Memoir of the early campaigns of the Duke of Wellington, in Portugal and Spain, / By an officer employed in his army

by Earl of John Fane Westmorland

When Massena commenced his retreat, Lord Wellington had decided to send the second British division, together with that of General Hamilton of Portuguese, with the 13th Light Dragoons, and a Portuguese brigade of cavalry, to protect the Alemtejo, and to oblige Mortier to raise the siege of Badajos; a part of this corps having, however, passed to the north of the Tagus at Abrantes, and driven the enemy from the Zezere at Punhete, its march to the southward was delayed till Lord Wellington, receiving intelligence of the surrender of Badajos, was obliged to add to this force the 4th division, under Lieutenant-General Cole, and the heavy brigade of British cavalry, under Major-General De Grey. This immense detachment from his army was rendered necessary from the very great importance of defending the southern frontier of Portugal, while the remainder of his forces pursued the enemy in the north. It was intrusted to the command of Marshal Beresford, and began its march towards Portalegre and Campo Mayor on the 17th. Lord Wellington considered the possession of Badajos as of the greatest importance to his future operations; and therefore directed Marshal Beresford, if possible, to invest it before the enemy should have had time to repair the fortifications, and provision it. This object was unfortunately not accomplished; and the recapture of that fortress, at a later period, was most dearly purchased.

After a few days’ halt upon the Alva, the allied troops continued the pursuit of Massena’s army; it had taken a position at Guarda, where it appeared determined to defend itself. The ground about that town is extremely strong; being at a considerable height, it commands the country around it, and is most difficult of access. Massena had availed himself of these advantages, and hoped to maintain his army, protected by them, within the frontier of Portugal. He had held out this hope to Buonaparte, and therefore made every disposition within his means to secure his object; but Lord Wellington, on the 27th, in the morning, had manœuvred with seven columns, so as to turn him on every side, and having gained possession of his position, to force him to a precipitate retreat; a brigade of French infantry, under General Maucune, was near being taken, and the whole French army was driven across the Coa. Massena here made a last effort to maintain some footing within the frontiers of the country, of which he had so triumphantly predicted the entire conquest; he placed his army along the Coa, and in occupation of Sabugal; he was attacked, however, on the 2d of April; his hopes were blasted; he was driven into Spain. Lord Wellington had directed the light division to pass the Coa on the left, and in rear of General Regnier’s corps, while two divisions attacked in front; from the badness of the weather, a battalion of the Rifle Corps, under Colonel Beckwith, was deceived in the ford at which it was to cross, and got engaged alone for a considerable time with almost the whole of the French force. Colonel Beckwith, at the moment of being charged by the French cavalry, took advantage of a stone enclosure, from whence he defended himself with the most distinguished gallantry; an opportunity offering, he charged and took a howitzer, which he maintained; and, after having caused a severe loss to the enemy, was relieved by the arrival of the rest of the light division, and afterwards of the other corps which had been destined to the attack. Regnier was obliged to retire with great precipitation, leaving a considerable number of killed and wounded, and losing many prisoners on his march to Alfaiates, where he entered the Spanish territory.

Thus were the last of Massena’s troops chased from the country, of which they still maintained the pompous appellation. “The Army of Portugal,” was yet the title they were distinguished by, though they could boast of that country but as the scene of disaster and defeat; and out of which, with the loss of half their numbers, they had been driven headlong, leaving only the sad remembrance of the atrocities they had committed.

Lord Wellington having reconnoitred Almeida, decided immediately to blockade it; having appointed the corps for that purpose, and distributed the rest of his army in cantonments, he went to the Alemtejo, to visit the army commanded by Marshal Beresford. This force had arrived at Campo Mayor on the 25th of March; the town had, two days before, after a spirited resistance, surrendered to the enemy, but the wretched state of its defences obliged Marshal Mortier to abandon it on the approach of the allies. The advanced guard, composed of the 13th Light Dragoons, and some Portuguese cavalry, came up with the enemy’s convoy, protected by a corps of cavalry, three battalions of infantry, and a brigade of artillery, as it was retiring to Badajos; Colonel Head charged the French cavalry, defeated it, and drove it to the gates of Badajos; from the walls of which place the 13th Light Dragoons suffered some loss, having, in the ardour of the pursuit, exposed themselves to the fire from them.

