The operations of the French army in Andalusia, were not attended with the same success. The army under General Laval laid siege to Tarilfa on the 20th of December 1811. On the 29th they began to batter in breach, and till the 31st they kept up a heavy fire of cannon on the breach, and of shells on the town cause way and island. On the morning of the 31st, a strong column of French troops, amounting to 2000, composed of all the grenadiers and voltigeurs of the army, advan ced rapidly to the breach ; but the British and Spanish troops, under Colonel Skerret, attacked them with such intrepidity, that in less than an hour they were com pletely repulsed. Numbers of the enemy fell near the foot of the breach, and the rest of the column made a pre cipitate retreat. The situation of the enemy's wounded, with which the ground was covered between his battery and our fire, where they must inevitably have perished, induced Colonel Skerret to hoist a flag of truce to carry them off. Some of them were brought into the place over the breach ; but, from the extreme difficulty of this operation, the enemy were permitted to carry the rest away. The garrison of Tariffa consisted only of 1000 British troops, and about 800 Spaniards. The walls of the town had been built merely as a defence against archery, and had the additional disadvantage of being commanded within half musket-shot, and flanked, or taken in reverse in almost every part. The French continued to keep up a partial fire upon Tariffa ; and on the 1st of January, the breach was completely open for the space of 25 or 30 yards. The enemy durst not venture, however, upon a second assault ; but taking advantage of a dark and stormy night, they made a pre cipitate retreat, and left behind them all their artillery, ammunition, and stores.
Lord Wellington having removed his head-quartera from Frcnada to Gallegos, invested Ciudad Rodrigo on the 8th of January. By means of a pallisadoed redoubt on the hill of St Francisco, and by fortifying three con vents in the suburb, the defences of which are connected with the redoubt, the enemy had so much increased the difficulty of approaching the place, that Lord Wel lington was obliged to obtain possession of the work on the hill of St Francisco, before any progress could be made in the attack. A detachment of the light division under Colonel Colborne was accordingly directed to at tack the work soon after it was dark, and in a short time it was taken by storm, with the loss only of a few men. By obtaining possession of this work, he was enabled to break ground within 600 yards of the place, though the fortified convents were still in the possession of the French, and the redoubt on St Francisco was turned into a part of the first parallel. On the 14th of January, the fire of 22 pieces of ordnance was opened from the three batteries in the first parallel, and on the evening of the same day, the besiegers were established in the second parallel, the enemy's detachment having been previously dislodged from the convent of Santa Cruz, by Licut. General Graham. The convent of San Fran cisco, and the other fortified posts in the suburb, were likewise taken on the same evening ; and by these opera tions the approaches were protected both on the right and left. From the 15th to the 19th, Lord Wellington continued to complete the second parallel and the com munication with the work, and had made sonic progress by sap towards the crest of the glacis ; and on the night of the 15th, he had likewise advanced from the left of the first parallel down the slope of the hill towards the convent of St Francisco, to a situation from which the walls of the Faussc Braye and of the town were seen.
A battery of seven guns was here constructed, and on the morning of the 18th its fire commenced. On the evening of the 19th, the batteries of the first parallel had not only considerably injured the defences of the place, but had made breaches in the Fausse Braye wall, and in the body of the place, which were considered practica ble; while the battery on the slope of the hill had been equally efficient still further to the left, and opposite to the suburb of St Francisco. Though the approaches Avere not brought to the crest of the glacis, and though the counterscarp of the ditch was still entire, Lord Wellington determined to storm the place. Five columns accordingly marched to the attack, on the evening of the 19th. The two right columns, led by Colonel O'Toole and Major Ridge, were destined to protect the advance of Major-General Mackinnon's brigade, forming the third column, to the top of the breach in the Fausse Braye wall ; and all these, being composed.of troops of the third division, were under the command of Lieu tenant-General Picton. The fourth column, which be longed to the light division, under Major-General Crau furd, attacked the breaches on the left, in front of the suburb of St Francisco, and covered the left of the attack upon the principal breach ; while Brigadier-G?neraI Pack's brigade, forming the fifth column, was directed to make a false attack upon the southern lace of the fort. In addition to these columns, the 94th regiment descended into the ditch in two columns, on the right of Major-General Mackinnon's brigade, in order to pro tect the descent of the body into the ditch, and its attack of the breach in the Fausse Braye, against any obstacles which the enemy might construct to oppose its pro gress.
All these attacks were attended with success. The false attack of Brigadier-General Pack was even con verted into a real one, and his advanced guard followed the enemy's troops from the advanced works into the Fausse Braye, where they made prisoners of all who were opposed to them.
After escalading the Fausse Braye wall, Major Ridge stormed the principal breach in the body of the place, along with the 94th regiment under Lieutenant Colonel Campbell, which had moved along the ditch at the same time. In this manner did these regiments not only cover the advance from the trenches of Major General Mack innon's brigade, but they even preceded it in the attack. The troops of the light division on the left, under Major General Craufurd, and Major General Vandeleur, were likewise far advanced ; and in less than half an hour from the commencement of the attack, the British troops were formed on the ramparts of the place, and the enemy were compelled to submit, after sustaining a severe loss. The loss of the British, particularly in officers, was very great. Major General Mackinnon was unfortunately blown up, by the accidental explosion of one of the enemy's expence magazines, close to the breach, after lie had gallantly conducted to the attack the troops under his command. Major Generals Craufurd and Vande leur were both severely wounded. Great quantities of ammunition and stores, and 153 pieces of ordnance, in eluding the heavy train of the French army, were found in Ciudad Rodrigo. The governor, along with 78 officers and 1700 men, likewise fell into our hands.* (n)