Andy Barnes

Spanish troops have held a surprise attack from French forces during the fading light of dusk today.The attack by the French caught a British supporting brigade totally by surprise and forced the British troops to retire with heavy casualties.Spanish forces however stood their ground in an unusual show of bravery.Night has now fallen over the battlefield of Talavera and all is quiet apart from pickets taking pot shots at each other.

Manuel lay on his back,his head resting on his back pack.He drew heavily on his claypipe inhaling the smoke into his lungs and then blowing it out to form rings of white smoke which floated gently heavenward.
His body ached from the previous 2 hours fighting.
He had fired and loaded his musket as he had been taught by the English drill instructors.He had loaded and fired until his hands were bloody,his cheekbone bruised and swollen from the recoil of his musket.This had been his first combat and his regiment had stood their ground fearlessly.He was proud of himself and his comrades.They had shown the dreaded French that they could fight and kill.
In the distant darkness the odd sound of gunfire split the darkness and silence.Pickets patroling the front.
The man next to him lay snoring peacefully.
"You should get some sleep Manuel " said the company sargeant Lorenzo."The Frenchies will be back at dawn soon enough ".
" Yes sargeant ill finish my smoke and get my head down"replied Manuel.
"Sargeant?" asked Manuel "Yes son what is it?"
"We did well today didnt we Sargeant?
"Aye my boy we did well,that we did" was the kind reply.
Lorenzo knew tommorow would be different.Tommorow
these young farmers boys would be facing "Les Belle Filles" The guns of the French.He wondered if the men would hold their ground under the terrifying canonade.

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

Adrien kept a close watch on Chris and Louis as they moved forward through the shrubbery. Just like he had learned to do when they patrolled the night. He knew his life depended on it. Left and right and even in front of them was loads of musketfire and shouting. Afraid as they were of getting shot by their own comrads or a trap by the enemy, the three men moved even closer to eachother. Another volly thundered, now to the left and within a second they could hear balls whistling past or hitting leaves and branches. More shouting, now very loud and closeby. More brustling of leaves. And all of a sudden, like a couple of ghosts doing trackrunning, couple of hunderd men appeared from the darkness. The three light infantrymen got ready to fire, when the familiar thundering voice of lieutant Marne shouted to hold fire. One routed soldier almost slammed into Adrien, but ran into a tree next to him, cursing away. Now random fire came from the front. Adrien could clearly see the red flicker of gunfire. "Wait 'till they come to us. Keep still", barked Marne.
"This night is going to last forever", thought Adrien as he watched his friends taking up positions. He himself set himself by a big olivetree, spying in the dark untill he began to feel sleepy.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

It was the low snorting noise of a mare that gave away the posistion of the French cavalry.The British riflemen in their dark green uniforms were almost invisible in the darkness.The two man team moved like wraiths in the night towards the unsuspecting enemy.
The men slowly and painstakingly crawled into a firing posistion not 50 yards away from the unweary troopers.
One of the men silently took up his firing posistion and waited.The other observed.Five minutes had passed when that what the men had been waiting for happened.
In the darkness the spark of a Frenchman trying to get a light for his pipe from his tinderbox could been seen.
It was the last thing the cavalryman did.The bullet struck him in the temple on the right side of his head.The man died instantly.All hell broke loose amongst the cavalry,men shouting in surprise "ALARM"
The second Light infantryman took aim at the shadows darting about before him.CRACK a second shot rang out in the night,another Frenchman lay dead.
"Get down you stupid imbeciles shouted someone desperately your sitting ducks.A third shot rang out once more a man died.Then there was silence,silence and darkness on the battlefield of Talavera...

