Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 19, Scripture-SUG

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Spain, communicated with that under Sir David Baird, by
r-Y means of the rifle corps attached to the latter, which
formed a chain acrofs the valley. The referve under
Major-general Paget occupied a village on the Betanzos
; road, about half a mile from the rear of General Hope.
The higher grounds on the rear and flanks of the Britifli
were pofleffed by the French, a fituation which gave the
latter a coniiderable advantage.
In the evening the tranfports from Vigo hove in
fight; but the enemy was now fo near, and had, during
this day, fliown fo much difpofition to molefl: the Britilh,
that a general aftion was become inevitable. On the
15th, the enemy had advanced to a height where, the
day before, a magazine, containing nearly 4000 barrels
of gunpowder, had been blown up, and which Avas
immediately oppofite to the pofition of the Britilh. On
I93 this day fome Ikirmilhes took place,
ttleof On the 16th, every thing Avas prepared for a general
nmna. a<5Hon. Mod of the artillery had been embarked, as it
Avas found that, from the nature of the ground, much
artillery could not be employed with advantage. During
the 13th and 14th, the lick, the difmounted cavalry and
horfes, were alfo nearly all embarked. On the morning
of the 16th, the French on the hills Avere apparently
quiet, and it Avas hoped that the embarkation might be
effefted in the courfe of that night; but about noon the
enemy, who had in the morning received reinforce¬
ments, and had placed fome guns in front of the right
and left of his line, Avas obferved to be getting under
arms, to be moving troops towards his left flank, and
forming various columns of attack at that extremity of
the ftrong and commanding pofition which he had taken
on the 15th, in front of the Britifh line. This indica¬
tion of his intention Avas immediately fucceeded by a
rapid and determined attack on the divifion under Sir
David Baird, Avhich formed the right Aving, and was
the Aveakeft part of the line. The firft effort of the
enemy was met by Sir John Moore and Sir David Baird
at the head of the 42d regiment, and the brigade under
Lord William Bentinck. The village on the right be¬
came an objeft of obftinate conteft. While leading on
his divifion to fupport this pofition, Sir David had his
arm fliattered with a grape fliot.
Not long after, Avhile Sir John Moore Avas riding
from poll to poft, everywhere encouraging his troops,
and pointing out the molt advantageous opportunities
for attack or defence, his confpicuous fituation had ex-
pofed him to the fire of the enemy. A cannon-ball
ftruck his left fhoulder, and beat him to the ground.
He raifed himfelf, and fat up with an unaltered coun¬
tenance, looking intently at the Highlanders, Avho Avere
warmly engaged. Captain Hardinge threw himfelf
from his horfe, and took him by the hand •, then, ob-
ferving his anxiety, he told him the 42d were advan-
cing, upon which his countenance immediately bright¬
ened. His friend Colonel Graham noAV difmounted to
aflift him ; and, from the compofure of his features, en¬
tertained hopes that he was not even wounded : but ob-
ferving the horrid laceration and effufion of blood, he
rode off for furgeons. The general Avas carried from
the field on a blanket, by a fergeant of the 4 2d, and
fome foldiers. On the way he ordered Captain Har¬
dinge to report his Avound to General Hope, Avho af-
fumed the command. Many of the foldiers kneAV that
their tAvo chiefs were carried off: yet they conti-
Vol. XIX. Part II.
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nued to fight with undiminilhed courage ; and, by the
moil determined bravery, not only repelled every at¬
tempt of the enemy to gain ground, but actually forced
him to retire, though he had brought up frefli troops in
fupport of thofe originally engaged.
The enemy finding himfelf foiled in every attempt to
force the right of the pofition, endeavoured by numbers
to turn it. A judicious and Avell-timed movement,
Avhich Avas made by Major-general Paget, Avith the re¬
ferve, Avhieh corps had moved out of its cantonments
to fupport the right of the army, by a vigorous attack,
defeated this intention. The major-general having
pufhed fonvard the 95th (rifle corps} and iff battalion
5 2d regiment, drove the enemy before him ; and, in
his rapid and judicious advance, threatened the left
of the enemy’s pofition. This circumftance, Avith the
pofition of Lieutenant-general Frafer’s divifion (calcu¬
lated to give ftill farther fecurity to the right of the
line) induced the enemy to relax his efforts in that
quarter. They were, hoAvever, more forcibly direfted
towards the centre, Avhere they Avere again fuccefsfully
refilled by the brigade under Major-general Manning-
ham, forming the left of Sir David Baird’s divifion, and
a part of that under Major-general Leith, forming the
right of the divifion under General Hope. Upon the
left the enemy at firfl: contented himfelf with an attack
upon our picquets, which, however, in general, main¬
tained their ground. Finding, however, his efforts un¬
availing on the right and centre, he teemed determined
to render the attack on the left more ferious, and had
fucceeded in obtaining poffeflion of the village through
Avhich the great road to Madrid paffes, and Avhich Avas
fituated in front of that part of the line. From this
point, hoAvever, he Avas foon expelled Avith confiderable
lofs, by a gallant attack of fome companies of the 2d
battalion of the 14th regiment, under Lieutenant colonel
Nicholls. Before five in the evening, the Britifh had
not. only fuccefsfully repelled every attack made upon the
pofition, but had gained ground in almoff all points, and
occupied a more forward line than at the commencement
of the action, wbilft the enemy confined his operations to
a cannonade, and the fire of his light troops, Avith a vJcav
to draw off his other corps. At fix the firing ceafed.
The different brigades Avere reaffembled on the ground
which they occupied in the morning, and the picquets
and advanced polls refumed their original flat ions.
Notwithftanding the decided and marked fuperiority
Avhich at this moment the gallantry of the troops had
given them over an enemy, Avho, from his numbers and
the commanding advantages of his pofition, no doubt
expected an eafy victory, General Hope did not, on re¬
viewing all circumftanees, conceive that he fliould be
Avarranted in departing from Avhat he knevv Avas the pre¬
vious and fixed determination of the late commander of
the forces, to withdraAV the army on the evening of the
16th, for the purpofe of embarkation, the previous ar¬
rangements for which had already been made by his or¬
der, and were in fa6! far advanced at the commence¬
ment of the action. The troops quitted their pofition
about JO at night, Avith a degree of order that did them
credit. The artillery that remained unembarked, hav¬
ing been withdraAvn, the troops followed in the order
preferibed, and marched to their refpe&ive points of
embarkation in the town and neighbourhood of Co¬
runna. The picquets remained at their polls till five in
3 X the
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