Siege Badajoz 1812
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, North Hamptonshire
Regiment (48th Regiment of Foot) , John Waddington
- Following the fall of Rodrigo, Marmont suggested
he move to help Soult protect Badajoz against the
- British, for who this was the next target. The
French command stated he was not to entertain the thought
as it was Soult's to look after. Wellington was shhort of
engineeres but was determined to let nothing stop his
advance and subsequent Siege. It was to be one of the
blackest days in British Amry annals.
- Badajoz was very strongly fortified and
wellgarrisoned by French forces . Wellington learned of
the
- existance of mines that had been layed by the
French force. Ironically the information came from a
French sergent-major of engineeres who decided to just
change side because his Captain had insulted him. The
comander of the fortress of Badajoz was Govener Armand
Phillipon (1761-1836), a more than capable comander.
Wellington attacked Fort Picurina on the 25th of March
1812. Its capture allowed Wellingtons siege guns to fire
upon the weekest sections of Badajoz's defence's.
Wellingtons guns comprised of 16, 24pounders, ..20, 18
pounders, ...and 16 , 24 pound howitzers. . As many as
1,800 men worked at night in the construction of the
breaches. Total ammunition expended was 35,346
rounds,18,832 from the 24 pounders, 1,826 shell and 2,659
rounds of anti personed shot. News came on the 4th of
April Soult was approching with his army , Breaches began
to open under the heavy British bombardment . On the 6th
of April the 4th and the light divisions advance on one
of the larger breaches(Trinidad and Santa Maria) while
the 5th division attacked the San Vincente bastion. At
Phillipon had at hand 157 officers and 3,921 troops. The
French expecting the British to rush the breachs hade
place traps with in them such as ditches filled with
entangle ments to swords ramed through timber . These
were only some of the items that awaited the British..
The French had built within the breache's a searies of
walls intended to lead the British soldiers to a position
of the French choise . The trenches the french had dug
were filled with water, spikes as well as the items
above. The British delayed the attack from 7pm till 10 pm
this gave the French time to fill the trenches with
combustables to illuminate the attackers, The 4th
Division forces attacked unawares of what the French had
in store for the. Wave after wave were masacred. Downing
in the trenches and being impailed on the spikes and the
swords. From ten untill midnight 40 seoperate attackes
took place. The dead and wounded layed piled deep in the
French trenches.
- The 1/48th were part of the 4th division and
again suffered masive losses form the entire 48th only 35
men
- and three officers survived.
- Wellington finally recaled his troops. Wellington
had lost in two hours one third of his troops. The 5th
- division had advance with far less resistence at
San Vincente. While the Picton's 3rd Division at the
castle met with also minimal resistence.Phillipon
retreated to the citadel and soon surrended. He and his
two daughters narrowly escaped being murdered by the
British troops who were enraged due to the carnage they
were forced to endure. Brithish officers had to slash at
their own troops to keep the at bay.
- It was in these times that the victotiouse Army
could plunder the deposed fortress .The British Army did
- not condone this but in fact did everything in
its power to prevent such a practice. But at the fall of
Badajoz all hell broke loose with the British troops on a
rapage of pillage and murder of the civilian population.
Wellington understood the furry of his men but many
soldires were appauled by these actions . Late on the
afternoon of April the 7th Wellington despatched Powers
Portugues Brigade into Badajoz to end the destuction and
murder. The provost Marshal erected gallows in the main
square. This had the effect and the troops returned to
normality.
-
- Excerpt from Philip J.
Haythornthaite's book WELLINGTON'S MILITARY MACHINE
published 1995
- The information is intended for
short historical value only, far more information can be
gained from the above Publication
-
- © Copyright B & M Chapman
(QLD) Australia
- Last revised: April 11, 2000.
