234 Naval War of 1812 



the expected reinforcements came up; nor, in the 

 light of his past experience in conflict with foes of 

 far greater military repute than those now before 

 him, was this a rash resolve. He had seen the 

 greatest of Napoleon's marshals, each in turn, de 

 feated once and again, and driven in headlong flight 

 over the Pyrenees by the Duke of Wellington ; now 

 he had under him the flower of the troops who had 

 won those victories; was it to be supposed for a 

 moment that such soldiers, 31 who, in a dozen battles 

 had conquered the armies and captured the forts of 

 the mighty French emperor, would shrink at last 

 from a mud wall guarded by rough backwoodsmen ? 

 That there would be loss of life in such an assault 

 was certain ; but was loss of life to daunt men who 

 had seen the horrible slaughter through which the 

 stormers moved on to victory at Ciudad Rodrigo, 

 Badajos, and San Sebastian ? At the battle of Tou 

 louse an English army, of which Pakenham's 

 troops then formed part, had driven Soult from a 

 stronger position than was now to be assailed, 



31 Speaking of Soult's overthrow a few months previous to 

 this battle, Napier says (v, 209) : "He was opposed to one of 

 the greatest generals of the world, at the head of unconquer 

 able troops. For what Alexander's Macedonians were at 

 Arbela, Hannibal's Africans at Cannae, Caesar's Romans at 

 Pharsalia, Napoleon's Guards at Austerlitz such were Wel 

 lington's British soldiers at this period. . . . Six years of 

 uninterrupted success had engrafted on their natural strength 

 and fierceness a confidence that made them invincible." 



