LIV. 1808. 6. concurrence fence. June 15. CHAP. to the whole population, all of whom, in the first movements of confusion and excitement, had a share in the generous resolution. When Palafox retired after his General repeated defeats into the town, he either despaired of of all classes being able to defend it, or deemed it necessary to collect reinforcements for a prolonged resistance from other quarters, and accordingly set out with a small body of regular troops for the northern bank of the river, leaving the armed population nearly unsupported to defend the walls. This measure was well adapted to increase the ultimate means of resistance which might be brought to bear upon the invader, if the town, when left to its own resources, could make head against the enemy; but it exposed it to imminent hazard of being taken, if, in the first moments of alarm consequent on the removal of the captain-general and regular forces, the besiegers should vigorously prosecute their operations. On the day after his arrival before the city, Lefebvre-Desnouettes presented himself in force before the gates, and commenced an immediate assault. But the people, though without leaders, with surprising energy prepared to repulse it. In the first moment of assault, indeed, a column of the enemy penetrated to the street Santa Engracia; the citizens, though violently excited, were without leaders or concert, and a few additional battalions would have made the enemy masters of Saragossa. But at this critical moment a desultory fire from some peasants and disbanded soldiers arrested the advance of the French, and the inhabitants, regaining hope from the hesitation of the assailants, exerted themselves with such vigour that the enemy again retired beyond the gates. Instantly the whole population were in activity: men, 46,47. For women, and children flew to the ramparts; cannons were dragged to the gates; loopholes struck out in the walls; fascines and gabions constructed with astonishing celerity, and in less than twenty-four hours the city was secure from a coup-de-main.1 June 16. 1 Cavallero, i. 6, 7. Napier, ii. 66, 67. Thiers, ix. 59. LIV. 1808, 7. of Palafox the city. feated and re-enters it. The loss sustained by Lefebvre-Desnouettes in this CHAP. unsuccessful assault was very severe, and sufficient to convince him that operations in form would be requisite before the town could be reduced. He withdrew to a little Operations distance, therefore, from the walls, and sent for heavy artil- to relieve lery from Pampeluna and Bayonne, with a view to the He is decommencement of a regular siege. Meanwhile Palafox, who had issued into the plain on the left bank of the Ebro, moved to Pina, where he crossed the river and advanced to Belchite, and there joined the Baron Versage, who had assembled four thousand new levies. Uniting everywhere the volunteers whom he found in the villages, he at length gained, by a circuitous route, the river Xalon, in the rear of the French army, with seven thousand infantry, a hundred horse, and four pieces of cannon. Some of his officers, seeing so respectable a force collected June 23. together, deemed it imprudent to hazard it by attempting the relief of Saragossa, and proposed that they should retire to Valencia. Palafox assembled the troops the moment that he heard of this proposal, and, after describing in energetic colours the glorious task which awaited them of delivering their country, offered to give passports to all those who wished to leave the army. Such was the ascendancy of his intrepid spirit that not one person left the ranks. Taking advantage of the * Colonel Napier, who is seldom favourable to aristocratic leaders, says, that "Palafox, ignorant of war, and probably awed by Tio Jorge (an urban chief of humble origin), expressed his determination to fight," but he "did not display that firmness in danger which his speech promised, as he must have fled early and reached Calatayud in the night, though many of the troops arrived. there unbroken next morning." Neither the words in italics, nor any corresponding words, are to be found in Cavallero, whom he refers to as his authority, nor in any Spanish historian with whom I am acquainted. Toreno, though an avowed liberal, after recounting Palafox's speech on this occasion, says, "Such is the power which the inflexible resolution of a chief exercises in critical circumstances." There is not the least reason to suspect the distinguished English author of intentional misrepresentation, but the insinuations here made are fatal to the character of Palafox; and as there is no ground for them, at least in the author quoted by him, it is desirable that the authorities on which they are made should be given in the next edition of that able work.-See CAVALLERO, Siège de Saragosse, 49; TORENO, ii. 11; and NAPIER, i. 67. LIV. 1808. CHAP. enthusiasm excited by this unanimous determination, the Spanish general led them against the enemy, but before they could reach him night had fallen. They took up their quarters accordingly at Epila, where they were unexpectedly assailed, after dark, by Lefebvre-Desnouettes with five thousand men. The Spanish levies, surprised and unable to form their ranks during the confusion of a nocturnal combat, were easily dispersed: although a few fought with such obstinacy that they only retired to Calatayud the following morning. Despairing, from the issue of this conflict, of being able to keep the field, 12. Cav. 49, Palafox became sensible that Saragossa must be defended 50. Nap. i. within its own walls, and, making a long circuit, he at length re-entered the city on the 2d July.1 July 2. 