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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes new file mode 100644 index 0000000..d7b82bc --- /dev/null +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -0,0 +1,4 @@ +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf diff --git a/LICENSE.txt b/LICENSE.txt new file mode 100644 index 0000000..6312041 --- /dev/null +++ b/LICENSE.txt @@ -0,0 +1,11 @@ +This eBook, including all associated images, markup, improvements, +metadata, and any other content or labor, has been confirmed to be +in the PUBLIC DOMAIN IN THE UNITED STATES. + +Procedures for determining public domain status are described in +the "Copyright How-To" at https://www.gutenberg.org. + +No investigation has been made concerning possible copyrights in +jurisdictions other than the United States. Anyone seeking to utilize +this eBook outside of the United States should confirm copyright +status under the laws that apply to them. diff --git a/README.md b/README.md new file mode 100644 index 0000000..3fbff89 --- /dev/null +++ b/README.md @@ -0,0 +1,2 @@ +Project Gutenberg (https://www.gutenberg.org) public repository for +eBook #60391 (https://www.gutenberg.org/ebooks/60391) diff --git a/old/60391-0.txt b/old/60391-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index d916ad1..0000000 --- a/old/60391-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,15774 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of History of the Peninsular War Volume VI (of -6), by Robert Southey - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: History of the Peninsular War Volume VI (of 6) - -Author: Robert Southey - -Release Date: September 30, 2019 [EBook #60391] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR, VOL 6 *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Charlie Howard, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -Transcriber’s Note: - - -Sidenotes are shown in UPPER-CASE and enclosed in ♦DIAMOND SYMBOLS♦; -italic text is enclosed in _underscores_. - -Superscripts are indicated as ^o, ^r, or ^{er}. - -Other notes will be found at the end of this eBook. - - - - - HISTORY - OF THE - PENINSULAR WAR. - - - “Unto thee - “Let thine own times as an old story be.” - - DONNE. - - - BY ROBERT SOUTHEY, ESQ. LL.D. - POET LAUREATE, - - HONORARY MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SPANISH ACADEMY, OF THE - ROYAL SPANISH ACADEMY OF HISTORY, OF THE ROYAL - INSTITUTE OF THE NETHERLANDS, OF THE - CYMMRODORION, OF THE MASSACHUSETTS - HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ETC. - - - A NEW EDITION. - - _IN SIX VOLUMES._ - VOL. VI. - - - LONDON: - JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET. - - MDCCCXXXVII. - - - - -Ἱστορίας γὰρ ἐὰν ἀφέλῃ τις τὸ διὰ τί, καὶ πῶς, καὶ τίνος χάριν ἐπράχθη, -καὶ τὸ πραχθὲν πότερα εὔλογον ἔσχε τὸ τέλος, τὸ καταλειπόμενον αὐτῆς -ἀγώνισμα μὲν, μάθημα δὲ οὐ γίγνεται· καὶ παραυτίκα μὲν τέρπει, πρὸς δὲ -τὸ μέλλον οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ τὸ παράπαν. - - POLYBIUS, lib. iii. sect. 31. - - - - -CONTENTS OF THE SIXTH VOLUME - - - CHAPTER XLI. - - (CONTINUED.) - - Page - - Duran enters Soria 1 - - Members of the Junta of Burgos seized by the French and put to - death 2 - - Circumstances of the execution 4 - - Treatment of their bodies 5 - - Retaliatory executions 6 - - El Manco 7 - - Mutual retaliations 7 - - Guerrilla exploits 8 - - Intercepted letters from the Intruder 9 - - Sir Rowland Hill’s expedition against the bridge of Almaraz 12 - - Ballasteros defeated at Bornos 16 - - Lord Wellington advances into Spain 16 - - Salamanca 17 - - The Tormes 18 - - The allies enter Salamanca 18 - - Siege of the forts there 19 - - Marmont moves to relieve them 21 - - Surrender of the forts 24 - - Marmont falls back upon the Douro 25 - - Lord Wellington advances to that river 26 - - The Douro 27 - - Marmont reinforced by General Bonnet 28 - - Lord Wellington retires before him 29 - - Battle of Salamanca 33 - - Proceedings of Sir Home Popham on the coast of Biscay 41 - - - CHAPTER XLII. - - Appeal of the Intruder to the Spaniards 47 - - State of Madrid 48 - - Measures of the Intruder before the battle of Salamanca 49 - - Advance of the allies 50 - - Affair at Majalahonda 51 - - The enemy retire from Madrid 51 - - The allies enter 52 - - The new constitution proclaimed there 52 - - The Buen Retiro 53 - - Surrender of the Retiro 56 - - The constitution sworn to 56 - - General Foy’s movement 58 - - Measures of police at Madrid 59 - - Lord Wellington’s situation 61 - - Anglo-Sicilian army 62 - - Majorcan division 63 - - The expedition arrives on the coast of Catalonia 64 - - Defeat of the Spaniards at Castalla 65 - - The expedition lands at Alicante 66 - - The French fall back to the Xucar 66 - - They withdraw from Santander 67 - - And are driven from Bilbao 67 - - State of the Galician army 67 - - The French break up the siege of Cadiz 68 - - Movement of General La Cruz Mourgeon and Colonel Skerrett upon - Seville 69 - - Brigadier-General Downie 69 - - The French driven from Seville 71 - - Rejoicing in that city 73 - - Honours rendered to Lord Wellington 74 - - St. Teresa appointed co-patroness of Spain 74 - - Lord Wellington commander-in-chief of the Spanish armies 77 - - His situation at Madrid 77 - - He moves toward Burgos 79 - - The French withdraw from Valladolid 79 - - The allies advance to Burgos 80 - - Burgos 81 - - The allies enter Burgos 85 - - Castle of Burgos 86 - - The horn-work on St. Miguel’s taken 87 - - Failure in assaulting the first line 89 - - A second assault fails 90 - - A third by daylight proves successful 91 - - Major Cocks 93 - - The second line assaulted with ill success 95 - - Movement of the French in the North 95 - - Ballasteros refuses to act under the British commander 96 - - He is exiled to Ceuta 97 - - General Maitland gives up the command of the Anglo-Sicilian army 98 - - Unsuccessful attempt upon Denia 99 - - The French prepare to march from the South against Lord - Wellington 99 - - Castle of Chinchilla taken by them 99 - - They begin their march 100 - - Lord Wellington raises the siege of Burgos 101 - - Retreat from Burgos 101 - - Disorder during the retreat 102 - - The allies halt 104 - - Sir Rowland Hill retreats from the Xarama 106 - - State of Madrid 107 - - The allies withdraw from Madrid 107 - - The French enter 108 - - Junction of the retreating armies 109 - - Junction of the French armies 110 - - Lord Wellington retreats to Salamanca 111 - - And from thence to the Agueda 112 - - Sufferings of the army 112 - - Sir Edward Paget made prisoner 114 - - Lord Wellington reaches Ciudad Rodrigo 115 - - The French retire to the Tormes 116 - - Castle of Alba de Tormes evacuated 116 - - Lord Wellington’s circular letter to the commanding officers of - battalions 117 - - - CHAPTER XLIII. - - Opinions of the opposition 122 - - Marquis Wellesley calls for inquiry 122 - - Lord Grenville 124 - - Mr. Ponsonby 125 - - Mr. Freemantle 125 - - Mr. Whitbread 125 - - Motion of thanks to the armies 127 - - Sir F. Burdett 127 - - Marquis Wellesley moves for a committee 129 - - Earl Grey 131 - - Earl of Liverpool 132 - - Earl Bathurst 132 - - Lord Holland 133 - - Lord Wellington goes to Cadiz 133 - - Arrangements concerning the Spanish armies 134 - - Lord Wellington goes to Lisbon 135 - - Relaxed discipline of the Portugueze army 135 - - Buonaparte withdraws troops from Spain 137 - - Exactions of the French 138 - - Longa’s movements in the North 138 - - Mina’s movements 140 - - Caffarelli recalled from Spain 141 - - Clausel endeavours to hunt Mina down 141 - - Renovales made prisoner 143 - - Castro de Urdiales taken by General Foy 143 - - Enormities committed there by the French 144 - - Marshal Soult called from Spain 145 - - The Intruder goes to Valladolid 145 - - Anglo-Sicilian army 146 - - Sir John Murray takes the command 146 - - Defeat of Elio’s corps 147 - - Suchet marches against the Anglo-Sicilian army 147 - - Battle of Castalla 149 - - Lord Wellington opens the campaign 153 - - The left of his army crosses the Douro 153 - - Affair near Salamanca 154 - - Passage of the Ezla 157 - - Sir Rowland Hill crosses the Douro 159 - - The French abandon Burgos 161 - - The Ebro 162 - - Passage of the Ebro 163 - - The French fall back upon Vittoria 163 - - Vittoria 165 - - Battle of Vittoria 166 - - Sir Thomas Graham proceeds against General Foy 175 - - The French driven from Tolosa 176 - - Foy retreats into France 177 - - Passages is surrendered 178 - - Castro abandoned by the enemy 178 - - Pancorbo taken 179 - - Clausel retires to Zaragoza 179 - - Preparations for the siege of Pamplona 180 - - - CHAPTER XLIV. - - Expedition from Alicante 181 - - Col de Balaguer taken by the Anglo-Sicilian army 182 - - The expedition lands near Tarragona 183 - - Suchet’s movements for the relief of that place 185 - - Sir John Murray raises the siege 186 - - Suchet approaches Col de Balaguer and retires again 188 - - Sir John re-lands the troops 189 - - Lord W. Bentinck takes the command 190 - - Fort at Col de Balaguer demolished 190 - - Unsuccessful movements of the Spaniards in Valencia 191 - - The expedition returns to Alicante 192 - - Suchet’s measures after the battle of Vittoria 192 - - Lord Wellington undertakes the siege of S. Sebastian’s 193 - - Clausel retreats into France by way of Jaca 193 - - Duran invites Mina to act with him for the deliverance of - Zaragoza 194 - - Affair before Zaragoza 195 - - Second sally of the French 197 - - Duran arrives before the city 197 - - The French withdraw from the city, leaving a garrison 198 - - Suchet draws off the remaining garrisons in Aragon 201 - - Duran enters Zaragoza 202 - - Mina takes the command 203 - - The Aljaferia surrendered 204 - - Conduct of the Zaragozans during their captivity 204 - - S. Sebastian’s 207 - - Distribution of the allied army 208 - - Siege of S. Sebastian’s 210 - - Convent of S. Bartolomé taken 211 - - The batteries open 213 - - Unsuccessful assault 214 - - The siege suspended 217 - - Soult appointed Commander-in-chief 218 - - His address to the troops 219 - - Critical situation of the allied army 220 - - Soult’s movements for the relief of Pamplona 221 - - Battles of the Pyrenees 222 - - Siege of S. Sebastian’s resumed 230 - - Preparations for assaulting the town 233 - - Soult moves for its relief 234 - - Assault of the town 234 - - Sir James Leith wounded 238 - - Sir Richard Fletcher slain 239 - - The town taken 239 - - The French defeated in their attempt to relieve it 241 - - Siege of the castle 244 - - Excesses committed in the town 246 - - The garrison surrenders 247 - - - CHAPTER XLV. - - The remains of Romana’s army return from the North 251 - - Lord W. Bentinck invests Tarragona 251 - - Suchet raises the siege 253 - - The French abandon Tarragona 254 - - Plans proposed to Suchet by Soult 254 - - Suchet surprises the allies at the pass of Ordal 256 - - The Anglo-Sicilians retreat 257 - - The command devolves upon Sir William Clinton 258 - - Position of the armies in the Pyrenean frontier 261 - - Levy ordered in France for Soult’s army 262 - - Speech of M. Regnaud de S. Jean Angely 262 - - Of the Comte de Beurnonville 262 - - Lord Wellington’s orders upon entering France 263 - - Passage of the Bidassoa 264 - - The Bidassoa 265 - - Attack of the French position 266 - - Conduct of the French peasantry 270 - - Pamplona surrendered 272 - - Soult’s position on the Nivelle 274 - - Battles of the Nivelle 278 - - The allies cantoned between that river and the sea 287 - - S. Jean de Luz 288 - - Discipline observed by the allies 289 - - The inhabitants return to their homes 290 - - Bayonne 291 - - Passage of the Nive 292 - - Soult takes a defensive position 306 - - The allies wait in their cantonments for better weather 307 - - Marshal Beresford restores the colours of certain Portugueze - militia regiments 308 - - Conduct of the Spanish and Portugueze soldiers at Dantzic 309 - - Ill conduct of the Spanish government towards Lord Wellington 310 - - Change of Regency 310 - - Proceedings in Parliament 311 - - Lord Grenville’s speech 312 - - Marquis Wellesley 314 - - Lord Liverpool 315 - - Mr. Charles Grant 316 - - Mr. Whitbread 318 - - Mr. Canning 320 - - Mr. Whitbread 325 - - Militia allowed to volunteer for foreign service 325 - - Lord Holland 326 - - Terms offered by the allies to Buonaparte 328 - - Buonaparte treats with Ferdinand 329 - - Conference between Comte de Laforest and Ferdinand 329 - - Treaty concluded at Valençay 334 - - Duque de San Carlos sent to the Regency 335 - - Secret instructions from Ferdinand 337 - - Macanaz sent to Valençay 338 - - Zayas and Palafox released 339 - - Palafox sent to the Regency 340 - - Reply of the Spanish government 340 - - Measures of the Cortes 341 - - - CHAPTER XLVI. - - Buonaparte’s speech to his council 344 - - Proceedings of the French government 345 - - Comte Dejean 345 - - Regnaud de S. Jean d’Angely 345 - - Lacepède 346 - - Buonaparte’s speech to the Legislative Assembly 347 - - British regulations for trading with the captured French ports 347 - - Injury done by destroying the woods in this part of the Pyrenees 350 - - Movements in the month of January 352 - - False reports circulated by the French government 353 - - The Duc d’Angoulême goes to Lord Wellington’s army 354 - - Rochejaquelein comes to the British camp 355 - - Lord Wellington refuses to send an expedition to the coast of - Poitou 357 - - Suchet fails in an attempt to surprise a British corps 358 - - The German troops in Barcelona disarmed 359 - - Troops withdrawn from Suchet’s army 359 - - Failure of an attempt against the enemy at Molins del Rey 360 - - Farther drafts from Suchet’s army 361 - - He retires to Gerona 361 - - Van Halen opens a correspondence with Eroles 363 - - He deserts from the French army 363 - - His scheme for recovering certain places 364 - - The deceit tried at Tortosa 365 - - It fails there 367 - - Attempt at Lerida 368 - - And at Mequinenza, where it succeeds 369 - - Success at Lerida 370 - - And at Monzon 372 - - The three garrisons made prisoners 373 - - Suchet dismantles Gerona and other places 374 - - State of Lord Wellington’s army 375 - - Operations are renewed 376 - - Preparations for crossing the Adour 378 - - The Adour 379 - - Passage of the Adour 381 - - Entrance of the flotilla 386 - - A bridge carried over the Adour 389 - - Passage of the Gaves 391 - - Orthes 392 - - Battle of Orthes 394 - - The French driven from Aire 399 - - Soult draws nearer the Pyrenees 400 - - The allies enter Pau 401 - - Deputies arrive from Bourdeaux 402 - - The Duc d’Angoulême proceeds thither with Marshal Beresford 402 - - The Landes 403 - - The Buonapartists withdraw from Bourdeaux 404 - - The Duc enters, and the white flag is hoisted there 405 - - Failure of the negotiations at Chatillon 407 - - Soult’s proclamation 409 - - Admiral Penrose enters the Gironde 411 - - Proceedings at Valençay 414 - - Ferdinand set at liberty 416 - - His arrangement with Marshal Suchet 418 - - He writes from Gerona to the Regency 420 - - Ferdinand goes to Zaragoza 420 - - Soult resumes the offensive 421 - - He retreats upon Tarbes 422 - - Farther retreat to Toulouse 422 - - Passage of the Garonne 424 - - Toulouse 426 - - Soult’s position there 428 - - Battle of Toulouse 430 - - Soult retires from Toulouse 437 - - The allies enter 438 - - Louis XVIII proclaimed there 439 - - Sally of the French from Bayonne 439 - - Sir John Hope taken prisoner 441 - - The French repulsed 442 - - Suchet and Soult acknowledge the new government 444 - - Disposition of Ferdinand on his return 446 - - Impolitic measures of the Cortes 447 - - Cardinal Bourbon’s reception by Ferdinand 452 - - Elio meets the King 453 - - Ferdinand enters Valencia 453 - - The officers swear fidelity to him 455 - - General Wittingham’s advice 456 - - Memorial of the Serviles 457 - - Stone of the Constitution removed 458 - - Ferdinand’s declaration 459 - - He enters Madrid 465 - - Subsequent conduct of the people and of the government 466 - - Lord Wellington returns to England 467 - - He takes his seat in the House of Lords 468 - - The Lord Chancellor’s speech 468 - - The House of Commons congratulate him on his return 469 - - He returns thanks to the House 469 - - The Speaker’s speech 470 - - Conclusion 471 - - - - -HISTORY - -OF THE - -PENINSULAR WAR. - - - - -CHAPTER XLI. - -(CONTINUED.) - -GUERRILLAS, AND THEIR EXPLOITS. SIR ROWLAND HILL’S SUCCESS AT ALMARAZ. -BATTLE OF SALAMANCA. - - -♦MAY, 1812. - -DURAN ENTERS SORIA.♦ - -At this time, when nothing could be expected from the Spanish armies, -the Guerrillas acted in larger bodies than before, and engaged in -more difficult enterprises than they had yet undertaken. Duran having -obtained a plan of the fortifications of Soria from an architect who -resided there, resolved upon attacking that city as an important post, -from whence the French commanded a considerable extent of country. -Soria, which stands on the Douro, near the supposed site of Numantia, -and contained about 1,100 families in the middle of the last century, -is surrounded by an old wall eighteen feet in height and six in -thickness, to which some works adapted to a more modern art of war -had been added; the suburb also had been fortified, and the castle -strengthened. He approached the city by a circuitous route (during a -most tempestuous night of wind ♦MARCH 18.♦ and snow, which froze as -it fell,) and reaching it at daybreak scaled the walls, forced the -suburb, and obtained possession of the city. The enemy retired into the -castle, and Duran prepared to besiege it, setting fire to four convents -to clear the way for his operations. - -The adventurers had arrived in fortunate time, for the morrow was -St. Joseph’s day, when a ball and supper were to have been given in -honour of the Intruder for his name’s sake, and the delicacies which -had been prepared for this occasion served to regale these unexpected -and unwelcome visiters. Battering-rams were employed with great effect -against the old walls, that the city might no longer afford protection -to the French; the public money was seized, great quantities of grain -and biscuit dispatched by all the means of transport which could be -found, and a contribution levied upon the inhabitants, for hitherto -they had contributed nothing to the national troops, being under -the yoke of the French, and thinking it evil enough to pay what the -invaders exacted; but the Guerrillas admitted of no such excuse: they -supposed the people to be rich because it was a trading city, and many -who had formerly been rich proprietors dwelt there; the contribution, -therefore, was not likely to be lightly imposed. Duran enrolled also -such men as he thought fit for service, ordered others who might have -been serviceable to the enemy to leave the city, and retreated himself -without loss, when a detachment arrived from Aranda to the succour of -the garrison. - -♦MEMBERS OF THE JUNTA OF BURGOS SEIZED BY THE FRENCH AND PUT TO DEATH. - -MARCH 21.♦ - -This enterprise led to a tragedy characteristic of the spirit in which -the war was carried on on both sides. The French, who had come in time -to save the castle of Soria, obtained intelligence that the Junta of -Burgos were in a village called Grado; and there, under the guidance of -a Spanish traitor, Moreno by name, a party of 450 horse, making a march -of fourteen leagues in less than four-and-twenty hours, surprised them -early in the morning. Some twenty soldiers with their commander were -found fast asleep, and made prisoners, as were three members of the -Junta and the secretary of the Intendency: but more persons escaped -than were taken, though the enemy set every house on fire, with the -intention of burning those who might have hidden themselves. As soon -as the news was known, Duran and the Junta of Soria sent to the French -commander in that city, reminding him that the prisoners taken there -had been treated with humanity, and threatening reprisals if the -persons who had now been captured should be put to death. This was of -no avail. The vice-president of the Junta, D. Pedro Gordo, who was the -parochial priest of Santibañez, was inhumanly scourged by Moreno, ... -perhaps from some impulse of private enmity: the prisoners were then -conducted to Aranda, from whence the soldiers contrived to effect their -escape. Navas, the secretary of Gordo, and the two other members of -the Junta, D. Jose Ortiz de Covarrubios, and D. Eulogio Jose de Muro, -with a young lad, son of the former, were sent in irons to Soria, -there to be tried by the criminal Junta of that ♦APRIL 2.♦ city. The -trial, which took place during the night, occupied five hours, all the -formalities of justice being observed; and the boy, whom because of his -youth it would have been monstrous to condemn, was acquitted: the other -four were sentenced to death, and four priests were ordered immediately -to attend them; but no more time was allowed than was necessary for -bringing together and forming the soldiers who were to conduct them to -the place of execution. - -The different behaviour of the sufferers was such as deeply to affect -the spectators. Ortiz was greatly moved at the thought of leaving his -son fatherless and destitute; ♦CIRCUMSTANCES OF THE EXECUTION.♦ but -overcoming that emotion with a Spaniard’s feeling, he commended the -boy to God as the orphan’s Father, and called upon the Lord to receive -his soul as a victim for his religion and his country. The priest -held a crucifix in one hand as he went to execution, and beat his -breast incessantly with the other; and while tears of ardent devotion -streamed down his cheeks, implored with a loud voice forgiveness for -his own sins and for those of the people. Muro, who was a much younger -man than either, was of a weak constitution, still further weakened -by the fatigues he had undergone in the performance of his duties; so -that what with ill treatment, and what he had suffered during twelve -days’ imprisonment, there seemed to be an entire prostration of his -strength; faintings and cold sweats succeeded each other, and it was -thought he would expire before he could reach the place where he was -to be put to death. He had asked earnestly for a crucifix; the priest -who attended him not knowing for what service he had been summoned -had improvidently left his house without one; he gave him therefore -in its stead a rosary, with a medal attached to it, on which was the -image of Our Lady of the Pillar. Muro had studied in the university -of Zaragoza, where it is said he had never omitted, for a single day, -to visit and adore the tutelary idol of that city; and this trifling -circumstance, which at any other time would have appeared to him light -as air, acted upon him now in a manner that might seem miraculous or -incredible to those who cannot comprehend the force of imagination and -the strength of a believing mind; for no sooner had he seen what image -the medal bore, than, as if by an influx of divine support, he put -off all weakness and proceeded to the place of death with a firm step -and a cheerful countenance, and ejaculations of jubilant devotion. -When they came to the foot of the hill on the top of which they were -to suffer, “Up, brothers!” he exclaimed, “up! let us ascend this our -Mount Calvary, where it is vouchsafed to us that we should imitate our -Redeemer! I pray and trust that this hour our offences shall be blotted -out by virtue of the blood which on his holy Calvary he shed for our -sins.” In this spirit he knelt down upon the fatal spot, raised his -eyes to heaven, and presented his breast to the soldiers. The Spaniards -compared the circumstances of this man’s death with what the French -themselves had related of Marshal Lasnes, how after he had received his -mortal wound, a visit from Buonaparte comforted and for a while revived -him: “Let patron,” said they, “be compared with patron, client with -client, and cause with cause!” - -♦TREATMENT OF THEIR BODIES.♦ - -The bodies of these victims were suspended from the gallows till -the following day, when the French gave orders that they should be -taken down and buried. But the execution had been an act of impolitic -severity: after Duran’s recent visit the national cause would not -have been popular in Soria, unless the national feeling had been thus -provoked; and that feeling was now manifested in a manner which the -invaders had not looked for. The clergy, the nobles, the different -brotherhoods of the city, and the people assembled: the bodies were -carried to the church of St. Salvador in procession, with a long line -of tapers, and a most numerous attendance; they were then dressed -in grave clothes with becoming decency, that of the priest in his -sacerdotal habits. So public and ostentatious a funeral was considered -by the French an insult to their authority; soldiers, therefore, were -sent to interrupt it, and some of the attendants were compelled to -carry the bodies back to the gallows and hang them there again, the -priest in his alb, the others in their shrouds; there they remained -many days, and what the birds and the dogs had left was then buried at -the foot of the gallows. - -♦RETALIATORY EXECUTIONS.♦ - -When D. Jose O’Donell, who commanded what was called the 2nd and -3rd army then in Murcia, received official intelligence of these -executions, he wrote to Duran, as acting commander in Aragon and Soria, -and instructed him to put to death ten prisoners, without distinction -of rank, for each of the four victims, first apprising the nearest -French commandant that he had received these orders, and should -act upon them unless such reparation were made as might be deemed -proportionate to the offence. Without waiting for such instructions, -the Merino had exacted vengeance upon a larger scale. Having defeated -a considerable body of the French who had marched from Aranda, to -collect requisitions, killed and wounded some 150 and taken about -500 prisoners, he put 110 of them to death, twenty of these being in -reprisals for each member of the Junta of Burgos; the others, at the -rate of ten for each of his own people whom the French had executed. -The other prisoners were marched into Asturias where opportunity might -be found for embarking them; but all the officers, twelve in number, -including the lieutenant-colonel, their commander, were reserved to be -shot unless General Rey, who commanded at Burgos, would rescue them -from that fate by delivering the traitor Moreno into the Merino’s -hands. The unhappy prisoners are said to have addressed a letter -to Rey, entreating him to save their lives by complying with this -proposal, for they well knew that in these cases the Spaniards never -failed to execute what they threatened. The issue has not been related, -but may easily be guessed, as it was scarcely possible that the -French commander should so far break his faith with a Spaniard in the -Intruder’s service as to deliver him to certain death. - -♦EL MANCO.♦ - -There were no persons whom the Spaniards regarded with such hatred -as those who had forsaken the national cause, and entered into the -Intruder’s service. Albuir, known as a Guerrilla chief by the name of -El Manco, had taken this course, and became therefore a special object -of vengeance to his countrymen: it is the only instance of any man -who had acquired celebrity as a Guerrillero becoming a traitor, while -in the officers of the army such cases were not unfrequent: this was -because the regular officers were men, who, having entered the service -either as a matter of course or of compulsion, felt severely the -poverty of the government, and often had little else to do than to talk -of its errors, complain of its abuses, and speculate upon its hopeless -condition; whereas the Guerrilla leaders led a life of incessant -activity and animating hope, and most of them were impelled to that -course by a strong feeling either of their country’s injuries or of -their own. - -♦MUTUAL RETALIATION.♦ - -At this time Lord Wellington’s successes had animated the Spaniards -with a hope of deliverance, and made the French more intent upon -extirpating those persons who, by keeping up the national spirit in -what they deemed the subjected provinces, occupied a large part of -the invading force. They attempted to surprise the Junta of Aragon, -as they had that of Burgos, and a detachment from Palombini’s troops -nearly effected this at Mochales, in the lordship of Molina: the Junta -escaped, but the enemy sacked the village, stripped the women in the -market-place, and hung the alcalde and two other persons; in reprisals -for whom, Jabarelli, the late commandant at Calatayud, and ten other -prisoners, were shot by the Spaniards. Vicente Bonmati, the leader -of a Guerrilla party, had been put to death at Petrel, in Valencia, -with circumstances of peculiar cruelty; the French having tied his -hands, transfixed them with a bayonet, and then parading him through -the streets, pricked him with their bayonets till he died. Upon -this the Camp Marshal Copons, provincial commandant-general in that -kingdom, gave orders to shoot the first prisoner who should be taken, -and informed the nearest French commandant, that for every other such -execution twenty prisoners should be put to death. Such reprisals were -but too characteristic of a vindictive people, capable of inflicting -as well as enduring anything; but they were evidences also of that -high-mindedness which the Spaniards retained in their lowest fortune; -never abasing themselves, never submitting to the insolent assumption -of authority, nor for a moment consenting that might should be allowed -to sanction injustice. Their parties, meantime, acquired a confidence -from their own experience, and from the success of their allies. ♦MAY -5. GUERRILLA EXPLOITS.♦ Mendizabal appeared before Burgos, and drove -the enemy from the monastery of Las Huelgas and the hospital del Rey. -Duran entered Tudela ♦MAY 28.♦ by escalade, and destroyed a battering -train of artillery which had been brought thither from Zaragoza, with -the intent, he supposed, of laying siege to ♦MAY 30.♦ Ciudad Rodrigo. -The Empecinado attacked the French in Cuenca; they withdrew from it in -the night, and he destroyed their fortifications there, and set fire -to the Inquisition. Mina received information that a strong convoy was -about to set forth from Vittoria for France, escorting some prisoners -taken from Ballasteros. He determined to intercept them upon the plains -of Arlaban, which had been the scene of one of his most successful -exploits in the preceding year; and in order to deceive the enemy, -he wrote letters which were thrown into their hands, declaring his -intention of marching upon the river Arga, to form a junction at the -foot of the Pyrenees with two of his battalions. The enemy, ♦APRIL 9.♦ -supposing that this dreaded commander was far distant, began their -march: his orders were, after one discharge to attack with the bayonet, -and that no soldier should touch the convoy on pain of death till -the action was ended. It was of no long duration; the vanguard were -presently slaughtered; the centre and the rear, consisting of Poles and -of Imperial Guards, made a brave but unavailing resistance: from 600 -to 700 were slain, 500 wounded, and 150 taken, with the whole convoy, -and about 400 prisoners set at liberty. M. Deslandes, the Intruder’s -private secretary, was in the convoy; he got out of his carriage, and -endeavoured to escape in a peasant’s dress, with which it seems he -had provided himself, in anticipation of some such danger; but this -disguise cost him his life, which would have been saved had it been -known in time who he was. His wife, an Andalusian lady, with two of her -countrywomen, who were married to officers in the enemy’s service, fell -into Mina’s hands. Very few would have escaped if the French had not -erected a fort at Arlaban, in consequence of their last year’s loss, -and this served as a protection for the fugitives. - -♦INTERCEPTED LETTERS FROM THE INTRUDER.♦ - -Some letters from the Intruder were found upon his secretary. One was -to Buonaparte, reminding him how, when he returned to Spain at his -desire twelve months before, his Imperial Majesty had told him, that -at the worst he could quit that country in case their hopes should -not be realised, and that then he should have an asylum in the south -of the empire. “Sire,” said he, “events have deceived my hopes; I -have done no good, and I have no hopes of doing any. I entreat your -Majesty, therefore, to let me resign into your hands the right to -the crown of Spain, which four years ago you deigned to transfer to -me. I had no other object in accepting the crown than the happiness -of this vast monarchy, and it is not in my power to effect that. I -entreat your Majesty to receive me into the number of your subjects, -and to believe that you will never have a more faithful servant than -the friend whom nature has given you.” There were other letters of -the same date to his wife, whom he had left in Paris, and who was to -deliver that which he had written to the Emperor only in case the -decree for uniting to France the provinces beyond the Ebro should have -been published; otherwise she was to await his farther directions. In -another letter to her he said, that if the Emperor made war against -Russia, and thought his presence in Spain could be useful, he would -remain there, provided that both the military and civil authority were -vested in him; otherwise his desire was to return to France. Should -there be no Russian war, he would remain with or without the command, -provided nothing were exacted from him which could make it believed -that he consented to a dismemberment of the monarchy: provided also -that troops enough and territory enough were left him, and that the -monthly loan of a million, which had been promised, were paid. In that -case he would remain as long as he could, thinking himself as much -bound in honour not to quit Spain lightly, as he should be to quit it, -if, during the war with England, sacrifices were required from him -which he neither could nor ought to make, except at a general peace, -for the good of Spain, of France, and of Europe. A decree for uniting -to France the provinces beyond the Ebro, if it arrived unexpectedly, -he said, would make him depart the next day; and if the Emperor should -adjourn his projects till a time of peace, he must supply him with -means of subsistence during the war. But if he inclined either to his -removal, or to any of those measures which must cause him to remove, -it was then of great consequence that he should return to France on -kindly terms with the Emperor, and with his sincere and full consent; -and this was what reason dictated to him, and what was more conformable -to the situation of the miserable country over which he had been made -king, and to his own domestic relations. In that case, he asked from -the Emperor a domain in Tuscany, or in the south, some three hundred -leagues from Paris. The course of events, and the false position in -which he found himself, so contrary, he said, to the rectitude and -loyalty of his character, had greatly injured his health: he was -growing old; nothing but honour and duty could detain him where he was, -and his inclination would drive him away, unless the Emperor explained -himself in a different manner from what he had hitherto done. There -was also a letter to his brother Louis, expressing a hope to see him -one day in good health, and with the happiness which arises from a -good conscience.... That happiness the intrusive king Joseph might -well envy! It is little excuse for him that he was more weak than -wicked, and in mere weakness had consented to be made the instrument -of his brother’s insatiable ambition. Even in these letters, where he -manifested a full sense of his humiliating situation, no consciousness -is expressed of its guilt. For the sake of his own credit, and no -doubt of his own personal safety, he protested against any immediate -dismemberment of Spain; but he would have been contented to serve his -brother’s purpose, by nominally retaining the kingdom, till a pretext -could be found for dismembering it at a general peace. - -But how long he should retain it depended upon something more than the -will and pleasure of Napoleon Buonaparte, and this he was soon made to -apprehend. ♦SIR ROWLAND HILL’S EXPEDITION TO THE BRIDGE OF ALMARAZ.♦ -Lord Wellington was not about to remain idle with his victorious -army; he prepared for offensive operations, and the first step was to -interrupt the communication between the armies of Soult and Marmont. -All the permanent bridges on the Tagus below that of Arzobispo had been -destroyed; and the only way which was practicable for a large army was -by a bridge of boats at Almaraz, in the line of the high road, where -the noble bridge erected in Charles the Fifth’s time, at the city of -Plasentia’s cost, had been demolished. For the protection of this -important post, the French had thrown up strong works on both sides of -the river: they had formed a flanked _tête-du-pont_ on the left bank, -riveted with masonry and strongly intrenched; and on the high ground -above it they had constructed a large and strong redoubt, called Fort -Napoleon, with an interior intrenchment, and a loop-holed tower in its -centre; here they had mounted nine pieces of cannon, and had garrisoned -it with between 400 and 500 men. On the right bank, there was a redoubt -called Fort Ragusa, in honour of Marshal Marmont, of the same strength -and construction, except that the tower had a double tier of loopholes; -this flanked the bridge, and between the redoubt and the bridge there -was a flêche. For farther security, the invaders had fortified an old -castle commanding the Puerto de Miravete, about a league distant, being -the only pass for carriages of any kind by which the bridge could be -approached. A marked alteration of climate is perceptible upon crossing -the narrow mountain ridge over which the road here passes. Coming from -Castille, the traveller descends from this ridge into a country, where, -for the first time, the gum-cistus appears as lord of the waste, ... -the most beautiful of all shrubs in the Peninsula for the profusion -of its delicate flowers, and one of the most delightful for the rich -balsamic odour which its leaves exude under a southern sun; but which -overspreads such extensive tracts, where it suffers nothing else to -grow, that in many parts both of Portugal and Spain it becomes the very -emblem of desolation. The old castle stood at little distance from the -road, on the summit of the sierra: the French had surrounded it by a -lower _enceinte_, twelve feet high; they had fortified a large _venta_, -or travellers’ inn, upon the road, and had constructed two small works -between the inn and the castle, forming altogether a strong line of -defence. - -Sir Rowland Hill, to whom this important service had been intrusted, -broke up from Almandralejo on the 12th of May, with part of the 2nd -division of infantry, and six of the 24-pounder iron howitzers which -had been used against Badajoz. The Marquis de Almeida, who was a -member of the Junta of Extremadura, accompanied them, and from him and -from the people, Sir Rowland received the most ready and effectual -assistance which it was in their power to bestow. On the morning of the -16th they reached Jaraicejo, an old and decayed town, about eight miles -from the summit of the pass; and on the same evening they advanced in -three columns ... the left, under Lieutenant-General Chowne, toward -the castle of Miravete; Sir Rowland himself, with the right under -Major-General Howard, toward a pass through which a most difficult and -circuitous footpath leads by the village of Romangordo to the bridge; -and the centre, under Major-General Long, along the high road, to the -Puerto. The artillery was with the centre: both the flank columns were -provided with ladders, and it was intended that both should escalade -the forts against which they were directed; but the difficulties of the -way were such, that it was found impossible for them to reach their -respective points before daybreak: as the enemy, therefore, could not -be taken by surprise, Sir Rowland judged it best to defer the attack -till they should be better acquainted with the position and nature of -the works; and the troops bivouacked on the sierra. It was found that -the castle, because of its peculiar situation, could not be carried -without a long operation: a false attack therefore was directed to be -made upon it by Lieutenant-General Chowne, and Sir Rowland, with the -right, and the 6th Portugueze caçadores (about 2,000 men in all), on -the evening of the 18th began to descend by the mountain path which -he had originally proposed to take. They were provided with twelve -scaling-ladders of sixteen feet in length; and he relied, as in this -case he well might do, upon the valour of the troops, to supply the -want of artillery. Although the distance was little more than six -miles, the way was so difficult, that notwithstanding all the exertions -of officers and men the head of the column did not arrive near the fort -till it was break of day, and it was two or three hours later before -the rear came up; but during this time the troops were completely -concealed by the hill, and the feint against the castle had induced the -enemy to believe that the bridge forts would not be attacked till the -pass should have been forced, and a way made for the guns. - -♦MAY 19.♦ - -Could the attack have been made before day, it was intended that the -_tête-du-pont_ should have been escaladed, and the bridge destroyed at -the same time that Fort Napoleon was assaulted; but well knowing how -much depended upon celerity, Sir Rowland did not wait till the troops -who were appointed to this part of the operations could come up; with -the first battalion of the 50th and one wing of the 71st, he escaladed -the fort in three places nearly at the same time. At first a determined -resistance was made, but the enemy soon slackened their destructive -fire: they took to flight as soon as the assailants were on the top of -the parapet; they abandoned the tower, and were driven at the point of -the bayonet through their entrenchment, and through the _tête-du-pont_, -and across the bridge. The commander of Fort Ragusa on the opposite -bank, with a cowardice rarely shown among French officers, but with a -selfish disregard for the soldiers which was too common among them, -cut the bridge, in consequence of which many leaped into the river -and perished, and 259 were made prisoners, including the governor -and sixteen officers; and acting with further folly in his fear, he -evacuated his own fort, which was perfectly safe from any attack, and -retired with his garrison to Naval Moral, three leagues off, for which -he was brought to summary trial at Talavera and shot.... Both forts -were entirely destroyed by the conquerors, and the whole apparatus of -the bridge, and the stores, which were in such abundance as to prove -that this point had justly been considered a most important station by -the enemy. The loss in this signal enterprise was, two officers and 31 -men killed, 13 and 131 wounded. - -The garrison ought to have been prepared for such an attack; for -Marmont had apprehended it, and in that apprehension had marched -a detachment to the Puerto del Pico, with the view of reinforcing -Talavera in case the bridge should be lost. Sir Rowland retired by -Truxillo to his former position in front of Badajos; and on the -second day after his success, a division of the central army, under -General d’Armagnac, crossed the Tagus by the Puente del Arzobispo, -to relieve the isolated garrison at Miravete. Both Soult and Marmont -had put their forces in motion as soon as they were informed of Sir -Rowland’s march: the latter arrived upon the Tagus too late to prevent -the evil, and without the means of repairing it; the former, when he -found that the allies had passed Truxillo on their return, gave up -the hope of intercepting them. He returned to Seville, and, regarding -with uneasy apprehension the enterprising spirit of an enemy whom he -had once affected to despise, gave directions for strengthening the -line of the Guadalete, lest a force should be landed at St. Roque’s -or at Algeziras, and endanger his communication with the besieging -army before Cadiz. Bornos, as the most important point upon the line, -was fortified with great care. Ballasteros ♦BALLASTEROS DEFEATED -AT BORNOS.♦ thought to interrupt the progress of the works, and -accordingly brought all the force he could muster, consisting of about -6,000, to attack the French division there of 4,500 under General -Corroux. Collecting his troops at La Majada de Ruiz, and marching from -thence early in the afternoon of one day, he succeeded in fording the -Guadalete unperceived ♦JUNE 1.♦ at dawn on the next. The attack was -made bravely, but, with the usual ill fortune and ill discipline of a -Spanish army, some mistake led to confusion, and confusion was followed -by panic: the French were not strong enough to pursue them beyond the -river, and Ballasteros retired with the loss of about 1,000 killed and -wounded, and half as many prisoners, ... a fourth of his whole force. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON ADVANCES INTO SPAIN.♦ - -Meantime Badajoz had been fully supplied; the means of transport which -had been used for that service were then employed in storing Ciudad -Rodrigo; a month’s consumption for the whole army was deposited there; -the bridge at Alcantara was repaired for a readier communication with -Sir Rowland’s corps; and on the 13th of June the army broke up from -its cantonments on the Agueda. On the 16th they came up with the -enemy, about six miles from Salamanca, on the Valmusa, and there was a -skirmish with their cavalry; in the evening the French withdrew across -the Tormes, and the army bivouacked within a league of Salamanca. - -♦SALAMANCA♦ - -When the earliest accounts of Spain begin, Salamanca was already a -considerable place, and known by a name little different from what it -bears at present. It fell to decay after the Moorish conquest, but was -re-peopled at the same time with certain other towns upon the Tormes, -by the Leonese in the 10th century, after the great battle of Simancas: -in the 13th King St. Ferdinand removed thither the university from -Palencia. It soon became one of the most flourishing seats of learning -in Christendom, and continued to be so till Spain rejected the light -of the reformation. In its best days it is said to have contained no -fewer than 8,000 native students, and 7,000 from foreign countries: -when the present war began, the number little exceeded 3,000, among -whom a few Irish were the only foreigners. The population consisted of -some 3,400 families: it had once been much greater. But Salamanca was -still an important and a famous place: popular fiction had made its -name familiar to those who are unacquainted with its history; while -to the antiquary, the historian, and the philosopher, it is a city -of no ordinary interest. The Roman road, which extended from thence -to Merida, and so to Seville, may still be traced in its vicinity: -its bridge of twenty-seven arches, over the Tormes, is said to be in -part a Roman work. The Mozarabic liturgy is retained in one of its -churches. Its cathedral, though far inferior to some of the older -edifices, whether of Moorish or Gothic architecture, in Spain, is a -large and imposing structure. Twenty-five parish churches are enclosed -within its walls, twenty convents of monks or friars, eleven of nuns: -these, with its numerous colleges, give it an imposing appearance from -without, and a melancholy solemnity within. Nowhere, indeed, were -there more munificent endowments for education, and for literature, -and for religion; and nowhere could be less of that happy effect which -the benefactors in their piety had contemplated: the philosophy which -was taught there was that of the schoolmen, the morality that of the -casuists, the religion that of the Inquisition. It is a popular belief -in Spain, that the Devil also has his college at Salamanca, where -students of the black art take their degrees in certain caverns, every -seventh being left with him, in earnest of the after-payment to which -they all are bound. - -♦THE TORMES.♦ - -The city stands in a commanding situation on the right bank of the -Tormes, a river of considerable magnitude there, which rises near -the Sierra de Tablada in Old Castille, and falls into the Douro on -the Portuguese frontier, opposite Bemposta. The country round is -open, without trees, and with a few villages interspersed, in which -the houses are constructed of clay. On the left of the river there -are extensive pastures, on the right a wide and unenclosed corn -country. The pastures are common, and the arable land occupied after a -manner not usual in other parts of Spain: it is cultivated in annual -allotments, and reverts to the commonalty after the harvest. - -♦THE ALLIES ENTER SALAMANCA.♦ - -Marmont had apprehended this advance of the allies, and had applied -for reinforcements without effect. He showed some cavalry and a small -body of infantry in front of the town, and manifested an intention -of holding the heights on the south side of the Tormes; but in the -evening of the 16th the enemy withdrew over the river, and the allies -bivouacked within a league of Salamanca. The French retired from that -city during the night, leaving some 800 men in the fortifications -which they had constructed there. These works commanded the bridge; -the left column of the allied army therefore crossed at the ford of -El Campo, a league below the city, the centre and the right at the -ford of Santa Martha. The utmost joy was expressed by the inhabitants -when the English entered, and women crowded to thank Lord Wellington -and bless him for their deliverance. Some aching hearts there were -among those who had connected themselves by marriage, or by looser -ties, with the enemies of their country, but the general feeling was -that of perfect and grateful joy; for though this city had suffered -none of the immediate evils of war, its consequences had been severely -felt there. During the three years of its captivity the French had -demolished thirteen of its convents and twenty-two of its twenty-five -colleges; the people had been compelled to labour upon works erected -for their own subjugation; and the last act of the enemy before they -left the city, was to set fire to such houses as obstructed the defence -of their works, ... consisting of a fort and two redoubts. For the same -reason they had previously demolished the Convent of St. Augustine, -the colleges of Cuenca and ♦SIEGE OF THE FORTS THERE.♦ Oviedo, and the -magnificent King’s College. The fort was formed out of the Convent of -St. Vicente, a large building in the centre of the angle of the old -wall, on a perpendicular cliff over the Tormes. The windows had been -built up and loop-holed; on both sides it was connected by lines of -works with the old wall. There was a fascine battery in a re-entering -angle of the convent, not enclosed by these lines, and this was -protected by a loop-holed wall, with a palisade in front. ♦COL. JONES’S -SIEGES. 158–9.♦ The demolition of so many substantial edifices supplied -timber of the best quality, and in abundance, for gates, drawbridges, -palisades, and splinter proofs; and the whole was well flanked in -every part. The ground to the south, which was toward the bridge, -fell by a steep descent: at the bottom was a small stream flowing to -the Tormes; and on the opposite bank the convents of San Cayetano -and La Merced had been converted with great skill into two redoubts, -with well-covered perpendicular escarpes, deep ditches, and casemated -counterscarps; they were also full of bomb-proofs, made by supporting -a roof horizontally and vertically with strong beams, and covering it -with six feet of earth. These works were seen at once to be far more -respectable than Lord Wellington had expected to find, his information -amounting to little more than that some convents had been fortified. -It was necessary to reduce them before the army could advance, but -the means of attack had been provided on this inadequate knowledge: -they consisted of only four iron eighteen-pounders and four 24-pounder -iron howitzers, with an hundred rounds for each. The engineers had -only 400 intrenching tools, without any stores; there were present -three engineer officers, with nine men of the corps of royal military -artificers; and the works were soon found to be even more formidable -than they appeared. - -♦JUNE 17.♦ - -The sixth division broke ground before the fort. The left wing of the -army moved to Villares de la Reyna, a league in advance of Salamanca; -the right and centre bivouacked on the Tormes, near Santa Martha, on -the right bank. Lieutenant-Colonel Ponsonby’s brigade followed the -retiring enemy, and skirmished with them for two leagues. A battery was -erected for breaching the main wall of the fort. It was nearly full -moon; little could be done therefore during the first night. An attempt -to blow in part of the counterscarp opposite to the intended breach, -was frustrated by the vigilance of a dog; and an attempt at mining it -failed also, the party being ordered to withdraw in consequence of the -loss sustained by a plunging fire from the top of the convent. On the -second night two batteries were completed: they opened the following -morning, and beat down part of the wall; but the enemy’s musketry -fired with great effect from loopholes in the upper windows, and -their fire was more than ordinarily destructive, because of the large -openings of the embrasures which were necessary for such short pieces -as the howitzers. More ammunition was sent for to Almeida. Early on -the third day, the lower part of the convent wall, three feet and a -half thick, was pierced through, and at a single shot half the length -of that face of the building came down, bringing the roof with it, -and laying the interior open: the men were seen firing through the -loopholes at the moment of its fall, and they of course were buried in -the ruins. Carcasses were then fired into the convent, to set it on -fire, but the enemy’s precautions prevented them from taking effect. - -♦MARMONT MOVES TO RELIEVE THEM.♦ - -Marmont at this time moved forward from Fuente Sabuco, making the -most display of the force which he could then bring together: it was -estimated at about 16,000 men. He advanced as if with a determination -of giving battle, firing artillery the whole way to give the forts -notice of his approach. Lord Wellington immediately formed the allied -army upon the heights: his left, where the rains had formed a deep -ravine, rested on a chapel; his centre was in the village of S. -Christobal de la Cuesta, and his right on another eminence in front -of Castellanos de los Moriscos.... The advanced posts retired before -the enemy with little loss; there was a considerable cannonade on -both sides; the enemy’s cavalry were dislodged by our guns from the -position in which they had halted; and Marmont, after manœuvring for -some time in front of the position, took up ground in the plain below -it, near the village of Villares, and just out of cannon-shot, his -right resting upon the great road to Toro, his left in Castellanos de -los Moriscos. The allies were under arms at daylight, expecting an -attack. In the course of the day the French received reinforcements, -but not sufficient to justify them in bringing on an action, scarcely -in exposing themselves ♦JUNE 21.♦ to one. Both armies remained quiet -in front of each other, the allies on the heights, the French close -under their position, occupying Castellanos de los Moriscos in force, -and having a considerable bivouac between that village and another on -their right: both villages were soon completely unroofed for firewood, -and there were wells in both, whereas the allies were badly off for -wood and water, which were brought to them in insufficient supply from -Salamanca. There was not a tree on the position; but the midsummer sun -was less powerful than it usually is in that country, and the troops -did not suffer from heat. - -During the night, the French occupied an eminence on the right flank -of the allies. Sir Thomas Graham was directed to dislodge them. The -58th and 61st carried the hill immediately, and drove them from the -ground with considerable loss. The enemy’s troops got under arms, -expecting a general attack, but they made no attempt ♦JUNE 23.♦ to -regain the hill. They retired in the night, and on the following -evening posted themselves with their right on the heights near Cabeza -Vellosa, their left on the Tormes at Huerta, their centre at Aldea -Rubia, their object in this movement being to communicate with the -garrison. Lord Wellington therefore changed the front of his army, -placing the right at S. Martha, and the advanced posts at Aldea Lingua; -and he sent Major-General Bock’s brigade of heavy dragoons across the -river in order to observe the fords. By this time a battery which had -been opened on the Cayetano redoubt had beaten down the palisades -and injured the parapet; and when night closed 300 men from the 6th -division were ordered to attack it by escalade. The undertaking was -difficult, and the men seemed to feel it. Major-General Bowes went -forward with the storming party; he was wounded, returned to the attack -as soon as his wound was dressed, and was then killed. The enemy made -so resolute a resistance, that only two ladders were reared against the -redoubt, and no one mounted them: 120 men were killed or wounded in -this unsuccessful attempt. On the following evening a truce was made -for removing the killed and wounded; till then the French would neither -allow them to be removed, nor remove them themselves. - -♦JUNE 24.♦ - -There had been a report on the preceding afternoon, that the enemy had -crossed at Huerta. Lord Wellington was on the hill at Aldea Lingua by -daybreak. It was certain that they had made some movement, but the -morning was so foggy that nothing could be seen. Soon Major-General -Bock’s brigade was heard skirmishing, and from their fire it was -evident that they were losing ground. The French had crossed about two -in the morning in considerable force; and when the fog cleared General -Bock was seen retiring in the best order before superior numbers, who -had also the advantage of having artillery with them. Lord Wellington, -upon the first certainty that the enemy had passed the Tormes, ordered -the 1st and 7th divisions, under Sir Thomas Graham, to cross and take -up a position to the right in front of Santa Martha, and Major-General -Le Marchant’s brigade of cavalry was sent to support General Bock; the -rest of the army he concentrated between Castellanos de los Moriscos -and Cabrerizas, keeping the advanced posts at Aldea Lingua. The French, -who had crossed with 10,000 infantry and fourteen squadrons of horse, -gained possession of Calvarasa de Abaxo; but seeing the disposition -which was made for their reception, they did not venture upon an -attack. About three in the afternoon they began to withdraw, and -before night they had repassed the river to their former position. The -allies also recrossed. - -Both armies remained quiet during the following day, but on the next -night a communication was carried along the bottom of the ravine -between the redoubts and the fort, and a piquet was lodged under the -gorge of S. Cayetano. On the morrow a supply of ammunition ♦SURRENDER -OF THE FORTS.♦ arrived, and red-hot shot were then fired against San -Vicente. By the third shot the roof of a large square tower on the -convent was set on fire and consumed; but the conflagration did not -spread, and during the day wherever fires broke out they were speedily -extinguished. The inhabitants said that the powder in the fort was well -secured; but no activity on the enemy’s part could long counteract -the means of destruction which were now employed. Hot shot were fired -during the whole night: by ten in the morning the convent was in -flames. At the same time a breach had been effected in the gorge of S. -Cayetano: the troops were formed in readiness for assaulting it, when -a white flag was hoisted there, and the commanding officer offered -to surrender that and the other redoubt in two hours, which time he -asked for that he might represent his situation to the commandant in -San Vicente. Lord Wellington offered him five minutes to march out, in -which case he should preserve his baggage; but it presently appeared -that he was only negotiating for the sake of gaining time, as in -fact he could not venture without the commandant’s sanction to carry -into effect the capitulation which he had offered. He was ordered, -therefore, to take down his white flag. The commandant meantime sent -out a flag of truce, and proposed to surrender San Vicente in three -hours: five minutes were allowed, and as at the expiration of that -short term there was no appearance of their coming out, both redoubts -were stormed, and carried with little resistance. The troops moved -forward against the fort: a few shot were fired from it, by which six -men were killed or wounded; but with that the resistance ended: the -enemy even helped the Portuguese caçadores into the work, and Lord -Wellington allowed them to march out with the honours of war, but to -be prisoners of war, the officers retaining their personal military -baggage, and the soldiers their knapsacks. There were 36 pieces of -cannon in the forts, with large depôts of clothing, and military stores -of every kind: these were consigned to the Spaniards, and the works -were destroyed. The prisoners were somewhat more than 700; the loss of -the besiegers about 450. - -♦MARMONT FAILS BACK UPON THE DOURO.♦ - -Marmont commenced his retreat at midnight, as if, said the Spaniards, -he had only come thither to witness the capture of his fort, and see -the illumination made by it when on fire. At daylight their column was -nearly out of sight, and their rear-guard moving off the ground. During -this tarriance the French, considering that part of Spain no longer as -a subjected but as a hostile country, had acted in the same spirit of -disgraceful barbarity as had rendered their name execrable in Portugal; -and when they departed they left the villages of Castellanos de los -Moriscos, Huerta, Babila Fuente, Villoria, and Villaruela in flames: -where they did not burn the villages they sacked the houses, and -murdered those who had ventured to remain in them; and where they did -not trample down the standing corn, they set fire to it. The popular -feeling had been strongly manifested during the operations against the -forts: not only were all necessaries and accommodations for the wounded -abundantly supplied, but women of all ranks offered their services to -attend on them. High mass was performed this day in the Cathedral, -at which Lord Wellington and most of the general officers attended. -Lord Wellington gave a dinner in Salamanca, and the Junta a ball in -the evening; but some of the principal inhabitants absented themselves -because they were partisans of the French, and others from a prudential -fear, lest the enemy should return and again obtain possession of the -city. - -♦JUNE 29. LORD WELLINGTON ADVANCES TO THE DOURO.♦ - -The French withdrew their garrison from Alba de Tormes, and retired -towards the Douro in three columns ... one upon Toro, and the others -upon Tordesillas. The allies broke up the next day, following their -march, and encamped upon the Guarena. On the morrow Marmont had -collected his force, as if with an intention of making a stand on -the right bank of that river; his rear was on the hills in front of -Alaejos: they moved off before the advanced guard could come up. The -allies bivouacked every night in an open country, without a tree to -shade them, and where it was necessary to seek for wood at the distance -of several miles, the inhabitants frequently using straw for fuel. -The enemy continued to fall back toward the Douro, closely followed -by one who would let no opportunity escape him. On the 2nd of July -their cavalry were on the plain toward Tordesillas, and they had a -considerable force of infantry in Rueda; but they were compelled to -withdraw from thence, and the town was occupied by the advance of -the allied army. On the following day, this part of the army was -ordered into the plain, as if with a view of attacking Tordesillas; -while the left column, strengthened by the brigades of Generals Bock -and Le Marchant, moved on Pollos, where there is a ford. There was -some cannonading on the part of the enemy there, and an affair of -light troops; and some of the allies passed the river, but they were -withdrawn at night: it was then seen that there was no intention of -forcing the passage, and orders were given for the distribution of -the army. Lord Wellington fixed his head-quarters at Rueda. The French -occupied Tordesillas in force: they had a considerable bivouac in the -rear of that town, and the bridge there was fortified. - -After the recapture of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos, Marmont could not -be surprised that the forts at Salamanca fell, even if he had known -with what scanty means they had been attacked; and as he had not been -brought to action, his army took credit to themselves for having braved -a superior force. The French had lost much of their confidence in -battle against the English, but they still relied upon their skill in -manœuvring; and Marmont, knowing that he should soon have the advantage -in numbers, availed himself of all the opportunities which the nature -of the country afforded him for gaining time. ♦THE DOURO.♦ He was in -possession of the line of the Douro. That river rises in the Sierra -de Orbion, in Old Castille, issuing from a large and deep tarn, high -on the mountain: passing the site of Numancia, it comes to Soria, and -so to Berlanga, Osma, and Santesteban de Gormas: in this part of its -course its banks are remarkable for the jessamine with which they are -profusely clothed. Having left Aranda, it passes by the Cistercian -monastery of Valbueno, a place denoting by its name the happy -circumstances of its position, and where the monks used to account -among the goodly things which had fallen to their lot the barbel and -trout with which the Douro supplied them. The Pisuerga, having already -received the Arlanza and the Carrion, joins it by Simancas; and though -it brings the larger body of water to the junction, loses its name -there. The Douro then makes for Tordesillas: for the first ten leagues -of its way its course is s. s. w., then westward till it reaches this -old city, where it bends to the southward for a few leagues, passing -S. Roman de Hornija, the now obscure burial-place of Chindasuintho, -one of the most powerful of the Wisigoth kings; then it resumes its -western course, waters Toro and Zamora, cities of great name in the -Spanish annals, and having collected all the rivers of Leon on its way, -enters Portugal. Of all the rivers in the Peninsula, the Douro has the -longest course. From its junction with the Pisuerga, till it receives -the Tormes on the frontier of Portugal, it flows through a wide valley, -the right bank for the most part skirting the heights. The French were -in possession of all the ♦COLONEL JONES’S ACCOUNT OF THE WAR, 2. 100.♦ -bridges, and from the mouth of the Pisuerga to Zamora there is but one -point favourable for passing an army from the left in presence of an -enemy: that point is three leagues above Toro, at Castro Nuño, where -there is a good ford, a favourable bend in the river, and advantages of -ground. There could be little hope, therefore, of striking an efficient -blow against Marmont so long as he kept his force concentrated behind -the Douro, and it was in his power to cross the river at any of its -bridges or fords whenever he might think that opportunity invited. - -♦MARMONT REINFORCED BY G. BONNET.♦ - -But the French, according to the barbarous system which Buonaparte -pursued, were without magazines, and trusted to their command of the -country for subsistence: Marmont therefore had this anxious object -to distract his attention; and the Guerrillas were actively employed -both upon his flanks and rear in intercepting his supplies, and in -occupying troops who would otherwise have reinforced him. Two parties -under Sorniel and Bourbon, with 700 cavalry were on the right; D. -Julian Sanches, with 500, on the left; while Porlier displayed his -usual activity on the side of Asturias; and Mina and Duran in Navarre -and Aragon: on that side their efforts were effectual: but General -Bonnet joined him from the north, and increased his force to 47,000 -men, thus making it numerically superior to that of the allies. Lord -Wellington’s situation was at this time an anxious one: he had counted -upon the aid which the Gallician army might have given him in occupying -some of the enemy by besieging Astorga; in that undertaking, however, -they were more dilatory than had been intended; and he was now aware -that the force intended to co-operate with him by acting upon the -eastern coast was upon so small a scale, that he could place little -hope upon it, and no reliance. The French suffered at this time nothing -for want of magazines or means of transport, because they took what -they wanted, and preyed upon the country. The British Government would -not, even in an enemy’s territories, carry on war upon so inhuman and -iniquitous a system; but it exposed its army to privations, and its -general to perplexities and difficulties which might have paralysed -any weaker mind than Lord Wellington’s, by the parsimony with which it -apportioned his means. When he advanced from Salamanca, there were but -20,000 dollars in the military chest: the harvest was abundant, but how -was bread to be obtained without money? ... and the same want would be -felt in bringing his supplies from Ciudad Rodrigo, and other places in -the rear of that fortress. The very difficulty of removing his wounded -to the frontier of Portugal was sufficient to deter him from seeking an -action on the Douro. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON RETIRES BEFORE HIM.♦ - -On the 15th and 16th, Marmont concentrated his troops between Toro and -San Roman: two divisions crossed the bridge at Toro on the evening of -the 16th, and Lord Wellington moved the allies that night to Fuente -la Peña and Canizal, intending to concentrate them on the Guarena. -But it was ascertained next day, that during the night the enemy had -repassed the bridge, and destroyed it after them; then making forced -marches to Tordesillas, which is six leagues above Toro, crossed again -there, and early on the morning of the 18th were on the Trebancos. -Marmont might well applaud himself both for the celerity and the -skill of these movements: he had marched forty miles; had opened his -communication with the army of the centre, which was then moving from -Madrid to support him; and by advancing in force on Castrejon he -endangered the light and 4th divisions, with Major-General Anson’s -brigades of cavalry, which there had not been time for calling in. -The enemy commenced a very heavy cannonade against the cavalry; they -were scattered about in squadrons, and so escaped without much loss; -and immediate measures had been taken to provide for their retreat -and junction. The troops at Castrejon maintained their posts till the -cavalry joined them; then they retired in perfect order to Tordesillas -de la Orden, and thence to the Guarena, having the enemy’s whole army -on their left flank or in their rear; and the French getting possession -of the heights above that river, before the allies had crossed, brought -forty guns to bear upon them, under the fire of which they joined the -army on the left bank. Four streams which unite about a league below -Canizal, form the Guarena: the French crossed at Castrillo, a little -below the junction, and manifested an intention to press upon the left -of the allies; with this view they endeavoured to occupy a ridge above -Castrillo, but Lieutenant-General Cole’s division advanced to meet them -with the bayonet; they gave way; the cavalry charged, General Carrier -and between 300 and 400 men were made prisoners, and one gun taken. -In the course of the day, the allies lost about 100 in killed, 400 -wounded, and 50 prisoners; but the check which Marmont received made -him more circumspect in his movements. - -The allies took up a position for the night on the Guarena, from -Castrillo on the left, to beyond Canizal on the right. The enemy -occupied the opposite side of the valley with their whole force. Both -armies ♦JULY 19.♦ remained quiet till two in the afternoon of the -following day, when the French withdrawing all their troops from the -right marched by Tarrazona, as if with an intention of turning the -right of the allies. Counter-movements were consequently made; the -artillery fired at the enemy’s advance, and in that dry season the -corn took fire in several places, and burnt for a mile in extent. Lord -Wellington expected a battle on the plain of Vallesa in the morning, -and made every preparation for it; the men bivouacked in two lines -in order of battle, and stood to their arms at daybreak, ready to -receive an attack; but as soon as it was light, the enemy were seen -moving in several columns to their left, on Babilafuente; the allies -made a correspondent movement to the right: at any moment either -commander might have brought on a general action; but it was a game -of skill in which they were engaged, not of hazard. Marmont’s march -was estimated at five leagues, that of the allies at four, being in -the inner circle; they moved in parallel lines, frequently within -half cannon shot. The enemy encamped that night at Babilafuente and -Villamela; the allies at Cabeza Vellosa, the 6th division and a brigade -of cavalry being upon the Tormes at Aldea ♦JULY 21.♦ Lengua. On the -following day, the French crossed that river by the fords near Alba -and Huerta, and moved by their left towards the road leading to Ciudad -Rodrigo. In the evening the allies crossed also, part by the bridge at -Salamanca, part by the ford of Santa Martha. A dreadful storm came on -of thunder and lightning with heavy rain; the different divisions of -infantry were seen by the lightning marching to their ground, their -muskets reflecting the flashes. The 5th dragoon guards had just got -to their ground; many of the men had lain down; their horses were -fastened together by their collars for the night, but terrified by the -lightning, they set off full gallop and ran over the men, eighteen of -whom were hurt; and two and thirty horses were lost, having probably -gone to the enemy’s lines. - -It was evident from Marmont’s manner of manœuvring, that he did not -mean to attack the allies, unless at such advantage as might seem to -render his success certain; and it seemed not less evident, that by -pursuing this system, turning their flank and keeping possession of -the heights, he would drive them to the frontier if they continued -to act upon the defensive. All the stores which were at Salamanca -were ordered to the rear of the army, and the inhabitants were in the -utmost consternation, apprehending, not without good apparent reason, -that they should presently be brought under the yoke of the French -again. Lord Wellington had placed the troops in a position, the right -of which was upon one of two heights called the two Arapiles; and the -left on the Tormes below the ford of Santa Martha. The enemy had still -a large corps above Babilafuente, on the right of the river; for this -reason, the 3rd division and Brigadier-General D’Urban’s cavalry were -left on the same side at Cabrerizos; and Lord Wellington thought it -not improbable, that when Marmont should find in the morning that the -allies were prepared for him on the left of the Tormes, he would alter -his plan, and manœuvre by the other bank. In the course of the night -he was informed that the cavalry and horse-artillery of the army of -the north had arrived at Pollos to join Marmont, and that they would -effect a junction with him the next day, or the day after at latest. -During the night the enemy took possession of Calvarasa de arriba, -and of a height near that village called Nuestra Señora de la Peña; -the allied cavalry were in possession of Calvarasa de abaxo, which is -between three and four miles from the upper village, and near the river. - -♦JULY 22. BATTLE OF SALAMANCA.♦ - -The last night’s storm had not cleared the atmosphere, and the morning -rose threateningly, in clouds. The French were early in motion, and -from the manner in which they marched and countermarched their troops, -it was impossible to divine what might be their intention. Soon after -daylight detachments from both armies attempted to gain the yet -unoccupied Arapiles hill; but the enemy had been concealed in the woods -nearer that point, and their infantry were discovered on the summit -when the allies were in the act of advancing to it: their detachment -was also the strongest. By occupying this point they materially -strengthened their own position, and were the better enabled to annoy -that of the allies. Early in the day the light troops of the 7th -division and the 4th _caçadores_ of General Pack’s brigade were engaged -with the enemy on the height of N. Señora de la Peña, which they gained -and kept through the day. But the possession of the farther Arapiles by -the French made it necessary for Lord Wellington to extend the right of -his army to the heights behind the village of that name, and to occupy -that village with the 4th division under Lieutenant-General Cole. -Doubtful as Marmont’s intentions still were, the British commander -judged that his objects were on the left of the Tormes, and therefore -he ordered the 3rd division and D’Urban’s cavalry from the other bank, -and placed them behind Aldea Tejada. - -During these movements the French kept up a heavy cannonade and fire -of light troops. The day, meantime, had cleared. Their force was -formed in columns of attack in rear of the Arapiles hill, the left -resting upon an extensive wood; thence they could either by a rapid -march interpose between Lord Wellington and Ciudad Rodrigo, or wait an -opportunity for debouching from behind the Arapiles, and separating -the corps of his army. Marmont was too skilful a tactician himself -not to perceive that all his movements were watched by one who well -knew how to counteract them; nevertheless, hoping to deceive his -antagonist, he marched a strong force to the right and formed columns -of attack opposite the 5th division, which was in rear of the village -of Arapiles. Lord Wellington soon perceived that nothing serious was -intended by this manœuvre, and returned to direct the operations of -his right, which he now threw back to that side of the Arapiles, -forming nearly a right angle with that which he had occupied in the -morning. About two in the afternoon the French Marshal perceiving -that his last demonstration had produced no effect, pushed forward -his columns rapidly to the left, with the intent of turning the right -flank of the allies, and interposing between them and Ciudad Rodrigo. -Till now the operations of the day had induced a belief in the British -army that it was intended only to meet manœuvre by manœuvre, and to -continue their retreat as soon as it was night. Indeed the army of the -centre, with the Intruder at its head, was on the way to join Marmont -within three days’ march, and a considerable body of cavalry and horse -artillery was still nearer. But Lord Wellington had anxiously been -looking for the opportunity which was now presented him: he was at -dinner when information was brought him of this movement, which was -made under cover of a heavy cannonade, and accompanied with skirmishers -in his front and on his flank, and with a body of cavalry who made -the British dragoons and light troops give way before them. But the -generals of division had either misunderstood or ill executed their -commander’s intentions, and they weakened their line by dangerously -extending it: Lord Wellington at once perceived this; he rose in such -haste as to overturn the table, exclaiming, that Marmont’s good genius -had forsaken him: in an instant he was on horseback, and issued his -orders for attack. - -The right he reinforced with the 5th division, placing it behind the -village of Arapiles, on the right of the 4th, and with the 6th and 7th -in reserve. These having taken their stations, he ordered Major-General -Pakenham to move forward with the 3rd and General D’Urban’s cavalry, -and two squadrons of the 14th light dragoons under Lieutenant-Colonel -Hervey, in four columns, to turn the enemy’s left on the heights, -while Brigadier-General Bradford’s brigade, the 5th division, under -Lieutenant-General Leith, the 4th, under Lieutenant-General Cole, and -the cavalry under Sir Stapleton Cotton, should attack them in front, -supported in reserve by the 6th and 7th under Major-Generals Clinton -and Hope, and D. Carlos d’España’s Spanish division; Brigadier-General -Pack, with the 1st and 16th Portuguese regiments, was to support the -left of the 4th division, by attacking the hill which the enemy held. -The first and the light divisions occupied the ground on the left of -the Arapiles in reserve. - -As soon as the formation was effected, the attack commenced from the -right. Major-General Pakenham moved along a valley at a quick rate, -crossed the extended left of the enemy, almost before they were -aware of his intention, drove them back in confusion and overthrew -everything before him. Brigadier-General D’Urban’s Portugueze cavalry -and Lieutenant-Colonel Hervey’s squadrons of the 14th, supported him in -the most gallant style, defeated every attempt which was made upon his -flank, cut in upon the enemy’s broken infantry, and put numbers of them -to the sword. The attack in front was made with equal ardour: the fifth -division had been exposed for about an hour to a continued and heavy -cannonade; no orders were ever more welcome to the soldiers who were -stretched on the ground to avoid its effects, than those which bade -them advance against the enemy. The distance was more than a mile, up -a steep height crowned by twenty pieces of cannon, and their left had -to pass through the village which formed a considerable obstruction; -they advanced in perfect order, not firing a shot till they had gained -the summit, from whence the guns which had annoyed them were hastily -withdrawn, nor till they had received the fire of the enemy, who were -formed into squares to resist them. When they were within some thirty -yards the word was given to fire and charge; this instantly threw -the squares into disorder; the heavy cavalry coming up on the right -increased their confusion; they fled then, and in their flight fell in -with the remains of their extreme left, flying before Major-General -Pakenham’s division. Lieutenant-General Leith was severely wounded -in the act of breaking into the squares. Pakenham and the cavalry -constantly bringing up their right, so as to outflank the points on -which the French attempted to make a stand, drove them from one height -to another and made above 3000 prisoners. The 4th and 5th divisions -acquiring in like manner strength upon the enemy’s flank in proportion -as they advanced, carried height after height, till at length the -enemy’s left rallied on their centre; and on the last height, after its -crest had been gained, one division of their infantry charged Cole’s -division, which, after a severe contest, in which Cole was wounded, -gave way. - -This temporary success was owing to the failure of Pack’s attack -upon the Arapiles; it was bravely made, but the Portugueze failed to -carry it against the disadvantage of such strong ground; the attempt, -however, was not without some good effect, for it occupied troops who -would otherwise have been engaged against General Cole in his advance, -and who were not now at leisure to oppose him, till, notwithstanding -this temporary success, it was too late. Beresford, who happened to be -on the spot, directed a brigade of the 5th division, which was in the -second line, to change its front, and bring its fire on the enemy’s -flank; while thus engaged he was wounded. Three British generals had -thus been disabled, and in a most successful charge against a body of -infantry, Major-General Le Marchant was killed, at the head of his -own brigade. Lord Wellington now ordered up the 6th division under -Major-General Clinton. That division marching under a heavy fire -deployed at the foot of a hill, and beginning then to fire regular -volleys, suffered severely as it advanced; it was vigorously attacked -by a body of cavalry which had been concealed behind the Arapiles, -and for some minutes the contest appeared doubtful; but when Clinton -was enabled to form his two right battalions into line, and charge, -the French again lost heart, and abandoned the important point which -they had till then maintained. Their right still resisted, having -been reinforced by the troops who now withdrew in good order from the -Arapiles, and by those who had fled from the left. - -They re-formed and took up their ground with equal promptitude and -skill almost at right angles to their original front, the infantry -along the crest of the hill in line, supported by heavy close columns -in reserve, the cavalry in masses on their flanks, and the artillery -posted at the advanced knolls, so as to sweep the whole face of the -height. The 1st and light divisions were ordered against these, with -two brigades of the 4th, to turn their right, while the 6th supported -by the 3rd and 5th, attacked the front. Clinton advanced up the rocky -and steep height inline, without firing a shot, and under a murderous -fire of musketry and artillery: but he charged with the bayonet, drove -them from a commanding conical eminence, and captured two guns. Their -flank was attacked at the same time; and then, beaten at all points, -they fled through the woods towards the Tormes, cavalry, infantry, -and baggage all mixed together. The defeat was complete, and so would -have been the destruction, if darkness had not opportunely covered -their flight. Lord Wellington, with the 1st and light divisions, and -Major-General William Anson’s brigade of the 4th, and some squadrons of -cavalry under Sir Stapleton Cotton, pursued them towards Huerta and the -fords of the Tormes, as long as any of them could be found together; -but night soon put an end to the pursuit, and enabled great numbers who -had been taken prisoners to escape. A sentinel mistook Sir Stapleton -Cotton in the dark for an enemy, fired, and wounded him. - -This memorable battle, which lasted from three in the afternoon till -ten at night, took place within sight of the city; the ground with its -heights rising gradually one behind another, forming, as it were, a -fine theatre for such a spectacle. On the part of the allies, nearly -5000 were killed and wounded. General Le Marchant’s loss was greatly -regretted: he was a native of Guernsey, who having served in the -light dragoons under the Duke of York in the years 1793 and 1794, -applied himself with zeal and ability to the study of his profession, -introduced the Hungarian sword exercise into the British army, and drew -up a manual for the use of the cavalry, which was published by the -war-office. The royal military college was in great measure planned -by him; he was appointed lieutenant-governor of that institution, and -discharged the duties of the office till 1811, when he could no longer -retain it, being promoted to the rank of Major-General. He then joined -the army in Portugal in command of a brigade, but had not been long -in that country, when the unexpected death of his wife rendered it -necessary that he should return to England for the arrangement of his -domestic affairs: that mournful business having been performed, he -rejoined the army, and shortly afterwards fell, being in the 47th year -of his age. His eldest son, who was an ensign in the guards, was at his -side when he fell. The Prince Regent manifested with proper munificence -his sense of General Le Marchant’s worth, by granting a pension of £300 -to that son, £100 to each of three younger sons, and £120 to each of -his five daughters.... The loss of the French was very great; besides -the dead and wounded, they left 7000 prisoners on the field. Eleven -guns and two eagles were taken: it is said that more than ten were -captured, but that there were men base enough to conceal them, and sell -them to persons at Salamanca, who deemed it good policy as well as a -profitable speculation, to purchase them for the French. Marmont was -disabled early in the action, Bonnet also was wounded, and the command -then devolved upon General Clausel, who was wounded also, but not so as -to incapacitate him. Generals Ferey, Desgraviers, and Thomieres were -killed. - -At break of day, the pursuit was renewed with the same troops, and with -Major-General Bock and Anson’s brigades, which had joined them during -the night. The first and light divisions were ordered to the ford of -Huerta, Lord Wellington having supposed that the enemy must make their -passage there, because the castle at Alba de Tormes was occupied -by the Spaniards; but the troops who garrisoned it had, without his -knowledge, been withdrawn, so that Clausel, making a most rapid march -during the night, crossed the river there without molestation. Having -crossed in pursuit, the cavalry came up with the enemy’s rear-guard of -horse and foot between Garci Hernandez and Peñarandilla: a detachment -from the 11th and 16th dragoons charged their cavalry, which fled, and -left the infantry to their fate. Major-General Bock, then, with the -heavy brigade of the King’s German legion, attacked them, when posted -upon a hill in square, and in what is described as one of the finest -charges that was ever seen, rode completely through them. The whole -body, consisting of three battalions, were made prisoners, the brigade -losing in the charge 30 killed and nearly 50 wounded. In the course of -the day, the enemy were joined by 1200 cavalry belonging to the army of -the north, who, though too late to be of any greater service, covered -the retreat of their centre to Peñaranda de Bracamonte: one column -went by Macotora; the other which had crossed the Tormes at Encina and -Huerta moved on El Campo and Cebolla. They had their head-quarters at -Flores de Avila, ten leagues from the field of battle, for a few hours -on the second night, and hastened from thence by Arevalo, towards -Valladolid. Their dead were found in many places by the road-side, and -their stragglers met with as little mercy from the peasantry as they -had been accustomed to show; yet many of their rear-guard were taken -without arms, having thrown them away as impediments in their flight. - -The pursuit was continued on the 24th; but the enemy made exceedingly -long marches, and had little to encumber them while hastening to their -resources both in men and means, and the pursuers having to bring -up their supplies far from behind could not keep up an equal pace. -On that day they only came up with the rear-guard, which hastened -away at their approach. On the following the advance halted for the -army to close up; Colonel Arentschild’s brigade entered Arevalo; and -a non-commissioned officer’s patrol captured two officers and 27 men -of Joseph’s own cavalry, in Blasco Sancho, between Arevalo and Avila. -The Intruder had reached that place, hastening with the army of the -centre to join Marmont upon the Tormes; he was met there with tidings -of the defeat, and then turned towards Segovia, as if retreating upon -Madrid: soon however receiving fuller advices, he endeavoured to divert -the pursuers by threatening an advance upon their flank. The routed -army, meantime, whose movements were conducted with great ability -by Clausel, concentrated themselves on the right bank of the Douro, -between Puente de Duero and the other bridge at Tudela de Duero; they -crossed the river as soon as the allies advanced towards them, hastened -to Valladolid, and making no tarriance there, continued their retreat -to Burgos. Lord Wellington entered Valladolid on the 30th amid the -acclamations of the people. There he discontinued the pursuit, and -prepared to march against the Intruder, with the intention of either -bringing him to action, or driving him from Madrid. - -♦PROCEEDINGS OF SIR HOME POPHAM ON THE COAST OF BISCAY.♦ - -Meantime, a squadron under Sir Home Popham which sailed from Coruña, -to co-operate with the Guerrillas, and occupy the enemy upon the side -of Biscay, rendered all the service which had been expected from -it. Sir Howard Douglas and General Carrol embarked in the Venerable -with Sir Home. They arrived off Lequeitio on the 18th of June, where -the French had possession of a hill-fort, commanding the town, and -strong enough to resist any body of infantry; they had also 200 men -fortified in a convent within the town, and into this the garrison -retired when the Pastor D. Gaspar Jauregui arrived with his party to -act in concert with the squadron. The convent might have been destroyed -by the ships, but the town must in that case have suffered also; it -was determined, therefore, to attack the fort, which was so situated -that the enemy thought it quite inaccessible to cannon. They knew not -what British seamen are capable of on shore. At a time when the sea -broke with such violence against the rocks at the foot of the hill, -that it was doubtful whether a boat could reach the land, Lieutenant -Groves succeeded in landing a gun there. It was hove up for a short -distance by a moveable capstan; but this was too tedious an operation, -and it was dragged to the summit by six and thirty pair of oxen, 400 -of the Pastor’s men, and 100 seamen, headed by the Honourable Captain -Bouverie. It was immediately mounted; the first shot was fired at -four in the afternoon, and so well was it served, that by sunset a -practicable breach was made. The Guerrillas volunteered to storm; -they were repulsed in the first attempt, but succeeded in the second, -and such of the enemy as escaped on the opposite side got into the -convent. In the course of the evening the sea had abated, a landing was -effected upon the island of S. Nicholas, from whence the convent could -be battered without damage to the town; three carronades were planted -there; at dawn, a 24-pounder was brought to the east side of the town, -within 200 yards of the convent, and another was in the act of being -landed upon the island to bombard it, when the French commandant beat -a parley, and surrendered with 290 men. The Guerrillas had lost 50 in -killed and wounded, not a man belonging to the squadron was hurt. The -muskets, stores, and three small guns, which were found there were -given to the Pastor. Two 18-pounders in the fort were rendered useless; -the fort itself was demolished and the convent blown up. The next -morning a column of 1100 men were seen which had arrived within two -leagues of Lequeitio, but hearing from the peasantry that the English -had disembarked 2000 men, they retired. Some intercepted letters were -now transmitted to Sir Home, by which the commandant at Guernica was -instructed to prepare rations for a French general and 2600 of the -Imperial Guards. - -The squadron was now to have co-operated in an attack upon Bilbao, -but the wind proved unfavourable for getting round Cape Machichago, -and part of the ships fetched the anchorage of Bermeo. The enemy had -retired from that place, leaving a small magazine of provisions ♦JUNE -23.♦ in a fortified convent; these were distributed to the poor; and -the battery on the hill and all the fortified places which the French -had occupied were destroyed: the works at Plencia were in like manner -demolished, and the batteries on each side of the ♦JUNE 24.♦ inlet -below the bar of the Ybeyzabal, or Narrow River, the beautiful and -tranquil stream which forms the port of Bilbao: on one side were the -castle of Galea, and the batteries of Algorta and Begona; on the other -the batteries of El Campillo, Las Quersas and Xebiles. Early on the -following morning some parties of the enemy entered the destroyed -batteries of Algorta, but retired upon the squadron’s making a -disposition to stand up the inlet; they then formed in the plain, and -were found to consist of 2000 men at Algorta, while 400 were sent to -Puerta Galetta. Three of the British sloops closed with the fort there, -silenced it, and drove them from thence. It was supposed that this was -the corps for which rations had been ordered at Guernica, and that it -had been thus drawn off from its original destination. - -♦JULY 2.♦ - -The squadron then made for Guetaria; two companies of marines were -landed for the purpose of reconnoitring the place, previous to an -intended attack, but the Guerrillas who were expected to co-operate -were engaged with the enemy in a different quarter; parties of the -French were seen crossing the hills; the intention, therefore, was -relinquished, ♦JULY 6.♦ and the marines re-embarked without loss. -Sir Home then sailed for Castro, where Sir George Collier had landed -a company of marines to assist Longa in a concerted attack. Longa -was there at the time and place appointed; more marines were landed, -and guns with hearty exertions of well-directed skill were drawn up -heights that might have seemed inaccessible to men less earnest in -their duty. They were placing them in a battery to the east of the -town, when 2500 of the enemy appeared on the heights of S. Pelayo; -the parties upon this were re-embarked, and Longa found it necessary -to change his ground, after which he sustained an action, in which -no advantage was gained over him. Somewhat disheartened by this, the -French marched into the town that evening, and were driven out of it -on the morrow by the fire of the squadron: they then took post on -the hills, and under favour of the night retired towards Laredo. The -castle then surrendered with 150 men, and having been put in a state of -defence, was garrisoned by ♦JULY 10. JULY 11.♦ the marines and Spanish -artillerymen of the Iris. Their next attempt was a combined attack -upon Puerta Galleta, which was abandoned because the enemy were found -to be in greater strength than had been expected; the French on their -part failed equally in endeavouring to recover Castro. Their moveable -column had now been drawn by a feint to Santona; from thence it could -not reach Guetaria in less than four days; another attempt therefore -was made upon that place in concert with the Pastor, and with one of -Mina’s battalions. The latter, after two days’ severe march, did not -arrive till it was too late; for when the enemy’s guns on one side had -been silenced, ♦JULY 19.♦ and a battery was ready to open upon them -on the other, intelligence was received that a considerable body of -French troops was hastening thither by forced marches. The Guerrillas -maintained a brave action against them, till the superiority of the -enemy’s numbers was ascertained, and made it necessary for them to -retreat; but this action prevented the re-embarkation of the British in -time, so that two guns were in consequence destroyed, and 32 men made -prisoners. - -These operations of Sir Home Popham’s squadron were of service in many -ways. Troops were thus occupied who would otherwise have joined Marmont -before the battle of Salamanca; the corps which relieved Guetaria was -recalled from that direction, and Caffarelli was prevented from sending -the infantry who were to have assisted in driving the English into -the Tagus. The ports which were liberated lost no time in conveying -supplies to the free parts of the kingdom, and vessels from them -arrived daily at Coruña laden with corn and wine. And the Guerrillas, -as well as the regular troops of Spain, received a countenance and -support which enabled them to hold towards the enemy the language -of confident hope. Renovales, who was Commandant-General in Biscay, -addressed a letter to the French Governor of Bilbao, General Roquet, -remonstrating against the cruelties which General Mouton had committed -with his column: “for the security of a fortress,” he said, “or to -prevent an insurrection, the rules of military precaution might render -it proper to put some few persons of respectability in confinement, -but that cottages and private dwellings should be outraged, and that -peaceable persons should be tortured by stripes, by the bayonet, and -by fire, was what no laws of war could justify. The Spaniards were a -people who might be softened by generosity though not subdued by it; -but if this system of terror were persisted in towards them, ... if it -were still to be war at the knife’s point, the Biscayans, instead of -yielding a foot to him, would meet him half way in such warfare. Four -and twenty officers were in his hands, and should suffer for the next -act of cruelty on the part of the French. He concluded by assuring -Roquet that the day was not far distant when Bilbao would be delivered, -and that he, Renovales, would then, at the head of 10,000 Biscayans, -fulfil his duty as he had hitherto done, and first of all towards -himself. - - - - -CHAPTER XLII. - -LORD WELLINGTON ENTERS MADRID. THE FRENCH RETIRE FROM ANDALUSIA. SIEGE -OF BURGOS, AND RETREAT OF THE ALLIES. - - -♦JULY, 1812.♦ - -Buonaparte could keep the French people ignorant of the course which -events had taken in Portugal and Spain; but even the vigilance of his -military tyranny could not prevent the Spaniards from knowing that the -allies, having driven out the French from the one kingdom, had entered -the other, and had recovered the two strong places of Ciudad Rodrigo -and ♦APPEAL OF THE INTRUDER TO THE SPANIARDS.♦ Badajoz. Fresh appeals -were made by the Intrusive Government to the fears and jealousies -of a people whom they had now began to apprehend it would be found -impossible to subdue. “What would it avail them,” it was asked, “if -they were to set up Infantado, or the Empecinado, or Ballasteros, or -any other of their countrymen for king? Wherefore should they persist -in an obstinate and unavailing resistance after the Bourbon dynasty -had been extinguished by that great man whom Providence had appointed -to regenerate Spain, and who for their happiness had selected Joseph -to reign over them? Why did they not rally round his throne?” The -Spaniards only ridiculed such appeals; and the French themselves, in -derision, called Joseph King of the Highways, as one whose authority -extended no farther than his patrols and armies could enforce it. His -was indeed a miserable condition; the brother, of whose wicked will -he had, in despite of his own understanding and heart, consented to -become the instrument, regarded him with displeasure, because he had -met with a resistance which was not to be overcome; the nation upon -which he had been insolently intruded, regarded him with deeper hatred -than perhaps had ever before been co-existent with the feeling of -sincere contempt; the army by which alone he was scarcely supported -despised him, and the French generals kept up towards him a semblance -of respect. - -♦STATE OF MADRID.♦ - -But odious as the usurpation was everywhere, it was rendered peculiarly -so at Madrid, by the presence of the Intruder and of his ministers. -Being the seat of the Intrusive Government, more of those traitors were -collected there who had made the miseries of their country a means -for their own advancement; and as the commanders in other parts cared -little for the necessities of the court, heavier imposts were exacted -from the inhabitants, at the very time when a remission of taxes was -announced in edicts, which, if intended to be executed, were never -carried into effect. The duties payable upon the entrance and exit of -wheat, rice, and pulse of every kind, were repealed by a decree, but -continued to be exacted as before, and at the same time, new duties -were imposed upon wine, oil, meat and vegetables. A loan of 20 million -reales was soon exhausted, a contribution of eight millions was then -demanded from the trading part of the people; and an equivalent -proportion was taken in kind from the occupiers of land. Eight per -cent. upon the value of houses were first required, then ten, and -then fifteen; the poorest artisan was compelled to take out an annual -license for the exercise of his calling; even the water carriers were -subjected to this tax. Having collected a great quantity of grain, -the Government sold it at a price more suited to its own wants than -to the condition of the people: the hospitals were crowded with sick -and starving poor; and of the persons who died during the first six -months of this year, two-thirds perished in consequence of misery and -want. Patient endurance was all that the people of Madrid could oppose -to their oppressors; but they lived in firm belief that the day of -deliverance would come, believed every rumour of success on the part of -their countrymen and their allies, and with the same determined will, -discredited whatever was related of their reverses. They looked upon -the account of Ballasteros’s defeat at Bornos as so much exaggerated -that it was unworthy of belief; and with more reasonable incredulity -when it was reported that Marmont had totally defeated the allies -and taken 20,000 prisoners, while the French and their partisans -congratulated each other upon the news, they required dates and -details, and assured themselves that it was nothing more than one of -the enemy’s customary falsehoods. - -♦MEASURES OF JOSEPH BEFORE THE BATTLE OF SALAMANCA.♦ - -Indeed, before the battle of Salamanca, it was made sufficiently -apparent by circumstances which the French were unable to conceal, that -however confidently they might expect some great success, they had -as yet obtained none. The garrison at the Puerto de Miravete, which -had been relieved after the destruction of the bridge at Almaraz, -was withdrawn now, the Puente del Arzobispo was abandoned, and they -withdrew also from Talavera, which was immediately entered by the -Medico. Most of their garrisons at the same time withdrew from La -Mancha, and they were followed by those miserable people, who, having -accepted offices, whether high or low, under the Intrusive Government, -dared not remain without French protection in any place where they were -known. Exertions were made for fortifying Toledo; and in the works -which were carried on for the same purpose at the Retiro, the people of -Madrid saw unequivocal proof, that the French apprehended at least the -possibility of an advance of the allies upon the capital. To prevent -that danger, they had thus collected their forces from all quarters, -thinking then to attack Lord Wellington with such superior numbers as -would render success certain: but Joseph and M. Jourdan were too slow -in moving from Madrid, and meantime Marmont had been too confident -of his strength and of his skill. If he had delayed his passage of -the Tormes only for two days, till the army of the centre should have -joined, the enemy persuaded themselves that Lord Wellington could -not have escaped from utter defeat, and that that victory would have -secured the entire conquest of Spain. - -♦ADVANCE OF THE ALLIES.♦ - -The event could not be kept secret at Madrid; every one knew what -no one dared publish; and while false intelligence was sedulously -spread abroad by the Intrusive Government, and the police was more -than ordinarily active in arresting suspected persons, every one -congratulated his friends and neighbours upon a victory the extent of -which was magnified in proportion to their hopes. They entertained no -doubt but that Marmont had been killed, and his whole army destroyed. -Lord Wellington moved from Cuellar on the 6th of August, leaving -General Clinton’s division there, and General Anson’s brigade of -cavalry to observe the line of the Douro. He arrived at Segovia on -the 7th, and at S. Ildefonso on the 8th, the beautiful summer retreat -of the kings of Spain: there he halted one day that the right of -the army might have time to come up. The passage of the Guadarama -mountains was effected without opposition. Brigadier-General d’Urban, -with the Portugueze cavalry, the first light battalion of the German -Legion, and Captain M’Donald’s troop of horse artillery, drove in on -the morning of the 16th, about 2000 French cavalry; they moved toward -Naval Carnero, and returned from thence in the evening with the -Intruder himself, to make a reconnoissance. D’Urban formed the ♦AUGUST. -AFFAIR AT MAJALAHONDA.♦ Portugueze cavalry in front of Majalahonda, -and ordered them to charge the enemy’s leading squadrons, which -seemed too far advanced. The Portugueze pushed on, but unexpectedly -disgraced themselves; their officers set them a brave example, but -in vain, and the Visconde de Barbacena, who behaved remarkably well, -was taken prisoner; the men turned about shamefully, fled through the -village, and left the guns behind them which had been moved forward -for their support. M’Donald’s troop exerted themselves to bring them -off, but owing to the rough ground, one carriage was broken, two -were overturned, and thus the three fell into the enemy’s hands. The -German dragoons who had been formed behind the village rallied the -fugitives, charged the enemy, and stopped their progress, but suffered -considerable loss. In this affair, about 200 men were killed, wounded, -or taken, and 120 horses. The left of the allied army being not three -miles distant, two brigades of horse and foot moved forward to support -the troops in advance; the French retired as soon as they saw them, and -withdrew during the night, leaving the guns. The piquets of the allies -took post that evening on the mountains, in sight of Madrid. - -♦THE ENEMY RETIRE FROM MADRID.♦ - -The enemy, who from Madrid had been looking through telescopes toward -the passes of the Guadarama, had seen D’Urban’s detachment on the -evening of the 9th. Orders were then given and revoked by the resident -members of the Government, with the precipitation of fear: it was -determined to abandon the capital on the following morning, and the -adherents of the Intruder prepared in all haste for their departure; -some selling their goods for any price that could be obtained for them, -others, intrusting them to the care of their friends, and not a few -soliciting the compassion of those who had been found faithful to their -country. The families of these unhappy men were objects of compassion -even to the populace, notwithstanding the indignation which was felt -at the men themselves, who bitterly repented now, not so much their -guilt as their short-sightedness in supposing that they had taken the -stronger side. The troops under whose protection they retired would -have saved them from any outrage or insult if any had been intended; -but they had not proceeded far from the gates before many of them -were plundered by these protectors. Two of Joseph’s ministers entered -Madrid with a strong escort the next day, for the supposed purpose of -destroying papers, and securing effects which could not be carried away -in the hurry of the removal. They retired in the evening, and on the -morning of the 12th all the troops who remained shut themselves up in -the Retiro. The shops which, during the two preceding days, had been -closed were then opened, and Madrid became a scene of such joy as had -never been witnessed ♦THE ALLIES ENTER.♦ in the days of its proudest -prosperity. Soon after middle day the allies began to enter through -streets so crowded with gratulating multitudes, that the officers who -were on horseback at the head of their men, could scarcely make their -way, and scarcely keep their seats, so eagerly did the Spaniards press -to shake hands with them, as if nothing but an English mode of greeting -could make their exultation and their hearty welcome sufficiently -intelligible. - -♦THE NEW CONSTITUTION PROCLAIMED.♦ - -Madrid had lost more than two-thirds of its inhabitants since its -occupation by the French, but an influx of people from all the -surrounding country now filled it as if there had been no depopulation; -and amid this multitude, on the following day, the new constitution was -proclaimed by D. Carlos de España, who was appointed governor of the -capital and province, ... a charge for which no one could be better -qualified by clearness of judgment, and promptitude in executing what -he saw to be right. Their acclamations were hushed as soon as they knew -what they were called upon to hear; and the deep silence with which -they listened to the constitutional act was interrupted only by the -enemy’s cannon from the Retiro, which seemed rather like a salute in -honour of the ceremony, than an enemy’s artillery employed in defence -of their last hold in the capital. The act was received with exultant -delight; young minds and generous ones, whose natural ardour enabled -them to believe what they eagerly desired, persuaded themselves that -the Spaniards had now established their freedom as well as achieved -their independence; the happy days of Athens and of Sparta, they said, -seemed to be restored; and the people of Madrid already appeared like -a nation accustomed to liberty, and to deliberate concerning their own -interests. - -♦THE BUEN RETIRO.♦ - -On that evening Lord Wellington invested the Retiro, where Marshal -Jourdan, with little prudence, had left a garrison of 1700 men. At -the eastern extremity of Madrid, Philip II. had a small palace, or -rather house of retreat, pleasantly situated by the Prado or public -walk, on a rising ground, and immediately adjoining the convent of S. -Geronimo. Philip IV. took a fancy to the site; and Olivares, whose -chief object seemed to be that of amusing his royal master at whatever -cost, purchased adjacent land enough for a large palace, with its -gardens and a park four miles in circuit; and such enormous sums were -lavished upon the edifice and the grounds, that the additional imposts -which were required for this expenditure, or artfully, perhaps, imputed -to it, were one of the causes which provoked the revolt in Catalonia, -and occasioned the separation of Portugal from the Spanish monarchy. -The palace contained a theatre, spacious itself, and opening into the -gardens, which might thus be made upon occasion a continuation of the -scene; in this theatre the master-pieces of the Spanish drama were -represented before a court who delighted in dramatic literature; and -Ferdinand VI. gratified his dear Queen Barbara’s hereditary love of -music, with Italian operas, performed under Farinelli’s direction. -Formerly the Buen Retiro contained a large collection of pictures by -the greatest masters of Italy, Spain, and the Low Countries; many -of these were transferred to other palaces when this began to be -neglected, and the French had now made spoil of the rest. But there -were ceilings painted by Luca Jordano, which were not removable; and -in a compartment of that in the great saloon, Spain was pictured, -ruling the terrestrial globe, ... a dream of ambition which her kings -of the Austrian line had entertained, which the craftiest as well -as the wildest heads among the Romish clergy encouraged, and which -many circumstances seemed to concur in favouring, when, under the -blessing of Providence, the Dutch, by their patriotic and religious -virtue, averted that evil from the world. Two other noted works of -art were still to be seen in the Buen Retiro; one, remarkable for its -design, was a bronze statue of Charles V. trampling upon the Spirit of -Reformation which lay, personified as Heresy in chains, at his feet; -the other, which for the surpassing skill of the sculptor was even -more remarkable, was an equestrian statue of Philip IV. cast by Pietro -Tacca of Florence, weighing, it is said, not less than nine tons, -and yet supported only by the hind legs, the horse being in the act -of galloping. Within the precincts of the palace were many pavilions -which used to be assigned to the courtiers when the court resided -there. The gardens were of that formal style in which art allows as -little as possible of nature to be seen, ... where water is brought at -great expense to spout from fountains and fill circular fish-ponds, -the gardener exercises his topiary genius upon trees and shrubs, and -humble evergreens are compelled to grow in fantastic patterns, like -a vegetable carpet. The park was a thick wood, with broad avenues, a -central pond having a pavilion in its centre, and a large piece of -water at its termination, on which gilded gondolas awaited the king’s -pleasure when he was disposed to take the diversion of fishing, his -retinue beholding the sport from the little pavilions which decorated -its sides. Like all the other palaces of the kings of Spain, the Buen -Retiro was a place in which a meditative beholder was forcibly reminded -of the vanity of human greatness. Those kings, above all other European -sovereigns, had been loved and reverenced by their people; their -palaces were among the wonders of the modern world, and no expenditure, -no efforts of ingenuity and art had been spared in embellishing their -summer retreats: but these things had been grievously compensated, -not alone by the never-ending anxieties of state, and the gloom of -disappointed ambition, but by a more than ordinary share of the -afflictions incident to human nature, coming upon themselves or their -families, ... maladies of body and of mind alike incurable and painful; -... madness, fatuity, weak intellects, ... conscious of their weakness, -and of the awful responsibility in which their birth had placed them, -... morbid consciences, and broken hearts. - -After the accession of Charles III. the Retiro ceased to be a royal -residence, and part of its buildings were converted into a royal -manufactory of porcelain. Its park, however, continued to be a -fashionable promenade, the more agreeable, because carriages were not -allowed to enter; but the French had now made it a depôt for their -artillery stores, the victims whom they arrested for political offences -were confined there, and they had fortified it as a military post, but -with less judgment than their engineers had displayed on any other -occasion. ♦SURRENDER OF THE RETIRO.♦ The outer line was formed by the -palace, the museum, and the park wall, with flèches thrown out in part -to flank it; the second was a bastioned line of nine large fronts, but -with no outworks except a ravelin and a lunette; the interior was an -octagonal star fort, closely surrounding what had been the porcelain -manufactory. The garrison was far too small for the outer enceintes, -and Marshal Jourdan had therefore left written orders, that if they -were seriously attacked, they should confine their defence to the star -fort, which, however, itself would be rendered nearly indefensible if -the manufactory were destroyed. A copy of this order was found, and on -the night of the 13th, Major-General Pakenham drove in their posts from -the Prado and the botanical garden, made them retire from the outer -enceintes, broke through the wall in many places, ♦AUGUST 14.♦ and -established his troops in the palace. In the morning arrangements were -made for driving them from the bastioned lines, and for battering the -manufactory; but the governor saw that resistance was useless, and he -surrendered. The number of prisoners taken there and in the hospital -amounted to 2500, and there fell into the hands of the allies 189 -pieces of cannon, and above 20,000 stand of arms, with a great quantity -of ammunition and stores of all kinds. The eagles also of the 13th and -51st regiments were found there, and sent to England. - -♦THE CONSTITUTION SWORN TO.♦ - -The inhabitants of Madrid, who looked upon this strong hold of their -oppressors as a Bastille, were desirous of thronging thither to see -the place where so many of their countrymen had been sacrificed; but -this was not permitted, both the British commander and the Spanish -authorities seeking as much as possible to prevent any thing which -might excite the vindictive feelings of the people. That same day, -the churches in every parish were opened for administering the oath -of fidelity to the new constitution; and multitudes crowding thither -with an eagerness which might well have excited apprehension of its -stability, swore to they knew not what. Napoleon, it was said, had -promised to regenerate them, and they were regenerated; for through -his means, who had intended nothing less, the Spaniard had been -converted from a slave to a citizen; the superstitious had thrown off -his prejudices, the coward his fears, the credulous his credulity; the -idle had become industrious, the selfish man generous, and the reckless -one had learned to think. While those who knew little of history and -less of human nature exulted thus in the persuasion, that the habits -of a whole people might be changed as lightly as an inconsiderate man -changes his opinion, and that inveterate evils may suddenly be cured -by legislation as if by miracle, and leave no scar behind; the general -joy was kept up by fast following tidings from all parts of successes, -which, though little more than the necessary consequences in most -instances of the battle of Salamanca and the occupation of Madrid, were -considered each by the multitude as an important achievement in itself. -On the same day that the Retiro was surrendered, the French withdrew -from Toledo to join the army of the centre, with which the Intruder -was retreating towards Valencia: they destroyed their artillery, and -all the ammunition which they could not carry; and hardly had they -left the city before the Abuelo’s party entered, and the bells rung, -and the squares and streets were illuminated. ♦AUGUST 16.♦ Guadalaxara -was attacked by the Empecinado, and after a vain resistance, above 700 -French were made prisoners there. The enemy retired from Logroño, and -Duran hastened thither and destroyed its outer fortifications, its -fort, and its inquisition. A detachment was sent from Zaragoza to bring -away the garrisons from Tarrazona and Borja, and destroy the works -there. - -♦GEN. FOY’S MOVEMENT.♦ - -General Foy, with 6000 infantry and 1200 horse, part of Marmont’s army, -now under his command, moved from the neighbourhood of Valladolid -with the intent of raising the blockade of Toro and Zamora, and the -siege of Astorga. The garrison at Tordesillas, consisting of 250 men, -had previously surrendered to ♦AUGUST 17.♦ Santocildes. The Spaniards -retired from before Toro at their approach, in good order and with -little loss; the enemy bringing off their garrison, were then joined -by another body of equal force, and proceeded towards Astorga; 300 of -their cavalry were sent forward to that city, but when they entered -it they found that the Spaniards had withdrawn, and had marched the -garrison, consisting of 1200 men, prisoners towards Coruña: for -Castaños knowing that a force was advancing which his army was in no -condition to meet, had successfully employed the easy artifice of -representing to ♦AUGUST 18.♦ the commander that relief was impossible, -and resistance hopeless, and thus he had induced him to ♦AUGUST 21.♦ -surrender. Foy was at Baneza, half way between Benevente and Astorga, -when he received this mortifying intelligence; he then turned back to -the Ezla, and marched upon Carvajales, thinking to surprise the Conde -de Amarante, who with the militia of Tras-os-Montes, then serving -voluntarily beyond their own frontier, was blockading Zamora; the Conde -retreated ♦AUGUST 29.♦ without loss, and the French general bringing -off the garrison marched for Tordesillas. - -Some of the traitors who had made themselves conspicuous in the -Intruder’s service, fell into the hands of ♦MEASURES OF POLICE AT -MADRID.♦ their countrymen at Guadalaxara; others who were conscious -that they had been weak rather than wicked, and that in submitting to -him for their own good, they had not aggravated the crime by injuring -those who had persisted in their duty, presented themselves voluntarily -to the newly constituted authorities in Madrid, thinking it better to -take the chance of mercy, than to fly they knew not whither, without -resources, without friends, and without the consolation which those -who act righteously find in their own hearts. There were writers on -this occasion who cried for vengeance in a most ferocious spirit. -They called upon the people of Madrid to prepare graves for their -guilty countrymen who had thus presented themselves at the foot of -the gallows! They advised them to go to the governor, and with one -voice require justice upon these wretches, as what the nation was -entitled to demand; ... the sword for some, chains for others, and -strict confinement till the conclusion of the war for those who were -suspected, and who, if they were left at large, might act as secret -agents for the French. This atrocious language failed of its intended -effect, for the presence of the allied troops maintained order; and a -vigilant police had been established, not for the oppression of the -people, but for their security. - -No needless severity was used. D. Carlos d’España made known by -an edict, that persons of both sexes in that capital carried on -a correspondence with those unhappy Spaniards who had followed -the French, and that in this manner they supplied the enemy with -intelligence; all such communication, therefore, was prohibited -to all persons, on pain of being brought before a council of war, -and condemned irremissibly to suffer the punishment appointed for -spies. The families of the fugitives, and of those who had enriched -themselves by the purchase of what the Intrusive Government called -national goods, were ordered to remain in their houses under the -word of three respectable sureties, and not to leave them except for -the purpose of attending their religious duties; but their wives -and daughters were advised to retire into a convent, as the course -which consisted best with their own honour, and with that of their -husbands and fathers, for whom they might there offer up their prayers, -supplicating Providence to bring them in its mercy back to the path of -duty which they had forsaken. - -How to deal with the _juramentados_, as those Spaniards were called who -had entered into Joseph’s armies, was a question which now became of -great importance. Hitherto it had been possible to execute the rigour -of the law, and put to death those who were taken in arms against -their country; but the tide having now turned, it might reasonably -be expected that they would eagerly desert a cause in which they had -never heartily engaged; and the policy of thus recruiting the Spanish -army, instead of driving these men to despair, was so evident, that -Alava, immediately on the occupation of Madrid, issued a proclamation, -as commissary for the Government, inviting them to accept the free -pardon which the Cortes had offered them on the publication of the new -constitution. Great numbers in consequence came over. Another measure -of the Intrusive Government, which was not less obvious and dangerous -in its possible results, than the scheme of raising a Spanish force -to be employed in the subjugation of Spain, was that of selling or -otherwise disposing of confiscated houses and lands, and thus binding -the new possessors to their allegiance by the only tie which they would -not be likely under any circumstances to break. They had contrived thus -to connect with the French interest many who would have been unwilling -or unable to purchase property of this description; for under pretext -of embellishing the capital, they pulled down about a fourth of it, and -by way of compensating the owners of the demolished dwellings, assigned -among them in exchange the houses of those who adhered to the national -cause. This policy the Cortes met by a timely decree, declaring all -purchases of confiscated estates null, and empowering the rightful -owners to enter upon them whenever the fortune of war should permit, -and authorising them to exact from the intrusive proprietors the mean -profits, and the amount of any waste which they might have committed. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON’S SITUATION.♦ - -Lord Wellington was now enjoying the highest reward which can fall to -the lot of a successful commander. He was living in a palace, the most -magnificent in Europe, from which he had driven an Usurper; and the -blessings of the people accompanied him wherever he went. The municipal -authorities gave a bull-fight in his honour, and when he appeared in -the royal box, the air rung with the repeated shouts of not less than -12,000 spectators. He could not walk abroad by daylight because of -the pressure of the multitudes who gathered round him; even in the -dark when he went into the Prado, though he and his suite were dressed -in blue great coats in hopes of escaping notice, they were generally -recognized and followed by crowds, the women pressing to shake hands, -and some even to embrace them. Welcomed as he was with overflowing joy -by a grateful people as their deliverer, his satisfaction would have -been complete, if the same difficulties with which he had struggled -since the commencement of the war had not still impeded his plans; -for he was still embarrassed by the want of adequate means, and -disappointed in his hopes of co-operation. He was without money. -The United States of America had declared war against Great Britain, -with no just cause, nor even plausible pretext for hostilities. Lord -Wellington received the news of this declaration immediately after the -battle of Salamanca. The troops in Portugal depended in great measure -for corn upon the importation from America to that country; and he -deemed it necessary, without delay, to make large purchases at Lisbon, -that the subsistence of the army might not be endangered. But this -required a great expenditure, the effect of which was now severely -felt, for no pecuniary resources were to be found in Madrid. The -inhabitants fed the garrison, and the produce of the sequestered ♦COL. -JONES’S ACCOUNT OF THE WAR, 2. 122.♦ and crown lands was readily given -up to the allies, on promise of future payment; but when money was -required for the military chest, a few thousand dollars were all that -could be procured upon the most unquestionable security, and of this -sum much was in base coin. - -♦ANGLO-SICILIAN ARMY.♦ - -Lord Wellington had counted with as much confidence as he ever allowed -himself to place upon arrangements which were not wholly under his own -control, on the promised co-operation of an expedition to the eastern -coast. The most urgent solicitations from that part of Spain for aid -had long been disregarded by the British Government; and the Catalans, -who of all the Spaniards made the greatest and most persevering -exertions in their own defence, had been left from the commencement -of the struggle until this time with no other help than occasional -supplies of money and arms, scantily apportioned, and the assistance -of a few ships of war. And now, when the strong fortresses, one after -another had fallen, and the British Government at length resolved -to withdraw part of its troops from Sicily, where the intrigues of -that poor kingdom, and the expectation of chances in Italy which -were little likely to occur, and of little importance if they had -occurred, had unduly detained them; only 6000 men were detached from -Sicily, without cavalry, and a considerable number of them consisting -of such foreigners as could be enlisted in the Mediterranean. -Lieutenant-General Maitland was appointed to the command, and they -sailed in company with a squadron from the Mediterranean fleet under -Rear-Admiral Hallowell. The common opinion was that they were destined -for Corfu, because heavy artillery was embarked with them. - -♦MAJORCAN DIVISION.♦ - -The Majorcan division of Spanish troops which was to co-operate with -them, was supposed to be in a more efficient state than any of the -Spanish armies. This division had been raised upon the suggestion of -General Whittingham, Majorca being a safe place, where they might be -properly trained before they were brought into the field; but the -materials were not so unexceptionable as the design. Some 250 Germans -who had been made prisoners with Dupont’s army, were taken from the -island of Cabrera as volunteers; though, if free-will had influenced -them, they would, like the Swiss, have entered the Spanish service upon -the first opportunity, instead of remaining two years in that miserable -place of confinement. Majorca itself supplied so few willing soldiers, -that criminals who had been transported thither from Catalonia and -Valencia were enlisted, ... fellows of such a description, that those -who were not deemed capable of service were kept in prison: discipline, -however, and equitable treatment, of which even bad men are sensible, -made them better than was expected. Cuesta sent to this division all -who were discharged from the hospitals; and as runaways from the -routs in Valencia and Murcia could be collected or caught, they were -shipped for Majorca, and incorporated in this hopeful force. No -officer however was appointed without secret and strict inquiry into -his character. Other difficulties, which might not so probably have -been anticipated, impeded the equipment of this division. The plan -was unpopular in the island, the more so, perhaps, because it was set -on foot by an Englishman who was also invested with the command. Upon -Cuesta’s death, the situation of affairs was critical; the authorities -withheld all supplies from the troops, who were also threatened as well -as insulted in pasquinades: convents had been converted into barracks -for their use, and this may possibly have been one cause of offence. An -agreement had been concluded with the Dey of Algiers for a supply of -horses, but it was broken off for want of money, the Superior Junta of -Majorca disregarding all orders from the Regency. The institution of a -military academy was another cause of dislike, owing to the habits of -insubordination which prevailed in Majorca, as in every other part of -the Spanish dominions. By prudent conduct, however, impediments were -removed, and dislike softened or overcome; the troops were clothed -and armed by Great Britain, and their hospital supplied: and when the -expedition from Sicily called for them at Palma, 4500 men embarked, in -a state of efficient discipline. - -♦JULY 24. - -THE EXPEDITION ARRIVES ON THE COAST OF CATALONIA.♦ - -The fleet made for the eastern coast of Spain, and on the first of -August anchored in the bay of Blanes, at the mouth of the Tordera. The -enemy occupied Tosa, and had a redoubt there which covered the town -and protected the coast. On that and the following day demonstrations -of landing were made; but upon an interview with Eroles, it was found -that any such measure would be worse than useless, with so inadequate -a force. That able Spaniard saw that it was better for the Catalans -to be left as they had so long been to their own exertions, than to -give the French an opportunity of bringing superior numbers against -a British expedition: and it was agreed that the best service which -such a force could then perform was to secure the city of Alicante, at -that time endangered in consequence of a defeat which Joseph O’Donell -♦DEFEAT OF THE SPANIARDS AT CASTALLA. JUNE 21.♦ had suffered in its -vicinity. He had endeavoured to drive the vanguard of Marshal Suchet’s -army, under General Harispe, back upon the Xucar, from the line which -it occupied at Castalla and Ibi, and other points of the mountainous -country; but as usual, when the Spaniards were brought forward in -regular war, against well-disciplined and well-commanded troops, some -of the officers either misunderstood their orders or executed them -ill, and some of the men losing courage as soon as they lost hope, -threw into confusion those who were braver than themselves; their -loss amounted to 4000 men, being little less than the whole number -which they attacked, and they left more than 10,000 muskets in their -flight. Suchet, who was the most enterprising and successful of all -the French generals in Spain, would have taken advantage of this -shameful defeat, and endeavoured to obtain possession of Alicante, if -the force at his disposal ♦AUGUST.♦ had not been greatly diminished. -Buonaparte had withdrawn all the Poles in his service from the -peninsular, for the Russian campaign; and this deprived him of six -thousand of his best troops, at a time when his army was otherwise -greatly weakened by sending succours to Caffarelli in Navarre, and by -the increased exertions which it was necessary to make against Duran -and the Empecinado, Villacampa and Bassecourt. Before the battle of -Salamanca the Intruder, in his dreams of triumph, informed Suchet that -he must prepare for marching towards Madrid, and then accompanying him -to the Tagus; and he ordered him to form a camp of 8000 men between -Albaceyte and San Clemente; such a force it was impossible for him to -spare; he could not venture to weaken himself further than by detaching -1500 men to Requeña and Cuenca, to relieve General Darmagnac, and he -represented to Joseph that he could not move for Madrid with one of his -divisions, unless he received orders to evacuate Valencia. The last -orders from Paris were to direct all his efforts to the preservation of -the countries under his command, and to keep his force concentrated. -General Maitland knew less of Marshal Suchet’s actual strength than of -his relative superiority to any force that could be brought against -him; the best course, therefore, seemed to be that upon which he -resolved; to secure the important fortress and port of Alicante, -both as a place of arms from whence future operations might be -undertaken, and as a rallying point for the wreck of Joseph O’Donell’s -army. Thither ♦THE EXPEDITION LANDS AT ALICANTE.♦ accordingly the -Anglo-Sicilian expedition sailed: contrary winds and bad weather -retarded it some days upon the passage, but on the evening of August -the 9th they anchored in the harbour, and on the following day the -troops were landed. - -The French who were in sight of the fortress retired upon this, and -formed their line in Chichona, Ibi, Castalla, Biar, and Villena. But -Suchet saw that this position would not be tenable against General -Maitland’s corps; ♦THE FRENCH FALL BACK TO THE XUCAR.♦ he concentred -his divisions, therefore, about St. Philippe; fixed his head-quarters -in that city; threw up field-works there, and upon the high road -from Valencia to Madrid; and constructed a bridge of boats over the -Xucar, near Alberique, which he secured with a _tête-du-pont_. His -intention was not to fall back without fighting, provided the allies -should attack him only in front, and were not too greatly superior in -numbers. But the superiority was soon on his own side: the allies took -the field on the 14th, and occupied the country from which the enemy -retired; on the 18th they received intelligence that the Intruder with -the force which he could bring together was about to join the army of -Valencia, and then it became necessary for General Maitland to fall -back to his position in front of Alicante. - -The expedition which was to have effected a diversion in the east of -Spain, was thus for the time rendered useless, not having been upon a -sufficient scale to accomplish the purpose for which it was designed. -Meantime the squadron on the north-east coast proceeded successfully, -acting in concert with some of the ablest Guerrilla ♦THE FRENCH -WITHDRAW FROM SANTANDER. AUGUST 2.♦ leaders. Caffarelli found it -prudent to withdraw his garrisons from Torrelavega and Santander, lest -they should be made prisoners; the latter place was entered by Porlier; -the constitution was proclaimed there while salutes of joy were fired -by the Spanish troops and the British vessels; ♦THEY ARE DRIVEN -FROM BILBAO.♦ and Renovales made good his word to General Rouget by -driving him from Bilbao, and defeating him in an attempt at recovering -it. There also the constitution was proclaimed. The _Te Deum_ was -performed in Santiagos church, and the Cid Campeador in the theatre; -and all the unmarried men from the age of 17 to 45, were enrolled for -Mendizabal’s army. On that side there had been no want of exertion, and -no disappointment; but the Gallician army, from which more might have -been looked for, considering the resources of the province, served for -little more than to manifest the gross incapacity or negligence with -which ♦STATE OF THE GALLICIAN ARMY.♦ affairs of the greatest moment -were conducted: nominally it amounted to 30,000 men, and nearly that -number were supposed to be mustered, paid and fed, and yet 11,000 -infantry and 350 horse were all that Santocildes had under his command, -and these were badly disciplined and miserably equipped. - -♦THE FRENCH BREAK UP THE SIEGE OF CADIZ. - -AUGUST 20.♦ - -On the night of the eighth day after the entrance of the allies into -Madrid, the news of that event reached Cadiz, where it excited among -the inhabitants the joyful hope of being speedily delivered from the -blockade: and deeper emotions in those exiles who had left their houses -and families in the metropolis. On the 24th the French broke up the -siege; they threw shells during the preceding night; those which were -filled with lead and discharged from howitzers with a velocity of about -2000 feet per second, ♦SIR HOWARD DOUGLAS’S NAVAL GUNNERY, P. 61.♦ -ranged to the astonishing distance of three miles. They burst their -guns by overcharging them, placing their muzzles one against another -and exploding them by means of portfires and trains; and thus almost -the whole of their artillery between Chiclana and Rota, consisting -of 600 pieces, were rendered unserviceable. Many, however, were left -uninjured for the Spaniards to take possession of, as well as thirty -gun-boats, and a great quantity of stores. The necessity of this -retreat had been foreseen by Soult as soon as he was informed of the -battle of Salamanca. Before that action he had been meditating another -attack upon Tarifa, as a place from whence he could easily communicate -with Tangiers and the Barbary coast, and thus secure supplies for -feeding the army under his command. Sir Rowland Hill’s movements -withdrew him from this project: and after Marmont’s defeat he prepared -to abandon Seville, but to hold the Carthusian convent there, which he -occupied as a citadel. Strong working parties were employed in adding -to its defences, while at the same time the French packed up their -public documents and their private plunder for removal. But on this -occasion the Spaniards were on the alert. - -♦MOVEMENT OF LA CRUZ MOURGEON AND COL. SKERRETT UPON SEVILLE.♦ - -As early as the middle of August the enemy had blown up the Castle of -Niebla, and retired from the whole county of that name; and on the very -day that they broke up from before Cadiz, Camp Marshal D. Juan de la -Cruz Mourgeon, in concert with Colonel Skerrett, judged it advisable to -make a forward movement on Seville, and for this purpose to force the -corps of observation at San Lucar la Mayor, consisting of 350 cavalry -and 200 foot. Brigadier-General Downie was second in command of the -Spanish force. This officer was born in Stirlingshire, and commenced -his military career by accompanying Miranda in his first expedition -to Venezuela, an adventure for which those foreigners who were taken -in it paid the forfeit of their lives. He joined Sir J. Moore’s army -as Assistant Commissary-General, was with Sir Arthur Wellesley in the -campaign of 1809, and in the ensuing year, having entered the Spanish -service, raised, with the approbation of his own government, the loyal -legion of Extremadura and was appointed Colonel-Commandant thereof. -The legion was armed and clothed by the British Government, and he -revived in it the old Spanish costume, ... or something resembling it; -and several of the young nobility are said to have entered it on that -account. By this and by his character, which in some respects resembled -their own, he made himself popular among the Spaniards; insomuch -that the Marquesa de Conquista, the representative of the Pizarros, -presented him with the sword of her ancestor, the famous, or infamous, -conqueror of Peru. - -They marched from Manzanilla with 800 men, consisting of the 1st -regiment of guards, the 87th, and a Portugueze regiment, accompanied -by 600 Spanish troops: the Spaniards attacked on the right, the British -and Portugueze on the left: the enemy were driven through the streets, -leaving some killed, wounded, and prisoners, and the allies took post -at San Lucar without the loss of a man. Leaving his advance in that -town, and the British and Portugueze on the right bank of the river San -Lucar, the Spanish general returned to Castilleja del Campo, being the -place whither the persons from whom he received intelligence directed -their communications. Various and contradictory accounts were brought -thither on the morning of the 26th concerning the intentions of the -enemy in Seville; but in the afternoon he received positive information -that Soult, with the greater part of his force, was about to move by -way of Alcala upon Marchena. Arrangements were immediately made, that -the troops should collect at San Lucar, and after two hours’ rest -there, proceed towards Seville at three on the following morning, in -the hope that by this movement they might accelerate the retreat of -the French, and save Seville from being plundered. On arriving at -Espartinas, they ascertained that Soult had left the city with 5000 -foot and 500 horse. General Mourgeon, upon this, sending out some -Guerrillas to cover his flanks, proceeded, and arrived on the heights -♦AUGUST 27.♦ of Castilleja de la Cuesta, immediately above Seville, at -six in the morning. The French, occupied some olive grounds close to -the village, and some forty infantry garrisoned the redoubt of Santa -Brigida from which the guns had been withdrawn. They were driven from -the olive grounds into the plain, where for awhile the cavalry, 100 in -number, protected the retreat of the foot, some 150: but they were so -pressed by the Spanish vanguard and annoyed by an English field-piece, -that they took to flight, and many of the men were made prisoners. The -redoubt was attacked at the same time, with more bravery than judgment, -and the Spaniards sustained some loss; the columns then advanced into -the plain, by which the redoubt was turned and its communication cut -off: and Colonel Skerrett ordered it to be masked by a detachment of -Portugueze. - -♦THE FRENCH DRIVEN FROM SEVILLE.♦ - -The Spaniards then made a detour to the right, in order to reach -the bridge of Triana by the road of S. Juan de Alfarache, and thus -intercept the retreat of the enemy and prevent them from cutting or -burning the bridge. Skerrett, meantime, advanced a field-piece to -keep in check the enemy’s fire at one of the gates opposite; and -after allowing time for the Spanish column to arrive, the British and -Portugueze advanced to the attack in front, the cavalry and artillery -at a gallop, supported by the grenadiers of the guards and the infantry -following. The enemy abandoned the gate: the British and Portugueze -entered the suburb, and advanced near to the bridge as rapidly as -possible; they were checked at the turn of the street by a fire of -grape-shot and musketry; the grenadiers advanced to their support; the -Spanish cavalry under D. José Canterac, (whom Mourgeon, foreseeing the -necessity, had ordered to leave the column and hasten straight through -the suburb, arrived at this point of time,) and the allies, drove every -thing before them. They advanced to the bridge under a heavy fire. The -enemy had retired from the plain in three columns, with two pieces -of artillery and 200 horse; and had taken a position with the river -on their right, and their rear resting on the suburb: two guns were -brought to bear on them by Captain Roberts of the artillery; they were -driven from their position, and then made a stand upon the bridge, -which they hoped to defend long enough to gain time for destroying -it. Downie with his legion twice attempted to force a passage, and was -twice repulsed, and each time wounded. In a third attempt he leaped -over the chasm which the enemy had then made; and at the same moment -a grape-shot shattered his cheek-bone and destroyed one of his eyes. -He fell from his horse, stunned by the wound; when his recollection -returned he found himself a prisoner, but in time to throw Pizarro’s -sword among his own people. On their part the attack was kept up with -so much spirit, aided as they now were by some guns well placed and -well-worked, that the enemy could not extend the breach which they -had made: and the inhabitants, even while their fire continued, set -all the bells ringing, displayed hangings from their balconies as for -a festival, hastened to the bridge and laid planks across the chasm, -and enabled their deliverers to pass. The French then retired to the -Triunfo and there again made a stand; but soon retreated through the -city, and leaving it by the Puerta Nueva and the Puerta de Carmona, -took the direction of Alcala. They left there two pieces of artillery, -many horses, much baggage, and some two hundred prisoners. The -deliverers could make no speed in pursuing them, for the streets were -crowded with rejoicing multitudes, and their previous exertions as -well as their want of cavalry would have made it imprudent to continue -the pursuit. Downie was treated with great barbarity by his captors. -Miserably wounded as he was, he was tied upon the carriage of a gun, -and in that condition dragged along with them in their retreat; and -this is said to have been done by General Villatte’s direction. Having -taken him some forty miles, and not expecting him to survive, they left -him in a hut, taking however, his parole not to serve again in case of -recovery, till he should have been regularly exchanged. - -By this well-timed enterprise, Seville was saved from the contribution -which would have been exacted from it, and the devastation which was -threatened. A division of French troops, about 7000 in number, from the -blockade of Cadiz, passed by during the following night; they meant to -have taken up their quarters there; but supposing that it was occupied -by Sir Rowland Hill’s force, they had no inclination to encounter such -an enemy, and moved hastily to their right, on Carmona. Ballasteros had -hung upon their flank from Ronda, and continued to harass them till -they reached Granada. From thence Soult concerted his movements with -Suchet and the Intruder. Sir Rowland meantime was ordered to the Tagus -with his corps, there to connect its operations with the main body of -the allied army, and the British troops from Cadiz were embarked for -Lisbon. - -♦REJOICINGS AT SEVILLE.♦ - -On the second day after the deliverance of Seville, the constitution -was proclaimed there in the Plaza de S. Francisco with the same success -as in other parts of Spain. A bull fight also was exhibited, for the -twofold purpose of gratifying the people in what to the disgrace of the -Spaniards was their favourite diversion, and of raising money for the -troops. Among other rejoicings, the Inquisition prepared to celebrate -a thanksgiving festival; but General Mourgeon intimated to them that -he had no authority to re-establish them, and that they would not be -suffered to appear as a corporate body. By the retreat of the French -from Andalusia, a large and populous, and most productive province -reverted to the legitimate government: but, though its resources were -thus increased, there was little ground for hoping that they would be -directed with more ability than in the early part of the struggle. -There was the same generous and devoted sense of duty to their country -in individuals; the same strong spirit of nationality in the great -body of the people; but on the part of the government there were the -same embarrassments to contend with; the same inexperience which the -frequent changes in administration allowed no time for curing, and the -same incapacity which no experience could cure. The ablest heads were -more intent upon carrying into effect their own theories of political -reformation, than of devising means to complete the deliverance of the -country. The indiscretion with which they hurried on measures that -the people were wholly unprepared for, provoked a strong resistance -in the Cortes itself; and the obstinate bigotry of the one party was -not more manifest than the presumptuous confidence, and the political -intolerance of the other. A jealousy of the English prevailed even in -persons whose hatred of the French could not be doubted; and in some -it seemed to acquire ♦HONOURS RENDERED TO LORD WELLINGTON.♦ strength -in proportion to the celebrity which Lord Wellington had obtained; -the people however rendered justice to his merits, as in such cases -they will always do when they are not artfully misled; the Great Lord -was the appellation which they commonly gave him, and no indication -was wanting of that national gratitude which he so well deserved. The -Regency had conferred upon him the order of the Golden Fleece; and -through their hands the Condessa de Chincon, D. Maria Teresa de Borbon, -presented him with the collar of the order, which had belonged to her -father the Infante D. Luiz; that it had been her father’s, she said, -was the only thing which made it valuable to her; but for its intrinsic -value it was a princely present. - -♦ST. TERESA APPOINTED CO-PATRONESS OF SPAIN.♦ - -A subject not less characteristic than curious had been brought -before the Government. The barefooted Carmelites in Cadiz presented a -memorial, stating that Philip III. and the Cortes of 1617, had chosen -St. Teresa for patroness and advocate of Spain, under the Apostle -Santiago, that the nation in all its emergencies might invoke her, -and avail itself of her intercession. At that time the saint had only -been beatified; but her canonization shortly afterwards took place, -and then the Cortes of 1626 published the decree, which was confirmed -by Pope Urban VIII., without prejudice to the rights of Santiago, St. -Michael the Archangel, and the most Holy Virgin. Jealous, nevertheless, -of the imprescriptible rights of their own saint, the chapter of -Compostella exerted their influence at Rome with such success, that -the decree was suspended against the wishes both of the King and -Cortes. That wish, however, continued in the royal family; and Charles -II., in a codicil to his will, declaring that he had always desired -to establish the co-patronship of St. Teresa for the benefit of his -kingdom, charged his successors to effect it. The Carmelites now -urged that at no time could it more properly be effected than at the -present, when her potent patronage was needed against invaders, who -sowed the seeds of impiety wherever they carried their arms. This -memorial was referred to a special ecclesiastical commission; and in -conformity to the opinion of that commission the Cortes elected St. -Teresa patroness and protectress, under Santiago, of those kingdoms; -decreed that her patronship should forthwith take effect; enjoined -all archbishops, bishops, and prelates, to see that the correspondent -alterations should be made in the ritual for the saint’s day; and -required the Regency to give orders for printing, publishing, and -circulating this decree. The community of the barefooted Carmelites -then returned thanks for this appointment of their Mother the Saint. -“It was a decree,” they said, “which would fill all the natives -of those kingdoms with consolation and hope, and they flattered -themselves that from that moment Spain would experience the powerful -intercession of its new protectress.” “My great Mother, S. Teresa -de Jesus, Co-patroness of the Spains!” exclaimed the prior, in an -address which was printed among the proceedings of the Cortes, “the -very idea makes me eternally bless the law that sanctions it. This has -been a business of much time, an affair of some ages, a work of many -and mighty hands; but the glory of completing it has been reserved -for the fathers of the country, for the congress of lights, for your -majesty the Cortes, which has been the glorious instrument of this work -of the Eternal. And it was fitting that the country of heroes should -have the heroine of nations at its head, who like another mother of -the Maccabees should encourage its sons to triumph and to glory. This -Deborah is not less sage than she who judged Israel, not less valiant; -and the Baraks who will come forward under her protection will not be -intimidated by danger. She is not a Moabitess to pervert the armies of -Israel. She is a Jael who will destroy the forces of _Sennacherib_; -a Semiramis, who will overthrow the hosts of the sanguinary Cyrus. -At the sight of this fortunate Esther, Spain would lift her head and -conceive higher hopes. The unanimous consent of the whole nation, the -vows of the Spaniards of both hemispheres, would rise to heaven, and -uniting themselves at this moment with the intercessions of their great -Co-patroness, form that imperious voice which commands the winds and -the tempests, rules the seas, makes itself felt in the dark regions of -the abyss, and ascending the eternal mountain of the Lord, puts aside -the decree of extermination that threatens us, substitutes for it that -of our aggrandizement and elevation, and brings a blessing upon those -judicious, prudent, ♦DIARIO DE LAS CORTES, T. 14. PP. 56, 94, 96, 103.♦ -and sage Mordecais, whose wise resolution has been the cause of this -portent.” In this language did the descendants of the Prophets who -dwelt on Mount Carmel, the children of the great Teresa, offer upon -the altar of gratitude the incense of their respect and veneration to -the Cortes! - -While one set of unbelievers promoted this act of superstition, and -another condescended to it, a decree of more consequence was obtained -from the Spanish Government, which had become sensible that the war -must now be carried on upon one plan of operations, under the direction -of a single mind, and that a mind equal to the ♦LORD WELLINGTON -APPOINTED COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF THE SPANISH ARMIES.♦ emergency had been -manifested in Lord Wellington. The Cortes therefore conferred upon him -the command in chief of the Spanish armies, during the co-operation -of the allied forces in the defence of the peninsula; and the Marquis -signified his acceptance of the charge, subject to the Prince Regent’s -approbation, “the delay of obtaining which,” he said, “would not -impede his operations, because, upon all occasions on which he had -communicated with the Generals and Commandants of the Spanish troops, -he had received from them the utmost attention, and all the assistance -which they could afford him.” The Prince’s consent was not delayed; -and in signifying it, his Royal Highness expressed his satisfaction in -the measure, as considering it to be a just and signal proof that the -Spanish nation rightly appreciated the military talents and reputation -of Lord Wellington, and that the Cortes had taken a comprehensive view -of the manner in which the war ought to be conducted. - -♦HIS SITUATION AT MADRID.♦ - -Lord Wellington meantime had more reason to be satisfied with the -approbation of his own Government, than with the support that it -afforded him. Successful as his campaign had thus far been, there -had been a loss of time in it, for want of means, and that want had -occasioned much to depend upon the chance of circumstances; whereas, -had there been an adequate force under his command, the results would -have depended as far as possible in war, upon his own sagacity, and -the superiority of British troops. An additional force of 15,000 men, -with which to have covered the northern frontier during the siege -of Badajoz, would have enabled him to fulfil his first intention of -marching upon Seville, after the fall of that fortress; the campaign -might then have been commenced two months earlier, and time would have -remained, after having freed the south of Spain, for operations in the -centre and north. Having been compelled to abandon that intention, -lest Marmont should recover Ciudad Rodrigo and overrun the north of -Portugal, he had succeeded to his utmost hopes in the plan which he -had of necessity adopted, not of choice. After that success, the -want of adequate means left him as little choice as before. To have -marched into Valencia against the collected armies of Soult, Suchet, -and the Intruder, would have rendered it impossible to keep up his -communications with Portugal; and except on that communication he could -have no safe dependence for supplies. There was moreover the weighty -consideration that the yellow fever had broken out in Murcia, and had -approached so near to Alicante, that the most rigorous precautions -were deemed necessary for preserving that part of the country from -the contagion. But independent of all other considerations, he had -neither sufficient troops to attack the united forces in the south, -nor sufficient money to subsist his army beyond Madrid. Of the 70,000 -dollars which he had borrowed there, he was obliged to make over half -to the Portugueze, for the relief of their pressing necessities; and he -had raised the loan on condition of repaying it at the expiration of a -month. By acting in the north he should keep open his communication and -his retreat; and in the north also the reinforcements, which after the -tidings of his success he was sure would be expedited by all possible -exertions, might join him before the enemy could move against him with -their combined forces, from all quarters. The Intruder had with him -14,000 men, Suchet had 28,000 disposable in the field, and the army -of the south, under Soult, consisted of 55,000; in all 97,000: in the -north, there were the army of the north 10,000 strong, and the remains -of Marmont’s army, now under Clausel, estimated at 25,000. Against this -force, which had resumed its activity, it was resolved to act; and to -this determination there was the farther motive, that if the Galician -army were put in possession of Burgos, the castle there might enable it -to make a stand upon that front, and with the assistance of a British -and Portugueze corps to hold the army of Portugal in check while he -should be engaged in active operations in the south. The castle would -thus become a _tête-de-cantonment_ to this corps of observation, and -the French when deprived of it would not possess any strong post on the -great line of communication between France and the interior of Spain, -this castle commanding the only good road for artillery, and for the -movement of convoys. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON MOVES TOWARD BURGOS.♦ - -Accordingly, on the 1st September, Lord Wellington departed from -Madrid, leaving the two divisions which were most in need of rest in -garrison there. Sir Rowland was ordered to the Xarama, so to cover the -capital on that side; and Ballasteros was requested to join him, in -case Soult, whose retreat from Andalusia was not yet known, should move -on Madrid; otherwise to be in readiness for acting upon the Marshal’s -line of march. The troops collected at Arevalo, moved from thence on -the 4th, and on the 6th crossed the Douro at the fords of Herrera and -♦THE FRENCH WITHDRAW FROM VALLADOLID.♦ El Abrojo; the enemy withdrew -from Valladolid at their approach, crossed the Pisuerga, blew up the -centre arch of the bridge, and retired along the right bank of that -river to Dueñas. Some skirmishing took place in front of that town, -and the cavalry picket drove the enemy out, and established themselves -there on the night of the 10th. On the following day, Lord Wellington -entered Palencia, where the English as usual were received with joyful -acclamations, and where the new Constitution was proclaimed. From -thence he communicated with Santocildes, and there learned from him to -how small a force the Galician army amounted, and how little that force -could be relied on. With all Lord Wellington’s experience of Spanish -co-operation, he had not expected this; knowing both the ability and -good-will of Castaños, he hoped to have found the army in a state of -such efficiency that he might have stationed it at Burgos in a few -days, and then without loss of time have returned to Madrid, there -to prepare for the contest which might be expected in that quarter. -The Galician army joined at Pampaliega on the 16th; the 11,000 of -whom it consisted were then separated into three divisions, and each -was directed to march in rear of a British division, no doubt being -entertained but that they would behave well if they were not exposed to -heavy attacks of the enemy’s cavalry. - -♦THE ALLIES ADVANCE TO BURGOS.♦ - -The allies now moved up the beautiful valley of the Pisuerga, from -Valladolid, along the right bank of the river, to the place where it -receives the Arlanzon; and then along both banks of the Arlanzon, up -its valley towards Burgos. It is a tract of country in which nature -seems to invite human industry, and man has not been negligent in -profiting by the advantages of soil and climate and running waters. -Every inch of the valley is cultivated, and the hills are on both sides -covered with cornfields and vineyards. The country is as strong also -in a military point of view as it is fertile; out of the high road in -the valley the way is continually interrupted by rivulets and deep -ditches: the hills on either side afford admirable flanks for the -movements of an army, and there are heights from the river to the hills -on either side for strong defensive positions. The French General was -not a man to overlook this advantage, and the enemy were found on the -16th strongly posted with their left on the Arlanzon and their right -on the mountains. Lord Wellington made arrangements to turn their -position; but they decamped during the night, and in the morning their -whole army was seen retiring in five columns along the valley, and the -hills on either side. They were estimated at about 18,000 infantry and -more than 2000 horse, and their line of baggage was longer and closer -than men who had served in India had ever seen with an Indian army; -for they had pressed all the cattle in the country, and left nothing -transportable for any marauders who might follow them. Clausel entered -Burgos on the evening of the 17th; Marmont and Bonnet, who were still -incapacitated by their wounds, had left that city a few days before. -Caffarelli came thither from Vittoria to confer with him: a council of -war was held that night; at two in the morning the French commenced -their retreat, and by ten o’clock they had left the city and the -suburbs. - -♦BURGOS.♦ - -Fabling authors have ascribed the foundation of Burgos to an imaginary -King Brygus, and mistaken antiquaries have endeavoured to identify -its site with that of the one or other Augostobriga, both having -been far distant. The earliest authentic accounts speak only of some -scattered habitations in this well-watered part of the country, till, -at the latter end of the ninth century, D. Diego Rodriguez, Count of -Castile, better known in Spanish history as Diego Porcelos, erected -a castle there by order of Alfonso III., and founded a frontier town -under its protection, which, from the old Burgundian word for a -fortress, obtained the name of Burgos. The castle was built upon a hill -which commands the rich plain watered by the rivers Arlanzon, Vena, -and Cardenuela: in former times it was of great strength and beauty, -cresting the summit of the hill, and towering above the houses, which -in those times covered the slope; but when the succession to the throne -of Castile was disputed by Alfonso V. of Portugal, against Ferdinand -and Isabella, in right of his wife Juana, the castle took part with -that injured and most unfortunate princess, and firing upon the city, -destroyed the best street, which was upon the descent: after this, the -lower ground was built upon, and the castle was left standing alone -upon the heights. During the sixteenth century, Burgos was the mart -through which the whole interior trade with the ports in the Bay of -Biscay was carried on, and from whence the Segovian cloth was sent to -all parts of Europe. Its population was then from 35,000 to 40,000, -exclusive of foreigners, who were many in number; it had been reduced -to 8000 or 9000, the place having declined after the seat of government -was fixed at Madrid. Most of the Spanish cities may be traced to much -higher antiquity; many exceed it in size; but there are few which are -connected with so many of those historical recollections in which -the Spaniards seem above all other nations to delight. It was the -birthplace of Count Ferran Gonzalez, and of the Cid Campeador; the -former used to knight his warriors in St. Lorenzo’s church. A beautiful -triumphal arch has been erected to his honour upon the site of the -dwelling in which he was born; and his statue, with those of the two -judges, Nuño Rasurez, and Layn Calvo, Diego Porcelos, the Cid, and the -Emperor Charles V., adorns the gate of St. Maria, which opens upon one -of the bridges. - -Our Edward I. was knighted by his brother-in-law, Alfonso the Wise, -in S. Maria de las Huelgas, a nunnery founded by Alfonso V. and -his English Queen Leonor, within sight of the city. Its church was -preferred by the Castilian kings for the performance of any remarkable -ceremony, the place for which was not prescribed; three kings therefore -in succession were crowned there, and it was long a place of interment -for the royal family. Except that at Fulda, no other nunnery ever -possessed such privileges, or was so largely endowed. The cathedral, -than which there is no more elaborate or more magnificent specimen of -what may be called monastic architecture, was founded in 1221, by King -St. Ferdinand and the Bishop Maurice, (who is said to have been an -Englishman, either by birth or blood,) about 150 years after the see -of Oca had been removed thither: among the relics which were shown, -there was a handkerchief of the prophet Elijah, and a lock of Abraham’s -hair, and one of St. Apollonia’s innumerable teeth. Two short leagues -from the city is the monastery of St. Pedro de Cardeña, a far older -foundation than the cathedral; where, from the time that two hundred -of its monks were massacred by the Moors the pavement used on the -anniversary of their martyrdom to sweat blood, till that blood, which -through so many centuries had cried for vengeance, was appeased by -the final subjugation of the misbelievers. There the Cid lies and his -wife Ximena: some of the French officers at the commencement of this -treacherous invasion used to visit the church and spout passages from -Corneille’s tragedy over their tomb. There too lie his daughters, D. -Elvira and D. Sol; and his father Diego Laynez; and his kinsman Alvar -Fañez Minaya, and his nephew Martin Antolinez, and Martin Pelaez, the -Asturian, names which will be held in remembrance as long as chivalrous -history shall be preserved. And before the gate of the monastery the -Cid’s good horse Bavieca lies buried, and Gil Diaz his trusty servant, -by the side of that good horse, which he had loved so well. - -But of objects of antiquity or veneration, that on which the people of -Burgos prided themselves most was a miraculous crucifix in the convent -of St. Augustine, which a merchant of that city, on his homeward -voyage from Flanders, found at sea, floating in a chest shaped like -a coffin. The learned have concluded, upon a comparison of dates and -circumstances, that it is the identical image which was carved by -Nicodemus, and carried from Jerusalem to Berytus; where, being again -nailed and pierced by unbelieving Jews in the 8th century, blood issued -from its wounds, and miraculously healed both Jews and Christians of -their diseases. When Berytus fell under the yoke of the Saracens, the -Christians, to save it from farther profanation, coffined it thus -carefully and committed it in faith to the waves. Strong, however, as -the circumstantial evidence for this identity was admitted to be, many -persons piously preferred believing that it was no work of human hands, -but had been sent from heaven, in order that there should be on earth -one perfect resemblance of our crucified Saviour. They supported this -opinion by the alleged and admitted fact, that no one has ever been -able to ascertain of what material the image is made: the flesh, they -say, is so elastic that it yields like that of a living body to the -touch, and resumes its natural rotundity when the pressure is removed; -the head moves to whatever side it may be inclined, and the arms, if -they are unfastened, fall like those of a corpse; and the hair, and -beard, and nails, seem not as if they were carved, or fixed there, but -as if they grew. Volumes have been published filled with authenticated -accounts of the miracles which this crucifix has performed. Kings, -nobles, and prelates, have vied with each other in enriching the -chapel wherein it is placed. So many lamps have been presented, that -they are said literally to have hid the vault of the chapel, covering -its whole extent; and of these the meanest were of massive silver. -On each side of the altar stood thirty silver candlesticks, each -taller than the tallest man, and heavier than many men could lift. The -candlesticks upon the altar were of massive gold; between them were -gold and silver crosses, set with precious stones; and crowns rich with -pearls and sparkling with diamonds were suspended over the altar. Above -the altar the miraculous crucifix is placed, behind three curtains -embroidered with jewellery and pearls. It was shown only to persons -of great distinction, and not to them till after many ceremonies, and -till they had heard two masses: bells were then rung to give notice -that all who were present must fall upon their knees, while the sacred -curtains were undrawn. The great captain Gonsalvo de Cordoba, when he -would have ascended to inspect it closely, was overcome with sudden -awe, and withdrew, saying he would not tempt the Lord. And Isabella, -the Catholic Queen, for whom one of the nails which fastened the -image to the cross was taken out, that she might enshrine it among -her relics, fainted when she saw the arm drop; and when she came to -herself, repenting of her intention, as though such piety had partaken -of the sin of sacrilege, ordered the nail to be reverently replaced.... -It is a relief for those whose thoughts have been long employed upon -the wickedness and the sufferings of their fellow-creatures, if their -attention can sometimes be drawn away by such examples of their -weakness and their credulity. - -♦THE ALLIES ENTER BURGOS.♦ - -When the enemy withdrew from Burgos they were joined by 9000 infantry -of the army of the north under General Souham, who took the command, -and retiring to Briviesca halted there in a strong position. On the -morning of the 18th the allies took possession of the heights to -the north-west of the castle, and entered the city, where they were -received with the usual acclamations. But this was no day of joy to the -inhabitants: the garrison, who from their fort completely commanded -both the city and the suburbs, opened a fire of musketry and grape into -the principal streets, and burned the houses which were nearest them; -and on the other hand the Guerrillas began to plunder, as if it were -an enemy’s town of which they had taken forcible possession. Alava, -by threats, by blows, and by unremitting exertions, restored order at -last; and his efforts were not a little assisted by a rumour which -he caused to be spread among them, that the French were returning in -great force: these marauders then took to their heels, and a Spanish -battalion was posted in the city, and a battalion of _caçadores_ in the -suburbs. - -♦CASTLE OF BURGOS.♦ - -On the following day the castle was invested. One division remained -on the left of the Arlanzon; part of the army forded it, and marched -round the heights of St. Miguel; their advance drove the enemy from -three detached flêches which they were constructing, to see into the -hollows on the side of the hill, and took possession of such parts as -were under cover. The remainder of the army was advanced on the high -road in front of Monasterio to cover the attack. Upon reconnoitring -the castle it was found much stronger than had been expected: it was -a lofty building, built with the solidity of old times, flanked with -small round towers, and its roof sufficiently strong to bear guns of -large calibre which the French had placed upon it. The keep had been -converted into a casemated battery; the lower part of the hill had -been surrounded by an uncovered scarp wall of difficult access, and -between these defences two lines of field-works had been constructed, -thickly planted with cannon, and encircling the hill. The garrison -under General Du Breton consisted of nearly 3000 men, well provided -with stores of all kinds. It was apparent that approaches against them -must be carried on regularly: the most sanguine entertained no hope -of succeeding in less than seven or eight days; nor would that hope -have been entertained if the deficiency of means had been considered, -unless an undue reliance had been placed upon military courage in -circumstances where skill and science are of far more avail. The -siege establishments of the army had been deficient in all the former -sieges, in all which, therefore, success had been dearly purchased; -but here there was not even the skeleton of an establishment. There -were five officers of engineers, but not a sapper or miner; and only -eight men of the royal military artificers, to whom 81 artificers of -the line were added. The artillery consisted of three 18-pounders, -and five 24-pounder iron howitzers, with 300 rounds of ammunition for -each, and 15 barrels of powder. The engineers’ stores were scanty in -proportion; but in a store which the enemy had left in the town a -considerable number of entrenching tools were found. Lord Wellington -had no other means within his reach when he moved from Madrid. He had -no means of transporting more guns and ammunition from Madrid, or from -Ciudad Rodrigo, to Burgos. The Intruder and the French armies had swept -Castille of all the mules and horses upon which they could lay hands; -and if some might still have been purchased at high prices, there was -no money to pay for them in the military chest. - -♦THE HORN WORK ON S. MIGUEL’S TAKEN.♦ - -On the side toward the country the castle was commanded by the heights -of S. Miguel, which are separated from it by a deep ravine. The summit -is about the same level as the upper works of the castle, at a -distance of 300 yards. On this height the enemy had nearly completed -a large horn work: the branches were not perfect: the rear, on the -advance of the allies, had been closed by an exceedingly strong -palisade; and in front they had begun to throw up three flêches, from -which they had now been driven. As a preliminary to any attack, it was -necessary to win the horn work. The arrangements for this were, that -two parties should march that night, one upon each salient angle of the -demi-bastions, enter the ditch, the counterscarp being unfinished, and -escalade them, under protection of 150 men, who were to march direct -on the front of the work, halt at the edge of the ditch, and keep up a -continued fire on those who defended the parapet.... A third storming -party under the Honourable Major Cocks was to march round the rear of -the work, and endeavour to force in at the gorge. This plan was better -arranged than executed. The covering party began to fire as soon as -they were put in motion, and continued firing as they advanced, till -they reached the ditch where they ought to have begun their fire: -by that time so many of their men had been killed and wounded that -the rest dispersed. The attack on both semi-bastions was not more -fortunately conducted: the ladders were not long enough for the face -of the work; ... and the troops, remembering the murderous character -of the former sieges which they had witnessed rather than their -eventual success, hung back. Major Cocks lost in advancing nearly half -his party by the fire of the castle, but he found that the garrison -of the horn work neglected the gorge, being fully occupied with the -attack in front. He therefore with little opposition got over the -palisades and entered the body of the work with about 140 men: these he -divided, posting one-half on the ramparts to ensure the entry of the -co-operating force in front, and with the other he formed opposite the -gateway, in the hope of making the garrison prisoners: they were about -500 in number, under a _chef de bataillon_, and had his support been -brought up in time there was every probability of his capturing them; -but the French running from their works, mere weight of numbers did -for them as much as determined courage could have done; they literally -ran over this little party and escaped into the ♦COL. JONES’S ACCOUNT -OF THE SIEGES, P. 191.♦ castle. Their loss did not exceed 70 men, that -of the assailants amounted to 420, including six officers killed and -fifteen wounded. - -Such a beginning, though successful, was not likely to give the troops -confidence. And it was now found, ... which could not be understood -by a ground-plan of the works, nor indeed be exactly ascertained till -they were in possession of St. Miguel’s hill, ... that although this -hill commanded from its narrow side that on which the enemy’s works -were erected, it was itself commanded by the terrace of the castle. The -breadth of St. Miguel’s is parallel to the length of the castle-hill, -and consequently St. Miguel’s is outflanked by the castle-hill; and as -the surrounding ground is so low as to be completely overlooked, and -commanded by that hill, it was impossible to erect batteries on any -spot except the narrow ridge, which was not only out-flanked by the -opposite height, ♦FAILURE IN ASSAULTING THE FIRST LINE.♦ but commanded -by it. Trenches however were now opened to secure a communication -with the horn work, and afford cover for the men; batteries were -erected; and in order to save the troops from unnecessary fatigue, Lord -Wellington resolved to assault the outer line, on the night of the -22nd, without waiting to form a breach in it. A party of Portugueze -were to advance from some houses in the suburb close to the wall, -cut down the palisades, and take the line in flank and rear, while a -British party were to advance under a ridge of ground, and escalade -the wall in front. The houses afforded cover to the one party, the -ridge to the other, until the moment of attack. But no serious attack -was made; the Portugueze were checked by a fire from a guard-house on -the line, and could not be induced to enter the ditch: the British -planted their ladders, and the officers mounted, but very few men -followed them. Major Lawrie of the 79th, who commanded this party, was -killed. Captain Frazer Mackenzie was struck down by a blow on the head; -he recovered himself, mounted a second time, and was shot through the -knee. The enemy, whose attention was not diverted by any other attack, -mounted the parapet, and fired down upon the assailants, who stood -crowded in the ditch unable now to advance, and still unwilling to -retire. Lord Wellington was watching the attack from the hill of St. -Miguel, under a fire of musketry, grape-shot, and shells; and when he -saw that the Portugueze did nothing, and that the party in front made -no progress, he ordered the attempt to be relinquished, after the loss -of about three hundred and thirty men. The wounded were brought in in -the morning during an hour’s truce. - -♦A SECOND ASSAULT FAILS.♦ - -The original plan was now resumed of working up to the wall, and mining -under it. The enemy placed two or three guns behind a projecting -palisade, which was so close as perfectly to secure them, and from -whence they did great execution. As there were neither sappers, miners, -nor pioneers, the engineer officers were obliged not only to direct -every operation, but to stand by and instruct the working parties; and -while thus employed, Captain Williams was killed. It seemed miraculous -that any of these valuable officers escaped. The enemy could not now -but have discovered that the besiegers were miserably provided with -artillery, and that they had no ammunition to spare; nevertheless they -began to prepare their second line for an obstinate defence. On the -evening of the 29th the miners hit upon the foundation of the wall, -mined it, and charged the mine with twelve barrels of powder. At -midnight it was sprung, and threw down the wall. Three hundred men were -in readiness for storming: a serjeant and four men, the advance of a -party of twenty who were to lead the way, mounted without opposition, -for the enemy were panic-stricken: they remained some minutes on the -top of the breach before the French, perceiving that they were not -supported, took courage and drove them down. The officer in command of -the first advance did not discover the breach, ... he returned into -the parallel, reporting that the mine had failed, and the storming -party, in consequence of this error, was withdrawn. After this, Lord -Wellington determined to have no more night attacks. - -♦A THIRD BY DAYLIGHT PROVES SUCCESSFUL. - -OCT. 4.♦ - -A supply of gunpowder having been obtained from Sir Home Popham’s -squadron, a second mine was completed: the first breach was rendered -practicable, and the explosion which made the second was the signal for -assaulting both. Immediately before the explosion, and while in the -act of communicating that all was ready, Lieutenant-Colonel Jones of -the engineers was severely wounded, an officer whose Journals of the -Sieges, and whose general Account of the War have been the most useful -as well as the most trust-worthy of the printed authorities from which -the present history has been composed. About an hundred feet of the -wall were thrown down by the explosion: the storming party, instead -of being composed of detachments from different regiments, consisted -of the 24th regiment, supported by the working and covering parties -in the trenches, a reserve of 500 men having also been formed in the -parallel. This assault was made in the face of day. The officer who led -the left party was at the foot of the old breach before the smoke had -cleared away, and he was the first man on the top of it; and the dust -had scarcely subsided before the troops had gained the summit of both -breaches, and driven the enemy into their covered way, and behind their -new palisades. During the night the besiegers established themselves -in both breaches, and along the wall to the left of them, and began -an approach towards the second line of works. But the rains now began -to set in heavily; and on the following afternoon 300 of the garrison -made a sortie from their covered way, gained possession of the first -breach, and retained it long enough to ruin the lodgment and carry off -the tools. They did not get possession of the second breach, nor of the -parallel along the parapet: but the advantage which they had gained -was sufficient to encourage them, and to lessen the confidence of the -besiegers, who could not but perceive that they were struggling against -all advantages of situation, and with means the most inadequate. The -enemy could not depress their guns so as to bear upon the new works, -but they kept up a constant fire of musketry upon them, and from time -to time rolled large shells down the steep glacis, and these either -carried away the gabion where the men were breaking ground in the -night, or lodging against it and bursting, blew it to pieces. The rain -was now so heavy that much time was daily expended in draining and -keeping the communications up the steep banks and breaches practicable. -The garrison meantime were never idle: they had now disabled two of the -three 18-pounders; and making another sortie at two in the morning of -the 8th, from the covered way with 400 men, they surprised the advanced -covering party, drove the remainder from the parallel of the outer -line, and once more levelled the work and ♦MAJOR COCKS KILLED.♦ carried -off the tools. Major Cocks was killed in a charge to regain it: he was -shot through the body when ascending the breach, by a French infantry -man close to him: the ball entered on the right side between the fourth -and the fifth rib, passed through the great artery immediately above -the heart, and so out at the left side, breaking the left arm. Major -Cocks was a young officer of the highest promise. He was the eldest -son of Lord Somers, and by the demise of his maternal grandfather, -in possession of a large landed estate; but preferring the military -profession to the peaceful enjoyment of good fortune, and to the -pursuits whereto his station in society invited him, he devoted himself -to the study of that profession with an ardour, of which an ordinary -observer would not, from his mild manners and habitual composure, have -supposed him capable. Entering early into the service, and leaving -his regiment in England, he joined the army at Lisbon in the spring -of 1809, for the purpose of acquiring the Portugueze and Spanish -languages. He was in the south of Spain when the French attempted -to surprise Cadiz, and he it was who gave Alburquerque the first -information of their movements, by which timely advice that magnanimous -Spaniard was enabled to prevent their design and throw himself into -the place. He read much, and let no opportunity pass unimproved of -perfecting by practice the knowledge which he acquired from books: -and thus he had distinguished himself on so many occasions, that the -promotion which his rank and fortune might have commanded was not more -rapid than his conspicuous merit had deserved. When the dispatches -relating the capture of the horn work on S. Michael’s reached home, his -commission as Lieutenant-Colonel was immediately sent out; but before -these dispatches arrived in Spain, his career was closed. On the day -preceding his death he was field-officer of the trenches: the day was -very wet, and he went round to every sentry to see that the orders were -clearly understood, ... a duty generally left to the serjeant who posts -them, and not often attended to by a subaltern having only a picket -of twenty men; but Major Cocks never spared himself, and never left -anything which depended upon him undone. The death of such a man (for -such men are rare) was justly regarded in the army as a national loss. -He was buried in the camp ground of his regiment near Bellema, Lord -Wellington, Sir Stapleton Cotton, Generals Anson and Pack, with the -whole of their staffs, attending his funeral, and the officers of the -79th (his own regiment) and of the 16th light dragoons. - -After this second successful sortie, no further attempt was made to -push the works between the outer and second line: a third breach was -effected with the view of making a flank attack at the moment of -assaulting the second line in front; but when it was made, it could not -be stormed for want of musket ammunition. The enemy attempted to repair -it during the night, but were several times driven in. A small supply -of powder having now been received from Santander, the howitzers were -put in battery; but the 24-pound shot were nearly expended, and for the -18-pounders the 16-pound shot fired by the enemy were collected and -made to serve: when the embrazures were opened, the guns could not be -run in on account of the weather, and one of the batteries was silenced -in half an hour by the enemy’s fire. By the 18th, a sufficient opening -had been made in an exposed part of the second line; and the church of -St. Roman, which was near the second line, had been mined. The ♦THE -SECOND LINE ASSAULTED WITH ILL SUCCESS.♦ assault was made by daylight; -the works were immediately carried with very little loss, and some of -the German legion escaladed the third line; but they were few, and were -presently driven back, for the course of the siege had taken confidence -from the besiegers and given it to the besieged; and when the guards -gained the parapet, the garrison rallied on the _terre plein_ of the -work, and assembled in force, then advanced, and drove the assailants -back completely from the line. The mine under the church did little -injury to it; but it so alarmed the enemy, that they exploded their own -mines, which destroyed the greater part: the troops lodged themselves -in the ruins, and a communication was carried to this point during the -night. A convoy of heavy artillery and ammunition was now on its way -from Santander, and the castle might then have been reduced in a few -days, without further loss; but it was now too late, and after that -failure all circumstances induced Lord Wellington to think only of -retreat. - -♦MOVEMENTS OF THE FRENCH IN THE NORTH.♦ - -On the day of that failure, the enemy were joined at Breviesca by -the army of observation from Alava, and the remainder of the army -of the north. This force considerably outnumbered that which Lord -Wellington could bring against them, and in cavalry they were greatly -superior. They made a show of coming on in front; and in consequence, -the covering army moved up near Quintana-palla, and was joined by -most of the besieging corps. On the 20th they advanced in force, -drove in the pickets, and obtained possession of Quintana-palla; but -Sir Edward Paget drove them back, and recovered the place, and they -then desisted from their offensive movements. Intelligence which Lord -Wellington had reason to expect arrived on the following day, that the -united forces of the enemy in the south were in motion. Ballasteros, -who had hitherto, if with little success and no great ♦BALLASTEROS -REFUSES TO ACT UNDER THE BRITISH COMMANDER.♦ skill, displayed the most -indefatigable activity, had in a mood of sullen resentment at the -appointment of Lord Wellington to the chief command, ceased to molest -the enemy. He had hung upon the flanks of Soult’s army, and harassed -it as far as Granada, with more effect than in any of his former -enterprises, because the enemy were dispirited and on their retreat; -but upon receiving instructions to obey Lord Wellington’s orders, he -took no farther measures for annoying the French, refused to act in -concert with Sir Rowland Hill, according to the plan which the British -Commander had laid down, and remained obstinately inactive at the most -critical time. At length he published a letter to the minister at war, -saying, that from the time when the French treacherously seized the -four fortresses, he had spared no efforts for raising the nation, and -that no person had contributed more to the event of the second of May -than himself, without which events, Spain would not have been in its -present state. From that time he had never laid aside his arms, and -had resisted all solicitations which the foreigners had made him to -the prejudice of his country, ... inexorable in being a Spaniard and -nothing but a Spaniard, and that his countrymen should be so, like -him: this having been his principle, without any regard to his own -fortune, he had always found the nation ready to support it in every -sense. “And now he was surprised,” he said, “to see that the English -General, Lord Wellington, was by a resolution of the Cortes appointed -Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish armies; those armies, thousands -upon thousands of whose companions in arms were in the grave, having -fallen in defending the reputation of their country, were observing -what would be his conduct on this occasion; and he should not consider -himself worthy of being an Aragonese, if he did not represent to the -government, that he could not condescend to a determination which -disparaged the Spanish name.” He spoke of the English as a nation to -whom the Spaniards were bound by true friendship and fair dealing, but -of whose fair promises and bad faith no one could give more information -than the then president of the Regency, the Duque del Infantado. “Was -Spain,” he asked, “like the petty kingdom of Portugal, that the command -of its armies should be intrusted to a foreigner? Had its revolution -begun like that of Portugal? Had it not still resources of its own? -Had it not generals, officers, and soldiers, who still supported the -honour which they had inherited from their forefathers; and who in -the present war had made both English and French know that they were -nothing inferior to them in discipline or in courage, and that they -had chiefs of their own who knew how to lead them to victory? Finally, -he required that the opinion of the soldiers and of the people should -be taken upon this matter; if they condescended to the appointment, -he should renounce his employments, and retire to his own house, thus -manifesting, that he had only the honour and the welfare of his country -in view, not any ambitious or interested end.” - -♦HE IS EXILED TO CEUTA.♦ - -Ballasteros was a rude, intrepid, enterprising, and persevering -soldier of fortune, handsome in person, strong in body, and of a -hale constitution; very useful as a partizan at the head of 4000 or -5000 men, but incapable of conducting any extensive operations with -a regular army. Before the appointment of Lord Wellington took place -he was in no good humour with the Government, and the Government on -its part as little pleased with him. With some better parts of the -national character, he partook in no slight degree of its boastfulness, -and entertaining a most exaggerated notion of his own merits, made no -scruple of saying that Ballasteros had done more for Spain than all -her other chiefs put together, and that in spite of the Government, -Ballasteros, unassisted and discouraged, would continue to do more than -the favourites of the Regency, whose pockets were filled with doubloons -by the English. But though he had a large party among the lower orders -in Cadiz, and some of his regiments were much attached to him, he -overrated his own importance as greatly as his own deserts; he was -unpopular in the provinces and disliked by his officers: and when the -Government put him under arrest for thus defying its authority, marched -him under an escort to Malaga, and sent him from thence to Ceuta as an -exile, not a hand, and scarcely a voice was raised in his defence. Some -seditious writings indeed were published in his favour at Cadiz, but -they produced no effect. The loss of an active partizan was regretted, -and the error of an honest, though obstinate and wrong-headed man; but -the army and the nation concurred in condemning him, and in approving -the promptitude and decision with which the Government had acted. - -Meantime, in consequence of this inactivity, in dereliction of -all duty, on Ballasteros’s part, and of the inefficiency of the -Anglo-Sicilian army, Marshal Soult and Suchet were enabled, without -any impediment, to concert their operations with the Intruder, and -carry them ♦GEN. MAITLAND GIVES UP THE COMMAND OF THE ANGLO-SICILIAN -ARMY.♦ into effect. General Maitland’s health gave way under the -anxieties of his situation, so that it became necessary for him to -return to Sicily. Major-General William Clinton was sent from thence -to take the command in his stead, and till his arrival, it devolved -upon Major-General John Mackenzie. That general made an attempt to -seize the castle of Denia by a _coup-de-main_: from its strength and -its position on commanding ground close to the sea it might have -easily been maintained against the enemy, and would have afforded -great opportunity for annoying ♦UNSUCCESSFUL ATTEMPT UPON DENIA.♦ -him. Major-General Donkin, Quarter-Master-General of this army, was -intrusted with the enterprise; it failed, but the men and guns which -had been landed were re-embarked with ♦THE FRENCH PREPARE TO MARCH FROM -THE SOUTH AGAINST LORD WELLINGTON.♦ little loss. Knowing that nothing -was to be apprehended from this army in its present state, Marshals -Jourdan, Soult, and Suchet, held a counsel in presence of the Intruder, -at Fuente la Higuera. They had feared at one time that it might have -been necessary to abandon Valencia: that apprehension was removed, and -they now believed that, as the long and brave resistance which had been -made by the garrison at Burgos had given the army of Portugal time to -recover strength and to unite with the troops in the north, nothing -more was required for restoring their affairs, than that the armies -of the south and the centre should co-operate with it, for the double -purpose of beating Lord Wellington, and re-establishing the Intrusive -government at Madrid. It was not deemed necessary to take any part of -Suchet’s forces for this service; the state of Aragon and Catalonia on -the one hand, and the presence of the Anglo-Sicilian expedition on the -other, made it dangerous to weaken him. - -At the point where the roads from Alicante and Valencia ♦CASTLE OF -CHINCHILLA TAKEN BY THE FRENCH.♦ to Madrid join, stands the little -castle of Chinchilla; it was in possession of the Spaniards, and -while the Intruder was reconnoitring it one day with a telescope, -a shot from an eight-pounder passed close by him. This place the -French besieged; it was ably defended by the Governor D. Juan Antonio -Cearra, who was a lieutenant-colonel of engineers: but the enemy were -not scrupulous as to any means which could accelerate their success; -and during a night’s truce they erected a battery of eight guns, in -the most advantageous situation; by this battery the works were much -injured, and the garrison considerably reduced in number; and of twenty -artillerymen, ♦OCT. 9.♦ there only remained eight to work the guns, -when some of these men were struck dead by lightning, many more, and -among them the governor, wounded by it, and the works so shaken, that -it became necessary to surrender. The enemy’s preparations ♦THEY BEGIN -THEIR MARCH.♦ were complete soon after this obstacle was removed; and -on the 16th of October, the Intruder set out from Valencia towards the -Tagus, with Marshals Jourdan and Soult at the head of 70,000 troops, -10,000 being cavalry. Lord Wellington received intelligence of this -from Sir Rowland Hill on the 21st, and the same advices informed him -that the Tagus was already fordable by individuals in many places, and -was likely soon to be so for an army. As long as the Tagus remained -unfordable, Sir Rowland’s position was tolerably secure; but when the -river fell, it became too hazardous for him to maintain an advanced -position near Madrid in front of an enemy so greatly superior. It -was necessary that Lord Wellington should move towards him, lest the -corps under his own command should be insulated in consequence of the -movements which Sir Rowland might find himself compelled to make. He -determined therefore to fall back upon the Douro, so as to afford Sir -Rowland a point upon which to return, and by uniting their forces, to -secure a retreat into Portugal. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON RAISES THE SIEGE OF BURGOS.♦ - -This resolution was executed as promptly as it was formed. He instantly -raised the siege, and filed his whole army in the night of the 21st -under the walls of the castle and over the bridge, which was closely -enfiladed by its artillery; a bold and unprecedented manœuvre, which -military men adduce as a proof that the march of troops cannot be -stopped by the fire of artillery in the night. The allies moved in -silence and good order; but a party of Guerrillas, regardless of -discipline, then, as at all times, put their horses to their speed, -and the clatter which they made alarmed the garrison. A fire was -consequently opened from the guns which were directed on the bridge, -and the first discharge was most destructive; but the gunners then -lost the range and direction, and their farther fire served only to -quicken the speed of the carriages. Every thing was brought away in -this retreat except the three disabled guns, and the eight pieces -of the enemy which had been taken in the horn-work. The loss of the -allies during the siege amounted to 24 officers and 485 men killed; -68 officers and 1487 men wounded ♦RETREAT FROM BURGOS.♦ and missing. -The enemy did not begin to follow till late on the ensuing day; 10,000 -of their troops encamped that day on the south of Burgos, and on the -morrow at noon they came up in force with the retreating army. Sir -Stapleton Cotton detained them for above three hours at the passage -of the Hormaza, in front of Celada del Camino; they were twice -charged there by Major-General Anson’s brigade with great success, -and the rear-guard continued to fall back in the best order, till the -Guerrillas on their left were driven in and came flying upon them, four -or five of the enemy’s squadrons being mixed with them in pursuit. In -the confusion which ensued, the French were mistaken for Spaniards, -and, favoured by that mistake, they fell upon the flank and rear of -the allies. Some loss was sustained, and Lieutenant-Colonel Pell, of -the 16th dragoons, was taken prisoner, having had his horse shot. A -very superior body of cavalry, in which the enemy were strong, now -came up, and the allied cavalry fell back hastily, lest they should -be surrounded; but having crossed a wide and deep ditch by a narrow -bridge, the brigades of Major-Generals Bock and Anson charged their -pursuers when only part had filed over: in this they were repulsed, -hardly pressed, and forced upon the infantry rear-guard of German light -troops under Colonel Halkett; that officer formed his troops in four -squares, and the men behaving, as that legion ever did, admirably, -repulsed the enemy in several charges, and checked the ♦THE ALLIES -CROSS THE PISUERGA.♦ pursuit. The right of the army crossed the -Pisuerga that afternoon at Torquemada, and the left at Cordovilla, -where head-quarters were established that night. - -The army continued its march on the 24th towards ♦DISORDERS DURING -THE RETREAT.♦ the Carrion. Throughout the north of Castille, which is -a great wine country, the wine is stowed either in caves dug in the -hill sides, or excavated in the earth, the soil from the excavation -being formed into a mound over them, and the entrance appearing like -the chimney of a subterraneous dwelling. These cellars were now filled -with new wine; the soldiers broke into them during the night, and it -was not without the greatest exertions that the officers in the morning -could put their battalions in march. The enemy, however, after their -yesterday’s repulse were less pressing; and the whole army having that -day marched twenty miles, took up its ground behind the Carrion with -its right at Dueñas and its left at Villa Muriel; and here the brigade -of guards which had disembarked at Coruña joined them. The retreating -army did not exceed 20,000 men; the French displayed above thirty; -they were confident also in the superiority of their cavalry, in that -country the most efficient force; and as it is their national character -to be easily elated, they might well be elated now at having baffled -Lord Wellington before so poor a fortress as the castle at Burgos, -and compelled him who had driven Massena out of Portugal, and routed -Marmont at Salamanca, to retreat before them. English soldiers are -neither lightly elated, nor soon cast down; they keep their courage -on a retreat, for that never gives way; but they become disdainful -of control when they have no opportunity of wreaking their wrathful -feelings upon the enemy who is in pursuit, and insubordination is -then the sin which most easily besets them. This was already felt, -though as yet they had suffered little, and though the retreat was so -deliberately made, and with so firm a face toward the enemy, that the -men lost none of their confidence in their Commander. - -The army halted on the 25th, and measures were taken for impeding the -pursuit. A battalion of the royals was posted at Palencia, to cover -the operations for destroying the bridges over the Carrion at that old -city; but the French assembled there in such force that the commanding -officer being attacked and overpowered, found it necessary to retire -upon Villa Muriel, and the bridges were left uninjured for the pursuers -to pass. Two other bridges over the same river at Villa Muriel and at -Dueñas were mined, that they might be exploded on the enemy’s approach, -and one in like manner over the Pisuerga at Tariago. The two former -were successfully exploded, that at Villa Muriel under a fire of -grape-shot from the enemy; but they discovered a ford there, and passed -over a considerable body both of horse and foot. A false report that -the enemy had already crossed at Tariago, delayed the commencement of -the work there; the French came up before it was completed; it was -exploded prematurely, and consequently to no effect; their cavalry -galloped over and made the party prisoners. This enabled them to push -a corps on the right into contact with the posts on the Carrion; their -passing at Palencia made it necessary for Lord Wellington to change the -front of his army, and this second success rendered his farther retreat -difficult, and even precarious. Major-Generals Pringle and Barnes -were therefore ordered to attack those who had crossed the Pisuerga; -the Spanish troops co-operated in this, and the enemy were driven -across the river with considerable loss. Neither could they maintain -themselves upon the Carrion after having forded at Villa Muriel; the -Spaniards who were employed to dislodge them, faltered in the charge, -and Alava, while leading them on and in the act of encouraging them, -fell badly wounded: the fall of this gallant leader did not inspire -them with more courage, but the Brunswickers were then ordered to -advance; those brave men ran into the village without firing a shot; -the Spaniards took heart and followed them, and the French withdrew; -and the fifth division under General Oswald advancing against their -main body, compelled it to recross. - -♦OCT. 26. THE ALLIES HALT.♦ - -The next day the allies retreated sixteen miles without molestation, -and crossed the Pisuerga at Cabezon del Campo; the bridge there was -barricadoed and mined, and the army halted in its rear. The ruined -bridges at Dueñas and Villa Muriel had impeded Souham’s movements, -so that he did not approach till evening; he then halted his whole -army ♦OCT. 27.♦ on the right bank of the Pisuerga. The morning of the -27th was foggy, but when the mist cleared, their whole force was seen -encamped at about three miles’ distance. They brought up two brigades -of artillery and cannonaded the town, with little other harm than that -of severely wounding Lieutenant-Colonel Robe of the artillery. Being -opposed to a superior fire, they made no farther attempt in front, but -made considerable detachments to their right, through Cigales, with -a view of getting possession of the bridge at Valladolid, and thus -interposing in the rear of the retreating army. Lord Wellington had an -opportunity of seeing their whole force from a high ground, and saw -that they were in very great strength. On the 28th they extended their -right still farther, and endeavoured in the morning to force the bridge -over the Douro at Simancas, which was defended by Colonel Halkett, with -his brigade of the 7th division, while the Earl of Dalhousie, with the -remainder of the division, defended the bridge at Valladolid. Halkett -being hard pressed blew up the bridge, and disappointed them of their -passage there; at the same time he sent the Brunswick Oels regiment -to Tordesillas, whither the enemy detached troops in the evening, -and where also the bridge over the Douro was destroyed in time. Lord -Wellington sent orders to the Brunswickers to take post on its ruins, -in such manner as to prevent them from repairing it; and breaking up -from the Pisuerga, he crossed the Douro on the 29th, by the bridges of -Puente Douro, and Tudela, both which, and that at Quintanilla also, -were blown up, and subsequently those at Toro and Zamora. The pursuers -that evening displayed more enterprise than they had hitherto shown; -they passed a body of men in the night of the 29th, by swimming the -Douro near Tordesillas, and these gallant fellows falling upon the -guard who had been left in a tower on the south end of the bridge, -and looked for no attack on that side, surprised and overpowered -them, and immediately fell to work to restore the communication. Lord -Wellington was apprised of this in time, or it would have frustrated -all his former precautions; he marched his army early on the morrow, -and posted them on the heights, between Rueda and Tordesillas, -immediately opposite and near the bridge: the bridge by this time had -been nearly repaired, but the French had made no attempt to pass; and -in that position, which he strengthened with batteries, Lord Wellington -remained from the 30th till the 6th of November, the enemy meantime -extending along the river from Toro to Valladolid. He thus obtained the -double object of resting the troops, and gaining time for Sir Rowland -Hill’s movements; for, ... though his first view had been in falling -back upon the Douro to afford Sir Rowland a point upon which to retire -when he should no longer be able to maintain an advanced position in -front of Madrid, against the very superior force which would be brought -against him, ... having seen the strength of Souham’s army, it had -become necessary to order Sir Rowland to break up from the Xarama, for -the purpose of securing his own retreat. - -♦SIR ROWLAND HILL RETREATS FROM THE XARAMA.♦ - -Sir Rowland was an officer upon whom Lord Wellington might always -rely with the most perfect confidence. He expected such orders, -and receiving them on the 29th, intended to begin his march on the -following morning; but the mine which should have destroyed the Puente -Larga, on the Xarama, failed; and the enemy, who had collected a large -body between that bridge and Aranjuez, immediately made an attack -upon the allied post there. They were repulsed by Colonel Skerrett -with considerable loss on their part, and that of some forty men on -ours: this affair delayed the march of Sir Rowland’s right till the -evening, the enemy however made no subsequent attempt to molest him, -farther than by picking up such stragglers as fell behind for the sake -of plundering and drinking; and these were numerous. The army marched -all night and reached Madrid on the following morning. That capital -presented ♦STATE OF MADRID.♦ a melancholy scene: it was known that -these allies could make no attempt to defend it, and that their retreat -would be followed by the entrance of the enemy; and two days before, -when the Military and Provisional Government were about to transfer -their authority to the _Ayuntamiento_, that body dissolved itself, -regardless of its duty. Upon this, the Regidor D. Pedro Baranda, -who had been on the point of resigning his office, came bravely and -honourably forward to take himself the charge from which they had -shrunk, and summoning persons to his aid who had been in authority -when the French withdrew, began to take measures for averting the -evils which there was so much cause to apprehend. The letters in the -post-office were sent off to Avila, lest they should be seized by the -enemy, and many persons brought into danger by their contents. And to -prevent the excesses which must be expected, if on the entrance of the -enemy the prisons should be thrown open, the alcaydes were called upon -to deliver in ♦NOVEMBER.♦ a list of those persons who were imprisoned -for disloyalty to the national cause, and they were set at liberty -while there yet existed an authority which could restrain them from -acts of immediate vengeance. - -♦THE ALLIES WITHDRAW FROM MADRID.♦ - -There were large depôts of provisions in the Retiro and in the convent -of Monserrate, which the allied army had no means of carrying with them -in their retreat, and orders were therefore given that they should be -burnt. The municipality requested that they might rather be disposed of -either by sale, or as a loan, for the inhabitants and the hospitals; -it was not at the commissary’s discretion to accede to this proposal; -but instead of destroying the stores, the people in the immediate -vicinity were invited to help themselves there. It seemed, indeed, -in this retreat, that in the economy of an army the English had yet -every thing to learn: the troops were at this time scantily provided -with food, their line of supply had been along the valley of the Tagus, -the arrangements for changing its direction failed, and before the -men effected their junction with Lord Wellington’s army, the sweet -acorns which they found in the wood formed no slight part of their -subsistence. The works at the Retiro were destroyed before the troops -withdrew from Madrid, and the artillery there was rendered useless: -their departure resembled that of the French in this respect, that -they were accompanied by a considerable number of Spaniards, for whom -it would have been dangerous to place themselves at the mercy of the -Intrusive Government; but such persons were objects of commiseration -and respect to their countrymen, not of contempt and execration. - -While the allies retired leisurely towards the pass of ♦THE FRENCH -ENTER.♦ the Guadarrama, a French officer presented himself on the -afternoon of November 1, at the bridge of Toledo, announcing on the -part of General Drouet, that King Joseph would enter on the morrow with -his army, and requiring that a deputation should go out to meet and -welcome him. On the morrow, accordingly, the _Ayuntamiento_ went forth -accompanied by some of the parish priests, of the titular nobility, -and of those who held office under the Intruder. Baranda briefly -represented the peaceable conduct of the inhabitants, and expressed to -Joseph’s minister of the Interior, that his only wish was to retire to -his own house, where he might consult his own health, and look after -his own affairs. This permission was easily obtained, as the French -presently re-established the former functionaries; but on the 6th, the -municipality were informed that circumstances rendered it necessary -for the troops to leave the capital for some days; and that, in the -meantime, they must take upon themselves the charge of preserving -tranquillity. Baranda was then summoned from his short retirement, and -required again to act as President of the _Ayuntamiento_. At two on the -afternoon of the 7th, the troops departed to reinforce Marshal Soult, -who had followed Sir Rowland’s movements; and in less than two hours -after their departure, Lieutenant-Colonel Mondedeu, the commandant of a -Guerrilla party, entered; on the morrow, the Medico arrived with part -of his band, the Empecinado’s division on the following day, and on -the 11th, the Camp Marshal Bassecourt with some of his troops. Fewer -disorders were committed than might have been expected under such -circumstances, and those chiefly by peasants and deserters, who thought -to take advantage of the sort of interregnum in which the capital was -left; but the officers caused these offenders to be arrested, and -exerted themselves to prevent excesses. But the inhabitants were told -that, as the human means of effecting with God’s blessing their own -deliverance, they must contribute towards the support of the soldiers -as much as their necessities could spare; and it may be supposed that -this contribution was exacted with less compunction on the one part, -and submitted to with less unwillingness on the other, because both -well knew that when the French returned, the locust would devour what -the palmer-worm had left. - -On the 6th Sir Rowland reached Arevalo, which is ♦JUNCTION OF THE -RETREATING ARMIES.♦ about 80 miles from Madrid; the troops had suffered -much from the weather, more from the gross ill management on the -part of the commissariat and the staff, and not a little from their -own irregularities, moral discipline having long been disregarded -in modern armies. He was now in communication with Lord Wellington, -and was instructed to continue his march by Fonteveros upon Alba de -Tormes. By this time Lord Wellington’s army had been recruited by -rest, and the enemy had rendered the bridges passable at Toro and at -Tordesillas: he broke up therefore from his position in front of the -latter city before daylight, leaving the fires burning: that day he -fell back to Torrecilla de la Orden, continued his march the following -day, and on the 8th took up the position which he had twice before -occupied in front of Salamanca. Sir Rowland crossed the Tormes the -same day at Alba, occupied that town and castle with Major-General -Howard’s brigade, and stationed a Portugueze division on the left of -the Tormes, under Major-General Hamilton, to support them. They were -not followed during their retreat from the Douro; the enemy halted to -collect provisions ♦JUNCTION OF THE FRENCH ARMIES.♦ and bring up their -detachments, and the armies of Portugal and the north then formed -their junction with those of the south, and of the centre under Soult -and the Intruder: their united force amounted to not less than 80,000 -foot and 12,000 horse, being the whole of their disposable force in -Spain, and it was believed that they had with them not fewer than 200 -pieces of cannon. The allies had 48,000 foot and 5000 horse. On the -9th the enemy drove in the piquets in front of Alba, and Major-General -Long was obliged to withdraw his brigade through that town on the -following morning. The enemy then, who were directing their main -efforts against the right of the allies, approached their position on -the Tormes, and prepared to force a passage. They attacked the troops -in Alba with twenty pieces of cannon, and bringing up 15 squadrons and -a considerable force of infantry threatened an assault, their light -troops advancing close to the walls which had been hastily thrown up. -They continued their fire from two o’clock till darkness had closed; -but they made no impression on the brave troops who were opposed to -them, and therefore they did not repeat the attempt. The intermediate -time till the 14th they employed in reconnoitring the fords, and the -position which Lord Wellington occupied in front of Salamanca; and on -the 14th they commenced the passage at three fords, about two leagues -above Alba, near Lucinas. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON RETREATS FROM SALAMANCA.♦ - -Lord Wellington immediately broke up from St. Christoval, ordered the -troops to move towards Arapiles, and as soon as he had ascertained the -direction of the enemy’s march from the fords, moved with a division -of infantry and all the cavalry he could collect to attack them; but -they had already crossed in too great force. The wind at this time blew -strong, and a thick rain rendered all objects indistinct at little -distance; Lord Wellington, nevertheless, under cover of a cannonade, -reconnoitred their position, and saw that they were too strongly posted -at Mozarbes to be attacked. In the evening therefore he withdrew the -troops from the neighbourhood of Alba, having destroyed the bridges, -and leaving only a Spanish garrison of 300 men in the castle, into -which the remains of an old palace had been converted. During the -night, and in the course of the ensuing morning, he moved the greater -part of the troops through Salamanca, and placed Sir Edward Paget, with -the first division of infantry on the right, at Aldea Tejada, to secure -the passage there over the little river Zunguen, in case the movements -of the French on his right flank should compel him to make choice -either of giving up his communications with Ciudad Rodrigo or with -Salamanca. The inhabitants of that city were some preparing for the -worst, and others helplessly expecting it, yet with a lingering hope -that another battle upon that ground which had proved so destructive to -Marmont’s army might once more deliver them. Lord Wellington himself -had this possibility in mind, and did not order the commissariat -and hospital stores to be removed from Salamanca till the movements -of the French rendered it certain that, notwithstanding their great -superiority in numbers, they would not venture to bring on a general -action. They fortified their position at Mozarbes, and sent out bodies -of horse and foot towards their left, to act upon the communications -of the allies with Ciudad Rodrigo. This was a sure game; they were -too strong and too strongly posted for Lord Wellington to think of -attacking them; nothing therefore remained for him but to retreat upon -his resources; and this was the more necessary because the men were -nearly exhausted with the fatigues of so long and arduous a campaign; -there was little regard to discipline among them, except when in the -immediate presence of an enemy, and the horses were dying of exhaustion -and for want of forage. - -♦RETREAT TO THE AGUEDA.♦ - -On the 15th the army was put in motion to retire, in three columns, -observing, as well as the country would allow, parallel distances. Sir -Rowland commanded the first, Sir Edward Paget the centre, the third -consisted of the Spanish army. They crossed the Zunguen, passed the -left flank of the enemy’s position, and encamped that night in the -olive-grounds, on the Vamusa, one of the smaller rivers which find -their way into the Tormes. The weather was most unfavourable, and the -way sometimes over stony and ploughed grounds, sometimes over swampy -or inundated low lands. The ♦SUFFERINGS OF THE ARMY.♦ troops arrived -at their halting places greatly fatigued. They were without shelter of -any sort; it was impossible to kindle fires because of the heavy and -incessant rain; and they were still farther dispirited by finding that -the supplies had been forwarded to Ciudad Rodrigo. Bread for three days -in advance had been issued to them as usual, but English soldiers are -seldom provident, and when such demands were made upon their strength, -the natural means of supporting and recruiting it could never be more -needful. There was no provender for the horses, the bark of trees and -sprigs of wild briar were the only and miserable substitutes that could -be found. The French never displayed less vigour than at this time; -the overweening contempt which they had once affected for the British -troops had been so thoroughly corrected, that they made no attempt to -overwhelm an enemy greatly inferior in number, and retreating under -circumstances of great difficulty and distress. They only sent a -body of cavalry with light artillery in pursuit; and these contented -themselves with picking up stragglers and such baggage as fell behind. -The army bivouacked on the 16th in a wood about two leagues from -Tamames; the ground in many places was covered with water, but the rain -ceased, and some biscuit was issued. The day’s march had been most -painful, over such heavy ground that at every step the horses sunk -to the fetlock, and the men to their ancles; but while the men were -filling their havresacks with sweet acorns, which they rejoiced to meet -with, in the want of other food, the horses now and then picked up a -little grass. - -The 17th was another wet and misty day; the army left its bivouack -at six; an extensive wood lay before them: the enemy now followed -close upon their rear, and the light companies were ordered to extend -themselves through the wood for the purpose of protecting the flanks -and the baggage. This service was not easily to be performed against -so great a force of cavalry as was now harassing the movements of a -disorderly army. Wherever the way was through the woods, the officers -as well as men carried on a successful warfare against the herds -of swine which at that season are turned there to feed upon the -acorns; the Spaniards, it is said, began; the wretched state of their -commissariat was their excuse, and the allies had the same excuse -for following the example; and so eagerly was it followed, that the -continued firing of musquetry on all sides, often occasioned an -apprehension that the piquets were warmly engaged, and even that the -army was surrounded. This occurred so often that it produced incaution -at last, and the enemy’s fire was mistaken for pig-shooting. Owing -to the badness of the roads, and the swollen state of the rivulets, -there was an interval of about a mile between ♦SIR EDWARD PAGET MADE -PRISONER.♦ two of the infantry divisions. Sir Edward Paget, who -commanded the centre column, rode to the rear, alone, for the purpose -of discovering the cause of this interval: a body of the enemy’s -cavalry meantime had entered between these divisions; they had pursued -a troop of Portugueze horse from the left flank: the firing had been -ascribed to the pig-shooters, and Sir Edward falling in with the French -was made prisoner, being without support: they might have done much -hurt had they been more enterprising or more aware of their advantage. -At this time the troops were descending upon the little village of -S. Muñoz, in a valley between two hills; the Huebra which runs into -the Douro has its course along this valley, a deep and rapid stream; -both hills are covered with oaks, and the declivity on both sides is -difficult and steep. The troops when they had forded were formed in -open columns on the heights, and halted. A fog came on early in the -afternoon, under cover of which the enemy got possession of a hill upon -the right of the British line; they brought up some mountain guns, -and commenced a fire upon the rear-guard, consisting of the light -division, under Major-General Alten, while it was fording the river. -Some loss was sustained by them. The guns of Major Macdonald’s troops -of horse-artillery returned their fire successfully, but during the -cannonade he was severely wounded. The enemy’s cavalry followed as soon -as the division had crossed, and began to hem them in; and though the -troops formed in squares, they succeeded in charging them in the low -ground. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON REACHES CIUDAD RODRIGO.♦ - -There was now some appearance that an action might be brought on; the -men were sufficiently eager for this, they longed to revenge themselves -upon the French for the privations and sufferings of their retreat; -they made no doubt of beating them, and they anticipated with hungry -eagerness the pleasure of taking their supplies. As Lord Wellington -came to pass the column in review, the word, “here he comes,” passed -along, and carried with it sure confidence to every heart, ... that -confidence which before the works at Burgos could not be felt, being -given in the field as fully as it was deserved. But the French also -knew that the British commander and his troops might justly rely upon -each other, and they would not hazard a battle. The cannonade was -continued on both sides till evening closed. The men bivouacked as -usual on the wet ground, their cloaks and blankets soaked with rain; -but the rain had ceased, it was a moonlight night, and they had the -satisfaction of knowing that another day’s march would bring them to -Ciudad Rodrigo, beyond which the enemy could not follow them, and where -their privations would be at an end. Between three and four in the -morning they moved from their bivouack; the enemy followed them that -day only with their cavalry. Lord Wellington’s head-quarters were in -Ciudad Rodrigo that night, and on the 19th and 20th the army entered -the Portugueze frontier, crossing the Agueda. The loss during this -retreat of about 240 miles amounted to 196 killed, 663 wounded, 421 -missing, and 280 horses; many of the men who had been returned as -missing afterwards came in; but others, among whom were some valuable -officers, died in consequence of the fatigues and hardships which they -had endured. - -♦THE FRENCH RETIRE TO THE TORMES.♦ - -The enemy retired as soon as the allies had reached Ciudad Rodrigo, -and they withdrew from the Tormes also as soon as the castle of Alba -was surrendered. The Spanish Governor Don José de Miranda held out -there with great gallantry, and made more than a hundred prisoners in -some well-directed ♦CASTLE OF ALBA DE TORMES EVACUATED.♦ sallies. Some -characteristic correspondence passed between him and the French; they -required him to surrender and rely upon their generosity, otherwise he -must expect to be treated with the utmost rigour; he in reply spoke of -his duties as a soldier, and boasted of his brilliant garrison. The -French allowed him an hour for returning a second answer, and bade him -tremble if it were a refusal; in his reply he bade them do their duty -as he should perform his, and told them that if the fortune of war -should be in their favour, his numerous prisoners, who had been treated -in the best manner, would be the victims. In this strain, but in -letters which increased in length, and became more and more courteous, -the correspondence was continued from the 14th of November till the -24th, on the night of which Miranda left the fortress in the hands -of Lieutenant D. Nicolas Soler, with 20 men, the prisoners and the -sick; and informing the French commander, in his last communication, -that this officer was instructed to deliver up the place, he with the -remainder of the garrison effected their escape, making their way -through many dangers, but with little loss, to the Puerto del Pico. - -As soon as it was ascertained that the enemy had withdrawn from the -Tormes, Lord Wellington distributed the troops in winter cantonments, -the left being retired to Lamego, and the right thrown forward as ♦LORD -WELLINGTON’S CIRCULAR LETTER TO THE COMMANDING OFFICERS.♦ far as Baños -and Bejar, to hold the passes. He then addressed a circular letter -to the commanding officers of battalions, for the purpose of drawing -their attention in a very particular manner to the state of discipline -of the troops. “The discipline of every army,” he said, “after a long -and active campaign, becomes in some degree relaxed, and requires the -utmost attention on the part of the generals and other officers to -bring it back to the state in which it ought to be for service; but I -am concerned to have to observe, that the army under my command has -fallen off in this respect in the last campaign in a greater degree -than any army with which I have ever served, or of which I have ever -read. Yet this army has met with no disaster; it has suffered no -privations which but trifling attention on the part of the officers -could have prevented, and for which there existed no reason whatever -in the nature of the service; nor has it suffered any hardships -excepting those resulting from the inclemencies of the weather at a -time when they were most severe. It must be obvious, however, to every -officer that from the time the troops commenced their retreat from the -neighbourhood of Burgos on one hand, and from Madrid on the other, the -officers lost all command over their men. Irregularities and outrages -of all descriptions were committed with impunity, and losses have been -sustained which ought never to have occurred. Yet, the necessity for -retreat existing, none was ever made in which the troops made such -short marches; none on which they made such long and repeated halts; -and none on which the retreating armies were so little pressed in the -rear by the enemy. We must look therefore to some cause besides those -resulting from the operations in which we have been engaged. I have -no hesitation in attributing these evils to the habitual inattention -of the officers of the regiments to their duty as prescribed by the -standing regulations of the service, and by the orders of this army. - -“I am far from questioning the zeal, still less the gallantry and -spirit of the officers; and I am quite certain that as their minds -can be convinced of the necessity of minute and constant attention, -to understand, recollect, and carry into execution the orders which -have been issued for the performance of their duty, and that the -strict performance of their duty is necessary to enable the army to -serve the country as it ought to be served, they will in future fix -their attention to these points. Unfortunately the inexperience of the -officers has induced many to conceive that the period during which -an army is on service is one of relaxation from all rule, instead of -being, as it is, the period during which, of all others, every rule -for the regulation and control of the conduct of the soldier, for the -inspection and care of his arms, ammunition, accoutrements, necessaries -and field equipments, and his horse and horse appointments, for the -receipt and issue, and care of his provisions, and the regulation of -all that belongs to his food and the forage for his horse, must be most -strictly attended to by the officer of his company or troop, if it is -intended that an army, a British army in particular, shall be brought -into the field of battle in a state of efficiency to meet the enemy on -the day of trial. - -“These are the points then to which I most earnestly entreat you to -turn your attention, and the attention of the officers under your -command, Portugueze as well as English, during the period in which -it may be in my power to leave the troops in their cantonments. The -commanding officers of regiments must enforce the orders of the army -regarding the constant inspection and superintendence of the officers -over the conduct of the men of their companies in their cantonments; -and they must endeavour to inspire the non-commissioned officers with -a sense of their situation and authority; and the non-commissioned -officers must be forced to do their duty, by being constantly under the -view and superintendence of the officers. By these means the frequent -and discreditable recourse to the authority of the provost, and to -punishments by the sentence of courts-martial will be prevented, and -the soldiers will not dare to commit the offences and outrages of which -there are too many complaints, when they know that their officers, -and their non-commissioned officers, have their eyes and attention -turned towards them. The commanding officers of regiments must likewise -enforce the orders of the army regarding the constant, real inspection -of the soldiers’ arms, ammunition, accoutrements and necessaries, in -order to prevent at all times the shameful waste of ammunition, and the -sale of that article, and of the soldiers’ necessaries. With this view -both should be inspected daily.” - -He proceeded to say that he had frequently observed during the late -campaign with how much more ease and celerity the French soldiers -cooked their food than the British. This disadvantage on our part, -he said, must be ascribed to the same cause as the other evils which -he lamented, “the want of attention in the officers to the orders of -the army and to the conduct of their men, and the consequent want of -authority over their conduct. Certain men of each company should be -appointed to cut and bring in wood, others to fetch water, and others -to get the meat, &c. to be cooked: and it would soon be found if this -practice were duly enforced, and a particular hour for serving the -dinners, and for the men dining, named, as it ought to be, equally as -for the parade, that cooking would no longer require the inconvenient -length of time which it had lately been found to take, and that the -soldiers would not be exposed to the privation of their food at the -moment when the army may be engaged in operations with the enemy.” He -concluded by repeating that the great object of the general and field -officers must be to get the captains and subalterns of the regiments -to understand, and to perform the duties required from them, as the -only mode by which the discipline and efficiency of the army could be -restored and maintained during the next campaign. - -This letter excited no little surprise in the nation, mortifying and -disgraceful as the faults were which were thus openly and manfully -exposed. But it was not more severe than the occasion called for. -No retreat had ever been conducted with greater military skill; and -nothing but that skill, and the reputation which the British troops -had established for themselves under its direction, could have saved -the army from the consequences of the ignorance or neglect of duty in -many of the officers, and the insubordination of the men, which was a -consequence of such neglect or ignorance. The circumstances of that -retreat justified the whole severity of Lord Wellington’s remarks, -and would more evidently have done so, if the sufferings of the army -had been more broadly stated; for though the marches had indeed been -short, and the halts long and frequent, no army which was not flying -from an enemy, but retreating before it, in strength, ever suffered so -much from exposure, and hunger, and exhaustion. Nothing could be more -judicious than his orders during the whole retreat, and nothing more -irregular than the way in which they were carried into effect; and -this, though in part owing to casual and unavoidable obstructions on -the way, arose in a far greater degree from negligence and incapacity. -Sometimes divisions were moved too soon, more frequently too late, -and kept standing on wet ground, in the rain, for two hours, perishing -with cold, waiting the order to move. Their clothes were seldom dry -for six hours together, and during the latter part of the retreat -continually wet; sometimes they were bivouacked in a swamp, when better -ground was near: they lay down upon the wet ground, fell asleep from -mere exhaustion, were roused to receive their meat, and had then no -means of dressing it, ... the camp-kettles had been sent on, or by some -error were some miles in the rear, or the mules which carried them had -foundered on the way; and no fire could be kindled on wet ground, with -wet materials, and under a heavy rain. The subalterns threw the blame -upon their superiors, and these again upon theirs, all complaining -of incompetence in some of the general officers, and carelessness or -supercilious neglect in some of the staff. But the intended effect -was produced. That something was deficient in the equipments of the -army was perceived, and in part remedied. Alas! no one observed that -there was an utter want of that discipline by virtue of which Cromwell -conquered, which rendered the Swedes invincible under their great -Gustavus, and to which the Prince of Parma owed little less than to his -own military genius, admirable as that was. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIII. - -OPERATIONS DURING THE WINTER AND SPRING. BATTLE OF VITTORIA. - - -♦NOVEMBER, 1812. - -OPINIONS OF THE OPPOSITION.♦ - -Lord Wellington’s failure at Burgos, and his consequent retreat to -the Agueda, gave the Whigs a last opportunity of repeating their -predictions, that the war in the Peninsula must prove unsuccessful, -and they availed themselves of it with unabated confidence. The more -rancorous radicals insulted the nation for the hopes which had been -entertained, exulted in the reverses which they magnified, and reviled -the ministers and the General, ... the ministers both for having -continued the war, and for “starving” it; Lord Wellington both for -inactivity and for rashness, for doing too little and too much, for -wasting time at Madrid, and for attempting a siege with such inadequate -means, that nothing but the most profuse expenditure of blood could -afford even a forlorn hope of its succeeding. Even when the events -of the Russian campaign made it evident that the formidable tyranny -against which we had so long contended must soon be overthrown, the -opposition, as well as the revolutionists, turned away their eyes from -the prospect. - -♦MARQUIS WELLESLEY CALLS FOR INQUIRY.♦ - -Parliament met at the latter end of November. In the Prince Regent’s -speech it was stated, that the southern provinces of Spain had been -delivered in consequence of the battle of Salamanca; and that, though -it had been necessary to withdraw from the siege of Burgos and to -evacuate Madrid, the effort of the enemy for rendering it so had -occasioned sacrifices on his part, which must materially contribute -to extend the resources and facilitate the exertions of the ♦NOV. -30.♦ Spaniards. On this occasion, Marquis Wellesley called upon the -Peers, to inquire whether the system which had hitherto been pursued -was founded upon just and extended principles; whether an able and -efficient exertion of our resources had been made; whether such means -as the country possessed had been fully employed; and whether the -result had been such as the nation had a right to expect from the -possession of those means, and the right application of them. He wished -it were possible to fix in the minds of their lordships something like -a definite and precise object, as the issue of the contest in the -Peninsula. In his mind, the only legitimate object was, the expulsion -of the French armies from Spain; and the war had been carried on in -a way totally inadequate to the production of that result. The plan -which of all others all mankind must reprobate, was that of employing -our resources with a view rather to what might be spared in expense, -than to what might be effected by exertion: thus exposing the sinews -of our strength to hourly danger, and bearing hard upon our finances, -yet effecting neither economy nor success, but falling dead as it were -between both. A vast expense of blood and treasure had been lavished, -without accomplishing any one definite object. The best assistance we -could afford to Russia was by carrying on the war in Spain upon a broad -and extensive scale; it had not been so carried on, and he charged -upon that system, therefore, a defection from the cause of Russia. He -did not mean to dispute that the last campaign had been beneficial to -Spain; but his objection was, that those benefits were imperfectly -secured, and that they could not expect them to be permanent. - -♦LORD GRENVILLE.♦ - -Lord Grenville repeated and persisted in his old opinion, that the -deliverance of Spain was beyond the utmost means of this country to -effect; and that it was cruel and base to embark the population of -that country in so hopeless a cause, merely for the sake of a little -temporary advantage. The ministers had not advanced one step in -the accomplishment of this object; and this third advance into the -interior of Spain had, by its failure, proved the correctness of the -data on which his opinion was founded. Their boast of having delivered -Andalusia was an empty boast: no one doubted that the deliverance -was more than temporary, and that the French could not re-occupy the -provinces whenever they pleased. It was the want of means, the failure -of supplies and resources, which had led to the unproductive results of -all their exertions. The blame did not lie with the Spaniards, but with -those who encouraged the hopes which they had no right to entertain: -the fault was with the English ministers, who in their ignorance -overrated the condition of Spain, and anticipated more from her than -she could by possibility perform. He asked also, why ministers, with -a revenue of one hundred and five millions, or more, by estimate, -extorted by means the most grinding and oppressive from a suffering -people, were yet unable to supply Lord Wellington’s military chest? -The difficulty arose from their incapacity, not from the deficient -resources of the country, much as they had been drained. They might -diminish by one half the income of every individual in this country, -with as little effect or promise of ultimate success as had attended -those plans which led them to circulate a vile and adulterated currency -in paper coin throughout the nation. When such had been its effects, -why not at this moment stop the contest in Spain? - -♦MR. PONSONBY.♦ - -In the House of Commons, Mr. Ponsonby said, it was useless to carry -farther an unprofitable contest; it was useless to waste the blood and -the treasures of England for an unattainable object; it had been proved -that the power of England was not competent to drive the French out of -the Peninsula. - -♦MR. FREEMANTLE.♦ - -Mr. Freemantle was decidedly of opinion, that by the battle of -Salamanca we had gained nothing but glory; that the deliverance of -Spain was no nearer its accomplishment than when Lord Wellington -was posted at Torres Vedras, and that our prospects at the present -moment were not nearly so bright as at the commencement of the last -session, ... at which time his declared opinion had been, that we could -entertain no rational prospect of making any impression upon ♦MR. -WHITBREAD.♦ the enemy in Spain. Mr. Whitbread’s tone upon that subject -was somewhat modified; he admitted that the situation in which we now -stood in Spain was glorious beyond example, in so far as related to the -achievements of our armies, though with respect to the expulsion of the -French, we were not so near our object as some people supposed. There -was this difference between an offensive and a defensive war; that an -offensive war ought always to be a war of spirit. When vigorous efforts -therefore were to be made in Spain, there ought to be no limit to that -vigour. Let an application therefore be made to the Prince Regent, -to know from him whether the greatest possible use had been made by -ministers of the means with which they were intrusted for carrying on -the war, before coming to a decision on the merits of ministers, or -the probability of the war being in future carried on with success. He -was far from wishing to refuse them the means necessary for carrying -it to a successful issue; but feeling for the people who were groaning -under accumulated burdens and threatened with the Chancellor of the -Exchequer’s financial abilities, he thought the last resources of -the country ought not to be granted without security for their being -properly applied. Under all these circumstances, he was desirous of -imploring the Prince Regent to take into consideration, whether or not -it was at present possible to bring about a pacification. Buonaparte -was on his retreat to his resources, his force not annihilated, -though certainly in great danger, and this was what the House were -to congratulate themselves on, and for which they were to go to the -Prince Regent with an address on the prosperous state of the country! -If the situation of affairs on the continent was good for any thing, -it was this, that the Emperor of France having failed in his object, -an opportunity was now offered when it would not be inglorious, and -when it would certainly be highly useful to propose to the enemy -some arrangement for peace. Buonaparte was at present in a perilous -situation, and every exertion ought to be made, by taking advantage -of it to procure a peace. But a feeling seemed to pervade the minds -of certain persons, that peace should not be concluded with that man, -... a feeling which he wished to eradicate from this country: for, in -the probable course of events, we should be obliged to make peace with -him. Let him therefore be sent to openly and manfully! The fate of the -mission would be speedily known; and the issue would be a conviction on -the mind of every one, whether a permanent and honourable peace could -be procured or not. - -♦MOTION OF THANKS TO THE ARMIES. SIR FRANCIS BURDETT.