It is impossible to leave him in command of a corps;--which is a pity, for he is a brave enough fellow on the battle-field[9].’ Sebastiani, Lefebvre’s senior divisional general, replaced him in command of his corps. [8] Napier misrepresents this move in the strangest way, saying (i. 364) merely that ‘the Duke of Dantzig recrossed the Tagus and took post between Talavera and Plasencia.’ Avila is fifty miles north of these places, and on the other side of the Guadarrama. [9] Napoleon to Joseph from Valladolid, Jan. 9, _Nap. Corresp._, 14,671. The new Spanish advance upon Madrid requires a word of explanation. We have seen that the weary and dilapidated Army of the Centre, now commanded by the Duke of Infantado, had reached Cuenca on December 10, after escaping from the various snares which Napoleon had set for it during its march from Calatayud to the valley of the upper Tagus. When he had escaped from Bessières’ pursuit, the duke proceeded to give his army a fortnight’s much-needed rest in the mountain villages round Cuenca. He sent back to Valencia the wrecks of Roca’s division, which had originally been raised in that kingdom. It had dwindled down to 1,455 men, from its original 8,000[10]. The other troops, the 2nd, 3rd, and 4th divisions of the old army of Andalusia[11], had not suffered quite so much, as they had not been seriously engaged at Tudela, but they were half-starved and very disorderly. Infantado was forced to shoot an officer and two sergeants for open mutiny before he could restore the elements of discipline[12]. [10] See the figures furnished by the Valencian Junta in Argüelles, ii. 74. It must he remembered that 4,800 of the division had escaped to Saragossa, and took part in its defence. [11] The 1st division had only four battalions present, the others having been at Madrid, in the army of San Juan. [12] The officer, a Lieutenant Santiago, had refused to march on Cuenca, and when the order was repeated, unlimbered his battery across the road and threatened to fire on the troops who were marching in that direction. See Arteche, iii. 12.