closed. The French were in full march to the rear, the English slept upon the ground they had so gallantly taken; and thus was the passage of the Douro won : an exploit worthy alike of the leader who projected and of the troops who achieved it. In this action, of which it is recorded that Napoleon, the very moment he heard of it, pronounced Wellesley a great general, the British loss was only 120 killed and wounded: such is the reward of boldness and decision. That of the French amounted to 500; and five pieces of artillery were taken on the field. Much ammunition and fifty guns were found in the arsenal; and the French hospitals fell into the victors' hands. The city of Oporto was illuminated the same night, and the sounds of rejoicing echoed through the streets; yet, in, many places they were slippery with blood, and lamps were shining upon the naked dead. In the course of the day there had been fighting in the suburbs, and the French who had fallen were left dead where they lay. To protect the French prisoners from the vindictive fury of a revengeful people, was the first act of Sir Arthur Wellesley. He issued a proclamation to the inhabitants of Oporto the very next morning, calling upon them to be forbearing and humane to all such of the unfortunate individuals as might be taken captive in these operations.

BATTLE OF TALAVERA.

THE position chosen by Sir Arthur Wellesley for the battle which he saw was at hand had a peculiar and remarkable adaptation to the character of the forces which composed the allied army.

The town of Talavera is built close to the river Tagus: in front of it are many olive grounds and enclosures, alike calculated to cover the troops appointed to its defence, and to conceal their dispositions.

With the town, then, as the fixed point on his extreme right, the British general took up a line which extended about two miles, and was terminated on the left by a commanding hill. The half of this line was confided to the Spaniards :-they lay securely disposed; their right leaning on the river, and their left resting upon a large mound where a field work had been commenced but not completed. Their front was protected thoroughly by the difficult nature of the ground; by ditches, embankments, mud walls, and other obstacles, which make a position well nigh impregnable. To defend this front, they were drawn up in two close lines with their own cavalry in reserve; while, at no great distance behind the mound was a brigade of British cavalry. The right of the British infantry touched the Spanish left, and stretched its bold array along the naked and open country to the hill on the extreme left; beyond this hill there was a deep valley, which separated it from a mountain of the Gata Chain; and in front of it was a difficult ravine.

The division of general Campbell was on the British right; next

to him stood Sherbrooke; then came Mackenzie's ground, held for a while by part of Sherbrooke's division; and the height upon the left named above as the key of the position was observed by General HILL. Part of the British cavalry at this period was with General Mackenzie in advance. The division of that general was posted in the wood near Casa des Salinas; and a brigade of light cavalry on the plain near him.

About three o'clock on the afternoon of the 27th, the French light infantry who headed the march came through the wood so suddenly upon the British posts at this place that they were surprised. The hostile columns following close upon their voltigeurs, attacked one brigade of general Mackenzie's division with so great impetuosity, that they were thrown into disorder, driven from their ground, and separated from the other; but this last formed with such rapidity and steadiness, that the enemy was soon checked; and, covering the retreat of the other corps, this brigade fell back over the plain, supported by two of cavalry in the finest order, and took up ground in the main position. The British cavalry now took post on a rising ground in the valley upon the extreme left, being a little retired to the rear. In the affair at the Casa de Selinas, Sir Arthur Wellesley had a very narrow escape of being made prisoner; he being in the Casa at the moment of the surprise!

The French following up their movements, advanced in strength to the left of our position: they took up ground on a hill over against that which was afterwards the post of General HILL, but was at the moment occupied by the brigade of general Mackenzie's division, which, under the command of colonel Donkin, had made so fine a retreat. The enemy opened a cannonade upon colonel Donkin, and there was a partial action along the whole front of the line. The French sending their light cavalry, supported by voltigeurs, to feel out the true position of the Spaniards, alarmed them into a loud, general, and useless discharge of musketry, in the very midst of which, a body of about 5000, for no discoverable reason, broke their ranks and fled to the rear, without having been attacked at all, and without being pursued. The greater part of them, however, were rallied, and brought back to the position which they had deserted during the night, and Cuesta executed several officers and men of this division after the battle, selecting them by lot-a punishment alike barbarous and useless. As the shades of twilight fell upon the two hosts and clouded the field, the French, who had only been trifling with the Spaniards, made a sudden and fierce assault upon that height on the left, which was the key of that position, and which was held at the moment by the brigade of Colonel Donkin. The Colonel repulsed them in front; but his brigade was too weak to defend all points; and they succeeded in turning him on the left, and crowning the summit behind him.

