Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 24.djvu/521

Rh WELLINGTON 495 superior forces in a strong position, was the wisest course. He threw himself upon the Mahratta host, and ultimately gained a complete victory, though with the loss of 2500 men out of a total probably not much exceeding 7000. In comparison with the battle of Assaye, all fighting that had hitherto taken place in India was child s play. The enemy s artillery was of the most formidable character, and worked with deadly effect. A hundred cannon were taken by the conqueror, who now, uniting with Stevenson s division, followed up the pursuit, and brought the war to a close by a second victory at Argaum on November 29. The treaties with Sindhia and the raja of Bcrar which followed the overthrow of their arms, and which marked the downfall of the Mahratta power, were negotiated and signed by Wellesley in the course of the following month. Not yet thirty-five years old, Wellesley had proved himself as thorough a master in the sphere of Indian statesmanship and diplomacy as on the field of battle. Had his career ended at this time, his despatches on the negotiations with the Mahrattas and on the general conduct of Indian policy would have proved him to have been one of the wisest and strongest heads that have ever served England in the East. In the spring of 1805 Wellesley, now Sir Arthur, quitted India and returned home. He was immediately sent on the expedition to Hanover which was rendered abortive by the battle of Austerlitz. In 1806 he was elected member of parliament for the borough of Rye, and in the following year was appointed Irish secretary. After serving in this office for a few months he was employed in the expedition against Copenhagen, where little glory was to be gained, lervice In the summer of 1808 he took command of a body of ri the troops destined to operate against the French in Spain or &quot;j 11111 Portugal. Finding that the junta of Corunna wished for no foreign soldiery, he proceeded to fulfil his instructions by acting against Juuot at Lisbon. He landed at Mondego Bay in the first week of August, and moved southwards, driving in the enemy s posts at lioliga on August 17. On the 21st the battle of Vimiero was fought and won. In the midst of this engagement, however, Sir Harry Burrard landed, and superseded AVellesley in the command. Wellesley in vain called upon this general to follow up the pursuit when the victory was gained. The consequence was that Junot s army, which would have been captured or annihilated if Wellesley : s advice had been executed, escaped into a position which secured it the means of retreat if favourable terms of capitulation were refused. The convention of Cintra provided for the evacuation of Portugal by the French, but it gave Junot and all his troops a free return to France. So great was the public displeasure in England at the escape of the enemy that a court of inquiry was held into all the circumstances attending the convention of Cintra. At this inquiry the rejection of Wellesley s counsels by his superior officer at the close of the battle of Vimiero was fully proved. After the failure of Sir John Moore s campaign in the winter of 1808-9, Wellesley, who had in the meantime resumed his duties as Irish secretary, returned to the Peninsula as chief in command. His first move was against Soult, who had captured Oporto. He drove the French out of this city by a singularly bold and fortunate attack, and then prepared to march against Madrid by the valley of the Tagus. Some appearance of additional strength was given him by the support of a Spanish army under General Cuesta ; but his movements were delayed by the neglect and bad faith of the Spanish Government, and time was given to Soult to collect a large force at Salamanca, with which he intended to fall upon the English line of communications. Wellesley, unconscious of Soult s presence in force on his flank, advanced against Madrid, and finally drew up at Talavera to meet the attack of Victor, who had defeated Cuesta and driven him back on the English. The battle was begun on the 27th Battle of and continued on the 28th of July. Wellesley gained a complete victory, and decisively proved the superiority of English troops under his command over those of the enemy. But within the next few days Soult s approach on the line of communication was discovered. It was impossible for Wellesley to follow up his advantages. The victory of Talavera had brought prestige but nothing else. Superi ority of numbers had made the French the real winners of the campaign, and Wellesley, disgusted with his Spanish allies, had no choice but to withdraw into Portugal and there stand upon the defensive. A peerage, with the title of Viscount Wellington, was conferred upon him for his victory at Talavera. Up to this time Napoleon, with the bulk of his armies, had been occupied with the war against Austria. The peace of Vienna, concluded in October 1809, made him free to throw an almost unlimited force into the Spanish Peninsula. Wellington, foreseeing that Portugal would now be invaded by a very powerful army, began the fortification of the celebrated lines of Torres Vedras, which Lines of followed the mountain-bastion on the north of Lisbon, and Torres left no single point open between the Tagus and the sea. edras - The English army in the meantime wintered in the neigh bourhood of Almeida. As summer approached Welling ton s anticipations were realized. Massena, who had distin guished himself above every other general in the Austrian war of 1809, arrived in Spain, and moved against Portugal with an army of 70,000 men. Wellington was unable to prevent Ciudad Rodrigo from falling into the hands of the French. He retreated down the valley of the Mondego, devastating the country, and at length halted at Busaco, and gave battle. The French attack was repelled, but other roads were open to the invader, and Wellington continued his retreat. Massena followed, and heard for the first time of the fortifications of Torres Vedras when he was within five days march of them. On approaching the mountain-barrier the French general sought in vain for an unprotected point. It was with the utmost difficulty, while waiting for reinforcements, that he could keep his army from starving. At length, when the country was utterly exhausted, he commenced his retreat. Wellington descended from the heights, but his marching-force was too weak to risk a pitched battle. Massena was in con sequence able to maintain himself at Santarem for the winter. But in the spring of 1811 Wellington received reinforcements from England. He now moved against the enemy. Massena retreated northwards, devastating the country with unsparing severity in order to check the pursuit. Such were the sufferings of his army, both in the invasion and in the retreat, that, although only one battle was fought during the campaign, the French, when they re-entered Spain, had lost 30,000 men. In the meantime Soult, who was besieging Cadiz, had received orders from Napoleon to move to the support of Massena. Leaving part of his force in front of Cadiz, he marched northwards and captured Badajoz. Here, how ever, he learnt that Massena was in full retreat, and also that his own army besieging Cadiz had been attacked and beaten. He in consequence returned and resumed the blockade. Wellington, freed from pressure on the south, and believing Massena to be thoroughly disabled, con sidered that the time had come for an advance into Spain. The fortresses of Almeida, Ciudad Bodrigo, and Badajoz had to be recaptured from the French. Leaving a small force to besiege Almeida, Wellington went southwards to arrange with Beresford for the siege of Badajoz. During his absence Massena again took the field, and marched to the relief of Almeida. Wellington returned in time to