A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 3, Sep. 1809-Dec. 1810 : $b Ocaña, Cadiz, Bussaco, Torres VedrasOman, Charles
History
A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 3, Sep. 1809-Dec. 1810 : $b Ocaña, Cadiz, Bussaco, Torres Vedras
Oman, Charles
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
The full results of the disaster were only developed next day: the
troops which had defended the central passes escaped, though in
dreadful disorder. But those further to their right were destined
to a worse fate. While Mortier and the King were forcing the great
defiles, Sebastiani had been fighting all day with Vigodet, in the
defiles about Montizon and St. Esteban del Puerto. He had no such
superiority in numbers over his enemy as had the King on the main
field of operations[134], hence his progress was slower, and his
victory, though complete, was not so prompt and crushing. Vigodet
and his 6,000 men were dispersed by the afternoon, and fled down the
valley of the Guadalen towards the plains, with Sebastiani’s cavalry
in pursuit. Having fought much longer than Lacy and Giron, their
losses were heavier than those of the central division--probably
1,000 killed, wounded, or taken. Shortly after, there appeared on
the scene, moving along the steep hill-path from La Carolina, the
Spanish division of Castejon, which had been sent off on the previous
night to support Vigodet. It found the St. Esteban position in the
possession of the French, and turned hastily back to rejoin Areizaga.
But, while it had been on the march, the Commander-in-Chief and his
army had been routed, and La Carolina was in the hands of the French.
Castejon found himself enclosed between Sebastiani and the King, in
a most perilous position. On the morning of the 21st, he tried to
escape by the by-path to Linares, but on arriving near that place
found that Mortier’s troops were already across his road. A brigade
of Sebastiani’s corps was in hot pursuit in his rear, and Castejon,
seeing himself thus enclosed, surrendered at Arquillos, with his
whole intact division of over 4,000 men and ten guns.
[134] Of his whole 10,000 men only 6,400 were infantry, and
Vigodet (with the wrecks of Jacomé’s division) had nearly as many.
Already, before the capture of this Spanish corps, the King and
Sebastiani had joined hands, their reconnoitring parties having met
in the valley of the Guadalen. On learning of the complete success
of both columns, Joseph and Soult resolved to urge the pursuit in
two separate directions. Sebastiani was told to push forward by
way of Ubeda and Baeza to Jaen, while the main column marched by
Baylen on Andujar and Cordova. It was hoped that news of Victor would
soon be received: if all had gone well, he would have reached the
Guadalquivir somewhere in the neighbourhood of Cordova, so as to be
in the rear of any Spanish force that might have retreated from La
Carolina in the direction of Seville.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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