CHAPTER IV. Siege of Badajos-Battle of Fuentes d'Onoro-Battle of Albuera -Blockade of Badajos-Battle of Arroyo de Molinas-Anecdotes-Siege of Tarifa-Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo-Its Capture -Siege of Badajos resumed-Benevolence to the Portuguese -Fall of Badajos-Fort Napoleon taken-Battle of Salamanca -Flight of Joseph Bonaparte-Madrid surrenders-Proclamation-Siege of Burgos-Siege abandoned-Retreat to Ciudad Rodrigo-Madrid again falls into the Hands of the FrenchWinter Quarters-Visit to Cadiz and Lisbon. AFTER giving some rest to his troops Lord Wellington ordered Sir William Beresford to lay siege to Badajos. Massena continued to occupy Ciudad Rodrigo with the 35,000 men who remained to him out of the 65,000 whom he had brought with him from France. Here he was reinforced with 19,000 men, so that the English army, which consisted only of 32,000 infantry and 1500 cavalry, was far inferior in numbers. Massena resolved to besiege Almeida, and in order to prevent this step Wellington determined to risk a battle, and chose so advantageous a position in the villages of Almeida and Fuentes d'Oñoro, that the French were in danger of being driven into the Agueda. Nevertheless the inequality of numbers was so great, that nothing but the matchless bravery of the men, H 98 SIEGE OF BADAJOS ABANDONED. and the unrivalled skill of their commander, could have made the battle of Fuentes d'Oñoro a fresh triumph to the arms of England. It was furiously fought on both sides, and the victors confidently hoped to have renewed it the following day; but Massena, fearing another defeat, retreated with his whole army, and through the neglect of the orders of Lord Wellington, the enemy was allowed to escape from Almieda. The Portuguese government was as jealous and mistrustful of his measures as was that at home, so that his plans were continually frustrated by their want of confidence and ingratitude. Beresford, who was besieging Badajos, abandoned the attempt in consequence of the advance of Soult, wishing, if possible, both to prevent a junction between his force and another body of French who were coming up; and to attack him in the mean time. Unfortunately, part of his dependence was on a Spanish corps, under the command of Blake, who had often already proved himself unworthy of trust. Lord Wellington says, "We do what we please now with the Portuguese troops; we manœuvre them under fire equally with our own, and have some dependence on them, but these Spaniards can do nothing but stand still; and we consider ourselves fortunate if they do not run away.' The place chosen for the battle was the village of Albuera. In the commencement of the action the * Despatches. BATTLE OF ALBUERA. 99 French gained a signal advantage, owing to some error in the arrangement of the English troops. Soult availed himself to the utmost of this circumstance, so that at one time the cause of the Allies seemed hopeless; for the want of obedience and discipline in the Spaniards endangered even those who fought with them. Hardinge and Beresford led on their troops with the most undaunted bravery, and equal courage was displayed on the part of the enemy. The desperation of both sides could not be exceeded; but victory at length declared for the Allies. On both sides the loss of officers and men was dreadful; that of the French amounted to 8000 men, and some of them the bravest in their army. The village of Albuera was utterly destroyed by the enemy, and the sufferings of the wounded during the tempestuous night which followed the battle, were too harrowing to describe. Two instances are recorded of the devoted bravery of the standard-bearers on that day. One being surrounded by the French, refused to yield up his charge, but with his life; and was immediately killed. Another, seeing the peril his flag was in, tore it from its staff, and hid it in his bosom, where it was found in safety, when his wounds were dressed. When Wellington heard the particulars of the battle, he wrote: "You will have heard of the marshal's action on the 16th. The fighting was desperate, and the loss of the 100 RETREAT OF SOULT. British has been very severe. But, adverting to the nature of the contest, and the manner in which they held their ground, against all the efforts the whole French army could make against them— notwithstanding all the losses which they had sustained, I think this action one of the most glorious and honourable to the character of the troops, of any that has been fought during the war."* The battle of Albuera took place on May 15, 1811. The next morning Soult retreated hastily, and his wounded fell into the hands of the English. Three hundred English prisoners, who had been placed in a convent, undermined the walls-effected their escape, and soon after rejoined the army. Though little progress seemed to be made in driving the French from Spain, yet he who had. devoted his life to this work never despaired of its accomplishment. On the 23rd of May he wrote from Elvas, to Lord Liverpool: "I am glad to hear such good accounts of affairs in the north. God send that they may prove true, and that we may overthrow this disgusting tyranny. However, of this I am very certain, that whether true or not at present, something of the kind must occur before long: and if we can only hold out, we shall yet see the world relieved." ""* Yet, at the same time, he said, speaking of the Spaniards and Portuguese: “In addition to embarrassments of all descriptions, * Despatches. DISPUTES OF THE ALLIES. 66 101 surrounding us on all sides, I have to contend with an ancient enmity between these two nations, which is more like that of cat and dog than anything else, of which no sense of common danger, or common interest, or anything can get the better even in individuals.”* Portugal," he says, in another place, "requiring the assistance of an army to defend the country, the Portuguese must submit to the inconvenience of having officers and soldiers billeted on their houses; and I only hope they do not believe we quit our houses in England for the pleasure of being billeted on them in Portugal." "We are not only defraying all the expense, but our soldiers are the labourers, who execute them. This is what is called Spanish enthusiasm!" * The siege of Badajos was immediately resumed; but the advance of another French army, and the want of all ordnance stores and battering trains, decided Lord Wellington on turning it into a blockade, and marching north, with a view to carrying out similar operations against Ciudad Rodrigo, and cutting of all supplies from it. He established his posts at Fuente Guinaldo. These were vigorously attacked on September 25th, by a large body of French, who were gallantly repulsed by the English and Portuguese; the latter on this occasion showed great bravery and conduct. Seeing that his own army was out-numbered by that of * Despatches. |