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YALE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY

GIFT OF
FREDERICK SHELDON PARKER
B.A., LL.B.
YALE 1873

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LIEE AND CAMPAIGNS

ARTHUR,
DUKE OF WELLINGTON, K.G.

MARQUESS OF DOlfRO, DUKE OF CIUDAD RODRIGO,
A GRANDEE OF THE FIRST CLASS IN SPAIN, DUKE OF VITTORIA, COUNT OF VIMEIRA,
MARQUESS OF TORRES VEDRAS, FIELD-MARSHAL IN THE ARMY,
KNIGHT GRAND CROSS OP THE BATH, CONSTABLE OF THE TOWER,
WARDEN OF THE CINQUE PORTS, CHANCELLOR OP THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD,
A KNIGHT OF ALL THE MOST DISTINGUISHED FOREIGN ORDERS, AND
PRINCE OF WATERLOO.

REV. G. N. WRIGHT, M.A.
AUTHOR OP " THE LIFE AND REIGN OF WILLIAM THE FOURTH.'

VOL. II.

FISHER, SON, & CO. . ,
NE-WGATE STREET, LONDON; RUE ST. HONORE, PARIS.

CONTENTS OE VOL. IL

CHAP. I.
Reply of Lord Castlereagh to Lord Henry Petty— General Tarleton dis-
approves of Sir A. Wellesley's operations at Roleia and Vimeira— Sir A.
Wellesley explains the true origin of the convention of Cintra, and lays the
state of the Peninsula before parliament — Debate on the armistice and con
vention, continued by Mr. Windham— The Right Hon. Spencer Perceval —
Mr. Whitbread, the Hon. Christopher Hely-Hutchinson, and Mr. Secretary
Canning — Lord Henry Petty's motion of censure upon ministers, lost — Mr.
Ponsonby caUs for an inquiry into the campaign in Spain — Corn-distillery
prohibition bill supported by Sir A. Wellesley — Treaty with Spain— Sir A.
Wellesley resigns the secretariship for Ireland and his seat in parliaraent —
Accepts the command of the army in Portugal — 1809 . . . P. 1
CHAP. n.
Sir A. Wellesley arrives in the Tagus — His enthusiastic reception by the
Portuguese — Marches against Soult — The Philadelphes — Beresford marches
on the Douro — Hill passes the lake Ovar — Affair at Grijo — Precipitate
retreat of the French across the Douro— Sir A. Wellesley passes the Douro,
and drives Soult out of Oporto — Beresford drives in the French outposts,
and occupies Amarante — Sir A. Wellesley pursues the main body ofthe
enemy to Braga — Desperate situation of Soult's army ; their escape, after
the severest loss and suffering — Difficulties of Sir A. Wellesley's situation —
Marches towards the south of Portugal — The passes of Banos and Perales
—Talavera— 1809  P. 48
CHAP. III.
Skirmish at Casa de Salinas — Sir Arthur Wellesley narrowly escapes being
made prisoner — Panic in Cuesta's army — Desperate attack upon the Sierra
de Montalban — Battle of Talavera — The British army in imminent danger,
and the contest doubtful — The battle restored by Sir Arthur Wellesley's
foresight and decision — The French signally defeated, and obliged to recross
the Alberche — Extraordinary march of the reinforcement under General
Craufurd, and its arrival at the camp of the allies — Misconduct of the
Spaniards, and cruel punishment inflicted on them by Cuesta- Descent of
Soult by the pass of Banos into the valley of the Tagus — Sir A. Wellesley
marches against the enemy, who had then three corps d'armSe concentrated
at Plasencia — Cuesta inhumanly abandons the British hospital at Talavera to
the enemy, and retires upon Oropesa — Affair at Arzobispo — Ingratitude
of Cuesta to the allied army — Sir Arthur refuses lo continue in Spain —
Retires across the Tagus, and takes up a position within the Portuguese
frontier — The British army visited by sickness — 1809. . . P. 130

CONTENTS. CHAP. IV.
The British army hutted near Badajos — The Spaniards, under Eguia, breakup
frora Deieytosa, and encamp at Truxillo — Wellington favours religious tolera
tion — is raised to the peerage — remonstrates with the Junta of Estramadura
upon their insincerity — defeats the stratagem of Lord Macduff, and the
Marquess de Malpesina — Conspiracy to depose the supreme .lunta detected
by the Marquess Wellesley — The Spanish general intercepts Lord Welling
ton's private letters, and impedes the exchange of French and Eiiglis'i
prisoners — Wellington visits Lisbon, and examines into its capabilities of
defence— proceeds to Cadiz, where Marquess Wellesley embarks for Eng
land — refuses to co-operate with the Spanish army — Affair of Tamanes —
Areizaga defeated at Ocana — Invasion of Andalusia — Fall of Seville — Able
conduct of Albuquerque in succouring Cadiz — British army continue inactive
— Extraordinary ignorance of the character and plans of Lord Wellington
prevails in England — Ungracious conduct of the opposition party in parlia
ment — The city of London petition parliament against granting a pension to
Lord Wellington — Change in public opinion — Succours sent to Portugal —
The Spaniards unsuccessful — Astorga and Ciudad Rodrigo fall — Affair of the
Coa— Almeida invested.— 1809, 1810.  P. 209
CHAP. V.
Investment and fall of Alraeida — The allies retire into the valley of the Mondego
— The French forces concentrated at Viseu — Battle of Busaco, and attempt
of Massesna to turn the right of the allies — Wellington continues to fall back
towards Lisbon — The inhabitants desert their homes, and accompany the
troops — Wellington retires behind the Lines of Torres Vedras, and Massena
halts before them — Description of the Lines — The French hospitals at
Coimbra taken by Colonel Trant — Massena falls back on Santarem, and the
British advance — Assembly of the Spanish Cortes — Death of Romana —
Massena evacuates Portugal, and is pursued by Wellington, who again plants
the British standard on the Portuguese frontiers— 1810, 1811 . P. 369

PLATES.— VOL. II. Page.
1. Marshal Soult, Dure of Dalmatia . . Frontispiece
2. STRATHriELDSAYE .... Vighette 1
7
24
. 34
56 ¦
. 117 •
135
. 232 319
. 345
432
, . .416

3. MAiiauESS OF Lansdowne
4. The Right Hon. SrENCER Perceval
5. Sir Robert Peel, Bart.
6. The Right Hon. William Huskisson
7. The Earl of Munster
8. General Sib Rufane Donkin
9. The Earl of Liverpool
10. William Wilberforce, Esq.
11. Major-General Sir Henry Torrens
12. The Duke of Richmond
13. Lord Combermere
14. Lines op Torres Vedras ..... 447

LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS

OF

THE DUKE OE WELLINGTON.

CHAP. I.

REPL3f OF LORD CASTLEREAGH TO LORD HENRY PETTY— GENERAL TARLETON DISAPPROVES
OP SIR A. wellesley's OPERATIONS AT ROLEIA AND VIMEIRA — SIR A. WELLESLEY
EXPLAINS THE TRUE ORIGIN OF THE CONVENTION OF CINTRA, AND LAYS THE STATE OF
THE PENINSULA BEFORE PARLIAMENT — DEBATE ON THE ARMISTICE AND CONTENTION
CONTINUED BY MR. WINDHAM— THE RIGHT HON. SPENCER PERCEVAL— MR. WHITBREAD,
TIIE HON. CHRISTOPHER HELY-HUTCHINSON, AND MR. SECRETARY CANNING — LORD HENRY
PETTY'S MOTION OF CENSURE UPON MINISTERS, LOST — MR. PONSONBY CALLS FOR AN
INQUIRY INTO TH^ CAMPAIGN IN SPAIN — CORN-DISTILLERY PROHIBITION BILL SUP
PORTED BY SIB A. WELLESLEY — TREATY WITH SPAIN — SIR A. WELLESLEY RESIGNS THE
CHIEF-SECRETARYSHIP FOR IRELAND, AND HIS SEAT IN PARLIAMENT — ACCEPTS THE
COMMAND OF THE ARMY IN PORTUGAL — 1809.

By the resolutions moved in the House of Commons on the
twenty-first of February, 1809, Lord Henry Petty had pnt
the cabinet on it's trial. Those resolutions went not merely
to the extent of registering the indignation of the country at
the convention of Cintra, but endeavoured to attach the
entire culpability of that unpopular measure to the ministry.
Lord Petty's eloquent speech certainly substantiated the
charges of ignorance and vacillation against the members of
the cabinet, and a lamentable want of decision in the appoint
ment of a commander-in-chief over our Peninsular force;
but it was obviously unjust to impute all errors in the prac
tical detail of his instructions, to the secretary at war; he
had orily laid down the general principle of action, leaving
it to the commander-in-chief to carry out his plan of operations
II. B

2 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
conformably, and the armistice and convention being purely
contingencies, provision for them should have been made by
the discretion of the senior officer. Lord Castlereagh was no
more deserving of blame for the misfortune or error of the
armistice, than entitled to praise for the victory of Vimeira.
One arose from the indiscretion, the other from the genius, of
the public servant to whom the conduct of the respective expe
ditions was entrusted ; and, in fact, the secretary at war might
claim to himself the sole merit of having pushed his private
friend (in whose great talents he had unbounded confidence)
into the temporary command of that army which distinguished
itself at Roleia and Vimeira ; while to other members of the
cabinet belonged the misfortune of having superseded him,
through etiquette and influence, and by those very genera!
officers who were so unlucky as to have facilitated the escape
of the French, in force, from Portugal. However, a public
convenience and advantage resulted from the able attack of
Lord Petty upon ministers : Lord Castlereagh was warned
against the want of that decision in future, for the exercise of
which his gallant friend had ever been so celebrated ; and
public feeling was tranquillized, by the clear statement of the
circumstances that led to the armistice and convention, as well
as by the defence of those concerned in it, which they now heard
from Sir Arthur Wellesley, in his parliamentary character.
When the buzz of approbation, at the eloquent and able
impeachment of his majesty's ministers for incapacity, by
Lord H. Petty, had subsided. Lord Castlereagh arose, and in
an able, collected, and impassioned manner, entered on a
vindication of his conduct and measures. He commenced by
stating, that he had expected an additional inquiry would have
been proposed, under the feeling that the late one had proved
inadequate, and congratulated the House, that although Lord
Petty did not applaud, neither did he condemn the course
adopted by government, nor ask for further investigation.
As to boards of inquiry, he could assure the House that they
had been adopted in the most important periods of our mili
tary history. Had government pursued another course, and

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 3
asserabled a court-martial, they would have been accused of
adopting a narrow system of concealment as to themselves,
and of having provided for their own safety, by bringing the
officers whom they employed to trial: whereas, they had
chosen a line of proceeding which the ablest opponents of
their measures had not thought it expedient to impeach ; and
although Sir Hew Dalrymple had no objection to submit to a
court-martial, yet the mode adopted by government was one cal
culated to satisfy individual feelings and public justice, and one
which the opponents of ministers did not arraign. He trusted
the House was then about to decide finally upon the transac
tion itself, as there was nothing government had more feeUngly
at heart, than that the subject should be sifted to the bottom.
Although he feared not to follow his eloquent opponent into
all his general points, he thought he had gone a little too far
in saying, " that all our exertions had failed, all the swords of
our gallant countrymen had been drawn in vain." This was
a cruel retribution to make to all those who had bled for us.
All the consequences of the operations were not such as the
country desired, but the failure, he was prepared to prove,
had resulted from causes beyond the power of government to
control. When a government, entrusted with such extensive
meansj as he allowed the government, of which he was a
member, had been on the occasion alluded to, could be proved
to have been deficient, or wanting in assiduity or zeal, they
had a heavy responsibility to answer, and a difficult cause to
plead before that country which had confided in them.
Under this admission, he was ready to meet the resolution of
Lord Petty, and had every expectation it would terminate in
the exculpation of his majesty's ministers.
As to sending out expeditions in search of adventures, he
contended, that the expedition despatched to Sweden, and that
in preparation at Cork, were fully as beneficial in their effects
to the country, as those sent to Egypt or the Dardanelles.
At the commencement of the campaign, ministers had a dis
posable force of five thousand men, under General Spencer, at
Gibraltar; of ten thousand men, at Cork, under Sir Arthur

4 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Wellesley ; and it appeared to them to be more advantageous to
send those forces to the immediate aid of the cause, than to
delay them until additional succours could be provided by
England. The force under Sir J. Moore could not have been
calculated upon immediately, as its getting free of the Baltic
was uncertain ; so that there was no probable chance whatever,
that these corps could be brought speedily to act together on
the same service, still less in one expedition. This army
would, even if concentrated, have amounted only to twenty-
five thousand men, a force certainly inadequate to seize on the
Pyreijees, through which, instead of one pass, there were
forty-three, and where, instead of an army of twenty-five
thousand mcHj we should have had to contend with a French
force of two hundred thousand men in Spain, and four hundred
thousand in France, according to the calculation of Mr. Pon
sonby, whose aspiring views had suggested this plan of opera
tion for the British army. The Pyrenean expedition, however,
was ultimately abandoned by the opposition members, as a
forlorn hope, so that it would be only necessary now to prove
what was the best mode of employing the remaining disposable
force. Here Lord Castlereagh introduced, into his elaborate
defence of ministers, an explanation of the circumstance of
having provided transports for four thousand horses in time of
peace, while in the emergency of war a less number was found
in readiness, observing, that he had followed, in this instance,
the general policy of Mr. Pitt, by reducing the number without
destroying the establishment ; and prudence and economy point
ed out the error of continuing its maintenance at the highest
amount, until required. As the question of " the disposable
force" was narrowed into the employment of Sir A. Wellesley's
force at Cork, and of General Spencer's at Gibraltar, ministers
adopted that plan likely to afibrd most immediate relief, and
directed Sir Arthur to sail for the Peninsula, first with general
instructions, secondly with particular directions, the result of
information received from Sir C. Cotton. — Lord Castlereagh
has since been accused of having hastened the departure of
Sir Arthur Wellesley from Cork, in order that he might reach

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 5
Spain or Portugal before Sir John Moore's, or any other of our
scattered expeditions, for such was his confidence in the mili
tary genius of his friend, that he felt assured of his beating
the enemy, if he could only find them. It is probable, it is even
natural, to suppose that Lord Castlereagh was desirous of
giving to his gallant friend the chance of striking the first
blow; and he was borne out, by the past history of that brave
officer, in concluding that it would be struck effectually..
Whenever a dispassionate memoir of this unhappy minister
shall be given to the world, how large a debt of gratitude
will be acknowledged by his country, for having promoted,
and at such a moment, the future defender of an empire ; and
to what an amiable quality must that stretch of ministerial
influence, that exertion of ministerial power, fce attributed
— an early, unalterable, indissoluble friendship !
Lord Castlereagh next protested against the charge of
inconsistency in having given instructions, almost contrary
in their tendency, to the general officers employed in the
expedition to relieve Spain^ — and of ignorance, in being unable
to give specific instructions, so as to bind up their generals
by particular mandates, applicable to every possible case.
" However right or advisable such policy may be in particular
cases," said his lordship, " is uncertain ; but if ever there was
a case in which it would have been wrong to fetter the judg
ment of an officer, it was that in which Sir Arthur Wellesley was
concerned. If the letter addressed to Admiral Purvis spoke
of Spain only, it was because his opinion on that question only
was required for the instruction of Sir Arthur Wellesley, and it
was thought advisable to conceal from the admiral the alter
native of a descent on Portugal. As to General Spencer's desti
nation, had he gone to the Tagus rather than to Cadiz, it
would, in all probability, have attracted the attention of the
enemy, and induced him to concentrate a greater force in that
quarter, to oppose the debarkation of the force under Sir
Arthur Wellesley, than he would otherwise be able to do.
Relying on the sufficiency of his arguments to show that
neither was the expedition an unwise measure, nor the
II. c

6 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
instructions given to the officers contradictory, his lordship
proceeded to convince the House that the equipments had not
been neglected. It was no argument against the equipments,
that an army, just landed, did not advance forthwith in search
of the eneray ; the army had a three months' supply of provi
sions, exclusive of the transport stores, which amounted to
eight weeks more; but a number of cattle was required,
amounting to about half that of the private raen, to convey the
provisions and other necessaries altmg with the army. This
was a point of much consequence in the explanation ; the
number of sumpters required by the Austrian army amounted
precisely to half the number of men, and this proportion
varied with the season. As it was necessary that an army
should land at some distance from the enemy, to obtain time
for forming, and means of advance ; so that distance always
creates a necessity for beasts of burden ; and the greatness of
theii; proportion to the number or amount of the force, leaves
no alternative to the landing army, but a reliance upon the
country where they are about to act. To such an inconve
nience must every expedition, furnished and sent out by a
naval power, be subject. It was urged by the opposition party
in that House, that the number of artillery-horses* furnished
to the expedition, was three hundred ; that was incorrect, as
it in fact amounted to seven hundred and seventy-eight. He
confessed, that had Sir Arthur Wellesley's means been more
liberal, there was no doubt his services would have been more
brilliant : but, at the same time, there could hardly be a ques
tion that he would not have advanced, if he did not think his
means sufficient to the occupying of Lisbon and the forts of
the Tagus. In addition to the possession of certain resources,
prospective assistance was known not to be far distant, either
• These horses, while attached to the ordnance-department, in Ireland, were
rauch abused by their drivers, and, upon being reported ill-conditioned, were
put up to public sale. Being then purchased by private agents, who were
made acquainted with their temporary defects, and the probability of restoring
them by kind treatment, they were turned into " a grass yard" for half a year,
and somerimes resold to govemment for five times the sum given for them at
the sale on Aston's Quay, or in the Lower Castle-yaid.

Pamted "br Sir Tho T lawreiice, P. H'. f^ .

TjiAarea-ty HI, Coofc-

TTTR R'^ HOIJPy HEKKr-rn'ZMMIEICE-rETTT. D, C. X. F. 11. S. .VUKQUESS OF LAJTSDOWiJE.

.TTISLLKE, SOW &,- C° XOKDON, lB.'i3.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 1'
as to time or space. Sir Harry Burrard was acquainted with
the arrival of Sir John Moore's army, and therefore caleulated
with certainty, upon an equipment of artillery-horses. "With
respect to the quality and condition of his countrymen, (the
/nsA horses,) his lordship contended, that theyhad not shown
that worthlessness, of which they were now accused, in the
glorious affair of Vimeira. They were very inuch admired by
the French, and one hundred of them had been actually
selected to pursue the campaign in Spain, through one of the
raost fatiguing raarches ever raade by an army. Farther, it
was a ; question, whether an army was useless without any.
horses at all. In Egypt we had only one hundred and fifty, and
circumstances were similar when Sir Ralph Abercromby was
in Holland ; nor would the ministry be now culpable, unless that
a larger supply of horses had been at first deemed necessary —
that government possessed the means of furnishing that sup
ply, and had neglected to adopt that course. In General
Wolfe's battle, the picture of which was so universally known
and adraired, it might be observed, that the sailors drew the
guns. The Irish horses, although so rauch abused by Lord
Henry Petty, had done their work well, only thirty-three
having fallen, and of that number thirteen had been killed.
Neither were the operations of Sir Arthur Wellesley retarded
by a deficiency of cavalry ; had he felt a serious want of them,
he would doubtlessly have waited their arrival ; on the con-
trai-y, they were found fully equal to the enemy, and under
that impression, their brave, but cautious leader, advanced
towards Lisbon and the Tagus, beating the French, and
driving them before him. Heavy artillery were not required ;
and had they been, the ships of war could have furnished them ;
but the truth was, that no carriages could be borne by such
wretched roads as existed in Portugal. In extensive mihtary
operations, it is hardly possible that the chief command shall
not change hands. In the Low Countries, (the case was not
cited for imitation, ) four such changes had taken place within
the short period of forty-eight hours. Sir Hew Dalrymple might
•have been guilty of an error in judgment; that was, however,
problematical ; but no complaint had ever been brought against

8 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
his propriety, skill, or bravery. Lord Petty held light the conse
quences that flowed from the campaign in Portugal; but on
this point. Lord Castlereagh totally differed from him : his
lordship asked, "Was it nothing, in a short campaign of
three weeks, to have taken possession of a country of great
strength ; to have defeated, signally, a veteran army of twenty-
five thousand men ; to have liberated a whole country from
the grasp of an enemy ; and to have restored it again to its own
people and to its native government ? Did it redound nothing
to the military character and glory of the country, to have
assembled such an army, and to have gained two such victo
ries ? Was it nothing to have restored Portugal to its legiti
mate sovereign ? It was but natural to have looked for some
great result from such gratifying efforts ; and equally natural
to conclude, that after a victory, where the public feeling bad
broke loose, they should not be easily satisfied : but had the
intelligence of the victory, and of the armistice, arrived toge
ther, every thinking man would have received it differently ;
there would neither have arisen that extravagant joy, nov
would that great disappointment of the country's too sanguine
hopes have followed."
As to the details of the marine convention, of these govern
raent approved : they had only given instructions to Sir Charles
Cotton in the extreme case of starvation, he was therefore
left to exercise his own discretion in all contingencies ; but the
conditional surrender of the ships, the ministers regretted.
Here Lord Castlereagh concluded his lengthened, but necessary
explanation of the conduct of ministers, leaving the military
details to be still fully unfolded by Sir Arthur Wellesley, by
expressing his matured and decided conviction, " that the
expedition to Portugal was a wise and expedient measure, and
that the various plans of operations suggested as preferable,
would have been visionary in some cases, and dangerous in
all ; that the object of the expedition was the best that could be
adopted ; the equipraent, the most perfect that circumstances
would permit; the execution as complete as the nature of
the case would allow; nor had any failure resulted, except
M'bat arose from causes whkh neither the administration nor

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 9
the military officers could control. If the equipment of the
expedition was maintainable, the result of the operations was
such as at any other time would have satisfied the feelings of
the country. It had expelled the French army, its principal
object — put the Russian fleet into our possession — and released
from a tedious and hazardous blockade, a British squadron of
nine sail of the line. His lordship declared his intention, as
the resolutions of Lord Henry Petty, in his opinion, would
answer no beneficial purpose, of moving the previous question
on the first resolution, and taking the sense of the House on
the second.
The explanation of Lord Castlereagh was followed by an in
considerate attack, not merely on ministers and their measures,
but upon the military skill of the experienced officer whom his
lordship was instrumental in placing in the comraand of the
expedition, and whose gallantry, enterprise, and good fortune
had rendered hira then, what he ever afterwards continued, an
object of national admiration and respect. This unwise assault
was made by a military man. General Tarleton, who lauded
the clear, comprehensive, and convincing speech with which
Lord Henry Petty opened the debate on the convention of
Cintra, and pronounced a strong condemnation of the defence
set up by the minister at war, whom he bantered as having
wandered over the Pyrenees, and lectured on the qualities of
Irish horses — a mode of treating so solemn a subject, that did
not correspond with the dignity of that House. He then pro
ceeded to view the question professionally, analyze Sir Arthur
Wellesley's plan of operations, and descant on its deformity.
In his opinion, an invading army could advance imraediately
on its landing ; — when Sir William Howe was sent to New
York, he landed with his cavalry and artillery, after having
been a long time at sea, moved forward the same day, and
shortly after came into action. In reference to the armistice,
he called on parliament to reflect what must have been the
situation of the armies previous to that infatuated raeasure.
The French were dispirited by defeat, their situation extremely
critical, hazardous, and miserable. They could not have been

10 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
able to cover the extent of ground from Fort St. Julian to
Lisbon, fourteen miles, particularly if they meant to occupy
the former ; and their position at Lisbon was a bad one. He
acknowledged that heavy artillery would have encumbered the
army, and could, if required, be had from the ships;— but it
should be remembered by the favourers of a convention, that
Lisbon and the country around were friendly to us, hostile to
the French, and it was exceedingly unlikely that the Russians
would act against us. He professed hiraself as entertaining
sentiments of respect individually for the officers composing
fhe court of inquiry; but that seven men of such known expe
rience and talent should agree in such a decision, appeared
to him extraordinary.. He, totally dissented from the opinion
of that court, that the French could have passed the Tagus,
and .occupied the fort of Elvas ; ±he plea was absurd, for the
Tagus was one of the most rapid rivers in the world, and four
miles broad at Lisbon. History often presented useful ilessonsr;
Lord CornwaUis, was shut up in York-Town, with .this advaur
tage, that he had not been beaten; he had to cross a river
only a raile broad, his horse and artillery were on the other
side, his boats were ready in a, bay defended from the. eneray,
the two points of the crescent which the bay forraed were
(^e^^ended by redoubts, and he had no plunder to carry over ;
the event then was well known ; the French had to cross a river
of four railes in width, they had to carryover their artillery, their
hprses, their plunder, and all their baggage; and notwithstand
ing all these disadvantages, they had obtained from us th^};;
convention which had been so much reprobated, and this was
tl^e result of two brilliant victories — a result which had dis
gusted Spain and Portugal, and covered England with dis
grace. , Had ministers judgment or moral courage enough to
have left the whole conduct of the carapaign in the hands of
Sir Arthur Wellesley, in his opinion the result would have
be|ei> very different. It was allowed by the minister, that Sir
Henry Dalrymple was eminently useful in his command at
Gibraltar; if so,, why was he removed, and placed in a situ
ation of the greatest perplexity ? It was pleaded that it would

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 1 1
have been injustice to many officers in the army to have con
tinued Sir Arthur Wellesley in the comraand ; he thought, if
there was any injustice, it was in the original appointment of
that brave soldier, but that, when once chosen, he should have
been continued ; they had precedents in the case of Lord
Chatham and General Wolfe. It was from this want of raanly
decision, in appointing Sir Arthur Wellesley only pro te-mpore,
in allowing him to expect the arrival, every hour, of a senior
officer, to receive from him the coramand, that that general
" was roused to do something before he was superseded, and
this- induced hira to act rather rashly. As the conduct of that
gallant officer was already approved of by the country, he
would abstain from the full developement of his sentiments on
that point, although he thought he could convince that honour
able officer, that there was something rash in the action of
the seventeenth, and something wrong in that of the twenty-
first." 'General Tarleton considered that it was indecent to
desire senior officers to consult an inferior on all occasions;
— that the .rage for changing the command, evinced by miiiis-
ters, was deservirig bf censure — that the parallel introduced
to justify' their conduct, was abortive, because the Austrians
did not, in consequence, make a successful campaign ; and
finally, however the genius, fortune, or gallantry of Sir Arthur
Wellesley had succeeded in raising the character of Britisb
ai'ttife,'the conduct of ministers tended to depress it.
The serious statements of Lord Henry Petty, and sarcas
tic commentaries of General Tarleton, had they been atteiided
with no other results, proved beneficial by calling forth from
Sir' Arthur Wellesley, in his place in parliament, a luminoiis
explanation of his own operations, and the circumstances that
led to the armistice and convention. Lord Castlereagh had
evidently thrown the weight of this part of the ministerial
defence on the gallant general, who was alsb the most compe
tent witness ; and his lordship trusted not a little to the popti-
laHty of that officer, as auxiliary in resisting the acknowledged
talents of the opposition party of that day. The explanation of
General Wellesley, therefore, on this occasion, is not merely

12 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
associated intimately with his individual character, but must be
viewed and valued as an historic record of indisputable truth,
and a final judgment on a rauch-con troverted subject. Taking
his opponents in the order of their attack. Sir Arthur commenced
by adverting to the speech of the proposer of the resolutions,
part of whose observations applied to the government, part
to the officers who had the conduct of the expedition. In
his judgment, government were answerable for the plan and
equipment ; for the execution and result, all responsibility
rested with the officers. He had already given it as his
opinion, and he had not departed from it, that the operations
in Spain could only be carried on with any chance of success,
in conjunction with, and by the consent of, the people and
public authorities of that country; and, therefore, it was
necessary to come to a right understanding with the juntas,
before the commencement of the campaign. When he first
communicated with the juntas of Gallicia and Asturias, it was
conceived that the expulsion of the enemy from Portugal
Would be a valuable object, not only with a view to the naval
station which this would procure for us, but also with a pros
pect of supporting the operations in Spain. When he arrived at
Corunna, the junta had just heard of the defeat of their army
at Rio Seco, and he then proposed to them to land his troops,
and co-operate with General Blake in covering the seat of
their government. To this they replied, that they did not
want men : but, that the best service, which could be rendered
to themselves and their cause, would be to expel the French
from Portugal. He certainly had received, through Sir
Thomas Dyer, a species of requisition from the junta of the
Asturias, to drive the French from St. Andero ; but the junta
of Gallicia assured him that they had taken effectual mea
sures for the accomplishment of that object; that the occu
pation of that place would be of little moment, as regarded
the possession of the Asturias, the main object of the enemy;
and concluded by again repeating their conviction, that the
cause of Spain, and Portugal, and the liberty of the Peninsula,
would be best consulted by the expulsion of the enemy from

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 13
Portugal. There the British army would become a link
between the northern and southern armies of Spain, which
hitherto had no point of union ; and, in order to demonstrate
their sincerity, and, show what importance they attached to
this service, although threatened by the enemy from two
points, after the defeat of Rio Seco, they sent two thousand
men to Portugal, to assist his operations in that quarter.
The expulsion of the enemy was not, therefore, an irame
diate British object, but a British object of great consequence
in reference to the future operations in Spain.
With respect to the question of the equipment, government
had received intelligence frora Sir C. Cotton, that there were
only four thousand French in Lisbon, the rest having pro
ceeded to Spain ; and, surely, it could hardly be alleged as a
charge against rainisters, that they acted upon the inforraation
of an officer who had been eight months on the station, and
raight, therefore, raost naturally have been supposed to pos
sess the best and most accurate knowledge. Under the
impression jirbduced by the communication from Sir C. Cotton,
the ministers acted, and despatched him to the Tagus with
a force and equipments fully equal to the undertaking.
Although other arrangements, and perhaps preferable, might
have been made for the choice of horses, yet a raore araple
equipraent was not absolutely necessary for the contemplated
operations in the Tagus, nor an equipment such as the
operations he subsequently undertook required. When he
embarked at Cork, he was to have proceeded to the coast of
Spain, without 'any certainty whether he should be allowed
to land at all; or, if he should, where he might land; and it
was, therefore, considered that the horses must suffer consi
derably on board, and, consequently, those of an inferior
description were chosen, which, under all the circumstances,
might be best fitted for a service of this nature.
The next point that demanded explanation from Sir A. Wel
lesley, respected the operations which he himself undertook ;
and, although the noble author of the resolutions was silent
on that head, the honourable general who spoke after him,
II. D

14 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
adopted a different policy, and rendered it necessary, there
fore, that he should reply. That speaker asserted, " that he.
Sir A. Wellesley, had been hurried forward by an honourable
arabition, to undertake an operation of considerable risk."
Now, he had stated already, before the board of inquiry, that
he had a larger British force than any which the eneray could
bring into the field agairist him; he was, indeed, inferior in
cavalry, but he expected to be joined by some Portuguese troops
of that description, which, together with the British, would form
a respectable corps, though then, no doubt, he might in that
respect, be still inferior to the enemy. But under all these
circumstances he asked, whether General Tarleton himself
would have hesitated, if he had been in his situation, to act as
he had done ? and he assured the honourable general, " that he
would much rather follow his exaraple in the field, than his
advice in the senate." As to the adoption of a line of march
on his landing in Portugal, he preferred that along the coast for
raany reasons, some of which were repeatedly submitted to
the government and the country; and, touching his strength
and numbers, he had reason to expect reinforcements under
General Acland, Sir H. Burrard, and Sir J. Moore. But to
demonstrate the satisfaction he felt in the sufficiency of his
own force to execute his object, he did not intend to have
employed the corps under General Acland in the field at all, but
meant to have sent it to besiege Peniche. When Sir H. Burrard
arrived, he. Sir A. Wellesley, had no longer the coramand, but
he recomraended to him a plan of operations for the corps of
Sir J. Moore ; and, if that plan had been adopted, he should not
then have had the raortification to hear Lord H. Petty pro
pose a resolution, " that the expedition to Portugal had dis
appointed the hopes and expectations of the nation." That
plan was, that Sir J. Moore should advance upon Santarera,
with a view to intercept the eneray, as he iraagined they
would atterapt to cross the Tagus. It was feasible, not
only in his opinion, but in that of all the general officers who
had given evidence at the court of inquiry. Sir H. Burrard,
however, thought proper to call that corps to the assistance

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 15
of the army, a circumstance which altered the whole system
of operations. With respect to the change of commanders —
when he left England, Sir Arthur Wellesley did not expect to
be continued in the command, after large reinforcements
should have arrived, to the exclusion of many valuable officers ;
but, at the same time, he did not think that the command
ought to be changed in the middle of expeditions. In the
course of a campaign, the command might be changed without
injury, but these expeditions were not campaigns, they were
only operations : however, as a change in command was
attended with a total alteration in the system, this circurastance
necessarily governed him in his subsequent views. His ori
ginal plan was to have engaged the enemy as near to Lisbon as
possible, and to have followed up the advantage, which he
undoubtedly expected, with the utmost expedition ; by which
means he would have got to Lisbon nearly as soon as them
selves, and prevented their crossing the Tagus. His opinion
still was, that if he had been allowed to pursue the enemy
closely after the battle of Vimeira, they would have been
unable to cross the Tagus. He was no party to the question
of the convention, its propriety, or the contrary ; he had
never come forward as the accuser of Sir H. Burrard, but,
having commanded at Vimeira, and holding himself responsible
for that action, he thought his opinion ought to have had
some weight, both on that occasion, and with the court of
inquiry ; especially as that opinion had been supported by all
the general officers whom he had under his command. It had
been stated that his friend. General Spencer, had given a
different opinion ; but, notwithstanding the delicacy and the
caution with which that officer had spoken, yet a close exa
mination of his evidence, would show that he coincided per
fectly in the plan of operations proposed by him, and, in
reply to one question from the court, expressed that coinci
dence of opinion in the strongest terms. This was the prin
ciple upon which he had advanced from Mondego Bay, and
he never could understand how the court of inquiry, which
approved of all he had done up to the close of the battle of

10 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Vimeira, could have said that those troops which had been
constantly beaten in the field, ought not to be pursued when
beaten. He would certainly have pushed them so hard after
that battle, if he had retained tbe command, that it would
have been impossible for them to have crossed the Tagus.
But there was one part of the report of the board, with
respect to the question of advancing after the action of the
twenty-first, to which Sir Arthur Wellesley desired to refer ;
it was as follows : — " This very circumstance of a superior
cavalry retarding our advance, would allow tbe enemy's in
fantry, without any degree of risk, to continue their retreat
in the most rapid manner, till they should arrive at any given
and advantageous point of rallying and formation : nor did
Sir Arthur Wellesley, on the seventeenth of August, when
the enemy had not half the cavalry as on the twenty-first, pur
sue a more inconsiderable and beaten army with any marked
advantage, for he says, (we refer to the Gazette Extraor
dinary,) 'the enemy retired with the utmost regularity, and
the greatest celerity :" and, notwithstanding the rapid advance
of the British infantry, the want of a sufficient body of cavalry
was the cause of his suffering but little loss on the plain :"
and again in the same despatch, " he (the enemy) succeeded
in effecting his retreat in good order, owing principally to my
want of cavalry." Here the court of inquiry appeared to
consider hira, Sir Arthur Wellesley, to be either inconsistent or
incorrect in his statement, a conclusion which he was pre
pared to show had been injudiciously drawn. The fact was,
there were two parts of the action of the seventeenth ; the
one in the raountains, the other on the plain. In that part
which took place in the plain, the enemy retired in good
order. After the battle of the twenty-first, they had retired
in great disorder. And it was the good order of the retreat
in the one case, and the disorder in the other, that raade all
the difference. Although it raight not be proper, without an
adequate force of cavalry, to pursue the eneray closely, when
they retired in good order on the seventeenth, it by no means
followed that they ought not to be pursued on the twenty-first.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 17
¦when they had been completely beaten, and had retired in
great disorder. The disorderly retreat of the enemy on the
twenty-first was the ground of his opinion, that they ought to
be hard pushed : and if they had been vigorously followed up
on that day, he was satisfied in Ms awn mind, that there would
have heen no reason for concluding the convention vihiich had
given so much offence. With respect to the convention, it
was Sir Arthur Wellesley's opinion, that government was not
justly chargeable with the fault of that measure, because,
had a certain plan of operations been adopted, the reason for
it would never have existed. The necessity for concluding
a convention had been ascribed to the want of artillery, of
horses, of equipments of various kinds, but he felt it due to
fairness to state, that, in considering the propriety of con
cluding an armistice, and afterwards a convention, those
wants had never been taken into account by him, nor by any
of the officers concerned in the negociation on that subject.
The only question at all connected with the state of the
army, in point of equipment, was, the difficulty of supplying
it with provisions, when the whole of the troops should have
been collected.
Sir Arthur Wellesley next called the particular attention
of the House to the arguments urged against the armistice
and convention, by the political opponents of the government.
In treating this question dispassionately, the relative position
of the two armies, at the precise time when the armistice
was concluded, was of material consequence. The French,
after the battle of Vimeira, were allowed to retreat, and take
up a strong position, in which they would have been able to
stop the progress of a superior force for three or four days.
The advancing army, after having been occupied in dislodg
ing them from that position, would have further to drive
them from two or three other lines, which lay between the
main position and Lisbon. During the whole of this time,
the French would probably have been employed in prepa
rations for the passage of the Tagus, which it would have
been alraost impossible to prevent. General Tarleton had

18 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
alluded to the situation of Lord CornwaUis in the American
war ; but Sir Arthur Wellesley assured that House, without
entering into any comparison between General Junot and
Lord CornwaUis, that the circumstances in which they were
placed differed totally. The British general was shut up in
a town, and actually besieged, while the Duke of Abrantes
might be said to have the military possession of the country.
General Tarleton also asked, " how was it possible for the
French to cross a river frora four to six railes broad, in such a
situation ?" To this Sir Arthur replied, " that was raatter
of opinion ;" and it was the opinion of all the officers who
were there at the time, and of all the members of the board
of inquiry, that it was impossible to prevent them frora cross
ing the Tagus. He had heard that Earl Moira, a high military
authority,* was of opinion, " that if the French had been
driven to cross the Tagus, they would have been reduced to
extrerae distress :" to this his plain answer was, " in the first
place, that it was the duty of Junot to have suffered that
distress, however severe, rather than have surrendered at dis
cretion ; and there is no reason to believe that he would npt
have done his duty in that respect. But, in the second place,
he did not allow that the French would have been reduced
to this extreme distress. General Loisson had crossed the
Tagus, quelled the insurrection in Alentejo, returned again
across the Tagus, and by these means removed the difficulties
which the French might otherwise have experienced in the
retreat to Elvas." The ablest opponents of government,
however, asserted their conviction that Junot would have sur
rendered at last: " this was true," said Sir Arthur, " but at
what time of the year?" He spoke confidently, when he
affirmed, that the British army would not be in a condition
* Services of General ihe Earl oJ Moira {afterwards Marqursi of Hastings,) K.G., G.C.B.

Enaiyn 15lh foot

7th August

1771

Major general

12th Oct.,

1793

Lieutenant 5l1i foot

20th Oct.,

1773

Lieutenant general

1st January

1798

Captaia, 63rd foot

12th July,

1775

General

25lh Sepl.,

1803

Lieut. -colooel by Brevet,

15th June,

177a

Adjulant-gen. in America

15th June

1793

Lieut.-colonel 105th foot

2l8t March

1782

Commander-in-chief on a

Colooel by Brevpt

Curl Nov.,

17B2

particular Service

eoth Nov.

1793

Colonel 271I1 foot

23r(l Miiy,

mol

Masler-gen.of the Ordnance

llth Feb.,

1806

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 19
to reduce the fort of Elvas till the] beginning of Deceraber,
and then, perhaps, it raight have been thought advisable
to grant the French army the sarae, or nearly the sarae
terras, as those which were conceded to thera in August
Considering, therefore, the relative situation of the arraies at
that period, he did not think it disgraceful to allow the French
to embark ; and the gaining of tirae was important, with a view
to operations in Spain, as the presence of a British array
there would give the Spaniards strength in their own union,
and prevent their being cut off in detail. The high railitary
authority before alluded to, had said, " that the officers in
command of the expedition, ought to have attended more to
the great advantages which, in the then] situation of affairs,
would have resulted, for compelling the enemy to lay down
their arms, and surrender at discretion." But it should be
stated in reply to this insinuation, that no such object had
been prescribed" in the instructions to the officers comraanding
the British forces. It was, undoubtedly, the duty of every
officer to endeavour to obhge a hostile force opposed to him to
lay down their arms ; but the question was, whether, in order
to prosecute that object, they ought to have given up other
material points, in time and circumstances, and abandon the
advantages they had gained.
If it were not disgraceful to have allowed the French to
evacuate Cairo and Alexandria in Egypt, the convention for
the evacuation of Portugal could not have been disgraceful.
The circumstances of the two cases were certainly different,
as well as the state of Europe ; but the result in both cases.
Sir Arthur considered, unstained by disgrace. The insti
tution of a court of inquiry, was another topic connected
with the campaign in Portugal and convention of Cintra, to
which he was anxious to advert. He agreed with those who
wished that this might be the last court of the kind that
should ever assemble : nor was it a tribunal before which any
officer would desire to be tried. A general impression had
gone abroad, that this inquiry had been instituted by Lord
Castlereagh, from friendship to hira : it was rather hard that

20 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
he should be subjected to such a reflection, especially, as if
if he had been tried by any other mode, he must have been
acquitted; and, without imputing blame to any individual
meraber, he protested that the court was a source of injustice,
and on that account it was that he hoped it was the last
board of that kind to which the investigation of the con-
duet of officers would be submitted. As to the letter sent
by his friend Lord Castlereagh, desiring his superior officers
to consult him particularly, had he been aware of the exist
ence of such a document, he should have felt his situation
very uncomfortable. And he now acknowledged, that from
the first hour these officers landed, and even before they dis
embarked, he perceived that he was not in possession of their
confidence. However, he felt that he had done every thing
he could to forward their objects, although he differed from.
them in opinion. There was a wide distinction between military
and civil inferior situations : in a civil office, if the inferior
differed materially frora the superior, he ought to resign : but in
a railitary appointraent, it was the duty of the inferior officer
to assist his comraander in the raode in which that com
raander raight deera his services most advantageous : if he
thought hiraself capable of giving advice, and of suggesting
plans, it was his duty to endeavour to carry them into exe
cution ; but if the commander did not think proper to listen
to his advice or suggestions, it was then hjs duty to assist his
superior in that way which, to that superior, might appear
most eligible. This was the principle which, in his opinion,
ought to regulate the conduct of railitary officers. It was a
principle on which he had, on that occasion, as ever before,
acted, and on which he ever would act.
Mr. Windhara, who rose to refute the explanations both
of Lord Castlereagh and of Sir Arthur Wellesley, coramenced
by stating, that he should be sorry to have it supposed, that
in rising after General Wellesley, he had a wish to do away
any part of the impression which his speech could not fail to
have made. Nothing could be more clear, fair, and raanly,
than the raanner in which that gallant officer had spoken of

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 21
all the persons with whom he had acted, and of all the
transactions in which he had been concerned. He neces
sarily felt diffident in delivering any opinion upon subjects of
which he could know so little, as of railitary operations; and
was aware that, in adding his testimony to the merits of the
gallant general, he was offering what was of little value.
But he could not, for his own sake, abstain from expressing
how entirely he concurred in opinion with the views and
conduct of Sir Arthur Wellesley, not only in those parts
where his measures iriight seem to have a voucher in success,
but in those also where his intentions had been unfortunately
over-ruled. Confident judgment on professional subjects from
persons not professional, was always objectionable ; and the
merit of an officer, possibly, could not be judged but by a
judgment on the merit of his particular measures ; yet there
was a certain character of talent and ability, that might be
capable of making itself visible even to persons the most
unlearned, and might show the superiority of one player over
another, even to those who were ignorant of the game. It
was impossible not to discern in the whole style of General
Wellesley's conduct, those characteristic marks which have,
at all times, and not least in the period of the Peninsular
war, distinguished the successful from the unsuccessful side,
the victor from the vanquished. Sir Arthur Wellesley's state
ment, though proper for him to make, and satisfactory for his
justification, was no vindication of ministers; whilst it justi
fied his character, it was the condemnation of theirs. It was
the glory of a military officer to achieve success under great
disadvantages. There was no credit to be gained from good
fortune, where there were no disadvantages to be encountered,
no difficulties to be overcome. But the boast of an admi
nistration consists in placing their officers in circumstances
where success shall be easy, where they cannot choose but
win, and where of consequence their glory must be little.
The merits of executive officers, and of those who employ
them, move often in this respect in inverse order. What is
the boast of the officer, is the reproach of the rainister ; and
II. E

22 LIFK AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the triumph of the rainister in preparing an easy victory,
takes from the officer his means of distinction. The circuti)-
stances, therefore, which enhanced the merit of General Wel
lesley, constituted the blame of the ministers who produced
them. As to the convention, he perfectly coincided in the
opinion of those who disapproved of that measure, and attri
buted its origin in the first instance to the misconduct of
ministers, however far from blame they might be as to the
mere circumstance itself. The court of inquiry thought that
Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Harry Burrard were justified in
declining to pursue the beaten foe: he could not but believe
that Sir Arthur Wellesley was right, and that, if left to him
self, he would have accomplished all that he said he could.
Upon that point Mr. Windham declared he could hardly
entertain a doubt. Yet the court doubted — the generals
doubted ; the doubt originated in the deficiency of cavalry ;
this deficiency led to the refusal of Sir H. Burrard to pursue
the enemy ; from which it resulted that, instead of the whole
French army being destroyed or captured by General Wel
lesley, they were permitted, disgracefully, to retire from the
field of contest. And certainly the ministers were culpable
for not supplying a sufficient cavalry force, which was the
origin of the evil. That the campaign in Portugal disap
pointed the expectations of the country, no one had the
hardihood to deny: there was a faihire to be accounted for,
a ship lost, for which the commander must be tried, whether
blame must ultimately be imputed to him or not. The court
before which the officer was brought was incompetent; a
court of inquiry should be secret ; but ministers perverted
the whole nature of such tribunals, by producing a strange,
anomalous, inconsistent proceeding, never known in the laws
of this country, that could not be made conclusive for any
purpose at once rational and honest ; a raonstrous production,
unknown to our usages, " an open court of inquiry." He
differed from Sir Arthur Wellesley in his statement that the
convention "had theti become necessary," and also, "that
time was gained thereby;" both these arguments were fai-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 23
lacious, because, as General WeUesley had proved himself
quite an overmatch for the marshals of Napoleon, by beating
them under the gre.atest disadvantages, a fortiori, he could
have beaten them when his means became improved and his
numbers trebled. His arguments, therefoie, if valid, would
probably sustain the ministerial cause, without detracting from
his own inimitable conduct and example. Sir Arthur, however,
confessed that he had not the confidence of his successors in
the command. " This was a natural consequence of the
rapid supercession, in which general succeeded general, as
wave succeeded wave, rising some of them, as it were, literaUy
out of the sea : assembled upon the stage like persons at the
end of a comedy, with all the happiest effects of surprise,
some from one part of the world, some from another; one
from Syracuse, another from Stockholm, bringing with them
their various vices and prejudices, and marring whatever was
to be done, by their total ignorance of all that had preceded."
Ministers took credit to themselves for having expeUed the
French from Portugal, but it was, and would be an ever
lasting disgrace to their administration, that Junot was allowed
to escape from the grasp of his powerful opponent, and the
nation and its favourite general plundered of their share of
glory. Had Junot been made the captive of a British army,
what an impression would that circumstance have made upon
our allies, our enemies, ourselves, and upon all Europe, as
to the coraparative character of French and British troops !
an irapression more than equivalent to most of the objects
of the campaign. What had the nation gained at Maida?
In point of territory, nothing ! in point of acquisition of
any pecuniary value, nothing ! but we had gained glory,
military glory, and this single circumstance was sufficient to
render the battle of Maida one of the most useful, as well as
raost honourable, of any that had ever been fought for tha
country. It was the loss of glory, this deplorable neglect of
the opportunity to raake an indelible impression upon the
French themselves, and the Spanish nation, as to the strik
ing superiority of the British army, that were most to be

24 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
regretted in the unfortunate result of the campaign in Por-
tugak ¦ He, Mr. Windham, was convinced, that Sir Arthur
Wellesley himself would not say that any thing eould com
pensate the loss of so precious an object, and sueh a golden
o{)portunity ; for. this it was that ministers, in his judgirientj
stood conderaned before their country.
, The next member of the administration who contributed
the aid of his talents, to sustain the character of his asso
ciates against a public irapeachraent, was the chancellor of
the exchequer.* He considered the proposition of Lord
H. Petty as untenable, and unsupported by the eloquent
language of Mr. Windham, whose view of the question fully
justified the measures of the government. It was stated,
". that had Sir Arthur Wellesley followed up his plans, and
pursued, an already discomfited eneray, the result would have
been as decisive and glorious as ever marked the progress
of the British arms ;" and it was further stated, " that the
interruption to this happy consequence, was to be found in
the conduct of Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Harry Burrard :"
but, instead of blaming those wbo were the iraraediate per
sons that over-ruled Sir A. Wellesley's plans, the opposition,
turned round unfairly, and laid the burden on the shoulders of
ministers, because they had left an excuse to those general
officers, by not having furnished a sufficient cavalry force.
Now, in Mr. Perceval's opinion, since the campaign would
bave terminated gloriously for this country, had Sir Arthur
Wellesley's plans been adopted, ministers could not be cul
pable, because it failed through the tiraidity or caution of
those general officers who over-ruled him. It was the great
enterprise and superior genius in one commander, which were
riot present in the minds of his seniors, that would have
obtained the consummation of his glorious objects ; that officer
had never seen or felt the deficiency of cavalry on which the
• Tlie Right Hon. Spencer Porcevii), second son of John Eari of Egmont,
ill the Irish peei'age : this amiable statesman fell by the hand of an assassin,
mimed Bellingham, on (he eleventh of May, 181'2, as he was ciiLering the lobby
of the lloiistj of Commons.

THF, itlGHT H:0Tir"8.i-^ SPEITCER PJEHCEVJiL .

'{C/U^-^^

TTFTTTFT. SOW it. C? LOl^TDCIC, 1333

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 25
opposition dwelt with so much obstinacy, although they
acknowledge that he could have beaten the French, and
captured their whole array, without further reinforcements, if
left to pursue his own bold plans. How then could ministers be
considered culpable for the result of that day, and it was that
result alone which led to the armistice and convention. He, Mr.
Perceval, regretted the admission of the convention, and was
ready to accede to Lord Petty's first proposition, which only
adopted the language of the speech from the throne, and
expressed the sentiments of the country, if it were not followed
by a second, which went to cast a censure upon ministers, they
had not merited. He taunted the opposition with having mis
taken all the measures of the existing administration, and for
gotten those of their own : the four thousand tons of shipping
promised by Lord Castlereagh, he asserted, were engaged in
the Baltic, nor was their assistance requisite in an expedition to
the Tagus, (the original destination,) where cavalry were not
deemed necessary. When the late administration promised
assistance to the continental powers, the transports were all
laid up, dismantled, or destroyed ; and that party in the state
which had not sent cavalry to the Tagus, when they had
power, would, of course, allow that no necessity now existed
for that species of force. On the question of the superseding
of officers, it ought naturally be presumed, that the party of
which Mr. Windham was a supporter, spoke feelingly on the
point, as that gentleman, when in office, " had employed a
junior officer. Brigadier-general Craufurd, to proceed with
four thousand raen, by the antipodes, to Botany Bay, from
whence they were to sail to Chili, which they were to con
quer : this done, a line of posts was to be estabUshed across
the Andes to Buenos Ayres, to secure the possession of that
settlement. The proposer of such a scheme of conquest
could hardly, it was supposed, have ever forgotten it." After
a tedious voyage, this officer was recaUed, and placed under
the command of General Whitelocke at Buenos Ayres. It
must, and did frequently happen, that a smaU expedition
became increased to a large army, iu which case, as Sir

26 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Arthur Wellesley had stated to parliament, it was necessary
to change the command, and appoint a senior officer, in order
to retain in the service many excellent officers, who could
not, from the usage in the army, serve under a junior com
mander. The ministers must have lamented, equally with their
political adversaries, the convention ; they lamented that it
had not been demonstrated to the world, beyond the possi
bility of controversy, that the British army was infinitely
superior to the French. But it should not be forgotten in
history, that the character of the British army, under the
coraraand of Sir Arthur Wellesley, in the course of this brief
campaign, had been established in the mind of every impar
tial man in Europe, for incomparable discipline, irresistible
valour, and unwearied perseverance. It had also been urged
confidently, that the possession of Portugal was nothing; "but
were not the feelings of every Briton interested in the rescue
of pur ancient allies frora the grasp of an usurper? was it
of no value to have secured the Russian fleet in the Tagus?
The whole world was fixed in attention on the British
government, to see whether they would aid their ancient
allies, or desert the cause of those to whom they were bound
by the long-accustomed ties of friendship and amity. It was
at this raoraentous interval, when doubt was the language of
every tongue, the expression of every look, that the noble
raover of a vote of censure, would have kept our forces at
horae, in inaction, rather than have entrusted a discretionary
power to qur generals to act as circurastances raight require.
It was also advanced as raatter of grave offence, that the
victory of Viraeira was announced in England amidst the
thunder of artillery from the ancient ramparts of the tower;
" endeavouring," it was asserted, " by noise and clamour, by
a bold and confident show of exultation, to confound the
sense of the country," but the authors of this sarcastic lan^-
guage would be obliged to admit, that since the commence
ment of the French revolution, except in the issue of the
campaign in Egypt, there had been no instance of so signal
a defeat of French objects, as in the expulsion of Junot's

THK DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 27
army from Portugal. The triumph, therefore, had been suf
ficient to justify the demonstration of joy manifested by the
firing of guns. The chancellor of the exchequer acknow
ledged that Sir Arthur Wellesley had expressed what he
thought necessary for his own justification, in a fair and
manly manner, but could not coincide in his opinion upon
the subject of the court of inquiry. A court-martial could
not have been held without injustice to one of the general
officers, against whom a particular charge might have been
instituted, and the officers whom it would have been neces
sary to examine, were out of the country : a court-martial
had not been demanded, although some inquiry was deemed
necessary, and no objection could be taken to the honour of"
the individuals that formed that tribunal. This course of
proceeding also was justified by two precedents in recent
times. To those who instanced the case of General White
locke, he replied, that there existed no analogy between that
case and the present, because government were in possession
of documents fully sufficient to warrant them in bringing a
distinct charge against that officer.
Mr. Whitbread next rose to address the House : he declared
that, notwithstanding the able speech of Sir Arthur Wellesley,
the lucid harangue of Lord Castlereagh, and the ingenious
remarks of the chancellor of the exchequer, the spirited
charge of Lord Petty was so feebly encountered, as to leave
him in perfect possession of the field. There was, however,
one literary and political warrior* still remaining, who might
yet retrieve the fortunes of the day. Lord Castlereagh pro
fessed- to disapprove of the convention, " yet he was acces
sary to the answer given to the citizens of London, which the
servants of the crown had put into the mouth of their sove
reign." " Sir Arthur Wellesley too," in an impressive speech,
" stated, that, had he been left in command, he never would
have entered "into a convention, yet, after such an avowal,
he would not support the proposition of Lord H. Petty : and
the chancellor of the exchequer thought the convention was
* The Right Hon. George Canning.

28 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
justified, and, therefore, would withhold the confirmation of
the sovereign's opinion by the House of Commons." Thus,
then, said Mr. Whitbread, had the swords of the gallant
Wellesley, and of his brave companions in arms, been drawn
in vain : not in vain for their own glory and character, but
raost ineffectually for the honour, the credit, the glory, the
interests, and the superiority of their country. The public
had before them a great stake, and by whom was it thrown
away? Guilt attached somewhere; and public indignation
had been consequently excited. The court of inquiry decided
that all the general officers were blameless, and zealous, and
firm : yet blame remained. Had Sir Arthur Wellesley been
in the command of a sufficient body of cavalry at Vimeira,
he would have made captive the whole French army, in which
case, the convention would have been unnecessary ; that
he had not done so was, because rainisters neglected to
supply the cavalry force which he solicited; wherefoi-e, the
whole, the original sin of the convention of Cintra, belonged
to the rainisters alone. The rainisters were also unable to
explain away the supersedure of Sir Arthur Wellesley frora
the coramand, " they had not appointed men of extensive
talent and acknowledged genius, too proud to admit in their
breasts a narrow and illiberal jealousy : they had not selected
officers under whom Sir Arthur had previously served, and
who entertained the high and raerited opinion of his capacity
and his services." Such were not the palliatives of ministets ;
and the gallant general hiraself, who, while he defended fais
own reputation, was known always to spare that of others,
stated, " that he had no reason to expect being superseded,
unless a very considerable increase should take place' in the
army." Mr. Whitbread declined passing any opinion upon
the fitness or character of Sir Hew Dalrymple, or Sir Harry
Burrard, but of Sir John Moore, " whose apotheosist- had
taken place," he observed, " that throughout? the whole of
the heroic army bf Britain, there could not be found any
officer with claims to distinguished command, greater than
his : why, therefore, was not he allowed to assurae that lead of

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 29
which the gallant WeUesley was deprived?" Lord Castle
reagh had alluded to precedents, to extenuate his incon
sistency in so frequently changing the comraand : but these
were taken from the raiserable policy of Austrian military
councils; councils which so often cramped the exertions of
the Archduke Charles ; councils which teemed with treachery,
to whose corrupt and baneful influence prostrated Austria
and enslaved Europe might fairly attribute their forlorn con
dition; councils which led to the disastrous, but decisive
victory of Jena, to the recapture of Madrid, and to the exclu
sion of Great Britain from almost every port of the continent
of Europe. Such were tlie precedents accuraulated by the
British secretary at war. He trusted parUaraent would
inquire into the causes " by which a gallant army, after
unprecedented efforts of valour, patience, and endurance,
were obliged to terminate a campaign in a victory, from
which, in the words of Sir John Hope, no useful consequence
would follow." Had we imitated the conqueror, rather than
the conquered, we should not then have to lament that so
great a victory had been attended with so little advantage.
Reports had been for some time industriously circulated
throughout England, and the opposition side of the House of
Commons seemed rather disposed to adopt them, " that Sir
A. WeUesley was totally free from any participation in the con
vention." Upon this point. Sir Arthur claimed the attention
of the House, only while he referred raembers to his evidence
before the court of inquiry, and to his letter, dated the sixth of
October, 1 808, to his friend Lord Castlereagh ; that letter con
tained his detailed opinions on the subject, and from those
opinions he never should depart Here Mr. Wellesley Pole
(afterwards Lord Maryborough) rose, for the purpose of assuring
the House, that he had no connexion with the paragraphs that
appeared in the public newspapers, relative to the part his
gallant relative had taken, or rather refused to take, in the
convention; being the only member of the Wellesley family at
that tirae in London, he had been applied to for inforraation
on the subject, but uniformly declined affording any, observing,

30 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
" that when General Wellesley returned, he would be found
fully capable of vindicating his own character." Mr. Hely-
Hutchinson,* who next addressed the House, coraplained that a
parallel had been instituted between the convention of Cintra
and that of Alexandria and Cairo, and felt himself called on, as
, one of those who had shared the honours of the carapaign in
Egypt, to reject all such coraparison as implying disgrace,
for in that light was the arraistice of Lisbon viewed by the
whole nation. The association of these conventions by Sir
Arthur Wellesley, gave Mr. Hutchinson more pain than if
that observation had been made by any other raeraber of that
House; yet he gladly declared hiraself amongst the most
enthusiastic adrairers of the brilliant exploits perforraed by
that brave general and his troops, while in active operation
in the field. Mr. Hutchinson entered into a rainute detail of
the operations of the army in Egypt, the daringly heroic descent
of Sir Ralph Abercromby, in the presence of the enemy, upon
the Egyptian shore ; the glorious but lamented fall of the brave
commander of the expedition, and perilous position of the Bri
tish at that crisis. " Such were the difficulties of that moment,"
said the honourable meraber " that, were he allowed to have
chosen between the fate of Sir R. Abercromby, and the situa
tion of the individual who succeeded to the command, without
hesitation he would have preferred, for his gaUant relative, the
death of his lamented friend." Sir John Moore, in a letter to
Lord Hutchinson, thus characterises the war in Egypt at that
momentous period. " I hope you see some prospect of termi
nating this expedition with success r^^ to my own mind, I
own it suggests nothing corafortable.'^^^is tone of despon
dence was not congenial to the feeling^^Lord Hutchinson,
who persevered in all the raeditated movements of his brave
predecessor, even in the raost awful responsibihty, and at length
obliged BeUiard to capitulate ; but, by the terras of that capitu-
• The Honourable Christopher Hely-Hutchinson, brother of General Lord
Hutchinson and of Lord Donoughmore, and son of the provost of Dublin
University : he served in the campaign in Egypt, and, on his return, was
elected to parliament for the city of Cork.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 31
lation ; all the cavalry and field-train of the enemy were cap
tured, and their hold of the country so essentiaUy weakened,
that it was scarcely possible, with any succours that they could
expect, for them to recover Egypt. Twelve thousand French
soldiers were escorted to their ships by four thousand five
hundred British, under Sir John Moore ; the inequality of
numbers between the escorted and escorting, being the ridi
cule even of the French army. Menou actually treated
Belliard as a traitor, and as such reported him to his govern
ment "In what respect, therefore," demanded Mr. Hutch
inson, " did the convention of Cairo resemble that of Cintra ?
Had not the voice of the erapire been as distinct in approving
and admiring the one proceeding, as it had been loud and
unanimous in condemnation of the other ? It was the capture
of Cairo that rescued Egypt from the grasp of French domin
ation." It is here important to remark, in instituting a compa
rison between these two conventions, that in Egypt the eneray
was raore than double the nuraber of the British, possessed
every railitary advantage, and, when beaten in the field, retired
behind his strong works ; whereas in Portugal he was inferior
to the British during all periods of the operations, and, at the
signing of the convention, considerably so ; and when beaten
in the field, and alraost without a shelter to retire on, he was
permitted to dictate the conditions of an armistice. During
the campaign in Egypt, Europe was in a state of profound
peace ; pending the operations in Pottugal, war raged in
Spain ; the French soldier was removed from Egypt, where he
was mischievous to our ajfly, to France, where he was harmless :
by the convention of Cintra, an army was released from its
captivity in Portugal, and transported to Spain, where it became
an iramediate reinforceraent to the enemy : the army of Egypt
were corapelled to disgorge their plunder ; the army of Portu
gal carried the treasures of Portugal away with thera. Frora
these and other considerations, Mr. Hutchinson was justified
in stating, " that the conventions were raade under circura
stances totally dissimilar, and attended by results the most
opposite ;" and as he was himself a brave and honest partici-

32 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
pator of the glory of that raeraorable carapaign, his testimony
has ever since been deemed conclusive as to the inappropri-
ateness of any comparison. Mr. Hutchinson complained,
that General Wellesley defended the result of the campaign
in Portugal, at the expense, in sorae degree, of the railitary
glory of those who conquered in Egypt ; but his complaint
had no real foundation, as few public raen have ever been
more cautious in abstaining from individual aspersion, or
depreciation of personal merit, than Sir Arthur Wellesley;
nor was the honour or character of the British army ever
more jealously shielded against calumny, than by that gene
rous and able advocate. Indeed, Colonel Hutchinson did not
conclude his able professional statement of the discrepancies
that existed between the two conventions, without amending
the implication, which he did by paying a warm tribute of
admiration to the Arthur Wellesley.
The question had now agitated the public mind so long and
so anxiously, that Mr. Secretary Canning rose, to give to the
country his decision also on the painful point. He agreed
with those who saw little or no analogy between this unpopular
measure and the convention of Cairo ; such comparisons were
as invidious as incorrect; he wished to see his country rising
continually in character and glory ; the idea of its degeneracy
he could not endure. It was unfair to exclude the Portuguese
government from all participation in the armistice; it was
wrong to exchange civil prisoners for Spanish troops. In the
other points, Mr. Canning concurred with his brother ministers.
It is here material to observe, that Mr. Canning undertook,
in the name of his coUeagues, the responsibility of having
placed Sir Hew Dalrymple in the chief comraand; thereby
relieving Lord Castlereagh individually frora that part of the
charge, and even establishing the fact, that he had concurred
in that officer's appointraent, to the raanifest prejudice of Sir
Arthur WeUesley's hopes and interests, the state having
required that sacrifice of friendship from him. Mr. Canning
proceeded to eulogize « the spirit the boldness, the courage,
and the correctness with which Sir A. Wellesley achieved the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 33
victories of Roleia and Vimeira, and regretted that he had
been stopped in his career." But in his defence of Ministers
from the charge of inconsistency, vacillation, and want of
information, he appeared, on this occasion, totally unequal to
himself. His eloquent pleading, was, for this time, disre
garded. Ministers succeeded in obtaining a majority of
fifty, upon Lord Castlereagh's moving the previous question,
although the first- of Lord Petty's resolutions erabodied the
sentiraents of every British subject, both within and without
the walls of parliament.
On the 27th of February, in this session, Mr. Ponsonby
brought forward his motion relative to the campaign in Spain,
in which the question of the convention of Cintra was again
debated, the conduct of ministers a second tirae bitterly cen
sured, by one of the most powerful oppositions ever associated
in parliament, and the gallantry of Sir A. Wellesley occasion
ally alluded to, in terms honourable to the impartiality of
those frora whose political opinions he was known to dissent.
In this angry debate. General WeUesley took no part, but,
soon after its close, was called on, as Irish chief-secretary, to
explain " what necessity could possibly have existed for the
expenditure of forty thousand pounds on telegraphic buildings
in Ireland." Mr. Martin gave it as his opinion, that, from the
cloudy atmosphere of that country, it was ill suited to the
establishment of such a raode of communication, and therefore
it was unwise to be extravagant in the attempt. Sir Arthur
Wellesley replied, that it was contemplated to convey tele
graphic intelligence frora Galway to Dublin, through Athlone,
instead of the former circuitous mode by the Une of coast ;
and that, though it might be expensive at first, it would
ultimately prove more economical. This explanation being
considered sufficient, the subject was discontinued. A ques
tion of much raore importance to the interests and happiness of
the people- of Ireland was immediately after brought under the
notice of the House, by Sir John Newport, who raoved that
the report upon " the corn-distUlery prohibition bill " be
recoraraitted, for the purpose of introducing a clause extending
the prohibition to Ireland. The debate which followed was

34 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
not marked by any, display of knowledge on the particular
questiofa; bn the contrary, it seeraed raerely to afford an op
portunity to raembers on different sides of the House, td
express their unqualified dissent frbm each other's opinions.
The mover of the resolution affirmed, that if the author of the
bill, Mr. Foster, were desirous to confer a benefit on Ireland,
he would do infinitely raore to tranquillize the people,' by
coraprehending that country under his prohibitory act, than
by all the penal laws on the statute-book." Sir Robert Peel*
expressed his conviction " that if the .bill were passed in the
shape 'it then assumed, the most fatal consequences would
eiisue. He wished the two countries raight go hand in hand^
and rautuaUy assist each other. The north of England stood
rauch in need of the produce of Ireland, and, owing to the
depression of manufactures and trade, the people there were
not half' fed, so that the oats of Ireland would content thera.
Hitherto the raanufacturers had conducted theraselves with
great prudence and propriety, but whenever they should under
stand, thut a part of that which might be appropriated to their
support, was perraitted to be consuraed, not in the preserva
tion, but the destruction of man, they might probably not
remain so well satisfied." This declaration, from a practical
man, who understood and felt for the necessities of the work
ing classes, was calculated to produce a strong impression on
the House in favour of Sir John Newport's raotion. To correct
this evU, and place the question in its true light as regarded
Ireland, Sir A. Wellesley presented himself to the notice of the
members, and assured those interested<in this argument, "tha,t
the people of England would not receive a grain of corn less
out of Ireland, if the bUl should stand as it then was, than if
the prohibition were extended to the latter country. Grain,
in Ireland, was much more abundant than in the last year, the
price of provisions would show this, for, though comparatively
high in the market of Dublin, it was rauch lower in Ireland
generally. If he thought that the measure would bear hard
* The first baronet pf that name ; .he was born at Peel Cross, near Black-
burn, in Lancashire, and died at Drayton Park, Staifordshire, on the Srd of
Miiy, 1830, in the 74th year of his age.

Pai-nlea"bySira!h.o=l.a

SIR ROBERT PJLE-L. , BAB 1

(/t d> /^^^/L/,_^

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 35
upon Great Britain, he would unquestionably vote against it ;
but, having given rauch attention to the subject, and being
satisfied of the contrary, the bill should have his cordial sup
port." This brief statement of Sir Arthur Wellesley, raade in
his official capacity, and deduced from diligent and patient
examination into facts, produced a deep impression, and called
forth the talents of Mr. Curwen, an eminent agriculturist, as
well as those of Sir Henry Parnell, who grounded his opposi
tion to the Irish secretary's views, on the fact, that the non-
extension of the bill to Ireland, was a direct violation of the
act of union, and unprecedented in its character since the
passing of that measure. The feeling of the House, however,
was with the opposition ; and the amendment was carried by
a majority, against rainisters, of thirty-eight.
In the discharge of his civil duties. Sir Arthur Wellesley
did not confine himself to questions purely Irish, or to those
on the fate of which rainisterial majorities depended, but, while
his raind must have been deeply engaged in weighing the
joreign fortunes of his country, and eagerly waiting a moraent
to throw his sword into the scale, he stUl took part in every
debate involving a vital or iraportant interest to the nation at
large. An instance of this attention to his country's happi
ness, appears in his. coraraentary on the mode of selecting
comraittees in the House, occasioned by Mr. R. Dundas's
raotion for a renewal of the coraraittee on the East India
Company's affairs. It is one of those simple, sensible, suffi
cient speeches peculiarly his own, and a singular instance of
the calmness of his raanner in debate. Having been objected
to personally, as inehgible to serve on the coramittee. Sir A.
Wellesley observed, " that it was rather an odd way of selecting
a committee, to fix upon those persons, who were ignorant of
the business to come before that committee, to the exclusion of
those who were informed upon the subject." Mr. Creevy had
objected to him in a pointed, he might almost say in a personal
manner, but he appealed to that gentleman himself as to the
line of conduct pursued by him in the course of the proceedings
of the late qommittee. He begged leave to observe, that it could

36 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
not be owing to any material difference as to the sincerity of his
views, with respect to East India politics, for he, (Sir Arthur)
had divided with Mr. Creevy on a question of no trifling
importance, that had been before the coraraittee ; and he
assured the honourable gentleman, that of this he raight be
certain, that whenever the conduct of his noble relation
(Marquis WeUesley) came before that coraraittee, the fuUest
and the most rigid inquiry into that conduct should at all
times have his most cordial support Indeed, he never should
shrink from not only inquiry into that, but into aU that
either his noble relative, himself, or the Marquis CornwaUis
had done, even from the year 1782. That our East India
settlements had been considerably extended, he did not
think to constitute in itself a serious accusation, but he was
fully prepared to prove to the coraraittee, whenever they were
ready to go into it, that the extension of our dominions had
not been owing, as had been presumed, to any aggression on
our part : neither had they been undertaken with any view of
ambitious aggrandizement. Whether, and how far, they were
to be followed up, would be a question of a very different
nature. It was certain that war was in no country so expen
sive as in the East Indies. Since the peace of the Deccan, con
cluded by him in 1 803, there had not been in that province
the slightest symptom of a tendency to hostilities. With
respect to the exposition, he thought that every paper relating
to it ought to be produced. He wished the exposition to
have fair play, and it should be the intention of the coraraittee
to give the details of all raatters of exposition. He could
only say, with respect to the propriety of his own appointment,
that if the House should think proper to add his name to that
committee, he never would oppose any question with respect
to India, and he would, in every respect, discharge his duty
with impartiality, and to the best of his abilities."
The decided tone of Sir Arthur's language, his disinclina
tion to obstruct inquiry by his presence, while he preserved a
fixed resolution to act on j;he committee if appointed, and his
proper confidence in his own integrity, caUed up Mr. Creevy

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 37
a second time to say, " that he intended no personal objection
to the gallant general. His opposition was directed against all
persons, generaUyj filling official situations. Other members,
amongst whom was Mr. Whitbread, argued on the principle of
excluding servants of the crown from seats in committees of
inquiry; but the opinion of Sir Arthur Wellesley was strongly
and strenuously sustained by Mr. Wilberforce, who contended,
"that although impartiality was not only a desirable but an
indispensable qualification, yet he could not go so far as to
assert, that due information upon any questions to be tried
was inconsistent with impartiality." It was at the close of this
debate, and when the motion was negatived without a division,
that the chancellor of the exchequer (Mr. Spencer Perceval)
moved the order of the day for the House going into a com
mittee on the tiorn-distillety prohibition bill already alluded
to. The secretary for Ireland, on this occasion, after Sir John
Newport and other Irish members had urged the extension of
the bill, repeated his conviction, " that last year there was not
a silfficierit quantity of food in Ireland for the demands on
her, but he was of a different opinion as to the period when
he Was speaking. It was also his opinion, that if the distillers
were not aUowed to go on in their usual course, they would
go on privately, and defraud the revenue of the country." The
ministry were ultimately successful in their object, but only
by a majority of three.
Amongst the many measures proposed by Sir Arthur
Welleslc)', while secretary for Ireland, that for the improve
ment ofthe inland navigation of that country was not the least
important On the twenty-eighth of March, 1809, he moved,
pursuant to notice, "that the House do resolve itself into
a committee to consider upon the further extension of
iriland navigation in Ireland," and as soon as that form had
been assuraed, addressed thera to the following effect, " that
the benefits which bad been ejiperiCnced by the late extension
of inland navigation in Ireland, in consequence of the act of
the Irish parliament, to which he desired to call the attention
of the committee, were so evident and striking to every one
II. G

38 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
who was acquainted with the progress of internal improve
raent in Ireland within the last seven or eight years, that it
was unnecessary for him to expatiate upon it: he would
venture to assert that no other species of internal iraprove
raent nor any other medium through which public bounty
might be bestowed, could produce such marked and decided
national advantages as had arisen from the operations of the
act to which he had referred. The increase of agriculture in
Ireland, (the prime object of inland navigation,) was a benefit
not merely bestowed on that country in the spirit of liberalit)',
but a measure of sound and necessary policy for this country
to adopt, and one upon which, if any man could heretofore
have doubted, the present political and commercial state of
Europe and America would furnish sufficient arguraents to
bring conviction to his mind. It was an uncontroverted fact,
that the agriculture of Great Britain had not for many years
been equal to the production of grain sufficient for her own
consumption ; and that we had, for several years past, raost
lavishly and iraprovidently expended raillions in improving
and extending the agriculture of foreign and of hostile nations,
by purchasing their corn, while we suffered the fertile lands of
Ireland to remain untllled, for want of a cheap and easy con
veyance of their produce to market It was also admitted
that the deficiency of capital in Ireland was so great as to
render it impracticable to obtain an extensive inland naviga
tion, without considerable parliaraentary aids: and if he was
founded in those points, tho only thing that reraained to be
considered was, in what raanner, and under what regulations,
these bounties should be adrainistered, and the system which
had proved so beneficial should be further extended? Ho
professed himself to be unacquainted with the detail of the
business ; and indeed the other necessary avocations of any
man holding his office, would render it completely impracti
cable for him to enter into the inquiries necessary to form
a correct judgment on matters of this nature : and therefore
he conceived himself justified in bringing forward the measure
of continuing the present board of directors of inland naviga-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 39
tion, whose duties it would be to examine and inquire into
the different lines of navigation that were already or might
hereafter be proposed for, and to state their opinions on the
respective advantages, in order to guide the judgraent of his
majesty's government, as to which of those lines they ought
to recomraend to parliaraent to be carried into execution by
public aid." This appeal in favour of the promotion of public
works in Ireland, delivered in the year 1809, by the substitution
of 'rail-road transport' for navigation, remained precisely appli
cable to that country, after a lapse of thirty years. It was
highly approved of by Sir John Newport, a man whose life was
devoted to the interest of his native land particularly, without
being in the least degree insensible to the sufferings of the
human race in every cliraate. To this testimony in favour of
the Irish secretary's plan for the amelioration of the agricultural
interests in Ireland, was added the approbation of Sir H. Par
nell. Ranged uniformly on the opposite benches to Sir Arthur
Wellesley, and to those with whom he acted, this honour
able member still felt bound, in fairness, to state " that he
sincerely rejoiced to find that the right honourable secre
tary for Ireland, not only agreed with him in principle,
but had adduced one of the strongest arguments that could
be urged in favour of the measure, namely, that it was a
measure of sound British policy, independent of any advan
tage that Ireland might as a distinct member, derive from it''
Some trifling opposition was given to this valuable proposition,
on the ground of the incorapetence of the persons composing
the board in Ireland, an objection but too well founded, after
which Sir Arthur Wellesley's raotion was carried by a majority
of four to one.
With this parliamentary success. Sir Arthur Wellesley
concluded his labours in the lower house of British repre
sentatives. In the few months that had elapsed, since the
termination of the court of inquiry, up to this period, his
attendance on parliament was constant and regular, and his
zeal, in all raatters tending to alleviate the condition of Ireland
generaUy, unreraitting. If the length of his civil services bc

40 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
taken into consideration, he may truly be said to have been
the most active secretary for Irish affairs that has been
appointed for raany years, or in fact since the enactraent of
the union ; having introduced a greater nuraber of Irish bills
in one month, than his successors have done in as many years.
His fostering care of the existing institutions, introduction
of a better constabulary force, extension of privileges to
officers of rank in that country, watchful regard of the agri
cultural interests, proraotion of statistical iraprovements, estab
lishment of more economic semaphoric comrnunication from
shore to shore, and his assertion of the claims of Irish militia-
soldiers to the same advantages of enlistment which other
parts of the United Kingdom enjoyed, all these did not interfere
with Sir Arthur Wellesley's active co-operation in saving his
colleagues from the well-aimed blows of an able opposition,
nor prevent him frora taking part in the angry debates that
occurred, during the same period, upon the state of India, a
country to which he always seemed to turn with the fondest
feelings. Sir Arthur Wellesley has left raore nuraerous and
lasting raemorials of his activity, in the discharge of his
civil duties, than any individual who ever filled the office
of chief-secretary for Ireland, for so limited a period: and
by a reference to the parliamentary debates, which have here
been largely quoted for the purpose, it will appear that he
was, at that period of his life, known and regarded, not merely
as a soldier, but a financier, diplomatist, and statesman, by both
parties in the House of Coramons, and that, had he preferred
the life of a mere poUtician, or civil officer, to that of a soldier,
the path to honour was equally open to his entrance.
It may be remembered, that about this period the king of
England, and Ferdinand the Seventh of Spain, had agreed to
a treaty of peace, friendship, and alliance, the former guaran
teeing the succession and possession of the crown and empire
to that monarch, who in return engaged never to cede to
France any part of his territories in any part of the world,
and not to make peace with France, except by comraon con
sent. To carry out the objects of this league, England begun

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 41
to collect her armies from their scattered positions, with a view
to throwing her concentrated forces into the Peninsula, and
boldly opposing the French legions there. Araongst the first
corps despatched to the scene of action, was that under Major-
General HUl, who reached Lumias on the sixth of April,
where Sir John Cradock had fixed his head-quarters.* This
experienced officer did not exhibit any intention of taking
offensive measures, although much pressed by Generals Hill
and Beresford. However, it was ultimately decided that the
combined British and Portuguese army should make a forward
movement, and threaten the enemy's outposts, which were
then between the Vouga and the Douro. From this demon
stration, it was confidently hoped the evacuation of Oporto by
the enemy would quickly follow, and that Portugal would
soon after be entirely relieved from his presence.
While preparations were actually in progress for the accom
plishment of this object, intelUgence arrived of the appoint
raent of Sir Arthur Wellesley to the command of the British
army in the Peninsula, by which Sir John Cradock was super
seded. As Sir John was a much older officer, government
remedied the difficulty that presented itself, by appointing him
governor of Gibraltar, thereby leaving his command open to Sir
Arthur Wellesley without impropriety or injustice. Of this
change in the command, the Earl of Buckinghamshire loudly
complained, as being an ill reward for Sir John's exertions in
collecting the scattered British force, and preparing it for
resistance ; to which it was owing that the determination of
embarking from Lisbon was abandoned. This complaint was
answered by a deprecation, on the part of Lord Liverpool,
against thus trenching upon the prerogative, and virtuaUy
destroying that responsibility which ministers possessed. " The
measures of General Cradock had certainly obtained the
approbation of the government, and he had actually com
raenced the campaign, when, by an extraordinary effort of the
war-minister of the day. Sir Arthur Wellesley was appointed
to the chief command in Portugal. "f
^ Marquis of Londondenv's Narrative of the Peninsular War. f Ibid.

42

LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF

" It would appear that this arrangement was adopted after
a struggle in the cabinet, and, certainly, neither the particular
choice, nor the general principle of eraploying raen of talent
without regard to seniority, can be censured : nevertheless, Sir
John Cradock* was used unworthily. A general of his rank
would never have accepted a comraand on such terms : and it
was neither just nor decent to expose him to an unmerited
mortification. "t

* sir John Cradock, afterwards General Lord Howden, expired at his resi
dence in Hereford-street, London, on the 18th of July, 1839, after he had
attained the age of eighty years. He was senior Knight Grand Cross of the
Bath, a member of the board of general officers, and colonel of the forty-third
regiment. He served with great distinction in various parts of the world. He
commanded a battalion of grenadiers at the taking of the West India Islands j
was wounded at Martinique ; and was present at St. Lucie, Guadaloupe, and the
siege of Fort Bourbcra. He was a quarter-master-general in Ireland during the
rebellion of 1798, and severely wounded at Ballinahinch, in the action with the
French troops and rebel forces. He commanded a division of the army under
Sir Ralph Abercromby in tlie Egyptian campaign, when he received from the
Sultan the imperial order of the crescent of the first class, as an acknowledg
raent of his services. In 1804 he was appointed commander-in-chief in
India ; and in 1809, commander of the allied armies in Portugal. Upon the
appointment of Sir Arthur Wellesley, he vvas made, first, governor of Gibraltar,
and subsequently of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1819 he was created Baron
Howden of Grimston and Spaldington, and of Cradock's town in the county
of Kildare, in the peerage of Ireland ; and in 1831 an Euglish peerage was con
ferred upon him. His lordship, on his promotion to a peerage of the realm,
exchanged the Irish family name of Cradock, by royal license, for that of
Caradoc, its Welsh original. Lord Howden was the only son of Doctor John
Cradock, archbishop of Dublin, and was succeeded in his titles and estates by
his only son. Lieutenant-colonel, the Hon. John Hobard Caradoc. As a senator,
General Lord Howden was moderate in his political opinions, but an advocate
of liberal principles, and uniformly supported the Whigs in parliament. The
following table presents an accurate statement of
The Services of General Lord Howden, G.C.B. K.C.

Cnrnet 4th horae
Eneigu Coldstream Guarda
Lieut, and Captain, ditto
Major 12th Light Dra goons
Major 13th foot
Lieut-Colonel 13th foot
Colonel by Brevet
Colonel 127th foot \

I5th Deo. 1777
9lh July, 1779
12th Dec, 1781
25th June, 1785
16th Sept., 1786
16th June, 1789
26th Feb., 1795
ISth April, 1795

Colouel half-pay.diHo
Colouel 54th foot
Colonel half-pay, ditto
Colouel 71st foot foot
Colonel 43d foot
Major-general Lieutenant-general
General

Wore the Virst Class of the Crescent.
t Napier's Hist. Pen. War.

25th March, 1798
Sth May, J 1801
25th June. 1802
6th August, 180.1
71h January, 1809
1st January, 1798
lat January, 1805
4th June, 1811

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 43
The contest in the cabinet being brought to a conclu
sion, by the selection of Sir Arthur Wellesley, that officer,
recollecting the resolutions proposed by Mr. Whitbread, imrae
diately resigned the chief-secretaryship for Ireland, the duties
of which he had performed for three months with so rauch
benefit to that country, and character to hiraself, and at the
same tirae vacated his seat in parliaraent. Thus disencura
bcred of every civil office, he accepted the important coraraand
of the Peninsular array.
In addition to the desire of aiding her new ally, the Spaniard,
England was urged to still further exertion by the importunities
of the Portuguese regency, to respect her ancient fiiendship
with that country; and the instructions given to the British
officer in command of the expedition were, " in case he should
find that Lisbon had been evacuated by the British troops, (an
event prevented by the prudence of Sir J. Cradock,) to pro
ceed to Cadiz, and land the British troops there, if the govern
ment would admit them into the garrison." Mr. Canning
was aware, as he acknowledged in his letter to Mr. Freire,
of the delicacy of this step, owing to the refusal on a former
occasion, but circurastances had materially changed since that
rejection, and England entertained no resentment in conse
quence of it. Previous to the departure of Sir Arthur Welles
ley from England, he drew up a plan for the defence of Portu
gal, which was submitted to the rainistry on the 7th of March,
] 809, and very fully unfolds his able views, as to the future
progress of that glorious campaign upon which he was just
about to enter. In this raemorandura, rainute in every parti
cular, he gives it as his opinion, that Portugal might be
defended, whatever might be the result of the contest in Spain ;
and meanwhile, that raeasures, adopted for the defence of
Portugal, would be highly useful to the Spaniards in then-
struggle with the French. He was also convinced, that the
Portuguese military establishment upon the footing of forty
thousand militia and eighty thousand regulars, ought forthwith
to be revived ; and that his majesty ought to eraploy an array
in Portugal araounting to twenty thousand British troops.

