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
During the night, the men were exposed, without shelter, to a continual
heavy rain, such as is common at that season in those countries, and is
never seen in our climate, except sometimes during the short duration
of a thunder-storm. It was accompanied with thunder now. But the night
was actively employed in landing artillery; which could not be done by
day, because the guns of the castle completely commanded the beach.
Soldiers and sailors exerted themselves heartily; and before daybreak a
battery for one thirty-two pound carronade was completed on the shore,
and another for two twelve-pounders and a howitzer, on a rocky hill,
350 yards from the castle. Though ♦OCT. 15.♦ the artillery could not
make impression upon the solid old masonry of the walls, it destroyed
part of the parapet, and the musquetry did such execution, that Lord
Blayney entertained good hope of success; when, to his surprise, he
learnt that the garrison had been reinforced before his arrival, that
it was in sufficient strength for him to expect that a sortie would
be made, and that Sebastiani was on the way from Malaga with 4700
foot, 800 horse, and sixteen pieces of artillery; ... his own force
amounted only to 1400 men, and the four guns which had been landed.
These he could not re-embark under the fire of the castle, and he would
not abandon; and at this time, just as he was about to strengthen
his position, by occupying a ruined tower, the Rodney, and a Spanish
line-of-battle ship, appeared off the coast, with the eighty-second
regiment, 1000 strong, to reinforce him. Boats were sent off to assist
in landing them, and Lord Blayney was about to station gun-boats so as
to rake the beach; but before either object could be effected, some 600
infantry, and sixty horse, sallied from the castle. It was a complete
surprise; the British troops were in front, taking provisions; the
enemy made their attack on the Spaniards and the foreigners on the
left: these men took to flight, and abandoned the battery. At this
moment the troops had pushed off from the ships, and Lord Blayney,
trusting in them and in the strength of his position, formed the
few British soldiers who were with him, and retook the guns by the
bayonet, but not before part of the ammunition had been blown up. A
doubt was now entertained whether some troops who were moving toward
them upon the left were friends or foes; some said they were Spaniards;
the German deserters declared them to be French. The hesitation and
delay which this doubt occasioned enabled the enemy (for enemies they
were) to approach without opposition; and when Lord Blayney, having
ascertained the ♦LORD BLAYNEY AND THE BRITISH TROOPS TAKEN.♦ truth too
late, charged them, the conflict ended in his being made prisoner, with
about 200 men, some forty having been killed. This was the fate of the
English soldiers; most of the deserters went over to the enemy. The
men who were in the boats had then no course left but to return to the
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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