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PENINSULAR WAR (1808–14)
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See also:PENINSULAR See also:WAR (1808–14)
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This important See also:war, the conduct and result of which greatly enhanced the See also:prestige of See also:British arms, had for its See also:main See also:object the freedom of the See also:Peninsula of See also:Spain and See also:Portugal from the domination of See also:Napoleon; and hence it derives its name, though it terminated upon the See also:soil of See also:France
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See also:Nelson having destroyed the See also:French See also:fleet at See also:Trafalgar, Napoleon feared the possibility of a British See also:army being landed on the See also:Peninsular coasts, whence in See also:conjunction with Portuguese and See also:Spanish forces it might attack France from the See also:south
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He therefore called upon Portugal, in See also:August 1807, to comply with his See also:Berlin See also:decree of the 21st of See also:November 18o6, under which See also:continental nations were to See also:close their ports to British subjects, and have no communication with See also:Great See also:Britain
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At the same See also:time he persuaded the weak See also:
During See also:February and See also:
Duhesme, having failed to take See also:Gerona, was blockaded in Barcelona, Joseph fled from Madrid (Aug
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1, 18o8), and the French forces closed to their rear to defend their communications with France
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The British troops were directed towards Lisbon and Cadiz, in See also:order to secure these harbours, to prevent the subjugation of Andalusia, and to operate up the basins of the See also:Guadiana, See also:Tagus and See also:Douro into Spain
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The British force consisted of 9000 men from See also:Cork, under See also:Sir See also:Arthur See also:Wellesley—at first in chief command; 5000 from See also:Gibraltar, under General (Sir Brent) See also:Spencer; and 1o,000 under Sir See also: On the 21st of August the Allies were attacked by Junot at Vimiera, who, leaving a force at Lisbon, had come up to reinforce Delaborde . In this battle the Allies Battle of numbered about 18,000 with 18 guns, French nearly Vimlera, 14,000, with 20 guns . Junot, believing the allied August2l, See also:left to be weakly held, attacked it without recon-1808. noitring, but .Wellesley's regiments, marched thither behind the heights, sprang up in See also:line; and under their volleys and See also:bayonet See also:charge, supported by See also:artillery See also:fire, Junot's deep columns were driven off the See also:direct road to Lisbon . The losses were: Allies about Soo, French 2000 and 13 guns . It was now again Wellesley's wish to advance and seize Torres Vedras; but Sir Hew Dalrymple, having at this moment assumed command, decided otherwise . On the 2nd of August Junot, knowing of the approach of Moore with reinforcements, and afraid of a revolt in Lisbon, opened negotiations, which resulted in the See also:Convention of See also:Cintra 2 (Aug . 30, 1808), under which the French evacuated Portugal, on See also:condition that they were sent with their artillery and arms to France . Thus this campaign had been rapidly brought to a satisfactory conclusion; and Sir Arthur Wellesley had already given See also:proof of his exceptional gifts as a See also:leader . In See also:England however a cry was raised that Junot should have been forced to an absolutely unconditional surrender; and Sir Arthur Wellesley, Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Harry Burrard3 were brought before a See also:court of inquiry in See also:London . This acquitted them of blame, and Sir John Moore in the mean-time after the departure of Dalrymple (Oct . 6, 1808) had assumed command of the allied army in Portugal, now about 32,000 strong . Moore's Campaign in Spain, 18o8-9.