44 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
including four thousand cavalry. He had always held, that
even had Spain been conquered, the French would not have
been able to overrun Portugal with a smaller force than one
hundred thousand men; and, as long as the contest should
continue in Spain, this force, if it could be put in a state of
activity, would be highly useful to the Spaniards, and raight
eventually decide the contest. The railitary establishment of
Portugal could not be revived without extensive pecuniary
assistance and political support from England; and the only
raode he could perceive, whereby it would be safe, or even
practicable, to give this assistance, or to interfere in a railitary
way in the concerns of Portugal, was to trust the king's
ambassador at Lisbon to regulate the araount of such sums as
he might think necessary for the support of the military estab
lishments only, and instruct him to see that the revenues of
Portugal were similarly applied. By the operation of such
powers, that civil officer would possess a complete control
over the measures of the Portuguese government ; and, had
such a line of conduct been pursued, we might have expected,
by this time, to have had in the field an efficient Portuguese
army. As it was not possible to adopt these measures at
that time. Sir Arthur concluded, that the mUitary establish
raents of the Portuguese had made but little progress ; and
in considering the extent of the British force required for the
defence of that country, the small extent of the Portuguese
force, and probability of an early attack by the enemy, must
be considered on the one hand ; and on the other, the con
tinuance of the contest in Spain, and the probability that a
very large French force will not be disposable in a very short
period of time, for the attack upon Portugal.
In recoraraending the adoption of these political measures,
and the revival of the Portuguese military establishments. Sir
Arthur Wellesley considered that an expense would be incurred,
in the first year, of one raillion sterling. But should they suc
ceed, and the Peninsular war continue, the benefit would be
more than adequate to the expenditure. Under this view of
the question, he conceived that the British force, to be

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 45
employed in Portugal, should not be less than thirty thousand
men, of which number, four or five thousand should be cavalry,
and a large body of artillery would also be requisite, because
the Portuguese were deficient in the two latter branches. It
would be further indispensably necessary that the whole of the
allied army should be placed under the command of British
officers, the staff and the coraraissariat, in particular, should be
British, and extensive in proportion to the duties tobe performed.
As far as the details of these raeasures were concerned. Gene
ral Wellesley deemed it expedient that the British army in
Portugal should be reinforced, expeditiously, with three thou
sand cavalry, and some companies of British riflemen ; that
the complement of ordnance should be made thirty pieces of
cannon, two brigades being of nine pounders, and all completely
horsed; that twenty pieces of brass (twelve pounders) ordnance
upon travelling-carriages, should be sent to Portugal, with a
view to the occupation of certain positions in that country ;
that a corps of engineers, for an army of sixty thousand men,
should be sent forward, and a corps of artiUery for sixty pieces
of artillery.
The British army in Portugal, when Sir Arthur Wellesley
was chosen to the command, was but twenty thousand men,
including cavalry ; this he required to be augmented to twenty
thousand, exclusive of that particular force, by the addition
of riflemen and other veteran infantry from the army returned
from Spain, as soon as they should be recovered from their
fatigues, and could be refitted. He further demanded that
thirty thousand stand of arms, clothing, and shoes, for the
Portuguese army, should be forwarded to Lisbon with all con
venient expedition. It was in the highest degree advisable
that the general and staff-officers should proceed to Portugal,
as soon as the necessary arrangements were made, for Sir
Arthur Wellesley was of opinion, that the moment the public
journals announced the departure of officers for the Peninsula,
the French armies in Spain would receive orders to make
their raovements towards Portugal, in order to anticipate our
measures for its defence."

46 LITE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Having submitted this general view of his plan for the defence
of Portugal, a plan built upon experience of past services on
the continent, and originating in foresight of the future,
he hastened to Portsmouth, where the Surveillante frigate,
which had been commissioned for the purpose of conveying
him to Portugal, was in readiness. Detained here for a few
days by adverse winds, he addressed a communication to Don
Domingos de Souza Coutinho, (afterwards Conde de Funchal)
apologizing for not having waited on his excellency before his
departure frora London, on the ground, that he considered it
important not to delay his departure one moment after he had
received his instructions from government; he also declared
himself much flattered by his excellency's expressions of gratu
lation at his appointment to the coramand in Portugal — promised
to attend to the different subjects mentioned in the arabassador's
letter; and concluded by referring his excellency to Mr.
Secretary Canning, for the accomplishment of his wishes with
respect to the distribution of araraunition and arras araongst
the Portuguese.
On Saturday, the 1 5th of April, 1809, two days subsequent
to the date of the preceding letter, although the wind was
still contrary. Sir Arthur Wellesley and his suite were received
on board, and " set sail," says Lord Londonderry, who was
attached to the staff as adjutant-general, " with a stiff breeze
blowing ahead, but we had not proceeded beyond the Isle of
Wight, 'when an event occurred which had nearly proved fatal
to us. It raight be about raidnight or rather later, when the
captain of the Surveillante, (George R. Collier,) burst into
the cabin, entreating us to rise without delay, for that we were
on the eve of shipwreck. As raay be iraagined, we lost no
tirae in leaping from our cots, and mounting to the deck, when
a very awful as well as very alarming spectacle presented
itself. In attempting to clear a shoal which runs out from
St. Catherine's point into the sea, the ship raissed stays ; this
occurred again and again, each failure bringing us nearer and
nearer to danger; and now, when we looked abroad, the
breakers were to be seen a stone's throw from the bow. There

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 4/
was not an individual amongst us who anticipated any other
result than that in a few minutes, at the furthest the vessel
would strike ; but we were deceived. The wind, which had
hitherto been blowing on shore, suddenly changed, and we
were at once relieved from a situation, than which the whole
progress of our lives had not before brought us into any more
uncomfortable. But it was the only adventure which befell us
by the way. The fair wind, which sprung up at a moment so
critical, did not desert us during the remainder of our voyage,
and we anchored in the Tagus, after a passage of only six
days, on the 22nd of April."* In addition to this circumstantial
statement of the peril to which the Surveillante was exposed,
we have the authority of Colonel Gurwood " that the frigate
was very nearly lost in very bad weather at the back of the
Isle of Wight in the night after quitting Spithead."t These
accounts most probably emanate from the same source, and
the facts detailed are undoubtedly true, but they augment
the araount of supposed peril much beyond the estimate
of an experienced seaman, on board the SurveUlante at
the same time, who asserts, that there was no absolute
danger, and that the only injury- sustained on the voyage
was the loss of the topsail during the rough weather of Monday
the 17th. As Sir Arthur Wellesley had been in Christian's
fleet during the celebrated six weeks' storm, the stiff breeze
of the Channel struck no terror to his heart; his fortune,
too, prevailed as happily on this occasion, and, reaching the
port of Lisbon in safety, after a quick and lively passage, he
disembarked with his suite, at four in the afternoon of the
dav on which the Surveillante cast anchor in the Tagus.
• Nairative of the Femnsular War. t Desp.ULLes, note to p. 264, \o\. iv.

48 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF

CHAP. II.
Sir a. wellesley arrives in the tagus — his enthusiastic reception by the PORTU
GUESE — MARCHES AGAINST SOULT — THE PHILADELPHES — BERESFORD MARCHES ON THE
DOURO — HILL PASSES THE LAKE OVAR — AFFAIR AT GRIJO — PRECIPITATE RETREAT OF
THE FRENCH ACROSS THB DOURO — SIR A. WELLESLEY PASSES THE DOURO, AND DRIVES
SOULT OUT OF OPORTO — BERESFORD DRIVES IN THE FRENCH OUTPOSTS, AND OCCUPIES
AMARANTE — SIR A. WELLESLEY PURSUES THE M.IIN BODY 01^ TIIE ENEMY TO BRAGA —
DESPERATE SITUATION OF SOULT'S ARMY; THEIR ESCAPE, AFTER THE SEVEREST LOSS
AND SUFFERING  DIFFICULTIES OP SIR A. WELLESLEY'S SITUATION — MARCHES TOWARDS
THE SOUTH OF PORTUGAL — THE PASSES OF BANOS AND PRERALES — TALAVERA — 1809.
It has been frequently asserted that the Portuguese enter
tained no sincere regard for the English character, and that
the faith and fondness of an ancient amity were, with them,
but empty sounds ; but it is highly improbable that such a con
clusion could ever have rested on any solid support. " The
connexion between England and Portugal was not an ordinary
one, built on iraraediate interest liable to change with the
change of circumstances. These were nations with whom,
during the long struggle with Buonaparte, we were in league
one day, and at war the next, the hostility being without
anger, and the alliance without esteem. Our friendship with
Portugal was, like our enmity to France, founded on some
thing deeper. From the day when Portugal first became a
kingdom, with the exception of that unfortunate period when
the Philips usurped its crown, England had been its tried and
faithful friend. When Lisbon was conquered from the Moors,
English crusaders assisted at the siege — English archers
contributed to the victory of Aljubarotta, which effected the
first deliverance of Portugal from Castile. An Englishwoman,
a Plantaganet, was the mother of that Prince Henry, whose
name will for ever remain conspicuous in the history of the
world. The Braganzan family, when it recovered its rights,
applied, and not in vain, to its hereditary ally; and when
Lisbon was visited by the tremendous earthquake of 1755,
money was immediately voted by the English parliament, for
the relief of the Portuguese people ; and ships laden with pro
visions were despatched to them in a time of scarcity athome.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 49
These things are not forgotten — if there be a country in the
world where the English character is understood, and England
is loved as well as respected, it is Portugal. The face of its
rudest mountaineer brightens, when he hears that it is an
Englishman who accosts him : and he tells the traveller that
the English and the Portuguese were always — always friends.*
Yet these past services were, in a moment of irritation, in an
hour of sorrow, forgotten, and the English flag was insulted,
the soldier that fought under it spurned, and saved from violence
and death, at the hands of those whom he had so often protected,
only by measures of the last extremity, the planting of British
artillery in the squares and market-places of the different gar
risoned towns. f That Portugal ought to have retained a
• Southey.
t " At the commencement of the Peninsular struggle, all classes of the Por
tuguese, according to their means, rich and poor, the clergy and the laity,
the iidaigo and the peasant, expressed an eagerness to save, an eagerness to
honour the British. In these early marches, the villa, the monastery, and the
cottage, were thrown open at the approach of our troops ; the best apartments,
the neatest cells, the humble but only beds, were all resigned to the march-
worn ofiicers and men with undisguised cheerfulness. It is with pain I am
compelled to confess, that the manners of my strange, but well-meaning coun
trymen, soon wrought a change in the kind dispositions of the people. When
they saw many assume as a right, all whioh they had awarded from politeness,
and receive their respectful attentions and cordial services, as expressions of
homage due to the courage, wealth, and power of the British nation — when
the simplicity of their manners, their frugality, the spareness of their diet, the
peculiarities of their dress, and their religious prejudices, were made the sub
ject of derision and ridicule — when they witnessed scenes of brutal intoxica
tion, and were occasionally exposed to vulgar insult from uneducated and
overbearing Englishmen, — when all this occurred, they began to examine our
individual titles to their esteem ; they were, after, very soon disenchanted :
and the spirit which we had awakened in them, manifested itself in various
acts of neglect, rudeness, and even resentment. The English are admired,
not only in Portugal, but over all Europe, as a free, enlightened, and a brave
people, but they cannot make themselves beloved ; they are not content with
being great, they must be thought so, and told so. They will not bend, with
good humour, to the customs of other nations, nor will they condescend to
soothe (flatter they never do) the harmless self-love of friendly foreigners.
No : wherever they march or travel, they bear with them a haughty air of con
scious superiority, and expect that their customs, habits, and opinions should
supersede, or at least suspend, those of all the countries through which they
pass."—Recollections nf the Peninsula.

50 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
deep sense of gratitude to the British people," the page of his
tory amply testifies ; that this feeling was for awhile suspended,
is equaUy authenticated; and the fact is confirmed by the
testimony of an eye-witness, whose memoranda afford some
explanation of the cause that led to so deplorable an effect
It was during that interregnum of British popularity, and at
the precise moraent when a council of British generals had
boldly determined upon retaining Lisbon to the last, that Sir
Arthur Wellesley landed upon the shores of Portugal. Never
was a more certain demonstration afforded of any fact, than
this gallant soldier's arrival gave, of the clear and decided
character which he had acquired on the continent, for courage,
ability, and honour. It was for Sir Arthur WeUesley that
the Portuguese deputies before applied, when Beresford was
fortunately chosen, and sent to discipline their rude hordes :
and now the voice of all Portugal was raised in proclaiming
welcome to the victor of Vimeira, and hailing the only man in
existence whom they could follow, undoubtingly, to the field of
battle. When the native forces of Spain or Portugal were
victorious, it was their constant custom to attribute the suc
cessful issue to the bravery of the raen alone : whenever they
suffered a defeat, the blame was imputed to the general, and
death, invariably, became his portion in such cases. This
infamous policy necessarily destroyed all confidence between
the native commanders and their followers, and was attended
with the worst and raost lamentable consequences. It was
a peculiar quality of General Wellesley to be able to inspire
his troops with the firmest confidence ; and instances are not
rare, in the eventful railitary history of his life, of an inferior
in coraraand, although perhaps an able officer, having raade
the best possible disposition to attack or receive the enemy,
yet still unable to convince the soldiers of the security ot
their position, when General Wellesley has unexpectedly
arrived, perceived the wavering feeling of the raen, and, with
the rapidity of thought, directed sorae new raovement to be
made : this was followed uniformly by a murmur of approbation,
—evidence of new and boundless confidence in the result of

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 51
that day : and this, though the least bloody, was perhaps the
most fatal blow struck against the enemy on such occasions.
That the Portuguese had the same implicit reliance on the
genius and destiny of Sir Arthur WeUesley, was rapidly evinced
by the numerous and extravagant demonstrations of joy
exhibited in every town of Portugal where a spark of freedom
remained unquenched. The streets of every large town were
occupied with groups, engaged in calculating upon the fortunes
of Portugal under the command of the invincible British
general ; for three successive nights, every window in Lisbon
shone bright with illuminations in honour of the hero's return
to the field of his glory. Spectacles, chiefly allegorical, were
exhibited in the different theatres, in which Mars and Victory
were the chief performers ; laurel crowns were distributed
abundantly ; and the fetes in honour of the British chieftain
reserabled those scenes with which ancient Spain was once farai
liar, when chivalry was held in high esteem. The public autho
rities invited Sir Arthur to an entertainment, a compliment
which he respectfully declined ; but he cheerfully accepted the
rank of " marshal-general of the armies of Portugal," to which
he had with much propriety been nominated by the regency.
The first step taken by Sir Arthur Wellesley, after his
acknowledgments were made to the government and muni
cipal authorities, was dictated, not merely by a correct view
of his duty, not solely by the etiquette of the service, but by
a considerate feeling for every man in every class of society,
with whom in his long and active public life circumstances
brought him into contact. This was now raanifested by the
delicate manner in which he assumed the comraand. The
day after his arrival, and while the loud vivas of the delighted
Portuguese were borne to his ears by every breeze that blew,
he calmly, courteously, delicately, addressed Mr. Villiers (Lord
Clarendon) to say that " he thought it best that Beresford
should come to Lisbon, unless inconvenience to the public
service was to be apprehended by his absence frora his corps :"
he despatched a second letter, on the same day, to General
Beresford, couched in similar language, but leaving it at that

i>2 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
officer's option to corae to Lisbon, or wait to receive the new
commander at the head of the Portuguese forces, which,
although still under that commander's immediate control, were
at the disposal of General Wellesley in his capacity of marshal-
general of Portugal. Beresford was assured, through both
communications, that the business of war could be advanta
geously transacted for a few days at Lisbon, and in one he
was requested to mention to Sir John Cradock, the invitation
he had received from the Marshal-General. These precau
tionary acts of kindness did not yet complete the measure of
respect which Sir Arthur felt due to the rank, conduct and
character of the gallant officer whora he had been sent to
supersede, for the invitation to Beresford was quickly followed
by a letter to Sir John Cradock, in which the new commander-
in-chief informed that officer " of the concurrence of his
opinion with that which his predecessor appeared to enter
tain, with respect to a further movement northward:" he
next proceeded to speak of the positions of Soult and Victor,
and how far the latter seemed enabled to make an attack on
Portugal, and alluded to the means of defending Lisbon and
the Tagus in such case. These, and other subjects equaUy
important to the further prosecution of the Peninsular cam
paign. Sir Arthur expressed an anxious desire to talk over with
Sir John Cradock, in company with General Beresford. If
these various comraunications, and the raanner of them, do
not sufficiently prove that no thoughts ranged higher in the
reflections of the commander-in-chief, than how the feelings
of Sir John Cradock might be raost delicately consulted, the
concluding paragraph of his private letter to that general, will
remove every doubt : " It raight possibly also (says Sir Arthur)
be more agreeable and conveiuent to -you to see me here, than
at the head of the arm-y ; and if this should be the case, it
would be a most desirable arrangement to meet you here : I
beg, however, that you will consider this proposition only with
a view to your own convenience and wishes." The sincerity
of this courtesy was further established by the tenor of Sir
Arthur's communication to the right honourable J. H. Frere,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 53
then British ambassador at the court of Spain. To this civil
officer it was announced, that Sir Arthur proposed to assume
the comraand of the army, as soon as he should have commu
nicated with Sir J. Cradock. This interview, unseen by the
army which the late comraander-in-chief had directed with so
much abihty and prudence, being terrainated. Sir John, on
the seventh of May, went on board the Surveillante frigate,
which had brought out his successor in the command, and
sailed for Cadiz bay, where he lay until the first of June, on
which day he landed at Gibraltar, and assumed the government
of that impregnable fortress.
The prosecution of the approaching campaign now wholly
engrossed the comprehensive mind of the coramander-in-chief.
With his accustomed penetration, he quickly solved the cause
of those perplexities with which Cradock, Beresford, Hill, and
Cuesta were beset — difficulties of no ordinary character; and
while he partially adopted the remedy proposed by Cradock,
formed a new plan of operations, embracing aU possible con
tingencies. When Sir Arthur undertook the command. Sir
J. Cradock was at Leiria, and General Beresford at Thomar,
without any decided intention of moving forward : on the
contrary, they were disposed to await intelligence of Victor's
definite objects. With respect to SouU, he continued in pos
session of Oporto, having pushed his posts as far only as Ovar,
on the north of the river Vouga. The left of his corps was
engaged in attacking General Silveira, on the Tamaga, with a
view to open the province of Tras os Montes, and acquire for
his army the option of retreating into Spain, should they be
pressed by the British. General Lapisse who had advanced
fi'om Salamanca, at first threatened an attack on the province
of Beira, but, abandoning that object, marched along the
Portuguese frontier to Alcantara, where he passed the Tagus,
and effected a junction with the Duke of BeUuno, at Merida,
on the Guadiana. This post had been occupied by Victor
since the fatal affray with the Spaniards under the brave old
warrior Cuesta. His country's admiration of this venerable
patriot-general was substantially attested by the meritorious

64 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
efforts of the junta to reinforce his dirainished ranks, and
their irapllcit reliance on his honour, genius, and gallantry.
With the ferocity of the hyena, and the courage of the lion,
he stood forth, at the head of his shattered legions, in the
very front of Victor's veterans, at Llerena, resolved, with what
raeans were left him, to check his progress : and, if reinforce
ments arrived, he was deterrained jin pursuing him into Por
tugal, should he atterapt to invade that country on the raarch
of the British towards the north. At this date, the twenty-
seventh of April, and while Sir Arthur Wellesley still con
tinued at Lisbon, the British forces were assembling at Leiria
and Alcobafa, with the exception of the second battalion
of the thirtieth regiment, which was employed to garrison
Lisbon, and a detachment on the Tagus under Major-General
Mackenzie, which, with seven thousand Portuguese infantry
and cavalry. Sir Arthur left to watch the movements of the
enemy upon the frontier, and guard the passage of the river
between Abrantes and Santarem.
The interval between his arrival at Lisbon and appearance
at head-quarters at Coimbra, on the second of May, was
occupied in a manner that demonstrates the peculiar fitness of
General Wellesley for a great command, infinitely better than
the raost gallant acts of personal bravery, ever displayed by
hira at the head of his troops. Having arranged with Sir John
Cradock to accept the transfer of his trust, in the raanner raost
grateful to that officer's feelings, he suggested a plan of opera
tion, "neither hastily adopted, nor rashly hurried forward:"
this he coraraunicated to the secretary at war in a lengthened
despatch. On the same day Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke
received rainute instructions for the reception of the different
corps at Coirabra ; and on the following morning, Sir Arthur
addressed a justificatory letter to the junta of Spanish Estra-
raadura, relative to the conduct which he felt bound to pursue ;
a conduct which, he regretted, did not appear to second the
views of that body. As the security of Portugal was the
principal object entrusted to hira, he could not divert from it
the forces necessary for the accoraplishraent of the various

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 55
objects recommended by the junta. Although he expressed
every confidence in the valour, zeal, and loyalty of the Portu
guese troops, he reminded the junta that an army only in its
infancy, as respected organization, discipline, and equipment
could not reasonably be expected to engage, successfully, with
the veteran and disciplined troops of France. Hence it followed
that the safety of Portugal depended solely upon the exertions
of the British troops, and therefore the comraander-in-chief
could not venture to employ their services out of that kingdom,
until theenemy had been completely expelled. While Sir Arthur
regretted his inability to accede to all the points contained in
the respectful remonstrance of the junta, there were some
in which he felt that measures for the relief of both countries
might be made to coincide. A corps which had been ordered
to take the field frora the garrison of Elvas, was to act as an
army of observation, in co-operation with a similar corps from
the garrison of Badajoz. Sir Robert Wilson's corps had crossed
the Mondego, and should approach the Douro : and Sir Arthur
expressed a sanguine hope of being soon able to concert
operations with General Cuesta, calculated to satisfy the expec
tations of the local government.
The principal officers of every department were furnished
with the details of their duty by General Wellesley, and par
ticular admonitions given in all matters relating to the distri
bution of money and stores. Amongst the multiplicity of
subjects that engaged his attention, the oft-repeated complaint
against the commissariat horses was most prominent - So
grievously did the commander feel the weight of this disap
pointment, that on the twenty-ninth of April he addressed
Lord Castlereagh on the subject, informing hira " that the
artillery-horses lately arrived frora England, with the heavy
dragoons, were old, diseased, and out of condition," and
begging that a troop of horse-artillery, fit for service, might
be sent out. This varied and voluminous correspondence,
part only of the diplomatic labours of General Wellesley, during
the few days of nominal rest at Lisbon, was raaintained by his
own hand, and despatched with such celerity, that there was not

56 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
sufficient time for copying the originals before they were trans
mitted. This interesting fact is proved by a passage in one of
his letters to Mf . Villiers, dated from head-quarters at Coimbra,
in which Sir Arthur says, " I am obliged to you for your offer
to procure me assistance to copy my despatches : but I have
plenty of that description. The fact is, that, excepting upon
very important occasions, I write my despatches without
raaking a draft ; and those which I sent to you were so written
before I set out in the morning, and I had not time to get them
copied before they were sent, which is the reason whyl asked
you to return rae copies of thera."
Upon leaving England, Sir Arthur Wellesley raade a pro-
raise to Mr. Huskisson, then secretary to the treasury, that
he would iraraediately communicate the exact state of " the
money-concerns of our army." This pledge was redeeraed by
an able stateraent, and one which could not fail of being
satisfactory and intelligible to that great raaster of finance to
whom it was addressed. " Instead," writes Sir Arthur, " of
£400,000, which we both expected would be found in Portugal,
I find not quite £100,000, and this in Spanish coins, which
could not be circulated in Portugal, excepting at a consider
able loss, and without revealing to the money-dealers at Lisbon
bur want of money, which would have raised the expense of
drawing bills excessively. I have, therefore, sent the Spanish
gold to Cadiz to be exchanged for dollara, and am now here
with the whole army, proceeding to attack Soult — with only
£10,000, and monstrous deraands upon rae." Sir Arthur also
furnished an estiraate, to the treasury, of the expenses of the
array, which he calculated at £200,000 per mensem, — showed
the proper raediuras through which this sura should be dis
tributed, namely the deputy paymaster-general, the ambassador,
and the coramissary-general, — recommended the transmission
of specie frora England, as the best raode of coraraanding and
keeping down the expense of drawing bills in the raoney raarket;
and concluded by assuring the secretary of his determination
to guard both the honour and the treasure of their coraraon
country. General Wellesley coinciding in the opinion of General

En&avei ly J. Cochran, from. an. OriSinal ELctme, painted fiir Johu. CBadsttmfl jEsq.. of Soafiirfli Hsaao.
¦ne^ iiverpool ."by John CrabonL.Esq. oEESn'bWb, three nionihs previDus to K Siakisami'G ieaih.

THE RIGHT HON»tE WILLIAM HUSKISSON.

'/4^W^.

TigiU'.R.SON ifcC? LOHDQU.IS^D

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 57
Buonaparte, already expressed, as to the absolute necessity of
obtaining intelligence of an enemy's raoveraents, and of main
taining regular and secure communication between the divi
sions of the sarae array, the establishment of a post was, in
consequence, amongst the first objects of his. care. Officers
were employed, immediately on his arrival at Lisbon, to convey
information all along the frontiers ; and Sir Arthur wrote from
Coimbra, on the sixth of May, to request that there might be
a daily post established between that place, Lisbon, and
Abrantes. It will be seen hereafter how perfectly sensible he
was of the importance of this object and what incalculable
advantages attended his successful exertions to improve the
post-office system of Portugal generally.
In addition to the composition and transmission of so many
despatches in a few short days, a novel and startling subject also
engaged the attention of Sir Arthur Wellesley. A society,
adopting the name of the Philadelphes, had been, some tirae
before, forraed amongst those officers of the French army, who
were either disgusted with the injustice, or wearied with the
continuance, of the Peninsular war ; or who, from that unsteadi
ness and discontent which for the last fifty years have created
such agitation in French society, were impatient of imperial re
straint, and desired nothing more ardently than the restoration
of republicanism. No matter to which of these causes its origin
is attributable, its existence was indisputable, and Jacques
Joseph Oudet, a native of the Jura, who was slain the night
after the battle of Wagram, not, it is asserted, by the Austrian
enemy, but by secret assassins, eraployed for the dastardly
purpose by his iraperial raaster, was its founder. The cause
of Oudet outlived the authorj and discontent spread itself from
the army of the continent through that of the Peninsula, and
murraurings were overheard, yet none were ever found to vio
late the bond that bound the traitors, or break their preraedi-
tated silence and secrecy. In Portugal, the French raarshal,
acting on the principles of his employer, a consumraate raaster
in the art of war and governraent, concealed from his corps the
existence of a continental war ; but raarshal Beresford, having

58 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
got possession of an intercepted letter frora Kellerman, found
a Portuguese, Manuel Francisco Caraarinho, bold enough to
carry copies of this document to Oporto, and post them on
the defences of Soult's head-quarters. The secrecy of Soult
was now met, by the Philadelphes, in a spirit, perhaps of natural,
although ignoble and unsoldierlike feeling — a resolution to
betray him into the hands of the British, History taught them
that it was improbable a British officer would be a participator
in the guilt and meanness of selling a brave general to his
enemy, and, to evade this difficulty, the conspirators attempted
to give abetter colouring to their crime : this they did by declar
ing, that they always detested the tyranny of Napoleon, and were
theraselves the only restraint upon his extravagant exercise of
power ; that the love of liberty and of legitiraate rights was the
fundamental principle ofthe brotherhood ; and, rather than sub
mit to the usurpation of the conqueror, that they would restore
the royal line of Bourbon to the throne." To accomplish their
purpose, it is asserted that they first sought a co-operation with
the English, and then looked around for a leader. Ney would
have been the object of their traitorous choice ; but circum
stances pointed out St. Cyr, as a fitter instrument.
It was in the month of April, 1809, and before the arrival
of Sir Arthur Wellesley at Lisbon, that John Viana, the son
of a Portuguese merchant, presented hiraself at Thoraar, the
head-quarters of Marshal Beresford ; he was accompanied by a
French officer, whose object it was to create a disposition, in
the officers of Soult's corps, to revolt, and seize upon Soult
and other principal persons of the army. Having requested that
an Enghsh officer should be sent to negociate and arrange with
their deputy. Major Douglas, then a lieutenant-colonel in the
Portuguese service, and subsequently Major-General Sir James
Douglas, K. C. B. in reluctant obedience to the orders of General
Beresford, proceeded to the advanced posts of the French, at
night-time, and there held a conference. The interview was to
have taken place on the lake of Aveiro, but the boats having
passed each other in the dark, Douglas returned to the vil
lage of Aveiro, where he found Adjutant-Major D' Argenton

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 59
and John Viana had already arrived. In the conference that
followed, the conspirators dwelt upon the sufferings of the
French army in general, and the extreme distress of the corps
under the Duke of Dalraatia. They protested that discontents
had long prevailed in France on account of the conscription,
which were much increased by a sense of the great injustice
of the measures adopted towards Spain, and the seizure of
the king : that if the Enghsh would only press SouU, so as to
oblige him to concentrate his forces in a situation chosen rather
for defence than subsistence, a large proportion of the army was
prepared to revolt, who would imraediately seize the general,
as well as all those officers in the interests of Napoleon, and
put an end to the unjust war in the Peninsula. Major Douglas
relieved hiraself from the unpleasant duty of negociating with
these wretches, who were base enough to violate that tie of
loyalty, that compact of honour, sacred and observed with
fidelitj', by all nations, from the infancy of old time, by sending
forward D' Argenton to Lisbon, in order to communicate with
General Beresford personally. There he had an interview,
not only with the Portuguese marshal-general, but with Sir
A. Wellesley also, to whom he represented the ambitious views
of Soult, who, he said, had his thoughts fixed on the vacant
throne of Portugal; and his earnest request was, that the
British commander-in-chief would grant passports to himself,
and two other French officers, to proceed to France. At this
meeting. Sir Arthur declined paying any attention to the cora
raunication of D'Argenton, whose opinion, as to the best raode
of pressing SouU, had already been adopted, and was in active
progress ; but he requested that Admiral Berkeley would grant
the passports which the traitor so urgently begged. When
pressed for the reasons which induced thera to hazard an
absence frora duty, and exposure to the authorities in France,
the chief conspirator replied, that the officers under whom they
immediately served were participators in the plot and would,
therefore grant leave of absence ; besides, activity was indis
pensable in coraraunicating with the disaffected at home, as
Napoleon, the moment he received intelligence of the event
would seize every one on whora the slightest suspicion lighted.

60 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
The regulations of Soult also, which permitted vessels of all
nations to saU from Oporto, added, at that moment to their-
facihties of escape. — Not only did Sir Arthur decline every
co-operation with the malcontents, but he caused it to be
communicated to their associates in the French army, that
he had only granted the representatives passports to proceed
to France ; he cautioned D'Argenton against the risk of car
rying such docuraents about his person ; and, in coramunicat
ing the extraordinary narrative to Lord Castlereagh, while he
acknowledges that "the successful revolt of a French army
raight be attended by the most extensive and important conse
quences," he adds, in the true spirit of a generous eneray, " but
their defeat or surrender would add rauch raore to the reputa
tion of his majesty's arms." On the seventh of May, Sir Arthur
had another interview with a deputy from the Philadelphes, at
midnight, on, the road between Fornos and Martede, where
they watched each other's countenances by the light of a fire.
Here further and baser plans were proposed by the conspira
tors ; one of which was, to persuade the Portuguese to address
Soult, inviting hira to accept the crown of Portugal, and, should
he so far forget his allegiance to the emperor, and fall into the
snare, then the army of Laborde and Loisson would imraedi
ately declare against him, lead the troops back into France,
and release Portugal from the French power. As this plan
included an understanding that Sir Arthur was to urge the
Portuguese to the insidious policy of seducing Soult hy offer
ing him this great encouragement to treason, it was calmly
but decidedly rejected, as a raeasure " that would justly disen
title the British general to the confidence of the Portuguese,
and unworthy of the character of a British soldier." With
respect to the railitary operations recoraraended by the deputy,
as they were precisely those which Sir Arthur had previously
decided on, whether the French army was revolutionized or
counter-revolutionized, he determined upon operating aga,inst
Soult as Soon as ever he should he ready, and he was then
using the utmost activity to become so. Sir Arthur did not
disbelieve the existence of a deep-laid plot for the seizure,
perhaps the assassination, of SouU, but he indignantly rejected

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. Cl
the addresses of any who dared to think him a fit instrument
in so villanous a proceeding. He confidently believed that
hatred, jealous}^, and weariness of an imperial tyranny had
closely cemented a strong band of malcontents, in the French
army ; but he prudently determined to rely on his own
activity, strength, and genius, in preference to placing con
fidence in those who were only known to him as traitors!,
Unable to shake the firm resolve of the high-minded Briton,
D'Argenton withdrew with the passports given to him by
Admiral Berkeley ; but scarcely had he reached the French
camp, when he was arrested, and brought before the Duke of
Dalmatia. He now, too late, learned the value of General
Wellesley's advice, not to accept of British passports, as they
would probably, at some tirae or other, appear as witnesses of
his infideUty, and now being found on his person, no further
proof of guilt was required. At first Soult offered pardon,
if he would disclose the extent of the conspiracy, the depth of
the abyss that gaped to receive the imperialists, and name his
associates in the dark design of throwing their victims into its
depth ; but D'Argenton was immovable. So far from holding
out any hopes of compliance with the wishes of the general, he
cautioned him against his perilous position, and reminded him
of the precipice on the brink of which he and his ambitious
views then tottered ; admitted that he had visited the British
quarters at Lisbon and at Coimbra, where he was admitted into
the presence of Sir A. Wellesley and General Beresford; and
inforraed Soult that the enemy, thirty thousand strong, would
open the campaign on the banks of the Vouga in less than
eight and forty hours : " Confess then," said D'Argenton, " the
injustice of the war in which you are engaged, unite with the
honest British, and march in concert with them, back to your
native land ; and, at the foot of the Pyrenees you shall be re
inforced by sixty thousand raen, prepared to combine with you
in the recovery of the liberties of Europe." This mysterious,
startling appeal, averted the fate of the traitor, who was com
mitted to close confinement, with a view of examining him fur
ther on a future occasion ; but that opportunity never presented
II. K

62 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
itself, D'Argenton having effected his escape during the hasty
moveraents which the rapid advance of Sir Arthur WeUesley
rendered necessary. This bold raan, who had formerly been
one of Soult's aide-de-caraps, and whose desertion was on that
account more base and flagrant was not the only officer of rank
who sought and succeeded in holding midnight councils with
the British comraander-in-chief ; the naraes of Colonels Lafitte
and Donadieu may also be added to the list of traitors. These
officers are believed to have given Soult all the inforraation they
possessed, relative to the strength and intentions of the British,
but its amount could not have been considerable; for, General
Wellesley, although he believed that they sincerely desired to
betray their commander, never received them by daylight,
never admitted them within the camp-boundaries, and always
heard their propositions with silence and reserve.
A slight deviation from General Wellesley's original plan of
operations, was rendered necessary in consequence of the defeat
of Silveira. Sir Arthur, trusting to that officer for the defence of
the Taraega, intended to have reinforced his little band with
Beresford's and Wilson's corps, which were to have crossed
the Douro at Laraego : this plan would have placed a force of
thirty thousand raen between Soult and the Tras os Montes,
by which he would either have been forced to engage under a dis
advantage, or to retire behind the Minho, a task of extrerae dif
ficulty when closely pressed by the allies, and rendered still
raore so by the season of the year. On the fourth of May, how
ever, intelligence reached the head-quarters at Coimbra, that
Silveira was beaten, his army driven across the Douro to La
mego, and the bridge of Araarante in possession ofthe enemy.
Few actions, in which the nurabers were so trifling on both
sides, were ever attended with greater effusion of blood. The
Portuguese being driven from the bridge, fell back in disorder
on the town, whither they were followed closely by the
enemy ; there they were rallied by Lieutenant-Colonel Patrick,
an English officer; and, entrenching themselves behind the dead
bodies in the street, and occupying the convent of St. Gon9alo,
they poured such a destructive fire upon the enemy, as com-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 63
pelled them at length to evacuate the town. In this desperate
discharge of musketry. Colonel Patrick was mortally wounded ;
and his death, which followed imraediately after, left the
Portuguese no sufficient example of bravery in a leader, to
imitate. Confidence forsook them, and energy was, in conse
quence, abated : it was at this raoment that Soult arrived, at the
head of the reinforcement and, resolving to win the bridge at
any price, advanced with such a force as compelled Silveira to
decline the contest, abandon the venerable bridge of Ama
rante to three of the raarshals of Napoleon,* and retire upon
Entre arabos os Rios.
This disaster called for a correspondent change in Sir
Arthur's raovements, but did not affect his general design.
Previous to the coraraenceraent of offensive measures, the
security of Lisbon had been provided for ; and the designs of
Victor sufficiently guarded against, by disposing along the line
of the Tagus two regiments of British cavalry, two battalions
of infantry, with eight thousand Portuguese regulars. Instruc-
" Antiquaries have maintained that the bridge of Amarante was the work
of Trajan ; but a long-established, and fondly cherished tradition ascribes its
foundation to St. Gonpalo de Amarante, who, fixing his abode there in a her
mitage, and commiserating the many accidents that befell travellers in passing
the river, resolved on building a bridge. The alms which he received falling
far short of the sum required to pay his workmen, the saint mad' the sign of
a cross on the water, which drew as many fish to the surface as he had occa
sion for, while he obtained oil and wine from a rock that was contiguous.
The bridge consists of three arches, the centre one being disproportionately
large, as far as beauty is concerned ; but the saint foresaw the necessity of this
arrangement ; for, many years after its construction, the flood carried down
a huge oak-tree of such size and weight, that, had it struck, it must have
thrown down the bridge : the accident was anticipated by St. Gonzalo, who,
rising from his grave, with his staff guided the monstrous tree through the
central arch, and sent it on its journey to the sea. In gratitude, not only for
tbe construction, but for the miraculous preservation of the bridge, the Portu
guese pay an annual commemorative visit to the shrine ofthe benevolent saint :
where not the low and solemn accents of prayer fall on the travellers' ears,
but joyous notes of song and revelry, music and fire-arms, and every noisy
demonstration of gratitude, which the means of the pilgrims supply. On
some occasions, thirty thousand clamorous worshippers have visited the shrine
of Gonzalo, and the quantity of wax-tapers, the usual offering, presented
on a single festival day, has been known to exceed twelve hundred weight.
— Southey's Hist. Pen, War,

64 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
tions were given to this body, to occupy the flying bridges of
Villa Velha and Abrantes, while Colonel Mayne, at the head
of the Lusitanian legion, seized the bridge of Alcantara, and,
in case he was unable to hold it against the superior numbers
of the enemy, the coraraander-in-chief then, reluctantly, con
sented to his blowing up that noble work of art The conduct
of the whole plan of operations on the Tagus, which raay with
more propriety be called the defence of Lisbon, was entrusted
to Major-General Mackenzie. As this service did not promise
active employment for the British, Sir Arthur directed " that
the assistance of our officers and raen should be given, till their
services were otherwise called for, to discipline the Portu
guese regulars :" a plan for the occupation of their leisure, of
the utmost value, should the main army be employed in the
north of Portugal, until the Tagus became fordable.
To calm the importunities of the brave Cuesta, Sir Arthur
addressed an explanatory letter to his exceUency, reminding
him, that " although he had every reliance on the valour, zeal,
and loyalty of the Portuguese, he did not consider them in
sueh a state of discipline as to confide to their exertions the
safety of Portugal, the object especially committed to his care."
He opened to the Spanish general his intention of marching
against Soult in the first instance, and, when he should have
succeeded in removing frora the north of Portugal the evils
with which it was threatened, of proceeding forthwith, at the
head of twent.y-five thousand men, to the eastern frontiers, in
the neighbourhood of Elvas, and there co-operate with Cuesta
in attacking Victor. It was therefore advisable that General
Cuesta should continue, in conjunction with the corps of
observation on the line of the Tagus, to act strictly on the
defensive, until Sir Arthur should be enabled to come to his
assistance, by which co-operation the destruction of Victor's
army would be rendered certain.
The advance and concentration of the British were silently,
simultaneously, safely progressing : on the first of May the
main body reached Pombal, and on the following day arrived
at Coimbra, where the head-quarters were fixed ; and, in every
town through which the army marched, at every spot where

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 65
a halt was made, the active mind of the coraraander-in-chief
was engaged in preparing instructions for the direction of
every officer in a detached position, and giving them the benefit
of his great experience, and wisdom, in the minutest raatters
of coraraissariat and other departraents.
His despatches almost mark every raile of his march : to the
gallant Mackenzie, who fell afterwards at Talavera, he ad
dressed a long and able memoraudura, frora Leiria, on the first
of May, which was followed, a few hours after, by a second,
dated Porabal, where the army halted for the day, and by a
third, on the following morning, directing that officer to destroy
all the boats on the Tagus, or carry them below Salvaterra,
where the river was wide enough to place them out ofthe reach
of musketry from the opposite bank, on the approach of the
enemy: thus, as nothing was too great or too difficult for the com
prehensive mind of the British general, so nothing was too mi
nute or trifling to be undeserving of his attention ; of his labour
he was lavish, at all periods of his life. The entrance of the
aUies into Coirabra was hailed vociferously by the inhabitants ;
had they been returning frora a field of victory, their reception
could not have worn raore of the character of a triuraph. The
commander-in-chief was welcomed with millions of vivas, and
the iiarae of Wellesley was pronounced in every house with
praise, confidence, and gratitude. If ever there was a raan
wholly indifferent to popular applause, frora a devoted resig
nation to a just and powerful sense of duty, it was the cora-
raander-ln-chief of the allied army at Coimbra on this day.
Amidst shouts of exultation, the blaze of illurainations, ad
dresses and congratulation from the higher and raore wealthy
classes, he continued, unmoved,* to issue his cautious and well-
digested orders, and give, as he had done at Lisbon, his un-
* " Aflairs were in too critical aposture to authorize waste of time, even in
the agreeable occupation of giving and receiving.cpmpliments ; and Sir Arthur
was not a man to gratify his own vanity at the expense of the public good. He
accordingly cut short many of the dispositions which the Portuguese authorities
had made, for the purpose of manifesting their good-will, and set himself, on
the very day of his arrival, to the task of arranging and distributing his £|.rmy
for imniediate operations." — Marquis of Londonderry's Narrative.

66 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
divided thoughts to the objects of the expedition. It was from
Coirabra that Sir Arthiir Wellesley forwarded his acknowledg
raent of thanks, to the regency, for the honour they had con
ferred upon him, in the appointment of marshal-general of the
armies of Portugal, and which he communicated through Don
Miguel Pereira Forjez, a man of consummate genius, but whose
character was at first misunderstood by the British.
By the disposition of the French army of the north, after
the affair at Araarante, their strength was considerably weak
ened : Laborde proceeded to Oporto ; Loison kept pos
session of the position frora which the eneray had been driven ;
and Merraet advanced to the Vouga — nor could their force
be concentrated, on its centre, in a shorter period than eight
days. Thus scattered and extended, coramunication became
slow or interrupted. Meanwhile, Sir Arthur Wellesley, baffling
the vigilance of the enemy, succeeded, without exciting the
least suspicion even of the proximity of such a powerful enemy,
in uniting his forces at Coimbra on the fifth of May; a
plan which gave him a choice of two Unes of operation.*
• The command of the fourteenth, sixteenth, and twentieth regiments of
British cavalry was given to Major-General Cotton. The first battalion of the
Coldstream, the first and third of the Guards, one company of riflemen from the
fifth battalion of the sixtieth regiment, was nnder Brig.-General H. Campbell.
Major-General Hill was at the head of the first brigade, consisting of the
Buffs, the sixty-sixth, the forty eighth, aud one company of the fifth battalion,
sixtieth. Major-General Tilson had the third brigade, composed of five
companies, fifth battalion sixtieth, the eighty-eighth, and first battalion Portu
guese grenadiers, and the eighty-seventh. The fifth brigade, made up of the
seventh, first battalion tenth Portuguese. The fifty-third and first company
fifth battalion, sixtieth, was headed by Brig.-General A. Campbell. Brig,
General Cameron commanded the seventh brigade, consisting of the ninth
second battalion tenth Portuguese, the eighty-third, and one rifle compauy.
The sixth brigade, consisting of the first battalion detachments, first battalion
sixteenth Portuguese ; and the twenty-ninth was under the orders of Brig,
General R. Stewart. The fourth brigade, consisting of the second battalion
detachments, second battalion sixteenth Portuguese, the ninety-seventh, and
a rifle company was headed by Brig.-General Sontag. The second brigade,
made up of the twenty-seventh, forty-fifth, and thirty-first, acted under
Major-General Mackenzie. The Germans were divided into two brigades,
under the orders of Brig.-Generals Longthvert and Drieberg, the whole being
commanded by Major-General Murray. Four Major-Generals: namely,
Sherbrooke, Payne, Lord William Bentinck, and Paget, received local rank

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 67
The allied array was forraed into three divisions of infantry
and one of cavalry, exclusive of the corps under General
Beresford. Lieutenant-General Paget was appointed to the
coraraand of the first division, which consisted of two brigades
of infantry. The second, made up of three brigades, was
placed under Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke ; Major-General
Hill headed the third, composed of two brigades only ; while
the cavalry was to be led by General Payne. The whole
amount of this force did not exceed sixteen thousand men. Of
the two routes which were open from Coimbra, that which led
through Vizeu and Lamego would facilitate the design of
turning the enemy's left, and probably intercept his retreat on
Tras OS Montes ; the other, by the high road to Oporto, would
give an opportunity of falling suddenly, and in superior force,
on the enemy's right, between the Douro and the Vouga, On
the fifth of May, a detachment, consisting of one brigade of
British infantry, one squadron of British cavalry, and a corps
of six thousand Portuguese, infantry, cavalry, and artiUery,
moved towards Vizeu, under General Beresford. On the
sixth, the raain body, under Sir Arthur Wellesley, and includ
ing Pager's division, advanced by the Oporto road, but halted
on the seventh, to give Beresford time to get forward to the
upper Douro. General Hill's division had taken the Aveiro
route, and all were now cautiously marching towards the
Vouga. To lull suspicion still longer and more securely,
Paget's division was directed to halt on the ninth, and not join
the raain array until night, lest they might be seen by the
enemy's advanced guards, their outposts being established
along the Vouga. These decisive and offensive operations
were executed with such rapidity, that Soult remained totally
ignorant of the approach of a new and powerful array, before
the ninth of May, on which day Sir Arthur Wellesley addressed
Mr. Frere in language full of that species of deterraination
as lieut. -generals, that they might severally take the command of such divi
sions as the general-in-chief saw occasion to consolidate. Brig.-General
Stewart (Marquess Londonderry) was at the head of the adjutant-general's
departments ; and Colonel Murray, third guards, acted as quarter-master-gen.
Lord Londonderry's Narrative.

68 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
which strongly characterises the private letters of Admiral
Nelson to his friends in England. That great raan always
stated in siraple, candid, unaffected terras, his confidence of
being able to beat any force opposed to hira, his resolution of
doing so, and generally concluded by expressing his apprehen
sion, no raatter what their superiority in nurabers, that the
enemy might, through dimness of weather, or any accident,
escape his grasp. General Wellesley, in his letter of the ninth
of May, dated Quinta de la Graciosa, almost within gun-shot
ofthe enemy, expresses his regret at leaving Victor behind ; his
anxious wish to attack Ney, who was then in Gallicia; his appre
hension lest Soult raight still effect a retreat into Spain ; and
speaking of that general, declares, " I shall orait nothing in
my power to destroy him." There is here a remarkable analogy
to the uniformly confident tone of Nelson's simple letters.
Can such self-trust, such an instinctive feeling of success,
such a total unconsciousness of defeat, or danger, or disappoint
ment flow from any other source than a genuine and innate
magnaniraity ?
On this day, however, the thunder-bolt burst over the
head of Soult, and all its outpourings fell upon him in an instant
D'Argenton was arrested; treason had existed, and its bane
ful influence was then diffused through the ranks of his ai-my
to an extent irapossible to ascertain. His forces were scattered
over too wide a field to be speedily concentrated; and inteUi
gence arrived, every moment, of the approach of the allies,
headed by the victorious Wellesley, the conqueror of Roleia and
of Vimeira. Completely out-generalled, altogether surprised,
and basely betrayed, Soult presented, nevertheless, a noble
picture of a brave man struggling with raisfortune. He
called aloud on those who had not forsaken the emperor, to
assemble under the wings of his eagles. Loison was despatched
to Mezam-frio and Rajoa, with orders to retain Amarante even
with the blood of thousands ; and to assist in effecting this
aU-important object, Lorge was instructed to evacuate Viana,
and march on Amarante. All the ammunition that could not
be reraoved he caused to be destroyed,^ — the guns and mili
tary stores to be all moved upon the Taraega, and everything

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 69
put in a state of preparation for a retreat through Tras os
Montes. Although the masterly plan of surrounding the French in
Oporto, and reducing thera to the necessity of surrendering, had
been partiaUy interrupted by the failure of the Portuguese at
Araarante, still, so perfect was the design, that no successes,
short of defeating the British in the open field, could extricate
thera frora the web in which they had unconsciously become
entangled. Every movement was made in silence and in
secret and none displayed raore decisively the absolute coolness
of the British general on the approach of danger, than the little
plan of operations laid down for General Hill, and for the force
under his immediate command. During one of the midnight
interviews, between Sir Arthur and the deputies from the
Philadelphes, it had been casually mentioned by the latter,
that the lake of Ovar, which extended a length of twenty miles
behind their outposts, was left unguarded. This fact did not
escape the attention of the general, although apparently hang
ing on the conspirators' narration ; and now, in still greater
secrecy, he despatched General Hill, on whose genius, energy,
and courage he could rely, to the shores of that estuary, direct
ing ihim to seize aU the fishing-boats, and cross the lake. The
appearance of an army in battle-array in the solitude of the
lake of Ovar, at first surprised the hardy fisherraen that dwelt
there, but soon, frora their local knowledge, coraprehending the
wisely laid plan of the British general, conviction flashed
across their minds, which was scarcely more rapid than their
zeal in manning the boats, and their energy in rowing the
troops to the further shore : one brigade was soon debarked,
and a second quickly followed. Hill's raoveraent having suc
ceeded to the fullest extent, the right of the eneray was virtually
turned. This was effected on the tenth, on which day General
Beresford, who had incorporated Sir Robert Wilson's corps
with his own, and who, it will be reraerabered, had been ordered
to march by Vizeu upon Lamego, in order to turn Soult's left,
and cut off his retreat on Braga, there fell in with the victori
ous division of Loisson, on which he inflicted a severe chastise-
11. L

70 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
ment corapelled them to abandon the position frora which they
had driven the Portuguese, and drove the affrighted French
before him on the road to Amarante.
Sir Arthur Wellesley did not apprehend any deficiency of
gallantry on Beresford's part, but, on the contrary, believed him
to be feelingly awake to every teraptation which the least
opportunity of acquiring glory would throw into his onward
path ; and with all that watchfulness of a great and perfect
comraander, frora the raidst of his difficulties, and before he
had heard of the dashing gallantry of the raarshal, he thus
addressed him on the eleventh. — " If the French weaken their
corps about Amarante or Villa Real, attack them, and get
possession of either of those points. But, in doing so, remera
ber you are a comraander-in-chief of an array, and not to be
beaten: therefore do not undertake anything, if you have not
sorae strong hopes of success."
It was hardly possible for the French army to have escaped
from the grasp of the British, although fortune so frequently
favoured the arms of Napoleon^and the indiscipline of the
Portuguese had hitherto allowed them to obtain easy victories :
for now both wings of the enemy were turned, and the com
raander-in-chief just about to surprise their advance-guard
under Franceschi, before Soult was roused frora the sluraber of
security to behold the imrainent danger at his threshold. He
quickly forraed his resolution, which was to evacuate Oporto,
and retreat through the Tras os Montes, but if possible, to check
the impetuosity of the British general, whose incomparable
manoeuvres had so begirt him with toUs. This, if done at all,
must be at Amarante, and some provision had already been
made in that quarter against an enemy. But had Soult
been able, at any period, to cope with Sir Arthur Wellesley,
he was now completely beaten; he was in ignorance of the
enemy's proximity, and of course of the various divisions that
were raarching down in the radii of a circle, on the centre which
was occupied by a surprised enemy. The British advance-
guard, with General Cotton's division of cavalry, reaching
Andeja, having learned that two regiments of the enemy's

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 71
cavalry, with a sraall infantry force, and a few guns, were
cantoned at Albergaria Nova, resolved upon surprising them.
To effect this object. Cotton diverged from the track, along with
the cavalry, intending to make a circuit round the vUlage to the
right. Paget was to cross the rough ground called the Pass
of Vouga, where he was to wait for the cavalry — while to
Colonel Trant and his Portuguese, the labour was allotted of
getting the guns over the rugged waste. The darkness of
the night, an error of the guides, and the great difficulties of
the way, delayed and deranged the well-concerted plans of the
British advance. Trant, interrupted in bringing on the guns,
by a deep ravine, which reached frora Lake Ovar to Oliveira
de Azamiz, carried on his own artillery only, by the bridge of
Vouga, leaving General Stewart to bring forward the remainder,
which was not accoraplished without the loss of raany of
the carriages. This delay permitted Trant's corps to get
in advance of Paget's coluran, and it was raorning on the ninth
before the defiles were cleared. Meanwhile, Cotton's guides
losing their way in the darkness of night, the cavalry found
themselves, at sun-rise on the tenth, not in the-rear or flank of
Albergaria, but in front, with the enemy drawn up and ready
to receive them. Franceschi's cavalry, a fine body of raen,
were in ready line, his sraall body of infantry posted in a pine-
wood, on which the flank of his line rested; and his position,
altogether, was well chosen, and sufficiently strong. Cotton
himself, surprised, and not anticipating such a reception, was
indisposed to attack him until the arrival of the main body.
Franceschi displayed the raost gallant bearing and railitary
skill, challenging his enemy, and skirmishing occasionally with
Trant's corps, in total ignorance, however, of the powerful force
that was within an hour's march of him. In this situation were
the opposite parties, when Sir Arthur Wellesley arrived with
Paget's infantry, and having ordered an attack to be raade on
the wood, whence the eneray's infantry was immediately
dislodged, the astonished Franceschi fled, but not disorderly,
to Oliveira, and by his coolness and ability succeeded in escap
ing, without serious loss, from the pursuit of the enemy, to

72 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Grijo, which he reached at day-break on the following raorning,
and united his forces with those of Merraet. In this affair sorae
prisoners were taken, and a few pieces of cannon, all that the
enemy had brought into the field ; and the conduct of the Portu
guese rifleraen, students from one of the colleges, was highly
applauded by the commander-in-chief. A miserable scene,
however, was here enacted — calculated to detract from the
dignity of war, and, since such things raust be, frora the glory
of conquest. The French had disgraced theraselves on raany
occasions by cruelty to the inhabitants of captured towns, and
too frequently indulged, not raerely in plundering, but in a
wanton destruction of such effects as they were unable to re
move. Nowhere, during the war, were these vicious propensities
more lavishly gratified than in the village and vicinity of the
Albergarias. Here the bodies ofthe ordenanzas, who had the
raisfortune to have fallen into their hands, were found sus
pended from the trees, with horrible proofs of cruelties inflicted
upon them before death : every house had been broken into,
the furniture burnt, the cattle all slaughtered and left putre
fying on the field, the wine and liqueurs spilled upon the earth,
and insatiable, yet petty raalice, wreaked on those that should
least and last have been its objects. It is to be regretted,
although the desire of vengeance was alraost natural under
such circurastances, that the Portuguese also could not have
been restrained frora its exercise; after the retreat of the
French, all the sick, wounded, and prisoners, on whom they
could lay hands, the villagers put to death by the most excru
ciating tortures.
The allies having thus repulsed the enemy's cavalry, and
driven in their outposts on the tenth, reached Oliveira on the
eleventh of May ; and, at six o'clock on the following raorning.
Sir A. Wellesley inforraed Beresford of his success, made him
acquainted with a report that reinforcements were advancing
to strengthen the enemy; but, so unconscious was he of failure,
at this as well as all periods of peril, that he added in his
despatch, " I hope we shall have finished with Soult before
these can arrive." On the sarae day coraing up with the eneray

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 73
at Grijo, where they were strongly posted on an eminence, their
right flank being covered by a thick wood, their front defended
by the village and sorae uneven ground. Sir Arthur renewed
his attack ; and the spirits ofthe men were so high, that nothing
could resist them : the head of the British column was imrae-
«
diately in action, and the sixteenth Portuguese, led on by
Colonel Doyle, quitted the line of raarch, and in a gallant
style drove the infantry frora the wood that covered the
enemy's right. The cavalry, under the honourable Charles
Stewart, did great execution, and the German legion, com
manded by Major-General Murray, made a movement upon
the enemy's left flank, originally badly placed, which would
have compelled any troops to quit their position, and instantly
turned the enemy. Both flanks being turned, the ruin of the
eneray was inevitable, had they stood their ground ; and fully
sensible of their situation, they began to retire, pressed on by
General Charles Stewart with his cavalry, and continued their
retreat to the heights of Carvalho, where they rallied, and offered
a faint resistance to their pursuers; but the infantry approach
ing, they turned their backs once raore, and fled precipitately
towards the Douro, which they crossed on the night of the
eleventh, and iraraediately after destroyed the bridge. The
British took advantage of the flight of the enemy, and rested
for the night, but at day-break they were again in motion, and
eager for the fight. To this expectation a difficulty of such
magnitude presented itself, that few military raen, whose achieve
ments are remembered by the historian, ever seem to have
conceived or executed so hardy a design : this was to force
the passage of a river one thousand feet wide, deep, rapid, and
enclosed between high and rocky shores, and this in the face
of ten thousand Veterans that defended the opposite bank : this
was an enterprise "from which Alexander the Great might
have turned without shame ;" but Sir Arthur resolved, if but a
single boat could be obtained, to effect the daring deed.
Soult intended to evacuate Oporto leisurely, and with that
view he proceeded to blow up his magazines, to destroy such
stores as it would be inconvenient to remove, himself inspecting

74 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the destruction of the floating bridge ; and he had previously
given orders to collect all the boats together at the city-side pf
the river, and place them under the care of a vigilant guard. In
ignorance of the enemy's .raovements, he still believed that he
was in possession of the bridge of Amarante, and, by some
strange infatuation, the marshalbecarae fiUed with the conviction
that the British would take advantage of their raaritirae raeans,
and atterapt a landing below the city, near to the erabouchure
of the Douro. Upon this belief he acted, and in this fatal error
he was still further confirraed by the report of his own cavalry,
who, having observed Hill's division at Ovar, assured the
marshal that they must have arrived from the ocean, and dis
embarked there. Precautionary measures were taken accord
ingly. Soult continued at his head-quarters, which were
between Oporto and the sea; Franceschi was directed to
watch the coast, and give the British such a reception as
would render their debarkation impracticable. Every neces
sary arrangement for the defence of the river below the city,
being completed, Mermet was ordered to place one brigade at
Valonga, two at Baltar, and to pay attention generally to the
line of the river on his right, securing or destroying every boat
that could be found. To render his retreat still raore secure,
Soult despatched orders to Loison, to maintain the position
which he still beUeved that officer occupied at Mezam-frio and
Pezo da Ragoa, and, having completed his plan of defence,
resolved upon resting one day longer in the enjoyment of his
usurpation, and then retiring in good order and at leisure, while
the British were sailing up the Douro frora their congenial
element the ocean.
It was alraost noon on the twelfth of March before the clouds
that obscured the reality, from the mental vision of the marshal,
were dispelled, before the mists in which infatuation and error
had wrapped hira were dissipated, before the veil of enchant-
raent fell off, and disclosed all the perils of his erabarrassraent.
At that hour the British colurans begun to arrive at Villa Nova,
on the opposite bank, and concentrate rapidly, yet secretly, for
the high grounds of the convent still concealed them from obser-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 75
vation. The British general now felt an intense anxiety relative
to the support of Beresford's operations, the result of which
materially depended upon the raain body being able to pass
the Douro. But this was a labour of unexarapled difficulty,
one of the boldest conceptions, and raost gallantly perforraed
exploits, to be found not only in the history of the Peninsular
war, but in all railitary annals to their reraotest Uraits. At
an early hour in the morning, Major-General Murray had
been despatched with a battalion of the Gerraan legion, a
squadron of cavalry, and two six-pounders, to endeavour to
collect boats, and, if possible, also to cross the river at Avintas,
about four railes above the city. This operation could not be
noticed by the eneray, frora the graceful sweep which the Douro
raakes around the base of the Serra heights, by which the
reach above the town is concealed from view of the city.
Confiding in the abUity and resources of General Murray
to effect the passage of the river above the city, and cal
culating upon the bravery of Lieutenant-General Sherbrooke
for the accompUshment of the more arduous passage from
Villa Nova directly across, Sir Arthur ascended the highest
pinnacle of the convent, and, fixing his keen glance upon the
glorious landscape spread out beneath him, while his imper
turbable raind was intent upon those raeasures best calculated
to baffle a renowned comtnander, and sustain his own great
farae, he instantly perceived the advantages which this part of
the river presented, could he only obtain a few boats ; and it
is well known that he had resolved to risk the atterapt with
one boat, if one only could have been procured. The convent
of St. Agostinho de Serra stands on the summit of a lofty pro
montory, that presents a precipitous front to the river ; and, on
an erainence on the opposite bank, is the Serainary, a large
unfinished building, originally designed for the bishop's palace,
the sloping ground in front being enclosed by walls reaching
down to the edge of the water, and the enclosed area being
capable of containing about two battalions : there was no ingress
to the building frora the Valonga road, except by one iron gate ;
and the Seminary commanded every object around, without
being itself coraraanded by any, except one surarait about gun-

76 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
shot distance, which was too pointed to be eraployed as a battery.
Here Sir Arthur resolved to pass : the enclosed area, in front
of the Seminary, would afford some protection to the brave
fellows who should be the first to land ; the bend of the river
would effectually conceal the boats in their passage from the view
of the enemy, whose watch was chiefly kept below the town ;
and, when a sufficient nuraber should have crossed, the Semi
nary would become their citadel. One boat was all that could
at first be procured, the property of a poor barber, who had
eluded the vigUance of the French patrol in the night, and
passed over to the Villa Nova suburb. Colonel Waters dis
covered the skiff, and, taking with hira the prior of Amarante
and the owner of the boat, returned to the city, unmoored, and
brought over with hira three large barges, without having
attracted the notice of the sentinels. The next iraportant step
was the establishraent of a battery in the garden of the convent
to protect the walled enclosure where the troops were to land.
When the four boats were ready, and the boatraen of one were
lying on their oars, the coraraander-in-chief was informed —
to which he calmly replied, "Well, let the raen cross." A sen
tence expressive of as perfect confidence in the result, as if au
armed flotilla were ready to convey them. General WeUesley's
army were strangers to doubt, indiscipline, or delay, and the
irrevocable order to embark was executed by an officer and
twenty-five raen of the Buffs, who passed to the other side
under a silent gaze of adrairation from their fellow-soldiers,
and the calm but not less anxious watching of their intrepid
comraander. In half an hour the Uttle voyage was safely
accoraplished, and the remainder of the first battalion, with
Lieutenant-General Paget, were all landed before the enemy
awoke from their inexplicable lethargy. Then suddenly the
beating of drums, sounding of trumpets, firing of rockets and
guns, ringing of bells, and every possible accession to noise,
tumult, and confusion, were called into operation. The eneray
now ran down in nurabers, but without order, and, throwing
out clouds of sharp-shooters, furiously attacked the Seminary ;
but the resistance made by the Buffs was sufficient to repulse
them until the arrival of the forty-eighth and sixty-sixth

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. . 77
regiments, with a Portuguese battalion, to their support.
Soult, now become furious, rushed to the attack with a large
body of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, but his efforts were
unattended by better results. In the violence of the last
assault, Paget, who had ascended to the roof of the Seminary,
was wounded by a rausket-ball, aud obliged to retire, the cora
mand devolving upon Major-General Hill. At this crisis,
the French artiUery were playing upon the Semiuary, and
volleys of rausketry, frora the still increasing numbers of the
enemy, were pouring in upon the enclosure ; while Murraj'
did not yet appear on the approach frora Avintas. These cir
curastances seemed' sufficient to deraand the personal presence
of Sir Arthur araidst his advanced guard ; but he was dissuaded
by those around him, from attempting the passage of the river
at such a raoment, when thousands of pieces would be levelled
at his barge. Yielding to soUcitation, he now augmented the
fire from the battery in the convent-garden, which swept the left
wall of the enclosure, and obliged the enemy to confine all
their efforts to the entrance-gate and wall on the Valonga
road. As soon as the citizens understood that the British had
actually arrived, landed on the city-side, and were in strength
also on the farther shore, new hopes arose, a prospect of
delivery was near, and their own exertions were calculated to
accelerate the consumraation. While General Hill kept the
enemy very fully eraployed, the citizens were raaking signals
to Sherbrooke and the allies on the opposite bank, aud, as
soon as they had descended to the shore, pushing off, they
transported the guards and the twenty-ninth by the lower ferry.
These, debouching frora the narrow streets, took the enemy in
the rear; while Hill, advancing to the wall of the enclosure, dis
charged a thick fire of rausketry down upon the astonished and
confounded enemy, who now perceived Murray advancing from
Avintas to cut off their retreat : thus surrounded, further
resistance was vain, and, abandoning their ordnance, which
had just been brought out from the city, they fled towards
Valonga, each column receiving, as it passed, the destructive
volleys of the well-trained battalions under Hill. As the
II. M

78 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
enemy fled along, their flank was exposed to the attack of
General Murray's coluran; but this officer decUned acting
upon his own responsibUity, and pursued, but too implicitly,
the orders of the comraander-in-chief. There were two officers,
however, under his coramand, who had no apprehension of
consequences when their motives were correct and who felt
the truth of the raaxira, " that poUtical courage is as necessary
as military, in an officer abroad ;" these were General Charles
Stewart and Major Hervey, who, with a laudable gallantry,
dashed from the inactive Une, pursued, and fell on the enemy's
rear-guard. Too well experienced in both defeat and victory,
they turned, and defended themselves ; but the British officers,
being unsupported, and having done enough for glory, returned
to their column, not, however, before General Laborde had
been unhorsed, and General Foy severely wounded : this latter
officer narrowly escaped being made prisoner, in the confusion
and anxiety of his men to resurae their retreat Major Hervey
was wounded severely in this skirraish, but his brave troopers
sustained little or no loss. Thus ended the rauch-celebrated
achievement, " the passage of the Douro," in which one of the
most complete victories ever obtained, was won from a general
of the highest railitary reputation, and who had actually fought
himself into the city, frora which he was so unexpectedly driven,
with a loss coraparatively trifling, and against difficulties such as
have hardly ever been surraounted by any coraraander. Soult is
accused of inactivity ; and his supineness palliated on the plea
that the Portuguese concealed, or would not afford, information
of the advance of the British, and also that he was surrounded
by traitors. These pretexts, the offspring of an unnatural pre
judice in the minds of what raay be called an Anglo-Gallican
party, do not deserve any attention. Inactivity is a grievous
fault in a general ; and Soult's state of ignorance cannot be
justified in opposition to the standing orders of the eraperor,
one of which concludes with this aphorism, " In an inhabited
country, the general that is not well instructed, must be
ignorant of his trade."* And, as to the last argument, namely,
• Vide page 256, Vol. I.

TTETE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 79
that treason was in his carap, this should rather have been an
incentive to activity, and was in itself sufficient to have aroused
the raost lethargic disposition. Sir A. Wellesley, however,
in his private letter to the Duke of York, (no longer at the
head of the array,) gives the truest, the siraplest, the real expla
nation of Soult's conduct " It is," he observes, "alraost irapos
sible to say what induced Soult to be so careless about the
boats on the river, particularly near Oporto, or to allow us to
land at all at a point so interesting to hira as that we occupied.
I rather believe we tvere too quick for hira, and that he had
not time to secure the boats on all the points necessary to
protect the retreat of the troops." It was activity, coupled with
great railitary daring and ability, that achieved the passage of
the Douro, and it was, frora the exercise as well as possession
of such high qualities, that Napoleon, when he heard of the
bold adventure, declared, " Wellesley was a general fully
capable of coping with the very best of his raarshals."* Military
raen have been found, possessing so much of either discern
ment, or jealousy, as to censure Sir Arthur for not pursuing
his victory : to this charge it may be answered, generally, that
he was not unused to conquest, and knew, as the day of
Vimeira attested to his countryraen, when to follow a beateji
adversary : but in this instance he thought otherwise, for his
men were fatigued by a march of eighty miles, through the
whole of which length they were engaged in skirmishing with
the eneray: they had just accorapUshed a hardy, laborious, and
exciting achievement; they had outmarched their supplies, in
order to corae upon the enemy unawares : and, although
General WeUesley did not reproach the inertness of General
Murray, who had performed strictly the orders delivered to
him, yet it is highly probable that, had that general felt hira
self in a situation to have given the flying enemy such a
reception as they expected, and frora the fear of which they
* " This was a most brilliant opening of 1^6 campaign, and justly regarded
as reflecting as much credit on the daring and skill of the young British
general, as it cast a shade on the vigilance and circumspection of the veteran
French marslial.''' — Hist, of Europe, vol. vii.

80 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
then sped before him, the greater part of Soult's corps would
have been either taken or destroyed. This, however, is no
more than conjecture ; nor did the coraraander-in-chief, at any
subsequent period, impute blame to any of his officers; praise
he bestowed upon almost aU with a lavish generosity. Perhaps
an additional reason, for declining the imraediate pursuit of the
eneray, was the absence of Marshal Beresford, whose precise
situation and circumstances were, at that raoraent unknown
to the comraander-in-chief, in whose comprehensive raind the
highest degree of boldness was ever associated with the greatest
caution and thoughtfulness for every part and person in the
whole plan of his operations.
It was on the twenty-second of April, that Sir A. Wellesley
landed at Lisbon, when the councils of the nation were waver
ing as to whether Portugal should be given up to the battalions
of Napoleon, and exposed to the inhuraanity and cupidity of his
generals, or, with the assistance of the sraall British force in
the kingdora, resistance should once more be offered to the
invaders : on the twentieth day frora that date, by the genius
and gallantry of one raan, Lisbon was restored to the pro
visional government — the movements of one French army
effectually checked — a march over two hundred miles of
broken, difficult ground, accoraplished with a degree of secrecy
that appears incredible — the passage of a broad, deep, and
rapid river, effected by raeans of only half a dozen boats, in
presence of twenty thousand victorious veterans, led by per
haps the ablest of Napoleon's raarshals — and the second city
in Portugal rescued frora his grasp ; with a loss, on the part
of the allies, comparatively insignificant The Portuguese
had previously held the military talents of Sir A. Wellesley
in the highest esteera ; the passage of the Douro flattered their
judgment, and strengthened still further their confidence in
his abiUty to recover for them their liberties. Entering Oporto,
the comraander-in-chief fixed his head-quarters in the spacious
house which Marshal Soult had quitted only two hours before;
and, along with his suite, sat down to the sumptuous repast
which had been spread for the general of the hostile army —

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 81
an extraordinary illustration of the uncertainty of human
hopes, and a singular instance of the fickleness of fortune in
the affairs of war. As evening approached, the boundless joy
of the citizens was exhibited by demonstrations the loudest
and raost conspicuous that they could express or invent.
While the dead bodies of the enemy, stripped and mangled,
obstructed the public ways — while numbers lay stretched upon
the bed of sickness, pain, and death — the Portuguese were
employed in manifesting gratitude to their dehverers by pealing
the church-bells, and by a general illumination throughout the
city ; and, hurried along by an extravagant delight in victory,
were about to steep their laurels in the blood of the helpless
victims, whora surprise prevented Soult from removing out of
the hospitals — when the humane proclaraation of the British
general, whose watchfulness no circurastance connected with
his duty seeraed to escape, especiaUy if huraanity clairaed his
attention, instantly stopped all further effusion of blood.
This raanifesto called, iraperatively, on the inhabitants to
be merciful to the wounded and prisoners, and rerainded them
that by the laws of war they were entitled to the protection
of the commander-in-chief, a protection which he was deter
mined to ciffbrd them. It also appealed to the generosity and
bravery of the nation, not to revenge injuries on the enfeebled
instruments of the raore powerful eneraies who were still in
arras against thera. All persons were prohibited from appear
ing in the streets with arms, and the general threatened
any, who should dare to injure the wounded or the prisoners,
with iramediate punishment Colonel Trant was appointed
commandant of the city, until the pleasure of governraent
should be known, and the observance of the proclamation was
entrusted to him. To secure a regular and sufficient supply
of necessaries for the army, he permitted the corregidor to
remain in office, but cautioned him against the least inatten
tion to its duties. In addition to corapassionate care of the sick
and wounded, which Sir Arthur evinced by the language of
his proclamation, and the means adopted to carry its provisions
into operation, he addressed a letter to Marshal Soult upon

8-2 LIFE AXD CAMPAIGNS OF
the same subject almost the very moment he entered the city.
" You know," said General Wellesley, " that you have left in
this city a considerable number of sick and wounded, of whom,
vou may rest assured, I shall take the greatest care ; nor
permit any one to injure thera. But you forgot to leave
medical attendants with them. I have only a sufficient num
ber for ray own army ; and I do not think, in the present
excited state of feeling amongst the inhabitants, that I ought
to trust your poor soldiers to the medical men of this city. I
pray therefore that you will send, forthwith, a number of
attendants sufficient to relieve the wounded prisoners ; and I
promise, that as soon as they have administered relief, they
shall be sent back to you. You have some English officers
and soldiers prisoners, for whom I shall be happy to exchange
an equal number of yours."
On the twelfth, the remainder of the allied army passed tbe
Douro, with all their stores, ammunition, and baggage, and,
during the time occupied in crossing, the comraander-in-chief
was engaged in writing a despatch to Lord Castlereagh,
detaihng, minutely, the ever-raeraorable event, praising the
gallantry of his officers and men, and deploring the fate that
deprived him of the services of his brave companions, Lieu
tenant-General Paget, whose arm had been amputated, and
INIajor Hervey, who had been severely wounded. The total
return of killed, however, amounted only to forty-three; of
wounded, to one hundred and sixty-eight ; and of missing, to
seventeen — while five hundred of the enemy fell in the action,
many were taken prisoners, and fifty-two pieces of ordnance
were captured. Making Captain Stanhope the bearer of this
despatch, which could not fail of being welcome to his country,
he directed him to proceed to England in the Nautilus,
Captain Dench; and found leisure also to acquaint Beresford
with his successes and situation, in perhaps the briefest de
scription ever written of a day of battle. " We have taken
some pieces of cannon — raany prisoners — killed vast numbers :
the infantrv went off towards \'alonga and Amarante in the
utmost confusion ; some of the cavalry went the same vay.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 83
I am much afraid that we shall not be able to march till the
day after to-morrow. Keep Villa Real, if you can do so safely,
and depend upon my being close upon the heels of the French."
This is precisely the language calculated to give confidence
to an army, and it was such bold words that inspired the
broken ranks of the Portuguese with perfect reliance on the
genius of the British hero, and with courage to face, once more,
the veteran legions of Gaul. There is another species of
courage, already, noticed, which Sir A. Wellesley possessed, to
which the final expulsion of the enemy and the conquest of
France are raainly attributable, that is, " poUtical courage,"
which is justas necessary as personal, to an officer at a distance
from the seat of government, and left either to the exercise of
his own discretion, or to the caprice or ignorance of a civil
agent. Sir John Moore fell a victim to political timidity; his
apprehension of displeasing Lord Castlereagh, who had never
treated him with kindness, was the cause of his attending, so
entirely, to the wishes of the British agents in Spain ; and to
this misfortune, solely, his ruin is attributable, his military
genius and personal bravery having been often tried, and uni
versally acknowledged. But, in this respect General Wellesley
may be compared with any hero of ancient or modern times ;
historians have established a striking parallel between Scipio
and Wellington, and there are many points of reserablance in
their military lives; modesty and humanity are perhaps the
raost obvious : in caution and ingenuity, the British general
is corapared to Hannibal ; but the latter, like Moore, became
the victira of political tiraidity, by submitting to civil autho
rities, and abandoning the country of the enemy. Caesar, it is
true, possessed this species of boldness, but he grossly abused
its acquisition, by refusing obedience to all authority. To
General Wellesley has been reserved the great raerit of beiug
able to guide the judgment of those civil envoys, opposition
to whose authority is disobedience to the sovereign. When
Sir Arthur landed at Lisbon, the British officers, civil and
railitary, were unable to agree, definitively, upon a plan of
operations : one party approved of advancing boldly against

84 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the enemy, another of abandoning Portugal altogether to its
fate, and carrying the British army from the Tagus to the
Thames. His extensive diploraatic experience, his farailiarity
with similar services in India, his knowledge of character, and
his great share of political courage, enabled hira to unweave
the web, to cut the knot to reconcile discrepancies, and to
allay all agitations. The civil officers he addressed in the
raildest and raost conciliating language, in raany cases com-
pliraenting thera upon" the forraation of right judgraents,
but, in others, cases of the extremest difficulty, and of vital
importance to the success of his raeasures, he showed hiraself
superior not only to the agents with whom he was in con
nexion, but to all the British general-officers who had preceded
him in Portugal. It formed part of his system to congratulate
himself, in his written despatches, upon enjoying the approval
of those gentleraen as to the measures he was then actually
pursuing : these measures being uniforraly successful, and the
envoys in sorae instances bewUdered in their coraplexity or
extent, forgot whether they had ever forraed any opinion , on
the subject and gladly partook of the sunshine that followed
the tempest. Occasionally, however, he opposed the weight
of his own opinion and authority more directly: having
received intelligence, on the ninth of May, from a civil agent
of the advance of the French corps from Arragon, accom
panied by a suggestion of a corresponding change in his
plans ; General Wellesley replied, " The intelligence you have
coraraunicated, were it even confirraed, should not induce me
to alter my plans." The agent had not the hardihood to dis
approve ; and, as the decision ultimately proved correct, the
difference of opinion was not remerabered.
The inevitable delay at -Oporto being ended, Sir Arthur
prepared to pursue the eneray; and the raanoeuvres of the
British array in this pursuit have been represented by military
men as unequaUed in the records of arras. Soult displayed
greater energy than he had been supposed to possess, and
skill that entitled him to wear the honours he had won ; still
he was exceeded in all those high qualities by WeUesley, whose

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 85
mind seemed inexhaustible in the production of expedients,
and in the creation of counteracting operations. — Soult escaped,
but not before Corunna was avenged.
When Sir Arthur Wellesley planned the expedition against
the Duke of Dalmatia, he calculated upon Silveira's being able
to maintain his post on the Taraega until reinforcements could
arrive ; which, in addition to the possession of Chaves, would
have cut off the enemy's retreat, with the exception ofthe route
across the Minho, and even that would have been interrupted,
had the commander-in-chief been otherwise successful. This
plan was necessarily altered by the loss of the bridge of Ama
rante, and Sir Arthur doubted the abiUty of the force under
Marshal Beresford to accoraplish rauch raore than confining the
eneray on the side of Lamego, a.nd compelling him to retire into
Gallicia by Chaves, rather than by Villa Real into Castile.
Beresford had performed more than was hoped or promised,
in obliging the enemy's posts at ViUa Real and Mezam-frio to
fall back; then crossing the Douro, and driving in Loisson's
outjjosts at the bridge of Amarante, he recovered possession of
the left bank of the Tamega. These successes were obtained
on the twelfth, the same day on which the famous passage of
the Douro was effected, and Soult, surprised amidst his fancied
security ; and so signal and decided were they considered,
that timidity, if not treachery, has raore than once been im
puted to the French general. On the morning of the thir
teenth, the appalling inteUigence of the capture of Oporto
reaching the army of Loisson, that general immediately retired
from Amarante, and, as he evacuated the town, was met by the
advanced guard of Soult's corps : thus strengthened, it is a
matter of surprise that he made no demonstration against the
enemy ; on the contrary, he allowed Beresford to occupy that
important position, and basely, or perhaps treacherously,
abandoned the advancing columns of Soult to the blows of a
powerful antagonist and marched away to Guimaraens. Soult
relying on the integrity and resources of Loisson, despatched
Colonel Tholose to Araarante, with intelligence of the fall
of Oporto, and the precipitate flight of the French ; and, as he
11. N

86 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
was retreating upon the Taraega, desired Loisson to keep
possession of the bridge at any sacrifice ; but this he could
not be persuaded to atterapt, and the officer returned, on
the raorning of the thirteenth, with the distressing corarau
nication. Soult now rose up to struggle with raisfortune ; and
his genius and character never shone raore brightly, nor will
any portion of his history be reraerabered by his countryraen
with raore gratitude or admiration. In an instant his reso
lution was formed ; meeting with a Spanish pedlar at Penafiel,
who was acquainted with the by-ways of the district he took
him for his guide, and, following his footsteps up the steep
sides of the Catalina mountains, crossed over to Pombelra,
and overtook the irresolute Loisson at Guimaraens. As they
crept along under the veU of night by the course of the
Souza river, they were unexpectedly joined by Lo!rge's cavalry,
so that thus far, Soult had corabated successfuUy with his
evil genius, and once raore attached the disjointed mera
bers to the raain body of the army. Araongst the grievances
with which the French general had to contend, the most
painful were the murmurs of the troops, and the voice of
cowardice : some spoke of the kindness shown to captives by
the generous English, while others deraanded a convention
like that of Cintra ; of the latter, Loisson is supposed to have
been the adviser. If such treaties were not agreeable to the
English, the French emperor was much less inclined to peace
or mercy, therefore there was little difficulty in convincing
his followers of the futility of such a hope ; while prompt
and firm measures soon silenced the whispers of disaffection
amongst the officers. Orders were immediately issued to the
whole army to advance, first taking the precaution to spike
the heavy guns, break up the military chests, and scatter
abroad all, both raoney and stores, which they were no longer
in a condition to carry with thera.
The retreat of the French was so expeditious, and so many
events of the highest consequence had occurred within the
space of forty-eight hours, that it excites no surprise to be
inforraed, that on the thirteenth, when General Wellesley

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 87
coramenced the pursuit of the enemy, by directing Major-
General Murray with the Hanoverian legion, which were in a
condition to march, to move on Valonga, he was unacquainted
with the route which they had taken, with the destruction of
their waggons, abandonraent of their artillery, and painful
sufferings at Penafiel: that he was also uninforraed of the
success, or even the precise raovements, of General Beresford,
although provided for every possible case of failure or raisfor
tune that could arise in either army. It was the evening of the
day on which Murray raarched from Oporto, before intelligence
of Soult's route reached that city, and a probability appeared of
his having marched on Braga. There were two lines of retreat
by one or other of which Soult raust necessarily have moved ;
the first into Gallicia by Ponte Ave, Ponte Lima, and Valen9a;
the other towards Valladolid by Chaves. As Sir A. Wellesley
had resolved on intercepting the return of the French, and
avenging the shade of Moore, all the necessary orders had been
issued for occupying those lines. Beresford had been uistructed
on the thirteenth to move on Chaves, in case the enemy
abandoned Amarante ; but while Murray was pressing forward
after the fugitives towards Penafiel, Beresford, anticipating
the orders of the commander-in-chief, had actually advanced
to Chaves, and sent forward Sylveira to occupy the defiles of
Ruivaens and Melga^o near to Salamonde ; but the flight of
the eneray vvas too rapid, and Sylveira arrived too late.
Beresford received also a further conditional instruction, which
was, to push on for Monterrey in the event of the enemy
taking the road to Montealegre.
On the fourteenth the corps of Generals Stewart, Carapbell,
and Hill, accompanied by the guards, took the lower road from
Oporto towards Barcellos and Valenqa, but learning, the evening
of the same day, that Soult was moving on Chaves or Mon
tealegre, the army was drawn off from that route, and directed
to the right upon Braga, where they arrived on the fifteenth,
at \\ hich date, it should be observed, Murray was at Guimaraens,
Beresford near to Chaves, and the enemy fifteen miles in
advance of Braga. On the sixteenth, having coraraanded

88 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
General Hill with four brigades to halt at Braga, Sir Arthur
advanced towards Salamonde, and, being joined on the route
by General Murray, came up with the enemy's rear-guard at
that place on the sixteenth.*
Soult, meanwhile, had applied all the energies and resources
of a powerful mind to the relief of the misfortunes which had
befallen his army: aware of the irapression which the capture
of his ordnance by the eneray would produce, he boldly anti
cipated the evil, by destroying theni in the face of his array, and
then, without reluctance, relinquishing a worthless prize. Aban
doning the road to Braga, he once more betook himself to the
mountain-paths, whither it was impossible to convey heavy guns,
and, making in a direct line for the heights of Carvalho d'Este,
gained an entire day upon his pursuers. Previous to his
arrival at this point, the marshal perceived disorganization
spreading amongst his veterans, and suddenly commanding
a halt drew up his whole force in order of battle, upon the very
spot where once before they had won a brilliant victory from
the Portuguese. This politic stroke gave a new irapulse to
the men, and now gaUantly taking the command of the rear
himself in person, and placing Loisson over the advance, he
pushed on to Salamonde. From this he had calculated upon still
having two lines of retreat open to him ; one by Ruivaens, a
second, shorter but more difficult by the Ponte Nova and Misa-
rella, leading into the Montealegre road. But the Portuguese
had already succeeded in obstructing the forraer line, by the
destruction of. the bridge over the Cavado, on the road to