♦ - -When a motion for thanks to Lord Wellington and his army for the battle -of Salamanca was brought forward, Sir Francis Burdett said, he was far -from wishing; invidiously to detract from the merits of men who had -devoted their exertions to the service of their country, or to withhold -from them any recompense that it was in the power of Parliament to -bestow: but when he heard the battle of Salamanca represented as -having been equal in importance to the battle of Blenheim, and to -other great battles which had completely changed the aspect of the -whole affairs of Europe, he could not suffer such delusions to go -forth uncontradicted, ... delusions which were calculated to plunge -the country, under the direction of the same persons, still more -deeply in a destructive and ruinous war: for after their boasted and -over-praised victories, we were still as far from our object as ever. -What! were we to suffer the French troops to recover from the effect -of their discomfiture and exhaustion, and to wait until the tide of -good fortune which had attended us flowed back on its source? Were -we to be satisfied with a retreat? Yet, where now was the Marquis of -Wellington? In what direction were we to look for the glorious results -of the campaign? In what manner was the diminution of the French -power in Spain evinced? Nothing seemed to have resulted from all our -advantages but calamity and distress; and it followed, therefore, -that either Lord Wellington was not entitled to the praise which the -House was called upon to bestow, or that the fault of our failure was -attributable to the gross negligence and imbecility of the ministers. -Lord Castlereagh, Sir Francis pursued, in the plenitude of his -satisfaction, had not confined himself to Spain, but had travelled out -of his course, and taken the House to Russia, where in the destruction -of from 200,000 to 300,000 human beings, in the burning of Moscow, -and in the devastation of an immense tract of Russian territory, he -found new causes of congratulation, new sources of national pride and -gratitude! Would he be equally inclined to consider it a matter of -triumph, if Buonaparte (which in his opinion was more than probable) -should extricate himself from his perils, and after having found good -winter-quarters, return to the contest with renovated ardour in the -spring? Could he believe it possible that Russia could continue such -a contest, and undergo a repetition of similar dreadful experiments -and sacrifices? Supposing he marched to Petersburgh, which seemed to -be his ultimate intention, would the same mode of defence as at Moscow -be adopted? Would Russia burn Petersburgh too? He for one could not -greatly admire the magnanimity of burning that, the preservation of -which ought to have been fought for; nor could he see the shining -character of the Emperor Alexander, who was not, like the Emperor of -the French, personally sharing in the dangers of the war. He could not -subdue the conviction which arose in his mind on viewing all these -things, of the utter impossibility of the Emperor of Russia’s feeling -any exultation whatever: on the contrary, he thought that unfortunate -individual must be oppressed by a view of the irreparable calamities to -which himself and his people had been, and were ♦DEC. 7.♦ likely still -further to be, exposed. Farther than this, when a grant was moved to -the Marquis of Wellington, Sir Francis said, he did not wish to divide -the House upon it, but he wished to move, that the consideration of -the grant should be deferred till some inquiries had been made into -the late extraordinary campaign. Lord Wellington’s victories had none -of the characteristics which distinguished those of Marlborough. It -had been observed, and by military men too, that he had brought his -army into difficulties, but that his men had fought him out of them -again; and that in the capture of the fortresses which he had won, a -waste of life was to be complained of. The cause of Spain appeared to -him infinitely more hopeless than it was at the commencement of the -campaign, ... the case of the Peninsula more deplorable than ever. - -♦M. WELLESLEY MOVES FOR A COMMITTEE OF INQUIRY. - -MARCH 12.♦ - -Marquis Wellesley moved for a committee to inquire into the conduct -of the war in the Peninsula. “My Lords,” said he, “what secret cause -amidst the splendid scene that has been exhibited in the Peninsula, -... what malign influence amidst the rejoicings and acclamations of -triumph, has counteracted the brilliant successes of our arms, and has -converted the glad feelings of a just exultation into the bitterness -of regret and disappointment? With an army in discipline and spirit -superior to any that had ever been assembled, uniting in itself -qualities so various, as never to have entered into the composition -of any other such assemblage of force; ... with a general, pronounced -by the whole world to be unsurpassed in ancient or modern times; the -pride of his country, the refuge and hope of Europe; ... with a cause -in which justice vied with policy, combining all that was ardent in the -one motive, with all that was sober in the other; ... with the eyes of -Europe fixed on our movements; ... with the admiration of the world -excited by our achievements: ... how is it that our hopes have been -raised only to be frustrated? How is it that we have been allowed to -indulge in expectation of an approaching completion of success, only -to behold the utter disappointment of our wishes? Why has a system -of advance suddenly and inevitably been converted into a system of -retreat? When victory actually sprung from the bosom of retreat, why -was the glorious victor compelled to relapse into his retrogression? -Why has it happened that we have seen the great conqueror who chased -the French armies from the plains of Salamanca, pursued in his turn, -by those whom he had conquered, over those plains which had been the -scene of his former triumphs? Why, in conclusion, has a system of -offence shrunk into a system of defence, and what is the reason that -our military operations in the Peninsula have ended where they began? - -“I should be lost to every feeling of honour, and to every sense -of duty to the country, if I did not state that the effect of this -campaign altogether has been not to approximate you towards your -object, but to remove you from it; and that this calamity has arisen -from the insufficiency of those means which, by a small addition, -might have been rendered effective. I maintain, that the object we had -in view, (the only honest object ... the only great object ... which -we could pursue, or hope to obtain by our operations in Spain,) was -the expulsion of the French, or, at least, a considerable diminution -of their power, with a view to the freedom of the people, and the -independence of the Spanish monarchy. This was, certainly, the main -object which we ought to have contemplated; the ultimate object of the -British nation was, certainly, by the deliverance of the peninsula of -Spain, to lay a solid foundation for the establishment of a permanent -and honourable peace. - -“What I have contended is, that the efforts we have made have not been -equal to the resources of the country; that they have not been such as -the magnitude, the infinite importance of the cause demanded, and as -the favourableness of the opportunity particularly called for; that we -have not made even a faint approximation to the object of the war, the -expulsion of the French from the Peninsula; but that the French have -been enabled, by our reverses, to consolidate their power in Spain, -and to systematize the moral and military subjugation of the country. -We ought to have called forth all our resources, ... and we have made -no extraordinary sacrifices; we ought to have strained every nerve at -this momentous crisis, ... and we have remained little better than -idle spectators of the fate of Spain. We have been deterred by petty -objections; by calculations of expense, which are but as dust in the -balance.” - -♦EARL GREY.♦ - -Earl Grey supported the motion for a committee, saying, that the -great objects of the campaign had not been realized, but that, on -the contrary, there had been a complete failure, ... a great and -lamentable failure; and that it was one of the most important duties -of that house, in cases of ill success, to vindicate the interests -of the country, by visiting with its severest censure the causers of -the misfortune. Aware as the ministers were, he said, of the state -of Europe, and knowing, as they must have known, the effect that at -such a crisis would have been produced by a vigorous and decisive -effort in the Peninsula, it was their bounden duty to have provided -Lord Wellington with ample means for carrying through his enterprising -projects, and crowning them with brilliant and unqualified success. -Nothing had happened which induced him to repent of his opinion, that -the efforts of the Spanish people could alone enable them to withstand -the overwhelming power of France. This sentiment he had uttered -under the supposition that no other power would stand up against the -French Emperor, and that that Emperor would not depart from the unity -of council and of action, by which his greatest successes had been -achieved. And, indeed, if with such a commander and such an army as -ours, and at a time when the army of France in the north had met with -disasters, greater than which never fell upon a host assembled for the -purposes of injustice and ambition, ... if under these circumstances -we had achieved so little in Spain, what would have been the issue, if -one-tenth only of the forces employed against Russia had been turned -against us? The time had called for exertion, and the exertions had -failed, ... failed almost entirely as to their great object: the French -were left in possession of the best parts of Spain; and we had not -advanced in any degree, considering the effects of the last campaign -upon the minds of the Spaniards, to the accomplishment of our object. -Such was the case, and it called loudly for inquiry. - -♦THE EARL OF LIVERPOOL.♦ - -To these assertions the Earl of Liverpool replied, that the campaign -which had been thus represented as a failure and a defeat, was, in -fact, the most brilliant that had been achieved by British arms in any -period of our history. They had been seeking as a great object, that -the whole force of Spain should be placed under the command of Lord -Wellington, and that object had at length been accomplished. Every -exertion that could be made had been made, for sending out troops to -the Peninsula and for supplying them there, and the success of the -war was indisputable. Portugal had been rescued from the enemy, and -placed in a state of security, and now one-third of Spain was relieved -from their presence. Spain and Portugal had set the example which -Russia had followed, with the great advantage of having a government -in full activity to direct all its strength. The example thus set and -thus followed would have an effect among the other nations of Europe, -would rouse their spirit, animate their exertions, and teach them -in what manner to resist oppression, ... teach them that an united -nation, determined to resist an invader, could not ♦EARL BATHURST.♦ -be conquered! ... Earl Bathurst argued to the same purpose, saying, -that something had been effected, if the views of England were what -Marquis Wellesley had powerfully described them to be at the beginning -of the war in Spain, ... first, to create a diversion in favour of -our allies; secondly, to encourage resistance in other countries, by -showing its effects in Spain; and thirdly, to prevent the commercial -and military means of that country from falling into the hands of our -enemy. Those had been the views of England, those were the views of -the present Government, and those views had been forwarded by the last -campaign. And Lord Wellington was satisfied with the conduct of the -administration during that campaign, ... a declaration which had not -been sought for by the ministers, but which he had voluntarily made. - -In these debates the Whigs manifested the same disposition to magnify -our reverses and depreciate our success, and the same propensity -for predicting discomfiture and disgrace which had characterized -their conduct during the whole struggle. The feeling with which they -continued to regard Buonaparte, notwithstanding his ♦APRIL 2. LORD -HOLLAND.♦ inordinate ambition and his remorseless tyranny, was farther -exhibited by Lord Holland, when, upon presenting some petitions for -peace, he expressed his trust that ministers entertained no chimerical -notions of wresting from France what she had acquired during the last -twenty years, nor of humiliating the great prince who now ruled that -country; and his willingness to believe that they had not neglected -the opportunity which the successes of Russia afforded for opening a -negotiation! But they better understood their duty to their allies, and -to Europe, and to their country; and being instructed by experience -as well as encouraged by sure hope, they spared no efforts now for -enabling Lord Wellington to open the ensuing campaign with means which -♦LORD WELLINGTON GOES TO CADIZ.♦ should render success certain. Lord -Wellington went to Cadiz at the close of the year, to make arrangements -with the Spanish ministers for the co-operation of the Spanish -armies. A deputation from the Cortes was sent to compliment him on -his arrival; he paid his respects, in consequence, to that assembly; -expressed his thanks in a brief and modest speech, for the different -marks of honour and confidence which he had received from it; and said, -that not the Spaniards alone looked to it with hope, but the whole -world was concerned in the happy issue of their vigorous endeavours to -save Spain from general destruction, and to establish in that monarchy -a system founded upon just principles, which should promote and secure -the prosperity of all the citizens, and the greatness of the Spanish -nation. In reply, the president complimented him upon his victories, -which had been celebrated, he said, like those of the Genius of Good -over the Genius of Evil. The Cortes did not now hope or trust for new -triumphs from the Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo, they looked upon them as -certain; and looked, not only that the Spanish and allied armies under -such a leader would drive the French beyond the Pyrenees, but that, if -it should be needful, they would pitch their victorious tents upon the -banks of the Seine; it would not be the first time that the Spanish -lions had trampled on its banks upon the old fleur-de-lys of France. - -♦ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE CO-OPERATION OF THE SPANISH ARMIES.♦ - -It was arranged that 50,000 Spanish troops should be placed at his -disposal. The army under Castaños formed part of these; it consisted -of what had formerly been called the 5th, 6th, and 7th armies, now -comprehended under the name of the fourth: Castaños was to hold also -the captaincies-general of the province of Extremadura, Old Castille -and Leon, Galicia and Asturias. There was to be an army of reserve -in Andalusia under the Conde de Abisbal, and an army of reserve in -Galicia. The other armies were that of Catalonia, which was the first; -of this Copons held the command: he was also captain-general of that -province, and of that part of Aragon which was on the right of the -Ebro; the second, which Elio, captain-general of Valencia, Murcia, and -New Castille, commanded; and the third (formerly the fourth) under the -Duque del Parque, who was also charged with the captaincies-general of -Jaen and Granada. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON GOES TO LISBON.♦ - -From Cadiz, Lord Wellington repaired to Lisbon. Triumphal arches -were erected in all the towns through which he passed, from Elvas to -the Tagus. The ships, the troops, and the people of Lisbon, received -him with such honours as he deserved; greater could be paid to no -man; and there was a general and voluntary illumination during three -successive nights. A drama was composed to celebrate his victories, and -represented in his presence at the royal theatre of San Carlos, where -all the boxes were decorated with angels bearing crowns and shields, -on which the initials of Lord Wellington were inscribed; _O Nome_, -“The Name,” was the title of the piece, and it was preluded by a hymn -in honour of the Prince of Brazil, and the exhibition of his portrait -under a canopy. The scene then represented the Elysian fields, where, -in the pitiable style of operatic invention, Glory, and Posterity, and -Camoens, and the Great Constable, Nuno Alvares Pereira, with sundry -other Lusitanian worthies, recitatived in praise of Lord Wellington, -Lord Beresford, and the Portugueze and British armies; and down came -angels and genii presenting illuminated scrolls, inscribed with the -names of his victories. - -♦RELAXED DISCIPLINE OF THE PORTUGUEZE ARMY.♦ - -The Portugueze army was, at this time, reproved by Lord Beresford for -its want of discipline during the late retreat, in terms not less -severe than those of Lord Wellington’s letter. Certain officers were -suspended for scandalous neglect and total disregard of their duties: -and it was stated, that, in every instance, complaints had been made -by the commandants of corps or brigades, of inactivity and want of zeal -in the officers of all those corps which had suffered extraordinary -loss during the retreat. That such losses were occasioned by the -negligence of the officers was proved by the fact, that other corps -in the same marches, and under the same circumstances, difficulties, -and privations, had none of their men missing; the officers of those -corps were named with due praise. Marshal Beresford added, he deemed -it important to remind the army, that with all the reasons which he -had (and he was happy to say that he had every reason) for praising -the conduct of the Portugueze officers, when they were in presence of -an enemy, and exposed to fire, valour, nevertheless, was not the only -thing needful; firmness and constancy were equally so for supporting -the reverses, and fatigues, and privations, to which a military life is -subject; and if the officers did not yield under such circumstances, -the soldiers certainly would not; for no soldier, and especially -no Portugueze soldier, ever would be backward in any thing when -his officer set him an example; nor would ever commit any fault or -manifest any discontent, so long as he saw his officer doing his duty -under the same circumstances, and setting him an example of courage, -firmness, and constancy. One of the army surgeons had been brought -before a court-martial for neglecting the sick and wounded under his -care, while they were in the hospital at Madrid. He was sentenced to a -month’s imprisonment, and the loss of a month’s pay. Marshal Beresford, -in confirming the sentence, expressed his disapprobation of it; a -punishment so little in proportion to the crime, he said, was not -likely to impress persons who had neither the proper feelings of men or -of Christians; for what could be more horrible, than to see men who had -been wounded in the service of their Prince and of their country, or -whose health had been broken in that service, neglected by one who had -received rank, honour, and pay, for the express intent of making him -more attentive in his treatment of them? What could be worse than that -such a person should be found preferring his own ease, or interest, or -temporary convenience, to his duty towards his God, and his Prince, and -his fellow-creatures, and leaving them either to perish through his -neglect, or to fall into the hands of the enemy? - -♦JANUARY.♦ - -The consequences of the retreat were severely felt; in January, more -than a third of the British army were on the sick list, fever being -the principal disease, which want of clothing had, with fatigue, -contributed to produce, and want of cleanliness to propagate. In -personal appearance and in clothing, the British troops were at this -time much worse than the Portugueze. But supplies of every kind, as -well as large reinforcements, were received during the winter, no time -being lost, and no care neglected. The infantry had suffered so much -from want of cover, that they were now provided with tents, three for -each company, and these were borne by the animals which used before to -carry the camp kettles, tin kettles being substituted for iron ones, -... one to six men, and light enough for the men to carry it by turns -on their knapsacks. Tents were not thought necessary for the cavalry, -because not being either heated or exhausted so much in their marches, -they were better able to stand the cold at night. - -♦BUONAPARTE WITHDRAWS TROOPS FROM SPAIN.♦ - -While the British force in the Peninsula was increased, and the Spanish -rendered more available than it had been in any former campaign, that -of the French was weakened; the enormous loss which Buonaparte had -suffered in Russia, and the obstinate ambition with which he kept -large garrisons in the north of Germany, rendering it necessary for -him to withdraw troops from Spain. From 10 to 20,000 repassed the -Pyrenees; not fewer than 140,000 were still left, ... good troops, -well-officered, and under commanders of high reputation and approved -skill. But both officers and men had had their confidence abated; -the generals felt that even the resources of the conscription were -exhaustible; and as little hope, when they considered the present -state of their Emperor’s fortunes, could be entertained of subjugating -the Spaniards, the object upon which all seemed to be most intent was -that of enriching themselves by plunder, while it was still in their -power ♦EXACTIONS OF THE FRENCH.♦ to do so. M. Suchet left scarcely one -picture of any value in Valencia, either in the convents, churches, or -private houses; and that city was thus deprived of the finest works of -Juanes, ... works which, precious as they are, were there enhanced in -value by the local and religious feeling with which his fellow-citizens -regarded the productions of their saintly painter. There and everywhere -contributions were imposed and exacted in a manner which made it -apparent that the Intrusive government treated them now not as subjects -who were to be taxed, but as enemies from whom all that could be -extorted was to be taken. Their operations on the side of New Castille -and Leon were at this time confined to periodical circuits for the -purpose of enforcing the payment of contributions. On the side of the -Tagus they fortified the right bank of the river, repaired the Puente -del Arzobispo, and occupied Almaraz, though they did not restore the -bridge there. - -♦LONGA ACTS SUCCESSFULLY AGAINST THE ENEMY. - -NOV. 28.♦ - -Meantime the Spaniards were not idle. Longa surprised General Fromant -in the valley of Sedano, when returning to Burgos with the requisitions -which he had collected, and with sixty respectable householders whom -he was taking away as hostages for the contribution: the hostages were -rescued, Fromant with about 700 of his men killed, and nearly 500 -taken prisoners. A party of the enemy had entered Bilbao, these also -he surprised, and they suffered the loss of 200 men; then making for -Salinas de Anaña, which was the strongest hold of the French in that -district, he besieged it with 2500 men and five pieces of artillery, -and after three days, the remainder of the garrison, consisting of -250, surrendered at discretion. This so dismayed the enemy that they -abandoned Nauclares and Armiñon, which he was proceeding to attack, and -both fortresses were demolished by his orders. His next object was the -Fuerte del Cubo de Pancorbo, a post of importance for its situation, -and for the care with which it had been strengthened; here too the -garrison were made prisoners and the fort demolished. Caffarelli -meantime was vainly besieging Castro, where he suffered some loss, and -found it necessary to give up the attempt, that he might check Longa -in his career of success. That active partizan was now threatening -Breviesca; he eluded Caffarelli and Palombini when they moved against -him, and retreating to Zovalina, there to refresh his troops, ordered -his retreat so well that they were uncertain what direction he had -taken; Caffarelli therefore reinforced his garrisons, and repairing to -Vittoria himself, left Palombini at Poza with 3000 foot and 300 horse -to protect the high road, and be ready to act against Longa. ♦FEB. 13.♦ -But while a third of that force was detached to levy contributions, -Longa surprised the remainder at daybreak: their collected plunder and -some 300 prisoners fell into his hands, and they suffered a further -loss of between two and three hundred in killed and wounded. The -approach of their detachment, and of a large body on its way from -Burgos to Vittoria, then rendered it necessary for him to retire. - -While Longa thus harassed the enemy in the north of ♦MINA’S MOVEMENTS.♦ -Spain, Mina was assailing them with his wonted activity in Navarre -and Aragon. The English landed two 12-pounders for him in the Deva, -together with clothing, ammunition, and other things of which he was in -need; 600 of his men were ready to receive and escort these. The French -endeavoured to intercept them, and were repulsed in the attempt; and -Mina was no sooner possessed of the guns than he attacked the enemy -in Tafalla, where they had a garrison of 400 men. General ♦FEB. 11.♦ -Abbé moved to relieve it with all the disposable force from Pamplona; -but he was beaten back by a part of Mina’s force which had been left -to observe that city, and on the fifth day of the siege the garrison -surrendered as prisoners of war. The wounded he sent under an escort -to Pamplona; destroyed the fort at Tafalla, and the works, ... also a -Franciscan Convent, and an old palace in which the French might have -established a garrison; and he demolished in like manner two other -such edifices at Olite, that the road might be clear between Pamplona -and Tudela. From Tafalla he proceeded to Sos in Upper Aragon, a fort -which the enemy had occupied more than three years, and fortified -sufficiently as long as the Spaniards could bring no guns against it. -They were on the point of surrendering after a four days’ siege, when -General Paris arrived from Zaragoza and carried off the garrison, -leaving the fort half ruined: Mina completed its demolition, and by -this enterprise laid open the road between Pamplona and Jaca. Shortly -after, Fermin de Leguia, who was under ♦FEB. 20.♦ his orders, ventured, -without instructions, upon an adventure which was executed as boldly -as it ♦MARCH 11.♦ was designed. With only fifteen men, being the whole -of his party, he approached the castle of Fuenterrabia in the night, -scaled the wall with one man by the help of spikes and ropes which -supplied the place of a ladder, surprised the sentinel, got possession -of the keys, opened the gates for his men, and took eight artillerymen -prisoners, while the remainder of the garrison, who dreamt of no -danger, were sleeping in the town. He then spiked the guns, threw into -the sea all the ammunition which he could not carry away, set fire to -the castle, and though pursued by the enemy retreated without loss. -Mina was heard of next at Lodosa, where he attacked a detachment of -1000 French, few of whom ♦MARCH 29. CAFFARELLI RECALLED FROM SPAIN.♦ -escaped, 635 being made prisoners. Caffarelli had at this time been -called to France, giving up the command in the north to Clausel; that -able general hoped to signalize himself by destroying an indefatigable -enemy who had baffled the efforts of all his predecessors; and this -was the first proof which he made of that enemy’s ability. Mina -next attempted to intercept a convoy which was going from Tolosa to -Pamplona; the convoy was alarmed in time, but the attempt led to an -affair with Abbé’s force, in which the French retired with the loss of -full 300 men. - -♦CLAUSEL ENDEAVOURS TO HUNT MINA DOWN.♦ - -Clausel had left a considerable garrison in Puente la Reyna, well -fortified for the sort of war which they might have to sustain; and -an advanced post of 50 men at Mendigorria, in an old church of S. -Maria, which they had fortified. While he was in pursuit of Mina from -Estella, and Abbé from Pamplona, their skilful antagonist led them to -suppose that he was in the valley of Berrueza, ... then making a rapid -counter-march with one of his regiments, appeared in Mendigorria. The -garrison at Puente outnumbered him both in horse and foot, but they -did not ♦APRIL 21.♦ venture to interrupt him in his operations; and -he set fire to the church. The French had no other resource than to -ascend the tower, and fire upon them from thence. He sent a trumpet -to offer terms, but they would not allow him to approach, either in -the confident expectation of being succoured from Puente, or because -they were confounded by the situation in which they found themselves; -for the smoke and the flames distressed them so dreadfully, that in -the course of half an hour, they prepared to let themselves down by -ropes; but Mina ordered ladders to the roof of the church, from whence -they descended, and were made prisoners. The Guerrilla chief, now -Camp-Marshal in the regular service, took credit to himself for sparing -their lives when by the laws of war they had placed them at his mercy: -by this time indeed both the invaders and the Spaniards in Navarre -had found it their interest to revert to the humanities of civilized -warfare. His own hospital was in the valley of Roncal, and from the -combined movements of Clausel and Abbé he inferred that it was their -intention to deprive him of that retreat, the only one which there was -for his wounded and invalids. Not being strong enough to resist the -force which was now brought against him, he removed all who were in a -condition to bear removal, and left the others to the enemy’s mercy, -calling to mind no doubt with satisfaction his own recent conduct -at Tafalla and Mendigorria: as he had hoped, the men were humanely -treated by General Abbé, though the hospital effects were destroyed, -and Isaba, which had been deserted by its inhabitants, was set on -fire, and 150 houses burnt. Clausel employed the months of April and -May in endeavouring to hunt this formidable enemy down, of whom in an -intercepted letter to the Intruder, he said, that he would be Lord of -Navarre unless it were occupied by a corps of from 20 to 25,000 men; -because when he was weak he always avoided an action, and fell upon -detachments when he was sure of victory. In the course of this attempt -the loss which his own men sustained from fatigue far exceeded any that -he inflicted upon Mina’s hardy troops, who were intimately acquainted -with the country, and accustomed to the hair-breadth scapes of such -campaigns. At no time, however, was so much apprehension entertained -for Mina’s safety, though he himself relied with his wonted confidence -upon his resources and his fortune, now too not without certain -knowledge that his pursuers would soon be called off to a contest which -for them would be of a far more serious kind. - -♦RENOVALES MADE PRISONER.♦ - -On the side of Biscay the enemy were more successful; they surprised -and captured Renovales, with six of his officers, at Carvajalez de -Zamora; and Castro, from which Caffarelli had been repulsed, was taken -by General Foy, after a siege of eighteen days. The Governor Don Pedro -Pablo Alvares ♦CASTRO DE URDIALES TAKEN BY GEN. FOY.♦ discharged his -duty to the utmost, and the Lyra, Royalist, and Sparrow sloops of war, -and the Alphea schooner, under Captain Bloye, assisted in the defence. -Foy brought all the force which he could collect against it, and -proceeded as if he hoped to strike the province as well as the garrison -with terror, ... for he offered no terms, and seemed determined to -take the place by storm, let it cost what it would. When he had made a -breach wide enough to admit twenty men abreast, he turned his guns on -the town and castle, and threw shells incessantly at the bridge that -connected the ♦MAY 11.♦ castle with the landing-place, hoping thus to -cut off the retreat of the garrison, which at the commencement of the -siege consisted of 1200 men. At noon the enemy entered in great numbers -through the breach and by escalade in various parts; the garrison when -they could no longer defend the town retreated into the castle, the -ships’ boats were in readiness to receive them, and they were embarked -by companies under a tremendous fire of musquetry, two companies -remaining to defend the castle, till the last gun was thrown into the -sea. Every soldier was brought off, and many of the inhabitants, and -landed at Bermeo on the following day. The town was burnt. Foy indeed -acted in the spirit of ♦ENORMITIES COMMITTED THERE BY THE FRENCH.♦ his -Portugueze campaign; as he had offered no terms he showed no mercy, -but when the town was entered put the defenders to the bayonet without -distinction. It had been well if the wickedness of the enemy had ended -there; but in one of their unsuccessful attacks many of their men had -been pushed down a ravine by their fellows while pressing forward to -the charge, the bridge by which they expected to cross having been -destroyed by the English; and because the inhabitants had not informed -them of the destruction of this bridge, they butchered men and women, -sparing none, and inflicting upon them cruelties which nothing but a -devilish nature could devise. - -Little attempt was made on the enemy’s part to annoy the allies -during the winter and spring. Foy, with 1500 infantry and 100 horse, -had endeavoured, in February, to surprise the post at Bejar, but was -promptly repulsed; and the French in the same month advanced from -Orbigo and Castro Gondoles as far as Astorga and Manzanal in one -direction, and to the Puebla de Sanabria and Mombuey in another, -the Gallician army retreating before them, and then resuming their -former position when the enemy in their turn had retired. Much greater -activity was shown in plundering the inhabitants; and this kind of war, -wherein there could be no resistance, was carried on so shamelessly, -that the Intruder, it was said, deemed it necessary to call one of the -generals to account. - -Clausel was of opinion that an error had been committed in not -concentrating their forces more upon the Ebro, which might have been -done, he said, without abandoning Castille, and this error, he feared, -they should find cause to repent. But the Intruder’s council had -determined upon taking the Douro for their line of defence; and with -this view they threw up works on the right bank at every assailable -point, relying, as Soult had formerly done at Porto, upon the security -which that deep ♦M. SOULT CALLED FROM SPAIN.♦ and rapid river might -afford them. Marshal Soult had been called away in March to take part -in the campaign in Germany. The head-quarters of what had been his -army were removed from Toledo to Madrid early in April, and Toledo was -abandoned; but troops were kept at Illescas, and reconnoissances made -by the cavalry towards Escalona, the Alberche, and Añobes del Tajo, -apprehending some movement of Sir Rowland’s army in this direction. -The ♦THE INTRUDER GOES TO VALLADOLID.♦ Intruder, leaving that capital -to which he was never to return, removed his court, or rather his -head-quarters, to Valladolid, where the Palace Gardens were put in -order for his recreation, and some defensive works constructed. On -the 11th of April, General Hugo, who had been left with the command -in Madrid, informed the _Ayuntamiento_ that the troops were about to -depart, and that they must take measures for preserving tranquillity -and guarding the public buildings, civil and military. The most -precious articles in the cabinet of natural history were sent off, with -whatever else could be removed from the other public establishments, -and all arrears of contribution were exacted with the utmost rigour. -Beasts enough were not left in Madrid for the scavengers’ use, so that -the inhabitants were ordered to collect the sweepings of the streets -into the squares, and there burn what used to be carried into the -country for manure. The people of that poor capital had always clung to -the hope of deliverance with a strength of belief which characterizes -the nation, and in the movements of their oppressors they now saw -reasonable ground for expecting that it could not be long delayed. - -♦ANGLO-SICILIAN ARMY.♦ - -The pride of the French too had been at this time abated on the -eastern coast, where Suchet had hitherto boasted of success in all -his undertakings. Major-General William Clinton arrived at Alicante -in November to take the command from which his health had compelled -General Maitland to retire; and notwithstanding the difficulties which -were opposed by a false point of honour, by a jealousy as ill-founded -as it was ill-timed, and perhaps by treasonable intentions, he -succeeded in obtaining consent to garrison the castle with British -troops. In December a reinforcement of 4000 men, British and foreign, -arrived from Palermo, under Major-General James Campbell, who by -seniority superseded General Clinton in the command, which he was to -hold till the then hourly expected arrival of Lord William Bentinck -from Sicily. But Lord William was detained by political circumstances -in that island, where the hopeless attempt had been undertaken of -improving a government before any improvement has been effected either -in those who are to govern or be governed; and, ♦SIR JOHN MURRAY TAKES -THE COMMAND.♦ as no end could be seen to this delay, Lieutenant-General -Sir John Murray was sent out from England to command the allied forces -in that part of Spain. Feeble as that allied force was, and inert as -its feebleness had compelled it to be, it had yet employed Suchet’s -attention during the autumn and winter. - -That general had his head-quarters for the most part at San Felippe, -between Alicante and Valencia, and about three leagues from the Xucar. -Some trivial affairs were all that occurred, till Sir John Murray soon -after his arrival took the army out of its cantonments, apparently -with the view of making the French marshal fall back and concentrate -his forces on that river. After an unsuccessful attempt at surprising -an enemy’s detachment in the populous village of Alcoy, he moved -forward and took up a position near the town of Castalla, where in the -preceding summer Don Joseph O’Donnell had sustained a severe defeat. -While Sir John made ♦DEFEAT OF ELIO’S CORPS.♦ this movement on the -right, General Elio with a separate Spanish corps of 12,000 men moved -on the left to Yecla, Villena, and the flat country in that direction. -There was an old castle in Villena, and Elio garrisoned it with 800 of -his best troops. Suchet was not a man to lose any opportunity which -was presented him: he saw that one of Elio’s divisions had taken post -at Yecla, within reach of Fuente-la-Higuera, where his own advance was -placed, and too far from that of the allies which was at Villena, 25 -miles distant. During the night he collected the flower of his army -at Fuente-la-Higuera, and marched with one division, the cavalry and -the reserve, upon Villena, while, with the other part of his force, -General Harispe proceeded rapidly to Yecla, ♦APRIL 12.♦ unseen by the -Spaniards. At break of day he came in sight of them; they retreated -from one position to another, but were out-manœuvred and beaten, and -after losing some four or five hundred men, 1200 laid down their arms. - -♦SUCHET MARCHES AGAINST THE ANGLO-SICILIAN ARMY.♦ - -On the afternoon of the same day, Suchet was seen advancing within a -few miles of Villena, which is about two leagues to the westward of -Castalla. Sir John Murray immediately withdrew the Majorcan division -from Alcoy, and concentrating his force, occupied the strong position -of Castalla. His left, consisting of that division, was placed on the -rocky and almost inaccessible hills south of the town, ... the range -terminating there. Major-General Mackenzie’s division, and the 58th -regiment from Lieutenant-General Clinton’s occupied the town, and the -ground to the right; here and in front of the castle some redoubts -and batteries had been constructed. The remainder of the position -was covered by a strong ravine which rendered it almost inaccessible -on that side; and there Lieutenant-General Clinton was stationed, -supported by three battalions of General Roche’s division as a column -of reserve. The position was well taken. The second battalion of the -27th foot, the 1st Italian regiment, and the Calabrian free corps, had -on the first alarm been pushed forward beyond Villena, under Colonel -Adam, and with them a detachment of cavalry commanded by Colonel Lord -Frederick Bentinck. The object of this movement was to observe the -enemy’s motions: it brought on a cannonade, and the French endeavoured -to break in upon our troops, and enter Villena pell-mell with them; but -Colonel Adam, following his instructions, fell back upon Biar without -loss. Sir John, being now assured that Suchet meditated a serious -movement, urged General Elio to withdraw his 800 men from Villena, -where the castle, in its imperfect state of defence, was not tenable -against such an enemy; but the Spanish general was not to be persuaded. -The French entered Villena that evening, pushing their light troops -beyond ♦APRIL 12.♦ it towards Biar; and on the morrow the commandant -surrendered at the first summons, and he and his battalion were made -prisoners of war. - -In the afternoon, Suchet advanced in force towards Biar; which village -is situated at the entrance of a strong pass, in a range of hills -running nearly parallel with the position of the allies. About four -o’clock he commenced a serious attack upon Colonel Adam’s detachment. -That officer’s orders were to fall back upon Castalla, but to dispute -the pass; and this he did for five hours against a very superior force, -with the utmost gallantry and skill; till being overpowered by numbers, -and having both flanks turned, he retreated then to the pass, and took -the place which had been allotted to him in the position, on the high -ground to the left of Castalla, having in this unequal conflict both -inflicted and sustained very considerable loss. Two mountain guns fell -into the enemy’s hands; they could not be brought off, because they -were disabled; Colonel Adam therefore directed Captain Arabin to fight -them to the last, and then abandon them. Before day closed, the French -were seen in great force on the road to Biar, and on the hills opposite -the position; but darkness prevented any farther operations for ♦BATTLE -OF CASTALLA. APRIL 13.♦ the night. At daybreak they were perceived -in great numbers along the defile of Biar, and in the plain ground -which separates it from the hills near Castalla; and in the course of -the morning they posted several large masses of infantry, as if in -preparation for a decided attack. Their success against Elio’s corps -had increased their confidence; and they had accustomed themselves to -speak of this army as composed of the rabble of the allied nations, and -to talk of driving them into the sea. - -About one, they pushed forward a large column of cavalry to the village -of Onil, about two miles in front of Castalla, and this movement was -continued parallel to the front of the allies, until nearly opposite -the right of the position. Sir John Murray had foreseen this: the -ground was unfavourable for cavalry, and no notice was taken of the -movement. Three masses of infantry at the same time moved rapidly from -their right, crossed the plain ground in front of the pass, and with -a gallantry, which, in the words of the British general, entitled -them to the highest praise, commenced an attack on the centre and the -left. The left had been weakened; for about an hour before the attack, -General Whittingham had been ordered, with the three regiments which -he had in position there, to make a reconnoissance upon the enemy’s -right flank; but this was the key of the position; and the consequence -of thus weakening it might have been disastrous if Colonel D. Julian -Romero had not opportunely arrived there with two regiments from -Alcoy. Upon this point, from whence more than half its force had been -withdrawn, the main attack was made; and notwithstanding the difficult -approach to it, the assailants gained ground. The Spaniards, who had -expended all their cartridges, were observed to be retiring, and the -enemy moving in considerable force to the left of our centre. The -moment was critical. Just as the assailants had gained the summit, -Colonel Adam, whom they were proceeding to attack in front, prevented -them, and giving them no time to recover breath after the exertion of -such an ascent, charged and overthrew their column, killing, wounding, -or taking prisoner, during the pursuit, almost every man opposed to -his brigade. The Spaniards resumed their ground. Whittingham too had -no sooner apprehended the intention of the enemy, than he returned -with all speed, and arrived in time to take part in the action, in -which, and in the pursuit, the Spaniards distinguished themselves. -The total failure of the enemy here seemed to be felt along their -whole line of attack; they retreated every where. The cavalry, which -had now advanced toward the front of the allies, fell rapidly back on -perceiving this unexpected reverse, and entered the defile in such -confusion, that had the advantage been vigorously pursued, a signal -victory might, in all likelihood, have been obtained. Suchet, having -united his broken battalions with those which he kept in reserve, took -up a hasty position at the entrance of the defile. Sir John Murray, -still retaining the height, moved a considerable part of his army into -the plain, and formed it in front of the enemy, within cannon-shot, his -right flank covered with the cavalry, his left resting on the hills. In -this state, Marshal Suchet thought that the English did not choose to -make an attack, and Sir John Murray, that the French did not choose to -wait for one; ... for the line of the allies was scarcely formed when -the enemy began their retreat, and continued it through the night, the -action terminating at dusk with a distant cannonade. - -The French had 18,000 infantry in the field, and 1600 cavalry: the -allies were not much inferior in infantry; but greatly so in horse. The -loss of the allies was 670 killed, wounded, and missing, the greater -number of the killed being Spaniards: 800 of the enemy were left dead -in front of the line which they had attacked: no prisoners were taken -except such as were wounded; but Suchet sent 2000 of Elio’s soldiers -prisoners to Tortosa on their way to France, and represented that his -success on the one part of the operations balanced his failure on the -other. If this had been the case numerically, which it was not, it was -far otherwise in reputation. He had suffered a mortifying defeat; but -what must most have tended to console him for it was, his satisfaction -at perceiving that there was no intention on the part of the allies -to pursue their victory. He retreated that night to Villena through -Biar, where he left many dead and dying. Sir John, on the following -day, marched his army in two columns to Alcoy, hoping (though with -little confidence in that hope) that he might force the strong pass of -Albayda, and reach the intrenched position of the enemy at S. Felippe -before they could; this he thought better than a direct pursuit, -because the road which the French had taken was favourable for cavalry, -and he was greatly inferior in that arm. In the vicinity of Alcoy he -remained till the 17th, and then advanced with the whole army into the -open country, to the foot of the Albayda pass, about a league in front -of Alcoy. But this being a lateral movement, made after the enemy had -so far the start as to have passed all that was perilous for him, and -got into a strong country, with his forces collected and restored to -order, was an unimportant demonstration which had no effect; and he -returned after it to his position at Castalla. - -Marshal Suchet had not been more successful in machinations of another -kind. Before the battle of Castalla, an Italian regiment in the -Anglo-Sicilian army had been corrupted, and would have betrayed its -post in an attack concerted with that view, if a timely discovery had -not been made. A scheme also had been formed for delivering Alicante -into his hands; but this also was detected, and three of his emissaries -suffered death for it at Alcoy. Frey Assensio Nebot, known as a -Guerrilla chief, by the name of _El Frayle_, the Friar, had more than -any other partizan annoyed the French in Valencia. His party was well -organized, and provided with a regularity which was seldom to be found -in the regular Spanish armies: so rigorous were the measures employed -against him, that women were put to death for supplying him with means -and intelligence; and at length it was affirmed, that three criminals -who had been condemned to capital punishment obtained their lives, and -the promise of a good reward, on condition of presenting themselves -to the Friar as volunteers, and taking an opportunity to assassinate -him. Mr. Tupper, who had been the British consul at Valencia, and whose -zealous services were never wanting to the common cause, obtained -information of this villany, and the Friar was thus put upon his guard. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON OPENS THE CAMPAIGN.♦ - -Lord Wellington was now prepared to open the campaign, and, for the -first time, with such means as enabled him to act in full confidence -of success. If the Anglo-Sicilian army should not achieve any signal -service, he was yet assured that it would give sufficient employment to -Suchet, so that the Intruder could look for no support from that side. -The British force under his command consisted of 48,000 effective men; -the Portugueze of about 28,000; the Galician of 18,000. The enemy were -not inferior in number, and could more surely rely upon the whole of -♦MAY.♦ their troops; but the change in their Emperor’s fortune and in -their own had been such, that they looked only to a defensive campaign, -and trusted to their strong position on the Douro. In the middle of -May Lord Wellington put his troops in motion. The cavalry which had -wintered in the neighbourhood of Coimbra began their movement at the -end of April: they went by the way of Porto to Braga, where they rested -some days, and proceeding to Braganza, reached that place, which was -the point of union for the left of the army, on the 22d of May. The -left of the army under Sir Thomas Graham crossed the Douro in Portugal, -between Lamego and the frontier. The siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in the -preceding year could not have been undertaken unless that river had -been rendered navigable far above the point to which the Portugueze -barks formerly ascended: it had now been opened as high as to the -mouth of the Agueda; and boats had been quietly collected at different -points, without exciting any suspicion that they were ♦THE LEFT OF THE -ARMY CROSSES THE DOURO.♦ designed for the passage of the troops. Five -divisions of infantry and two brigades of cavalry were thus placed upon -the right bank of the Douro, while the enemy supposed that they had -only to guard against an attempt from the left. The difficulties of -the march were indeed very great; most of the roads are so narrow that -carriages could barely pass between the thick walls which bounded them; -and the mountain streams had their course in ravines, from whence the -ascent is so laborious that sixty men could not without great exertion -enable the horses to drag the artillery up. Nevertheless, hope and -ardour overcame all difficulties; and the advantage which the troops -derived from being provided with shelter was sensibly felt: out of a -division of 6000 men, there were but 120 sick after a march of 250 -miles, through such a country. When these were far on their way, Lord -Wellington, with two divisions of British infantry, a Portugueze one -under the Conde de Amarante, a Spanish one under Morillo, and some -corps of cavalry, advanced from Ciudad Rodrigo by the direct road to -Salamanca; the remainder of the army under Sir Rowland Hill moved upon -the same point by Alba de Tormes. - -The line of their retreat in November was still too evidently marked -by the skeletons of the poor animals who had been worked to death in -that cruel service. A division of infantry under General Villatte had -been left in Salamanca, with some artillery, and three squadrons of -horse. They evacuated the city upon the approach of the allies, but -they lingered too long upon ♦MAY 26. AFFAIR NEAR SALAMANCA.♦ the -high ground in its vicinity. When Lord Wellington was within half a -league of Salamanca, he and his staff got upon a rocky height which -commanded a full view of the city and adjacent country. Below him were -his own videttes, and beyond them those of the enemy, each supported -by piquets. To the right were the Arapiles, a name known only in -topography before, but which had now a place in military history; and -in the same direction, but more behind him, the heads of two columns, -forming Sir Rowland’s division, were seen on two nearly parallel roads. -Through a glass, the enemy were observed drawn up; two battalions and a -squadron to the right of the city, near a ruined convent; two squadrons -on the Tormes, near the bridge; half a squadron guarding the ford, -about a mile above the city, near S. Martha; ... and behind the city a -battalion in reserve. Villatte having barricadoed the bridge and the -principal communications throughout the town, seemed to have thought -himself sure of an easy retreat. The 1st German hussars, favoured by -ground which concealed them from the enemy, inclined toward the ford, -while the 14th light dragoons, keeping beyond the reach of fire, edged -along the left bank of the river. The enemy appeared in some confusion, -but remained stationary, as if waiting for something; and beyond the -city, in the direction of Miranda de Duero and Zamora, their piquets -were withdrawing, and mules and baggage joining them from all sides. -It was now nearly ten in the forenoon, and the day very hot. The head -of Sir Rowland’s right column, which consisted of cavalry, and a troop -of horse artillery, under General Fane, were within two miles of S. -Martha, marching for the ford: the enemy now began to move, first in -the direction of Toro, but presently, as if wavering, bending to their -right, they kept close to the Tormes, in the direction of Arevalo; and -retired rapidly, but in good order, when Fane with his six squadrons -had crossed the river. It was well for them that this cavalry was -already jaded by a long march; but the horse artillery, as soon as, -owing to the ravines and the intricacies of the ground, it could be -brought into use, opened upon them with great effect, every shot going -through their crowded ranks. They retired with extreme rapidity, but -in excellent order, and the artillery pursued as quickly as a very deep -country, occasionally intersected with hollow roads, would allow. When -the enemy came to Aldea Lengua, there was an opportunity of attacking -them with every probability of forcing them to lay down their arms; but -strict orders had been given not to pass a ravine just by that village; -and the moment (never to be regained in war) went by. When orders came -to proceed, it was just too late; the pursuit however was continued, -and some three miles beyond the village a charge was attempted by two -squadrons, but feebly, for the horses were now far spent; the enemy -formed into squares, and repulsed them by a volley, though with little -loss. The pursuit was continued about three miles farther. Some of the -French were taken, being unable to march farther from fatigue; and -many threw away their knapsacks, and sacks full of biscuit, and of -corn, but no troops under such circumstances could have behaved better; -... and some proofs were given of what better deserves to be called -ferocious intrepidity than courage. One of their men who was severely -wounded attempted to destroy himself; and another obstinately refusing -to surrender when it was not possible for him to escape, compelled -those who would fain have saved his life to cut him down. The affair -ended in front of Aldea Rubia; a corps of infantry and cavalry retiring -from Alba, when threatened by Major-General Long and by Morillo’s -division, joined the enemy here; and Lord Wellington, as his infantry -had not come up, recalled the troops from the pursuit. Above fourscore -of the French lay dead on the road, and many fell among the standing -corn: some 200 were made prisoners; and some baggage, ammunition, and -provisions, with Villatte’s coach, were taken. - -♦PASSAGE OF THE EZLA.♦ - -During the two following days, Lord Wellington established the troops -which had marched from the Agueda and Extremadura Alta between the -Tormes and the Lower Douro. On the 29th he left Salamanca, and reached -Miranda de Duero. The enemy had destroyed all the bridges upon the -river except that at Zamora. Opposite Miranda there is a ferry, where -this deep and rapid stream is from 80 to 100 yards wide, and the rocks -on either side from 400 to 500 feet high. When it is so swoln that the -ferry is impracticable, the only way by which travellers can cross is -after the old Peruvian manner, in a sort of hammock or cradle, fastened -to a rope, which is secured upon two projecting points of rock, about -thirty feet above the ordinary level of the ♦FLOREZ ESP. SAGRADA, T. -16, P. 3.♦ water. Here Lord Wellington crossed, and on the following -day joined Sir Thomas Graham’s corps at Carvajales on the Ezla. This -river, which upon good grounds is believed to have been the Astura -of the ancients, and in Leon is called the Rio Grande, descends from -the Puertos de Asturias, passes by Mansilla to Benevente, near which -town it receives the Cea from the east, and the larger river Orbigo -from the west, and enters the Douro below Zamora. At daybreak on -the 31st the troops began to ford: the enemy so little apprehended -danger on that side, that they had only a piquet there, and thus no -opposition was offered to a very difficult and perilous passage. The -ford was intricate; the water nearly chin deep; the bottom rough and -stony; and the stones large and loose. The hussar brigade began the -passage, entering in a body; and as it was supposed that a village on -the opposite hill was occupied by the enemy, and as it was necessary -that some infantry should cross to support the advance of the hussars, -each dragoon had a soldier holding by his stirrup. But this impeded -the horses: alarmed both by, the stream and the unsafe footing, they -became unmanageable and plunged forward: the men, who before could -scarcely keep their feet against the force and weight of the stream, -lost at once their footing and their hold; they were plunged into the -water, their knapsacks overweighed them and kept them on their backs, -and in this manner they struggled at the mercy of the current. There -were, fortunately, three or four small islands just at this part; -and by these most of the officers and men were stopped, but several -valuable lives were lost. The hussars exerted themselves with exemplary -humanity to assist the infantry, and one of their corporals lost his -own life in the performance of this generous duty. In this way the 51st -and the Brunswick Oel’s corps, as well as the cavalry, passed. Their -orders were to ascend the hill and take the village: the enemy’s piquet -were made prisoners. A pontoon bridge was then thrown across, and the -remainder of the corps passed over. - -♦JUNE.♦ - -The French seem now for the first time to have comprehended Lord -Wellington’s plan, and found themselves out-manœuvred by an enemy to -whom they had hitherto allowed no credit for any thing except courage, -and that only because they had been so often beaten by them that it -was no longer for their own credit to deny it. No sooner were they -menaced by the advance of the columns than they destroyed the bridge -at Zamora, and retired from that city and from Toro. Both cities -were entered by the allies; and at daybreak on the first of June the -hussar brigade under Colonel Grant came up near Toro with the enemy’s -rear-guard, who retired rapidly to the village of Morales, in the -direction of Tordesillas. After having been cannonaded by two guns, -which were all that could be brought up in time through the deep sandy -roads, the French formed behind the village. The hussars passed on -both sides of the village, and instantly charged them; upon which they -made off with all speed for a little bridge across a marshy bottom, -faced about there, being supported by some guns belonging to their -infantry, and stood a charge. They were worsted in it, but passed the -bridge; part of the 10th hussars pursued, and Captain Lloyd advancing -with great spirit, but few followers, was taken: they were again -pressed, and retired hastily on the infantry, losing more than 200 -prisoners in these affairs, and so many in killed and wounded, that -the 16th regiment of dragoons was almost destroyed. Captain Lloyd was -ill-treated by his captors; they beat him and rifled him, but left -him in their retreat. Though the fighting was almost in the street of -Morales, the Spaniards were now so accustomed to sights of war, that -within ten minutes after the firing had ceased the women were spinning -at their doors, and the little children at play as if nothing had -happened. - -♦SIR ROWLAND HILL CROSSES THE DOURO. - -JUNE 3.♦ - -Lord Wellington halted at Toro, that the light division and the troops -under Sir Rowland might cross the Douro by the bridge there, that his -rear-guard might come up, and that the Galician army should unite -itself with his left. The whole of the allied force was now on the -right side of the Douro: leaving then half the reserve-ammunition -near Zamora to spare the horses (which were already suffering), he -proceeded: the French, whose force was distributed between Valladolid, -Tordesillas, and Medina, retiring as he advanced, their rear crossing -at the Puente de Duero, on the same day that the allies accomplished -their first object in the campaign, by uniting on the right side of -that river. The enemy now concentrated their force behind the Pisuerga: -there also there was strong ground for defence; but abandoning that -also when Lord Wellington manœuvred on their right, they withdrew -behind the Carrion. The Intruder quitted Palencia on the 6th, and the -greater part of his troops early on the following morning, after a -night passed in the fear of close pursuit. When Lord Wellington entered -that city, flowers were thrown upon him from the windows, and a shower -of roses from the upper gratings of a nunnery. The enemy had not left a -morsel of bread, nor a drop of wine in that city: and when they hastily -retired from a bivouac near Tordesillas, leaving it to be occupied by a -part of Sir Rowland’s corps, the fuel which the troops found collected -there consisted of doors, window-frames, tables, and drawers, from the -houses in the neighbourhood. - -From the Ezla to Palencia the troops had marched through one continued -track of corn, where villages were so thinly scattered, that it -seemed unaccountable where the cultivators were to be found. The land -was generally in wheat, with a fair proportion of barley, and here -and there a crop of vetches and clover. They moved generally by two -roads, and on each side of each at least twenty yards were trampled -down. The horses were fed on green barley nearly the whole march. The -intention of the British Government was to pay the inhabitants for -whatever the army must of necessity take from them; and on the part -of the Government, the full payment was in fact made: but little of -that payment reached the poor people to whom it was due. For want of -specie, the commissaries could pay upon the spot only in bills; to the -peasantry these were worth no more than what the land-sharks who follow -in the wake of an army chose to offer for them; and in this iniquitous -manner large fortunes were amassed, ... a species of roguery which many -of the Portugueze (though as a people the Portugueze are eminent for -probity) were not slow in learning. - -♦THE FRENCH ABANDON BURGOS.♦ - -The army crossed the Carrion on the 7th, following an enemy who seemed -undetermined where to make a stand. On the 12th, Lord Wellington found -it necessary after such rapid movements to halt his left, while the -right under Sir Rowland advanced to reconnoitre the strength of the -French, and the position which they had taken up near Burgos, where -great pains had been taken to strengthen the fortifications of the -castle. They were posted in considerable force on the heights to -the left of the Hormaza, with their right above the village of that -name, and their left in front of Estapar. Part of the allied force -flanked them on their right, another marched against the heights of -Hormaza, the remainder threatened those of Estapar; without waiting -to be attacked they were dislodged, and retreated hastily for Burgos, -suffering considerable loss from the horse artillery, and losing a gun -and some prisoners, but retreating in the best order. More presence of -mind indeed was shown by them hitherto in presence of the enemy, and -in action, than in their counsels. They posted themselves on the left -of the Arlanzon and of the Urbel, which were then greatly swoln with -rains: but in the night they retreated into the city, and hurrying from -it, blew up the castle early in the morning, about an hour after the -Intruder had left it. They seemed to have been aware that there was no -longer any hope of recovering their ascendancy, and to have intended to -bring upon the city a destruction which should prevent the inhabitants -from rejoicing in their deliverance. But the hurry, and fear, and -confusion, with which their preparations were made defeated this -malignant purpose. Several mines failed; some which were primed did not -explode; others were so ill managed that they blew the earth inwards: -and as the explosion took place some hours sooner than was intended, -the destruction which was intended for their enemies fell in part upon -themselves. Many of their men who were lingering to plunder perished as -they were loading their horses with booty in the streets and squares, -and three or four hundred were blown up in the fort. Above 1000 shells -had been placed in the mines: the explosion was distinctly heard at the -distance of fifty miles; and the pavement of the cathedral was covered -with the dust into which its windows had been shivered by the shock. -The town escaped destruction owing to the failure of so many of the -mines, but the castle was totally destroyed, ... gates, beams, masses -of masonry, guns, carriages, and arms lying in one heap of ruins; ... -some of the mines had laid open the breaches, and exposed the remains -of those who had fallen during the siege. - -♦THE EBRO.♦ - -The object of the enemy now was to occupy a position behind the Ebro, -blocking up the great road by placing a garrison in the castle of -Pancorbo, and calling to their assistance the corps from Biscay, -Navarre, and Aragon. But Lord Wellington, repeating the manœuvre which -had before so perfectly succeeded, had already sent his left column to -effect its passage in a quarter from whence they apprehended no danger. -The Ebro rises in the mountains of Santillana, its principal source -being at the northern extremity of Old Castille, towards the Asturian -frontier, near a town which from that cause is called Fontibre. The -Sierra de Oca prevents it from trending westward, like the other -great rivers of Spain; and at Miranda de Ebro, the point at which the -Intruder had instructed the different divisions of his army to make -for with all speed, it appears nearly as large a stream as at Tortosa, -though in the course of the intervening sixty leagues it receives many -and large rivers, one of them the Aragon, of such magnitude, that it -is called the husband (_el varou_) of the Ebro. While the remainder -of the army were pushing the enemy back ♦PASSAGE OF THE EBRO BY THE -ALLIES.♦ upon Burgos, the left column had been detached to effect its -passage above Frias by the bridges of S. Martin and Rocamunde: the -road thither had been deemed impracticable for carriages, and on that -supposed impracticability the enemy relied; but the confidence of the -British General was partaken by his army, and well seconded by them in -all ways; exertions which nothing but zeal and eager hope could have -accomplished were made; and the artillery was lowered down the steep -banks of the river where there were none to offer any resistance. The -French had calculated not without reason on the line of the Ebro, if -they had had foresight or been allowed leisure to occupy it. The road -begins to descend the mountains about three miles from the right bank, -and for more than half that way winds down a continued defile, which -admits only eight or ten men abreast, and being withal tremendously -steep, is so paved that horses can scarcely keep their feet there. -Another such defile, and of greater length, is to be passed on the -opposite side. A few ditches cut across the route, a few trees placed -as barricadoes, a rock blown up to block the pass, a hundred or two -of men to defend it, and to roll stones from the crags and precipices -above, might have stopped any force that attempted the passage. The -left column crossed on the 14th, the remainder of the army on the 15th, -at the same points and by the Puente de Arenas, and on the following -day they moved to the right, in the direction of Vittoria. - -♦THE FRENCH FALL BACK UPON VITTORIA.♦ - -They knew at this time little of the enemy, not even who commanded -their united force, whether Marshal Jourdan or General Gazan, the -Intruder’s command being of course merely nominal; it was thought -that their intention was to have given battle upon the main road, -near Briviesca; but this alone was certain, that their plans had -been disconcerted by Lord Wellington’s movements and sudden advance, -and that they were in that state of irresolution which prepares even -the best soldiers for defeat. On the 16th and 17th they assembled a -considerable force near Espejo, composed of troops which had been -employed against Longa and Mina, and of others detached from the main -body of their army. They had also a division of infantry, with some -cavalry, at Frias, to observe the movements of the allies after the -passage of the Ebro. These detachments, in all about 16,000 men, moved -on the 18th, those from Frias upon S. Millan, and those from Espejo -upon Osma. The light division, under Major-General Alten, drove them -from S. Millan, and cut off the brigade of their rear-guard, of whom -it killed and wounded many, took 300 prisoners, with a considerable -quantity of baggage, and dispersed the rest among the mountains, ... -from thence to be brought in by the peasants and the guerrillas. Sir -Thomas Graham arrived at Osma at the same time with the enemy’s corps; -they were considerably superior in numbers, nevertheless they retired -as soon as an intention was shown of attacking them: presently they -returned briskly, as if to become assailants in their turn, but their -reception was not such as to encourage them, and they once more retired -towards Espejo, and being followed thither, withdrew to the heights. -The enemy’s head-quarters were that day at Pancorvo. During the night -they moved from thence towards Vittoria; and on the following day their -rear-guard was found strongly posted, having its right covered by the -village of Subijana, and its left upon the heights in front of ♦JUNE -19.♦ Pobes. The light division attacked them in flank on the right, Sir -Lowry Cole with the 4th in front, and they were driven back upon their -main force, of which a view was then obtained, but no correct judgment -could be formed of its numbers, because they were in part concealed by -the mountains, and a thick rain was falling during the whole day. On -that night they took up a position in front of Vittoria. - -♦VITTORIA.♦ - -This city, which is now the capital of the province of Alava, and -stands in a valley, bounded on one side by a part of the Pyrenees, -and on the other by a range of bold though inferior mountains, was -founded in 1181 by Sancho VII. of Navarre, a king distinguished by the -appellations of the Wise and the Valiant. There had been a village -called Gasteiz on the site; Sancho thinking it a good situation for a -fortress which might check the incursions of his Castillian neighbours -♦GARCHAY, L. 24, CAP. 13. PP. 187–8.♦ on that side, rebuilt, peopled -and fortified it, and gave his new town the name of Victoria, in -memorial of some now forgotten victory obtained in that vicinity over -them. Juan II. of Castille made it a city. It is now divided into the -old and new towns, the latter being the larger and better part of what -in peaceful times was a populous, industrious, and prosperous place, -containing more than a thousand houses, and twice that number in the -suburbs. - -♦POSITION OF THE FRENCH ARMY.♦ - -In front of this city the enemy had taken their position, under the -nominal command of the Intruder, but actually commanded by Marshal -Jourdan, as the Major-General of the army. Their left rested upon -the heights which terminated at the Puebla de Arlanza; and they had -a reserve in rear of their left, at the village of Gomecha: their -centre extended along a range of strong heights on the left bank of -the Zadorra, its right resting on a circular hill that commands the -valley to which that river gives name; this hill they had covered with -infantry, flanked and defended with several brigades of guns; their -right was in advance of the river, above the village of Abechuco, -to defend the passage. This position, extending about eight miles, -covered the three great roads which from Bilbao, Logroño, and Madrid, -converge upon Vittoria; it crossed also the main road to Bayonne, upon -which immense convoys were seen, moving towards France with the last -harvest and the last gleanings of their plunder. The city was filled -with others awaiting their turn for departure. It is remarkable that, -within sight of this ground, the battle of Najara was fought, in which -Edward the Black Prince, acting as the ally of a bad man, defeated -the best troops of France under their most distinguished leader -Bertram du Guesclin, who was come in support of a worse. It is also -remarkable that the Prince of Brazil, before the battle of Vittoria was -fought, should have conferred the title of Duque da Victoria upon Lord -Wellington. - -Lord Wellington halted his columns on the 20th, in order to close them -up, for since reaching the Ebro they had necessarily been extended, -because of the nature of the country: only the 6th division was left -at Medina de Pomal to cover the march of supplies from the rear. -That day he made a close reconnoissance of the enemy’s position in -every part, with the determination of attacking them on the following -morning, if they should continue there. There was little disparity -of numbers between the two armies, each having from 70 to 75,000 -men. Lord Wellington instantly perceived that the position, though -in most respects well chosen, was too confined, that it showed an -inconsiderable front, and was liable to be taken in flank. - -♦BATTLE OF VITTORIA.♦ - -At daybreak on the 21st of June the allied army was put in motion. The -right under Sir Rowland, consisting of the second British division, the -Conde de Amarante’s Portugueze division, and Morillo’s Spanish corps, -was to commence the action by attacking the heights of La Puebla, -upon which the enemy’s left rested. Sir Thomas Graham with the left, -composed of the 1st and 5th divisions, Generals Pack and Bradford’s -brigades of infantry, Generals Bock and Anson’s brigades of horse, -and Longa’s Spanish division, was directed to turn their right by a -wide movement, and, crossing the Zadorra, to cut off their retreat -by the road to Bayonne. As soon as either of these corps should be -in a situation to manœuvre on the other side the river, the centre, -consisting of the 3d, 4th, 7th, and light divisions, in two columns, -was to advance, and the whole then push forward on the city, and attack -it simultaneously in front and in flank, ... whereby the French would -be compelled either to abandon it and their precious convoys, or risk -a battle in the hope of preserving them. The Spaniards, under Morillo, -began the action, and attacked the heights with great gallantry; their -leader was wounded, but remained in the field; the enemy stood firm, -and made great efforts to retain their ground, perceiving when too -late, that they had neglected to occupy it in sufficient strength. -Strong reinforcements were sent from their centre to its support, so -that Sir Rowland found it necessary to detach thither, first, the 71st -regiment, and the light infantry battalions of Major-General Walker’s -brigade, and successively other troops; the contest was very severe, -and the loss considerable. Here the Hon. Lieutenant-Colonel Cadogan was -mortally wounded, an officer, in Lord Wellington’s words, “of great -zeal and tried gallantry, who had acquired the respect and regard of -the whole profession, and of whom it might have been expected, that -if he had lived he would have rendered the most important services -to his country.” At length the enemy were driven at the point of the -bayonet from these heights; and under the cover which the possession of -this ground afforded, Sir Rowland crossed the Zadorra at La Puebla, -passed the difficult defile, two miles in length, which is formed by -the heights and the river, and then attacked and won the village of -Sabijana de Alva, which covered the left of the enemy’s lines. They -on their part made repeated attempts to regain this important point, -and with that hope drew from their centre a considerable force; again -and again they endeavoured to recover the village, but their efforts, -though bravely and perseveringly made, were unsuccessful. - -The difficult nature of the country delayed the communication between -the different columns, and it was late before Lord Wellington knew that -the 3d and 7th divisions, under the Earl of Dalhousie, had arrived at -their appointed station. The 4th and the light divisions, however, -crossed the Zadorra immediately after Sir Rowland had gained possession -of Sabijana, the former at the bridge of Nanclares, the latter at the -Tres Puentes; almost at the same time the Earl of Dalhousie’s column -arrived at Mendonza, and the 3rd division, under Sir Thomas Picton, -charged and took the bridge higher up, and crossed and was followed by -the 7th. These bridges the enemy ought to have destroyed, but from the -beginning of the campaign a want of foresight had been manifested in -all their operations, though when in action their generals displayed -the habitual promptitude of experienced commanders. The four divisions -which had now crossed, and which formed the centre of the allied army, -were destined to attack the heights on which the right of the enemy’s -centre was placed, while Sir Rowland should move forward from Sabijana -to attack the left. The French had lined those heights with artillery, -which opened on the allies as soon as they attempted to advance from -the river, and with so destructive a fire that it became necessary for -them to halt and bring two brigades of guns to oppose it. Meantime the -contest was maintained at Sabijana with great obstinacy; the enemy -feeding their attacks from a wood, in which their troops were assembled -in great force. But when a brigade which Sir Rowland had detached along -a range of mountains to turn their flank appeared, and at the same time -Sir Thomas Picton approached their front, they gave over their attempts -to recover the village, and began to think rather of retreat than of a -successful resistance. And when Sir Thomas pushed on to take the large -circular hill in flank, while the fourth division moved simultaneously -upon the village in the centre, their whole force prepared to fall back -upon the town, retreating before the allies could close, but keeping -up a hot fire from their artillery. The third division first came in -contact with their columns, and by a gallant attack captured 28 of -their guns which they had not time to draw into the road. The other -divisions pressed them in front. At this moment both the winning and -the losing game were played with equal skill, “the allies advancing -by echellons of battalions, in two or three lines, according ♦COLONEL -JONES’S ACCOUNT, 2. 158.♦ to the nature of the ground; and the French -retiring before them in the most orderly manner, and taking advantage -of every favourable opportunity to make a stand.” And here it happened, -that General Colville’s brigade, which was on the left of the centre, -and most in advance, became, by an accident of the ground, separated -from its support; the enemy, who lost no opportunity in action, -attacked it with a far superior force, but the brigade stood firm, -though out of 1800 men it lost 550. - -While the right and the centre, following up their success, were -pushing the enemy back upon Vittoria, the left was advancing upon -that town by the high road from Bilbao. Sir Thomas Graham with that -column had been moved on the preceding evening to Margina, and had -then so considerable a round to make, that it was ten o’clock before -he began to descend into the plain. General Giron with the Spanish -army had been detached to the left under a different view of the -state of affairs; but having been recalled and reached Orduña on -the yesterday, he marched from thence in the morning so as to be -in readiness to support Sir Thomas Graham, if his support should -be required. The enemy had a division of infantry and some cavalry -advanced upon the Bilbao road, resting their right on some strong -heights covering the village of Gamarra Mayor, and both that village -and Abechuco were strongly occupied as _têtes-du-pont_ to the bridges -over the Zadorra at those places. The heights were attacked both in -front and flank by Brigadier-General Pack’s Portugueze brigade, and -Longa’s Spanish division, supported by Major-General Anson’s brigade -of light dragoons, and the 5th division of infantry, all under the -command of Major-General Oswald; and they were carried, both Spaniards -and Portugueze behaving admirably. Longa then with little resistance -got possession of Gamarra Menor, and the larger village of the same -name was stormed and taken by Brigadier-General Robinson’s brigade of -the 5th division, which advanced under a heavy fire of artillery and -musketry without firing a shot: the enemy suffered severely there, -and lost three pieces of cannon. Sir Thomas Graham then proceeded to -attack the village of Abechuco with the 1st division; they formed a -strong battery against it, under cover of which Colonel Halkett’s -brigade advanced to the attack, supported by General Bradford’s -brigade of Portugueze infantry. Three guns and a howitzer were taken -on the bridge here, and the village was carried. While the contest at -Abechuco continued, the enemy seeing their communication with Bayonne -threatened, marched a strong body to their right in the hope of -recovering Gamarra Mayor: they were driven back in confusion; made a -second attempt, and were again repulsed, for Sir Thomas had loop-holed -the houses in front of the bridge, placed artillery to flank the -approach, and stationed several battalions concealed along the walls, -and their fire repelled the enemy upon a third advance. But the French -had two divisions of infantry in reserve upon the heights on the left -of the Zadorra; Sir Thomas, therefore, could not cross the river with -such a corps in front, till the troops which had moved upon the centre -and the left of the French should have driven them through Vittoria. -About six in the evening this was done, and the corps which held him -in check retreated then lest it should be taken in rear. The left then -crossed the Zadorra, took possession of the high road to Bayonne, and -forced the right as well as the left centre of the enemy back into -the Pamplona road; and now they were unable to hold any position long -enough for drawing off their artillery and baggage. In the expressive -language of an officer who bore his part in the victory, “they were -beaten before the town, and in the town, and through the town, and -out of the town, and behind the town, and all round about the town.” -Every where they had been attacked, every where beaten, and now every -where were put to utter rout. They themselves had in many actions -made greater slaughter of a Spanish army, but never in any instance -had they reduced an army, even of raw volunteers, to such a state of -total wreck. Stores, baggage, artillery, every thing was abandoned; -one gun and one howitzer only were they able to carry off, and the -gun was taken before it could reach Pamplona. 151 pieces of brass -ordnance on travelling carriages were taken; more than 400 caissons, -more than 14,000 round of ammunition, and nearly two millions of -musket-ball cartridges. The loss on the part of the allies consisted -of 501 British killed, 2808 wounded: 150 Portugueze and 89 Spaniards -killed, 899 and 466 wounded, ... the total loss not amounting to 5000. -The French acknowledged a loss of 8000, ... unquestionably it was -greater; not more than a thousand prisoners were taken; for so soon -as they found themselves irretrievably defeated, they ran, and never -did brave soldiers when beaten display more alacrity in flight. Having -abandoned all their ammunition waggons, they had not powder to blow up -the bridges; had this been done, the pursuit would have been greatly -impeded; attempts were made to break them up with pick-axes, and in -this they partly succeeded in several places. But the country was too -much intersected with ditches for cavalry to act with effect in a -pursuit; and infantry who moved in military order could not at their -utmost speed keep up with a route of fugitives. Yet, precipitate as -their flight was, they took great pains to bear off their wounded, and -dismounted a regiment of cavalry to carry them on. And they carefully -endeavoured to conceal their dead, stopping occasionally to collect -them and throw them into ditches, where they covered them with bushes. -Many such receptacles were found containing from ten to twenty bodies. - -The Intruder, who now appears for the last time upon the stage of -his everlasting infamy, narrowly escaped. The tenth hussars entered -Vittoria at the moment that he was hastening out of it in his carriage. -Captain Wyndham with one squadron pursued, and fired into the carriage, -and Joseph had barely time to throw himself on his horse and gallop off -under the protection of an escort of dragoons. The carriage was taken, -and in it the most splendid of his trinkets, and the most precious -articles of his royal plunder. Marshal Jourdan’s staff was among the -trophies of the field; it was rather more than a foot long, and covered -with blue velvet, on which the imperial eagles were embroidered; and -it had been tipped with gold; but the first finder secured the gold -for himself. The case was of red morocco with silver clasps, and -with eagles on it, and at either end the Marshal’s name imprinted in -gold letters. Lord Wellington sent it to the Prince Regent, and was -gracefully presented in return with the staff of a Field-Marshal of -Great Britain. The spoils resembled those of an Oriental rather than -of an European army; for the Intruder, who in his miserable situation -had abandoned himself to every kind of sensuality, had with him all -his luxuries. His plunder, his wardrobe, his sideboard, his larder, -and his cellar, fell into the conqueror’s hands. The French officers, -who carried the pestilential manners of their nation wherever they -went, followed his example as far as their means allowed, and thus -the finest wines and the choicest delicacies were found in profusion. -The wives and mistresses of the officers had gathered together in one -house, where they were safe, and from whence they were sent in their -own carriages with a flag of truce to Pamplona. Poodles, parrots, -and monkeys, were among the prisoners. Seldom has such a scene of -confusion been witnessed as that which the roads leading from the field -of battle presented; ... broken down waggons stocked with claret and -champagne, others laden with eatables dressed and undressed, casks of -brandy, apparel of every kind, barrels of money, books, papers, sheep, -cattle, horses, and mules, abandoned in the flight. The baggage was -presently rifled, and the followers of the camp attired themselves in -the gala dresses of the flying enemy. Portugueze boys figured about -in the dress coats of French general officers; and they who happened -to draw a woman’s wardrobe in the lottery, converted silks, satins, -and embroidered muslins, into scarfs and sashes for their masquerade -triumph. Some of the more fortunate soldiers got possession of the -army chest, and loaded themselves with money: “Let them,” said Lord -Wellington, when he was informed of it; “they deserve all they can -find, were it ten times more.” The camp of every division was like a -fair; benches were laid from waggon to waggon, and there the soldiers -held an auction through the night, and disposed of such plunder as had -fallen to their share to any who would purchase it. Even dollars became -an article of sale, for they were too heavy to be carried in any great -numbers; eight were offered for a guinea, ... guineas which had been -struck for the payment of the troops in Portugal, and made current -there by a decree of the Regency, being the gold currency. The people -of Vittoria had their share in the spoils, and some of them indemnified -themselves thus for what they had suffered in their property by the -enemy’s exactions. - -The city sustained no injury, though the French were driven through -it, and though great part of the battle might be seen from every -window. Nothing could be more mournful than its appearance that night, -... a lantern at every door, and no one in the streets. It was the -first place where the allies had found that the inhabitants were -French in feeling. Two days of heavy rain impeded the pursuit; but -that rain saved many houses from the flames, for the French wreaked -their vengeance upon every thing which they could destroy in their -flight. Every house at which the pursuers arrived had been gutted by -the fugitives, every village set on fire, and the few inhabitants who -had not taken flight in time had met with no mercy; at every step the -allies found havoc, and flames, and misery, the dying and the dead. -Such was the panic among the fugitives, that, finding the gates of -Pamplona closed, they attempted to force their way over the walls, and -did not desist till they were opposed by a serious fire of cannon and -musketry. A council of war was held there, in which it was resolved -to blow up the works and abandon the place; with this intent they -destroyed ammunition and tore down palisades from the outworks. But -the Intruder knew that the possession of so strong a fortress would in -some degree cover his flight; and the last act of his usurped authority -was to order that every article of food and fuel should be taken from -the Spaniards who were within reach. By the rigorous execution of this -order, the quantity in the town was more than doubled; and having left -a garrison there, the flying force continued their way to the Pyrenees. -Their rear was still in sight of Pamplona, when the right and centre of -the allies were checked in their pursuit by a fire from the walls. - -♦SIR T. GRAHAM PROCEEDS AGAINST G. FOY.♦ - -Sir Thomas Graham with the left of the army was ordered to march by -Puerto S. Andrian upon Villa Franca, in the hope of intercepting -General Foy, who occupied Bilbao after the atrocities which he had -committed in Castro. The orders were not received till the 23rd, when -the weather and the ways in consequence were so bad, that only a small -part of the column could pass the mountain that day; and it was not -till the 24th that Sir Thomas, with Major-General Anson’s brigade of -light dragoons, the light battalions of the German legion, and two -Portugueze brigades could march from Segura, the rest of the troops -not having come up. The roads were so slippery with the rain, and in -many places so steep, that horses could scarcely keep their feet, or -the infantry make any progress. This allowed Foy time to withdraw -the troops from some of the military stations there, and with his -collected force he began his retreat into France. The allies came to -the junction of the roads from Bilbao and from Vittoria to Bayonne just -as the enemy’s rear had passed it. The French occupied in force some -strong ♦JUNE 24.♦ ground on the right of the Oria, in front of the -village of Olaverria, about a mile and a half from Villa Franca; they -were dislodged from thence, and allowed the pursuers to take possession -of the town, meaning to make their stand at Tolosa. During the night, -Longa’s corps joined Sir Thomas, and the advance of General Giron’s. -On the following morning the enemy evacuated Celequiz, and took up a -very strong position between that place and Tolosa, covering the road -to Pamplona. Longa was then directed to march by Alzo upon Lizara -in order to flank his left, while General Mendizabel was requested -to dispatch some battalions from Aspeytia to flank his right, which -rested upon a mountain with an inaccessible ravine in front. The French -were driven from the summit of a hill lying between the Pamplona and -Vittoria roads, on the right of the allies, by a very skilful attack of -Lieutenant-Colonel Williams, and the possession of this important point -enabled the assailants to act on the Pamplona road. In the course of -the afternoon the Spaniards arrived at their ♦THE FRENCH DRIVEN FROM -TOLOSA.♦ destination, and between six and seven a general attack was -made, one column advancing upon the Vittoria road, another on the left; -General Bradford driving the enemy in on their front by the Pamplona -road, and Longa still more on the right from the side of the mountains, -turning, and forcing from very strong positions, all their posted -bodies on the right of the town. Still they held the town; and it was -found much more capable of defence than had been represented; this -was generally the case with their fortified posts, so prone were the -Spaniards to report things always according to their hopes; the walls -had been loop-holed, and new towers erected to flank it. The Vittoria -gate was barricadoed and the Pamplona one on the bridge; both were -flanked by convents and other large buildings which the enemy occupied; -the place was nowhere open, and a strong wood block-house had been -constructed in the Plaza, of so much importance had it been deemed. A -nine-pounder was brought up close to the Vittoria gate, under cover -of the light battalions’ fire; the gate was burst open: at the same -time, the walls were attacked and gained under a considerable fire, and -about half an hour after night closed, the enemy forsook the place, -flying from every point, and the troops entered amidst the _vivas_ of -the inhabitants, who had fully expected to have been plundered that -night by the retreating enemy. The British officer who first entered -thought they were in some danger from their deliverers, considering -the mixed composition of the troops, and how likely it was that some -parties away from their regiments might take advantage of the darkness -and the confusion. He advised them therefore to shut their doors, -and, to the credit of the troops, it must be added, that no outrage -or excess was committed. Longa and the German legion passed on, and -formed immediately beyond the town. The loss of the allies on this and -the preceding day amounted to about 400. Sir Thomas Graham was struck -during the attack by a musket-ball; the hurt was not serious, and he -attempted to conceal it, but could not, and was obliged to dismount. - -♦JUNE 26.♦ - -On the morrow one brigade was placed on the Pamplona road, and another -on the Bayonne, each about a league from Tolosa; a third occupied -Alegria, and Sir Thomas then halted two days to ascertain ♦FOY RETREATS -INTO FRANCE.♦ the advance of Lord Wellington on his right. Foy had -retreated to Anduain, where he destroyed the bridge; but he now knew -himself to be no longer safe within the Spanish territory, and lost -no time in making his way into France. A brigade of the Galician army -attacked his rear-guard on the Bidassoa at Irun, and drove them over -the bridge. They still maintained a strong stone block-house there, -which served as a head to the bridge, and some loop-holed houses on -the Spanish side of the river. General Giron sent for some Spanish -artillery to dislodge them; an ♦JUNE 30.♦ English brigade of nine -pounders was sent from Oyarzun to act with it; the French then found -it necessary to abandon their post, and they blew up the block-house -and burnt the bridge. In all these affairs no troops could have -behaved better than the Spanish; and General Giron, with a natural -and becoming feeling, had been very desirous that this last exploit -should fall to their part. The garrison at Passages, 150 in number, -♦PASSAGES IS SURRENDERED.♦ surrendered on the same day to Longa, and -on the following the garrison of Guetaria, being blockaded by land, -evacuated the town and fort, ♦CASTRO ABANDONED BY THE ENEMY.♦ and went -by sea to St. Sebastian. Castro de Urdiales, the scene of General Foy’s -atrocities, had been abandoned the day after the battle of Vittoria, -the British squadron having cut off the garrison from all supplies by -sea, and the Spaniards by land. A British vessel heaving opportunely in -sight, the commandant withdrew precipitately, without destroying his -artillery and powder, or injuring the castle. A few old women were the -only survivors in the town, and their tale of the barbarities which -the French and Italian troops had committed there is too dreadful for -recital; there is, however, a satisfaction in recording that fourteen -of the perpetrators were among the prisoners taken at Bilbao, and were -deservedly put to death. The garrison got by sea to Santona, that and -St. Sebastian being the only points which the enemy now occupied upon -that coast. The French had left 700 men in Pancorbo, a post commanding -a ravine through which the high road ♦PANCORBO TAKEN.♦ from Burgos -to Vittoria passes. The Andalusian army of reserve, under the Conde -de Abisbal, was on its way to join the main force. Lord Wellington -requested him to make himself master of the town and lower works, and -blockade, as closely as he could, the castle, which is situated on a -high rock. Abisbal assaulted and took the town and the fort of Santa -Marta on the 28th; and cutting off the garrison in the castle from the -spring which supplied them with water, compelled them to surrender two -days afterwards, when in all other respects they were well provided for -a regular defence. - -♦CLAUSEL RETIRES TO ZARAGOZA.♦ - -General Clausel’s corps, consisting of part of the army of the north, -and one division of the army of Portugal, 14,000 in all, had been -recalled from its operations against Mina to join the collected force -of the Intruder. Coming in a direction which none of the fugitives had -taken, he approached Vittoria the day after the battle, and finding -that city in possession of Major-General Pakenham’s division, which -had just arrived there, and having no means of communicating with the -routed army, he retired immediately towards Logroño. There he halted, -hoping to obtain information whereby to direct his movements; and -Lord Wellington thinking there was some prospect of intercepting his -retreat, moved three divisions towards Tudela, and the 5th and 6th from -Vittoria and Salvatierra towards Logroño. Clausel, who was at this -time harassed by the indefatigable Mina, and by Don Julian Sanchez -with his regiment of cavalry, left Logroño on the 24th, taking with -him the garrison of that place, and marching on the left bank of the -Ebro, crossed it by the bridge at Lodosa, and reached Calahorra on the -following day. On the next he arrived at Tudela; but the Alcalde of -that city informed him that the allies were on the road to meet him, -upon which he marched toward Zaragoza, taking with him this garrison -also. - -♦PREPARATIONS FOR THE SIEGE OF PAMPLONA.♦ - -Sir Rowland meantime following the main body of the defeated army -on their retreat over the Pyrenees, dislodged them from every point -which they attempted to hold, and obtained possession of the passes -of S. Esteban, Donna Maria, Maya, and Roncesvalles. It was now Lord -Wellington’s intention to besiege Pamplona: with this intent the heavy -guns and stores for the siege were brought from Santander to Deba, a -little town to the westward of S. Sebastian’s: there they were landed, -and cows and bullocks had been collected for transporting them to the -trenches: but the intelligence which Lord Wellington received from the -Anglo-Sicilian army rendered it necessary to give up this intention, -and every thing therefore was reshipped. - - - - -CHAPTER XLIV. - -OPERATIONS OF THE ANGLO-SICILIAN ARMY. RECOVERY OF ZARAGOZA. SIEGE OF -ST. SEBASTIAN. BATTLES OF THE PYRENEES. - - -♦1813.♦ - -♦EXPEDITION FROM ALICANTE.♦ - -It was part of Lord Wellington’s plan that Marshal Suchet should be -engaged on the eastern coast by the Anglo-Sicilian army, and thus -prevented from sending assistance to the French in Aragon and on the -upper Ebro. His position upon the line of the Xucar was too strong to -be attacked in front by the force under Sir John Murray’s command, -or acting in concert with him; and a movement by Requeña and Utiel -upon their right flank, and by Tortosa and Lerida towards the rear, -seemed as hazardous as it would have been circuitous and difficult. -A naval expedition remained for consideration; and if a vigorous -attack were made either upon Tarragona or Rosas, Suchet’s attention -must necessarily be drawn thither, so that he could give no aid to -the armies in the north, and must leave the open part of the kingdom -of Valencia to the Spaniards. Tarragona was preferred as the point -of attack, and Sir ♦APRIL 14.♦ John was instructed to embark with -that view. If he should succeed in his attempt against that place, an -establishment would be secured on the coast north of the Ebro, so as -to open a communication with the Spanish army in Catalonia: but this -was a question of time and means, and if Suchet should be strong enough -in Catalonia to frustrate the attempt, Sir John was directed in that -case to return immediately, and land as far north in the kingdom of -Valencia as he could, ♦JUNE.♦ and there join with the right of the -Spanish armies, to assist them in profiting by the opportunity which -Suchet’s absence and the withdrawal of a considerable part of his force -from the Xucar might be expected to afford. - -The expedition was to have been kept secret; but the preparations which -were made at Alicante for the embarkation of a considerable corps could -not be concealed, and Suchet was speedily informed of them. Already he -had apprehended, by a movement of the Spaniards from La Mancha upon -Cuenca, and of Villacampa from the frontiers of Aragon upon the upper -Guadalaviar, that it was intended by a combined operation to compel him -to evacuate Valencia; but as at that time Clausel’s activity relieved -him from any inquietude with regard to Mina, he was enabled to withdraw -a division from Aragon, and to place Pannetier’s brigade between -Tortosa and Valencia, that he might direct it upon whatever point -should be threatened, without leaving the line of the Xucar exposed. - -♦COL DE BALAGUER TAKEN BY THE ANGLO-SICILIAN ARMY.♦ - -By the end of May the expedition, consisting of 700 cavalry, and 14,600 -infantry, including Whittingham’s division of 5000, and above 4000 -Italians, had embarked, and on the last day of that month the fleet, -commanded by Rear-Admiral Hallowell, sailed from Alicante. It was seen -from Valencia; and the French troops from the side of Tortosa were -instructed to be ready for moving whithersoever the debarkation might -call them. After a very favourable passage, the fleet anchored on the -evening of the 2nd in the port of Salon, within sight of Tarragona. -The soldiers who had been ordered to hold themselves in readiness to -land were put into the boats, but the surf ran so high that Admiral -Hallowell pronounced the attempt too dangerous, and therefore they -returned to the ships. But before the fleet came to anchor a brigade, -under Lieutenant-Colonel Prevost, was judiciously detached to get -possession of the fort at Col de Balaguer, that point commanding -the only road by which artillery could be brought to the relief of -Tarragona. General Copons, who had been apprized of the expedition, -occupied Reus at that time, and sent two battalions, at first, to -co-operate in the attack upon this fort, and afterwards two more in -consequence of some movements from Tortosa. The attack was vigorously -pressed. On the 5th the place was battered in breach; on the 7th a -magazine exploded; the garrison, consisting of 80 men, were intimidated -by this, and the commandant capitulated. On this side, therefore, no -succours could now reach Tarragona, which is about six leagues from Col -de Balaguer, except by a circuitous march of three days, through a very -difficult country: there was a pass indeed by which the place might be -approached, but it was not practicable for artillery. - -♦THE EXPEDITION LANDS NEAR TARRAGONA.♦ - -Meantime the debarkation had been effected on the 3rd, in broad day, -and with an order, a precision, and a rapidity, peculiar to the English -in their naval operations. Having reconnoitred the fortress, Sir John -Murray determined upon ♦M. SUCHET’S MEM. 2, 311.♦ attacking it on the -western side, which was the weakest, and that on which stores might -most conveniently be brought up to the batteries. General Bertoletti, -who commanded in Tarragona, did not confine himself within the -walls; he occupied the Fuerte Real, and the ruins of the bastion of -St. Carlos, which, though, like all the external works, it had been -demolished, presented still an imposing appearance; and great exertions -were made for repairing it. These works were between 350 and 400 yards -from the body of the place, to the southward, and nearer the sea, the -approach being exceedingly difficult, and covered by the fire of the -town. But they were thought to be the key of the place, and that if -the besiegers could establish themselves there, Tarragona must fall -in three days. Accordingly two batteries were begun on the evening of -the 4th, and on the morning of the 6th they opened their fire with -good effect; another was erected during the night, and on the morning -of the 8th the commanding engineer reported that a practicable breach -in the Fuerte Real had been made; but he requested that it might not -be stormed, because its immediate possession could be turned to no -account, and to retain it would cost the lives of many men. The fire -therefore was continued only to prevent its re-establishment. Meantime, -when the weather would permit, the artillery and engineer horses, and -the cavalry and artillery stores, were landed, and the operations -of the engineers were so far advanced that two heavy batteries were -constructed to enfilade the place. The city was then summoned to -surrender; but as none of the batteries were as yet within 500 yards -of the place, and the fire of the besieged had been very superior to -that of the besiegers, General Bertoletti would not listen to the -summons. On the 11th, the commanding officer of engineers reported that -he was perfectly prepared to push the siege with vigour; and according -to Sir John Murray’s order, Major-General Sir William Clinton, who -had that day been left in temporary command of the siege, resolved to -storm the Fuerte Real at nine that night. Accordingly a disposition -for the assault was made, and arrangements for distracting the enemy’s -attention by a simultaneous show of attack along the whole of his -front, aided from the side of the sea by the bomb-vessels and gun-boats. - -Marshal Suchet meantime, leaving General Harispe with the command -on the Xucar, had made for ♦SUCHET’S MOVEMENT FOR THE RELIEF OF -TARRAGONA.♦ Tortosa by forced marches with one division, his reserve, -and a brigade of cavalry: and before his arrival he had dispatched -orders for the garrison of that place to secure the Col de Balaguer; -but the fort there was taken before any attempt to succour it was made, -and he could therefore bring with him no artillery in his attempt to -raise the siege of Tarragona. He had directed also Generals Decaen and -Maurice Mathieu to march for the relief of the place. On the side of -Tortosa all due precautions had been taken, by getting possession of -the fort which absolutely commanded that singular pass. On the other -side, Sir John Murray had ordered General Whittingham to see if the -road could by any means be broken up or impeded, ... but in an open -country this was found impracticable in any part, except at a point -near the sea, and within two miles of Tarragona. When Whittingham was -at Torre de Embarra upon this investigation, Manso, who had 2000 men at -Vendrell, came there to inform him that Decaen, from Hostalric and the -country beyond it, would arrive that night at Barcelona, where there -would then be a force of 12,000 foot and 400 horse, disposable for the -relief of Tarragona. This information General Whittingham communicated -to Sir John Murray on the 9th, observing that the enemy might advance -to succour that place, in two columns, one by the road along the -coast, the other by the heights, upon the left of the besieging army; -the Spanish division, which formed the left, would thus be exposed in -flank to a superior force, and in a position that was commanded by the -heights, and had the fortified city in its rear: and he suggested to -Sir John that he should leave General Copons with the Catalan army to -cover the siege, while he, with the British troops and the Majorcan -division, marched immediately upon Villa Franca to attack Decaen; that -General would have advanced beyond Villa Franca; victory, considering -the number and the quality of the allied troops, would not be doubtful, -and it would decide the contest in Catalonia; and after driving him -from Molins de Rey, and destroying the stone bridge over the Llobregat, -by which bridge alone artillery could be brought across that river, -there would be time to return and encounter Marshal Suchet. - -♦SIR JOHN MURRAY RAISES THE SIEGE.♦ - -To this suggestion Sir John paid no regard; but late in the evening -of the 11th, when every thing was ready for an immediate assault upon -the Fuerte Real, he received intelligence that Suchet was advancing -with 12,000 men from the side of Tortosa, and Decaen with 8000 from -Barcelona; upon which he determined immediately to raise the siege, and -with such haste as to abandon all the heavy artillery, ammunition, and -stores that had been landed. He thought it would have been an useless -waste of the lives of British soldiers to assault a work which, if -carried, must, in his opinion, have been abandoned the next day: he -placed no reliance upon the Spaniards under Copons, who had not more -than 8500 disposable men, and those without pay, discipline, artillery, -or means of subsisting, and whom he considered totally incapable of -acting in the field. He distrusted his own foreign troops, who worked -slowly at the siege, with great unwillingness, and with so little -steadiness, that it had required an additional party of 200 British -soldiers to carry to the batteries the ammunition which one of their -parties threw away when they came under fire. The French too, he -thought, had all advantages; they had fortresses in every direction to -furnish them supplies, to retire upon if they wished to avoid an action -till they could bring together more troops, or to cover them if they -were defeated; whereas he was in the open field, without any point -of support, or of retreat, except to the ships: and how serious an -operation would it be to embark an army in an open bay, and on a beach -where he had learned by experience that it was impossible to disembark -in any but the lightest boats! Three days at least would be required to -complete this re-embarkation. He decided, therefore, upon beginning it -without delay. - -Admiral Hallowell strongly remonstrated against abandoning the -artillery, and engaged to bring off every thing, if Sir John would -only give him the night from the 12th to the 13th; but that commander -gave ear to less hopeful counsels, most unfortunately for himself. For -public opinion loudly condemned his conduct; it became the subject of -a court-martial; and though the sentence acquitted him upon all other -charges, it pronounced that he had committed an error of judgment in -abandoning his artillery, when it might have been brought off. The -embarkation was commenced at daybreak. At first some of the valuable -stores were sent off, but orders were given to abandon them. Great part -of the infantry were put on board during the day in full view of the -besieged, who crowded on the ramparts to behold what they were unable -to understand. Sir John himself embarked early in the evening; but it -was not till near midnight that the 1st division, under Sir William -Clinton, who was left in command of the troops on shore, moved to the -beach; and so completely were the enemy deceived as to its movements, -by the piquets of this division having been kept at their advanced -stations till darkness had closed, that not a man ventured without -the walls, and not a shot was fired during the night, except from the -ramparts, nor did any enemy show himself to molest the embarkation. -The cavalry of the Majorcan division were embarked on the morning of -the 13th, by means of a mole constructed for the purpose, about two -leagues from the town; but the other cavalry and a great part of the -field artillery were ordered by land to the Col de Balaguer, whither -Sir John Murray repaired in the Bristol early on the 13th, and where -the whole armament was directed to assemble. - -♦SUCHET APPROACHES COL DE BALAGUER, AND RETIRES AGAIN.♦ - -While the allies were thus re-embarking with discreditable -precipitance, two other armies thought it necessary in consequence of -this movement to retreat also, in equal haste, ... General Copons from -the vicinity of Reus to the mountains, lest he should be exposed to a -combined attack from Decaen and the garrison of Tarragona; and Decaen -himself to Barcelona, apprehending that the allies had raised the siege -for the purpose of bringing him to action. On the evening of the 13th -an enemy’s detachment was seen advancing by the piquets in front of the -fort at Col de Balaguer, and judging that this might be the advance of -Suchet’s force, Sir John ordered part of the infantry to be re-landed -as it arrived from Tarragona, in order to cover the embarkation of -the cavalry and field-artillery, which had reached that point in the -course of the day. He was not mistaken in this judgment, ... Marshal -Suchet having found the way by the mountains impracticable, thought to -force his way by the Col, expecting to reduce the fort with as little -difficulty as the allies had done; and on the 14th he presented himself -there on the road from Tortosa with the main body of his army. He found -a battalion in position covering the fort; but, to his astonishment, -he also discovered the British fleet at anchor between the Col and -Hospitalet. His light troops and skirmishers extended themselves along -the hills, and approached within cannon-shot of the fort. But he found -it impossible to advance, so completely was the road on that side -commanded by the fort and by the judicious station taken by the ships -of war, which could anchor there close to the shore; and it was equally -impossible for an army to remain there many hours, there being no water -within many miles. He found it necessary, therefore, to retire the -same evening to the village of Perillo, not knowing what had occurred -at Tarragona, alarmed as well as surprised at what he had seen, and -holding himself prepared to follow the movements of the fleet. - -♦JUNE 15. SIR JOHN RE-LANDS THE TROOPS.♦ - -On the following morning he made a second movement on Valdellos, as -if intending to attempt the mountain road. As soon as Sir John Murray -was informed of this he apprehended that it was Suchet’s intention to -turn the position which the allies occupied, and enter the plain of -Tarragona in their rear; upon which the farther embarkation of the -cavalry was suspended, and nearly the whole of the infantry were put -on shore. He also sent a strong division, and all the cavalry, under -Major-General Mackenzie, to observe the enemy’s motions, and attack -them if they should attempt to press farther forward. They remained -on the 16th nearly in the same position; but intelligence came that -a column was in march from the side of Tarragona, and as this would -have rendered General Mackenzie’s situation extremely critical, he was -ordered to retire to Hospitalet, and accordingly retreated thither in -the course of the night. Sir John now determined to take up a position -in the plain, between the high ground of the Col and the sea, and this -was done on the 17th. The left rested on the hills, which are almost -inaccessible on that side; the ground in front, though level, was -impracticable for cavalry, because it is intersected from the hills to -the sea with gullies and deep ravines caused by the winter rains. The -right extended to the shore, and was greatly protected by the gun-boats -and the fire of the shipping. In this strong position he had resolved -to wait the enemy’s attack, but in the forenoon it was ascertained -that they had retired on both sides, Suchet toward Tortosa, and Decaen -toward Barcelona, after throwing supplies into Tarragona. Sir John then -assembled a council of war, in which it was concluded that as nothing -farther in the way of offensive operations could be attempted by the -army in its then state, and as no advantage could be expected from -remaining where they were, and acting defensively, the most advisable -measure was to re-embark and return to Alicante, there to re-equip the -army. - -♦LORD W. BENTINCK TAKES THE COMMAND.♦ - -In the afternoon of this busy day Lord William Bentinck, who had -long been looked for, arrived from Sicily to take the command. The -Mediterranean fleet, under Sir Edward Pellew, came with him, having -quitted its station off Toulon in the hope of assisting the operations -against Tarragona, either by its presence there, or by making a show of -landing at and attacking Rosas. Lord William on assuming the command -confirmed the opinion of the council of war, and ordered the troops to -be immediately re-embarked. The weather being such as to raise a high -surf, rendered this very difficult; nevertheless by great exertions on -the part of the navy, every thing was got on board by ♦FORT AT COL DE -BALAGUER DEMOLISHED.♦ the midnight of the 19th. At the same time the -fort at Col de Balaguer, having been dismantled and ruined, was blown -up; and on the ensuing day, Admiral Hallowell and the Anglo-Sicilian -army made sail for Alicante from their bootless expedition, and Sir -Edward Pellew returned with the Mediterranean fleet to his wonted -station. - -The explosion of the fort announced to the French that the English had -abandoned all thought of any further operations in lower Catalonia, ... -much to Marshal Suchet’s relief, who while they remained there deemed -it necessary to observe their movements, and yet felt ♦UNSUCCESSFUL -MOVEMENTS OF THE SPANIARDS IN VALENCIA.♦ that he was wanted upon -the Xucar. General Elio’s army, joined by that which Ballasteros -had formerly commanded, but was now under the Duque del Parque, had -endeavoured to take advantage of his absence with so large a part of -his force. On the 11th they had attacked General Harispe’s rear-guard, -under General Mesclop, when on the road from S. Philippe to its -position on the Xucar, but were repulsed at the village of Rogla with -some loss, and Elio himself was for a little while in the enemy’s -hands, but he had the good fortune to escape without being recognized. -The French then pursued their march without farther molestation to the -bridge over the Xucar. On the 13th the Spaniards presented themselves -in force there, and while a cannonade was kept up on that side, the -Duque del Parque attacked Alcira by the two roads of Carcagente and of -Gandia. General Habert let their principal column approach the suburb, -then charged it at the moment when it began to deploy, threw it into -confusion, routed it with the loss of 400 killed and more than 600 -prisoners; and this in time for repairing to support his left on the -Gandia road, and there also to defeat the assailants. Notwithstanding -this success, General Harispe was far from feeling secure in his -position. He informed Marshal Suchet that there were in his front not -less than 28,000 of the least bad Spanish infantry, and from 2000 to -3000 cavalry in a good state; this, he said, the prisoners agreed in -affirming, and the intelligence was not of a kind to make them feel -more secure than they ought to be. The departure of the expedition -from Balaguer Roads after the total failure of its object enabled -the Marshal to hasten back towards the Xucar, and he did this with -the more speed, because there was a report that its intention was to -intercept him on his way to Valencia, by landing either at Puerto -de los Alfaques, ♦THE FLEET SUFFERS ON ITS RETURN TO ALICANTE.♦ or -at Castellon de la Plana. But the fleet had no other object in view -than that of returning to Alicante, and in this it suffered much from -storms. Eighteen transports were driven on the Alfaques; the troops -were taken out, and fifteen of the vessels were got off, but the others -were lost. - -♦SUCHET’S MEASURES AFTER THE BATTLE OF VITTORIA.♦ - -On landing at Alicante, Lord William received intelligence of the -battle of Vittoria. Suchet had apprehended no such tidings. Buonaparte -seems to have entertained till the last a blind persuasion that his -schemes of ambition in Spain and every where else must finally be -successful, and the instructions which he had sent to the Marshal -were that he should endeavour to gain time, and lose no ground, till -the affairs of the north should be finished, when, if it were then -necessary, dispositions would be made in favour of the armies in Spain. -The Marshal, however, knew that he must lose no time in retiring -from Valencia; that province therefore was delivered by the battle -of Vittoria, as Andalusia had been by the battle of Salamanca. He -thought to retain upon it a hold which would enable him at any time -to return by leaving a garrison of 1200 men in Murviedro, stored for -twelve months, the place having been materially strengthened during the -eighteen months which had elapsed since the French obtained possession -of it: 500 men were also left in Peñiscola, 120 in Denia, and as many -in Morella, that little fort commanding a mountain-road, by which a -corps of infantry without cannon could at any time re-enter Valencia -from Aragon. Looking forward therefore to the probable resumption of -their conquests, with the hopefulness which characterizes the French -character, and with the confidence which he might justly feel in his -own ability of improving all circumstances to the best advantage, -he commenced his retreat with the less reluctance because Clausel -apprized him that he had arrived at Zaragoza with 14,000 men, and would -establish himself ♦SUCHET’S MÉMOIRES, 2, 310–324.♦ upon the Gallego, -in readiness either to co-operate with the army of Aragon, or with the -Intruder, if the army on that side should resume the offensive. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON UNDERTAKES THE SIEGE OF ST. SEBASTIAN.♦ - -A junction between Clausel and Suchet was what Lord Wellington -apprehended as soon as he heard that the expedition against Tarragona -had failed, and that consideration made him at once give up his -intention of laying siege to Pamplona. Unwelcome as the tidings -were, this change of purpose may have compensated for the failure, -... Pamplona ♦JULY.♦ being so much stronger than it was at that time -supposed to be by the allies, and the British army still so defective -in its engineer’s department, that the siege might probably have proved -unsuccessful. Resorting therefore to the surer method of blockading a -city, which there was reason to believe was not provided for a long -siege, he intrusted that service to the Spaniards, and ordered works -to be thrown up on every side, to prevent the escape of the garrison, -and to cut them off from all supplies; and he determined to besiege St. -Sebastian’s, where farther means of attack could be obtained by sea. -The service was intrusted to Sir Thomas Graham, with 10,000 men. - -♦CLAUSEL RETREATS INTO FRANCE BY WAY OF JACA.♦ - -But the failure in Catalonia was soon compensated by the events which -took place in Aragon. Clausel, not waiting for Marshal Suchet’s -movements, nor to consult with him, left his artillery at Zaragoza, and -made for France by way of Jaca. The Spaniards supposed that his chief -motive was the desire of securing the riches which he had amassed. -Mina was marching upon the same point with a far inferior force, in -the hope of intercepting some of this booty, when he ♦DURAN INVITES -MINA TO ACT WITH HIM FOR THE DELIVERANCE OF ZARAGOZA.♦ received orders -which suspended his progress. Duran at the same time, as commandant in -Lower Aragon, was instructed to take such opportunity as might offer -for acting against the enemy in Zaragoza. This veteran, who was then at -Ricla, sent Colonel Tabuenca to inform Mina of Clausel’s retreat, and -to confer with him upon a plan of speedy operations for the recovery -of that capital, where there were no other troops remaining than a -not numerous garrison, and against which he should immediately move. -Tabuenca was then with his regiment at Borja; Mina was supposed to be -at Gallud: not finding him there, Tabuenca hastened to Pedrola; but -there he found D. Julian Sanchez, who directed him to look for Mina at -Alagon; and from Alagon Cruchaga directed him to Las Casetas, and there -at one in the morning Tabuenca arrived and found him. Upon delivering -his dispatches, he stated that General Duran had selected him to be the -bearer, because, being a native of Zaragoza, and having been present -during both sieges, he could give him the fullest local information, -upon which their combined operations might be concerted. Mina replied, -that their forces were not sufficient for such an enterprise. He had -approached the city, he said, upon an assurance that the enemy had -evacuated it; but an intercepted letter had just been brought him, in -which the governor, General Paris, ordered the garrisons on the left of -the Ebro to maintain their posts, because succours were on the way to -them from Marshal Suchet. - -Tabuenca had not expected such a reply. He represented that the united -force of the two divisions amounted to from 10,000 to 12,000 infantry, -and 1500 horse; that the garrison did not at the utmost exceed 5000, -including invalids; that when with that number so wide a circuit was -to be covered, various false attacks might distract their attention, -and an entrance be effected where they least apprehended it: and that -when once the Spaniards should have set foot upon the walls, they might -count upon as many brave soldiers as there were men of Zaragoza. The -reinforcements which the governor looked for were, he said, far off, -and could not, if time were made good use of, arrive till they would be -useless. There was more reason to fear that Clausel might march back; -but even in that case they could maintain themselves in Zaragoza. Paris -could not defend the city, if he were vigorously assailed: and though -he might bring off the garrison by the bridge over the Ebro, the French -could not carry off their booty. Mina replied, that he had only three -regiments of infantry on the right of the Ebro, and cavalry was of -little use; but in the morning he expected information from the place, -and would then determine whether to remain or to retire. Tabuenca -observed, that the regiments on the left bank would not be useless if -they were made to approach, and that the cavalry might be dismounted; -and he requested him at least to bring down the regiments which he had -at Alagon and Pedrola, that the enemy’s attention might thus be drawn -toward Las Casetas, when Duran came with his division, as he would do, -to Maria or Cadrete. To this Mina consented. - -♦JULY 8.♦ - -Early in the morning, Tabuenca’s regiment, which had followed him, -arrived at the Puente de la ♦AFFAIR BEFORE ZARAGOZA.♦ Claveria, where -he joined it, and proceeded on the right of the canal of Tauste toward -the Puente de la Muela, meaning to give the men some rest there, while -he went in search of Duran. They had scarcely been an hour upon the -way, when a fire of musketry was heard on the left toward Las Casetas, -and an orderly of Mina’s came in all haste to recall them, because the -enemy had attacked him. Tabuenca, confiding in his own knowledge of the -ground, represented to Mina, that instead of obeying this order, it -would be better that he should occupy the Puente de la Muela, whereby -he should divert the enemy’s attention, if, as might be expected, -more troops should issue out, and at the same time secure that point -in case Duran should make for it. Mina approved of this suggestion. -The alarm had been occasioned by a body of horse, some 150 in number, -who had been sent on an exploring party; they were charged by Mina’s -cavalry, and compelled to retreat with all speed; but other bodies -presently sallied to their support, and one of about 1000 foot and -100 horse made for the Puente de la Muela. Tabuenca, who had with him -about 1400 men, quickened his pace and anticipated them; and seeing -this they halted, hesitated, and then fell back. Their main force -advanced against Mina upon the road to Las Casetas; troops also came -to his support, and his men behaved with their wonted gallantry. The -enemy were superior both in horse and foot, and when the body which -had been disappointed in their intention of occupying the bridge of -La Muela joined them, the Navarrese could with difficulty keep their -ground; but Tabuenca hastening with part of his men, approached the -enemy on their left flank, under cover of some olive yards, and opened -upon them a fire as opportune as it was unexpected; taking advantage -of the movement which this occasioned among them, Mina charged with -such effect, that they retreated hastily till they were under the fire -of their works. Mina then encamped his troops between the Casetas and -the heights of La Bernardona, ... he had now with him 4000 foot and -1500 horse; and Tabuenca regarding this affair as a preliminary to the -recovery of Zaragoza, ordered his regiment to march immediately upon -the Casa Blanca and the Torrero, while he took the same course with -the detachment which had been engaged. These posts, which had been so -obstinately disputed in the former sieges, were abandoned by the French -at their approach; and the Spaniards entered them, rejoicing in their -success, and in being enabled to rest, after a march of four-and-twenty -hours, during which they had had no other refreshment than a hasty meal -at Grisen. - -♦SECOND SALLY OF THE FRENCH.♦ - -Between four and five in the afternoon the French sallied a second -time and in greater force. They attacked Mina’s division, which was -supported by D. Julian Sanchez with his Castilian lancers; but while -thus engaged, Tabuenca, leaving just troops enough in the works which -he had taken to cover his retreat should that be necessary, attacked -the enemy on their left and in their rear, and the result was that they -were driven into the city, leaving some two hundred killed. Mina’s loss -in killed and wounded amounted in ♦DURAN ARRIVES BEFORE THE CITY.♦ the -course of the day to 115; Tabuenca’s to 28. Duran arrived after the -affair, just as evening was closing; that morning, as he was about to -march from Muel for Cadrete, he was informed that a French detachment -had gone from Zaragoza to bring off the garrison of Almunia which a -party of his troops were blockading; and he was preparing to intercept -them when a dispatch from Tabuenca made him hasten with all speed to -the more important scene of action. Early on the morrow, Mina and -Julian Sanchez came to confer with him in the Casa Blanca, and Duran -proposed that they should assault the city on the following night: -the wall, he said, might be escaladed at many points; the enemy’s -attention might be distracted by false attacks, and they were sure -of assistance from within. This veteran had frequently distinguished -himself by assaulting towns that were imperfectly fortified; Mina was -less accustomed to such service, and more disposed to watch for and -profit by any opportunity that might be offered him in the field: he -was of opinion that they ought to remain before the city and collect -thither the remainder of their forces; and in that opinion he persisted -when Duran on the following evening renewed the proposal: for he judged -rightly, that by a little delay success would be rendered more certain, -and obtained at less cost of life. - -♦THE FRENCH WITHDRAW FROM ZARAGOZA.♦ - -D. Julian Sanchez removed with his lancers that evening to the -Casa Blanca. The enemy allowed no one to go out of the gates: they -had suffered too much in the two sallies of the preceding day to -venture upon a third; and their vigilance was such that eager as the -inhabitants were to communicate with those through whom they expected -now to obtain the deliverance for which they so long offered up their -prayers, they could convey no intelligence: neither, indeed, was it -easy for them to determine what were the intentions of the French; for -though they had their plunder packed up for removal and the carriages -laden with it, and though they mined the stone bridge over the Ebro, -they made at the same time other demonstrations, which were intended -to show that it was not their purpose to abandon the city. A little -before eight in the evening two guns were fired, which were the signal -for a general movement, ... coaches, carts, and sumpter beasts were -collected about the Puerta del Angel, and the troops began to file over -the stone bridge. This movement was succeeded by stillness, and just -before midnight the bridge was blown up. Duran was presently informed -by his outposts where the explosion had been, and that the French had -abandoned the city; immediately he sent D. Julian Sanchez and Tabuenca -to ascertain what damage had been done to the bridge, and whether -it were possible to pursue the enemy: he charged them also to give -immediate directions for rendering it passable, and not to enter the -city unless it should be absolutely necessary, nor suffer any soldier -to enter it, that there might be no opportunity for any of those -excesses which on such occasions were so likely to be committed; for -the same purpose he posted guards at all the gates. The _Ayuntamiento_ -however deemed it best, that Sanchez should enter with his lancers, and -with a patrol of the citizens maintain order: the principal streets -were presently illuminated, the people waiting for no orders or -concert, but acting with one common feeling; and the Coso was crowded -to see the entrance of the deliverers. - -Duran had lost no time in apprizing Mina of what had occurred, and -requesting to see him that they might arrange their joint entrance. -The _Ayuntamiento_, between one and two in the morning, came to the -Casa Blanca, bringing the keys to Duran, and informing him that the -enemy had left about 700 men in the Aljaferia, whose presence, they -added, could not prevent him from entering Zaragoza and giving the -inhabitants a day of jubilee. Duran replied, that he waited for General -Mina to enter with him; but Mina neither appeared, nor any messenger -from him, till about seven in the morning, when, passing by the Casa -Blanca, without alighting, or turning aside to the building in which -the _Ayuntamiento_ and Duran were awaiting him, he sent a chaplain -to inform the old general that he was going on to the Torrero. Not -a little surprised at this, they all went out in hope of speaking -with him, but it was too late; and when one of the _Ayuntamiento_ was -deputed to seek him at the Torrero, and let him know that they were -waiting for him, he was not found there. The forenoon was far advanced -before he, with some of his chief officers, approached the Puerta -Quemada, where Duran with his division and the _Ayuntamiento_ were -expecting them; his cavalry was at that time fording the Ebro; and -merely saying to Duran that he was about to pursue the enemy with them, -he rode away. Even noble minds are not always free from infirmity, and -this conduct was ascribed to a jealous desire of engrossing to himself -the glory of having delivered Zaragoza; for which reason he did not -choose to enter with Duran, who was an older camp marshal, and as such, -and also as commandant-general of Lower Aragon, must have entered at -the head of the troops. But if this unworthy feeling existed, there -were fairer motives that mingled with it; he thought it better that -his infantry should remain encamped than that they should be quartered -in the city; and the pursuit of General Paris was certainly an object -of no trifling importance. Two of Mina’s regiments thinking that they -were following Paris toward Leciñena, fell in with him unexpectedly, -and were attacked by him in the rear, and found it necessary to take -up a position, first upon a height near that place, and then near -the Ermita de Magallon. The French, whose business should then have -been rather to secure themselves by a rapid retreat, than to seek for -trivial advantages, lost some time in vainly endeavouring to dislodge -them. Giving up the attempt, at last they took the road to Alcubierre; -the Spaniards then pursued, harassed their rear, and compelled them to -abandon, at the foot of the mountain there, the greater part of the -coaches, _calesas_, and carts, laden with spoil which they had brought -from Zaragoza. Paris meantime accelerated his retreat, and effected -it, but not without losing the greater part of his convoy, all his -artillery, and considerable numbers in killed and wounded, and some -fifty prisoners, of whom about twenty were Spanish traitors. Mina -arrived with his cavalry after the spoil had been taken, and when it -was too late to continue the pursuit. - -♦SUCHET DRAWS OFF THE REMAINING GARRISONS IN ARAGON.♦ - -Paris’s orders had been to make for Mequinenza if he were compelled to -leave Zaragoza; this he found impossible, and was glad to effect his -escape by Huesca and Jaca. Marshal Suchet, after leaving a garrison -of 4500 men in Tortosa, under Baron Robert, moved toward the frontier -of Aragon, with the double view of saving Paris, and of enabling a -detachment to rejoin him which he had sent to destroy the castles at -Teruel and Alcañiz, and bring off the garrisons. The detachment having -arrived at Caspe, Suchet pushed his columns to Fabera, and had now -his army on the right bank of the Ebro ... having its right at Caspe, -its centre at Gandessa, and its left at Tortosa. Here he received -intelligence that Paris was driven upon Jaca; that Clausel, who had -moved down from Jaca with a view of securing Zaragoza, finding it -too late, had again retreated, and retiring still further, had taken -a position with his corps upon the frontier of France, and that the -whole of Aragon was lost. Nothing remained for him but to draw off -the garrisons of Zuera, Gurrea, Anzanigo, Ayerbe, Huesca, Belchite, -Fuentes, Pina, Bujaraloz and Caspe, and to think only of combining his -operations with General Decaen for maintaining Catalonia. He crossed -the Ebro therefore at Mequinenza, Mora, and ♦JULY 15. SUCHET’S -MÉMOIRES, 2, 329–331.♦ Tortosa; and in passing between Hospitalet and -Cambrils, was cannonaded by the English fleet. To maintain the line of -the lower Ebro after the deliverance of Aragon was impossible; it was -equally so to feed his army in the sterile environs of Tortosa, where -he was also in danger of having the defiles in his rear occupied by the -enemy, who might come by sea, and interpose between him and the strong -places in Catalonia; he determined therefore upon moving on Reus, -Valls, and Tarragona. - -♦DURAN ENTERS ZARAGOZA. - -JULY 10.♦ - -Meantime Duran, manifesting no displeasure at the discourtesy which -had been shown towards him, made his entrance into Zaragoza. His first -business was to march through the rejoicing streets to the church of -Our Lady of the Pillar, and here offer up thanksgiving; his second -was to lay siege to the castle. The heavy artillery of his division -was sent for, and approaches regularly made; and the Zaragozans, -after having so often seen the Spaniards who had been made prisoners -in Aragon or Valencia, marched through their streets, had now the -satisfaction of seeing a French garrison brought prisoners thither in -their turn from La Almunia, where they had surrendered to a detachment -of the Sorian division. During the first days of the siege, Mina, -finding it in vain to pursue General Paris, returned, and took up his -quarters with his troops in the suburb; and this was supposed to be a -farther indication of jealousy towards Duran, because by remaining on -that side of the Ebro which appertained to his own district of Upper -Aragon, he was not under his command; it was deemed more strange that -he took no part whatever at this time in the operations of the siege, -but left it wholly to be carried on by the Sorian division; in fact, -he was daily expecting to be appointed to the command of the whole -province. Before that appointment arrived, intelligence came that -Suchet had advanced to Fabara and Caspe; upon which he crossed the -bridge, began his retreat to Las Casetas and to Alagon, and sent orders -to Tabuenca to follow him with his regiment: Tabuenca replied that he -was under General Duran’s command, and could not leave Zaragoza without -his orders. And Duran, as soon as he was informed of this, sent to -Mina, saying he could not allow the regiment of Rioja to accompany -him in his retreat (a retreat of which he was no otherwise informed -than by the orders which had been sent to its colonel), because being -determined to defend the city, he required its presence, and indeed -he requested the support of some of his troops also; for if the enemy -should advance to Zaragoza, which he did not expect, the retreat of the -Spanish troops would have a most prejudicial effect upon the public -mind; the two divisions were strong enough to meet the French and give -them battle, and this they ought to do; but for himself, with his -single division, he could defend the city. This indeed Duran at that -juncture could well have done; but if the alternative had been to meet -Suchet in the field, or to retreat, the course which Mina followed, in -pursuance of his usual system, would have been unquestionably the most -judicious. - -♦MINA TAKES THE COMMAND.♦ - -It was soon ascertained that Suchet had retreated, upon which Mina -returned to Zaragoza; he then took up his quarters in the city, and the -siege of the Aljaferia was carried on jointly by the two divisions; -and on the fourth day after his return, the commission which he had -looked for arrived, appointing him Commandant-General of all Aragon. -The same day brought orders for Duran to join the army of Catalonia, -leaving, however, such regiments as Mina might think proper to detain. -Mina took two out of four regiments, and one of three squadrons of -cavalry; with the remainder Duran departed for Catalonia, leaving to -Mina the reputation of effecting the deliverance of Zaragoza, which -certainly was not due to him, and was not needed for one who had -rendered more signal services to his country, when its fortunes were -at the lowest ebb, than any other individual. Duran was remarkable -among all the partizans who distinguished themselves in this war for -the ♦RECONQUISTA DE ZARAGOZA, PP. 23–84.♦ discipline which, as an -old officer, he introduced among his troops, and which he maintained -by means that made him equally respected and beloved. Father, or -grandfather, were the appellations by which they called him, and which -he deserved by the care which he manifested on all occasions for them. -On ♦THE ALJAFERIA SURRENDERED.♦ the second day after his departure a -redoubt was blown up, in which the commanding officer of the artillery, -and 28 men who were in garrison there, perished. This was said to have -been his own act; and it was said also that another artillery officer -intended to set fire to the powder-magazine, but was prevented by the -soldiers, who with their besiegers must otherwise have been destroyed, -and with them no small part of the city. The motive assigned for this -insane desperation was resentment against the commandant of the place -for determining to capitulate, though the works had sustained little -injury, and were abundantly provided for a long defence. Immediately -after this the garrison surrendered. - -♦CONDUCT OF THE ZARAGOZANS DURING THEIR CAPTIVITY.♦ - -Thus, after four years of captivity, Zaragoza was delivered from its -detested enemies. During the greater part of that time no tidings -but those of ill fortune had reached the Zaragozans, ... the defeat -of their armies, the capture of one strong hold after another, some -having yielded through famine, others to the strength and skill of the -besiegers, and more having been basely or traitorously given up. And -though they well knew that the journals of the Intrusive Government, -like those in France, were conducted upon a system of falsehood, -suppressing every thing which could not be made appear favourable -to Buonaparte’s views, they could not doubt the substance of these -tidings, nor, in some of the worst cases, the extent of the national -loss. The prisoners who were taken in Blake’s defeat before Murviedro, -and the still greater number who surrendered with him at Valencia, -had been marched through the streets of Zaragoza, in the depth of -winter, and in a condition which would have moved any soldiers to -compassion except those of Buonaparte and of the generals whom he -employed in Spain: without shoes and stockings, foot-sore, half naked, -half famished, they were driven and outraged and insulted by an enemy -who seemed, together with the observances of civilized war, to have -renounced the feelings of humanity. At such times the Zaragozans, -without distinction of rank or sex, crowded about their unfortunate -countrymen to administer what consolation they could, to weep over -them, and to share with them their own scanty supplies of clothing -and of food. On such occasions, too, all the respectable families, as -if by one consent, kept days of mourning and humiliation[1], each in -their houses: and more earnest prayers were never offered up than they -breathed in bitterness of soul for the deliverance of their injured -country, and for vengeance upon their merciless and insolent oppressors. - -At the time of the deliverance, and long after, the city and its -environs bore miserable vestiges of the two sieges. Ruined houses were -to be seen far and near on every side, and the broken walls of what -once had been fertile inclosures. Some streets were merely ruins; -in others, the walls of the houses were literally covered with the -marks of musket-balls, and in some places large holes had been made -in them by the numbers which had struck there. Most of the churches -and convents were nothing but heaps of ruins; the Capuchin’s convent -had been so totally demolished, that only a solitary cross remained to -mark the spot where it had stood. Nothing had been repaired except the -Aljaferia and such of the fortifications as the French re-fortified for -their own security. Much of this material destruction was reparable; -but precious monuments of antiquity had been destroyed, ... precious -libraries and precious manuscripts, which never could be replaced; and -upon most of the inhabitants irreparable ruin had been brought. The -loss of life which had been sustained there may be summed up: broken -fortunes and broken hearts are not taken into the account; but the -sufferers had the proud and righteous satisfaction of knowing that they -had not suffered in vain. The two sieges of Zaragoza, that in which -it was overcome, not less than that which it successfully resisted, -contributed more than any other event to keep up the national spirit -of the Spaniards, to exalt the character of the nation, and to excite -the sympathy and the admiration of other countries. And the good will -not pass away with the generation upon whom the evil fell. There is no -more illustrious example of public virtue in ancient or modern history -than this of Zaragoza. Such examples are not lost upon posterity; -and such virtue, as it affords full proof that the Spanish character -retains its primitive strength, affords also the best ground for hope, -not only that Spain may resume its rank in Christendom as a great and -powerful kingdom, but also that the Spaniards may become, religiously -and politically, a free and enlightened nation; not by the remote -consequences of a sudden and violent revolution, which always brings -with it more evils than it sweeps away, but by the progress of wisdom -and truth, working their sure though slow effect in God’s good time, -among a patient, thoughtful, and devout people. - -♦ST. SEBASTIAN’S.♦ - -Aragon having now been wholly delivered from the enemy, no attempt -could be made from that side to relieve Pamplona; the blockade of that -city was safely intrusted to the Spaniards, who were now becoming -an efficient part of the allied armies; and meantime the siege of -St. Sebastian’s was made Lord Wellington’s immediate object. St. -Sebastian’s, which is the most important town in Guipuzcoa, stands -at the mouth of the little river Urumea, on a peninsula between two -arms of the sea, and at the foot of a high hill. A bay forms its port, -which has been widened and deepened, but is still small and shallow, -and so insecure in certain winds, that ships have been driven from -their anchors there; yet to this port the town owes its origin, and -its fortifications, which were first erected to protect the shipping. -Close at hand, on the side towards France, is the capacious harbour -of Passages, surrounded by mountains, with an entrance between the -rocks so strait, that only a single ship can pass, and that only -by towing; formerly it served for ships of the line, but under the -mal-administration of later years it had been neglected, and was now so -far filled up, that none but small craft and vessels of 200 or 300 tons -came in: for this reason, probably, the Caraccas Company, whose port it -had been, removed to St. Sebastian’s. There also the entrance is very -narrow, being confined between two moles. The town contains from 600 to -700 houses, in twenty streets, all which are paved with large smooth -stones, and several of them long, broad, and straight: the suburbs were -more extensive, and the whole population was estimated at 13,000. - -Few places present a more formidable appearance; the only land approach -is over a low sandy isthmus, occupied by one front of fortification, -and this narrow road is commanded by the castle; but on the left flank -there are considerable sand-hills some 600 or 700 yards distant, which -completely enfilade and take in reverse the front defences. Those -which cross the isthmus are a double line of works, with the usual -counterscarp, covered way, and glacis; but those which run lengthways -consist only of a single line, and trusting to the waters in their -front to render them inaccessible, are built without any cover. The -northern line is from top to bottom quite exposed to the sand-hills; -the Urumea, which washes the town on that side, is fordable for some -hours before and after low water, and the tide recedes so much that -during that time there is a considerable space left dry by which -troops can march to the foot of the wall. Yet the wall had been left -uncovered, though Marshal Berwick had availed himself of this defect -when he attacked the place in 1719, and by effecting a breach there had -made the garrison retire into the castle. In the revolutionary war, St. -Sebastian’s was taken by the French without resistance; for though the -troops would have done their duty in defending it, the inhabitants, -rather than endure the horrors of a siege, allowed the magistrates, -some of whom were timid and others traitorous, to surrender. - -♦DISTRIBUTION OF THE ALLIED ARMY.♦ - -After the battle of Vittoria, Jourdan had thrown a garrison of -between 3000 and 4000 men into the place. The conduct of the siege -was intrusted to Sir Thomas Graham, and the fifth division, under -Major-General Oswald, consisting of Major-Generals Hay and Robinson’s -British brigades, and Major-General Spry’s Portugueze, were employed -in carrying it on. The first division, under Major-General Howard, -consisting of the 1st and 2nd brigades of guards under Colonel Maitland -and Major-General Stopford, with the brigades of the German legion, -and Lord Aylmer’s, were in position covering the great road between -Irun and Oyarzun, and supporting Don Manuel Freyre’s Spanish corps -which crowned the heights of S. Marzial and guarded the line of the -Bidassoa from the Crown Mountain to the sea. Giron and Longa kept up -the communication with the left of the centre at Vera: this consisted -of the 7th and light divisions, under the Earl of Dalhousie and Baron -Alten ... the former posted in the pass of Etchalar, the latter on -the mountain of S. Barbara, and in the town of Vera. The right of the -centre, commanded by Sir Rowland, occupied the valley of Bastan, and -with Major-Generals Pringle and Walker’s brigades of the 2d division, -under Lieutenant-General the Hon. Sir William Stewart, guarded the -passes of Maya. The Conde de Amarante, with Colonel Ashworth and -Brigadier-General Da Costa’s Portugueze brigades, held the minor passes -of Col d’Ariette and Col d’Espegas on the right, leading also into -the valley of Bastan. Another Portugueze brigade of this division, -under Brigadier-General Campbell, occupied a strong position between -the valleys of Aldudes and Hayra, keeping communication on its left -through the Port de Berdaritz with the valley of Bastan, and through -the Port d’Alalosti on its right, with the right wing of the army, in -the pass of Roncesvalles. The 6th division, under Major-General Pack, -occupied S. Estevan, and formed the reserve of the centre, ready to -support the troops at Maya or at Etchalar. The right wing covered the -direct approaches to Pamplona from St. Jean de Pied-de-Port: in its -front Major-General Byng’s brigade of the 2d division guarded the -passes of Roncesvalles and Orbaicete; Morillo, with a division of -Spanish infantry supporting the latter post; Sir Lowry Cole, with the -4th division, was in second line, at Biscarret, in rear of the pass -of Roncesvalles. The 3rd division formed the reserve under Sir Thomas -Picton, and was stationed at Olaque. This was the distribution of the -allied army, guarding the passes of the Western Pyrenees, and covering -the blockade of Pamplona and the siege of S. Sebastian’s. As the best -means of saving time and labour in that siege, it was determined to -follow Marshal Berwick’s mode of attack, breach the exposed wall from -the sand-hills, and storm it as soon as the breach should be made -practicable, trusting by quick movement to pass through the fire of the -front line of works. - -♦SIEGE OF S. SEBASTIAN’S.♦ - -When the troops appointed for the siege arrived in sight of the place, -the whole of the works and of the castellated hill appeared to be in -motion, so busily were the enemy every where employed in strengthening -their defences. The Spaniards, who were previously blockading the -place, could offer little interruption to them, because they had no -artillery; but serious operations were now to commence, and the French, -though they neither distrusted their own skill, nor that every possible -exertion would be made for their relief, knew that all that skill and -all those exertions would be called for. As a preliminary measure, it -was necessary for the besiegers to drive the garrison from a post which -they occupied, about 700 or 800 yards in advance of the town, formed by -the convent of S. Bartolomé, and an unfinished redoubt, adjoining it, -on the extremity of the steep hill towards the river, and from a small -circular work which they made with casks on the causeway. Approaches -were made, and batteries erected in the course of the night, between -the 13th and 14th of July, with a celerity that surprised the French; -and in the morning the guns opened upon the side of the convent. It was -soon beaten down, ... the chapel, with its organ and costly adornments, -was laid open, and demolished, and the roof fell in; but the French -were not driven from the ruins. A false attack was made to ascertain -whether they intended to maintain an obstinate resistance there; the -troops carried it farther than their orders directed, and were fain -to return with some loss. It was then attempted to drive the garrison -out by means of red-hot shot; the Portugueze were less expert at -this service than they had shown themselves in the field, they fired -shot which had not been half heated, and frequently missed the whole -building. Beams and whatever else was combustible from the neighbouring -houses were used for heating the furnace; and at length the convent -was set on fire in several places, but the garrison succeeded in -extinguishing the flames as often as they broke out. The enemy, -meantime, kept up from the town an incessant fire of shot and shells -upon the batteries. After 2500 eighteen-pound shot and 450 ♦CONVENT OF -S. BARTOLOMÉ TAKEN.♦ shells had been fired at the convent, it was found -that the French were not to be dislodged by any other means than by the -bayonet. Accordingly two columns were formed, one under the direction -of Major-General Hay, on the right, to cross the ravine near the river, -and attack the redoubt; the left, under Major-General Bradford, to -attack the convent. Major-General ♦JULY 17.♦ Oswald commanded. The -attack was begun about ten in the forenoon: the enemy in the convent -were not aware of it till it was made; but the movement was perceived -from the town and castle; troops were sent to reinforce the garrison, -and a heavy fire was opened upon the assailants; ... it was soon -discontinued, because they came to close quarters, and it must then -have proved equally destructive to both parties. The reinforcement was -not of more advantage, for thinking to take one body of the assailants -in the rear, they were encountered and charged by another, and driven -upon the convent, where the garrison had already been overpowered, -and those who escaped were driven with the fugitives from the works -down the hill, through the village of S. Martin’s, immediately below, -which the enemy had burnt. The impetuosity of the pursuers could not be -restrained; their directions not to pass the village were disregarded; -they followed the French to the foot of the glacis, and suffered on -their return. The garrison behaved gallantly, and lost 250 men; the -loss of the allies amounted to 70. A fire from the town was kept up -upon this post for twenty-four hours; and most of the dead with which -the ground between it and the town was strewn, remained unburied -there during the remainder of the siege, so great was the danger in -collecting them, each party being jealous of the approach of an enemy -to their works, even upon such an office. - -Two batteries were thrown up during the night in a situation to -enfilade and take in reverse the defences of the town. This in the -loose sand was a most difficult work, and the fire of the enemy was -directed with great precision to interrupt it; four sentinels were -killed in succession through one loop-hole. The only eminence from -whence artillery could be brought to bear directly on the town, though -still about a hundred feet below it, was above the convent, and almost -adjoining its walls. Here a battery was erected; the covered way to -it passed through the convent, and the battery itself was constructed -in a thickly-peopled burial-ground. A more ghastly circumstance can -seldom have occurred in war; ... for coffins and corpses in all stages -of decay were exposed when the soil was thrown up to form a defence -against the fire from the town, and were used indeed in the defences; -and when a shell burst there, it brought down the living and the dead -together. An officer was giving his orders, when a shot struck the -edge of the trenches above him; two coffins slipped down upon him with -the sand, the coffins broke in their fall, the bodies rolled with him -for some distance, and when he recovered he saw that they had been -women of some rank, for they were richly attired in black velvet, and -their long hair hung about their shoulders and their livid faces. The -soldiers, in the scarcity of firewood, being nothing nice, broke up -coffins for fuel with which to dress their food, leaving the bodies -exposed; and till the hot sun had dried up these poor insulted remains -of humanity, the stench was as dreadful as the sight. - -The village of S. Martin, or rather its ruins, were now occupied, and -approaches were struck out there ♦THE BATTERIES OPEN.♦ to the right -and left. On the 20th the batteries opened, and early in the evening -the enemy abandoned the circular redoubt. The next day a flag of truce -was sent with a summons to the governor, but not received. Meantime -a parallel across the isthmus had been begun; in cutting it, the men -came upon a channel level with the ground, in which a pipe was laid for -conveying water into the town. The aqueduct was four feet high, and -three feet wide. Lieutenant Reid of the engineers ventured to explore -it, and at the end of 230 yards, he found it closed by a door in the -counterscarp, opposite to the face of the right demi-bastion of the -horn-work. It was thought that if a mine were formed at this point, -the explosion would throw up earth enough against the escarp, which -was only twenty-four feet high, to form a way over it; and accordingly -sand-bags and barrels of powder were lodged there. - -The service of the breaching battery was severe; the enemy of course -directed every disposable gun against it, and their shells repeatedly -blew up every platform there, and dismounted the guns. The seamen -who assisted them did their duty nobly, as they always did; but with -characteristic hardihood disregarded all injunctions tending to their -own preservation, till many of them had suffered. Three of their -officers and sixteen of their men were killed and wounded there in the -course of three ♦UNSUCCESSFUL ASSAULT.♦ days. By mid-day of the 22nd, a -breach had been made about 600 feet long, and, as it seemed, perfectly -practicable, the wall being entirely levelled. It was strongly advised -that this should be stormed on the following morning, as early as the -light and the tide would admit; instead of this, orders were given to -make another breach to the left in a more oblique part of the wall; -one sure disadvantage of delay being that the time employed in making -the second breach would be well used by the enemy in intrenching the -first. After battering this second point for some hours, information -was received from a civil engineer who was well acquainted with the -place, that the wall to the right of the breach ♦JULY 24.♦ was a toise -thinner than elsewhere; thither therefore the guns were directed, and -before the night of the 23rd, a practicable breach was made there -also. Great part of the town had already been ruined by the fire; it -was at this time in flames, and the frequent crashing of houses was -heard amid the roaring of the artillery. Before daybreak the trenches -were filled with troops for storming and for supporting the assault, -which was ordered for four o’clock; the batteries were to continue -their fire upon the second breach till the moment of attack, and then -all available guns were to be directed so as to restrain the enemy’s -flanking fire from two towers, ... which, though much injured, were -still occupied, ... or otherwise to assist as occasion might be -perceived. All was in readiness, when about an hour after daybreak the -order was countermanded, upon a misconception that because the houses -at the back of the breach were on fire, the troops would not be able -to advance after they should have gained the summit. The remainder of -the day was spent in widening the second breach; time at this juncture -was of such value that it was hoped the delay might only be for twelve -hours, and the assault made at four in the evening; but it was thought -a more important consideration that there would then be but few hours -of daylight, and therefore the following morning was appointed. - -Major-General Hay’s brigade formed the column of attack; Major-General -Spry’s Portugueze brigade, Major-General Robinson’s, and the 4th -_Caçadores_ of Brigadier-General Wilson’s, were in reserve in the -trenches, the whole under the direction of Major-General Oswald. The -attack was made an hour before, instead of after daylight, because -the tide was returning, and was already two feet deep under the wall -where the ground is dry at low water. But some confusion was probably -occasioned by the darkness; and the chance of success would have been -greater if the arrangements had been made known to more of those -officers who were to take part in executing them. The distance of the -uncovered approach from the trenches to the breach was about 300 yards, -over rocks covered with sea-weed, and intermediate pools of water, and -in the face of an extensive front of works; the breach was flanked by -two towers: the fire of the place was yet entire, and when the troops -rushed from the trenches, it was presently seen that the French were -not unapprized of the intended attempt, and that they had lost no -time in making their preparations for defence; every gun which looked -that way from the castle, and from the hill, was brought to bear upon -the assailants, and from all around the breach they were flanked and -enfiladed with a most destructive fire of grape and musketry. Blazing -planks and beams were thrown transversely across the walls and on the -breach; and stones, shot, shells, and hand grenades, were showered upon -the allies with dreadful effect. - -At this time the mine was sprung, and with as much effect as had been -intended. It brought down a considerable length of the counterscarp and -glacis, and astonished the enemy so greatly, that they abandoned for -awhile that part of the works. When the Portugueze who were to take -advantage of this hastened to the spot, there were no scaling-ladders, -... an officer ran to the foot of the breach, in hope the engineers -there might be provided with them; ... if he had but one ladder, he -said, he could post his whole party in the town: ... but ladders had -not been needed here, and not thought of for the point where they might -be required. The enemy had thus time to recover from their surprise; -and the Portugueze, standing their ground with soldier-like fidelity, -were miserably sacrificed, nearly the whole of this party being killed -before the order for recalling them arrived. - -Meantime Lieutenant Jones of the engineers with an officer and nine -men of the first royals, gained the top of the great breach; and men -were rushing up to follow them, when the enemy sprung a mine in one -place, and in another drew the supports from under a false bridge, -thus blowing up some of the assailants, and precipitating others upon -the spikes which had been fixed below. The men who were at the foot -of the breach were then panic-stricken; they, as well as the French, -remembered that in such situations the victory is not to the brave or -the strong, if superior skill is opposed to courage and strength: they -ran back, ... it was impossible to rally them, and they suffered much. -The intention was, that another column should pass in the rear of the -first, between it and the sea to the second breach, and storm it; but -the discomfiture of the first party prevented this, and none of these -reached their destination. The whole was over before morning had fairly -opened, and in the course of an hour, 45 officers and above 800 men -were killed, wounded, or missing. - -The river prevented any immediate communication, so that at the -batteries it was thought that hardly anything more than a false alarm -had taken place, till, as day dawned, they discovered through their -glasses the bodies of officers and men in the breach, and under the -demi-bastion and retaining wall. Presently one or two of the enemy -appeared on the breach, and a serjeant came down among the wounded, -raising some, and speaking to others. The firing which had been -continued occasionally on the breach was then stopped; more of the -French appeared; a kind of parley took place between them and the men -at the head of the trenches; and half an hour’s truce was agreed on for -the purpose of removing the wounded and the dead; but so jealous were -the French that they would not allow the dead who were nearest them -to be approached; some of the wounded they carried into the town, and -others were borne by their soldiers into the British lines. While the -troops were yet under arms, not knowing whether another attack might -be ordered, a British officer saw one of his Portugueze soldiers start -off, and reproved him for so doing, when after awhile the man returned; -but the Portugueze replied, scarcely able to command his voice or -restrain his tears as he spake, that he had only been burying his -comrade, ... and in fact it appeared that with no other implement than -his bayonet and his hand, he had given his poor friend and countryman a -soldier’s burial in the sand. The officers who fell in this attack were -buried together, each in a shell, in one grave, in a garden near the -encampment. - -♦THE SIEGE SUSPENDED.♦ - -Lord Wellington came over from Lesaca on the same day about noon, -and determined upon renewing the attack; the second breach was to be -completed, the demi-bastion thrown down, and fresh troops appointed for -another assault. But the ammunition was now running low; and upon his -return that night he received intelligence of movements on the enemy’s -part in the Pyrenees, which made him forthwith dispatch orders for -withdrawing the guns from the batteries and converting the siege into a -blockade. - -♦SOULT APPOINTED COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF.♦ - -Marshal Soult had been sent back from Germany as Lieutenant of the -Emperor, and Commander-in-chief of the French armies in Spain. Of all -the French Generals employed in the Peninsula, he had obtained the -highest reputation; and undoubtedly no one could be better entitled to -the praise of those authors who write history, with a mere military -feeling, reckless of all higher considerations. That _impassibility_ -which he considered as one of the first essentials for a general in -such a war, and of which proof had been given in his proclamations -and his acts, recommended him to Buonaparte not less than his great -ability. The remains of the armies of Portugal, of the centre and of -the north, were united; their ranks, which had so often been thinned, -were filled by a new conscription; and the whole being re-formed into -nine divisions of infantry, was called the army of Spain; the right, -centre, and left, were under Generals Reille, Drouet, Compte d’Erlon, -and Clausel; the reserve, under General Villatte: there were two -divisions of dragoons under Generals Treillard and Tilly, and a light -division under General Pierre Soult. In the expectation of success -every exertion had been used to increase the strength of their cavalry, -though of little use in the Pyrenees, that the war might be once more -carried beyond the Ebro; and with the same view a large proportion -of artillery was provided. The decree which appointed Marshal Soult -bore date on the first of July; he took the command on the 13th, -and his preparations were forwarded with the ability, activity, and -hopefulness by which the French are characterized in such ♦HIS ADDRESS -TO THE TROOPS.♦ things. He issued an address to his troops, containing -more truth than was usually admitted into a French state paper, -because the truth in that place could not possibly be concealed; but -it was sufficiently coloured with artful misrepresentations and with -falsehood. “The armies of France,” it said, “guided by the powerful -and commanding genius of the Emperor Napoleon, had achieved in Germany -a succession of victories as brilliant as any that adorned their -annals. The presumptuous hopes of the enemy had thus been confounded; -and the Emperor, who was always inclined to consult the welfare of -his subjects, by following moderate counsels, had listened to the -pacific overtures which the enemy made to him after their defeat. But -in the interim, the English, who, under the pretence of succouring -the inhabitants of the Peninsula, were in reality devoting them to -ruin, had taken advantage of the opportunity afforded them. A skilful -leader,” said Marshal Soult, “might have discomfited their motley -levies; and who could doubt what would have been the result of the -day at Vittoria if the general had been worthy of his troops? Let us -not however,” he continued, “defraud the enemy of the praise which is -their due. The dispositions and arrangements of their general have -been prompt, skilful, and consecutive; and the valour and steadiness -of his troops have been praiseworthy. Yet do not forget that it is to -the benefit of your example they owe their present military character; -and that whenever the relative duties of a French general and his -troops have been ably fulfilled, their enemies have commonly had no -other resource than in flight.” In one part of this address Marshal -Soult rendered justice to Lord Wellington; but this latter assertion -strikingly exemplifies the character of the vain-glorious people whom -he was addressing. He himself had been repulsed by a far inferior -British force at Coruña; had been driven from Porto, and defeated in -the bloody field of Albuhera. He was addressing men who had been beaten -at Vimeiro, beaten at Talavera, beaten at Busaco, beaten at Fuentes -d’Onoro, routed at Salamanca, and scattered like sheep at Vittoria. -They had been driven from Lisbon into France; and yet the general who -had so often been baffled addressed this language to the very troops -who had been so often and so signally defeated! “The present situation -of the army,” he pursued, “is imputable to others: let the merit of -repairing it be yours. I have borne testimony to the Emperor of your -bravery and your zeal. His instructions are to drive the enemy from -those heights which enable them arrogantly to survey our fertile -valleys, and to chase them across the Ebro. It is on the Spanish soil -that your tents must next be pitched, and your resources drawn. Let the -account of our successes be dated from Vittoria, and the birth-day of -the Emperor be celebrated in that city.” - -♦CRITICAL SITUATION OF THE ALLIED ARMY.♦ - -Lord Wellington’s situation had not during the whole war been so -critical as at this time. He had two blockades to maintain, and two -points to cover, sixty miles distant from each other, in a mountainous -country, where the heights were so impassable that there could be no -lateral communication between his divisions. His force was necessarily -divided in order that none of the passes might be left undefended, but -the enemy could choose their point of attack, and bring their main -force to bear upon it; thus they would have the advantage of numbers; -and they had the farther advantage, that a considerable proportion of -their troops, all who had belonged to the army of the north, had been -accustomed to mountain warfare, in which the British and Portugueze had -had no experience. - -♦SOULT’S MOVEMENTS FOR THE RELIEF OF PAMPLONA.♦ - -Soult’s first object was to relieve Pamplona, which could only -be relieved by some such great effort as he intended; whereas S. -Sebastian’s, as long as the garrison could maintain themselves there, -had always the possibility of receiving supplies along the coast. With -this view he collected a convoy of provisions and stores at St. Jean -de Pied-de-Port. Meantime the hostile forces, though each within their -own frontier, were encamped in some places upon opposite heights, -within half cannon-shot; and their sentries within 150 yards of each -other. Hitherto with the Spaniards and Portugueze it had been, in the -ever-memorable phrase of Palafox, war at the knife’s edge; but that -national contest, in which the aggressors had treated courtesy and -humanity with as much contempt as justice, was at an end; it was a -military contest now, and the two armies offered no molestation to -each other in the intervals of the game of war. The French, gay and -alert as usual, were drumming and trumpeting all day long; the more -thoughtful English enjoying the season and the country, looking down -with delight upon the sea and the enemy’s territory, and Bayonne in -the distance, and sketching in the leisure which their duties might -allow the beautiful scenery of the Pyrenees. The right of the allied -army was at Roncesvalles, the sacred ground of romance, where in the -seventeenth century a spot was shown as still reddened with the blood -of the Paladins; and where Our Lady, under some one of her thousand and -one appellations, may perhaps still continue to work miracles in the -chapel wherein they were interred. From that pass, and from the pass of -Maya, the roads converge on Pamplona; and Soult made his arrangements -for attacking both on the same day in force, ... for doing which he had -the great advantage that Lord Wellington was at the opposite extremity -of the line, near S. Sebastian’s. - -♦BATTLES OF THE PYRENEES.♦ - -Accordingly, on the 24th, he assembled the right and left wings of his -army, with one division of his centre, and two divisions of cavalry, -at St. Jean de Pied-de-Port; and on the 25th (the same day that the -unsuccessful assault upon S. Sebastian’s was made) he began his -operations, and in person, with about 35,000 men, attacked General -Byng’s post at Roncesvalles. Sir Lowry Cole moved up to his support -with the 4th division; and they maintained their ground obstinately, -against very superior numbers, though with considerable loss. But in -the afternoon the enemy turned their position; and Sir Lowry deemed it -necessary to withdraw in the night, and marched accordingly to Lizoain, -in the neighbourhood of Zubiri. General Drouet, with 13,000 men, was to -force the position of Maya: early in the morning he manœuvred against -each of the four passes, and against the Conde de Amarante’s division, -which was posted on the right. Under cover of these demonstrations, -he collected his main strength behind a hill immediately in front of -the pass of Aretesque, and from thence about noon made a sudden and -rapid advance, favoured by a most unexpected chance. Two advanced -videttes, who had been posted on some high ground to give timely notice -of an enemy’s approach, had fallen asleep during the heat of the day; -the French were thus enabled to advance unseen, and the piquet had -scarcely time to give the alarm before the enemy were upon them. The -light infantry companies of the second brigade sustained the attack -with great steadiness; when they were overpowered, the 34th and 50th -regiments came up, and afterward the right wing of the 92d; for as -the other passes were not to be left unguarded, troops could only be -brought from them by successive battalions, as the need became more -urgent. Opposed as they thus were to very superior forces, the 32d lost -more than a third of its numbers, and the 92d battalion was almost -destroyed. The allies retired slowly, defending every point as succours -enabled them to make a stand, but still over-matched; till, about six -in the evening, Major-General Barnes’s brigade of the 7th division came -to their support; then they recovered that part of their post which -was the key of the position, and might have reassumed their ground; -but Sir Rowland, having been apprized that Sir Lowry Cole must retire, -deemed it necessary to withdraw them during the night to Irurita. They -had been engaged seven hours, and lost four guns and more than sixteen -hundred men. - -During the whole of the following day, the enemy remained inactive -beyond the Puerto de Maya. On that day Sir Thomas Picton, who, as soon -as he was informed of Soult’s movements, had crossed to Zubiri with his -division, moved forward to support the troops at Lizoain, and assumed -the command there as senior officer. The enemy’s whole force advanced -against them early in the afternoon, and they retired skirmishing to -some strong ground, which they maintained, in order of battle, till -night closed. Generals Picton and Cole concurred then in opinion that -the post of Zubiri would not be tenable for so long a time, as it would -be necessary for them to wait there. Early on the 27th, therefore, they -began to retreat still farther, and took up a position to cover the -blockade of Pamplona. The garrison of that fortress had been informed -by some deserters from the Walloon guards that Soult, with a powerful -army, was advancing victoriously to their relief, and that relief was -certain. Their hopes were raised to the highest pitch; the firing was -only five miles distant. The state of things appeared so critical to -Abisbal, that he prepared to raise the blockade, and spiked some of -his guns; and the enemy sallied, got possession of several batteries, -and took fourteen pieces of cannon, before Don Carlos d’España could -repulse them. The position which the retreating troops took to cover -the blockade had its right in front of the village of Huarte, extending -to the hills beyond Olaz, and its left on the heights in front of the -village of Villalba, the right of this wing resting on a height which -covered the road from Zubiri and Roncesvalles, and the left at a chapel -behind Sorauren, on the road from Ostiz. Morillo’s division of Spanish -infantry was in reserve, with that part of Abisbal’s corps which was -not engaged in the blockade; and from the latter two regiments were -detached to occupy part of the hill by which the road from Zubiri was -defended. The British cavalry under Sir Stapleton Cotton were placed -on the right, near Huarte, being the only ground on which cavalry -could act. The river Lanz runs in the valley which was on the left -of the allies, and on the right of the French, in the road to Ostiz. -Beyond this river is a range of mountains connected with Ligasso and -Marcalain, by which places it was now necessary to communicate with the -rest of the army. - -Lord Wellington arrived as these divisions were taking up their ground; -and shortly afterwards Soult formed his army on a mountain between the -Ostiz and the Zubiri roads, the front of the mountain extending from -one road to the other. One division he placed on a bold height to the -left of the Zubiri road, and in some villages in front of the third -division, where he had also a large body of cavalry. The same evening -he pushed forward a corps to take possession of a steep hill on the -right of General Cole’s division: it was occupied by a Portugueze -battalion and a Spanish regiment; these troops defended their post -with the bayonet, and drove the enemy back. Seeing the importance -of this point, Lord Wellington reinforced it with the 40th and with -another Spanish regiment, so that the further efforts of the French -there were as unsuccessful as the first; but they took possession of -Sorauren, on the Ostiz road, whereby they acquired the communication by -that road; and they kept up a fire of musketry along the line till it -was dark. - -In the morning General Pack’s division arrived. Lord Wellington then -directed that the heights on the left of the valley of the Lanz should -be occupied, and that this division should form across the valley in -rear of the left of General Cole’s, resting its right on Oricain, and -its left upon the heights. They had scarcely taken the position in the -valley when they were attacked in great force from Sorauren: the enemy -advanced steadily to the attack; but the front was defended from the -heights on their left by their own light troops, and from the height -on the right, and on the rear, by the 4th division and a Portugueze -brigade; and the French were soon driven back, with great loss, by the -fire in their front, both flanks, and rear. This was a false move from -which Soult never recovered: with a view of extricating his troops from -the situation in which they were now placed, he attacked the height on -which the left of the 4th division stood, and where the 7th _Caçadores_ -were posted, at an _ermida_, or chapel, behind Sorauren. Momentary -possession was obtained of it; but the _Caçadores_ returned to their -ground, supported by Major-General Ross at the head of his brigade, -and the enemy were driven down. The battle now became general along -the whole of these heights, but only in one point to the advantage of -the French, which was where a battalion of Major-General Campbell’s -Portugueze regiment was posted; that battalion was overpowered, it -gave way immediately on the right of Ross’s brigade: the French then -established themselves on the line of the allies, and Ross was obliged -to withdraw from his post. Upon this, Lord Wellington ordered the 27th -and 48th to charge, first that body of the enemy which had established -itself there, and then those on the left. Both charges succeeded; the -enemy were driven back: the 6th division at the same time moved forward -nearer to the left of the 4th; the attack upon this front then ceased -entirely, and was but faintly continued on other points of the line. -Every regiment in the 4th division charged with the bayonet that day, -and the 40th, 7th, 20th, and 23rd, four different times. Their officers -set them the example, and Major-General Ross had two horses shot under -him. The events of that day abated Marshal Soult’s confidence, and made -him feel how little he could expect to succeed against such troops -and such a commander. He no longer thought of dating his report of -the operations from Vittoria, and celebrating the Emperor Napoleon’s -birth-day in that city; and he sent back his guns, his wounded, and -great part of his baggage, to S. Jean de Pied-de-Port, while they could -be sent in safety. - -On the 29th both armies remained quiet in their positions, each -expecting the result of its combinations. Sir Rowland had been ordered -to march upon Lizasso by Lanz, and the Earl of Dalhousie from San -Esteban upon the same place; both arrived there on the 28th, and Lord -Dalhousie’s division came to Marcalain, thus assuring Sir Rowland’s -communication with the main body. Marshal Soult’s manœuvres were now -baffled, for the allies were become one army; but he saw one chance for -victory still remaining, and he was not a man to let any opportunity -escape him. Drouet’s corps, before which Sir Rowland had retired, -followed his march, and arrived at Ostiz on the 29th. Thus the French -force also became one army. The Marshal thought his position between -the Arga and Lanz was by nature so exceedingly strong, and so little -liable to attack, that he might without apprehension withdraw from it -the bulk of his troops. Occupying, therefore, still the same points, -but drawing on to his left the troops which were on the heights -opposite the third division, he reinforced Drouet with one division, -and during the night of the 29th occupied in strength the crest of the -mountain opposite to the 6th and 7th divisions, thus connecting his -right in its position with the force which had been detached to attack -Sir Rowland, his object being thus to open the Tolosa road, turn the -left of the allies, and relieve St. Sebastian’s, now that he had failed -in the attempt for the relief of Pamplona. - -On the morning of the 30th his troops were observed to move in great -numbers toward the mountains on the right of the Lanz, with what intent -Lord Wellington at once perceived, and determined to attack the French -position in front. He ordered Lord Dalhousie to possess himself of the -top of the mountain opposite him, and turn their right, and Sir Thomas -Picton to cross the heights from which the French division had been -withdrawn, and from the Roncesvalles road turn their left, and he made -his arrangements for attacking them in front, as soon as the effect -of these movements on both flanks should appear. In every point these -intentions were effected. Lord Dalhousie with General Inglis’s brigade -drove them from the mountains: Major-General Pakenham who had the -command of the 6th division, Major-General Pack having been wounded, -then turned the village of Sorauren, and Major-General Byng’s brigade -attacked and carried the village of Ostiz. Sir Lowry Cole attacked -their front, when their confidence in themselves as well as in their -ground had thus been shaken, the French were then compelled to abandon -a position which Lord Wellington declared to be one of the strongest -and most difficult of access that he had ever seen occupied by troops. - -While these operations were going on, and in proportion as they -succeeded, troops were detached to support Sir Rowland. Late in the -morning the enemy appeared in his front, and made many vigorous -attacks, while Drouet manœuvred upon his left: every attack was -repulsed, and the allies maintained their ground, till Drouet, by a -more distant movement, ascended the ridge, and came absolutely round -their left flank; Sir Rowland then leisurely retired about a mile to a -range of heights near Eguarras, and repelled every attempt to dislodge -him from that strong ground. Lord Wellington meantime pursued the -enemy after he had driven them from their position on the mountain, -and at sunset he was at Olaque, immediately in the rear of their -attack upon Sir Rowland. Their last hope had failed, and, withdrawing -from Sir Rowland’s front during the night, they retreated with great -ability through the pass of Doña Maria, and left two divisions there -in a strong position to cover their rear in the pass. Sir Rowland -and Lord Dalhousie were ordered to attack the pass; they moved by -parallel roads; and the enemy, closely pressed by the 7th division, -were ascending the hill in great haste, when Sir Rowland arrived at -the foot of the pass, not in time to cut off any part of their rear. -Both divisions ascended the hill, each by its own road; and the -French took up a strong position at the top of the pass, with a cloud -of skirmishers in front. On the left, which was Sir Rowland’s side, -the attack was led by Lieutenant-General Stewart with Major-General -Walker’s brigade; they forced the skirmishers back to the summit of the -hill, but coming there upon the main body, found it so numerous and -so strongly posted, that they deemed it necessary to withdraw till the -7th division should come into closer co-operation. They had not long to -wait for this: General Stewart was wounded, and the command devolved -upon Major-General Pringle; he renewed the attack on that side, while -Lord Dalhousie pressed the enemy on the other; both divisions gained -the height about the same time, and the enemy, after sustaining a very -considerable loss, retired; they were pursued for some way down, but -a thick fog favoured them, and prevented the allies from profiting -further by the advantage they had gained. Lord Wellington meantime -moved with Major-General Byng’s brigade and Sir Lowry Cole’s division -through the pass of Velate upon Irurita, thus turning their position -on Doña Maria. A large convoy of provisions and stores was taken by -Major-General Byng ♦AUGUST 1.♦ at Elizondo. The pursuit was continued -during the following day in the vale of Bidassoa. Byng possessed -himself of the valley of Bastan and the position on the Puerto de Maya; -and at the close of the day the different divisions were re-established -nearly on the same ground which they had occupied when their operations -commenced, eight days before. The enemy had now two divisions posted on -the Puerto de Echalar, and nearly their whole army behind that pass; -and Lord Wellington resolved to dislodge them by a combined attack -and movement of the 4th, 7th, and light divisions, which had advanced -by the vale of the Bidassoa towards the frontier. The 7th, taking a -shorter line across the mountains from Sumbilla, arrived before the -4th. Major-General Barnes’s brigade was formed for the attack, advanced -before the others could co-operate, and with a regularity and gallantry -which, Lord Wellington says, he has seldom seen equalled, drove the -two French divisions from the formidable heights which they vainly -endeavoured to maintain. Major-General Kempt’s brigade of the light -division likewise drove a very considerable force from the rock which -forms the left of the pass; and thus no enemy was left in the field, -within this part of the Spanish frontier. During these operations the -loss of the allies amounted to 6000 in killed, wounded, and missing; -that of the French exceeded 8000. On both sides great ability had been -manifested; seldom indeed has the art of war been displayed with such -skill, and upon such difficult ground. To guard against the repetition -of so formidable an effort on the enemy’s part, the positions which the -allies occupied were strengthened by redoubts and intrenchments. While -the main scene of action lay in the neighbourhood of Pamplona, that -portion of the enemy’s force which had been left to observe the allies -on the great road from Irun, attacked Longa, who occupied that part -of the Bidassoa and the town of Vera with his division. He repulsed -them with great loss; and it was not the least of the discouraging -reflections, which could not but occur to the enemy after the failure -of all these well-planned and well-attempted endeavours, that the -Spanish troops had now become as efficient as the Portugueze. - -♦SIEGE OF ST. SEBASTIAN’S RESUMED.♦ - -During these eventful days the guns had been withdrawn from the -batteries before St. Sebastian’s, and, with all the stores, embarked -at Passages, and the transports had been sent to sea; but a blockade -was kept up, and the guard continued to hold the trenches. The vigilant -enemy made a sortie on the morning of the 27th, and carried off between -200 and 300 Portugueze and English from the trenches prisoners into -the town. Want of foresight on the part of the besiegers allowed them -this opportunity, for some of the guns of the left embrasures had, in -apprehension of such an attempt, been arranged so as to take the enemy -in flank; and those guns were withdrawn with the others. On the 3rd -the French surprised a patrol in the parallel and made them prisoners: -but Soult’s defeat was known ♦AUGUST 6.♦ now; the stores were re-landed -at Passages, and Sir Thomas Graham waited only for the arrival of more -artillery and ammunition from England to recommence the siege. The -infantry meantime rested on its arms; and the cavalry, who longed to -eat the green maize (which was prohibited), kept their horses in good -exercise in looking for straw. The 17th was Buonaparte’s birth-day; -three salutes were fired from the Castle of St. Sebastian’s on the eve -preceding, as many at four in the morning, and again at noon; and at -night the words “_Vive Napoleon le Grand_” were displayed in letters of -light upon the castle: ... it was the last of his birth-days that was -commemorated by any public celebration. The expected artillery arrived -at Passages on the 18th. That little town had never in the days of its -prosperity, when it was the port of the Caraccas Company, presented -a scene so busy, nor while it lasted so gainful to the inhabitants -and peasantry of the surrounding country. The market for the army was -held here, which they supplied with necessaries, the produce of the -land; and which at this time wanted nothing wherewith England could -supply it, so frequent now and so easy was the intercourse. Here the -reinforcements were landed, which, now that the British government had -caught the spirit of its victorious general, were no longer limited -by parsimonious impolicy. When the horses were to be landed they were -lowered from the transports into the sea, and guided by a rope as they -swam to shore; but this sudden transition from the extreme heat of the -hold to the cold water proved fatal to several of them. - -The garrison of St. Sebastian’s employed the time which the blockade -afforded them so well, in strengthening their defences and adding new -ones, that when the allies had to recommence the siege, the place was -stronger than before. The plan now determined on was to lay open the -two round towers on each end of the first breach, and connect it with -the second breach, which was to the right, add to it another on the -left, and demolish a demi-bastion to the left of the whole, by which -the approach was flanked. A mortar battery was also erected for the -purpose of annoying the castle across the bay. Sailors were employed -in this, and never did men more thoroughly enjoy their occupation. -They had double allowance of grog, as their work required; and at -their own cost they had a fiddler; they who had worked their spell in -the battery went to relieve their comrades in the dance, and at every -shot which fell upon the castle they gave three cheers. Little effect -was produced by this battery, because of its distance. Between it and -the town is the island of St. Clara, high and rocky, about half a mile -in circumference, which the French occupied; it was deemed expedient -to dislodge them and take possession of it, because the season was -approaching when ships might be obliged to leave the coast, and this -spot facilitated the enemy’s communication with their own country. -The only landing-place was under a flight of steps, commanded by a -small intrenchment on the west point of the island, and exposed to the -whole range of works on the west side of the rock and of the walls; -the garrison, consisting of an officer and twenty-four men, were thus -enabled to make such a resistance, that nineteen of the assailants were -killed and wounded. The island however was taken, and the garrison made -prisoners. - -The actual siege recommenced on the 24th; and at the following midnight -the enemy made a sortie, entered the advanced part of the trenches -and carried confusion into the parallel; but when they attempted to -sweep along its right, a part of the guard checked them, and they -retired into the town, taking with them about twelve prisoners. The -batteries opened on the morning of the 26th. On the night of the 27th -another sortie was tried; but experience had made the besiegers more -vigilant, and it was repulsed before the slightest mischief could be -done. Nothing that skill and ingenuity could devise was omitted by the -garrison; they repaired by night as far as possible the injury which -had been done in the day; cleared away the rubbish; and at the points -at which the batteries were directed, let down large solid beams to -break the force of the shot. But in this branch of the art of war, the -means of attack are hitherto more efficient than those of defence; and -in the course of the 29th the enemy’s fire was nearly subdued. They -lost many men by our spherical case shot; and they attempted to imitate -what they had found so destructive, by filling common shells with small -balls, and bursting them over the heads of the besiegers; but these -were without effect. On the night of the 29th there was a false attack -made with the hope of inducing the enemy to spring the mines, which it -was not doubted that they had prepared; they fired most of their guns, -but the end was not answered, for no mine was exploded. - -♦PREPARATIONS FOR ASSAULTING THE TOWN.♦ - -Men were now invited to volunteer for the assault, such men, it was -said, “as knew how to show other troops the way to mount a breach.” -When this was communicated to the 4th division, which was to furnish -400 men, the whole division moved forward. The column of attack -was formed of the 2nd brigade of the 5th division, commanded by -Major-General Robinson, with an immediate support of 150 volunteers -from the light division, 400 from the first, and 200 from the 4th; and -with the remainder of the 5th division in reserve, the whole under the -direction of Sir James Leith. Sir James had been severely wounded in -the battle of Salamanca, and his constitution still felt the effects of -the Walcheren fever; but leaving England as soon as he was sufficiently -recovered to discharge his duties, he arrived at S. Sebastian’s on -the 29th, and resumed the command of his division in the trenches, -Major-General Oswald, who had held it during his absence, resigning -it and acting as a volunteer. As the breaches now appeared to be -practicable, the assault was ordered for eleven o’clock on the forenoon -of the 31st, being the time of low water; and to prepare debouches for -the troops, three shafts were sunk at the advanced sap on the right, -for the purpose of breaking through the sea wall, which was of masonry, -four feet thick and ten feet above the high water mark; they were sunk -eight feet below the surface, and each loaded with 540 pounds of powder. - -♦SOULT MOVES FOR ITS RELIEF.♦ - -Marshal Soult, meantime, as soon as he knew that the siege had been -recommenced, leaving one division in front of the British light -division, and another in front of the 7th, moved the rest of his army -to the camp at Urogne, with the obvious intention of making an attempt -to relieve the place. Under that expectation all the troops of horse -artillery were ordered to march, and the artillery not employed in -the siege was sent to the front. The eve of the assault was therefore -a time of more than usual anxiety; for if either the assault should -fail, or Soult should succeed, the situation of the allies would be -rendered critical. In the course of the day the wood and rubbish of -the right breach took fire, and a mine near it exploded; and in the -afternoon five small mines within the town were blown up by ♦ASSAULT OF -S. SEBASTIAN’S.♦ the falling of a shell. The evening closed in with a -storm of thunder and lightning and heavy rain. Two hours after midnight -the three mines were sprung, and completely effected the purpose of -blowing down the sea wall; the etonnoirs were immediately connected; -a good passage out for the troops was thus formed, and the farther -object was attained of securing all the works in their rear from any -galleries which the enemy might have run out in that direction. In the -morning there was such a fog, and the smoke in consequence hung so, -that nothing could be seen; but about nine o’clock a gentle sea-breeze -began to clear the mist, and the sun soon shone forth. Sir Thomas -Graham, having completed the arrangements with Sir James Leith, left -him to command the assault, and crossed the Urumea to the batteries -of the right attack, from whence all might be distinctly seen, and -orders for the fire of the batteries immediately given, according to -circumstances. Sir James held it as an article of his military belief -that British troops could not fail in any thing which they undertook. -He now took the opinion of the chief engineer, Sir Richard Fletcher, as -to the spot from whence he could best overlook and direct the desperate -service of the day; the place they fixed on was upon the beach, about -thirty yards in advance of the debouche from the trenches; and there, -without any cover or protection whatever, they both took their stand; -for it was a maxim with him that however brave the troops, and however -devoted the officers, the example of those in command was, beyond every -thing, essential. - -About eleven o’clock the advanced parties moved out of the trenches, -and the enemy almost immediately exploded two mines, for the purpose -of blowing down the wall to the left of the beach, along which the -troops were advancing to the breach; the passage between the wall and -the water was narrow, and they expected, by the fragments of masonry -which would be thrown down, to obstruct the line of march. This intent -failed; but about twenty men were crushed by the ruins of the wall. -The garrison, as on the former assault, were perfectly prepared; and -from the Mirador battery, and the battery del Principe, on the castle -hill, they opened a fire of grape and shells upon the columns. The -forlorn hope, consisting of an officer and thirty men, fell to a man; -the front of the columns which followed were cut off, as by one shot; -and the breach, when the assailants reached it, was presently covered -with their bodies; many of those who were ascending it were thrown -down by the bodies of those above them, the living, the wounded, and -the dead, rolling together down the ruins. From the Mirador and Prince -batteries, from the keep of the castle, from the high curtain to -the left of the breach, and from some ruined houses in front, about -forty yards distant, which were loop-holed and lined with infantry, a -concentrated fire was kept up; a line of intrenchment had been carried -along the nearest parallel walls; this was strongly occupied, and -it entirely swept the summit of the breach; and, in addition to all -this, the horn-work flanked and commanded the ascent. The tower of -Amesquita, on the left of the breach, was the only available point of -defence which had not been manned; overlooked it could not have been -by such engineers as those who conducted the defence: undoubtedly -they considered the means which they had provided to be more than -sufficient, and that no courage, however desperate, could in the face -of them carry a breach which, upon all rules of art, was actually -impracticable. That every art of defence which science and experience -could devise would be practised was expected; it was known, also, that -the garrison were as little deficient in confidence as in numbers, -and that they had stores in abundance; but if there had been even a -suspicion that the ground at the point of attack was what it was now -found to be, it is certain that the assault, under such circumstances, -would never have been ordered. - -Nothing, in fact, could have been more fallacious than the external -appearance of the breach. Up to the end of the curtain it was as -accessible, quite to the terre-plein, as it seemed to be; but there the -enemy’s situation was commanding, and the ascent itself was exposed -to the horn-work: but this was the only point where it was passable, -and there only by single files. Except on this point, there was a -perpendicular fall from fifteen to twenty-five feet in depth, along -the back of the whole breach, extensive as it was. Houses had been -built against the interior of the wall; these were now in ruins; and -there was no way of descending, except here and there by an end wall -which remained standing; but the very few who could by this means get -into the streets were exposed to an incessant fire from the opposite -houses. During the suspension of the siege, every possible preparation -had been made by the enemy, with the advantage of knowing the point -which would be attacked; so that they had a great number of men covered -by intrenchments and traverses in the horn-work, on the ramparts of -the curtain, and in the town itself opposite the breach. The most -determined courage was displayed by the troops, who were brought -forward in succession from the trenches to this place of slaughter. -Military duty was never discharged with more entire devotion than it -was at this time both by officers and men. No man outlived the attempt -to gain the ridge. The slope of the breach afforded shelter from -musketry; but the nature of the stone rubbish rendered it impossible -for the working parties to form a lodgement there, notwithstanding -their utmost exertions, and the troops were exposed to the shells and -grape from the batteries of the castle; and on the way to the breach -so severe and continuous a fire was kept up that Sir James Leith was -obliged to send directions for removing the dead and the dying from the -debouches, which were so choked up as to prevent the passage of the -troops. - -♦SIR JAMES LEITH WOUNDED.♦ - -A plunging shot struck the ground near the spot where Sir James was -standing, rebounded, struck him on the chest, and laid him prostrate -and senseless. The officers near thought certainly that he was killed; -but he recovered breath, and then recollection, and resisting all -entreaties to quit the field, continued to issue his orders. Sir -Thomas Graham meantime accepted the offer of a part of Major-General -Bradford’s Portugueze brigade to ford the river and assist in the -assault. The advance of a battalion under Major Snodgrass, and of -a detachment under Lieutenant-Colonel M’Bean, was made rapidly and -firmly, under a very heavy fire of grape, along the beach and over a -creek knee-deep. They got over, but not without great loss, and bore -their part in what Sir Thomas Graham began now to think was an all -but desperate attempt: and desperate it must have proved, if, upon -consulting with Colonel Dickson, who commanded the artillery, he had -not ventured to direct that the guns should be turned against the -curtain. A heavy fire was immediately directed there, passing only a -few feet above the heads of our own troops, and it was kept up with a -precision of practice beyond all example. The troops who were employed -in the assault were astonished at hearing the roar of cannon from -behind them; they saw the enemy swept from the curtain; a few of their -own men were brought down also by the first discharge: the second made -the intent fully intelligible; its effect upon the enemy was visible, -and a great effort was then ordered to gain the high ridge at all -hazards. - -At this time a shell burst near Sir James Leith, tore off the flesh -of his left hand, and broke the arm in two places; still he continued -to give directions, till, fainting from loss of blood, he was carried -from the field. Major-General Hay succeeded to the command. Almost ♦SIR -RICHARD FLETCHER SLAIN.♦ immediately afterwards, and nearly on the -same spot, Sir Richard Fletcher talking to General Oswald, was killed -by a musket-ball, which struck him in the spine of the neck. This was -a great loss to his friends and his country: he was of such amiable -qualities, as well as of such sterling worth, that no man was ever more -respected and loved; and that his professional talents were of the -highest order had been shown by the lines of Torres Vedras. - -♦THE CITY TAKEN.♦ - -As Sir James Leith was carried through the trenches to the rear, he -met the remaining part of his division pressing forward to execute his -orders; and the men of the 9th regiment, recognizing their general, -promised him not to desist from their exertions until the place should -be taken. Just as they arrived at the breach, a quantity of cartridges -exploded behind one of the traverses of the curtain; the fire of the -artillery had occasioned this; and it caused some confusion among the -enemy, who already apprehended that the tide of fortune was turning -against them. The narrow pass was now gained and maintained; hats were -waved from the _terre-plein_ of the curtain; the troops rushed forward -and drove the enemy down the steep flight of steps near the great -gate leading from the works into the town. The troops on the right of -the breach about the same time forced the barricadoes on the top of -the narrow line wall, and found their way into the houses that joined -it. In many places it was necessary to apply scaling-ladders before -the men could get down. At the centre of the main breach there was an -excavation below the descent, and a barricado at some feet farther -back; here, therefore, any who should have descended would have been -inclosed as a mark for the enemy, till the way was cleared for them by -a flanking fire from a round tower on the right, which took the French -in reverse. The French themselves were inclosed in a barricado between -that tower and the right breach, and their dead lay there heaped upon -each other. The contest was still maintained from barricadoes in the -streets, and by firing from the houses; till between four and five in -the afternoon, the enemy were driven from their last defence in the -town, except the Convent of S. Teresa, and retired into the castle. -By that time the town was on fire in many places; and, to add to the -horrors of a place taken by assault, the vindictive enemy fired upon it -from their upper defences, and rolled their shells into it. - -About three in the afternoon, the day, which had been sultry, became -unusually cold; the sky was overcast, and between the blackness of the -sky, the rain, and the smoke, it was as dark as a dusky evening; but -when darkness would in its natural course have closed the town was -in flames. A dreadful night of thunder and rain, and wind succeeded; -and it was made far more dreadful by man than by the elements. It is -no easy task for officers, after the heat of an assault, to restrain -successful troops who are under no moral restraint; and on this day so -many officers had perished that the men fancied themselves exempt from -all control. They sacked the place, and gave way to such excesses that -if the French could have suspected the state of drunkenness to which -men so excellently brave in action had reduced themselves, they might -very probably have retaken part of the town, if not the whole. The loss -of the assailants amounted to nearly 1600 British and 800 Portugueze -killed and wounded; 700 of the garrison were made prisoners. - -♦THE FRENCH DEFEATED IN THEIR ATTEMPT TO RELIEVE IT.♦ - -On the morning of the assault the French made a second effort for -the relief of S. Sebastian’s. Three divisions of Spaniards, under -General Freyre, occupied the heights of S. Marcial on the left of the -Bidassoa, and the town of Irun, thus covering the road to the besieged -fortress. The position was exceedingly strong, the front and the left -being covered by the river, and their right resting on the Sierra de -Haya. They were supported by the first division of British infantry, -under Major-General Howard, and by Lord Aylmer’s brigade on the left, -and in the rear of Irun; and by Longa’s division near the Sierra in -rear of their right. Still farther to secure them, Lord Wellington, -knowing that during the 29th and 30th the enemy were assembling a -large force at Vera, moved two brigades of the 4th division to the -left of the Sierra, and occupied the heights on the right of that -mountain, between the convent of S. Antonio and Vera; and Lezaca with a -Portugueze brigade, to prevent it from being turned in that direction. -On the 30th also he moved Major-General Inglis’s brigade to the bridge -of Lezaca, and gave orders for the troops in the Puertos of Etchalar, -Zugarramundi, and Maya, to attack the enemy’s weakened post in front of -their positions. - -Before daylight on the 31st the enemy crossed the Bidassoa with a -very large force, two divisions by a ford in front of the left of the -Spaniards, while a third, under protection of batteries which they had -thrown up during the night, were constructing a bridge over the river, -about three quarters of a mile above the high road. The two divisions -immediately attacked the Spaniards along the whole front of their -position on the heights of S. Marcial. The attack was made with that -confidence which the French had always felt when the Spaniards were -opposed to them in regular action; but the boldness with which they -commenced it was ill maintained; for the Spaniards waited firmly till -the assailants had nearly reached the summit of the steep ascent, then -charged them with the bayonet whilst in column, and instantly broke -them. As often as the French repeated the attack so often were they -driven back, some of them even across the river, where many in their -haste lost the direction of the ford and perished. The division which -had been pushed across the Bidassoa to protect the construction of the -bridge, made a subsequent attempt on the right of the Spaniards, with -no better success. But as the course of the river was immediately under -the heights on the French side, and a considerable bend in that part -of the stream was flanked by their batteries, the Spaniards could not -prevent the pontooners from completing their work; and in the afternoon -the enemy marched over a considerable body, which, with the divisions -who had crossed at the fords, made another desperate attack upon the -Spanish position. Lord Wellington, who pronounced the conduct of the -Spaniards on this day to have been equal to that of any troops whom he -had ever seen engaged, appeared in front of their line at the moment -when the French advanced to this last attack. He was received with loud -and repeated shouts, and the men, proud of supporting in his sight -the character which they felt that they had this day deserved, again -beat back the assailants. They showed themselves indeed so capable of -defending their post without assistance, that the two British divisions -were not brought into action, the nature of the ground being such that -they could not be employed on the flanks of the enemy’s corps. When the -French were at length convinced that all their efforts were in vain, -they took advantage of a violent storm and the darkness which came on -with it, to retire hastily from this front. Many took to the river -in their fear, to sink or swim if they should miss the fords; and in -this attempt so many were seen to perish, the river being swoln by the -storm, that latterly the fugitives crowded to the bridge, and at last -pressed upon it in such numbers, that it sunk beneath their weight, and -most of those who were passing at the moment were lost. - -About the same time that the enemy commenced their operations on this -side, a very strong body of their infantry crossed the Bidassoa, in two -columns, by the fords below Salon, in front of the position occupied by -the 9th Portugueze brigade. Major-General Inglis moved with his brigade -to their support, and finding he could not maintain the heights between -Lezaca and the river, withdrew to those in front of the convent, -protecting there the right of the Spanish army, and at the same time -the approach by Oyarzun to S. Sebastian’s. Major-General Kempt meantime -moved a brigade of the light division to Lezaca, by which he kept -the enemy in check; and the Earl of Dalhousie was directed likewise -to support Major-General Inglis; but being engaged at the Puerto de -Zugarramundi, he could not begin his march till late in the afternoon, -nor arrive before the ensuing morning, when the operations were at an -end. For the enemy, when they found that Major-General Inglis was in -a position from which they could not dislodge him, and knew that they -had completely failed at the heights of San Marcial, felt that their -situation on the Spanish side of the Bidassoa was becoming every moment -more critical, and retired during the night. But the river had then -so risen, and was still rising so fast, that the rear of their column -was obliged to cross by the bridge at Vera: and to effect this, they -attacked the posts of the light division about three in the morning. -If a sufficient force could have been spared for guarding this point, -a very considerable part of Soult’s army might have been taken. -The bridge was not wide enough for more than three or four to pass -abreast, and a continual fire was poured upon it from the walls of a -neighbouring convent, so that they were believed to have lost not less -than a thousand men in passing. The loss of the allies on this day -amounted to 400 killed, about 2060 wounded, and 150 missing, nearly -1600 of these being Spaniards. The brunt of the action had fallen upon -them; and in this respect it was a day of great importance, because it -made the French feel their own growing inferiority, and apprehend that -San Marcial would teach the Spaniards the same confidence in themselves -which the Portugueze had learned at Busaco. Among the British officers -who fell was Captain Douglas of the 51st: he is thus mentioned in a -work wherein so many crimes have been recorded, because his brother -officers bore this testimony to him, that he was the only man they knew -of whom they could truly say there was nothing in him in the slightest -degree approaching to a vice. The men of his company carried him off -the field, made his grave carefully, and gave him a soldier’s burial -with all the marks of respect which they could bestow. - -The effort on Soult’s part had been great, and was deemed so by Lord -Wellington, for a Portugueze brigade was withdrawn from the besieging -corps during the assault. As soon as the town had been carried, ♦SIEGE -OF THE CASTLE OF S. SEBASTIAN’S.♦ preparations were made for reducing -the castle. The enemy still held the convent of S. Teresa, the garden -of which, inclosed as usual in such establishments with a high wall, -reached a good way up the hill, toward their upper defences; and from -thence they marked any who approached within reach of fire, so that -when a man fell, there was no other means of bringing him off than -by sending the French prisoners upon this service of humanity. The -town presented a dreadful spectacle both of the work of war and of -the wickedness which in war is let loose. It had caught fire during -the assault, owing to the quantity of combustibles of all kinds which -were scattered about; the French rolled their shells into it from the -castle; and while it was in flames, the troops were plundering, and -the people of the surrounding country flocking to profit by the spoils -of their countrymen. The few inhabitants who were to be seen seemed -stupified with horror; they had suffered so much, that they looked with -apathy at all around them, and when the crash of a falling house made -the captors run, they scarcely moved. Heaps of dead were lying every -where, English, Portugueze, and French, one upon another, with such -determination had the one side attacked and the other maintained its -ground. Very many of the assailants lay dead on the roofs of the houses -which adjoined the breach. The bodies were thrown into the mines and -other excavations, and there covered over so as to be out of sight, -but so hastily and slightly that the air far and near was tainted; and -fires were kindled in the breaches to consume those which could not be -otherwise disposed of. The hospital presented a more dreadful scene, -... for it was a scene of human suffering; friend and enemy had been -indiscriminately carried thither, and were there alike neglected; ... -on the third day after the assault many of them had received neither -surgical assistance, nor food of any kind; and it became necessary to -remove them on the fifth, when the flames approached the building: -much of this neglect would have been unavoidable, even if that humane -and conscientious diligence, which can be hoped for from so few, had -been found in every individual belonging to the medical department, -the number of the wounded being so great; and little help could be -received from the other part of the army, because it had been engaged -in action on the same day. ♦EXCESSES COMMITTED IN THE CITY.♦ The -hideous circumstances of war were indeed at this time to be seen in S. -Sebastian’s, divested of its pomp: and to a thoughtful mind its actual -horrors were less painful than the brutal insensibility with which they -were regarded by men whose nature, originally bad, had been worsened -by their way of life. Great exertions were made to stop the excesses -which at such times are to be expected; but the utmost exertions can do -little among troops who believe themselves privileged by the occasion -to break loose from the restraints of military discipline, and who are -not more fearless of death than they are, while in health and strength, -of judgment. The town was sacked: had it been an enemy’s town, it could -not have suffered more from its captors. Sentries were placed at all -the outlets to make the plunderers lay down their booty, but all that -could be secreted about the person was carried off; and the Spaniards -of Passages and other places were ready, as at a fair, to purchase the -spoils of their countrymen. A reproach was brought upon the British -name. The French seized the opportunity of endeavouring to fix upon -their enemies the same odious imputation which they themselves were -conscious of having deserved; they accused the British of setting fire -to the town, indiscriminately murdering friend and foe, and pillaging -the place under the eyes of their officers, who made no attempt to -restrain them. These charges were brought forward by that party in -Spain who, without inclining in ♦SEPTEMBER.♦ the slightest degree -toward the French, manifested on all occasions their jealousy and their -envious dislike of England; and they added the farther calumny, that -the captors had plundered the churches, and, by giving way to excess of -every kind, lost the favourable time for following up their success -and taking the castle. All was false, except that great excesses had -been committed: the difference between the conduct of the British at -S. Sebastian’s, and that of the French at Porto, Tarragona, and other -places, being this, that the crimes which the former perpetrated -were checked as soon as they could be by the officers, acknowledged -by the generals as evils which they had not been able to prevent, -severely condemned by them, and punished: those of the French had been -systematic and predetermined; the men were neither checked nor reproved -by their generals; and so far were the generals from receiving any -mark of disapprobation from their government, that the acts themselves -were ostentatiously proclaimed in bulletins and official reports, in -the hope of intimidating the Portugueze and Spaniards, and without any -sense of shame. - -♦THE GARRISON SURRENDERS.♦ - -Preparations were immediately made for reducing the castle, the plan -being to erect batteries on the works of the town, and breach the Queen -batteries, the Mirador, and the keep. On the 3rd, some discussion -concerning a surrender was entered into with General Rey, which he -broke off when it was required that the garrison should lay down their -arms and become prisoners of war. These terms the general knew he -could obtain at the last moment, and possibly he still entertained -some hope of holding out till another effort could be made for his -relief; as, even after he had retired into the castle, some artillery -and ammunition reached him there from France, it being impossible, -upon such a coast, and when the ports were so near, entirely to cut -off the communication. The Convent of S. Teresa was taken on the 5th: -by this time the flames, which continued still to spread, had driven -the troops from their more advanced stations, and made them retire to -the ramparts. By the evening of the 7th, the roofs of such houses and -steeples as remained unburnt were prepared ♦SEPT. 8.♦ for musketry; -and on the following morning nearly sixty pieces of ordnance opened on -the castle. With great exertions, directed by Captain Smith, of the -navy, guns were got up the steep scarp of the islet of S. Clara, and -there mounted on a battery, which the sailors manned. The wall of the -Mirador was so hard, that the balls at first split upon striking it; -nevertheless, it was peeled by the continual fire, and was beginning to -come down, when the white flag was hung out. All the enemy’s batteries -were at that time utterly demolished, those on the sea line alone -excepted; the guns dismounted, the carriages knocked to pieces, and -the castle in ruins. There were no barracks, nor any covering for the -troops except holes, which had been excavated in every nook and corner, -to serve for them as splinter-proofs; and of these many were filled -with water, much rain having fallen during the preceding week: but for -the prisoners, who were in the hands of the garrison, there was no -shelter, and many of them were killed by the fire of their friends. -The French general might have obtained credit for an act of generous -humanity, and of policy as well, if he had released these prisoners, -sending a trumpet with them to declare his reasons for so doing, and -to express his reliance upon British honour that an exchange should be -allowed for them; for this no doubt would have been agreed to, though -the advantage was so manifestly to the enemy. - -General Rey, on displaying the white flag, said he would send officers -to confer on the terms of surrender. Sir Thomas Graham replied, no -others would be offered than what had already been stated; the garrison -must lay down their arms, and be made prisoners of war. During the -whole siege they had lost about 2400 men, and they had now eaten all -their horses. Yielding of necessity now, they were especially anxious -that they should be under British protection, be embarked at Passages -as the nearest port, and conveyed directly to England; and this was -promised. One article requested that the _Commissaire de Guerre_, -having with him the widow and the two daughters of his brother, who had -died at Pamplona, might be allowed to return with them to France, he -being their chief support. General Rey was indignant that an article -about women should appear in the capitulation of such a garrison, and -after such a defence; and this he expressed coarsely, as if a soldier -disparaged his character by showing any consideration for humanity! - -♦SEPT. 10.♦ - -On the 10th, the Portugueze were formed in the streets of the ruined -city; the British on the ramparts. The day was fine, after a night of -heavy rain. About noon the garrison marched out at the Mirador gate. -The bands of two or three Portugueze regiments played occasionally; -but altogether it was a dismal scene, amid ruins and vestiges of fire -and slaughter: a few inhabitants were present, and only a few. Many -of the French soldiers wept bitterly, there was a marked sadness in -the countenances of all, and they laid down their arms in silence. -Colonel S. Ouary, the commandant of the place, had been uniformly -attentive to the officers who had been prisoners. When this kindness -was now acknowledged, he said that he had been twice a prisoner in -England; that he had been fifty years in the service, and on the 15th -of the passing month he should have received his dismission: he was -now sixty-six, he said, an old man, and should never serve again; and -if he might be permitted to retire into France, instead of being sent -to England, he should be the happiest of men. Sir Thomas Graham wrote -to Lord Wellington in favour of the kind-hearted old man, and it may -be believed that the application was not made in vain. Captain Sougeon -was recognized at this time, who, on the day of the first assault, had -descended the breach to assist our wounded: “There,” said he, pointing -to his men, “are the remains of the brave 22nd; we were 250 the other -day, now not more than 50 are left.” Lord Wellington, upon being -informed of his conduct, sent him to France. Eighty officers and 1756 -men were all the remains of the garrison, and of these 25 officers and -512 men were in the hospital. - - - - -CHAPTER XLV. - - OPERATIONS OF THE ANGLO-SICILIAN ARMY. THE ALLIES ENTER FRANCE. - PASSAGE OF THE BIDASSOA, THE NIVELLE, AND THE NIVE. TREATY - BETWEEN BUONAPARTE AND FERDINAND, AND CONSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS - OF THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT. - - -♦1813.♦ - -♦THE REMAINS OF ROMANA’S ARMY RETURN FROM THE NORTH.♦ - -During the siege of S. Sebastian’s, some few hundred men, the remains -of Romana’s army, who had not been able to effect their escape from -the North, when their magnanimous general and their comrades went to -take part in their country’s struggle, and most of them to perish in -it, returned to Spain. The resistance to Buonaparte’s tyranny, which -the Spaniards and Portugueze had begun, had prepared the way for the -deliverance of the continent, and thus eventually restored them to -their native land. - -♦LORD W. BENTINCK INVESTS TARRAGONA.♦ - -The Anglo-Sicilian army had no sooner returned to Alicante from its -ill-conducted expedition against Tarragona, than every exertion was -used for enabling it to take the field, and profit by the retreat of -the enemy from Valencia. Lord William Bentinck entered that capital -on the 9th of July, and leaving General Elio to observe Murviedro, -proceeded with his own troops, and such of the Spaniards as he could -♦AUGUST.♦ find means of providing with subsistence, for in this -essential point there was the greatest difficulty. Having arrived at -Vinaroz, he detached a corps under Lieutenant-General Sir William -Clinton by sea to Tarragona, in the hope of preventing the enemy from -dismantling that fortress, if such should be their intention. When -the fleet arrived off Tarragona, a French force was discovered in -its vicinity; but there were no indications of any such purpose. The -detachment, therefore, landed at the Col de Balaguer; and there, Lord -William, having crossed the Ebro at Amposta on flying bridges, joined -him with the advance of the army, some cavalry, and artillery; the -whole then moved forward to the village of Cambrils, and on the first -of August they invested Tarragona: that operation was well performed, -and cover was obtained three hundred yards nearer than the most -advanced point which had been occupied during the previous attack. -Preparations were now observable in the place for its destruction; but -it was evident that the ♦COL. JONES’S ACCOUNT, V. 2. 201.♦ garrison -could not effect this in the presence of the allied army, unless -Marshal Suchet came in force to cover the operation. That general -was at Barcelona; his troops were at Villafranca and at Villanova de -Sitges, being thus divided to lessen the difficulty of subsisting -them; and his advance was at Arbos and at Vendrell: sometimes he -seemed to be menacing a movement against the allies, and sometimes -preparing for a farther retreat. Lord William, with such an enemy in -such force so near, would not expose himself to a failure like that -of Sir John Murray; and he deferred beginning the siege and landing -his heavy artillery, till the Duque del Parque’s army should come up, -and Sarsfield with his Catalan troops. The Duque joined on the third; -the Catalans were actively employed upon the right flank of Suchet’s -divisions, cutting off his supplies; and on the 7th they surprised a -battalion who were guarding the mills at S. Sadurni, and occasioned -them a loss of 200 men. Sarsfield joined on the 11th. But as the -appearance of the allies before Tarragona prevented the garrison from -demolishing the works, so on the other hand it gave Marshal Suchet time -for bringing together as large a force as he thought the occasion -required. The British general, like Generals Maitland and Murray before -him, felt all the difficulties of his situation; he was conscious that -his ill-composed army was far from being efficient in proportion to -its numerical strength; he had no means of feeding the Spanish part of -that army if the enemy should manœuvre upon his flank, so as to cut -off the supplies which they obtained from the country; he had found -it impracticable to throw a bridge over the Ebro; and should he be -compelled in his present situation to retreat, the ships could not -take off more than a third of his forces. But while the prudence of -remaining in that situation became a serious question, preparations for -breaking ground were carried on. - -♦SUCHET RAISES THE SIEGE.♦ - -Suchet meantime acting as if he were opposed to a much greater force, -had waited till Generals Decaen, Maurice Mathieu, and Maximien Lamarque -could join him with 8000 men belonging to the army of Catalonia; with -this accession his numbers were estimated at from 27,000 to 30,000. -They effected their junction at Villafranca on the 14th. The first -attempt was by the coast road; but Admiral Hallowell effectually -checked this movement, by stationing his troops as close as possible -to the low sandy shore in front of the Torre del Barra. On the ensuing -morning Lord William was informed that a large body of the French were -advancing through the inland country by the Col de Santa Christina; -and in the evening a sharp skirmish took place between the advance of -hussars and the cavalry under Colonel Lord Frederick Bentinck, which he -sent forward to observe their motions: in this the Brunswick hussars -distinguished themselves, repulsing the enemy and making several -prisoners. Suchet advanced rapidly beyond the Gaya that day, while -Decaen advanced upon Valls and the Francoli. Lord William did not deem -it prudent to risk a general action before Tarragona; at nightfall, -therefore, he commenced his retreat, and when day broke the whole army -was out of sight of the city; the British, Germans, and Sicilians, -covering the road towards Tortosa, took up a position near Cambrils. -Sarsfield occupied Reus; and the Duque del Parque was directed to -proceed to the Col de Balaguer, where, if Suchet should push the -retreating army so as to make a general action necessary, it was -intended to await his attack. But the French commander had no such ♦THE -FRENCH ABANDON TARRAGONA.♦ purpose; his present object was to bring off -the garrison from Tarragona, and to demolish its fortifications, so -that they might afford no support to the allies. On the night of the -18th the works were blown up; and Marshal Suchet then withdrew for ever -from a place where, by the premeditated atrocities which were committed -at its capture, he has fixed upon his memory an indelible stain. The -demolition was effectual: the artillery consisted of about 200 pieces -of brass ordnance and 46 iron mortars; 50 of the former were left -uninjured; and he did not tarry long enough to destroy the quantity of -warlike stores which he had not the means of removing. Sarsfield on the -following day took possession of the city. - -♦PLANS PROPOSED TO SUCHET BY MARSHAL SOULT.♦ - -Suchet soon fell back upon the line of the Llobregat, having drained -the plain of Villafranca of its resources. In a country thus exhausted, -General Copons declared it was not possible to provide for the whole -Spanish force under Lord William’s command; and in consequence of this, -and upon erroneous information that part of the French troops had been -detached to aid Marshal Soult, the British general, conformably to an -arrangement made with Lord Wellington, sent the Duque del Parque, with -the 4th Spanish army, to Zaragoza; and he reinforced the corps, then -employed under Elio, in the blockade of Tortosa. Early in September he -concentrated the greater part of his remaining force at Villafranca. -At this time Marshal Soult had proposed to Suchet that he should cross -the Pyrenees with the whole disposable force of the armies of Aragon -and Catalonia, and unite with him at Tarbes and at Pau, for the purpose -of re-entering Spain together by Oleron and Jaca, and making another -effort for the relief of Pamplona. A different project was offered -to his consideration by the minister at war, ... that he should as -much as possible occupy the enemy upon the Ebro: in either case a -reinforcement of conscripts was to be counted on. The difficulties in -the way of the first plan were soon perceived by Soult himself to be -insurmountable; and Suchet represented the danger of drawing after him -the Anglo-Sicilian army into the southern departments of France, which -were defenceless. But as a practicable though a perilous operation, he -offered to advance between the Ebro and the Pyrenees, with 70 pieces of -field and 30 of mountain artillery, to meet Soult, who might debouche -from Jaca with his infantry and cavalry, but without cannon. But for -this two things were necessary, ... that he should have conscripts to -place in the garrisons, and that before he marched from Catalonia he -should defeat the Anglo-Sicilians. - -Lord William’s numbers were not equal to those which could be brought -against him, the want both of provisions and means of transport having -obliged him to leave Whittingham’s division at Reus and Valls; but -he had no suspicion that Suchet would advance against him. His army -was posted at Villafranca and in the villages in its front, as far -as the mountains on the Llobregat; the advance, under Colonel Adams, -consisting of the 27th British regiment, one Calabrian and three -Spanish battalions, with four mountain guns, occupied the pass of -Ordal, on the main road, about ten miles in their front, and the same -distance from the enemy’s posts on the Llobregat. The pass was so -strong that Lord William was without any apprehension of its being -forced, especially as he thought the probable point of attack ♦SUCHET -SURPRISES THE ALLIES AT THE PASS OF ORDAL.♦ would be by turning his -left at Martorell and San Sadurni, where Copons was posted. Nor, -indeed, was it likely Suchet would have confined himself to the front -attack of a position which was strong there, but open on both flanks, -unless, because such an attack was improbable, he thought the enemy -might be taken there by surprise, before they had strengthened the post. - -Accordingly, having concerted his plans with General Decaen, he -collected the divisions of Harispe and Habert, with his cavalry at the -bridge of Molins del Rey, and at eight o’clock on the night of the -12th moved for the pass. The allies were reposing in position, when -about midnight their piquets were rapidly driven in, and they were -presently attacked in force. An old work which commanded the main road -was well defended by the Calabrians, till they were driven from it by -the repeated attacks of superior numbers; they rallied then about sixty -paces in rear of it, behind some old ruins, and there, in conjunction -with the Spaniards, who were close on their left, stood their ground -some time longer. But in a night attack the assailants, acting upon -ground with which they were well acquainted, and on a concerted plan, -had greatly the advantage over a very inferior force who were taken by -surprise. Colonel Adams and the two officers next in succession to him -were badly wounded, and obliged to quit the field; owing to the changes -this occasioned, the regular directions were interrupted, and the -ground in consequence was disputed much longer than it ought to have -been against a force so greatly superior, both British and Spaniards -maintaining it so resolutely that the right and the centre were nearly -destroyed in their position. The Calabrian corps on the left fell back -along the hills, and endeavoured to reach San Sadurni, which Manso -occupied with his brigade. Their hope was to rejoin the army by the -road leading from thence to Villafranca; but after crossing the river -Noya, in front of San Sadurni, they were attacked by a considerable -column, and forced back toward the Barcelona road: they succeeded, -however, in making their way to Sitges, and there effected their -embarkation on the following night. The guns were taken by the enemy, -but most of the fugitives joined Manso. - -♦THE ANGLO-SICILIANS RETREAT.♦ - -As soon as the attack was known at head-quarters, Lord William put the -army in motion to sustain his advance; but before any reinforcements -could reach the spot, the French had carried every point, and it -remained for him then either to retreat without loss of time, or give -battle to an enemy superior in numbers and flushed with success, upon -ground which afforded no advantage of position. He determined therefore -upon retiring; Major-General Mackenzie, with the 2d division, covered -the retreat during the most difficult part of its execution, to the -village of Monjoz; Sarsfield moved to the left of Villafranca, by the -hilly and woody country on that side; and the British, Germans, and -Sicilians, took the main road by the villages of Monjoz and Arbos. -Marshal Suchet expected that Decaen would arrive before Villafranca in -time to co-operate with him, and force the allies to an action; but -that general had to cross the Llobregat and the Noya, and was delayed -also in the defiles by Manso, and by the Calabrese, with whom he fell -in when they were making for San Sadurni. His own cuirassiers and -dragoons, under General Meyer, pressed with very superior numbers, -near Monjoz, upon the cavalry under Lord Frederic Bentinck, who -covered the retreat, and some sabre strokes were exchanged between -the two leaders. At length a most timely and vigorous charge was -made simultaneously by Lord Frederic with the 20th dragoons, under -Lieutenant-Colonel Hawker, and the Sicilians, and by Lieutenant-Colonel -Schrader with the German hussars, by which the enemy were driven back, -and so completely checked, that they made no farther attempt upon the -retreating army; so it reached Vendrells that evening, without any -loss. During the night it retired to Altafulla, and on the evening -following took up its ground in front of Tarragona, as the nearest -protecting situation; the Spaniards, under Sarsfield, moving upon Reus. -The ruins of Tarragona could have afforded little support if the allies -had not been better protected by their own strength, and by the opinion -which Suchet had learned to entertain of them. He advanced no farther -than Villafranca in pursuit; and after exacting a contribution from the -distressed inhabitants, returned to Barcelona. - -♦THE COMMAND DEVOLVES UPON SIR WILLIAM CLINTON.♦ - -At this time the uneasy state of affairs in Sicily, and the ill success -of political changes there, as premature as they were well intended, -rendered it necessary for Lord William Bentinck to repair thither, -and the command of the army devolved upon Lieutenant-General Sir -William Clinton. That general was left with an inadequate force, and -under discouraging circumstances, to attend to objects which were of -no inconsiderable importance to the common cause. He had to provide -against the likelihood of Suchet’s availing himself of his late success -to relieve or to withdraw his garrisons in Valencia or on the Ebro; and -he had to occupy the attention of that able commander so as to prevent -him from sending any considerable detachment to take part in Soult’s -operations against Lord Wellington. It was found impracticable to -construct a bridge upon the Ebro as low down as Amposta; and if it had -not been so, he could not have spared troops enough from other more -important services, to protect it against the sallies of the strong -garrison in Tortosa. The best course therefore which he could pursue -seemed to be that of repairing the defences of Tarragona, as far as -time and means permitted, so as to render it a point of support. Well -was it for the Anglo-Sicilian army that, notwithstanding the credit -it had lost by Sir John Murray’s precipitate retreat, and the recent -loss which it had sustained at Ordal, it had yet impressed Marshal -Suchet with a most respectable opinion of its ability in the field; -skilful as he was, nothing but that opinion withheld him from acting -vigorously against it when he had it so greatly at advantage. His -disposable force at this time was not short of 25,000 men, with a large -body of cavalry; better troops he could not desire; and their supplies -were protected by the possession of several important fortresses, all -which were garrisoned well. The Anglo-Sicilian army amounted barely to -12,000 effective men, including a small body of cavalry; about half of -these were British and Germans, the remainder Italians and Sicilians in -British pay, on whom, though they were not ill-disciplined, the same -confidence could not be placed in the presence of an enemy. There were -about 11,000 Spanish troops whose services General Clinton might have -commanded, if there had been means for rendering them available, but -they were in a state almost of destitution; without pay, ill-clothed, -and worse fed; and he had no control (as his predecessors had had) over -the first Spanish army, which army also was prevented by its wants -from taking the field, except occasionally, and then from keeping -it, except for a very short time. With the commander of that army, -General Copons, and with the other leaders, the best understanding -prevailed; nor indeed were there among all the Spaniards better men -or more distinguished officers than some of them, ... the names of -Manso and Eroles will be held in honour as long as the Catalans -retain any of that national spirit by which they are so honourably -distinguished. They might be expected to check any movement of the -enemy on the side of Lerida, or towards Tarragona; and to interrupt -their communication with France along the inland road, by which their -supplies were principally brought; but direct co-operation was not to -be looked for where there was no unity of command, and ... on the one -part ... all but a total want of means. Even the troops in British -pay suffered great privations, their communication with the depôts at -Malta and Gibraltar being interrupted because of the plague. But the -tide of the enemy’s fortunes had now turned; and all difficulties were -met cheerfully by the allies, in the sure hope that their perseverance -would soon be crowned with success. As soon as arrangements were made -for restoring the works at Tarragona, and for supplying as far as -possible the Spaniards who were attached to the Anglo-Sicilian army, -head-quarters were established at Villafranca; the troops which had -been cantoned at Reus, Valls, and other places in the environs of -Tarragona, were ordered to occupy an advanced line of cantonments: -a force, consisting of cavalry, with some field artillery, and -Sarsfield’s Spanish division of about 5000 infantry, were stationed -at Villafranca; the enemy’s movements on the Llobregat were narrowly -observed; and the remainder of the allied troops (with the exception -of those who carried on the works at Tarragona) were so distributed, -that, upon any emergency, they could be assembled at Villafranca in -four-and-twenty hours. - -Meantime, on the opposite side of the peninsula, an ♦POSITION OF THE -ARMIES ON THE PYRENEAN FRONTIER.