第 15 页

French were evacuating the town. The inhabitants at once took across

some large barges to Villa Neva, a suburb lying across the river and

just below the Serra Hill. Here Sherbrooke began to cross.

It was now the time for the English to take the offensive. There were

now three battalions in the seminary, and as the French drew sullenly

off to join the column now flowing steadily out from Oporto along the

Valonga road, the gates were thrown open, and the English passing out

formed outside the walls, and poured volley after volley into the

retreating foe. Had Murray fallen upon their flank, the disaster of

the French would have been complete; but this general feared that the

enemy would turn upon him, and destroy his division before assistance

could arrive, and he therefore remained inactive, and allowed the long

column of fugitives to pass unmolested.

For the next eight days the English army followed hotly in pursuit,

and several skirmishes occurred; but Soult effected a most masterly

retreat, saving his army, when it seemed upon the brink of

destruction, by leaving his guns and baggage behind him, and leading

his men by paths over mountains supposed to be impassable for any

large body of men. He lost altogether 6000 men in this short campaign.

This included 3600 prisoners either captured in action or left behind

in the hospitals, and 1400 killed. The number of guns left behind was

fifty-eight. The English had only 300 killed and wounded.

Sir Arthur's plans for the invasion of Spain were not yet

complete, and he accordingly halted his army to await supplies and

reinforcements. During this time the young buglers had no opportunity

of calling upon Major-General Hill. The transport supplied by the

Spanish Government had failed grossly, and the troops were badly fed

at a time when, taking long marches, they most required support. The

first day after they halted the boys determined that they would, as

soon as they were off duty, call upon General Hill. While parade was

going on, however, they saw the general ride up to Colonel Tritton,

and enter into conversation with him. The bugler, who was standing

near, was ordered to sound the call for the officers to assemble in

front; and when they did so, Colonel Tritton left the general's side

and spoke a few words with them. There was a short conversation,

and then the colonel rejoined the general's side, and the officers

returned to their places. The colonel now rode forward to the center

of the line, and said in loud tones, "Men, I have a piece of news to

tell you which I think that you will be glad to hear. Upon my arrival

at Lisbon I reported the gallant conduct of Tom and Peter Scudamore

in rescuing one of their comrades when washed overboard in the Bay

of Biscay. Captain Merivale, of the "Latona," also reported it, and

General Hill, when he heard the circumstances, was also good enough to

send home a report recommending them for promotion. He has received

an answer from the Commander-in-Chief announcing that they are both

granted commissions in this regiment as a reward for their act of

distinguished gallantry. The regiment is dismissed."

As the men fell out they gave a loud and general cheer, and Tom and

Peter were surrounded by their comrades, who shook them by the hand,

and congratulated them upon their promotion. The boys were too much

surprised and affected to speak, and they had scarcely recovered from

their bewilderment, when Carruthers came up to them, and led them

to the colonel. Here General Hill first, and then all the officers,

warmly shook hands with them. The boys were much touched by the warmth

with which they were received, and were soon hurried off to the tents

of the officers. Several of the ensigns were slight young men, and

they insisted upon rigging the boys out in uniform, and the boys

had the less scruple in accepting the kind offer, inasmuch as they

expected every day to enter Spain, when the baggage would be cut down

to the smallest possible proportion, and the officers as well as

the men be obliged to leave almost everything behind them. Sam was

delighted at the promotion of his friends, and asked to be appointed

their servant, a request which was at once acceded to. The regiment

had now been three months in Spain, and the boys had continued to

work hard at Spanish, devoting several hours a day to its study, and

talking it whenever they could find an opportunity--no difficult

matter, as Portugal was full of Spanish who had crossed the frontier

to avoid the hated yoke of the French.

The delay in invading Spain was caused partly from want of

transport, but more by the utter incapacity of the Spanish Junta or

government, and by the arrogance and folly of Cuesta, the Spanish

Commander-in-Chief, who was always proposing impracticable schemes to

Wellington, and, inflated with Spanish pride and obstinacy, believed

that his own worthless troops were fully a match for the French, and

was jealous in the highest degree of the British general.

