The sun., 1903-08-16


to Wellesley's campaign, with detailed
account of which the present volume enois'
Ney had at his disposal some l7,OOO men,
exclusive OF the wo garrisons al VlBo
and Tuy, which numbered moro than i,OCo'
but we're NO placed as to be more OF charge
than a help. On March 10, 1909, the Marshal
concentrated the greater part OF his troops
in the northwestern corner OF Ganch' h's
aim was to crush and COW the Insurgents
in the northern part Of the province ny
means of flying columns. The po'cy hao
but little success, for the moment Il coiumh
had passed OH the enemy would return 10
occupy his old position. In addition 10
all hi troubles with tho insurgents. Ney
had to keep watchful eye ON two Spanisn
regular armies, namely, the force Ill the
principaity of Asturias and the troops
Of La Romano, which were once more
ready to take the field. On March IL tho
last st-named body succeeded IN capturing
yillafranca: the French loss was 7oo IN
killed and wounded besides 574 prisoners.
This reverse and the cutting Of commune
cation with Galica, plunged King Joseph
and his adviser JCurdan at Madrid ihto
a state of great fear and perpleXity as 10
the condition of affairs in the northwest.
Fearing the worst they resolved TO ma
ont al all cost what was going on IN Gallcla'
The expedition org niZcd for the purpose
consisted of some 1000 or 5000 men, under
the command of Keilerman. On May
il reached Lugo, where it obtained full
information as to Ney's position. For
the destruction of the Spanish armies OF
the north concentric movement was
then planned. On May ~ Ney crossed
the Galegos bridge on the Nora River,
routing LA Ronana with great loss and
on the following dav seized Oviedo. kel-
lerman met Ney's outposts on May H. hav-
ing previously beaten an Asturian brigade
of 5000 men. third French column,
under Bonnet, which had also been ordered
to move on Oviedo, had found nobody
to fight. Thus the three French columns
had won their way into the heart ~ the
Asturias. but, though they had seized its
capital and itS seaports, they had failed
TO catch its army and only half their task
had been performed. Leaving kelierman
with 1000 men TO finish the business, Bonnet
returned to Santander and Ney to his
in time to relieve them, but Santander
had been captured by Ballasteros before
Bonnet reached it. The French General
retook the place, however, after defeating
the Asturians and making 1000 prisoners.
The expedition Of Ballasteros served its
purpose, however, for it forced Bonnet
and Kellerman to evacuate the Asturias,
and compelled the former General to con-
centrate his forces on the seaboard for the
protection of the French garrisons In Bscay
and Guipuzcoa.
So II came to pass that the invasion OF
the Asturias had dwindled down into
raid. and raid which left untouched the
larger part Of the enemy's field army under
la Romano In June, Ney moved against
this force, but was unable 10 come with
1t, owing to Soult's failure to co perate
1t was soon afterward decided 10 evacuate
Galicis, on tho ground that two army corps
could not be spared for this secondary
theatre of operations. After giving due
credit tothe Spanish peasantry who checked
Ney and harassed Soult, and to the pru-
dence of Gen. La Romano, our author
holds that the real cause Of the evacuation
Ol tne province ny Vie lnNdut'Is Nds Vic
presence Of the victorious British army in
Portugal. The two Marshals might have
maintained themselves in Galicia for an
indefinite time if they could have shut
their eyes to what was going on elsewhere.
In Prof. Onar's opinion Sout WAS right
in believing that it would he madness to
persist In the attempt 10 subdue Galicia
while Wellesley was in the field and nothing
lay between him and Madrid but the % 600
men Of the First Corps under Marshal
Victor. Ii Soult and Ney had fingered on
in the north engaged in fruitless hunting
after La Romano while July and August
wore on. Madrid would have fallen into
the hands of Wellesley and Cuesta, and
King Joseph would once more have been
forced to go upon his travels. The Tai
avera campaign only failed of success
because the Second and the Sixth Corps
of the French army were withdrawn from
the Galician hills just in time to concentrate
at Salamanca. and fall upon the rear Of the
victors
We should here note that the attempt
to regain possession of Aragon. made by
Spanish force under Gen. Blake, which,
for a time, had promised to succeed, was
ultimately foiled by Suchet, and ended in
disaster. The splendid victory gained by
Suchet on June Is saved Saragossa, and
led to the reconquest Of tho plains Of
Aragon.