♦ interval of seeming inactivity had -followed the capture of S. Sebastian’s; but the time, though marked -by no military movements, was busily employed in preparing for them, -by closing up the troops, replacing the ammunition, and re-organizing -those divisions which had suffered most. The opposing armies were in -sight of each other. There was something mournful as well as impressive -to a thoughtful mind in the contrast between the stupendous scenery of -the Pyrenees and the diminutive appearance of field-works, and large -armies upon such a theatre: “the little huts, and the less beings who -inhabited them,” might have been overlooked as mere specks in the -prospect, had it not been for the more mournful knowledge that these -tens of thousands were collected there for life or for death; one party -having been sent thither by the wicked will of an individual drunk -with ambition, and the other brought there by the duty and necessity -of resisting his lust of power. The troops who covered the blockade -of Pamplona suffered severely from wet and cold, and were unavoidably -subject to privations from which their more fortunate comrades near the -coast were exempt. When the clouds opened they could see the fertile -country of the enemy beneath them, in sunshine. During the weeks of -hard, irksome duty, passed thus in a situation where exertion and -enterprise were not required, but in their stead continual vigilance -and patience, desertions became frequent; they were most numerous, as -might be expected, among the Spaniards, because they were in their own -country; and least, in a remarkable degree, among[2] the Portugueze. - -It was now no longer in Buonaparte’s power to allot conscripts by -the hundred thousand for the consumption ♦LEVY ORDERED IN FRANCE FOR -SOULT’S ARMY.♦ of his war in the Peninsula. A levy of 30,000 was -all that could be ordered to reinforce Soult’s army; “the armies of -Spain, it was admitted, having been compelled to yield before ♦SPEECH -OF M. REGNAUD.♦ superior numbers, and the advantages which the enemy -drew from their maritime communications, needed reinforcement; for -England, while in the north of Europe it lavished its intrigues and -its promises, was not less lavish in the south of its resources and -sacrifices. The proposed levy, however, raised in the departments -adjacent to the Pyrenees, would suffice to stop the successes upon -which the enemy were congratulating themselves too soon; it would -suffice for resuming the attitude which became France, and for -preparing the moment when England should no longer dispose of the -treasures of Mexico, for the devastation of both the Spains!” This -was the language of M. Regnaud de St. Jean d’Angely in an official -speech; and the senator, M. le Comte de Beurnonville, making a report -in the name of a special commission, spake in the same strain, ... a -strain that becomes doubly curious when compared with the events which -were so soon to follow. “England,” said he, “who intrigues much and -hazards little, has not dared to compromise her land forces by sending -them to combat in the north of Germany, and uniting them with the -Russian and Prussian phalanxes; she feared reverses which she could not -but foresee, and which for her would be irreparable. In this thorny -conjuncture, and that it might have the air of doing something for the -powers whom it had set to play, the cabinet of London had preferred -mingling the English troops with the Spanish and Portugueze _bands_, -being sure that it could withdraw them without inconvenience, according -to its interest. Hence that sudden augmentation of its force, which -had determined our armies to a retrograde movement; and these _bands_, -encouraged by some ephemeral successes, have carried their audacity -so far as to invest the places of S. Sebastian’s and Pamplona.” ... -Buonaparte’s ministers never thought proper to inform the senate that -these _bands_ soon carried their audacity a little farther, and took -them both. “The proposed levy,” it was added, “would enable the French -armies of the Peninsula to resume their ancient attitude.” - -♦OCTOBER. - -LORD WELLINGTON’S ORDERS UPON ENTERING FRANCE.♦ - -The orator, and the special commission for whom he spake, were -mistaken: it was England who resumed her ancient attitude, ... who -re-asserted and resumed her military superiority upon that ground -where her Plantagenets had displayed it. Her victorious armies were -at this time preparing to plant their banners in France, leading thus -the way to the general invasion of what the French in the pride of -their military strength had called the sacred territory. As soon, -indeed, as the enemy had been driven beyond the Pyrenees, the army -had looked forward to this with all the pride of the military spirit, -and of excited national feeling: the Spaniards and Portugueze talked -of retribution and revenge; and among the British, the question was -discussed whether or not they were to be freebooters. That question -was answered by Lord Wellington in the general order which he issued -as soon as the troops encamped among the Pyrenees. “The commander of -the forces,” said he, “is anxious to draw the attention of the officers -of the army to the difference of the situation in which they have been -hitherto, among the people of Portugal and Spain, and that in which -they may hereafter find themselves, among those of the frontiers of -France.” After observing that every military endeavour must thenceforth -be used for obtaining intelligence, and preventing surprise, he -proceeded to say that, notwithstanding the utmost precautions were -absolutely necessary, as the country in front of the army was the -enemy’s, he was particularly desirous that the inhabitants should be -well treated, and private property respected, as it had been till that -time. The officers and soldiers of the army, said he, must recollect, -that their nations are at war with France solely because the Ruler of -the French nation will not allow them to be at peace, and is desirous -of forcing them to submit to his yoke; and they must not forget that -the worst of the evils suffered by the enemy in his profligate invasion -of Spain and Portugal have been occasioned by the irregularities of -the soldiers and their cruelties, authorized and encouraged by their -chiefs, towards the unfortunate and peaceful inhabitants of the -country. To revenge this conduct on the peaceable inhabitants of France -would be unmanly and unworthy of the nations to whom the commander -of the forces now addresses himself; and at all events would be the -occasion of similar and worse evils to the army at large, than those -which ♦GENERAL ORDERS, JULY 9, 1813.♦ the enemy’s army have suffered -in the Peninsula, and would eventually prove highly injurious to the -public interest. - -♦PASSAGE OF THE BIDASSOA.♦ - -Though it was not possible to act on the offensive upon a great scale, -till Pamplona should have surrendered, Lord Wellington determined with -the left wing of his army to cross the Bidassoa, and dislodge the enemy -from some strong ground which they occupied on the right of that river -as an advanced position; the key to it being the high steep mountain -called La Rhune, which fronts the passes of Vera and Etchalar. Mount -La Rhune is a remarkable spot; and its possession had been obstinately -contested in the campaign of 1794, because its summit served as a -watch-tower from whence the whole country between Bayonne and the -Pyrenees might be observed. The mountain itself is within the French -territory, but there is a chapel, or, in Romish language, a hermitage, -on its summit, which used to be supported at the joint expense of the -villages of Vera in Spain, and of Sarré, Ascain, and Urogne, in France; -people of different nations, and hostile feelings, being there drawn -together by the bond of their common faith.... The right of the army -being at Roncesvalles and Maya, could at any time descend from its -commanding situation into France. - -♦THE BIDASSOA.♦ - -The Bidassoa, a river not otherwise remarkable than as forming the -boundary of two great kingdoms, rises on Mount Belat, flows down the -valley of Bastan, and, spreading into a broad stream after it has -passed Irun, enters the Bay of Biscay between the Point of Figueras -(a rocky promontory in which Mount Jaysquibel terminates) and the -heights on the French side. Mount Jaysquibel, which extends along the -coast from Passages to this point (its highest elevation being about -1700 feet), is separated from the chain of the Pyrenees by a broad -valley, along which the Vittoria road passes; at its foot stands the -old and melancholy town of Fontarabia, ... a name which Milton has made -familiar to English ears; the river rising sixteen feet there, and -forming a tide harbour, washes the ruins of its walls, which were blown -up in the war of 1794; but when the tide is out there is a considerable -extent of sand on both sides of the stream. The little town of Andaye, -famed for its brandy, is on the French shore opposite. The bridge, -which the enemy had destroyed in their retreat, is about a mile from -Irun, and a little below it is the Isle of Pheasants, better known by -its later name from the Conference held there in 1660, which brought -in its consequences so many evils, not upon Spain alone, but upon the -greater part of Europe. Between this island and the mouth of the river -three fords had been discovered: Spanish fishermen had been employed in -this service, and they performed it so well, as if pursuing the while -their ordinary occupation, that the French sentries on the opposite -bank never suspected their intent. - -♦ATTACK OF THE FRENCH POSITION.♦ - -A stronger position as to all natural advantages can hardly be imagined -than that which the allies were to attack, after they should have -crossed the Bidassoa; the French had strengthened it by redoubts, by -_abattis_, and intrenchments at every knoll; the paths were hardly -practicable; it was laborious work even for an unarmed man to reach -points which were now to be assailed in the face of an enemy perfectly -prepared. But it was necessary to advance from a country where the -nature of the ground rendered it difficult to support the troops; and -where supplies for many of the corps were carried to the mountain -encampments on the heads of men and women, long strings of whom were -to be seen toiling up the steep and slippery ascents. Preparations -for the attack were made on the 6th, and the troops were under arms -and in motion soon after midnight. The tents were left standing, that -the enemy might discover no signs when dawn appeared of the intended -movement. It was a stormy night, with thunder and lightning, and some -rain, ... the rain not enough in any way to impede or increase the -difficulties of the attempt, and the storm in other respects favouring -it; for it moved in the same direction as the troops, and prevented -the enemy from hearing the noise of the artillery and pontoon train. -The storm was succeeded by an extraordinary sultry heat, what little -wind there was feeling like the breath of an oven. The 1st and 5th -divisions, with Wilson’s Portugueze brigade, were to cross the river in -three columns below, and one above, the bridge, and carry the French -intrenchments about and above Andaye; and General Freyre, with the -Spaniards, was to cross in three columns at the higher ford, and turn -the enemy’s left by carrying their intrenchments on the Montagne Verte, -and on the heights of Mandale. The troops arrived at their appointed -stations without having been noticed; and every thing thus far had -been so fortunately performed, that the enemy did not begin to fire -till the heads of the columns were nearly half over, when a rocket -was discharged from the steeple at Fontarabia, as the signal for the -simultaneous advance of the troops above. - -Every thing succeeded perfectly. The 5th division was the first that -set foot on the French soil; they advanced under a brisk fire from the -enemy’s piquets, against the line which was hastily forming on the -nearest range of hills. The first came presently up, and the enemy -were driven from the works. Freyre was equally successful on his side; -the Spaniards rushed down the mountain, forded the river, and carried -the Montagne Verte. The affair began at eight, and at nine it was seen -that the huts of the mountain post had been set on fire and abandoned. -Meantime Baron Alten, with the light division, and with Longa’s, -attacked and forced the intrenchments on the Puerto de Vera; and Giron, -still farther on the right, attacked their position on Mount La Rhune. -The light division drove them from redoubts, and intrenchments, and -abattis, such, in the words of a distinguished officer then present, -“as men ought to have defended for ever;” and the Spaniards, in like -manner, carried every thing before them, till they reached the foot of -the rock on which the hermitage stands, which on that side presents a -craggy cliff, though on the other it is accessible by a gentle slope. -Even that post the Spaniards made several attempts to carry by storm, -which failed only because it was impossible to ascend there; the enemy, -therefore, remained in possession of the hermitage that night, and of -a rock on the same range of mountains with the right of the Spanish -troops. ♦BATTY’S CAMPAIGN IN THE WESTERN PYRENEES, P. 28.♦ In all -other parts the firing had ceased early in the afternoon, here it was -kept up till late at night; and the conical outline of the mountain -was seen far and wide by the light of this awful illumination. Some -time elapsed on the following morning before the fog cleared away -sufficiently for Lord Wellington to reconnoitre Mount La Rhune, the -prominent mountain there, towering above its neighbours; he perceived -that it was least difficult of access on its right, and that the -attack might advantageously be connected with that on the enemy’s -works in front of the camp of Sarré. Accordingly, he ordered the army -of reserve to concentrate to their right: Giron at the same time -attacked the post on the rock, and won it most gallantly; his troops -followed up their success, and carried an intrenchment upon a hill -which protected the right of the camp: the enemy immediately evacuated -all their works in order to defend the approaches to their camp, and -these posts were occupied by detachments which Lord Dalhousie sent -from the 7th division through the Puerto de Etchalar for this purpose. -Giron then established a battalion on the enemy’s left upon Mount La -Rhune. Night, opportunely for the enemy, prevented farther operations; -they retired under cover of the darkness both from the hermitage and -the camp, and the allied armies pitched their tents in France. The -British loss in these two days was 579 killed, wounded, and missing; -that of the Portugueze 233; that of the Spaniards 750. Sir Thomas -Graham, having thus established within the French territory the troops -who had so often been distinguished under his direction, resigned the -command to Lieutenant-General Sir John Hope, who had arrived from -Ireland the preceding day, and departed himself to take a command in -the Low Countries. As soon as the left of the allied army had made -this important movement, the enemy moved General Paris’s division from -Oleron to the neighbourhood of St. Jean de Pied-de-Port, and on the -night of the 12th they surprised and carried a redoubt in front of the -camp of Sarré, taking prisoners a piquet of forty Spaniards, and one -hundred pioneers. The redoubt was farther from the line, and from the -ground from whence it could be supported, than Lord Wellington had -supposed when he gave orders for occupying it; he left it, therefore, -now in their possession. On the following morning they made an attack -upon the advanced posts of the Andalusian army, hoping to regain the -works which they had constructed in front of the camp; but they were -repulsed with little difficulty. - -The country which was now occupied by the contending armies had been -well disputed in the years 1793 and 1794, during the heat of the French -revolution, and men whose names afterwards became conspicuous served at -that time in both armies: Mendizabal and the high-minded Romana among -the Spaniards; among the French, Latour d’Auvergne; Moncey, one of the -few French Marshals who brought no reproach upon himself by rapacity or -cruelty; and Laborde, who will be remembered in Portugal for both, and -for having been the first French General whom Lord Wellington defeated. -In that war the Spaniards fought with the manifold disadvantage of -having a wretched administration, an ill-disciplined and worse provided -army, and a revolutionary spirit showing itself in some of their own -countrymen; yet they made a longer and sturdier resistance in the -Pyrenees than the French displayed when it was now their turn to -defend the passes and protect their own country from invasion. But, -honourable as it was for the armies of England, Portugal, and Spain -thus to have driven the enemy from Lisbon and Cadiz to the Pyrenees, -and pursued him into his own territories, the spirit in which that -invasion was undertaken was not less honourable to the allied nations -than the success of their arms. The French, indeed, as soon as they -apprehended that their own country must soon become the seat of war, -spoke with horror of what might be expected from the Portugueze and -Spaniards, remembering then with uneasiness, if not with shame and -remorse, the atrocities which they themselves had committed. Their hope -was that the peasantry would rise, and carry on that kind of war which -within the Peninsula had been found so destructive to the invaders; -and no endeavour was omitted for exciting them to such a course. -But a circumstance had happened to check this spirit upon its first -manifestation, a few days before the passage of the ♦CONDUCT OF THE -FRENCH PEASANTRY.♦ Bidassoa. The Portugueze, when they surprised and -took a French piquet on the side of Roncesvalles, were fired at by the -peasantry: they took fourteen of them, and these men were immediately -marched to Passages, there to be embarked for England as prisoners -of war. This treatment had the effect of intimidating the people, -while it awakened no spirit of vengeance, because it was perceived to -be nothing more than what was strictly just. That spirit might have -been roused if Lord Wellington had not by timely severity effectually -checked the license which the troops were but too ready to have taken, -and from which it had not been possible to protect the Spaniards in the -Pyrenean valleys. The French peasantry did not forsake their houses -when the allies crossed the Bidassoa. The inhabitants of the large -village of Urogne did not leave it till the battle approached, and -then they collected in an adjoining field; but they dispersed as soon -as flames broke out among their dwellings; for the troops who entered -it began to plunder ... they set several houses on fire, and drank to -such excess that, had the enemy been on the alert, he might easily have -captured or destroyed them. Some of the officers were more culpable -than the troops, for they used no exertions to prevent the outrages -which they saw. Lord Wellington, as soon as he was informed of this -misconduct, republished his former orders, and accompanied them with a -severe reprimand, declaring his determination not to command officers -who would not obey his orders, and of sending some of them, who had -been thus grossly unmindful of their duty, to England, that their names -might be brought under the notice of the Prince Regent. - -It was now seen how much the moral conduct and character of an army -depends upon its general. Lord Melville once made the monstrous -assertion in Parliament that the worst men were the fittest for -soldiers. His strong understanding should have taught him better, if -his heart had failed to do so; and he was properly rebuked for it -by the Duke of Gloucester, who observed, that the men who had the -strictest sense of their personal duties were those who served their -country with most patience and most fidelity in war. But Mr. Wyndham’s -hope of recruiting our armies with men of a better description than -those who used to be forced or inveigled into it, or driven by -desperation to enlist, had not been realized, and the want of moral and -religious training was still left to be supplied by military discipline -... as far as that could supply it. Lord Wellington enforced that -means; and it is not the least of his many and eminent merits, that he -made such means effectual, without bringing upon himself any reproach -for undue severity. After the excesses at Urogne, not an inhabitant was -to be seen in the French territory; they had withdrawn more because -of these outrages, than in obedience to the injunctions of their -own government. But a proclamation was issued in French and Basque, -assuring them that their persons and property should be respected. Some -necessary examples of justice upon those who ventured to violate orders -so emphatically repeated, convinced the inhabitants that they might -trust to the word of the British general; and, after those examples -had been made, never, perhaps, since the days of the great Gustavus, -was such excellent discipline observed in an enemy’s country. Even -the Portugueze and Spaniards, whom it might have been thought almost -impossible to restrain from giving way to that desire of vengeance -which had been so wantonly, cruelly, and insolently provoked, obeyed -the injunction of the great commander who had beaten their invaders out -of Portugal and Spain, and demeaned themselves with such good order and -humanity, that the French often said their own armies were the foes -whom they dreaded. - -♦PAMPLONA IS SURRENDERED.♦ - -Two pontoon bridges, and one bridge of boats, were laid over the -Bidassoa immediately after the passage had been effected; and works -were thrown up to strengthen the position, in which Lord Wellington now -waited for the surrender of Pamplona, that he might advance with his -whole strength. That city, the modern capital of Navarre (Olite, now a -miserably decayed place, was the ancient one), was the great bulwark -against the French on that side. Lord Wellington trusted to a sure -blockade for reducing it. Its wells supply it abundantly with water; -and it was provided with a corn-mill, the largest in existence of its -kind, to be worked by hand or by horses, and setting in motion four or -five grindstones of such dimensions that four-and-twenty loads of wheat -could be ground by each in a day. When corn began to fail for this -well-constructed mill, and there was little prospect of relief after -the failure of Soult’s great effort in the Pyrenees, the governor -made a bold attempt to obtain subsistence from the very force which -blockaded him: he sent to Don Carlos d’España, requiring him to furnish -7000 rations daily for the inhabitants of the city, whom, he said, he -could no longer afford to feed. Don Carlos, who knew that the French -general had, with characteristic effrontery, included his troops in -this estimate, replied, that, unless the inhabitants were fed as well -as the garrison, while any food lasted, he should hold the governor -responsible for their treatment, and would strictly inquire into this -when the place should be surrendered, as it must. When the stores were -nearly exhausted it was reported and believed that the enemy intended, -as they had done at Almeida, to blow up the works, and endeavour to -effect their escape: the attempt would have been far more hazardous; -but it is said to have been prevented by an intimation from Don Carlos, -that if the place were thus injured he would put the governor and all -the officers to death, and decimate the men. Towards the end of October -they proposed to surrender, on condition of being allowed to march into -France with six pieces of cannon; their second proposal was, that they -should march thither under an engagement of not serving against the -allies for a year and a day. Don Carlos replied, that he had orders not -to grant them a capitulation on any terms excepting that they should be -prisoners of war; and to this they declared they would never submit. -Upon these terms, nevertheless, on the last day of October, they -surrendered, being 4000 in number; and the Spanish general, setting an -example of proper determination on such an occasion, refused to grant -these till he had ascertained that none of the inhabitants had perished -during the blockade either through ill-treatment or for want. - -♦MARSHAL SOULT’S POSITION ON THE NIVELLE.♦ - -Marshal Soult, meantime, was receiving a considerable reinforcement -of conscripts. Papers in all the languages of the allies were thrown -into the outposts, and distributed wherever it was likely they might be -found, inviting deserters, and denouncing vengeance if France should -be invaded: the whole French nation, it was said, was in arms, and -if the English and Spanish and Portugueze should set foot upon their -territory, they should meet with nothing but death and destruction. -Some expectation the French commander placed upon the hardships to -which the troops must be exposed, at that season, in the Pyrenees, upon -the weather, and in consequence the increased difficulty of supplying -the allied armies. Forage, indeed, had become so scarce that some of -the cavalry were reduced to graze their horses, which of course could -not long have been kept in condition without better food. The cattle -brought for the consumption of the troops through a great part of Spain -arrived in a jaded and lean condition, ... those which lived to reach -the place of slaughter, ... for the roads along which they had been -driven might easily be traced by their numerous carcasses, ♦NOVEMBER.♦ -lying half-buried or unburied by the way-side, ... sad proofs of the -wasteful inhumanity of war! The weather had been more stormy than was -usual even on that coast and at that season. The transports at Passages -were moored stem and stern in rows, and strongly confined by their -moorings; yet they were considered in danger even in that land-locked -harbour: some were driven forward by the rising of the swell, while -others, close alongside, were forced backward by its fall, so that -the bowsprits of some were entangled in the mizen-chains of others. -The cold on the mountains was so intense that several men perished. -A piquet in the neighbourhood of Roncesvalles was snowed up: the -parties who were sent to rescue it drove bullocks before them as some -precaution against the danger of falling into chasms, and the men were -brought off; but the guns could not be removed, and were buried under -the snow in the ditch of the redoubt. Soult, since his failure in the -Pyrenees three months before, had been fortifying a formidable line of -works in them. The right rested upon the sea in front of S. Jean de -Luz, and on the left of the Nivelle; the centre on La Petite Rhune, and -the heights behind the village of Sarré; the left, consisting of two -divisions of infantry, under General Drouet, was on the right of the -river, on a strong height behind the village of Ainhoue, and on the -mountain of Mondarin, which protected the approach to that village. -Two divisions, under Generals Foy and Paris, were at St. Jean de -Pied-de-Port. This position described half a circle through Irogne, -Ascain, Sarré, Ainhoue, Espelette, and Cambo, the centre projecting -very much at Sarré. La Petite Rhune, though overtopped by the greater -hill of the same name, from which it is separated by a narrow valley, -is a very high ridge: from the sea to its foot the enemy’s front was -covered by a range of works: the ridge itself was strongly fortified; -and a range of high steep hills, extending from thence to Ainhoue, was -defended by a chain of redoubts near enough to protect each other. The -enemy’s centre was in great force upon this range; and there was a -strong corps in the village of Sarré, which was protected by a regular -closed work with ditch and palisades. Their left was thrown back, at -nearly an acute angle, upon Espelette. - -♦PASSAGE OF THE NIVELLE.♦ - -The first intention was to turn this position, by advancing Sir -Rowland’s corps from Roncesvalles through St. Jean de Pied-de-Port; -this movement would turn the sources of the Nive, threaten Soult’s -rear, and compel him, it was thought, to abandon his works, and retire -beyond Bayonne; but this plan was given up upon full consideration, -Soult’s line being so short, and the road behind it so good, that he -might have it in his power to fall upon Sir Rowland with a superior -force, or to attack Sir John Hope when it would be difficult to -reinforce either; or he might retire untouched, and keep his army in -a condition to continue active and harass the allies in their winter -quarters. Lord Wellington resolved, therefore, to strike at the centre -of his position, strong as it was, and at the same time to attack the -heights of Ainhoue, which were its immediate support on the left. With -this view Sir Rowland had been ordered, as soon as Pamplona should -fall, to move leftward, into the valley of Bastan, and the cavalry to -close up his rear in readiness for supporting the right of Beresford’s -corps at Maya. - -The enemy, fully expecting an attack, were always under arms at -daybreak, and remained in their redoubts till nightfall; and they -improved every day’s delay, which the state of the weather afforded -them, in strengthening their works, strong as the labour of three -months had already made them. The rain, indeed, continued so many days, -and so heavy, that many persons began to fear it would be impossible -for them to move; and Lord Wellington, with all his just confidence -in himself and in the troops which he commanded, could not but feel -how easily human strength and military skill might be baffled by -the elements. The weather cleared on the 4th; and on the 7th he met -Sir Rowland, Marshal Beresford, and all the chiefs of the right and -centre at Urdache, from whence he reconnoitred Ainhoue closely, and -pointed out the mode by which that part of the position was to be -attacked. The object was to force their centre, and establish the -army in rear of their right; and the attack was to be made by columns -of divisions, each led by the general officers commanding it, and -each forming its own reserve. Sir Rowland directed the movements of -the right, consisting of the 2d and 6th divisions, under Sir William -Stewart and Sir Henry Clinton, Sir John Hamilton’s Portugueze, and -Morillo’s Spanish division, Colonel Grant’s brigade of cavalry, a -brigade of Portugueze artillery under Lieutenant-Colonel Tulloh, and -three mountain guns under Lieutenant Robe. Marshal Beresford directed -the right of the centre, with the 3rd, 7th, and 4th divisions, under -Major-General Colville, Camp-Marshal Le Cor and Sir Lowry Cole. Giron -was to act on his immediate left with the Andalusian army of reserve. -Baron Alten’s light division, with three mountain guns, and Longa’s -corps, was to attack La Petite Rhune; Sir Stapleton Cotton to follow -the movement of the centre, with General Alten’s brigade of cavalry, -and three brigades of British artillery. Freyre, with the Galician -army, was to move from the heights of Mandale toward Ascain, prevent -the enemy from detaching troops from thence to the support of others, -and take advantage of any movement which they might make from their -right toward their centre; and Sir John Hope was to act along the -remainder of their line to the sea. - -The 8th was the day intended for the attack, but the state of the roads -prevented the artillery and some of Sir Rowland’s brigade from coming -up; it was postponed therefore till the 10th. This opened with so clear -and beautiful a moonlight morning, that it was scarcely perceptible -when daylight began to predominate; and men who had served in India -were reminded of an Indian sky. Lord Wellington was on horseback at -five, and reached the point of attack at six: he found Sir Lowry Cole’s -division at its post, with 18 pieces of cannon at the head of the -column: it was on a sloping ridge, which ends in a high point above -the village of Sarré; and on that point was the redoubt which he was -to attack, and which had been made with the greatest care, having a -deep ditch, an _abattis_ in front, and _trous de loup_, so named from -their resemblance to the pit-falls in which wolves are taken. Giron -was close on his left, and Le Cor on the right, both in valleys. Lord -Wellington, Beresford, Sir Lowry, General Colville, and other staffs, -were in a little grove, which covered them, about 600 yards from the -redoubt, walking about till it was light enough to commence the attack. -Sir Lowry then drove in the enemy’s piquets, and the horse artillery -were enabled to gain the ridge, and open in front of the grove within -400 yards of the redoubt: their fire in return rattled through the -branches: Colonel Ross dashed forward, and opened six guns within 300 -yards, which riddled the curtain: the French, however, stood firm, -till after about an hour’s firing they saw the Spaniards moving to -their rear, and the infantry advancing with ladders to escalade them; -they then leaped over the parapet and ran: ... they were about 300, of -whom some twenty were taken in the ditch, and not more than eight or -ten killed. The artillery was then rapidly advanced against the next -redoubt on the right, and that cost only about a quarter of an hour, -for it was abandoned with discreditable precipitation. - -By this time the troops were advancing with great celerity over most -difficult ground. Lord Wellington moved on to the first redoubt, from -whence he could direct the movements of the Spaniards, and of the 3rd, -7th, and 4th divisions; one of those bursts of cheering which electrify -the hearers indicated his presence. Beresford advanced with the 3rd -and 7th, while the Spaniards attacked the village of Sarré by its -right, and Sir Lowry turned its left. Downie commanded the battalion -of Spaniards to whom this service was assigned, while Giron remained -in the valley with a brigade which was to support the light division; -and as in that situation it might not be seen when the village was -carried, Downie, as a signal, said he would send his aide-de-camp to -toll the church bell. He made the attack with great spirit: the enemy -in front of the village made a show of more determination than they -kept up, and they rushed from their second line as if ashamed of having -too hastily given up the first; but after some skirmishing they retired -to the second, and thence from the redoubts and heights cannonaded the -assailants. Downie carried the village most gallantly, and the bell -tolled. Sir Lowry meantime attacked and carried the works on the low -hills in the rear of Sarré, and there halted for orders. - -Baron Alten, meanwhile, was equally successful in his operations. -He had formed the light division before daylight, in a ravine -separating the great and little La Rhune, and within 300 yards of the -intrenchments with which the face of La Petite Rhune was covered. -Rushing from thence as soon as the day opened, the troops forced -line after line: the enemy did not wait in their redoubts to be -assaulted; and the assailants having carried all the works, and formed -without farther opposition on the summit of the hill, were crossing -the valley to attack the right of the high range behind Sarré, when -Lord Wellington reached the point which Sir Lowry had gained. The -preliminary attacks having thus succeeded, the whole moved forward -against the intrenched range of heights which formed the strongest -part of the enemy’s position. The Spaniards on Giron’s left were not -sufficiently alert to support the light division: it was not for some -time that the guns could be got up over most difficult ground: part -of the 95th, who had gained the first high point, were attacked and -obliged to retire; and the enemy had the advantage till the Spaniards, -quickened by messages from Lord Wellington, came up; the French then -gave way, and the lower ridge, in the centre of the position opposite -to our two central columns, was immediately occupied. The Prince of -Orange, who was with Lord Wellington that day, was then sent to Marshal -Beresford, desiring him to attack that part of the high range in his -front, while Sir Lowry should at the same time assail it on his side. - -It was now about ten o’clock, and before this simultaneous effort -could be made there was time to look at the position which was about -to be attacked. The mountain extends about twelve miles from Ascain -to Mondarin; only one valley intersects it, which is that through -which the Nivelle flows; but there are several dips in the range; -every higher point had its redoubt, and in the intervals the enemy -were formed in great strength, some in lines, some in columns, with -sharp-shooters half way down the hills. A friend of Lord Wellington’s -said at the time to Sir George Murray, that he should expect a very -difficult task here, if he had not seen the amazing superiority of our -troops in the attack on Sarré. Sir George replied, “It is impossible to -say how that position may be defended; it is very formidable, but we -probably shall get it very easily; when the French see the red coats -they know we are determined to carry our point, and they never dispute -it long.” The troops justified this brave confidence; six columns began -to ascend, with a chain of sharp-shooters in their front; and never -could greater intrepidity be displayed than that with which the British -and Portugueze advanced against strong works, or solid columns at the -top of steep ascents, where they were frequently obliged to use their -hands as well as feet in climbing. When they approached a redoubt, they -halted a few minutes to take breath: a party was sent to turn it: the -sharp-shooters went close up, and another party went straight at it in -front, with as much confidence as if to charge a regiment on a plain: -when they got within twenty or thirty paces, the enemy uniformly fled, -and the assailants being out of breath, could overtake but few of them. -Most of these redoubts had a glacis, with an _abattis_ in front, which -gave them time to get off. From one large one, which was attacked by -the 21st Portugueze regiment, the garrison continued to fire till the -assailants jumped into the ditch; then the French hastened out at the -rear with all alacrity. - -Lord Wellington ascended in the interval between the 7th and 4th -divisions. Just as he reached the summit of the range at one of its -dips, Beresford and Colville, with the 3rd division, had carried a -very high hill, crowned with a strong stockaded redoubt, which was, in -fact, the key of the position, and looked down upon the whole range on -both sides. The 40th suffered here from having pushed on too fast. The -allies were now gaining the upper ridge on all sides, and the artillery -attempted to follow: Ross’s troop was the only one which succeeded, and -that by two hours’ of the utmost exertion, and by partly making a road. -Sir Lowry, with the 4th division, reached the top at a lower part: -two brigades of the enemy were formed upon a height on his left; and -beyond them, on a very high point above Ascain, was a large and strong -redoubt, manned by a battalion of infantry. The light division was -toiling up the hill to the right of this work, and the Spaniards to the -left. Sir Lowry attacked the brigades: there were two generals at their -heads; but when the assailants came near, the French fired five or six -rounds in rather an unsoldier-like hurry, and then moved hastily off, -leaving the redoubt to its fate. Downie, seizing a colour, and waving -it as he advanced on horseback at the head of his battalion, led on -his men: they went against it gallantly, in spite of their officers, -who behaved ill: the light division commenced an attack upon it, in -which Colonel Barnard was wounded; and the 52nd lost a good many men -here, before Lord Wellington’s orders for desisting and summoning the -garrison could arrive. While this attack continued, the troops under -Beresford got so far in the rear of the redoubt, that it was impossible -for the garrison to retreat. They proved to be the first battalion of -the 88th regiment, nearly 600 strong: their colonel had been promoted -for his defence of S. Christoval’s, at the first siege of Badajoz: he -hesitated, parleyed, and requested to confer with his officers, and -subsequently with the non-commissioned officers; but it was in vain -to resist, and there was no way to escape; so they surrendered, and -laid down their arms on the glacis. Some of the men expressed their -indignation in coarse and indecent language at finding themselves -prisoners; and one serjeant, in particular, who wore the cross of the -Legion of Honour, cursed his fortune, that after being present in -the battles of Austerlitz and Wagram, he should now be captured in a -redoubt! - -While these operations were going on in the centre, Sir Henry Clinton, -with the 6th division, having driven in the enemy’s piquets on both -banks of the Nivelle, crossed that river, covered the passage of Sir -John Hamilton’s Portugueze division, and ascended the hill in line, -scarcely firing a shot. The enemy were formed on the top of the hill, -as on a fine parade, in front of their huts, and with strong redoubts -on both flanks. The first party in its eagerness pushed on too fast, -and was driven back; but as the support came near they dashed forward -again; and the enemy, having thrown away their fire, went off in great -confusion, abandoning redoubts, camp, and all. Sir William Stewart’s -division carried a work on a parallel ridge in the rear. Morillo, by -attacking the enemy’s posts on the slopes of Mondarin, and following -them towards Itzatce, covered the advance of the whole to the heights -behind Ainhoue. Sir Rowland then forced the enemy to retire from those -heights towards the bridge of Cambo on the Nivelle; and Sir William -Stewart drove a division from Mondarin into the mountains toward -Baygorri. By two o’clock the allies had gained possession of the whole -of the position behind Sarré and Ainhoue. - -The enemy, who had been in front of our centre, were now retiring -along the road to St. Pé, a village on the Nivelle, between three and -four miles distant. The nature of the country rendered it impossible -to cut them off; and Lord Wellington was obliged to wait an hour, -that the troops might take breath, and to see that the operations on -the right had succeeded; and that the 6th division, after carrying -the works in its front, had inclined to the left, and closed upon the -third. This having been ascertained, about three o’clock he directed -the 7th and 3rd divisions (being the right of the centre) to move by -the left of the river upon St. Pé, and the 6th by the right upon the -same place; while the 4th and light divisions, with Giron’s reserve, -held the heights above Ascain, covering the movement on that side, -and Sir Rowland covered it on the other. The Nivelle is from twenty -to thirty yards wide, rapid like a mountain stream, and not fordable; -there is a stone bridge at St. Pé, a wooden one half a mile lower -down, and a stone one about the same distance still lower, at the -village of Ayan. The first of these bridges was eagerly contested; -but, after some severe skirmishing, the allies effected the passage of -all three. Lord Wellington halted upon the heights above St. Pé; and, -having occupied the bridges and the villages, waited there for reports -from the right and left. During the whole day he could distinctly -hear, and generally see, the firing on the right, Sir Rowland’s -quarter; but the projecting base of La Rhune entirely prevented him -from seeing what passed on Sir John Hope’s side; and a steady breeze, -setting towards the sea, prevented any sound from reaching him in that -direction. But on that side there could be no anxiety, for it was not -intended to be the scene of serious action; and what service was to -be performed there, was performed well. The French had constructed a -redoubt round the ruins of a small chapel on a hill, and connected it -with the defence of Urogne by intrenchments, and a strong _abattis_. -From this work, which formed a sort of advanced post to their right -wing, Sir John Hope drove them, and from Urogne, and pushed forward -the 5th division to the inundation which covered the intrenchments -in front of Ciboure, and those protecting the heights in advance of -Fort Socoa. The enemy were kept in expectation here that this position -would be assaulted; and they were menaced in their intrenchments, which -covered the heights behind Urogne, and extended along the hills in the -direction of Ascain: that village they abandoned in the afternoon, and -Freyre took possession of it. As soon as Lord Wellington had received -the reports, he gave orders for attacking the heights behind St. Pé: -they were of difficult access, through vineyards, and were crowned -with woods; and the enemy had a considerable force there: during the -intervals of severer action, the sharp-shooters had been warmly engaged -in the village, and along the river; and shrapnells had been thrown at -the heights with visible effect from Ross’s brigade. The 3rd division -now crossed near the village, the 6th advanced upon its right, and the -7th attacked the left of the heights; the brunt of the action on this -side was borne by this division. The 51st and 68th regiments, light -troops, scoured a wood in full cry, like a pack of hounds, and drove -out a large body of sharp-shooters, whom they drove up the hills, but -with so much eagerness as to leave their support behind. Instantly -upon this advantage being presented, a strong column moved from behind -the hill, and attacked them: the enemy were led by a general officer -on horseback, and behaved with more spirit than they had shown in -any other part of the engagement. The two regiments, if they had not -been two of the best, must have been cut to pieces; but though they -were very weak in numbers, and were driven back, they formed in close -order, and in the most gallant manner retook the hill. This was the -last business of the day. The three divisions took post on the heights -beyond St. Pé; thus establishing themselves in the rear of the enemy’s -right; and the remainder of the army rested on the ground which they -occupied, the evening being so far advanced that no further movement -could be made. - -♦NOV. 11.♦ - -Lord Wellington was on the heights above St. Pé before daylight; the -morning was hazy, and it was noon before he received the reports which -enabled him to put the troops in motion. During the night the enemy had -abandoned all their works and positions in front of St. Jean de Luz, -and knowing no time was to be lost, lest the divisions at St. Pé should -interpose between them and Bayonne, retired upon Bidart, destroying -all the bridges on the lower Nivelle. Sir John Hope followed with the -left, as soon as he could cross the river; but it was mid-day before -he could repair the bridge which connects Ciboure with S. Jean de Luz, -and construct a flying bridge to expedite the passage of the troops. -The 5th division passed here, part with the artillery by the bridge, -part by fords close above the town; the first, with Wilson’s Portugueze -brigade, by a ford about a mile higher up, and broad enough for the men -to cross by platoons. It rained most heavily; the water was deep, the -opposite bank muddy, and the shore swampy ground: but no opposition -was offered, and the men, elated by the signal success of yesterday, -were in high spirits. The centre moved forward about a league, and the -right made a corresponding move, which was as far as the state of the -roads, after so violent a fall of rain, would allow. Soult showed about -16,000 men at Bidart all day. The army bivouacked a second night. On -the following morning Lord Wellington was again in front of the centre -at daybreak, but a thick fog enveloped every thing; it was noon before -it cleared, and he then learned that the enemy had retired during the -night into an intrenched camp, in front of Bayonne. - -By these operations, in which the allies lost little more than 500 -killed, and less than 2400 wounded, the French were driven from -positions strong in themselves, and which they had been fortifying with -great skill and great labour for six months: 51 pieces of cannon, 1500 -prisoners, and 400 wounded, were taken. Soult had full 70,000 men; but -though there was no flight, nor any thing like a rout, no determined -spirit of resistance was manifested; they fought like brave men, but -dispirited ones, and in several instances their officers used every -endeavour to bring them on in vain. They had relied upon the difficulty -of the ground, not dreaming that artillery could be brought to act -against them over rivers and rocks and mountains; and indeed, the -allies were beholden for their success, in no slight degree, to the -extraordinary skill and activity with which this part of the service -was directed by Colonel Dickson. Mountain-pieces on swivel carriages, -harnessed on the backs of mules which had been trained for the purpose, -were conveyed to the ridges of the mountains, and brought to bear on -the French from positions which they had considered inaccessible for -guns.... The foot and horse-artillery were alike active and expert; and -the artillerymen dragged their cannon with ropes up steep precipices, -or lowered them down, wherever they could be employed with most effect. -Generals Byng and Kempt were wounded: Colonel Lloyd of the 94th, an -officer of great promise, and who had frequently distinguished himself, -was killed. - -♦THE ALLIES CANTONED BETWEEN THE NIVELLE AND THE SEA.♦ - -The weather, which continued wet, without intermission, from the -11th to the 18th, rendered the cross roads so bad, and the streams -so formidable, that Lord Wellington could not follow up his success -as he would otherwise have done. He placed the army, therefore, in -cantonments between the Nivelle and the sea; but as the enemy were -concentrated in great numbers round Bayonne, two miles only in their -immediate front, a defensive line was formed against any sudden -advance. It commenced at the sea on the left, in rear of Biaritz, -passed over the main ridge of heights, and crossed the high road, -near a country house belonging to the mayor of that little town. The -front of this part of the line was protected by the two small lakes -of Chuhigue and Rousta; the high road passes across a valley between -them, and here was the most advanced line of sentinels guarding the -left wing; from thence it followed the right bank of the valley, in -front of Arcangues, and coming there upon the Nive, near a chateau -belonging to Garat (one of the contemporary historians of the French -revolution, and himself an actor in it), it was thrown back along the -left of that river by Arrauntz, Ustaritz, Larressore, and Cambo; -from which latter place the enemy, who occupied a tête-de-pont there, -withdrew their posts on the 18th, and blew up the bridge. Head-quarters -were at St. Jean de Luz, ♦ST JEAN DE LUZ.♦ a town which dates its decay -from the peace of 1763, when France was deprived of its possessions in -North America. The Nivelle divides it from Ciboure (a smaller town), -spreading just above both into a beautiful bay, and forming an island -where it spreads, which is connected by bridges with both. The bay -terminates on the north-east by a rocky point of land, on which a -battery called Fort St. Barbe was erected, and on the opposite side -is the harbour of Socoa, defended by a martello tower. Between these -points the bay is nearly a mile in width, and on both sides a pier had -been begun, which it was intended to have carried so nearly across, -as only to have left a sufficient entrance, and thus to have afforded -safe anchorage on this stormy coast, where it is grievously needed. -When the Spanish fleet was wrecked here in 1627, the dead who were cast -up on the immediate shores filled ninety-six carts. On that occasion -the inhabitants of St. Jean de Luz behaved with exemplary kindness -to the survivors; and it was proposed in the Spanish council that, -as a becoming acknowledgment, its ships and merchants should enjoy -a perpetual exemption from all duties in Portugal, whither they ♦D. -FRANCESCO MANOEL. EPANAPHORAS, P. 256.♦ traded largely for salt: I wish -it could be added, that such a proof of national gratitude had been -given. During the action of the 10th, a naval demonstration was made -opposite Fort Socoa, by four of Sir George Collier’s squadrons: the -swell would not admit of a close approach, but they came near enough -for one of them to be struck by some shot from the sea-batteries. - -♦DISCIPLINE OBSERVED BY THE ALLIES.♦ - -The inhabitants of St. Jean de Luz had mostly remained in their own -houses, shutting themselves up there to abide their fate, in dread -of invaders whom they had been taught to consider as being equally -rapacious and merciless. There was still a disposition in the allied -troops to take that license which brutal spirits promise themselves -in war; but, during the action of the 10th, two offenders had been -hanged, each upon the nearest tree to the spot where his crime was -committed, with a paper upon his breast declaring for what offence -this summary justice had been executed. Such severity was equally -politic and just; and the allies soon acquired as good a character -for their conduct toward the inhabitants as for their behaviour in -the field. The people were the more sensible of this, because it was -strikingly contrasted with the predatory habits in which their own -troops had long been licensed, and which those troops had not laid -aside when they were driven within the French frontier. Marshal Soult -would gladly now have withheld them from courses which he had so long -permitted or encouraged; and just at this time an instance occurred -in which he endeavoured to strike terror by a wholesome example. When -they were quitting St. Jean de Luz, a woman complained to an officer -whose company was quartered there, that the men, expecting to depart, -were beginning to plunder her house: he gave no ear to her entreaties -that he would restrain them, and the woman at length, in her emotion at -seeing her goods thus given up to spoil, exclaimed, that “if those who -ought to be their defenders would not protect them, the English might -as well be there at once.” “Oh!” said the officer, “if you are a friend -to the English, you shall see how I will protect you!” and immediately -he set fire to her house himself. A _gendarme_ who was present took -the woman’s part, and declared that though he could not take the -officer into custody, nor prevent him by force, he would report the -circumstance to the Marshal: he did so; and the officer, who was a -captain of infantry and a member of the Legion of Honour, was brought -to a court-martial, condemned, and shot. - -♦THE INHABITANTS RETURN TO THEIR HOMES.♦ - -But it was too late for Marshal Soult to correct the inveterate habits -of men who, during all their campaigns in the Peninsula, had been -supported by a predatory system; and though most of the people, and -especially the villagers, forsook their houses at the approach of the -allies, yet, when proclamations were issued in French and in Basque -(which is the language of these parts), assuring them that their -persons and property should be respected, and when they understood that -British discipline would afford them a security which it was in vain to -hope for amid their own armies, they returned. The French authorities -endeavoured in vain to dissuade them; the general wish was expressed so -strongly, that at length no farther impediment was opposed to it than -that of forbidding them to carry back anything with them. Above 3000 -persons came back to St. Jean de Luz and the neighbouring places before -the end of November, and as many more passed through the line of the -allied outposts, in one day early in December, on their return; ... -among them were several young men, escaping in women’s clothes from the -conscription. - -The weather had prevented Lord Wellington from passing the Nive, as -he intended to have done, immediately after having forced the French -position, and the army in consequence occupied only the confined -space on the left of that river; while the enemy profited by all the -resources of the country on its right, and had a free communication -between Bayonne and St. Jean de Pied-de-Port. They occupied an -intrenched camp in front of Bayonne, about twelve miles from S. Jean -de Luz, and this position they had been fortifying with provident care -from the time of their defeat at Vittoria. Bayonne ♦BAYONNE.♦ obtained -its present name in the twelfth century, till when it was called -Lapurdum, as when the cohort of Novempopulania had its head-quarters -there. This ancient city, which during three centuries belonged to our -Plantagenet kings, is memorable in military history for the invention -of the bayonet, a weapon that in its name indicates the place of its -origin, and that, in British hands, has proved more destructive than -any other to the nation by which it was invented. In the war of the -French revolution this city would not have been tenable against a -single division of an enemy’s army: the war of the intrusion made it -immediately a place of great importance, as a depôt for the French; -and therefore it was well fortified, to secure it against a sudden -attack from the English, before the possibility of any more serious -danger had been contemplated. It stands at the junction of the Nive -with the Adour; the latter a great river, and the former not fordable -for several miles up: the city is on the left of the Adour, the citadel -on the other side. The position which Marshal Soult occupied was under -the fire of the fortress; the right resting on the Adour, and covered -in front by a morass, formed by a rivulet which falls into that river. -The right of the centre rested upon the same morass, and its left upon -the Nive; the left was between the Nive and the Adour, resting on -the latter river and defending the former, and communicating with a -division of the army of Catalonia, under General Paris, at St. Jean de -Pied-de-Port. The roads from that place, and from St. Jean de Luz to -Paris, pass through Bayonne; and these are the only paved roads, all -the others are so bad as to be impracticable in winter. The enemy had -their advanced posts, from their right, in front of Anglet, and toward -Biaritz; and they had a considerable corps cantoned in Ville-Franche -and Monguerre. - -♦DECEMBER. - -PASSAGE OF THE NIVE.♦ - -As soon as the weather and the state of the roads allowed, preparations -were made for crossing the Nive. On the 8th of December Lord Wellington -moved the troops out of their cantonments. The preceding day had -brought intelligence that Hanover was delivered from the French, -... and that the Dutch also had risen against their oppressors, and -asserted their independence. With this news to encourage them, at which -even the French people appeared to rejoice, because it gave them a -hope of peace, which could only be obtained by the total defeature of -Buonaparte’s ambitious schemes, the allies recommenced their operations -on the morrow. Sir Rowland, with the right of the army, was to cross -at Cambo, and Beresford to support him by passing Sir Henry Clinton’s -division at Ustaritz: the bridges at both places had been destroyed. -The river, dividing into two branches, forms an island of considerable -extent opposite Ustaritz; our piquets had previously occupied this, and -here a pontoon bridge was thrown across during the night. The bridge -at Campo had been hastily and insufficiently repaired, so that very -few succeeded in getting over its broken slope. There were fords above -and below; the lower was good enough for cavalry, but ten men were -drowned in attempting it; the upper one, therefore, was chiefly used -by the infantry, ... and it was no easy passage, the left bank being -steep, and the water rising at the time, in consequence of renewed -rain. At both places, however, it was effected with little opposition, -and the enemy were immediately driven from the right bank. The troops, -advancing then through swampy meadow-land and very deep roads, soon -found themselves on the high road from St. Jean de Pied-de-Port; and -the French retired skirmishing, being followed and pressed; those -opposite Cambo were nearly intercepted by Sir Henry Clinton. The enemy -now assembled in considerable force upon a range of heights running -parallel with the Adour, keeping Ville-Franche upon their right; and -they kindled fires, as if intending to remain there. A galling fire -was kept up from the detached houses of this village; but houses, -village, and heights were carried by the 8th Portugueze regiment, the -9th Caçadores, and the light battalions of the 6th division; and the -French, after one or two hasty volleys, retired. The advance of the -allies had been so much impeded by the condition of the ground, that -by this time evening had closed; and Lord Wellington contented himself -therefore with the possession of the ground that he occupied. - -This had been a day of great fatigue for the left wing of the army. -At one in the morning the drums had beat to arms; and, after a -most toilsome march through heavy rain, the first division, under -Major-General Howard, was assembled by daybreak at the Plateau of -Barouillet, in advance of Bidart. At dawn the rain ceased; and the -5th division, under Major-General Hay, supported by the 12th light -dragoons, was seen crossing the valley which separates the hilly ground -of Biaritz from that of Bidart; its right in communication with the -first, and its left extending to the sea-coast. At eight o’clock the -whole line of light troops commenced their fire; those of the enemy -contested every hedge and bank which afforded them shelter, and from -whence they could take deliberate aim; but a fire of shells from the -artillery, who posted themselves on the eminences along the whole line, -assisted greatly in dislodging them. The whole line gradually advanced, -and the enemy retreated before them to Anglet, not venturing to await -their approach. About one the first division gained the heights on the -right of the chaussée, opposite to Anglet, the light infantry driving -the enemy down the slopes to their intrenched camp. The 5th division -made equal progress, sweeping the country between Anglet and the sea as -far as the banks of the Adour, and occupying with its light infantry -the Bois de Bayonne, a large pine-wood which covers the whole space -on the left of that river, between the intrenched camp and the sea. -General Alten, meantime, made a corresponding advance with the light -division, between the left wing and the Nive; they drove the enemy from -behind the deep morass which ♦BATTY’S CAMPAIGN, PP. 83–5.♦ covered -their advanced posts in front of Bassussarry, and compelled them to -retreat to their intrenched camp near the Chateau de Marrac, ... that -castle to which, in the first act of this great drama, Ferdinand had -been decoyed by Buonaparte. - -As the movements on this side were intended only to favour the -operations on the right, Sir John Hope’s instructions were to return -to his cantonments, and to commence retiring thither at six in the -evening, unless a countermand should arrive. It began again to rain -heavily in the afternoon; and the troops, supposing they were to remain -on the ground which they had gained, lighted, not without difficulty, -their bivouac fires; but the weather was far too bad for them to remain -in such exposed situations; and at the appointed time they began their -march back toward their several cantonments, the 5th division forming -the rear guard. By this time it was quite dark; even the main road -had been completely broken up by the passage of artillery, and of so -many troops; the hollow ways were knee-deep in mud: one little drummer -stuck fast in it, and was obliged to be lifted out and carried for some -distance by two soldiers; many of the men were so completely exhausted -that they sunk down by the way-side; and before they reached the place -of rest, they had been little less than four-and-twenty hours on foot, -and during the greater part of that time in a heavy winter’s rain. - -On the morning of the 10th Sir Rowland found that the enemy on his -side had retired into their intrenched camp, on the right of the Nive. -He established himself, therefore, in the position intended for him, -with his right on the Adour, his left on the heights of Ville-Franche, -above the Nive, and his centre across the chaussée at the village of -St. Pierre. Marshal Beresford’s troops were again drawn to the left of -the Nive; and Sir Rowland communicated with the centre of the army, by -a bridge which had been laid over that river. Morillo’s division was -placed at Urcuray, and Colonel Vivian’s brigade of light dragoons at -Hasparren, to watch Paris’s movements, who, upon the passage of the -Nive, had retired towards St. Palais. - -Thus the allied army formed a sort of crescent, which was intersected -by a river, and along which the communications were exceedingly bad. -On any part of this bending line Marshal Soult could direct an attack -with his main force; and, if he should be repulsed, there was a secure -retreat for him within his intrenched camp. Supposing, therefore, that -the allies would have their principal strength on the right of the -Nive to support Sir Rowland, he left just troops enough to occupy the -works opposite to that General’s position, and with the rest of his -army moved at daybreak against Sir John Hope, expecting to overpower -the left wing by numbers. The 5th division occupied the Plateau of -Barouillet, having General Campbell’s Portugueze brigade in its front, -on the high road. Baron Alten, with the light division, was posted at -Arcangues, about two miles to the right. Both were on strong ground; -but there was no defensive connexion between them, except along a range -of hills, which projected too much to be occupied otherwise than by -small posts; and between Barouillet and Arcangues there is a broad -valley, which was left almost without defence, because it was thought -that Marshal Soult would not attempt to advance in this direction, with -posts of such strength upon either flank. - -The enemy advanced in two strong columns; one by the great road -attacked the posts of the 5th division, and drove them back upon their -support on the Plateau of Barouillet. The other, coming forward by -the Plateau of Bassussarry, threw out a strong line of _tirailleurs_, -supported by battalions, against the light division at Arcangues; but -the main body pushed on a little way beyond the left flank of the -light division, and sent forward columns to attack the right of the -5th, denoting thus an intention of penetrating between, and in rear -of the two divisions. Soult knew not at how great advantage he had -taken the allies: the 5th division had been separated during the last -night’s dismal march, the ammunition mules were not forthcoming, and -when the piquets were driven in, there was hardly a round left. There -was nothing to be done but to hold their ground as well as they could -till more troops and ammunition should arrive. Not more than eight or -ten guns could be brought into action, because of the nature of the -ground, ... there being a low thick wood to the right, and close to -the road; and on the left a rugged heath, intersected with gullies and -ravines. The French brought more pieces into play, and served them with -more than usual vivacity; for they knew their own great superiority -of numbers, and were elated with the hope of getting to S. Jean de -Luz, which was the great depôt of the allies. Sir John Hope, who was, -with his staff, in the thickest of the fight, encouraging the troops -by his example, received a severe contusion on his shoulder, and a -hurt on his leg; and a ball went through his hat: ... it was believed -that, at one moment, nothing but his extreme gallantry saved the -troops from utter confusion. Major-General Robinson, who commanded the -second brigade of this division, was severely wounded, and carried -off the field. The contest still continued, ebbing and flowing, till -the enemy pushed through the wood in front of Barouillet, and through -a large field and orchard on its right, in such force as to drive -back Campbell’s Portugueze brigade, and Robinson’s, which supported -it; and, penetrating thus beyond the front of the position, they were -rapidly following up their success, when a Portugueze battalion on -the left flank boldly moved forward on the road, and wheeled into the -rear of the wood; at the same time the 9th British regiment, under -Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron, which was on the extreme right, faced -about, and, uniting with the Portugueze, charged the French columns in -their rear, ... a movement as unexpected as it was bold and well-timed. -It gave the enemy a severe check at this point, and some hundred -prisoners were taken. This was between two and three in the afternoon. -By this time a considerable number of troops had arrived in detail; the -brigade of guards, who had been ordered from St. Jean de Luz to support -the 5th division, arrived just after the enemy had been thus checked; -and Lord Wellington, hastening from the right wing where all was quiet, -came to the scene of action. He was very much exposed this day, and -unavoidably so, for there was no eminence from whence the whole field -could be seen; the wood intercepted the sight, and it was necessary -for him to ride from point to point. The enemy, checked though they -had been, persisted in the action, and it continued till nightfall; -the firing gradually ceasing as the evening closed, and the troops, -after very severe loss on both sides, remaining on the ground which -they had occupied in the morning. The remainder of the left wing having -been brought up from its cantonments, the first division relieved the -fatigued troops; and the 7th took post in rear of the position, to -support either of the defensive corps. - -Meantime the attack upon the light division at Arcangues had been -maintained with great animation and perseverance. The enemy were -repulsed in all their efforts to dislodge these troops from their -defences of the churchyard and the chateau; but they retained at night -the Plateau of Bassussarry, in the immediate front of Arcangues, which -joins that of Barouillet, before the mayor’s house. The issue of the -day had greatly disappointed Marshal Soult, whose utmost efforts had -been completely defeated by a comparatively small part of the ♦TWO -GERMAN REGIMENTS ESCAPE FROM THE FRENCH ARMY.♦ allied forces, and with -great loss. He suffered a further loss during the night. There were -with him the two German regiments of Frankfort and Nassau Usingen: -every possible means had been taken for concealing from their officers -the state of affairs in Germany; nevertheless, they discovered that -Germany had thrown off the yoke. The French government had been -apprehensive of this, and, in consequence, had recently altered its -conduct towards them; instead of being treated with disrespect, as -men who had no government which could protect them, they now found -themselves the objects of marked attention; and were newly clothed, and -received pay up to the last six months, when a year and half’s was due -to the greater part of the French army. Marshal Soult, however, under -various pretences, had long kept them in the rear. But in the action -of this day they were in advance, in Villatte’s division; and that -General being severely wounded, the division was for a while without -any special commander. The officer in command of the Nassau regiment -was a Bavarian, but had been educated in Hanover, and for some years -in the Hanoverian guards. Not only had the news from Germany reached -him, but means had also been found for conveying to him the orders of -his sovereign; he now took advantage of the first opportunity which -had offered, and proposed to the Colonel of a French regiment, that -his corps, with the two Nassau battalions, and one of the Frankfort, -should occupy a height a little in advance of where they then were. -The advice, though proposed with a view of going over to the allies, -offered some feasible advantage, and was agreed to without suspicion. -As it was growing dark, and the roads were intricate, it was further -proposed, that the battalions should file to their ground by different -routes. The German officers were apprized of the intention, except -those of the second Frankfort battalion, to which no communication -could be made, its commander being badly wounded in the action. A -Frankfort officer now made his way to the outposts of our 4th division, -in the centre of the allies, and announced the intended defection, -requiring a General officer’s word of honour that they should be well -received, and sent to Germany: no General being on the spot, Colonel -Bradford gave his word: means were immediately taken to apprize the -three battalions, and they came over in a body, 1300 men; the French -not discovering their intention till just when it was too late to -frustrate it. On the morrow the Colonel wrote to General Villatte, -thanking him for the attentions which he had received whilst under his -command; but stating that in obedience to their King’s orders, his -troops had quitted the service of France to return to that of their own -country. Their women and their sick, who were left behind, he commended -to the General’s humanity; and said that his brother officers and -himself freely gave up their personal baggage in performing an act -prescribed by their duty. This officer seems to have united a just -moral feeling to a proper sense of military honour; and he rejoiced -that he had been able to bring off those battalions, without being -compelled to fire on the French, in company with whom they had served -so long. - -♦DEC. 11.♦ - -In the morning the 5th division was brought a little forward, beyond -the wood, and the advanced skirmishers were soon within forty or fifty -yards of each other: the light troops drove in the enemy’s piquets, -and the most advanced sentries were again pushed forward to their own -line. On this side, and also at Arcangues, there was some skirmishing -during the forenoon, but with little advantage on either side: about -noon the firing was suspended, the weather brightened, unarmed parties -were sent out to cut wood for cooking, and the men received their -rations. But about two there was a stir in the enemy’s lines; they -were seen cutting gaps in the fences for the passage of artillery; -presently they attacked in great force, along the Bayonne road, driving -in the piquets, and the hill in front of Barouillet again became the -scene of contest. The soldiers who had gone in front to cut fuel ran -hastily back when they heard the cry of “to arms,” that they might get -themselves armed and accoutred; and the French, seeing them run toward -the rear, thought they had taken panic, and set up loud cheers, as if -they had now only to pursue their favourable fortune. But their whole -left wing was promptly formed in perfect order. A feint attack was made -upon Arcangues, to cover a serious one upon the Plateau Bassussarry. -Lord Wellington’s orders were, that the piquets, in case of any serious -effort, should be withdrawn from the hill in front, but that the -position in front of Barouillet should be maintained: great efforts -were made, and the enemy every where were repulsed, Sir John Hope, as -on the yesterday, encouraging his men wherever there was most danger. -During these two days he was struck three times; and all his staff had -either themselves or their horses wounded. Lord Wellington is said to -have requested that he would consider of what consequence he was to -the army, and not expose himself so much. When darkness closed, the -two armies were in the same position which they had occupied on the -preceding night. - -The fifth division, which, after one day’s severe exertion in the -worst weather, had borne the heat of the action in the two following -ones, was relieved by the first, as soon as it became so dark that the -enemy could not perceive and take advantage of any change in their -disposition. The night was again rainy, and in posting the sentries -at some parts, it was not easy, because of the darkness, to avoid -interfering with the French piquets. ♦DEC. 12.♦ The weather cleared -toward morning; drums and trumpets were heard at intervals along the -enemy’s line; and at sunrise their staff officers were seen riding -in all directions. Soult showed three or four divisions; and at ten -some severe skirmishing began, which continued till three, being -chiefly confined to the wood and the immediate ground about the house -of Barouillet. The loss was not great, but it fell chiefly on the -guards: Captain Watson, the adjutant of the 3rd guards, observed in -the morning that “plenty of laurel grew round that house to deck the -graves of those who should fall,” ... and he was one of the first. -Lord Wellington, foreseeing Soult’s intention, moved the 4th and 7th -divisions to the rear of the light division and of the first, where -they might afford support to either. But Marshal Soult, when he found -how fully the allies were prepared, did not deem it prudent to make -any further effort on this side, where he had tried his fortune -skilfully, bravely, and perseveringly, but without success. The -skirmishing therefore ceased in the afternoon, and the enemy retired -entirely within their entrenched camp that night. - -The last four days had been most harassing to the troops, exposed as -they had been, and continually under arms; but the fifth day of these -multiplied actions proved more murderous than any of the foregoing. -During the night Soult passed a large force through Bayonne, with -the intention of making a most formidable attack upon the right wing -of the allies. Sir Rowland was aware of his movements, and prepared -accordingly. His position was about a league from Bayonne, in the -form of a crescent, extending about four miles from the Adour to the -Nive. Major-General Pringle’s brigade, consisting of the 28th, 34th, -and 39th regiments, formed the left, stationed on a ridge of hilly -ground extending from Ville-Franche toward Bayonne, and bounded on -one side by the Nive, and on the other by large mill-dams in a deep -hollow, which separates it from the heights of Monguerre. Major-General -Byng’s brigade, consisting of the 31st, 57th, and 68th, formed the -right, posted also on a long ridge, in front of the village of Vieux -Monguerre, which had the Adour on its right, and mill-dams in like -manner on its left, separating it from the heights in the centre. -Brigadier-General Ashworth’s Portugueze brigade occupied the centre -ridge opposite the village of St. Pierre. The ground was favourable, -because it admitted of only one or two points of attack, one of which -was by the main road. - -It was a clear frosty morning, but the ground so wet, and the road so -heavy in that deep and rich soil, that the horses were knee-deep in -stiff mud and clay. Soon after eight o’clock, the allied outposts on -the great road were attacked by _tirailleurs_ in great numbers, and -the French columns advanced close in the rear. Soult showed that day -about four divisions; and these, drawn up in two lines and supporting -columns, appeared, from the confined ground on which they acted, more -numerous than they were. They advanced up the long slope in front of -the centre position, their column extending a good way on either side -of the road; at the same time a large body moved against the left of -the centre, up the hollow way, its right resting upon the mill-dams. -Sir Rowland, as soon as the enemy’s intention of piercing the centre -was manifest, brought Major-General Barnes’s brigade forward from the -heights of Petit Monguerre, and stationed it on the right of Ashworth’s -Portugueze. He moved also the whole of Byng’s brigade, except one -regiment, and the light companies of the others, to support the right -of the centre, and Brigadier-General Buchan’s Portugueze brigade from -behind Ville-Franche, to support its left. These troops arrived just at -the time when they were most needed; four guns of Lieutenant-Colonel -Ross’s troop, and Lieutenant-Colonel Tulloch’s brigade of Portugueze -artillery, were also moved up in aid of the centre, and kept up a -steady but cautious fire, all possible exertions being used meantime -for bringing them a supply of ammunition. The light companies which had -gone forward in support of the piquets were borne back by weight of -numbers upon the main line, and the French established themselves upon -a height close to the position; and here the heat of the contest lay, -this post being repeatedly won and lost, till Barnes’s brigade, with -the 92nd Highlanders, and Ashworth’s Portugueze, made a final charge, -and drove the enemy down. The artillery fired this day with dreadful -effect, and the main road was in many places literally running with -blood. - -On the right a feint only was made, before which the battalion that -had been left there retired from Vieux Monguerre to the heights in its -rear; but, ascertaining from thence that the enemy on this side were -not in force, they re-entered the village, and made some prisoners -there. But on the left centre the columns which had advanced up the -hollow way made a powerful attack; and though the 71st and part of -the 92nd were sent to aid the Portugueze there, the enemy, by dint -of superior force, won an important part of the position in front -of Ville-Franche. Two Portugueze regiments opportunely arrived. Sir -William Stewart directed the one to turn the right flank of the -attacking columns, while the other attacked the enemy in front, -charging them with the bayonet; and this was decisive in that quarter. -A hot fire of _tirailleurs_ was kept up meantime upon Major-General -Pringle’s brigade, with a view of preventing it from aiding the centre; -but that General, occupying a line at right angles to theirs, caused -them considerable loss by a well-directed flanking fire. - -Foreseeing such an attack on Sir Rowland, Lord Wellington had provided -against it by requesting Marshal Beresford to reinforce him with the -6th division, which had crossed the Nive accordingly at daylight that -morning; and he sent also for the fourth and two brigades of the third, -and formed them in reserve. The expected coming of the 6th division -gave Sir Rowland great facility in making his movements; but before -its arrival he had completely repulsed the enemy, the troops under his -immediate command being about 13,000 men, and the force by which they -were attacked little, if at all, short of twice that number. The allies -kept their ground; ... their purpose, therefore, was effected. Soult’s -troops, when beaten back, had the city and the intrenched camp in -their immediate rear, and retired under cover of their guns placed in -position. They remained in great force in front of that camp, and kept -up a warm cannonade upon the centre; but the officers could not induce -their men again to renew attacks which they had found so destructive. -Sir William Stewart then directed Major-General Byng to unite his -brigade and attack the enemy upon the opposite bank of the mill-stream, -in front of the height of Vieux Monguerre. Byng did this in the most -gallant style, carrying the colours of the 66th himself, and planting -them, under a hot fire of musketry and artillery, in their position. -The third regiment crossed the mill-stream to co-operate in the attack; -the brigade then drove the enemy down, and Buchan’s Portugueze arrived -to aid in finally repulsing them. About four o’clock the action -terminated in a continued skirmishing: at night the enemy retired -within their camp. - -The loss of the allies during these five days, in killed, wounded, and -missing, amounted to 5029, of whom 302 were officers: nearly half the -loss fell upon the Portugueze, upon whom, indeed, as much reliance was -now placed as upon the British themselves. The last day was the most -destructive: Generals Barnes, Le Cor, and Ashworth, and nearly the -whole of the staff and aides-de-camp of Sir William Stewart, and of -Generals Barnes and Byng, were wounded. The French return made their -loss 1314 killed and 4600 wounded. They fought well in this long series -of actions, far better than they had done in defending their position -upon the Nivelle; and this can only be explained by the different -feeling with which men, and especially men of the French temperament, -are animated when standing on their defence, from that which excites -them when they are themselves the assailants. Marshal Soult, who was -never wanting in ability, never displayed more than on this occasion. -The often repeated effort cost him his best troops, and forced upon -him the mortifying conviction that, brave as they were, and admirably -disciplined, they were nevertheless inferior to their opponents: for -all circumstances here had been in his favour; the points of attack -were at his own choice, and wherever he attacked he brought into the -field a greatly superior force; yet every where he had been defeated. -Not ♦SOULT TAKES A DEFENSIVE POSITION.♦ venturing, therefore, again -to repeat a trial in which he had so often failed, though he had at -this time 50,000 infantry and 6000 cavalry, he cantoned his army in a -defensive position, having its right on the camp round Bayonne, its -centre spread along the right of the Adour, to Port de Lanne, and its -left along the right of the Bidouse, from its confluence to St. Palais, -posting two divisions of cavalry on the left of that place, and a weak -division, under Harispe, at St. Jean de Pied-de-Port. That General had -been withdrawn from Suchet’s army for this service, because, being a -native of the valley of Baigorry, and having distinguished himself -as a partizan in the Pyrenees, in the years 1794 and 1795, it was -supposed that he might raise some irregular corps of his countrymen, -and turn against the allies that system of guerrilla warfare which -had proved so destructive to the invaders in Spain. Marshal Soult -apprehended that Bayonne would be invested; and therefore he made -Port de Lanne, which is on the Adour, eighteen miles above that city, -his principal depôt, laying down a bridge there, and protecting it by -strong works; and he lined the right of the river with redoubts armed -with heavy cannon. He intrenched Hastingues, and covered Peyrehorade -with a _tête-de-pont_, for the defence of the Gave de Pau; and in -like manner secured the passages over the Bidouse at Guiche, Bedache, -and Came. He also strengthened the fortifications of St. Jean de -Pied-de-Port and Navarreins, and intrenched Dax as an entrepôt for -stores and reinforcements from the interior; thus omitting no measure -of precaution which a just estimate of his enemy’s strength seemed to -require. - -♦THE ALLIES WAIT IN THEIR CANTONMENTS FOR BETTER WEATHER.♦ - -The weather, by impeding for a while any advance on the part of the -allies, allowed him time for this. Lord Wellington waited till it -should become more favourable, having obtained possession of a large -tract of country, and being in a situation from whence to resume his -operations with advantage, as soon as the season might permit. Upon -first entering France he had circulated among the inhabitants those -general orders in which he enjoined his troops to respect their persons -and property, accompanying them with a brief proclamation to the -people. He had given, he said, and would enforce these positive orders -for preventing those evils that might otherwise be looked for as the -ordinary consequences of an invasion, which they knew was the result -of their own government’s invasion of Spain, and of the victories of -the allied armies. He requested them to apprehend and bring before him -any person who, disobeying these instructions, might offer them any -injury; and, on their side, he required them to remain in their houses, -and take no part in the war of which their country was now to be the -scene. Great injury must inevitably be endured by the inhabitants of -any country upon which that visitation falls; but none was suffered -now which could be prevented by vigilant discipline, founded upon just -views of policy and a strict sense of justice. On the morning after -the line of the Nivelle had been forced, a peasant was brought before -Lord Wellington, having been taken near the British outposts: the man’s -simple account of himself was, that he was going to drive his sheep to -Bayonne; upon which he was told that he might go where he pleased, -and take his sheep where he pleased too. When the French saw that the -peasantry were thus treated, ... that the very few who were taken in -arms were shipped off, like other prisoners, for England, ... and that -marauders were brought to summary punishment, they perceived that their -invaders were as equitable as they were brave, and that the word of a -British general was sacred. - -♦NOV. 28.♦ - -The guerrilla troops, whom it would have been more difficult to -restrain, were kept upon their own frontier. The discipline of the -Portugueze was as good as that of the English. Marshal Beresford, when -he commended them in one of his orders for their excellent conduct -at the line of the Nivelle, expressed his particular satisfaction -with their behaviour in their quarters and towards the inhabitants in -general. They had proved, he said, their superiority over the French -troops in the field of battle; and they had shown, also, to the French -people that they were not less superior to those troops in humanity and -in their whole deportment, whereby, as well as by their discipline and -courage, they did honour to their country. The Portugueze were not less -gratified by another order which Marshal Beresford issued after the -passage of the Nive. He had deemed it necessary, in the spring of the -preceding year, to deprive certain militia regiments of their colours, -till ♦MARSHAL BERESFORD RESTORES THE COLOURS OF CERTAIN PORTUGUEZE -REGIMENTS. DEC. 29.♦ they should have redeemed their character in -the presence of the enemy; this, he said, they had had no opportunity -of doing, the war having happily been removed far from their own -country: but regiments raised in the same parts of Portugal, composed -of their brethren and other near kinsmen, and in which, in fact, many -of the very men who, in the said militias, had incurred this disgrace, -were now serving, had, in the late series of victories, demeaned -themselves so gallantly, that they had re-established the character -of their respective provinces; wherefore in justice he ordered that -their colours should be restored. Their misconduct, he added, had -proceeded not from want of courage, but from insubordination, ... and -that, too, not the effect of wilful disobedience, but arising from -habits of undue familiarity between the officers and the men, owing -to which, the latter were not prepared to render prompt obedience -when it was indispensable. He reminded the officers, therefore, how -necessary it was that they should obtain the respect of their soldiers -by treatment at the same time just, impartial, gentle, and firm; -and observed that the provincial governors would see the necessity -henceforth of recommending, for commissions in the militia, persons -who were qualified by their means and by their ♦CORREIO BRAZILIENSE, -T. 12, P. 306.♦ local respectability. Marshal Beresford understood the -national character. The Portugueze were in no slight degree gratified -by this: they were proud of the military reputation which they had now -established, and not less deservedly of that national feeling which -they had manifested under every circumstance ♦CONDUCT OF SPANISH AND -PORTUGUEZE SOLDIERS AT DANTZIC.♦ of good or evil fortune. A signal -example of this feeling was given shortly afterwards by a battalion -of Portugueze and Spaniards, composed of men who had been entrapped -into the enemy’s service before the commencement of the struggle -in their own country. They formed part of the garrison of Dantzic -when the allies besieged it; and, knowing that the besiegers were in -alliance with Spain and Portugal, no threats or inducements could -prevail upon them to bear arms in defence of the city: in consequence -of this firm refusal, the French commander compelled them to work -upon the fortifications; but they had their reward; and when the -place surrendered, they were maintained at the expense of the Russian -government till they could be transported to England on their way home. - -♦ILL CONDUCT OF THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT TOWARD LORD WELLINGTON.♦ - -The Spanish government had shown no want of gratitude to Lord -Wellington in conferring upon him honours and rewards; but while in -such things they conformed to the national sentiment, their conduct -sometimes manifested a want of that frank and generous confidence -which ought to have been given in as full measure as it was deserved. -In direct breach of the engagement made with him when he accepted -the command of the Spanish armies, they had superseded Castaños, and -made other changes, not only without his advice and concurrence, but -contrary to his wishes, and in disregard of his remonstrances: and -this might have produced the most injurious effect, if the war had -not speedily been transferred to the enemy’s country. Libels were -circulated imputing sinister views to England, because some of its -troops still remained at Cadiz and at Carthagena; and the government -allowed these libels to circulate without taking any means for -counteracting the impression which the calumny was intended to produce. -Lord Wellington withdrew the troops as soon (after their presence had -ceased to be necessary there) as he could obtain the Prince Regent’s -orders; and, in notifying this to the British ambassador, he stated -the circumstances under which those fortresses had been garrisoned -at the request ♦NOVEMBER. CHANGE OF THE REGENCY.♦ of the Spanish -government itself; expressed his surprise that the existing government, -knowing these facts, should yet have allowed such calumnies to pass -uncontradicted, and requested that his letter might be published. The -Regency was, indeed, at this time the mere instrument of the Cortes, -which had displaced the late regents by a summary vote, for demurring -to enforce an impolitic decree that the clergy scrupled to obey. -Cardinal Bourbon, Don Pedro Agar, and Don Gabriel Ciscar were appointed -in their stead to a station which possessed only a nominal authority, -the Cortes, under the dictation of a party more ardent than wise, -having now arrogated to itself the whole actual power. - -A whimsical proof had recently occurred of the readiness with which -certain Spaniards accredited any imputation, however absurd, upon the -intentions of the British government. A foolish paragraph had appeared -in some Irish newspaper, saying, that Lord Wellington deserved to be -made King of Spain; and that some of the grandees had offered to raise -him to the throne! This found its way to Spain; and the Duques of -Ossuna and Frias, the Visconde de Gante, and the Marques de Villena, -published forthwith a letter to inform the world, that they neither -did, nor would, acknowledge any other King than Ferdinand VII.; ... -that they detested and abhorred the very idea of any usurper ruling -over the Spaniards; ... and that they were persuaded that the other -grandees, as soon as this statement should come to their knowledge, -would hasten, in like manner, to give a public testimony of their -principles and their fidelity. - -♦PROCEEDINGS IN PARLIAMENT.♦ - -Parliament met early in November, under more auspicious circumstances -than at any time since the baneful commencement of the French -revolution. England, which had stood alone in the contest against the -most formidable military power that had ever existed in the civilized -world, was now in alliance, not with the Spaniards and Portugueze -alone, but with Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Bavaria, and Holland. -Buonaparte had been driven back over the Rhine; and a British army, -after beating the French from the lines of Torres Vedras to the -Pyrenees, had passed that boundary and entered France. Upon this -occasion some of those statesmen who had been most decided in their -opposition to government acknowledged the wisdom, and rejoiced in -the success of that policy which they had formerly condemned. ♦LORD -GRENVILLE. NOV. 4.♦ “Upon this grand question,” said Lord Grenville, -“all party conflicts must be swallowed up and lost; it is the cause -of no party, of no set of individuals, but of the whole nation joined -in sentiment and in action to effect a great and glorious purpose. -Internal tranquillity,” he said, “might be considered as the first, -and external peace as the second, blessing that any power under -Heaven could confer upon a people; but what we desired and expected -was the real blessing of peace, not the empty name; not the shadow, -but the substance. Too long did deluded Europe, by temporary and -partial truces, by concession following concession, purchase from the -insatiable enemy a precarious quiet, a troubled sleep, furnishing to -her foe the very means of his aggression, and of her own subjugation. -The time, my lords, is now arrived (and I rejoice that I have lived to -see the hour) when the walls of a British parliament may again re-echo -a sound formerly held sacred in this country, and upon the observance -of which, I will venture to assert, depends the hope of the restoration -of peace to Europe; ... I allude to the old-fashioned tenet, now -almost forgotten, of a balance of power in Europe; and I offer up my -thanks, with humble gratitude, to the Supreme Disposer of events, that -after so long a period he has permitted me to behold my native land in -such a commanding situation, as to be able again to pursue that which -ought to be the only legitimate object of foreign policy, I mean, the -establishment and preservation of a balance of power in Europe. Now, -then, let Great Britain resume her ancient policy: let her once more -perceive that the only mode by which the independence of the great -commonwealth of Europe can be secured, is not by perpetual peace (for -that is the visionary dream of visionary men), but by the maintenance -of this balance, by which, even in war itself, the weak will find -refuge from oppression. Whatever plans may be suggested, having this -in view, I shall meet with the most earnest wish to find that they are -compatible with the interests of the country. I cannot be ignorant of -the difficulties that may be opposed: I do, however, fervently hope, -nay, I believe, that they may be surmounted. Do me not the injustice of -believing that these opinions are the result merely of the exultation -felt in consequence of recent and unexpected events. Undoubtedly such -events are calculated to warm the heart of every individual who feels -not only for the natural rights of man, but for the independence of -nations; but those with whom I have been in the habit of confidential -communication know my deliberate opinion, that the existence of such a -confederation as has now been formed, of itself irresistibly calls upon -Great Britain to employ all her energies, and devote all her exertions -to the success of a common and a glorious cause. I was prepared to -add an exhortation, that as the chances of war must necessarily be -precarious, you would prepare yourselves to meet with firmness those -disasters which human foresight could not predict, and which human -wisdom could not prevent. Even now, under circumstances that might -seem almost to justify the confidence of certainty, I offer that -exhortation. If in the course of human events (although I see little -cause to fear) any unforeseen calamity should unfortunately occur, -remember the glorious cause in which you are engaged; it may for an -instant damp your hopes, but let it not damp your ardour or shake your -resolution. Be assured, my lords, of this, ... (I hope you are already -assured of it,) that there is for this country no separate safety, no -separate peace! There is neither safety nor peace for England, but -with the safety and peace of Europe; ... as for continental Europe, -it is equally true, that an indissoluble union, a firm confederation -with this country can alone secure for all liberty, tranquillity, and -happiness, ... can alone obtain peace, now almost beyond the memory -of living man. The plain duty of this country, placing its trust -in Providence, is to improve by every possible exertion the bright -prospect that lies before us. With the energies of Great Britain duly -applied, ultimate success may be confidently anticipated; we may now -look forward to the speedy accomplishment of that great purpose for -which we have already sacrificed, performed, and endured so much, ... -and for which we are still ready to sacrifice, perform, and endure.” - -♦MARQUIS WELLESLEY.♦ - -In the same spirit, Marquis Wellesley declared, that the satisfaction -he felt in the events which had now changed the destinies of Europe -was with him a principle and not a sentiment. “It was not so much,” he -said, “because those events had raised the military reputation of this -country and of our allies, that they had the highest value in his eyes, -but because they were the natural result of wise and cautious measures, -executed with the greatest degree of vigour; and displaying a wisdom -of combination and prudence of plan which could not fail ultimately -to be rewarded with the success by which they were attended. He would -not dwell on former errors; but he would not hesitate to say that the -glorious successes which had lately crowned our arms in Spain, and -the arms of our allies in the north of Europe, were to be traced to -the long train of persevering councils persisted in by the government -of this country. Though those councils had not always immediately -produced the results that were expected, they were not the less the -cause of what had ultimately taken place. While we were exerting -ourselves in a struggle apparently hopeless, at that moment the public -councils of this country were of the utmost importance to European -liberty; for opportunity was thus given to the rest of Europe to -re-consider their former errors, and to learn that great lesson which -the example of Britain afforded them. Nothing could be more true than -the last words which that great statesman, Mr. Pitt, ever delivered -in public, that England had saved herself by her firmness, and other -nations by her example. What a satisfactory and consoling reflection -was it for us, that from this fountain the sacred waters of gladness -and glory had flowed; ... that to the persevering spirit of this -country it was owing that other nations were at last animated to deeds -worthy of the cause in which they were engaged, and of the example -which was set them!” - -♦LORD LIVERPOOL.♦ - -Lord Liverpool rejoiced that on this great occasion a spirit of -unanimity prevailed in the British parliament. “We had seen,” he said, -“during the preceding twenty years, coalitions whose size promised -strength, crushed by the power of the enemy: what was it then which had -given this irresistible impulse to the present? The feeling of national -independence, that feeling which first arose in the Peninsula, gave -the war a new character, and afforded grounds to hope not only for -the deliverance of that country, but of the rest of Europe. There had -before been wars of governments, but none like this between nations; -and all our principles of policy and prudence must have been belied -if the issue of the present confederacy had not been very different -from that of any of the former ones. They had before them examples of -perseverance unexampled in any other cause than that of liberty; they -had seen the least military nations of Europe become formidable, and -successfully resist the best disciplined troops of France. Small as -Portugal was, the establishment of the Portugueze army had been of the -greatest consequence, as the foundation of the success of the allied -armies in the Peninsula; and as it gave, in addition to the general -national feeling, a military tone, under the influence of which the -Portugueze troops have been raised to an equality with the British. He -was advancing no paradox, but a truth which was felt and admitted on -the continent, when he said that the success of the peninsular cause -gave new life to the suffering nations of Europe.” - -♦MR. C. GRANT.♦ - -This theme was pursued in the House of Commons with great eloquence -by Mr. Charles Grant. “If,” said he, “we had shown a dastardly spirit -at the commencement of these troubles, where now would have been the -deliverance of Europe? There will be no prouder page in history than -that which tells of this struggle and its victorious result, ... which -tells that at a time when the foundations of the world seemed to be -shaken, when all former constitutions were swept away, rather as if by -a sudden whirlwind than by any of the ordinary means of destruction, -... there was yet one nation, which, reposing under the shade of a -happy constitution, proud of its ancient liberties and worthy to defend -them, dared to measure its strength at one time against the unnatural -energies of a frantic democracy, at another time against the gigantic -resources of the most tremendous despotism that ever scourged the -world. If, after this narration, history were obliged to add that in -this struggle at last we fell, but that we fell gloriously, with our -arms in our hands and our faces to the foe, even this would have been -no mean praise: but, thank God, history will be called, not to lament -the fall of British greatness, but to celebrate its renewed exploits -and its living triumphs.... It is to the theatre of these triumphs, -it is to that soil which but lately seemed incapable of producing a -single effort, that the moralist of after-ages will resort for examples -when he denounces the fall of unhallowed greatness. There too will -the patriot look for lessons of enthusiasm and disinterested virtue; -and this is the glorious feature of the present war. I have heard it -observed of America, that her conduct has dispelled those classical -associations which we have been accustomed to indulge of republican -virtue and republican excellence. The remark was not more eloquently -than justly made. But if we are obliged to give up that class of -associations, I perceive with exultation that there is another which we -may now cherish with additional fondness; I mean, those associations -which enforce the belief of instinctive patriotism, of unbidden -enthusiasm in the cause of virtue, of the grandeur of self-devotion, -of the magnanimity of great sacrifices for great objects, for honour, -for independence. We must all recollect with what delight we imbibed -these sentiments at the fountains of classical learning, and followed -them out into action in the history of great men and illustrious -states. But of late there seems to have crept into this nation a sort -of spurious and barren philosophy, of which it was the object to decry -these associations, to represent them as the illusions of ignorance, or -frenzy, or falsehood, to curb the original play of nature, to inculcate -coldness and selfishness upon system, and to substitute in the place of -all that formed the delight of a higher philosophy, a spirit of lazy -deliberation, conducted by apathy, and ending therefore in meanness -and dishonour. It was this philosophy which taught that it is not only -more prudent, but more conformable to the laws of our being, for every -man in time of danger to reason before he followed the promptings of -true courage; to make it a matter of calculation whether his country -be worth saving before he draws the sword in her defence; to reduce -it to a question of algebra, or a problem in geometry, whether he -should resist the efforts of tyranny, or bow before the yoke! The sleep -which seemed to have spread over Europe gave too much countenance to -these pernicious maxims; but the hour has at length come which has -exposed their fallacy, and rescued human nature from such calumnies. -The experience of the few last years has confuted that heartless and -bloodless system, the miserable abortion of a cold head and depraved -imagination, which never wakened one noble thought, nor inspired one -generous action. The experience of the few last years has proved that -those high sentiments which we were taught to respect are not false -and visionary; but that they are founded upon whatever is deepest -and purest in the human character. It has proved that true reason is -never at war with just feeling; that man is now what he was in those -distant ages, ... a creature born indeed to act upon principle, but -born also to act upon strong passions; and that he never acts more -nobly, more wisely, more worthily of himself, than when he acts upon -the prompt persuasion of grand passions, sublimed and directed by lofty -principles.” - -♦MR. WHITBREAD.♦ - -Even Mr. Whitbread felt it necessary to say, that the proud exultation -which then was manifested throughout the nation was hailed by no one, -in the House or in the country, with more enthusiastic feelings than by -himself; and that he gave credit to the ministry, and to him who was -at the head of it, till cut off by the dreadful deed which every one -deplored, “for the great and steady confidence which they had placed -in the talents and genius of our great commander,” ... that confidence -for which Mr. Whitbread and the party with whom he acted had so often, -so confidently, and so contemptuously reproached them! He insisted, -however, that the deliverance of Europe had not been brought about by -following Mr. Pitt’s policy; and that if the counsels of Mr. Fox had -been listened to, the carnage of the present campaign would not have -been necessary. “And,” said he, “I am particularly glad to observe the -explicit terms of the Prince Regent’s speech, in which it is distinctly -avowed that no disposition is entertained to require from France -sacrifices of any description inconsistent with her honour or just -pretensions as a nation. I sincerely hope this feeling pervades the -whole alliance; an alliance with which I am not inclined to quarrel, -as I have been with former ones, for it is promoted and cemented by a -feeling of common danger and necessity, and not purchased and raised up -to oppress France. It has arisen from the keen and indignant sentiment -which the grinding oppression of France herself has excited; and it -holds out a memorable lesson to the governments of Europe. France, -in the course of her career since the revolution, disturbed and -overthrew the ancient monarchies, upon the pretext of their tyranny and -despotism; but when those states passed under the power of France, who -was to liberate them, they found themselves subjected to a despotism -still more odious, to a thraldom still more insupportable. The Emperor -of that country is now in a condition to which, I firmly believe, -nothing but his own restless and gigantic ambition could have reduced -him: I hope the alliance will profit from this. I do not pretend to -know what were the terms proposed to France before the termination of -the armistice; but I sincerely hope that now, in the moment of success, -the same terms will still be offered.” ... At this there was a general -murmur through the House.... “I am not surprised,” he continued, “at -hearing this murmur: perhaps I am misunderstood. What I mean to say is, -and that I will maintain, that whatever terms may have been proposed to -France at that time, as a basis upon which negotiations for peace might -take place, I hope the same basis will now be offered, ... or else I -see no conclusion to which the war can come.” - -♦MR. CANNING. - -NOV. 17.♦ - -Mr. Canning was not present during this debate, but he took the first -opportunity that presented itself for delivering his sentiments. “If,” -said he, “in the present state of this country and of the world, those -who, during the course of the tremendous and protracted struggle, on -various occasions, called upon Parliament to pause, to retard its too -rapid and too rash advance, and to draw back from the task it had -unwisely undertaken to perform, ... if those persons have manfully -and honourably stepped forward to join their congratulations to the -joyful acclamations of the nation, and to admit the present to be -the period favourable for a mighty and decided effort, how much more -grateful must it be to those who, at no time during the struggle, -have lifted up their voices in this place, excepting to recommend -and to urge new exertions, ... to those who, when the prospects were -most dreary and melancholy, insisted that there was but one course -becoming the character and honour of Great Britain, ... a persevering -and undaunted resistance to the overwhelming power of France! To an -individual who, under the most discouraging circumstances, still -maintained that the deliverance of Europe (often a derided term) was -an object not only worthy of our arms, but possible to be achieved, it -must be doubly welcome to come forward and vindicate his share in the -national exultation. If, too, on the other hand, there have been those -who, having recommended pacification when the opportunity was less -favourable, are now warranted, as undoubtedly they are, in uttering -the same sentiments, in the confidence that the country will sympathize -with them, it is natural for those who, under other circumstances, -have discouraged the expectation of peace, and have warned the nation -against precipitate overtures, now to be anxious to embrace this -occasion of stating their sincere conviction and their joy (as strongly -felt by them as by others) that, by the happy course of events during -the last year, and by the wise policy we shall now pursue, peace may -not, perhaps, be within our grasp, but is at least within our view. It -is impossible to look back upon those times when the enemy vaunted, -and we perhaps feared, that we should have been compelled to sue for -peace, without, amid all the ebullition of joy, returning thanks to -that Providence which gave us courage and heart still to bear up -against accumulating calamity. Peace is safe now, because it is not -dictated; peace is safe now, for it is the fruit of exertion, the child -of victory; peace is safe now, because it will not be purchased at the -expense of the interest and of the honour of the empire: it is not the -ransom to buy off danger, but the fruit of the mighty means which we -have employed to drive danger from our shores. I must, with heartfelt -delight, congratulate my country, that, groaning as she has done at -former periods under the heavy pressure of adverse war, still ‘peace -was despaired of, for who could think of submission?’ Her strength, -her endurance have been tried and proved by every mode of assault -that the most refined system of hostility could invent, not only by -open military attacks, but by low attempts to destroy her commercial -prosperity: the experiment has been made, the experiment has failed; -and we are now triumphantly, but not arrogantly, to consider what -measures of security should be adopted, or on what terms a peace should -be concluded. - -“But has this country gained nothing by the glorious contest, even -supposing peace should be far distant? Is it nothing to Great Britain, -even purchased at so large a price, that her military character has -been exalted? Is it no satisfaction ... no compensation to her ... to -reflect that the splendid scenes displayed on the continent are owing -to her efforts? that the victories of Germany are to be attributed to -our victories in the Peninsula? That spark, often feeble, and sometimes -so nearly extinguished as to excite despair in all hearts that were not -above it, ... that spark which was lighted in Portugal, which was fed -and nourished there, has at length burst into a flame that has dazzled -and illuminated Europe. At the commencement of this war, our empire -rested upon one majestic column, our naval power. In the prosecution -of the war, a hero has raised another stupendous pillar of strength to -support our monarchy, ... our military pre-eminence. It is now that we -may boast not only of superiority at sea, but on shore; the same energy -and heroism exist in both the arms of Great Britain: they are rivals -in strength, but inseparable in glory. Out of the calamities of war -has arisen a principle of safety, that superior to all attacks, shall -survive through ages, and to which our posterity shall look forward. -Compare the situation of England with her condition at the renewal of -the war! Were we not then threatened by the aggressions of an enemy -even upon our own shores, ... were we not then trembling for the safety -and sanctity even of our homes? Now contemplate Wellington encamped -on the Bidassoa! I know that a sickly sensibility leads some to doubt -whether the advance of Lord Wellington was not rash and precipitate. -I cannot enter into that refinement which induces those who affect to -know much to hesitate upon this subject: I cannot look with regret -upon a British army encamped upon the fertile plains of France: I -cannot believe that any new grounds for apprehension are raised by an -additional excitement being afforded to the irritability of the French -people: I foresee no disadvantage from entering the territories of our -enemy not as the conquered but the conquerors! I cannot regret that the -Portugueze are now looking upon the walls of Bayonne ‘that circle in -those wolves’ which would have devastated their capital, ... that the -Portugueze now behold planted on the towers of Bayonne the standard -which their enemy would have made to float upon the walls of Lisbon! -I cannot think it a matter of regret, that the Spaniards are now -recovering from the grasp of an enemy on his own shores, that diadem -which was stripped from the brow of the Bourbons to be pocketed by a -usurper! I cannot think it a matter of regret that England formerly -threatened with invasion is now the invader, ... that France instead -of England is the scene of conflict! I cannot think all this matter of -regret; and of those who believe that the nation or myself are blinded -by our successes, I entreat that they will leave me to my delusion, and -keep their philosophy to themselves. - -“Our enemy,” the accomplished orator pursued, “who enslaved the press -and made it contribute so importantly to his own purposes of ambition, -endeavoured to impress upon other nations a belief that Great Britain -fought only to secure her own interests, and that her views were -completely selfish. That illusion is now destroyed, and the designs of -this country are vindicated. We call on all the powers with whom we -have been or are at war to do us justice in this respect: above all -we claim it of America! I ask her to review her own and the policy of -this country. Now she can behold Buonaparte in his naked deformity, -stripped of the false glory which success cast around him; the spell of -his invincibility is now dissolved; she can now look at him without -that awe which an uninterrupted series of victories had created. -Were she now to survey him as he is, what would be the result? She -would trace him by the desolation of empires, and the dismemberment -of states. She would see him pursuing his course over the ruins of -men and of things: slavery to the people and destruction to commerce, -hostility to literature, to light, and life, were the principles -upon which he acted. His object was to extinguish patriotism, and to -confound allegiance; to darken as well as to enslave; to roll back the -tide of civilization; to barbarize as well as to desolate mankind. -Then let America turn from these scenes of bloodshed and horror, and -compare with them the effect of British interference! She will see -that wherever this country has exerted herself, it has been to raise -the fallen and to support the falling; to raise, not to degrade the -national character; to rouse the sentiments of patriotism which tyranny -had silenced; to enlighten, to reanimate, to liberate. Great Britain -has resuscitated Spain, and re-created Portugal; Germany is now a -nation as well as a name; and all these glorious effects have been -produced by the efforts and by the example of our country. If to be the -deliverers of Europe; if to have raised our own national character, not -upon the ruins of other kingdoms; if to meet dangers without shrinking, -and to possess courage rising with difficulties, be admirable, surely -we may not unreasonably hope for the applause of the world. If we have -founded our strength upon a rock, and possess the implicit confidence -of those allies whom we have succoured when they seemed beyond relief, -then I say that our exertions during the last year, and all our efforts -during the war, are cheaply purchased; if we have burdened ourselves, -we have relieved others; and we have the inward, the soul-felt, the -proud satisfaction of knowing that a selfish charge is that which, -with the faintest shadow of justice, cannot be brought against us.” - -♦MR. WHITBREAD.♦ - -This speech was wormwood to Mr. Whitbread; he animadverted in reply -upon what he termed the overweening self-complacency with which Mr. -Canning talked of the share we had had in giving a decisive turn to the -aspect of affairs in the North; it was the conduct of this country, he -asserted, which had enabled Buonaparte to proceed as he had done in -his unprincipled career: Great Britain had made Buonaparte, and he had -undone himself. “If there were no broad and definite outline previously -laid down,” he said, “and firmly adhered to, as to the demands on the -part of the allies, or the concessions on that of France, which were -to form the groundwork of a general peace, he would venture to predict -that before long some one or other of the allies would make a separate -treaty founded on its own views or interests. And if we attempted -blindly to push our advantages too far, he feared we should rouse -the same irresistible power in France which in 1793 had repelled the -combined attacks of all Europe, which had since led on the Emperor of -the French to his conquests, and which might again turn the tide of -success against us.” - -♦MILITIA ALLOWED TO VOLUNTEER FOR FOREIGN SERVICE.♦ - -In pursuance of these opinions, Mr. Whitbread, when a bill was brought -in for allowing three-fourths of any militia regiment to volunteer for -foreign service, moved to insert in the preamble to the bill, that -this was for bringing the war to a speedy and happy termination, and -obtaining the blessings of peace upon terms of reciprocity, honour, and -security, to all the belligerent powers. What he meant by reciprocity -between some of those powers he would have found it difficult to -explain; ... but the proposed insertion was negatived as unnecessary, -and Mr. Whitbread neither opposed the bill, nor the supplies voted for -carrying into effect the engagements of this nation with its ♦LORD -HOLLAND. DEC. 20.♦ allies. Lord Holland approved of the confidence -which was thus placed in ministers. “Although,” he said, “great part of -the happy results of this war might be justly attributed to a powerful -popular impulse, and to that infatuation on the part of the enemy, -which, thank God, always attended the long abuse of power, ... yet it -must be felt that a great deal of the merit is to be attributed to -the conduct of the government of this country. If the sentiments of -an individual,” he pursued, “are of consequence enough to arrest your -attention, it must be in your Lordships’ recollection that I always -approved of the interposition and interference of ministers in the -cause of Spain. The merit of such policy appears, and ever has appeared -to my judgment, quite indisputable, and must now indeed be universally -admitted; for, aided by the uncommon genius of Lord Wellington, that -policy has produced the most important results. It has driven the enemy -from that country which he had so long and so unremittingly oppressed. -It has presented a most encouraging and impressive example to Europe -of what a people excited by oppression were capable of achieving. It -has changed the whole character of the war, by making it a war of the -people. But a still farther advantage has arisen out of this policy. -A most atrocious calumny had become current in Europe, that the -government of this country was always ready to distribute its subsidies -with a view to embroil the nations of the continent, while it kept its -own people aloof from the contest. No such impression can ever again -prevail in Europe. The calumny has been effectually refuted by the -policy we have pursued with respect to Spain; for there we have not -only given our money but our men; there we have given our money, not -to excite the people but to enable them to act, and we have seconded -their exertions by a powerful army. - -“In declaring my approbation of ministers in consequence of their -moderate language and conduct, that approbation is, of course, founded -upon a hope and confidence, that the very different language which -appears in certain publications has in no degree their sanction or -countenance. Sounding a violent and barbarous war-whoop through -the country, abounding in coarse, vulgar, virulent epithets, these -publications complete their abominable character by excitements to -assassination. Although the French ruler has rendered himself so odious -by his conduct, yet it must be admitted that he is a great military -commander, still at the head of a great nation; and is it fitting -that the press of this country should become the means of advising -the assassination of such a man, ... nay, of exhorting to the deed? -and what else can be meant by the repeated declaration, that no peace -can be concluded while this individual lives? The French ruler is no -doubt ambitious, inordinately ambitious; but if it were resolved that -no peace should be made with France while it was under the government -of an ambitious man, when, I would ask, could peace be expected? The -meaning, however, of all the publications I have referred to, may be -to recommend the restoration of the Bourbon family; but the attempt -at such a measure would be totally inconsistent with the professed -moderation and policy of ministers. That restoration might be good; -but it would be preposterous to look for the success of such an -object through the intervention of foreign armies; and it would be -opposite to the policy and principle of ministers to engage in any such -undertaking.” - -Alluding then to the just remark of Lord Grenville, that one great -advantage resulting from the recent changes on the continent was, that -it afforded an opportunity for restoring the balance of power, “I must -be allowed,” said Lord Holland, “to say, that the re-establishment and -maintenance of that balance can never consist in, nor depend upon, -particular divisions of territory, so much as upon the existence of a -general feeling among the European states, that it is the interest of -each to preserve the independence of each and all. Such is the feeling -which gave birth and cement to the present confederacy; and therefore I -wish that such a confederacy may continue to exist in peace as well as -in war. I esteem the principle of this confederacy, because it appears -solicitous to preserve the interest of all, without gratifying the -peculiar interest of any one; and upon that principle I would rather -leave France with such possessions as should make her feel an interest -in the common object of the confederacy, than transfer from her to any -other state any possessions which might be likely to withdraw that -state from the general feeling which it is the interest of peace and -Europe to improve and strengthen.” - -♦TERMS OFFERED BY THE ALLIES TO BUONAPARTE.♦ - -It was well for Great Britain and for the continent that Buonaparte -was not contented with such terms of peace as the allies, with a -generosity which had neither the character of wisdom nor of justice, -would a little before this have granted him. Even when he had been -driven over the Rhine, they would, according to their own declaration, -have left France more powerful than she had ever been under her kings, -if he would have consented to give up Italy. Out of Germany and out of -the Peninsula he had been beaten; but they would have allowed France -to remain with the whole of the Netherlands, and with the Rhine for -her boundary, if vain-glory and a blind confidence in his fortune -had not still demented Buonaparte. But he declared that he would -not under any circumstances abandon Italy; and they who ought not, -under any circumstances, now to have negotiated with him, prepared to -enter France. On his part he collected the largest force that that -exhausted country could supply, to resist the impending invasion; and -as it thus became an object of great importance for him to bring to -his assistance Suchet’s army, and the troops who were shut up in the -remaining garrisons in Valencia and Catalonia, he thought this might be -effected by dictating a treaty to ♦BUONAPARTE TREATS WITH FERDINAND.♦ -his prisoner, Ferdinand. Accordingly he sent the Comte de Laforest to -Valençay, to negotiate with that poor Prince, saying, that under the -existing circumstances of his empire and his policy, he wished at once -to settle the affairs of Spain; that England was encouraging Jacobinism -and anarchy there, for the purpose of destroying the nobility and the -monarchy, and erecting a republic; that he could not but grievously -feel the destruction of a neighbouring state, connected by so many -maritime and commercial interests with his own; that he desired to -remove every pretext for English interference, and to re-establish -those ties of friendship and good neighbourhood by which Spain and -France had been so long connected; and therefore he had sent the Comte -de Laforest under a feigned name, to whom his Royal Highness might give -entire credit in all that he should propose. - -♦CONFERENCE BETWEEN COMTE DE LAFOREST AND FERDINAND.♦ - -The Comte accordingly presented himself under the name of M. Dubois, -in order that the negotiation might be kept secret, because, if the -English were to discover, they would use every means for frustrating -it. The Emperor, he represented, had done all he could in Bayonne to -accommodate the differences which then existed between father and son; -but the English had marred every thing; they had introduced Jacobinism -into Spain, where the land was laid waste, religion destroyed, the -clergy ruined, the nobility crushed, the marine existing only in name, -the colonies dismembered and in insurrection, and, in fine, everything -overthrown. Those islanders desired nothing but to change the monarchy -into a republic; and yet, to deceive the people, they put the name -of his Royal Highness at the head of all their public acts. Moved by -these calamities, and by the lamentations of all good Spaniards, the -Emperor had chosen him for this important mission, because of his long -experience, for he had been more than forty years in the diplomatic -career, and had resided in every court; but, as there were so many -persons who knew him, he requested that the Spanish princes on their -part would contribute to keep the affair secret. Ferdinand had at this -time none with whom to consult, except his brother and his uncle, who -were both as inexperienced in business as himself. He replied, that -so unexpected a proposition required much reflection; he must have -time for considering it, and would let him know the result. Laforest, -without waiting for this, obtained an audience on the following day, -and then said, that if his Majesty accepted the kingdom of Spain, which -the Emperor wished to restore to him, they must concert means for -getting the English out of that country. To this Ferdinand replied, -that he could make no treaty, considering the circumstances in which -he was placed at Valençay, and indeed could take no measures without -the consent of the nation, as represented by the Regency. The old -diplomatist made answer, it certainly was not the intention of the -Emperor that his Majesty should do the slightest thing which might be -contrary to the wish of Spain; but in this case it would be necessary -that he should find means of ascertaining it. Ferdinand then said -that, during five years and a half, for so long he had been absent from -his own country, he had known nothing more of the state of affairs than -what he read in the French newspapers. Those papers, Laforest affirmed, -exhibited the true state of things; and he made a speech of some length -to prove what Ferdinand was not so devoid of penetration as to believe. -He concluded in words to this effect: “He who is born to a kingdom -has no will of his own; he must be a king, and is not like a private -individual, free to choose for himself that way of life which he may -think most agreeable. And where is he who, when a kingdom is offered -him, would not instantly accept it? Yet, withal, if he who should be a -king were to say, ‘I renounce all dignity from this time, and, far from -seeking honours, desire only to lead a private life;’ in that case the -affair becomes of a different kind. If, therefore, your Royal Highness -is in this predicament, the Emperor must have recourse to other -means; but if, as I cannot but believe, your Royal Highness thinks of -receiving the sceptre, the indispensable preliminary must be to settle -the principal bases of the negotiation upon which afterwards to treat, -and for this purpose to appoint a Spaniard, one of those who are at -this time in France.” Ferdinand calmly replied that this required -consideration. Upon this Laforest observed, that when a kingdom was to -be received, there was not much to consider, reasons of state being -the sole rule of conduct. But Ferdinand made answer, that he was far -from agreeing with him in that maxim; it was his belief that nothing -required greater consideration, and he would take time to deliberate -upon it. - -Ferdinand could not have acted with better judgment at this time, if -he had had the ablest statesmen to advise him. In fact, the straight -course was the sure one; for, though he had been kept in complete -ignorance of all recent events, the very circumstance of this proposal -was proof sufficient that Buonaparte’s fortune had failed, and that -his motive for giving up his pretensions to Spain was that he was no -longer able to support them. On the morrow, he said to the ambassador -that, having maturely reflected upon what had been proposed, he must -repeat that he could do nothing, and treat of nothing, in his present -situation, without consulting with the nation, and of course with the -Regency. “The Emperor,” said he, “has placed me here; and if he chooses -that I should return to Spain, he it is who must consult and treat with -the Regency, because he has means of doing this, and I have not; or he -must afford me means, and consent that a deputation from the Regency -should come hither, and inform me concerning the state of Spain, and -propose to me measures for rendering it happy: any thing which I may -then conclude here with his Imperial Majesty will be valid. And it is -the more necessary that such a deputation should come, because there -is no person in France whom I could fitly employ in this affair.” -Laforest replied at some length, endeavouring to persuade him that the -English and Portugueze governed Spain, and that their intention was to -place the house of Braganza upon the Spanish throne, beginning with his -sister, the Princess of Brazil. He also pressed Ferdinand to declare -whether, when he returned to Spain, he meant to be the friend or the -enemy of the Emperor? This was presuming upon the weakness of the -person whom he addressed; but Ferdinand was not wanting in presence of -mind on this occasion. “I esteem the Emperor highly,” he replied, “but -I never will do any thing that may be injurious to my people and their -welfare; and upon this point I now finally declare that nothing shall -make me alter my determination. If the Emperor chooses that I should -return to Spain, let him treat with the Regency, and when that is done, -and I am assured of it, I will sign the treaty; but for this it will -be necessary that a deputation should come here and inform me of every -thing. Report this to the Emperor, and tell him, also, that this is -what my conscience dictates to me.” - -♦NOV. 21.♦ - -Ferdinand expressed himself to the same effect in a letter, which on -the morrow he delivered into Laforest’s hands. “I am still under the -protection of your Imperial Majesty,” he added, “and still profess -the same love and respect of which you have had so many proofs. If -your Majesty’s system of policy, and the actual circumstances of your -empire, will not allow of your conforming to this course, I shall then -remain quietly and willingly at Valençay, where I have now passed five -years and a half, and where I shall remain for the rest of my life, if -God has so appointed it. It is painful to me, Sire, to speak in this -manner to your Majesty, but conscience compels me to it. I have as much -interest for the English as for the French, but, nevertheless, I must -prefer the interest and happiness of my own nation to every thing. Your -Imperial and Royal Majesty will see, I hope, in this nothing more than -a new proof of my ingenuous sincerity, and of the affection which I -bear towards you. If I should promise any thing to your Majesty, and -afterwards be obliged to act in opposition to it, what would you think -of me? you would say that I am inconstant, and you would despise me, -and dishonour me with all Europe.” - -When Laforest received this letter from Ferdinand, he observed, that -his Royal Highness desired nothing but what was very just; but he asked -whether he designed to treat with the Emperor before he had consulted -with the Regency, or after? if after, it would occasion much delay; -if before, when the business was once concluded with the Emperor, -the Regency would instantly do whatever he thought fit. But if his -intention in returning to Spain was to continue the war with France, -the Emperor would choose rather to keep him in his power, and carry on -the war upon its present footing. Ferdinand replied, that surely either -the ambassador had not understood him, or he himself must have failed -in expressing himself with sufficient clearness. “My declarations,” -he pursued, “amount to this, that I marry myself to neither power. -If the interest of Spain requires that I should be the friend of the -French, I will be so; but if it requires that I should be the friend -of the English, their friend I shall be; and, finally, if this should -not suit the Emperor, the Infantes and I will remain well pleased -where we are at Valençay. In acting thus I do no otherwise ♦ESCOIQUIZ, -IDEA SENCILLA, &C., PP. 83, 100.♦ than the Emperor himself would do -were he in my place[3].” From this resolution Ferdinand was not to be -dissuaded, and Laforest accordingly returned with this reply. - -♦TREATY CONCLUDED AT VALENÇAY. - -DEC. 11.♦ - -Upon his return, Buonaparte dispatched the Duque de S. Carlos to -Valençay to negotiate, on Ferdinand’s part, with Laforest; and a treaty -was easily concluded to this effect, that the Emperor of the French -recognized Ferdinand and his successors as Kings of Spain and of the -Indies, according to the order established by the fundamental laws of -Spain; and that he recognized the integrity of the Spanish territory -as it existed before the war, and would deliver up to the Spaniards -such provinces and fortified places as the French still occupied in -Spain: Ferdinand obliging himself, on his part, to maintain the same -integrity, and that also of the adjacent isles and fortified places, -and especially Minorca and Ceuta; and to make the English evacuate -those provinces and places, the evacuation by the French and English -being to be made simultaneously. The two contracting powers bound -themselves to maintain the independence of their maritime rights, -as had been stipulated in the treaty of Utrecht, and observed till -the year 1792. All Spaniards who had adhered to King Joseph were to -re-enter upon the honours, rights, and privileges which they had -enjoyed, and all the property of which they might have been deprived -should be restored to them; and to such as might choose to live out of -Spain, ten years should be allowed for disposing of their possessions. -Prisoners on both sides were to be sent home, and also the garrison -of Pamplona, and the prisoners at Cadiz, Coruña, the Mediterranean -islands, or any other depôt which might have been delivered to the -English, ... whether they were in Spain, or had been sent to America -or to England. Ferdinand bound himself to pay an annual sum of thirty -millions of reales to Charles IV., his father, and, in case of his -death, an annuity of two millions to the Queen, his widow. Finally, a -treaty of commerce was to be formed between the two nations, and till -this could be done, their commercial relations were to be placed upon -the same footing as before the war of 1792. - -♦S. CARLOS SENT TO THE REGENCY. DEC. 8.♦ - -The next step was to notify this treaty to the actual government of -Spain. Accordingly Ferdinand addressed a letter to the Regency, being -the first communication which he had been permitted to hold with his -own country since his entrapment. “Divine Providence,” he said, “which -in its inscrutable wisdom had permitted him to pass from the palace -of Madrid to that of Valençay, had granted to him the blessings of -health and strength, and the consolation of never having been for a -moment separated from his beloved brother and uncle, the Infantes, Don -Carlos and Don Antonio. They had experienced in that palace a noble -hospitality; their way of life had been as agreeable as it could be -under such circumstances; and he had employed his time in the manner -most suitable to his new condition. The only intelligence which he had -heard of his beloved Spain was what the French gazettes supplied; these -had given him some knowledge of the sacrifices which the nation had -made for him; of the magnanimous and unalterable constancy manifested -by his faithful vassals, of the persevering assistance of England, -the admirable conduct of its general-in-chief, Lord Wellington, and -of the Spanish and allied generals who had distinguished themselves. -The English ministry had publicly declared their readiness to admit -propositions of peace, founded upon his restitution; nevertheless, -the miseries of his kingdom still continued. He was in this state -of passive but vigilant observation, when the Emperor of the French -spontaneously made proposals to him, founded upon his restitution, and -the integrity and independence of his dominions, without any clause -which would not be compatible with the honour and glory and interest -of the Spanish nation. Being persuaded that Spain could not, after the -most successful and protracted war, conclude a more advantageous peace, -he had authorized the Duque de S. Carlos to negotiate in his name with -the Comte de Laforest, whom the Emperor Napoleon had nominated as -plenipotentiary on the part of France; and he had now appointed the -Duque to carry this treaty to the Regency, in proof of the confidence -which he reposed in them, that they might ratify it in their usual -manner, and send it back to him after this necessary form without loss -of time. How satisfactory,” he concluded, “is it for me to stop the -effusion of blood, and to see the end of so many evils! and how do I -long to return and live among a people, who have given the universe -an example of the purest loyalty, and of the noblest and most generous -character!” - -This letter seemed to leave the Regency no power of deliberation, -but simply to require that they should ratify the treaty. But in -fact, Ferdinand, if he had any such wish, had no such expectation; -and he had penetration enough to see that the course of events which -had compelled Buonaparte to treat with him upon such terms, must -in their consequences restore him to his kingdom; even though the -Regency should, as he supposed, refuse to ratify it, because of their -engagement with the allied powers. He gave the Duque, therefore, -♦SECRET INSTRUCTIONS FROM FERDINAND.♦ secret verbal instructions to -inquire into the spirit of the Regency and the Cortes; and if he -should find them loyal and well affected to his royal person, ... -not, as he suspected, tainted with infidelity and Jacobinism, ... he -was then to let the Regency know, but in the greatest confidence, his -royal intention that the treaty should be ratified, if it could be -done without injury to the good faith which Spain owed to the allied -powers, or to the public weal; but that he was far from requiring -this if it were otherwise. Should the Regency be of opinion, that -without compromising these points, the treaty might be ratified, upon -an understanding with England temporarily, and until his return to -Spain should in consequence be effected, upon the supposition that -he, without whose free approbation it could not be complete, would -not ratify it when at liberty, but would declare it to have been -constrained and null, and moreover as being injurious to the nation; -in that case he wished them so to ratify it, because the French could -not reasonably reproach him, if, having acquired information concerning -the state of Spain, which had been withheld from him in his captivity, -he should refuse to confirm it. But if the Duque should discover that -the spirit of Jacobinism prevailed in the Regency and the Cortes, he -was then simply to require that the treaty should be ratified; for this -would ♦ESCOIQUIZ, 108–10.♦ not prevent the King from continuing the war -after his return, if the interest and good faith of the nation should -so require. This intention, however, was to be kept profoundly secret, -lest, through any treachery, it should be made known to the French -government. - -♦MACANAZ SENT TO VALENÇAY.♦ - -With these instructions the Duque departed, travelling under the -assumed name of Ducós, that his mission might not be suspected. -Laforest remained at Valençay, still under a false name, and keeping -out of sight, in the same part of the castle which Ferdinand and the -Infantes inhabited; and before the Duque’s departure, Don Pedro de -Macanaz was sent thither by Buonaparte to continue the conferences with -this diplomatist. However much the Regency, or rather the Cortes (for -the Regency was now the mere organ of its pleasure) might be surprised -when the treaty was communicated to them, they were not unprovided -♦JAN. 8.♦ for such an event. The Regency accordingly expressed in reply -their joy upon seeing the King’s signature, and being assured of his -good health, and of that of the Infantes, and of the noble sentiments -which he cherished for his dear Spain. “If,” they said, “they could -but ill express their own satisfaction, still less could they the joy -of that noble and magnanimous people who had sworn fidelity to him; -nor the sacrifices which they had made, were making, and still would -make, till they should see him placed upon the throne of love and -justice which they had prepared for him: they must content themselves -with declaring to his Majesty that he was the beloved and the desired -of the whole nation. It was their duty to put him in possession of a -decree passed by the Cortes on the 1st of January, 1811; so doing, they -were excused from making the slightest observation upon the treaty, in -which his Majesty had the most authentic proof that the sacrifices made -by the Spaniards for the recovery of his royal person had not been made -in vain. And they congratulated him upon seeing that the day was now -near when they should enjoy the inexpressible happiness of delivering -up to him the royal authority which they had preserved for him in -faithful deposit during his captivity.” The decree which accompanied -this letter was that by which the Cortes enacted that no treaty which -the King might conclude during his restraint and captivity should be -recognized by Spain. - -♦ZAYAS AND PALAFOX RELEASED.♦ - -Some delay had taken place in the Duque de S. Carlos’s journey, owing -to the removal of the Cortes from Cadiz to Madrid just at that time. In -the interim, Buonaparte, who was now as desirous to withdraw his troops -from the Peninsula as, in evil hour for himself, he had once been of -introducing them there, sought to accelerate that object. He released -Zayas and Palafox, who had been kept close prisoners at Vincennes, -and sent them to Valençay. Escoiquiz soon followed them; and Laforest -proposed that orders should be given by the Regency, immediately after -the ratification, for a general suspension of hostilities, humanity -requiring that all useless expenditure of blood should be avoided. -The Emperor, he said, had appointed Marshal Suchet his commissioner -for executing that part of the treaty which related to evacuating the -fortresses; and it now depended upon the Spanish government alone -to expedite this business, and effect the release of prisoners; the -generals and officers should proceed by post to their own country, and -the soldiers be delivered upon the frontier as fast as they arrived -there. This being assented to by Macanaz and Escoiquiz, ♦PALAFOX SENT -TO THE REGENCY. DEC. 23.♦ on Ferdinand’s part, it was determined that -Palafox should be sent to communicate it to the Regency, bearing with -him a duplicate of the Duque’s commission, in case any accident might -have happened to him upon the way; and also a letter in which Ferdinand -expressed his persuasion that the Regency had by this time ratified -the treaty. But Palafox had secret instructions to see the English -ambassador at Madrid, express to him how grateful the King felt for -the exertions of the British government in his favour, and communicate -to him, in secrecy, the King’s real intention in thus negotiating with -Buonaparte, in order that that government, far from resenting such a -proceeding, should contribute to its fulfilment. The ♦REPLY OF THE -SPANISH GOVERNMENT. 1814. JAN. 28.♦ Regency replied to this second -communication by referring to their former reply; they added, that “an -ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary had now been named, on -his Majesty’s part, for a congress in which the allies were about to -give peace to Europe. In that congress, they said, the treaty would -be concluded; and it would be ratified not by the Regency, but by his -Majesty himself, in his own royal palace of Madrid, whither he would -be restored to occupy, in the most absolute liberty, a throne rendered -illustrious by the heroic sacrifices of the Spaniards, and by his own -sublime virtues. And they expressed their satisfaction in the thought -that they should soon deliver up to his Majesty the authority wherewith -they were intrusted, ... a charge of such weight that it could rest -only upon the robust shoulders of a monarch who, by re-establishing -the Cortes, had restored to freedom an enslaved people, and driven the -ferocious monster, Despotism, from the throne of Spain.” - -♦MEASURES OF THE CORTES.♦ - -The Spanish government would have acted thus far prudently in its -communication with Ferdinand, if it had abstained from this empty -language: but the _Liberales_, as the ruling party called themselves, -were, some, vain of their talents, others confident in the uprightness -of their intentions, and all alike ignorant of their weakness. If the -abler leaders of this party had not proceeded so far as they desired -and perhaps designed, they were yet conscious that they had proceeded -farther than their functions warranted and than Ferdinand would -sanction. They held, therefore, a secret sitting of the Cortes, and -deliberated upon the measures to be taken in case the King should pass -the frontiers. It was proposed, by a commission appointed to report -upon this emergency, that he should not be considered as being free, -nor should obedience be rendered him, until he should have sworn to -the Constitution in the bosom of the Cortes; that the Generals on the -frontiers should send expresses to the government with all speed, as -soon as they obtained any tidings of his probable coming; that if he -were accompanied by any armed force, that force should be repulsed, -according to the laws of war; should it consist of Spaniards, they -were to lay down their arms, and those who had been carried prisoners -into France licensed to return each to his home; whatever General -might have the honour of receiving the King being to supply him with -a guard suitable to his royal dignity and person. No foreigner should -be allowed to accompany him, not even as a domestic or servant; no -Spaniard who had filled any office, received any pension, or accepted -any honour from Buonaparte or from the Intruder. The Regency should be -charged to fix the route by which the King should proceed to Madrid; -and the President of the Regency, as soon as he arrived in Spain, -should set out to meet and accompany him with a proper retinue, and -present him with a copy of the Constitution, that so his Majesty, -having made himself acquainted therewith, might, upon full deliberation -and with entire consent, take the oath which it prescribed. Having -reached the capital, he should proceed straight to the Cortes, there to -take the said oath, with all the ceremonies and solemnities enjoined: -this done, thirty Members of that assembly should attend him to the -palace, where the Regency should resign the government into his hands; -on the same day the Cortes should prepare a decree for making known to -the nation the solemn act by which, and in virtue of the oath which -he should then have sworn, the King had been constitutionally placed -upon the throne; and this decree should be presented to the King by a -deputation, that it might be published with all due formalities. The -opinion of the Council of State upon this proposition was required -within four-and-twenty hours. - -♦FEB. 1.♦ - -The Council was of opinion that the King ought not to exercise any -authority till he should have taken the oath before the Cortes. They -thought that a deputation should be appointed to meet him, and inform -him concerning the state of affairs and of public opinion, both as to -the eternal and sworn hatred of Napoleon, and the observance of the -Constitution. One member of the Council advised that the deputation -should consist of members of the Cortes, two of whom in rotation should -accompany the King in his coach till he arrived at the palace; and -also that all the soldiers who had been prisoners in France should -be detained upon the frontier, and all the King’s attendants also, -till they should have taken the oath. “It must be believed,” said the -Council, “that if Napoleon sends Ferdinand to Spain, it can only be for -the purpose of laying a new snare for us, and making him the instrument -of his iniquitous schemes, and rendering him, perhaps, odious to a -nation which now longs for his presence, ... it must be with the design -of fomenting a civil war, in which he may be entrapped, seduced, and -compelled to take a part; that the attention of the allies may thus -be distracted, and the progress of their operations be delayed. Now, -therefore, more than ever Spain stands in need of that energy which -hitherto she has displayed against the common enemy; now it is that -she must manifest to the King how much she has done for his sake, and -how much she loves him; but at the same time how much she loves the -Constitution, and abhors the tyrannical disturber of the world. And, -therefore, it is now more than ever of importance that efforts should -be redoubled for maintaining our armies upon a good footing, and -co-operating more effectually for the destruction of that monster.” - -In this transaction Buonaparte acted towards Ferdinand with good faith, -because he had no interest in acting otherwise; so he could extricate -his garrisons he cared not now what might become of Spain. Ferdinand -conducted himself with as much prudence and as little duplicity as -could be expected in his situation. The Liberales miscalculated their -strength; their measures implied a distrust of the King; and if he -inferred from their language, that, under all its professions of -respectful and affectionate loyalty, a defiance was couched there in -case he should hesitate to recognise the new order of things, he was -not mistaken in its purport and intent. - - - - -CHAPTER XLVI. - - PROCEEDINGS IN FRANCE. THE DUC D’ANGOULEME GOES TO LORD WELLINGTON’S - ARMY. LERIDA, MEQUINENZA, AND MONZON RECOVERED BY STRATAGEM. - PASSAGE OF THE ADOUR. BATTLE OF ORTHES. THE ALLIES RECEIVED AT - BOURDEAUX. BATTLE OF TOULOUSE. SORTIE FROM BAYONNE. RESTORATION - OF FERDINAND. CONCLUSION. - - -♦1814.♦ - -Buonaparte had returned to France breathing vengeance. He sent before -him two-and-twenty standards taken in the course of his German -campaign; and he announced to his Council of State, in troubled and -passionate language, the extent of his danger, and his determination -of opposing and overcoming it by the most ♦BUONAPARTE’S SPEECH TO HIS -COUNCIL.♦ violent efforts. “Wellington,” said he, “is in the south, the -Russians threaten the northern frontier, Austria the south-eastern, ... -yet, shame to speak it, the nation has not risen in mass to repel them! -Every ally has abandoned me: the Bavarians have betrayed me!... Peace? -no peace, till Munich is in flames! I demand of you 300,000 men; I will -form a camp at Bourdeaux of 100,000, another at Lyons, a third at Metz: -with the remnant of my former levies, I shall have 1,000,000 of men in -arms. But it is men whom I demand, full-grown men; not these miserable -striplings who choke my hospitals with sick, and my highways with their -carcases.... Give up Holland? rather let it sink into the sea! Peace, -it seems, is talked of, when all around ought to re-echo with the cry -of war!” - -♦NOVEMBER. - -PROCEEDINGS OF THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT.♦ - -Accordingly the obsequious senate placed, in official form and phrase, -300,000 conscripts at the disposal of the minister of war: they were -to be taken from the men who had been liable to the conscription in -former years, as far back as 1806, with an exception however in favour -of those who should have been married prior to the publication of this -decree; half this number were immediately to take the field, the others -to be held in reserve, and brought forward in case the eastern frontier -should be invaded. Comte Dejean, who ♦COMTE DEJEAN.♦ addressed the -senate upon this measure, said that painful as it was thus to call upon -classes who had formerly been free from the conscription, circumstances -now required such a measure: by this means men would be ranged under -the French eagles, who united strength with courage, and could support -the fatigues of war; while the younger conscripts would have time in -garrisons and in armies of reserve to acquire vigour for seconding the -sentiments which inspired them. “The cry of alarm,” said Regnaud de S. -Jean d’Angely, ♦REGNAUD DE S. JEAN D’ANGELY.♦ “and of succour, sent -forth by our sons and brethren in arms, still gloriously combating upon -the banks of the Rhine, has resounded upon the Seine and the Rhone, the -Doubs and the Gironde, the Moselle and the Loire, the mountains of Jura -and of the Vosges, the Alps and the Pyrenees. All true Frenchmen are -already prepared to meet the wants of their country, ... to meet the -dangers and sacrifices which must prevent other dangers and sacrifices -far more frightful, both for their extent and for the humiliation which -must accompany them. If the coalesced armies could penetrate beyond the -Pyrenees, the Alps, or the Rhine, then the day of peace could not shine -upon France; there could be no peace till we should repulse the enemy, -and drive him far from our territory. Noble sons of our dear France! -generous defenders of our glorious country! you, who close the entrance -of France against the English, the Russians, and their allies, you -shall not be left without support in the holy and honourable struggle -to which you have devoted yourselves. A little while, and numerous -battalions of men, mighty in strength and in courage, will come to aid -you in again seizing upon victory, and in delivering the French soil.” - -♦COMTE LACEPÈDE.♦ - -“Your Majesty,” said Comte Lacepède, “who knows better than any one -the wants and the sentiments of your subjects, know that we desire -peace. But all the nations of the continent are in greater need of it -than we are; and if, notwithstanding the wishes and interest of more -than 150 millions of souls, our enemies should think of presenting to -us a sort of capitulation, their expectations will be deceived; the -French people show by their devotement and their sacrifices that no -nation ever better understood their duties toward their country, their -honour, and their sovereign.” To this Buonaparte made answer, ... “It -is but a year since all Europe was with us; all Europe marches against -us now: this is because the opinion of the world is directed by France -or by England. We should have every thing to fear, were it not for the -energy and the power of the nation. Posterity will say that if great -and critical circumstances offered themselves, they were not superior -to France and to me.” His heart was hardened, or he might now have made -peace upon terms which would speedily have enabled him again to disturb -the world; but his spirit was unbroken; and his abilities were never at -any time so signally displayed, as in making head against the dangers -which were about to beset him on all sides. It was no longer possible -to keep the people in ignorance of the real state of things: the press, -which hitherto under his tyranny had been employed in deceiving them, -was made use of now to excite them, by declaring the whole truth as -respected the danger, but suppressing it upon all other points: the -allies were charged with breach of faith and inordinate ambition, they -were represented as all seeking their own aggrandizement; and the -Emperor Napoleon as struggling alone against them, for the honour and -the interests ♦BUONAPARTE’S SPEECH TO THE LEGISLATIVE ASSEMBLY.♦ of -France. He himself addressed the legislature to the same effect, ... -“Brilliant victories,” said he, “have illustrified the French arms in -this campaign; unexampled defections have rendered those victories -useless. Every thing has turned against us. France itself would be in -danger were it not for the energy and unanimity of the French. I have -never been seduced by prosperity; adversity will find me superior to -its attacks. Often have I given peace to nations when they had lost -all.... From part of my conquests I have erected thrones for kings -who have abandoned me. I had conceived and executed great designs for -the prosperity and happiness of the world. A monarch and a father, -I know what peace adds to the security of thrones and of families. -Negotiations have been set on foot. I hoped that the congress would by -this time have met; but delays, which are not attributable to France, -have deferred the moment which is called for by the wishes of the -world.” When Buonaparte said this, he had no hope of peace, no desire -for it, no intention of making any such concessions as would render it -possible. - -♦BRITISH REGULATIONS FOR TRADING WITH THE CAPTURED FRENCH PORTS.♦ - -As yet none of the other allied armies had passed the frontier; -but Lord Wellington was established in France, where, taking into -consideration the necessity of fixing the bases upon which the trade -with the ports of French Navarre to the south of the Adour should be -regulated, he published a proclamation, declaring that those ports -were ♦DEC. 18.♦ open to all nations who were not at war with any of -the allied powers, and fixing a duty of five per ♦DEC. 31.♦ cent. _ad -valorem_ upon all articles, except grain and salt, and stores for the -use of the army. An order of council was also published in England, -permitting British ♦JAN. 14.♦ vessels to trade with these and such -other French ports as might be under the protection, or in the military -occupation of his Majesty’s arms. To this then were the decrees of -Berlin and Milan come at last! The tyrant who had endeavoured to shut -the ports of all Europe against British ships and British merchandise, -and at one time had well nigh accomplished his barbarous and -barbarizing purpose, saw England now regulating the commerce of his own -ports, and levying duties in France, ... not after his example, with -blind and merciless rapacity, but upon those principles of moderation -and equity, on which her power has been raised, and by which her -prosperity is supported. Three years had not elapsed since the official -journal of Buonaparte’s government had said, that instead of defending -Portugal and Cadiz, Great Britain’s efforts would soon be required for -the defence of Gibraltar; that Spain having been conquered foot by foot -was on the point of being entirely subjected; that Wellington’s mode -of defending Portugal had been by abandoning the fortresses and laying -waste the country, and God grant, said the Moniteur, that he may one -day defend England in the same manner! “Our continental system,” said -the official journalist, “is completed; it diminishes your receipts by -crippling your commerce, and increases your expenses by obliging you -to keep armies in Lisbon and Sicily. In the meantime the French army, -according to our fundamental law, lives on the country in which it is -making war, and only costs us the pay which it would do at home.” - -“The credit which sustained the colossal power of Great Britain,” -said Buonaparte to his Legislative Body in the summer of 1811, “is no -more. Her allies are either lost or destroyed. She ruins all whom she -would subsidize; she exhausts her own people in useless efforts. But -the struggle against this modern Carthage will now be decided on the -plains of Spain; the peace of the continent will not be disturbed; -England herself shall feel the evils which during twenty years she has -inflicted on the continental nations. A clap of thunder shall put an -end to the affairs of the Peninsula, seal the fate of her armies, and -avenge Europe and Asia by terminating this second Punic ♦DECEMBER.♦ -war.” With what feelings must Buonaparte now have reflected upon these -bootless boasts! - -With as little satisfaction too could he reflect upon the result of -that fundamental principle of his military system, by which his armies -were made to live on the countries wherein they were making war. The -principle of the British commander was to demand nothing from the -inhabitants, and to seize nothing; not a single ration was required -from them; they were paid on the spot for every thing which they -brought, while Soult’s army drained the adjoining provinces by its -requisitions, and his soldiers were rendered at once formidable and -odious to their own countrymen by the insolent and lawless habits which -they had acquired in the Peninsula. The passage of the Nive had put the -allies in possession of a large tract of country singularly fertile; -they obtained great part of their forage from it; and the right wing by -its position on the left of the Adour, commanded the navigation of that -river, and often intercepted the enemy’s supplies. In that deep soil, -and in a season of continued rain, it was not possible for the army to -advance, an individual indeed could with difficulty make his way any -where but on the paved road; ... it was hardly thought bad walking if -the waters were not more than knee-deep. ♦INJURY DONE BY DESTROYING THE -WOODS IN THIS PART OF THE PYRENEES.♦ One of those unforeseen effects -which frequently arise when man interferes upon a large scale with the -works of nature, has rendered this country liable to inundations in -winter and spring, and to drought in summer. About the middle of the -seventeenth century a speculator[4] undertook to supply the French -government with ship timber from the Pyrenees; to effect this it was -necessary for him to increase the waters of the two rivers, or, as -they are there called, _Gaves_ of Pau and Oleron; and by turning into -them the course of numerous rivulets, he doubled the volume of the -latter stream, and increased the current of the Adour so much that a -50-gun ship could cross the bar of Bayonne with less difficulty than -before that time was experienced by a vessel with ten guns. He expended -300,000 crowns upon this scheme, succeeded in it, and ruined his -family. But permanent evil was occasioned to the country: for when the -mountains were clothed with woods, the snow which was collected there -melted gradually under their shade, and fed the streams during the -whole year; afterwards, when the snow was exposed to the sun and rain, -the streams poured down in torrents, rendering the rivers destructive -during the winter and spring, and scarcely supplying water enough in -summer for navigation. - -While the allies waited in their cantonments till the season should -allow them to recommence their operations, telegraphic signal stations, -to guard against surprise, were formed on the churches of Guethary, -Arcangues, and Vieux Monguerre, and these communicated with one upon -a high sand-hill, on the north side of St. Jean de Luz, near the -entrance from the Bayonne road: so that notice of any hostile movement -might almost instantaneously be communicated to the head-quarters. -Works were thrown up in front of the left, as the most assailable -part of the line, at Bidaut, at Arcangues, and almost on every knoll. -On such occasions it was that unavoidable injury was done to the -inhabitants. If a chateau unfortunately stood where it was deemed -expedient to fortify it, every part was pulled down that did not serve -for the purposes of defence; and all the noble trees around it were -felled, while the owner looked on, a sad and helpless spectator of the -ruin. These were cases of individual hardship; nothing could be more -honourable to the British character than the extreme care which was -taken to prevent all avoidable injury, and this was acknowledged by -the people with equal surprise and thankfulness. No army ever behaved -better even in its own country than the British army at this time in -France, and this was owing to Lord Wellington’s regulations. There -was another part of the British general’s conduct which attracted the -notice and commanded the respect of the French people; he regularly -attended divine service, with all his staff, not in the church, but -on the sandy beach, the brigade of guards forming a square there. The -service of Christmas-day[5] was performed there, on a bright frosty -day, not a breath of wind stirring, and no extraneous sound but that of -a high surf breaking at least half a mile from the shore, and flashing -in the sunshine. - -♦MOVEMENTS IN THE MONTH OF JANUARY. - -1814.♦ - -Towards the end of December the floods carried away the bridges -which had been thrown over the Nive, but they were soon replaced. A -detachment was sent towards Hasparren to clear the country in the -rear of the right wing of the enemy’s cavalry under Paris; and on new -year’s day a small island in the Adour, near Monguerre, was taken from -the French without opposition. At this time Clausel was assembling a -considerable force on the Gave de Oleron; on the third he drove in -the cavalry piquets between the Joyeuse and the Bidouze, and attacked -the posts of Major-General Buchan’s Portugueze brigade on the former -river, near La Bastide, and those of the third division in Bouloc. The -enemy turned the right of the Portugueze brigade on the heights of -La Costa, and established two divisions there and on La Bastide, on -the Joyeuse, with the remainder of their force on the Bidouze and the -Gave. The centre and right of the allies were immediately concentrated -and prepared to move; Lord Wellington reconnoitred the enemy the next -day, and would have attacked them on the ensuing, if the weather and -the swelling of the rivulets had not occasioned a day’s delay. But on -the 6th the attack was made by the 3rd and 4th divisions, supported -by Buchan’s Portugueze brigade of General Le Cor’s division, and the -cavalry under Major-General Fane; the enemy were dislodged without -loss on our side, and the troops resumed their former positions. Mina -was at this time with three battalions at Bidarray and St. Etienne -de Baygorey, observing the movements of the enemy from St. Jean de -Pied-de-Port. The people of the vale of Baygorey had distinguished -themselves in the war of 1793 by their brave opposition to the Spanish -troops; that spirit had been transmitted to the present generation, -and it was called into action by their countryman Harispe, one of the -most active of the French generals. They were the only peasantry who -manifested any disposition to act against the allies; by their aid, -with that of Paris’s division, and such troops as could be spared from -the garrison of St. Jean, Harispe ♦JAN. 12.♦ moved against Mina, and -compelled him to retire into the valley of Aldudes. - -♦FALSE REPORTS CIRCULATED BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT.♦ - -These were the only military movements on this side during the month -of January; and the state of affairs here was disguised as much as -possible from the French people; Buonaparte persisting to the last in -that system of falsehood by which he had so long flattered and deluded -them. It could not, indeed, be concealed that Lord Wellington’s army -was wintering in France, though by what train of events it should -have arrived there the French were left to guess. But it was affirmed -that he had been defeated in the actions before Bayonne with the loss -of 15,000 men; that he now thought of nothing more than intrenching -himself within his own lines; that Clausel had assumed an attitude -which alarmed him; ... that his situation was becoming more and more -critical; ... that the misunderstanding between the Spanish and English -troops increased every day; ... that the British commander began to -fear lest the part of the French army which remained in the camp at -Bayonne might cut off his retreat; in fine, that the allies were filled -with consternation, and that while they were suffering from want of -provisions, their convoys were wrecked upon the coast of the Landes -department, and supplied the French with beef and clothing, and with -packages of pressed hay, which were sent to Bayonne, and there served -out to Marshal Soult’s cavalry. - -♦THE DUC D’ANGOULÊME GOES TO LORD WELLINGTONS ARMY.♦ - -But while the Moniteur, in its official articles, dwelt thus upon -a chance shipwreck, and attempted, in its usual strain, to deceive -the French people, that part of the nation who remembered what had -been the state of France before its baneful revolution regarded the -progress of the British arms with secret satisfaction, because it -offered a hope of the restoration of the Bourbons, and of that peace -and security which could be obtained by no other means. The Bourbons -themselves thought it was now time for them to take advantage of the -course of events, and remind France that by putting an end to their -unmerited exile she might put an end to her own multiplied calamities. -The Duc d’Angoulême, therefore, with the Duc de Guiche, Comte Etienne -de Damas, and Comte d’Escars, sailed from England for Passages, and -proceeded to St. Jean de Luz. But as the allied powers, whether wisely -or not, had as yet held out no encouragement to the hopes of this royal -family, Lord Wellington could receive him with no public honours. -Many of the inhabitants, however, hastened to pay their court to him; -and the mayor of this little town, expressing to him a hope that the -calamities which France had so long endured would soon be terminated -by peace, observed, that peace could no otherwise be guaranteed than -by the word of their legitimate sovereign; and requested his Royal -Highness to convey to the king an assurance of cordial allegiance -from the municipality and people of that place. Deputations were also -sent to him from the neighbouring communes; and, before his arrival, -a circumstance had occurred which more unequivocally manifested the -disposition of the people. There was an emigrant officer in the British -army whose family estates were in the neighbourhood of Pau; a native -of that part of the country came to St. Jean de Luz charged by the -tenants of those estates to tell him how much they wished to live again -under their own old laws and customs, and how happy they should be -once more to pay their rents to their old master. The Duc, under the -name of the Comte de Pradelles, lived with the utmost privacy, as the -circumstances required; but he addressed a proclamation to the French -army, and agents were not wanting to circulate it. He called upon them -to rally round the _fleurs-de-lys_, which he was come, he said, to -display once more in his dear country; and he guaranteed, in the name -of the king, his uncle, their rank and pay to those who should join -him, and rewards proportionate to their services. “Soldiers,” he said, -“it is the descendant of Henri IV.; ... it is the husband of a princess -whose misfortunes are unequalled, but whose only wishes are for the -prosperity of France; ... it is a prince who, forgetting, in imitation -of your king, all his own sufferings, and mindful only of yours, throws -himself now with confidence into your arms!” - -♦ROCHEJAQUELEIN COMES TO THE BRITISH CAMP.♦ - -A movement such as this address was intended to excite had already -begun, but it was among men who had been trained in better principles -than the soldiers of the revolution. An agent of Louis XVIII. had -arrived at Bourdeaux, and had found in that city the Marquis de la -Rochejaquelein, whom it was part of his commission to see, and say -to him that the king depended upon him for La Vendée. Rochejaquelein -is one of the redeeming names that appear in the black and bloody -history of the French revolution. The present Marquis had succeeded -to the title, the principles, and the virtues of his brother, who, in -the first Vendean war, had addressed his soldiers in these memorable -words: “_Si j’avance, suivez-moi; si je recule, tuez-moi; si je meurs, -vengez-moi_[6]!” “If I advance, follow me; if I falter, kill me; if I -fall, avenge me!” He now went through Anjou and Touraine, and awakened -that spirit which the National Convention had not been able, even by -its most atrocious barbarities, to suppress. A scheme was formed for -delivering Ferdinand from Valençay; but the person who was to have -headed the enterprise died at the time when it should have taken -place; and, indeed, no advantage could have been derived from it then, -if it had succeeded. Rochejaquelein’s designs were suspected, and M. -Lynch, the mayor of Bourdeaux, who was then at Paris, warned him, by -an express that orders were given for arresting him, and bringing him -dead or alive before Savary, Buonaparte’s worthy minister of police. -He escaped to Bourdeaux, and while remaining there in concealment, -heard that the Duc d’Angoulême was with the English army. Upon this he -determined immediately to repair to him, and receive his orders; but -before he set out upon this most hazardous adventure he requested an -interview with M. Lynch, who was just then returned from the capital. -That magistrate, who was always a loyalist at heart, foresaw the -speedy overthrow of Buonaparte, and had already given his word to the -Polignacs (then in confinement), that if Bourdeaux declared for the -king, he would be the first to mount the white cockade; this promise -he now renewed to Rochejaquelein, and charged him to assure the Duc -of his devoted services, and that he would deliver to him the keys of -the town. After many difficulties and dangers, the Marquis succeeded -in getting on board a ship bound, with a license, to S. Sebastian’s; -and, escaping from a storm by which several vessels were wrecked on the -coast, he landed at Passages, and hastened to St. Jean de Luz. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON REFUSES TO SEND AN EXPEDITION TO THE COAST OF POITOU.♦ - -When the Duc heard his report of the state of feeling in La Vendée, of -the general opinion which prevailed in France, and of the disposition -which there was to receive him in Bourdeaux, he declared that nothing -should now make him forsake that country in which he had found subjects -who were still so faithful. Without delay, accompanied by the Duc de -Guiche, Rochejaquelein proceeded to Lord Wellington, who was then at -Garitz; he assured him that Bourdeaux would declare for the Bourbons -as soon as a British force should approach it; and, as the means of -effecting a powerful diversion in aid of that loyal city, he proposed -that the British General should send one or two vessels and a few -hundred men to land him by night upon the coast of Poitou, escort -him some two leagues into the interior, and then leave him there: -while they re-embarked and drew the attention of the troops, he would -pursue his way alone, and raise once more that loyal race who had -exerted themselves so dutifully, and suffered so severely, in the -most frantic and ferocious times of the revolution. Lord Wellington -listened with great interest to these representations; but he doubted -whether the feelings of the people towards the royal family were what -Rochejaquelein believed them to be; and he did not think himself -authorized to detach even a small force upon an expedition such as -♦MÉMOIRES DE LA MARQUISE DE LA ROCHEJAQUELEIN, PP. 513–28.♦ was -proposed, when he had no instructions from his own government, and -moreover when he was on the eve of great operations, ... for he was now -preparing to pass the Adour. - -♦SUCHET FAILS IN AN ATTEMPT TO SURPRISE A BRITISH CORPS. - -DECEMBER.♦ - -On the side of Catalonia, meantime, all went on favourably for the -allies; for if they were too weak to obtain any advantages for -themselves, the enemy was weakened to a greater degree, in consequence -of the progress of the war in other quarters. Marshal Suchet made one -vigorous attempt in the beginning of December to surprise the corps -at Villafranca, where the British head-quarters were established. He -made a forced night march in this hope with about 15,000 men; but -timely information had been obtained. Sarsfield’s division, which was -stationed there, retired across the country to the left; the British -cavalry and artillery fell back about eight miles along the main road -to Arbos, where there was a strong position, and whither General -Mackenzie moved his division to their support; and Suchet, having -failed in his intention, retired from Villafranca on the afternoon -of the same day, and returned to the Llobregat as rapidly as he had -advanced. The wants of the Spanish army had now become so pressing -that it was necessary to send Sarsfield’s cavalry to the rear, where -it might be possible for them to subsist, his infantry being sometimes -upon the shortest allowance, and without any sure prospect of even -that insufficient dole for more than two or three days. His troops -must from sheer destitution have quitted the field had it not been for -the merchants of Villa-nueva, who, at his earnest persuasion, but on -their own credit, and at their own risk, supplied them with provisions -from the imports which arrived at that port. Not a murmur meantime -was heard from the men; nor did they evince the slightest feeling -of discontent or jealousy when they saw the Anglo-Sicilian troops, -forming part of the same army, duly supplied, while they themselves -were hungered. Only if the greater strength of the British soldiers -appeared, when they were engaged together in the public works, a -Spaniard would sometimes quietly say, “Give us your rations, and you -shall see us work as well as you do.” - -After the Nassau battalions had passed over to Lord Wellington’s camp, -immediate advice had been dispatched to Sir William Clinton; and the -information was with due secrecy communicated to the officer who -commanded the Nassau troops in Catalonia; but this person preferring -what he considered his military obligations to his national duty, -delivered the papers into General Habert’s hands, who had succeeded -Maurice ♦THE GERMAN TROOPS IN BARCELONA DISARMED.♦ Mathieu in the -command at Barcelona. The French would, perhaps, have been better -pleased if he had followed the example of his better-minded countrymen; -for that German feeling which the officer had renounced existed among -the men, and it was deemed necessary to disarm them all, 2400 in -number, thus weakening the army of Catalonia, and bringing upon it -this additional inconvenience, that the men of whose services it was -deprived were to be supported as prisoners, and guarded also. This -officer was mortally wounded a few weeks afterwards in a sally from -Barcelona. - -♦TROOPS WITHDRAWN FROM SUCHET’S ARMY.♦ - -Suchet’s force was still farther weakened by the withdrawal of 2000 -of his Italian troops; he then proposed to the French government, -as a measure of expediency, that they should dismantle the city of -Barcelona, and content themselves with occupying the citadel and -Fort Monjuic, whereby 5000 of the garrison would be disposable for -service; but his advice was rejected, the possession of Barcelona -being deemed necessary for the support of the army in Catalonia. About -the same time two strong battalions of Spaniards were detached from -the Anglo-Sicilian army, at the pressing request of General Roche, -to assist him in blockading Murviedro. Tarragona had now been so far -repaired as to be in a defensible state; but such was the exhausted -condition of the province that no stores of any kind could be obtained -from it for the Spanish authorities. ♦FAILURE OF AN ATTEMPT AGAINST THE -ENEMY AT MOLINS DEL REY. JANUARY.♦ While both armies were withheld -from undertaking any important operation by the diminution of strength -on both sides, and by the increasing difficulties of obtaining supplies -on the part of the Anglo-Sicilians, a plan was concerted between -Sir William Clinton and Manso for attacking the enemy’s cantonments -at Molins del Rey and the adjoining villages on the Llobregat: Sir -William was to move with 8000 men upon the Barcelona road and attack -them in front, while Manso should post himself upon the strong ground -in the rear of Molins del Rey, close to the only road by which they -could retire. Copons had assented to this project, and agreed to -lend Manso and his brigade for this service, both the men and their -commander being worthy of all confidence. ♦JAN. 17.♦ The enterprise -failed, because Copons, without making any communication to the English -General, instead of sending Manso, chose to go himself with a larger -force, set off two hours later than the time which had been agreed -upon, and finally appeared on the right flank of the enemy instead -of in the rear; meantime the force from Villafranca having arrived -at the hour appointed, the French, who, if there had been the same -punctuality on the other side, must have been taken by surprise, were -able to effect their retreat over the Llobregat by the stone bridge -near Molins, which was well fortified. Upon the first alarm Suchet -dispatched troops to support General Pannetier, who was in command -there, and manœuvred in the hope of decoying the allies to a dangerous -advance: but Sir William was too wary to incur any unwise risk, when -the object of his movement had been disappointed. Had Manso been left -to execute what had been concerted with him, Pannetier’s division must -in all likelihood have been captured. - -♦FARTHER DRAFTS FROM SUCHET’S ARMY.♦ - -A few days afterwards Marshal Suchet received positive orders from -Paris to dispatch for Lyons with the least possible delay two-thirds -of his cavalry, from 8000 to 10,000 foot, and fourscore field-pieces. -He renewed his representations concerning Barcelona, saying, he should -delay till the latest minute his departure from the vicinity of that -city, in the hope of farther instructions; and he advised that, as -the mission of the Duque de S. Carlos had produced no good effect, -Ferdinand should be sent to Barcelona, with an understanding that -France put him in possession of the fortified places, in reliance -upon his honour for sending the garrison home. Meantime he appointed -Habert to the command of Lower Catalonia, the division of the Lower -Ebro being under General Robert, who commanded in Tortosa; that General -was assured that he should soon be delivered, either by succour or by -the conclusion of peace; but at the worst, he was instructed, when -his provisions should fail, which would be before the end of April, -to make for Lerida, collect his troops there, and by a rapid march -through the mountains proceed to Benasque, and so into France. No -farther ♦HE RETIRES TO GERONA.♦ advices having reached him by the first -of February, Marshal Suchet moved with the remains of his army to the -neighbourhood of Gerona; and when, in the course of another fortnight, -instructions came to act as he had advised with regard to Barcelona, -it was too late, the allies having immediately upon his removal -blockaded that city. - -♦ONE OF HIS AIDES-DE-CAMP OPENS A CORRESPONDENCE WITH EROLES.♦ - -A greater mortification awaited him. Eroles, in the month of November, -when confined by a dangerous illness at Manresa, received information -from one in whom he had reason to place entire confidence, that a -Spanish officer, by name D. Juan de Halen, who was then one of Suchet’s -aides-de-camp, was desirous of being restored to the service of his -country, under his protection. Eroles replied that this was not to be -hoped for, unless the officer could make some signal reparation for -the injury which he had done to the Spanish name; but that in waiting -till this could be effected, he might give proof of his sincerity and -earnest of his intentions by communicating such useful information as -his situation about Suchet’s person enabled him to obtain. Van Halen -replied as if he felt himself wounded by being expected to act the part -of a spy: there was not much difficulty in overcoming this objection; -and he found means of transmitting intelligence from time to time, -and, among other papers, a copy of Suchet’s cipher. The more important -communications were not intrusted to writing, but made orally, through -the person by whom this correspondence was opened. - -♦VAN HALEN.♦ - -Juan Van Halen, as may be inferred from his name, was a Spaniard of -Flemish or Brabantine descent. He was a native of the Isle of Leon, -and born in 1789. After some years of active service in the navy, he -was employed in the engineers; and as an officer in that corps bore -a part at Madrid in the tragedy of the 2nd of May. Escaping from the -capital, he joined Blake’s army after the battle of Rio-seco, and was -sent by him to Ferrol; when that place was surrendered, he took the -oath of fidelity to the Intruder, and afterwards held a commission in -his body guards. He had the good fortune subsequently to be employed -in other parts of Europe, and was at Paris when Buonaparte’s reverses -in Germany rendered it no longer doubtful that the part in which -he had engaged must finally be the unsuccessful one. A friend and -countryman, who had come to the same unpleasant conviction, advised -him to forsake the sinking cause; but Van Halen, in his own words, -“could not think of prostrating himself at the feet of the throne and -of his country, unless he could bear with him the testimony of some -such service as might make him worthy of being received in the arms of -Spanish generosity and gratitude, not in those of indulgence, or of -♦RESTAURACION DE LAS PLAZAS, &C. P. 12.♦ strict justice.” So getting -leave from the then expelled Intruder to solicit employment in Spain, -he obtained from the Duc de Feltre an appointment upon Suchet’s staff, -and provided himself with credentials to Eroles, and also with a letter -of recommendation to Sir Rowland Hill. - -♦HE DESERTS FROM THE FRENCH ARMY.♦ - -After carrying on a correspondence with Eroles for about two months, -and arranging with him a plan for attacking some of the places which -the French held on the left of the Llobregat, it was agreed that he -should come over to the Spaniards and put the design in execution; and -hoping both to render service to the cause in which he now embarked, -and to conceal the fact of his own desertion, leaving Barcelona in the -night, he led away with him from the ♦JAN. 17.♦ neighbourhood of that -city two squadrons of cuirassiers, to whom he produced a forged order -of the Marshal’s that they should follow him on a secret expedition. -His intention was that Eroles should intercept them, and make them and -himself prisoners: but the messenger, whom he had dispatched two days -before to apprise the Baron of his movements, fell in with a party of -hussars belonging to the Anglo-Sicilian army, who were scouring the -road to Moncada, and was detained by them; and when Van Halen came to -the place appointed, and found that the scheme had failed, nothing -remained for him but to provide for his own safety by escaping as soon -as he could. Thus his desertion became notorious, and all the plans -which had been formed upon the supposition of keeping it secret were -frustrated. - -♦HIS SCHEME FOR RECOVERING CERTAIN PLACES.♦ - -But Van Halen’s disposition was turned to perilous intrigues and -enterprises: he now conceived a design of recovering some strong -places by stratagem; and Eroles remembering the _Rovirada_ by which -Figueras had been surprised, and being himself of an adventurous -spirit, entered readily into his views, and went with him to General -Copons, whose head-quarters were then at Vich. Copons was not without -difficulty induced to give his consent, and they then proceeded to -Xerta, where Don Josef Sans, who commanded the force before Tortosa, -had his head-quarters. This place was so strictly blockaded that it -was certain no tidings of Van Halen’s desertion could have reached it; -and to induce a belief in other quarters that he had left Catalonia, -bills upon Madrid and other places at a distance had been taken up -for him. He had possessed himself not only of Suchet’s cipher, but of -the handwritings which it was necessary to counterfeit; and letters -were now written as from the Marshal, informing General Robert the -commander that the exigencies of the Emperor’s affairs compelled -him to withdraw all his garrisons from that side of the Llobregat; -that Colonel D’Eschalard of his staff was gone to Tarrasa, there to -conclude the treaty for evacuating them; and that he must be prepared -to depart with his equipage and field-artillery as soon as orders to -that effect should reach him. It was added, that the Emperor had been -pleased to honour him with the grand-cross of the Imperial Order of the -Reunion, and upon this the Marshal offered him his congratulations. -An unlucky peasant was found, who undertook, in the character of a -spy of Suchet’s, to carry this forged dispatch into the town. So few -communications, without a strong escort, escaped the vigilance of the -Catalans, that whenever a single messenger was sent, the letter ... -written in the smallest compass and in the fewest words ... used to -be inclosed in lead, and swallowed by the bearer. Van Halen was well -acquainted with all the details of such transactions. If the enemy sent -a spy out from one of their fortresses, they usually made a sally, -and thus brought him out unobserved, and set him on his way; but the -messenger who was to make his way in, approached in the darkness, and -made a certain signal with a flint and steel. The peasant, though -carefully instructed upon this as upon all other points, forgot this -important part of his instructions, and in consequence was wounded -by the sentinel: the first part of his errand, however, was not the -less performed; the dispatch was delivered to General Robert, and no -suspicion being entertained of the stratagem, the man was sent to the -hospital, and there carefully attended. But the answer which he should -have delivered into the hands of his employers was sent by another -person, and consequently not received by those who were expecting it. - -♦THE DECEIT TRIED AT TORTOSA.♦ - -Having learnt what had befallen their messenger, Eroles and Van Halen -proceeded with their device. A Spanish officer was sent with a letter -from Sans, saying he had just received a copy of a treaty signed at -Tarrasa by the Spanish and French commanders-in-chief in Catalonia, -agreeing upon an armistice of fifteen days for the evacuation of the -places named in the treaty, Tortosa being one; he inclosed a letter -with D’Eschalard’s signature, which it was pretended had accompanied -it, and in which it was stated that the chef d’escadron, Van Halen, -one of the Marshal’s aides-de-camp, would speedily arrive with full -instructions. The garrison were on the point of making a sally -when the officer arrived: the news of the armistice spread; a free -communication in consequence took place with the advanced posts of the -Spaniards, and on the next morning General Robert sent out Colonel -Plique to make arrangements for evacuating the place; at the same -time he liberated some soldiers who had lately been surprised and -made prisoners. The Colonel accordingly came at the hour appointed; -Van Halen presented himself in his aide-de-camp’s uniform, and the -Spanish Captain Daura, as having accompanied him from the Llobregat, -delivered a letter from Copons. Plique desired to be left alone with -Van Halen, whose instructions he was authorized to receive, in case the -Spanish commander should not permit him to enter the town. He inquired -of him concerning the state of affairs which had reduced the Emperor -to sacrifice these places, and Van Halen briefly related the series -of reverses which rendered it necessary to withdraw from Spain 30,000 -men, leaving only garrisons in Barcelona, Gerona, and Figueras. The -Marshal, he said, was before Barcelona, waiting impatiently ♦FEBRUARY.♦ -for their arrival, that he might begin his march: his desire was that -no man should be left in the hospitals if he could safely be removed; -that General Robert should bring away all the artillery he could, and -include the public money with his own to avoid all difficulty upon that -score: for himself, he added, he must proceed with the same orders to -Murviedro and Peñiscola. Plique inquired if the English assented to -the armistice, and was assured that they did. He then asked if the -only favour which the Emperor had bestowed upon their garrison was that -of granting the grand-cross to General Robert, the Marshal, he said, -when he withdrew from Valencia, having promised to recommend several -officers for promotion. Van Halen told him he had understood that two -Generals of Brigade were made, M. Plique himself he believed being -one, and M. Jorry, then at Murviedro, the other. The Colonel appears -to have been completely deceived; but he was instructed to invite -Brigadier Sans to a repast before the town should be evacuated, and to -request that he would send officers of artillery to take possession of -the magazines, and that he would allow the aide-de-camp to return with -him into the town, and take up his quarters there. This, Sans said, he -was positively enjoined not to permit; all he could allow was that M. -Van Halen, accompanied by a Spanish officer, should present himself at -the Puente de Jesus, and confer there with General Robert. When they -reached the bridge, Robert did not come out, but he sent the chief of -his staff, with several officers, and one company, and they renewed the -request that Van Halen might enter; this of course was refused, and in -case an attempt had been made to seize him, Eroles with a body of horse -was near at hand. A letter was sent in, inclosing a copy of the forged -treaty, and the parties then separated. Van Halen suspected that the -deceit had been discovered; still, however, he carried it on, and wrote -to Robert, saying, ♦IT FAILS THERE.♦ that as the officers had urged -him to do, he should have evaded the presence of the Spanish Colonel, -had he not been strictly ordered by Marshal Suchet to do nothing which -could tend to interrupt the good understanding during the armistice; -and being now obliged to communicate without delay his orders in -Murviedro and Peñiscola, he was deprived of the honour of seeing him. -General Robert answered this by a letter to Sans, regretting that he -had not accepted his invitation. Van Halen’s letter, he said, gave -him no satisfactory notion either of his proceedings or those of his -government; and unless he conferred with Van Halen in the fortress, he -should not observe the armistice, but renew hostilities that afternoon, -and continue them till this aide-de-camp, whom he must see, returned -from Murviedro. - -♦ATTEMPT AT LERIDA.♦ - -It was known afterwards that a spy during the preceding night had -entered the town, and his letters made General Robert immediately -suspect the stratagem: disappointed of getting Van Halen into his -hands, and of taking the Spanish officers in a counter-snare, he took -the only vengeance in his power, by putting to death the wounded -peasant who had brought the first forged letter. Eroles, meantime, not -discouraged by this failure, lost no time in trying the same artifice -elsewhere. Mequinenza had hitherto only been observed by part of one -regiment; and the garrison, though reduced in number, made incursions -for many leagues round, by which means they had laid in stores of -provision for eighteen months, and kept the surrounding country in -continual alarm. Eroles, on his way from Xerta towards Lerida, sent his -adjutant, Don Antonio Mazeda, with Don José Antonio Cid, a member of -the provincial deputation of Catalonia, to raise the Somatenes, and by -this means cut off all communication with the place; and he dispatched -before them a peasant with such another letter as that which at first -had imposed upon General Robert. He halted that night a day’s journey -from Lerida, having in his company Don Juan Antonio Daura, who forged -the signatures, Van Halen, and Lieutenant Don Eduardo Bart, who spoke -French so perfectly, that he was able to personate a French officer. -Here they parted company, the two latter making for Torres del Segre, -a place on the river of that name, six leagues from Mequinenza, and -three from Lerida; there they remained in secret, coming out only at -night to confer with Eroles, learn from him the state of affairs, and -copy such papers as were required, none of which were forwarded till -they had been examined by each of the party most carefully. The Baron -himself proceeded to the blockading force before Lerida, and appearing -there as Commandant-General of the blockade of that place, Monzon and -Mequinenza, he reviewed the troops, inspected their posts, and made -♦FEB. 9.♦ dispositions for straitening the blockade; meanwhile the -forged orders were sent in by a trusty agent to the governor, General -Lamarque. Hither the spy from Mequinenza returned, bringing with him -the reply of Baron Bourgeois, the governor, to Marshal Suchet, in which -he acknowledged the receipt of his orders, said that he was preparing -to obey, inclosed the returns of his force, the state of the military -chest and the magazines, and thanked the Emperor for the grand-cross -with which he had been pleased to honour him; the same messenger -brought also a letter from Mazeda, saying that he had strictly -blockaded the place. The reply from the governor of Lerida was in like -manner brought him, and he thus obtained the exact returns which he -wished, and understood also that both commandants were ready to fall -into the snare. - -♦AND AT MEQUINENZA, WHERE IT SUCCEEDS.♦ - -He then set out for Mequinenza, with 300 foot and 40 horse, including -a company of Mina’s division, which he met upon the way, and ordered -to follow him. Van Halen was instructed to join him by a different -road, which he did, in sight of the fortress, Eroles having first sent -in dispatches, signed in D’Eschalard’s name, and sealed with the seal -of the staff, informing the governor of the pretended armistice, and -stating that the two aides-de-camp, Van Halen and Captain Castres, -would go round to the fortresses with the necessary orders; he -accompanied this with a letter in his own name, announced the arrival -of an officer from Marshal Suchet, and requested to be informed what -number of officers the French Commandant would bring out to confer -with this officer in his presence, that he might present himself -with an equal number; coming himself, if the Commandant came, or -deputing one of his chief officers, if General Bourgeois should think -proper to act by delegate: in either case, his troops should be drawn -out at an equal distance with those of the French from any central -point which the Commander might please to name. Time and place were -accordingly appointed, and Van Halen in his French uniform, and Bart -as his orderly, went to the conference without an escort, and with an -effrontery which prevented all suspicion. Van Halen presented a letter -as from Suchet, in which the Marshal was made to say how painfully -he felt the circumstances which compelled him to give orders for -evacuating places wherein, at the cost of so many sacrifices, they had -planted their victorious banners. But unexampled defections had forced -the Emperor to this measure; and his object now was, to preserve these -brave garrisons, and place them once more in the first rank of his -bayonets. His aide-de-camp was charged with verbal communications. Van -Halen acted his part perfectly; and having arranged everything for the -march of the troops, who were to evacuate the place on the following -noon, Eroles hastened with his subtle agent to Lerida, there to repeat -the stratagem. - -♦SUCCESS AT LERIDA;♦ - -The news that Mequinenza was recovered had already spread; but none of -the circumstances were known, and the better to deceive the French, it -was now necessary to deceive the Spaniards also. Eroles, therefore, -issued an order of the day, stating that Mequinenza was that day to be -evacuated, and that Lerida and Monzon were to be given up by the same -treaty; and commanding the Spaniards not to molest the French during -the twelve days’ truce, but to treat them with that generosity which -characterized the Spanish nation. He had approached the blockading -force amid the rejoicings of the people, who gathered round him on his -way. General Lamarque’s suspicions were completely disarmed; and when -he requested that Van Halen might be allowed to enter the place and -confer with him, because his own orders did not permit him to go beyond -a certain distance from it, Van Halen, relying upon his courage and -his strength of countenance, ventured in. The governor met him on the -bridge, and they retired into an adjoining house, where, after some -searching questions, he produced a dispatch received, as he said, by -an emissary who had recently arrived, in which the Marshal approved -of some proposals for the further security of the place, and held -out a hope of succouring him in the course of a few weeks. Van Halen -answered by a reference to the date of his own letter, and the recent -events which had produced an alteration in the Marshal’s views. The -conversation turned upon the Spanish Generals, and the circumstances -of the blockade; and Van Halen took occasion to represent that Eroles -seemed hurt by the General’s declining to communicate with him in -person, when he, in proposing such a meeting, had gone beyond the line -of his instructions from General Copons. The French General, upon this, -not to be outdone in ♦FEB. 14.♦ courtesy, sent to offer a meeting; and -went accordingly beyond his own advanced posts with his treacherous -companion. At this interview everything was arranged, and three o’clock -on the following afternoon was fixed upon as the hour for evacuating -the city. Van Halen was invited to return with the General, and be his -guest that night; but he pleaded the necessity of hastening to Monzon -as his excuse, and thither he departed with a Spanish escort. - -♦AND AT MONZON.♦ - -Monzon had been besieged by part of Mina’s troops since the end of -September, to the great distress of the inhabitants, who were under -the guns of the fortress. The besiegers attempted to mine the rock on -which it was placed. There was but one man belonging to the engineers -in the place, and he was a simple miner; but, being a man of great -ability, the commandant and the garrison confided in him; and the -♦SUCHET, 2. N. PP. 371, 372.♦ works which were executed under his -direction were so skilfully devised, that they baffled all the attempts -of the assailants, and they had in consequence converted the siege -into a blockade. Here Van Halen had two difficulties to overcome with -the Commandant: a report had reached him that there was a Spaniard at -this time with Eroles who had served as aide-de-camp to Suchet; and, -the place being held under the orders of the governor of Lerida, he -could not surrender it, without sending to receive his instructions. -The suspicion which the report ought to have excited seems to have been -removed by the confidence with which Van Halen presented himself. And -the second objection was easily disposed of: the false aide-de-camp, -though he might reasonably judge that the real purport was to discover -whether or not there was any fraud in the business, knew that Lerida -had by this time been delivered up; he prevailed upon the blockading -force, therefore, to let an officer pass with this commission, and -required the Commandant to hold himself in readiness for marching -as soon as he should return. The officer accordingly arrived before -Lerida on the night after its surrender. Eroles affected anger when he -heard his errand, and declared that, if there were any further delay, -the treaty as it respected Monzon should be annulled, and he would -march against it and reduce it to ashes. The officer, finding him in -possession of Lerida, was confounded, made what excuse he could for -his superiors, and faithfully promised that Monzon should be given up -immediately on his arrival there; and this was done. - -♦THE THREE GARRISONS MADE PRISONERS.♦ - -Monzon was at this time stored for seven months, Mequinenza for -eighteen, and Lerida for two years. By the recovery of these places, -40,000 inhabitants were saved from the miseries of a siege, and -6000 Spanish troops were rendered disposable for other service. The -navigation of the Ebro, the Cinca, and the Segre was restored, and the -most fertile part of Catalonia delivered, Aragon secured, and a direct -communication opened with Lord Wellington’s army. The next business -was to secure the garrisons who had been thus deceived, amounting -to more than 2300 men. As soon as Eroles had taken measures for -preserving order in Lerida, which, under such circumstances, required -extraordinary care, he set out with two battalions of infantry and 200 -horse in the rear of the French, Colonel Don Josef Carlos having gone -before them with an equal force. The intention was to intercept them in -the defiles of Igualada; but they made a forced march, and frustrated -this part of the plan. Upon this, lest they should succeed in effecting -a junction with the troops in Barcelona, part of the blockading army -was sent for; and when they arrived at Martorell, they found themselves -surrounded there. General Lamarque was then informed that he had been -deceived by a stratagem of war; and that nothing remained for him but -to lay down his arms, give up the public treasure, and to submit to -fortune. Eroles expressed his personal esteem for the General, and -his sorrow that the misadventure should have fallen upon him; he -promised that the officers should be sent to Tarragona, and receive -every attention which could alleviate their imprisonment; and he -observed, that the General himself could not but in his heart approve -a stratagem by which so much bloodshed and misery was prevented, as -must have attended the reduction of these places, whether by siege or -by blockade. Lamarque upon this asked if Van Halen was a Spaniard; and -Bourgeois remarked upon the answer, that in truth he had rendered a -great service to his country. The former said he had been dreaming for -the last five days, and hardly knew if he were yet awake.[7] - -Chagrined as Marshal Suchet was by the success of what, though he might -justly deem it treachery in the agent, he could not but consider to be -an allowable stratagem on the part of an injured, enterprising, and -ever active enemy, ... it was even more mortifying for him immediately -afterwards to make overtures, by order of ♦SUCHET DISMANTLES GERONA AND -OTHER PLACES. SUCHET, 2, 374.♦ the minister at war, to General Copons -for evacuating all the places which he yet retained, Figueras only -excepted; and to find the allies so confident of speedily obtaining -them unconditionally that his proposals were disregarded, in retiring -from the vicinity of Barcelona he had destroyed his works at the -bridge of Molins del Rey, and in the pass of Moncada, and at Mongat; -he now found it necessary to demolish the fortified posts at Besalu, -Olot, Bascara, Palamos, and other smaller places; and even to dismantle -Gerona, evacuate it, and retire with the remains of his army to the -neighbourhood of Figueras. Jaca, too, about the same time was compelled -to surrender to a part of Mina’s army. - -♦STATE OF LORD WELLINGTON’S ARMY.♦ - -On the Biscayan coast Santona was the only place which still remained -in the enemy’s power; the garrison were blockaded; but they contrived -to get supplies by sea, sometimes by successful runners from the -opposite side of the bight, sometimes by capturing traders that -approached too near, for they had one or two armed vessels in the -port; but more by means of smugglers, who ran in for the sake of a -good market, and in the spirit of their illicit occupation cared not -with whom they dealt. The British depôts had been removed from Bilbao -and S. Sebastian’s; and, notwithstanding the stormy season, the army -was always abundantly supplied, except with fodder; when this failed, -bruized furze was used: the horses ate it with avidity, and kept in -excellent condition. The men, during this inaction, suffered more; some -of the corps were very sickly; and one regiment, which lost many men by -a fever, was sent into the rear, both for change of air, and that it -might be removed from intercourse with the rest of the army. The rain -sometimes rendered it difficult to communicate with the more distant -corps: a Portugueze brigade belonging to Sir Rowland was once four -days without bread or meat, a rivulet, small at other times, being so -swoln as to become impassable. But in general, money was the scarcest -article: dollars, which were exchanged at so low a rate after the -spoils at Vittoria, sold now for eight shillings each. - -♦OPERATIONS ARE RENEWED.♦ - -The disposition of the French towards the Bourbons could at this time -be so little doubted, that though the allies did not yet openly support -their claims, dies were made to cut out fleurs-de-lys for scarfs, to be -worn on the arms of those who might be willing to declare in favour of -the old loyal cause. During the weeks of inactivity which the season -occasioned, preparations were made for crossing the Adour, investing -Bayonne, and carrying the war into the heart of France. The snow on the -lower range of the Pyrenees had visibly lessened on the 6th, and in -the course of a week had wholly disappeared. On the 14th of February, -Sir Rowland put the right of the army in motion, drove in the enemy’s -piquets on the Joyeuse river, attacked Harispe’s position at Hellete, -and compelled him to retire with loss towards St. Martin. That General -then took up a strong position in front of Garris, on the heights of Le -Montagne, where he was joined by troops from the enemy’s centre, and -by Paris with his division, who, having commenced their march toward -the interior of France, had been recalled because of the danger in this -quarter. On the same day the detachment of Mina’s troops in the valley -of Bastan advanced upon Baygorrey and Bidarrey, and blockaded St. Jean -de Pied-de-Port, Sir Rowland having cut off the direct communication -of the enemy with that fort. On the ♦FEB. 15.♦ morrow, Morillo, after -driving in their advanced posts, was ordered to move toward St. Palais, -by a ridge parallel to that on which they had taken their position, -that he might turn their left, and cut off their retreat upon that -road by the bridge of St. Palais, while the second division under Sir -William Stewart should attack in front. The day was far gone before -the attack could be commenced, and the action lasted till after night -had closed: the position, though remarkably strong, was carried -without much loss on the first effort; many gallant attempts were -made to recover it, and as gallantly resisted; the struggle was more -obstinate in the darkness than it had been while daylight lasted, and -the French being encountered in all their charges with the wonted -resolution of British troops, more men were bayoneted than usual in -proportion to the numbers engaged. The enemy at length gave up the -contest, and retired with considerable loss, leaving ten officers and -about 200 men prisoners; but they reached St. Palais before Morillo -could arrive, and crossed the Bidouze during the night, and destroyed -the bridges. The right of the centre made a corresponding movement -with the right wing on these two days, and the allied posts were this -evening on the Bidouze. The bridges were repaired; Sir Rowland crossed -the next day, and on the following drove the enemy across the Gave de -Mouleon. They attempted to destroy the bridge at Arriverete, as if it -were their intention to dispute the passage, but time was not allowed -them to complete its destruction; and a ford having been discovered -above the bridge, the 92nd, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Cameron, -crossed there, covered by the fire of Captain Beane’s troop of horse -artillery, which was advantageously placed; this regiment made a -gallant attack upon two battalions of French infantry in the village of -Arriverete, and drove them out with much loss. The enemy retired in the -night across the Gave d’Oleron. Sir Rowland’s posts were established -on that Gave the next day; and the French took up a position in the -neighbourhood of Sauveterre, where they were reinforced. The position -was very strong, and covered in front by a broad and rapid river; but -it seemed now as if no position, however advantageous, could give the -French confidence; they had been driven during the last four days from -a country of peculiar difficulty, where frequent rivers afforded them -great opportunities for defending it; and when Marshal Soult understood -with how little success it had been defended, he directed his whole -attention to that side, destroyed all the bridges over the Adour, which -were not protected ♦FEB. 22.♦ by Bayonne, left that place to its own -resources, and, concentrating his forces behind the Gave de Pau, fixed -his head-quarters at Orthes. - -♦PREPARATIONS FOR CROSSING THE ADOUR.♦ - -During these operations the left wing of the army continued to observe -Bayonne, with the 4th division, also, which occupied the heights of -Monguerre, communicating with the left on the Nive, and resting its -right on the Adour, and thus preventing the enemy from drawing any -supplies for the fortress from that side of the river. Preparations had -been made for passing that river, and for throwing a bridge over it, -both below Bayonne, ... enterprises so difficult, that though Soult had -witnessed the passage of the Douro, he seems not to have apprehended -that they would be attempted. His attention had now been withdrawn -from that side by Sir Rowland’s movements; the 4th division moved to -the right to support that larger part of the allied army which was now -assembled on the Gave d’Oleron; the 5th replaced it in the position -of Monguerre, and was itself replaced by Lord Aylmer’s brigade of the -first, and the Portugueze under Colonel Campbell: thus making room for -Freyre’s Spanish division, which had been cantoned within their own -frontier, and now, to the dismay of the inhabitants, re-entered France. -The people lamented the departure of the English, and dreaded the -arrival of the Spaniards; and knowing their vindictive spirit, and the -long provocation which it had received, they expressed their earnest -hopes that some English authorities might be left for their protection. - -♦THE ADOUR.♦ - -Adour is like Gave, a name common to many rivers in the Pyrenees, both -simply meaning water in some of those primeval languages, the remains -of which are still widely preserved in the appellations of rivers and -mountains. The greater and noted streams, into which the others are -received, has its sources in the county of Bigorre, under the Pics -du Midi and d’Espade, two of the highest mountains in the chain; it -passes by Campan, Bagnères, Montgaillard, and Tarbes, and begins to be -navigable near Grenade, a small town in the little county of Marsan; -having been joined by the Douze on its right below Tartas, it inclines -to the southwest from its junction, passes Acqs, and then holds an -almost southerly course to meet the Gave de Pau, which brings with its -own waters those of the Gave d’Oleron, into which the Gave de Mauleon -has been received. The Adour is then joined by the Bidouze, and lastly -by the Nive. Formerly it made a turn to the northward, after that -junction, at Boucaut, below Bayonne, and held for about six leagues -a slow and winding way, parallel with the coast, before it entered -the sea at Cape Breton, its direct course having apparently been -obstructed by an accumulation of sand. But towards the latter part of -the sixteenth century, Louis de Foix, whose water-works at Toledo were -then among the wonders of machinery, and who built the lighthouse at -the mouth of the Garonne, (the Smeaton and the Telford of his age,) -opened the present channel, ... an arduous undertaking, in which he -was more than once foiled. His intent was, by erecting a dam across -the river at its curvature, to force it into a straighter line, and -make it clear a way for itself through the sands: the river again and -again swept away his embankments, but he, with a just confidence in -his own theory, persevered in the attempt; at length, on the day of St. -Simeon and St. Jude, in the year 1579, such torrents poured down from -the ♦PIERRE DE MARCA. HISTOIRE DE BEARN, P. 28.♦ Pyrenees, that Bayonne -was in danger of being destroyed by an inundation; the Adour took then, -with its increased weight of water, a straight course, and the engineer -was rewarded for all his anxieties by beholding the complete triumph of -his art. The Bayonnese, however, ascribed the whole ♦THUANUS, L. 80. T. -3. P. 619.♦ merit, not to him, but to the two joint Saints of the day, -and appointed a commemorative thanksgiving to be celebrated annually -from that time forth upon their festival. An excellent port would now -have been formed in the Adour, if the constant tendency of the sea to -throw up a bar at its entrance could have been overcome. With this view -the French government constructed massive stone embankments on both -sides, from Boucaut to the sea; it was hoped that by thus confining -the stream, its current, which at ebb tide runs about seven miles an -hour, would with its own force and weight of water keep always a clear -channel; but the effect was only to remove the bar somewhat farther, -without lessening the difficulty or the danger of the entrance. These -were so great, that the enemy at this time relied on them. They had the -Sappho corvette anchored so as to flank an inundation which protected -the right of their intrenched camp; they had many armed boats on the -Adour, above the town, to protect the convoys of provision which came -down the river, and sometimes succeeded in getting in; the mountain -guns of the allies, which were the only ones that could be removed, -now and then exchanged shots with these: below Bayonne they had some -gun-boats in the bend of the river, by the village of Boucaut, -stationed there, as it seemed, to strengthen their intrenched camp by -a flanking fire; but the only precaution that the enemy had taken to -impede the passage, was that of removing the signal-staff on the left -bank, which marked the line for vessels to steer by, in making for the -mouth of the river. - -♦PASSAGE OF THE ADOUR.♦ - -A number of Spanish _chasse-marées_ had been collected at Socoa for -forming a bridge; materials also were ready for a boom to protect it. -The naval part of the operation was under Admiral Penrose’s direction, -and the 21st was the day appointed for the attempt; but the weather -proved unfavourable, and it was not possible for the vessels and -their convoy to get out of Socoa. Sir John Hope, however, would not -delay his movement, and resolved to attempt the passage without naval -co-operation; the troops, it was thought, might be towed over upon -rafts formed of pontoons, and carrying about 100 men each. On the -evening of the 22nd, the troops were ordered to be in readiness for -marching at midnight; they had with them a brigade of 18-pounders, and -a rocket detachment which had arrived at Passages a few days after -the passage of the Nive. There was a prejudice in the army against -this weapon, which had hitherto not been used in the field; the -opinion seems to have been, that if it had been an efficient means of -destruction, it would sooner have been borrowed from the East Indian -nations. Lord Wellington, however, was willing that they should be -tried; and some experiments which were made at Fontarabia gave reason -for supposing that they might be found useful on the Adour. The -direction of this new arm was assigned to Sir Augustus Fraser, but the -trial was to be made under all the disadvantages of inexperience; for -the corps was composed of men hastily brought together, and entirely -ignorant of the arm they were to use; and the rockets themselves were -equipped in five different ways, and consequently liable to as many -failures. Altogether the enterprise was one of no ordinary hazard; -the entrance of the river was frequently impracticable, and always -perilous; its width where it was to be bridged was 270 yards, and the -tide and the ripple were there so formidable as to preclude the use of -anything smaller than decked vessels of twenty or thirty tons burthen; -the navigation from Socoa was uncertain; and there were the corvette -and the flotilla of gun-boats to assist a garrison which consisted -of more than 10,000 men. Yet even those who fully understood the -difficulties of the operation had nevertheless full confidence that it -would succeed. - -Soon after midnight the troops were in motion; when within a short -distance of Anglet, they turned by a crossroad toward the coast, -marching in strict silence along the skirts of the enemy’s outposts. -It was a dark night, the road narrow, deep in mud, and with ditches -on either side; one of the 18-pounders was drawn too near the edge -in the darkness, the side of the road gave way under its weight, -and it sunk into the ditch, dragging the near horses after it. This -delayed the march for some time, till, by the greatest exertions, the -gun was drawn up out of the deep mud; but no ill consequence arose -from this mischance; the enemy were not on the alert, and the troops -arrived before daylight on the sand-hills which border the coast from -the vicinity of Biaritz to the mouth of the Adour: the tract between -these hills and the intrenched camp is almost wholly covered by the -pine-wood called the Bois de Bayonne. At daybreak, two light battalions -of the German legion patroled through the wood, and dislodged the -enemy’s piquets, which retired from thence, and from the village of -Anglet, into the intrenched camp. The first brigade of guards, under -Colonel Maitland, debouched from the wood near the place where the -signal-staff, known by the name of the _Balise Orientale_, had stood, -which was on a high sand-hill nearly opposite Boucaut. The ground here -could not be reconnoitred till the enemy’s piquets were driven in; and -this of course was avoided till the last moment, that no alarm might -be given. It had been supposed that the guns might be brought within -700 or 800 yards of the Sappho, and that they might sink her, lest she -should be employed against the bridge; but, when they had been brought -with great labour through the deep sandy ground, it was necessary to -place them where they were sheltered from the guns of the intrenched -camp, and this was in a situation 1500 yards from the corvette. There -they were placed in battery, and the brigade was posted behind some -sand-hills, close to the marsh which protected the front of the camp. -Don Carlos d’España meantime made a demonstration on the heights above -Anglet, to prevent the enemy from detaching any troops. - -As soon as the French saw the brigade debouching from the pine-wood -they commenced a cannonade against it from their gun-boats. This had -been foreseen; the rocket-corps had, therefore, been divided into -three parties, one of which went, with the first division, towards -the mouth of the Adour, and the other two accompanied the 18-pounders -to be employed against the flotilla. There were twelve boats to -assist the Sappho; but when a few rockets had been discharged, the -terrified sailors took to their oars, and made all speed up the river; -the effect, indeed, of these weapons was most terrific; they dashed -through the water like fiery serpents, and pierced ♦BATTY’S CAMPAIGN, -P. 119.♦ the sides of the boat, burning apparently even under water -with undiminished force. The guns meantime opened upon the corvette, -and fired about 400 rounds at her, some toward the conclusion with hot -shot. This failed to set her on fire; and when the three-coloured flag -was shot from the flag-staff, the enemy presently nailed it to the -mast-head; but after some hours the French retired from the contest, -under the protection of the citadel, their captain having been killed, -and 34, out of a crew of 40 men, killed or wounded, ... sacrificed, as -it should seem, in a display of courage which could be of no avail. -The action had served as a spectacle for the inhabitants of Bayonne, -who came out from the promenade which skirts the river, to witness, -and apparently to enjoy it, ... the day being remarkably fine, and -the action itself, with all its circumstances, as described by an -eye-witness, more resembling some festival display than the dreadful -reality of war; the spectators, too, thought themselves at safe -distance, till one poor fellow came rashly within range of the guns, -and had his head carried off by a shot which passed completely through -the corvette. - -That vessel had not been destroyed, but the attack on it, and the other -demonstrations in front of the intrenched camp, had the desired effect -of occupying the enemy’s whole attention; a bend which the Adour makes -on the seaward side of the town, and the pine-wood, which extended -almost close to its banks, prevented them from seeing the movements of -the allies on that side, and they kept little watch there, because they -apprehended no danger. But meantime the whole of the first division, -except the brigade of guards which accompanied the artillery that -attacked the Sappho, had marched to attempt a passage near the mouth -of the river. With this force there were eighteen pontoons and six -small boats, forty rocketeers, and an officer with a few artillerymen, -destined to spike the guns of a battery on the enemy’s side of the -water. The intention was, to construct six rafts, each upon three -pontoons, by which, in two passages, 1200 men might be passed across -before the day should dawn; 1200 more being ready to follow, while -these held their ground, supported by twelve field-pieces from the -left bank. But, owing to the difficulty of getting the pontoons on, -it was found that only three of them could be brought to the water’s -edge before daylight; and therefore it was deemed advisable by the -officers in command to withdraw the troops behind some sand-hills, -where they were quite concealed, and collect the pontoons. Some of -the officers, meantime, before day broke, examined the shore, to see -where would be the most favourable points for putting the rafts into -the water; the sentry on the opposite bank challenged them, but no -answer was returned, and no alarm taken. Sir John Hope came to the -spot at daylight, but afterwards sent orders to attempt the passage, -at all hazards, when the tide would permit. A little before noon the -river became passable, the tide, still running out, being nearly slack. -At this time the fleet from Socoa was in sight, but at considerable -distance, and with an unfavourable though not a strong wind, rather -losing than gaining ground. The river at the point where the passage -was to be attempted appeared to be about 200 yards wide at low water. -The British made no show of men, and could only see a small piquet of -the enemy’s on the other side; this piquet appeared at a loss what to -do, and as soon as the first boats were carried to the water’s edge -on men’s shoulders, they fairly ran off, without discharging a single -shot, the piece of their advanced sentry having missed fire. The six -boats were soon on the water, each carrying only six soldiers; and the -tide coming in soon increased the labour of the passage. A rope was -passed from one side to the other, and three rafts were put together -with all speed, each carrying from 50 to 60 men; but, after two or -three passages had been effected, the tide came in with such force -that it was found impracticable to get the raft either backward or -forward from the middle of the current, where it remained tide-bound, -the united strength of all who were on board not being sufficient to -haul with any effect upon the hawser. About five o’clock they ceased -working, the few seamen whom they had, and who were all Portugueze, -being exhausted with fatigue. By that time 500 of the guards had been -ferried across, the rocketeers having been the last, with Captain Lane -of the artillery, who came out with them from England. All was at this -time quiet, and apparently the day’s work was done. But a little before -dusk the enemy pushed down two regiments from the citadel; they came -on with apparent spirit, beating the charge. Colonel Stopford posted -the guards behind some low sand-hills, with their right on the river, -and their left on a morass, the ground in their front being flanked -by the artillery on the opposite bank; but a well-directed discharge -of rockets made the French hastily retreat: the effect of this weapon -was more terrible because they had never before witnessed it, and they -retired with all speed into the citadel. - -♦ENTRANCE OF THE FLOTILLA.♦ - -The troops bivouacked that night on the ground which they occupied; -those who were in the wood felled trees and kindled fires. As soon -as the tide served more men were passed across, the pontoons being -used as row-boats, carrying fifteen men at each turn: it was bright -moonlight, the weather perfectly still, and there was no enemy to offer -any opposition. ♦FEB. 24.♦ The wind sprung up for the flotilla during -the night, and at morning it was seen, ... about threescore vessels, -including boats of all kinds, some of them near the mouth of the -river, standing off and on. The Admiral was in the Porcupine frigate: -he had been apprized, through the naval agent at Socoa, how anxiously -the entrance of the vessels for the bridge was desired. The surf had -increased in proportion as the wind became favourable; and the bar, -which extends from the right bank, nearly across the river, shifting -with the change of wind and tide, and at all times dangerous, was at -this time more than usually formidable. The agent, who set off in his -boat from Socoa as soon as he received the last night’s advices, had no -pilot on board, and mistaking the channel where he should have entered -the river, beached himself on a spit of sand; fortunate, however, -in his mishap, for the boat cleared the sand by great exertion, and -having been pulled, sails standing, over the spit, got into deep water. -One boat, which had the principal pilot on board, and therefore was -selected as the safest, led the way, and was overset, several of the -crew perished, and most of those who saved themselves were dreadfully -bruised. Captain O’Reilly, who had command of the flotilla, was on -board, and Captain Faddy (who had charge of 50 artillerymen sent in -five gun-boats), both with great difficulty escaped: a second succeeded -in reaching the beach; the larger vessels then put off, to wait the -chance of the next tide, it being, as the Admiral declared, scarcely -possible that one in fifty could then have effected the passage. Some -small boats, however, attempted it, and were swamped; what boats were -on the river were sent to pick up those who were struggling for life, -but without success; some who regained their own boats, and clung to -them, were swept off into the sea, and only one man was saved. - -Had the bar been smoother, the tide was now too low for vessels to -attempt the entrance; but a pilot was landed to the south-west of it, -that he might walk to the Adour, and make signals from within the -bar, to guide the vessels into the safer parts, supplying thus the -signal-staff which on that side had been removed, for from the sea -there appeared only one long and heavy line of surf. Meantime the -troops continued to cross as they could, about 100 yards above the -mouth of the river, some on rafts, some in a pontoon-boat which carried -only twelve at a time; and when the tide presented least difficulty, -a few cavalry by swimming. When the tide had risen sufficiently, the -vessels boldly stood in, the pilot who had been landed having set up -a halberd, with a handkerchief fixed to it, as a signal for directing -them. The master’s mate of the Lyra led the way; his boat was lost, -and himself and the whole of the crew. Several vessels shared the -same fate. One who was on the shore, close at hand, and who had been -accustomed to fields of battle, declared that he had never beheld -a scene so awful. The boats were so agitated as they attempted the -passage, sails flapping, oars apparently useless, and all steerage -lost, that it seemed as if each must inevitably be wrecked. Two vessels -were stranded, but almost all their crews were by great exertion saved. -A gun-brig also was driven ashore; Captain Elliot, of the Martial -gun-brig, was swamped in his boat; his surgeon was picked up by this -gun-boat, but upon her striking the ground the shock threw down a -24-pounder, which fell upon him and killed him. Three transport boats -with their crews were lost; every exertion was made to save those who -were struggling for life in the surf, literally within ten yards of -their countrymen on shore; but though there were men with ropes tied to -them on the beach, who spared no endeavour for assisting them, and who -when the waves retired appeared as if they were close to them, not a -soul could be saved: some who actually obtained footing on the ground -were carried back by the receding surf, and swept away for ever. But -the zeal and intrepidity of British seamen will overcome all obstacles -that are not absolutely insuperable: officers and men on this occasion -displayed gallantry which could not be surpassed, and skill which has -seldom been equalled; vying with each other they essayed the passage; -and happily the wind towards evening gradually died away, and about -thirty vessels got in. - -♦A BRIDGE CARRIED OVER THE ARDOUR.♦ - -The passage of the troops, meantime, had been continued; it was quite -dark before the last party were ferried over, and the tide was then -running out so rapidly, that the most strenuous rowing hardly prevented -the boat from being drifted out to sea. The whole of General Howard’s -division, about 6000 in number, were then on the right bank. They -bivouacked on the sand-hills where the enemy on the yester-evening -♦FEB. 25.♦ had been discomfited by the rockets. On the morrow they -advanced towards the citadel, their right flank resting on the Adour, -the left extending to the great road leading from Bayonne to Bourdeaux. -Closing in to the verge of a deep and marshy ravine, which separates -the high ground about the citadel from the surrounding country, they -cut off the enemy’s communication with the open tract to the north -of the river, and completed the investment of the fortress and its -camp; a feint attack being kept up the while on the opposite side by -Lord Aylmer’s brigade, the 5th division, and the Spaniards. By great -exertions the bridge was finished on the following day. The point fixed -upon for it was near the village of Boucaut, where the river is 270 -yards wide. It consisted of six-and-twenty _chasse-marées_, anchored -each at the bow and stern so as to resist both the ebbing and the -flowing tide; to many of these, as a substitute for anchors, the heavy -iron guns were used which had been taken in the redoubts on the Nive. -The vessels were lashed together both at bow and stern. Five cables -were stretched by capstans across these vessels from shore to shore, -and oaken planks were laid athwart upon these, and secured to the -two outer cables, so as to form a platform strong enough to bear the -passage of artillery, yet pliant enough to adapt itself to the motion -of the vessels with the tide. On the right bank the cable ends were -fastened to some of the heaviest iron guns which had been taken in -the camp of the Nivelle; on the left they were wound round capstans, -which were firmly fixed by large stakes driven into the ground; and by -these the tension of the platform could be increased or lessened as -the rise or fall of the river might require. A little way above the -bridge a boom-chain was laid down for its protection; and above this -the gun-boats were anchored, in readiness to engage those of the enemy, -should any attempt be made upon the bridge by sending them down the -river. The piers on both sides were wide enough for carriages of all -descriptions; and that on the right bank was used for the artillery, -in a part where the ♦BATTY’S CAMPAIGN, 126, 127.♦ water is admitted at -flood through apertures, and where a road could not have been formed -without great expense of labour and of time. - -This bridge was of the greatest importance, not only as affording a -communication between the troops upon both banks during the blockade -and intended siege of Bayonne, but also because it opened a way to the -_chaussées_ on the right of the river, whereby the army in its advance -towards the interior could be much more easily supplied than by the -bad roads in the exhausted country along the skirts of the Pyrenees, -and where the Gaves and other tributary streams of the Adour were to -be crossed. The inhabitants of Boucaut and of the adjacent villages -had been ordered to take up arms against the allies; they had refused; -and in consequence, the French troops upon leaving them committed some -excesses. The contrast indeed was so great between the treatment which -they experienced from their own soldiers and from the allies, that the -peasantry volunteered to repair the roads for their uninvited, but now -not unwelcome visitors. - -♦PASSAGE OF THE GAVES.♦ - -While Bayonne was thus being invested by the left wing of the army, -the two divisions which had hitherto observed that place between the -Adour and the Nive joined the main body; and Lord Wellington, as soon -as the troops were closed up, continuing his operations to the right, -made a general advance. Marshal Beresford, who had remained since Sir -Rowland’s movement with the 4th and 7th divisions and with Colonel -Vivian’s brigade on the lower Bidouze, attacked the enemy on the 23rd -in their fortified posts at Hastingues and Oyergave, on the left of -the Gave de Pau, and made them retire within their _tête-de-pont_ at -Peyrehorade. On the 24th, Sir Rowland, with the light, the 2nd, and -the Portugueze divisions, under Baron Alten, Sir William Stewart, -and Camp-Marshal Lecor, passed the Gave d’Oleron, by a ford near -Ville-nave, without opposition. Sir Henry Clinton passed in like manner -with the 6th, between Monfort and Laas; and Sir Thomas Picton with -the 3rd made demonstrations as if he would have attacked the enemy’s -position at the bridge of Sauveterre, upon which they blew up the -bridge. Morillo at the same time drove in their posts near Navarreins, -and blockaded that place, which was fortified strongly enough to -require battering-artillery for its reduction. Immediately after the -passage of the Oleron Gave, Sir Rowland and Sir Henry Clinton moved -towards Orthes, and the great road leading from Sauveterre to that -town; and the enemy retiring from Sauveterre across the Gave de Pau in -the night, destroyed the bridges upon that river, and assembled their -army near Orthes on the 25th. The allies continued to advance that -day, and on the following Beresford crossed the Gave de Pau below its -junction with that of Oleron, at some fords about four miles above -Peyrehorade; these were not discovered till after some unsuccessful -attempts, and the current there was so rapid, that the infantry of -General Walker’s division could hardly support each other against it, -and for some minutes there was reason to fear that the column would -be carried down the stream. The Marshal then moved along the high -road from Peyrehorade toward Orthes, on the enemy’s right. Sir Thomas -Picton had found a ford below the bridge of Berenx, where he crossed -with the 3rd division, and Sir Stapleton with the cavalry as Beresford -approached; the 6th and light divisions made a flank movement to -support them, and Sir Rowland occupied the heights opposite Orthes, -and the high road leading to Sauveterre, on the left bank of the Gave. -His corps advanced directly upon the bridge of Orthes, with the hope -of forcing it; but, being without artillery, and finding the approach -defended by loop-holed houses, and by a tower strongly manned against -them, they desisted from their intent. - -♦ORTHES.♦ - -Orthes, which before the territorial arrangement of France was -revolutionized, was the capital of the Senechalry of the same name, -is supposed by Scaliger to have been the ancient city of Bearum, the -Beneharnus of Antoninus, and the Benarnus of writers in a later age; -but this opinion seems to have been satisfactorily ♦RAMOND’S TR. IN -THE PYRENEES, P. 92.♦ disproved. It stands upon the Gave de Pau, there -a considerable river, and remarkable, because its accessible source -is a waterfall, higher, except one in America, than any that has ever -yet been measured; it springs from a height of 1266 feet, and being -twice broken on the way by projections of the precipice, falls upon a -bed of perpetual snow, under ♦P. DE MARCA. HIST. DE BEARN, L. 1. C. -6. § 4. 14.