A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 6, September 1, 1812-August 5, 1813 : $b The siege of Burgos, the retreat from Burgos, the campaign of Vittoria, the battles of the Pyrenees — John Shaqi
A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 6, September 1, 1812-August 5, 1813 : $b The siege of Burgos, the retreat from Burgos, the campaign of Vittoria, the battles of the PyreneesOman, Charles
History
A history of the Peninsular War, Vol. 6, September 1, 1812-August 5, 1813 : $b The siege of Burgos, the retreat from Burgos, the campaign of Vittoria, the battles of the Pyrenees
Oman, Charles
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
At Magaz, on the night of the 12th, Wellington got the tiresome
news that Santocildes and Castaños, with the main body of the Army
of Galicia, had passed his flank that day, going southward, and had
continued their way towards Valladolid, instead of falling in on the
British line of march. Their junction was thus deferred for several
days. Wellington wrote in anger, ‘Santocildes has been six days
marching: he was yesterday within three leagues of us, and knew it that
night; but he has this morning moved on to Valladolid, eight leagues
from us, and unless I halt two days for him he will not join us for
four or five days more[23].’ As a matter of fact the Galicians did not
come up till the 16th, while if Santocildes had used a little common
sense they would have been in line on the 12th September.
The pursuit of Clausel continued to be a very slow and uninteresting
business: from the 11th to the 15th the army did not advance more
than two leagues a day. On the 13th the British vanguard was at
Villajera, while the French main body was at Pampliega: on the 14th
Anson’s cavalry was at Villadrigo, on the 15th at Villapequeña, on
the 16th near Celada, where Clausel was seen in position. On this day
the Galicians at last came up--three weak divisions under Cabrera,
Losada, and Barcena, with something over 11,000 infantry, but only one
field-battery and 350 horse. The men looked fatigued with much marching
and very ragged: Wellington had hoped for 16,000 men, and considering
that the total force of the Galician army was supposed to be over
30,000 men, it seems that more might have been up, even allowing for
sick, recruits, and the large garrisons of Ferrol and Corunna.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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