bcornwell.sharpescompany-第45章

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　Badajoz　was　done。
　
　That　night；　two　miles　down　the　Seville　road；　a　twitching　figure　scrabbled　down　beneath　a　field　marker；　muttering　to　himself；　knowing　he　could　not　be　killed；　and　pulled　out　the　oilcloth　bundle　of　stolen　goods。　Hakeswill　was　deserting。　He　knew　he　could　not　go　back。　There　was　a　witness　to　the　death　of　Knowles；　the　portrait　had　been　in　the　Sergeant's　hat；　and　he　understood　that　only　a　firing　squad　awaited　him。　He　sniffed　the　night　air　and　was　not　worried。　He　would　go　somewhere　and　find　something；　as　he　always　did；　and　this　was　not　the　first　night　that　he　had　been　utterly　alone；　homeless；　and　his　dark　shape　loped　into　the　night；　seeking　mischief。
　
　A　man　went　into　a　breach　for　one　thing　only；　pride；　and　Sharpe　had　been　there。　He　had　stood　at　the　top　of　a　breach；　fear　defeated；　and　gone　down　into　a　horror　that　tarnished　victory　as　blood　tarnished　a　sword。　He　lay　awake　and　thought　of　streets　running　with　wine；　silver；　madness　and　blood。
　
　He　had　hoped　for　so　much；　for　a　Captaincy；　for　revenge　on　a　clerk；　for　a　pany；　for　a　woman　he　loved　and　a　child　he　had　never　seen；　and　the　hopes　had　been　won　at　Badajoz。　He　lay　in　Leroy's　tent；　its　owner　in　hospital　with　a　terrible　wound；　the　night　was　quiet；　dark；　silent　for　the　first　time　in　weeks；　and　a　great　victory　had　been　won。　The　gates　of　Spain　had　been　burst　open。　He　looked　at　his　woman；　beautiful　in　the　firelight　that　seeped　through　the　canvas；　and　he　marveled　that　he　was　married。　Then　he　looked　at　the　child；　dark　hair　and　snub　nosed；　that　slept　between　them　and　the　love　welled　up；　inprehensible；　uncontrollable。　He　kissed　his　daughter；　Antonia；　and　in　the　flame　light　she　seemed　terribly　small　and　vulnerable。　Yet　she　was　alive；　and　his；　his　only　relative　by　blood。　She　was　his；　to　be　protected　as　he　must　protect　all　those　other　souls　who　liked　him；　were　proud　of　him；　and　proud　to　be　in　his　ranks　…　Sharpe's　pany。
　
　HISTORICAL　NOTE
　
　On　the　morning　of　7　April　1812；　Philippon　and　the　survivors　of　the　city　garrison　surrendered　in　the　Fort　of　San　Cristobal；　thus　sealing　one　of　the　British　Army's　most　famous　victories；　the　storming　of　Badajoz。
　
　The　next　day；　around　mid…day；　Wellington　ordered　a　gallows　erected　in　the　plaza　by　the　Cathedral　and；　though　there　is　no　evidence　that　the　gallows　were　used；　the　threat　was　sufficient　to　bring　order　to　the　city's　streets。　Thus　ended　one　of　the　British　Army's　most　notorious　episodes；　the　sack　of　Badajoz。
　
　I　have　tried；　in　this　story；　to　offer　some　reasons　why　the　sack　was　so　pitiless。　The　rules　of　war　condoned　it；　and　the　instincts　of　soldiers　who　had　survived　such　a　horrific　fight　demanded　it。　Those　soldiers　also　suspected；　with　some　justification；　that　the　inhabitants　of　Badajoz　were　pro…French。　None　of　this；　perhaps；　excuses　their　behavior；　many　of　the　soldiers　who　ransacked　the　city　had　taken　no　part　in　the　assault；　but　they　were　reason　enough　for　the　ordinary　soldier　on　that　climactic　April　night。　Some　historians　suggest；　diffidently；　that　Wellington　allowed　the　sack；　and　let　it　continue　beyond　the　first　day；　as　a　warning　to　other　towns　that　harbored　French　garrisons。　If　true　the　warning　did　not　work；　as　the　British　were　to　discover　one　year　later　at　San　Sebastian。　The　fight　there　was　just　as　hard；　and　the　sack　afterwards　just　as　horrific。
　
　The　sack　of　Badajoz　was　not　without　one　famous　love　story。　A　Lieutenant　of　the　95th　Rifles；　Harry　Smith；　met　and　married　a　fourteen…year…old　Spanish　girl；　Juana　Maria　de　los　Dolores　de　Leon；　who　was　fleeing　from　the　horror。　She　was　not　pletely　unscathed；　her　ear…rings　had　been　torn　bloodily　from　her　lobes；　but　Lieutenant　Smith　found　and　protected　her。　Years　later；　after　her　husband　had　been　knighted；　a　town　was　named　after　her　in　South　Africa　that　was　itself　to　see　a　famous　siege；　Ladysmith。
　
　I　have　tried　to　be　faithful　to　the　events　of　the　campaign。　Thus；　for　instance；　the　guns　sunk　into　the　wall　at　Ciudad　Rodrigo　existed；　and　the　story　of　the　Nottinghamshire　Battalion　charging　across　the　planks　is　true。　Each　battle　described　in　the　story　happened；　though　the　attack　on　the　dam　was　not　made　at　battalion　strength；　nor　was　it　made　as　early　in　the　siege。　It　happened　on　2　April；　under　the　mand　of　Lieutenant　Stanway　of　the　Engineers　who；　like　the　unfortunate　Fitchett；　failed　to　take　enough　powder　and　so　the　explosion　miscarried。
　
