BATTLE OF ALBUERA. 409 and "even if the whole English army on the Continent should be concentrated, I will beat them." Beresford, joined by ten thousand Spaniards under Blake, coming from Murcia by sea, drew up to defend the siege on the plateau of Albuera, thirty-two thousand strong, of whom seven thousand British and eight thousand Portuguese troops, and thirty-eight guns. Soult had either to attack or retire, for Badajoz was not victualed for a long siege. He thought Blake had not yet come up. The allied left leaned on Albuera, and the centre and right lay along a ridge, of which the face towards the French was difficult and covered by the Albuera River, and the rear slope allowed easy communication along the allied line; but the position being a prolongation of the road to Olivenza, Beresford's main line of retreat, a successful attack on his right might cut off his centre and left. On this idea Soult acted, by feigning to debouch on Albuera while delivering his main attack by his left. The idea was sound, the execution proved faulty. The movement against Albuera was weak, the main attack precipitate. Over a field obscured by rain, Gazan and Girard, on the left, mounted the plateau May 16, and drove in the first line. The Spaniards who stood here made a brave show of resistance, but could not manœuvre, and soon fell back from the French impact. This afforded Soult a standing from which to use his batteries, but the British regiments would not budge, although the allies had to form a new front to the right. The superior French cavalry came into action, seriously threatened Beresford's rear, and cut up two regiments, the success here being so notable that, comprehending his peril, Beresford was on the point of ordering a retreat. But the advance of part of the English reserve arrested this onset, and as at Vimiero, Talavera, Busaco, Fuentes d'Onoro, the waiting tactics and countercharges were F. CAV CAV 410 GODINOT TAKES ALBUERA. again successful. Hardinge then brought forward the fusiliers on the French flank, and the columns, unable to resist their fire, began to waver. Soult came up with his reserve, but could not turn the tide. The English charge drove the French back, until stopped by the French artillery. Godinot took ROAD TO VALVERDE PORTUGUESE ALBUERA ENG. RES FUSILEERS AROYA R FRENCH The casualties on each side The loss of the six thousand Albuera too late to be of use. were about six thousand men. British who drove the French columns back is given as over four thousand killed and wounded—a superb record. Never had a body of men more fairly earned their laurels. Next day the tired armies faced each other across the SIEGE OF BADAJOZ RAISED. 411 Albuera. Had Soult again attacked, Beresford must have withdrawn; but at night Soult beat a retreat to Llerena, his cavalry being defeated on the way at Usagre. At Llerena he was joined by the 9th Corps, which had been with Massena. On learning of the defeat at Albuera, Napoleon ordered Marmont to operate towards the Tagus to aid the Army of Andalusia. Expecting that Soult would concentrate all his forces to relieve Badajoz, Wellington left Spencer with eighteen thousand men near Sabugal, and with two divisions marched down to the aid of Beresford, reaching Elvas May 19. The parallels of Badajoz were opened June 2, and the fire began. Owing to the rocky ground, the batteries were protected by epaulments of wool-sacks instead of earthworks; and here it was first found that cast-iron guns heated less and were more serviceable than bronze guns. The attack and defense of Badajoz were admirable, and an assault on San Christoval was driven back with loss. As ordered by Napoleon, Marmont had revictualed Ciudad Rodrigo, and marched via Plasencia and Almaraz to Merida. Soult reached out to meet him, and the two marshals joined hands June 17, and now had sixty thousand men with whom to advance on the allies. Ascertaining this fact, and especially as a fresh assault had failed, Wellington determined to raise the siege rather than encounter unnecessary risk; and accordingly, on the night of June 16-17 he retired by way of Olivenza, and the French marshals entered Badajoz June 20. It has been pointed out that Wellington had lost the opportunity of utilizing his central position at Badajoz to strike Soult and Marmont separately, in which Spencer, who had come down on a parallel line with Marmont, could have cooperated. Before the marshals united, he might have thrown up the siege, as Napoleon did that of Mantua, and marching 412 SOULT BEATS BLAKE. promptly on Marmont, with his own forces and Spencer's, have overwhelmed this marshal, forcing him behind the Tagus. Badajoz might have been revictualed meanwhile, but after an operation against Marmont, Wellington could have turned against Soult and beaten him in turn, as Napoleon beat Wurmser and Quosdanovich at Castiglione. But it is scarcely fair to expect of the English commander's patient discretion in the Peninsula anything resembling Napoleon's fiery strategy in Italy. The conditions were as different as the men. Wellington halted at Portalegre. Had he remained in command, Massena would have attacked him, to wipe out the stigma of Fuentes. Soult and Marmont did not do so, though when the two armies were united was the moment to deliver battle. The rival armies faced each other two weeks, when Marmont marched back to the Tagus, Soult to Andalusia and Wellington, whose munition was exhausted, finally retired to Portugal. When Soult withdrew so many troops from Andalusia, the Spaniards embraced the opening, but upon Wellington's retreat, Blake and Ballesteros again retired into the mountains. Threatened Seville was thus saved, and Soult marched on Granada, where Sébastiani was in bad case. On August 9 he beat Blake, and later followed Ballesteros to Gibraltar. Marmont retired to Salamanca, and Wellington returned with the bulk of his forces to Beira, and having sent to Lisbon for siege artillery to come via Oporto, on September 5 he undertook the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, which had been revictualed. To deliver Ciudad Rodrigo, Marmont called in a division he had left near Alcantara, and some of the forces from Leon and Galicia which had fallen under Dorsenne, when Bessières had returned to France to join the Russian expedition. On September 22 the French advanced, but only a combat at El Bodon enlivened the operation. TARRAGONA SACKED. 413 Wellington's full force had not come up, and not caring to risk a battle for Ciudad Rodrigo, he retired, and when Marmont followed, he fell back to Sabugal. Satisfied with a species of offer of battle on September 28, which was not accepted, only the outposts being engaged, Marmont withdrew and put his troops into can Suchet. fallen on Girard between the Tagus and the Guadiana, and the latter escaped to Merida. Guerrilla warfare continued in every part of Spain, but with no marked result. Suchet continued his successes, and was preparing to reduce Tarragona, when the Spanish irregulars, having surprised Figueras and cut the road to France, Macdonald from Lerida. marched to its relief. In June Suchet opened the siege of Tarragona, which was a notable one on both sides. Assault after assault was given and repulsed. For fifty-four days the troops were constantly under fire, and on July 28 the place was stormed and sacked. Suchet was made marshal and placed in command of all operations on the eastern coast, |