—The British government notified to Sir John Moore that some so,000 men were to be sent to See also:Corunna under Sir See also:David See also:Baird; that he, with 20,000, was to join him, and then both See also:act in See also:concert with the Spanish armies . As the conduct of this campaign was largely influenced by the operations of the Spanish forces, it is necessary to mention their positions, and also the fact that greater reliance had been placed, both in England and Spain, upon them than future events justified . On the 26th of October 1808, when Moore's troops had left Lisbon to join Baird, the French still held a defensive position behind the See also:Ebro; Bcssicres being in the See also:basin of See also:Vitoria, Marshal See also:Ney north-west of Logrofio, and Moncey covering Pampeluna, and near Sanguessa . With the garrisons of Biscay, Navarre, and a reserve at See also:Bayonne, their strength was about 75,000 men . Palafox (20,000) was near Saragossa and observing Sanguessa; Castanos with the victors of Baylen(32,000) See also:east of Reynosa, having captured See also:Bilbao; See also:Count de See also:Belvedere (11,000) near Burgos; reserves (57,000) were assembling about See also:Segovia, Talavera and Cordova; Catalonia was held by 23,000, and Madrid had been reoccupied . Moore had to decide whether to join Baird by See also:sea or land . To do so by sea at this See also:season was to See also:risk delay, while in moving by land he would have the Spanish armies between him and the French . For these reasons he marched by land; and as the roads north of the Tagus were deemed impassable for guns, while transport and supplies for a large force were also difficult to procure, he sent Sir John See also:Hope, with the artillery, See also:cavalry and reserve See also:ammunition See also:column, south of the See also:river, through See also:Badajoz to Almaraz, to move thence through Talavera, Madrid and the Escurial Pass, involving a considerable detour; while he himself with the See also:infantry, marching by successive divisions, took the shorter roads north of the Tagus through See also:Coimbra and See also:Almeida, and also by See also:Alcantara and Coria to See also:Ciudad Rodrigo and See also:Salamanca . Baird was to move south through Galicia to meet him, and the army was to concentrate at Valladolid, Burgos, or whatever point might seem later on to be best . But as Moore was moving forward, the whole situation in Spain changed . Napoleon's forces, now increased to some 200,000 men See also:present and more following, were assuming the offensive, and he himself on the 3oth of October—had left See also:Paris to place himself at their See also:head . Before them the Spaniards were routed in every direction: Castanos was defeated near Logrofio (Oct . 27); Castafios and Palafox at Tudela (Nov . 23); Blake at Zornoza (Oct.' 29), Espinosa (Nov . 11) and Reynosa (Nov . 13); and Belvedere at Gamonal, near Burgos (Nov . 1o) . Thus when Moore reached Salamanca (Nov . 28) Baird was at See also:Astorga; Hope at the Escurial Pass; Napoleon himself at See also:Aranda; and French troops at Valladolid, Arevalo and Segovia; so that the French were nearer than either Baird or Hope to Moore at Salamanca . Moore was ignorant of their exact position and strength, but he knew that Valladolid had been occupied, and so his first orders were that Baird should fall back to Galicia and Hope to Portugal . But these were soon changed, and he now took the important See also:resolution of striking a See also:blow for Spain, and for the defenders of Madrid, by attacking Napoleon's communications with France . Hope having joined him through See also:Avila, and magazines having been formed at Benavente, Astorga and See also:Lugo, in See also:case of See also:retreat in that direction, he moved forward, and on the 13th of See also:December approached the Douro, at and near See also:Rueda east of See also:Toro . Here he learnt that Madrid had fallen to Napoleon (Dec . 3) after he had by a brilliant charge of the See also:Polish lancers and chasseurs of the Guard forced the Somosierra Pass (Nov . 30) and in another See also:action stormed the Retiro commanding Madrid itself (Dec . 3); that the French were pressing on towards Lisbon and Andalusia; that Napoleon was unaware of his vicinity, and that See also:Soult's corps, isolated on the Carrion River, had been ordered towards Benavente . He then finally decided to attack Soult (intending subsequently to fall back through Galicia) and ordered up transports from Lisbon to Corunna and See also:Vigo; thus changing his See also:base from Portugal to the north-west of Spain; Blake's Spanish army, now rallying under the marquis de la Romana near See also:Leon, was to co-operate, but was able to give little effective aid . On the loth of December Baird joined Moore near Mayorga, and a brilliant cavalry combat now took place at Sahagun, in which the British See also:hussar See also:brigade distinguished itself . But on the 23rd of December, when Moore was at Sahagun and about to attack Soult, he learnt that overwhelming French forces were hastening towards him, so withdrew across the Esla, near Benevente (Dec . 28), destroying the See also:bridge there . Napoleon, directly he realized Moore's proximity, had ordered Soult to Astorga to cut him off from Galicia; recalled his other troops from their march towards Lisbon and Andalusia, and, with 50,000 men and 150 guns, had left Madrid himself (Dec . 