WHEN the British army captured Badajoz, Marshal Soult was moving up quickly to its support, and had already arrived within two marches, when he learnt that it had been taken only two days before. The Marshal was much chagrined at the news, but he contented himself, as report says, with breaking all the plates and dishes in his immediate reach, and lost no time in returning to Seville. Marmont too, who had invested Ciudad Rodrigo, in order to make a diversion in favour of Badajoz, retreated the day after its capture, and fell back to Salamanca. Lord Wellington's first object was to interrupt the communication between the two French generals, by destroying their works and bridge of boats across the Tagus, at Almaraz, an operation gallantly VOL. I. and ably performed by Sir Rowland Hill, (at present Lord Hill, and Commander in Chief.) He then advanced towards Salamanca in the middle of June, and the French withdrew beyond the river Tormes, on whose right bank it stands; the British entered the city, and having reduced several strong forts which the enemy had there constructed, pursued Marmont and his army to the Douro. But the Marshal being strongly reinforced, even advanced again, and caused the British general in his turn to retire. And now began a brilliant contest of skill, between the two commanders, in which each displayed all the resources of his art, and wielded them with consummate ability. Marmont's object was evidently to cut off the allies from their communication with Salamanca and Ciudad Rodrigo, 3 C and not to fight a battle, unless at such advantage as might seem to render his success certain; to frustrate this design was of course the purpose of Lord Wellington. The manœuvres of the French marshal were met by corresponding movements on the part of the British general, and thus rendered of no avail; and for six days did this game of skill continue. "It was an awful sight," says Mr. Southey, "to behold two great armies in an open and level country, moving in parallel lines in full march, and frequently within half cannon-shot of each other, each waiting for some favourable moment, in which the antagonist might be found at fault." Nor was it long before it came. Early on the morning of the 22nd of July, the British army was posted, with its left resting on the river Tormes, and its right, near two remarkably bold rocky heights, called the Dos Arapiles; the enemy being immediately in front, and covered by a thick wood. About eight o'clock, a column of French soldiers issued from the wood, and advancing rapidly, seized the outer and most extensive of those strong points; the other was instantly occupied by the British. Marshal Marmont collected behind the Arapiles a large force, and having great reliance on his skill as a tactician, commenced manœuvring on a range of easy heights, about a thousand yards in front of his opponents. In this manner the early part of the day was spent; but about two o'clock in the afternoon, the marshal, with much show, and amidst great noise, caused by the firing of his artillery, and the muskets of a cloud of skirmishers thrown out from his front and flank, rapidly extended his left, and moved forward his troops, "apparently," said Lord Wellington in his despatch, "with an intention to embrace, by the position of his troops, and by his fire, our post on that of the two Arapiles which we possessed, and from thence to attack and break our line; or at all events, to render difficult any movement of ours to our right. This manœuvre of Marmont's offered the British general an opportunity of attack, for which he had been anxiously looking. He was at dinner, when informed of it; but at once perceiving his advantage, he rose in such haste has to overturn the table, exclaiming, "Marmont's good genius has forsaken him :" in an instant he was on horseback, issuing those orders which won the battle of Salamanca. The French had dangerously weakened their left by too greatly extending it. It rested originally, as we have observed, upon one of two remarkable rocky points, called the Dos Arapiles, on the other of which was posted the British right; but it was now prolonged on the heights beyond that point. The British General resolved on three simultaneous attacks upon this part of Marmont's army: one upon its front; a second to support the first by assailing the Arapiles Hill, which the enemy held; and the other to turn their left upon the heights. The divisions of Generals Leith and Cole, with Bradford's brigade, and Sir Stapleton Cotton's cavalry, were charged with the first; General Pack's, and two Portuguese regiments, with the second; and the third division, under Pakenham, with D'Urban's cavalry, and two squadrons of dragoons, under Colonel Hervey, were directed upon the third, Pakenham's force moved briskly over the intervening valley, and passing beyond the enemy's extended left, almost before they were aware of his intention, formed across their flank, drove them back in disorder, and overthrew every thing that presented itself. The cavalry charged, and breaking in gallantly among the confused masses of infantry, put numbers to the sword. The attack in front was equally successful; the British troops had been lying stretched on the ground, to avoid the effects of the heavy cannonade to which they were exposed for about an hour, when the welcome orders came, which bade them advance against the enemy. "The distance," says Mr. Southey, was more than a mile, up a steep height crowned by twenty pieces of cannon, and their left had to pass through the village, which formed a considerable obstruction; they advanced in perfect order, not firing a shot till they had gained the summit, from whence the guns which had annoyed them were hastily withdrawn, nor till they had received the fire of the enemy, who were formed into squares to resist them. When they were within some thirty yards, the word was given to fire and charge; this instantly threw the squares into disorder; the heavy cavalry coming up on the right increased their confusion; they fled then, and in their flight, fell in with the remains of their extreme left, flying before Major-General Pakenham's division." The French were driven successively from one height to another; and a large number of them made prisoners. But the British soon experienced a check, in