Soult paused two days at Monterey, the baggage and hospital train, and a
great convoy of provisions being brought up from Orense, under the guard
of a whole division. This rendered it evident that he intended to cut
himself off altogether from Spain, and to subsist entirely upon the
country. It was clear then that it was useless to attempt to fall upon his
rear, and by a long march through the mountains Terence took his force
down to Chaves.
Here he found that Silveira, deserted by Romana and beaten by Franceschi,
had fallen back to a mountain immediately behind Chaves. Terence continued
his march until he joined him. He found a great tumult going on among his
troops; always insubordinate, they were now in a state of mutiny. Many of
the officers openly advocated that they should desist from a struggle in
which success was altogether hopeless, and should go over and join the
French. The troops, however, not only spurned the advice, but fell upon
and killed several of those who offered it, and demanded from Silveira
that he should lead them down to defend Chaves. This he refused to do,
saying that the fortifications were old and useless, the guns worn out,
and that were they to shut themselves up there, they would be surrounded
and forced to surrender.
This refusal excited the mutineers to the highest pitch, and when Terence
arrived they were clamouring for his death.
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