Transcriber’s Note: Sidenotes are shown in UPPER-CASE and enclosed in ♦DIAMOND SYMBOLS♦; italic text is enclosed in _underscores_. Other notes will be found at the end of this eBook. HISTORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. G. WOODFALL, ANGEL COURT, SKINNER STREET, LONDON. HISTORY OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. “Unto thee “Let thine own times as an old story be.” DONNE. BY ROBERT SOUTHEY, ESQ. LL.D. POET LAUREATE, HONORARY MEMBER OF THE ROYAL SPANISH ACADEMY, OF THE ROYAL SPANISH ACADEMY OF HISTORY, OF THE ROYAL INSTITUTE OF THE NETHERLANDS, OF THE CYMMRODORION, OF THE MASSACHUSETTS HISTORICAL SOCIETY, ETC. A NEW EDITION. _IN SIX VOLUMES._ VOL. IV. LONDON: JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE-STREET. MDCCCXXVIII. Ἱστορίας γὰρ ἐὰν ἀφέλῃ τις τὸ διὰ τί, καὶ πῶς, καὶ τίνος χάριν ἐπράχθη, καὶ τὸ πραχθὲν πότερα εὔλογον ἔσχε τὸ τέλος, τὸ καταλειπόμενον αὐτῆς ἀγώνισμα μὲν, μάθημα δὲ οὐ γίγνεται· καὶ παραυτίκα μὲν τέρπει, πρὸς δὲ τὸ μέλλον οὐδὲν ὠφελεῖ τὸ παράπαν. POLYBIUS, lib. iii. sect. 31. CONTENTS. CHAPTER XXIV. PAGE Victor retreats across the Tagus 1 Alburquerque proposed for the command in La Mancha 2 Plan of detaching a Spanish force toward Segovia 4 Jealousy entertained of Cuesta 5 Sir Arthur confers with Cuesta 6 He requires that the passages toward the north be occupied 7 Junction of the British and Spanish armies 8 Opportunity of attacking the French lost by Cuesta’s indecision 9 Distress of the British army for means of transport 10 Sir Arthur halts 12 Cuesta advances in pursuit of the French 12 Junction of Joseph and Sebastiani with Victor 13 Cuesta’s vanguard attacked by the French 14 Alburquerque saves Cuesta from defeat 15 Cuesta retreats to the Alberche 16 Sir Arthur prevails on him to cross that river 16 Position of the allies in front of Talavera 17 Sir Arthur nearly made prisoner 18 Battle of Talavera 19 Cuesta decimates some of his troops 29 State of Talavera 31 Movements of Sir Robert Wilson 32 Movements of Soult, Ney, and Mortier 33 Cuesta neglects to secure the passes 33