teresting military spectacle than that of two great men, each commanding a numerous and high-spirited army, anxious for an opportunity to engage, while they themselves are, as it were, playing a game of chess, intent and eager to take advantage of every false movement, oversight, or mistake. Such was the situation of the hostile armies on the morning of the 20th of July 1812, when at day-break they saw each other drawn up, ready to decide the contest on the spot, or to continue the tactical game. The latter was not interrupted, and, after a momentary halt to view each other, the mutual march was resumed ; and, while moving forward for several miles on open ground, within half cannon-shot of each other, it is remarkable that no accidental occurrence took place to hasten on the general attack. These movements brought the allied army to the ground which they had occupied near Salamancha, during the attack on the forts in the preceding month; but the enemy crossing the Tormes at Alba de Tormes, and appearing to threaten Cuidad Rodrigo, Lord Wellington made a corresponding movement, and, on the 21st, halted his army on the heights on the left bank. The enemy kept in movement during the night of this day, and got possession of the villages of Calvarasa de Ariba and the heights of Nuestra Senora de la Pena. In the course of this night Lord Wellington received intelligence that General Clausel, with a large body of cavalry and artillery, had reached Pollos, and would certainly join Marmont on the 23d, or 24th at farthest. Such were the movements that immediately preceded the morning of the 22d, which was ushered in with a tremendous tempest and storm of thunder and lightning. The operations of this important day commenced soon after seven o'clock, in an attempt by the outposts of both armies to get possession of two hills, Los Arapiles, on the right of the position of the Allies. The superior numbers of the enemy enabled him to possess himself of the most distant of these hills, which greatly strengthened his position, and increased his means of annoying the Allies. Several other move ments followed, in all of which the French general exerted his tactical skill to the utmost, until two o'clock, when, believing that he had accomplished his intended purpose, and that he had brought the Allies within his reach, he opened a general fire from the artillery along his whole line, and threw out numerous bodies of sharpshooters both in front and flank, designed as a feint to cover an attempt to turn the position of the British, whose attention was to be occupied by this loud display of a supposed intention to attack in front. But the British Commander was not to be thrown off his guard. Acting on the defensive, only to become the assailant with the more effect, and comprehending, with one glance, the error of his antagonist in extending his line to the left, without strengthening his centre, which had now no second line to support it, he instantly made preparations for a general attack; and, with his characteristic energy, took advantage of that "unfortunate moment, which," as the French General observed, "destroyed the result of six weeks of wise combinations of methodical movements, the issue of which had hitherto appeared certain, and which every thing appeared to presage to us that we should enjoy the fruit of." * Major-General Pakenham, with the third division, was ordered to turn the left of the enemy, whilst it was attacked in front by the divisions of Generals Leith, Cole, Bradford, and Cotton, while Generals Clinton, Hope, and Don Carlos de Espana acted as a reserve; Generals Alexander Campbell and Alten forming the left of the line. During the progress of this formation, the enemy made no change in their position, but attempted, unsuccessfully, to get possession of the village of Arapiles, defended by a detachment of the Guards. The moment was now arrived when the commander and the army were to be rewarded for the ability which had concerted, and the perseverance and gallantry which had • Marmont's Dispatch. accomplished, such complex and difficult movements. The attack began about four o'clock in the afternoon. The troops on the left, under General Pakenham, supported by the Portuguese cavalry, and by Colonel Harvey with some squadrons of the 14th dragoons, carried all their respective points of attack. In the centre, the divisions of Generals Cole, Leith, and Bradford, with Lieutenant-General Sir Stapleton Cotton's cavalry, were equally successful on "this post, which was otherwise well occupied and impregnable." These divisions drove the enemy from one height to another, till they were momentarily checked by a body of troops from the heights of Arapiles. The enemy had been attacked in that post by General Pack, with a Portuguese brigade; and, although this attempt failed in the first instance, it had the important effect of delaying the advance of the enemy on General Cole's division till the most arduous part of his attack had been accomplished. At this point the struggle was most obstinate. The British, having