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The Storming of Badajoz, 1812
In 1812, Duke of Wellington again attempted to take Badajoz, which had a French garrison of about 5,000 men. Siege operations commenced on March 16 , and by early April there were three practicable breaches in the walls. These were assaulted by 2 British divisions April 6, 1812 The attacks were pressed with great gallantry for 5 hours but repeatedly beaten back with heavy loss. Meanwhile the castle, and another section of undamaged wall had been attacked by escalade, and successfully taken by the British. At the cost of some 5,000 casualties, Wellington had succeeded in taking Badajoz. He wrote to Lord Liverpool "The capture of Badajoz affords as strong an instance of the gallantry of our troops as has ever been displayed, but I anxiously hope that I shall never again be the instrument of putting them to such a test as that to which they were put last night" ((However, the storming of San Sebastian in 1813 was much like Badajoz))

In the Siege of Badajoz, a detachtment of the 45th Regiment (later algamated with the 95th to form Sherwood Foresters Regiment)succeeded in getting into the castle first and the red coatee of Lt. James MacPherson of the 45th was hoisted in place of the French flag to indicate the fall of the castle. This feat is commemorated on the 6th April each year when red jackets are flown on Regimental flag staffs and at Nottingham Castle.

With the town taken, military discipline largely disappeared, and the town was subjected to two days of pillage, murder, rape and drunkenness by the British survivors. The only way to restore order was to erect the gallows and flog many soldiers

Modern History
A military and republican rising took place here in August 1883, but completely failed.

During the Spanish Civil War, Badajoz was taken by the Nationalists. A number of Republican prisoners were executed in the bullring.

Famous Sons
Badajoz is the birthplace of the statesman Manuel de Godoy, the Duke of Alcudia (1767—1851), and of the painter Luis de Morales. Two pictures by Morales, unfortunately retouched in modern times, are preserved in the cathedral.

Villages
Alburquerque is a small village in the province of Badajoz. Its name became the name of the city of Albuquerque of United States by the Spanish conquerors.

This article incorporates text from the 1911 Encyclopædia Britannica, which is in the public domain.