Wellington’s Commanders

Hawera Star, Volume LIII, 10 June 1933, Page 11

Wellington’s Commanders

AT the outbreak of the Peninsular W ar the defence of Cadiz was held to be of the utmost importance, a British expedition had been sent to occupy the city and had been admitted only after long- negotiations with the Spaniards. The reluctance of the Spaniards to permit the British to enter Cadiz, for the sole purpose .of assisting in its defence, is difficult to understand, one writer declaring that the Spaniards were more jealous of thenallies than they were afraid of their enemies. After the British occupation, Sir Thomas Graham, who afterwards became Lord Lynedoeh, was sent to command the troops in the city. Throughout the war Graham was to prove himself one of the most notable of the lieutenants of the Iron Duke. Graham rendered important service in many of the sternly contested battles of the war. At the moment when Graham assumed the command at Cadiz that city was being beseiged by Marshal Victor, who had been defeated by Wellington at Talavera. Graham decided to make an attack upon the forces, of Victor surrounding the city and this decision brought on the battle of Barossa. Graham had decided to take 12,000 men, of whom only 4000 were British, by sea to Algceiras, and landing there made an attach on-the'trench. Marching from that place, the allies came to the ridge of Barossa. During the battle that followed Graham was entirely deserted by the Spaniards under La Pena and thus with his 400 British and Portuguese troops he had to meet Victor’s troops who numbered 9000 with 14 guns. Whilst the British were in a wood below Barossa Victor attacked. Having succeeded in bringing a measure of confusion into the ranks of the Allies, Victor was in his turn strongly attacked by Graham. A terrific tire was opened upon the French columns by the British artillery, whilst the British and Portuguese troops launched an attack which broke the first French line, and continuing, drove back the second line also. In another portion of the field the French also met with disaster and whilst the conflict had for some time been doubtful the British at length prevailed; the two French leaders, Ikiffin and Rousseau, fell mortally wounded and the French were driven hack with the loss of many men and three guns. The French made an endeavour to renew the combat, but owing to the intense

artillery fire their attempt was in vain and Victor was soon in full retreat. Graham’s troops, however, were unable to pursue. These fierce conflicts were watched by the Spaniards under La Pena, without a single effort being made to go to Graham’s assistance. One Spanish regiment is said to have made, without orders, an endeavour to assist, but arrived just as the combat ceased. The battle bad lasted for an hour and a-half only, but in that time over 1200 British and 2000 French were killed and wounded. Two French Generals and over 400 men were captured.

Soon after the battle of Barossa Graham resigned his command at Cadiz and took service under the Duke of Wellington. When the fortress of Oindod Rodrigo was taken Graham greatly assisted in its capture by reducing an important post in the defence and making its garrison prisoner. This capture was important. as it secured the right flank of the trenches before the walls of the fortress. Prior to the great battle of Salamanca Marshal Marmont bad taken up an exceedingly strong position. Ilis object was to tempt. Wellington to offer battle. The Iron Duke was not thus to bo drawn into fighting except at the time most likely to bring success to the British arms. Marmont seized a post of great importance on the British flank and Wellington immediately ordered Graham to retake it. Graham, with great gallantry, recaptured the position in the view of both armies. After this action Marmont. retired and took up a fresh position. During the operations that took place, leading up to the great victory of Wellington at Vittoria, Graham rendered conspicuous service. Wellington’s intention was to cross the Duero, and in order to accomplish this object he divided his army into three divisions. One of these divisions consisting- of 40,000 men he entrusted to Sir Thomas Graham with orders to march to the Esla. In spite of very great difficulties in the mountainous region of the Tras os Montes Graham successfully accomplished his object. Graham having been delayed for some lime, Wellington grew anxious for his (Graham s) safety and himself joined him and found that all had gone well with that officer. Graham had arrived on the Esla and had kept the French army in complete ignorance of his movements. The river.was guarded by French piquets, but Graham crossed the river after a sharp contest. A noted writer has written of this great military feat: “Through those regions, held to be nearly impracticable even for small corps, 40,000 men, infantry, cavalry, artillery and pontoons had been carried and placed as if by a supernatural power upon the Esla before Ihe enemy knew even that they were in- movement. ”

The force Hint he led through such rugged scenes and across the Esla, Graham commanded at Vittoria. In this battle Hill commanded the right wing and Graham the left wing with Wellington himself in command of the centre. Graham was to attack and to attempt to shut off a great part of the French army between the Puebla mountain and the Zadora river. Graham made a strong attack and the banks of the Zadora soon evidenced signs of great conflict. The battle resulted in a great Allied victory. When the victory was won Graham was sent in pursuit of the retreating French. At Tolosa he defeated the French General Foy and drove him out of that place. That General continued his retreat, but on Ills way to the French frontier he threw a garrison of 2600 men into the fortress of San Sebastian, which was to give the advancing Allied army much difficulty before it could be reduced. Foy crossed the Bidassoa and Graham immediately invested San Sebastian. The reduction of- this fortress was one of the groat events of the war. With its comparatively small garrison it was not expected that the place could offer a pro-

