A narrative of the principal events of the campaigns of 1809, 1810, & 1811, in Spain and Portugal. In a ser. of lettersW. Smith and Company, 1812 - 276 pages |
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1st division 3d regiment Abrantes Alberche Almeida appearance arrived artillery attack Badajos bank 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 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 Spain Spaniards Spanish Tagus Talavera town Victor village Vizeu whole wounded
Popular passages
Page 88 - Wellesley, surrounded by 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 Aide-de-Camps...
Page 254 - ... drawn up on the outside of the town. Two squadrons of the 13th dragoons, and two squadrons of Portuguese, charged the French cavalry, who were...
Page 190 - ... mitted to feel all the agitation of worldly hope and " fear. The British and Portuguese army was posted " along the ridge, extending nearly eight miles, and "forming the segment of a circle, whose extreme " points embraced every part of the enemy's position, " and from whence every movement of the enemy " below could be immediately observed. On the 26th " Sept. 1810, the light troops on both sides were en
Page 193 - ... 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, towards...
Page 87 - ... in which object he failed, and was driven back by the fire from the Spanish batteries. The cannonade continued on both sides until dusk. In the course of the night the enemy made a second assault upon the height ; from whence, after gaining a momentary possession, he was dislodged by General Hill, with prodigious slaughter.
Page 89 - Spanish infantry, and drove them 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 wish a severe loss to the former regiment, had the effect of checking their further advance in that direction.
Page 89 - ... about two o'clock, the French again advanced under a heavy cannonade, and made a general attack upon the whole of the position occupied by the British. The enemy's attacking columns on the right...
Page 248 - On the 9th, the enemy continued his retreat, covered by his numerous cavalry. On the 10th, the British broke up from their position, and while the light division, supported by the cavalry, advanced towards the Agueda, the rest of the army returned to cantonments, and the original investment of Almeida was resumed.
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 88 - ... armies, who were drawn up opposite to each other in the positions they respectively occupied at the beginning of the action on the preceding evening. About six the engagement was renewed, and continued without intermission until eleven o'clock, when the firing ceased, as if by mutual consent, for...