The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military eventsBorthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
History
The battles of the world : $b or, cyclopedia of battles, sieges, and important military events
Borthwick, J. Douglas (John Douglas)
Battles; Military history
FRIEDLAND, BATTLE OF.--Fought, June 14th, 1807, between the allied
Russian and Prussian armies on the one side and the French,
commanded by Napoleon in person, who signally defeated them, with
the lose of eighty pieces of ordnance and 50,000 men. This victory
led to the peace of Tilsit.
FUENTES DE ONORE, BATTLE OF.--Napier thus describes this great
battle: “On May 2nd, 1811, Messina crossed the Agueda with 40,000
infantry, 5000 cavalry, and about thirty pieces of artillery, to
relieve Almeida. He expected every day to be superseded in his
command, and he wished to make a last effort for his own military
character. Wellington could muster no more than 32,000 men, of
which force only 1200 were cavalry. He, however, determined to
fight rather than give up the blockade of Almeida; after much
fighting night came on and put an end to the battle. Next day
Messina was joined by Bessières, with a body of the Imperial Guard,
and on the 5th the enemy made the grand attack. The battle raged
throughout a vast plain, and in all the Peninsular War there was
never so dangerous an hour for England. The fight lasted till
evening, when the lower part of the town was abandoned by both
sides--the British keeping the chapel and crags, and the French
retiring a cannon shot from the stream.” Fought, May 5th, 1811.
G.
GALWAY.--_Ireland._--In 1690, Galway declared for King James, but
it was invested and taken by General Ginckel, immediately after the
memorable battle of Aughrim, July 12th, 1691.
GENERAL.--This rank has been given to commanders from very remote
antiquity. In the French army, Montmorency was the first officer
who was so called, in 1203. Cardinal Richelieu was the first who
took the title _Generalissimo_, having coined the word when he
assumed supreme command of the French armies in Italy, in 1629.
GENOA.--Bombarded by the French, in 1684, and by the British, in
1688 and 1745. Taken by the Imperialists, December 8th, 1746.
Sustained a siege from the British fleet and Austrian army, when
it capitulated, May, 1800. Surrendered to the French, after the
battle of Marengo. Next surrendered to the combined English and
Sicilian armies, April 8th, 1814, but was transferred to the
Kingdom of Sardinia, in 1826. The city seized by insurgents, who,
after a murderous struggle, drove out the garrison, and proclaimed
a Republic, April, 1850, but in the end the insurgents surrendered
to General Marmora.
GERMANIC CONFEDERATION.--When Napoleon determined that the
German or Holy Roman Empire should no longer exist, but that a
Confederation of States should be in its stead, the proposal was
adopted by the Allied Sovereigns, in 1815, which has continued ever
since.
GETTYSBURG.--_United States._--This battle was fought between
the Confederates of the Southern States, and the Northern army.
General Lee was defeated by the United States’ troops. This battle
immediately followed the surrender of Vicksburg to General Grant.
Fought on the 4th July, 1863.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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