on leaving the adjutant general, terence--knowing that mackenzie's brigade was some two miles in advance on the alberche river, and that the enemy was not in sight--sent off one of the orderlies who accompanied him, with a message to herrara to fall back and take up his station on the lower slopes of the sierra, facing the rounded hill; and then went to a restaurant and had breakfast. it was crowded with spanish officers, with a few british scattered among them.
as he ate his food, he was greatly amused at the boasting of the spaniards as to what they would accomplish, if the french ventured to attack them; knowing as he did how shamefully they had behaved, two days before, when the whole of cuesta's army had been thrown into utter disorder by two or three thousand french cavalry, and had only been saved from utter rout by the interposition of a british brigade. when he had finished breakfast, he mounted his horse and rode to the camp of his old regiment.
"hooroo, terence!" captain o'grady shouted, as he rode up, "i thought you would be turning up, when there was going to be something to do. it's yourself that has the knack of always getting into the thick of it.
"orderly, take colonel o'connor's horse, and lead him up and down.
"come on, terence, most of the boys are in that tent over there. we have just been dismissed from parade."
a shout of welcome rose as they entered the tent, where a dozen officers were sitting on the ground, or on empty boxes.
"sit down if you can find room, terence," colonel corcoran said. "wouldn't you like to be back with us again, for the shindy that we are likely to have, tomorrow?"
"that i should, but i hope to have my share in it, in my own way."
"where are your men, o'connor?"
"they will be, in another hour, at the foot of the mountains over there to the left. our business will be to prevent any of the french moving along there, and coming down on your rear."
"i am pleased to hear it. i believe that there is a spanish division there, but i am glad to know that the business is not to be left entirely to them. now, what have you been doing since you left us, a month ago?"
"i have been doing nothing, colonel, but watching the defiles and, as no one has come up them, we have not fired a shot."
"no doubt they got news that you were there, terence," o'grady said, "and not likely would they be to come up to be destroyed by you."
"perhaps that was it," terence said, when the laughter had subsided; "at any rate they didn't show up, and i was very pleased when orders came, at ten o'clock yesterday, for us to leave banos and march to join the army. we did the forty miles in fourteen hours."
"good marching," colonel corcoran said. "then where did you halt?"
"about three miles farther off, at the foot of the hills. we saw a lot of campfires to our right, and thought that we were in a line with the army, but of course they were only those of mackenzie's division; but i sent off an orderly, an hour ago, to tell them to fall back to the slopes facing those hills, where our left is to be posted."
"you are a lucky fellow to have been away from us, terence, for it is downright starving we have been. the soldiers have only had a mouthful of meat served out to them as rations, most days; and they have got so thin that their clothes are hanging loose about them. if it hadn't been for my man doolan and two or three others, who always manage, by hook or by crook, to get hold of anything there is within two or three miles round, we should have been as badly off as they are. be jabers, i have had to take in my sword belt a good two inches; and to think that, while our fellows are well-nigh starving, these spaniards we came to help, and who will do no fighting themselves, had more food than they could eat, is enough to enrage a saint.
"i wonder sir arthur puts up with it. i would have seized that stuck-up old fool cuesta, and popped him into the guard tent, and kept him there until provisions were handed over for us."
"his whole army might come to rescue him, o'grady."
"what if they had? i would have turned out a corporal's guard, and sent the whole of them trotting off in no time. did you hear what took place two days ago?"
"yes, i heard that they behaved shamefully, o'grady; still, i think a corporal's guard would hardly be sufficient to turn them, but i do believe that a regiment might answer the purpose."
"i can tell you that there is nothing would please the troops more than to attack the spaniards. if this goes on many more days, our men will be too weak to march; but i believe that, before they lie down and give it up altogether, they will pitch into the spaniards, in spite of what we may try to do to prevent them," the colonel said. "here we are in a country abounding with food, and we are starving, while the spaniards are feasting in plenty; and by saint patrick's beard, terence, it is mighty little we should do to prevent our men from pitching into them. there is one thing, you may be sure. we shall never cooperate with them in the future and, as to relying upon their promises, faith, they are not worth the breath it takes to make them."
as everything was profoundly quiet, terence had no hesitation in stopping to lunch with his old friends and, as there was no difficulty in buying whatever was required in talavera, the table was well supplied, and the officers made up for their enforced privation during the past three weeks.
at three o'clock terence left them and rode across to his command, which he found posted exactly where he had directed it.
