It was towards the close of the year | into Spain, and obtaining hold of the 1807, that Buonaparte and the then King of Spain agreed to unite in seizing the kingdom of Portugal, and arranged a plan for the partition of the whole territory under the Portuguese dominion. Before the end of that year, a body of French troops, under General Junot, had marched through Spain, and taken possession of Lisbon: while a Spanish army had invaded Portugal, north and south. But the court of Spain soon began to repent of having joined in this nefarious project, and to suspect the sincerity of its wily ally; for Napoleon, taking advantage of the dissensions that raged among the Royal Family, amused and cajoled King Charles and his son Ferdinand, and keeping both parties in alarm and suspense, succeeded in marching his armies VOL. I. principal frontier fortresses, under the pretence of supporting his troops that were in Portugal. The French soon afterwards entered Madrid, and Buonaparte, contriving to inveigle both Charles and Ferdinand into his power at Bayonne, caused them to renounce all claims upon the throne of Spain in his favour. The Spanish people, justly indignant at these proceedings, took up arms against the French, and applied to England for assistance, which was instantly given. Arms and ammunition, money and clothing, were forwarded to them; and a body of 9000 troops, which happened to be assembled at Cork, was placed under the command of Lieut.-gen.Sir Arthur Welles. ley, and directed towards the Peninsula. The British troops sailed from Cork 2 S on the 12th of July, 1808, and soon afterwards arrived off the coast of Portugal. They began to disembark on the 1st of August, but the operation was so difficult, that it was not completed until the 5th; and on that day General Spencer arrived from Gibraltar, bringing with him a reinforcement, which swelled their numbers to 12,300 men. Junot quickly heard of their arrival, and was greatly embarrassed, on account of the scattered state of his army. General Laborde, justly reputed to be one of the ablest of the French generals, was despatched from Lisbon with 3000 infantry, 500 or 600 cavalry, and five pieces of artillery, and directed to advance towards Leria; while General Loison, with between 7000 and 8000 men, was directed to effect a junction with Laborde. The rapidity of the British general's movements completely destroyed this arrangement. Before either Loison or Laborde could reach Leria, the British had taken possession of it; the line of communication between those generals was thus cut, and as their junction could only now be effected by a circuitous route, Laborde was exposed to be attacked alone, by an enemy who more than doubled him in numbers. Sir Arthur Wellesley availed himself of the advantage, and moving briskly on, came up with Laborde at Rolica. The French were attacked, and driven successively from two strong positions, which their able general had most skilfully selected, and which he defended in a most brave and soldier-like manner. They retired along the road leading to Torres Vedras, but Sir Arthur was prevented from pursuing them, because that movement would have led him away from the sea; and it was necessary for him to remain near the coast, in order to cover the landing of some reinforce ments which had just arrived. On the 20th, the whole army was re-organised, and preparation made for resuming offensive operations on the morrow. But at this critical moment, Sir Arthur was superseded in the chief command of the army and his successor, Sir Harry Burrard, did not deem it prudent to venture upon any offensive movement, until some reinforcements, which were expected under Sir John Moore, should arrive, and the whole army be concentrated. : In the mean while, Junot was not idle, leaving a sufficient force in Lisbon, and the forts of the Tagus, he quitted that city on the 15th, with a reserve of 2000 infantry, 600 cavalry, and 10 pieces of artillery, carrying with him, also, his grand park of ammunition, and a military chest containing one million of francs. Pushing forward himself to Alcoentre, he there found Loison, who was trying to re-establish his communication with Laborde. That general had reached Santarem on the 13th, in a deplorable condition. The weather had been intensely hot, without a cloud in the sky, or a breath of air stirring. Whole companies had lain down upon the way; many died of thirst, and more would have perished, if the officers of the staff, as soon as they arrived at that city, had not gone out with a great number of the inhabitants, carrying water and brandy to refresh them, and carts to convey those who were unable to proceed further on foot. Each of Loison's long marches at this time, is said to have cost him not less than an hundred men; and his troops were so dreadfully exhausted, that he was compelled to remain two days at Santarem. At