SELECTIONS
FROM THE
DISPATCHES AND
GENERAL ORDERS
OF
FIELD MARSHAL
THE DUKE OF
WELLINGTON.
By LIEUT. COLONEL
GURWOOD,
ESQUIRE TO HIS GRACE
AS KNIGHT OF THE BATH.
NEW EDITION.
LONDON:
JOHN MURRAY,
ALBEMARLE STREET.
1851.
600.
To the Earl of Liverpool.
General Viscount
Wellington, K.B., to the Earl of Liverpool,
Secretary of State.
'
MY LORD,
Quadrasais, 29th Sept. 1811.
The enemy commenced their
movements towards Ciudad Rodrigo with the convoys of provisions from the Sierra
de Bejar, and from Salamanca on the 21st instant, and on the following day I
collected the British army in positions, from which I could either advance or
retire without difficulty, and which would enable me to see all that was going
on, and the strength of the enemy's army.
The 3rd division, and that part
of Major General V. Alten's brigade of cavalry, which was not detached,
occupied the range of heights which are on the left of the Agueda : having
their advanced guard, under Lieut. Colonel Williams, of the 60th, on the
heights of Pastores, within 3 miles of Ciudad Rodrigo ; the 4th division was at
Fuente Guinaldo, where I had strengthened a position with some works ; the
Light division on the right of the Agueda, having their right resting upon the
mountains which separate Castille and Estremadura. Lieut. General Graham
commanded the troops on the left of the army, which were posted on the Lower
Azava ; the 6th division, and Major General Anson's brigade of cavalry, being
at Espeja, and occupying Carpio, Marialva, etc. Don Carlos de España observed
the Lower Agueda with Don Julian Sanchez's cavalry and infantry.
Lieut. General Sir S. Cotton,
with Major General Slade's, and Major General de Grey's brigades of cavalry,
were on the Upper Azava, in the centre, between the right and left of the army,
with General Pack's brigade at Campillo ; and the 5th division was in
observation of the Pass of Perales, in the rear of the right, the French
General Foy having remained and collected a body of troops in Upper
Estremadura, consisting of part of his own division of the army of Portugal,
and a division of the army of the centre ; and the 7th division was in reserve
at Alamedilla.
The enemy first appeared in the
plain near Ciudad Rodrigo, on the 23rd, and retired again in a short time ; but
on the 24th, in the morning, they advanced again in considerable force, and
entered the plain by the roads of Santi-espiritus and Tenebron ; and before
evening they had collected there all their cavalry, to the amount of about 6000
men, and 4 divisions of infantry, of which one division was of the Imperial
Guard; and the remainder of the armies were encamped on the Guadapero,
immediately beyond the hills which surround the plain of Ciudad Rodrigo.
On the morning of the 25th the
enemy sent a reconnaissance of cavalry towards the Lower Azava, consisting of
about 14 squadrons of the cavalry of the Imperial Guard. They drove in our
posts on the right of the Azava, but having passed that river, the Lanciers de
Berg were charged by 2 squadrons of the 16th, and one of the 14th light
dragoons, and driven back; they attempted to rally and to return, but were
fired upon by the light infantry of the 61st regt., which had been posted in
the wood on their flank, by Lieut. General Graham ; and Major General Anson
pursued them across the Azava ; and afterwards resumed his posts on the right
of that river. Lieut. General Graham was highly pleased with the conduct of
Major General Anson's brigade ; and Major General Anson particularly mentions
Lieut. Colonel Hervey, and Captain Brotherton, of the 14th, and Captain Hay,
and Major Cocks, of the 16th.
But the enemy's attention was
principally directed during this day to the position of the 3rd division, in
the hills between Fuente Guinaldo and Pastores. About 8 in the morning, they
moved a column, consisting of between 30 and 40 squadrons of cavalry, and 14
battalions of infantry, and 12 pieces of cannon, from Ciudad Rodrigo, in such a
direction, that it was doubtful whether they would attempt to ascend the hills
by La Encina, or by the direct road of El Bodon, towards Fuente Guinaldo ; and I
was not certain by which road they would make their attack, till they actually
commenced it upon the last.
As soon as I saw the direction of
their march, I had reinforced the 2nd batt. 5th regt., which occupied the post
on the hill over which the road passes to Guinaldo, by the 71th regt., and the
21st Portuguese regt., under the command of Major General the Hon. C. Colville,
and Major General V. Alten's brigade, of which only 3 squadrons remained which
had not been detached, drawn from El Bodon; and I ordered there a brigade of
the 4th division from Fuente Guinaldo, and afterwards from El Bodon, the
remainder of the troops of the 3rd division, with the exception of those at
Pastores, which were too distant.