• General Sarrazin says, "that with a general more experienced, more
active, and more enterprising than Sir Arthur Wellesley, Portugal would have
beheld the scene of Baylen repeated ;" but General Mackinnon, on the con
trary, observes, " that Sir Arthur's conduct, during this short campaign, gives
him the first rank amongst the British generals of the day." Speaking of one
of Ihe skirmishes on this memorable pursuit, he says, " I was near Sir Arthur,
by his orders, when the attack was about to commence : and if I had never
seen him but at that moment, I could decide upon his being a man of a great
mind." General Mackinnon was capable of forming suph a judgraent : he
it was in vvhom England has perhaps lost more than in any soldier, since Sir
Philip Sydney. — Anon.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 89
Chaves : and a few hardy peasants undertook to check the
retreat of the whole French army by cutting the Ponte Nova,
and resolutely defending the narrow causeway of the Miserella,
a bridle-ridge, over which but two persons, at raost, could raarch
abreast. It was now the approach of night, the situation and
circumstances of the army were not only miserable, but des
perate ; they were foot-sore, starving, half-naked, without artil
lery, their araraunition alraost wet the rain having continued
to fall incessantly for eight and forty hours, and the British
army approaching rapidly, as the distant booming of their
well-served guns occasionally inforraed them. Retreat by
Ruivaens being hopeless, Soult resolved on forcing the passage
of the Ponte Nova, and, summoning into his presence Major
Dulong, one of the bravest of his officers, addressed him nearly
as follows, " I have chosen you from the whole army, to seize
the Ponte Nova, which has been cut by the enemy. Select one
hundred grenadiers and twenty-five horseraen : surprise the
guards, and secure the bridge. If you succeed, say so; if
otherwise, your silence will suffice." Araidst the heavy down-
pourings of a thunder-storm, Dulong reached the bridge un
observed, and, killing the sentinel, passed along the top of
the parapet, which was still standing, and dispersed the Portu
guese posts that had kept such a careless watch. The gallantry
of Dulong opened the rugged way, for a few railes further on
their harassing raarch, but there a still greater difficulty pre
sented itself, and one which seeraed to demand the exertion of
still greater enterprise. A deep ravine, that interposed between
two mountains, was spanned by a single arch, called the
Saltador, or leaper, resembling those sublime and picturesque
constructions in Switzerland, in Italy, and in Wales, which
geographers and tourists usually call, "theDevil's bridges." The
arch was still unbroken, but its narrow way was commanded
by Portuguese sharp-shooters, planted like trees amongst
the rocks that dotted the opposite brow, and from these
native ramparts, a fire so unerring was airaed at the attenu
ated passing columns, that many a time the whole bridge's
length of men was seen to fall at once. At last Dulong rushed

90 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
singly over, setting a glorious example of bravery, and was
followed by a number sufficient to take possession of the moun
tain, and drive away the authors of so rauch ruin.
While the advanced guard and raain-body of Soult's corps
were either struggling for Ufe with the Portuguese peasants,
or trampling each other to death in the gorges of the moun
tains, or in the still narrower enclosures of a narrow bridge, the
British army carae up with the rear, where Soult had gallantly
posted hiraself, at the viUage of Salamonde, and where he made
a demonstration of resistance by taking up an exceedingly
strong position. But scarcely had Lieut.-General Sherbrooke
advanced against them with the guards, and turned their left
by the heights, than they abandoned their ground, leaving one
gun and many prisoners behind them. In the enemy's rear
was the Cavado river, and crossed there by two sraall bridges ;
to these the whole force of the routed army directed their
course, but frora the rapid approach of night it was considered
imprudent to pursue them even to that lirait Their fears,
however, acted as destructively upon thera as the cannonade,
which had been kept up against objects that were scarcely
visible, and, when morning dawned, the spectacle that pre
sented itself was such as could not fail to excite commiseration
even in the breasts of their raost iraplacable enemies. The
dark mass on which the guns had played at night-fall now
presented a vast heap of slain, five hundred corpses lay mingled
with the carcasses of as many horses, the bed of the river was
choked with dead, and its bauks strewn everywhere with
broken carriages, knapsacks, and plundered property of every
kind. Gold and silver vases, embroidered tapestry, and trea
sures of various descriptions, were at length unwiUingly dis
gorged, and dropped, like golden fruit in the path of the
pursuers, to retard their speed. So completely was the road
impeded by the accumulation of dead bodies, shattered
carriages, and abandoned stores, that Sir Arthur Wellesley
was necessitated to turn from the ensanguined field to the
little vUlage of Ruivaens, and halt there during the night of the
sixteenth. On the following day, when the British were about

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 91
to resurae the pursuit. Sir Arthur found that the eneray had
fled by a raountain-path towards Orense, in which it would
be impossible then to overtake or stop him; upon vi'hich he
resolved to discontinue the chase, having driven him across the
frontier, and thereby executed the precise orders under which
he sailed from England. In this flight, so similar to the race of
Benevente, Soult lost everything, cannon, ammunition, bag-
gaige, and military chest ; and his retreat was, in every respect
even in weather, a pendant for the retreat of Corunna. " He
left behind him," says the official despatch, " his sick and
wounded, and the road from Penafiel to Montealegi-e was
strewed with the carcases of horses and mules, and of French
soldiers who were put to death by the peasantry before the
British advanced guard could save them."
This last circumstance was the natural effect of the system
of warfare carried on by the French in that campaign. The
soldiers plundered and murdered the peasantry, and many
were found hanging from the trees on the road-side, who had
been executed for no other reason than not being friendly to
French usurpation : the route of their coluran in the retreat from
Oporto could be traced by the smoke of the villages to which
they had set fire. It may be regretted for the sake of humanity,
because capturing the general raight ' have brought the war to
an earlier issue — it raay be lamented by the infuriated Portu
guese, who thirsted for their blood — and it caused perhaps
disappointment to the British, that Soult's army was not over
taken, and compelled to surrender. But the reasons assigned
by the comraander-in-chief for not pursuing the enemy across
the frontier, at a subsequent period were better understood ;
and Sir Arthur Wellesley himself was perhaps the only officer
in his army, who felt convinced that it was a more complete
triuraph to drive Soult out of Portugal with such losses, " and
so crippled that he could do no harra," than to have accepted
his surrender, and undertaken the provision and security of
the French array on the Portuguese side of the boundary.
Sir Arthur asserts, in a letter to Lord Castlereagh, that he had
oraitted no measure that could intercept the eneray's retreat ;

92 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
and adds, " it is obvious, however, that if an army throws
away all its cannon, equipraents, and baggage, and everything
which can strengthen it, and enable it to act together as a
body, and abandons all those who are entitled to its protec
tion, but add to its weight and irapede its progress ; it must
be able to march by roads through which it cannot be followed,
with any prospect of being overtaken, by an army which has
not raade the same sacrifices." When the loss of military equip
ments is taken into account, the sufferings and deaths of his
raen, the nuraber of sick abandoned, the disgrace inflicted on
the French name, perhaps it will be acknowledged that the
British general was wise in being content with his triumph.
Soult had invaded Portugal, only eleven weeks before, with
twenty-five thousand raen ; he returned with but eighteen
thousand — he brought with hira, in his unjust attack upon the
liberties of that country, fifty-eight pieces of artillery, every
one of which he was obliged to abandon. Napoleon always
felt grateful to the raarshal for rescuing so raany of his best
troops, frora the snares which had been so deeply laid to sur
prise and cut thera off. When Sir Arthur Wellesley hiraself
hesitated in the chase, there the pursuit virtually ended, for
the enchantment of his presence was wanted, and even his
officers seemed to require the Ught of his countenance to
seeking out the foe. On the eighteenth, Soult escaped from
the guards as well as from Silveira's corps, and, passing the
frontier at AUaritz, on the following day entered the gates of
Orense with a plumeless helra.
Having disposed of Soult as he had originaUy intended, and
driven the French out of Portugal according to the orders he
had received, he was now informed by Major-General Mac
kenzie, through a letter of the nineteenth, that Marshal Victor
had broken up on the Guadiana, that he had attacked and car
ried the bridge of Alcantara on the fourteenth, and advanced
on Castello Branco. That post had been occupied by a small
garrison, consisting of the second battalion of the Lusitanian
legion, and the Idanha a Nova battalion of Portuguese railitia,
(rom the time when the allied array raarched to the northward.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 93
Colonel Mayne, who coraraanded this small force, withstood
the attack of the united corps of Victor and Lapisse for six
hours, and then effected a well-ordered retreat without the
loss of a single gun, but at a considerable sacrifice of lives,
one hundred and seventy having fallen of the legion alone.
The Portuguese troops generally fought well under Sir Arthur
Wellesley, and it was -his opinion, " that no troops could have
behaved better than the Lusitanian legion did at Alcantara ;
and further, that they would have held their post against the
twelve thousand enemies, had the Idanha battalion not given
way.'' Mayne attempted to blow up the bridge, but failing
in that object, the enemy's cavalry crossed immediately. Sir
Arthur, in a letter to Mr. Frere, seems rather to regret that
Sir R. Wilson had been withdrawn from the important post of
Alcantara; but surely the gallantry of Mayne left no cause for
either repentance or reproach, and Sir Arthur himself frequently
acknowledged that the defence was highly raeritorious. This
intelligence, however, quickened the movements of the British :
four brigades, which had been left at Braga, were ordered to
return to Oporto ; while the head-quarters were moved in
the same direction. Beresford was advised to form a junction
at Braga, where a conference also raight be held ; and Silveira
was left with his Portuguese, to continue the pursuit of Soult
He could not, however, have followed him hotly, or to the
Spanish borders, for it is known that hunger and fatigue would
have almost annihilated the fugitives, had not the peasantry at
AUaritz mistaken the red coats of the Swiss, for British uniform,
andy under the delusion, brought them wine and refreshments.
Sir Arthur Wellesley now marched to the southward, to
renew active operations by attacking Victor. On his arrival
at Oporto, on the twenty-second, with part of the army, his
mind was there fully employed, his diplomatic genius amply
tested, and his patience severely tried. Reraittances had been
promised frora England, but they were delayed, and, when they
did reach Lisbon, were encumbered with fiscal technicalities.
" If," said the general, "we are to carry on war in this country,
money must be sent from England ;" and in the same despatch
11. o

94 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
he complained " that he could not be certain of the subsistence
of the army, unless the Portuguese government would let him
have three or four hundred raules." At this anxious moraent,
intelligence reached him of the appointment of the Marquis
Wellesley, as ambassador-extraordinary to the Spanish govern
raent, which he did not consider to be a subject of congratulation
to his lordship or his friends. He thought the task that would
devolve on him would be most arduous, and that some time
would elapse before he would become sufficiently " au courant
des affaires to be able to form a judgment of its extent." His
next duty was that of providing the traitor D'Argenton, who
had escaped from confinement during the attack on Oporto,
with safe-conduct to England : he gave him a recommendation
to Lord Castlereagh, in which he urged the strength of
D'Argenton's claim on the British government " for such an
allowance as might enable him to live decently in England."
Sir Arthur's influence procured for him both an asylum and a
pension ; but, soon after venturing over to France, to bring away
his wife and children, to whom he was ardently attached, he
was apprehended and put to death.
A question of some difficulty next arose, but one of little
raoment, any farther than illustrating, as it does most happily,
his character for integrity, and purity of principle, of which it
is so frequently the gratifying duty of Sir A. WeUesley's biogra
pher to speak. Upon the capture of Oporto, there were several
ships, Danish, Swedish, French, and English, in the harbour,
loaded in some instances with valuable cargoes. Of this pro
perty, three thousand tons of wine belonged to the English
merchants ; and an immense collection of cotton had been
raade there by the French, and placed in charge of the French
consul. The admiral, who lay off the coast thought that all
property at Oporto should be treated as prize, and that the
army, therefore, were entitled to salvage. To this Sir Arthur
replied, that if entitled to any, he was entitled to all ; but that
Oporto being a Portuguese port, and the British acting there
as auxiliaries to his royal highness, everything taken in Oporto
necessarily belonged to that government, and not to his

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 95
Britannic raajesty's. He also argued against the policy of such
a step, as one likely to offend the Portuguese : " however con
venient it might be to me to share in this benefit rayself, I am
very unwilling (said Sir Arthur) to be instrumental in forwarding
such a claira, if it is to have the effect of putting our friends out
of teraper with us." Adrairal Berkeley and Mr. Villiers per
severed for some time longer in endeavouring to alter his view
of this question: to the former he replied by informing him,
" that as his right could only be founded on that of the army,
and would arise from their success in a joint expedition, it
followed, that until the right of the latter could be proved,
which he thought could not be done, the adrairal need not
make any application, nor complain of any injustice." In his
letter of the first of June, to Mr. Villiers, he expresses an
anxious desire to end the dispute totally ; observing, " as I am of
opinion that none of us have any claira whatever, if you are of
the same opinion, I think you had better say no more upon
the subject, except to let the government know that there is a
large property in cotton and wines at Oporto." This appeal
to the liberality and generosity of the claimants, appears to
have obtained more respect than that which rested solely
upon justice;
A contemptible, ungrateful, pitiful party, at Oporto, com
plained to our civil agent of the severity with which they had
been treated by the British commander-in-chief, who had made a
specious display of justice, by qualifying the amount he wrung
from them with the name of loan. The impartiality and gene
rosity of Sir Arthur WeUesley had long been proverbial, and
the preceding anecdote very fully establishes his title to both ;
the imputations therefore of these mendacious monopolists
were totally devoid of foundation. When Sir Arthur returned to
Oporto from the pursuit of Soult, he was miserably deficient in
money, and his raen were without every species of necessary
store: all wanted shoes, and there was not one farthing in the
chest He asked Murray, privately, whether he thought the
exposure of his distress at Oporto, by borrowing from the senate
or the merchants, would have a baneful influence upon the

96 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
raoney raarket at Lisbon ; and that gentleraan conceiving that it
would not, he applied first to the senate, who at once consented
to advance as much as they could spare, and afterwards to
the wine company. This worthless association seemed un
willing to lend one shilling to the generous soldier, who, with
his sword in his hand, had abandoned a claim to prize-raoney,
upon a doubt of his title — to an array that had recovered the
whole amount of their properly from the clutches of one of
the raost iniquitous eneraies that ever invaded an unoffending
country. Finding that their penury was precisely measured
by their ingratitude. Sir Arthur turned round, as he was
leaving their board-room, and said, " Consider the statement
I have made, and my application for assistance : if you refuse
to assist me with money, after all I have done for you, the
world, when the story shall be told, will never beUeve it."
What would have been the language of Napoleon under
similar circumstances ? " And this," says this great and upright
raan, when called upon to account for his severity to the good
citizens of Oporto, "is the amount of the dureie which has been
put on them. I beUeve I did shame them into lending us a
sum of money. After all, the sum borrowed at Oporto, for it
was not levied, amounted to ten thousand pounds, and this is
what the governraent calls ' severe.' I believe that I saved for
thera property which will sell for one hundred times that
amount : and had I waited to attack Soult till I had received
a sum sufficient to supersede the necessity of this loan, (for
which I may wait the next time my assistance is wanted), the
support of his army would have cost the tvine compaiiy ten
times the amount."
A subject accorapanied by perplexities, and encircled by diffi
culties, forced itself a second time on the attention of the
comraander-in-chief; this was the question of rank between the
English and the English-Portuguese officers. He had always
viewed this point as a subject of extrerae delicacy : he thought
that the officers in the two services should rank according to
the dates of their respective coraraissions, but that English
officers, taking temporary Portuguese commissions, should rank

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 97
in respect to British officers, according to the date of the com
mission which they held in his majesty's service. It was the
practice, when an officer was about to enter into the Portuguese
service, to advance him one step in the king's, as an induceraent
to volunteer; upon which he received, inthe Portuguese, rank,
still a step higher, and hence the disagreeable anomaly which
engendered so rauch discontent. The vexation and mental
pain which Sir Arthur felt, at this interruption to the good feeling
that should subsist amongst British officers, he thus powerfully
expressed in a letter to Mr. Villiers, " I wish to God that
Marshal Beresford would resign his English lieutenant-gene
ral's rank. It is inconceivable the embarrassment and ill-
blood it occasions. It does him no good ; and if the army was
not most successful, this very circumstance would probably
bring us to a stand-stUl." This inconvenience can hardly be
said to have applied to junior officers, but as respected general
officers, it operated injuriously to the service. Tilson, Murray,
Hill, and Cotton, were all seniors to Beresford, although, in
every case of junction or alliance in the field, Beresford took
precedence, as commander-in-chief of the Portuguese native
forces. Against this collision of rank and precedence. General
Murray appealed to the commander-in-chief, and was in con
sequence permitted to resign the command of his brigade, and
return to England, Sir Arthur, feeling it "impossible to engage
to any officer, that the troops under his command should not
be employed in concert or co-operation with any particular
description of troops." When he accepted General Murray's
resignation, he was fully conscious of the hardship pf his
situation. He had never desired to give a definitive opinion
upon this delicate, difficult point, but when called on, in
his official capacity, to act, his decision of character became
strikingly observable. Scarcely had one general-officer been
victimized by his just yet unavoidable judgment when he
reraonstrated powerfully and feelingly against the operation of
the law under the peculiar circumstances. " We take,' said Sir
Arthur "a captain from our army, make him a major, and then

98 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
a Portuguese lieutenant-colonel ; a British lieutenant, by tho
same process, becoraes a Portuguese major, and lieutenant-
colonels are raade brigadiers over the heads of all the colonels
and senior lieutenant-colonels of the British array serving in
Portugal. This rank, besides, is not perraanent, but on the
contrary, after having coraraanded their permanent superiors
in the British army, they may return to the king's service,
and be themselves commanded by those superiors." Sir Arthur
did not mean to dispute or undervalue the rank of the Portu
guese coraraission, which he asserted was on every account
deserving of respect, he only desired that the feelings of the
officers, in the British service, should be consulted for by a
proper arrangement, and a sufficient satisfaction afforded to
their minds. " Men's minds," he observes, " are so consti
tuted, that when they conceive they are injured, they are not
satisfied until the injury is removed. Dissatisfaction on one
subject begets it on others, and I should have (indeed I may
say I have, for the first time) commanded a dissatisfied army/'
He therefore prayed that the reasonable ground for dissatis
faction then existing shpuld be removed, either " by British
ofiicers entering the Portuguese service, continuing to serve
in the sarae rank which they held in that of his majesty, or,
if superior rank should be given them in the new service,
whenever they should meet British officers of superior rank,
they should receive their orders."
I'he preceding were amongst the causes of anxiety to the
commander-in-chief during his short stay at Oporto, but others
might be added, even more important to the objects of humanity,
and of the expedition generally ; perhaps none more pressing,
in the deplorable state of the army during such inclement wea
ther, and while rapidly traversing such rugged roads, than their
want of shoes. His pressing application for twenty thousand
pairs, and his request that they might, for greater expedition, be
sent by sea from Lisbon, was dated frora Oporto, the twenty-
fourth of May ; and it was to this laudable desire of obtaining,
by honourable and just means, a sufficient supply of shoes for

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 99
his poor sore-foot men, that Sir Arthur gave to the senate, and
the wine company, that meraorable opportunity of distinguish
ing theraselves by a display of gratitude and generosity, which
they so raemorably abused.
It may be uniformly observed of all Sir Arthur WeUesley's
decisions, that is, where the sentence of forgiveness or con
demnation was to emanate from himself solely and exclusively,
that they have ever leaned to the side of mercy. His opinion
on capital punishments was obtained, casually, at an early pe
riod of his life, during the campaign in India, and the cruelties,
violence, and insubordination of our Peninsular allies taxed his
patience and forgiveness much and many tiraes. A Portuguese
noble, who held the rank of captain in the army, having ab
sented himself frora the field without leave, on his return, by
order of Brigadier-General A. Carapbell, was put under arrest.
An appeal being now made to the commander-in-chief, that
huraane umpire gave a written judgment, in which he beauti
fully, yet unconsciously, draws his own great character, and
inadvertently alludes to those claims which a nation has upon
its aristocracy, and, calling the noble culprit's attention to this
example, disraisses him with a hope that the admonition may
not be forgotten. " Point out to him," said the British
chieftain, " that all the exertions of our country, all that the
valour and discipUne of British soldiers can effect, will not
save Portugal and secure her independence, unless the people
of Portugal exert themselves in their own cause : tell him it is
particularly incumbent upon the nobility, a-nd persons of
great fortune and station, to set the example of that devotion
to the service of their country, and of that strict attention to
the rules of military discipline and subordination, which can
alone render any exertions useful, and lead to that success
to which all must look forward with anxiety. Say, that I
hope the lenity with which his fault has been treated now,
will induce him to be raore attentive in future : that I shall
expect from him exertions in the cause of his country, patience
to bear the hardships of a military life, and submission to the
rules of discipline, in proportion as his rank, station, and

100 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
fortune are superior to those of others of his countrymen in
the service. — You will then release the marquis from his
arrest." Before the head-quarters broke up from Oporto on the
twenty-fifth, General Wellesley had opened a correspondence
with Cuesta, the obstinacy of whose character had been pre
viously known to him : he had endeavoured to bring over to his
assistance, in his attempt to conciliate the veteran general, the
brave Marquess de la Romana, and he felt it necessary also
to caution Major-General Mackenzie, who was in Cuesta's
country, against lending too willing an ear to the arguments
and solicitations of the Spanish chief. Mackenzie was directed
to decline affording him any hazardous co-operation, on the
plea, that his instructions and duty forbade him acting beyoud
the direct and imraediate protection and defence of Portugal.
All things being now arranged, or rather negociated, for the
advance of the main body of the British, General Wellesley
marched to Quinta de le Mealhada, and from thence to Aveiro,
which he did not reach before the twenty-seventh, owing to the
remissness of the raagistrates at Ovar and Aveiro, who failed
in supplying boatmen to transport the troops across the lake.
While he awaited the ferrying over of his horses, he addressed
a communication to Sir J. Cradock, governor of Gibraltar,
enclosing a letter from the secretary of state, directing that offi
cer to send to Portugal from his garrison, the forty-eighth and
sixty-first regiments : and a second despatch to Vice-Admiral
Berkeley, requesting that he would prepare tonnage for two
thousand men, for that particular service : at the close of this
day, the twenty- seventh. Sir Arthur returned to Coimbra, hav
ing retraced his triumphant march from Lisbon, and here head
quarters were established for a few days, for the purpose of
obtaining that rest which fatigue demanded, an ill-provided
commissariat rendered necessary, and daily increasing sickness,
amongst the young and unseasoned raen, absolutely required.
At this moment, when neglect, privations, and their natural con
sequence, disease, began to thin the ranks of the brave British,
intelligence reached head-quarters of the arrival of a reinforce-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. IOl
ment of five thousand men, ready to share in the dangers as
well as the honours of the war. " We should have felt greater
satisfaction," observes Lord Londonderry, " had the nuraber
of our recruits been doubled, but five thousand British soldiers
were not to be spoken of lightly." Thus reUeved by the
dawning of hope that arose from the ocean, and told him that
at home his labours were never forgotten, he applied himself
with all the sagg,city of a mind fruitful in expedients, and
practised in the wily ways of diplomatic agency, to bring over
the Spanish general to his views. " Cuesta was brave and
true, but old, without talent, bigoted to his own antiquated
notions, and, with the obstinacy of age, stout in his own
opinions." It was therefore necessary to use the utmost caution
not to offend his pride, or excite his jealousy. The efforts of
the general for this purpose, consisted in despatching two confi
dential officers, Lieut. -Colonels Bourke and Cadogan, to Cuesta's
, Jiead-quarters, with a respectful request to be informed of
his excellency's wishes, and directions to pay proper deference
to all his military suggestions. These officers were furnished
with a raemorandura of inquiries, to which they were to obtain
from the general satisfactory replies; the tendency of the
questions being to guide and influence the judgment of Cuesta,
and lead him, unconsciously, into the views of the British
commander-in-chief. At the close of the conference, Cuesta
consented to a line of operations, at least not contradictory to
those of the allies. It was from these head-quarters also,
that Sir Arthur Wellesley wrote, on the thirtieth of May, to
Mr. W. Huskisson, secretary to the treasury, laying before
him the distresses of the army, which had been aggravated by
continuance, and by an accumulation of debt. Upwards of
£.300,000 were then due in Portugal, arrears of pay were owing
to the troops; the money sent to Cadiz to be exchanged, had not
been returned ; the trade of Lisbon was unequal to the demand
of two raillions per annura in exchange for bills on London, and
the Portuguese raerchants were sending their whole capital to.
England, so that money should necessarily come from England,
if the war were to be prosecuted. During the halt at Coimbra,
1!. P

102 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
neither money nor shoes arrived, and the patience both of the
general and the army was, in consequence, severely put to
the test : but " this great and shameful negligence obtained
frequently throughout the war ; and there can now be but
little doubt that it was attributable rather to the villany of
some, than to the general indolence of all. This fact is dwelt
upon, on this account that it fettered the illustrious subject
of this raemoir on this occasion ; and because he was a man
of great public integrity, and with the strictest notions as to
probity and good faith in all dealings with the inhabitants of
the Peninsula, and in all engageraents made with followers;
and desirous, both as their protector and comraander, that his
soldiers, for the sake of justice and discipline, should be regu
larly paid ; it is kbown to raany who served under him, that
the neglect here spoken of weighed often and heavily, through
out the war, upon his firra and elastic raind."
To such a raind, the disgraceful conduct of his soldiers, who
seeraed unable to wait patiently the arrival of money and
necessaries, which, although they might have been thought
lessly delayed, would assuredly be brought in tirae, must have
been a source of the most painful suffering. Sir Arthur
expressed more warraly, more veheraently than usual, his
indignation at the many outrages that were committed: "I have,"
said he, " long been of opinion, that a British army could bear
neither success nor failure, and I have had manifest proofs of
the truth of this opinion, in the first of its branches, in the
recent conduct of the soldiers of this army. They have
plundered the country most terribly, which has given me
the greatest concern. They have plundered the people of
their buUocks, among other property ; for what reason I am
sure I do not know, except it be to sell them to the people
again. They behave terribly ill. They are a rabble, that
cannot bear success any more than Sir J. Moore's could
bear faUure ; but I am endeavouring to tame them." The
measures of Sir Arthur were more effectual than those of the
lamented officer to whom he alluded. He issued a procla
mation, threatening the severest punishment for robbery

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 103
and violence : he obliged the ministers of the regency to follow
his example, by forbidding the people, in positive terms, from
purchasing any thing from the soldiers of the British array.
Official coraplaints were also threatened, and the apprehension
of being sent horae in disgrace, gave further weight to these
proclaraations of the general.
While the British forces were concentrating at Coimbra,
the commander-in-chief resided at Cantahede in the imrae
diate vicinity, and although surrounded by every inconvenience,
difficulty, and distress, without shoes for his men, sufficient
money to pay them, or to liquidate the debts which the army
had contracted with the natives, while the riotous and vicious
were exciting insubordination in his camp, he reraained
unshaken as the oak in the forest, as the rock in the ocean ;
and, as the highest elevations in nature are of the hardest
material, so the lofty mind of this great commander seemed
to endure the most violent attacks of raisfortune and dis
appointment without their producing upon it any visible
impression. His firmness, decision, and prudence soon
restored to his army that respect for discipline, which had
fled for a raoment ; and his despatch from Coimbra of the
thirty-first of May, affords the most convincing deraonstration
of the cool and conscious courage of the man, and his utter
insensibility to danger or its approaches. "We are getting
on well, and I hope the government are satisfied with us. I
shall soon be in Spain ; and if Victor does not raove across the
Tagus, he will be in as bad a scrape as Soult." Such was the
language of his public despatch, when every officer in the array,
possessed of conduct, character, or right feeling, was pondering
on the ingratitude of England towards a brave army, or regretting
how that army was losing name, and risking its very existence
by violation of discipline, and by licentiousness. On the first and
second of June, Sir Arthur was stUl at Coimbra, and resolved
upon remaining there until he saw the greater part of the array
pass by, "as there were constant difficulties and distresses that
required to be iraraediately relieved :" and even in this short
space, and whUe these necessities might be supposed to have
given him ample occupation, he was endeavouring to form a

104 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
corps of guides, consisting of officers and non-coraraissioned
officers to act as interpreters between the array and the people
of the country," w/io, the general observed, ^'must show fhe
roads ;" and so minute was his knowledge, even of individuals,
that in his appUcation to Beresford for co-operation in this
design, he names a corporal in the second company of grena
diers of the thirteenth regiment, Joze Bannas, and begs
that he may be included amongst the men of good character,
capable of speaking French or English, whom he requires to
be sent to him.
On the fifth of June the head-quarters advanced as far as
Pothbal, where intelligence reached the general of the arrival
of one hundred horses from England : directions being instantly
given to examine into their fitness for service, it was found
that forage had not been delivered regularly for the horses
and mules attached to the brigades of artiUery, that they were,
in consequence, nearly destroyed, and unable to draw the
artillery farther than the Tagus. " The officers of the cora
raissariat,'' says Sir Arthur, in addressing the deputy-com
missioner-general, " will be responsible in an eminent degree,
if, owing to their want of capacity or management, I should
lose the use of the British artillery," and having thus officiaUy
admonished those, who alone were or would be culpable, he
endeavoured to provide for the serious loss of his own artillery
by requesting " Beresford to have some brigades of Portuguese
force, of that description, ready to join and do duty with the
British army on its entry into Spain." In these perplexities and
failures of the commissariat, the admiral on that station, the
Hon. G. Berkeley, tendered his assistance, and, after the raodel
of the immortal Nelson — who was just as ready to serve on land
as at sea, and gave his gallant co-operation to soldier and sailor —
expressed his wish to despatch Captain Shepheard, already
known to the reader as commander of the Brazen, to help for
ward the artiUery and equipments from the Tagus to Abrantes.
This thoughtfulness and activity were kindly answered by
stating, " that the commissariat was very bad indeed ; but it
was new, and he hoped would improve." Not too rigid in the
government of his own, his humanity to the soldiers of a

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 105
foreign prince,and that prince his eneray, should here be noticed.
Having ordered the French prisoners to be put on board the
transports and sent to England, the words in which that order
was couched establish the excellence of his heart. " You
will understand," says the British hero, "that the prisoners
must not be unreasonably crowded in these ships ; and you
will, therefore, report to me what precise number will remain
at Oporto, after you shall have sent those whom the adrairal
raay require you to send in the cavalry ships." Thomar next
received the head-quarters of the British, and it was here that
intelligence first reached Sir Arthur of Victor's having broken
up frora Caceres, and reraoved his head-quarters to Truxillo,
a town situated between the Tagus and the Guadiana.
Innuraerable reports now poured into the British camp, of
successes and defeats of allies and enemies, originating partly
with the timid amongst the Portuguese and Spaniards, but
more industriously circulated by corrupt members of the
Spanish local juntas. These false lights led Beresford and other
officers into erroneous tracks, where their hopes and their armies
would have suffered wreck, but the caution of the commander-
in-chief was equal to all dangers, and ultimately saved him
self and his followers. Reaching Abrantes, he writes to Mr.
Villiers, that "it was impossible to guess vvhat the French
are doing, accounts are so very contradictory. However, I
shall certainly raove eastward as soon as I can." In the same
communication, he expresses the utmost anxiety to visit his
noble brother the Marquis Wellesley, who was daily expected
to arrive off Lisbon in the Donegal, Captain Malcolm, and
desires that a messenger should be sent, to acquaint him, the
inoment the ship appeared in the offing, that he raight hasten
to Lisbon, by the Tagus, and receive him. Circumstances
delayed for a time the meeting of these affectionate brothers,
and General Wellesley employed every moment of the Interval
in the able and active discharge of his difficult duties.
Cuesta persevered in preferring his own plans to those of
the British general, leaving the latter the alternative of acting
by himself against the concentrated force of the enemy, if

106 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
he did not consent to accede to his visions of easy conquest :
but, by the diligence and energy of Colonel Bourke, his obsti
nacy was somewhat softened ; he was persuaded to pause a
little, in expectation of the arrival of the remainder of the
British army from the north, and persuaded, at length, not to
expose himself to certain destruction by provoking Victor,
before Sir Arthur should be in a condition to assist him.
Well-directed flattery is rarely unacceptable, and Cuesta was
not inaccessible to its addresses : the congratulations of the
English general upon the successes of his excellency's country
men in Arragon, under Blake, probably contributed to second
Bourke's efforts to soothe and soften the haughty disposition
of ^the Spanish veteran. General Wellesley also endeavoured
to assimilate his plans, as far as possible, to those of his perverse;
co-adjutor, and, on the tenth of June, they so far coincided, that
one point of difference alone remained, which was, that Alcan
tara should not be occupied by a Portuguese, but rather by a
British detachment, which should make a deraonstration on the
enemy's flank ; to this Sir Arthur could not assent, having re
solved on concentrating the British army as much as possible.
The impression, which the brilliant successes and estab
lished military fame of Sir Arthur Wellesley had produced
upon the British government, was now beginning to be
attended with that implicit confidence in his genius, and for
tune, which was calculated to lead to the most successful
results. Authority reached head-quarters, at Abrantes, on the
eleventh of June, permitting him " to extend his operations
in Spain beyond the provinces immediately adjacent to thq
Portuguese frontier," which enabled him to propose, and
entertain, new plans of operation in conjunction with Cuesta,
and he, in consequence, directed Colonel Bourke to confer
with General O'Donoju, the adviser of Cuesta, upon the
measures most expedient to be pursued after the combined
armies should have forced Victor to recross the Tagus. • At
the same time, his advice, too modestly given on this occasion,
was, " that the two armies ought to keep so near, as to be able
to afford mutual assistance, or form a junction, in case of

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 107
necessity: but in other respects to keep separate, for the sake
of subsistence.Besides permission to enlarge the field of his operations
at discretion, fresh reinforcements were sent out from England,
in addition to General Craufurd's corps, " so that," he observed
in a private correspondence, " the ball is now at my foot and I
hope I shall have strength enough to give it a good kick." Still
his operations were retarded for want of money, that high
sense of honour which characterizes his nation, impeding the
raovements of the British general, until the debts contracted
in Portugal should all have been liquidated — a sum then
amounting to £200,000. Although his courage could not
have drooped by any reverses or frowns of fortune, yet his
spirits and his temper, however stoical, must have been
severely tested. Elated by the intelligence from England, he
anxiously desired to execute his great movement against
Victor, whom he had always considered the more terrible
eneray to the liberties of Portugal, by marching from Abrantes
to Plasencia, seizing the bridge of Almarez, throwing himself
between the French and Spanish armies, and cutting off the
enemy's retreat upon Madrid. This inimitable and all-perfect
plan was objected to by Cuesta, from no other motives than
jealousy of its origin, and a general unmanageableness of temper
and conduct. Sir Arthur expressed his surprise at the vener
able hero's immoveable pertinacity, in language that strongly
evinced his disappointment. "I can only say," he observed,
"that the obstinacy of this old gentleraan is throwing away
the finest opportunity that any army ever had, and that we
shall repent that we did not cut off Victor when we shall hav e
to beat the French upon the Ebro." A pressing coraraunica
tion from Colonel Bourke, however, partially reconciled him
to his wayward fate, and induced him to address Cuesta as
follows, "As I find that your excellency is of opinion that I should
co-operate with you in an attack upon the enemy, between the
Tagus and the Guadiana, according to the plan I had the honour
of subraitting, I shall coraply with your excellency's desire, and
shall direct ray raarch upon Badajoz, as soon as I am able to

108 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
raove ray troops; and not only shall the great body of the British
co-operate with your exceUency, but a body of British and
Portuguese, under Marshal Beresford, wUl raove by Plaserfcia,
on the line which I had before proposed to take with the
British array." Many raen, of Sir A. Wellesley's rank, genius, and
power, instead of saving the obstinate old general from ruin,
would have allowed him to fall over the precipice; but he did not
hesitate to sacrifice his own feeUngs to what appeared to him to
be his line of duty, or of that policy on which the success of the
expedition possibly depended. While Sir Arthur awaited the
supplies necessary for the equipment and advance of his army,
inactivity, the bane of a large force collected at head-quarters,
again engendered misconduct in the troops, which was carried,
in some instances, to such a length, that dea,th, at the hands of
the outraged peasantry, frequently ensued. These unfortunate
and lamentable excesses were duly reported to the commander-
in-chief, whb assured the governnient, " that they might tely on
his exertions to keep the troops in order, and on his employ
ing all the power which the law had put into his ha,hds, to
punish the guilty." In thi^ emergency, h6 addressed Colonel,
(afterwards Lieutenant-General Sir Rufane) Donkin, caUlng
on him to inform the coramanding offlcers of two regiments that
were conspicuous for outrage, that if subordination was not
instantly restored, their regiments should be sent into gat'tison,
reported to his raajesty as unfit for service, and sent home in
disgrace. He desired also that Colonel Donkin would have
the raen hutted outside the town of Castel Branco, and the
rolls called every hour frora sunrise till eight in the evening,
taking care that both officers and soldiers attended. These
severe regulations, enforced with the most exact attentiori to
the orders of the coraraander-in-chief, were instrumental in
restoring that good understanding, which had previously existed
between the army and the peasantry, by ensuring an adherence
to subordination on the part of the forraer. " '•! '
That the obstinacy of General Cuesta did not originate in
a feeling of conscious rectitude, ora confidence in any superior
abilities which he conceived himself to possess, but in a blind

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 109
and perverse disinclination to be guided by the leader of a
foreign army, will be presently shown ; here it will be sufficient
to observe, that the precise plan which he sternly, stubbornly
rejected, as wholly inapplicable to the position of the armies,
he will be seen immediately embracing with avidity, as the
sheet-anchor of his hopes, and the only mode whereby hie
array could be saved from certain destruction. Of this incon
venience Sir Arthur Wellesley coraplains to Lord Castlereagh.
" My correspondence," he writes, " with General Cuesta has
been a very curious one, and proves hira to be as obstinate as
any gentleman at the head of any army need be. He would
not alter his position even to ensure the safety of his array,
because he supposed this raeasure raight be injurious to hira
self, notwithstanding that this alteration would have been part
of an operation which raust have ended in the annihilation of
Victor's array, if he stood our attack ; or, in his retreat through
the raountains of Arzobispp, with the loss of all his cannon
and baggage, if he went away. I coraplied because it was
urged that the safety of Cuesta's array depended upon it. The
best of the whole story is, that Cuesta, in a letter of the
twenty-seventh of May, which I did not receive till after I had
written to him to propose my plau of operations, proposed the
sarae plan to rae, with very little alteration.
While Cuesta, bigoted to his own narrow views, continued
to dispute with the general of his allies, Soult was breathing
again in Gallicia ; and Victor, having heard of Soult's failure,
resigned the strong post at Alcantara, which Mayne iraraedi
ately occupied, and, retracing his steps, took up a central posi
tion at Torre-raocha, between Alcantara, Merida, and Truxillo.
Victor was somewhat infiuenced in this last step by the news
of Mackenzie's activity, who had at that raoraent advanced
to Sobreira Forraosa. He had taken the precaution to leave
a garrison in the castle of Merida, while he raade that feint
in favour of Soult; and Cuesta, who was ever arabitious of
doing something, no matter how insignificant, sent forward a
detachment frora Llerena, and invested the place during his
absence ; but, on the re-appearance of the enemy, the assaulting
II. Q

110 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
party raoved off, repassed the Guadiana, and took up a posi
tion at Zafra.
Cuesta now fixed his head-quarters at Fuente del Maestro,
on the eneray's left flank, and raoved his advance to Calemonte
on the Guadiana. Victor was also disturbed bythe proximity of
a Spanish force in the valley of the Tagus, whose presence ren
dered hira apprehensive of interruption to his coramunication
with the other marshals, and with the capital ; and, to guard
against any accident on that quarter, he detached a strong
party frora Torre-raocha, to watch the bridge of Almarez.
Sir Arthur Wellesley's original plan for the destruction of
Victor's army, was to have made a movement through Castello
Branco and Plasencia to the bridge of Almarez, by which the
enemy would have been intercepted ; but he was obliged to
surrender his judgraent to the infatuated opinion of his co-adju
tor, by which Victor was permitted to escape from the snare,
and elude the attack of the combined armies of England, Spain,
and Portugal. The only reparation Cuesta could make was,
to pursue and harass the French; but this he performed so
ineffectually, that, with little inconvenience, Victor raarched
on Talavera de la Reyna, resigning to his wrong-headed
pursuer the post of Alraarez.
It was now confessed that the British coramander-in-chief
either understood the art of war, or at least was correct in his
suspicions as to the moveraents of the eneray in their late
position ; and an experienced officer has remarked ; " that the
plan rejected was now approved of; " and on the twenty-seventh
of June, Sir A. Wellesley, breaking up from the carap of
Abrantes, coraraenced his march towards the Spanish frontier,
moving by both banks of the Tagus, and on the first of July,
head- quarters reached Castello Branco : thence their route was
extended through Coria, while a flanking brigade, under
General Rufane Donkin, explored the country between the
Tagus and Zarza la Major, and on the eighth the British
fixed their head-quarters at Plasencia.
The force with which Sir Arthur undertook to relieve Spain
frora French intrusion, by uniting with Cuesta on the banks

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. HI
of the Tietar, and co-operating with him in an offensive
movement on the capital, araounted to twenty-two thousand
effective men, exclusive of the eight thousand left in garrison
at Lisbon. The Spanish force under Cuesta at Almarez was
returned at thirty-eight thousand, independent of the twenty-
five thousand worse disciplined raen under Venegas in La
Mancha. In the south of Spain, there existed also an arniy
of sixty-thousand fighting men. The real strength or true
position of the French corps was unknown to Sir Arthur
Wellesley when he arrived at Plasencia: on his left rose a
bold ridge of mountains that shut out all prospect of Leon and
CastUe; but he had not forgotten, that on the other side of
that high chain, twenty thousand French still Ungered, broken
in spirit, yet easily exasperated, and capable of being rallied
once more around their standard by the veteran whp then
shared in their discomfiture. This knowledge was sufficient
to excite apprehension in a mind so thoughtful and cautious
in providing against chances ; and, as artillery could be con
veyed by two passes only, those of Perales and Banos, although
Soult had lost all his in the flight to Orense, he directed
Beresford to protect that flank, observe the movements pf the
enemy, and defend the Puerto Perales, while he applied to
Cuesta for a force sufficient to guard the pass of Banos.
This request was granted in a manner ungracious and absurd,
after rauch reraonstrance, and by sending only six hundred
men, and those provided with but twenty rounds of ammuni
tion per man. It was one of those intuitive measures which
occasionally emanate from great minds, Uke brilliant corusca
tions, which dictated the guarding of Perales and Banos, as
Sir Arthur was ignorant of the presence of fifty thousand
disciplined troops on the other side of the hills, led by Ney
and Soult, just concentrated at Zamora. He had heard that
Mortier was advancing from Arragon with fifteen thousand
men : the latter inteUigence was derived from General Fran
ceschi, who distinguished himself so much in the pursuit to
Corunna, by his frequent skirraisheg with the British hussars,
but was now taken prisoner under the following extraordinary

112 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
circumstances. SouU, in his distresses after 'the race of Orense,'
despatched Franceschi to Madrid, to put the intrusive king
into possession of the real and altered position of affairs in
Portugal, since Sir A. Wellesley had taken the command of
the aUies. Refusing any other escort than his aides-de-camp.
Captains Antoine and Bernard, he set out upon his raission ;
but reaching TordesiUas, he turned frora his route, to visit his
friend Marshal Mortier, when he was raet near the ferry by
a Capuchin friar and ten Spaniards, who imraediately raade
hira their prisoner. The friar conducted his captives across
the mountains, in order to deliver them to the supreme junta
at Seville, and, it was in passing the British head-quarters
at Zarza la Major, that Sir Arthur had an opportunity of
conversing with the prisoner, and examining into the pur
port of Soult's despatches, which represented the condition '
of his array as deplorable.* Franceschi, indignant with for
tune, was frequently heard to ejaculate, " O comrae c'est
pitoyable pour un general d'hussars d'etre pris par un Capu
chin 1"
The continued frustration of his wisest plans, by the deter
rained obstinacy and blindness of Cuesta, decided the British
coraraander upon seeking a personal interview with him, and
endeavouring, by conciliatory raeans, to obtain a raore cordial

• " Being transferred to Seville, the central jimta, with infamous cruelty,
treated him as if he had been a criminal, instead of a brave soldier, and con
fined him in a dungeon at Carthagena. The citizens there, ashamed of their
government, endeavoured to effect his escape ; but he perished at the moment
when his liberation was certain. When his young wife, a daughter of Count
Mathieu Dumas, heard of his fate, she refused all nourishment ; and, in a few
days, by her death, added one more to the thousand instances of the strength
of woman's affections." — Napier. During the few moments which Franceschi
passed in Sir A. Wellesley's presence, he manifested much anxiety that his
wife and family should be informed of his safety, although a captive. A few
days after, the commander-in-cliief humanely complied with the unhappy
prisoner's wishes, and wrote to Mr. Flint, saying, " I shall be much obliged
to you, if you will convey this intelligence to Madame Franceschi de Somme,
through Holland, according to the accompanying address." Franceschi was
the prisoner of Spaiuj so that Sir Arthur's communication was wholly uncon
nected with any duty, but that of a man of feeling.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 113
co-operation than had hitherto existed between them. For this
purpose, leaving his head-quarters at Plasencia on the tenth
of July, Sir A. Wellesley and Lieutenant-General Stewart pro
ceeded towards the Spanish camp, near the Col de Mirabete.
As they approached the flying bridge which the Spaniards had
thrown over the Tietar, they were met by an escort of hussars,
belonging to the regiraent of Villa Viciosa, well mounted, and
superior in appearance to any other corps in the Spanish
service. In conducting their visitors towards the bridge of
boats upon the Tagus, the guides lost their way, and the party
did not reach the camp before night-fall. This accident was
a subject of regret to all parties, but particularly to the veteran
Cuesta, whose whole force had been drawn out to receive Sir
Arthur, while himself, though still labouring under the effects
of injuries received in the battle of Medellin, mounted on his
charger, reraained nearly four hours at the head of his raen,
in raoraentary expectation of the British hero's arrival. When
the trarap of the horses gave notice of the near approach of his
illustrious visitor, a general discharge of artillery took place,
and an infinite number of blazing torches were held up ; by
the red and flaring light of which. Sir Arthur was enabled to
behold the entire Spanish Une, as he passed with his suite in
review.* About six thousand cavalry were drawn up in rank entire.

• The Marquis of Londonderry, who accompanied Sir A. Wellesley on this
occasion, gives the following interesting account of this review by torch-light.
" The effect produced by these arrangements was of no ordinary character. As
the torches were held aloft, at moderate intervals from one another, they threw
a red and wavering light over the whole scene, permitting, at the same time, its
minuter parts to be here and there cast into shade : whilst the grim and swarthy
visages of the soldiers, their bright arms and dark uniforms, appeared peculiarly
picturesque as often as the flashes fell upon them. Then there was the frequent
roar of cannon, the shouldering of firelocks, mingled with the brief word of
command, and rattling of accoutrements and arms, as we passed from battalion
to battalion : all these seemed to interest the sense of hearing to the full as
much as the spectacle attracted the sense of sight. Nor was old Cuesta him
self an object to be passed by without notice, even at such a moment and
under such circumstances as these. The old man preceded us, not so much
sitting on his horse, as held on by two pages— at the imminedt hazard of being

114 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
and twenty battalions of infantry, each consisting of eight
hundred men. The remainder of Cuesta's force was employed
in guarding the floating bridge on the Tagus, the passage at
Arzobispo, and the Puerto Banos, Although the individuals
of this irregular army were well-proportioned, handsome,
hardy-looking raen, not inferior in manliness of aspect to the
soldiers of any array in Europe, they were raiserably deficient
in clothing, accoutrements, and discipline. They had not
been taught to handle their fire-arms properly, and this
awkwardness in the array generally, becarae raore obvious from
the contrast, which was unavoidable, with the Irish brigadej
and some battalions of raarines frora Cadiz, and the wreck of
those fine grenadier corapanies that fought so bravely, but
unfortunately, at Medellin, who were entitled to a high railitary
character. Thus the infantry possessed arms, but were
ignorant how to use them ; the cavalry were tolerably mounted^
hut understood nothing of raiUtary raovements; the artiUery was
numerous, but incapable of being moved with celerity, either
in action or retreat : the generals, like Cuesta himself, were
chosen with reference to seniority alone, and, with the exception
of O'Donoju and Largers, were too aged and infirm for a
railitary life. Such was the state of discipline, and such the
general who commanded ; such the efficiency of the Spanish
army of co-operation, with which the disciplined ranks of
the British were to associate, and risk the contagious effect of
insubordinate example. How must the calm, clear, weU-
regulated mind of their general have shuddered for the con
sequences : and yet this review was not unattended with its
advantages, as Sir Arthur from it must have gathered a truth
useful to be ascertained in time, namely, that if Spain was to

overthrown whenever a cannon was discharged, or a torch flared out with
peculiar brightness : indeed, his physical debility was so observable, as clearly
to mark his total unfitness for the situation he then held. As to his mental
powers, he gave us little opportunity of judging : inasmuch as he scarcely
uttered five words during the continuance of the review ; but his corporeal
infirmities alone were at variance with all a general's duties, aud showed that
he was fit ouly for the retirement of private \\fe.".~Nitrrative, Vol. J. p. 382.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 115
be recovered from the French, it was by British valour alone
that conquest must be effected.
The grand and certainly imposing spectacle of a review
of thirty thousand men by torch-light, being concluded, the
generals alighted at " a wretched hovel," casa del Puerto, and
on entering, Cuesta, who was overpowered by fatigue, retired
to rest until eleven o'clock, when he returned and joined his
guests at supper. His raanner being singularly taciturn, he
took but little share in the conversation, and he is represented
as having carried this Moslem habit into his railitary govern
ment which was conducted on a system of silence and terror.
His personal hatred of tbe French procured for" him the most
boundless confidence and regard from the Spanish people, and,
to strengthen this feeling of reliance on his animosity to his
enemies, he invariably hung every traitor to his country that
fell into his hands. The silence of Cuesta was habitual, and
therefore disconnected with want of respect for his guests,
whora he treated with the highest considerations of esteera,
affection, and honour. After breakfast, on the forenoon of the
eleventh, he presented his aged generals, one by one, to Sir
Arthur Wellesley ; but the ceremony took place in perfect
silence, and with the formality of a levee. This further mark of
respect being paid, the general conducted Sir Arthur into an
inner apartment and there remained in conference for four
hours, during which O'Donoju acted as interpreter, secretarv-,
aide-de-carap, in arranging a future plan of operations fer
the corabined armies. At three o'clock the whole party sat
down to a dinner of at least forty dishes, each of which was
strongly impregnated with garlic and onions, after which
Cuesta retired, according to the fashion of his country, to the
enjoyment of his siesta, while Sir Arthur and Gen. Stewart
raounted their horses, and visited those regiraents, by the un
equivocal light of day, which they had seen but imperfectly by
the torches' partial glare. On the raorning of the twelfth.
Sir Arthur, having first received the embrace of the aged chief
tain, returned to his camp at Plasencia.*
* The capital of Estremadura : it is a large town, seated on the river
Xerto, which is here crossed by two bridges, aud enclosed by Moorish walls.

116 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
At this conference Sir Arthur Wellesley proposed that an
attack should be made on the enemy's posts on the Alberche,
by the combined forces, then under the comraand of the British
and Spanish generals; that ten thousand raen should be detached
in the direction of Avila, to turn the eneray's right ; and that
Venegas, having driven Sebastiani across the Tagus, should
next pass the river at Aranjuez or Fuente Duenas, and threaten
Madrid, then only a few hours' raarch frora him, by the
eneray's left To these arrangeraents Cuesta objected, by
insisting on the projected detachraent to Avila being drawn
from the British, although much fewer in number than his
own, and consenting to spare only two battalions of infantry
and a small cavalry force, which, in conjunction with the Por
tuguese brigades under Sir Robert Wilson's comraand, should
raarch on Escalona, and coraraunicate with the left of the
British. So far only could Cuesta be induced to accede to
Sir Arthur's plan of operations for the opening of the Spanish
carapaign, and his obstinacy has deservedly called down upon his
narae the unqualified censure of historians. The effects of his
perverseness are justly regretted ; the cause, however, adraits of
extenuation. Cuesta, one of the raost upright, loyal, and gal
lant raen that Spain had ever produced, had been iraprisoned
by the junta, on suspicion of treason : he did not seek revenge,
but he always gave an unwilling obedience to the orders of
that unjust and corrupt body: to shield theraselves from the
power and indignation of the injured soldier, the junta con
tinually heaped honours upon Blake ; and when the defeat at
Belchite had lowered his high renown, they transferred their
affections to Venegas. Besides these secret machinations, these
unworthy raeans of depressing the character of one ^lonourable
raan, by elevating that of his rival, Cuesta had another eneray
to contend with, raore wise, raore influential, and raore per
severing ; that was Mr. Frere, who persisted in his iraportu-
The houses are on so large a scale, that two thousand soldiers found accom
modation in one of them. The mountains that encircle the site of the town
are oftentimes capped with snow, a commodity which is here sold at a high
price, for the purpose of cooling lemonade and creams. Chocolate is manufac
tured here extensively ; and this being also a place of considerable trade, the
army were enabled to procure a fresh supply of shoes.

Pa.Lii.ted by Ja^ AiJiLn3cn,'E£"q.

En^raT^ i "by "vV . H.Cook.

Tin: R'' ]-10i\i'J7- GEORGE JITZ- C J.,\m-.N CE, EARL OT MU N STll.K, &c &c.

FISEtfiE., SON & CO LONDON. 1833

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 1 17
nities to have the Duke of Albuquerque employed in the
imraediate vicinity of Cuesta's array, but at the, head of an
independent force. These circumstances, in addition to a
temper naturally morose, rendered more so by years and
bodily sufferings, are amongst the excuses that may be
pleaded in extenuation of Cuesta's unwillingness to be guided
by the Spanish junta or the British general, and of his having
regarded the recoraraendations of both with suspicion.
With the approbation of the Spanish junta, it was at length
decided, that the British array should break up frora Plasencia
on the seventeenth and eighteenth of July, and form a junction
with the Spanish raain body at Oropesa on the twentieth ;
crossing the Tietar,* at the Venta de Bazagona, passing
Talegula and St Julien, this part bf the agreement was
punctually performed. On the following day, Cuesta went
through with his army,f pausing, however, sufficiently long to
review twenty thousand British troops, which were drawn out
for his inspection, and with the fine appearance of whora he
expressed hinlself highly gratified ; then pushing rapidly for
ward, he collected almost his entire force at Velada. Beresford
and the Duke del Parque, with nearly twenty thousand men,
guarded the north side of the valley, wholly unconscious of .the
powerful force then collected on the other side ofthe mountains :
'* The passage of the Tietar was readily accomplished, Captain Tod, of the
Royal Staff Corps, having, in a most ingenious manner, constructed a solid
bridge there, in a few hours, from the materials of an old house,.which he
pulled down for the purpose, united with some pines from a neighbouring
wood. . , ,i , ,. .
+ " On the twenty-first the two commanders dined together ; and, in return
for the military spectacle which Cuesta had afforded Sir Arthur, the British
iroops were drawn up in the evening for his inspection. The mounting on
horseback, to proceed to the review, showed how ill-fitted was Cu«sta for the
activity of war. He was lifted on his horse by two grenadiers, while one of
his aides-de-camp was ready on the pther side to conduct his right leg over
the horse's croup, and place it in the stirrup ! Remarks were whispered at
the moment, that if his mental energy. and activity did not compensate for his
bodily infirmity, Sir Arthur would find him but an incapable coadjutor.
Cuesta passed along the line from, left to right, just as night fell, and we saw
him put comfortably into an antiquated, square-cornered coach, drawn by
nine mules, and proceed to bis quarters. " — Earl .cf Munster' s Campaign.
II. n

118 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF ,
Cuesta and Sir Arthur had taken up their positions, Venegas
and Sir R. Wilson had each undertaken their respective duties,
and all were now in perfect readiness to drive in those divisions
of the eneray, which occupied Talavera, to their position on the
left bank of the Alberche. The raeans by which Victor obtained
such accurate inforraation of the allies, is still involved in rays
tery, and the suspicion of treason alone affords a clue. Aware
of the advance of his enemies, he strengthened his posts at
Talavera, supported the column opposed to Sir Robert Wilson
at Escalona on the Upper Alberche, recalled his foraging par
ties, altered in a masterly manner his line of retreat from the
Madrid to the Toledo road, thereby securing his junction with
Sebastiani, removed his artillery from St. Ollalla to Cevolla, and
concentrated his infantry behind the Alberche. As the allied
arraies were advancing in two colurans towards the eneray's
posts at Talavera, Cuesta, raoving along the high road,
was the first to come up with their rear-guard. This body,
consisting of two thousand cavalry, under the comraand of
Latour Maubourg, formed boldly on the table-land of Gamonal,
sustained a heavy cannonade, and actually compelled the Span
iards, under General Zayas, to deploy into hne, and even then
it continued to check their advance. But the British array,
which had taken a road through the mountains nearly parallel
to the Spanish line, beginning to appear, Latour Maubourg
retired leisurely, and with little loss, behind the Alberche.
This affair will serve to illustrate equally the courage and dis
cipline of the French, and the folly and indiscipline of our allies
the Spaniards. Several batteries and six thousand horse were
brought against the French general, without producing any
apparent disposition to retreat, until he found that his left was
turned by the first hussars and the twenty-third light dragoons,
under General Anson, and directed by Lieut.-General Payne,
and by that division of infantry under Major-General Makenzie,
and that his centre was driven in by the Spanish advanced-
guard, under the comraand of Zayas and the Duke of Albu
querque, after he had corapelled the silly Spaniards to expose
their real strength. On this occasion the British lost eleven

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 1I9
horses, by the eneray's cannonade from their position on the
Alberche, and a three-pound shot was fired, with such good
aim, at Sir A. Wellesley, that it cut off the bough ofa tree close
to his head. Sir Arthur's columns were in readiness to attack
the enemy's position on the twenty-third, and a general plan
was agreed on, but when the British were about to march, at
five o'clock in the morning, their sanguine hopes of glory and
conquest were dissipated, by a blast that the keenest perception
could not have foreseen, nor the raost delicate frame have been
sensible of its approach; and this was, that Cuesta and his
staff had not arisen frora their slurabers, and that in short, it
was his deterraination* not to attack the eneniy until the next
day. This unfortunate decision, for which Sir A- Wellesley
conceived there were good and valid reasons, " it is probable
originated in treachery, but not that of Cuesta, for it is certain
that Victor corresponded with the Spanish general's staff, and
that the discussions of Sir Arthur and Cuesta were known, at
his head-quarters, in twenty-four hours after their occurrence.
Cuesta appeared on former occasions to have been under the
influence of his aides-de-camp and raiUtary friends, while he
distrusted both the junta and the British, and at the con
ferences between the generalissimos, a staff-officer on each side
alone was present. The character of the British nation, if not
of the British soldier, will be accepted by the world in proof
of the unspotted innocence of Sir Arthur's attendant ; the state
of society in Spain at that time, as well as the moveraents of
Victor, all contribute to starap the brand of infaray upon the fore
head of the Spaniard. After the junction of Latour Maubourg
* " The old man (Cuesta) finally objected to fight that^day,'alleging,'amongst
otber absurd reasons, that it was Sunday." — Napier. " Offering, among
other reasons, his objection to fight on Sunday ! — a strange objection, which
even the sound sense of a converted chief, in one of the islands of Polynesia,
not many years ago, forbade him to entertain ; as if a struggle on the Sabbath-
day against those who had desecrated the altars of Spain, and stained her
hearths with blood, was not a permitted and a sacred duty." — Sheerer. " So
unaccountable was this conduct in Cuesta, that it had been supposed he
scrupled at fighting upon a Sunday." — Southey. From the following note, which
is attached to the original MS., of "a memorandum of operations " contained

120 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
with the Duke of BeUuno, the latter, as if in utter couterapt
of his pursuers, remained inactive during the whole of the
twenty-third, although his right and his centre were exposed,
the Alberche in front, being fordable; such tiraidity could
h ardly have arisen frora any other source than a well-founded
knowledge of his eneray's intentions. But Lord Londonderry,
himself an actor in the scene, and who writes its history in a
style simple, natural, and with the very operations of each day
present to the narrator, says, " For my own part, I thought
the French never entertained the least idea of fighting, pro
vided they could escape with sorae credit, and all their plunder.
They kept the ground on the twentj'-third to reraove their
baggage, and because they conceived the whole British force
could not yet come up, (the Spanish they wholly disregarded);
and they retired the very first opportunity that presented itself
after the accoraplishraent of their objects." This is a natural
and reasonable explanation of Victor's conduct but affords no
interpretation of Cuesta's delay, to which Lord Londonderry

in Sir A. Wellesley's despatches, and dated Badajoz, ninth December, it is obvi
ous, that the preceding statements are incorrect — " All the discussions upon the
subject, and the misrepresentations, show the difficulty of serving the British
public, and the small degree of satisfaction any foreign officer has in co-operat
ing with the British troops. General Cuesta chose to delay the attack to the
twdnty-fourth, for which delay there were not wanting good and valid reasons:
but no such reasons are conceived, or are allowed to exist. A lie is invented
and circulated, viz. that the twenty-third was Sunday, and then Sir Arthur
Wellesley is abused for being the author of the lie. There was, however, a
curious circumstance attending this transaction, which shows the nature of the
war in Spain, and the deficiency of the intelligence by the Spanish general
officers, and that is — that although Sir Arthur Wellesley suspected it on the
evening ofthe twenty- second, and made preparations accordingly, it was not
positively ascertained till the morning of the twenty-third, that the whole
French army was at Casalegas : and yet the videttes of the outposts were
within shot of each other, and the narrow river of the Alberche alone divided
the armies ! ! I The French must, in the night of the twenty-third, have
acquired from our army the knowledge of our intended attack." — Wellington
Despatches, Vol. V. From the style of the preceding observations, and the
information they convey, their author is easily identified, and Cuesta's fidelity,
in this instance, at all events, sufiiciently ftrcertained.

;THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 121
acknowledges the preservation of Victor's corps is solely to be
ascribed. During the afternoon of the twent5'-third, a Spanish officer
reported, that the French guns were withdrawn from the
heights beyond the Alberche, and that the enemy appeared
making preparation for retreat This intelligence induced
Cuesta to lay aside his apathy for a moraent, and, shaking off
the lethargy that oppressed hira, he entered his coach, drawn
by six horses, and proceeded to the British camp, to express
his readiness to attack the foe on the following raorning ; but
scarcely had the prelirainary measures of reconnoisance been
comraenced, when he threw hiraself down at the foot of a tree,
and in a few raoraents was wrapped in sleep. He awoke, how
ever, like Jove frora his slurabers, prepared to hurl his thunder
bolt with still greater force ; but the golden opportunity was
lost : Victor's array like " hope's feathered arabassadour," had
flitted ; the tents, the huts, the standing but deserted carap, as
the picturesque pillars of sorae olden city, just told that inha
bitants had once been there. Cuesta appeared surprised at the
retreat ofthe eneray, — Sir Arthur felt no astonishraent, but much
chagrin. Victor probably anticipated the precise feelings of both,
for he had been accurately informed of the intended movements
of the allies, and regulated his accordingly. He withdrew
during the night, on the Toledo road, to St. Ollalla, and moved
thence towards Torrijos, and even farther towards Bargas, in
order to form a junction with Sebastiani. Victor had learned
also of Sir Robert Wilson's arrival at Escalona on the twenty-
third ; and the accuracy of this information enabled hira to
save his column, and alter his line of retreat.
Cuesta now presumptuously, and too late, followed the
retreating army, on whose raoral or physical strength a
Spanish array could have little prospect of making any irapres
sion ; while Sir Arthur, frustrated in his boldest, best design,
by stupidity, perverseness, bigotry, and fraud, declined further
co-operation : planting a division of infantry at Casalegas, under
General Sherbrooke, to keep up the coraraunication with
Cuesta — another at Cardial, on the Alberche, to raaintain free

122 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
intercourse with Sir R. Wilson at Escalona — he halted the
main body of his army at Talavera. Here the situation of
the British commander was painful in the extreme : he had
crossed the frontier on his own responsibility, but at the
earnest solicitation of the Spanish junta, and that menda
cious assembly now totally neglected to furnish raules, mode
of transport for the railitary stores, or necessaries for his
army. He reminded the junta " that he expected to derive
that assistance in provisions and other raeans, which an array
invariably receives from the country in which it is stationed,
more particularly when it has been sent to the aid of that
country ; yet, for two days, the twenty-third and twenty-fourth
of July, while the array was on forced raarches, the raen had
nothing to eat, although he had engageraents frora the alcaldes
of villages in the Vera de Plasencia, to furnish his troops with
two hundred and fifty thousand rations before the twenty-
fourth : — that the French were well fed, as the healthy state of
the prisoners that the British took, fully proved ; and the
Spanish army wanted for nothing. WhUe those who did nothing,
and those who inflicted injury, were well provided, it was absurd
to suppose that the British, on whom every thing depended,
should be actually starving." With this misfortune, Sir
Arthur manfully charged hiraself: "No raan," said he, "can
see his army perish by want without feeling for them ; and
raost severely must he feel, who knows that they have been
brought into the country in which they suffer this want, by his
own act, on his own responsibility, and without the orders of
any superior authority." Under these circumstances, Sir
Arthur, as fearless of retreat as of advance, informed Cuesta,
that he considered the engageraent entered into with hira to
be faithfully accoraplished, by the removal of Victor frora the
Alberche ; and, if the Spanish general possessed energy enough
to take advantage of the crisis, he would be, enabled to obtain
possession of the whole course of the Tagus, and establish a
coramunication with La Manca and Venegas. Not to pass
the Alberche until the promised supplies arrived, was the
fixed resolution of General Wellesley ; and, to hasten the tardy

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 123
measures of the alcaldes, and stimulate the proceedings of
the junta, he talked of returning altogether into Portugal; his
coraraission frora his country, "to rid Portugal of the French,"
being executed in the raost entire manner. Cuesta appeared
to regret the inactivity and dishonour of his governraent, but
in reality he hated and despised thera, and, pursuing the
eneray, in the fullest expectation of recovering Madrid un
aided by the British, he left Sir Arthur to quarrel with the
junta, with a cold assurance of respect for his honour and
ability. Suddenly, however, the junta becarae raore active,
apologized for the supineness of the magistrates, and even dared
to raention truth, fidelity, and honour, as terras with whose
iraport they were farailiar. SuppUes at length arrived, but not
before the villany and the falsehood of the junta had received
a check, which threw thera back upon their ill-used allies, for
that protection which their own arras were unable to afford.
It raay be remembered, that, by a plan of operations sanc
tioned by the junta, Venegas was directed to move on Fuente
Duena, and threaten Madrid, and, in fact. Sir Arthur's posi
tion on the Alberche was held principally with a view to the
protection of that general : but scarcely had the Spanish officer
marched on his destined route, than he received secret instruc
tions from the junta not to advance on the capital, but, on the
contrary, to remain inactive, with a view to save that corps for
their own objects, while the British were to be exposed and
sacrificed to the clouds of French soldiers that were now
thickening around them : of this last fact, however, the British
were then wholly unconscious. The false moveraents of
Venegas were soon noticed by Sebastiani, who, placing two
thousand troops in garrison at Toledo, deceived Venegas,
whom he had been observing closely near Madrilejos, and
effected a junction with Victor's corps. King Joseph also,.
who had, on the twenty-second, been inforraed that the cora
bined arraies of his eneraies were concentrated at Talavera,
setting out from Madrid with his entire force, three thousand
excepted, who were left in the Retire, moved towards Casa
legas. On his route, he was informed that Sir Robert Wilson

124 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
was at Escalona, with a strong detachraent ; which rauch
increased his fears, and induced Jourdan, who accompanied
him, to repeat the orders given to Marshal Soult, that he
would raove on Plasencia by forced marches. Advancing still
further, he was met by couriers, bearing intelligence of Victor's
retrograde moveraents ; which caused Joseph to alter his line of
march, take the Guadarama for his guide, and follow its course,
by which raeans he fell in with Victor on the twenty-fifth. The
junction of Joseph's forces with those of the Duke of BeUuno,
placed a forraidable army, upwards of fifty thousand strong,
with ninety pieces of artillery, behind the river Guadarama.
Joseph, relying both on the numbers and steadiness of the
troops he had collected around hira, and justly confiding in the
genius of his general, resolved to act on the offensive, and
accordingly, on the twenty-sixth, he advanced with that inten
tion, from Burgos upon Torrijos.
Cuesta hastily, haughtily, heedlessly pursued the French,
expecting to run over or along with thera into the streets of
Madrid, nor heard the warning voice of Wellesley, who fore
saw the danger of such a pursuit, from the total inequality
of discipline and raoral force between the contending arraies.
The French at first baffled the Spaniards, who followed thera
to Cevolla, by the Toledo road, and then by the Madrid road to
El Bravo : but frora this place, Cuesta, although he had already
begun to suspect that sorae latent danger existed, raoved on
Torrijos. The objects of Sir Arthur never being irapeded by
vanity, folly, or enthusiasra, he had, on the very first cora
raenceraent of Cuesta's rash pursuit, taken measures for his
ultimate preservation ; and, although he was unable to save him
from exposing hiraself to the storra, he had prepared an asylum
for hira to run into and take shelter, should he be able to reach
it The position of the British at Casalegas vvas central with
regard to Talavera, Escalona, and St. Ollalla ; so that Sir
Arthur retained the power of easy coramunication, both with
Cuesta and Sir Robert Wilson.
The operations of the combined arraies had, hitherto, been
conducted successfuUy, owing to the extrerae caution of Sir

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 125
Arthur W^ellesley, and the terror of his name, which will be
found henceforth to operate as rauch for the advantage of
the allies as the ruin of the enemy, yet under the most
entire ignorance of their position, strength, or intentions.
The comraanding mind of Napoleon was not limited by the
confines of those kingdoms he was overrunning, but ex
tended the benefit of its prudent counsel to the heart of the
Peninsula. Accurately inforraed of the events in Portugal
and Spain, burning with a desire to revenge the disgrace of
Roleia, Vimeira, and Oporto, which he conceived could only
be done with honour to Soult by the destruction of Wellesley,
the emperor wrote from his head-quarters, at Ratisbon, to the
Duke of Dalraatia, then lingering near Zamora, informing him,
that the English general, being perfect master of the art of
war, would operate on the line of the Tagus, would beat each
French corps in detail, and then creep into Lisbon. " In that
case," said the eraperor, "fall on his flank and rear, and
crush hira." Frora the perverseness and pride of Cuesta, the
stupid cowardice of the central junta, and the inactivity of the
alcaldes in forwarding supplies, had Napoleon hiraself being
at the head of Soult's corps, the attempt would have been
raade ; in which case possibly the result of Waterloo might
have been anticipated, and the lamentable effusion of blood
which foUowed have been averted. It is true, also, that fate
might have decided the trial otherwise. Soult immediately
communicated the purport of the emperor's despatch to king
Joseph, adding, that he was ignorant of Wellesley's exact
position, but had no doubt he was seeking to form a junction
with Cuesta in order to act along the Tagus. Soult proposed
to the king, to lay siege to Ciudad Rodrigo, and menace
Lisbon, in order to bring back the British to the north of
Portugal, and, confiding in the wisdom of his own suggestions,
actually detached Mortier in the direction of the former place.
Weakened by the separation of Mortier's detachment, Soult
directed Marshal Ney to bring up the sixth corps to Zamora;
but this veteran, bursting with indignation at Soult's being
placed at the head of the three corps d'armees in the Peninsula,
II. s

126 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
declared that it would be highly iraprudent to uncover Leon
and Astorga, and peremptorily refused to obey Soult's orders.
Disturbed by Ney's disobedience, he sent forward a division
of cavalry and infantry to Salamanca, to explore the way ; and
being now, that was on the tenth of July, when the British
were marching on Plasencia, convinced that Wellesley had no
intention of acting north of the Douro, he followed his ad
vanced guard to Salamanca.
Time had somewhat mitigated the anger of Ney, who was
now persuaded to place himself under Soult's orders, and co
operate cordially in all his plans. Joseph, who had been as
incredulous of the approach of the British, as they were
ignorant of the concentration of three great corps under as
raany able generals, being pressed by Soult to accede to and
support the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, replied, by the advice of
Marshal Jourdan, that he approved most entirely of the able
plans of the Duke of Dalmatia, but was not in a condition to
comply with his deraands : he begged that a reinforceraent of
ten thousand men might be sent to Bonnet and Kellerman, to
enable thera to hold the Asturias, and keep open a line of cora
munication and retreat into France. A.gainst the king's instruc
tions Soult strongly reraonstrated, assuring his intrusive
majesty, " that the war could not be finished by detachments,
and, frora his personal experience of the fact, it was only by
large masses they could hope for success against the British."
This much-lauded opinion of the Duke of Dalraatia, was by
no raeans novel, nor established by his single exaraple. Adrairal
Nelson had long before given his decided judgraent upon the
coraparative individual value of French and British sailors ; and
Sir A. Wellesley had actually delivered his written conclusion
to the same effect, during the campaign of 1809. Adopting his
plan of bringing masses of men into the field, " in order that
there might be enough to be killed, enough to be taken prisoners,
and enough to run away," he now drew in Mortier's division
to Salaraanca, and thus concentrated in that vicinity a force
of fifty thousand raen, with their cavalry-posts pointing to the
passes of Banos and Perales. And such was the strength and

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 127
such the situation of the French army on the day that Wel
lesley passed the Tietar, in total ignorance of all the eneray's
movements, although he had placed Beresford and Del Parque,
to guard those very passes ; and, as the peasantry were sup
posed to be favourable to the British, it might naturally have
been expected that they would have given them intimation of
their danger.
Notwithstanding the supcess of Soult in drawing together,
so secretly, this forraidable force, he still felt disinclined to
attack the British lion until all the hunters were asserabled,
and he again called on Joseph to advance, saying, " We should
assemble all our forces, both on the Tagus and on this side,
fall upon him all together, and crush him." This appeal was
not the dictation of courage or confidence, but, on the contrary,
resembled a cry for help. The conduct of Joseph, on assur
ance ofthe real position of the allied army, has already been
mentioned ; as well as his junction with Victor, and assem
blage of an army behind the Guadai^ama, of about the same
strength as that under Soult and Ney. On the raorning of
the twenty-sixth, Cuesta, who was either raadly or obstinately
brave, and had followed the dangerous phantom too far,
now perceived the precipice to which it had led him, and
endeavoured to retire from its brink: but the demon had
marked his prey too securely, and when the marshal turned
to regain the asylum which his generous ally had provided
for him, he felt the horrible clutch of a raortal foe. The
French suddenly rushing across the Guadarama, fell furiously
upon the Spaniards, drove them out of Torrijos, and foUowed
closely in their rear to Alcabon. Here Zayas, a brave and
able officer, drew up four thousand infantry, half that number
of horse, and eight guns, and for some time kept Latour
Maubourg with the French cavalry in check ; but, on the
appearance of the enemy's infantry, the Spaniards turned their
backs, and ran towards St. Ollalla. Thither they were pur
sued with unabated fury, and a dreadful havoc had comraenced,
when the Duke of Albuquerque, who had solicited the honour
of leading his division to the support of the vanguard, advanced

128 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
against Maubourg, arrested the sabres of his cavalry, and
inflicting severe chastisement on Maubourg's division, saved
Zayas from complete rout, and perhaps preserved the whole
army from the deplorable influence of a panic. The fortunate
and gallant interposition of Albuquerque enabled i Cuesta to
prepare for, and to execute a retreat towards the Alberche in
better order. At the moment that Zayas was flying before the
French cavalry, Cuesta's artillery and stores lay scattered in the
streets of St. Ollalla, and the ways were actually blocked up
with carts of bread ; the comraissaries fled, and the raen were
seen everywhere throwing off their accoutreraents, and preparing
to abandon the whole of the railitary stores to the eneray, if,
by so doing, they raight only preserve their lives. This reckless
rabble thus saved frora death, and put once raore into pos
session of their property, held on their irregular raarch for
twenty railes, while Albuquerque had received the eneray
with swords so sharply pointed, that they deeraed it iraprudent
to renew the attack upon hira, until their numbers were
strengthened, and the courage of their defeated troops recovered.
His object being attained, by the safe retreat of the main
body, Albuquerque drew off his cavalry, with whom the
French exhibited no disposition to deal again. The distance
to the British head-quarters was sufficiently great to allow
breathing-time to Maubourg, and admit also of his overtaking
the rear of the Spaniards, but he was a second time, and in a
sirailar manner, encountered by a body of British cavalry, under
General Sherbrooke, who sallied frora his post at Cazalegas,
and placing himself between the hunters and their prey, saved
the victims from immolation.
Sir Arthur had always viewed the conduct of Cuesta as
presumptuous and rash, and looked for his return every hour
after his departure ; that return, however, would never have
been accoraplished, but for the gallantry of Albuquerque, to
whora the general entrusted the sraallest authority with the
utraost jealousy, and the check given to the pursuers by General
Sherbrooke, who had been placed in that position by Sir Arthur
Wellesley, to obviate those difficulties which he had foreseen.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 129
The Spaniards now bivouacked on the left bank of the Alberche,
and as the enemy were approaching, the cord of coramu
nication between the allies was drawn still tighter by the
strong hand that held it, for it was evident the enemy were in
such force, that a battle could not be delayed rauch longer.
Sir Arthur, therefore, crossing the river, entered Cuesta's
hut and with much difficulty persuaded hira to bring his
army over the river, take up a position on the right of the
British, arid co-operate more sincerely and sensibly in future
with his allies. While the Spaniard was yielding to the solici
tations of Sir Arthur, the French cavalry caught his eye, as
they steadily advanced, and took up the position which Sher
brooke as calmly abandoned, being recalled to the head
quarters of the British. Cuesta looked around over the barren
plain included between the Alberche, the Tagus, and the hills of
Salinas, and feeling that his position was too weak to be held
against so powerful an enemy, consented to reraove his carap,
withdraw frora his injudicious bivouac, and, while it was yet
practicable, take up his aUotted ground near Talavera, where
Sir Arthur had resolved upon again establishing the supe
riority of his military genius to that of Napoleon's most fortu
nate generals. The zeal with which General WeUesley dis
charged even the collateral branches of his duty, or what he
felt to be such, is very strongly attested by an anecdote related
of his interview with Cuesta on this occasion ; it is said, that
so warmly did the British hero plead the cause of his own
army, of Cuesta's, of the Peninsula, in order to bring the
veteran to a sense of his duty, that when he was leaving the
hut, Cuesta turned to his staff, and said, " Well, I have con
sented, but I first made the Englishman go down on his
knees."

130 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF

CHAP. IIL

Skirmish at casa de salinas — sir Arthur wellesley narrowly escapes beinq
MADE PRISONER — PANIC IN CUESTa's ARMY — DESPERATE ATTACK UPON THE SIERRA DE
MONTALBAN — BATTLE OF TALAVERA — THE BRITISH ARMY IN IMMINENT DANGER, AND
THE CONTEST DOUBTFUL — THE BATTLE RESTORED BY SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY's FORE
SIGHT AND DECISION — THE FRENCH SIGNALLY DEFEATED, AND OBLIGED TO RECROSS THE
ALBERCHE — EXTRAORDINARY MARCH OF THE REINFORCEMENT UNDER GENERAL CRAU
FURD, AND ITS ARRIVAL AT THE CAMP OF THE ALLIES — MISCONDUCT OF THE SPANIARDS,
AND CRUEL PUNISHMENT INFLICTED ON THEM BY CUESTA — DESCENT OF SOULT BY THB
PASS OP BANOS INTO THE VALLEY OFTHE TAGUS — SIR A. WELLESLEY MARCHES AGAINST
THE ENEMY, WHO HAD THEN THREE CORPS D'ARMEE CONCENTRATED AT PLASENCIA —
CUESTA INHUMANLY ABANDONS THE BRITISH HOSPITAL AT TALAVEEA TO THE ENEMY,
AND RETIRES UPON OROPESA — AFFAIR AT ARZOBISPO — INGRATITUDE OF CUESTA TO THE
ALLIED ARMYr— SIR ARTHUR REFUSES TO ' CONTIWUE TN SPAIN^RETTRES ACROSS THE
TAGUS, AND TAKES UP A POSITION WITHIN THE PORTUGUESE FRONTIER — THE BRITISH
ARMY VISITED BY SICKNESS.— 1809.
By virtue of his genius Sir Arthur Wellesley assumed the
cbmraand of the allied arraies, on the twenty-seventh of July,
1809, and proceeded to place his forces in an attitude of
defence, having perceived that the enemy were resolved and
eager to attack hira. The position which he considered most
desirable was in the imraediate neighbourhood of Talavera
de la Reyna ; and Cuesta having consented to occupy the
ground allotted to him, Sherbrooke was directed to return
with his corps to its station in the line, while Mackenzie, with
a division of infantry, and a brigade of cavalry, remained as an
advanced post in the wood, on the right of the Alberche, which
covered Sir Arthur's left flank. The position taken up by the
troops on this occasion extended rather raore than two railes ;
the ground upon the left, where the British array was sta
tioned, was open, and coraraanded by a height forraing the
first range of the Sierra de Montalban, on which was placed,
en echelon, a division of infantry under the orders of Major-
General HiU. Beyond the left of the British line, a vaUey,
watered by the Portina rivulet, a tributary to the Tagus at
Talavera, separated the eminence which Hill occupied frora

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 131
the Gata raountains, a range apparently too distant to have
any influence on the expected action, and thence passed along
the whole front of the aUied array ; besides which, it was
coraraanded by the height just raentioned as in the occupation
of the extreme left of the allies. Here the British were placed
in front, exposed to the fire of an enraged and vindictive
enemy; but as the commander-in-chief was aware that his
countrymen desired the post of honour, he knew they would
not shrink from that of danger. That knowledge of character
displayed in posting his British troops was again exhibited, in
the cautious disposition of his Spanish allies ; and never was
a judgraent raore prophetic than that which Sir Arthur had
forraed, nor a prophecy raore entirely fulfilled than his, by the
raisconduct and timidity of his allies. The right of the line,
consisting of Spanish troops, was placed in front of the town
of Talavera, extending down to the river Tagus on which
their right fiank reposed ; while their left rested on a mound
occupied by a large field-redoubt, and having a brigade of
British light cavalry posted behind. Their front was covered
by ditches, felled trees, mud walls, embankments, various
other obstructions, and by a spacious convent ; while their
rear and left flank were protected by a thick wood, in which
stood a large raansion-house. The high road leading frora
the bridge over the Alberche', was coraraanded by a heavy
battery in front of a church, which was occupied by a body of
Spanish infantry. All the avenues to the town were defended
in a sirailar raanner ; the town was occupied ; and the reraainder
of the Spanish infantry forraed in two lines, behind the banks
on the road which led, frora the town and the right of the
entire line of the allies, to the left of the British. Had the
British general taken the Spaniards under his protection,
with the proraise of fighting for thera rather than with them,
he could not raore faithfully have redeemed his pledge ; for
now the position of the Spaniards was almost impregnable,
their nurabers, their disorder, their persons, concealed from
view of the enemy ; they could only be assailed on the left
by cutting down the British, and from the right by forcing a
passage through the fortified streets of Talavera. In the

132 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
event of defeat no alternative was left to his own soldiers but
captivity or death, while for the Spaniard a retreat was open
through the town of Arzobispo, or through the wood on
Oropesa. " In this position," says Colonel Napier, " they
could not be seriously attacked, nor their disposition be even
seen : and thus one half of the line necessary to be occupied
by the allies was rendered nearly impregnable, and yet held
by the worst troops." Sir A. Wellesley only reposed confidence
in the Spaniards apparently, or as far as the uncomproralsing
pride of Cuesta and the success of the expedition compeUed hira
to do; and that he both prophesied truly, and regretted the
hard necessity, appears frora an observation in his letter of the
eighth of August to the secretary cji war, it is : "I hope my
public despatch will justify me from all blarae in the eyes Pf
his raajesty's rainisters, excepting tliat of having trusted the
Spanish general in any tiling.
Brigadier-General Alexander Campbell was posted on the
British right, tpuching the left; of the alli.es, and at the spot oix
which Sir Arthur had commenced to forra a redoubt; the rear
of Carapbell's infantry was supported by Cotton's brigade of
dragoons and some Spanish cavalry. Sherbrooke's division
stood on Campbell's left behind whom Mackenzie, on his com
ing up, was directed to form a second line ; the German legion
was placed to the left still; Donkin's division was next in suc
cession ; and the extreme left, the key of the British position,
was entrusted to the str(jpg hand and. stronger heart of General
HiU. Such was the plan, and such the position subsequently
taken up in the eventful battle of the twenty-eighth, when the
British brought into the field twenty thousand troops ; Cuesta
was at the head of thirty-five thousand raen, forraing a rabble
rather than a regular corps; and the combined army possessed
here one hundred pieces of ordnance. To oppose this force,
the braver part of which were raw and inexperienced levies, arid
the more numerous totally undisciplined, the enemy had fifty
thousand veterans well armed, equipped, and provided, led by
king Joseph in person, whose judgment was assisted by
that of Marshals Victor, Jourdan, and Sebastiani.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 133
While the raain body of the allied array were taking up their
allotted positions, Major-General Mackenzie and Colonel
Rufane Donkin's brigades of infantry remained in advance,
in the woods at Casa Salinas, and supported by a strong
body of cavalry, under Anson and Payne, drawn out upon
the plain between the wood and Talavera. It was about
two o'clock on the afternoon of the twenty-seventh, when
Mackenzie's division, owing to their having kept no patroles
in front were surprised by the advance of two columns of
the eneray's forces headed by Lapisse and Ruffin, which had
forded the Alberche, pushed gallantly into the wood, and, by
the suddenness of the assault, threw the British brigades, which
consisted of young battalions who had then seen fire for the
first time, into such confusion, that one part actuaUy fired upon
the other ; and the whole were dislodged frora their cover iu
the wood, and driven into the plain. At this moment every
officer was thrown upon his personal courage, presence of
mind, and just sense of military discipline, to illustrate the duties
of a soldier in the moment of peril ; and never were the expec
tations of their country more fully responded to. Although
the eneray had actually penetrated between Mackenzie's two
brigades, and a fatal crisis was impending, the officers kept the
men in their new position until Sir Arthur Wellesley, who
had witnessed the affray from the surarait ofthe Casa, where he
had been raaking observations, rode up to them, and by his pre
sence alone restored the fight. Instantly the stubborn old forty-
fifth and the fifth battalion of the sixtieth, presented a beautiful,
compact, and perfect array ; and coraing to the support of the
disconcerted corapanies, completely checked the enemy's pro
gress, and covered their companions' steady retreat. This re
covery was effected principaUy by the prudence of Sir Arthur
Wellesley, although in his despatch of that date he has given
all the honour to the brave Mackenzie, with whose conduct
"he had particular reason to be satisfied," and never once
mentions the fact of his having personally directed those
raoveraents by which the division was brought off. The
omission is the raore reraarkable in this particular instance,

134 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
because Sir Arthur was not only present, but narrowly escaped
being made prisoner by the eneray. Having ascended to
the surarait of the Casa, he perceived the approach of the
French, saw them fall impetuously on his men, and noticed
that the latter faltered ; this was sufficient ; instantly
descending, he had only time to raount his horse when the
battle was pushed to the Casa, which feU into the hands of the
eneray the next instant after he had escaped from it. " Had
he been taken at that moraent, or had Marlborough, a century
before, been recognized and detained when he fell into the
hands of a French partisan on the Meuse, how differently
would the latter days of Napoleon and of Louis the Fourteenth
have closed ! and how different at this hour have been the
condition of England, of Europe, of the world !" The reserved
division now fell back, crossed the plain, passed the Portina
strearalet and took up their ground — Mackenzie in the second
line, in the rear of the guards, and Donkin to the left of the
Gerraan legion on the hill, which he found unoccupied, and
which completed the assigned position of the allies.
Aniraated by this success, which was so far signal, the
British having lost in the affray at Salinas upwards of four
hundred raen, Victor advanced across the Alberche, passed
through the plain, took possession of an isolated hill directly
in front of Donkin, and opened a heavy cannonade on
his brigade, then on the British extrerae left and at the
sarae time made an attempt with his cavalry, supported by
voltigeurs, to discover the true position of the Spanish
infantry, which the plan of Sir Arthur Wellesley had concealed
from him. Scarcely had the French horseraen shown thera
selves, and a few pistol-shots had just been discharged, to
rouse, as they iraagined, the lion that was slurabering or
crouching in his lair, when ten thousand Spaniards, raaking
one, discharge of sraall arras, broke through the rear ranks,
threw away their arras, and sorae, actually raounting the artil
lery-horses, fled away towards Oropesa. Amongst the earliest
fugitives was General O'Donoju, and suspicion even tarapers
with Cuesta's fame. The panic, however, although originating

Ea^OTea Vj W. Holl.

