History of the Peninsular War, Volume 2 (of 6)Southey, Robert
History
History of the Peninsular War, Volume 2 (of 6)
Southey, Robert
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
On the same day that Nyborg was thus taken possession of, the
Spaniards, who were at Svendborg, which is at the southern extremity
of Funen, got possession of some gun-boats, that might otherwise have
prevented their passage, and crossed to Langeland. The regiment of
Zamora on the same day also arrived from Ebeltoft and Greenaae at
Middlefahrt; and starting from that place at ten on the same night,
performed the march to Nyborg in twenty-one hours, a distance of more
than fifty English miles. The regiment which made this prodigious
exertion for the sake of returning to assist in the deliverance of
Spain, was one of those which the French papers described as having
displayed the greatest satisfaction at the accession of the Intruder!
The troops which were at Hobroe and Mariager, and those at Aarhuus,
succeeded also in embarking, and arrived safely in the port of Nyborg.
The two regiments in Zeeland were unable to escape; three of the
battalions had previously been disarmed for their conduct when the oath
was proposed to them, and the others were now surrounded by Danish
troops: and there still remained three cavalry regiments and one of
infantry, in Jutland, of which, and of the officers sent to them, no
account had been received. While the troops were embarking on board
such vessels as were in the port of Nyborg, one of these regiments
arrived.
♦THEY LEAVE THE ISLE OF FUNEN.♦
The British Admiral had been at first of opinion, that if the troops
in Langeland felt themselves safe, it would be better to land all
the others there, from whence they might be removed at leisure. The
possession of Langeland had now been secured, but Nyborg was an
insecure position; it was reported that some thousand French had
collected upon the shores of the Little Belt; and these, with the
Danes in Funen, and the garrison of Nyborg, might seriously impede
the embarkation from that town, or perhaps succeed in cutting off
the rear-guard. It was judged expedient, therefore, to spike the guns
there, and remove the troops to a neck of land called Slipshavn, about
a league distant; and from thence they were shipped with as much
expedition as the unfavourable weather permitted.
♦FATE OF THE HORSES.♦
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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