At last, on the 27th of June, the British army advanced. Scarcely had

they made a day's march, however, when the utter faithlessness of the

Spaniards became manifest. The provisions and transport promised were

not forthcoming, and from the very day of their advance the British

were badly fed, and indeed often not fed at all; and so great were

their sufferings during the campaign--sufferings caused by the

heartlessness of the people whom they had come to deliver from a

foreign yoke, that the British soldiers came to cherish a deep and

bitter hatred against the Spanish; and it was this intense feeling of

animosity which had no little to do with the cruel excesses of the

English soldiery upon the capture of Burgos and San Sebastian.

After many delays from these causes, the British army reached Oropesa

upon the 20th July, and there formed a junction with Cuesta's army.

Upon the 22d the allied armies moved forward, and upon the same

day the Spaniards came in contact with the French, and should have

inflicted a severe blow upon them, but the ignorance and timidity of

the Spanish generals enabled the enemy to draw off and concentrate

without loss.

The British troops had now been for many days upon half rations, and

Sir Arthur gave notice to the Junta, that unless his requisitions were

complied with, he should retire from Spain. Cuesta, however, believing

that the French were retreating in haste, pushed his army across the

river Alberche, with the vain idea of defeating them, and entering

Madrid in triumph. Sir Arthur, seeing the fatal consequences which

would ensue, were the Spaniards attacked alone, laid aside his

previously-formed resolution, and put his army in motion across

the Alberche. The position of the allied armies was now most

dangerous--far more so, indeed, than the English general supposed.

Badly informed by the Spanish, he greatly underrated the enemy's

forces. Taking advantage of the delay caused by the want of provisions

and carriage, Soult, Victor, and Ney were marching their forces from

various points, and concentrating to crush the invading army. Upon the

26th the French met the Spanish army. General Zayas, who commanded

the Spanish advance of 4000 infantry and 2000 cavalry, scarcely

offered any resistance, his men broke and fled in disorder, and the

panic would have spread to the whole Spanish army, had not General

Albuquerque brought up 3000 more cavalry and held the French at

bay, while Cuesta retreated in great disorder. The Spanish loss by

dispersion and flight was no less than 4000 men, and the whole army

would have been broken up had not General Sherbrooke advanced with his

division, and placed it between the French and the flying Spaniards.

The allies now recrossed the Alberche and took up a position to cover

Talavera. Sir Arthur chose a strong defensive position, as it was

evident that the Spanish were worse than useless in the open field.

The Spaniards were placed with their right resting upon Talavera,

their left upon a mound whereon a large field-redoubt was constructed.

Their front was covered by a convent, by ditches, stone walls,

breastworks, and felled trees; and thus, worthless as were the troops,

they could scarcely be driven from a position almost impregnable.

The line beyond the Spanish was continued by Campbell's division, next

to which came that of Sherbrooke, its left extending to a steep hill.

Mackenzie and Donkin had not yet fallen hack from the Alberche. Hill

was in rear. The British troops, including the German legion, were

19,000 strong, with thirty guns. The Spaniards had 33,000 men and

seventy guns. The Spanish contingent could, however, be in no way

relied upon, and were, indeed, never seriously engaged. The real

battle was between the 19,000 British troops and 50,000 French.

The French attacked the British outposts with great impetuosity,

and Mackenzie and Donkin were driven in with a loss of 4000 men.

The latter took up his position with his brigade on the hill on

Sherbrooke's left; the former took post with Campbell's division, to

which he belonged. The French cavalry now galloped up towards the

portion of the line held by the Spanish, and discharged their pistols

at them, whereupon 10,000 Spanish infantry and the whole of their

artillery broke and fled in wild confusion. For miles they continued

their flight, but in the evening the Spanish cavalry were sent round

in pursuit, and drove some 4000 of these cowards back to their lines.

