HISTORY OF EUROPE. 175 



These two companies marched 

 with a firm pace to meet the ene- 

 my. They took possession of a 

 height, that commanded that 

 part of the waterside, and sup- 

 ported by the fire of the line- 

 of-battle ship, in which they 

 had come, withstood the French, 

 and covered the reimbarkation of 

 all suchof theS'Jthregimentashad 

 not taken the route of Marabella, 

 with the fugitive Spaniards. This 

 affair of Fangarola was very dis- 

 graceful to the expedition, for the 

 French did not exceed half their 

 numbers. 



The French, to the number of 

 12,000 men, having early in Fe- 

 bruary made a fruitless attempt on 

 Valencia, from whence they were 

 driven back with considerable loss, 

 proceeded to lay siege to the cas- 

 tle of Hostalrich, in Catalonia, the 

 reduction of which was necessary 

 to an attack on the important city 

 of Tarragona. The town of Hos- 

 talrich was reduced in the month 

 of January. The castle, situated 

 on a steep and rugged mountain, 

 was not to be taken but by block- 

 ade. The governor or military 

 commander of the French in Ca- 

 talonia, at that time, was Marshal 

 Augereau, one of the new dukes 

 (duke of Castiglione). About 

 the middle of February, General 

 O'Donnel drew together Spanish 

 troops of the line from different 

 military stations, with an intent to 

 cut oft' the French division under 

 the orders of General Souham, and 

 raise the siege of Hostalrich. His 



infantry were 12,000, his csvalry 

 1,200. These were joined by 

 some thousands of Miquelets,* 

 and smugglers. Towards seven 

 o'clock A. M. Feb. 20, the Spa- 

 niards were seen advancing in 

 three columns in the plain of 

 Vich. The Miquelets and Smug- 

 glers, commanded by Rovira, a 

 physician, occupied the adjacent 

 heights, in the same plan, imme- 

 diately above Vich. General Sou- 

 ham having observed the move- 

 ments of the enemy, drew up the 

 whole of his division. O'Donnel 

 attempted to delude the French 

 General by a false attack. A 

 strong party of the Miquelets be- 

 gan the battle with a most vi o - 

 ous attack on a battalion of French 

 stationed at Gurp, but General 

 Souham ordered the battalion to 

 fall back, without making any other 

 change in his order of battle. A hot 

 fire immediately flew on the whole 

 fronts of the opposite lines. The 

 Spaniards brought forwardintothe 

 first line, the choiceof their troops, 

 including two fine Swiss regi- 

 ments, who charged the French 

 with great bravery, and at the 

 same instant the cavalry made a 

 movement for turning their left 

 flank. But General Souham dis- 

 patched his cavalry to attack them. 

 By this charge the Spanish ca- 

 valry were thrown into great dis- 

 order, end a great number of Spa- 

 nish cavaliers were killed. The 

 Spanish General now brought for- 

 ward the whole of his reserve, and 

 made the most vigorous efforts 



• Freebooters that occupy the Pyrenean mountains, especially towards the 

 frontier of France, into which they were accustomed formerly sometimes to make 

 incursions like the plundering borderers, before the union, on the Marches between 

 England and Scotland. Their depredations, however, have for many years back 

 been confined to travellers. 



