A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 5, Oct. 1811-Aug. 31, 1812 : $b Valencia, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, MadridOman, Charles
History
A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 5, Oct. 1811-Aug. 31, 1812 : $b Valencia, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Madrid
Oman, Charles
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
Craufurd, with the rest of the Light Division, which was to move
from the left of San Francisco, was to make the attack on the
lesser breach. The storming-column was to be formed of Vandeleur’s
brigade (1/52nd and 2/52nd, four companies of the 1/95th, and the 3rd
Caçadores). Barnard’s brigade was to form the reserve, and to close in
towards the place when the leading brigade should reach the ditch. The
division was to detach marksmen (four companies of the 95th) who were
to keep up a fire upon the enemy on the walls, just as the 2/83rd did
for the 3rd Division. A provision of hay-bags carried by caçadores was
made, in the same fashion as at the great breach.
The two subsidiary false attacks were to be made--one by Pack’s
Portuguese (1st and 16th regiments) on the outworks of the gate of
Santiago on the south-east side of the town, the other by O’Toole’s
Portuguese battalion (2nd Caçadores), headed by the light company of
the 2/83rd, on the outwork below the castle, close to the bank of the
Agueda. This column would have to rush the bridge, which the French had
left unbroken, because it was completely commanded by the castle and
other works immediately above it. Both the Portuguese columns carried
ladders, and were authorized to attempt an escalade, if they met little
or no resistance at points so remote from the breaches, as was quite
possible.
Both the Light and 3rd Divisions were fresh troops that night, as
the 4th Division had been in charge of the trenches on the 19th.
The stormers marched straight up from their distant camps to the
starting-points assigned to them in the afternoon. The news that the
Light Division had moved to the front out of its turn was the clearest
indication to the whole army that the assault was fixed for that night.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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