"it is lucky that we filled up with flour at banos, before starting, colonel," bull said, "for from what we hear, the soldiers are getting next to nothing to eat; and those cattle you bought at the village halfway, yesterday, will come in very handy. at any rate, with them and the flour we can hold out for a week, if need be."
"still, you had better begin at once to be economical, bull. there is no saying what may happen after this battle has been fought."
while they were talking, a sudden burst of firing, at a distance, was heard.
"mackenzie's brigade is engaged!" terence exclaimed. "you had better get the men under arms, at once. if the whole of victor's command is upon them, they will have to fall back.
"when the men are ready, you may as well come a few hundred feet higher up the hill, with me. then you will see all over the country, and be in readiness to do anything that is wanted. but it is not likely the french will attempt anything serious, today. they will probably content themselves with driving mackenzie in."
terence went at once up the hill, to a point whence he could look well over the round hills on the other side of the valley, and make out the british and spanish lines, stretching to talavera. the troops were already formed up, in readiness for action. away to his left came the roll of heavy firing from the cork woods near the alberche and, just as his three officers joined him, the british troops issued pell mell from the woods. they had, in fact, been taken entirely by surprise; and had been attacked so suddenly and vigorously that, for a time, the young soldiers of some of the regiments fell into confusion; and sir arthur himself, who was at a large house named the casa, narrowly escaped capture. the 45th, however, a regiment that had seen much service, and some companies of the 60th rifles presented a stout front to the enemy.
sir arthur speedily restored order among the rest of the troops, and the enemy's advance was checked. the division then fell back in good order, each of its flanks being covered by a brigade of cavalry. from the height at which terence and his officers stood, they could plainly make out the retiring division, and could see heavy masses of french troops descending from the high ground beyond the alberche.
"the whole french army is on us!" macwitty said. "if their advance guard had not been in such a hurry to attack, and had waited until the others came up, not many of mackenzie's division would have got back to our lines."
it was not long before the french debouched from the woods and, as soon as they did so, a division rapidly crossed the plain towards the allies' left, seized an isolated hill facing the spur on to which donkin had just hurried up his brigade, and at once opened a heavy cannonade. at the same time another division moved towards the right, and some squadrons of light cavalry could be seen, riding along the road from madrid towards the spanish division.
"they won't do much good there," terence said, "for the country is so swampy that they cannot leave the road. still, i suppose they want to reconnoitre our position, and draw the fire of the spaniards to ascertain their whereabouts. they are getting very close to them and, when the spaniards begin, they ought to wipe them out completely."
at this moment a heavy rattle of distant musketry was heard, and a light wreath of smoke rose from the spanish lines. the french cavalry had, in fact, ridden up so close to the spaniards that they discharged their pistols in bravado at them. to this the spaniards had replied by a general wild discharge of their muskets. a moment later the party on the hill saw the right of the spanish line break up as if by magic and, to their astonishment and rage, they made out that the whole plain behind was thickly dotted by fugitives.
"why, the whole lot have bolted, sir!" bull exclaimed. "horse and foot are making off. did anyone ever hear of such a thing!"
that portion of the spanish line nearest to talavera had indeed broken and fled in the wildest panic, 10,000 infantry having taken to their heels the instant they discharged their muskets; while the artillery cut their traces and, leaving their guns behind them, followed their example. the french cavalry charged along the road, but sir arthur opposed them with some british squadrons. the spanish who still held their ground opened fire, and the french drew back. the fugitives continued their flight to oropesa, spreading panic and alarm everywhere with the news that the allies were totally defeated, sir arthur wellesley killed, and all lost.
cuesta himself had for some time accompanied them, but he soon recovered from his panic, and sent several cavalry regiments to bring back the fugitives. part of the artillery and some thousands of the infantry were collected before morning, but 6000 men were still absent at the battle, and the great redoubt on their left was silent, from want of guns.
in point of numbers there had been but little difference between the two armies. prior to the loss of these 6000 men, cuesta's army had been 34,000 strong, with seventy guns. the british, with the german legion, numbered 19,000, with thirty guns. the french were 50,000 strong, with eighty guns. these were all veteran troops, while on the side of the allies there were but 19,000 who could be called fighting men.