GEl^TEIlAI, SIR RTTFAE"E SHAWE DOISTKIN, K.C B & G. C. H.
SUIWEYOR , GENEEAL OF THE OHDITABCE

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 135
m no explicable cause, was spreading far and wide, when Sir
Arthur Wellesley advanced at the head of a smaU detachment
from Carapbell's division, flanked the main road, encouraged
those Spaniards who stood their ground, to return the enemy's
fire, and drove off the eneray with considerable loss. Cuesta,
recovering from the contagion of a panic, directed the most
active of his cavalry to pursue, head, and turn the fugitives,
in which they were tolerably successful, bringing back several
thousands to their position during the night ; but, on the day
of the battle of Talavera, the Spanish force, which impeded the
operations of the British army, was six thousand less in number
than it had been when first drawn up. In this scene of
uninteUigible, unpardonable cowardice. Colonel Napier says,
" some English officers also disgraced their uniforms."
As night begun to throw her deepening shades over those
green hills that were soon to be stained with the blood of
thousands, the irapetuous eneray pushed along the valley of
the Portina in front of the British Une, leaving the affrighted
Spaniards to the recovery of their courage, Victor having
directed Ruffin and ViUatte to attack the heights on the left of
the British position, and ordered Lapisse to raake a diversion
in favour of that raovement hy a feigned assault upon the
Gerraan legion. Donkin, who then occupied this iraportant
post, received the vigorous charge with a cool and steady
front not yielding one foot of ground ; but his left was turned
by the still increasing numbers who rushed up the hill, and
passed on without further resistance to the surarait, which was
in his rear. This erainence was the position originally destined
to be occupied by General Hill, but, by sorae accident, he had
not yet taken up his ground, so that Donkin was exposed to
the attack of the eneray in a post which was untenable, unless
the hill behind were also occupied by the British. The courage
of Donkin corapensated, for a brief space, for his want of
strength, but now HUl was proceeding to his position, the
value of which all parties were aware of, and was engaged in
giving orders to the colonel of the forty-eighth regiment to
advance, when a ball from the summit passed close by him.

136 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Imagining that it raust have proceeded from some British
stragglers, idly or wrongly employed, accompanied by Brigade-
Major Fordyce, he rode briskly up to inquire into the cause,
and was soon astonished at finding himself surrounded by the
enemy. Fordyce was instantly put to death, and a grenadier,
who had inflicted a wound upon General HiU's charger, had
eagerly seized his bridle, when the general, striking his spurs
into the sides of his bleeding horse, caused him to plunge
forward, with such violence, that he broke from the grasp of
the Frenchman, and, galloping down the steep, gained in an
instant the ranks of the twenty-ninth. Hill did not fail to
make a quick and profitable use of the liberty he had almost
miraculously recovered, by heading the advancing column,
and returning to the support of Donkin with such vigour and
deterraination, that the sounds of the death-dealing pieces of
the eneray were in a raoment succeeded by the loud shouts of
exultation raised by Hill's division, who had completely dis
lodged the enemy, and driven thera down into the ravine in
front of their line. The beaten foe-raen fell back upon
Ruffin's columns, that were rapidly coraing up to their relief,
and which would have arrived earlier, but frora the difficulty tif
finding their way through the ravine ; and now the whole united
force of the French advanced, opening a destructive fire upon
the British left then rushing rapidly up the hill, renewed the
struggle for the old point of contest The firing ceased, the
clash of naked steel alone was heard in the stilly silence of the
night; then burst forth again those glorious cheers, which
British soldiers raise so high and heartily in the moraent of
victory, and soraetiraes even at the approach of death, but which
now too surely told the eneray of his defeat The echoes of
the loud hurrah rang through the valley, tossed from hill to
hill untU they reached the Spanish carap, harbingers of hope
to many timid hearts in that great array, while the sounds of
the enemy's rausketry iu solemn murmurs died away.
This bloody skirmish cost the British about four hundred
meu, and it is believed that the loss of the French, during the
twenty-seventh, could not have fallen rauch short of one thou-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 137
sand. Lapisse had added little to the amount of slain, having
discontinued his feint against the German legion, as soon as he
perceived the total failure of the attack on the British left,
where, faUing back across the Portina, the French seeraed
wlUing to rest frora their work of death, although it was an
occupation with which that array had long been farailiar, while
the allies continued to keep possession of the ground which
their general had chosen for them — but under arms, and ready
for the contest. The disappointraents of the preceding day by no
raeans diminished the hopes of Victor, or checked his desire to
get possession of Hill's position; and, having obtained permission,
from king Joseph to make a third attempt on that point at
daybreak on the following morning, he prepared a plan of attack
under the conduct of Ruffin, Lapisse, and Latour Maubourg.
This last rash effort of Victor was strenuously opposed by
Marshal Jourdan, who was of i opinion, that the Spaniards were
too securely posted to be affected by any attack or raoveraent of
the French : that the right of the British was protected by the
redoubt between thera and the Spanish, by the rugged ground
in the valley that separated the armies^ and by their strength
of numbers ; and, that the French having already failed to make
an Impression, although many lives had been lost in the attempt,
on the left which was the weakest part of the allies' line, he
considered it would be more prudent to wait for Soult's arrival,
partial enterprises leading to no important results.
During the, night of the twenty-seventh, while Victor was
plotting the deaths of thousands, friends and enemies, both
armies bivouacked upon the field, the cavalry amongst their
saddled steeds, with bridle-rein in hand, the infantry around
their numerous watch-fires. The return of light on the
morning of the twenty-eighth, was announced by the discharge
of a whole pare of French artillery from the opposite heights,
which swept the British ranks towards the centre and the
right while three regiments of infantry in columns of batta
lions, ascending in two divisions on either side of the hill,
and reaching the summit closed firmly with Hill's^ brigade.
The struggle was now maintained with an obstinacy, courage.

138 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
and vehemence never exceeded : the heavy guns of the French
coraraitted havoc in the British centre, while the light ord
nance of the allies were unable to raake an equivalent reply ;
under cover of the fire, the infantry reached the top of the hill,
but there its fury could no longer be directed ; which left the
British to the free exercise of personal bravery, and of this
high quality they soon gave Victor sufficient proof. The
difficult and broken ground, on the front of the hill, separated
the corapact masses of French soldiers as they ascended, and
whenever that occurred, a little band of British heroes advanced,
struggled with the party detached, nor ceased till either was
corapletely overthrown. So close did the corabat at length
become, that the bayonet's sharp point reraained sole arbiter
of the day. This weapon in the hands of a Briton uniformly
excites a panic amongst his eneraies, and scarcely had the
order been given to charge with bayonets, than the French grena
diers began to give way ; retiring steadily at first, they still
kept the issue doubtful, but finding the British pushing too
hard, they actually flung theraselves over the brow into the
ravine below, where many of them miserably perished. In
the defence of this point,' the brigades of TUson and R. Stewart
signalized themselves particularly : frequently their raen stood
waiting, firm as the raountain rock, until the eneray carae within
a few paces ofthera, when they advanced in close phalanx, and
threw thera down the hill : and this desperate effort was repeated
until the French declined the contest The loss of the British
was again considerable, that of the eneray frightful, and had the
coraraander-in-chief extended his left across the ravine, or had a
body of cavalry been posted on the rivulet on Hill's left few of
Ruffin's party, that attacked on the morning of the twenty-
eighth, would have returned to their line. Besides Fordyce,
who was kUled at General Hill's side in this last affair,
Brigade-Major Gardner feU, and HiU himself was sUghtly
wounded. In consequence of the repeated atterapts upon the
height on which the British left reposed. Sir Arthur determined
upon rectifying his error, in leaving that wing exposed, by
placing in the valley two brigades of British cavalry, supported

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 139
on the rear by the Duke of Albuquerque with a division of
Spanish horse. This raoveraent was answered by a corre
sponding one on the part of the eneray, who placed a body of
light infantry on the raountain above the British cavalry ; to
which General Wellesley again opposed a division of Spanish
infantry, under Carap-Marshal Bassecourt.
The darkness of the preceding night had interrupted the
conflict for a few short hours, and given to the half-faraished
British array, a brief and broken rest : the heat of the raid-day
sun now suspended the battle, allowing three hours only
for the performance of various sad but necessary duties. The
dead were now removed, the araraunition waggons replenished,
the wounded carried into hospital, and the lines re-formed.
King Joseph took advantage of the awful pause, to hold a
council of war, and demand the advice of his Generals Jourdan
and Victor : the former gave it as his opinion, that as Wellesley
had strengthened his left, it was now too late to think of turn
ing that wing ; his front had always been impregnable, and no
alternative remained but to await the approach of Soult and
the result of his operations. Victor, on the contrary, declared
that the French would be unworthy of the railitary renown they
enjoyed, if the force under king Joseph should prove unable to
drive General Hill frora his position. Joseph was incapable of
deciding upon the raerits of either opinion, and was influenced
only by the apprehension of incurring Napoleon's indignation :
but before his indecision could have worked raore ruin, inteUi
gence arrived that Soult could not possibly reach Plasencia
before the fifth of August, while Venegas was actually threat
ening Madrid. The capital was the bauble which deluded
his iraagination, and the recollection of its pageantry over
powered his weak raind : he decided therefore upon attacking
the allies, of whose defeat Victor seeraed certain, and then
turning back to succour his chief city.
Sir Arthur Wellesley held his council of war alone, on the
highest point of that raeraorable hill, for the possession of
which so many brave lives had been sacrificed. Here, as he
sat upon the grass, roUing his keen glance along the columns of

140 LIFE AND CA^MPAIGXS OF
the enemy, and playing over in forethought the hazardous
game of war. Colonel Donkin rode up at full speed to inform
him, " that it was the Duke of Albuquerque's conviction
Cuesta was betraying the British." This startling intelligence
did not produce any alteration in the direction of Sir Arthur's
gaze ; he never withdrew it from the object of his contemplation,
and, without the slightest change in the expression of his
countenance, replied, " Very well, you may return to your bri
gade." "Donkin," says Colonel Napier, " returned, fiUed with
admiration of the imperturbable resolution and quick penetra
tion of the man : and indeed Sir Arthur's conduct was, through
out that day, such as becarae a general upon vvhose intrepidity
and vigilance the fate of fifty thousand raen depended."
While the intrusive king and his veteran officers were
asserabled in conclave, and disputing acriraoniously upon the
raost effectual and unerring raode of " crushing Wellesley" —
while the single-rainded hero sat alone upon the surarait of the
blood-stained hUl, pondering upon the best raeans of frustrating
the great eneraies of his country, of Europe, of raankind — the
wearied soldiers of both arraies straggled down in numbers to
the banks of the Portina rivulet, which went its murraur
ing course along the bottom of the ravine that separated the
contending armies, and there indulging in the refreshment of
laving both hands and face, and slaking their thirst within a
few feet of each other, these brave foemen held an unconscious,
unpremeditated, honourable truce ; and those hands which had
but one hour before been raised in mortal strife, were
now extended with noble generosity, forgiveness of personal
injuries, and admiration of valour and constancy of purpose,
even in an enemy. These exchanges of national feeling,
these rautual acknowledgraents of the highest virtue, passed
in a still and solemn hour. They were accompanied by a
mysterious and inexplicable degree of enjoyraent, which the
survivors raust have reraerabered long after the occasion which
gave it birth had died away ; and neither party exhibited a
desire to resurae preraaturely the sanguinary duty from which
they paused ; but, allegiance or loyalty was not shaken for a

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 141
second, the roll of the drum, the call of the trumpet the roar
of the signal-guns, recaUed thera from their trance, their delu
sion, the raist of leisure, alraost of happiness, that enveloped
thera ; and, without a farewell word, though raany were dooraed
to raeet no raore on earth, hastening up the front of the
opposing hUls with a rapidity almost inconceivable, the crowd
that just now filled the banks of the rivulet all along the glen,
was marshalled under the respective banners of their nations,
prepared to deal death to those, from whom, a few moments
before, they had parted in that apparent spirit which humanity
in vain labours to realize.
A little before two o'clPck, Victor's rayrraidons being reas-
serabled under the wings of the imperial eagles, the signal to
coraraence the havoc' was given, and Sebastiani with the fourth
corps was distinctly seen by General Wellesley, descending
the opposite hill at a rapid pace, and, with the usual impetu
osity of French soldiers, dashing across the rugged ravine
that divided ihe arraies, and, falling upon Carapbell's division
with the most treraendous imjiulse ; and accorapanying it with
loud yells indicative of raaddened courage, they fairly grappled
with an English eneray, to whora they had been always
taught to believe themselves superior. The fatal error, how
ever, was soon disclosed: the Fi'ench attacked in column, an
arrahgerrient, the viciousness of which Sir Arthur Wellesley
had often clearly shown to the raarshals of Napoleon; while
the British received thera in line,* with strict orders to reserve
their fire until the heads of the eneray's column almost touched
• " This system of Lord Wellington was opposed to foreign theories, and
particularly to French practice, who always attacked in column, and deployed
on the crest of the position, if they ever arrived at it, where the men were
generally blown, and, from being under fire, necessarily performed this nice
operation under disadvantageous circumstances. The French attacks at
yimeira, Talavera, Busaco, and Sorauren, from acting on this principle, were
defeated. The British, in their attacks at Salamanca, Vittoria, the Nive,
Orthez, and Toulouse, having previously deployed into line, carried the
enemy's positipBs. At Waterloo, also, the whole ofthe French attacks were in
column, and they were signally defeated : the advance of the British infantry
was in line, and the result we all know.'-' — Ohservations on theGeneral Orders^^c.
II. U

142 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
their front rank; this direction being strictly obeyed, the
instant the French had gained the level of the British line, a
close volley was poured into their dense raass, with a degree of
precision that astonished even the veteran legions of Gaul, and,
on attempting to deploy into line, and thereby evade partially
the galling and fatal effects of a repetition, they becarae
exposed to a furious volley of rausketry frora Mackenzie's
brigade, that threw thera into the utraost consternation. Nothing
could exceed the sudden and ruinous consequences of this
discharge upon the flanks of the French colurans ; their accus
tomed tactics, in which they had been trained to conflde, as
emanating from the greatest warrior of the age, proved
unsuited to those of the British army ; the courage of their
enemies was at least equal to their own, and their national
spirit was more rationaUy founded, therefore less, liable to
effervesce and evaporate. Campbell seized on the opportunity
created by Mackenzie's prompt attack upon the enemy's flank,
and, breaking in upon the wavering and shattered military
structure, raade frightful havoc amongst its ranks. Encouraged
by this brilliant example of British intrepidity, two regiments
of Spanish infantry, and one of cavalry, now became eager for
the fight, and, irapatient of restraint they boldly advanced
against the exposed flank of the eneray, from their position on
the right and completed in the raost signal manner, the over
throw which Sherbrooke and Mackenzie had so well begun, by
driving the disorganized raasses of men before thera down
into the valley, araidst a terapest of bullets frora the whole
right wing of the British army. Reaching the bottom of the
hill, they atterapted to rally, and finding that Mackenzie 4id
not pursue, actually raade a deraonstration of renewing the
attack ; but their hopes were in an instant given to the winds,
by the incessant play of artillery from the redoubt, and the
close, continued, and steady volleys of musketry from the
British lines. The whole French column, like the wounded
gladiator reeling from the stupor of a raortal blow, staggered,
fell, and confessed the victory.
So far the British were conspicuously victorious; and, were

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 143
national military prowess to be decided by the attack and
resistance in this instance, the British infantry evinced a
decided superiority : but the destruction of this day was not
confined to the centre of the line: the left vvas assailed at
the same time by Villatte's division, and Ruffin was directed
to renew the attack upon Montalban, the hill of blood,
for which the French had fought with so much desperation,
but in vain, for nearly four and twenty hours : against these
advancing columns, the twenty-third light dragoons and the
first German hussars were ordered to make a charge, and start
ing at a canter, then increasing their speed with their growing
impetuosity to raeet the foe, they rode headlong forward with
such an accelerated velocity, that the greater part of the twenty-
third fell over into a chasm, which, frora the rate at which they
were advancing, had not been perceived, and the raost frightful
confusion consequently followed. Arentschild, an experienced
officer, who coraraanded the hussars, foresaw the danger,
reined his steed, and enabled his raen to recover the govern
raent of their horses, caUing out, in his iraperfect English,
"I will not kill my young mens;'' but Colonel Seymour riding
wildly forvvard, was foUowed, as such a noble example generally
is, by his devoted regiment, and in the melee that occurred,
was severely wounded. As the survivors of this deplorable
accident arose from the dell, singly or in small groupes. Major
Ponsonby " a hardy soldier," called to the untamed spirits not
to despair, and, collecting the fragments of that onee fine regi
nient galloped through the very centre of Villatte's squares
amidst a shower of bullets, and fell upon Strolz's brigade of
French chasseurs with such a shock as to rend that raass in
two, and penetrate corapletely to the opposite side. Here,
however, the splendid career of this brave Briton, with the
remnant of his regiment, was terminated ; his numbers thinned,
their horses blown, and half terrified by the accident at the
ravine, a body of Polish lancers and Westphalian light-horse,
that now came to Villatte's relief, rendered the conflict so unequal,
that the shade of the brave twenty-third at length deigned to
withdraw, and to conceal its eraaciated forra behind the Spanish

144 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
division of Bassecourt, leaving in the hands of the eneray, and
on the field of death, two hundred and seven of their number.
The attack on Hill, who, like the fabled figure of security,
held the key of the British position, altogether failed ; Carap
bell had been victorious in the other wing, but the centre of
the line was subraitted to the severest trial, and there in fact
the battle of Talavera was fought Lapisse's coluran crossed
the ravine, and, under cover of a battery of heavy guns, to
which the British could raake but a faint reply, advanced with
the loud shrill shouts of conquerors, up to the very beards of
Sherbrooke's ranks, in which frightful gaps were broken by the
raurderous playing of the battery, which was not raore than half
cannon-shot distant Concealed by the clouds of sraoke that
enwrapped his ranks, Sherbrooke withheld his fire until he
saw distinctly the object of his aira, so that when the signal was
given, every rausket told, and the debt due to Lapisse's artillery
partly paid : then uttering a loud hurrah, the guards, in the
excitement of the raoraent, added to the desire of avenging the
deaths of their corarades that had fallen around them frora the
distant fire, and flushed with their first success, charged instantly
with the bayonet, turned their assailants into flight, pursued
thera hotly but inconsiderately down the hill, across the vale,
and up the opposite bank. But Victor was not inattentive to
the operations of his line in any part of its length, and, bringing
up his reserve, he forced Lapisse's division to re-for,ra, turn,
and attack the guards in front, while the cannonade, at a still
shorter distance, assailed one flank, and a body of dragoons
was just about to fall upon the other. The guards now in
turn gave way, and, falling back in great disorder upon their
position, spread the contagion of derangeraent so far into the
ranks of the Gerraan legion, that the British centre appeared to
be irrecoverably broken, and victory seeraed uncertain on which
side she would fling the laurel wreath. There are eventful
moments in the life of every great man, but especially of a
general in the field of battle ; it is in a raoraent that quick
death comes, or certain victory ; and such critical periods, in the
brief career of each distinguished personage, in the histories of aU

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 145
nations, are those which like chemical tests have ascertained
real character, and established either its purity or baseness.
Sir Arthur Wellesley had foreseen the consequences of the
inconsiderate advance of the guards, and, duly honouring the
gallantry of his men, instantly provided a reraedy for the
disease, and encourageraent for bravery. While the raoving
raasses in the glen below were agitated Uke the waters of a
turbulent sea, where wind and tide oppose, and the broken
ranks of his brave guards were fighting almost singly for life and
honour, the confusion and uproar were suddenly suspended
by the steady march of the forty-eighth regiment, led on by
Colonel Donellan, which advanced into the very thickest part
of the disorganized raass. Unable to resist the waves of raen
that came rolling down the hill and up the vale, Donellan
ordered his veterans to wheel back by companies, and allow the
fugitives to flow uninterruptedly along, then, when all had passed,
with the accuracy of raechanism, resuraing a beautiful line,
displaying proudly a perfect speciraen of raiUtary discipline,
he fell in this compact array upon the enera3f's flank, and plied
them with such a destructive fire, that they were corapelled to
desist from pursuit, and endeavour to recover their own posi
tion. The interposition of the forty-eighth gave the guards
time and opportunity to rally, in which they were quickly
imitated by the German legion; and at the same moment
Cotton with his light cavalry being brought up frora the centre,
at a trot to attack the other flank, the error of the guards was
repaired, the centre of the alhes strengthened, the battle
restored, and ultimately the victory of Talavera won. When
Victor saw the forty-eighth advancing, he understood full well
that the day was lost foT to this masterly, prompt and decisive
movement together with the advance of the light dragoons
under Cotton, was Sir Arthur indebted for his success. Frora
this period the efforts of the enemy slackened, the roaring of
their artillery faded away, their shouts of victory subsided, the
rolling of their druras was no longer heard, and under the
clouds of sraoke that still hung over the field, their colurans
drew 'off, in good order, across the plain in the rear of their

I IG LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
position, aud, passing the Alberche, took up a defensive atti
tude on the heights of Salinas, on the evening of the twenty-
ninth. The horrors of the day were still further aggravated
by an event which took place imraediately after the retireraent
of the eneray : while yet the ground was strewn with dead
and dying, that short dry grass and herbage that grew on it
accidentally caught fire, and the sheet of flarae spreading all
across the vale from one position to the opposite, grievously
increased the afflictions of the wounded who had not been
reraoved into the hospital.
According to the return, which raay yet be seen in the office
of the rainister of war at Paris, the French had 56,122 effective
men engaged in the battle of Talavera, with eighty heavy
guns : the British force opposed to them, and by which the
whole attack was sustained, only amounted to 20,997; and
although they brought one hundred pieces of artillery into the
field, seventy of which belonged to Cuesta, most of thera were
too light to be able to make an equivalent reply to the French
cannon. Sir Arthur Wellesley had placed the Spaniards in such
a position that the enemy dared not, or rather could not, attack
them; and these irregular soldiers disgraced themselves by their
timidity, endangered the steadiness of the British by their
scandalous example, and took full advantage of their impreg
nable position, by remaining entrenched there, with upwards
of thirty-nine thousand men, during one of the most sanguinary
actions that was ever fought. In a contest so violent, so close,
and where the enemy engaged with the most inveterate fury,
stimulated by the recent disgraces which British courage and
discipline had inflicted on them, the loss must naturally have
been great on both sides, particularly on that of the British,
who not amounting to half the nuraber of their eneraies,
sustained not only the violence of the first treraendous shock,
but the weight of their continued pressure, until Victory
declared for their side, being rather injured than aided by
their vapouring allies. The Duke of Albuquerque lent the
assistance of his talents and gallantry to the cause of Spain,
and bravely took up a position of danger, which the British

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 147
general assigned hira, nor should the steadiness of Bassecourt
be passed silently over. The bold front he showed, the steady
Une he maintain^a, kept the eneray in check, and enabled
Ponsonby's cavalry to find a safe retreat after the unfortunate
affair of the precipitation of the cavalry into the chasra on
the left of the line. The British nurabered araongst the
killed on the field of battle, on the raeraorable day of
Talavera, Generals Mackenzie and Langworth, thirty-eight
officers, twenty-eight sergeants, seven hundred and eighty-
nine rank and file, and two hundred and eleven horses* — three
generals. Hill, Alexander Carapbell, and Henry Campbell,
one hundred and ninety-three officers, one hundred and sixty-
five Serjeants, three thousand five hundred and fifty-three rank
and file, and seventy one horses, wounded : nine officers, fifteen
Serjeants, and six hundred and twenty-nine rank and file,
besides one hundred and fifty-nine horses were missings — and
* Major-General Donald Mackenzie, who fell, covered with glory, on the
field of Talavera, was the representative of an ancient highland family, whose
estates are situated at Suddie, Ross-shire, in a district usually called the
Black Isle. He commenced his military career, in the marines, under the
auspices and immediate care of his uncle, General Mackenzie, of that corps,
and, for some time previous to the year 17&4, performed the duty of adjutant
to the Chatham division. Upon the death of his uncle, and succession to the
family estates, he relinquished the marine service, and in the spring of 1794,
became major in the second battalion of the seventy-eighth foot, which hiid
been raised by Lord Seeporth. Soon after his joining, both battalions being
consolidated, Mackenzie and his associates were attached to the first battalion,
then at the Cape of Good Hope, whence they proceeded to India, and there served
with distinction under the comraand of Lieutenant-General Mackenzie Fraser.
Returning to England in 1801, he was promoted to the rank of colonel, and
first placed on the northern staff as a brigadier, subsequently appointed
governor of Alderney, replaced again on the northern staff as brigadier-general,
and continued in that rank and employment until 1808, when he was removed,
at his own solicitation, to the command of a brigade in Portugal. General
Mackenzie sat in parliament for Sutherland boroughs, and also for the county.
As a soldier he was cool, steady, yet zealous and bold, and most of his actions
in the Peninsula are to be styled brilliant rather than merely brave. He was
much beloved by his regiment, the seventy-eighth, and the sincerity of his
friendship, and benignity of his character, caused his fall to be very widely
lamented. Dying without issue, the Suddie estates, which were considerable,
devolved to a sister, who had been some years before married to Captain Pott's
of the forty-second regiment.

148 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the precise number put hors de combat, during the two days'
fighting, according to the official return at the war-office,
amounts to 4982. Sir ArthurWeUesley uraformly denied that
he possessed that inestimable, but uncontroUable quality in a
hero, fortune ; perhaps the victory of Talavera supports his
fanciful theory more iraraediately than any other of his hardly-
fought battles. Never was a position raore judiciously taken up,
raore care, thought, caution, or firraness, was never displayed by
the raost celebrated soldiers of other days; he totally distrusted
the Spaniards, therefore placed thera where they need not
fight, yet they raust have raade a show of strength sufficient to
alarra the eneray : they might actually have ran away, which
they several times atterapted, but even this would have hap
pened without exposing their cowardice to the eneray, or
infecting the British array. Here nothing was left to chance,
yet the Spaniards, without being able to assign subsequently
any pretext, becarae panic-struck. Sir Arthur raade one rais
take, it is iraagined, by not occupying the high ground on his
left early on the raorning of the twenty-eighth, raore strongly,
and by leaving the passage of the valley below it unguarded — of
this error, if, under the circurastances of his liraited numbers,
it was an error — his enemies had powerful means, ample op
portunity, and took every advantage of both, to turn the
left wing, and seize the Uttle raountain, and it was by hard
fighting alone that they were driven back. There was little
good fortune attendant on the charge of Seymour's horse, but
the general's foresight had provided a retreat for those, whom
any accident raight befall in the valley of the Portina, behind
Bassecourt's reserve : there was rauch misfortune consequent
upon the daring bravery of tbe guards, who rushed in araongst
the columns of the enemy, confiding chivalrously in individual
spirit and strength ; but to this casualty also the general
applied a reraedy, by bringing up the forty-eighth at the precise
and proper raoraent, by which he conquered both his fortune and
his foes. He, who hitherto owned a charmed life, at Talavera
was nearly deprived of the veil of the enchantress, and laid
prostrate amidst the thousands that fell around him : twice his

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 149
coat was perforated by bullets ; a spent ball struck him on the
shoulder ; and Captains Bouverie and Burgh were wounded at
his side. These startling events, being personal, found no
place in his public despatches ; but, in a private letter to his old
friend the Duke of Richraond, dated the day after the battle,
he briefly alludes to them, " Alraost all my staff are either hit,
or have lost their horses ; and how I have escaped unhurt, I
cannot tell. I was hit in the shoulder at the end of the action,
but not hurt, and my coat shot through." In this instance,
undoubtedly, whatever Wellesley obtained from fortune, was
wrung from her fickle patronage.. It was to the resolution
and genius pf the general, seconded by the invincible courage
and perfect discipUne pf his raen, that the result of the
onslaught at Talaxera is to he attributed ; fortune, or blind
chance, had no participation in that action. The Spaniards, to
this (Jay) reflect as little as events will perrait, upon the conduct
of their troops on Ijhat raeraorable occasion : they claira the
honour of;,b3,ving lost tvvelve hundred raen, but this statement
has never obtainecl, credit,. for, king Joseph's guard, which did
not (e?f eegd . ten ^.thoj^isand, being left in the olive-wood to
observe Cuesta's raovements, it is ,well known, never fired a
shot During. the two, days' struggle, the loss of the enemy
was much greater tha,n the tp tal injury sustained by the allies —
amounting to eight thousand seven hundred and ninety-four ;
and seventeen pieces of artillery, with two tumbrils and ammuni
tion complete, fell into the hands of the British; sixteen of the
guns had been taken by General Campbell's division in the
brilliant affair with the eneray on the British right, the re
raainder were abandoned on the field. It was in this battle that
Sir Arthur first introduced the plan of screening his men from
the enemy's fire, by directing that they should assume a recum
bent posture behind the crest ofthe hill, and advance and deploy-
only when the hostile columns approached to attack. The fire
of an enemy double the number of the assailed, would raost
probably have thinned the ranks of the latter raore widely,
but for this novel precaution. If Wellington's uncompromising
political enemies, if his jealous and unforgiving foreign foes, if
II. X

150 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
bigoted chroniclers of the events of our age, shall stiU question
to whora the glory of that day belongs, they wiU find their
refutation registered in the facts, that the French retired and
took up a new position, having left raany of their heavy guns
to the British ; that WeUesley's army kept possession of the
hard-fought field, and bivouacked on the very spot for the pos
session of which the French had sacrificed sorae thousand
lives — there too the British remained, and received on the
following day, the forty-third, fifty-second, and ninety-fifth
regiraents, a reinforceraent three thousand strong, under
General R. Craufurd. As this gallant officer was advancing
to join the raain body of tbe British array, while his raen were
in bivouac at Malpartida de Plasencia, an alarra was created
and widely spread, by the arrival of six thousand Spanish
fugitives, who, either panic-stricken, or never having been
entitled to a better narae, or higher confidence, than that of a
mere rabble, plundered the baggage of their own array, and,
escaping frora the vengeance of the general, cried out as they
hurried rapidly along like some hateful pestilence, " that the
English were defeated and flying before the French, that
Wellesley was slain, and France again victorious." This painful
iiitelligenee added wings to the energies of brave Craufurd's
brigade, and having first selected about fifty of his men, whose
physical powers he thought would prove unequal to the
herculean labour, which the suspected difficulties of his coun
trymen iraposed upon his noble mind — like the Roman dictator
setting out at raidnight to the relief of the legion heraraed in
by the eneray, resolved to surprise the foe at day-break,
and recover national glory, or perish in the attempt — the
devoted British general marched on for six and twenty hours
without cessation, and reached the British camp at Talavera,
at eleven o'clock on the morning of the twenty-ninth, after
" the battle had been lost and won," when the eneray had'
totally disappeared, and blood-stained fields, dirainished nurabers,
and scenes of death around, too plainly told of that havoc frora
which the dastard Spaniards had so ingloriously fled. When it
is reraerabered that this was the sultry season of the Spanish

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 151
year, that each soldier carried on his shoulders a knapsack
weighing nearly sixty pounds, and that the extraordinary
distance of sixty-two English railes was accomplished, with the
loss of only seventeen stragglers, in so small a number of
hours, it will perhaps be acknowledged, that this effort has not
been exceeded by that of any other body of infantry during the
Peninsular or other raodern European wars. An instance of
similar exertion is related of the British cavalry under General
Lake, in the battle with Holkar at Furruckabad.* " Had these
honourable facts reached the knowledge of the historian
Gibbon," observes Colonel Napier, " he would probably have
spared his sneer at the delicacy of modern soldiers."
The battle being over, and the danger departed, like a threat
ening cloud that had floated away to darken the fields elsewhere,
Cuesta raised his abject head, looked round upon his coward
battalions, recovered his stubborn bearing and ill-sustained
pride, and ordering all the runaways that had been brought back,
to be drawn out before him, he comraenced the execution of stern
railitary law after the manner of consular Rome, whose example
he had the folly and the presumption to imitate, by decimating
the renegade ranks. In this ferocious design he proceeded
until fifty victimsf were slaughtered in cold blood, to appease
the indignation of a capricious tyrant of whom General
Wellesley thus wrote, on the third day after the battle of Tala
vera, "I certainly should get the better of every thing, if I
could manage General Cuesta: but his temper and disposition
are so bad, that it is impossible." The axe, however, which
Cuesta raised to imraolate his countryraen, was wrested frora
• " Of the victors, the greater part had ridden seventy miles, during the
preceding twenty-four hours, when they took up their ground after the pur
suit, besides fighting the whole of Holkar's cavalry : an achievement far
exceeding the boasted celerity of Napoleon's squadrons, and which is pro
bably unparalleled in modern war."-^ffi.st. of Europe.
t Sir John Jones says that Cuesta, having first separated fifty by the pro
cess of decimation, was compelled by the earnest entreaties of Sir Arthur
Wellesley to decimate, a second time, the unhappy men on whom the lot had
fallen ; and that six officers and thirty men comprehended the total of those
executed on the occasion.

152 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
his murderous hand by the humanity of Wellesley, who first
reraonstrated, then entreated, and finaUy ordered the Spaniard
to restrain his unnatural appetite. The arguraents used to
dissuade Cuesta from his cruelty were, that as his soldiers were
not distinguished from the peasantry by any uniforra dress, de
sertion was faciUtated, because the fugitives could immediately
fall back upon the peasantry, and mingle undiscovered araongst
them : besides, it was found that disgrace operated with the
raost salutary results upon the rainds of Spaniards, as well as
on those of the British and Portuguese, as Cuesta had himself
witnessed at the battle of Talavera. He had deprived a regi
ment of one of their pistols, for misconduct at the battle of
MedeUin; but so great was the desire of these raen to wipe out
the stain, and be once raore counted araongst the brave and
good, that, under the guidance of Albuquerque, Whittinghara,
and Bassecourt they alone of the Spanish array were engaged,
and behaved with so rauch spirit and discipline, that the pistol
was publicly restored' after the battle of Talavera.
To complete the dark portrait of our Spanish allies in the
Peninsula, the deep tint which their treatraent of the sick
and wounded at Talavera introduces, should be observed. The
municipal authorities had given no special orders on the sub
ject; the inhabitants had raostly withdrawn, having first closed
up their houses; and when the wounded were carried in from the
field of blood, the pavement in the streets and squares was the
only place of rest reraaining to thera. Those that were left
all night weltering in their blood iu the open field, are said to
have recovered raore rapidly, and in greater proportions, than
those who were removed into the town, and received somewhat
early under the inhospitable Spaniard's roof. This inhuraanity
has been extenuated, on the plea that the French had recently
visited the place, and with their love of plunder, and propensity
to mischief, had destroyed the pubUc buildings, pillaged the
churches, defaced the altars, overturned the tombs, carried
away all private property, and consuraed what was useless to
thera as fuel. The French soldiers' huts, frora which they were
so often and so hastily ejected by the bayonet of the enemy,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 153
were always furnished with so rauch taste as to becorae an
object of curiosity to the British. In this carap, with that
frivolity of disposition which detracts frora their national
character, a theatre was constructed with materials and
decorations plundered from the towns-people, and their huts
were all thatched with unthrashed corn ; and in all these
wanton violences, these culpable eccentricities, the French
army indulged, while the British soldier was under standing
orders not to fell an olive-tree for fuel, shelter, or any other
purpose. The British envoy, Mr. Frere, had always repre
sented the Spaniard as " enthusiastic in his cause, and viewing
it in the light of a crusade;" but he was a dupe to their false
hood, and too unsuspecting for the difficult duties his situation
imposed on him.
Their inhumanity and barbarity were not confined to the
passive guilt of neglecting the poor fellows who had received
their wounds in fighting the battles of Spain and Portugal, but
were exercised actively in stripping their dead bodies on the
field, and in stealing British arms, araraunition, clothing, and
money. While engaged in this latter act of infamy, they
occasionally deviated frora the plunder of a forraer friend, to
beat out the brains of sorae wounded Frenchraan, upon whom
they sturabled in their work of spoliation. Sir A. Wellesley
reraonstrated instantly with the raagistrates, upon the folly of
robbing the British invalids of their arras, because, as raany of
them would be likely to recover frora their wounds, it would
obviously tend raore to the interests of Spain that weapons
should reraain with those who possessed both the skill and the
courage to use thera ; therefore, restitution of the stolen arms,
independent of its justice, would be contributory to the general
success : with respect to the raurder of the wounded French
raen, Sir Arthur Wellesley was too old, too experienced, and
too great a soldier, to reraain a raoraent in doubt as to the
proper reraedy for such an evil, and accordingly he placed
sentinels on the battle-field, with orders to fire upon any one
who should be observed infiicting injury upon the French, as
they were his prisoners, and under his protection. That

154 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
species of cowardice which originates in the feeling of selt-
preservation in inferior ranks of the aniraal kingdom, might have
been forgiven by the high-spirited Briton, who sought no light
to guide him but the rays of railitary glory ; want of discipline
in the ranks would not have excited rauch surprise, from the
hasty character of the Spanish levies, and the liraited tirae
allowed, by the rapid succession of events, for training and
equipraents ; but the inhuraanity, ingratitude, and base selfish
ness exhibited by the Talaverans to their deliverers, is without
a paraUel, adraits of no extenuation, and made an impression
on the minds of the generous British army as deep and indeli
ble as if graved on raarble, and which can only be effaced
when the tablet is broken. Frora this hour a new feeling took
root in the British array, engendering conterapt, disgust, and
hatred of their allies (distrust had long before attached to thera,)
and the raiseries of Badajoz and of St Sebastian raust be ascribed
to the recollection of the sorrows, and the sufferings, of the sick
and wounded at Talavera. The array wanted food, and the
cellars of Talavera were full to their sumraits with corn, yet
neither Cuesta nor the magistrates would render the least
assistance to obtain a supply : medical aid was required, owing
to the great number of wounded, this also the authorities
refused ; but with a presuraption, which language is unable to
explain otherwise than by attributing it to the rankest folly,
complained aloud of the supineness of Sir Arthur WeUesley, in
not following up the successes of the day by pursuing and
exterminating the eneray. MiUtary writers have referred these
occasional bursts of impudence to an inordinate national vanity;
but they need not have sought a source so remote and inac
cessible ; personal feehng, self-interest, the wretched, narrow-
minded pohcy of relieving theraselves frora the presence of an
array, although a friendly one, were the sole raotives which in
fluenced the despicable inhabitants of Talavera, and of raany
other places in Spain, during the Peninsular campaign.
The sad and solemn duty of providing for the wounded, and
interring the slain, being discharged, the active mind of the
commander-in-chief was directed to less painful subjects— the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 155
rewarding of the survivors of the fatal day. One of the first
objects of his solicitude was Major Middleraore, who cora
raanded the first battalion of the forty-eighth regiraent, after
Colonel Donellan was struck down, and whose personal bravery
tended so rauch to the final success of the action, by enabling
Sherbrooke's division to re-forra — conduct which in Sir Arthur's
judgraent deraanded proraotion. Marshal Beresford's situation
next obtained his anxious attention, a position which was
hourly becoming of more importance to the British : to him he
recoraraended strongly the establishraent of a good coramuni
cation between his army and Romana's on the eastern frontier
of Portugal ; but if this desirable object should be unattainable,
Beresford was then advised to respect the safety of his own
array, and the interests of Portugal solely, leaving Sir Arthur
and Cuesta to the exercise of their own judgraent, and reliance
upon their own strength.
Notwithstanding the victory of Talavera, by which the
eneray were rauch dispirited, and although the loss sustained
by the British was fully supplied by the arrival of Craufurd's
brigade, such was the state of weakness and destitution, it
may be called, to which his army was exposed by the miscon
duct and brutality of the Spaniards, that Sir Arthur declined
pursuing the enemy. He eould not have formed this decision
frora apprehension of the rayriads of French soldiers that were'
marching down on his flank through the Puerto de Banos,
and ready to cut off his retreat into Portugal, because the con
centration of the three corps of SouU, Ney, and Mortier, at
Salaraanca, was not then known to him, nor had the junta of
Old Castile, which held its sittings at Ciudad Rodrigo, the least
suspicion, or any intiraation of such a fact. The circurastances-
in which his men had been ungratefully left, by those whom
they had just released from bondage, was the sole ground of
the conclusion which Sir Arthur formed, and of the conduct
he thought proper to adopt iraraediately after the battle of
Talavera. This conduct, however, could not have been pala
table to the junta, who were desirous of resigning to the British
the honour, labour, and expense of driving the euemy out oi

156 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Spain; and to such arrogant allies Sir Arthur's measures
seemed dilatory. The presumption of the junta was exhibited
raost audaciously in a letter which they addressed, at this
peculiar crisis, to Sir Arthur, accusing hira of having left
Cuesta to pursue the eneray alone, on the last display of con-
summate folly raade by that officer — an impeachment which,
the reader is aware, was totally devoid of truth. Sir Arthur
did not condescend to reply to the ungrateful servant of a
more ungrateful country, but addressed the British agent,
Mr. Frere, on the subject, requesting that officer to inform
Don de Garay, that his instructions prohibited him frora holding
direct coramunication with any Spanish minister, and desiring
that all such, in future, should be made through the British
resident at the seat of government, who was the proper, and
the only medium, through which he would receive any. " It
is not a difficult matter," observed General Wellesley, " for a
gentleraan in the situation of Don Martin de Garay, to sit
down in his cabinet, and write his ideas of the glory which
would result frora driving the French through the Pyrenees :
and I believe there is no man in Spain who has risked so
rauch, or who has sacrificed so rauch, to effect that object as I
have. But I wish that Don Martin, or the gentleraen of the
junta, before they blarae rae for not doing more, or impute to
rae beforehand the probable consequences of the blunders or
the indiscretion of others, would either come, or send here
some loaves to satisfy the wants of our half-starved army, which,
although they have been engaged for two days, and have
defeated twice their numbers, in the service of Spain, have not
bread to eat. It is positively a fact, that during the last seven
days, the British army have not received one-third of their
provisions, that at this moraent there are nearly four thousand
wounded soldiers dying in the hospital in this town, from want
of coraraon assistance and necessaries, which any other country
in the world would have given even to its eneraies ; and that
I can get no assistance of any description fi-om the country.
I cannot prevail upon them even to bury their dead carcasses
in the neighbourhood, the stench of which will destroy them-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 157
selves as well as us. I cannot avoid feeUng these circum
stances : and the junta must see, that, unless they and the
country make a great exertion to support and supply the
armies, to which the invariable attention and the exertion of
every raan, and the labour of every beast in the country, ought
to be directed, the bravery of the soldiers, their losses, and
their successes, will only make matters worse, and increase our
embarrassment and distress. I positively will not raove, nay,
raore, I will disperse ray army, till I am supplied with provi
sions and raeans of transport as I ought to be." The insidious
slander, the poison of jealousy, the chagrin of disappointed
ambition, which discoloured all emanations from the fountain
of authority, the junta, were not confined by the shores of the
Peninsula, but fioating over the waves of the Atlantic, were
hailed by the political enemies of the cabinet, by discontented
characters, such as are to be found in every country, and by
the opponents of every measure or raoveraent in which Lord
Castlereagh was a party. Disapprobation of their great captain,
and of the retreat of the army after the battle of Talavera,
was pubUcly expressed, and a virulent faction asked " where
were the durable results from the laurels of that day ?"
It is important to the truth of history that the reader should
here be reminded, that the preceding lucid defence of Sir A.
Wellesley's judgraent, in not pursuing the enemy, was written
on the field of battle, not coraposed at leisure in aftPr-years
to suit the events that siraultaneously occurred, although then
unknown to hira. As calurany, also, has often been busy with
this great raan's fame, and it has more than once been said
"he won no victory at Talavera," it may be well to decide that
point by the testimony, not only of British, but even of French
historians. We are assured by Lord Londonderry, who was
present in the battle, "that the Spaniards were in raptures
with us and our behaviour, and declared, with all the clamour
of their country, that those who spoke of the British as less
capable of fighting by land than at sea, lied in their throats !"
Jomini says, "this battle at once restored the reputation of
the British army, which, during a century had declined, and it
II. Y

158 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
was now ascertained that the English infantry could dispute
the palm with the best in Europe." General Sarazzin con
fessed, that "la sanglante journee de Talavera avait repandu
I'effroi dans I'armee Frangaise et l'on convenait que les Anglais
se battaient tout aussi bien que les Russes." Col. Napier will
not be suspected, even by the French, of expressing an
opinion contrary to the conviction of his mind; and he
writes that " this battle was one of hard, honest fighting, and
the exceeding gallantry of the troops honoured the nations to
which they belonged. The English owed much to the general's
dispositions, and something to fortune. The French owed
nothing to their commander ; and when it is considered that
above thirty thousand men were closely and unsuccessfully
engaged for three hours with sixteen thousand British, it must
be confessed that the latter, showed themselves to be truly
formidable soldiers." This eloquent writer here ascribes sorae
raerit to the general, much more to his army, but does not
question the fact of the French having been beaten ; and, in
another place he says, .'-'the moral courage evinced by Sir A.
WeUesley, when, with such a co-adjutor as Cuesta, he accepted
battle, was not less reraarkable than the judicious disposition
which finaUy rendered hira master of the field." To these
testimonies, which are free from the remotest suspicion of
partiality, must be added the exclamation of Marshal Soult,
on learning the. particulars of this meraorable battle, and the
prudence of the English general in deciding upon falUng baekj
" the English have covered themselves with glory at Talavera,
but had they reraained two days longer in their position,
they would all inevitably have been taken prisoners, or de
stroyed." "The battle of I'alavera, ably directed, bravely fought, and
7iobly won,"-* was barren of iraraediate beneficial results, nor
could short-sighted statesraen perceive to what glorious conse
quences it was the prelude : surrounded by difficulties, and ill-
used by his allies, still his gallant soldiers naturally looked
towards him for those orders, in the wisdom of which they
• Shcei-er'sMil. Mem.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 169
would confidently trust "The mind ofour general was, however,
as we well knew, full of resources ; and, though raost of us saw
our erabarrassments clearly enough, there was not an individual
in the array who entertained a doubt that his talent and
decision would, in due tirae, overcorae and disperse them."*
On the thirtieth of July, inteUigence reached the allies at
Talavera, that rations had been ordered for a French corps of
ten or twelve thousand men, at Fuente Roble, north of the Puerto
de Banos, and for twenty-four thousand at Los Santos near the
sarac-place, on the road frora Alba de Torraas to Bejar. Sir A.
Wellesley, although totally ignorant of the junction of three
French at Salamanca, had taken the precaution to guard the pass
of Banos, before he advanced from Plasencia, by a Spanish
detachraent under the Marquess de la Reyna, and had directed
Beresford to asserable the Portuguese army in the vicinity of
Ciudad Rodrigo, with a view to guard the same pass, to protect
the British flank, and to watch the Portuguese frontiers; still,
so sudden was the intelligence, that it must have embarrassed
the stoutest heart. He entertained sorae hope, but formed.
no certain calculation on it, that the Spanish guard would
check the passage of the enemy through the Puerto ; or, that
the proximity of Beresford would deter Soult from an attempt
so hazardous; or, lastly, that the defeat of Victor at Tala
vera might induce him to desist frora his purpose. Yet so
slender were his expectations of real resistance by the" in
subordinate troops at the Puerto, that Sir Arthur renewed
his earnest solicitations for a reinforcement of that conterapt
ible party, from the Spanish array ; this. Cuesta positively
refused to grant, and even urged Sir Arthur Wellesley to send
thither Sir Robert Wilson without delay. As his arguments
were deserving of as little respect as his conduct, and as Sir
Arthur now perfectly understood the value of every individual
soldier in the British Unes, and, in fact, not knowing- the
raagnitude of the danger, he considered a Spanish force might
prove equal to the duty, he rejected any reeoramendation that
would tend to diminish the nuraber of bis heroic Uttle army, or
* Narrative of the Peninsular War.

160 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
would require hira to trust a single British subject to the guid
ance or reraote association with Spaniards. As to Sir Robert
Wilson, nothing could have been farther frora the intentions of
Sir Arthur WeUesley than to have sa;crificed that chivalrous raan,
a hero possessed of romantic courage, to the unerring fate of
resisting Soult in the pass of Banos, while the Spaniards either
fied or surrendered ; and, although Wilson was at Talavera,
on the day of the thirtieth, having left his array at Escalona,
Sir Arthur insisted upon his continuing to maintain his coramu
nication with Madrid, in the same effectual manner that he had
hitherto done, leaving Banos to those whose duty and interest
it was, raore iraraediately, to defend it Accustomed, yet un
reconciled to the mischievous whimsicality of the Spaniard, Sir
Arthur again, on the thirty-first, renewed his application for
a reinforcement, with a similar effect ; but on the first of
August, assurances having reached Cuesta of Soult's entrance
into Bejar, without " making the Englishman go down on his
knees," he gladly yielded to his solicitations, and on the
following day despatched Bassecourt's division ; but scarcely
had this force lost sight of Talavera, when news was brought
that Soult was actually in Plasencia, with two columns of his
array, that the Marquess de la Reyna had perraitted the French
to descend the pass without the interruption of a single shot,
having retired to the bridge of Almarez, and that the battalion
at Bejar had deliberately dispersed.
The flight of his panic-stricken men from their unassailable
trenches, in which Wellesley placed them before the battle of
Talavera, did not alarm Cuesta so seriously as the news
of the total abandonment of the strong mountain-pass^ by his
countryraen. Boldly and unhesitatingly, he proposed that one
half of the allied army should raove to the rear, to oppose the
eneray, while the other half should raaintain the post at
Talavera. To this proposition Sir Arthur WeUesley replied,
" that if, by half the array, was to be understood half of each
army, he was ready either to go or stay with the whole British
army, but that he could not divide it." " Choose, then," said
Cuesta, '«upon which," conceiving that his army was the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 161
raost likely to do the business effectually, and without contest,
and also that the preservation of free coraraunication through
Plasencia was of raore consequence to the British than to the
Spaniards. Sir Arthur Wellesley preferred raarching against
Soulr, and with this decision Cuesta appeared perfectly satisfied.
It was on the raorning of the third of August, that the allies
bade to each other a short fareweU, but, just before the break
ing up of the British carap, letters were received from Sir
Robert Wilson, stating, that the French had appeared in the
direction of Nombella, whither he had withdrawn, having sent
his artillery to St Roman. This intelligence induced Sir
Arthur to iraagine that Victor raeditated crossing the Alberche,
falling with all his weight upon Wilsonj and then forming a
junction with Soult on the Tietar, a movement that would have
enabled the combined arraies of both raarshals to raove on
Talavera. Previous to his departure frora Talavera, Sir Arthur
waited on General Donoju, pointed out to him the possibiUty
of such an attack ; and, as the Spaniards would not be likely
to abide the enemy's approach, he obtained a promise frora
Donoju, that he would collect all the carts, and reraove the
hospital, on the least appearance of danger. The cause of
huraanity being regarded, the British army, seventeen thou
sand strong, raarched to Oropesa on the third, at which tirae
Bassecourt's division was at Centinello, where it was ordered
to await the junction of the allies, in total ignorance of Soult's
nurabers, which were supposed not to exceed fifteen thousand
raen. The arrangeraents of the allies, obtaining of supplies, pro
per disposal of the wounded, and arrival of the British at
Oropesa, being detailed continuously, it is now necessary to
return to Victor's army, which, it has been already stated, had
formed in battle-array on the heights of Salinas after the
battle of Talavera, — to the movements of the corps under
Venegas, who was supposed to be operating on the side of
Madrid, and to the circumstances connected with the sudden
apparition of the corabined French arraies in the vicinity, of
Salamanca. King Joseph's incessant anxiety about the security

162 LIFE AND. CAMPAIGNS OF
of the capital, which he identified with the virtual possession
of the crown, induced hira ta fall back on St. Ollalla, on the
night of the twenty-ninth, to despatch a division thence, to
relieve Toledo, and pursue his own raarch to lUescas, in order
to place hiraself between Venegas and Madrid. Victor, who
had been left on the Alberche to watch the allies, and fall on
their rear as soon as Soult's raoveraents begun to affect their
position, had his attention drawn to his own safety by the
operations of the little band under Wilson. This officer was
in the neighbourhood of Casalegas during the action of the
twenty-eighth ; but the next day, returning to his forraer
position at Escalona, he so alarraed Victor, that he retired first
to Maqueda, then to Retaraar, and would have continued his
erroneous movement even on Mostoles, if he had not been
stopped by intelUgence of the allies having retired from Tala
vera ; upon which he returned, and took up his old ground on
the Alberche.
While Sir A. WeUesley gave employment to the corps of
Victor — Soult, Ney, and Mortier, having suffered severely iu
the northern provinces, were ready to abandon them upon any
plausible pretext. It may be remerabered, that Soult fled,
rather than retired, to Lugo, where he had an opportunity of
restoring to liberty a French garrison, whora the townspeople
had imprisoned ; but, having lost all his stores, ammunition,
and guns, he resolved on retiring into Old Castile, and putting^
his troops into cantonraents on the banks of the Esla, which be
accomplished early in the raonth of July. Marshal Ney held a
conference with Soult at Lugo, after which he proceeded towards
Vigo, in order to suppress an insurrection at that place, which
had been foraented and prolonged by the sailors belonging to
sorae English raen-of-war off the harbour. On arriving at the
bridge of St. Payo on the Octaven river, he found ten thou
sand Spaniards ready to dispute his passage ; the bridge,, too,
had been cut; and any atterapt to pass lower down, must have
been raade in defiance of several gun-boats, filled with resplute
and well-armed English sailors. It only remained, therefore,
to force the bridge, in vvhich he was twice frustrated,— on each

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 163
occasion with terrible loss. No laurels were to be gathered
then in Gallicia ; the harvest of glory was over there : Soult
had abandoned him to an enraged peasantry — a harassing raode
of warfare — and a country in which each bridge and pass
supplied the place of a citadel to the eneray, where they were
unifprraly found in garrison, and waiting to receive an attack.
Under the influence of disappointraent, perhaps anger, he
deterrained upon evacuating the province of Gallicia, and, in
consequence, retired to Astorga towards the end of July.
Valladolid received the armies of Kellerman and Bonnet, on
the 20th of June, as they marched to the siege of Ciudad
Rodrigo ; so that, by an extraordinary, unforeseen, and unin
tentional combination of circurastances, when Sir A. Wellesley
was raeditating an advance on Madrid, four general officers
at the head of nearly forty thousand raen, were descending to
interrupt his coraraunication with' Lisbon.
To these accidental coincidences, another raore extraordi-
riary is still to be added ; which is, the profound ignorance of
all parties of the strength or intentions of each other, allies
and adversaries. Victor was frightened by four thotisand
raen under Wilson, whom he mistook for the advanced guard..
of the allies : Joseph was alarraed for the safety of Madrid,
which the junta had treacherously prohibited Venegas frora
raarching against: it was the opinion of Victor and the king,
that the British force amounted at least to twenty-five thou
sand : Sir A. Wellesley was under a delusion as to Soult's corps,
not conceiving that it exceeded fifteen thousand dispirited
raen : and Soult advanced towards the theatre of operations, to
enact whatever part the chance of war might assign him, without
any certain inteUigence as to the co-operation of friends, or
strength of enemies. The allies were placed in the raidst of
these powerful arraies, unconscious of their perilous position,
but with the power of concentrating their entire force, torty-
seven thousand men, in one day's march : the enemy could
not effect a junction in less than three days, but their numbers
araounted to ninety thousand.
That correct intelligence, the previous want of which had

164 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
nearly proved fatal to the allied arraies, was now no longer
withheld. Inforraation reached Oropesa on the evening of
the third, that the French had advanced from Plasencia to
Navalraoral, and placed theraselves between the allies and
the bridge of Almarez, leaving one line of retreat only open
to the allies. To this bridge there were two direct roads, one
frora Talavera by Calera, the other frora Navalraoral ; each of
thera passing at a distance of twelve railes frora the British
head-quarters at Oropesa, on the fourth. Besides this alarra
ing news, the truth of which was indisputable, a despatch
frora Cuesta arrived only one hour afterwards, apprising Sir
Arthur, that, frora intercepted letters addressed to Soult, it
was ascertained that the marshal's army must be considerably
stronger than the allies imagined; that king Joseph was
returning to the Alberche, with the intention of attacking the
Spariish, and that, frora these circurastances, he was induced
to break up frora Talavera, and, following the British, again
unite, and present such a force as would insure another victory
in the neighbourhood of Oropesa. As this fooUsh, perhaps
timid step, resigned the strong and iraportant post of Tala
vera to the French ; as it would also expose the front and rear
of the alhes to the attack of the eneray at the sarae instant ;
as it cruelly and dishonourably abandoned the hospital,
which Cuesta gave his word that he would protect; and, as
the reasons assigned by Cuesta for his conduct were not
deserving of the least respect, his desertion of his post
arising solely frora want of confidence in the Spanish array.
Sir Arthur sent back a reraonstrance with the utraost expe
dition. But the wings of the wind would not have borne it in
time to arrest the flight of Cuesta; the sick were left to a
protecting providence, " the Almighty helper of the friend
less ;" — Cuesta's word, like Falstaff's honour, was but an air-
filled bubble. Talavera was abandoned, and Cuesta on his
march, before the messenger from the British camp arrived.
While Sir Arthur was engaged in perusing the Intercepted
letters of the enemy, Soult was similarly occupied in decipher
ing some English letters that had fallen into his hands ; so

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 165
that one general became acquainted with the difficulties, while
the other learned the advantages, of his position. The result
of this accidental intelligence enabled Soult to take further
and raore coraplete raeasures for intercepting the retreat of
the allies, by enclosing thera between two arraies, one exceed
ing thirty thousand, the other twenty-five thousand in nura
ber, and with this view he detached Mortier to Casatajeda,
to seize the bridge of Almarez, and patrol in the direction of
Arzobispo. These raoveraents, with the occupation of Plasen
cia, completely checked the advance of the British. On their
left the Tagus rolled its rapid stream, and rugged raountains
raised their stern fronts above the right of their line, while the
inglorious abandonment of Talavera by the Spaniards left
their rear exposed to Victor's imraediate attacks.
While hesitation shook the array to its centre, and accumu
lated dangers seeraed flowing densely in, as the still closing
waters over the sword that divides them ; while every man of
feeling was raoved by the approach of that fate which appeared
inevitable, the British hero, like the surge-beaten rock, alone
reraained unmoved, firm, and self-possessed. Viewing with
calmness the approaching wreck of all his hopes, distinctly
seeing that the fruits of all his labours were never to attain
maturity, that the issue of all his toils and labours must be
disappointraent he did not hesitate an instant, or reraonstrate
with his destiny upon the lot which he had drawn, but boldly
prepared to meet and to raaster raisfortune. It was now
certain that the corps of Soult and Ney were either united, or
not far distant frora each other ; and, as king Joseph, who
believed the British array to be twenty-five thousand strong, con
sented to attack thera, it was plain the French force that inter
cepted their raarch on the bridge of Almarez, must at least have
amounted to thirty thousand. Victor would, of course, follow
Cuesta ; and, allowing that he left twelve thousand men to watch
Venegas, that he lost ten thousand in the actions of the 27th
and 28th, he would still be able to lead twenty-five thousand
to attack the rear of the alUes. From this difficulty the British
general calculated that he could only be extricated by gpeat
II. z

166 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
celerity of raovement and to this his men were very unequal,
not having had their allowance of provisions for several days ;
or, by his defeating the enemy signally in two separate actions,
for failure in either would have left hira without a retreat
Again, on the supposition that Soult and Ney declined fighting
until joined by Victor, defeat was almost certain, as the French
combined force would then exceed fifty thousand men, and the
Spaniards were not to be trusted either in council or in action.
So begirt with toils were the allies, that the French calcu
lated upon the surrender of the British, and fiight or destruc
tion of the Spaniards ; but Sir Arthur, although reluctantly,
adopted the alternative that still remained, which was to raarch
instantly to Arzobispo, pass the river at that place, and take
up a position on the other side, before the eneray could seize
the Col de Mirabete, and by that raeans cut off his corarauni
cation with Truxillo and Merida. This defensive plan of
operations is never resorted to by such men as Napoleon,
Marlborough, or Wellesley, but in cases of the last extreraity;
and now feeling that the ignorance in which he was kept of
Soult's real and renewed strength, had acted like a chilling
frost in the budding-tirae of spring, and nipped those blossoras
which gave the fairest proraise, he resolved on saving both
arraies, and reserving thera for sorae happier opportunity to
bring the eneray to action. Sir Arthur has been occasionally
censured for too bold conduct, for a fearlessness of character
reserabUng that of the heroic Nelson, and a total unconscious
ness of danger or defeat. However exposed his character raay
be to this irapeachraent on other occasions, here the application
is inadraissible, his precipitance being now accessory to his cau
tion, for by it alone he escaped frora the corabined raoveraents,
frora the siraultaneous attacks of Marshals Soult, Ney, Mortier,
Kellerraan, Victor, Sebastiani, and king Joseph, who had also
drawn five thousand raen frora Suchet to strengthen this force,
already araounting to ninety thousand raen, and which was
within a few hours' march of being concentrated in Estramadura.
Cuesta wished to give Soult battle at Oropesa ; Sir Arthur was
equally satisfied of the rashness of such a project, and the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 167
worthlessness of its originator ; and, disgusted at his obstinacy,
ignorance, and presuraption, gave hira to understand, that
since he had abandoned the British hospital at Talavera, no
necessity should arise for the forraation of another at Oropesa,
he was therefore free to act as his caprice raight dictate.
This stern resolve was attended with the most salutary con
sequences ; Cuesta was unable to reply, and yielded consent,
when he understood that it was looked upon by his allies with
indifference. The British army halted at Oropesa on the night of the
third of August, and at six o'clock the following raorning
begun to move on the bridge of Arzobispo, halting, however,
occasionally to allow the convalescents who had escaped frora
Plasencia to get forward, and also to cover the passage of the
stores and of the wounded men frora Talavera, who had just then
reached Calera. At raid-day the whole British array crossed
the Tagus, and took up a strong position araongst the rugged
hills on the other side. By this raoveraent they probably escaped
from captivity or death, and the convention of marshals at the
head of ninety thousand raen was corapletely baffled. Scarcely
had the critical raoraent, the passing ofthe bridge, elapsed, than
the soldiers, overcorae by faraine, and raaddened by ill-treatraent
at the hands of the Spaniards, perceiving a herd of swine
feeding in the woods, ran violently in araongst thera, killing
nurabers, and in some instances actually cutting .steaks off the
animals while yet alive. It was irapossible to restrain thera,
and although it was an act attended with individual wrong, it
was hardly more than a fair reprisal for public neglect and
national ingratitude. From Arzobispo the army continued its
raarch towards Deieytosa, General Craufurd being ordered to
advance, and by a forced march gain the Casas del Puerto on
the Tagus, opposite the bridge of Almarez, lest the eneray
should cross by the ford below that place, and seize the Puerto
de Mirabete. The head-quarters reached Mesa d'Ibor on the
sixth, the head of the coluran of the array entered Deieytosa
on the following day, and, at the close of the ninth the rear
divisions were also in position there, by which the passage of

168 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the river at Almarez was completely commanded, and an unob
structed retreat into Portugal secured to the array. The
Spanish array having quitted Talavera at raidnight, on the
third reached Oropesa at dawn, and Arzobispo at dark on the
fourth, but Cuesta, doggedly declining to adopt Sir Arthur's
advice, did not pass the bridge until the fifth ; leaving a rear
guard on the right bank of the river, which, however, was
imraediately driven in by the eneray. Establishing his head
quarters at Peralada de Garben on the seventh, Cuesta
caused entrenchraents to be thrown up, twenty guns to be
placed in battery to rake the bridge, which was also barricaded,
left the Duke of Albuquerque with two divisions of infantry
and one of cavalry to raaintain that iraportant post, and with
drew the main body to Meza d'Ibor, without ascertaining the
fordableness of the river in the neighbourhood of his position,
or inforraing the British of his precautionary raeasures and
intended resistance. Meanwhile Victor, taking advantage of
the evacuation of Talavera by the Spaniards, crossed the river
at that place, and advanced within a few leagues of Cuesta ;
while Soult, by watching the, particular part of the river where
the Spanish horses were brought to water, discovered a prac
ticable ford.
The vigilance of their eneraies here forms an appalling
contrast to the supineneness of the Spanish character. During
the heat of noon-tide, a raoraent when raost Spaniards retire
into the shade, and indulge in their siesta, Soult thought an
attack upon the bridge raost likely to be successful : ordering
Caulincourt's cavalry to pass the river by the ford, which two
swirameys had sounded carefuUy on the preceding night, the
Spanish battery was taken in the rear, the gunners cut down
in their places, and those that were spared cruelly compelled to
direct them against their countrymen; and such havoc was
coraraitted in a few raoraents, that the attempt and consumraa
tion raay be recorded together. Albuquerque, a brave, loyal, and
able officer, having, after the manner of his country, withdrawn
with his horseraen to sorae cool shelter, nearly a league frora
the river, on the first alarra spurred his proud charger, and

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 169
dashed in amongst the destroying enemy with such a shock, and
rode through the ranks of French cavalry displaying so raany
exaraples of personal bravery and physical power, that Soult
is said to have conteraplated firing grape-shot at the Spaniards,
through his own raen, as the only possible mode of eradicating
them. The necessity for eraploying this cruel remedy was super
seded by the arrival of reinforceraents ; and the reraainder of
Caulincourt's cavalry having passed the river, carae to the relief
of their fellow-soldiers : one body of infantry burst the barriers
on the bridge, another forded the river, and the concentrated
efforts ofthe whole were directed with so rauch violence against
brave Albuquerque's horse, that they were at length obliged to
give way, abandon their position, relinquish nine pieces of ord
nance, and resign four hundred of their corarades to captivity.
The raiseries of this day were increased by an accident similar
to that which occurred at Talavera on the afternoon of the
twenty-eighth — " the herbage took fire ; the wind spread the
flames far and wide, amongst stubble, dry shrubs, and groves
of ilex and olives : on all sides the cries of the wounded were
heard; and, through the night, muskets which the fugitives
had thrown away, or the lifeless hand had relinquished, went
off, cartridges took fire, and cassoons of artillery exploded.''
It was Soult's firm resolve to have pursued the advantages he
had gained, and welcome the returning smiles of fortune, by
marching one body against Guadaloupe and Deieytosa, to dis
lodge the Spaniards, and with another cross the river at
Almarez, and seize the pass of Mirabete. This plan would
have annihilated the Spaniards, and obliged the British to
make a disastrous retreat. That such must inevitably have
been Cuesta's fate, is plain frora the fact, that he had, from
perverseness, and opposition to every suggestion originating
with the British general, neglected to bring over his artiUery,
and declined inforraing that officer of his intended plan of
operations. On the evening of the ninth, Albuquerque, who was much
attached to the British, reached the camp at Deieytosa, bring
ing the distressing account of the loss of the bridge, the fall of so

170 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
raany of his raen, the capture of others, and the offensive deraon-
strations still raade by Soult This alarraing inforraation brought
Sir A. Wellesley to the quarters of Cuesta on the tenth, where
he found the old general the sarae raorose, haughty, yet helpless
being. Further conference with such a man was vain, and,
adopting the principle that a lunatic or an idiot may be deceived
for his advantage. Sir Arthur, without Cuesta's knowledge, per
suaded the Spanish staff-officers to have the forty pieces of
cannon that lay on the banks of the Ibor, dragged up the hill by
parties of men, before the French patrol should pass that way.
Having perforraed this act of kindness, the last ever to be
required at his hands by his obstinate coadjutor, he returned to
Deieytosa, and on the eleventh of August reraoved his head
quarters to Jaraicejo, leaving his forraer position open to the
Spaniards, who took possession of it on the thirteenth. By this
arrangeraent the ford of Alraarez was guarded, and the heights
along the river-side to Arzobispo occupied in strength by the
allies : the occupation of these heights secured the country
behind the Tagus from Toledo to Abrantes, as cannon could not
be introduced anywhere between Almarez and Toledo, and the
river from the former place to Abrantes was impassable by an
array, except at Alconeta and Villa Velha. Indeed, the passage
of the. Tagus by the enemy, compactly posted as the allies
were, would have been valueless, because their moveraents
would necessarily be confined to the narrow sloping space
intercepted between the river and the foot of the raountain-
range. In this well-chosen position (for which, as well as for
an escape almost miraculous frora their inveterate pursuers, they
were indebted to the masterly genius of the British comraander-
in-chief) the alhes now remained. '¦
The command of the Spanish force having at length passed
from the feeble hands of General Cuesta, who was visited by an
attack of paralysis. General Eguia was appointed to succeed
him on the twelfth of August, to the unconcealed satisfaction of
every soldier in the British army.* The advocates of Cuesta and
* The retirement of Cuestahas generally been attributed to sudden indisposi
tion, but that it is really assignable to other motives will appear from the fol-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 171
the junta in that day, and the partisans of Napoleon, accused the
British of having resigned theros/ of honour, that is, the defence
of the rear, to the Spaniards, after the battle of Talavera. As
the Spaniards had taken but little part in that action, it would
have been perfectly fair to have eraployed thera after it, when
the British were exhausted and half-starved, but even this was
not the case : the British array was necessarily the left through
out these operations, and could not change that disposition
without abandoning the defence of Portugal. Besides which,
all the operations, frora the raorning of the fourth, were carried
on against the inclination of General Cuesta ; and a retreat
being necessary. Sir Arthur Wellesley could not have raade it
or have forced Cuesta to raake it, if the British array had not
begun it Another circumstance explanatory of this groundless
coraplaint was, that the bridge of Arzobispo was not reckoned
the post of honour. The Mesa d'Ibor, till the evening of the fifth,
was the point, the loss of which vvas raost to be apprehended.
It was on the fifth that Victor first heard of the flight of
Cuesta and his array frora Talavera, and forthwith retracing
the ground which Wellesley had obliged hira to pass over,
returned to the deserted town on the day following. Upon
the approach of the French, Colonel Mackinnon, who had
charge of the wounded, was sent for by Cuesta, inforraed of
the intended raoveraents of the Spanish array, and recom
raended to remove the hospital in the best way he could, and
as soon as he was able. The colonel's previous instructions
were, in case of such necessity, to make for Merida by the
bridge of Arzobispo ; but, as Cuesta would only supply him
with seven cars, it was irapossible to execute the orders he had
received. No alternative therefore now reraained, but to recora
raend the helpless to the honour and huraanity of the enemy ;
and Mackinnon, who had at one period resided in France, and
lowing letter of M. de Garay's to Marquis Wellesley, dated Seville, Aug. 31 :
" I have given an account to the supreme junta of your oiRcial note, in which
you pointed out the necessity that existed of altering the command of the
Spanish army of Estramadura ; and his majesty commands me to inforra ypu,
that on this day permission was granted to General Cuesta, to go and take the
baths in the kingdom of Granada." — Marquis Wellesley's Despatches.

172 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
was in every respect one of the most accomplished officers in
the British army, perforraed this part of his duty in a raanner
which was believed to have obtained, for the wounded, that hu
raane treatment which they received frora the French general.
Asserabling all who were able to march, he advanced to Calera,
a village which the eneray had plundered of everything, and
on the following raorning was overtaken at Arzobispo, where
forty additional cars were provided, but frora their ill state
of repair, and the badness of the roads, only eleven of thera
reached Deieytosa. The Spaniards seeraed to consider that
their conduct in deserting the hospital at Talavera was not an
act of sufficient baseness to destroy their fame, and now added
a further claim to the contempt of mankind, by plundering the
little magazines in the different villages through which the
wounded were to be conveyed. To harass the sick men still fur
ther, reports were circulated by the Spanish deserters, renegades,
and freebooters, that the eneray were advancing against thera
in front ; upon which Mackinnon drew up his two thousand
invalids, ready to relinquish, in the cause of liberty, the slight
tenure of life they still held, Uke men of honour only : but this
report was as false as it was cruel, and, pursuing his rugged
road through the wild mountains, he reached Elvas, not only
without any assistance frora the magistrates of the country,
but in defiance of their dishonourable hostility. Fifteen
hundred wounded British were left in Talavera; and Sir
Arthur Wellesley said, " he doubted whether, under any cir
cumstances, it would have been possible, or consistent with
humanity, to have reraoved any raore of them : besides, judging
frora the treatraent the wounded who fell into the hands of the
eneray on the twenty-seventh experienced, as well as from the
manner in which he had taken care of their wounded who
becarae his prisoners, he expected that his poor fellows would
be well treated by the eneray."
The Duke of BeUuno entered Talavera without even a
show of resistance on the part of the inhabitants, and
found raany of the wounded weltering in their gore on the
bare paveraent of the Plaza. With a degree of humanity which

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 173
did honour even to his high rank and splendid talents, he
directed that French and English should be treated without
distinction ; and having compliraented his brave eneraies upon
their knowledge and observance of the laws and the courtesies
of war, reraarked, there was yet one subject of which they
appeared to be ignorant, that was, how to deal with the Spaniards.
Orders were instantly issued that into every house two wounded
soldiers should be admitted by the owner, one French and one
English, and every care and attention which their case de
raanded bestowed upon them, remerabering, however, alwa3'S to
serve the English soldier first. Through the inhumanity of
the Spaniards, many had expired in the streets before Victor's
arrival, and the paveraent in various places was clotted with their
blood : the Spaniards were now ordered out with spades and
besoms, to bury the dead and clean the Plaza, " so as to render
it fit for Frenchmen to walk in." A few hours only had elapsed
before the streets of Talavera assumed a character more honour
able to the inhabitants, more salubrious also, and the demands of
humanity at length, although reluctantly, were compUed with.
The next raeasure by which Victor deraonstrated his know
ledge of the laws of war, and of what was due to the Spanish
character, is unhappily less honourable to his railitary renown.
Asserabling his followers at raid-day in the Plaza, he told them
" that they were permitted to pillage the town for three hours,"
and, that this violence raight be committed with that mixture
of sublirae and ridiculous which belongs to Frenchraen, the
plunderers were first drawn up in line, each raan supplied with
a hamraer and saw, and with their knapsacks on their backs,
they filed off, at roll of drum, to the quarters of the town re
spectively allotted to them. It was during this systematic
robbery, this irresistible mode of pillaging, that the vast raaga
zines of corn were discovered, sufficient, it was supposed, to
maintain the whole of the French army for three nionths : and
in a luraber-roora of a convent, a quantity of dollars was found,
enough to load a dozen raules. His views of humanity and
justice being corapleted, Victor crossed the Tagus at Talavera
on the seventh, and, advancing towards the position of Cuesta's
II. 2 A

174 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
forc6, placed an advanced guard at Aldea Nueva, on the left
bank of the Tagus, and looked on the contest of Arzobispo*
frora that point
The -humanity of Victor presented a remarkable contrast to
the ferocity of the army under Soult, which, alraost at the
sarae instant, was devastating the country around Plasencia.
There nine villages were laid in ashes by his troops, who
further disgraced the high character of a veteran soldier by
the coraraission of high-way robbery. It was in the raonth of
June that Don Juan Alvarez de Castro, bishop of Coria, then
in his eighty-sixth year, was first raarked out for destruction
by the corps under Lapisse. Escaping the first atterapt upon
his life, he took refuge at Los Hoyos, where frora weakness
and infirraity he was necessitated to reraain, and abide the
arrival of Marshal Soult. When the soldiers surrounded the
cottage, where the venerable raan lay helplessly upon his
couch, his chaplain and domestics, throwing open the door,
invited thera to enter, and partake of such fare as their
master's lodgings afforded i the invitation was accepted, and
having indulged heartily in the recreations of the table, the
ruffians proceeded to plunder the house, and concluded their
infaraous perforraance by dragging the aged bishop from his
bed, and assassinating hira in his charaber.
Upon the thirty-first of July a congratulatory letter was-
addressed to Sir Arthur Wellesley by Don Martin de Garay,
expressive of the high approbation of the central junta at the
gallantry of the British array, and the commanding genius of
their leader ; and to raark, in the strongest raanner, the sin
cerity of their approval, the despatch was accompanied by a
comraission appointing Sir Arthur a captain-general in the
Spanish army, and by a gift of six beautiful Andalusian horses.

* " Of this affair," says Sir Arthur Wellesley, " the French talked more
than they ought. Nothing could behave worse than they did, excepting the
Spaniards. They ought to have annihilated the Spanish army, but they were
afraid to follow them, and did not even know that they had taken the greatest
part of the cannon ; they had not patrolled the ground, three days afterwards>
when Colonel Waters went to Mortier with a flag of truce from me."

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 175
which were presented to hira in the narae of Ferdinand Vllth.
These distinctions, flattering to vanity, prudent as concUiatory,
and evincing true gratitude, were received in a raanner that
augraented still further the respect of Spain for the individual
worth of the British general. In his reply to De Gary, on
the eighth of August, Sir Arthur acknowledged warraly the
honour done hira, both by the appointment, and the present but,
with the raost singularly correct notions of propriety, declined
accepting even the highest rank in any array, until he should
have obtained the perraission of his own sovereign, the king
of England : with respect to the pay attached to the Spanish
coramission, he thus generously expressed hiraself, "I hope
the governraent will excuse me, if I decline to become a
burden upon the finances of Spain during this contest for
her independence."
While head-quarters were still at Deieytosa, Sir Arthur was
very fully occupied in writing and receiving despatches,
sustaining and repeUing false accusations frora Cuesta, and
corresponding with his brother the Marquis Wellesley,* who
sailed frora Portsmouth, in the Donegal, on the twenty-first,
and arrived at Cadiz, on the thirty-first of July, upon a special
raission. This experienced statesraan carae to supersede Mr.
Frere, an honest but raeddling agent, incapable of confining
himself to the legitimate objects of his office ; he had actually
endeavoured to have several British officers removed from
their coraraand, upon his private opinion of their insufficiency ;
and the last effort of his expiring duty was the suggeatipn
of an extensive railitary project: "the junta, with a refined
irony, truly Spanish, created hira Marquis of Union," but
ostensibly in consideration of his having concluded a treaty of
peace between England and Spain. To supply the place of
this incapable servant. Lord Wellesley arrived in Spain, and
at Cadiz received honours that raight, with raore justice, have
been paid to his illustrious brother. These, alraost triuraphal
* He had been appointed ambassador to Spain in the month of April, 1809,
but a sudden and severe indisposition prevented his leaving England before
the date here stated.