1 Tor. i. 11, 67, 68. 8. tions of the siege. Meanwhile the besieging force, having received heavy First opera- artillery and stores from Bayonne and Pampeluna, were vigorously prosecuting their operations, which were in the first instance chiefly directed against Monte Torrero, on the right bank of the river. Destitute at this critical moment of any noble leaders, the people of Saragossa did not sink under their difficulties. Calvo de Rozas, to whom the command had been devolved in his absence by Palafox, was a man whose calm resolution was equal to the emergency; and he was energetically supported by a plebeian chief, Tio Martin, to whom, with Tio Jorge, of similar rank, the real glory of resolving on defence, in circumstances all but desperate, is due. Encouraged by the intrepid conduct of their chiefs, the people assembled in the public square, and with the magistrates, officers, and troops of the garrison, voluntarily took an oath "to shed the last drop of their blood for the defence of their religion, their king, and their hearths." They had need of all their resolution, for the means of attack against them were multiplying in a fearful degree. Verdier, whose talents had been fatally felt by the Prussians and Russians in the Polish campaign, was appointed to the command of the siege; the troops under June 25. LIV. 1808. June 26. his command were strongly reinforced, and Lefebvre- CHAP. Desnouettes was detached to act under the orders of Bessières against the insurgents in Leon. At the end of June, the besieging force being augmented to twelve thousand men, and the battering train having arrived, an attack was made on the convent of St Joseph, situated outside of the walls, which at first failed, though the besieged had no other defence than loopholes struck out in the rampart. But being resumed with greater force, the defences were carried, and the brave garrison, after obstinately contesting the possession of the church, refectory, and cells, set fire to the edifice, and retreated to the June 27. city. Monte Torrero was the next object of attack, while a tremendous fire, kept up with uncommon vigour on other parts of the town, diverted the attention of the besieged from the quarter where the real assault was to be made. The commander, despairing of success with the undisciplined crowd under his command, and not aware of the difference between fighting with such troops behind walls and in the open field, evacuated that 1 Nap. i. 67, important post; for which, though it was perhaps inevit- 68. Cav. 52, able, he was remitted to a council of war, condemned 15, 16. and executed.1 53. Tor. i. of the be Having gained this vantage-ground, Verdier com- 9. menced a vigorous bombardment of the city, and battered Progress its feeble walls furiously from the advantageous position siegers. which had so unexpectedly fallen into his power. Amidst the terror and confusion thus excited, repeated attacks were made on the gates of El Carmen and Portillo; but such was the ardour and tenacity of the defence, and the severity of the fire kept up from the windows, walls, and roofs of the houses, that he was on every occasion, after desperate struggles, repulsed with severe loss. These repeated failures convinced Verdier of the necessity of making approaches in form, and completing the investment of the city, which still received constant supplies of men and provisions from the surrounding country. With LIV. 1808. July 10. July 17. CHAP. this view he threw a bridge of boats over the Ebro, and having thus opened a communication with the left bank, the communication of the besieged with the country, though not entirely cut off, was, after hard fighting, for many days restrained within very narrow limits. Before this could be effected, however, the patriots received a reinforcement from the regiment of Estremadura, eight hundred strong, with the aid of which they made a desperate sally with two thousand men to retake the Monte Torrero. But though they fought with the utmost vehemence, they were unable to prevail against the disciplined valour of the French, and were repulsed with very heavy loss, including that of the commander. this disaster they were necessarily confined to their walls; and the French approaches having been at length completed, the breaching batteries opened against the quarters of Santa Engracia and Aljafiria, and a terrible bombardment having at the same time been kept up, a powder1 Cav. 51, magazine blew up with fearful devastation in the public 55. Tor. walk of the Cosso. The slender wall being soon laid in Foy, iii. 298, ruins, the town was summoned to surrender; but Palafox 300. Nap. having rejected the offer, preparations were made for an assault.1 Aug. 3. 1 ii. 21, 25. i. 68, 69. 10. assault of After The storm took place on the 4th August. The two assaultDesperate ing columns advanced against each side of the salient the town. angle close to the convent of Santa Engracia. Palafox at an early hour stationed himself on the breach, and even when the forlorn hope was approaching, refused all terms of capitulation. The combat was long and bloody; but after a violent struggle, the French penetrated into the town, and made themselves masters of the convent of El Carmen and the street of Santa Engracia. Deeming themselves now in possession of Saragossa, their battalions poured through the breach, overspread the ramparts on either side, while a close column pushed on, with fixed bayonets and loud cheers, from Santa Engracia to the Cosso. Despite all the efforts of the citizens, they pene |