GENERAL HISTORY. 



[149 



Bon of Fort Ragusa, on the right 

 bank, who abandoned their works, 

 and fled in great confusion. The 

 victors then effected the destruc- 

 tion of all the material parts of the 

 forts and works for the defence of 

 the bridge, and made prize of the 

 magazines and 18 pieces of can- 

 non, with 259 prisoners. The at- 

 tack upon Mirabete served only as 

 a diversion, inducing the enemy to 

 believe that the attack upon the 

 forts near the bridge would not 

 commence till that was decided. 

 In this spirited exploit the British 

 loss in killed and wounded fell 

 short of 200. For further particu- 

 lars we refer to the Gazette ac- 

 count. General Hill then returned 

 to Almendralejo. 



The southern point of Andalusia 

 continued to be the scene of ac- 

 tions between the French and Spa- 

 niards. General Ballasteros on the 

 1st of June, sustained a very severe 

 engagement '^against a French di- 

 vision, under Gen. Coursoux, in 

 the plains ofBornos, which finally 

 terminated in the defeat of the 

 Spaniards, who lost from 1,000 to 

 1,500 men in killed and wounded. 

 Ballasteros, however, retired no 

 farther than to his ground before 

 the battle, and was not molested 

 in his retreat. 



A combined attack upon the 

 French troops in possession of the 

 jK)8t of Lequitio in Biscay, by the 

 Guerillas,assisted by SirHome Pop- 

 ham's squadron, took place on the 

 21st of June, and succeeded, with 

 the capture of the garrison of the 

 fort commanding the place. 



Attention was now chiefly fixed 

 upon the allied army of Lord Wel- 

 linf^on, which had been for some 

 time advancing upon the French 

 under Marmont. it crossed the 



Agueda on June 13lh, and arrived 

 in front of Salamanca on the IGth. 

 The enemy on its approach re- 

 treated acro;?s the Tornies, leaving 

 about 800 men in some forts con- 

 structed upon the rnins of colleges 

 and convents in Salamanca. The 

 allied army entered the city, but 

 LoF<l WeUington found it necessary 

 to break ground against the forts. 

 3Iarmont at this time was retiring 

 upon the Douro. In Estremadura, 

 Major-general Slade's brigade of 

 cavalry had fallen in with two 

 French regiments of dragoons, 

 which they broke; but pursuing 

 incautiously they were attacked by 

 the enemy's reserve, and driven 

 back with considerable loss. The 

 forces under Marshal Sonlt and 

 General Drouet had made a junc- 

 tion, and moved forward to Llerena 

 and St. Olalla; upon which, Ge- 

 neral Hill had called in his de- 

 tachments, and concentrated his 

 forces at Albuera. 



The batteries against the forts 

 of Salamanca began to fire on the 

 17th. Marmont, on the 20th, 

 made a forward movement in 

 order to communicate with the 

 forts, and on the night of the 2ist 

 his troops established a post on 

 the right flank of the allied army. 

 Lord Wellington having directed 

 General Graham to attack this 

 position on the 22nd, the enemy 

 were driven from the ground with 

 considerable loss. They then made 

 a fresh movement, the object of 

 which was, to communicate with 

 their garrisons by the left bank 

 of the Tormes, which river they 

 crossed in force on the 24th ; but 

 the approach of General Graham 

 on that side the river caused them 

 to retire to their former position. 

 Meantime the siege of the forts 



did 



