As the Spanish column retired to Barcelona under the idea that the
whole English army was on the hill, the Miquelets, as the armed bands
of peasants were called, swarmed down from the hills. Incapable of
withstanding an attack by even a small force, they were in their element
in harassing a large one in retreat. Halfway between Montjuich and the
town was the small fort of San Bertram. The garrison, seeing the column
in retreat toward the town, pursued by the insurgent peasantry, feared
that they themselves would be cut off, and so abandoned their post and
joined the retreat.
The peasants at once took possession of San Bertram, where there were
five light guns. As soon as the news reached Peterborough he called
together two hundred men and led them down to the little fort. Ropes
were fastened to the guns, and with forty men to each gun these were
quickly run up the hill and placed in position in the captured bastions.
So quickly was this done that in less than an hour from the abandonment
of San Bertram by the Spanish the guns had opened fire upon Montjuich.
While the troops worked these five guns and the three captured in
Southwell's first attack Jack Stilwell was sent off on horseback at full
speed with an order for the landing of the heavy guns and mortars from
the fleet. The news of the attack on Montjuich and the retreat of the
Spanish column spread with rapidity through the country, and swarms of
armed peasants flocked in. These the earl dispersed among the ravines
and groves round the city, so as to prevent any parties from coining
out to ascertain what was going on round Montjuich, and to mask the
movements of the besiegers.
Velasco appeared paralyzed by the energy and daring of his opponent,
and although he had in hand a force equal if not superior to that which
Peterborough could dispose of, he allowed two days to pass without
attempting to relieve Montjuich. In those two days wonders had been
performed by the soldiers and sailors, who toiled unweariedly in
dragging the heavy guns from the landing place to the hill of Montjuich.
The light cannon of the besiegers had had but little effect upon the
massive walls of the fortress, and the Prince Caraccioli held out for
two days even against the heavier metal of the mortars and siege guns
that were quickly brought to bear upon him.
On the 17th, however, Colonel Southwell by a well aimed shot brought
the siege to a close. He noticed that a small chapel within the fort
appeared to be specially guarded by the besieged, and ordered a Dutch
sergeant of artillery, who was working a heavy mortar, to try to drop
a shell upon it. The artilleryman made several attempts, but each time
missed the mark. Colonel Southwell undertook the management of the
mortar himself, and soon succeeded in dropping a shell upon the roof
of the building, which proved, as he had suspected, to be in use as a
magazine. There was a tremendous explosion, the chapel was shattered
into fragments, Caraccioli and three other officers were killed, and a
great breach was blown in the main rampart.
A loud cheer broke from the besiegers, and Colonel Southwell at once put
himself at the head of the men in the trenches and advanced to storm
the breach before the enemy could recover from their confusion. The
disastrous effects of the explosion had, however, scared all idea of
further resistance out of the minds of the defenders, who at once
rushed out of the works and called out that they surrendered, the senior
surviving officer and his companions delivering up their swords to
Colonel Southwell, and begging that protection might at once be given to
their soldiers from the Miquelets, whose ferocity was as notorious then
as it was a hundred years afterward.
Peterborough appointed Colonel Southwell governor of Montjuich, and
at once turned his attention to the city. The brilliant result of the
attack on the citadel had silenced all murmurs and completely restored
Lord Peterborough's authority. Soldiers and sailors vied with each other
in their exertions to get the guns into position, and the Miquelets,
largely increased in number, became for once orderly and active, and
labored steadily in the trenches.
The main army conducted the attack from the side at which it had been
originally commenced, while General Stanhope, his force considerably
increased by troops from the main body, conducted the attack from the
side of Montjuich. Four batteries of heavy guns and two of mortars soon
opened fire upon the city, while the smaller vessels of the fleet moved
close in to the shore and threw shot and shell into the town.
