Iberia Won; A poem descriptive of the Peninsular War: With impressions from recent visits to the battle-grounds, and copious historical and illustrative notesHughes, T. M. (Terence McMahon)
History
Iberia Won; A poem descriptive of the Peninsular War: With impressions from recent visits to the battle-grounds, and copious historical and illustrative notes
Hughes, T. M. (Terence McMahon)
Peninsular War, 1807-1814 -- Poetry
On the 27th July, Wellington, having been unable to learn any thing
of the movements of Picton and Cole, who had been left in the
valley of Zubiri and on the adjoining heights of Linzoain, on the
evening preceding, and dreading lest Soult’s combinations should
cut them off, quitted Sir Rowland Hill’s quarters in the Bastan at
a very early hour in the morning (these early matutinal movements
have been always characteristic of his Grace) and descending the
valley of Lanz, reached Ostiz, a few miles from Sauroren, where he
met General Long with his brigade of light cavalry, who informed
him that Picton and Cole had abandoned the heights of Linzoain, and
were moving on Huarte, “He left his quarter-master-general with
instructions to stop all the troops coming down the valley of Lanz
until the state of affairs at Huarte should be ascertained. Then
at racing speed he made for Sauroren. As he entered that village
he saw Clauzel’s divisions moving from Zabaldíca along the crest
of the mountain, and it was clear that the allied troops in the
valley of Lanz were intercepted, wherefore pulling up his horse, he
wrote on the parapet of the bridge of Sauroren fresh instructions
to turn every thing from that valley to the right, by a road which
led through Lizasso and Marcalain behind the hills to the village
of Oricain, that is to say in rear of the position now occupied
by Cole. Lord Fitzroy Somerset, the only staff officer who had
kept up with him, galloped with these orders out of Sauroren by
one road, the French light cavalry dashed in by another, and the
English general rode alone up the mountain to reach his troops,”
&c.--Napier, _Hist._ book xxi. c. 5.
--“Thought-swift they make
Sauróren.”
I trust this Teutonism will be pardoned, believing these forms of
expression to be more suited to the genius of our language than has
been hitherto supposed, and likely to be more generally introduced
into poetical diction.
XXXII. “Cole eagle-eyed and gallant Picton.”
The gallantry of Picton and the keen observation of Cole were
eminent characteristics of those two generals respectively. The
danger which they ran in this instance was very imminent. Picton
“directed Cole to occupy some heights between Oricain and Arletta.
But that general having with a surer eye, &c.”--Napier, _Hist._
book xxi. c. 5. Wellington’s rapid riding on this occasion defeated
a very able combination of Soult’s. The Duke was always an expert
and eager horseman, and it was not for nothing that he kept his
pack of fox-hounds in the Peninsula.
XXXIII. “The advancing Chief * *
Their treasure-trove, their gold without alloy!”
Longas, ô utinam, dux bone, ferias
Præstes Hesperiæ!
Horat. _Carm._ iv. 5.
“The shout that ne’er was heard unmoved by Britain’s foes.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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