The Sun.
London, England, 1829-09-09 00:00:00

BATTLE OF TALAVETtA.

(From the Second Volume of Colonel Napier's Histoill
of the Peninsular War.)
" From nine o'clock in the morning until
mid-day the field of battle offered no appear-
ance of hostility; the weather was intensely hot,
and the troops, on both sides, descended and
mingled, without fear or. suspicion, to quench
their thirst at the little brook which divided the
position ; but, at one o'clock in the afternoon,
the Freach soldiers were seen to gather round
their eagles, and the rolling of drums was heard
along the whole line. Half an hour later, the
King's guards, the reserve, and the fourth corps,
were descried, near the centre of the enemy's
position, marching to join the first corps ; and,
at two o'clock, the table-land and the height on
the French right, even to the valley, were co-
vered with the dark and lowering masses. At
this moment some hundreds of English soldiers,
employed to carry the wounded to the rear, re-
tuvned in one body, and were, by the French,
supposed to be Sir Robert Wilson's corps join-
ing the army ; nevertheless the Duke of Bel-
limo, whose arrangements were now completed,
gave the signal for battle, and eighty pieces of
artillery immediately sent a tempest of bullets
before-the light troops, who, coining on swiftly
and with the violence of a hail-storm, were
closely followed by the broad, black columns, in
all the majesty of war.
. " Sir Arthur Wellesley, from the summit of
tbt, hill, had a clear view of the whole field of
battle: and first he saw the fourth corps rush
forwards, with the usual impetuosity of French
soldiers, and clearing the intersected ground ill
their front, fall upon Campbell's division with
infinite fury; but that General, assisted by
Mackenzie's brigade, and by two Spanish bat-
talions, withstood their utmost efforts. The
English regiments, putting the French skirmish-
ers aside, met the advancing columns with loud
shouts, and breaking in on their front, and lap-
ping their flanks with fire, and giving no respite,
pushed them back with a terrible carnage. Ten
guns were taken ; but, as General Campbell
prudently forbore pursuit, the French rallied on
their supports, and made a show of attacking
again. Vain attempt ! The British artillery
and musketry played too vehemently upon their
masses, and a Spanish regiment of cavalry
charging on their flank at the same time, the
whole retired in disorder, and the victory was
secured in that quarter.
" But while this was passing on the right.
Villatte's division, preceded by the grenadiers,
and supported by two regiments of light cavalry,
was seen advancing up the great valley against
the left, and, beyond Villatte's, Ruffin was dis-
covered marching towards the mountain. Sir
Arthur Wellesley immediately ordered Anson's
brigade of cavalry, composed of the 23d Light
Dragoons and the first German Hussars, to
charge the head of these columns ; and this
brigade coming on at a canter, and increasing its
speed as it advanced, rode headlong against the
enemy, but in a few moments came upon the
brink of a hollow cleft, which was not percep-
tible at a distance. The French, throwing them-
selves into squares, opened their fire ; and Col.
Arentschild, commanding the hussars, an officer
whom forty years experience had made a master
in his art, promptly reined up at the brink, ex-
claiming, in his broken phrase, I will not kill
my young men !'
" The English blood was hotter ! The 23d,
under Colonel Seymour, rode wildly down into
the hollow, and men and horses fell over each
other in dreadful confusion.' The survivors, still
untamed, mounted the opposite bank two's and
three's ; Seymour was wounded ; but Major
Frederick Ponsonby, a hardy soldier, rallying all
who came up, passed through the midst of Vil-
latte's columns, and, reckless of the musketry
from each side, fell with inexpressible violence
upon a brigade of French ehasseurs in the rear.
1. he combat was fierce but short ; Victor had
perceived tie first advance of the English, and
detached his Polish lancers and Westphalian
light-horse, to the support of Villatte ; and these
fresh troops coming up when the 23d, already
overmatched, could scarcely hold up against the
chasseurs, entirely broke them. Those who
were not killed or taken made for Bassecour's
Spanish division, and so escaped, leaving behind
207 men and officers, or about half the number
that went into action•
" During this time the hill, the key of the
position, was again attacked, and Lapisse, cross-
ing the ravine, pressed hard upon the English
centre ; his own artillery, aided by the great
battery on his right, opened large gaps in Sher-
brooke's ranks, and the French columns came
close up to the British line in the resolution to
win ; hut they were received with a general dis-
charge of all arms, and so vigorously encounter-
ed, that they gave back in disorder; and, in the
excitement of the moment, the brigade of Eng-
lish guards, quitting the line, followed up their
success with inconsiderate ardour. The enemy's
supporting columns and dragoons advanced,
the men who had been repulsed turned again, and
the French batteries pounded the flank and front
of the guards.
Thus maltreated, th latter drew back, and
at the same moment, the Gerti?an Legion, being
sorely pressed, got into confusion. and
Campbell's divisions, on the extremities of the
line, still held fast ; but the centre of the BrLish
was absolutely broken, and the fate of the day
seemed to incline in favour of the French, when
suddenly Colonel Donellan, with the 48th Re-
giment, was seen advancing through the midst of
the disordered masses. At first it seemed as if
his regiment must he carried away. by the retiring
crowds; but, wheeling back by companies, it let
them pass through the intervals, and then, re-
suming its proud and beautiful line, marched
against the right of the pursuing columns, and
plied them with such a destructive musketry, and
closed upon them with such a firm and regular
pace, that the forward movement of the French
was checked. The Guards and the Germans
immediately rallied ; a brigade of light cavalry
came up from the second line at trot ; the
artillery battered the enemy's flanks without in-
termission., and the French beginning to waver,
soon lost their advantage, and the battle was
restored.
" In all actions there is one critical and deei-
sive moment which will give the victory to the
General who knows how to seize it. When the
Guards first made their rash charge, Sir Arthur
Wellesley, forseeing the issue of it, had ordered
the 48th down from the hill, although a rough
battle was ving on there ; and, at the same
time, he directed Cotton's light cavalry to ad-
vance. These dispositions gained the day. The
French relaxed their efforts by degrees ; the fire
of the English grew hotter ; and their loud and
confident shouts—sure augury of success—were
heard along the whole line.
6' In the hands of a great General, Joseph'
Guards and the reserve, which were yet entire,
trright have restored the combat; but all combi-

nation was at an end on the French side. The
4th corps, beaten back on the left with the
loss of ten guns, was in confusion ; the troops in
the great valley on the right, amazed at the furious
charge of the 23d, and awed by the sight
of four distinct lines of cavalry, still in reserve,
remained stationary. No impression had been
made on the bill ; Lapisse himself was mortally
wounded, and, at last, his division giving way,
the whole army, retired to its position, from
whence it had descended to the attack. This
retrograde movement was covered by skirmishers
and an increasing fire of artillery ; and the British
reduced to less than fourteen thousand sabres
and bayonets, and exhausted by toil, and the want
of food, could not pursue. The Spanish army
was incapable of any evolution, and about six
o'clock all hostility ceased, each army holding
the position of the morning. But the battle was
scarcely over when, the dry grass and shrubs
taking fire, a volume of flames passed with in-
conceivable rapidity across a part of the field,
scorching, in its course, both the dead and the
wounded."