SQ2 
LONDON. 
It was now the Englifh commander’s objeft to find a fa¬ 
vourable opportunity for an attack; and this he obtained 
in the afternoon of the 22d, by an extenfion of the enemy’s 
line to the left, in order to embrace a poft on a hill occu¬ 
pied by the right of the allies. Lord Wellington then, 
ifrengthening his right, ordered an attack on the enemy’s 
left, which completely fucceeded; as did likewile an at¬ 
tack on the front, in which they were driven fucceffirely 
from bright to height. The fate of the battle was for a 
time fufpended by the (land made by a French divifion, 
which drove back a divifion of the allied army; but, fome 
troops being brought up in time, fuccefs was reftored in 
this quarter. The enemy’s right, reinforced by the fugi¬ 
tives from their left, continued to refift tii! it was dark, 
when they at length broke and fled, and .the difcomfiture 
of the French army was now complete. They were pur¬ 
ified as long as any of them were to be feen together, but 
the darknefs of the night favoured the efcape of many. 
At break of day the purfuit was renewed ; and the ca¬ 
valry eroding the Tonnes, the enemy’s rear-guard was 
overtaken, when their cavalry fled, leaving the infantry 
to its fate. The purfuit was afterwards continued to Pe- 
naranda that night; and on the 24th the .viftors were ftill 
purfuing the flying enemy. 
Such was the battle of Salamanca, the mod conflderable 
and glorious fought under Englilli command during the 
war in Spain. No eftimate could be made of the ene¬ 
my's lofs in the field, which was undoubtedly great. The 
trophies of victory were returned at eleven pieces of can¬ 
non, feveral ammunition-waggons, two eagles, and fix co¬ 
lours ; prifoners, one general, three colonels, three lieute¬ 
nant-colonels, 130 officers of inferior rank, and between 
6 and 7000 foldiers; and many more prifoners continued 
to be brought in on the following days. Marfhal Mar- 
ifiont was leverely wounded, and four French general- 
officers were faid to have been killed. The lofs on the 
part of the allies was alfo conflderable, amounting in kill¬ 
ed, wounded, and miffing, Britiffi and Portuguefe, to about 
5200. One general-officer, major-general le Marchant, 
v.as killed, and five others were wounded. Of the fmall 
lhare the Spaniards had in this aftion, fought on then- 
ground, and for their caufe, a judgment may be formed 
from their return of lofs, confifting of two killed and four 
wounded. 
It appears that on the 21ft Jofeph Bonaparte left Ma¬ 
drid with the army of the centre, dire< 5 fing his march upon 
Alba de Tonnes ; but, hearing on the 25th of Marmont’s 
defeat, he retreated towards Segovia. Nothing, therefore, 
could be more timely than lord Wellington’s viftory, as 
the delay of a very few days would materially have 
ftrengthened the French army. The rear-guard of the 
fugitives maintained itfelf in fome ftrength on the left 
bank of the Douro during the 28th and 29th; but, on the 
approach of the light divifions and cavalry of the pur- 
fuers, it crofled the river, and followed the motions of 
the main body, abandoning Valladolid, in which they left 
feventeen pieces of cannon, much ammunition, and their 
holpital with about 800 fick and wounded. Parties of 
tire allied army entered that city on the 30th, where they 
-were received with enthufiaftic joy. The central French 
army, in the mean time, had arrived at Segovia, with the 
apparent intention of making a junriion with Marmont’s 
on the Upper Douro. To prevent this, lord Wellington 
moved on Augufi ift to Cuellar. On the fame day Jo¬ 
feph Bonaparte retired from Segovia, and marched through 
the pafs of Guadarama, leaving an advanced guard of ca¬ 
valry. He deftroyed the cannon and ammunition which 
were in the cattle, carried off the church-plate and other 
valuable property, and levied a contribution on the inha¬ 
bitants. Advices from general Hill at this time mention¬ 
ed a brifk action between the allied and French cavalry 
in the neighbourhood of Ribera, terminating in favour of 
the former. 
