively by the 48th and 66th regiments, belonging to Major-Gen.Hill's brigade, and a Portuguese battalion, and afterwards by the first battalion of detachments belonging to Brig.-Gen. R. Stewart's brigade.

LieutGen. Paget was unfortunately wounded soon after the attack commenced, when the command of these gallant troops devolved upon MajorGen. Hill.

Although the French made repeated attacks upon them, they made no impression, and at last Major-General Murray having appeared on the enemy's left flank on his march at Ovintre, where he had crossed, and Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke, who by this time had availed himself of the enemy's weakness in the town of Oporto, and had crossed the Douro at the ferry, between the towns of Villa Nova and Oporto, having appeared upon the right with the brigade of Guards, and the 29th regiment the whole retired in the utmost confusion towards Amaranhe leaving behind them five pieces of cannon, eight ammunidon tumbrils, and many prisoners.

The enemy's loss in killed and wounded in this action has been very large, and they have left behind them in Oporto 700 sick and wounded.

BrigadierGeneral the Hon. Charles Stewart then directed a charge by a squadron of the 14th Dragoons, under the command of Major Hervey who made a successful attack on the enemy's rear guard.

In the different actions with the enemy, of which I have above given your Lordship an account, we have lost some, and the immediate services of other valuable officers and soldiers.

In LieutenantGeneral Paget, among the latter, I have lost the assistance of a friend, who had been most useful to me in the few days which had elapsed since he had joined the army. He had rendered a most important service at the moment he received his wound in taking up the position which the troops afterwards maintained, and in bearing the first brunt of the enemy's attack.

Major Hervey also distinguished himself at the moment he received his wound in the charge of his cavalry on this day.

I cannot say too much in favour of the Officers and troops. They have marched in four days over 80 miles of most difficult country, have gained many important positions, and have engaged and defeated three different bodies of the enemy's troops.

I beg particularly to draw your Lordship's attention to the conduct of Lieut.Gen. Paget; Major-General Murray, Major-General Hill; Lieut-General Sherbrooke; Brigadier-General the Hon. Charles Stewart; Lieut-Colonel Delancy, Deputy Quarter-Master-Gen. Captain Mellish, Assistant Adjutant-General, for the assistance they respectively rendered Gen. Stewart, in the charge of the cavalry this day and on the 11th; Major Colin Campbell, Assistant Adjutant- General, for the assistance he rendered Major-General Hill, in the defence of his post; and Brigadier-General Stewart in the charge of the cavalry this day; and Brigade-Major Fordyce, Captain Corry, and Captain Hill, for the assistance they rendered Ceneral Hill.

I have also to request your Lordship's attention to the conduct of the riflemen, and of the flank companies of the 29th, 43d and 52d regiments, under the command of Major Way, of the 29th; and that of the Portuguese regiment commanded by Colonel Machado, of which Lieut.-Colonel Doyle, is Lieut.-Colonel, and that of the Brigade of the Hanoverian Legion, under the command of Brigadier-General Langworth; and that of two squadrons of the 16th and 20th light dragoons, under the command of Major Blake, of the 20th, in the action of the 11th; and the conduct of the Buffs, commanded by Lieut.-Colonel Drummond; the 48th, commanded by Major Murray, who was wounded; and of the squadron of the 14th Dragoons, under the command of Major Hervey, in the action of this day.

I have received the greatest assistance from the Adjutant-Gen. and Quarter-Master General, Col. Murray, and from the Officers belonging to those departments respectively throughout the service, as well as from Lieut.-Col. Bathurst, and the Officers of my personal Staff, and I have every reason to be satisfied with the artillery and Officers of Engineers.

I send this despatch by Capt. Stanhope, whom I beg to commend to your Lordship's protection: his brother, the Hon. Major Stanhope, we. unfortunately wounded by a sabre whilst leading a charge of the 16th light dragoons on the 10th inst. - I have the honour to be, etc.

Total of Killed, Wounded, and Missing in the Three Actions.

On the 10th May- 1 Major, 2 rank and file wounded; 1 rank and file missing - Total 4.

On the 11th May -19 killed, 63 wounded, 14 missing - Total 96.

On the 12th May - 23 killed, 96 wounded, 2 missing- 121. There were found in Oporto 56 pieces of ordnance, 3000 barrels of English gunpowder, and 300,000 English musket cartridges, a quantiq of shot, &c. &c.

'The News' No.212 Sunday, May 28, 1809

More Notes

Lt. John Urquhart
Oporto
Colonel Hugh Montgomerie