t forbidding him to accept
the command-in-chief of the Spanish armies, which, however, was
conferred upon him later in this year.[49] At present, he decided to
march against Marmont in the plains of Leon. This movement was
facilitated by the success of Hill in surprising a body of French
troops, and seizing the important bridge of Almaraz over the Tagus on
May 19, thereby breaking the French lines of communication and isolating
Marmont's army for a time. Soon afterwards, Salamanca and its forts were
captured by Wellington, but Marmont proved a very formidable opponent,
and, having behind him another army under King Joseph, threatened the
British lines of communication. In the series of manoeuvres which
ensued, Wellington's forces met with more than one reverse, but the
French marshal was determined to win a victory on a large scale.
Wellington had no wish to risk a battle, unless Salamanca or his own
rear should be seriously threatened, and he stood on the defensive, a
little south of Salamanca, with Marmont's army encamped in front of him.

Early on July 22, the French seized one of two hills called the Arapiles
which formed the key of the position and commanded the road to Ciudad
Rodrigo. Marmont then organised complicated evolutions, of which the
ultimate object was to envelop the British right and cut off its
expected retreat. To accomplish this, he extended his own left so far
that it became separated by a gap from his centre. No sooner did
Wellington, with a flash of military insight, perceive the advantage
thus offered than he flung half of his troops upon the French left wing,
and made a vigorous attack with the rest upon the French centre. It was
too late for Marmont, himself wounded, to repair the mistake, the centre
was driven in, and, as was said, 40,000 men were beaten in forty
minutes. General Clausel, who took Marmont's place, showed great ability
in the retreat, but the French army could scarcely have escaped
destruction had not the Spaniards, who were entrusted with a post on the
river Tormes, left the passage open for the flying enemy. Nevertheless,
the battle of Salamanca was the greatest and most decisive yet fought by
the British in the Peninsula; it established the reputation of our army,
and placed Wellington in the first rank of generals. Three weeks later
he entered Madrid in triumph, and was received with the wildest popular
acclamations. Joseph once more abandoned his capital, joined Suchet in