154] ANNUAL REGISTER, 1812. 



Santa Maria, where a body of 

 troops remained till the middle of 

 the day, and then withdrew to 

 Cartuga. Before the besiegers de- 

 parted, they employed themselves 

 in destroying all the forts and 

 batteries in the lines, affording a 

 grand and gratifying spectacle to 

 Cadiz of immense hres and suc- 

 cessive explosions. They left be- 

 hind them a very numerous artil- 

 lery, mostly rendered unservice- 

 able, and a large quantity of stores 

 and powder unconsu med, testify i ng 

 the precipitation with which the 

 retreat was made. 



On August 11th in the morning, 

 the French evacuated Bilboa, and 

 on the same and the following day 

 it was occupied by Spanish troops. 

 On the I3th however, a French 

 force of 3,000 men, under General 

 Rouget, advanced from Durango 

 to recover the town. They gained 

 possession of its two bridges, but 

 were attacked in their position on 

 the 14th by a force under General 

 Renovales, who compelled them 

 to make a precipitate retreat to- 

 wards Zornoza. On the 21st the 

 French again advanced towards 

 Bilboa with an additional force, 

 and made a vigorous attempt to 

 re-enter it, which was resisted by 

 Generals Mendizabel and Reno- 

 vales, and terminated in a defeat 

 of the assailants, who hastily re- 

 treated with considerable loss to 

 Durango. 



Immediately after the evacuation 

 of the lines of Cadiz, the city of 

 Seville was also freed from the 

 invaders. On August 27, a com- 

 bined force under General La Gruz 

 and Colonel Skerret entered Se- 

 ville, in which were eight French 

 battalions of infantry and two re- 

 giments of cavalry ; and after a tu- 



multuary fighl in the streets, on the 

 bridge, iuid in the suburbs, the 

 French were driven out, leaving 

 horses, baggage, and effects, and 

 about two hundred prisoners. The 

 inhabitants were so zealous in their 

 country's cause, that they rushed 

 forward in the nridst of a heavy 

 fire to lay planks across the broken 

 bridge for the passage of the allied 

 troops. About the same time the 

 French evacuated the city and cas- 

 tle of Arcos, in Andalusia, and all 

 the line from Guadalete to Ronda, 

 blowing tip their fortifications, and 

 destroying cannon and ammuni- 

 tion. 



Marshal Massena was now ex- 

 pected from France, to take the 

 command of the army of Portugal 

 (so called by the French)> and it 

 became necessary for Lord Wel- 

 lington to attend closely to its 

 motions. He accordingly quitted 

 Madrid on the lit of September, 

 having |)reviously ordered his troops 

 to be collected at Arevalo, From 

 that place the army moved on the 

 4th, and on the Cth crossed the 

 Douro. It advanced into Valladolid, 

 the enemy retiring before it on the 

 Puiserga, which river they crossed. 

 At this time, Joseph Buonaparte 

 had made a junction with Marshal 

 Suchet in Valencia. The latter 

 was posted upon the Xucar, watch- 

 ing the troo|)s under General Mait- 

 land, which, alter an advance from 

 Alicant, had retreated, and were 

 cantoned in the villages about that 

 city. Marshal Soult was in Gra- 

 nada : he had been Ibl lowed by 

 Ballasteros, who had been suc- 

 cessful in harassing his rear. Cor- , 

 dova and Jaen were cleared of 

 the invaders. General Sir Row- 

 land Hill was at Truxillo, whence 

 he was to advance to Oropesa. 



Lord 



