THE COST OF ALBUERA.

Pukekohe & Waiuku Times, Volume 5, Issue 203, 25 August 1916, Page 1 (Supplement)

THE COST OF ALBUERA.

The battle of Albucra, fought Ma;* 16, 1811, between the French under Marshal -Soult, who was advancing to the relief of beleaguered Badajoz, and the English, Portuguese, and Spaniards, onder Marshal Beresford, ranks as one of the bloodiest struggles upon record, notable even in that sanguinary epoch. In four hours' fighting 15,000 men war placed horse de combat, the Allies' loss amounting to about 7,000 killed, wounded, and missing. Almost all the general officers were included in the 1 st, and the loss of some regiment- - w;:s terrible. For instance, the 57th, which on that day obtained its celebrated name, Iho " Die-hards.'' from the last iniiinction of its colonel, Inglis, who fell in the attack, came into action with 570 bayonets, and at the close had lost, besides the colonel, 22 officers and 400 rank and file. In other corps the casualties were less but the British losses upon th : s occasion wi?re out of all proportion when compared with those of the other allied forces, for on'y 2000 Spnnards and 600 Germans and Portuguese were returned as killed or wounded, leaving the balance of the total to be completed from the British regiments. Hence, the unexampled loss of more than 4,000 men ont of a corps litle exceedintg 6,000 was sustained by the indomitable Bm'tish regj'ments, which, by their immortal valour, converted imminent defeat into glorious, it dearly purchased and unproductive victory. As for Beresford, though he displayed the greatest persona! courage, he gained little or no credit as a general, his arrangements and conduct of the battle having been faulty, ami the decisive moment of the. day, the great advance of Cole's Fusilier Brigade, having been due to the inspiration of lv's staff officer. Colonel Harcl:nge, destined to later fame as Gover-nor-General of India.