"that is what comes of putting faith in the spaniards!" bull said savagely. "if i had been sir arthur, i would have turned my guns on them and given them something to run for. we should do a thousand times better, by ourselves; then we should know what we had to expect."
"it is evident that there won't be any fighting until tomorrow, macwitty. you will place half your battalion on the hillside, from this point to the bottom of the slope. i don't think that they will come so high up the hill as this; but you will, of course, throw some pickets out above. the other wing of your battalion you will hold in reserve, a couple of hundred yards behind the centre of the line; but choose a sheltered spot for them, for those guns victor is placing on his heights will sweep the face of this hill.
"this little watercourse will give capital cover to your advanced line, and they cannot do better than occupy it. lying down, they would be completely sheltered from the french artillery and, if attacked, they could line the bank and fire without showing more than their heads. of course, you will throw out pickets along the face of the slope in front of you.
"do you, bull, march your battalion down to the foot of the hill and take up your post there. the ground is very uneven and broken, and you should be able to find some spot where the men would be in shelter; move a couple of hundred yards back, then macwitty would flank any force advancing against you. the sun will set in a few minutes, so you had better lose no time in taking up your ground.
"as soon as you have chosen a place go on, with the captains of your companies, across the valley. make yourselves thoroughly acquainted with the ground, and mark the best spots at which to post the men to resist any force that may come along the valley. it is quite possible that victor may make an attempt to turn the general's flank tonight. i will reconnoitre all the ground in front of you, and will then, with the colonel, join you."
the position terence had chosen was a quarter of a mile west of the spur held by donkin's brigade. he had selected it in order that, if attacked in force, he might have the assistance of the guns there; which would thus be able to play on the advancing french, without risk of his own men being injured by their fire.
bull marched his battalion down the hill and, as terence and herrara were about to mount, a sudden burst of musketry fire, from the crest of the opposite hill, showed that the french were attempting to carry that position. victor, indeed, seeing the force stationed there to be a small one; and that, from the confusion among the spaniards on the british right, the moment was very favourable; had ordered one division to attack, another to move to its support, while a third was to engage the german division posted on the plain to the right of the hill, and thus prevent succour being sent to donkin.
from the position where terence was standing, the front of the steep slope that the french were climbing could not be seen but, almost at the same moment, a dense mass of men began to swarm up the hill on donkin's flank; having, unperceived, made their way in at the mouth of the valley.
"form up your battalion, macwitty," he shouted, "and double down the hill."
then he rode after bull, whose battalion had now reached the valley and halted there.
"we must go to the assistance of the brigade on the hill, bull, or they will be overpowered before reinforcements can reach them.
"herrara, bring on macwitty after us, as soon as he gets down.
"take the battalion forward at the double, bull."
the order was given and, with a cheer, the battalion set out across the valley and, on reaching the other side, began to climb the steep ascent; bearing towards their left, so as to reach the summit near the spot where the french were ascending. twilight was already closing in, and the approach of the portuguese was unobserved by the french, whose leading battalions had reached the top of the hill, and were pressing heavily on donkin's weak brigade; which had, however, checked the advance of the french on their front. macwitty's battalion was but a short distance behind when, marching straight along on the face of the hill, bull arrived within a hundred yards of the french. here terence halted them for a minute, while they hastily formed up in line, and macwitty came up.
the din on the top of the hill, just above bull's right company, was prodigious, the rattle of musketry incessant, the exulting shouts of the french could be plainly heard; and their comrades behind were pressing hotly up the hill to join in the strife. there was plainly not a moment to be lost and, advancing to within fifty yards of the french battalions, struggling up the hill in confused masses, a tremendous volley was poured in.
the french, astonished at this sudden attack upon their flank, paused and endeavoured to form up, and wheel round to oppose a front to it; but the heavy fire of the portuguese, and the broken nature of the ground, prevented their doing this and, ignorant of the strength of the force that had thus suddenly attacked them, they recoiled, keeping up an irregular fire; while the portuguese, pouring in steady volleys, pressed upon them. in five minutes they gave way, and retired rapidly down the hill.
