Part 33

There remained only the division of Foy, which formed the extreme right of the French line, and still maintained a gallant fight. It seemed difficult for this General to extricate his division, but he did it with great dexterity. Just as the darkness fell, he increased his skirmishers, and brought forward some cavalry, as if for a charge. But when the English had prepared themselves for a real encounter, the skirmishers fell back, and the English pursued; but when they reached the top of the hill, the main body of the French had escaped into a forest hard by, where darkness gave them safety.

Another failure on the part of a Spaniard, here, again, favoured the French. The castle of Alba, on the Tormes, was garrisoned by a Spanish force, under Carlos d’Espana. This, if maintained, would have stopped the French in their flight by the main road, and have forced them to take the fords. But d’Espana, without informing Wellington, had withdrawn the garrison, and left the road open! “Had the castle of Alba been held,” says Napier, “the French could never have carried off a third of their army.” But by this piece of Spanish folly or cowardice, they were permitted to escape.

As it was, their loss was enormous. They went into action with 43,800 infantry and 4000 cavalry. Three weeks after, their General, Clausel, who succeeded Marmont in the command, wrote to the Minister of War at Paris, “The army consists of 20,000 infantry, and 1800 horse.” So that, by death or wounds or capture, it had lost more than half of its numbers. On the part of the Allies, the loss was 3176 British, 2018 Portuguese, and eight Spanish. One General was killed, and five were among the wounded. Wellington himself was struck in the thigh by a spent ball, which passed through his holster. This was one of the last incidents of this great battle; in which the English leader, to use a French officer’s expression, “defeated 40,000 men in forty minutes.” “Late in the evening of that great day,” says Sir William Napier, “I saw him behind my regiment, then marching towards the ford. He was alone; the flush of victory was on his brow, his eyes were eager and watchful, but his voice was calm and even gentle. More than the rival of Marlborough,--for he had defeated greater Generals than Marlborough ever encountered, he seemed with prescient pride to accept this victory only as an earnest of future glory.”

The French fled with such celerity, that their headquarters, on the following night, were at Flores d’Avila, no less than forty miles from the field of battle! The English army, on the other hand, entered Madrid on the 12th of August, amidst a scene of the wildest ecstasy. “No words can express the enthusiasm which prevailed when the English standards were seen in the distance, and the scarlet uniforms began to be discerned through the crowd. Amidst a countless multitude, wrought up to the highest pitch of rapturous feeling; amidst tears of gratitude and shouts of triumph, the British army entered the Spanish capital, not as conquerors, but as friends; not as oppressors, but deliverers.” As for Wellington, “with tears and every sign of deep emotion, the multitudes crowded round his horse, hung by his stirrups, touched his clothes, and throwing themselves on their knees, blessed him aloud.” The intrusive King, with about 12,000 men, had fled out of the city a few days previous.

The Retiro, the largest arsenal which the French possessed in Spain, still had a garrison of 1700 men. But it surrendered on the 13th, and the British found in it, 180 pieces of cannon, 20,000 stand of arms, and immense stores of all kinds. Meanwhile, “the French affairs in every part of the Peninsula now exhibited that general crash and ruin which so usually follows a great military disaster, and presages the breaking up of a political power.”

Nor were the mighty results of this great battle limited to Southern Europe. At the very moment when it took place, Napoleon, at the head of 450,000, was entering the heart of the Russian empire. The news of the defeat of his forces in Spain, reached him on the evening preceding the great battle of Borodino. It doubtless reached the Emperor Alexander also; and the news must have greatly aided the Russian Monarch in forming that remarkable resolve, “I am _immovable_; and no terms whatever shall induce me to terminate the war, or to fail in the sacred duty of avenging our country.” And, in a general order, issued shortly after, General Kutusoff, Alexander’s chief commander, said, “The hand of God is falling heavily on Napoleon: _Madrid is taken_.” Still, when, in October, Wellington, from the want of battering-artillery, failed in carrying the castle of Burgos, faction again raised its head in England, and even dared to question his skill and talent as a General! It was with reference to some of these attacks that Wellington took the following review of the results of the year.

“I fear that the public will be disappointed at the results of the last campaign: and yet it is, in fact, the most important and successful campaign in which a British army has been engaged for the last century. We have taken by siege Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, and Salamanca, and the Retiro has surrendered. Since January, this army has sent to England little short of 20,000 prisoners; and it has taken and destroyed, or we now possess, little short of 3000 pieces of cannon.”

