SPAIN, 54f 



having concentrated his whole force, amounting to near 50,000 British 

 and Portuguese, on the heights of Busaco, was attacked by Massena 

 with upwards of 100,000 .».en. The French were repuised with loss. 

 On the 14th of November, Massena commenced his retreat, in which 

 he was vigorously pursued by the allied army. The French halted 

 at Santarem, and the allies at Cartaxo, in which positions the two 

 armies remained for some time. 



On the 2d of January 181 l,Suchet entered Tortosa, and on the 29 th 

 Soult took possession ot O.rvenza. On the 5th of March Massena 

 left Santarem, and the British again pursued. Continued skirmishes 

 now took place, in which the French suffered severely. On the 4th 

 of Apni they crossed the boundary line, and Portugal was once more 

 freed from her invaders. On the 2d of May the French attempted 

 "to drive the British from the village of Fuenie d'Honor, but were re- 

 pulsed ; they renewed the attack on the 5th, but with no better success. 

 They now continued their retreat. On the 15th marshal Beresford, in 

 conjunction with the Spanish troops under generals Blake and Cas- 

 tanos, repulsed marshal Soult at Aiouera with considerable loss. About 

 the middle ot June, Massena having been reinforced, again advanced, 

 and obliged lord Wellington to. relinquish the sieges of Badajoz and 

 Ciudad Rodrigo, and retire to the neighbourhood of Soito. 



Early in 1812 Valencia surrendered to the French, and general 

 Blake and his whole army ware taken prisoners : lord Wellington was 

 more successful; on the 8th of January he took Ciudad Rodrigo by as- 

 sault. Badajoz was stormed and carried on the 6th of April. About 

 this time also, the Spanish guerilla corps were very active, harass- 

 ing the French in all their movements. On the 1 7th of June the Bri- 

 tish advance drove the French from Salamanca, towards which place, 

 Marmont returned however, with reinforcements, and on the 22d the 

 battle of Salamanca was fought : the contest was severe, but the 

 British were again victorious. Marmont fled towards Valladolid and 

 was closely pursutd. On the 30th of July lord Wellington entered 

 Valladolid, whence he immediately proceeded for Madrid On the 

 12th of August the British army took possession of that city ; Joseph 

 Bonaparte having retired towards Toledo. 



On the 1 3th of August a body of Spanish troops attacked Bilboa, 

 whence the French were driven with loss. On the same day, was 

 proclaimed at Madrid, by order of lord Wellington, as duke of Ciu- 

 dad Rodrigo, the constitution formed by the general cortes of the 

 kingdom. It was received with joy by the people, and the next day- 

 all the officers of government were sworn to observe it. On the 19th 

 of August, Astorga surrendered to the Spaniards. About the 24th, 

 intelligence was received at Madrid, that Valencia, Tarragona and 

 Lerida, were in the hands of the allies. After a blockade of thirty -one 

 months, the siege of Cadiz was raised on the 25th. Thus the cause 

 of Spain, began at length to assume the appearance of eventual suc- 

 cess, of which many had previously despaired. Lord Wellington left 

 Madrid on the first of September, and pursued his flying enemy, 

 through Valladolid to Burgos. The siege of Burgos was commenced 

 on the 19th, and continued until the 20th of October, when it was 

 raised by the approach of Soult from the south, and the allies retired 

 upon the Douro. The French having now a superiority of numbers, 

 the allies were obliged to retreat. Soult pursued them closely. Gene- 

 ral Hill abandoned Madrid, and it was again occupied by the French* 



