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Continuation of the operations in Catalonia--St. Cyr sends Lecchi to the Ampurdan; he returns with the intelligence of the Austrian war--Of Verdier's arrival in the Ampurdan, and of Augereau's appointment to the command of the seventh corps--Augereau's inflated proclamation--It is torn down by the Catalonians--He remains sick at Perpignan--St. Cyr continues to command--Refuses to obey Joseph's orders to remove into Aragon--Presses Verdier to commence the siege of Gerona--Reinforces Verdier--Remains himself at Vich--Constancy of the Spaniards--St. Cyr marches from Vich, defeats three Spanish battalions, and captures a convoy--Storms St. Felieu de Quixols--Takes a position to cover Verdier's operations--Siege of Gerona--State of the contending parties--Assault of Monjouic fails--General Fontanes storms Palamos--Wimphen and the Milans make a vain attempt to throw succours into Gerona--Monjouic abandoned 17

Claros and Rovira attack Bascara and spread dismay along the French frontier--Two Spanish officers pass the Ter and enter Gerona with succours--Alvarez remonstrates with the junta of Catalonia--Bad conduct of the latter--Blake advances to the aid of the city--Pestilence there affects the French army--St. Cyr's firmness--Blake's timid operations--O'Donnel fights Souham, but without success--St. Cyr takes a position of battle--Garcia Conde forces the French lines and introduces a convoy into Gerona--Blake retires--Siege resumed--Garcia Conde comes out of the city--Ridiculous error of the French--Conde forces the French lines and escapes--Assault on Gerona fails--Blake advances a second time--Sends another convoy under the command of O'Donnel to the city--O'Donnel with the head of the convoy succeeds, the remainder is cut off--Blake's incapacity--He retires--St. Cyr goes to Perpignan--Augereau takes the command of the siege--O'Donnel breaks through the French lines--Blake advances a third time--Is beaten by Souham--Pino takes Hostalrich--Admiral Martin intercepts a French squadron--Captain Hallowell destroys a convoy in Rosas-bay--Distress in Gerona--Alvarez is seized with delirium, and the city surrenders--Observations 31

Plot at Seville against the Supreme Junta defeated by lord Wellesley--Junta propose a new form of government--Opposed by Romana--Junta announce the convocation of the national Cortez, but endeavour to deceive the people--A Spanish army assembled in the Morena under Eguia--Bassecour sends cavalry to reinforce Del Parque, who concentrates the Spanish army of the left at Ciudad Rodrigo--He is joined by the Gallician divisions--Santocildes occupies Astorga--French endeavour to surprise him, but are repulsed--Ballasteros quits the Asturias and marching by Astorga attempts to storm Zamora--Enters Portugal--Del Parque demands the aid of the Portuguese army--Sir A. Wellesley refuses, giving his reason in detail--Del Parque's operations--Battle of Tamames--Del Parque occupies Salamanca, but hearing that French troops were assembling at Valladolid retires to Bejar 55

Areizaga takes the command of Equia's army and is ordered to advance against Madrid--Folly of the Supreme Junta--Operations in La Mancha--Combat of Dos Barrios--Cavalry combat of Oca?a--Battle of Oca?a--Destruction of the Spanish army 67

King Joseph's return to Madrid--Del Parque's operations--Battle of Alba de Tormes--Dispersion of the Spanish troops--Their great sufferings and patience--The Supreme Junta treat sir A. Wellesley's counsels with contempt--He breaks up from the Guadiana and moves to the Mondego--Vindication of his conduct for having remained so long on the Guadiana--French remain torpid about Madrid--Observations 86

Joseph prepares to invade Andalusia--Distracted state of affairs in that province--Military position and resources described--Invasion of Andalusia--Passes of the Morena forced by the French--Foolish deceit of the Supreme Junta--Tumult in Seville--Supreme Junta dissolved--Junta of Seville re-assembles, but disperses immediately after--The French take Jaen--Sebastiani enters Grenada--King Joseph enters Cordoba and afterwards marches against Seville--Albuquerque's march to Cadiz--Seville surrenders--Insurrection at Malaga put down by Sebastiani--Victor invests Cadiz--Faction in that city--Mortier marches against Badajos--The visconde de Gand flies to Ayamonte--Inhospitable conduct of the bishop of Algarve 101

