History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 1Napier, William Francis Patrick
History
History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 1
Napier, William Francis Patrick
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
That officer had scarcely fixed his quarters at Burgos when a
general movement of revolt took place. On his right, the bishop of
St. Ander excited the inhabitants of the diocese to take arms. In
his rear, a mechanic assembled some thousand armed peasants at the
town of Logroño. In front, five thousand men took possession of the
Spanish artillery dépôt at Segovia; an equal number assembling at
Palencia armed themselves from the royal manufactory at that place,
and advanced to the town of Torquemada; while general Cuesta, with
some regular troops and a body of organized peasantry, posted
themselves on the Pisuerga at Cabeçon.
Bessieres immediately divided his disposable force, which was not
more than twelve thousand men, into several columns, and traversed
the country in all directions, disarming the towns and interrupting
the combinations of the insurgents; while a division of Dupont’s
corps, under general Frere, marched from the side of Madrid to aid
his operations. General Verdier attacked Logroño on the 6th of
June, dispersed the peasantry, and put the leaders to death after
the action. General Lasalle, departing from Burgos with a brigade
of light cavalry, passed the Pisuerga, fell upon the Spaniards at
Torquemada on the 7th, broke them, and pursuing with a merciless
sword, burnt that town, and entered Palencia on the 8th.
Meanwhile Frere defeated the Spanish force at Segovia taking
thirty pieces of artillery; and general Merle marching through the
country lying between the Pisuerga and the Douero with a division
of infantry, joined Lasalle at Dueñas on the 12th. From thence
they proceeded to Cabeçon, where Cuesta accepted battle, and was
overthrown, with much slaughter, the loss of his artillery, and
several thousand musquets. The flat country being thus subdued,
Lasalle’s cavalry remained to keep it under; but Merle, marching
northward, commenced operations, in concert with general Ducos,
against the province of St. Ander. On the 20th, the latter general
drove the Spaniards from the pass of Soncillo; the 21st, he forced
the pass of Venta de Escudo, and descending the valley of the
river Pas, approached St. Ander; on the 22d, Merle, after some
resistance, penetrated by Lantueño, and followed the course of
the Besaya to Torre La Vega, then turning to his right entered
St. Ander on the 23d; and Ducos arriving at the same time, the
town submitted, and the bishop fled with the greatest part of the
clergy. The authorities of Segovia, Valladolid, Palencia, and
St. Ander, were compelled to send deputies to take the oath of
allegiance to Joseph.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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