22) . He traversed over 'co m. in less than five days across the See also:snow-covered Escurial Pass, reaching Tordesillas on the Douro on the 26th of December . Hence he wrote to Soult, " If the See also:English " In this See also:account of the war the losses and See also:numbers engaged in different battles are given approximately only; and the former include killed, wounded and missing . Historians differ much on these matters . 2 It was not, however, signed at Cintra, but at Lisbon, and was mainly negotiated near Torres Vedras . The two latter were recalled from the Peninsula; Sir Arthur Wellesley had proceeded to London upon leave, and had only signed the See also:armistice with Junot, not the convention itself . pass to-See also:day in their position (which he believed to be Sahagun) they are lost." But Moore had passed Astorga by the 31st of December, where Napoleon arrived on the 1st of January 1809 . Thence he turned back, with a large portion of his army towards France, leaving Soult with over 40,000 men to follow Moore . On the " Retreat to Corunna " fatigue, wet and See also:bitter See also:cold, combined with the sense of an enforced retreat, shook the discipline of Moore's army; but he reached Corunna on the 11th of January 1809, where he took up a position across the road from Lugo, with his left on the river Mero . On the 14th of January the transports arrived; and on the 16th Soult attacked . Battle of In this battle the French numbered about 20,000 with Corunna, 40 guns; the British 15,000 with 9 very See also:light guns . January 16, Soult failed to dislodge the British, and Moore was 1809. about to deliver a See also:counter-attack when he himself fell mortally wounded . Baird was also wounded, and as night was approaching, Hope suspended the advance, and subsequently embarked the army, with scarcely any further loss . The British casualties were about 100o, the French 2000 . When the troops landed in England, See also:half clothed and half shod, their leader's conduct of the campaign was at first blamed, but his reputation as a general rests solidly upon these facts, that when Napoleon in See also:person, having nearly 300,000 men in Spain, had stretched forth his See also:hand to seize Portugal and Andalusia, Moore with 30,000, forced him to withdraw it, and follow him to Corunna, escaping at the same time from his grasp . Certainly a notable achievement . Campaign in Portugal and Spain, z8og.—On the 22ndof See also:April 1809 Sir Arthur Wellesley reached Lisbon . By this time, French armies, to a great extent controlled by Napoleon from a distance, had advanced—Soult from Galicia to See also:capture See also:Oporto and Lisbon (with General Lapisse from Salamanca moving on his left towards See also:Abrantes) and Marshal See also:Victor, still farther to the left, with a See also:siege See also:train to take Badajoz, See also:Merida and subsequently Cadiz .
Soult (over 20,000), leaving Ney in Galicia, had taken and sacked Oporto (March 29, 1809); but the Portuguese having closed upon his rear and occupied Vigo, he halted, detaching a force to Amarante to keep open the road to See also:Braganza and asked for reinforcements
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Victor had crossed the Tagus, and defeated See also:Cuesta at See also:Medellin (March 28, 'Soo); but, surrounded by insurgents, he also had halted; Lapisse had joined him, and together they were near Merida, 30,000 strong
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On the allied See also:side the British (25,000), including some See also:German auxiliaries, were about See also:Leiria: the Portuguese See also:regular troops (16,000) near See also:Thomar; and some thousands of Portuguese militia were observing Soult in the north of Portugal, a body under Silveira. being at Amarante, which Soult was now approaching
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Much progress had been made in the organization and training of the Portuguese levies; See also:Major-General See also:
On the 5th of May 1809, Wellesley moved towards the river Douro, having detached Beresford to seize Amarante, from which the French had now driven Silveira
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Soult Passage of expected the passage of the Douro to be attempted the Douro, near its mouth, with fishing See also:craft; but Wellesley, by May 12,1809. a daring surprise, crossed (May 12) close above Oporto, and also by a See also:ford higher up
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After some fighting Oporto was taken, and Soult driven back
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The Portuguese being in his rear, and Wellesley closing with him, the only See also:good road of retreat available lay through Amarante, but he now learned that Beresford had taken this important point from Silveira; so he was then compelled, abandoning his guns andmuch baggage, to See also:escape, with a loss of some 5000 men, over the mountains of the Sierra Catalina to Salamonde, and thence to Orense