♦ which it works its passage. Orthes was the residence of -the Princes of Bearn during some 200 years from the middle of the 13th -century, when Gaston de Moncada built the _Chasteau Noble_ there, upon -the plan of his hereditary castle in Aragon, and in a like situation, -on an eminence commanding the town, and overlooking a wide circuit of -country. In that castle Froissart was entertained by Gaston Phebus, the -twelfth Count of Foix, and Lord of Bearn, and there he was informed -concerning the affairs of Castille, Portugal, Navarre, Aragon, Gascony, -and England, Gaston himself communicating to him what he knew, and -telling him that the history which he had undertaken to write would -be esteemed above all others, because more marvellous deeds of arms -had been done in the world within the last fifty years than in three -centuries preceding. There the good old chronicler was as happy as -splendid hospitality, and the diligent use of favourable opportunities, -could make him; the thing which he most desired being to collect -information for his great work, and having at his wish there, lords, -knights, and squires, ready and willing to inform him. In this castle -Gaston Phebus kept his treasure, and it is said to have amounted at one -time to no less a sum than three million florins, raised by taxation, -which was borne cheerfully, because he maintained order in his -dominions; neither English nor French, nor robber nor rover, harassed -his people; and he had the reputation of being as liberal as he was -just, not heralds and minstrels only, but strangers who came there -having cause to praise him for his bounty. Froissart had been in many -courts of kings, dukes, princes, earls, and great ladies, but never in -any, he says, that so well liked him as the Castle Noble of Orthes; -and he had seen many knights, kings, and princes, but none like this -Count of Foix for personage, nor of so fair form, nor so well made; -for in every thing he was so perfect, that he could not be praised too -much, loving what ought to be beloved, and hating that which ought to -be hated. Yet so accustomed were men to the most atrocious actions, -in that which was the brightest age of chivalry, that this very Gaston -committed a murder in this castle as much in violation of honour and -of hospitality, as of laws both human and divine; tortured innocent -persons to death upon mere suspicion, and with his own hands killed his -own son at the close of a frightful tragedy, of which this castle was -the scene; and the faithful historian who thus extols him has related -all these things! The ruins of the _Chasteau Noble_ are yet to be -seen, and the tower in which Gaston kept his treasure was standing in -the last century. Orthes ceased to be the residence of the Counts in -1460, when they removed their court to Pau; and their removal was not -compensated by the short-lived university which about a century after -Queen Jeanne of Navarre founded there for the Huguenots, and endowed -from the church property in her dominions. - -♦BATTLE OF ORTHES.♦ - -Here Marshal Soult had taken a strong position, extending about a mile -in length along a range of tabular heights; his right, under Reillé, -resting on them upon the high road to Dax, and occupying the village -of St. Boes; the centre, under Drouet, taking the bend of a sickle, as -the hill formed a cove, and being thus protected by the flanks; the -left, under Clausel, resting upon the town and the heights above it, -and defending the passage of the river from Sir Rowland. Villatte’s and -Harispe’s divisions, and Paris’s brigade, were formed in reserve on -high ground upon the road ♦FEB. 27.♦ to Sault de Navailles. “Thus,” in -the words of a French historian, “from 35,000 to 40,000 French troops -were collected at a point as favourable as the most skilful commander -could have chosen for ♦BEAUCHAMP’S NARRATIVE OF THE INVASION, 2. P. -52.♦ resisting the advance of an invading army.” Lord Wellington’s -arrangements were, that Beresford, with the 4th and 7th divisions, -and Colonel Vivian’s brigade of cavalry, should turn and attack the -enemy’s right; while Picton, with the 3rd and 6th, supported by Sir -Stapleton with Lord Edward Somerset’s brigade of horse, should move -along the Peyrehorade road, and attack their centre and left. Baron -Alten, with the light division, kept up the communication, and was in -reserve between these; and Sir Rowland was to force the passage of the -Gave, and turn and attack their left. - -The action commenced about nine in the morning. The 4th division, under -Sir Lowry Cole, carried the village of St. Boes, after an obstinate -resistance. Beresford then directed his efforts against two lines -of the enemy formed on the heights above it; but the troops had not -room here to deploy for the attack, the only approach being along a -narrow tongue of land, which had on either side a deep ravine, and was -completely commanded by the enemy’s guns. Sir Lowry’s division led the -way; 15 pieces of artillery played on them diagonally with full effect; -in front they were opposed by the main line of the French infantry, -and strong bodies were formed in the ravines on their flanks. Repeated -attempts were made by Major-General Ross, and by Vasconcellos’s -Portugueze brigade, till at length that brigade was completely broken, -and the remainder of the division, with a brigade of Baron Alten’s that -hastened to their assistance, with difficulty covered their retreat: -thus, on this point, the attack totally failed. - -Lord Wellington saw that it was impossible to turn this wing of the -enemy by their right, without extending his line too far; he therefore -ordered the immediate advance of the 3rd and 6th divisions, and the -7th, with a brigade of the light division, to support them by attacking -the height which the enemy occupied at the point of junction between -their right and centre. The 52nd regiment, under Colonel Colborne, -led up the hill, supported closely by the other troops both on the -right and left; and the artillery gained a knoll from whence it swept -the whole line of the enemy’s centre. It made such havoc among their -reserve masses, that the French 21st hussars were provoked to a most -daring movement for seizing it; they galloped round the hill, and, -under a heavy fire of musquetry, charged and drove back one of the -supporting battalions; then with equal courage fell upon the 42nd -Highlanders, but the Highlanders received their charge firmly, and -the hussars suffered so much in it, that they gave up this brave -though unsuccessful attempt. Meantime the allied troops were advancing -steadily, under a destructive fire: Major-General Inglis’s brigade -distinguished itself now, as it had done on all occasions, and made -a successful charge on the enemy’s left; every regiment in the 3rd -division was hotly engaged, they drove the French from every height -where they attempted to make a stand, and in spite of all resistance -gained at length the summit of the main position. There a severe -struggle ensued; on no former occasion had the enemy fought so well -when opposed to British troops; it was the only action in which they -came fairly to the bayonet; but the determination which brought them to -that sure trial could not support them in it, and, giving up all hope -now of a successful resistance, they began to retreat over the level -ground in their rear in good order, by _echellons_ of divisions, each -successively covering the other, and supported by their cavalry, which, -by a gallant charge on the 6th division, endeavoured, but in vain, to -check the pursuit. The infantry rallied upon some rising ground, and -attempted again to make a stand: the 9th hussars, under Colonel Vivian, -made them again give way. They then formed into squares, and continued -to retire still in admirable order; and, though warmly pursued, and -suffering heavily from the British guns, they took every advantage of -the numerous positions which the ground afforded. - -Marshal Soult, in whom nothing was that day wanting which could be -required of a commander in the field, was compelled to withdraw his -wings, when the centre had thus been forced, and to order a general -retreat. The wings had comparatively suffered little; and this movement -was as well conducted as all his former ones had been. But meantime -Sir Rowland had forced the passage of the Gave above the town; and -seeing the state of the action, he moved, with the 2nd division, and -Major-General Fane’s brigade of cavalry, for the great road to St. -Sever, keeping thus upon the enemy’s left, but in a direction towards -a point in their rear which would have cut off their retreat on Sault -de Navailles. Their movements quickened as soon as they perceived this -danger; and as their march was accelerated, Sir Rowland quickened his, -till the retreat became a flight; they ran, and the allies ran also, -and the race continued till the French broke so completely, that no -resemblance of a column was remaining. It was the lively expression -of an officer there present that, “in the battle they met the charge -like lions, but that the pursuit was like hare-hunting;” prisoners -were literally caught by the skirts as they ran. Could the cavalry -have acted sooner off the great road, the French army must have been -almost destroyed. They suffered greatly where any obstacle impeded -their flight; the enclosures and ditches were thickly strewn with their -killed and wounded; 2000 fugitives were picked up by the infantry, -and 12 pieces of cannon taken, and many more prisoners upon the only -opportunity which was offered for the cavalry to charge, when the -enemy had been driven from the high road by Sir Rowland. The victory, -complete as it was, might have been followed to more advantage, if -Lord Wellington had not been struck on the pommel of his sword by a -musquet-shot, and bruised so severely by the blow, that he was unable -to cross this intersected country on horseback time enough to direct -the farther movements of the divisions in pursuit: the most decisive -victory would have been dearly purchased by his loss. When it became -dusk, the army was halted in the neighbourhood of Sault de Navailles. -The loss of the allies, in killed, wounded, and missing, was somewhat -less than 2300, of whom about 600 were Portugueze; no Spaniards -were engaged that day. That of the ♦BEAUCHAMP, 2. P. 55.♦ enemy was -estimated by one of their own writers at from 14,000 to 16,000, very -much the greater part being by desertion after the rout; for the -conscripts threw down their arms, and took the opportunity of escaping -from compulsory service. Foy was severely wounded, General Bechaud -killed, and another General mortally wounded. - -♦FEB. 28.♦ - -The main body of the French army continued its retreat during the -night, and was joined at Hagetman by the garrison of Dax, and by two -fresh battalions of conscripts; it then halted behind the Adour, near -St. Sever, to re-organize itself: the allies followed them to St. Sever -on the day after the battle, and the centre advanced in three columns -with the hope of enveloping them. That which marched on the _chaussée_ -arrived at the appointed moment; but the flank columns ♦MARCH 1.♦ could -not proceed upon the unpaved roads at the pace which was required; and -thus the enemy had time to move off in the direction of Agen, escaping -an attack which they were in no condition to have withstood. Beresford -then with the light division, and with Colonel Vivian’s brigade, -passed the Higher Adour, and occupied Mont de Marsan, the principal -town in the department of the Landes, where he took a very large ♦THE -FRENCH DRIVEN FROM AIRE.♦ magazine of provisions. Here no resistance -was attempted; but at Aire, where the enemy had other magazines, a -corps was collected with the intention of making a stand to protect -their removal. Against this place, which is on the left bank of the -Adour, Sir Rowland moved upon the 2nd of March; and when his advanced -guard arrived within two miles of the town, the French were discovered -strongly posted on a ridge of hills, with their right upon the river, -thus covering the approach. Notwithstanding the strength of the post, -Sir William Stewart was ordered to attack them with the second division -along the road, and Brigadier-General Da Costa’s Portugueze brigade -about the centre of their position. The French force consisted of two -divisions; and the Portugueze, when they forced their way up and gained -the summit, found, which had not been expected, an extent of flat -ground on the top, and a strong body of the enemy completely formed -there to resist them; the Portugueze were so broken and confused that -they could regain no formation, and must have suffered accordingly, if -Sir William Stewart, having beaten back the enemy on his side, had not -dispatched his first brigade under Major-General Barnes to their timely -support. The enemy were then in their turn thrown into confusion by a -vigorous charge, nor could they after many attempts recover the ground, -but were driven from all their positions, and finally from the town, -where the magazines fell into the conqueror’s hands. Two divisions of -the French were engaged in this affair, one of them was Harispe’s, -which had not been at Orthes; their loss was very considerable: that -of the allies amounted to 20 killed and 135 wounded; among the former -was the Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Hood, of the general staff, an -officer of great merit and promise. - -♦SOULT DRAWS NEARER THE PYRENEES.♦ - -At this time the French were once more favoured by the weather. Heavy -and continued rain fell during the beginning of the month, swelling -all the rivulets so as materially to impede the progress of the -allies, increasing in proportion the Adour, which was so rapid that -pontoons could not be laid upon it, and rendering it more difficult -to repair the numerous bridges which the enemy had destroyed in -their retreat; yet till this could be done, the different parts of -the army were without communication. Lord Wellington was therefore -compelled to halt; and Marshal Soult, who after his defeat at Orthes -had been forced by the movement of Sir Rowland’s corps to retire in -the direction of Bourdeaux, had leisure and opportunity to choose his -course. The divisions which had been driven from Aire retreated up both -banks of the Adour towards Tarbes, with a view, as Lord Wellington -perceived, of being reinforced by farther detachments from Marshal -Suchet’s army. This direction Soult had resolved to take, because it -was only from Suchet that he could look for any efficient aid; though -it appears that there was not that concert and clear understanding -between the two Marshals which might have been expected in men of such -experience and great ability. By thus approaching the Pyrenees he -left the way to Bourdeaux open to the allies; he, however, supposed -that Lord Wellington would not venture to advance upon that city, -but of necessity must follow his movements. In the latter conclusion -he was not mistaken; but he greatly mistook the disposition of the -French people, who now looked to the English as their liberators, -a disposition that was increased by his own conduct, and by the -licentious habits of his troops. The loss of his magazines compelled -him to impose heavy requisitions, as far as his power to collect them -extended, to the ruin of the inhabitants, while their countrymen -in other parts were enriched by the presence of an invading army, -paying for every thing at the exorbitant prices that its own demand -occasioned. His troops, therefore, in their own country were in want of -every thing, and the English were abundantly supplied. ♦BEAUCHAMP, 2. -61. BATTY’S NARRATIVE, 139.♦ The depredations and the enormities which -his men committed, though not aggravated by that fiendish cruelty which -had characterized the French in Portugal, were yet such that they were -execrated wherever they went; and the allies, in every town and village -where they entered, were welcomed as deliverers and protectors. Many -instances occurred in which our sick soldiers were taken in by some -hospitable family, and nursed with the greatest kindness. - -♦THE ALLIES ENTER PAU.♦ - -One of the enemy’s columns having been cut off from the Adour by Sir -Rowland’s rapid march upon Aire, retreated in disorder toward Pau, -the men throwing away their arms, the better to effect their escape -and facilitate their desertion. The few who reached that place were -driven out by a detachment which Lord Wellington sent thither under -General Fane to occupy it; and there the allies established a hospital -in which the _Sœurs de la Charité_ attended upon the sick and wounded -soldiers, after the manner of their exemplary order. Travellers are -still shown at Pau the chamber in which Henri IV. was born, and the -tortoise-shell in which he slept as in a cradle. The gardens which -had been his delight were remaining at the close of the 17th century; -and the walks overarched with trees, the arbours, and the evergreens, -though all neglected then, bore testimony still to the care with which -they had formerly been dressed, and to the topiary skill which had -been displayed there. Bearn, of which Pau was the capital in former -times, was one of the most favoured parts of France, and indeed of the -world, before the French revolution cut up the well-being of a whole -generation by the roots; for the division of property, and the industry -and manners of the people had combined there with all fortunate -circumstances of soil, surface, and climate, to render the inhabitants -contented and happy. - -♦DEPUTIES ARRIVE FROM BOURDEAUX.♦ - -When the news of the battle of Orthes reached St. Jean de Luz, two -deputies arrived at the same time from Toulouse, to assure the Duc -d’Angoulême that the inhabitants of that city eagerly desired the -restoration of the Bourbons. The Duc upon this repaired to Lord -Wellington’s head-quarters at St. Sever; Rochejaquelein followed -him, and they were joined there by M. Bontemps Dubarry, who came -from Bourdeaux, charged by the better part of the citizens to invite -the Duc, and to assure Lord Wellington that a British force would be -received there as friends. Lord Wellington no longer hesitated; and as -soon as Freyre’s Spanish corps, which had been stationed in reserve -near Irun, could be brought up, and every disposable body was closed -to the right, he dispatched Marshal Beresford ♦THE DUC D’ANGOULÊME -PROCEEDS THITHER WITH MARSHAL BERESFORD.♦ with three divisions toward -that important city, to drive out its inconsiderable garrison, and give -the inhabitants an opportunity of declaring for the exiled family if -such were their wish, and they chose to venture upon a measure which -might be so injurious to themselves, if Buonaparte should accept of -the peace that still was offered him. Lord Wellington still doubted -of this, even after he had determined upon making the trial; and -Rochejaquelein, when he went to receive the Duc’s last order, before -he set off with the advanced guard, found that the Duc himself seemed -to entertain the same discouraging opinion. Upon this he requested -permission to precede the English by six-and-thirty hours, and declared -that if Bourdeaux did not declare itself, his head should be ♦MÉMOIRES -DE LA MARQUISE DE LA ROCHEJAQUELEIN, P. 529.♦ responsible for the -failure. “You are certain then of your grounds,” the Duc rejoined. “As -certain,” replied Rochejaquelein, “as one can be of any earthly thing!” -The Duc then expressed his full confidence in him, and bade him go. - -♦THE LANDES.♦ - -The sandy tract which extends from Bayonne to Bourdeaux is well known -by the name of the Landes; so called, it has been supposed, because -all other ground in the adjacent country had its proper appellation -of field, meadow, marsh, wood, or other such terms according to its -produce and uses; but this region ♦GALLIA CHRISTIANA, T. 1. GLOSS.♦ -was mere land and nothing else; it is a vast plain, perfectly level, -in some parts covered with pine forests, in others only a wide waste -of sand, where the trees are so thinly scattered in the sea-like -circle, that in hot and hazy weather they have the appearance of ships -at sea. The peasant stalks over the loose sand upon high stilts, -which are found as useful here as racquets for the snow in Canada. -Uncultivated, however, and thinly peopled as this extensive tract is, -the pine forests yield a considerable revenue; the trees are regularly -tapped for turpentine, pitch is extracted from them, and candles -made from resin are in common use. While Marshal Beresford advanced -without opposition over this remarkable country, Rochejaquelein having -proceeded with the light troops as far as Langon, made his way to the -house of one of his confederates at Preignac; and from thence was -safely conducted, though the avenues were then watched by detachments -of soldiers and of _gendarmerie_, into Bourdeaux. He found that the -secret council of the royalists there, contrary alike to his wishes and -expectations, had just dispatched ♦MARCH 10.♦ a messenger to Marshal -Beresford, requesting him to delay his movement, that they might have -more time for preparing the people, and bringing the royalists from -the country round to the support of those in the town. This was at ten -on the night of the 10th; his representations how impolitic it was to -allow the timid time for considering the danger, and how desirable that -at this crisis Bourdeaux should declare itself for their legitimate -king by a spontaneous movement, inspired them with a braver spirit: and -four of their confederates were then successively sent off to meet the -Duc d’Angoulême and the English, and entreat them to expedite their -march. - -♦THE BUONAPARTISTS WITHDRAW FROM BOURDEAUX.♦ - -The battle of Orthes had already struck fear into those persons -from whom the royalists had most to apprehend; and no sooner was -it known that a British force was advancing towards Bourdeaux, -than the principal persons there who were in Buonaparte’s service -thought it hopeless to resist. The senator M. Cornudet, who was -Commissioner Extraordinary in this department, ordered all the civil -and ecclesiastical authorities to be dissolved, and every person in -the employ of government to leave the city. He gave directions for -destroying two frigates which were upon the stocks; and when it was -rumoured that this would be opposed by the people, he set fire to them -himself; and, taking with him the public chests, and as much gunpowder -and saltpetre as he could remove in haste from the public stores, he -withdrew. General Lhuillier, who had the military command, could not -collect more than 2000 soldiers; he, therefore, withdrew also. But the -Archbishop, as well as the Mayor, M. Lynch, remained and prepared to -receive the Duc d’Angoulême as the nephew of their lawful King, and the -English as his allies. Instead of finding any force to resist him on -the way, or any disposition for resistance, Marshal Beresford was met -by royalists from all parts of Medoc and Guienne, who came in crowds -to welcome the Duc. Long accustomed to adversity, the Duc himself -was not elated by this fair appearance of returning fortune; he knew -that, whatever might be the wishes of the allied sovereigns, they did -not yet consider it their policy to espouse the cause of the Bourbons, -and he requested the people not to endanger themselves by a hasty -declaration; but ♦MARCH 1.♦ notwithstanding this expressed desire, the -cry of “_Vive le Roi!_” was raised in the little town of Bazan when he -entered it. Early on the morning of the 12th, the local authorities -of Bourdeaux assembled ♦THE DUC ENTERS, AND THE WHITE FLAG IS HOISTED -THERE.♦ at the Hotel de Ville. The English hussars were beginning -to enter, when Rochejaquelein rode with all speed to meet Marshal -Beresford, and requested him to withdraw them, that the royalists might -declare themselves before he entered: of course this was instantly -done. The municipality went out to meet him; the royal guard which -had secretly been formed were instructed to assemble upon the road -with arms concealed, and their officers followed in the magistrates’ -train. As soon as Beresford arrived at the bridge of La Maye, he sent -Colonel Vivian to the Mayor, saying that he hoped to enter the city as -a friend and an ally. The Mayor met the Marshal without the gates, and -addressed him to this effect, that if he were about to enter Bourdeaux -as a conqueror, he might possess himself of the keys, which there were -no means of defending; but if he came in the name of the King of France -and of his ally, the King of England, they should then be joyfully -presented to him. Marshal Beresford replied, that his orders were to -occupy the city and to protect it; that he hoped his message had been -satisfactory, and that the city which he was about to enter was the -city of an ally inhabited by the subjects of Louis XVIII. M. Lynch, -upon this, exclaimed, “_Vive le Roi!_” cast away his scarf, and put on -the white cockade. At the same moment the white flag was displayed -from the steeple of St. Michael’s: those who were prepared with white -cockades mounted them, those who were not supplied their place with -paper; and when, about an hour afterwards, the Duc de Guiche arrived -and announced the near arrival of Monseigneur the Duc d’Angoulême, -Bourdeaux had never before witnessed so general or so generous a joy as -was then manifested. Crowds pressed round him, if they might but touch -his clothes or his horse; some cried, “He is of our blood; he was born -a Frenchman, and feels like a Frenchman!” numbers fell on their knees -and blessed him, and blessed God that they had lived to see this day; -mothers pointed him out to their children and said, “Now we shall no -longer lose all our sons in the war!” - -It was nearly two hours before the Duc could make his way through the -multitude to the cathedral. There the Archbishop at the head of the -clergy awaited him at the great door, and _Te Deum_ was performed -there amid the acclamations of the populace. M. Lynch issued a -proclamation in a strain well pitched to support the feeling which -had thus strongly been excited. “Inhabitants of Bourdeaux,” said he, -“happy circumstances have called upon the paternal magistrate of your -city to become the interpreter of your long suppressed wishes and the -organ of your interests, by welcoming in your name the nephew of Louis -XVI., whose presence has converted into allies an irritated nation -bearing the character of enemies till they reached your gates. It is -not to subjugate our country that the English, and the Spaniards, and -the Portugueze appear where they now are: they are come with united -forces into the south of France actuated by the same feelings as the -nations of the north, to destroy the scourge of Europe, and supply his -place by a monarch who will be the father of his people. The hands of -the Bourbons are undefiled with French blood; the testament of Louis -XVI. is their guide, and they renounce all thoughts of resentment: -they proclaim that clemency and tolerance are the leading features -of their conduct; and, in deploring the terrible ravages of that -tyranny which licentiousness introduced, they forget the errors caused -by the illusions of liberty. No more tyranny! no more war! no more -conscription! no more vexatious taxes! are the concise and consoling -expressions addressed to you by a Prince who has the daughter of Louis -XVI. for his consort. I am proud that you are the first who have set an -example to France. Every thing tends to assure us that our misfortunes -are about to terminate, and that national rivalry will cease with them. -It seems to have been decreed by Providence that the great commander, -who so well deserves to be entitled the Liberator of Nations, should -attach his glorious name to this glorious epoch, this memorable -consummation of all my wishes. Fellow-citizens, such are the hopes and -motives which have supported me at this trying period, and directed my -conduct, and determined me, if necessary, to sacrifice my life for you. -God is my witness, that I have no object in view but the good of my -country. Long live the King!” - -♦FAILURE OF THE NEGOTIATIONS AT CHATILLON.♦ - -The Royalists, by whom this most important movement was prepared and -directed, were none of those time-servers who take advantage of all -changes to forward their own fortunes, and whose professed principles -are always found to be in perfect accord with their immediate interest. -When Rochejaquelein and the Bordelais set life and fortune thus upon -the die, the Bourbons were wholly disregarded by the Allied Powers; -those powers were still negotiating with Buonaparte, ... still willing, -and, as it seemed, desirous to conclude a peace with him which should -have left him the recognized Emperor of France. He, too, giving proof -of greater military genius than could justly be inferred from his most -brilliant career of success, had made head against their invading -armies with an inferior force; and obtained advantages which raised the -hopes of his admirers, and confirmed his overweening confidence in his -own resources and strength of character. He flattered himself at this -time, and endeavoured to persuade the French people, that the allies -considered the scheme of invasion hopeless, that they were about to -withdraw from the French territory, and to dissolve their ill-compacted -league. The former conduct of those powers afforded some ground for -such expectation; but they had profited by experience, and while the -negotiations for peace were ♦MAR. 1.♦ still pending at Chatillon, -concluded a treaty among themselves which might have wakened Buonaparte -from his delusion. By this treaty, Austria, Russia, Prussia, and Great -Britain, formed a league offensive and defensive for twenty years, each -binding itself not to treat separately with the enemy, and each to -keep on foot an army of 150,000 men, exclusive of garrisons, England -reserving an option to subsidize other troops in place of her own, and -agreeing to supply five millions sterling, to be divided among the -other powers for maintaining the war. Each of these contracting powers -was fully supported in this energetic policy by the spirit of its -people. But Buonaparte continued to act as if he had still only to deal -with sovereigns whom he might cajole, and statesmen whom ♦MAR. 15.♦ he -might intimidate or corrupt; and in this temper he sent his _ultimatum_ -to the congress, demanding for himself the whole line of the Rhine, -great part of that of the Waal, and the fortress of Nimeguen; Italy, -including Venice, for his son-in-law Eugene Beauharnois; indemnities -for that prince as having been Grand Duke of Frankfort, for Jerome on -the score of his kingdom of Westphalia, for Louis as Grand Duke of -Berg, ... and for Joseph the Intruder, not indeed in compensation for -Spain, but for Naples, ... from whence Buonaparte himself had moved him -to Madrid! Such demands were at once rejected, and the congress was -dissolved. - -♦MARSHAL SOULT’S PROCLAMATION.♦ - -This was subsequent to the declaration of Bourdeaux in favour of the -Bourbons; and when the news of that declaration was known in England, -some apprehensions were felt for its immediate consequences to the -persons who were principally concerned. What mercy they might expect -if Buonaparte should maintain himself upon the throne was plainly -indicated in a proclamation addressed at this time by Marshal Soult -to his troops; it was directed against the British General as well -as the Royalists, and in the spirit of one who had served the tyrant -in his schemes of iniquitous ambition, without scruple and without -remorse. “Soldiers,” said he, in this remarkable address, “there will -be no repose for us till this hostile army shall be annihilated, or -till it shall have evacuated the territory of the Emperor. It does -not suspect the dangers which surround, nor the perils which await -it; but time will teach this army, and the General who commands it, -that our territory is not invaded with impunity, and that French -honour is not with impunity insulted. The British General has had the -audacity to incite you and your countrymen to revolt and sedition! -He has dared insult the national honour: he has had the baseness to -excite the French to break their oaths, and to be guilty of perjury! -Yet a few days and those who have been capable of believing in the -sincerity and delicacy of the English will learn to their cost that -the English have no other object in this war than to destroy France by -its own instrumentality, and reduce the French to servitude like the -Portugueze, the Sicilians, and all the other people who have groaned -under their yoke. Let these deluded Frenchmen look back upon the past; -they will see the English at the head of every conspiracy, of the -overthrow of all principles, of the destruction of all establishments, -whether of greatness or of industry, for the sake of gratifying their -inordinate ambition and their insatiable avarice. Is there a single -point on the surface of the globe where they have not either by fraud -or violence brought about the ruin of the manufactories which rivalled -or surpassed their own? Soldiers, let us devote to shame and general -execration every Frenchman who shall have favoured the projects of -the enemy; there is no longer any bond between them and us! Our motto -is Honour and Fidelity. Our duty is marked out: implacable hatred -to traitors and to the enemies of the French name: interminable war -to those who would divide in order to destroy us; as well as to the -wretches who would desert the imperial eagles for any other standard! -Let us have always in our minds fifteen ages of glory, and the -innumerable triumphs which have rendered our country illustrious! Let -us contemplate the prodigious efforts of our great Emperor, and his -signal victories which will eternize the French name! Let us be worthy -of him, and that we may bequeath to our posterity without a stain the -inheritance which we have received from our fathers!” - -This proclamation was more in accord with the moral than with the -military reputation which Marshal Soult had established for himself. -It ill became him as a great General to pour out coarse and angry -invectives against his adversary; but the rancour with which he -reviled and calumniated the English, the threat of interminable war -to them, and of implacable hatred to the French loyalists, these were -in the spirit of his councils and his conduct. For he had proved -himself by his impassibility not less than by his talents, worthy of -the confidence which Buonaparte placed in him ... and of the service -in which he had been employed. But his exhortation to the French -soldiers that they should be worthy of their Emperor was superfluous: -Buonaparte’s soldiers had long been worthy of him! To this Jaffa had -borne witness: Madrid and Porto, Ucles and Tarragona were witnesses; -the wrongs, the sufferings, and the curses of all Europe testified it; -and the confederated nations, in whom the insolence and the excesses -of those soldiers had roused a feeling which no ordinary war could -have excited, and who were now moving from the Tagus and the Elbe, the -Danube and the Moskwa against the general oppressor, ... the common -enemy, ... the individual who, when he might have conferred greater -benefits upon Europe than ever sovereign before him, in ancient or -modern times, had deliberately chosen the evil part, and employed his -mighty power to bring about the worst ends by the most flagitious means. - -♦ADMIRAL PENROSE ENTERS THE GIRONDE.♦ - -But if some fears were entertained in England for the loyalists at -Bourdeaux who had not waited to declare their loyalty till the danger -would have been in delaying the declaration, a generous sympathy -also was manifested. The militia availed themselves of the act which -allowed them to volunteer for foreign service. The example was set -by the Marquis of Buckingham and Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, and they -sailed as soon as possible with 4000 men for the Gironde. Contrary -winds impeded their passage: meantime Buonaparte had ordered a division -under General Decaen to march against it by Perigueux, and Lhuillier -collected what force he could to the north of the city. But Buonaparte -and his Generals had now no force at their disposal strong enough to -put down the spirit that had shown itself; the rich raised companies -of cavalry, the artisans formed a volunteer guard for the Duc; and -Lord Wellington was now so well acquainted with the disposition of -the French people, that without any fears for Bourdeaux, he recalled -Marshal Beresford with two divisions, thinking that Lord Dalhousie with -5000 men would secure it from any attempt that could be made against -it. Admiral Penrose had hastened thither with ♦MARCH 27.♦ the Egmont, -the Andromache, and Belle Poule frigates, and some smaller vessels, -and entered the Gironde without sustaining any loss from the fire of -the forts and batteries at its mouth. There was more danger from the -difficulty of the navigation, but this also was surmounted by the -skill and the exertion of British seamen. The enemy had the Regulus -line-of-battleship, three brigs of war, and some _chasse-marées_ lying -in the river, and the squadron chased them as high as the shoal of -Talmont, where the French passed up through the narrow channel to the -north, which had been buoyed for the purpose, and then took shelter -under the strong batteries on each side of Talmont bay, the British -squadron anchoring outside the shoal. Fort de Blaye still prevented -the navigation of the Garonne; the mayor of that place would willingly -have hoisted the white flag, but though he found means of letting the -Duc know his own sentiments, he could not persuade the garrison to -take that part. While the Admiral prepared to act against it, Lord -Dalhousie, taking Rochejaquelein for his guide, crossed the Garonne, -and pushed the enemy’s parties under General Lhuillier, beyond the -Dordogne; ♦APRIL 4.♦ he then crossed that river at St. Andre de -Cubzac, with a view to the attack of the fort, but learning that -Lhuillier with 300 cavalry and 1200 foot had retired by Etauliers, he -moved on that point, intending to turn back again upon Blaye if that -General continued his retreat. Lhuillier however drew out his corps in -a large open common near Etauliers, and occupied some woods in front -of it: the woods were soon cleared; the enemy’s horse and foot gave -way and retired through the town, leaving scattered parties to shift -for themselves; some 300 prisoners were taken, including about 30 -officers, great numbers dispersed in the woods, and the conscripts took -the desired opportunity of escaping. On the preceding day a detachment -under Captain Coode, of the Porcupine, took or destroyed a numerous -♦MARCH.♦ flotilla, which had been equipped in haste, and which, before -the arrival of the British squadron, had threatened the coast of Medoc, -and Bourdeaux itself. Among the prizes was a splendid barge designed -for the Emperor when he visited that city, with his name on the stern, -and his golden eagle on the prow; this the sailors humbly requested -might be presented with their duty to the Prince Regent. Another -corps of 600 seamen and marines, under Captain Harris of the Belle -Poule, landed, marched more than fifty miles in six-and-thirty hours, -reduced and dismantled five forts, destroyed 47 pieces of cannon and 17 -mortars, and re-embarked without any loss. The Regulus and the smaller -vessels which had sought protection with it, were attacked and burnt, -and by the 9th of April the river was cleared as high up as Blaye. -General Merle held out in that fortress till the 16th; when the news -that had arrived induced the Admiral to agree to an armistice with him, -and the Gironde was then opened from its mouth to Bourdeaux. - -♦PROCEEDINGS AT VALANÇAY.♦ - -Meantime another restoration, which once might have been deemed as -little likely as that of the Bourbons in France, had taken place. -When Ferdinand and his counsellors at Valançay found that neither -San Carlos nor Palafox returned from their mission, they represented -to Laforest that the best mode of removing all difficulties would be -for the Emperor to let Ferdinand depart unconditionally, relying upon -his honour to fulfil the treaty, if the obstacles to it should not be -insurmountable. Suchet had given advice to the same effect, seeing -that at that time, when there was no longer a hope of retaining any -hold on Spain, it was of great consequence to withdraw from thence -the garrisons, and that they could be extricated only by this means. -If Ferdinand were honourable enough to restore them to their country -upon being put in possession of the places which they occupied, the -great and only advantage which was now desired would be obtained; if -he should refuse to do this, or be unable to effect it, doubtful as -it was what his authority might be, nothing would be lost, nor ever -risked by the experiment. This the French government saw; and they were -not without hope that the presence of Ferdinand in his own country -might lead to a civil war, which would have the effect of at least -embarrassing the English, and probably of impeding their operations in -Gascony. - -Ferdinand and his counsellors might have escaped from any imputation -of bad faith in this transaction, if they had not themselves claimed -credit for acting with duplicity. When they said the fulfilment of the -treaty might be relied on, if there were no insurmountable obstacles, -they well supposed that such obstacles existed in their relations to -the allied powers; “but,” says the Canon Escoiquiz, “not knowing this -of a certainty, we had a right, when treating with so perfidious a -person, to put it in doubt; and by this just dissimulation to obtain -the object of our wishes, which was the King’s liberty. Skilfully -to deceive with truth a man so false was not an evil deed, but an -excellent one; and this was our maxim[8].” They represented farther -that an unconditional liberation was of all things most likely to -conciliate Ferdinand’s entire good-will; that it would moreover make -the allied powers believe Buonaparte to be sincere in his desire of -peace, and which was of more consequence, gratify the French nation, -who had always indignantly regarded the war with Spain; that if -Ferdinand should find it impossible to confirm the peace with France, -it was not his interest that France should be dismembered, and to -prevent any such danger he would only carry on an illusive war, merely -to save appearances; that even if it were his desire to carry it on -with vigour, he must of necessity be less able to do this than the -Regency, because of the changes which his arrival in Spain could not -but produce; finally, that his farther detention would occasion the -Emperor a great and useless expense, and must also be a matter of -some anxiety, when it was so possible that he might be delivered by -the arms of the allies. Buonaparte, indeed, seems at one time to have -been sensible either of the reproach which he had brought upon himself -by his treachery toward Ferdinand, or of the likelihood that some -successful plan might be formed for his escape; and it was once his -intention to have shipped him off for Mexico, or for any other part of -the Spanish colonies which he might have preferred, with Charles IV. -and the Queen, the Infantes, his brothers, the Queen of Etruria, and -as many other members of the family as he could collect, and to have -given them large possessions there; but upon discovering that none of -those colonies were at his disposal, as he had hoped them to be, and -considering moreover that Ferdinand might easily from thence find his -way to Spain, and there protest against the validity ♦IDEA SENCILLA, -78.♦ of his renunciation, he abandoned this project. At present, -willing to be rid of him, knowing that his presence now could do him -no hurt any where, desiring to get his soldiers out of Spain, which he -had no hope of effecting by any other means, and perhaps also having a -hope that Ferdinand’s return might create new troubles in that country, -he readily assented to the proposal; and Laforest was instructed by -the first post after the receipt of his dispatch to inform Ferdinand -and the Infantes, that they were at liberty to depart unconditionally, -and that orders had been given for forwarding to them the necessary -passports. - -♦FERDINAND IS SET AT LIBERTY.♦ - -Ferdinand had endured captivity as contentedly as if his patience had -been the effect of philosophy or of religion. Nothing, however, could -have rejoiced him more than this reply; and, as if believing that his -return would be not less a matter of joy to the Regency, he determined -that as soon as the passports came, Zayas should precede him by three -or four days, and travel with all speed to notify his approach, that -preparations might be made for receiving him. This happiness was but -of six hours’ duration; for on the evening of the same day, San Carlos -arrived with the refusal of the treaty. To conceal this was impossible, -the utmost publicity having been given to it by the Spanish press; and -as it was likely to irritate Buonaparte, whose violent temper was well -known to his ministers, Laforest proposed that San Carlos himself -should be the first bearer of the intelligence, and present with it -such representations as might tend to appease him, and if possible -avert his displeasure. The Duque accordingly, who had come post from -Madrid, set off without delay, and at the same speed for Paris. -Buonaparte was then with the army in the neighbourhood of Troyes; the -ministers at Paris had withheld the passports till they should receive -fresh instructions, and not allowing the Duque to proceed, sent him -back to Valençay. Laforest, however, was of opinion that he should -repair to the Emperor’s quarters: San Carlos again departed; failing -to find, and perhaps not being able to follow him in the rapidity of -his movements, he communicated his business by letter: the course which -Laforest recommended coincided with the advice given by Suchet, in -whom Buonaparte had great confidence, and the result was that orders -were sent to Paris for forwarding the passports without delay. They -reached Valençay on the night of March 7; San Carlos arrived on the -9th; Zayas set out for Madrid the next day. He bore a dispatch to the -Regency, wherein Ferdinand said that their letter, which he had now -received by Palafox, had filled his soul with satisfaction: he saw in -it how anxiously the nation wished for his return, which he desired -not less ardently, that he might devote all his powers to the good of -his beloved subjects, to whom he was so greatly indebted on so many -accounts. Then, after notifying his speedy departure, he said that -the re-establishment of the Cortes, concerning which the Regency had -informed him, and the other measures for the good of the realm which -had been adopted during his absence, deserved his approbation, because -they were in conformity with his ♦IDEA SENCILLA, 113, 119.♦ own royal -intentions. On the following Sunday, March 13, Ferdinand and the -Infantes commenced their journey towards Perpignan. - -♦ARRANGEMENT WITH M. SUCHET.♦ - -Marshal Suchet received them in that city. His instructions from the -minister at war were, that he should send Ferdinand to Barcelona, -and cause all the places which the French still possessed in Spain -to be delivered up, taking, however, securities and precautions for -the return of the garrisons to their own country. Hence the Marshal -concluded that there was not such entire confidence placed in this -prince as might otherwise have been inferred from the manner of his -liberation. Both parties, however, were desirous of smoothing all -difficulties, which may always best be done by fair dealing; and this -was now the interest of both. San Carlos gave Suchet a full account of -the temper of the Cortes, and their determination to control the King, -or to resist him, if he should be found refractory; and he expressed -his belief that the Generals, whether they were influenced by their -fear or their opinions, would not acknowledge his authority until -they received orders from Madrid. Ferdinand’s desire was to proceed -without delay, and not to enter Barcelona, but go on to Valencia; -and he promised to expedite as much as he could the deliverance of -the garrisons in exchange for the places which they occupied. The -Marshal frankly stated the difficulty wherein he was placed by his -instructions, these being to conduct the King to Barcelona, and take -securities for the deliverance of the garrisons; he had written to -Paris, he said, for farther explanations, and till these should arrive, -it was agreed that the Infante, Don Carlos, should remain at Perpignan, -and that the King should pass the frontier without delay. Accordingly, -on the 22nd, Ferdinand re-entered his own country. The rain had so -swoln the streams, that he was detained two days at Figueras; during -this delay, the Marshal addressed a note to him, requesting that the -treatment of the French prisoners might be improved, and pressing for -the deliverance of the garrisons. An assurance was given that there -should be an immediate alteration in the condition of the prisoners, -and a promise was given respecting the garrisons, to which Ferdinand -affixed his signature. This answer was returned from Figueras, where -he was still in the hands of the French; but, that it might appear -more evidently his own free act and deed, he dated it from Gerona. -Upon receiving this, Suchet immediately dispatched orders for letting -the Infante, Don Carlos, proceed from Perpignan; thus he conferred an -obligation, by releasing a hostage whom it would have been useless to -detain; all questions concerning the fortresses and garrisons being, -as by a tacit understanding, waived on both sides, there being a third -party, without whose consent the garrison of Barcelona could not be -dismissed; for Sir H. Clinton was then with the Anglo-Sicilian army -blockading that city. A little before this time, instructions had been -received by that General to embark one portion of his troops, including -the Calabrians, ♦SUCHET, 2. 375–8.♦ for the coast of Italy, there to -be employed in an expedition under Lord William Bentinck; and with -the remainder to march, by way of Zaragoza and Pamplona, into France, -there to reinforce Lord Wellington. Sir Henry took upon himself the -responsibility of not obeying these instructions: and his conduct in so -doing was fully approved by Lord Wellington; for, if that army had been -withdrawn, the Spaniards in Catalonia could not have prevented Suchet -from collecting and bringing off the whole of his remaining garrisons. - -As soon as the waters permitted, Ferdinand proceeded towards Gerona. -General Copons had been apprized of his coming. Marshal Suchet escorted -him to the Fluvia, ♦MARCH 24. FERDINAND WRITES FROM GERONA TO THE -REGENCY.♦ The French troops were drawn up in a semicircle on one side -of the river, the Spaniards on the other; and, having crossed it amid -salutes of artillery, and the joyful sound of martial music, and the -acclamations of the surrounding inhabitants, who had flocked thither -from all sides, Ferdinand found himself then indeed free, ... in his -own country, among his own people, and a King. There was no difficulty -about his reception; his retinue consisted only of Spaniards, among -whom there were none to whom any exception could be taken, if Copons -had been disposed to offer it. The General delivered into his hands -the Regency’s letter, and the documents which accompanied it; and -when Ferdinand came the same day to Gerona, he acknowledged them in a -letter to the Regency announcing his arrival, saying that he should -make himself acquainted with the contents of their papers; meantime -he assured them that his greatest wish was to give them proofs of his -satisfaction, and of his lively desire to do every thing which might -conduce to the happiness of his subjects. It was a comfort indeed for -him, he said, to see himself in his own country, in the midst of a -nation and an army to whom he was beholden for a fidelity as constant -as it was generous. - -♦FERDINAND GOES TO ZARAGOZA.♦ - -The Cortes had regulated Ferdinand’s route; and as it was understood -that he would proceed by the line prescribed for him, which was -straight by way of Valencia, the Governors of Barcelona, Tortosa, and -Murviedro, received instructions to commit no hostilities when he -should pass. But Ferdinand was in no haste to proceed; he needed time -for consideration, and for such rest as the critical position in which -he now found himself would allow: he halted, therefore, a few days at -Gerona. On the 30th, he passed through the blockading army in front -of Barcelona, the enemy firing a salute, the allies receiving him with -all honours, and the people with every possible manifestation of joy. -It was believed that he was proceeding to Valencia; but, altering his -intention on the way, he made for Zaragoza, meaning to remain there -till he should have determined how to act. - -♦SOULT RESUMES THE OFFENSIVE.♦ - -This restoration Buonaparte regarded at this time with indifference; -but there was nothing which he dreaded so much as the progress of that -feeling which had manifested itself at Bourdeaux; for peace, upon -some terms, he thought himself always sure of obtaining, as long as -the allies forbore to take up the cause of the Bourbons. Soult saw -how likely it was that this feeling should spread from the Gironde -to the Loire, and had resolved upon carrying the war back toward the -Pyrenees, more with the view of occupying the English force at a -distance from those parts in which he knew that the existing tyranny -was borne with most impatience, than for the sake of the succours which -he could draw from Catalonia. Not being acquainted with the success -of Marshal Beresford’s movement upon Bourdeaux, he expected thus to -frustrate it, and that Lord Wellington would find it necessary to -recall all the detachments which he had sent in that direction. He -had, indeed, written to the Minister at War, saying he did not think -the British General would dare to weaken himself by sending a force -against that city. With this intention, he resumed the offensive; and, -having sent most of his encumbrances to Toulouse, moved ♦SUCHET, T. -2. PIÈCES JUSTIF, PP. 530–2.♦ by Lembege to Conchez and Viella, on -the right flank of the allies, drove in Sir Rowland’s piquets, and -made a demonstration as if intending to ♦MARCH 13.♦ attack him with -his whole force. Sir Rowland, upon this, took a position behind the -Gros Lees, extending ♦HE RETREATS UPON TARBES.♦ from Aire to Garlin, -on the road to Pau. Lord Wellington quickly moved two divisions to his -support, and prepared to concentrate the army in the neighbourhood of -Aire. Marshal Soult did not then feel himself strong enough to venture -upon an attack, and not finding his situation secure, retired in the -night toward Lembege, keeping his advanced posts toward Conchez; and -on the 15th, he halted his main body in position near Burosse, covered -by a strong rear-guard at Mascarras; but, on the approach of a single -brigade, they retired upon Vic Bigorre, not offering to maintain -their ground, though in a country peculiarly defensible. The various -detachments which Lord Wellington had sent out, and the reserves of -cavalry and artillery from Spain, did not join him till the 17th. On -the morrow the army marched; the right by Conchez, ♦COLONEL JONES’S -ACCOUNT, 2. 262.♦ the centre by Castelnau, the left by Plaisance; and -Sir Rowland drove in the enemy’s outposts upon Lembege. The French -retired in the night, but held a strong rear-guard in front of Vic -Bigorre, posted in the vineyards that encircle that town, and extend -for several miles around it. There they made a stand, with a show of -resolution which was not supported; for Sir Thomas Picton, with the 3rd -division and Major-General Bock’s Portugueze brigade, attacked them -there, dislodged, and drove them through the vineyards and through the -town. The allied army then assembled at Vic Bigorre and Rabastens, and -the enemy retired during the night upon Tarbes. - -♦FURTHER RETREAT TO TOULOUSE.♦ - -Buonaparte had rested in this city on his way to Bayonne in 1808, -when the treachery which he had plotted for the usurpation of Spain -was about to be consummated: a monument had been erected here in -commemoration of this imperial visit; and now that journey had in -consequence brought thither a victorious enemy’s army. So different, -too, were the feelings of the inhabitants toward him from what they had -been, that when Soult sent General Maransin thither before him to raise -a levy _en masse_ throughout the department, they refused to take arms. -Here, on the morning of the 20th, the French were found, having the -advanced posts of their left in the town, their right upon the heights -near the windmill of Oleac, and their centre and left retired, the -latter upon the heights near Angor. The allies marched in two columns -from Vic Bigorre and Rabastens; and Lord Wellington directed Sir Henry -Clinton, with the 6th division, to turn and attack their right, through -the village of Dour, while Sir Rowland attacked the town by the high -road. Sir Henry’s movement was completely successful: Baron Alten, -also, with the light division, drove the enemy from the heights above -Orleix: and when Sir Rowland had moved through the town and disposed -his columns for the attack, they retired in all directions. The troops -ascended the position which had been thus relinquished, thinking to -pursue their advantage; but having gained the summit, they unexpectedly -discovered a large portion of Soult’s army, formed on a parallel height -of great strength, and the body which had retreated before them, about -15,000 in number, ascending to join their comrades. This new position -could not be attacked without incurring severe loss; and to preserve -the advantages which had been obtained, it was necessary that the corps -from Rabastens should move further forward. But before this arrangement -could be completed, the evening closed, and Marshal Soult, once more -taking advantage of night to cover his movements, retired toward -Toulouse. There are two roads from Tarbes to that city, by S. Gaudens, -and by Auch; Soult retreated by the first, but having collected his -troops at St. Gaudens, crossed the country from thence to Auch. He had -previously sent off all his remaining encumbrances; and marching with -all possible celerity, that he might profit at Toulouse by the time -which he gained upon his pursuers, and destroying the bridges as he -went, he entered that city on the 24th, having suffered no other loss -during the pursuit than that of some prisoners, taken by General Fane -in an attack upon his rear-guard at St. Gaudens on the 22nd. - -♦PASSAGE OF THE GARONNE.♦ - -Once more Lord Wellington’s operations were impeded by heavy and -continued rains; he had to carry with him a pontoon train, as well as -most of his supplies; and it was not till three days after the French -army had entered Toulouse, that the allies halted on the left of the -Garonne, opposite that city. ♦MARCH 27.♦ On the following day, Lord -Wellington ordered a bridge to be laid at Portet, a village immediately -below the junction of the Ariege, and above the city. The current was -so rapid, that the sheer line could not without much difficulty be -stretched across; and when this was effected the distance was found -to be twenty-six yards more than the pontoons would cover. It was -desirable to obtain a passage above the city; for in that case Soult -must either abandon Toulouse, or lose the hope of being joined by -Suchet, now, though late in his movements, on the march to join him; -... a tardiness not imputable to that skilful commander, but to the -unwillingness with which Buonaparte consented to give up any object -of his ambition. Three days after the failure of the first attempt, a -place was found near Roques, where the river was not too wide, and the -spot in other respects favourable; here, ♦MARCH 31.♦ therefore, the -pontoons were laid down, and Sir Rowland’s corps crossed, and seized -the bridge over the Ariege at Cintegabelle; but after an anxious -trial of some hours, it was ascertained that from thence to Toulouse -there was no way passable for an army; and that till finer weather -should have hardened the roads, it would be impracticable to direct an -attack from the upper side of the town. The corps therefore repassed -the Garonne; and it then became Lord Wellington’s object to bridge the -river below the city, and attack Soult in front before he should be -reinforced. A favourable bend in the stream was discovered about two -miles above Grenade, at a point where the Garonne skirts the ♦APRIL -4TH.♦ main road: here some flanking batteries were established before -daybreak on the 4th; but owing to some accidental delay, it was five -o’clock before the first pontoon was brought to the water’s edge. A few -of the enemy’s cavalry were patrolling on the right bank, and their -whole army was within a short march: the patroles retired, and it -was expected every moment ♦SUCHET, PIÈCES JUSTIF. P. 536.♦ that some -attempt would be made to oppose the passage. Marshal Soult, indeed, had -assured Suchet that whenever the passage should be effected, he would -march and give the allies battle, whatever might be the disproportion -of his force; but of this he thought more wisely when the time came, -and his whole attention was now engaged in strengthening a position so -advantageous in itself, that with the labour and skill now employed in -fortifying it, he thought he might there safely defy even such an enemy -as Lord Wellington. The river at this point was 127 yards wide, and -exceedingly rapid; the bridge however was finished in four hours; and -just before it was completed the day became beautifully fine. The right -bank is some fifty feet high, the other considerably lower; and on that -side there was a plain of open wood, after a rise of about twelve feet. -A few men had previously been sent over in small boats, and posted in -this wood. The cavalry passed in single files, the infantry by threes, -the bands playing “British Grenadiers,” and the “Downfall of Paris,” -... not knowing that at that time Paris had indeed fallen, and the -allied sovereigns were in possession of it. Unopposed as the passage -was, it had the appearance rather of some festival display, than of an -actual military operation; the people from the neighbouring villages -had by this time collected to behold it, ... with so little fear or -dislike were the allies regarded by the inhabitants; and when the horse -artillery crossed, the peasants volunteered their aid, and pulled the -guns up the bank with all possible alacrity. - -The more concerned spectators were not without fear for the bridge; -it had been made fast by four stays to trees on either side, but the -strength of the current was such that it was soon forced into the shape -of a bow. Marshal Beresford passed with three divisions of infantry and -some cavalry; but when Freyre’s Spaniards and the light division should -have followed, the river had increased so much in height and strength, -that it was necessary to take up the platform. During the night, it -rose two feet; the rain had also recommenced; and on the morrow the -centre pontoon was removed, as a measure of precaution, and at length -the whole were taken up. The army was thus divided, the main body being -still on the left bank, and Soult, if he had thought proper, might -have attacked either flank; but he had suffered severely for such an -attempt in the battles before Bayonne, when he was more confident and -in greater strength. - -♦TOULOUSE.♦ - -The extent of Toulouse is disproportionately large with respect to its -population, being in length from north to south about two miles, and a -mile and quarter in breadth from east to west; while the inhabitants -were computed at not more than 60,000. It has little commerce, though -most favourably situated for inland communication: but it flourished -as a provincial capital: formerly it was second only to Paris in size. -The houses, and even the cathedral, are built of brick, which is very -unusual in France: the latter edifice, therefore, though remarkable for -its magnitude, is neither beautiful nor grand; for a structure composed -of such mean materials can produce no impression of grandeur, unless it -be like the pyramids in size. That cathedral boasted of possessing the -bodies of no fewer than seven Apostles, one of them being a duplicate -of Santiago. The Dorade church derived its name from a gilt image of -Notre Dame, the reputed work of St. Luke, who is better known in Roman -Catholic countries as an artist in this line, or as a painter, than by -his Gospel. The Dominicans exhibited a less doubtful relic in their -church, the body of St. Thomas Aquinas, authenticated by himself in -ghostly person, and brought to that city, after numerous adventures, -with 10,000 lighted tapers, and 150,000 people in procession. Devout -or curious persons were formerly indulged by a sight of the head, -which had been fitted to a half-body of silver; upon opening a plate -at the top, the real skull was to be seen, and, under circumstances of -special favour, kissed by adoring lips. Few places in France afford -more subject for reflective thought. It was the capital of a great -Gothic kingdom, till the last of its kings was overthrown by Clovis. -The pulpit is still preserved there from which St. Bernard preached the -crusade. Poetry flourished there in those ages when it stood most in -need of patronage and culture; and the city, under its own Counts, was -then the seat of religious liberty as well as of literature. Its Floral -Games may still remind us of the Gay Science of the Troubadours; but -the freedom of opinion and the truths of religion for which Toulouse -made so heroic and so virtuous a stand were succeeded there, as in -the Catholic Netherlands, by that victorious bigotry of the deepest -die which eats into the soul; and, down to the revolution, a festival -was yearly observed there in commemoration of the destruction of the -Albigenses. That name must ever bring with it painful reflections to -an Englishman’s mind, when he remembers the history of a papal crusade -under an English leader: and, looking to much later times, never were -blind superstition and legal iniquity seen in such accursed combination -as here, in the case of Calas; never, in human history, was a judicial -murder accomplished with circumstances of such peculiar barbarity and -injustice, ... circumstances so monstrous, that they could not be -believed, if it were possible to deny or doubt them. - -♦SOULT’S POSITION THERE.♦ - -Marshal Soult had retreated upon Toulouse less for the sake of the -abundant supplies which it afforded him, than because of the singular -advantages that its situation offered as a defensible position. The -canal of Brienne (so called after the Cardinal Archbishop of that -name), and which is broad enough for several barges to lie on it -abreast, connects the Garonne with the great canal of Languedoc about -two miles from the town, the navigation of the river being impeded -in that part of its course by a weir for the use of the corn-mills. -The whole western side is protected by the river; on the east and -north the canal covers it; and on the south, the only part which -was not covered by the river, could be approached only by roads -impassable for artillery, and was therefore so secure, that Soult, -who omitted no means of defence, deemed it wholly unnecessary to -erect any works on that side. There were formerly three bridges over -the Garonne: the single one which is left connects the city with the -Fauxbourg St. Cyprien; and the enemy had fortified that suburb with -strong field-works in front of the old walls. The walls were high, -thick enough for defence in old times, and flanked by towers. The -communication across the canal was covered by _têtes-de-pont_, defended -by various buildings which had now been fortified for that purpose, -and by artillery from the walls. East of the city is a range of bold -heights extending along the space between the canal and the river Ers; -over these heights all the roads from the eastward pass, and here -Marshal Soult had taken his position, having fortified the summit with -five redoubts, with various lines of intrenchment to support them, and -to connect the flanks of the ground with the defences of the town. The -left and centre being the points which he considered most assailable, -were thus strengthened; toward the right, where the line approached the -Ers, the river itself was sufficient defence. He flattered himself that -his determination to defend Toulouse had astounded Lord Wellington, -because four days elapsed after the passage of the river, and the -allies had undertaken nothing. But the bad weather, he said, might have -occasioned this delay; and expecting an attack, not without an ominous -feeling of its result, he wrote to Marshal Suchet, saying that, in case -of being compelled to retire, he should draw nearer to him, and that it -would be for the advantage of both, if Suchet would make a diversion by -the shortest line upon the Upper Garonne. - -Formidable as this position was, it was necessary to attack the enemy -there; Lord Wellington had no alternative, the roads from Ariege -being impracticable for artillery, and even for horse. On the 8th the -stream had subsided enough for the pontoons to be again laid down; -the head-quarters then, and General Freyre with the Spanish corps and -the Portugueze artillery, crossed the Garonne, and immediately moved -forward to the neighbourhood of the town. Colonel Vivian, with the -18th hussars, had here an opportunity of attacking some cavalry, which, -though superior in number, they drove through the village of Croix -d’Aurade, taking about 100 prisoners, and pursuing them so closely, -that they had not time to destroy the bridge over the Ers, the only one -which had been left standing, and by which it was necessary to pass -in order to attack the position; Colonel Vivian was severely wounded -in this charge. That attack was designed for the following day; but -Sir Rowland’s corps was on the left of the Garonne, in front of the -suburb St. Cyprien; the pontoon bridge was too far off for that ready -communication which might be required during the action; orders were -therefore given for moving it a league higher up, near Ausonne. Some -unexpected difficulties occurred in laying it; it was not completed -till after mid-day, and the attack was, therefore, deferred till the -following morning, being Easter Sunday: long will that Easter be -remembered at Toulouse. - -♦APRIL 10. - -BATTLE OF TOULOUSE.♦ - -Lord Wellington’s arrangements were that Marshal Beresford, who was on -the right of the Ers with the 4th and 6th divisions, should cross that -river at the bridge of Croix d’Aurade, gain possession of the village -of Montblanc, and march up the left of the Ers to turn the enemy’s -right, while the Spaniards supported by the British cavalry should -attack their front. Sir Stapleton was to follow the Marshal’s movements -with Lord Edward Somerset’s brigade of hussars; and Vivian’s brigade, -now under Colonel Arentschild, was to observe the enemy’s cavalry on -both banks of the Ers, beyond the left of the allies. On the lower part -of the canal, Picton and Baron Alten, with the 3rd and light divisions, -and the brigade of German cavalry, were to threaten the _tête-de-pont_, -and so draw the enemy’s attention to that quarter; and Sir Rowland was -to do the same on the side of St. Cyprien. - -The business of this dreadful day commenced about seven o’clock, when -Sir Thomas Picton drove in the French piquets in front of Pont Jumeau, -at the point where the Canal de Brienne joins that of Languedoc; -the action became warm here, and the enemy retiring, set fire to a -fine large chateau, in the cypress avenues of which they had sought -in vain to cover themselves. To the left of this division the light -division extended nearly to the road to Alby, by which road Freyre’s -army advanced, in two columns, and formed in front of Croix d’Aurade, -near a hill on which Lieutenant-Colonel Arentschild’s Portugueze -guns, protected by General Ponsonby’s brigade of cavalry, were -advantageously placed to cover their movements. Marshal Beresford, -with the 4th and 6th divisions, under Sir Lowry Cole and Sir Henry -Clinton, advanced also by the Alby road, turned off to their left at -Croix d’Aurade, toward the village of Montblanc, carried the village, -and proceeded up the left bank of the Ers, in three open columns, -along the foot of the heights, over difficult ground, which was much -intersected with deep ditches and hollow roads. Upon their march they -were exposed to a heavy cannonade from all the guns of the enemy’s -works; and those guns throughout the day were served with great spirit -and correctness, Toulouse having been an artillery school since the -Revolution. Beresford’s artillery was left at Montblanc because of the -badness of the roads; it was posted there on some low ground, in front -of the village, and kept up a fire upon the works on the heights of -Pujade. The Spaniards advanced in good order to assault these works, -which formed the left of the enemy’s position, and which Clausel and -Villatte occupied with their divisions, having a brigade of cavalry -in their front. They advanced across the valley with great bravery -under a most severe fire: a brigade of their own troops, and one of -British heavy dragoons, had been formed in reserve in the rear, and -Gardiner’s troop of artillery was brought up to their left to answer -the enemy’s. At first they drove before them a brigade of French, but -as they approached the intrenchment, a heavy fire of grape was poured -upon them with full effect, and to escape it they pushed forward with -inconsiderate speed, ... the nimblest outrunning their comrades, in -such disorder that before the first line arrived at a hollow road some -fifty yards in front of the intrenchment, it was completely broken. -The reserve, as if deterred rather than instructed by this error, fell -into the opposite fault, and came on so slowly as not to be near enough -for supporting them, when the French advanced against them vigorously, -and drove them down the hill, and in spite of the utmost exertions of -Freyre and the superior officers, were on the point of seizing the -bridge over the Ers, in which, if they had succeeded, Beresford’s -troops would have been isolated. But the 1st Portugueze _Caçadores_, -forming part of Baron Alten’s light division, moved opportunely to -their left, and advancing through the flying Spaniards, rallied them, -and caused the enemy to halt in their pursuit: a squadron of British -dragoons, who were still more in their rear, turned others, by striking -them with the flat side of their swords; and Lord Wellington himself, -the moment he saw them give way, galloped to the spot, and by his -personal exertions rallied about a company of them, near the cypress -trees on the Alby road. They suffered greatly in their flight, and the -consequences might have been worse if the enemy had followed up the -advantage with spirit. The great exertions of General Freyre, and of -the staff officers, Mendizabal and Barcena among others, formed them -again sooner than might have been expected after such a failure, and -they were again placed in position, from which they afterwards moved -to their left in support of the 6th division; but they were not again -brought into serious action. - -This was not the only time at which the circumstances of the day turned -in favour of the enemy. Picton saw that a great advantage might be -gained at this moment by pushing across the canal, while the enemy were -engaged so far in front; and thinking to profit by the opportunity, -having driven them within their _tête-de-pont_ at Pont Jumeau, he -attempted, contrary to his instructions, to carry it. It was not till -the assailants were on the counterscarp that they discovered the -formidable nature of the works, which had been regularly formed, and -with the greatest possible care; an assault, indeed, was impracticable; -they were exposed to a heavy fire of musketry in front, and to a -numerous artillery in their flank, and nothing but a speedy retreat -could have saved them from destruction. Lieutenant-Colonel Forbes was -killed here, and Major-General Brisbane wounded. - -Meantime Beresford was more successful. The 4th and 6th divisions moved -on till they came opposite to the points of attack assigned them; there -they halted, and formed in three lines. Sir Lowry advanced against -the extreme right of the enemy’s line, where General Leseur guarded -the heights of Montaudran with one brigade, having General Berton’s -cavalry in his front, on the road to Bordes: and Sir Henry moved up, in -front, to attack the redoubts on Mount Calvinet, which were occupied by -Harispe’s division, now considerably reinforced with the troops whom -the repulse of the Spaniards had rendered disposable for this service. -The face of the heights was irregular and steep, yet the 6th division -steadily ascended under a severe fire of artillery, to which at every -step they were exposed. A body of cavalry made many serious attacks on -their right flank when they had gained the summit: the 79th formed into -a square, received the charge, and totally routed them; and the troops -drove back everything that opposed them, carried with the bayonet the -principal redoubt on the right, and established themselves on the crest -of the position. Sir Lowry on his part, though menaced by Berton’s -cavalry on his left, and opposed by infantry in front, made his way -successfully up, and having driven the enemy from the heights beyond -the right of the intrenchment, took up ground on the left of Sir Henry -Clinton, just before noon. - -Two divisions of the allies were thus formed on the heights; but their -artillery which had been left at Montblanc was not yet brought up, -and the enemy meantime moved in force toward the points which were -now threatened. The whole face of the hill is intersected with deep -hollow roads; and the soil is a stiff heavy clay, in which at this -time horses could with difficulty move out of a ♦PRÉCIS HISTORIQUE, -P. 2. P. 61.♦ walk: the French, therefore, had laid planks from one -of their works to another, on which their artillery could rapidly be -moved wherever it was most needed. During the interval which elapsed -before Beresford’s guns arrived, they had time to effect this removal -from their left, on the heights of Pujade, to those of Calvinet; -and General Taupin’s division was moved to the same point from the -Fauxbourg S. Cyprien, (where Reille commanded with Maransin under him) -when it was perceived that no serious attack was intended ♦IB. P. 47.♦ -against that suburb. The roofs and steeples of Toulouse were at this -time covered with spectators, who, whatever their hopes and fears might -be for the issue of the battle, execrated Marshal Soult for bringing -the war thus to their own doors, and exposing a populous city to its -horrors. About one, Beresford was joined by his artillery; and the -4th and 6th divisions advanced steadily in line against the redoubts -on the heights of Calvinet. Soult thought he could overpower Sir -Henry’s division by a vigorous attack both in front and flank, before -Sir Lowry’s could come up to its support; with this view the French -pushed forward beyond their works to meet the assailants, Clausel and -Taupin against the front of the 6th division, Leseur’s brigade and -Berton’s cavalry against its flank. They could receive no support from -the fire of their intrenchments in this advance; it became, therefore, -a trial of courage; and the brave movement was as bravely met: Sir -Henry Clinton, instead of waiting to receive the attack, pushed forward -and met it with the bayonet; and his charge was a most determined -and successful one. General Taupin was killed. The French were not -only broken but routed; and General Pack’s brigade carried the two -principal redoubts and fortified houses in the enemy’s centre. They -made a desperate effort from the canal to recover these redoubts; and a -Scotch battalion, which was placed in the interior of one, was nearly -exhausted in defending it, when a brigade came in good time to their -assistance, charged the French, and drove them down the hill. The enemy -then formed their two routed divisions and General Rouget’s brigade in -a line from the heights of Pujade to Pont des Demoiselles, a bridge -over the canal on the Montaudran road; from thence they made a second -attempt in great force to recover that redoubt, which they looked upon -as the key of the position; and the English, seeing them approach, -planted their colours on the parapet in defiance. The French soldiers -never throughout the whole war displayed more courage, nor more of that -intelligence, which is their peculiar praise, than on this day; and in -no part of the action did they behave better than in this attack, where -they knew that they had support at hand, and, if need were, a sure -retreat. To that need they were driven by men who exceeded them in cool -and patient courage, a courage depending less upon excitement than upon -constitution; and after many and strenuous efforts they were finally -repulsed with great loss. - -The victorious division continued its movement along the ridge; and -the Spaniards, brought into a serviceable position, though not into -action, made a corresponding movement upon the front. The enemy did not -wait to be assaulted in their remaining works: they withdrew from them -gradually, and removed their artillery by the hollow road across the -bridge over the canal. By four o’clock the action was at an end; and -the allies, having accomplished the object of the day, were with their -artillery formed on the hills, looking down on the city; the French -occupying in strength an intermediate rising ground. Sir Rowland on his -side had done all that was assigned him; he had driven the enemy from -their exterior works in the suburb, and made them retire within the -ancient wall. This had had the intended effect of distracting them, and -keeping one of their divisions employed. - -The loss in this severe action was very great; that of the British -being in killed and wounded 2124, of the Portugueze 607, of the -Spaniards 1983, in all above 4700[9]. The brunt of the action fell on -the 6th division, which had 13 officers killed and 88 wounded. General -Pack was wounded, but remained in the field. Lieutenant-Colonel Coghlan -was killed; Mendizabal and Espalata wounded. The loss of the enemy -was not known; but from the circumstances of their position they are -believed to have suffered less than the allies: their dead lay in full -view of the city, and they asked leave on the following day to bury -them. General Lamorandiere was killed. Generals Harispe, Baurot, and -S. Hilaire were wounded and made prisoners. Only one gun was taken in -the position; the rest of the enemy withdrew in time. Soult’s force had -consisted of not less than 36,000 men, that of Lord Wellington’s was -numerically little greater. - -♦SOULT RETIRES FROM TOULOUSE.♦ - -At night every post of the French was withdrawn within their intrenched -line behind the canal. The only remaining bridge over the Ers was in -possession of the allies, and the road from that over the Garonne was -guarded by Sir Rowland: Toulouse was thus closed on three sides, and -preparations were made for completing the investment. There was a want -of ammunition, so much had been expended in the action; the reserve -therefore was ordered up from Aire and Orthes; and shot were collected -from the field of battle, the men searching for them at a fixed price. -The inhabitants had now the miseries of a blockade before them, or the -fear of having their lines forced, and the city at the mercy of an -enemy’s army. Above all, they dreaded the rockets, which it was falsely -reported would be discharged against the town; but so far was Lord -Wellington from entertaining any such purpose, that though some heavy -guns were fired from the ramparts, not a shot was directed against the -city in return. It was said that Marshal Soult hesitated what part to -take; whether to hold Toulouse, in the likelihood of obtaining some -great advantage by bringing his forces out in a mass against any part -of a line widely extended, and occupied by a force little more numerous -than his own; or, retiring toward Carcassonne, to effect a junction -with Suchet. General d’Armagnac is said to have advised this course, -in consideration of the inhabitants, and they blessed him for it; for -Soult, whom they hated, and whom they openly accused of extortion and -rapacity, followed the advice: a considerable body of his troops left -the city on the night after the battle, leaving their wounded, 1600 -in number, much of their artillery, and stores of all descriptions in -large quantities. - -♦THE ALLIES ENTER.♦ - -The allies entered Toulouse not as conquerors, but as friends and -deliverers, amid cries of “_Vivent les Anglois!_” “_Vive le Roi!_” -“_Vivent nos liberateurs!_” It was known officially at this time that -the allied armies were in possession of Paris; and, though it was -uncertain what measures might be taken with respect to the government -of France, the wishes of the people were loudly declared, and the white -flag hoisted. That same evening Colonel Cooke arrived from Paris to -inform Lord Wellington that the allied Sovereigns had declared they -would enter into no fresh negotiations with Buonaparte, because of his -bad faith; that the Senate had passed resolutions declaring he had -forfeited all right to the crown, and absolving the soldiers and the -nation from their oaths of allegiance; finally, that he had submitted -to their decree, and was permitted to retire to Elba, with the -independent sovereignty of that island. Colonel St. Simon accompanied -the British officer, charged with the same communication from the -Provisional Government to Marshals Soult and Suchet. It was in the -theatre that this news was published, for the theatre was not closed -that night: the dead were lying all around the walls; the hospitals -and many of the houses were filled with wounded, all of whom were not -yet brought in: the inhabitants themselves had been, by the mercy of -Providence, spared from the horrors of an assault, of a blockade which -would speedily have caused famine, and from the evils of fire and -sword which they had apprehended; and it was the theatre at Toulouse -that was opened, not the churches!... But the play was altered, and -Richard Cœur de Lion was represented, for the sake of its applicable -passages and songs. Nothing could exceed the cheering at these -passages, except the bursts of applause with which Lord Wellington was -received and greeted whenever he moved: only those who know the French -character, said one who was present, could imagine the excessive joy -of the people; they shouted and wept, and shouted again. In the midst -of this exultation, an unusual tumult announced something new; and a -person in black, attended by many candles, and having a paper in his -hand, appeared in one of the side boxes, struggling for room, and -endeavouring to obtain a hearing. Many minutes elapsed before even the -eagerness of their own expectation could still that vociferous audience -sufficiently for the magistrate to make himself heard; ♦LOUIS XVIII. -PROCLAIMED.♦ nor was anything then audible except that he announced the -abdication of Buonaparte, and the proclamation of Louis XVIII. - -Here it might have been hoped that the bloody account ♦SALLY OF THE -FRENCH FROM BAYONNE.♦ of this long war had closed; even this last -bloodshed might have been spared if, through some great treachery or -inexcusable neglect, there had not been either delay in sending off -tidings of the cessation of hostilities, or in impeding them upon the -road; for the courier, who was dispatched on the first of the month, -ought to have arrived a week before the battle; indeed suspicions -were expressed in the Moniteur that orders and dispatches had been -intercepted, with the view of giving Marshal Soult an opportunity -of retrieving the reputation of the French armies by fighting in a -position which he thought inexpugnable. Colonels Cooke and S. Simon -had passed through Bourdeaux, and advice was dispatched from thence -to Sir John Hope before Bayonne, while they proceeded to Toulouse. As -this advice was not official, Sir John did not think proper to notify -it officially to General Thouvenot, till he should receive orders from -Lord Wellington; but he caused it to be communicated to the French -officers at their advanced piquets, in the hope and expectation that it -might prevent any hostilities in the mean time. The intimation seems to -have produced a very different effect. On the night of the 13th, two -deserters came from the town, and gave information that the garrison -were to make a sortie in great strength early on the morrow. The first -division, upon this, was ordered to ♦APRIL 14.♦ arms at three in the -morning; and in a few minutes afterward a feint attack was made upon -the outposts in front of Anglet. But it soon appeared that the chief -effort would be on the right of the Adour. Parties from the citadel -crept up the hill on which the piquets were stationed, took them almost -by surprise, and instantly two columns rushed forward with loud cheers, -and by their numbers broke through the line of piquets between St. -Etienne and St. Bernard; another strong column advancing at the same -time against the former village. The line of outposts through this -village, and along the heights towards Boucaut, was marked by a road -worn in some places to a deep hollow way, and in others bounded by high -garden-walls, so that it was not easy to get out of it, except where -gaps at long intervals had been broken down for the passage of the -troops. The piquets, therefore, were cut off from their supports; and, -fighting with desperate animosity on both sides, heaps of slain were -found here, both French and English, mostly killed with the bayonet. -Sir John Hope, hastening with his staff, in the early part of the -attack, to St. Etienne, entered this road, as the shortest way, not -aware that great part of it was in the enemy’s possession, and that the -piquets of the right flank had fallen back when the line of outposts -had been pierced. As soon as he discovered this, he endeavoured to -retire; but having been in front himself, with his aide-de-camp, -Lieutenant Moore, and Captain Herries of the Quarter-Master-General’s -department, they were consequently the last in retiring; and before -they could get out of this hollow way, the French came up within a few -yards, and began firing. Sir John’s horse was struck with three balls, -and falling dead, brought his rider to the ground. Captain Herries and -Lieutenant ♦SIR J. HOPE TAKEN PRISONER.♦ Moore dismounted to assist -him, for his foot was under the dead horse; but the first of these -officers was instantly brought down himself severely wounded, and the -latter had his right arm shattered; the General was also wounded in -the arm; and the French coming immediately up, made them all three -prisoners. As they were carrying them to Bayonne, Sir John received a -second and severe wound in the foot, from a ball which was supposed -to come from his own piquets. Major-General Hay was in command of -the outposts for the night; and having just given directions that -the church of St. Etienne should be defended till the last, he was -killed shortly after the attack commenced. The enemy, having here a -great superiority of numbers, got into the village towards the left, -and obtained possession of the whole, except one house, which Captain -Foster of the 38th occupied with a piquet, and bravely maintained, -though the greater part of his men were killed or wounded, till a -brigade of the German Legion retook the village. - -It had been supposed that the French would make it their main object -to destroy the bridge, which would have been the only reasonable -or justifiable object of such a sortie in that state of the siege, -when neither stores nor artillery were on the ground, nor the works -commenced. To guard against this, Lord Saltoun had intrenched the -convent of St. Bernard, and with great ability converted it into a -respectable little fortress; and Colonel Maitland now formed the first -brigade of Guards on the heights above it, to charge the enemy in -flank, should he advance toward the bridge. But, though their gun-boats -came down the river, and opened a heavy flanking cannonade, no attempt -was made on the bridge by water; and it was soon perceived that they -had as little intention of attacking it by land, their efforts being -wholly directed against the centre of the countervallation opposite -to the citadel. Major-General Howard now directed Maitland to support -the right flank, and Major-General Stopford, with the 2nd brigade of -guards, to co-operate in recovering the ground between that flank and -St. Etienne; that officer was soon after wounded, and the command of -the brigade fell to General Guise. - -♦THE FRENCH REPULSED.♦ - -The night was very dark; but the French from time to time sent up blue -lights from the citadel, obtaining light enough thereby to direct -their guns, of which nearly 70 were constantly firing to support their -attack. Some of their shells and fire-balls fell upon the depôt of -fascines, and several houses also were set on fire by the same means. -These partial illuminations made the darkness deeper in those places -to which the light did not extend; and the guards when they approached -the French line could distinguish it only by the fire of musketry -from behind the hedges and walls. They were directed to lie down and -wait till orders could be communicated to the Coldstream guards, -under Lieutenant-Colonel Woodford, who were to charge simultaneously -for recovering the old position in the hollow road. Meanwhile they -kept close to the ground, for the eminence on which they were was -so exposed to the citadel, that had they stood up for a few minutes -they must have been nearly destroyed: but when the signal was given -they rose and rushed forward; the Coldstream charged on the opposite -flank at the same moment, and the contest on this part of the line was -decided by this well-combined attack: the French ran with all speed -lest their retreat should be intercepted; and they suffered from a -most destructive fire which both battalions poured upon them as they -retired over the glacis of the citadel. When also they were driven out -of St. Etienne by the German Legion, a field-piece was brought to bear -on their columns, and thirteen rounds of grape and canister were fired -at them with dreadful effect as they retreated down the great road -into St. Esprit. The moon rose toward the close of the action; and, as -day broke, French and English were seen lying on all sides, killed or -wounded, and so intermixed, that there seemed to have been no distinct -line belonging to either party. The loss was severe on both sides: -on the part of the allies 143 were killed, 452 wounded, and 231 made -prisoners; the loss of the French amounted to 913, of whom only twenty -were prisoners. - -During the short truce which took place on the outposts when the -engagement was over, the British officers expressed their regret that -so many brave men should thus uselessly have been sacrificed; and they -were justly disgusted at the heartless levity with which the French -officers affected to treat the affair, saying it had been nothing -more than a _petite promenade militaire!_ Under all circumstances it -seemed indeed to have been planned less in a military spirit than -with a feeling of bitter enmity; made as it was when the French had -reason to know that the war was at an end, ... and when, if it had -been otherwise, no object but that of the immediate slaughter could -be effected, there being no works to be destroyed, no cannon to be -spiked; and when whatever ♦BATTY’S CAMPAIGN, 158, 165.♦ loss might have -been inflicted could not have been so great as to prevent or delay the -operations of the siege. Major-General Colville, on whom the command -devolved, landed his guns, and made preparations upon a scale which, if -hostilities had been renewed, would, in all human probability, in the -course of a very few weeks have added Bayonne to the British conquests. -But no new conquest, no farther victories were needed for the honour of -the British name. The reputation of the English soldiers had not been -higher in the days of the Black Prince, nor that of a British commander -in the days of Marlborough. - -♦SUCHET AND SOULT ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEW GOVERNMENT.♦ - -Colonels Cooke and S. Simon made no tarriance in Toulouse, but -hastened on to inform Marshal Soult of Buonaparte’s deposition, and -the consequent termination of the war. The Marshal discovered no -willingness to acquiesce in the new order of things; the information, -he said, came to him without any character of authenticity, -nevertheless, inasmuch as Lord Wellington seemed persuaded of its -truth, he proposed an armistice, that he might have time to receive -from the Emperor’s government official advices, which might direct -him how to act. When Colonel Cooke returned to Toulouse with this -reply, Lord Wellington dispatched a second letter to Marshal Soult, -saying, it appeared to him that Colonel Simon had been sent to the -French Marshal by the Provisional Government of France, just as Colonel -Cooke had been to him by the British minister who was with the King of -Prussia, both bearers of official intelligence; nor could the truth -of that intelligence be doubted, nor did it require proof. Without -requiring his Excellency to come to a decision, whatever that might -be, he himself, he added, must not depart from the line of conduct -which the allied sovereigns had pursued in their negotiations at Paris; -but were he to consent to an armistice before his Excellency should -have followed the example of his companions in arms, and declared -his adhesion to the Provisional Government, he should be sacrificing -the interest not only of the allies, but of France itself, whom it -concerned so much to be saved from a civil war. Meantime Colonel S. -Simon proceeded to Marshal Suchet, whom he found at Narbonne with -about 12,000 men, all whom he could bring out of Spain. His last act -in Catalonia had been to demolish the fortifications of Rosas; Denia -and Morella had capitulated; he left garrisons blockaded in Figueras, -Hostalric, Barcelona, Tortosa, Murviedro, and Peñiscola, in which -latter place the governor with his staff, and many others, perished -by the explosion of a magazine. Marshal Suchet was far from approving -the latter movements of Marshal Soult, and from his own dispatches had -been led to believe that he could surely have maintained himself at -Toulouse. Upon Colonel S. Simon’s arrival, he assembled his superior -officers, laid the information before them, and with their unanimous -consent sent in the adhesion of the army of Aragon and Catalonia. Soult -had now no choice; the allies were moving against ♦APRIL 19.♦ him -ready to have acted if he had hesitated longer; yielding an unwilling -consent, he then acknowledged the Provisional Government, and a -convention for the suspension of hostilities was arranged. - -Thus was the war concluded, happily for all parties, even for -the French, whom nothing but such a series of defeats could have -delivered from the tyranny which their former victories had brought -upon themselves. It was by the national spirit which had first shown -itself in the Peninsula, by the persevering efforts of Great Britain -in the peninsular war, the courage of her troops, and the skill of -her great commander, that Buonaparte’s fortune had been checked at -its height, and successfully resisted, till other governments were -encouraged, and other nations roused by the example; and that power, -the most formidable which had ever been known in the civilized world, -was then beaten down. The independence of Spain and Portugal had been -triumphantly vindicated and secured; and if the civil liberties of -both countries were not restored, and firmly established upon a sure -foundation, the cause is to be found, not in any foreign influence -exercised ill, nor in the perverse disposition, nor malignant designs -of any individual or set of men, but in old evils which time had -rendered inveterate, for which there is no sudden cure, and which when -it is attempted to remove them by the knife and the cautery, must ever -be rendered worse. - -♦DISPOSITION OF FERDINAND ON HIS RETURN.♦ - -Ferdinand had returned from captivity with the belief in which he had -been trained up, that by right of birth, and by the laws and customs of -his country, he was an absolute King; and in this the great majority -of the nation entirely agreed with him. But he had been accustomed -to yield to circumstances which he could not control, feeling in -himself neither the wish nor the strength to struggle against them; -and had the general opinion been in favour of the new constitution, he -would have submitted to it, as he had to his detention at Valençay, -if with no better will, with the same apparent contentment, and the -same convenient insensibility. Certain it is that he had no intention -of overthrowing it when he arrived at Zaragoza:... “there are many -parts of it,” said he, “which I do not approve; but if any opposition -on my part were likely to cause the shedding of one drop of Spanish -blood, I would swear to it immediately.” He soon found that this was -not the national wish; that the people cared for the constitution as -little as they understood it, that they execrated the _Liberales_, -and hated the Cortes for their ♦IMPOLITIC MEASURES OF THE CORTES.♦ -sake. That assembly, indeed, had acted toward all classes with such -strange impolicy as to offend or injure all. The nobles, though the -constitution gave them not that weight in the political scale, without -which there can be no well-balanced monarchy, might nevertheless have -submitted to it without repugnance, because they possessed no authority -as an order under the old government: but their property had been -attacked; and a sweeping decree had abolished those feudal rights and -customs from which a large portion of their hereditary revenues was -derived. The clergy might have acquiesced in the suppression of the -Inquisition, if they had not been required to proclaim the triumph -of the _Liberales_, ... a triumph whereby nothing was gained for -toleration, death being still the punishment for any one who should -dare dissent from the Roman Catholic faith. The monasteries might have -been quietly reduced, as Pombal had begun to reduce them, without wrong -to the existing communities, and without offence to the feelings or -prejudices of the nation, simply by forbidding the admittance of new -members: by suppressing them the Cortes not only made the monks and -friars their enemies, but the people also, among whom the revenues -of the former were expended, and over whom the latter exercised far -greater influence than either the gospel or the laws. This measure, -indeed, would have been impolitic, even if the whole expected profit -to the treasury had accrued from it; but as a measure of finance it -was worse than a failure. Purchasers could not be found for church -property thus confiscated, in a country where the people revolted at -this species of sacrilege; the estates, therefore, were administered -for the government; and what with the excuses and opportunities which -were afforded for mal-administration and peculation, it was generally -found that the costs of management consumed the whole proceeds; -whereas a regular impost might always have been levied upon the former -possessors. The necessity of raising money to support the war was the -plea for this suppression; yet the pay of the armies was always greatly -in arrear; and it has been seen how much they suffered for want of -proper clothing and of sufficient food: such evils are always imputed -to the government under which they exist; and as the Cortes had, in -fact, assumed the government, the Cortes were as unpopular with the -soldiers as with the great body of the people. Nothing but the army -could support them if the King should refuse to take upon himself the -yoke which they had prepared for him; yet such was the infatuation of -the _Liberales_, that one of their most influential members said the -liberties of the country could never be safe if there were even four -paid soldiers and a corporal in it; and another described the army as -composed of privileged mercenaries and hired assassins. - -Yet this party courted popularity; and while they declaimed in the -hall of the Cortes fancied that they enjoyed it. The galleries were -filled with their admirers; and they had active partizans who could at -any time raise tumult enough out of doors to carry violent measures -by intimidation. The _Serviles_, as they contemptuously called those -who disapproved the new constitution, either wholly or in any of its -parts, were kept silent, some by prudence, others by this system of -terror. ♦FEB. 3.♦ One deputy ventured to say that Ferdinand, as soon as -he arrived, ought to be acknowledged as being born to all the rights -and privileges of an absolute King, and that the constitution ought -therefore to be annulled. The indignation of the _Liberales_ burst -forth at this, and of the galleries also, for the persons who attended -there had always a potential voice; the president thought it prudent -to close the doors, lest the liberal mob should be brought in to take -summary vengeance upon the indiscreet member: a vote for expelling him -was passed, and orders given for commencing a process against him, -upon a law passed in the preceding ♦AUG. 18, 1813.♦ summer, by which -any person who should affirm, either by word of mouth or by writing, -that the constitution ought not to be observed, was to be punished -with perpetual banishment, and the deprivation of all offices, pay, -and honours. Another law had been passed, on the same day, declaring, -that whoever should conspire to establish any other religion in Spain -than the Catholic-Apostolic-Roman religion, or to make the Spanish -nation cease to profess it, should be prosecuted as a traitor, and -suffer death, the established law concerning offences against the -faith remaining in full force. It was only by thus consenting to the -persecution of religious opinions that the _Liberales_ could make the -_Serviles_ concur in a law which gave them authority to persecute for -political ones! - -“Happy,” said a journalist who spoke the sentiments of the ruling -party, “happy will be the day when Ferdinand, having been restored to -his faithful subjects, may be thus addressed: Here is your throne, -preserved by the loyalty of your subjects; here is your crown, -repurchased for you by the blood of Spaniards; here is your sceptre, -which Spanish constancy replaces in your hands; here is your royal -robe, purpled with the blood of thousands who have fallen that you -might wear it! Peruse our history; inform yourself of all that the -Spaniards have done for you, and never forget that to the Spanish -people you owe everything. Never forget that you are come to be the -chief of a nation, the monarch of subjects who have abolished the -vestiges of despotism! It is the law which orders; ... the King is the -executive magistrate.... But, that such a day of jubilee may arrive, -King Ferdinand must return absolutely free, neither influenced by the -tyrant of France, nor by Spaniards who are ignorant of the state of -Spain, or who regard our institutions with dislike.” This was written -before the overthrow of Buonaparte, and before Ferdinand’s enlargement, -and perhaps before the _Liberales_ themselves apprehended the -consequence in which their own rashness must inevitably involve them. -Indifferent spectators saw clearly that either the constitution must -be modified, or that the King would make himself absolute again: and -even now, if the _Liberales_ had not been possessed with an overweening -opinion of their own strength, such a modification might have been -effected as would have given the Spaniards all the liberty which they -were willing to receive, and, indeed, all the political freedom which -those who had the sincerest wish for their improvement and their -prosperity could have desired for them. But when the last communication -from Valençay was read in the Cortes, conciliatory as it was intended -to be, and satisfactory as it ought to have been deemed, one member -took a sudden exception to the word _subjects_: “We are not subjects!” -he exclaimed. And another member, expressing his assent to the absurd -exception, said, that the Spanish people were subjects of the law -alone; but that the use of a word which he erroneously represented -as being peculiar to the ancient despotism was accounted for by -Ferdinand’s long imprisonment, and his consequent ignorance of the new -political phraseology of Spain! Meantime the most preposterous projects -were started by those who saw that such language and such opinions were -likely to occasion a struggle, and who saw no farther. Some were for -assembling an army to defend the Cortes against the King; others were -for setting him aside, and appointing his brother, the Infante Don -Carlos, to reign in his stead: and it is said that there was a party in -the Cortes who dreamed of offering the crown to Lord Wellington! - -Some of the Guerrilla chiefs are said at this time to have tendered -their services to the Cortes; and this is rendered probable by their -subsequent conduct. The Cortes is supposed to have reckoned, also, -upon Lacy’s attachment to the constitution; but the enthusiasm with -which Ferdinand was received by the troops might have shown them how -little they could expect from any declarations of the military in their -favour. When it was expected that he would proceed from Barcelona to -Valencia, Elio, with the double purpose of rendering most honour to the -King and affording most gratification to the soldiers, proposed a truce -to General Robert, in order that the troops employed in the blockade -of Tortosa might join ♦APRIL.♦ their comrades, who were assembled at -Amposta, to receive him on his way. When Ferdinand apprized them that -he had changed his route, he assigned as a reason his desire of viewing -the ruins of Zaragoza, and showing a mark of respect to that faithful -city. But the season of festivity at Valencia was rather prolonged -than retarded by this deviation; for the Infante Don Antonio proceeded -immediately thither, and his arrival kept the inhabitants in a jubilant -state till the King himself arrived. Ferdinand may have intended to -gain time by this delay for making himself acquainted with the real -state of public opinion; but the visit was probably suggested by -Palafox, without any such view: he knew that it would be creditable to -the King’s feelings, and honourable to the Zaragozans; and what could -be so gratifying to himself as to return under such circumstances to -Zaragoza, where, with a devoted heroism which had never been surpassed, -he had performed his duty to the uttermost, and won for himself a -glorious name not to be stained by calumny, and not to be obscured by -lapse of ages, while any remembrance of these times shall endure. - -♦CARDINAL BOURBON’S RECEPTION BY FERDINAND.♦ - -After tarrying some twelve days at Zaragoza, Ferdinand set out for -Valencia. On the way he was met by his uncle, Cardinal Bourbon, whom, -as President of the Regency, the Cortes had sent to meet the King, -but with a strict injunction that he was not to kiss the King’s hand, -because they deemed any such mark of homage inconsistent with their -dignity. Ferdinand had been apprized of this; and, as a first and easy -trial of his strength, when the Cardinal accosted him, he presented his -hand, and commanded him to kiss it. The old prelate, who had weakly -promised to obey the orders of the Cortes, which in his heart he -disapproved, obeyed the King with better will than grace, after he had -shown a wish to avoid the ceremony; but Ferdinand, having thus humbled -him, turned his back upon him in displeasure, and presently deprived -him of his archbishopric. - -The objection to the word subjects might have been imputed to the -folly of the individuals who started and supported it; ... but this -refusal of a ceremony which was as old as the monarchy itself, was -the act of the Cortes as a body, and might well be considered as one -more proof that they, who had so preposterously assumed the title of -Majesty for themselves, were resolved to leave the sovereign little -but his bare title. But Ferdinand had seen the disposition of the -people at Zaragoza; he had seen that all classes heartily united in -reprobating the measures of the Cortes, and that the re-establishment -of the Inquisition was one of the blessings which they expected from -his return The disposition of the ♦ELIO MEETS THE KING. APRIL 15.♦ -army was distinctly declared by Elio, who met him at Jaquesa, on the -frontiers of Aragon and Valencia, and addressed him in the name of -the second army, that army, he said, which had shed most blood, and -made most sacrifices for the deliverance of their country and their -King. “Your Majesty,” said he, “arrived in a happy hour to occupy the -throne of your fathers; and the God of Hosts, who by such strange and -wonderful ways has brought your Majesty hither to restore the monarchy -of the Spains, which Nature has given you, may He give you all the -strength of mind and body that are required for governing it worthily: -then, Sire, you will not forget the armies which have deserved so well, -those armies who, having moistened with their blood the land which they -have delivered, find themselves at this day in want, neglected, and -what is worse, outraged; but they trust that you, Sire, will do them -justice!” Elio then offered to resign his General’s staff; and upon -Ferdinand’s declining to receive it, and saying it was well placed in -his hand, the General, with ready adulation, said, “Take it, Sire, ... -let your Majesty grasp it but for a moment, and in that moment it will -acquire new worth, new strength!” The King took the staff accordingly, -and instantly returned it. Elio then requested permission to kiss his -royal hand, and in a short but studied speech, which concluded this -ominous scene, he pledged himself that 40,000 strong right arms should -be as they had been in the worst of times, the support of his throne. - -♦FERDINAND ENTERS VALENCIA.♦ - -Ferdinand entered Valencia on the following evening, drawn into the -city as he had been into every place upon the road by the joyous people -who yoked themselves to his carriage, and who testified by every -possible expression of word and deed their desire of taking the old -yoke upon themselves and upon their children. An English traveller, who -had the good fortune to be present on this memorable day, describes -their enthusiasm as bordering upon madness; he had seen before the -King’s deliverance the extreme unpopularity of the Cortes throughout -Spain, but the feeling which was now manifested surprised him by its -intensity and its eagerness, and by the sudden conversion of those who -but a few days before professed fidelity to the new constitution; those -very persons were now ready to shed their blood in Ferdinand’s cause, -that he might be restored, they said, to the full enjoyment of all the -rights which his fathers had possessed. “Long live the Absolute King!” -was the cry, “and down with the Constitution!” - -♦APRIL 17.♦ - -On the morrow the King went on foot to the cathedral, to be present at -a thanksgiving service for his restoration. The streets were lined with -soldiers; the colours of the crown regiment were lowered as he passed, -so as to be spread before him, that he might see they were stained with -blood; and Elio, who had prepared this scene, said, “I have detained -you for a sight worthy of you! The stains which you see upon this -flag are of the blood of the officer who now holds it, and who, when -covered with wounds, saved it from the enemy at Castalla. The crown -which this blood has dyed seems to say that the blood which the loyal -Spanish army has shed is that which has recovered for you your crown; -and the blood which remains in all the Spanish armies they are ready to -shed for securing you upon the throne in the plenitude of those rights -which Nature has made your portion!” Ferdinand could not have performed -his part better at that moment if he had studied it; he stooped and -kissed the flag, and announced to the standard-bearer, who had before -received no promotion for his services, that he was now promoted. In -the afternoon, after the officers had been presented and had kissed -hands, Elio, in their name and presence, renewed for the army under his -command the oath which the whole loyal Spanish nation had taken in the -year 1808, when Ferdinand was acknowledged King: the constitution was -not mentioned in his address, nor the Cortes; “this oath,” said he, -“they renew by me as their organ upon your royal hand (and he knelt -and kissed the hand at this part of his speech), and they promise your -Majesty that at the price of their blood they will preserve the throne -for you with all those rights to which the heroic Spanish ♦THE OFFICERS -SWEAR FIDELITY TO HIM.♦ nation at that time swore.” Turning then to the -officers, he asked whether these were the sentiments which animated -them? He was answered by a general acclamation of assent: many of them -burst into tears in the strength of their emotion, and some cries were -heard of death to those who did not hold such sentiments, and would not -maintain them! The time came when General Elio paid with his own life’s -blood for this and other services to the absolute cause. - -He was indeed an evil counsellor now, acting honestly and bravely, -but upon an erring judgment. Unhappily there never was a time in -which wise counsel was more needed; for if the blind, unreflecting, -generous loyalty of the nation had been rightly estimated, so as to -call forth a generous but thoughtful feeling in return, it would be -rash and presumptuous to say that things might have been settled upon -a sure foundation, but certainly much evil might have been averted, -much wickedness might have been prevented, and blood, and tears, and -misery, might have been spared. General Whittingham, who commanded the -cavalry and artillery in Aragon when the King arrived at Zaragoza, and -who accompanied him by his express orders to Valencia, was ♦GENERAL -WHITTINGHAM’S ADVICE.♦ asked in that city his opinion whether the -King should swear to the constitution or not? He replied, that the -constitution was too democratic to be in accord either with the habits -and opinions of the Spanish people, or with the laws and customs of -the Spanish monarchy; it must be modified therefore in many parts, or -there could be no hope of its duration. Yet one of its articles forbade -the slightest alteration during the space of eight years; and thus the -King, if he swore to it, must either deprive himself of all possibility -of amending it during that time, or be guilty of predetermined perjury. -He delivered it therefore as his opinion, that the King under these -circumstances could not swear to the constitution as it then existed; -but, he added, that the Cortes had deserved well both of the King and -of the country; that the King, unaccompanied by a single soldier, -should in person dissolve the Cortes, should thank them for the service -they had rendered the state, and say that it would gratify him to see -them re-elected by their constituents as members of the Cortes which he -was about to summon. - -The British ambassador, Sir Henry Wellesley, had gone to Valencia to -meet the King, and the advice which he gave was to the same effect, -that he should modify the constitution, but not annul it. This indeed -was the opinion which any Englishman who regarded the situation of -Spain with a sincere wish for the peace and prosperity and improvement -of a great and noble nation would then have formed; for this was the -straightforward course which at that golden opportunity it behoved -the King to take. But there were few Spaniards who saw this, few -who were in a state of sufficient equanimity to see it: inflamed by -strong passions, or settled in strong prepossessions which no force -of reason, no lessons of experience could shake, a small minority -were bent upon violent change, a much more powerful and now more -active party were resolved to resist all alteration, even such as was -most needed; while the great majority of the people, looking back -upon the tranquillity they had enjoyed before the war as to a golden -age, desired nothing but to return to their old habits and their old -pursuits, and relapse into their former state of happy indifference to -all political affairs. The care of the nation they were for leaving to -the government, the care of religion to the Holy Office, and the care -of their individual consciences to the priest, as implicitly as they -relied on Providence for the due return of the seasons; and it was with -these, who were the great body of his subjects, that Ferdinand, who -would have been just such a subject himself, was in perfect sympathy. -It is often seen that circumstances awaken dormant genius, and bring -latent qualities into strong action: but no circumstances can raise an -ordinary man to the level of extraordinary times, no circumstances can -give strength to a weak mind; nor can anything but the special grace of -God call forth in the heart a virtue which is not innate in it. - -The Cortes at this time repeated their solicitations that the King -would proceed to Madrid, and establish the happiness of Spain; but they -made a show of military preparations to support their own authority; -and they took upon themselves, with singular indiscretion, to regulate -the establishment of his household. But every day ♦MEMORIAL OF THE -SERVILES.♦ now diminished their numbers as well as their strength; -and more than seventy of the members sent a deputation to Valencia to -present a memorial, in which they protested against the measures of the -Cortes as having been carried by force and intimidation, and professed -for themselves, and for the provinces which they represented, fidelity -to their ancient laws and institutions. Beyond all doubt they spoke -the sense of ♦STONE OF THE CONSTITUTION REMOVED.♦ the provinces. In -most of the large towns, the _Plaza Mayor_, or Great Square, had been -new named _Plaza de la Constitucion_, and a stone with these words -engraven on it erected there; at Valencia this was removed one night, -and in the morning what is absurdly called a provisional stone of wood, -was set up in its place, with the words _Real Plaza de Fernando VII._: -this was publicly done; and the provisional stone was first borne under -Ferdinand’s window with military honours, in a long procession formed -by the populace, with officers intermixed, carrying drawn swords, and -bearing the royal flag. A stanza, composed[10] and printed for the -occasion, was soon affixed to it, denouncing, in a ferocious spirit, -vengeance upon any one who should profane it, and upon the liberal -party. - -The news of Buonaparte’s deposition, and the consequent termination -of hostilities, reached Ferdinand during his tarriance at Valencia. -Any perplexity which he might have felt (if he could be supposed to -have felt any) concerning the treaty of Valençay was thus removed, -and there was nothing to withdraw his attention from the immediate -object of resuming his absolute authority, and suppressing what he now -regarded as a mere revolutionary faction. He was delayed a week by -indisposition, which confined him to his apartment. The first thing -he did, when he was sufficiently recovered to leave the house, was -to visit all the nunneries, that the nuns might not be disappointed -in their ardent desire of seeing him; and in these visits part of -two days was employed much to the increase of his popularity, this -being at the same time an evidence, it was thought, of good-nature, -and of devout respect to the superstition of the country. When ♦BREVE -RELACION DE LOS SUCESOS EN VALENCIA.♦ these visits were concluded, he -attended an evening _Te Deum_ in the cathedral, performed by the light -of 20,000 tapers; after which he and the Infantes adored a chalice of -legendary reputation which is venerated there. Hitherto there had been -no avowal of the course which he intended to pursue; but on this day a -declaration appeared, signed ♦FERDINAND’S DECLARATION. MAY 4.♦ by the -King and by Macanaz, as Secretary of State, with special powers for -this peculiar occasion. In this memorable paper, Ferdinand, speaking -in his own person, began by briefly touching upon his accession to -the throne, and his imprisonment, at the commencement of which he had -issued, he said, as well as he could, while surrounded by force, a -decree addressed to the Council of Castille, or, in defect of it, to -any other chancellery or audience that might be at liberty, requiring -them to convoke a Cortes which should employ itself solely on the -immediate business of taking measures and raising supplies for the -defence of the kingdom, and remain permanent for other emergencies. -This decree had arrived too late; and when the Cortes of 1810 was -assembled, the states of the nobility and clergy were not summoned -to it, although the Central Junta had so directed; and the members, -after taking the oaths, “whereby,” said he, “they bound themselves -to preserve to me, as their sovereign, all my dominions, on the -very day of their installation, and for a commencement of their -proceedings, despoiled me of the sovereignty which they had just before -acknowledged, attributing it nominally to the nation, for the purpose -of appropriating it to themselves, and then dictating what laws they -pleased. Thus, without authority from province, place, or junta, and -without the knowledge of those which were said to be represented by -substitute members, they imposed upon the nation the yoke of a new -constitution, wherein almost the whole form of the old constitution -of the monarchy was changed; and, copying the revolutionary and -democratical principles of the French constitution of 1791, they -sanctioned ... not the fundamental laws of a moderate monarchy, ... but -those of a popular government, with a chief or magistrate, their mere -delegated executor, and not a King, although they gave him that name to -deceive and seduce the unwary. They carried these laws by means of the -threats and violence of those persons with whom the galleries of the -Cortes were filled; giving thus the colour of the general will to what -was in fact only the work of a faction. With the same want of liberty, -the constitution was signed and sworn to; and it was notorious to all -what had been the treatment of the respectable Bishop of Orense, and -the punishment with which others had been threatened who refused to -sign and swear to it.” - -He proceeded then to say in what manner revolutionary principles had -been diffused in journals, some of which were edited by members of the -Cortes; that king, and tyrant, and despot had been used as synonymous -terms; that the army and navy and other establishments which used -to be called royal, had been re-named national, in order to flatter -the people, who, nevertheless, in spite of these arts, retained by -their native loyalty the good feelings which always formed their -character. “Of all this,” he continued, “since I happily re-entered the -kingdom, I have been acquiring faithful information, partly by my own -observation, and partly from the public papers, in which, up to this -day, representations of my coming and of my character are circulated, -so false and infamous in themselves, that even with regard to any other -individual they would be heavy offences, worthy of severe exposure and -punishment. Such unexpected circumstances have filled my heart with -bitterness, which has only been tempered by demonstrations of affection -from all those who hoped for my arrival, that my presence might put an -end to these evils, and to the oppression in which those were held who -preserved the remembrance of my person, and desired the true happiness -of their country. True and loyal Spaniards, I promise and vow to you -that you shall not be deceived in your noble hopes! Your sovereign -wishes to be so for your sake; and in this he places his glory, ... in -being the sovereign of an heroic nation, who by immortal deeds have -gained the admiration of all, and preserved their liberty and their -honour. I abhor and detest despotism: the intelligence and cultivation -of the nations of Europe do not suffer it now; neither in Spain have -its Kings ever been despots, nor have its good laws and constitution -authorized it, though by misfortune there may have been from time to -time there, as every where, and in every thing human, abuses which no -possible constitution can entirely preclude; and these were not the -faults of the constitution, but of individuals, and the effects of -melancholy but very rare circumstances which gave occasion to them. -Yet to prevent them as far as may be by human foresight, preserving -the honour of the royal dignity and its rights (for rights it has) and -those which belong to the people, which are equally inviolable, I will -consult with the _procuradores_ of Spain and of the Indies, and in a -Cortes, legitimately assembled, composed of both, as soon as they can -be brought together, (order having been restored, and the good usages -in which the nation has lived, and which with its accord the Kings, my -august predecessors, have established,) every thing that can conduce to -the good of my kingdom shall be firmly and legitimately established, -that my subjects may live prosperously and happily under a religion and -a government closely united in an indissoluble tie, wherein and wherein -alone consists the temporal happiness of a King and a kingdom bearing -for excellence the title of Catholic. Immediate preparations shall be -made for assembling these Cortes. Liberty and security, individual and -royal, shall be firmly secured by means of laws, which, guaranteeing -public tranquillity and order, shall leave to all that wholesome -liberty, the undisturbed enjoyment of which distinguishes a moderate -government from an arbitrary and despotic one. This just liberty -all, likewise, shall enjoy to communicate their ideas and thoughts -through the press, that is, within those limits which sound reason -prescribes to all, that it degenerate not into licentiousness; for the -respect which is due to religion and to government, and that which men -ought mutually to observe towards each other, can under no civilized -government be reasonably permitted to be violated with impunity. All -suspicion, also, of any waste of the public revenues shall cease; those -which shall be assigned for the expenses required for the honour of my -royal person and family, and that of the nation which I have the glory -to govern being separated from the revenues, which, with consent of -the kingdom, may be assigned for the maintenance of the state in all -the branches of its administration. And the laws which shall hereafter -serve as a rule of action for my subjects shall be established in -concert with the Cortes; so that these bases may serve as an authentic -declaration of my royal intentions in the government with which I -am about to be charged, and will represent to all, not a despot or a -tyrant, but a King and a father of his subjects.” - -He went on to say, that having heard complaints from all parts -against the constitution, and against the measures of the Cortes, ... -considering also the mischiefs which had sprung therefrom, and would -increase if he should sanction that constitution with his consent, -... acting, moreover, in conformity to the decided and general -demonstration of the wishes of his people, wishes which were just in -themselves and well founded, he declared that he would not swear to -the Cortes, but that he annulled it, and abrogated all such of its -acts as derogated from the rights and prerogatives of his sovereignty -established by that constitution and those laws under which the nation -had so long lived. And he declared all persons guilty of high treason -who should attempt to support them, and to excite discontent and -disturbance in his dominions, whether by writing, word, or deed. The -administration was to go on under the present system till the old one -could be restored; and the political and administrative branches till -the future Cortes should have determined upon the permanent order of -this part of the government. But from the day on which this his decree -should be published and communicated to the President of the Cortes, -the sittings of that Cortes should cease; all their papers should be -delivered to the officers charged with the execution of this decree, -and deposited in the house of the _Ayuntamiento_ of Madrid, and the -room in which they were deposited be locked and sealed up; and whoever -should obstruct the execution of the decree, should be deemed guilty -of high treason, and punished with death. All proceedings pending for -any infraction of the constitution were to cease; and all persons -imprisoned for such infraction to be set at liberty forthwith. “Such,” -the King concluded, “is my will, because the welfare and happiness of -the nation require it.” - -By another decree of the same date, Ferdinand conferred upon the -capital, in testimony of his esteem and gratitude, and in earnest of -some more signal favour, the privilege of adding to its appellation of -the “right noble, loyal, and imperial town of Madrid,” that of “heroic” -also; and upon its _Ayuntamiento_ the title of “excellency.” In this -decree, also, he ordered a hundred doubloons to be distributed in each -of the parishes of Madrid, on the day when he should make his entrance; -and he regretted that circumstances did not allow him to give greater -proofs of his natural bounty. ♦FERDINAND SETS OUT FOR MADRID. MAY 5.♦ -On the following day he departed for Madrid. Such were the multitudes -who came from far and near to obtain a sight of their King, that one -continued concourse of people lined the whole way from Valencia. Every -village devised some means of displaying its loyalty; some by erecting -triumphal arches, such as their abilities could afford; others by -strewing the road with branches and flowers for miles together. The -Cortes, as he approached, could no longer dream of resistance; the -decree which abrogated their constitution and put an end to their -authority was posted in the streets of Madrid, countersigned by General -Eguia, as Captain-General of New Castille, and Political and Military -Governor of the Province, now by the King appointed; and deputations -from its Audience and its _Ayuntamiento_ went to meet him at Aranjuez, -where he halted two days, and where the rejoicing of the inhabitants, -and the illuminations which they exhibited, and the confluence of -visitors, contrasted strangely with the devastation that the French -had committed there; for they had stripped the gardens of every thing -which could be carried away, and had destroyed or mutilated the statues -and the fountains. - -♦HE ENTERS MADRID. - -MAY 12.♦ - -Such members of the Cortes as were marked for the King’s displeasure -were arrested on the night before his arrival by General Eguia. On the -13th Eguia went out with the grandees in procession, habited in the -ancient costume, to meet him. The Majorcan division lined the Prado, -from the Puerta de Atocha, at which he entered, and the Calle de Alcala -to the Puerta del Sol, ... not to overawe the people (for a corporal -and four soldiers might have repressed any discontent that appeared -that day), but to increase the pomp and splendour of the festival. In -the highest part of the Calle de Alcala, ... and no scene could be -better suited to such a pageant, ... a triumphal arch had been erected, -as imposing in appearance as if it had been of durable materials. -The balconies were hung with silk of various colours, fringed with -gold and silver; and Ferdinand made his entrance amid the salute of -cannon, and the sound of bells from all the churches, and the shouts -and acclamations of an innumerable multitude rising above all. Their -invaders had been totally defeated and expelled; their strong places -were recovered; their national independence had been gloriously -vindicated and established; the tyrant who had deceived, and outraged, -and insulted them, had been beaten from his throne; the Intruder whom -he had set over them had been hunted out of their land; their King, -... their legitimate, their popular, their beloved King was restored! -Greater joy could not have been expressed, greater happiness could not -have been felt, if that King had been in all respects deserving of the -generous enthusiasm which was that day manifested for his sake. - -♦SUBSEQUENT CONDUCT OF THE PEOPLE AND OF THE GOVERNMENT.♦ - -If Ferdinand had now performed the promises which were distinctly -made in his declaration, he might have averted much, if not all, of -the subsequent danger which he incurred, and the just reproaches -which will be attached to his name in history. It ought not to be -said that in making those promises he had no intention of fulfilling -them; for though he scrupled at no dissimulation when under duresse, -they were voluntary in this case, and the temper of the nation, then -unequivocally declared, was such, that no purpose was to be gained by -it. Ferdinand was a person of narrow mind, and his heart seems to have -been incapable of generous feeling; but he was not a wicked man, nor -would he have been a bad King if he had met with wise ministers, and -had ruled over an enlightened people. On the two important subjects of -civil and religious freedom he and the great body of the nation were -in perfect sympathy, ... both, upon both subjects, imbued with error -to the core; and the popular feeling in both cases outran his. The -word Liberty (_Libertad_) appeared in large bronze letters over the -entrance of the Hall of the Cortes in Madrid. The people of their own -impulse hurried thither to remove it; they set up ladders, forced out -letter by letter from the stone, and as each was thrown into the street -the spectators renewed their shouts of exultation. They collected as -many of the journals of the Cortes, and of the papers and pamphlets -of the _Liberales_, as could be got together; formed a procession in -which the religious fraternities, and the clergy regular and secular, -took the lead; piled up these papers in one of the public squares, -and sacrificed them there as a political _auto-da-fé_, after which -high mass was performed and _Te Deum_ sung, as a thanksgiving for -their triumph. The Stone of the Constitution, as it was called, was -everywhere removed, and replaced as it had been at Valencia. The people -at Seville deposed all the existing authorities, elected others in -their stead to all the offices which had existed under the old system, -and then required those authorities to re-establish the Inquisition. In -re-establishing that accursed tribunal by a formal act of government, -in suppressing the freedom of the press, which had been abused to its -own destruction, and in continuing to govern not merely as an absolute -monarch, but as a despotic one, Ferdinand undoubtedly complied with -the wishes of the Spanish nation. He did these things conformably to -his own misguided conscience and weak judgment, as well as to his -inclinations; and for so doing he was, by the voice of the people, a -patriotic and popular King. In all this he cannot justly be charged -with anything worse than error of judgment; fearfully injurious indeed -in its consequences, but in the individual to be pitied as well as -pardoned. But, in his treatment of the more conspicuous persons among -the _Liberales_, whom he condemned to strict and long imprisonment, -many of them for life, he brought upon himself an indelible reproach, -and incurred the guilt of individual sin. Quintana, who, more than -any other person, contributed by his eloquent writings to excite and -sustain the national spirit, and awaken the sympathy of other nations, -was one of the victims thus sentenced, and his life is said to have -been not the only one which was shortened by severe confinement. - -♦LORD WELLINGTON RETURNS TO ENGLAND.♦ - -But the peninsular war concludes with the return of Ferdinand to -Madrid; and its history may best be concluded with the return to his -own country of the General by whom it was brought to this triumphant -termination. A dukedom was conferred upon Lord Wellington, £300,000 -were voted by Parliament for the purchase of an estate suitable to -the dignity, and such an additional grant of income as made up the -annual amount of his parliamentary allowances to £17,000. ♦HE TAKES -HIS SEAT IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. JUNE 28.♦ He had not been in England -since he was raised to the peerage; and thus it happened, that when he -was introduced into the House of Lords to take his seat, his patents -of creation as Baron, Earl, Marquis, and Duke were all to be read on -the same day. No ceremony of honour was omitted on this occasion: the -Duchess his wife, and his mother, the Countess of Mornington, were -present to behold it, being seated below the throne. After the oaths -had been administered, and he had taken his seat, the Lord Chancellor -♦THE LORD CHANCELLOR’S SPEECH.♦ Eldon addressed him for the purpose -of conveying the thanks of the House, which had been voted to him on -the preceding evening, for the twelfth time. In performing this duty, -Lord Eldon said, he could not refrain from calling the attention of -his Grace, and of the noble Lords present, to a circumstance singular -in the history of that House, ... that upon his introduction he had -gone through every dignity of the peerage in this country which it -was in the power of the crown to bestow. These dignities had been -conferred upon him for eminent and distinguished services; and he -would not have the presumption to attempt to state the nature of -those services, nor to recapitulate those brilliant acts which had -given immortality to the name of Wellington, and placed this empire -on a height of military renown of which there was no example in its -history. He could not better discharge the duty which had devolved upon -him than by recurring to the terms in which that House had so often -expressed their sense of the energy, the unremitting exertions, the -ardour, and the ability with which the noble Duke had conducted the -arduous campaigns of the Peninsula, ... exertions and ability which -finally enabled him to place the allied armies in the heart of France, -fighting their way there through the blaze of victory. The glorious -result of his victories had been to achieve the peace and security of -his country; while, by his example, he had animated the rest of Europe, -and enabled her governments to restore their ancient order. The Lord -Chancellor then expressed his own satisfaction in being the instrument -of informing the Duke that the House unanimously voted their thanks for -his eminent and unremitted services, and their congratulations upon his -return to his country. - -♦THE HOUSE OF COMMONS CONGRATULATE HIM ON HIS RETURN.♦ - -The House of Commons in voting their thanks had voted also that a -committee of the House should wait upon his Grace to communicate the -same, and to offer him their congratulations on his return. The Duke -in reply signified that he was desirous of expressing to the House his -answer in person. He was admitted in consequence the following day; a -chair was set for him toward the middle of the House: he came in making -his obeisances, ♦JULY 1. HE RETURNS THANKS TO THE HOUSE.♦ the whole -House rising upon his entrance. The Speaker having informed him that -there was a chair in which he might repose himself, the Duke sat down, -covered for some time, the serjeant standing on his right hand with the -mace grounded, and the House resumed their seats. The Duke then rose -and uncovered, and addressed the Speaker thus: “I was anxious to be -permitted to attend this House in order to return my thanks in person -for the honour they have done me in deputing a committee of members to -congratulate me on my return to this country; and this after the House -had animated my exertions by their applause upon every occasion which -appeared to merit their approbation; and after they had filled up the -measure of their favours by conferring upon me, at the recommendation -of the Prince Regent, the noblest gift that any subject had ever -received. - -“I hope it will not be deemed presumptuous in me to take this -opportunity of expressing my admiration of the great efforts made by -this House and by the country, at a moment of unexampled pressure and -difficulty, in order to support the great scale of operation by which -the contest was brought to so fortunate a termination. - -“By the wise policy of Parliament the government was enabled to give -the necessary support to the operations which were carried on under -my direction; and I was encouraged by the confidence reposed in me by -his Majesty’s ministers and by the Commander-in-chief, by the gracious -favour of his Royal Highness the Prince Regent, and by the reliance -which I had on the support of my gallant friends the general officers -of the army, and on the bravery of the officers and troops, to carry -on the operations in such a manner as to acquire for me those marks of -the approbation of this House, for which I have now the honour to make -my humble acknowledgments. Sir, it is impossible for me to express the -gratitude which I feel; I can only assure the House that I shall always -be ready to serve his Majesty in any capacity in which my services can -be deemed useful, with the same zeal for my country which has already -acquired for me the approbation of this House.” - -♦THE SPEAKER’S SPEECH.♦ - -Mr. Abbot, the Speaker, who had sat covered during this speech, then -stood up uncovered, and replied to his Grace in these words: “My Lord, -since last I had the honour of addressing you from this place, a series -of eventful years has elapsed, but none without some mark and note of -your rising glory. - -“The military triumphs which your valour has achieved upon the banks -of the Douro and the Tagus, of the Ebro and the Garonne, have called -forth the spontaneous shouts of admiring nations. Those triumphs it is -needless at this day to recount. Their names have been written by your -conquering sword in the annals of Europe, and we shall hand them down -with exultation to our children’s children. - -“It is not, however, the grandeur of military success which has alone -fixed our admiration, or commanded our applause; it has been that -generous and lofty spirit which inspired your troops with unbounded -confidence, and taught them to know that the day of battle was always -a day of victory; that moral courage and enduring fortitude which, in -perilous times, when gloom and doubt had beset ordinary minds, stood -nevertheless unshaken; and that ascendency of character which, uniting -the energies of jealous and rival nations, enabled you to wield at will -the fates and fortunes of mighty empires. - -“For the repeated thanks and grants bestowed upon you by this House, in -gratitude for your many and eminent services, you have thought fit this -day to offer us your acknowledgments: but this nation well knows that -it is still largely your debtor; it owes to you the proud satisfaction, -that amidst the constellation of great and illustrious warriors who -have recently visited our country, we could present to them a leader of -our own, to whom all, by common acclamation, conceded the pre-eminence. -And when the will of Heaven, and the common destinies of our nature, -shall have swept away the present generation, you will have left your -great name and example as an imperishable monument, exciting others -to like deeds of glory, and serving at once to adorn, defend, and -perpetuate the existence of this country amongst the ruling nations of -the earth.” - -With these honours was the Duke of Wellington received, and such -honours were never more fully deserved. Since the peace of Utrecht, -in which the interests of Europe were sacrificed by that party-spirit -which is the reproach of England, our military reputation had declined. -The American war contributed to lower us in the estimation of our -neighbours; for though the courage of our men was never found wanting -in the day of trial, the circumstances of that contest were such that, -after the first season for vigorous measures was gone by, success -became morally impossible. This was not taken into the account. The -war ended to our loss; and the disgrace which should exclusively have -attached to our councils affected our arms also. When the Duke of -York was made commander-in-chief, our military establishments were in -a wretched state; boys held commissions literally before they were -out of leading-strings; there was not a single institution in Great -Britain wherein tactics were taught; and it was in France that young -Arthur Wellesley learned the elements of war! The Duke of York soon -began a silent and efficient reform; abuse after abuse was removed, -defect after defect supplied; but these improvements were known only to -persons connected with the army; and its military character suffered -materially in the revolutionary war from causes which are neither -imputable to the commander, nor to the soldiers under him: for then -also, as in the American war, they were placed in circumstances which -rendered success impossible. The evil, however, was done. The enemy -insulted us; the continental nations were persuaded that we were not -a military people; and we, contenting ourselves with our acknowledged -maritime supremacy, were but too ready to assent to an opinion which in -its consequences must have operated as a death-sentence upon national -honour, national power, and national independence. It is not too much -to say that our army would have sunk into contempt, if the expedition -to Egypt had not thrown some splendour over the close of a most -ill-fated and ill-conducted war. But the effect which that expedition -produced upon public feeling soon passed away; and the French convinced -themselves that our success had been owing to the incapacity of their -commander, the disputes among their generals, and the universal desire -of their troops to escape from Egypt, ... any cause rather than the -true one. A second war broke out; and while the enemy obtained the most -signal victories, we had only the solitary battle of Maida to boast, -which was upon so small a scale, and so nugatory in its consequences, -that the continent never heard of it, though our disgrace at Buenos -Ayres was known everywhere. - -Meantime the French had persuaded Europe as well as themselves that -Buonaparte was the greatest military genius of ancient or of modern -times; that his generals were all consummate masters in the art of war; -and that his troops were, in every respect, the best in the world. -This opinion was more than ever prevalent when Sir Arthur Wellesley -took the command in Portugal in 1809, and began a career which, when -all circumstances are considered, may truly be said to be unparalleled -in military history. He entered upon that career at a time when the -military reputation and the military power of France were at their -greatest height; when a belief that it was impossible to resist the -commanding genius and inexhaustible resources of Buonaparte had been -inculcated in this country with pestilent activity, and had deeply -tainted the public mind. Daily and weekly, monthly and quarterly, this -poison was administered with the most mischievous perseverance in -newspapers, magazines, and reviews. Never was there an opinion more -injurious, more fatal to the honour, interest, safety, independence, -and existence of the country; yet was it propagated by writers who -were then held in the highest estimation, and they enforced it with a -zeal which arrayed their passions, and seemed to array their wishes, -as well as their intellect, on the enemy’s side; and with a confidence -which boldly affirmed that nothing but folly or madness could presume -to doubt their predictions. Suicidal as the belief was, it was the -creed of that party in the state to which these writers had attached -themselves; and no effort was omitted on their part for deadening the -hopes, thwarting the exertions, disgusting the allies, and encouraging -the enemies of their country. Our government was not influenced by such -advisers; but it was long before its exertions were commensurate with -the occasion; and during four years Lord Wellington was crippled by the -inadequacy of his means. Yet, even when thus crippled, he contended -successfully against the undivided power of France. Every operation -of the British army under his command tended to give the troops and -the nation fresh confidence in their general, and to impress upon the -enemy a proper sense of the British character. Wherever he met the -French he defeated them; whenever he found it necessary to retire for -want of numbers, or of food, or of co-operation in the Spaniards, it -was in such order, and so leisurely, as neither to raise the hopes of -the enemy, nor abate those of his army, or of his allies. After the -battle of Talavera, and the series of provoking misconduct by which -the effects of that victory were frustrated, he distinctly perceived -the course which the enemy would pursue, and, anticipating all their -temporary advantages (which yet he omitted no occasion of opposing -and impeding), he saw and determined how and where the vital struggle -must be made. The foresight of a general was never more admirably -displayed; and if there be one place in the Peninsula more appropriate -than another for a monument to that leader whose trophies are found -throughout the whole, it is in the lines of Torres Vedras that a -monument to Lord Wellington should be erected. When he took his stand -there, Lisbon was not the only stake of that awful contest: the fate -of Europe was in suspense; and they who, like Homer, could see the -balance in the hand of Jupiter, might then have perceived that the -fortunes of France were found wanting in the scale. There the spell -which bound the nations was broken; the plans of the tyrant were -baffled, his utmost exertions when he had no other foe and no other -object were defied; his armies were beaten; and Europe, taking heart -when she beheld the deliverance of Portugal, began to make a movement -for her own, ... for that spirit by which alone her deliverance could -be effected was excited. Foresight and enterprise, meantime, with -our commander went hand in hand; he never advanced, but so as to be -sure of his retreat; and never retreated, but in such an attitude as -to impose upon a superior enemy. He never gave an opportunity, and -never lost one. His movements were so rapid as to deceive and astonish -the French, who prided themselves upon their own celerity. He foiled -general after general, defeated army after army, captured fortress -after fortress; and, raising the military character of Great Britain to -its old standard in the days of Marlborough, made the superiority of -the British soldier over the Frenchman as incontestable as that of the -British seaman. - -The spirit of the country rose with its successes. England once more -felt her strength, and remembered the part which she had borne, and -the rank which she had asserted in the days of her Edwards and her -Henrys. Buonaparte had bestowed upon France the name of the Sacred -Territory, boasting, as one of the benefits conferred upon her by his -government, that France alone remained inviolable when every other -part of the continent was visited by the calamities of war. That boast -was no longer to hold good! Our victories in the Peninsula prepared the -deliverance of Europe, and Lord Wellington led the way into France. A -large portion of his army consisted of Portugueze and Spaniards, who -had every imaginable reason to hate the people among whom they went -as conquerors; they had seen the most infernal cruelties perpetrated -in their own country by the French soldiers; and it might have been -supposed, prone as their national character was to revenge, that they -would eagerly seize the opportunity for vengeance. But such was Lord -Wellington’s influence over the men whom he conducted to victory, that -not an outrage, not an excess, not an insult was committed; and the -French, who had made war like savages in every country which they had -invaded, experienced all the courtesies and humanities of generous -warfare when they were invaded themselves. In Gascony, as well as in -Portugal and Spain, the Duke of Wellington’s name was blessed by the -people. Seldom indeed has it fallen to any conqueror to look back upon -his career with such feelings! The marshal’s staff, the dukedom, the -honours and rewards which his Prince and his country so munificently -and properly bestowed, were neither the only nor the most valuable -recompense of his labours. There was something more precious than -these, more to be desired than the high and enduring fame which he had -secured by his military achievements, ... the satisfaction of thinking -to what end those achievements had been directed; ... that they were -for the deliverance of two most injured and grievously oppressed -nations; ... for the safety, honour, and welfare of his own country; -... and for the general interests of Europe and of the civilized world. -His campaigns were sanctified by the cause; ... they were sullied by -no cruelties, no crimes; the chariot-wheels of his triumphs have been -followed by no curses; ... his laurels are entwined with the amaranths -of righteousness, and upon his death-bed he might remember his -victories among his good works. - -This is the great and inappreciable glory of England in this portion -of its history, that its war in the Peninsula was in as strict -conformity with the highest principles of justice as with sound state -policy. No views of aggrandizement were entertained either at its -commencement or during its course, or at its termination; conquests -were not looked for, commercial privileges were not required. It was -a defensive, a necessary, a retributive war; engaged in as the best -means of obtaining security for ourselves, but having also for its -immediate object “to loose the bands of wickedness,” and to break the -yoke of oppression, and “to let the oppressed go free.” And this great -deliverance was brought about by England, with God’s blessing on a -righteous cause. If France has not since that happy event continued -to rest under a mild and constitutional monarchy, ... if Spain has -relapsed into the abuses of an absolute one, ... if the Portugueze -have not supported that character which they recovered during the -contest, ... it has been because in all these instances there were -national errors which retained their old possession, and national sins -which were not repented of. But the fruits of this war will not be -lost upon posterity: for in its course it has been seen that the most -formidable military power which ever existed in the civilized world -was overthrown by resolute perseverance in a just cause; it has been -seen also that national independence depends upon national spirit, but -that even that spirit in its highest and heroic degree may fail ... -if wisdom to direct it be wanting. It has been seen what guilt and -infamy men, who might otherwise have left an honourable name, entailed -upon themselves, because, hoping to effect a just end by iniquitous -means, they consented to a wicked usurpation, and upheld it by a system -of merciless tyranny, sinning against their country and their own -souls: this was seen in the Spanish ministers of the Intruder; and the -Spanish reformers, more lamentably for Spain, but more excusably for -themselves, have shown the danger of attempting to carry crude theories -of government into practice; and hurrying on precipitate changes, -from the consequences of which men too surely look to despotism for -protection or for deliverance. These lessons have never been more -memorably exemplified than in the Peninsular War; and for her own -peculiar lesson, England, it may be hoped, has learnt to have ever -from thenceforth a just reliance, under Providence, upon her resources -and her strength; ... under Providence, I say, for if that support be -disregarded, all other will be found to fail. - - * * * * * - -My task is ended here: and if in the course of this long and faithful -history, it should seem that I have any where ceased to bear the -ways of Providence in mind, or to have admitted a feeling, or given -utterance to a thought inconsistent with glory to God in the highest, -and good-will towards men, let the benevolent reader impute it to that -inadvertence or inaccuracy of expression from which no diligence, -however watchful, can always be secure; and as such let him forgive -what, if I were conscious of it, I should not easily forgive in myself. - - _Keswick, 26th March, 1832._ - - -Laus Deo. - - - - -LIST OF PUBLICATIONS - -CONCERNING THE - -PENINSULAR WAR. - - -Introduction to the History of the Revolution in Spain. By Alvaro -Florez Estrada, Attorney-General of the Province of Asturias. -Translated from the author’s manuscript by William Burdon. 8vo. - -Memoir written by General Sir Hew Dalrymple, Bart., of his Proceedings -as connected with the Affairs of Spain and the Commencement of the -Peninsular War. 8vo. - -Proceedings upon the Inquiry relative to the Armistice and Convention, -&c., made and concluded in Portugal, in August, 1808, between the -Commanders of the British and French Armies. Ordered by the House of -Commons to be printed. - -A Narrative of the Campaign of the British Army in Spain commanded by -Sir John Moore, K. B., authenticated by official papers and original -letters. By his brother, James Moore, Esq. 4to. - -Narrative of the Campaigns in Portugal and Spain under Generals Sir -Arthur Wellesley and Sir John Moore, from the landing of the troops in -Mondego Bay to the Battle of Corunna; accompanied by all the official -documents, and numerous engravings from drawings made on the spot. By -Adam Neale, M.D., Physician to the Forces. 4to. - -Letters from Portugal and Spain, written during the march of the -British troops under Sir John Moore. 8vo. - -Operations of the British Army in Spain, with broad Hints to the -Commissariat and Transport Board, and Anecdotes illustrative of the -real Spanish Character. - -A Narrative of the Circumstances attending the Retreat of the British -Army under the Command of the late Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore. -By Henry Milburne, surgeon. - -An Account of the Operations of the British Army, and of the State -and Sentiments of the People of Portugal and Spain. By the Rev. James -Wilmot Ormsby. 2 vols. 8vo. - -Observations on the Movements of the British Army in Spain. By a -British Officer. - -Narrative of the Siege of Zaragoza. By Charles Richard Vaughan, M.B., -Fellow of All-Soul’s, Oxford, and one of Dr. Radcliffe’s Travelling -Fellows from that University. - -A Narrative of the interesting Particulars attending the second Siege -of Zaragoza. Translated from the Spanish by William Buy, Esq. - -The Journal of a Regimental Officer during the recent Campaign in -Portugal and Spain under Lord Viscount Wellington. 8vo. - -A Narrative of the Campaigns of the Loyal Lusitanian Legion, under -Brigadier-General Sir Robert Wilson, Aide-de-camp to his Majesty and -Knight of the Orders of Maria Theresa and of the Tower and Sword, with -some Account of the Military Operations in Spain and Portugal during -the years 1809–1811. 8vo. - -Memoir of the Early Campaigns of the Duke of Wellington in Portugal and -Spain. By an Officer employed in his army. 8vo. - -A Narrative of the principal Events of the Campaigns of 1809–10–11 in -Spain and Portugal. By Captain Stothert. 1812. - -A Journal of the Campaign in Portugal and Spain, containing Remarks on -the Inhabitants, Customs, Trade, and Cultivation of those Countries, -from the year 1809–1812. By the late Major-General Henry Mackinnon. 8vo. - -A Narrative of the Retreat of the British Army from Burgos, in a series -of Letters, with an Introductory Sketch of the Campaign of 1812, and -Military Character of the Duke of Wellington. By George Frederick -Burroughs, Surgeon, Bristol, late Assistant Surgeon of the Royal -Dragoons. 8vo. - -Memoirs of the late Lieutenant-General Sir James Leith, G. C. B., with -a Précis of some of the most remarkable Events of the Peninsular War. -By a British Officer. 8vo. - -Relation of the Siege of Tarragona, and the storming and capture of -that city by the French, in June, 1811. By Field-Marshal Don Juan Senen -de Contrenas, Governor of that fortress at the time of the siege. -London. - -A Treatise on the Defence of Portugal, with a military map of the -country; to which is added, A Sketch of the Manners and Customs of -the Inhabitants, and principal Events of the Campaigns under Lord -Wellington. By William Granville Eliot, Captain in the Royal Regiment -of Artillery. 8vo. - -Observations on the Present State of the Portugueze Army, as organized -by Lieutenant-General Sir William Carew Beresford, K.B., Field-Marshal -and Commander-in-Chief of that Army, with an Account of the different -Military Establishments and Laws of Portugal, and a Sketch of the -Campaigns of the last and present year, during which the Portugueze -Army was brought into the field against the enemy, for the first time -as a regular force. By Andrew Halliday, M.D. 4to. - -Memoranda relative to the Lines thrown up to save Lisbon, in 1810. By -Colonel John T. Jones, R.E. 8vo. Printed for private circulation. - -Memoir of the Queen of Etruria, written by herself; an authentic -Narrative of the seizure and removal of Pope Pius VII. on the 6th of -July, 1809; with genuine Memoirs of his Journey from Rome to France, -and thence to Savona. Written by one of his attendants. Translated from -the Italian. 8vo. - -Memoirs of the Baron de Kolli, relative to his secret mission in -1810 for liberating Ferdinand VII., King of Spain, from captivity at -Valençay. Written by himself. To which are added, Memoirs of the Queen -of Etruria. Written by herself. 8vo. - -Memoirs of Ferdinand VII., King of Spain. By Don ----, Advocate of the -Spanish Tribunals. Translated from the original Spanish manuscript. By -Michael J. Quin, author of “A Visit to Spain in 1812 and 1823.” 8vo. - -The Two Minas and the Spanish Guerillas, extracted and translated -from a work “On Spain,” written by Captain H. Von Brandt, a Prussian -officer, who served in one of the Polish regiments attached to the -French army during the Peninsular War. By a British officer. 8vo. - -A Short Extract from the Life of General Mina. Published by himself. -8vo. - -Anecdotes of British and Spanish Heroism, displayed at Tarafa during -the late memorable siege of that place, &c. 1812. - -The Military Exploits, &c. &c., of Don Juan Martin Diez, the -Empecinado, who first commenced and then organized the system of -Guerilla warfare in Spain; to which is added, that Chieftain’s -celebrated Representation to the King of Spain. Translated by a general -officer. 8vo. - -The Principles of War, exhibited in the Practice of the Camp, and as -developed in a Series of General Orders of Field-Marshal the Duke of -Wellington, K.G., &c. &c. &c., in the late Campaigns on the Peninsula, -with parallel Orders of George the Second, the Duke of Cumberland, the -Duke of Marlborough, Earl of Albemarle, Lord Stair, General Wolfe, &c. -&c. &c. 8vo. - -Account of the War in Spain and Portugal, and the South of France, -from 1808 to 1814, inclusive. In two volumes. By John T. Jones, -Lieutenant-Colonel, corps of Royal Engineers. 8vo. - -Journals of the Sieges undertaken by the Allies in Spain, in the years -1811–12, with Notes. By Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel John T. Jones, &c. -8vo. - -Annals of the Peninsular Campaigns, from 1808 to 1814. By the author of -Cyril Thornton. In three vols. 12mo. - -Narrative of a forced Journey through Spain and France as a Prisoner of -War, in the years 1810 to 1814. By Major-General Lord Blayney. In two -vols. 8vo. - -An Authentic Narrative of the Invasion of France in 1814. By M. De -Beauchamp, author of the History of the War of La Vendée, &c. &c. In -two vols. 8vo. - -Campaign of the Left Wing of the Allied Army in the Western Pyrenees -and South of France, in the years 1813–14, under Field-Marshal -the Marquess of Wellington, illustrated by a detailed plan of the -operations, and numerous plates of mountain and river scenery, drawn -and etched by Captain Batty, of the first or Grenadier Guards, F.R.S., -Member of the Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne. London, 1823. 4to. - - * * * * * - -Exposicion de los Hechos y Maquinaciones que han preparado, la -Usurpacion de la Corona de España, y los medios que el Emperador -de los Franceses ha puesto en obra para realizarla. Por Don Pedro -Cevallos. Reimpreso en Malaga. 1808. - -Idea Sencilla de las Razones que motivaron el Viage del Rey Don -Fernando VII. a Bayona, en el mes de Abril de 1808, dada al publico -de España y de Europa. Por el Excmo. Señor Don Juan Escoiquiz, &c. -&c., para su justificacion y la de las demas personas que componian -entonces el Consejo Privado de S. M. contra las imputaciones vagas de -imprudencia ó ligereza divulgadas contra ellos por algunos sugetos poco -instruidos de las expresadas razones; acompañada de una noticia breve -de los sucesos y negociaciones de Valençay, hasta la vuelta de S. M. á -España. Madrid, 1814. - -Manifiesto de los Procedimientos del Consejo Real, en los gravisimos -sucesos ocurridos desde Octubre del año proximo pasado. Impreso de -orden del mismo Supremo Tribunal. En la Imprenta Real. 1808. - -Semanario Patriotico. Segundo Trimestre. La parte historica por Don -Isidoro de Antillon; la Politica por Don Josef Maria Blanco. Sevilla, -1809. - -El Español. Por Don J. M. Blanco White. 8 tom. London, 1810–14. - -Manifiesto de las Operaciones del Exercito del Centro, desde el dia 3 -de Diciembre de 1808, hasta el 17 de Febrero de 1809. Por el Duque del -Infantado. 1809. - -Prontuario de las Leyes y Decretos del Rey nuestro Señor Don José -Napoleon I. Desde el año de 1808. 3 tom. Madrid, 1810–12. - -Historia de las Operaciones del Exercito de Catalaña en la Guerra de -la Usurpacion, O sea de la Independencia de España. Campaña primera. -Por el Teniente Coronel Don Francisco Xavier Cabanes, Ayudenta Mayor -de Reales Guardias Walonas y Oficial de Estado Mayor en el Exercito de -Cataluña. Tarragona, 1809. - -Segundo Periodo de la Historia de las Operaciones del Exercito de -Cataluña en la Primera Campaña de la Guerra de la Usurpacion, O sea -de la Independencia de España. Por el Teniente Coronel Don Francisco -Xavier Cabanes, &c. Tarragona, 1809. - -Resúmen Historico del primer sitio de la Ilustre Ciudad de Zaragoza por -los Franceses, desde el 14 de Junio al 16 de Agosto de 1808. Valencia, -1809. - -Idea Historica de los Principales Sucesos ocurridos en Zaragoza durante -el ultimo sitio, recopilados, por el P. Capellan de Exercito Dr. Don -Sebastian Hernandez de Morejon, Testigo y casi victima de aquella -gloriosa catástrofe. Valencia, 1809. - -Relacion del segundo sitio de Zaragoza, por los Franceses en la ultima -guerra de España, por el Señor Baron Rogniat, Teniente General de -Ingenieros. Traducida del Frances por Pedro Ferrery Casaus. Valladolid, -1815. - -Elogio a los Ilustres defensores de Zaragoza en sus dos sitios del año -de 1808. Por un individuo de las Escuelas Pias. Madrid, 1815. - -Memorial Historico de los sucesos mas notables de armas y estado -de la salud Publica durante el ultimo sitio de la Plaza de Gerona. -Comprehende hasta 18 dias despues de entregada la Plaza al Sitiador -y Reales Ordines á favor de sus defensores. Por Don Juan Andres Nieto -Samaniego, Doctor en Medecina y en Cirurgia, &c. Tarragona, 1810. - -Cataluña Atribulada suplica al Augusto Congreso de las Cortes, en 1811, -Palma. - -Manifiesto del Duque de Alburquerque, acerca de su conducta con la -Junta de Cadiz, y arribo del exercito de su cargo a aquella Plaza. -Londres, 1810. - -Memoria de lo mas interesante que ha ocurrido en la Ciudad de Zaragoza -con motivo de haberla atacado, el Exercito Frances. Madrid, 1808. - -Traslado a toda la Nacion Española, y à los fidelisimos constantes -aliados Portugueses é Ingleses, de la correspondencia oficial y -confidencial del Teniente General Marques del Palacio, Capitan-General -de los reynos de Aragon y Valencia, y general-en-gefe del segundo -exército, &c., con el Capitan-General de los reales exércitos, y -regente del reyno Don Joaquin Blake, &c. Cadiz, 1812. - -Brebe y Sencillo Manifiesto de la gloriosa defensa del Castillo de -san Fernando de Sagunto. En contraposicion à la variedad con que se -habla de este asunto y causas porque se perdiè aquel monumento de la -antiguedad. Orihuela, 1814. - -Memorias sobre la reconquista de Zaragoza, conservacion de la Plaza, -y rendicion de su Castillo por las Tropas Españolas en Julio de 1813. -Donde se evidencia lo mucho que se equivico el autor de la comedia -titulada Zaragoza Reconquistada, por Don Francisco Espoz y Mina, como -tambien otros autores que han dado toda la gloria á este General. Las -Publica un Monge Benito del Monasterio de Arlanza, Capellan, con real -despacho que ha sido del regimiento infanteria ligera de Rioxa, que -desea que la verdad sea el mas hello adorno de la historia de nuestra -santa venganza. Madrid, 1815. - -Restauracion de las Plazas de Lérida, Mequinenza y Castillo de Monzon, -por medio de una estratagema: ocupacion de estas por una de las -divisiones del primer exército Español en los dias 13, 14 y 16 de -Febrero del año de 1814. Madrid, 1814. - -Memoria de Don Miguel Jose de Azanza y Don Gonzalo O’Farrill, sobre los -trechos que justifican su conducta politica, desde Marzo de 1808 hasta -Abril de 1814. Paris. - -Constitucion Politica de la Monarquia Española, promulgada en Cadiz a -19 de Marzo de 1812. Cadiz. - -Observaciones sobre la Historia de la Guerra de España, que escribieron -los Señores Clarke, Southey, Londonderry y Napier. Por Don José Canga -Argüelles. 2 tom. Londres, 1829. - -Documentos relativos al llamamiento, del excellentisimo Señor Don -Francisco Xavier de Castaños a servir su Plaza en consego de Estado, y -a su exoneracion del mando del Quarto exercito. Cadiz, 1813. - -Breve y sucinta Relacion en forma de Diario de los principales sucesos -acaceidos en la recepcion, permanencia y partida de su Magestad, de -la siempre leal Ciudad de Valencia, con lo que tiene relacion al 2^o. -exército en la actualidad acantonado en su regno. Valencia, 1814. - -Don Gaspar de Jovellanos, a sus Compatriotas. Memoria en que se rebaten -las calumnias divulgadas contra los individuos de la Junta Central, y -se da razon de la conducta y opiniones del Autor desde que recobro su -libertad. Con Notas y Apendices. 2 tom. Coruña, 1811. - -Impugnacion que hacen los Individuos que compusieron là Suprema Junta -Central al Manifiesto del Capitan-General Don Gregorio de la Cuesta. -Cadiz, 1812. - -Exposicion que hacen a las Cortes Generales y Extraordinarias de la -Nacion Española, los Individuos que compusieron la Junta Central -Suprema Gubernativa de la Misma, de su conducta en el tiempo de su -administration. Seccion Primera. Cadiz, 1811. - -Ramo Diplomatico ó de Relaciones Extrangeras. Seccion Segunda. - -Hacienda. Seccion Tercera. Palma, 1813. - - * * * * * - -Collecçam de Decretos, Editaes, &c. &c. &c. Lisboa, 1808. - -Observador Portuguez, Historico e Politico de Lisboa, desde o dia -27 de Novembro do anno de 1807, em que embarcou para o Brazil o -Principe Regente Nosso Senhor e toda a Real Familia, por motivo da -Invasam dos Francezes neste Reino. Contem todos os Editaes, Ordens -publicas e particulares Decretos; successos fataes e desconhecidos nas -historias do mundo; todas as Batalhas, Roubos e Usurpaçoens ate o dia -15 de Setembro de 1808, em que foram expulsos, depois de batidos, os -Francezes. Lisboa, 1809. - -Historia Geral da Invasam dos Francezes em Portugal eda Restauraçam -deste Reino, escrita por José Accursio des Neves. 5 tom. Lisboa, -1810–11. - -Compilaçam des Ordens do Dia, do Quartel-General do Exercito Portuguez, -concernantes a Organizaçam, Disciplina e Economia Militares, nas -Campanhas de 1809–15. Lisboa, 1811–15. - -Correio Braziliense, ou Armazem Literario. 1808–14. London. - -O Investigador Portuguez em Inglaterra, ou Jornal Literario Politico, -&c. 1811–14. London. - -Memorias da Villa de Chaves, na sua gloriosa revoluçàm contra à -perfidia do Tyranno da Europa; por Hum amante da Verdade, da Religiâo, -do Principe, e dos vassallos mais dignos do reconhecimento publico. -Lisboa, 1809. - - * * * * * - -Histoire de la Guerre d’Espagne contre Napoleon Buonaparte, par une -commission d’Officiers de toutes armes, établie à Madrid, auprès de -S. Ex. le Ministre de la Guerre. Traduite de l’Español, avec notes et -éclaircissemens. Par un témoin oculaire. Tome 1^{er}. Paris, 1818. - -Relation de l’Expédition du Portugal, faite en 1807–8, par le 1^{er} -Corps d’Observation de la Gironde, devenu armée de Portugal. Par le -Baron Thiébault, Lieutenant-Général. Paris, 1817. - -Mémoires sur les Opérations Militaires des Français en Galice, en -Portugal, et dans la Vallée du Tage, en 1809, sous le commandement du -Maréchal Soult, Duc de Dalmatie. Avec un Atlas Militaire. Paris, 1821. - -Relation Historique et Militaire de la Campagne de Portugal sous le -Maréchal Massena, Prince d’Essling, &c., par M. Guingret, Chef de -Bataillon, en demi-activité, et officier de l’Ordre Royal de la Legion -d’Honneur. Limoges, 1817. - -Campagne de l’Armée Française en Portugal, dans les années 1810–11, -&c., par M^r. A. D. L. G., Officier Superieur employé dans l’Etat-Major -de cette Armée. Paris, 1815. - -Précis Historique de la Guerre d’Espagne et de Portugal, de 1808–14, -contenant la réfutation des ouvrages de MM. Sarrazin et Alphonse de -Beauchamps, &c., par Auguste Carel, Chef de Bataillon, Chevalier de la -Legion d’Honneur. Paris, 1815. - -Relation du Séjour des Prisonniers de Guerre Français et Suisses, sur -le Ponton la Castille, dans la baie de Cadix, et de leur evasion le 15 -Mai, 1810. Par L. Chapuis de Lausanne, Chirurgien-Major. Lausanne, 1817. - -Mémoires d’un Officier Français Prisonnier en Espagne, ou Relation -circonstanciée de la Captivité du Corps de l’Armée Française sous les -ordres du Lieutenant-Général Dupont, &c. Par un Officier de la Garde -Royale. Paris, 1823. - -Mémoires sur la Guerre d’Espagne, pendant les années 1809–10–11. Par M. -De Naylies, Officier Superieur des Gardes-du-Corps, de Monsieur de St. -Louis, et de la Legion d’Honneur. Paris, 1807. - -Précis Historique de la Bataille livrée 10 Avril, 1814, sous les murs -de Toulouse, &c. Par C. D. Toulouse. - -Journal des Opérations de l’Armée de Catalogne en 1808 et 1809, sous le -Commandement du Général Gouvion Saint Cyr. Ou Matériaux pour servir à -l’Histoire de la Guerre d’Espagne. Par le Maréchal Gouvion Saint Cyr. -Paris, 1821. - -Mémoires du Maréchal Suchet, Duc d’Albufera, sur ses Campagnes en -Espagne, depuis 1808 jusqu’en 1824. Ecrits par lui-même. 2 tom. Paris, -1828. - -Mémoires Historiques sur la Revolution d’Espagne. Par M. de Pradt, -Archivêque de Malines. Paris, 1816. - -Mémoires pour servir à l’Histoire de la Revolution d’Espagne, avec des -Pièces Justificatives. Par M. Nellerto (Llorente). 3 tom. Paris, 1814. - -Der Feldzug von Portugall, in den Jahren 1811 und 1812, in historischer -und medizinischer-hinsicht beschrieben, von einem Arzte der -Franzosischen Armee von Portugall. Stuttgart und Tubingen, 1816. - - * * * * * - -Der Befreiungs-Krieg der Katalonier, in den Jahren 1808 bis 1814. Von -H. von Staff, Major von Koniglich Preussischen Generalstaabe. Breslau, -1821. - -Der Siebenjahrige Kampf auf der Pyrenaischen Halbinsel vom Jahre -1807 bis 1814; besonders miene eigenen Erfahrungen in diesem Kriege; -nebst Bemerkungen über das Spanische Volk und Land. Von Fr. Xav. -Regel, Grossherzogl.-Badischem Hauptmann des Carl-Friederich, -Militar-Verdienst, und des Kaiserlich-Russischen St. Wladimir-Ordens -Ritter. 3 Th. Darmstadt, 1819. - - * * * * * - -Histoire de la Guerre de la Péninsule, sous Napoleon. Par le Général -Foy. 4 tom. Paris, 1827. - -Narrative of the Peninsular War from 1808 to 1813. By -Lieutenant-General Charles William Vane, Marquis of Londonderry, -G.C.B., G.C.H., Colonel of the 10th Royal Hussars. 4to. 1828. - -History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France, -from the year 1807 to the year 1814. By W. F. P. Napier, C.B. -Lieutenant-Colonel, H.P. forty-third regiment. Vols. I. and II., 1828, -1829. - - * * * * * - -All that part of the present history relating to the events of which -General Foy has treated, or to which the histories of Lord Londonderry -and Colonel Napier have as yet extended, was printed before either of -those works appeared. - - -THE END. - - - - - LONDON: - Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and SONS, - Stamford Street. - - - - -FOOTNOTES - - -[1] These affecting circumstances are stated in a letter written from -Zaragoza, 22d of January, 1812, to D. Mariano de Lope, a priest who -distinguished himself by his heroic conduct during both sieges. A copy -of this letter I had the honour of receiving from the Countess de -Bureta, who transmitted it to me at the time, that I might see what -were the feelings and the conduct of her fellow-citizens during their -captivity. - -[2] The weekly average of desertions I find thus curiously stated: 25 -Spaniards, 15 Irish, 12 English, 6 Scotch, and half a Portugueze. - -[3] The particulars of this negotiation are stated by Escoiquiz upon -Ferdinand’s authority, and from that king’s own papers. - -[4] The father of Baron de Lahoutan, in whose _Voyages dans l’Amerique -Septentrionale_ (Amsterdam, 1709, t. i. 149.) these facts are stated: -the consequences were related by M. Dufort, of the Gironde, in the -Legislative Assembly, 31 Aug. 1814. - -[5] As an instance of English character, it is worth stating in a -note, that an honest butcher of Slough, near Windsor, Edward Shirley -by name, sent Lord Wellington, as a Christmas present, the rump and -sirloin of a famous ox. Government forwarded the present, and with the -next dispatches Lord Wellington’s letter of thanks arrived, and was -forwarded to Slough from the secretary of state’s office by a king’s -messenger. The letter was as follows:-- - - “St. Jean de Luz, Jan. 19. - -“SIR, - -“I received the day before yesterday the sirloin and rump of beef which -you were so kind as to send me; which although it did not arrive in -time for the new year’s day, was a most welcome present for the queen’s -birthday. - -“I beg you to accept my best thanks for it; and to be assured that -I duly appreciate the patriotic motives which induced you to avail -yourself of an opportunity at the present moment of conveying to me -your sense of the manner in which I have carried into execution his -Majesty’s commands, and those of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. - - “I have the honour to be, sir, - Your most obedient, humble servant, - WELLINGTON. - - “To Mr. Edward Shirley, butcher, - Slough, near Windsor.” - -[6] After Buonaparte’s return from Elba, the Marquis put himself at the -head of the Vendeans, repeated these words of his heroic brother, and -died, like him, in the same cause. - -[7] This statement is drawn up from the printed narrative by Van Halen, -and from a manuscript one by Eroles. Marshal Suchet’s brief account -is erroneous in stating that Tortosa was the last place at which the -stratagem was tried instead of the first. He says that Van Halen -deserted, _monté sur un cheval dérobé, et laissant à Barcelone des -dettes criardes_. (T. 2. 366.) Concerning the horse, it is not likely -that in such circumstances the adventurer would be scrupulous; but as -to his debts, he left a letter at Barcelona, saying, that there were -the arrears of his pay to liquidate them, being more by one-half than -all that he owed amounted to. - -Van Halen afterwards got into the Inquisition as a freemason and a -liberal, got out of it, published his adventures in English, went to -Brussels, headed the inhabitants in that insurrection the success -of which they have had so much reason to repent, was suspected of -treachery by the party whom he had served, thrown into prison, and -after awhile released. And there the drama of his unquiet life breaks -off. - -[8] _Bien suponiamos que lo habria, por las relaciones con las -Potencias aliadas; pero no sabiéndolo de cierto, teniamos derecho, -tratando con hombre tan perfido, para ponerlo en duda y conseguir con -este justo dissimulo el fin de nuestros deseos que era la libertad del -Rey. Engañar mañosamente con la verdad á un hombre tan falso, era una -obra no mala sino excelente: tal era nuestro maxîma._ Idea Sencilla, -114. - -[9] French exaggeration has seldom been carried farther than in -the accounts of this action. One account makes the loss of the -allies 21,000 in killed, and nearly 15,000 wounded! and the author -of the _Précis Historique de la Bataille_ takes credit to himself -for moderation and candour in reducing the number of the slain to -17,000.--P. 3. pp. 32–37. - -[10] - - Piedra immortal, que en gloria de Fernando - Hoy el brazo del justo aqui coloca, - En ti se estrelle el enemigo bando, - se estrella la nave en dura roca: - Y si algun vil ideas abrigando - Contra el Rey, te profana ó te provoca, - Que muera; y que á cenizas reducido - Sirva de exemplo al liberal partido. - - - - -Transcriber’s Notes - - -Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant -preference was found in this book. Simple typographical errors were -corrected and some unbalanced quotation marks were remedied. Other -errors of these types were not changed because the corrections were not -obvious to the Transcriber. - -Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained; occurrences -of inconsistent hyphenation have been changed only when there was a -predominant preference throughout the book. - -The spelling and accent marks of non-English words were not checked or -changed. - -The source book used many Sidenotes, printed in italics. Most match -entries in the Table of Contents, but some are either dates or -citations. To preserve proximity with the original text, if they were -printed mid-paragraph, that is where they appear here. Depending on -the format in which you are reading this eBook, Sidenotes may be -distinguished from regular text by being shown in some combination -of italics, boldface, UPPER-CASE, enclosed in ♦DIAMOND SYMBOLS♦, -being offset into the left-margin, or in a rectangular area within -the regular text. Due to limitations of some eReaders, some sidenotes -may appear next to or below each other, depending on the width of the -screen. - -The original Table of Contents used “ib.” when the page number was the -same as the one in the previous entry. This eBook uses the actual page -numbers. - -The years in which events occurred were printed in the running heads. -In this eBook, the first occurrence of each new year has been added -to the Sidenotes by the Transcriber. Sidenote dates also have been -added at the beginning of each chapter. This does not form an unbroken -timeline, as the years in the running heads sometimes went back and -forth. - -Page 4: “beat his breast” was printed as “beast”; changed here. - -Page 45: no ending quotation mark for text beginning with “or to -prevent an insurrection.” - -Page 172: “route of fugitives” was printed as “rout” in an earlier -edition of this book. - -All six volumes of this work are available at no cost at Project -Gutenberg. 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You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: History of the Peninsular War Volume VI (of 6) - -Author: Robert Southey - -Release Date: September 30, 2019 [EBook #60391] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR, VOL 6 *** - - - - -Produced by Brian Coe, Charlie Howard, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - -</pre> - -<div class="all"> - -<div class="sec"> -<div class="transnote"> -<p class="center">Transcriber’s Note:</p> -<p class="covernote">Cover created by Transcriber and placed in the Public Domain.</p> -<p class="center"><a href="#Transcribers_Notes">Notes at the end</a> of this eBook explain special -notation used to highlight Sidenotes.</p> -</div> - -<h1>HISTORY<br /> -<span class="xxsmall wspace">OF THE</span><br /> -<span class="larger">PENINSULAR WAR.</span></h1> - -<div class="p2 poem-container"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i18">“Unto thee<br /></span> -<span class="i0">“Let thine own times as an old story be.”<br /></span> -</div> - -<div class="attrib"><span class="smcap">Donne.</span> -</div></div> -</div> - -<p class="p2 center large vspace"> -BY ROBERT SOUTHEY, ESQ. LL.D.<br /> -<span class="smaller">POET LAUREATE,</span></p> - -<p class="center smaller vspace">HONORARY MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SPANISH ACADEMY, OF THE<br /> -ROYAL SPANISH ACADEMY OF HISTORY, OF THE ROYAL<br /> -INSTITUTE OF THE NETHERLANDS, OF THE<br /> -CYMMRODORION, OF THE MASSACHUSETTS<br /> -HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ETC.</p> - -<p class="p2 center larger">A NEW EDITION.</p> - -<p class="p2 center"><i>IN SIX VOLUMES.</i></p> - -<p class="p1 center larger">VOL. VI.</p> - -<p class="p2 center vspace large">LONDON:<br /> -<span class="smaller">JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET.<br /> -<span class="smaller">MDCCCXXXVII.</span></span></p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="newpage p4 b0">Ἱστορίας γὰρ ἐὰν ἀφέλῃ τις τὸ διὰ τί, καὶ πῶς, καὶ τίνος χάριν -ἐπράχθη, καὶ τὸ πραχθὲν πότερα εὔλογον ἔσχε τὸ τέλος, τὸ καταλειπόμενον -αὐτῆς ἀγώνισμα μὲν, μάθημα δὲ οὐ γίγνεται· καὶ -παραυτίκα μὲν τέρπει, πρὸς δὲ τὸ μέλλον οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ τὸ παράπαν.</p> - -<p class="p0 sigright"> -<span class="smcap">Polybius</span>, lib. iii. sect. 31. -</p> - -<hr /> -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_iii">iii</span></p> -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 id="CONTENTS_OF_THE_SIXTH_VOLUME">CONTENTS OF THE SIXTH VOLUME</h2> -</div> - -<table id="toc" summary="Contents"> - <tr> - <td class="tdc chap notpad" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLI">CHAPTER XLI.</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc chapsub" colspan="2">(CONTINUED.)</td></tr> - <tr class="smaller"> - <td> </td> - <td class="tdr">Page</td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Duran enters Soria</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_1">1</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Members of the Junta of Burgos seized by the French and put to death</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_2">2</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Circumstances of the execution</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_4">4</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Treatment of their bodies</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_5">5</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Retaliatory executions</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_6">6</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">El Manco</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mutual retaliations</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_7">7</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Guerrilla exploits</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_8">8</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Intercepted letters from the Intruder</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_9">9</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir Rowland Hill’s expedition against the bridge of Almaraz</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_12">12</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Ballasteros defeated at Bornos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_16">16</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington advances into Spain</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_16">16</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Salamanca</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_17">17</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Tormes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_18">18</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies enter Salamanca</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_18">18</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Siege of the forts there</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_19">19</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Marmont moves to relieve them</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_21">21</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Surrender of the forts</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_24">24</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Marmont falls back upon the Douro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_25">25</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington advances to that river</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_26">26</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Douro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_27">27</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Marmont reinforced by General Bonnet</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_28">28</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington retires before him</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_29">29</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Battle of Salamanca</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_33">33</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Proceedings of Sir Home Popham on the coast of Biscay</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_41">41</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLII">CHAPTER XLII.</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Appeal of the Intruder to the Spaniards</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_47">47</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">State of Madrid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_48">48</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Measures of the Intruder before the battle of Salamanca</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_49">49</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Advance of the allies</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_50">50</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Affair at Majalahonda</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_51">51</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The enemy retire from Madrid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_51">51</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies enter</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_52">52</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The new constitution proclaimed there</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_52">52</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Buen Retiro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_53">53</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Surrender of the Retiro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_56">56</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The constitution sworn to</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_56">56</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">General Foy’s movement</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_58">58</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Measures of police at Madrid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_59">59</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington’s situation</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_61">61</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Anglo-Sicilian army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_62">62</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Majorcan division</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_63">63</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The expedition arrives on the coast of Catalonia</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_64">64</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Defeat of the Spaniards at Castalla</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_65">65</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The expedition lands at Alicante</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_66">66</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French fall back to the Xucar</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_66">66</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">They withdraw from Santander</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">And are driven from Bilbao</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">State of the Galician army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_67">67</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French break up the siege of Cadiz</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_68">68</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Movement of General La Cruz Mourgeon and Colonel Skerrett upon Seville</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_69">69</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Brigadier-General Downie</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_69">69</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_iv">iv</span></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French driven from Seville</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_71">71</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Rejoicing in that city</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_73">73</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Honours rendered to Lord Wellington</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_74">74</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">St. Teresa appointed co-patroness of Spain</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_74">74</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington commander-in-chief of the Spanish armies</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_77">77</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">His situation at Madrid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_77">77</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He moves toward Burgos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French withdraw from Valladolid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_79">79</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies advance to Burgos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_80">80</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Burgos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_81">81</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies enter Burgos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_85">85</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Castle of Burgos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_86">86</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The horn-work on St. Miguel’s taken</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_87">87</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Failure in assaulting the first line</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_89">89</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">A second assault fails</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_90">90</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">A third by daylight proves successful</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_91">91</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Major Cocks</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_93">93</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The second line assaulted with ill success</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Movement of the French in the North</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_95">95</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Ballasteros refuses to act under the British commander</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_96">96</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He is exiled to Ceuta</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_97">97</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">General Maitland gives up the command of the Anglo-Sicilian army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_98">98</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Unsuccessful attempt upon Denia</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_99">99</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French prepare to march from the South against Lord Wellington</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_99">99</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Castle of Chinchilla taken by them</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_99">99</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">They begin their march</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_100">100</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington raises the siege of Burgos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Retreat from Burgos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_101">101</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Disorder during the retreat</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_102">102</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies halt</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_104">104</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir Rowland Hill retreats from the Xarama</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_106">106</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">State of Madrid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_107">107</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies withdraw from Madrid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_107">107</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French enter</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_108">108</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Junction of the retreating armies</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_109">109</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Junction of the French armies</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_110">110</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington retreats to Salamanca</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_111">111</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">And from thence to the Agueda</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_112">112</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sufferings of the army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_112">112</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir Edward Paget made prisoner</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_114">114</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington reaches Ciudad Rodrigo</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_115">115</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French retire to the Tormes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_116">116</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Castle of Alba de Tormes evacuated</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_116">116</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington’s circular letter to the commanding officers of battalions</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_117">117</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIII">CHAPTER XLIII.</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Opinions of the opposition</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_122">122</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Marquis Wellesley calls for inquiry</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_122">122</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Grenville</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_124">124</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mr. Ponsonby</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_125">125</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mr. Freemantle</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_125">125</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mr. Whitbread</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_125">125</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Motion of thanks to the armies</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_127">127</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir F. Burdett</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_127">127</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Marquis Wellesley moves for a committee</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_129">129</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Earl Grey</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_131">131</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Earl of Liverpool</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_132">132</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Earl Bathurst</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_132">132</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Holland</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington goes to Cadiz</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_133">133</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Arrangements concerning the Spanish armies</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_134">134</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington goes to Lisbon</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_135">135</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Relaxed discipline of the Portugueze army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_135">135</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Buonaparte withdraws troops from Spain</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_137">137</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Exactions of the French</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_138">138</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Longa’s movements in the North</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_138">138</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mina’s movements</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_140">140</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Caffarelli recalled from Spain</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_141">141</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Clausel endeavours to hunt Mina down</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_141">141</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Renovales made prisoner</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Castro de Urdiales taken by General Foy</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_143">143</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Enormities committed there by the French</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_144">144</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_v">v</span></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Marshal Soult called from Spain</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_145">145</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Intruder goes to Valladolid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_145">145</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Anglo-Sicilian army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_146">146</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir John Murray takes the command</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_146">146</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Defeat of Elio’s corps</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_147">147</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet marches against the Anglo-Sicilian army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_147">147</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Battle of Castalla</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_149">149</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington opens the campaign</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_153">153</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The left of his army crosses the Douro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_153">153</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Affair near Salamanca</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_154">154</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Passage of the Ezla</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_157">157</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir Rowland Hill crosses the Douro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_159">159</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French abandon Burgos</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_161">161</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Ebro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_162">162</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Passage of the Ebro</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_163">163</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French fall back upon Vittoria</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_163">163</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Vittoria</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_165">165</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Battle of Vittoria</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_166">166</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir Thomas Graham proceeds against General Foy</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_175">175</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French driven from Tolosa</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_176">176</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Foy retreats into France</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_177">177</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Passages is surrendered</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_178">178</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Castro abandoned by the enemy</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_178">178</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Pancorbo taken</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_179">179</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Clausel retires to Zaragoza</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_179">179</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Preparations for the siege of Pamplona</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_180">180</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLIV">CHAPTER XLIV.</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Expedition from Alicante</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_181">181</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Col de Balaguer taken by the Anglo-Sicilian army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_182">182</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The expedition lands near Tarragona</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_183">183</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet’s movements for the relief of that place</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_185">185</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir John Murray raises the siege</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_186">186</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet approaches Col de Balaguer and retires again</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_188">188</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir John re-lands the troops</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_189">189</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord W. Bentinck takes the command</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_190">190</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Fort at Col de Balaguer demolished</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_190">190</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Unsuccessful movements of the Spaniards in Valencia</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_191">191</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The expedition returns to Alicante</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_192">192</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet’s measures after the battle of Vittoria</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_192">192</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington undertakes the siege of S. Sebastian’s</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_193">193</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Clausel retreats into France by way of Jaca</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_193">193</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Duran invites Mina to act with him for the deliverance of Zaragoza</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_194">194</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Affair before Zaragoza</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_195">195</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Second sally of the French</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_197">197</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Duran arrives before the city</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_197">197</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French withdraw from the city, leaving a garrison</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_198">198</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet draws off the remaining garrisons in Aragon</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_201">201</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Duran enters Zaragoza</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_202">202</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mina takes the command</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_203">203</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Aljaferia surrendered</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_204">204</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Conduct of the Zaragozans during their captivity</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_204">204</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">S. Sebastian’s</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_207">207</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Distribution of the allied army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_208">208</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Siege of S. Sebastian’s</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_210">210</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Convent of S. Bartolomé taken</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_211">211</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The batteries open</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_213">213</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Unsuccessful assault</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_214">214</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The siege suspended</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_217">217</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult appointed Commander-in-chief</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_218">218</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">His address to the troops</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_219">219</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Critical situation of the allied army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_220">220</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult’s movements for the relief of Pamplona</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_221">221</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Battles of the Pyrenees</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_222">222</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Siege of S. Sebastian’s resumed</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_230">230</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Preparations for assaulting the town</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_233">233</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult moves for its relief</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_234">234</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Assault of the town</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_234">234</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir James Leith wounded</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_238">238</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir Richard Fletcher slain</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_239">239</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The town taken</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_239">239</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French defeated in their attempt to relieve it</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_241">241</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Siege of the castle</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_244">244</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_vi">vi</span></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Excesses committed in the town</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_246">246</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The garrison surrenders</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_247">247</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLV">CHAPTER XLV.</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The remains of Romana’s army return from the North</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_251">251</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord W. Bentinck invests Tarragona</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_251">251</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet raises the siege</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_253">253</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French abandon Tarragona</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_254">254</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Plans proposed to Suchet by Soult</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_254">254</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet surprises the allies at the pass of Ordal</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_256">256</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Anglo-Sicilians retreat</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_257">257</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The command devolves upon Sir William Clinton</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_258">258</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Position of the armies in the Pyrenean frontier</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_261">261</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Levy ordered in France for Soult’s army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_262">262</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Speech of M. Regnaud de S. Jean Angely</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_262">262</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Of the Comte de Beurnonville</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_262">262</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington’s orders upon entering France</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_263">263</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Passage of the Bidassoa</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_264">264</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Bidassoa</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_265">265</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Attack of the French position</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_266">266</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Conduct of the French peasantry</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_270">270</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Pamplona surrendered</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_272">272</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult’s position on the Nivelle</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_274">274</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Battles of the Nivelle</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_278">278</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies cantoned between that river and the sea</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_287">287</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">S. Jean de Luz</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_288">288</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Discipline observed by the allies</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_289">289</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The inhabitants return to their homes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_290">290</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Bayonne</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_291">291</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Passage of the Nive</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_292">292</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult takes a defensive position</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_306">306</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies wait in their cantonments for better weather</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_307">307</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Marshal Beresford restores the colours of certain Portugueze militia regiments</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_308">308</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Conduct of the Spanish and Portugueze soldiers at Dantzic</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_309">309</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Ill conduct of the Spanish government towards Lord Wellington</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_310">310</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Change of Regency</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_310">310</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Proceedings in Parliament</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_311">311</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Grenville’s speech</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_312">312</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Marquis Wellesley</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_314">314</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Liverpool</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_315">315</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mr. Charles Grant</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_316">316</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mr. Whitbread</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_318">318</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mr. Canning</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_320">320</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Mr. Whitbread</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_325">325</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Militia allowed to volunteer for foreign service</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_325">325</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Holland</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_326">326</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Terms offered by the allies to Buonaparte</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_328">328</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Buonaparte treats with Ferdinand</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_329">329</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Conference between Comte de Laforest and Ferdinand</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_329">329</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Treaty concluded at Valençay</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_334">334</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Duque de San Carlos sent to the Regency</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_335">335</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Secret instructions from Ferdinand</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_337">337</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Macanaz sent to Valençay</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_338">338</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Zayas and Palafox released</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_339">339</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Palafox sent to the Regency</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_340">340</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Reply of the Spanish government</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_340">340</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Measures of the Cortes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_341">341</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdc chap" colspan="2"><a href="#CHAPTER_XLVI">CHAPTER XLVI.</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Buonaparte’s speech to his council</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_344">344</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Proceedings of the French government</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_345">345</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Comte Dejean</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_345">345</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Regnaud de S. Jean d’Angely</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_345">345</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lacepède</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_346">346</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Buonaparte’s speech to the Legislative Assembly</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_347">347</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">British regulations for trading with the captured French ports</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_347">347</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Injury done by destroying the woods in this part of the Pyrenees</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_350">350</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Movements in the month of January</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_352">352</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_vii">vii</span></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">False reports circulated by the French government</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_353">353</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Duc d’Angoulême goes to Lord Wellington’s army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_354">354</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Rochejaquelein comes to the British camp</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_355">355</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington refuses to send an expedition to the coast of Poitou</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_357">357</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet fails in an attempt to surprise a British corps</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_358">358</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The German troops in Barcelona disarmed</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_359">359</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Troops withdrawn from Suchet’s army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_359">359</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Failure of an attempt against the enemy at Molins del Rey</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_360">360</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Farther drafts from Suchet’s army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_361">361</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He retires to Gerona</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_361">361</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Van Halen opens a correspondence with Eroles</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_363">363</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He deserts from the French army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_363">363</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">His scheme for recovering certain places</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_364">364</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The deceit tried at Tortosa</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_365">365</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">It fails there</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_367">367</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Attempt at Lerida</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_368">368</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">And at Mequinenza, where it succeeds</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_369">369</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Success at Lerida</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_370">370</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">And at Monzon</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_372">372</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The three garrisons made prisoners</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_373">373</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet dismantles Gerona and other places</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_374">374</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">State of Lord Wellington’s army</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_375">375</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Operations are renewed</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_376">376</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Preparations for crossing the Adour</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_378">378</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Adour</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_379">379</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Passage of the Adour</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_381">381</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Entrance of the flotilla</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_386">386</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">A bridge carried over the Adour</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_389">389</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Passage of the Gaves</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_391">391</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Orthes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_392">392</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Battle of Orthes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_394">394</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French driven from Aire</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_399">399</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult draws nearer the Pyrenees</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_400">400</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies enter Pau</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_401">401</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Deputies arrive from Bourdeaux</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_402">402</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Duc d’Angoulême proceeds thither with Marshal Beresford</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_402">402</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Landes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_403">403</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Buonapartists withdraw from Bourdeaux</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_404">404</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Duc enters, and the white flag is hoisted there</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_405">405</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Failure of the negotiations at Chatillon</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_407">407</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult’s proclamation</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_409">409</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Admiral Penrose enters the Gironde</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_411">411</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Proceedings at Valençay</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_414">414</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Ferdinand set at liberty</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_416">416</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">His arrangement with Marshal Suchet</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_418">418</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He writes from Gerona to the Regency</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_420">420</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Ferdinand goes to Zaragoza</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_420">420</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult resumes the offensive</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_421">421</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He retreats upon Tarbes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_422">422</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Farther retreat to Toulouse</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_422">422</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Passage of the Garonne</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_424">424</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Toulouse</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_426">426</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult’s position there</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_428">428</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Battle of Toulouse</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_430">430</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Soult retires from Toulouse</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_437">437</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The allies enter</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_438">438</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Louis XVIII proclaimed there</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_439">439</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sally of the French from Bayonne</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_439">439</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Sir John Hope taken prisoner</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_441">441</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The French repulsed</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_442">442</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Suchet and Soult acknowledge the new government</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_444">444</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Disposition of Ferdinand on his return</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_446">446</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Impolitic measures of the Cortes</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_447">447</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Cardinal Bourbon’s reception by Ferdinand</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_452">452</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Elio meets the King</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_453">453</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Ferdinand enters Valencia</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_453">453</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The officers swear fidelity to him</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_455">455</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">General Wittingham’s advice</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_456">456</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Memorial of the Serviles</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_457">457</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Stone of the Constitution removed</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_458">458</a><span class="pagenum" id="Page_viii">viii</span></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Ferdinand’s declaration</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_459">459</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He enters Madrid</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_465">465</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Subsequent conduct of the people and of the government</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_466">466</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Lord Wellington returns to England</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_467">467</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He takes his seat in the House of Lords</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_468">468</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Lord Chancellor’s speech</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_468">468</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The House of Commons congratulate him on his return</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_469">469</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">He returns thanks to the House</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_469">469</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">The Speaker’s speech</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_470">470</a></td></tr> - <tr> - <td class="tdl">Conclusion</td> - <td class="tdr"><a href="#Page_471">471</a></td></tr> -</table> - -</div> - -<div class="main"> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_1">1</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 id="HISTORY" class="vspace"><span class="smaller">HISTORY</span><br /> -<span class="xxsmall">OF THE</span><br /> -<span class="gesperrt">PENINSULAR WAR</span>.</h2> -</div> - -<hr class="narrow" /> - -<h2 class="nobreak p2 vspace" id="CHAPTER_XLI">CHAPTER XLI.<br /> - -<span class="xsmall notbold">(CONTINUED.)</span><br /> - -<span class="subhead">GUERRILLAS, AND THEIR EXPLOITS. SIR ROWLAND HILL’S SUCCESS AT -ALMARAZ. BATTLE OF SALAMANCA.</span></h2> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">May, 1812.</span> Duran enters Soria.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p class="in0"><span class="firstword">At</span> this time, when nothing could be expected from the -Spanish armies, the Guerrillas acted in larger -bodies than before, and engaged in more difficult -enterprises than they had yet undertaken. Duran -having obtained a plan of the fortifications of Soria from -an architect who resided there, resolved upon attacking -that city as an important post, from whence the French -commanded a considerable extent of country. Soria, -which stands on the Douro, near the supposed site of -Numantia, and contained about 1,100 families in the -middle of the last century, is surrounded by an old wall -eighteen feet in height and six in thickness, to which -some works adapted to a more modern art of war had -been added; the suburb also had been fortified, and -the castle strengthened. He approached the city by a -circuitous route (during a most tempestuous night of wind - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 18.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and snow, which froze as it fell,) and reaching -it at daybreak scaled the walls, forced the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_2">2</span> -suburb, and obtained possession of the city. The enemy -retired into the castle, and Duran prepared to besiege -it, setting fire to four convents to clear the way for his -operations.</p> - -<p>The adventurers had arrived in fortunate time, for the -morrow was St. Joseph’s day, when a ball and supper -were to have been given in honour of the Intruder for -his name’s sake, and the delicacies which had been prepared -for this occasion served to regale these unexpected -and unwelcome visiters. Battering-rams were employed -with great effect against the old walls, that the city -might no longer afford protection to the French; the -public money was seized, great quantities of grain and -biscuit dispatched by all the means of transport which -could be found, and a contribution levied upon the inhabitants, -for hitherto they had contributed nothing to the -national troops, being under the yoke of the French, and -thinking it evil enough to pay what the invaders exacted; -but the Guerrillas admitted of no such excuse: they -supposed the people to be rich because it was a trading -city, and many who had formerly been rich proprietors -dwelt there; the contribution, therefore, was not likely -to be lightly imposed. Duran enrolled also such men as -he thought fit for service, ordered others who might have -been serviceable to the enemy to leave the city, and retreated -himself without loss, when a detachment arrived -from Aranda to the succour of the garrison.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Members of the Junta of Burgos seized by the French and put to death. <span class="date">March 21.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>This enterprise led to a tragedy characteristic of the -spirit in which the war was carried on on both -sides. The French, who had come in time to -save the castle of Soria, obtained intelligence -that the Junta of Burgos were in a village called -Grado; and there, under the guidance of a Spanish -traitor, Moreno by name, a party of 450 horse, -making a march of fourteen leagues in less than four-and-twenty<span class="pagenum" id="Page_3">3</span> -hours, surprised them early in the morning. -Some twenty soldiers with their commander were found -fast asleep, and made prisoners, as were three members -of the Junta and the secretary of the Intendency: but -more persons escaped than were taken, though the enemy -set every house on fire, with the intention of burning -those who might have hidden themselves. As soon as -the news was known, Duran and the Junta of Soria sent -to the French commander in that city, reminding him -that the prisoners taken there had been treated with -humanity, and threatening reprisals if the persons who -had now been captured should be put to death. This -was of no avail. The vice-president of the Junta, D. -Pedro Gordo, who was the parochial priest of Santibañez, -was inhumanly scourged by Moreno, ... perhaps -from some impulse of private enmity: the prisoners were -then conducted to Aranda, from whence the soldiers contrived -to effect their escape. Navas, the secretary of -Gordo, and the two other members of the Junta, D. Jose -Ortiz de Covarrubios, and D. Eulogio Jose de Muro, -with a young lad, son of the former, were sent in irons -to Soria, there to be tried by the criminal Junta of that - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 2.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -city. The trial, which took place during the -night, occupied five hours, all the formalities of -justice being observed; and the boy, whom because of -his youth it would have been monstrous to condemn, -was acquitted: the other four were sentenced to death, -and four priests were ordered immediately to attend -them; but no more time was allowed than was necessary -for bringing together and forming the soldiers who -were to conduct them to the place of execution.</p> - -<p>The different behaviour of the sufferers was such as -deeply to affect the spectators. Ortiz was greatly moved at -the thought of leaving his son fatherless and destitute;</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_4">4</span> - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Circumstances of the execution.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -but overcoming that emotion with a Spaniard’s feeling, -he commended the boy to God as the orphan’s -Father, and called upon the Lord to receive his -soul as a victim for his religion and his country. -The priest held a crucifix in one hand as he went -to execution, and beat his breast incessantly with the -other; and while tears of ardent devotion streamed down -his cheeks, implored with a loud voice forgiveness for -his own sins and for those of the people. Muro, who -was a much younger man than either, was of a weak -constitution, still further weakened by the fatigues he -had undergone in the performance of his duties; so that -what with ill treatment, and what he had suffered during -twelve days’ imprisonment, there seemed to be an -entire prostration of his strength; faintings and cold -sweats succeeded each other, and it was thought he -would expire before he could reach the place where he -was to be put to death. He had asked earnestly for a -crucifix; the priest who attended him not knowing for -what service he had been summoned had improvidently -left his house without one; he gave him therefore in its -stead a rosary, with a medal attached to it, on which was -the image of Our Lady of the Pillar. Muro had studied -in the university of Zaragoza, where it is said he had -never omitted, for a single day, to visit and adore the -tutelary idol of that city; and this trifling circumstance, -which at any other time would have appeared to him -light as air, acted upon him now in a manner that might -seem miraculous or incredible to those who cannot comprehend -the force of imagination and the strength of a -believing mind; for no sooner had he seen what image -the medal bore, than, as if by an influx of divine support, -he put off all weakness and proceeded to the place of -death with a firm step and a cheerful countenance, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_5">5</span> -ejaculations of jubilant devotion. When they came to -the foot of the hill on the top of which they were to suffer, -“Up, brothers!” he exclaimed, “up! let us ascend this -our Mount Calvary, where it is vouchsafed to us that we -should imitate our Redeemer! I pray and trust that -this hour our offences shall be blotted out by virtue of -the blood which on his holy Calvary he shed for our -sins.” In this spirit he knelt down upon the fatal spot, -raised his eyes to heaven, and presented his breast to -the soldiers. The Spaniards compared the circumstances -of this man’s death with what the French themselves had -related of Marshal Lasnes, how after he had received -his mortal wound, a visit from Buonaparte comforted -and for a while revived him: “Let patron,” said they, -“be compared with patron, client with client, and cause -with cause!”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Treatment of their bodies.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The bodies of these victims were suspended from the -gallows till the following day, when the French -gave orders that they should be taken down and -buried. But the execution had been an act of impolitic -severity: after Duran’s recent visit the national cause -would not have been popular in Soria, unless the national -feeling had been thus provoked; and that feeling was -now manifested in a manner which the invaders had not -looked for. The clergy, the nobles, the different brotherhoods -of the city, and the people assembled: the bodies -were carried to the church of St. Salvador in procession, -with a long line of tapers, and a most numerous attendance; -they were then dressed in grave clothes with becoming -decency, that of the priest in his sacerdotal -habits. So public and ostentatious a funeral was considered -by the French an insult to their authority; soldiers, -therefore, were sent to interrupt it, and some of the -attendants were compelled to carry the bodies back to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_6">6</span> -the gallows and hang them there again, the priest in his -alb, the others in their shrouds; there they remained -many days, and what the birds and the dogs had left was -then buried at the foot of the gallows.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Retaliatory executions.