170 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
demonstrations, were cpntinued all the way from Cadiz to
Seville ; but it could scarcely have been possible that a man,
so rauch accustoraed to coraraand, could have viewed sucb
rejoicings in any other light than as a grateful show of respect
towards the king of England and the British nation, never hav
ing personaUy rendered one act of service to the Spanish cause.
Still, however, if the phantom lured hira one moraent frora his
path, he was instantly restored safely to it by the sarae hand,
and the sarae head, that so often rainistered to his wants in
India, and precautionary letters alraost hourly arrived from his
gaUant brother, warning bira against trusting in the fair exterior
of Spanish promises, reminding him how distantly related
were enthusiasm and sincerity, and expressing his dislike of
pageantry in general. For this brother Sir Arthur had always
evinced the raost inviolable affection, and, trembling for his
situation, he thus addressed him from Deieytosa. "You
have undertaken an herculean task : and God knows that
the chances of success are infinitely against you, particularly
since the unfortunate turn affairs have taken in Austria. I
wish I could see you, or could send soraebody to you; but
I cannot go myself, and cannot spare the few, to converse
with whora would be of any use to you : the best thing you
can do, therefore, is to send somebody to rae as soon as you
can, if I reraain in Spain, which I believe to be alraost ira
possible, notwithstanding that I see all the consequences of
withdrawing. But a starving array is actually worse than none.
The soldiers lose their discipline and their spirit They
plunder even in the presence of their officers ; the officers are
disconcerted, and are alraost as bad as the men ; and with
the army, which a fortnight ago beat double their number,
I should now hesitate to meet a French corps of half their
strength." This is the briefest of a series of letters, that
poured from the prolific pen of the coramander-in-chief on
the arrival of his brother, acquainting hira with every par
ticular in the details of Spanish politics, that could, in the
reraotest degree, contribute to prepare his mind for the duties
of his new office. Had his own penetration been unable to

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 177
develope the raystery and insincerity of the junta. Sir Arthur's
instructions would have supplied the deficiency, and accordingly
drawing his inforraation frora this pure source, he despised
the tirae-destroying intrigues of that senseless assembly,
asserted boldly the right, which the victorious soldier at the
head of the array possessed, to direct the raoveraents of the great
body itself, and irapressed his views, which were his brother's,
upon the attention of the junta, with a dignity suited to an
arabassador of his Britannic majesty, and which no British
envoy ever has sustained in a manner raore honourable to the
nation than the Marquis WeUesley,* whenever his coUntry '
required his valuable services as viceroy or diploraatist
In order to unfold the duplicity, baseness, and inhuraanity
of the Spanish character sufficiently to enable the new envoy
to understand and appreciate it. Sir Arthur drew an accurate
picture of the treatment the British had received at their
hands, and the hardships they were enduring at the raorafent
that Lord Wellesley was conducted with shouts of triumph
into the ancient city of SevUle. While the British were left
to subsist upon a short allowance of bread, and a drink of
water, extravagant supplies passed by the famishing soldiers
towards the Spanish camp: several hundred cavalry horses died
from the want of barley, the only wholesorae food for such ani
raals in the Peninsula, and two hundred of the artillery-horses
also perished. As the Spanish cavalry do not adrait raares. Sir
Arthur applied for a hundred, to recruit his cavalry: to this he
received no reply; and after the action of Talavera, when the
* " A man with too many weaknesses to be called great, but of an expanded
ciipacity, and a genius at once subtle and imperious." Napier. The author
of thes^ volumes has in vain sought for a confirmation of the preceding
character, in the long and eventful records of Lord Wellesley's life. — The
Marquis Wellesley did not mistake the reception he met at Cadiz and Seville
for personal respect ; on the contrary, in his letter to Mr. Canning of the llth
of August, he ascribes it to " veneration for his majesty's person, respect for
his government, zealous attachment to British alliance, affectionate gratitude
for benefits derived from British generosity, and from the persevering activity,
valour, and skill of his majesty's troops and officers." — Marquis Wellesley's
Despatches,

178 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
British begged for ninety raules to draw their artillery, Cuesta
refused their request although he had sorae hundreds whose
only eraployraent consisted in pulUng erapty cars. When
perverse dispositions becorae entangled in error and absurdity,
they foolishly endeavour to avert censure by impeaching the
injured; and Cuesta, after this raodel, accused the British
array of intercepting the supplies intended for him, and of
selling the plundered rations to the Spanish soldiers. To
these coarse charges, false and flagitious as they were. Sir
Arthur calmly answered, that " it was beneath the dignity of
Cuesta's situation and character to notice such reports, or for
him to reply to thera."
The purport of these painful comraunications was raa3e
known, with all possible despatch, to the Marquis Wellesley,
accorapanied by pressing solicitations that he would inforra the
junta of the true circurastances of the British array, and hold
out threats of an iraraediate evacuation of Spain by the allies,
in the event of suppUes being still withheld. On the day
preceding that on which Cuesta was visited by a fit of para
lysis. Sir Arthur had occasion to retort bitterly, his accusa
tions against the British : " I have to inform your excelleney,"
observes Sir Arthur, " that as Coraraissary Richardson vvas
coming from Truxillo, with bread and barley for the British
array, he was pursued by a body of Spanish cavalry, which
contrived to get frora hira all the barley: he secured the
bread ; a sraall part of which, however, the Spanish cavalry
forced hira to give up, but for which he raade the non-cora
missioned officer sign the receipt which I enclose." This was
alraost the last link in the chain of ungrateful correspondence
that passed between these commanders of the allied armies,
Cuesta having resigned his coraraand, without affording either
the proraised suppUes or an honourable explanation.
Confiding in the penetration of Lord Wellesley, whb was
now in full possession of the insincerity of the allies. Sir Arthur
turned anxiously towards Eguia, the successor of Cuesta, invited
hira to co-operate warraly, powerfully, and actively with the
British, pointed to the lamentable consequences of his pre-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGIION. 179
decessor's bigotry, perverseness, and sloth, ai^d hoped that
a better feeling would be engendered between the allies, by
iraproved raanageraent in the Spanish camp. If Sir Arthur
really calculated upon a happier state of things by a change
in the commander, he is assuredly open to Victor's charge
against the English generally, namely, that they were totally
unacquainted with the best mode of dealing with Spaniards ;
for Eguia proraised as rauch as Cuesta, and perforraed as
little, and, like hira, atterapted to conceal the blush that
rose with violated honour, by assuraing the air of plain, blunt
honesty, and charging the allies with the criraes of which he
hiraself had been guilty. But the artifice was stale ; national
character was duly appreciated by the honest Briton, who nobly
rejected all further approaches to intiraaey, and all further
coramunication with the Spaniard, until corapensation should
be raade for the outrage comraitted upon his rank and repu
tation. It was now that the impression began to acquire
lasting depth, on the clear mind of the English general, of the
necessity pf abandoning Spain to her fate, and conducting his
little army back to the frontiers of Portugal, a country which
he had saved frora plunder and from conquest, an ancient
ally of Great Britain, and at least a more faithful friend than
Spain. Of this determination he apprised Lord Wellesley
in a letter of the twelfth of August, in which he states, that
" the experience of every day shows the absolute necessity that
the British army should withdraw from this country. It is
useless to coraplain, but we are certainly not treated as friends,
rauch less as the only prop on which the cause in Spain can-
depend." To this inconvenience was to be added the want of
resources in the country, and the extreme difficulty of bringing,
forward vvhat were to be found.
Leaving the dispute pending between the British commander-
in-chief and the Spanish junta, touching a regular and reason
able supply of food,, to be paid for by Great Britain, the
position and circumstances of Beresford, Wilson, and Venegas
demand brief notice and attention. The first of these officers
undertook the protection of the Portuguese frontier, against

180 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
any force which he conceived the French, concentrated at Pla
sencia, could possibly bring against him ; but he was cautioned
by Sir Arthur Wellesley against indulgence in an ill-grounded
confidence of -the precise strength of the eneray, which he was
convinced rauch exceeded Beresford's estiraate. It was also the
advice of Sir Arthur, that the Portuguese head-quarters should
be fixed at Zarza la Mayor, whether the object of tbe enemy
were the invasion of Portugal or not In this position he was
supported by four British battalions, under Generals Catlin,
Craufurd, and Lightburn, posted at Castel Branco; and, from
the fertile character of the surrounding country, the Portu
guese army would experience little difficulty in drawing ample
supplies of provisions.
Arrangeraents which resulted from a consultation between the
French marshals, and which shall be noticed presently, caused
Marshal Ney to raarch from Plasencia on the eleventh of
August, towards the Puerto de Banos, which strong post he
was surprised to find occupied by Sir Robert Wilson, with a
raixed force of Spaniards and Portuguese.
When the victorious British marched from Talavera on the
third of August, to check the advance of Soult through the
Puerto on Plasencia, Sir R. Wilson had been detached upon the
left of the army towards Escalona. He had been put in corarau
nication with Cuesta, who was to have reraained at Talavera,
as well as with Cuesta's advanced guard, which had returned
frora Talavera on the fourth. Being deserted by the Spaniards,
and persuaded that a retreat was no longer open to him by
Arzobispo, with a promptness and ability for which he has
been rauch coramended by Sir Arthur Wellesley, he started
from Vellada on the night of the fourth, and, trusting to his
local knowledge, pushed on for the Venta de San Julian,
and Centinello, crossed the Tietar, and escaped into the
raountains that separate Castile frora Estraraadura. The
resources of Wilson's raind were inconceivable, his activity
prodigious, and his gallantry the adrairation even of his ene
mies. The rapidity of his raoveraents startled the French,
who were never able to ascertain the real araount of his force.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 181
although every raoveraent of the aUies was reported regularly
at their head-quarters. Separated from the British, and aban
doned by the Spaniards, the opportunity was as eagerly seized
by the enemy, to surround and destroy him. ViUatte pursued
hira to NorabeUa; Foy lay in wait at Vera de Plasencia; and
detachraents were posted to interrupt and co-operate in
encircling hira at Monbeltran and Arenas. But his energy
and courage were equal to his difficulties, and enabled him to
burst the toils that were laid for him at Viandar, to baffle his
pursuers, escape over the Sierra de Lanes, descend into the
vale of Tormes, and reach Bejar in safety. Intending, judi
ciously, to effect a junction with Sir Arthur Wellesley, this
bold officer pushed on towards the pass of Banos ; and it was
in this atterapt that he unexpectedly encountered Ney. Every
precaution that tirae allowed, every advantage that the natu
ral strength pf his position afforded, was iraproved to the
utraost Colonel Grant, at the head of two hundred
Spaniards, was placed in front of Aldea Nueva; but the eneray's
voltigeurs and chasseurs, under Lorset, obUged thera to give
way. An atterapt was next raade upon Sir Robert Wilson's
legion, which raaintained its ground against treble its nurabers
for nine hours, when the eneray, getting possession of the
heights on the left, their position was no longer tenable.
Sir Robert retired along the raountain-ridge, leaving the
main road open to the great array. Mistaking his sudden
retirement for abject fear, the French cavalry ventured to
approach hira, and call out to surrender, a deraand which was
answered by a volley of rausketry, that killed the whole ad
vanced guard. A second party, rushing forward to avenge the
deaths of their corarades, nearly surrounded the little Spanish
foi"ce; butWilson cut his way through their ranks, and escaped
with trifling loss. Ney now willingly accepted the free passage
he had earned, and, pursuing his raarch, reached the Une of
the Torraes, where he resigned the coraraand of his corps into
the hands of Marchand, and unattended returned to France.
Wilson halted for two days at Miranda de Castanos, to coUect
the stragglers, after which he resuraed his raarch towards the
II. 2 B

182 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
British carap. Military writers say " they cannot coraprehend
why Sir 'Robert WUson should have ventured to give battle to
the sixth French corps ;" but they should reraeraber, that he
was surprised — that he was never known to fly frora danger
— and that loss of life would have been preferred by him to the
loss of liberty or honour.
It should now be explained how Ney carae so suddenly upon
Wilson's legion, of whose strength, when he did engage, he was
also ignorant. On the eleventh of August, the British, who
necessarily forraed the left, placed their head-quarters at Jarai
cejo, the Spaniards theirs at Deieytosa; the former watching
the bridge of Almarez, the latter occupying Meza d'Ibor and
Campillo. They were disposed in a corapact form, and took
up a central position. The passage of the river would have
been an achievement attended with the utraost risk to the
enemy, and unattended with any ulterior advantage ; the space
between the river, and the ridge occupied by the allies, being
too narrow to adrait of any operations.
While the fortunes of the Peninsula were poising in the
scales of fate, king Joseph, unintentionally, acted as her guar
dian angel, and interposed his hand to stop the shaft of death.
Soult would have followed up the successes of Arzobispo by
pursuing the Spaniards to Deieytosa, while Ney was ordered to
pass the ford of Almarez and seize the pass of Mirabete ; but
the latter was unable to find out the ford, and the delay that
took place enabled the British to take up the strong position
already described.
At this crisis in the affairs of the Peninsula, when Soult
had conceived several projects for the destruction of the small
British force under Sir Arthur, as well as for another inva
sion of Portugal from Plasencia, all his efforts were paralyzed
by the folly of king Joseph, who recaUed the first corps to the
support of the fourth, then controlling Venegas in La Mancha,
as well as by the refusal of Ney to co-operate in his plans,
whose reasons were approved of by Joseph. The fatigues
and sufferings of the army, the jealousy that existed between
Soult and Ney, the impregnable position of an able general

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 183
then coraraanding the eneray's forces, the arrival of despatches
from the Emperor, dated Schoenbrunn, twenty-ninth of July,
(announcing the victory of Wagram, and forbidding .future
operations against Wellesley, until the arrival of re-inforceraents
frora the continent which recent successes left at his disposal)
in addition to Joseph's childish fondness for the gilded haUs
of Aranjuez and Madrid — decided the intruder upon dispersing
his array. Accordingly, Soult was placed at Plasencia, Victor
was relieved at Talavera by the fifth corps under Mortier,
who, iraitating the noble example of his predecessor, gene
rously prohibited the distribution of rations to his own soldiers
until the wounded English in the hospitals were supplied ;
while the sixth corps, raarching frora Plasencia to quell the
insurrection in Leon and Castile, fomented and sustained by
the Duke del Parque, encountered and defeated Sir R. Wilson
at the Puerto del Banos. This dispersion of the enemy led
Sir Arthur to conclude that no offensive operations were about
to be undertaken, and that he might rest, and recover strength
in his position at Jaraicejo, while Eguia continued at Deieytosa,
and Venegas was left to operate as circurastances required in
the Sierra Morena. Soult alone advised faUing on the British
lion in his den. Jourdan confirraed Joseph in his tiraidity,
for which he was subsequently dismissed frora his office, which
was judiciously conferred upon the very general who had sug
gested the bolder line of conduct.
After the battle of Talavera, king Joseph raarched against
Venegas, who was loitering in the vicinity of Terablique,
having an advanced post at Aranjuez, and a division under
Lacy at Toledo, where he occasionally skirraished with the
garrison. On the SOth of July intelligence reached Venegas
of the victory of Talavera, at the sarae moment that Lacy
reported the appearance of a French coluran marching on
Toledo, and obtained a reinforcement sufficient, in his opinion,
to enable him to keep his ground. The despatches of Cuesta,
as inconsistent and contradictory as his actions at this time,
bewildered Venegas : one stated that the allies were advancing
on Madrid; a second, that Cuesta was just leaving Talavera
for a few hours to destroy Soult, after which he would return

184 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
to coraplete Victor's ruin ; and a third only proved too plainly
to Venegas that he was abandoned to a nuraerous and fierce
eneray, without the remotest chance of reUef, and with the
greatest difficulty of effecting a retreat. In this perplexity he
declined entering Madrid, where Sir R. Wilson would have
joined hira, and suffered an useless attack to be raade on eight
thousand French in Toledo. He next concentrated his force at
Aranjuez, expressed a wish to confine his duty to the defence
of La Mancha, but conceived that he should obey the secret
instructions of the junta, although "the necessity for their orders
had then ceased ; and, lastly, it is supposed he would have
hearkened to the absurd proposition of Mr. Frere, who recora
raended the separation of his force into two divisions, the
one to threaten the communication with France by Arragon,
the other by Morena. The dangerous advice of this raeddling
rainister was obviated by the celerity of the eneray, who at
tacked Venegas' advance-guard at the beautiful gardens of Aran
juez. The coolness of Lacy, gallantry of Giron, and heroisra of
Panes, on that occasion, excited the adrairation of their country,
and were rewarded by its gratitude. The latter having re
ceived a mortal wound, exclaimed, " Corarades, I ara on ray
way to heaven, stand by these guns till death." The govern
ment desired that the title of Panes should for ever exempt
its owner from the pecuUar taxes to which grandees are subject,
and conferred a situation of honour and emoluraent on his
father. Giron,* who coraraanded the defence, was created
camp-raarshal on the spot. This repulse obliged the eneray
to repass the Xarama, and prepare to attack the Spaniards
from the other side. Venegas called a council of war, stated
his resolution of abandoning the line of the Tagus, his deter
mination of attacking the enemy on the 12th, after he had
refreshed his troops, whom he would iraraediately concentrate
at Alraonacid, and who were flushed with the pride of recent
victory; but, during this deliberation, his position was reconnoi
tred, and attacked by Gen. Sebastiani, with a force raore than
double that which he supposed the numbers of the enemy
amounted to, although General DesoUes, with the reserve, had
* Afterwards Marquis de lot Amarillas, and Duke of Ahumado.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 185
not yet corae up, and he was brought to action on the day he
had proposed to devote to rest. Venegas was by no means taken
by surprise, nor attacked in a position of insufficient security,
but he was ignorant of the enemy's strength. Entrusting the
coraraand of his right wing to Vigodet the left to Lacy, and
placing Camp-Marshal Castejon with two divisions in the
centre, he awaited the assault of the eneray. The Spaniards
stood stoutly for some tirae; and the left, which had been
thrown into disorder, was restored by Venegas, who outflanked
the successful party ; but the contest was too unequal tp be
maintained for any length of time, or with the least prospect
of success : the Spaniards fought bravely, but on every littlp
advantage they were assaulted by fresh troops, arriving in such
raultitudes under DesoUes and king Joseph, that at last they
had recourse to the usual reraedy, and, throwing away their
arms, ammunition, and clothing, ran off wildly before the cavalry
of the enemy. The survivors of this day of slaughter continued
their flight to La Carolina, under painful apprehension of being
every moment overtaken, or intercepted, by the French dra
goons, until they found an asylum in the Sierra Morena : while
the fourth French corps estabUshed theraselves at Aranjuez, the
first at Toledo, and the intrusive king accoraplished his darling
object — a safe return to the palace of Madrid. The Spania,rds
in this action lost one hundred araraunition waggons, thirty-five
pieces of artillery, and a large nuraber of their body was taken
prisoners. The French assert that the eneray had four thousand
slain, but have not raade a return of their own losses on the
occasion, which raust have been equal to that of their foes.
The alternations of fortune which occur in the garae of war
are gtrikingly illustrated in the history of the Peninsular contest,
even in the short period that elapsed between the first landing
of British auxiliaries in Portugal, and the return ofthe intruder
to Madrid. WeUesley raust be acknowledged to have routed,
and driven the French frora Portugal, in his first campaign,
because the convention was a consequence of the victories of
Roleia and Viraeira: in the next carapaign, the British were
corapelled to evacuate the Peninsula, having lost one of their

186 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
best officers oti the field of Corunna : Sir Arthur WeUesley
avenged the death of Moore, by the expulsion of Soult frora
Oporto : and now the British were driven beyond the Tagus,
entrenched, it is true, in a position of irapregnability, but with
out sufficient nurabers to renew the contest, while the usurper
was entering Madrid in triuraph.
Having noticed the situations and circurastances of Beres
ford, WUson, and Venegas, the narrative of the British array
raay be resuraed, and the trying circurastances in which Sir
A. Wellesley was placed be raore fully detailed. " He was now
called on, not only to consider every railitary point as connected
with the array, but every civil arrangeraent in the Peninsula
was subraitted to hira : and hence he commenced * that early
practice of universality of reflection and decision, to which, for
reasons in the hands of Providence, he seems especially to
haye been designed." The campaign was concluded; the
opportunity that was presented of breaking down the EngUsh
power in the Peninsula, and which Soult would have seized,
lost for ever; and this event to the last hour of his life.
Napoleon bitterly lamented. Frora this date, one whole month
was passed by the British in undisturbed possession of their
head-quarters at Jaraicejo, but the mind and feelings of the
comraander-in-chief were agitated by neglect and insult, not
of enemies, but allies. .These painful circurastances led to
that lengthened correspondence in which General Wellesley
was at this tirae engaged with his brother, Cuesta, Eguia,
and the central junta, and which ended only in augraented
disgust of the Spanish character and provisional governraent.
Before the resignation of Cuesta, that general proposed to
place all the supplies for the allies at Truxillo, whence they
should be distributed in proportion to the respective strength
of each array : but this was a conteraptible trick, as the greater
part of the supplies destined for the Spanish array would be
conveyed to thera without passing through TruxUlo. Besides,
it had been promised when the British entered Spain, that
* Narrative ofthe Peninsular War. The noble author seems to have forgotten
Colonel Wellesley's diplomatic services in India, which will, at no distant
period, be more fully appreciated than circumstances have yet admitted of.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 187
provisions should be found gratuitously, or at all events for
payment, without failure on the part of government; which
proraise was sharaefuUy violated, the raen left withoiit rations,
and the horses to subsist upon whatever forage they could pick
up in the fields, which being of an unwholesorae description,
great nurabers died in consequence. This unkind treatraent
extracted frora Sir Arthur a threat that he would retire into
Portugal , but in the raean tirae such was the opinion he had
forraed of the general of the allies, that he concluded his de
spatch to him, of that date, with a request " that the Spanish
officers sent to Truxillo might be odered not to prevent the
British frora obtaining, for payraent, salt and other necessaries
which the army were in want of."
The Marquess Wellesley was iraraediately raade acquainted
with the difficulties of his brother's position, as well as with his
deterraination to fall back upon Portugal, unless his army were
furnished with supplies regularly and reasonably ; and a com
plaint was also subraitted to his excellency, of the detention of
letters passing frora the British carap to the British envoys.
Sir Arthur, on the fourteenth of August, assured Eguia of his
earnest desire to enter into amicable concert with hira, and of
his having instructed Colonel Waters to proceed to Truxillo, in
the hope of forraing such arrangeraents as were calculated to
re-establish that reciprocity of good feeling between the allied
arraies, which the misconduct of Cuesta had extinguished.
The Marquess Wellesley was now actively employed in second
ing the appUcations of, Sir Arthur for relief, and establishing
the reasonableness of that officer's reraonstrances; but the reply
which the junta made was " very unsatisfactory." The same
junta that refused food, wine, and means of trahsport to the
British, had the effrontery not only to demand their conti
nuance in Spain, but that Marshal Beresford raight also be
induced to advance to their support., This, General Wellesley
at once rejected, Beresford's being the only disposable force
which Portugal possessed, and aU which that country had to
depend on for its defence : the object of collecting that corps
on the Portuguese frontier was not that it might operate in

188 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
CastUe, but reraain to defend that Une, and give an appui to the
British left flank. In the raidst of this vexatious correspond
ence, consisting of irapeachraents and recrirainations, the
general was frequently called on to calra the fears of the junta,
relative to the strength and designs of the eneray ; and, in
reply to his noble brother on this subject, on the fifteenth of
August, says, " I do not think the French are sufficiently strong
to undertake an offensive operation ; and it is probable that
things will reraain as they are, unless I can strike a blow on the
right of their line, until reinforcements arrive from France."
It was Sir Arthur's opinion that he had the advantage of the
eneray in the defensive attitude he had assuraed ; and he pro-
raised, if the arrival of food should enable hira to raake a for
ward raovement, that he would certainly aim a decisive blow at
his adversary; and with this object in view, he had com
menced repairing the Puente del Cardinal on the Tagus.
The privations ofthe British still reraaining unreraedied, the
cavalry were raoved farther to the rear, on Caceres, in order to
procure forage, which had corapletely failed at Jaraicejo, and
up to the fifteenth of August but one day's issue of barley had
arrived for the horses. This indispensable raoveraent destroyed
totally his hopes of being able to attack the eneray, and induced
the general to break down rather than restore the Puente del
Cardinal ; besides which, the state of the infantry, who, on the
eighteenth, " had no bread," and the boasted supply in the raa
gaziue at Truxillo not being sufficient for a single day, obliged
Sir Arthur, unwiUingly, to carry into execution his raeditated
abandonraent of his ungrateful allies : but previous to which, he
advised Eguia to send troops to occupy the British outposts on
the Tagus. Eguia replied with drivelling absurdity, by promis
ing to share with the British the supplies falsely stated to be at
Truxillo, and thus drew forth the inevitable decision of the hero
of Talavera. " Your excellency is raistaken in the conclusion
you have arrived at ; that which obliges rae to raove into
Portugal is a case of extreme necessity ; viz, that description
of necessity which an army feels when it has been starving
for a month, when it wants every thing, and can get nothing ;

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.

189

this necessity is so urgent, that I must either move into
Portugal, where"" I know I shaU be supplied, or make up ray
raind to lose ray army, unless I could be made certain of a
sufficiency of bread and corn for the troops and horses daily.
I hope, therefore, you will occupy the posts on the Tagus this
night ; but ray troops shall be withdrawn frora thera, whether
relieved or not." His declaration to the Marquis WeUesley
on the condition of his array, his protest against the inhuraanity
and baseness of the allies, was stiU raore strong and explicit,
and so decided, that all further coquetry on the part of the
junta and their generals becarae futile. Sir Arthur stated that
when he moved he would be under the necessity of relinquish
ing twelve pieces of ordnance : he assured his excellency
most solemnly, that from the twenty-second of July, the
horses of the cavalry and artillery had not been allowed their
regular deliveries of harley, and the infantry had not received
ten days' bread. These were the causes that led him to request
that his excellency would give notice to the government of
his determination to retire into Portugal. That government
might possibly have deceived Lord Wellesley by an assurance of
their "having issued orders that the array should be pro
vided," but they knew perfectly well that there were no inferior
officers to whom such orders could, with a prospect of perform
ance, be directed. No systera, no arrangeraents, no raagazines
had been forraed, and fifty thousand raen were collected on a
spot which was incapable of affording subsistence to one-fifth
of that nuraber, nor were there any means of sendlno- to a
distance for supplies to make good the deficiency : starvation,
fatigiie, and service had so diminished his number of horses, that
eighteen hundred of his cavalry were dismounted, and he had
lost three hundred artillery-horses, entirely from want of food.
It was at this anxious raoraent, when the resolution
of retreating was irrevocably fixed in the British general's
mind, that Eguia disgraced hiraself by adding insult to injury,
by expressing a disbelief in Sij^^thur Wellesley's wrjtten
statements of the wants o^. his array. " I feel much con
cerned," replied General WeUesley^' " that any thing should
II. 2 0 >'

190 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
haye occurred to induce your excellency to express a doubt of
the truth of what I have written to you : however, since you
entertain that doubt, further correspondence is unnecessary,
and accordingly this is the last letter I shall have the honour
of addressing to you." He next proceeded to assure Eguia that
he extended to hira, in the fullest manner, the confidence in
his veracity which had been refused to a British general,
and was satisfied of his having issued orders for the supply of
rations : however, as the means were not present, his excel
lency's orders remained unexecuted. In proof of the truth of
his assertions. Sir Arthur reminded him of his having left part
of his araraunition at Deieytosa, because the Spaniards refused
to lend mules to reraove it, and inforraed hira that he would
be obliged to abandon another supply at Jaraicejo, which he
had offered to the Spaniards in preference to blowing it up.
Totally ignorant of the high sense of honour which influ
ences every man in the British service, a principle that is
usually aUowed to pervade the breast of every British mer
chant and for which the nation itself ranks high in universal
respect over the globe, the Spaniard had the insolence to
forward a second letter, imraediately after the insulting corapo
sition alluded to, calling on the British to assist hira in a
combined attack on the enemy. As this was of a public
character, and emanating directly frora the junta. Sir Arthur
replied to it at once, by inforraing him, that the junta and
himself were equally ignorant of the actual situation of the
French array, that Beresford's post was near Salvatera, and
that no permanent benefit could result from offensive opera
tions until the arrival of Romana. He took occasion again to
reiterate his complaints against the shameful treatment of his
men, and the unblushing effrontery of the provisional govern
ment "It is extraordinary," said Sir Arthur, "that the
minister at war, while he proposed new operations, forgpt that
we had no food ; that our cavalry, from want are scarcely able
to move from the ground ; that our artillery horses ai'e not
able to draw the guns : but his having omitted to advert to
these circurastances sufficiently accounts for their continued

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 191
existence." An auxiUary in the arts of deception was now
found in Don Louis de Calvo, a member of the junta, whose low
cunning, it was conceived, would enable hira to mitigate those
stern feelings of justice, for the possession of which he could
not seriously give Sir Arthur, or any other mortal, credit In
conversation with Sir Arthur, he insinuated that it was not
want of food that influenced the general's decision, but " motives
of a political or military nature," although he must have per
ceived that starvation had impaired the health of the army, and
rendered it comparatively inefficient. He assured the general
that in three days there should be plenty of provisions, and that
in the mean time all the supplies in the magazines at Truxillo
should be left for the support of the British. These reasonings
appearing to be received with some little hesitation by Sir
Arthur, the Spaniard ascended to the climax of folly and false
hood by protesting that " the British should have everything,
and the Spanish nothing." To this it was distinctly replied,
that the same assurances had been received from every Spanish
commissioner, and that each in his turn had disappointed the
army; that although de Calvo's rank was higher, and his
pbwers greater than those of his predecessors in office, in a
case so critical as that of a starving army, no confidence could
be reposed in his assurances. As to the accounts of resources
then on the road, the general discredited them altogether ; and,
with respect to the contents of the magazine at TruxUlo,
Colonel Waters had examined that place the previous night,
and found that De Calvo's statements were false, and that the
magazine was as empty as the promises of a Spaniard. To the
last extravagant undertaking with which De Calvo professed to
encumber his government, for the relief of the British, namely,
giving everything to their allies, and nothing to their own poor
Countrymen, Sir Arthur repUed, "Its execution is utterly
and entirely impracticable ; it was inconsistent with what had
hitherto been the practice ; and besides, I have In ray pPsses-
sibn a letter from yourself, stating that you had ordered to the
Meza d'Ibor, for the use of the Spanish army, all the provi
sions required for the British camp by Mr. Downie, the British

192 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
coraraissary, and provided by the town of Guadaloupe and its
neighbourhood. I cannot therefore give credit to any plan
having for its object to give provisions to the British array to
the exclusion of the Spanish. The Spaniards raust be fed as
well as the British, otherwise neither wUl be of use ; so that I
conceive the proposal to have been raade to rae, only as an
extreme and desperate measure, to induce rae to reraain in
Spain." The day before the British army broke up head-quarters at
Jaraicejo, Eguia, in a letter coraposed of quibbling and servility,
atterapted to explain away the offence he had offered to the
British coraraander, by refusing credit to his assertions ; but
his apology carae too late. Calvo tried the virtue of flattery,
but this stratagera proved as weak even as the raeaner
efforts of his coadjutor : he talked of the Spaniards being
abandoned by those troops who so rauch sustained their
raartial spirit, and who had recently inspired thera with so
much confidence by the valour of their conduct in the field
of Talavera. It was in vain that the junta appealed to the
Marquis Wellesley, and supplicated his raediation with the
comraander-in-chief; that dignified and accomplished statesman
had heard, with deep attention, his gallant brother's warning
voice, " Put no confidence in the promises of Spain," and he
confined himself in consequence more strictly to the precise
duties of ambassador, avoiding the least personal responsibility.
In one of the most beautiful diploraatic corapositions Lord
Wellesley ever wrote, dated frora Seville, twenty-second of
August, he pleads, in language delicate, respectful, official, the
sinking cause of Spain, and inforras Sir Arthur of the alarra
and consternation excited by the near approach of the moment
when he should remove his head-quarters : that De Garay spoke
of the event with the deepest sorrow and terror, declaring that
inevitable and immediate ruin raust ensue to the government.
" These expressions," observed the Marquis, "were raixed with
the raost cordial sentiraents of personal respect and gratitude for
your great and splendid services in the cause of Spain. I found,
however, that no arguraent which occurred to me produced

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 193
the effect of diminishing the urgency of his entreaties ; and I
have ascertained that his sensations are in no degree raore
powerful than those of the government, and of every description
of the people of Spain within this city and its vicinity. I ara
aware these painful occurrences have not been unexpected, in
your view of the consequences of your retreat into Portugal,
and that the absolute necessity of the case is the sole cause of
a raovement so entirely contrary to your inclination." Con
scious that no one was capable of affording advice to General
Wellesley under the peculiar circumstances in which he was
placed, the marquis adds, " I ara fully sensible not only of the
indelicacy, but of the inutility, of atterapting to offer you any
opinion of raine, in a situation where your own judgraent must
be your best guide. I have deemed it my duty to submit to
your consideration the possibility of adopting an interraedlate
plan, and I request your favourable attention to the enclosed
note of M. de Garay : but it would be vain to urge these con
siderations beyond the extent which they raay be approved by
your own judgraent. It will be sufficient for rae to receive an
early intimation of your opinion, and to be enabled to state it
distinctly to this governraent, which looks to your decision
on the present occasion, as the final deterraination of its fate,
and of the existence of the Spanish nation. That declaration, I
ara persuaded, vvill be founded on the sarae principles of wisdom,
justice, and public spirit, which have already obtained for you
the respect, esteem, and confidence of the Spanish nation."
From the tenor of the preceding letter it is obvious. Lord
Wellesley had found that time would be wanting, should he
attempt to fathora the intrigues of the Spanish governraent,
in order to establish a basis for conclusions frora personal
judgraent, and he wisely, therefore, relied implicitly on his
brother's guidance. Sir Arthur calculated upon the penetra
tion of the marquis, and concluded that he would not be long
duped by the acts of the treacherous assembly to whora he
had been deputed, and, without awaiting the cereraony of a
reply, on the twentieth of August, broke up from his position
at Jaraicejo, and the Casas del Puerto, the latter of which

194 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
posts was iraraediately occupied by the Spaniards, and raarched
by Truxillo upon Merida. Craufurd with the light brigade
took the road to Valencia through Caceres. The weakness
of his men, want of horses and raules, and the innuraerable
inconveniences, which were solely attributable to the cruel
neglect of their allies, so disabled the British troops, that it
was found necessary to halt at Merida. Here the corres
pondence between Sir Arthur and the junta was renewed,
through the raore grateful medium of his noble brother, who
ventured to propose a reunion of the allied armies, and the
occupation of a defensive position behind the Guadiana, in
order to cover Alentejo and defend Seville : he also proposed
to the junta a plan for the future regular supply of provisions
to the British army.* To all these plans Sir Arthur Wellesley
respectfuUy objected. He did not consider that the British
army was bound or pledged to co-operate for any given period
with the Spaniards ; besides, Portugal required his protection
— the line of operations which Spain raeditated would with
draw hira frora Portugal — and the Spanish array had a second
time behaved so ill, by its shameful flight at Arzobispo, as to
forfeit all claim to the benefit of an alliance upon equal terms.
If these arguments were insufficient, it might be added, that
absolute necessity (want of food) compelled the British to
separate from their faithless allies ; and for these amongst other
reasons. Sir Arthur resolved upon not forming a second junction
of his forces with those of Spain. Lord Wellesley urged the
advantage of combining for the defence of the Guadiana, but
Sir Arthur felt that a weaker army could not defend that
river against a stronger; that the Spaniards were then se
curely posted on the Tagus, and, should they be withdrawn
from that position to the banks of the Guadiana, they would
be cut off by the eneray before the British could come to
their assistance. It was advisable, therefore, to let the
Spaniards continue in their position, because they could
defend it against numbers, and their retreat from it was
easy ; apart from the British, they could be raore easily raain-
* Vide Correspondence of Marquis WeUesley, edited by Montgomery Martin,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 195
tained ; they were not to be depended, on anywhere, but if
they could not hold that position, they were incapable of
holding any. Separation, therefore, was so far the wiser policy.
But the junta asked, and the ambassador-extraordinary tacitly
seconded their inquiry, " Was there no chance of resuming
offensive operations?" To this Sir Arthur replied, "At present
I see none, and hereafter certainly none." The sarae chain
of causes, that led to a change of operations frora offensive to
defensive, would undoubtedly continue : the French were raore
nuraerous than the Spaniards, and superior to thera in disci
pline and every raiUtary quality. The passes of Banos^ and
Perales should be guarded, to prevent the multitudinous array
of Castile frora pouring in upon the rear of the aUies; and those
of Guadarama and Avila should be kept, in order to check the
descent of the enemy from Estraraadura and La Mancha in
front The British array could not afford to be still further
exh^-usted by detachments to defend these passes, and Sir
Arthur was deterrained never to place reliance on a Spanish
force again in any critical position. Besides, Blake had lost
his arraj ; Roraana was hiding in the fastnesses of the sierras
of Gallicia, without cavalry or artillery ; and Del Parque, a
brave soldier, had but few troops, and was unwilling to eraploy
thera at a distance from Ciudad Rodrigo : so that no force
remained capable, or properly disposed to make a diversion in
favour of the allies, in the event of an offensive operation. The
raost serious consideration, and that which had the greatest
weight in §3i^ing,^ir Arthur Wellesley's judgraent on this point,
" was the constant and sharaeful misbehaviour of the Spanish
troops before the enemy." " We in England, (he observed,)
never hear of their defeats and flights : but I have heard Spanish
officers talking of nineteen or twenty actions, of the descrip
tion pf that at the bridge of Arzobispo, an account of which
has never been published. In the battle of Talavera, in which
the Spanish army, with very trifling exceptions, was not
engaged, whole corps threw down their arras, and ran off, in
my presence, when they were neither attacked nor threatened
with an attack, but frightened, I believe, by their own fire."

196 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
The truth of this statement, so" disgraceful to Spain, is suffi
ciently proved by the conduct of the general who proceeded to
deciraate the runaways. When these dastardly soldiers abandon
their ranks, they plunder everything they meet, and, in their
flight frora Talavera, pillaged the baggage of the British, who
v;ere at that moraent engaged in their country's cause." Sir
Arthur's reasonings convinced the judgraent of Lord Wellesley,
who felt still further reconciled to his decision by the proraise
which accorapanied it " of not retiring hastily into Portugal,
but that he would remain near enough to the frontier to deter
the enemy frora passing the Guadiana, unless he should
corae in very large force." By this arrangeraent the British
array would actually becorae raore efficient and therefore
more useful to the Spanish governraent, by hanging on the
enemy's flank, while they were also within reach of provi
sions and necessary supplies. It was therefore evident that
the Spanish army rested, in the most secure position, unaided as
they were by the British ; and to give still further safety to
their lines, Sir Arthur advised that the bridge of boats opposite'
to Almarez should be taken up and sent to Badajoz. Before
these reasons for declining future co-operation with the
Spaniards had reached the Marquis Wellesley, his own opinion
had undergone a serious alteration : having furnished a plan
for the future supply of the allied arraies, whereby all jealousies
and bickerings raight be laid at rest, that foolish body wanted
the wisdom and the caution to reply at a becoming interval of
tirae, thereby conflrraing the whole case, which Sir Arthur had
subraitted to his brother's opinion,, against the general conduct
of that body, and converting suspicion into proof.*
* The following letter frora General Hill to Sir Arthur Wellesley laid the
foundation of the charge so often repeated by Sir Arthur, and Marquis
Wellesley : " I beg leave to report to you, that the parties sent out by the officers
of my division yesterday to procure forage, were, in more instances than one,
opposed by the Spaniards. The following circumstances have been made
known to me, and I take the liberty of repeating them for your excellenev's
information. My servants were sent about three leagues on the Truxillo road,
in order to get forage for me ; and after gathering three mule-loads, a party of
Spanish soldiers, consisting of five or six, came up to them vvith their swords

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 197
Advancing by forced raarches through Truxillo, Meajadas,
Medellin, and Merida, upon Badajoz, Sir Arthur there fixed his
head-quarters, upon the third of Septeraber, and occupied a
position on the frontiers of Spain and Portugal, which secured
further retreat should it becorae necessary, protected both coun
tries, left open the raeans of advancing, and enabled the array
to subsist with ease, the troops being disposed in cantonraents
along the line of the Guadiana. Halting for a few days at
Merida, partly in corapliance with the request of Marquis
Wellesley, Sir Arthur had an attack of iUness which obliged him
to travel subsequently in a covered carriage, and it was from
this place, and while labouring under a feverish distemper, that
he coraraunicated to Lord Castlereagh a suramary of past events?
and a plan of operations for the future. He told his lordship,
that " the inforraation he had acquired in the last two months
opened his eyes respecting the war in the Peninsula," and
then proceeded to submit such facts as were necessary for the
guidance of the king's ministers. At the date of this despatch
from Merida, twenty-fifth of August, the French force in Spain
amounted to one hundred and twenty-five thousand men?
seventy thousand of whora were cantoned in the vicinity of
the allied armies ; twenty thousand, under St. Cyr, engaged in
the siege of Gerona ; fourteen thousand with Suchet in
Arragon ; and the reraainder occupied in maintaining a com
munication with France. This force was all disposable for
the field, and did not include the garrisons of Barcelona,
Pampeluna, and sorae other fortified places. To oppose this
body, the whole of which was in their own country, the Spaniards
had a force of only eighty thousand raen, of whora the quality
and coraposition were more defective than their numbers were
deficient to continue the contest ; and to support this imbecile
array there were twenty-five thousand British and ten thousand
dravm, and obliged thera to leave the com they had collected. My servants
told me that the same party fired two shots towards other British men em
ployed in getting forage. The assistant coraraissary of my division likewise
states to me, that the men he sent out for forage were fired at by the Spaniards.
Sign«.d R. Hill, Camp. 17 August 1809."
II. 2d

198 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS O'F
Portuguese ; so that eighteen raonths after the coraraenceraent
of the carapaign, the allies were considerably inferior in nura
bers to the eneray. With respect to the composition of these
armies, the French were well supplied with troops and arras
of the different descriptions required, while seiveral of the
Spanish corps were so ill equipped as to be obliged to remain
in the mountains. With reference to what has been termed the
description of the troops, in that point of coraparison the failure
was even more decided than either in the number or composi
tion. The Spanish cavalry, for exaraple, although well raounted,
were never known to have behaved as soldiers ought in the
presence of an eneray ; " they raade no scruple of running
away, and, after an action, were to be found in every viUage,
and every shady bottom, within fifty railes of the field of battle."
As to the Spanish infantry, it was not possible to calculate
upon any operation with those troops : it was said they had
often behaved well, but Sir Arthur declared " he had never seen
thera behave otherwise than ill ;" and it had actually become
custoraary for thera to run away, throwing down their arras,
puUing off their clothing, and often leaving their heavy guns to
the enemy, loaded and unspiked. " This practice," observed
General WeUesley is fatal to everything, excepting a reassembly
of the men in a state of nature, who as regularly perform
the same manoeuvre the next time an occasion offers." The
Spanish and Portuguese artiUery, however, in general raerited
the approbation of their officers. "It is extraordinary," says
Sir Arthur, " that when a nation has devoted itself to war,
as the Spanish nation has, by the raeasures it has adopted in
the last two years, that so little progress has been raade in
any one branch of the raUitary profession by any individual,
and that the business of an army should be so little understood.
They are really children in the art of war, and I cannot say
they do anything as it ought to be done, with the exception
of running away, and assembling, again in a state of nature."
Sir Arthur Wellesley attributed rauch of this deficiency, in
nurabers, composition, discipline, and efficiency, to the Spanish
executive, who fooUshly endeavoured to govern the kingdora.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 199
in a state of revolution, by an adherence to old rules and
systeras, aided by what is called enthusiasm, which latter was
only an excuse for irregularit)', indiscipUne, and insubordination.
" People are very apt to believe," he observed, " that enthu
siasra carried the French through their revolution, and was the
parent of those exertions that nearly conquered the world :
but if the subject is nicely exarained, it will be found that
enthusiasra is the narae only, but that force was the instrument,
which brought forward those great resources, under the system
of terror, which first stopped the allies ; and that a persever
ance in the sarae systera, of applpng every individual, and
every description of property, to the service of the array, by
force, has since conquered Europe." This refiection upon the
origin of that power which the French republic had acquired,
was followed by a caution as to the prudence, or utility, of
employing increased strength in support of the cause in Spain.
Sir Arthur doubted whether it would have been more advantage
ous to the general interests of Europe, had the large expedition
which was sent to the Scheldt by a different destiny, been
directed towards Spain — as, the greater the array the greater
would be the difficulty of maintaining it, so that, after reaching
Talavera, they raust have separated for want of provisions,
and then probably without a battle.
The situation, circurastances, strength, and discipline of
the Portuguese army were the next subjects in importance,
that demanded the attention of Sir Arthur Wellesley and
the British government. It was always his opinion, that
the mode of applying the services of EngUsh officers to the
Portuguese army was erroneous. Beresford ought to have
had the temporary assistance of the ablest officers in the
British army, who should have acted as adjutants to the field-
marshal, without being posted to Portuguese regiments. In
addition to this blunder, rank had been conferred capriciously,
commissions given away in the raost arbitrary raanner at the
Horse Guards, in consequence of which, the officers frora General
Wellesley's array quitted the Portuguese service; and every
officer who joined from England would also have left, if Sir

200 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Arthur would have aUowed it. The Portuguese troops, at this
period, were deserting to an alarraing degree, so that none of
the regiments were complete ; and, as the array was at a
distance frora the civil governraent which furnished levies by
conscription, and the civil authorities were unable to carry the
laws into operation, it followed that Beresford would find it
difficult, if not impossible, to fill up his ranks. " Pay," adds
Sir Arthur, " has been increased ; but I fear the animal is not
of the description to bear up against what is required of him —
and he deserts raost terribly."
As the Spaniards were raost assuredly incapable of recon
quering their country frora the French, it becarae an urgent
question — what should be the policy ofthe coraraander-in-chief
of the British army? Portugal was exposed, and so easily
entered, the whole country being frontier, that it would be
difficult to prevent the eneray frora penetrating : in that case,
the defence of the capital was clearly the wisest raeasure.
The occupation of Cadiz had long been a favourite object
with certain individuals in the British cabinet, but the force
under Sir Arthur Wellesley in the Peninsula being insufficient,
in his judgraent, to occupy both banks of the lower Tagus,
and secure the possession of Lisbon also, he could not spare
a detachraent large enough to garrison any town. " If you
occupy Cadiz," said Sir Arthur, " you raust lay down Portugal
and take up Spain; you must furnish a garrison of from fifteen
to twenty thousand men; and you must send from England an
array to be eraployed in the field with the Spaniards, and
make Cadiz your retreat instead of Lisbon." While wasting
want consumed the strength, disappointed feelings cankered the
mind of every soldier in the army, and the ravages of disease
were also added to the frightful araount of calaraitous infliction
under which the array laboured while at Merida. A partial sup
ply of rations reached head-quarters, on the twenty-fifth, for
the men, but no barley for the horses : the troops continued so
unhealthy, that the general now begun to be apprehensive lest
their removal to Elvas, where an hospital was established, would
be attended with considerable difficulty, from want of any

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 201
means of transport. In the midst of all these immediate cares
for the restoration of his brave companions, the general was
enabled to spare sorae raoments for transmitting salutary advice
to Marshal Beresford, and in replying to that active, able,
indefatigable officer, recoraraending him to reraain on the
defensive, and not to co-operate with the Spaniards : leisure
was also found to a,ddress Mr. Huskisson upon the subject of
finance. He congratulated the secretary of the treasury upon
the increased faciUty of obtaining money for bills at Lisbon,
Cadiz, and Gibraltar, and upon the prospect of being able to
get on without draining England of her specie ; and, having
concluded official matters, he thus communicated to him the
general features of his position in the Peninsula : "I wish that
the eyes of the people of England were as open to the real
state of affairs in Spain as mine are ; I only hope, if they
should not be so now, that they may not purchase the experi
ence by the loss of an army. We have gained a great and
glorious victory over more than double our numbers, which
has proved to the French that they are not the first military
nation in the world. But the want of common management
in the Spaniards, and of the common assistance which every
country gives to any army, and which this country gives raost
plentifully to the French, have deprived us of all the fruits of
it. The Spaniards had neither nurabers, efficiency, discipline,
bravery, nor arrangeraent to carry on the contest ; and if I
could consent to reraain in Spain, its burden, and the disgrace
of its failure, would fall upon me."
One of the numerous Wellington despatches, dated Merida,
thirtieth of August, and addressed to Marquis Wellesley,
informed his excellency that the British cabinet approved of
the retiring of the army upon Portugal, if supplies were not
furnished as they ought by Spain : and also, that a part of the
British troops who had marched by Caceres, being ill provided
on that road, had pushed on to the hospitable frontier of
Portugal, by which means his army was separated, and' the
divisions at a greater distance than they should be, under any
circumstances, but raore particularly under the circumstances

202 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
of the threatened retreat of the Spanish army from their
irapregnable position on the Tagus.
Incidents, trivial in coraparison with the great event of the
reconquest of two kingdoras, but valuable as illustrating the
pecuUar love of justice, which was innate in the great raan to
whom those kingdoras looked for their rederaption, here claira
admission. The importunities of Lord WeUesley, and decided
measures of Sir Arthur, at length induced the junta to make
sorae effort to furnish the British soldiers with those necessaries
they required ; araong other things, a number of shirts and
sheets were sent to Merida, for hospital use. The persons
who brought thera ran away with their mules, lest the British
officers raight corapel them to remove sorae of the sick or
wounded; so that it was irapossible to ascertain who was
entitled to payraent for the supplies. Nine carts also arrived
from SeviUe, with biscuits for the array, the carts being raarked
as intended for the service of the British.
Sir Arthur lost not a raoraent in applying to the proper
authorities for inforraation, both as to the expense of these
articles, and the persons who were to be paid for thera ; and as
he was probably about to take the carts over the frontier with
his wounded men, and eraploy them in the Portuguese ter
ritory, if the Spanish government considered that he ought
not to enjoy that advantage, these carts should be returned —
notwithstanding, that if the people of Portugal had behaved
so iUiberally, and adopted the sarae principle, when the
British army entered Spain, they could not have raade one
day's raarch within the Spanish territory. Having relieved his
conscience frora the oppressive feeling that injustice raight
possibly be attributed to his raotives or his actions, he prepared
for the resuraption of his raarch towards Badajoz, with the
intention of consoUdating the greater part of his array within
the Spanish frontier, in order to be within easy journeys of
Abrantes, Santarera, and Lisbon, where his principal raaga
zines were. The junta now offered to confer upon the British
general, the coraraand of a corps of twelve thousand men ; which
he respectfully decUned, not conceiving it prudent that, a

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 203
single link should reraain, by which the British government
raight he bound to eo- operate with the array of Spain.' It is
not iraprobable that a feeling of disgust toward the Spanish
array generaUy raight have entered into Sir Arthur's reasons
for declining this new comraand. But while he refused,
absolutely, the command of the Spanish corps, he gave his
opinion in favour of maintaining a strong Spanish force on
the frontier, in the immediate vicinity of his array, as the
British must necessarily be the foundation of any offensive
operation the governraent might be desirous to undertake, and
the proper place of his army would then be on the left of the
whole, issuing from the frontiers of Portugal. But it was a sus
picion of General Wellesley's, built upon no weak grounds, that
the junta were not disposed to leave a larger force than twelve
thousand raen on the frontier, where a larger body was most
desirable, to obviate the designs of Soult upon Ciudad Rodrigo,
because they considered less of miUtary defence, and military
operations, than of political intrigues and trifiing political ob
jects; because, also, should the army on the frontier be strength
ened, the junta of Estraraadura would insist upon the cora
raand being given to the Duke of Albuquerque, an honest
man and gallant soldier, while the junta of Seville, viewing an
army as an instruraent of mischief only, thought that the larger
force would be safer in the hands of Venegas, whom they con
sidered a pliant, willing rainister of their wishes. Sir Arthur
raentions a very characteristic trait, in pointing out Spatilsh
inconsistency to his brother. As to the Portuguese troops,
whora the Spaniards with so rauch effrontery required to reraain
in Spain or to return with the British, he observed, " I shall no
more allow them, than I shall the British troops, to enter Spain
again, unless I have sorae solid ground for believing that they
would be supplied as they ought to be; for these troops were
worse treated than the British by the Spanish civil officers, and
obUged to quit Spain frora want of food. It is a curious cir
cumstance, that the cabildo of Ciudad Rodrigo actually refused
to allow Beresford's corps to have thirty thousand, out of one
hundred thousand pounds of biscuit, which I had prepared

204 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
there, in ' case the operations of the army should be directed
to that quarter, and for which the British commissary had paid';
and they seized the biscuit, on the ground that debts due to the
town of Ciudad Rodrigo, by the British under Sir John Moore,
had not been paid, although one of the objects of the mission
of the same commissary was to settle the accounts, and dis
charge those debts ; but this same cabildo wiU call lustily ' for
assistance, as soon as they shall perceive the intention Pf the
eneray to attack them."
Frora Lobon, which he reached on the second of Septeraber,
Sir Arthur wrote to Sir Robert Wilson,* expressing rauch
* This gallant and distinguished oificer is the youngest son of an emineiit
historical painter, Benjamin Wilson, who disputed the palm with Hudson and
Ramsey, the two most popular artists of that day. He was born at his father's
house in Great Queen-street, London, in the year 1777, and received his edti-
cation at the public schools of Winchester and Westminster, at the latter of
which, an anecdote of his early predilection for the profe.ssion of arms is pre
served. Having heard that a grand review was to be held at Cifisar's camp oh
Bagshot-heath, regardless of consequences, he broke away from his form,
hired a pony with all the money he was possessed of, and hastened to the
scene of splendour and delight. From the ability which he displayed at
school, his father designed him for the study of the law, but fate ordered events
otherwise, and in 1793, when but sixteen years of age, he joined the Duke of
York's army in Flanders as a volunteer. His brother-in-law. Colonel Boswell,
was eraployed and fell in that unfortunate campaign ; and it was to the affection
and generosity of Mrs. Boswell, his sister, that young Wilson was indebted for
the means of pushing his military fortune, as his father had died before he
entered the army. He soon becarae entitled to a coramission, and being made
cornet in the fifteenth dragoons, was one of the six officers who, with one
hundred and seventy dragoons commanded by Major Aylet, attacked and cut
their way through ten thousand Frenchmen, at the siege of Landrecy, killing one
thousand two hundred, and taking three pieces of cannon. This act of
heroism saved Francis II. of Germany, from being taken prisoner, and was
rewarded by the emperor with the present of a gold medal to each officer,
and admission into the order of Maria Theresa. On his retum to England,
Sir Robert espoused a daughter of Colonel Belford, and niece of Sir Adam
Williamson, and served as aide-de-camp to Major-General St. John, in the
Irish rebellion of 1798. In 1799, he again followed the Duke of York to
Holland; but obtaining a majority in Hompesch's mounted riflemen, he pl-o-
cpeded to Egypt in 1801. Returning home, he published an account of that
campaign, in which he animadverted severely on the character of Buoriapart'^ ;
t|iis called forth a reply from Sebastiani, and produced so much acrimorij', that
it has often been irnagined Sir Robert's volumes were accessory to the kindling

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 205
anxiety for the defence of Ciudad Rodrigo, which he considered
it probable Soult would besiege, an event of the most mis-
of that conflagration, which soon after flamed out over Europe. Roworth, the
printer, is supposed to have been the real cause of the mischief that ensued,
by copying into the work some exaggerated Turkish stories, reflecting upon
the first consul, for it was of these insinuations that Buonaparte complained to
British government. That these strictures were untrue. Sir Robert pai-tly
confessed in the year 1815, by stating, that -when they were pubUshed, he
believed them to be founded on fact. In 1804, he published "an Inquiry
into the present state of the British forces," in which he reprobates the
system of corporal punishment in the array.
For sorae time subsequent to 1804, he held the situation of field-officer in the
westem counties, from which he was again taken into active service, and
assisted at the capture of the Cape of Good Hope. In 1806 he accompanied
Lord Hutchinson on a secret mission to Russia, and was present in all the
battles fought by the allies, from the engagements at Pultusk to that of Freidland.
Upon the signing of the treaty of Tilsit, he was received by the Emperor
Alexander with marks of distinguished favour. In 1811 appeared his narrative of
the contest between France and the allied powers, under the title of " An Account
of the Campaigns in Poland in 1806 and 1807, with remarks on the Character
and Composition ofthe Russian army." In 1808 he was despatched to Portugal,
where he raised the Lusitanian legion, and entitled hiraself to the warmest
praises of Lord Wellington. He was, however, sent to Russia in 1812, as British
military correspondent, and was with the allied armies in every action that
took place from that period until the close of the war. At the battle of
Lutzen, he stormed the village of Gross Gorchen, and continued to hold it at
the elose of the day. On the establishment of the general peace, Sir Robert
visited Paris, and took part in the liberation of Lavalette, for which he was
censured in the general orders issued by the Dulce of York, but found support
under this punishment in the testimony of an approving conscience, and the
imanimous applause of Europe. Controversy in literature was as rauch the
lot of Wilson, as contest in the field ; his " Sketch of the Military and
Political Power of Russia" brought upon him a virulent attack from the
Quarterly Review to which he replied with spirit and ability. The South
American, struggling for liberty, next attracted his attention, and, proceeding
to Colombia, he endeavoured to co-operate with Bolivar in effecting that
object ; but he very soon abandoned this project, and, returning to England,
was elected to parliament for the borough of Southwark, when he supported
liberal politics, voting for reform and retrenchment. In addition to these
antirministerial views, he espoused the eause of Queen Caroline ; and his
exertions to prevent the effusion of blood at her funeral, being misrepresented,
he was dismissed from the king's service. His pecuniaiy loss attending this
harsh sentence, was remedied by a public subscription amounting to several
thousands. After this unpleasant-event, he visited Paris, but was desired by
the police to quit France in three days. In 1828, notwithstanding that British
subjects were prohibited from taking any part in the war between France and
II. 2 E

206 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
chievous tendency to the common cause. He wished that
Wilson would raaintain his ground as long as he was able,
with a view to obstruct that object of the eneray, and, if he
should fall, then to take up the boats at ViUa Velha out of the
river, to secure a passage for the British. On the following
day, Septeraber the third, the head-quarters reached Badajoz,*
and continued in that neighbourhood until the middle of
Deceraber following. Hitherto the British army had encoun
tered the best disciplined troops in Europe, and defeated tbera
gallantly ; they had sustained the most cruel, heartless ill-usage,
yet sunk not under its weight but Providence (the only
eneray to whom they ever would have yielded) now placed thera
under afflictions which human energies were unable to resist.
This was a species of epidemic, supposed to arise frora the
Spain, Sir Robert entered the latter country, joined the Constitutionalists, re
ceived a commission from the Cortes, was wounded at Comnna, and, when his
party was crushed, fled to Lisbon t being refused an asylura there, he proceeded
to Cadiz, where he remained until it surrendered to the French. His conduct in
the Spanish cpnstitutional war, offended the crowned heads of Europe ; and
the eraperors of Russia and Austria, the kings of Prussia and Portugal, deprived
him of the orders which they had forraerly conferred upon him. He now
retm-ned to his native land, was again chosen to parliament for Southwark in
1826, but, ceasing to support reform, he lost the subsequent election. King
William IV., restored Sir Robert "Wilson to his rank in the British service, at
the recommendation of his ministers.
* The following observations are appended to the original MS. of the Wel
lington despatches. — " There never was a position better calculated than this-, for
the purposes of defending Spain and Portugal. The French had, from the end
of August, not less than from seventy to ninety thousand men disposable :
they have since destroyed two armies, which it was thought proper to expose
to their attack : yet they have not been able to advance, or to gain any solid
advantage, beyond that of destroying the Spaniards. The fact is, that the
British army had saved Spain and Portugal during this year. The Spaniards
have no army now that is complete, excepting thirteen thousand men under
the Duke of Albuquerque in Estremadura ; and yet nothing can be done by
the French after all their victories. What would have been the relative state
of the two contending parties, if the Spaniards had been tolerably prudenti
and had acted as they were advised to act ? The advantage of the position at
Badajoz was, that the British army was centrically posted, in reference to all
the objects the enemy might have in view: and, at any time, by a junction
with a Spanish corps on its right, or a Portuguese or Spanish corps on its left*
it could prevent the enemy from undertaking any thing, e.xcepting with a much
larger force than they could allot to any one object."

THE DUKE OF WELLINQTON. 207
malaria of this unhealthy district. The valley pf the Gua
diana is peculiarly insalubrious in the autumnal months, when
the river ceases to be a stream, and noxious vapours arise from
the detached pools of stagnant water that remain in the deepest
hollows of the torrent's bed. The natives suffer much incon
venience frpm this state of the atmosphere, and strangers are
still more susceptible of disease from its effects. The cessation
of the soldier's active habits and circulation of the bile through
the system, was soon attended by intermitting ague and fever.
It was, unfortunately, impossible to procure any regular supply
of wine and spirits for the army generally, and even the hospitals
were but scantily furnished, while numbers of the convalescents
died from want of Peruvian bark ; the number of medical
attendants also was totally insufficient for the lamentably
increasing araount of sick. A Second time since the march
from Jaraicejo, the fiery fever fastened on the general hiraself,
but his excellent constitution and absteraious habits repelled
the insidious enemy after a short struggle of a few days.
Seven thousand patients were prostrate in the hospitals estab
lished around Badajoz, of whom two-thirds died; and the
sands of the Guadiana, like the snow-storms of Russia,
proved more fatal to a brave array, than the swords of their
eneraies : so great was the raortality, so raalignant the cha
racter of this disteraper, that the natives, unwilling to believe
that ordinary causes produced such extensively fatal conse
quences, ascribed the extensive prevalence of the malady
araongst the array to the eating of unripe fruit, and to a mis
chievous species of mushroom which grows in the vale. Here,
combating with fate. Sir Arthur Wellesley sat down to watch
c^er the sick bed of his corapanions, and while he endeavoured
to soothe their sufferings by his generous feeling and tender
care, gave the best powers of his mind to the consideration of
future plans of operation — to the most judicious line of con
duct for the allies — to the best mode of procuring regular sup
plies, without relying in any degree on the Spaniards — to the
defence of Portugal — to the ill-fated expedition fitted out by
his country to the shores of Holland — to questions of raiUtary

208 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
raanceuvre, foreign and doraestic politics, to the coraraissariat
and finance, and every subject in which a soldier or a states
raan can be supposed to feel an iraraediate interest. The
Portuguese array, under Marshal Beresford, withdrew siraul
taneously with the British, crossed the frontier, and went into
cantonraents.'* * " The Portuguese army vvould have been ruined, if they had remained
longer in the field. They wanted clothing, and every description of equipment ;
they were raw recruits, detested serving in Spain, where they were ill-treated,
and deserted in large numbers during the short time they were in that counti'j-.
'Ihere are now good grounds for hope that something will be made of them.''
— Original Note lo Memorandum of Operations, S[C.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 209

CHAP. IV.
The BRITISH ARMY HUTTED KEAR BADAJOZ— THE SPANIARDS, UNDER EGUIA, BREAK UP
FROM DELEVTOSA, AND ENCAMP AT TRUXILLO — WELLINGTON FAVOURS RELIGIOUS
TOLERATION — IS RAISED TO THE PEERAGE — REMONSTRATES WITH THE JUNTA OP ESTRE
MADURA UPON THEIR INSINCERITY — DEFEATS THE STRATAGEM OF LORD MACDUFF, AND
THE MARaUESS DE MALPESINA — CONSPIRACY TO DEPOSE THE SUPREME JUNTA DETECTED
DY THE MARQUIS WELLESLEY. — THE SPANISH GENERAL INTERCEPTS LORD WELLING
TON'S PRIVATE LETTERS, AND IMPEDES THE EXCHANGE OF FRENCH AND ENGLISH
PRISONERS — WELLINGTON VISITS LISBON, AND EXAMINES INTO ITS CAPABILITIES DF
DEFENCE — PROCEEDS TO CADIZ, WHERE MARQUIS WELLESLEY EMBARKS FOR ENGLAND —
REFUSES TO CO-OPERATE WITH THE SPANISH ARMY — AFFAIR OF TAMANES — AREIZAGA
DEFEATED AT OCANA — INVASION OF ANDALUSIA — FALL OF SEVILLE — ABLE CONDUCT OF
ALBUaUERaUE IK SUCCOURING CADIZ — BRITISH ARMY CONTINUE INACTIVE — EXTRAOK-
DINABY IGKORAKCE OF THE CHARACTER AND PLANS OP LORD WELLINGTON PREVAILS IK
ENGLAND — UNGRACIOUS CONDUCT OF THE OPPOSITION PARTY IN PARLIAMENT — THE CITV
OP LONDON PETITION PARLIAMENT AGAINST GRANTING A PENSION TO LORD WELLINGTON
— CHANGE IK PUBLIC OPIKIOK — SUCCOURS SEKT TO PORTUGAL — THE SPAKIARDS UKSUC-
CESSFUL TN THEIR MILITARY OPERATIOKS — ASTORGA AKD CIUDAD RODRIGO FALL —
AFFAIR OF THE COA — ALMEIDA INVESTED. — 1809 — 1810.
Insatiable pride, when successful in its object, is often par
doned, and even so.netiraes adraired, but unlimited arrogance
has never excited auy other feeling than that of decided con
tempt. Had the presumption of the Spaniards and of the junta
that misruled them, originated in that chivalrous pride that
raade thera reckless of life, when liberty or honour was the prize
to be fought for, the world raight possibly forgive thera: but when
the cowardice of the Spanish array, treachery of raany Spanish
officers, and intrigues of the Spanish governraent are called to
raind, disgust for the national character could alone have been
the result, when the central junta expressed indifference as to
the military opinion of Sir Arthur Wellesley, pretended to
disregard further British co-operation, and had the folly to
undertake the direction of their own rude levies, and order
thera to advance against the eneray. The pettishness, so dis
graceful to a national asserably, that dictated this rash conduct,
made but little impression upon the great raan who now, in
his camp at Badajoz, pondered over the present care and
restoration of his array, the future salvation of the kingdora of
Portugal, and the everlasting glory of his native land. Regard-

210 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
less of their ill-conceived projects, so long as they did not
endanger the security of his position, or the interests of the
general cause. Sir Arthur gave his whole attention, and the
concentrated energies of his patient and coraprehensive raind,
to preparations for the ensuing carapaign. In his position at
Badajoz he had raany rainor difficulties to contend with, which
were all intiraately connected with the individual and general
happiness of his raen. A retreat is always discouraging to
an array, particularly to one that has been victorious, and
generally affords the raen too raany opportunities of coraraitting
depredations. The act of violence is to be priraarily regretted,
but the insubordination that always ensues, becoraes still raore
deplorable. The British, although now corafortably hutted*
considered and felt that they were in retreat, and the usual con
sequences of that irapression were the result. The rash raove
raents of the Spaniards, who had broken up frora their strong
position at Deieytosa, transferred their head-quarters to Trux-;
illo, and despatched the bestpart of their array to La Carolina,
rather increased the disappointraent of the British soldier, who
viewed these operations as advancing against the eneray. Sir
Arthur WeUesley reraonstrated against the imprudence of their
conduct, and felt the danger to which his position might thereby
be exposed ; but the junta affected to disregard his opinion, and
as to the hazardous consequences, himself alone foresaw or
understood them. Inconsistence cannot be more remarkably
illustrated than by the arguraents which the junta employed on
this occasion, to shield themselves from the just indignation of
the British and Portuguese : they declared the irapossibility pf
continuing their head-quarters in the vicinity of. Deieytosa,
owing to the exhausted state of the country on the left bank
of the Tagus, although they positively denied the truth of the
same arguraent when urge'd by the British general as the cause
of his retiring frora the sarae position. Another and still raore
flagrant act of baseness and ingratitude, was that of throwing
* The following were the positions occupied by the British near Badajoz in
the month of September 1809. Badajoz, Merida, Montijo, Puebla de la Cal
zada, Talavera Real, Campo Mayor, Albuquerque, La Roca, Elvas, Olivenra,
Villa Velllm.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 211
obstructions in the way of releasing several British officers from
captivity, by an exchange for French officers, whom the
Spaniards had taken on the road from Zaraora to Valladolid,
which they not only opposed by endeavouring to prevent all
coraraunication upon the subject between Soult and Sir Arthur
Wellesley, but by stopping all the raessengers sent out by the
British to make inquiries.
During the inactivity of the array in their cantonments at
Badajoz, several questions, of iraportance to the corafort of the
officers, the soldiers, their wives and children, relating both to
spiritual and temporal raatters, were subraitted to the decision
of General Wellesley; and his judgraents are curious, as exhibits
ing a clearness of conception upon every variety of subject
that is raixed up in the great asserablage of human wants and
habits, and a raost accurate and intimate knowledge of military
laws. Upon the question of the propriety of soldiers attend
ing Roman Catholic worship, he replied, " The soldiers of the
arttiy have perraission to go to raass so far as this — they are
forbidden to go into the churches during the performance of
divine service, unless they go to assist in the perforynance of the
service. I could not do raore, for, in point of fact, soldiers cannot
attend raass, except in Ireland. The thing now stands exactly
as it ought : any raan raay go to raass who chooses, and
nobody makes any inquiry about it." The liberality and
toleration here displayed always belonged to Sir Arthur's
character ; he expressed sentiraents precisely sirailar to those
in defending the introduction of Dr. Duigenan into the Irish
privy-council; in restoring Mr. Gifford to a situation frora which
he had been illiberally reraoved ; and, in inducing General Sir
John Moore to become reconciled to Lord Castlereagh, and
undertake the comraand of the array in the Peninsula.
Another difficulty, referred to Sir Arthur for solution, was the
claira of officers' and soldiers' wives and children to rations :
the general decided that their title was good, and he also said
he " saw no objection to the granting of sirailar allowances
to the wives and children of clerks employed in the service,
provided they were British born." This was the law of the

212 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
case, to which the humanity of the comraahder-in-chief
appended this further explanation, " I beg you will understand,
that I am desirous of extending to the wives of the officers and
soldiers every indulgence, to the fullest extent allowed by his
majesty's regulations : but I can suffer no abuse, and every
appearance of abuse raust be checked iraraediately." These
two interesting cases have been selected frora a raultitude pre
sented to him for judgment while the head quarters of the
British continued at Badajoz.
While yet the hand of sickness pressed heavily on hira, the
cares of his high calling engaged his deep attention ; and, before
the ingratitude of Spain could have been forgotten, a gratifying
coraraunication reached hira frora his sovereign, whora he had so
faithfully served, but who had not neglected hira in his ex
treraity; for at this precise moment it was, (the twelfth of
September, IS09,) that the following letter from the Duke of
Portland, then first lord of the treasury, was brought to the
camp at Badajoz : — " My dear Sir Arthur, To congratulate
you upon your victories would be so feebly to express ray sense
of your services, that I must indulge, in the first instance, the
gratitude which I feel to be due to you, and request your
a,cceptance of ray best thanks for the credit as well as the
service you have done to your country, which I trust will make
all the impression which it ought to do on the rainds of all
descriptions of persons in the kingdora. Nothing could be raore
gracious than the king's acceptance of your services, or raore
iraraediate and decisive than his approbation of creating you
a viscount. Long raay you enjoy that honour, and be placed,
for the advantage and honour of your country, in those situa
tions which raay enable you to add to your own. London,
22d of August, 1809." To this Sir Arthur repUed, by ex
pressing the gratification he felt at the receipt of his grace's
coraraunication ; his hope that he raight not at any future period
prove hiraself unworthy of it ; and thanked the Duke for havino-
suggested to his raajesty to confer upon him this high reward.
However courtesy deraanded, or comphance with etiquette
required that Sir Arthur's letter of thanks should be transmitted

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 213
to the premier, for the suggestion of this raanifestatipn of royal
favour, it was to Lord Castlereagh solely, his early, his intiraate,
and adrairing friend, that he was indebted on this occasion.
This is clearly proved by Sir Arthur's letter of the sarae date
to his noble friend, in which he says, " I am very rauch obliged
to you for your kind letter of the twentieth of August as well
as for the mark of the king's approbation, yihich your friendship
for me has induced you to suggest to your colleagues to recom
mend to the king to confer upon me." Proud, but not vain
pf his justly merited reward, richly as he deserved to be
cherished by sorae few rays of royal favour, he yet declined to
adopt the title, or to eraploy the signature of nobiUty, until either
the gazette arrived, or a special notification equivalent to it.
The notification was delivered on the sixteenth of September,
and the first letter he ever signed as a raember of the House
of Lords was addressed to Mr. Villiers, afterwards Earl of
Clarendon, to which the following playful postscript was
attached, " This is the first time I have signed ray new narae.
Would the regency give rae leave to have a chasse at Villa
Vifosa ? " His indefatigable exertions for the restoration of
strict discipline, his parental care of every individual attached
to the array, were not suspended for a moment by the. acquisi
tion of his sovereign's marked approbation. A debt of justice
he remerabered was due to Major Middleraore, who succeeded
to the comraand of the forty- eighth at Talavera, after Colonel
Donellan was wounded, and Lord Wellington's reasons for
pressing that officer's claims, deserve to be recorded, *' I can
not," he observes, "avoid again drawing the attention of the
commander in chief to the claims of Major Middlemore;
the forty-eighth regiraent distinguished itself at Talavera,
particularly when the command devolved on Major Middle-
,* He was raised to the peerage on the twenty-sixth of August, 1809, by
the titles of Baron Douro of Wellesley, and Viscount Wellington of Talavera,
and of Wellington in the county of Somerset. The raotto of the family was
'^ Unica virtus necessaria," Virtue alone is necessary ; for which Lord Wellington
.subsjtituted, " Porro unura necessariura," One thing more is necessary. This lat
ter, however, hag been laid aside for the foUowing, " Virtutis fortuna conieL"

214 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
more : and I hope that the clairas of an officer senior to him,
who is already a brevet lieutenant-colonel, and to whom this
comraission can be no object, as he never joins his regiment,
or does any duty ivith this army, will not be preferred to the
substantial clairas of Major Middlemore. I know nothing
of Major Middleraore, excepting as a soldier : and I should
not recoraraend hira, if I did not believe that his proraotion
would give general satisfaction, and that he really deserves it,"
At this particular moraent the ingratitude of the junta raani
fested itself in a new form : chagrined at the independent and
decided conduct of the British coraraander-in-chief, they
raeanly became the raediura of forwarding a raemorial, from
the inhabitants of Puebla la Calzada, desiring that the British
army might be removed from the iraraediate vicinity of their
viUage. This unjust and ungenerous reraonstrance, whether
it ever did actually originate with the villagers, or that their
names had been raade use of by the junta to shield themselves
beneath, was not communicated to Sir A. Wellesley directly,
or in that candid mode of transacting business, of which he
had so often but so vainly given an example to the Spaniards,
but was sent by the local government of Estramadura to the
central junta, who forwarded the disgraceful document to the
British ambassador at Seville, by whora its contents were
coraraunicated to the coraraander in chief. The reply of Sir
Arthur is araongst the few instances in which that officer was
ever known to condescend to the use of sarcasra, as an argu
raent, although he did not rest his defence upon such a
basis. He reminded the local junta that at their own request
he had so distributed his troops, that the country should not
find it difficult to feed them, and that he should be enabled to
re-assemble them, in case the raovements of the eneray should
render it necessary, without any loss of tirae : he inforraed
thera, that he had chosen La Calzada, as the raost proper
quarter, for the three battalions which he had placed there,
because there was no wood in the neighbourhood in which
• Afterwards Major-General Middlemore, and governor of St. Helena.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 215
the troops could find shelter, excepting olive or other fruit-
trees, which he did not wish to destroy : had there been wood
and water, he would have preferred hutting the raen in the
wood, as he had done at Talavera Real, and the vicinity of
Badajoz. ' ' It appears, however," observed Sir Arthur, " that the
inhabitants of La Calzada, although ivith the most patriotic
sentiments, and ivith the utmost devotion to the cause of their
country, complain of the inconvenience they sustain, and they
enuraerate also the quantity Pf provision with which they have
supplied the troops ; but they have forgotten to state that they
are regularly paid for every thing they give. The inhabitants
of this country, and Spaniards in general, have forraed a very
errroneous estiraate of the nature of the contest in which they
are engaged, if they suppose it can be carried on without
inconvenience to any individual in the country. It not only
raust be attended with personal inconvenience, but, unless
every individual in the country shall devote himself, his pro
perty, and everything he can command, not in words and
professions only, but in fact, to do what government shall
order — there can be no success, and the best combined opera
tions raust fail." Having made these observations, General
Wellesley informed the junta that he could not consent to
their request, and that La Calzada must continue to endure
the hardships of which its inhabitants so loudly complained, or
the Spanish nation must suffer what the central junta would
probably deem a greater evil. This contemptible application
being thus disposed of by the adoption of a little irony, and by
a decided refusal to accede to any portion of its objects, he felt,
that as matters had assumed so calra an aspect, he raight now
venture to quit the camp at Badajoz for a few days, and raake
a visit to Lisbon, " where he wanted to look about, and decide
finally upon a plan of operations, in case Portugal should be
invaded in the auturan or winter." But before this leave of
absence was taken or enjoyed, very raany coraraunications, and
of the utraost consequence to the commissariat of his own
army, to the peculiar and delicate situation of Beresford, arising
from the anomalous system of employing English offices in ther

216 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Portuguese serviee, and to the position of irarainent danger in
which the Spanish army persisted in placing itself — occupied
his tirae and exertions.
The raovements of the Spanish army during the continuance
of the British at Badajoz, and in fact until the retirement of
the Marquis Wellesley from the Peninsula, have here been
suspended, in order to preserve unbroken the personal narra
tive of Lord Wellington, his plans for the safety of Portugal,
defence of Lisbon, and valuable correspondence with his noble
brother. On the fifteenth of Septeraber he extended the benefit
of his protection to the brave Marquis de la Romana, who,
after all his sufferings and services, was apprehensive of vio
lence from the central junta ; and, to secure for that gallant
soldier the advantage of at least an irapartial trial, although
he had never been guilty of disloyalty, he thus wrote to the
British ambassador: " Your excellency is aware of the con
nexion between Romana and the people of England : and I
am convinced that if you can prevent the junta from laying
violent hands upon him, at least till they shall have convicted
him upon trial, of evil intentions, you will do a good thing."
The arrogance of the junta, or rather of the military parties
acting under its orders, in obstructing the collection of food
at the different villages, continuing unabated. Lord Wellington
felt it necessary to inforra the arabassador of his intention to
reraove his men, altogether, into the Portuguese territory,
which would be attended with the advantage of raore perfect
concentration : he had, he considered, separated his force into
too many divisions, and quartered thera at distances too far
apart in order to coraply, as far as was possible, with the wishes
of his excellency and of the junta, in not withdrawing totally
frora the Spanish territory, but, by his proxiraity, extending
sorae encourageraent to the Spaniards frora whom he had heen
obliged to disassociate himself.
About this period the Spanish head-quarters were atTruxiUo,
whither they had been removed from want of provisions. In
their case, this plea was accepted ; it was rejected by the junta,
when offered by Lord WeUington. The conduct of the Spanish

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 217
army was so irregular, that their example alone would have
been pernicious to the British; but, in addition to this evil,
their audacity in obstructing the attainraent of supplies from
the villages, obliged his lordship to repeat his reraonstrances,
and revive his threats of withdrawing, still further, frora so
bad a neighbourhood as that of the Spanish head-quarters, and
of retiring totally to the Portuguese side of the frontier. Of the
inefficient, wild, and insubordinate condition, in which the
Spanish force actuaUy existed. Lord Wellington had been
apprized by Colonel Roche, even previously to his junction
with the array under Cuesta, but never having known a sirailar
instance, and conceiving it irapossible that any governraent could
have been so extravagantly rash, as to oppose the countless and
disciplined numbers of France, with such feeble weapons, he
gave but little attention to Roche's report ; he now, however,
had practical proof of the truth and accuracy of that officer's
stateraent The insubordinate state of the allies, as well as
the raonstrous araount of the eneray's forces, both which facts
had been carefully concealed frora the ambassador, were now
made known to him by the commander-in-chief, who also
expressed his uncertainty as to the enemy's raoveraents; a
point then of sorae personal interest to hira, as the precarious
state of his health absolutely required rest and recreation, in
neither of which he dared to indulge, until he was satisfied
what were the intended operations of the French. Fever had
now for a whole raonth continued to hang upon hira, and he
was desirous of visiting Lisbon for change of air, of scene,
of association of ideas. The operations of Soult gave him
sorae cause of uneasiness, as that officer continued to concen
trate all the disposable forces he could control into Placensia,
although that raoveraent raight have been occasioned by the
advance of Roraana to Ciudad Rodrigo.
A circumstance of little import, beyond that of exempliiying
the caution of a raan who was always proverbially wary,-
occurred at British head-quarters on the twentieth of Sep
teraber. The Marquess de Malpesina and Lord Macduff arrived
at Badajoz, and being admitted to an interview with Lord

218 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Wellington, presented a letter frora General Eguia, quoting
one frora Don Antonio de Cornel, stating " that the British
ambassador had settled, that a defensi.ve position should be
taken up on the banks of the Guadiana, and desiring his lord
ship to arrange the positions to be occupied by the troops in
concert with them." His first reason for refusal, marks
the upright, honest, great, and decided character of the raan :
without questioning the veracity of the individuals, or the
authenticity of their pretended warrant, he replied, " I cannot
enter upon such an arrangeraent, because I do not conceive the
position to be a good one." But, Lord Macduff demanding
whether he declined to execute an arrangeraent settled by the
British arabassador, he proceeded to analyze their coraraission,
and concluded, rightly, that it was spurious. He therefore dis
missed these siraple eraissaries, and even purposely neglected
making their false mission a subject of complaint.
It may frequently have been observed, that Wellington pos
sessed, araong many other quaUties that fitted hira in an special
raanner for the comraand of an array, a quickness of perception
as to character, and a raeraory tenacious in the extrerae, of per
sonal appearance, and of what raay be termed local accorapani-
raents. In sorae instances he had addressed despatches, contain
ing directions for carrying into effect some general order, in a
district, every feature and all the distances in which, he
described with the raost unerring exactness : on other occa
sions, he has directed a change in regiraental discipline, and
naraed the corporals and privates whom he wished to be
eraployed, in the first instance, to lead and instruct the rest.
Those that were higher in rank were more easily understood,
or, at all events, afforded raore frequent and palpable occasions
for the development of character ; and it is found, frora tirae to
tirae, that the raost faithful portraits of every Spanish officer,
whora the sorrows and the sufferings of his country had raised
to any erainence, were occasionally sketched by hira with a
strength that gave the most perfect idea of the originals.
Cuesta's character has been often told. Lord Wellington's
brief commentary on Eguia's plans, " that they were all rank

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 219
nonsense," and his declining all further correspondence with
that presumptuous officer, unfold sufficiently his estimate of
the amount of genius and honour in that individual: of Albu
querque, he writes to his brother — " Although he is prone
by raany, araong others by Whittinghara and Frere, and is
feared by the junta, you will find him out." He considered
the Marquis de la Romana to be " the best he had seen araong
the Spaniards ;" he doubted his talents at the head of an array,
but looked on hira as a sensible raan, and one who had seen
rauch of the world.
The correspondence that was conducted between these
illustrious raen developes, in the raost entire raanner, the folly,
rashness, and presumption of the Spanish central government;
and removes every doubt as to the propriety of marching the
British army over the Spanish border. The people, the
peasantry, the rabble-army of Spain, begun to acknowledge
what they raust long before have felt, that their allies had been
grossly deceived by the junta, and treated raost unworthil}%
Accustoraed, in the ill-fought field, to attribute all blarae to
their general, by analogy of reasoning, they ascribed every
failure, blunder, and act of irapropriety, in raatters of policy,
to their executive government. From the highest pinnacle of
hope and confidence, they were frequently cast into the depths of
despair; they now beUeved that WeUington, and Wellington alone,
could save their country from ruin, and it was of his services the
treacherous intriguing junta had deprived thera. They adraired
the just indignation of the hero, who had retired in pity rather
than anger, and they called for vengeance on the authors of so
rauch injury to the coramon cause. The walls of Badajoz
were placarded daily with verses, of Uttle pretension to the
right rules of poesy, but conveying, very intelligibly, the feeling
of the community towards the merabers of the junta. The
contents of one of those placards accusing the govemraent of
treachery, is well reraerabered — " Peace between France and
the central junta: — Articles — the Tagus abandoned — the
English disgusted — the array lost — Badajoz sold." Their
wrath, however, was not appeased ; the outraged feelings of the

220 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OE
country were not assuaged iby this anonyraous raode of declar
ing their suspicions; it was necessary still to punish the guilty.
This last project was actually undertaken, and a conspiracy
formed to seize the members of the junta, and transmit them
to Manilla.
Judging from the ill-treatment which the British array re
ceived from that corrupt body, the conspirators calculated upon
the support of Lord Wellington, and, arguing from the declara
tion of Marquis Wellesley "that Spain had proved untrue to our
alliance," they reckoned upon the ambassador's support also; but
the same moral standard proved inapplicable to both nations,
for the first of these individuals had always maintained so high
a name for honour, justice, and humanity, that no one had the
courage to invite hira to becorae a conspirator ; and those who
had the temerity to build too certainly upon the indignant lan
guage of the ambassador, experienced his raercy, but forfeited
his respect for ever. Vengeance on the part of the Estramaduran
junta, who conceived themselves betrayed by the junta ofSeville,
and a wide-spread feeling of discontent, brought the conspiracy
against the supreme council to raaturity; and, when the fruit
was just about to be plucked and enjoyed, a person called at the
hotel of the British arabassador at Seville, and requested a pri
vate interview with his excellency. Gaining adraission, he had
the boldness to coraraunicate the details of a plan, then prepared
for execution, which was to consist in seizing the persons
forming the supreme junta, then asserabled at Seville, and in
appointing a regency instead of the existing governraent
Lord Wellesley, understanding that the plot was to be executed
that very day, detained the inforraant, and proceeded instantly
to the office of M. de Garay, to whora he coraraunicated the
inforraation he had just received. From De Garay's office his
excellency went to the residences of those persons who , had
been named to hira as participators in the plot, sorae of whora
were raen of the highest rank, and persuaded them to aban
don a plan fraught with so injurious an example, and with such
perilous consequences. His lordship did not disclose the
naraes of the conspirators, sb that the cruelty which would raost

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 221
likely have been perpetrated, was thus obviated, and the
junta rendered raore cautious as to future raeasures for the
governraent of their unhappy country. The gratitude of the
junta, and perhaps of the chief conspirators, was excessive.
M. de Garay expressed the sentiments of the former in language
highly creditable to his associates and hiraself, inaletter ofthe
third of October, addressed to Marquis Wellesley, in which he
observes, "Through the raediura of your exceUency, the govern
raent has been informed of the desire of sorae persons to intro
duce novelties, by the use of raeans which are not only repro
bated by the laws, but which raight bring down irreparable
injury on the good cause which both nations defend with so
much glory. And your excellency is so deeply convinced of
this truth, that when you had been informed of those pro
jects, your communications to the government, and your in
dividual exertions for frustrating them, have so largely con
tributed to that end, that the governraent cannot consider them
with indifference, and orait giving to your excellency, in return
for thera, their most express thanks." This grateful language was
accompanied by a desire to present to the raarquis the " order of
the golden fleece," which he pereraptorily declined, stating " that
he could not accept that high honour frora an authority, whose
conduct towards the interests of Spain, and of the aUiance, he
could not approve." The suprerae junta had, on a previous
occasion, offered to confer a sirailar honour upon his Britannic
majesty, George IIL, but their kindness was declined in that
instance also.
This narrow escape of the junta frora captivity, perhaps from
death, produced a serious alarra araongst the members of
that body, wbo now sought to mitigate the hatred which their
misconduct had excited, by reraitting the heavy imposts which
they had laid upon trading, and by the appointment of cora
raissioners to prepare a scheme of temporary government until
a proper-period for convoking the national cortes should arrive.
The commissioners, who were either members of the junta, or
attached to their party, suggested the formation of a supreme
executive councU of five persons, each member of the junta
n. 2g

