Salamanca, July 24, 1812.
My Dear Father,
I have very, very great pleasure in communicating to you one of the most decisive and complete victories that was ever gained by the valour and intrepidity of our brave troops, but alas! my exultation and joy are not without great diminution, for our brave and excellent Marshal is severely wounded, as well as a great many of our brave Generals, but for none of course can I feel as I do for our worthy Marshal. It is, however, though painful and severe, not certainly a dangerous wound, and this country, as well as his own, will, I trust, be only temporarily deprived of his most necessary services and example.
We have been terribly harassed since the 16th, day and night, owing to Marmont having crossed the Douro by a skilful movement upon Toro, at which place he sent a force across, and drew our army to that neighbourhood, and then by a forced march returned and crossed at Tordesillas, and immediately commenced his manœuvres to turn the right flank of our army, which forced Lord Wellington gradually to fall back successively behind the Guarena and Tormes.
On the 18th our army made a forward movement towards Alaejos and Nava again, but, the Lt. Division coming up with the enemy at Castrejon, a sharp cannonade and skirmishing took place, and the direction of the Army was altered to the direction of Torrecilla de la Orden, as the enemy seemed determined to move round our flank. (It is necessary to observe that we had retired the night before to Fuente La Peña, Castrello, and Canizal, in consequence of the enemy having crossed at Toro, and were at this time advancing, having heard that he had recrossed again and was at Nava and Alaejos.) Several Divisions were ordered up, and all the Cavalry to support the Lt. Division, but finding the enemy in great force and the ground offering no position, we were forced to retire under a heavy cannonade, which they renewed again as they gained the heights above the river Guarena. But our loss was very trifling indeed considering. Towards evening the enemy endeavoured to move round our left flank with two Divisions, and sent a Brigade to attack a height on which our left rested, but they were charged most gallantly by the 27th and 40th, supported by the 11th and 23rd Portuguese, and completely routed, paying us with great interest for our losses. They lost upwards of 500 men, of which we took 130 prisoners. The Marshal was at this time slightly wounded by a grape shot in the thigh, but very slightly, and we had one Officer killed and about 150 to 160 men killed and wounded. I do not know what our loss was in the whole day.
On the evening of the 19th we saw the whole of the enemy’s army in march to turn our right apparently, and the disposition of our army was altered to La Vallesa, where the next day both armies were at daybreak close together, and a battle seemed inevitable. Lord Wellington began to form on a perfect plan to receive them, and they never had a finer opportunity, but though their whole force seemed to threaten destruction to our right, they suddenly moved off by their left along some heights, and Lord Wellington moved his army, in order of Battle, in two lines, along the plain and halted at night between Cabeça Vellozo and Pitiegna, our people much harassed and fatigued, as the heat was incessant, and no water hardly to be found. But I suppose there never was a more interesting or beautiful sight than that of two hostile armies of upwards of 35,000 men each moving parallel within a mile and a half of each other and often within cannon range.
On the 21st our army was forced to cross the Tormes, by Marmont’s moving round it, and took up a position at night to cover Salamanca, our left to the Tormes, our right to some isolated heights in rear of Calbaraza de Ariba and beyond Na. Senora de la Peña, the enemy moving to the woods nearly ½ way between Alva de Tormes and Calbarasa, having crossed at Ençina. During all these days there was a great deal of skirmishing and cannonading on both sides, and we were all greatly harassed and fatigued, having scarce time to rest or eat, and on horseback all day long, and the troops suffered much from the excessive heat and almost incessant marching.