200 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1S09. 



the enemy, succeeded in effecting 

 5heir entrance into Gerona. The 

 French contracting their forces, 

 invested the city more closely, in 

 order to prevent the return of 

 the mules and horses with their 

 drivers. But by the manoeuvres of 

 Blake the whole were enabled to 

 get back, after being one day in 

 the town and two nights, without 

 so much as losing one mule or 

 one horse. An addition of 500 

 men was on this occasion made to 

 the garrison of Gerona, which 

 consisted before in only 2,500. 



The garrison of Gerona was 

 now strengthened and refreshed 

 by a plentiful supply of provi- 

 sions. But three large practicable 

 breaches had been made in the 

 walls of the city, and a great part 

 of the houses was in ruins. Against 

 these three breaches the French 

 generals Verdier and St. Cyr, on 

 the 19th of September, sent three 

 strongcolumns; which after repeat- 

 ing their attack four times, were 

 driven back by the garrison, sup- 

 ported by the inhabitants. The 

 ladies of the town, in assisting the 

 wounded, freely exposed them- 

 selves to every danger. 



So much enraged was Buona- 

 parte at the failure of this assault, 

 that the generals St. Cyr and Ver- 

 dier were recalled, and the com- 

 mand of the besieging army given 

 to marshal Augereau, who, alter- 

 ing the plan of operations, re- 

 solved before he should make an- 

 other assault on Gerona, to bend 

 all his efforts to the defeat and de- 

 struction of Blake's army. The 

 Spanish general hid po'sted his 

 troops on the heights of Brunolas. 

 By repeated attacks general Blake 

 was driven from that advantageous 

 position, and compelled to retreat to 



a considerable distance from Ge- 

 rona. Marshal Augereau having 

 been informed by some of those 

 spies, or, as the French generals 

 called them, agents, which he 

 took care to have in every part of 

 Catalonia, that large magazines 

 were formed at Hostalrich, for 

 the purpose both of supplying 

 Gerona and Blake's army, sent 

 early in November a strong division 

 against them under the command 

 of general Pino. Hostalrich was 

 strongly fortified, and defended by 

 a body of 2,000 soldiers and nearly 

 all the inhabitants. Fire was set 

 to the gates, and one quarter of 

 the town taken by storm. But in 

 the streets the Catalonians made 

 the most determined resistance : 

 every position was disputed. From 

 every house the French were as- 

 sailed with a destructive fire of 

 musquelry : and when the enemy 

 gained possession of all the prin- 

 cipal quarters, the inhabitants 

 joining the troops of the line, 

 drew up on a level piece of ground, 

 in the middle of the town, and 

 for some time made an obstinate 

 resistance to the repeated at- 

 tacks on their center as well as on 

 both their flanks. At last they 

 were forced to give way, and the 

 whole town with all the magazines 

 fell into the hands of the French. 

 By the reduction of Hostalrich 

 Gerona was cut off from all hopes 

 of s.upply. They had nothing to 

 hope from general Blake, who 

 after the total defeat and disper- 

 sion of his army at Belshite, was, 

 so much inferior in strength to 

 his adversary, that he did not 

 think it prudent to make any at- 

 tempt to defend the magazines. 

 Nor was this all. Marshal Auge- 

 reau, by the defeat of general 



Blake 