GENERAL HILL was moving up to reinforce Colonel Donkin, and was giving orders to the Colonel of the 48th regiment, when he was fired at from this summit; and not doubting that the shots proceeded from some British stragglers, who mistook the direction of their fire, he rode smartly up, accompanied by his brigade major, Fordyce, to stop them. These two were instantly surrounded by the enemy:

Fordyce was killed on the spot; and the hand of a French grenadier was already on the bridle of GENERAL HILL'S charger; but the General spurred his horse, broke away, and galloped off. Directing the wounded beast downwards, he met a part of the 29th; and turning, led them up with uncalculating courage to the charge. The old 29th did not disappoint him: they won back the summit at the point of the bayonet. But scarcely had the General placed the 29th, 1st battalion 48th, and 1st battalion of detachments in position by the side of Colonel Donkin's brigade, ere a heavy mass of French infantry again advanced; and a violent attack, of which the first was but a prelude, burst upon them. The fire flashed red upon the night; and was delivered so close, that the combatants discerned each other's formation within a few paces. The British having poured in their deadly volley, rushed on with their bayonets, broke the dark column and drove it down. While this attack was going forwards, a false one, but of some liveliness, was made against the German legion. The loss of the British in the affair at Salinas amounted to about 400; and the combat upon the hill at dusk must have cost full 400 more, besides many valuable officers. The British lay upon their arms all night: the dragoons by their saddled steeds; and the infantry either close to the pile of arms, or with the trusty firelock in the hand. It was a night of watchfulness and alarm, and of sudden and random firings, especially in the Spanish lines. About dawn the enemy again made dispositions to assault the hill. From a corresponding height opposite they opened a furious fire of artillery, which bore not only upon the point of attack, but on the whole British line; many of the guns being pointed towards the centre and right of it. Under cover of this terrible fire two strong columns were formed and led against the British left. They advanced rapid and firm, and ascended the steep and rugged face of the hill with a bearing the most resolute. Again and again they pressed to within a few paces of the summit, and struggled hard for a footing, but as often were they repulsed by the close volleys and quick charges of the gallant regiments under GENERAL HILL; and at last they retreated altogether, leaving the ground on which they had fought covered with slain. The loss of the English was very considerable; and GENERAL HILL himself was severely wounded. There was a pause in the work of death; for three hourse after this repulse the enemy made no movement; the troops on both sides reposed and refreshed. The British fared scantily enough. During this pause the wounded were removed to the rear; and it is not unworthy of mention, that at a brook, which ran between the two armies, soldiers of both went down to drink, and looked each other in the face friendly, with that mutual admiration which the brave feel towards those foes who valiantly withstand them.

Soon after mid-day, the French infantry again stood to their arms, their cavalry mounted, and their troops were every where in motion. By two o'clock the dispositions of the French generals were completed; and four columns of attack, destined to bear with all their power upon the English army alone, were assembled at their allotted stations. Eighty pieces of artillery opened their dread thunder upon the British line, and lacerated the firm ranks which