A breach was soon effected in the rampart, and Velasco was summoned to
surrender; but he refused to do so, although his position had become
almost desperate. The disaffection of the inhabitants was now openly
shown. The soldiers had lost confidence and heart, and the loyalty of
many of them was more than doubtful. The governor arrested many of the
mutinous soldiers and hostile citizens, and turned numbers of them out
of the city.
On the 3d of October the English engineers declared the breach on the
side of Montjuich to be practicable, and Peterborough himself wrote to
the governor offering honorable terms of capitulation, but declaring
that if these were rejected he would not renew his offer.
Velasco again refused. He had erected a formidable intrenchment within
the breach, and had sunk two mines beneath the ruins in readiness to
blow the assailing columns into the air.
The guns again opened fire, and in a very short time a Dutch artillery
officer threw two shells upon the intrenchment and almost destroyed
it, while a third fell on the breach itself, and crashing through the
rubbish fired Velasco's two mines and greatly enlarged the breach. The
earl could now have carried the town by storm had he chosen, but with
his usual magnanimity to the vanquished he again wrote to Velasco and
summoned him to surrender.
The governor had now no hope of a successful resistance, and he
therefore agreed to surrender in four days should no relief arrive. The
terms agreed upon were that the garrison should march out with all
the honors of war, and should be transported by sea to San Felix, and
escorted thence to Gerona; but as a few hours later the news arrived
that Gerona had declared for King Charles, Velasco requested to be
conveyed to Rosas instead. The capitulation was signed on the 9th of
October, and the garrison were preparing to march out on the 14th, when,
in the English camp, the sound of a tumult in the city was heard.
“Quick, Stilwell!” the earl cried, running out of his tent, “to horse!
The rascals inside are breaking out into a riot, and there will be a
massacre unless I can put a stop to it.”
The earl leaped on to his horse, called to a few orderly dragoons
who were at hand to accompany him, and ordered that four companies of
grenadiers should follow as quickly as possible.
Galloping at full speed Peterborough soon arrived at the gate of San
Angelo, and ordered the Spanish guard to open it. This they did without
hesitation, and followed by his little party he rode into the city. All
was uproar and confusion. The repressive measures which the governor had
been obliged to take against the disaffected had added to the Catalan
hatred of the French, and the Austrian party determined to have
vengeance upon the governor. A report was circulated that he intended
to carry away with him a number of the principal inhabitants in spite
of the articles of capitulation. This at once stirred up the people to
fury, and they assailed and plundered the houses of the French and of
the known partisans of the Duke d'Anjou.
They then turned upon the governor and garrison. The latter dispersed
through the city, and, unprepared for attack, would speedily have
been massacred had not their late enemy been at hand to save them.
Peterborough, with his little party of dragoons, rode through the
streets exhorting, entreating, and commanding the rioters to abstain.
When, as in some cases, the mob refused to listen to him, and continued
their work, the dragoons belabored them heartily with the flats of their
swords; and the surprise caused by seeing the British uniforms in their
midst, and their ignorance of how many of the British had entered, did
more even than the efforts of the dragoons to allay the tumult. Many
ladies of quality had taken refuge in the convent, and Peterborough at
once placed a guard over this.
Dashing from street to street, unattended even by his dragoons,
Peterborough came upon a lady and gentleman struggling with the mob, who
were about to ill treat them. He charged into the thick of the tumult.
His hat had been lost in the fray, and the mob, not recognizing the
strange figure as the redoubted English general, resisted, and one
discharged a musket at him at a distance of a few feet, but the ball
passed through his periwig without touching the head under it.
Fortunately two or three of his dragoons now rode up, and he was able
to carry the lady and gentleman to their house hard by, when, to his
satisfaction, he found that the gentleman he had saved was the Duke of
Popoli, and the lady his wife, celebrated as one of the most beautiful
women in Europe.
Jack Stilwell had soon after they entered the town become separated from
his general. Seeing a mob gathered before a house in a side street, and
hearing screams, he turned off and rode into the middle of the crowd.
Spurring his horse and making him rear, he made his way through them to
the door, and then leaping off, drawing as he did so a pistol from his
holster, he ran upstairs.
