it necessary for Lord Wellington to retreat from Badajoz in December to the north of the Tagus. It enjoyed repose for some time at Lisbon, and in the vicinity of that capital. In February, the English army, augmented by Portuguese troops, disciplined by the General Marshal Beresford, were quartered on an extended line, comprehending Oporto, Lamego, Vizeu, Coimbra, Abrantes, and Santarem. From the vicinity of Abrantes and Santarem, General Hill, with a considerable body of cavalry, descended to the Guadiana, to watch and check the enemy, who had appeared before Badajoz. The more remote situations in the strong country of Tralos-montes was not defended. A party of the enemy had approached the city of Braganza, and, after having summoned it to surrender, withdrew from the vicinity without success. It is unnecessary to follow the Anglo-Portuguese army in all their changes of position in the months of March and April, during the greater part of which months Lord Wellington's head quarters were at Vizeu. It will be sufficient to notice their positions when they came nearly into contact, with the enemy advancing towards, and engaged in the reduction of Ciudad Rodrigo and Almeida. The front of the army was as follows: It was distributed into five divisions; the first under Gen. Spencer, about 6000, lay at Celerico, about twenty miles distant from the grand French army. The second, commanded by General Hill, about 8000, was placed as the central division in the mountains at Portalegre, between the Tagus and the Guadiana, from whence it

1

looked down on the frontier of Spain. The third division, under General Cole, was stationed at Guarda, which was the principal post, and twenty miles distant from the French lines: it was about 10,000 strong. The fourth division, 4000, commanded by General Picton, lay at a village called Pen-hell. The fifth division, under General Crawfurd, was stationed half way between the principal corps of the English army at Guarda and the French lines at Ciudad Rodrigo, that is, about ten miles from each. But this fifth division was constantly shifting its position, advancing, which it sometimes did even as far as St. Felizes, or retrograding according to contingent circumstances. The Portuguese troops, under the command of General Beresford, in the end of July joined Lord Wellington, whose head quarters were at Celerico. All these divisions were posted in the mountains, or their slopes descending gradually into the plain, at the farther end of which stood Ciudad Rodrigo. Thus there lay between the two armies this plain, which was in breadth ten miles.

Between the principal British station at Guarda and Lisbon there was a distance of 190 miles, which is a march of twenty days. There are three roads leading from Lisbon to the frontier of Spain: first, one by Abrantes; second, by Elvas; and a third by Coimbra. The route of the British army in its progress northward lay by Abrantes. The first post of great importance on this route is Santarem. It is strongly situated on heights, at the distance of fortyfive miles from Lisbon. It commands mands the great eastern road, and forms the defence of Lisbon against an enemy advancing from the Spanish frontier: it is flanked on the south-east by the Tagus, and on the north east by exceedingly steep mountains; it is further strengthened by fortifications, which command the road that runs between those heights and the river. To give an idea of the extent of Santarem, it will be sufficient to say, that it contains seventeen churches. Santarem bears sad marks of the French invasion in 1808. Junot's army pillaged both churches and altars; they respected nothing but the fortifications. The next important post on the great eastern road to Spain, is Abrantes, distant thirty miles from Santarem; than which it is of still greater importance. It is seventy miles distant from Lisbon, and one hundred and twenty from Guarda, which was the principal station of the British army: it is situated fast by the Tagus; it was a Roman station; a circumstance which sufficiently indicates its natural strength. It was not fortified. Villa Velha is another military position, inasmuch as it commands another passage over the Tagus. It is environed by rugged and bare mountains, through which the Tagus seems to burst by force. Castello Branco is situate at the foot of another pass. The country around is full of military positions, so strong, that it may be considered as one fortification. Castello Branco was also a Roman station. The citadel and walls are in ruins. It could not stand a siege; but still it is a strong position. Midway between Castello Branco and Guar. da is Cavilha. Here the country

begins to rise, to become rugged, and to be covered with heights, forming what in the peninsula are called Sierras, or chains of mountains. The Sierra d'Estrellas, or Mountain of Stars, in the immediate vicinity of Covilha, rises to the height of 6000 feet above the level of the sea. It is so steep, that while the stones of some of the houses built thereon are 50 or 60 feet from the ground on one side, their floors, as in the city of Edinburgh, on the opposite side are on a level with it. A city so large and so situated as Covilha, must be of incalculable advantage, in case of a retreat, in opposing an advancing

enemy.

From Covilha the ground rises from mountain to mountain to Guarda, the principal station of the English. It stands on one of the mountains of the Sierra d'Estrella, near the source of the Mondego; it has an old castle, and is encompassed by turreted stone walls. Guarda is so situated, that when seen at a distance it looks like a steeple on the summit of the mountain on which it is situate. The roads leading to it are extended over clefts of rocks: it is beyond a doubt the strongest position in Portugal; it is impregnable. So long as Lord Wellington could feed his army at Guarda, he could set the whole power of France at defiance. Guarda might be reduced by famine, but not by force. From Guarda to Ciudad Rodrigo, for a considerable time the head quarters of Massena, the distance is about twenty-five miles; but the two armies were so far advanced beyond their respective head quarters, that divisions of them were sometimes within ten, seven, and even five miles of each other. On the same general line with Guarda, but some miles lower down, and nearer the plain, arė the towns or villages of Sabugal, Alfaytes, Coa, Monqulada, and Fort La Conception.