More wonderful achievements, occupying a series of years, never were wrought out by a British army. Sir William Napier justly traces the triumph of Salamanca and other victories to the forethought of Wellington, in having laid such a foundation as he had provided in Torres Vedras. “This strong post was of his own planning,--he had chosen it, fortified it, defended it, and now, knowing its full value, he was availing himself of its advantages. The tree was planted to bear such fruit as was gathered at Salamanca, and the value of his combinations must be estimated from the general result. He had only 60,000 disposable troops, and 100,000 were especially appointed to watch and control him; yet he passed the frontier, defeated 45,000 men in a pitched battle, and drove 20,000 others from Madrid in confusion, without difficulty and without risk. No General was ever more entitled to the honour of victory.”

SALAMIS, BATTLE OF.--The Persians defeated by the Greeks in this great battle, October 20th, 480 B.C. Themistocles, the Greek commander, with only 310 sail defeated the whole fleet of Xerxes, consisting of 2000 sail. One of the greatest naval engagements in ancient times.

SALDANHA BAY.--_Near the Cape of Good Hope._--Here a Dutch squadron was captured by Admiral St. George Keith Elphinstone, without resistance. Five men of war and nine frigates surrendered, and St. George was in consequence of this bloodless victory, which was executed with wonderful judgment, created Lord Keith, August 17th, 1796.

SANTA CRUZ.--Here, April 25th, 1657, the renowned Blake totally destroyed 16 Spanish ships, secured with great nautical skill, and protected by the castle and the forts on the shore. This was thought, at that time, one of the greatest feats ever accomplished. The Earl of Clarendon, speaking of this exploit, says, “It was so miraculous, that all who knew the place wondered that any sober man, with what courage soever endowed, would have undertaken it; and the victors could hardly persuade themselves to believe what they had done, whilst the surviving Spaniards thought that they were devils and not men who had destroyed their ships so.” Here also, in an unsuccessful attack made upon this place by Nelson, several officers and 141 men were killed, and the brave Admiral lost his right arm, July 24th, 1797. It is remarkable that Captain Freemantle, the great friend of Nelson, and a companion of his in most of his great and brilliant achievements was also wounded in the arm immediately before Nelson had received his wound in the same limb. The following laconic note addressed to the lady of Captain Freemantle, (who was on board with her husband at the time he wrote) has been preserved, as being the first letter written by the glorious hero with his left hand:

MY DEAR MRS. FREEMANTLE,

Tell me how Tom is? I hope he has saved his arm. Mine is off; but, thank God, I am as well as I hope he is.

Ever Yours, HORATIO NELSON.

SARATOGA, BURGOYNE’S SURRENDER AT.--General Burgoyne, commander of a body of the British Army, after a very severe engagement with the American Provincials in the American War of Independence, October 17th, 1777, surrendered to the American General Gates. No less than 5791 men laid down their arms. This was the greatest check the British suffered during the war.

SCOPOLO.--On July the 5th, 1808, a desperate action was fought off the island of Scopolo, between a large Turkish frigate and corvette, and the Seahorse thirty-eight guns, captain Stewart, exhibiting the skill and gallantry of the latter against a great disparity of force, by which his own ship was so well preserved, while that of his opponent was ruined. The action began at half-past nine in the evening, the Turks under easy sail, a little off the wind, and continually endeavouring to board. At ten o’clock, after a quarter of an hour’s hot fire, the small ship was silenced; the large ship, which had during this time fallen a little to leeward, and thus been prevented from assisting her consort, recovered her position; the action was recommenced; and the resistance of the Turks was so obstinate, that it was not till a quarter past one she was rendered a motionless wreck. As they would neither answer nor fire, captain Stewart, knowing the character of the people, conceived it most prudent to wait for daylight to send on board her. At daylight, observing her colours upon the stump of the mizenmast, the Seahorse poured a broadside into her stern, when she struck. She was named the Badere Zaffer, of fifty-two guns, with a complement of 500 men, commanded by captain Scanderli Kichuc Ali, who had been prevented by his own people from blowing her up. Her loss was prodigious--165 killed and 195 wounded. The Seahorse had only five killed and ten wounded.

SEBASTOPOL.--The celebrated city besieged during the Crimean war. See _Bombardment, first and second (final) of Sebastopol_; also, _Mamelon_, _Malakoff_ and _Sortie_.