It was a large and handsomely furnished house. On the first floor was a
great corridor. A number of men were gathered round a doorway. Within he
heard the clashing of steel and the shouts of men in conflict. Bursting
his way in through the doorway he entered the room.
In a corner, at the furthest end, crouched a lady holding a little boy
in her arms. Before her stood a Spanish gentleman, sword in hand. A
servant, also armed, stood by him. They were hard pressed, for six or
eight men with swords and pikes were cutting and thrusting at them.
Three servants lay dead upon the ground, and seven or eight of the
townspeople were also lying dead or wounded. Jack rushed forward,
and with his pistol shot the man who appeared to be the leader of the
assailants, and then, drawing his sword, placed himself before the
gentleman and shouted to the men to lay down their arms. The latter,
astounded at the appearance of an English officer, drew back. Seeing he
was alone, they would, however, have renewed the attack, but Jack ran to
the window and opened it, and shouted as if to some soldiers below.
The effect was instantaneous. The men dropped upon their knees, and
throwing down their arms begged for mercy. Jack signified that he
granted it, and motioned to them to carry off their dead and wounded
comrades. Some of the men in the corridor came in to aid them in so
doing. Jack, sword in hand, accompanied them to the door, and saw them
out of the house. Then he told a boy to hold his horse, and closing
the door returned upstairs. He found the gentleman sitting on a chair
exhausted, while his wife, crying partly from relief, partly from
anxiety, was endeavoring to stanch the blood which flowed from several
wounds.
Jack at once aided her in the task, and signed to the servant to bring
something to drink. The man ran to a buffet and produced some cordials.
Jack filled a glass and placed it at the lips of the wounded man, who,
after drinking it, gradually recovered his strength.
“My name, sir,” he said, “is Count Julian de Minas, and I owe you my
life and that of my wife and child. To whom am I indebted so much?”
Jack did not, of course, understand his words, but the title caught his
ear, and he guessed that the Spaniard was introducing himself.
“My name is Stilwell,” Jack said; “I am one of General Peterborough's
aides de camp. I am very glad to be of assistance; and now, seeing you
are so far recovered, I must leave you, for there is much to do in the
town, and the general has entered with only a few troops. I think you
need not fear any return on the part of these ruffians. The English
troops will enter the town in the coarse of a few hours.”
So saying Jack immediately hurried away, and mounting his horse rode off
to find the general.
The news that Lord Peterborough and the English had entered spread
rapidly through the city, and the rioters, fearing to excite the wrath
of the man who in a few hours would be master of the town, scattered to
their homes, and when all was quiet Peterborough again rode off to the
camp with his troops and there waited quietly until the hour appointed
for the capitulation. The Spanish then marched out, and the earl entered
with a portion of his troops.
He at once issued a proclamation that if any person had any lawful
grievances against the late governor they should go to the town house
and lay them in proper form, and that he would see that justice was
done. An hour later some of the principal inhabitants waited upon him,
and asked which churches he desired to have for the exercise of his
religion. He replied:
“Wherever I have my quarters I shall have conveniency enough to worship
God, and as for the army they will strictly follow the rules of war, and
perform divine service among themselves without giving any offense to
any one.”
This answer gave great satisfaction to the people, as the French had
spread a report among them that the Protestants, if they captured the
town, would take their churches from them.
In the evening the earl gave a great banquet, at which he entertained
all the people of distinction of both parties, and his courtesy and
affability at once won for him the confidence of all with whom he came
in contact. The next day the shops were all opened, the markets filled,
and there were no signs that the tranquillity of Barcelona had ever
been disturbed. Soon after breakfast Jack, who was quartered in the
governor's palace with the general, was informed that a gentleman wished
to speak to him, and the Count de Minas was shown in. He took Jack's
hand and bowed profoundly. As conversation was impossible Jack told his
orderly to fetch one of the interpreters attached to the general.
