The Peninsular sieges in which the English were concerned are
principally useful as lessons to statesmen, and consequently to the
people who support these statesmen. The siege of Badajos failed,
although a Wellington superintended it; but, as Sir William Napier
justly says, “it was not strange that it did fail; for the British
government sent an engineer corps into the field so ill-provided, that
all the officers’ bravery and zeal could not render it efficient.
The very tools used, especially those from the storekeeper-general’s
department, were unfit for work; the captured French cutting
instruments were eagerly sought for in preference; and when the
soldiers’ lives and the honour of England’s arms were at stake, English
cutlery would not bear comparison with French.” This account has been
published many years; all whose business it was to read it and profit
by the lesson have had ample time; and yet, in what respect does it
differ from the same culpable error--we were going to say, but must
substitute criminal jobbery--with regard to the war munitions of the
Crimea?
Though ardently wishing for the capture of Badajos, Wellington knew
he had not that great necessary in all sieges, time, to effect it
regularly. If he laid siege to it in form, the French would be able
to bring assistance that would render his endeavours nugatory; he
could not command more than twenty days; with bad guns, deficient
stores, and no regular corps of sappers and miners; as General Picton
wittily and keenly observed, “Lord Wellington sued Badajos _in formâ
pauperis_.” Reckoning all the deficiencies, regular approaches could
not be ventured upon, and attacks upon the castle and Fort Cristoval
were adopted instead; and these were to take place at the same time.
A battering-train was very quickly got ready, consisting of thirty
twenty-four-pounders, four sixteen-pounders, and twelve eight and
ten-inch howitzers converted into mortars by being placed on trucks;
these, with six iron Portuguese guns, made fifty-two pieces; and of
British and Portuguese gunners there were collected six hundred. But
even these were inefficient; for many of the guns were nearly useless
from age; the gunners were inexperienced, and there was no time to
teach them their craft.
On the 24th of May, Haston’s division, consisting of five thousand men,
invested San Cristoval.
Phillipon, who, under the direction of Soult, governed in the town,
took every precaution necessary; and the townsmen joined their efforts
to those of the garrison to forward the works of defence.
Ground being broken for a false attack upon Pardileras on the 29th,
the next night a parallel of eleven hundred yards was sunk against the
castle, without the workmen being observed by the enemy; the same night
another parallel, of four hundred and fifty yards from San Cristoval,
and seven hundred from the bridge-head, was opened; one breaching and
two counter mines were raised on this line, to prevent sallies by the
bridge from the fort.
The attack against the castle proceeded favourably, but the soil and
the situation rendered that of Cristoval slow and attended with loss:
it was not finished before the night of the 1st of June. It was much
impeded by some well-directed mortars from the garrison, which, strange
to say, were stopped by Phillipon, from the mistaken idea that he was
throwing their fire away.
On the night of the 2nd, however, the battery against San Cristoval
began, and after the guns and men had got into practice, much mischief
was done to the castle. On the 4th, the garrison added the fire of
several guns to their artillery, and some of the besiegers’ were
silenced.
The contest was kept up with tolerable spirit till two breaches were
made in San Cristoval; and one of them appearing practicable, an
assault was ordered, assisted by a diversion in another quarter.
The stormers reached the glacis and descended the ditch without
being discovered; but they found the obstacles insurmountable, and
the forlorn hope was about to retire before committing themselves
to serious injury, when the main body, annoyed by a flank fire from
the town, followed them into the ditch with their ladders. But the
ladders proved too short, and the defence from within was so firm, that
immediate retreat was necessary, and that attended with considerable
loss.
The errors in this attack are subjects of military discussion; but
we have not space to enter into them. The French acted with great
skill and activity in clearing away ruins, presenting every obstacle
that could be thought of, natural as well as scientific, and by the
judicious disposition of well-armed men. Succours being at hand, a
second attack was thought advisable, if any hopes could be entertained
of the capture of the place. This time, things were better managed; but
on the other side, Phillipon made adequate preparations to meet them.
But this attack proved no more fortunate than the former. It was led
with infinite spirit by Major M’Geechy, who fell early. The French
seem to have laughed at the affair, as they jeeringly called to the
men in the ditch to come on. But barrels of powder rolled down among
them, with the addition of shells and musketry, proved worse than
their jeers. All went wrong: the troops quarrelled for the ladders,
though not many of them could be reared; confusion ensued; and the
enemy naturally took advantage of it: those who ascended the ladders
were met with the bayonet; the ladders themselves were overturned; and
a murderous fire was poured upon the unfortunate mass in the ditch.
Soult’s approach rendered further attempts impossible; and the siege
was converted into a blockade.
Sir William Napier’s remarks are very severe upon this siege. In
addition to what we have before quoted, he says: “This siege, in which
four hundred men and officers fell, violated all rules. The working
parties were too weak, the guns and stores too few, the points of
attack ill-chosen; the defences were untouched by counter-fire, and
the breaching-batteries were too distant for the bad guns; howitzers
on trucks were poor substitutes for mortars, and the sap was not
practised. Lastly, the assaults were made before the glacis had been
crowned and a musketry-fire established against the breach.”