From the heights of Pen-hell, Celerico, and Guarda, our army could every day see, at no great distance, the French lines in the plain of Ciudad Rodrigo. The cavalry changed their position, advancing or retreating, according to circumstances. Sometimes they descended quite into the plain; when, of course, there was some skirmishing with the French outposts.

Such then were the positions of the British army, and such their line of retreat. For though the course of the campaign rendered it advisable to fall back on Lisbon by the valley of the Mondego and Coimbra, it was no doubt Lord Wellington's first intention to fall back, not by the Coimbra road to Lisbon, but that of Abrantes, which presented so many advantageous positions for opposing, harassing, and wearing out the enemy; in some of which positions too he had left garrisons for covering the flanks of his army, and securing their retreat. With regard to the position of the French army, it lay in general in the great plain, at the feet of the mountains on which the English and Portuguese remained in the encampments. In this plain are situated the city of Badajoz, Ciudad Rodrigo, and, at a certain, distance, Valencia. The whole of the divisions were not stationed in the plain; but they were all of them so posted that they could effect a junction before they could

VOL. LII.

be forced to come to a general engagement.

The great object of the French was to conquer the Peninsula ; that of Lord Wellington to preserve Portugal.

The cavalry attached to Brigadier-General Crawfurd's advanced'. guard remained in the villages near the fort of La Conception till the 21st of July, when the enemy obliged it to retire towards Almeida, and Fort Conception was destroyed. From that day, till July the 24th, General Crawfurd continued to occupy a position near Almeida, within 1800 yards of the fort, and his left extended towards Zuma.. On the morning of the 24th, shortly after day-light, the enemy attacked him in this position with a body of 7000 infantry and 3000 cavalry. It was the object of the enemy to cut off the division under Crawford from joining the main army. The brigadier, who had only 4000 infantry and 600 cavalry, retired by the bridge across the Coa. A position close in front of the bridge, was maintained as long as it was necessary to give time to the troops that had passed to take up one behind the bridge and the river; and the bridge was afterwards defended with the greatest gallantry. The enemy made three efforts to storm it; all of which were repelled, with very considerable loss on both sides. After it was dark, General Crawfurd withdrew the troops from the Coa, and retreated to Carvelhal; for it did not enter into the plan on which Lord Wellington conducted the campaign. to support the fifth corps or division of his army in its advanced positions. He had formed a plan

as any we read of in history. While he was employed in making demonstrations on the frontier of Spain, immense fortifications were rising in a line from the sea to the Tagus, at a short distance from Lisbon. To these, which were almost impregnable, it was his plan to retreat, where he would be near his resources, and receive reinforcements. After the surrender of Almeida, he began to retreat slowly and in good order, and to concentrate the different corps of his army, which had been separated for the purpose of watching and guarding other points that were menaced by the French army of Portugal. The troops with which he made head against Massena, at the commencement of the campaign, did not exceed the number of 25,000. On the 19th of September he occupied an advanced position behind the Alva, at Ponte Mureella,

The British troops, when they began to retreat, destroyed all the bridges and mills on the Coa. A division of Portuguese militia, under General Miller, occupied the strong fortress of Chaves; another, under General Silviera, lay on the northera banks of the Douro; and another, under General Trent, in the vicinity of St. John of Pesquiera. So that if the French should advance, as was expected, by Vizeu, they would be harassed by bodies of Portuguese militia. These movements on the part of the British army, were preceded by a proclamation issued by Lord Wellington, the 4th of August, 1810. Having briefly stated the sufferings of such villages on the frontier of Portugal as, con

French, had remained at their homes, and submitted to their authority; sufferings greater than any calamities that could have been inflicted by a cruel enemy; he told them, that there was no safety for them, but in a fixed and determined resolution to impede as much as possible the advance of the enemy into the interior of the country, by removing all that could be of use to the enemy or facilitate his progress. The army under his command would protect as great a portion of the country as possible; but the people alone could preserve their property by placing it beyond the grasp of the enemy. The duty he owed to the Prince Regent of Portugal and the Portuguese nation, constrained him to make use of the power and authority with which he was vested, for the purpose of compelling such persons as might appear to be careless and remiss, to make the necessary exertions for saving themselves from danger, and their country from ruin. For this reason, all magistrates and persons holding offices under government, that should remain in towns and villages after receiving orders from any military officer to depart; and all persons, of whatever class, who should hold any communication, or in any manner assist the enemy, were to be considered as traitors to their country, and judged and punished as such an enormous crime deserved.

While the British army was on its retreat by Ponte Murcella, the whole of the French forces were drawn together in the neighbourhood of Pen-hell, to the number of about 30,000, in pursuit of it. Lord Wellington