Deeds that Won the Empire

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W. H. Fitchett. Deeds that Won the Empire

Deeds that Won the Empire

Table of Contents

PREFACE

LIST OF PLANS

THE FIGHT OFF CAPE ST. VINCENT

[Illustration: THE BATTLE OFF CAPE ST. VINCENT. Cutting the Spanish Line. From Allen's "Battles of the British Navy."]

THE HEIGHTS OF ABRAHAM

[Illustration: Siege of Quebec, 1759. From Parkman's "Montcalm & Wolfe."]

THE GREAT LORD HAWKE

THE NIGHT ATTACK ON BADAJOS

[Illustration: Siege of Badajos, 1812. From Napier's "Peninsular War."]

THE FIRE-SHIPS IN THE BASQUE ROADS

THE MAN WHO SPOILED NAPOLEON'S "DESTINY"!

GREAT SEA-DUELS

THE BLOOD-STAINED HILL OF BUSACO

OF NELSON AND THE NILE

[Illustration: THE BATTLE OF THE NILE. Doubling on the French Line. From Allen's "Battles of the British Navy."]

THE FUSILEERS AT ALBUERA

[Illustration: Battle of Albuera, 16th May, 1811. From Napier's "Peninsular War."]

THE "SHANNON" AND THE "CHESAPEAKE"

THE GREAT BREACH OF CIUDAD RODRIGO

[Illustration: Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, 1812. From Napier's "Peninsular War."]

HOW THE "HERMIONE" WAS RECAPTURED

FRENCH AND ENGLISH IN THE PASSES

[Illustration: Combat of Roncesvalles, July 25, 1813. From Napier's "Peninsular War."]

FAMOUS CUTTING-OUT EXPEDITIONS

MOUNTAIN COMBATS

THE BLOODIEST FIGHT IN THE PENINSULA

[Illustration: Battle of St. Pierre, December 9th & 13th, 1813. From Napier's "Peninsular War."]

THE BATTLE OF THE BALTIC

[Illustration: The Battle of the Baltic, April 2nd, 1801. From Brenton's Naval History.]

KING-MAKING WATERLOO

[Illustration: Battle of Waterloo, June 18th, 1815.]

I. THE RIVAL HOSTS

II. HOUGOUMONT

III. PICTON AND D'ERLON

IV. "SCOTLAND FOR EVER!"

V. HORSEMEN AND SQUARES

VI. THE FIGHT OF THE GUNNERS

VII. THE OLD GUARD

VIII. THE GREAT DEFEAT

THE NIGHT ATTACK OFF CADIZ

TRAFALGAR

I. THE STRATEGY

II. HOW THE FLEETS MET

[Illustration: The Attack at Trafalgar, October 21st, 1805. Five minutes past noon. From Mahan's "Life of Nelson."]

III. HOW THE VICTORY WAS WON

THE END

Отрывок из книги

W. H. Fitchett

Historic Battle Scenes

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—SIR WALTER SCOTT.

The year 1759 is a golden one in British history. A great French army that threatened Hanover was overthrown at Minden, chiefly by the heroic stupidity of six British regiments, who, mistaking their orders, charged the entire French cavalry in line, and destroyed them. "I have seen," said the astonished French general, "what I never thought to be possible—a single line of infantry break through three lines of cavalry ranked in order of battle, and tumble them into ruin!" Contades omitted to add that this astonishing infantry, charging cavalry in open formation, was scourged during their entire advance by powerful batteries on their flank. At Quiberon, in the same year, Hawke, amid a tempest, destroyed a mighty fleet that threatened England with invasion; and on the heights of Abraham, Wolfe broke the French power in America. "We are forced," said Horace Walpole, the wit of his day, "to ask every morning what new victory there is, for fear of missing one." Yet, of all the great deeds of that annus mirabilis, the victory which overthrew Montcalm and gave Quebec to England—a victory achieved by the genius of Pitt and the daring of Wolfe—was, if not the most shining in quality, the most far-reaching in its results. "With the triumph of Wolfe on the heights of Abraham," says Green, "began the history of the United States."

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