History of the Peninsular War, Volume 5 (of 6)Southey, Robert
History
History of the Peninsular War, Volume 5 (of 6)
Southey, Robert
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
The other divisions fell back from four in the evening, when the enemy
first presented themselves, till night had closed, when they were
all collected in Castrillo. The next day the French entered upon the
mountains behind Astorga in pursuit. The points of Manzanal and Molina
Seca were well defended, and though the Spaniards retired at both
points before superior numbers, they brought off with them the eagle
of the sixth regiment of infantry, which Abadia, in the name of the
army, dedicated to Santiago, and deposited in the chapel of that saint,
in his cathedral at Compostella. Seeing the force of the enemy, and
divining their purpose, he fell back to Ponferrada, covering, with
his little cavalry, a considerable body of men who were crippled for
want of shoes, and in the most dismal state of nakedness and want. The
ferry in Valdeorras, that gorge through which the river Sil entering
Galicia carries with it all the waters of the Bierzo, was the point
of re-union. The artillery at Villafranca was ordered back into the
interior, three regiments took a position upon the heights of Valcarcel
to cover the roads from that town, and another detachment was stationed
at Toreno for the double purpose of assisting the reserve and watching
Asturias. Abadia himself took a position at the Puente de Domingo
Florez. In the Vale of Orras he hoped to find provisions, meaning, as
soon as he should have collected enough for three days, and received
shoes for his men, to act upon the offensive, in co-operation with the
Portugueze general Silveira.
♦LORD WELLINGTON OBSERVES CIUDAD RODRIGO.♦
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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