the leading battalions had gained the crest where, joining those who had ascended by the other face of the hill, they fell upon the already outnumbered defenders. donkin's men, though fighting fiercely, were pressed back, and would have been driven from their position had not general hill brought up the 29th and 48th, with a battalion of detachments composed of sir john moore's stragglers. these charged the french so furiously that they were unable to withstand the assault, although aided by fresh battalions ascending the front of the hill.
in their retreat the french, instead of going straight down the hill, bore away to their right and, although some fell to the fire of the portuguese, the greater portion passed unseen in the darkness.
the firing now ceased, and terence ordered bull and macwitty to take their troops back to the ground originally selected, while he himself ascended to the crest. with some difficulty he discovered the whereabouts of general hill, to whom he was well known. he found him in the act of having a wound temporarily dressed, by the light of a fire which had just been replenished; he having ridden, in the dark, into the midst of a french battalion, believing it to be one of his own regiments. colonel donkin was in conversation with him.
"it has been a very close affair, sir," he said; "and i certainly thought that we should be rolled down the hill. i believe that we owe our safety, in no small degree, to a couple of battalions of spaniards, i fancy, who took up their post on the opposite hill this morning. just before you brought up your reinforcement, and while things were at their worst, i heard heavy volley firing somewhere just over the crest. i don't know who it could have been, if it was not them; for there were certainly no other troops on my left."
"they were portuguese battalions, sir," terence said quietly.
"oh, is it you, o'connor?" general hill exclaimed. "if they were those two battalions of yours, i can quite understand it.
"this is colonel o'connor, donkin, who checked soult's passage at the mouth of the minho, and has performed other admirable services."
illustration: 'you may as well make your report to me, o'connor.'
"you may as well make your report to me, o'connor, and i will include it in my own to sir arthur."
terence related how, just as he was taking up his position for the night along the slopes of the sierra, he heard the outbreak of firing on the front of the hill and, seeing a large force mounting its northern slope, and knowing that only one brigade was posted there, he thought it his duty to move to its assistance. crossing the valley at the double, he had taken them in flank and, being unperceived in the gathering darkness, had checked their advance, and compelled them to retire down the hill.
"at what strength do you estimate the force which so retired, colonel?"
"i fancy there were eight battalions of them, but three had gained the crest before we arrived. the others were necessarily broken up, and followed so close upon each other that it was difficult to separate them; but i fancy there were eight of them. being in such confusion and, of course, unaware of my strength, they were unable to form or to offer any effectual resistance; and our volleys, from a distance of fifty yards, must have done heavy execution upon them."
"then there is no doubt, donkin, colonel o'connor's force did save you; for if those five battalions had gained the crest, you would have been driven off it before the brigade i brought up arrived and, indeed, even with that aid we should have been so outnumbered that we could scarcely have held our ground. it was hot work as it was, but certainly five more battalions would have turned the scale against us.
"of course, o'connor, you will send in a written report of your reasons for quitting your position to headquarters; and i shall, myself, do full justice to the service that you have rendered so promptly and efficaciously. where is your command now?"
"they will by this time have taken up their former position on the opposite slope. one battalion is extended there. the other is at the foot of the hill, prepared to check any force that may attempt to make its way up the valley. our line is about a quarter of a mile in rear of this spur. i selected the position in order that, should the french make an attempt in any force, the guns here might take them in flank, while i held them in check in front."
the general nodded. "well thought of," he said.
"and now, donkin, you had better muster your brigade and ascertain what are your losses. i am afraid they are very heavy."
terence now returned across the valley and, on joining his command, told herrara and the two majors how warmly general hill had commended their action.
"what has been our loss?" he asked.
