HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



199 



to notice the patriotism and va- 

 lour of Gerona, which equalled 

 those of Saragossa.* 



It is remarkable, that the pro- 

 vinces nearest the Pyrennees were 

 those that evinced the most deter- 

 mined and persevering resistance 

 to the French. After Gerona had 

 been twice invested, and the as- 

 sailants twice driven back, the 

 French again advanced to besiege 

 it with more formidable means, 

 and in a more regular manner. 

 For its defence the inhabitants 

 had little to trust to but their own 

 valour. There was scarcely any 

 other strong post in the city than 

 the castle of Mountjoy. Against 

 this the French made repeated at- 

 tacks, which were repulsed with 

 the most heroic bravery. On the 

 7th of July, the assailants having 

 effected three breaches in the walls 

 of the castle, proceeded to the 

 assault. The garrison, though 

 fewer in number and enfeebled 

 by unremitting duty, repelled the 

 French five times with consider- 

 able slaughter. The French there- 

 fore began to raise the necessary 

 works ; which they were forced 

 to do under great difficulties, 

 being obliged to raise them on a 

 rock, and to form their entrench- 

 roents under the fire of the garri- 

 son. 



On the 12th of August, the be- 

 sieged finding themselves unable 

 any longer to defend the castle of 

 Mountjoy, retired unmolested into 

 the city of Gerona, leaving the ene- 

 my only a heap of ruins, and a few 

 pieces uf almost useless cannon. 

 While the French, from the pos- 

 session of the citadel, were ena- 

 bled to carry on the siege of the 



city to greater advantage, the ip" 

 habitants, become tiiore numerous 

 by the addition of the garrison of 

 Mountjoy, were reduced to greater 

 extremities from want of provi-, 

 sions, and even from that of the most 

 necessary articles for the sick and 

 wounded. Gen. Blake, who com-f 

 manded the Spanish army in Cata- 

 lonia, determined to throw into Ge- 

 rona not only a supply of provi-. 

 sions and other necessaries,but alsoi 

 a reinforcement of troops. With, 

 this view, he made such move- 

 ments and arrangements as seemed 

 to indicate an intention of attacking 

 the enemy in a quarter directly 

 opposite to that by which the con-i 

 voy was to be sent into the city.; 

 A body of 1,200 infantry, sup- 

 ported by cavalry, sent against the 

 enemy's tioops stationed at Bru- 

 nolas, commenced an attack upon 

 them with so much vigour, as in- 

 duced them to think that the con- 

 voy for the supply of Gerona was 

 under the escort and protection of 

 this body of Spanish troops. Not- 

 withstanding the excellent posi-; 

 tion the French occupied at 

 Brunolas, and that strengthened 

 by entrenchments, the Spaniards 

 gained the summit of the hill, and 

 there planted the Spanish colours. 

 The enemy weakened the other 

 part of their army for the pur- 

 pose of sending reinforcements to 

 Brunolas, and by threatening to 

 turn the Spanish detachment, 

 obliged it to descend into the 

 plain. In the mean time, a body 

 of 4,000 infantry and 500 cavalry 

 escorted along the right bank of 

 the river Tor, on which the Ge- 

 rona is situate, a convoy of nearly 

 2,000 mules; and after defeating 



the 



" Vol. L. (1808). Hisx. EvR. p. 20J>. 



