Had the Spanish cavalry, with the horse at tillcry, been rapidly sent by the sea beach to form on the plain, and to envelope the enemy's left, and had the great body of the infantry been marched through the pine wood, in the rear, to turn the enemy's right, he must either have retired instantly, without occasioning any serious loss to the British, or have exposed himseli to inevitable destruction.
The troops, under General Graham, amounted only to about 5000, while the French had about 8000 men engaged ; but, notwithstanding this disparity of num bers, the loss of the British amounted only to about 200 killed, and 1000 wounded, and that of the French to nearly 3000. An eagle, and six pieces of cannon, and the General of Division Ruffin, the General of Brigade Rousseau, (who afterwards died of his wounds,) and 420 prisoners, were the trophies of this brilliant action. General Bellegard, aid de-camp to Marshal Victor, was killed, and the French Marshal himself is said to have escaped only by the swiftness of his horse.
The personal bravery and military skill of General Graham, which had been so conspicuous in the battle of Barrosa, excited the universal admiration of his countrymen. The thanks of both houses of parliament were unanimously voted for this gallant achievement, with a warmth of feeling which had never been exhibited on any similar occasion ; and had not the Prince Regent been fettered by the restrictions upon his office, he would have instantly conferred upon the general some signal mark of his gratitude.
About the beginning of February, the French broke ground before Badajos, on the left bank of the Guadiana, and threw some shells into the town. On the 6th of February, the troops under General Mcndizabcl entered Badajos, and the fort of St Christoval ; and, on the 7th, they made a sortie upon the enemy, by which they obtained possession of one of his batteries ; but before they had time to spike the guns, they were obliged to retire, after suffering a loss of about 85 officers, and 500 men killed and wounded. On the night of the 11th, the French carried the redoubt of Pardalleiros, and afterwards constructed a work on the left bank of the Guadiana, to fire upon the bridge of communication with the right bank. In order to keep open the com munication between Badajos, and the country on the right bank of the Guadiana, General Mendizabel took a position on the heights of St Christoval, where he was attacked and totally defeated by the French on the 19th February. After crossing the Guadiana and the Evora, the enemy surprised the Spanish army in their camp, and took all their baggage and artillery. On the 9th of March, the enemy made a breach, 18 feet wide, which was not practicable ; and, on the same day, General Imaz, the governor, received a message from Lord Wellington, assuring him of succour, and enjoining him to defend the place to the last ; but though the garrison amounted to 9000 men, well supplied with ammunition and provisions, it basely surrendered to the French on the 10th of March. " Thus, in the course of two months," says Lord NVellington, " the Spanish nation has lost the fortresses of Tortosa, Olivenza, and Badajos, without any sufficient cause ; and, at the same time, Marshal Soult, with a corps of troops which was never supposed to exceed 20,000, hesides the capture of the two hest places. has made prisoners or destroyed above
22,000 Spanish troops." On the very day on which the battle of Barrosa was fought, Masscna retreated from his position at San tarem ; and, on the morning of the 6th, tne allied army were in motion to follow him. The enemy marched towards the Mondego, and, on the 12th, their reserve, consisting of the 6th corps, and General Montbrun's cavalry, took up a strong position at the end of a defile, between Rcdinha. and Pombal, with their right in a wood upon the Souvre river, and their left extending towards the high ground above the river of Redinha, and the town in their rear. In this position they were attacked be the 3d and 4th, and light divisions of infantry, and by General Pack's brigade and the cavalry. The post of the enemy in the wood was gallantly forced by the light division, under Sir William Erskine. The troops be ing now able to form in the plain beyond the defile, Sir Brent Spencer led the line against the enemy's position on the heights, from which they were driven with great loss. The French again took a position upon the heights, on the other side of the Redinha; but the 3d division crossed over by the bridge and ford, which were com manded by the enemy's cannon, and drove them upon their main body at Condeixa. After being dislodged from Condeixa on the 13th, they formed in a very strong position near Cazel Nova, from which they could only be dislodged by movements on their flank ; these move ments, executed in a masterly manner, obliged them to abandon all the positions which they successively took in the mountains, with a considerable loss of killed, wounded, and prisoners. On the 15th, the enemy again formed on the river Ceira, but this position was also abandoned after much hard fighting. Numbers of the enemy were drowned in attempting to cross the Ceira, and a great deal of baggage, and ammunition carriages, fell into the hands of the allies. From the Sierra de Morta, where the French again made a stand, they were driven, on the 19th, with the loss of 600 prisoners, their left retiring by Gouvca, through the mountains upon Guarda, and the remainder of the army by the high road upon Celerico. On the 3d of April, several sharp actions were fought between the allied army and the enemy's left, in which the latter were uniformly beaten. In consequence of a storm of rain, which darkened the atmosphere, the 43d, 52d, and 95th regi ments were unexpectedly involved in a desperate con flict with the main body of the French, which they intended to turn. They succeeded, however, in repuls ing the enemy, and in taking one howitzer, and 200 prisoners. On the Sth, the last troops of the enemy crossed the Agneda, and on the 9th, the allied army was in the vicinity of Almeida, on the left bank of the Agueda, with their head quarters at Villa Formosa.