We remained at Campo Mayor until the 4th of November, and from thence
marched to Portalegre and Albuquerque, at which latter town we took up
our quarters on the 4th of March, 1812. The intervening period, spent
at our old station in Portalegre, affording no event worthy of record,
I pass on to describe some matters relative to our new cantonments,
particularly as those from which we had so lately departed, and where
we had remained for many a dreary month, have already been noticed
quite as well as they deserve.
The house in which I had the honour of being entertained with "_good
dry lodging_," was built after the same plan as those usually
tenanted by the lower orders, throughout this part of Spain; its
interior premises consisting of a large paved space at the entrance,
from which the ascent to a black-looking chamber, doing the duty of a
kitchen, was by means of an irregular flight of stone steps. The dingy
apartment, scantily furnished, was enlightened, or rather the darkness
of it made visible, by a small casement without glass; and the
premises were so badly roofed that numerous chinks through the loose
and broken tiles served to render unnecessary the use of a chimney,
the smoke easily finding egress through them. Fortunately the climate
here is generally mild, and hence the admission of fresh air is often
desirable. The ground floor, besides the hall or space already
mentioned, exhibited on one side a small room, containing the sleeping
apparatus, and on the other an opening, by a huge door, into the
dormitory of the quadrupeds, adjacent to which were sundry holes and
corners, for wood, forage, and lumber at discretion.
From Albuquerque we again departed, and after various marchings and
countermarchings, we were at last conducted to Dom Benito, where we
arrived on the 22nd of March, having previously halted for a few days
at Almendralejo.
Dom Benito is a large town, with a population of about five-thousand
souls, and is situated in the heart of a most productive country.
I was billetted on the house of Don Diego Ramirez, whose family
consisted of four fat good looking damsels, two children, and his
spouse, a garrulous matron, who was very officious on this occasion. I
was ushered into a handsome and well furnished chamber, where I was
immediately introduced to my worthy patron, a fine jolly old don; we
seated ourselves round an ample brasseiro, well stored with charcoal,
and were soon engaged in noisy prattle and gossip, with a fluency
worthy of the most experienced adepts in the science. According to
custom, sundry good-humoured wenches attended at the sideboard,
pouring out the limped fluid to those who were inclined to qualify for
the Temperance Society. Supper being introduced, Don Diego presided in
the style of a true Major Domo. The feast consisted of a large dish of
sallad and oil, with other ingredients; sweet meats in abundance
supplied the place of more nutritious food; while, by way of
interlude, sausages and garlick appeared, by which our olfactory
nerves were agreeably regaled. These were followed by other varieties
in the kickshaw line, and, in order to promote the hilarity of our
carousals, wine of generous quality was freely served. The young
senoras, too, were by no means shy of helping themselves to bumpers of
that enlivening beverage, filled out in glasses of dimensions similar
to our English tumblers. One of the damsels, named Margaritta,
entertained the company with a few pleasant songs on the guitar,
accompanied by the voice of her sister Francisca, while Dolores, a
pretty little girl with black eyes, danced a bolero, twirling the
castanets in a most bewitching style, to the delight and admiration of
the joyous circle.
The Spaniards seem, at all times, to have a soul for music, and
chiefly do they love the plaintive strain, as sung by the peasant
girls in their enchanting manner. They are extremely fond of the
Scotch bagpipe, and when the Highland corps appeared among them, all
ranks and ages run to their doors and windows to listen with rapture
to their piper Sandy, while he played along the streets.
Before the siege of Badajos commenced, the 2nd Division was ordered to
march in the direction of that garrison, for the purpose of forming a
part of the corps of observation, destined to counteract any
interruption to our plans, which might be threatened by the Duke of
Dalmatia, who at this time lay with his army in the neighbourhood of
Seville, in Andalusia. The Divisions of Generals Hill and Graham were
accordingly encamped in the woods before Talavera de la Real, three
leagues from Badajos, and on the left bank of the Guadiana.
The fate of Badajos being decided, that fortress having been taken by
storm, on the night of the 6th of April 1812, the 2nd Division
remained in bivouac for some days, during which time, accompanied by a
brother officer, I obtained permission to visit the scene of action.
Passing through Talavera de la Real, we travelled all day, by the
level road along the plain, and near the margin of the river. It was
late before we arrived near the outworks. The evening was remarkably
fine after the preceding close and sultry day; as the air was calm and
serene, the most awful stillness prevailed around, undisturbed save by
the occasional croaking of frogs, and a murmuring sound from the
battlements, on which the footsteps of the sentinel could almost be
heard. In the neighbourhood of the castle, likewise, all was still.
The walls, so lately filled with combatants, frowned in dusky masses
amidst the gloom. The darkness at length became so great, that it was
not without some trouble that we managed to grope our way; we could
make but a slow progress among the ruinous _materiel_ of the siege, in
consequence of our getting entangled in the dismantled batteries,
ditches, trenches, gun-carriages, and many other things scattered
about wherever we ventured to proceed. The solitude of the desert now
reigned in a place where many a gallant fellow had so recently fallen.