Exploits Of Sir Thomas Graham

(Written for “The Star” by T.C.)

longed resistance and yet it was here that the French offered a stubborn defence. St. Sebastian stands on a narrow neck oi land washed on the west by the sea and on the east by a small stream which, at hi a water, reached to the walls of the fortress. The city is situated on the Bay of Biscay in the Spanish province of Guipuzcoa. In 1808 San Sebastian had been besieged and taken by the French and held by them until 1813 when they were driven from the city by the forces of Wellington. The French were determined to resist with all the means at their disposal and Wellington was equally determined to Capture the place as lie could not advance into France and leave the fort in French possession. Had the naval forces of Britain blocaded the fort from the sea its resistance could not have been so prolonged as it proved to be. The British naval forces had been so reduced on the northern coast of Spain that no assistance from the navy could be given to Wellington. The Duke himself wrote to the Admiralty stating that it was many years since a British General had had occasion to feel uneasy about his communications by sea. As a result the French received much assistance from Bayonne, as boats came nightly from that place with supplies of every kind. The French commander of San Sebastian was General Rey, who has been described as being one of the most brilliant soldiers of the Napoleonic wars, and as having a singular genius for defensive war. The town was cleared of non-combatants, the batteries were armed and Rey awaited the attack. The attackers under Graham numbered 10,000 men, whilst the defenders, as we have seen, numbered about 3000. One of the strong places of the defence was the convent of Sail Bartolomeo. This was soon vigorously assaulted and was captured by Wilson’s Portuguese and three companies of British troops commanded by Colin Campbell. The fight for the possession of the convent was a stern one. After having captured this place the attackers, being too eager, pressed on to capture a great redoubt, but were heavily repulsed. A breach having at length been made in the walls, an assault was ordered. The attackers consisted of a battalion of Royal Sevts, the 38tli under Grenville, and the 9th under Cameron. The assault, which was courageously delivered, was a complete failure, and was repulsed with a loss to the attackers of several officers and over 500 men.

The attack was made under great difficulties. These difficulties are vividly described by Fit die tt, who quotes- from Colin Campbell, who wrote: “It was dark when ordered to advance. All before me went willingly enough forward, but in a very straggling order, arising in the first instance from the order of formation previous to attack being extended the whole length of the parallel in a front of fours, which it( the parallel) would admit if by packing when halted, but was not of sufficient width for troops to maintain that front when in movement. We thus deboached from the mouth and the opening made from the parallel, which was not quite so wide as the latter, in twos and threes. The space we had to traverse between this opening and the breach, some 300 yards, was very rough and broken by large pieces of rocks, which the falling tide had left wet and exceedingly slippery, sufficient in itself to have loosened and disordered an original dense formation; and the heavy and uninterrupted fire to which they were opposed in advance, increased this evil, these different causes combining to make our advance look more like one of individuals than that of a well-organised and disciplined military body.”

With the failure of this assault, Wellington, who was seriously 'deficient in siege guns, decided to bloeade the fortress and to await the arrival of battering trains from England. The siege had already lasted a month and another month was to pass away before it could be renewed. The month of bloeade of. San Sebastian was spent by Wellington in driving back the armies of Marshal Soult, who was making desperate efforts to relieve the fortress. Two battering’ trains at length arrived from England., but with them there came only enough ammunition to last for a single day. The attack upon the fortress was renewed with redoubled energy. A break having been made in the walls, the assault was ordered. Fifteen British regiments furnished the storming party. Two breaches were to be assaulted and Graham watched the operations of the troops. The assault was met by an heroic defence and many of the attackers were slain. Many were seen to mount the summit of the breach, but when the smoke floated away no living man was seen upon the crest of the breach. Once again, after a tremendous loss, it seemed as though Hie defenders would be victorious. Graham then ordered the artillery to concentrate upon the parapet of the high curtain, whose fire guarded the break. The British gunners found the range perfectly and the concentrated fire of fifty heavy guns raged against the defend-

ers of the breach. The shot ranged over the heads of (he troops, now gathered at the foot of the breach, and the stream of missiles thus poured along the upper surface broke down the traverses. During the artillery attack a huge quantity of French ammunition exploded, broke down a great portion of the Avail and slew hundreds of the defenders. The French still .strongly resisted, but could not Avitlistand the impetuous British attack. The city Avas captured and, although the gallant French commander took refuge in the castle on Monte Orgullo, he too was compelled a day or two later to surrender on honourable terms granted to him by the British commander as a tribute to the gallantry of his defence. The total British loss in this, the final assault, was 2000 men. The last act of Graham in the Peninsula War Avas to conduct the first and the fifth divisions ,of Wellington’s army across the Bidassoa. lie then returned to England OAving to ill-liealth. Later, haA’ing recovered, he Avas sent lo Holland in command of a division Avhich Avon Id have been greatly Aveleomed by Wellington, avlio Avas then invading the South of France.