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
On the 25th, fourteen squadrons of their cavalry drove in our posts
on the right of the Azava. General Anson’s brigade charged them,
pursued them across the river, and resumed the posts. But their chief
attention was directed toward the heights on the left of the Agueda;
and they moved a column in the morning, consisting of between thirty
and forty squadrons of cavalry, fourteen battalions of infantry, and
twelve guns, from Ciudad Rodrigo, against that point. The cavalry and
artillery arrived first, and one small body sustained the attack. A
regiment of French dragoons succeeded in taking two pieces of cannon;
the Portugueze artillerymen stood to their guns till they were cut
down; and the guns were immediately retaken by the second battalion
of the fifth regiment under Major Ridge. When the enemy’s infantry
were coming up, Lord Wellington saw they would arrive before troops
could be brought to support this division, and therefore he determined
to retire with the whole on Fuente Guinaldo. The 77th, which had
repulsed a charge of cavalry, and the second battalion of the 5th,
were formed into one square, and the 21st Portugueze regiment into
another, supported by General Alten’s small body of cavalry, and by the
Portugueze artillery. The enemy’s horse immediately rushed forward,
and obliged our cavalry to retire to the support of the Portugueze
regiment. The 5th and 77th were then charged on three faces of the
square; Lord Wellington declared, that he had never seen a more
determined attack than was made by this formidable body of horse, and
repulsed by these two weak battalions. They halted, and received the
enemy with such perfect steadiness, that the French did not venture to
renew the charge.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Elsewhere in the archive
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account