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>When D. Jose O’Donell, who commanded what was -called the 2nd and 3rd army then in Murcia, -received official intelligence of these executions, -he wrote to Duran, as acting commander in Aragon and -Soria, and instructed him to put to death ten prisoners, -without distinction of rank, for each of the four victims, -first apprising the nearest French commandant that he -had received these orders, and should act upon them unless -such reparation were made as might be deemed proportionate -to the offence. Without waiting for such instructions, -the Merino had exacted vengeance upon a -larger scale. Having defeated a considerable body of -the French who had marched from Aranda, to collect requisitions, -killed and wounded some 150 and taken about -500 prisoners, he put 110 of them to death, twenty of -these being in reprisals for each member of the Junta of -Burgos; the others, at the rate of ten for each of his own -people whom the French had executed. The other prisoners -were marched into Asturias where opportunity -might be found for embarking them; but all the officers, -twelve in number, including the lieutenant-colonel, their -commander, were reserved to be shot unless General -Rey, who commanded at Burgos, would rescue them -from that fate by delivering the traitor Moreno into the -Merino’s hands. The unhappy prisoners are said to have -addressed a letter to Rey, entreating him to save their -lives by complying with this proposal, for they well knew -that in these cases the Spaniards never failed to execute -what they threatened. The issue has not been related, -but may easily be guessed, as it was scarcely possible that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_7">7</span> -the French commander should so far break his faith with -a Spaniard in the Intruder’s service as to deliver him to -certain death.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>El Manco.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>There were no persons whom the Spaniards regarded -with such hatred as those who had forsaken the -national cause, and entered into the Intruder’s -service. Albuir, known as a Guerrilla chief by the name -of El Manco, had taken this course, and became therefore -a special object of vengeance to his countrymen: it -is the only instance of any man who had acquired celebrity -as a Guerrillero becoming a traitor, while in the -officers of the army such cases were not unfrequent: this -was because the regular officers were men, who, having -entered the service either as a matter of course or of -compulsion, felt severely the poverty of the government, -and often had little else to do than to talk of its errors, -complain of its abuses, and speculate upon its hopeless -condition; whereas the Guerrilla leaders led a life of incessant -activity and animating hope, and most of them -were impelled to that course by a strong feeling either -of their country’s injuries or of their own.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mutual retaliation.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>At this time Lord Wellington’s successes had animated -the Spaniards with a hope of deliverance, and -made the French more intent upon extirpating -those persons who, by keeping up the national spirit in -what they deemed the subjected provinces, occupied a -large part of the invading force. They attempted to -surprise the Junta of Aragon, as they had that of Burgos, -and a detachment from Palombini’s troops nearly effected -this at Mochales, in the lordship of Molina: the Junta -escaped, but the enemy sacked the village, stripped the -women in the market-place, and hung the alcalde and -two other persons; in reprisals for whom, Jabarelli, the -late commandant at Calatayud, and ten other prisoners, -were shot by the Spaniards. Vicente Bonmati, the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_8">8</span> -leader of a Guerrilla party, had been put to death at -Petrel, in Valencia, with circumstances of peculiar -cruelty; the French having tied his hands, transfixed -them with a bayonet, and then parading him through the -streets, pricked him with their bayonets till he died. -Upon this the Camp Marshal Copons, provincial commandant-general -in that kingdom, gave orders to shoot -the first prisoner who should be taken, and informed the -nearest French commandant, that for every other such -execution twenty prisoners should be put to death. Such -reprisals were but too characteristic of a vindictive people, -capable of inflicting as well as enduring anything; -but they were evidences also of that high-mindedness -which the Spaniards retained in their lowest fortune; -never abasing themselves, never submitting to the insolent -assumption of authority, nor for a moment consenting -that might should be allowed to sanction injustice. -Their parties, meantime, acquired a confidence from their -own experience, and from the success of their allies. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">May 5.</span>Guerrilla exploits.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Mendizabal appeared before Burgos, and drove -the enemy from the monastery of Las Huelgas -and the hospital del Rey. Duran entered Tudela - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">May 28.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -by escalade, and destroyed a battering train -of artillery which had been brought thither from Zaragoza, -with the intent, he supposed, of laying siege to - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">May 30.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Ciudad Rodrigo. The Empecinado attacked the -French in Cuenca; they withdrew from it in the -night, and he destroyed their fortifications there, and set -fire to the Inquisition. Mina received information that -a strong convoy was about to set forth from Vittoria for -France, escorting some prisoners taken from Ballasteros. -He determined to intercept them upon the plains of Arlaban, -which had been the scene of one of his most successful -exploits in the preceding year; and in order to -deceive the enemy, he wrote letters which were thrown<span class="pagenum" id="Page_9">9</span> -into their hands, declaring his intention of marching -upon the river Arga, to form a junction at the foot of the -Pyrenees with two of his battalions. The enemy, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 9.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -supposing that this dreaded commander was -far distant, began their march: his orders were, after -one discharge to attack with the bayonet, and that no -soldier should touch the convoy on pain of death till -the action was ended. It was of no long duration; the vanguard -were presently slaughtered; the centre and the rear, -consisting of Poles and of Imperial Guards, made a brave -but unavailing resistance: from 600 to 700 were slain, -500 wounded, and 150 taken, with the whole convoy, -and about 400 prisoners set at liberty. M. Deslandes, -the Intruder’s private secretary, was in the convoy; he -got out of his carriage, and endeavoured to escape in a -peasant’s dress, with which it seems he had provided -himself, in anticipation of some such danger; but this -disguise cost him his life, which would have been saved -had it been known in time who he was. His wife, an Andalusian -lady, with two of her countrywomen, who were -married to officers in the enemy’s service, fell into -Mina’s hands. Very few would have escaped if the -French had not erected a fort at Arlaban, in consequence -of their last year’s loss, and this served as a protection for -the fugitives.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Intercepted letters from the Intruder.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Some letters from the Intruder were found upon his -secretary. One was to Buonaparte, reminding -him how, when he returned to Spain at his desire -twelve months before, his Imperial Majesty -had told him, that at the worst he could quit that country -in case their hopes should not be realised, and that -then he should have an asylum in the south of the empire. -“Sire,” said he, “events have deceived my hopes; -I have done no good, and I have no hopes of doing any. -I entreat your Majesty, therefore, to let me resign into<span class="pagenum" id="Page_10">10</span> -your hands the right to the crown of Spain, which four -years ago you deigned to transfer to me. I had no other -object in accepting the crown than the happiness of this -vast monarchy, and it is not in my power to effect that. -I entreat your Majesty to receive me into the number of -your subjects, and to believe that you will never have a -more faithful servant than the friend whom nature has -given you.” There were other letters of the same date -to his wife, whom he had left in Paris, and who was to -deliver that which he had written to the Emperor only -in case the decree for uniting to France the provinces -beyond the Ebro should have been published; otherwise -she was to await his farther directions. In another -letter to her he said, that if the Emperor made war -against Russia, and thought his presence in Spain could -be useful, he would remain there, provided that both the -military and civil authority were vested in him; otherwise -his desire was to return to France. Should there -be no Russian war, he would remain with or without the -command, provided nothing were exacted from him which -could make it believed that he consented to a dismemberment -of the monarchy: provided also that troops -enough and territory enough were left him, and that the -monthly loan of a million, which had been promised, -were paid. In that case he would remain as long as he -could, thinking himself as much bound in honour not to -quit Spain lightly, as he should be to quit it, if, during -the war with England, sacrifices were required from him -which he neither could nor ought to make, except at a -general peace, for the good of Spain, of France, and of -Europe. A decree for uniting to France the provinces -beyond the Ebro, if it arrived unexpectedly, he said, -would make him depart the next day; and if the Emperor -should adjourn his projects till a time of peace, he -must supply him with means of subsistence during the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_11">11</span> -war. But if he inclined either to his removal, or to any -of those measures which must cause him to remove, it -was then of great consequence that he should return to -France on kindly terms with the Emperor, and with his -sincere and full consent; and this was what reason dictated -to him, and what was more conformable to the -situation of the miserable country over which he had -been made king, and to his own domestic relations. In -that case, he asked from the Emperor a domain in Tuscany, -or in the south, some three hundred leagues from -Paris. The course of events, and the false position in -which he found himself, so contrary, he said, to the -rectitude and loyalty of his character, had greatly injured -his health: he was growing old; nothing but -honour and duty could detain him where he was, and -his inclination would drive him away, unless the Emperor -explained himself in a different manner from what -he had hitherto done. There was also a letter to his -brother Louis, expressing a hope to see him one day in -good health, and with the happiness which arises from a -good conscience.... That happiness the intrusive king -Joseph might well envy! It is little excuse for him that -he was more weak than wicked, and in mere weakness -had consented to be made the instrument of his brother’s -insatiable ambition. Even in these letters, where he -manifested a full sense of his humiliating situation, no -consciousness is expressed of its guilt. For the sake of -his own credit, and no doubt of his own personal safety, -he protested against any immediate dismemberment of -Spain; but he would have been contented to serve his -brother’s purpose, by nominally retaining the kingdom, -till a pretext could be found for dismembering it at a -general peace.</p> - -<p>But how long he should retain it depended upon -something more than the will and pleasure of Napoleon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_12">12</span> -Buonaparte, and this he was soon made to apprehend. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir Rowland Hill’s expedition to the bridge of Almaraz.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Lord Wellington was not about to remain idle -with his victorious army; he prepared for -offensive operations, and the first step was to -interrupt the communication between the armies -of Soult and Marmont. All the permanent bridges on -the Tagus below that of Arzobispo had been destroyed; -and the only way which was practicable for a large army -was by a bridge of boats at Almaraz, in the line of the -high road, where the noble bridge erected in Charles -the Fifth’s time, at the city of Plasentia’s cost, had been -demolished. For the protection of this important post, -the French had thrown up strong works on both sides of -the river: they had formed a flanked <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-du-pont</i> on the -left bank, riveted with masonry and strongly intrenched; -and on the high ground above it they had constructed a -large and strong redoubt, called Fort Napoleon, with an -interior intrenchment, and a loop-holed tower in its -centre; here they had mounted nine pieces of cannon, -and had garrisoned it with between 400 and 500 men. -On the right bank, there was a redoubt called Fort -Ragusa, in honour of Marshal Marmont, of the same -strength and construction, except that the tower had a -double tier of loopholes; this flanked the bridge, and -between the redoubt and the bridge there was a flêche. -For farther security, the invaders had fortified an old -castle commanding the Puerto de Miravete, about a -league distant, being the only pass for carriages of any -kind by which the bridge could be approached. A -marked alteration of climate is perceptible upon crossing -the narrow mountain ridge over which the road here -passes. Coming from Castille, the traveller descends -from this ridge into a country, where, for the first time, -the gum-cistus appears as lord of the waste, ... the most -beautiful of all shrubs in the Peninsula for the profusion<span class="pagenum" id="Page_13">13</span> -of its delicate flowers, and one of the most delightful for -the rich balsamic odour which its leaves exude under a -southern sun; but which overspreads such extensive -tracts, where it suffers nothing else to grow, that in many -parts both of Portugal and Spain it becomes the very -emblem of desolation. The old castle stood at little -distance from the road, on the summit of the sierra: the -French had surrounded it by a lower <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">enceinte</i>, twelve -feet high; they had fortified a large <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">venta</i>, or travellers’ -inn, upon the road, and had constructed two small works -between the inn and the castle, forming altogether a -strong line of defence.</p> - -<p>Sir Rowland Hill, to whom this important service had -been intrusted, broke up from Almandralejo on the 12th -of May, with part of the 2nd division of infantry, and six -of the 24-pounder iron howitzers which had been used -against Badajoz. The Marquis de Almeida, who was -a member of the Junta of Extremadura, accompanied -them, and from him and from the people, Sir Rowland -received the most ready and effectual assistance which -it was in their power to bestow. On the morning of the -16th they reached Jaraicejo, an old and decayed town, -about eight miles from the summit of the pass; and on -the same evening they advanced in three columns ... the -left, under Lieutenant-General Chowne, toward the -castle of Miravete; Sir Rowland himself, with the right -under Major-General Howard, toward a pass through -which a most difficult and circuitous footpath leads by -the village of Romangordo to the bridge; and the centre, -under Major-General Long, along the high road, to the -Puerto. The artillery was with the centre: both the -flank columns were provided with ladders, and it was -intended that both should escalade the forts against -which they were directed; but the difficulties of the -way were such, that it was found impossible for them to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_14">14</span> -reach their respective points before daybreak: as the -enemy, therefore, could not be taken by surprise, Sir -Rowland judged it best to defer the attack till they should -be better acquainted with the position and nature of the -works; and the troops bivouacked on the sierra. It -was found that the castle, because of its peculiar situation, -could not be carried without a long operation: a -false attack therefore was directed to be made upon it -by Lieutenant-General Chowne, and Sir Rowland, with -the right, and the 6th Portugueze caçadores (about -2,000 men in all), on the evening of the 18th began to -descend by the mountain path which he had originally proposed -to take. They were provided with twelve scaling-ladders -of sixteen feet in length; and he relied, as in -this case he well might do, upon the valour of the troops, -to supply the want of artillery. Although the distance -was little more than six miles, the way was so difficult, -that notwithstanding all the exertions of officers and men -the head of the column did not arrive near the fort till -it was break of day, and it was two or three hours later -before the rear came up; but during this time the troops -were completely concealed by the hill, and the feint -against the castle had induced the enemy to believe -that the bridge forts would not be attacked till the pass -should have been forced, and a way made for the guns.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">May 19.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Could the attack have been made before day, it was intended -that the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-du-pont</i> should have been escaladed, -and the bridge destroyed at the same time -that Fort Napoleon was assaulted; but well knowing how -much depended upon celerity, Sir Rowland did not wait -till the troops who were appointed to this part of the -operations could come up; with the first battalion of the -50th and one wing of the 71st, he escaladed the fort in -three places nearly at the same time. At first a determined -resistance was made, but the enemy soon slackened<span class="pagenum" id="Page_15">15</span> -their destructive fire: they took to flight as soon as -the assailants were on the top of the parapet; they -abandoned the tower, and were driven at the point of -the bayonet through their entrenchment, and through -the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-du-pont</i>, and across the bridge. The commander -of Fort Ragusa on the opposite bank, with a cowardice -rarely shown among French officers, but with a selfish -disregard for the soldiers which was too common -among them, cut the bridge, in consequence of which -many leaped into the river and perished, and 259 were -made prisoners, including the governor and sixteen officers; -and acting with further folly in his fear, he evacuated -his own fort, which was perfectly safe from any -attack, and retired with his garrison to Naval Moral, -three leagues off, for which he was brought to summary -trial at Talavera and shot.... Both forts were entirely -destroyed by the conquerors, and the whole apparatus of -the bridge, and the stores, which were in such abundance -as to prove that this point had justly been considered -a most important station by the enemy. The loss -in this signal enterprise was, two officers and 31 men -killed, 13 and 131 wounded.</p> - -<p>The garrison ought to have been prepared for such an -attack; for Marmont had apprehended it, and in that -apprehension had marched a detachment to the Puerto -del Pico, with the view of reinforcing Talavera in case -the bridge should be lost. Sir Rowland retired by -Truxillo to his former position in front of Badajos; and -on the second day after his success, a division of the central -army, under General d’Armagnac, crossed the Tagus -by the Puente del Arzobispo, to relieve the isolated garrison -at Miravete. Both Soult and Marmont had put -their forces in motion as soon as they were informed of -Sir Rowland’s march: the latter arrived upon the Tagus -too late to prevent the evil, and without the means of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_16">16</span> -repairing it; the former, when he found that the allies had -passed Truxillo on their return, gave up the hope of intercepting -them. He returned to Seville, and, regarding -with uneasy apprehension the enterprising spirit of an -enemy whom he had once affected to despise, gave directions -for strengthening the line of the Guadalete, lest a -force should be landed at St. Roque’s or at Algeziras, -and endanger his communication with the besieging army -before Cadiz. Bornos, as the most important point upon -the line, was fortified with great care. Ballasteros - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ballasteros defeated at Bornos.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -thought to interrupt the progress of -the works, and accordingly brought all the -force he could muster, consisting of about 6,000, to attack -the French division there of 4,500 under General -Corroux. Collecting his troops at La Majada de Ruiz, -and marching from thence early in the afternoon of -one day, he succeeded in fording the Guadalete unperceived - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 1.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -at dawn on the next. The attack was -made bravely, but, with the usual ill fortune and -ill discipline of a Spanish army, some mistake led to -confusion, and confusion was followed by panic: the -French were not strong enough to pursue them beyond -the river, and Ballasteros retired with the loss of about -1,000 killed and wounded, and half as many prisoners, ... -a fourth of his whole force.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington advances into Spain.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Meantime Badajoz had been fully supplied; the means -of transport which had been used for that service -were then employed in storing Ciudad Rodrigo; -a month’s consumption for the whole army was -deposited there; the bridge at Alcantara was repaired -for a readier communication with Sir Rowland’s corps; -and on the 13th of June the army broke up from its -cantonments on the Agueda. On the 16th they came up -with the enemy, about six miles from Salamanca, on the -Valmusa, and there was a skirmish with their cavalry;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_17">17</span> -in the evening the French withdrew across the Tormes, -and the army bivouacked within a league of Salamanca.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Salamanca<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>When the earliest accounts of Spain begin, Salamanca -was already a considerable place, and known by -a name little different from what it bears at present. -It fell to decay after the Moorish conquest, but was re-peopled -at the same time with certain other towns upon the -Tormes, by the Leonese in the 10th century, after the -great battle of Simancas: in the 13th King St. Ferdinand -removed thither the university from Palencia. It soon -became one of the most flourishing seats of learning in -Christendom, and continued to be so till Spain rejected -the light of the reformation. In its best days it is said -to have contained no fewer than 8,000 native students, -and 7,000 from foreign countries: when the present war -began, the number little exceeded 3,000, among whom -a few Irish were the only foreigners. The population -consisted of some 3,400 families: it had once been much -greater. But Salamanca was still an important and a -famous place: popular fiction had made its name familiar -to those who are unacquainted with its history; -while to the antiquary, the historian, and the philosopher, -it is a city of no ordinary interest. The Roman -road, which extended from thence to Merida, and so to -Seville, may still be traced in its vicinity: its bridge of -twenty-seven arches, over the Tormes, is said to be in -part a Roman work. The Mozarabic liturgy is retained -in one of its churches. Its cathedral, though far inferior to -some of the older edifices, whether of Moorish or Gothic -architecture, in Spain, is a large and imposing structure. -Twenty-five parish churches are enclosed within its walls, -twenty convents of monks or friars, eleven of nuns: -these, with its numerous colleges, give it an imposing -appearance from without, and a melancholy solemnity -within. Nowhere, indeed, were there more munificent<span class="pagenum" id="Page_18">18</span> -endowments for education, and for literature, and for religion; -and nowhere could be less of that happy effect -which the benefactors in their piety had contemplated: -the philosophy which was taught there was that of the -schoolmen, the morality that of the casuists, the religion -that of the Inquisition. It is a popular belief in Spain, -that the Devil also has his college at Salamanca, where -students of the black art take their degrees in certain -caverns, every seventh being left with him, in earnest of -the after-payment to which they all are bound.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Tormes.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The city stands in a commanding situation on the -right bank of the Tormes, a river of considerable -magnitude there, which rises near the -Sierra de Tablada in Old Castille, and falls into the -Douro on the Portuguese frontier, opposite Bemposta. -The country round is open, without trees, and with a -few villages interspersed, in which the houses are constructed -of clay. On the left of the river there are extensive -pastures, on the right a wide and unenclosed -corn country. The pastures are common, and the arable -land occupied after a manner not usual in other parts of -Spain: it is cultivated in annual allotments, and reverts -to the commonalty after the harvest.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies enter Salamanca.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marmont had apprehended this advance of the allies, -and had applied for reinforcements without -effect. He showed some cavalry and a small -body of infantry in front of the town, and manifested -an intention of holding the heights on the south -side of the Tormes; but in the evening of the 16th the -enemy withdrew over the river, and the allies bivouacked -within a league of Salamanca. The French retired from -that city during the night, leaving some 800 men in the -fortifications which they had constructed there. These -works commanded the bridge; the left column of the -allied army therefore crossed at the ford of El Campo, a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_19">19</span> -league below the city, the centre and the right at the -ford of Santa Martha. The utmost joy was expressed -by the inhabitants when the English entered, and women -crowded to thank Lord Wellington and bless him for -their deliverance. Some aching hearts there were among -those who had connected themselves by marriage, or by -looser ties, with the enemies of their country, but the general -feeling was that of perfect and grateful joy; for -though this city had suffered none of the immediate evils -of war, its consequences had been severely felt there. -During the three years of its captivity the French had -demolished thirteen of its convents and twenty-two of its -twenty-five colleges; the people had been compelled to -labour upon works erected for their own subjugation; -and the last act of the enemy before they left the city, -was to set fire to such houses as obstructed the defence -of their works, ... consisting of a fort and two redoubts. -For the same reason they had previously demolished the -Convent of St. Augustine, the colleges of Cuenca and - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Siege of the forts there.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Oviedo, and the magnificent King’s College. The -fort was formed out of the Convent of St. Vicente, -a large building in the centre of the angle of the old -wall, on a perpendicular cliff over the Tormes. The windows -had been built up and loop-holed; on both sides it -was connected by lines of works with the old wall. There -was a fascine battery in a re-entering angle of the convent, -not enclosed by these lines, and this was protected -by a loop-holed wall, with a palisade in front. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Col. Jones’s sieges. 158–9.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -The demolition of so many substantial edifices -supplied timber of the best quality, and in abundance, -for gates, drawbridges, palisades, and splinter -proofs; and the whole was well flanked in every part. -The ground to the south, which was toward the bridge, -fell by a steep descent: at the bottom was a small stream -flowing to the Tormes; and on the opposite bank the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_20">20</span> -convents of San Cayetano and La Merced had been converted -with great skill into two redoubts, with well-covered -perpendicular escarpes, deep ditches, and casemated -counterscarps; they were also full of bomb-proofs, -made by supporting a roof horizontally and vertically -with strong beams, and covering it with six feet of earth. -These works were seen at once to be far more respectable -than Lord Wellington had expected to find, his information -amounting to little more than that some convents -had been fortified. It was necessary to reduce them before -the army could advance, but the means of attack -had been provided on this inadequate knowledge: they -consisted of only four iron eighteen-pounders and four -24-pounder iron howitzers, with an hundred rounds for -each. The engineers had only 400 intrenching tools, -without any stores; there were present three engineer -officers, with nine men of the corps of royal military artificers; -and the works were soon found to be even more -formidable than they appeared.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 17.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The sixth division broke ground before the fort. The -left wing of the army moved to Villares de la -Reyna, a league in advance of Salamanca; the -right and centre bivouacked on the Tormes, near Santa -Martha, on the right bank. Lieutenant-Colonel Ponsonby’s -brigade followed the retiring enemy, and skirmished -with them for two leagues. A battery was erected -for breaching the main wall of the fort. It was -nearly full moon; little could be done therefore during -the first night. An attempt to blow in part of the counterscarp -opposite to the intended breach, was frustrated -by the vigilance of a dog; and an attempt at mining it -failed also, the party being ordered to withdraw in consequence -of the loss sustained by a plunging fire from -the top of the convent. On the second night two batteries -were completed: they opened the following morning,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_21">21</span> -and beat down part of the wall; but the enemy’s -musketry fired with great effect from loopholes in the -upper windows, and their fire was more than ordinarily -destructive, because of the large openings of the embrasures -which were necessary for such short pieces as the -howitzers. More ammunition was sent for to Almeida. -Early on the third day, the lower part of the convent wall, -three feet and a half thick, was pierced through, and at -a single shot half the length of that face of the building -came down, bringing the roof with it, and laying the interior -open: the men were seen firing through the loopholes -at the moment of its fall, and they of course were -buried in the ruins. Carcasses were then fired into the -convent, to set it on fire, but the enemy’s precautions prevented -them from taking effect.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Marmont moves to relieve them.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marmont at this time moved forward from Fuente -Sabuco, making the most display of the force -which he could then bring together: it was estimated -at about 16,000 men. He advanced as if -with a determination of giving battle, firing artillery the -whole way to give the forts notice of his approach. Lord -Wellington immediately formed the allied army upon the -heights: his left, where the rains had formed a deep -ravine, rested on a chapel; his centre was in the village -of S. Christobal de la Cuesta, and his right on another -eminence in front of Castellanos de los Moriscos.... The -advanced posts retired before the enemy with little loss; -there was a considerable cannonade on both sides; the -enemy’s cavalry were dislodged by our guns from the -position in which they had halted; and Marmont, after -manœuvring for some time in front of the position, took -up ground in the plain below it, near the village of Villares, -and just out of cannon-shot, his right resting upon -the great road to Toro, his left in Castellanos de los Moriscos. -The allies were under arms at daylight, expecting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_22">22</span> -an attack. In the course of the day the French received -reinforcements, but not sufficient to justify them -in bringing on an action, scarcely in exposing themselves - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 21.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -to one. Both armies remained quiet in front -of each other, the allies on the heights, the -French close under their position, occupying Castellanos -de los Moriscos in force, and having a considerable bivouac -between that village and another on their right: -both villages were soon completely unroofed for firewood, -and there were wells in both, whereas the allies were -badly off for wood and water, which were brought to them -in insufficient supply from Salamanca. There was not a -tree on the position; but the midsummer sun was less -powerful than it usually is in that country, and the troops -did not suffer from heat.</p> - -<p>During the night, the French occupied an eminence on -the right flank of the allies. Sir Thomas Graham was -directed to dislodge them. The 58th and 61st carried -the hill immediately, and drove them from the ground -with considerable loss. The enemy’s troops got under -arms, expecting a general attack, but they made no attempt - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 23.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -to regain the hill. They retired in the -night, and on the following evening posted themselves -with their right on the heights near Cabeza Vellosa, -their left on the Tormes at Huerta, their centre at -Aldea Rubia, their object in this movement being to -communicate with the garrison. Lord Wellington therefore -changed the front of his army, placing the right at -S. Martha, and the advanced posts at Aldea Lingua; and -he sent Major-General Bock’s brigade of heavy dragoons -across the river in order to observe the fords. By this -time a battery which had been opened on the Cayetano -redoubt had beaten down the palisades and injured the -parapet; and when night closed 300 men from the 6th -division were ordered to attack it by escalade. The undertaking<span class="pagenum" id="Page_23">23</span> -was difficult, and the men seemed to feel it. -Major-General Bowes went forward with the storming -party; he was wounded, returned to the attack as soon -as his wound was dressed, and was then killed. The -enemy made so resolute a resistance, that only two -ladders were reared against the redoubt, and no one -mounted them: 120 men were killed or wounded in this -unsuccessful attempt. On the following evening a truce -was made for removing the killed and wounded; till then -the French would neither allow them to be removed, nor -remove them themselves.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 24.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>There had been a report on the preceding afternoon, -that the enemy had crossed at Huerta. Lord -Wellington was on the hill at Aldea Lingua by -daybreak. It was certain that they had made some -movement, but the morning was so foggy that nothing -could be seen. Soon Major-General Bock’s brigade was -heard skirmishing, and from their fire it was evident that -they were losing ground. The French had crossed about -two in the morning in considerable force; and when the -fog cleared General Bock was seen retiring in the best -order before superior numbers, who had also the advantage -of having artillery with them. Lord Wellington, -upon the first certainty that the enemy had passed the -Tormes, ordered the 1st and 7th divisions, under Sir -Thomas Graham, to cross and take up a position to the -right in front of Santa Martha, and Major-General Le -Marchant’s brigade of cavalry was sent to support General -Bock; the rest of the army he concentrated between -Castellanos de los Moriscos and Cabrerizas, keeping the -advanced posts at Aldea Lingua. The French, who had -crossed with 10,000 infantry and fourteen squadrons of -horse, gained possession of Calvarasa de Abaxo; but -seeing the disposition which was made for their reception, -they did not venture upon an attack. About three<span class="pagenum" id="Page_24">24</span> -in the afternoon they began to withdraw, and before -night they had repassed the river to their former position. -The allies also recrossed.</p> - -<p>Both armies remained quiet during the following day, -but on the next night a communication was carried along -the bottom of the ravine between the redoubts and the -fort, and a piquet was lodged under the gorge of S. -Cayetano. On the morrow a supply of ammunition - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Surrender of the forts.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -arrived, and red-hot shot were then fired against -San Vicente. By the third shot the roof of a -large square tower on the convent was set on fire and -consumed; but the conflagration did not spread, and -during the day wherever fires broke out they were -speedily extinguished. The inhabitants said that the -powder in the fort was well secured; but no activity on -the enemy’s part could long counteract the means of destruction -which were now employed. Hot shot were fired -during the whole night: by ten in the morning the convent -was in flames. At the same time a breach had been -effected in the gorge of S. Cayetano: the troops were -formed in readiness for assaulting it, when a white flag -was hoisted there, and the commanding officer offered to -surrender that and the other redoubt in two hours, which -time he asked for that he might represent his situation to -the commandant in San Vicente. Lord Wellington -offered him five minutes to march out, in which case he -should preserve his baggage; but it presently appeared -that he was only negotiating for the sake of gaining time, -as in fact he could not venture without the commandant’s -sanction to carry into effect the capitulation which he had -offered. He was ordered, therefore, to take down his -white flag. The commandant meantime sent out a flag -of truce, and proposed to surrender San Vicente in three -hours: five minutes were allowed, and as at the expiration -of that short term there was no appearance of their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_25">25</span> -coming out, both redoubts were stormed, and carried with -little resistance. The troops moved forward against the -fort: a few shot were fired from it, by which six men -were killed or wounded; but with that the resistance -ended: the enemy even helped the Portuguese caçadores -into the work, and Lord Wellington allowed them -to march out with the honours of war, but to be prisoners -of war, the officers retaining their personal military -baggage, and the soldiers their knapsacks. There -were 36 pieces of cannon in the forts, with large depôts -of clothing, and military stores of every kind: these were -consigned to the Spaniards, and the works were destroyed. -The prisoners were somewhat more than 700; the loss -of the besiegers about 450.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Marmont fails back upon the Douro.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marmont commenced his retreat at midnight, as if, -said the Spaniards, he had only come thither -to witness the capture of his fort, and see the -illumination made by it when on fire. At daylight -their column was nearly out of sight, and their -rear-guard moving off the ground. During this tarriance -the French, considering that part of Spain no -longer as a subjected but as a hostile country, had acted -in the same spirit of disgraceful barbarity as had rendered -their name execrable in Portugal; and when they -departed they left the villages of Castellanos de los Moriscos, -Huerta, Babila Fuente, Villoria, and Villaruela -in flames: where they did not burn the villages they -sacked the houses, and murdered those who had ventured -to remain in them; and where they did not trample down -the standing corn, they set fire to it. The popular feeling -had been strongly manifested during the operations -against the forts: not only were all necessaries and -accommodations for the wounded abundantly supplied, -but women of all ranks offered their services to attend on -them. High mass was performed this day in the Cathedral,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_26">26</span> -at which Lord Wellington and most of the general -officers attended. Lord Wellington gave a dinner in Salamanca, -and the Junta a ball in the evening; but some -of the principal inhabitants absented themselves because -they were partisans of the French, and others from a prudential -fear, lest the enemy should return and again obtain -possession of the city.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 29.</span> Lord Wellington advances to the Douro.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The French withdrew their garrison from Alba de -Tormes, and retired towards the Douro in three -columns ... one upon Toro, and the others upon -Tordesillas. The allies broke up the next day, -following their march, and encamped upon the -Guarena. On the morrow Marmont had collected his force, -as if with an intention of making a stand on the right -bank of that river; his rear was on the hills in front of -Alaejos: they moved off before the advanced guard could -come up. The allies bivouacked every night in an open -country, without a tree to shade them, and where it was -necessary to seek for wood at the distance of several -miles, the inhabitants frequently using straw for fuel. -The enemy continued to fall back toward the Douro, -closely followed by one who would let no opportunity -escape him. On the 2nd of July their cavalry were on -the plain toward Tordesillas, and they had a considerable -force of infantry in Rueda; but they were compelled to -withdraw from thence, and the town was occupied by the -advance of the allied army. On the following day, -this part of the army was ordered into the plain, as if -with a view of attacking Tordesillas; while the left -column, strengthened by the brigades of Generals Bock -and Le Marchant, moved on Pollos, where there is a ford. -There was some cannonading on the part of the enemy -there, and an affair of light troops; and some of the -allies passed the river, but they were withdrawn at night: -it was then seen that there was no intention of forcing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_27">27</span> -the passage, and orders were given for the distribution -of the army. Lord Wellington fixed his head-quarters at -Rueda. The French occupied Tordesillas in force: they -had a considerable bivouac in the rear of that town, and -the bridge there was fortified.</p> - -<p>After the recapture of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos, -Marmont could not be surprised that the forts at Salamanca -fell, even if he had known with what scanty means -they had been attacked; and as he had not been brought -to action, his army took credit to themselves for having -braved a superior force. The French had lost much of -their confidence in battle against the English, but they -still relied upon their skill in manœuvring; and Marmont, -knowing that he should soon have the advantage -in numbers, availed himself of all the opportunities which -the nature of the country afforded him for gaining time. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Douro.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -He was in possession of the line of the Douro. -That river rises in the Sierra de Orbion, in Old -Castille, issuing from a large and deep tarn, high on the -mountain: passing the site of Numancia, it comes to -Soria, and so to Berlanga, Osma, and Santesteban de -Gormas: in this part of its course its banks are remarkable -for the jessamine with which they are profusely -clothed. Having left Aranda, it passes by the Cistercian -monastery of Valbueno, a place denoting by its name the -happy circumstances of its position, and where the monks -used to account among the goodly things which had -fallen to their lot the barbel and trout with which the -Douro supplied them. The Pisuerga, having already -received the Arlanza and the Carrion, joins it by Simancas; -and though it brings the larger body of water to -the junction, loses its name there. The Douro then -makes for Tordesillas: for the first ten leagues of its -way its course is s. s. w., then westward till it reaches -this old city, where it bends to the southward for a few<span class="pagenum" id="Page_28">28</span> -leagues, passing S. Roman de Hornija, the now obscure -burial-place of Chindasuintho, one of the most powerful -of the Wisigoth kings; then it resumes its western -course, waters Toro and Zamora, cities of great name in -the Spanish annals, and having collected all the rivers -of Leon on its way, enters Portugal. Of all the rivers -in the Peninsula, the Douro has the longest course. -From its junction with the Pisuerga, till it receives the -Tormes on the frontier of Portugal, it flows through a -wide valley, the right bank for the most part skirting the -heights. The French were in possession of all the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Colonel Jones’s account of the war, 2. 100.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -bridges, and from the mouth of the Pisuerga to -Zamora there is but one point favourable for -passing an army from the left in presence of an -enemy: that point is three leagues above Toro, -at Castro Nuño, where there is a good ford, a favourable -bend in the river, and advantages of ground. There -could be little hope, therefore, of striking an efficient -blow against Marmont so long as he kept his force concentrated -behind the Douro, and it was in his power to -cross the river at any of its bridges or fords whenever he -might think that opportunity invited.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Marmont reinforced by G. Bonnet.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>But the French, according to the barbarous system -which Buonaparte pursued, were without magazines, -and trusted to their command of the -country for subsistence: Marmont therefore had -this anxious object to distract his attention; and the -Guerrillas were actively employed both upon his flanks -and rear in intercepting his supplies, and in occupying -troops who would otherwise have reinforced him. Two -parties under Sorniel and Bourbon, with 700 cavalry -were on the right; D. Julian Sanches, with 500, on the -left; while Porlier displayed his usual activity on the -side of Asturias; and Mina and Duran in Navarre -and Aragon: on that side their efforts were effectual:<span class="pagenum" id="Page_29">29</span> -but General Bonnet joined him from the north, and -increased his force to 47,000 men, thus making it numerically -superior to that of the allies. Lord Wellington’s -situation was at this time an anxious one: he had counted -upon the aid which the Gallician army might have given -him in occupying some of the enemy by besieging Astorga; -in that undertaking, however, they were more -dilatory than had been intended; and he was now aware -that the force intended to co-operate with him by acting -upon the eastern coast was upon so small a scale, that he -could place little hope upon it, and no reliance. The -French suffered at this time nothing for want of magazines -or means of transport, because they took what they -wanted, and preyed upon the country. The British Government -would not, even in an enemy’s territories, carry -on war upon so inhuman and iniquitous a system; -but it exposed its army to privations, and its general to -perplexities and difficulties which might have paralysed -any weaker mind than Lord Wellington’s, by the parsimony -with which it apportioned his means. When he advanced -from Salamanca, there were but 20,000 dollars in -the military chest: the harvest was abundant, but how -was bread to be obtained without money? ... and the -same want would be felt in bringing his supplies from -Ciudad Rodrigo, and other places in the rear of that -fortress. The very difficulty of removing his wounded to -the frontier of Portugal was sufficient to deter him from -seeking an action on the Douro.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington retires before him.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the 15th and 16th, Marmont concentrated his -troops between Toro and San Roman: two divisions -crossed the bridge at Toro on the evening -of the 16th, and Lord Wellington moved the -allies that night to Fuente la Peña and Canizal, intending -to concentrate them on the Guarena. But it was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_30">30</span> -ascertained next day, that during the night the enemy -had repassed the bridge, and destroyed it after them; -then making forced marches to Tordesillas, which is six -leagues above Toro, crossed again there, and early on the -morning of the 18th were on the Trebancos. Marmont -might well applaud himself both for the celerity and the -skill of these movements: he had marched forty miles; -had opened his communication with the army of the -centre, which was then moving from Madrid to support -him; and by advancing in force on Castrejon he endangered -the light and 4th divisions, with Major-General -Anson’s brigades of cavalry, which there had not been -time for calling in. The enemy commenced a very heavy -cannonade against the cavalry; they were scattered about -in squadrons, and so escaped without much loss; and -immediate measures had been taken to provide for their -retreat and junction. The troops at Castrejon maintained -their posts till the cavalry joined them; then they -retired in perfect order to Tordesillas de la Orden, and -thence to the Guarena, having the enemy’s whole army -on their left flank or in their rear; and the French getting -possession of the heights above that river, before the -allies had crossed, brought forty guns to bear upon them, -under the fire of which they joined the army on the left -bank. Four streams which unite about a league below -Canizal, form the Guarena: the French crossed at Castrillo, -a little below the junction, and manifested an -intention to press upon the left of the allies; with this -view they endeavoured to occupy a ridge above Castrillo, -but Lieutenant-General Cole’s division advanced to meet -them with the bayonet; they gave way; the cavalry -charged, General Carrier and between 300 and 400 men -were made prisoners, and one gun taken. In the course -of the day, the allies lost about 100 in killed, 400<span class="pagenum" id="Page_31">31</span> -wounded, and 50 prisoners; but the check which Marmont -received made him more circumspect in his movements.</p> - -<p>The allies took up a position for the night on the -Guarena, from Castrillo on the left, to beyond Canizal on -the right. The enemy occupied the opposite side of the -valley with their whole force. Both armies - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 19.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -remained quiet till two in the afternoon of the -following day, when the French withdrawing all their -troops from the right marched by Tarrazona, as if with an -intention of turning the right of the allies. Counter-movements -were consequently made; the artillery fired -at the enemy’s advance, and in that dry season the corn -took fire in several places, and burnt for a mile in extent. -Lord Wellington expected a battle on the plain of Vallesa -in the morning, and made every preparation for it; -the men bivouacked in two lines in order of battle, and -stood to their arms at daybreak, ready to receive an -attack; but as soon as it was light, the enemy were seen -moving in several columns to their left, on Babilafuente; -the allies made a correspondent movement to the right: -at any moment either commander might have brought on -a general action; but it was a game of skill in which -they were engaged, not of hazard. Marmont’s march -was estimated at five leagues, that of the allies at four, -being in the inner circle; they moved in parallel lines, -frequently within half cannon shot. The enemy encamped -that night at Babilafuente and Villamela; the -allies at Cabeza Vellosa, the 6th division and a brigade -of cavalry being upon the Tormes at Aldea - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 21.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Lengua. On the following day, the French -crossed that river by the fords near Alba and Huerta, -and moved by their left towards the road leading to -Ciudad Rodrigo. In the evening the allies crossed also, -part by the bridge at Salamanca, part by the ford of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_32">32</span> -Santa Martha. A dreadful storm came on of thunder -and lightning with heavy rain; the different divisions of -infantry were seen by the lightning marching to their -ground, their muskets reflecting the flashes. The 5th -dragoon guards had just got to their ground; many of -the men had lain down; their horses were fastened together -by their collars for the night, but terrified by the -lightning, they set off full gallop and ran over the men, -eighteen of whom were hurt; and two and thirty horses -were lost, having probably gone to the enemy’s lines.</p> - -<p>It was evident from Marmont’s manner of manœuvring, -that he did not mean to attack the allies, unless at such -advantage as might seem to render his success certain; -and it seemed not less evident, that by pursuing this -system, turning their flank and keeping possession of the -heights, he would drive them to the frontier if they continued -to act upon the defensive. All the stores which -were at Salamanca were ordered to the rear of the army, -and the inhabitants were in the utmost consternation, -apprehending, not without good apparent reason, that -they should presently be brought under the yoke of the -French again. Lord Wellington had placed the troops -in a position, the right of which was upon one of two -heights called the two Arapiles; and the left on the Tormes -below the ford of Santa Martha. The enemy had still a -large corps above Babilafuente, on the right of the river; -for this reason, the 3rd division and Brigadier-General -D’Urban’s cavalry were left on the same side at Cabrerizos; -and Lord Wellington thought it not improbable, -that when Marmont should find in the morning that the -allies were prepared for him on the left of the Tormes, he -would alter his plan, and manœuvre by the other bank. -In the course of the night he was informed that the cavalry -and horse-artillery of the army of the north had -arrived at Pollos to join Marmont, and that they would<span class="pagenum" id="Page_33">33</span> -effect a junction with him the next day, or the day after -at latest. During the night the enemy took possession -of Calvarasa de arriba, and of a height near that village -called Nuestra Señora de la Peña; the allied cavalry -were in possession of Calvarasa de abaxo, which is between -three and four miles from the upper village, and -near the river.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 22.</span> Battle of Salamanca.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The last night’s storm had not cleared the atmosphere, -and the morning rose threateningly, in clouds. -The French were early in motion, and from the -manner in which they marched and countermarched -their troops, it was impossible to divine what -might be their intention. Soon after daylight detachments -from both armies attempted to gain the yet unoccupied -Arapiles hill; but the enemy had been concealed -in the woods nearer that point, and their infantry were -discovered on the summit when the allies were in the -act of advancing to it: their detachment was also the -strongest. By occupying this point they materially -strengthened their own position, and were the better enabled -to annoy that of the allies. Early in the day the -light troops of the 7th division and the 4th <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">caçadores</i> of -General Pack’s brigade were engaged with the enemy -on the height of N. Señora de la Peña, which they gained -and kept through the day. But the possession of the -farther Arapiles by the French made it necessary for -Lord Wellington to extend the right of his army to the -heights behind the village of that name, and to occupy -that village with the 4th division under Lieutenant-General -Cole. Doubtful as Marmont’s intentions still -were, the British commander judged that his objects -were on the left of the Tormes, and therefore he ordered -the 3rd division and D’Urban’s cavalry from the other -bank, and placed them behind Aldea Tejada.</p> - -<p>During these movements the French kept up a heavy<span class="pagenum" id="Page_34">34</span> -cannonade and fire of light troops. The day, meantime, -had cleared. Their force was formed in columns of -attack in rear of the Arapiles hill, the left resting upon -an extensive wood; thence they could either by a rapid -march interpose between Lord Wellington and Ciudad -Rodrigo, or wait an opportunity for debouching from behind -the Arapiles, and separating the corps of his army. -Marmont was too skilful a tactician himself not to perceive -that all his movements were watched by one who -well knew how to counteract them; nevertheless, hoping -to deceive his antagonist, he marched a strong force to -the right and formed columns of attack opposite the 5th -division, which was in rear of the village of Arapiles. -Lord Wellington soon perceived that nothing serious was -intended by this manœuvre, and returned to direct the -operations of his right, which he now threw back to that -side of the Arapiles, forming nearly a right angle with -that which he had occupied in the morning. About two -in the afternoon the French Marshal perceiving that his -last demonstration had produced no effect, pushed forward -his columns rapidly to the left, with the intent of -turning the right flank of the allies, and interposing between -them and Ciudad Rodrigo. Till now the operations -of the day had induced a belief in the British army -that it was intended only to meet manœuvre by manœuvre, -and to continue their retreat as soon as it was -night. Indeed the army of the centre, with the Intruder -at its head, was on the way to join Marmont within three -days’ march, and a considerable body of cavalry and horse -artillery was still nearer. But Lord Wellington had anxiously -been looking for the opportunity which was now -presented him: he was at dinner when information was -brought him of this movement, which was made under -cover of a heavy cannonade, and accompanied with skirmishers -in his front and on his flank, and with a body of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_35">35</span> -cavalry who made the British dragoons and light troops -give way before them. But the generals of division had -either misunderstood or ill executed their commander’s -intentions, and they weakened their line by dangerously -extending it: Lord Wellington at once perceived this; he -rose in such haste as to overturn the table, exclaiming, that -Marmont’s good genius had forsaken him: in an instant -he was on horseback, and issued his orders for attack.</p> - -<p>The right he reinforced with the 5th division, placing -it behind the village of Arapiles, on the right of the 4th, -and with the 6th and 7th in reserve. These having taken -their stations, he ordered Major-General Pakenham to -move forward with the 3rd and General D’Urban’s -cavalry, and two squadrons of the 14th light dragoons -under Lieutenant-Colonel Hervey, in four columns, to -turn the enemy’s left on the heights, while Brigadier-General -Bradford’s brigade, the 5th division, under -Lieutenant-General Leith, the 4th, under Lieutenant-General -Cole, and the cavalry under Sir Stapleton -Cotton, should attack them in front, supported in reserve -by the 6th and 7th under Major-Generals Clinton and -Hope, and D. Carlos d’España’s Spanish division; Brigadier-General -Pack, with the 1st and 16th Portuguese -regiments, was to support the left of the 4th division, -by attacking the hill which the enemy held. The -first and the light divisions occupied the ground on the -left of the Arapiles in reserve.</p> - -<p>As soon as the formation was effected, the attack commenced -from the right. Major-General Pakenham -moved along a valley at a quick rate, crossed the extended -left of the enemy, almost before they were aware of -his intention, drove them back in confusion and overthrew -everything before him. Brigadier-General D’Urban’s -Portugueze cavalry and Lieutenant-Colonel Hervey’s -squadrons of the 14th, supported him in the most gallant<span class="pagenum" id="Page_36">36</span> -style, defeated every attempt which was made upon his -flank, cut in upon the enemy’s broken infantry, and put -numbers of them to the sword. The attack in front was -made with equal ardour: the fifth division had been -exposed for about an hour to a continued and heavy cannonade; -no orders were ever more welcome to the soldiers -who were stretched on the ground to avoid its -effects, than those which bade them advance against the -enemy. The distance was more than a mile, up a steep -height crowned by twenty pieces of cannon, and their -left had to pass through the village which formed a considerable -obstruction; they advanced in perfect order, -not firing a shot till they had gained the summit, from -whence the guns which had annoyed them were hastily -withdrawn, nor till they had received the fire of the enemy, -who were formed into squares to resist them. When -they were within some thirty yards the word was given -to fire and charge; this instantly threw the squares into -disorder; the heavy cavalry coming up on the right -increased their confusion; they fled then, and in their -flight fell in with the remains of their extreme left, flying -before Major-General Pakenham’s division. Lieutenant-General -Leith was severely wounded in the act of breaking -into the squares. Pakenham and the cavalry constantly -bringing up their right, so as to outflank the -points on which the French attempted to make a stand, -drove them from one height to another and made above -3000 prisoners. The 4th and 5th divisions acquiring -in like manner strength upon the enemy’s flank in proportion -as they advanced, carried height after height, till -at length the enemy’s left rallied on their centre; and on -the last height, after its crest had been gained, one division -of their infantry charged Cole’s division, which, -after a severe contest, in which Cole was wounded, gave -way.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_37">37</span> -This temporary success was owing to the failure of -Pack’s attack upon the Arapiles; it was bravely made, -but the Portugueze failed to carry it against the disadvantage -of such strong ground; the attempt, however, -was not without some good effect, for it occupied troops -who would otherwise have been engaged against General -Cole in his advance, and who were not now at leisure to -oppose him, till, notwithstanding this temporary success, -it was too late. Beresford, who happened to be on the -spot, directed a brigade of the 5th division, which was -in the second line, to change its front, and bring its fire -on the enemy’s flank; while thus engaged he was -wounded. Three British generals had thus been disabled, -and in a most successful charge against a body of infantry, -Major-General Le Marchant was killed, at the -head of his own brigade. Lord Wellington now ordered -up the 6th division under Major-General Clinton. That -division marching under a heavy fire deployed at the foot -of a hill, and beginning then to fire regular volleys, suffered -severely as it advanced; it was vigorously attacked -by a body of cavalry which had been concealed behind -the Arapiles, and for some minutes the contest appeared -doubtful; but when Clinton was enabled to form his two -right battalions into line, and charge, the French again -lost heart, and abandoned the important point which -they had till then maintained. Their right still resisted, -having been reinforced by the troops who now withdrew -in good order from the Arapiles, and by those who had -fled from the left.</p> - -<p>They re-formed and took up their ground with equal -promptitude and skill almost at right angles to their -original front, the infantry along the crest of the hill in -line, supported by heavy close columns in reserve, the -cavalry in masses on their flanks, and the artillery -posted at the advanced knolls, so as to sweep the whole<span class="pagenum" id="Page_38">38</span> -face of the height. The 1st and light divisions were -ordered against these, with two brigades of the 4th, to -turn their right, while the 6th supported by the 3rd and -5th, attacked the front. Clinton advanced up the rocky -and steep height inline, without firing a shot, and under -a murderous fire of musketry and artillery: but he -charged with the bayonet, drove them from a commanding -conical eminence, and captured two guns. Their -flank was attacked at the same time; and then, beaten -at all points, they fled through the woods towards the -Tormes, cavalry, infantry, and baggage all mixed together. -The defeat was complete, and so would have -been the destruction, if darkness had not opportunely -covered their flight. Lord Wellington, with the 1st and -light divisions, and Major-General William Anson’s -brigade of the 4th, and some squadrons of cavalry under -Sir Stapleton Cotton, pursued them towards Huerta and -the fords of the Tormes, as long as any of them could be -found together; but night soon put an end to the pursuit, -and enabled great numbers who had been taken -prisoners to escape. A sentinel mistook Sir Stapleton -Cotton in the dark for an enemy, fired, and wounded -him.</p> - -<p>This memorable battle, which lasted from three in the -afternoon till ten at night, took place within sight of the -city; the ground with its heights rising gradually one -behind another, forming, as it were, a fine theatre for -such a spectacle. On the part of the allies, nearly 5000 -were killed and wounded. General Le Marchant’s loss -was greatly regretted: he was a native of Guernsey, who -having served in the light dragoons under the Duke of -York in the years 1793 and 1794, applied himself with -zeal and ability to the study of his profession, introduced -the Hungarian sword exercise into the British army, and -drew up a manual for the use of the cavalry, which was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_39">39</span> -published by the war-office. The royal military college -was in great measure planned by him; he was appointed -lieutenant-governor of that institution, and discharged -the duties of the office till 1811, when he could no -longer retain it, being promoted to the rank of Major-General. -He then joined the army in Portugal in command -of a brigade, but had not been long in that country, -when the unexpected death of his wife rendered it necessary -that he should return to England for the arrangement -of his domestic affairs: that mournful business -having been performed, he rejoined the army, and shortly -afterwards fell, being in the 47th year of his age. His -eldest son, who was an ensign in the guards, was at his -side when he fell. The Prince Regent manifested with -proper munificence his sense of General Le Marchant’s -worth, by granting a pension of £300 to that son, £100 -to each of three younger sons, and £120 to each of his -five daughters.... The loss of the French was very great; -besides the dead and wounded, they left 7000 prisoners -on the field. Eleven guns and two eagles were taken: -it is said that more than ten were captured, but that -there were men base enough to conceal them, and sell -them to persons at Salamanca, who deemed it good policy -as well as a profitable speculation, to purchase them -for the French. Marmont was disabled early in the action, -Bonnet also was wounded, and the command then devolved -upon General Clausel, who was wounded also, -but not so as to incapacitate him. Generals Ferey, -Desgraviers, and Thomieres were killed.</p> - -<p>At break of day, the pursuit was renewed with the -same troops, and with Major-General Bock and Anson’s -brigades, which had joined them during the night. The -first and light divisions were ordered to the ford of Huerta, -Lord Wellington having supposed that the enemy -must make their passage there, because the castle at Alba<span class="pagenum" id="Page_40">40</span> -de Tormes was occupied by the Spaniards; but the -troops who garrisoned it had, without his knowledge, -been withdrawn, so that Clausel, making a most rapid -march during the night, crossed the river there -without molestation. Having crossed in pursuit, the cavalry -came up with the enemy’s rear-guard of horse and -foot between Garci Hernandez and Peñarandilla: a detachment -from the 11th and 16th dragoons charged -their cavalry, which fled, and left the infantry to their -fate. Major-General Bock, then, with the heavy brigade -of the King’s German legion, attacked them, when posted -upon a hill in square, and in what is described as one of -the finest charges that was ever seen, rode completely -through them. The whole body, consisting of three battalions, -were made prisoners, the brigade losing in the -charge 30 killed and nearly 50 wounded. In the course -of the day, the enemy were joined by 1200 cavalry belonging -to the army of the north, who, though too late to -be of any greater service, covered the retreat of their -centre to Peñaranda de Bracamonte: one column went -by Macotora; the other which had crossed the Tormes -at Encina and Huerta moved on El Campo and Cebolla. -They had their head-quarters at Flores de Avila, ten -leagues from the field of battle, for a few hours on the -second night, and hastened from thence by Arevalo, towards -Valladolid. Their dead were found in many -places by the road-side, and their stragglers met with -as little mercy from the peasantry as they had been -accustomed to show; yet many of their rear-guard were -taken without arms, having thrown them away as impediments -in their flight.</p> - -<p>The pursuit was continued on the 24th; but the -enemy made exceedingly long marches, and had little -to encumber them while hastening to their resources -both in men and means, and the pursuers having to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_41">41</span> -bring up their supplies far from behind could not keep -up an equal pace. On that day they only came up with -the rear-guard, which hastened away at their approach. -On the following the advance halted for the army to -close up; Colonel Arentschild’s brigade entered Arevalo; -and a non-commissioned officer’s patrol captured -two officers and 27 men of Joseph’s own cavalry, in -Blasco Sancho, between Arevalo and Avila. The Intruder -had reached that place, hastening with the army -of the centre to join Marmont upon the Tormes; he was -met there with tidings of the defeat, and then turned towards -Segovia, as if retreating upon Madrid: soon however -receiving fuller advices, he endeavoured to divert -the pursuers by threatening an advance upon their flank. -The routed army, meantime, whose movements were -conducted with great ability by Clausel, concentrated -themselves on the right bank of the Douro, between Puente -de Duero and the other bridge at Tudela de Duero; -they crossed the river as soon as the allies advanced -towards them, hastened to Valladolid, and making no -tarriance there, continued their retreat to Burgos. Lord -Wellington entered Valladolid on the 30th amid the acclamations -of the people. There he discontinued the -pursuit, and prepared to march against the Intruder, -with the intention of either bringing him to action, or -driving him from Madrid.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Proceedings of Sir Home Popham on the coast of Biscay.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Meantime, a squadron under Sir Home Popham which -sailed from Coruña, to co-operate with the Guerrillas, -and occupy the enemy upon the side of -Biscay, rendered all the service which had been -expected from it. Sir Howard Douglas and -General Carrol embarked in the Venerable with -Sir Home. They arrived off Lequeitio on the 18th of -June, where the French had possession of a hill-fort, -commanding the town, and strong enough to resist any<span class="pagenum" id="Page_42">42</span> -body of infantry; they had also 200 men fortified in a -convent within the town, and into this the garrison -retired when the Pastor D. Gaspar Jauregui arrived -with his party to act in concert with the squadron. The -convent might have been destroyed by the ships, but the -town must in that case have suffered also; it was determined, -therefore, to attack the fort, which was so situated -that the enemy thought it quite inaccessible to -cannon. They knew not what British seamen are capable -of on shore. At a time when the sea broke with -such violence against the rocks at the foot of the hill, -that it was doubtful whether a boat could reach the -land, Lieutenant Groves succeeded in landing a gun -there. It was hove up for a short distance by a moveable -capstan; but this was too tedious an operation, and -it was dragged to the summit by six and thirty pair of -oxen, 400 of the Pastor’s men, and 100 seamen, headed -by the Honourable Captain Bouverie. It was immediately -mounted; the first shot was fired at four in the -afternoon, and so well was it served, that by sunset a -practicable breach was made. The Guerrillas volunteered -to storm; they were repulsed in the first attempt, -but succeeded in the second, and such of the enemy as -escaped on the opposite side got into the convent. In -the course of the evening the sea had abated, a landing -was effected upon the island of S. Nicholas, from whence -the convent could be battered without damage to the -town; three carronades were planted there; at dawn, a -24-pounder was brought to the east side of the town, -within 200 yards of the convent, and another was in the -act of being landed upon the island to bombard it, when the -French commandant beat a parley, and surrendered with -290 men. The Guerrillas had lost 50 in killed and -wounded, not a man belonging to the squadron was hurt. -The muskets, stores, and three small guns, which were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_43">43</span> -found there were given to the Pastor. Two 18-pounders -in the fort were rendered useless; the fort itself was -demolished and the convent blown up. The next morning -a column of 1100 men were seen which had arrived -within two leagues of Lequeitio, but hearing from the -peasantry that the English had disembarked 2000 men, -they retired. Some intercepted letters were now transmitted -to Sir Home, by which the commandant at Guernica -was instructed to prepare rations for a French -general and 2600 of the Imperial Guards.</p> - -<p>The squadron was now to have co-operated in an -attack upon Bilbao, but the wind proved unfavourable -for getting round Cape Machichago, and part of the -ships fetched the anchorage of Bermeo. The enemy had -retired from that place, leaving a small magazine of provisions - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 23.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -in a fortified convent; these were distributed -to the poor; and the battery on the hill -and all the fortified places which the French had occupied -were destroyed: the works at Plencia were in like -manner demolished, and the batteries on each side of the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 24.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -inlet below the bar of the Ybeyzabal, or Narrow -River, the beautiful and tranquil stream which -forms the port of Bilbao: on one side were the castle of -Galea, and the batteries of Algorta and Begona; on the -other the batteries of El Campillo, Las Quersas and Xebiles. -Early on the following morning some parties of -the enemy entered the destroyed batteries of Algorta, but -retired upon the squadron’s making a disposition to stand -up the inlet; they then formed in the plain, and were -found to consist of 2000 men at Algorta, while 400 were -sent to Puerta Galetta. Three of the British sloops closed -with the fort there, silenced it, and drove them from -thence. It was supposed that this was the corps for -which rations had been ordered at Guernica, and that -it had been thus drawn off from its original destination.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_44">44</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 2.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The squadron then made for Guetaria; two companies -of marines were landed for the purpose of -reconnoitring the place, previous to an intended -attack, but the Guerrillas who were expected to co-operate -were engaged with the enemy in a different -quarter; parties of the French were seen crossing -the hills; the intention, therefore, was relinquished, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 6.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and the marines re-embarked without loss. Sir Home -then sailed for Castro, where Sir George Collier -had landed a company of marines to assist Longa -in a concerted attack. Longa was there at the time and -place appointed; more marines were landed, and guns -with hearty exertions of well-directed skill were drawn -up heights that might have seemed inaccessible to men -less earnest in their duty. They were placing them in a -battery to the east of the town, when 2500 of the enemy -appeared on the heights of S. Pelayo; the parties upon -this were re-embarked, and Longa found it necessary to -change his ground, after which he sustained an action, in -which no advantage was gained over him. Somewhat -disheartened by this, the French marched into the town -that evening, and were driven out of it on the morrow -by the fire of the squadron: they then took post on the -hills, and under favour of the night retired towards -Laredo. The castle then surrendered with 150 men, and -having been put in a state of defence, was garrisoned by - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 10.<br />July 11.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the marines and Spanish artillerymen of the Iris. -Their next attempt was a combined attack upon -Puerta Galleta, which was abandoned because -the enemy were found to be in greater strength than -had been expected; the French on their part failed -equally in endeavouring to recover Castro. Their -moveable column had now been drawn by a feint to -Santona; from thence it could not reach Guetaria in -less than four days; another attempt therefore was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_45">45</span> -made upon that place in concert with the Pastor, and -with one of Mina’s battalions. The latter, after two days’ -severe march, did not arrive till it was too late; for -when the enemy’s guns on one side had been silenced, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 19.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and a battery was ready to open upon them on -the other, intelligence was received that a considerable -body of French troops was hastening thither by -forced marches. The Guerrillas maintained a brave -action against them, till the superiority of the enemy’s -numbers was ascertained, and made it necessary for them -to retreat; but this action prevented the re-embarkation -of the British in time, so that two guns were in consequence -destroyed, and 32 men made prisoners.</p> - -<p>These operations of Sir Home Popham’s squadron -were of service in many ways. Troops were thus occupied -who would otherwise have joined Marmont before -the battle of Salamanca; the corps which relieved Guetaria -was recalled from that direction, and Caffarelli was -prevented from sending the infantry who were to have -assisted in driving the English into the Tagus. The -ports which were liberated lost no time in conveying -supplies to the free parts of the kingdom, and vessels -from them arrived daily at Coruña laden with corn and -wine. And the Guerrillas, as well as the regular troops -of Spain, received a countenance and support which enabled -them to hold towards the enemy the language of -confident hope. Renovales, who was Commandant-General -in Biscay, addressed a letter to the French Governor -of Bilbao, General Roquet, remonstrating against -the cruelties which General Mouton had committed with -his column: “for the security of a fortress,” he said, -“or to prevent an insurrection, the rules of military precaution -might render it proper to put some few persons -of respectability in confinement, but that cottages and -private dwellings should be outraged, and that peaceable<span class="pagenum" id="Page_46">46</span> -persons should be tortured by stripes, by the bayonet, -and by fire, was what no laws of war could justify. The -Spaniards were a people who might be softened by generosity -though not subdued by it; but if this system of -terror were persisted in towards them, ... if it were still -to be war at the knife’s point, the Biscayans, instead of -yielding a foot to him, would meet him half way in such -warfare. Four and twenty officers were in his hands, -and should suffer for the next act of cruelty on the part -of the French. He concluded by assuring Roquet that -the day was not far distant when Bilbao would be delivered, -and that he, Renovales, would then, at the head of -10,000 Biscayans, fulfil his duty as he had hitherto done, -and first of all towards himself.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_47">47</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLII" class="vspace">CHAPTER XLII.<br /> - -<span class="subhead">LORD WELLINGTON ENTERS MADRID. THE FRENCH RETIRE FROM ANDALUSIA. -SIEGE OF BURGOS, AND RETREAT OF THE ALLIES.</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July, 1812.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p class="in0"><span class="firstword">Buonaparte</span> could keep the French people ignorant -of the course which events had taken in Portugal -and Spain; but even the vigilance of his -military tyranny could not prevent the Spaniards from -knowing that the allies, having driven out the French -from the one kingdom, had entered the other, and had -recovered the two strong places of Ciudad Rodrigo and - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Appeal of the Intruder to the Spaniards.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Badajoz. Fresh appeals were made by the -Intrusive Government to the fears and jealousies -of a people whom they had now began to apprehend -it would be found impossible to subdue. -“What would it avail them,” it was asked, “if they were -to set up Infantado, or the Empecinado, or Ballasteros, -or any other of their countrymen for king? Wherefore -should they persist in an obstinate and unavailing resistance -after the Bourbon dynasty had been extinguished -by that great man whom Providence had appointed to -regenerate Spain, and who for their happiness had -selected Joseph to reign over them? Why did they not -rally round his throne?” The Spaniards only ridiculed -such appeals; and the French themselves, in derision, -called Joseph King of the Highways, as one whose -authority extended no farther than his patrols and -armies could enforce it. His was indeed a miserable -condition; the brother, of whose wicked will he had, in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_48">48</span> -despite of his own understanding and heart, consented to -become the instrument, regarded him with displeasure, -because he had met with a resistance which was not to -be overcome; the nation upon which he had been insolently -intruded, regarded him with deeper hatred than -perhaps had ever before been co-existent with the feeling -of sincere contempt; the army by which alone he was -scarcely supported despised him, and the French generals -kept up towards him a semblance of respect.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>State of Madrid.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>But odious as the usurpation was everywhere, it was -rendered peculiarly so at Madrid, by the presence -of the Intruder and of his ministers. Being the -seat of the Intrusive Government, more of those traitors -were collected there who had made the miseries of their -country a means for their own advancement; and as the -commanders in other parts cared little for the necessities -of the court, heavier imposts were exacted from the inhabitants, -at the very time when a remission of taxes was -announced in edicts, which, if intended to be executed, -were never carried into effect. The duties payable upon -the entrance and exit of wheat, rice, and pulse of every -kind, were repealed by a decree, but continued to be -exacted as before, and at the same time, new duties were -imposed upon wine, oil, meat and vegetables. A loan of -20 million reales was soon exhausted, a contribution of -eight millions was then demanded from the trading part -of the people; and an equivalent proportion was taken -in kind from the occupiers of land. Eight per cent. -upon the value of houses were first required, then ten, -and then fifteen; the poorest artisan was compelled to take -out an annual license for the exercise of his calling; -even the water carriers were subjected to this tax. Having -collected a great quantity of grain, the Government -sold it at a price more suited to its own wants than to the -condition of the people: the hospitals were crowded with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_49">49</span> -sick and starving poor; and of the persons who died during -the first six months of this year, two-thirds perished -in consequence of misery and want. Patient endurance -was all that the people of Madrid could oppose to their -oppressors; but they lived in firm belief that the day of -deliverance would come, believed every rumour of success -on the part of their countrymen and their allies, and -with the same determined will, discredited whatever was -related of their reverses. They looked upon the account -of Ballasteros’s defeat at Bornos as so much exaggerated -that it was unworthy of belief; and with more reasonable -incredulity when it was reported that Marmont had -totally defeated the allies and taken 20,000 prisoners, -while the French and their partisans congratulated each -other upon the news, they required dates and details, -and assured themselves that it was nothing more than -one of the enemy’s customary falsehoods.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Measures of Joseph before the battle of Salamanca.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Indeed, before the battle of Salamanca, it was made -sufficiently apparent by circumstances which the -French were unable to conceal, that however -confidently they might expect some great success, -they had as yet obtained none. The garrison -at the Puerto de Miravete, which had been relieved -after the destruction of the bridge at Almaraz, was withdrawn -now, the Puente del Arzobispo was abandoned, -and they withdrew also from Talavera, which was immediately -entered by the Medico. Most of their garrisons -at the same time withdrew from La Mancha, and they -were followed by those miserable people, who, having -accepted offices, whether high or low, under the Intrusive -Government, dared not remain without French protection -in any place where they were known. Exertions -were made for fortifying Toledo; and in the works which -were carried on for the same purpose at the Retiro, the -people of Madrid saw unequivocal proof, that the French<span class="pagenum" id="Page_50">50</span> -apprehended at least the possibility of an advance of the -allies upon the capital. To prevent that danger, they -had thus collected their forces from all quarters, thinking -then to attack Lord Wellington with such superior -numbers as would render success certain: but Joseph -and M. Jourdan were too slow in moving from Madrid, -and meantime Marmont had been too confident of his -strength and of his skill. If he had delayed his passage -of the Tormes only for two days, till the army of the -centre should have joined, the enemy persuaded themselves -that Lord Wellington could not have escaped from -utter defeat, and that that victory would have secured the -entire conquest of Spain.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Advance of the allies.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The event could not be kept secret at Madrid; every -one knew what no one dared publish; and while -false intelligence was sedulously spread abroad -by the Intrusive Government, and the police was more -than ordinarily active in arresting suspected persons, -every one congratulated his friends and neighbours upon -a victory the extent of which was magnified in proportion -to their hopes. They entertained no doubt but that -Marmont had been killed, and his whole army destroyed. -Lord Wellington moved from Cuellar on the 6th of -August, leaving General Clinton’s division there, and -General Anson’s brigade of cavalry to observe the line of -the Douro. He arrived at Segovia on the 7th, and at -S. Ildefonso on the 8th, the beautiful summer retreat of -the kings of Spain: there he halted one day that the -right of the army might have time to come up. The -passage of the Guadarama mountains was effected without -opposition. Brigadier-General d’Urban, with the -Portugueze cavalry, the first light battalion of the German -Legion, and Captain M’Donald’s troop of horse artillery, -drove in on the morning of the 16th, about 2000 French -cavalry; they moved toward Naval Carnero, and returned<span class="pagenum" id="Page_51">51</span> -from thence in the evening with the Intruder himself, to -make a reconnoissance. D’Urban formed the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August.</span>Affair at Majalahonda.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Portugueze cavalry in front of Majalahonda, and -ordered them to charge the enemy’s leading -squadrons, which seemed too far advanced. The -Portugueze pushed on, but unexpectedly disgraced themselves; -their officers set them a brave example, but in -vain, and the Visconde de Barbacena, who behaved -remarkably well, was taken prisoner; the men turned -about shamefully, fled through the village, and left the -guns behind them which had been moved forward for -their support. M’Donald’s troop exerted themselves to -bring them off, but owing to the rough ground, one carriage -was broken, two were overturned, and thus the -three fell into the enemy’s hands. The German dragoons -who had been formed behind the village rallied the fugitives, -charged the enemy, and stopped their progress, -but suffered considerable loss. In this affair, about 200 -men were killed, wounded, or taken, and 120 horses. -The left of the allied army being not three miles distant, -two brigades of horse and foot moved forward to support -the troops in advance; the French retired as soon as they -saw them, and withdrew during the night, leaving the -guns. The piquets of the allies took post that evening -on the mountains, in sight of Madrid.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The enemy retire from Madrid.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The enemy, who from Madrid had been looking through -telescopes toward the passes of the Guadarama, -had seen D’Urban’s detachment on the evening -of the 9th. Orders were then given and revoked -by the resident members of the Government, with the -precipitation of fear: it was determined to abandon the -capital on the following morning, and the adherents of -the Intruder prepared in all haste for their departure; -some selling their goods for any price that could be -obtained for them, others, intrusting them to the care of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_52">52</span> -their friends, and not a few soliciting the compassion of -those who had been found faithful to their country. The -families of these unhappy men were objects of compassion -even to the populace, notwithstanding the indignation -which was felt at the men themselves, who bitterly -repented now, not so much their guilt as their short-sightedness -in supposing that they had taken the stronger -side. The troops under whose protection they retired -would have saved them from any outrage or insult if any -had been intended; but they had not proceeded far from -the gates before many of them were plundered by these -protectors. Two of Joseph’s ministers entered Madrid -with a strong escort the next day, for the supposed purpose -of destroying papers, and securing effects which -could not be carried away in the hurry of the removal. -They retired in the evening, and on the morning of the -12th all the troops who remained shut themselves up in -the Retiro. The shops which, during the two preceding -days, had been closed were then opened, and Madrid -became a scene of such joy as had never been witnessed - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies enter.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -in the days of its proudest prosperity. Soon -after middle day the allies began to enter through -streets so crowded with gratulating multitudes, that the -officers who were on horseback at the head of their men, -could scarcely make their way, and scarcely keep their -seats, so eagerly did the Spaniards press to shake hands -with them, as if nothing but an English mode of greeting -could make their exultation and their hearty welcome -sufficiently intelligible.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The new constitution proclaimed.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Madrid had lost more than two-thirds of its inhabitants -since its occupation by the French, but -an influx of people from all the surrounding -country now filled it as if there had been no -depopulation; and amid this multitude, on the following -day, the new constitution was proclaimed by D. Carlos<span class="pagenum" id="Page_53">53</span> -de España, who was appointed governor of the capital -and province, ... a charge for which no one could be -better qualified by clearness of judgment, and promptitude -in executing what he saw to be right. Their acclamations -were hushed as soon as they knew what they were -called upon to hear; and the deep silence with which -they listened to the constitutional act was interrupted -only by the enemy’s cannon from the Retiro, which -seemed rather like a salute in honour of the ceremony, -than an enemy’s artillery employed in defence of their -last hold in the capital. The act was received with -exultant delight; young minds and generous ones, whose -natural ardour enabled them to believe what they eagerly -desired, persuaded themselves that the Spaniards had -now established their freedom as well as achieved their -independence; the happy days of Athens and of Sparta, -they said, seemed to be restored; and the people of -Madrid already appeared like a nation accustomed to -liberty, and to deliberate concerning their own interests.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Buen Retiro.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On that evening Lord Wellington invested the Retiro, -where Marshal Jourdan, with little prudence, -had left a garrison of 1700 men. At the eastern -extremity of Madrid, Philip II. had a small palace, or -rather house of retreat, pleasantly situated by the Prado -or public walk, on a rising ground, and immediately adjoining -the convent of S. Geronimo. Philip IV. took -a fancy to the site; and Olivares, whose chief object -seemed to be that of amusing his royal master at whatever -cost, purchased adjacent land enough for a large -palace, with its gardens and a park four miles in circuit; -and such enormous sums were lavished upon the edifice -and the grounds, that the additional imposts which were -required for this expenditure, or artfully, perhaps, imputed -to it, were one of the causes which provoked the -revolt in Catalonia, and occasioned the separation of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_54">54</span> -Portugal from the Spanish monarchy. The palace contained -a theatre, spacious itself, and opening into the -gardens, which might thus be made upon occasion a continuation -of the scene; in this theatre the master-pieces -of the Spanish drama were represented before a court -who delighted in dramatic literature; and Ferdinand VI. -gratified his dear Queen Barbara’s hereditary love of -music, with Italian operas, performed under Farinelli’s -direction. Formerly the Buen Retiro contained a large -collection of pictures by the greatest masters of Italy, -Spain, and the Low Countries; many of these were -transferred to other palaces when this began to be neglected, -and the French had now made spoil of the rest. -But there were ceilings painted by Luca Jordano, which -were not removable; and in a compartment of that in -the great saloon, Spain was pictured, ruling the terrestrial -globe, ... a dream of ambition which her kings of -the Austrian line had entertained, which the craftiest as -well as the wildest heads among the Romish clergy encouraged, -and which many circumstances seemed to -concur in favouring, when, under the blessing of Providence, -the Dutch, by their patriotic and religious virtue, -averted that evil from the world. Two other noted -works of art were still to be seen in the Buen Retiro; -one, remarkable for its design, was a bronze statue of -Charles V. trampling upon the Spirit of Reformation -which lay, personified as Heresy in chains, at his feet; -the other, which for the surpassing skill of the sculptor -was even more remarkable, was an equestrian statue of -Philip IV. cast by Pietro Tacca of Florence, weighing, it -is said, not less than nine tons, and yet supported only by -the hind legs, the horse being in the act of galloping. -Within the precincts of the palace were many pavilions -which used to be assigned to the courtiers when the court -resided there. The gardens were of that formal style in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_55">55</span> -which art allows as little as possible of nature to be -seen, ... where water is brought at great expense to -spout from fountains and fill circular fish-ponds, the -gardener exercises his topiary genius upon trees and -shrubs, and humble evergreens are compelled to grow in -fantastic patterns, like a vegetable carpet. The park -was a thick wood, with broad avenues, a central pond -having a pavilion in its centre, and a large piece of water -at its termination, on which gilded gondolas awaited the -king’s pleasure when he was disposed to take the diversion -of fishing, his retinue beholding the sport from the -little pavilions which decorated its sides. Like all the -other palaces of the kings of Spain, the Buen Retiro was -a place in which a meditative beholder was forcibly -reminded of the vanity of human greatness. Those kings, -above all other European sovereigns, had been loved -and reverenced by their people; their palaces were -among the wonders of the modern world, and no expenditure, -no efforts of ingenuity and art had been spared in -embellishing their summer retreats: but these things had -been grievously compensated, not alone by the never-ending -anxieties of state, and the gloom of disappointed -ambition, but by a more than ordinary share of the afflictions -incident to human nature, coming upon themselves -or their families, ... maladies of body and of mind alike -incurable and painful; ... madness, fatuity, weak intellects, -... conscious of their weakness, and of the awful -responsibility in which their birth had placed them, ... -morbid consciences, and broken hearts.</p> - -<p>After the accession of Charles III. the Retiro ceased -to be a royal residence, and part of its buildings were -converted into a royal manufactory of porcelain. Its -park, however, continued to be a fashionable promenade, -the more agreeable, because carriages were not allowed -to enter; but the French had now made it a depôt for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_56">56</span> -their artillery stores, the victims whom they arrested for -political offences were confined there, and they had fortified -it as a military post, but with less judgment than -their engineers had displayed on any other occasion. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Surrender of the Retiro.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -The outer line was formed by the palace, -the museum, and the park wall, with flèches -thrown out in part to flank it; the second was a bastioned -line of nine large fronts, but with no outworks -except a ravelin and a lunette; the interior was an octagonal -star fort, closely surrounding what had been the -porcelain manufactory. The garrison was far too small -for the outer enceintes, and Marshal Jourdan had therefore -left written orders, that if they were seriously attacked, -they should confine their defence to the star fort, -which, however, itself would be rendered nearly indefensible -if the manufactory were destroyed. A copy of this -order was found, and on the night of the 13th, Major-General -Pakenham drove in their posts from the Prado -and the botanical garden, made them retire from the -outer enceintes, broke through the wall in many places, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 14.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and established his troops in the palace. In the morning -arrangements were made for driving them -from the bastioned lines, and for battering the -manufactory; but the governor saw that resistance was -useless, and he surrendered. The number of prisoners -taken there and in the hospital amounted to 2500, and -there fell into the hands of the allies 189 pieces of cannon, -and above 20,000 stand of arms, with a great quantity -of ammunition and stores of all kinds. The eagles -also of the 13th and 51st regiments were found there, -and sent to England.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The constitution sworn to.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The inhabitants of Madrid, who looked upon this -strong hold of their oppressors as a Bastille, were -desirous of thronging thither to see the place -where so many of their countrymen had been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_57">57</span> -sacrificed; but this was not permitted, both the British -commander and the Spanish authorities seeking as much -as possible to prevent any thing which might excite the -vindictive feelings of the people. That same day, the -churches in every parish were opened for administering -the oath of fidelity to the new constitution; and multitudes -crowding thither with an eagerness which might -well have excited apprehension of its stability, swore to -they knew not what. Napoleon, it was said, had promised -to regenerate them, and they were regenerated; -for through his means, who had intended nothing less, -the Spaniard had been converted from a slave to a citizen; -the superstitious had thrown off his prejudices, the -coward his fears, the credulous his credulity; the idle -had become industrious, the selfish man generous, and -the reckless one had learned to think. While those who -knew little of history and less of human nature exulted -thus in the persuasion, that the habits of a whole people -might be changed as lightly as an inconsiderate man -changes his opinion, and that inveterate evils may suddenly -be cured by legislation as if by miracle, and -leave no scar behind; the general joy was kept up by -fast following tidings from all parts of successes, which, -though little more than the necessary consequences in -most instances of the battle of Salamanca and the occupation -of Madrid, were considered each by the multitude -as an important achievement in itself. On the same day -that the Retiro was surrendered, the French withdrew -from Toledo to join the army of the centre, with which -the Intruder was retreating towards Valencia: they -destroyed their artillery, and all the ammunition which -they could not carry; and hardly had they left the city -before the Abuelo’s party entered, and the bells rung, -and the squares and streets were illuminated. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 16.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Guadalaxara was attacked by the Empecinado, -and after a vain resistance, above 700 French were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_58">58</span> -made prisoners there. The enemy retired from Logroño, -and Duran hastened thither and destroyed its -outer fortifications, its fort, and its inquisition. A detachment -was sent from Zaragoza to bring away the -garrisons from Tarrazona and Borja, and destroy the -works there.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Gen. Foy’s movement.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>General Foy, with 6000 infantry and 1200 horse, part -of Marmont’s army, now under his command, -moved from the neighbourhood of Valladolid with -the intent of raising the blockade of Toro and Zamora, -and the siege of Astorga. The garrison at Tordesillas, -consisting of 250 men, had previously surrendered to - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 17.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Santocildes. The Spaniards retired from before -Toro at their approach, in good order and with -little loss; the enemy bringing off their garrison, were -then joined by another body of equal force, and proceeded -towards Astorga; 300 of their cavalry were sent -forward to that city, but when they entered it they found -that the Spaniards had withdrawn, and had marched the -garrison, consisting of 1200 men, prisoners towards Coruña: -for Castaños knowing that a force was advancing -which his army was in no condition to meet, had successfully -employed the easy artifice of representing to - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 18.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the commander that relief was impossible, and resistance -hopeless, and thus he had induced him to - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 21.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -surrender. Foy was at Baneza, half way between -Benevente and Astorga, when he received -this mortifying intelligence; he then turned back to the -Ezla, and marched upon Carvajales, thinking to surprise -the Conde de Amarante, who with the militia of -Tras-os-Montes, then serving voluntarily beyond their -own frontier, was blockading Zamora; the Conde retreated - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 29.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -without loss, and the French general -bringing off the garrison marched for Tordesillas.</p> - -<p>Some of the traitors who had made themselves conspicuous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_59">59</span> -in the Intruder’s service, fell into the hands of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Measures of police at Madrid.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -their countrymen at Guadalaxara; others who -were conscious that they had been weak rather -than wicked, and that in submitting to him for -their own good, they had not aggravated the crime by -injuring those who had persisted in their duty, presented -themselves voluntarily to the newly constituted authorities -in Madrid, thinking it better to take the chance of -mercy, than to fly they knew not whither, without -resources, without friends, and without the consolation -which those who act righteously find in their own hearts. -There were writers on this occasion who cried for vengeance -in a most ferocious spirit. They called upon -the people of Madrid to prepare graves for their guilty -countrymen who had thus presented themselves at the -foot of the gallows! They advised them to go to the -governor, and with one voice require justice upon these -wretches, as what the nation was entitled to demand; ... -the sword for some, chains for others, and strict confinement -till the conclusion of the war for those who were -suspected, and who, if they were left at large, might act -as secret agents for the French. This atrocious language -failed of its intended effect, for the presence of the allied -troops maintained order; and a vigilant police had been -established, not for the oppression of the people, but for -their security.</p> - -<p>No needless severity was used. D. Carlos d’España -made known by an edict, that persons of both sexes in -that capital carried on a correspondence with those unhappy -Spaniards who had followed the French, and that -in this manner they supplied the enemy with intelligence; -all such communication, therefore, was prohibited -to all persons, on pain of being brought before a -council of war, and condemned irremissibly to suffer the -punishment appointed for spies. The families of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_60">60</span> -fugitives, and of those who had enriched themselves by -the purchase of what the Intrusive Government called -national goods, were ordered to remain in their houses -under the word of three respectable sureties, and not to -leave them except for the purpose of attending their religious -duties; but their wives and daughters were advised -to retire into a convent, as the course which consisted -best with their own honour, and with that of their -husbands and fathers, for whom they might there offer -up their prayers, supplicating Providence to bring them -in its mercy back to the path of duty which they had -forsaken.</p> - -<p>How to deal with the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">juramentados</i>, as those Spaniards -were called who had entered into Joseph’s armies, was -a question which now became of great importance. Hitherto -it had been possible to execute the rigour of the -law, and put to death those who were taken in arms -against their country; but the tide having now turned, it -might reasonably be expected that they would eagerly -desert a cause in which they had never heartily engaged; -and the policy of thus recruiting the Spanish army, instead -of driving these men to despair, was so evident, -that Alava, immediately on the occupation of Madrid, -issued a proclamation, as commissary for the Government, -inviting them to accept the free pardon which the -Cortes had offered them on the publication of the new -constitution. Great numbers in consequence came over. -Another measure of the Intrusive Government, which -was not less obvious and dangerous in its possible -results, than the scheme of raising a Spanish force to be -employed in the subjugation of Spain, was that of selling -or otherwise disposing of confiscated houses and lands, -and thus binding the new possessors to their allegiance -by the only tie which they would not be likely under -any circumstances to break. They had contrived thus to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_61">61</span> -connect with the French interest many who would have -been unwilling or unable to purchase property of this -description; for under pretext of embellishing the capital, -they pulled down about a fourth of it, and by way of -compensating the owners of the demolished dwellings, -assigned among them in exchange the houses of those -who adhered to the national cause. This policy the -Cortes met by a timely decree, declaring all purchases -of confiscated estates null, and empowering the rightful -owners to enter upon them whenever the fortune of war -should permit, and authorising them to exact from the -intrusive proprietors the mean profits, and the amount of -any waste which they might have committed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington’s situation.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington was now enjoying the highest reward -which can fall to the lot of a successful commander. -He was living in a palace, the most -magnificent in Europe, from which he had -driven an Usurper; and the blessings of the people -accompanied him wherever he went. The municipal -authorities gave a bull-fight in his honour, and when -he appeared in the royal box, the air rung with the -repeated shouts of not less than 12,000 spectators. He -could not walk abroad by daylight because of the pressure -of the multitudes who gathered round him; even -in the dark when he went into the Prado, though he -and his suite were dressed in blue great coats in hopes -of escaping notice, they were generally recognized and -followed by crowds, the women pressing to shake hands, -and some even to embrace them. Welcomed as he was -with overflowing joy by a grateful people as their deliverer, -his satisfaction would have been complete, if the -same difficulties with which he had struggled since the -commencement of the war had not still impeded his -plans; for he was still embarrassed by the want of adequate -means, and disappointed in his hopes of co-operation.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_62">62</span> -He was without money. The United States of -America had declared war against Great Britain, with -no just cause, nor even plausible pretext for hostilities. -Lord Wellington received the news of this declaration -immediately after the battle of Salamanca. The troops -in Portugal depended in great measure for corn upon -the importation from America to that country; and he -deemed it necessary, without delay, to make large purchases -at Lisbon, that the subsistence of the army might -not be endangered. But this required a great expenditure, -the effect of which was now severely felt, for no -pecuniary resources were to be found in Madrid. The -inhabitants fed the garrison, and the produce of the sequestered - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Col. Jones’s account of the war, 2. 122.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and crown lands was readily given -up to the allies, on promise of future payment; -but when money was required for the military -chest, a few thousand dollars were all that -could be procured upon the most unquestionable security, -and of this sum much was in base coin.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Anglo-Sicilian army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington had counted with as much confidence -as he ever allowed himself to place upon arrangements -which were not wholly under his -own control, on the promised co-operation of an expedition -to the eastern coast. The most urgent solicitations -from that part of Spain for aid had long been disregarded -by the British Government; and the Catalans, who of -all the Spaniards made the greatest and most persevering -exertions in their own defence, had been left from the -commencement of the struggle until this time with no -other help than occasional supplies of money and arms, -scantily apportioned, and the assistance of a few ships of -war. And now, when the strong fortresses, one after -another had fallen, and the British Government at length -resolved to withdraw part of its troops from Sicily, -where the intrigues of that poor kingdom, and the expectation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_63">63</span> -of chances in Italy which were little likely to -occur, and of little importance if they had occurred, had -unduly detained them; only 6000 men were detached -from Sicily, without cavalry, and a considerable number -of them consisting of such foreigners as could -be enlisted in the Mediterranean. Lieutenant-General -Maitland was appointed to the command, and they sailed -in company with a squadron from the Mediterranean -fleet under Rear-Admiral Hallowell. The common opinion -was that they were destined for Corfu, because -heavy artillery was embarked with them.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Majorcan division.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Majorcan division of Spanish troops which was -to co-operate with them, was supposed to be -in a more efficient state than any of the Spanish -armies. This division had been raised upon the -suggestion of General Whittingham, Majorca being a -safe place, where they might be properly trained before -they were brought into the field; but the materials were -not so unexceptionable as the design. Some 250 Germans -who had been made prisoners with Dupont’s army, -were taken from the island of Cabrera as volunteers; -though, if free-will had influenced them, they would, like -the Swiss, have entered the Spanish service upon the first -opportunity, instead of remaining two years in that -miserable place of confinement. Majorca itself supplied -so few willing soldiers, that criminals who had been -transported thither from Catalonia and Valencia were -enlisted, ... fellows of such a description, that those who -were not deemed capable of service were kept in prison: -discipline, however, and equitable treatment, of which -even bad men are sensible, made them better than was -expected. Cuesta sent to this division all who were -discharged from the hospitals; and as runaways from -the routs in Valencia and Murcia could be collected or -caught, they were shipped for Majorca, and incorporated<span class="pagenum" id="Page_64">64</span> -in this hopeful force. No officer however was appointed -without secret and strict inquiry into his character. -Other difficulties, which might not so probably have -been anticipated, impeded the equipment of this division. -The plan was unpopular in the island, the more so, perhaps, -because it was set on foot by an Englishman who was -also invested with the command. Upon Cuesta’s death, -the situation of affairs was critical; the authorities withheld -all supplies from the troops, who were also threatened -as well as insulted in pasquinades: convents had been -converted into barracks for their use, and this may possibly -have been one cause of offence. An agreement -had been concluded with the Dey of Algiers for a supply -of horses, but it was broken off for want of money, the -Superior Junta of Majorca disregarding all orders from -the Regency. The institution of a military academy was -another cause of dislike, owing to the habits of insubordination -which prevailed in Majorca, as in every other -part of the Spanish dominions. By prudent conduct, -however, impediments were removed, and dislike softened -or overcome; the troops were clothed and armed by -Great Britain, and their hospital supplied: and when the -expedition from Sicily called for them at Palma, 4500 -men embarked, in a state of efficient discipline.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 24.</span>The expedition arrives on the coast of Catalonia.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The fleet made for the eastern coast of Spain, and on -the first of August anchored in the bay of Blanes, -at the mouth of the Tordera. The enemy occupied -Tosa, and had a redoubt there which -covered the town and protected the coast. On -that and the following day demonstrations of -landing were made; but upon an interview with Eroles, -it was found that any such measure would be worse than -useless, with so inadequate a force. That able Spaniard -saw that it was better for the Catalans to be left as they -had so long been to their own exertions, than to give the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_65">65</span> -French an opportunity of bringing superior numbers -against a British expedition: and it was agreed that -the best service which such a force could then perform -was to secure the city of Alicante, at that time endangered -in consequence of a defeat which Joseph O’Donell - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Defeat of the Spaniards at Castalla. <span class="date">June 21.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -had suffered in its vicinity. He had endeavoured -to drive the vanguard of Marshal -Suchet’s army, under General Harispe, back -upon the Xucar, from the line which it occupied -at Castalla and Ibi, and other points of the mountainous -country; but as usual, when the Spaniards were -brought forward in regular war, against well-disciplined -and well-commanded troops, some of the officers either -misunderstood their orders or executed them ill, and -some of the men losing courage as soon as they lost hope, -threw into confusion those who were braver than themselves; -their loss amounted to 4000 men, being little -less than the whole number which they attacked, and -they left more than 10,000 muskets in their flight. -Suchet, who was the most enterprising and successful -of all the French generals in Spain, would have taken -advantage of this shameful defeat, and endeavoured to -obtain possession of Alicante, if the force at his disposal - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -had not been greatly diminished. Buonaparte -had withdrawn all the Poles in his service from -the peninsular, for the Russian campaign; and this -deprived him of six thousand of his best troops, at a time -when his army was otherwise greatly weakened by sending -succours to Caffarelli in Navarre, and by the increased -exertions which it was necessary to make against Duran -and the Empecinado, Villacampa and Bassecourt. Before -the battle of Salamanca the Intruder, in his dreams of -triumph, informed Suchet that he must prepare for -marching towards Madrid, and then accompanying him -to the Tagus; and he ordered him to form a camp of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_66">66</span> -8000 men between Albaceyte and San Clemente; such a -force it was impossible for him to spare; he could not -venture to weaken himself further than by detaching -1500 men to Requeña and Cuenca, to relieve General -Darmagnac, and he represented to Joseph that he could -not move for Madrid with one of his divisions, unless he -received orders to evacuate Valencia. The last orders -from Paris were to direct all his efforts to the preservation -of the countries under his command, and to keep his -force concentrated. General Maitland knew less of Marshal -Suchet’s actual strength than of his relative superiority -to any force that could be brought against him; -the best course, therefore, seemed to be that upon which -he resolved; to secure the important fortress and port of -Alicante, both as a place of arms from whence future -operations might be undertaken, and as a rallying point -for the wreck of Joseph O’Donell’s army. Thither - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The expedition lands at Alicante.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -accordingly the Anglo-Sicilian expedition sailed: -contrary winds and bad weather retarded it -some days upon the passage, but on the evening -of August the 9th they anchored in the harbour, and on -the following day the troops were landed.</p> - -<p>The French who were in sight of the fortress retired -upon this, and formed their line in Chichona, Ibi, Castalla, -Biar, and Villena. But Suchet saw that this position -would not be tenable against General Maitland’s corps; - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French fall back to the Xucar.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -he concentred his divisions, therefore, about -St. Philippe; fixed his head-quarters in that -city; threw up field-works there, and upon the -high road from Valencia to Madrid; and constructed -a bridge of boats over the Xucar, near Alberique, which -he secured with a <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-du-pont</i>. His intention was not -to fall back without fighting, provided the allies should -attack him only in front, and were not too greatly superior -in numbers. But the superiority was soon on his own<span class="pagenum" id="Page_67">67</span> -side: the allies took the field on the 14th, and occupied -the country from which the enemy retired; on the 18th -they received intelligence that the Intruder with the -force which he could bring together was about to join -the army of Valencia, and then it became necessary for -General Maitland to fall back to his position in front of -Alicante.</p> - -<p>The expedition which was to have effected a diversion -in the east of Spain, was thus for the time rendered -useless, not having been upon a sufficient scale to accomplish -the purpose for which it was designed. Meantime -the squadron on the north-east coast proceeded successfully, -acting in concert with some of the ablest Guerrilla - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French withdraw from Santander. <span class="date">August 2.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -leaders. Caffarelli found it prudent to withdraw -his garrisons from Torrelavega and Santander, -lest they should be made prisoners; the -latter place was entered by Porlier; the constitution -was proclaimed there while salutes of joy were -fired by the Spanish troops and the British vessels; - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>They are driven from Bilbao.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and Renovales made good his word to General -Rouget by driving him from Bilbao, and defeating -him in an attempt at recovering it. There -also the constitution was proclaimed. The <i xml:lang="la" lang="la">Te Deum</i> -was performed in Santiagos church, and the Cid Campeador -in the theatre; and all the unmarried men from -the age of 17 to 45, were enrolled for Mendizabal’s army. -On that side there had been no want of exertion, and no -disappointment; but the Gallician army, from which -more might have been looked for, considering the -resources of the province, served for little more than to -manifest the gross incapacity or negligence with which - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>State of the Gallician army.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -affairs of the greatest moment were conducted: -nominally it amounted to 30,000 men, and -nearly that number were supposed to be mustered,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_68">68</span> -paid and fed, and yet 11,000 infantry and 350 -horse were all that Santocildes had under his command, -and these were badly disciplined and miserably -equipped.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French break up the siege of Cadiz. <span class="date">August 20.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the night of the eighth day after the entrance of -the allies into Madrid, the news of that event -reached Cadiz, where it excited among the inhabitants -the joyful hope of being speedily delivered -from the blockade: and deeper emotions -in those exiles who had left their houses and families in -the metropolis. On the 24th the French broke up the -siege; they threw shells during the preceding night; -those which were filled with lead and discharged from -howitzers with a velocity of about 2000 feet per second, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir Howard Douglas’s Naval Gunnery, p. 61.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -ranged to the astonishing distance of three miles. -They burst their guns by overcharging them, -placing their muzzles one against another and -exploding them by means of portfires and trains; -and thus almost the whole of their artillery between Chiclana -and Rota, consisting of 600 pieces, were rendered -unserviceable. Many, however, were left uninjured for -the Spaniards to take possession of, as well as thirty -gun-boats, and a great quantity of stores. The necessity -of this retreat had been foreseen by Soult as soon as -he was informed of the battle of Salamanca. Before that -action he had been meditating another attack upon -Tarifa, as a place from whence he could easily communicate -with Tangiers and the Barbary coast, and thus -secure supplies for feeding the army under his command. -Sir Rowland Hill’s movements withdrew him from this -project: and after Marmont’s defeat he prepared to -abandon Seville, but to hold the Carthusian convent -there, which he occupied as a citadel. Strong working -parties were employed in adding to its defences, while at<span class="pagenum" id="Page_69">69</span> -the same time the French packed up their public documents -and their private plunder for removal. But on this -occasion the Spaniards were on the alert.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Movement of La Cruz Mourgeon and Col. Skerrett upon Seville.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>As early as the middle of August the enemy had -blown up the Castle of Niebla, and retired from -the whole county of that name; and on the very -day that they broke up from before Cadiz, Camp -Marshal D. Juan de la Cruz Mourgeon, in concert -with Colonel Skerrett, judged it advisable to -make a forward movement on Seville, and for this purpose -to force the corps of observation at San Lucar la -Mayor, consisting of 350 cavalry and 200 foot. Brigadier-General -Downie was second in command of the Spanish -force. This officer was born in Stirlingshire, and -commenced his military career by accompanying Miranda -in his first expedition to Venezuela, an adventure for -which those foreigners who were taken in it paid the -forfeit of their lives. He joined Sir J. Moore’s army as -Assistant Commissary-General, was with Sir Arthur -Wellesley in the campaign of 1809, and in the ensuing -year, having entered the Spanish service, raised, with the -approbation of his own government, the loyal legion of -Extremadura and was appointed Colonel-Commandant -thereof. The legion was armed and clothed by the British -Government, and he revived in it the old Spanish -costume, ... or something resembling it; and several of -the young nobility are said to have entered it on that -account. By this and by his character, which in some -respects resembled their own, he made himself popular -among the Spaniards; insomuch that the Marquesa de -Conquista, the representative of the Pizarros, presented -him with the sword of her ancestor, the famous, or -infamous, conqueror of Peru.</p> - -<p>They marched from Manzanilla with 800 men, consisting -of the 1st regiment of guards, the 87th, and a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_70">70</span> -Portugueze regiment, accompanied by 600 Spanish -troops: the Spaniards attacked on the right, the British -and Portugueze on the left: the enemy were driven -through the streets, leaving some killed, wounded, and -prisoners, and the allies took post at San Lucar without -the loss of a man. Leaving his advance in that town, -and the British and Portugueze on the right bank of the -river San Lucar, the Spanish general returned to Castilleja -del Campo, being the place whither the persons from -whom he received intelligence directed their communications. -Various and contradictory accounts were -brought thither on the morning of the 26th concerning -the intentions of the enemy in Seville; but in the afternoon -he received positive information that Soult, with -the greater part of his force, was about to move by way -of Alcala upon Marchena. Arrangements were immediately -made, that the troops should collect at San Lucar, -and after two hours’ rest there, proceed towards Seville -at three on the following morning, in the hope that by -this movement they might accelerate the retreat of the -French, and save Seville from being plundered. On -arriving at Espartinas, they ascertained that Soult had -left the city with 5000 foot and 500 horse. General -Mourgeon, upon this, sending out some Guerrillas to -cover his flanks, proceeded, and arrived on the heights - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 27.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -of Castilleja de la Cuesta, immediately above -Seville, at six in the morning. The French, -occupied some olive grounds close to the village, and -some forty infantry garrisoned the redoubt of Santa -Brigida from which the guns had been withdrawn. -They were driven from the olive grounds into the plain, -where for awhile the cavalry, 100 in number, protected -the retreat of the foot, some 150: but they were so -pressed by the Spanish vanguard and annoyed by an -English field-piece, that they took to flight, and many of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_71">71</span> -the men were made prisoners. The redoubt was attacked -at the same time, with more bravery than judgment, and -the Spaniards sustained some loss; the columns then -advanced into the plain, by which the redoubt was -turned and its communication cut off: and Colonel -Skerrett ordered it to be masked by a detachment of -Portugueze.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French driven from Seville.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Spaniards then made a detour to the right, in -order to reach the bridge of Triana by the -road of S. Juan de Alfarache, and thus intercept -the retreat of the enemy and prevent them -from cutting or burning the bridge. Skerrett, meantime, -advanced a field-piece to keep in check the -enemy’s fire at one of the gates opposite; and after -allowing time for the Spanish column to arrive, the -British and Portugueze advanced to the attack in -front, the cavalry and artillery at a gallop, supported -by the grenadiers of the guards and the infantry following. -The enemy abandoned the gate: the British and -Portugueze entered the suburb, and advanced near to the -bridge as rapidly as possible; they were checked at the -turn of the street by a fire of grape-shot and musketry; -the grenadiers advanced to their support; the Spanish -cavalry under D. José Canterac, (whom Mourgeon, foreseeing -the necessity, had ordered to leave the column and -hasten straight through the suburb, arrived at this point -of time,) and the allies, drove every thing before them. -They advanced to the bridge under a heavy fire. The -enemy had retired from the plain in three columns, with -two pieces of artillery and 200 horse; and had taken a -position with the river on their right, and their rear resting -on the suburb: two guns were brought to bear on -them by Captain Roberts of the artillery; they were -driven from their position, and then made a stand upon -the bridge, which they hoped to defend long enough to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_72">72</span> -gain time for destroying it. Downie with his legion -twice attempted to force a passage, and was twice -repulsed, and each time wounded. In a third attempt -he leaped over the chasm which the enemy had then -made; and at the same moment a grape-shot shattered -his cheek-bone and destroyed one of his eyes. He fell -from his horse, stunned by the wound; when his recollection -returned he found himself a prisoner, but in time -to throw Pizarro’s sword among his own people. On -their part the attack was kept up with so much spirit, -aided as they now were by some guns well placed and -well-worked, that the enemy could not extend the breach -which they had made: and the inhabitants, even while -their fire continued, set all the bells ringing, displayed -hangings from their balconies as for a festival, hastened -to the bridge and laid planks across the chasm, and enabled -their deliverers to pass. The French then retired -to the Triunfo and there again made a stand; but soon -retreated through the city, and leaving it by the Puerta -Nueva and the Puerta de Carmona, took the direction of -Alcala. They left there two pieces of artillery, many -horses, much baggage, and some two hundred prisoners. -The deliverers could make no speed in pursuing them, for -the streets were crowded with rejoicing multitudes, and -their previous exertions as well as their want of cavalry -would have made it imprudent to continue the pursuit. -Downie was treated with great barbarity by his captors. -Miserably wounded as he was, he was tied upon the carriage -of a gun, and in that condition dragged along with them -in their retreat; and this is said to have been done by -General Villatte’s direction. Having taken him some forty -miles, and not expecting him to survive, they left him in a -hut, taking however, his parole not to serve again in case of -recovery, till he should have been regularly exchanged.</p> - -<p>By this well-timed enterprise, Seville was saved from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_73">73</span> -the contribution which would have been exacted from -it, and the devastation which was threatened. A division -of French troops, about 7000 in number, from the -blockade of Cadiz, passed by during the following night; -they meant to have taken up their quarters there; but -supposing that it was occupied by Sir Rowland Hill’s -force, they had no inclination to encounter such an enemy, -and moved hastily to their right, on Carmona. Ballasteros -had hung upon their flank from Ronda, and continued -to harass them till they reached Granada. From -thence Soult concerted his movements with Suchet and -the Intruder. Sir Rowland meantime was ordered to the -Tagus with his corps, there to connect its operations with -the main body of the allied army, and the British troops -from Cadiz were embarked for Lisbon.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Rejoicings at Seville.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the second day after the deliverance of Seville, the -constitution was proclaimed there in the Plaza -de S. Francisco with the same success as in -other parts of Spain. A bull fight also was exhibited, -for the twofold purpose of gratifying the people in what -to the disgrace of the Spaniards was their favourite -diversion, and of raising money for the troops. Among -other rejoicings, the Inquisition prepared to celebrate a -thanksgiving festival; but General Mourgeon intimated -to them that he had no authority to re-establish them, -and that they would not be suffered to appear as a corporate -body. By the retreat of the French from Andalusia, -a large and populous, and most productive province -reverted to the legitimate government: but, though its -resources were thus increased, there was little ground for -hoping that they would be directed with more ability -than in the early part of the struggle. There was the -same generous and devoted sense of duty to their country -in individuals; the same strong spirit of nationality in -the great body of the people; but on the part of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_74">74</span> -government there were the same embarrassments to contend -with; the same inexperience which the frequent -changes in administration allowed no time for curing, -and the same incapacity which no experience could cure. -The ablest heads were more intent upon carrying into -effect their own theories of political reformation, than of -devising means to complete the deliverance of the country. -The indiscretion with which they hurried on measures -that the people were wholly unprepared for, -provoked a strong resistance in the Cortes itself; and -the obstinate bigotry of the one party was not more manifest -than the presumptuous confidence, and the political -intolerance of the other. A jealousy of the English -prevailed even in persons whose hatred of the French -could not be doubted; and in some it seemed to acquire - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Honours rendered to Lord Wellington.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -strength in proportion to the celebrity which -Lord Wellington had obtained; the people however -rendered justice to his merits, as in such -cases they will always do when they are not artfully misled; -the Great Lord was the appellation which they -commonly gave him, and no indication was wanting of -that national gratitude which he so well deserved. The -Regency had conferred upon him the order of the Golden -Fleece; and through their hands the Condessa de Chincon, -D. Maria Teresa de Borbon, presented him with the -collar of the order, which had belonged to her father the -Infante D. Luiz; that it had been her father’s, she said, -was the only thing which made it valuable to her; but -for its intrinsic value it was a princely present.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>St. Teresa appointed co-patroness of Spain.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A subject not less characteristic than curious had been -brought before the Government. The barefooted -Carmelites in Cadiz presented a memorial, -stating that Philip III. and the Cortes of -1617, had chosen St. Teresa for patroness and advocate -of Spain, under the Apostle Santiago, that the nation in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_75">75</span> -all its emergencies might invoke her, and avail itself of -her intercession. At that time the saint had only been -beatified; but her canonization shortly afterwards took -place, and then the Cortes of 1626 published the decree, -which was confirmed by Pope Urban VIII., without -prejudice to the rights of Santiago, St. Michael the -Archangel, and the most Holy Virgin. Jealous, nevertheless, -of the imprescriptible rights of their own saint, -the chapter of Compostella exerted their influence at -Rome with such success, that the decree was suspended -against the wishes both of the King and Cortes. That -wish, however, continued in the royal family; and -Charles II., in a codicil to his will, declaring that he had -always desired to establish the co-patronship of St. Teresa -for the benefit of his kingdom, charged his successors -to effect it. The Carmelites now urged that at no -time could it more properly be effected than at the present, -when her potent patronage was needed against invaders, -who sowed the seeds of impiety wherever they carried -their arms. This memorial was referred to a special -ecclesiastical commission; and in conformity to the opinion -of that commission the Cortes elected St. Teresa -patroness and protectress, under Santiago, of those -kingdoms; decreed that her patronship should forthwith -take effect; enjoined all archbishops, bishops, and prelates, -to see that the correspondent alterations should -be made in the ritual for the saint’s day; and required -the Regency to give orders for printing, publishing, and -circulating this decree. The community of the barefooted -Carmelites then returned thanks for this appointment -of their Mother the Saint. “It was a decree,” -they said, “which would fill all the natives of those -kingdoms with consolation and hope, and they flattered -themselves that from that moment Spain would experience -the powerful intercession of its new protectress.”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_76">76</span> -“My great Mother, S. Teresa de Jesus, Co-patroness of -the Spains!” exclaimed the prior, in an address which -was printed among the proceedings of the Cortes, “the -very idea makes me eternally bless the law that sanctions -it. This has been a business of much time, an affair of -some ages, a work of many and mighty hands; but the -glory of completing it has been reserved for the fathers -of the country, for the congress of lights, for your majesty -the Cortes, which has been the glorious instrument of -this work of the Eternal. And it was fitting that the -country of heroes should have the heroine of nations at -its head, who like another mother of the Maccabees -should encourage its sons to triumph and to glory. This -Deborah is not less sage than she who judged Israel, not -less valiant; and the Baraks who will come forward under -her protection will not be intimidated by danger. She is -not a Moabitess to pervert the armies of Israel. She is a -Jael who will destroy the forces of <i>Sennacherib</i>; a Semiramis, -who will overthrow the hosts of the sanguinary -Cyrus. At the sight of this fortunate Esther, Spain -would lift her head and conceive higher hopes. The -unanimous consent of the whole nation, the vows of the -Spaniards of both hemispheres, would rise to heaven, -and uniting themselves at this moment with the intercessions -of their great Co-patroness, form that imperious -voice which commands the winds and the tempests, rules -the seas, makes itself felt in the dark regions of the abyss, -and ascending the eternal mountain of the Lord, puts -aside the decree of extermination that threatens us, substitutes -for it that of our aggrandizement and elevation, -and brings a blessing upon those judicious, prudent, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Diario de las Cortes, t. 14. pp. 56, 94, 96, 103.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and sage Mordecais, whose wise resolution has -been the cause of this portent.” In this language -did the descendants of the Prophets who -dwelt on Mount Carmel, the children of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_77">77</span> -great Teresa, offer upon the altar of gratitude the incense -of their respect and veneration to the Cortes!</p> - -<p>While one set of unbelievers promoted this act of -superstition, and another condescended to it, a decree of -more consequence was obtained from the Spanish Government, -which had become sensible that the war must now -be carried on upon one plan of operations, under the -direction of a single mind, and that a mind equal to the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish armies.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -emergency had been manifested in Lord Wellington. -The Cortes therefore conferred upon -him the command in chief of the Spanish armies, -during the co-operation of the allied forces in -the defence of the peninsula; and the Marquis -signified his acceptance of the charge, subject to the -Prince Regent’s approbation, “the delay of obtaining -which,” he said, “would not impede his operations, because, -upon all occasions on which he had communicated -with the Generals and Commandants of the Spanish -troops, he had received from them the utmost attention, -and all the assistance which they could afford him.” The -Prince’s consent was not delayed; and in signifying it, -his Royal Highness expressed his satisfaction in the -measure, as considering it to be a just and signal proof -that the Spanish nation rightly appreciated the military -talents and reputation of Lord Wellington, and that the -Cortes had taken a comprehensive view of the manner in -which the war ought to be conducted.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>His Situation at Madrid.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington meantime had more reason to be -satisfied with the approbation of his own Government, -than with the support that it afforded -him. Successful as his campaign had thus far -been, there had been a loss of time in it, for want of -means, and that want had occasioned much to depend -upon the chance of circumstances; whereas, had there -been an adequate force under his command, the results<span class="pagenum" id="Page_78">78</span> -would have depended as far as possible in war, upon his -own sagacity, and the superiority of British troops. An -additional force of 15,000 men, with which to have covered -the northern frontier during the siege of Badajoz, -would have enabled him to fulfil his first intention of -marching upon Seville, after the fall of that fortress; the -campaign might then have been commenced two months -earlier, and time would have remained, after having -freed the south of Spain, for operations in the centre and -north. Having been compelled to abandon that intention, -lest Marmont should recover Ciudad Rodrigo and -overrun the north of Portugal, he had succeeded to his -utmost hopes in the plan which he had of necessity -adopted, not of choice. After that success, the want of -adequate means left him as little choice as before. To -have marched into Valencia against the collected armies -of Soult, Suchet, and the Intruder, would have rendered -it impossible to keep up his communications with Portugal; -and except on that communication he could have -no safe dependence for supplies. There was moreover -the weighty consideration that the yellow fever had -broken out in Murcia, and had approached so near to -Alicante, that the most rigorous precautions were deemed -necessary for preserving that part of the country from -the contagion. But independent of all other considerations, -he had neither sufficient troops to attack the united -forces in the south, nor sufficient money to subsist his -army beyond Madrid. Of the 70,000 dollars which he -had borrowed there, he was obliged to make over half to -the Portugueze, for the relief of their pressing necessities; -and he had raised the loan on condition of repaying -it at the expiration of a month. By acting in the north -he should keep open his communication and his retreat; -and in the north also the reinforcements, which after the -tidings of his success he was sure would be expedited by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_79">79</span> -all possible exertions, might join him before the enemy -could move against him with their combined forces, from -all quarters. The Intruder had with him 14,000 men, -Suchet had 28,000 disposable in the field, and the army -of the south, under Soult, consisted of 55,000; in all -97,000: in the north, there were the army of the north -10,000 strong, and the remains of Marmont’s army, now -under Clausel, estimated at 25,000. Against this force, -which had resumed its activity, it was resolved to act; -and to this determination there was the farther motive, -that if the Galician army were put in possession of Burgos, -the castle there might enable it to make a stand upon -that front, and with the assistance of a British and Portugueze -corps to hold the army of Portugal in check -while he should be engaged in active operations in the -south. The castle would thus become a <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-de-cantonment</i> -to this corps of observation, and the French when -deprived of it would not possess any strong post on the -great line of communication between France and the interior -of Spain, this castle commanding the only good road -for artillery, and for the movement of convoys.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington moves toward Burgos.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Accordingly, on the 1st September, Lord Wellington -departed from Madrid, leaving the two divisions -which were most in need of rest in garrison -there. Sir Rowland was ordered to the Xarama, -so to cover the capital on that side; and Ballasteros -was requested to join him, in case Soult, whose -retreat from Andalusia was not yet known, should move -on Madrid; otherwise to be in readiness for acting upon -the Marshal’s line of march. The troops collected at -Arevalo, moved from thence on the 4th, and on the 6th -crossed the Douro at the fords of Herrera and - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French withdraw from Valladolid.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -El Abrojo; the enemy withdrew from Valladolid -at their approach, crossed the Pisuerga, blew -up the centre arch of the bridge, and retired<span class="pagenum" id="Page_80">80</span> -along the right bank of that river to Dueñas. Some -skirmishing took place in front of that town, and the -cavalry picket drove the enemy out, and established -themselves there on the night of the 10th. On the following -day, Lord Wellington entered Palencia, where -the English as usual were received with joyful acclamations, -and where the new Constitution was proclaimed. -From thence he communicated with Santocildes, and -there learned from him to how small a force the Galician -army amounted, and how little that force could be relied -on. With all Lord Wellington’s experience of Spanish -co-operation, he had not expected this; knowing both -the ability and good-will of Castaños, he hoped to have -found the army in a state of such efficiency that he might -have stationed it at Burgos in a few days, and then without -loss of time have returned to Madrid, there to prepare -for the contest which might be expected in that quarter. -The Galician army joined at Pampaliega on the 16th; -the 11,000 of whom it consisted were then separated -into three divisions, and each was directed to march in -rear of a British division, no doubt being entertained -but that they would behave well if they were not exposed -to heavy attacks of the enemy’s cavalry.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies advance to Burgos.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The allies now moved up the beautiful valley of the -Pisuerga, from Valladolid, along the right bank -of the river, to the place where it receives the -Arlanzon; and then along both banks of the -Arlanzon, up its valley towards Burgos. It is a tract of -country in which nature seems to invite human industry, -and man has not been negligent in profiting by the -advantages of soil and climate and running waters. -Every inch of the valley is cultivated, and the hills are -on both sides covered with cornfields and vineyards. -The country is as strong also in a military point of view as -it is fertile; out of the high road in the valley the way is<span class="pagenum" id="Page_81">81</span> -continually interrupted by rivulets and deep ditches: -the hills on either side afford admirable flanks for the -movements of an army, and there are heights from the -river to the hills on either side for strong defensive -positions. The French General was not a man to overlook -this advantage, and the enemy were found on the -16th strongly posted with their left on the Arlanzon and -their right on the mountains. Lord Wellington made -arrangements to turn their position; but they decamped -during the night, and in the morning their whole army -was seen retiring in five columns along the valley, and -the hills on either side. They were estimated at about -18,000 infantry and more than 2000 horse, and their line -of baggage was longer and closer than men who had -served in India had ever seen with an Indian army; for -they had pressed all the cattle in the country, and left -nothing transportable for any marauders who might follow -them. Clausel entered Burgos on the evening of -the 17th; Marmont and Bonnet, who were still incapacitated -by their wounds, had left that city a few days -before. Caffarelli came thither from Vittoria to confer -with him: a council of war was held that night; at -two in the morning the French commenced their retreat, -and by ten o’clock they had left the city and the suburbs.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Burgos.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Fabling authors have ascribed the foundation of Burgos -to an imaginary King Brygus, and mistaken -antiquaries have endeavoured to identify -its site with that of the one or other Augostobriga, both -having been far distant. The earliest authentic accounts -speak only of some scattered habitations in this well-watered -part of the country, till, at the latter end of the -ninth century, D. Diego Rodriguez, Count of Castile, -better known in Spanish history as Diego Porcelos, -erected a castle there by order of Alfonso III., and -founded a frontier town under its protection, which, from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_82">82</span> -the old Burgundian word for a fortress, obtained the -name of Burgos. The castle was built upon a hill which -commands the rich plain watered by the rivers Arlanzon, -Vena, and Cardenuela: in former times it was of great -strength and beauty, cresting the summit of the hill, and -towering above the houses, which in those times covered -the slope; but when the succession to the throne of -Castile was disputed by Alfonso V. of Portugal, against -Ferdinand and Isabella, in right of his wife Juana, the -castle took part with that injured and most unfortunate -princess, and firing upon the city, destroyed the best -street, which was upon the descent: after this, the lower -ground was built upon, and the castle was left standing -alone upon the heights. During the sixteenth century, -Burgos was the mart through which the whole interior -trade with the ports in the Bay of Biscay was carried on, -and from whence the Segovian cloth was sent to all parts -of Europe. Its population was then from 35,000 to -40,000, exclusive of foreigners, who were many in number; -it had been reduced to 8000 or 9000, the place -having declined after the seat of government was fixed -at Madrid. Most of the Spanish cities may be traced to -much higher antiquity; many exceed it in size; but -there are few which are connected with so many of those -historical recollections in which the Spaniards seem -above all other nations to delight. It was the birthplace -of Count Ferran Gonzalez, and of the Cid Campeador; -the former used to knight his warriors in St. -Lorenzo’s church. A beautiful triumphal arch has been -erected to his honour upon the site of the dwelling in -which he was born; and his statue, with those of the two -judges, Nuño Rasurez, and Layn Calvo, Diego Porcelos, -the Cid, and the Emperor Charles V., adorns the gate -of St. Maria, which opens upon one of the bridges.</p> - -<p>Our Edward I. was knighted by his brother-in-law,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_83">83</span> -Alfonso the Wise, in S. Maria de las Huelgas, a nunnery -founded by Alfonso V. and his English Queen Leonor, -within sight of the city. Its church was preferred by the -Castilian kings for the performance of any remarkable -ceremony, the place for which was not prescribed; three -kings therefore in succession were crowned there, and it -was long a place of interment for the royal family. -Except that at Fulda, no other nunnery ever possessed -such privileges, or was so largely endowed. The cathedral, -than which there is no more elaborate or more magnificent -specimen of what may be called monastic architecture, -was founded in 1221, by King St. Ferdinand -and the Bishop Maurice, (who is said to have been an -Englishman, either by birth or blood,) about 150 years -after the see of Oca had been removed thither: among -the relics which were shown, there was a handkerchief -of the prophet Elijah, and a lock of Abraham’s hair, and -one of St. Apollonia’s innumerable teeth. Two short -leagues from the city is the monastery of St. Pedro de -Cardeña, a far older foundation than the cathedral; -where, from the time that two hundred of its monks were -massacred by the Moors the pavement used on the anniversary -of their martyrdom to sweat blood, till that blood, -which through so many centuries had cried for vengeance, -was appeased by the final subjugation of the misbelievers. -There the Cid lies and his wife Ximena: -some of the French officers at the commencement of this -treacherous invasion used to visit the church and spout -passages from Corneille’s tragedy over their tomb. There -too lie his daughters, D. Elvira and D. Sol; and his -father Diego Laynez; and his kinsman Alvar Fañez -Minaya, and his nephew Martin Antolinez, and Martin -Pelaez, the Asturian, names which will be held in remembrance -as long as chivalrous history shall be preserved. -And before the gate of the monastery the Cid’s good<span class="pagenum" id="Page_84">84</span> -horse Bavieca lies buried, and Gil Diaz his trusty servant, -by the side of that good horse, which he had loved -so well.</p> - -<p>But of objects of antiquity or veneration, that on -which the people of Burgos prided themselves most was -a miraculous crucifix in the convent of St. Augustine, -which a merchant of that city, on his homeward voyage -from Flanders, found at sea, floating in a chest shaped -like a coffin. The learned have concluded, upon a comparison -of dates and circumstances, that it is the identical -image which was carved by Nicodemus, and carried -from Jerusalem to Berytus; where, being again nailed -and pierced by unbelieving Jews in the 8th century, blood -issued from its wounds, and miraculously healed both -Jews and Christians of their diseases. When Berytus -fell under the yoke of the Saracens, the Christians, to -save it from farther profanation, coffined it thus carefully -and committed it in faith to the waves. Strong, however, -as the circumstantial evidence for this identity was -admitted to be, many persons piously preferred believing -that it was no work of human hands, but had been sent -from heaven, in order that there should be on earth one -perfect resemblance of our crucified Saviour. They -supported this opinion by the alleged and admitted fact, -that no one has ever been able to ascertain of what material -the image is made: the flesh, they say, is so elastic -that it yields like that of a living body to the touch, and -resumes its natural rotundity when the pressure is -removed; the head moves to whatever side it may be -inclined, and the arms, if they are unfastened, fall like -those of a corpse; and the hair, and beard, and nails, -seem not as if they were carved, or fixed there, but as if -they grew. Volumes have been published filled with -authenticated accounts of the miracles which this crucifix -has performed. Kings, nobles, and prelates, have vied<span class="pagenum" id="Page_85">85</span> -with each other in enriching the chapel wherein it is -placed. So many lamps have been presented, that they -are said literally to have hid the vault of the chapel, -covering its whole extent; and of these the meanest were -of massive silver. On each side of the altar stood thirty -silver candlesticks, each taller than the tallest man, and -heavier than many men could lift. The candlesticks -upon the altar were of massive gold; between them -were gold and silver crosses, set with precious stones; -and crowns rich with pearls and sparkling with diamonds -were suspended over the altar. Above the altar -the miraculous crucifix is placed, behind three curtains -embroidered with jewellery and pearls. It was shown -only to persons of great distinction, and not to them till -after many ceremonies, and till they had heard two -masses: bells were then rung to give notice that all who -were present must fall upon their knees, while the sacred -curtains were undrawn. The great captain Gonsalvo -de Cordoba, when he would have ascended to inspect it -closely, was overcome with sudden awe, and withdrew, -saying he would not tempt the Lord. And Isabella, the -Catholic Queen, for whom one of the nails which fastened -the image to the cross was taken out, that she might enshrine -it among her relics, fainted when she saw the arm -drop; and when she came to herself, repenting of her -intention, as though such piety had partaken of the sin of -sacrilege, ordered the nail to be reverently replaced.... -It is a relief for those whose thoughts have been long -employed upon the wickedness and the sufferings of their -fellow-creatures, if their attention can sometimes be -drawn away by such examples of their weakness and their -credulity.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies enter Burgos.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>When the enemy withdrew from Burgos they were -joined by 9000 infantry of the army of the north -under General Souham, who took the command,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_86">86</span> -and retiring to Briviesca halted there in a strong -position. On the morning of the 18th the allies took -possession of the heights to the north-west of the castle, -and entered the city, where they were received with the -usual acclamations. But this was no day of joy to the -inhabitants: the garrison, who from their fort completely -commanded both the city and the suburbs, opened a fire -of musketry and grape into the principal streets, and -burned the houses which were nearest them; and on the -other hand the Guerrillas began to plunder, as if it were -an enemy’s town of which they had taken forcible possession. -Alava, by threats, by blows, and by unremitting -exertions, restored order at last; and his efforts were not -a little assisted by a rumour which he caused to be -spread among them, that the French were returning in -great force: these marauders then took to their heels, -and a Spanish battalion was posted in the city, and a -battalion of <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">caçadores</i> in the suburbs.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Castle of Burgos.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the following day the castle was invested. One -division remained on the left of the Arlanzon; -part of the army forded it, and marched round the -heights of St. Miguel; their advance drove the enemy -from three detached flêches which they were constructing, -to see into the hollows on the side of the hill, and -took possession of such parts as were under cover. The -remainder of the army was advanced on the high road in -front of Monasterio to cover the attack. Upon reconnoitring -the castle it was found much stronger than had -been expected: it was a lofty building, built with the -solidity of old times, flanked with small round towers, -and its roof sufficiently strong to bear guns of large calibre -which the French had placed upon it. The keep had -been converted into a casemated battery; the lower part -of the hill had been surrounded by an uncovered scarp -wall of difficult access, and between these defences two<span class="pagenum" id="Page_87">87</span> -lines of field-works had been constructed, thickly planted -with cannon, and encircling the hill. The garrison -under General Du Breton consisted of nearly 3000 men, -well provided with stores of all kinds. It was apparent -that approaches against them must be carried on regularly: -the most sanguine entertained no hope of succeeding -in less than seven or eight days; nor would that -hope have been entertained if the deficiency of means -had been considered, unless an undue reliance had been -placed upon military courage in circumstances where -skill and science are of far more avail. The siege establishments -of the army had been deficient in all the -former sieges, in all which, therefore, success had been -dearly purchased; but here there was not even the -skeleton of an establishment. There were five officers -of engineers, but not a sapper or miner; and only eight -men of the royal military artificers, to whom 81 artificers -of the line were added. The artillery consisted of three -18-pounders, and five 24-pounder iron howitzers, with -300 rounds of ammunition for each, and 15 barrels of -powder. The engineers’ stores were scanty in proportion; -but in a store which the enemy had left in the town -a considerable number of entrenching tools were found. -Lord Wellington had no other means within his reach -when he moved from Madrid. He had no means of -transporting more guns and ammunition from Madrid, -or from Ciudad Rodrigo, to Burgos. The Intruder and -the French armies had swept Castille of all the mules -and horses upon which they could lay hands; and if -some might still have been purchased at high prices, -there was no money to pay for them in the military chest.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The horn work on S. Miguel’s taken.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the side toward the country the castle was commanded -by the heights of S. Miguel, which are -separated from it by a deep ravine. The summit -is about the same level as the upper works<span class="pagenum" id="Page_88">88</span> -of the castle, at a distance of 300 yards. On this height -the enemy had nearly completed a large horn work: the -branches were not perfect: the rear, on the advance of -the allies, had been closed by an exceedingly strong palisade; -and in front they had begun to throw up three -flêches, from which they had now been driven. As a -preliminary to any attack, it was necessary to win the -horn work. The arrangements for this were, that two -parties should march that night, one upon each salient -angle of the demi-bastions, enter the ditch, the counterscarp -being unfinished, and escalade them, under protection -of 150 men, who were to march direct on the -front of the work, halt at the edge of the ditch, and keep -up a continued fire on those who defended the parapet.... -A third storming party under the Honourable Major -Cocks was to march round the rear of the work, and -endeavour to force in at the gorge. This plan was better -arranged than executed. The covering party began to -fire as soon as they were put in motion, and continued -firing as they advanced, till they reached the ditch where -they ought to have begun their fire: by that time so -many of their men had been killed and wounded that the -rest dispersed. The attack on both semi-bastions was -not more fortunately conducted: the ladders were not -long enough for the face of the work; ... and the troops, -remembering the murderous character of the former -sieges which they had witnessed rather than their eventual -success, hung back. Major Cocks lost in advancing -nearly half his party by the fire of the castle, but he -found that the garrison of the horn work neglected the -gorge, being fully occupied with the attack in front. He -therefore with little opposition got over the palisades -and entered the body of the work with about 140 men: -these he divided, posting one-half on the ramparts to -ensure the entry of the co-operating force in front, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_89">89</span> -with the other he formed opposite the gateway, in the -hope of making the garrison prisoners: they were about -500 in number, under a <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">chef de bataillon</i>, and had his -support been brought up in time there was every probability -of his capturing them; but the French running -from their works, mere weight of numbers did for them -as much as determined courage could have done; they -literally ran over this little party and escaped into the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Col. Jones’s account of the sieges, p. 191.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -castle. Their loss did not exceed 70 men, that -of the assailants amounted to 420, including six -officers killed and fifteen wounded.</p> - -<p>Such a beginning, though successful, was not likely to -give the troops confidence. And it was now found, ... which -could not be understood by a ground-plan of the works, -nor indeed be exactly ascertained till they were in possession -of St. Miguel’s hill, ... that although this hill -commanded from its narrow side that on which the -enemy’s works were erected, it was itself commanded by -the terrace of the castle. The breadth of St. Miguel’s is -parallel to the length of the castle-hill, and consequently -St. Miguel’s is outflanked by the castle-hill; and as the -surrounding ground is so low as to be completely overlooked, -and commanded by that hill, it was impossible -to erect batteries on any spot except the narrow ridge, -which was not only out-flanked by the opposite height, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Failure in assaulting the first line.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -but commanded by it. Trenches however were -now opened to secure a communication with -the horn work, and afford cover for the men; -batteries were erected; and in order to save the troops -from unnecessary fatigue, Lord Wellington resolved to -assault the outer line, on the night of the 22nd, without -waiting to form a breach in it. A party of Portugueze -were to advance from some houses in the suburb close to -the wall, cut down the palisades, and take the line in -flank and rear, while a British party were to advance<span class="pagenum" id="Page_90">90</span> -under a ridge of ground, and escalade the wall in front. -The houses afforded cover to the one party, the ridge to -the other, until the moment of attack. But no serious -attack was made; the Portugueze were checked by a -fire from a guard-house on the line, and could not be -induced to enter the ditch: the British planted their -ladders, and the officers mounted, but very few men followed -them. Major Lawrie of the 79th, who commanded -this party, was killed. Captain Frazer Mackenzie -was struck down by a blow on the head; he -recovered himself, mounted a second time, and was shot -through the knee. The enemy, whose attention was -not diverted by any other attack, mounted the parapet, -and fired down upon the assailants, who stood crowded -in the ditch unable now to advance, and still unwilling -to retire. Lord Wellington was watching the attack -from the hill of St. Miguel, under a fire of musketry, -grape-shot, and shells; and when he saw that the Portugueze -did nothing, and that the party in front made no -progress, he ordered the attempt to be relinquished, after -the loss of about three hundred and thirty men. The -wounded were brought in in the morning during an hour’s -truce.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>A second assault fails.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The original plan was now resumed of working up to -the wall, and mining under it. The enemy placed two -or three guns behind a projecting palisade, which -was so close as perfectly to secure them, and from -whence they did great execution. As there -were neither sappers, miners, nor pioneers, the engineer -officers were obliged not only to direct every operation, -but to stand by and instruct the working parties; -and while thus employed, Captain Williams was killed. -It seemed miraculous that any of these valuable officers -escaped. The enemy could not now but have discovered -that the besiegers were miserably provided with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_91">91</span> -artillery, and that they had no ammunition to spare; -nevertheless they began to prepare their second line for -an obstinate defence. On the evening of the 29th the -miners hit upon the foundation of the wall, mined it, -and charged the mine with twelve barrels of powder. -At midnight it was sprung, and threw down the wall. -Three hundred men were in readiness for storming: a -serjeant and four men, the advance of a party of twenty -who were to lead the way, mounted without opposition, -for the enemy were panic-stricken: they remained some -minutes on the top of the breach before the French, perceiving -that they were not supported, took courage and -drove them down. The officer in command of the first -advance did not discover the breach, ... he returned into -the parallel, reporting that the mine had failed, and the -storming party, in consequence of this error, was withdrawn. -After this, Lord Wellington determined to have -no more night attacks.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>A third by daylight proves successful. <span class="date">Oct. 4.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A supply of gunpowder having been obtained from -Sir Home Popham’s squadron, a second mine -was completed: the first breach was rendered -practicable, and the explosion which made -the second was the signal for assaulting -both. Immediately before the explosion, and while -in the act of communicating that all was ready, -Lieutenant-Colonel Jones of the engineers was severely -wounded, an officer whose Journals of the Sieges, and -whose general Account of the War have been the most -useful as well as the most trust-worthy of the printed -authorities from which the present history has been composed. -About an hundred feet of the wall were thrown -down by the explosion: the storming party, instead of -being composed of detachments from different regiments, -consisted of the 24th regiment, supported by the working -and covering parties in the trenches, a reserve of 500<span class="pagenum" id="Page_92">92</span> -men having also been formed in the parallel. This -assault was made in the face of day. The officer who -led the left party was at the foot of the old breach before -the smoke had cleared away, and he was the first man -on the top of it; and the dust had scarcely subsided -before the troops had gained the summit of both breaches, -and driven the enemy into their covered way, and behind -their new palisades. During the night the besiegers -established themselves in both breaches, and along the -wall to the left of them, and began an approach towards -the second line of works. But the rains now began to -set in heavily; and on the following afternoon 300 of -the garrison made a sortie from their covered way, -gained possession of the first breach, and retained it long -enough to ruin the lodgment and carry off the tools. -They did not get possession of the second breach, nor of -the parallel along the parapet: but the advantage which -they had gained was sufficient to encourage them, and -to lessen the confidence of the besiegers, who could not -but perceive that they were struggling against all advantages -of situation, and with means the most inadequate. -The enemy could not depress their guns so as to bear -upon the new works, but they kept up a constant fire of -musketry upon them, and from time to time rolled large -shells down the steep glacis, and these either carried -away the gabion where the men were breaking ground -in the night, or lodging against it and bursting, blew it -to pieces. The rain was now so heavy that much time -was daily expended in draining and keeping the communications -up the steep banks and breaches practicable. -The garrison meantime were never idle: they had now -disabled two of the three 18-pounders; and making another -sortie at two in the morning of the 8th, from the -covered way with 400 men, they surprised the advanced -covering party, drove the remainder from the parallel of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_93">93</span> -the outer line, and once more levelled the work and - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Major Cocks killed.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -carried off the tools. Major Cocks was killed -in a charge to regain it: he was shot through -the body when ascending the breach, by a -French infantry man close to him: the ball entered on -the right side between the fourth and the fifth rib, -passed through the great artery immediately above -the heart, and so out at the left side, breaking the left -arm. Major Cocks was a young officer of the highest -promise. He was the eldest son of Lord Somers, -and by the demise of his maternal grandfather, in possession -of a large landed estate; but preferring the -military profession to the peaceful enjoyment of good -fortune, and to the pursuits whereto his station in society -invited him, he devoted himself to the study of that profession -with an ardour, of which an ordinary observer -would not, from his mild manners and habitual composure, -have supposed him capable. Entering early into -the service, and leaving his regiment in England, he -joined the army at Lisbon in the spring of 1809, for the -purpose of acquiring the Portugueze and Spanish languages. -He was in the south of Spain when the French -attempted to surprise Cadiz, and he it was who gave -Alburquerque the first information of their movements, -by which timely advice that magnanimous Spaniard was -enabled to prevent their design and throw himself into -the place. He read much, and let no opportunity pass -unimproved of perfecting by practice the knowledge -which he acquired from books: and thus he had distinguished -himself on so many occasions, that the promotion -which his rank and fortune might have commanded -was not more rapid than his conspicuous merit had -deserved. When the dispatches relating the capture of -the horn work on S. Michael’s reached home, his commission<span class="pagenum" id="Page_94">94</span> -as Lieutenant-Colonel was immediately sent out; -but before these dispatches arrived in Spain, his career -was closed. On the day preceding his death he was -field-officer of the trenches: the day was very wet, and -he went round to every sentry to see that the orders were -clearly understood, ... a duty generally left to the serjeant -who posts them, and not often attended to by a -subaltern having only a picket of twenty men; but Major -Cocks never spared himself, and never left anything -which depended upon him undone. The death of such -a man (for such men are rare) was justly regarded in the -army as a national loss. He was buried in the camp -ground of his regiment near Bellema, Lord Wellington, -Sir Stapleton Cotton, Generals Anson and Pack, with the -whole of their staffs, attending his funeral, and the -officers of the 79th (his own regiment) and of the 16th -light dragoons.</p> - -<p>After this second successful sortie, no further attempt -was made to push the works between the outer and -second line: a third breach was effected with the view -of making a flank attack at the moment of assaulting the -second line in front; but when it was made, it could not -be stormed for want of musket ammunition. The enemy -attempted to repair it during the night, but were several -times driven in. A small supply of powder having now -been received from Santander, the howitzers were put in -battery; but the 24-pound shot were nearly expended, -and for the 18-pounders the 16-pound shot fired by the -enemy were collected and made to serve: when the embrazures -were opened, the guns could not be run in on -account of the weather, and one of the batteries was -silenced in half an hour by the enemy’s fire. By the -18th, a sufficient opening had been made in an exposed -part of the second line; and the church of St. Roman,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_95">95</span> -which was near the second line, had been mined. The - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The second line assaulted with ill success.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -assault was made by daylight; the works were -immediately carried with very little loss, and -some of the German legion escaladed the third -line; but they were few, and were presently -driven back, for the course of the siege had taken confidence -from the besiegers and given it to the besieged; -and when the guards gained the parapet, the garrison -rallied on the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">terre plein</i> of the work, and assembled in -force, then advanced, and drove the assailants back completely -from the line. The mine under the church did -little injury to it; but it so alarmed the enemy, that they -exploded their own mines, which destroyed the greater -part: the troops lodged themselves in the ruins, and a -communication was carried to this point during the -night. A convoy of heavy artillery and ammunition was -now on its way from Santander, and the castle might -then have been reduced in a few days, without further -loss; but it was now too late, and after that failure all -circumstances induced Lord Wellington to think only of -retreat.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Movements of the French in the north.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the day of that failure, the enemy were joined at -Breviesca by the army of observation from Alava, -and the remainder of the army of the north. -This force considerably outnumbered that which -Lord Wellington could bring against them, and -in cavalry they were greatly superior. They made a -show of coming on in front; and in consequence, the -covering army moved up near Quintana-palla, and was -joined by most of the besieging corps. On the 20th -they advanced in force, drove in the pickets, and obtained -possession of Quintana-palla; but Sir Edward -Paget drove them back, and recovered the place, and -they then desisted from their offensive movements. Intelligence -which Lord Wellington had reason to expect<span class="pagenum" id="Page_96">96</span> -arrived on the following day, that the united forces of -the enemy in the south were in motion. Ballasteros, -who had hitherto, if with little success and no great - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ballasteros refuses to act under the British commander.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -skill, displayed the most indefatigable activity, had in a -mood of sullen resentment at the appointment -of Lord Wellington to the chief command, -ceased to molest the enemy. He had hung -upon the flanks of Soult’s army, and harassed -it as far as Granada, with more effect than in -any of his former enterprises, because the enemy were -dispirited and on their retreat; but upon receiving instructions -to obey Lord Wellington’s orders, he took no -farther measures for annoying the French, refused to act -in concert with Sir Rowland Hill, according to the plan -which the British Commander had laid down, and remained -obstinately inactive at the most critical time. At -length he published a letter to the minister at war, saying, -that from the time when the French treacherously -seized the four fortresses, he had spared no efforts for -raising the nation, and that no person had contributed -more to the event of the second of May than himself, -without which events, Spain would not have been in its -present state. From that time he had never laid aside -his arms, and had resisted all solicitations which the -foreigners had made him to the prejudice of his country, ... -inexorable in being a Spaniard and nothing but a Spaniard, -and that his countrymen should be so, like him: -this having been his principle, without any regard to his -own fortune, he had always found the nation ready to -support it in every sense. “And now he was surprised,” -he said, “to see that the English General, Lord Wellington, -was by a resolution of the Cortes appointed -Commander-in-Chief of the Spanish armies; those armies, -thousands upon thousands of whose companions in arms -were in the grave, having fallen in defending the reputation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_97">97</span> -of their country, were observing what would be his -conduct on this occasion; and he should not consider -himself worthy of being an Aragonese, if he did not -represent to the government, that he could not condescend -to a determination which disparaged the Spanish -name.” He spoke of the English as a nation to whom -the Spaniards were bound by true friendship and fair -dealing, but of whose fair promises and bad faith no one -could give more information than the then president of -the Regency, the Duque del Infantado. “Was Spain,” -he asked, “like the petty kingdom of Portugal, that the -command of its armies should be intrusted to a foreigner? -Had its revolution begun like that of Portugal? Had it -not still resources of its own? Had it not generals, -officers, and soldiers, who still supported the honour -which they had inherited from their forefathers; and -who in the present war had made both English and -French know that they were nothing inferior to them in -discipline or in courage, and that they had chiefs of their -own who knew how to lead them to victory? Finally, -he required that the opinion of the soldiers and of the -people should be taken upon this matter; if they condescended -to the appointment, he should renounce his -employments, and retire to his own house, thus manifesting, -that he had only the honour and the welfare of -his country in view, not any ambitious or interested end.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>He is exiled to Ceuta.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Ballasteros was a rude, intrepid, enterprising, and persevering -soldier of fortune, handsome in person, -strong in body, and of a hale constitution; very -useful as a partizan at the head of 4000 or 5000 -men, but incapable of conducting any extensive operations -with a regular army. Before the appointment of -Lord Wellington took place he was in no good humour -with the Government, and the Government on its part as -little pleased with him. With some better parts of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_98">98</span> -national character, he partook in no slight degree of its -boastfulness, and entertaining a most exaggerated notion -of his own merits, made no scruple of saying that Ballasteros -had done more for Spain than all her other -chiefs put together, and that in spite of the Government, -Ballasteros, unassisted and discouraged, would continue -to do more than the favourites of the Regency, whose -pockets were filled with doubloons by the English. But -though he had a large party among the lower orders in -Cadiz, and some of his regiments were much attached to -him, he overrated his own importance as greatly as his -own deserts; he was unpopular in the provinces and -disliked by his officers: and when the Government put -him under arrest for thus defying its authority, marched -him under an escort to Malaga, and sent him from thence -to Ceuta as an exile, not a hand, and scarcely a voice -was raised in his defence. Some seditious writings indeed -were published in his favour at Cadiz, but they produced -no effect. The loss of an active partizan was -regretted, and the error of an honest, though obstinate -and wrong-headed man; but the army and the nation -concurred in condemning him, and in approving the -promptitude and decision with which the Government -had acted.</p> - -<p>Meantime, in consequence of this inactivity, in dereliction -of all duty, on Ballasteros’s part, and of the inefficiency -of the Anglo-Sicilian army, Marshal Soult and -Suchet were enabled, without any impediment, to concert -their operations with the Intruder, and carry them - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Gen. Maitland gives up the command of the Anglo-Sicilian army.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -into effect. General Maitland’s health gave way -under the anxieties of his situation, so that it -became necessary for him to return to Sicily. -Major-General William Clinton was sent from -thence to take the command in his stead, and -till his arrival, it devolved upon Major-General John<span class="pagenum" id="Page_99">99</span> -Mackenzie. That general made an attempt to seize the -castle of Denia by a <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">coup-de-main</i>: from its strength -and its position on commanding ground close to the sea -it might have easily been maintained against the enemy, -and would have afforded great opportunity for annoying - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Unsuccessful attempt upon Denia.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -him. Major-General Donkin, Quarter-Master-General -of this army, was intrusted with the -enterprise; it failed, but the men and guns -which had been landed were re-embarked with - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French prepare to march from the south against Lord Wellington.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -little loss. Knowing that nothing was to be apprehended -from this army in its present state, -Marshals Jourdan, Soult, and Suchet, held a -counsel in presence of the Intruder, at Fuente -la Higuera. They had feared at one time that it might -have been necessary to abandon Valencia: that apprehension -was removed, and they now believed that, as -the long and brave resistance which had been made by -the garrison at Burgos had given the army of Portugal -time to recover strength and to unite with the troops in -the north, nothing more was required for restoring their -affairs, than that the armies of the south and the centre -should co-operate with it, for the double purpose of -beating Lord Wellington, and re-establishing the Intrusive -government at Madrid. It was not deemed necessary -to take any part of Suchet’s forces for this service; -the state of Aragon and Catalonia on the one hand, and -the presence of the Anglo-Sicilian expedition on the -other, made it dangerous to weaken him.</p> - -<p>At the point where the roads from Alicante and Valencia - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Castle of Chinchilla taken by the French.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -to Madrid join, stands the little castle -of Chinchilla; it was in possession of the Spaniards, -and while the Intruder was reconnoitring -it one day with a telescope, a shot from -an eight-pounder passed close by him. This place the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_100">100</span> -French besieged; it was ably defended by the Governor -D. Juan Antonio Cearra, who was a lieutenant-colonel -of engineers: but the enemy were not scrupulous as to -any means which could accelerate their success; and -during a night’s truce they erected a battery of eight -guns, in the most advantageous situation; by this battery -the works were much injured, and the garrison -considerably reduced in number; and of twenty artillerymen, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Oct. 9.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -there only remained eight to work the guns, -when some of these men were struck dead by -lightning, many more, and among them the -governor, wounded by it, and the works so shaken, that -it became necessary to surrender. The enemy’s preparations - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>They begin their march.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -were complete soon after this obstacle was -removed; and on the 16th of October, the Intruder -set out from Valencia towards the Tagus, -with Marshals Jourdan and Soult at the head of -70,000 troops, 10,000 being cavalry. Lord Wellington -received intelligence of this from Sir Rowland Hill on -the 21st, and the same advices informed him that the -Tagus was already fordable by individuals in many -places, and was likely soon to be so for an army. As -long as the Tagus remained unfordable, Sir Rowland’s -position was tolerably secure; but when the river fell, it -became too hazardous for him to maintain an advanced -position near Madrid in front of an enemy so greatly -superior. It was necessary that Lord Wellington should -move towards him, lest the corps under his own command -should be insulated in consequence of the movements -which Sir Rowland might find himself compelled -to make. He determined therefore to fall back upon the -Douro, so as to afford Sir Rowland a point upon which -to return, and by uniting their forces, to secure a retreat -into Portugal.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_101">101</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington raises the siege of Burgos.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>This resolution was executed as promptly as it was -formed. He instantly raised the siege, and filed -his whole army in the night of the 21st under -the walls of the castle and over the bridge, which -was closely enfiladed by its artillery; a bold -and unprecedented manœuvre, which military men -adduce as a proof that the march of troops cannot be -stopped by the fire of artillery in the night. The allies -moved in silence and good order; but a party of Guerrillas, -regardless of discipline, then, as at all times, put -their horses to their speed, and the clatter which they -made alarmed the garrison. A fire was consequently -opened from the guns which were directed on the bridge, -and the first discharge was most destructive; but the -gunners then lost the range and direction, and their -farther fire served only to quicken the speed of the carriages. -Every thing was brought away in this retreat -except the three disabled guns, and the eight pieces of -the enemy which had been taken in the horn-work. The -loss of the allies during the siege amounted to 24 officers -and 485 men killed; 68 officers and 1487 men wounded - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Retreat from Burgos.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and missing. The enemy did not begin to follow -till late on the ensuing day; 10,000 of their -troops encamped that day on the south of Burgos, -and on the morrow at noon they came up in force with -the retreating army. Sir Stapleton Cotton detained them -for above three hours at the passage of the Hormaza, in -front of Celada del Camino; they were twice charged -there by Major-General Anson’s brigade with great success, -and the rear-guard continued to fall back in the best -order, till the Guerrillas on their left were driven in and -came flying upon them, four or five of the enemy’s squadrons -being mixed with them in pursuit. In the confusion -which ensued, the French were mistaken for Spaniards, -and, favoured by that mistake, they fell upon the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_102">102</span> -flank and rear of the allies. Some loss was sustained, -and Lieutenant-Colonel Pell, of the 16th dragoons, was -taken prisoner, having had his horse shot. A very superior -body of cavalry, in which the enemy were strong, -now came up, and the allied cavalry fell back hastily, -lest they should be surrounded; but having crossed a -wide and deep ditch by a narrow bridge, the brigades of -Major-Generals Bock and Anson charged their pursuers -when only part had filed over: in this they were -repulsed, hardly pressed, and forced upon the infantry -rear-guard of German light troops under Colonel Halkett; -that officer formed his troops in four squares, and the -men behaving, as that legion ever did, admirably, repulsed -the enemy in several charges, and checked the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies cross the Pisuerga.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -pursuit. The right of the army crossed the -Pisuerga that afternoon at Torquemada, and -the left at Cordovilla, where head-quarters were -established that night.</p> - -<p>The army continued its march on the 24th towards - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Disorders during the retreat.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the Carrion. Throughout the north of Castille, -which is a great wine country, the wine is stowed -either in caves dug in the hill sides, or excavated -in the earth, the soil from the excavation being -formed into a mound over them, and the entrance appearing -like the chimney of a subterraneous dwelling. These -cellars were now filled with new wine; the soldiers -broke into them during the night, and it was not without -the greatest exertions that the officers in the morning -could put their battalions in march. The enemy, however, -after their yesterday’s repulse were less pressing; and -the whole army having that day marched twenty miles, -took up its ground behind the Carrion with its right at -Dueñas and its left at Villa Muriel; and here the brigade -of guards which had disembarked at Coruña joined -them. The retreating army did not exceed 20,000 men;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_103">103</span> -the French displayed above thirty; they were confident -also in the superiority of their cavalry, in that country -the most efficient force; and as it is their national character -to be easily elated, they might well be elated now -at having baffled Lord Wellington before so poor a fortress -as the castle at Burgos, and compelled him who had -driven Massena out of Portugal, and routed Marmont at -Salamanca, to retreat before them. English soldiers are -neither lightly elated, nor soon cast down; they keep -their courage on a retreat, for that never gives way; but -they become disdainful of control when they have no -opportunity of wreaking their wrathful feelings upon the -enemy who is in pursuit, and insubordination is then the -sin which most easily besets them. This was already -felt, though as yet they had suffered little, and though -the retreat was so deliberately made, and with so firm a -face toward the enemy, that the men lost none of their -confidence in their Commander.</p> - -<p>The army halted on the 25th, and measures were taken -for impeding the pursuit. A battalion of the royals was -posted at Palencia, to cover the operations for destroying -the bridges over the Carrion at that old city; but the -French assembled there in such force that the commanding -officer being attacked and overpowered, found it -necessary to retire upon Villa Muriel, and the bridges -were left uninjured for the pursuers to pass. Two other -bridges over the same river at Villa Muriel and at Dueñas -were mined, that they might be exploded on the enemy’s -approach, and one in like manner over the Pisuerga at -Tariago. The two former were successfully exploded, -that at Villa Muriel under a fire of grape-shot from the -enemy; but they discovered a ford there, and passed -over a considerable body both of horse and foot. A false -report that the enemy had already crossed at Tariago, -delayed the commencement of the work there; the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_104">104</span> -French came up before it was completed; it was exploded -prematurely, and consequently to no effect; their -cavalry galloped over and made the party prisoners. This -enabled them to push a corps on the right into contact -with the posts on the Carrion; their passing at Palencia -made it necessary for Lord Wellington to change the -front of his army, and this second success rendered his -farther retreat difficult, and even precarious. Major-Generals -Pringle and Barnes were therefore ordered to -attack those who had crossed the Pisuerga; the Spanish -troops co-operated in this, and the enemy were driven -across the river with considerable loss. Neither could -they maintain themselves upon the Carrion after having -forded at Villa Muriel; the Spaniards who were employed -to dislodge them, faltered in the charge, and -Alava, while leading them on and in the act of encouraging -them, fell badly wounded: the fall of this gallant -leader did not inspire them with more courage, but the -Brunswickers were then ordered to advance; those -brave men ran into the village without firing a shot; -the Spaniards took heart and followed them, and the -French withdrew; and the fifth division under General -Oswald advancing against their main body, compelled it -to recross.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Oct. 26.</span> The allies halt.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The next day the allies retreated sixteen miles without -molestation, and crossed the Pisuerga at -Cabezon del Campo; the bridge there was barricadoed -and mined, and the army halted in its -rear. The ruined bridges at Dueñas and Villa Muriel -had impeded Souham’s movements, so that he did not -approach till evening; he then halted his whole army - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Oct. 27.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -on the right bank of the Pisuerga. The morning -of the 27th was foggy, but when the mist -cleared, their whole force was seen encamped at about -three miles’ distance. They brought up two brigades of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_105">105</span> -artillery and cannonaded the town, with little other harm -than that of severely wounding Lieutenant-Colonel Robe -of the artillery. Being opposed to a superior fire, they -made no farther attempt in front, but made considerable -detachments to their right, through Cigales, with a view -of getting possession of the bridge at Valladolid, and -thus interposing in the rear of the retreating army. Lord -Wellington had an opportunity of seeing their whole -force from a high ground, and saw that they were in -very great strength. On the 28th they extended their -right still farther, and endeavoured in the morning to -force the bridge over the Douro at Simancas, which was -defended by Colonel Halkett, with his brigade of the 7th -division, while the Earl of Dalhousie, with the remainder -of the division, defended the bridge at Valladolid. Halkett -being hard pressed blew up the bridge, and disappointed -them of their passage there; at the same time he -sent the Brunswick Oels regiment to Tordesillas, whither -the enemy detached troops in the evening, and -where also the bridge over the Douro was destroyed in -time. Lord Wellington sent orders to the Brunswickers -to take post on its ruins, in such manner as to prevent -them from repairing it; and breaking up from the -Pisuerga, he crossed the Douro on the 29th, by the -bridges of Puente Douro, and Tudela, both which, and -that at Quintanilla also, were blown up, and subsequently -those at Toro and Zamora. The pursuers that -evening displayed more enterprise than they had hitherto -shown; they passed a body of men in the night of the -29th, by swimming the Douro near Tordesillas, and these -gallant fellows falling upon the guard who had been left -in a tower on the south end of the bridge, and looked for -no attack on that side, surprised and overpowered them, -and immediately fell to work to restore the communication. -Lord Wellington was apprised of this in time, or<span class="pagenum" id="Page_106">106</span> -it would have frustrated all his former precautions; he -marched his army early on the morrow, and posted them -on the heights, between Rueda and Tordesillas, immediately -opposite and near the bridge: the bridge by this -time had been nearly repaired, but the French had made -no attempt to pass; and in that position, which he -strengthened with batteries, Lord Wellington remained -from the 30th till the 6th of November, the enemy meantime -extending along the river from Toro to Valladolid. -He thus obtained the double object of resting the troops, -and gaining time for Sir Rowland Hill’s movements; -for, ... though his first view had been in falling back -upon the Douro to afford Sir Rowland a point upon which -to retire when he should no longer be able to maintain an -advanced position in front of Madrid, against the very -superior force which would be brought against him, ... -having seen the strength of Souham’s army, it had become -necessary to order Sir Rowland to break up from the -Xarama, for the purpose of securing his own retreat.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir Rowland Hill retreats from the Xarama.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Sir Rowland was an officer upon whom Lord Wellington -might always rely with the most perfect confidence. -He expected such orders, and receiving -them on the 29th, intended to begin his march -on the following morning; but the mine which -should have destroyed the Puente Larga, on the Xarama, -failed; and the enemy, who had collected a large body -between that bridge and Aranjuez, immediately made an -attack upon the allied post there. They were repulsed by -Colonel Skerrett with considerable loss on their part, and -that of some forty men on ours: this affair delayed the -march of Sir Rowland’s right till the evening, the enemy -however made no subsequent attempt to molest him, farther -than by picking up such stragglers as fell behind for -the sake of plundering and drinking; and these were -numerous. The army marched all night and reached<span class="pagenum" id="Page_107">107</span> -Madrid on the following morning. That capital presented - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>State of Madrid.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -a melancholy scene: it was known that -these allies could make no attempt to defend it, -and that their retreat would be followed by the entrance -of the enemy; and two days before, when the Military -and Provisional Government were about to transfer their -authority to the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i>, that body dissolved itself, -regardless of its duty. Upon this, the Regidor D. Pedro -Baranda, who had been on the point of resigning his -office, came bravely and honourably forward to take himself -the charge from which they had shrunk, and summoning -persons to his aid who had been in authority -when the French withdrew, began to take measures for -averting the evils which there was so much cause to -apprehend. The letters in the post-office were sent off -to Avila, lest they should be seized by the enemy, and -many persons brought into danger by their contents. -And to prevent the excesses which must be expected, if -on the entrance of the enemy the prisons should be -thrown open, the alcaydes were called upon to deliver in - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">November.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -a list of those persons who were imprisoned for -disloyalty to the national cause, and they were -set at liberty while there yet existed an authority which -could restrain them from acts of immediate vengeance.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies withdraw from Madrid.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>There were large depôts of provisions in the Retiro -and in the convent of Monserrate, which the -allied army had no means of carrying with them -in their retreat, and orders were therefore given -that they should be burnt. The municipality -requested that they might rather be disposed of either by -sale, or as a loan, for the inhabitants and the hospitals; it -was not at the commissary’s discretion to accede to this -proposal; but instead of destroying the stores, the people -in the immediate vicinity were invited to help themselves -there. It seemed, indeed, in this retreat, that in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_108">108</span> -economy of an army the English had yet every thing to -learn: the troops were at this time scantily provided -with food, their line of supply had been along the valley -of the Tagus, the arrangements for changing its direction -failed, and before the men effected their junction with -Lord Wellington’s army, the sweet acorns which they -found in the wood formed no slight part of their subsistence. -The works at the Retiro were destroyed before -the troops withdrew from Madrid, and the artillery there -was rendered useless: their departure resembled that of -the French in this respect, that they were accompanied -by a considerable number of Spaniards, for whom it -would have been dangerous to place themselves at the -mercy of the Intrusive Government; but such persons -were objects of commiseration and respect to their -countrymen, not of contempt and execration.</p> - -<p>While the allies retired leisurely towards the pass of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French enter.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the Guadarrama, a French officer presented himself -on the afternoon of November 1, at the bridge -of Toledo, announcing on the part of General Drouet, -that King Joseph would enter on the morrow with his -army, and requiring that a deputation should go out to -meet and welcome him. On the morrow, accordingly, -the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> went forth accompanied by some of -the parish priests, of the titular nobility, and of those -who held office under the Intruder. Baranda briefly -represented the peaceable conduct of the inhabitants, -and expressed to Joseph’s minister of the Interior, that -his only wish was to retire to his own house, where he -might consult his own health, and look after his own -affairs. This permission was easily obtained, as the -French presently re-established the former functionaries; -but on the 6th, the municipality were informed that circumstances -rendered it necessary for the troops to leave -the capital for some days; and that, in the meantime,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_109">109</span> -they must take upon themselves the charge of preserving -tranquillity. Baranda was then summoned from -his short retirement, and required again to act as President -of the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i>. At two on the afternoon of -the 7th, the troops departed to reinforce Marshal Soult, -who had followed Sir Rowland’s movements; and in less -than two hours after their departure, Lieutenant-Colonel -Mondedeu, the commandant of a Guerrilla party, entered; -on the morrow, the Medico arrived with part of his -band, the Empecinado’s division on the following day, -and on the 11th, the Camp Marshal Bassecourt with -some of his troops. Fewer disorders were committed -than might have been expected under such circumstances, -and those chiefly by peasants and deserters, who thought -to take advantage of the sort of interregnum in which the -capital was left; but the officers caused these offenders -to be arrested, and exerted themselves to prevent -excesses. But the inhabitants were told that, as the -human means of effecting with God’s blessing their own -deliverance, they must contribute towards the support -of the soldiers as much as their necessities could spare; -and it may be supposed that this contribution was -exacted with less compunction on the one part, and -submitted to with less unwillingness on the other, because -both well knew that when the French returned, the -locust would devour what the palmer-worm had left.</p> - -<p>On the 6th Sir Rowland reached Arevalo, which is - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Junction of the retreating armies.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -about 80 miles from Madrid; the troops had -suffered much from the weather, more from the -gross ill management on the part of the commissariat -and the staff, and not a little from their own -irregularities, moral discipline having long been disregarded -in modern armies. He was now in communication -with Lord Wellington, and was instructed to -continue his march by Fonteveros upon Alba de Tormes.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_110">110</span> -By this time Lord Wellington’s army had been recruited -by rest, and the enemy had rendered the bridges passable -at Toro and at Tordesillas: he broke up therefore -from his position in front of the latter city before daylight, -leaving the fires burning: that day he fell back -to Torrecilla de la Orden, continued his march the following -day, and on the 8th took up the position which -he had twice before occupied in front of Salamanca. Sir -Rowland crossed the Tormes the same day at Alba, occupied -that town and castle with Major-General Howard’s -brigade, and stationed a Portugueze division on the left -of the Tormes, under Major-General Hamilton, to support -them. They were not followed during their retreat -from the Douro; the enemy halted to collect provisions - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Junction of the French armies.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and bring up their detachments, and the armies -of Portugal and the north then formed their -junction with those of the south, and of the -centre under Soult and the Intruder: their united force -amounted to not less than 80,000 foot and 12,000 horse, -being the whole of their disposable force in Spain, and -it was believed that they had with them not fewer than -200 pieces of cannon. The allies had 48,000 foot and -5000 horse. On the 9th the enemy drove in the -piquets in front of Alba, and Major-General Long was -obliged to withdraw his brigade through that town on -the following morning. The enemy then, who were -directing their main efforts against the right of the allies, -approached their position on the Tormes, and prepared -to force a passage. They attacked the troops in Alba -with twenty pieces of cannon, and bringing up 15 squadrons -and a considerable force of infantry threatened an -assault, their light troops advancing close to the walls -which had been hastily thrown up. They continued -their fire from two o’clock till darkness had closed; but -they made no impression on the brave troops who were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_111">111</span> -opposed to them, and therefore they did not repeat the -attempt. The intermediate time till the 14th they employed -in reconnoitring the fords, and the position which -Lord Wellington occupied in front of Salamanca; and -on the 14th they commenced the passage at three fords, -about two leagues above Alba, near Lucinas.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington retreats from Salamanca.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington immediately broke up from St. Christoval, -ordered the troops to move towards Arapiles, -and as soon as he had ascertained the -direction of the enemy’s march from the fords, -moved with a division of infantry and all the -cavalry he could collect to attack them; but they had -already crossed in too great force. The wind at this -time blew strong, and a thick rain rendered all objects -indistinct at little distance; Lord Wellington, nevertheless, -under cover of a cannonade, reconnoitred their position, -and saw that they were too strongly posted at -Mozarbes to be attacked. In the evening therefore he -withdrew the troops from the neighbourhood of Alba, -having destroyed the bridges, and leaving only a Spanish -garrison of 300 men in the castle, into which the -remains of an old palace had been converted. During -the night, and in the course of the ensuing morning, he -moved the greater part of the troops through Salamanca, -and placed Sir Edward Paget, with the first division of -infantry on the right, at Aldea Tejada, to secure the passage -there over the little river Zunguen, in case the -movements of the French on his right flank should compel -him to make choice either of giving up his communications -with Ciudad Rodrigo or with Salamanca. The -inhabitants of that city were some preparing for the -worst, and others helplessly expecting it, yet with a -lingering hope that another battle upon that ground -which had proved so destructive to Marmont’s army -might once more deliver them. Lord Wellington himself<span class="pagenum" id="Page_112">112</span> -had this possibility in mind, and did not order the -commissariat and hospital stores to be removed from Salamanca -till the movements of the French rendered it certain -that, notwithstanding their great superiority in -numbers, they would not venture to bring on a general -action. They fortified their position at Mozarbes, and -sent out bodies of horse and foot towards their left, to -act upon the communications of the allies with Ciudad -Rodrigo. This was a sure game; they were too strong -and too strongly posted for Lord Wellington to think of -attacking them; nothing therefore remained for him but -to retreat upon his resources; and this was the more necessary -because the men were nearly exhausted with the -fatigues of so long and arduous a campaign; there was -little regard to discipline among them, except when in -the immediate presence of an enemy, and the horses -were dying of exhaustion and for want of forage.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Retreat to the Agueda.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the 15th the army was put in motion to retire, in -three columns, observing, as well as the country -would allow, parallel distances. Sir Rowland -commanded the first, Sir Edward Paget the centre, the -third consisted of the Spanish army. They crossed the -Zunguen, passed the left flank of the enemy’s position, -and encamped that night in the olive-grounds, on the -Vamusa, one of the smaller rivers which find their way -into the Tormes. The weather was most unfavourable, -and the way sometimes over stony and ploughed grounds, -sometimes over swampy or inundated low lands. The - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sufferings of the army.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -troops arrived at their halting places greatly fatigued. -They were without shelter of any sort; -it was impossible to kindle fires because of the -heavy and incessant rain; and they were still farther -dispirited by finding that the supplies had been forwarded -to Ciudad Rodrigo. Bread for three days in -advance had been issued to them as usual, but English<span class="pagenum" id="Page_113">113</span> -soldiers are seldom provident, and when such demands -were made upon their strength, the natural means of -supporting and recruiting it could never be more needful. -There was no provender for the horses, the bark of trees -and sprigs of wild briar were the only and miserable substitutes -that could be found. The French never displayed -less vigour than at this time; the overweening contempt -which they had once affected for the British troops had -been so thoroughly corrected, that they made no attempt -to overwhelm an enemy greatly inferior in number, and -retreating under circumstances of great difficulty and -distress. They only sent a body of cavalry with light -artillery in pursuit; and these contented themselves with -picking up stragglers and such baggage as fell behind. -The army bivouacked on the 16th in a wood about two -leagues from Tamames; the ground in many places was -covered with water, but the rain ceased, and some biscuit -was issued. The day’s march had been most painful, -over such heavy ground that at every step the horses -sunk to the fetlock, and the men to their ancles; but -while the men were filling their havresacks with sweet -acorns, which they rejoiced to meet with, in the want of -other food, the horses now and then picked up a little -grass.</p> - -<p>The 17th was another wet and misty day; the army -left its bivouack at six; an extensive wood lay before -them: the enemy now followed close upon their rear, -and the light companies were ordered to extend themselves -through the wood for the purpose of protecting the -flanks and the baggage. This service was not easily to -be performed against so great a force of cavalry as was -now harassing the movements of a disorderly army. -Wherever the way was through the woods, the officers -as well as men carried on a successful warfare against the -herds of swine which at that season are turned there to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_114">114</span> -feed upon the acorns; the Spaniards, it is said, began; -the wretched state of their commissariat was their excuse, -and the allies had the same excuse for following -the example; and so eagerly was it followed, that the -continued firing of musquetry on all sides, often occasioned -an apprehension that the piquets were warmly -engaged, and even that the army was surrounded. This -occurred so often that it produced incaution at last, and -the enemy’s fire was mistaken for pig-shooting. Owing -to the badness of the roads, and the swollen state of the -rivulets, there was an interval of about a mile between - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir Edward Paget made prisoner.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -two of the infantry divisions. Sir Edward Paget, -who commanded the centre column, rode to the -rear, alone, for the purpose of discovering the -cause of this interval: a body of the enemy’s cavalry -meantime had entered between these divisions; they had -pursued a troop of Portugueze horse from the left flank: -the firing had been ascribed to the pig-shooters, and Sir -Edward falling in with the French was made prisoner, -being without support: they might have done much -hurt had they been more enterprising or more aware of -their advantage. At this time the troops were descending -upon the little village of S. Muñoz, in a valley -between two hills; the Huebra which runs into the -Douro has its course along this valley, a deep and rapid -stream; both hills are covered with oaks, and the declivity -on both sides is difficult and steep. The troops -when they had forded were formed in open columns on -the heights, and halted. A fog came on early in the -afternoon, under cover of which the enemy got possession -of a hill upon the right of the British line; they -brought up some mountain guns, and commenced a fire -upon the rear-guard, consisting of the light division, -under Major-General Alten, while it was fording the -river. Some loss was sustained by them. The guns of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_115">115</span> -Major Macdonald’s troops of horse-artillery returned -their fire successfully, but during the cannonade he was -severely wounded. The enemy’s cavalry followed as -soon as the division had crossed, and began to hem them -in; and though the troops formed in squares, they succeeded -in charging them in the low ground.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington reaches Ciudad Rodrigo.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>There was now some appearance that an action might -be brought on; the men were sufficiently eager -for this, they longed to revenge themselves upon -the French for the privations and sufferings of -their retreat; they made no doubt of beating -them, and they anticipated with hungry eagerness the -pleasure of taking their supplies. As Lord Wellington -came to pass the column in review, the word, “here he -comes,” passed along, and carried with it sure confidence -to every heart, ... that confidence which before the works -at Burgos could not be felt, being given in the field as -fully as it was deserved. But the French also knew that -the British commander and his troops might justly rely -upon each other, and they would not hazard a battle. -The cannonade was continued on both sides till evening -closed. The men bivouacked as usual on the wet ground, -their cloaks and blankets soaked with rain; but the rain -had ceased, it was a moonlight night, and they had the -satisfaction of knowing that another day’s march would -bring them to Ciudad Rodrigo, beyond which the enemy -could not follow them, and where their privations would -be at an end. Between three and four in the morning -they moved from their bivouack; the enemy followed -them that day only with their cavalry. Lord Wellington’s -head-quarters were in Ciudad Rodrigo that night, -and on the 19th and 20th the army entered the Portugueze -frontier, crossing the Agueda. The loss during -this retreat of about 240 miles amounted to 196 killed, -663 wounded, 421 missing, and 280 horses; many of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_116">116</span> -men who had been returned as missing afterwards came -in; but others, among whom were some valuable officers, -died in consequence of the fatigues and hardships which -they had endured.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French retire to the Tormes.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The enemy retired as soon as the allies had reached -Ciudad Rodrigo, and they withdrew from the -Tormes also as soon as the castle of Alba was -surrendered. The Spanish Governor Don José -de Miranda held out there with great gallantry, and -made more than a hundred prisoners in some well-directed - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Castle of Alba de Tormes evacuated.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -sallies. Some characteristic correspondence -passed between him and the French; -they required him to surrender and rely upon -their generosity, otherwise he must expect to be treated -with the utmost rigour; he in reply spoke of his duties -as a soldier, and boasted of his brilliant garrison. The -French allowed him an hour for returning a second -answer, and bade him tremble if it were a refusal; -in his reply he bade them do their duty as he should -perform his, and told them that if the fortune of war -should be in their favour, his numerous prisoners, who -had been treated in the best manner, would be the victims. -In this strain, but in letters which increased in length, -and became more and more courteous, the correspondence -was continued from the 14th of November till the -24th, on the night of which Miranda left the fortress in -the hands of Lieutenant D. Nicolas Soler, with 20 men, -the prisoners and the sick; and informing the French -commander, in his last communication, that this officer -was instructed to deliver up the place, he with the -remainder of the garrison effected their escape, making -their way through many dangers, but with little loss, to -the Puerto del Pico.</p> - -<p>As soon as it was ascertained that the enemy had -withdrawn from the Tormes, Lord Wellington distributed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_117">117</span> -the troops in winter cantonments, the left being -retired to Lamego, and the right thrown forward as - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington’s circular letter to the commanding officers.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -far as Baños and Bejar, to hold the passes. He -then addressed a circular letter to the commanding -officers of battalions, for the purpose of drawing -their attention in a very particular manner -to the state of discipline of the troops. “The discipline -of every army,” he said, “after a long and active campaign, -becomes in some degree relaxed, and requires the -utmost attention on the part of the generals and other -officers to bring it back to the state in which it ought to -be for service; but I am concerned to have to observe, -that the army under my command has fallen off in this -respect in the last campaign in a greater degree than any -army with which I have ever served, or of which I have -ever read. Yet this army has met with no disaster; it -has suffered no privations which but trifling attention on -the part of the officers could have prevented, and for -which there existed no reason whatever in the nature of -the service; nor has it suffered any hardships excepting -those resulting from the inclemencies of the weather at a -time when they were most severe. It must be obvious, -however, to every officer that from the time the troops -commenced their retreat from the neighbourhood of -Burgos on one hand, and from Madrid on the other, the -officers lost all command over their men. Irregularities -and outrages of all descriptions were committed with impunity, -and losses have been sustained which ought -never to have occurred. Yet, the necessity for retreat -existing, none was ever made in which the troops made -such short marches; none on which they made such long -and repeated halts; and none on which the retreating -armies were so little pressed in the rear by the enemy. -We must look therefore to some cause besides those -resulting from the operations in which we have been<span class="pagenum" id="Page_118">118</span> -engaged. I have no hesitation in attributing these evils -to the habitual inattention of the officers of the regiments -to their duty as prescribed by the standing regulations -of the service, and by the orders of this army.</p> - -<p>“I am far from questioning the zeal, still less the gallantry -and spirit of the officers; and I am quite certain -that as their minds can be convinced of the necessity of -minute and constant attention, to understand, recollect, -and carry into execution the orders which have been -issued for the performance of their duty, and that the -strict performance of their duty is necessary to enable the -army to serve the country as it ought to be served, they -will in future fix their attention to these points. Unfortunately -the inexperience of the officers has induced -many to conceive that the period during which an army -is on service is one of relaxation from all rule, instead of -being, as it is, the period during which, of all others, -every rule for the regulation and control of the conduct -of the soldier, for the inspection and care of his arms, -ammunition, accoutrements, necessaries and field equipments, -and his horse and horse appointments, for the -receipt and issue, and care of his provisions, and the -regulation of all that belongs to his food and the forage -for his horse, must be most strictly attended to by the -officer of his company or troop, if it is intended that an -army, a British army in particular, shall be brought into -the field of battle in a state of efficiency to meet the enemy -on the day of trial.</p> - -<p>“These are the points then to which I most earnestly -entreat you to turn your attention, and the attention of -the officers under your command, Portugueze as well as -English, during the period in which it may be in my -power to leave the troops in their cantonments. The -commanding officers of regiments must enforce the orders -of the army regarding the constant inspection and superintendence<span class="pagenum" id="Page_119">119</span> -of the officers over the conduct of the men of -their companies in their cantonments; and they must -endeavour to inspire the non-commissioned officers with -a sense of their situation and authority; and the non-commissioned -officers must be forced to do their duty, -by being constantly under the view and superintendence -of the officers. By these means the frequent and discreditable -recourse to the authority of the provost, and -to punishments by the sentence of courts-martial will -be prevented, and the soldiers will not dare to commit -the offences and outrages of which there are too many -complaints, when they know that their officers, and -their non-commissioned officers, have their eyes and -attention turned towards them. The commanding officers -of regiments must likewise enforce the orders of -the army regarding the constant, real inspection of the -soldiers’ arms, ammunition, accoutrements and necessaries, -in order to prevent at all times the shameful waste -of ammunition, and the sale of that article, and of the -soldiers’ necessaries. With this view both should be -inspected daily.”</p> - -<p>He proceeded to say that he had frequently observed -during the late campaign with how much more ease and -celerity the French soldiers cooked their food than the -British. This disadvantage on our part, he said, must -be ascribed to the same cause as the other evils which -he lamented, “the want of attention in the officers to -the orders of the army and to the conduct of their men, -and the consequent want of authority over their conduct. -Certain men of each company should be appointed to -cut and bring in wood, others to fetch water, and others -to get the meat, &c. to be cooked: and it would soon be -found if this practice were duly enforced, and a particular -hour for serving the dinners, and for the men dining, -named, as it ought to be, equally as for the parade, that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_120">120</span> -cooking would no longer require the inconvenient length -of time which it had lately been found to take, and that -the soldiers would not be exposed to the privation of their -food at the moment when the army may be engaged in -operations with the enemy.” He concluded by repeating -that the great object of the general and field officers -must be to get the captains and subalterns of the regiments -to understand, and to perform the duties required -from them, as the only mode by which the discipline and -efficiency of the army could be restored and maintained -during the next campaign.</p> - -<p>This letter excited no little surprise in the nation, mortifying -and disgraceful as the faults were which were -thus openly and manfully exposed. But it was not more -severe than the occasion called for. No retreat had ever -been conducted with greater military skill; and nothing -but that skill, and the reputation which the British -troops had established for themselves under its direction, -could have saved the army from the consequences of the -ignorance or neglect of duty in many of the officers, and -the insubordination of the men, which was a consequence -of such neglect or ignorance. The circumstances of that -retreat justified the whole severity of Lord Wellington’s -remarks, and would more evidently have done so, if the -sufferings of the army had been more broadly stated; for -though the marches had indeed been short, and the halts -long and frequent, no army which was not flying from an -enemy, but retreating before it, in strength, ever suffered -so much from exposure, and hunger, and exhaustion. -Nothing could be more judicious than his orders during -the whole retreat, and nothing more irregular than the -way in which they were carried into effect; and this, -though in part owing to casual and unavoidable obstructions -on the way, arose in a far greater degree from negligence -and incapacity. Sometimes divisions were moved<span class="pagenum" id="Page_121">121</span> -too soon, more frequently too late, and kept standing on -wet ground, in the rain, for two hours, perishing with -cold, waiting the order to move. Their clothes were -seldom dry for six hours together, and during the latter -part of the retreat continually wet; sometimes they were -bivouacked in a swamp, when better ground was near: -they lay down upon the wet ground, fell asleep from -mere exhaustion, were roused to receive their meat, and -had then no means of dressing it, ... the camp-kettles had -been sent on, or by some error were some miles in the -rear, or the mules which carried them had foundered on -the way; and no fire could be kindled on wet ground, -with wet materials, and under a heavy rain. The subalterns -threw the blame upon their superiors, and these -again upon theirs, all complaining of incompetence in -some of the general officers, and carelessness or supercilious -neglect in some of the staff. But the intended -effect was produced. That something was deficient in -the equipments of the army was perceived, and in part -remedied. Alas! no one observed that there was an -utter want of that discipline by virtue of which Cromwell -conquered, which rendered the Swedes invincible under -their great Gustavus, and to which the Prince of Parma -owed little less than to his own military genius, admirable -as that was.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_122">122</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLIII" class="vspace">CHAPTER XLIII.<br /> - -<span class="subhead">OPERATIONS DURING THE WINTER AND SPRING. BATTLE OF VITTORIA.</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">November, 1812.</span>Opinions of the opposition.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p class="in0"><span class="firstword">Lord Wellington’s</span> failure at Burgos, and his consequent -retreat to the Agueda, gave the Whigs a -last opportunity of repeating their predictions, -that the war in the Peninsula must prove unsuccessful, -and they availed themselves of it with -unabated confidence. The more rancorous radicals insulted -the nation for the hopes which had been entertained, -exulted in the reverses which they magnified, -and reviled the ministers and the General, ... the ministers -both for having continued the war, and for “starving” -it; Lord Wellington both for inactivity and for rashness, -for doing too little and too much, for wasting time at -Madrid, and for attempting a siege with such inadequate -means, that nothing but the most profuse expenditure of -blood could afford even a forlorn hope of its succeeding. -Even when the events of the Russian campaign made it -evident that the formidable tyranny against which we had -so long contended must soon be overthrown, the opposition, -as well as the revolutionists, turned away their eyes -from the prospect.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Marquis Wellesley calls for inquiry.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Parliament met at the latter end of November. In the -Prince Regent’s speech it was stated, that the -southern provinces of Spain had been delivered -in consequence of the battle of Salamanca; and -that, though it had been necessary to withdraw<span class="pagenum" id="Page_123">123</span> -from the siege of Burgos and to evacuate Madrid, the -effort of the enemy for rendering it so had occasioned -sacrifices on his part, which must materially contribute to -extend the resources and facilitate the exertions of the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Nov. 30.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Spaniards. On this occasion, Marquis Wellesley -called upon the Peers, to inquire whether -the system which had hitherto been pursued was founded -upon just and extended principles; whether an able and -efficient exertion of our resources had been made; whether -such means as the country possessed had been fully -employed; and whether the result had been such as the -nation had a right to expect from the possession of those -means, and the right application of them. He wished -it were possible to fix in the minds of their lordships -something like a definite and precise object, as the issue -of the contest in the Peninsula. In his mind, the only legitimate -object was, the expulsion of the French armies -from Spain; and the war had been carried on in a way -totally inadequate to the production of that result. The -plan which of all others all mankind must reprobate, -was that of employing our resources with a view rather -to what might be spared in expense, than to what might -be effected by exertion: thus exposing the sinews of our -strength to hourly danger, and bearing hard upon our -finances, yet effecting neither economy nor success, but -falling dead as it were between both. A vast expense of -blood and treasure had been lavished, without accomplishing -any one definite object. The best assistance we -could afford to Russia was by carrying on the war in -Spain upon a broad and extensive scale; it had not been -so carried on, and he charged upon that system, therefore, -a defection from the cause of Russia. He did not -mean to dispute that the last campaign had been beneficial -to Spain; but his objection was, that those benefits<span class="pagenum" id="Page_124">124</span> -were imperfectly secured, and that they could not expect -them to be permanent.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Grenville.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Grenville repeated and persisted in his old opinion, -that the deliverance of Spain was beyond -the utmost means of this country to effect; and -that it was cruel and base to embark the population of -that country in so hopeless a cause, merely for the sake -of a little temporary advantage. The ministers had not -advanced one step in the accomplishment of this object; -and this third advance into the interior of Spain had, by -its failure, proved the correctness of the data on which -his opinion was founded. Their boast of having delivered -Andalusia was an empty boast: no one doubted -that the deliverance was more than temporary, and that -the French could not re-occupy the provinces whenever -they pleased. It was the want of means, the failure of -supplies and resources, which had led to the unproductive -results of all their exertions. The blame did not lie -with the Spaniards, but with those who encouraged the -hopes which they had no right to entertain: the fault was -with the English ministers, who in their ignorance overrated -the condition of Spain, and anticipated more from -her than she could by possibility perform. He asked -also, why ministers, with a revenue of one hundred and -five millions, or more, by estimate, extorted by means the -most grinding and oppressive from a suffering people, -were yet unable to supply Lord Wellington’s military -chest? The difficulty arose from their incapacity, not -from the deficient resources of the country, much as they -had been drained. They might diminish by one half -the income of every individual in this country, with as -little effect or promise of ultimate success as had attended -those plans which led them to circulate a vile and -adulterated currency in paper coin throughout the nation.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_125">125</span> -When such had been its effects, why not at this moment -stop the contest in Spain?</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mr. Ponsonby.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>In the House of Commons, Mr. Ponsonby said, it was -useless to carry farther an unprofitable contest; -it was useless to waste the blood and the treasures -of England for an unattainable object; it had been -proved that the power of England was not competent to -drive the French out of the Peninsula.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mr. Freemantle.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Mr. Freemantle was decidedly of opinion, that by the -battle of Salamanca we had gained nothing but -glory; that the deliverance of Spain was no -nearer its accomplishment than when Lord Wellington -was posted at Torres Vedras, and that our prospects at -the present moment were not nearly so bright as at the -commencement of the last session, ... at which time his -declared opinion had been, that we could entertain no -rational prospect of making any impression upon - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mr. Whitbread.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the enemy in Spain. Mr. Whitbread’s tone -upon that subject was somewhat modified; he admitted -that the situation in which we now stood in Spain was -glorious beyond example, in so far as related to the -achievements of our armies, though with respect to the -expulsion of the French, we were not so near our object -as some people supposed. There was this difference between -an offensive and a defensive war; that an offensive -war ought always to be a war of spirit. When vigorous -efforts therefore were to be made in Spain, there ought -to be no limit to that vigour. Let an application therefore -be made to the Prince Regent, to know from him -whether the greatest possible use had been made by -ministers of the means with which they were intrusted -for carrying on the war, before coming to a decision on -the merits of ministers, or the probability of the war -being in future carried on with success. He was far<span class="pagenum" id="Page_126">126</span> -from wishing to refuse them the means necessary for -carrying it to a successful issue; but feeling for the -people who were groaning under accumulated burdens -and threatened with the Chancellor of the Exchequer’s -financial abilities, he thought the last resources of the -country ought not to be granted without security for -their being properly applied. Under all these circumstances, -he was desirous of imploring the Prince Regent -to take into consideration, whether or not it was at present -possible to bring about a pacification. Buonaparte -was on his retreat to his resources, his force not annihilated, -though certainly in great danger, and this was -what the House were to congratulate themselves on, and -for which they were to go to the Prince Regent with an -address on the prosperous state of the country! If the -situation of affairs on the continent was good for any -thing, it was this, that the Emperor of France having -failed in his object, an opportunity was now offered -when it would not be inglorious, and when it would certainly -be highly useful to propose to the enemy some -arrangement for peace. Buonaparte was at present in a -perilous situation, and every exertion ought to be made, -by taking advantage of it to procure a peace. But a -feeling seemed to pervade the minds of certain persons, -that peace should not be concluded with that man, ... a -feeling which he wished to eradicate from this country: -for, in the probable course of events, we should be -obliged to make peace with him. Let him therefore be -sent to openly and manfully! The fate of the mission -would be speedily known; and the issue would be a conviction -on the mind of every one, whether a permanent -and honourable peace could be procured or not.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Motion of thanks to the armies. <br />Sir Francis Burdett.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>When a motion for thanks to Lord Wellington and his -army for the battle of Salamanca was brought forward, - -<span class="pagenum" id="Page_127">127</span> - -Sir Francis Burdett said, he was far from wishing; invidiously -to detract from the merits of men who -had devoted their exertions to the service of their -country, or to withhold from them any recompense -that it was in the power of Parliament to -bestow: but when he heard the battle of Salamanca -represented as having been equal in importance to the -battle of Blenheim, and to other great battles which had -completely changed the aspect of the whole affairs of -Europe, he could not suffer such delusions to go forth -uncontradicted, ... delusions which were calculated to -plunge the country, under the direction of the same persons, -still more deeply in a destructive and ruinous war: -for after their boasted and over-praised victories, we -were still as far from our object as ever. What! were -we to suffer the French troops to recover from the effect -of their discomfiture and exhaustion, and to wait until -the tide of good fortune which had attended us flowed -back on its source? Were we to be satisfied with a -retreat? Yet, where now was the Marquis of Wellington? -In what direction were we to look for the glorious -results of the campaign? In what manner was the -diminution of the French power in Spain evinced? -Nothing seemed to have resulted from all our advantages -but calamity and distress; and it followed, therefore, -that either Lord Wellington was not entitled to the -praise which the House was called upon to bestow, or -that the fault of our failure was attributable to the gross -negligence and imbecility of the ministers. Lord Castlereagh, -Sir Francis pursued, in the plenitude of his satisfaction, -had not confined himself to Spain, but had -travelled out of his course, and taken the House to -Russia, where in the destruction of from 200,000 to -300,000 human beings, in the burning of Moscow, and -in the devastation of an immense tract of Russian territory,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_128">128</span> -he found new causes of congratulation, new sources -of national pride and gratitude! Would he be equally -inclined to consider it a matter of triumph, if Buonaparte -(which in his opinion was more than probable) should -extricate himself from his perils, and after having found -good winter-quarters, return to the contest with renovated -ardour in the spring? Could he believe it possible -that Russia could continue such a contest, and undergo -a repetition of similar dreadful experiments and sacrifices? -Supposing he marched to Petersburgh, which -seemed to be his ultimate intention, would the same -mode of defence as at Moscow be adopted? Would -Russia burn Petersburgh too? He for one could not -greatly admire the magnanimity of burning that, the preservation -of which ought to have been fought for; nor -could he see the shining character of the Emperor Alexander, -who was not, like the Emperor of the French, -personally sharing in the dangers of the war. He could -not subdue the conviction which arose in his mind on -viewing all these things, of the utter impossibility of the -Emperor of Russia’s feeling any exultation whatever: -on the contrary, he thought that unfortunate individual -must be oppressed by a view of the irreparable calamities -to which himself and his people had been, and were - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Dec. 7.