While we were pressing onward, we perceived a glimmering from the
entrance of a tent, and finding that Lieutenant Reid, of the
Engineers, was the inhabitant, we asked permission to rest under his
canvass until daylight; a request which he freely granted. We pursued
our course next morning through the different approaches, and with
difficulty gained the drawbridge, from whence, after having taken a
hasty survey of the works, as well as the ground by which the columns
of assault had made their first advance, we continued over the glacis
and covered way towards the main breach. Here there was sufficient to
account for the dreadful slaughter that took place; for so precipitous
was the ascent that, in the open day, without the slightest
hinderance, the task of clambering up its front was by no means easy
of performance.
The work of storming this formidable breach was gallantly attempted by
the 4th and light divisions, which marched boldly up the steep, but,
owing to the numerous destructive means employed against them by the
enemy, few were allowed to attain the summit of the dangerous pass.
A fire, close, and exterminating, was opened upon the troops, and
various other deadly missiles were showered incessantly upon the solid
advancing mass, which was rendered distinctly visible by the glare of
fire-balls and rockets. Bodies of the slain lay heaped about the
ditch, sad and direful proofs of the fearful struggle on that
well-remembered night.
Having succeeded, by means of scrambling, though not without a fall or
two, in arriving at the top, our further movement was impeded by
several defenses, the principal of which was a wicked looking chevaux
de frise, manufactured in a skilful way, being a stout cylindrical
block of timber, bristled with sharp pointed sword blades. Its
extremities were mortised into the stonework of the parapet, by thick
iron staples. This infernal machine was flanked by various cuts or
hollows, scooped out of the revêtement, on either side, from whence
well directed volleys of musketry were discharged, enfilading the
whole range of approach, and proving most fatal to our men. Still
further, in support of them, were deep and impassable entrenchments,
covered by loop holed walls, lined during the assault with valiant
soldiers under the command of Phillippon himself. When British valour
failed against such obstacles it will easily be believed that they
must have been formidable indeed.
According to the statements made by those who witnessed the events
that occurred on the surrender of the fortress, "the pillage and
destruction that ensued, together with the riot and marauding, were
such as to entail indelible disgrace upon the men who were concerned.
A superficial outline is the most that could be given of the confusion
that prevailed throughout the place. On all sides drunkenness and
tumult appeared amidst the badly lighted streets, while soldiers, and
followers of the camp, together with hordes of reckless villains,
revelling in plunder, were mingled in parties, shouting and hallooing
with clamourous tongues. Such of the ill-fated and miserable
inhabitants, who had escaped the perils of the siege, were running to
and fro, seeking for protection from the brutal attacks of an
infuriated and savage multitude. Women and children were huddled
together in groups, wildly staring, as they crouched into holes and
corners, and cried loudly in despair for that assistance which it was
impossible to render."[18]
[18] From an eye witness.
By many winding passages we made our way to the castle, the lofty
walls of which were so bravely stormed by the heroic Major Ridge of
the 5th and his handful of resolute followers. Nothing short of a
miracle appears to have caused the success of these men; for the
rampart, which they were forced to scale by means of ladders much too
short, was not only of tremendous height, but guarded at every point
and embrasure by the most experienced veterans of the French army. The
enterprise was indeed one of the most daring that ever was undertaken,
and the execution of it evinced, in a remarkable manner, the coolness
and bravery of those who were engaged.[19]
[19] Ensign Canch, of the 5th Grenadiers, was the officer
called on by Ridge to support him. Canch nobly answered the
summons, and survived, but his gallant Major was slain.
Before we departed from the place, we called to see a brother officer,
Lieut. McCarthy, who, while serving as Engineer, was severely wounded
in the assault.[20] Having enlivened the poor fellow by our visit, we
bade farewell to Badajos, and with feelings excited in no small degree
by the effect of all that we had witnessed, we set forth from the
gates of that fortress in rather a sorrowful tone of mind. In this
wood we retraced our path along the banks of the Guadiana, and found
the regiment encamped in the woods where we had left them posted.
[20] McCarthy's conduct on this occasion is recorded in the
life of the late Sir Thomas Picton, who commanded the 3rd
Division.
"Arrived in the ditch, the leading engineer, Lieut.
McCarthy, 50th Regt. who had volunteered his services, found
that the ladders had been laid upon the paling of the ditch.
This brave officer finding that these palings had not yet
been removed, and that they formed a considerable barrier to
the advance of the men, cried out--'Down with the palings!'
and immediately applying his own hands to effect this, with
the assistance of a few others, he succeeded in forcing them
down. Through this gap rushed Picton, followed by his men,
but so thick was the fire upon this point, that death seemed
inevitable."--Life of Picton, vol. ii., p. 96.
McCarthy's injury was a compound fracture of the thigh.