CHAPTER V.

Condition of Spain in 1809-Second Siege of Zaragoza-Appointment of General Wellesley to be Commander-in-Chief of the Portuguese troops-His arrival in Portugal-Appointment of General Beresford as second in command-Portugal made the basis of the operations of the Allied Troops in the Peninsula-Attacks on him in ParliamentPassage of the Douro-Appointed Marshal-General of the armies of Portugal.

THE condition of Spain at the beginning of the year 1809 was gloomy enough. Her undisciplined armies had been scattered in all directions, and a fine English force, to which Spaniards had naturally looked for support and cooperation, had sought the shelter of its ships without making a single effort in their behalf. The presence of 200,000 Frenchmen in the country, associated with all the prestige that attached to the name of Buonaparte, seemed to forbid hope, and to confirm the most gloomy anticipations for the future. From the day on which the last transport left Corunna, the subjugation of the Peninsula was looked upon as inevitable. The unexpected departure of Napoleon to lead fresh armies into Austria, improved but little the gloomy aspect of affairs. He had left his lieutenants, men of his own calibre, behind him. His brother Joseph seemed once again firmly seated on the throne of Spain. The siege of Barcelona had been raised, and Catalonia subjugated by the dispersion of the army of that province on the Lobregat; the city of Zaragoza, which had been again invested, could hardly be expected to maintain a protracted resistance; the mountain barrier of Andalusia stood in little stead against invaders, when its defence was entrusted to the troops that fled from a regiment of lancers at the pass of Somosierra; and Portugal, now left almost wholly to her own resources, could offer but little effectual resistance to the common enemy. In fine, Napoleon, when he had given orders to his marshals to march on Corunna, Lisbon, Cadiz, and Valencia, returned to France, with the firm conviction that the war in Spain was concluded. If such were his

impression, he reckoned without his host. True it is that the Spaniards were more disunited than ever. The public authorities had, with a few exceptions, tendered their unconditional adhesion to the new state of things; and in Madrid, 30,000 persons had subscribed their names to a request to the Emperor, that they might have the honour of Joseph Buonaparte for their king! Whilst the northern provinces were in the undisputed possession of Napoleon, all the fortresses of mark were occupied by his soldiers, and were all connected or secured by intermediate posts. Including garrisons, depôts, and men in hospital, the entire French force in Spain exceeded 330,000, of whom 40,000 were cavalry. Who then could be blamed for taking a somewhat desponding view of the fortunes of Spain? The only consolation which seemed to be left was, that as she could not be worse, any change in her affairs must be for the better. The Spanish generals had, as usual, been beaten at every point; and the only feat of any real importance to set against all their failures, was the second siege of Zaragoza. The city had been converted into one vast fortress; the doors and windows of the houses had been built up, and their fronts loopholed; internal communications were broken through the party walls; the streets were trenched, and crossed by earthen ramparts, mounted with cannon; and every strong building had been turned into a separate fortification. Provisioned for six months with abundance of serviceable arms, and a powder manufactory within the walls, wine, medicines, fresh meat, and money in abundance, it might fairly be expected to stand a siege of considerable length. It is foreign to our present purpose to repeat the details of its defence. They are familiar to all admirers of the pages of Napier. Suffice it to remark, that for fifty-three days did the same Arragonese bands which had fled so shamefully from the field of Tudela, though contending against the combined scourges of famine, pestilence, and the sword, maintain this stronghold against 30,000 besiegers, surrendering to Marshal Lannes at the last nothing but a pile of smoking ruins. From an enumeration made at the commencement and at the termination of this extraordinary and terrible siege, it has been ascertained that in

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fifty-two days 54,000 individuals perished; being two-thirds of the military, and one half of the inhabitants.

At the opposite extremity of Spain, Marshalt Soult having, after the embarkation of the British troops, taken possession of Corunna, Ferrol, and Vigo, and driven Romana into the mountains, was preparing to invade Portugal. It was accordingly arranged that whilst he entered that kingdom on the side of Gallicia, Lapisse and Victor should assist his operations by menacing it simultaneously in the direction of Almeida and Elvas; and that when Soult should have obtained possession of Lisbon, the two other corps should unite and move upon Andalusia. In furtherance of this plan, Soult marched with a corps of 30,000 men from Santiago to Tuy, leaving Ney with 20,000 to keep Gallicia in subjection.

Whilst matters were in this unpromising attitude, the British Cabinet, happily not subdued by the recent disasters in the Peninsula, resolved to reinforce their armies; and encouraged by an application to that effect from the Portuguese Government, resolved to send out a general officer, capable of organizing and disciplining all the Portuguese regiments anew; and by thus subsidising and arming the native forces, to make them for a season its own. The choice of the Portuguese Government fell upon Sir Arthur Wellesley as the commander of its forces, and the British Ministry made him a tender of the post accordingly, which he, at once, declined. Many officers of rank sought the -appointment; and it was ultimately bestowed upon MajorGeneral Beresford, an officer of considerable influence, and one in many respects eminently fitted for undertaking the duties of reform and reorganization which were demanded at his hands. General (now Marshal Beresford) landed at Lisbon in March; and having received his commission, commenced that salutary reform in the Portuguese army which has earned him so much honour. Several British officers were in the first instance attached to Portuguese regiments; and the number was afterwards largely increased, until the staff and most of the superior situations were held by -Englishmen.

It was to the sagacity of Sir Arthur Wellesley that the