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

They called it "the game". They knew you where somewhere outthere, and you knew they where somewhere outthere. It was like hide and seek like you played when you were a kid. Except getting caught or seen could get you killed. Adrien, Chris and Louis wouldn't get much sleep this night. Every now and then same shoot rang out. But mostly it was silent. But Spanish and English pickets and snipers were out there. As were they, and they also hunted.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

Jose soothed his spooked horse.He tenderly whispered calming words to the beautiful black stallion."Quiet my friend there is nothing to be afraid of".The darkness was black as tar.The troop of Spanish dragoons slowly walked their horses along the river bank.Their task was to probe the french lines,Find weak spots in the French defences ready for the dawn counter attack.
French voices could be heard from the darkness.Across the battlefield the odd report of a musket and sometimes the distinct crack of a Baker rifle could be heard as pickets fought their private and intimate little war.Out of the darkness loomed the ominous shapes of French horsemen."Damn" cursed Jose " this way is blocked"
The Spaniards would have to find another way around the french.

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

"Alarm!!! Alarm!!!" The French encampment on the small riverbank bank was full of action after a relative peacefull night. Apperently some Spanish were spotted, but this was general alarm. GD Milhaud, whiping the sleep from his eyes, looked stunned at the little ridge above the camp. Totally ignoring the sleeping French army a couple of hunderd Spanish riders had taken up position there. Through the brass calls, shouting and men getting onto horseback, he could hear the sound of fighting coming from by the river. "What the......???" Now from close to the ridge the charge was sounded. Milhaud felt disorientated. He should be giving orders, goddamnit, but he lost control over the situation.
Along the ridge, accompanied by a trampling sound, a dark cloud appeared. As it moved along, the Spanish riders vanished. French dragoons charged the ridge under the cover of night.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

"What the devilsbollocks does Generalisimo Cuesta think hes doing Captain Sanchez" inquired Arthur Wellesley,commander of the allied army in Spain snidedly.
The Spanish aide looked uneasily at his feet trying to hide his embarressment.
"Your bloody commander has just wasted valuable Cavalry in a pathetic despisable and IDIOTIC show of INCOMPETANCE" roared Wellesley."By my great Aunts hairy arse how am i to hold the French here when your ILLUSTRIOUS General Cuesta sends men to their deaths in suicide actions??".Wellesly was in fall rage .Sanchez cringed under the onslaught of the verbal attack.
"Why me thought Sanchez to himself, why me?
Hundreds of Spanish cavalry had been caught off guard by French Dragoons.They had tried to surprise the French by out flanking them.It had failed miserable.
"No more f**king night actions Sanchez! Is that clear?Tell Cuesta that understand?"
"Si Sir Si" stammered Sanchez.
" No get out of my sight and tell Cuesta to rest his men,tommorow will be hard enough"
Sanchez opened the flap of the tent and made of into the night.

"God help us tommorow if that Spanish Ponce doesn´t perform" moaned Wellelsey to himself.

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

The French camp came to rest again as did GB Milhaud.

"Sent out patrols, lots of em. Next time they won't catch us while we're dreaming of Jeanette"

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

" Is that tea nearly ready John me old mate?" ask Private Bagley in a low voice."Im parched as a Nuns fanny i is Johnny boy" grinned Bagley.
" Patience you uncouth bastard and watch what your saying about nuns you heathen" replied John ONaulty.ONaulty was a stauch Catholic and didnt take care to any sort of blasphemy.
"Sorry John ois forgot me manners matey" rplied Bagley and lifted his buttock releasing a fart nonenchantedly.
" Those French pickets probably just crapped themselves hearing your fart,probably thought its a new secret weapon of "Noseys" grinned the Irishman.
"Hee Hee thats a good one John you a clever bugger when it comes to humour,that you be "replied Bagley
"Heres the tea mate,youve earned it"
"Thanks John you make the best tea in the battalion that you does to be sure" warmed ONaulty.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

ZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZZ
All quiet on the Spanish front

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

French skirmishers just feeling uneasy.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

(Uneasy or QUEASY? Perhaps your barbarian troops shouldnt have eaten the PAELLA they STOLE from the poor farmers before they murdered them and f**ked the pigs. Did you send the turn Pat cos i havent recieved it yet?)

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

Please don't wake me....Ow, don't shake me...Leave me as I am.....

.....I'm only sleeping......

