The Bridgeport evening farmer., 1912-07-22
CTo Be Continued.)
CENTENNIAL OF THE
 BATTLE OF SALAMANCA.

One hundred years ago the French troops under Gen. Marmont and the British forces under Wellington faced each other near the ancient city of Salamanca, in Spain, and engaged in skirnishes preceding test of strength that must be disastrous for one side or the other. The four low hills, be- side the river Tormes, on which Sala- manca is situated, echoed to the spite full roll of musketry and the roar of cannon. Marmont's imperial master, Napoleon, was far away, leading the disastrous advance against Russia, and it was the task of the French general to save Spain to the empire and protect it against the steady, bull dog advance of Wellington. Marmont resolved on bold stroke that would win or lose all. With his army he took up a, strong position opposite the hills of Arapilez, a few miles from where Salamanca slept beneath the sunny skies of Spain. On the follow ing day, just, century ago tomorrow, the dogs of war were unleashed in earnest, and the battle was on. 1t had no sooner commenced than Mar. mont, seeing a weakness on the Brit ish right, dispatched his left wing to outflank Wellington's army. The future conquerer of Napoleon was not caught mapping. From his position on the nights of ArapileZ, Yelling ton perceived the widening rift be- tween the enemy's center and left, within his grasp. Turning to the Duke of .A1va, he cried: Behold, have them ll Marmont is lost!'. The British main column was formed in- to a giant wedge and driven into the gap between the French columns Marmont's forces were cut in two. as if, sliced by a knife, and Marmont fnof thca- 1n French center crumpled up before the attack, but the left, commanded by Gen. Mauoune, turned and gallantly fought its way back to the village of Arapilez. Marmont fought valiantly, and was wounded so severely that he lost an arm. Bennett, his successor in command, was also wounded and forced to retire. Gen. Clausel, a beardless youth, next took charge of the forlorn hope, but the odds against him were overwhelming, and he or dered retreat. The French abaKd- the generalship of Clausel, and fell back on Burgos There he was join- ed by King Joseph and 15,00O troops, but it was too late. Wellington was victor, and the campaign was at an end. The French had lost, and Napo- leon was another step nearer Yelling ton and Waterloo. King Joseph went
 
 flee to Valencia, and on the twelfth of August the victorious Wellington triumphantly entered old Madrid. For a short time the French, reinforced by Soult and Jourdan, were able to regain control of the capital, but the battle of Salamanca century ago really marked the end of the Napo- ieonic dynasty in Spain. The British losses in that battle numbered more than 5000 men, while the French loss was nearly three times that num- Der. including 1000 taken prisoners Salamanca, the scene of the con- flict, is about 110 miles northeast of Madrid. The city was once the seat of Europe's greatest university, which in the sixteenth century had 5000 students. while today there are not more than 400. The city is still one of the most medieval in appearance in the world, and has many buildings dating from the fourteenth and fif- teenth centuries. The city walls, pierced by ten gates, still remain, and the ancient bridge across the Tormes, built by the Romans, remains an ob. ject of interest to visitors. The town was captured by Hannibal in 222 and has been the scene of hundreds of ! m omentous battles besides that de- cisive conflict fought there a century ago.