SEDGMOOR, BATTLE OF.--Fought, July 5th, 1685, in which the Duke of Monmouth was completely defeated by the army of James II of England. The Duke, who was the natural son of Charles II, by Lucy Walters, one of his mistresses, was made prisoner, and soon afterwards executed.

SEIDLITZ, BATTLE OF.--Fought, April 10th, 1831, between the Poles and Russians. The Poles obtained the victory, after a bloody battle, taking 4000 prisoners, and several pieces of cannon. The killed and wounded, on both sides, amounted to many thousands.

SEMINCAS, BATTLE OF.--Fought A.D. 938. One of the most bloody battles ever fought. Between the Moors and Ramirez II, King of Leon, and the Austrians. More than 80,000 of the infidels were slain, the dead lying in heaps for miles around.

SEMPACH, BATTLE OF.--Fought, July 9th, 1386, between the Swiss and Leopold, Duke of Austria. The heroic Swiss, after prodigies of valour, gained a great and memorable victory over the Duke, who was slain. By this battle they gained their independence, which they possess until this day; and they annually commemorate, with great solemnity, this victory.

SERGEANT.--The highest non-commissioned officer of a company. This word enters into the title of different officers, as sergeant-major, color-sergeant, &c.

SERINGAPATAM, BATTLE OF.--This first battle, called also the Battle of Arikera, in which the British defeated Tippoo Saib, was fought May 15th, 1791. The second, in which the redoubts were stormed, and Tippoo reduced by Lord Cornwallis, fought February 6th, 1792. After this capture peace was signed, and Tippoo agreed to cede one-half of Mysore, and to pay 33,000,000 of rupees, about £3,000,000, sterling to England, and to give up his two sons as hostages. In a new war the Madras army arrived before Seringapatam, April 5th, 1799. It was joined by the Bombay army, April 14th, and the place was stormed and carried by Major General Baird, May 4th, same year. Tippoo was killed in this engagement.

The following account gives the particulars of the 1st engagement previous to the capture of Seringapatam.

“On the 27th of March, 1799, at three o’clock p.m., the right wing (of the British army destined for the capture of Seringapatam) moved slowly off the ground of encampment, along a heavy sandy road, impeded in their progress by the ponderous battering-train of guns, each 42 pounder being drawn majestically along by thirty, forty, and sometimes fifty bullocks, harnessed four abreast; and even these numbers were frequently found insufficient to extricate the wheels of the carriages from the deep sloughs into which they often sank, even up to the axles, when the aid of elephants was required; these sagacious animals would wind their trunks or probosci around the nave and between the spokes of the wheels, and thus lift gun and carriage from the impending difficulty, whilst the bullocks were being goaded and whipped with leather thongs. The ponderous machines were thus drawn forward. It was indeed an admirable and beautiful sight to observe the sagacity of these huge creatures; for when one only was brought up to assist, if the weight was too considerable for its animal strength, a shrill trumpeting proceeding from its proboscis would instantly proclaim this deficiency in strength for the object required, when the keeper would call for another elephant, and then the united power of the two, simultaneously applying their whole force, would speedily overcome almost insurmountable difficulties; though, when guns and carriages were embedded up to the axles of the four wheels, several of these noble animals have been required to lift the machines bodily from the tenacious clay into which they had sunk.