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

Tough competition nowadays....here goes the Dutch guy pretending to write English again....

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

Adrien had lost all track of time. He was cold to the bone and his legs felt numb. From time to time he nodded away, but not too far to fall solid asleep. The cold and the night dew which soaked his uniform kept him awake. He couldn't feel more miserable.

In his year of service he'd been on picket duty more than he would like to remember. He hated it. Because of his small posture he was detailed to the legere and sent of to Spain to garrison Madrid. He hated Spain. He hated the war here. He had seen things and done things even Monsieur Lafralle, the priest from his small town near Bordeaux, wouldn't forgive. How could he ever face his parents and Jaqueline when he got home. If he ever got home.

The French commander woke up to the sound of laughter. Joseph and Jourdan had trown a little party and were amusing themselves with local prostitutes and expensive cognac brought from France. Even at this late hour they were still at it. "No shame that lot", he thought to himself and started to get himself dressed. On a table in his tent he had a chart of the Talavera surroundings. He knew it by heart, although he studied it for a couple of moments. Whatever happend tomorrow, it would be up to him to direct this battle. His first command of two corps.
The French commander felt miserable. Cold crept through his body and he felt sick. His throat had been killing him for a couple of days. Probably something he had picked up from one of the washing ladies. He hated this war. He hated his superiors. And how on earth could a promising young French commander make a name for himself here in Spain ? Why wasn't he on campaigne with the emperor ?

The commander stepped out of his tent. "Fetch my horse, I want to inspect the troops. Sent for Maj.General Chasse. I want him to accompany me"

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

"All quiet Davis" whispered Lieutenant MacIntyre to the sentry.
"Quiet as a gnats fart Sir" replied Davis.
"Looks like the French are zzzding it Sir"
"Aye but you never know Davis, so be extra vigilent this night son" warned MacIntyre
"I will sir dont you worry about me Sir"


Along the British lines some men prayed,some cleaned their weapons in readiness of the dawn.Another hour or so remained.Most men still slept,some peacefully others fitfully.The quartermaster of a highland battalion supervised the making of breakfast for his company.
"Make sure ye dinne burn the parridge Mcdonnel ye reprabate mon." gruffed the old veteran.
" Yer dinne be worrying about the Parridge sir yer doont,ass made Parridge since i was a bairn that i have Sir" chirped the cheery highlander in response.

A trooper of the Light Dragoons groomed his horse,talking soothing words into the ear of the horse to calm the beast .

the first flickers of dawn could be seen far of in the distance.Across the river on the French side fires were bieng relit ready for cooking and boiling water for washing the battle of Talavera was nearly ready to continue.........

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

Accompanied by a troop of chasseurs the French commander and Maj.General Chasse made their patrol through the quiet French camp. Except for the bakers and cooks, the French army was sound asleep.

"Still lots of movement is reported in the south. Cuesta is restless", mumbled Chasse in his thick Dutch accent. The French commander nodded. "He already pulled some tricks yesterday. The crazy old bastard'll have some more up his sleeve. Don't worry" The company stood still for a while and listend to some picketfire in the distance. "Them Brits never sleep, do they ? How's Maj.General Campbell doing ?" "He's asleep now", answered chasse, "but that man was furieus. He was still at it, fighting his guards and trying to escape all the time. We had to tie him up. Not very honourable, but he gave us no choice." "I see. I'll check on him later"

The party moved along heading north.

Very gently Adrien placed his gun on a stump of an olivetree and took aim. A patrol of Spanish riders moved past along the French skirmishlines unawear of the danger. Lieutenant Marne had signalled they would take a shot. Adrien waited. And waited. FEU !!! He pulled the trigger and felt the recoill of his gun against his should. Shouting and the Spanish riders spurred away, leaving a couple of their dying comrads behind. Nothing answered the French volly. Adrien ducked away and started to reload.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

Dawn was about to break......................

