Sidebilder
PDF
ePub

• In the 5th division I must mention Major Hill of the 8th Caçadores, who directed the false attack upon the fort Pardaleras. It was impossible for any men to behave better than these did.

I must likewise mention Lieut. Colonel Brooke of the 4th regiment, and Lieut. Colonel the Hon. G. Carleton of the 44th, and Lieut. Colonel Gray of the 30th, who was unfortunately killed. The 2nd batt. 38th regiment under Lieut. Colonel Nugent, and the 15th Portuguese regiment under Colonel Luiz do Rego, likewise performed their part in a very exemplary

manner.

The officers and troops in the 3rd division have distinguished themselves as usual in these operations. Lieut. General Picton has reported to me particularly the conduct of Lieut. Colonel Williams of the 60th, Lieut. Colonel Ridge of the 5th, who was unfortunately killed in the assault of the castle; Lieut. Colonel Forbes of the 45th, Lieut. Colonel Fitzgerald of the 60th, Lieut. Colonel the Hon. R. Le P. Trench, and Lieut. Colonel Manners of the 74th; Major Carr of the 83rd, and Major the Hon. H. Pakenham, Assistant Adju tant General to the 3rd division. He has likewise particularly reported the good conduct of Colonel Campbell of the 94th, commanding Major General the Hon. Charles Colville's brigade, during his absence in command of the 4th division, whose conduct I have so repeatedly had occasion to report to your Lordship.

The officers and men of the corps of engineers and artillery were equally distinguished during the operations of the siege and in its close.

'Lieut. Colonel Fletcher continued to direct the works, (notwithstanding that he was wounded in the sortie made by the enemy on the 19th of March,) which were carried on by Major Squire and Major Burgoyne, under his directions. The former established the detachments under Major Wilson, in the ravelin of San Roque, on the night of the storm; the latter attended the attack of the 3rd division on the castle. I have likewise to report the good conduct of Major Jones, Captain Nicholas, and Captain Williams, of the Royal Engineers.

Major Dickson conducted the details of the artillery service during the siege, as well as upon former occasions, under

the general superintendence of Colonel Framingham, who, since the absence of Major General Borthwick, has commanded the artillery with the army.

[ocr errors]

I cannot sufficiently applaud the officers and soldiers of the Royal and Portuguese Artillery during the siege, particularly that of Lieut. Colonel Robe, who opened the breaching batteries; Major May, Captain Gardiner, Major Holcombe, and Lieut. Bourchier of the Royal Artillery; Captain de Retberg of the German, and Major Tulloh of the Portuguese Artillery.

6

Adverting to the extent of the details of the ordnance department during this siege, to the difficulties of the weather, &c., with which Major Dickson had to contend, I must mention him most particularly to your Lordship.

The officers of the Adjutant and Quarter Master General's department rendered me every assistance on this occasion, as well as those of my personal Staff; and I have to add that I have received reports from the General Officers commanding divisions, of the assistance they received from the officers of those departments attached to them, the greatest number of whom, and of their personal Staff, are wounded.

In a former dispatch I reported to your Lordship the difficulties with which I had to contend, in consequence of the failure of the civil authorities of the province of Alentejo to perform their duty and supply the army with means of transport. These difficulties have continued to exist; but I must do Major General Victoria, the Governor of Elvas, the justice to report that he, and the troops under his command, have made every exertion, and have done every thing in their power to contribute to our success.

Marshal Soult left Seville on the 1st instant, with all the troops which he could collect in Andalusia; and he was in communication with the troops which had retired from Estremadura, under General Drouet, on the 3rd, and he arrived at Llerena on the 4th. I had intended to collect the army on the Albuera rivulet, in proportion as Marshal Soult should advance; and I had requested Lieut. General Sir Thomas Graham to retire gradually upon Albuera, while Lieut. General Sir R. Hill should do the same on Talavera, from Don Benito, and the upper parts of the Guadiana.

'I do not think it certain that Marshal Soult has made any decided movement from Llerena since the 4th, although he has patrolled forward with small detachments of cavalry, and the advanced guard of his infantry have been at Usagre.

"None of the army of Portugal have moved to join him.

According to the last reports which I have received of the 4th instant, from the frontier of Castille, it appears that Marshal Marmont had established a body of troops between the Agueda and the Coa, and he had reconnaitred Almeida on the 3rd. Brig. General Trant's division of militia had arrived upon the Coa, and Brig. General Wilson's division was following with the cavalry, and Lieut. General the Conde d'Amarante was on his march, with a part of the corps under his command, towards the Douro.

