Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1898-09-01

como 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 asa nation.
Mexico and tho 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 coust.
In the defense of Gibraltar Spain show
cd the weakness which has charactcriz-
ed most of her warlikc efforts since. A
bombardmont 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 tho Spnniards allow
ed the English seaman to take tho 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 900, stormed and
carried bastion between the molo and
the town. The guns of the captured bas-
ton commanded tho stronghold, and
tho 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, bus left the impregnable
rock in the possession of England. In
the second year Of tho siege the French
and Spaniards brought against it 40, 900
men with largo feet and / 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, 1919, by the recapture of tho post
of Ciudad Rodrigo, which had been lost
to the French through the inefficiency
Of the Spanish garrison. Marshal Ncy
received the surrender of Rodrigo after
a brief siege and bombardment of "a
hours. At the end of that time the town
was in flames, Spanish reserve maya
zine had exploded, ana the French had
preached the walls by the explosion Of
a mine under the main parapot. Tho
moment tho mine exploded Ney's ready
columns dashed into the breach, and
the Spanish struck their flag without
attempting to repel tho enemy.
Wellington's campaign to recover
Ciudad Rodrigo was masterpiece Of
T.. L., l. ~ l.
ran race with a column of French I'M
der Marmont, which aimed to succor
Ney before tho arrival of the English.
Determined to sacrifice life rather than
lose time, Wellington ordered an as
sault the moment his batteries had
preached tho walls. The hour had been
fixed aud the stormers assembled. but
before tho appointed time the English
soldiers, as fiery as their leader rushed
forward. Wellington stood upon the
ruins of tower that had been battered
down by his guns, directing his officers
! where to enter the breach, when to his
amazement he saw tho whole army
spring forward with wild shouts. II
was ended in few minutes but the
victory was not SO cheap as Ney's had
been. Nearly 700 English officers and
soldiers fell in the assault.
From Ciudad Rodrigo Wellington
marched at once to Badajoz, another OF
the French strongholds ON the western
frontier of Spain. Badajoz fell after one
of the most terrible struggles magma.
BILE in civilized warfare, but the Span.
iards had little part in it. In tho de.
cisive assault at Badajoz 3, 500 Britons
fell. Sixty officers, including five gen.
erals, were killed.
One Of the contrivances of the French
at Badajoz was an abatis Of sword
blades arranged to defend the main
breach against which the English rush
ed with the speed of q whirlwind
Across the breach, which was section
Of the top wall knocked out by batter
ing shots, ponderous beams were sci
and secured by piling debris upor
them. Along the beams row Of swort
blades pointed and edged on both sides
was fixed upright.
In front Of the awful barrier thu
French placed loose planks, studded
with small, pointed spikes AS the Eng
lish reached the planking the loos'
floor shifted and tho ASSISTANTS wer,
i thrown upon the spikes or against thu
! murderous abatis. The assault began IL
} the evening and ragged the whole night
Wellington followed up the stroke a
Badajoz by marching into the centra
Spain. His aim was to keep his army
between the separated French columns
!, under Soult, Marmont and Joseph Bona
u parte. At that time there was no Span
ish forces worthy the name in the field
After taking the city of Salamanca tn,
n British leader began series of maneu
vers ending in pitched battle where
j. with 40, 600, Wellington "beat 40, 90,
y in 40 minutes"
b When the crisis of the day came, tn,
opposing armies lay along parable
" ranges, with broad valley between
Marmont, attempting too much. sepa
rated his left from the center under tn
eyes of Wellington. who, seeing tn
chasm dividing enc rrench, exclaimed
"Marmont is lost!' Hurting Paken
hams division down the slope acros
: tho valley, he followed up with the re
! serves. Marmont thought the Englis
= were retrating until he saw wall O
bayonets between his sundered columns
! For the space of 40 minutes 80, 900 me-
struggled in the narrow valley. TIL
French fought bravely, but were over