Operations in Navarre, Aragon, and Valencia--Pursuit of the student Mina--Suchet's preparations--His incursion against Valencia--Returns to Aragon--Difficulty of the war in Catalonia--Operations of the seventh corps--French detachments surprised at Mollet and San Perpetua--Augereau enters Barcelona--Sends Duhesme to France--Returns to Gerona--O'Donnel rallies the Spanish army near Centellas--Combat of Vich--Spaniards make vain efforts to raise the blockade of Hostalrich--Augereau again advances to Barcelona--Sends two divisions to Reus--Occupies Manreza and Villa Franca--French troops defeated at Villa Franca and Esparaguera--Swartz abandons Manreza--Is defeated at Savadel--Colonel Villatte communicates with the third corps by Falcet--Severolli retreats from Reus to Villa Franca--Is harassed on the march--Augereau's unskilful conduct--Hostalrich falls--Gallant exploit of the governor, Julian Estrada--Cruelty of Augereau 124

Suchet marches against Lerida--Description of that fortress--Suchet marches to Tarega--O'Donnel advances from Taragona--Suchet returns to Balaguer--Combat of Margalef--Siege of Lerida--The city stormed--Suchet drives the inhabitants into the citadel and thus forces it to surrender 144

Reflections on that act--Lazan enters Alcanitz, but is driven out by the French--Colonel Petit taken with a convoy by Villa Campa, and assassinated after the action--Siege of Mequinenza--Fall of that place--Morella taken--Suchet prepares to enter Catalonia--Strength and resources of that province 158

Operations in Andalusia--Blockade of Cadiz--Dissentions in that city--Regency formed--Albuquerque sent to England--Dies there--Regency consent to admit British troops--General Colin Campbell obtains leave to put a garrison in Ceuta, and to destroy the Spanish lines at San Roque--General William Stewart arrives at Cadiz--Seizes Matagorda--Tempest destroys many vessels--Mr. Henry Wellesley and general Graham arrive at Cadiz--Apathy of the Spaniards--Gallant defence of Matagorda--Heroic conduct of a sergeant's wife--General Campbell sends a detachment to occupy Tarifa--French prisoners cut the cables of the prison-hulks, and drift during a tempest--General Lacey's expedition to the Ronda--His bad conduct--Returns to Cadiz--Reflections on the state of affairs 169

Continuation of the operations in Andalusia--Description of the Spanish and Portuguese lines of position south of the Tagus--Situation of the armies in Estremadura--Complex operations in that province--Soult's policy 188

Situation of the armies north of the Tagus--Operations in Old Castile and the Asturias--Ney menaces Ciudad Rodrigo--Loison repulsed from Astorga--Kellerman chases Carrera from the Gata mountains--Obscurity of the French projects--Siege of Astorga--Mahi driven into Gallicia--Spaniards defeated at Mombouey--Ney concentrates the sixth corps at Salamanca--The ninth corps and the imperial guards enter Spain--Massena assumes the command of the army of Portugal and of the northern provinces--Ney commences the first siege of Ciudad Rodrigo--Julian Sanchez breaks out of the town--Massena arrives and alters the plan of attack--Daring action of three French soldiers--Place surrenders--Andreas Herrasti--His fine conduct--Reflections upon the Spanish character 201

Lord Wellington's policy--Change of administration in England--Duel between lord Castlereagh and Mr. Canning--Lord Wellesley joins the new ministry--Debates in Parliament--Factious violence on both sides--Lord Wellington's sagacity and firmness vindicated--His views for the defence of Portugal--Ministers accede to his demands--Grandeur of Napoleon's designs against the Peninsula--Lord Wellington enters into fresh explanation with the English ministers--Discusses the state of the war--Similarity of his views with those of sir John Moore--His reasons for not advancing into Spain explained and vindicated 215

Greatness of lord Wellington's plans--Situation of the belligerents described--State of the French--Character of Joseph--Of his Ministers--Disputes with the Marshals--Napoleon's policy--Military governments--Almenara sent to Paris--Curious deception executed by the marquis of Romana, Mr. Stuart, and the historian Cabanes--Prodigious force of the French army--State of Spain--Inertness of Gallicia--Secret plan of the Regency for encouraging the Guerillas--Operations of those bands--Injustice and absurdity of the Regency, with respect to South America--England--State of parties--Factious injustice on both sides--Difficulty of raising money--Bullion committee--Wm. Cobbett--Lord King--Mr. Vansittart--Extravagance of the Ministers--State of Portugal--Parties in that country--Intrigues of the Patriarch and the Souza's--Mr. Stuart is appointed Plenipotentiary--His firmness--Princess Carlotta claims the regency of the whole Peninsula, and the succession to the throne of Spain 234