ever as they did so closed upon the chasms. Under this fire, the French columns, with clouds of skirmishers in their front, pressed forwards to the battle. One of these fell upon the division of General Campbell, which joined the Spanish left. It was received with such steadiness, that until close to the English regiments not a shot was fired on it; but then came the volley, fatal and true, followed by the firm charge, by which they were effectually repulsed. Campbell took from them ten guns in battery, which they attempted to recover, but they were charged in flank with great spirit by a regiment of Spanish horse. Two Spanish battalions assisted General Campbell in the repulse of this attack with much zeal and bravery. Thus the British right was victorious and secure. Upon the left, a division of the enemy's infantry, supported by cavalry, advanced up the great valley to turn the hill, already so fiercely disputed. Beyond it, another body was marching to occupy the mountain. For this last movement Sir Arthur was already provided, having obtained from Cueste in the morning a division of Spanish infantry, to be posted there in observation. The principal part of the British cavalry being at the head of the valley, he sent orders to General Anson's brigade, composed of the 23d light dragoons and the 1st regiment King's German Legion, to charge the French infantry, and check their advance. These orders were promptly and bravely, but not intelligently, obeyed. Neither was the true moment taken by this brigade, nor was it kept in hand as it advanced; so that coming upon the brink of a ravine, which lay between the assailants and the assailed, the formation of the squadrons was broken, and the 23d, being in full career, plunged down into the ravine, receiving as they did so the murderous fire of the French squares, and fell over each other in wild disorder; but the gallant men, whose horses yet kept their feet, spurred strong up the opposite bank, and Major Frederick Ponsonby rallied and led them onwards, nothing daunted by this perilous mischance. They passed between the French squares under a hot fire, and fell upon a brigade of French chasseurs; but their combat was not with these alone, for some Polish lancers and Westphalian horse rode also against them; and the heroic 23d, leaving more than half their numbers on the field, effected the escape of their brave remnant by passing again at speed through the intervals of the French columns, and making for the foot of the mountain, where the Spanish division of Bassecourt was in observation. Nevertheless, though these bold horsemen were overpowered, yet was their heroism rewarded; for the enemy desisted from their attempt to turn the British left. While these things were going forward, the hill had also been again attacked iu front, but in vain.

The two French columns which assailed the English divisions in the centre, had a momentary success; for though they were at first resolutely met, and beaten back, yet the guards followed them too hastily, too far, and with too little order. The enemy saw this, faced about, and drove the guards in turn, pressing their exposed flank most sorely, while, at the same moment, the German legion was most roughly handled and gave ground. From the hill upon the left, Sir Arthur had seen the loose advance of the guards, and he

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ordered down a regiment to their support. The 48th regiment, commanded by Colonel Donellan, performed this service with that steadiness which is the triumph of discipline. The guards and Germans rallied like brave men. A brigade of cavalry was moved. rapidly up from the second line, and came opportunely to their support. The British artillery played fast and fierce upon the enemy's flanks; and now, upon all sides, they drew off and gave up the battle. They had exhausted all their efforts. They had made no impression on the British line of battle, and their slain lay spread along its gallant front in fearful nnmbers. Their retreat to their position was covered by their cannon, and conducted in good order. About six in the evening, the firing ceased; scarcely a dropping shot was to be heard; and the hostile armies lay each upon the ground which they had occupied in the morning. The loss of the British exceeded 6000 men, including those who fell in the combats of the 27th. The loss of the French was computed by themselves at 10,000, but others again reduce it below eight, and they left seventeen guns to the victorious English, taken at the point of the bayonet. The Spaniards returned 1200 killed and wounded, and such of them as were engaged behaved admirably. Two Spanish guns upon our left were excellently served. The two battalions which fought upon the right of Campbell's division did their duty with ardour; and, at the same point, one of their cavalry regiments charged with gallantry and success. But, nevertheless, the character and composition of the Spanish army, as a whole, and the weakness of the British, which was not only thinned by death, but faint with exhaustion from want of proper and sufficient food, and without any supply or means of transport for a forward movement, rendered pursuit impossible. The British passed the damp and chilly night upon the field, where they had fought, amid the dead and the dying. As many of the wounded as there had been time to remove were put into hospital in the convents of Talavera.

THE BATTLE OF BUSACO.

GENERAL HILL crossed the Mondego, by a short movement to his left, on the morning of the 26th, leaving colonel Le Cor, with a Portuguese brigade on the Serra de Murcella, and general Fane, with his division of Portuguese cavalry and the 13th light dragoons, in front of the Alva. Thus, the right of the army was covered, and the movements of the enemy's horse upon the Mondego were observed and held in check. All the divisions of the allied infantry were formed upon the Serra de Busaco; and the main body of the calvary lay in observation upon the plain in rear of the British left, and watched the road which leads from Mortagoa to Oporto, through a mountainous tract, which connects Busaco with Caramula, a serra that extends. in a north-easterly direction, beyond Viseu, and sepa

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