“I tried to come last night,” the count said, “but I found that I was
too weak to venture out. I could not understand what you said when you
went away so suddenly, but I guessed that it was the call of duty. I
did not know your name, but inquiring this morning who were the officers
that entered with the general yesterday, I was told that his aide de
camp, Lieutenant Stilwell, was alone with him. That is how I found
you. And now, let me again thank you for the immense service you have
rendered me and my wife and child. Remember, henceforth the life of the
Count de Minas and all that he possesses is at your service.”
When the interpreter had translated this, Jack said in some confusion,
“I am very glad, count, to have been of service to you. It was a piece
of good fortune, indeed, on my part that I happened so providentially
to ride along at the right moment. I was about this morning to do myself
the honor of calling to inquire how the countess and yourself were after
the terrible scene of yesterday.”
“The countess prayed me to bring you round to her,” the count said.
“Will you do me the honor of accompanying me now?”
Jack at once assented, and, followed by the interpreter, proceeded with
the count to his house. The room into which the count led him was not
that in which the fray had taken place the day before. The countess rose
as they entered, and Jack saw that, though still pale and shaken by the
events of the previous day, she was a singularly beautiful woman.
“Ah, senor,” she said, advancing to meet him, and taking his hand and
laying it against her heart, “how can I thank you for the lives of my
husband and my boy! One more minute and you would have arrived too late.
It seemed to me as if heaven had opened and an angel had come to our aid
when you entered.”
Jack colored up hotly as the interpreter translated the words. If he had
expressed his thoughts he would have said, “Please don't make any more
fuss about it;” but he found that Spanish courtesy required much more
than this, so he answered:
“Countess, the moment was equally fortunate to me, and I shall ever feel
grateful that I have been permitted to be of service to so beautiful a
lady.”
The countess smiled as Jack's words were translated.
“I did not know that you English were flatterers,” she said. “They told
us that you were uncouth islanders, but I see that they have calumniated
you.”
“I hope some day,” Jack said, “that I shall be able to talk to you
without the aid of an interpreter. It is very difficult to speak when
every word has to be translated.”
For a quarter of an hour the conversation was continued, the count and
countess asking questions about England. At the end of that time Jack
thought he might venture to take his leave. The count accompanied him to
the door, and begged him to consider his house as his own, and then with
many bows on each side Jack made his way into the street.
“Confound all this Spanish politeness!” he muttered to himself; “it's
very grand and stately, I have no doubt, but it's a horrible nuisance;
and as to talking through an interpreter, it's like repeating lessons,
only worse. I should like to see a man making a joke through an
interpreter, and waiting to see how it told. I must get up a little
Spanish as soon as possible. The earl has picked up a lot already, and
there will be no fun to be had here in Spain unless one can make one's
self understood.”
The next day there were rumors current that the population were
determined to take vengeance upon Velasco. The earl marched eight
hundred men into the town, placed the governor in their center and
escorted him to the shore, and so took him safely on board a ship. He
was conveyed, by his own desire, to Alicante, as the revolt had spread
so rapidly through Catalonia that Rosas was now the only town which
favored the cause of the Duke d'Anjou.
The capture of Barcelona takes its place as one of the most brilliant
feats in military history, and reflects extraordinary credit upon its
general, who exhibited at once profound prudence, faithful adherence
to his sovereign's orders, patience and self command under the ill
concealed hatred of many of those with whom he had to cooperate--the
wrong headedness of the king, the insolence of the German courtiers, the
supineness of the Dutch, the jealousy of his own officers, and the open
discontent of the army and navy--and a secrecy marvelously kept up for
many weary and apparently hopeless days.
On the 28th of October King Charles made his public entry into
Barcelona, and for some days the city was the scene of continual fetes.
The whole province rose in his favor, and the gentlemen of the district
poured into the town to offer their homage to the king. Only about one
thousand men of the Spanish garrison had to be conveyed to Rosas in
accordance with the terms of capitulation, the rest of the troops taking
the oath of allegiance to King Charles and being incorporated with the
allied army.