Lord Wellington's scheme for the defence of Portugal--Vastness of his designs--Number of his troops--Description of the country--Plan of defence analysed--Difficulty of supplying the army--Resources of the belligerents compared--Character of the British soldier 254

Character of Miguel Alava--Portuguese government demand more English troops--Lord Wellington refuses, and reproaches the Regency--The factious conduct of the latter--Character of the light division--General Crawfurd passed the Coa--His activity and skilful arrangements--Is joined by Carrera--Skirmish at Barba del Puerco--Carrera invites Ney to desert--Romana arrives at head-quarters--Lord Wellington refuses to succour Ciudad Rodrigo--His decision vindicated--Crawfurd's ability and obstinacy--He maintains his position--Skirmish at Alameda--Captain Kra?kenberg's gallantry--Skirmish at Villa de Puerco--Colonel Talbot killed--Gallantry of the French captain Guache--Combat of the Coa--Comparison between general Picton and general Crawfurd 273

Slight operations in Gallicia, Castile, the Asturias, Estremadura, and Andalusia--Reynier passes the Tagus--Hill makes a parallel movement--Romana spreads his troops over Estremadura--Lord Wellington assembles a reserve at Thomar--Critical situation of Silveira--Captures a Swiss battalion at Puebla de Senabria--Romana's troops defeated at Benvenida--Lascy and captain Cockburne land troops at Moguer but are forced to reimbark--Lord Wellington's plan--How thwarted--Siege of Almeida--Allies advance to Frexadas--The magazine of Almeida explodes--Treachery of Bareiros--Town surrenders--The allies withdraw behind the Mondego--Fort of Albuquerque ruined by an explosion--Reynier marches on Sabugal, but returns to Zarza Mayor--Napoleon directs Massena to advance--Description of the country--Erroneous notions of lord Wellington's views entertained by both armies 296

Third Invasion of Portugal--Napoleon's prudence in military affairs vindicated--Massena concentrated his corps--Occupies Guarda--Passes the Mondego--Marches on Viseu--Lord Wellington falls back--Secures Coimbra, passes to the right bank of the Mondego, and is joined by the reserve from Thomar--General Hill anticipates his orders, and by a forced march reaches the Alva--The allied army is thus interposed between the French and Coimbra--Daring action of colonel Trant--Contemporaneous events in Estremadura, and the Condado de Niebla--Romana defeated--Gallantry of the Portuguese cavalry under general Madden--Dangerous crisis of affairs--Violence of the Souza faction--An indiscreet letter from an English officer, creates great confusion at Oporto--Lord Wellington rebukes the Portuguese Regency--He is forced to alter his plans, and resolves to offer battle--Chooses the position of Busaco 312

General Pack destroys the bridges on the Criz and Dao--Remarkable panic in the light division--The second and sixth corps arrive in front of Busaco--Ney and Regnier desire to attack, but Massena delays--The eighth corps and the cavalry arrive--Battle of Busaco--Massena turns the right of the allies--Lord Wellington falls back, and orders the northern militia to close on the French rear--Cavalry skirmish on the Mondego--Coimbra evacuated, dreadful scene there--Disorders in the army--Lord Wellington's firmness contrasted with Massena's indolence--Observations 325

Massena resumes his march--The militia close upon his rear--Cavalry skirmish near Leiria--Allies retreat upon the lines--Colonel Trant surprises Coimbra--The French army continues its march--Cavalry skirmish at Rio Mayor--General Crawfurd is surprised at Alemquer and retreats by the wrong road--Dangerous results of this error--Description of the lines of Torres Vedras--Massena arrives in front of them--Romana reinforces Lord Wellington with two Spanish divisions--Remarkable works executed by the light division at Aruda--The French skirmish at Sobral--General Harvey wounded--General St. Croix killed--Massena takes a permanent position in front of the Lines--He is harassed on the rear and flanks by the British cavalry and the Portuguese militia 340

