The peninsular war. Wellington

Of all the European Powers, Portugal was bound to England by the firmest ties of interest and friendship. To compel her acquiesce in the Berlin decree. Napoleon in 1807 sent an invading army under Junot; but when, almost at the same time, the Spanish people revolted against the attempt to force Joseph Bonaparte upon them as their king, Junot found himself cut off from France. Canning lost no time in sending help to the Peninsula. Sir Arthur Wellesley advanced upon Lisbon, from which Junot marched out to meet him at Vimiero (1808). The English victory would have been decisive if Wellesley's seniors had not stopped the pursuit. As it was, the Convention of Cintra allowed Junot to retire with his army to France in British ships. Lisbon was entered, but Wellesley and his seniors were recalled. Sir John Moore was left in command. When Napoleon invaded Spain and, sweeping everything before him, set Joseph once more on his throne in Madrid, it seemed as if all hope in Peninsula was at the end. But Sir John Moore gave Spaniards time to reorganise themselves by drawing off the French armies in pursuit of his own small forces of 25,000 men. Soult, Ney and Napoleon were all pressing in upon him as he retreated to the north-west coast, where he hoped to find ships to embark his army for England. Napoleon was recalled to deal with Austria, but Soult dogged his rear throughout his winter march. When Sir John reached Corunna the fleet had not yet arrived, and Soult was on his heels. In the engagement that ensued Soult was repulsed and Moore's army was safely embarked, but without its leader, who had fallen in the battle (January 1809).

In England the War Minister was Castlereagh; he showed great energy by sending one expedition to the Peninsula under Wellesley, and another, after Napoleon's defeat of the Austrians at Wagram, to attack Antwerp. The troops, however, never reached Antwerp, but were decimated by fever in the island of Walcheren, at the mouth of the Scheldt— this was a failure which caused a duel between Castlereagh and Canning, and led to the resignation of both of these statesmen. But Weilseley's expedition proved to be the turning-point of the war. The difficulties in his way were formidable; the Spaniards were useful allies for guerrilla warfare, but lacked disci­pline and organisation; their leaders were restive and jealous of any authority except their own. The Portuguese, under English training, proved excellent soldiers, but there were many heroes among Spaniards and Portuguese, who were great patriots and did not want the enemy to command them.

Young Byron travelled in Spain and in Portugal very soon after those events, he chanced to see with his own eyes the fresh scars of war which was finished just before his coming here. In Lisbon the poet saw a very unusual woman who used to walk on the Prado in her war uniform and with medals on her breast, he was told that she was the famous Maid of Saragoza who took part in the fighting. Byron wrote about her several stanzas in his fa­mous poem "Child Harold":

LVI. (Canto I)

"Her lover sinks — she sheds no ill-timed tear;

Her chief is slain — she fills his fatal post;

Her fellows flee — she checks their base career;

The foe retires — she heads the sallying host;

Who can appease like her a lover's ghost?

Who can avenge so well a leader's fall?

What maid retrieve when man's flush's hope is lost?

Who hung so fiercely on the flying Gaul,

Foiled by a woman's band, before a batter'd wall?"

Hulton Deutsch

Дата добавления: 2015-11-16