A Narrative of the Principal Events of the Campaigns of 1809, 1810, & 1811, in Spain and Portugal: Interspersed with Remarks on Local Scenery and Manners. In a Series of Letters |
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1st division 3d regiment Abrantes Alberche Almeida appearance arrived artillery attack Badajos Baraçal battalion beautiful betwixt bivouaced bridge brigade of guards Brigadier-General British army Cameron's brigade cantonments castle Celerico Ciudad Rodrigo Coimbra Coldstream Colonel column combined army command considerable convent corps crossed Cuesta day-break Dragoons dusk enemy enemy's Estrella fire force forded formed French army French cavalry front frontier garrison Guadiana guards marched guns halted head-quarters hill infantry inhabitants instant King's German legion leagues LETTER Leyria Lieut Lieutenant-General light division Lisbon Lord Wellington Madrid main body Major-General Marquis Marshal Beresford Marshal Soult Massena miles Mondego morning moved movement night noon o'clock officers Olivenza Oporto out-posts passed Picton's Pinhel piquets Placentia Portugal Portuguese position quarters rear remained retired retreat river road Santarem Sir Arthur Wellesley Sir William Beresford situated Sobral Spain Spaniards Spanish Tagus Talavera town Victor village Vizeu whole wounded
Popular passages
Page 193 - Portuguese regiment, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Douglas, made a gallant and successful charge upon another body of the enemy, which was endeavouring to penetrate in that quarter. Besides these attacks, the light troops were engaged throughout the day of the 27th. On the following morning the light infantry were again partially engaged on the left of the line. At • mid-day, the enemy's cavalry, and several columns of infantry, were observed in motion on the road from Mortigao over the mountains,...
Page 90 - At this awful moment all was silent, except a few guns of the enemy, answered by the British artillery on the hill. The French came on over the rough and broken ground in the valley, in the most imposing manner, and with great resolution, and were met by the British with their usual undaunted firmness. As if with one accord, the division advanced against the enemy, whose ranks were speedily broken, and thrown into confusion by a welldirected volley. The impetuosity of the soldiers was not to be repressed;...
Page 90 - Campbell's division at the point of the bayonet, and driven back with the loss of their artillery. The efforts of the enemy on the left were equally unsuccessful as before; and a charge made by Brigadier-General Anson with the 23d light dragoons and German hussars upon a solid column of infantry, although attended with a severe loss to the former regiment, had the effect of checking their further advance in that direction. Meanwhile the centre was warmly engaged. Exactly at three o'clock, several...
Page 261 - Marmont having passed the Tagus, and established himself at Placentia; in the beginning of August the main body of the British army recrossed the river at Villa Velha, and the commander of the forces fixer! bis head-quarters at Fuente Guinaldo, about two leagues from Ciudad Rodrigo. Part of the infantry was pushed forward on the Salamanca road, and all communication cut off' betwixt the fortress and the enemy.
Page 244 - About 6 o'clock his manoeuvres noeuvres seemed to indicate an attack on that point, and, soon after, the cavalry, deriving confidence from their numbers, advanced upon the British, which was their weak arm, and compelled them to give way; but, in retreating, the British cavalry repeatedly faced about and made some successful charges upon the enemy. Meanwhile, the 7th division, which had been considerably advanced upon the plain, was directed to fall back and form on the brigade of Guards posted...
Page 91 - French rallied, and returned with increased numbers to the attack upon the centre. Brigadier-General Harry Campbell now gave orders for the guards to retire to their original position in line, and the 1st battalion of the 48th regiment was directed to cover this movement, by the Commander of the Forces, who saw and provided for every emergency during the tremendous conflict. Foiled at all points, the French withdrew the remains of the columns, which had been unsuccessfully opposed to the centre...
Page 91 - ... and broken ground in the valley, in the most imposing manner, and with great resolution, and were met by the British with their usual undaunted firmness : as if with one accord, the division advanced against the enemy, whose ranks were speedily broken, and thrown into confusion, by a well-directed volley. The impetuosity of the soldiers was not to be repressed, and the brigade, on the immediate left of the guards, being halted, that flank, from its advanced situation in the eagerness of pursuit,...
Page 186 - ... dependence on the resources of a country so long occupied by the British. The French appear to have been completely foiled in their plans, by the prudent defensive system adopted by Lord Wellington, as there can be no doubt that it was a principal object with Massena, in undertaking the sieges of Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida, to draw the British from their strong hilly positions to the plains on which these towns are situated ; where, if at all, the superior number of his cavalry might be expected...
Page 89 - Wellesley, with his staff, observed the progress of the battle on a height to the left of the British line. From this point he witnessed every movement that was made, and in the midst of the hottest fire, issued the necessary orders with his characteristic coolness and judgment. Two of his aides-de-camp, captains Bouverie and Burgh, were wounded by his side.
Page 186 - ... and embarrassing to his operations, from the very great scarcity of forage, which even the British experienced at times, although the harvest had been got in, and the whole grain in the country was in requisition for their supply. ; About a fortnight ago, Marshal Massena made a feint of coming down upon the left bank of the Mondego, and actually pushed his reconnoitring parties to Cortico and Linhares in that direction ; but, apprehensive of meeting a check at the strong pass of the Ponte...