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

..............and the French army got ready for battle.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

Diego Maradonut urinated down the barrel of his musket.He scrubbed out the black cordite residue left in the barrel after the fighting the previous night.He had not slept throughout the night,his commander having sent him on patrol.Diego carefully dried out the barrel with a piece of linen on a lanyard and ramrod.
He rested his back against an old stone wall,opened his napsack and removed a piece of chorizo sausage wrapped in muslin.
Diego cut of a large chunk of the aromatic smelling sausage and proceeded to devour his breakfast.He was ravenously hungry after the long tense night.His patrol had on several occasions traded fire with their French adverseries.As dawn broke Diego knew the daylight would be the time for the line regiments artillery and cavalry.His duties would be to guard the supply wagons.
He washed the sausage down with a mouthful of sour wine hed plundered from a dead Frenchman.All around his the Spanish army stirred readying themselves for battle.

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

The French commander had posted himself on a knoll overseeing the cerro de Melin, on which the English army awaited the coming day, and commanding the valley before Talavera, where the Spanish army of Cuesta held their ground. With the first rays of dawn he could spot some of the Spanish formations. As far as he could see they were still in the same positions as yesterday evening. They would deliver battle.

"Ah, commander !!" A group of about twelve men had arrived on the knoll. Marechal Jourdan descended from his horse. He was still visably drunk. "Well, there are them Spanish then ? Ragged looking lot, aren't they. I don't expect much trouble from them. Two canonballs and they will be running back to their farms." Jourdan thought he'd made a funny little smart remark and bursted out laughing.
"There is an awfull lot of them, Sir."
"They're peasants commander. They hardly know their own names. Now don't worry."
The French commander turned his spyglass towards cerro de Medelin. "What about the English ?"
"The English aren't very found of attacking. Lazy folk. We'll deal with them swiftly."
The commander and some ADC's frowned.
Jourdan staggered back to his horse and attempted an unsuccesfull mounting. With help of some officers he got on his horse.
"Let's change uniform", he exclaimed, "this young man wants a battle and if I get captured I'd better make a good impression on the shopkeepers."

The first corps artillery was preparing itself for battle when a lieutenant spotted a band of rifles walking leisurely by the river. "Looks like we're going to get some practise this morning gentlemen. If you please..." Guncrews started pointing their pieces towards the rivers. Trained as they were the guns were loaded in seconds. The rifles noticed the sounds and movement too late. When the first of them got ready to fire towards the battery a thunder roared through the morningair. The riverbank dissapeared in dust.

With the morning the first French attack comes. Along the far right of the battlefield, French dragoons attacked the Spanish cavalry which pestered them all night. Now in full exposure in front of the Spanish defences, the Spanish gunners behind these defences get ready to fire upon the cream of the French army.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

The French cavalry was flayed by cannister.Men and horses were ripped to shreds by the hot jagged pieces of metal fired at them by the Spanish guns.On top of that, one volley after another fired by the Spanish Infantry scythed row after row of Frenchmen down.
This was a duckshoot!!
The dawn had started how the evening before had ended,BLOODY this was Talavera,this was hell!

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

Colonel Depereux brought his steaming cup of hot milk to his lips and took a fullfilling sip. He closed his eyes for a second as he felt the drink warm his cold and stiff body. He smiled grateful and blew over the edge of the mug, cooling the milk. In the plain in front of him he could see all sorts of formations getting ready for battle. Approving he took another sip. But why were they moving towards him ? What kind of manoeuvre was this ? Depereux pinched his eyes. What division was this anyway ? He tossed his mug warm milk away and fetched his spyglass. Those weren't French uniforms......They're Spanish !!! The bloody Spanish Are Attacking !!!!