"fifteen killed, and five-and-forty wounded, but of these a great proportion are not serious."
brushwood was now collected and in a short time a number of fires were blazing. the men were in high spirits. they were proud of having overthrown a far superior force of the enemy, and were gratified at the expression of great satisfaction, conveyed to them by their captains by terence's order, at the steadiness with which they had fought.
illustration: plan of the battle of talavera.
at daybreak next morning the enemy was seen to be again in motion, victor having obtained the king's consent to again try to carry the hills occupied by the british. this time terence did not leave his position, being able to see that the whole of hill's division now occupied the heights and, moreover, being himself threatened by two regiments of light troops, which crossed the mouth of the valley, ascended the slopes on his side, and proceeded to work their way along them. the whole of macwitty's battalion was now placed in line, while bull's was held in reserve, behind its centre.
it was not long before macwitty was hotly engaged; and the french, who were coming along in skirmishing order, among the rocks and broken ground, were soon brought to a standstill. for some time a heavy fire was exchanged. three times the french gathered for a rush; but each time the steady volleys, from their almost invisible foes, drove them back again, with loss, to the shelter they had left.
in the intervals terence could see how the fight was going on across the valley. the whole hillside was dotted with fire, as the french worked their way up, and the british troops on the crest fired down upon them. several times parties of the french gained the brow, but only to be hurled back again by the troops held in reserve, in readiness to move to any point where the enemy might gain a footing. for forty minutes the battle continued; and then, having lost 1500 men, the french retreated down the hill again, covered by the fire of their batteries, which opened with fury on the crest, as soon as they were seen to be descending the slope.
at the same time the light troops opposed to terence also drew off. seeing the pertinacity with which the french had tried to turn his left, sir arthur wellesley moved his cavalry round to the head of the valley and, obtaining bassecour's division of spanish from cuesta, sent them to take post on the hillside a short distance in rear of terence's portuguese.
the previous evening's fighting had cost victor 1000 men, while 800 british had been killed or wounded; and the want of success then, and the attack on the following morning, tended to depress the spirits of the french and to raise those of the british. it was thought that after these two repulses victor would not again give battle, and indeed the french generals jourdan and sebastiani were opposed to a renewal of hostilities; but victor was in favour of a general attack. so his opinion was finally adopted by the king, in spite of the fact that he knew that soult was in full march towards the british rear, and had implored him not to fight a battle till he had cut the british line of retreat; when, in any case, they would be forced to retire at once.
the king was influenced more by his fear for the safety of madrid than by victor's arguments. wilson's force had been greatly exaggerated by rumour. venegas was known to be at last approaching toledo, and the king feared that one or both of these forces might fall upon madrid in his absence, and that all his military stores would fall into their hands. he therefore earnestly desired to force the british to retreat, in order that he might hurry back to protect madrid.
doubtless the gross cowardice exhibited by the spaniards, on the previous day, had shown victor that he had really only the 19,000 british troops to contend against; and as his force exceeded theirs by two to one, he might well regard victory as certain, and believe he could not fail to beat them.
up to midday, a perfect quiet reigned along both lines. the british and french soldiers went down alike to the rivulet that separated the two armies, and exchanged jokes as they drank and filled their canteens. albuquerque, being altogether dissatisfied with cuesta's arrangements, moved across the plain with his own cavalry and took his post behind the british and german horse; so that no less than 6000 cavalry were now ready to pour down upon any french force attempting to turn the british position by the valley. the day was intensely hot and the soldiers, after eating their scanty rations, for the most part stretched themselves down to sleep; for the night had been a broken one, owing to the fact that the spaniards, whenever they heard, or thought they heard, anyone moving in their front, poured in a tremendous fire that roused the whole camp; and was so wild and ill directed that several british officers and men, on their left, were killed by it.
soon after midday the drums were heard to beat along the whole length of the french line, and the troops were seen to be falling in. then the british were also called to arms, and the soldiers cheerfully took their places in the ranks; glad that the matter was to be brought to an issue at once, as they thought that a victory would, at least, put an end to the state of starvation in which they had for some time been kept. the french had, by this time, learned how impossible it was to surmount the obstacles in front of that portion of the allies' line occupied by the spaniards. they therefore neglected these altogether, and sebastiani advanced against the british division in the plains; while victor, as before, prepared to assail the british left, supported this time by a great mass of cavalry.
the french were soon in readiness for the attack. ruffin's division were to cross the valley, move along the foot of the mountain, and turn the british left. villatte was to guard the mouth of the valley with one brigade, to threaten hill with the other, and to make another attempt to carry it. he was to be aided by half the division of lapisse, while the other half assisted sebastiani in his attack on the british centre. milhaud's dragoons were placed on the main road to talavera, so as to keep the spaniards from moving to the assistance of the british.
