destroyed by the fire from the ships.

The naval success in the Danish sea was in some degree balanced by the loss of his Majes ty's brig Attack, on August 18th, which, being surrounded by 14 gun-vessels off Foreness in Jut. land, was obliged, after a gallant resistance, to yield to a vast superiority of force. The brig had a smaller crew on board than that of each of her antagonists; and the commander, Lieut. Simmonds, was most honourably acquitted for the surrender, by a court-martial.

These were the most memorable occurrences respecting the British navy in the European seas during the year 1812; and if not highly important, they were such as sufficiently evinced that the zeal and activity of our countrymen engaged in this service had suffered no diminution for want of adequate antagonists. We shall reserve the painful task of recording the reverses in a different quarter, to that narrative of the new war in which this kingdom is unfortunately engaged, which must occupy some of our future pages.

CHAP.

power of the French, with about 18,000 troops of the line (including the sick in hospitals) made prisoners of war, a great number of officers of rank, 374 pieces of artillery, and a great quantity of military stores. The militia was disarmed, and means were taken to restore the tranquillity of the province. As a reward for this signal success, the title of Duke of Albufera was conferred upon Marshal Suchet.

While the French arms were thus victorious in this quarter, they failed in an inferior enterprize, probably much against expectation. It was mentioned at the conclusion of the Peninsular transactions of the last year, that the design against the town of Tariffa having been resumed, Gen. Victor had invested it with a considerable force, and that a breach was made in the wall. This circumstance is reported by the brave commander, Col. Skerret, on Dec. 30th, when an assault was expected. On the evening of the 31st, a strong column was seen rapidly advancing to the breach, and suitable preparations were made to receive the attack. The intrepid resistance of the defenders was crowned with success. In less than an hour, victory declared for them: the boldest of the assailants fell at the foot of the breach, and the mass of the column made a precipitate retreat. A very pleasing instance of humanity succeeded this exertion of valour. The ground between the town and the enemy's battery was strewed with their wounded, who must have perished had they remained there. Colonel Skerrett therefore hoisted a flag of truce in

token of permission to carry them off; and this humane act was very feelingly acknowledged by the French commander. From that time the enemy kept up a partial fire, by which the breach was widened, and another assault was expected; when on the morning of January 5th, the columns of the enemy were descried already at a distance, having left behind them their artillery, ammunition, and stores. A detachment of the garrison was sent out to take possession of them, which rescued from the flames the articles that had been set on fire. A number of dead was found on the place, indicating the great loss which the besiegers must have suffered during the whole period." Thus we have seen (says Col. Skerrett, with allowable exultation) the utmost effort of the French has been frustrated by 1800 British and Spanish troops, with only the defence of a paltry wall; and an army of 10,000 men, conducted by a marshal of France, retreating from them silently in the night, after having been repulsed and defeated, leaving behind all their artillery and stores, collected at a great expense, and by immense exertions."

Lord Wellington, who in the autumn had placed his troops in cantonments across the Agueda to recover from their sickness and fatigues, was in motion at the very commencement of the year. In a dispatch dated from Gallegos, Jaw nuary 9, 1812, he informs the fo reign secretary of state that he invested Ciudad Rodrigo on the pres ceding day. He mentions having taken by storm a new redoubt constructed by the French on the hilf

of

of St. Francisco, and that he had broke ground within 600 yards of the place. Lieutenant-General Hill had arrived on December the 30th at Merida, whence General Dombrowski had retired in the night, leaving his magazines of provisions. General Hill had removed forward with the intention of attacking General Drouet, who retired first upon Zafra, and then upon Llerena: General Hill therefore returned to Merida, where he put his men into cantonments. In another dispatch, dated January the 15th, Lord Wellington gives an account of the progress of the siege, which had been facilitated by two successful attacks on posts of the enemy, close to the body of the place, nd had enabled the besiegers to establish a second parallel at the distance of 150 yards from it.

