Wellington, soldier and statesman, and the revival of the military power of England . cially as one of the armies wouldbe on their flank and rear; their escape, indeed,would be difficult in the extreme. But Joseph, con-fident in the power of the forces of which he wasnominally the head, and like Marmont on anotheroccasion, eager to secure a victory for himself alone,resolved to attack Wellesley and Cuesta, before hecould be joined by Soult,—presumptuous, reckless,and wrong conduct, which justly incensed the Em-peror when made aware of the facts. Wellesley and Cuesta were at Talavera by thistim
Wellington, soldier and statesman, and the revival of the military power of England . cially as one of the armies wouldbe on their flank and rear; their escape, indeed,would be difficult in the extreme. But Joseph, con-fident in the power of the forces of which he wasnominally the head, and like Marmont on anotheroccasion, eager to secure a victory for himself alone,resolved to attack Wellesley and Cuesta, before hecould be joined by Soult,—presumptuous, reckless,and wrong conduct, which justly incensed the Em-peror when made aware of the facts. Wellesley and Cuesta were at Talavera by thistime, a small town on the northern bank of theTagus. The Spaniard gave the command to theEnglishman, but with a bad grace ; Wellesley rightlydetermined to await the attack of the enemy; re-treat, in truth, would have been fatal to his. com-posite and weakened army. His arrangements gaveproof of the skill in tactics in which he had hardlyan equal among the generals of his age. He arrayedthe Spanish army, about 34,000 strong, but untrust-worthy troops in every sense of the word, from. The Douro—Talavera 95 Talavera on its extreme right, to an eminencecrowned with a redoubt on its extreme left; its frontwas protected by a convent, a breastwork, ditches,and stockades; its rear was supported by its ownand some British cavalry. Its position was thusvery difficult to assail; Wellesleys army extendedfrom Cuestas left to a hill which was the key of thewhole battlefield; the united forces held a front ofabout two miles. The Spanish army numbered, wehave seen, some 34,000 men, the British 19,000 or20,000, the allies had perhaps 100 guns; in realstrength they were far inferior to their foes. Aprelude to the battle that followed took place; itwas not of the best omen to the allied French crossed the Alberche near Talavera onthe 27th of July ; they were at least 50,000 with 80guns: they were good soldiers, nearly all of onebrave nation, the British soldiers alone were worthyof th
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