105

SIEGE OF BADAJOZ.

17th. MARCH AND 6TH. APRIL, 1812.

THE formidable fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo having been captured with such unlooked-for rapidity, astonished the French general, who had assembled an army of sixty thousand men for its relief, which now again returned to its winter quarters. As soon as the breaches were repaired, and the place put in a state of defence, the Earl of Wellington undertook, for the third time, the siege of Badajoz. The preparations for this service had been carried on with extraordinary secrecy, and were completed about the beginning of March, when the army broke up from its cantonments in the neighbourhood of Almeida, and, moving with the greatest rapidity, arrived before Badajoz on the 16th. of that month, when the place was invested by the third, fourth, and light divisions. An advanced post, the Picurina, was taken by storm on the 25th., and on the following day two breaching batteries opened fire on the town.

On the 6th. of April three breaches were considered practicable, and orders were issued for the assault. It was determined to assault the castle of Badajoz by escalade. Accordingly the attack was made on the night of the 6th. of April, at ten o'clock. Major-General Kempt's brigade* led, and he was wounded in crossing the River Rivillas, below the inundation. Notwithstanding this circumstance and the obstinate resistance of the enemy, the castle was carried by escalade, and the third division (known as the "Fighting

* At its head marched the 45th. regiment, supporting the advanced storming party, composed of the flank companies of the division and the 83rd. regiment. Few more desperate conflicts are on record than that which took place. After repeated assaults the escalade was effected, and the place carried.

Lieutenant M Pherson, of the 45th., though wounded previous to his ascending the ladders in the escalade, was distinguished in hauling down the French flag from the staff on the citadel, which being brought to Major Greenwell, who commanded the regiment, he ordered a jacket of the 45th. to be substituted in its place, acting upon the well-known adage of"exchange no robbery." It had been a point of emulation amongst the different regiments during the siege, which should have the honour of striking the French flag, and spiking a certain gun in the castle, which had been particularly offensive during the operations; the 45th. had the good fortune to do both.

Third") established thereon about half-past eleven. Meanwhile Major Wilson, of the 48th. regiment, carried the ravelin of St. Roque, with a detachment of two hundred men of the guard in the trenches, and, with the aid of Major Squire, of the Engineers, he established himself within that work.

The fourth and light divisions were not perceived by the enemy until they reached the covered way, and the advanced guards of the two divisions descended without difficulty into the ditch, protected by the fire of the parties stationed on the glacis for that purpose. They advanced to the assault of the breaches, led by their gallant officers, with the utmost intrepidity; but such was the nature of the obstacles prepared by the garrison at the top and behind the breaches, and so determined the resistance, that the assailants could not establish themselves within the place. Many brave officers and soldiers were killed or wounded by explosions at the top of the breaches, and others who succeeded to them were compelled to give way. Repeated attempts were made till after twelve at night, when the Earl of Wellington, seeing that success was not to be attained, and that Lieutenant-General Picton was established in the castle, the fourth and light divisions were ordered to retire to the ground on which they had first assembled for the attack.

Major-General Leith in the meantime had pushed forward Major-General Walker's brigade on the left, supported by the 38th., under Lieutenant-Colonel Nugent, and the 15th. Portuguese regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Do Rego; and he had made a false attack upon the Pardaleras, with the 8th. Caçadores, under Major Hill. Major-General Walker forced the barrier on the road of Olivença, and entered the covered way on the left of the bastion of St. Vicente, close to the Guadiana. There he descended into the ditch, and escaladed the face of that bastion.

This proceeding was supported by Lieutenant-General Leith, with the 38th., and the 15th. Portuguese regiment; and the British troops being thus established in the castle, which commanded all the works of and in the town; and the fourth and light divisions being formed again for the attack of the breaches, all resistance ceased. At daylight in the morn

ing of the 7th. of April, the Governor, General Philippon, who had retired to Fort St. Christoval, surrendered, together with the whole garrison, which consisted of five thousand men at the commencement of the siege, of whom one thousand two hundred were killed or wounded during the operations, besides those lost in opposing the assault. About three thousand five hundred prisoners were captured, being all that survived of the gallant garrison.

The regiments now in the service which bear BADAJOZ on their colours and appointments are the 4th., 5th., 7th., 23rd, 27th., 30th., 38th., 40th., 43rd., 44th., 45th., 48th., 52nd., 60th., 74th., 77th., 83rd., 88th., and Rifle Brigade.

This success cost the British and Portuguese the following heavy casualties:-Seventy-two officers, fifty-one sergeants, two drummers, and nine hundred and ten rank and file killed; three hundred and six officers, two hundred and sixteen sergeants, seventeen drummers, and three thousand two hundred and forty-eight rank and file wounded. No wonder that the Iron Duke wept, when he saw that the glory of the capture was purchased at such a price.