State of Lisbon--Embargo on the vessels in the river--Factious conduct of the Patriarch--The desponding letters from the army--Alarm--Lord Liverpool--Lord Wellington displays the greatest firmness, vigour, and dignity, of mind--He rebukes the Portuguese Regency, and exposes the duplicity and presumption of the Patriarch's faction--Violence of this faction--Curious revelation made by Baron Eben and the editor of the Brazilienza--Lord Wellesley awes the Court of Rio Janeiro--Strengthens the authority of Lord Wellington and Mr. Stuart--The French seize the Islands in the river--Foolish conduct of the governor of Setuval--General Fane sent to the left bank of the Tagus--Lord Wellington's embarrassments become more serious--The heights of Almada fortified--Violent altercation of the Regency upon this subject--The Patriarch insults Mr. Stuart and nearly ruins the common cause 364

Massena's pertinacity--He collects boats on the Tagus, and establishes a dep?t at Santarem--Sends general Foy to Paris--Casts a bridge over the Zezere--Abandons his position in front of the Lines--Is followed by lord Wellington--Exploit of serjeant Baxter--Massena assumes the position of Santarem--Lord Wellington sends general Hill across the Tagus--Prepares to attack the French--Abandons this design and assumes a permanent position--Policy of the hostile generals exposed--General Gardanne arrives at Cardigos with a convoy, but retreats again--The French marauders spread to the Mondego--Lord Wellington demands reinforcements--Beresford takes the command on the left of the Tagus--Operations of the militia in Beira--General Drouet enters Portugal with the ninth corps--Joins Massena at Espinhal--Occupies Leiria--Claparede defeats Silveira and takes Lamego--Returns to the Mondego--Seizes Guarda and Covilhao--Foy returns from France--The duke of Abrantes wounded in a skirmish at Rio Mayor--General Pamplona organizes a secret communication with Lisbon--Observations 377

General sketch of the state of the war--Lord Wellington objects to maritime operations--Expedition to Fuengirola--Minor operations in Andalusia--National Cortez assemble in the Isla de Leon--Its proceedings--New regency chosen--Factions described--Violence of all parties--Unjust treatment of the colonies 402

Soult assumes the direction of the blockade of Cadiz--His flotilla--Enters the Troccadero canal--Villantroys, or cannon-mortars, employed by the French--Inactivity of the Spaniards--Napoleon directs Soult to aid Massena--Has some notion of evacuating Andalusia--Soult's first expedition to Estremadura--Carries the bridge of Merida--Besieges Olivenza--Ballasteros defeated at Castellejos--Flies into Portugal--Romana's divisions march from Cartaxo to the succour of Olivenza--That place surrenders--Romana dies--His character--Lord Wellington's counsels neglected by the Spanish generals--First siege of Badajos--Mendizabel arrives--Files the Spanish army into Badajos--Makes a grand sally--Is driven back with loss--Pitches his camp round San Christoval--Battle of the Gebora--Continuation of the blockade of Cadiz--Expedition of the allies under general Lape?a--Battle of Barosa--Factions in Cadiz 421

Siege of Badajos continued--Imas surrenders--His cowardice and treachery--Albuquerque and Valencia de Alcantara taken by the French--Soult returns to Andalusia--Relative state of the armies at Santarem--Retreat of the French--Massena's able movement--Skirmish at Pombal--Combat of Redinha--Massena halts at Condeixa--Montbrun endeavours to seize Coimbra--Baffled by colonel Trant--Condeixa burnt by the French--Combat of Casal Nova--General Cole turns the French at Panella--Combat of Foz d'Aronce--Massena retires behind the Alva 450

Allies halt for provisions--State of the campaign--Passage of the Ceira--Passage of the Alva--Massena retires to Celerico--Resolves to march upon Coria--Is prevented by Ney, who is deprived of his command and sent to France--Massena abandons Celerico and takes post at Guarda--The allies oblige the French to quit that position, and Massena takes a new one behind the Coa--Combat of Sabugal--Trant crosses the Coa and cuts the communication between Almeida and Ciudad Rodrigo--His danger--He is released by the British cavalry and artillery--Massena abandons Portugal 473