In the mean time, however, the
small body of troops in this post sustained the attack of the enemy's cavalry
and artillery. One regiment of French dragoons succeeded in taking 2 pieces of
cannon which had been posted on a rising ground on the right of our troops ;
but they were charged by the 2nd batt. 5th regt, under the command of Major
Ridge, and the guns were immediately retaken. While this operation was going on
on the flank, an attack was made on the front by another regiment, which was
repulsed in a similar manner by the 77th regt.; and the 3 squadrons of Major
General V. Alten's brigade charged repeatedly different bodies of the enemy
which ascended the hill on the left of the 2 regiments of British infantry, the
Portuguese regiment being posted in the rear of their right.
At length, the division of the
enemy's infantry which had marched with the cavalry from Ciudad Rodrigo, were
brought up to the attack on the road of Fuente Guinaldo, and seeing that they
would arrive and be engaged before the troops could arrive either from Guinaldo
or El Bodon, I determined to withdraw our post, and to retire with the whole on
Fuente Guinaldo. The 2nd batt. 5th regt., and the 77th regt., were formed into
one square, and the 21st Portuguese regt. into another, supported by Major
General V. Alten's small body of cavalry and the Portuguese artillery.
The enemy's cavalry immediately
rushed forward, and obliged our cavalry to retire to the support of the
Portuguese regiment ; and the 5th and 77th regts. were charged on 3 faces of
the square by the French cavalry, but they halted and repulsed the attack with
the utmost steadiness and gallantry. We then continued the retreat, and joined
the remainder of the 3rd division, also formed in squares, on their march to
Fuente Guinaldo, and the whole retired together in the utmost order, and the
enemy never made another attempt to charge any of them ; but weTe satisfied
with firing upon them with their artillery, and with following them.
Lieut. Colonel Williams with his
light infantry, and Lieut. Colonel the Hon. R. Trench with the 74th regt.,
retired from Pastores across the Agueda ; and thence marched by Robleda, where
they took some prisoners, and re-crossed the Agueda, and joined at Guinaldo in
the evening.
I placed the 3rd and 4th
divisions, and General Pack's brigade of infantry, and Major General V.
Alten's, Major General de Grey's, and Major General Slade's brigades of cavalry
in the position at Fuente Guinaldo on the evening of the 25th, and ordered
Major General R. Craufurd to retire with the Light division across the Agueda,
the 7th division to form at Albergueria, and Lieut. General Graham to collect
the troops under his command at Nave d'Aver, keeping only posts of observation
on the Azava ; and the troops were thus formed in an echelon, of which the
centre was in the position at Guinaldo ; and the right upon the pass of Perales
; and the left at Nave d'Aver ; Don Carlos de España was placed on the left of
the Coa ; and Don Julian Sanchez was detached with the cavalry to the enemy's
rear.
The enemy brought up a second
division of infantry from Ciudad Rodrigo in the afternoon of the 25th ; and in
the course of that night, and of the 26th, they collected their whole army in
front of our position at Guinaldo ; find not deeming it expedient to stand their
attack in that position, I retired about 3 leagues, and on the 27th formed the
army as follows : viz., the 5th division on the right, at Aldea Velha ; the
4th, and light dragoons, and Major General V. Alton's cavalry, at the convent
of Sacaparte, in front of Alfayates ; the 3rd and 7th divisions in second line,
behind Alfayates ; and Lieut. Ge neral Graham's corps on the left at Bismula,
having their advanced guard beyond the Villar Mayor river ; and Lieut. General
Sir S. Cotton's cavalry near Alfayates, on the left of the 4th division, and
having General Pack's and General M 'Mahon's brigades at Rebolosa, on their
left. The piquets of the cavalry 'were in front of Aldea da Ponte, beyond the
Villar Mayor river, and those of General V. Alten's brigade beyond the same
river, towards Forcalhos.
It had been the enemy's intention
to turn the left of the position of Guinaldo by moving a column into the valley
of the Upper Azava, and thence ascending the heights in the rear of the
position by Castillejos ; and from this column they detached a division of
infantry and 14 squadrons of cavalry to follow our retreat by Albergueria, and
another body of the same strength followed us by Forcalhos. The former attacked
the piquets of the cavalry at Aldea da Ponte, and drove them in ; and they
pushed on nearly as far as Alfayates. I then made General Pakenham attack them
with his brigade of the 4th division, supported by Lieut. General the Hon. L.
Cole, and the 4th division, and by Sir S. Cotton's cavalry ; and the enemy were
driven through Aldea da Ponte, back upon Albergueria, and the piquets of the
cavalry resumed their station.
But the enemy having been
reinforced by the troops which marched from Forcalhos, again advanced about
sunset and drove in the piquets of the cavalry from Aldea da Ponte, and took
possession of the village.
Lieut. General Cole again
attacked them with a part of General Pakenham's brigade, and drove them through
the village ; but night having come on, and as General Pakenham was not certain
what was passing on his flanks, or of the numbers of the enemy, and he knew
that the army were to fall back still further, he evacuated the village, which
the enemy occupied, and held during the night.