On the 17th. of June, the forts at Salamanca were invested by the sixth division, and operations commenced by the light companies thereof, under Colonel Samuel Venables Hinde, of the 32nd. regiment. The remainder of the army was formed in order of battle on the heights of San Christoval, in front of Salamanca, from the 20th. to the 28th. of June, to meet Marshal Marmont, who advanced with forty thousand men to relieve the forts. They were attacked without success on the 23rd., and carried on the 27th. of June, by a party under the command of Lieutenant-Colonel Davies, of the 36th. regiment. Several skirmishes and changes of position occurred. The Earl of Wellington advanced in pursuit of the French Marshal, who, having received reinforcements, crossed the Douro, and the allies retired, skilfully manoeuvring and taking up different positions in presence of the enemy, until the

21st., when they reached the ground they had formerly occupied, on the height of San Christoval.

Shortly after daylight on the 22nd. of July, detachments from both armies attempted to obtain possession of the more distant from the allied right of the two hills called Dos Arapiles. In this attempt the enemy succeeded, his detachment being the strongest; by which success the French position was materially strengthened, and they had in their power increased means of annoying that of their opponents.

The light troops of the seventh division, and the 4th. Caçadores, belonging to Major-General Pack's brigade, were engaged in the morning with the enemy on the height of Nuestra Senora de la Pena, on which they maintained themselves throughout the day. The improved position of the French rendered it necessary for the Earl of Wellington to extend the right of his army en potence to the heights behind the village of Arapiles, and to occupy it with light infantry; here the fourth division, under the command of Lieutenant-General the Honourable Lowry Cole, was placed.

A variety of evolutions and movements having been made by the French Marshal, he proceeded to carry out his plan about two o'clock in the afternoon; and under cover of a very heavy cannonade, which did but little injury, he extended his left, and moved forward his army, apparently with an intention to embrace, by the position of his troops, and by his fire, the British post on that of the two Arapiles, and thence to attack and break the line; or at all events to render difficult any movements to the right. This extension of the French line to their left, and its advance upon the allied right, gave the British commander an opportunity of attacking him, for which he had long been anxious. "The attack of the third division," says Lord Londonderry, in his "Story of the Peninsular War," "was not only the most spirited, but the most perfect thing of the kind that modern times have witnessed. Regardless alike of a charge of cavalry and of the murderous fire which the enemy's batteries opened, on went these fearless warriors, horse and foot, without check or pause, until they won the ridge, and then the infantry giving their volley, and the cavalry falling on, sword in hand,

the French were pierced, broken, and discomfited. So close indeed was the struggle, that in several instances the British seen waving over the heads of the enemy's

colours were

battalions."

The British General, in his despatch, observed that "MajorGeneral the Honourable Edward Pakenham* formed the third division across the enemy's flank, and overthrew everything opposed to him. These troops were supported in the most gallant style by the Portuguese cavalry, under BrigadierGeneral D' Urban, and Lieutenant-Colonel Hervey's squadrons of the 14th., who successfully defended every attempt made by the enemy on the flank of the third division."

In front the French were attacked by Brigadier-General Bradford's brigade, the fourth and fifth divisions, and the cavalry under Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton, Bart., and were driven from one height to another. The cavalry made a most successful charge against a body of French infantry, which they overthrew, and cut to pieces. In this charge Major-General Le Marchant was killed. The sixth division, under MajorGeneral Clinton, was ordered up at a critical period to relieve the fourth division, which had been heavily pressed, and the battle was soon restored to its former success.

The enemy's right, reinforced by the troops which had fled from his left, and by those which had by this time retired from the Arapiles, still continued to resist; and while other corps were directed to turn the right, the sixth division,†

On the enemy's commencing to give way, a French officer picked up a firelock, thrown down by one of his men, and levelled it at MajorGeneral the Honourable Edward Pakenham; the piece missed fire, when the intrepid officer snatched up another, and presented it, on which Cor. poral Patrick Cavanagh, of the 45th., advanced out of the ranks, shot the officer, and saved the general; but both parties were now so near, that in the act of firing the Corporal was himself shot.

The 11th. and 61st. regiments specially distinguished themselves on this occasion; evening was fast approaching, and the legions of Napoleon were retreating in much disorder, when the French division, commanded by General Maucune, made a determined stand to cover the retreat of the broken battalions; then ensued a desperate musketry action in the dark. The difficulty of the ascent gave the enemy's division, formed on the summit, a decided advantage; but at length Maucune's battalions were forced from the height. Of Major-General Hulse's brigade, (the 11th., 53rd., and 61st.,) only nine officers and three hundred men remained, which were formed on the following day into one battalion. A round shot (probably fired at the colours of the 11th.,) took the heads off the two sergeants, posted between the colours, and of a black man who beat the