SAHAGUN, BENEVENTE, ETC. December, 1808, and January, 1809.

The British commander ascertained that instead of a powerful army covering his advance, not a Spanish soldier was in his front, the enemy was at hand, and those Spanish armies with which he had been directed to co-operate, had been routed and dispersed; at the same time the winter had set in with unusual severity, and the troops were almost constantly marching through snow. Napoleon had three hundred thousand men in Spain, and to confront this host of veterans, Sir John Moore had not twenty-five thousand British troops, yet he boldly advanced and menaced the enemy’s lines.

Three leagues from the quarters of the Hussar brigade, consisting of the 7th., 10th., and 15th. Hussars, about eight hundred French dragoons were in cantonments at Sahagun, under Brigadier-General Debelle. About two o’clock on the 82morning of the 21st. December, the 15th., with Captain Thornhill and twelve soldiers of the 7th. Hussars, and Lieutenant-General Lord Paget (afterwards Marquis of Angelsey) at their head, moved along the left bank of the Cea, in order to intercept the retreat of the French dragoons from Sahagun. The 10th. marched straight to the town, while Lieutenant-General Lord Paget, with the 15th., endeavoured to turn it. The British hussars arrived in the vicinity of Sahagun before daylight; but a French patrol had given the alarm, and his lordship found the enemy formed within the town. The march had been performed with difficulty, the weather being extremely cold, and from deep snow on the ground, the road was so covered with ice in many places, that the men had to dismount and lead their horses. Between five and six o’clock the advance guard of the 15th. fell in with a French patrol, and took five prisoners, but in consequence of the extreme darkness the rest escaped, and galloping off to Sahagun, gave the alarm, thus preventing the surprise of the enemy. Upon approaching that place shortly before daylight, the French dragoons were discovered formed up beyond a rugged hollow way, which was unfavourable for cavalry, and as the 15th. came near the enemy withdrew towards a bridge on their left. In numbers the French were about two to one, but his lordship instantly charged, overthrew them, and captured nearly one hundred and fifty prisoners, including two lieutenant-colonels, and eleven other officers.

Lord Paget, and Lieutenant-Colonel Grant, of the 15th., each received a medal. The conduct of the hussars was commended by the British General, and the regiment was permitted to bear on its appointments the word Sahagun.

The attack by Lord Paget on a vastly superior force, so far as numbers were concerned, at Sahagun, in which the enemy were cut to pieces, occasioned Sir John Moore to issue the following order:—

“Head Quarters, Sahagun.

“The different attacks made by parties of cavalry upon those of the enemy, on the march, have given them an opportunity to display a spirit, and to assume a tone of superiority 83which does them credit, and which the Commander of the Forces hopes will be supported on more important occasions.

“The attacks conducted by Brigadier-General Stewart, with the 18th. Hussars, when upon the Douro, and that by Lieutenant-General Lord Paget upon the enemy’s cavalry at this place, are honourable to the British cavalry.

“The Commander of the Forces begs that the Lieutenant-General and Brigadier-General will accept his thanks for their services, and that they will convey them to Brigadier-General Slade, and the officers, non-commissioned officers, and men of the cavalry under their command, for their conduct in the different affairs that have taken place.”

An order like this naturally made the infantry very desirous to emulate the cavalry, and the opportunity was shortly afterwards afforded. Arrangements had been made for attacking the enemy, but the approach of Napoleon, with an overwhelming force, rendered a retrograde movement necessary; and while the cavalry pickets were skirmishing with the French, the baggage, and several brigades of infantry withdrew. Christmas, with all its social customs was thus dawning, when the troops commenced their retreat. A heavy and continued fall of snow hid the ruts in the roads, caused by the passage of the guns. Officers lost their boots in these ruts, and were compelled to walk barefooted. Two days rest after the reserve had crossed the Esla, enabled measures to be taken to repair the sufferings from the bad roads, a supply of soles and heels having been furnished to each regiment; the officers and men had also the welcome issue of new blankets, and one hundred and fifty pairs of shoes were supplied to each regiment.