　On　the　morning　of　7　April；　beneath　the　breaches；　there　was　found　a　mass　of　bodies；　still　warm；　and　observers　guessed　their　number　at　twelve　or　thirteen　hundred　dead。　Wellington　wept　at　the　sight。　Many　historians　have　blamed　him　for　attacking　too　soon；　though；　given　the　pressures　on　him；　and　his　lack　of　a　proper　Engineering　train；　his　decision　is　difficult　to　criticize。　Hindsight　is　a　great　General。　Badajoz　was　won　by　sheer　bravery；　bravery　like　that　of　Lieutenant　Colonel　Ridge　of　the　5th　Fusiliers　whose　exploits　I　borrowed　and　gave　to　Captain　Robert　Knowles。　Ridge　died；　shot　at　the　end　of　the　fight；　and　Napier　gave　him　a　famous　epitaph：　'And　no　man　died　that　night　with　greater　glory；　yet　many　died；　and　there　was　much　glory。'
　
　The　novel　does　not　do　justice　to　the　Fifth　Division　whose　attack　on　the　San　Vincente　bastion；　made　late；　was　most　responsible　for　the　city's　fall。　There　was　no　Forlorn　Hope　on　the　third；　the　central　breach；　and　accounts　of　the　night　differ　as　to　whether　any　man　even　reached　that　breach。　The　Light　Division　claimed　that　some　of　their　dead　were　found　on　its　slopes；　but　most　survivors　disagree；　and　so；　with　a　novelist's　freedom；　I　took　the　breach　for　Sharpe。　There　was　one　final　attack　on　the　breaches；　which　succeeded；　but　Wellington　did　not　order　it　until　he　was　certain　that　the　Fifth　Division　were　in　the　defenders'　rear。　Purists　will　also　be　offended　that　Sharpe　attacked　Ciudad　Rodrigo　with　the　Third　Division；　and　Badajoz　with　the　Fourth；　but　it　is　the　fate　of　fictional　soldiers　to　be　always　where　the　fight　is　thickest　even　when　that　means　a　cavalier　disregard　for　the　make…up　of　divisions。　Some　battalions　were　involved　in　both　assaults；　notably　those　of　the　Third　and　Light　Divisions；　so　my　sin　is　not　too　great。
　
　I　have　tried　to　be　exact；　with　the　above　exceptions；　to　the　real　events。　The　letters　and　diaries　of　the　campaign　are；　as　ever；　a　trove　of　information。　Thus；　for　instance；　the　details　in　the　book　of　the　daily　weather　conditions　are　taken　from　the　diaries　and　I　feel　a　constant　debt　to　those　long…dead　soldiers　whose　memories　I　plunder。　One　myth　should　be　put　to　rest。　Badajoz　was　not　assaulted　on　Easter　Sunday。　6　April　was　the　second　Monday　after　Easter　in　1812；　and　no　amount　of　imagination　can　change　that　fact。
　
　The　castle　walls　at　Badajoz　are　unchanged；　the　only　addition　to　the　scenery　is　a　road　that　passes　at　the　foot　of　the　casde　hill。　The　breaches　in　the　two　bastions　have　been　repaired　and　the　giant　ditch　is　now　a　municipal　garden。　The　glacis　is　entirely　gone。　The　approaches　to　the　breaches；　like　the　San　Miguel　Hill；　have　been　built　over。　The　approach　to　the　Trinidad　is　hidden　by　nondescript　buildings；　and　that　to　the　Santa　Maria　by　a　modern　and　remarkably　ugly　bull…ring。　The　area　of　the　central　breach　is　still　a　passage　through　the　walls；　the　defences　between　the　two　bastions　being　largely　destroyed；　but　it　is　possible　to　climb　to　the　bastions'　parapets　and　into　the　embrasures；　and　marvel　at　the　courage　of　men　who　would　attack　such　a　place。　Ciudad　Rodrigo's　defences　are　better　preserved；　the　breach　repairs　are　visible　above　the　glacis；　and　the　marks　of　British　cannon　balls　are　still　chipped　into　the　church　tower。　The　Fort　of　San　Cristobal；　across　the　river　from　Badajoz；　is　in　almost　perfect　repair。　The　South　Essex　could　march　in　tomorrow　and　have　it　set　up　for　defence　within　hour。　Best　preserved　of　all　are　the　defences　of　Elvas；　just　across　the　border；　and　all　are　worth　visiting。
　
　The　memorial　plaques　in　the　Trinidad　bastion　（where　the　Madrid　road　enters　Badajoz）　recall　the　assault　and　sack　of　the　city；　but　not　that　of　6　April　1812。　They　remember　August　1936；　and　some　inhabitants　still　remember　the　massacre　which　followed　the　assault　by　Franco's　troops。　History　has　a　sad　way　of　repeating　itself　in　Badajoz。　It　is　not　a　pretty　city；　some　people　have　described　it　as　gloomy；　as　if　the　ghosts　of　too　many　battles　stalk　the　streets；　but　I　did　not　find　it　so。　As　in　other　places　in　Portugal　and　Spain；　I　met　with　much　kindness　and　courtesy；　and　was　given　every　help　with　my　researches。　The　last　words　in　this　book　can　be　left　with　a　man　who　became　accustomed　to　having　the　last　word：　Wellington。　Writing　to　the　War　Minister；　and　talking　of　his　5000　casualties；　he　said：　'The　capture　of　Badajoz　affords　as　strong　an　instance　of　the　gallantry　of　our　troops　as　has　ever　been　displayed。　But　I　greatly　hope　that　I　shall　never　again　be　the　instrument　of　putting　them　to　such　a　test。'



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