The heavy brigade of British cavalry, composed of the 3d Dragoon Guards, and the 4th Dragoons, came up to the French infantry soon after this charge had taken place; but at the moment of attacking it, were halted by Marshal Beresford, who, in doubt of the event of the charge made by the 13th, did not venture to expose the rest of his cavalry to any risk. This infantry therefore was allowed to move off without molestation; and in the night the French were enabled to carry into Badajos a great part of the guns, stores, and ammunition, which, in the charge of the 13th Dragoons, had been taken in the morning. The result of this affair, after so brilliant a commencement, was unfortunate; the return of the infantry was a considerable reinforcement to a garrison we were about, to attack; and the artillery, stores, and provisions were objects of the first necessity to its defence.

The French having thus been driven over the Guadiana, Marshal Beresford sought as early as possible to pass that river, to invest Badajos, according to the instructions he had received. He was delayed, however, by the state of the river, and his unwillingness to risk its passage, without having previously secured his after communications across it; so that he did not effectually establish himself on the left bank, till the 6th and 7th of April, by which time the enemy had provisioned and repaired the place, and Marshal Mortier (leaving it in a state of defence,) had retired with his corps towards Seville.

The blockade of Badajos was immediately established; and Lieutenant-General Cole was directed to conduct the siege of Olivenza, which, having only a garrison of 370 men, was surrendered at discretion on the 15th.

Immediately after this event, and while Marshal Beresford was preparing for the attack of Badajos, Lord Wellington arrived. He was strongly impressed with the importance of this fortress to his future plans, in the new system of warfare which the late events had laid open to him. Snatched from him at the moment all his other calculations had triumphed, it had already been most detrimental to his general success. By the large detachment he had been obliged to make from his army, in consequence of its fall, it had prevented his more vigorous pursuit of Massena, and had destroyed his hope of undertaking the blockade of Ciudad Rodrigo (as well as that of Almeida,) before it could be re-victualled, and placed in a state of defence; and it still menaced, as long as it remained in the hands of the French, to curb all his offensive movements into Spain, by protecting their positions in the south of the country, and by enabling them at all times to threaten the southern provinces of Portugal.

Lord Wellington found the army of Marshal Beresford in possession of the whole of Estremadura; an affair of cavalry which had taken place at Usagre, in which the 3d Dragoon Guards had most gallantly charged and defeated the French, had, terminated their attempt to maintain themselves within it. Lord Wellington immediately reconnoitred Badajos with two battalions of infantry, and some Portuguese cavalry; a sharp affair was engaged by these troops with part of the garrison, but he effected his purpose, and decided to besiege the place, and fixed upon such points to attack as he hoped would lead to the capture of the fortress within fourteen or sixteen days. He had neither the means nor the time to undertake a regular siege; besieging artillery, stores, and ammunition could all be but very inefficiently supplied from Elvas, the only depôt from whence they could be drawn; and it was evident that Soult would make every effort to prevent the capture of the place, and that he would, in about three weeks, be able to collect an army strong enough to attempt its relief.

The heights of St. Christobal, on the right of the Guadiana, seemed to offer a favourable emplacement for the establishment of batteries to protect an attack on the old castle; it was therefore decided to carry, if possible, the fort which occupied them, and afterwards, from that position, to endeavour to destroy the defences of the castle, while its walls should be breached from the batteries in the plain below, and on the left of the river. Preparations were immediately made to carry this plan into effect, which Lord Wellington hoped would be in operation on the 24th. The movements of Massena recalled him to the north; he therefore left the prosecution of the siege to Marshal Beresford, recommending, if the enemy attempted to disturb him, to fight a battle, rather than be driven from his object.