consequence of the failure of Pack's attack upon the Arapiles, enabling the enemy to throw some troops upon the left of the force which had attacked their front. Cole's division was obliged to give way, after a severe contest, in which their general was wounded. But the promptitude of Marshal Beresford, and the opportune aid afforded by a fresh division which had been kept in reserve, and which Lord Wellington now ordered up, soon restored the success of the British. The enemy's right, however, reinforced by the troops which had fled from his left, and by those which had now retired from the Arapiles, still continued to resist; they re-formed and took up their ground with great quickness and skill, almost at right angles to their original front, the infantry along the crest of the hill in line, supported by heavy close columns in reserve, the cavalry in masses on their flanks, and the artillery posted at the advanced knolls, so as to sweep the whole face of the height. But all their resistance was vain; they were driven back, and soon fled through the woods towards the Tormes, cavalry, infantry, and baggage, all mixed together. They were briskly pursued; but the darkness of the night was highly advantageous to them, and under its cover many escaped, who must otherwise have fallen into the hands of the victors. The loss in this battle was severe on both sides, and particularly on that of the French. Besides the dead and wounded, they left 7000 prisoners on the field; and eleven pieces of cannon, with several ammunition-waggons, two eagles, and six colours, were taken from them. Of the allies, nearly 5000 were killed and wounded; among the latter were Generals Cole and Leith, and Marshal Beresford; and among the former was General Le Marchant, whose loss the Earl of Wellington regretted as that of "a most noble officer." On the French side, towards the close of the battle, General Marmont was so badly wounded by a shell, near the right shoulder, that he was forced to be carried off the field by six grenadiers; and shortly after his arm was amputated at Penaranda. His second was also wounded, and three generals were killed. The victory thus gained at Salamanca, was the most memorable and decisive which had hitherto crowned the British arms in the peninsula. The thanks of both Houses of Parliament were unanimously voted to the Marquis of Wellington. In the House of Lords, Earl Bathurst took a review of the proceedings of this illustrious general, from the commencement of the campaign, up to the victory in question. In the House of Commons, Lord Castlereagh asserted, "that, as a proof of the effect of the splendid victory at Salamanca, on the eve of the battle of Borodino, a battle as destructive as that of Eylau or of Aspern -a battle in which 80,000 men sacrificed themselves to the liberties of their country, on the eve of that battle, Prince Kutusoff animated his troops by telling them what the English had done on the plains of Salamanca." The Eleventh regiment of foot, composing a part of Major-General Hulse's brigade, in the sixth division, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Cuyler, on the morning of the battle, took the field, mustering effective, 32 officers, 30 serjeants, and 412 rank and file. About the hour of five o'clock on that afternoon, an opportunity having offered, long and ardently wished for, this brigade deployed and advanced firing. When arrived at the approved distance, orders were given for the charge, and such was the consummate valour and steadiness displayed in its performance, that that part of the enemy immediately opposed gave way, almost instantaneously, in precipitate disorder. The brigade being now halted, was called upon to change front, and proceed to the fourth division, then vigorously assailed by a superior force on a neighbouring acclivity. It advanced accordingly,--but, in a moment such as this, when native heroism animated every breast, and discipline so manifestly revealed itself on all sides, to instance the from ignorance of fear, and kind and benevolent from natural goodness of heart. He had prevented his friends from bestowing on him any of the advantages of education in early life, by running away from them; and had indulged his aquatic propensities by commencing his career on board a coal barge. Of course he was lost to his family for some time; for who could have imagined that any human being, in the rank of a gentleman, could have selected such a profession from choice? But Will did not do things like any body else, and God knows to what honors he might have risen in the coal trade, had he not been accidentally discovered by his friends. conduct of any particular corps, merits | shrewd common sense; he was brave perhaps an unfavourable imputation. Being elated with recent success, as well as fired with a loss already sustained, in conjunction with their brigade, the Eleventh rapidly ascended to the attack, in the face of an incessant discharge of cannon and musketry, that cut off, as it were, their ranks by sections. Such, indeed, was the conduct of the sixth division on this occasion, of which the Eleventh was the advance, that Lord Wellington's observation, in his dispatch, dated Flores de Avilla, July 24th, 1812, is certainly expressive of his approbation-and the approbation of such a General, in a season so momentous, is no mean military prize. "I ordered up," says he," the sixth division, under Major-General Clinton, to relieve the fourth, and the battle was soon restored to its former success," &c. &c. Having stated this, we may be allowed to give the address of that gallant officer, the late Major-General Hulse, to this regiment at the close of the action: "I have noticed," said he, "your conduct throughout; because I have been present with you. Soldiers, none of you have swerved from your duty; you have been rivals for your country's glory; and deserve its gratitude. I am not come before you, Eleventh, to flatter you with words, which would as ill become you to hear, as me to repeat. The services of the day will record for themselves and to me it will ever be, not a mean boast, that I consider myself in an extraordinary degree, a partaker of its honours, in having been so fortunate as to command you.” SKETCH OF A LATE NAVAL CHARACTER. THERE are people in the world so constitutionally