Orleans County monitor. [volume] (Barton, Vt.) 1872-1953, 1877-01-08

| Opanlsn Iorces, gathered TO drive the
French from Spain. The junction was
made, and the battle of Talavera fought,
almost wholly by the English, as the
Spaniards would not act under an Eng
lishman's orders, even though he came
to save them. So Wellesley. with
twenty-five thousand English and POI
tuguese, found himself face with fift
thousand French-all veterans. unde.
Joseph Buonaparte and Marshals Eicto,
and Jourdain. The conflict was one Of
skill and tenacious courage. The French
were defeated-wholly through Welles-,
leys superb mastery. These brilliant
successes and admirable generalsEip
awakened enthusiasm at home. The
successful captain was created Baron
Douro of Wellesley, and Viscount Well
ington of Talavea. Additional troops
were sent him, and the eyes of Europe
were directed toward his movement
These defeats constrained Napoleon
to concentrate his corps against a gen.
eral whose true character he now began
to understand. These combined forces
came in upon Wellesley-now Yelling
ton-who finding his Spanish allies of
small value, retired into Portugal. There
admirably sustained by the intelligent
and brave Portuguese, he threw, up,
with amazing rapidity, double line of
lntrenched positions along the Terres
'eDra, to protect Lisbon-the outer line
tWenty-nine miles long, and the inner
twenty-four miles-a stupendous series
OF fortlhcation Marshal Massena after
important successes, came uowu up
these works with seventy thousand men
under Ney, Junot and Regnier, but was
so roughly received that he had to make
a sullen retreat. Wellington at once
became the assailant.
The recovery of Spain was now his
pnrpose-a gigantic undertaking seeing
that four full army corps were available
against his meager division. He laid
siege to Almieda and Badajoz. Masse-
ma. reinforced, came back. and after
a severe struggle at Almieda was once
more forced to retreat. Then Massena
was recalled Napoleon could not afford
such lll-success. Marshal Mormont,
with Soult's help, was ordered to drive
Wellington from Spain, and if possible
/ to doetroy his army ,..te-ly
These movements once more put the
English general on the defensive. He
returned from before Badajoz to strong
position within the Portuguese frontier.
The French now had to separate. The
country could not sustain such an army
and supplies could not be had; SO, as
soon as they had retired from their ad-
vance, Wellington pushed into Spain
again. By the middle of September,
1911, his operations against Cuidad
Rodrigo were so menacing that Marmont
fastened there with sixty thousand men
and Wellington slipped away over the
Goa. Marmont now awaited reinforce
ment to push his antagonist back upon
Lisbon 4 but WellingtOn's activity cut
those reinforcements to pieces, and with
quick audacity he pounced down upon
Cuidad Rodrigo again. He invested it
January 8th, and on the 10Th QSl2)
carried it by stOrm-four days before
Marmont cOnld come up from Salamanca
whittier he had been compelled to re-
tire.
Giving Rodrigo into Spanish keeping,
he suddenly enveloped before Badajoz
March l6th) and in twenty days had
possession of that great fortress. after
f two bloody repulses april 9th, 1921.
These two magnificent successes were
won at heavy loss of life. but effected
the purpose of forcing the French back
upon their main positions.
} Then ensued a movement on Salamanca
/ -Marmont's headquarters-and the two
armies were face to face before the fa
| nous old city. The generals manuever.
5 ed incessantly. Wellington was willy
5 because much weaker than Marmont
t To pass between Wellington and CuidaC
5 Rodrigo, the French moved around tn,
English right. News of the movement
g was brought to Wellington when he wa
, at dinner. He sprung to his feet 81
= suddenly as to overturn the table
: "Marmont's good genius has forsaker
D him ~ exclaimed the general, and
: mounting his horse, he ordered the who'll
strength of his army to be thrown upoI
the new weakened point He literal,
doubled up their right on their left
n The French were defeated almost befor
q they knew it. and only night savec
8 Marmout's whole army from destruction
= or capture. (July 2lst, 1922
h This tremendous reverse was followet
q by pursuit The French abandone,
t Valladolid, where upon Wellington sud
a denly re-crossed the Douro, and made
; rush on Madrid. 1t was soon in hi
1 hands An attempt was made on BuI
Y gos Castle-an old but powerful work
which held out until Soult and Clause
: could push to its relief, when the En-