CORUNNA
In November of 1807 the French
invaded Portugal, by way of Spain, in an attempt to solidify Napoleon's
Continental Blockade of England. All other powers on the continent
were controlled by Napoleon or paying lip service to him. Realizing
that Spain was barely pretending to enforce the blockade, and
that the Spanish monarchs were getting ready to change sides,
Napoleon imprisoned the Spanish monarchs and invaded Spain. The
British landed at Portugal with Arthur Wellesley in}temporary
command. After the Battles of Rolica and Vimiero, Wellesley had
the Army of Portugal trapped and was preparing to annihilate it.
His immediate superiors arrived and allowed the French to go home
on British ships. All three British commanders were brought home
to be court-martialed and Sir John Moore became commander of the
Peninsular expedition. Hearing mistaken information from the Spanish,
and thinking Soult's corps was overextended and could be trapped
and destroyed, Moore invaded northern Spain. It was a serious
mistake that would tarnish his memory for decades. The French
had just crushed the northern Spanish armies and were heading
south. Napoleon wanted a British defeat more than many Spanish
ones, and saw a chance to finally fight back against his mortal
enemies. The French converged on Moore's small force. Moore retreated
desperately towards the nearest fleet. Napoleon himself followed
until news of Austrian aggression urged him home. The retreat
was a nightmare. Moore barely arrived at La Coruna, with Soult
close behind. As the troops were preparing to embark, the French
arrived. Moore placed most of his troops on the heights near Elvina,
with others guarding his right flank. Soult made no attempt at
maneuver. Leaving his cavalry to protect his left flank, Soult
charged headlong into the British. The Rifles were in the village,
but the French column drove them out. The French then split into
two columns, one advancing on Baird's division, the other trying
to outflank it. The 42nd and 50th were sent forward and fired
into one column's exposed flank. That column could not break through
the light infantry, and ground to a halt. Moore then ordered Fraser's
Division to go up the valley past the French cavalry, and outflank
the attackers. The 42nd and 50th drove the French back into Elvina
and out the otherside. Moore sent forward a battalion of the guards.
Baird was here hit by grapeshot in the arm and left the field.
Moore then ordered the 42nd to charge with the bayonet. The British
in the valley had repulsed the French cavalry effectively and
were stopping the second column. It looked as if it were about
to retreat. At this moment Moore was fatally wounded and taken
to La Coruna. The French retreated. Soult's troops were so badly
hurt that they made no attempt to stop the British from boarding
the rest of their troops the next day. The British escaped to
England, and Arthur Wellesley returned to command the rest of
the Allied forces in Portugal. As important, Napoleon never returned
to Spain to finish off the Spaniards.