Jack Stilwell entered into the festivities with the enjoyment of youth.
The officers of the allied army were made much of by the inhabitants,
and Jack, as one of the general's aides de camp, was invited to every
fete and festivity. The Count de Minas introduced him to many of
the leading nobles of the city as the preserver of his life; but his
inability to speak the language deprived him of much of the pleasure
which he would otherwise have obtained, and, like many of the other
officers, he set to work in earnest to acquire some knowledge of it.
In one of the convents were some Scottish monks, and for three or four
hours every morning Jack worked regularly with one of them.
Although Lord Peterborough threw himself heart and soul into the
festivities, he worked with equal ardor at the military preparations.
But here, as before, his plans for energetic action were thwarted by
the Germans and Dutch. At last, however, his energy, aided by the
active spirit of the king, prevailed, and preparations were made for
the continuance of the campaign. The season was so late that no further
operations could be undertaken by sea, and the allied fleet therefore
sailed for England and Holland, leaving four English and two Dutch
frigates in support of the land forces at Barcelona.
Garrisons of regular troops were dispatched to the various towns which
had either declared for the king or had been captured by the Miquelets
headed by the Marquis of Cifuentes, engineer officers being also sent to
put them in a state of defense. Of these Tortosa was, from its position,
the most important, as it commanded the bridge of boats on the Ebro, the
main communication between Aragon and Valencia. To this town two hundred
dragoons and one thousand foot were sent under Colonel Hans Hamilton.
The king turned his attention to the organization of the Spanish
army. He formed a regiment of five hundred dragoons for his bodyguard,
mounting them upon the horses of the former garrison, while from these
troops, swelled by levies from the province, he raised six powerful
battalions of infantry. He excited, however, a very unfavorable feeling
among the Spaniards by bestowing all the chief commands in these corps
upon his German followers.
But while the conquest of Barcelona had brought the whole of Catalonia
to his side, the cause of King Charles was in other parts of Spain less
flourishing. Lord Galway and General Fagel had been beaten by Marshal
Tesse before Badajos, and the allied army had retreated into Portugal,
leaving the French and Spanish adherents of Philip free to turn their
whole attention against the allies in Catalonia.
Weary weeks passed on before Lord Peterborough could overcome the apathy
and obstinacy of the Germans and Dutch. At a council of war held on the
30th of December Peterborough proposed to divide the army, that he in
person would lead half of it to aid the insurrection which had broken
out in Valencia, and that the other half should march into Aragon; but
Brigadier General Conyngham and the Dutch General Schratenbach strongly
opposed this bold counsel, urging that the troops required repose after
their labors, and that their numbers were hardly sufficient to guard
the province they had won. Such arguments drove Peterborough almost to
madness; the troops had, in fact, gone through no hard work during the
siege of Barcelona, and two months and a half had elapsed since that
city surrendered. Moreover, far from being reinvigorated from rest,
they were suffering from illness caused by inactivity in an unhealthy
country.
Already all the benefits derivable from the gallant capture of Barcelona
had been lost. The enemy had recovered from the surprise and dismay
excited by that event. The friendly and wavering, who would at once
have risen had the king boldly advanced after his striking success, had
already lost heart and become dispirited by the want of energy displayed
in his after proceedings, and from all parts of Spain masses of troops
were moving to crush the allies and stamp out the insurrection.
In Valencia only had the partisans of Charles gained considerable
advantages. In the beginning of December Colonel Nebot, commanding a
regiment of Philip's dragoons, declared for Charles, and, accompanied by
four hundred of his men, entered the town of Denia, where the people and
Basset, the governor, at once declared for Charles.
On the 11th Nebot and Basset attacked the little town of Xabea,
garrisoned by five hundred Biscayans, and carried it, and the same night
took Oliva and Gandia. The next day they pushed on through Alzira, where
they were joined by many of the principal inhabitants, and a detachment
of the dragoons under Nebot's brother, Alexander, surprised and routed
three troops of the enemy's horse, captured their convoy of ammunition,
and pursued them to the very gates of Valencia.
