The Sun.
London, England, 1842-12-13 00:00:00

LORD HILL'S SPANISH CAM-
PAIGNS.

Our Contemporary, to whom we are indebted for
our preceding account of his deceased Lordship, has
passed over in silence the important and stirring period
of his campaigns in Spain, during the time extending
from 1809 to 1813. The subjoined account supplies
the deficiency :
Lord Hill embarked for the Peninsula early in the
summer of 1808, when he left Cove with his brigade.
The first battle in which he actively took part in
Spain was the celebrated fight of nonce, which en-
counter took place on the morning of the 17th of
August, 1808. It was early on that day that thir-
teen thousand four hundred and eighty infantry,
four hundred and seventy cavalry, and eighteen guns,
issued from Obidos, and soon -afterwards broke into
three distinct columns of battle. General Hill on
this occasion formed with Generals Nightingale,
Catlen Crawfurd, and Fane the centre, which
was nine thousand in number, with twelve guns,
commanded by Wellington in person, and
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elevated plain, and General Hill, who moved upon
the right of the main road, being supported by the
cavalry, and covered by the fire of his light troops,
pushed forward rapidly to the attack. Laborde's
position during this and the collateral movements ap-
peared desperate, yet, with the coolness and dexte-
rity of a practised warrior, he evaded the danger
and fell lack to the heights of Zambugeira.
The English determined to dislodge him from that
formidable post. Hill and Nightingale advanced
against his front, whch was of singular strength,
and only to be approached by narrow paths, wind-
ing through deep ravines. A swarm of skir-
mishers starting forward, soon plunged into the passes.
Hill, with his supporting column, followed, their for-
mation being disordered in the confined and rugged
passes ; smoke, shouts, and the roll of musketry,
marked the progress of his advancing troops, which
were loudly answered by the enemy, and the defence
was stoutly maintained, but as mightily resisted.
General after General fell. The English gathered
thickly on the heights. Laborde fell back to the
Quinta de Bugaghera, and was himself wounded
among the masses in his retreat. The vigour of the
enemy's defence had only been excelled by the un-
daunted bravery and boldness of the attackers.
Vimiero was Lord Hill's next engagement. La-
borde was again fully in the field. 'This battle took
place on the 24th of August, a week only after the
other. Kellerman, Bremner, Loison, Junot, Marga-
ron, and Solignac, all supported the command.
Nevertheless, the heavy fires of our musketry soon
eat into their centre. Our front of battle was on a
depth of three lines, protected on steep declivities on
either side, while a powerful artillery swept away the
foremost of the French ranks. Brennier himself was
taken, and thirteen guns and several hundred priso-
ners fell into the British hands. General llill, for
the -part acted by him in the battle, received for his con-
duct the especial thanks of his Commander-in-Chief.
General Hill was among those distinguished with
' Sir John Moore in the retreat to Corunna, when the
English were pressed in their retreat with a fury
never equalled in the history of a similar event. On
the melancholy embarkation of our troops from this
shore, on whose border our greatest soldier breathed
his last, General Hill's brigade covered the with-
drawalof the columns, and after the heavy duties