ourage of the people, every one
of these movements was unsuccessful, each failing in its own special
purpose. Cordova was captured, but it had almost instantly to be
abandoned. At once Napoleon changed his carefully studied but futile
strategy, and determined to concentrate the scattered columns on the
critical point, wherever it might be. By this time Palafox and others
of the Spanish leaders had shown great ability as generals. The danger
now was that a Spanish army would seize Madrid, and thither the French
army must betake itself. On July fourteenth Bessieres successfully
overwhelmed the opposition made at Medina de Rio Seco by the Spaniards
under La Cuesta and the Irish general Blake. The only corps left
exposed was that of Dupont, to whom reinforcements had been promptly
despatched; but the Spaniards under Castanos caught his army, now
twenty-five thousand strong, in the mountain pass of La Carolina,
among the Sierra Morena mountains, and on July twenty-first forced
him to capitulate at Baylen, where his whole corps laid down their
arms.

This was an awful blow, for Madrid was thereby rendered untenable. The
Emperor gave orders to retreat behind the Duero, and directed
Bessieres to keep open the connection with Junot by way of Valladolid.
In fact, he began to appreciate his task, for he warned his generals
against any system of cordons in dealing with such an enemy, useful as
a string of posts might be in checking smugglers; and besides this
change of plan, there were indications that he would himself soon take
charge in Spain. There was need of this, for his generals and
boy-soldiers did not stop to hold the Duero; evacuating Madrid, they
never halted until they were behind the Ebro, in what they considered
a kind of French borderland. The siege of Saragossa was abandoned, and
Duhesme evacuated Catalonia. Junot's situation was thus rendered most
precarious, for when Wellesley landed early in August with fourteen
thousand English troops, and found that the junta of Corunna had no
need of him, he promptly advanced against the invaders of Portugal.
Having driven in the French outposts on the seventeenth, four days
later he attacked and defeated Junot at Vimeiro. At the very height of
the contest, when victory seemed already secure, Burrard, a superior
officer, arrived to assume command. This reduced Wellesley to the rank
of an adviser, and, his advice not being taken, Junot escaped to the
strong position of Cintra,