222 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
being allowed a seat in rotation ; but this scherae for re
covering or acquiring popularity was a raere subterfuge, and
did not include any raore enlarged or liberal views than the
existing forra. Its faUacy was detected by Roraana, who was
the author of grave accusations against several individuals in
the old council, charging thera with undertaking army-con
tracts, with raising the prices of articles to be purchased by the
treasury, with venality, imperiousness, and difficulty of access.
He proposed, in preference, a council of regency, to consist of
five persons, who were not raerabers of the junta, and recora
raended the assembling of a new junta altogether ; his council
Avas to be called " The permanent Deputation of the Realra,"
and was a substitute for the cortes, which he expressed his
anxious desire to call together with as little delay as possible.
In the raonth of Septeraber, the Marquis Wellesley, in reply to
the application of M. de Garay, also recoraraended the adoption
of a council of regency, reserabUng in principle the scherae of
Roraana, and of which Garay professed his approbation. Al
though Lord Wellesley's plan was founded upon the basis of
respecting privilege, and involved the ulterior idea of pre
serving the aristocratic systera of Europe, still, as an innova
tion in revolutionary tiraes, and in the centre of an excited
and arraed population, it awoke the caution of Wellington, who,
in his letter to his brother on the subject, thus writes : " I am
very uneasy respecting that part of your note to De Garay,
which recommends the assembling of the cortes, because I fear
they raay be worse than anything we have had yet. I
acknowledge that I have a great dislike to a new popular
asserably. Even our own ancient one would be quite un
manageable, and, in these days, would ruin us, if the present
generation had not before its eyes the example of the French
revolution ; and if there were not certain rules and orders for its
guidance and government the knowledge and use of which,
render safe, and successfully direct its proceedings. But how
wiU aU this work in the cortes, in the state in which Spain
now is ?" It has been the constant object of these meraoirs to
deraonstrate, frora practical proofs, that the British hero, from

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 223
his earliest years, was possessed of certain qualifications, that
fitted hira in an especial raanner for command, and ac(:][uired
for hira unbounded confidence .with those who were subjected to
his control. One ofthe most valuable amongst many was,
consistence in the forraation of opinions, upon grave considera
tion, and the raaintenance of those raatured views through
life. It has been already shown, whUe he discharged the
duties of a civil eraployraent in Ireland, that he favoured
universal toleration in raatters of religion : the sarae principle
he advocated and acted upon in Spain, in permitting the Catholic
soldiers to attend mass, which was actually contrary to law ; and
it will be hereafter shown, that to the unalterable opinion of
this great man, and to this solely, the British Roman Catholics
are Indebted for that aet of parliament by which they were finally
emancipated. A second amiable quality, to which the character
of Wellington is clearly entitled, has been frequently alluded to,
that is, his disapprobation of capital punishment, in every case
where such was consistent with good government : he has sus
pended sentence of death in nuraerous instances, when a merci
less tribunal had too hastily decreed it; and, ascending in the
scale of appropriating punishment to crime, has, on an infinite
number of Occasions, insisted upon a revision of sentence by
courts martial, in order to obtain, in the way most salutary to
tbe ends of justice, a mitigation of too harsh a penalty.
Had Wellington never undertaken the high office of prirae
rainister of England, the possession of those high qualities which
he has been already shown to have possessed, would never have
been denied to him, and probably no party in the erapire would
ever have whispered an ungrateful sentiraent againt his fame :
but history proves that even in a private station, when the
agitation of war has subsided, the greatest heroes have not
been able to retain that popularity to which their eminent
railitary services entitled them. Marlborough affords a remark
able instance in English history — the records of Greece, Rorae,
and Carthage are replete with others. In this view, therefore, to
which all previous iUustration leads, WeUington possibly con
sulted his own happiness by continuing a life of the raost active
character: he, in fact, never led a private Ufe, and has no

224 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
private history ; his years, and days, and raoraents have been
devoted, in the raost entire raanner, to the service of his coun
try ; and his biography raust therefore consist of an analysis of
the services of a great public raan, and which will unfold a sheet
of light, that extends over and illuraines the annals of his
country for upwards of half a century. But, to return to his
letter to Lord Wellesley, expressive of disapprobation at the
asserabling of the cortes ; this reraarkable composition estab
lishes, in the most distinct raanner, his love of order and subor
dination in the councils of a state, his dislike of change in
such great assemblies, particularly when the country was
agitated by any peculiar political feelings ; and the extrerae
caution which he considered necessary in all cases of senatorial
reforra. It was precisely twenty-three years after, that he
uttered the same unaltered sentiments in the House of Lords,
on which occasion he was accused of adopting new political
views from raotives of partisanship ; with how little truth or
justice, this passage in his despatches incontestahly proves. But
the investigation of his conduct as a statesman belongs to a
later period of Lord Wellington's life ; and this point is here
alluded to, as one of those links in a lengthened chain of
deraonstration, whereby consistence in all his public views and
actions, shall be clearly established. In Wellington's deUberate
judgraent, and calmly forraed opinion; irapressed too, and
naturally, with an early admiration of a mixed monarchical
forra of government, partial from his inborn teraperament to
order, discipline, justice, respect for well-regulated ancient
institutes and vested rights, while he yielded moderately, to
Lord Wellesley's desire to call together the cortes in such peril
ous tiraes, it was still necessary to qualify his assent by express
ing a preference for a Bourbon, if we could find one, for a regent,
to the wUd regime of the cortes. " At all events," said his
lordship, " I wish you would advise the junta erapowered to
invoke the cortes, that they should suggest rules for their
proceedings, and secure the freedora of their deliberations ;
as, in case of accidents, they raay know that the rock npon
which such a vessel was likely to split, was not unforeseen."
Once more, during the short period of Lord Wellesley's

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 225
diplomatic services in Spain, Lord Wellington felt compelled
to coraraunicate to hira an instance of gross raisconduct,
scandalous distrust, and the raeanest jealousy. Having sent
several flags of truce to the French quarters, relative to the
wounded officers and soldiers. General Eguia was so Ul-bred
as to open all Lord Wellington's letters, as well as the
answers of the French general, with the exception of two
that were sealed, and examine their contents. Unwilling to
impede the negociation for an exchange of the wounded men,
by the least expression of his disgust at the vulgar inquisitive
ness and contemptible suspicion of the Spaniards, heirame-
diately comraunicated the contents of the sealed letters to Eguia,
and desired that, in future, he would sa,tisfy his curiosity by
breaking the seals of any coraraunication that raight pass, by flag
of truce, between the head- quarters of the French and English
arraies. However, although the Spanish general expressed
hiraself perfectly satisfied with Lord Wellington's conduct, he
raost unreasonably detained the messenger who brought
General Kellerman's letter, under the pretence of waiting for
Lord Wellington's reply, well knowing that none was required
or intended to be returned. The Marquis of Roraana, who
respected national character, and had witnessed too rauch of
human misery not to understand the blessings of liberty, felt so
deeply for the honour of his country, and the treatment of the
wounded captives, that he iraraediately coraraunicated to Lord
Wellesley the treacherous conduct of Eguia in detaining Kel
lerraan 's raessenger, M. de Turenne. Apprehensive of exciting
any irritation against Eguia, placed as he was, or of creating dis
gust for the Spanish character in England, by raaking this
heinous offence the subject of a despatch, he prudently, and
considerately addressed a private letter to the arabassador,
entreating his kind offices in obtaining the unoffending raes-
senger's release.
Now, as he prepared to visit Lisbon, Lord Wellington in
creased . the nuraber of his raessengers, raultiplied still raore
exceedingly his nuraerous despatches, upon stUl more varied
but important subjects, nor did he suffer the smallest claim

226 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
upon his official duties, or private courtesy, to escape its
share of his attention. Having received the king's com
raands to invest Lieut.-Gen. Sherbrooke with the order of the
Bath, he lost not a moraent in acquainting that officer with the
honour his majesty had conferred upon him, and the pleasure
he himself should derive from presenting him with the order be
fore he left head-quarters for Lisbon ; and he actually postponed
his departure sorae days, to contribute to the gratification of that
gallant soldier, who could not at an earlier raoraent visit head
quarters. It was at this period that he learned the intended
departure of Mr. Vilhers, whose sound understanding, and
generosity of character, he had always ardently admired; and
he thus briefly but feeUngly alludes to the change that was about
to take place, in a letter to Marshal Beresford : " I regret the
departure of ViUiers much. My brother will do everything in his
power : but we shall miss Villiers often, and particularly in
our moments of difficulty. His affection for this meritorious
public servant was also shown in a despatch addressed to
Mr. Villier's himself at the sarae tirae, in which he speaks
emphaticaUy of the loss Portugal raust necessarily sustain
from his retirement at that critical juncture.
On the seventh of October, Lord Wellington quitted head
quarters at Badajoz, and reached Lisbon on the tenth : as he
passed along the road, every object, animate and inanimate,
attracted his attention, and found a lasting recordance in his
tenacious meraory: sorae carts belonging to a light dragoon
regiment, that were eraployed in drawing the luggage of one of
the officers, caught his rapid observation, and became one of
the first subjects of investigation on his arrival at Lisbon. A
more gratifying display to the eye and the raind of one who had
been " nurtured in the camp," presented itself on his entry
into the city — this was, the first dragoons, which he declared to
General Payne to be, perhaps, the finest regiraent he had
ever seen. The regiment was strong, in high order, and
the horses in good condition. Many questions, both civil and
military, were again submitted to the decision of the British
comraander-in-chief during his short stay at Lisbon, and in sorae

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 227
instances he interfered for the purposes of obliging the coutts
raartial, at that garrison, to revise improperly-worded sen
tences which they had inadvertently passed.
By desire of the regent of Portugal, the meraorial of Don
Evaristo Perez de Castro, the Spanish envoy at Lisbon, on the
part of the Spanish governraent, desiring the co-operation of
the Portuguese corps, on the frontiers of Castile, with the
Spanish corps under Albuquerque, was referred to the decision
of Lord Wellington, through the raediura of Don Miguel
Forjaz, to which his lordship replied as follows: — " t'rora the
nurabers and position of the enemy in Castile and Estraraadura,
and frora the superior discipline, coraposition, and efficiency of
the troops, corapared with those of Spain, I have long been of
opinion, that the operations of the war raust necessarily be de
fensive, on the part of the allies, and that Portugal, at least,
if not Spain, ought to endeavour to avail herself of the period
during which the eneray was likely to leave this country in
tranquillity, to organize, discipline, and equip her array. Those
objects, which are raost essential, cannot be accomplished,
unless the troops are kept, for sorae tirae longer, in a state of
tranquillity ; and I conceive they are rauch more iraportant to
the cause, not only of Portugal, but of the alliesi than success
in any desultory expedition against the French troops stationed
at Salaraanca. But success against this corps would not be
certain, even if the Portuguese troops were to co-operate in
the expedition ; and, at all events, if the troops of the allies
should be successful, their success raust be confined to the few
days which might elapse before the French corps would be re
inforced, when the allied troops raust retire, having failed in
their object having incurred sorae loss of men, and, above
all, having lost time, which raay, and ought to be, usefully
employed in equipping, and in the forraation of the troops.
On those grounds, I do not recoraraend to the governraent of
the kingdom, to give the assistance required on the present
occasion." This explanatory reply not being acceptable to
the Spanish junta, they resolved not to consider it as defini
tive, and, a second tirae, directed their resident agent at Lisbon

228 ~ LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
to iraportune the provisional government of Portugal for the
positive and final opinion of Lord Wellington. His ultimatum
was accordingly delivered on the nineteenth of October, in terms
to the following effect ; — " that it was unadvisable to enter upon
any operation with the Portuguese troops at that precise time,
and difficult to state the exact period at which an alteration of
circurastances would take place. Besides this alteration of cir
curastances, as referable to the state of the Portuguese troops,
and the position of the eneray in Castile and Estraraadura, it
was observable, that other objects should be accomplished, and
other arrangements raade, before the Portuguese troops could
enter with propriety upon operations in Spain. It was, in the
first place, desirable that it should have an array with which
it could co-operate, on sorae defined plan of operation, which
all parties should have the means and will to carry into exe
cution. Secondly, it was necessary that some means should
be pointed out and fixed, by which the Portuguese troops
should be subsisted in Spain, so that they might not starve, as
they did when they were in that country lately, or be obliged
to retire from want of food. When decided answers (added his
lordship) shall be given upon these points, I have no doubt I
shall be enabled to tell their excellencies, the governors of the
kingdora, that they have an army in a state to be sent into
Spain." This reply concluded the negociation for Portuguese
subsidies to Albuquerque's army, which was left, in conse
quence, to pursue its wild and iraprovident raeasures with
Spanish resources and Spanish courage only.
It was upon the twentieth of October, 1809, and during
Lord Wellington's visit to Lisbon, (ostensibly for rest, recrea
tion, the repairing of broken health, change of scene, and of
association,) that he first eraployed the powers of his capacious
raind, applied the whole force of his great railitary genius, to
baffle the projects of the eneray, to secure, if not the con
fines, the capital of Portugal, to prepare, in the possible
event of being overpowered by the nuraber of his eneraies, or
overtaken by raisfortune, an effectual check to their advance,
should the British array be again compelled to retire to their

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 229
protecting eleraent, the sea. As retreat was the last subject
he conteraplated, so was it the last for which preparation was
made ; not that it was a raatter of indifference, or unimpor
tant, for, an orderly retreat, under pressing circumstances, is a
greater test of military knowledge, than leading an attack
against the enemy. Retreat dispirits, dissatisfies, and there
fore disorganizes : advance inspires courage, gratifies ambition,
and thereby restores discipline and combination. Looking
around with the eye of the eagle, and possessed of the heart
of the lion, WelUngton, alone, unassisted by head or hand of
friend or ally, but drawing his counsels from the vast store
house of his own great iraagination, concluded that Portugal
was defensible,, by securing the capital, excluding the enemy
by a chain of fortified posts, and exhausting their resources
by procrastination. Tirae would corae to his assistance;
faraine would lend her withering aid in thinning the ranks of
his opponents, and to these two wasting powers, in front of
his projected lines at Torres Vedras, he trusted, for arresting
the career of one hundred thousand ferocious raen, for saving
Portugal, and for sealing his own railitary renown. Having
exarained rainutely the nature of the ground around Lisbon,
with which he had long before been sufficiently familiar, and
from that well-reraerabered acquaintance with its facilities,
and peculiar fitness for a place of defence, it was, that he con
sidered it could be rendered irapregnable by a skilful line of
works. These celebrated lines extended from Alhandra on
the Tagus, to Torres Vedras on the ocean. It was at first
intended to have occupied the plain of Castanheira, but that
idea was abandoned, and the right of the Unes, in conse
quence, thrown back to Alhandra. It is sufficient to notice
in this place, the period when the glorious idea of fortify
ing the approaches to Lisbon, first flashed upon the mind of
Lord Welhngton ; — to caU attention to the calra, silent systera
of raental operations in which it originated. Colonel Fletcher of
the engineers, whose assistance was indispensable, being the
sole depositary of the secret ;-T-and, to observe that, seeming to
forget the splendid display of miUtary skill for which he had
II. 2 H

230 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
just laid the foundation, he prepared to leave Lisbon, and retire
to his quarters, without communicating his plans to his brother
officers, or to the governraent of the country. In his despatch
of this date, he is totaUy silent on the subject of Torres
Vedras ; and, in apologizing to the marquis Wellesley for not
having attended, with his usual promptness, to that nobleraan's
despatches, he merely pleads in excuse, " that he had been pre
vented by the business he had at Lisbon," but does not allude
to any unusual, new, or extraordinary cause of detention. The
detailsof the entire plan, to which it will hereafter be requisite to
revert, were comraunicated to Colonel Fletcher on the twentieth
of Octoher; and the arrangeraents for erabarkation, in the event
of defeat, transraitted to Vice- Adrairal Berkeley six days after.
On the twenty-sixth of October, the day before his departure
frora Lisbon, Lord Wellington addressed a letter to Colonel
Peacocke, relative to the folly and indiscretion of the young
officers of the British garrison at Lisbon, who displayed a cen
surable thoughtlessness in their conduct in public: they inter
rupted the representations at the theatre, by going behind the
scenes, and they walked about on the stage, during the perform
ances. Although the coraplaint was urged earnestly by the raa
nager of the theatre, and by a few officious town-councillors, the
stern warrior felt, that from raany of the culprits boyhood's years
had not yet quite flitted ; that the annoyance coraplained of was
rather attributable to the giddy, heedless frolics of youth, than to
viciouspess of intention, or ignorance of the best regulations of
society, and he reraonstrated in consequence, raore in the lan
guage of an angry father, than of an uncoraproraising judge. " I
cannot conceive," observed his lordship, " for what reason the
officers of the British array should conduct theraselves at Lis
bon in a manner which would not be perraitted in their own
countrj', is contrary to rule and custora in this country, and
is permitted in none where there is any regulation or de
cency of behaviour ;" then, rising from the language of remon
strance into that of irresistible authority, he adds, « The su
perior officers raust take measures to prevent a repetition of
the conduct adverted to, and the consequent coraplaints which

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 231
I have received, or I must take measures which will effectually
prevent the character of the array, and of the British nation,
from suffering by the misconduct of a few." The latter part
of this coraraunication was obviously raore than sufficient, for
the offence never was comraitted again by the individuals cora
plained of. Having concluded his business on this occasion at
Lisbon, Lord Wellington set out frora that city on the twenty-
seventh of Octoher, and reached the head- quarters of the
British army, which were still at Badajoz, on the twenty-ninth.
At Estremoz he raade a pause to rest his horses on the
twenty-eighth, and frora that place addressed a private let
ter to Lord Burghersh, mentioning, casually, that he had
been at Lisbon to settle some business there, but does not
introduce the least notice of the reconnoisance he made of the
country in front of that place, the chief object of the correspon
dence being limited to an act of kindness, generosity, and
humanity. Aware that he addressed an intimate friend, he
unbosomed hiraself without reserve, and told hira that "Fran
ceschi was confined to the Alharabra, at Granada, by the Span
iards ; that he wished his friend Burghersh would try to see hira,
and tell hira that he was endeavouring to prevail on the Spanish
governraent to consent to his exchange, but, hitherto, without
success. " Give hira (said Wellington) whatever raoney he may
want, and let me know what you give hira." Remaining for a
few days at the head- quarters, he left again on the first of
November, and reached Seville on the day following : frora
that city he proceeded to Cadiz, " partly to arrange raoney-
raatters with Lord Wellesley, and partly frora curiosity to see
that place ; — " however, one good," observed his lordship, " re
sulted frora ray journey, viz. that the junta have given rae an
answer respecting the exchange of Franceschi* and Turenne, and
have released the officer they held in confinement at Deieytosa,
so that there is now a hope of getting away some of the
British officers." Leaving his noble brother at Cadiz, (from
which place he erabarked for England,) Lord Wellington re
turned to Badajoz on the evening of the thirteenth of Novera-
* Vide page 112, vol. II.

232 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
ber, and, in an hour after his arrival, wrote to the Earl of Liver
pool, who had succeeded Lord Castlereagh as secretary for war
and colonies, inclosing cartels of exchange, which contained the
names of French officers, then prisoners in England, whora he
wished to be sent back to the Peninsula.
Having continued the personal narrative of Lord Wellesley's
moveraents frora the establishraent of his head-quarters at
Badajoz to the departure of the Marquis Wellesley from Cadiz
to join the new ministry in England, it will not interrupt, but
rather tend to distinguish and render clearer the siraultaneous
operations of the Spanish array during that period, if we return
to the separation of Lord Wellington .frora that body, and cora
plete the details of the Spanish campaign up to the sarae date.
It was in the beginning of September that the British fixed their
headrquarters at Badajoz, and becarae, in consequence, exposed
to the calaraitous infliction of the deadly auturan of Estraraa
dura. The junta at first expressed the most miserable appre
hensions for the fate of Spain on the retireraent of the British,
but, recovering their innate arrogance, and relapsing into
their usual weakness, they spoke of the retreat of the eneray,
of their repassing the Pyrenees, and escaping frora chastisement
at their hands. It was the sarae inordinate vanity and extra
vagant effrontery that prorapted them to deraand the co-opera
tion of the Portuguese, which request Wellington pereraptorily
denied. About the raiddle of Septeraber, Eguia, transferring
the coraraand of ten thousand raen under his orders in Estra
raadura, to the Duke of Albuquerque, advanced with the
remainder of his army towards Venegas' head-quarters: on
the thirty-first he reached La Serena, and iraraediately after,
uniting with the fugitives whom Venegas succeeded in rally
ing in La Mancha, these generals found themselves at the
head of fifty thousand raen, of which nuraber ten thousand
were cavalry. Roraana had retired from the service, and
resigning the coramand of thirteen thousand raen, whora he
led frora Gallicia to Ciudad Rodrigo, to the Duke del Parque,
he proceeded to Seville, placed hiraself under the protection of
the Marquis Wellesley, and contributed the benefit of his

:femiea.'by Sir Tho« Lawrence PRA.

Zn^ayed- 'by W. T 'Fry.

IHE RT liONBt'E ROBERT BAJ^TKS .TF.NTrTN S Cifr. E. ATi T . QF LIVEHPOOL ,K. &. S:C.

"BTS-HEB,. SOM"& C°. LOITDOK 13*0

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 233
prudent advice to the regeneration of the national govemraent.
Trusting in numbers, Venegas ventured to raake a forward
raovement ; but the enemy had not been inattentive to the con
centration of so large a force in La Mancha, and Victor at the
head of thirty thousand men advancing against hira, Venegas
thought it advisable to retreat into the Sierra Morena, upon
which the French retired into the valley of the Tagus.
The propositions of Lord Wellesley and the Marquis de la
Roraana, coupled with the discovery of the plot to seize the
raerabers of the central junta, obliged that body to assurae those
virtues which they never possessed, and suddenly declaring
their adrairation of liberal institutions, and their desire to extend
equal rights to all raen, they attempted to lull popular appre
hension by the proraise of convening the cortes without delay.
During the raonths of Septeraber and October, fresh levies
continued to be raised in Andalusia and Estraraadura, and
equipments were suppUed frora the English stores that were
aceuraulated at Seville and Cadiz. Towards the close of
October, the Spanish force, under Bassecourt in Estramadura,
amounted to ten thousand men : nearly sixty thousand were
employed in covering Seville by the line of La Mancha, and
six thousand acted as a life-guard to the central junta. The
Spanish army of the left was concentrated in the neighbour
hood of Ciudad Rodrigo, Del Parque made a raoveraent in
the district of the Sierra de Francia, and Santocildes advanc
ing from Lugo with two thousand raen, threw hiraself into
Astorga, and menaced the rear of Marchand's corps. A party
of French, detached from the head-quarters to surprise one of
the gates of Astorga, on the ninth of October, that, by acquiring
possession of that place, they raight release the sixth corps from
a source of uneasiness, was beaten back to their cantonraents
with severe loss. This partial gleara of success encouraged
BaUasteros to descend upon Astorga, cross the Esla, and
assault Zaraora, but having completely failed, he turned away
towards Miranda, and, crossing the frontier into Portugal,
formed a junction with Del Parque.
The Duke del Parque, a brave, loyal, and active officer, and
possessing the highest admiration of the British character.

234 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
resolved to distinguish himself with the force which had lately
been placed under his conduct, and undertook offensive opera
tions against the eneray in Old Castile : sanguine in his objects,
he applied to Lord WeUington, through the Spanish envoy at
Lisbon, for assistance ; but his lordship refused any, for rea
sons and upon grounds already noticed in the coraraunications
that passed between hira and his noble brother, the Marquis
WeUesley. In addition to these pleas for decUning co-opera
tion, there were others returned to the governor of Alraeida, of
equal or perhaps greater value ; for instance, that " there was
nothing to prevent the eneray frora throwing upon the Duque
del Parque's corps, aided perhaps by Beresford's, the whole of
the corps of Ney, SouU, and Kellerraan :" so that, had WeUing
ton the inclination, he neither had means, nor could he come
up in tirae sufficient to prevent the destruction of the Spaniards :
co-operation of the British with Del Parque raight lead to sorae
brilliant actions, but also to sorae defeats, to the loss of raany
valuable soldiers and officers, after which the allies would be
again obliged to return to their defensive position which they
ought never to have quitted. Under these circurastances,
Lord Wellington had deterrained, although he should certainly
endeavour to prevent the eneray from getting possession of
Ciudad Rodrigo, not to assist the Duque del Parque in main
taining the forward position which he had rashly taken up.
Disappointed, but not daunted, Del Parque moved towards
Ledesma to favour the junction of Balasteros, and on the
sixteenth and seventeenth his advanced guard was at Villa
Vieja in front of San FeUces, at which place he collected his
corps on the eighteenth. On the same day the enemy advanced
from Salamanca, and reconnoitred his position, and being
desirous of destroying him before BaUasteros could come up,
iraraediately feU upon Del Parque's left, at Taraanes. The
duke was well posted, about raidway up the front of a raoun
tain, with a force of one thousand cavalry and fifteen thousand
infantry. The forraer soon retired before the raasses of the
eneray's horse, but so proraptly and gallantly did Del Parque,
Mendizabel, and Carera bring down both the infantry and the
reserve, that the enemy were forced back, having one of their

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 235
eagles wrested from their grasp, and being obUged to leave
behind one cannon and several hundred prisoners. Marchand's
alarra was rauch increased, bythe expected arrival of BaUasteros
with a reinforcement ; and this apprehension induced hira to
retire without further atterapt to recover his cannon, his raen,
or his railitary renown ; so that in a state of no little disorder,
he retreated to Salaraanca. Del Parque did not think it prudent
to pursue his victory before the twenty-first, on which day he
was strengthened by BaUasteros' corps at San Felices, whither
he had retired after the affair of Taraanes : advancing thence
on Ledesma, he crossed the Tormes on the twenty-third, passed
Salamanca during the night, and attained the heights of San
Cristoval in the rear of that city, at day -break on the twenty -
fourth, confident of being able to cut off Marchand's retreat.
That general, however, had early inforraation of the intentions
of his eneraies, and, evacuating the place, he had actually reached
Tor and Zaraora behind the Douro, when Del Parque was
entering Salaraanca on the twenty-fifth. Intelligence of the
disaster at Taraanes reaching Madrid with the accustomed
velocity of misfortune's messengers, DesoUes was immediately
directed to advance to the support of Ney's, or rather Mar
chand's corps, by way of the Puerto Pico, and Kellerman was
ordered to assurae the chief coraraand, and advance upon Sala
raanca from Valladolid. Del Parque hearing of the arrival of re
inforceraents to the French array in Old Castile, for the purpose
of raarching on his position, again retired by Alba de Torraes
to Bejar, at the entrance of the Puerto de Banos, where he
fixed his head -quarters on the eighth of Noveraber.
It has been previously raentioned, that General Eguia, leav
ing ten thousand of his corps with Albuquerque in Estraraadura,
marched with the remainder into La Mancha, where he effected
ajunction with Venegas, and, taking the chief comraand, was
iraraediately at the head of fifty thousand men. This forward
raoveraent of Eguia, viewed in conjunction with the offensive ope
rations of Del Parque, induced Marshal Soult to break up frora
Placensia on the first of October and advance upon Oropesa, for
Soult felt convinced that all these raovements of the Spaniards

236 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
were connected with sirapltanepus operations on the part ofthe
British: and a large corps of thirty thousand men, under Victor,
raarched into La Mancha at, the sarae tirae. Upon these
deraonstrations the Spaniards retired into the Sierra Morena,
and the French, having understood their real objects, again
withdrew to the Tagus.
The success of Del Parque at Taraanes was sufficient not only
to revive, but to intoxicate the presumptuous rainds of the cen
tral junta ; deaf to the warnings, regardless of the entreaties
of Wellington to spare the blood of their countrymen, by con.-.
tinning to act on the defensive, and patiently awaiting that pe
riod when accurate discipline, just subordination, and sufficient
reinforcements should have so far strengthened their miUtary
body, that they need not dread the recoil of any blow they
should strike, they seeraed so giddy in their resolves, that folly
and infatuation were exceeded by their plans. It was now re
solved upon marching the army of Carolina directly and boldly
upon Madrid, and instructions were prepared for the future
administration of that great city. Roraana was too sensible '
a raan to be chosen to conduct the expedition ; Albuquerque
had not crouched sufficiently before this bloated raonster, the
junta; and caprice suggested the reraoval of Eguia, who had
not offended any part of the provisional governraent, to make
roora for a hot and hasty youth, Areizaga, whora Blake once
coraplimented for the possession of personal courage in the
battle of Alcanitz. This volatile young raan, not the first victim
to presumption in the Spanish war, entered on the arduous
enterprise of recovering Madrid, and driving the, French
over the Pyrenees, with as rauch confidence as his orders
had been deUvered to him by his employers. On the third of
Noveraber, Areizaga set out upon his fatal folly frora Carolina,
with about 30,000 infantry, 8,000 cavalry, and sixty pieces
of artUlery, but without one single ingredient necessary to
the character of a successful soldier, or a great raan. His
camp resembled a public festival, vaunting and shouts of rairth
rang round the field-huts, but no recollection of raisfortune
once crossed the general's placid brow, there was "not, a

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 237
word about Charon." The raarch was conducted as it at first
began, in a straggling, disorderly, unra ili tary raanner, and the
raw recruits that swelled the number of his array, coraraitted
such depredations as they went, that the peasantry fled with
their few valuable effects, as if an enemy were approaching.
On the loth, Areizaga reached Dos Barrios, near to Ocana,
and advanced on the same night to attack a squadron of the
eneray's cavalry, drawn up in the plain between Dos Barrios
and the town. Totally ignorant of Sebastiani's force, Areizaga
charged briskly at first ; but the French infantry, which had
been concealed behind the party of horse, opening an unex
pected and close fire upon the Spaniards, confidence was
changed into cowardice, and having lost a number slain, two
hundred prisoners, and two pieces of cannon, they regained
their raain body, while Sebastiani, content with his conduct, fell
back upon Ocana. The French maintained their position
here until three o'clock in the raorning, and when daylight
appeared, retired to Aranjuez, while Areizaga re-established his
head- quarters at Dos Barrios. The scene of the previous
day dispelled the vain illusion by which he mocked hiraself!,
rent the hitherto irapervious veil of folly that enwrapped
him, and broke down the unbecoming confidence with which
Areizaga marched against the most victorious army in the world.
He now began to reflect, as well as to look forward, and in
consequence to doubt and to trerable ; and he lost not a rao
ment in communicating to the junta the result of his reflec
tions, and in supplying thera with a convincing demonstration
of their insurmountable folly and corruption in the selection of
such a coraraander for their array. He called on thera to fulfil
the promise of support which they had given ; he endeavoured
to correct the fatal error they laboured under as to the bravery
and discipline of a French army, and its comparative value
with reference to the irregular troops of Spain : he did not now
conceive that the reconquest of Madrid was easy, nor the suc
cess of the carapaign certain. It is true Areizaga first deceived
hiraself, for he raust have feU, that had he possessed even
superior abilities, he was without experience in the art of war ;
11. 2 I

238 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
this, however, does not justify the junta in having held out
false lights to their general, in having disregarded the honour
of men, and thrown the child of their adoption into the
arena of the amphitheatre, a prey to the trained but hungry
lions. The junta had urged Areizaga forward, assuring him of
the support of Albuquerque, Del Parque, and even of Welling
ton, although the latter had never heard of the wild plan, the
execution of which they were coraraitting to a heedless boy.
On the receipt of Areizaga's despatches Albuquerque advanced
frora Bejar, in order to unite at Talavera with Del Parque's
corps, which had raoved into the valley of the Tagus ; and
on the 1 4th, the Spanish head-quarters were raoved to Santa
Cruz la Zarza, with a view to crossing the Tagus at Villa
Maurique, and advancing on the capital frora the east Here
the Spaniards halted till the 18th, during which tirae, the
eneray were pouring in from all the surrounding pro
vinces, and concentrating in such force in their neighbourhood,
as must have rendered the next blow they should strike
final. As Lord Wellington had declined being a party to the rash
resolves of an unprincipled government, with characteristic
presuraption they pretended to despise his advice ; they ex
pressed no desire to coraraunicate any thing to him except their
iraprudent orders ; but they were raisled by that general's uni
forra respect for authority, into the belief that he would not dis
obey, when ordered by the suprerae junta to co-operate with
their army. Lord Wellington is one of the raost reraarkable
exaraples of loyalty, honour, obedience to his governraent and
respect for order and discipline, that is to be found amongst the
biographies of the statesraen or heroes, who have adorned the
history of the world. It would not be difficult to prove that he
is amongst the very few raen, in universal history, who attained
such an extraordinary elevation, without having ever been
guilty of one abuse of power, or having raanifested the reraotest
inclination to usurp authority, or release himself frora allegi
ance to his sovereign and his country. It is in this respect that
he is superior to the greatest conquerors of ancient times, who

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 239
enslaved their countries — and of subsequent ages, who debased
themselves by degeneracy, when the blasts "^ of war had eeased
to blow. But while he set the exaraple of that submission to
discipline and good government which he exacted from his
followers, in the case of enemies, or allies, he hesitated not an
instant in taking all responsibility upon himself; and while he
submitted the control of his conduct to the laws of his
country, no foreign power was capable of guiding, restricting,
or influencing the deliberate judgraent of his raind, or of
raisleading him into an acknowledgment of any claim upon his
services. It has been already noticed that Lord Wellington
disapproved of offensive operations at this precise period,
and, in consequence, totally declined to co-operate, or per
rait Beresford to unite with the Spanish array. This fact
was treacherously concealed from Areizaga and the other
Spanish generals, until their ruin, which the British general
foresaw, had been lamentably wrought.
It was only on the eighteenth of November, the day preceding
the close of these disastrous operations, that Lord Wellington
was officially inforraed of the raarch upon the capital ; yet, that
Areizaga was weak enough to hope for his assistance, is proved
by the application which he raade to hira on the I6th of Novera
ber. To Colonel Roche's interrogatory on the subject his lord
ship repUed, " I do not know how Areizaga could think that I
was to co-operate with hira: Ican co-operate in nothing of which
I have no knowledge, or which is not concerted with rae ; but
not only was this plan not concerted with me, (if there was any
plan at all), but the whole system on which it is founded and
proceeds, is known to be directly contrary to my opinion, and the
advice I have already given." The preceding letter shows
not only that Lord Wellington did not purpose taking any
subsequent share in the grand expedition for the recovery of
Madrid ; but that he had uniforraly opposed that wild pro
ject, and that his advice was disregarded. Now when a
diversion was proposed in favour of Areizaga, there was no great
reason to suppose that the British general could be induced to
associate in the plan, for his written opinion upon this raove
ment — the junction of Albuquerque and Del Parque — was.

240 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
"that when these officers should meet at Talavera, they would
be in precisely the sarae situation in relation to the enemy
and to Areizaga, in which the combined armies under Cuesta
and himself were in the beginning of August, in relation to
the enemy and to Venegas ; with this difference — that at that
time Venegas could have crossed the Tagus by the ford of
Fuentiduena, which Areizaga could not accomplish ; and the
Duke del Parque had not gained a victory, nor was he half
so strong as the aUies were. Lord WelUngton now, took a
gloomy view of Spanish affairs; he declared thera to be in
a worse situation than he had ever before known thera ; that it
was irapossible for hira to do anything for the relief of the
two generals in the valley of the Tagus, as he had no raeans of
crossing the river excepting at Arzobispo, and at that period
of the year the road to that place was not practicable for an
army ; and if he were to raove on Truxillo, the embarrass
raent thus created frora want of provisions, would destroy any
advantage of assistance his proxiraity raight hold out.
While these insane projects of the junta were being executed,
or, more properly, exposed to failure and derision in the weak
hands of an inexperienced officer, information of the advance
of the Spaniards reached the intrusive king at Madrid ; and
no longer leaning on the wavering counsels of Jourdan, who
had been displaced, and his office of raajor-general conferred
upon Soult, Joseph consequently acted with apparent confi
dence and decision, and, accorapanying Soult and Victor,
raarched against the eneray towards Ocana. Areizaga, who
had adapted his courage to an attack upon twenty thou
sand infantry and five thousand horse, under the able guid
ance of the Duke of Dalmatia, finding that the veteran had
lost nothing of his impetuosity by age, or farailiarity with
sirailar scenes, and that he would most probably attack him
before he was prepared, drew up his array on the plain of
Ocana, on the raorning of the 19th of November. The French
advanced in three colurans, with one of which they took pos
sesion of Ocana; they next overthrew the Spanish cavalry on
the right of their position ; then broke the infantry of the right
wing, which vvas thrown into irremediable confusion, upon

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 241
which the left wing of the Spaniards took, flight without firing
a shot. Thus terrainated the boasted expedition planned by
the suprerae junta, in direct opposition to the advice of Lord
WeUington. The French lost one thousand seven hundred
raen, the Spaniards five thousand, fifty-five pieces of cannon,
all the stores and clothing, the railitary chest three thousand
animals, thirty thousand muskets, and twenty-six thousand
prisoners. At night-fall the unfortunate instruraent of a
treacherous and foolish governraent reached Terablique, with a
remnant of his army ; and, as the eneray did not pursue beyond
VUlarubia, he was permitted to reach La Carolina on the 24th.
One thousand Spanish dragoons under Benaz, who had been
ordered to cover the retreat of the fugitives from the field of
battle, and were placed at Madrilejos for that object, learning
the result of the battle of Ocana, dispersed voluntarily on the
20th ; and up to the 24th only five hundred cavalry of dif
ferent regiments had asserabled at Manzanares, and few of
the defeated array had arrived at La Carolina. The Spanish
force in this battle exceeded fifty thousand, that of the eneray
was only one half the nuraber ; and the disgrace and ruin of the
forraer were corapleted after the discharge of only eighteen
hundred cannon-shot. Totally unequal to such a crisis,
Areizaga, at day ^break, ascended one of the church towers of
Ocana, behind the centre of his line, where he reraained during
the battle, neither giving orders, nor sending succours to his
retreating lines ; and only quitted his observatory when the
enemy approached so near as to endanger his liberty. Besides
the force engaged at Ocana, the Duke of BeUuno had passed
the Tagus, and was moving on the right of the Spanish array,
and ten thousand French were posted at Talavera de la Reyna.
Having placed the different divisions of his victorious array in
positions pointed out by his general-in-chief, the intrusive king
returned' on the 20th to Madrid.
In corapliance with orders received frora the suprerae junta,
the Duke del Parque raoved frora Bejar on the 1 7th of
November, and raarched to Alba de Torraes, his advance
posts being at Carpio and Fresno on the 2 Ist. At the forraer

242 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
of these places he was a,ttacked on the 23rd, by a large corps
of cavalry and infantry frora VaUadoUd; and, although the
Spanish cavalry behaved in the most dastardly raanner, the
eneray suffered a repulse. After this affair the duke moved
forward his head-quarters to Fresno, but returned again on
the 28th in consequence of orders to that effect from the junta.
The French had by this time, and while Del Parque was
acting with indescision, succeeded in strengthening the, army
of Old Castile ; and on the 27th and 28th Kellerraan was
enabled to bring the Spaniards to action at Alba de Torraes,
where they suffered grieviously. Continuing their retreat to
wards the raountains and Ciudad Rodrigo, when within two
leagues of Tamanes, on the 29th, the Spaniards observing
thirty French dragoons in the rear, became alarraed, and dis
persed. No eneray was near, however, to take advantage of
the panic, and, when their fears had subsided, nearly twenty
thousand of the fugitives re-asserabled.
While the French were collecting their forces on the Upper
Tagus to oppose Areizaga, in the beginning of Noveraber,
Albuquerque had taken possession of the bridge of Arzobispo,
but events in Old Castile induced the junta to direct that he
should fall back with his corps upon the Guadiana, and
thereby abandon the position of the Puerta de Mirabete, on
the Tagus, and the Mesa d'Ibor, of so much importance
to the province of Estraraadura and the south of Portugal,
that so long as it was held, the eneray could not cross the
Tagus to any efficient purpose, between the bridge of Toledo
and Villa Velha, in Portugal.
The French had succeeded, since the raonth of April, in
destroying three Spanish armies: Blake's, Areizaga's, and
Del Parque's ; but the presence of the English, and the severe
checks they had received frora them at Oporto and Talavera,
so fettered their moveraents, that they had been obhged to
evacuate Portugal, Gallicia, South Estramadura, and keep their
forces concentrated in the neighbourhood of Madrid. At the
closeof the campaign of 1809, theyhad destroyed or dispersed
two armies, yet had not broken the energies of the Spaniards,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 243
nor extricated theraselves frora their persevering assaults.
Araongst their most vindictive and successful enemies were
to be nurabered, at this period, the GueriUas,* a species of
irregular troops, who infiicted much injury on the French,
while their disconnected character, and active moveraents
secured thera frora an equivalent return. They consisted
chiefly of peasants, who, in the ardour of patriotic zeal and
religious fanaticism, having put to death such of the eneray
as fell into their hands on the first retreat of the French
forces, fied to the raountains, on their return, to avoid their re
sentment, collected in small bands, chose leaders of a daring
courage and ready inteUigence, and carried on a partisan war
fare, without being paid, or dressed in any uniform. They ap
peared at one tirae in sraall nurabers, at others one thousand
were asserabled together, frequently hanging on the outskirts
ofa position, picking off single soldiers, attacking sraall de
tachraents, foraging parties, and couriers, and intercepting
successfully French coraraunications. " To lead these gueriUa
bands, the priest girded up his black robe, and stuck a pistol
in his belt ; the student threw aside bis books, and grasped
the sword ; the shepherd forsook his flock ; the husbandraan his
horae." They contributed to sustain the confidence of the
people in the final success of their arras, and to raaintain a
spirit of determined resistance. They fought up to the very
capital, while it was occupied by the eneray ; and every advan
tage gained by Spanish or English troops was proclairaed, in all
quarters, by these gallant raen, with telegraphic rapidity.
The first person who organised a guerilla band, was Juan
Martin Diez, or John Martin, surnaraed JSl Empecinado, from
the darkness of his coraplexion. This distinguished partisan
officer was a native of the district of VaUadossa, where he was
born in the year 1778, and the son of an hurable peasant. He
had early advanced himself into notice as a lover of freedom,
and a man of intrepidity, by his conduct on the first invasion of
his country's rights by the French ; and, when Spain proclairaed
war against her eneraies,heentered the regular array asaprivate
" G«mHa is a diminutive of g-acn-fl, the Spanish for tonr.

244 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
dragoon. He served in that capacity until the restoration of
peace, when he returned horae, raarried, and resuraed his agri
cultural employments. From these peaceful occupations he was
attracted in the year one thousand eight hundred, by patriotisra,
and a love of enterprise, and associating with hira, in his plan
of operations, sorae five or six of his neighbours, pn whose cou
rage and activity he could rely, he coraraenced hostilities. His
first achievements consisted in kilUng the French couriers, by
which raeans he obtained arms, araraunition, and horses; and, as
he lost not a moraent in coraraunicating the intelligence of which
his victiras had been the bearers, no inquiries were instituted
into the raode of his acquiring it The atrocities perpetrated
by the French at Madrid on the second of May, awoke a
spirit of resentraent over the land, and Diez, increasing his
nurabers, and extending his operations, destroyed couriers, took
convoys, and harassed every small detachment of the enemy
that he could come up with. In his early exploits, when
his squadron did not araount to a dozen desperados, he neither
gave nor expected quarter, but when he was followed by
forty-eight gallant active, well-raounted raen, he no longer
pursued that barbarous practice. In the raonth of Septeraber,
1809, while the British array, fatigued, sick, and without food,
were obliged to fall back to Badajoz to refresh and procure
suppUes frora the Portuguese, Diez rode into the district of
Guadalaxara, at the head of one hundred and seventy well-
mounted men, and corapletely terrified the eneray by his
activity and raode of warfare. This systematic course re
commended him to the patronage of the coraraander-in-chief
of the second array, who, fully appreciating his undaunted
bravery, raade hira a brigadier-general of cavalry. Such
a raode of attacking and destroying the foe was contrary to
the rules of war. The woods and dense forest concealing
the hand of the assassin, or the darkness of night beino- the
raask that hid hira, goaded the French to raadness, and urged
thera to try every expedient that ingenuity prorapted to sur
prise and capture their persecutor. But he was fully corapetent
to cope with treble his own nurabers, frora the strength and

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 245
vigour of his raen, and he was always too accurately inforraed
of the raoveraents of the eneray, to be attacked unawares. On
one occasion, however, he was overpowered by nurabers, and
would, in all probability, have been raade prisoner, had he not
literally flung himself over a steep precipice, and eluded pursuit.
When Wellington had driven the French from Spain, and
entered Madrid, like the heroes of old, in joyous triumph, the
guerilla chief attended him, and, soon after, received the
conqueror's order to take the command of a corps of four
thousand eight hundred and fifty men, horse and foot, in the
neighbourhood of Tortosa. Here the glorious, as well as
gratifying, history of this brave man's career closes. Wellington
saved Spain from one species of invasion of rights, only to
leave it a prey to another, and perhaps the most cruel, that was
the adraission of Ferdinand, who resumed his reign with the raost
arbitrary acts, and by trarapling upon every branch of the tree
of liberty that he had the strength or the courage to break off.
Erapecinado professed an innate abhorrence of tyranny, and,
even in the drivelling monarch for whose restoration he had
fought, despotism was intolerable. Being proclairaed a traitor,
he laid down his arras, but on the faith of a treaty, resolving to
abandon an ungrateful country to the chains it had forged for
itself. But he had raiscalculated rauch in supposing that Fer
dinand could be induced to respect treaties, or that he placed
the least value upon plighted faith : he forgot the history of that
abject raonarch's early years, when he relied upon the fulfilraent
of any contract by hira. The treaty was broken as soon as it was
made : the faithful, long, and able services which Diez had ren
dered to his country, could not atone, in the tyrant's estiraation,
for the crime of his devotion to liberty, and, on the nineteenth
of August, 1825, the brave guerilla chief was executed at
Rueda, with circumstances of cruelty disgraceful to the reign of
Ferdinand. Diez was a man of excellent natural abilities, but quite un
educated, not being able to write anything more than his own
signature : his raanners were coarse, and his temper violent but
he was partial to the society of educated persons, and always
II. 2 K

246 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
gave wiUing attention to their conversation and advice : with
a raagnaniraity that characterizes intrinsic worth, he never
hesitated to acknowledge his hurable origin, or the limited
sphere of his information.
There was another guerilla chieftain, with whose name, and
estimable private character, the English nation became more
familiar, than they had any opportunity of being with those ofthe
noble, but unfortunate, founder of the partisan peasant-array.
This was Don Franisco Espoz y Mina, a native of Navarre,
where he was born at the village of Idozin, two railes frora
Pampeluna, in 1781. So rauch roraance was interwoven with
the marvellous exploits of the guerillas, that it was usual to
represent them, like the maid of Orleans, like Rienzi, like
Masaniello, as issuing frora the lowly cottage, actuated by an
impulse more than natural, and appointed by sorae special pro
vidence to liberate their country, and avenge their brethren
slain ; and Mina was described, amongst others, as born in the
lowliest ranks of rural society. This, however, was not the case,
his family being one of distinction in his native country, and
the ancestorial name associated with the early railitary history
of Spain. During the French war, his nephew, Don Xavier
Mina, then a student at the university of Saragossa, raised a
guerilla corps, with which he perforraed several spirited ex
ploits. Xavier being taken prisoner in March, 1810, the cora
raand of the corps devolved upon Francisco, who soon rendered
his narae the terror ofthe French. Brave, active, indefatigable,
full of resources, and possessed of adrairable presence of raind,
he incessantly harassed and wore down the strength of the
eneray, not only in Navarre, but in the neighbouring provinces
of Alava and Arragon. Such was the rapidity of his raoveraents,
that nothing could escape hira. The loss sustained by the
French in this distressing kind of warfare was incalculable,
that of the guerilla-band trifling, owing to the accuracy of
their inteUigence, which enabled thera to separate on the
approach of the eneray, and reunite again in a few hours-^
manoeuvres which were perforraed by signal. It was in vain
that the French poured twenty-five thousand soldiers into

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 247
Navarre, to eradicate the guerilla bands ; Mina resisted the
inundation, and, retaining possession of the province against
the best exertions of the enemy, obtained the sobriquet of
" King of Navarre." His services were acknowledged by the
regency in 181 1, when he was raised to the rank of colonel:
in 1812 he was raade a brigadier-general, and soon after a
general. In the year 1813 he comraandeda force of eleven
thousand infantry, and two thousand five hundred cavalry,
with which he co-operated in the siege of Parapeluna, and
subsequently recovered Saragossa, Monzon, Tafalla, Jaca, and
other places, and at the raoraent when the peace was con
cluded, he was in the act of besieging St. Jean Pied de Port.
Hitherto he had fought in the cause of freedora only, but,
on proceeding to Madrid, and being raade acquainted with
the basis of Ferdinand's governraent, he found that he would
henceforth be expected to prop up and defend the raost un
qualified despotisra in Europe. This was so contrary to the
feeling, the honour, the true patriotism of the chief, that he
at once addressed hiraself to his brother officers, told them
of his efforts to obtain frora their vicious king a free and
fair constitution, and invited thera to combine and extort
from Ferdinand a charter of their rights, as the English barons
of old had done from their monarch at Runnyraede. His re
monstrances would, most probably, have had the contemplated
effect and freedom would have dawned on Spain, after a long
dark night of despotism, at the instance of a guerilla chieftain,
had not the infiuence of the priesthood rendered his labours
abortive. Retiring from Madrid in disgust, he hastened to those fields
where he had so gallantly struggled for the liberties of his
fallen country, but found that the captain-general of Navarre
had disbanded the local corps ; he next proceeded to Pam
peluna, and having gained over the garrison of that city, was
about to proclaim the constitution there, when his plan was
frustrated by the pusillaniraity of sorae of the officers. No
alternative remained for him but exile, and, retiring into

248 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
France, he sought a safe asylum in the vicinity of the royal
palaces at Paris. There the Spanish envoy. Count de Casa
Flores, discovered him, and persuaded a coraraissary of police
td arrest him on behalf of the Spanish tyrant. This act of
insolence and injustice was immediately resented by Louis,
who insisted upon the recall of the ignorant envoy, dismissed
the commissary of police, restored Mina to liberty, and con
ferred upon him a pension of 6,000 francs. For this act of
generosity the Spaniard was not ungrateful, and, on the return
of Napoleon, he declined holding any intercourse with the ex-
imperial party, joined Louis at Ghent, and returned with him
to Paris. Here he resided privately until the standard of free
dom was unfurled in the streets of Cadiz, when, hastening back
to his own country, and the king being compelled to accept
the constitution, Mina consented to becorae captain-general
of Navarre, in the year I82I. — The partisans of despotisra,
again abetted by the priesthood, asserabled in sorae force in
Catalonia, and, creating a forraidable insurrection there, Mina
was ordered to raarch against thera. The cause alone had
nerved his arra, and, attacking the traitors with his wonted
impetuosity, he routed thera in several encounters,, and drove
them over the Pyrenean frontiers into the French province of
Rousillon. For this success he was proraoted to the rank of
lieutenant-general in 1823. His huraanity, prudence, and
patriotisra acquired for hira the universal esteera of the honest
and wise, and he had succeeded in collecting around him a
considerable force to repel the invasion of the French; but
perceiving that the resistance he could offer would not be
effectual, he generously absolved his corarades frora their
allegiance to him, submitted to Marshal Moncey on the 17th
of October, and embarked for London, where he was received
with every token of respect and admiration. When the re
volution of 1830 excited hopes that were never to be reaUzed
araongst those that were exUed frora continental Europe, Mina
again unsheathed his sword in freedora's cause ; but the Spanish
people were not even yet ripe for the reception of indepen-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 249
dence, nor qualified for the trust of self-governraent, so that
Mina's last efforts were least fortunate, and despotisra resuraed
her throne raore firmly in tl^e Peninsula. The student Xavier,
the nephew of Mina, was detained a prisoner in France until
I8I4. He was present at Pampeluna, when his uncle made an
unsuccessful attempt to proclaim the constitution, and fled with
him thence to France, from which country he erabarked, in 1 81 6,
and sailed for Mexico, to join the insurgents who had risen up
there to shake off the yoke of the raother country : soon after
his arrival, however, he fell into the hands of the Spanish
authorities, and was shot as a traitor, on the eleventh of Nov.
I8I7. Mina and Diez were the raost distinguished of the guerilla
chiefe,* and raore closely associated in operation with the
allied armies than any others of their rude corps ; but when the
regular army of Spain were routed, flying, and beaten by the
enemy, the galling fire of the guerillas disgusted the veteran
soldier with the service, taught him that the spirit of freedom
was not extinct in Spain, and that the cause he was engaged
in was cruel, wanton, and unjust. At this period of the war,
when the integrity of civilized England forbade her armies to
sustain theraselves by pillage, iraperial France entertained no
scruples as to the raode whereby her soldiers were supplied :
the usurper enforced requisitions of jewels and plate from the
churches, convents, and private raansions, for which the
guerilla bands always kept a close watch, and intercepted no
inconsiderable share of the spoils. On one occasion they
fell in with a convoy near Segovia, from which they wrested
no less a prize than eighty quintals of silver. So distressing
had the guerilla warfare become to the French, and so un
equal to its suppression were all their efforts, that they now
* " The principal chieftains of these partidas were the two Minas and Reno-
vales, in Navarre and Arragon ; Porlier, called also the Marquisetto, and Longa,
in the Asturias and Biscay ; Juan Martin, or El Empecinado, in New Castile :
Juan Paladea, or El Medico, in La Mancha ; the curate Merino, in Castile ; the
friar Sapia, of Soria; Juan Abril, of Segovia; the doctor Rovera, in Catalonia;
Julian Sanchez, near Salamanca; andothers, whose names are well remembered
in those districts where their bold achievements were accomplished.

250 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
had recourse to the plan of raising up a species of counter-force
in the province of Navarre, which they naraed Miquelets,* an
appellation always popular amongst the Spaniards. But this
abuse of the term was rather displeasing to the people, and
the charra that belonged to it was dissolved when the bearer
passed into the service of the usurper. The scheme therefore
fell to the ground, evincing nothing beyond the incapacity and
perplexity of its projectors.
Nearer still to the British head-quarters, and raore irarae
diately in the theatre of the carapaign of 1809, JuUan Sanchez,
the guerilla chieftain, lent the powerful assistance of his partisan--
ship. He raised a corapany of lancers in the vicinity of Ciudad
Rodrigo, and operated so effectually against Marchand's corps,
on the plains of Castile, that that officer warned the peasantry
against harbouring a guerilla, on pain of death if convicted.
The French general selected eight of the principal sheep-
Pwners in the district, inforraed them that a guard should be
placed in their houses, their persons closely watched, and, if
guerilla depredations did not totally subside in eight days
from that notice, the farraer himself should be held responsible.
He declared, also, that alcaldes, lawyers, priests, and surgeons
of every village, should answer with their lives, for the violence
comraitted in their districts by these predatory bands, and that
he would burn every house which the inhabitants had aban
doned at the approach of the French. Sanchez answered
this proclaraation, in language that becarae a brave raan con
tending, against a giant's arm, for the happiness, the homes,
the honour of his countrymen, and so incontestable were the
• These people dwelt in the Southern Pyrenees, in Catalonia, and in the
French departments of the Upper and Eastern Pyrenees, on the heights of the
chain of mountains which forms the boundary between Fance and Spain. They
are principally herdsmen, huntsmen, and coal-burners, are warlike, and disposed
to a predatory life. They escort travellers through the mountain-passes, and
for their protection they always expect, and often receive, very liberal compen
sation. During the war they occasionally descended upon the French territory,
and plundered the peasantry of every thing : they were active partisans, also,
in the cause of Spain, and annoyed the French troops in Catalonia more sue-
cessfiilly than the regular army of Spain.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 251
reasons urged in support of any, of every species of warfare hy
which the usurper raight be out-rooted, that Marchand's cause
was actually weakened in the estiraation of the French them
selves. Sanchez was deterred neither from his railitary actions,
nor the ground of his operations, by the irapudent edict, and more
unwise proceedings of Marchand,. but persevered obstinately
in that mode of attack which distressed the enemy to such a
painful extent ; and, remaining in the neighbourhood of Ciudad
Rodrigo, he co-operated with Sir Robert Wilson in that desul
tory warfare, hanging on the enemy's rear, and harassing it
continually. While the armies of Spain were victimized to the folly of
the suprerae junta, while every courier that reached Seville was
the messenger of disaster to the Peninsula, while the eagle of
France fiapped its wings over the ensanguined fields of sub
jugated Spain, the British rested in their cantonments at
Badajoz : there they were visited by the return of renovated
strength ; pale disease and death vanished from their huts : food
was supplied in abundance ; warra clothing arrived, which was
peculiarly appropriate at that season of the year ; and the
accustomed cheerfulness of the British soldier was once raore
witnessed by their general at his head-quarters.
WhUe the weather continued tempestuous and rainy, and the
hospitals were filled with sick. Lord WelUngton was occupied
in his bureau, in coraraunicating with Lord Liverpool upon
the prospects of Spain, the raisconduct of its government, and
his own plans for the defence of Portugal, which country he felt
confident could be maintained against the best efforts of Napo
leon. The junta also received the salutary counsels of the British
warrior, urging them to act on the defensive, to abstain from arro
gance, and not to meddle with self-confidence, the prerogative of
the great, but the bane of the foolish. An undisciplined rabble,
affecting to act under an unpopular imbecile government are
incapable of resisting the steady impulse of compact and disci
plined columns; no definite proportion exists between the
respective efficacy of two such armies : they differ as the
process of raachinery and raanipulation : the one is condensed,
corapact unerring in its raovements, not liable to disappoint-

252 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
raent in its results, and its production is infinitely greater
in quantity ; the other is weakened by being spread over a
boundless space, is irregular and capricious in its internal
conduct, equivocal as to its results, and often attended with
the most unforeseen frustration of its object The disci
pUned army resembles the^, volume of water confined within
the enclosure of the aqueduct, contributing without waste
to every purpose of utility and enjoyment ; the unorganized
force is like the torrent that bursts from the mountains,
exhausting its strength by expansion, and creating ruin, when
by proper control it raight have proved a blessing. The
physical force of Spain wanted the hand of the military
raechanist, the parts of the engine were supplied, but the
jealousy of the junta prohibited their arrangeraent by a cora
petent and skilful engineer, while they were theraselves as un
able to adapt them, as they would have been ignorant of
their use when put together. When the dark hopes that
hung over his prospects, like clouds in the skies, began ,to
clear away, when, by the foolish rejection of his advice, Spain
had lost her armies, when the raisfortunes of the allies con
firmed the wisdom of the British comraander-in-chief, when
Portugal begun to place unbounded confidence in his genius
and fortune, when the inactivity of the enemy seemed to render
his presence no longer necessary, and to admit of his adopting
measures exclusively relating to the safety of his own array or
the relief of Portugal, Lord Wellington then, and not before,
prepared to break up frora Badajoz.*
Frora this period, his correspondence with Lord Liverpool,
and with the British envoys, was directed to the single point
of the defence of Portugal, and he laboured anxiously . to
prepare their minds for such an object News arrived in the
Peninsula of the establishment of peace between Napoleon and
• " For the sake of health, and diversion of mind, Lord Wellington went out
daily with his fowling-piece upon the plains. He had one day of princely sport
in the royal park of Villa Vicosa, a hunting palace of the sovereigns of Portugal.
Upon this occasion, one wild boar, and twenty-five head of deer, were heaped
upon the sward, as the trophy of the duy. He was always gay and good-
humoured with those around him, inspiring others with the confidence he
evidently felt himself." — Military Memoirs, l^c.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 263
Austria, which alarmed England and her aUies; but WeUington
stated his deliberate opinion, "that if in consequence of the
peace the enemy's army should be largely reinforced in Spain, by
which the pubhc raind in that country would be so influenced,
that persons now in hostiUty with France would then submit
to their usurpation, and enable troops that are now employed
only on the defensive, to be engaged in active operations ;
even in that case, he conceived, that until Spain should have
been conquered, and had submitted unconditionally to the
conqueror, the enemy would find it difficult if not impossible,
to obtain possession of Portugal, provided his Britannic raajesty
continued to employ an army in the defence of the country, and
that the improvements in the Portuguese service continued to
be carried to the extent of which they were capable." To
carry out this great object, the value of which Lord Wellington
alone foresaw, the means of attaining which he alone projected,
and the responsibility for the result of which rested upon him
self solely, he said he should require thirty thousand effective
raen, in aid of the whole military force of Portugal, then consist
ing of three thousand artillery, three thousand cavalry, thirty-
six thousand infantry, three thousand eaqadores and the militia.
The expense of maintaining the British array in Portugal,
which Great Britain herself must defray, would be £1,756,236
per annum, only £568,044 more than it would cost to keep
the same army employed in Great Britain or Ireland. Lord
Wellington felt that the Portuguese were the principals in the
contest, and expressed hiraself in sanguine terras as to their
resolution and honour, yet he totally despaired of their ability
to resist the eneray, and seeing clearly into futurity as regarded
the great military operations of Europe, recommended to the
British minister-^if England withdrew her, confidence in his
abilities and experience by ordering the evacuation of Portugal
on the advance of the French— that he might be permitted to
carry away such of the Portuguese officers and troops as might
be desirous 'of emigrating, rather than sacrifice so many brave
and useful raen, by allowing thera to' continue a hopeless con
test for the protection of their country. The want of con-
II. 2 L

254 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
fidence in Wellington, which an able and popular opposition
party in England created, by insisting upon raixing up his con
duct and measures with those of the ministers, suggested to
Lord Liverpool the expediency of proposing to his lord
ship four distinct questions relative to the approaching cam
paign. But the extraordinary prescience of that great soldier
had anticipated the wishes of those who placed implicit
reliance on his railitary genius, and the purport of the ques
tions, viz. " the possibility of the British keeping possession of
Portugal, after an augmentation of the usurper's army," had
been previously communicated in Lord WelUngton's official
despatch, which, however, had not then reached England.
But he again assured the secretary at war, that the enemy had
neither the means nor the intention of attacking Portugal, in
the raonth of Noveraber, 1 809 ; that if they did, they would be
successfully resisted ; and that whenever their reinforcements
should arrive, they would then also be similarly received.
About this period the Spanish junta renewed their attempts to
induce the British army to return, not by honourable, open, con
duct and arrangeraent but by artifice, conteraptible stratagem,
and childish manoeuvring : they before pretended to despise the
counsels of Wellington, in order to convince him that the whole
Peninsula did not trust in that infaUibUity of judgment which
the British and Portuguese armies conceded to hira: tbeir next
scheme was to interrupt the sale of provisions to the British
coraraissaries attached to head-quarters at Badajoz, unless pur
ehased under tbe authority of an alcalde, or some Spanish officer,
from which it was to be inferred that they could supply the
British array, if Wellington would only solicit them to do so. But
his lordship had long before decided upon a line of conduct
from which such a body as a Spanish junta could not induce
or compel him to diverge, and he lost no time in undeceiving
the junta of Estremadura. "I have already," observed his lord
ship, " had occasion to explain to you ray sentiraents on the
subject. Spain is either unable or unwilling to furnish suppUes
of provisions and forage, on payment for the armies that ai'e
defending her: and I shall not risk his raajesty's army in a

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 255
cruutry so situated, I announce to you my intention, that on
the first failure of the necessary suppUes, I shall remove my
troops into a country where I know they will be supplied."
It should also be observed, that it was for the express object
of showing the slight iraportance they affected to attach to
Wellington's military opinion, that the junta ordered Albu
querque to abandon his impregnable position near Arzobispo,
which Wellington had chosen, and to fall back into an exposed
and ill-chosen one at Llerena, behind the Guadiana.
That every doubt as to his veracity and determination might
be removed, he addressed a letter to Mr. B. Frere, who acted as
rainister plenipotentiary, from the departure of the Marquis
Wellesley untU the arrival of his successor, the Hon. Henry
Wellesley, (Lord Cowley), requesting him to assure the junta
that his resolution was unalterably fixed, and that it was his
undeviating raaxira to say what he raeant. At this raoraent,
the losses and sufferings of the Spanish were daily augraented :
Lord Wellington expressed sincere and poignant regret at
the total want of principle or plan in the Spanish operations,
and prophesied, distinctly, every result that followed. He
accompanied his warnings and advice with expressions of
the utraost concern at his inability to co-operate, or assist
them in their difficulties, which were partly created by the
folly of their own governraent ; and, with his usual foresight
he observed, that the blame would be transferred to hira
when the misfortunes which he saw approaching, like the tem
pest-cloud in the horizon, should have burst upon the obsti
nate, devoted Spanish army : then deliberately reconciling
himself to his hard lot, he remarked, " that he was too much
accustomed to receive blarae for the actions of others, to feel
rauch concern on the subject, and should only endeavour not
to deserve any for his own." Such feelings he seldom ex
pressed, and never with any real or even apparent irritation ;
on the contrary, he excluded sedulously, from all his cor
respondence, the least disrespectful expression of those with
whom he acted, and wrote uniformly in the bright language
of hope, or the confident tones of victory. This habit was

256 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
instanced in a long and interesting letter addressed to an old
comrade in his Indian campaign, Colonel Malcolm, describing
the battle of Talavera, and the general prospects of the
Peninsula in consequence of that victory. "The battle,"
he observed, " was certainly the hardest fought of modern
days, and the most glorious in its results to our troops. Each
side engaged" lost a quarter of their numbers. The glory of
the action is the only benefit which we have derived from it ;
but that is a solid and substantial good, the consequences of
which we have already experienced : for, strange to say, I have
continued, with the little British army, to keep . everything in
check since the month of August last; and if the Spaniards
had not contrived by their own folly, and against ray entrea- <
ties and reraonstrances, to lose an array in La Mancha about
a fortnight ago, I think we might have brought thera through
the contest As it is, however, I do not despair, I have in
hand a raost difficult task, from which I raay not extricate
myself; but I raust not shrink frora it. I coramand an unanl-i
mous array : I draw well with all the authorities of Spain and
Portugal, and I believe I have the good wishes of the whole
world. In such circurastances one may fail, but it would be
dishonourable to shrink frora the task."
The tirae was at length arrived, when the long-threatened
retirement of ihe. British army was to take place ; and, after a
vexatious intercourse with Spain, the visitation of a pestilen
tial raalady, but the acquirement of new laurels, Lord Welling
ton broke up from his head-quarters at Badajoz, on the
fifteenth of December, 1 809, and after a march, with occasional
halts, of twenty-one days, the army reached the eastern frontiers
of Portugal, where three divisions of infantry, and a regiment
of cavalry, were put into cantonments at Guarda, Pinhel,
Celerico, and Viseu : General HUl's division of infantry was at
Abrantes, and the reraainder of the British cavalry, between
Abrantes and Santarem, for convenience of forage and stabling.
Thus the whole allied army was forraed into two principal
corps ; one for the defence of the province south of the Tagus,
which consisted of HiU's division of British infantry, two

THE BUKE OF WELLINGTON. 257
brigades of Portuguese infantry, one brigade of British and
two of Portuguese cavalry, besides artillery of both services :
the other, coraposed of three divisions of British and all the
Portuguese infantry, with the British cavalry and Portuguese
artillery. The Portuguese were cantoned to the rear of the
troops with which they were eventually destined to act. The
Lusitanian legion was at Castel Branco, and the railitia in the
raountains between the Tagus and the Mondego. 'I^he ad
vanced-guard, under General R. Craufurd, took up a position
in front of Almeida, sending patrols as far as Ciudad Rodrigo.
Hill's duty on the south side of the Tagus was to preserve a
coraraunication with Badajoz, and to observe the movements
of the enemy on the side of Alentejo; and this precaution
was the more requisite, because Mortier and Regnier, with
20,000 men, then threatened the south frontier from Merida,
and any expectation of their being checked by Romana, who
was at Badajoz, or by the garrison of Elvas was futile ; so
that if theenemy desired to approach Lisbon *by that route, the
Spanish army would have been no impediment to their plans.
While the bed of the Tagus was full of water, HiU's posi
tion at Abrantes was secure ; he occasionaUy, however, occu
pied ground at Portalegre, and advanced even to Campo
Major, whenever Romana suspected that the enemy meditated
an attack upon Badajoz. In this raanner Hill and Mortier
displayed their experience as tacticians, advancing and reced
ing like two charapions in the arena, provoking the corabat
but too cautious to strike until an unerring blow could be
planted. In their new quarters, where the air was pure, the
ground hilly and healthy, the army was soon restored to its
buoyancy and cheerfulness, the sick recovered rapidly, and
strength returned to the already convalescent. Clothes and
provisions were furnished with tolerable regularity, and the
policy of the British general was now raore clearly understood,
when the army was seen to progress towards that fine martial,
manly appearance, which they exhibited on those great days
of triumph, when the eagles of France took fiight before them.
The French array so far out-numbered the British, that offen-

258 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
sive war against so superior a force would have been the most
presumptuous rashness. The Spanish regular army was almost
annihilated, so that Wellington's fahian policy, that of giving
time for the refreshing of his own troops, and the re-organiza
tion of his allies, was the wisest that could have occurred to
the most experienced officer ; and although at first his inactivity
was borne with ill teraper by the opposition party in England,
and by others, who raight with raore delicacy have suspended
the expression of their opinion upon military raatters until a
raore convenient season, it was ultiraately the salvation of Por
tugal, of the Peninsula, and of Europe itself.
InteUigence of the precipitate judgraent of the coramon-
council of London now reached head-quarters at Coirabra,
and made a deeper irapression on the hero's feelings, than so
ill-conceived and rash a step ought to have done ; of this
unkind treatraent he thus complained to Lord Liverpool:
" I see that the coraraon-council have called for an inquiry
into ray conduct ; and I think it probable that the king's
answer to their address will be consistent with the approba
tion he has already expressed of those acts which the gen
tleraen wish to raake the subject of inquiry : in which
case, they will not be pleased. I cannot expect raercy at
their hands, whether I succeed or fail; should I fail, they will
not stop to inquire whether it was owing to ray own incapa
city, to the blaraeless errors to which we are all liable, to the
faults or raistakes of others, to the deficiency of our raeans, to
the serious difficulties of our situation, or to the great power
and abilities of our eneray. In any of these cases, I shall
becorae their victim : but I am not to be alarraed by this
additional risk, and,, whatever may be the consequence, I shall
continue to do my best in this country." While he did not
deny to the citizens of London the just exercise of their right
to petition for the removal of real, or even imaginary, grievances,
he felt that in this instance, the origin of the complaint was
corrupt : want of principle, factious raotives, were raediately
or iraraediately connected with this stupid document ; and to
show Lord Liverpool that he despised the abstract source

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 259
frora which it sprung, he requested " that his lordship would
not send out araongst the officers any that were party men,
for that the spirit of party raust be kept out of the array."
A despatch, dated from Viseu, sixteenth of January, 1810,
to the honourable Mr. Villiers, is amongst the most memorable
of Lord Wellington's military raemoranda. Having entered
fully into the question of finance, in which he observes, "This
discussion about money, the distress we have felt ever since
ray arrival here, raust have convinced you that Great Britain
has undertaken a heavier engageraent in Portugal than she
has the raeans of executing," he proceeds — " In its present
state, I own, my army Is not sufficient for the defence of Por
tugal : but the troops are recovering their health, reinforce
ments are expected from England, and, if I can bring thirty
thousand effective British troops into the field, I will fight a
good battle for the possession of Portugal, and see whether
that country cannot be saved frora the general wreck."
Although cirurastances had materially altered since Lord
Wellington applied to the secretary of war for reinforcements
on the fourteenth of November, and those alterations origin
ated in the total loss of the Spanish armies, still he considered
that they had not fallen so far, that he could not yet defend
Portugal, and restore the future fortunes of the Peninsula, by
the addition of the same number of men for which he had
before applied. " I conceive," said his lordship to Mr. Vil
liers, " that the honour and interests of the country require
that we should hold our ground here as long as possible ;
and, please God, I will maintain it as long as I can; and
I will neither endeavour to shift frora ray own shoulders, or
those of the rainisters, the responsibility for the failure, by
calling for raeans which I know they cannot give ; and which,
perhaps, would not add raaterially to the facility of attaining
our object: nor will I give to the ministers, who are not
strong, and who must feel the delicacy of their own situations,
an excuse for withdrawing the array frora a position, which,
in my opinion, the honour and interest of the country require
they should maintain as long as possible. I think, that if the
Portuguese do their duty, I shall have enough to raaintain it ;

260 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
if they do not nothing that Great Britain can afford can save
the country : and if from that cause I fail to save it, and am
obliged to go, I shall be able to carry away the British array."
From the cantonments at Viseu, Lord WelUngton was occa
sionally absent employed in making a reconnoissance towards
Torres Vedras, and actively engaged with Colonel Fletcher,
of the royal engineers, to whora he coraraitted the execution
of his celebrated design ior the defence of Lisbon. In these
exertions he was encouraged by the raost flattering marks of
distinction from the Portuguese government, who, by a royal
decree, proclairaed on the twenty-third of Noveraber, 1809,
and dated frora Rio Janeiro, in the month of July of the same
year, appointed Lord Wellington marshal-general of the Portu
guese array, invited hira to a seat in their chief asserably, and
to a participation in all their measures, both military and
financial. That affected distrust, which disgraced the Spanish
authorities, and led to the disparagement of the British gene
ral, had been forgiven, their raisfortunes pleaded strongly for
such an indulgence, and the authority of WeUington agkin
rose suprerae in both countries ; it was in England only, and
chiefly within the walls of parliament, that the language of
detraction and ingratitude were applied to him.
The year 1809 closed in gloom and misfortune upon the
exertions of the undisciplined ranks of Spain, and upon the im
becile counsels of their rulers, while the labours of Napoleon
were crowned with victory in the central kingdoras of Europe,
which now bowed down beneath the yoke of France. Less
occupied with the active duties of the general, he bestowed
increased attention on his iraperial cares; and, araongst the
first occasions of his displeasure was the inactivity of Joseph,
who had perraitted Wellington to refresh his exhausted troops,
to recover the confidence of England, of which the opposition
party in parUaraent indiscreetly atterapted to deprive hira ; to
strengthen, clothe, arra, and discipline the Portuguese array ; to
obtain reinforceraents from England ; and to take up that ira
pregnable defensive position in which he ultiraately established
his military renown. VacUlating in every project, Joseph
directed the fourth corps to advance upon Valencia, but alraost

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 261
immediately recalled it, on learning that an insurrection had
occurred in Navarre, headed by Mina and Renovalles; but
this faint light being soon extinguished by the clouds of troops
that descended on the disturbed province under Suchet, and
being made certain that the British army were cantoned quietly,
and at rest, in the valley of the Mondego, Joseph resolved
upon a serious invasion of Andalusia. Perhaps it was not the
weakest inducement amongst others, to the invasion of this
province, that it held out "raore imraediate prospect of pecu
niary relief," of which the intrusive government then stood in
absolute need. Joseph's troops has not received any pay for
t^xelve^ mpnths ; his attendants and functionaries were all un-
sal.a,vi^d; and under such circumstances, the invasion of Por
tugal, promised nought but glory; that of Andalusia, some
thing of payment. Unequal in conduct as in courage, the
energy w;hich did honour to the Spanish name after the dark
day of Medellin, slumbered too long after the rout. at Ocana;
all high-raised hope had ebbed away, and despair was diffused
through the whole, Andalusian population: the junta did not
now venture to call upon that spirit which pervaded the peo
ple of Catalonia and Arragon, which gave an immortality to the
histories of Saragossa and Gerona, and which shed a redeeming
lustre on the meritorious exertions of the Peninsular arraies.
Mean subterfuge for' awhile sustained their tottering power :
they caused their gazettes to teem with exaggerated accounts
of the successes that uniformly attended guerilla warfare ; the
triumph of Tamanes was magnified into a signal destruction
pf the French, even after the successful army had in turn been
related at Alba de Tormes. The promise of a speedy con
vocation of the cortes was attended by a short-lived calm ; dur
ing which, addresses were presented from their own creatures,
ppngratulating them upon the returning vigour of the national
councils, and the wisdom of those measures by which such a
happy renovation had been effected. A pompous proclamation
replied to the congratulations of their adherents, calculated to
inspire confidence ; but its artifice was unequal to encounter
the vigilance, suspicion, and knowledgeof the junta's enemies,
, JI. 2 M

262 LIFE AND CAMPATGNS OF
or to obtain credence in the assurances that Areizaga would
cheek the advance of the enemy beyond the Sierra Morena;
that Del Parque and Albuquerque would fall on their fiank, and
that the glory of Baylen would be surpassed. This raendacious
manifesto was given to the people at the moment when the
inembers of the junta were actually transferring their valuables
lo Cadiz, and passing a resolution " that the Isle of Leon was
the raost convenient place for holding their future raeetings,"
and passing a formal decree that the junta should assemble
there on the first of February, 1810, for the despatch of busi
ness. Until that period should arrive, there was danger to be
apprehended, not only from the enemy, but from their abused
and discontented countrymen, who now saw, with disgust,
cowardice added to presumption and incapacity. To raeet
the dreadful consequences, a show of preparation to resist, or
to receive the eneray, was raade, by ordering a levy of one
hundred thousand men, and decreeing a loan of half the actual
property of the Andalusians. Humbled to the lowest state of
degradation, they now solicited the patronage, the friendship
of Roraana, who had so recently exposed their duplicity,
proclairaed their irabeciUty, and bearded thera in their council-
hall; but this able soldier pereraptorily refused to accept
a trust, fraught with danger only, frora masters who, it was
not iraprobable, were wicked enough to hope for his utter
ruin, even at the sacrifice of a whole army. They next re
called Blake, the best general in the Spanish service, frora
Catalonia, because fortune for a while had ceased to sraile
upon him, and transferred his coraraand to O'Dounell, whp
was beloved by the army. About the same period it was that
the Conde de Noronha being displaced frora the command in
Gallicia, laid open the intrigues of the junta, exposed their
neglect of the array, and advised the forraation of a local
governraent, accessible to every raan, and with better feeling
for their wants.
Before their departure to the new seat of governraent, the
junta thought proper to consuraraate their career of baseness
by iraprisoning Montijo and Francisco Palafox : and they dis-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 263
played sorae tact in reraoving the ablest statesman of their
body. Padre Gil, by sending hira on a mission to SicUy. Some
there are who persist in attributing the conduct of the junta
to treasonable motives, and ascribing the non-corapletion of
such a project to the want of a favourable occasion for the
execution of their plans : but the causes already so frequently
assigned seera sufficient to explain the effects, and in the
desperate state of the affairs of Spain, and when the power
of the eneray seemed irresistible, but one individual was found
in the junta base enough to raeditate the desertion of his
country ; this was the infamous Conde de Tilly. It was not
this wretched man's design to sell his country, he only pro
jected a scherae of plunder, with which he raeant to escape to
Cadiz, there take shipping with his associates, and, forcing his
way through the British squadron that lay off the harbour, sail
for Mexico, and abandon his country for ever. Having cora
raunicated his project to an officer of Castanos' corps, it was
imraediately made known to the general, then at Algeziras,
who caused the adventurer to be arrested, and thrown into a
dungeon in one of the castles at Cadiz, where he soon after
closed his disgraceful career in an unlamented death.
In addition to the levy that was ordered, the tax that was
imposed, the confiscation of funds that had been appropriated
to pjous uses, and the sale of all vacant encomiendas, the junta
ordered one thousand poniards to be distributed, giving the
sanction of a national government to the crime and the call
ing of an assassin. A system of deception was followed to the
last : the people were told to confide in Areizaga's strength,
his army being organized and reinforced, and strongly posted
in the Morena: and the junta pointed, dishonestly, to the army
under Albuquerque as a powerful auxiliary, although his force
was divided, one part being at Don Beneto, a second division
at Truxillo, and a third on the Tagus, and the -general rendered
totally incapable of affording any assistance to the raain array,
frora the confused and contradictory orders which were hourly
transraitted to him by the affrighted junta.
Andalusia is protected from the hostile irruption of neigh-

264 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
bouring states by natural barriers; raountains hang over it
on three sides, and the Mediterranean forras its southern
boundary : the French could approach it frora the north only,
and then, necessarily, through the defiles in the Sierra Morena,
where a few resolute raen raight impede the raarch of thou
sands. Many raountain - roads facilitate the approach of
travellers to the towns of Andalusia through the Sierra
Morena, of these but three are practicable for carriages ; and,
by one of thera, that which passes by Santa Cruz de Mudela,
La Carolina, and Baylen, to Andujar, and called the Despenas
Perros, was not only the strongest position, but also the royal
road from Madrid to Cadiz. All the attention of the Anda^
lusians, and all their railitary skill, were demanded and put
forth on the occasion ; and, strengthening the defiles of Puerto
del Rey and Despenas Perros by a variety of useless field-
works, Areizaga, dispirited, conscious of his inability, and
without any confidence in the uncontrollable rabble that fol
lowed him, was ordered to place himself there, while Echeveria
with eight thousand men took up a position a little in his rear.
There have been instances in history of a great array being
checked in its progress by the intrepidity of a few, posted in
an impregnable position, but the defenders in these cases are
found to have been the best discipUned, most gallant and
devoted men, that their country then could boast of. Such
passes as the Despenas Perros, Puerto Banos, and the bridge
of Arzobispo, are the keys of valuable acquisitions, and should
never be entrusted to nerveless hands or timid hearts : strength
of position is often deceitful, for numbers, as occurred at
Somosierra, wiU at length prevail against the raost valiant
resistance, by turning the flanks, or continuing the sanguinary
contest until the defenders are brought into a position of
equaUty. During the first days of the opening year, the
French forces continued to asserable at the foot of the Sierra
Morena, untU they numbered sixty thousand fighting men :
the intrusive king was the nominal, but Soult the virtual com
mander of the expedition, and on the eighteenth of January
Joseph appeared at head-quarters, at Santo Cruz de Mudela ;

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 265
Mortier established hiraself close to the very entrance of the
Despenas Perros, — Sebastiani occupied Villa Nueva de los
Infantes, with a view to raoving upon Jaen ; and Victor was at
Alraaden, watching Albuquerque. Thus Albuquerque's retreat
frora Estraraadura, and Areizaga's line of defence, were at
once raenaced. The twentieth of January was fixed on for a
siraultaneous advance along the whole line, and, putting them
selves in motion, Sebastiani carried the entrenchments one
after another, with some opposition. DesoUes made hiraself
raaster of the Puerto del Rey at a single charge ; and without
firing a shot, the Spanish troops retreated with precipitation
on Navas de Tolosa, where their ancestors triuraphed over the
Moors some six hundred years before: thus concluded the
defence of the Morena, thus vanished the boasted preparations
for its protection : such was the deraonstration Areizaga
afforded of his ability for coraraand, and such the confirmation
of Romana's prudence in declining to become his successor.
The road being thrown open, Mortier poured through the
narrow pass with his cannon, his cavalry, and the main body
of the army, and reached La Carolina in the evening, where
he was joined by DesoUes, who had advanced by the Puerto del
Rey. As the army raoved along, the following day, to take
possession of Andujar, they passed over the field of Baylen,
where Dupont's corps had disgracefully laid down their arms,
and surrendered to the Spaniards, a stain at length gallantly
obliterated by the triumphant invaders of Andalusia, who fixed
their head- quarters at Andujar, one of the largest cities of
this ancient kingdom, on the second day of the invasion. The
successes of Sebastiani were followed up, after his seizing
La Venta Nueva and Venta Queraada, by his driving the
eneray frora a new position which they had taken on the Gua-
dalen, moving on Ubeda, and descending into the vale of the
Guadalquiver. When Albuquerque understood his danger he
became alarraed, on account of the presence of the French
patroles at Hinojosa and Benalcazar, so near to his corarauni
cation with SeviUe, which effectually checked his advance.
The tirae had therefore arrived for Victor to push forward, and.