length, by the 20th, Junot had assembled his whole force at Torres Vedras, in number about 14,000 men ; and then reorganizing his army, he began to prepare for a decisive battle. The ground occupied by the British at Vimiera, had been taken up merely as a temporary position, and without any expectation on their part, of being called upon to fight a battle there. The village itself, situated in a beautiful valley, through which the little river Marceira flows, contained the park and commissariat stores; in front arose a rugged isolated height, on which was posted the centre; the right rested on a mountain that swept in a half-circle from the village to the sea-coast, and the left, which was composed merely of a few piquets, occupied another mountain, extending from the opposite side of the village. On the morning of the 31st, about seven o'clock, a cloud of dust was observed beyond the nearest hills, and soon an advanced guard of horse was seen to crown the heights to the southward, and to send forward scouts on every side. Presently columns of infantry began to move successively along the road leading to Lourinham ; and as they passed by, in front of the British centre, it became evident that a battle was their object, and that too, on the left of the British, which Junot had rightly judged to be weak. Sir Arthur quickly saw their plan, and he promptly met it, by moving a strong force from his right to support his left. The route of these troops lay across the valley behind the village, and their passage being quite screened by the high hill in its front, was thus unknown to Junot, who afterwards, to his surprise, found a powerful front of battle, where he had expected only a weak flank. The French army consisted of two divisions of infantry, under Loison and Laborde respectively, a third under Kellerman, which was composed of grenadiers, and kept as a reserve, and a fourth, of cavalry, under General Margaron; together with 23 pieces of artillery, lines; the British artillery, from the height on which they were posted, opened a terrible fire, and shattered them much; yet the French, notwithstanding, came on like good soldiers, and driving in the English skirmishers, quickly made their way to the summit of the hill. But here they were met by the 50th regiment, which, first pouring in a deadly volley among the thick masses, then charged them front and flank with the bayonet, and drove them back confusedly. Loison's attack had been, at the same time, repulsed; and Colonel Taylor, seizing the opportunity, burst in with his handful of dragoons, among the retreating masses, and pursued them to a considerable distance, with much slaughter. But Margaron soon espied the weakness of this gallant and devoted band; and galloping down upon them fiercely with his About ten o'clock the French began horsemen, slew the colonel and cut half the fight. The divisions of Loison and of the men to pieces. Kellerman now Laborde, advanced in two separate at- brought his reserve into action; a part tacks, the one headed by those Generals was employed to cover the retreat of the in person, against the British centre: the beaten troops, while the other moved other, under Generals Brennier and Solig- vigorously to attack the extreme left of nac, directed against the British left, partly the British centre, which occupied a upon its front, and partly upon its flank. church and church-yard that blocked the Loison's men came on boldly, and road leading over the height to the village. with the characteristic impetuosity of Towards this spot the 43rd regiment was French troops. They forced in the skir- engaged in a hot skirmish among some mishers at once, but were received with vineyards, with a part of Laborde's divia sharp discharge of musketry. Some sion. "The grenadiers coming on at a close and heavy firing ensued, and the brisk pace," says Colonel Napier, "beat order was then given to use the bayonet. back the advanced companies of the 43rd; The enemy "came to the charge bravely," but to avoid the artillery that swept their says Mr. Southey, "and stood it for a left, they dipped a little into the ravine, moment;" in that moment their fore- and were taken on the other flank by the most rank fell like a line of grass be- guns of the eighth and fourth brigades, fore the mowers." This is not the flou-and at the same time, the 43rd, rallying rish of an historian, seeking artfully to embellish details which no art can render interesting to any but military readers it is the language of an actor in the scene, who could not call it to mind in after-hours without shuddering; for the very men whose superiority was thus decidedly proved, could not speak without involuntary awe, of so complete and instantaneous a destruction, produced as it was, not by artillery or explosions, by their own act and deed, and the strength of their own hearts and hands." Simultaneously with