On the night of the 15th the main body marched from Alzira, and appeared
next morning before Valencia and summoned the town to surrender. The
Marquis de Villa Garcia refused, but Alexander Nebot put himself at the
head of his dragoons and galloped up to the gates shouting “Long live
the king!” The inhabitants overpowered the guard at the gate and threw
it open and Valencia was taken. When the news of these reverses reached
Madrid the Conde de las Torres, a veteran officer who had seen much
service in the wars of Italy, marched from Madrid in all haste to
prevent if possible the junction of the forces of Catalonia with the
Valencians.
He at once marched upon San Matteo, which lay on the main line of
communication, and commenced a vigorous siege of that city. The king
received the news on the 18th of January, 1706, and wrote at once to
Peterborough, urging him to go to the relief of San Matteo, but
giving him no troops whatever to assist him in his enterprise; and
Peterborough's difficulties were increased by General Conyngham, who
commanded a brigade at Fraga, hastily falling back upon Lerida upon
hearing exaggerated rumors of the strength of the enemy.
Peterborough, however, did not hesitate a moment, but mounting his
horse, and accompanied only by his aides de camp, Jack Stilwell and
Lieutenant Graham, rode for Tortosa. Changing his horse at the various
towns through which he passed, and riding almost night and day, he
reached Tortosa on the 4th, and at once summoned the magnates of the
town to give information as to the real state of things. He then found,
to his astonishment, that the details which the king had sent him
respecting the force of the enemy were entirely incorrect. Charles had
written that they were two thousand strong, and that sixteen thousand
peasants were in arms against them, whereas Las Torres had with him
seven thousand good troops, and not a single peasant had taken up arms.
General Killigrew, who now commanded the two hundred dragoons and
the thousand British infantry at Tortosa, together with his officers,
considered that under such circumstances it was absolutely hopeless to
attempt any movement for the relief of San Matteo; but Peterborough did
not hesitate a moment, and only said to his officers:
“Unless I can raise that siege our affairs are desperate, and therefore
capable only of desperate remedies. Be content; let me try my fortune,
whether I cannot by diligence and surprise effect that which by
downright force is apparently impracticable.”
The officers had unbounded confidence in their general, and although
the enterprise appeared absolutely hopeless, they at once agreed to
undertake it. Accordingly the three weak English regiments marched from
Tortosa under Killigrew, and the next day the earl followed with the
dragoons and a party of Miquelets, and overtook the infantry that night.
The next morning he broke up his little army into small detachments in
order that they might march more rapidly, and, dividing the Miquelets
among them as guides, ordered them to assemble at Fraiguesa, two leagues
from San Matteo.
The advance was admirably managed. Small parties of dragoons and
Miquelets went on ahead along each of the roads to occupy the passes
among the hills. When arrived at these points they had strict orders
to let no one pass them until the troops appeared in sight, when the
advance again pushed forward and secured another position for the same
purpose.
Thus no indication of his coming preceded him; and the troops arriving
together with admirable punctuality before Fraiguesa, the place was
taken by surprise, and guards were at once mounted on its gates, with
orders to prevent any one from leaving the town on any excuse whatever.
Thus while the English force were within two leagues of San Matteo,
Las Torres remained in absolute ignorance that any hostile force was
advancing against him. Graham and Jack were nearly worn out by the
exertions which they had undergone with their indefatigable general.
They had ridden for three days and nights almost without sleep, and on
their arrival at Tortosa were engaged unceasingly in carrying out their
chief's instructions, in making preparations for the advance, and in
obtaining every possible information as to the country to be traversed.
Both the young officers had now begun to speak Spanish. A residence of
four months in the country, constant communication with the natives, and
two months and a half steady work with an instructor had enabled them
to make great progress, and they were now able to communicate without
difficulty with the Spaniards with whom they came in contact.