Under Wellington's Command: A Tale of the Peninsular WarHenty, G. A. (George Alfred)
General
Under Wellington's Command: A Tale of the Peninsular War
Henty, G. A. (George Alfred)
Historical fiction; Peninsular War, 1807-1814 -- Juvenile fiction
Without attempting to repair the broken bridges, the French
infantry crossed the stream breast high, and the cavalry and
artillery followed; and Terence, seeing that their retreat could
not be seriously molested, and that if he attempted to do so, he
should suffer very heavily from their artillery, sounded a halt;
and the French continued their retreat to Valladolid, leaving
behind them all their baggage, which they had been unable to get
across the stream.
Terence's force came down from the hills and assembled in the
valley. Congratulations were exchanged on the success that had
attended their efforts. Then the roll was at once called, and it
was found that a hundred and three men of the Minho regiment were
missing. There was no roll among the guerillas; but Moras's
estimate, after counting the number assembled, was, that upwards of
two hundred were absent from the ranks, fully half of these having
been overtaken and killed by the French cavalry.
Terence at once sent off two parties of his own men, to the points
where the fight had been fiercest. They were to collect the
wounded, including those of the French, and to carry them down into
the valley; while parties of guerillas searched the hillsides, down
to the scene of action, for their comrades who had fallen from the
fire of the French artillery and musketry.
When the wounded were collected, it was found there were upwards of
two hundred French infantry, fifty-nine guerillas, and twenty-four
Portuguese. The smaller proportion of wounded of the latter being
accounted for by the fact that so many had been shot through the
head, while lying down to fire at the French as they climbed the
hill. Two hundred and thirty French soldiers had been killed.
Terence at once set his men to dig wide trenches, in which the
soldiers of the three nationalities were laid side by side.
A considerable amount of reserve ammunition being captured in the
waggons, the men's cartridge boxes were filled up again, and the
rest was packed in a waggon. Some of the drivers had cut their
traces, but others had neglected to do this, and there were
sufficient waggons to carry all the wounded, both friends and
enemies, together with a considerable amount of flour.
The French wounded were taken to the ford by which Macwitty had
crossed; and then some of them who had been wounded in the leg and,
although unable to walk, were fit to drive, were given the reins
and told to take the waggons to Zamora, a distance of twelve miles.
Fifty men were told off to march with them, until within sight of
the town; as otherwise they would have assuredly been attacked, and
the whole of the wounded massacred by the Spanish peasants.
The force then broke up again, each column taking as much flour and
meat as the men could carry. The remaining waggons and stores were
heaped together, and set on fire.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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