[Under Wellington’s Command by G. A. Henty]@TWC D-Link book
Under Wellington’s Command

CHAPTER 4: Guerillas
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Soult's force was reduced fully to half its strength, when he first arrived on that hill near Corunna.

Of course the stragglers came in rapidly, but a great number never returned to their colours again--some died of cold and hardship, others were cut off and murdered by the peasantry.

Altogether, we had an awful time of it.

Your men were, in one respect, better off than ours; for your stragglers were not regarded with hostility by the peasants, whereas no mercy was shown to ours." "Yes, major, one of the battalions that fought at Talavera was entirely composed of men who had straggled in the retreat, and who afterwards succeeded in gaining the Portuguese frontier." That evening they halted, for the night, at a small village high up in the passes.

The French officer took every precaution against surprise.


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