With "the Thirty-Second" in the peninsular and other campaigns

CHAPTER XI

Reception at Salamanca—Wellington in danger—We storm the forts—A judge of brandy—I amuse the enemy—Stormy bivouac —Battle of Salamanca—The attack of the sixth division—I am wounded—Victory—Heavy losses—Sad incidents—The battle- field—JVotes: French riflemen—Lieutenant Grattan’s account of the charge of the sixth division. 5 ; : i LOS:

CHAPTER XI

The sixth division enters Salamanca—We besiege and take the forts— Movements of the hostile enemies—Battle of Salamanca —Being wounded, I return to the city—Scenes there— Wellington enters Madrid—Invests Burgos—The siege—The retreat—I obtain leave of absence—Repair to Lisbon—Sail for England.

CHAPTER XII

AFTER the action at Salamanca, Lord Wellington, driving King Joseph before him, moved upon Madrid, The citizens received the allied troops with loud acclamations, and nothing could surpass the en- thusiasm with which Lord Wellington was greeted by all classes. Don Carlos de Espana was named Governor of the city, but this reminds me of one of my anecdotes.

A RESCUE 301

The crowned heads seemed now to be thoroughly possessed with the rage militaire. They all went to Dijon to see the Austrian troops; and, on their return, the Duke treated them with a representation of the battle of Salamanca. I was not in the ranks on this occasion, but rode to the ground; my steed was very hard-pulled, and carried me alongside the Emperor of Austria ; but, as his staff perceived that my intrusion among them was perfectly accidental and involuntary, it passed off with a smile. In one of the manceuvres the infantry opened to let the cavalry pass between, and while they were executing it the Emperor of Russia rode off from his staff and the Duke of Wellington, and galloped down to see the Household Brigade charge. The effect was very imposing, and the Emperor’s attention seemed to be particularly arrested by the fine appearance of the Oxford Blues.

XV1 INTRODUCTION

In 1807 Captain Ross-Lewin took part in the siege and capture of Copenhagen, while in the ensuing year he fought at Roleia and Vimiera. He next witnessed the taking of Flushing, and the storming of the forts at Salamanca. In the general action that followed this last exploit he received a severe wound, which to the end of his life proved a continual source of trouble. He next served at the unsuccessful siege of Burgos, and took part in the retreat from that town. He saw something of the siege of Badajos, fought at Orthes, and, as a field officer of the 5th Division, was in the thick of the fighting at Quatre Bras and Waterloo. He is said to have distinguished himself by his remarkable coolness during the course of the latter action. The last shot he saw fired in anger was in the Ionian rising of 1820.

THE VOYAGE 17

1 What is still more remarkable, they were all three killed in action on the same day at Quatre Bras. See p. 262, .

THE CASUALTIES 285

The fighting at les Quatre Bras and Waterloo was of the severest character ; never were positions more furiously attacked or more obstinately defended. The French never fought with greater acharnement, as they express it; yet, at no moment during the two days was their fire equal to that with which they received us as we advanced to the attack of Clausel’s position at Salamanca. Their artillery was ad- mirably served, and the gallantry of their cuirassiers, though baffled by the intrepidity of our troops, was

LOUIS LE DESIRE 297

The English newspapers containing the Duke of Wellington’s despatches now arrived at our canton- ments. Some regiments that had taken part in the battle of Quatre Bras were much hurt when they found that they had been overlooked, as they felt that their conduct had certainly merited particular notice. The following are the six battalions that suffered the greatest loss during the campaign: the second and third battalions of the rst regiment of Guards, the 27th, 32nd, the 79th, and the gz2nd. On the 24th there was a grand review of the army under the Duke of Wellington. The Emperors of Austria and Russia and the Kings of Prussia and the Netherlands attended to witness this military spec- tacle. The troops were under arms from six in the morning until the same hour in the evening, and it was to them a very tiresome day, however enter- taining it may have been to the imperial and royal spectators.