Clouds of looties, or irregular predatory horsemen, were on the right flank of the line, who fired incessantly on the British as they advanced; and when a stoppage occurred, to extricate the guns, large bodies of these looties would suddenly dash through the intervals, cutting down the artillerymen, maiming the bullocks, and destroying the whole paraphernalia of harness; and this in spite of all the exertions of skirmishers to keep them at a respectable distance. The fierce sun was almost intolerable, and many Europeans fell dead from _coups-de-soleil_. Only three miles and a half could be marched from three o’clock until nearly twelve, when the little mud-walled fort of Malleville was descried, with the gallant 19th dragoons, drawn up in close column under the walls, to shelter them from the enemy’s brisk cannonade. At a hill fortress (Amboor), previous to mounting the Ghauts and entering the Mysore country, the British army had been joined by about 10,000 of the Nizam’s troops--a disorderly set of savage, undisciplined barbarians (clothed in stuffed cotton jackets, covered with steel-chained armour, capable of resisting a musket-ball), prancing and skirmishing about the country in every direction, wielding their long lances with uncommon dexterity, managing their horses with grace and ease, almost to perfection in the equestrian art--sometimes casting their spears, and then, at full gallop, bending the body so low under the horse, as to recover possession of the spear that lay flat on the sand. This heterogeneous force was certainly an additional strength to the numerical force of the British, but, in a military point of view, of dubious advantage to the invading regular army, whose movements they frequently disconcerted by dashing furiously through the intervals between the columns on the line of march, and, being often mistaken for the enemy’s irregular horse, were fired at accordingly, many of them perishing in this unprofitable manner; and had any adverse fortune occurred in the campaign, confusion and defeat must have ensued, as these disorderly masses would inevitably have incommoded, and rendered all military discipline abortive. Accordingly, to protect them from absolute annihilation, the 33rd regiment of infantry, under command of the hon. colonel Wellesley (the Duke of Wellington), was attached to this disorderly crew, and acted with them during the advance to Seringapatam. The movements of the whole army was entirely confided to the management of Colonel Barry Close, a Company’s officer, and adjutant-general to the forces--a man of extensive capacity, who had displayed eminent talents in both civil and military departments during his long residence in India. He was an ornament to his profession, and, had fortune favoured him, might have proved a first-rate general. For his amiable and conciliatory disposition, he was beloved and esteemed by all who enjoyed the advantage of his society.

During the march, the towns and villages were involved in flames in every direction, and not an atom of food or forage was anywhere procurable (every officer of the army was provided with three months’ provision of biscuit, &c., borne on the backs of bullocks in various numbers, according to the grade of the officer), and every tank or pool of water was impregnated with the poison of the milk hedge, large quantities of the branches of which the enemy had industriously thrown in--so that many horses, bullocks, and even, in some instances, men, fell victims to the deleterious infusion.

As the head of the British column passed the little fort of Malleville, the quarter-master-general was observed marking out the site for encampment on an extensive sandy plain in front of the fort. The booming of distant heavy ordnance was plainly distinguishable. The lascars had commenced pitching the tents and marquees for the reception of the exhausted troops, but were suddenly interrupted in their occupation by the successive bounding of cannon-balls amongst them, when they precipitately quitted the dangerous situation, and fled for protection to the rear of the approaching troops. The enemy were posted on a commanding eminence about two miles distant, at the extremity of the sandy plain, supported by a long range of numerous heavy artillery and strong imposing bodies of regular cavalry. The English pickets, commanded by Captain Macpherson, of the 12th foot, pushed on towards the enemy’s left flank with two 12-pounder galloppers, and the action became brisk in that quarter--for, having ensconced themselves in a wood, they were thus secure from the charges of hordes of cavalry surrounding, whom they saluted with reiterated discharges of grape-shot from the galloppers. In the interim, whilst this scene was agitating, the right wing of the British army formed, on the intended ground of encampment, in contiguous close columns, and in this form cautiously advanced towards the eminence in front. I now, for the first time, became acquainted with the whirring, hoarse noise of cannon-balls--the phitz, phitz, of musket-bullets passing close to the body--and the ping, ping, of those flying distantly over head: fortunately, the balls, rockets, &c., were ill-directed, and did little execution. As the columns approached nearer the enemy’s position, the heavy guns were withdrawn behind the eminence (Tippoo Saib fearing nothing so much as the capture of his artillery, which he had invariably lost in his former battles with lord Cornwallis, in 1782), and ultimately disappeared! In this short advance, Captain Whitley, of the grenadiers of the 12th (to which company I was attached), observing, I presume, the unaccustomed paleness of my countenance, turned round and offered me a refreshing draught of brandy and water from the contents of his canteen, or leathern bottle attached to his side, which I gratefully accepted; for at eighteen we have not the nerves and stamina of a man of forty years old. Untried individuals may sarcastically sneer at this apparent indication of pusillanimity; but never, during all my service, did I observe soldiers enter on a scene of action with that calm, florid appearance, denoting a sense of health and security: did man ever yet exist exempt from the common feelings of human nature? In point of fact, there is an evident, palpable alteration of feature in every man, at the commencement of a battle; as it rages, this marked difference in the lineaments of the countenance disappears, and the excitement of exertion soon produces the usual effect of renewed animation, with a spirit of recklessness indifferent to the consequences of existing danger.