266 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
following a raountain road by Adarauz, he reached Montoro,
preserving also a communication with Mortier and Sebastiani.
Delay, the maxim of the undecided and the timid soldier, was
one of Joseph's besetting sins, and, contrary to the pressing
solicitations of Soult, he insisted upon despatching Sebastiani
with a strong force, to disperse effectually the powerless rabble
that claimed Areizaga for their general, and, from apprehension
of that force rallying and falling on his rear, he peremptorily
refused to advance frora Andujar, until he was assured that
the ruin of the Spaniards was accomplished. It was true that
Areizaga had rallied his men at Jaen, and again presented
a front to the eneray ; but in vain — Sebastiani drove hira back
npon Alcala Real, and took Jaen while forty-six pieces of
ordnance stood loaded on the walls. Once raore Areizaga led
his tiraid colurans to the attack, caUIng upon thera to reraember
the glorious ages of their history, when on that very spot the
eleventh Alonzo, of their ancient kingdora, chastised the
haughty foe : deaf to the arts of persuasion, and broken-
spirited by successive visitations of raisfortune, their last resist
ance was less manly than their first for upwards of five thou
sand raen threw away their arras upon the first charge of the
eneray, and pursued a rapid flight until they reached Gibraltar.
Their unhappy general, with a raere escort of cavalry, made
his escape into Murcia, and there consigned to the more able
hands of Blake, an office, to the duties of which he had proved
hiraself so unequal. Perceiving that no irapediraent was likely
to arise in his raarch, Sabastiani advanced to Grenada, which he
reached on the twenty-eighth of January ; and, whether it arose
frora a vindictive feeling towards the superseded governraent,
or a sincere disgust for future doraestic legislation, or possibly a
desire to conciliate the conquerors, his array was received with
demonstrations of joy by the citizens. Soult halted until he
was satisfied that king Joseph's fears were removed by the
dispersion of Areizaga's army, and then advanced to Cordova,
which he entered on the twenty-seventh, while detachraents frora
Victor's corps were pushed on with a view to the occupation
of Seville. The invasion of Andalusia had fully succeeded ;

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 267
in a few days the Spanish boasts and Spanish forces were dis
sipated, parties of the eneray's horse scoured the plains, while
detachraents of infantry held the raountain-passes ; and the
capitals of two ancient kingdoras were, without resistance, and
after a few days' raarch frora the raountain-barrier of Andalusia,
in the possession of an usurper.
The junta were now astounded by the inteUigence that the
pass of Alraadan had been forced ; and communicating this fact
to those whom they had so long deceived as to their real situa
tion, the result may readily be conceived. The humbler classes
rose en masse, called aloud for arms, demanded that the town
should be put in a state of defence, and the governraent deposed
for prevarication and abandonment of duty. Asserabling in
the square of St. Francisco, in front of the Alcazar, patroles
were formed, and sent into different quarters of the city : as the
grandees and others of rank had secretly escaped to Cadiz, the
mob forbade all persons henceforth to leave their homes ;
nurabers flocked in frora the country, to assist in the defence of
the capital, so that upwards of one hundred thousand men were
asserabled within the walls, ready to be led to any enterprise,
and wanting only a leader. It was, however, resolved that the
central junta, as a political body, must die ; and the junta of
SeviUe were therefore called on to assume the reins of go
vernment : Montijo and Palifox were set free, and Francisco
Saavedra was solicited to undertake the temporary direction of
public affairs. This venerable man, it was supposed, had well
nigh fallen a victim to the atrocity of Godoy, who caused poison
to be adrainistered to him, mixed up with his food, and frora the
effects of which he had with difficulty been recovered : but
whether, Jike another Brutus, he concealed bright faculties
beneath the disguise of raental infirmity, that his life raight be
spared for the salvation of his country, or whether unbounded
respect for the person and character of the raan produced the
effect, his elevation to the chief place was instantly followed by
the cessation of anarchy in the city. The provincial junta being
asserabled, a proclaraation was issued, inviting all to support a
sincere government, and exhorting all to be tranquil under their

268 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
difficulties, as the only mode of a successful extrication. Montijo,
so lately restored to Uberty, employed its first moments in col
lecting the troops that were scattered over the province, and that
faithful public servant Romana, was restored to the command
of the army from which the junta had removed him, and wh.cli
they transferred to Del Parque. These popular measures were
calculated to inspire the fuUest confidence, and did succeed so
far as to calm the agitation of the people, who all looked to
Roraana for the preservation of the city : too good a soldier to
excite hopes that could not possibly be realized, that nobleman
escaped frora SevUle, and raade for Badajoz, to resurae the
comraand, and secure the fortress in that city, having extri
cated hiraself, not without some danger, frora the hands of the
populace, who had stopped his horses at the gates of Seville, to
prevent his leaving the city. Hope took wing as Romana passed
through the portal of SeviUe ; despair sat on every countenance,
despondence prevailed in every heart : the promises and vaunts
that the SeviUan should rank in military fame with the heroes.
of Saragossa and Gerona, were given to the wind. The quays
were at one moraent occupied by the equipages ofthe raembers
of the junta, and of the public officers, with the necessary docu
raents and raoveables which the government required at Cadiz;
in the next, all was silent as the tomb : the waters of the
Guadalquivir bore away the cowardly rulers of Andalusia on
their smooth-flowing surface, and it only remained for the be
trayed to surrender to an eneray, who perhaps would be found
less cruel than on other occasions, since vengeance for obstinate
resistance had not in this instance sharpened their sabres.
This consideration strengthened the hopes of the traitors
within the walls, who now becarae so numerous, that Saavedra,
and five individuals of the provislonary governraent who
remained faithful to Spain, were obliged to separate theraselves
frora their worthless associates, and, taking the road to Cadiz,
abandoned SevUle to its approaching fate. Although there
were seven thousand armed raen in the city, and the populace
were eager to defend their Uberties, still was tiiere no concert
amongst the higher classes, no raaster-mind could be found to

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 269
which they could look for encourageraent and direction, no
man of infiuence reraained, in whom they could confide, on
whora their affections could rest, or who was equal to the
exigencies of the period. Treason for this tirae was rewarded
by blind fortune, and the partisans of the usurper adraitted
his army within the gates of Seville on the twenty-first of
January, in a manner that precisely resembled the disgraceful
surrender of Madrid. Although it had been frequently urged
upon the attention of the junta, that all military stores in Seville
should be rendered useless on the approach of the enemy in
force, the precaution was neglected, and the spacious cannon-
foundery, with the raost extensive arsenal in the kingdora, con
taining three hundred pieces of brass ordnance, fell an easy
prey to the enemy. On the first of February the degradation
of this ancient city was consummated, and on the second king
Joseph entered it in triumph.
The love of liberty still survived amongst the rural popu
lation, and was less exposed, at all times, to the insidious arts
of corruption and intrigue, and near to the little town of
Alhama, the intruder raet a severe check frora the arraed bands
of patriots : without any defences better than the old ruined
Moorish walls that encircled their hurable homes, they could not
of course afford a lengthened resistance to an army equipped for
every case that occurs in a varied campaign ; so that Sebastiani
stormed, and ultiraately took the place. His advance, how
ever, was still threatened; but as he had been ordered to
establish himself on the coast of Granada, with the ulterior
object of coraraunicating with Valencia, where Joseph counted
upon the co-operation of secret agents, he was under the
necessity of encountering every opposition. The citizens of
Malaga formed the laudable design of raarching against the
invading army, and engaging thera in the open field, rather
than await their assault in the raidst of their houses and farai
lies ; and first having deposed and iraprisoned their local junta,
then selecting a bold Capuchin friar for their leader, they ad
vanced to Antequera. Here everything that undisciplined valour
could do, was atterapted ; but the steady resistance of Milhaud,
II. 2n

270 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
with the advanced guard of Sebastiani, broke down their ranks
and their spirits, and, flying towards Malaga, they were pur
sued so closely, that the French and Spaniards entered
Malaga, p6le-mile, on the fifth of February. In this affair,
highly honourable to the hurabler part of the inhabitants, bow-
ever equivocal the conduct of their superiors, five hundred
parf:riots were slain ; and the enemy found in Malagaj . one
hundred and twenty pieces of cannon, besides valuable stores ;
and several cellars, filled with the celebrated wine of the dis
trict, were yielded to the military purveyors of the usurper.
In one fortnight the French overran all Andalusia, the Isle
of Leon and Cadiz excepted ; and it formed part of Soult's plan
of operations to push forward, and obtain possession of that
iraportant place ; and there is no doubt, that if a single
event, one bold, masterly, decisive blow, could have raaterially
influenced, at that raoraent, the fate of the Peninsula, that
event was the occupation of Cadiz by the French army. This
is not the first instance in which an apathy and indolence
have been observed in Soult's railitary character ; for to him
belongs the whole responsibility of the invasion of Andalusia,
as he was not only the chief in comraand, but the adviser of
king Joseph in all raatters both of war and polity. Cadiz
should have been, and there is no reason to iraagine it was not,
the raain object of the expedition ; and to its possession,
therefore, all minor considerations and conquests should haye
been secondary. It will be remerabered that Albuquerque
had garrisoned Badajoz, contrary to the express coraraands
of the central junta, and placed Roraana in that fortress, by
which the plans of the eneray, and the operations of the fifth
corps, against Estraraadura, were corapletely frustrated. _ On
the twenty-fourth, the cavalry of Albuquerque were at Eeija,
while Victor's corps had also advanced, and acting with ex
treme caution for the purpose of deceiving the enemy, apd
drawing him into the supposition that his main object was to
cover SevUle ; but as the French approached, he fell back
to Carraona, in order to keep open a retreat upon Cadiz pr
SevUle. Albuquerque was acquainted with the fall of the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 271
latter place, perceived that on the preservation of Cadiz
rested the last hope of continuing the war in the south of
Spain, and saw that the enemy's cavalry had taken the road
through Moron to Utrera, which was shorter than that which
he occupied, through Carraona, to the sarae place, with the
view of surprising Cadiz. A raoraent's hesitation, an hour's
delay, and Spain was lost: redoubling their wonted energies,
his brave band pushed along the Carmona-road, and reached
Utrera just as theenemy were drawing near, whence he marched,
day and night, with the utraost expedition, by Las Cabezas to
Lebrija, across a raarsh that was deeraed impracticable at
that season of the year, through Xeres, and, entering Cadiz pn
the third of February, after a forced march of two hundred
and sixty railes, he immediately broke down the bridge of
Zuazo, which spans the canal of Santa Petri, the separation of
the Isle of Leon frora the raainland. At Utrera the enemy's
light cavalry carae up with the duke's rear, and some skirraish
ing took place, in which the French pisoduced little effect,
beyond the cutting down a few foot-sore stragglers; but, from
that point the enemy turning towards Seville, the scouting
parties were called in, and the pursuit given up. The error
was quickly perceived by Soult, but too late to be repaired ; yet,
confiding in his numbers, railitary equipraents, discipline,
genius, and fortune, he pushed forward his object, the reduction
of Cadiz, with unabated certainty of success, although inter
rupted by a brief delay. Victor was sent in pursuit of Albu
querque, and reached Chiclana on the fifth, but tirae had been
lost at Montoro, Andujar, and Seville, and, during ten days,
the French had marched hut one hundred miles ; so that when
Victor arrived at Cadiz, Albuquerque and his eight thousand
men were in possession of the citadel.
The fate of Europe hung upon the energy of a single man :
had the French outstripped the Spaniards in the race, Cadiz
was lost, the Spanish government dissolved, the war in the
Peninsula terminated, and little prospect of WeUington's
being able to maintain himself behind his glorious lines,
with a handful of valiant British, against the combined armies

272 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
of two such raen as Massena and Soult, with the resources of
imperial France to support thera. Cadiz was saved by the
abiUties of Albuquerque, but its possession raight easily have
been wrested frora nim by the enera)', if the infatuation of
their Andalusian tactics had not spell-bound Victor ; for the
duke's corps was insignificant, ill-provided, exhausted with
fatigue, when the enemy appeared in force on the opposite
bank of the canal ; the raunicipal authorities were apathetic,
the political absorbed in intrigue and dissensions; so that it
would hardly have been possible, if attacked with spirit, for
Albuquerque's corps to have defended a line of ten railes
in length against twenty thousand eneraies.
The raerabers of the old junta straggled into Cadiz from
Seville, and, now used to coraraand, atterapted to resurae their
functions ; but so corapletely had they been stripped of all
ensigns of authority, that the raagistracy could recognize them
only as so raany private individuals, and sorae of no high repute
for loyalty. Venegas, the governor of Cadiz, to check the
expected assumption of power by this defunct assembly, had
forraed, before their arrival, a raunicipal junta, elected by
ballot, whereby the occurrence of an interregnura was obviated.
This civic board arrogated authority unwisely, and would raost
probably have involved the province in intestine broils, by their
hostility to any other constituted government, had not the
persuasion of Jovellanos induced them to subrait The salva
tion of the country rendered the establishraent of a regular
government essential, and the central junta had expired
under circumstances of ignominy : to their revival the whole
kingdora was opposed, and the president and three others of
its raerabers had been seized at Xeres, and thrown into a dun
geon, as the only stratagera by which their lives could be
saved, whence they were removed to the Isle of Leon by
Castanos. With the brand of culprits, liberated, but without
trial, they could not hope to be again eraployed in such high
offices, and at the advice of Jovellanos and Mr. B. Frere,
(acting as British envoy until the arrival of Mr. H. WeUesley,)
the old junta were constrained to consent to the appointraent

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 273
of a regency, to be coraposed of individuals not included in
the late central junta. The raunicipal council was also per
suaded to lay down their authority for the peace of their city,
the better governraent of the country, and to co-operate with
the regency for the successful prosecution of the war. These
concessions being obtained, chiefly through the perseverance of
Mr. Frere, the foUowing individuals were chosen of the council
of regency, on the twenty-ninth of January, the Bishop of
Orense, General Castanos, Don F. de Saavedra, Don A. de
Escano, and D. Estevan Fernandez de Leon, to rule with
supreme power until the assemblage of the cortes, to whom the
question was to be submitted of the best form of provisional
governraent. It should be observed, that accident, intrigue, or
terror, had no share in the selection of the members of the
regency; they were all persons of the highest honour, largest
share of popularity, and deservedly extensive influence. Oue,
indeed, was not pleasing to the citizens of Cadiz, Fernandez de
Leon, but he was a raan of too high feeling to accept the
honour against the people's will, and, pleading ill-health, his
place was filled by Miguel de Lardizabal, a native of Tlax-
calla, in New Spain.
As to Albuquerque, he was hailed as the deliverer of his
country, and becarae the idol of the people : unaccustomed to
the display of so rauch ability in their leaders, they flocked
to his standard with alacrity, and obeyed his orders with
cheerfulness. In the fulness of their gratitude and affection,
Albuquerque was declared governor of Cadiz, and, assisted
by the municipal junta, he proceeded to place the Isle of Leon
in a sufficient state of defence. He was soon joined by num
bers from outside the walls, and his garrison was quickly
augmented to sixteen thousand raen.
Frora one species of despotism unhappy Spain was now
transferred to another, more powerful, raore vindictive. The
council of Castile now resolved upon impeaching the merabers
of the late central junta, declaring that that body had usurped
the power which they had exercised with so rauch violence,
that the country never had consented to their employraent of
it and that ambition, selfishness, and cupidity were their pre-

274 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
vailing passions. "This unnecessary, even if well-grounded
attack, was sanctioned by the regency, who iraraediately seized
all the papers of the late asserably, and registered their effects.
Araongst the victiras to cabal on this occasion, none excited
or received raore public sympathy than the amiable Jovellanos.
He seeraed all his life to have been the victira of villains; but
although Ijis frarae was eraaciated by seven years' iraprison
ment, at the pleasure of the infaraous Godoy, he deeraed such,
suffering light corapared with that to which he was now to be
subjected. With an inexplicable degree of ingratitude, the regency
siiffered this pure patriot, this raan of the raost unsullip^
honour, to be driven frora public Ufe, restricted to the confine?.
of his native province, and placed under the surveillance pf
the alcaldes. There are sorae drafts so mingled with bitter
ness, that the boldest and raost philosophic are unable to quaff
thera without sorrow : such was the cup presented to the lips
of their benefactor by the raerabers of the regency — it was a
hard necessity ; he accepted it from their hands, but it tinged
his few reraaining years with acerbity. Other unfortunate
raerabers of this devoted body, as innocent as JoveUanos, went
into voluntary exile, selecting the Canary Isles as their future
home, while De Calvo and his wife were arrested, and thrown
into an unwholesome dungeon, without a bed to rest on,
or a change of clothing. This work of wickedness, as dis-.
graceful to the pusillanimity of the regency, as to the reputa
tion of the junta of Castile, was consumraated before the first
meeting of the cortes, to whora De Calvo appealed, and, having
obtained a trial, was set at liberty.
The Isle of Leon is of a triangular shape, and separated
frora the raainland by the canal of Santa Petri, ten railes
in length, three hundred yards broad, and deep enough to
float a seventy -four -gun ship. The bridge of Zuazo, a
Roraan structure, and which was destroyed by Albuquerque's
array, was flanked by strong, batteries. Nearly in the cen
tre of the isle stands the town of Leon, with a population
of forty thousand souls, and a little to the north of this
is the town of St. Carlos. Cadiz is built upon a tongue of

THE DUKE OF WELLINISTON. 275
land seven miles in length, and half a mile medium breadth,
one side of which is washed by the sea, the bay of Cadiz
flanks the other. Cadiz is only approachable frora the land
by passing along this narrow isthmus; and the expensive
works thrown up to coraraand that pass, when England was
the foe, and Essex the field-raarshal, rerainded the Spaniard
that he had been taught the art of war equally by the aggres
sion of both nations. The Spanish adrairal, Alava, reluctantly
consented to reraove the fleet into the lower harbour, and it was
by Mr. B. Frere's unceasing exertions, that the hulks, with the
French prisoners, were also raoored lower down, under the con
trol of the English and Spanish ships of war. The ground on
the land quarter was now cleared of every obstruction, and by
the indefatigable exertions of Albuquerque, who superintended
the works, the defences were corapleted, and the citizens began
to resume their lost confidence. At this period it was that
Victor, ignorant of the state of security in which the isle had
been placed, sent one of his verbose notices to the garrison,
suraraoning thera to surrender : he rerainded thera of the safe
policy pursued by the inhabitants of Jaen, Seville, and Cor
dova, who received their king with loyalty and gladness ; and
he cautioned them against any abuse of the arsenals and
fleet, which were the property of his master and theirs. This
vapouring raessage was proraptly replied to, by stating, that
Ferdinand VII. was the rightful sovereign of Spain ; that the
insinuations of Soult against the honour of the English were
false, and unbecoraing on his part towards a generous eneray ;
that England was a brave and sensible nation, whose only
object was the establishraent of free institutions, and the de-
sti'uction of tyranny wherever it was to be found. In proof of
which, the aid received at Cadiz, frora the British, had been
solicited by the citizens, who now felt no apprehension from
the presence of an eneray one hundred thousand strong. The
reinfbtceraent here alluded to, as received from the British,
and from which they seeraed to have acquired much increased
confidence, had been sent frora Lisbon by Lord Wellington
oW'the fifth of February, upon the earnest appUcation of Mr.

276 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
B. Frere, dated the thirty-first of January ; it consisted of
the seventy-ninth, ninety-fourth, and second battalion of the
eighty-seventh regiraents, with two corapanies of artillery,
being all the disposable troops then at Lisbon. These were
placed under the coraraand of Major-General the Honourable
W. Stewart and directed to proceed to Cadiz. To these forces
the regency of Portugal added the twentieth Portuguese regi
raent, which, with one thousand raore that joined them from
Gibraltar, raade an auxiliary force of four thousand men ; so
that including the Anglo-Portuguese troops, the garrison of
Cadiz on the seventeenth of February was upwards of eighteen
thousand strong, the British portion of which was ultimately
placed under the comraand of Sir Thomas Grahara. The
municipal junta at Cadiz, of which Albuquerque was president
were unaccustomed to the possession of railitary power, and
wholly ignorant of its manageraent or application : they com
pelled Albuquerque to be their president, upon the pretence of
gratitude, but it was from vanity, and a desire to strengthen
theraselves against the regency, that the corapliment originateid.
This spirited soldier was conscious of his inability to serve two
raasters, and by his leaning towards the superior council of the
nation excited the anger and jealousy of his coraraercial rulers.
His indefatigable labours continuing, the vengeance of the
city authorities against the raan who saved Spain frora the
enemy, was suspended, the cortadura was fortified, and
chevaux de frise placed on the beach, to obstruct any attempt
to pass at low water.
While the British were actively eraployed in forwarding the
defences, the uneraployed part of the population carae down,
and stood gazing earnestly upon thera. Albuquerque, im-
presed with the raaxira that no eraployraent is raore raischlev
ous than idleness, advised, that all useless hands should be
either put to the works, or formed into a militia, for raounting
guard at some of the points of iraportance ; this rational sugges
tion, however, was not agreeable to the city authorities. He next
appUed for pay and clothing for his gallant corps, to which the city
of Cadiz, he conceived, never could discharge the debt of grati-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 277
tude it owed; but vvith seven hundred pieces of doth in their
possession, they refused to grant a single suit of clothing.
This sharaeful abandonraent of their brave countryraen, and
gross ingratitude to their general, is explained by the fact of
the municipal body being desirous that the order for clothing
should emanate from the regency, to whom they then might
be enabled to sell this very cloth, and derive considerable
profit upon it, in the shape of commission for their trouble.
Albuquerque petitioned the regency, but was only answered
by their advice to publish the meraorial, and excite, by those
means, the compassion of the wealthier citizens. He followed
this fatal advice, published his petition, and obtained liberal
contributions, but kindled a flarae of contention amidst the
exasperated raunicipal authorities, that was only extinguished
by his own ruin. From this raoraent, the fortunes of Albu
querque began to ebb, and, while life continued, he was doomed
to suffer from an aching heart The civic junta accused him
of betraying, unnecessarily, the wants and the weakness of
the Spanish array; and they had the baseness to reproach
him with having made too precipitate a retreat on Cadiz,
whereby he was unable to carry barley for the horses along
with hira : they asserted, that such a raarch as he had per
forraed, and contrary to the orders of the suprerae junta, was
not required, and was, in fact deserving of punishraent. The
indignation and disappointraent of Albuquerque became in
supportable ; he turned in agony frora the raonsters with whom
such false and ungrateful charges originated ; he threw away his
robes of office, as degrading to an honest raan, with the melan
choly exclamation — " And is this the patriotism of the junta
of Cadiz !" Devoted to his country too sincerely to be the
author of internal dissensions at such a raoment he resolved
upon bearing his sorrows with resignation, for the sake of
Spain, and postponing reparation for his injured honour until
a period less perilous to the issue of the greater contest The
regency showed hira every demonstration of respect, regard,
and confidence ; but he declined resolutely to continue long,er
at the head of the army, and being, at his own request
JI. 2o

278 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
appointed arabassador to England, he left Cadiz iraraediately
for London. Reaching his destination, he selected a retired
residence at Paddington, where he soon after died of a broken
heart. Leaving the siege of Cadiz to drag its slow length along-^
and resting the British array at Viseu — Mortier at Madrid, hav
ing been frustrated in his atterapt to surprise Badajoz — a brief
suraraary of the operations in Navarre, Arragon, and Cata
lonia will unfold before the reader the precise situation of the
war in every part of the Peninsula, at the moraent when Lord
Wellington, having triumphed over his secret eneraies, and the
powerful efforts of political faction at home, — when having
defeated the foolish raeasures of the City of London to degrade,
insult, vilify him, (raeasures bearing a strong analogy to those
of the municipal body of Cadiz to the brave Albuquerque, )
at length obtained the unqualified confidence of the generous
nation he represented abroad, whose interests he understood
better than the raost lauded of his conteraporaries, and whose
honour he defended in a way that raultiplied his own. — The
gueriUa chief, Mina the student, kept up the harassing sys
tem of his companions, and gave a new character to the war
in Navarre. The French were goaded into a frenzied state
by the activity of the guerillas, and endeavoured to surround
and annihilate this little band ; but they saved themselves by
their fleetness, and the rugged rocks of the Pyrenees, and
their pine-clad sumraits, gave thera a safe asylura. Suchet
who had been the object of Mina's adrairation as well as
hostility, wearied with such an inglorious species of warfare,
coraraitted the future pursuit of the guerilla bands to General
Regnier, and withdrew hiraself to Saragossa, which he pro
posed raaking his head-quarters during his meditated hostili
ties against the province of Arragon.
His successes at Alcaniz and Monzon had so rauch intoxi
cated the raind of Blake, that he now projected the visionary
scherae of recovering Saragossa frora the enemy. Advancing
towards that renowned city with a genius of no mean cha
racter, yet unequal to that of his subtle adversary, his designs

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 279
were anticipated, his progress checked, and, instead of being in
time to attack, he was obliged to place himself in a posture of
defence. Defeat, dispersion, and loss, were the only results of
the encounter between Suchet and Blake. The Spaniards
gave way, abandoned their standards and artillery, and fled
with precipitation. Possessing an advantage over contem
porary Spanish officers, in possessing the confidence of his men,
Blake succeeded in rallying his irregular forces on the following
day, and having harangued them upon the necessity of obli
terating the disgrace of their recent fiight, he presented once
raore a front of battle to the enemy. Never was more courage,
energy, or devotion displayed by a general, than the gallant
Blake exhibited on the ill-omened day of Belchite ; he was
seen wherever a hope of resistance was presented, encouraging
the tiraid, honouring the brave: but the disease that now
corroded the vital principle of Spanish warfare, had pene
trated too deeply into the constitution of his array, and he was
again destined to behold his corps panic-struck, flying before the
enemy, and leaving to the name of Spaniard the unenviable
notoriety of being courageous in the character of the assassin
only. With little success, Suchet raade an interruption into
Valencia, and reached the suburbs of the capital ; but he did
not consider his army equal to the assault and treason was
as yet unknown within the walls ; and Villa Campa advancing
with a considerable force, Suchet retired frora Valencia to his
quarters at Saragossa.
Saragossa is a narae that will long endure, and every loyal
Spaniard will teach his infants to lisp the sound araongst the
narrow stores of incipient language ; and when the hour ap
proaches that all worldly considerations shall deterraine, himself
will pronounce it amongst the tones that die away upon his
faltering lips. The name is written in characters of blood,
but it claims a veneration, like the letters that were traced by
the unseen hand ; and whenever the hostile trumpet shall sound
on the frontiers of their country, whenever the French eagle
shall be seen flapping his dark wings above the snows of the
Pyrenees, every faint heart will turn towards Saragossa, and

280 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
drink in courage with the prospect, and the sword will be new
steeled in the grasp of hira who truly loves his country, and
has read her eventful history. Turn we now frora Arragon,
and Valencia, and Andalusia, where fortune smiled, but falsely,
upon Spain, to the strongholds of Catalonia, and there a second
Saragossa will be found in the ancient city of Gerona. A gar
rison of less than four thousand raen was here placed under
the command of Mariano Alvarez, a man advanced in years,
and of high descent. Twice the eneray sat down before the
waUs, without being able to raake the slightest impression^
either on the obstinacy ofthe garrison or defences ofthe place;
but when they again appeared, it was resolved that the prize
was never to be relinquished, the game was to be pursued to
death; neither personal hardships, nor length of time, were to
oppose the reduction of this fortress ; in fact Gerona must
fall. Great men are created by circumstances, and it is
said that Hannibal taught Scipio ; Scylla studied under Marius;
Porapey and Csesar are known as rivals ; and it was the am
bition of Napoleon that called for the exercise of Wellington's
great talents. The French in Spain had given the Spaniards a
lesson in the endurance of privations, the encountering of perils^
and the pursuit of glory ; they taught them how to conquer,
and gave thera also an example how to die. That Spain
profited by the melancholy precedent, Saragossa proclaimed to
raankind ; and the defence of Gerona is fully entitled to be re^
corded amongst those great and brilliant events in which the
conquered soraetiraes outshine the conqueror. Taking the
erablem of Christianity for their banner, the garrison, and
citizens assembled around it and, dividing their whole number
into eight companies, assumed the sacred title of crusaders.
As at Saragossa, the women also enrolled themselves in an
association, for the purpose of tending the sick and relieving
the wounded, which was denominated the . Corapany of St.
Barbara. These proceedings, which the enemy looked upon
as so raany proofs of weakness, as coraraon-place testimonies
of Spanish bigotry and fanaticism, have always been found
effectual in Spain, where that ancient feehng that bound the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 2§ I
defenders of the cross with such unfailing tenacity in earlier
ages, still prevails in all its efficacy and freshness. In France
It IS otherwise ; revolution has so frequently broken in upon the
sacred institutions of that country, that whUe it put fanati
cism to fiight it unluckily drove sorae portion of true sanctity
away with it Roraish superstition was assuredly associated
with the raeasures of defence adopted by the Geronans, and
one quarter of the city was actually entrusted to the protection
of St Naxis, the patron saint to whom the inhabitants credu
lously ascribed the forraer repulse of the French from their
walls ; and the joy and enthusiasm with which the citizens
directed themselves to the third defence of their homes, only
proves the indescribable tie that binds weak mortals to the
hopes of a future world.
It was on the sixth of May that the French appeared in
force before Gerona, with a view to a blockade, had the pru
dent advice of St. Cyr been adopted ; but this was changed
into a regular siege by the orders of Augereau. A flag of truce
being sent to the besieged, exhorting them not to persevere in
so rash a project, where, however long delayed, misery and
destruction must be the inevitable consequence of their per
verseness— Alvarez replied, that " he had left it to his artillery
to speak for him." The bombardment accordingly coramenced
on the thirteenth of July, and, along with it the sufferings of the
inhabitants, which probably were never exceeded upon any
similar occasion in the history of modern war. Now the
generale was beat which summoned the aged, the infirm, the
young,- the helpless, to the cold damp vaults, in which they
imagined that security was to be found ; and as they passed into
their gloomy cells, the corapany of St Barbara, amidst the
falling shells, were seen proceeding to their melancholy duties.
Every day, and every night, added new victims to the heap of
slain, or increased the number of the wounded in the hoepitals,
yet none dared to talk of capitulation : distress of mind, damp
beds, and obstructed circulation of air, induced a destructive
dysentery, and to imbitter sorrow with still greater suffering, a
bilious fever visited the town in the month of July, and attacked

282 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
not only the healthy, but even the sick and wounded in the hos
pitals. The details ofthe siege of Gerona exceed in heroism
even those of Saragossa. In the raonth of July the progress
of the besieging array extended to the destruction of the
redoubts which covered the front of Monjoui castle, and to
the establishraent of three batteries of heavy ordnance that
were then brought to play with treraendous effect upon as
raany sides of the little fortress.
During the unabated flre of the artillery, the Spanish flag fell
frora its rest down into a ditch ; upon which Montoro, a Spanish
officer, caused hiraself to be lowered by ropes in the raidst of
a terapest of balls, and, recovering, replanted it upon an angle
of one of the towers. A breach being raade practicable for
forty raen abreast an assault was coramenced ; but the gal
lant party who ventured to enter it found, too late, that
the previous silence of the enemy's guns was in order to save
their ammunition, and reserve their energies, to give thera the
raore fatal reception ; and, at the close of the day, one thousand
six hundred French soldiers were nurabered with the slain.
Convinced that while a round of ammunition, a day's provision,
or one stone upon another, remained, the Geronans would not
surrender, the enemy continued to play with their artiUery
upon Monjoui, stationed very raany sharp-shooters in guarded
positions to pick down the Spanish sentinels, and, after an
other raonth's indefatigable efforts, the guns of Monjoui were
silenced, and the governor was corapelled to retire into
Gerona. The heroisra of the Geronans had not escaped the
sympathy of their countrymen, and Blake gallantly undertook
to reUeve the place : his plan consisted in making a diversion
in their favour, by a false demonstration of battle on the side
opposite to that at which the convoy was to atterapt an
entrance. In these bold raanoeuvres he so far succeeded, that
the Spaniards, breaking through the eneray's guard, set fire to
their tents, and threw into the town a reinforceraent of three
thousand raen. Alvarezj with the noblest candour, informed
his new associates of the true and desperate situation of
affairs; warned every man who feared to look calraly upon

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 283
death, against his continuance in the town, as he had
resolved that none should remain who dechned to swear, that
they were prepared to bury theraselves in the ruins of the works,
rather than surrender to their merciless enemies. As raany
as it would have been prudent to detain, readily took the oath
of fidelity; and Garcia Conde effected his retreat with the re
raainder, with firraness and honour. The battery of Los Angelos
facilitated ingress and egress, and was therefore as valuable
to one party as it was obnoxious to the other; against this,
therefore, the corabined exertions of the French were directed,
ahd, after a bloody conflict, the place was carried, and the
garrison inhumanly put to the sword. The French justify
their cruelty in this instance on the plea, that Llander, the
Spanish coraraandant of the battery, fired upon the officer
vvho had been sent to summon the place ; and besides, some
vengeance, they conceived, remained unappeased for the
fate of their sick and wounded, whora the Catalan guerillas
had put to death. The chief object of their wrath on this
occasion, however, Llander, exeaped frora a death that would
have been accompanied with torture, by leaping from one of
the convent windows down into the plain, and flying to
Gerona. The siege still continued with unmitigated resolu
tion on both sides ; each hour was raarked by sorae event of
cruelty, of gallantry, of raisery, and the hatred between the
opponents was heightened into frenzy. The French general
began to abandon all hopes of reducing the place by force of
arras, or railitary operations, and intended to leave his cause
in the raerciless hands of famine. The citizens, although on
half-rations for some time, relied on Blake's activity, courage,
and abilities, for relief, and kept an anxious look to that quarter
whence succours were expected. At length the watchmen on
the towers descried the approaching convoy, and past suffer
ings raingled in present joy, which knew no bounds when they
beheld O'DonneU with eight thousand raen advancing steadily
against the dense raass of the eneray, bursting through thera like
a torrent firing the tents that stood behind, and pushing on to
the city-gate with one hundred and sixty laden beasts. This,

284 LitE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
however, was the only succour that arrived: in vain the watch
men strained their eye-balls to discover the approach of fur
ther assistance ; time told the tale, no other convoy ever came.
The French rallied, opposed, and overthrew the second division
of the convoying force, and the Italian band, who gave no quar
ter, put three thousand of their number to death after the
action. At this period, St. Cyr, who had never shared the
imperial smile, requested permission to resign, upon which the
future conduct of the siege was entrusted to AugereaU. The
vigilance and experience of this officer proved unequal to the
enterprise of O'DonneU, who, having brought supplies into the
town, favoured by the darkness of night, crept safely out again
with his thousand men, and, making his way past five and
twenty posts of the enemy, several of which he forced with
sword and bayonet, rejoined the main body of his own army.
O'Donnell's escape was an object of adrairation and disappoint
raent to Augereau, who, rauch strengthened by reinforceraents
and supplies frora France, detached a party against Hostalrich,
where magazines had been collected by Blake for the relief
of Gerona : the Spaniards at that place behaved with gallantry,
but were totally incapable of making a successful resistance ;
so that Pino, having obtained possession of everything, set
the town on fire, and returned to Gerona.
The fall of Gerona was now approaching, the energies of the
citizens were almost exhausted, and faraine, more sharp than
the sword of the enemy's legions, began now to thin the nurabers
of the besieged. The loss of the raagazines at Hostalrich cPuld
not be reraedled, the hopes that its existence engendered were
henceforth dissipated : food had not only decreased in quantity,
but its quaUty was so rauch deteriorated, that the health of the
besieged was now alarraingly affected. Still, capitulation was
not raentioned; the oath of fidelity was nobly observed; and
when the city surgeon expressed his sorrow at the raournful
aspect of the bills of health, the governor raerely observed,
" irhis docuraent then will record our sorrows, if none shall
survive to recount thera." For seven raonths the thunder of
artiUery had rolled around their walls ; the sight, the hearing,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 285
the health of tbe inhabitants were injured by its continuance ;
and within the space of a few weeks five hundred of the garri
son died in the hospital. At this time desertions began to
take place ; and information of want of ammunition reaching
the enemy, their exertions to raount the different breaches
were repeated, and post after post fell into their possession.
The constant distress of mind under which Alvarez laboured
for so raany raonths, now terminating in delirium, he was
pronounced no longer capable of directing the efforts of his
faithful fellow-citizens, and the comraand was entrusted to
JuUan de Bolivar. The master-spirit was now wanting, the
magnanimous hero of Gerona was now a pitied lunatic : the
burden of their sorrows became intolerable, and the word
" capitulation" at last was faintly uttered. The gallantry and
devotion of the Geronans acquired for them the admiration of
their resolute foes, who in the sunken eye and pallid cheek
read the story of their sufferings, and the true power that
subdued thera. No atrocities, no outrages, none of those refine
ments in wickedness that disgraced the name of France at
Saragossa and Medellin, were repeated here. The brave
respected the brave, and the conqueror shared his rations with
the captive. Alvarez recovered his reason sufficiently to learn
his misfortunes, and was reraoved under an escort to Figueras,
where death speedily released hira from captivity.*
Thus ended the carapaign of 1809. Gleams of glory shone
occasionally upon the cause of liberty, but clouds still hung
thick and dark in the political horizon : Spain had lost her
armies ; her chief towns were occupied by the eneray ; peace
in the north had released the veterans of Gaul frora service
there, and the emperor had ordered large drafts to be raade
from their ranks, to reinforce the wearied troops in the Penin
sula. Cadiz was garrisoned, and fortified, English troops
• It was believed in Catalonia, that Napoleon had sent orders for the execu
tion of Alvarez, in the Plaza of Gerona, but that the French feared the conse
quences of the outrage. His death might naturally have been attributed to
mental agony for such a length of rime, arid the decay of bodily health which
followed, but for the public execution of Santigo Sass and Hofer, and the
private catastrophe of Captain Wright and General Picbegra.— Southey.
II. 2p

286 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
had been cheerfully admitted, but Victor sat down before it
threatening to repeat one of those deplorable scenes, a pro
tracted siege, which had been too often enacted on the
theatre of the Peninsular war. From Portugal the French
had been expelled, and their efforts on its frontier paralyzed
by the able raeasures of Lord Wellington, who had adorned
his victorious brow with additional laurels in the meraorable
actions at Oporto and Talavera. Whatever had been effected
during the carapaign for the cause of the Peninsula, the sword
of Wellington accoraplished; it was the British Uon whose
strength and indorait.able courage the French apprehended,
and before which the frightened eagles drooped. Cadiz was
held, on hopes that arose from the frontier of Portugal, and on
the faith of Wellington's promised relief : and Lisbon placed
her people, her armies, her treasures, her feelings, at the dis
posal and coraraand of the British hero.
When the Marquis Wellesley retired frora Spain, discon
tent was so widely diffused through England, that a change in
the administration was inevitable : the calmest politician of that
day perfectly comprehended the value of Lord Wellington's
services, relied on hira solely for the preservation of Portugal,
and, as he had coraraunicated both officially and confidentiaUy
with his brother, by personal interviews, and through the medium
of special couriers, and had disclosed his able plans for the con
tinuance of the war, it was considered in the highest degree
prudent and necessary, if practicable, to associate the Marquis
Wellesley with the re-constructed administration ; his lordship
accepted the invitation ; and one of the first deraonstrations he
raade of his splendid oratorical powers after his adherence,'
was in defence of the railitary plans, with which he had becorafe
acquainted while in Spain, in repelling the raost ungenerPus,
ungrateful, and mistaken attack ever raade by an opposition
in that house upon a public servant at all events upon- an
absent officer, absent because at the head of an array engaged
in an active carapaign. '
At the close of the year 1809, the political parties were so
equally balanced, that any unpopular raeasure, any untoward

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 287
event in our foreign relations, would at once destroy the equi
poise, and throw the ministers over. The incapacity of the
adrainistration, not of its individual raerabers, was publicly
denounced by the country, and tacitly acknowledged by thera
selves ; and Mr. Canning so seriously disapproved of the
conduct of Lord Castlereagh generally, that he secretly repre
sented his inaptitude to the Duke of Portland, obtained frora'
that venerable raan a promise that he should be reraoved, yet
acted with his incapable associate as if no such sentiraent had
existed. The conduct of Mr. Canning adraits of no justifi
cation, it is one araongst the few dark spots upon a splendid
<jareer, and it is not iraprobable that this hasty and indiscreet
step Iftid the foundation of an iraraitigable political hostility,
which pursued his every future raeasure, exhaled its noxious
breath upon his benevolent efforts for the happiness of his
country, and ceased only when his relentless persecutors were
empowered to say " he is dead— so is our enraity."
, Lprd Castlereagh was a raan of the most insatiable ambi
tion, extravagant political views, heedless of national erabar
rassraents, unalterably devoted to a party, and ready to sustain
the bubble reputation with his life. Perhaps his raost last
ing claim to the gratitude of his country will be found in
his steady affection for the friend of his youth, in whose sterling
worth he had such an impUcit confidence, that he considered him
a safe depository of the highest trust his sovereign could con
sent to repose in any subject His vanity, and exorbitant
ideas of English power, induced the secretary at war to equip
and send out an expedition to HoUand, as a diversion in
favour of the reigning powers of Europe ; and, although it has
been argued that this, the greatest arraaraent that England ever
despatched frora her shores, was destined to accorapUsh a wise
j|,nd, valuable object yet its failure would be naturally raore
deeply felt in proportion to its unaccustoraed raagnitude. And
t^is great costly, arabitious expedition, Mr. Canning perraitted
his coUeague to project, and carry into effect, without one
expression of doubt, or one word of remonstrance. This remark
applies here to Mr. Canning solely, personally, because. Lord

288 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OP
Castlereagh had been warned against the risk of such an expe
riment by Sir Arthur WeUesley, who did not thiuk it possible that
Lord Chatham could effect anything raore than the destruction
of a few ships and raarine stores ; and, in a private letter to the
Duke of Richmond, he observed, " that Lord Chathara could
not make any head on the continent against one army collecting
in his front and another in his rear." The result of the expe
dition justified, apparently, the wisdora of Mr. Canning's
secret counsels, and he now, in consequence, called on the
preraier to perform his duty to the country, and redeem the
pledge he had given to hira of reraoving Lord Castlereagh
from the administration. Such uncandid treatraent was raet
by Lord Castlereagh as raight have been expected; he de
nounced his coUeague " as a raan who had violated every
principle of good faith" — and a challenge and duel were the
unavoidable results. This violent proceeding was followed by
the dissolution of the adrainistration, and the iraposition of his
raajesty's coraraands upon Mr. Perceval and Lord Liverpool,
to forra a new governraent. Araongst those who were invited
into the service of his raajesty were Earl Grey and Lord
Grenville, whose raarked disapprobation of Lord Wellington's,
railitary raeasures, and whose light estiraate of that genius,
which even then all Europe acknowledged, soon after appeared
in their opposition to the grant of a public annuity, in their
anguish at his elevation to the peerage, and their condem
nation of his gigantic plans for the preservation of Portugal.
Neither of these noblemen, however, could be reconciled to
the principles upon which the new government was based,
and Mr. Perceval turned, in consequence, towards the Marquis
Wellesley, who was just returned frora the seat of war, and suc
ceeded in obtaining his adherence to the rainistry. But scarcely
were the new ministers installed in office, when that raeraorable
attack upon Lord Wellington coraraenced, raeraorable for the
celebrity of the individuals engaged in it, for the ingratitude it
displayed, and for the party virulence and factious zeal with
which it was sustained. "The opposition merabers," says Colonel
Napier, "assailed the general, personally, and with an acriraony

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 289
not to be justified. His merits, they said, were nought his
actions silly, presumptuous, rash; his carapaigns deserving
not of reward, but punishraent Yet he had deUvered Portugal,
cleared Gallicia and Estraraadura, and obliged one hundred
thousand French veterans to abandon the offensive, and con
centrate about Madrid. Lord Grey, opposing his own crude
railitary notions to the practised skill of Sir Arthur, petu
lantly censured the latter's dispositions at Talavera; that
battle, so sternly fought, so hardly won, he would have set
aside with respect to the coraraander, as not warranting adrais
sion to a peerage, always open to venal orators, and the
passage of the Douro, so proraptly, so daringly, so skilfully, so
successfuUy executed, that it seeraed rather the result of
inspiration than of natural judgraent he would have cast away
as a thing of no worth !"
The new session of parUament was opened by coraraission;
and the royal speech, araongst the numerous subjects which it
recapitulated, referred to the " expulsion of the French from
Portugal by his raajesty's forces, under Lieutenant-General Vis
count Wellington, and to the glorious victory obtained by him
at Talavera, which contributed to check the progress of the
French arms in the Peninsula during the late campaign."
This notice of Lord Wellington's services, if unaccompanied
by the imprudent congratulations upon the unfortunate expedi
tion to Walcheren, might probably have escaped the assaults
of a violent, able, and deterrained opposition party; but
this calaraitous affair gave the inexorable opponents of
Lord Castlereagh's administration, too strong a position, and
furnished them with weapons that could not fail to infiict the
severest blows. The venerable Earl of St. Vincent, whose
heroism had introduced him into the highest asserably in the
realm, appealed to their lordships in a speech full of the boldest
and bitterest reproaches. " When I addressed your lordships,"
said the gaUant old sailor, « in the last session, I thought my
age and infirmities would preclude rae from ever again pre
senting myself to your consideration. But such have been
the untoward and calamitous events which have occurred since

290 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
that period, that I ara once raore induced, if ray strength will
adrait to trouble you with my sentiments on this occasion.
Indeed, we have wonderful, extraordinary men in these days,
who have ingenuity enough to blazon with the finest colours,
to sound with the trumpet knd the drura ; in fact, to varnish
over the greatest calaraities of the country, and endeavour to
prove that our greatest raisfortunes ought to be considered as
our greatest blessings. Such was their course of proceeding
after the disastrous convention of Cintra.* And now, in his
majesty's speech, they have converted another disaster into a
new triuraph. They talk of the glorious victory of Talavera,
a victory which led to no advantage, and had all the conse
quences of a defeat The eneray took prisoners the sick and
wounded, and our own troops were finally obliged to retreat.
I do not raean to condemn the conduct of the officers em
ployed either in Spain or in Walcheren ; I believe they did
their duty. There is no occasion to wonder at the awful
events which have occurred : they are caused by the weakness,
infatuation, and stupidity of ministers ; we owe all our disasters
and disgraces to the ignorance and incapacity of his raajesty's
present adrainistration. But what could the nation expect
from raen who carae into office under the raask of vile hypo
crisy, and have raaintained their places by imposture and
delusion ? The first instance of their pernicious infiuence
was their treatment of a country (Denraark) at peace with us ;
in a state of profound peace, they attacked her unprepared,
and brought her into a state of inveterate and open hostility.
This was a foul act ; and the day raay corae when repentance
will be too late. Their next achieveraent was to send one of
the ablest raen who ever coraraanded an army into the centre
of Spain, unprovided with every requisite for such a danger
ous march. By his transcendent judgment. Sir John Moore
made one of the ablest retreats ever recorded in the page of
• Sir Arthur WeUesley disapproved of the convention of Cintra, and wouli,^
have driven the French out of Portugal, or taken the whole army, had te been
retained in the command of the army. At Talavera he was attacked hy the
eneray, and beat them in defending himself. .¦ 1

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 291
history ; and while he saved the reranant of his vaUant troops,
his own life was sacrificed in the cause of his country. After this
abortive enterprise, another general (WeUington) was sent with
troops into the heart of the Peninsula, under sirailar circum
stances : and the glorious victory alluded to in the speech from
the throne, was purchased by the useless expenditure of our
best blood and treasure." In his extravagant zeal, not even
terapered by accuraulated years, to irapeach the political
reputation of rainisters, and sustain the party with which he
had too plainly identified hiraself, the brave admiral passed over
the battles of Roleia, Vimeira, and the celebrated passage of
the Douro, which shed an everlasting light upon those pages
wherein posterity shall register the bright annals of our
age, and dwelt upon those calaraities alone with which a wise
Providence, for unknown reasons, had visited our country.
Lord St Vincent's address, when his firra uncoraproraising
character in the front of danger, and his great experience of
public hfe, are considered, assists in showing the strong'holdof
partisanship upon the bravest and best of raen, and presents to
posterity a salutary caution. The severe censure of the gallant;
adrairal was followed by a lurainous speech frora Lord Grep-
vUle, who ranged through the wide political field, in whicball
Europe raay be said to have been then included.
He declared that his heart was full, and he could no longer
refuse to give vent to his feelings. He thought the day raust
soon arrive when ministers would have to render an account
of the treasure they had wasted, and the lives they had
sacrificed in useless and unprofitable expeditions. An expe
dition sailed to Copenhagen, in order to burn a few ships,
destroy the docks, and accoraplish sorae selfish national object :
the dey of Algiers once said, when an English fleet threatened
to bombard the town, that if they would give hira half the
cost of the borabs, he would burn the town himself; and
Buonaparte, no doubt, would have delivered up the ships which
we sought to destroy, for half the sura our expedition cost
us. The expedition to Walcheren, however, of which Sir
Arthur WeUesley had, frora the very origin of the idea^ totaUy

292 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
disapproved, formed the chief object of his lordship's eloquent
irapeachraent ; and he entreated the leading members of the
House to separate theraselves from the raisconduct of rainisters.
Lord Grenville instituted a very just and true coraparison
between the circurastances in which Moore and Wellington
were placed in Spain. With respect to the force sent into
Spain, said his lordship, rainisters seeraed resolutely deterrained
not to profit by experience ; precisely the sarae errors, the
sarae faults, were comraitted, as in the expedition under Sir
John Moore. The want of concert with the Spanish govera
ment in Sir John Moore's expedition, was equally apparent in
Wellington's. A more glaring instance of analogous errors
exists in the fact, that after the public despatches of Sir David
Baird, stating the inconvenience attending the want of raoney,
the armies of Lord Wellington on the Peninsula, and Lord
Chatham at Walcheren, were both deficient in this necessary
article of railitary supply. The sarae errors pervaded their view
in the fond expectation of a valuable and extended co-operation
of the arraed peasantry of Spain. The despatches of Sir John
Moore point out how cruelly he was disappointed in the expecta
tion held out to hira of an active and efficient assistance from the
Spanish forces : precisely the same fatal blunders forraed a part
of the plan of the expedition under Lord Wellington, whose
despatches inforra us that one Spanish officer had abandoned a
post he proraised to defend, and that another Spanish officer
had deserted the sick, the wounded, the position he had under
taken to raaintain, and precipitately followed the English.
The absurdity therefore of rainisters' expectations was manifest
even before the fallacy was proved, and all prospect of such
co-operation had been distinctly shown by experience to be
nugatory. This was the delusion to which Moore was sacri
ficed, but which, to the raoraent of his expiring in the arms of
victory, was never realized ; and yet the lesson taught by the
fatal catastrophe was so lost upon ministers, that they threw
Wellington into the same arena, and exposed him to the fangs
of the same heartless monster. History, said his lordship, is
pregnant with proof, that an armed population cannot be con-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 293
sidered as a disciplined array: it is not enough that men
should be attached to the cause they are to defend, but disci
plined, steady, and obedient to comraand : having skilful
officers, able to execute the comraands they receive, and
capable of judging what coraraands to give, and at the same
tirae fit to be trusted. Why then, said his lordship, send out
expeditions, to raeet the sarae failures, and suffer the same
losses, leaving no raonuraents to their country, but those which
are calculated to excite a just indignation — a deep and un
availing regret ? Having pursued his analysis of ministerial
errors to a considerable length, relatively to the Walcheren
expedition, he concluded by moving an inquiry into the con
duct of his raajesty's rainisters. — Lord Harrowby defended the
expedition to Flushing and Antwerp, on the ground that no
object could have been of greater importance than the destruc
tion of the raaritime force of Napoleon ; and, when that object
was first contemplated by ministers, the fairest imaginable
prospects appeared of our being able to effect that purpose.
Unforeseen and uncontroUable obstacles arose, to prevent the
full and final consumraation of the great design ; but the demo
lition of the harbour and arsenal, of which the ruler of France
vaunted so loudly, had been successfully completed. As to
the expedition under Lord Wellington, his strictures upon that
subject were so unfounded, as to require but a brief reply : the
achievements of that expedition consisted in rescuing Portugal
from the French, in covering the British arms and character
with glory, and in sustaining the efforts of the Spaniards ; in
securing Estramadura and La Mancha, delivering GaUicia, and
saving the ships at Ferrol — objects affording sufficient grounds
of triuraph and congratulation. Lord Moira, (Marquis of
Hastings,) then a raeraber of the opposition, lent the support
of his personal, popular influence, to crush the adrainistration :
with his observations, which partisanship alone appear to have
dictated, the present subject is unconnected ; it will be sufficient,
therefore, to allude to his professional reraarks upon the expe
dition to Spain and Portugal: and in these he certainly
displayed a clear view of the affairs of the Peninsula, and
II. '2. Q

294 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
uttered a prophetic judgment upon the war then carrying on
under Lord Wellington. " His lordship gave it as his opinion,
that the case of Spain afforded the best opportunity of termi
nating the war with glory, and of shaking, if not overturning,
the power of Buonaparte. Enthusiasm unquestionably did
exist in Spain, and that enthusiasm raade Spain a lever, hy
which the power of France might be reraoved from its founda
tion, an engine that might be put in action with the greatest
force and effect against her." This opinion was, in effect
identical with the views of Lord Wellington, and every idea it
contains was verified by the events that actually occurred in
rapid succession, until the final abdication of Napoleon. If the
nation have reason to respect the opinion of Lord Moira, as
evincing the deepest penetration into future events, it will on
that account withhold its approbation from Earl Grey, whose
short-sightedness on the same occasion is, if possible, more
remarkable. His lordship said, "he never had been so much
surprised in his life, as he was at the tone assumed in the
speech frora the throne, in alluding to what were stated to be
successes achieved at Flushing and in Spain ! When he con
sidered that for what was called success in Spain, similar
honours had been conferred on Lord Wellington to those
bestowed upon the Duke of Marlborough, he could not help
feeling, at such unfounded assertions, that indignation in which
he was convinced every English heart would participate. He
saw much to blame in the conduct of Lord Wellington, in a
military poi.)it of vieiv. With regard to the battle of Talavera,
he condemned that uncandid calculation, which represented it
as a victory gained over an enemy double our force, for, when
the Spanish army was taken into the account the superiority
was greatly on our side." — The progress of events, and the sub
sequent history of Europe, so fully demonstrate the rashness
of the preceding assertions, that it does not appear necessary
to dwell upon them, but the position which their noble pro
pounder held amongst British statesmen is excuse sufficient for
still adverting to a few reraarkable facts. As to the consequences
of the battle of Talavera, compared with those of the victories

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 295
of Marlborough, even according to Lord Grey's estiraate of
the forraer, no advantage can be clairaed for the hero of
Blenheim " the results of the victories in Queen Anne's reign
being rather specious than useful :" — " the nation had been
intoxicated with a childish idea of military glory, and panted
for triuraphs, of'which they neither saw nor felt the benefit : —
" the pleasure of talking of their distant conquests, and extol
ling the bravery of their friends, was aU the return they were
likely to receive from a diminished people and an exhausted
exchequer. The EngUsh nation begun to lose its relish for
triumphs, in which itself had no real concern."* Lord Grey's
conderanation of Wellington's conduct in a railitary point of
view, finds its just censure in the following passage of Mr.
Windham's speech on the affairs of Portugal, and its contra-'
diction in the life of the British hero. "Confident judgment
on professional subjects from persons not professional, was
always objectionable ;"t besides, his lordship's rejection of the
report of the numbers engaged, being founded upon insuffi
cient information as to the conduct of the Spaniards, possesses
now no value, and should not, at that period, have been urged
in arguraent. Lord GrenviUe's araendment of censure upon
ministers, which the term inquiry virtually implied, was lost by
a raajority of fifty-two, and the address consequently carried.
On the sarae day, in the Commons, the formality of moving
an address to the throne occasioned an animated debate upon
the fallen state of Austria, the deplorable result of the Walcheren
expedition, and the events in Spain : but it is only with the last
of these subjects that the character and measures of Lord Wel
lington are immediately connected, however his opinion might
have been asked, or his advice adopted, in the others. — Mr.
Peel who seconded tbe address, took occasion to allude to the
contest in Spain, in language gratifying to the brave men
engaged in that hazardous contest and evincing a clear under
standing of the pecuUar difficulties by which Lord Wellington
raust necessarily be surrounded In that unhappy, distracted
* Vide Histories of EngLuid, Biog. Britt., &c. &c.
t Videp.21. Vol. 11.

296 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
country, and confirming, in the most entire raanner, the con
clusions at which Wellington had long before arrived, relative
to the political state of the Peninsula, conclusions then disbe
lieved in England, but subsequently corroborated by the fiow of
eyents.^ If, said Mr. Peel, entire success has not attended all
the operations in Spain, it was solely attributable to the phy
sical deficiencies of the country. There were evils in the
constitution of that country which raade its energies feeble :
but the British name had come pure out of the trials. The
army of the empire supported the character of superiority
which they had always upheld in the battles of their country.
On the twenty-second of April Lord Wellington took the
command of the British array : in May he drove Soult before
hira, rescued Portugal, and advanced into Spain. His advance
was raet by the force of France, under the iraraediate coraraand
of the person who called hiraself the king of Spain. In a
bloody and unequal contest, he established, by one more
briUiant evidence, the comparative bravery of the British
soldier, and earned for his troops the just and well-merited
praise which we have been, accustomed to give our armies
when they raeet the eneray : that array retreated frora the
scene of its triumphs, but there was no shame in a retreat like
theirs. We were still a civilized people ; we had not learnt
to discard our huraanity : we had not yet reconciled ourselves
to throwing off the burden of huraan feelings, that we might
go on light and dexterous to the work of human misery. We
could not adopt the suramary expedients of raodern war : we
could not involve the wretched peasant in the calaraities frora
which our own privations may spare him. We could not bring
ourselves to force its bread frora the lip of poverty : we could
not feed upon requisition, and calculate our revenue upon
plunder. Our army will not subsist — where the troops of the
eneray wUl riot. A British force could not glut upon the
wretchedness of a suffering people : a British array could not
upon entering a plundered town, strip the miserable inhabitants
of the scanty remnant which rapacity itself had left thera.
W^hatever might be said of the British array in Spain, or of its

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 297
comraanders, it had afforded to that people a glorious example,
which he hoped in future days would be equalled, but could
never be excelled." — Lord Gower, who moved an araendraent
to the address, acknowledged the bravery of our troops, and
the abilities of the generals Moore and Wellington who cora
raanded our arraies in the Peninsula, but characterized the
conduct of ministers as placing a bhnd confidence in Spanish
co-operation, to which he ascribed the failure of both cam
paigns in Spain. He designated Lord Wellesley's mission as
a pompous, abortive embassy, that proraised so much, and per
formed so little; and the retirement frora Talavera on Jaraicejo,
he raisrepresented as an inevitable and disastrous retreat — Mr.
Bathurst in defending ministers and supporting the address,
described the battle of Talavera as " placing the valour of our
troops on a height on which it never formerly stood," which
excited the indignation of Mr. Ponsonby so much, that he de
clared " that engagement to have arisen from the rashness and
presumption of ihe general, which induced him to risk a con
test that he was not called to hazard : that the British under
Wellington amounted to thirty-eight thousand men, yet that
disasters and disgraces were the sole consequences of the cam
paign of 1809, no raatter to whom the errors in which they
originated were attributable." — Lord Castlereaigh replied to
this very irapassioned speech, by stating, that it was an error to
designate the late campaign as connected with Spain, while in
fact it pertained to the defence of Portugal. That a discre
tionary power had been entrusted to Lord Wellington, which
he conceived had been most judiciously exercised. Had he
not advanced to Talavera, he must have inevitably disgraced
himself and the British arms. It was incorrect to assert that
he had thirty-eight thousand British in that field of battle, as
it exceeded the true number by eighteen thousand. It was a
subject of regret in his opinion, that the military character of
the country should be sacrificed to party politics, and he
pointed to the pernicious tendency of such mis-stateraents.
Araongst the uncoraproraising foes, not to the governraent
raerely, but to the rising greatness of WelUngton, must be

298 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
raentioned General Tarleton : his opinion of the battles of
Roleia and Viraeira had already becorae raatter of history ; he
now eagerly seized on the occasion presented by this discus
sion, to record a second expression of his conderanation of that
officer's railitary genius. This gallant raember declared that
Portugal could not be defended ; that the raarch to Talavera
was raost iraprudent ; that it would have been wiser policy
to have sent thirty thousand raen into Italy, under the com
raand of Sir John Stuart to prevent the army of Eugene
Napoleon (Beauharnais) frora joining Buonaparte; but perhaps,
added the general, " this might not have been agreeable to the
Wellesleys." — This ebullition of personality was foUowed by
one of Mr. Canning's happiest appeals to parliament iu which,
after defending the raotives of ministers in sending the expe
dition to Flushing under Lord Chatham, he thus spoke of
the Spanish carapaign, and the brave soldier who conducted it
" If there was a country in which it was perfectly just to inter
fere, Spain was that country. There the torch of insurrection
was everywhere lighted, and everywhere burning, and therefore
we exposed the people of that country to no additional danger
by giving thera our assistance. We did not pretend to corarait
ourselves to the same extent that Spain was committed, it was
always understood that the British array was lent, as a trust
to be restored, not as a loan to be expended. No such question
presented itself, as to this country raising any general con
federacy against France ; under existing circurastances, that
would be an idle speculation . But if any country was resolved
to make an effort to break its chains, that country became our
ally. It had been said that we should endeavour, priraarily, to
effect an internal change in the Spanish people and govern
raent; but, before you confer a benefit you cannot go, with the
koran in one hand and a sword in the other, to change the
habits and religion of those you would aid. Such conduct
would excite jealousy not easily allayed. He was not scrupu
lous as to the raeans he would eraploy to thwart the views of
Buonaparte ; he would gladly press a corabination of all
nations, and all religions, into a phalanx to oppose hira. He

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 299
would unite with the Turk, without requiring hira to lay
aside his turban, and take the field with the poor bigoted
Spaniard, without first insisting upon his divesting himself of
his superstition. Spain, with all her faults, deserved assist
ance of England, and any inquiry which would throw blame
upon the Spaniards for want of co-operation, would be injurious
to our future connection with Spain. He did not wish to speak
against Lord Wellington^ when he said the march to Talavera
was his own act. He approved of it, and of the honours be
stowed upon that officer. We ought not to undervalue the
hero's laurels, even though they were barren. Had valour so
long been admired, and at last lost its value? had we on a
sudden becorae so enlightened that we could conteraplate it
with philosophical apathy ? He knew that raoralists raight
shudder at the shedding of huraan blood ; he knew " that reason
frowns at war's unequal garae — where thousands bleed to raise
a single name." Yet still was Lord Wellington entitled to the
gratitude of the country, and the glories of Talavera he could
not think purchased so dearly as to be for ever deplored. — Tbe
classic eloquence of Canning was insufficient to protect the fame
of Wellington from the vituperation of the opposition, or pre
vent Mr. Whitbread frora giving utterance to those jejune
views of the Peninsular war, which the genius of the general
refuted. This able supporter of the popular party in parlia
ment declared "that, with aU his respect for Lord WeUington,
he could not approve of the battle of Talavera ; it had no good
end, it only tended to estabUsh what was never questioned,
the superior valour of our troops. Our victories were held up
as monuments of eternal glory ; he beheld them as so many
gladiatorial exhibitions. Alas ! exclaimed the orator, how
shall we dry up the tears of the orphan, or reimburse the ex
hausted means of the beggared citizen ? The battle of Vimeira,
followed by a disgraceful convention, had better never have
taken place ; and Talavera, at best was but an exhibition of rash
confidence and victorious temerity. The ministers had con
ferred honours upon Sir Arthur Wellesley, /or whom, and for
the country, it wotild have been much more honourable had

300 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
he never changed his name. His conduct in Spain seeraed
the result of infatuation." Mr. Whitbread concluded his
invective against rainisters, by asserting " the utter irapossibility
of defending Portugal with a force of thirty thousand raen,"
and, in fact, by declaring that to be impracticable and false,
which the lines of Torres Vedras will for ever testify to be
practicable and true. — This lengthened debate, ostensibly upon
the affairs of Spain, in which Lord Wellington and his noble
brother acted such conspicuous parts, but, virtually, upon the
incapacity ofthe rainistry, was closed by Mr. Spencer Perceval,
in a speech characterised by raildness and discretion. Having
spoken to the principal points of impeachment against his col
leagues and himself, he concluded nearly as follows : " I cannot
avoid expressing my regret at the raanner in which Lord Wel
lington has been attacked in his absence : if such practice
were persisted in, it would darap the ardour and check the
spirit of our officers, for they would go out to fight the battles
of their country, with the melancholy conviction that however
great their exertions might be, their political adversaries
would, in their absence, seize eagerly upon every little event
that could be construed into a disaster, for the purpose of
wounding their feelings, depreciating their services, and attack
ing their characters. With respect to the late carapaign, it
entailed no disgrace upon our arras ; on the contrary, as the
raoveraents of Sir J. Moore, in 1808, and the battle of Corunna,
had saved the north of Spain that year, so he felt convinced
the expulsion of Soult frora Portugal, and the victory of Tala
vera, had saved the southern provinces in the year following."
Thus ended the first angry debate upon the battle of
Talavera, in which, perhaps, raore injustice was done to the
character and services of Wellington, than in any that had
preceded, or ever afterwards took place. So entirely did the
foreign policy of the nation engross the attention of both
houses of parUament that the investigation of the failure of an
expedition to the Scheldt absorbed three successive months :
the debates upon the battle of Talavera, although prior in
time, treated the Spanish question rather as a source of

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 301
annoyance to ministers, than as caUing loudly for legislative
interference. The debate on the address having closed with
the defeat of the opposition, that party took occasion to renew
their attack, in the Lords, on the twenty-fifth, that was, after
an interval of only two days. Proceedings were now com
menced by Earl Grey, who considered it essential, previous to
entering upon a discussion as to a vote of thanks to Lord
Wellington, that it should be shown, by documents produced
to their lordships, whether the advance of Lord Wellington
into Spain was in the exercise of his own discretion, or the
result of ministerial instructions. Several noble lords followed
Lord Grey's exaraple, in calling for the production of the corres
pondence between the coraraander-in-chief of our array and the
secretary at war, although some, with whom was Lord Erskine,
confessed that they considered Lord Wellington "an able aud
accomplished officer," and Earl Grosvenor acknowledged that
such valour should be rewarded, but not without an inquiry
into the consequences ofthe late battle. Ministers refused to
produce the papers deraanded, and defended their conduct by
reference to precedent Sir J. Stuart received the thanks of
the house for his gallantry ut Maida, although that victory
might be termed a barren laurel, and no question arose as to the
vote of thanks to the officers commanding at Corunna, although
the campaign had been disastrous, and demanded inquiry. —
These arguraents were not sufficient to convince the judgraent
of Lord Grey, who declared " that it was doubtful whether the
battle of Talavera ended In victory or defeat" and, in conse
quence, persevered in his raotion, which was put but negatived,
without a division.
The appearance of Lord Bernard at the bar of the House of
Coraraons, with a report of the address in answer to his majesty's
speech, was the signal for the discharge of renewed peals of in
vective upon ministers and their measures, in which severe ani
madversions, upon the conduct of the British hero, were mingled,
wantonly, needlessly, foolishly.— Sir F. Burdett designated the
Spanish campaign as a total failure, but did not accompany
his opinion with uncandid or ungenerous reraarks upon the
II. 2n

302 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
brave men who were employed in the distressing events of
the Peninsula. — Mr. Yorke replied to the previous speaker,
as well as to General Tarleton, an uncoraproraising detractor
from the fame of Wellington, by regretting that he should
continue to withhold that defence from a brother officer in his
absence, which it would so well become a brother officer to
make : he approved of the advance to Talavera, and thought
there was no part of the illustrious coraraander's proceedings,
that was not worthy of his exalted reputation. If there was
anything that raight adrait of the nice investigation of raiU
tary criticisra, to which so few in that House could have' any
just pretensions, he would select two points, the one, his
seeraingly too great reliance on the Spaniards ; and the other,
his not securing the pass of Banos, which Sir R. Wilson sub
sequently held for nine hours against a force ten tiraes his
number. These he considered to be the only points upon
which there could be any doubt. — Sir John Sebright thought
the ministers incapable of guiding the helra of state in the
storra that then assailed the ship ; and, therefore, condemned
every act and result that eraanated frora their councils. As
to the glorious victory of Talavera, as he ironically called that
battle, there was a glory of the soldier, and a glory of the
general. The glory of the soldier was patience under priva
tion and fatigue — discipline and courage. This glory had,
indeed, been displayed in all its lustre at Talavera; but
although he adraired the great talents of Lord Wellington, he
did not think that he had acted, in the advance into Spain, the
part of a wise general. He heat the French certainly, but he
was compelled to retreat, as if he had been beaten. — The
debate closed with an explanation from General Tarleton,
whose parliamentary conduct had been pointedly alluded to.
The gallant raember stated, that the reason of his having
made his forraer aniraadvertions on the conduct of the officer
comraanding our armies in Spain, was because rainisters had
declared that the advance of our army into Spain was purely
his own act ; and secondly, because ministers uniformly op
posed inquiry. He considered that England always showed

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 303
a generous gratitude to her heroes, as in the case of Marl
borough; but the raerit of WelUngton was stUl equivocal.
He forraerly blaraed Lord Wellington for the convention of
Cintra, for to hira he entirely attributed that disgraceful raea
sure : and he now blaraed hira for his rash advance into Spain.
He adraitted that the array had gained great glory at Talavera.
Never was there a greater display of intrepidity, fortitude,
patience, and everything which constituted the excellence of
an array. But the conduct of the general was a totally distinct
consideration; and that alone he blaraed. General Tarleton
also censured the conduct of Lord Wellington in the battles of
Roleia and Vimeira; and in fact, up to the decisive victory of
Talavera, no act of the British hero had ever received the
meed of his approbation.
Scarcely had twenty-four hours elapsed, when the question
of Lord Wellington's military genius again becarae the sub
ject of a storray debate : on the twenty-sixth of January, Lord
Liverpool rose, to propose a vote of thanks to Viscount Wel
lington for the skill and ability displayed by hira in the
battle of the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth of July, 1809,
at Talavera. Instructed by the opposition already given to
prbpositions originating with the rainisterial benches, he had
separated, in the fraraing of his raotion, the conduct of the
array, and of the officer comraanding it, frora every other sub
ject connected with the carapaign ; and confined the vote of
thanks simply to the battle of Talavera. The battle of Maida
was alluded to on a former night ; and, perhaps, it afforded a
parallel, as far as being barren of useful results ; but in that in
stance, the thanks of both houses were cheerfully accorded to
General Stuart for his gaUantry in the hour of trial. Lord
Liverpool wished to direct attention, in this case also, to that
action which terrainated in a brilliant victory, to the conduct
of the officer, and the array under him. His opinion led him
to the conclusion, that the raarch of Lord Wellington into
Spain was an undertaking wisely planned, and deliberately
exeeuted. No greater prudence could be raanifested than in
the adrairable choice of his position at Talavera; a fact

304 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
acknowledged by the French generals. About twenty thou
sand British successfully resisted, and ultiraately defeated
fifty thousand French ; of whom ten thousand were slain
upon the field of battle: twenty pieces of artUlery and four
standards were the trophies of the triuraph of the British
arras on that day. This decisive action arrested the progress
of the enemy, was reraarkable for the railitary skill displayed
throughout, was raaintained in a raanner conspicuous for
tactical arrangement, characteristic energy of the general,
and pre-eminent valour of the troops. " I would irapress upon
your rainds," said his lordship, " that it is of the last impor
tance, that such victories as that of Talavera should be re
warded by every tribute of honour and praise this House can
bestow. If we refuse to reward the gallant deeds of our
army, by every approbation we can bestow, we take from
them every incitement to valour ; we deprive them of those
laurels which constitute the soldier's honour and his fame :
which he thirsts after, not only for hiraself, but, because he
knows they will be handed down with derivative value to his
descendants. It is for this that he devotes his life to his
country's good: and if you refuse such a tribute to the tran
scendent raerit of the survivors, and the glorious raeraory of the
slain, you will act unjustly to the array, and disrespectfully to
the devotion of those who are dead. Spain considered the
victory of Talavera of the highest importance to her cause,
and conferred such honours on the victor as have seldom been
bestowed for any services. It filled the breasts of that people
with unliraited adrairation of the British general." — The Earl
of Suffolk gave his opinion as a professional man, that Lord
Wellington had acted imprudently at Talavera and Viraeira ;
and, therefore, while he would grant the tribute of applause
deraanded for the soldiers, he would refuse that reward to
their general on this occasion. — Lord Grosvenor disapproved of
too frequent acknowledgraents of raiUtary services by the
senate of the country: he had an objection, also, to grant
peerages for naval or railitary successes ; and therefore dis
approved of other honours, vvhich had, in so conspicuous a

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 305
manner, been lavished upon Lord WeUington. He was ready
to allow that sueh heroes as Nelson or Marlborough were
entitled to the highest honours and estates; but the battle,
of Talavera he did not think entitled to any such reward." —
Earl Grey next proceeded to state the grounds of his oppo
sition to any vote of thanks to the commander-in-chief at the
battle of Talavera: he commenced by repeating his doubt
whether the battle of Talavera was a victory or not ; proceeded
to prove that a victory implied an action, the result of which
was the accoraplishraent of some object connected with thp
fighting of the battle, and that as the object of advancing on
Madrid, or of totally dispersing, or making the eneray prison
ers, had not been attained, the confiict of Talavera could not
be said to have ended in victory. He denied that Lord
Wellington had displayed any great skill in the dispositions
which he raade during the battle ; he thought the position on
the left had not been sufficiently secured, and the charge of the
cavalry injudicious ; he blaraed the conduct of Lord Wellington
with respect to the Spanish troops ; he censured him for
trusting to information received frora Spaniards solely; he
insinuated that the British army raight have been well fed,
and corafortably clothed, by an allusion to the conduct of the
French at Austerlitz and elsewhere, "who were better pro
vided in hostile countries than the armies of those countries
theraselves, by seizing on the enemy's magazines, and collect
ing provisions from the peasantry." Notwithstanding this
total and unqualified disapproval of every raeasure of the
British general, in connection with the late campaign, and
upon which deductions he forraed his deterraination to oppose
any vote of tha/nks to hira. Lord Grey concluded his observa
tions by expressing the reluctance he felt in resisting a motion
of this sort believing, as he did, that Lord fV^ellington was
an able, skilful, active, and enterprisitig ofiicer.
Lord Grey's irapassioned appeal to the House was replied
to, in a speech of rauch elegance and feeling, by the Marquis
Wellesley. He coraplimented his noble antagonist upon his
fearless discharge of his public duty, notwithstanding the

306 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
painful circurastances which attended it ; he readily acceded to
the character Lord Grey had acquired for a generous nature
and liberal sentiraents ; and congratulated hira upon his descent
from a person highly distinguished for military talents and
services. But he, too, had a duty, painful in performance, to
vindicate the character and conduct of so near and dear a rela
tion as a brother — of an officer whose erainent qualities he
had such frequent opportunities of observing,, qualities which
were attested by the universal voice of the officers and soldiers
of the armies he had coraraanded, and of those countries in
whose defence they had been exerted — of Portugal, where he
was alraost adored, and where he was invested with power
Uttle less than royal — and of Spain, where he was equally
beloved by the people and the governraent. The noble raar
quis deraanded a trial of his illustrious brother's raerits, upon
public grounds, he endeavoured to disengage hiraself from
personal feeling, and proceeded to analyze and correct nuraer
ous errors into which Lord Grey had fallen, with respect to the
raotives and actions of Lord Wellington. He took a coraplete
review of the carapaign of 1809, and set to rest for ever the
unfair, and invidious coraparison, that had been so often
attempted between the services and situations of Sir J. Moore
and Lord Wellington, in the Peninsula, by showing, that no
points of resemblance existed between their cases, and that the
two campaigns were essentially different. With regard to the
single, the isolated event, the battle of Talavera, his lordship
contended that that victory had materially contributed to the
main objects of the carapaign, by saving the south of Spain from
absolute destruction. It afforded Portugal tirae to organize
her array, and strengthen her railitary posts, it enabled the
British array to take up a position where they raight derive sup
plies frora Spain at the sarae tirae that they drew near to their
own magazines ; it compeUed the French army to abandon
offensive operations against our allies; and now Portugal was
placed in such a state of defence, by the breathing-time which
the success of Talavera had obtained for her, that she was
enabled effectually to assist and co-operate with the British

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 307
troops. These were sorae of the ends attained — and were not
such achieveraents essential to the object of the expedition ?
and all these advantages were fairly to be ascribed to the skill,
the courage, and the activity which directed the exertions of
Lord Wellington and his array. The Marquis Wellesley's
lurainous narrative of the carapaign, and of the share his
brother had in its successes, satisfied the raajority of the
House ; and the vote of thanks, both to Lord Wellington,
and to the inferior officers, was carried without a division.
On the first of February, Mr. Spencer Perceval brought
forward a raotion, in the House of Coraraons, for a sirailar
vote to Lord Wellington and the array, for their services at
Talavera. He pursued the sarae line of arguraent laid down
for his iraitation in the other house, namely, endeavouring to
separate the question of the victory of Talavera from the
general management of the campaign, in order to relieve it
from its ministerial associations.— His motion although prefaced
by no remarks calculated to excite the anger of the opposition,
was iraraediately followed by an araendraent frora Lord Milton,
calculated to defeat its object. His lordship entertained a
high opinion of the gallantry of Lord Wellington, but could
not disconnect the battle of Talavera frora the general policy
and conduct of the campaign. To him Lord Wellington
appeared like an adrairal who first ran his fieet araongst
rocks and shoals, and then evinced great skUl and abihty
in getting his ships off: he had brought his army into a
critical position, and was obliged to fight his way out of it :
they had voted the thanks of the house to the hero of Vimeira ;
but were that vote to be given again, as explained and illus
trated by the battle of Talavera, he should pause before he
gave it in the same way : he could not consent to a vote of
thanks raerely for bravery displayed in the day of battle.
His lordship believed the arabition of Lord Wellington to have
been conspicuous on both occasions ; he seeraed to have fought
for a peerage, certainly raore with such a view than was con
sistent with the conduct of a good and prudent coraraander. —
The voice of Mr. Vernon, in a maiden speech of considerable

308 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
eloquence, was next raised in support of the opposition ; he
lauded the talents and character of Lord Wellington, adraitted
that the country was already indebted to that noble and
gallant soldier for many great and signal services, and that it
might justly look up to hira for the perforraance of still raore
erainent achieveraents hereafter; but he raust for ever con
deran the teraerity which had exposed a British array to the
dreadful alternative of a conflict against a superior force, or
absolute destruction in a precipitate and disastrous retreat.
The exhausted coraparison, between Moore and Wellington,
was also pressed into the service of the opposition by Mr.
Vernon, who, although ignorant of the facts in the case of
the latter, represented the situation of Sir J. Moore with
clearness, accuracy, and feeling. '' Lord Wellington raight
have learned," said the orator, " raore discretion from Sir John
Moore's incursion into Spain : he might have derived salutary
inforraation frora the recorded opinions of that great and
justly laraented general : he ought to have been prevented
from a precipitate advance into Spain with another British
armj', by the example of the disastrous consequences and
unfortunate circumstances of the retreat to Corunna. Lord
Wellington had not the same excuse, nor the sarae excitement
to penetrate into Spain, because he was invested with large
limits of discretion, and had no officious or irapertinent inter
ference to encounter; he was not goaded on to the certain hazard,
and probable sacrifice of his array, by the interaperate repre
sentations of a political agent, nor insulted in his own camp
by the presence of a suspicious Frenchraan, irapudently au
thorized to control hira in the command and disposal of his
army : he had not to contend against the arrogant dictates of
a rash and presumptuous diploraatist, of blind but obtrusive
zeal, seeking, by a display of devotion to the cause of the junta,
to establish a claira to a Spanish raarquisate. The carapaign of
Sir J. Moore was a raelancholy warning of what was to be
expected frora penetrating into the heart of Spain. He never
had looked on the situation of Spanish affairs with any very san
guine hopes ; and when, against the great superiority which

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 309
France possessed in armies, and in able and experienced
officers, the resources of Spain were stated to consist in her
loyalty and religion, he feared for her fate. There were some
systems of religion, such as those which inculcate predesti
nation, that inspire an extraordinary contempt of danger:
but he did not know that such was the character of that sort
of religion to which the Spaniards were bigoted. Neither
did he calculate rauch upon their loyalty to such a sovereign
as Ferdinand VIL, who had voluntarily thrown hiraself into the
hands of the eneray, and raight be said to have resigned his
crown. If he saw the crown and the altar surrounded with
equal laws, and if he saw the spirit of liberty the aniraating
principle and bond of union araong Spaniards, then he should
not despair of that country. He beUeved that was the princi
ple which dictated the heroic resistance of Gerona and Sarar
gossa. The exertions which the patriots of Saragossa raade
was not without its reward. As long as the Ebro should
traverse the province of Arragon, so long would the iraraortal
farae of the heroes of Saragossa adorn the history of the
country. He was not, however, an advocate for deserting the
Spaniards altogether ; he would wish to send thera everything
we could assist thera with except a British array." This pro-
raising display of senatorial eloquence was replied to by Mr.
Montague, who acknowledged the powers of the speaker, but
did not think they had been happily eraployed. Wellington
must have raade an experiraent of the honour, the courage,
the resources of the Spaniards by a co-operation, and he had
adopted such plans as were likely to be attended with ultiraate
success. If a failure had taken place, in consequence of the
want of energy and unaniraity in the Spaniards, such a cir
curastance ought not to detract frora the glory of WeUington's
achieveraents, nor dim that lustre which the brilliancy of his
actions had reflected on his miUtary character.- The gallant
soldier was not answerable for such failures ; he could only
rely on his own skill ; he set a noble exaraple to our allies,
and endeavoured to instil into their hearts that spirit which
could alone enable thera to resist the despotism of a tyrant.
II. 2 s

310 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
In the field of Talavera he had perforraed wonders ; surrounded
by every difficulty, he fought and conquered a French force of
twice the raagnitude of his own, and placed the character of
the British arras on a basis of superiority unequalled by all the
world. This just eulogy upon the abilities of Wellington inflamed
the established enraity of General Tarleton into the raost
veheraent indignation. He rose with a loud complaint of
having been attacked with the foulest obloquy by both sides
of that house, for the part he had taken with respect to
the vote of thanks for the battle of "\iraeira, which, he re
peated, was founded on a sense of duty, and a love of his pro
fession. He next proceeded to detract frora the character of
his absent brother officer, by an exaggerated rais-stateraent of
the battle of Talavera, attributing the successful issue of that
contest to the conduct of the Spaniards, and contended that,
on the whole, it was to be considered "a repulse, but not a
defeat of the eneray."
He next came to the account of the action, contained in the
despatches of Lord Wellington, which he designated as vain
glorious, partial, and incorrect Vain-glorious, because the
praise given in them to the Spaniards was not adequate to
their services ; and incorrect, because every line contained a
statement, which the circurastances of the case did not bear
out. Talavera had been compared to Agincourt, but there was
no analogy ; for a crown was won by the one, but lost by the
other. He could not permit any comparison to be made be
tween Wellington and Marlborough ; and, placing his hand
upon his heart, he declared that he could not conscientiously
vote that the thanks of that house should be given to Lord
Wellington. — Lord Castlereagh took a review of the whole
campaign, in order to justify the conduct of the ministers with
whora it originated, and the operations of the general to whora
its conduct had been comraitted ; and concluded a very lumi
nous account of the victories of our array, by adverting to the
raeasureless abuse of the coramander-in-chief by General
Tarleton. The honourable general had said, that " Welling-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 311
ton fought for a peerage at Talavera." " I assert," said the
minister, " that he fought for it all over the world : it was
not at Talavera alone his farae was established, he had fought
in all quarters, generally opposed by greater nurabers, but
uniforraly victorious. He did not know how honours could be
more usefully bestowed, than upon such raen and such ser
vices ; and so long as the principle upon which he was ad
vanced was acted npon, there was no likelihood of the peerage
being disgraced. It was true, and fortunate for the country, that
honours were frequently bestowed, during the late and present
wars, for railitary excellence, but that was rather a proof of the
talents and bravery of the country, than of any debaseraent of
its honours. While the country lamented the losses inevitable
in war, let the advatages that were derived be also reraera
bered. Let thera reraeraber that the array, with its acquired
experience, was worth tenfold what it was before ; and that if
it had failed in sorae particular object, in no instance had it
been disgraced or defeated. England now appeared before
Europe, not merely as a naval power, but as a railitary one
also, and recognized as such by an eneray who had experi
enced our might in our victories, and often when, with inferior
numbers, we beat the best and most experienced of their
troops." The splenetic attack of General Tarleton was dis
approved by every meraber of the House ; but there were not
wanting honest, conscientious, and excellent men, who were un
able to appreciate the merits of the British hero, who saw but
dimly into futurity, and wrecked their fame upon the question of
his perfect knowledge ofthe position of affairs in Europe at the
close of the year 1809. — Araongst such persons was Mr.
Whitbread, who, in a lugubrious strain, " could not withhold a
tear when he thought of the fate of so raany brave soldiers,
and the quantity of British blood that had been spilt in a
sacrifice to incapacity and folly." It had been stated, that the
principle object of the expedition was the defence of Portugal,
Mr. Whitbread beUeved the contrary to be the fact ; he had
listened to coraparisons between the British and French cora
raanders, but they were not assembled to try Soult, they were

312 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
to try Lord Wellington with respect to his claira upon the
thanks of that house. There were, he confessed, prodigies
of valour displayed by the British ; but even in the famous
charge of the twenty-third regiraent of dragoons, he thought
that the general was rauch to blame. There was almost a
gulf between them and the eneray, when they raade the
charge, and raany were lost in consequence. Lord Welling
ton had bravery, had skiU upon other occasions ; but that he
should be thanked as a skilful coraraander for his conduct on
that day, he would deny. He would not agree to give a pre-
raiura to rashness. The Spanish cause had becorae raore hope
less than ever. Neither could he agree that the army had
become stronger since than before its losses ; and he regarded
our late continental efforts as calculated to sink the railitary
character of the country, though they had raised that of the
soldiery, whose gallantry was indisputable." — Generals Crau
furd and Stewart rose with haste, to vindicate the character of
our hero frora unmerited obloquy; and the latter thus con
cluded the expression of his professional judgment " As to
Lord Wellington's personal conduct at Talavera, he could only
say, that he was everywhere during the fight, and always in
the hottest part of the action ; and in contributing his appro
bation of the raotion, he only expressed the general feeling
of the army." The penetration of Mr. Windham was too
accute to perrait him to be involved, by either party, in giving
an opinion upon the raerits of a raan whose rising greatness he
had long foreseen, and whose consuraraate railitary skill he had
valued raore highly than he deeraed it prudent to express in
parliaraent; he felt convinced that the fame of WelUngton would
make its course to the pinnacle of the temple, as his array would
cut their brilUant way to the highest degree of railitary re
nown. It had been substantiated, he conceived, that the
battle of Talavera was a victory; and why should they prevent
it frora operating on their rainds as such ? There was no advan
tage derived frora the battle of Corunna, except that the array
were able to save theraselves ; and, even had Lord Welling
ton acted imprudently before the battle, it ought not to retract

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 313
or withdraw the weight of a feather frora the victory he had
obtained. France had generals of great skiU, yet they had seldora secured
a battle, that the breaking of a thread might have prevented
them frora achieving : the unproductive consequences were
not to be put in competition with the railitary glory we had
obtained. If it were asked, would a victory that only acquired
military glory prove advantageous to the country ? He would
answer, yes, if railitary valour was necessary for national
strength : and he conceived it rauch raore serviceable to the
nation at large than the taking of a sugar island, or a ship at sea.
Sorae fifteen years before, it was thought on the continent, that
we could do soraething at sea, but our array was set down at
nought. Our achieveraents in Egypt first entitled us to the
narae of a railitary power : the battle of Maida confirmed it :
and he would not resign the glories of Viraeira, Corunna, and
Talavera for a whole archipelago of sugar islands. There never
was a battle fought, perhaps, that was not open to railitary
criticisra ; but who could tell what credit was to be given, what
confidence placed in the critics. Mr. Windhara regretted that
Lord Wellington spoke rather disparagingly of the Spaniards
on the day of the battle at Talavera : their general conduct
subjected thera deservedly to the indignation of the British
array, and the contempt of the British hero, whose great exer
tions were contributed to rescue them frora an iniquitous
usurpation : still he was sorry Lord Wellington had spoken
so truly, perhaps, of their share in the battle, because, however
insignificant it was, they were present, and that presence alone
must necessarily have been beneficial. As in a sea engage
ment, it could not be contended that the hull of the vessel
had nothing to do with the guns that gained the victory : or Uke
a spear inflicting a wound, could it be said that the staff was
of no service ? so, with the Spanish army, he considered they
had done aU that was required of them — they kept their posi
tion. If the victory was of no other, it was at least of this
advantage, it showed the allies that a British array waa invin
cible : in his opinion, the battle of Talavera was a glorious

314 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
victory, and the coraraander on that perilous occasion was
entitled to every grateful acknowledgraent his country could
make him. — Mr. Ponsonby insisted upon recording his dis
approbation of the conduct, his unqualified denial of the
genius, of Wellington, and to entreat the governraent to recall
an officer so incapable of opposing the legions of France ; he
declared that he knew the British were unable to raaintain
their ground at Talavera : he thought the victories in Egypt
and at Maida ought to have been sufficient to establish our
railitary fame, without sending Lord Wellington to hazard
the treasure of the country, and risk the valuable lives of the
soldiers, where no possible good could result from it. Lord
WelUngton had not been careful of the duties of a general ; and
while he acknowledged the bravery of the soldiers, and was
ready to accord them the approbation of that House, he con
sidered the commander undeserving of any praise. Mr.
Ponsonby was an eminent lawer, an able financier, and at one
time held the great seals in Ireland — how gladly he would
have recalled this inadvertent comraentary upon the raost illus
trious hero in British history, and have blotted out this record
of partisanship, or even injustice, will readily be conceived by
those who were acquainted with his talents. Had passion for
a raoment blinded the distinct perception of an able politician,
who had so inconsiderately slighted the genius of his great
countryman, Mr. Canning's brief but beautiful eulogy on his
services must have painfully awoke hira to a sense of error. " Is
this House" said the orator, " about to call the noble exalter
of his country's honour, the wanton waster of her blood ? He
laraented the loss that had taken place in the battle of
Talavera as much as any raan, but war is a garae that cannot
be played without risk and losses. It had been urged that
the parliaraent had been too prodigal of their approbation
in recent tiraes. We lived in an age so full of splendid
achieveraents, that it was feared the spring of honour raight
be dried up. This was indeed a source of high exultation,
and one in which he trusted the country would long have to
indulge." Notwithstanding the virulence of party, and the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 315
ability with which this factious conduct was supported, the
raajority of the House refused to lend theraselves to a measure
of injustice and ingratitude of such raagnitude, so that the
thanks were voted to Lord Wellington without even the
claraour of calling for a division.*
On the eighth of February his raajesty sent a raessage to
the House of Comraons, recoraraending the merabers of that
asserably to raake provision for securing to Lord Wellington,
and his two next-succeeding heirs, an annuity of £2000 per
annura ; and on the ninth, the Earl of Liverpool raoved the
order of the day for taking into consideration his majesty's
message to the lords, recommending their concurrence in the
grant, to which an address, promising a ready obedience,
was voted, on the understanding, that when the bill carae up
from the other House it was to encounter the most deterrained
opposition of Earl Grey, who not only then voted against the
address, and declared his hostiUty to the grant, but rerainded
the House that " he had entered his opinions on their journals
on the subject of Lord WeUington's services." The question
being left, in the first instance, to the decision of the House of
Comraons, frora which all such bills of necessity emanate,
becarae a second time the signal for one of the most animated,
angry, and unworthy debates that ever occupied the raerabers of
our senate. Notwithstanding that the arguraents were precisely
analogous to those employed in detracting frora Lord Welling
ton's services and abilities, when the thanks of the House were
proposed, still the opposition adhered, tenaciously, to their
personalities, although the rainisters that eraployed hira, not
the soldier that served, was the real object of their assault:
they thirsted for the places and the power held by the forraer,
• At the same time the thanks of the House were given to General Sir John
Cope Sherbrooke, K.B., Lieutenant-Generals WiUiam Payne : Sir Stapleton
Cotton Bart, and Rowland Hill ; Major-General Christopher Tilson ; Brigadier-
Generals Alexander Campbell, Honourable Frederick Carapbell, Robert Stewart,
Honourable Charles Stewart, Alan Cameron, Henry Fane, George Anson,
Edward Howorth and the other officers ; for their distinguished exerrions on
the twenty-seventh and twenty-eighth of July, 1809, in the memorable battle
of Talavera, which terminated in the signal defeat of the forces of the enemy.

