366 THE BATTLE OF TALAVERA. 



into their interstices. The loss in these points was very great : dis- 

 severed groups of infantry were hurrying hither and thither in com- 

 plete disorder; while, to add to their confusion, they were surrounded 

 with fire and smoke, and exposed to the murderous artillery dis- 

 charges of the enemy. At this moment a strong column of the 

 French infantry was observed to be slowly advancing by the valley. 

 All the officers in our part of the field were galloping here and 

 there to concentrate cur regiments of cavalry ; and soon quantities of 

 Dragoons and Hussars rode up, and were thrown into masses. The 

 word "charge" sent the leading divisions into the smoke and melee 

 before us, and, ere the drifts of vapour had well rolled over their 

 figures, we were commanded to dash after them. Never shall 

 I forget the scene. Men, horses, plumes, flew past me like a 

 chaotic panorama, while before thundered the din of the thickening 

 conflict. On we rushed; our prancing steeds striking up the dust, 

 and grass ; trumpets blowing, drums beating, cannons knelling, 

 feathers, manes, and pelisses waving, swords glittering, and hoofs 

 tramping. Sweeping on like a whirlwind, flying-on fusilading 

 infantry, plunging cavalry, scattered around us, we darted into the 

 smoke, and bore down with the full weight of our irresistible 

 charge right upon the centre of the enemy's column. Every thing 

 instantly became matter of life and death. Broken by the sweep of 

 the attack into fragments, both assailants and assailed combated 

 singly, or in parties. We were most gallantly received ; my horse 

 began to reel and pant in the closeness and desperation of the 

 encounter, and bayonets and swords were crossing, and bullets 

 whistling by me, much too closely to be agreeable. I cut mean- 

 time around me with the full swing of my arm, and had the 

 satisfaction of bringing down many a tall grenadier to my horse's 

 feet. Four or five of my Hussars, who were in my neigh- 

 bourhood, I could see making desperate efforts to push on. 

 Down fell man after man, while their straining steeds, excited to 

 madness by the spur, rode grandly over dead and dying, and bore 

 their blood-stained riders deeper and deeper into the press. Mas- 

 terless horses were flying about the field ; others falling to the earth, 

 struck down by cannon balls. Bearing all down however before us, 

 we swept on like a tornado, galloping over dead steeds and dying 

 men, cutting to pieces all that opposed us, and trampling life out of 

 the overthrown. Owing to the great inequality of the ground, and 

 the gullies with which it was intersected, we, together with the 

 cavalry that accompanied us, were unable to preserve that solidity 

 so necessary in a charge, and our loss was therefore considerable. I 

 saw many an officer, his embroidery defaced with blood, brought 

 down by bayonet thrusts, or sabre strokes. Notwithstanding all this, 

 we penetrated a solid column of the opposing enemy, and put to rout 

 every line of infantry near us. The ground over which we had so 

 swiftly and victoriously passed was a complete wreck : overturned 

 guns, loose artillery-horses, colours, prostrate chargers, whole files of 

 light infantry and grenadiers, actually ridden down in the positions 

 they occupied, were scattered in every possible direction. In the 

 distance, sullenly rolled dense tides of sulphury smoke ; and from 



