Soult’s army furnished thirty-five thousand infantry, six thousand excellent cavalry under arms with seventy-two guns, making with the artillery-men a total of forty-six thousand veteran combatants. The army of the centre including the king’s guards furnished about twelve thousand, of which two thousand were good cavalry with twelve guns. Thus fifty-eight thousand fighting men, eight thousand being cavalry, with eighty-four pieces of artillery, were put in motion to drive Hill from the Tagus. Joseph’s project was to pass that river, and operate against Wellington’s rear, if he should continue the siege of Burgos; but if he concentrated on the Tagus, Souham was in like manner to operate on his rear by Aranda de Duero, and the Somosierra, sending detachments towards Guadalaxara to be met by other detachments, coming from the king through Sacedon. Finally if Wellington, as indeed happened, should abandon both Burgos and Madrid, the united French forces were to drive him into Portugal. The conveying of Soult’s convoys of sick men to Valencia and other difficulties, retarded the commencement of operations to the king’s great discontent, and meanwhile he became very uneasy for his supplies, because the people of La Mancha, still remembering Montbrun’s devastations, were flying with their beasts and grain, and from frequent repetition, were become exceedingly expert in evading the researches of the foragers. Such however is the advantage of discipline and order, that while La Mancha was thus desolated from fear, confidence and tranquillity reigned in Valencia.