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -likely still further to be, exposed. Farther than this, -when a grant was moved to the Marquis of Wellington, -Sir Francis said, he did not wish to -divide the House upon it, but he wished to move, that -the consideration of the grant should be deferred till -some inquiries had been made into the late extraordinary -campaign. Lord Wellington’s victories had none of the -characteristics which distinguished those of Marlborough. -It had been observed, and by military men too, -that he had brought his army into difficulties, but that -his men had fought him out of them again; and that in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_129">129</span> -the capture of the fortresses which he had won, a waste -of life was to be complained of. The cause of Spain -appeared to him infinitely more hopeless than it was at -the commencement of the campaign, ... the case of the -Peninsula more deplorable than ever.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>M. Wellesley moves for a committee of inquiry. <span class="date">March 12.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marquis Wellesley moved for a committee to inquire -into the conduct of the war in the Peninsula. -“My Lords,” said he, “what secret cause amidst -the splendid scene that has been exhibited in -the Peninsula, ... what malign influence amidst -the rejoicings and acclamations of triumph, has -counteracted the brilliant successes of our arms, and has -converted the glad feelings of a just exultation into the -bitterness of regret and disappointment? With an army -in discipline and spirit superior to any that had ever -been assembled, uniting in itself qualities so various, as -never to have entered into the composition of any other -such assemblage of force; ... with a general, pronounced -by the whole world to be unsurpassed in ancient or modern -times; the pride of his country, the refuge and -hope of Europe; ... with a cause in which justice vied -with policy, combining all that was ardent in the one -motive, with all that was sober in the other; ... with the -eyes of Europe fixed on our movements; ... with the admiration -of the world excited by our achievements: ... -how is it that our hopes have been raised only to be -frustrated? How is it that we have been allowed to indulge -in expectation of an approaching completion of -success, only to behold the utter disappointment of our -wishes? Why has a system of advance suddenly and -inevitably been converted into a system of retreat? -When victory actually sprung from the bosom of retreat, -why was the glorious victor compelled to relapse into his -retrogression? Why has it happened that we have seen -the great conqueror who chased the French armies from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_130">130</span> -the plains of Salamanca, pursued in his turn, by those -whom he had conquered, over those plains which had -been the scene of his former triumphs? Why, in conclusion, -has a system of offence shrunk into a system of -defence, and what is the reason that our military operations -in the Peninsula have ended where they began?</p> - -<p>“I should be lost to every feeling of honour, and to -every sense of duty to the country, if I did not state that -the effect of this campaign altogether has been not to approximate -you towards your object, but to remove you -from it; and that this calamity has arisen from the insufficiency -of those means which, by a small addition, might -have been rendered effective. I maintain, that the object -we had in view, (the only honest object ... the only great -object ... which we could pursue, or hope to obtain by -our operations in Spain,) was the expulsion of the French, -or, at least, a considerable diminution of their power, -with a view to the freedom of the people, and the independence -of the Spanish monarchy. This was, certainly, -the main object which we ought to have contemplated; -the ultimate object of the British nation was, certainly, -by the deliverance of the peninsula of Spain, to lay a -solid foundation for the establishment of a permanent -and honourable peace.</p> - -<p>“What I have contended is, that the efforts we have -made have not been equal to the resources of the country; -that they have not been such as the magnitude, the -infinite importance of the cause demanded, and as the -favourableness of the opportunity particularly called for; -that we have not made even a faint approximation to the -object of the war, the expulsion of the French from the -Peninsula; but that the French have been enabled, by -our reverses, to consolidate their power in Spain, and to -systematize the moral and military subjugation of the -country. We ought to have called forth all our resources,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_131">131</span> -... and we have made no extraordinary sacrifices; -we ought to have strained every nerve at this momentous -crisis, ... and we have remained little better than idle -spectators of the fate of Spain. We have been deterred -by petty objections; by calculations of expense, which -are but as dust in the balance.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Earl Grey.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Earl Grey supported the motion for a committee, saying, -that the great objects of the campaign had -not been realized, but that, on the contrary, -there had been a complete failure, ... a great and lamentable -failure; and that it was one of the most important -duties of that house, in cases of ill success, to vindicate -the interests of the country, by visiting with its severest -censure the causers of the misfortune. Aware as the -ministers were, he said, of the state of Europe, and knowing, -as they must have known, the effect that at such a -crisis would have been produced by a vigorous and decisive -effort in the Peninsula, it was their bounden duty -to have provided Lord Wellington with ample means for -carrying through his enterprising projects, and crowning -them with brilliant and unqualified success. Nothing -had happened which induced him to repent of his opinion, -that the efforts of the Spanish people could alone -enable them to withstand the overwhelming power of -France. This sentiment he had uttered under the supposition -that no other power would stand up against the -French Emperor, and that that Emperor would not depart -from the unity of council and of action, by which his -greatest successes had been achieved. And, indeed, if -with such a commander and such an army as ours, and -at a time when the army of France in the north had met -with disasters, greater than which never fell upon a host -assembled for the purposes of injustice and ambition, ... -if under these circumstances we had achieved so little -in Spain, what would have been the issue, if one-tenth<span class="pagenum" id="Page_132">132</span> -only of the forces employed against Russia had been -turned against us? The time had called for exertion, -and the exertions had failed, ... failed almost entirely as -to their great object: the French were left in possession -of the best parts of Spain; and we had not advanced in -any degree, considering the effects of the last campaign -upon the minds of the Spaniards, to the accomplishment -of our object. Such was the case, and it called loudly -for inquiry.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Earl of Liverpool.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>To these assertions the Earl of Liverpool replied, that -the campaign which had been thus represented -as a failure and a defeat, was, in fact, the most -brilliant that had been achieved by British arms in any -period of our history. They had been seeking as a great -object, that the whole force of Spain should be placed -under the command of Lord Wellington, and that object -had at length been accomplished. Every exertion that -could be made had been made, for sending out troops to -the Peninsula and for supplying them there, and the success -of the war was indisputable. Portugal had been -rescued from the enemy, and placed in a state of security, -and now one-third of Spain was relieved from their presence. -Spain and Portugal had set the example which -Russia had followed, with the great advantage of having -a government in full activity to direct all its strength. -The example thus set and thus followed would have an -effect among the other nations of Europe, would rouse -their spirit, animate their exertions, and teach them in -what manner to resist oppression, ... teach them that an -united nation, determined to resist an invader, could not - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Earl Bathurst.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -be conquered! ... Earl Bathurst argued to the -same purpose, saying, that something had been -effected, if the views of England were what Marquis -Wellesley had powerfully described them to be at the -beginning of the war in Spain, ... first, to create a diversion<span class="pagenum" id="Page_133">133</span> -in favour of our allies; secondly, to encourage resistance -in other countries, by showing its effects in -Spain; and thirdly, to prevent the commercial and military -means of that country from falling into the hands -of our enemy. Those had been the views of England, -those were the views of the present Government, and -those views had been forwarded by the last campaign. -And Lord Wellington was satisfied with the conduct of -the administration during that campaign, ... a declaration -which had not been sought for by the ministers, but -which he had voluntarily made.</p> - -<p>In these debates the Whigs manifested the same disposition -to magnify our reverses and depreciate our success, -and the same propensity for predicting discomfiture -and disgrace which had characterized their conduct -during the whole struggle. The feeling with which they -continued to regard Buonaparte, notwithstanding his - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 2.</span>Lord Holland.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -inordinate ambition and his remorseless tyranny, was -farther exhibited by Lord Holland, when, upon -presenting some petitions for peace, he expressed -his trust that ministers entertained no chimerical notions -of wresting from France what she had acquired during -the last twenty years, nor of humiliating the great prince -who now ruled that country; and his willingness to believe -that they had not neglected the opportunity which -the successes of Russia afforded for opening a negotiation! -But they better understood their duty to their -allies, and to Europe, and to their country; and being -instructed by experience as well as encouraged by sure -hope, they spared no efforts now for enabling Lord Wellington -to open the ensuing campaign with means which - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington goes to Cadiz.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -should render success certain. Lord Wellington -went to Cadiz at the close of the year, to make -arrangements with the Spanish ministers for -the co-operation of the Spanish armies. A deputation<span class="pagenum" id="Page_134">134</span> -from the Cortes was sent to compliment him on his -arrival; he paid his respects, in consequence, to that -assembly; expressed his thanks in a brief and modest -speech, for the different marks of honour and confidence -which he had received from it; and said, that not the -Spaniards alone looked to it with hope, but the whole -world was concerned in the happy issue of their vigorous -endeavours to save Spain from general destruction, and -to establish in that monarchy a system founded upon just -principles, which should promote and secure the prosperity -of all the citizens, and the greatness of the Spanish -nation. In reply, the president complimented him upon -his victories, which had been celebrated, he said, like -those of the Genius of Good over the Genius of Evil. -The Cortes did not now hope or trust for new triumphs -from the Duque de Ciudad Rodrigo, they looked upon -them as certain; and looked, not only that the Spanish -and allied armies under such a leader would drive the -French beyond the Pyrenees, but that, if it should be -needful, they would pitch their victorious tents upon the -banks of the Seine; it would not be the first time that -the Spanish lions had trampled on its banks upon the -old fleur-de-lys of France.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Arrangements for the co-operation of the Spanish armies.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>It was arranged that 50,000 Spanish troops should -be placed at his disposal. The army under -Castaños formed part of these; it consisted of -what had formerly been called the 5th, 6th, and -7th armies, now comprehended under the name -of the fourth: Castaños was to hold also the captaincies-general -of the province of Extremadura, Old Castille -and Leon, Galicia and Asturias. There was to -be an army of reserve in Andalusia under the Conde de -Abisbal, and an army of reserve in Galicia. The other -armies were that of Catalonia, which was the first; of -this Copons held the command: he was also captain-general<span class="pagenum" id="Page_135">135</span> -of that province, and of that part of Aragon -which was on the right of the Ebro; the second, which -Elio, captain-general of Valencia, Murcia, and New Castille, -commanded; and the third (formerly the fourth) -under the Duque del Parque, who was also charged with -the captaincies-general of Jaen and Granada.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington goes to Lisbon.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>From Cadiz, Lord Wellington repaired to Lisbon. -Triumphal arches were erected in all the towns -through which he passed, from Elvas to the Tagus. -The ships, the troops, and the people of Lisbon, -received him with such honours as he deserved; greater -could be paid to no man; and there was a general and -voluntary illumination during three successive nights. A -drama was composed to celebrate his victories, and represented -in his presence at the royal theatre of San Carlos, -where all the boxes were decorated with angels bearing -crowns and shields, on which the initials of Lord Wellington -were inscribed; <i xml:lang="la" lang="la">O Nome</i>, “The Name,” was the title -of the piece, and it was preluded by a hymn in honour -of the Prince of Brazil, and the exhibition of his portrait -under a canopy. The scene then represented the Elysian -fields, where, in the pitiable style of operatic invention, -Glory, and Posterity, and Camoens, and the Great -Constable, Nuno Alvares Pereira, with sundry other -Lusitanian worthies, recitatived in praise of Lord Wellington, -Lord Beresford, and the Portugueze and British -armies; and down came angels and genii presenting -illuminated scrolls, inscribed with the names of his victories.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Relaxed discipline of the Portugueze army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Portugueze army was, at this time, reproved by -Lord Beresford for its want of discipline during -the late retreat, in terms not less severe than -those of Lord Wellington’s letter. Certain officers -were suspended for scandalous neglect and total -disregard of their duties: and it was stated, that, in every<span class="pagenum" id="Page_136">136</span> -instance, complaints had been made by the commandants -of corps or brigades, of inactivity and want of zeal in the -officers of all those corps which had suffered extraordinary -loss during the retreat. That such losses were -occasioned by the negligence of the officers was proved -by the fact, that other corps in the same marches, and -under the same circumstances, difficulties, and privations, -had none of their men missing; the officers of those corps -were named with due praise. Marshal Beresford added, -he deemed it important to remind the army, that with all -the reasons which he had (and he was happy to say that -he had every reason) for praising the conduct of the -Portugueze officers, when they were in presence of an -enemy, and exposed to fire, valour, nevertheless, was not -the only thing needful; firmness and constancy were -equally so for supporting the reverses, and fatigues, and -privations, to which a military life is subject; and if the -officers did not yield under such circumstances, the soldiers -certainly would not; for no soldier, and especially -no Portugueze soldier, ever would be backward in any -thing when his officer set him an example; nor would -ever commit any fault or manifest any discontent, so long -as he saw his officer doing his duty under the same circumstances, -and setting him an example of courage, -firmness, and constancy. One of the army surgeons had -been brought before a court-martial for neglecting the -sick and wounded under his care, while they were in the -hospital at Madrid. He was sentenced to a month’s imprisonment, -and the loss of a month’s pay. Marshal -Beresford, in confirming the sentence, expressed his disapprobation -of it; a punishment so little in proportion -to the crime, he said, was not likely to impress persons -who had neither the proper feelings of men or of Christians; -for what could be more horrible, than to see men -who had been wounded in the service of their Prince and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_137">137</span> -of their country, or whose health had been broken in that -service, neglected by one who had received rank, honour, -and pay, for the express intent of making him more attentive -in his treatment of them? What could be worse -than that such a person should be found preferring his -own ease, or interest, or temporary convenience, to his -duty towards his God, and his Prince, and his fellow-creatures, -and leaving them either to perish through his -neglect, or to fall into the hands of the enemy?</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">January.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The consequences of the retreat were severely felt; in -January, more than a third of the British army -were on the sick list, fever being the principal -disease, which want of clothing had, with fatigue, contributed -to produce, and want of cleanliness to propagate. -In personal appearance and in clothing, the British -troops were at this time much worse than the Portugueze. -But supplies of every kind, as well as large -reinforcements, were received during the winter, no time -being lost, and no care neglected. The infantry had -suffered so much from want of cover, that they were -now provided with tents, three for each company, and -these were borne by the animals which used before to -carry the camp kettles, tin kettles being substituted for -iron ones, ... one to six men, and light enough for the -men to carry it by turns on their knapsacks. Tents -were not thought necessary for the cavalry, because not -being either heated or exhausted so much in their -marches, they were better able to stand the cold at night.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Buonaparte withdraws troops from Spain.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>While the British force in the Peninsula was increased, -and the Spanish rendered more available than it -had been in any former campaign, that of the -French was weakened; the enormous loss which -Buonaparte had suffered in Russia, and the obstinate -ambition with which he kept large garrisons in the north -of Germany, rendering it necessary for him to withdraw<span class="pagenum" id="Page_138">138</span> -troops from Spain. From 10 to 20,000 repassed the -Pyrenees; not fewer than 140,000 were still left, ... -good troops, well-officered, and under commanders of -high reputation and approved skill. But both officers -and men had had their confidence abated; the generals -felt that even the resources of the conscription were exhaustible; -and as little hope, when they considered the -present state of their Emperor’s fortunes, could be entertained -of subjugating the Spaniards, the object upon -which all seemed to be most intent was that of enriching -themselves by plunder, while it was still in their power - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Exactions of the French.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -to do so. M. Suchet left scarcely one picture -of any value in Valencia, either in the convents, -churches, or private houses; and that city was -thus deprived of the finest works of Juanes, ... works -which, precious as they are, were there enhanced in value -by the local and religious feeling with which his fellow-citizens -regarded the productions of their saintly painter. -There and everywhere contributions were imposed and -exacted in a manner which made it apparent that the -Intrusive government treated them now not as subjects -who were to be taxed, but as enemies from whom all that -could be extorted was to be taken. Their operations on -the side of New Castille and Leon were at this time confined -to periodical circuits for the purpose of enforcing -the payment of contributions. On the side of the Tagus -they fortified the right bank of the river, repaired the -Puente del Arzobispo, and occupied Almaraz, though -they did not restore the bridge there.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Longa acts successfully against the enemy. <span class="date">Nov. 28.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Meantime the Spaniards were not idle. Longa surprised -General Fromant in the valley of Sedano, -when returning to Burgos with the requisitions -which he had collected, and with sixty respectable -householders whom he was taking away as -hostages for the contribution: the hostages were rescued,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_139">139</span> -Fromant with about 700 of his men killed, and nearly -500 taken prisoners. A party of the enemy had entered -Bilbao, these also he surprised, and they suffered the -loss of 200 men; then making for Salinas de Anaña, -which was the strongest hold of the French in that district, -he besieged it with 2500 men and five pieces of -artillery, and after three days, the remainder of the garrison, -consisting of 250, surrendered at discretion. This -so dismayed the enemy that they abandoned Nauclares -and Armiñon, which he was proceeding to attack, and -both fortresses were demolished by his orders. His -next object was the Fuerte del Cubo de Pancorbo, a post -of importance for its situation, and for the care with -which it had been strengthened; here too the garrison -were made prisoners and the fort demolished. Caffarelli -meantime was vainly besieging Castro, where he suffered -some loss, and found it necessary to give up the attempt, -that he might check Longa in his career of success. That -active partizan was now threatening Breviesca; he eluded -Caffarelli and Palombini when they moved against him, -and retreating to Zovalina, there to refresh his troops, -ordered his retreat so well that they were uncertain what -direction he had taken; Caffarelli therefore reinforced -his garrisons, and repairing to Vittoria himself, left Palombini -at Poza with 3000 foot and 300 horse to protect -the high road, and be ready to act against Longa. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 13.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -But while a third of that force was detached to -levy contributions, Longa surprised the remainder at daybreak: -their collected plunder and some 300 prisoners -fell into his hands, and they suffered a further loss of between -two and three hundred in killed and wounded. -The approach of their detachment, and of a large body -on its way from Burgos to Vittoria, then rendered it -necessary for him to retire.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_140">140</span> -While Longa thus harassed the enemy in the north of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mina’s movements.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Spain, Mina was assailing them with his wonted -activity in Navarre and Aragon. The English -landed two 12-pounders for him in the Deva, together -with clothing, ammunition, and other things of which he -was in need; 600 of his men were ready to receive and -escort these. The French endeavoured to intercept them, -and were repulsed in the attempt; and Mina was no -sooner possessed of the guns than he attacked the enemy -in Tafalla, where they had a garrison of 400 men. General - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 11.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Abbé moved to relieve it with all the disposable force -from Pamplona; but he was beaten back by a -part of Mina’s force which had been left to observe -that city, and on the fifth day of the siege the -garrison surrendered as prisoners of war. The wounded -he sent under an escort to Pamplona; destroyed the fort -at Tafalla, and the works, ... also a Franciscan Convent, -and an old palace in which the French might have established -a garrison; and he demolished in like manner -two other such edifices at Olite, that the road might be -clear between Pamplona and Tudela. From Tafalla he -proceeded to Sos in Upper Aragon, a fort which the -enemy had occupied more than three years, and fortified -sufficiently as long as the Spaniards could bring no -guns against it. They were on the point of surrendering -after a four days’ siege, when General Paris arrived from -Zaragoza and carried off the garrison, leaving the fort -half ruined: Mina completed its demolition, and by this -enterprise laid open the road between Pamplona and -Jaca. Shortly after, Fermin de Leguia, who was under - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 20.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -his orders, ventured, without instructions, upon -an adventure which was executed as boldly as it - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 11.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -was designed. With only fifteen men, being -the whole of his party, he approached the castle of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_141">141</span> -Fuenterrabia in the night, scaled the wall with one man -by the help of spikes and ropes which supplied the place -of a ladder, surprised the sentinel, got possession of the -keys, opened the gates for his men, and took eight artillerymen -prisoners, while the remainder of the garrison, -who dreamt of no danger, were sleeping in the town. -He then spiked the guns, threw into the sea all the ammunition -which he could not carry away, set fire to the -castle, and though pursued by the enemy retreated without -loss. Mina was heard of next at Lodosa, where he -attacked a detachment of 1000 French, few of whom - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 29.</span>Caffarelli recalled from Spain.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -escaped, 635 being made prisoners. Caffarelli -had at this time been called to France, giving -up the command in the north to Clausel; that -able general hoped to signalize himself by destroying -an indefatigable enemy who had baffled the -efforts of all his predecessors; and this was the first -proof which he made of that enemy’s ability. Mina next -attempted to intercept a convoy which was going from -Tolosa to Pamplona; the convoy was alarmed in time, -but the attempt led to an affair with Abbé’s force, in -which the French retired with the loss of full 300 men.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Clausel endeavours to hunt Mina down.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Clausel had left a considerable garrison in Puente la -Reyna, well fortified for the sort of war which -they might have to sustain; and an advanced -post of 50 men at Mendigorria, in an old -church of S. Maria, which they had fortified. While he -was in pursuit of Mina from Estella, and Abbé from -Pamplona, their skilful antagonist led them to suppose -that he was in the valley of Berrueza, ... then making a -rapid counter-march with one of his regiments, appeared -in Mendigorria. The garrison at Puente outnumbered -him both in horse and foot, but they did not - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 21.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -venture to interrupt him in his operations; and -he set fire to the church. The French had no other<span class="pagenum" id="Page_142">142</span> -resource than to ascend the tower, and fire upon them -from thence. He sent a trumpet to offer terms, but they -would not allow him to approach, either in the confident -expectation of being succoured from Puente, or because -they were confounded by the situation in which they -found themselves; for the smoke and the flames distressed -them so dreadfully, that in the course of half an -hour, they prepared to let themselves down by ropes; -but Mina ordered ladders to the roof of the church, -from whence they descended, and were made prisoners. -The Guerrilla chief, now Camp-Marshal in the regular -service, took credit to himself for sparing their lives -when by the laws of war they had placed them at his -mercy: by this time indeed both the invaders and the -Spaniards in Navarre had found it their interest to revert -to the humanities of civilized warfare. His own hospital -was in the valley of Roncal, and from the combined -movements of Clausel and Abbé he inferred that it was -their intention to deprive him of that retreat, the only -one which there was for his wounded and invalids. Not -being strong enough to resist the force which was now -brought against him, he removed all who were in a condition -to bear removal, and left the others to the enemy’s -mercy, calling to mind no doubt with satisfaction his own -recent conduct at Tafalla and Mendigorria: as he had -hoped, the men were humanely treated by General Abbé, -though the hospital effects were destroyed, and Isaba, -which had been deserted by its inhabitants, was set on -fire, and 150 houses burnt. Clausel employed the -months of April and May in endeavouring to hunt this -formidable enemy down, of whom in an intercepted letter -to the Intruder, he said, that he would be Lord of Navarre -unless it were occupied by a corps of from 20 to -25,000 men; because when he was weak he always -avoided an action, and fell upon detachments when he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_143">143</span> -was sure of victory. In the course of this attempt the -loss which his own men sustained from fatigue far -exceeded any that he inflicted upon Mina’s hardy troops, -who were intimately acquainted with the country, and -accustomed to the hair-breadth scapes of such campaigns. -At no time, however, was so much apprehension -entertained for Mina’s safety, though he himself -relied with his wonted confidence upon his resources -and his fortune, now too not without certain knowledge -that his pursuers would soon be called off to a -contest which for them would be of a far more serious -kind.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Renovales made prisoner.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the side of Biscay the enemy were more successful; -they surprised and captured Renovales, -with six of his officers, at Carvajalez de Zamora; -and Castro, from which Caffarelli had been repulsed, -was taken by General Foy, after a siege of -eighteen days. The Governor Don Pedro Pablo Alvares - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Castro de Urdiales taken by Gen. Foy.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -discharged his duty to the utmost, and the Lyra, -Royalist, and Sparrow sloops of war, and the -Alphea schooner, under Captain Bloye, assisted -in the defence. Foy brought all the force which he -could collect against it, and proceeded as if he hoped to -strike the province as well as the garrison with terror, ... -for he offered no terms, and seemed determined to take -the place by storm, let it cost what it would. When he -had made a breach wide enough to admit twenty men -abreast, he turned his guns on the town and castle, and -threw shells incessantly at the bridge that connected the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">May 11.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -castle with the landing-place, hoping thus to cut -off the retreat of the garrison, which at the commencement -of the siege consisted of 1200 men. At noon -the enemy entered in great numbers through the breach -and by escalade in various parts; the garrison when -they could no longer defend the town retreated into the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_144">144</span> -castle, the ships’ boats were in readiness to receive them, -and they were embarked by companies under a tremendous -fire of musquetry, two companies remaining to -defend the castle, till the last gun was thrown into the -sea. Every soldier was brought off, and many of the inhabitants, -and landed at Bermeo on the following day. -The town was burnt. Foy indeed acted in the spirit of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Enormities committed there by the French.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -his Portugueze campaign; as he had offered no terms -he showed no mercy, but when the town was entered put -the defenders to the bayonet without distinction. -It had been well if the wickedness of the enemy -had ended there; but in one of their unsuccessful -attacks many of their men had been pushed down a -ravine by their fellows while pressing forward to the -charge, the bridge by which they expected to cross -having been destroyed by the English; and because the -inhabitants had not informed them of the destruction of -this bridge, they butchered men and women, sparing -none, and inflicting upon them cruelties which nothing -but a devilish nature could devise.</p> - -<p>Little attempt was made on the enemy’s part to annoy -the allies during the winter and spring. Foy, with 1500 -infantry and 100 horse, had endeavoured, in February, to -surprise the post at Bejar, but was promptly repulsed; -and the French in the same month advanced from Orbigo -and Castro Gondoles as far as Astorga and Manzanal -in one direction, and to the Puebla de Sanabria and -Mombuey in another, the Gallician army retreating before -them, and then resuming their former position when -the enemy in their turn had retired. Much greater activity -was shown in plundering the inhabitants; and this -kind of war, wherein there could be no resistance, was -carried on so shamelessly, that the Intruder, it was said, -deemed it necessary to call one of the generals to account.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_145">145</span> -Clausel was of opinion that an error had been committed -in not concentrating their forces more upon the -Ebro, which might have been done, he said, without -abandoning Castille, and this error, he feared, they should -find cause to repent. But the Intruder’s council had determined -upon taking the Douro for their line of defence; -and with this view they threw up works on the right -bank at every assailable point, relying, as Soult had formerly -done at Porto, upon the security which that deep - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>M. Soult called from Spain.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and rapid river might afford them. Marshal -Soult had been called away in March to take -part in the campaign in Germany. The head-quarters -of what had been his army were removed from -Toledo to Madrid early in April, and Toledo was abandoned; -but troops were kept at Illescas, and reconnoissances -made by the cavalry towards Escalona, the -Alberche, and Añobes del Tajo, apprehending some -movement of Sir Rowland’s army in this direction. The - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Intruder goes to Valladolid.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Intruder, leaving that capital to which he was -never to return, removed his court, or rather his -head-quarters, to Valladolid, where the Palace -Gardens were put in order for his recreation, and some -defensive works constructed. On the 11th of April, General -Hugo, who had been left with the command in -Madrid, informed the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> that the troops were -about to depart, and that they must take measures for -preserving tranquillity and guarding the public buildings, -civil and military. The most precious articles in -the cabinet of natural history were sent off, with whatever -else could be removed from the other public establishments, -and all arrears of contribution were exacted -with the utmost rigour. Beasts enough were not left in -Madrid for the scavengers’ use, so that the inhabitants -were ordered to collect the sweepings of the streets into -the squares, and there burn what used to be carried into<span class="pagenum" id="Page_146">146</span> -the country for manure. The people of that poor capital -had always clung to the hope of deliverance with a -strength of belief which characterizes the nation, and -in the movements of their oppressors they now saw -reasonable ground for expecting that it could not be -long delayed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Anglo-Sicilian army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The pride of the French too had been at this time -abated on the eastern coast, where Suchet had hitherto -boasted of success in all his undertakings. -Major-General William Clinton arrived at Alicante in -November to take the command from which his health -had compelled General Maitland to retire; and notwithstanding -the difficulties which were opposed by a false -point of honour, by a jealousy as ill-founded as it was -ill-timed, and perhaps by treasonable intentions, he succeeded -in obtaining consent to garrison the castle with -British troops. In December a reinforcement of 4000 -men, British and foreign, arrived from Palermo, under -Major-General James Campbell, who by seniority superseded -General Clinton in the command, which he was to -hold till the then hourly expected arrival of Lord William -Bentinck from Sicily. But Lord William was -detained by political circumstances in that island, where -the hopeless attempt had been undertaken of improving -a government before any improvement has been effected -either in those who are to govern or be governed; and, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir John Murray takes the command.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -as no end could be seen to this delay, Lieutenant-General -Sir John Murray was sent out -from England to command the allied forces in -that part of Spain. Feeble as that allied force was, -and inert as its feebleness had compelled it to be, it -had yet employed Suchet’s attention during the autumn -and winter.</p> - -<p>That general had his head-quarters for the most part -at San Felippe, between Alicante and Valencia, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_147">147</span> -about three leagues from the Xucar. Some trivial affairs -were all that occurred, till Sir John Murray soon after -his arrival took the army out of its cantonments, apparently -with the view of making the French marshal fall -back and concentrate his forces on that river. After -an unsuccessful attempt at surprising an enemy’s detachment -in the populous village of Alcoy, he moved forward -and took up a position near the town of Castalla, -where in the preceding summer Don Joseph O’Donnell -had sustained a severe defeat. While Sir John made - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Defeat of Elio’s corps.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -this movement on the right, General Elio with a -separate Spanish corps of 12,000 men moved on -the left to Yecla, Villena, and the flat country in -that direction. There was an old castle in Villena, and -Elio garrisoned it with 800 of his best troops. Suchet -was not a man to lose any opportunity which was presented -him: he saw that one of Elio’s divisions had taken -post at Yecla, within reach of Fuente-la-Higuera, where -his own advance was placed, and too far from that of the -allies which was at Villena, 25 miles distant. During -the night he collected the flower of his army at Fuente-la-Higuera, -and marched with one division, the cavalry -and the reserve, upon Villena, while, with the other part -of his force, General Harispe proceeded rapidly to Yecla, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 12.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -unseen by the Spaniards. At break of day he -came in sight of them; they retreated from one -position to another, but were out-manœuvred and beaten, -and after losing some four or five hundred men, 1200 -laid down their arms.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet marches against the Anglo-Sicilian army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the afternoon of the same day, Suchet was seen -advancing within a few miles of Villena, which -is about two leagues to the westward of Castalla. -Sir John Murray immediately withdrew -the Majorcan division from Alcoy, and concentrating -his force, occupied the strong position of Castalla.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_148">148</span> -His left, consisting of that division, was placed on the -rocky and almost inaccessible hills south of the town, ... -the range terminating there. Major-General Mackenzie’s -division, and the 58th regiment from Lieutenant-General -Clinton’s occupied the town, and the ground to -the right; here and in front of the castle some redoubts -and batteries had been constructed. The remainder of -the position was covered by a strong ravine which rendered -it almost inaccessible on that side; and there -Lieutenant-General Clinton was stationed, supported by -three battalions of General Roche’s division as a column -of reserve. The position was well taken. The second -battalion of the 27th foot, the 1st Italian regiment, and -the Calabrian free corps, had on the first alarm been -pushed forward beyond Villena, under Colonel Adam, -and with them a detachment of cavalry commanded by -Colonel Lord Frederick Bentinck. The object of this -movement was to observe the enemy’s motions: it -brought on a cannonade, and the French endeavoured to -break in upon our troops, and enter Villena pell-mell with -them; but Colonel Adam, following his instructions, fell -back upon Biar without loss. Sir John, being now -assured that Suchet meditated a serious movement, -urged General Elio to withdraw his 800 men from Villena, -where the castle, in its imperfect state of defence, -was not tenable against such an enemy; but the Spanish -general was not to be persuaded. The French entered -Villena that evening, pushing their light troops beyond - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 12.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -it towards Biar; and on the morrow the commandant -surrendered at the first summons, and -he and his battalion were made prisoners of war.</p> - -<p>In the afternoon, Suchet advanced in force towards -Biar; which village is situated at the entrance of a strong -pass, in a range of hills running nearly parallel with the -position of the allies. About four o’clock he commenced<span class="pagenum" id="Page_149">149</span> -a serious attack upon Colonel Adam’s detachment. That -officer’s orders were to fall back upon Castalla, but to -dispute the pass; and this he did for five hours against -a very superior force, with the utmost gallantry and skill; -till being overpowered by numbers, and having both -flanks turned, he retreated then to the pass, and took the -place which had been allotted to him in the position, -on the high ground to the left of Castalla, having in this -unequal conflict both inflicted and sustained very considerable -loss. Two mountain guns fell into the enemy’s -hands; they could not be brought off, because they were -disabled; Colonel Adam therefore directed Captain -Arabin to fight them to the last, and then abandon them. -Before day closed, the French were seen in great force -on the road to Biar, and on the hills opposite the position; -but darkness prevented any farther operations for - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Battle of Castalla. <span class="date">April 13.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the night. At daybreak they were perceived in -great numbers along the defile of Biar, and in -the plain ground which separates it from the -hills near Castalla; and in the course of the morning -they posted several large masses of infantry, as if in preparation -for a decided attack. Their success against -Elio’s corps had increased their confidence; and they had -accustomed themselves to speak of this army as composed -of the rabble of the allied nations, and to talk of driving -them into the sea.</p> - -<p>About one, they pushed forward a large column of -cavalry to the village of Onil, about two miles in front of -Castalla, and this movement was continued parallel to -the front of the allies, until nearly opposite the right -of the position. Sir John Murray had foreseen this: the -ground was unfavourable for cavalry, and no notice was -taken of the movement. Three masses of infantry at the -same time moved rapidly from their right, crossed the -plain ground in front of the pass, and with a gallantry,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_150">150</span> -which, in the words of the British general, entitled them -to the highest praise, commenced an attack on the centre -and the left. The left had been weakened; for about -an hour before the attack, General Whittingham had -been ordered, with the three regiments which he had in -position there, to make a reconnoissance upon the -enemy’s right flank; but this was the key of the position; -and the consequence of thus weakening it might have -been disastrous if Colonel D. Julian Romero had not -opportunely arrived there with two regiments from -Alcoy. Upon this point, from whence more than half -its force had been withdrawn, the main attack was made; -and notwithstanding the difficult approach to it, the -assailants gained ground. The Spaniards, who had expended -all their cartridges, were observed to be retiring, -and the enemy moving in considerable force to the left -of our centre. The moment was critical. Just as the -assailants had gained the summit, Colonel Adam, whom -they were proceeding to attack in front, prevented them, -and giving them no time to recover breath after the exertion -of such an ascent, charged and overthrew their -column, killing, wounding, or taking prisoner, during -the pursuit, almost every man opposed to his brigade. -The Spaniards resumed their ground. Whittingham too -had no sooner apprehended the intention of the enemy, -than he returned with all speed, and arrived in time to -take part in the action, in which, and in the pursuit, the -Spaniards distinguished themselves. The total failure -of the enemy here seemed to be felt along their whole -line of attack; they retreated every where. The cavalry, -which had now advanced toward the front of the allies, -fell rapidly back on perceiving this unexpected reverse, -and entered the defile in such confusion, that had the -advantage been vigorously pursued, a signal victory -might, in all likelihood, have been obtained. Suchet,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_151">151</span> -having united his broken battalions with those which he -kept in reserve, took up a hasty position at the entrance -of the defile. Sir John Murray, still retaining the height, -moved a considerable part of his army into the plain, -and formed it in front of the enemy, within cannon-shot, -his right flank covered with the cavalry, his left resting -on the hills. In this state, Marshal Suchet thought that -the English did not choose to make an attack, and Sir -John Murray, that the French did not choose to wait for -one; ... for the line of the allies was scarcely formed -when the enemy began their retreat, and continued it -through the night, the action terminating at dusk with a -distant cannonade.</p> - -<p>The French had 18,000 infantry in the field, and -1600 cavalry: the allies were not much inferior in -infantry; but greatly so in horse. The loss of the allies -was 670 killed, wounded, and missing, the greater number -of the killed being Spaniards: 800 of the enemy -were left dead in front of the line which they had -attacked: no prisoners were taken except such as were -wounded; but Suchet sent 2000 of Elio’s soldiers prisoners -to Tortosa on their way to France, and represented -that his success on the one part of the operations balanced -his failure on the other. If this had been the case numerically, -which it was not, it was far otherwise in reputation. -He had suffered a mortifying defeat; but what -must most have tended to console him for it was, his -satisfaction at perceiving that there was no intention on -the part of the allies to pursue their victory. He retreated -that night to Villena through Biar, where he -left many dead and dying. Sir John, on the following -day, marched his army in two columns to Alcoy, hoping -(though with little confidence in that hope) that he might -force the strong pass of Albayda, and reach the intrenched -position of the enemy at S. Felippe before they<span class="pagenum" id="Page_152">152</span> -could; this he thought better than a direct pursuit, because -the road which the French had taken was favourable -for cavalry, and he was greatly inferior in that arm. -In the vicinity of Alcoy he remained till the 17th, and -then advanced with the whole army into the open country, -to the foot of the Albayda pass, about a league in -front of Alcoy. But this being a lateral movement, -made after the enemy had so far the start as to have -passed all that was perilous for him, and got into a strong -country, with his forces collected and restored to order, -was an unimportant demonstration which had no effect; -and he returned after it to his position at Castalla.</p> - -<p>Marshal Suchet had not been more successful in -machinations of another kind. Before the battle of -Castalla, an Italian regiment in the Anglo-Sicilian army -had been corrupted, and would have betrayed its post in -an attack concerted with that view, if a timely discovery -had not been made. A scheme also had been formed -for delivering Alicante into his hands; but this also was -detected, and three of his emissaries suffered death for -it at Alcoy. Frey Assensio Nebot, known as a Guerrilla -chief, by the name of <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">El Frayle</i>, the Friar, had more -than any other partizan annoyed the French in Valencia. -His party was well organized, and provided with a regularity -which was seldom to be found in the regular Spanish -armies: so rigorous were the measures employed -against him, that women were put to death for supplying -him with means and intelligence; and at length it -was affirmed, that three criminals who had been condemned -to capital punishment obtained their lives, and -the promise of a good reward, on condition of presenting -themselves to the Friar as volunteers, and taking an -opportunity to assassinate him. Mr. Tupper, who had -been the British consul at Valencia, and whose zealous -services were never wanting to the common cause, obtained<span class="pagenum" id="Page_153">153</span> -information of this villany, and the Friar was thus -put upon his guard.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington opens the campaign.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington was now prepared to open the campaign, -and, for the first time, with such means -as enabled him to act in full confidence of success. -If the Anglo-Sicilian army should not -achieve any signal service, he was yet assured that it -would give sufficient employment to Suchet, so that the -Intruder could look for no support from that side. The -British force under his command consisted of 48,000 -effective men; the Portugueze of about 28,000; the -Galician of 18,000. The enemy were not inferior in -number, and could more surely rely upon the whole of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">May.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -their troops; but the change in their Emperor’s -fortune and in their own had been such, that they -looked only to a defensive campaign, and trusted to their -strong position on the Douro. In the middle of May -Lord Wellington put his troops in motion. The cavalry -which had wintered in the neighbourhood of Coimbra -began their movement at the end of April: they went by -the way of Porto to Braga, where they rested some days, -and proceeding to Braganza, reached that place, which -was the point of union for the left of the army, on the -22d of May. The left of the army under Sir Thomas -Graham crossed the Douro in Portugal, between Lamego -and the frontier. The siege of Ciudad Rodrigo in the -preceding year could not have been undertaken unless -that river had been rendered navigable far above the -point to which the Portugueze barks formerly ascended: -it had now been opened as high as to the mouth of the -Agueda; and boats had been quietly collected at different -points, without exciting any suspicion that they were - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The left of the army crosses the Douro.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -designed for the passage of the troops. Five -divisions of infantry and two brigades of cavalry -were thus placed upon the right bank of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_154">154</span> -Douro, while the enemy supposed that they had only to -guard against an attempt from the left. The difficulties -of the march were indeed very great; most of the roads -are so narrow that carriages could barely pass between -the thick walls which bounded them; and the mountain -streams had their course in ravines, from whence the -ascent is so laborious that sixty men could not without -great exertion enable the horses to drag the artillery up. -Nevertheless, hope and ardour overcame all difficulties; -and the advantage which the troops derived from being -provided with shelter was sensibly felt: out of a division -of 6000 men, there were but 120 sick after a march -of 250 miles, through such a country. When these were -far on their way, Lord Wellington, with two divisions -of British infantry, a Portugueze one under the Conde de -Amarante, a Spanish one under Morillo, and some corps of -cavalry, advanced from Ciudad Rodrigo by the direct road -to Salamanca; the remainder of the army under Sir Rowland -Hill moved upon the same point by Alba de Tormes.</p> - -<p>The line of their retreat in November was still too -evidently marked by the skeletons of the poor animals -who had been worked to death in that cruel service. A -division of infantry under General Villatte had been -left in Salamanca, with some artillery, and three squadrons -of horse. They evacuated the city upon the -approach of the allies, but they lingered too long upon - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">May 26.</span>Affair near Salamanca.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the high ground in its vicinity. When Lord -Wellington was within half a league of Salamanca, -he and his staff got upon a rocky height -which commanded a full view of the city and adjacent -country. Below him were his own videttes, and beyond -them those of the enemy, each supported by piquets. -To the right were the Arapiles, a name known only -in topography before, but which had now a place in -military history; and in the same direction, but more<span class="pagenum" id="Page_155">155</span> -behind him, the heads of two columns, forming Sir -Rowland’s division, were seen on two nearly parallel -roads. Through a glass, the enemy were observed -drawn up; two battalions and a squadron to the right -of the city, near a ruined convent; two squadrons on -the Tormes, near the bridge; half a squadron guarding -the ford, about a mile above the city, near S. Martha; ... -and behind the city a battalion in reserve. Villatte -having barricadoed the bridge and the principal communications -throughout the town, seemed to have thought -himself sure of an easy retreat. The 1st German -hussars, favoured by ground which concealed them from -the enemy, inclined toward the ford, while the 14th light -dragoons, keeping beyond the reach of fire, edged along -the left bank of the river. The enemy appeared in -some confusion, but remained stationary, as if waiting -for something; and beyond the city, in the direction of -Miranda de Duero and Zamora, their piquets were -withdrawing, and mules and baggage joining them from -all sides. It was now nearly ten in the forenoon, and -the day very hot. The head of Sir Rowland’s right -column, which consisted of cavalry, and a troop of horse -artillery, under General Fane, were within two miles of -S. Martha, marching for the ford: the enemy now began -to move, first in the direction of Toro, but presently, as -if wavering, bending to their right, they kept close to -the Tormes, in the direction of Arevalo; and retired -rapidly, but in good order, when Fane with his six -squadrons had crossed the river. It was well for them -that this cavalry was already jaded by a long march; -but the horse artillery, as soon as, owing to the ravines -and the intricacies of the ground, it could be brought -into use, opened upon them with great effect, every shot -going through their crowded ranks. They retired with<span class="pagenum" id="Page_156">156</span> -extreme rapidity, but in excellent order, and the artillery -pursued as quickly as a very deep country, occasionally -intersected with hollow roads, would allow. When the -enemy came to Aldea Lengua, there was an opportunity -of attacking them with every probability of forcing them -to lay down their arms; but strict orders had been given -not to pass a ravine just by that village; and the moment -(never to be regained in war) went by. When orders -came to proceed, it was just too late; the pursuit however -was continued, and some three miles beyond the village -a charge was attempted by two squadrons, but feebly, -for the horses were now far spent; the enemy formed -into squares, and repulsed them by a volley, though -with little loss. The pursuit was continued about three -miles farther. Some of the French were taken, being -unable to march farther from fatigue; and many threw -away their knapsacks, and sacks full of biscuit, and of -corn, but no troops under such circumstances could have -behaved better; ... and some proofs were given of what -better deserves to be called ferocious intrepidity than -courage. One of their men who was severely wounded -attempted to destroy himself; and another obstinately -refusing to surrender when it was not possible for him -to escape, compelled those who would fain have saved -his life to cut him down. The affair ended in front of -Aldea Rubia; a corps of infantry and cavalry retiring -from Alba, when threatened by Major-General Long -and by Morillo’s division, joined the enemy here; and -Lord Wellington, as his infantry had not come up, -recalled the troops from the pursuit. Above fourscore -of the French lay dead on the road, and many fell among -the standing corn: some 200 were made prisoners; and -some baggage, ammunition, and provisions, with Villatte’s -coach, were taken.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_157">157</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Passage of the Ezla.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>During the two following days, Lord Wellington -established the troops which had marched from -the Agueda and Extremadura Alta between the -Tormes and the Lower Douro. On the 29th he left -Salamanca, and reached Miranda de Duero. The enemy -had destroyed all the bridges upon the river except that -at Zamora. Opposite Miranda there is a ferry, where -this deep and rapid stream is from 80 to 100 yards wide, -and the rocks on either side from 400 to 500 feet high. -When it is so swoln that the ferry is impracticable, the -only way by which travellers can cross is after the old -Peruvian manner, in a sort of hammock or cradle, fastened -to a rope, which is secured upon two projecting points -of rock, about thirty feet above the ordinary level of the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Florez Esp. Sagrada, t. 16, p. 3.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -water. Here Lord Wellington crossed, and on -the following day joined Sir Thomas Graham’s -corps at Carvajales on the Ezla. This river, -which upon good grounds is believed to have been the -Astura of the ancients, and in Leon is called the Rio -Grande, descends from the Puertos de Asturias, passes -by Mansilla to Benevente, near which town it receives -the Cea from the east, and the larger river Orbigo from -the west, and enters the Douro below Zamora. At daybreak -on the 31st the troops began to ford: the enemy -so little apprehended danger on that side, that they had -only a piquet there, and thus no opposition was offered -to a very difficult and perilous passage. The ford was -intricate; the water nearly chin deep; the bottom rough -and stony; and the stones large and loose. The hussar -brigade began the passage, entering in a body; and as -it was supposed that a village on the opposite hill was -occupied by the enemy, and as it was necessary that -some infantry should cross to support the advance of -the hussars, each dragoon had a soldier holding by his -stirrup. But this impeded the horses: alarmed both<span class="pagenum" id="Page_158">158</span> -by, the stream and the unsafe footing, they became -unmanageable and plunged forward: the men, who before -could scarcely keep their feet against the force and -weight of the stream, lost at once their footing and their -hold; they were plunged into the water, their knapsacks -overweighed them and kept them on their backs, and -in this manner they struggled at the mercy of the current. -There were, fortunately, three or four small -islands just at this part; and by these most of the officers -and men were stopped, but several valuable lives were -lost. The hussars exerted themselves with exemplary -humanity to assist the infantry, and one of their corporals -lost his own life in the performance of this generous -duty. In this way the 51st and the Brunswick Oel’s -corps, as well as the cavalry, passed. Their orders were to -ascend the hill and take the village: the enemy’s piquet -were made prisoners. A pontoon bridge was then thrown -across, and the remainder of the corps passed over.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The French seem now for the first time to have -comprehended Lord Wellington’s plan, and -found themselves out-manœuvred by an enemy -to whom they had hitherto allowed no credit for any -thing except courage, and that only because they had -been so often beaten by them that it was no longer -for their own credit to deny it. No sooner were they -menaced by the advance of the columns than they -destroyed the bridge at Zamora, and retired from that -city and from Toro. Both cities were entered by -the allies; and at daybreak on the first of June the -hussar brigade under Colonel Grant came up near Toro -with the enemy’s rear-guard, who retired rapidly to the -village of Morales, in the direction of Tordesillas. After -having been cannonaded by two guns, which were all -that could be brought up in time through the deep -sandy roads, the French formed behind the village. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_159">159</span> -hussars passed on both sides of the village, and instantly -charged them; upon which they made off with all speed -for a little bridge across a marshy bottom, faced about -there, being supported by some guns belonging to their -infantry, and stood a charge. They were worsted in it, -but passed the bridge; part of the 10th hussars pursued, -and Captain Lloyd advancing with great spirit, but few -followers, was taken: they were again pressed, and -retired hastily on the infantry, losing more than 200 -prisoners in these affairs, and so many in killed and -wounded, that the 16th regiment of dragoons was almost -destroyed. Captain Lloyd was ill-treated by his captors; -they beat him and rifled him, but left him in their retreat. -Though the fighting was almost in the street of Morales, -the Spaniards were now so accustomed to sights of war, -that within ten minutes after the firing had ceased the -women were spinning at their doors, and the little -children at play as if nothing had happened.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir Rowland Hill crosses the Douro. <span class="date">June 3.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington halted at Toro, that the light division -and the troops under Sir Rowland might -cross the Douro by the bridge there, that his -rear-guard might come up, and that the Galician -army should unite itself with his left. The -whole of the allied force was now on the right side of the -Douro: leaving then half the reserve-ammunition near -Zamora to spare the horses (which were already suffering), -he proceeded: the French, whose force was distributed -between Valladolid, Tordesillas, and Medina, -retiring as he advanced, their rear crossing at the Puente -de Duero, on the same day that the allies accomplished -their first object in the campaign, by uniting on the right -side of that river. The enemy now concentrated their -force behind the Pisuerga: there also there was strong -ground for defence; but abandoning that also when Lord -Wellington manœuvred on their right, they withdrew<span class="pagenum" id="Page_160">160</span> -behind the Carrion. The Intruder quitted Palencia on -the 6th, and the greater part of his troops early on the -following morning, after a night passed in the fear of -close pursuit. When Lord Wellington entered that city, -flowers were thrown upon him from the windows, and a -shower of roses from the upper gratings of a nunnery. -The enemy had not left a morsel of bread, nor a drop of -wine in that city: and when they hastily retired from -a bivouac near Tordesillas, leaving it to be occupied -by a part of Sir Rowland’s corps, the fuel which the -troops found collected there consisted of doors, window-frames, -tables, and drawers, from the houses in the -neighbourhood.</p> - -<p>From the Ezla to Palencia the troops had marched -through one continued track of corn, where villages were -so thinly scattered, that it seemed unaccountable where -the cultivators were to be found. The land was generally -in wheat, with a fair proportion of barley, and -here and there a crop of vetches and clover. They -moved generally by two roads, and on each side of each -at least twenty yards were trampled down. The horses -were fed on green barley nearly the whole march. The -intention of the British Government was to pay the inhabitants -for whatever the army must of necessity take -from them; and on the part of the Government, the full -payment was in fact made: but little of that payment -reached the poor people to whom it was due. For want of -specie, the commissaries could pay upon the spot only in -bills; to the peasantry these were worth no more than -what the land-sharks who follow in the wake of an army -chose to offer for them; and in this iniquitous manner -large fortunes were amassed, ... a species of roguery -which many of the Portugueze (though as a people the -Portugueze are eminent for probity) were not slow in -learning.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_161">161</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French abandon Burgos.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The army crossed the Carrion on the 7th, following an -enemy who seemed undetermined where to make -a stand. On the 12th, Lord Wellington found -it necessary after such rapid movements to halt -his left, while the right under Sir Rowland advanced -to reconnoitre the strength of the French, and the position -which they had taken up near Burgos, where -great pains had been taken to strengthen the fortifications -of the castle. They were posted in considerable force on -the heights to the left of the Hormaza, with their right -above the village of that name, and their left in front of -Estapar. Part of the allied force flanked them on their -right, another marched against the heights of Hormaza, -the remainder threatened those of Estapar; without -waiting to be attacked they were dislodged, and retreated -hastily for Burgos, suffering considerable loss -from the horse artillery, and losing a gun and some prisoners, -but retreating in the best order. More presence -of mind indeed was shown by them hitherto in presence -of the enemy, and in action, than in their counsels. They -posted themselves on the left of the Arlanzon and of the -Urbel, which were then greatly swoln with rains: but in -the night they retreated into the city, and hurrying from -it, blew up the castle early in the morning, about an hour -after the Intruder had left it. They seemed to have -been aware that there was no longer any hope of recovering -their ascendancy, and to have intended to bring -upon the city a destruction which should prevent the -inhabitants from rejoicing in their deliverance. But the -hurry, and fear, and confusion, with which their preparations -were made defeated this malignant purpose. -Several mines failed; some which were primed did not -explode; others were so ill managed that they blew the -earth inwards: and as the explosion took place some -hours sooner than was intended, the destruction which<span class="pagenum" id="Page_162">162</span> -was intended for their enemies fell in part upon themselves. -Many of their men who were lingering to plunder -perished as they were loading their horses with -booty in the streets and squares, and three or four hundred -were blown up in the fort. Above 1000 shells had -been placed in the mines: the explosion was distinctly -heard at the distance of fifty miles; and the pavement of -the cathedral was covered with the dust into which its -windows had been shivered by the shock. The town -escaped destruction owing to the failure of so many of -the mines, but the castle was totally destroyed, ... gates, -beams, masses of masonry, guns, carriages, and arms -lying in one heap of ruins; ... some of the mines had laid -open the breaches, and exposed the remains of those who -had fallen during the siege.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Ebro.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The object of the enemy now was to occupy a position -behind the Ebro, blocking up the great road by -placing a garrison in the castle of Pancorbo, and -calling to their assistance the corps from Biscay, Navarre, -and Aragon. But Lord Wellington, repeating -the manœuvre which had before so perfectly succeeded, -had already sent his left column to effect its passage in a -quarter from whence they apprehended no danger. The -Ebro rises in the mountains of Santillana, its principal -source being at the northern extremity of Old Castille, -towards the Asturian frontier, near a town which from -that cause is called Fontibre. The Sierra de Oca prevents -it from trending westward, like the other great -rivers of Spain; and at Miranda de Ebro, the point at -which the Intruder had instructed the different divisions -of his army to make for with all speed, it appears nearly -as large a stream as at Tortosa, though in the course of -the intervening sixty leagues it receives many and large -rivers, one of them the Aragon, of such magnitude, that -it is called the husband (<i xml:lang="es" lang="es">el varou</i>) of the Ebro. While<span class="pagenum" id="Page_163">163</span> -the remainder of the army were pushing the enemy back - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Passage of the Ebro by the allies.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -upon Burgos, the left column had been detached -to effect its passage above Frias by the bridges -of S. Martin and Rocamunde: the road thither -had been deemed impracticable for carriages, and on that -supposed impracticability the enemy relied; but the confidence -of the British General was partaken by his army, -and well seconded by them in all ways; exertions which -nothing but zeal and eager hope could have accomplished -were made; and the artillery was lowered down -the steep banks of the river where there were none to -offer any resistance. The French had calculated not -without reason on the line of the Ebro, if they had had -foresight or been allowed leisure to occupy it. The -road begins to descend the mountains about three miles -from the right bank, and for more than half that way -winds down a continued defile, which admits only eight -or ten men abreast, and being withal tremendously -steep, is so paved that horses can scarcely keep their -feet there. Another such defile, and of greater length, -is to be passed on the opposite side. A few ditches cut -across the route, a few trees placed as barricadoes, a rock -blown up to block the pass, a hundred or two of men to -defend it, and to roll stones from the crags and precipices -above, might have stopped any force that attempted the -passage. The left column crossed on the 14th, the -remainder of the army on the 15th, at the same points and -by the Puente de Arenas, and on the following day they -moved to the right, in the direction of Vittoria.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French fall back upon Vittoria.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>They knew at this time little of the enemy, not even -who commanded their united force, whether Marshal -Jourdan or General Gazan, the Intruder’s -command being of course merely nominal; it -was thought that their intention was to have given battle -upon the main road, near Briviesca; but this alone was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_164">164</span> -certain, that their plans had been disconcerted by Lord -Wellington’s movements and sudden advance, and that -they were in that state of irresolution which prepares -even the best soldiers for defeat. On the 16th and 17th -they assembled a considerable force near Espejo, composed -of troops which had been employed against Longa -and Mina, and of others detached from the main body of -their army. They had also a division of infantry, with -some cavalry, at Frias, to observe the movements of the -allies after the passage of the Ebro. These detachments, -in all about 16,000 men, moved on the 18th, those from -Frias upon S. Millan, and those from Espejo upon Osma. -The light division, under Major-General Alten, drove -them from S. Millan, and cut off the brigade of their -rear-guard, of whom it killed and wounded many, took -300 prisoners, with a considerable quantity of baggage, -and dispersed the rest among the mountains, ... from -thence to be brought in by the peasants and the guerrillas. -Sir Thomas Graham arrived at Osma at the same -time with the enemy’s corps; they were considerably -superior in numbers, nevertheless they retired as soon as -an intention was shown of attacking them: presently -they returned briskly, as if to become assailants in their -turn, but their reception was not such as to encourage -them, and they once more retired towards Espejo, and -being followed thither, withdrew to the heights. The -enemy’s head-quarters were that day at Pancorvo. During -the night they moved from thence towards Vittoria; -and on the following day their rear-guard was found -strongly posted, having its right covered by the village -of Subijana, and its left upon the heights in front of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 19.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Pobes. The light division attacked them in flank on the -right, Sir Lowry Cole with the 4th in front, -and they were driven back upon their main force, -of which a view was then obtained, but no correct judgment<span class="pagenum" id="Page_165">165</span> -could be formed of its numbers, because they were -in part concealed by the mountains, and a thick rain was -falling during the whole day. On that night they took -up a position in front of Vittoria.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Vittoria.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>This city, which is now the capital of the province of -Alava, and stands in a valley, bounded on one -side by a part of the Pyrenees, and on the other -by a range of bold though inferior mountains, was founded -in 1181 by Sancho VII. of Navarre, a king distinguished -by the appellations of the Wise and the Valiant. -There had been a village called Gasteiz on the site; -Sancho thinking it a good situation for a fortress which -might check the incursions of his Castillian neighbours - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Garchay, L. 24, cap. 13. pp. 187–8.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -on that side, rebuilt, peopled and fortified it, and -gave his new town the name of Victoria, in memorial -of some now forgotten victory obtained -in that vicinity over them. Juan II. of Castille made it -a city. It is now divided into the old and new towns, -the latter being the larger and better part of what in -peaceful times was a populous, industrious, and prosperous -place, containing more than a thousand houses, -and twice that number in the suburbs.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Position of the French army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>In front of this city the enemy had taken their position, -under the nominal command of the Intruder, -but actually commanded by Marshal Jourdan, -as the Major-General of the army. Their left -rested upon the heights which terminated at the Puebla -de Arlanza; and they had a reserve in rear of their left, -at the village of Gomecha: their centre extended along -a range of strong heights on the left bank of the Zadorra, -its right resting on a circular hill that commands the -valley to which that river gives name; this hill they -had covered with infantry, flanked and defended with -several brigades of guns; their right was in advance of -the river, above the village of Abechuco, to defend the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_166">166</span> -passage. This position, extending about eight miles, -covered the three great roads which from Bilbao, Logroño, -and Madrid, converge upon Vittoria; it crossed -also the main road to Bayonne, upon which immense -convoys were seen, moving towards France with the last -harvest and the last gleanings of their plunder. The -city was filled with others awaiting their turn for departure. -It is remarkable that, within sight of this ground, -the battle of Najara was fought, in which Edward the -Black Prince, acting as the ally of a bad man, defeated -the best troops of France under their most distinguished -leader Bertram du Guesclin, who was come in support -of a worse. It is also remarkable that the Prince of -Brazil, before the battle of Vittoria was fought, should -have conferred the title of Duque da Victoria upon Lord -Wellington.</p> - -<p>Lord Wellington halted his columns on the 20th, in -order to close them up, for since reaching the Ebro they -had necessarily been extended, because of the nature of -the country: only the 6th division was left at Medina de -Pomal to cover the march of supplies from the rear. -That day he made a close reconnoissance of the enemy’s -position in every part, with the determination of attacking -them on the following morning, if they should continue -there. There was little disparity of numbers between -the two armies, each having from 70 to 75,000 men. -Lord Wellington instantly perceived that the position, -though in most respects well chosen, was too confined, -that it showed an inconsiderable front, and was liable to -be taken in flank.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Battle of Vittoria.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>At daybreak on the 21st of June the allied army was -put in motion. The right under Sir Rowland, -consisting of the second British division, the -Conde de Amarante’s Portugueze division, and Morillo’s -Spanish corps, was to commence the action by attacking<span class="pagenum" id="Page_167">167</span> -the heights of La Puebla, upon which the enemy’s left -rested. Sir Thomas Graham with the left, composed of -the 1st and 5th divisions, Generals Pack and Bradford’s -brigades of infantry, Generals Bock and Anson’s brigades -of horse, and Longa’s Spanish division, was directed to -turn their right by a wide movement, and, crossing the -Zadorra, to cut off their retreat by the road to Bayonne. -As soon as either of these corps should be in a situation -to manœuvre on the other side the river, the centre, consisting -of the 3d, 4th, 7th, and light divisions, in two -columns, was to advance, and the whole then push forward -on the city, and attack it simultaneously in front -and in flank, ... whereby the French would be compelled -either to abandon it and their precious convoys, or risk -a battle in the hope of preserving them. The Spaniards, -under Morillo, began the action, and attacked the heights -with great gallantry; their leader was wounded, but -remained in the field; the enemy stood firm, and made -great efforts to retain their ground, perceiving when too -late, that they had neglected to occupy it in sufficient -strength. Strong reinforcements were sent from their -centre to its support, so that Sir Rowland found it necessary -to detach thither, first, the 71st regiment, and the -light infantry battalions of Major-General Walker’s -brigade, and successively other troops; the contest was -very severe, and the loss considerable. Here the Hon. -Lieutenant-Colonel Cadogan was mortally wounded, an -officer, in Lord Wellington’s words, “of great zeal and -tried gallantry, who had acquired the respect and regard -of the whole profession, and of whom it might have been -expected, that if he had lived he would have rendered -the most important services to his country.” At length -the enemy were driven at the point of the bayonet from -these heights; and under the cover which the possession -of this ground afforded, Sir Rowland crossed the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_168">168</span> -Zadorra at La Puebla, passed the difficult defile, two -miles in length, which is formed by the heights and the -river, and then attacked and won the village of Sabijana -de Alva, which covered the left of the enemy’s lines. -They on their part made repeated attempts to regain this -important point, and with that hope drew from their -centre a considerable force; again and again they endeavoured -to recover the village, but their efforts, though -bravely and perseveringly made, were unsuccessful.</p> - -<p>The difficult nature of the country delayed the communication -between the different columns, and it was -late before Lord Wellington knew that the 3d and 7th -divisions, under the Earl of Dalhousie, had arrived at -their appointed station. The 4th and the light divisions, -however, crossed the Zadorra immediately after Sir Rowland -had gained possession of Sabijana, the former at -the bridge of Nanclares, the latter at the Tres Puentes; -almost at the same time the Earl of Dalhousie’s column -arrived at Mendonza, and the 3rd division, under Sir -Thomas Picton, charged and took the bridge higher up, -and crossed and was followed by the 7th. These bridges -the enemy ought to have destroyed, but from the beginning -of the campaign a want of foresight had been manifested -in all their operations, though when in action their -generals displayed the habitual promptitude of experienced -commanders. The four divisions which had now -crossed, and which formed the centre of the allied army, -were destined to attack the heights on which the right of -the enemy’s centre was placed, while Sir Rowland -should move forward from Sabijana to attack the left. -The French had lined those heights with artillery, which -opened on the allies as soon as they attempted to advance -from the river, and with so destructive a fire that it became -necessary for them to halt and bring two brigades -of guns to oppose it. Meantime the contest was maintained<span class="pagenum" id="Page_169">169</span> -at Sabijana with great obstinacy; the enemy -feeding their attacks from a wood, in which their troops -were assembled in great force. But when a brigade -which Sir Rowland had detached along a range of mountains -to turn their flank appeared, and at the same time -Sir Thomas Picton approached their front, they gave -over their attempts to recover the village, and began to -think rather of retreat than of a successful resistance. -And when Sir Thomas pushed on to take the large circular -hill in flank, while the fourth division moved simultaneously -upon the village in the centre, their whole -force prepared to fall back upon the town, retreating -before the allies could close, but keeping up a hot fire -from their artillery. The third division first came in -contact with their columns, and by a gallant attack captured -28 of their guns which they had not time to draw -into the road. The other divisions pressed them in front. -At this moment both the winning and the losing game -were played with equal skill, “the allies advancing by -echellons of battalions, in two or three lines, according - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Colonel Jones’s Account, 2. 158.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -to the nature of the ground; and the French -retiring before them in the most orderly manner, -and taking advantage of every favourable opportunity -to make a stand.” And here it happened, that -General Colville’s brigade, which was on the left of the -centre, and most in advance, became, by an accident of -the ground, separated from its support; the enemy, who -lost no opportunity in action, attacked it with a far superior -force, but the brigade stood firm, though out of 1800 -men it lost 550.</p> - -<p>While the right and the centre, following up their -success, were pushing the enemy back upon Vittoria, the -left was advancing upon that town by the high road from -Bilbao. Sir Thomas Graham with that column had been -moved on the preceding evening to Margina, and had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_170">170</span> -then so considerable a round to make, that it was ten -o’clock before he began to descend into the plain. General -Giron with the Spanish army had been detached -to the left under a different view of the state of affairs; -but having been recalled and reached Orduña on the -yesterday, he marched from thence in the morning so as -to be in readiness to support Sir Thomas Graham, if his -support should be required. The enemy had a division -of infantry and some cavalry advanced upon the Bilbao -road, resting their right on some strong heights covering -the village of Gamarra Mayor, and both that village and -Abechuco were strongly occupied as <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">têtes-du-pont</i> to the -bridges over the Zadorra at those places. The heights -were attacked both in front and flank by Brigadier-General -Pack’s Portugueze brigade, and Longa’s Spanish -division, supported by Major-General Anson’s brigade -of light dragoons, and the 5th division of infantry, all -under the command of Major-General Oswald; and they -were carried, both Spaniards and Portugueze behaving -admirably. Longa then with little resistance got possession -of Gamarra Menor, and the larger village of the -same name was stormed and taken by Brigadier-General -Robinson’s brigade of the 5th division, which advanced -under a heavy fire of artillery and musketry without -firing a shot: the enemy suffered severely there, and -lost three pieces of cannon. Sir Thomas Graham then -proceeded to attack the village of Abechuco with the -1st division; they formed a strong battery against it, -under cover of which Colonel Halkett’s brigade advanced -to the attack, supported by General Bradford’s -brigade of Portugueze infantry. Three guns and a -howitzer were taken on the bridge here, and the village -was carried. While the contest at Abechuco continued, -the enemy seeing their communication with Bayonne -threatened, marched a strong body to their right in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_171">171</span> -hope of recovering Gamarra Mayor: they were driven -back in confusion; made a second attempt, and were -again repulsed, for Sir Thomas had loop-holed the -houses in front of the bridge, placed artillery to flank -the approach, and stationed several battalions concealed -along the walls, and their fire repelled the enemy upon a -third advance. But the French had two divisions of -infantry in reserve upon the heights on the left of the -Zadorra; Sir Thomas, therefore, could not cross the -river with such a corps in front, till the troops which had -moved upon the centre and the left of the French should -have driven them through Vittoria. About six in the -evening this was done, and the corps which held him -in check retreated then lest it should be taken in rear. -The left then crossed the Zadorra, took possession of the -high road to Bayonne, and forced the right as well as -the left centre of the enemy back into the Pamplona -road; and now they were unable to hold any position -long enough for drawing off their artillery and baggage. -In the expressive language of an officer who -bore his part in the victory, “they were beaten before -the town, and in the town, and through the town, and -out of the town, and behind the town, and all round about -the town.” Every where they had been attacked, every -where beaten, and now every where were put to utter -rout. They themselves had in many actions made -greater slaughter of a Spanish army, but never in any -instance had they reduced an army, even of raw volunteers, -to such a state of total wreck. Stores, baggage, -artillery, every thing was abandoned; one gun and one -howitzer only were they able to carry off, and the gun -was taken before it could reach Pamplona. 151 pieces -of brass ordnance on travelling carriages were taken; -more than 400 caissons, more than 14,000 round of -ammunition, and nearly two millions of musket-ball<span class="pagenum" id="Page_172">172</span> -cartridges. The loss on the part of the allies consisted -of 501 British killed, 2808 wounded: 150 Portugueze -and 89 Spaniards killed, 899 and 466 wounded, ... the -total loss not amounting to 5000. The French acknowledged -a loss of 8000, ... unquestionably it was greater; -not more than a thousand prisoners were taken; for so -soon as they found themselves irretrievably defeated, -they ran, and never did brave soldiers when beaten display -more alacrity in flight. Having abandoned all their -ammunition waggons, they had not powder to blow up -the bridges; had this been done, the pursuit would have -been greatly impeded; attempts were made to break -them up with pick-axes, and in this they partly succeeded -in several places. But the country was too much -intersected with ditches for cavalry to act with effect in a -pursuit; and infantry who moved in military order could -not at their utmost speed keep up with a route of fugitives. -Yet, precipitate as their flight was, they took -great pains to bear off their wounded, and dismounted a -regiment of cavalry to carry them on. And they carefully -endeavoured to conceal their dead, stopping occasionally -to collect them and throw them into ditches, -where they covered them with bushes. Many such -receptacles were found containing from ten to twenty -bodies.</p> - -<p>The Intruder, who now appears for the last time upon -the stage of his everlasting infamy, narrowly escaped. -The tenth hussars entered Vittoria at the moment that -he was hastening out of it in his carriage. Captain -Wyndham with one squadron pursued, and fired into -the carriage, and Joseph had barely time to throw himself -on his horse and gallop off under the protection of -an escort of dragoons. The carriage was taken, and in -it the most splendid of his trinkets, and the most precious -articles of his royal plunder. Marshal Jourdan’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_173">173</span> -staff was among the trophies of the field; it was rather -more than a foot long, and covered with blue velvet, on -which the imperial eagles were embroidered; and it had -been tipped with gold; but the first finder secured the -gold for himself. The case was of red morocco with silver -clasps, and with eagles on it, and at either end the -Marshal’s name imprinted in gold letters. Lord Wellington -sent it to the Prince Regent, and was gracefully -presented in return with the staff of a Field-Marshal of -Great Britain. The spoils resembled those of an Oriental -rather than of an European army; for the Intruder, -who in his miserable situation had abandoned himself to -every kind of sensuality, had with him all his luxuries. -His plunder, his wardrobe, his sideboard, his larder, and -his cellar, fell into the conqueror’s hands. The French -officers, who carried the pestilential manners of their -nation wherever they went, followed his example as far -as their means allowed, and thus the finest wines and the -choicest delicacies were found in profusion. The wives -and mistresses of the officers had gathered together in -one house, where they were safe, and from whence they -were sent in their own carriages with a flag of truce to -Pamplona. Poodles, parrots, and monkeys, were among -the prisoners. Seldom has such a scene of confusion -been witnessed as that which the roads leading from -the field of battle presented; ... broken down waggons -stocked with claret and champagne, others laden with -eatables dressed and undressed, casks of brandy, apparel -of every kind, barrels of money, books, papers, sheep, -cattle, horses, and mules, abandoned in the flight. The -baggage was presently rifled, and the followers of the -camp attired themselves in the gala dresses of the flying -enemy. Portugueze boys figured about in the dress -coats of French general officers; and they who happened -to draw a woman’s wardrobe in the lottery, converted<span class="pagenum" id="Page_174">174</span> -silks, satins, and embroidered muslins, into scarfs -and sashes for their masquerade triumph. Some of the -more fortunate soldiers got possession of the army chest, -and loaded themselves with money: “Let them,” said -Lord Wellington, when he was informed of it; “they -deserve all they can find, were it ten times more.” The -camp of every division was like a fair; benches were laid -from waggon to waggon, and there the soldiers held an -auction through the night, and disposed of such plunder -as had fallen to their share to any who would purchase -it. Even dollars became an article of sale, for they were -too heavy to be carried in any great numbers; eight were -offered for a guinea, ... guineas which had been struck for -the payment of the troops in Portugal, and made current -there by a decree of the Regency, being the gold currency. -The people of Vittoria had their share in the -spoils, and some of them indemnified themselves thus for -what they had suffered in their property by the enemy’s -exactions.</p> - -<p>The city sustained no injury, though the French were -driven through it, and though great part of the battle -might be seen from every window. Nothing could be -more mournful than its appearance that night, ... a -lantern at every door, and no one in the streets. It was -the first place where the allies had found that the -inhabitants were French in feeling. Two days of heavy -rain impeded the pursuit; but that rain saved many -houses from the flames, for the French wreaked their -vengeance upon every thing which they could destroy -in their flight. Every house at which the pursuers -arrived had been gutted by the fugitives, every village -set on fire, and the few inhabitants who had not taken -flight in time had met with no mercy; at every step the -allies found havoc, and flames, and misery, the dying -and the dead. Such was the panic among the fugitives,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_175">175</span> -that, finding the gates of Pamplona closed, they attempted -to force their way over the walls, and did not desist till -they were opposed by a serious fire of cannon and musketry. -A council of war was held there, in which it was -resolved to blow up the works and abandon the place; -with this intent they destroyed ammunition and tore -down palisades from the outworks. But the Intruder -knew that the possession of so strong a fortress would -in some degree cover his flight; and the last act of his -usurped authority was to order that every article of food -and fuel should be taken from the Spaniards who were -within reach. By the rigorous execution of this order, -the quantity in the town was more than doubled; and -having left a garrison there, the flying force continued -their way to the Pyrenees. Their rear was still in sight -of Pamplona, when the right and centre of the allies -were checked in their pursuit by a fire from the walls.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir T. Graham proceeds against G. Foy.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Sir Thomas Graham with the left of the army was -ordered to march by Puerto S. Andrian upon -Villa Franca, in the hope of intercepting General -Foy, who occupied Bilbao after the atrocities -which he had committed in Castro. The orders -were not received till the 23rd, when the weather and -the ways in consequence were so bad, that only a small -part of the column could pass the mountain that day; -and it was not till the 24th that Sir Thomas, with Major-General -Anson’s brigade of light dragoons, the light -battalions of the German legion, and two Portugueze -brigades could march from Segura, the rest of the troops -not having come up. The roads were so slippery with -the rain, and in many places so steep, that horses could -scarcely keep their feet, or the infantry make any progress. -This allowed Foy time to withdraw the troops -from some of the military stations there, and with his -collected force he began his retreat into France. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_176">176</span> -allies came to the junction of the roads from Bilbao and -from Vittoria to Bayonne just as the enemy’s rear had -passed it. The French occupied in force some strong - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 24.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -ground on the right of the Oria, in front of the -village of Olaverria, about a mile and a half -from Villa Franca; they were dislodged from thence, -and allowed the pursuers to take possession of the town, -meaning to make their stand at Tolosa. During the -night, Longa’s corps joined Sir Thomas, and the advance -of General Giron’s. On the following morning the -enemy evacuated Celequiz, and took up a very strong -position between that place and Tolosa, covering the -road to Pamplona. Longa was then directed to march -by Alzo upon Lizara in order to flank his left, while -General Mendizabel was requested to dispatch some -battalions from Aspeytia to flank his right, which rested -upon a mountain with an inaccessible ravine in front. -The French were driven from the summit of a hill lying -between the Pamplona and Vittoria roads, on the right -of the allies, by a very skilful attack of Lieutenant-Colonel -Williams, and the possession of this important point -enabled the assailants to act on the Pamplona road. In -the course of the afternoon the Spaniards arrived at their - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French driven from Tolosa.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -destination, and between six and seven a general -attack was made, one column advancing upon -the Vittoria road, another on the left; General -Bradford driving the enemy in on their front by the -Pamplona road, and Longa still more on the right from -the side of the mountains, turning, and forcing from very -strong positions, all their posted bodies on the right of -the town. Still they held the town; and it was found -much more capable of defence than had been represented; -this was generally the case with their fortified posts, so -prone were the Spaniards to report things always according -to their hopes; the walls had been loop-holed, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_177">177</span> -new towers erected to flank it. The Vittoria gate was -barricadoed and the Pamplona one on the bridge; both -were flanked by convents and other large buildings which -the enemy occupied; the place was nowhere open, and -a strong wood block-house had been constructed in the -Plaza, of so much importance had it been deemed. A -nine-pounder was brought up close to the Vittoria gate, -under cover of the light battalions’ fire; the gate was -burst open: at the same time, the walls were attacked -and gained under a considerable fire, and about half an -hour after night closed, the enemy forsook the place, -flying from every point, and the troops entered amidst -the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">vivas</i> of the inhabitants, who had fully expected to -have been plundered that night by the retreating enemy. -The British officer who first entered thought they were -in some danger from their deliverers, considering the -mixed composition of the troops, and how likely it was -that some parties away from their regiments might take -advantage of the darkness and the confusion. He advised -them therefore to shut their doors, and, to the credit of -the troops, it must be added, that no outrage or excess -was committed. Longa and the German legion passed -on, and formed immediately beyond the town. The loss -of the allies on this and the preceding day amounted to -about 400. Sir Thomas Graham was struck during the -attack by a musket-ball; the hurt was not serious, and -he attempted to conceal it, but could not, and was -obliged to dismount.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 26.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the morrow one brigade was placed on the Pamplona -road, and another on the Bayonne, each -about a league from Tolosa; a third occupied -Alegria, and Sir Thomas then halted two days to ascertain - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Foy retreats into France.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the advance of Lord Wellington on his right. -Foy had retreated to Anduain, where he destroyed -the bridge; but he now knew himself<span class="pagenum" id="Page_178">178</span> -to be no longer safe within the Spanish territory, and -lost no time in making his way into France. A brigade -of the Galician army attacked his rear-guard on the -Bidassoa at Irun, and drove them over the bridge. They -still maintained a strong stone block-house there, which -served as a head to the bridge, and some loop-holed -houses on the Spanish side of the river. General Giron -sent for some Spanish artillery to dislodge them; an - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 30.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -English brigade of nine pounders was sent from -Oyarzun to act with it; the French then found -it necessary to abandon their post, and they blew up the -block-house and burnt the bridge. In all these affairs -no troops could have behaved better than the Spanish; -and General Giron, with a natural and becoming feeling, -had been very desirous that this last exploit should fall -to their part. The garrison at Passages, 150 in number, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Passages is surrendered.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -surrendered on the same day to Longa, and on -the following the garrison of Guetaria, being -blockaded by land, evacuated the town and fort, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Castro abandoned by the enemy.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and went by sea to St. Sebastian. Castro de -Urdiales, the scene of General Foy’s atrocities, -had been abandoned the day after the battle of -Vittoria, the British squadron having cut off the garrison -from all supplies by sea, and the Spaniards by -land. A British vessel heaving opportunely in sight, -the commandant withdrew precipitately, without destroying -his artillery and powder, or injuring the castle. A -few old women were the only survivors in the town, and -their tale of the barbarities which the French and Italian -troops had committed there is too dreadful for recital; -there is, however, a satisfaction in recording that fourteen -of the perpetrators were among the prisoners taken at -Bilbao, and were deservedly put to death. The garrison -got by sea to Santona, that and St. Sebastian being -the only points which the enemy now occupied upon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_179">179</span> -that coast. The French had left 700 men in Pancorbo, a -post commanding a ravine through which the high road - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Pancorbo taken.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -from Burgos to Vittoria passes. The Andalusian -army of reserve, under the Conde de Abisbal, -was on its way to join the main force. Lord Wellington -requested him to make himself master of the town and -lower works, and blockade, as closely as he could, the -castle, which is situated on a high rock. Abisbal assaulted -and took the town and the fort of Santa Marta -on the 28th; and cutting off the garrison in the castle -from the spring which supplied them with water, compelled -them to surrender two days afterwards, when in -all other respects they were well provided for a regular -defence.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Clausel retires to Zaragoza.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>General Clausel’s corps, consisting of part of the -army of the north, and one division of the -army of Portugal, 14,000 in all, had been recalled -from its operations against Mina to join the -collected force of the Intruder. Coming in a direction -which none of the fugitives had taken, he approached -Vittoria the day after the battle, and finding that city in -possession of Major-General Pakenham’s division, which -had just arrived there, and having no means of communicating -with the routed army, he retired immediately -towards Logroño. There he halted, hoping to obtain -information whereby to direct his movements; and Lord -Wellington thinking there was some prospect of intercepting -his retreat, moved three divisions towards Tudela, -and the 5th and 6th from Vittoria and Salvatierra towards -Logroño. Clausel, who was at this time harassed -by the indefatigable Mina, and by Don Julian Sanchez -with his regiment of cavalry, left Logroño on the 24th, -taking with him the garrison of that place, and marching -on the left bank of the Ebro, crossed it by the bridge at -Lodosa, and reached Calahorra on the following day.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_180">180</span> -On the next he arrived at Tudela; but the Alcalde of -that city informed him that the allies were on the road -to meet him, upon which he marched toward Zaragoza, -taking with him this garrison also.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Preparations for the siege of Pamplona.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Sir Rowland meantime following the main body of the -defeated army on their retreat over the Pyrenees, -dislodged them from every point which -they attempted to hold, and obtained possession -of the passes of S. Esteban, Donna Maria, Maya, and -Roncesvalles. It was now Lord Wellington’s intention -to besiege Pamplona: with this intent the heavy guns -and stores for the siege were brought from Santander to -Deba, a little town to the westward of S. Sebastian’s: -there they were landed, and cows and bullocks had been -collected for transporting them to the trenches: but the -intelligence which Lord Wellington received from the -Anglo-Sicilian army rendered it necessary to give up this -intention, and every thing therefore was reshipped.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_181">181</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLIV" class="vspace">CHAPTER XLIV.<br /> - -<span class="subhead">OPERATIONS OF THE ANGLO-SICILIAN ARMY. RECOVERY OF ZARAGOZA. -SIEGE OF ST. SEBASTIAN. BATTLES OF THE PYRENEES.</span></h2> -</div> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">1813.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Expedition from Alicante.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p class="in0"><span class="firstword">It</span> was part of Lord Wellington’s plan that Marshal -Suchet should be engaged on the eastern coast -by the Anglo-Sicilian army, and thus prevented -from sending assistance to the French in Aragon -and on the upper Ebro. His position upon the line of -the Xucar was too strong to be attacked in front by the -force under Sir John Murray’s command, or acting in -concert with him; and a movement by Requeña and -Utiel upon their right flank, and by Tortosa and Lerida -towards the rear, seemed as hazardous as it would have -been circuitous and difficult. A naval expedition remained -for consideration; and if a vigorous attack were -made either upon Tarragona or Rosas, Suchet’s attention -must necessarily be drawn thither, so that he could give -no aid to the armies in the north, and must leave the -open part of the kingdom of Valencia to the Spaniards. -Tarragona was preferred as the point of attack, and Sir - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 14.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -John was instructed to embark with that view. -If he should succeed in his attempt against -that place, an establishment would be secured on the -coast north of the Ebro, so as to open a communication -with the Spanish army in Catalonia: but this was a -question of time and means, and if Suchet should be -strong enough in Catalonia to frustrate the attempt, Sir -John was directed in that case to return immediately, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_182">182</span> -land as far north in the kingdom of Valencia as he could, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -and there join with the right of the Spanish -armies, to assist them in profiting by the opportunity -which Suchet’s absence and the withdrawal of a -considerable part of his force from the Xucar might be -expected to afford.</p> - -<p>The expedition was to have been kept secret; but the -preparations which were made at Alicante for the embarkation -of a considerable corps could not be concealed, -and Suchet was speedily informed of them. Already he -had apprehended, by a movement of the Spaniards from -La Mancha upon Cuenca, and of Villacampa from the -frontiers of Aragon upon the upper Guadalaviar, that it -was intended by a combined operation to compel him to -evacuate Valencia; but as at that time Clausel’s activity -relieved him from any inquietude with regard to Mina, -he was enabled to withdraw a division from Aragon, -and to place Pannetier’s brigade between Tortosa and -Valencia, that he might direct it upon whatever point -should be threatened, without leaving the line of the -Xucar exposed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Col de Balaguer taken by the Anglo-Sicilian army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>By the end of May the expedition, consisting of 700 -cavalry, and 14,600 infantry, including Whittingham’s -division of 5000, and above 4000 -Italians, had embarked, and on the last day of -that month the fleet, commanded by Rear-Admiral -Hallowell, sailed from Alicante. It was seen -from Valencia; and the French troops from the side of -Tortosa were instructed to be ready for moving whithersoever -the debarkation might call them. After a very -favourable passage, the fleet anchored on the evening of -the 2nd in the port of Salon, within sight of Tarragona. -The soldiers who had been ordered to hold themselves in -readiness to land were put into the boats, but the surf -ran so high that Admiral Hallowell pronounced the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_183">183</span> -attempt too dangerous, and therefore they returned to the -ships. But before the fleet came to anchor a brigade, -under Lieutenant-Colonel Prevost, was judiciously detached -to get possession of the fort at Col de Balaguer, -that point commanding the only road by which artillery -could be brought to the relief of Tarragona. General -Copons, who had been apprized of the expedition, occupied -Reus at that time, and sent two battalions, at first, -to co-operate in the attack upon this fort, and afterwards -two more in consequence of some movements from Tortosa. -The attack was vigorously pressed. On the 5th -the place was battered in breach; on the 7th a magazine -exploded; the garrison, consisting of 80 men, were intimidated -by this, and the commandant capitulated. On -this side, therefore, no succours could now reach Tarragona, -which is about six leagues from Col de Balaguer, -except by a circuitous march of three days, through a -very difficult country: there was a pass indeed by which -the place might be approached, but it was not practicable -for artillery.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The expedition lands near Tarragona.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Meantime the debarkation had been effected on the -3rd, in broad day, and with an order, a precision, -and a rapidity, peculiar to the English in -their naval operations. Having reconnoitred -the fortress, Sir John Murray determined upon - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>M. Suchet’s Mem. 2, 311.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -attacking it on the western side, which was the -weakest, and that on which stores might most -conveniently be brought up to the batteries. General -Bertoletti, who commanded in Tarragona, did not confine -himself within the walls; he occupied the Fuerte -Real, and the ruins of the bastion of St. Carlos, which, -though, like all the external works, it had been demolished, -presented still an imposing appearance; and -great exertions were made for repairing it. These works -were between 350 and 400 yards from the body of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_184">184</span> -place, to the southward, and nearer the sea, the approach -being exceedingly difficult, and covered by the fire of the -town. But they were thought to be the key of the -place, and that if the besiegers could establish themselves -there, Tarragona must fall in three days. Accordingly -two batteries were begun on the evening of the 4th, and -on the morning of the 6th they opened their fire with -good effect; another was erected during the night, and -on the morning of the 8th the commanding engineer -reported that a practicable breach in the Fuerte Real had -been made; but he requested that it might not be -stormed, because its immediate possession could be turned -to no account, and to retain it would cost the lives of -many men. The fire therefore was continued only to -prevent its re-establishment. Meantime, when the weather -would permit, the artillery and engineer horses, and -the cavalry and artillery stores, were landed, and the -operations of the engineers were so far advanced that -two heavy batteries were constructed to enfilade the -place. The city was then summoned to surrender; but -as none of the batteries were as yet within 500 yards of -the place, and the fire of the besieged had been very -superior to that of the besiegers, General Bertoletti -would not listen to the summons. On the 11th, the commanding -officer of engineers reported that he was perfectly -prepared to push the siege with vigour; and -according to Sir John Murray’s order, Major-General -Sir William Clinton, who had that day been left in temporary -command of the siege, resolved to storm the -Fuerte Real at nine that night. Accordingly a disposition -for the assault was made, and arrangements for -distracting the enemy’s attention by a simultaneous show -of attack along the whole of his front, aided from the -side of the sea by the bomb-vessels and gun-boats.</p> - -<p>Marshal Suchet meantime, leaving General Harispe<span class="pagenum" id="Page_185">185</span> -with the command on the Xucar, had made for - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet’s movement for the relief of Tarragona.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Tortosa by forced marches with one division, -his reserve, and a brigade of cavalry: and -before his arrival he had dispatched orders -for the garrison of that place to secure the Col de -Balaguer; but the fort there was taken before any -attempt to succour it was made, and he could therefore -bring with him no artillery in his attempt to raise -the siege of Tarragona. He had directed also Generals -Decaen and Maurice Mathieu to march for the relief of -the place. On the side of Tortosa all due precautions -had been taken, by getting possession of the fort which -absolutely commanded that singular pass. On the other -side, Sir John Murray had ordered General Whittingham -to see if the road could by any means be broken up or impeded, -... but in an open country this was found impracticable -in any part, except at a point near the sea, and -within two miles of Tarragona. When Whittingham -was at Torre de Embarra upon this investigation, Manso, -who had 2000 men at Vendrell, came there to inform him -that Decaen, from Hostalric and the country beyond it, -would arrive that night at Barcelona, where there would -then be a force of 12,000 foot and 400 horse, disposable -for the relief of Tarragona. This information General -Whittingham communicated to Sir John Murray on the -9th, observing that the enemy might advance to succour -that place, in two columns, one by the road along the -coast, the other by the heights, upon the left of the besieging -army; the Spanish division, which formed the -left, would thus be exposed in flank to a superior force, -and in a position that was commanded by the heights, -and had the fortified city in its rear: and he suggested -to Sir John that he should leave General Copons with -the Catalan army to cover the siege, while he, with the -British troops and the Majorcan division, marched immediately<span class="pagenum" id="Page_186">186</span> -upon Villa Franca to attack Decaen; that General -would have advanced beyond Villa Franca; victory, -considering the number and the quality of the allied -troops, would not be doubtful, and it would decide the -contest in Catalonia; and after driving him from Molins -de Rey, and destroying the stone bridge over the Llobregat, -by which bridge alone artillery could be brought -across that river, there would be time to return and encounter -Marshal Suchet.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir John Murray raises the siege.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>To this suggestion Sir John paid no regard; but late -in the evening of the 11th, when every thing -was ready for an immediate assault upon the -Fuerte Real, he received intelligence that Suchet -was advancing with 12,000 men from the side of Tortosa, -and Decaen with 8000 from Barcelona; upon which he -determined immediately to raise the siege, and with -such haste as to abandon all the heavy artillery, ammunition, -and stores that had been landed. He thought it -would have been an useless waste of the lives of British -soldiers to assault a work which, if carried, must, in his -opinion, have been abandoned the next day: he placed -no reliance upon the Spaniards under Copons, who had -not more than 8500 disposable men, and those without -pay, discipline, artillery, or means of subsisting, and -whom he considered totally incapable of acting in the -field. He distrusted his own foreign troops, who worked -slowly at the siege, with great unwillingness, and with -so little steadiness, that it had required an additional -party of 200 British soldiers to carry to the batteries the -ammunition which one of their parties threw away when -they came under fire. The French too, he thought, had -all advantages; they had fortresses in every direction to -furnish them supplies, to retire upon if they wished to -avoid an action till they could bring together more -troops, or to cover them if they were defeated; whereas<span class="pagenum" id="Page_187">187</span> -he was in the open field, without any point of support, or -of retreat, except to the ships: and how serious an operation -would it be to embark an army in an open bay, -and on a beach where he had learned by experience that -it was impossible to disembark in any but the lightest -boats! Three days at least would be required to complete -this re-embarkation. He decided, therefore, upon -beginning it without delay.</p> - -<p>Admiral Hallowell strongly remonstrated against abandoning -the artillery, and engaged to bring off every -thing, if Sir John would only give him the night from -the 12th to the 13th; but that commander gave ear -to less hopeful counsels, most unfortunately for himself. -For public opinion loudly condemned his conduct; it -became the subject of a court-martial; and though the -sentence acquitted him upon all other charges, it pronounced -that he had committed an error of judgment in -abandoning his artillery, when it might have been brought -off. The embarkation was commenced at daybreak. At -first some of the valuable stores were sent off, but orders -were given to abandon them. Great part of the infantry -were put on board during the day in full view of the besieged, -who crowded on the ramparts to behold what -they were unable to understand. Sir John himself embarked -early in the evening; but it was not till near -midnight that the 1st division, under Sir William Clinton, -who was left in command of the troops on shore, moved -to the beach; and so completely were the enemy deceived -as to its movements, by the piquets of this division -having been kept at their advanced stations till darkness -had closed, that not a man ventured without the walls, -and not a shot was fired during the night, except from -the ramparts, nor did any enemy show himself to molest -the embarkation. The cavalry of the Majorcan division -were embarked on the morning of the 13th, by means of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_188">188</span> -a mole constructed for the purpose, about two leagues -from the town; but the other cavalry and a great part of -the field artillery were ordered by land to the Col de -Balaguer, whither Sir John Murray repaired in the -Bristol early on the 13th, and where the whole armament -was directed to assemble.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet approaches Col de Balaguer, and retires again.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>While the allies were thus re-embarking with discreditable -precipitance, two other armies thought -it necessary in consequence of this movement to -retreat also, in equal haste, ... General Copons -from the vicinity of Reus to the mountains, -lest he should be exposed to a combined attack from -Decaen and the garrison of Tarragona; and Decaen himself -to Barcelona, apprehending that the allies had raised -the siege for the purpose of bringing him to action. On -the evening of the 13th an enemy’s detachment was seen -advancing by the piquets in front of the fort at Col de -Balaguer, and judging that this might be the advance of -Suchet’s force, Sir John ordered part of the infantry to -be re-landed as it arrived from Tarragona, in order to -cover the embarkation of the cavalry and field-artillery, -which had reached that point in the course of the day. -He was not mistaken in this judgment, ... Marshal -Suchet having found the way by the mountains impracticable, -thought to force his way by the Col, expecting -to reduce the fort with as little difficulty as the allies -had done; and on the 14th he presented himself there on -the road from Tortosa with the main body of his army. -He found a battalion in position covering the fort; but, to -his astonishment, he also discovered the British fleet at -anchor between the Col and Hospitalet. His light -troops and skirmishers extended themselves along the -hills, and approached within cannon-shot of the fort. -But he found it impossible to advance, so completely -was the road on that side commanded by the fort and by<span class="pagenum" id="Page_189">189</span> -the judicious station taken by the ships of war, which -could anchor there close to the shore; and it was equally -impossible for an army to remain there many hours, -there being no water within many miles. He found it -necessary, therefore, to retire the same evening to the -village of Perillo, not knowing what had occurred at -Tarragona, alarmed as well as surprised at what he had -seen, and holding himself prepared to follow the movements -of the fleet.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">June 15.</span> Sir John re-lands the troops.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the following morning he made a second movement -on Valdellos, as if intending to attempt the mountain -road. As soon as Sir John Murray was informed -of this he apprehended that it was -Suchet’s intention to turn the position which the allies -occupied, and enter the plain of Tarragona in their rear; -upon which the farther embarkation of the cavalry was -suspended, and nearly the whole of the infantry were -put on shore. He also sent a strong division, and all the -cavalry, under Major-General Mackenzie, to observe the -enemy’s motions, and attack them if they should attempt -to press farther forward. They remained on the 16th -nearly in the same position; but intelligence came that -a column was in march from the side of Tarragona, and -as this would have rendered General Mackenzie’s situation -extremely critical, he was ordered to retire to Hospitalet, -and accordingly retreated thither in the course of -the night. Sir John now determined to take up a position -in the plain, between the high ground of the Col -and the sea, and this was done on the 17th. The left -rested on the hills, which are almost inaccessible on that -side; the ground in front, though level, was impracticable -for cavalry, because it is intersected from the hills to the -sea with gullies and deep ravines caused by the winter -rains. The right extended to the shore, and was greatly -protected by the gun-boats and the fire of the shipping.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_190">190</span> -In this strong position he had resolved to wait the enemy’s -attack, but in the forenoon it was ascertained that they -had retired on both sides, Suchet toward Tortosa, and -Decaen toward Barcelona, after throwing supplies into -Tarragona. Sir John then assembled a council of war, -in which it was concluded that as nothing farther in the -way of offensive operations could be attempted by the -army in its then state, and as no advantage could be -expected from remaining where they were, and acting -defensively, the most advisable measure was to re-embark -and return to Alicante, there to re-equip the army.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord W. Bentinck takes the command.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>In the afternoon of this busy day Lord William Bentinck, -who had long been looked for, arrived -from Sicily to take the command. The Mediterranean -fleet, under Sir Edward Pellew, came -with him, having quitted its station off Toulon in the -hope of assisting the operations against Tarragona, either -by its presence there, or by making a show of landing at -and attacking Rosas. Lord William on assuming the -command confirmed the opinion of the council of war, -and ordered the troops to be immediately re-embarked. -The weather being such as to raise a high surf, rendered -this very difficult; nevertheless by great exertions on the -part of the navy, every thing was got on board by - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Fort at Col de Balaguer demolished.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the midnight of the 19th. At the same time -the fort at Col de Balaguer, having been dismantled -and ruined, was blown up; and on the -ensuing day, Admiral Hallowell and the Anglo-Sicilian -army made sail for Alicante from their bootless expedition, -and Sir Edward Pellew returned with the Mediterranean -fleet to his wonted station.</p> - -<p>The explosion of the fort announced to the French -that the English had abandoned all thought of any further -operations in lower Catalonia, ... much to Marshal -Suchet’s relief, who while they remained there deemed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_191">191</span> -it necessary to observe their movements, and yet felt - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Unsuccessful movements of the Spaniards in Valencia.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -that he was wanted upon the Xucar. General -Elio’s army, joined by that which Ballasteros -had formerly commanded, but was now under the -Duque del Parque, had endeavoured to take advantage -of his absence with so large a part of -his force. On the 11th they had attacked General -Harispe’s rear-guard, under General Mesclop, when on -the road from S. Philippe to its position on the Xucar, -but were repulsed at the village of Rogla with some loss, -and Elio himself was for a little while in the enemy’s -hands, but he had the good fortune to escape without -being recognized. The French then pursued their march -without farther molestation to the bridge over the Xucar. -On the 13th the Spaniards presented themselves in force -there, and while a cannonade was kept up on that side, -the Duque del Parque attacked Alcira by the two roads of -Carcagente and of Gandia. General Habert let their -principal column approach the suburb, then charged it -at the moment when it began to deploy, threw it into -confusion, routed it with the loss of 400 killed and more -than 600 prisoners; and this in time for repairing to -support his left on the Gandia road, and there also to -defeat the assailants. Notwithstanding this success, General -Harispe was far from feeling secure in his position. -He informed Marshal Suchet that there were in his front -not less than 28,000 of the least bad Spanish infantry, and -from 2000 to 3000 cavalry in a good state; this, he said, -the prisoners agreed in affirming, and the intelligence was -not of a kind to make them feel more secure than they -ought to be. The departure of the expedition from -Balaguer Roads after the total failure of its object -enabled the Marshal to hasten back towards the Xucar, -and he did this with the more speed, because there was -a report that its intention was to intercept him on his way<span class="pagenum" id="Page_192">192</span> -to Valencia, by landing either at Puerto de los Alfaques, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The fleet suffers on its return to Alicante.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -or at Castellon de la Plana. But the fleet had -no other object in view than that of returning -to Alicante, and in this it suffered much from -storms. Eighteen transports were driven on the Alfaques; -the troops were taken out, and fifteen of the -vessels were got off, but the others were lost.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet’s measures after the battle of Vittoria.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On landing at Alicante, Lord William received intelligence -of the battle of Vittoria. Suchet had -apprehended no such tidings. Buonaparte seems -to have entertained till the last a blind persuasion -that his schemes of ambition in Spain and -every where else must finally be successful, and the instructions -which he had sent to the Marshal were that -he should endeavour to gain time, and lose no ground, -till the affairs of the north should be finished, when, if it -were then necessary, dispositions would be made in favour -of the armies in Spain. The Marshal, however, -knew that he must lose no time in retiring from Valencia; -that province therefore was delivered by the battle -of Vittoria, as Andalusia had been by the battle of Salamanca. -He thought to retain upon it a hold which -would enable him at any time to return by leaving a -garrison of 1200 men in Murviedro, stored for twelve -months, the place having been materially strengthened -during the eighteen months which had elapsed since the -French obtained possession of it: 500 men were also left -in Peñiscola, 120 in Denia, and as many in Morella, that -little fort commanding a mountain-road, by which a corps -of infantry without cannon could at any time re-enter -Valencia from Aragon. Looking forward therefore to the -probable resumption of their conquests, with the hopefulness -which characterizes the French character, and -with the confidence which he might justly feel in his own -ability of improving all circumstances to the best advantage,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_193">193</span> -he commenced his retreat with the less reluctance -because Clausel apprized him that he had arrived at -Zaragoza with 14,000 men, and would establish himself - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet’s Mémoires, 2, 310–324.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -upon the Gallego, in readiness either to co-operate -with the army of Aragon, or with the Intruder, -if the army on that side should resume -the offensive.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington undertakes the siege of St. Sebastian.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A junction between Clausel and Suchet was what -Lord Wellington apprehended as soon as he -heard that the expedition against Tarragona had -failed, and that consideration made him at once -give up his intention of laying siege to Pamplona. -Unwelcome as the tidings were, this change of purpose -may have compensated for the failure, ... Pamplona - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -being so much stronger than it was at that time -supposed to be by the allies, and the British -army still so defective in its engineer’s department, that -the siege might probably have proved unsuccessful. Resorting -therefore to the surer method of blockading a city, -which there was reason to believe was not provided for a -long siege, he intrusted that service to the Spaniards, -and ordered works to be thrown up on every side, to prevent -the escape of the garrison, and to cut them off from -all supplies; and he determined to besiege St. Sebastian’s, -where farther means of attack could be obtained -by sea. The service was intrusted to Sir Thomas Graham, -with 10,000 men.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Clausel retreats into France by way of Jaca.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>But the failure in Catalonia was soon compensated by -the events which took place in Aragon. Clausel, -not waiting for Marshal Suchet’s movements, -nor to consult with him, left his artillery at Zaragoza, -and made for France by way of Jaca. The -Spaniards supposed that his chief motive was the desire -of securing the riches which he had amassed. Mina was -marching upon the same point with a far inferior force,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_194">194</span> -in the hope of intercepting some of this booty, when he - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Duran invites Mina to act with him for the deliverance of Zaragoza.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -received orders which suspended his progress. -Duran at the same time, as commandant in -Lower Aragon, was instructed to take such opportunity -as might offer for acting against the -enemy in Zaragoza. This veteran, who was -then at Ricla, sent Colonel Tabuenca to inform Mina of -Clausel’s retreat, and to confer with him upon a plan of -speedy operations for the recovery of that capital, where -there were no other troops remaining than a not numerous -garrison, and against which he should immediately -move. Tabuenca was then with his regiment at Borja; -Mina was supposed to be at Gallud: not finding him -there, Tabuenca hastened to Pedrola; but there he found -D. Julian Sanchez, who directed him to look for Mina at -Alagon; and from Alagon Cruchaga directed him to -Las Casetas, and there at one in the morning Tabuenca -arrived and found him. Upon delivering his dispatches, -he stated that General Duran had selected him to be the -bearer, because, being a native of Zaragoza, and having -been present during both sieges, he could give him the -fullest local information, upon which their combined -operations might be concerted. Mina replied, that their -forces were not sufficient for such an enterprise. He had -approached the city, he said, upon an assurance that the -enemy had evacuated it; but an intercepted letter had -just been brought him, in which the governor, General -Paris, ordered the garrisons on the left of the Ebro to -maintain their posts, because succours were on the way -to them from Marshal Suchet.</p> - -<p>Tabuenca had not expected such a reply. He represented -that the united force of the two divisions amounted -to from 10,000 to 12,000 infantry, and 1500 horse; that -the garrison did not at the utmost exceed 5000, including -invalids; that when with that number so wide a circuit<span class="pagenum" id="Page_195">195</span> -was to be covered, various false attacks might distract -their attention, and an entrance be effected where they -least apprehended it: and that when once the Spaniards -should have set foot upon the walls, they might count -upon as many brave soldiers as there were men of Zaragoza. -The reinforcements which the governor looked -for were, he said, far off, and could not, if time were -made good use of, arrive till they would be useless. There -was more reason to fear that Clausel might march back; -but even in that case they could maintain themselves in -Zaragoza. Paris could not defend the city, if he were -vigorously assailed: and though he might bring off the -garrison by the bridge over the Ebro, the French could -not carry off their booty. Mina replied, that he had only -three regiments of infantry on the right of the Ebro, and -cavalry was of little use; but in the morning he expected -information from the place, and would then determine -whether to remain or to retire. Tabuenca observed, that -the regiments on the left bank would not be useless if -they were made to approach, and that the cavalry might -be dismounted; and he requested him at least to bring -down the regiments which he had at Alagon and Pedrola, -that the enemy’s attention might thus be drawn -toward Las Casetas, when Duran came with his division, -as he would do, to Maria or Cadrete. To this Mina consented.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 8.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Early in the morning, Tabuenca’s regiment, which -had followed him, arrived at the Puente de la - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Affair before Zaragoza.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Claveria, where he joined it, and proceeded on -the right of the canal of Tauste toward the -Puente de la Muela, meaning to give the men -some rest there, while he went in search of Duran. They -had scarcely been an hour upon the way, when a fire of -musketry was heard on the left toward Las Casetas, and -an orderly of Mina’s came in all haste to recall them,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_196">196</span> -because the enemy had attacked him. Tabuenca, confiding -in his own knowledge of the ground, represented -to Mina, that instead of obeying this order, it would be -better that he should occupy the Puente de la Muela, -whereby he should divert the enemy’s attention, if, as -might be expected, more troops should issue out, and at -the same time secure that point in case Duran should -make for it. Mina approved of this suggestion. The -alarm had been occasioned by a body of horse, some 150 -in number, who had been sent on an exploring party; -they were charged by Mina’s cavalry, and compelled to -retreat with all speed; but other bodies presently sallied -to their support, and one of about 1000 foot and 100 -horse made for the Puente de la Muela. Tabuenca, -who had with him about 1400 men, quickened his pace -and anticipated them; and seeing this they halted, hesitated, -and then fell back. Their main force advanced -against Mina upon the road to Las Casetas; troops also -came to his support, and his men behaved with their -wonted gallantry. The enemy were superior both in -horse and foot, and when the body which had been disappointed -in their intention of occupying the bridge of -La Muela joined them, the Navarrese could with difficulty -keep their ground; but Tabuenca hastening with part -of his men, approached the enemy on their left flank, -under cover of some olive yards, and opened upon them -a fire as opportune as it was unexpected; taking advantage -of the movement which this occasioned among -them, Mina charged with such effect, that they retreated -hastily till they were under the fire of their works. Mina -then encamped his troops between the Casetas and the -heights of La Bernardona, ... he had now with him 4000 -foot and 1500 horse; and Tabuenca regarding this affair -as a preliminary to the recovery of Zaragoza, ordered -his regiment to march immediately upon the Casa Blanca<span class="pagenum" id="Page_197">197</span> -and the Torrero, while he took the same course with the -detachment which had been engaged. These posts, -which had been so obstinately disputed in the former -sieges, were abandoned by the French at their approach; -and the Spaniards entered them, rejoicing in their success, -and in being enabled to rest, after a march of four-and-twenty -hours, during which they had had no other -refreshment than a hasty meal at Grisen.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Second sally of the French.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Between four and five in the afternoon the French -sallied a second time and in greater force. They -attacked Mina’s division, which was supported -by D. Julian Sanchez with his Castilian lancers; -but while thus engaged, Tabuenca, leaving just troops -enough in the works which he had taken to cover his -retreat should that be necessary, attacked the enemy -on their left and in their rear, and the result was that -they were driven into the city, leaving some two hundred -killed. Mina’s loss in killed and wounded amounted in - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Duran arrives before the city.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the course of the day to 115; Tabuenca’s to 28. -Duran arrived after the affair, just as evening -was closing; that morning, as he was about to -march from Muel for Cadrete, he was informed that a -French detachment had gone from Zaragoza to bring off -the garrison of Almunia which a party of his troops -were blockading; and he was preparing to intercept -them when a dispatch from Tabuenca made him hasten -with all speed to the more important scene of action. -Early on the morrow, Mina and Julian Sanchez came to -confer with him in the Casa Blanca, and Duran proposed -that they should assault the city on the following night: -the wall, he said, might be escaladed at many points; the -enemy’s attention might be distracted by false attacks, -and they were sure of assistance from within. This -veteran had frequently distinguished himself by assaulting -towns that were imperfectly fortified; Mina was less<span class="pagenum" id="Page_198">198</span> -accustomed to such service, and more disposed to watch -for and profit by any opportunity that might be offered -him in the field: he was of opinion that they ought to -remain before the city and collect thither the remainder -of their forces; and in that opinion he persisted when -Duran on the following evening renewed the proposal: -for he judged rightly, that by a little delay success would -be rendered more certain, and obtained at less cost of -life.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French withdraw from Zaragoza.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>D. Julian Sanchez removed with his lancers that evening -to the Casa Blanca. The enemy allowed no -one to go out of the gates: they had suffered too -much in the two sallies of the preceding day to -venture upon a third; and their vigilance was such that -eager as the inhabitants were to communicate with those -through whom they expected now to obtain the deliverance -for which they so long offered up their prayers, -they could convey no intelligence: neither, indeed, was -it easy for them to determine what were the intentions of -the French; for though they had their plunder packed -up for removal and the carriages laden with it, and -though they mined the stone bridge over the Ebro, they -made at the same time other demonstrations, which were -intended to show that it was not their purpose to abandon -the city. A little before eight in the evening two guns -were fired, which were the signal for a general movement, -... coaches, carts, and sumpter beasts were collected -about the Puerta del Angel, and the troops began to -file over the stone bridge. This movement was succeeded -by stillness, and just before midnight the bridge was -blown up. Duran was presently informed by his outposts -where the explosion had been, and that the French -had abandoned the city; immediately he sent D. Julian -Sanchez and Tabuenca to ascertain what damage had -been done to the bridge, and whether it were possible to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_199">199</span> -pursue the enemy: he charged them also to give immediate -directions for rendering it passable, and not to enter -the city unless it should be absolutely necessary, nor -suffer any soldier to enter it, that there might be no -opportunity for any of those excesses which on such -occasions were so likely to be committed; for the same -purpose he posted guards at all the gates. The <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> -however deemed it best, that Sanchez should -enter with his lancers, and with a patrol of the citizens -maintain order: the principal streets were presently illuminated, -the people waiting for no orders or concert, but -acting with one common feeling; and the Coso was -crowded to see the entrance of the deliverers.</p> - -<p>Duran had lost no time in apprizing Mina of what had -occurred, and requesting to see him that they might -arrange their joint entrance. The <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i>, between -one and two in the morning, came to the Casa -Blanca, bringing the keys to Duran, and informing him -that the enemy had left about 700 men in the Aljaferia, -whose presence, they added, could not prevent him from -entering Zaragoza and giving the inhabitants a day of -jubilee. Duran replied, that he waited for General -Mina to enter with him; but Mina neither appeared, -nor any messenger from him, till about seven in the -morning, when, passing by the Casa Blanca, without -alighting, or turning aside to the building in which the -<i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> and Duran were awaiting him, he sent a -chaplain to inform the old general that he was going on to -the Torrero. Not a little surprised at this, they all went -out in hope of speaking with him, but it was too late; -and when one of the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> was deputed to seek -him at the Torrero, and let him know that they were -waiting for him, he was not found there. The forenoon -was far advanced before he, with some of his chief officers,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_200">200</span> -approached the Puerta Quemada, where Duran with his -division and the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> were expecting them; -his cavalry was at that time fording the Ebro; and -merely saying to Duran that he was about to pursue the -enemy with them, he rode away. Even noble minds are -not always free from infirmity, and this conduct was -ascribed to a jealous desire of engrossing to himself the -glory of having delivered Zaragoza; for which reason he -did not choose to enter with Duran, who was an older -camp marshal, and as such, and also as commandant-general -of Lower Aragon, must have entered at the head -of the troops. But if this unworthy feeling existed, -there were fairer motives that mingled with it; he -thought it better that his infantry should remain encamped -than that they should be quartered in the city; -and the pursuit of General Paris was certainly an object -of no trifling importance. Two of Mina’s regiments -thinking that they were following Paris toward Leciñena, -fell in with him unexpectedly, and were attacked by him -in the rear, and found it necessary to take up a position, -first upon a height near that place, and then near the -Ermita de Magallon. The French, whose business -should then have been rather to secure themselves by a -rapid retreat, than to seek for trivial advantages, lost -some time in vainly endeavouring to dislodge them. -Giving up the attempt, at last they took the road to Alcubierre; -the Spaniards then pursued, harassed their rear, -and compelled them to abandon, at the foot of the mountain -there, the greater part of the coaches, <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">calesas</i>, and -carts, laden with spoil which they had brought from -Zaragoza. Paris meantime accelerated his retreat, and -effected it, but not without losing the greater part of his -convoy, all his artillery, and considerable numbers in -killed and wounded, and some fifty prisoners, of whom<span class="pagenum" id="Page_201">201</span> -about twenty were Spanish traitors. Mina arrived with -his cavalry after the spoil had been taken, and when it -was too late to continue the pursuit.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet draws off the remaining garrisons in Aragon.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Paris’s orders had been to make for Mequinenza if he -were compelled to leave Zaragoza; this he found -impossible, and was glad to effect his escape by -Huesca and Jaca. Marshal Suchet, after leaving -a garrison of 4500 men in Tortosa, under Baron -Robert, moved toward the frontier of Aragon, with the -double view of saving Paris, and of enabling a detachment -to rejoin him which he had sent to destroy the -castles at Teruel and Alcañiz, and bring off the garrisons. -The detachment having arrived at Caspe, Suchet -pushed his columns to Fabera, and had now his army on -the right bank of the Ebro ... having its right at Caspe, -its centre at Gandessa, and its left at Tortosa. Here he -received intelligence that Paris was driven upon Jaca; -that Clausel, who had moved down from Jaca with a view -of securing Zaragoza, finding it too late, had again retreated, -and retiring still further, had taken a position -with his corps upon the frontier of France, and that the -whole of Aragon was lost. Nothing remained for him -but to draw off the garrisons of Zuera, Gurrea, Anzanigo, -Ayerbe, Huesca, Belchite, Fuentes, Pina, Bujaraloz and -Caspe, and to think only of combining his operations -with General Decaen for maintaining Catalonia. He -crossed the Ebro therefore at Mequinenza, Mora, and - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 15.</span>Suchet’s Mémoires, 2, 329–331.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Tortosa; and in passing between Hospitalet and -Cambrils, was cannonaded by the English fleet. -To maintain the line of the lower Ebro after the -deliverance of Aragon was impossible; it was -equally so to feed his army in the sterile environs of Tortosa, -where he was also in danger of having the defiles in -his rear occupied by the enemy, who might come by sea, -and interpose between him and the strong places in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_202">202</span> -Catalonia; he determined therefore upon moving on -Reus, Valls, and Tarragona.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Duran enters Zaragoza. <span class="date">July 10.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Meantime Duran, manifesting no displeasure at the -discourtesy which had been shown towards him, -made his entrance into Zaragoza. His first business -was to march through the rejoicing streets -to the church of Our Lady of the Pillar, and -here offer up thanksgiving; his second was to lay siege -to the castle. The heavy artillery of his division was -sent for, and approaches regularly made; and the Zaragozans, -after having so often seen the Spaniards who -had been made prisoners in Aragon or Valencia, marched -through their streets, had now the satisfaction of seeing -a French garrison brought prisoners thither in their turn -from La Almunia, where they had surrendered to a detachment -of the Sorian division. During the first days -of the siege, Mina, finding it in vain to pursue General -Paris, returned, and took up his quarters with his troops -in the suburb; and this was supposed to be a farther indication -of jealousy towards Duran, because by remaining -on that side of the Ebro which appertained to his own -district of Upper Aragon, he was not under his command; -it was deemed more strange that he took no part -whatever at this time in the operations of the siege, but -left it wholly to be carried on by the Sorian division; -in fact, he was daily expecting to be appointed to the -command of the whole province. Before that appointment -arrived, intelligence came that Suchet had advanced -to Fabara and Caspe; upon which he crossed the bridge, -began his retreat to Las Casetas and to Alagon, and sent -orders to Tabuenca to follow him with his regiment: -Tabuenca replied that he was under General Duran’s -command, and could not leave Zaragoza without his -orders. And Duran, as soon as he was informed of this, -sent to Mina, saying he could not allow the regiment of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_203">203</span> -Rioja to accompany him in his retreat (a retreat of which -he was no otherwise informed than by the orders which -had been sent to its colonel), because being determined -to defend the city, he required its presence, and indeed -he requested the support of some of his troops also; for -if the enemy should advance to Zaragoza, which he did -not expect, the retreat of the Spanish troops would have -a most prejudicial effect upon the public mind; the two -divisions were strong enough to meet the French and -give them battle, and this they ought to do; but for himself, -with his single division, he could defend the city. -This indeed Duran at that juncture could well have -done; but if the alternative had been to meet Suchet in -the field, or to retreat, the course which Mina followed, -in pursuance of his usual system, would have been unquestionably -the most judicious.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mina takes the command.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>It was soon ascertained that Suchet had retreated, -upon which Mina returned to Zaragoza; he -then took up his quarters in the city, and the -siege of the Aljaferia was carried on jointly by the -two divisions; and on the fourth day after his return, the -commission which he had looked for arrived, appointing -him Commandant-General of all Aragon. The same day -brought orders for Duran to join the army of Catalonia, -leaving, however, such regiments as Mina might think -proper to detain. Mina took two out of four regiments, -and one of three squadrons of cavalry; with the remainder -Duran departed for Catalonia, leaving to Mina the -reputation of effecting the deliverance of Zaragoza, which -certainly was not due to him, and was not needed for one -who had rendered more signal services to his country, -when its fortunes were at the lowest ebb, than any other -individual. Duran was remarkable among all the partizans -who distinguished themselves in this war for the</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_204">204</span> - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Reconquista de Zaragoza, pp. 23–84.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -discipline which, as an old officer, he introduced among -his troops, and which he maintained by means -that made him equally respected and beloved. -Father, or grandfather, were the appellations -by which they called him, and which he deserved by the -care which he manifested on all occasions for them. On - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Aljaferia surrendered.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the second day after his departure a redoubt was -blown up, in which the commanding officer of -the artillery, and 28 men who were in garrison -there, perished. This was said to have been his own -act; and it was said also that another artillery officer -intended to set fire to the powder-magazine, but was -prevented by the soldiers, who with their besiegers must -otherwise have been destroyed, and with them no small -part of the city. The motive assigned for this insane -desperation was resentment against the commandant of -the place for determining to capitulate, though the works -had sustained little injury, and were abundantly provided -for a long defence. Immediately after this the garrison -surrendered.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Conduct of the Zaragozans during their captivity.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Thus, after four years of captivity, Zaragoza was delivered -from its detested enemies. During the -greater part of that time no tidings but those of -ill fortune had reached the Zaragozans, ... the -defeat of their armies, the capture of one strong -hold after another, some having yielded through famine, -others to the strength and skill of the besiegers, and more -having been basely or traitorously given up. And -though they well knew that the journals of the Intrusive -Government, like those in France, were conducted upon -a system of falsehood, suppressing every thing which -could not be made appear favourable to Buonaparte’s -views, they could not doubt the substance of these -tidings, nor, in some of the worst cases, the extent of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_205">205</span> -national loss. The prisoners who were taken in Blake’s -defeat before Murviedro, and the still greater number -who surrendered with him at Valencia, had been marched -through the streets of Zaragoza, in the depth of winter, -and in a condition which would have moved any soldiers -to compassion except those of Buonaparte and of the -generals whom he employed in Spain: without shoes -and stockings, foot-sore, half naked, half famished, they -were driven and outraged and insulted by an enemy who -seemed, together with the observances of civilized war, -to have renounced the feelings of humanity. At such -times the Zaragozans, without distinction of rank or sex, -crowded about their unfortunate countrymen to administer -what consolation they could, to weep over them, and -to share with them their own scanty supplies of clothing -and of food. On such occasions, too, all the respectable -families, as if by one consent, kept days of mourning and -humiliation<a id="FNanchor_1" href="#Footnote_1" class="fnanchor">1</a>, each in their houses: and more earnest -prayers were never offered up than they breathed in bitterness -of soul for the deliverance of their injured country, -and for vengeance upon their merciless and insolent -oppressors.</p> - -<p>At the time of the deliverance, and long after, the -city and its environs bore miserable vestiges of the two -sieges. Ruined houses were to be seen far and near on -every side, and the broken walls of what once had been -fertile inclosures. Some streets were merely ruins; in -others, the walls of the houses were literally covered with -the marks of musket-balls, and in some places large holes -had been made in them by the numbers which had struck -there. Most of the churches and convents were nothing<span class="pagenum" id="Page_206">206</span> -but heaps of ruins; the Capuchin’s convent had been so -totally demolished, that only a solitary cross remained to -mark the spot where it had stood. Nothing had been -repaired except the Aljaferia and such of the fortifications -as the French re-fortified for their own security. -Much of this material destruction was reparable; but -precious monuments of antiquity had been destroyed, ... -precious libraries and precious manuscripts, which never -could be replaced; and upon most of the inhabitants -irreparable ruin had been brought. The loss of life -which had been sustained there may be summed up: -broken fortunes and broken hearts are not taken into the -account; but the sufferers had the proud and righteous -satisfaction of knowing that they had not suffered in vain. -The two sieges of Zaragoza, that in which it was overcome, -not less than that which it successfully resisted, -contributed more than any other event to keep up the -national spirit of the Spaniards, to exalt the character of -the nation, and to excite the sympathy and the admiration -of other countries. And the good will not pass away -with the generation upon whom the evil fell. There is -no more illustrious example of public virtue in ancient -or modern history than this of Zaragoza. Such examples -are not lost upon posterity; and such virtue, as it affords -full proof that the Spanish character retains its primitive -strength, affords also the best ground for hope, not only -that Spain may resume its rank in Christendom as a -great and powerful kingdom, but also that the Spaniards -may become, religiously and politically, a free and enlightened -nation; not by the remote consequences of a -sudden and violent revolution, which always brings with -it more evils than it sweeps away, but by the progress of -wisdom and truth, working their sure though slow effect -in God’s good time, among a patient, thoughtful, and -devout people.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_207">207</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>St. Sebastian’s.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Aragon having now been wholly delivered from the -enemy, no attempt could be made from that -side to relieve Pamplona; the blockade of that -city was safely intrusted to the Spaniards, who were now -becoming an efficient part of the allied armies; and -meantime the siege of St. Sebastian’s was made Lord -Wellington’s immediate object. St. Sebastian’s, which -is the most important town in Guipuzcoa, stands at the -mouth of the little river Urumea, on a peninsula between -two arms of the sea, and at the foot of a high hill. A bay -forms its port, which has been widened and deepened, -but is still small and shallow, and so insecure in certain -winds, that ships have been driven from their anchors -there; yet to this port the town owes its origin, and its -fortifications, which were first erected to protect the shipping. -Close at hand, on the side towards France, is the -capacious harbour of Passages, surrounded by mountains, -with an entrance between the rocks so strait, that only a -single ship can pass, and that only by towing; formerly -it served for ships of the line, but under the mal-administration -of later years it had been neglected, and was -now so far filled up, that none but small craft and vessels -of 200 or 300 tons came in: for this reason, probably, -the Caraccas Company, whose port it had been, removed -to St. Sebastian’s. There also the entrance is very narrow, -being confined between two moles. The town contains -from 600 to 700 houses, in twenty streets, all -which are paved with large smooth stones, and several -of them long, broad, and straight: the suburbs were -more extensive, and the whole population was estimated -at 13,000.</p> - -<p>Few places present a more formidable appearance; -the only land approach is over a low sandy isthmus, occupied -by one front of fortification, and this narrow road is -commanded by the castle; but on the left flank there are<span class="pagenum" id="Page_208">208</span> -considerable sand-hills some 600 or 700 yards distant, -which completely enfilade and take in reverse the front -defences. Those which cross the isthmus are a double -line of works, with the usual counterscarp, covered way, -and glacis; but those which run lengthways consist only -of a single line, and trusting to the waters in their front to -render them inaccessible, are built without any cover. -The northern line is from top to bottom quite exposed to -the sand-hills; the Urumea, which washes the town on -that side, is fordable for some hours before and after low -water, and the tide recedes so much that during that -time there is a considerable space left dry by which -troops can march to the foot of the wall. Yet the wall -had been left uncovered, though Marshal Berwick had -availed himself of this defect when he attacked the place -in 1719, and by effecting a breach there had made the -garrison retire into the castle. In the revolutionary war, -St. Sebastian’s was taken by the French without resistance; -for though the troops would have done their duty -in defending it, the inhabitants, rather than endure the -horrors of a siege, allowed the magistrates, some of whom -were timid and others traitorous, to surrender.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Distribution of the allied army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>After the battle of Vittoria, Jourdan had thrown a -garrison of between 3000 and 4000 men into -the place. The conduct of the siege was intrusted -to Sir Thomas Graham, and the fifth -division, under Major-General Oswald, consisting of -Major-Generals Hay and Robinson’s British brigades, -and Major-General Spry’s Portugueze, were employed -in carrying it on. The first division, under Major-General -Howard, consisting of the 1st and 2nd brigades of guards -under Colonel Maitland and Major-General Stopford, -with the brigades of the German legion, and Lord Aylmer’s, -were in position covering the great road between Irun -and Oyarzun, and supporting Don Manuel Freyre’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_209">209</span> -Spanish corps which crowned the heights of S. Marzial -and guarded the line of the Bidassoa from the Crown -Mountain to the sea. Giron and Longa kept up the -communication with the left of the centre at Vera: this -consisted of the 7th and light divisions, under the Earl -of Dalhousie and Baron Alten ... the former posted in -the pass of Etchalar, the latter on the mountain of S. -Barbara, and in the town of Vera. The right of the -centre, commanded by Sir Rowland, occupied the valley -of Bastan, and with Major-Generals Pringle and Walker’s -brigades of the 2d division, under Lieutenant-General -the Hon. Sir William Stewart, guarded the passes of -Maya. The Conde de Amarante, with Colonel Ashworth -and Brigadier-General Da Costa’s Portugueze brigades, -held the minor passes of Col d’Ariette and Col d’Espegas -on the right, leading also into the valley of Bastan. -Another Portugueze brigade of this division, under -Brigadier-General Campbell, occupied a strong position -between the valleys of Aldudes and Hayra, keeping -communication on its left through the Port de Berdaritz -with the valley of Bastan, and through the Port d’Alalosti -on its right, with the right wing of the army, in the pass -of Roncesvalles. The 6th division, under Major-General -Pack, occupied S. Estevan, and formed the reserve of -the centre, ready to support the troops at Maya or at -Etchalar. The right wing covered the direct approaches -to Pamplona from St. Jean de Pied-de-Port: in its front -Major-General Byng’s brigade of the 2d division guarded -the passes of Roncesvalles and Orbaicete; Morillo, with -a division of Spanish infantry supporting the latter post; -Sir Lowry Cole, with the 4th division, was in second -line, at Biscarret, in rear of the pass of Roncesvalles. -The 3rd division formed the reserve under Sir Thomas -Picton, and was stationed at Olaque. This was the distribution -of the allied army, guarding the passes of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_210">210</span> -Western Pyrenees, and covering the blockade of Pamplona -and the siege of S. Sebastian’s. As the best means -of saving time and labour in that siege, it was determined -to follow Marshal Berwick’s mode of attack, breach the -exposed wall from the sand-hills, and storm it as soon -as the breach should be made practicable, trusting by -quick movement to pass through the fire of the front -line of works.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Siege of S. Sebastian’s.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>When the troops appointed for the siege arrived in -sight of the place, the whole of the works and -of the castellated hill appeared to be in motion, -so busily were the enemy every where employed in -strengthening their defences. The Spaniards, who were -previously blockading the place, could offer little interruption -to them, because they had no artillery; but -serious operations were now to commence, and the French, -though they neither distrusted their own skill, nor that -every possible exertion would be made for their relief, -knew that all that skill and all those exertions would be -called for. As a preliminary measure, it was necessary -for the besiegers to drive the garrison from a post which -they occupied, about 700 or 800 yards in advance of the -town, formed by the convent of S. Bartolomé, and an -unfinished redoubt, adjoining it, on the extremity of the -steep hill towards the river, and from a small circular -work which they made with casks on the causeway. -Approaches were made, and batteries erected in the -course of the night, between the 13th and 14th of July, -with a celerity that surprised the French; and in the -morning the guns opened upon the side of the convent. -It was soon beaten down, ... the chapel, with its organ -and costly adornments, was laid open, and demolished, -and the roof fell in; but the French were not driven -from the ruins. A false attack was made to ascertain -whether they intended to maintain an obstinate resistance<span class="pagenum" id="Page_211">211</span> -there; the troops carried it farther than their orders -directed, and were fain to return with some loss. It was -then attempted to drive the garrison out by means of -red-hot shot; the Portugueze were less expert at this -service than they had shown themselves in the field, -they fired shot which had not been half heated, and -frequently missed the whole building. Beams and -whatever else was combustible from the neighbouring -houses were used for heating the furnace; and at length -the convent was set on fire in several places, but the -garrison succeeded in extinguishing the flames as often -as they broke out. The enemy, meantime, kept up from -the town an incessant fire of shot and shells upon the -batteries. After 2500 eighteen-pound shot and 450 - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Convent of S. Bartolomé taken.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -shells had been fired at the convent, it was found -that the French were not to be dislodged by any -other means than by the bayonet. Accordingly -two columns were formed, one under the direction of -Major-General Hay, on the right, to cross the ravine near -the river, and attack the redoubt; the left, under Major-General -Bradford, to attack the convent. Major-General - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 17.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Oswald commanded. The attack was begun -about ten in the forenoon: the enemy in the -convent were not aware of it till it was made; but the -movement was perceived from the town and castle; troops -were sent to reinforce the garrison, and a heavy fire was -opened upon the assailants; ... it was soon discontinued, -because they came to close quarters, and it must then -have proved equally destructive to both parties. The -reinforcement was not of more advantage, for thinking -to take one body of the assailants in the rear, they were -encountered and charged by another, and driven upon -the convent, where the garrison had already been overpowered, -and those who escaped were driven with the -fugitives from the works down the hill, through the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_212">212</span> -village of S. Martin’s, immediately below, which the -enemy had burnt. The impetuosity of the pursuers -could not be restrained; their directions not to pass the -village were disregarded; they followed the French to -the foot of the glacis, and suffered on their return. The -garrison behaved gallantly, and lost 250 men; the loss -of the allies amounted to 70. A fire from the town was -kept up upon this post for twenty-four hours; and most -of the dead with which the ground between it and the -town was strewn, remained unburied there during the -remainder of the siege, so great was the danger in collecting -them, each party being jealous of the approach -of an enemy to their works, even upon such an office.</p> - -<p>Two batteries were thrown up during the night in a -situation to enfilade and take in reverse the defences of -the town. This in the loose sand was a most difficult -work, and the fire of the enemy was directed with great -precision to interrupt it; four sentinels were killed in -succession through one loop-hole. The only eminence -from whence artillery could be brought to bear directly -on the town, though still about a hundred feet below it, -was above the convent, and almost adjoining its walls. -Here a battery was erected; the covered way to it -passed through the convent, and the battery itself was -constructed in a thickly-peopled burial-ground. A more -ghastly circumstance can seldom have occurred in war; ... -for coffins and corpses in all stages of decay were exposed -when the soil was thrown up to form a defence -against the fire from the town, and were used indeed in -the defences; and when a shell burst there, it brought -down the living and the dead together. An officer was -giving his orders, when a shot struck the edge of the -trenches above him; two coffins slipped down upon him -with the sand, the coffins broke in their fall, the bodies -rolled with him for some distance, and when he recovered<span class="pagenum" id="Page_213">213</span> -he saw that they had been women of some rank, for they -were richly attired in black velvet, and their long hair -hung about their shoulders and their livid faces. The -soldiers, in the scarcity of firewood, being nothing nice, -broke up coffins for fuel with which to dress their food, -leaving the bodies exposed; and till the hot sun had -dried up these poor insulted remains of humanity, the -stench was as dreadful as the sight.</p> - -<p>The village of S. Martin, or rather its ruins, were now -occupied, and approaches were struck out there - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The batteries open.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -to the right and left. On the 20th the batteries -opened, and early in the evening the enemy abandoned -the circular redoubt. The next day a flag of truce was -sent with a summons to the governor, but not received. -Meantime a parallel across the isthmus had been begun; -in cutting it, the men came upon a channel level with -the ground, in which a pipe was laid for conveying water -into the town. The aqueduct was four feet high, and -three feet wide. Lieutenant Reid of the engineers ventured -to explore it, and at the end of 230 yards, he found -it closed by a door in the counterscarp, opposite to the -face of the right demi-bastion of the horn-work. It was -thought that if a mine were formed at this point, the -explosion would throw up earth enough against the -escarp, which was only twenty-four feet high, to form a -way over it; and accordingly sand-bags and barrels of -powder were lodged there.</p> - -<p>The service of the breaching battery was severe; the -enemy of course directed every disposable gun against -it, and their shells repeatedly blew up every platform -there, and dismounted the guns. The seamen who -assisted them did their duty nobly, as they always did; -but with characteristic hardihood disregarded all injunctions -tending to their own preservation, till many of them -had suffered. Three of their officers and sixteen of their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_214">214</span> -men were killed and wounded there in the course of three - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Unsuccessful assault.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -days. By mid-day of the 22nd, a breach had -been made about 600 feet long, and, as it seemed, -perfectly practicable, the wall being entirely levelled. -It was strongly advised that this should be stormed on -the following morning, as early as the light and the tide -would admit; instead of this, orders were given to make -another breach to the left in a more oblique part of the -wall; one sure disadvantage of delay being that the time -employed in making the second breach would be well -used by the enemy in intrenching the first. After battering -this second point for some hours, information was -received from a civil engineer who was well acquainted -with the place, that the wall to the right of the breach - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 24.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -was a toise thinner than elsewhere; thither -therefore the guns were directed, and before the -night of the 23rd, a practicable breach was made there -also. Great part of the town had already been ruined -by the fire; it was at this time in flames, and the frequent -crashing of houses was heard amid the roaring of the -artillery. Before daybreak the trenches were filled with -troops for storming and for supporting the assault, which -was ordered for four o’clock; the batteries were to continue -their fire upon the second breach till the moment -of attack, and then all available guns were to be directed -so as to restrain the enemy’s flanking fire from two -towers, ... which, though much injured, were still occupied, -... or otherwise to assist as occasion might be perceived. -All was in readiness, when about an hour after -daybreak the order was countermanded, upon a misconception -that because the houses at the back of the breach -were on fire, the troops would not be able to advance -after they should have gained the summit. The remainder -of the day was spent in widening the second breach; -time at this juncture was of such value that it was hoped<span class="pagenum" id="Page_215">215</span> -the delay might only be for twelve hours, and the assault -made at four in the evening; but it was thought a more -important consideration that there would then be but -few hours of daylight, and therefore the following morning -was appointed.</p> - -<p>Major-General Hay’s brigade formed the column of -attack; Major-General Spry’s Portugueze brigade, Major-General -Robinson’s, and the 4th <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Caçadores</i> of Brigadier-General -Wilson’s, were in reserve in the trenches, -the whole under the direction of Major-General Oswald. -The attack was made an hour before, instead of after daylight, -because the tide was returning, and was already -two feet deep under the wall where the ground is dry at -low water. But some confusion was probably occasioned -by the darkness; and the chance of success would have -been greater if the arrangements had been made known -to more of those officers who were to take part in executing -them. The distance of the uncovered approach -from the trenches to the breach was about 300 yards, -over rocks covered with sea-weed, and intermediate pools -of water, and in the face of an extensive front of works; -the breach was flanked by two towers: the fire of the -place was yet entire, and when the troops rushed from -the trenches, it was presently seen that the French were -not unapprized of the intended attempt, and that they had -lost no time in making their preparations for defence; -every gun which looked that way from the castle, and -from the hill, was brought to bear upon the assailants, -and from all around the breach they were flanked and -enfiladed with a most destructive fire of grape and musketry. -Blazing planks and beams were thrown transversely -across the walls and on the breach; and stones, -shot, shells, and hand grenades, were showered upon the -allies with dreadful effect.</p> - -<p>At this time the mine was sprung, and with as much<span class="pagenum" id="Page_216">216</span> -effect as had been intended. It brought down a considerable -length of the counterscarp and glacis, and astonished -the enemy so greatly, that they abandoned for awhile that -part of the works. When the Portugueze who were to -take advantage of this hastened to the spot, there were no -scaling-ladders, ... an officer ran to the foot of the breach, -in hope the engineers there might be provided with -them; ... if he had but one ladder, he said, he could post -his whole party in the town: ... but ladders had not -been needed here, and not thought of for the point where -they might be required. The enemy had thus time to -recover from their surprise; and the Portugueze, standing -their ground with soldier-like fidelity, were miserably -sacrificed, nearly the whole of this party being killed -before the order for recalling them arrived.</p> - -<p>Meantime Lieutenant Jones of the engineers with an -officer and nine men of the first royals, gained the top of -the great breach; and men were rushing up to follow them, -when the enemy sprung a mine in one place, and in another -drew the supports from under a false bridge, thus -blowing up some of the assailants, and precipitating -others upon the spikes which had been fixed below. The -men who were at the foot of the breach were then panic-stricken; -they, as well as the French, remembered that -in such situations the victory is not to the brave or the -strong, if superior skill is opposed to courage and -strength: they ran back, ... it was impossible to rally -them, and they suffered much. The intention was, -that another column should pass in the rear of the first, -between it and the sea to the second breach, and storm -it; but the discomfiture of the first party prevented this, -and none of these reached their destination. The whole -was over before morning had fairly opened, and in the -course of an hour, 45 officers and above 800 men were -killed, wounded, or missing.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_217">217</span> -The river prevented any immediate communication, so -that at the batteries it was thought that hardly anything -more than a false alarm had taken place, till, as day -dawned, they discovered through their glasses the bodies -of officers and men in the breach, and under the demi-bastion -and retaining wall. Presently one or two of the -enemy appeared on the breach, and a serjeant came down -among the wounded, raising some, and speaking to others. -The firing which had been continued occasionally on the -breach was then stopped; more of the French appeared; -a kind of parley took place between them and the men at -the head of the trenches; and half an hour’s truce was -agreed on for the purpose of removing the wounded and -the dead; but so jealous were the French that they would -not allow the dead who were nearest them to be approached; -some of the wounded they carried into the -town, and others were borne by their soldiers into the -British lines. While the troops were yet under arms, -not knowing whether another attack might be ordered, a -British officer saw one of his Portugueze soldiers start -off, and reproved him for so doing, when after awhile the -man returned; but the Portugueze replied, scarcely able -to command his voice or restrain his tears as he spake, -that he had only been burying his comrade, ... and in -fact it appeared that with no other implement than his -bayonet and his hand, he had given his poor friend and -countryman a soldier’s burial in the sand. The officers -who fell in this attack were buried together, each in a -shell, in one grave, in a garden near the encampment.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The siege suspended.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington came over from Lesaca on the same -day about noon, and determined upon renewing -the attack; the second breach was to be completed, -the demi-bastion thrown down, and fresh troops -appointed for another assault. But the ammunition was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_218">218</span> -now running low; and upon his return that night he -received intelligence of movements on the enemy’s part -in the Pyrenees, which made him forthwith dispatch -orders for withdrawing the guns from the batteries and -converting the siege into a blockade.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Soult appointed Commander-in-chief.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marshal Soult had been sent back from Germany as -Lieutenant of the Emperor, and Commander-in-chief -of the French armies in Spain. Of all the -French Generals employed in the Peninsula, he -had obtained the highest reputation; and undoubtedly -no one could be better entitled to the praise of those authors -who write history, with a mere military feeling, -reckless of all higher considerations. That <em>impassibility</em> -which he considered as one of the first essentials for a -general in such a war, and of which proof had been given -in his proclamations and his acts, recommended him to -Buonaparte not less than his great ability. The remains -of the armies of Portugal, of the centre and of the north, -were united; their ranks, which had so often been -thinned, were filled by a new conscription; and the whole -being re-formed into nine divisions of infantry, was called -the army of Spain; the right, centre, and left, were under -Generals Reille, Drouet, Compte d’Erlon, and Clausel; -the reserve, under General Villatte: there were two divisions -of dragoons under Generals Treillard and Tilly, and -a light division under General Pierre Soult. In the expectation -of success every exertion had been used to -increase the strength of their cavalry, though of little use -in the Pyrenees, that the war might be once more carried -beyond the Ebro; and with the same view a large proportion -of artillery was provided. The decree which -appointed Marshal Soult bore date on the first of July; -he took the command on the 13th, and his preparations -were forwarded with the ability, activity, and hopefulness<span class="pagenum" id="Page_219">219</span> -by which the French are characterized in such - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>His address to the troops.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -things. He issued an address to his troops, containing -more truth than was usually admitted -into a French state paper, because the truth in -that place could not possibly be concealed; but it was -sufficiently coloured with artful misrepresentations and -with falsehood. “The armies of France,” it said, -“guided by the powerful and commanding genius of -the Emperor Napoleon, had achieved in Germany a succession -of victories as brilliant as any that adorned their -annals. The presumptuous hopes of the enemy had thus -been confounded; and the Emperor, who was always inclined -to consult the welfare of his subjects, by following -moderate counsels, had listened to the pacific overtures -which the enemy made to him after their defeat. But in -the interim, the English, who, under the pretence of -succouring the inhabitants of the Peninsula, were in reality -devoting them to ruin, had taken advantage of the -opportunity afforded them. A skilful leader,” said Marshal -Soult, “might have discomfited their motley levies; -and who could doubt what would have been the result of -the day at Vittoria if the general had been worthy of his -troops? Let us not however,” he continued, “defraud -the enemy of the praise which is their due. The dispositions -and arrangements of their general have been -prompt, skilful, and consecutive; and the valour and -steadiness of his troops have been praiseworthy. Yet do -not forget that it is to the benefit of your example they -owe their present military character; and that whenever -the relative duties of a French general and his troops have -been ably fulfilled, their enemies have commonly had no -other resource than in flight.” In one part of this address -Marshal Soult rendered justice to Lord Wellington; but -this latter assertion strikingly exemplifies the character -of the vain-glorious people whom he was addressing.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_220">220</span> -He himself had been repulsed by a far inferior British -force at Coruña; had been driven from Porto, and defeated -in the bloody field of Albuhera. He was addressing -men who had been beaten at Vimeiro, beaten at Talavera, -beaten at Busaco, beaten at Fuentes d’Onoro, routed at -Salamanca, and scattered like sheep at Vittoria. They -had been driven from Lisbon into France; and yet the -general who had so often been baffled addressed this -language to the very troops who had been so often and so -signally defeated! “The present situation of the army,” -he pursued, “is imputable to others: let the merit of -repairing it be yours. I have borne testimony to the -Emperor of your bravery and your zeal. His instructions -are to drive the enemy from those heights which -enable them arrogantly to survey our fertile valleys, and -to chase them across the Ebro. It is on the Spanish soil -that your tents must next be pitched, and your resources -drawn. Let the account of our successes be dated from -Vittoria, and the birth-day of the Emperor be celebrated -in that city.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Critical situation of the allied army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington’s situation had not during the whole -war been so critical as at this time. He had -two blockades to maintain, and two points to -cover, sixty miles distant from each other, in a -mountainous country, where the heights were so -impassable that there could be no lateral communication -between his divisions. His force was necessarily divided -in order that none of the passes might be left undefended, -but the enemy could choose their point of attack, and -bring their main force to bear upon it; thus they would -have the advantage of numbers; and they had the farther -advantage, that a considerable proportion of their -troops, all who had belonged to the army of the north, -had been accustomed to mountain warfare, in which the -British and Portugueze had had no experience.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_221">221</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Soult’s movements for the relief of Pamplona.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Soult’s first object was to relieve Pamplona, which -could only be relieved by some such great effort -as he intended; whereas S. Sebastian’s, as long -as the garrison could maintain themselves there, -had always the possibility of receiving supplies -along the coast. With this view he collected a convoy -of provisions and stores at St. Jean de Pied-de-Port. -Meantime the hostile forces, though each within their -own frontier, were encamped in some places upon opposite -heights, within half cannon-shot; and their sentries -within 150 yards of each other. Hitherto with the -Spaniards and Portugueze it had been, in the ever-memorable -phrase of Palafox, war at the knife’s edge; -but that national contest, in which the aggressors had -treated courtesy and humanity with as much contempt -as justice, was at an end; it was a military contest now, -and the two armies offered no molestation to each other -in the intervals of the game of war. The French, gay -and alert as usual, were drumming and trumpeting all -day long; the more thoughtful English enjoying the -season and the country, looking down with delight upon -the sea and the enemy’s territory, and Bayonne in the -distance, and sketching in the leisure which their duties -might allow the beautiful scenery of the Pyrenees. The -right of the allied army was at Roncesvalles, the sacred -ground of romance, where in the seventeenth century a -spot was shown as still reddened with the blood of the -Paladins; and where Our Lady, under some one of her -thousand and one appellations, may perhaps still continue -to work miracles in the chapel wherein they were -interred. From that pass, and from the pass of Maya, -the roads converge on Pamplona; and Soult made his -arrangements for attacking both on the same day in -force, ... for doing which he had the great advantage<span class="pagenum" id="Page_222">222</span> -that Lord Wellington was at the opposite extremity of -the line, near S. Sebastian’s.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Battles of the Pyrenees.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Accordingly, on the 24th, he assembled the right and -left wings of his army, with one division of his -centre, and two divisions of cavalry, at St. Jean -de Pied-de-Port; and on the 25th (the same day -that the unsuccessful assault upon S. Sebastian’s was -made) he began his operations, and in person, with about -35,000 men, attacked General Byng’s post at Roncesvalles. -Sir Lowry Cole moved up to his support with -the 4th division; and they maintained their ground -obstinately, against very superior numbers, though with -considerable loss. But in the afternoon the enemy turned -their position; and Sir Lowry deemed it necessary to -withdraw in the night, and marched accordingly to Lizoain, -in the neighbourhood of Zubiri. General Drouet, with -13,000 men, was to force the position of Maya: early -in the morning he manœuvred against each of the four -passes, and against the Conde de Amarante’s division, -which was posted on the right. Under cover of these -demonstrations, he collected his main strength behind a -hill immediately in front of the pass of Aretesque, and -from thence about noon made a sudden and rapid advance, -favoured by a most unexpected chance. Two advanced -videttes, who had been posted on some high ground to -give timely notice of an enemy’s approach, had fallen -asleep during the heat of the day; the French were thus -enabled to advance unseen, and the piquet had scarcely -time to give the alarm before the enemy were upon them. -The light infantry companies of the second brigade sustained -the attack with great steadiness; when they were -overpowered, the 34th and 50th regiments came up, and -afterward the right wing of the 92d; for as the other -passes were not to be left unguarded, troops could only<span class="pagenum" id="Page_223">223</span> -be brought from them by successive battalions, as the -need became more urgent. Opposed as they thus were -to very superior forces, the 32d lost more than a third of -its numbers, and the 92d battalion was almost destroyed. -The allies retired slowly, defending every point as succours -enabled them to make a stand, but still over-matched; -till, about six in the evening, Major-General Barnes’s -brigade of the 7th division came to their support; then -they recovered that part of their post which was the key -of the position, and might have reassumed their ground; -but Sir Rowland, having been apprized that Sir Lowry -Cole must retire, deemed it necessary to withdraw them -during the night to Irurita. They had been engaged -seven hours, and lost four guns and more than sixteen -hundred men.</p> - -<p>During the whole of the following day, the enemy -remained inactive beyond the Puerto de Maya. On that -day Sir Thomas Picton, who, as soon as he was informed -of Soult’s movements, had crossed to Zubiri with his -division, moved forward to support the troops at Lizoain, -and assumed the command there as senior officer. The -enemy’s whole force advanced against them early in the -afternoon, and they retired skirmishing to some strong -ground, which they maintained, in order of battle, till -night closed. Generals Picton and Cole concurred then -in opinion that the post of Zubiri would not be tenable -for so long a time, as it would be necessary for them to -wait there. Early on the 27th, therefore, they began to -retreat still farther, and took up a position to cover the -blockade of Pamplona. The garrison of that fortress -had been informed by some deserters from the Walloon -guards that Soult, with a powerful army, was advancing -victoriously to their relief, and that relief was certain. -Their hopes were raised to the highest pitch; the firing -was only five miles distant. The state of things appeared<span class="pagenum" id="Page_224">224</span> -so critical to Abisbal, that he prepared to raise the -blockade, and spiked some of his guns; and the enemy -sallied, got possession of several batteries, and took -fourteen pieces of cannon, before Don Carlos d’España -could repulse them. The position which the retreating -troops took to cover the blockade had its right in front -of the village of Huarte, extending to the hills beyond -Olaz, and its left on the heights in front of the village of -Villalba, the right of this wing resting on a height -which covered the road from Zubiri and Roncesvalles, -and the left at a chapel behind Sorauren, on the road -from Ostiz. Morillo’s division of Spanish infantry was -in reserve, with that part of Abisbal’s corps which was -not engaged in the blockade; and from the latter two -regiments were detached to occupy part of the hill by -which the road from Zubiri was defended. The British -cavalry under Sir Stapleton Cotton were placed on the -right, near Huarte, being the only ground on which -cavalry could act. The river Lanz runs in the valley -which was on the left of the allies, and on the right of -the French, in the road to Ostiz. Beyond this river -is a range of mountains connected with Ligasso and -Marcalain, by which places it was now necessary to -communicate with the rest of the army.</p> - -<p>Lord Wellington arrived as these divisions were taking -up their ground; and shortly afterwards Soult formed -his army on a mountain between the Ostiz and the -Zubiri roads, the front of the mountain extending from -one road to the other. One division he placed on a bold -height to the left of the Zubiri road, and in some villages -in front of the third division, where he had also a large -body of cavalry. The same evening he pushed forward -a corps to take possession of a steep hill on the right of -General Cole’s division: it was occupied by a Portugueze -battalion and a Spanish regiment; these troops defended<span class="pagenum" id="Page_225">225</span> -their post with the bayonet, and drove the enemy back. -Seeing the importance of this point, Lord Wellington -reinforced it with the 40th and with another Spanish -regiment, so that the further efforts of the French there -were as unsuccessful as the first; but they took possession -of Sorauren, on the Ostiz road, whereby they acquired -the communication by that road; and they kept up a fire -of musketry along the line till it was dark.</p> - -<p>In the morning General Pack’s division arrived. Lord -Wellington then directed that the heights on the left of -the valley of the Lanz should be occupied, and that this -division should form across the valley in rear of the left -of General Cole’s, resting its right on Oricain, and its -left upon the heights. They had scarcely taken the -position in the valley when they were attacked in great -force from Sorauren: the enemy advanced steadily to -the attack; but the front was defended from the heights -on their left by their own light troops, and from the -height on the right, and on the rear, by the 4th division -and a Portugueze brigade; and the French were soon -driven back, with great loss, by the fire in their front, -both flanks, and rear. This was a false move from which -Soult never recovered: with a view of extricating his -troops from the situation in which they were now placed, -he attacked the height on which the left of the 4th division -stood, and where the 7th <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Caçadores</i> were posted, at -an <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">ermida</i>, or chapel, behind Sorauren. Momentary -possession was obtained of it; but the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Caçadores</i> returned -to their ground, supported by Major-General Ross at the -head of his brigade, and the enemy were driven down. -The battle now became general along the whole of these -heights, but only in one point to the advantage of the -French, which was where a battalion of Major-General -Campbell’s Portugueze regiment was posted; that battalion -was overpowered, it gave way immediately on the right of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_226">226</span> -Ross’s brigade: the French then established themselves -on the line of the allies, and Ross was obliged to withdraw -from his post. Upon this, Lord Wellington ordered -the 27th and 48th to charge, first that body of the enemy -which had established itself there, and then those on the -left. Both charges succeeded; the enemy were driven -back: the 6th division at the same time moved forward -nearer to the left of the 4th; the attack upon this front -then ceased entirely, and was but faintly continued on -other points of the line. Every regiment in the 4th division -charged with the bayonet that day, and the 40th, -7th, 20th, and 23rd, four different times. Their officers -set them the example, and Major-General Ross had two -horses shot under him. The events of that day abated -Marshal Soult’s confidence, and made him feel how little -he could expect to succeed against such troops and such -a commander. He no longer thought of dating his report -of the operations from Vittoria, and celebrating the Emperor -Napoleon’s birth-day in that city; and he sent -back his guns, his wounded, and great part of his baggage, -to S. Jean de Pied-de-Port, while they could be sent in -safety.</p> - -<p>On the 29th both armies remained quiet in their positions, -each expecting the result of its combinations. Sir -Rowland had been ordered to march upon Lizasso by -Lanz, and the Earl of Dalhousie from San Esteban upon -the same place; both arrived there on the 28th, and -Lord Dalhousie’s division came to Marcalain, thus assuring -Sir Rowland’s communication with the main body. -Marshal Soult’s manœuvres were now baffled, for the -allies were become one army; but he saw one chance -for victory still remaining, and he was not a man to let -any opportunity escape him. Drouet’s corps, before -which Sir Rowland had retired, followed his march, and -arrived at Ostiz on the 29th. Thus the French force also<span class="pagenum" id="Page_227">227</span> -became one army. The Marshal thought his position -between the Arga and Lanz was by nature so exceedingly -strong, and so little liable to attack, that he might without -apprehension withdraw from it the bulk of his troops. -Occupying, therefore, still the same points, but drawing -on to his left the troops which were on the heights opposite -the third division, he reinforced Drouet with one -division, and during the night of the 29th occupied in -strength the crest of the mountain opposite to the 6th -and 7th divisions, thus connecting his right in its position -with the force which had been detached to attack Sir -Rowland, his object being thus to open the Tolosa road, -turn the left of the allies, and relieve St. Sebastian’s, -now that he had failed in the attempt for the relief of -Pamplona.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 30th his troops were observed -to move in great numbers toward the mountains on the -right of the Lanz, with what intent Lord Wellington at -once perceived, and determined to attack the French -position in front. He ordered Lord Dalhousie to possess -himself of the top of the mountain opposite him, and -turn their right, and Sir Thomas Picton to cross the -heights from which the French division had been withdrawn, -and from the Roncesvalles road turn their left, -and he made his arrangements for attacking them in -front, as soon as the effect of these movements on both -flanks should appear. In every point these intentions -were effected. Lord Dalhousie with General Inglis’s -brigade drove them from the mountains: Major-General -Pakenham who had the command of the 6th division, -Major-General Pack having been wounded, then turned -the village of Sorauren, and Major-General Byng’s brigade -attacked and carried the village of Ostiz. Sir Lowry -Cole attacked their front, when their confidence in themselves -as well as in their ground had thus been shaken,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_228">228</span> -the French were then compelled to abandon a position -which Lord Wellington declared to be one of the -strongest and most difficult of access that he had ever seen -occupied by troops.</p> - -<p>While these operations were going on, and in proportion -as they succeeded, troops were detached to support -Sir Rowland. Late in the morning the enemy appeared -in his front, and made many vigorous attacks, while -Drouet manœuvred upon his left: every attack was -repulsed, and the allies maintained their ground, till -Drouet, by a more distant movement, ascended the ridge, -and came absolutely round their left flank; Sir Rowland -then leisurely retired about a mile to a range of heights -near Eguarras, and repelled every attempt to dislodge -him from that strong ground. Lord Wellington meantime -pursued the enemy after he had driven them from -their position on the mountain, and at sunset he was at -Olaque, immediately in the rear of their attack upon Sir -Rowland. Their last hope had failed, and, withdrawing -from Sir Rowland’s front during the night, they retreated -with great ability through the pass of Doña Maria, and -left two divisions there in a strong position to cover their -rear in the pass. Sir Rowland and Lord Dalhousie were -ordered to attack the pass; they moved by parallel -roads; and the enemy, closely pressed by the 7th division, -were ascending the hill in great haste, when Sir -Rowland arrived at the foot of the pass, not in time to -cut off any part of their rear. Both divisions ascended -the hill, each by its own road; and the French took up a -strong position at the top of the pass, with a cloud of -skirmishers in front. On the left, which was Sir Rowland’s -side, the attack was led by Lieutenant-General -Stewart with Major-General Walker’s brigade; they -forced the skirmishers back to the summit of the hill, -but coming there upon the main body, found it so numerous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_229">229</span> -and so strongly posted, that they deemed it -necessary to withdraw till the 7th division should come -into closer co-operation. They had not long to wait for -this: General Stewart was wounded, and the command -devolved upon Major-General Pringle; he renewed the -attack on that side, while Lord Dalhousie pressed the -enemy on the other; both divisions gained the height -about the same time, and the enemy, after sustaining a -very considerable loss, retired; they were pursued for -some way down, but a thick fog favoured them, and prevented -the allies from profiting further by the advantage -they had gained. Lord Wellington meantime moved -with Major-General Byng’s brigade and Sir Lowry Cole’s -division through the pass of Velate upon Irurita, thus -turning their position on Doña Maria. A large convoy of -provisions and stores was taken by Major-General Byng - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 1.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -at Elizondo. The pursuit was continued during -the following day in the vale of Bidassoa. Byng -possessed himself of the valley of Bastan and the position -on the Puerto de Maya; and at the close of the day the -different divisions were re-established nearly on the same -ground which they had occupied when their operations -commenced, eight days before. The enemy had now two -divisions posted on the Puerto de Echalar, and nearly -their whole army behind that pass; and Lord Wellington -resolved to dislodge them by a combined attack and -movement of the 4th, 7th, and light divisions, which had -advanced by the vale of the Bidassoa towards the frontier. -The 7th, taking a shorter line across the mountains from -Sumbilla, arrived before the 4th. Major-General Barnes’s -brigade was formed for the attack, advanced before the -others could co-operate, and with a regularity and gallantry -which, Lord Wellington says, he has seldom seen -equalled, drove the two French divisions from the formidable -heights which they vainly endeavoured to maintain.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_230">230</span> -Major-General Kempt’s brigade of the light -division likewise drove a very considerable force from -the rock which forms the left of the pass; and thus no -enemy was left in the field, within this part of the Spanish -frontier. During these operations the loss of the -allies amounted to 6000 in killed, wounded, and missing; -that of the French exceeded 8000. On both sides great -ability had been manifested; seldom indeed has the art -of war been displayed with such skill, and upon such difficult -ground. To guard against the repetition of so formidable -an effort on the enemy’s part, the positions which -the allies occupied were strengthened by redoubts and -intrenchments. While the main scene of action lay in -the neighbourhood of Pamplona, that portion of the -enemy’s force which had been left to observe the allies -on the great road from Irun, attacked Longa, who occupied -that part of the Bidassoa and the town of Vera with -his division. He repulsed them with great loss; and it -was not the least of the discouraging reflections, which -could not but occur to the enemy after the failure of all -these well-planned and well-attempted endeavours, that -the Spanish troops had now become as efficient as the -Portugueze.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Siege of St. Sebastian’s resumed.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>During these eventful days the guns had been withdrawn -from the batteries before St. Sebastian’s, -and, with all the stores, embarked at Passages, -and the transports had been sent to sea; but a -blockade was kept up, and the guard continued to hold -the trenches. The vigilant enemy made a sortie on the -morning of the 27th, and carried off between 200 and -300 Portugueze and English from the trenches prisoners -into the town. Want of foresight on the part of the -besiegers allowed them this opportunity, for some of the -guns of the left embrasures had, in apprehension of such -an attempt, been arranged so as to take the enemy in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_231">231</span> -flank; and those guns were withdrawn with the others. -On the 3rd the French surprised a patrol in the parallel -and made them prisoners: but Soult’s defeat was known - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August 6.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -now; the stores were re-landed at Passages, -and Sir Thomas Graham waited only for the -arrival of more artillery and ammunition from England -to recommence the siege. The infantry meantime rested -on its arms; and the cavalry, who longed to eat the green -maize (which was prohibited), kept their horses in good -exercise in looking for straw. The 17th was Buonaparte’s -birth-day; three salutes were fired from the Castle -of St. Sebastian’s on the eve preceding, as many at four -in the morning, and again at noon; and at night the -words “<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Vive Napoleon le Grand</i>” were displayed in -letters of light upon the castle: ... it was the last of his -birth-days that was commemorated by any public celebration. -The expected artillery arrived at Passages on -the 18th. That little town had never in the days of its -prosperity, when it was the port of the Caraccas Company, -presented a scene so busy, nor while it lasted so gainful -to the inhabitants and peasantry of the surrounding -country. The market for the army was held here, which -they supplied with necessaries, the produce of the land; -and which at this time wanted nothing wherewith England -could supply it, so frequent now and so easy was -the intercourse. Here the reinforcements were landed, -which, now that the British government had caught the -spirit of its victorious general, were no longer limited by -parsimonious impolicy. When the horses were to be -landed they were lowered from the transports into the -sea, and guided by a rope as they swam to shore; but this -sudden transition from the extreme heat of the hold to -the cold water proved fatal to several of them.</p> - -<p>The garrison of St. Sebastian’s employed the time -which the blockade afforded them so well, in strengthening<span class="pagenum" id="Page_232">232</span> -their defences and adding new ones, that when -the allies had to recommence the siege, the place was -stronger than before. The plan now determined on was -to lay open the two round towers on each end of the first -breach, and connect it with the second breach, which was -to the right, add to it another on the left, and demolish -a demi-bastion to the left of the whole, by which the -approach was flanked. A mortar battery was also erected -for the purpose of annoying the castle across the bay. -Sailors were employed in this, and never did men more -thoroughly enjoy their occupation. They had double -allowance of grog, as their work required; and at their -own cost they had a fiddler; they who had worked their -spell in the battery went to relieve their comrades in the -dance, and at every shot which fell upon the castle they -gave three cheers. Little effect was produced by this battery, -because of its distance. Between it and the town is -the island of St. Clara, high and rocky, about half a mile in -circumference, which the French occupied; it was deemed -expedient to dislodge them and take possession of it, because -the season was approaching when ships might be -obliged to leave the coast, and this spot facilitated the -enemy’s communication with their own country. The only -landing-place was under a flight of steps, commanded by -a small intrenchment on the west point of the island, and -exposed to the whole range of works on the west side of -the rock and of the walls; the garrison, consisting of an -officer and twenty-four men, were thus enabled to make -such a resistance, that nineteen of the assailants were -killed and wounded. The island however was taken, -and the garrison made prisoners.</p> - -<p>The actual siege recommenced on the 24th; and at -the following midnight the enemy made a sortie, entered -the advanced part of the trenches and carried confusion -into the parallel; but when they attempted to sweep<span class="pagenum" id="Page_233">233</span> -along its right, a part of the guard checked them, and -they retired into the town, taking with them about twelve -prisoners. The batteries opened on the morning of the -26th. On the night of the 27th another sortie was tried; -but experience had made the besiegers more vigilant, -and it was repulsed before the slightest mischief could -be done. Nothing that skill and ingenuity could devise -was omitted by the garrison; they repaired by night as -far as possible the injury which had been done in the -day; cleared away the rubbish; and at the points at -which the batteries were directed, let down large solid -beams to break the force of the shot. But in this branch -of the art of war, the means of attack are hitherto more -efficient than those of defence; and in the course of the -29th the enemy’s fire was nearly subdued. They lost -many men by our spherical case shot; and they attempted -to imitate what they had found so destructive, by filling -common shells with small balls, and bursting them over -the heads of the besiegers; but these were without -effect. On the night of the 29th there was a false -attack made with the hope of inducing the enemy to -spring the mines, which it was not doubted that they -had prepared; they fired most of their guns, but the -end was not answered, for no mine was exploded.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Preparations for assaulting the town.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Men were now invited to volunteer for the assault, -such men, it was said, “as knew how to show -other troops the way to mount a breach.” When -this was communicated to the 4th division, which -was to furnish 400 men, the whole division -moved forward. The column of attack was formed of -the 2nd brigade of the 5th division, commanded by Major-General -Robinson, with an immediate support of 150 -volunteers from the light division, 400 from the first, and -200 from the 4th; and with the remainder of the 5th -division in reserve, the whole under the direction of Sir<span class="pagenum" id="Page_234">234</span> -James Leith. Sir James had been severely wounded in -the battle of Salamanca, and his constitution still felt -the effects of the Walcheren fever; but leaving England -as soon as he was sufficiently recovered to discharge his -duties, he arrived at S. Sebastian’s on the 29th, and -resumed the command of his division in the trenches, -Major-General Oswald, who had held it during his absence, -resigning it and acting as a volunteer. As the -breaches now appeared to be practicable, the assault was -ordered for eleven o’clock on the forenoon of the 31st, -being the time of low water; and to prepare debouches -for the troops, three shafts were sunk at the advanced -sap on the right, for the purpose of breaking through -the sea wall, which was of masonry, four feet thick and -ten feet above the high water mark; they were sunk -eight feet below the surface, and each loaded with 540 -pounds of powder.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Soult moves for its relief.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marshal Soult, meantime, as soon as he knew that the -siege had been recommenced, leaving one division -in front of the British light division, and another -in front of the 7th, moved the rest of his army -to the camp at Urogne, with the obvious intention of -making an attempt to relieve the place. Under that -expectation all the troops of horse artillery were ordered -to march, and the artillery not employed in the siege was -sent to the front. The eve of the assault was therefore -a time of more than usual anxiety; for if either the -assault should fail, or Soult should succeed, the situation -of the allies would be rendered critical. In the course -of the day the wood and rubbish of the right breach -took fire, and a mine near it exploded; and in the afternoon -five small mines within the town were blown up by - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Assault of S. Sebastian’s.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the falling of a shell. The evening closed in -with a storm of thunder and lightning and heavy -rain. Two hours after midnight the three mines<span class="pagenum" id="Page_235">235</span> -were sprung, and completely effected the purpose of -blowing down the sea wall; the etonnoirs were immediately -connected; a good passage out for the troops was -thus formed, and the farther object was attained of securing -all the works in their rear from any galleries which -the enemy might have run out in that direction. In the -morning there was such a fog, and the smoke in consequence -hung so, that nothing could be seen; but about -nine o’clock a gentle sea-breeze began to clear the mist, -and the sun soon shone forth. Sir Thomas Graham, having -completed the arrangements with Sir James Leith, left -him to command the assault, and crossed the Urumea to -the batteries of the right attack, from whence all might -be distinctly seen, and orders for the fire of the batteries -immediately given, according to circumstances. Sir -James held it as an article of his military belief that -British troops could not fail in any thing which they -undertook. He now took the opinion of the chief engineer, -Sir Richard Fletcher, as to the spot from whence -he could best overlook and direct the desperate service -of the day; the place they fixed on was upon the beach, -about thirty yards in advance of the debouche from the -trenches; and there, without any cover or protection -whatever, they both took their stand; for it was a maxim -with him that however brave the troops, and however -devoted the officers, the example of those in command -was, beyond every thing, essential.</p> - -<p>About eleven o’clock the advanced parties moved out -of the trenches, and the enemy almost immediately -exploded two mines, for the purpose of blowing down -the wall to the left of the beach, along which the troops -were advancing to the breach; the passage between the -wall and the water was narrow, and they expected, by -the fragments of masonry which would be thrown down, -to obstruct the line of march. This intent failed; but<span class="pagenum" id="Page_236">236</span> -about twenty men were crushed by the ruins of the wall. -The garrison, as on the former assault, were perfectly -prepared; and from the Mirador battery, and the battery -del Principe, on the castle hill, they opened a fire of -grape and shells upon the columns. The forlorn hope, -consisting of an officer and thirty men, fell to a man; -the front of the columns which followed were cut off, as -by one shot; and the breach, when the assailants reached -it, was presently covered with their bodies; many of -those who were ascending it were thrown down by the -bodies of those above them, the living, the wounded, -and the dead, rolling together down the ruins. From -the Mirador and Prince batteries, from the keep of the -castle, from the high curtain to the left of the breach, -and from some ruined houses in front, about forty yards -distant, which were loop-holed and lined with infantry, -a concentrated fire was kept up; a line of intrenchment -had been carried along the nearest parallel walls; this -was strongly occupied, and it entirely swept the summit -of the breach; and, in addition to all this, the horn-work -flanked and commanded the ascent. The tower of Amesquita, -on the left of the breach, was the only available -point of defence which had not been manned; overlooked -it could not have been by such engineers as those who -conducted the defence: undoubtedly they considered the -means which they had provided to be more than sufficient, -and that no courage, however desperate, could in the -face of them carry a breach which, upon all rules of art, -was actually impracticable. That every art of defence -which science and experience could devise would be -practised was expected; it was known, also, that the -garrison were as little deficient in confidence as in numbers, -and that they had stores in abundance; but if there -had been even a suspicion that the ground at the point -of attack was what it was now found to be, it is certain<span class="pagenum" id="Page_237">237</span> -that the assault, under such circumstances, would never -have been ordered.</p> - -<p>Nothing, in fact, could have been more fallacious than -the external appearance of the breach. Up to the end -of the curtain it was as accessible, quite to the terre-plein, -as it seemed to be; but there the enemy’s situation -was commanding, and the ascent itself was exposed -to the horn-work: but this was the only point where it -was passable, and there only by single files. Except on -this point, there was a perpendicular fall from fifteen to -twenty-five feet in depth, along the back of the whole -breach, extensive as it was. Houses had been built -against the interior of the wall; these were now in ruins; -and there was no way of descending, except here and -there by an end wall which remained standing; but the -very few who could by this means get into the streets -were exposed to an incessant fire from the opposite -houses. During the suspension of the siege, every possible -preparation had been made by the enemy, with the -advantage of knowing the point which would be attacked; -so that they had a great number of men covered by intrenchments -and traverses in the horn-work, on the ramparts -of the curtain, and in the town itself opposite the -breach. The most determined courage was displayed -by the troops, who were brought forward in succession -from the trenches to this place of slaughter. Military -duty was never discharged with more entire devotion -than it was at this time both by officers and men. No -man outlived the attempt to gain the ridge. The slope -of the breach afforded shelter from musketry; but the -nature of the stone rubbish rendered it impossible for the -working parties to form a lodgement there, notwithstanding -their utmost exertions, and the troops were exposed -to the shells and grape from the batteries of the castle; -and on the way to the breach so severe and continuous a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_238">238</span> -fire was kept up that Sir James Leith was obliged to send -directions for removing the dead and the dying from the -debouches, which were so choked up as to prevent the -passage of the troops.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir James Leith wounded.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A plunging shot struck the ground near the spot -where Sir James was standing, rebounded, struck -him on the chest, and laid him prostrate and -senseless. The officers near thought certainly -that he was killed; but he recovered breath, and then -recollection, and resisting all entreaties to quit the field, -continued to issue his orders. Sir Thomas Graham -meantime accepted the offer of a part of Major-General -Bradford’s Portugueze brigade to ford the river and assist -in the assault. The advance of a battalion under Major -Snodgrass, and of a detachment under Lieutenant-Colonel -M’Bean, was made rapidly and firmly, under a -very heavy fire of grape, along the beach and over a -creek knee-deep. They got over, but not without great -loss, and bore their part in what Sir Thomas Graham -began now to think was an all but desperate attempt: -and desperate it must have proved, if, upon consulting -with Colonel Dickson, who commanded the artillery, he -had not ventured to direct that the guns should be turned -against the curtain. A heavy fire was immediately -directed there, passing only a few feet above the heads -of our own troops, and it was kept up with a precision -of practice beyond all example. The troops who were -employed in the assault were astonished at hearing the -roar of cannon from behind them; they saw the enemy -swept from the curtain; a few of their own men were -brought down also by the first discharge: the second -made the intent fully intelligible; its effect upon the -enemy was visible, and a great effort was then ordered -to gain the high ridge at all hazards.</p> - -<p>At this time a shell burst near Sir James Leith, tore<span class="pagenum" id="Page_239">239</span> -off the flesh of his left hand, and broke the arm in two -places; still he continued to give directions, till, fainting -from loss of blood, he was carried from the field. -Major-General Hay succeeded to the command. Almost - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir Richard Fletcher slain.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -immediately afterwards, and nearly on the same -spot, Sir Richard Fletcher talking to General -Oswald, was killed by a musket-ball, which -struck him in the spine of the neck. This was a great -loss to his friends and his country: he was of such amiable -qualities, as well as of such sterling worth, that no -man was ever more respected and loved; and that his -professional talents were of the highest order had been -shown by the lines of Torres Vedras.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The city taken.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>As Sir James Leith was carried through the trenches -to the rear, he met the remaining part of his -division pressing forward to execute his orders; -and the men of the 9th regiment, recognizing their -general, promised him not to desist from their exertions -until the place should be taken. Just as they arrived at -the breach, a quantity of cartridges exploded behind one -of the traverses of the curtain; the fire of the artillery -had occasioned this; and it caused some confusion -among the enemy, who already apprehended that the tide -of fortune was turning against them. The narrow pass -was now gained and maintained; hats were waved from -the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">terre-plein</i> of the curtain; the troops rushed forward -and drove the enemy down the steep flight of steps near -the great gate leading from the works into the town. -The troops on the right of the breach about the same -time forced the barricadoes on the top of the narrow line -wall, and found their way into the houses that joined it. -In many places it was necessary to apply scaling-ladders -before the men could get down. At the centre of the -main breach there was an excavation below the descent, -and a barricado at some feet farther back; here, therefore,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_240">240</span> -any who should have descended would have been -inclosed as a mark for the enemy, till the way was cleared -for them by a flanking fire from a round tower on the -right, which took the French in reverse. The French -themselves were inclosed in a barricado between that -tower and the right breach, and their dead lay there -heaped upon each other. The contest was still maintained -from barricadoes in the streets, and by firing from -the houses; till between four and five in the afternoon, -the enemy were driven from their last defence in the -town, except the Convent of S. Teresa, and retired into -the castle. By that time the town was on fire in many -places; and, to add to the horrors of a place taken by -assault, the vindictive enemy fired upon it from their -upper defences, and rolled their shells into it.</p> - -<p>About three in the afternoon, the day, which had been -sultry, became unusually cold; the sky was overcast, -and between the blackness of the sky, the rain, and the -smoke, it was as dark as a dusky evening; but when -darkness would in its natural course have closed the -town was in flames. A dreadful night of thunder and -rain, and wind succeeded; and it was made far more -dreadful by man than by the elements. It is no easy -task for officers, after the heat of an assault, to restrain -successful troops who are under no moral restraint; and -on this day so many officers had perished that the men -fancied themselves exempt from all control. They sacked -the place, and gave way to such excesses that if the -French could have suspected the state of drunkenness to -which men so excellently brave in action had reduced -themselves, they might very probably have retaken part -of the town, if not the whole. The loss of the assailants -amounted to nearly 1600 British and 800 Portugueze -killed and wounded; 700 of the garrison were made prisoners.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_241">241</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French defeated in their attempt to relieve it.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the morning of the assault the French made a -second effort for the relief of S. Sebastian’s. -Three divisions of Spaniards, under General -Freyre, occupied the heights of S. Marcial on -the left of the Bidassoa, and the town of Irun, -thus covering the road to the besieged fortress. The -position was exceedingly strong, the front and the left -being covered by the river, and their right resting on -the Sierra de Haya. They were supported by the first -division of British infantry, under Major-General Howard, -and by Lord Aylmer’s brigade on the left, and in the rear -of Irun; and by Longa’s division near the Sierra in rear -of their right. Still farther to secure them, Lord Wellington, -knowing that during the 29th and 30th the -enemy were assembling a large force at Vera, moved -two brigades of the 4th division to the left of the Sierra, -and occupied the heights on the right of that mountain, -between the convent of S. Antonio and Vera; and Lezaca -with a Portugueze brigade, to prevent it from being -turned in that direction. On the 30th also he moved -Major-General Inglis’s brigade to the bridge of Lezaca, -and gave orders for the troops in the Puertos of Etchalar, -Zugarramundi, and Maya, to attack the enemy’s weakened -post in front of their positions.</p> - -<p>Before daylight on the 31st the enemy crossed the -Bidassoa with a very large force, two divisions by a ford -in front of the left of the Spaniards, while a third, under -protection of batteries which they had thrown up during -the night, were constructing a bridge over the river, -about three quarters of a mile above the high road. -The two divisions immediately attacked the Spaniards -along the whole front of their position on the heights of -S. Marcial. The attack was made with that confidence -which the French had always felt when the Spaniards -were opposed to them in regular action; but the boldness<span class="pagenum" id="Page_242">242</span> -with which they commenced it was ill maintained; -for the Spaniards waited firmly till the assailants had -nearly reached the summit of the steep ascent, then -charged them with the bayonet whilst in column, and -instantly broke them. As often as the French repeated -the attack so often were they driven back, some of them -even across the river, where many in their haste lost the -direction of the ford and perished. The division which -had been pushed across the Bidassoa to protect the construction -of the bridge, made a subsequent attempt on -the right of the Spaniards, with no better success. But -as the course of the river was immediately under the -heights on the French side, and a considerable bend in -that part of the stream was flanked by their batteries, -the Spaniards could not prevent the pontooners from -completing their work; and in the afternoon the enemy -marched over a considerable body, which, with the divisions -who had crossed at the fords, made another desperate -attack upon the Spanish position. Lord Wellington, -who pronounced the conduct of the Spaniards on this day -to have been equal to that of any troops whom he had -ever seen engaged, appeared in front of their line at the -moment when the French advanced to this last attack. -He was received with loud and repeated shouts, and the -men, proud of supporting in his sight the character -which they felt that they had this day deserved, again -beat back the assailants. They showed themselves -indeed so capable of defending their post without assistance, -that the two British divisions were not brought into -action, the nature of the ground being such that they -could not be employed on the flanks of the enemy’s -corps. When the French were at length convinced that -all their efforts were in vain, they took advantage of a -violent storm and the darkness which came on with it, to -retire hastily from this front. Many took to the river in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_243">243</span> -their fear, to sink or swim if they should miss the fords; -and in this attempt so many were seen to perish, the -river being swoln by the storm, that latterly the fugitives -crowded to the bridge, and at last pressed upon it in such -numbers, that it sunk beneath their weight, and most of -those who were passing at the moment were lost.</p> - -<p>About the same time that the enemy commenced their -operations on this side, a very strong body of their infantry -crossed the Bidassoa, in two columns, by the fords -below Salon, in front of the position occupied by the -9th Portugueze brigade. Major-General Inglis moved -with his brigade to their support, and finding he could -not maintain the heights between Lezaca and the river, -withdrew to those in front of the convent, protecting -there the right of the Spanish army, and at the same time -the approach by Oyarzun to S. Sebastian’s. Major-General -Kempt meantime moved a brigade of the light -division to Lezaca, by which he kept the enemy in -check; and the Earl of Dalhousie was directed likewise -to support Major-General Inglis; but being engaged at -the Puerto de Zugarramundi, he could not begin his -march till late in the afternoon, nor arrive before the ensuing -morning, when the operations were at an end. For -the enemy, when they found that Major-General Inglis -was in a position from which they could not dislodge him, -and knew that they had completely failed at the heights -of San Marcial, felt that their situation on the Spanish -side of the Bidassoa was becoming every moment more -critical, and retired during the night. But the river had -then so risen, and was still rising so fast, that the rear of -their column was obliged to cross by the bridge at Vera: -and to effect this, they attacked the posts of the light -division about three in the morning. If a sufficient force -could have been spared for guarding this point, a very -considerable part of Soult’s army might have been taken.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_244">244</span> -The bridge was not wide enough for more than three or -four to pass abreast, and a continual fire was poured -upon it from the walls of a neighbouring convent, so -that they were believed to have lost not less than a thousand -men in passing. The loss of the allies on this day -amounted to 400 killed, about 2060 wounded, and 150 -missing, nearly 1600 of these being Spaniards. The -brunt of the action had fallen upon them; and in this -respect it was a day of great importance, because it made -the French feel their own growing inferiority, and apprehend -that San Marcial would teach the Spaniards the -same confidence in themselves which the Portugueze had -learned at Busaco. Among the British officers who fell -was Captain Douglas of the 51st: he is thus mentioned -in a work wherein so many crimes have been recorded, -because his brother officers bore this testimony to him, -that he was the only man they knew of whom they could -truly say there was nothing in him in the slightest degree -approaching to a vice. The men of his company -carried him off the field, made his grave carefully, and -gave him a soldier’s burial with all the marks of respect -which they could bestow.</p> - -<p>The effort on Soult’s part had been great, and was -deemed so by Lord Wellington, for a Portugueze brigade -was withdrawn from the besieging corps during the -assault. As soon as the town had been carried, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Siege of the castle of S. Sebastian’s.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -preparations were made for reducing the castle. -The enemy still held the convent of S. Teresa, -the garden of which, inclosed as usual in such establishments -with a high wall, reached a good way up the hill, -toward their upper defences; and from thence they -marked any who approached within reach of fire, so that -when a man fell, there was no other means of bringing -him off than by sending the French prisoners upon this -service of humanity. The town presented a dreadful<span class="pagenum" id="Page_245">245</span> -spectacle both of the work of war and of the wickedness -which in war is let loose. It had caught fire during the -assault, owing to the quantity of combustibles of all -kinds which were scattered about; the French rolled their -shells into it from the castle; and while it was in flames, -the troops were plundering, and the people of the surrounding -country flocking to profit by the spoils of their countrymen. -The few inhabitants who were to be seen seemed -stupified with horror; they had suffered so much, that -they looked with apathy at all around them, and when -the crash of a falling house made the captors run, they -scarcely moved. Heaps of dead were lying every where, -English, Portugueze, and French, one upon another, with -such determination had the one side attacked and the other -maintained its ground. Very many of the assailants lay -dead on the roofs of the houses which adjoined the -breach. The bodies were thrown into the mines and -other excavations, and there covered over so as to be out -of sight, but so hastily and slightly that the air far and -near was tainted; and fires were kindled in the breaches -to consume those which could not be otherwise disposed -of. The hospital presented a more dreadful scene, ... for -it was a scene of human suffering; friend and enemy had -been indiscriminately carried thither, and were there -alike neglected; ... on the third day after the assault -many of them had received neither surgical assistance, -nor food of any kind; and it became necessary to remove -them on the fifth, when the flames approached the building: -much of this neglect would have been unavoidable, -even if that humane and conscientious diligence, which -can be hoped for from so few, had been found in every -individual belonging to the medical department, the -number of the wounded being so great; and little help -could be received from the other part of the army, because<span class="pagenum" id="Page_246">246</span> -it had been engaged in action on the same day. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Excesses committed in the city.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -The hideous circumstances of war were indeed -at this time to be seen in S. Sebastian’s, divested -of its pomp: and to a thoughtful mind its actual -horrors were less painful than the brutal insensibility -with which they were regarded by men whose nature, -originally bad, had been worsened by their way of life. -Great exertions were made to stop the excesses which at -such times are to be expected; but the utmost exertions -can do little among troops who believe themselves privileged -by the occasion to break loose from the restraints -of military discipline, and who are not more fearless of -death than they are, while in health and strength, of -judgment. The town was sacked: had it been an -enemy’s town, it could not have suffered more from its -captors. Sentries were placed at all the outlets to make -the plunderers lay down their booty, but all that could -be secreted about the person was carried off; and the -Spaniards of Passages and other places were ready, as -at a fair, to purchase the spoils of their countrymen. A -reproach was brought upon the British name. The -French seized the opportunity of endeavouring to fix upon -their enemies the same odious imputation which they -themselves were conscious of having deserved; they -accused the British of setting fire to the town, indiscriminately -murdering friend and foe, and pillaging the -place under the eyes of their officers, who made no attempt -to restrain them. These charges were brought -forward by that party in Spain who, without inclining in - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">September.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the slightest degree toward the French, manifested -on all occasions their jealousy and their -envious dislike of England; and they added the farther -calumny, that the captors had plundered the churches, -and, by giving way to excess of every kind, lost the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_247">247</span> -favourable time for following up their success and taking -the castle. All was false, except that great excesses had -been committed: the difference between the conduct of -the British at S. Sebastian’s, and that of the French at -Porto, Tarragona, and other places, being this, that the -crimes which the former perpetrated were checked as -soon as they could be by the officers, acknowledged by -the generals as evils which they had not been able to prevent, -severely condemned by them, and punished: those -of the French had been systematic and predetermined; -the men were neither checked nor reproved by their generals; -and so far were the generals from receiving any -mark of disapprobation from their government, that the -acts themselves were ostentatiously proclaimed in bulletins -and official reports, in the hope of intimidating -the Portugueze and Spaniards, and without any sense of -shame.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The garrison surrenders.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Preparations were immediately made for reducing the -castle, the plan being to erect batteries on the -works of the town, and breach the Queen batteries, -the Mirador, and the keep. On the 3rd, -some discussion concerning a surrender was entered into -with General Rey, which he broke off when it was -required that the garrison should lay down their arms -and become prisoners of war. These terms the general -knew he could obtain at the last moment, and possibly he -still entertained some hope of holding out till another -effort could be made for his relief; as, even after he had -retired into the castle, some artillery and ammunition -reached him there from France, it being impossible, upon -such a coast, and when the ports were so near, entirely -to cut off the communication. The Convent of S. Teresa -was taken on the 5th: by this time the flames, which -continued still to spread, had driven the troops from -their more advanced stations, and made them retire to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_248">248</span> -the ramparts. By the evening of the 7th, the roofs of -such houses and steeples as remained unburnt were prepared - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Sept. 8.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -for musketry; and on the following morning -nearly sixty pieces of ordnance opened on -the castle. With great exertions, directed by Captain -Smith, of the navy, guns were got up the steep scarp of -the islet of S. Clara, and there mounted on a battery, -which the sailors manned. The wall of the Mirador was -so hard, that the balls at first split upon striking it; nevertheless, -it was peeled by the continual fire, and was -beginning to come down, when the white flag was hung -out. All the enemy’s batteries were at that time utterly -demolished, those on the sea line alone excepted; the guns -dismounted, the carriages knocked to pieces, and the -castle in ruins. There were no barracks, nor any covering -for the troops except holes, which had been excavated in -every nook and corner, to serve for them as splinter-proofs; -and of these many were filled with water, much -rain having fallen during the preceding week: but for -the prisoners, who were in the hands of the garrison, -there was no shelter, and many of them were killed by -the fire of their friends. The French general might have -obtained credit for an act of generous humanity, and of -policy as well, if he had released these prisoners, sending -a trumpet with them to declare his reasons for so doing, -and to express his reliance upon British honour that an -exchange should be allowed for them; for this no doubt -would have been agreed to, though the advantage was -so manifestly to the enemy.</p> - -<p>General Rey, on displaying the white flag, said he -would send officers to confer on the terms of surrender. -Sir Thomas Graham replied, no others would be offered -than what had already been stated; the garrison must -lay down their arms, and be made prisoners of war. -During the whole siege they had lost about 2400 men,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_249">249</span> -and they had now eaten all their horses. Yielding of -necessity now, they were especially anxious that they -should be under British protection, be embarked at Passages -as the nearest port, and conveyed directly to England; -and this was promised. One article requested -that the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Commissaire de Guerre</i>, having with him the -widow and the two daughters of his brother, who had -died at Pamplona, might be allowed to return with them -to France, he being their chief support. General Rey -was indignant that an article about women should appear -in the capitulation of such a garrison, and after such -a defence; and this he expressed coarsely, as if a soldier -disparaged his character by showing any consideration -for humanity!</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Sept. 10.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the 10th, the Portugueze were formed in the streets -of the ruined city; the British on the ramparts. -The day was fine, after a night of heavy rain. -About noon the garrison marched out at the Mirador -gate. The bands of two or three Portugueze regiments -played occasionally; but altogether it was a dismal -scene, amid ruins and vestiges of fire and slaughter: a -few inhabitants were present, and only a few. Many of -the French soldiers wept bitterly, there was a marked -sadness in the countenances of all, and they laid down -their arms in silence. Colonel S. Ouary, the commandant -of the place, had been uniformly attentive to the -officers who had been prisoners. When this kindness -was now acknowledged, he said that he had been twice -a prisoner in England; that he had been fifty years in -the service, and on the 15th of the passing month he -should have received his dismission: he was now sixty-six, -he said, an old man, and should never serve again; -and if he might be permitted to retire into France, instead -of being sent to England, he should be the happiest -of men. Sir Thomas Graham wrote to Lord<span class="pagenum" id="Page_250">250</span> -Wellington in favour of the kind-hearted old man, and it -may be believed that the application was not made in -vain. Captain Sougeon was recognized at this time, -who, on the day of the first assault, had descended the -breach to assist our wounded: “There,” said he, pointing -to his men, “are the remains of the brave 22nd; we were -250 the other day, now not more than 50 are left.” Lord -Wellington, upon being informed of his conduct, sent him -to France. Eighty officers and 1756 men were all the -remains of the garrison, and of these 25 officers and 512 -men were in the hospital.