CHAPTER VII.

(1809 to 1814.)

Progress of the war in Portugal-Successes of Soult-The Spanish campaign -Defeat of the patriots-Siege of Saragossa-the British in Catalonia— -Thanks of parliament-Sir Arthur Wellesley sails for Lisbon-Plan of the campaign-Surprise of Soult in Oporto-Pursuit of the French-Their evacuation of Portugal-Moderate and cautious measures of the British general-Interview with General Cuesta-His impracticable character— Curious anecdotes-Battle of Talavera-Desperate conflict-Defeat of the French-Strange conduct of Cuesta-Difficulties of the British armyOn the point of being cut off-In full retreat.

AFTER the victory gained by the gallant and lamented Moore, at Corunna, under circumstances which rendered it one of the most honourable recorded in the annals of British warfare, that city maintained its good faith by refusing to yield until the English fleet had cleared the port and was on the seas. The French commander took possession of this place on the 19th of January, when it formally surrendered; and he next laid siege to Ferrol, a regular fortress, well garrisoned, which, betrayed by its governor, at once opened the way to the conquest of Galicia, and without an enemy to oppose him, Marshal Soult established his quarters at St. Jago de Compostella.

Having refreshed his army, within six days he was again in motion, marching, according to orders received from Napoleon, directly upon Oporto. At the head of 20,000 men this active general soon reached the banks of the Minho-the frontier line of Portugal, ill protected by a few old walled towns opposite to which are some Spanish fortresses in the same dila

pidated condition. The broad and rapid stream was the only obstacle that presented itself; it was swollen by the wintry torrent; the boats had been carefully removed, and the people, militia and peasantry, appeared in arms upon the southern bank. Soult, however, soon overcame the difficulty; he transported large boats from the harbour and forts of Guardia to Campo Santos, overland. With the most indefatigable labour they were brought, together with some heavy guns, by the help of rollers more than two miles over broken hilly ground.

His subsequent operations were harassed, and often strongly opposed, by the Spaniards on one side, and the Portuguese on the other, and before entering Oreuse, on the 19th of February, he had to sustain several severe conflicts with both. Seizing the bridge, and making Tuy a place of arms, he pressed forward upon Oporto. General Freire, with a large but weak and undisciplined force, had his head-quarters at Braga. General Silveira, with a smaller one, was in Tras os Montes, Romana at the head of 9000 men, occupied Coimbra and Monterey. The two last were in communication, and agreeing to act in concert, they formed a sort of first line, which, like their agreement, was likely to be broken at the first sight of the enemy. They amounted to about 16,000 men, with a line which extended from Monterey to near Chaves, a distance of fifteen miles!

The second line was formed by Freire, at the head of 25,000 men, only 6000 of whom were armed with muskets; the remainder being a mere rabble force provided with every kind of strange inoffensive instruments, and implements of peace, suddenly turned to weapons of offence, on which they could lay their hands. Baron Eben, a German in the English service, was associated with the Portuguese leader in this enviable command. Still it was grandly designated the Lusitanian legion, parts of which was even formed into regular battalions.

The third line consisted of an intersected position, covering, as it was called, Oporto, if a few miserable remains of troops, and a vast mob hastily levied by the bishop, could be said to occupy an intrenched position to protect a city against a general

like Soult. The French had already effected the passage of the river Ave, and appeared before the city on the 27th of the month. In front of them was an intrenched camp of 40,000 men, prepared to dispute their entrance; and attributing the defeat of Silveira and the force at Braga to treachery, they were, as usual, confident of success. Oporto meantime became the scene of tumult and excesses, subject to the law of the multitude, and numbers of respectable individuals perished.

