[CHAPTER X.]
SALAMANCA AND MADRID.
In June 1812 Wellington was ready to attack Marmont, whose army he had now succeeded in isolating. By destroying the bridge at Almaraz the commander-in-chief had made it practically impossible for Drouet and Soult to reinforce Marmont; King Joseph's army was out of hand, and not likely to take the field; and the only other French army of any importance was kept busy in the neighbourhood of Corunna, where small bodies of British troops were landed from time to time to harass the Frenchmen. Marmont was at this time near Salamanca, where he had strong fortifications, and it was known that he intended to hold first the line of the Tormes river, and then, if forced to retire, the line of the Douro.
On the 13th June, Wellington's army, consisting of nearly forty thousand British and Portuguese troops, advanced to the Tormes, and on the 17th was in front of Salamanca, from which the French withdrew without offering battle, though they left some eight hundred men in occupation of the forts. Major Rice wrote, on the 18th June, from Camp, left bank of the Tormes, half a mile from Salamanca—
"My latest from the Azava will have told you of our forward movement. We arrived before Salamanca on the 16th with little opposition; skirmishing, principally with cavalry; their advance posts all driven in. The military coup d'œil was fine, as the whole operations and effect could at once be seen. Marmont made some show of defence in the evening, but thought it prudent in the night to retire with his principal force. He has, however, left two works in the town garrisoned, which defend the passage of the bridge, and which cause, therefore, a temporary inconvenience, as all supplies for the army have to be carried round by the ford. One division of the army is in the town, and notwithstanding all the firing that is going on, the shops are open, and every one walking about as in times of the most profound tranquillity. The apathy of these people is beyond description; death or danger seems not to cause a sensation. What is extraordinary enough is that to-night there is to be a ball given by General Graham. They will dance to the sound of the cannon. We are now constructing batteries; by to-morrow morning we hope they will be pounded out of their dens. Salamanca has been a fine town, the public buildings beautiful in the extreme, but most miserably dilapidated by the soft and gentle hand of war. I am just going to take a review of the ladies; yesterday they did not show. The cannon is roaring most tremendously. Our labours and fatigues have been very great; march always at one o'clock; now are continually on the alert, men remaining accoutred day and night. The enemy have fallen back upon Toro; whether we follow, or they retrograde, at present je n'en sais rien.
"You talk of Philippon and his defence. The fellow showed genius in his mode of defence; but I cannot say much for his defenders; nothing that skill could devise was left untried; the place[71] was taken at last at the strongest point—so much for what I have said. We have been enjoying the 'canopy' since quitting our cantonments; the weather is scorching by day, and cold by night—pleasing variations. I still hold out. The Tormes is in winter a river of military importance, being extremely rapid. It has apparently a magnificent bridge of thirty arches. I am just going reconnoitring, but it will be a reconnaissance confined solely to the sweet signoras."
But the Frenchmen were not "pounded out of their dens" as quickly as the Major had hoped, for the forts held out for another week or more, during which time Marmont made every endeavour to drive the British away and relieve the garrisons. The 51st were engaged almost daily in assisting to frustrate Marmont's designs, though they came in for no serious fighting until the 22nd. On that morning the regiment came off twenty-four hours' outpost duty, but no sooner was the brigade bivouac reached than an order was received to advance. Moving forward for about a mile, the brigade deployed into line, and then continued the advance up the slope of a hill, beyond the crest of which nothing could be seen. That the enemy was at hand, however, was soon made evident, as musket shots were heard, and a few stray bullets passed over the men's heads. Presently balls came over the hill in showers, and some, grazing the hill slope, began to make havoc in the ranks. But the 51st and 68th, now aware that the enemy was within measurable distance, moved steadily forward, unable to fire since no mark was visible, and intent only on closing with the foe. At length the hill was surmounted, when, not ten yards away, the assailants saw the line of Frenchmen, and, with a wild cheer, dashed in. Yet they were too late; the enemy's advanced post had played its part, and, breaking, the men who composed it fled to the village, about one hundred yards away, where a large force, lying concealed, immediately opened fire and checked the British advance. The gallant brigade had carried out its orders and cleared the hill, so falling back a few yards it sheltered itself behind the crest, until the enemy's fire slackened and then ceased. It had been a brisk skirmish, and the 51st had suffered a good deal as they advanced up the hill, Captain Smellie and some twenty men having been wounded, and two or three men killed. A week afterwards, Major Rice, in a short note, dated Between Toro and Salamanca, 30th June 1812, described the affair—
"The gallant 7th Division forced a post, left of the enemy. Wellington, our lord, was pleased to say that we run into them handsomely. The burst was sharp—the hottest I have ever experienced; we lost two or three and twenty. I escaped with only the loss of my favourite horse, which was shot under me. Marmont is expected to defend the passage of the Douro. We are dreadfully harassed; have not been under cover for a month. Much haste."
John Green,[72] who, as a private of the 68th, was present on this occasion, refers to the fight in the following words: "The 51st Regiment suffered considerably, having several killed and wounded. Major Rice's horse was shot from under him. Some men belonging to the Chasseurs Britanniques skinned the horse, and sold the flesh to their own men and to the Portuguese at three vints, or four-pence halfpenny per lb."