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_251">251</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLV">CHAPTER XLV.</h2> -</div> - -<blockquote class="inhead"> - -<p class="hang">OPERATIONS OF THE ANGLO-SICILIAN ARMY. THE ALLIES ENTER FRANCE. -PASSAGE OF THE BIDASSOA, THE NIVELLE, AND THE NIVE. TREATY -BETWEEN BUONAPARTE AND FERDINAND, AND CONSEQUENT PROCEEDINGS -OF THE SPANISH GOVERNMENT.</p></blockquote> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">1813.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The remains of Romana’s army return from the North.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p class="in0"><span class="firstword">During</span> the siege of S. Sebastian’s, some few hundred -men, the remains of Romana’s army, who had -not been able to effect their escape from the North, -when their magnanimous general and their comrades -went to take part in their country’s struggle, -and most of them to perish in it, returned to -Spain. The resistance to Buonaparte’s tyranny, which -the Spaniards and Portugueze had begun, had prepared -the way for the deliverance of the continent, and thus -eventually restored them to their native land.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord W. Bentinck invests Tarragona.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Anglo-Sicilian army had no sooner returned to -Alicante from its ill-conducted expedition against -Tarragona, than every exertion was used for -enabling it to take the field, and profit by the -retreat of the enemy from Valencia. Lord -William Bentinck entered that capital on the 9th of July, -and leaving General Elio to observe Murviedro, proceeded -with his own troops, and such of the Spaniards as he could - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">August.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -find means of providing with subsistence, for in -this essential point there was the greatest difficulty. -Having arrived at Vinaroz, he detached a corps -under Lieutenant-General Sir William Clinton by sea to -Tarragona, in the hope of preventing the enemy from -dismantling that fortress, if such should be their intention. -When the fleet arrived off Tarragona, a French force<span class="pagenum" id="Page_252">252</span> -was discovered in its vicinity; but there were no indications -of any such purpose. The detachment, therefore, -landed at the Col de Balaguer; and there, Lord William, -having crossed the Ebro at Amposta on flying bridges, -joined him with the advance of the army, some cavalry, -and artillery; the whole then moved forward to the village -of Cambrils, and on the first of August they invested -Tarragona: that operation was well performed, and cover -was obtained three hundred yards nearer than the most -advanced point which had been occupied during the -previous attack. Preparations were now observable in -the place for its destruction; but it was evident that the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Col. Jones’s account, V. 2. 201.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -garrison could not effect this in the presence of -the allied army, unless Marshal Suchet came in -force to cover the operation. That general was -at Barcelona; his troops were at Villafranca and at -Villanova de Sitges, being thus divided to lessen the -difficulty of subsisting them; and his advance was at -Arbos and at Vendrell: sometimes he seemed to be -menacing a movement against the allies, and sometimes -preparing for a farther retreat. Lord William, with -such an enemy in such force so near, would not expose -himself to a failure like that of Sir John Murray; and -he deferred beginning the siege and landing his heavy -artillery, till the Duque del Parque’s army should come -up, and Sarsfield with his Catalan troops. The Duque -joined on the third; the Catalans were actively employed -upon the right flank of Suchet’s divisions, cutting off -his supplies; and on the 7th they surprised a battalion -who were guarding the mills at S. Sadurni, and occasioned -them a loss of 200 men. Sarsfield joined on the -11th. But as the appearance of the allies before Tarragona -prevented the garrison from demolishing the -works, so on the other hand it gave Marshal Suchet -time for bringing together as large a force as he thought<span class="pagenum" id="Page_253">253</span> -the occasion required. The British general, like Generals -Maitland and Murray before him, felt all the difficulties -of his situation; he was conscious that his ill-composed -army was far from being efficient in proportion to its -numerical strength; he had no means of feeding the -Spanish part of that army if the enemy should manœuvre -upon his flank, so as to cut off the supplies which they -obtained from the country; he had found it impracticable -to throw a bridge over the Ebro; and should he be compelled -in his present situation to retreat, the ships could -not take off more than a third of his forces. But while -the prudence of remaining in that situation became a -serious question, preparations for breaking ground were -carried on.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet raises the siege.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Suchet meantime acting as if he were opposed to a -much greater force, had waited till Generals -Decaen, Maurice Mathieu, and Maximien Lamarque -could join him with 8000 men belonging -to the army of Catalonia; with this accession his numbers -were estimated at from 27,000 to 30,000. They -effected their junction at Villafranca on the 14th. The -first attempt was by the coast road; but Admiral Hallowell -effectually checked this movement, by stationing his -troops as close as possible to the low sandy shore in front -of the Torre del Barra. On the ensuing morning Lord -William was informed that a large body of the French -were advancing through the inland country by the Col -de Santa Christina; and in the evening a sharp skirmish -took place between the advance of hussars and the -cavalry under Colonel Lord Frederick Bentinck, which -he sent forward to observe their motions: in this the -Brunswick hussars distinguished themselves, repulsing -the enemy and making several prisoners. Suchet advanced -rapidly beyond the Gaya that day, while Decaen -advanced upon Valls and the Francoli. Lord William<span class="pagenum" id="Page_254">254</span> -did not deem it prudent to risk a general action before -Tarragona; at nightfall, therefore, he commenced his -retreat, and when day broke the whole army was out of -sight of the city; the British, Germans, and Sicilians, -covering the road towards Tortosa, took up a position -near Cambrils. Sarsfield occupied Reus; and the Duque -del Parque was directed to proceed to the Col de Balaguer, -where, if Suchet should push the retreating army so as to -make a general action necessary, it was intended to await -his attack. But the French commander had no such - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French abandon Tarragona.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -purpose; his present object was to bring off the -garrison from Tarragona, and to demolish its -fortifications, so that they might afford no support -to the allies. On the night of the 18th the works -were blown up; and Marshal Suchet then withdrew for -ever from a place where, by the premeditated atrocities -which were committed at its capture, he has fixed upon -his memory an indelible stain. The demolition was -effectual: the artillery consisted of about 200 pieces of -brass ordnance and 46 iron mortars; 50 of the former -were left uninjured; and he did not tarry long enough to -destroy the quantity of warlike stores which he had not -the means of removing. Sarsfield on the following day -took possession of the city.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Plans proposed to Suchet by Marshal Soult.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Suchet soon fell back upon the line of the Llobregat, -having drained the plain of Villafranca of its -resources. In a country thus exhausted, General -Copons declared it was not possible to provide -for the whole Spanish force under Lord William’s -command; and in consequence of this, and upon erroneous -information that part of the French troops had been -detached to aid Marshal Soult, the British general, conformably -to an arrangement made with Lord Wellington, -sent the Duque del Parque, with the 4th Spanish army, -to Zaragoza; and he reinforced the corps, then employed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_255">255</span> -under Elio, in the blockade of Tortosa. Early in September -he concentrated the greater part of his remaining -force at Villafranca. At this time Marshal Soult had -proposed to Suchet that he should cross the Pyrenees -with the whole disposable force of the armies of Aragon -and Catalonia, and unite with him at Tarbes and at Pau, -for the purpose of re-entering Spain together by Oleron -and Jaca, and making another effort for the relief of -Pamplona. A different project was offered to his consideration -by the minister at war, ... that he should -as much as possible occupy the enemy upon the Ebro: -in either case a reinforcement of conscripts was to be -counted on. The difficulties in the way of the first plan -were soon perceived by Soult himself to be insurmountable; -and Suchet represented the danger of drawing -after him the Anglo-Sicilian army into the southern -departments of France, which were defenceless. But as -a practicable though a perilous operation, he offered to -advance between the Ebro and the Pyrenees, with 70 -pieces of field and 30 of mountain artillery, to meet -Soult, who might debouche from Jaca with his infantry -and cavalry, but without cannon. But for this two things -were necessary, ... that he should have conscripts to place -in the garrisons, and that before he marched from Catalonia -he should defeat the Anglo-Sicilians.</p> - -<p>Lord William’s numbers were not equal to those which -could be brought against him, the want both of provisions -and means of transport having obliged him to leave -Whittingham’s division at Reus and Valls; but he had -no suspicion that Suchet would advance against him. -His army was posted at Villafranca and in the villages -in its front, as far as the mountains on the Llobregat; -the advance, under Colonel Adams, consisting of the -27th British regiment, one Calabrian and three Spanish -battalions, with four mountain guns, occupied the pass<span class="pagenum" id="Page_256">256</span> -of Ordal, on the main road, about ten miles in their -front, and the same distance from the enemy’s posts on -the Llobregat. The pass was so strong that Lord William -was without any apprehension of its being forced, -especially as he thought the probable point of attack - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet surprises the allies at the pass of Ordal.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -would be by turning his left at Martorell and -San Sadurni, where Copons was posted. Nor, -indeed, was it likely Suchet would have confined -himself to the front attack of a position -which was strong there, but open on both flanks, unless, -because such an attack was improbable, he thought the -enemy might be taken there by surprise, before they had -strengthened the post.</p> - -<p>Accordingly, having concerted his plans with General -Decaen, he collected the divisions of Harispe and Habert, -with his cavalry at the bridge of Molins del Rey, and at -eight o’clock on the night of the 12th moved for the pass. -The allies were reposing in position, when about midnight -their piquets were rapidly driven in, and they -were presently attacked in force. An old work which -commanded the main road was well defended by the -Calabrians, till they were driven from it by the repeated -attacks of superior numbers; they rallied then about -sixty paces in rear of it, behind some old ruins, and there, -in conjunction with the Spaniards, who were close on -their left, stood their ground some time longer. But in -a night attack the assailants, acting upon ground with -which they were well acquainted, and on a concerted -plan, had greatly the advantage over a very inferior force -who were taken by surprise. Colonel Adams and the two -officers next in succession to him were badly wounded, -and obliged to quit the field; owing to the changes this -occasioned, the regular directions were interrupted, and -the ground in consequence was disputed much longer -than it ought to have been against a force so greatly<span class="pagenum" id="Page_257">257</span> -superior, both British and Spaniards maintaining it so -resolutely that the right and the centre were nearly -destroyed in their position. The Calabrian corps on the -left fell back along the hills, and endeavoured to reach -San Sadurni, which Manso occupied with his brigade. -Their hope was to rejoin the army by the road leading -from thence to Villafranca; but after crossing the river -Noya, in front of San Sadurni, they were attacked by a -considerable column, and forced back toward the Barcelona -road: they succeeded, however, in making their -way to Sitges, and there effected their embarkation on the -following night. The guns were taken by the enemy, -but most of the fugitives joined Manso.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Anglo-Sicilians retreat.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>As soon as the attack was known at head-quarters, -Lord William put the army in motion to sustain -his advance; but before any reinforcements -could reach the spot, the French had carried -every point, and it remained for him then either to retreat -without loss of time, or give battle to an enemy superior -in numbers and flushed with success, upon ground which -afforded no advantage of position. He determined -therefore upon retiring; Major-General Mackenzie, with -the 2d division, covered the retreat during the most -difficult part of its execution, to the village of Monjoz; -Sarsfield moved to the left of Villafranca, by the hilly -and woody country on that side; and the British, Germans, -and Sicilians, took the main road by the villages -of Monjoz and Arbos. Marshal Suchet expected that -Decaen would arrive before Villafranca in time to co-operate -with him, and force the allies to an action; but -that general had to cross the Llobregat and the Noya, -and was delayed also in the defiles by Manso, and by -the Calabrese, with whom he fell in when they were -making for San Sadurni. His own cuirassiers and dragoons, -under General Meyer, pressed with very superior<span class="pagenum" id="Page_258">258</span> -numbers, near Monjoz, upon the cavalry under Lord -Frederic Bentinck, who covered the retreat, and some -sabre strokes were exchanged between the two leaders. -At length a most timely and vigorous charge was made -simultaneously by Lord Frederic with the 20th dragoons, -under Lieutenant-Colonel Hawker, and the Sicilians, and -by Lieutenant-Colonel Schrader with the German hussars, -by which the enemy were driven back, and so completely -checked, that they made no farther attempt upon the -retreating army; so it reached Vendrells that evening, -without any loss. During the night it retired to Altafulla, -and on the evening following took up its ground in -front of Tarragona, as the nearest protecting situation; -the Spaniards, under Sarsfield, moving upon Reus. The -ruins of Tarragona could have afforded little support if -the allies had not been better protected by their own -strength, and by the opinion which Suchet had learned -to entertain of them. He advanced no farther than Villafranca -in pursuit; and after exacting a contribution from -the distressed inhabitants, returned to Barcelona.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The command devolves upon Sir William Clinton.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>At this time the uneasy state of affairs in Sicily, and -the ill success of political changes there, as premature -as they were well intended, rendered it -necessary for Lord William Bentinck to repair -thither, and the command of the army devolved -upon Lieutenant-General Sir William Clinton. That -general was left with an inadequate force, and under -discouraging circumstances, to attend to objects which -were of no inconsiderable importance to the common -cause. He had to provide against the likelihood of -Suchet’s availing himself of his late success to relieve or -to withdraw his garrisons in Valencia or on the Ebro; -and he had to occupy the attention of that able commander -so as to prevent him from sending any considerable -detachment to take part in Soult’s operations<span class="pagenum" id="Page_259">259</span> -against Lord Wellington. It was found impracticable -to construct a bridge upon the Ebro as low down as Amposta; -and if it had not been so, he could not have -spared troops enough from other more important services, -to protect it against the sallies of the strong garrison in -Tortosa. The best course therefore which he could -pursue seemed to be that of repairing the defences of -Tarragona, as far as time and means permitted, so as to -render it a point of support. Well was it for the Anglo-Sicilian -army that, notwithstanding the credit it had lost -by Sir John Murray’s precipitate retreat, and the recent -loss which it had sustained at Ordal, it had yet impressed -Marshal Suchet with a most respectable opinion -of its ability in the field; skilful as he was, nothing but -that opinion withheld him from acting vigorously against -it when he had it so greatly at advantage. His disposable -force at this time was not short of 25,000 men, with -a large body of cavalry; better troops he could not -desire; and their supplies were protected by the possession -of several important fortresses, all which were garrisoned -well. The Anglo-Sicilian army amounted barely -to 12,000 effective men, including a small body of cavalry; -about half of these were British and Germans, the -remainder Italians and Sicilians in British pay, on whom, -though they were not ill-disciplined, the same confidence -could not be placed in the presence of an enemy. There -were about 11,000 Spanish troops whose services General -Clinton might have commanded, if there had been means -for rendering them available, but they were in a state -almost of destitution; without pay, ill-clothed, and worse -fed; and he had no control (as his predecessors had -had) over the first Spanish army, which army also was -prevented by its wants from taking the field, except occasionally, -and then from keeping it, except for a very -short time. With the commander of that army, General<span class="pagenum" id="Page_260">260</span> -Copons, and with the other leaders, the best understanding -prevailed; nor indeed were there among all the -Spaniards better men or more distinguished officers than -some of them, ... the names of Manso and Eroles will be -held in honour as long as the Catalans retain any of that -national spirit by which they are so honourably distinguished. -They might be expected to check any movement -of the enemy on the side of Lerida, or towards Tarragona; -and to interrupt their communication with -France along the inland road, by which their supplies -were principally brought; but direct co-operation was -not to be looked for where there was no unity of command, -and ... on the one part ... all but a total want of -means. Even the troops in British pay suffered great -privations, their communication with the depôts at Malta -and Gibraltar being interrupted because of the plague. -But the tide of the enemy’s fortunes had now turned; -and all difficulties were met cheerfully by the allies, in -the sure hope that their perseverance would soon be -crowned with success. As soon as arrangements were -made for restoring the works at Tarragona, and for supplying -as far as possible the Spaniards who were attached -to the Anglo-Sicilian army, head-quarters were established -at Villafranca; the troops which had been cantoned at -Reus, Valls, and other places in the environs of Tarragona, -were ordered to occupy an advanced line of cantonments: -a force, consisting of cavalry, with some -field artillery, and Sarsfield’s Spanish division of about -5000 infantry, were stationed at Villafranca; the enemy’s -movements on the Llobregat were narrowly observed; -and the remainder of the allied troops (with the exception -of those who carried on the works at Tarragona) -were so distributed, that, upon any emergency, they -could be assembled at Villafranca in four-and-twenty -hours.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_261">261</span> -Meantime, on the opposite side of the peninsula, an - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Position of the armies on the Pyrenean frontier.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -interval of seeming inactivity had followed the -capture of S. Sebastian’s; but the time, though -marked by no military movements, was busily -employed in preparing for them, by closing up -the troops, replacing the ammunition, and re-organizing -those divisions which had suffered most. The opposing -armies were in sight of each other. There was something -mournful as well as impressive to a thoughtful -mind in the contrast between the stupendous scenery of -the Pyrenees and the diminutive appearance of field-works, -and large armies upon such a theatre: “the little -huts, and the less beings who inhabited them,” might -have been overlooked as mere specks in the prospect, had -it not been for the more mournful knowledge that these -tens of thousands were collected there for life or for -death; one party having been sent thither by the wicked -will of an individual drunk with ambition, and the other -brought there by the duty and necessity of resisting his -lust of power. The troops who covered the blockade of -Pamplona suffered severely from wet and cold, and were -unavoidably subject to privations from which their more -fortunate comrades near the coast were exempt. When -the clouds opened they could see the fertile country of -the enemy beneath them, in sunshine. During the -weeks of hard, irksome duty, passed thus in a situation -where exertion and enterprise were not required, but in -their stead continual vigilance and patience, desertions -became frequent; they were most numerous, as might be -expected, among the Spaniards, because they were in their -own country; and least, in a remarkable degree, among<a id="FNanchor_2" href="#Footnote_2" class="fnanchor">2</a> -the Portugueze.</p> - -<p>It was now no longer in Buonaparte’s power to allot<span class="pagenum" id="Page_262">262</span> -conscripts by the hundred thousand for the consumption - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Levy ordered in France for Soult’s army.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -of his war in the Peninsula. A levy of 30,000 -was all that could be ordered to reinforce -Soult’s army; “the armies of Spain, it was admitted, -having been compelled to yield before - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Speech of M. Regnaud.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -superior numbers, and the advantages which the -enemy drew from their maritime communications, -needed reinforcement; for England, while in the -north of Europe it lavished its intrigues and its promises, -was not less lavish in the south of its resources and sacrifices. -The proposed levy, however, raised in the departments -adjacent to the Pyrenees, would suffice to stop -the successes upon which the enemy were congratulating -themselves too soon; it would suffice for resuming the -attitude which became France, and for preparing the -moment when England should no longer dispose of the -treasures of Mexico, for the devastation of both the -Spains!” This was the language of M. Regnaud de St. -Jean d’Angely in an official speech; and the senator, -M. le Comte de Beurnonville, making a report in the -name of a special commission, spake in the same strain, ... -a strain that becomes doubly curious when compared -with the events which were so soon to follow. “England,” -said he, “who intrigues much and hazards little, -has not dared to compromise her land forces by sending -them to combat in the north of Germany, and uniting -them with the Russian and Prussian phalanxes; she -feared reverses which she could not but foresee, and -which for her would be irreparable. In this thorny conjuncture, -and that it might have the air of doing something -for the powers whom it had set to play, the cabinet -of London had preferred mingling the English troops -with the Spanish and Portugueze <em>bands</em>, being sure that -it could withdraw them without inconvenience, according -to its interest. Hence that sudden augmentation of its<span class="pagenum" id="Page_263">263</span> -force, which had determined our armies to a retrograde -movement; and these <em>bands</em>, encouraged by some ephemeral -successes, have carried their audacity so far as -to invest the places of S. Sebastian’s and Pamplona.” ... -Buonaparte’s ministers never thought proper to inform -the senate that these <em>bands</em> soon carried their audacity a -little farther, and took them both. “The proposed levy,” -it was added, “would enable the French armies of the -Peninsula to resume their ancient attitude.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">October.</span>Lord Wellington’s orders upon entering France.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The orator, and the special commission for whom he -spake, were mistaken: it was England who resumed -her ancient attitude, ... who re-asserted -and resumed her military superiority upon that -ground where her Plantagenets had displayed it. -Her victorious armies were at this time preparing -to plant their banners in France, leading thus the -way to the general invasion of what the French in the -pride of their military strength had called the sacred territory. -As soon, indeed, as the enemy had been driven -beyond the Pyrenees, the army had looked forward to -this with all the pride of the military spirit, and of excited -national feeling: the Spaniards and Portugueze -talked of retribution and revenge; and among the British, -the question was discussed whether or not they were -to be freebooters. That question was answered by Lord -Wellington in the general order which he issued as soon -as the troops encamped among the Pyrenees. “The -commander of the forces,” said he, “is anxious to -draw the attention of the officers of the army to the -difference of the situation in which they have been -hitherto, among the people of Portugal and Spain, and -that in which they may hereafter find themselves, among -those of the frontiers of France.” After observing that -every military endeavour must thenceforth be used for -obtaining intelligence, and preventing surprise, he proceeded<span class="pagenum" id="Page_264">264</span> -to say that, notwithstanding the utmost precautions -were absolutely necessary, as the country in front -of the army was the enemy’s, he was particularly desirous -that the inhabitants should be well treated, and -private property respected, as it had been till that time. -The officers and soldiers of the army, said he, must -recollect, that their nations are at war with France solely -because the Ruler of the French nation will not allow -them to be at peace, and is desirous of forcing them to -submit to his yoke; and they must not forget that the -worst of the evils suffered by the enemy in his profligate -invasion of Spain and Portugal have been occasioned by -the irregularities of the soldiers and their cruelties, -authorized and encouraged by their chiefs, towards the -unfortunate and peaceful inhabitants of the country. -To revenge this conduct on the peaceable inhabitants of -France would be unmanly and unworthy of the nations to -whom the commander of the forces now addresses himself; -and at all events would be the occasion of similar -and worse evils to the army at large, than those which - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>General orders, <span class="date">July 9, 1813.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the enemy’s army have suffered in the Peninsula, -and would eventually prove highly injurious to -the public interest.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Passage of the Bidassoa.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Though it was not possible to act on the offensive upon -a great scale, till Pamplona should have surrendered, -Lord Wellington determined with the left -wing of his army to cross the Bidassoa, and dislodge -the enemy from some strong ground which they -occupied on the right of that river as an advanced position; -the key to it being the high steep mountain called -La Rhune, which fronts the passes of Vera and Etchalar. -Mount La Rhune is a remarkable spot; and its possession -had been obstinately contested in the campaign of -1794, because its summit served as a watch-tower from -whence the whole country between Bayonne and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_265">265</span> -Pyrenees might be observed. The mountain itself is -within the French territory, but there is a chapel, or, in -Romish language, a hermitage, on its summit, which -used to be supported at the joint expense of the villages -of Vera in Spain, and of Sarré, Ascain, and Urogne, in -France; people of different nations, and hostile feelings, -being there drawn together by the bond of their common -faith.... The right of the army being at Roncesvalles and -Maya, could at any time descend from its commanding -situation into France.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Bidassoa.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Bidassoa, a river not otherwise remarkable than -as forming the boundary of two great kingdoms, -rises on Mount Belat, flows down the valley of -Bastan, and, spreading into a broad stream after it has -passed Irun, enters the Bay of Biscay between the Point -of Figueras (a rocky promontory in which Mount Jaysquibel -terminates) and the heights on the French side. -Mount Jaysquibel, which extends along the coast from -Passages to this point (its highest elevation being about -1700 feet), is separated from the chain of the Pyrenees -by a broad valley, along which the Vittoria road passes; -at its foot stands the old and melancholy town of Fontarabia, ... -a name which Milton has made familiar to -English ears; the river rising sixteen feet there, and -forming a tide harbour, washes the ruins of its walls, -which were blown up in the war of 1794; but when the -tide is out there is a considerable extent of sand on both -sides of the stream. The little town of Andaye, famed -for its brandy, is on the French shore opposite. The -bridge, which the enemy had destroyed in their retreat, is -about a mile from Irun, and a little below it is the Isle of -Pheasants, better known by its later name from the Conference -held there in 1660, which brought in its consequences -so many evils, not upon Spain alone, but upon -the greater part of Europe. Between this island and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_266">266</span> -mouth of the river three fords had been discovered: Spanish -fishermen had been employed in this service, and -they performed it so well, as if pursuing the while their -ordinary occupation, that the French sentries on the opposite -bank never suspected their intent.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Attack of the French position.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A stronger position as to all natural advantages can -hardly be imagined than that which the allies -were to attack, after they should have crossed -the Bidassoa; the French had strengthened it -by redoubts, by <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">abattis</i>, and intrenchments at every knoll; -the paths were hardly practicable; it was laborious work -even for an unarmed man to reach points which were now -to be assailed in the face of an enemy perfectly prepared. -But it was necessary to advance from a country where -the nature of the ground rendered it difficult to support -the troops; and where supplies for many of the corps -were carried to the mountain encampments on the heads -of men and women, long strings of whom were to be seen -toiling up the steep and slippery ascents. Preparations -for the attack were made on the 6th, and the troops were -under arms and in motion soon after midnight. The tents -were left standing, that the enemy might discover no -signs when dawn appeared of the intended movement. -It was a stormy night, with thunder and lightning, and -some rain, ... the rain not enough in any way to impede -or increase the difficulties of the attempt, and the storm -in other respects favouring it; for it moved in the same -direction as the troops, and prevented the enemy from -hearing the noise of the artillery and pontoon train. The -storm was succeeded by an extraordinary sultry heat, -what little wind there was feeling like the breath of an -oven. The 1st and 5th divisions, with Wilson’s Portugueze -brigade, were to cross the river in three columns below, -and one above, the bridge, and carry the French intrenchments -about and above Andaye; and General Freyre,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_267">267</span> -with the Spaniards, was to cross in three columns at the -higher ford, and turn the enemy’s left by carrying their -intrenchments on the Montagne Verte, and on the heights -of Mandale. The troops arrived at their appointed stations -without having been noticed; and every thing thus -far had been so fortunately performed, that the enemy did -not begin to fire till the heads of the columns were nearly -half over, when a rocket was discharged from the steeple -at Fontarabia, as the signal for the simultaneous advance -of the troops above.</p> - -<p>Every thing succeeded perfectly. The 5th division -was the first that set foot on the French soil; they advanced -under a brisk fire from the enemy’s piquets, -against the line which was hastily forming on the nearest -range of hills. The first came presently up, and the -enemy were driven from the works. Freyre was equally -successful on his side; the Spaniards rushed down the -mountain, forded the river, and carried the Montagne -Verte. The affair began at eight, and at nine it was seen -that the huts of the mountain post had been set on fire -and abandoned. Meantime Baron Alten, with the light -division, and with Longa’s, attacked and forced the intrenchments -on the Puerto de Vera; and Giron, still -farther on the right, attacked their position on Mount La -Rhune. The light division drove them from redoubts, -and intrenchments, and abattis, such, in the words of a -distinguished officer then present, “as men ought to -have defended for ever;” and the Spaniards, in like -manner, carried every thing before them, till they reached -the foot of the rock on which the hermitage stands, which -on that side presents a craggy cliff, though on the other -it is accessible by a gentle slope. Even that post the -Spaniards made several attempts to carry by storm, -which failed only because it was impossible to ascend -there; the enemy, therefore, remained in possession of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_268">268</span> -the hermitage that night, and of a rock on the same -range of mountains with the right of the Spanish troops. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Batty’s Campaign in the Western Pyrenees, p. 28.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -In all other parts the firing had ceased early in -the afternoon, here it was kept up till late at -night; and the conical outline of the mountain -was seen far and wide by the light of this awful -illumination. Some time elapsed on the following -morning before the fog cleared away sufficiently for -Lord Wellington to reconnoitre Mount La Rhune, the -prominent mountain there, towering above its neighbours; -he perceived that it was least difficult of access on its -right, and that the attack might advantageously be connected -with that on the enemy’s works in front of the -camp of Sarré. Accordingly, he ordered the army of -reserve to concentrate to their right: Giron at the same -time attacked the post on the rock, and won it most gallantly; -his troops followed up their success, and carried -an intrenchment upon a hill which protected the right of -the camp: the enemy immediately evacuated all their -works in order to defend the approaches to their camp, -and these posts were occupied by detachments which -Lord Dalhousie sent from the 7th division through the -Puerto de Etchalar for this purpose. Giron then established -a battalion on the enemy’s left upon Mount La -Rhune. Night, opportunely for the enemy, prevented -farther operations; they retired under cover of the darkness -both from the hermitage and the camp, and the allied -armies pitched their tents in France. The British loss -in these two days was 579 killed, wounded, and missing; -that of the Portugueze 233; that of the Spaniards 750. -Sir Thomas Graham, having thus established within the -French territory the troops who had so often been distinguished -under his direction, resigned the command to -Lieutenant-General Sir John Hope, who had arrived -from Ireland the preceding day, and departed himself to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_269">269</span> -take a command in the Low Countries. As soon as the -left of the allied army had made this important movement, -the enemy moved General Paris’s division from -Oleron to the neighbourhood of St. Jean de Pied-de-Port, -and on the night of the 12th they surprised and carried -a redoubt in front of the camp of Sarré, taking prisoners -a piquet of forty Spaniards, and one hundred pioneers. -The redoubt was farther from the line, and from the -ground from whence it could be supported, than Lord -Wellington had supposed when he gave orders for occupying -it; he left it, therefore, now in their possession. -On the following morning they made an attack upon the -advanced posts of the Andalusian army, hoping to regain -the works which they had constructed in front of the -camp; but they were repulsed with little difficulty.</p> - -<p>The country which was now occupied by the contending -armies had been well disputed in the years 1793 -and 1794, during the heat of the French revolution, -and men whose names afterwards became conspicuous -served at that time in both armies: Mendizabal and the -high-minded Romana among the Spaniards; among the -French, Latour d’Auvergne; Moncey, one of the few -French Marshals who brought no reproach upon himself -by rapacity or cruelty; and Laborde, who will be remembered -in Portugal for both, and for having been the first -French General whom Lord Wellington defeated. In -that war the Spaniards fought with the manifold disadvantage -of having a wretched administration, an ill-disciplined -and worse provided army, and a revolutionary -spirit showing itself in some of their own countrymen; -yet they made a longer and sturdier resistance in the -Pyrenees than the French displayed when it was now -their turn to defend the passes and protect their own -country from invasion. But, honourable as it was for -the armies of England, Portugal, and Spain thus to have<span class="pagenum" id="Page_270">270</span> -driven the enemy from Lisbon and Cadiz to the Pyrenees, -and pursued him into his own territories, the spirit in -which that invasion was undertaken was not less -honourable to the allied nations than the success of their -arms. The French, indeed, as soon as they apprehended -that their own country must soon become the seat of war, -spoke with horror of what might be expected from the -Portugueze and Spaniards, remembering then with -uneasiness, if not with shame and remorse, the atrocities -which they themselves had committed. Their hope was -that the peasantry would rise, and carry on that kind of -war which within the Peninsula had been found so -destructive to the invaders; and no endeavour was -omitted for exciting them to such a course. But a circumstance -had happened to check this spirit upon its -first manifestation, a few days before the passage of the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Conduct of the French peasantry.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Bidassoa. The Portugueze, when they surprised -and took a French piquet on the side of Roncesvalles, -were fired at by the peasantry: they took -fourteen of them, and these men were immediately -marched to Passages, there to be embarked for England -as prisoners of war. This treatment had the effect of -intimidating the people, while it awakened no spirit of -vengeance, because it was perceived to be nothing more -than what was strictly just. That spirit might have -been roused if Lord Wellington had not by timely severity -effectually checked the license which the troops were -but too ready to have taken, and from which it had not -been possible to protect the Spaniards in the Pyrenean -valleys. The French peasantry did not forsake their -houses when the allies crossed the Bidassoa. The inhabitants -of the large village of Urogne did not leave it -till the battle approached, and then they collected in an -adjoining field; but they dispersed as soon as flames -broke out among their dwellings; for the troops who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_271">271</span> -entered it began to plunder ... they set several houses on -fire, and drank to such excess that, had the enemy been -on the alert, he might easily have captured or destroyed -them. Some of the officers were more culpable than -the troops, for they used no exertions to prevent the outrages -which they saw. Lord Wellington, as soon as he -was informed of this misconduct, republished his former -orders, and accompanied them with a severe reprimand, -declaring his determination not to command officers who -would not obey his orders, and of sending some of them, -who had been thus grossly unmindful of their duty, to -England, that their names might be brought under the -notice of the Prince Regent.</p> - -<p>It was now seen how much the moral conduct and -character of an army depends upon its general. Lord -Melville once made the monstrous assertion in Parliament -that the worst men were the fittest for soldiers. His -strong understanding should have taught him better, if -his heart had failed to do so; and he was properly rebuked -for it by the Duke of Gloucester, who observed, -that the men who had the strictest sense of their personal -duties were those who served their country with most -patience and most fidelity in war. But Mr. Wyndham’s -hope of recruiting our armies with men of a better description -than those who used to be forced or inveigled -into it, or driven by desperation to enlist, had not been -realized, and the want of moral and religious training -was still left to be supplied by military discipline ... as -far as that could supply it. Lord Wellington enforced -that means; and it is not the least of his many and eminent -merits, that he made such means effectual, without -bringing upon himself any reproach for undue severity. -After the excesses at Urogne, not an inhabitant was to -be seen in the French territory; they had withdrawn -more because of these outrages, than in obedience to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_272">272</span> -injunctions of their own government. But a proclamation -was issued in French and Basque, assuring them that -their persons and property should be respected. Some -necessary examples of justice upon those who ventured -to violate orders so emphatically repeated, convinced the -inhabitants that they might trust to the word of the -British general; and, after those examples had been -made, never, perhaps, since the days of the great Gustavus, -was such excellent discipline observed in an enemy’s -country. Even the Portugueze and Spaniards, whom it -might have been thought almost impossible to restrain -from giving way to that desire of vengeance which had -been so wantonly, cruelly, and insolently provoked, -obeyed the injunction of the great commander who had -beaten their invaders out of Portugal and Spain, and -demeaned themselves with such good order and humanity, -that the French often said their own armies were the foes -whom they dreaded.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Pamplona is surrendered.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Two pontoon bridges, and one bridge of boats, were -laid over the Bidassoa immediately after the passage -had been effected; and works were thrown -up to strengthen the position, in which Lord -Wellington now waited for the surrender of Pamplona, -that he might advance with his whole strength. That -city, the modern capital of Navarre (Olite, now a miserably -decayed place, was the ancient one), was the great -bulwark against the French on that side. Lord Wellington -trusted to a sure blockade for reducing it. Its -wells supply it abundantly with water; and it was provided -with a corn-mill, the largest in existence of its -kind, to be worked by hand or by horses, and setting in -motion four or five grindstones of such dimensions that -four-and-twenty loads of wheat could be ground by each -in a day. When corn began to fail for this well-constructed -mill, and there was little prospect of relief after<span class="pagenum" id="Page_273">273</span> -the failure of Soult’s great effort in the Pyrenees, the -governor made a bold attempt to obtain subsistence -from the very force which blockaded him: he sent to -Don Carlos d’España, requiring him to furnish 7000 -rations daily for the inhabitants of the city, whom, he -said, he could no longer afford to feed. Don Carlos, -who knew that the French general had, with characteristic -effrontery, included his troops in this estimate, -replied, that, unless the inhabitants were fed as well as -the garrison, while any food lasted, he should hold the -governor responsible for their treatment, and would -strictly inquire into this when the place should be surrendered, -as it must. When the stores were nearly -exhausted it was reported and believed that the enemy -intended, as they had done at Almeida, to blow up the -works, and endeavour to effect their escape: the attempt -would have been far more hazardous; but it is said to -have been prevented by an intimation from Don Carlos, -that if the place were thus injured he would put the -governor and all the officers to death, and decimate the -men. Towards the end of October they proposed to surrender, -on condition of being allowed to march into -France with six pieces of cannon; their second proposal -was, that they should march thither under an engagement -of not serving against the allies for a year -and a day. Don Carlos replied, that he had orders not -to grant them a capitulation on any terms excepting that -they should be prisoners of war; and to this they declared -they would never submit. Upon these terms, -nevertheless, on the last day of October, they surrendered, -being 4000 in number; and the Spanish general, setting -an example of proper determination on such an occasion, -refused to grant these till he had ascertained that none -of the inhabitants had perished during the blockade either -through ill-treatment or for want.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_274">274</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Marshal Soult’s position on the Nivelle.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marshal Soult, meantime, was receiving a considerable -reinforcement of conscripts. Papers in all -the languages of the allies were thrown into the -outposts, and distributed wherever it was likely -they might be found, inviting deserters, and denouncing -vengeance if France should be invaded: the whole -French nation, it was said, was in arms, and if the -English and Spanish and Portugueze should set foot -upon their territory, they should meet with nothing but -death and destruction. Some expectation the French -commander placed upon the hardships to which the -troops must be exposed, at that season, in the Pyrenees, -upon the weather, and in consequence the increased -difficulty of supplying the allied armies. Forage, indeed, -had become so scarce that some of the cavalry were -reduced to graze their horses, which of course could not -long have been kept in condition without better food. -The cattle brought for the consumption of the troops -through a great part of Spain arrived in a jaded and lean -condition, ... those which lived to reach the place of -slaughter, ... for the roads along which they had been -driven might easily be traced by their numerous carcasses, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">November.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -lying half-buried or unburied by the way-side, ... -sad proofs of the wasteful inhumanity of war! -The weather had been more stormy than was -usual even on that coast and at that season. The -transports at Passages were moored stem and stern in -rows, and strongly confined by their moorings; yet they -were considered in danger even in that land-locked harbour: -some were driven forward by the rising of the -swell, while others, close alongside, were forced backward -by its fall, so that the bowsprits of some were -entangled in the mizen-chains of others. The cold on -the mountains was so intense that several men perished. -A piquet in the neighbourhood of Roncesvalles was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_275">275</span> -snowed up: the parties who were sent to rescue it drove -bullocks before them as some precaution against the -danger of falling into chasms, and the men were brought -off; but the guns could not be removed, and were buried -under the snow in the ditch of the redoubt. Soult, -since his failure in the Pyrenees three months before, had -been fortifying a formidable line of works in them. The -right rested upon the sea in front of S. Jean de Luz, and -on the left of the Nivelle; the centre on La Petite Rhune, -and the heights behind the village of Sarré; the left, -consisting of two divisions of infantry, under General -Drouet, was on the right of the river, on a strong height -behind the village of Ainhoue, and on the mountain of -Mondarin, which protected the approach to that village. -Two divisions, under Generals Foy and Paris, were at -St. Jean de Pied-de-Port. This position described half a -circle through Irogne, Ascain, Sarré, Ainhoue, Espelette, -and Cambo, the centre projecting very much at Sarré. -La Petite Rhune, though overtopped by the greater hill -of the same name, from which it is separated by a narrow -valley, is a very high ridge: from the sea to its foot the -enemy’s front was covered by a range of works: the ridge -itself was strongly fortified; and a range of high steep -hills, extending from thence to Ainhoue, was defended -by a chain of redoubts near enough to protect each other. -The enemy’s centre was in great force upon this range; -and there was a strong corps in the village of Sarré, -which was protected by a regular closed work with ditch -and palisades. Their left was thrown back, at nearly an -acute angle, upon Espelette.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Passage of the Nivelle.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The first intention was to turn this position, by advancing -Sir Rowland’s corps from Roncesvalles -through St. Jean de Pied-de-Port; this movement -would turn the sources of the Nive, threaten Soult’s -rear, and compel him, it was thought, to abandon his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_276">276</span> -works, and retire beyond Bayonne; but this plan was -given up upon full consideration, Soult’s line being so -short, and the road behind it so good, that he might have -it in his power to fall upon Sir Rowland with a superior -force, or to attack Sir John Hope when it would be difficult -to reinforce either; or he might retire untouched, and -keep his army in a condition to continue active and -harass the allies in their winter quarters. Lord Wellington -resolved, therefore, to strike at the centre of his -position, strong as it was, and at the same time to attack -the heights of Ainhoue, which were its immediate support -on the left. With this view Sir Rowland had been -ordered, as soon as Pamplona should fall, to move leftward, -into the valley of Bastan, and the cavalry to close -up his rear in readiness for supporting the right of Beresford’s -corps at Maya.</p> - -<p>The enemy, fully expecting an attack, were always -under arms at daybreak, and remained in their redoubts -till nightfall; and they improved every day’s delay, -which the state of the weather afforded them, in -strengthening their works, strong as the labour of three -months had already made them. The rain, indeed, continued -so many days, and so heavy, that many persons -began to fear it would be impossible for them to move; -and Lord Wellington, with all his just confidence in himself -and in the troops which he commanded, could not -but feel how easily human strength and military skill -might be baffled by the elements. The weather cleared -on the 4th; and on the 7th he met Sir Rowland, Marshal -Beresford, and all the chiefs of the right and centre -at Urdache, from whence he reconnoitred Ainhoue -closely, and pointed out the mode by which that part of -the position was to be attacked. The object was to force -their centre, and establish the army in rear of their -right; and the attack was to be made by columns of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_277">277</span> -divisions, each led by the general officers commanding -it, and each forming its own reserve. Sir Rowland -directed the movements of the right, consisting of the -2d and 6th divisions, under Sir William Stewart and Sir -Henry Clinton, Sir John Hamilton’s Portugueze, and -Morillo’s Spanish division, Colonel Grant’s brigade of -cavalry, a brigade of Portugueze artillery under Lieutenant-Colonel -Tulloh, and three mountain guns under -Lieutenant Robe. Marshal Beresford directed the right -of the centre, with the 3rd, 7th, and 4th divisions, under -Major-General Colville, Camp-Marshal Le Cor and Sir -Lowry Cole. Giron was to act on his immediate left -with the Andalusian army of reserve. Baron Alten’s -light division, with three mountain guns, and Longa’s -corps, was to attack La Petite Rhune; Sir Stapleton -Cotton to follow the movement of the centre, with General -Alten’s brigade of cavalry, and three brigades of -British artillery. Freyre, with the Galician army, was -to move from the heights of Mandale toward Ascain, -prevent the enemy from detaching troops from thence to -the support of others, and take advantage of any movement -which they might make from their right toward their -centre; and Sir John Hope was to act along the remainder -of their line to the sea.</p> - -<p>The 8th was the day intended for the attack, but the -state of the roads prevented the artillery and some of Sir -Rowland’s brigade from coming up; it was postponed -therefore till the 10th. This opened with so clear and -beautiful a moonlight morning, that it was scarcely perceptible -when daylight began to predominate; and men -who had served in India were reminded of an Indian sky. -Lord Wellington was on horseback at five, and reached -the point of attack at six: he found Sir Lowry Cole’s division -at its post, with 18 pieces of cannon at the head of -the column: it was on a sloping ridge, which ends in a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_278">278</span> -high point above the village of Sarré; and on that point -was the redoubt which he was to attack, and which had -been made with the greatest care, having a deep ditch, -an <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">abattis</i> in front, and <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">trous de loup</i>, so named from their -resemblance to the pit-falls in which wolves are taken. -Giron was close on his left, and Le Cor on the right, -both in valleys. Lord Wellington, Beresford, Sir Lowry, -General Colville, and other staffs, were in a little grove, -which covered them, about 600 yards from the redoubt, -walking about till it was light enough to commence the -attack. Sir Lowry then drove in the enemy’s piquets, -and the horse artillery were enabled to gain the ridge, -and open in front of the grove within 400 yards of -the redoubt: their fire in return rattled through the -branches: Colonel Ross dashed forward, and opened -six guns within 300 yards, which riddled the curtain: the -French, however, stood firm, till after about an hour’s -firing they saw the Spaniards moving to their rear, and -the infantry advancing with ladders to escalade them; they -then leaped over the parapet and ran: ... they were about -300, of whom some twenty were taken in the ditch, and -not more than eight or ten killed. The artillery was -then rapidly advanced against the next redoubt on the -right, and that cost only about a quarter of an hour, for -it was abandoned with discreditable precipitation.</p> - -<p>By this time the troops were advancing with great -celerity over most difficult ground. Lord Wellington -moved on to the first redoubt, from whence he could -direct the movements of the Spaniards, and of the 3rd, -7th, and 4th divisions; one of those bursts of cheering -which electrify the hearers indicated his presence. Beresford -advanced with the 3rd and 7th, while the Spaniards -attacked the village of Sarré by its right, and Sir -Lowry turned its left. Downie commanded the battalion -of Spaniards to whom this service was assigned, while<span class="pagenum" id="Page_279">279</span> -Giron remained in the valley with a brigade which was -to support the light division; and as in that situation it -might not be seen when the village was carried, Downie, -as a signal, said he would send his aide-de-camp to toll the -church bell. He made the attack with great spirit: the -enemy in front of the village made a show of more determination -than they kept up, and they rushed from their -second line as if ashamed of having too hastily given up -the first; but after some skirmishing they retired to the -second, and thence from the redoubts and heights cannonaded -the assailants. Downie carried the village most -gallantly, and the bell tolled. Sir Lowry meantime -attacked and carried the works on the low hills in the -rear of Sarré, and there halted for orders.</p> - -<p>Baron Alten, meanwhile, was equally successful in his -operations. He had formed the light division before -daylight, in a ravine separating the great and little -La Rhune, and within 300 yards of the intrenchments -with which the face of La Petite Rhune was covered. -Rushing from thence as soon as the day opened, the -troops forced line after line: the enemy did not wait in -their redoubts to be assaulted; and the assailants having -carried all the works, and formed without farther opposition -on the summit of the hill, were crossing the valley to -attack the right of the high range behind Sarré, when -Lord Wellington reached the point which Sir Lowry had -gained. The preliminary attacks having thus succeeded, -the whole moved forward against the intrenched range -of heights which formed the strongest part of the enemy’s -position. The Spaniards on Giron’s left were not sufficiently -alert to support the light division: it was not for -some time that the guns could be got up over most difficult -ground: part of the 95th, who had gained the first -high point, were attacked and obliged to retire; and the -enemy had the advantage till the Spaniards, quickened<span class="pagenum" id="Page_280">280</span> -by messages from Lord Wellington, came up; the French -then gave way, and the lower ridge, in the centre of the -position opposite to our two central columns, was immediately -occupied. The Prince of Orange, who was with -Lord Wellington that day, was then sent to Marshal -Beresford, desiring him to attack that part of the high -range in his front, while Sir Lowry should at the same -time assail it on his side.</p> - -<p>It was now about ten o’clock, and before this simultaneous -effort could be made there was time to look at -the position which was about to be attacked. The mountain -extends about twelve miles from Ascain to Mondarin; -only one valley intersects it, which is that through -which the Nivelle flows; but there are several dips in the -range; every higher point had its redoubt, and in the -intervals the enemy were formed in great strength, some -in lines, some in columns, with sharp-shooters half way -down the hills. A friend of Lord Wellington’s said at -the time to Sir George Murray, that he should expect a -very difficult task here, if he had not seen the amazing -superiority of our troops in the attack on Sarré. Sir -George replied, “It is impossible to say how that position -may be defended; it is very formidable, but we probably -shall get it very easily; when the French see the red -coats they know we are determined to carry our point, -and they never dispute it long.” The troops justified -this brave confidence; six columns began to ascend, with -a chain of sharp-shooters in their front; and never could -greater intrepidity be displayed than that with which the -British and Portugueze advanced against strong works, -or solid columns at the top of steep ascents, where they -were frequently obliged to use their hands as well as -feet in climbing. When they approached a redoubt, -they halted a few minutes to take breath: a party was -sent to turn it: the sharp-shooters went close up, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_281">281</span> -another party went straight at it in front, with as much -confidence as if to charge a regiment on a plain: when -they got within twenty or thirty paces, the enemy uniformly -fled, and the assailants being out of breath, could -overtake but few of them. Most of these redoubts had a -glacis, with an <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">abattis</i> in front, which gave them time to -get off. From one large one, which was attacked by the -21st Portugueze regiment, the garrison continued to fire -till the assailants jumped into the ditch; then the French -hastened out at the rear with all alacrity.</p> - -<p>Lord Wellington ascended in the interval between the -7th and 4th divisions. Just as he reached the summit of -the range at one of its dips, Beresford and Colville, with -the 3rd division, had carried a very high hill, crowned -with a strong stockaded redoubt, which was, in fact, the -key of the position, and looked down upon the whole -range on both sides. The 40th suffered here from having -pushed on too fast. The allies were now gaining the -upper ridge on all sides, and the artillery attempted to -follow: Ross’s troop was the only one which succeeded, -and that by two hours’ of the utmost exertion, and by -partly making a road. Sir Lowry, with the 4th division, -reached the top at a lower part: two brigades of the -enemy were formed upon a height on his left; and beyond -them, on a very high point above Ascain, was a -large and strong redoubt, manned by a battalion of infantry. -The light division was toiling up the hill to the -right of this work, and the Spaniards to the left. Sir -Lowry attacked the brigades: there were two generals at -their heads; but when the assailants came near, the -French fired five or six rounds in rather an unsoldier-like -hurry, and then moved hastily off, leaving the redoubt -to its fate. Downie, seizing a colour, and waving it as -he advanced on horseback at the head of his battalion, -led on his men: they went against it gallantly, in spite<span class="pagenum" id="Page_282">282</span> -of their officers, who behaved ill: the light division commenced -an attack upon it, in which Colonel Barnard was -wounded; and the 52nd lost a good many men here, before -Lord Wellington’s orders for desisting and summoning -the garrison could arrive. While this attack continued, -the troops under Beresford got so far in the rear of the -redoubt, that it was impossible for the garrison to retreat. -They proved to be the first battalion of the 88th regiment, -nearly 600 strong: their colonel had been promoted -for his defence of S. Christoval’s, at the first siege of Badajoz: -he hesitated, parleyed, and requested to confer -with his officers, and subsequently with the non-commissioned -officers; but it was in vain to resist, and there -was no way to escape; so they surrendered, and laid -down their arms on the glacis. Some of the men expressed -their indignation in coarse and indecent language -at finding themselves prisoners; and one serjeant, in particular, -who wore the cross of the Legion of Honour, -cursed his fortune, that after being present in the battles -of Austerlitz and Wagram, he should now be captured in -a redoubt!</p> - -<p>While these operations were going on in the centre, -Sir Henry Clinton, with the 6th division, having driven -in the enemy’s piquets on both banks of the Nivelle, -crossed that river, covered the passage of Sir John Hamilton’s -Portugueze division, and ascended the hill in -line, scarcely firing a shot. The enemy were formed on -the top of the hill, as on a fine parade, in front of their -huts, and with strong redoubts on both flanks. The first -party in its eagerness pushed on too fast, and was driven -back; but as the support came near they dashed forward -again; and the enemy, having thrown away their fire, -went off in great confusion, abandoning redoubts, camp, -and all. Sir William Stewart’s division carried a work -on a parallel ridge in the rear. Morillo, by attacking<span class="pagenum" id="Page_283">283</span> -the enemy’s posts on the slopes of Mondarin, and following -them towards Itzatce, covered the advance of the -whole to the heights behind Ainhoue. Sir Rowland -then forced the enemy to retire from those heights towards -the bridge of Cambo on the Nivelle; and Sir -William Stewart drove a division from Mondarin into -the mountains toward Baygorri. By two o’clock the -allies had gained possession of the whole of the position -behind Sarré and Ainhoue.</p> - -<p>The enemy, who had been in front of our centre, were -now retiring along the road to St. Pé, a village on the -Nivelle, between three and four miles distant. The nature -of the country rendered it impossible to cut them -off; and Lord Wellington was obliged to wait an hour, -that the troops might take breath, and to see that the -operations on the right had succeeded; and that the 6th -division, after carrying the works in its front, had inclined -to the left, and closed upon the third. This having been -ascertained, about three o’clock he directed the 7th and -3rd divisions (being the right of the centre) to move by -the left of the river upon St. Pé, and the 6th by the -right upon the same place; while the 4th and light divisions, -with Giron’s reserve, held the heights above -Ascain, covering the movement on that side, and Sir -Rowland covered it on the other. The Nivelle is from -twenty to thirty yards wide, rapid like a mountain stream, -and not fordable; there is a stone bridge at St. Pé, a -wooden one half a mile lower down, and a stone one -about the same distance still lower, at the village of -Ayan. The first of these bridges was eagerly contested; -but, after some severe skirmishing, the allies effected the -passage of all three. Lord Wellington halted upon the -heights above St. Pé; and, having occupied the bridges -and the villages, waited there for reports from the right<span class="pagenum" id="Page_284">284</span> -and left. During the whole day he could distinctly hear, -and generally see, the firing on the right, Sir Rowland’s -quarter; but the projecting base of La Rhune entirely -prevented him from seeing what passed on Sir John -Hope’s side; and a steady breeze, setting towards the -sea, prevented any sound from reaching him in that -direction. But on that side there could be no anxiety, -for it was not intended to be the scene of serious action; -and what service was to be performed there, was performed -well. The French had constructed a redoubt -round the ruins of a small chapel on a hill, and connected -it with the defence of Urogne by intrenchments, and a -strong <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">abattis</i>. From this work, which formed a sort of -advanced post to their right wing, Sir John Hope drove -them, and from Urogne, and pushed forward the 5th -division to the inundation which covered the intrenchments -in front of Ciboure, and those protecting the -heights in advance of Fort Socoa. The enemy were kept -in expectation here that this position would be assaulted; -and they were menaced in their intrenchments, which -covered the heights behind Urogne, and extended along -the hills in the direction of Ascain: that village they -abandoned in the afternoon, and Freyre took possession -of it. As soon as Lord Wellington had received the -reports, he gave orders for attacking the heights behind -St. Pé: they were of difficult access, through vineyards, -and were crowned with woods; and the enemy had a considerable -force there: during the intervals of severer action, -the sharp-shooters had been warmly engaged in the -village, and along the river; and shrapnells had been -thrown at the heights with visible effect from Ross’s brigade. -The 3rd division now crossed near the village, -the 6th advanced upon its right, and the 7th attacked the -left of the heights; the brunt of the action on this side<span class="pagenum" id="Page_285">285</span> -was borne by this division. The 51st and 68th regiments, -light troops, scoured a wood in full cry, like a -pack of hounds, and drove out a large body of sharp-shooters, -whom they drove up the hills, but with so much -eagerness as to leave their support behind. Instantly -upon this advantage being presented, a strong column -moved from behind the hill, and attacked them: the -enemy were led by a general officer on horseback, and -behaved with more spirit than they had shown in any -other part of the engagement. The two regiments, if -they had not been two of the best, must have been cut -to pieces; but though they were very weak in numbers, -and were driven back, they formed in close order, and in -the most gallant manner retook the hill. This was the -last business of the day. The three divisions took post on -the heights beyond St. Pé; thus establishing themselves -in the rear of the enemy’s right; and the remainder of the -army rested on the ground which they occupied, the -evening being so far advanced that no further movement -could be made.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Nov. 11.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington was on the heights above St. Pé -before daylight; the morning was hazy, and it -was noon before he received the reports which -enabled him to put the troops in motion. During the -night the enemy had abandoned all their works and -positions in front of St. Jean de Luz, and knowing no -time was to be lost, lest the divisions at St. Pé should -interpose between them and Bayonne, retired upon Bidart, -destroying all the bridges on the lower Nivelle. Sir -John Hope followed with the left, as soon as he could -cross the river; but it was mid-day before he could -repair the bridge which connects Ciboure with S. Jean -de Luz, and construct a flying bridge to expedite the -passage of the troops. The 5th division passed here,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_286">286</span> -part with the artillery by the bridge, part by fords close -above the town; the first, with Wilson’s Portugueze -brigade, by a ford about a mile higher up, and broad -enough for the men to cross by platoons. It rained most -heavily; the water was deep, the opposite bank muddy, -and the shore swampy ground: but no opposition was -offered, and the men, elated by the signal success of -yesterday, were in high spirits. The centre moved -forward about a league, and the right made a corresponding -move, which was as far as the state of the -roads, after so violent a fall of rain, would allow. Soult -showed about 16,000 men at Bidart all day. The army -bivouacked a second night. On the following morning -Lord Wellington was again in front of the centre at daybreak, -but a thick fog enveloped every thing; it was -noon before it cleared, and he then learned that the enemy -had retired during the night into an intrenched camp, in -front of Bayonne.</p> - -<p>By these operations, in which the allies lost little more -than 500 killed, and less than 2400 wounded, the French -were driven from positions strong in themselves, and -which they had been fortifying with great skill and great -labour for six months: 51 pieces of cannon, 1500 prisoners, -and 400 wounded, were taken. Soult had full -70,000 men; but though there was no flight, nor any -thing like a rout, no determined spirit of resistance was -manifested; they fought like brave men, but dispirited -ones, and in several instances their officers used every -endeavour to bring them on in vain. They had relied -upon the difficulty of the ground, not dreaming that -artillery could be brought to act against them over rivers -and rocks and mountains; and indeed, the allies were -beholden for their success, in no slight degree, to the -extraordinary skill and activity with which this part of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_287">287</span> -the service was directed by Colonel Dickson. Mountain-pieces -on swivel carriages, harnessed on the backs of -mules which had been trained for the purpose, were conveyed -to the ridges of the mountains, and brought to -bear on the French from positions which they had considered -inaccessible for guns.... The foot and horse-artillery -were alike active and expert; and the artillerymen -dragged their cannon with ropes up steep precipices, or -lowered them down, wherever they could be employed with -most effect. Generals Byng and Kempt were wounded: -Colonel Lloyd of the 94th, an officer of great promise, and -who had frequently distinguished himself, was killed.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies cantoned between the Nivelle and the sea.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The weather, which continued wet, without intermission, -from the 11th to the 18th, rendered the -cross roads so bad, and the streams so formidable, -that Lord Wellington could not follow up -his success as he would otherwise have done. -He placed the army, therefore, in cantonments between -the Nivelle and the sea; but as the enemy were concentrated -in great numbers round Bayonne, two miles -only in their immediate front, a defensive line was formed -against any sudden advance. It commenced at the sea -on the left, in rear of Biaritz, passed over the main ridge -of heights, and crossed the high road, near a country -house belonging to the mayor of that little town. The -front of this part of the line was protected by the two -small lakes of Chuhigue and Rousta; the high road -passes across a valley between them, and here was the -most advanced line of sentinels guarding the left wing; -from thence it followed the right bank of the valley, in -front of Arcangues, and coming there upon the Nive, -near a chateau belonging to Garat (one of the contemporary -historians of the French revolution, and himself -an actor in it), it was thrown back along the left of that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_288">288</span> -river by Arrauntz, Ustaritz, Larressore, and Cambo; -from which latter place the enemy, who occupied a tête-de-pont -there, withdrew their posts on the 18th, and blew -up the bridge. Head-quarters were at St. Jean de Luz, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>St Jean de Luz.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -a town which dates its decay from the peace -of 1763, when France was deprived of its possessions -in North America. The Nivelle divides it from -Ciboure (a smaller town), spreading just above both into -a beautiful bay, and forming an island where it spreads, -which is connected by bridges with both. The bay -terminates on the north-east by a rocky point of land, on -which a battery called Fort St. Barbe was erected, and -on the opposite side is the harbour of Socoa, defended -by a martello tower. Between these points the bay is -nearly a mile in width, and on both sides a pier had been -begun, which it was intended to have carried so nearly -across, as only to have left a sufficient entrance, and thus -to have afforded safe anchorage on this stormy coast, -where it is grievously needed. When the Spanish fleet -was wrecked here in 1627, the dead who were cast up -on the immediate shores filled ninety-six carts. On that -occasion the inhabitants of St. Jean de Luz behaved with -exemplary kindness to the survivors; and it was proposed -in the Spanish council that, as a becoming acknowledgment, -its ships and merchants should enjoy a perpetual -exemption from all duties in Portugal, whither they - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>D. Francesco Manoel. Epanaphoras, p. 256.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -traded largely for salt: I wish it could be added, -that such a proof of national gratitude had been -given. During the action of the 10th, a naval -demonstration was made opposite Fort Socoa, by -four of Sir George Collier’s squadrons: the swell would -not admit of a close approach, but they came near -enough for one of them to be struck by some shot from -the sea-batteries.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_289">289</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Discipline observed by the allies.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The inhabitants of St. Jean de Luz had mostly remained -in their own houses, shutting themselves up there -to abide their fate, in dread of invaders whom -they had been taught to consider as being equally -rapacious and merciless. There was still a disposition -in the allied troops to take that license which brutal -spirits promise themselves in war; but, during the action -of the 10th, two offenders had been hanged, each upon -the nearest tree to the spot where his crime was committed, -with a paper upon his breast declaring for what -offence this summary justice had been executed. Such -severity was equally politic and just; and the allies -soon acquired as good a character for their conduct -toward the inhabitants as for their behaviour in the -field. The people were the more sensible of this, because -it was strikingly contrasted with the predatory -habits in which their own troops had long been licensed, -and which those troops had not laid aside when they -were driven within the French frontier. Marshal Soult -would gladly now have withheld them from courses -which he had so long permitted or encouraged; and just -at this time an instance occurred in which he endeavoured -to strike terror by a wholesome example. When -they were quitting St. Jean de Luz, a woman complained -to an officer whose company was quartered there, that -the men, expecting to depart, were beginning to plunder -her house: he gave no ear to her entreaties that he -would restrain them, and the woman at length, in her -emotion at seeing her goods thus given up to spoil, -exclaimed, that “if those who ought to be their defenders -would not protect them, the English might as -well be there at once.” “Oh!” said the officer, “if -you are a friend to the English, you shall see how I will -protect you!” and immediately he set fire to her house -himself. A <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">gendarme</i> who was present took the woman’s<span class="pagenum" id="Page_290">290</span> -part, and declared that though he could not take the -officer into custody, nor prevent him by force, he would -report the circumstance to the Marshal: he did so; and -the officer, who was a captain of infantry and a member -of the Legion of Honour, was brought to a court-martial, -condemned, and shot.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The inhabitants return to their homes.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>But it was too late for Marshal Soult to correct the -inveterate habits of men who, during all their -campaigns in the Peninsula, had been supported -by a predatory system; and though most of the -people, and especially the villagers, forsook their houses -at the approach of the allies, yet, when proclamations -were issued in French and in Basque (which is the language -of these parts), assuring them that their persons -and property should be respected, and when they understood -that British discipline would afford them a security -which it was in vain to hope for amid their own armies, -they returned. The French authorities endeavoured in -vain to dissuade them; the general wish was expressed -so strongly, that at length no farther impediment was -opposed to it than that of forbidding them to carry back -anything with them. Above 3000 persons came back to -St. Jean de Luz and the neighbouring places before the -end of November, and as many more passed through -the line of the allied outposts, in one day early in -December, on their return; ... among them were several -young men, escaping in women’s clothes from the conscription.</p> - -<p>The weather had prevented Lord Wellington from -passing the Nive, as he intended to have done, immediately -after having forced the French position, and the -army in consequence occupied only the confined space on -the left of that river; while the enemy profited by all -the resources of the country on its right, and had a free -communication between Bayonne and St. Jean de Pied-de-Port.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_291">291</span> -They occupied an intrenched camp in front of -Bayonne, about twelve miles from S. Jean de Luz, and -this position they had been fortifying with provident care -from the time of their defeat at Vittoria. Bayonne - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Bayonne.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -obtained its present name in the twelfth century, -till when it was called Lapurdum, as when the -cohort of Novempopulania had its head-quarters there. -This ancient city, which during three centuries belonged -to our Plantagenet kings, is memorable in military -history for the invention of the bayonet, a weapon that -in its name indicates the place of its origin, and that, in -British hands, has proved more destructive than any -other to the nation by which it was invented. In the war -of the French revolution this city would not have been -tenable against a single division of an enemy’s army: -the war of the intrusion made it immediately a place of -great importance, as a depôt for the French; and therefore -it was well fortified, to secure it against a sudden -attack from the English, before the possibility of any -more serious danger had been contemplated. It stands at -the junction of the Nive with the Adour; the latter a -great river, and the former not fordable for several miles -up: the city is on the left of the Adour, the citadel on -the other side. The position which Marshal Soult occupied -was under the fire of the fortress; the right resting -on the Adour, and covered in front by a morass, formed -by a rivulet which falls into that river. The right of -the centre rested upon the same morass, and its left upon -the Nive; the left was between the Nive and the Adour, -resting on the latter river and defending the former, and -communicating with a division of the army of Catalonia, -under General Paris, at St. Jean de Pied-de-Port. The -roads from that place, and from St. Jean de Luz to Paris, -pass through Bayonne; and these are the only paved -roads, all the others are so bad as to be impracticable in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_292">292</span> -winter. The enemy had their advanced posts, from their -right, in front of Anglet, and toward Biaritz; and they -had a considerable corps cantoned in Ville-Franche and -Monguerre.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">December.</span>Passage of the Nive.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>As soon as the weather and the state of the roads -allowed, preparations were made for crossing -the Nive. On the 8th of December Lord Wellington -moved the troops out of their cantonments. -The preceding day had brought intelligence that -Hanover was delivered from the French, ... and that the -Dutch also had risen against their oppressors, and asserted -their independence. With this news to encourage them, -at which even the French people appeared to rejoice, -because it gave them a hope of peace, which could only -be obtained by the total defeature of Buonaparte’s ambitious -schemes, the allies recommenced their operations -on the morrow. Sir Rowland, with the right of the -army, was to cross at Cambo, and Beresford to support -him by passing Sir Henry Clinton’s division at Ustaritz: -the bridges at both places had been destroyed. The -river, dividing into two branches, forms an island of considerable -extent opposite Ustaritz; our piquets had previously -occupied this, and here a pontoon bridge was -thrown across during the night. The bridge at Campo -had been hastily and insufficiently repaired, so that very -few succeeded in getting over its broken slope. There -were fords above and below; the lower was good enough -for cavalry, but ten men were drowned in attempting it; -the upper one, therefore, was chiefly used by the infantry, -... and it was no easy passage, the left bank being -steep, and the water rising at the time, in consequence of -renewed rain. At both places, however, it was effected -with little opposition, and the enemy were immediately -driven from the right bank. The troops, advancing then -through swampy meadow-land and very deep roads, soon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_293">293</span> -found themselves on the high road from St. Jean de Pied-de-Port; -and the French retired skirmishing, being followed -and pressed; those opposite Cambo were nearly -intercepted by Sir Henry Clinton. The enemy now -assembled in considerable force upon a range of heights -running parallel with the Adour, keeping Ville-Franche -upon their right; and they kindled fires, as if intending -to remain there. A galling fire was kept up from the -detached houses of this village; but houses, village, and -heights were carried by the 8th Portugueze regiment, -the 9th Caçadores, and the light battalions of the 6th -division; and the French, after one or two hasty volleys, -retired. The advance of the allies had been so much -impeded by the condition of the ground, that by this -time evening had closed; and Lord Wellington contented -himself therefore with the possession of the ground that -he occupied.</p> - -<p>This had been a day of great fatigue for the left wing -of the army. At one in the morning the drums had beat -to arms; and, after a most toilsome march through heavy -rain, the first division, under Major-General Howard, -was assembled by daybreak at the Plateau of Barouillet, -in advance of Bidart. At dawn the rain ceased; and -the 5th division, under Major-General Hay, supported -by the 12th light dragoons, was seen crossing the -valley which separates the hilly ground of Biaritz from -that of Bidart; its right in communication with the first, -and its left extending to the sea-coast. At eight o’clock -the whole line of light troops commenced their fire; -those of the enemy contested every hedge and bank -which afforded them shelter, and from whence they could -take deliberate aim; but a fire of shells from the artillery, -who posted themselves on the eminences along the -whole line, assisted greatly in dislodging them. The -whole line gradually advanced, and the enemy retreated<span class="pagenum" id="Page_294">294</span> -before them to Anglet, not venturing to await their -approach. About one the first division gained the -heights on the right of the chaussée, opposite to Anglet, -the light infantry driving the enemy down the slopes to -their intrenched camp. The 5th division made equal -progress, sweeping the country between Anglet and the -sea as far as the banks of the Adour, and occupying -with its light infantry the Bois de Bayonne, a large pine-wood -which covers the whole space on the left of that -river, between the intrenched camp and the sea. General -Alten, meantime, made a corresponding advance with -the light division, between the left wing and the Nive; -they drove the enemy from behind the deep morass which - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Batty’s Campaign, pp. 83–5.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -covered their advanced posts in front of Bassussarry, -and compelled them to retreat to their -intrenched camp near the Chateau de Marrac, ... -that castle to which, in the first act of this great drama, -Ferdinand had been decoyed by Buonaparte.</p> - -<p>As the movements on this side were intended only to -favour the operations on the right, Sir John Hope’s -instructions were to return to his cantonments, and to -commence retiring thither at six in the evening, unless a -countermand should arrive. It began again to rain -heavily in the afternoon; and the troops, supposing they -were to remain on the ground which they had gained, -lighted, not without difficulty, their bivouac fires; but -the weather was far too bad for them to remain in such -exposed situations; and at the appointed time they began -their march back toward their several cantonments, the -5th division forming the rear guard. By this time it was -quite dark; even the main road had been completely -broken up by the passage of artillery, and of so many -troops; the hollow ways were knee-deep in mud: one -little drummer stuck fast in it, and was obliged to be -lifted out and carried for some distance by two soldiers;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_295">295</span> -many of the men were so completely exhausted that they -sunk down by the way-side; and before they reached -the place of rest, they had been little less than four-and-twenty -hours on foot, and during the greater part of that -time in a heavy winter’s rain.</p> - -<p>On the morning of the 10th Sir Rowland found that the -enemy on his side had retired into their intrenched camp, -on the right of the Nive. He established himself, therefore, -in the position intended for him, with his right on -the Adour, his left on the heights of Ville-Franche, above -the Nive, and his centre across the chaussée at the village -of St. Pierre. Marshal Beresford’s troops were again -drawn to the left of the Nive; and Sir Rowland communicated -with the centre of the army, by a bridge which -had been laid over that river. Morillo’s division was -placed at Urcuray, and Colonel Vivian’s brigade of light -dragoons at Hasparren, to watch Paris’s movements, who, -upon the passage of the Nive, had retired towards St. -Palais.</p> - -<p>Thus the allied army formed a sort of crescent, which -was intersected by a river, and along which the communications -were exceedingly bad. On any part of this -bending line Marshal Soult could direct an attack with -his main force; and, if he should be repulsed, there was -a secure retreat for him within his intrenched camp. -Supposing, therefore, that the allies would have their -principal strength on the right of the Nive to support -Sir Rowland, he left just troops enough to occupy the -works opposite to that General’s position, and with the -rest of his army moved at daybreak against Sir John -Hope, expecting to overpower the left wing by numbers. -The 5th division occupied the Plateau of Barouillet, -having General Campbell’s Portugueze brigade in its -front, on the high road. Baron Alten, with the light -division, was posted at Arcangues, about two miles to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_296">296</span> -the right. Both were on strong ground; but there was -no defensive connexion between them, except along a -range of hills, which projected too much to be occupied -otherwise than by small posts; and between Barouillet -and Arcangues there is a broad valley, which was left -almost without defence, because it was thought that -Marshal Soult would not attempt to advance in this -direction, with posts of such strength upon either flank.</p> - -<p>The enemy advanced in two strong columns; one by -the great road attacked the posts of the 5th division, and -drove them back upon their support on the Plateau of -Barouillet. The other, coming forward by the Plateau -of Bassussarry, threw out a strong line of <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tirailleurs</i>, -supported by battalions, against the light division at -Arcangues; but the main body pushed on a little way beyond -the left flank of the light division, and sent forward -columns to attack the right of the 5th, denoting thus an -intention of penetrating between, and in rear of the two -divisions. Soult knew not at how great advantage he -had taken the allies: the 5th division had been separated -during the last night’s dismal march, the ammunition -mules were not forthcoming, and when the piquets -were driven in, there was hardly a round left. There -was nothing to be done but to hold their ground as well -as they could till more troops and ammunition should -arrive. Not more than eight or ten guns could be -brought into action, because of the nature of the ground, ... -there being a low thick wood to the right, and close to -the road; and on the left a rugged heath, intersected -with gullies and ravines. The French brought more -pieces into play, and served them with more than usual -vivacity; for they knew their own great superiority of -numbers, and were elated with the hope of getting to S. -Jean de Luz, which was the great depôt of the allies. Sir -John Hope, who was, with his staff, in the thickest of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_297">297</span> -fight, encouraging the troops by his example, received a -severe contusion on his shoulder, and a hurt on his leg; -and a ball went through his hat: ... it was believed that, -at one moment, nothing but his extreme gallantry saved -the troops from utter confusion. Major-General Robinson, -who commanded the second brigade of this division, -was severely wounded, and carried off the field. The -contest still continued, ebbing and flowing, till the -enemy pushed through the wood in front of Barouillet, -and through a large field and orchard on its right, in -such force as to drive back Campbell’s Portugueze -brigade, and Robinson’s, which supported it; and, penetrating -thus beyond the front of the position, they were -rapidly following up their success, when a Portugueze -battalion on the left flank boldly moved forward on the -road, and wheeled into the rear of the wood; at the same -time the 9th British regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel -Cameron, which was on the extreme right, faced about, -and, uniting with the Portugueze, charged the French -columns in their rear, ... a movement as unexpected as -it was bold and well-timed. It gave the enemy a severe -check at this point, and some hundred prisoners were -taken. This was between two and three in the afternoon. -By this time a considerable number of troops had -arrived in detail; the brigade of guards, who had been -ordered from St. Jean de Luz to support the 5th division, -arrived just after the enemy had been thus checked; and -Lord Wellington, hastening from the right wing where -all was quiet, came to the scene of action. He was very -much exposed this day, and unavoidably so, for there -was no eminence from whence the whole field could be -seen; the wood intercepted the sight, and it was necessary -for him to ride from point to point. The enemy, -checked though they had been, persisted in the action, -and it continued till nightfall; the firing gradually<span class="pagenum" id="Page_298">298</span> -ceasing as the evening closed, and the troops, after very -severe loss on both sides, remaining on the ground which -they had occupied in the morning. The remainder of -the left wing having been brought up from its cantonments, -the first division relieved the fatigued troops; and -the 7th took post in rear of the position, to support either -of the defensive corps.</p> - -<p>Meantime the attack upon the light division at Arcangues -had been maintained with great animation and -perseverance. The enemy were repulsed in all their -efforts to dislodge these troops from their defences of the -churchyard and the chateau; but they retained at night -the Plateau of Bassussarry, in the immediate front of -Arcangues, which joins that of Barouillet, before the -mayor’s house. The issue of the day had greatly disappointed -Marshal Soult, whose utmost efforts had been -completely defeated by a comparatively small part of the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Two German regiments escape from the French army.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -allied forces, and with great loss. He suffered -a further loss during the night. There were -with him the two German regiments of Frankfort -and Nassau Usingen: every possible means -had been taken for concealing from their officers the state -of affairs in Germany; nevertheless, they discovered that -Germany had thrown off the yoke. The French government -had been apprehensive of this, and, in consequence, -had recently altered its conduct towards them; instead -of being treated with disrespect, as men who had no -government which could protect them, they now found -themselves the objects of marked attention; and were -newly clothed, and received pay up to the last six months, -when a year and half’s was due to the greater part of -the French army. Marshal Soult, however, under various -pretences, had long kept them in the rear. But -in the action of this day they were in advance, in Villatte’s -division; and that General being severely wounded,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_299">299</span> -the division was for a while without any special commander. -The officer in command of the Nassau regiment -was a Bavarian, but had been educated in Hanover, and -for some years in the Hanoverian guards. Not only had -the news from Germany reached him, but means had also -been found for conveying to him the orders of his sovereign; -he now took advantage of the first opportunity -which had offered, and proposed to the Colonel of a -French regiment, that his corps, with the two Nassau -battalions, and one of the Frankfort, should occupy a -height a little in advance of where they then were. The -advice, though proposed with a view of going over to the -allies, offered some feasible advantage, and was agreed -to without suspicion. As it was growing dark, and the -roads were intricate, it was further proposed, that the -battalions should file to their ground by different routes. -The German officers were apprized of the intention, except -those of the second Frankfort battalion, to which -no communication could be made, its commander being -badly wounded in the action. A Frankfort officer now -made his way to the outposts of our 4th division, in the -centre of the allies, and announced the intended defection, -requiring a General officer’s word of honour that they -should be well received, and sent to Germany: no General -being on the spot, Colonel Bradford gave his word: -means were immediately taken to apprize the three battalions, -and they came over in a body, 1300 men; the -French not discovering their intention till just when it -was too late to frustrate it. On the morrow the Colonel -wrote to General Villatte, thanking him for the attentions -which he had received whilst under his command; but -stating that in obedience to their King’s orders, his troops -had quitted the service of France to return to that of -their own country. Their women and their sick, who -were left behind, he commended to the General’s humanity;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_300">300</span> -and said that his brother officers and himself freely -gave up their personal baggage in performing an act -prescribed by their duty. This officer seems to have -united a just moral feeling to a proper sense of military -honour; and he rejoiced that he had been able to bring -off those battalions, without being compelled to fire on -the French, in company with whom they had served so -long.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Dec. 11.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>In the morning the 5th division was brought a little -forward, beyond the wood, and the advanced -skirmishers were soon within forty or fifty yards -of each other: the light troops drove in the enemy’s -piquets, and the most advanced sentries were again -pushed forward to their own line. On this side, and also -at Arcangues, there was some skirmishing during the -forenoon, but with little advantage on either side: about -noon the firing was suspended, the weather brightened, -unarmed parties were sent out to cut wood for cooking, -and the men received their rations. But about two there -was a stir in the enemy’s lines; they were seen cutting -gaps in the fences for the passage of artillery; presently -they attacked in great force, along the Bayonne road, -driving in the piquets, and the hill in front of Barouillet -again became the scene of contest. The soldiers who -had gone in front to cut fuel ran hastily back when they -heard the cry of “to arms,” that they might get themselves -armed and accoutred; and the French, seeing -them run toward the rear, thought they had taken panic, -and set up loud cheers, as if they had now only to pursue -their favourable fortune. But their whole left wing was -promptly formed in perfect order. A feint attack was -made upon Arcangues, to cover a serious one upon the -Plateau Bassussarry. Lord Wellington’s orders were, -that the piquets, in case of any serious effort, should be -withdrawn from the hill in front, but that the position in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_301">301</span> -front of Barouillet should be maintained: great efforts -were made, and the enemy every where were repulsed, -Sir John Hope, as on the yesterday, encouraging his men -wherever there was most danger. During these two days -he was struck three times; and all his staff had either -themselves or their horses wounded. Lord Wellington is -said to have requested that he would consider of what -consequence he was to the army, and not expose himself -so much. When darkness closed, the two armies were in -the same position which they had occupied on the preceding -night.</p> - -<p>The fifth division, which, after one day’s severe exertion -in the worst weather, had borne the heat of the -action in the two following ones, was relieved by the first, -as soon as it became so dark that the enemy could not -perceive and take advantage of any change in their disposition. -The night was again rainy, and in posting the -sentries at some parts, it was not easy, because of the -darkness, to avoid interfering with the French piquets. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Dec. 12.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -The weather cleared toward morning; drums -and trumpets were heard at intervals along the -enemy’s line; and at sunrise their staff officers were seen -riding in all directions. Soult showed three or four divisions; -and at ten some severe skirmishing began, which -continued till three, being chiefly confined to the wood -and the immediate ground about the house of Barouillet. -The loss was not great, but it fell chiefly on the guards: -Captain Watson, the adjutant of the 3rd guards, observed -in the morning that “plenty of laurel grew round that -house to deck the graves of those who should fall,” ... -and he was one of the first. Lord Wellington, foreseeing -Soult’s intention, moved the 4th and 7th divisions to the -rear of the light division and of the first, where they -might afford support to either. But Marshal Soult, -when he found how fully the allies were prepared, did<span class="pagenum" id="Page_302">302</span> -not deem it prudent to make any further effort on this -side, where he had tried his fortune skilfully, bravely, -and perseveringly, but without success. The skirmishing -therefore ceased in the afternoon, and the enemy retired -entirely within their entrenched camp that night.</p> - -<p>The last four days had been most harassing to the -troops, exposed as they had been, and continually under -arms; but the fifth day of these multiplied actions proved -more murderous than any of the foregoing. During the -night Soult passed a large force through Bayonne, with -the intention of making a most formidable attack upon -the right wing of the allies. Sir Rowland was aware of -his movements, and prepared accordingly. His position -was about a league from Bayonne, in the form of a crescent, -extending about four miles from the Adour to the -Nive. Major-General Pringle’s brigade, consisting of -the 28th, 34th, and 39th regiments, formed the left, stationed -on a ridge of hilly ground extending from Ville-Franche -toward Bayonne, and bounded on one side by -the Nive, and on the other by large mill-dams in a deep -hollow, which separates it from the heights of Monguerre. -Major-General Byng’s brigade, consisting of the 31st, -57th, and 68th, formed the right, posted also on a long -ridge, in front of the village of Vieux Monguerre, which -had the Adour on its right, and mill-dams in like manner -on its left, separating it from the heights in the centre. -Brigadier-General Ashworth’s Portugueze brigade occupied -the centre ridge opposite the village of St. Pierre. -The ground was favourable, because it admitted of only -one or two points of attack, one of which was by the main -road.</p> - -<p>It was a clear frosty morning, but the ground so wet, and -the road so heavy in that deep and rich soil, that the horses -were knee-deep in stiff mud and clay. Soon after eight -o’clock, the allied outposts on the great road were attacked<span class="pagenum" id="Page_303">303</span> -by <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tirailleurs</i> in great numbers, and the French columns -advanced close in the rear. Soult showed that day about -four divisions; and these, drawn up in two lines and -supporting columns, appeared, from the confined ground -on which they acted, more numerous than they were. -They advanced up the long slope in front of the centre -position, their column extending a good way on either -side of the road; at the same time a large body moved -against the left of the centre, up the hollow way, its right -resting upon the mill-dams. Sir Rowland, as soon as -the enemy’s intention of piercing the centre was manifest, -brought Major-General Barnes’s brigade forward -from the heights of Petit Monguerre, and stationed it on -the right of Ashworth’s Portugueze. He moved also the -whole of Byng’s brigade, except one regiment, and the -light companies of the others, to support the right of the -centre, and Brigadier-General Buchan’s Portugueze brigade -from behind Ville-Franche, to support its left. -These troops arrived just at the time when they were -most needed; four guns of Lieutenant-Colonel Ross’s -troop, and Lieutenant-Colonel Tulloch’s brigade of Portugueze -artillery, were also moved up in aid of the -centre, and kept up a steady but cautious fire, all possible -exertions being used meantime for bringing them a supply -of ammunition. The light companies which had -gone forward in support of the piquets were borne back -by weight of numbers upon the main line, and the French -established themselves upon a height close to the position; -and here the heat of the contest lay, this post -being repeatedly won and lost, till Barnes’s brigade, -with the 92nd Highlanders, and Ashworth’s Portugueze, -made a final charge, and drove the enemy down. The -artillery fired this day with dreadful effect, and the main -road was in many places literally running with blood.</p> - -<p>On the right a feint only was made, before which the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_304">304</span> -battalion that had been left there retired from Vieux -Monguerre to the heights in its rear; but, ascertaining -from thence that the enemy on this side were not in -force, they re-entered the village, and made some prisoners -there. But on the left centre the columns which -had advanced up the hollow way made a powerful attack; -and though the 71st and part of the 92nd were sent to -aid the Portugueze there, the enemy, by dint of superior -force, won an important part of the position in front of -Ville-Franche. Two Portugueze regiments opportunely -arrived. Sir William Stewart directed the one to turn -the right flank of the attacking columns, while the other -attacked the enemy in front, charging them with the bayonet; -and this was decisive in that quarter. A hot fire -of <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tirailleurs</i> was kept up meantime upon Major-General -Pringle’s brigade, with a view of preventing it from aiding -the centre; but that General, occupying a line at -right angles to theirs, caused them considerable loss by -a well-directed flanking fire.</p> - -<p>Foreseeing such an attack on Sir Rowland, Lord -Wellington had provided against it by requesting Marshal -Beresford to reinforce him with the 6th division, -which had crossed the Nive accordingly at daylight -that morning; and he sent also for the fourth and two -brigades of the third, and formed them in reserve. The -expected coming of the 6th division gave Sir Rowland -great facility in making his movements; but before its -arrival he had completely repulsed the enemy, the troops -under his immediate command being about 13,000 men, -and the force by which they were attacked little, if at -all, short of twice that number. The allies kept their -ground; ... their purpose, therefore, was effected. Soult’s -troops, when beaten back, had the city and the intrenched -camp in their immediate rear, and retired under cover -of their guns placed in position. They remained in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_305">305</span> -great force in front of that camp, and kept up a warm -cannonade upon the centre; but the officers could not -induce their men again to renew attacks which they had -found so destructive. Sir William Stewart then directed -Major-General Byng to unite his brigade and attack the -enemy upon the opposite bank of the mill-stream, in -front of the height of Vieux Monguerre. Byng did -this in the most gallant style, carrying the colours of the -66th himself, and planting them, under a hot fire of -musketry and artillery, in their position. The third -regiment crossed the mill-stream to co-operate in the -attack; the brigade then drove the enemy down, and -Buchan’s Portugueze arrived to aid in finally repulsing -them. About four o’clock the action terminated in a -continued skirmishing: at night the enemy retired within -their camp.</p> - -<p>The loss of the allies during these five days, in killed, -wounded, and missing, amounted to 5029, of whom 302 -were officers: nearly half the loss fell upon the Portugueze, -upon whom, indeed, as much reliance was now -placed as upon the British themselves. The last day -was the most destructive: Generals Barnes, Le Cor, -and Ashworth, and nearly the whole of the staff and -aides-de-camp of Sir William Stewart, and of Generals -Barnes and Byng, were wounded. The French return -made their loss 1314 killed and 4600 wounded. They -fought well in this long series of actions, far better than -they had done in defending their position upon the -Nivelle; and this can only be explained by the different -feeling with which men, and especially men of the -French temperament, are animated when standing on -their defence, from that which excites them when they -are themselves the assailants. Marshal Soult, who was -never wanting in ability, never displayed more than -on this occasion. The often repeated effort cost him his<span class="pagenum" id="Page_306">306</span> -best troops, and forced upon him the mortifying conviction -that, brave as they were, and admirably disciplined, -they were nevertheless inferior to their opponents: for -all circumstances here had been in his favour; the points -of attack were at his own choice, and wherever he -attacked he brought into the field a greatly superior -force; yet every where he had been defeated. Not - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Soult takes a defensive position.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -venturing, therefore, again to repeat a trial in -which he had so often failed, though he had at -this time 50,000 infantry and 6000 cavalry, he -cantoned his army in a defensive position, having its -right on the camp round Bayonne, its centre spread -along the right of the Adour, to Port de Lanne, and -its left along the right of the Bidouse, from its confluence -to St. Palais, posting two divisions of cavalry -on the left of that place, and a weak division, under -Harispe, at St. Jean de Pied-de-Port. That General had -been withdrawn from Suchet’s army for this service, -because, being a native of the valley of Baigorry, and -having distinguished himself as a partizan in the -Pyrenees, in the years 1794 and 1795, it was supposed -that he might raise some irregular corps of his countrymen, -and turn against the allies that system of guerrilla -warfare which had proved so destructive to the invaders -in Spain. Marshal Soult apprehended that Bayonne -would be invested; and therefore he made Port de Lanne, -which is on the Adour, eighteen miles above that city, -his principal depôt, laying down a bridge there, and -protecting it by strong works; and he lined the right of -the river with redoubts armed with heavy cannon. He -intrenched Hastingues, and covered Peyrehorade with a -<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-de-pont</i>, for the defence of the Gave de Pau; and in -like manner secured the passages over the Bidouse at -Guiche, Bedache, and Came. He also strengthened the -fortifications of St. Jean de Pied-de-Port and Navarreins,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_307">307</span> -and intrenched Dax as an entrepôt for stores and reinforcements -from the interior; thus omitting no measure -of precaution which a just estimate of his enemy’s -strength seemed to require.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies wait in their cantonments for better weather.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The weather, by impeding for a while any advance -on the part of the allies, allowed him time for -this. Lord Wellington waited till it should -become more favourable, having obtained possession -of a large tract of country, and being -in a situation from whence to resume his operations -with advantage, as soon as the season might permit. -Upon first entering France he had circulated among -the inhabitants those general orders in which he enjoined -his troops to respect their persons and property, accompanying -them with a brief proclamation to the people. -He had given, he said, and would enforce these positive -orders for preventing those evils that might otherwise -be looked for as the ordinary consequences of an invasion, -which they knew was the result of their own -government’s invasion of Spain, and of the victories of -the allied armies. He requested them to apprehend and -bring before him any person who, disobeying these instructions, -might offer them any injury; and, on their -side, he required them to remain in their houses, and -take no part in the war of which their country was -now to be the scene. Great injury must inevitably be -endured by the inhabitants of any country upon which -that visitation falls; but none was suffered now which -could be prevented by vigilant discipline, founded upon -just views of policy and a strict sense of justice. On -the morning after the line of the Nivelle had been forced, -a peasant was brought before Lord Wellington, having -been taken near the British outposts: the man’s simple -account of himself was, that he was going to drive his -sheep to Bayonne; upon which he was told that he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_308">308</span> -might go where he pleased, and take his sheep where -he pleased too. When the French saw that the peasantry -were thus treated, ... that the very few who were -taken in arms were shipped off, like other prisoners, for -England, ... and that marauders were brought to summary -punishment, they perceived that their invaders -were as equitable as they were brave, and that the word -of a British general was sacred.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Nov. 28.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The guerrilla troops, whom it would have been more -difficult to restrain, were kept upon their own frontier. -The discipline of the Portugueze was as good -as that of the English. Marshal Beresford, -when he commended them in one of his orders for their -excellent conduct at the line of the Nivelle, expressed -his particular satisfaction with their behaviour in their -quarters and towards the inhabitants in general. They -had proved, he said, their superiority over the French -troops in the field of battle; and they had shown, also, -to the French people that they were not less superior to -those troops in humanity and in their whole deportment, -whereby, as well as by their discipline and courage, they -did honour to their country. The Portugueze were not -less gratified by another order which Marshal Beresford -issued after the passage of the Nive. He had deemed -it necessary, in the spring of the preceding year, to -deprive certain militia regiments of their colours, till - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Marshal Beresford restores the colours of certain Portugueze regiments. <span class="date">Dec. 29.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -they should have redeemed their character in -the presence of the enemy; this, he said, they -had had no opportunity of doing, the war having -happily been removed far from their own country: -but regiments raised in the same parts of Portugal, -composed of their brethren and other -near kinsmen, and in which, in fact, many of the -very men who, in the said militias, had incurred this -disgrace, were now serving, had, in the late series of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_309">309</span> -victories, demeaned themselves so gallantly, that they -had re-established the character of their respective -provinces; wherefore in justice he ordered that their -colours should be restored. Their misconduct, he added, -had proceeded not from want of courage, but from -insubordination, ... and that, too, not the effect of wilful -disobedience, but arising from habits of undue familiarity -between the officers and the men, owing to which, -the latter were not prepared to render prompt obedience -when it was indispensable. He reminded the officers, -therefore, how necessary it was that they should obtain -the respect of their soldiers by treatment at the same -time just, impartial, gentle, and firm; and observed that -the provincial governors would see the necessity henceforth -of recommending, for commissions in the militia, -persons who were qualified by their means and by their - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Correio Braziliense, t. 12, p. 306.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -local respectability. Marshal Beresford understood -the national character. The Portugueze -were in no slight degree gratified by this: they -were proud of the military reputation which they had -now established, and not less deservedly of that national -feeling which they had manifested under every circumstance - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Conduct of Spanish and Portugueze soldiers at Dantzic.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -of good or evil fortune. A signal example -of this feeling was given shortly afterwards by -a battalion of Portugueze and Spaniards, composed -of men who had been entrapped into the -enemy’s service before the commencement of the struggle -in their own country. They formed part of the garrison -of Dantzic when the allies besieged it; and, knowing -that the besiegers were in alliance with Spain and Portugal, -no threats or inducements could prevail upon them -to bear arms in defence of the city: in consequence of -this firm refusal, the French commander compelled them -to work upon the fortifications; but they had their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_310">310</span> -reward; and when the place surrendered, they were -maintained at the expense of the Russian government -till they could be transported to England on their way -home.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ill conduct of the Spanish government toward Lord Wellington.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Spanish government had shown no want of -gratitude to Lord Wellington in conferring -upon him honours and rewards; but while in -such things they conformed to the national -sentiment, their conduct sometimes manifested -a want of that frank and generous confidence -which ought to have been given in as full measure as it -was deserved. In direct breach of the engagement made -with him when he accepted the command of the Spanish -armies, they had superseded Castaños, and made other -changes, not only without his advice and concurrence, -but contrary to his wishes, and in disregard of his -remonstrances: and this might have produced the most -injurious effect, if the war had not speedily been transferred -to the enemy’s country. Libels were circulated -imputing sinister views to England, because some of its -troops still remained at Cadiz and at Carthagena; and -the government allowed these libels to circulate without -taking any means for counteracting the impression which -the calumny was intended to produce. Lord Wellington -withdrew the troops as soon (after their presence had -ceased to be necessary there) as he could obtain the -Prince Regent’s orders; and, in notifying this to the -British ambassador, he stated the circumstances under -which those fortresses had been garrisoned at the request - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">November.</span>Change of the Regency.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -of the Spanish government itself; expressed his -surprise that the existing government, knowing -these facts, should yet have allowed such calumnies -to pass uncontradicted, and requested that -his letter might be published. The Regency was, indeed,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_311">311</span> -at this time the mere instrument of the Cortes, which had -displaced the late regents by a summary vote, for demurring -to enforce an impolitic decree that the clergy scrupled -to obey. Cardinal Bourbon, Don Pedro Agar, and Don -Gabriel Ciscar were appointed in their stead to a station -which possessed only a nominal authority, the Cortes, -under the dictation of a party more ardent than wise, -having now arrogated to itself the whole actual power.</p> - -<p>A whimsical proof had recently occurred of the -readiness with which certain Spaniards accredited any -imputation, however absurd, upon the intentions of the -British government. A foolish paragraph had appeared -in some Irish newspaper, saying, that Lord Wellington -deserved to be made King of Spain; and that some of -the grandees had offered to raise him to the throne! -This found its way to Spain; and the Duques of Ossuna -and Frias, the Visconde de Gante, and the Marques de -Villena, published forthwith a letter to inform the world, -that they neither did, nor would, acknowledge any other -King than Ferdinand VII.; ... that they detested and -abhorred the very idea of any usurper ruling over the -Spaniards; ... and that they were persuaded that the -other grandees, as soon as this statement should come -to their knowledge, would hasten, in like manner, to give -a public testimony of their principles and their fidelity.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Proceedings in Parliament.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Parliament met early in November, under more auspicious -circumstances than at any time since the -baneful commencement of the French revolution. -England, which had stood alone in the contest -against the most formidable military power that had -ever existed in the civilized world, was now in alliance, -not with the Spaniards and Portugueze alone, but with -Russia, Prussia, Austria, Sweden, Bavaria, and Holland. -Buonaparte had been driven back over the Rhine; and -a British army, after beating the French from the lines<span class="pagenum" id="Page_312">312</span> -of Torres Vedras to the Pyrenees, had passed that boundary -and entered France. Upon this occasion some of those -statesmen who had been most decided in their opposition to -government acknowledged the wisdom, and rejoiced in the -success of that policy which they had formerly condemned. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Grenville. <span class="date">Nov. 4.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -“Upon this grand question,” said Lord Grenville, -“all party conflicts must be swallowed up -and lost; it is the cause of no party, of no set of -individuals, but of the whole nation joined in sentiment -and in action to effect a great and glorious purpose. -Internal tranquillity,” he said, “might be considered as -the first, and external peace as the second, blessing that -any power under Heaven could confer upon a people; but -what we desired and expected was the real blessing of -peace, not the empty name; not the shadow, but the substance. -Too long did deluded Europe, by temporary -and partial truces, by concession following concession, -purchase from the insatiable enemy a precarious quiet, a -troubled sleep, furnishing to her foe the very means of -his aggression, and of her own subjugation. The time, -my lords, is now arrived (and I rejoice that I have lived -to see the hour) when the walls of a British parliament -may again re-echo a sound formerly held sacred in this -country, and upon the observance of which, I will venture -to assert, depends the hope of the restoration of -peace to Europe; ... I allude to the old-fashioned tenet, -now almost forgotten, of a balance of power in Europe; -and I offer up my thanks, with humble gratitude, to the -Supreme Disposer of events, that after so long a period -he has permitted me to behold my native land in such a -commanding situation, as to be able again to pursue that -which ought to be the only legitimate object of foreign -policy, I mean, the establishment and preservation of a -balance of power in Europe. Now, then, let Great -Britain resume her ancient policy: let her once more<span class="pagenum" id="Page_313">313</span> -perceive that the only mode by which the independence -of the great commonwealth of Europe can be secured, is -not by perpetual peace (for that is the visionary dream -of visionary men), but by the maintenance of this balance, -by which, even in war itself, the weak will find refuge -from oppression. Whatever plans may be suggested, -having this in view, I shall meet with the most earnest -wish to find that they are compatible with the interests -of the country. I cannot be ignorant of the difficulties -that may be opposed: I do, however, fervently hope, -nay, I believe, that they may be surmounted. Do me -not the injustice of believing that these opinions are the -result merely of the exultation felt in consequence of -recent and unexpected events. Undoubtedly such events -are calculated to warm the heart of every individual who -feels not only for the natural rights of man, but for the -independence of nations; but those with whom I have -been in the habit of confidential communication know my -deliberate opinion, that the existence of such a confederation -as has now been formed, of itself irresistibly calls -upon Great Britain to employ all her energies, and -devote all her exertions to the success of a common and -a glorious cause. I was prepared to add an exhortation, -that as the chances of war must necessarily be precarious, -you would prepare yourselves to meet with firmness -those disasters which human foresight could not -predict, and which human wisdom could not prevent. -Even now, under circumstances that might seem almost -to justify the confidence of certainty, I offer that exhortation. -If in the course of human events (although I -see little cause to fear) any unforeseen calamity should -unfortunately occur, remember the glorious cause in -which you are engaged; it may for an instant damp -your hopes, but let it not damp your ardour or shake -your resolution. Be assured, my lords, of this, ... (I<span class="pagenum" id="Page_314">314</span> -hope you are already assured of it,) that there is for this -country no separate safety, no separate peace! There -is neither safety nor peace for England, but with the -safety and peace of Europe; ... as for continental Europe, -it is equally true, that an indissoluble union, a firm confederation -with this country can alone secure for all -liberty, tranquillity, and happiness, ... can alone obtain -peace, now almost beyond the memory of living man. -The plain duty of this country, placing its trust in Providence, -is to improve by every possible exertion the -bright prospect that lies before us. With the energies -of Great Britain duly applied, ultimate success may be -confidently anticipated; we may now look forward to -the speedy accomplishment of that great purpose for -which we have already sacrificed, performed, and endured -so much, ... and for which we are still ready to -sacrifice, perform, and endure.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Marquis Wellesley.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>In the same spirit, Marquis Wellesley declared, that -the satisfaction he felt in the events which had -now changed the destinies of Europe was with -him a principle and not a sentiment. “It was not so -much,” he said, “because those events had raised the -military reputation of this country and of our allies, that -they had the highest value in his eyes, but because they -were the natural result of wise and cautious measures, -executed with the greatest degree of vigour; and displaying -a wisdom of combination and prudence of plan -which could not fail ultimately to be rewarded with the -success by which they were attended. He would not -dwell on former errors; but he would not hesitate to say -that the glorious successes which had lately crowned our -arms in Spain, and the arms of our allies in the north of -Europe, were to be traced to the long train of persevering -councils persisted in by the government of this country. -Though those councils had not always immediately<span class="pagenum" id="Page_315">315</span> -produced the results that were expected, they were not -the less the cause of what had ultimately taken place. -While we were exerting ourselves in a struggle apparently -hopeless, at that moment the public councils of -this country were of the utmost importance to European -liberty; for opportunity was thus given to the rest of -Europe to re-consider their former errors, and to learn -that great lesson which the example of Britain afforded -them. Nothing could be more true than the last words -which that great statesman, Mr. Pitt, ever delivered in -public, that England had saved herself by her firmness, -and other nations by her example. What a satisfactory -and consoling reflection was it for us, that from this -fountain the sacred waters of gladness and glory had -flowed; ... that to the persevering spirit of this country -it was owing that other nations were at last animated to -deeds worthy of the cause in which they were engaged, -and of the example which was set them!”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Liverpool.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Liverpool rejoiced that on this great occasion a -spirit of unanimity prevailed in the British parliament. -“We had seen,” he said, “during the preceding -twenty years, coalitions whose size promised -strength, crushed by the power of the enemy: what was -it then which had given this irresistible impulse to the present? -The feeling of national independence, that feeling -which first arose in the Peninsula, gave the war a new character, -and afforded grounds to hope not only for the -deliverance of that country, but of the rest of Europe. -There had before been wars of governments, but none like -this between nations; and all our principles of policy and -prudence must have been belied if the issue of the present -confederacy had not been very different from that of -any of the former ones. They had before them examples -of perseverance unexampled in any other cause than -that of liberty; they had seen the least military nations<span class="pagenum" id="Page_316">316</span> -of Europe become formidable, and successfully resist the -best disciplined troops of France. Small as Portugal -was, the establishment of the Portugueze army had been -of the greatest consequence, as the foundation of the -success of the allied armies in the Peninsula; and as it -gave, in addition to the general national feeling, a military -tone, under the influence of which the Portugueze troops -have been raised to an equality with the British. He -was advancing no paradox, but a truth which was felt -and admitted on the continent, when he said that the -success of the peninsular cause gave new life to the suffering -nations of Europe.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mr. C. Grant.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>This theme was pursued in the House of Commons -with great eloquence by Mr. Charles Grant. -“If,” said he, “we had shown a dastardly -spirit at the commencement of these troubles, where now -would have been the deliverance of Europe? There will -be no prouder page in history than that which tells of -this struggle and its victorious result, ... which tells that -at a time when the foundations of the world seemed to -be shaken, when all former constitutions were swept -away, rather as if by a sudden whirlwind than by any -of the ordinary means of destruction, ... there was yet -one nation, which, reposing under the shade of a happy -constitution, proud of its ancient liberties and worthy to -defend them, dared to measure its strength at one time -against the unnatural energies of a frantic democracy, -at another time against the gigantic resources of the -most tremendous despotism that ever scourged the world. -If, after this narration, history were obliged to add that -in this struggle at last we fell, but that we fell gloriously, -with our arms in our hands and our faces to the -foe, even this would have been no mean praise: but, -thank God, history will be called, not to lament the fall -of British greatness, but to celebrate its renewed exploits<span class="pagenum" id="Page_317">317</span> -and its living triumphs.... It is to the theatre of -these triumphs, it is to that soil which but lately seemed -incapable of producing a single effort, that the moralist -of after-ages will resort for examples when he denounces -the fall of unhallowed greatness. There too will the -patriot look for lessons of enthusiasm and disinterested -virtue; and this is the glorious feature of the present -war. I have heard it observed of America, that her -conduct has dispelled those classical associations which -we have been accustomed to indulge of republican virtue -and republican excellence. The remark was not more -eloquently than justly made. But if we are obliged to -give up that class of associations, I perceive with exultation -that there is another which we may now cherish -with additional fondness; I mean, those associations -which enforce the belief of instinctive patriotism, of -unbidden enthusiasm in the cause of virtue, of the -grandeur of self-devotion, of the magnanimity of great -sacrifices for great objects, for honour, for independence. -We must all recollect with what delight we imbibed -these sentiments at the fountains of classical learning, -and followed them out into action in the history of great -men and illustrious states. But of late there seems to -have crept into this nation a sort of spurious and barren -philosophy, of which it was the object to decry these -associations, to represent them as the illusions of ignorance, -or frenzy, or falsehood, to curb the original play -of nature, to inculcate coldness and selfishness upon -system, and to substitute in the place of all that formed -the delight of a higher philosophy, a spirit of lazy deliberation, -conducted by apathy, and ending therefore in -meanness and dishonour. It was this philosophy which -taught that it is not only more prudent, but more conformable -to the laws of our being, for every man in -time of danger to reason before he followed the promptings<span class="pagenum" id="Page_318">318</span> -of true courage; to make it a matter of calculation -whether his country be worth saving before he draws -the sword in her defence; to reduce it to a question of -algebra, or a problem in geometry, whether he should -resist the efforts of tyranny, or bow before the yoke! -The sleep which seemed to have spread over Europe -gave too much countenance to these pernicious maxims; -but the hour has at length come which has exposed -their fallacy, and rescued human nature from such -calumnies. The experience of the few last years has -confuted that heartless and bloodless system, the miserable -abortion of a cold head and depraved imagination, -which never wakened one noble thought, nor inspired -one generous action. The experience of the few last -years has proved that those high sentiments which we -were taught to respect are not false and visionary; but -that they are founded upon whatever is deepest and -purest in the human character. It has proved that true -reason is never at war with just feeling; that man is -now what he was in those distant ages, ... a creature -born indeed to act upon principle, but born also to act -upon strong passions; and that he never acts more -nobly, more wisely, more worthily of himself, than when -he acts upon the prompt persuasion of grand passions, -sublimed and directed by lofty principles.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mr. Whitbread.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Even Mr. Whitbread felt it necessary to say, that the -proud exultation which then was manifested -throughout the nation was hailed by no one, -in the House or in the country, with more enthusiastic -feelings than by himself; and that he gave credit to the -ministry, and to him who was at the head of it, till cut -off by the dreadful deed which every one deplored, -“for the great and steady confidence which they had -placed in the talents and genius of our great commander,” -... that confidence for which Mr. Whitbread and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_319">319</span> -party with whom he acted had so often, so confidently, -and so contemptuously reproached them! He insisted, -however, that the deliverance of Europe had not been -brought about by following Mr. Pitt’s policy; and that -if the counsels of Mr. Fox had been listened to, the -carnage of the present campaign would not have been -necessary. “And,” said he, “I am particularly glad -to observe the explicit terms of the Prince Regent’s -speech, in which it is distinctly avowed that no disposition -is entertained to require from France sacrifices -of any description inconsistent with her honour or just -pretensions as a nation. I sincerely hope this feeling -pervades the whole alliance; an alliance with which I -am not inclined to quarrel, as I have been with former -ones, for it is promoted and cemented by a feeling of -common danger and necessity, and not purchased and -raised up to oppress France. It has arisen from the -keen and indignant sentiment which the grinding oppression -of France herself has excited; and it holds out -a memorable lesson to the governments of Europe. -France, in the course of her career since the revolution, -disturbed and overthrew the ancient monarchies, -upon the pretext of their tyranny and despotism; but -when those states passed under the power of France, -who was to liberate them, they found themselves subjected -to a despotism still more odious, to a thraldom -still more insupportable. The Emperor of that country -is now in a condition to which, I firmly believe, nothing -but his own restless and gigantic ambition could have -reduced him: I hope the alliance will profit from this. -I do not pretend to know what were the terms proposed -to France before the termination of the armistice; but I -sincerely hope that now, in the moment of success, the -same terms will still be offered.” ... At this there was -a general murmur through the House.... “I am not surprised,”<span class="pagenum" id="Page_320">320</span> -he continued, “at hearing this murmur: perhaps -I am misunderstood. What I mean to say is, and -that I will maintain, that whatever terms may have been -proposed to France at that time, as a basis upon which -negotiations for peace might take place, I hope the same -basis will now be offered, ... or else I see no conclusion -to which the war can come.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mr. Canning. <span class="date">Nov. 17.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Mr. Canning was not present during this debate, but -he took the first opportunity that presented itself -for delivering his sentiments. “If,” said he, -“in the present state of this country and of the -world, those who, during the course of the tremendous -and protracted struggle, on various occasions, called -upon Parliament to pause, to retard its too rapid and -too rash advance, and to draw back from the task it had -unwisely undertaken to perform, ... if those persons have -manfully and honourably stepped forward to join their -congratulations to the joyful acclamations of the nation, -and to admit the present to be the period favourable for -a mighty and decided effort, how much more grateful -must it be to those who, at no time during the struggle, -have lifted up their voices in this place, excepting to -recommend and to urge new exertions, ... to those who, -when the prospects were most dreary and melancholy, -insisted that there was but one course becoming the -character and honour of Great Britain, ... a persevering -and undaunted resistance to the overwhelming power of -France! To an individual who, under the most discouraging -circumstances, still maintained that the deliverance -of Europe (often a derided term) was an object -not only worthy of our arms, but possible to be achieved, -it must be doubly welcome to come forward and vindicate -his share in the national exultation. If, too, on the other -hand, there have been those who, having recommended -pacification when the opportunity was less favourable, are<span class="pagenum" id="Page_321">321</span> -now warranted, as undoubtedly they are, in uttering the -same sentiments, in the confidence that the country will -sympathize with them, it is natural for those who, under -other circumstances, have discouraged the expectation of -peace, and have warned the nation against precipitate -overtures, now to be anxious to embrace this occasion of -stating their sincere conviction and their joy (as strongly -felt by them as by others) that, by the happy course of -events during the last year, and by the wise policy we -shall now pursue, peace may not, perhaps, be within our -grasp, but is at least within our view. It is impossible -to look back upon those times when the enemy vaunted, -and we perhaps feared, that we should have been compelled -to sue for peace, without, amid all the ebullition -of joy, returning thanks to that Providence which gave -us courage and heart still to bear up against accumulating -calamity. Peace is safe now, because it is not -dictated; peace is safe now, for it is the fruit of exertion, -the child of victory; peace is safe now, because it will -not be purchased at the expense of the interest and of -the honour of the empire: it is not the ransom to buy off -danger, but the fruit of the mighty means which we -have employed to drive danger from our shores. I must, -with heartfelt delight, congratulate my country, that, -groaning as she has done at former periods under the -heavy pressure of adverse war, still ‘peace was despaired -of, for who could think of submission?’ Her strength, -her endurance have been tried and proved by every mode -of assault that the most refined system of hostility could -invent, not only by open military attacks, but by low -attempts to destroy her commercial prosperity: the experiment -has been made, the experiment has failed; and we -are now triumphantly, but not arrogantly, to consider -what measures of security should be adopted, or on what -terms a peace should be concluded.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_322">322</span> -“But has this country gained nothing by the glorious -contest, even supposing peace should be far distant? Is -it nothing to Great Britain, even purchased at so large -a price, that her military character has been exalted? Is -it no satisfaction ... no compensation to her ... to reflect -that the splendid scenes displayed on the continent are -owing to her efforts? that the victories of Germany are -to be attributed to our victories in the Peninsula? That -spark, often feeble, and sometimes so nearly extinguished -as to excite despair in all hearts that were not -above it, ... that spark which was lighted in Portugal, -which was fed and nourished there, has at length burst -into a flame that has dazzled and illuminated Europe. -At the commencement of this war, our empire rested upon -one majestic column, our naval power. In the prosecution -of the war, a hero has raised another stupendous -pillar of strength to support our monarchy, ... our military -pre-eminence. It is now that we may boast not only -of superiority at sea, but on shore; the same energy and -heroism exist in both the arms of Great Britain: they -are rivals in strength, but inseparable in glory. Out of -the calamities of war has arisen a principle of safety, -that superior to all attacks, shall survive through ages, -and to which our posterity shall look forward. Compare -the situation of England with her condition at the renewal -of the war! Were we not then threatened by the aggressions -of an enemy even upon our own shores, ... were -we not then trembling for the safety and sanctity even of -our homes? Now contemplate Wellington encamped on -the Bidassoa! I know that a sickly sensibility leads -some to doubt whether the advance of Lord Wellington -was not rash and precipitate. I cannot enter into that -refinement which induces those who affect to know much -to hesitate upon this subject: I cannot look with regret -upon a British army encamped upon the fertile plains of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_323">323</span> -France: I cannot believe that any new grounds for apprehension -are raised by an additional excitement being -afforded to the irritability of the French people: I foresee -no disadvantage from entering the territories of our enemy -not as the conquered but the conquerors! I cannot -regret that the Portugueze are now looking upon the -walls of Bayonne ‘that circle in those wolves’ which -would have devastated their capital, ... that the Portugueze -now behold planted on the towers of Bayonne the -standard which their enemy would have made to float -upon the walls of Lisbon! I cannot think it a matter of -regret, that the Spaniards are now recovering from the -grasp of an enemy on his own shores, that diadem which -was stripped from the brow of the Bourbons to be -pocketed by a usurper! I cannot think it a matter of -regret that England formerly threatened with invasion is -now the invader, ... that France instead of England is -the scene of conflict! I cannot think all this matter of -regret; and of those who believe that the nation or myself -are blinded by our successes, I entreat that they will -leave me to my delusion, and keep their philosophy to -themselves.</p> - -<p>“Our enemy,” the accomplished orator pursued, “who -enslaved the press and made it contribute so importantly -to his own purposes of ambition, endeavoured to impress -upon other nations a belief that Great Britain fought -only to secure her own interests, and that her views were -completely selfish. That illusion is now destroyed, and -the designs of this country are vindicated. We call on -all the powers with whom we have been or are at war -to do us justice in this respect: above all we claim it of -America! I ask her to review her own and the policy of -this country. Now she can behold Buonaparte in his -naked deformity, stripped of the false glory which success -cast around him; the spell of his invincibility is now<span class="pagenum" id="Page_324">324</span> -dissolved; she can now look at him without that awe -which an uninterrupted series of victories had created. -Were she now to survey him as he is, what would be the -result? She would trace him by the desolation of -empires, and the dismemberment of states. She would -see him pursuing his course over the ruins of men and -of things: slavery to the people and destruction to -commerce, hostility to literature, to light, and life, were -the principles upon which he acted. His object was to -extinguish patriotism, and to confound allegiance; to -darken as well as to enslave; to roll back the tide of -civilization; to barbarize as well as to desolate mankind. -Then let America turn from these scenes of bloodshed -and horror, and compare with them the effect of British -interference! She will see that wherever this country -has exerted herself, it has been to raise the fallen and to -support the falling; to raise, not to degrade the national -character; to rouse the sentiments of patriotism which -tyranny had silenced; to enlighten, to reanimate, to -liberate. Great Britain has resuscitated Spain, and -re-created Portugal; Germany is now a nation as well -as a name; and all these glorious effects have been produced -by the efforts and by the example of our country. -If to be the deliverers of Europe; if to have raised our -own national character, not upon the ruins of other -kingdoms; if to meet dangers without shrinking, and to -possess courage rising with difficulties, be admirable, -surely we may not unreasonably hope for the applause -of the world. If we have founded our strength upon a -rock, and possess the implicit confidence of those allies -whom we have succoured when they seemed beyond -relief, then I say that our exertions during the last year, -and all our efforts during the war, are cheaply purchased; -if we have burdened ourselves, we have relieved others; -and we have the inward, the soul-felt, the proud satisfaction<span class="pagenum" id="Page_325">325</span> -of knowing that a selfish charge is that which, -with the faintest shadow of justice, cannot be brought -against us.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mr. Whitbread.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>This speech was wormwood to Mr. Whitbread; he -animadverted in reply upon what he termed the -overweening self-complacency with which Mr. -Canning talked of the share we had had in giving a -decisive turn to the aspect of affairs in the North; it was -the conduct of this country, he asserted, which had -enabled Buonaparte to proceed as he had done in his -unprincipled career: Great Britain had made Buonaparte, -and he had undone himself. “If there were no broad -and definite outline previously laid down,” he said, “and -firmly adhered to, as to the demands on the part of the -allies, or the concessions on that of France, which were -to form the groundwork of a general peace, he would -venture to predict that before long some one or other of -the allies would make a separate treaty founded on its -own views or interests. And if we attempted blindly to -push our advantages too far, he feared we should rouse -the same irresistible power in France which in 1793 had -repelled the combined attacks of all Europe, which had -since led on the Emperor of the French to his conquests, -and which might again turn the tide of success -against us.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Militia allowed to volunteer for foreign service.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>In pursuance of these opinions, Mr. Whitbread, when -a bill was brought in for allowing three-fourths -of any militia regiment to volunteer for foreign -service, moved to insert in the preamble to the -bill, that this was for bringing the war to a -speedy and happy termination, and obtaining the blessings -of peace upon terms of reciprocity, honour, and security, -to all the belligerent powers. What he meant by reciprocity -between some of those powers he would have -found it difficult to explain; ... but the proposed insertion<span class="pagenum" id="Page_326">326</span> -was negatived as unnecessary, and Mr. Whitbread -neither opposed the bill, nor the supplies voted for carrying -into effect the engagements of this nation with its - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Holland. <span class="date">Dec. 20.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -allies. Lord Holland approved of the confidence -which was thus placed in ministers. “Although,” -he said, “great part of the happy results of this -war might be justly attributed to a powerful popular -impulse, and to that infatuation on the part of the enemy, -which, thank God, always attended the long abuse of -power, ... yet it must be felt that a great deal of the -merit is to be attributed to the conduct of the government -of this country. If the sentiments of an individual,” -he pursued, “are of consequence enough to arrest your -attention, it must be in your Lordships’ recollection that -I always approved of the interposition and interference -of ministers in the cause of Spain. The merit of such -policy appears, and ever has appeared to my judgment, -quite indisputable, and must now indeed be universally -admitted; for, aided by the uncommon genius of Lord -Wellington, that policy has produced the most important -results. It has driven the enemy from that country which -he had so long and so unremittingly oppressed. It has -presented a most encouraging and impressive example -to Europe of what a people excited by oppression were -capable of achieving. It has changed the whole character -of the war, by making it a war of the people. -But a still farther advantage has arisen out of this policy. -A most atrocious calumny had become current in Europe, -that the government of this country was always ready -to distribute its subsidies with a view to embroil the -nations of the continent, while it kept its own people -aloof from the contest. No such impression can ever -again prevail in Europe. The calumny has been effectually -refuted by the policy we have pursued with -respect to Spain; for there we have not only given our<span class="pagenum" id="Page_327">327</span> -money but our men; there we have given our money, -not to excite the people but to enable them to act, and -we have seconded their exertions by a powerful army.</p> - -<p>“In declaring my approbation of ministers in consequence -of their moderate language and conduct, that -approbation is, of course, founded upon a hope and confidence, -that the very different language which appears -in certain publications has in no degree their sanction or -countenance. Sounding a violent and barbarous war-whoop -through the country, abounding in coarse, vulgar, -virulent epithets, these publications complete their -abominable character by excitements to assassination. -Although the French ruler has rendered himself so odious -by his conduct, yet it must be admitted that he is a great -military commander, still at the head of a great nation; -and is it fitting that the press of this country should -become the means of advising the assassination of such -a man, ... nay, of exhorting to the deed? and what else -can be meant by the repeated declaration, that no peace -can be concluded while this individual lives? The -French ruler is no doubt ambitious, inordinately ambitious; -but if it were resolved that no peace should be made -with France while it was under the government of an -ambitious man, when, I would ask, could peace be expected? -The meaning, however, of all the publications -I have referred to, may be to recommend the restoration -of the Bourbon family; but the attempt at such a measure -would be totally inconsistent with the professed -moderation and policy of ministers. That restoration -might be good; but it would be preposterous to look -for the success of such an object through the intervention -of foreign armies; and it would be opposite to -the policy and principle of ministers to engage in any -such undertaking.”</p> - -<p>Alluding then to the just remark of Lord Grenville,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_328">328</span> -that one great advantage resulting from the recent -changes on the continent was, that it afforded an opportunity -for restoring the balance of power, “I must be -allowed,” said Lord Holland, “to say, that the re-establishment -and maintenance of that balance can never -consist in, nor depend upon, particular divisions of -territory, so much as upon the existence of a general -feeling among the European states, that it is the interest -of each to preserve the independence of each and all. -Such is the feeling which gave birth and cement to the -present confederacy; and therefore I wish that such a -confederacy may continue to exist in peace as well as in -war. I esteem the principle of this confederacy, because it -appears solicitous to preserve the interest of all, without -gratifying the peculiar interest of any one; and upon -that principle I would rather leave France with such -possessions as should make her feel an interest in the -common object of the confederacy, than transfer from -her to any other state any possessions which might be -likely to withdraw that state from the general feeling -which it is the interest of peace and Europe to improve -and strengthen.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Terms offered by the allies to Buonaparte.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>It was well for Great Britain and for the continent -that Buonaparte was not contented with such -terms of peace as the allies, with a generosity -which had neither the character of wisdom nor of -justice, would a little before this have granted -him. Even when he had been driven over the Rhine, -they would, according to their own declaration, have -left France more powerful than she had ever been under -her kings, if he would have consented to give up Italy. -Out of Germany and out of the Peninsula he had been -beaten; but they would have allowed France to remain -with the whole of the Netherlands, and with the Rhine -for her boundary, if vain-glory and a blind confidence in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_329">329</span> -his fortune had not still demented Buonaparte. But -he declared that he would not under any circumstances -abandon Italy; and they who ought not, under any circumstances, -now to have negotiated with him, prepared -to enter France. On his part he collected the largest -force that that exhausted country could supply, to resist -the impending invasion; and as it thus became an object -of great importance for him to bring to his assistance -Suchet’s army, and the troops who were shut up in the -remaining garrisons in Valencia and Catalonia, he -thought this might be effected by dictating a treaty to - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Buonaparte treats with Ferdinand.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -his prisoner, Ferdinand. Accordingly he sent -the Comte de Laforest to Valençay, to negotiate -with that poor Prince, saying, that under the -existing circumstances of his empire and his policy, he -wished at once to settle the affairs of Spain; that England -was encouraging Jacobinism and anarchy there, for -the purpose of destroying the nobility and the monarchy, -and erecting a republic; that he could not but grievously -feel the destruction of a neighbouring state, connected -by so many maritime and commercial interests with his -own; that he desired to remove every pretext for English -interference, and to re-establish those ties of friendship -and good neighbourhood by which Spain and France had -been so long connected; and therefore he had sent the -Comte de Laforest under a feigned name, to whom his -Royal Highness might give entire credit in all that he -should propose.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Conference between Comte de Laforest and Ferdinand.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Comte accordingly presented himself under the -name of M. Dubois, in order that the negotiation -might be kept secret, because, if the English -were to discover, they would use every means -for frustrating it. The Emperor, he represented, -had done all he could in Bayonne to -accommodate the differences which then existed between<span class="pagenum" id="Page_330">330</span> -father and son; but the English had marred every -thing; they had introduced Jacobinism into Spain, where -the land was laid waste, religion destroyed, the clergy -ruined, the nobility crushed, the marine existing only in -name, the colonies dismembered and in insurrection, and, -in fine, everything overthrown. Those islanders desired -nothing but to change the monarchy into a republic; -and yet, to deceive the people, they put the name of -his Royal Highness at the head of all their public acts. -Moved by these calamities, and by the lamentations of -all good Spaniards, the Emperor had chosen him for this -important mission, because of his long experience, for -he had been more than forty years in the diplomatic -career, and had resided in every court; but, as there -were so many persons who knew him, he requested that -the Spanish princes on their part would contribute to -keep the affair secret. Ferdinand had at this time none -with whom to consult, except his brother and his uncle, -who were both as inexperienced in business as himself. -He replied, that so unexpected a proposition required -much reflection; he must have time for considering it, -and would let him know the result. Laforest, without -waiting for this, obtained an audience on the following -day, and then said, that if his Majesty accepted the -kingdom of Spain, which the Emperor wished to restore -to him, they must concert means for getting the English -out of that country. To this Ferdinand replied, that he -could make no treaty, considering the circumstances in -which he was placed at Valençay, and indeed could take -no measures without the consent of the nation, as represented -by the Regency. The old diplomatist made -answer, it certainly was not the intention of the Emperor -that his Majesty should do the slightest thing which -might be contrary to the wish of Spain; but in this case -it would be necessary that he should find means of ascertaining<span class="pagenum" id="Page_331">331</span> -it. Ferdinand then said that, during five years -and a half, for so long he had been absent from his own -country, he had known nothing more of the state of affairs -than what he read in the French newspapers. Those -papers, Laforest affirmed, exhibited the true state of -things; and he made a speech of some length to prove -what Ferdinand was not so devoid of penetration as to -believe. He concluded in words to this effect: “He -who is born to a kingdom has no will of his own; he -must be a king, and is not like a private individual, free -to choose for himself that way of life which he may -think most agreeable. And where is he who, when a -kingdom is offered him, would not instantly accept it? -Yet, withal, if he who should be a king were to say, ‘I -renounce all dignity from this time, and, far from seeking -honours, desire only to lead a private life;’ in that -case the affair becomes of a different kind. If, therefore, -your Royal Highness is in this predicament, the Emperor -must have recourse to other means; but if, as I -cannot but believe, your Royal Highness thinks of -receiving the sceptre, the indispensable preliminary must -be to settle the principal bases of the negotiation upon -which afterwards to treat, and for this purpose to appoint -a Spaniard, one of those who are at this time in France.” -Ferdinand calmly replied that this required consideration. -Upon this Laforest observed, that when a kingdom -was to be received, there was not much to consider, -reasons of state being the sole rule of conduct. But Ferdinand -made answer, that he was far from agreeing with -him in that maxim; it was his belief that nothing required -greater consideration, and he would take time to deliberate -upon it.</p> - -<p>Ferdinand could not have acted with better judgment -at this time, if he had had the ablest statesmen to advise -him. In fact, the straight course was the sure one; for,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_332">332</span> -though he had been kept in complete ignorance of all -recent events, the very circumstance of this proposal was -proof sufficient that Buonaparte’s fortune had failed, and -that his motive for giving up his pretensions to Spain -was that he was no longer able to support them. On -the morrow, he said to the ambassador that, having -maturely reflected upon what had been proposed, he -must repeat that he could do nothing, and treat of -nothing, in his present situation, without consulting with -the nation, and of course with the Regency. “The -Emperor,” said he, “has placed me here; and if he -chooses that I should return to Spain, he it is who must -consult and treat with the Regency, because he has -means of doing this, and I have not; or he must afford -me means, and consent that a deputation from the Regency -should come hither, and inform me concerning the -state of Spain, and propose to me measures for rendering -it happy: any thing which I may then conclude here -with his Imperial Majesty will be valid. And it is the -more necessary that such a deputation should come, -because there is no person in France whom I could fitly -employ in this affair.” Laforest replied at some length, -endeavouring to persuade him that the English and Portugueze -governed Spain, and that their intention was to -place the house of Braganza upon the Spanish throne, -beginning with his sister, the Princess of Brazil. He -also pressed Ferdinand to declare whether, when he -returned to Spain, he meant to be the friend or the enemy -of the Emperor? This was presuming upon the weakness -of the person whom he addressed; but Ferdinand was -not wanting in presence of mind on this occasion. “I -esteem the Emperor highly,” he replied, “but I never -will do any thing that may be injurious to my people -and their welfare; and upon this point I now finally -declare that nothing shall make me alter my determination.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_333">333</span> -If the Emperor chooses that I should return to -Spain, let him treat with the Regency, and when that is -done, and I am assured of it, I will sign the treaty; but -for this it will be necessary that a deputation should -come here and inform me of every thing. Report this to -the Emperor, and tell him, also, that this is what my conscience -dictates to me.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Nov. 21.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Ferdinand expressed himself to the same effect in a -letter, which on the morrow he delivered into -Laforest’s hands. “I am still under the protection -of your Imperial Majesty,” he added, “and still -profess the same love and respect of which you have had -so many proofs. If your Majesty’s system of policy, and -the actual circumstances of your empire, will not allow -of your conforming to this course, I shall then remain -quietly and willingly at Valençay, where I have now -passed five years and a half, and where I shall remain -for the rest of my life, if God has so appointed it. It is -painful to me, Sire, to speak in this manner to your Majesty, -but conscience compels me to it. I have as much -interest for the English as for the French, but, nevertheless, -I must prefer the interest and happiness of my own -nation to every thing. Your Imperial and Royal Majesty -will see, I hope, in this nothing more than a new proof -of my ingenuous sincerity, and of the affection which I -bear towards you. If I should promise any thing to your -Majesty, and afterwards be obliged to act in opposition -to it, what would you think of me? you would say that I -am inconstant, and you would despise me, and dishonour -me with all Europe.”</p> - -<p>When Laforest received this letter from Ferdinand, he -observed, that his Royal Highness desired nothing but -what was very just; but he asked whether he designed -to treat with the Emperor before he had consulted with -the Regency, or after? if after, it would occasion much<span class="pagenum" id="Page_334">334</span> -delay; if before, when the business was once concluded -with the Emperor, the Regency would instantly do whatever -he thought fit. But if his intention in returning to -Spain was to continue the war with France, the Emperor -would choose rather to keep him in his power, and carry -on the war upon its present footing. Ferdinand replied, -that surely either the ambassador had not understood -him, or he himself must have failed in expressing himself -with sufficient clearness. “My declarations,” he pursued, -“amount to this, that I marry myself to neither -power. If the interest of Spain requires that I should -be the friend of the French, I will be so; but if it requires -that I should be the friend of the English, their friend I -shall be; and, finally, if this should not suit the Emperor, -the Infantes and I will remain well pleased where -we are at Valençay. In acting thus I do no otherwise - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Escoiquiz, Idea Sencilla, &c., pp. 83, 100.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -than the Emperor himself would do were he in my -place<a id="FNanchor_3" href="#Footnote_3" class="fnanchor">3</a>.” From this resolution Ferdinand was -not to be dissuaded, and Laforest accordingly -returned with this reply.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Treaty concluded at Valençay. <span class="date">Dec. 11.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Upon his return, Buonaparte dispatched the Duque de -S. Carlos to Valençay to negotiate, on Ferdinand’s -part, with Laforest; and a treaty was -easily concluded to this effect, that the Emperor -of the French recognized Ferdinand and his successors -as Kings of Spain and of the Indies, according to -the order established by the fundamental laws of Spain; -and that he recognized the integrity of the Spanish territory -as it existed before the war, and would deliver up -to the Spaniards such provinces and fortified places as -the French still occupied in Spain: Ferdinand obliging -himself, on his part, to maintain the same integrity, and -that also of the adjacent isles and fortified places, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_335">335</span> -especially Minorca and Ceuta; and to make the English -evacuate those provinces and places, the evacuation by -the French and English being to be made simultaneously. -The two contracting powers bound themselves to maintain -the independence of their maritime rights, as had -been stipulated in the treaty of Utrecht, and observed till -the year 1792. All Spaniards who had adhered to King -Joseph were to re-enter upon the honours, rights, and -privileges which they had enjoyed, and all the property -of which they might have been deprived should be restored -to them; and to such as might choose to live out -of Spain, ten years should be allowed for disposing of -their possessions. Prisoners on both sides were to be -sent home, and also the garrison of Pamplona, and the -prisoners at Cadiz, Coruña, the Mediterranean islands, -or any other depôt which might have been delivered to -the English, ... whether they were in Spain, or had been -sent to America or to England. Ferdinand bound himself -to pay an annual sum of thirty millions of reales to -Charles IV., his father, and, in case of his death, an annuity -of two millions to the Queen, his widow. Finally, -a treaty of commerce was to be formed between the two -nations, and till this could be done, their commercial -relations were to be placed upon the same footing as -before the war of 1792.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>S. Carlos sent to the Regency. <span class="date">Dec. 8.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The next step was to notify this treaty to the actual -government of Spain. Accordingly Ferdinand -addressed a letter to the Regency, being the first -communication which he had been permitted to -hold with his own country since his entrapment. -“Divine Providence,” he said, “which in its inscrutable -wisdom had permitted him to pass from the palace -of Madrid to that of Valençay, had granted to him the -blessings of health and strength, and the consolation of -never having been for a moment separated from his beloved<span class="pagenum" id="Page_336">336</span> -brother and uncle, the Infantes, Don Carlos and -Don Antonio. They had experienced in that palace a -noble hospitality; their way of life had been as agreeable -as it could be under such circumstances; and he -had employed his time in the manner most suitable to his -new condition. The only intelligence which he had -heard of his beloved Spain was what the French gazettes -supplied; these had given him some knowledge of the -sacrifices which the nation had made for him; of the -magnanimous and unalterable constancy manifested by -his faithful vassals, of the persevering assistance of England, -the admirable conduct of its general-in-chief, Lord -Wellington, and of the Spanish and allied generals who -had distinguished themselves. The English ministry had -publicly declared their readiness to admit propositions -of peace, founded upon his restitution; nevertheless, the -miseries of his kingdom still continued. He was in this -state of passive but vigilant observation, when the Emperor -of the French spontaneously made proposals to -him, founded upon his restitution, and the integrity and -independence of his dominions, without any clause which -would not be compatible with the honour and glory and -interest of the Spanish nation. Being persuaded that -Spain could not, after the most successful and protracted -war, conclude a more advantageous peace, he had authorized -the Duque de S. Carlos to negotiate in his name -with the Comte de Laforest, whom the Emperor Napoleon -had nominated as plenipotentiary on the part of -France; and he had now appointed the Duque to carry -this treaty to the Regency, in proof of the confidence -which he reposed in them, that they might ratify it in -their usual manner, and send it back to him after this -necessary form without loss of time. How satisfactory,” -he concluded, “is it for me to stop the effusion of blood, -and to see the end of so many evils! and how do I long<span class="pagenum" id="Page_337">337</span> -to return and live among a people, who have given the -universe an example of the purest loyalty, and of the -noblest and most generous character!”</p> - -<p>This letter seemed to leave the Regency no power of -deliberation, but simply to require that they should -ratify the treaty. But in fact, Ferdinand, if he had any -such wish, had no such expectation; and he had penetration -enough to see that the course of events which -had compelled Buonaparte to treat with him upon such -terms, must in their consequences restore him to his -kingdom; even though the Regency should, as he supposed, -refuse to ratify it, because of their engagement -with the allied powers. He gave the Duque, therefore, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Secret instructions from Ferdinand.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -secret verbal instructions to inquire into the -spirit of the Regency and the Cortes; and if he -should find them loyal and well affected to his -royal person, ... not, as he suspected, tainted with infidelity -and Jacobinism, ... he was then to let the -Regency know, but in the greatest confidence, his royal -intention that the treaty should be ratified, if it could -be done without injury to the good faith which Spain -owed to the allied powers, or to the public weal; but -that he was far from requiring this if it were otherwise. -Should the Regency be of opinion, that without compromising -these points, the treaty might be ratified, upon -an understanding with England temporarily, and until -his return to Spain should in consequence be effected, -upon the supposition that he, without whose free approbation -it could not be complete, would not ratify it -when at liberty, but would declare it to have been constrained -and null, and moreover as being injurious to -the nation; in that case he wished them so to ratify it, -because the French could not reasonably reproach him, -if, having acquired information concerning the state of -Spain, which had been withheld from him in his captivity,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_338">338</span> -he should refuse to confirm it. But if the Duque -should discover that the spirit of Jacobinism prevailed -in the Regency and the Cortes, he was then simply to -require that the treaty should be ratified; for this would - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Escoiquiz, 108–10.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -not prevent the King from continuing the war -after his return, if the interest and good faith -of the nation should so require. This intention, however, -was to be kept profoundly secret, lest, through -any treachery, it should be made known to the French -government.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Macanaz sent to Valençay.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>With these instructions the Duque departed, travelling -under the assumed name of Ducós, that his -mission might not be suspected. Laforest remained -at Valençay, still under a false name, -and keeping out of sight, in the same part of the castle -which Ferdinand and the Infantes inhabited; and before -the Duque’s departure, Don Pedro de Macanaz was -sent thither by Buonaparte to continue the conferences -with this diplomatist. However much the Regency, or -rather the Cortes (for the Regency was now the mere -organ of its pleasure) might be surprised when the -treaty was communicated to them, they were not unprovided - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Jan. 8.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -for such an event. The Regency accordingly -expressed in reply their joy upon seeing -the King’s signature, and being assured of his good -health, and of that of the Infantes, and of the noble -sentiments which he cherished for his dear Spain. “If,” -they said, “they could but ill express their own satisfaction, -still less could they the joy of that noble and magnanimous -people who had sworn fidelity to him; nor the -sacrifices which they had made, were making, and still -would make, till they should see him placed upon the -throne of love and justice which they had prepared for -him: they must content themselves with declaring to -his Majesty that he was the beloved and the desired of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_339">339</span> -the whole nation. It was their duty to put him in possession -of a decree passed by the Cortes on the 1st of -January, 1811; so doing, they were excused from -making the slightest observation upon the treaty, in -which his Majesty had the most authentic proof that -the sacrifices made by the Spaniards for the recovery -of his royal person had not been made in vain. And -they congratulated him upon seeing that the day was -now near when they should enjoy the inexpressible -happiness of delivering up to him the royal authority -which they had preserved for him in faithful deposit -during his captivity.” The decree which accompanied -this letter was that by which the Cortes enacted that no -treaty which the King might conclude during his restraint -and captivity should be recognized by Spain.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Zayas and Palafox released.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Some delay had taken place in the Duque de S. Carlos’s -journey, owing to the removal of the Cortes -from Cadiz to Madrid just at that time. In the -interim, Buonaparte, who was now as desirous -to withdraw his troops from the Peninsula as, in evil -hour for himself, he had once been of introducing them -there, sought to accelerate that object. He released -Zayas and Palafox, who had been kept close prisoners -at Vincennes, and sent them to Valençay. Escoiquiz -soon followed them; and Laforest proposed that orders -should be given by the Regency, immediately after the -ratification, for a general suspension of hostilities, humanity -requiring that all useless expenditure of blood -should be avoided. The Emperor, he said, had appointed -Marshal Suchet his commissioner for executing -that part of the treaty which related to evacuating the -fortresses; and it now depended upon the Spanish -government alone to expedite this business, and effect -the release of prisoners; the generals and officers should -proceed by post to their own country, and the soldiers<span class="pagenum" id="Page_340">340</span> -be delivered upon the frontier as fast as they arrived -there. This being assented to by Macanaz and Escoiquiz, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Palafox sent to the Regency. <span class="date">Dec. 23.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -on Ferdinand’s part, it was determined that -Palafox should be sent to communicate it to the -Regency, bearing with him a duplicate of the -Duque’s commission, in case any accident might -have happened to him upon the way; and also a letter -in which Ferdinand expressed his persuasion that the -Regency had by this time ratified the treaty. But -Palafox had secret instructions to see the English ambassador -at Madrid, express to him how grateful the -King felt for the exertions of the British government -in his favour, and communicate to him, in secrecy, the -King’s real intention in thus negotiating with Buonaparte, -in order that that government, far from resenting -such a proceeding, should contribute to its fulfilment. The - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Reply of the Spanish government. <span class="date">1814.<br />Jan. 28.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Regency replied to this second communication -by referring to their former reply; they added, -that “an ambassador extraordinary and plenipotentiary -had now been named, on his Majesty’s -part, for a congress in which the allies were about to -give peace to Europe. In that congress, they said, the -treaty would be concluded; and it would be ratified not -by the Regency, but by his Majesty himself, in his own -royal palace of Madrid, whither he would be restored -to occupy, in the most absolute liberty, a throne rendered -illustrious by the heroic sacrifices of the Spaniards, and -by his own sublime virtues. And they expressed their -satisfaction in the thought that they should soon deliver -up to his Majesty the authority wherewith they were -intrusted, ... a charge of such weight that it could rest -only upon the robust shoulders of a monarch who, by -re-establishing the Cortes, had restored to freedom an -enslaved people, and driven the ferocious monster, Despotism, -from the throne of Spain.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_341">341</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Measures of the Cortes.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Spanish government would have acted thus far -prudently in its communication with Ferdinand, -if it had abstained from this empty language: -but the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i>, as the ruling party called -themselves, were, some, vain of their talents, others confident -in the uprightness of their intentions, and all -alike ignorant of their weakness. If the abler leaders -of this party had not proceeded so far as they desired -and perhaps designed, they were yet conscious that they -had proceeded farther than their functions warranted and -than Ferdinand would sanction. They held, therefore, -a secret sitting of the Cortes, and deliberated upon the -measures to be taken in case the King should pass the -frontiers. It was proposed, by a commission appointed -to report upon this emergency, that he should not be -considered as being free, nor should obedience be rendered -him, until he should have sworn to the Constitution -in the bosom of the Cortes; that the Generals on the -frontiers should send expresses to the government with -all speed, as soon as they obtained any tidings of his -probable coming; that if he were accompanied by any -armed force, that force should be repulsed, according to -the laws of war; should it consist of Spaniards, they -were to lay down their arms, and those who had been -carried prisoners into France licensed to return each to -his home; whatever General might have the honour of -receiving the King being to supply him with a guard -suitable to his royal dignity and person. No foreigner -should be allowed to accompany him, not even as a -domestic or servant; no Spaniard who had filled any -office, received any pension, or accepted any honour from -Buonaparte or from the Intruder. The Regency should -be charged to fix the route by which the King should -proceed to Madrid; and the President of the Regency, -as soon as he arrived in Spain, should set out to meet<span class="pagenum" id="Page_342">342</span> -and accompany him with a proper retinue, and present -him with a copy of the Constitution, that so his Majesty, -having made himself acquainted therewith, might, upon -full deliberation and with entire consent, take the oath -which it prescribed. Having reached the capital, he -should proceed straight to the Cortes, there to take the -said oath, with all the ceremonies and solemnities enjoined: -this done, thirty Members of that assembly should -attend him to the palace, where the Regency should -resign the government into his hands; on the same day -the Cortes should prepare a decree for making known to -the nation the solemn act by which, and in virtue of the -oath which he should then have sworn, the King had -been constitutionally placed upon the throne; and this -decree should be presented to the King by a deputation, -that it might be published with all due formalities. The -opinion of the Council of State upon this proposition -was required within four-and-twenty hours.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 1.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Council was of opinion that the King ought not -to exercise any authority till he should have -taken the oath before the Cortes. They thought -that a deputation should be appointed to meet him, and -inform him concerning the state of affairs and of public -opinion, both as to the eternal and sworn hatred of -Napoleon, and the observance of the Constitution. One -member of the Council advised that the deputation -should consist of members of the Cortes, two of whom in -rotation should accompany the King in his coach till he -arrived at the palace; and also that all the soldiers who -had been prisoners in France should be detained upon -the frontier, and all the King’s attendants also, till they -should have taken the oath. “It must be believed,” said -the Council, “that if Napoleon sends Ferdinand to Spain, -it can only be for the purpose of laying a new snare for -us, and making him the instrument of his iniquitous<span class="pagenum" id="Page_343">343</span> -schemes, and rendering him, perhaps, odious to a nation -which now longs for his presence, ... it must be with the -design of fomenting a civil war, in which he may be -entrapped, seduced, and compelled to take a part; that -the attention of the allies may thus be distracted, and -the progress of their operations be delayed. Now, -therefore, more than ever Spain stands in need of that -energy which hitherto she has displayed against the -common enemy; now it is that she must manifest to the -King how much she has done for his sake, and how much -she loves him; but at the same time how much she loves -the Constitution, and abhors the tyrannical disturber of -the world. And, therefore, it is now more than ever of -importance that efforts should be redoubled for maintaining -our armies upon a good footing, and co-operating -more effectually for the destruction of that monster.”</p> - -<p>In this transaction Buonaparte acted towards Ferdinand -with good faith, because he had no interest in acting -otherwise; so he could extricate his garrisons he cared -not now what might become of Spain. Ferdinand conducted -himself with as much prudence and as little -duplicity as could be expected in his situation. The -Liberales miscalculated their strength; their measures -implied a distrust of the King; and if he inferred from -their language, that, under all its professions of respectful -and affectionate loyalty, a defiance was couched there -in case he should hesitate to recognise the new order of -things, he was not mistaken in its purport and intent.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_344">344</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 id="CHAPTER_XLVI">CHAPTER XLVI.</h2> -</div> - -<blockquote class="inhead"> - -<p class="hang">PROCEEDINGS IN FRANCE. THE DUC D’ANGOULEME GOES TO LORD WELLINGTON’S -ARMY. LERIDA, MEQUINENZA, AND MONZON RECOVERED BY -STRATAGEM. PASSAGE OF THE ADOUR. BATTLE OF ORTHES. THE -ALLIES RECEIVED AT BOURDEAUX. BATTLE OF TOULOUSE. SORTIE -FROM BAYONNE. RESTORATION OF FERDINAND. CONCLUSION.</p></blockquote> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">1814.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p class="in0"><span class="firstword">Buonaparte</span> had returned to France breathing vengeance. -He sent before him two-and-twenty standards -taken in the course of his German campaign; and he -announced to his Council of State, in troubled and -passionate language, the extent of his danger, and his -determination of opposing and overcoming it by the most - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Buonaparte’s speech to his council.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -violent efforts. “Wellington,” said he, “is in -the south, the Russians threaten the northern -frontier, Austria the south-eastern, ... yet, shame -to speak it, the nation has not risen in mass to -repel them! Every ally has abandoned me: the Bavarians -have betrayed me!... Peace? no peace, till -Munich is in flames! I demand of you 300,000 men; -I will form a camp at Bourdeaux of 100,000, another -at Lyons, a third at Metz: with the remnant of my -former levies, I shall have 1,000,000 of men in arms. -But it is men whom I demand, full-grown men; not -these miserable striplings who choke my hospitals with -sick, and my highways with their carcases.... Give up -Holland? rather let it sink into the sea! Peace, it seems, -is talked of, when all around ought to re-echo with the -cry of war!”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_345">345</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">November.</span>Proceedings of the French government.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Accordingly the obsequious senate placed, in official form -and phrase, 300,000 conscripts at the disposal of -the minister of war: they were to be taken from -the men who had been liable to the conscription -in former years, as far back as 1806, with -an exception however in favour of those who should have -been married prior to the publication of this decree; half -this number were immediately to take the field, the others -to be held in reserve, and brought forward in case the -eastern frontier should be invaded. Comte Dejean, who - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Comte Dejean.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -addressed the senate upon this measure, said that -painful as it was thus to call upon classes who -had formerly been free from the conscription, circumstances -now required such a measure: by this means men -would be ranged under the French eagles, who united -strength with courage, and could support the fatigues of -war; while the younger conscripts would have time in -garrisons and in armies of reserve to acquire vigour for -seconding the sentiments which inspired them. “The -cry of alarm,” said Regnaud de S. Jean d’Angely, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Regnaud de S. Jean d’Angely.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -“and of succour, sent forth by our sons and -brethren in arms, still gloriously combating upon -the banks of the Rhine, has resounded upon the Seine -and the Rhone, the Doubs and the Gironde, the Moselle -and the Loire, the mountains of Jura and of the Vosges, -the Alps and the Pyrenees. All true Frenchmen are -already prepared to meet the wants of their country, ... -to meet the dangers and sacrifices which must prevent -other dangers and sacrifices far more frightful, both for -their extent and for the humiliation which must accompany -them. If the coalesced armies could penetrate -beyond the Pyrenees, the Alps, or the Rhine, then the -day of peace could not shine upon France; there could -be no peace till we should repulse the enemy, and drive -him far from our territory. Noble sons of our dear<span class="pagenum" id="Page_346">346</span> -France! generous defenders of our glorious country! you, -who close the entrance of France against the English, the -Russians, and their allies, you shall not be left without -support in the holy and honourable struggle to which -you have devoted yourselves. A little while, and numerous -battalions of men, mighty in strength and in -courage, will come to aid you in again seizing upon victory, -and in delivering the French soil.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Comte Lacepède.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>“Your Majesty,” said Comte Lacepède, “who knows -better than any one the wants and the sentiments -of your subjects, know that we desire -peace. But all the nations of the continent are in greater -need of it than we are; and if, notwithstanding the -wishes and interest of more than 150 millions of souls, -our enemies should think of presenting to us a sort of -capitulation, their expectations will be deceived; the -French people show by their devotement and their sacrifices -that no nation ever better understood their duties -toward their country, their honour, and their sovereign.” -To this Buonaparte made answer, ... “It is but a year -since all Europe was with us; all Europe marches -against us now: this is because the opinion of the world -is directed by France or by England. We should have -every thing to fear, were it not for the energy and the -power of the nation. Posterity will say that if great and -critical circumstances offered themselves, they were not -superior to France and to me.” His heart was hardened, -or he might now have made peace upon terms which -would speedily have enabled him again to disturb the -world; but his spirit was unbroken; and his abilities -were never at any time so signally displayed, as in -making head against the dangers which were about to -beset him on all sides. It was no longer possible to keep -the people in ignorance of the real state of things: the -press, which hitherto under his tyranny had been employed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_347">347</span> -in deceiving them, was made use of now to excite -them, by declaring the whole truth as respected the -danger, but suppressing it upon all other points: the -allies were charged with breach of faith and inordinate -ambition, they were represented as all seeking their own -aggrandizement; and the Emperor Napoleon as struggling -alone against them, for the honour and the interests - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Buonaparte’s speech to the Legislative Assembly.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -of France. He himself addressed the legislature -to the same effect, ... “Brilliant victories,” -said he, “have illustrified the French arms in -this campaign; unexampled defections have rendered -those victories useless. Every thing has -turned against us. France itself would be in danger -were it not for the energy and unanimity of the French. -I have never been seduced by prosperity; adversity will -find me superior to its attacks. Often have I given peace -to nations when they had lost all.... From part of my -conquests I have erected thrones for kings who have -abandoned me. I had conceived and executed great -designs for the prosperity and happiness of the world. -A monarch and a father, I know what peace adds to the -security of thrones and of families. Negotiations have -been set on foot. I hoped that the congress would by -this time have met; but delays, which are not attributable -to France, have deferred the moment which is -called for by the wishes of the world.” When Buonaparte -said this, he had no hope of peace, no desire for -it, no intention of making any such concessions as would -render it possible.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>British regulations for trading with the captured French ports.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>As yet none of the other allied armies had passed the -frontier; but Lord Wellington was established -in France, where, taking into consideration the -necessity of fixing the bases upon which the -trade with the ports of French Navarre to the -south of the Adour should be regulated, he published<span class="pagenum" id="Page_348">348</span> -a proclamation, declaring that those ports were - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Dec. 18.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -open to all nations who were not at war with any -of the allied powers, and fixing a duty of five per - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Dec. 31.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -cent. <i xml:lang="la" lang="la">ad valorem</i> upon all articles, except grain -and salt, and stores for the use of the army. An order of -council was also published in England, permitting British - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Jan. 14.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -vessels to trade with these and such other French -ports as might be under the protection, or in the -military occupation of his Majesty’s arms. To this then -were the decrees of Berlin and Milan come at last! The -tyrant who had endeavoured to shut the ports of all Europe -against British ships and British merchandise, and -at one time had well nigh accomplished his barbarous -and barbarizing purpose, saw England now regulating -the commerce of his own ports, and levying duties in -France, ... not after his example, with blind and merciless -rapacity, but upon those principles of moderation -and equity, on which her power has been raised, and by -which her prosperity is supported. Three years had not -elapsed since the official journal of Buonaparte’s government -had said, that instead of defending Portugal -and Cadiz, Great Britain’s efforts would soon be required -for the defence of Gibraltar; that Spain having been -conquered foot by foot was on the point of being entirely -subjected; that Wellington’s mode of defending Portugal -had been by abandoning the fortresses and laying waste -the country, and God grant, said the Moniteur, that he -may one day defend England in the same manner! -“Our continental system,” said the official journalist, -“is completed; it diminishes your receipts by crippling -your commerce, and increases your expenses by obliging -you to keep armies in Lisbon and Sicily. In the meantime -the French army, according to our fundamental -law, lives on the country in which it is making war, and -only costs us the pay which it would do at home.”</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_349">349</span> -“The credit which sustained the colossal power of Great -Britain,” said Buonaparte to his Legislative Body in the -summer of 1811, “is no more. Her allies are either lost -or destroyed. She ruins all whom she would subsidize; -she exhausts her own people in useless efforts. But the -struggle against this modern Carthage will now be decided -on the plains of Spain; the peace of the continent -will not be disturbed; England herself shall feel the -evils which during twenty years she has inflicted on the -continental nations. A clap of thunder shall put an end -to the affairs of the Peninsula, seal the fate of her armies, -and avenge Europe and Asia by terminating this second Punic - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">December.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -war.” With what feelings must Buonaparte -now have reflected upon these bootless boasts!</p> - -<p>With as little satisfaction too could he reflect upon -the result of that fundamental principle of his military -system, by which his armies were made to live on the -countries wherein they were making war. The principle -of the British commander was to demand nothing from -the inhabitants, and to seize nothing; not a single ration -was required from them; they were paid on the spot for -every thing which they brought, while Soult’s army -drained the adjoining provinces by its requisitions, and -his soldiers were rendered at once formidable and odious -to their own countrymen by the insolent and lawless -habits which they had acquired in the Peninsula. The -passage of the Nive had put the allies in possession of a -large tract of country singularly fertile; they obtained -great part of their forage from it; and the right wing by -its position on the left of the Adour, commanded the -navigation of that river, and often intercepted the enemy’s -supplies. In that deep soil, and in a season of continued -rain, it was not possible for the army to advance, an individual -indeed could with difficulty make his way any -where but on the paved road; ... it was hardly thought bad<span class="pagenum" id="Page_350">350</span> -walking if the waters were not more than knee-deep. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Injury done by destroying the woods in this part of the Pyrenees.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -One of those unforeseen effects which frequently -arise when man interferes upon a large scale -with the works of nature, has rendered this -country liable to inundations in winter and -spring, and to drought in summer. About the -middle of the seventeenth century a speculator<a id="FNanchor_4" href="#Footnote_4" class="fnanchor">4</a> undertook -to supply the French government with ship timber -from the Pyrenees; to effect this it was necessary for -him to increase the waters of the two rivers, or, as they -are there called, <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Gaves</i> of Pau and Oleron; and by turning -into them the course of numerous rivulets, he doubled -the volume of the latter stream, and increased the current -of the Adour so much that a 50-gun ship could cross -the bar of Bayonne with less difficulty than before that -time was experienced by a vessel with ten guns. He -expended 300,000 crowns upon this scheme, succeeded -in it, and ruined his family. But permanent evil was -occasioned to the country: for when the mountains were -clothed with woods, the snow which was collected there -melted gradually under their shade, and fed the streams -during the whole year; afterwards, when the snow was -exposed to the sun and rain, the streams poured down in -torrents, rendering the rivers destructive during the -winter and spring, and scarcely supplying water enough -in summer for navigation.</p> - -<p>While the allies waited in their cantonments till the -season should allow them to recommence their operations, -telegraphic signal stations, to guard against surprise, -were formed on the churches of Guethary, Arcangues, -and Vieux Monguerre, and these communicated -with one upon a high sand-hill, on the north side of<span class="pagenum" id="Page_351">351</span> -St. Jean de Luz, near the entrance from the Bayonne road: -so that notice of any hostile movement might almost -instantaneously be communicated to the head-quarters. -Works were thrown up in front of the left, as the most -assailable part of the line, at Bidaut, at Arcangues, and -almost on every knoll. On such occasions it was that -unavoidable injury was done to the inhabitants. If a -chateau unfortunately stood where it was deemed expedient -to fortify it, every part was pulled down that did -not serve for the purposes of defence; and all the noble -trees around it were felled, while the owner looked on, -a sad and helpless spectator of the ruin. These were -cases of individual hardship; nothing could be more -honourable to the British character than the extreme care -which was taken to prevent all avoidable injury, and this -was acknowledged by the people with equal surprise and -thankfulness. No army ever behaved better even in its -own country than the British army at this time in France, -and this was owing to Lord Wellington’s regulations. -There was another part of the British general’s conduct -which attracted the notice and commanded the respect of -the French people; he regularly attended divine service, -with all his staff, not in the church, but on the sandy -beach, the brigade of guards forming a square there. -The service of Christmas-day<a id="FNanchor_5" href="#Footnote_5" class="fnanchor">5</a> was performed there, -on a bright frosty day, not a breath of wind stirring, -and no extraneous sound but that of a high surf breaking<span class="pagenum" id="Page_352">352</span> -at least half a mile from the shore, and flashing in -the sunshine.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Movements in the month of January. <span class="date">1814.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Towards the end of December the floods carried away -the bridges which had been thrown over the -Nive, but they were soon replaced. A detachment -was sent towards Hasparren to clear the -country in the rear of the right wing of the -enemy’s cavalry under Paris; and on new year’s day a -small island in the Adour, near Monguerre, was taken -from the French without opposition. At this time -Clausel was assembling a considerable force on the Gave -de Oleron; on the third he drove in the cavalry piquets -between the Joyeuse and the Bidouze, and attacked the -posts of Major-General Buchan’s Portugueze brigade -on the former river, near La Bastide, and those of the -third division in Bouloc. The enemy turned the right -of the Portugueze brigade on the heights of La Costa, -and established two divisions there and on La Bastide, -on the Joyeuse, with the remainder of their force on the -Bidouze and the Gave. The centre and right of the -allies were immediately concentrated and prepared to -move; Lord Wellington reconnoitred the enemy the -next day, and would have attacked them on the ensuing, -if the weather and the swelling of the rivulets had not -occasioned a day’s delay. But on the 6th the attack -was made by the 3rd and 4th divisions, supported by -Buchan’s Portugueze brigade of General Le Cor’s division,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_353">353</span> -and the cavalry under Major-General Fane; the -enemy were dislodged without loss on our side, and -the troops resumed their former positions. Mina was at -this time with three battalions at Bidarray and St. -Etienne de Baygorey, observing the movements of the -enemy from St. Jean de Pied-de-Port. The people of -the vale of Baygorey had distinguished themselves in -the war of 1793 by their brave opposition to the Spanish -troops; that spirit had been transmitted to the present -generation, and it was called into action by their countryman -Harispe, one of the most active of the French -generals. They were the only peasantry who manifested -any disposition to act against the allies; by their aid, -with that of Paris’s division, and such troops as could -be spared from the garrison of St. Jean, Harispe - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Jan. 12.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -moved against Mina, and compelled him to -retire into the valley of Aldudes.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>False reports circulated by the French government.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>These were the only military movements on this side -during the month of January; and the state of -affairs here was disguised as much as possible -from the French people; Buonaparte persisting -to the last in that system of falsehood by which -he had so long flattered and deluded them. It could -not, indeed, be concealed that Lord Wellington’s army -was wintering in France, though by what train of events -it should have arrived there the French were left to -guess. But it was affirmed that he had been defeated -in the actions before Bayonne with the loss of 15,000 -men; that he now thought of nothing more than intrenching -himself within his own lines; that Clausel -had assumed an attitude which alarmed him; ... that -his situation was becoming more and more critical; ... -that the misunderstanding between the Spanish and -English troops increased every day; ... that the British -commander began to fear lest the part of the French<span class="pagenum" id="Page_354">354</span> -army which remained in the camp at Bayonne might -cut off his retreat; in fine, that the allies were filled -with consternation, and that while they were suffering -from want of provisions, their convoys were wrecked -upon the coast of the Landes department, and supplied -the French with beef and clothing, and with packages -of pressed hay, which were sent to Bayonne, and there -served out to Marshal Soult’s cavalry.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Duc d’Angoulême goes to Lord Wellingtons army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>But while the Moniteur, in its official articles, dwelt -thus upon a chance shipwreck, and attempted, -in its usual strain, to deceive the French people, -that part of the nation who remembered what -had been the state of France before its baneful -revolution regarded the progress of the British -arms with secret satisfaction, because it offered a hope -of the restoration of the Bourbons, and of that peace -and security which could be obtained by no other -means. The Bourbons themselves thought it was now -time for them to take advantage of the course of events, -and remind France that by putting an end to their -unmerited exile she might put an end to her own multiplied -calamities. The Duc d’Angoulême, therefore, -with the Duc de Guiche, Comte Etienne de Damas, and -Comte d’Escars, sailed from England for Passages, and -proceeded to St. Jean de Luz. But as the allied powers, -whether wisely or not, had as yet held out no encouragement -to the hopes of this royal family, Lord Wellington -could receive him with no public honours. -Many of the inhabitants, however, hastened to pay their -court to him; and the mayor of this little town, expressing -to him a hope that the calamities which France -had so long endured would soon be terminated by peace, -observed, that peace could no otherwise be guaranteed -than by the word of their legitimate sovereign; and -requested his Royal Highness to convey to the king<span class="pagenum" id="Page_355">355</span> -an assurance of cordial allegiance from the municipality -and people of that place. Deputations were also sent -to him from the neighbouring communes; and, before -his arrival, a circumstance had occurred which more -unequivocally manifested the disposition of the people. -There was an emigrant officer in the British army whose -family estates were in the neighbourhood of Pau; a -native of that part of the country came to St. Jean de -Luz charged by the tenants of those estates to tell him -how much they wished to live again under their own -old laws and customs, and how happy they should be -once more to pay their rents to their old master. The -Duc, under the name of the Comte de Pradelles, lived -with the utmost privacy, as the circumstances required; -but he addressed a proclamation to the French army, -and agents were not wanting to circulate it. He called -upon them to rally round the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">fleurs-de-lys</i>, which he -was come, he said, to display once more in his dear -country; and he guaranteed, in the name of the king, -his uncle, their rank and pay to those who should -join him, and rewards proportionate to their services. -“Soldiers,” he said, “it is the descendant of Henri IV.; -... it is the husband of a princess whose misfortunes -are unequalled, but whose only wishes are for the prosperity -of France; ... it is a prince who, forgetting, in -imitation of your king, all his own sufferings, and mindful -only of yours, throws himself now with confidence -into your arms!”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Rochejaquelein comes to the British camp.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A movement such as this address was intended to -excite had already begun, but it was among -men who had been trained in better principles -than the soldiers of the revolution. An agent -of Louis XVIII. had arrived at Bourdeaux, -and had found in that city the Marquis de la Rochejaquelein, -whom it was part of his commission to see,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_356">356</span> -and say to him that the king depended upon him for -La Vendée. Rochejaquelein is one of the redeeming -names that appear in the black and bloody history -of the French revolution. The present Marquis -had succeeded to the title, the principles, and the -virtues of his brother, who, in the first Vendean -war, had addressed his soldiers in these memorable -words: “<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Si j’avance, suivez-moi; si je recule, tuez-moi; -si je meurs, vengez-moi</i><a id="FNanchor_6" href="#Footnote_6" class="fnanchor">6</a>!” “If I advance, follow me; -if I falter, kill me; if I fall, avenge me!” He now -went through Anjou and Touraine, and awakened that -spirit which the National Convention had not been -able, even by its most atrocious barbarities, to suppress. -A scheme was formed for delivering Ferdinand from -Valençay; but the person who was to have headed the -enterprise died at the time when it should have taken -place; and, indeed, no advantage could have been derived -from it then, if it had succeeded. Rochejaquelein’s -designs were suspected, and M. Lynch, the mayor -of Bourdeaux, who was then at Paris, warned him, by -an express that orders were given for arresting him, -and bringing him dead or alive before Savary, Buonaparte’s -worthy minister of police. He escaped to -Bourdeaux, and while remaining there in concealment, -heard that the Duc d’Angoulême was with the English -army. Upon this he determined immediately to repair -to him, and receive his orders; but before he set out -upon this most hazardous adventure he requested an -interview with M. Lynch, who was just then returned -from the capital. That magistrate, who was always -a loyalist at heart, foresaw the speedy overthrow of -Buonaparte, and had already given his word to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_357">357</span> -Polignacs (then in confinement), that if Bourdeaux -declared for the king, he would be the first to mount -the white cockade; this promise he now renewed to -Rochejaquelein, and charged him to assure the Duc of -his devoted services, and that he would deliver to him -the keys of the town. After many difficulties and -dangers, the Marquis succeeded in getting on board a -ship bound, with a license, to S. Sebastian’s; and, -escaping from a storm by which several vessels were -wrecked on the coast, he landed at Passages, and -hastened to St. Jean de Luz.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington refuses to send an expedition to the coast of Poitou.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>When the Duc heard his report of the state of feeling -in La Vendée, of the general opinion which prevailed -in France, and of the disposition which -there was to receive him in Bourdeaux, he declared -that nothing should now make him forsake -that country in which he had found subjects -who were still so faithful. Without delay, accompanied -by the Duc de Guiche, Rochejaquelein proceeded -to Lord Wellington, who was then at Garitz; he assured -him that Bourdeaux would declare for the Bourbons as -soon as a British force should approach it; and, as the -means of effecting a powerful diversion in aid of that -loyal city, he proposed that the British General should -send one or two vessels and a few hundred men to land -him by night upon the coast of Poitou, escort him some -two leagues into the interior, and then leave him there: -while they re-embarked and drew the attention of the -troops, he would pursue his way alone, and raise once -more that loyal race who had exerted themselves so -dutifully, and suffered so severely, in the most frantic and -ferocious times of the revolution. Lord Wellington -listened with great interest to these representations; but -he doubted whether the feelings of the people towards -the royal family were what Rochejaquelein believed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_358">358</span> -them to be; and he did not think himself authorized to -detach even a small force upon an expedition such as - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mémoires de la Marquise de la Rochejaquelein, pp. 513–28.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -was proposed, when he had no instructions from -his own government, and moreover when he was -on the eve of great operations, ... for he was -now preparing to pass the Adour.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet fails in an attempt to surprise a British corps. <span class="date">December.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the side of Catalonia, meantime, all went on -favourably for the allies; for if they were too -weak to obtain any advantages for themselves, -the enemy was weakened to a greater degree, -in consequence of the progress of the war in -other quarters. Marshal Suchet made one vigorous -attempt in the beginning of December to surprise -the corps at Villafranca, where the British head-quarters -were established. He made a forced night march in this -hope with about 15,000 men; but timely information -had been obtained. Sarsfield’s division, which was -stationed there, retired across the country to the left; -the British cavalry and artillery fell back about eight -miles along the main road to Arbos, where there was a -strong position, and whither General Mackenzie moved -his division to their support; and Suchet, having failed -in his intention, retired from Villafranca on the afternoon -of the same day, and returned to the Llobregat as -rapidly as he had advanced. The wants of the Spanish -army had now become so pressing that it was necessary -to send Sarsfield’s cavalry to the rear, where it might -be possible for them to subsist, his infantry being sometimes -upon the shortest allowance, and without any sure -prospect of even that insufficient dole for more than two -or three days. His troops must from sheer destitution -have quitted the field had it not been for the merchants -of Villa-nueva, who, at his earnest persuasion, but on -their own credit, and at their own risk, supplied them -with provisions from the imports which arrived at that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_359">359</span> -port. Not a murmur meantime was heard from the -men; nor did they evince the slightest feeling of discontent -or jealousy when they saw the Anglo-Sicilian -troops, forming part of the same army, duly supplied, -while they themselves were hungered. Only if the -greater strength of the British soldiers appeared, when -they were engaged together in the public works, a Spaniard -would sometimes quietly say, “Give us your rations, -and you shall see us work as well as you do.”</p> - -<p>After the Nassau battalions had passed over to Lord -Wellington’s camp, immediate advice had been dispatched -to Sir William Clinton; and the information -was with due secrecy communicated to the officer who -commanded the Nassau troops in Catalonia; but this -person preferring what he considered his military obligations -to his national duty, delivered the papers into -General Habert’s hands, who had succeeded Maurice - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The German troops in Barcelona disarmed.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Mathieu in the command at Barcelona. The -French would, perhaps, have been better pleased -if he had followed the example of his better-minded -countrymen; for that German feeling -which the officer had renounced existed among the -men, and it was deemed necessary to disarm them all, -2400 in number, thus weakening the army of Catalonia, -and bringing upon it this additional inconvenience, that -the men of whose services it was deprived were to be -supported as prisoners, and guarded also. This officer -was mortally wounded a few weeks afterwards in a sally -from Barcelona.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Troops withdrawn from Suchet’s army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Suchet’s force was still farther weakened by the withdrawal -of 2000 of his Italian troops; he then -proposed to the French government, as a measure -of expediency, that they should dismantle -the city of Barcelona, and content themselves with occupying -the citadel and Fort Monjuic, whereby 5000 of the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_360">360</span> -garrison would be disposable for service; but his advice -was rejected, the possession of Barcelona being deemed -necessary for the support of the army in Catalonia. -About the same time two strong battalions of Spaniards -were detached from the Anglo-Sicilian army, at the pressing -request of General Roche, to assist him in blockading -Murviedro. Tarragona had now been so far repaired -as to be in a defensible state; but such was the -exhausted condition of the province that no stores of any -kind could be obtained from it for the Spanish authorities. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Failure of an attempt against the enemy at Molins del Rey. <span class="date">January.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -While both armies were withheld from -undertaking any important operation by the -diminution of strength on both sides, and by the -increasing difficulties of obtaining supplies on -the part of the Anglo-Sicilians, a plan was concerted -between Sir William Clinton and Manso for -attacking the enemy’s cantonments at Molins del Rey -and the adjoining villages on the Llobregat: Sir William -was to move with 8000 men upon the Barcelona -road and attack them in front, while Manso should post -himself upon the strong ground in the rear of Molins del -Rey, close to the only road by which they could retire. -Copons had assented to this project, and agreed to lend -Manso and his brigade for this service, both the men -and their commander being worthy of all confidence. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Jan. 17.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -The enterprise failed, because Copons, without -making any communication to the English General, -instead of sending Manso, chose to go himself with -a larger force, set off two hours later than the time which -had been agreed upon, and finally appeared on the right -flank of the enemy instead of in the rear; meantime the -force from Villafranca having arrived at the hour -appointed, the French, who, if there had been the same -punctuality on the other side, must have been taken by -surprise, were able to effect their retreat over the Llobregat<span class="pagenum" id="Page_361">361</span> -by the stone bridge near Molins, which was well -fortified. Upon the first alarm Suchet dispatched troops -to support General Pannetier, who was in command -there, and manœuvred in the hope of decoying the allies -to a dangerous advance: but Sir William was too wary -to incur any unwise risk, when the object of his movement -had been disappointed. Had Manso been left to -execute what had been concerted with him, Pannetier’s -division must in all likelihood have been captured.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Farther drafts from Suchet’s army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A few days afterwards Marshal Suchet received positive -orders from Paris to dispatch for Lyons with -the least possible delay two-thirds of his cavalry, -from 8000 to 10,000 foot, and fourscore field-pieces. -He renewed his representations concerning -Barcelona, saying, he should delay till the latest minute -his departure from the vicinity of that city, in the hope -of farther instructions; and he advised that, as the mission -of the Duque de S. Carlos had produced no good -effect, Ferdinand should be sent to Barcelona, with an -understanding that France put him in possession of the -fortified places, in reliance upon his honour for sending -the garrison home. Meantime he appointed Habert to -the command of Lower Catalonia, the division of the -Lower Ebro being under General Robert, who commanded -in Tortosa; that General was assured that he -should soon be delivered, either by succour or by the -conclusion of peace; but at the worst, he was instructed, -when his provisions should fail, which would be before -the end of April, to make for Lerida, collect his troops -there, and by a rapid march through the mountains proceed -to Benasque, and so into France. No farther - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>He retires to Gerona.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -advices having reached him by the first of -February, Marshal Suchet moved with the -remains of his army to the neighbourhood of Gerona; -and when, in the course of another fortnight, instructions<span class="pagenum" id="Page_362">362</span> -came to act as he had advised with regard to Barcelona, -it was too late, the allies having immediately upon his -removal blockaded that city.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>One of his aides-de-camp opens a correspondence with Eroles.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A greater mortification awaited him. Eroles, in the -month of November, when confined by a dangerous -illness at Manresa, received information -from one in whom he had reason to place entire -confidence, that a Spanish officer, by name D. -Juan de Halen, who was then one of Suchet’s -aides-de-camp, was desirous of being restored to the -service of his country, under his protection. Eroles -replied that this was not to be hoped for, unless the officer -could make some signal reparation for the injury which -he had done to the Spanish name; but that in waiting -till this could be effected, he might give proof of his -sincerity and earnest of his intentions by communicating -such useful information as his situation about Suchet’s -person enabled him to obtain. Van Halen replied as if -he felt himself wounded by being expected to act the -part of a spy: there was not much difficulty in overcoming -this objection; and he found means of transmitting -intelligence from time to time, and, among other -papers, a copy of Suchet’s cipher. The more important -communications were not intrusted to writing, but made -orally, through the person by whom this correspondence -was opened.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Van Halen.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Juan Van Halen, as may be inferred from his name, -was a Spaniard of Flemish or Brabantine descent. -He was a native of the Isle of Leon, and born -in 1789. After some years of active service in the navy, -he was employed in the engineers; and as an officer in -that corps bore a part at Madrid in the tragedy of the -2nd of May. Escaping from the capital, he joined -Blake’s army after the battle of Rio-seco, and was sent -by him to Ferrol; when that place was surrendered, he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_363">363</span> -took the oath of fidelity to the Intruder, and afterwards -held a commission in his body guards. He had the good -fortune subsequently to be employed in other parts of -Europe, and was at Paris when Buonaparte’s reverses in -Germany rendered it no longer doubtful that the part in -which he had engaged must finally be the unsuccessful -one. A friend and countryman, who had come to the -same unpleasant conviction, advised him to forsake the -sinking cause; but Van Halen, in his own words, “could -not think of prostrating himself at the feet of the throne -and of his country, unless he could bear with him the -testimony of some such service as might make him -worthy of being received in the arms of Spanish generosity -and gratitude, not in those of indulgence, or of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Restauracion de las Plazas, &c. p. 12.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -strict justice.” So getting leave from the then -expelled Intruder to solicit employment in Spain, -he obtained from the Duc de Feltre an appointment -upon Suchet’s staff, and provided himself -with credentials to Eroles, and also with a letter of -recommendation to Sir Rowland Hill.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>He deserts from the French army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>After carrying on a correspondence with Eroles for -about two months, and arranging with him a -plan for attacking some of the places which the -French held on the left of the Llobregat, it was -agreed that he should come over to the Spaniards -and put the design in execution; and hoping both to -render service to the cause in which he now embarked, -and to conceal the fact of his own desertion, leaving -Barcelona in the night, he led away with him from the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Jan. 17.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -neighbourhood of that city two squadrons of -cuirassiers, to whom he produced a forged order -of the Marshal’s that they should follow him on a secret -expedition. His intention was that Eroles should intercept -them, and make them and himself prisoners: but -the messenger, whom he had dispatched two days before<span class="pagenum" id="Page_364">364</span> -to apprise the Baron of his movements, fell in with a -party of hussars belonging to the Anglo-Sicilian army, -who were scouring the road to Moncada, and was detained -by them; and when Van Halen came to the place -appointed, and found that the scheme had failed, nothing -remained for him but to provide for his own safety by -escaping as soon as he could. Thus his desertion -became notorious, and all the plans which had been -formed upon the supposition of keeping it secret were -frustrated.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>His scheme for recovering certain places.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>But Van Halen’s disposition was turned to perilous -intrigues and enterprises: he now conceived a -design of recovering some strong places by stratagem; -and Eroles remembering the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Rovirada</i> -by which Figueras had been surprised, and -being himself of an adventurous spirit, entered readily -into his views, and went with him to General Copons, -whose head-quarters were then at Vich. Copons was -not without difficulty induced to give his consent, and -they then proceeded to Xerta, where Don Josef Sans, -who commanded the force before Tortosa, had his head-quarters. -This place was so strictly blockaded that it -was certain no tidings of Van Halen’s desertion could -have reached it; and to induce a belief in other quarters -that he had left Catalonia, bills upon Madrid and other -places at a distance had been taken up for him. He had -possessed himself not only of Suchet’s cipher, but of the -handwritings which it was necessary to counterfeit; and -letters were now written as from the Marshal, informing -General Robert the commander that the exigencies of -the Emperor’s affairs compelled him to withdraw all his -garrisons from that side of the Llobregat; that Colonel -D’Eschalard of his staff was gone to Tarrasa, there to -conclude the treaty for evacuating them; and that he -must be prepared to depart with his equipage and field-artillery<span class="pagenum" id="Page_365">365</span> -as soon as orders to that effect should reach -him. It was added, that the Emperor had been pleased -to honour him with the grand-cross of the Imperial Order -of the Reunion, and upon this the Marshal offered him -his congratulations. An unlucky peasant was found, -who undertook, in the character of a spy of Suchet’s, to -carry this forged dispatch into the town. So few communications, -without a strong escort, escaped the vigilance -of the Catalans, that whenever a single messenger was -sent, the letter ... written in the smallest compass and in -the fewest words ... used to be inclosed in lead, and -swallowed by the bearer. Van Halen was well acquainted -with all the details of such transactions. If the enemy -sent a spy out from one of their fortresses, they usually -made a sally, and thus brought him out unobserved, and -set him on his way; but the messenger who was to make -his way in, approached in the darkness, and made a -certain signal with a flint and steel. The peasant, though -carefully instructed upon this as upon all other points, -forgot this important part of his instructions, and in -consequence was wounded by the sentinel: the first part -of his errand, however, was not the less performed; the -dispatch was delivered to General Robert, and no suspicion -being entertained of the stratagem, the man was -sent to the hospital, and there carefully attended. But -the answer which he should have delivered into the hands -of his employers was sent by another person, and consequently -not received by those who were expecting it.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The deceit tried at Tortosa.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Having learnt what had befallen their messenger, -Eroles and Van Halen proceeded with their device. -A Spanish officer was sent with a letter -from Sans, saying he had just received a copy -of a treaty signed at Tarrasa by the Spanish and French -commanders-in-chief in Catalonia, agreeing upon an -armistice of fifteen days for the evacuation of the places<span class="pagenum" id="Page_366">366</span> -named in the treaty, Tortosa being one; he inclosed a -letter with D’Eschalard’s signature, which it was pretended -had accompanied it, and in which it was stated -that the chef d’escadron, Van Halen, one of the Marshal’s -aides-de-camp, would speedily arrive with full -instructions. The garrison were on the point of making -a sally when the officer arrived: the news of the armistice -spread; a free communication in consequence took place -with the advanced posts of the Spaniards, and on the -next morning General Robert sent out Colonel Plique to -make arrangements for evacuating the place; at the same -time he liberated some soldiers who had lately been surprised -and made prisoners. The Colonel accordingly -came at the hour appointed; Van Halen presented himself -in his aide-de-camp’s uniform, and the Spanish -Captain Daura, as having accompanied him from the -Llobregat, delivered a letter from Copons. Plique desired -to be left alone with Van Halen, whose instructions he -was authorized to receive, in case the Spanish commander -should not permit him to enter the town. He inquired -of him concerning the state of affairs which had reduced -the Emperor to sacrifice these places, and Van Halen -briefly related the series of reverses which rendered it -necessary to withdraw from Spain 30,000 men, leaving -only garrisons in Barcelona, Gerona, and Figueras. The -Marshal, he said, was before Barcelona, waiting impatiently - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">February.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -for their arrival, that he might begin his -march: his desire was that no man should be left -in the hospitals if he could safely be removed; that General -Robert should bring away all the artillery he could, -and include the public money with his own to avoid all -difficulty upon that score: for himself, he added, he must -proceed with the same orders to Murviedro and Peñiscola. -Plique inquired if the English assented to the armistice, -and was assured that they did. He then asked<span class="pagenum" id="Page_367">367</span> -if the only favour which the Emperor had bestowed upon -their garrison was that of granting the grand-cross to -General Robert, the Marshal, he said, when he withdrew -from Valencia, having promised to recommend several -officers for promotion. Van Halen told him he had -understood that two Generals of Brigade were made, -M. Plique himself he believed being one, and M. Jorry, -then at Murviedro, the other. The Colonel appears to -have been completely deceived; but he was instructed to -invite Brigadier Sans to a repast before the town should -be evacuated, and to request that he would send officers -of artillery to take possession of the magazines, and that -he would allow the aide-de-camp to return with him into -the town, and take up his quarters there. This, Sans -said, he was positively enjoined not to permit; all he -could allow was that M. Van Halen, accompanied by a -Spanish officer, should present himself at the Puente de -Jesus, and confer there with General Robert. When -they reached the bridge, Robert did not come out, but he -sent the chief of his staff, with several officers, and one -company, and they renewed the request that Van Halen -might enter; this of course was refused, and in case an -attempt had been made to seize him, Eroles with a body -of horse was near at hand. A letter was sent in, inclosing -a copy of the forged treaty, and the parties then separated. -Van Halen suspected that the deceit had been discovered; -still, however, he carried it on, and wrote to Robert, saying, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>It fails there.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -that as the officers had urged him to do, he should -have evaded the presence of the Spanish Colonel, -had he not been strictly ordered by Marshal Suchet to do -nothing which could tend to interrupt the good understanding -during the armistice; and being now obliged to -communicate without delay his orders in Murviedro and -Peñiscola, he was deprived of the honour of seeing him. -General Robert answered this by a letter to Sans, regretting<span class="pagenum" id="Page_368">368</span> -that he had not accepted his invitation. Van Halen’s -letter, he said, gave him no satisfactory notion either of -his proceedings or those of his government; and unless -he conferred with Van Halen in the fortress, he should -not observe the armistice, but renew hostilities that afternoon, -and continue them till this aide-de-camp, whom he -must see, returned from Murviedro.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Attempt at Lerida.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>It was known afterwards that a spy during the preceding -night had entered the town, and his letters -made General Robert immediately suspect -the stratagem: disappointed of getting Van Halen into -his hands, and of taking the Spanish officers in a counter-snare, -he took the only vengeance in his power, by -putting to death the wounded peasant who had brought -the first forged letter. Eroles, meantime, not discouraged -by this failure, lost no time in trying the same -artifice elsewhere. Mequinenza had hitherto only been -observed by part of one regiment; and the garrison, -though reduced in number, made incursions for many -leagues round, by which means they had laid in stores -of provision for eighteen months, and kept the surrounding -country in continual alarm. Eroles, on his way -from Xerta towards Lerida, sent his adjutant, Don Antonio -Mazeda, with Don José Antonio Cid, a member of -the provincial deputation of Catalonia, to raise the Somatenes, -and by this means cut off all communication -with the place; and he dispatched before them a peasant -with such another letter as that which at first had -imposed upon General Robert. He halted that night a -day’s journey from Lerida, having in his company Don -Juan Antonio Daura, who forged the signatures, Van -Halen, and Lieutenant Don Eduardo Bart, who spoke -French so perfectly, that he was able to personate a -French officer. Here they parted company, the two -latter making for Torres del Segre, a place on the river<span class="pagenum" id="Page_369">369</span> -of that name, six leagues from Mequinenza, and three -from Lerida; there they remained in secret, coming out -only at night to confer with Eroles, learn from him the -state of affairs, and copy such papers as were required, -none of which were forwarded till they had been examined -by each of the party most carefully. The Baron -himself proceeded to the blockading force before Lerida, -and appearing there as Commandant-General of the -blockade of that place, Monzon and Mequinenza, he -reviewed the troops, inspected their posts, and made - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 9.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -dispositions for straitening the blockade; meanwhile -the forged orders were sent in by a trusty -agent to the governor, General Lamarque. Hither the -spy from Mequinenza returned, bringing with him the -reply of Baron Bourgeois, the governor, to Marshal Suchet, -in which he acknowledged the receipt of his orders, -said that he was preparing to obey, inclosed the returns -of his force, the state of the military chest and the magazines, -and thanked the Emperor for the grand-cross with -which he had been pleased to honour him; the same -messenger brought also a letter from Mazeda, saying that -he had strictly blockaded the place. The reply from the -governor of Lerida was in like manner brought him, and -he thus obtained the exact returns which he wished, and -understood also that both commandants were ready to fall -into the snare.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>and at Mequinenza, where it succeeds.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>He then set out for Mequinenza, with 300 foot and 40 -horse, including a company of Mina’s division, -which he met upon the way, and ordered to follow -him. Van Halen was instructed to join him -by a different road, which he did, in sight of the fortress, -Eroles having first sent in dispatches, signed in D’Eschalard’s -name, and sealed with the seal of the staff, informing -the governor of the pretended armistice, and stating that -the two aides-de-camp, Van Halen and Captain Castres,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_370">370</span> -would go round to the fortresses with the necessary orders; -he accompanied this with a letter in his own name, -announced the arrival of an officer from Marshal Suchet, -and requested to be informed what number of officers the -French Commandant would bring out to confer with this -officer in his presence, that he might present himself with -an equal number; coming himself, if the Commandant -came, or deputing one of his chief officers, if General -Bourgeois should think proper to act by delegate: in -either case, his troops should be drawn out at an equal -distance with those of the French from any central point -which the Commander might please to name. Time and -place were accordingly appointed, and Van Halen in his -French uniform, and Bart as his orderly, went to the conference -without an escort, and with an effrontery which -prevented all suspicion. Van Halen presented a letter -as from Suchet, in which the Marshal was made to say -how painfully he felt the circumstances which compelled -him to give orders for evacuating places wherein, at the -cost of so many sacrifices, they had planted their victorious -banners. But unexampled defections had forced -the Emperor to this measure; and his object now was, -to preserve these brave garrisons, and place them once -more in the first rank of his bayonets. His aide-de-camp -was charged with verbal communications. Van Halen -acted his part perfectly; and having arranged everything -for the march of the troops, who were to evacuate -the place on the following noon, Eroles hastened with his -subtle agent to Lerida, there to repeat the stratagem.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Success at Lerida;<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The news that Mequinenza was recovered had already -spread; but none of the circumstances were -known, and the better to deceive the French, it -was now necessary to deceive the Spaniards also. Eroles, -therefore, issued an order of the day, stating that Mequinenza -was that day to be evacuated, and that Lerida and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_371">371</span> -Monzon were to be given up by the same treaty; and -commanding the Spaniards not to molest the French -during the twelve days’ truce, but to treat them with that -generosity which characterized the Spanish nation. He -had approached the blockading force amid the rejoicings -of the people, who gathered round him on his way. General -Lamarque’s suspicions were completely disarmed; -and when he requested that Van Halen might be allowed -to enter the place and confer with him, because his own -orders did not permit him to go beyond a certain distance -from it, Van Halen, relying upon his courage and his -strength of countenance, ventured in. The governor -met him on the bridge, and they retired into an adjoining -house, where, after some searching questions, he -produced a dispatch received, as he said, by an emissary -who had recently arrived, in which the Marshal approved -of some proposals for the further security of the -place, and held out a hope of succouring him in the -course of a few weeks. Van Halen answered by a -reference to the date of his own letter, and the recent -events which had produced an alteration in the Marshal’s -views. The conversation turned upon the Spanish Generals, -and the circumstances of the blockade; and Van -Halen took occasion to represent that Eroles seemed hurt -by the General’s declining to communicate with him in -person, when he, in proposing such a meeting, had gone -beyond the line of his instructions from General Copons. -The French General, upon this, not to be outdone in - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 14.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -courtesy, sent to offer a meeting; and went accordingly -beyond his own advanced posts with -his treacherous companion. At this interview everything -was arranged, and three o’clock on the following -afternoon was fixed upon as the hour for evacuating the -city. Van Halen was invited to return with the General, -and be his guest that night; but he pleaded the necessity<span class="pagenum" id="Page_372">372</span> -of hastening to Monzon as his excuse, and thither -he departed with a Spanish escort.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>and at Monzon.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Monzon had been besieged by part of Mina’s troops -since the end of September, to the great distress -of the inhabitants, who were under the -guns of the fortress. The besiegers attempted to mine -the rock on which it was placed. There was but one -man belonging to the engineers in the place, and he was -a simple miner; but, being a man of great ability, the -commandant and the garrison confided in him; and the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet, 2. n. pp. 371, 372.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -works which were executed under his direction -were so skilfully devised, that they baffled all -the attempts of the assailants, and they had in -consequence converted the siege into a blockade. Here -Van Halen had two difficulties to overcome with the -Commandant: a report had reached him that there was a -Spaniard at this time with Eroles who had served as -aide-de-camp to Suchet; and, the place being held under -the orders of the governor of Lerida, he could not surrender -it, without sending to receive his instructions. -The suspicion which the report ought to have excited -seems to have been removed by the confidence with -which Van Halen presented himself. And the second -objection was easily disposed of: the false aide-de-camp, -though he might reasonably judge that the real purport -was to discover whether or not there was any fraud in -the business, knew that Lerida had by this time been -delivered up; he prevailed upon the blockading force, -therefore, to let an officer pass with this commission, and -required the Commandant to hold himself in readiness -for marching as soon as he should return. The officer -accordingly arrived before Lerida on the night after its -surrender. Eroles affected anger when he heard his -errand, and declared that, if there were any further -delay, the treaty as it respected Monzon should be<span class="pagenum" id="Page_373">373</span> -annulled, and he would march against it and reduce it -to ashes. The officer, finding him in possession of -Lerida, was confounded, made what excuse he could for -his superiors, and faithfully promised that Monzon should -be given up immediately on his arrival there; and this -was done.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The three garrisons made prisoners.