A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 4, Dec. 1810-Dec. 1811 : $b Massena's retreat, Fuentes de Oñoro, Albuera, TarragonaOman, Charles
History
A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 4, Dec. 1810-Dec. 1811 : $b Massena's retreat, Fuentes de Oñoro, Albuera, Tarragona
Oman, Charles
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
‘We had formed line under cover of the 95th, and then advanced to
meet their right wing, which was coming down in close column--a great
advantage--and here the coolness of Colonel Belson was conspicuous:
he moved us up without firing a shot, close to their right battalion,
which just then began to deploy. The Colonel then gave orders to
fire by platoons from centre to flanks, and low; “Fire at their legs
and spoil their dancing.” This was kept up for a short time, with
dreadful effect. The action being now general all along the line, we
twice attempted to charge. But the enemy, being double our strength
(since our flank companies were away), only retired a little on each
occasion. Finally, giving three cheers, we charged a third time, and
succeeded: the enemy gave way and fled in every direction.’ Of all
Leval’s division there now remained unbroken only the single battalion
of _grenadiers réunis_ under Colonel Meunier behind the right rear. The
routed 54th fled diagonally to take cover behind it. Belson did not
pursue very rapidly, and this wing of the beaten division moved off to
the flank, covered by the grenadiers, and presently met the wrecks of
the 8th and the 45th not far north of the Laguna del Puerco, the pool
which lies beyond the heath, to the east. It may not be out of place to
give the losses: the 54th, with 1,300 men present, lost 323--about one
man in four. The grenadiers hardly suffered at all, never having come
into close action. Of the British opposite them, the 28th, with 450 men
in the field, had 86 casualties; the Coldstream companies lost 58 out
of 211[159].
[159] These two companies, whose losses, as it is seen here, were
heavy, must have been engaged with part of the left battalion of
the French 54th.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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