The daily morning journal and courier., 1898-07-15
WELLINGTON AT SALAMANCA.

French valor is always most danger ous when the imagination of victory gleans like flame in it. The Fourth division of the British had at that mo- ment reached the edge of the southern ridge. Packs defeat exposed their flank, and Clausel seizing the critical moment, smote hard on their front with two strong unbroken regiments. and the British were driven In tunuit and confusion, but fighting desperately, down the hill. Cole, in command of the division, fell badly wounded. Beres- ford brought up a Portuguese brigade to restore the fight, but the brigade was swept away and Beresford himself was disabled. The French heavy cavalry was coming on to the attack, and the moment was critical. Wellington, rid
 ing quickly to the scene, brought up Clinton's division, which had not yet fired shot, and the fury and thunder of the fight grew still deeper.
 Night was falling. The dry grass on the slope where the hostile lines were exchanging close and deadly volleys, and making furious rushes with the bayonet, took fire, and ran In crack ling flames over the bodies of the wounded and under the trampling feet of the combatants. But the stubborn close-fghting valor of the Sixth over- bore the fiery daring of the French, and the changing current of battle finally set in favor of the British. The whole volume of French retreat flowed in wild farAreaching tumult along the Alba de Tormes road. Still it's rear guard, however, clinging to every van- tage ground covered the retreat with sullen and desperate courage, and Foy in command of it showed fine skill, The fragments of Maucune's division held the last defensible ridge on the edge of the forest through which the French retreat, with loud clamor, was flowing. It was night, black and moon- less; and Clinton, scornful of tactics and flank movements, led his division straight up the hill. To those who watched the fight from little distance, the eddying fortunes of the attack and the defence were written in ever-chang- ing characters of fire on the hill slopes.
 The French must cross the Tormes in their fight at Alba de Tormes or at Hu- erta, Wellington had placed a Spanish garrison at the first, and he pushed on to the second with the light division. If he could seize that, the French army must surrender or be destroyed The Spanish garrison, however, had aban- doned Alba de Tormes without report ing the circumstance to Wellington; and the French army crossed the Tormes at that point in safety, and pushed on their retreat with such speed that, on the day after the fight Clausel was forty miles from Salamanca. Well lington overlook the French rear guard with his cavalry little before noon on the 23d, and launched the heavy Ger man dragoons and Anson's light horse men at them. Then ensued a cavalry exploit of similar brilliancy Anson's troopers broke the French cavalry: but the Germans, riding fast, with narrow front, up the valley, discovered some solid squares of infantry on the slope above them The left squadron of the regiment swung round and rode at the nearest square. The two front ranks. kneeling, presented a double row of deadly steel; and over their heads. the French infantry standing four deep, poured a deadly stream of fire into the swiftly moving mass of men and horses before them. The Germans, however, sallantly led, pushed their charge up to the very points of the bayonets. A horse struck by a bullet stumbled for