Loison's attack, a dense column of 2000 men, led by Laborde, and preceded by a cloud of light troops, but advanced towards the opposing : in a mass, broke down upon the head of the column at a moment when the narrowness of the way, and the discharges of the artillery, had somewhat disordered its formation; a short yet desperate fight took place: the enemy was repulsed in disorder, but the regiment suffered severely." All the enemy's attempts upon the British centre were now entirely defeated. In the mean while, General Brennier had marched against the left. But coming unexpectedly upon a ravine which protected its front, and of the existence of which he had previously been ignorant, he got entangled among the rocks and watercourses. Solignac, leading his men ap parently men," says Mr. Southey, "whose lot would not have fallen in the army, under any other system than that of the conscription, though, having been forced into it, they had acquired the worst vices which have ever disgraced and degraded the profession of arms." Yet even in this piteous state, these unhappy youths would fain rejoice in their sufferings, and fully betrayed that ardent and unsatiable thirst for military glory which have ever been characteristic of their countrymen, and which Napoleon so well knew how to foster, and to turn to a profitable account, in the prosecution of his own ambitious schemes. To one of them, a chaplain of the British army happened to address himself in the language of commiseration, uttering at the same time, a Christian expression of regret at the horrors of war but the Frenchman fiercely answered, with a mixture of pride and indignation, that he gloried in his wounds, and that war was the greatest happiness of life! round, beyond the end of this ravine, action. Most of the wounded French reached the extremity of the mountain on who fell into the conquerors' hands, were which the English left was posted, think-young and of delicate appearance, ing to fall upon their flank. But he found a strong force there, which instantly bore down upon him, and spreading out as the ridge on which it moved widened, drove him quickly back. Solignac himself was carried from the field severely wounded; six of his guns were captured, and leaving two regiments to guard them, the English general (Ferguson) pressed sharply forward upon the disordered columns of the French. At this moment, Brennier extricated himself from the ravine, and for an instant surprising those two regiments, retook the guns; but the British quickly rallied, and recovering the artillery, overthrew their assailants, and made Brennier himself prisoner. He was immediately carried to Sir Arthur Wellesley, and he eagerly asked, if the reserve under Kellerman had yet charged; Sir Arthur having previously learnt that it had, was now satisfied that all the enemy's efforts were exhausted. He at once saw the advantage of following up the victory, and resolved, while his left pressed Junot, to march the rest of his army Dr. Lardner says, “On the_morning towards Lisbon, and so cut the French after the battle, Sir Hew Dalrymple aroff from that city. But Sir Harry Bur-rived, and assumed the chief command; rard, who was now commander, and who a most excellent and judicious officer; had been present during the action, al- but, perhaps, it was scarcely possible for though he had abstained from interfering man to be placed in circumstances more with Sir Arthur Wellesley's arrange- difficult and trying. We record with irriments, did not approve of the plan; tation this quick and clumsy succession weighing all the circumstances of the of commanders. The French in safe case, the bad state of his artillery-carri- possession of the unassailable position of ages, the want of draft horses, the con- Torres Vedras, and having the capital in fusion of his commissariat, and the de- their immediate power, as well as the forstruction of his cavalry, he thought the tresses of Almeida and Elvas, though proposal perilous. By his orders all of- beaten in the field by Sir Arthur Wellesfensive operations were stopped, until the ley, and hated by an insurgent people, arrival of Sir John Moore, with the ex- were certainly in a condition to propose pected reinforcements. terms that should save to them their liberty and their arms. The general, Kellerman, presented himself at the British head-quarters; demanded a cessation of hostilities, and stated the readiness of Junot to evacuate Portugal upon a fair and honourable convention. Sir Hew Dalrymple acceded to this proposition; and Sir Arthur concurred in the policy of now gaining by treaty those advantages which, the golden opportunity having passed, force of arms could no longer effectually or speedily secure. Upon the expediency of some of the articles of this The loss of the French in this action was severe, and amounted to between 2000 and 3000 men. Their dead lay