descended from the heights which they occupied, dashed across the intervening valley, and ascended a high and most advantageous position, on which they found the enemy formed in solid squares, the front ranks kneeling, and supported by twenty pieces of cannon. When the British approached, they were received with a general discharge of cannon and musketry, which, instead of retarding, seemed to accelerate their progress. Having gained the brow of the hill, they instantly charged, and drove the enemy before them; a body of whom attempting to rally, were thrown into irretrievable confusion by a second charge with the bayonet. The battle now became a general rout: nothing could be more complete than the victory which had crowned the gallant exertions of the great commander and his brave troops: the conquerors pursued the flying enemy as long as any of them kept together, and the approach of night alone saved the French army from total destruction. Marmont's Dispatch. The loss of the enemy in killed and wounded has not been ascertained; but 7,000 prisoners and 11 pieces of artillery were taken, General Marmont was wounded, and many officers were either killed or disabled. The British loss gave full evidence of the spirit and energy with which they had charged the enemy, and of the terror these charges had inspired, by their rapid and irresistible advance, which appears to have enervated the visual powers of their opponents before their physical strength was touched. When the mind and the sight are affected, bodily resistance will be proportionably ineffectual. Hence a great, brave, and veteran army of France, accustomed to fight and to conquer, was completely overthrown, with a loss to the British of 385, to the Portuguese of 287, and to the Spaniards of 2 soldiers killed, while the sum-total of the wounded did not exceed 4,000 men. The consequences of the battle of Salamancha were soon felt throughout all Spain; and the splendour of Lord Wellington's actions overcoming the punctilious jealousy of the Spaniards, he was appointed Generalissimo of the Spanish armies, and thus obtained the important object of directing the operations of our Spanish allies, the want of which had been so severely felt, and so bitterly complained of, by Sir John Moore. Even now, after all that had been done, the time of the Cortes seemed more occupied with political squabbles, and in the formation of what was called a constitution, than in calling forth the resources of the country to secure that independence, without which they could have neither constitution, liberty, nor country, and Spain, with the once proud and high-spirited Castilians, become a province, and subjects of France. After various movements and skirmishes, the Allied army entered Madrid on the 12th of August, and was received with transports by the inhabitants." It is not in my power," says an eye-witness, " to give you an adequate idea of the enthusiasm with which we have been received. The whole population came out to meet us with tears of joy. Every individual embraced the first soldier or officer whom he could lay hold of, while we were marching." But it would appear that enthusiasm, gratitude, and patriotism, are warmest when they cost nothing; for, with the good people of Madrid, these feelings cooled very quickly when a loan of two millions of piastres was demanded, but not raised at the point of the bayonet, as their late masters, the But the French, were used to levy their contributions. principal advantage which Lord Wellington calculated to derive from Spain was the co-operation of the brave peasantry of the distant provinces, who, although badly organised, worse commanded, and often beaten and scattered, always collected and formed in some other position. Yet, certainly, more support than he ever received was necessary. Situated as he was, with a British and Portuguese force not exceeding 70,000 men in all parts of the kingdom, he had to oppose an enemy supposed to amount to 190,000, many of them veteran troops, commanded by able generals, and occupying several of the strongest stations in the country. But superiority of numbers, experienced generals, and all other advantages, were compelled to yield to transcendent military talents, professional skill, courage, and perse verance. General Clausel, who had succeeded to the command after Marshal Marmont was wounded, having organised an army, and threatened some of our positions on the Douro, Lord Wellington left Madrid on the 1st of September, and marching northward, entered Valladolid on the 7th, the enemy retiring as he advanced; and, after several other changes of position, was joined at Pampliega, on the 16th, by the Spanish General, Castanos, with a body of infantry amounting to 12,000 men; and, on the 17th, the united force took up a position close to Burgos, through which the enemy retired, leaving a garrison of 2,500 men. On the day previous to the retreat, they had drawn up in order of battle. An opportunity was thus afforded of appreciating the important results of the battle of Salamancha, and of |