Chapter II

Greatness of lord Wellington’s plans--Situation of the
belligerents described--State of the French--Character of
Joseph--Of his Ministers--Disputes with the Marshals--Napoleon’s
policy--Military governments--Almenara sent to Paris--Curious
deception executed by the marquis of Romana, Mr. Stuart,
and the historian Cabanes--Prodigious force of the French
army--State of Spain--Inertness of Gallicia--Secret plan of
the Regency for encouraging the Guerillas--Operations of those
bands--Injustice and absurdity of the Regency, with respect to
South America--England--State of parties--Factious injustice on
both sides--Difficulty of raising money--Bullion committee--Wm.
Cobbett--Lord King--Mr. Vansittart--Extravagance of the
Ministers--State of Portugal--Parties in that country--Intrigues
of the Patriarch and the Souza’s--Mr. Stuart is appointed
Plenipotentiary--His firmness--Princess Carlotta claims the
regency of the whole Peninsula, and the succession to the throne
of Spain 234

CHAPTER III.

Lord Wellington’s scheme for the defence of Portugal--Vastness
of his designs--Number of his troops--Description of the
country--Plan of defence analysed--Difficulty of supplying the
army--Resources of the belligerents compared--Character of the
British soldier 254

CHAPTER IV.

Character of Miguel Alava--Portuguese government demand more
English troops--Lord Wellington refuses, and reproaches the
Regency--The factious conduct of the latter--Character of the
light division--General Crawfurd passed the Coa--His activity
and skilful arrangements--Is joined by Carrera--Skirmish
at Barba del Puerco--Carrera invites Ney to desert--Romana
arrives at head-quarters--Lord Wellington refuses to succour
Ciudad Rodrigo--His decision vindicated--Crawfurd’s ability
and obstinacy--He maintains his position--Skirmish at
Alameda--Captain Kraükenberg’s gallantry--Skirmish at Villa de
Puerco--Colonel Talbot killed--Gallantry of the French captain
Guache--Combat of the Coa--Comparison between general Picton and
general Crawfurd 273

CHAPTER V.

Slight operations in Gallicia, Castile, the Asturias,
Estremadura, and Andalusia--Reynier passes the Tagus--Hill
makes a parallel movement--Romana spreads his troops
over Estremadura--Lord Wellington assembles a reserve at
Thomar--Critical situation of Silveira--Captures a Swiss
battalion at Puebla de Senabria--Romana’s troops defeated at
Benvenida--Lascy and captain Cockburne land troops at Moguer
but are forced to reimbark--Lord Wellington’s plan--How
thwarted--Siege of Almeida--Allies advance to Frexadas--The
magazine of Almeida explodes--Treachery of Bareiros--Town
surrenders--The allies withdraw behind the Mondego--Fort of
Albuquerque ruined by an explosion--Reynier marches on Sabugal,
but returns to Zarza Mayor--Napoleon directs Massena to
advance--Description of the country--Erroneous notions of lord
Wellington’s views entertained by both armies 296

CHAPTER VI.

Third Invasion of Portugal--Napoleon’s prudence in military
affairs vindicated--Massena concentrated his corps--Occupies
Guarda--Passes the Mondego--Marches on Viseu--Lord Wellington
falls back--Secures Coimbra, passes to the right bank of the
Mondego, and is joined by the reserve from Thomar--General
Hill anticipates his orders, and by a forced march reaches the
Alva--The allied army is thus interposed between the French
and Coimbra--Daring action of colonel Trant--Contemporaneous
events in Estremadura, and the Condado de Niebla--Romana
defeated--Gallantry of the Portuguese cavalry under general
Madden--Dangerous crisis of affairs--Violence of the Souza
faction--An indiscreet letter from an English officer, creates
great confusion at Oporto--Lord Wellington rebukes the Portuguese
Regency--He is forced to alter his plans, and resolves to offer
battle--Chooses the position of Busaco 312

CHAPTER VII.

General Pack destroys the bridges on the Criz and Dao--Remarkable
panic in the light division--The second and sixth corps arrive in
front of Busaco--Ney and Regnier desire to attack, but Massena
delays--The eighth corps and the cavalry arrive--Battle of
Busaco--Massena turns the right of the allies--Lord Wellington
falls back, and orders the northern militia to close on the
French rear--Cavalry skirmish on the Mondego--Coimbra evacuated,
dreadful scene there--Disorders in the army--Lord Wellington’s
firmness contrasted with Massena’s indolence--Observations 325

CHAPTER VIII.

Massena resumes his march--The militia close upon his
rear--Cavalry skirmish near Leiria--Allies retreat upon the
lines--Colonel Trant surprises Coimbra--The French army continues
its march--Cavalry skirmish at Rio Mayor--General Crawfurd is
surprised at Alemquer and retreats by the wrong road--Dangerous
results of this error--Description of the lines of Torres
Vedras--Massena arrives in front of them--Romana reinforces
Lord Wellington with two Spanish divisions--Remarkable works
executed by the light division at Aruda--The French skirmish at
Sobral--General Harvey wounded--General St. Croix killed--Massena
takes a permanent position in front of the Lines--He is harassed
on the rear and flanks by the British cavalry and the Portuguese
militia 340

CHAPTER IX.

State of Lisbon--Embargo on the vessels in the river--Factious
conduct of the Patriarch--The desponding letters from the
army--Alarm--Lord Liverpool--Lord Wellington displays the
greatest firmness, vigour, and dignity, of mind--He rebukes
the Portuguese Regency, and exposes the duplicity and
presumption of the Patriarch’s faction--Violence of this
faction--Curious revelation made by Baron Eben and the editor
of the Brazilienza--Lord Wellesley awes the Court of Rio
Janeiro--Strengthens the authority of Lord Wellington and Mr.
Stuart--The French seize the Islands in the river--Foolish
conduct of the governor of Setuval--General Fane sent to the left
bank of the Tagus--Lord Wellington’s embarrassments become more
serious--The heights of Almada fortified--Violent altercation of
the Regency upon this subject--The Patriarch insults Mr. Stuart
and nearly ruins the common cause 364