With a skilful leader, and disciplined troops, the positions occupied by the Portuguese would have been unassailable; as it was they were defended by 200 pieces of cannon, and the works were fortified as well as such an army, and time and circumstances permitted. Filled with vain expectations and false security the approach of Soult was announced with shouts of derision and contempt. The French general first made a feint on the left of the intrenchments, and on the same night a false alarm being raised, the Portuguese hurried to their guns, opening a tremendous fire, which they continued without object or intermission, till the break of day. It was then they perceived their error; instead of a discomfited and retreating enemy, they observed the small but compact army of Soult, advancing in close columns, steadily to the attack. Those formidable lines on which they had so much relied were rapidly carried, with the intrenchments, all the redoubts, and guns; while two battalions entered the city at the point of the bayonet; spread through the streets and penetrated to the bridge, where a helpless throng of old men, women, and children, hurrying for protection, the nearest boats gave way, and they were precipitated into the waters below. At beholding this spectacle, the French themselves were the first to render assistance, and it is strange to reflect that while engaged in the generous impulse of the moment, in this work of humanity, their countrymen near them never paused in the work of death, committing the most horrible carnage. A few hundred Portuguese having taken post in the palace of the bishop, and attempting to defend it, were cut down to a man, and it is as

serted that even after resistance ceased, the shrieks of women, and the cries of the dying were heard through the streets. Ten thousand Portuguese perished in the assault, in the storming of the city, and by the fury of the excited soldiery, although numbers of the French, as in the instance already mentioned, exhorted by the marshal and his staff, with the greater part of the officers, did their utmost to prevent the further effusion of blood. The cruelties exercised by the peasantry upon the French soldiers, who fell into their hands, added to the extreme toil and privations of the conquerors, are believed to have produced this dreadful retaliation upon the captured city. More than 1000 of the French, and 500 in the assault, perished during this brief campaign.

Soult had thus rapidly performed the part allotted him by his imperial master; but Silveira, meantime, having collected fresh reinforcements, attacked the small garrison at Chaves, left there by the French general, and obtained possession of it along with 1200 sick, and some stores. There was nothing, however, to oppose the resistless arm of the imperial invader and his legions, should England refuse to take up the gauntlet, which he had thus haughtily thrown down, by this fresh aggression on the independence of one of her nearest and best allies. But England having already foiled his once invincible armies, shrunk not from the gigantic contest, and the time was now come when the future hero of a hundred victories was about to reappear upon the scene. After the convention of Cintra, the regency of Portugal was formally appointed. Lieutenant General Cradock had been intrusted with the command of the British troops remaining in the country. Some frontier-towns had been garrisoned by the English; but both at Oporto and Lisbon there existed a party in favour of French interests, although the majority of the people viewed England as their oldest and most faithful ally, openly acknowledged the regency, and expressed a wish to obtain the assistance of British officers and troops.

On arriving at Oporto, Sir John Cradock found the bishop's

faction full of activity, and the populace in a state of blind and criminal excitement, ready to direct their fury against whatever object it might please the leaders of discord to point out.

Having touched at Corunna on his way, General Cradock there found the Lavinia, with 1,500,000 dollars, of which he brought away 800,000, intending to take some to Oporto, and the remainder to Lisbon, with the view of supplying Sir John Moore, who intending to retreat upon Portugal, as was then expected, might be in want of money for his troops. At the same time Sir Robert Wilson had placed himself at the head of the Lusitanian legion, a force of which the regency, owing to its having originated with the bishop's faction, was exceedingly jealous. General Cradock directed two British regiments on Almeida, and recommended to Sir R. Wilson to pass into Tras os Montes with his legion, in accordance with the views of the regency, and then hastened to Lisbon. But as almost perfect freedom from discipline, seemed the order of the day, before the arrival of the great soldier and disciplinarian, Sir Robert chose to pursue a course of his own, and marched to Almeida.

The army of Portugal-if such it could be called-consisted of 20,000 men; of which not more than 10,000 had arms, to say nothing of their state of efficiency. The boasted militia was an undisciplined rabble without officers, while the English troops scattered through the country, including the sick, were also under 10,000 men. Out of four battalions in the north, General Cradock despatched three to reinforce Sir John Moore; and two from the south were directed to advance by Castello Branco and Ciudad Rodrigo with the same object.

As the immediate predecessor of Sir Arthur Wellesley, the movements of General Cradock, at this time, are extremely interesting, and a knowledge of them will throw considerable light upon the succeeding campaign in Portugal. He had to provide for the defence of the frontier of Portugal, when the fourth French corps had just passed the river Tagus, at Almaraz, and threatened Badajoz. He had only seven bat