hould have the opportunity of measuring himself against
Wellington, now sent Marmont to displace Massena.

Soult meanwhile had advanced on the southern frontier of Portugal from
Estremadura, and obtained possession of Badajos, under circumstances
which Lord Wellington considered as highly disgraceful to the Spanish
garrison of that important place, and the armies which ought to have
been ready to cover it. On the other hand, an English corps, under
General Graham, sallied out of Cadiz, and were victorious in a brilliant
affair on the heights of Barossa, in front of that besieged city.

As concerned the Spanish armies, the superiority of the French had been
abundantly maintained during this campaign; and it might still be said
that King Joseph was in military possession of all but some fragments of
his kingdom. But the influence of the English victories was by no means
limited to the Portuguese, whose territory they had delivered. They
breathed new ardour into the Spanish people: the Guerilla warfare,
trampled down in one spot only to start up in fifty others, raged more
and more widely, as well as fiercely, over the surface of the country:
the French troops lost more lives in this incessant struggle, wherein no
glory could be achieved, than in any similar period spent in a regular
campaign; and Joseph Buonaparte, while the question of peace or war with
Russia was yet undecided, became so weary of his situation, that he
earnestly entreated Napoleon to place the crown of Spain on some other
head.

Such were the circumstances under which the eventful year 1812 began.

CHAPTER XXIX

Capture of Ciudad Rodrigo--and of Badajos--Battle of
Salamanca--State of Napoleon's Foreign Relations--His Military
Resources--Napoleon at Dresden--Rupture with Russia--Napoleon's
conduct to the Poles--Distribution of the Armies--Passage of the
Niemen--Napoleon at Wilna.

Lord Wellington had now complete possession of Portugal; and lay on the
frontiers of that kingdom, ready to act on the offensive within Spain,
whenever the distribution of the French armies should seem to offer a
fit opportunity. Learning that Marmont had sent considerable
reinforcements to Suchet, in Valencia, he resolved to advance and once
more besiege Ciudad Rodrigo. He re-appeared before that strong fortress
on the 8th of January 1812, and carried it by storm on the 19th, four
days before Marmont could collect a force adequate for its