the battle began with a furious attack on the british right, but the french were withstood by campbell's division and mackenzie's brigade, aided by two spanish columns; and was finally pushed back with great loss, and ten of their guns captured; but as campbell wisely refused to break his line and pursue, the french rallied on their reserve, and prepared to renew the attack.
in the meantime lapisse crossed the rivulet and attacked sherbrooke's division, composed of the germans and guards. this brigade was, however, driven back in disorder. the guards followed hotly in pursuit; but the french reserves came up, and their batteries opened with fury and drove the guards back, while the germans were so hotly pressed, by lapisse, that they fell into confusion. the 48th, however, fell upon the flank of the advancing french; the guards and the germans rallied, the british artillery swept the french columns, and they again fell back. thus the british centre and right had succeeded in finally repelling the attacks made upon them.
on the left, as the french advanced, the 23rd light dragoons and the 1st german hussars charged the head of ruffin's column. before they reached them, however, they encountered the ravine through which the rivulet here ran. the germans checked their horses when they came upon this almost impassable obstacle. the 23rd, however, kept on. men and horses rolled over each other, but many crossed the chasm and, forming again, dashed in between the squares into which the french infantry had thrown themselves, and charged a brigade of light infantry in their rear. victor hurled two regiments of cavalry upon them and the 23rd, hopelessly over matched, were driven back with a loss of 207 men and officers, being fully half the number that had ridden forward. the rest galloped back to the shelter of bassecour's division.
yet their effort had not been in vain. the french, astonished at their furious charge, and seeing four distinct lines of cavalry still drawn up facing them, made no further movement. hill easily repulsed the attack upon his position, and the battle ceased as suddenly as it had begun, the french having failed at every point they had attacked.
terence had, on seeing ruffin's division marching towards him, advanced along the slope until they reached the entrance to the valley; and then, scattering on the hillside, had opened a heavy and continuous fire upon the french, doing much execution among their columns, and still more when they threw themselves into square to resist the cavalry. he had given orders that, should ruffin send some of his battalions up the hill against them, they were to retire up the slopes, taking advantage of every shelter, and not to attempt to meet the enemy in close contact. no such attack was, however, made. the french battalion most exposed threw out a large number of skirmishers, and endeavoured to keep down the galling fire maintained from the hillside; but as the portuguese took advantage of every stone and bush, and scarcely a man was visible to the french, there were but few casualties among them.
the loss of the british was in all, during the two days' fighting, 6200, including 600 taken prisoners. that of the french was 7400. ten guns were captured by campbell's division, and seven left in the woods by the french as they drew off, the next morning at daybreak, to take up their position behind the alberche.
during the day crauford's brigade came up, after a tremendous march. the three regiments had, after a tramp of twenty miles, encamped near plasencia, when the alarm spread by the spanish fugitives reached that place. crauford allowed his men two hours' rest and then started to join the army, and did not halt until he reached the camp; having in twenty-six hours, during the hottest season of the year, marched sixty-two miles, carrying kit, arms, and ammunition--a weight of from fifty to sixty pounds. only twenty-five men out of the three regiments fell out and, immediately the brigade arrived, it took up the outpost duty in front of the army.
terence was much gratified by the appearance, in general orders that day, of the following notice:
"the general commander-in-chief expresses his warm approbation of the conduct of the two battalions of the minho regiment of portuguese, commanded by colonel o'connor. this officer, on his own discretion, moved from the position assigned to him, on seeing the serious attack made on colonel donkin's brigade on the evening of the 27th and, scaling the hill, opened so heavy a fire on the french ascending it that five battalions fell back, without taking part in the attack. this took place at the crisis of the engagement, and had a decisive effect on its result."
at eight o'clock a staff officer rode up, with orders for the minho regiment to return at once to the pass of banos, as the news had come in that the enemy beyond the hills were in movement. terence was to act in concert with the spanish force there, and hold the pass as long as possible. if the enemy were in too great strength to be withstood, he was given discretion as to his movements; being guided only by the fact that the british army would, probably, march down the valley of the tagus.
if soult crossed, "his force," the order added, "was estimated as not exceeding 15,000 men."