fortunate, that, do what they will, they fall upon their legs like cats. Without one grain of talent, without any ability whatever, without any exertion on their part, and almost against their will, they succeed in whatever they undertake; indeed, in some cases, without undertaking anything, fortune is, as it were, forced upon them. Captain was one of these; he had none of the advantages either of manners, appearance, or education; he had got on by sheer good fortune and It so happened that two of his sisters were on a visit to a family which resided on the coast of Kent, and the whole party were very much alarmed one evening by a prodigious uproar in the kitchen. On hastily proceeding in a body to learn the cause of this disturbance, the sisters, to their great astonishment, found their long-lost brother established on the fat cook's lap, with a can of ale in his hand, roaring out "Tom Bowling," or some favourite sea-song. It may easily be imagined they did not suffer him to return to his collier, but did all they possibly could to inspire him with better taste, and make him forego his low propensities. But all in vain; Will had a will of his own, which no persuasion could overcome, an obstinacy of purpose which lasted all his life, and, on this occasion prompted him to set off again; so that it was long ere his family heard anything of him, indeed they had almost given him up. - The first accounts they received were from the Cape of Good Hope. He informed them that he had been pressed into H. M. ship L- from an Indiaman, on board of which he was serving in the honourable and lucrative capacity of cook's mate. He was now in the way to be made a gentleman in spite of himself; for his family, exerting themselves in his behalf, got him rated a midshipman on board the ship into which he was pressed, and his career in the service was as fortunate as his forced entry into it had been extraordinary. The service was not then quite the tion of bravery to engage so very supesame as it is now; naval officers were rior an enemy; but taking advantage of not such fine gentlemen as they are at his first success, he kept up such an inpresent; but I should doubt if they had cessant fire on the frigate as left her no such honourable devotion to their coun- time to deliberate, when a report was try's welfare. Be that as it may, the made to him that the cartridges were L- - proceeded to the East Indies, nearly all expended. Here again his and Will underwent the usual routine good fortune interposed; and what of a midshipman's life. The season would have been any other body's ruin happened to have been unusually sickly, proved his advantage; for, by some acand there was a great want of officers cident, Will had a good woman on board, on the station, so that Will, before his a sort of pie-bald, half-caste mixture, time was served, was appointed acting who turned out a perfect Amazon at this lieutenant of the a small brig, pinch, and relieved her gentle officer's mounting sixteen nine-pounders, then heart by converting all the stockings on under orders for the Cape station. Here board into cartridges, which she unrehis usual good fortune followed him; for mittingly filled with powder, with her he had not been long at the Cape of own fair hands. Will, delighted with Good Hope before the first lieutenant this new expedient, looked down with was taken ill, and obliged to go in the admiring approbation, on his fair coadhospital, so that he became command-jutoress, seated with a barrel of guning-officer whenever the Captain was powder on one side, and a pile of stockabsent; and in this state the pro-ings on the other, filling them as fast as ceeded to, I forget the name of the bay, | she could; while he ran about the deck where a number of Indiamen were at encouraging his men, rubbing his hands, anchor, to protect them from attack. and calling out, " more stockings, Nan; I say, Nan, you more stockings!" The fire was kept up with such spirit and success, that it was quite impossible for the Frenchman to resist; the first broadside killed a number of his men, as it raked the ship "fore and aft;" and several of the officers, who were seated at supper in the gun-room, were swept off before the cloth was removed. Perceiving that the brig had judiciously kept at a sufficient distance to prevent boarding, there was nothing left but to cut and run, and "La Preneuse," of forty-four guns, was obliged fairly to make off from our little brig of sixteen long nines, with a terrible loss in killed and wounded. It so happened that a French frigate, of forty-four guns, had been long cruising off the coast; and coming into the bay, disguised as an Indiaman, in hopes of taking a few prizes, she anchored in the midst of them, without being aware that there was a man-of-war in the roadstead. Will, who had a sort of instinct for discovering an enemy, and could tell a Frenchman under any disguise, determined, with a very unusual exertion of prudence, to wait until it was dark be- | fore he commenced his operations against the intruder. By a still more strange coincidence, he was left on this occasion entirely to his own resources, for the captain was on shore, and the surf ran so tremendously high, that it was quite impossible to communicate with him, still The noise of the guns brought the more so to have got off, had he known Captain and the Governor-general of what was the matter.-Will quietly pre- the Cape, who happened at that time to pared for action, harangued his men, be there, to witness the action; and whose numbers were greatly reduced by nothing could exceed the admiration of sickness, and, as soon as it was dark, the one and the vexation of the other, at slipped his cable without the least noise; not being on board to fight his own ship; and getting athwart-hawse of the frigate, although he generously allowed that he within pistol-shot, opened a most de- could not have done it better himself. structive fire of grape and cannister on So little did Will think he had done any the unfortunate Frenchman, who was thing at all out of the way, that, in the quite unprepared for such an attack. I simplicity and singleness of his heart, he have said before, that Will was as brave was not even going to write to the Adas a lion, and it required no small exer-miralty, when his messmates and the |