There were some other wounded officers in the ward,
one of whom subsequently died after undergoing amputation of a leg, and
a number of soldiers in an adjoining one. Amongst the insurgents, I
heard there were as many killed as wounded; and many horses dead, the
artillery having pointed their guns low. Grape and round shot, at fifty
paces, the distance to which the cavalry were allowed to come before the
gunners got the word, were quite as likely, perhaps, to kill as only to
wound. An officer received two grape-shot in his face—one at each angle
of the nostrils; another, Captain Letamendi, the English son of a
Spanish father, who served during the civil war in the British Legion,
was met by a round shot, which carried away the greater part of his
head. But you will find nothing attractive in such details.
The combat of Vicálvaro, insignificant in its material results, had
little effect upon the _morale_ of either party. The government troops
were assured by the gazette that they had achieved a glorious victory,
of which they themselves were not very sure, especially when they saw
the numerous carts of wounded that came into the town, and remembered
their own disorderly return from the field and final panic. The
insurgents, conscious that they had fought gallantly, and lost no
ground, although they had failed in their chief object, which was to
capture the artillery, were well satisfied with themselves, and in no
way disheartened by the event. It was clear that the insurgent generals
must not reckon on the support of the garrison of Madrid, and they
consequently changed their plans, retiring to Aranjuez, a pleasant spot,
eight leagues from Madrid, with abundant shade, water, and forage, where
for two or three days they gave their men and horses rest, organised
their staff and commissariat, and took other measures necessary for the
welfare of the division. There they received several reinforcements,
both of infantry and cavalry, and were joined by a number of civilians
from Madrid, many of them belonging to the better classes. These
received caps, muskets, and belts, and were formed into a battalion
called the _Cazadores di Madrid_.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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