Distinguished Characters. A Charge of Dragoons. A Charge against
the Nature of Things. Olmeda and the French General, Ferez.
Advance towards Madrid. Adventures of my Dinner. The Town of
Segovia. El Palacio del Rio Frio. The Escurial. Enter Madrid.
Rejoicings. Nearly happy. Change of a Horse. Change of Quarters.
A Change confounded. Retire towards Salamanca. Boar-Hunt,
Dinner-Hunt, and Bull-Hunt. A Portuguese Funeral conducted by
Rifle Undertakers.
The third division, under Sir Edward Pakenham, the artillery, and some
regiments of dragoons, particularly distinguished themselves. But our
division, very much to our annoyance, came in for a very slender
portion of this day's glory. We were exposed to a cannonade the whole
of the afternoon; but, as we were not permitted to advance until very
late, we had only an opportunity of throwing a few straggling shot at
the fugitives, before we lost sight of them in the dark; and then
bivouacked for the night near the village of Huerta, (I think it was
called).
We started after them at daylight next morning; and, crossing at a
ford of the Tormes, we found their rear-guard, consisting of three
regiments of infantry, with some cavalry and artillery, posted on a
formidable height above the village of Serna. General Bock, with his
brigade of heavy German dragoons, immediately went at them; and,
putting their cavalry to flight, he broke through their infantry, and
took or destroyed the whole of them. This was one of the most gallant
charges recorded in history. I saw many of these fine fellows lying
dead along with their horses, on which they were still astride, with
the sword firmly grasped in the hand, as they had fought the instant
before; and several of them still wearing a look of fierce defiance,
which death itself had been unable to quench.
We halted for the night at a village near Penaranda. I took possession
of the church; and finding the floor strewed with the paraphernalia of
priesthood, I selected some silk gowns, and other gorgeous trappings,
with which I made a bed for myself in the porch, and where, "if all
had been gold that glittered," I should have looked a jewel indeed;
but it is lamentable to think, that, among the multifarious blessings
we enjoy in this life, we should never be able to get a dish of glory
and a dish of beef-steak on the same day; in consequence of which, the
heart, which ought properly to be soaring in the clouds, or, at all
events, in a castle half way up, is more generally to be found
grovelling about a hen-roost, in the vain hope, that, if it cannot get
hold of the hen herself, it may at least hit upon an egg; and such, I
remember, was the state of my feelings on this occasion, in
consequence of my having dined the three preceding days on the half of
my inclinations.
We halted the next night in the handsome little town of Olmeda, which
had just been evacuated by the enemy. The French General, Ferez, died
there, in consequence of the wounds which he received at the battle of
Salamanca, and his remains had, the night before, been consigned to
the earth, with the highest honours, and a canopy of laurel placed
over his grave: but the French had no sooner left the town, than the
inhabitants exhumed the body, cut off the head, and spurned it with
the greatest indignity. They were in hopes that this line of conduct
would have proved a passport to our affections, and conducted us to
the spot, as to a trophy that they were proud of; but we expressed the
most unfeigned horror and indignation at their proceeding; and,
getting some soldiers to assist us, we carefully and respectfully
replaced his remains in the grave. His _was_ a noble head; and even in
death, it looked the brave, the gallant soldier. Our conduct had such
an effect on the Spaniards, that they brought back the canopy, of
their own accord, and promised, solemnly, that the grave should,
henceforth, rest undisturbed.
July 26th.--We arrived on the banks of the Douro, within a league of
Valladolid, where we halted two days; and Lord Wellington, detaching a
division of infantry and some cavalry to watch the movements of the
defeated army, proceeded with the remainder of us towards Madrid.
August 1st.--On approaching near to our bivouac this afternoon, I saw
a good large farm-house, about a mile off the road; and, getting
permission from my commandant, I made a cast thereto, in search of
something for dinner. There were two women belonging to the German
Legion, smoking their pipes in the kitchen, when I arrived; and,
having the highest respect for their marauding qualifications, I began
to fear that nothing was to be had, as they were sitting there so
quietly. I succeeded, however, in purchasing two pair of chickens;
and, neglecting the precaution of unscrewing their necks, I grasped a
handful of their legs, and, mounting my horse, proceeded towards the
camp; but I had scarcely gone a couple of hundred yards, when they
began opening their throats and flapping with their wings, which
startled my horse and sent him off at full speed. I lost the rein on
one side, and, in attempting to pull him up with the other, I brought
his foot into a rut, and down he came, sending me head-foremost into a
wet ditch! When I got on my legs, and shook myself a little, I saw
each particular hen galloping across the field, screeching with all
its might, while the horse was off in a different direction; and,
casting a rueful look at the chickens, I naturally followed him, as
the most valuable of the collection. Fortunately, a heavy boat-cloak
caused the saddle to roll under his belly; and finding that he could
not make way in consequence, he quietly waited for me about a quarter
of a mile off. When I had remounted, I looked back to the scene of my
disaster, and saw my two German _friends_ busily employed in catching
the chickens. I rode towards them, and they were, no doubt, in hopes
that I had broken my neck, that they might have the sacking of me,
also; for, as I approached, I observed them concealing the fowls under
their clothes, while the one took up a position behind the other.
After reconnoitring them a short time, I rode up and demanded the
fowls, when the one looked at the other, and, in well-feigned
astonishment, asked, in _Dutch_, what I could possibly mean? then gave
me to understand that they could not comprehend English; but I
immediately said, "Come, come! none of your gammon; you have got my
fowls, here's half a dollar for your trouble in catching them, so hand
them out." "Oh!" said one of them, in English, "it is de fowl you
want," and they then produced them. After paying them the stipulated
sum, I wished them all the compliments of the season, and thought
myself fortunate in getting off so well; for they were each six feet
high, and as strong as a horse, and I felt convinced that they had
often thrashed a better man than myself in the course of their
military career.
August 7th.--Halted near the ancient town of Segovia, which bears a
strong resemblance to the old town of Edinburgh, built on a lofty
ridge, that terminates in an abrupt summit, on which stands the
fortified tower, celebrated in the Adventures of Gil Blas. It is a
fine old town, boasts of a superb Roman aqueduct, and is famous for
ladies' shoes.
Our bivouac, this evening, was on the banks of El Rio Frio, near to a
new hunting-palace of the King of Spain. It was a large quadrangular
building, each side full of empty rooms, with nothing but their youth
to recommend them.
On the 9th, we crossed the Guadarama mountains, and halted, for the
night, in the park of the Escurial.
I had, from childhood upwards, considered this palace as the eighth
wonder of the world, and was, therefore, proportionately disappointed
at finding it a huge, gloomy, unmeaning pile of building, looking
somewhat less interesting than the wild craggy mountain opposite, and
without containing a single room large enough to flog a cat in. The
only apartment that I saw worth looking at was the one in which their
_dead kings live_!