Read Online The Age of Elegance by Arthur Bryant - Free Book Online Page B
Authors: Arthur Bryant
Tags: History, Non-Fiction
Ads: Link
Madrid-Badajoz highway in his hands, Wellington then could bring up Hill's 21,000 men from Estremadura more quickly than Soult could attack him. He would also gain the main French arsenal in Spain.
In glorious weather the army crossed the Guadarramas and began to move on Madrid. Never had Spain shown such a welcoming face. In every village were bands of music, girls with streamers and laurel crowns to shower kisses on the victors, shouts of "Viva el gran Capita n" and 11 Viva los Heroes Ingleses los Salvadores" The rough, battle-worn men responded in character to this romantic Iberian flattery, and for once, though there were many opportunities for drink, drunkenness was almost unknown. At the royal summer-palace of San Ildefonso there was a fete in the gardens under the blue mountains; bands played in the walks, and the waterworks threw up glittering cascades. At twilight, as Wellington, surrounded by generals and grandees, entered the gardens, every band broke into "See the Conquering Hero Comes," and thousands swelled the chorus, while hundreds of ladies saluted and embraced him as their saviour. 1
Meanwhile in Madrid Joseph's satellites prepared for flight. All night carriages and carts rolled out of the city on the southern road, laden with household goods and terrified collaborators flying from their countrymen's ferocious patriotism. As there was no news of Soult, who was still ignoring all orders to quit his beloved Andalusia, the King, after probing the strength of Wellington's army, abandoned the capital. To have fought the victor of Salamanca with only 15,000 men would have been madness. Once more summoning the disobedient Duke of Dalmatia to join him, he set out across the high barren hinterland for Valencia.
Next day, August 12th, Wellington entered Madrid, with every bell pealing, palms waving, fountains flowing wine, and women casting shawls before his horse. Everyone was shouting "God save
1 Those present remembered it as one of the most intoxicating nights of pleasure they had ever known. "When the shrill note of the bugle aroused us from our sleep all that had passed seemed but as a dream." Grattan, 261-4; Granville, II, 454-5; Simmons, 247; Kincaid, 176; Bell, I, 55.
King Ferdinand!" "Glory to the English Nation!" "Long live Wellington!" Ballet-dancers pirouetted before the columns; the ranks were broken by householders with gifts and wine; soldiers were dragged into doorways and feasted. All night the triumph continue d, and even next day when the 3 rd Division, still followed by an immense and excited multitude, advanced against the Retiro; as the troops moved up to the attack, every roof-top within sight of the fortress resounded with vivas. Fortunately the French commander, recognising that his defences were untenable, surrendered after a few shots, leaving the victors possession of nearly 200 cannon, 20,000 stands of arms and 2500 more prisoners. After that the city gave itself up to a round of fetes, balls and bull-fights, while blissful parties of ill-looking patriots roamed the streets, breaking into houses and dragging off to dungeons and midnight executions anyone who was believed to have held a post under King Joseph. No one gave a thought to making any preparations for further military operations. That was left to the British and the mountain guerrillas.
Wellington did not remain in Madrid. He moved three divisions south to the Tagus to counter any move by Soult and quartered the remainder of his troops at the Escorial, twenty miles to the north. Then, learning that Soult was still lingering in Andalusia and that no attack from the south was likely for four or five weeks, he marched north again with half his army to rejoin Clinton at Valladolid, ordering Hill in Estremadura to reinforce Madrid if Soult moved against it. His object was to take the fortress of Burgos, eighty miles beyond Valladolid on the road to France, and so pin the Armies of Portugal and the North beyond the upper Ebro.
In glorious weather the army crossed the Guadarramas and began to move on Madrid. Never had Spain shown such a welcoming face. In every village were bands of music, girls with streamers and laurel crowns to shower kisses on the victors, shouts of "Viva el gran Capita n" and 11 Viva los Heroes Ingleses los Salvadores" The rough, battle-worn men responded in character to this romantic Iberian flattery, and for once, though there were many opportunities for drink, drunkenness was almost unknown. At the royal summer-palace of San Ildefonso there was a fete in the gardens under the blue mountains; bands played in the walks, and the waterworks threw up glittering cascades. At twilight, as Wellington, surrounded by generals and grandees, entered the gardens, every band broke into "See the Conquering Hero Comes," and thousands swelled the chorus, while hundreds of ladies saluted and embraced him as their saviour. 1
Meanwhile in Madrid Joseph's satellites prepared for flight. All night carriages and carts rolled out of the city on the southern road, laden with household goods and terrified collaborators flying from their countrymen's ferocious patriotism. As there was no news of Soult, who was still ignoring all orders to quit his beloved Andalusia, the King, after probing the strength of Wellington's army, abandoned the capital. To have fought the victor of Salamanca with only 15,000 men would have been madness. Once more summoning the disobedient Duke of Dalmatia to join him, he set out across the high barren hinterland for Valencia.
Next day, August 12th, Wellington entered Madrid, with every bell pealing, palms waving, fountains flowing wine, and women casting shawls before his horse. Everyone was shouting "God save
1 Those present remembered it as one of the most intoxicating nights of pleasure they had ever known. "When the shrill note of the bugle aroused us from our sleep all that had passed seemed but as a dream." Grattan, 261-4; Granville, II, 454-5; Simmons, 247; Kincaid, 176; Bell, I, 55.
King Ferdinand!" "Glory to the English Nation!" "Long live Wellington!" Ballet-dancers pirouetted before the columns; the ranks were broken by householders with gifts and wine; soldiers were dragged into doorways and feasted. All night the triumph continue d, and even next day when the 3 rd Division, still followed by an immense and excited multitude, advanced against the Retiro; as the troops moved up to the attack, every roof-top within sight of the fortress resounded with vivas. Fortunately the French commander, recognising that his defences were untenable, surrendered after a few shots, leaving the victors possession of nearly 200 cannon, 20,000 stands of arms and 2500 more prisoners. After that the city gave itself up to a round of fetes, balls and bull-fights, while blissful parties of ill-looking patriots roamed the streets, breaking into houses and dragging off to dungeons and midnight executions anyone who was believed to have held a post under King Joseph. No one gave a thought to making any preparations for further military operations. That was left to the British and the mountain guerrillas.
Wellington did not remain in Madrid. He moved three divisions south to the Tagus to counter any move by Soult and quartered the remainder of his troops at the Escorial, twenty miles to the north. Then, learning that Soult was still lingering in Andalusia and that no attack from the south was likely for four or five weeks, he marched north again with half his army to rejoin Clinton at Valladolid, ordering Hill in Estremadura to reinforce Madrid if Soult moved against it. His object was to take the fortress of Burgos, eighty miles beyond Valladolid on the road to France, and so pin the Armies of Portugal and the North beyond the upper Ebro.
Similar Books