Seeing the wild confusion which was raging on the allies' right,

Victor resolved, although evening was at hand, to make a sudden dash

upon the hill upon their left, which, held only by Donkin's brigade,

was the key of the position. The hill was very steep upon the front,

or French side, while towards the rear it sloped gradually. Ruffin's

division was ordered to the attack, followed by Villette in support,

while Lapisse was ordered to engage the German legion, which was on

the left of Sherbrooke's division.

Hill's division was lying down behind the hill when Ruffin's troops

advanced to the attack. There was no expectation of an attack that

evening, and the woods and increasing darkness covered the movements

of the French troops. Weary and hungry, the English soldiers,

disgusted at the inhuman neglect of the Spaniards, and furious

at their cowardice, were chatting over the events of the day and

discussing the chances, by no means bright, of the expected battle

to-morrow. All that day they had had no food whatever save a small

portion of grain, served out raw and unground. Tom and Peter had been

chatting with the officers, who were grouped under a tree, when Sambo

came up to them and beckoned them aside.

"Look here, Massa Tom, here six eggs; tree for you, tree for Massa

Peter."

"Thank you, Sam, that is capital; but you know you will get into a row

if you get caught taking things."

"Me no take 'em, massa. Old hen give them to me."

Tom laughed.

"How was that, Sam?"

"Well, Massa, me saw her sitting on nest. Me went up and said to her,

'Give me some eggs, old girl.' She say 'Cluck.' I says, 'Cluck means

yes, I suppose?' She say 'Cluck' again. Clear 'nuff that, so me take

eggs, eat tree, bring six, young massa."

"I am afraid, Sam," Tom said, laughing, "your story would hardly save

you from the triangles, if you had been caught. However, as it is rude

to return a present, of course you cannot take them back to the hen. I

suppose they are raw?"

"Yes, massa; no good make fire; make hole bofe ends, suck 'em."

"All right, Sam; it is not the nicest way, but, under the

circumstances, perhaps it is the best; at any rate, I am too hungry to

wait till we can get a fire lighted."

So saying, the boys sucked the raw eggs, and then joined the men,

when, just as they did so, first a dropping rifle shot, and then a

perfect roar of musketry broke out upon the hill above them. It needed

no order to be given. The men fell into their places and prepared to

climb the hill and assist Donkin's brigade, which was evidently unable

alone to resist the attack. Knapsacks were thrown off, firelocks

tightly grasped, and the regiment impatiently awaited orders to

advance. None were more impatient than the colonel, who after a few

minutes, seeing by the fire that the English were falling back, and

that the French had gained the crest of the hill, waited no longer for

orders, but gave the word for the regiment to advance. They were but

half way up the hill when General Hill himself galloped down to meet

them, and then turning, led the way beside Colonel Tritton.

General Hill had had a narrow escape. Donkin had repulsed the French

who attacked him in front, but his force was insufficient to guard the

whole crest of the hill. Consequently, the enemy had come up round

his flank, and were now in actual possession of the crest. General

Hill, ignorant of this, had ridden with his brigade-major right

into the midst of the French before he found out his mistake. His

brigade-major, Fordyce, was killed, his own horse wounded, and his

bridle seized by a French grenadier. He had, however, broken away, and

had ridden off under a storm of bullets.

With a cheer the Norfolk Rangers followed their gallant leader. They

reached the crest, poured a tremendous volley into the enemy, and

charged with the bayonet. The French, of whom but a small portion

had as yet gained the crest, were unable to resist the impetuous

onslaught, and at once gave way.

The Rangers were now joined by the 48th and the 29th, so that these,

with Donkin's brigade, formed a strong body of troops. The French,

who had fallen back, now united with their main body, and the attack

was renewed with all the force of Ruffin's division. The heavy mass

pressed upwards, in spite of the destructive fire of the British, and

were within twenty yards of the crest, when, with a hearty cheer, the