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

Divisonal General Merlin took a sip of coffee from the battered tin mug ."Aaah thats good Corporal ,i need my coffee on a morning,gets the brain working ."The general streched his aching arms skyward in an attempt to relieve the pain in his aching back.Hed been in the saddle nearly all night,moving from one unit to the other making sure his men were ready for the new days fighting.It had not started well !The cavalry attacks had started too early and were repulsed by cannon and Spanish musket volleys.The French had been surprised!!After the Spanish had takien a beaten the evening before,the French commander had not expected this ferocity from the Spanish.To his front a heavy summer morning mist lay before him it was difficult to see the enemy clearly.Suddenly the ground around him was churned up by hot iron! Horse and men were hit by cannon balls from the Spanish guns to his front,now clear to see from the muzzle flashes through the mist.
The General threw his mug to the ground,a horses head slapped into the flank of his mount splattering the general with hot blood,panic started to rise in the veteran ,he quickly surpressed it in a display of iron self disciplin."Steady men hold your ground"Out of the mist appeared a battalion of Spaniards,at least 500 men."Merde " gasped the general.The cavalry unit to his front were ripped to pieces by the deadly volley.Around him men were falling.Suddenly he was alone among the dead and dying.He realised that he was alone.The general sat in shock as a Spanish Cavalry major requested his surrender and sword! "Oui " replied Merlin in shock.

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

It would be humanly impossible for the jaws of Jourdan, the French commander and Gen. Leval to drop any lower. To mask his amazement Leval started agressively petting his horse, Jourdan milled through his cup of coffee like a madman and the French commander scratched behind his ears as if he was under attack by an army of flees. "They're attacking", mumbled Jourdan. "Uhuh", replied the commander and Leval in unison. From their viewpoint they see could Gen. Sebastiani rushing back and forth between the sleepy French units. "Someone is taking action", Leval remarked. The true scene of fighting was clouded by mist and gunsmoke and lay futher towards the small creek east of Talavera. "Your orders Sir ?" Leval and the French commander turned towards Jourdan. The Marcheal just shrugged, "Just stop them ?" Leval and the French commander gave eachother a telling look and spurred away on their horses; one turning left towards Talavera, the other towards the action in the east.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

All hell had broken out on the Spanish right flank.The French had launched a savage counter attack on the young Spanish troops.It had been very successful.Further to the right French Cavalry had once again launched a furious attack and had suffered staggering losses.10 French guns had been captured by the heroic Spaniards.The dawn mists were starting to clear and soon the guns of both sides would have full view over the battlefield

______________________________________

Patric Strijbis

Pierre Vinaque ran as fast as he could. His drum smashed against his legs with every step he took, but he ignored the pain. Just a couple of minutes ago he was taking a crap behind some rocks, when he heard voices. Annoyed he had put his trousers back on untill he realised the voices he heard weren't French. He spied over the rocks and saw English riders talking merrily with eachother. With his heart beating in his throat he sprinted back to his battalion. "The English are coming !!! The English are coming !!!", the boy shouted, grabbing a stunned soldier bij his jacket. "Overthere, they are behind us !!!" Marecheal Victor overhearing the commotion turned his spyglass towards the direction the flushed boy was pointing. "Indeed they are", he mumbled. "Hardly suprising, with those noices they make at night. What do those shopkeepers eat ? You can hear them farting and burping a mile away? Well, so much for all the planning last night Villatte."

"Gentlemen.....About Face !!!!"

"Charrrrrgeeeeee" Trumpets broke the morning quietness and hunderds of hoves started battering the still damp Spanish soil. Men were yelling and cursing, spurring their horses forward. Diego Maradona woke up from his daydream as did many of his comards. A uneasiness came over the Spanish battalion. They could feel something was about to happen. Diego, standing on the outermost place in his rank tried to distinguise something in the mist. "Ow Madre !!! Caballarias !!!!" From the mist hunderds of French dragoons appeared. Diego tried to lift his rifle but was too late. A horse smashed against him, knocking him over. A hove scrapped his skull. When Diego tried to look up again a second horse ran him over, smashing his ribs. The poor farmer lost his life without ever firing a shot. The shock of the charge went like a wave through the Spanish battalion. The poorly trained soldiers broke rank and fled in all directions. The French dragoons gave chase, butchering many.

The French attack has stared for real.

______________________________________

Andy Barnes

(That was a good attack Pat me old dog.Weldone matey,this battle is going to be hard to hold onto now. Nice one!)

______________________________________

 ...to be continued