Lord Wellington, finding that Marmont’s beaten army 
continued its retreat upon Burgos, in a Itate not likely to 
take the field again for fome time, determined either to 
bring king Jofeph to an aifion, or compel him to quit the 
capital. He accordingly moved from Cuellar on Augufi 6th, 
reached Segovia on the 7th, and halted the following day at 
St. Ildefonfo, about two leagues from Segovia, and twenty 
from Madrid. The advanced cavalry, after parting the 
Guadarama, moved forwards on the nth, and driving in 
the French cavalry, about 2000 in number, eftablifhed it¬ 
felf at Majalahonda, under brigadier-general d’Urban. 
The enemy’s cavalry returned in the afternoon ; when ge¬ 
neral d’Urban, having formed the Portuguefe cavalry, 
iupported by the horfe-artillery, ordered a charge upon 
the leading fquadrons of the French. The valour of the 
Portuguefe, however, notwithfianding the exertions of 
their officers, gave way, and they turned about before 
they reached the enemy. They fled through the vil¬ 
lage of Majalahonda to a body of dragoons of the Ger¬ 
man legion, leaving unprotected fome guns, which fell 
into the hands of their purifiers. The German cavalry 
bravely made a charge and flopped the French, who, upon 
the advance of other troops, finally retreated ; but confl¬ 
derable lofs was incurred in this unfortunate affair. The 
army moved forwards, and on the 12th two of its divi¬ 
fions entered Madrid, where they were received with ex¬ 
traordinary marks of joy. Jofeph had retired with the 
army of the centre by the Toledo road, leaving a garrifon 
in fort China in the palace of the Retiro. On the even¬ 
ing of 13th the Retiro was inverted, and preparation was 
made for attacking the works on the next morning, when 
the commandant of la China lent an offer of capitulation. 
The honours of war were granted him, upon furrendering 
the whole garrifon and all the perlons in the fort prifoners, 
with all its magazines and artillery. The total number 
of prifoners of all deferiptions amounted to 2500. Of 
brals ordnance 189 pieces were found, with a great qua*r 
tity of ammunition, fiores, provifions, and clothing. Such 
were the firft fruits of the viclpry of Salamanca. 
Aftorga, which had been long under liege by the Spa¬ 
niards, capitulated on Augufi 18th, its garrifon, confift- 
ing of three battalions, lurrendering prifoners of war, 
upon the condition of being exchanged, as loon as cir- 
cumftances fhould permit, for Spanilh prifoners. The 
French general Foy, who marched from Valladolid with a 
conflderable force to raife the blockades of Toro and Za¬ 
mora, and the fiege of Aftorga, arrived too late for the 
latter purpofe, though he effected the others. 
The defertion of the long-continued blockade of Cadi» 
by the French, (fee p. 193, 223, 4.) was another impor¬ 
tant confequer.ee of lord Wellington’s victory.—This 
city, the feat of the Spanifli legitimate government, had 
for fome years been in a ftate which rendered its inhabit¬ 
ants priloners on the land-fide, and fubjefted them to 
much diftrefs from fcarcity and fleknefs. This was ag¬ 
gravated by the fenfe of danger from a bombardment, 
which, though difiant, had latterly, by means of improve¬ 
ments in deftruftive contrivance, become more ferious. 
All the attempts of the Spaniards themi'elves to break up 
the blockade had failed; and, even when the enemy had 
been obliged to withdraw thegreatefi part of their troops, 
the ftrength of the works difeouraged any effort to force 
them. But, at this period, the advance of the allied 
army to the centre of the kingdom, and the weakened 
ftato of the invaders in the ealt, whence many veteran corps 
had been recalled to augment the mighty army againfl: 
Ruffia, rendered it no longer fafe to carry on operations 
at fo many detached points; and concentration- of force 
was now become neceffary. On the night of the 24th and 
morning of the 25th of Augufi, the French abandoned 
their work; oppofne to Cadiz and the ilia, except the 
town of port Santa Maria, where a body of troops remained 
till the middle of the day, and then withdrew to Cartuga. 
Before the befiegers departed, they employed themlelves 
in deftroying all the torts and batteries in the lines, af¬ 
fording a grand and gratifying fpeciacle to Cadiz of im- 
meufe fires and fuccellive explolions. They left behind 
them 
