NARRATIVE OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. NEC ILLA EXTINCTA SUNT, ALUNTURQUE POTIUS ET AUGENTUR COGITATIONE ET MEMORIA. AMICORUM ENIM RECORDARI, FACTAQUE EORUM REVOCARE,QUANTÆESTJUCUNDITATI. CICERO. A NARRATIVE OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. BY MAJOR LEITH HAY, F.R.S.E. IN TWO VOLUMES. VOL. I. EDINBURGH : DANIEL LIZARS, 5, ST DAVID STREET; AND WHITTAKER, TREACHER, AND ARNOT, LONDON. 1831. EDINBURGH : PRINTEDBYBALLANTYNEANDCO.,PAUL'SWORK,EANONGATE. TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR JOHN OSWALD, G.C.B. AND THE SURVIVING OFFICERS AND SOLDIERS OF THE FIFTH DIVISION OF THE PENINSULAR ARMY, THE FOLLOWING PAGES ARE RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED BY THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS OF VOLUME I. CHAPTER I. Preliminary Observations- Arrival in Spain-Bishop of Santander-CondedeVillaNueva—Santander—Depar ture from Santander- General BallesterosReturn to Santander- Gihon - Oviedo- ArmyofGallicia- Leon British Officers— General Blake- Frias— Santander Bilbao- Portugalete Santurse—Valmaseda-Frias Quincoces— GeneralBlake— Lastresdela Torre- Laredo Santona Santander -Marques de la Romana -Те Deum-Stateof Affairs MilitaryErrors- Marshal Ney -Spiritofthe Spaniards Tornosa— DukeofDantzica Aranda de Duero— Somasierra- Chamartin - Madrid LordWilliamBentinck - MrFrere- Arandade Duero Defeat of the Spaniards- Napoleon- Burgos— Condede Belvedere- Aranda- Cabeca Nabero- Tudela—Tordesil las- French Dragoons- SirJohn Moore— Leon - Puerta de Pajares - Oviedo - Gihon - Infiesta - La Pola-Ro mana--Espinosa Duke of Belluno- Arrival of British viii CONTENTS. Troops—Lord Paget—Astorga — Villafranca-British Army in Spain Sir John Moore - Positions of the - French Army-Mallorga – March of the British --Saha gun - British Army Retreats— Passage of the Esla—Na poleon—Marches to the North—Snow Storm in the Mountains—French Cavalry Cross the Esla—Are de feated — Spanish Troops-- Important Dispatch — Sir John Moore- General Francesbi-General Colbert Killed— Sceneat Lugo—SirJohn Moore Assembleshis Army Position in Front ofLugo-Affair at Lugo-Enemy Re pulsed — Continuation of the Retreat—Guitteriz-Be tauros—Coruna-Explosion of Powder Magazine— Sir David Baird's Division - French Army- Arrival of the Fleet- BattleofCoruna - Embarkation - IntermentofSir John Moore— InjusticeDonetohisMemory— Unreason ableExpectations-Departure for England, Page 1 CHAPTER II. Lisbon-Sir ArthurWellesley- Abrantes--ZarzaMayor Plascencia — Sierra de Gredos— Talavera de la Reyna Duke of Belluno's Troops— Twenty-ninth Regiment SpanishArmyretires—Frenchcrossthe Alberche—Battle of Talavera— Twenty-ninth Regiment— False Alarm Duke of Belluno's Corps at Daybreak-Cannonadem GeneralRuffin repulsed bythe29thand 48th Regiments - British and Spanish Cavalry- Progressofthe Battle Charge of the British Guards—Battle restored by the 48th Regiment— Chargeof General Anson's Brigade CONTENTS. ix Colonel Elley — Noble Conduct of the 23d Dragoons Culpableinactivityof General Venegas- Positionof the ArmiesGeneralCuestaabandonstheHospitalsRetreat of the British Army— Deleytosa- Estremadura-_Jarai cijo- Truxillo- Pizarro,Santa Crux dela Sierra- Me dellin - Merida—Route to Badajos— Spanish Frontier Typhus Fever- Reviewof the Troops— Estremos— Lis bon - Defeatofthe Spanish Armies, Page 134 CHAPTER III. Abrantes- Punhete— Tancos— Alburquerque- Don Carlos Espana- VillardelRey- MarquesdelaRomana-- Duque del Parque- French enter Caceres—Spaniards marchto attackthem — General Foysecures his Retreat- Juntaof Caceres— Camp of Aliseda - Movementof the 2d Corps d'Armee- followed by Don Carlos Espana- Enemy in force at Merida— Apathyof Spanish Cavalry— Duke of Dalmatia crosses the Guadiana_Wantof concert in the French Armies- Conductofthe CentralJunta_Critical situation ofLord Wellington-Hisgreat MilitaryTalents - Preparationsforinvading Portugal— Assemblingofthe French Army_Capture of Ciudad Rodrigo_General Leith Thomar- Affair on the Coa—Fallof Almeida Head-Quarters retire from Celerico-Lord Wellington and Marshal Massena- Advanceof the French Army Sierrade Busaco-Position ofGeneral Leith - Arrivalof the French Army- Allied Armyin Position-Battle of Busaco--Flank movement of the French army- March х CONTENTS. oftheAllies- Coimbra- Batalha— ApproachoftheFrench Army— AffairatSobral— Seventy-first Regiment— Death of General St Croix- Position in front of the Lines Enemy's Hospitals captured — Fifth Division-Lines in frontofLisbon,Positionofthe Cavalry — Monte Agraça -RetreatoftheFrench - ConductofMarshal Massena his Difficulties — March of the Allies— Azambuja — Posi tion of the French Army- Disposition of the Allies~ Critical Situation of General Reynier- Operationsof the Allies—Aveiro de Vaxo_State of the French Army -Reinforced by General Drouet-Cantonment of the Allies - Duke of Abrantes wounded French besiege Badajos– DefeatoftheSpaniards-SurrenderofBadajos, Page 192. CHAPTER IV. Reduction of Ciudad Rodrigo—Death of General Crau ford- Allies invest Badajos — Siege of Badajos— Fifth Division—Siege continued-Breaches stormed—Castle carried by Escalade- Fifth Divisionescalade— andcarry theTown-GeneralWalker wounded Observations- DukeofDalmatiaretreats— IngeniousBridgeofRopesat Alcantara-Sir Rowland Hill marches to Almaraz andcarriestheEnemy'sForts- Guerillas— TheEmpecina do- MarquesdePorlier-DonJulianSanchez - Martinez -Guerillas, Page 285.