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Monzon was at this time stored for seven months, -Mequinenza for eighteen, and Lerida for two -years. By the recovery of these places, 40,000 -inhabitants were saved from the miseries of a -siege, and 6000 Spanish troops were rendered disposable -for other service. The navigation of the Ebro, the Cinca, -and the Segre was restored, and the most fertile part of -Catalonia delivered, Aragon secured, and a direct communication -opened with Lord Wellington’s army. The -next business was to secure the garrisons who had been -thus deceived, amounting to more than 2300 men. As -soon as Eroles had taken measures for preserving order -in Lerida, which, under such circumstances, required -extraordinary care, he set out with two battalions of infantry -and 200 horse in the rear of the French, Colonel -Don Josef Carlos having gone before them with an equal -force. The intention was to intercept them in the defiles -of Igualada; but they made a forced march, and frustrated -this part of the plan. Upon this, lest they should -succeed in effecting a junction with the troops in Barcelona, -part of the blockading army was sent for; and when -they arrived at Martorell, they found themselves surrounded -there. General Lamarque was then informed -that he had been deceived by a stratagem of war; and -that nothing remained for him but to lay down his arms, -give up the public treasure, and to submit to fortune. -Eroles expressed his personal esteem for the General, and -his sorrow that the misadventure should have fallen upon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_374">374</span> -him; he promised that the officers should be sent to -Tarragona, and receive every attention which could alleviate -their imprisonment; and he observed, that the -General himself could not but in his heart approve a -stratagem by which so much bloodshed and misery was -prevented, as must have attended the reduction of these -places, whether by siege or by blockade. Lamarque -upon this asked if Van Halen was a Spaniard; and Bourgeois -remarked upon the answer, that in truth he had -rendered a great service to his country. The former -said he had been dreaming for the last five days, and -hardly knew if he were yet awake.<a id="FNanchor_7" href="#Footnote_7" class="fnanchor">7</a></p> - -<p>Chagrined as Marshal Suchet was by the success of -what, though he might justly deem it treachery in the -agent, he could not but consider to be an allowable stratagem -on the part of an injured, enterprising, and ever -active enemy, ... it was even more mortifying for him -immediately afterwards to make overtures, by order of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet dismantles Gerona and other places. Suchet, 2, 374.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the minister at war, to General Copons for evacuating -all the places which he yet retained, -Figueras only excepted; and to find the allies -so confident of speedily obtaining them unconditionally -that his proposals were disregarded, -in retiring from the vicinity of Barcelona he had destroyed<span class="pagenum" id="Page_375">375</span> -his works at the bridge of Molins del Rey, and in the -pass of Moncada, and at Mongat; he now found it necessary -to demolish the fortified posts at Besalu, Olot, -Bascara, Palamos, and other smaller places; and even -to dismantle Gerona, evacuate it, and retire with the -remains of his army to the neighbourhood of Figueras. -Jaca, too, about the same time was compelled to surrender -to a part of Mina’s army.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>State of Lord Wellington’s army.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the Biscayan coast Santona was the only place -which still remained in the enemy’s power; -the garrison were blockaded; but they contrived -to get supplies by sea, sometimes by successful -runners from the opposite side of the bight, sometimes -by capturing traders that approached too near, for they -had one or two armed vessels in the port; but more by -means of smugglers, who ran in for the sake of a good -market, and in the spirit of their illicit occupation cared -not with whom they dealt. The British depôts had -been removed from Bilbao and S. Sebastian’s; and, notwithstanding -the stormy season, the army was always -abundantly supplied, except with fodder; when this -failed, bruized furze was used: the horses ate it with -avidity, and kept in excellent condition. The men, -during this inaction, suffered more; some of the corps -were very sickly; and one regiment, which lost many -men by a fever, was sent into the rear, both for change -of air, and that it might be removed from intercourse -with the rest of the army. The rain sometimes rendered -it difficult to communicate with the more distant -corps: a Portugueze brigade belonging to Sir Rowland -was once four days without bread or meat, a rivulet, -small at other times, being so swoln as to become impassable. -But in general, money was the scarcest article: -dollars, which were exchanged at so low a rate after the -spoils at Vittoria, sold now for eight shillings each.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_376">376</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Operations are renewed.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The disposition of the French towards the Bourbons -could at this time be so little doubted, that -though the allies did not yet openly support -their claims, dies were made to cut out fleurs-de-lys -for scarfs, to be worn on the arms of those who -might be willing to declare in favour of the old loyal -cause. During the weeks of inactivity which the season -occasioned, preparations were made for crossing the -Adour, investing Bayonne, and carrying the war into -the heart of France. The snow on the lower range of -the Pyrenees had visibly lessened on the 6th, and in the -course of a week had wholly disappeared. On the 14th -of February, Sir Rowland put the right of the army in -motion, drove in the enemy’s piquets on the Joyeuse -river, attacked Harispe’s position at Hellete, and compelled -him to retire with loss towards St. Martin. That -General then took up a strong position in front of Garris, -on the heights of Le Montagne, where he was joined by -troops from the enemy’s centre, and by Paris with his -division, who, having commenced their march toward -the interior of France, had been recalled because of the -danger in this quarter. On the same day the detachment -of Mina’s troops in the valley of Bastan advanced -upon Baygorrey and Bidarrey, and blockaded St. Jean -de Pied-de-Port, Sir Rowland having cut off the direct -communication of the enemy with that fort. On the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 15.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -morrow, Morillo, after driving in their advanced -posts, was ordered to move toward St. Palais, -by a ridge parallel to that on which they had taken -their position, that he might turn their left, and cut off -their retreat upon that road by the bridge of St. Palais, -while the second division under Sir William Stewart -should attack in front. The day was far gone before -the attack could be commenced, and the action lasted -till after night had closed: the position, though remarkably<span class="pagenum" id="Page_377">377</span> -strong, was carried without much loss on the -first effort; many gallant attempts were made to recover -it, and as gallantly resisted; the struggle was more -obstinate in the darkness than it had been while daylight -lasted, and the French being encountered in all -their charges with the wonted resolution of British -troops, more men were bayoneted than usual in proportion -to the numbers engaged. The enemy at length -gave up the contest, and retired with considerable loss, -leaving ten officers and about 200 men prisoners; but -they reached St. Palais before Morillo could arrive, and -crossed the Bidouze during the night, and destroyed the -bridges. The right of the centre made a corresponding -movement with the right wing on these two days, and -the allied posts were this evening on the Bidouze. The -bridges were repaired; Sir Rowland crossed the next -day, and on the following drove the enemy across the -Gave de Mouleon. They attempted to destroy the -bridge at Arriverete, as if it were their intention to dispute -the passage, but time was not allowed them to complete -its destruction; and a ford having been discovered -above the bridge, the 92nd, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel -Cameron, crossed there, covered by the fire of -Captain Beane’s troop of horse artillery, which was -advantageously placed; this regiment made a gallant -attack upon two battalions of French infantry in the -village of Arriverete, and drove them out with much -loss. The enemy retired in the night across the Gave -d’Oleron. Sir Rowland’s posts were established on -that Gave the next day; and the French took up a position -in the neighbourhood of Sauveterre, where they -were reinforced. The position was very strong, and -covered in front by a broad and rapid river; but it -seemed now as if no position, however advantageous,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_378">378</span> -could give the French confidence; they had been driven -during the last four days from a country of peculiar -difficulty, where frequent rivers afforded them great -opportunities for defending it; and when Marshal Soult -understood with how little success it had been defended, -he directed his whole attention to that side, destroyed -all the bridges over the Adour, which were not protected - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 22.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -by Bayonne, left that place to its own resources, -and, concentrating his forces behind the Gave -de Pau, fixed his head-quarters at Orthes.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Preparations for crossing the Adour.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>During these operations the left wing of the army -continued to observe Bayonne, with the 4th -division, also, which occupied the heights of -Monguerre, communicating with the left on -the Nive, and resting its right on the Adour, -and thus preventing the enemy from drawing any -supplies for the fortress from that side of the river. -Preparations had been made for passing that river, and -for throwing a bridge over it, both below Bayonne, ... -enterprises so difficult, that though Soult had witnessed -the passage of the Douro, he seems not to have apprehended -that they would be attempted. His attention -had now been withdrawn from that side by Sir Rowland’s -movements; the 4th division moved to the right to -support that larger part of the allied army which was -now assembled on the Gave d’Oleron; the 5th replaced -it in the position of Monguerre, and was itself replaced -by Lord Aylmer’s brigade of the first, and the Portugueze -under Colonel Campbell: thus making room for -Freyre’s Spanish division, which had been cantoned -within their own frontier, and now, to the dismay of the -inhabitants, re-entered France. The people lamented -the departure of the English, and dreaded the arrival -of the Spaniards; and knowing their vindictive spirit,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_379">379</span> -and the long provocation which it had received, they -expressed their earnest hopes that some English authorities -might be left for their protection.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Adour.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Adour is like Gave, a name common to many rivers -in the Pyrenees, both simply meaning water in -some of those primeval languages, the remains of -which are still widely preserved in the appellations of -rivers and mountains. The greater and noted streams, -into which the others are received, has its sources in the -county of Bigorre, under the Pics du Midi and d’Espade, -two of the highest mountains in the chain; it passes by -Campan, Bagnères, Montgaillard, and Tarbes, and -begins to be navigable near Grenade, a small town in the -little county of Marsan; having been joined by the -Douze on its right below Tartas, it inclines to the southwest -from its junction, passes Acqs, and then holds an -almost southerly course to meet the Gave de Pau, which -brings with its own waters those of the Gave d’Oleron, -into which the Gave de Mauleon has been received. -The Adour is then joined by the Bidouze, and lastly by -the Nive. Formerly it made a turn to the northward, -after that junction, at Boucaut, below Bayonne, and held -for about six leagues a slow and winding way, parallel -with the coast, before it entered the sea at Cape Breton, -its direct course having apparently been obstructed by an -accumulation of sand. But towards the latter part of -the sixteenth century, Louis de Foix, whose water-works -at Toledo were then among the wonders of machinery, -and who built the lighthouse at the mouth of the -Garonne, (the Smeaton and the Telford of his age,) -opened the present channel, ... an arduous undertaking, -in which he was more than once foiled. His intent was, -by erecting a dam across the river at its curvature, to -force it into a straighter line, and make it clear a way -for itself through the sands: the river again and again<span class="pagenum" id="Page_380">380</span> -swept away his embankments, but he, with a just confidence -in his own theory, persevered in the attempt; -at length, on the day of St. Simeon and St. Jude, in -the year 1579, such torrents poured down from the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Pierre de Marca. Histoire de Bearn, p. 28.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Pyrenees, that Bayonne was in danger of being -destroyed by an inundation; the Adour took -then, with its increased weight of water, a -straight course, and the engineer was rewarded -for all his anxieties by beholding the complete triumph -of his art. The Bayonnese, however, ascribed the whole - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Thuanus, l. 80. T. 3. p. 619.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -merit, not to him, but to the two joint Saints -of the day, and appointed a commemorative -thanksgiving to be celebrated annually from -that time forth upon their festival. An excellent port -would now have been formed in the Adour, if the constant -tendency of the sea to throw up a bar at its -entrance could have been overcome. With this view -the French government constructed massive stone embankments -on both sides, from Boucaut to the sea; it -was hoped that by thus confining the stream, its current, -which at ebb tide runs about seven miles an hour, would -with its own force and weight of water keep always a -clear channel; but the effect was only to remove the bar -somewhat farther, without lessening the difficulty or the -danger of the entrance. These were so great, that the -enemy at this time relied on them. They had the -Sappho corvette anchored so as to flank an inundation -which protected the right of their intrenched camp; -they had many armed boats on the Adour, above the -town, to protect the convoys of provision which came -down the river, and sometimes succeeded in getting in; -the mountain guns of the allies, which were the only -ones that could be removed, now and then exchanged -shots with these: below Bayonne they had some gun-boats -in the bend of the river, by the village of Boucaut,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_381">381</span> -stationed there, as it seemed, to strengthen their intrenched -camp by a flanking fire; but the only precaution -that the enemy had taken to impede the passage, -was that of removing the signal-staff on the left bank, -which marked the line for vessels to steer by, in making -for the mouth of the river.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Passage of the Adour.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>A number of Spanish <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">chasse-marées</i> had been collected -at Socoa for forming a bridge; materials -also were ready for a boom to protect it. The -naval part of the operation was under Admiral Penrose’s -direction, and the 21st was the day appointed for the -attempt; but the weather proved unfavourable, and it -was not possible for the vessels and their convoy to get -out of Socoa. Sir John Hope, however, would not delay -his movement, and resolved to attempt the passage -without naval co-operation; the troops, it was thought, -might be towed over upon rafts formed of pontoons, and -carrying about 100 men each. On the evening of the -22nd, the troops were ordered to be in readiness for -marching at midnight; they had with them a brigade of -18-pounders, and a rocket detachment which had arrived -at Passages a few days after the passage of the Nive. -There was a prejudice in the army against this weapon, -which had hitherto not been used in the field; the opinion -seems to have been, that if it had been an efficient means -of destruction, it would sooner have been borrowed from -the East Indian nations. Lord Wellington, however, -was willing that they should be tried; and some experiments -which were made at Fontarabia gave reason for -supposing that they might be found useful on the Adour. -The direction of this new arm was assigned to Sir Augustus -Fraser, but the trial was to be made under all the disadvantages -of inexperience; for the corps was composed -of men hastily brought together, and entirely ignorant of -the arm they were to use; and the rockets themselves<span class="pagenum" id="Page_382">382</span> -were equipped in five different ways, and consequently -liable to as many failures. Altogether the enterprise -was one of no ordinary hazard; the entrance of the river -was frequently impracticable, and always perilous; its -width where it was to be bridged was 270 yards, and the -tide and the ripple were there so formidable as to preclude -the use of anything smaller than decked vessels of -twenty or thirty tons burthen; the navigation from Socoa -was uncertain; and there were the corvette and the -flotilla of gun-boats to assist a garrison which consisted -of more than 10,000 men. Yet even those who fully -understood the difficulties of the operation had nevertheless -full confidence that it would succeed.</p> - -<p>Soon after midnight the troops were in motion; when -within a short distance of Anglet, they turned by a crossroad -toward the coast, marching in strict silence along the -skirts of the enemy’s outposts. It was a dark night, the -road narrow, deep in mud, and with ditches on either -side; one of the 18-pounders was drawn too near the -edge in the darkness, the side of the road gave way under -its weight, and it sunk into the ditch, dragging the near -horses after it. This delayed the march for some time, -till, by the greatest exertions, the gun was drawn up out -of the deep mud; but no ill consequence arose from this -mischance; the enemy were not on the alert, and the -troops arrived before daylight on the sand-hills which -border the coast from the vicinity of Biaritz to the mouth -of the Adour: the tract between these hills and the -intrenched camp is almost wholly covered by the pine-wood -called the Bois de Bayonne. At daybreak, two -light battalions of the German legion patroled through -the wood, and dislodged the enemy’s piquets, which -retired from thence, and from the village of Anglet, into -the intrenched camp. The first brigade of guards, under -Colonel Maitland, debouched from the wood near the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_383">383</span> -place where the signal-staff, known by the name of the -<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Balise Orientale</i>, had stood, which was on a high sand-hill -nearly opposite Boucaut. The ground here could -not be reconnoitred till the enemy’s piquets were driven -in; and this of course was avoided till the last moment, -that no alarm might be given. It had been supposed -that the guns might be brought within 700 or 800 yards -of the Sappho, and that they might sink her, lest she -should be employed against the bridge; but, when they -had been brought with great labour through the deep -sandy ground, it was necessary to place them where they -were sheltered from the guns of the intrenched camp, -and this was in a situation 1500 yards from the corvette. -There they were placed in battery, and the brigade was -posted behind some sand-hills, close to the marsh which -protected the front of the camp. Don Carlos d’España -meantime made a demonstration on the heights above -Anglet, to prevent the enemy from detaching any troops.</p> - -<p>As soon as the French saw the brigade debouching -from the pine-wood they commenced a cannonade against -it from their gun-boats. This had been foreseen; the -rocket-corps had, therefore, been divided into three -parties, one of which went, with the first division, towards -the mouth of the Adour, and the other two accompanied -the 18-pounders to be employed against the flotilla. -There were twelve boats to assist the Sappho; but when -a few rockets had been discharged, the terrified sailors -took to their oars, and made all speed up the river; the -effect, indeed, of these weapons was most terrific; they -dashed through the water like fiery serpents, and pierced - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Batty’s Campaign, p. 119.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the sides of the boat, burning apparently even -under water with undiminished force. The guns -meantime opened upon the corvette, and fired -about 400 rounds at her, some toward the conclusion -with hot shot. This failed to set her on fire; and when<span class="pagenum" id="Page_384">384</span> -the three-coloured flag was shot from the flag-staff, the -enemy presently nailed it to the mast-head; but after -some hours the French retired from the contest, under -the protection of the citadel, their captain having been -killed, and 34, out of a crew of 40 men, killed or wounded, -... sacrificed, as it should seem, in a display of courage -which could be of no avail. The action had served as a -spectacle for the inhabitants of Bayonne, who came out -from the promenade which skirts the river, to witness, -and apparently to enjoy it, ... the day being remarkably -fine, and the action itself, with all its circumstances, as -described by an eye-witness, more resembling some -festival display than the dreadful reality of war; the -spectators, too, thought themselves at safe distance, till -one poor fellow came rashly within range of the guns, -and had his head carried off by a shot which passed -completely through the corvette.</p> - -<p>That vessel had not been destroyed, but the attack on -it, and the other demonstrations in front of the intrenched -camp, had the desired effect of occupying the enemy’s -whole attention; a bend which the Adour makes on the -seaward side of the town, and the pine-wood, which -extended almost close to its banks, prevented them from -seeing the movements of the allies on that side, and they -kept little watch there, because they apprehended no -danger. But meantime the whole of the first division, -except the brigade of guards which accompanied the -artillery that attacked the Sappho, had marched to -attempt a passage near the mouth of the river. With -this force there were eighteen pontoons and six small -boats, forty rocketeers, and an officer with a few artillerymen, -destined to spike the guns of a battery on the -enemy’s side of the water. The intention was, to construct -six rafts, each upon three pontoons, by which, in -two passages, 1200 men might be passed across before<span class="pagenum" id="Page_385">385</span> -the day should dawn; 1200 more being ready to follow, -while these held their ground, supported by twelve field-pieces -from the left bank. But, owing to the difficulty -of getting the pontoons on, it was found that only three -of them could be brought to the water’s edge before -daylight; and therefore it was deemed advisable by the -officers in command to withdraw the troops behind some -sand-hills, where they were quite concealed, and collect -the pontoons. Some of the officers, meantime, before -day broke, examined the shore, to see where would be -the most favourable points for putting the rafts into the -water; the sentry on the opposite bank challenged them, -but no answer was returned, and no alarm taken. Sir -John Hope came to the spot at daylight, but afterwards -sent orders to attempt the passage, at all hazards, when -the tide would permit. A little before noon the river -became passable, the tide, still running out, being -nearly slack. At this time the fleet from Socoa was in -sight, but at considerable distance, and with an unfavourable -though not a strong wind, rather losing than -gaining ground. The river at the point where the passage -was to be attempted appeared to be about 200 yards -wide at low water. The British made no show of men, -and could only see a small piquet of the enemy’s on the -other side; this piquet appeared at a loss what to do, -and as soon as the first boats were carried to the water’s -edge on men’s shoulders, they fairly ran off, without discharging -a single shot, the piece of their advanced sentry -having missed fire. The six boats were soon on the -water, each carrying only six soldiers; and the tide -coming in soon increased the labour of the passage. A -rope was passed from one side to the other, and three -rafts were put together with all speed, each carrying -from 50 to 60 men; but, after two or three passages had -been effected, the tide came in with such force that it<span class="pagenum" id="Page_386">386</span> -was found impracticable to get the raft either backward -or forward from the middle of the current, where it -remained tide-bound, the united strength of all who were -on board not being sufficient to haul with any effect upon -the hawser. About five o’clock they ceased working, -the few seamen whom they had, and who were all Portugueze, -being exhausted with fatigue. By that time -500 of the guards had been ferried across, the rocketeers -having been the last, with Captain Lane of the artillery, -who came out with them from England. All was at this -time quiet, and apparently the day’s work was done. -But a little before dusk the enemy pushed down two regiments -from the citadel; they came on with apparent -spirit, beating the charge. Colonel Stopford posted the -guards behind some low sand-hills, with their right on -the river, and their left on a morass, the ground in their -front being flanked by the artillery on the opposite bank; -but a well-directed discharge of rockets made the French -hastily retreat: the effect of this weapon was more terrible -because they had never before witnessed it, and they -retired with all speed into the citadel.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Entrance of the flotilla.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The troops bivouacked that night on the ground which -they occupied; those who were in the wood -felled trees and kindled fires. As soon as the -tide served more men were passed across, the pontoons -being used as row-boats, carrying fifteen men at each -turn: it was bright moonlight, the weather perfectly -still, and there was no enemy to offer any opposition. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 24.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -The wind sprung up for the flotilla during the night, -and at morning it was seen, ... about threescore -vessels, including boats of all kinds, some of -them near the mouth of the river, standing off and -on. The Admiral was in the Porcupine frigate: he had -been apprized, through the naval agent at Socoa, how -anxiously the entrance of the vessels for the bridge was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_387">387</span> -desired. The surf had increased in proportion as the -wind became favourable; and the bar, which extends -from the right bank, nearly across the river, shifting with -the change of wind and tide, and at all times dangerous, -was at this time more than usually formidable. The -agent, who set off in his boat from Socoa as soon as he -received the last night’s advices, had no pilot on board, -and mistaking the channel where he should have entered -the river, beached himself on a spit of sand; fortunate, -however, in his mishap, for the boat cleared the sand by -great exertion, and having been pulled, sails standing, -over the spit, got into deep water. One boat, which -had the principal pilot on board, and therefore was -selected as the safest, led the way, and was overset, -several of the crew perished, and most of those who -saved themselves were dreadfully bruised. Captain -O’Reilly, who had command of the flotilla, was on board, -and Captain Faddy (who had charge of 50 artillerymen -sent in five gun-boats), both with great difficulty -escaped: a second succeeded in reaching the beach; -the larger vessels then put off, to wait the chance of the -next tide, it being, as the Admiral declared, scarcely -possible that one in fifty could then have effected the -passage. Some small boats, however, attempted it, and -were swamped; what boats were on the river were sent -to pick up those who were struggling for life, but without -success; some who regained their own boats, and -clung to them, were swept off into the sea, and only one -man was saved.</p> - -<p>Had the bar been smoother, the tide was now too low -for vessels to attempt the entrance; but a pilot was -landed to the south-west of it, that he might walk to -the Adour, and make signals from within the bar, to -guide the vessels into the safer parts, supplying thus the -signal-staff which on that side had been removed, for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_388">388</span> -from the sea there appeared only one long and heavy -line of surf. Meantime the troops continued to cross -as they could, about 100 yards above the mouth of the -river, some on rafts, some in a pontoon-boat which carried -only twelve at a time; and when the tide presented -least difficulty, a few cavalry by swimming. When the -tide had risen sufficiently, the vessels boldly stood in, -the pilot who had been landed having set up a halberd, -with a handkerchief fixed to it, as a signal for directing -them. The master’s mate of the Lyra led the way; his -boat was lost, and himself and the whole of the crew. -Several vessels shared the same fate. One who was on -the shore, close at hand, and who had been accustomed -to fields of battle, declared that he had never beheld a -scene so awful. The boats were so agitated as they -attempted the passage, sails flapping, oars apparently -useless, and all steerage lost, that it seemed as if each -must inevitably be wrecked. Two vessels were stranded, -but almost all their crews were by great exertion saved. -A gun-brig also was driven ashore; Captain Elliot, -of the Martial gun-brig, was swamped in his boat; his -surgeon was picked up by this gun-boat, but upon her -striking the ground the shock threw down a 24-pounder, -which fell upon him and killed him. Three transport -boats with their crews were lost; every exertion was -made to save those who were struggling for life in the -surf, literally within ten yards of their countrymen on -shore; but though there were men with ropes tied to -them on the beach, who spared no endeavour for assisting -them, and who when the waves retired appeared as -if they were close to them, not a soul could be saved: -some who actually obtained footing on the ground were -carried back by the receding surf, and swept away for -ever. But the zeal and intrepidity of British seamen -will overcome all obstacles that are not absolutely insuperable:<span class="pagenum" id="Page_389">389</span> -officers and men on this occasion displayed -gallantry which could not be surpassed, and skill which -has seldom been equalled; vying with each other they -essayed the passage; and happily the wind towards -evening gradually died away, and about thirty vessels -got in.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>A bridge carried over the Ardour.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The passage of the troops, meantime, had been continued; -it was quite dark before the last party -were ferried over, and the tide was then running -out so rapidly, that the most strenuous rowing -hardly prevented the boat from being drifted out to sea. -The whole of General Howard’s division, about 6000 in -number, were then on the right bank. They bivouacked -on the sand-hills where the enemy on the yester-evening - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 25.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -had been discomfited by the rockets. On the -morrow they advanced towards the citadel, their -right flank resting on the Adour, the left extending to -the great road leading from Bayonne to Bourdeaux. -Closing in to the verge of a deep and marshy ravine, -which separates the high ground about the citadel from -the surrounding country, they cut off the enemy’s communication -with the open tract to the north of the river, -and completed the investment of the fortress and its -camp; a feint attack being kept up the while on the -opposite side by Lord Aylmer’s brigade, the 5th division, -and the Spaniards. By great exertions the bridge was -finished on the following day. The point fixed upon for -it was near the village of Boucaut, where the river is 270 -yards wide. It consisted of six-and-twenty <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">chasse-marées</i>, -anchored each at the bow and stern so as to resist both the -ebbing and the flowing tide; to many of these, as a substitute -for anchors, the heavy iron guns were used which -had been taken in the redoubts on the Nive. The vessels -were lashed together both at bow and stern. Five cables -were stretched by capstans across these vessels from<span class="pagenum" id="Page_390">390</span> -shore to shore, and oaken planks were laid athwart upon -these, and secured to the two outer cables, so as to form -a platform strong enough to bear the passage of artillery, -yet pliant enough to adapt itself to the motion of the -vessels with the tide. On the right bank the cable ends -were fastened to some of the heaviest iron guns which -had been taken in the camp of the Nivelle; on the left -they were wound round capstans, which were firmly -fixed by large stakes driven into the ground; and by -these the tension of the platform could be increased or -lessened as the rise or fall of the river might require. A -little way above the bridge a boom-chain was laid down -for its protection; and above this the gun-boats were -anchored, in readiness to engage those of the enemy, -should any attempt be made upon the bridge by sending -them down the river. The piers on both sides were wide -enough for carriages of all descriptions; and that on the -right bank was used for the artillery, in a part where the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Batty’s Campaign, 126, 127.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -water is admitted at flood through apertures, -and where a road could not have been formed -without great expense of labour and of time.</p> - -<p>This bridge was of the greatest importance, not only -as affording a communication between the troops upon -both banks during the blockade and intended siege of -Bayonne, but also because it opened a way to the -<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">chaussées</i> on the right of the river, whereby the army in -its advance towards the interior could be much more -easily supplied than by the bad roads in the exhausted -country along the skirts of the Pyrenees, and where the -Gaves and other tributary streams of the Adour were to -be crossed. The inhabitants of Boucaut and of the adjacent -villages had been ordered to take up arms against -the allies; they had refused; and in consequence, the -French troops upon leaving them committed some excesses. -The contrast indeed was so great between the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_391">391</span> -treatment which they experienced from their own soldiers -and from the allies, that the peasantry volunteered to -repair the roads for their uninvited, but now not unwelcome -visitors.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Passage of the Gaves.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>While Bayonne was thus being invested by the left -wing of the army, the two divisions which had -hitherto observed that place between the Adour -and the Nive joined the main body; and Lord Wellington, -as soon as the troops were closed up, continuing his -operations to the right, made a general advance. Marshal -Beresford, who had remained since Sir Rowland’s -movement with the 4th and 7th divisions and with Colonel -Vivian’s brigade on the lower Bidouze, attacked the -enemy on the 23rd in their fortified posts at Hastingues -and Oyergave, on the left of the Gave de Pau, and made -them retire within their <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-de-pont</i> at Peyrehorade. On -the 24th, Sir Rowland, with the light, the 2nd, and the -Portugueze divisions, under Baron Alten, Sir William -Stewart, and Camp-Marshal Lecor, passed the Gave -d’Oleron, by a ford near Ville-nave, without opposition. -Sir Henry Clinton passed in like manner with the 6th, -between Monfort and Laas; and Sir Thomas Picton with -the 3rd made demonstrations as if he would have attacked -the enemy’s position at the bridge of Sauveterre, upon -which they blew up the bridge. Morillo at the same -time drove in their posts near Navarreins, and blockaded -that place, which was fortified strongly enough to require -battering-artillery for its reduction. Immediately after -the passage of the Oleron Gave, Sir Rowland and Sir -Henry Clinton moved towards Orthes, and the great -road leading from Sauveterre to that town; and the enemy -retiring from Sauveterre across the Gave de Pau in the -night, destroyed the bridges upon that river, and assembled -their army near Orthes on the 25th. The allies continued -to advance that day, and on the following Beresford crossed -the Gave de Pau below its junction with that of Oleron,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_392">392</span> -at some fords about four miles above Peyrehorade; these -were not discovered till after some unsuccessful attempts, -and the current there was so rapid, that the infantry of -General Walker’s division could hardly support each -other against it, and for some minutes there was reason -to fear that the column would be carried down the stream. -The Marshal then moved along the high road from -Peyrehorade toward Orthes, on the enemy’s right. Sir -Thomas Picton had found a ford below the bridge of -Berenx, where he crossed with the 3rd division, and Sir -Stapleton with the cavalry as Beresford approached; the -6th and light divisions made a flank movement to support -them, and Sir Rowland occupied the heights opposite -Orthes, and the high road leading to Sauveterre, on the -left bank of the Gave. His corps advanced directly upon -the bridge of Orthes, with the hope of forcing it; but, -being without artillery, and finding the approach defended -by loop-holed houses, and by a tower strongly -manned against them, they desisted from their intent.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Orthes.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Orthes, which before the territorial arrangement of -France was revolutionized, was the capital of -the Senechalry of the same name, is supposed by -Scaliger to have been the ancient city of Bearum, the -Beneharnus of Antoninus, and the Benarnus of writers in -a later age; but this opinion seems to have been satisfactorily - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ramond’s Tr. in the Pyrenees, p. 92.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -disproved. It stands upon the Gave -de Pau, there a considerable river, and remarkable, -because its accessible source is a waterfall, -higher, except one in America, than any that has ever -yet been measured; it springs from a height of 1266 -feet, and being twice broken on the way by projections of -the precipice, falls upon a bed of perpetual snow, under - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>P. de Marca. Hist. de Bearn, L. 1. c. 6. § 4. 14.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -which it works its passage. Orthes was the -residence of the Princes of Bearn during some -200 years from the middle of the 13th century, -when Gaston de Moncada built the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_393">393</span> -<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Chasteau Noble</i> there, upon the plan of his hereditary castle in -Aragon, and in a like situation, on an eminence commanding -the town, and overlooking a wide circuit of -country. In that castle Froissart was entertained by -Gaston Phebus, the twelfth Count of Foix, and Lord of -Bearn, and there he was informed concerning the affairs -of Castille, Portugal, Navarre, Aragon, Gascony, and -England, Gaston himself communicating to him what he -knew, and telling him that the history which he had -undertaken to write would be esteemed above all others, -because more marvellous deeds of arms had been done in -the world within the last fifty years than in three centuries -preceding. There the good old chronicler was as -happy as splendid hospitality, and the diligent use of -favourable opportunities, could make him; the thing -which he most desired being to collect information for -his great work, and having at his wish there, lords, -knights, and squires, ready and willing to inform him. -In this castle Gaston Phebus kept his treasure, and it is -said to have amounted at one time to no less a sum than -three million florins, raised by taxation, which was borne -cheerfully, because he maintained order in his dominions; -neither English nor French, nor robber nor rover, harassed -his people; and he had the reputation of being as -liberal as he was just, not heralds and minstrels only, but -strangers who came there having cause to praise him for -his bounty. Froissart had been in many courts of kings, -dukes, princes, earls, and great ladies, but never in any, -he says, that so well liked him as the Castle Noble of -Orthes; and he had seen many knights, kings, and -princes, but none like this Count of Foix for personage, -nor of so fair form, nor so well made; for in every thing -he was so perfect, that he could not be praised too much, -loving what ought to be beloved, and hating that which -ought to be hated. Yet so accustomed were men to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_394">394</span> -most atrocious actions, in that which was the brightest -age of chivalry, that this very Gaston committed a murder -in this castle as much in violation of honour and of -hospitality, as of laws both human and divine; tortured -innocent persons to death upon mere suspicion, and with -his own hands killed his own son at the close of a frightful -tragedy, of which this castle was the scene; and the -faithful historian who thus extols him has related all -these things! The ruins of the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Chasteau Noble</i> are yet -to be seen, and the tower in which Gaston kept his treasure -was standing in the last century. Orthes ceased to -be the residence of the Counts in 1460, when they -removed their court to Pau; and their removal was not -compensated by the short-lived university which about a -century after Queen Jeanne of Navarre founded there for -the Huguenots, and endowed from the church property -in her dominions.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Battle of Orthes.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Here Marshal Soult had taken a strong position, extending -about a mile in length along a range -of tabular heights; his right, under Reillé, -resting on them upon the high road to Dax, and occupying -the village of St. Boes; the centre, under Drouet, -taking the bend of a sickle, as the hill formed a cove, -and being thus protected by the flanks; the left, under -Clausel, resting upon the town and the heights above it, -and defending the passage of the river from Sir Rowland. -Villatte’s and Harispe’s divisions, and Paris’s brigade, -were formed in reserve on high ground upon the road - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 27.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -to Sault de Navailles. “Thus,” in the words of a French -historian, “from 35,000 to 40,000 French troops -were collected at a point as favourable as the -most skilful commander could have chosen for - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Beauchamp’s Narrative of the Invasion, 2. p. 52.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -resisting the advance of an invading army.” -Lord Wellington’s arrangements were, that Beresford, -with the 4th and 7th divisions, and Colonel<span class="pagenum" id="Page_395">395</span> -Vivian’s brigade of cavalry, should turn and attack the -enemy’s right; while Picton, with the 3rd and 6th, -supported by Sir Stapleton with Lord Edward Somerset’s -brigade of horse, should move along the Peyrehorade -road, and attack their centre and left. Baron Alten, -with the light division, kept up the communication, -and was in reserve between these; and Sir Rowland -was to force the passage of the Gave, and turn and -attack their left.</p> - -<p>The action commenced about nine in the morning. -The 4th division, under Sir Lowry Cole, carried the -village of St. Boes, after an obstinate resistance. Beresford -then directed his efforts against two lines of the -enemy formed on the heights above it; but the troops -had not room here to deploy for the attack, the only -approach being along a narrow tongue of land, which -had on either side a deep ravine, and was completely -commanded by the enemy’s guns. Sir Lowry’s division -led the way; 15 pieces of artillery played on them -diagonally with full effect; in front they were opposed -by the main line of the French infantry, and strong -bodies were formed in the ravines on their flanks. -Repeated attempts were made by Major-General Ross, -and by Vasconcellos’s Portugueze brigade, till at length -that brigade was completely broken, and the remainder -of the division, with a brigade of Baron Alten’s that -hastened to their assistance, with difficulty covered -their retreat: thus, on this point, the attack totally -failed.</p> - -<p>Lord Wellington saw that it was impossible to turn -this wing of the enemy by their right, without extending -his line too far; he therefore ordered the immediate -advance of the 3rd and 6th divisions, and the 7th, with -a brigade of the light division, to support them by -attacking the height which the enemy occupied at the -point of junction between their right and centre. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_396">396</span> -52nd regiment, under Colonel Colborne, led up the hill, -supported closely by the other troops both on the right -and left; and the artillery gained a knoll from whence -it swept the whole line of the enemy’s centre. It made -such havoc among their reserve masses, that the French -21st hussars were provoked to a most daring movement -for seizing it; they galloped round the hill, and, under -a heavy fire of musquetry, charged and drove back one -of the supporting battalions; then with equal courage -fell upon the 42nd Highlanders, but the Highlanders -received their charge firmly, and the hussars suffered -so much in it, that they gave up this brave though -unsuccessful attempt. Meantime the allied troops were -advancing steadily, under a destructive fire: Major-General -Inglis’s brigade distinguished itself now, as it -had done on all occasions, and made a successful charge -on the enemy’s left; every regiment in the 3rd division -was hotly engaged, they drove the French from every -height where they attempted to make a stand, and in -spite of all resistance gained at length the summit of the -main position. There a severe struggle ensued; on no -former occasion had the enemy fought so well when -opposed to British troops; it was the only action in -which they came fairly to the bayonet; but the determination -which brought them to that sure trial could -not support them in it, and, giving up all hope now of -a successful resistance, they began to retreat over the -level ground in their rear in good order, by <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">echellons</i> of -divisions, each successively covering the other, and supported -by their cavalry, which, by a gallant charge on -the 6th division, endeavoured, but in vain, to check the -pursuit. The infantry rallied upon some rising ground, -and attempted again to make a stand: the 9th hussars, -under Colonel Vivian, made them again give way. They -then formed into squares, and continued to retire still -in admirable order; and, though warmly pursued, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_397">397</span> -suffering heavily from the British guns, they took every -advantage of the numerous positions which the ground -afforded.</p> - -<p>Marshal Soult, in whom nothing was that day wanting -which could be required of a commander in the field, -was compelled to withdraw his wings, when the centre -had thus been forced, and to order a general retreat. -The wings had comparatively suffered little; and this -movement was as well conducted as all his former ones -had been. But meantime Sir Rowland had forced the passage -of the Gave above the town; and seeing the state of -the action, he moved, with the 2nd division, and Major-General -Fane’s brigade of cavalry, for the great road to -St. Sever, keeping thus upon the enemy’s left, but in a -direction towards a point in their rear which would have -cut off their retreat on Sault de Navailles. Their movements -quickened as soon as they perceived this danger; -and as their march was accelerated, Sir Rowland -quickened his, till the retreat became a flight; they -ran, and the allies ran also, and the race continued till -the French broke so completely, that no resemblance of -a column was remaining. It was the lively expression -of an officer there present that, “in the battle they met -the charge like lions, but that the pursuit was like hare-hunting;” -prisoners were literally caught by the skirts -as they ran. Could the cavalry have acted sooner off -the great road, the French army must have been almost -destroyed. They suffered greatly where any obstacle -impeded their flight; the enclosures and ditches were -thickly strewn with their killed and wounded; 2000 -fugitives were picked up by the infantry, and 12 pieces -of cannon taken, and many more prisoners upon the -only opportunity which was offered for the cavalry to -charge, when the enemy had been driven from the high -road by Sir Rowland. The victory, complete as it was,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_398">398</span> -might have been followed to more advantage, if Lord -Wellington had not been struck on the pommel of his -sword by a musquet-shot, and bruised so severely by the -blow, that he was unable to cross this intersected country -on horseback time enough to direct the farther movements -of the divisions in pursuit: the most decisive -victory would have been dearly purchased by his loss. -When it became dusk, the army was halted in the -neighbourhood of Sault de Navailles. The loss of the -allies, in killed, wounded, and missing, was somewhat -less than 2300, of whom about 600 were Portugueze; -no Spaniards were engaged that day. That of the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Beauchamp, 2. p. 55.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -enemy was estimated by one of their own -writers at from 14,000 to 16,000, very much -the greater part being by desertion after the -rout; for the conscripts threw down their arms, and -took the opportunity of escaping from compulsory service. -Foy was severely wounded, General Bechaud killed, and -another General mortally wounded.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 28.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The main body of the French army continued its -retreat during the night, and was joined at Hagetman -by the garrison of Dax, and by two fresh battalions -of conscripts; it then halted behind the -Adour, near St. Sever, to re-organize itself: the allies -followed them to St. Sever on the day after the battle, -and the centre advanced in three columns with the hope -of enveloping them. That which marched on the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">chaussée</i> -arrived at the appointed moment; but the flank columns - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 1.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -could not proceed upon the unpaved roads at the -pace which was required; and thus the enemy -had time to move off in the direction of Agen, escaping -an attack which they were in no condition to have withstood. -Beresford then with the light division, and with -Colonel Vivian’s brigade, passed the Higher Adour, and -occupied Mont de Marsan, the principal town in the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_399">399</span> -department of the Landes, where he took a very large - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French driven from Aire.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -magazine of provisions. Here no resistance was -attempted; but at Aire, where the enemy had -other magazines, a corps was collected with the -intention of making a stand to protect their removal. -Against this place, which is on the left bank of the Adour, -Sir Rowland moved upon the 2nd of March; and when -his advanced guard arrived within two miles of the town, -the French were discovered strongly posted on a ridge -of hills, with their right upon the river, thus covering -the approach. Notwithstanding the strength of the post, -Sir William Stewart was ordered to attack them with the -second division along the road, and Brigadier-General -Da Costa’s Portugueze brigade about the centre of their -position. The French force consisted of two divisions; -and the Portugueze, when they forced their way up and -gained the summit, found, which had not been expected, -an extent of flat ground on the top, and a strong body of -the enemy completely formed there to resist them; the -Portugueze were so broken and confused that they could -regain no formation, and must have suffered accordingly, -if Sir William Stewart, having beaten back the enemy -on his side, had not dispatched his first brigade under -Major-General Barnes to their timely support. The -enemy were then in their turn thrown into confusion by -a vigorous charge, nor could they after many attempts -recover the ground, but were driven from all their positions, -and finally from the town, where the magazines -fell into the conqueror’s hands. Two divisions of the -French were engaged in this affair, one of them was -Harispe’s, which had not been at Orthes; their loss was -very considerable: that of the allies amounted to 20 -killed and 135 wounded; among the former was the -Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Hood, of the general -staff, an officer of great merit and promise.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_400">400</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Soult draws nearer the Pyrenees.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>At this time the French were once more favoured by -the weather. Heavy and continued rain fell -during the beginning of the month, swelling all -the rivulets so as materially to impede the progress -of the allies, increasing in proportion the Adour, -which was so rapid that pontoons could not be laid upon -it, and rendering it more difficult to repair the numerous -bridges which the enemy had destroyed in their retreat; -yet till this could be done, the different parts of the army -were without communication. Lord Wellington was -therefore compelled to halt; and Marshal Soult, who -after his defeat at Orthes had been forced by the movement -of Sir Rowland’s corps to retire in the direction of -Bourdeaux, had leisure and opportunity to choose his -course. The divisions which had been driven from Aire -retreated up both banks of the Adour towards Tarbes, -with a view, as Lord Wellington perceived, of being -reinforced by farther detachments from Marshal Suchet’s -army. This direction Soult had resolved to take, because -it was only from Suchet that he could look for any efficient -aid; though it appears that there was not that concert -and clear understanding between the two Marshals which -might have been expected in men of such experience -and great ability. By thus approaching the Pyrenees -he left the way to Bourdeaux open to the allies; he, -however, supposed that Lord Wellington would not -venture to advance upon that city, but of necessity must -follow his movements. In the latter conclusion he was -not mistaken; but he greatly mistook the disposition of -the French people, who now looked to the English as -their liberators, a disposition that was increased by his -own conduct, and by the licentious habits of his troops. -The loss of his magazines compelled him to impose -heavy requisitions, as far as his power to collect them -extended, to the ruin of the inhabitants, while their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_401">401</span> -countrymen in other parts were enriched by the presence -of an invading army, paying for every thing at the exorbitant -prices that its own demand occasioned. His -troops, therefore, in their own country were in want of -every thing, and the English were abundantly supplied. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Beauchamp, 2. 61. Batty’s Narrative, 139.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -The depredations and the enormities which his -men committed, though not aggravated by that -fiendish cruelty which had characterized the -French in Portugal, were yet such that they -were execrated wherever they went; and the allies, in -every town and village where they entered, were welcomed -as deliverers and protectors. Many instances -occurred in which our sick soldiers were taken in by -some hospitable family, and nursed with the greatest -kindness.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies enter Pau.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>One of the enemy’s columns having been cut off from -the Adour by Sir Rowland’s rapid march upon -Aire, retreated in disorder toward Pau, the men -throwing away their arms, the better to effect their escape -and facilitate their desertion. The few who reached that -place were driven out by a detachment which Lord Wellington -sent thither under General Fane to occupy it; -and there the allies established a hospital in which the -<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Sœurs de la Charité</i> attended upon the sick and wounded -soldiers, after the manner of their exemplary order. -Travellers are still shown at Pau the chamber in which -Henri IV. was born, and the tortoise-shell in which he -slept as in a cradle. The gardens which had been his -delight were remaining at the close of the 17th century; -and the walks overarched with trees, the arbours, and -the evergreens, though all neglected then, bore testimony -still to the care with which they had formerly been -dressed, and to the topiary skill which had been displayed -there. Bearn, of which Pau was the capital in former -times, was one of the most favoured parts of France, and<span class="pagenum" id="Page_402">402</span> -indeed of the world, before the French revolution cut up -the well-being of a whole generation by the roots; for -the division of property, and the industry and manners -of the people had combined there with all fortunate circumstances -of soil, surface, and climate, to render the -inhabitants contented and happy.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Deputies arrive from Bourdeaux.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>When the news of the battle of Orthes reached St. -Jean de Luz, two deputies arrived at the same -time from Toulouse, to assure the Duc d’Angoulême -that the inhabitants of that city eagerly -desired the restoration of the Bourbons. The Duc upon -this repaired to Lord Wellington’s head-quarters at St. -Sever; Rochejaquelein followed him, and they were -joined there by M. Bontemps Dubarry, who came from -Bourdeaux, charged by the better part of the citizens to -invite the Duc, and to assure Lord Wellington that a -British force would be received there as friends. Lord -Wellington no longer hesitated; and as soon as Freyre’s -Spanish corps, which had been stationed in reserve near -Irun, could be brought up, and every disposable body -was closed to the right, he dispatched Marshal Beresford - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Duc d’Angoulême proceeds thither with Marshal Beresford.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -with three divisions toward that important city, -to drive out its inconsiderable garrison, and give -the inhabitants an opportunity of declaring for -the exiled family if such were their wish, and -they chose to venture upon a measure which -might be so injurious to themselves, if Buonaparte should -accept of the peace that still was offered him. Lord -Wellington still doubted of this, even after he had -determined upon making the trial; and Rochejaquelein, -when he went to receive the Duc’s last order, before he -set off with the advanced guard, found that the Duc -himself seemed to entertain the same discouraging -opinion. Upon this he requested permission to precede -the English by six-and-thirty hours, and declared that if<span class="pagenum" id="Page_403">403</span> -Bourdeaux did not declare itself, his head should be - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Mémoires de la Marquise de la Rochejaquelein, p. 529.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -responsible for the failure. “You are certain -then of your grounds,” the Duc rejoined. “As -certain,” replied Rochejaquelein, “as one can -be of any earthly thing!” The Duc then expressed -his full confidence in him, and bade him go.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Landes.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The sandy tract which extends from Bayonne to Bourdeaux -is well known by the name of the -Landes; so called, it has been supposed, because -all other ground in the adjacent country had its proper -appellation of field, meadow, marsh, wood, or other such -terms according to its produce and uses; but this region - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Gallia Christiana, T. 1. Gloss.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -was mere land and nothing else; it is a vast -plain, perfectly level, in some parts covered with -pine forests, in others only a wide waste of sand, -where the trees are so thinly scattered in the sea-like -circle, that in hot and hazy weather they have the -appearance of ships at sea. The peasant stalks over the -loose sand upon high stilts, which are found as useful -here as racquets for the snow in Canada. Uncultivated, -however, and thinly peopled as this extensive tract is, -the pine forests yield a considerable revenue; the trees -are regularly tapped for turpentine, pitch is extracted -from them, and candles made from resin are in common -use. While Marshal Beresford advanced without opposition -over this remarkable country, Rochejaquelein having -proceeded with the light troops as far as Langon, -made his way to the house of one of his confederates at -Preignac; and from thence was safely conducted, though -the avenues were then watched by detachments of soldiers -and of <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">gendarmerie</i>, into Bourdeaux. He found -that the secret council of the royalists there, contrary -alike to his wishes and expectations, had just dispatched - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 10.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -a messenger to Marshal Beresford, requesting him -to delay his movement, that they might have more<span class="pagenum" id="Page_404">404</span> -time for preparing the people, and bringing the royalists -from the country round to the support of those in the town. -This was at ten on the night of the 10th; his representations -how impolitic it was to allow the timid time for -considering the danger, and how desirable that at this -crisis Bourdeaux should declare itself for their legitimate -king by a spontaneous movement, inspired them with a -braver spirit: and four of their confederates were then -successively sent off to meet the Duc d’Angoulême and -the English, and entreat them to expedite their march.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Buonapartists withdraw from Bourdeaux.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The battle of Orthes had already struck fear into those -persons from whom the royalists had most to -apprehend; and no sooner was it known that a -British force was advancing towards Bourdeaux, -than the principal persons there who were in -Buonaparte’s service thought it hopeless to resist. The -senator M. Cornudet, who was Commissioner Extraordinary -in this department, ordered all the civil and ecclesiastical -authorities to be dissolved, and every person in -the employ of government to leave the city. He gave -directions for destroying two frigates which were upon -the stocks; and when it was rumoured that this would -be opposed by the people, he set fire to them himself; -and, taking with him the public chests, and as much -gunpowder and saltpetre as he could remove in haste -from the public stores, he withdrew. General Lhuillier, -who had the military command, could not collect more -than 2000 soldiers; he, therefore, withdrew also. But -the Archbishop, as well as the Mayor, M. Lynch, -remained and prepared to receive the Duc d’Angoulême -as the nephew of their lawful King, and the English as -his allies. Instead of finding any force to resist him on -the way, or any disposition for resistance, Marshal Beresford -was met by royalists from all parts of Medoc and -Guienne, who came in crowds to welcome the Duc. Long<span class="pagenum" id="Page_405">405</span> -accustomed to adversity, the Duc himself was not elated -by this fair appearance of returning fortune; he knew -that, whatever might be the wishes of the allied sovereigns, -they did not yet consider it their policy to espouse -the cause of the Bourbons, and he requested the people -not to endanger themselves by a hasty declaration; but - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 1.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -notwithstanding this expressed desire, the cry of “<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Vive -le Roi!</i>” was raised in the little town of Bazan -when he entered it. Early on the morning of -the 12th, the local authorities of Bourdeaux assembled - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Duc enters, and the white flag is hoisted there.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -at the Hotel de Ville. The English hussars -were beginning to enter, when Rochejaquelein -rode with all speed to meet Marshal Beresford, -and requested him to withdraw them, that the -royalists might declare themselves before he entered: -of course this was instantly done. The municipality -went out to meet him; the royal guard which had -secretly been formed were instructed to assemble upon -the road with arms concealed, and their officers followed -in the magistrates’ train. As soon as Beresford arrived -at the bridge of La Maye, he sent Colonel Vivian to the -Mayor, saying that he hoped to enter the city as a friend -and an ally. The Mayor met the Marshal without the -gates, and addressed him to this effect, that if he were -about to enter Bourdeaux as a conqueror, he might -possess himself of the keys, which there were no means -of defending; but if he came in the name of the King of -France and of his ally, the King of England, they should -then be joyfully presented to him. Marshal Beresford -replied, that his orders were to occupy the city and to -protect it; that he hoped his message had been satisfactory, -and that the city which he was about to enter -was the city of an ally inhabited by the subjects of -Louis XVIII. M. Lynch, upon this, exclaimed, “<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Vive -le Roi!</i>” cast away his scarf, and put on the white<span class="pagenum" id="Page_406">406</span> -cockade. At the same moment the white flag was displayed -from the steeple of St. Michael’s: those who -were prepared with white cockades mounted them, those -who were not supplied their place with paper; and when, -about an hour afterwards, the Duc de Guiche arrived -and announced the near arrival of Monseigneur the Duc -d’Angoulême, Bourdeaux had never before witnessed so -general or so generous a joy as was then manifested. -Crowds pressed round him, if they might but touch his -clothes or his horse; some cried, “He is of our blood; -he was born a Frenchman, and feels like a Frenchman!” -numbers fell on their knees and blessed him, and blessed -God that they had lived to see this day; mothers pointed -him out to their children and said, “Now we shall no -longer lose all our sons in the war!”</p> - -<p>It was nearly two hours before the Duc could make -his way through the multitude to the cathedral. There -the Archbishop at the head of the clergy awaited him at -the great door, and <i xml:lang="la" lang="la">Te Deum</i> was performed there amid -the acclamations of the populace. M. Lynch issued a -proclamation in a strain well pitched to support the feeling -which had thus strongly been excited. “Inhabitants -of Bourdeaux,” said he, “happy circumstances have -called upon the paternal magistrate of your city to become -the interpreter of your long suppressed wishes and the -organ of your interests, by welcoming in your name the -nephew of Louis XVI., whose presence has converted -into allies an irritated nation bearing the character of -enemies till they reached your gates. It is not to subjugate -our country that the English, and the Spaniards, -and the Portugueze appear where they now are: they -are come with united forces into the south of France -actuated by the same feelings as the nations of the north, -to destroy the scourge of Europe, and supply his place -by a monarch who will be the father of his people. The<span class="pagenum" id="Page_407">407</span> -hands of the Bourbons are undefiled with French blood; -the testament of Louis XVI. is their guide, and they -renounce all thoughts of resentment: they proclaim that -clemency and tolerance are the leading features of their -conduct; and, in deploring the terrible ravages of that -tyranny which licentiousness introduced, they forget the -errors caused by the illusions of liberty. No more -tyranny! no more war! no more conscription! no more -vexatious taxes! are the concise and consoling expressions -addressed to you by a Prince who has the daughter -of Louis XVI. for his consort. I am proud that you are -the first who have set an example to France. Every -thing tends to assure us that our misfortunes are about -to terminate, and that national rivalry will cease with -them. It seems to have been decreed by Providence -that the great commander, who so well deserves to be -entitled the Liberator of Nations, should attach his glorious -name to this glorious epoch, this memorable consummation -of all my wishes. Fellow-citizens, such are -the hopes and motives which have supported me at this -trying period, and directed my conduct, and determined -me, if necessary, to sacrifice my life for you. God is my -witness, that I have no object in view but the good of my -country. Long live the King!”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Failure of the negotiations at Chatillon.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Royalists, by whom this most important movement -was prepared and directed, were none of -those time-servers who take advantage of all -changes to forward their own fortunes, and -whose professed principles are always found to be in -perfect accord with their immediate interest. When -Rochejaquelein and the Bordelais set life and fortune -thus upon the die, the Bourbons were wholly disregarded -by the Allied Powers; those powers were still -negotiating with Buonaparte, ... still willing, and, as it -seemed, desirous to conclude a peace with him which<span class="pagenum" id="Page_408">408</span> -should have left him the recognized Emperor of France. -He, too, giving proof of greater military genius than -could justly be inferred from his most brilliant career of -success, had made head against their invading armies -with an inferior force; and obtained advantages which -raised the hopes of his admirers, and confirmed his -overweening confidence in his own resources and -strength of character. He flattered himself at this -time, and endeavoured to persuade the French people, -that the allies considered the scheme of invasion hopeless, -that they were about to withdraw from the French -territory, and to dissolve their ill-compacted league. -The former conduct of those powers afforded some -ground for such expectation; but they had profited by -experience, and while the negotiations for peace were - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Mar. 1.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -still pending at Chatillon, concluded a treaty -among themselves which might have wakened -Buonaparte from his delusion. By this treaty, Austria, -Russia, Prussia, and Great Britain, formed a league -offensive and defensive for twenty years, each binding -itself not to treat separately with the enemy, and each -to keep on foot an army of 150,000 men, exclusive of -garrisons, England reserving an option to subsidize -other troops in place of her own, and agreeing to supply -five millions sterling, to be divided among the other -powers for maintaining the war. Each of these contracting -powers was fully supported in this energetic -policy by the spirit of its people. But Buonaparte -continued to act as if he had still only to deal with -sovereigns whom he might cajole, and statesmen whom - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Mar. 15.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -he might intimidate or corrupt; and in this -temper he sent his <em>ultimatum</em> to the congress, -demanding for himself the whole line of the Rhine, -great part of that of the Waal, and the fortress of -Nimeguen; Italy, including Venice, for his son-in-law<span class="pagenum" id="Page_409">409</span> -Eugene Beauharnois; indemnities for that prince as -having been Grand Duke of Frankfort, for Jerome on -the score of his kingdom of Westphalia, for Louis as -Grand Duke of Berg, ... and for Joseph the Intruder, -not indeed in compensation for Spain, but for Naples, ... -from whence Buonaparte himself had moved him to -Madrid! Such demands were at once rejected, and the -congress was dissolved.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Marshal Soult’s proclamation.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>This was subsequent to the declaration of Bourdeaux -in favour of the Bourbons; and when the news -of that declaration was known in England, -some apprehensions were felt for its immediate -consequences to the persons who were principally concerned. -What mercy they might expect if Buonaparte -should maintain himself upon the throne was plainly -indicated in a proclamation addressed at this time by -Marshal Soult to his troops; it was directed against the -British General as well as the Royalists, and in the -spirit of one who had served the tyrant in his schemes of -iniquitous ambition, without scruple and without remorse. -“Soldiers,” said he, in this remarkable address, -“there will be no repose for us till this hostile army -shall be annihilated, or till it shall have evacuated the -territory of the Emperor. It does not suspect the dangers -which surround, nor the perils which await it; but -time will teach this army, and the General who commands -it, that our territory is not invaded with impunity, -and that French honour is not with impunity insulted. -The British General has had the audacity to incite you -and your countrymen to revolt and sedition! He has -dared insult the national honour: he has had the baseness -to excite the French to break their oaths, and -to be guilty of perjury! Yet a few days and those who -have been capable of believing in the sincerity and -delicacy of the English will learn to their cost that the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_410">410</span> -English have no other object in this war than to destroy -France by its own instrumentality, and reduce the -French to servitude like the Portugueze, the Sicilians, -and all the other people who have groaned under their -yoke. Let these deluded Frenchmen look back upon -the past; they will see the English at the head of every -conspiracy, of the overthrow of all principles, of the -destruction of all establishments, whether of greatness -or of industry, for the sake of gratifying their inordinate -ambition and their insatiable avarice. Is there a single -point on the surface of the globe where they have not -either by fraud or violence brought about the ruin of -the manufactories which rivalled or surpassed their -own? Soldiers, let us devote to shame and general -execration every Frenchman who shall have favoured -the projects of the enemy; there is no longer any bond -between them and us! Our motto is Honour and -Fidelity. Our duty is marked out: implacable hatred -to traitors and to the enemies of the French name: -interminable war to those who would divide in order to -destroy us; as well as to the wretches who would desert -the imperial eagles for any other standard! Let us -have always in our minds fifteen ages of glory, and the -innumerable triumphs which have rendered our country -illustrious! Let us contemplate the prodigious efforts of -our great Emperor, and his signal victories which will -eternize the French name! Let us be worthy of him, -and that we may bequeath to our posterity without a -stain the inheritance which we have received from our -fathers!”</p> - -<p>This proclamation was more in accord with the moral -than with the military reputation which Marshal Soult -had established for himself. It ill became him as a -great General to pour out coarse and angry invectives -against his adversary; but the rancour with which he<span class="pagenum" id="Page_411">411</span> -reviled and calumniated the English, the threat of interminable -war to them, and of implacable hatred to the -French loyalists, these were in the spirit of his councils -and his conduct. For he had proved himself by his impassibility -not less than by his talents, worthy of the -confidence which Buonaparte placed in him ... and of the -service in which he had been employed. But his exhortation -to the French soldiers that they should be -worthy of their Emperor was superfluous: Buonaparte’s -soldiers had long been worthy of him! To this Jaffa -had borne witness: Madrid and Porto, Ucles and Tarragona -were witnesses; the wrongs, the sufferings, and -the curses of all Europe testified it; and the confederated -nations, in whom the insolence and the excesses of -those soldiers had roused a feeling which no ordinary -war could have excited, and who were now moving -from the Tagus and the Elbe, the Danube and the -Moskwa against the general oppressor, ... the common -enemy, ... the individual who, when he might have conferred -greater benefits upon Europe than ever sovereign -before him, in ancient or modern times, had deliberately -chosen the evil part, and employed his mighty power -to bring about the worst ends by the most flagitious -means.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Admiral Penrose enters the Gironde.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>But if some fears were entertained in England for the -loyalists at Bourdeaux who had not waited to -declare their loyalty till the danger would have -been in delaying the declaration, a generous -sympathy also was manifested. The militia availed -themselves of the act which allowed them to volunteer -for foreign service. The example was set by the Marquis -of Buckingham and Sir Watkin Williams Wynn, and -they sailed as soon as possible with 4000 men for the -Gironde. Contrary winds impeded their passage: meantime -Buonaparte had ordered a division under General<span class="pagenum" id="Page_412">412</span> -Decaen to march against it by Perigueux, and Lhuillier -collected what force he could to the north of the city. -But Buonaparte and his Generals had now no force at -their disposal strong enough to put down the spirit that -had shown itself; the rich raised companies of cavalry, -the artisans formed a volunteer guard for the Duc; and -Lord Wellington was now so well acquainted with the -disposition of the French people, that without any fears -for Bourdeaux, he recalled Marshal Beresford with two -divisions, thinking that Lord Dalhousie with 5000 men -would secure it from any attempt that could be made -against it. Admiral Penrose had hastened thither with - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 27.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the Egmont, the Andromache, and Belle Poule -frigates, and some smaller vessels, and entered -the Gironde without sustaining any loss from the fire of -the forts and batteries at its mouth. There was more -danger from the difficulty of the navigation, but this also -was surmounted by the skill and the exertion of British -seamen. The enemy had the Regulus line-of-battleship, -three brigs of war, and some <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">chasse-marées</i> lying in -the river, and the squadron chased them as high as the -shoal of Talmont, where the French passed up through -the narrow channel to the north, which had been buoyed -for the purpose, and then took shelter under the strong -batteries on each side of Talmont bay, the British squadron -anchoring outside the shoal. Fort de Blaye still -prevented the navigation of the Garonne; the mayor of -that place would willingly have hoisted the white flag, -but though he found means of letting the Duc know his -own sentiments, he could not persuade the garrison to -take that part. While the Admiral prepared to act -against it, Lord Dalhousie, taking Rochejaquelein for -his guide, crossed the Garonne, and pushed the enemy’s -parties under General Lhuillier, beyond the Dordogne; - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 4.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -he then crossed that river at St. Andre de<span class="pagenum" id="Page_413">413</span> -Cubzac, with a view to the attack of the fort, but -learning that Lhuillier with 300 cavalry and 1200 -foot had retired by Etauliers, he moved on that point, -intending to turn back again upon Blaye if that General -continued his retreat. Lhuillier however drew out his -corps in a large open common near Etauliers, and occupied -some woods in front of it: the woods were soon -cleared; the enemy’s horse and foot gave way and retired -through the town, leaving scattered parties to shift for -themselves; some 300 prisoners were taken, including -about 30 officers, great numbers dispersed in the woods, -and the conscripts took the desired opportunity of escaping. -On the preceding day a detachment under Captain -Coode, of the Porcupine, took or destroyed a numerous - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -flotilla, which had been equipped in haste, and -which, before the arrival of the British squadron, -had threatened the coast of Medoc, and Bourdeaux -itself. Among the prizes was a splendid barge designed -for the Emperor when he visited that city, with his name -on the stern, and his golden eagle on the prow; this -the sailors humbly requested might be presented with -their duty to the Prince Regent. Another corps of 600 -seamen and marines, under Captain Harris of the Belle -Poule, landed, marched more than fifty miles in six-and-thirty -hours, reduced and dismantled five forts, destroyed -47 pieces of cannon and 17 mortars, and re-embarked -without any loss. The Regulus and the smaller vessels -which had sought protection with it, were attacked and -burnt, and by the 9th of April the river was cleared as -high up as Blaye. General Merle held out in that -fortress till the 16th; when the news that had arrived -induced the Admiral to agree to an armistice with him, -and the Gironde was then opened from its mouth to -Bourdeaux.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_414">414</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Proceedings at Valançay.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Meantime another restoration, which once might have -been deemed as little likely as that of the Bourbons -in France, had taken place. When Ferdinand -and his counsellors at Valançay found that -neither San Carlos nor Palafox returned from their -mission, they represented to Laforest that the best mode -of removing all difficulties would be for the Emperor to -let Ferdinand depart unconditionally, relying upon his -honour to fulfil the treaty, if the obstacles to it should -not be insurmountable. Suchet had given advice to the -same effect, seeing that at that time, when there was no -longer a hope of retaining any hold on Spain, it was of -great consequence to withdraw from thence the garrisons, -and that they could be extricated only by this means. If -Ferdinand were honourable enough to restore them to -their country upon being put in possession of the places -which they occupied, the great and only advantage which -was now desired would be obtained; if he should refuse -to do this, or be unable to effect it, doubtful as it was -what his authority might be, nothing would be lost, nor -ever risked by the experiment. This the French government -saw; and they were not without hope that the -presence of Ferdinand in his own country might lead to -a civil war, which would have the effect of at least embarrassing -the English, and probably of impeding their -operations in Gascony.</p> - -<p>Ferdinand and his counsellors might have escaped from -any imputation of bad faith in this transaction, if they -had not themselves claimed credit for acting with duplicity. -When they said the fulfilment of the treaty might -be relied on, if there were no insurmountable obstacles, -they well supposed that such obstacles existed in their -relations to the allied powers; “but,” says the Canon -Escoiquiz, “not knowing this of a certainty, we had a<span class="pagenum" id="Page_415">415</span> -right, when treating with so perfidious a person, to put it -in doubt; and by this just dissimulation to obtain the -object of our wishes, which was the King’s liberty. Skilfully -to deceive with truth a man so false was not an evil -deed, but an excellent one; and this was our maxim<a id="FNanchor_8" href="#Footnote_8" class="fnanchor">8</a>.” -They represented farther that an unconditional liberation -was of all things most likely to conciliate Ferdinand’s -entire good-will; that it would moreover make the allied -powers believe Buonaparte to be sincere in his desire of -peace, and which was of more consequence, gratify the -French nation, who had always indignantly regarded the -war with Spain; that if Ferdinand should find it impossible -to confirm the peace with France, it was not his -interest that France should be dismembered, and to prevent -any such danger he would only carry on an illusive -war, merely to save appearances; that even if it were his -desire to carry it on with vigour, he must of necessity be -less able to do this than the Regency, because of the -changes which his arrival in Spain could not but produce; -finally, that his farther detention would occasion -the Emperor a great and useless expense, and must also -be a matter of some anxiety, when it was so possible that -he might be delivered by the arms of the allies. Buonaparte, -indeed, seems at one time to have been sensible -either of the reproach which he had brought upon himself -by his treachery toward Ferdinand, or of the likelihood -that some successful plan might be formed for his escape; -and it was once his intention to have shipped him off for -Mexico, or for any other part of the Spanish colonies -which he might have preferred, with Charles IV. and the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_416">416</span> -Queen, the Infantes, his brothers, the Queen of Etruria, -and as many other members of the family as he could -collect, and to have given them large possessions there; -but upon discovering that none of those colonies were at -his disposal, as he had hoped them to be, and considering -moreover that Ferdinand might easily from thence -find his way to Spain, and there protest against the validity - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Idea Sencilla, 78.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -of his renunciation, he abandoned this project. -At present, willing to be rid of him, -knowing that his presence now could do him no hurt any -where, desiring to get his soldiers out of Spain, which -he had no hope of effecting by any other means, and perhaps -also having a hope that Ferdinand’s return might -create new troubles in that country, he readily assented -to the proposal; and Laforest was instructed by the first -post after the receipt of his dispatch to inform Ferdinand -and the Infantes, that they were at liberty to depart -unconditionally, and that orders had been given for -forwarding to them the necessary passports.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ferdinand is set at liberty.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Ferdinand had endured captivity as contentedly as if -his patience had been the effect of philosophy -or of religion. Nothing, however, could have -rejoiced him more than this reply; and, as if -believing that his return would be not less a matter of -joy to the Regency, he determined that as soon as the -passports came, Zayas should precede him by three or -four days, and travel with all speed to notify his approach, -that preparations might be made for receiving -him. This happiness was but of six hours’ duration; -for on the evening of the same day, San Carlos arrived -with the refusal of the treaty. To conceal this was impossible, -the utmost publicity having been given to it by -the Spanish press; and as it was likely to irritate Buonaparte, -whose violent temper was well known to his -ministers, Laforest proposed that San Carlos himself<span class="pagenum" id="Page_417">417</span> -should be the first bearer of the intelligence, and present -with it such representations as might tend to appease -him, and if possible avert his displeasure. The Duque -accordingly, who had come post from Madrid, set off -without delay, and at the same speed for Paris. Buonaparte -was then with the army in the neighbourhood of -Troyes; the ministers at Paris had withheld the passports -till they should receive fresh instructions, and not -allowing the Duque to proceed, sent him back to Valençay. -Laforest, however, was of opinion that he should -repair to the Emperor’s quarters: San Carlos again -departed; failing to find, and perhaps not being able to -follow him in the rapidity of his movements, he communicated -his business by letter: the course which Laforest -recommended coincided with the advice given by Suchet, -in whom Buonaparte had great confidence, and the result -was that orders were sent to Paris for forwarding the -passports without delay. They reached Valençay on the -night of March 7; San Carlos arrived on the 9th; -Zayas set out for Madrid the next day. He bore a dispatch -to the Regency, wherein Ferdinand said that their -letter, which he had now received by Palafox, had filled -his soul with satisfaction: he saw in it how anxiously the -nation wished for his return, which he desired not less -ardently, that he might devote all his powers to the good -of his beloved subjects, to whom he was so greatly indebted -on so many accounts. Then, after notifying his -speedy departure, he said that the re-establishment of -the Cortes, concerning which the Regency had informed -him, and the other measures for the good of the realm -which had been adopted during his absence, deserved his -approbation, because they were in conformity with his - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Idea Sencilla, 113, 119.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -own royal intentions. On the following Sunday, -March 13, Ferdinand and the Infantes commenced -their journey towards Perpignan.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_418">418</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Arrangement with M. Suchet.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marshal Suchet received them in that city. His -instructions from the minister at war were, that -he should send Ferdinand to Barcelona, and -cause all the places which the French still possessed -in Spain to be delivered up, taking, however, -securities and precautions for the return of the garrisons -to their own country. Hence the Marshal concluded -that there was not such entire confidence placed -in this prince as might otherwise have been inferred from -the manner of his liberation. Both parties, however, -were desirous of smoothing all difficulties, which may -always best be done by fair dealing; and this was now -the interest of both. San Carlos gave Suchet a full -account of the temper of the Cortes, and their determination -to control the King, or to resist him, if he should -be found refractory; and he expressed his belief that -the Generals, whether they were influenced by their fear -or their opinions, would not acknowledge his authority -until they received orders from Madrid. Ferdinand’s -desire was to proceed without delay, and not to enter -Barcelona, but go on to Valencia; and he promised to -expedite as much as he could the deliverance of the garrisons -in exchange for the places which they occupied. -The Marshal frankly stated the difficulty wherein he was -placed by his instructions, these being to conduct the -King to Barcelona, and take securities for the deliverance -of the garrisons; he had written to Paris, he said, for -farther explanations, and till these should arrive, it was -agreed that the Infante, Don Carlos, should remain at -Perpignan, and that the King should pass the frontier -without delay. Accordingly, on the 22nd, Ferdinand -re-entered his own country. The rain had so swoln the -streams, that he was detained two days at Figueras; -during this delay, the Marshal addressed a note to him, -requesting that the treatment of the French prisoners<span class="pagenum" id="Page_419">419</span> -might be improved, and pressing for the deliverance of -the garrisons. An assurance was given that there should -be an immediate alteration in the condition of the prisoners, -and a promise was given respecting the garrisons, -to which Ferdinand affixed his signature. This answer -was returned from Figueras, where he was still in the -hands of the French; but, that it might appear more -evidently his own free act and deed, he dated it from -Gerona. Upon receiving this, Suchet immediately dispatched -orders for letting the Infante, Don Carlos, proceed -from Perpignan; thus he conferred an obligation, -by releasing a hostage whom it would have been useless -to detain; all questions concerning the fortresses and -garrisons being, as by a tacit understanding, waived on -both sides, there being a third party, without whose consent -the garrison of Barcelona could not be dismissed; -for Sir H. Clinton was then with the Anglo-Sicilian -army blockading that city. A little before this time, -instructions had been received by that General to embark -one portion of his troops, including the Calabrians, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet, 2. 375–8.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -for the coast of Italy, there to be employed in an -expedition under Lord William Bentinck; and -with the remainder to march, by way of Zaragoza and -Pamplona, into France, there to reinforce Lord Wellington. -Sir Henry took upon himself the responsibility of -not obeying these instructions: and his conduct in so -doing was fully approved by Lord Wellington; for, -if that army had been withdrawn, the Spaniards in -Catalonia could not have prevented Suchet from collecting -and bringing off the whole of his remaining -garrisons.</p> - -<p>As soon as the waters permitted, Ferdinand proceeded -towards Gerona. General Copons had been apprized of -his coming. Marshal Suchet escorted him to the Fluvia,</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_420">420</span> - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 24.</span>Ferdinand writes from Gerona to the Regency.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -The French troops were drawn up in a semicircle on one -side of the river, the Spaniards on the other; -and, having crossed it amid salutes of artillery, -and the joyful sound of martial music, and the -acclamations of the surrounding inhabitants, -who had flocked thither from all sides, Ferdinand -found himself then indeed free, ... in his own -country, among his own people, and a King. There was -no difficulty about his reception; his retinue consisted -only of Spaniards, among whom there were none to -whom any exception could be taken, if Copons had been -disposed to offer it. The General delivered into his -hands the Regency’s letter, and the documents which -accompanied it; and when Ferdinand came the same -day to Gerona, he acknowledged them in a letter to the -Regency announcing his arrival, saying that he should -make himself acquainted with the contents of their -papers; meantime he assured them that his greatest -wish was to give them proofs of his satisfaction, and of -his lively desire to do every thing which might conduce -to the happiness of his subjects. It was a comfort indeed -for him, he said, to see himself in his own country, in the -midst of a nation and an army to whom he was beholden -for a fidelity as constant as it was generous.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ferdinand goes to Zaragoza.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The Cortes had regulated Ferdinand’s route; and as -it was understood that he would proceed by the -line prescribed for him, which was straight by -way of Valencia, the Governors of Barcelona, -Tortosa, and Murviedro, received instructions to commit -no hostilities when he should pass. But Ferdinand was -in no haste to proceed; he needed time for consideration, -and for such rest as the critical position in which he now -found himself would allow: he halted, therefore, a few -days at Gerona. On the 30th, he passed through the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_421">421</span> -blockading army in front of Barcelona, the enemy firing -a salute, the allies receiving him with all honours, and -the people with every possible manifestation of joy. It -was believed that he was proceeding to Valencia; but, -altering his intention on the way, he made for Zaragoza, -meaning to remain there till he should have determined -how to act.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Soult resumes the offensive.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>This restoration Buonaparte regarded at this time -with indifference; but there was nothing which -he dreaded so much as the progress of that -feeling which had manifested itself at Bourdeaux; -for peace, upon some terms, he thought himself -always sure of obtaining, as long as the allies forbore to -take up the cause of the Bourbons. Soult saw how -likely it was that this feeling should spread from the -Gironde to the Loire, and had resolved upon carrying -the war back toward the Pyrenees, more with the view -of occupying the English force at a distance from those -parts in which he knew that the existing tyranny was -borne with most impatience, than for the sake of the -succours which he could draw from Catalonia. Not -being acquainted with the success of Marshal Beresford’s -movement upon Bourdeaux, he expected thus to frustrate -it, and that Lord Wellington would find it necessary to -recall all the detachments which he had sent in that -direction. He had, indeed, written to the Minister at -War, saying he did not think the British General would -dare to weaken himself by sending a force against that -city. With this intention, he resumed the offensive; and, -having sent most of his encumbrances to Toulouse, moved - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet, t. 2. Pièces Justif, pp. 530–2.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -by Lembege to Conchez and Viella, on the right -flank of the allies, drove in Sir Rowland’s piquets, -and made a demonstration as if intending to - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 13.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -attack him with his whole force. Sir Rowland,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_422">422</span> -upon this, took a position behind the Gros Lees, extending - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>He retreats upon Tarbes.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -from Aire to Garlin, on the road to Pau. -Lord Wellington quickly moved two divisions -to his support, and prepared to concentrate the -army in the neighbourhood of Aire. Marshal Soult did -not then feel himself strong enough to venture upon an -attack, and not finding his situation secure, retired in the -night toward Lembege, keeping his advanced posts -toward Conchez; and on the 15th, he halted his main -body in position near Burosse, covered by a strong rear-guard -at Mascarras; but, on the approach of a single -brigade, they retired upon Vic Bigorre, not offering to -maintain their ground, though in a country peculiarly -defensible. The various detachments which Lord Wellington -had sent out, and the reserves of cavalry and -artillery from Spain, did not join him till the 17th. On -the morrow the army marched; the right by Conchez, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Colonel Jones’s Account, 2. 262.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the centre by Castelnau, the left by Plaisance; -and Sir Rowland drove in the enemy’s outposts -upon Lembege. The French retired in the night, -but held a strong rear-guard in front of Vic -Bigorre, posted in the vineyards that encircle that town, -and extend for several miles around it. There they made -a stand, with a show of resolution which was not supported; -for Sir Thomas Picton, with the 3rd division -and Major-General Bock’s Portugueze brigade, attacked -them there, dislodged, and drove them through the vineyards -and through the town. The allied army then -assembled at Vic Bigorre and Rabastens, and the enemy -retired during the night upon Tarbes.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Further retreat to Toulouse.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Buonaparte had rested in this city on his way to -Bayonne in 1808, when the treachery which -he had plotted for the usurpation of Spain was -about to be consummated: a monument had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_423">423</span> -been erected here in commemoration of this imperial -visit; and now that journey had in consequence brought -thither a victorious enemy’s army. So different, too, -were the feelings of the inhabitants toward him from -what they had been, that when Soult sent General -Maransin thither before him to raise a levy <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">en masse</i> -throughout the department, they refused to take arms. -Here, on the morning of the 20th, the French were found, -having the advanced posts of their left in the town, their -right upon the heights near the windmill of Oleac, and -their centre and left retired, the latter upon the heights -near Angor. The allies marched in two columns from -Vic Bigorre and Rabastens; and Lord Wellington directed -Sir Henry Clinton, with the 6th division, to turn and -attack their right, through the village of Dour, while -Sir Rowland attacked the town by the high road. Sir -Henry’s movement was completely successful: Baron -Alten, also, with the light division, drove the enemy from -the heights above Orleix: and when Sir Rowland had -moved through the town and disposed his columns for -the attack, they retired in all directions. The troops -ascended the position which had been thus relinquished, -thinking to pursue their advantage; but having gained -the summit, they unexpectedly discovered a large portion -of Soult’s army, formed on a parallel height of great -strength, and the body which had retreated before them, -about 15,000 in number, ascending to join their comrades. -This new position could not be attacked without incurring -severe loss; and to preserve the advantages which -had been obtained, it was necessary that the corps from -Rabastens should move further forward. But before this -arrangement could be completed, the evening closed, and -Marshal Soult, once more taking advantage of night to -cover his movements, retired toward Toulouse. There -are two roads from Tarbes to that city, by S. Gaudens,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_424">424</span> -and by Auch; Soult retreated by the first, but having -collected his troops at St. Gaudens, crossed the country -from thence to Auch. He had previously sent off all his -remaining encumbrances; and marching with all possible -celerity, that he might profit at Toulouse by the time -which he gained upon his pursuers, and destroying the -bridges as he went, he entered that city on the 24th, -having suffered no other loss during the pursuit than -that of some prisoners, taken by General Fane in an -attack upon his rear-guard at St. Gaudens on the 22nd.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Passage of the Garonne.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Once more Lord Wellington’s operations were impeded -by heavy and continued rains; he had to carry -with him a pontoon train, as well as most of his -supplies; and it was not till three days after the -French army had entered Toulouse, that the allies halted -on the left of the Garonne, opposite that city. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 27.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -On the following day, Lord Wellington ordered -a bridge to be laid at Portet, a village immediately below -the junction of the Ariege, and above the city. The -current was so rapid, that the sheer line could not without -much difficulty be stretched across; and when this was -effected the distance was found to be twenty-six yards -more than the pontoons would cover. It was desirable -to obtain a passage above the city; for in that case Soult -must either abandon Toulouse, or lose the hope of being -joined by Suchet, now, though late in his movements, on -the march to join him; ... a tardiness not imputable to -that skilful commander, but to the unwillingness with -which Buonaparte consented to give up any object of his -ambition. Three days after the failure of the first attempt, -a place was found near Roques, where the river was not -too wide, and the spot in other respects favourable; here, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">March 31.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -therefore, the pontoons were laid down, and Sir -Rowland’s corps crossed, and seized the bridge -over the Ariege at Cintegabelle; but after an anxious<span class="pagenum" id="Page_425">425</span> -trial of some hours, it was ascertained that from thence -to Toulouse there was no way passable for an army; -and that till finer weather should have hardened the -roads, it would be impracticable to direct an attack from -the upper side of the town. The corps therefore repassed -the Garonne; and it then became Lord Wellington’s -object to bridge the river below the city, and attack -Soult in front before he should be reinforced. A favourable -bend in the stream was discovered about two miles -above Grenade, at a point where the Garonne skirts the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 4th.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -main road: here some flanking batteries were -established before daybreak on the 4th; but -owing to some accidental delay, it was five o’clock before -the first pontoon was brought to the water’s edge. A -few of the enemy’s cavalry were patrolling on the right -bank, and their whole army was within a short march: -the patroles retired, and it was expected every moment - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet, Pièces Justif. p. 536.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -that some attempt would be made to oppose the -passage. Marshal Soult, indeed, had assured -Suchet that whenever the passage should be -effected, he would march and give the allies battle, -whatever might be the disproportion of his force; but of -this he thought more wisely when the time came, and -his whole attention was now engaged in strengthening a -position so advantageous in itself, that with the labour -and skill now employed in fortifying it, he thought he -might there safely defy even such an enemy as Lord -Wellington. The river at this point was 127 yards wide, -and exceedingly rapid; the bridge however was finished -in four hours; and just before it was completed the day -became beautifully fine. The right bank is some fifty -feet high, the other considerably lower; and on that side -there was a plain of open wood, after a rise of about -twelve feet. A few men had previously been sent over -in small boats, and posted in this wood. The cavalry<span class="pagenum" id="Page_426">426</span> -passed in single files, the infantry by threes, the bands -playing “British Grenadiers,” and the “Downfall of -Paris,” ... not knowing that at that time Paris had indeed -fallen, and the allied sovereigns were in possession of it. -Unopposed as the passage was, it had the appearance -rather of some festival display, than of an actual military -operation; the people from the neighbouring villages -had by this time collected to behold it, ... with so little -fear or dislike were the allies regarded by the inhabitants; -and when the horse artillery crossed, the peasants -volunteered their aid, and pulled the guns up the bank -with all possible alacrity.</p> - -<p>The more concerned spectators were not without fear -for the bridge; it had been made fast by four stays to -trees on either side, but the strength of the current was -such that it was soon forced into the shape of a bow. -Marshal Beresford passed with three divisions of infantry -and some cavalry; but when Freyre’s Spaniards and -the light division should have followed, the river had -increased so much in height and strength, that it was -necessary to take up the platform. During the night, it -rose two feet; the rain had also recommenced; and on -the morrow the centre pontoon was removed, as a measure -of precaution, and at length the whole were taken -up. The army was thus divided, the main body being -still on the left bank, and Soult, if he had thought -proper, might have attacked either flank; but he had -suffered severely for such an attempt in the battles before -Bayonne, when he was more confident and in greater -strength.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Toulouse.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The extent of Toulouse is disproportionately large -with respect to its population, being in length -from north to south about two miles, and a mile -and quarter in breadth from east to west; while the -inhabitants were computed at not more than 60,000.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_427">427</span> -It has little commerce, though most favourably situated -for inland communication: but it flourished as a provincial -capital: formerly it was second only to Paris in -size. The houses, and even the cathedral, are built of -brick, which is very unusual in France: the latter edifice, -therefore, though remarkable for its magnitude, is -neither beautiful nor grand; for a structure composed -of such mean materials can produce no impression of -grandeur, unless it be like the pyramids in size. That -cathedral boasted of possessing the bodies of no fewer -than seven Apostles, one of them being a duplicate of -Santiago. The Dorade church derived its name from a -gilt image of Notre Dame, the reputed work of St. Luke, -who is better known in Roman Catholic countries as an -artist in this line, or as a painter, than by his Gospel. -The Dominicans exhibited a less doubtful relic in their -church, the body of St. Thomas Aquinas, authenticated -by himself in ghostly person, and brought to that city, -after numerous adventures, with 10,000 lighted tapers, -and 150,000 people in procession. Devout or curious -persons were formerly indulged by a sight of the head, -which had been fitted to a half-body of silver; upon -opening a plate at the top, the real skull was to be seen, -and, under circumstances of special favour, kissed by -adoring lips. Few places in France afford more subject -for reflective thought. It was the capital of a great -Gothic kingdom, till the last of its kings was overthrown -by Clovis. The pulpit is still preserved there from -which St. Bernard preached the crusade. Poetry flourished -there in those ages when it stood most in need -of patronage and culture; and the city, under its own -Counts, was then the seat of religious liberty as well as -of literature. Its Floral Games may still remind us of -the Gay Science of the Troubadours; but the freedom -of opinion and the truths of religion for which Toulouse<span class="pagenum" id="Page_428">428</span> -made so heroic and so virtuous a stand were succeeded -there, as in the Catholic Netherlands, by that victorious -bigotry of the deepest die which eats into the soul; and, -down to the revolution, a festival was yearly observed -there in commemoration of the destruction of the Albigenses. -That name must ever bring with it painful -reflections to an Englishman’s mind, when he remembers -the history of a papal crusade under an English -leader: and, looking to much later times, never were -blind superstition and legal iniquity seen in such accursed -combination as here, in the case of Calas; never, -in human history, was a judicial murder accomplished -with circumstances of such peculiar barbarity and injustice, -... circumstances so monstrous, that they could not -be believed, if it were possible to deny or doubt them.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Soult’s position there.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Marshal Soult had retreated upon Toulouse less for the -sake of the abundant supplies which it afforded -him, than because of the singular advantages -that its situation offered as a defensible position. The -canal of Brienne (so called after the Cardinal Archbishop -of that name), and which is broad enough for -several barges to lie on it abreast, connects the Garonne -with the great canal of Languedoc about two -miles from the town, the navigation of the river being -impeded in that part of its course by a weir for the use -of the corn-mills. The whole western side is protected -by the river; on the east and north the canal covers it; -and on the south, the only part which was not covered -by the river, could be approached only by roads impassable -for artillery, and was therefore so secure, that -Soult, who omitted no means of defence, deemed it -wholly unnecessary to erect any works on that side. -There were formerly three bridges over the Garonne: -the single one which is left connects the city with the -Fauxbourg St. Cyprien; and the enemy had fortified<span class="pagenum" id="Page_429">429</span> -that suburb with strong field-works in front of the old -walls. The walls were high, thick enough for defence -in old times, and flanked by towers. The communication -across the canal was covered by <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">têtes-de-pont</i>, defended -by various buildings which had now been fortified -for that purpose, and by artillery from the walls. -East of the city is a range of bold heights extending -along the space between the canal and the river Ers; -over these heights all the roads from the eastward pass, -and here Marshal Soult had taken his position, having -fortified the summit with five redoubts, with various -lines of intrenchment to support them, and to connect -the flanks of the ground with the defences of the town. -The left and centre being the points which he considered -most assailable, were thus strengthened; toward the -right, where the line approached the Ers, the river itself -was sufficient defence. He flattered himself that his -determination to defend Toulouse had astounded Lord -Wellington, because four days elapsed after the passage -of the river, and the allies had undertaken nothing. But -the bad weather, he said, might have occasioned this -delay; and expecting an attack, not without an ominous -feeling of its result, he wrote to Marshal Suchet, saying -that, in case of being compelled to retire, he should -draw nearer to him, and that it would be for the advantage -of both, if Suchet would make a diversion by the -shortest line upon the Upper Garonne.</p> - -<p>Formidable as this position was, it was necessary to -attack the enemy there; Lord Wellington had no alternative, -the roads from Ariege being impracticable for -artillery, and even for horse. On the 8th the stream -had subsided enough for the pontoons to be again laid -down; the head-quarters then, and General Freyre with -the Spanish corps and the Portugueze artillery, crossed -the Garonne, and immediately moved forward to the<span class="pagenum" id="Page_430">430</span> -neighbourhood of the town. Colonel Vivian, with the -18th hussars, had here an opportunity of attacking some -cavalry, which, though superior in number, they drove -through the village of Croix d’Aurade, taking about 100 -prisoners, and pursuing them so closely, that they had -not time to destroy the bridge over the Ers, the only one -which had been left standing, and by which it was -necessary to pass in order to attack the position; Colonel -Vivian was severely wounded in this charge. That -attack was designed for the following day; but Sir -Rowland’s corps was on the left of the Garonne, in front -of the suburb St. Cyprien; the pontoon bridge was too -far off for that ready communication which might be -required during the action; orders were therefore given -for moving it a league higher up, near Ausonne. Some -unexpected difficulties occurred in laying it; it was -not completed till after mid-day, and the attack was, -therefore, deferred till the following morning, being -Easter Sunday: long will that Easter be remembered at -Toulouse.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 10.</span>Battle of Toulouse.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Lord Wellington’s arrangements were that Marshal -Beresford, who was on the right of the Ers with -the 4th and 6th divisions, should cross that river -at the bridge of Croix d’Aurade, gain possession -of the village of Montblanc, and march up the left of -the Ers to turn the enemy’s right, while the Spaniards -supported by the British cavalry should attack their -front. Sir Stapleton was to follow the Marshal’s movements -with Lord Edward Somerset’s brigade of hussars; -and Vivian’s brigade, now under Colonel Arentschild, -was to observe the enemy’s cavalry on both banks of the -Ers, beyond the left of the allies. On the lower part of -the canal, Picton and Baron Alten, with the 3rd and light -divisions, and the brigade of German cavalry, were to -threaten the <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-de-pont</i>, and so draw the enemy’s attention<span class="pagenum" id="Page_431">431</span> -to that quarter; and Sir Rowland was to do the -same on the side of St. Cyprien.</p> - -<p>The business of this dreadful day commenced about -seven o’clock, when Sir Thomas Picton drove in the -French piquets in front of Pont Jumeau, at the point -where the Canal de Brienne joins that of Languedoc; -the action became warm here, and the enemy retiring, -set fire to a fine large chateau, in the cypress avenues of -which they had sought in vain to cover themselves. To -the left of this division the light division extended nearly -to the road to Alby, by which road Freyre’s army -advanced, in two columns, and formed in front of Croix -d’Aurade, near a hill on which Lieutenant-Colonel -Arentschild’s Portugueze guns, protected by General Ponsonby’s -brigade of cavalry, were advantageously placed -to cover their movements. Marshal Beresford, with the -4th and 6th divisions, under Sir Lowry Cole and Sir -Henry Clinton, advanced also by the Alby road, turned -off to their left at Croix d’Aurade, toward the village of -Montblanc, carried the village, and proceeded up the -left bank of the Ers, in three open columns, along the -foot of the heights, over difficult ground, which was much -intersected with deep ditches and hollow roads. Upon -their march they were exposed to a heavy cannonade -from all the guns of the enemy’s works; and those guns -throughout the day were served with great spirit and -correctness, Toulouse having been an artillery school -since the Revolution. Beresford’s artillery was left at -Montblanc because of the badness of the roads; it was -posted there on some low ground, in front of the village, -and kept up a fire upon the works on the heights of -Pujade. The Spaniards advanced in good order to -assault these works, which formed the left of the enemy’s -position, and which Clausel and Villatte occupied with -their divisions, having a brigade of cavalry in their front.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_432">432</span> -They advanced across the valley with great bravery -under a most severe fire: a brigade of their own troops, -and one of British heavy dragoons, had been formed in -reserve in the rear, and Gardiner’s troop of artillery was -brought up to their left to answer the enemy’s. At first -they drove before them a brigade of French, but as they -approached the intrenchment, a heavy fire of grape was -poured upon them with full effect, and to escape it they -pushed forward with inconsiderate speed, ... the nimblest -outrunning their comrades, in such disorder that before -the first line arrived at a hollow road some fifty yards in -front of the intrenchment, it was completely broken. -The reserve, as if deterred rather than instructed by this -error, fell into the opposite fault, and came on so slowly -as not to be near enough for supporting them, when the -French advanced against them vigorously, and drove -them down the hill, and in spite of the utmost exertions -of Freyre and the superior officers, were on the point of -seizing the bridge over the Ers, in which, if they had -succeeded, Beresford’s troops would have been isolated. -But the 1st Portugueze <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Caçadores</i>, forming part of Baron -Alten’s light division, moved opportunely to their left, -and advancing through the flying Spaniards, rallied -them, and caused the enemy to halt in their pursuit: a -squadron of British dragoons, who were still more in -their rear, turned others, by striking them with the flat -side of their swords; and Lord Wellington himself, the -moment he saw them give way, galloped to the spot, and -by his personal exertions rallied about a company of -them, near the cypress trees on the Alby road. They -suffered greatly in their flight, and the consequences -might have been worse if the enemy had followed up the -advantage with spirit. The great exertions of General -Freyre, and of the staff officers, Mendizabal and Barcena -among others, formed them again sooner than might have<span class="pagenum" id="Page_433">433</span> -been expected after such a failure, and they were again -placed in position, from which they afterwards moved -to their left in support of the 6th division; but they -were not again brought into serious action.</p> - -<p>This was not the only time at which the circumstances -of the day turned in favour of the enemy. Picton saw -that a great advantage might be gained at this moment -by pushing across the canal, while the enemy were -engaged so far in front; and thinking to profit by the -opportunity, having driven them within their <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">tête-de-pont</i> -at Pont Jumeau, he attempted, contrary to his instructions, -to carry it. It was not till the assailants were on -the counterscarp that they discovered the formidable -nature of the works, which had been regularly formed, -and with the greatest possible care; an assault, indeed, -was impracticable; they were exposed to a heavy fire of -musketry in front, and to a numerous artillery in their -flank, and nothing but a speedy retreat could have saved -them from destruction. Lieutenant-Colonel Forbes was -killed here, and Major-General Brisbane wounded.</p> - -<p>Meantime Beresford was more successful. The 4th -and 6th divisions moved on till they came opposite to -the points of attack assigned them; there they halted, -and formed in three lines. Sir Lowry advanced against -the extreme right of the enemy’s line, where General -Leseur guarded the heights of Montaudran with one -brigade, having General Berton’s cavalry in his front, on -the road to Bordes: and Sir Henry moved up, in front, -to attack the redoubts on Mount Calvinet, which were -occupied by Harispe’s division, now considerably reinforced -with the troops whom the repulse of the Spaniards -had rendered disposable for this service. The face of -the heights was irregular and steep, yet the 6th division -steadily ascended under a severe fire of artillery, to which -at every step they were exposed. A body of cavalry<span class="pagenum" id="Page_434">434</span> -made many serious attacks on their right flank when they -had gained the summit: the 79th formed into a square, -received the charge, and totally routed them; and the -troops drove back everything that opposed them, carried -with the bayonet the principal redoubt on the right, and -established themselves on the crest of the position. Sir -Lowry on his part, though menaced by Berton’s cavalry -on his left, and opposed by infantry in front, made his -way successfully up, and having driven the enemy from -the heights beyond the right of the intrenchment, took up -ground on the left of Sir Henry Clinton, just before -noon.</p> - -<p>Two divisions of the allies were thus formed on the -heights; but their artillery which had been left at Montblanc -was not yet brought up, and the enemy meantime -moved in force toward the points which were now threatened. -The whole face of the hill is intersected with deep -hollow roads; and the soil is a stiff heavy clay, in which -at this time horses could with difficulty move out of a - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Précis Historique, P. 2. p. 61.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -walk: the French, therefore, had laid planks -from one of their works to another, on which -their artillery could rapidly be moved wherever -it was most needed. During the interval which elapsed -before Beresford’s guns arrived, they had time to effect -this removal from their left, on the heights of Pujade, to -those of Calvinet; and General Taupin’s division was -moved to the same point from the Fauxbourg S. Cyprien, -(where Reille commanded with Maransin under him) -when it was perceived that no serious attack was intended - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ib. p. 47.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -against that suburb. The roofs and steeples of -Toulouse were at this time covered with spectators, -who, whatever their hopes and fears might be for -the issue of the battle, execrated Marshal Soult for -bringing the war thus to their own doors, and exposing -a populous city to its horrors. About one, Beresford was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_435">435</span> -joined by his artillery; and the 4th and 6th divisions -advanced steadily in line against the redoubts on the -heights of Calvinet. Soult thought he could overpower -Sir Henry’s division by a vigorous attack both in front -and flank, before Sir Lowry’s could come up to its support; -with this view the French pushed forward beyond -their works to meet the assailants, Clausel and Taupin -against the front of the 6th division, Leseur’s brigade and -Berton’s cavalry against its flank. They could receive -no support from the fire of their intrenchments in this -advance; it became, therefore, a trial of courage; and the -brave movement was as bravely met: Sir Henry Clinton, -instead of waiting to receive the attack, pushed forward -and met it with the bayonet; and his charge was a most -determined and successful one. General Taupin was -killed. The French were not only broken but routed; -and General Pack’s brigade carried the two principal -redoubts and fortified houses in the enemy’s centre. -They made a desperate effort from the canal to recover -these redoubts; and a Scotch battalion, which was placed -in the interior of one, was nearly exhausted in defending -it, when a brigade came in good time to their assistance, -charged the French, and drove them down the hill. The -enemy then formed their two routed divisions and General -Rouget’s brigade in a line from the heights of Pujade -to Pont des Demoiselles, a bridge over the canal on the -Montaudran road; from thence they made a second -attempt in great force to recover that redoubt, which -they looked upon as the key of the position; and the -English, seeing them approach, planted their colours on -the parapet in defiance. The French soldiers never -throughout the whole war displayed more courage, nor -more of that intelligence, which is their peculiar praise, -than on this day; and in no part of the action did they -behave better than in this attack, where they knew that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_436">436</span> -they had support at hand, and, if need were, a sure -retreat. To that need they were driven by men who -exceeded them in cool and patient courage, a courage -depending less upon excitement than upon constitution; -and after many and strenuous efforts they were finally -repulsed with great loss.</p> - -<p>The victorious division continued its movement along -the ridge; and the Spaniards, brought into a serviceable -position, though not into action, made a corresponding -movement upon the front. The enemy did not wait to -be assaulted in their remaining works: they withdrew -from them gradually, and removed their artillery by the -hollow road across the bridge over the canal. By four -o’clock the action was at an end; and the allies, having -accomplished the object of the day, were with their artillery -formed on the hills, looking down on the city; the -French occupying in strength an intermediate rising -ground. Sir Rowland on his side had done all that was -assigned him; he had driven the enemy from their exterior -works in the suburb, and made them retire within -the ancient wall. This had had the intended effect of -distracting them, and keeping one of their divisions -employed.</p> - -<p>The loss in this severe action was very great; that of -the British being in killed and wounded 2124, of the -Portugueze 607, of the Spaniards 1983, in all above -4700<a id="FNanchor_9" href="#Footnote_9" class="fnanchor">9</a>. The brunt of the action fell on the 6th division, -which had 13 officers killed and 88 wounded. General -Pack was wounded, but remained in the field. Lieutenant-Colonel -Coghlan was killed; Mendizabal and Espalata -wounded. The loss of the enemy was not known;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_437">437</span> -but from the circumstances of their position they are -believed to have suffered less than the allies: their dead -lay in full view of the city, and they asked leave on the -following day to bury them. General Lamorandiere was -killed. Generals Harispe, Baurot, and S. Hilaire were -wounded and made prisoners. Only one gun was taken -in the position; the rest of the enemy withdrew in -time. Soult’s force had consisted of not less than -36,000 men, that of Lord Wellington’s was numerically -little greater.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Soult retires from Toulouse.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>At night every post of the French was withdrawn -within their intrenched line behind the canal. -The only remaining bridge over the Ers was in -possession of the allies, and the road from that -over the Garonne was guarded by Sir Rowland: Toulouse -was thus closed on three sides, and preparations -were made for completing the investment. There was a -want of ammunition, so much had been expended in the -action; the reserve therefore was ordered up from Aire -and Orthes; and shot were collected from the field of -battle, the men searching for them at a fixed price. The -inhabitants had now the miseries of a blockade before -them, or the fear of having their lines forced, and the city -at the mercy of an enemy’s army. Above all, they -dreaded the rockets, which it was falsely reported would -be discharged against the town; but so far was Lord -Wellington from entertaining any such purpose, that -though some heavy guns were fired from the ramparts, -not a shot was directed against the city in return. It was -said that Marshal Soult hesitated what part to take; -whether to hold Toulouse, in the likelihood of obtaining -some great advantage by bringing his forces out in a mass -against any part of a line widely extended, and occupied -by a force little more numerous than his own; or, retiring -toward Carcassonne, to effect a junction with Suchet.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_438">438</span> -General d’Armagnac is said to have advised this course, -in consideration of the inhabitants, and they blessed him -for it; for Soult, whom they hated, and whom they openly -accused of extortion and rapacity, followed the advice: -a considerable body of his troops left the city on the -night after the battle, leaving their wounded, 1600 in -number, much of their artillery, and stores of all descriptions -in large quantities.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The allies enter.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The allies entered Toulouse not as conquerors, but -as friends and deliverers, amid cries of “<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Vivent -les Anglois!</i>” “<i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Vive le Roi!</i>” “<i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Vivent nos -liberateurs!</i>” It was known officially at this time that -the allied armies were in possession of Paris; and, -though it was uncertain what measures might be taken -with respect to the government of France, the wishes of -the people were loudly declared, and the white flag -hoisted. That same evening Colonel Cooke arrived -from Paris to inform Lord Wellington that the allied -Sovereigns had declared they would enter into no fresh -negotiations with Buonaparte, because of his bad faith; -that the Senate had passed resolutions declaring he had -forfeited all right to the crown, and absolving the soldiers -and the nation from their oaths of allegiance; finally, -that he had submitted to their decree, and was permitted -to retire to Elba, with the independent sovereignty of -that island. Colonel St. Simon accompanied the British -officer, charged with the same communication from the -Provisional Government to Marshals Soult and Suchet. -It was in the theatre that this news was published, for -the theatre was not closed that night: the dead were -lying all around the walls; the hospitals and many of -the houses were filled with wounded, all of whom were -not yet brought in: the inhabitants themselves had been, -by the mercy of Providence, spared from the horrors of -an assault, of a blockade which would speedily have<span class="pagenum" id="Page_439">439</span> -caused famine, and from the evils of fire and sword -which they had apprehended; and it was the theatre -at Toulouse that was opened, not the churches!... But -the play was altered, and Richard Cœur de Lion was -represented, for the sake of its applicable passages and -songs. Nothing could exceed the cheering at these -passages, except the bursts of applause with which -Lord Wellington was received and greeted whenever -he moved: only those who know the French character, -said one who was present, could imagine the excessive -joy of the people; they shouted and wept, and shouted -again. In the midst of this exultation, an unusual -tumult announced something new; and a person in black, -attended by many candles, and having a paper in his -hand, appeared in one of the side boxes, struggling for -room, and endeavouring to obtain a hearing. Many -minutes elapsed before even the eagerness of their own -expectation could still that vociferous audience sufficiently -for the magistrate to make himself heard; - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Louis XVIII. proclaimed.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -nor was anything then audible except that he -announced the abdication of Buonaparte, and -the proclamation of Louis XVIII.</p> - -<p>Here it might have been hoped that the bloody account - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sally of the French from Bayonne.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -of this long war had closed; even this last -bloodshed might have been spared if, through -some great treachery or inexcusable neglect, -there had not been either delay in sending off tidings of -the cessation of hostilities, or in impeding them upon -the road; for the courier, who was dispatched on the -first of the month, ought to have arrived a week before -the battle; indeed suspicions were expressed in the -Moniteur that orders and dispatches had been intercepted, -with the view of giving Marshal Soult an opportunity -of retrieving the reputation of the French armies -by fighting in a position which he thought inexpugnable.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_440">440</span> -Colonels Cooke and S. Simon had passed through Bourdeaux, -and advice was dispatched from thence to Sir -John Hope before Bayonne, while they proceeded to -Toulouse. As this advice was not official, Sir John did not -think proper to notify it officially to General Thouvenot, -till he should receive orders from Lord Wellington; but -he caused it to be communicated to the French officers -at their advanced piquets, in the hope and expectation -that it might prevent any hostilities in the mean time. -The intimation seems to have produced a very different -effect. On the night of the 13th, two deserters came -from the town, and gave information that the garrison -were to make a sortie in great strength early on the -morrow. The first division, upon this, was ordered to - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 14.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -arms at three in the morning; and in a few -minutes afterward a feint attack was made upon -the outposts in front of Anglet. But it soon appeared -that the chief effort would be on the right of the Adour. -Parties from the citadel crept up the hill on which the -piquets were stationed, took them almost by surprise, -and instantly two columns rushed forward with loud -cheers, and by their numbers broke through the line of -piquets between St. Etienne and St. Bernard; another -strong column advancing at the same time against the -former village. The line of outposts through this village, -and along the heights towards Boucaut, was marked -by a road worn in some places to a deep hollow way, -and in others bounded by high garden-walls, so that it -was not easy to get out of it, except where gaps at -long intervals had been broken down for the passage of -the troops. The piquets, therefore, were cut off from -their supports; and, fighting with desperate animosity -on both sides, heaps of slain were found here, both -French and English, mostly killed with the bayonet. -Sir John Hope, hastening with his staff, in the early part<span class="pagenum" id="Page_441">441</span> -of the attack, to St. Etienne, entered this road, as the -shortest way, not aware that great part of it was in the -enemy’s possession, and that the piquets of the right -flank had fallen back when the line of outposts had -been pierced. As soon as he discovered this, he endeavoured -to retire; but having been in front himself, with -his aide-de-camp, Lieutenant Moore, and Captain Herries -of the Quarter-Master-General’s department, they were -consequently the last in retiring; and before they could -get out of this hollow way, the French came up within -a few yards, and began firing. Sir John’s horse was -struck with three balls, and falling dead, brought his -rider to the ground. Captain Herries and Lieutenant - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Sir J. Hope taken prisoner.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Moore dismounted to assist him, for his foot was -under the dead horse; but the first of these -officers was instantly brought down himself -severely wounded, and the latter had his right arm -shattered; the General was also wounded in the arm; -and the French coming immediately up, made them all -three prisoners. As they were carrying them to Bayonne, -Sir John received a second and severe wound in the -foot, from a ball which was supposed to come from his -own piquets. Major-General Hay was in command of -the outposts for the night; and having just given directions -that the church of St. Etienne should be defended -till the last, he was killed shortly after the attack commenced. -The enemy, having here a great superiority -of numbers, got into the village towards the left, and -obtained possession of the whole, except one house, -which Captain Foster of the 38th occupied with a -piquet, and bravely maintained, though the greater part -of his men were killed or wounded, till a brigade of the -German Legion retook the village.</p> - -<p>It had been supposed that the French would make it -their main object to destroy the bridge, which would<span class="pagenum" id="Page_442">442</span> -have been the only reasonable or justifiable object of -such a sortie in that state of the siege, when neither -stores nor artillery were on the ground, nor the works -commenced. To guard against this, Lord Saltoun had -intrenched the convent of St. Bernard, and with great -ability converted it into a respectable little fortress; and -Colonel Maitland now formed the first brigade of Guards -on the heights above it, to charge the enemy in flank, -should he advance toward the bridge. But, though -their gun-boats came down the river, and opened a heavy -flanking cannonade, no attempt was made on the bridge -by water; and it was soon perceived that they had as -little intention of attacking it by land, their efforts being -wholly directed against the centre of the countervallation -opposite to the citadel. Major-General Howard now -directed Maitland to support the right flank, and Major-General -Stopford, with the 2nd brigade of guards, to -co-operate in recovering the ground between that flank -and St. Etienne; that officer was soon after wounded, -and the command of the brigade fell to General Guise.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The French repulsed.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The night was very dark; but the French from time -to time sent up blue lights from the citadel, -obtaining light enough thereby to direct their -guns, of which nearly 70 were constantly firing to support -their attack. Some of their shells and fire-balls fell upon -the depôt of fascines, and several houses also were set -on fire by the same means. These partial illuminations -made the darkness deeper in those places to which the light -did not extend; and the guards when they approached -the French line could distinguish it only by the fire of -musketry from behind the hedges and walls. They were -directed to lie down and wait till orders could be communicated -to the Coldstream guards, under Lieutenant-Colonel -Woodford, who were to charge simultaneously -for recovering the old position in the hollow road. Meanwhile<span class="pagenum" id="Page_443">443</span> -they kept close to the ground, for the eminence on -which they were was so exposed to the citadel, that had -they stood up for a few minutes they must have been -nearly destroyed: but when the signal was given they -rose and rushed forward; the Coldstream charged on -the opposite flank at the same moment, and the contest -on this part of the line was decided by this well-combined -attack: the French ran with all speed lest their retreat -should be intercepted; and they suffered from a most -destructive fire which both battalions poured upon them -as they retired over the glacis of the citadel. When -also they were driven out of St. Etienne by the German -Legion, a field-piece was brought to bear on their columns, -and thirteen rounds of grape and canister were fired at -them with dreadful effect as they retreated down the -great road into St. Esprit. The moon rose toward the -close of the action; and, as day broke, French and -English were seen lying on all sides, killed or wounded, -and so intermixed, that there seemed to have been no -distinct line belonging to either party. The loss was -severe on both sides: on the part of the allies 143 were -killed, 452 wounded, and 231 made prisoners; the loss -of the French amounted to 913, of whom only twenty -were prisoners.</p> - -<p>During the short truce which took place on the outposts -when the engagement was over, the British officers -expressed their regret that so many brave men should -thus uselessly have been sacrificed; and they were justly -disgusted at the heartless levity with which the French -officers affected to treat the affair, saying it had been -nothing more than a <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">petite promenade militaire!</i> Under -all circumstances it seemed indeed to have been planned -less in a military spirit than with a feeling of bitter -enmity; made as it was when the French had reason to -know that the war was at an end, ... and when, if it had<span class="pagenum" id="Page_444">444</span> -been otherwise, no object but that of the immediate -slaughter could be effected, there being no works to be -destroyed, no cannon to be spiked; and when whatever - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Batty’s Campaign, 158, 165.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -loss might have been inflicted could not have -been so great as to prevent or delay the operations -of the siege. Major-General Colville, on whom -the command devolved, landed his guns, and made preparations -upon a scale which, if hostilities had been -renewed, would, in all human probability, in the course -of a very few weeks have added Bayonne to the British -conquests. But no new conquest, no farther victories -were needed for the honour of the British name. The -reputation of the English soldiers had not been higher -in the days of the Black Prince, nor that of a British -commander in the days of Marlborough.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Suchet and Soult acknowledge the new government.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Colonels Cooke and S. Simon made no tarriance in -Toulouse, but hastened on to inform Marshal -Soult of Buonaparte’s deposition, and the consequent -termination of the war. The Marshal -discovered no willingness to acquiesce in the -new order of things; the information, he said, came to -him without any character of authenticity, nevertheless, -inasmuch as Lord Wellington seemed persuaded of its -truth, he proposed an armistice, that he might have time -to receive from the Emperor’s government official advices, -which might direct him how to act. When Colonel -Cooke returned to Toulouse with this reply, Lord -Wellington dispatched a second letter to Marshal Soult, -saying, it appeared to him that Colonel Simon had been -sent to the French Marshal by the Provisional Government -of France, just as Colonel Cooke had been to him -by the British minister who was with the King of Prussia, -both bearers of official intelligence; nor could the truth -of that intelligence be doubted, nor did it require proof. -Without requiring his Excellency to come to a decision,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_445">445</span> -whatever that might be, he himself, he added, must not -depart from the line of conduct which the allied sovereigns -had pursued in their negotiations at Paris; but were he -to consent to an armistice before his Excellency should -have followed the example of his companions in arms, -and declared his adhesion to the Provisional Government, -he should be sacrificing the interest not only of the allies, -but of France itself, whom it concerned so much to be -saved from a civil war. Meantime Colonel S. Simon -proceeded to Marshal Suchet, whom he found at Narbonne -with about 12,000 men, all whom he could bring out of -Spain. His last act in Catalonia had been to demolish -the fortifications of Rosas; Denia and Morella had -capitulated; he left garrisons blockaded in Figueras, -Hostalric, Barcelona, Tortosa, Murviedro, and Peñiscola, -in which latter place the governor with his staff, and -many others, perished by the explosion of a magazine. -Marshal Suchet was far from approving the latter movements -of Marshal Soult, and from his own dispatches -had been led to believe that he could surely have maintained -himself at Toulouse. Upon Colonel S. Simon’s -arrival, he assembled his superior officers, laid the information -before them, and with their unanimous consent -sent in the adhesion of the army of Aragon and Catalonia. -Soult had now no choice; the allies were moving against - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 19.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -him ready to have acted if he had hesitated -longer; yielding an unwilling consent, he then -acknowledged the Provisional Government, and a convention -for the suspension of hostilities was arranged.</p> - -<p>Thus was the war concluded, happily for all parties, -even for the French, whom nothing but such a series of -defeats could have delivered from the tyranny which -their former victories had brought upon themselves. It -was by the national spirit which had first shown itself in -the Peninsula, by the persevering efforts of Great Britain<span class="pagenum" id="Page_446">446</span> -in the peninsular war, the courage of her troops, and -the skill of her great commander, that Buonaparte’s -fortune had been checked at its height, and successfully -resisted, till other governments were encouraged, and -other nations roused by the example; and that power, -the most formidable which had ever been known in the -civilized world, was then beaten down. The independence -of Spain and Portugal had been triumphantly vindicated -and secured; and if the civil liberties of both countries -were not restored, and firmly established upon a sure -foundation, the cause is to be found, not in any foreign -influence exercised ill, nor in the perverse disposition, -nor malignant designs of any individual or set of men, -but in old evils which time had rendered inveterate, for -which there is no sudden cure, and which when it is -attempted to remove them by the knife and the cautery, -must ever be rendered worse.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Disposition of Ferdinand on his return.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Ferdinand had returned from captivity with the belief -in which he had been trained up, that by right -of birth, and by the laws and customs of his -country, he was an absolute King; and in this -the great majority of the nation entirely agreed with him. -But he had been accustomed to yield to circumstances -which he could not control, feeling in himself neither -the wish nor the strength to struggle against them; and -had the general opinion been in favour of the new constitution, -he would have submitted to it, as he had to his -detention at Valençay, if with no better will, with the -same apparent contentment, and the same convenient -insensibility. Certain it is that he had no intention of -overthrowing it when he arrived at Zaragoza:... “there -are many parts of it,” said he, “which I do not approve; -but if any opposition on my part were likely to cause -the shedding of one drop of Spanish blood, I would -swear to it immediately.” He soon found that this was<span class="pagenum" id="Page_447">447</span> -not the national wish; that the people cared for the -constitution as little as they understood it, that they -execrated the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i>, and hated the Cortes for their - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Impolitic measures of the Cortes.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -sake. That assembly, indeed, had acted toward -all classes with such strange impolicy as to offend -or injure all. The nobles, though the constitution -gave them not that weight in the political scale, -without which there can be no well-balanced monarchy, -might nevertheless have submitted to it without repugnance, -because they possessed no authority as an order -under the old government: but their property had been -attacked; and a sweeping decree had abolished those -feudal rights and customs from which a large portion -of their hereditary revenues was derived. The clergy -might have acquiesced in the suppression of the Inquisition, -if they had not been required to proclaim the -triumph of the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i>, ... a triumph whereby nothing -was gained for toleration, death being still the punishment -for any one who should dare dissent from the -Roman Catholic faith. The monasteries might have -been quietly reduced, as Pombal had begun to reduce -them, without wrong to the existing communities, and -without offence to the feelings or prejudices of the nation, -simply by forbidding the admittance of new members: -by suppressing them the Cortes not only made the -monks and friars their enemies, but the people also, -among whom the revenues of the former were expended, -and over whom the latter exercised far greater influence -than either the gospel or the laws. This measure, -indeed, would have been impolitic, even if the whole -expected profit to the treasury had accrued from it; but -as a measure of finance it was worse than a failure. Purchasers -could not be found for church property thus -confiscated, in a country where the people revolted at -this species of sacrilege; the estates, therefore, were<span class="pagenum" id="Page_448">448</span> -administered for the government; and what with the -excuses and opportunities which were afforded for mal-administration -and peculation, it was generally found that -the costs of management consumed the whole proceeds; -whereas a regular impost might always have been levied -upon the former possessors. The necessity of raising -money to support the war was the plea for this suppression; -yet the pay of the armies was always greatly -in arrear; and it has been seen how much they suffered -for want of proper clothing and of sufficient food: such -evils are always imputed to the government under which -they exist; and as the Cortes had, in fact, assumed the -government, the Cortes were as unpopular with the soldiers -as with the great body of the people. Nothing but -the army could support them if the King should refuse -to take upon himself the yoke which they had prepared -for him; yet such was the infatuation of the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i>, -that one of their most influential members said the -liberties of the country could never be safe if there were -even four paid soldiers and a corporal in it; and another -described the army as composed of privileged mercenaries -and hired assassins.</p> - -<p>Yet this party courted popularity; and while they -declaimed in the hall of the Cortes fancied that they -enjoyed it. The galleries were filled with their admirers; -and they had active partizans who could at any -time raise tumult enough out of doors to carry violent -measures by intimidation. The <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Serviles</i>, as they contemptuously -called those who disapproved the new constitution, -either wholly or in any of its parts, were kept -silent, some by prudence, others by this system of terror. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Feb. 3.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -One deputy ventured to say that Ferdinand, as -soon as he arrived, ought to be acknowledged -as being born to all the rights and privileges of an absolute -King, and that the constitution ought therefore to<span class="pagenum" id="Page_449">449</span> -be annulled. The indignation of the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i> burst -forth at this, and of the galleries also, for the persons -who attended there had always a potential voice; the -president thought it prudent to close the doors, lest the -liberal mob should be brought in to take summary vengeance -upon the indiscreet member: a vote for expelling -him was passed, and orders given for commencing a -process against him, upon a law passed in the preceding - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">Aug. 18, 1813.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -summer, by which any person who should affirm, -either by word of mouth or by writing, that -the constitution ought not to be observed, was to be -punished with perpetual banishment, and the deprivation -of all offices, pay, and honours. Another law had -been passed, on the same day, declaring, that whoever -should conspire to establish any other religion in -Spain than the Catholic-Apostolic-Roman religion, or -to make the Spanish nation cease to profess it, should be -prosecuted as a traitor, and suffer death, the established -law concerning offences against the faith remaining in -full force. It was only by thus consenting to the persecution -of religious opinions that the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i> could -make the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Serviles</i> concur in a law which gave them -authority to persecute for political ones!</p> - -<p>“Happy,” said a journalist who spoke the sentiments -of the ruling party, “happy will be the day when Ferdinand, -having been restored to his faithful subjects, -may be thus addressed: Here is your throne, preserved -by the loyalty of your subjects; here is your crown, repurchased -for you by the blood of Spaniards; here is -your sceptre, which Spanish constancy replaces in your -hands; here is your royal robe, purpled with the blood -of thousands who have fallen that you might wear it! -Peruse our history; inform yourself of all that the Spaniards -have done for you, and never forget that to the -Spanish people you owe everything. Never forget that<span class="pagenum" id="Page_450">450</span> -you are come to be the chief of a nation, the monarch -of subjects who have abolished the vestiges of despotism! -It is the law which orders; ... the King is the executive -magistrate.... But, that such a day of jubilee may arrive, -King Ferdinand must return absolutely free, neither -influenced by the tyrant of France, nor by Spaniards who -are ignorant of the state of Spain, or who regard our -institutions with dislike.” This was written before the -overthrow of Buonaparte, and before Ferdinand’s enlargement, -and perhaps before the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i> themselves apprehended -the consequence in which their own rashness -must inevitably involve them. Indifferent spectators -saw clearly that either the constitution must be modified, -or that the King would make himself absolute again: -and even now, if the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i> had not been possessed -with an overweening opinion of their own strength, such -a modification might have been effected as would have -given the Spaniards all the liberty which they were willing -to receive, and, indeed, all the political freedom -which those who had the sincerest wish for their improvement -and their prosperity could have desired for -them. But when the last communication from Valençay -was read in the Cortes, conciliatory as it was intended -to be, and satisfactory as it ought to have been deemed, -one member took a sudden exception to the word <em>subjects</em>: -“We are not subjects!” he exclaimed. And -another member, expressing his assent to the absurd -exception, said, that the Spanish people were subjects of -the law alone; but that the use of a word which he -erroneously represented as being peculiar to the ancient -despotism was accounted for by Ferdinand’s long imprisonment, -and his consequent ignorance of the new political -phraseology of Spain! Meantime the most preposterous -projects were started by those who saw that -such language and such opinions were likely to occasion<span class="pagenum" id="Page_451">451</span> -a struggle, and who saw no farther. Some were for -assembling an army to defend the Cortes against the -King; others were for setting him aside, and appointing -his brother, the Infante Don Carlos, to reign in his stead: -and it is said that there was a party in the Cortes who -dreamed of offering the crown to Lord Wellington!</p> - -<p>Some of the Guerrilla chiefs are said at this time to -have tendered their services to the Cortes; and this is -rendered probable by their subsequent conduct. The -Cortes is supposed to have reckoned, also, upon Lacy’s -attachment to the constitution; but the enthusiasm with -which Ferdinand was received by the troops might have -shown them how little they could expect from any declarations -of the military in their favour. When it was expected -that he would proceed from Barcelona to Valencia, -Elio, with the double purpose of rendering most honour -to the King and affording most gratification to the soldiers, -proposed a truce to General Robert, in order that the -troops employed in the blockade of Tortosa might join - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -their comrades, who were assembled at Amposta, -to receive him on his way. When Ferdinand -apprized them that he had changed his route, he assigned -as a reason his desire of viewing the ruins of Zaragoza, -and showing a mark of respect to that faithful city. But -the season of festivity at Valencia was rather prolonged -than retarded by this deviation; for the Infante Don -Antonio proceeded immediately thither, and his arrival -kept the inhabitants in a jubilant state till the King himself -arrived. Ferdinand may have intended to gain time -by this delay for making himself acquainted with the -real state of public opinion; but the visit was probably -suggested by Palafox, without any such view: he knew -that it would be creditable to the King’s feelings, and -honourable to the Zaragozans; and what could be so -gratifying to himself as to return under such circumstances<span class="pagenum" id="Page_452">452</span> -to Zaragoza, where, with a devoted heroism -which had never been surpassed, he had performed his -duty to the uttermost, and won for himself a glorious -name not to be stained by calumny, and not to be -obscured by lapse of ages, while any remembrance of -these times shall endure.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Cardinal Bourbon’s reception by Ferdinand.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>After tarrying some twelve days at Zaragoza, Ferdinand -set out for Valencia. On the way he was -met by his uncle, Cardinal Bourbon, whom, as -President of the Regency, the Cortes had sent -to meet the King, but with a strict injunction that -he was not to kiss the King’s hand, because they deemed -any such mark of homage inconsistent with their dignity. -Ferdinand had been apprized of this; and, as -a first and easy trial of his strength, when the Cardinal -accosted him, he presented his hand, and commanded -him to kiss it. The old prelate, who had weakly promised -to obey the orders of the Cortes, which in his -heart he disapproved, obeyed the King with better will -than grace, after he had shown a wish to avoid the ceremony; -but Ferdinand, having thus humbled him, turned -his back upon him in displeasure, and presently deprived -him of his archbishopric.</p> - -<p>The objection to the word subjects might have been -imputed to the folly of the individuals who started and -supported it; ... but this refusal of a ceremony which was -as old as the monarchy itself, was the act of the Cortes -as a body, and might well be considered as one more -proof that they, who had so preposterously assumed the -title of Majesty for themselves, were resolved to leave -the sovereign little but his bare title. But Ferdinand -had seen the disposition of the people at Zaragoza; he -had seen that all classes heartily united in reprobating -the measures of the Cortes, and that the re-establishment -of the Inquisition was one of the blessings which<span class="pagenum" id="Page_453">453</span> -they expected from his return The disposition of the - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Elio meets the King. <span class="date">April 15.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -army was distinctly declared by Elio, who met -him at Jaquesa, on the frontiers of Aragon -and Valencia, and addressed him in the name -of the second army, that army, he said, which had shed -most blood, and made most sacrifices for the deliverance -of their country and their King. “Your Majesty,” said -he, “arrived in a happy hour to occupy the throne of -your fathers; and the God of Hosts, who by such strange -and wonderful ways has brought your Majesty hither to -restore the monarchy of the Spains, which Nature has -given you, may He give you all the strength of mind -and body that are required for governing it worthily: -then, Sire, you will not forget the armies which have -deserved so well, those armies who, having moistened -with their blood the land which they have delivered, -find themselves at this day in want, neglected, and what -is worse, outraged; but they trust that you, Sire, will -do them justice!” Elio then offered to resign his General’s -staff; and upon Ferdinand’s declining to receive it, -and saying it was well placed in his hand, the General, -with ready adulation, said, “Take it, Sire, ... let your -Majesty grasp it but for a moment, and in that moment -it will acquire new worth, new strength!” The King -took the staff accordingly, and instantly returned it. Elio -then requested permission to kiss his royal hand, and in -a short but studied speech, which concluded this ominous -scene, he pledged himself that 40,000 strong right arms -should be as they had been in the worst of times, the -support of his throne.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ferdinand enters Valencia.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Ferdinand entered Valencia on the following evening, -drawn into the city as he had been into every -place upon the road by the joyous people who -yoked themselves to his carriage, and who testified -by every possible expression of word and deed their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_454">454</span> -desire of taking the old yoke upon themselves and upon -their children. An English traveller, who had the good -fortune to be present on this memorable day, describes -their enthusiasm as bordering upon madness; he had -seen before the King’s deliverance the extreme unpopularity -of the Cortes throughout Spain, but the feeling -which was now manifested surprised him by its intensity -and its eagerness, and by the sudden conversion of those -who but a few days before professed fidelity to the new -constitution; those very persons were now ready to shed -their blood in Ferdinand’s cause, that he might be -restored, they said, to the full enjoyment of all the -rights which his fathers had possessed. “Long live -the Absolute King!” was the cry, “and down with the -Constitution!”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">April 17.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>On the morrow the King went on foot to the cathedral, -to be present at a thanksgiving service for his -restoration. The streets were lined with soldiers; -the colours of the crown regiment were lowered -as he passed, so as to be spread before him, that he might -see they were stained with blood; and Elio, who had -prepared this scene, said, “I have detained you for a -sight worthy of you! The stains which you see upon -this flag are of the blood of the officer who now holds it, -and who, when covered with wounds, saved it from the -enemy at Castalla. The crown which this blood has -dyed seems to say that the blood which the loyal Spanish -army has shed is that which has recovered for you your -crown; and the blood which remains in all the Spanish -armies they are ready to shed for securing you upon the -throne in the plenitude of those rights which Nature has -made your portion!” Ferdinand could not have performed -his part better at that moment if he had studied -it; he stooped and kissed the flag, and announced to the -standard-bearer, who had before received no promotion<span class="pagenum" id="Page_455">455</span> -for his services, that he was now promoted. In the afternoon, -after the officers had been presented and had kissed -hands, Elio, in their name and presence, renewed for the -army under his command the oath which the whole loyal -Spanish nation had taken in the year 1808, when Ferdinand -was acknowledged King: the constitution was not -mentioned in his address, nor the Cortes; “this oath,” -said he, “they renew by me as their organ upon your -royal hand (and he knelt and kissed the hand at this part -of his speech), and they promise your Majesty that at -the price of their blood they will preserve the throne for -you with all those rights to which the heroic Spanish - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The officers swear fidelity to him.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -nation at that time swore.” Turning then to the -officers, he asked whether these were the sentiments -which animated them? He was answered -by a general acclamation of assent: many of them burst -into tears in the strength of their emotion, and some -cries were heard of death to those who did not hold such -sentiments, and would not maintain them! The time -came when General Elio paid with his own life’s blood -for this and other services to the absolute cause.</p> - -<p>He was indeed an evil counsellor now, acting honestly -and bravely, but upon an erring judgment. Unhappily -there never was a time in which wise counsel was more -needed; for if the blind, unreflecting, generous loyalty -of the nation had been rightly estimated, so as to call -forth a generous but thoughtful feeling in return, it -would be rash and presumptuous to say that things -might have been settled upon a sure foundation, but -certainly much evil might have been averted, much -wickedness might have been prevented, and blood, and -tears, and misery, might have been spared. General -Whittingham, who commanded the cavalry and artillery -in Aragon when the King arrived at Zaragoza, and who<span class="pagenum" id="Page_456">456</span> -accompanied him by his express orders to Valencia, was - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>General Whittingham’s advice.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -asked in that city his opinion whether the King -should swear to the constitution or not? He -replied, that the constitution was too democratic -to be in accord either with the habits and opinions of the -Spanish people, or with the laws and customs of the -Spanish monarchy; it must be modified therefore in many -parts, or there could be no hope of its duration. Yet -one of its articles forbade the slightest alteration during -the space of eight years; and thus the King, if he swore -to it, must either deprive himself of all possibility of -amending it during that time, or be guilty of predetermined -perjury. He delivered it therefore as his opinion, -that the King under these circumstances could not swear -to the constitution as it then existed; but, he added, that -the Cortes had deserved well both of the King and of -the country; that the King, unaccompanied by a single -soldier, should in person dissolve the Cortes, should -thank them for the service they had rendered the state, -and say that it would gratify him to see them re-elected -by their constituents as members of the Cortes which he -was about to summon.</p> - -<p>The British ambassador, Sir Henry Wellesley, had -gone to Valencia to meet the King, and the advice which -he gave was to the same effect, that he should modify -the constitution, but not annul it. This indeed was the -opinion which any Englishman who regarded the situation -of Spain with a sincere wish for the peace and prosperity -and improvement of a great and noble nation would then -have formed; for this was the straightforward course -which at that golden opportunity it behoved the King to -take. But there were few Spaniards who saw this, few -who were in a state of sufficient equanimity to see it: -inflamed by strong passions, or settled in strong prepossessions<span class="pagenum" id="Page_457">457</span> -which no force of reason, no lessons of experience -could shake, a small minority were bent upon violent -change, a much more powerful and now more active -party were resolved to resist all alteration, even such as -was most needed; while the great majority of the people, -looking back upon the tranquillity they had enjoyed -before the war as to a golden age, desired nothing but -to return to their old habits and their old pursuits, -and relapse into their former state of happy indifference -to all political affairs. The care of the nation they were -for leaving to the government, the care of religion to the -Holy Office, and the care of their individual consciences -to the priest, as implicitly as they relied on Providence -for the due return of the seasons; and it was with these, -who were the great body of his subjects, that Ferdinand, -who would have been just such a subject himself, was in -perfect sympathy. It is often seen that circumstances -awaken dormant genius, and bring latent qualities into -strong action: but no circumstances can raise an ordinary -man to the level of extraordinary times, no circumstances -can give strength to a weak mind; nor can anything but -the special grace of God call forth in the heart a virtue -which is not innate in it.</p> - -<p>The Cortes at this time repeated their solicitations -that the King would proceed to Madrid, and establish -the happiness of Spain; but they made a show of military -preparations to support their own authority; and they -took upon themselves, with singular indiscretion, to regulate -the establishment of his household. But every day - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Memorial of the Serviles.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -now diminished their numbers as well as their -strength; and more than seventy of the members -sent a deputation to Valencia to present a -memorial, in which they protested against the measures -of the Cortes as having been carried by force and intimidation, -and professed for themselves, and for the provinces<span class="pagenum" id="Page_458">458</span> -which they represented, fidelity to their ancient laws and -institutions. Beyond all doubt they spoke the sense of - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Stone of the Constitution removed.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the provinces. In most of the large towns, the -<i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Plaza Mayor</i>, or Great Square, had been new -named <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Plaza de la Constitucion</i>, and a stone -with these words engraven on it erected there; at Valencia -this was removed one night, and in the morning what is -absurdly called a provisional stone of wood, was set up -in its place, with the words <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Real Plaza de Fernando VII.</i>: -this was publicly done; and the provisional stone was -first borne under Ferdinand’s window with military -honours, in a long procession formed by the populace, -with officers intermixed, carrying drawn swords, and -bearing the royal flag. A stanza, composed<a id="FNanchor_10" href="#Footnote_10" class="fnanchor">10</a> and printed -for the occasion, was soon affixed to it, denouncing, in a -ferocious spirit, vengeance upon any one who should -profane it, and upon the liberal party.</p> - -<p>The news of Buonaparte’s deposition, and the consequent -termination of hostilities, reached Ferdinand during -his tarriance at Valencia. Any perplexity which he -might have felt (if he could be supposed to have felt any) -concerning the treaty of Valençay was thus removed, and -there was nothing to withdraw his attention from the -immediate object of resuming his absolute authority, -and suppressing what he now regarded as a mere revolutionary -faction. He was delayed a week by indisposition, -which confined him to his apartment. The first thing -he did, when he was sufficiently recovered to leave the -house, was to visit all the nunneries, that the nuns might<span class="pagenum" id="Page_459">459</span> -not be disappointed in their ardent desire of seeing him; -and in these visits part of two days was employed much -to the increase of his popularity, this being at the same -time an evidence, it was thought, of good-nature, and of -devout respect to the superstition of the country. When - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Breve Relacion de los sucesos en Valencia.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -these visits were concluded, he attended an -evening <i xml:lang="la" lang="la">Te Deum</i> in the cathedral, performed -by the light of 20,000 tapers; after which he -and the Infantes adored a chalice of legendary -reputation which is venerated there. Hitherto there had -been no avowal of the course which he intended to -pursue; but on this day a declaration appeared, signed - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ferdinand’s declaration. <span class="date">May 4.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -by the King and by Macanaz, as Secretary of -State, with special powers for this peculiar occasion. -In this memorable paper, Ferdinand, -speaking in his own person, began by briefly touching -upon his accession to the throne, and his imprisonment, -at the commencement of which he had issued, he said, -as well as he could, while surrounded by force, a decree -addressed to the Council of Castille, or, in defect of it, -to any other chancellery or audience that might be at -liberty, requiring them to convoke a Cortes which should -employ itself solely on the immediate business of taking -measures and raising supplies for the defence of the -kingdom, and remain permanent for other emergencies. -This decree had arrived too late; and when the Cortes -of 1810 was assembled, the states of the nobility and -clergy were not summoned to it, although the Central -Junta had so directed; and the members, after taking the -oaths, “whereby,” said he, “they bound themselves to -preserve to me, as their sovereign, all my dominions, on -the very day of their installation, and for a commencement -of their proceedings, despoiled me of the sovereignty -which they had just before acknowledged, attributing -it nominally to the nation, for the purpose of appropriating<span class="pagenum" id="Page_460">460</span> -it to themselves, and then dictating what laws they -pleased. Thus, without authority from province, place, -or junta, and without the knowledge of those which -were said to be represented by substitute members, they -imposed upon the nation the yoke of a new constitution, -wherein almost the whole form of the old constitution of -the monarchy was changed; and, copying the revolutionary -and democratical principles of the French constitution -of 1791, they sanctioned ... not the fundamental -laws of a moderate monarchy, ... but those of a popular -government, with a chief or magistrate, their mere -delegated executor, and not a King, although they gave -him that name to deceive and seduce the unwary. They -carried these laws by means of the threats and violence -of those persons with whom the galleries of the Cortes -were filled; giving thus the colour of the general will -to what was in fact only the work of a faction. With -the same want of liberty, the constitution was signed -and sworn to; and it was notorious to all what had been -the treatment of the respectable Bishop of Orense, and -the punishment with which others had been threatened -who refused to sign and swear to it.”</p> - -<p>He proceeded then to say in what manner revolutionary -principles had been diffused in journals, some of -which were edited by members of the Cortes; that king, -and tyrant, and despot had been used as synonymous -terms; that the army and navy and other establishments -which used to be called royal, had been re-named national, -in order to flatter the people, who, nevertheless, in spite -of these arts, retained by their native loyalty the good -feelings which always formed their character. “Of all -this,” he continued, “since I happily re-entered the -kingdom, I have been acquiring faithful information, -partly by my own observation, and partly from the public -papers, in which, up to this day, representations of my<span class="pagenum" id="Page_461">461</span> -coming and of my character are circulated, so false and -infamous in themselves, that even with regard to any -other individual they would be heavy offences, worthy -of severe exposure and punishment. Such unexpected -circumstances have filled my heart with bitterness, which -has only been tempered by demonstrations of affection -from all those who hoped for my arrival, that my presence -might put an end to these evils, and to the oppression -in which those were held who preserved the remembrance -of my person, and desired the true happiness of -their country. True and loyal Spaniards, I promise -and vow to you that you shall not be deceived in your -noble hopes! Your sovereign wishes to be so for your -sake; and in this he places his glory, ... in being the -sovereign of an heroic nation, who by immortal deeds -have gained the admiration of all, and preserved their -liberty and their honour. I abhor and detest despotism: -the intelligence and cultivation of the nations of Europe -do not suffer it now; neither in Spain have its Kings -ever been despots, nor have its good laws and constitution -authorized it, though by misfortune there may have -been from time to time there, as every where, and in -every thing human, abuses which no possible constitution -can entirely preclude; and these were not the faults -of the constitution, but of individuals, and the effects -of melancholy but very rare circumstances which gave -occasion to them. Yet to prevent them as far as may -be by human foresight, preserving the honour of the -royal dignity and its rights (for rights it has) and those -which belong to the people, which are equally inviolable, -I will consult with the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">procuradores</i> of Spain and of the -Indies, and in a Cortes, legitimately assembled, composed -of both, as soon as they can be brought together, -(order having been restored, and the good usages in<span class="pagenum" id="Page_462">462</span> -which the nation has lived, and which with its accord -the Kings, my august predecessors, have established,) -every thing that can conduce to the good of my kingdom -shall be firmly and legitimately established, that -my subjects may live prosperously and happily under -a religion and a government closely united in an indissoluble -tie, wherein and wherein alone consists the temporal -happiness of a King and a kingdom bearing for -excellence the title of Catholic. Immediate preparations -shall be made for assembling these Cortes. Liberty -and security, individual and royal, shall be firmly secured -by means of laws, which, guaranteeing public tranquillity -and order, shall leave to all that wholesome liberty, -the undisturbed enjoyment of which distinguishes a -moderate government from an arbitrary and despotic -one. This just liberty all, likewise, shall enjoy to communicate -their ideas and thoughts through the press, -that is, within those limits which sound reason prescribes -to all, that it degenerate not into licentiousness; for the -respect which is due to religion and to government, and -that which men ought mutually to observe towards each -other, can under no civilized government be reasonably -permitted to be violated with impunity. All suspicion, -also, of any waste of the public revenues shall cease; -those which shall be assigned for the expenses required -for the honour of my royal person and family, and that -of the nation which I have the glory to govern being -separated from the revenues, which, with consent of the -kingdom, may be assigned for the maintenance of the -state in all the branches of its administration. And the -laws which shall hereafter serve as a rule of action for -my subjects shall be established in concert with the -Cortes; so that these bases may serve as an authentic -declaration of my royal intentions in the government<span class="pagenum" id="Page_463">463</span> -with which I am about to be charged, and will represent -to all, not a despot or a tyrant, but a King and a father -of his subjects.”</p> - -<p>He went on to say, that having heard complaints from -all parts against the constitution, and against the measures -of the Cortes, ... considering also the mischiefs -which had sprung therefrom, and would increase if he -should sanction that constitution with his consent, ... -acting, moreover, in conformity to the decided and -general demonstration of the wishes of his people, wishes -which were just in themselves and well founded, he -declared that he would not swear to the Cortes, but that -he annulled it, and abrogated all such of its acts as -derogated from the rights and prerogatives of his sovereignty -established by that constitution and those laws -under which the nation had so long lived. And he -declared all persons guilty of high treason who should -attempt to support them, and to excite discontent and -disturbance in his dominions, whether by writing, word, -or deed. The administration was to go on under the -present system till the old one could be restored; and -the political and administrative branches till the future -Cortes should have determined upon the permanent -order of this part of the government. But from the day -on which this his decree should be published and communicated -to the President of the Cortes, the sittings of -that Cortes should cease; all their papers should be -delivered to the officers charged with the execution of -this decree, and deposited in the house of the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> -of Madrid, and the room in which they were -deposited be locked and sealed up; and whoever should -obstruct the execution of the decree, should be deemed -guilty of high treason, and punished with death. All -proceedings pending for any infraction of the constitution -were to cease; and all persons imprisoned for such<span class="pagenum" id="Page_464">464</span> -infraction to be set at liberty forthwith. “Such,” the -King concluded, “is my will, because the welfare and -happiness of the nation require it.”</p> - -<p>By another decree of the same date, Ferdinand conferred -upon the capital, in testimony of his esteem and -gratitude, and in earnest of some more signal favour, -the privilege of adding to its appellation of the “right -noble, loyal, and imperial town of Madrid,” that of -“heroic” also; and upon its <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> the title of -“excellency.” In this decree, also, he ordered a hundred -doubloons to be distributed in each of the parishes -of Madrid, on the day when he should make his -entrance; and he regretted that circumstances did not -allow him to give greater proofs of his natural bounty. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>Ferdinand sets out for Madrid. <span class="date">May 5.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -On the following day he departed for Madrid. -Such were the multitudes who came from far -and near to obtain a sight of their King, that -one continued concourse of people lined the -whole way from Valencia. Every village devised some -means of displaying its loyalty; some by erecting -triumphal arches, such as their abilities could afford; -others by strewing the road with branches and flowers -for miles together. The Cortes, as he approached, could -no longer dream of resistance; the decree which abrogated -their constitution and put an end to their authority -was posted in the streets of Madrid, countersigned by -General Eguia, as Captain-General of New Castille, and -Political and Military Governor of the Province, now -by the King appointed; and deputations from its Audience -and its <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Ayuntamiento</i> went to meet him at Aranjuez, -where he halted two days, and where the rejoicing -of the inhabitants, and the illuminations which they -exhibited, and the confluence of visitors, contrasted -strangely with the devastation that the French had committed -there; for they had stripped the gardens of every<span class="pagenum" id="Page_465">465</span> -thing which could be carried away, and had destroyed or -mutilated the statues and the fountains.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>He enters Madrid. <span class="date">May 12.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Such members of the Cortes as were marked for the -King’s displeasure were arrested on the night -before his arrival by General Eguia. On the -13th Eguia went out with the grandees in procession, -habited in the ancient costume, to meet him. -The Majorcan division lined the Prado, from the Puerta -de Atocha, at which he entered, and the Calle de Alcala -to the Puerta del Sol, ... not to overawe the people (for -a corporal and four soldiers might have repressed any -discontent that appeared that day), but to increase the -pomp and splendour of the festival. In the highest -part of the Calle de Alcala, ... and no scene could be -better suited to such a pageant, ... a triumphal arch had -been erected, as imposing in appearance as if it had -been of durable materials. The balconies were hung -with silk of various colours, fringed with gold and silver; -and Ferdinand made his entrance amid the salute of -cannon, and the sound of bells from all the churches, -and the shouts and acclamations of an innumerable -multitude rising above all. Their invaders had been -totally defeated and expelled; their strong places were -recovered; their national independence had been gloriously -vindicated and established; the tyrant who had -deceived, and outraged, and insulted them, had been -beaten from his throne; the Intruder whom he had set -over them had been hunted out of their land; their -King, ... their legitimate, their popular, their beloved -King was restored! Greater joy could not have been -expressed, greater happiness could not have been felt, -if that King had been in all respects deserving of the -generous enthusiasm which was that day manifested for -his sake.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_466">466</span></p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Subsequent conduct of the people and of the government.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>If Ferdinand had now performed the promises which -were distinctly made in his declaration, he -might have averted much, if not all, of the subsequent -danger which he incurred, and the just -reproaches which will be attached to his name -in history. It ought not to be said that in making -those promises he had no intention of fulfilling them; -for though he scrupled at no dissimulation when under -duresse, they were voluntary in this case, and the temper -of the nation, then unequivocally declared, was such, -that no purpose was to be gained by it. Ferdinand -was a person of narrow mind, and his heart seems to -have been incapable of generous feeling; but he was -not a wicked man, nor would he have been a bad King -if he had met with wise ministers, and had ruled over an -enlightened people. On the two important subjects of -civil and religious freedom he and the great body of the -nation were in perfect sympathy, ... both, upon both -subjects, imbued with error to the core; and the popular -feeling in both cases outran his. The word Liberty -(<i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Libertad</i>) appeared in large bronze letters over the entrance -of the Hall of the Cortes in Madrid. The people -of their own impulse hurried thither to remove it; they -set up ladders, forced out letter by letter from the stone, -and as each was thrown into the street the spectators -renewed their shouts of exultation. They collected as -many of the journals of the Cortes, and of the papers -and pamphlets of the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i>, as could be got together; -formed a procession in which the religious fraternities, -and the clergy regular and secular, took the lead; piled -up these papers in one of the public squares, and sacrificed -them there as a political <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">auto-da-fé</i>, after which -high mass was performed and <i xml:lang="la" lang="la">Te Deum</i> sung, as a -thanksgiving for their triumph. The Stone of the Constitution,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_467">467</span> -as it was called, was everywhere removed, -and replaced as it had been at Valencia. The people -at Seville deposed all the existing authorities, elected -others in their stead to all the offices which had existed -under the old system, and then required those authorities -to re-establish the Inquisition. In re-establishing that -accursed tribunal by a formal act of government, in suppressing -the freedom of the press, which had been -abused to its own destruction, and in continuing to -govern not merely as an absolute monarch, but as a -despotic one, Ferdinand undoubtedly complied with the -wishes of the Spanish nation. He did these things conformably -to his own misguided conscience and weak -judgment, as well as to his inclinations; and for so doing -he was, by the voice of the people, a patriotic and popular -King. In all this he cannot justly be charged with -anything worse than error of judgment; fearfully injurious -indeed in its consequences, but in the individual -to be pitied as well as pardoned. But, in his treatment -of the more conspicuous persons among the <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Liberales</i>, -whom he condemned to strict and long imprisonment, -many of them for life, he brought upon himself an indelible -reproach, and incurred the guilt of individual sin. -Quintana, who, more than any other person, contributed -by his eloquent writings to excite and sustain the -national spirit, and awaken the sympathy of other nations, -was one of the victims thus sentenced, and his life is said -to have been not the only one which was shortened by -severe confinement.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>Lord Wellington returns to England.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>But the peninsular war concludes with the return of -Ferdinand to Madrid; and its history may best -be concluded with the return to his own country -of the General by whom it was brought to this -triumphant termination. A dukedom was conferred upon -Lord Wellington, £300,000 were voted by Parliament<span class="pagenum" id="Page_468">468</span> -for the purchase of an estate suitable to the dignity, and -such an additional grant of income as made up the annual -amount of his parliamentary allowances to £17,000. - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>He takes his seat in the House of Lords. <span class="date">June 28.</span><span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -He had not been in England since he was raised -to the peerage; and thus it happened, that when -he was introduced into the House of Lords to -take his seat, his patents of creation as Baron, -Earl, Marquis, and Duke were all to be read on the same -day. No ceremony of honour was omitted on this occasion: -the Duchess his wife, and his mother, the Countess -of Mornington, were present to behold it, being -seated below the throne. After the oaths had been administered, -and he had taken his seat, the Lord Chancellor - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Lord Chancellor’s speech.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -Eldon addressed him for the purpose of conveying -the thanks of the House, which had been -voted to him on the preceding evening, for the -twelfth time. In performing this duty, Lord Eldon said, -he could not refrain from calling the attention of his -Grace, and of the noble Lords present, to a circumstance -singular in the history of that House, ... that upon his -introduction he had gone through every dignity of the -peerage in this country which it was in the power of the -crown to bestow. These dignities had been conferred -upon him for eminent and distinguished services; and -he would not have the presumption to attempt to state -the nature of those services, nor to recapitulate those -brilliant acts which had given immortality to the name -of Wellington, and placed this empire on a height of -military renown of which there was no example in its -history. He could not better discharge the duty which -had devolved upon him than by recurring to the terms -in which that House had so often expressed their sense -of the energy, the unremitting exertions, the ardour, -and the ability with which the noble Duke had conducted -the arduous campaigns of the Peninsula, ... exertions<span class="pagenum" id="Page_469">469</span> -and ability which finally enabled him to place the allied -armies in the heart of France, fighting their way there -through the blaze of victory. The glorious result of his -victories had been to achieve the peace and security of -his country; while, by his example, he had animated -the rest of Europe, and enabled her governments to -restore their ancient order. The Lord Chancellor then -expressed his own satisfaction in being the instrument -of informing the Duke that the House unanimously -voted their thanks for his eminent and unremitted services, -and their congratulations upon his return to his -country.</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The House of Commons congratulate him on his return.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>The House of Commons in voting their thanks had -voted also that a committee of the House -should wait upon his Grace to communicate the -same, and to offer him their congratulations on -his return. The Duke in reply signified that he -was desirous of expressing to the House his -answer in person. He was admitted in consequence the -following day; a chair was set for him toward the -middle of the House: he came in making his obeisances, - -<span class="sni"><span class="sne">♦</span><span class="date">July 1.</span>He returns thanks to the House.<span class="sne">♦</span></span> - -the whole House rising upon his entrance. The -Speaker having informed him that there was a -chair in which he might repose himself, the -Duke sat down, covered for some time, the serjeant -standing on his right hand with the mace grounded, and -the House resumed their seats. The Duke then rose -and uncovered, and addressed the Speaker thus: “I was -anxious to be permitted to attend this House in order to -return my thanks in person for the honour they have -done me in deputing a committee of members to congratulate -me on my return to this country; and this after -the House had animated my exertions by their applause -upon every occasion which appeared to merit their approbation; -and after they had filled up the measure of their<span class="pagenum" id="Page_470">470</span> -favours by conferring upon me, at the recommendation -of the Prince Regent, the noblest gift that any subject -had ever received.</p> - -<p>“I hope it will not be deemed presumptuous in me to -take this opportunity of expressing my admiration of the -great efforts made by this House and by the country, at -a moment of unexampled pressure and difficulty, in order -to support the great scale of operation by which the contest -was brought to so fortunate a termination.</p> - -<p>“By the wise policy of Parliament the government -was enabled to give the necessary support to the operations -which were carried on under my direction; and I -was encouraged by the confidence reposed in me by his -Majesty’s ministers and by the Commander-in-chief, by -the gracious favour of his Royal Highness the Prince -Regent, and by the reliance which I had on the support -of my gallant friends the general officers of the army, -and on the bravery of the officers and troops, to carry on -the operations in such a manner as to acquire for me -those marks of the approbation of this House, for which -I have now the honour to make my humble acknowledgments. -Sir, it is impossible for me to express the -gratitude which I feel; I can only assure the House that -I shall always be ready to serve his Majesty in any capacity -in which my services can be deemed useful, with the -same zeal for my country which has already acquired for -me the approbation of this House.”</p> - -<div class="sidenote"><span class="sne">♦</span>The Speaker’s speech.<span class="sne">♦</span></div> - -<p>Mr. Abbot, the Speaker, who had sat covered during -this speech, then stood up uncovered, and replied -to his Grace in these words: “My Lord, since -last I had the honour of addressing you from this -place, a series of eventful years has elapsed, but none -without some mark and note of your rising glory.</p> - -<p>“The military triumphs which your valour has -achieved upon the banks of the Douro and the Tagus,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_471">471</span> -of the Ebro and the Garonne, have called forth the spontaneous -shouts of admiring nations. Those triumphs it is -needless at this day to recount. Their names have been -written by your conquering sword in the annals of Europe, -and we shall hand them down with exultation to our -children’s children.</p> - -<p>“It is not, however, the grandeur of military success -which has alone fixed our admiration, or commanded our -applause; it has been that generous and lofty spirit -which inspired your troops with unbounded confidence, -and taught them to know that the day of battle was -always a day of victory; that moral courage and enduring -fortitude which, in perilous times, when gloom and -doubt had beset ordinary minds, stood nevertheless unshaken; -and that ascendency of character which, uniting -the energies of jealous and rival nations, enabled you to -wield at will the fates and fortunes of mighty empires.</p> - -<p>“For the repeated thanks and grants bestowed upon -you by this House, in gratitude for your many and -eminent services, you have thought fit this day to offer us -your acknowledgments: but this nation well knows that -it is still largely your debtor; it owes to you the proud -satisfaction, that amidst the constellation of great and -illustrious warriors who have recently visited our country, -we could present to them a leader of our own, to whom -all, by common acclamation, conceded the pre-eminence. -And when the will of Heaven, and the common destinies -of our nature, shall have swept away the present generation, -you will have left your great name and example -as an imperishable monument, exciting others to like -deeds of glory, and serving at once to adorn, defend, and -perpetuate the existence of this country amongst the -ruling nations of the earth.”</p> - -<p>With these honours was the Duke of Wellington -received, and such honours were never more fully deserved.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_472">472</span> -Since the peace of Utrecht, in which the -interests of Europe were sacrificed by that party-spirit -which is the reproach of England, our military reputation -had declined. The American war contributed to -lower us in the estimation of our neighbours; for though -the courage of our men was never found wanting in the -day of trial, the circumstances of that contest were such -that, after the first season for vigorous measures was -gone by, success became morally impossible. This was -not taken into the account. The war ended to our loss; -and the disgrace which should exclusively have attached -to our councils affected our arms also. When the Duke -of York was made commander-in-chief, our military -establishments were in a wretched state; boys held commissions -literally before they were out of leading-strings; -there was not a single institution in Great Britain wherein -tactics were taught; and it was in France that young -Arthur Wellesley learned the elements of war! The -Duke of York soon began a silent and efficient reform; -abuse after abuse was removed, defect after defect supplied; -but these improvements were known only to persons -connected with the army; and its military character -suffered materially in the revolutionary war from causes -which are neither imputable to the commander, nor to -the soldiers under him: for then also, as in the American -war, they were placed in circumstances which rendered -success impossible. The evil, however, was done. The -enemy insulted us; the continental nations were persuaded -that we were not a military people; and we, -contenting ourselves with our acknowledged maritime -supremacy, were but too ready to assent to an opinion -which in its consequences must have operated as a death-sentence -upon national honour, national power, and -national independence. It is not too much to say that our -army would have sunk into contempt, if the expedition<span class="pagenum" id="Page_473">473</span> -to Egypt had not thrown some splendour over the close -of a most ill-fated and ill-conducted war. But the effect -which that expedition produced upon public feeling -soon passed away; and the French convinced themselves -that our success had been owing to the incapacity of -their commander, the disputes among their generals, and -the universal desire of their troops to escape from -Egypt, ... any cause rather than the true one. A second -war broke out; and while the enemy obtained the most -signal victories, we had only the solitary battle of Maida -to boast, which was upon so small a scale, and so nugatory -in its consequences, that the continent never heard -of it, though our disgrace at Buenos Ayres was known -everywhere.</p> - -<p>Meantime the French had persuaded Europe as well -as themselves that Buonaparte was the greatest military -genius of ancient or of modern times; that his generals -were all consummate masters in the art of war; and that -his troops were, in every respect, the best in the world. -This opinion was more than ever prevalent when Sir -Arthur Wellesley took the command in Portugal in 1809, -and began a career which, when all circumstances are -considered, may truly be said to be unparalleled in military -history. He entered upon that career at a time -when the military reputation and the military power of -France were at their greatest height; when a belief that -it was impossible to resist the commanding genius and -inexhaustible resources of Buonaparte had been inculcated -in this country with pestilent activity, and had -deeply tainted the public mind. Daily and weekly, -monthly and quarterly, this poison was administered -with the most mischievous perseverance in newspapers, -magazines, and reviews. Never was there an opinion -more injurious, more fatal to the honour, interest, safety, -independence, and existence of the country; yet was it<span class="pagenum" id="Page_474">474</span> -propagated by writers who were then held in the highest -estimation, and they enforced it with a zeal which -arrayed their passions, and seemed to array their wishes, -as well as their intellect, on the enemy’s side; and with -a confidence which boldly affirmed that nothing but folly -or madness could presume to doubt their predictions. -Suicidal as the belief was, it was the creed of that party -in the state to which these writers had attached themselves; -and no effort was omitted on their part for deadening -the hopes, thwarting the exertions, disgusting the -allies, and encouraging the enemies of their country. -Our government was not influenced by such advisers; -but it was long before its exertions were commensurate -with the occasion; and during four years Lord Wellington -was crippled by the inadequacy of his means. Yet, -even when thus crippled, he contended successfully -against the undivided power of France. Every operation -of the British army under his command tended to -give the troops and the nation fresh confidence in their -general, and to impress upon the enemy a proper sense -of the British character. Wherever he met the French -he defeated them; whenever he found it necessary to -retire for want of numbers, or of food, or of co-operation -in the Spaniards, it was in such order, and so leisurely, -as neither to raise the hopes of the enemy, nor abate -those of his army, or of his allies. After the battle of -Talavera, and the series of provoking misconduct by -which the effects of that victory were frustrated, he distinctly -perceived the course which the enemy would -pursue, and, anticipating all their temporary advantages -(which yet he omitted no occasion of opposing and impeding), -he saw and determined how and where the vital -struggle must be made. The foresight of a general was -never more admirably displayed; and if there be one -place in the Peninsula more appropriate than another for<span class="pagenum" id="Page_475">475</span> -a monument to that leader whose trophies are found -throughout the whole, it is in the lines of Torres Vedras -that a monument to Lord Wellington should be erected. -When he took his stand there, Lisbon was not the only -stake of that awful contest: the fate of Europe was in -suspense; and they who, like Homer, could see the -balance in the hand of Jupiter, might then have perceived -that the fortunes of France were found wanting in the -scale. There the spell which bound the nations was -broken; the plans of the tyrant were baffled, his utmost -exertions when he had no other foe and no other object -were defied; his armies were beaten; and Europe, taking -heart when she beheld the deliverance of Portugal, -began to make a movement for her own, ... for that spirit -by which alone her deliverance could be effected was -excited. Foresight and enterprise, meantime, with our -commander went hand in hand; he never advanced, but -so as to be sure of his retreat; and never retreated, but -in such an attitude as to impose upon a superior enemy. -He never gave an opportunity, and never lost one. His -movements were so rapid as to deceive and astonish the -French, who prided themselves upon their own celerity. -He foiled general after general, defeated army after army, -captured fortress after fortress; and, raising the military -character of Great Britain to its old standard in the days -of Marlborough, made the superiority of the British -soldier over the Frenchman as incontestable as that of -the British seaman.</p> - -<p>The spirit of the country rose with its successes. -England once more felt her strength, and remembered -the part which she had borne, and the rank which she -had asserted in the days of her Edwards and her Henrys. -Buonaparte had bestowed upon France the name of the -Sacred Territory, boasting, as one of the benefits conferred -upon her by his government, that France alone<span class="pagenum" id="Page_476">476</span> -remained inviolable when every other part of the continent -was visited by the calamities of war. That boast was -no longer to hold good! Our victories in the Peninsula -prepared the deliverance of Europe, and Lord Wellington -led the way into France. A large portion of his army -consisted of Portugueze and Spaniards, who had every -imaginable reason to hate the people among whom they -went as conquerors; they had seen the most infernal -cruelties perpetrated in their own country by the French -soldiers; and it might have been supposed, prone as -their national character was to revenge, that they would -eagerly seize the opportunity for vengeance. But such -was Lord Wellington’s influence over the men whom he -conducted to victory, that not an outrage, not an excess, -not an insult was committed; and the French, who had -made war like savages in every country which they had -invaded, experienced all the courtesies and humanities -of generous warfare when they were invaded themselves. -In Gascony, as well as in Portugal and Spain, the Duke -of Wellington’s name was blessed by the people. Seldom -indeed has it fallen to any conqueror to look back upon -his career with such feelings! The marshal’s staff, the -dukedom, the honours and rewards which his Prince and -his country so munificently and properly bestowed, were -neither the only nor the most valuable recompense of his -labours. There was something more precious than these, -more to be desired than the high and enduring fame -which he had secured by his military achievements, ... -the satisfaction of thinking to what end those achievements -had been directed; ... that they were for the deliverance -of two most injured and grievously oppressed -nations; ... for the safety, honour, and welfare of his own -country; ... and for the general interests of Europe and -of the civilized world. His campaigns were sanctified by -the cause; ... they were sullied by no cruelties, no crimes;<span class="pagenum" id="Page_477">477</span> -the chariot-wheels of his triumphs have been followed -by no curses; ... his laurels are entwined with the amaranths -of righteousness, and upon his death-bed he -might remember his victories among his good works.</p> - -<p>This is the great and inappreciable glory of England -in this portion of its history, that its war in the Peninsula -was in as strict conformity with the highest principles -of justice as with sound state policy. No views of -aggrandizement were entertained either at its commencement -or during its course, or at its termination; conquests -were not looked for, commercial privileges were -not required. It was a defensive, a necessary, a retributive -war; engaged in as the best means of obtaining -security for ourselves, but having also for its immediate -object “to loose the bands of wickedness,” and to break -the yoke of oppression, and “to let the oppressed go -free.” And this great deliverance was brought about -by England, with God’s blessing on a righteous cause. -If France has not since that happy event continued to -rest under a mild and constitutional monarchy, ... if -Spain has relapsed into the abuses of an absolute one, -... if the Portugueze have not supported that character -which they recovered during the contest, ... it has been -because in all these instances there were national errors -which retained their old possession, and national sins -which were not repented of. But the fruits of this war -will not be lost upon posterity: for in its course it has -been seen that the most formidable military power which -ever existed in the civilized world was overthrown by -resolute perseverance in a just cause; it has been seen -also that national independence depends upon national -spirit, but that even that spirit in its highest and heroic -degree may fail ... if wisdom to direct it be wanting. -It has been seen what guilt and infamy men, who might -otherwise have left an honourable name, entailed upon<span class="pagenum" id="Page_478">478</span> -themselves, because, hoping to effect a just end by -iniquitous means, they consented to a wicked usurpation, -and upheld it by a system of merciless tyranny, sinning -against their country and their own souls: this was -seen in the Spanish ministers of the Intruder; and the -Spanish reformers, more lamentably for Spain, but more -excusably for themselves, have shown the danger of -attempting to carry crude theories of government into -practice; and hurrying on precipitate changes, from the -consequences of which men too surely look to despotism -for protection or for deliverance. These lessons have -never been more memorably exemplified than in the -Peninsular War; and for her own peculiar lesson, England, -it may be hoped, has learnt to have ever from -thenceforth a just reliance, under Providence, upon her -resources and her strength; ... under Providence, I say, -for if that support be disregarded, all other will be -found to fail.</p> - -<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> - -<p>My task is ended here: and if in the course of this -long and faithful history, it should seem that I have any -where ceased to bear the ways of Providence in mind, -or to have admitted a feeling, or given utterance to a -thought inconsistent with glory to God in the highest, -and good-will towards men, let the benevolent reader -impute it to that inadvertence or inaccuracy of expression -from which no diligence, however watchful, can -always be secure; and as such let him forgive what, -if I were conscious of it, I should not easily forgive in -myself.</p> - -<p class="p2"> -<i>Keswick, 26th March, 1832.</i> -</p> - -<p class="p2 center bold">Laus Deo.</p> -</div> - -<div class="sec"> - -<hr /> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_479">479</span></p> - -<div class="chapter"> -<h2 class="vspace" id="LIST_OF_PUBLICATIONS">LIST OF PUBLICATIONS<br /> - -<span class="xsmall">CONCERNING THE</span><br /> - -PENINSULAR WAR.</h2> -</div> - -<hr class="narrow" /> - -<div id="publist"> -<p class="in0"><span class="firstword">Introduction</span> to the History of the Revolution in Spain. By Alvaro -Florez Estrada, Attorney-General of the Province of Asturias. Translated -from the author’s manuscript by William Burdon. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Memoir written by General Sir Hew Dalrymple, Bart., of his Proceedings -as connected with the Affairs of Spain and the Commencement of the -Peninsular War. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Proceedings upon the Inquiry relative to the Armistice and Convention, -&c., made and concluded in Portugal, in August, 1808, between the -Commanders of the British and French Armies. Ordered by the House -of Commons to be printed.</p> - -<p>A Narrative of the Campaign of the British Army in Spain commanded -by Sir John Moore, K. B., authenticated by official papers and original -letters. By his brother, James Moore, Esq. 4to.</p> - -<p>Narrative of the Campaigns in Portugal and Spain under Generals Sir -Arthur Wellesley and Sir John Moore, from the landing of the troops in -Mondego Bay to the Battle of Corunna; accompanied by all the official -documents, and numerous engravings from drawings made on the spot. -By Adam Neale, M.D., Physician to the Forces. 4to.</p> - -<p>Letters from Portugal and Spain, written during the march of the British -troops under Sir John Moore. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Operations of the British Army in Spain, with broad Hints to the -Commissariat and Transport Board, and Anecdotes illustrative of the real -Spanish Character.</p> - -<p>A Narrative of the Circumstances attending the Retreat of the British -Army under the Command of the late Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore. -By Henry Milburne, surgeon.</p> - -<p>An Account of the Operations of the British Army, and of the State -and Sentiments of the People of Portugal and Spain. By the Rev. James -Wilmot Ormsby. 2 vols. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Observations on the Movements of the British Army in Spain. By a -British Officer.</p> - -<p>Narrative of the Siege of Zaragoza. By Charles Richard Vaughan, M.B., -Fellow of All-Soul’s, Oxford, and one of Dr. Radcliffe’s Travelling Fellows -from that University.</p> - -<p>A Narrative of the interesting Particulars attending the second Siege -of Zaragoza. Translated from the Spanish by William Buy, Esq.</p> - -<p><span class="pagenum" id="Page_480">480</span> -The Journal of a Regimental Officer during the recent Campaign in -Portugal and Spain under Lord Viscount Wellington. 8vo.</p> - -<p>A Narrative of the Campaigns of the Loyal Lusitanian Legion, under -Brigadier-General Sir Robert Wilson, Aide-de-camp to his Majesty and -Knight of the Orders of Maria Theresa and of the Tower and Sword, -with some Account of the Military Operations in Spain and Portugal -during the years 1809–1811. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Memoir of the Early Campaigns of the Duke of Wellington in Portugal -and Spain. By an Officer employed in his army. 8vo.</p> - -<p>A Narrative of the principal Events of the Campaigns of 1809–10–11 in -Spain and Portugal. By Captain Stothert. 1812.</p> - -<p>A Journal of the Campaign in Portugal and Spain, containing Remarks -on the Inhabitants, Customs, Trade, and Cultivation of those Countries, -from the year 1809–1812. By the late Major-General Henry Mackinnon. -8vo.</p> - -<p>A Narrative of the Retreat of the British Army from Burgos, in a -series of Letters, with an Introductory Sketch of the Campaign of 1812, -and Military Character of the Duke of Wellington. By George Frederick -Burroughs, Surgeon, Bristol, late Assistant Surgeon of the Royal Dragoons. -8vo.</p> - -<p>Memoirs of the late Lieutenant-General Sir James Leith, G. C. B., with -a Précis of some of the most remarkable Events of the Peninsular War. -By a British Officer. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Relation of the Siege of Tarragona, and the storming and capture of -that city by the French, in June, 1811. By Field-Marshal Don Juan -Senen de Contrenas, Governor of that fortress at the time of the siege. -London.</p> - -<p>A Treatise on the Defence of Portugal, with a military map of the -country; to which is added, A Sketch of the Manners and Customs of -the Inhabitants, and principal Events of the Campaigns under Lord -Wellington. By William Granville Eliot, Captain in the Royal Regiment -of Artillery. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Observations on the Present State of the Portugueze Army, as organized -by Lieutenant-General Sir William Carew Beresford, K.B., Field-Marshal -and Commander-in-Chief of that Army, with an Account of the different -Military Establishments and Laws of Portugal, and a Sketch of the Campaigns -of the last and present year, during which the Portugueze Army -was brought into the field against the enemy, for the first time as a regular -force. By Andrew Halliday, M.D. 4to.</p> - -<p>Memoranda relative to the Lines thrown up to save Lisbon, in 1810. -By Colonel John T. Jones, R.E. 8vo. Printed for private circulation.</p> - -<p>Memoir of the Queen of Etruria, written by herself; an authentic Narrative -of the seizure and removal of Pope Pius VII. on the 6th of July, -1809; with genuine Memoirs of his Journey from Rome to France, and -thence to Savona. Written by one of his attendants. Translated from the -Italian. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Memoirs of the Baron de Kolli, relative to his secret mission in 1810 for -liberating Ferdinand VII., King of Spain, from captivity at Valençay.<span class="pagenum" id="Page_481">481</span> -Written by himself. To which are added, Memoirs of the Queen of -Etruria. Written by herself. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Memoirs of Ferdinand VII., King of Spain. By Don ——, Advocate -of the Spanish Tribunals. Translated from the original Spanish -manuscript. By Michael J. Quin, author of “A Visit to Spain in 1812 -and 1823.” 8vo.</p> - -<p>The Two Minas and the Spanish Guerillas, extracted and translated -from a work “On Spain,” written by Captain H. Von Brandt, a Prussian -officer, who served in one of the Polish regiments attached to the French -army during the Peninsular War. By a British officer. 8vo.</p> - -<p>A Short Extract from the Life of General Mina. Published by himself. -8vo.</p> - -<p>Anecdotes of British and Spanish Heroism, displayed at Tarafa during -the late memorable siege of that place, &c. 1812.</p> - -<p>The Military Exploits, &c. &c., of Don Juan Martin Diez, the Empecinado, -who first commenced and then organized the system of Guerilla -warfare in Spain; to which is added, that Chieftain’s celebrated Representation -to the King of Spain. Translated by a general officer. 8vo.</p> - -<p>The Principles of War, exhibited in the Practice of the Camp, and as -developed in a Series of General Orders of Field-Marshal the Duke of -Wellington, K.G., &c. &c. &c., in the late Campaigns on the Peninsula, -with parallel Orders of George the Second, the Duke of Cumberland, the -Duke of Marlborough, Earl of Albemarle, Lord Stair, General Wolfe, -&c. &c. &c. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Account of the War in Spain and Portugal, and the South of France, -from 1808 to 1814, inclusive. In two volumes. By John T. Jones, Lieutenant-Colonel, -corps of Royal Engineers. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Journals of the Sieges undertaken by the Allies in Spain, in the years -1811–12, with Notes. By Brevet Lieutenant-Colonel John T. Jones, -&c. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Annals of the Peninsular Campaigns, from 1808 to 1814. By the author -of Cyril Thornton. In three vols. 12mo.</p> - -<p>Narrative of a forced Journey through Spain and France as a Prisoner of -War, in the years 1810 to 1814. By Major-General Lord Blayney. In two -vols. 8vo.</p> - -<p>An Authentic Narrative of the Invasion of France in 1814. By M. De -Beauchamp, author of the History of the War of La Vendée, &c. &c. In -two vols. 8vo.</p> - -<p>Campaign of the Left Wing of the Allied Army in the Western Pyrenees -and South of France, in the years 1813–14, under Field-Marshal the Marquess -of Wellington, illustrated by a detailed plan of the operations, and -numerous plates of mountain and river scenery, drawn and etched by Captain -Batty, of the first or Grenadier Guards, F.R.S., Member of the -Imperial Russian Order of St. Anne. London, 1823. 4to.</p> - -<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> - -<p>Exposicion de los Hechos y Maquinaciones que han preparado, la Usurpacion -de la Corona de España, y los medios que el Emperador de los<span class="pagenum" id="Page_482">482</span> -Franceses ha puesto en obra para realizarla. Por Don Pedro Cevallos. -Reimpreso en Malaga. 1808.</p> - -<p>Idea Sencilla de las Razones que motivaron el Viage del Rey Don Fernando -VII. a Bayona, en el mes de Abril de 1808, dada al publico de -España y de Europa. Por el Excmo. Señor Don Juan Escoiquiz, &c. &c., -para su justificacion y la de las demas personas que componian entonces el -Consejo Privado de S. M. contra las imputaciones vagas de imprudencia ó -ligereza divulgadas contra ellos por algunos sugetos poco instruidos de las -expresadas razones; acompañada de una noticia breve de los sucesos y -negociaciones de Valençay, hasta la vuelta de S. M. á España. Madrid, -1814.</p> - -<p>Manifiesto de los Procedimientos del Consejo Real, en los gravisimos sucesos -ocurridos desde Octubre del año proximo pasado. Impreso de orden -del mismo Supremo Tribunal. En la Imprenta Real. 1808.</p> - -<p>Semanario Patriotico. Segundo Trimestre. La parte historica por Don -Isidoro de Antillon; la Politica por Don Josef Maria Blanco. Sevilla, -1809.</p> - -<p>El Español. Por Don J. M. Blanco White. 8 tom. London, 1810–14.</p> - -<p>Manifiesto de las Operaciones del Exercito del Centro, desde el dia 3 de -Diciembre de 1808, hasta el 17 de Febrero de 1809. Por el Duque del Infantado. -1809.</p> - -<p>Prontuario de las Leyes y Decretos del Rey nuestro Señor Don José -Napoleon I. Desde el año de 1808. 3 tom. Madrid, 1810–12.</p> - -<p>Historia de las Operaciones del Exercito de Catalaña en la Guerra de la -Usurpacion, O sea de la Independencia de España. Campaña primera. Por -el Teniente Coronel Don Francisco Xavier Cabanes, Ayudenta Mayor de -Reales Guardias Walonas y Oficial de Estado Mayor en el Exercito de -Cataluña. Tarragona, 1809.</p> - -<p>Segundo Periodo de la Historia de las Operaciones del Exercito de Cataluña -en la Primera Campaña de la Guerra de la Usurpacion, O sea de la -Independencia de España. Por el Teniente Coronel Don Francisco Xavier -Cabanes, &c. Tarragona, 1809.</p> - -<p>Resúmen Historico del primer sitio de la Ilustre Ciudad de Zaragoza -por los Franceses, desde el 14 de Junio al 16 de Agosto de 1808. Valencia, -1809.</p> - -<p>Idea Historica de los Principales Sucesos ocurridos en Zaragoza durante -el ultimo sitio, recopilados, por el P. Capellan de Exercito Dr. Don Sebastian -Hernandez de Morejon, Testigo y casi victima de aquella gloriosa -catástrofe. Valencia, 1809.</p> - -<p>Relacion del segundo sitio de Zaragoza, por los Franceses en la ultima -guerra de España, por el Señor Baron Rogniat, Teniente General de Ingenieros. -Traducida del Frances por Pedro Ferrery Casaus. Valladolid, -1815.</p> - -<p>Elogio a los Ilustres defensores de Zaragoza en sus dos sitios del año de -1808. Por un individuo de las Escuelas Pias. Madrid, 1815.</p> - -<p>Memorial Historico de los sucesos mas notables de armas y estado de la -salud Publica durante el ultimo sitio de la Plaza de Gerona. Comprehende<span class="pagenum" id="Page_483">483</span> -hasta 18 dias despues de entregada la Plaza al Sitiador y Reales Ordines -á favor de sus defensores. Por Don Juan Andres Nieto Samaniego, Doctor -en Medecina y en Cirurgia, &c. Tarragona, 1810.</p> - -<p>Cataluña Atribulada suplica al Augusto Congreso de las Cortes, en 1811, -Palma.</p> - -<p>Manifiesto del Duque de Alburquerque, acerca de su conducta con la -Junta de Cadiz, y arribo del exercito de su cargo a aquella Plaza. Londres, -1810.</p> - -<p>Memoria de lo mas interesante que ha ocurrido en la Ciudad de Zaragoza -con motivo de haberla atacado, el Exercito Frances. Madrid, 1808.</p> - -<p>Traslado a toda la Nacion Española, y à los fidelisimos constantes aliados -Portugueses é Ingleses, de la correspondencia oficial y confidencial del -Teniente General Marques del Palacio, Capitan-General de los reynos de -Aragon y Valencia, y general-en-gefe del segundo exército, &c., con el -Capitan-General de los reales exércitos, y regente del reyno Don Joaquin -Blake, &c. Cadiz, 1812.</p> - -<p>Brebe y Sencillo Manifiesto de la gloriosa defensa del Castillo de -san Fernando de Sagunto. En contraposicion à la variedad con que se -habla de este asunto y causas porque se perdiè aquel monumento de la -antiguedad. Orihuela, 1814.</p> - -<p>Memorias sobre la reconquista de Zaragoza, conservacion de la Plaza, y -rendicion de su Castillo por las Tropas Españolas en Julio de 1813. Donde -se evidencia lo mucho que se equivico el autor de la comedia titulada -Zaragoza Reconquistada, por Don Francisco Espoz y Mina, como tambien -otros autores que han dado toda la gloria á este General. Las Publica un -Monge Benito del Monasterio de Arlanza, Capellan, con real despacho -que ha sido del regimiento infanteria ligera de Rioxa, que desea que la -verdad sea el mas hello adorno de la historia de nuestra santa venganza. -Madrid, 1815.</p> - -<p>Restauracion de las Plazas de Lérida, Mequinenza y Castillo de Monzon, -por medio de una estratagema: ocupacion de estas por una de las divisiones -del primer exército Español en los dias 13, 14 y 16 de Febrero del año de -1814. Madrid, 1814.</p> - -<p>Memoria de Don Miguel Jose de Azanza y Don Gonzalo O’Farrill, sobre -los trechos que justifican su conducta politica, desde Marzo de 1808 hasta -Abril de 1814. Paris.</p> - -<p>Constitucion Politica de la Monarquia Española, promulgada en Cadiz -a 19 de Marzo de 1812. Cadiz.</p> - -<p>Observaciones sobre la Historia de la Guerra de España, que escribieron -los Señores Clarke, Southey, Londonderry y Napier. Por Don José Canga -Argüelles. 2 tom. Londres, 1829.</p> - -<p>Documentos relativos al llamamiento, del excellentisimo Señor Don -Francisco Xavier de Castaños a servir su Plaza en consego de Estado, y a -su exoneracion del mando del Quarto exercito. Cadiz, 1813.</p> - -<p>Breve y sucinta Relacion en forma de Diario de los principales sucesos -acaceidos en la recepcion, permanencia y partida de su Magestad, de la<span class="pagenum" id="Page_484">484</span> -siempre leal Ciudad de Valencia, con lo que tiene relacion al 2<sup>o</sup>. exército -en la actualidad acantonado en su regno. Valencia, 1814.</p> - -<p>Don Gaspar de Jovellanos, a sus Compatriotas. Memoria en que se -rebaten las calumnias divulgadas contra los individuos de la Junta Central, -y se da razon de la conducta y opiniones del Autor desde que recobro su -libertad. Con Notas y Apendices. 2 tom. Coruña, 1811.</p> - -<p>Impugnacion que hacen los Individuos que compusieron là Suprema -Junta Central al Manifiesto del Capitan-General Don Gregorio de la Cuesta. -Cadiz, 1812.</p> - -<p>Exposicion que hacen a las Cortes Generales y Extraordinarias de la -Nacion Española, los Individuos que compusieron la Junta Central Suprema -Gubernativa de la Misma, de su conducta en el tiempo de su administration. -Seccion Primera. Cadiz, 1811.</p> - -<p>Ramo Diplomatico ó de Relaciones Extrangeras. Seccion Segunda.</p> - -<p>Hacienda. Seccion Tercera. Palma, 1813.</p> - -<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> - -<p>Collecçam de Decretos, Editaes, &c. &c. &c. Lisboa, 1808.</p> - -<p>Observador Portuguez, Historico e Politico de Lisboa, desde o dia 27 de -Novembro do anno de 1807, em que embarcou para o Brazil o Principe -Regente Nosso Senhor e toda a Real Familia, por motivo da Invasam dos -Francezes neste Reino. Contem todos os Editaes, Ordens publicas e -particulares Decretos; successos fataes e desconhecidos nas historias do -mundo; todas as Batalhas, Roubos e Usurpaçoens ate o dia 15 de Setembro -de 1808, em que foram expulsos, depois de batidos, os Francezes. Lisboa, -1809.</p> - -<p>Historia Geral da Invasam dos Francezes em Portugal eda Restauraçam -deste Reino, escrita por José Accursio des Neves. 5 tom. Lisboa, 1810–11.</p> - -<p>Compilaçam des Ordens do Dia, do Quartel-General do Exercito Portuguez, -concernantes a Organizaçam, Disciplina e Economia Militares, nas -Campanhas de 1809–15. Lisboa, 1811–15.</p> - -<p>Correio Braziliense, ou Armazem Literario. 1808–14. London.</p> - -<p>O Investigador Portuguez em Inglaterra, ou Jornal Literario Politico, -&c. 1811–14. London.</p> - -<p>Memorias da Villa de Chaves, na sua gloriosa revoluçàm contra à perfidia -do Tyranno da Europa; por Hum amante da Verdade, da Religiâo, do -Principe, e dos vassallos mais dignos do reconhecimento publico. Lisboa, -1809.</p> - -<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> - -<p>Histoire de la Guerre d’Espagne contre Napoleon Buonaparte, par une -commission d’Officiers de toutes armes, établie à Madrid, auprès de S. Ex. -le Ministre de la Guerre. Traduite de l’Español, avec notes et éclaircissemens. -Par un témoin oculaire. Tome 1<sup>er</sup>. Paris, 1818.</p> - -<p>Relation de l’Expédition du Portugal, faite en 1807–8, par le 1<sup>er</sup> Corps -d’Observation de la Gironde, devenu armée de Portugal. Par le Baron -Thiébault, Lieutenant-Général. Paris, 1817.</p> - -<p>Mémoires sur les Opérations Militaires des Français en Galice, en Portugal, -et dans la Vallée du Tage, en 1809, sous le commandement du<span class="pagenum" id="Page_485">485</span> -Maréchal Soult, Duc de Dalmatie. Avec un Atlas Militaire. Paris, -1821.</p> - -<p>Relation Historique et Militaire de la Campagne de Portugal sous le -Maréchal Massena, Prince d’Essling, &c., par M. Guingret, Chef de -Bataillon, en demi-activité, et officier de l’Ordre Royal de la Legion d’Honneur. -Limoges, 1817.</p> - -<p>Campagne de l’Armée Française en Portugal, dans les années 1810–11, -&c., par M<sup>r</sup>. A. D. L. G., Officier Superieur employé dans l’Etat-Major de -cette Armée. Paris, 1815.</p> - -<p>Précis Historique de la Guerre d’Espagne et de Portugal, de 1808–14, -contenant la réfutation des ouvrages de MM. Sarrazin et Alphonse de -Beauchamps, &c., par Auguste Carel, Chef de Bataillon, Chevalier de la -Legion d’Honneur. Paris, 1815.</p> - -<p>Relation du Séjour des Prisonniers de Guerre Français et Suisses, sur -le Ponton la Castille, dans la baie de Cadix, et de leur evasion le 15 Mai, -1810. Par L. Chapuis de Lausanne, Chirurgien-Major. Lausanne, 1817.</p> - -<p>Mémoires d’un Officier Français Prisonnier en Espagne, ou Relation -circonstanciée de la Captivité du Corps de l’Armée Française sous les -ordres du Lieutenant-Général Dupont, &c. Par un Officier de la Garde -Royale. Paris, 1823.</p> - -<p>Mémoires sur la Guerre d’Espagne, pendant les années 1809–10–11. -Par M. De Naylies, Officier Superieur des Gardes-du-Corps, de Monsieur -de St. Louis, et de la Legion d’Honneur. Paris, 1807.</p> - -<p>Précis Historique de la Bataille livrée 10 Avril, 1814, sous les murs de -Toulouse, &c. Par C. D. Toulouse.</p> - -<p>Journal des Opérations de l’Armée de Catalogne en 1808 et 1809, sous -le Commandement du Général Gouvion Saint Cyr. Ou Matériaux pour -servir à l’Histoire de la Guerre d’Espagne. Par le Maréchal Gouvion Saint -Cyr. Paris, 1821.</p> - -<p>Mémoires du Maréchal Suchet, Duc d’Albufera, sur ses Campagnes en -Espagne, depuis 1808 jusqu’en 1824. Ecrits par lui-même. 2 tom. Paris, -1828.</p> - -<p>Mémoires Historiques sur la Revolution d’Espagne. Par M. de Pradt, -Archivêque de Malines. Paris, 1816.</p> - -<p>Mémoires pour servir à l’Histoire de la Revolution d’Espagne, avec des -Pièces Justificatives. Par M. Nellerto (Llorente). 3 tom. Paris, 1814.</p> - -<p>Der Feldzug von Portugall, in den Jahren 1811 und 1812, in historischer -und medizinischer-hinsicht beschrieben, von einem Arzte der Franzosischen -Armee von Portugall. Stuttgart und Tubingen, 1816.</p> - -<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> - -<p>Der Befreiungs-Krieg der Katalonier, in den Jahren 1808 bis 1814. -Von H. von Staff, Major von Koniglich Preussischen Generalstaabe. -Breslau, 1821.</p> - -<p>Der Siebenjahrige Kampf auf der Pyrenaischen Halbinsel vom Jahre -1807 bis 1814; besonders miene eigenen Erfahrungen in diesem Kriege; -nebst Bemerkungen über das Spanische Volk und Land. Von Fr. Xav. -Regel, Grossherzogl.-Badischem Hauptmann des Carl-Friederich, Militar-Verdienst,<span class="pagenum" id="Page_486">486</span> -und des Kaiserlich-Russischen St. Wladimir-Ordens Ritter. 3 -Th. Darmstadt, 1819.</p> - -<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> - -<p>Histoire de la Guerre de la Péninsule, sous Napoleon. Par le Général -Foy. 4 tom. Paris, 1827.</p> - -<p>Narrative of the Peninsular War from 1808 to 1813. By Lieutenant-General -Charles William Vane, Marquis of Londonderry, G.C.B., G.C.H., -Colonel of the 10th Royal Hussars. 4to. 1828.</p> - -<p>History of the War in the Peninsula and in the South of France, from -the year 1807 to the year 1814. By W. F. P. Napier, C.B. Lieutenant-Colonel, -H.P. forty-third regiment. Vols. I. and II., 1828, 1829.</p> - -<div class="tb">* * * * *</div> - -<p>All that part of the present history relating to the events of which -General Foy has treated, or to which the histories of Lord Londonderry -and Colonel Napier have as yet extended, was printed before either of -those works appeared.</p> -</div> - -<p class="p2 center">THE END.</p> - -<hr /> - -<p class="newpage p4 center small"> -LONDON:<br /> -Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and SONS,<br /> -Stamford Street. -</p> - -<div class="chapter"><div class="footnotes"> -<h2 id="FOOTNOTES" class="nobreak p1">FOOTNOTES</h2> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_1" href="#FNanchor_1" class="fnanchor">1</a> These affecting circumstances are -stated in a letter written from Zaragoza, -22d of January, 1812, to D. Mariano -de Lope, a priest who distinguished -himself by his heroic conduct -during both sieges. A copy of this -letter I had the honour of receiving -from the Countess de Bureta, who -transmitted it to me at the time, that -I might see what were the feelings -and the conduct of her fellow-citizens -during their captivity.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_2" href="#FNanchor_2" class="fnanchor">2</a> The weekly average of desertions -I find thus curiously stated: -25 Spaniards, 15 Irish, 12 English, -6 Scotch, and half a Portugueze.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_3" href="#FNanchor_3" class="fnanchor">3</a> The particulars of this negotiation -are stated by Escoiquiz upon -Ferdinand’s authority, and from that -king’s own papers.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_4" href="#FNanchor_4" class="fnanchor">4</a> The father of Baron de Lahoutan, -in whose <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">Voyages dans l’Amerique -Septentrionale</i> (Amsterdam, -1709, t. i. 149.) these facts are -stated: the consequences were related -by M. Dufort, of the Gironde, -in the Legislative Assembly, 31 Aug. -1814.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote b1"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_5" href="#FNanchor_5" class="fnanchor">5</a> As an instance of English character, -it is worth stating in a note, -that an honest butcher of Slough, -near Windsor, Edward Shirley by -name, sent Lord Wellington, as a -Christmas present, the rump and -sirloin of a famous ox. Government -forwarded the present, and with the -next dispatches Lord Wellington’s -letter of thanks arrived, and was -forwarded to Slough from the secretary -of state’s office by a king’s messenger. -The letter was as follows:— -</p> - -<p class="sigright">“St. Jean de Luz, Jan. 19.</p> - -<p> -“<span class="smcap">Sir</span>, -</p> - -<p> -“I received the day before yesterday -the sirloin and rump of beef -which you were so kind as to send -me; which although it did not arrive -in time for the new year’s day, was a -most welcome present for the queen’s -birthday. -</p> -<p> -“I beg you to accept my best -thanks for it; and to be assured -that I duly appreciate the patriotic -motives which induced you to avail -yourself of an opportunity at the -present moment of conveying to me -your sense of the manner in which I -have carried into execution his Majesty’s -commands, and those of His -Royal Highness the Prince Regent. -</p> -<p class="sigright"> -<span class="l4">“I have the honour to be, sir,</span><br /> -<span class="l2">Your most obedient, humble servant,</span><br /> -<span class="smcap">Wellington</span>. -</p> -<p class="in0"> -“To Mr. Edward Shirley, butcher,<br /> -<span class="in3">Slough, near Windsor.”</span></p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_6" href="#FNanchor_6" class="fnanchor">6</a> After Buonaparte’s return from -Elba, the Marquis put himself at -the head of the Vendeans, repeated -these words of his heroic brother, -and died, like him, in the same -cause.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_7" href="#FNanchor_7" class="fnanchor">7</a> This statement is drawn up from -the printed narrative by Van Halen, -and from a manuscript one by Eroles. -Marshal Suchet’s brief account is -erroneous in stating that Tortosa was -the last place at which the stratagem -was tried instead of the first. He -says that Van Halen deserted, <i xml:lang="fr" lang="fr">monté -sur un cheval dérobé, et laissant à -Barcelone des dettes criardes</i>. (T. 2. -366.) Concerning the horse, it is -not likely that in such circumstances -the adventurer would be scrupulous; -but as to his debts, he left a letter -at Barcelona, saying, that there were -the arrears of his pay to liquidate -them, being more by one-half than -all that he owed amounted to. -</p> -<p> -Van Halen afterwards got into the -Inquisition as a freemason and a -liberal, got out of it, published his -adventures in English, went to Brussels, -headed the inhabitants in that -insurrection the success of which -they have had so much reason to -repent, was suspected of treachery -by the party whom he had served, -thrown into prison, and after awhile -released. And there the drama of -his unquiet life breaks off.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_8" href="#FNanchor_8" class="fnanchor">8</a> <i xml:lang="es" lang="es">Bien suponiamos que lo habria, -por las relaciones con las Potencias -aliadas; pero no sabiéndolo de cierto, -teniamos derecho, tratando con hombre -tan perfido, para ponerlo en duda -y conseguir con este justo dissimulo -el fin de nuestros deseos que era la -libertad del Rey. Engañar mañosamente -con la verdad á un hombre tan -falso, era una obra no mala sino -excelente: tal era nuestro maxîma.</i> -Idea Sencilla, 114.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn1"><a id="Footnote_9" href="#FNanchor_9" class="fnanchor">9</a> French exaggeration has seldom -been carried farther than in the accounts -of this action. One account -makes the loss of the allies 21,000 in -killed, and nearly 15,000 wounded! -and the author of the <cite>Précis Historique -de la Bataille</cite> takes credit to -himself for moderation and candour -in reducing the number of the slain -to 17,000.—P. 3. pp. 32–37.</p></div> - -<div class="footnote"> - -<p class="fn2"><a id="Footnote_10" href="#FNanchor_10" class="fnanchor">10</a> -</p> - -<div class="poem-container"> -<div class="poem"><div class="stanza"> -<span class="i0">Piedra immortal, que en gloria de Fernando<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Hoy el brazo del justo aqui coloca,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">En ti se estrelle el enemigo bando,<br /></span> -<span class="i2">se estrella la nave en dura roca:<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Y si algun vil ideas abrigando<br /></span> -<span class="i2">Contra el Rey, te profana ó te provoca,<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Que muera; y que á cenizas reducido<br /></span> -<span class="i0">Sirva de exemplo al liberal partido.<br /></span> -</div></div> -</div></div> -</div></div> - -<div class="chapter"><div class="transnote"> -<h2 id="Transcribers_Notes" class="nobreak p1">Transcriber’s Notes</h2> - -<p>Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant -preference was found in this book. Simple typographical errors were -corrected and some unbalanced quotation marks were remedied. Other -errors of these types were not changed because the corrections were not -obvious to the Transcriber.</p> - -<p>Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained; occurrences -of inconsistent hyphenation have been changed only when there was a -predominant preference throughout the book.</p> - -<p>The source book used many Sidenotes, printed in italics. Most match -entries in the Table of Contents, but some are either dates or -citations. To preserve proximity with the original text, if they were -printed mid-paragraph, that is where they appear here. Depending on -the format in which you are reading this eBook, Sidenotes may be -distinguished from regular text by being shown in some combination -of italics, boldface, UPPER-CASE, enclosed in ♦DIAMOND SYMBOLS♦, -being offset into the left-margin, or in a rectangular area within -the regular text. Due to limitations of some eReaders, some sidenotes -may appear next to or below each other, depending on the width of the -screen.</p> - -<p>The original Table of Contents used “ib.” when the page number was the -same as the one in the previous entry. This eBook uses the actual page -numbers.</p> - -<p>The years in which events occurred were printed in the running heads. -In this eBook, the first occurrence of each new year has been added -to the Sidenotes by the Transcriber. Sidenote dates also have been -added at the beginning of each chapter. This does not form an unbroken -timeline, as the years in the running heads sometimes went back and -forth.</p> - -<p>The spelling and accent marks of non-English words were not checked -or changed.</p> - -<p>Page <a href="#Page_4">4</a>: “beat his breast” was printed as “beast”; changed here.</p> - -<p>Page <a href="#Page_45">45</a>: no ending quotation mark for text beginning with “or to -prevent an insurrection.”</p> - -<p>Page <a href="#Page_172">172</a>: “route of fugitives” was printed as “rout” in an earlier -edition of this book.</p> - -<p>All six volumes of this work are available at no cost at -<a href="https://www.gutenberg.org">Project Gutenberg</a>. -Some of these volumes reference each other, but some of the -references do not seem to match the text.</p> - -<p class="in0 in4"> -Volume I: Project Gutenberg eBook number <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60386/60386-h/60386-h.htm">60386</a><br /> -Volume II: Project Gutenberg eBook number <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60387/60387-h/60387-h.htm">60387</a><br /> -Volume III: Project Gutenberg eBook number <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60388/60388-h/60388-h.htm">60388</a><br /> -Volume IV: Project Gutenberg eBook number <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60389/60389-h/60389-h.htm">60389</a><br /> -Volume V: Project Gutenberg eBook number <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60390/60390-h/60390-h.htm">60390</a><br /> -Volume VI: Project Gutenberg eBook number <a href="https://www.gutenberg.org/files/60391/60391-h/60391-h.htm">60391</a></p> - -</div></div> - -</div> -</div> - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of History of the Peninsular War Volume -VI (of 6), by Robert Southey - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK HISTORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR, VOL 6 *** - -***** This file should be named 60391-h.htm or 60391-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/3/9/60391/ - -Produced by Brian Coe, Charlie Howard, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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