thickly strewn around; and they left 13 guns, and 23 ammunition waggons, in the hands of the victors. The English loss amounted to little more than 700 killed, wounded, and missing. Their numbers in the field before the action were 16,000, of which not more than one half had been engaged; the French were about 14,000, including 3,100 cavalry, and their entire force was brought into convention the commanders differed, but upon the general principle of the measure they agreed. While the convention was going forward, the reinforcements under Sir John Moore landed in Maceira Bay. The feature of the treaty most remarkable to the future historian and to posterity will be this, that the nation to whose cause we had brought our succours was not in the person of any of its authorities, or of its public officers, military or civil, at first, either considered or consulted. The convention went distinctly to recognise that the French were the conquerors of Portugal, and as such, had been entitled to exercise all the rights of conquest. The Portuguese, by the fifth article of this notable treaty, saw the plunder of their country secured to their rapacious and cruel invaders, and they remonstrated against the terms of the convention with violence and anger. By the sixth article, all traitors and time-servers were to be protected from political persecution on account of their late conduct, and were left to hatch new treasons whenever the French should again return. “General Freire, and the bishop and junta of Oporto, sought to disturb these arrangements by open remonstrance and much secret intrigue, which it were alike uninteresting and tedious to detail. Emissaries from Oporto urged the populace of Lisbon to rise upon the French, who were now concentrated in that city, but lay there constantly upon the alert, as in the midst of enemies. The judge of the people issued an inflammatory address, calling for a suspension of the treaty, and the Monteiro Mor,at the head of a levy of peasants, on the south bank of the Tagus, published a protest against the convention. Happily Sir John Hope, being appointed to command Lisbon, took possession of the citadel on the 12th of September, and by judgment and firmness calmed the tumults and repressed those dangerous and terrible disorders which in the moment of vindictive confusion and total anarchy prevailed. The first division of the French army sailed on the 15th, and was followed by the second and third as soon after as transports could be provided. In the midst of all the angry excitement of the people of Lisbon, and though endeavours had been made to direct their indignation against the English as friendly to the French, and indifferent to the losses they had sustained, and the sufferings they had undergone, the British troops were received with great warmth and cordiality. They viewed them as having avenged their wrongs in the blood of a battle, and hailed them as deliverers and friends. "After the departure of the French, the Bishop of Oporto, and, at his instigation, the junta of that city, sought to possess themselves of the supreme power in Portugal, and were desirous that the seat of the government should be established at Oporto. This was most wisely and firmly resisted by Sir Hew Dalrymple. A regency was established at Lisbon, and that capital and the country were at length restored to a state of confidence and tranquillity. "Sir Arthur Wellesley, Sir Harry Burrard, and Sir Hew Dalrymple, were now recalled to England, where the public had been so clamorous against the convention, that a formal investigation of the matter was directed by the king; and a board of general officers was assembled at Chelsea for that purpose. "To the fifth article, especially, Sir Arthur Wellesley objected; but the French, by plausible explanations and fair assurances, over-ruled these objections; and the manly integrity of the British generals made them incredulous of the extent of French cupidity and crime, till their shuffling evasions and impudent abstractions, on the eve of their departure, shamed and disgusted the honourable men of their army as much as the commissioners of our own. It is areal pleasure to be able to state, that there were French generals with this very army, who, in the last moments of their stay, when popular exasperation was loose against the troops, and when the language of abuse was fierce, and the threats of murder loud, could walk the streets in perfect safety, saluted and honoured by the people. The names of Travot, Charlot, Brennier, and many others, are on this honourable list. "The convention of Cintra was odious to the Portuguese people, and could not be otherwise, till, relieved of the presence of the French army, they had leisure to discover the solid advantages accruing from the treaty, and to ponder on the violence which the enemy might have exercised before they retired from Lisbon, |