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During the above operations, Victor, with Lapisse, had forced the passage of the Tagus at Alcantara but, on Wellesley returning to Abrantes, he retired
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See also:News having been received that Napoleon had suffered a serious check at the battle of Aspern, near See also:Vienna (May 22, 1809), Wellesley next determined—leaving Beresford (20,000) near Ciudad Rodrigo—to move with 22,000 men, in conjunction with Cuesta's Spanish army (40,000) towards Madrid against Victor, who, with 25,000 supported by King Joseph (50,000) covering the See also:capital, was near Talavera
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Sir See also:Robert See also:
Wellesley's force was now in a dangerous position: but by withdrawing at once across the Tagus at Arzobispo, he reached Jaraicejo and Almaraz (by the south See also:bank) blowing up the bridge at Almaraz, and thence moved, through Merida, northwards to the See also:banks of the Agueda, commencing to fortify the country around Lisbon
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Eisewhere in the Peninsula during this See also:year, Blake, now in Catalonia, after routing See also:Suchet at Alcaniz (May 23, 1809), was defeated by him at Maria (June 15) and at Belchite (June 18); Venegas, by King Joseph and Sebastian, at Almonacid on the 11th of August; Del Parque (20,000), after a previous victory near Salamanca (Oct
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18), was overthrown at See also:Alba de Tormes by General Marchand (Nov
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28); the old forces of Venegas and Cuesta (50,000), now united under Areizaga, were decisively routed by King Joseph at Ocana (Nov.19); and Gerona after a gallant defence, had surrendered to See also:Augereau (Dec
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It))
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Sir Arthur Wellesley was for this campaign created See also:Baron Douro and See also:Viscount See also:Wellington
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He was made See also:captain-general by Spain, and marshal-general by Portugal
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But his experience after Talavera had been akin to that of Moore; his expectations from the Spaniards had not been realized; he had been almost intercepted by the French, and he had narrowly escaped from a See also:critical position
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Henceforth he resisted all proposals for See also:joint operations, on any large See also:scale, with Spanish armies not under his own direct command
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1 After the battle the Light Division, under Robert See also:Craufurd, joined Wellesley
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In the endeavour to reach the See also: Marshal See also:Massena with 120,000, including the corps of Ney, Junot, Reynier and some of the Imperial Guard, was to operate from Salamanca against Portugal; but first Soult, appointed major-general of the army in Spain (See also:equivalent to chief of the See also:staff), was, with the corps of Victor, Mortier and Sebastian (70,000), to reduce Andalusia . Soult (See also:Jan . 31, 1810) occupied Seville and escaping thence to Cadiz, the Supreme Junta resigned its See also:powers to a regency of five members (Feb . 2, 181o) . Cadiz was invested by Victor's corps (Feb . 4), and then Soult halted, waiting for Massena, who arrived at Valladolid on the 15th of May . In England a party in See also:parliament were urging the withdrawal of the British troops, and any reverse to the allied arms would have strengthened its hands . Wellington's policy was thus cautious and defensive, and he had already commenced the since famous lines of Torres Vedras See also:round Lisbon . In June 1810 his headquarters were at Celorico . With about 35,000 British, 30,000 Portuguese regular troops and 30,000 Portuguese militia, he watched the roads leading into Portugal past Ciudad Rodrigo to the north, and Badajoz to the south of the Tagus, as also the line of the Douro and the country between the Elga and the Ponsul . Soult having been instructed to co-operate by taking Badajoz and See also:Elvas, Massena, See also:early in June 1810, moved forward, and Ciudad Rodrigo surrendered to him (June ro) . Next pushing back a British force under Craufurd, he invested Almeida, taking it on the 27th of August .
Then calling up Reynier, who during this had moved on his left towards Alcantara, he marched down the right bank of the Mondego, and entered Viseu (See also:Sept
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21)
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Wellington fell back before him down the left bank, ordering up See also:Rowland See also: |