Martinsburg herald. [volume] (Martinsburg, W. Va.) 1881-1920, 1898-11-19

IL Wi NJ IlT& Y best OF II mas
come from the
veins of allies. France has battled for
Spain and again sought to crush her;
ENGLAND has fought against her, yet to
England Spain owes her life as nation.
Mexico and the South American
countries have been wrested from the
dons during the nineteenth century
Early in the last century she lost Gil
braltar, the key to the Mediterranean
and the guardian of her southern coast
In the defense Of Gibraltar Spain show
ed the weakness which has characteriz-
ed most Of her warlike efforts since A
bombardment from the English and
Dutch warships drove the garrison from
some of the guns, especially on the
great South Mole, and instead of rally
ing to the defense the Spaniards allow
ed the English seaman to take the key
point by rush which for daring bray
cry was never excelled The advance Of
the landing party was destroyed by the
explosion Of mines but the survivors,
numbering but about goo, stormed aud
carried bastion between the mole and
the town. The guns Of the captured bas-
ton commanded the stronghold, and
the Spaniards were compelled by one
stroke to yield their time honored cita-
del
Several times the Spaniards attempt
ed to recover Gibraltar, and in 1879 be-
gan the wonderful siege which lasted
four years, but left the impregnable
rock III the possession of England. In
the second year of the siege the French
and Spaniards brought against it 40, 900
men with a large fleet and l 900 can
non, but the garrison of 1000 Britons
was unconquerable.
The martial honors won ON the soil
of Spain during this century belong to
Wellington and his veterans. yelling
ton inaugurated his wonderful cam
paign in the Spanish peninsula in Jan
uary, 1872, by the recapture of the post
of Ciudad Rodrigo, which had been lost
to the French through the inefliciency
of the Spanish garrison. Marshal Ney
received the surrender Of Rodrigo after
brief siege and bombardment Of "a
hours. At the end Of that time the town
was in flames a Spanish reserve maya
zine had exploded, and the French had
preached the walls by the explosion Of
mine under the main parapet. The
moment the mine exploded Ney' S ready
columns dashed into the breach, and
the Spanish struck their flag without
attempting to repel the enemy.
Wellington's campaign to recover
C:udad Rodrigo was n masterpiece Of
celebrity. In his march to that point he
ran a race with column of French un-
der Marmont, which aimed to succor
Ney before the arrival of the English.
Determined to sacrifice life rather than
lose time, Wellington ordered an as
sault the moment his batteries had
preached the walls. The hour had been
fixed and the stormers assembled but
before the appointed time the English
soldiers, as fiery as their leader, rushed
forward. Wellington stood upon the
ruins Of a tower that had been battered
down by his guns, directing his officers
where to enter the breach, when to his
amazement he saw the whole army
spring forward with wild shouts. 1t
was ended in a few minutes, but the
victory was not so cheap as Ney's had
been. Nearly 200 English officers and
soldiers fell in the assault
From Ciudad Rodrigo Wellington
marched at once to Badajoz, another of
the French stronghUlds On the western
frontier of Spain. Badajuz fell after one
of the most terrible struggles magma
BILE in civilized warfare, but the Span
iards had little part in it. In the de
cisive assault at Badajoz 3, 500 Britons
fell. Sixty officers, including five gen
erals, We're killed.
One Of the contrivances Of the French
at Badajoz was an abats Of sword
blades arranged to defend the main
breach against which the English rush
ed with the speed of a whirlwind.
Across the breach, which was section
Of the top wall knocked out by batter
ing shots punderous beams We're set
and secured by piling debris upon
them. Along the beams a row Of sword
blades, pointed and edged on both sides,
was fixed upright.
In front Of the awful barrier the
French placed loose planks, studded
with small, pointed spikes. As the Eng
fish reached the planking the loose
hoJr shifted and the assailants were
thrown upon the spikes or against the
murdorous abatis. The assault began in
the evening and ragged the whole night
Wellington followed up the stroke at
Badajoz by marching into the central
Spain. His aim was to keep his army
between the separated French columns
under Soult, Marmout and Joseph Bona
parte. At that time there was no Span
ish forces worthy the name in the field.
After taking the city Of Salamanca the
British leader began a series Of maneu-
vers ending in a pitched baltic where,
with 40, 900, Wellington "beat 40, 600
in 40 minutes.
When the crisis Of the day came, the
opposing armies lay along parallel
ranges, with q broad valley between.
Marmont, attempting too much. sepa-