Military Bridges^ and the Passage of Rivers. 297 



maith, having led the Marshal to believe that the passage of the river would 

 be attempted below Oporto, he turned his attention more particularly to the 

 lower part of the river on account of the difficulty or impossibility of effecting 

 a passage opposite to or above Oporto. Wellesley perceiving that Soult had 

 not adopted sufficient precautions for observing the river, and from preventing 

 a passage from being forced above Oporto, determined to make the attempt 

 there. Never was plan laid with more consummate ability, — never operation 

 executed with greater intelligence and determination. A small boat, which, 

 by the flight of an individual from Oporto in the night, had accidentally 

 escaped the general seizure, having been discovered, Colonel Waters gallantly 

 made use of her to pass unperceived in quest of others, and soon returned 

 with three or four large barges. In the mean time, a battery of eighteen or 

 twenty pieces of ordnance was established on the height of Sierra, which 

 forms a salient, extremely favourable for forcing a passage there : some light 

 troops were sent higher up the river to search for boats, and a considerable 

 force marched towards Avintas, to effect a passage at the salient part of the 

 river near that place. 



" Early in the morning of the 12th, some troops of Lieutenant-General 

 Sir Edward Paget's division were pushed across the river, from the upper 

 part of the sinuosity formed by the Sierra point, and consequently concealed 

 from the town ; and that gallant officer took possession of a large building, 

 forming a seminary nearly opposite. The French, completely surprised, 

 made the greatest exertions to recover that important post ; but the first 

 battalion of the Buflfs, supported by the 48th and 66th regiments, under 

 Major-General Hill, (who, on Sir Edward Paget being disabled by the severe 

 wounds which he received on this brilliant occasion, succeeded to the com- 

 mand of these troops), maintained their position with the most determined 

 gallantry, notwithstanding the repeated attacks made on them by large bodies 

 of troops under Soult in person. 



" Some troops of General Sherbrooke's division now began to pass in boats 

 which were recovered from the broken bridge ; and General Murray crossed 

 at the adjoining salient near Avintas. The passage being thus effected, the 

 French columns were obliged to move in haste, which was soon pressed into 

 confusion, along the Valonga road, under a destructive fire from three bat- 

 teries under General Hill, now posted in the seminary enclosures; and if it 

 had been possible to make the movement from Avintas somewhat earlier, 

 Soult 's retreat by that road would have been intercepted, and the French 

 army ruined." 



We have been tempted to make this long quotation on ac- 

 count of the instructive lesson which it gives on military strate- 

 gy, when the operations are conducted by men of science and 

 talent ; and, for the benefit of the young engineer, we imagine 

 %e cannot do better than give the very able and judicious re- 

 ;||[i^ks of the learned author. 



" The defeat as well as the victory of this day are full of instruction on 

 the precautions of surveillance and other measures, which should be taken to 