On the 24th. of December the hussars fell back to Cal; on the 25th. they arrived at Sahagun, and on quitting that place on the 26th., a considerable force of the enemy’s cavalry was seen on some high ground at Majorga. Lord Paget directed Colonel Leigh, of the 10th. Hussars, to dislodge them with two squadrons of his regiment, and the colonel instantly led one squadron forward, the other following in support. Arriving on the top of the hill, he paused a short time for the 84horses to recover their wind after the ascent, and was exposed to a heavy, but not destructive, fire; he afterwards gave the word “Charge,” and in five minutes the French were overthrown, many were killed, others wounded, and about a hundred taken prisoners. On this, and on all other occasions, the superiority of the British cavalry over the French horsemen, was proved to an extent beyond anything that had been anticipated. The British hussars set superior numbers at defiance, and their temerity was not, in any instance, punished by repulse or defeat.

Continuing the retreat, the cavalry arrived at Benevente on the 27th. of December; they had scarcely entered the town, when an alarm of the approach of a body of French troops was given, and the hussars turned out, but the enemy retired. The infantry continued their retreat on the following morning, but the cavalry remained in the town, with parties watching the fords on the Esla.

Six hundred cavalry of the French imperial guard, commanded by General Lefebre Desnouettes, forded the river near the bridge, and drove back the videttes, when the British pickets, commanded by Lieutenant-Colonel Otway, (afterwards Lieutenant-General Sir Loftus William Otway,) major of the 18th. Hussars advanced, and repeatedly charging the enemy’s leading squadrons, kept the whole in check until Lieutenant-General Lord Paget and Brigadier-General the Honourable Charles Stewart (afterwards the Marquis of Londonderry) arrived. A detatchment of the 10th. Hussars, under Major Quentin, was engaged on this occasion, and evinced signal gallantry. Lord Paget hastened to bring up the regiment from the town: Brigadier-General Stewart placed himself at the head of the pickets, and the ground was obstinately disputed, many charges being made by both sides, the French veterans fighting in a manner worthy of their high reputation. The pickets were ordered to fall back gradually, and the squadrons were repeatedly mingled. Brigadier-General Stewart evinced great personal bravery, and while engaged with a French officer, his sword fell, when Lieutenant-Colonel Otway gave the general his own sword, and recovered the other from the ground. While the fight was 85taking place on the plain, the hussars formed at the edge of the town, and, on receiving the signal to advance, they galloped forward. The pickets, perceiving the 10th. advancing to support them, gave a loud cheer, and dashed at speed upon their numerous opponents. In an instant the French were broken and driven in great disorder towards the river, which they repassed with precipitation, leaving behind them about thirty men killed, twenty-five wounded, and seventy prisoners. General Lefebre Desnouttes was pursued by the hussars, and refusing to stop when overtaken, he was cut across the head, and made prisoner by Private Levi Grisdall.

On the 30th. of December the troops came up with the wretched remains of the army under the Marquis de la Romana; instead of these being of any assistance they impeded the march of the British, and exhausted the few resources left, the houses being filled by them.

The retreat presented many harrowing features. An eye-witness, Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Cadell, of the 28th., which regiment formed part of the reserve, the post of honour in a retreat, states,—“On the arrival of the cavalry at Canberas, about midnight, the reserve immediately moved on, and arrived next morning, 1st. January, 1809, at Bembibre, just as the other division was marching off to Villa Franca. The scene of drunkenness that here presented itself was truly shameful. The stragglers from the preceding division so crowded every house, that there was hardly a place to be had for the wearied reserve. Crowds of half-naked and unfortunate peasants of Romana’s army, added to the confusion. On the 2nd., when Sir John Moore left Bembibre, with the reserve and the cavalry, for Villa Franca, Colonel Ross was left with that excellent regiment, the 20th., and a detachment of hussars, to cover the town, while officers were employed in endeavouring to collect the stragglers. A few were got away, but many were so tired and lame from sore feet, that they did not care if the French sabres and bayonets were at their breasts, so completely did most of them give themselves up to despair. The rear-guard was at length forced to retire and leave those unfortunate people to 86their fate. Some of these poor fellows, who had thought better of it, and were endeavouring to overtake their countrymen, were unmercifully sabred by the French cavalry, many of them in a defenceless state.”