Estimate of the French loss--Anecdote of Colonel Waters--Lord Wellington's great conceptions explained--How impeded--Affairs in the south of Spain--Formation of the fourth and fifth Spanish armies--Siege of Campo Mayor--Place falls--Excellent conduct of major Tallaia--Beresford surprises Montbrun--Combat of cavalry--Campo Mayor recovered--Beresford takes cantonments round Elvas--His difficulties--Reflections upon his proceedings--He throws a bridge near Jerumenha and passes the Guadiana--Outposts of cavalry cut off by the French--Casta?os arrives at Elvas--Arrangements relative to the chief command--Beresford advances against Latour Maubourg, who returns to Llerena--General Cole takes Olivenza--Cavalry skirmish near Usagre--Lord Wellington arrives at Elvas, examines Badajos--Skirmish there--Arranges the operations--Political difficulties--Lord Wellington returns to the Agueda--Operations in the north--Skirmishes on the Agueda--Massena advances to Ciudad Rodrigo--Lord Wellington reaches the army--Retires behind the Dos Casas--Combat of Fuentes Onoro--Battle of Fuentes Onoro--Evacuation of Almeida 489

Lord Wellington quits the army of Beira--Marshal Beresford's operations--Colonel Colborne's beats up the French quarters in Estremadura, and intercepts their convoys--First English siege of Badajos--Captain Squires breaks ground before San Cristoval--His works overwhelmed by the French fire--Soult advances to relieve the place--Beresford raises the siege--Holds a conference with the Spanish generals, and resolves to fight--Colonel Colborne rejoins the army, which takes a position at Albuera--Allied cavalry driven in by the French--General Blake joins Beresford--General Cole arrives on the frontier--Battle of Albuera 523

Continuation of the battle of Albuera--Dreadful state of both armies--Soult retreats to Solano--General Hamilton resumes the investment of Badajos--Lord Wellington reaches the field of battle--Third and seventh divisions arrive--Beresford follows Soult--The latter abandons the castle of Villalba and retreats to Llerena--Cavalry action at Usagre--Beresford quits the army--General Hill reassumes the command of the second division, and lord Wellington renews the siege of Badajos.--Observations 542

Returns of the French army in the Peninsula, extracted from the French muster-rolls 567

Extracts of letters from lord Wellington to lord Liverpool, and one from sir John Moore to major-general M'Kenzie, commanding in Portugal 573

Extracts from the correspondence of a field-officer of engineers, employed at Cadiz, and extracts from the official abstract of military reports from the British commanders at Cadiz 580

Extracts from king Joseph's correspondence 583

Extracts of letters from lord Wellington 586

Extracts from a report made by the duke of Dalmatia to the prince of Wagram and Neufchatel 603

Intercepted letter from marshal Mortier to the emperor 607

Miscellaneous correspondence of the French marshals and others, and extracts from general Pelet's journal 607

The French officers, prisoners of war at Oporto, to general Trant 623

A letter from lieutenant-general Graham to the right hon. H. Wellesley, and state of the troops at Tarifa, under his command 624

Extract of a letter from general Frederick Ponsonby, and various other documents 629

Extracts from the correspondence of captain Squires, of the engineers 638

Extract of a letter from general Campbell to lord Melville 639

ERRATA.

LIST OF PLATES.

NOTICE.

The manuscript authorities consulted for this volume consist of original papers and correspondence of the duke of Wellington, marshal Soult, king Joseph, Mr. Stuart, general Graham, general Pelet, general Campbell, captain Codrington, and colonel Cox, together with many private journals and letters of officers employed during the war.

Before the Appendix two papers are inserted, the one a letter from major-general Frederick Ponsonby relative to a passage in the description of the battle of Talavera; the other is an original note by the emperor Napoleon, which I had not seen when I published my first volume. The reader is referred to it as confirmatory of the arguments used by me when objecting to Joseph's retreat from Madrid.

HISTORY

OF THE

PENINSULAR WAR.

When Gallicia was delivered by the campaign of Talavera, the Asturias became the head of a new line of operation threatening the enemy's principal communication with France. But this advantage was feebly used. Kellerman's division at Valladolid, and Bonet's at San Andero, sufficed to hold both Asturians and Gallicians in check; and the sanguinary operations in the valley of the Tagus, were colaterally, as well as directly, unprofitable to the allies. In other parts the war was steadily progressive in favour of the French; yet their career was one of pains and difficulties.

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