On the 20th, his Lordship was enabled to send the welcome intelligence of the capture of Ciudad Rodrigo, that important frontier town, which had so often been the object of military operations. The file of the batteries having considerably injured the defences of the place, and made breaches regarded as practicable, Lord Wellington determined on a storm, though the approaches had not been brought to the crest of the glacis, and the counterscarp was still entire. The attack was made on the evening of the 19th, in five separate columns, for the disposition of which, we refer to the account in the Gazette.. All these attacks succeeded, and in less than an hour, the assailants were in possession of and formed upon the ramparts of the place, each column contiguous to the next. The eneVOL. LIV.

my then, who had sustained a severe loss in the conflict, submitted. The loss of the besiegers was also considerable, especially in officers of rank. Of these, Major-General M'Kinnon was killed by the ex. plosion of a magazine close to the breach. His Lordship bestows the warmest encomiums on all the officers engaged in this service, and the success of such a spirited enterprize redounds equally to the honour of the Commander, and those who acted under him. The fruits of victory were a garrison of 1700 men, besides officers, and 153 pieces of ordnance, including the heavy train of the French army, with great quantities of ammunition and stores. The losses of the besiegers from January the 15th to the 19th, amounted to nearly 700 of all descriptions, killed, wounded, and missing.

The sense of the Spanish nation on this success was displayed in a vote of the Cortes, by acclamation, conferring on Lord Wellington the rank of a Grandee of the first class, with the title of Duke of Ciudad Rodrigo.

The French, at this time, were concentrating their northern forces about Salamanca, and for this purpose had evacuated the province of Asturias. The Guerillas were every where upon the alert to give them all possible molestation.

During the siege of Valentia, the Spaniards, in Catalonia, under the command of General Lacy and Baron d'Eroles, by way of diversion, or to improve the opportunity of the absence of the French main army, made an attempt upon Tarragona, in which they were assisted by an nglish naval force. The French General De Caen, [L] however,

however, having dispatched thither the division of La Marque, with a party of the garrison of Barcelona, under the orders of General Mathieu, the Spaniards were attacked, on the heights of Altafouilla, January the 24th, and defeated, with considerable loss of men, arms, and baggage, and the whole of their artillery. A different account was given of this affair by the Spaniards; it is, however, certain, that the attempt on Tarragona failed.

After the capture of Valencia, Marshal Suchet pursued his success, and the French became masters of Alzira, St. Felipe, Gandia, and Denia; Peniscola surrendered soon after. Soult, with his corps of observation, at this time occupied the frontiers of Murcia, and had pushed an advanced party as far as the camp at Lorca.

Lord Wellington remained some time at Ciudad Rodrigo, in order to repair the fortifications, and put it in a defensible state; and then, placing it under the command of a Spanish Governor, he withdrew to Freynada. Badajos was the next object of his arms; and after making due preparations, he moved from Freynada on the 6th of March, and arrived at Elvas on the 11th. At this time there were none of the enemy's troops in the field in Estremadura, except a part of the 5th corps at Villa-Franca, and a division under Gen. Darican, at La Serena. On the 15th and 16th his Lordship broke up the cantonments of the army, and invested Badajos on both sides the Guadiana, on the 16th. On the following day he broke ground, and established the first parallel. A sortie was made by the garrison on the

On

19th, which was presently repulsed without having effected any thing. At the time of the investment, General Sir Thomas Graham crossed the Guadiana, with a body of troops, and directed his march towards Llerena; whilst LieutenantGeneral Sir Rowland Hill, who had returned from Miranda to his cantonments near Albuquerque, marched again to that town. The operations of the siege were carried on without intermission, notwithstanding the unfavourable weather, and the swelling of the Guadiana, which damaged the bridges of communication; and, on the 25th, a fire was opened from 29 pieces of ordnance, in six batteries. On the evening of that day, a strong out-work, called la Picurina, was gallantly stormed by a body of 500 men, who firmly established themselves in it. March the 31st, a fire was opened from 26 pieces of cannon, in the second parallel, which was conti nued with great effect. A second sortie was driven in with loss. At this time the movements of Generals Sir Thomas Graham and Sir Rowland Hill had obliged the enemy to retire towards Cordova; but intelligence had been received that Marshal Soult had broke up from before Cadiz on the 23d and 24th, and marched upon Seville with all the troops that were there, with the exception of 4000. The further particulars of the siege will be found in the dispatch copied from the London Gazette, and a concise narrative of the result will suffice for an historical relation. Breaches being made in the bastions of la Trinidad and Santa Maria, Lord Wellington determined to attack the place on the night of April the