Chapter V

Estimate of the French loss--Anecdote of Colonel Waters--Lord
Wellington’s great conceptions explained--How impeded--Affairs
in the south of Spain--Formation of the fourth and fifth
Spanish armies--Siege of Campo Mayor--Place falls--Excellent
conduct of major Tallaia--Beresford surprises Montbrun--Combat
of cavalry--Campo Mayor recovered--Beresford takes
cantonments round Elvas--His difficulties--Reflections upon
his proceedings--He throws a bridge near Jerumenha and
passes the Guadiana--Outposts of cavalry cut off by the
French--Castaños arrives at Elvas--Arrangements relative to
the chief command--Beresford advances against Latour Maubourg,
who returns to Llerena--General Cole takes Olivenza--Cavalry
skirmish near Usagre--Lord Wellington arrives at Elvas, examines
Badajos--Skirmish there--Arranges the operations--Political
difficulties--Lord Wellington returns to the Agueda--Operations
in the north--Skirmishes on the Agueda--Massena advances to
Ciudad Rodrigo--Lord Wellington reaches the army--Retires behind
the Dos Casas--Combat of Fuentes Onoro--Battle of Fuentes
Onoro--Evacuation of Almeida 489

CHAPTER VI.

Lord Wellington quits the army of Beira--Marshal Beresford’s
operations--Colonel Colborne’s beats up the French quarters
in Estremadura, and intercepts their convoys--First English
siege of Badajos--Captain Squires breaks ground before San
Cristoval--His works overwhelmed by the French fire--Soult
advances to relieve the place--Beresford raises the siege--Holds
a conference with the Spanish generals, and resolves to
fight--Colonel Colborne rejoins the army, which takes a position
at Albuera--Allied cavalry driven in by the French--General Blake
joins Beresford--General Cole arrives on the frontier--Battle of
Albuera 523

CHAPTER VII.

Continuation of the battle of Albuera--Dreadful state of both
armies--Soult retreats to Solano--General Hamilton resumes the
investment of Badajos--Lord Wellington reaches the field of
battle--Third and seventh divisions arrive--Beresford follows
Soult--The latter abandons the castle of Villalba and retreats
to Llerena--Cavalry action at Usagre--Beresford quits the
army--General Hill reassumes the command of the second division,
and lord Wellington renews the siege of Badajos.--Observations 542

_Papers relating to the former volumes._

I. Letter from major-general F. Ponsonby 559

II. Note upon the situation of Spain in 1808, dictated by
Napoleon 560