132 CHAP. II. 1808. December. ST. CYR PASSES THE DEFILE OF TREINTA-PASOS. tinued on the fifteenth, but not without annoyance from the garrison of Hostalrich, which, having discovered the vicinity of the enemy, came out and annoyed their rear. No sooner had these assailants been repulsed, than the neighbouring heights were observed to be covered with Somatenes, who kept up a continued fire on the flanks of the advancing column. Observing that it did not halt, they became more bold, and approached nearer to the line of march. The French loss during the day amounted to two hundred men. In the evening, the troops, harassed and tired, arrived at Torderas. St. Cyr determined on pushing on through the defile of Treinta-pasos, in expectation of encountering the Spanish army on the following morning. The road was broken up and obstructed by abattis; but this strong and defensible defile, about two leagues in extent, was passed without opposition, and the army bivouacked on a plain, about a league in rear of Llinas. While the French were engaged before Rosas, General Vives had been engrossed with preparations for the siege of Barcelona. He had taken none of the ordinary means for ob CONDUCT OF VIVES. 133 taining prompt knowledge of the enemy's move- CHAP. 11. ments. He knew nothing of their strength or of 1808. their plans. He had neglected to exert the December. means in his power of opposing their progress. He suffered repeated opportunities to escape him of striking a signal blow,-of not only defeating, but utterly annihilating the French army. He knew nothing of the points to be occupied in the country traversed by the enemy. He was surrounded by men ignorant as their leader of all military knowledge; and, secure in the belief that the French could not advance without first becoming masters of Gerona, he remained in a state of deplorable inaction, till the opportunity of overpowering the enemy had passed. At length, intelligence was received that St. Cyr, having sent back his artillery, was continuing his march, and doubt could no longer be entertained that Barcelona was his object. Instead of instantly marching with his whole force, Reding, with about four thousand men, was sent to oppose his progress. Succeeding advices confirmed the intelligence of the enemy's motions. A council of war was held, and Vives set forward with five thousand to join Reding, 134 BATTLE OF LLINAS. CHAP. II. whom he overtook at Granollers. From that place he set out at midnight, when the French December, had just passed the defile of Treinta-pasos. 1808. It was the intention of Vives to occupy a position between Llinas and Villalba; but, owing to delays, the head of the column had only reached Cardedeu by six in the morning, when the fires of the enemy's bivouack were discerned. Vives continued his march; but, at eight o'clock, the advanced-guard gave information that the French were already formed in column. Vives immediately ranged his army, fatigued and dispirited by a long night march, in order of battle. The position chosen was a range of flat eminences; the right was protected by a rugged and precipitous mountain covered with Miquelets, the centre by a deep and difficult ravine, and the left by a thick wood; twelve pieces of artillery were distributed along the line. St. Cyr determined on immediate attack. The Marques de Lazan was advancing on his rear, and the delay even of an hour might prove fatal. Without artillery, he was exposed to every disadvantage; and he felt aware that SPANISH ARMY DEFEATED. 135 it was only by a combination of skill, prompti- CHAP. II. tude, and audacity, that he could surmount the perils by which he was environed. The army was directed to advance in column, in order, by one powerful and united effort, to break the line of their opponents; and it was the positive order of the General, that not even a battalion should be deployed. General Pino's division led the column, exposed, during its advance, to the fire of the Spanish artillery. In direct disobedience of the orders of his General, Pino deployed his leading brigade, which advanced against the left of Reding's division, and, after a warm struggle, was compelled to give ground. This circumstance occasioned considerable derangement in the plans of the French General. He directed Souham's division to attack the right of Reding, and turn it. Pino was ordered to advance with his remaining brigade in column, according to his original instructions. Two battalions were directed to make a false attack on the left, in order to distract the attention of the enemy from the other move ments. These arrangements were crowned with com 1808. December, 136 ST. CYR PUSHES ON TO BARCELONA: CHAP. II. plete success. The Spanish line was at once 1808. broken; panic spread among the troops, and December. they fled in all directions, relinquishing their guns and ammunition without further struggle. In this action, the French made two thousand prisoners, of whom eight hundred were wounded. The killed were about four hundred. loss of the French amounted to six hundred in killed and wounded. The The triumph, thus easily achieved over his ignorant and vacillating opponent, at once extricated St. Cyr from all his difficulties. Without waiting to collect prisoners, or to engage Lazan, whose approach might be hourly expected, he continued his march to Barcelona. There was nothing in that quarter to oppose him. One column alone of the Spanish army had been enabled to quit the field unbroken. This was joined by Reding, who led it across the Llobregat to Molino del Rey. Vives lost his horse; and, escaping on foot across the mountains, reached Mataro, where he sought safety on shipboard. In a few days he re-appeared at Tarragona. While these events were in progress, a sally had been made by Duhesme against the besieg |