It would be very desirable that I should have it in my power to strike a blow against Marshal Soult before he could be reinforced but the Spanish authorities having omitted to take the necessary steps to provision Ciudad Rodrigo, it is absolutely necessary that I should return to the frontiers of Castille within a short period of time. It is not very probable that Marshal Soult will risk an action in the province of Estremadura, which it would not be difficult for him to avoid, and it is very necessary that he should return to Andalusia, as General Ballesteros was in movement upon Seville on the 29th of last month, and the Conde de Penne Villemur moving on the same place from the Lower Guadiana.

It will be quite impossible for me to go into Andalusia till I shall have secured Ciudad Rodrigo. I therefore propose to remain in the positions now occupied by the troops for some days; indeed a little time is required to take care of our wounded; and if Marshal Soult should remain in Estremadura I shall attack him; if he should retire into Andalusia, I must return to Castille.

I have the honor to enclose returns of the killed and wounded from the 31st March, and in the assault of Badajoz, and a return of the ordnance, small arms, and ammunition found in the place. I shall send the returns of provisions in the place by the next dispatch. This dispatch will be delivered to your Lordship by my aide de camp Captain Canning, whom I beg leave to recommend to your protection.

[ocr errors]

He has likewise the colors of the garrison, and the colors

of the Hesse Darmstadt's regiment, to be laid at the feet of His Royal Highness the Prince Regent. The French battalions in the garrison had no eagles.

The Earl of Liverpool."

I have the honor to be, &c.

'WELLINGTON.

Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing, of the Army under the Command of General the Earl of Wellington, K.B., at the Siege and Capture of Badajoz, from the 18th March to 7th April, 1812, inclusive.

[merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][merged small][ocr errors][ocr errors][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small][merged small]
[ocr errors]

The Portuguese loss is included in the above numbers.

General the Earl of Wellington, K.B., to His Royal Highness

SIR,

the Commander in Chief.

⚫ Camp at Badajoz, 7th April, 1812. I have the honor to enclose to your Royal Highness extracts of dispatches to the Secretary of State, containing accounts of the siege and capture of Badajoz by the troops under my command.

"In order to give your Royal Highness a clearer idea and a more detailed account of the last operations, I enclose a memorandum, with the plan of attack, which I gave to the General Officers named in it, on the 4th, in order that they might thoroughly understand it, and examine the ground on which they were to act; and copies of the alterations and explanations which I made of the different articles up to the evening of the 6th.

I likewise enclose copies of the reports which I have received from the several General Officers commanding divisions, from the Chief Engineer, and from the Commanding Officer

of the Artillery, from which your Royal Highness will see in what manner the service was executed, and the names of the officers who distinguished themselves.

"I have the honor to be, &c.

His Royal Highness

the Commander in Chief?

• WELLINGTON.

General the Earl of Wellington, K.B., to Lieut. Colonel Torrens,
Military Secretary to H.R.H. the Commander in Chief.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small]

I send by this occasion the accounts of our success before Badajoz; and I have sent to His Royal Highness copies of my instructions for the attack, and the reports of the several officers commanding divisions, &c., on the execution.

These name officers, and His Royal Highness will judge whether it is fit that they should be promoted or noticed. I am particularly anxious about General Picton's aide de camp, Captain Stovin*, and his Assistant Adjutant General, Major Pakenham†, whom he has particularly mentioned to me; likewise Captain Stuart, of the 95th, the Deputy Assistant Quarter Master General of the Light division; and Major Rowan, the Assistant Adjutant General with the same; and Major Broke, the Assistant Quarter Master General with the 4th division.

Our loss has been very great; but I send you a letter to Lord Liverpool which accounts for it ||. The truth is, that, equipped as we are, the British army are not capable of carrying on a regular siege.

[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small]

* Colonel Sir Frederick Stovin, K.C.B.

Major General the Hon. H. Pakenham, C.B.

- Major General Sir C. Broke Vere, K.C.B.

A search, hitherto unsuccessful, is being made for this letter. From the précis of it in the Index of 1812, as well as from documents in the Ordnance Office, it appears that this letter recommended the formation of a corps of Sappers and Miners; the want of such an establishment with the army being the chief cause of the great loss in the sieges.

VOL. IX.

E

« ForrigeFortsett »