On the 28th, I formed the army on
the heights behind Soito; having the Serra de Mesas on their right, and the
left at Rendo, on the Coa ; about a league in rear of the position which they
had occupied on the 27th. The enemy also retired from Aldea da Ponte, and had
their advanced posts at Albergueria ; and as it appears that they are about to
retire from this part of the country, and as we have already had some bad
weather, and may expect more at the period of the equinoctial gales, I propose
to canton the troops in the nearest villages to the position which they occupied yesterday.
I cannot conclude this report of
the occurrences of the last week, without expressing to your Lordship my
admiration of the conduct of the troops engaged in the affairs of the 25th
instant. The conduct of the 2nd batt. 5th regt., commanded by Major Ridge, in
particular, affords a memorable example of what the steadiness and discipline
of the troops, and their confidence in their officers, can effect in the most
difficult and trying situations. The conduct of the 77th regt., under the
command of Lieut. Colonel Hromhead, was equally good, and I have never seen a
more determined attack than was made by the whole of the enemy's cavalry, with
every advantage of the assistance of a superior artillery, and repulsed by
these 2 weak battalions. I must not omit also to report the good conduct on the
same occasion, of the 21st Portuguese regt., under the command of Colonel
Bacellar, and of Major Arentschildt's artillery. The Portuguese infantry were
not actually charged, hut were repeatedly threatened, and they showed the
utmost steadiness and discipline, both in the mode in which they pre pared to
receive the enemy, and in all the movements of a retreat made over 6 miles of
plain, in front of a superior cavalry and artillery.The Portuguese artillerymen
attached to the guns, which were for a moment in the enemy's possession, were
cut down at their guns.
The infantry upon this occasion
were under the command of Major General the Hon. C. Colville; Lieut. General
Picton having remained with the troops at El Bodon ; and the conduct of Major
General Colville was beyond all praise.
Your Lordship will have observed by the
details of the action which I have given you, how much reason I had to be
satisfied with the conduct of the 1st hussars and 11th light dragoons of Major
General V. Alten's brigade. There were not more than 3 squadrons of the 2
regiments on the ground, this brigade having for some time furnished the
cavalry for the outposts of the army, and they charged the enemy's cavalry
repeatedly ; and notwithstanding the superiority of the latter, the post would
have been maintained if I had not preferred to abandon it to risking the loss
of these brave men by continuing the unequal contest under additional
disadvantages, in consequence of the immediate entry of 14 battalions of
infantry into the action, before the support which I had ordered up could
arrive. Major General V. Alten, and Lieut. Colonels Cumming and Arentschildt,
and the officers of these regiments, particularly distinguished themselves upon
this occasion.
I have also to mention that the
Adjutant General, Major General the Hon. C. Stewart, being upon the field, gave
his assistance as an officer of cavalry with his usual gallantry.
In the affair of the 27th, at Aldea
da Ponte, Brig. General Pakenham and the troops of the 4th division, under the
orders of Lieut. General the Hon. G. L. Cole, likewise conducted themselves
remarkably well.
H.S.H. the Hereditary Prince of
Orange, accompanied me during the operations which I have detailed to your
Lordship, and was for the first time in fire ; and he conducted himself with a
spirit and intelligence which afford a hope that he will become an ornament to
his profession.
The enemy having collected for
the object of relieving Ciudad Rodrigo the army of the north, which were
withdrawn from the attack they had commenced on General Abadia in Galicia, in
which are included 22 battalions of the Imperial Guard, and General Souham's
division of infantry, composed of troops recently arrived in Spain from the
army of Naples, and now drawn from the frontier of Navarre, where they had been
employed in operations against Mina, together with 5 divisions and all the
cavalry of the army called ' of Portugal,' composing altogether an army of not
less than 60,000 men, of which 6000 cavalry and 125 pieces of artillery, I
could not pretend to maintain the blockade of Ciudad Rodrigo, nor could any
effort which I could make prevent or materially impede the collection of the
supplies or the march of the convoy for the relief of that place. I did all
that I could expect to effect without incurring the risk of great loss for no
object ; and as the reports as usual were so various in regard to the enemy's
real strength, it was necessary that I should see their army, in order that the
people of this country might be convinced that to raise the blockade was a
measure of necessity, and that the momentary relief of Galicia, and of Mina,
were the only objects which it was in my power immediately to effect.
I have had no reports from the
north, since I addressed your Lordship last, nor from the south of Spain.
General Girard had collected at
Merida a small body of troops, I believe with the intention of making an
incursion into Portugal, under the notion that I had withdrawn Lieut. General
Hill's corps from the Alentejo, for the purpose of maintaining the blockade of
Ciudad Rodrigo. But I imagine that he will break up this collection again, as
soon as he shall hear that General Hill is at Portalegre.
I have the honor to be, &c.
The Earl of Liverpool. -WELLINGTON.
I enclose a return of the killed and wounded on the 25th
and 27th instant.
Return of the Killed, Wounded, and Missing, of the Army
under the
Command of General Viscount Wellington, K.B., in an affair
with
the Enemy on the Heights of El Bodon, on the 25th, and near
Aldea
da Ponte, on the 27th September, 1811.
