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
Soult’s plan of attack was soon formed. The ravine made the Spanish
left--beyond Ocaña--inaccessible, but also prevented it from taking
any offensive action. The Marshal therefore resolved to ignore it
completely, and to concentrate all his efforts against the hostile
centre and right, in the open ground. The scheme adopted was a
simple one: Sebastiani’s Polish and German divisions were to attack
the Spanish right wing, and when they were at close quarters with
the enemy the main mass of the French cavalry was to fall upon
Freire’s horse, drive it out of the field, and attack on the flank
the divisions already engaged with the infantry. For this purpose
Milhaud’s, Paris’s, and Beauregard’s regiments, more than 3,500
sabres, were massed behind the Poles and Germans. For a time their
march would be masked by olive-groves and undulations of the ground,
so that they might come in quite suddenly upon the enemy. Mortier
with his first division--that of Girard--and a regiment of Gazan’s,
followed in the rear of the Polish and German infantry, to support
their frontal attack. Dessolles, with his own brigade and Gazan’s
remaining one, took post opposite Ocaña, ready to fall upon the
Spanish centre, when the attack to his left should have begun to make
way. He had in his front the massed artillery of the 4th and 5th
Corps, thirty guns under Senarmont, which took ground on a low knoll
above the great ravine, from which they could both play upon the town
of Ocaña and also enfilade part of the Spanish line to its immediate
right--Vigodet’s division and half of Giron’s. Finally the King, with
his guards and other troops, horse and foot, were placed to the right
rear of Dessolles, to act as a general reserve, or to move against
Zayas if he should attempt to cross the ravine and turn the French
right.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account