A thick mist covered the country, no Spanish posts were in advance, and Soult, riding through the French ranks, and exhorting the soldiers to fight manfully, commenced the passage of the Gebora. His cavalry forded five miles up the stream, but his infantry passed in two columns, on the right and left of the ruined bridge: a few shots, near the latter, first alarmed the Spaniards, and, as the instant clamour amongst the multitude indicated that the surprise was complete, Mortier, who directed the movements, rapidly formed the line of battle.
At eight o’clock the fog cleared away, and the first beams of the sun and the certainty of victory, flashed together on the French soldiers; for the horsemen were already surrounding the Spanish left; and in the centre, infantry, cavalry, and guns, heaped together, were waving to and fro in disorder; while the right having fallen away from San Christoval was unsupported. In one moment, Girard, with three battalions, stood between the Spaniards and the fort; the artillery roared on both sides; and the French bore forward as one man to the attack: six battalions pressed the centre; Girard moved perpendicularly on the right, and Latour Maubourg charged the left. Thus surrounded, Mendizabel’s people instinctively crowding together on the centre, resisted, for some time, by their inert weight; but the French infantry closed with a destroying musketry, the horsemen rode in with loose bridles, and the Spaniards were shaken, divided, Appendix, [No. II.] Section 8.and slaughtered. Their cavalry fled outright, even Madden’s Portuguese, either from panic, or from hatred of their allies, disregarded alike his exhortations and example, and shamefully turned their backs. At ten o’clock the fight was over; Virues was taken, Mendizabel and Carrera escaped with difficulty, España alone made good his retreat to Campo Mayor with two thousand men; a few more reached Elvas, three thousand got into Badajos, by the bridge, and nine hundred bodies strewed the field: eight thousand, including armed followers, were made prisoners; and guns, colours, muskets, ammunition, baggage, all, fell into the enemy’s hands.
It was a disastrous and a shameful defeat. In the depth of winter, Soult, with a small force, had passed two difficult rivers, carried a strong position, and annihilated an army which had been two years in constant service. Mendizabel, instead of destroying the bridge over the Gebora, should have cast others, that he might freely issue to attack the French while crossing the Guadiana; he should have opposed them again in passing the Gebora; or he might have passed through Badajos, and fallen on the troops in the trenches, with his whole army, while Soult was still entangled between the rivers.
In the evening after the action the French cast up entrenchments, posting three battalions and the heavy cavalry on the important position they had gained; and the next day the works of the siege were renewed with greater activity; yet the difficulty of Soult’s undertaking was rendered apparent by his victories. The continual rains, interrupting the arrival of his convoys, obliged him to employ a number of men at a great distance to gather provisions; nearly two thousand French had been killed or wounded in the two sieges and in this battle, many also were sick, and Badajos was still powerful. The body of the place was entire, the garrison nine thousand strong, and, by the flight of the inhabitants, well provided with food; and there was no want of other stores: the governor was resolute and confident; the season rigorous for the besiegers; no communication had been yet opened with Massena; and lord Wellington, in momentary expectation that his reinforcements would arrive, was impatient to bring on a crisis; meanwhile, the duke of Dalmatia’s power, in Andalusia, was menaced in the most serious manner.
CONTINUATION OF THE BLOCKADE OF CADIZ.
Official Abstract of Military Reports. MSS.
When general Graham was aware of Soult’s departure, and knew, also, that the fifth corps had quitted Seville, he undertook, in concert with the Spaniards, to drive Victor out of his lines. A force, sailing from Cadiz the 29th of January, was to have been joined, in rear of the enemy, by the troops from Tarifa under major Brown, and by three thousand Spaniards, from Algesiras and San Roque under general Beguines; but contrary winds detained even the vessels carrying counter orders to Beguines and Brown, and they advanced, the first to Medina, the other to Casa Vieja. Victor, having notice of this project, at first kept close, but afterwards sent troops to retake Medina and Casa Vieja; and, in the course of February, twelve thousand men, drawn from the northern governments, were directed upon Andalusia, to reinforce the different Appendix, [No. I.] Section 5.corps. The first corps was thus increased to twenty thousand men, of which fifteen thousand were before Cadiz, and the remainder at San Lucar, Medina, Sidonia, and other quarters. Nevertheless, on the 21st of February, ten thousand infantry and near six hundred cavalry, of the allies, were again embarked at Cadiz; being to land at Tarifa, and march upon the rear of the enemy’s camp at Chiclana. Meanwhile, general Zayas, commanding the Spanish forces left in the Isla, was to cast a bridge over the San Petri, near the sea mouth; Ballasteros, also, with the remains of his army, was directed to menace Seville, the irregular bands were to act against Sebastiani, and insurrections were expected in all quarters.
The British troops passed their port in a gale, the 22d, but, landing at Algesiras, marched to Tarifa the next day. Being there joined by the Appendix, [No. IX.] Section 2.twenty-eighth, and the flank companies of the ninth and eighty-second regiments, somewhat more than four thousand effective troops (including two companies of the twentieth Portuguese and one hundred and eighty German hussars) were assembled under general Graham; all good and hardy troops, and himself a daring old man and of a ready temper for battle.
General La Peña arrived on the 27th, with seven thousand Spaniards, and Graham, for the sake of unanimity, ceded the chief command, although it was contrary to his instructions. The next day, the whole, moving forward about twelve miles, passed the mountain ridges that, descending from Ronda to the sea, separate the plains of San Roque from those of Medina and Chiclana: but being now within four leagues of the enemy’s posts, the troops were re-organized. The vanguard was given to Lardizabal; the centre to the prince of Anglona; the reserve, composed of two Spanish regiments and the British were confided to Graham; but the cavalry of both nations, formed in one body, was commanded by colonel Whittingham, then in the Spanish service.
The French covering division, under general Cassagne, consisted of three battalions and a regiment of horse at Medina, with outposts at Vejer de la Frontera and Casa Viejas. Before La Peña’s arrival, the irregulars had attacked Casa Viejas, and general Beguines had even taken Medina; but Cassagne, reinforced by a battalion of infantry from Arcos, retook and entrenched it the 29th; and the signal of action being thus given, the French generals in the higher provinces, perceiving that the people were ready for commotion, gathered in their respective forces at Seville, Ecija, and Cordoba; following the orders left by Soult. In Grenada Intercepted Letter of General Werlé to Sebastiani, Alhama, March 12.the insurgents were especially active; Sebastiani, doubtful if the storm would not break on his head, concentrated a column at Estipona as a good covering point to the coast line, and one whence he could easily gain Ronda. Victor manned his works at Rota, Santa Maria, Puerto Real, and the Trocadero with a mixed force, of refugee French, juramentados, and regular troops; but he assembled Appendix, [No. I.] Section 6.eleven thousand good soldiers near Chiclana, taking post between the roads of Conil and Medina, to await the development of the allies’ project.