In the same gallant veteran’s “Narrative of the Campaigns of the 28th. Regiment,” this striking incident occurs:—“The following occurrence had more effect in establishing the good conduct of the reserve than anything that had yet been done. We were formed into close column on the Bembibre side of the river, when our gallant chief, General Paget, in an excellent address, called the attention of the soldiers to the dreadful and disgraceful scene of yesterday, and the merciless conduct of the enemy’s cavalry had shewn to many of the stragglers. He told the men that they had become the rear-guard of the army, and upon their sober, steady, and good conduct the safety of the whole depended. Just as the general had finished his admirable and soldier-like address, and after all the orders had been given, and the necessary examples that had been made, two men of the reserve were found in the very act of shamefully plundering a house in the village, and ill-treating the inhabitants. The report was made, and the reserve was instantly formed in square; the culprits were brought out, the general being determined that an example should be made. They were ordered to be hanged upon a tree close to the village. Everything being prepared, the awful sentence was about to be carried into execution; the unfortunate men were in the act of being lifted up to the fatal branch, when a officer of the hussars rode into the square, and reported that the enemy were at that moment advancing. The general said he did not care if the whole French cavalry were coming up, that he would hang those men, who had been guilty of so shameful an outrage. At that instant a few distant shots were heard, and a second officer arrived at full speed with another report. The general then stopped the execution, and turning round to the reserve, said, ‘Soldiers! if you promise to behave well for the future, I will forgive those men; say yes, in an instant.’ ‘Yes!’ was said by every one. ‘Say it again,’ said the general. ‘Yes, yes,’ was again exclaimed by all. ‘Say it a third time,’ 87‘Yes, yes, yes?’ and a cheer followed.^[29] The men were forgiven, the square was reduced, and the 52nd. regiment, under Colonel Barclay, went through the village in double-quick time, and in the most beautiful manner took possession of the vineyards on the opposite side of the river, while the remainder of the reserve crossed the bridge under cover of the 95th., and formed on the hill behind the 52nd. By this time the enemy were close upon us, and attacked the 95th. in great force, the cavalry joining in the onset. They were terribly galled by the rifles as they advanced through the village. The 95th. then retired up the road to the right and left, the French being at the same time exposed to a murderous fire from the 52nd., in the vineyards, which completely checked them. The 52nd. then retired up the road, when the enemy were again most gallantly repulsed. The French in this affair lost the general officer commanding the advanced guard, and many men. A column of them was also severely handled by Captain Carthew’s guns, and stopped descending the hill on the other side of the river. This kept them quiet until the afternoon of the 5th. of January. Our gallant commander-in-chief was present during this affair, and wherever there was a shot fired was he always to be found. This was the first time the infantry had met the enemy.”

Marshal Soult, unwilling to attack, followed the sorely-pressed army with unwonted caution. One night and two days brought the army from Villa Franca to Lugo. All the attacks of the advanced guard of the French upon the rear were repulsed. Notwithstanding this, however, the retreating troops became more and more harassed. When the two bullock cars, containing treasure to the amount of twenty-five 88thousand pounds, became immovable, the money had to be thrown over the precipice. Lieutenant-Colonel Charles Cadell thus narrates the circumstance:—“On the morning of the 5th. (January, 1809,) the reserve left Nogales. We were detained at a bridge a little way on the road, covering the engineers, who were endeavouring to destroy it, but they did not succeed. The 28th. regiment was now the rear-guard of the reserve, and the flank companies, with a company of the 95th., formed the rear-guard of the regiment. The whole distance was a continued skirmish. About noon we came up with two cars laden with dollars; but the bullocks that drew them being completely exhausted, it was impossible to save the treasure. Under these circumstances Sir John Moore decided that the whole should be thrown down the mountain, most judiciously considering, that if the casks were broken, the men would make a rush for the money, which would have caused great confusion, and might have cost the lives of many. The rear-guard, therefore was halted; Lieutenant Bennet, of the light company, 28th. regiment, was placed over the money, with strict orders from Sir John Moore to shoot the first person who attempted to touch it.^[30] It was then rolled over the precipice; the casks were soon broken by the rugged rocks, and the dollars falling out, rolled over the height—a sparkling cascade of silver. The French advanced guard coming up shortly after to the spot, were detained for a time picking up the few dollars that had been scattered on the road.”

89