316 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
while they, in all probabiUty, were but little arabitious of suc
ceeding to the duties of Lord Wellington : yet they had the
illiberality to scandalize the individual whose duties they were
both unwilling and incapable to perform, for the sake of self-
aggrandiseraent, and accession to political power. The opposi
tion which the previous motion met with, necessitated the chan
cellor of the exchequer to case hiraself in a panoply of defensive
arguraent, and to produce an incontrovertible and full register
of the services of the British hero : " In estiraating," said the
rainister, " the claims of Lord Wellington to the distinction
conferred upon hira, and the provision proposed to accorapany
it, they should consider his past conduct, and derive, from
his forraer distinguished services, strong accessary grounds of
claira for his present honours and rewards. He presented
himself to his raajesty as the soldier who had extended the
glory of the British arras over India — he presented himself
as the conqueror of Soult the general who had expelled
the French from Portugal, and rescued the inheritance of our
ancient ally frora the grasp of the eneray. In short, he pre
sented hiraself with such an accuraulation of raerits — such an
aggregate of eminent services — such an unwearied career of
victory and triumph, as obtained for hira his sovereign's favour,
his country's gratitude. The minister deprecated idle corapari
sons, although he did not fear them : and as to the amount of
the pension, £2000 per annum, it was the same as that granted
to the gallant Lords Lake, Hutchinson, Duncan, Collingwood,
and to Sir Ralph Abercromby ; and it was on the strength of
these precedents he rested his defence of the proportion of the
proposed pension. — Notwithstanding the express declaration
of the chancellor of the exchequer, that he purposely abstained
from the invidious occupation of personal coraparisons, Mr.
Calcraft rushed into that unpopular and ungracious line of
argument, and undertook to establish the inferiority of WeUing
ton, by the absurd and puerile interrogatory system, " Did the
right honourable gentlemen mean to corapare Lord Wellington
with Nelson, and a catalogue of other illustrious heroes who
adorn our annals ? He protested against calUng any of Welling-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 317
ton's battles victories, ascribed his elevation to the peerage, and
proposal of granting an annuity, to " rainisterial foppery, and
the desire of obtaining the Marquis Wellesley's support in
propping up their administration." — Mr. Calcraft confessed that
he was totaUy ignorant of Lord WeUington's services in India,
which, however, he was sure, rewarded theraselves, but he could
not discover any merit in his services in Europe; he was sorry
a title had been conferred upon hira, and wished the House to
consider that he had been rewarded beyond his deserts, in the
bestowal of that honour. If rainisters wished to provide for
Lord Wellington, they ought to have given him sorae lucrative
military governraent for he felt convinced that in one month's
time, when the fruits of Lord Wellington's campaign would deve
lope theraselves, public opinion would no longer be with the
rainisters. Would to God, he exclairaed, the array were at that
raoraent in England ! for he had been alarraed by the intelli
gence that Lord Wellington had proraised to defend Portugal
with thirty thousand raen : if such rash atterapt were per
mitted, the country would have to deplore some such ruinous
and bloody victories as that of Talavera, and to reconcile thera
selves to the loss of Portugal, and perhaps of the whole British
array in addition. This singularly false prophecy, false in all
save a single sentence, which was, that "Lord Wellington
raight in time become an excellent officer," was followed by a
mild and eloquent recoraraendation of that soldier's clairas to
the gratitude of his country, by Mr. Robinson, who rerainded
the opposition, " that Lord Wellington, though young in years,
was old in railitary glory. When posterity, said he, should
peruse the page of history, brightened with the naraes of Assay e,
Argaum, Roleia, Vimeira, Douro, and Talavera, they raust
look for their reward in the honours bestowed on the hero
who led Britons to glorious victory on so many splendid occa
sions : he repudiated the idea that honours were heaped on
Wellington to buy over the parliamentary support of the
Marquis Wellesley : if there was an individual connected with
the aristocracy who was raore anxious than another to confer
honours upon the hero, it was Lord Castlereagh, and the
n. 2 T

318 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
observations did not then apply to hira : he, Mr. Robinson,
considered Lord Wellington, an honour to his country, as he
knew that he was the boast of his contemporaries. Lord
Wellington was honourpd hecause he deserved honour, and he
raight say of hira, as was feelingly said of Sir Ralph Aber
cromby by Lord Hutchinson, " His narae is an honour to his
country — it will meet the applause of his conteraporaries, and
be erabalraed in the recollections of a grateful posterity." — The
various raisrepresentations of Wellington's operations, made
by the opposition raembers, were very clearly corrected by
General Craufurd, who, however, indulged in a strain of pane
gyric that did credit to his excellence of heart, but was not
required on the occasion, for those who intentionally under
valued the services of Wellington, would not be convinced by any
reasoning, and those who were really ignorant would attach
but little iraportance to the fervid language of friendship. He
declared, however, " that Lord WeUington had foreseen and
provided for every thing that happened during that arduous
carapaign ; that he was adored in every country which had been
the seat of war — and was it only in his own that he should be
refused a reward ? If the question of his great raerits were
put to the army, they would, in support of them, almost fall
down and enthusiastically worship hira." It was urged by
several raerabers, in the course of this protracted opposition,
that the battle of Talavera was as valuable in its consequences,
as any other that had been fought during the war, and that, as
to the retreat of the British subsequently, in that respect it
was analogous to two of the raost raeraorable victories in
our history, Agincourt and Dettingen. — Entirely convinced of
the splendid talents of Wellington, General Loftus declined
any vindication of his conduct in the late carapaign, but came
forward to add the tribute of his adrairation of his private
character : " he believed that Lord Wellington was not rich ;
he knew that he had always been one of the raost liberal raen
in existence, and frora which he concluded, that the peerage,
with totally inadequate resources, would be a raere mockery,
on the part of his country."

ftaued'by G-'-BichnLoad,

TLi^r.r-td hf J J«JtC'-

"WIILL.VM "WILBERFORCi:. ESQ

KiaH"-fl 3r:r, ,t o" i.ONDOii ;- paRJS,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 319
Sir Francis Burdett confined his opposition almost exclu
sively to an attack upon rainisters, and, evincing as little fore
sight into coming events as the least able of his coadjutors,
regretted that Lord Wellington had not been made governor
of Portsraouth, or pushed into sorae other situation, as the
tellership of the exchequer, the salary of which would be an
equivalent for his past services. — The opposition of Mr. Whit
bread on this occasion was less candid, fair, and liberal than
usual: he recapitulated every arguraent that had been ad
vanced, however futile or groundless, against the grant; he
almost contradicted the very opinions he so frequently ex
pressed on former occasions, of the military skill of Lord Wel
lington. He denied that the gallant officer was a persecuted
man ; on the contrary, he had been loaded with honours, and
was beloved by the army ; but as he had an opportunity of
accuraulating wealth in India, it would be a scandalous pro
fusion and waste of public raoney to grant him a pension of
£2,000 per annum. — Mr. Wellesley Pole felt called upon to
set the House right as to Lord Wellington's circumstances,
and, in so doing, took occasion to mention, that so far from
his gallant brother " having fought for a peerage," that the
honour was altogether unexpected, and never solicited; and
that when the king was advised to raise him to the peerage,
the awkward task of choosing a title, without the least idea of
his brother's wishes on the subject, devolved on hira ; with re
spect to property, Lord Wellington was possessed of £20,000*
precisely. The cause of the absent general found araongst its sup
porters the raeek and araiable Wilberforce, who gave the
powerful aid of his clear reasoning powers, unalloyed by the
evil spirit of party, to its defence. He asked the House,
* The manner in which he acquired this sura was as follows : — At the tak
ing of Seringapatam, a grant of £5,000 ; after the Mahratta war, £25,000. ;
£4,000 as Civil Commissioner in the Mysore ; and £2.000 arrears of pay. These
sums, with interest, made £43,000, which he brought from India. Of these
sums he had expended £3,000at this period, and had settled £20,000, together
with £6,000, her own fortune, on the Viscountess Wellington.

320 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
whether if Lord Wellington had devoted the great talents
which it was confessed belonged to him, to the profession of the
bar, or to any other liberal pursuit in society, he would not
have rendered them infinitely raore productive than it appeared
he had done by actively eraploying thera in the service of his
country ? Would the country be reconciled to that House, he
deraanded, if it acted illiberally towards such a raan ? IlUbe-
rality in the then state of Europe, would not only be unjust
but irapolitic. He had chosen a profession pregnant with
risk, and which led alone to danger and to farae. That farae
he had secured ; but would his country leave him to the enjoy
ment of that farae, accorapanied by want? Would an exaraple
so degrading to national character, injurious to national
interests, calculated to darap the spirit of that array upon
which the country relied for the recovery of peace, be now
presented ? He (Mr. Wilberforce) had been inforraed by
persons who were corapetent judges, that there was not li'ving
a raore perfect soldier than Lord WelUngton. That gallant
officer was as forward to share the fatigues, as he was the
dangers, of the troops under his coramand. His coraprehensive
raind erabraced every departraent of the array ; he was truly
the soldier's friend. He attended to their coraforts, he pro
vided for their necessities, and gained their confidence without
forfeiting the esteera of the officers. — It," was the opinion of Mr.
Windhara, who was equally independent in that House as the
strenuous advocate for justice, huraanity, and truth, who
preceded hira, that no one could seriously doubt the raerits of
Lord Wellington, or his just clairas to the honour that had
been conferred upon him by the king ; and those who wished
to detract frora thera had nothing to oppose but uncertain
deraerit He did not, however, see the necessity for granting
hira a pension. Ungenerous comparisons had been instituted
between the services of Nelson and WeUington ; he would not
foUow that improper course, because he did not look upon
comparisons as the true raode of rewarding valorous deeds,
but he had always been of opinion that Nelson bad not been
sufficiently rewarded by his country. — Mr. Canning agreed

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 321
with the last speaker, that Nelson deserved a higher honour
for the victory of the Nile ; but he would not degrade the
honours of WelUngton, to raeet the scanty portion which the
noble and brave admiral had obtained. Should the flag of
France, which for years had not been able to look that of Eng
land in the face, by any hazard obtain a partial victory, or
even offer a successful resistance, would Napoleon be blamed
for exalting the adrairal who should acquire it to a dukedora,
a principality, or any other transcendent dignity ? Only two
years before, it had been said within the walls of parliaraent,
that we could never meet France in the field with an army.
The victories of Wellington had disproved this imputation
on our valour and spirit, re-established our military character,
and retrieved the honour of the country, which was before in
disgrace. If the systera of bestowing peerages was to be
changed, and the House of Lords peopled only by the succes
sors to hereditary honours, Lord Wellington certainly would
not be found there : but he would not do that noble body the
injustice to suppose that it was a raere stagnant lake of col
lected honours, but that it was occasionally to bejrefreshed by the
adraission oi fresh strearas. It was the prerogative of the
crown to confer the honour of a peerage — it should be the
duty of that House to give to honour independence. " If the
war was to be prosecuted," said Mr. Canning, " we have a
proud assurance, in the talents and services of Lord Wellington,
and the bravery of our arraies, that we are competent to con
tend with the enemy on his own eleraent. If peace is to be
established, we shall corae out of the war with the conscious
ness of having obtained, not a partial triuraph, but coraplete
and unqualified glory." With these observations the struggle
concluded ; the House divided, and the raotion was carried by
a majority of one hundred and seven.
England, Lord Wellington observed, from her insular posi
tion, was not a railitary nation ; and, incapable of looking to
the cool, cautious, prosecution of a ten-years' war, they con
sidered that the arm of victory was only properly applied when
the beaten enemy were pursued, and either taken or destroyed.

322 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
They had not patience under the continuance of a series of
raanoeuvres, the ultimate end of which was known to its authors
solely, and to thera the retirement of an army was synonymous
with defeat. When first the British array landed in Portugal,
the people of England looked for nothing but disgrace ; they
estimated too highly the character of the French troops, and
they were conscious of the inexperience of their own ; but
when the victories of Wellington had raade thera acquainted
with success, defeat was no longer tolerable, and despair was
succeeded by confident assurance. Tho convention of Cintra
disappointed the hopes of the nation. The failure of the
Walcheren expedition was an awful public calaraity: the
skilful retreat of Sir J. Moore, a brave, experienced, and
popular officer, although the array was saved, did not satisfy,
because it was a retreat ; and frora the retireraent of the array
after the battle of Talavera, they now argued that a victory
could not have been obtained. In this illogical reasoning they
were injudiciously confirmed by the conduct of one of the most
violent oppositions that ever resisted the moveraents of our
governraent : and so deeply was the venora of their virulence
diffused through the capital, already discontented at the
extinction of all hopes of a speedy close to the contest that
the coraraon-council of the city of London, carried along
with the current which a party in the House of parliaraent had
directed against Lord Wellington and his plans for the defence
of Portugal, in the first instance drew up a petition to the
crown, praying for an inquiry into the circurastances of the
late carapaign in the Peninsula, and subsequently entreated
the Coraraons House of Parliament not to grant to the gallant
defender of his country, a pension which his raajesty had
recoraraended. To those who are farailiar with the history of
raany nations, it will excite no surprise to find that Wel
lington's path to farae was much and frequently obstructed,
that injustice and ingratitude had often been his portion in
return for eminent services, and that those very acts of his life
which drew down upon him the heaviest censures he ever
received, are those by which he has imraortalized his name.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 323
and saved his country. Of this truth a sufficient demonstration
will be afforded by his own able vindication of his lengthened halt
in the vicinity of Badajoz, and of his apparent dilatoriiiess
previous to his retireraent behind the lines of Torres Vedras.
At this period, however, the outcry of party was loud against his
conduct : his forraer services were forgotten, he was taunted
with every species of raental infirraity, treason excepted, in the
raidst of which, both the violent attacks of doraestic eneraies, and
faithful and zealous support of his former friends, he displayed
that firraness and raagnaniraity which never forsook hira, and
saw that the clouds of folly would quickly evaporate, and the
calra light of reason return, and that he, too, in his turn, would
one day win over the uncertain people to his party. The
address of the City to the king being carried up to St. Jaraes's
on the fourteenth of December, 1809, experienced a fate which
will be found disclosed in a second petition, which the sheriffs
of London presented at the bar of the House of Coramons on
the twenty-sixth of February, 1810, against Lord Welling
ton's annuity bUl.* The first address has not been preserved
* A petition of the Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Coraraons of the city of
London, in coraraon-council asserabled, setting forth " That they have observed,
with grief and sorrow, that a bill has been ordered to be brought into the
House for granting a pension of two thousand pounds per annum, for the
term of three lives, to the Right Honourable Lord Viscount Wellington ; and
they beg to represent to the House, that a measure so extraordinary, in the pre
sent situation of the'country, under all the afflicting circumstances attending our
army in Spain and Portugal, under the command of that oiEcer, cannot but prove
highly injurious in its consequences, and no less grievous than irritating to the
nation at large ; and that on making these representations to the House, the
petitioners are urged, not more frora raotives of economy and vigilance in the
present period of difliculty and distress, than from an anxious desire that wheu
such marks of national gi atitude are bestowed upon any of the gallant de
fenders of their country, they shall be given in concurrence vvith the general
se.ntimcnts of the nation, and in strict conformity to the claims of the in
dividual ; and that, entertaining those sentiments, it is their painful duty to
state to the House, that, admitting to the utmost extent the valour of Lord
Wellington, the petitioners do not recognize in his railitary conduct any clairas
to this national remuneration ; and that, in the short period of his services in
Europe, not amounting to two years, they have seen his gallant efforts in
Portugal lead only to the disgraceful and scandalous convention of Cintra, a
transaction, the sound of which must be ever hateful to British ears, and which

324 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
in any of the parliaraentary papers, because it was never
received by his raajesty, but is to be found in the public journals-
of that date ; it stated, that, " adraitting the valour of Lord
has fixed an indelible stain on the character and honour of the country ; and
that in Spain the petitioners have seen the valour he displayed in repulsing the
French at Talavera, with immense loss of lives, produce no other conse
quence than his almost iramediate and rapid retreat, under the mortifying and
disastrous circumstances of being compelled to leave his sick and wounded
to the care of his enemy : and that, as yet, the petitioners have witnessed no
inquiry into either of those campaigns ; and they conceive it to be due to
the nation, before its resources shall be thus applied, that the most rigid
inquiry should be made why the valour of its army had been thus so use
lessly and unprofitably displayed : and that, in addition to the reasons the
petitioners have stated against this lavish grant of the public money to Lord
Wellington, they beg leave to remind the House, that this officerwas employed
in India for several years, irt a variety of services, by far the most profitable
that can fall to the lot of a British officer : and that himself and family pos
sessed for a long period of time, in that quarter of the world, the most
ample means of securing to themselves the most abundant fortunes : and that
since their return to Europe, the family has been in constant possession of the
most lucrative offices and emoluraents ofthe state: and the petitioners have
seen Lord Wellington hiraself enjoy the singular advantage of holding one of
the greatest civil offlces of the govemraent, whilst he was in the exercise of
his military command in Portugal : and they beg to state to the House, that the
Lord Mayor, Aldermen, and Livery of London did agree to petition the king for
a rigid, impartial, and general inquiry into the plans upon which the expeditions
to Spain and Portugal were undertaken, as well as of that to Holland, and
into the conduct of the commanders to whom they were entrusted : and that in
direct violation of these established rights, the Lord Mayor (Thomas Srayth)and
sheriffs, when they attended to deliver the said petition to the king at levee,
were denied a personal audience of his raajesty ; that they beg to impress it
on the House that such right was never before questioned or denied, and they
were thereby prevented from laying their just coraplaints and grievances before
their sovereign : and they conceive it to be a high aggravation of the mis
conduct of his majesty's un2mncipled ani incapable advisers, that they have not
only placed a barrier between the king and the people, but on the very face of
these complaints, and in contempt and defiance of public opinion, advised his
majesty to recoraraend to parliaraent the said grant to Lord Wellington ; and
that when the petitioners take all these circurastances into consideration, when
they reflect, too, that the unanimous and grateful feelings of this country have
never been appealed to for any sirailar remuneration to the family of the ever-
to-be-lamented Sir J. Moore, who, after a long career of railitary glory, in the
constant perforraance of his railitary duties, and receiving only his ordinary pay,
after having shed his blood in alraost every battle in wliich he was engaged, at
length, to the unspeakable loss of his afflicted country, he sacriflced his life in

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 325
Wellington, the petitioners can see no reason why any
recorapense should be bestowed on hira for his railitary
conduct. Profiting by no lessons of experience, regardless of
the inference to be drawn frora the disgraceful convention of
Cintra, and calaraitous retreat of Sir J. Moore, a third army,
well equipped, under the orders of Sir A. Wellesley, was pre
cipitated into the interior of Spain, with the sarae ignorance
of the force and raoveraents of the eneray. After an useless
display of British valour, and a frightful carnage, that army,
like the preceding one, was compelled to seek its safety in a
precipitate flight before an eneray, whora, we were told, had
been conquered, abandoning many thousands of our wounded
countryraen into the hands of the French. That calaraity,
like the others, has passed without inquiry, and,' as if their
long experienced irapunity had put the servants of the crown
above the reach of justice, rainisters have actuaUy gone the
length of advising your majesty to confer honourable distinc-
its defence : considering all these circumstances, the petitioners submit to the
House, that there can be neither reason nor justice in making the proposed
grant to Lord Wellington, and therefore pray that the bill for effecting that
purpose may not pass into a. law." — This petition, which was substantially
false, was, however, so far respected as to be ordered to lie on the table ofthe
House, and was supported by Mr. Whitbread, who considered " that the objec
tions to the grant were put in so plain, clear, full, and satisfactory a manner,
as could not fail of making a serious impression upon the mind of every unpre
judiced man." — Sir John Newport thought it "would have been well if
ministers had rewarded the services of Lord Wellington by the sinecure
place of tellership of the exchequer, instead of burdening the country vvith an
additional weight ; while Sir W. Curtis, an alderman of the city of London,
expressed his unqualifled disapprobation of the petition, and voted for the
grant." — The petition to the king for inquiry, and that still more ungracious
one to the Coraraons, to suspend their bounty, appeared to have originated with
a Mr. Favell, who comraented with the utmost severity upon the conduct of
ministers, with whom he was resolved to identify Lord Wellington. It was,
however, strongly supported by the Lord Mayor ( Srayth), Alderman Combe,
Messrs. Waithman, Quin, Jones, and Mr. Sheriff Wood; while Sir W. Curtis,
Sir J. Shaw, and Mr. Sheriff Atkins, who opposed the petition, were unable to
obtain a hearing. On the twenty-third of February, at a court of coraraon-
council, Mr. Waithraan moved that the petition be presented ; but, notwith
standing the claraour and violence of his party, the motion was carried by a
majority of seven only.
II. 2u

326 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
tions on a general, who has thus exhibited, with equal rashness
and ostentation, nothing but an useless valour." This indis
creet docuraent, in which the British soldiers are not styled
his raajesty's subjects, but the petitioners' countrymen, although
rejected with indignation, was inconsiderately given to the public
papers, from which it was transcribed into the colurans of the
Moniteur journal, " where it now remains among many other
documents which their authors would wiUingly consign to
oblivion, but which history, looking to the encouragement of
strenuous virtue under unmerited obloquy, in future times,
deems it its first duty to bring prominently to light."
Ungenerous and irapolitic as were these attacks upon the
conduct of the general officer at the head of our best disciplined
array, even their personalities failed to produce an effect upon
his raind injurious to the discharge of his duty : when raade
acquainted with the character of the debate upon the king's
raessage respecting hiraself, and the raotions for inquiring
into the expedition to the Scheldt, he thus addressed Lord
Liverpool : " With respect to horae politics, I acknowledge
I do not like thera ; and I ara convinced the government can
not last. What has passed in parliament respecting rae, has
not given rae one raoraent's concern, as far as I am personally
involved ; and, indeed, I rejoice at it, as it has given my
friends an opportunity of setting the public right upon some
points on which they had not been informed, and on others
on which the misrepresentations had driven the truth from
their raeraories. But I regret that raen like Lord  , and
others, should carry the spirit of party so far, as to attack an
officer in his absence, should take the ground of their attack
frora Cobbett and the Moniteur, and should at once blarae
him for circumstances and events over which he could have
had no control ; and faults which, if they were coraraitted
at all, were not coraraitted by hira." Strictly attentive to
etiquette in aU public raatters, as he has always been cautious
in private correspondence. Lord Wellington, on the sixth of
March, acknowledged the receipt^of the speaker's letter, cora
raunicating to hira the vote of thanks which had passed the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 327
House, on the first of February, but, being couched in language
so cold and forraal, that it rather indicated soraething of
wounded feeUng.
The British array still continued to acquire strength .n their
fixed quarters, and, with the approach of spring, felt thankful
for the renewed health, which the milder season, more
wholesome food, and necessary rest, had brought thera ; the
works for the defence of Lisbon rapidly progressed ; the cora
mander-in-chief distributed on all sides his salutary counsels,
and repeated his solicitations to his sovereign for succours,
for money, for continued confidence. His requests had never
been denied, if the power actually accorapanied the prerogative,
but he had still to endure the raortification of hearing that his
plans were analyzed by the incompetent and bigoted, and
raotives imputed to hira by the prejudiced and factious.
Meanwhile operations before Cadiz proceeded with an unac
countable languor, and the apathy of the eneray gave the junta
time sufficient to send for that obstinate, but loyal, old public
servant, Cuesta, and request the assistance of his experience
both in the cabinet, and the operations of defence. But the idea
was absurd; Cuesta was inthe winterof his years, he hadenjoyed
but little of life's summer's sun : the misfortunes of his country
had imbittered his existence, and so clouded his farewell hours,
that acerbity and moroseness characterized those years that
should have been marked with resignation and tranquillity.
The point to which Cuesta directed his perverted talents,
during his residence at Cadiz, was a coarse vUification of the
dismembered junta, who replied with much truth and raore
spirit, yet were unable to rescue their reputation frora the
folly, ingratitude, and injustice of having suspected Albu
querque, and deprived Romana of his well-earned comraand
at Badajoz. Sullen and silent suffering was sustained by the
besieged, but so inconsiderable corapared to the privations of
the Saragossans, and to those ofthe gallant garrison of Gerona,
that even their own historians have not chronicled the events*
In February, however, a terapest drove some Spanish ships on
shore, when the eneray raaking a rapid descent, took con-

328 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
siderable booty, and not a few prisoners, but the Spaniards
succeeded in setting fire to the vessels that could not be got
off. With this event alone, of any raoraent, the month of
February passed away. March carae, and with it an English
envoy, Mr. H. WeUesley, with araple powers, and a British
general, Sir Thoraas Grahara, of acknowledged abilities. The
works that had been constructed appeared to those function
aries totally inadequate, and it was proposed that the British
engineers should proceed to reconstruct, and secure the
defences, on proper principles. There was a little fortalice
called Matajorda, raounting only seven guns, but so situated
that its fire continually galled the eneray in their labours, and
frora which they had once before been driven. To retake this
building was a point of honour, and an object of necessity.
About fifty pieces of heavy ordnance were concentrated upon
Matajorda, and its feeble raasonry was seen to trerable, and
stone by stone to fall away, leaving the brave little garrison of
one hundred and fifty raen exposed to the terapest of balls,
and the sheet of flarae that issued frora the fiery raouths of
a whole battery of guns. When sixty brave raen had been
sacrificed to no purpose, when thirty hours had rolled over the
heads of the survivors in the scorching atraosphere of flame
and fire. General Graham* carried away the remnant of the
garrison, and ordered the bastion to be blown up. This
burst of devotion to their king was succeeded by the same
inactivity that previously characterized the siege : the French
cavalry foraged in the vicinity of Gibraltar, but Sir Colin
Campbell, governor of the rock, sent a detachraent to Tarifa,
which succeeded in driving thera away. A just providence
now restored fifteen hundred raen tb that liberty of which they
were dishonestly deprived by the Spaniards : these unhappy
victims were araongst the surrenderers at Baylen, and grounded
their arms on the security of Spanish faith, that they should
be perraitted to return to France ; but to the eternal disgrace
of the Spanish government, their plighted word was not
* Afterwards Lord Lynedoch, G.C.B. whora Lord Wellington considered to
be " a most able and active otlicer," vide. Vol. I. p. 277.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 329
observed, and the prisoners were committed to the hulks at
Cadiz. Here they continued to pine in hopeless raisery until
the siege of Cadiz was sorae months old, when, some of them,
raore adventurous than the rest, cut the cables, and let the
hulks drift, with a heavy gale then blowing, to the opposite side
of the harbour : the whole fleet pointed their guns against
the flotilla, and boats were raanned, and sent to obstruct their
object ; but in vain, the sea was too rough for a boat to live in,
and the terapest that blew was so swift and so strong, that the
hulks soon grounded, and the captives were set free. In this
state of fluctuating fortune affairs continued, and were likely to
continue ; the humber of the English garrison, the quality of
the troops, and the ability of the comraander, forming a com
bination too potent for the best efforts of Victor's army.
The designs of the enemy in the central and northern parts
of Spain had been seen through by Lord Wellington, who en
deavoured to frustrate them by defensive measures, but exhi
bited no desire to advance. His army seemed waiting anxiously
around his tent, until he should have concluded the necessary
duties of the bureau, to follow wherever his cautious and raa
tured plans should direct their steps. To raar the plots laid for
the reduction of Ciudad Rodrigo had all along been a favourite
object of the coramander-in-chief, knowing that it was the key
to Portugal at that point, would intercept communication with
the north, control Castile, and prove fatal to the Almeidans : his
future raoveraents therefore, previous to the retireraent of the
British behind the celebrated lines, were all raade relatively to
the relief of Ciudad Rodrigo and Alraeida.
The invasion of Andalusia was but a part of the grand design
of over-running and subduing the Peninsula, with numerous
corps under experienced generals, and simultaneously. Of those
operations that are raore iraraediately connected with our ob
jects, perhaps the attack upon Astorga is the raost important.
In the month of September, Loison had been repulsed from
that place, with much disgrace, by Santocildes the governor, who
imraediately after coraraenced the restoration of the raassive
old works that surrounded the town, and his hopes of future

330 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
resistance were still further strengthened when he perceived
the value of those raodern works, that had been added during
the retreat of Sir John Moore upon Corunna. Junot had
calculated upon the reduction of this little indefensible post,
and, asserabling in front of its infirra walls a force of twelve
thousand raen, and sixty or seventy heavy guns, commenced
systematic operations. The activity of Santocildes irapeded for
upwards, of a month, the formation of batteries, but, at day
break on the twentieth of April, they opened with so rauch
effect that a breach was soon made on the north side of the
town : this, however, was instantly filled up again by the walls
of an old house, which the besieged threw down into the open
ing, by which they were enabled to resume their fire, and to con
tinue it without any interruption during the night Junot on
the following day suraraoned Santocildes to surrender, promis
ing humane treatment to the inhabitants, and the most honour
able terms of capitulation; but the governor remained un
moved, and the batteries were opened once raore. The shells
that were thrown into the town did irreraediable raischief, break
ing in the house-tops, and setting fire to the cathedral : in the
raidst of the confusion an assault was ordered ; the storming
party rushed up into the breach, which they found stockaded,
and resolutely defended ; but, continuing their desperate attack
under a close fire from both flanks, and frora the houses in
front, three hundred raen were shot in the breach, before either
advance or retreat could be effected : at this critical raoraent,
when the destruction of the whole party seeraed inevitable, an
opening was found into the ruins, where the party raade a
lodgraent, and thp ammunition of the townsmen being exhaust
ed, the governor considered further resistance vain. His con
duct however, entitled hira to the raost honourable treatraent,
and such was the respect in which he was held by Marshall
Junot, for the defence he had raade, that he desired his sword
should be returned, adding, " So brave araan should not be with
out one," and granted the towns-people security of person and
property. Astorga fell, but the Spaniards lost no glory in its
faU, the enemy having two thousand five hundred raen kiUed

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 331
during the short siege, and they would, raost likely, have failed
in its reduction but for the want of araraunition in the town.
Content with his conquest Junot raarched away into Old Castile,
where the corps of Ney, Kellerman, Regnier, and Loisson had
assembled, and where the carapaign had actually begun ;
and raoveraents coraraenced on the Portuguese frontiers. The
advanced posts of the French army, in the early part of the
month of March, were on the Agueda, and the raain body on the
Torraes : the British advanced posts were also on the Agueda,
under the comraand of Brigadier-General R. Craufurd, who
was to observe the enemy's raoveraents between that river and
the Coa, while Lord Wellington was at Viseu. On the night of
the nineteenth of March direct hostUities between the French
and English were resuraed, for the first tirae since the raeraora
ble day of Talavera, by an attack on the British post at Barba
del Puerco, which was occupied by four companies of the ninety-
fifth, or rifle brigade, under the coramand of Lieutenant-Colonel
Beckwith.* Opposite the Barba is the village of San FeUces,
and the bridge, that opens a coraraunication between these
places, is the only one upon the river Agueda below Ciudad
Rodrigo : recent heavy falls of rain had sv.'olii the streara so
rauch that it was now nowhere fordable. The enemy had
collected a brigade of infantry in San FeUces, and, under cover
of the darkness, six hundred men advanced to the bridge, made
the sentinels prisoners, and were pushing forward, when a picquet
posted amongst the rocks, fired upon them so closely, that they
were repulsed with the loss of two officers, seven raen killed, six
pioneers and thirty firelocks taken: Lieutenant Mason and three
privates were killed on the side of the British; and the con
duct of Beckwith, and of the companies under his comraand,
highly applauded by the coramander-in-chief. This slight
affair was magnified by the French into an action of iraportance,
" in which the English had been routed at the point of the
bayonet." It raay not be unnecessary to recapitulate here
* Afterwards Lieutenant-General Sir Sydney Beckwith, K.C.B. He was
subsequently appointed to the chief comraand of the forces at Bombay, and died
on that station.

332 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
soraething of the positions occupied by the British after the fall
of Astorga, the junction of the French corps, the affair of posts
at Barba del Puerco, and the advance of the eneray upon
Ciudad Rodrigo. It will be reraerabered that General Hill
was placed at Abrantes and Portalegre, to direct a raoveable
position, and observe the eneray to the south of the Tagus :
Picton was at Pinhel ; divisions were also posted atCelerico, and
Guarda, and Viseu ; and Thoraar was occupied by Beresford
and the Portuguese : Alraeida, Elvas, and Algarve were gar
risoned by the Portuguese, and railitia of that nation were
stationed in the strong places of Estraraadura : the raain body
of the British forraed the centre of this disposition, while the
allies, now well disciplined, were in the wings, and the whole
force could be concentrated on the centre in a few hours' time.
Pontoon bridges, at Abrantes and Zezere, facilitated the opera
tions of Hill's division, and coramunication was maintained
with Castel Branco by raeans of a fiying bridge at Villa Velha.
The British force under Lord Wellington, before the opposition
party in England becarae conscious of their foolish, and un
generous, representation of his conduct and services, did not
exceed twenty-five thousand men, and the organized Portu
guese under Beresford amounted to just thirty thousand. To
oppose which, the eneray had upwards of one hundred thou
sand effective raen, within a few hours' march of his position,
and were actuaUy comraencing the invasion of Portugal with
seventy thousand veteran soldiers.
Ruraours were afioat, that so vast a force, so raany raarshals
of the erapire, and a prize of so rauch worth as the throne of
Portugal, were honours too great to be conferred on other than
iraperial rank, and that Napoleon was actually hastening from
the subjugation of central Europe, to conquer and enslave the
Peninsula. The jealousies that had so long existed araongst
the French generals gave, to this report, the character of pro
bability at least, and those who felt that their own chance of pro
raotion was uncertain, envied the great lot to all others, and
secretly wished for the eraperor's presence. Whether Napoleon
ever really entertained the thought, whether his recent mar-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 333
riage and cares of his erapire diverted hira frora this object,
is uncertain, but the selection of a coraraander-in-chief for the
invasion of Portugal strongly proved the opinion he had forraed
of the difficulty of the enterprise. His choice now fell upon
Massena, whora he had created Duke of Eslingen, in gratitude
forbis saving the French array at Aspem — whora he had raised
to a rank above the other raarshals of the empire, and whora he
fondly called " the favourite child of victory." In this general
were united the raiUtary governraents of Santander, Asturias,
Valladolid, and Salaraanca ; three corps d'arraee were placed
under his coramand, and, in the infiated military phraseology
of the iraperial school, this force was called " the array of
Portugal." It is not iraprobable, and cautious historians have
suggested the idea, that Napoleon intended to have rewarded
the long, able, and faithful services of his favourite general with
the throne of the House of Braganza, and, to ensure the con
quest of that kingdora, had provided hira with an array that
would seem to have been invincible from their numbers, dis
cipline, and valour. It is not extraordinary that the eraperor
should have calculated with so rauch confidence on success, when
he reflected upon the vast power he had placed in the skilful
hands of Massena, and saw the liraited araount of British, incor
porated with the legions of Portugal, whose prowess he set at
nought : besides, whatever laurels the British general had won,
his own countryraen, publicly, atterapted to tearf rora his brow,
whatever farae he had eamed for British arras, his fellow-
citizens declared tp have been the result of rashness rather
than reason — a sentiment which the French journals gladly
embraced, and pubUshed abroad to the world.
This combination of circumstances, leading apparently to the
inevitable conquest of Portugal, involving the destruction, or the
final expulsion, of the British frora that kingdora, increased the
fears of the tiraid in England, and seeraed to justify the wanton
attacks of the opposition upon WeUington's raUitary judgraent
In the early part of the year. Lord Wellington had applied for
reinforceraents to the secretary at war, and, sustained as he was
at that period by rainisters, his raajesty did not hesitate to send
II. 2x

33-4 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
a raessage to the Coraraons on the sixteenth day of February,
stating his intention of continuing the war in Portugal, and
deraanding pecuniary assistance frora the House for that
purpose. This message was taken into consideration in the
House of Lords, on the twenty- second of February, at the
instance of the Marquis Wellesley. His lordship stated that
the arrangements recommended proceeded on the general prin
ciples of the policy which had uniformly guided the conduct
of this country towards Portugal, as well as on that particular
policy which induced England to succour Spain, on the plan
of raaking the defence of Portugal auxiliary to that of Spain.
In the early part of those transactions which raenaced the
independence of Portugal, it was proposed to take ten thou
sand Portuguese troops into the pay of England, to be
coraraanded by British officers ; at a subsequent pierlod it was
judged expedient to add ten thousand raore to that number ;
and finally his majesty thought it prudent to increase the whole
araount to thirty thousand ; the charge for which was estiraated
at £930,000 per annura. Such was the general principle,
and such the actual conduct of this country to Portugal.
Now, if it appeared, said Lord Wellesley, that in proportion
to the improvement in their discipline the resistance of the
Portuguese should become more successful ; if their courage
and perseverance becarae raore resolutely displayed ; if, true to
herself, and confident in her own means, Portugal should
show no disposition to crouch to the enemy, or rely entirely
for deliverance on foreign aid, on the principle of our ancient
alliance with that country, England should be prepared to
afford her every aid and encouragement that could contribute
to animate her exertions and uphold her resolution. Recent
occurrences iUustrated this pohcy, and manifested the propriety
of observing its principles. When Napoleon first issued a
declaration threatening the invasion of Portugal, French
influence was predominant in Spain : Portugal possessed no
adequate means of resistance, and it was feared that the
designs of the enemy would be secretly favoured by the conni
vance of the Spanish governraent. Yet under these discour-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 335
aging circurastances, Great Britain not only promised her every
aid, but prepared a powerful army to co-operate in her resist
ance to the enemy : and this policy was supported by Mr. Fox,
a raan Pf transcendent abilities, and by Mr. Windhara, whose
talents were perhaps little inferior. There was no reason to
regret the adherence of this country to the policy originally
laid down towards our allies. The defence of Portugal was
now beneficial to Spain, and Portugal was also the raost ad
vantageous railitary position thatacould be occupied for that
purpose, whence it followed that the occupation of Portugal by
British troops was essential to any aid England could hope to
afford to Spain. If England had not changed her foreign
policy, and resolved upon deserting both Spain and Portugal
in this crisis of their fate, the parliament would not be justified
in refusing the raotion then submitted to them. Great
disasters had recently befallen the Spanish cause, and England
heard of thera with deep concern : still it was neither politic
nor just to raanifest our intentions of abandoning Portugal. To
withdraw our troops frora Portugal, at that raoraent, would
dispirit the country, and induce her to relax her efforts for her
own defence : it would cast over the councils of England, and
the hopes of Portugal and Spain, the hue and coraplexion of
despair : would tell thera that the hour of their fate was
arrived, that all atterapts to inspirit or assist were now of no
avail, that they raust bow the neck, and submit to the yoke of
a merciless invader. This would be to strew the conqueror's
path with flowers ; to prepare the way for his triumphal raarch
to the throne of the two kingdoms .
It was the deliberate opinion of Lord Wellesley that the
calamities and disasters which had befallen Spain were not
imputable to the people, but to the vices of their governraent :
and that it was the irabeciUty or treachery of that vile and
wretched government, that first opened the breach through
which the eneray entered into the heart of Spain : that de
livered into hostile hands all the strong fortresses of the
country, and betrayed her people, defenceless and unarmed,
into the power of a perfidious foe. If England should pre-

336 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
raaturely withdraw her troops frora Portugal, or retrace
the grounds upon which she had previously assisted her,
such conduct would justify Portugal iu relaxing her exertions,
and Spain in considering her cause as hopeless. His lordship
declared his conviction " that every raotive and principle of
good faith, justice, honour, and policy would concur in pointing
out, to the raerabers of that House, the propriety of continuing
to raaintain a British array in the Peninsula.
Lord Grenville replied to the eloquent reasonings of Lord
Wellesley in a speech of inordinate length and lugubrious
character. He called attention to those predictions which
had been despised, but nevertheless were all too fatally
fulfilled : his object, he said, was not a raere barren censure of
past errors, but, frora the consideration of those errors, to
conjure thera to rescue the country frora sirailar calaraities, to
pay sorae regard to the valuable lives of their fellow-citizens,
and to ask their lordships whether they were disposed to sit in
that House, day after day, and year after year, spectators of
the wasteful expenditure, and the useless effusion of so rauch
of the best blood of the country in hopeless, calaraitous and
disgraceful efforts. He was persuaded there was not one who
heard him, who, in his conscience, beUeved, that, ci'en the
sacrifice of the whole of that brave British army would secure
the kingdom of Portugal : and if he received from any person
an utisiccr in afiirnialion of that opinion, he should be able to
Judge by that aii.siver of fhe capacity of such a person for the
govcnuncnt of this country, or even for the transaction of
public bu.siness in a deliberative assemhli/. His lordship con
sidered the enterprise to be utterly impossible ; and he should
be asharaed, he protested, to waste the tirae of that House, by
dwelling upon the arguraents advanced by Lord WeUesley,
for the continuance of our railitary support to the cause of
the Portuguese. That Portugal could be defended by the
force under Lord WelUngton was a thing absolutely impos
sible ; and therefore it was that Lord GrenvUle perceived with
regret, that a measure of such, not only questionable, but
defective policy, should have been the first official act of the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 337
Marquis Wellesley. He was aware it might be said, that
Portugal, considered with respect to its geographical advan
tages, was capable of being effectually defended : he was not
afraid, however, to assert that against a power possessing the
whole means of Spain, as he supposed the French to do at that
moraent, Portugal, so far frora being the raost defensible, was
the least so of any country in Europe. He could not suppose
that a country so circumstanced, with a population without
spirit, and a. foreign general exercising little short of arbitrary
power within it, was capable of effectual defence ; and he
looked not to the experience of the last seventeen years, the
melancholy events of the last raonth would show how inefficient
the barrier of a rising ground proves to an invading enemy, in
the improved systera of warfare. He had no objection to afford
Portugal pecuniary relief, but he could never consent to the
continuance of the British array in Portugal, because he was
confident, that by so doing it would become exposed to the
same fate as that under Sir John Moore, or Lord Chatham,
and that in the prosecution of an object in which no man could
possibly expect success. — Lord Liverpool answered this prophet
of evil, by designating his opposition as " a dangerous and ira
politic appeal to the passions of the people, displaying to thera,
in aggravated colours, the losses, the burdens, they were called
on to support" To the outcry that was raised, of what has been
done for Spain ? he replied, " The British had gained the hearts
and affections of the whole population of Spain and Portugal :
an acquisition of which no triumphs, no successes of the enemy
could deprive them. In Portugal there was not a want of
British soldiers left unsupplied : in Spain, such was the deference
and perfect confidence reposed in our rainister, that their fleet
was placed under the orders of the British adrairal, effects
which a cold, cautious, phelgraatic policy would never have
produced — strong and signal proofs of affection, to which indif
ference would never have entitled us. So that whatever raight
be the issue of the Peninsular war, England would always
enjoy the proud satisfaction of having done her duty to her
allies." — The Earl of Moira (Marquis of Hastings) censured,

338 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
with rauch severity, the conduct of his raajesty's ministers, par
ticularly their foreign policy which he designated as betraying
want of judgment, foresight, and vigour ; and their resolution to
defend Portugal, the climax of error, the plan of defence being
irapracticable. " Nothing," he contended, " could be gained,
frora the atterapt, whilst the danger was certain. We should
be allowed to retain Portugal, under our present systera, just
so long as Buonaparte thought proper." — Lord Erskine de
clared, that as to the retention of Portugal, there seeraed to
him a sort of predestination in the case, that whenever the
French take any country or any prisoners, they shall have
some of our raoney also." — It was the opinion of Lord Holland,
that to save Portugal, " a great plan was necessary ; nothing
neutral or narrow, nothing minute, nothing teraporary could
enter into the principle of such a plan, but, for this, qualities
were requisite, which no man looked for in the rainistry :" his
lordship forgot to direct his investigation to the vicinity of
Torres Vedras, where a raaster-raind was then engaged in
designing the "great plan," and in prosecuting those very means
by which results were soon to be obtained, which his lordship's
party called irapracticable and impossible. The address, how
ever, was carried without a division, as Lord GrenviUe's amend
ment to neutralize its effect had been lost by a majority of thirty.
The opposition had displayed their strength, talents, and
desire of place, the last to a discreditable length, in the debates
upon the campaign of 1809; they now deterrained to illustrate
the extent to which general delusion raay prevail upon the
raost important events in history, and to show the difficulties
which Lord Wellington had to encounter abroad, accorapanied
by the raost heartless and ungrateful discourageraent at home.
It was a propitious circurastance, for the future destinies of
Europe, that ministers placed such perfect confidence in
the genius, the mental resources of Wellington, and possessed a
full conviction of the wisdom of his vast projects for the restor
ation of that balance of power amongst the kingdoms of Europe,
which the great military talents of Napoleon had destroyed ;
for, this conviction alone could have supported them, under

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 339
such continued vilification by the public press, and such pain
ful irapeachraent for incapacity, imbecility, and want of every
feeling of huraanity, by an able and popular opposition in par
Uaraent. The debate upon the carapaign, past and future,
was resumed on the ninth of March, with all the pertinacity
that characterized it at the beginning, upon Mr. Spencer Per
ceval's raoving the order of the day for the House going into
a coramittee of supply, "in order that he might submit a pro
position for granting £980,000, to be applied in providing for
the defence of Portugal :" traversing the oft-beaten ground of
argument in favour of continuing to fight the French on the
soil of Spain, rather than on the shores of England or Ireland,
he contended, that " as long as there should remain a hope of
success in Spain, it was obviously the best policy of this
country to keep up the spirit of resistance to the French
usurpation in the Spanish nation." By continuing our subsi
diary force there, the French would be necessitated to keep one
hundred thousand men ready to act against the allies ; by with
drawing, they would be enabled to overrun all Portugal with
ten thousand men, and be at liberty to direct the difference be
tween those amounts to conquest elsewhere. As long as Great
Britain did not separate herself from Spain, France would find
it extremely difficult to establish a tranquil dominion in the
Peninsula : her power there would be limited by the number
of her military posts, and it would require as large an array to
hold these as to raake a conquest of Spain. — The sinister fore
bodings of Sir John Newport were next injudiciously pro-
raulged. He considered that the Spaniards had not been true
to theraselves, that Spain was virtuaUy conquered, Cadiz alone
remaining in the possession of the provisional governraent :
and, if England should persevere in the rash project of training
thirty thousand Portuguese troops, he doubted not that a few
raonths would see the whole of that body annexed to the raili
tary force of Napoleon. — Mr. Leslie Foster took an able review
of the state of the Peninsula, touched upon the national
character of the Spaniard, and drew largely from history in sup
port of his matured opinions. He thought, that the difficulties.

340 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
in which the extraordinary circurastances of Spain had involved
her people, rendered a decision upon their character a raatter
of hesitation. To hira the affairs of the Peninsula appeared
nothing less than an enigraa. which it was no reflection on
any rainistry not to have understood : a revolution bursting
out at a period the least expected, exhibiting events in its
progress the raost singularly contradictory, and pregnant with
results which no raan could foresee. While EngUshraen boast
that they inherit and exhibit the spirit of their ancestors who
fought under our Henrys and Edwards, it should be reraera
bered that the forefathers of the present Spaniards were
engaged in a contest which is without a parallel in the history
of the world : the expulsion of the Moors, which took place so
late as the reign of our Seventh Henry, was the fruits of seven
centuries of uninterrupted fighting, and of 3,600 battles, in
raost of which the Spaniards had been defeated. In the beaten
but persevering Spaniards of these days, Mr. Foster thought we
raight venture to trace the descendants of those peculiar war
riors, as easily as we recognize the sons of the conquerors of
Cressy and of Agincourt in the English who fought at Talavera.
We raight trace the same individual fortitude and patience,
the same enthusiastic superstition, the sarae persevering insen
sibility of failure, and even the sarae absolute indifference as to
liberty, constitution, or cortes, that distinguished the conquerers
of the Moors. He defended the unequal courage of the
Spaniards by reference to the national charaeter through
centuries past, as well as by allusion to the prevalence of bad
governraent, priestcraft ignorance, and superstition, but denied,
and ingeniously supported his opinions, that our laurels in
Spain were barren. By our diversion in favour of central
Europe, which Lord Wellington's victories effected, the French
have lost in battle, in various countries, two hundred thousand
raen, and it would require three hundred thousand stiU, to conti
nue the war, and retain their position in the Peninsula : Brazil
and the western possessions of our allies were securely and last
ingly separated frora the eneray : the fleets ofthe Peninsula had
been rescued frora their grasp, and the honour and military

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 341
genius of England had been vindicated. Whenever the British
nation should declare " Funditus occidimus, neque habet
Fortuna regressum," he would acknowledge that the limit had
been reached, and self-preservation called on us to discontinue
the contest. But our beaten alUes did not yet despair, then why
should the victorious English ? It would be disgraceful to the
honoured name of Britain, that deserted Portugal should be
able to say, at a future day, " Whence these chains ? If you had
stood firra a little longer, if you had not so soon fainted, we
should not this day be in the power of our eneraies." This
gentleraan's opinions, clothed in the language of a scholar, and
bearing the irapress of an accoraplished statesraan, were heard
with fixed attention, and are believed to have confirraed many
that hesitated, but they failed in deterring the devoted partisans
of the opposition from accusing the rainisters of incapacity, or
from StUl further recording their own want of judgment
of impartiality, or candour. Few, however, were so unlucky in
their prophecies as Mr. Banks, who said " it appeared to him
quite roraantic to expect that a British array of twenty-five
thousand raen, even with whatever co-operation Portugal could
give, would be able to raaintain a war on the Peninsula, as
principals, against France." Had his evil genius directed hira,
he could not have raore accurately described as visionary,
roraantic, and irapossible, the glorious achieveraents which
WeUington subsequently proved to Europe were possible to
such a raind as his, although inconceivable by faculties that
were raore limited. With some little explanation of the mis-
stateraents that were imputed to him, in the department of
finance, as regarded the supply of our railitary chests in Por
tugal, Mr. Huskisson supported the raotion, which was carried
without a division, the araendraent having been rejected by a
large raajority.
Thus ended the unwise atterapt of the opposition in the
lower House, in the peculiar circumstances of Europe, to dis
courage the gallant efforts of the only man, to whora, by
comraon consent, all the eneraies of ambitious France looked
for assistance. It is vain to defend the conduct of the opposi-
II. 2y

342 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
tion on the ground that the adrainistration was irabecUe, or
corrupt ; the extraordinary difficulties in which the genius of
Napoleon had involved this country, did not adrait of this raode
of assailing the governraent: the iraputed raisconduct of
rainisters should not have been raixed up with the brave, and
decidedly successful, achieveraents of our array : the victories
of our troops should not have been undervalued ; on the con
trary, it would have become both sides of the House to have
learned frora the French government, "fas est ab hoste doceri,"
at least not to detract from the praise that is so hardly earned
by the soldier in the field of battle, by designating the well-
fought field of Talavera as " a doubtful contest, or a barren
victory". Such men as Lords Grey and Grenville should have
paused, before they lent the sanction of their names, the aid
of their abilities, and the weight of their popularity, to cry
down the glory of our arms, to discolour the verdure of our
laurels, and, by their public resistance to further grants for
the maintenance of the troops abroad, expose to the enemy
the real paucity of our numbers. Fortunately, however, the
mischievous consequences of their incautious declamation
were obviated by the incredulity and suspicion of the emperor
of the French, who falsely imagined that these patriotic noble -
raen would never have been guilty of betraying to the enemy
the weakness of their country's arras : he therefore looked on
it as an artifice practised for the purpose of delusion, a snare
laid for the deception and the capture of his Peninsular army.
A few days' respite being allowed to rainisters by the opposi
tion, the contest was resuraed in the House of Lords by Lord
GrenviUe on the thirtieth of March, in the sarae unfair and
injurious spirit : unfair as regarded Lord Wellington, whose
plans were unknown to his political .opponents ; injurious, as
exposing to the eneray the weakness of the British array, and
our want of confidence in both the Spanish and Portuguese.
The raost reraarkable circurastance connected with Lord
GrenviUe's attack on this occasion was its inconsistency ; the
whole tenor of a lengthened address being a criraination of
ministers, for having given publicity to the despatches from

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 343
our envoys in Spain, while every act of the party, with which
he was identified, contributed, in a raore raischlevous raanner,
to the same effect. — The Marquis Wellesley seized on the
advantage which this injudicious attack afforded : he regretted
the publication of docuraents bearing personal allusion to the
Spanish generals then engaged in the service of their country ;
but the distrust and the claraour of the opposition corapelled
rainisters to produce thera to the House; the publication,
therefore, was caused by those who subsequently raade their
contents the subject of debate : it was iraraaterial what reflec
tions were cast upon the central junta by the papers before
the House, as that body no longer existed; whatever incon
venience or evil therefore raight follow the publication of these
despatches, the opposition alone were responsible for; and
one advantage would undoubtedly attend it, which was, the
reraoval of an accumulation of error frora the rainds ofthe people
of England, as to the real cause of our victories in the Penin
sula being apparently barren. — Earl Grey followed in the
sarae strain of sarcasra, with which he had taunted and pursued
rainisters from the comraenceraent of the session, iraputing,
however, a larger share of blarae, personally, to Lord Welling
ton, than any other raeraber had the boldness to do : he insinu
ated that the gallant coraraander at Talavera was corapletely
raistaken in attributing Venegas' moveraents to the secret
instructions of the junta ; the real explanation of his conduct
being referable to his knowledge of the scarcity of provisions
in the French army. His lordship concluded by declaring
that the ministers " had been guilty of- a great crime in pro
ducing the despatches in question, and that Lord Wellesley
had, in consequence, shown himself totally insufficient to dis
charge the duties of the situation he then filled." It was only
on the sixth day frora the utterance of this sentiraent, that
the sarae nobleraan, in his place in parliaraent, called upon the
sarae rainister for the production not only of those papers
received frora Spain .> ince his accession, to office, but those
transraitted to his predicessor also.
In this untoward n anner the government of England pro-

344 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
ceeded in its raeasures of foreign poUcy : every plan pro
posed by ministers, in the Upper House, encountered the oppo
sition of Lords Grey and GrenviUe, to whose custody the popu
lar party had confided their cause : in the Coraraons, the oppo
sition was raore decided, probably, if talent alone were taken
into account ; and, without the walls of parliaraent, the city of
London contributed the weight of their declaration, as repre
sentatives of the greatest coramercial city in the world, to echo
the sentiraents of the opposition. This heavy discouragement
merely tested the worth of the great man, whose splendid views
of railitary glory seeraed to acquire greater firraness by pressure,
as solid, and substantial bodies are accustoraed to do : his zeal
continued unabated ; he raised his hand in a raonitory, not a
menacing raanner, against his countryraen : he only prayed a
patient hearing, a favourable construction of his raotives : he
pitied their folly, their fatuity ; he felt an inward ability to sur
mount all obstacles ; he saw the rays of hope shine clearly
through the dark veil of ills that overshadowed Portugal : he
hailed the omen, like the eraperor of the East, and fell pros
trate before his destiny, but rose to conquer. Field operations
were suspended by the British, but raental activity prevailed :
Wellington, HiU, and Beresford exercised the most vigilant
watchfulness, but caution, and prudence, and wisdom could
accoraplish no raore than these gallant officers had already
perforraed. They could not resist the vast wave that was
accuraulating, and rolling on its raajestic volurae over the petty
arraies of Spain, overwhelraing thera irresistibly and for ever :
they could not rise against the thunderbolt, and brave its
raighty shock ; the insignificance of their physical strength ren
dered opposition as vain as that of finite to infinite : it only
reraained for thera to retire before the approaching deluge into a
secure haven, and allow the surges to expend their fury upon
every object that irapeded thera : it was the better part of valour
to escape into the raountain-cave, and abide the wrath of the
heavens. The British continued to display a species of passive
courage by keeping within their entrenchraents, while the " en
fant gate de la victoire," led on the chosen bands ofthe iraperial

Painted by Sir Tho^ Lawrence. R A

Engrarel by T.A.Dean.

1LA-J« GElfT- STR HENRY' TORRElfS , K.C.B fcc.

flSflJ5':R, SOB" it C? LOTHrnOK". 1040,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 345
army to the invasion of Portugal and expulsion of the British
from the Peninsula, which Massena pledged hiraself to accom
plish within the limit of three brief months. The first point of
attack to which the new coraraander-in-chief directed his
efforts was Ciudad Rodrigo, the ancient Lancia, or Mirobrigia,
one of the old frontier, fortified towns, at which the Spanish
array formerly rendezvoued, when the two Peninsular kingdoms
were at war. Upon this point Lord Wellington had looked
with deep, but silent anxiety, for a length of tirae, as of the
utraost consequence in retarding the progress of the eneray,
and valuable in consuraing their strength by every species of
petty warfare and obstruction. The separation of the iraraense
French array, which the scarcity of provisions rendered neces
sary, was observed by Wellington, who augured well to his de
fensive raeasures frora that inevitable event; and, although
he preserved the raost rigid silence upon this subject, on the
actual theatre of war, he disclosed his sentiraents fully in the
following despatch addressed tb Sir Henry Torrens, then raili
tary secretary to the coraraander-in-chief. " The French threaten
us on all points, and are raost desirous to get rid of us. But
they threaten upon too many points at a tirae, to give me rauch
uneasiness respecting any one in particular, and they shall
not induce rae to disconnect ray array. 1 ara in a situation in
which no raischief can be done to the array, or to any part of
it ; I am prepared for all events : aud if I am in a scrape, as
appears to be the general belief in England, although certainly
not ray own, I'll get out of it."
Ciudad Rodrigo, or the city of Roderick, was built by
Ferdinand II. as a rarapart against Portugal, frora the frontiers
of which it is distant about eight miles : when the French ap
proached in I8I0, the works were weak, the rarapartsold, and
flanked raerely by afew towers raountinghght guns : many points
in thevicinity coraraanded the town; there were no borab-proofs;
and the governor was obliged to eraploy the church as a pow
der magazine : four convents and numerous gardens in the
suburbs favoured the operations of a besieging array ; the popu
lation at this period did not exceed five thousand, and the garri-

346 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
son did not even araount to this nuraber. The enemy appeared
before this bicoque, as Lord Wellington designates it in a letter
to his brother, on the twenty- sixth of April, and six thousand
men encaraped on a height called Pedro Toro ; a second divi
sion arrived on the thirtieth, and on the eleventh of June the
investraent was coraplete ; on the fifteenth the eneray broke
ground before the walls, and opened their fire against thera on
the twenty-fourth of June. The perseverance of the British in
raaintaining their position so imraediately in the vicinity, frus
trated the designs concocted between Joseph and Massena,
and corapelled the latter to asserable fifty-six thousand effec
tive raen, before the ruined raraparts of an almost dispeopled
city, and to place at their head Generals Ney, Junot, and
Montbrun. At the comraenceraent of 1810 Lord Welling
ton entertained sorae doubt of the fidelity of the governor,
who was, at his desire, removed, and Don Andrea Perez de
Herrasti, the friend and corapanion of Mariano Alvarez, ap
pointed to succeed him. This brave patriot was " a veteran
of fifty years' service, whose silver hairs, dignified countenance,
and courteous raanner excited respect, and whose courage,
talents, and honour were worthy of his venerable appearance."
While the investraent was proceeding, the French suffered
serious annoyance frora the operations of a guerilla-band of
about one hundred lancers, led on by Julian Sanchez. The
sword of this desperate raan was sharpened by the atrocities
of his eneraies, who, having entered the cottage where he was
born, butchered, without remorse, his father, mother, and sister :
just as the raurderous act was accoraplished, Sanchez arrived,
slew the French colonel who had ordered his parents to be
assassinated, and, raising the bloody weapon towards the hea
vens, pronounced a vow that it should never again be sheathed
until Spain was free. The guns on the town-wall did sorae
execution, and Ney now found it necessary to shelter his
raen raore carefully than he had done at first : this was accora
plished by digging a nuraber of holes, in which sharp-shooters
were placed, to pick down the gunners and sentinels. Upon
the arrival of Massena, who quickly perceived that Ney's mode

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 347
of assault was faulty, the town was suraraoned to surrender
by a proclaraation, in words nearly as follows : " This last
suraraons is by order of the Prince of Essling, whose honour
and huraanity are well known, but who, if the defence be
vainly prolonged, will be corapelled to treat the besieged
with all the rigour authorized by the laws of war. If they
ever entertained any hope of succour frora the EngUsh, they
raight now dismiss it altogether, for Wellington would not
have permitted thera to be reduced to their then deplorable
state, had he the reraotest intention of advancing to their relief.
It only reraained for them, therefore, to choose between an
honourable capitulation and the vengeance of a victorious
array. To this porapous notice, the venerable Herrasti replied as
becarae so brave a raan and loyal soldier : " After forty-nine
years' service, I could not be ignorant of the laws of war and
my own military duties : whenever the fortress is reduced to
such a state as to render capitulation necessary, I will apply
for terms, first securing my honour, which is dearer to me than
life." This noble answer was the signal for the renewal of the
cannonade, which was continued, without one hour's cessation,
until the first of July, when the mode of attack was changed,
and the parallels pushed forward to the lesser Tesson. This
step was succeeded by the capture of the nunnery of Santa
Cruz, after a raost desperate resistance, by the blowing up of
the counterscarp, and finally by breaching the walls for an
extent of thirty feet at least. The patience with which the
aged governor endured the privations and sufferings of the
siege, reconciled the citizens to their lot, and the exaraple
of Sanchez excited the emulation of the young. Begirt by
such a force, with so sraall a garrison, his araraunition and
provisions being nearly exhausted, and the town laid open by
a practicable breach in the walls, Herrasti felt that the hour
had arrived at which capitulation became his duty. Before,
however, the reluctant surrender of his power, he called the
brave Sanchez before him, told hira his country would yet
require his services, and desired hira to take his little troop of
lancers, and escape into the open plains. The guerilla-

348 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
chief subraitted to the fortune of his country, and, asserabling
his followers in the Plaza, he ordered thera to prepare for the
expedition. At raidnight they sallied frora the gate, and, with
a chivalrous spirit, charging a cavalry post, they routed the
party, and took eight prisoners, •' Two woraen who rode be
hind their husbands, were arraed with pistols ; and one of thera,
Marta Fraile, saved her husband, by shooting a French dra
goon who rode up to attack hira."
The town was now alraost burned down, defence was hope
less, and the eneray pressed on the siege with raore activity
and greater sacrifice of lives, every hour. At this crisis in the
siege, three French soldiers, with a degree of enthusiasm
superior still to courage, rushed frora the ranks, ascended the
breach, looked over the sraoking ruins of the town, and, in the
broad Ught of day returned to their corapanions without injury.
A general assault would have succeeded this extravagant act
of bravery, and every soul in Ciudad Rodrigo would, in a few
moraents, have been required to appease the fury of a raerci
less raultitude, had Hot the gallant Herrasti hung out the
white flag at the very raoraent that Ney was coraraencing the
assault. The officer who carried the terras of capitulation first
presented thera to Ney, who declined to receive thera, adding,
" it was now too late." He next addressed Massena, who com
manded him to tell the governor that he granted all that he re
quired. After the surrender, however, the Marshal disgraced
his high rank by violating his pledge. Herrasti and the
junta were firs imprisoned, and then sent to Salamanca; the
clergy were arrested, and confined in the church of St. Juan ;
a heavy contribution was levied on the town's-people, who
were compelled to labour incessantly at the complete erasure
of the fortifications ; it evinced a littleness of mind, to which
it raight reasonably have been concluded that the Prince of
Essling was superior, to vaunt so loudly and so long over the
fall of this conteraptible fortress ; yet it is certain, that, in his
despatches, he magnified the exploit into one, that valour, and
skill, and fortune such as his, alone could accoraplish, and
incorporating, artfully, the raeanest falsehoods relative to Wel
lington's conduct, he endeavoured to exasperate the Spaniards

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 349
against their aUies. « The EngUsh," said Massena, " deceitfully
promised to succour Ciudad Rodrigo, yet saw it fall before
thera ; by which they excited the indignation of the garrison,
and the conterapt of all Spain." The Moniteur journal lent
the assistance of its mercenary voice, to swell the unfounded
clamour, stating, in its turgid tones; "that the cries of the
inhabitants of Ciudad Rodrigo reached the camp of Wellington,
who, like the crafty Ithacan, found raeans to close all ears
against them." In England, too, there was a Moniteur-party,
who denied the genius of their illustrious countryman, talked
of his raysterious conduct in quietly perraitting the French to
take the iraportant fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, and, when its fall
was known, they adopted the arguments and language of our
enemies. Upon this declaraation of the French raarshal, upon
the Moniteur journal, and its adrairers in England, the following
extract frora Lord Wellington's letter to Lord Liverpool, in
July, 1810, is the best coraraentary that can be produced
" Adverting to the nature and position of the place, the defi
ciency and defects of its works, the advantages the eneray had
in their attack upon it, and the nurabers and forraidable
equipraent by which it was attacked, I consider the defence to
have been raost honourable to the governor and the garrison,
and equally creditable to the arms of Spain, with the cele
brated defence of other places, by which the nation has been
illustrated during the existing contest for its independence."
Nothing could exceed the anxious desire of the British general
to aid the inhabitants of Ciudad Rodrigo ; and the thunder of
the Spanish guns that rolled over the camp of the allies, bore
along with it an evidence of the loyalty, courage, and high
clairas of the garrison upon the generosity of the English ; but
Wellington did not require such awful rerainiscents ; he did
not deserve the bitter taunts of his countryraen at home, or
the reproaches of the Spaniards of Castille. He had, during
the siege, transferred his head-quarters to Alverca, a village
between Celerico and Alraeida, not with any real hope of
succouring the city, but in order to oblige the eneray to collect
in greater force, to gain tirae, to take advantage of any false
II 2z

350 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
raoveraent of the eneray, watch any large detachment, or seize
any favourable opportunity that the chances of war raight create
to strike a sure and a sudden blow. He never intended to risk
the relief of the garrison, " being prevented by the certainty
that the atterapt raust fail, and that the faU of the place would
involve the irrevocable ruin of the allies." No incident in his
public life raarks raore strongly the inflexibility of this great
man's character, and under circurastances of no ordinary degree
of perplexity, than his resolute refusal to relieve Ciudad
Rodrigo. He had heard the cries of Herrasti and his gaUant
corapanions unraoved ; he paid no regard to the murraurs of
the British, or clamours of the Portuguese army: Roraana
carae frora Badajoz, having succeeded Del Parque in the com
mand, to press upon Wellington the huraanity of co-operating
with him in sorae plan for the carrying off the garrison ; but all
his iraportunities, backed as they were by the personal respect
of Lord WeUington for that gallant officer, were abortive.
Massena perfectly coraprehended the sullen obstinancy of
the British commander, who could be overcorae neither by
the supplications of friends nor insults of eneraies, although he
did not hesitate to raake a trial of the latter raode : he taunted
hira with cowardice, and exclairaed, " that the sails were flap
ping, and the ships were waiting to bear the heartless British
to their island-horae." While he eraployed this silly artifice to
terapt and to test the decision of the stern warrior, he ex
ercised his best railitary talents to decoy him into an advance
raoveraent But the sarae deUberate coolness, and absolute
self-possession, which enabled hira to endure the sight and the
sounds of the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, with a raotionless arra,
contributed to the raaintenance of the raost watchful caution,
as to the stratageras of the enemy. In any atterapt to relieve
this place, the operations should necessarily be carried on
in a country highly advantageous to the French, owing to
their great superiority in cavalry — the British had a duty
to discharge to the Portuguese nation, the exertion of their
best energies in obstructing the invasion of that country
by the French, and it was on Wellington's own responsibUity

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 351
that he had advanced into Spain, fought the battle of Talavera,
and enabled the Spaniards to re-organize their shattered
forces ; his able views, and raore able execution of thera, did
not screen the rainistry, who favoured thera, from the bitterest
taunts of their parliaraentary opponents, and actually drew
down upon hiraself the disapprobation of a large, influential
and wealthy portion of the British public ; were the question
now, therefore, to be reduced " to the relief of the Spanish
fortress at the risk of the cause of Portugal," scarcely an
option reraained to the British general, the clairas of duty
and loyalty must of necessity precede even those of huraanity ;
nor can a shadow of doubt exist as to the result of so rash an
effort. Wellington coraraanded one of the finest arraies that
was ever raarshalled on the plains of the Peninsula, those plains
that have been for ages faraed in battle-story : their worth,
disciphne, physical power, and loyalty, had all been tested, and
successfully, against the veteran legions that storraed Ciudad
Rodrigo, and there was no reason, even at that period, to rank
Wellington after Massena, in the scale of iUustrious mUitary
men, whora the calaraitous age of Napoleon raay be said to
have raised up. Under these circumstances, therefore, it raay
be asked, why the British preserved their ground so fixedly
during the siege of a place which their general acknowledged to
be of the highest iraportance to the general cause, and the
fall of which " he always thought would prove a raost unfortu
nate circurastance, and highly injurious to the allies." The
answer is found in the following facts : "the eneray had col
lected for the siege the sixth and eighth corps of the army in
Spain; the forraer consisting of 31,611 effectives, including
four thousand eight hundred and fifty-six cavalry : the latter,
consisting of twenty-five thousand nine hundred and fifty-six
effectives, including four thousand seven hundred and sixteen
cavalry, according to returns of those corps, of a very late
period, which had been interupted and coraraunicated to Lord
WeUington. " Under these circurastances" observes, his lord
ship, however rauch I have been interested in the fate of
this place, not only on account of its military and political ira-

352 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
portance, but on account of its brave govemor and garrison,
and inhabitants, I have considered it ray duty to refrain from
an operation which it is probable would be attended with the
raost disastrous consequences." Lord Wellington had also ob
tained possession of a docuraent showing the " emplacement'
ofthe French array in Spain, on the first of June, 1810, from
which it appeared, that their force araounted to two hun
dred and forty thousand men, exclusive of gendarmes, sa
peurs, &c. To oppose Massena at the head of sixty thou
sand chosen raen, Wellington eould spare but twenty-five thou
sand, part of whom were Portuguese, untried and raw, for he
had placed twelve thousand with Hill, and eight thousand Por
tuguese at Thomar ; and his whole disposable force in the Pe
ninsula did not exceed fifty-six thousand men. With such a
disparity of strength, and on disadvantageous ground, he would
have invited destruction, hadhe atterapted to check the opera
tions of the besieging array ; content, therefore, to await the
reward of sound judgment and calra precautions, upon which
his far-seeing eye enabled hira to calculate with prophetic cer
tainty, he decided that the tirae had not arrived when he was
to pluck the laurel from the brow of " the spoiled child of vic
tory." The historian of the Peninsular war fully coraprehended
the difficulty of Wellington's political and railitary position at
this crisis, and candidly and ably defends the wisdora of his
conduct : " It was not," he observes, "a smgle carapaign, he had
undertaken a terrible war. If he lost but five thousand raen,
his own governraent would abandon the contest; if he lost fif
teen thousand, he must abandon it himself."
Proof can be readily, adduced, from the Wellington corres
pondence in the early part of 1 810, that the British hero viewed
the French political plans for the subjugation of Spain as vision
ary and unsound, and this opinion had reference to raeasures
that raust have eraanated from tbe emperor hiraself. On the
eleventh of June, in a letter which has been already quoted, he
thu3 writes, "There is soraething discordant in all tbe French
arrangeraents for Spain: Joseph divides the kingdom into
prefectures, while Napoleon parcels it out into governments :

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 353
Joseph raakes a great railitary expedition into the South of
Spain, and undertakes the siege of Cadiz; while Napoleon
places all the troops, and half the kingdora, under the comraand of
Massena, and caUs it "the army of Portugal." It is irapossible
that these measures can be adopted in concert ; and I should
suspect that the irapatience of Napoleon's teraper will not bear
the delay of the completion of the conquest of Spain ; and that
he is desirous of raaking one great effort to remove us, by the
raeans of Massena." From this passage the general principle
on which Wellington acted, in his resistance to the arras of
France, raay be collected, and his conduct in the instance of
the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, is only a particular case of the
more general rule " delay," which he eraployed throughout the
compaign of 1810, and for the adoption of which he frequently
assigned his reason. Wellington was of opinion that the
enemy had extended themselves over too great a length and
breadth to be able to raake rapid progress in the final subjuga
tion of the Peninsula, and that they never could hope to ac
corapUsh that object until they should either have defeated the
British or obliged thera to evacuate Portugal. He did not be
lieve they could carry on the siege of Cadiz in the south, that
of Tarragona or of Tortosa in the east, and that until the
British were reraoved, the whole raachineof French railitary ope
rations would be brought to a stand. The deterraination and
judgraent of Wellington, in declining to peril the possession of
Portugal upon the hazard of a raost unequal contest, has been
fully justified by subsequent events, and approved of by the
ablest railitary raen ofthe age he lived in : the Spaniards alone.
could never be convinced ofthe expediency, humanity, or wisdom
of looking silently on while the French artillery swept the ram
parts ofa frontier town, and made a brave garrison and heroic
officer their prisoners. From the raoraent when Ciudad Rodigo
fell, the Spaniards withdrew all their confidence and respect
frora the British, declined further co-operation, or even corres
pondence, and seemed wavering as to the disposal of their future
allegiance, between Joseph and the Junta. This feeling was
so deeply impressed upon the Castilians, that Lord Wellington

354 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
suspected it rested upon a foundation too deep to be observed
at first sight." " I never expected" said his lordship, " that this
event would have raade so deep an irapression on the inhabit-
tants of Castile, as it appears to have raade ; and I ara, there
fore, apprehensive that the raajority of thera, with their usual
blind confidence in walls, and in their own prowess, have
lodged their raoveable property in the place, and that the
whole is lost In no other way can I account for the sullen
silence which they have adopted towards us since the place fell.
We have not received a letter frora Spain, or the least intelli
gence for the last ten days ; and the officers who are out on
the flanks of the army tell me, that not only they can get no in
telligence, but can scarcely get any one to carry their letters."
This anti-British feeling was probably still further extended
by the prudence of Massena, who exchanged the rigorous sys
tera which the French adopted towards the inhabitants, for one
of a railder and raore conciliating description.
The district between the Coa and the Azava, had been held
with a degree of obstinate courage, for upwards of three raonths,
by General R. Craufurd, as it was desirable to keep open the
coraraunication with Almeida, and with the right of the Coa,
as long as possible; but it was not intended by Lord WeUing
ton that any risk should be encountered or any loss sustained
to retain it His lordship suspected that the eneray would
raake an attack on Picton, Craufurd, or both, and had directed
the latter, in such case, to fall back to Vendada, between Freix-
adas and Caralhal, by raoonUght on the night of the twenty-fifth
of July, and still further, if he should find that the enemy were
really in great strength. The gallantry, discipUne, and fine con
dition of the light division under Craufurd, and the abUity dis
played by the coraraander, in skilful manuvering for three
months in presence of the eneray, had excited the approbation
of his brother soldiers, and the adrairation even of his eneraies.
Flattered by the distinction which he deservedly attained, he
resolved upon perforraing soraething worthy of his newly ac
quired reputation. To deceive, decoy, and perhaps cut off a
division of the eneray, Craufurd drew out his troops in rank —

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 355
entire, on a rising ground, and sending a party of horse to
the rear to raise a dust, and render a distinct view unattain
able, he raarched his infantry at a slow pace within view ofthe
French, to raake thera iraagine that the whole British array
was advancing to the relief of Ciudad Rodrigo. The spectacle
was not lost upon the French general, who iraraediately ordered
a recognizance to be raade, which brought on the corabat ofthe
Coa, an affair that refiects much credit on Craufurd's enterprise
and bravery, but nothing on his caution or his judgraent. On
the fourth of July, the enemy having collected in force at
Marialva, crossed the Agueda by a ford below the bridge,
galloped towards Gallegos, and, after rauch skirmishing, obliged
the British to fall back upon Alraeida. This latter raovement
was perforraed in the raost orderly and beautiful raanner, un
der cover of a troop of German and British hussars with two
pieces of artillery. Occupying the crown of an eminence that
coraraanded a rivulet by which the Alraeida road was crossed,
the covering party watched the raovements of the pursuers ;
in a few raoments, a column of dragoons was perceived ad
vancing at a charging pace, and diminishing in frontal breadth
as it neared the bridge, this necessary weakening of the fore
most ranks was observed, with the most extraordinary rapidity,
by Captain Krauchenberg of the hussars, who rode, with his
gallant Gerraans, with such irapetuosity against the eneray,
that the leaders were hewn down, their successors effectually
checked, and the whole coluran driven back. The conduct of
this bold officer was rauch applauded by Lord Wellington in
this affair, as well as that of Comet Cordeman and of Lieu
tenant-Colonel Elder, at the head of the third battalion of the
Portuguese ca9adores, who gave solid proof on this occasion of
the admirable systera of military discipline introduced into that
service by the brave, judicious, and indefatigable Beresford.
The enemy, however, were too numerous to be ultiraately re
sisted by the gallant Uttle band opposed to thera, and, effecting
the passage of the streara at several other points, pushed their
advance towards Alraeida, in front of which Craufurd's division
was posted, having Fort Concepcion between hira and the

356 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
eneray. The actions in which Craufurd's division was en
gaged, were each brilliant, hazardous, and exeraplary, but
betrayed too high-reaching an arabition ; they were like so
raany vivid flashes, but shed no steady light upon the object.
Finding that the eneray sent raarauding parties for three suc
cessive nights into the neighbouring villages of Barquilla, Ces-
rairo and Villa de Puerco, he resolved by a coup de main to
take the whole party prisoners. Forraing an arabuscade in a
wood on the banks of the Dos Casas, at sunrise on the eleventh
of July, he advanced, not so rauch to the right as he had at
first intended, but, as rapidity of raoveraent was so iraportant,
by a shorter route. This, however, proved the raore tedious
frora the inequality of the ground, and ultiraately brought
the party upon a body of infantry, which, in consequence of a
rising ground, and a field of standing corn, was not perceived
until the British were close to thera. Krauchenberg iraraediately
attacked them, but they had forraed into a square, and stood
firraly, so that finding he could not penetrate the little phalanx,
of three hundred raen, he passed on, leaving thera to his left
At this raoment some French dragoons were observed coming
out of Barquilla, followed, as it was supposed, by a squadron of
their cavalry, and another squadron appeared advancing on
Barquilla. Mistaking these bodies for the enemy, the atten
tion of Krauchenberg, and of the sixteenth, was diverted
frora the infantry, and they set off, at a charging pace, against the
cavalry, who proved to be all either Gerraan or British : how
ever, the whole party of French dragoons was taken prisoners.
Before these unfortunate blunders were discovered, the four
teenth had corae out of the defile, and Colonel Talbot, charging
the square of infantry without effect, was killed upon the spot,
and Major Hervey with the other squadrons, was directed, by
Colonel Arenstchildt to raove to the left, and oppose the cavalry
near Barquilla, which also had been raistaken. By this accident
Craufurd failed in taking the square of infantry, who nobly
eamed the freedora they retained, and which they fearlessly
eraployed in marching in perfect order into Cesmiro. In this
affair Craufurd took two officers and twenty-nine dragoons,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 357
while he had two officers and seven rank and file killed. Cap
tain Gouache who coraraanded the French infantry, and who
raade such a gallant resistance to our cavalry, was rewarded
with the cross of the Legion of Honour for his brave conduct on
this occasion
The teraerity of General Craufurd would have excited the
apprehensions of any other coraraander-in-chief, but Welling
ton, confiding in his own watchful care of every part of his array,
seeraed rather disposed to sustain the gallant efforts of the indi
vidual, as a valuable exaraple to his brother soldiers : scarcely
an hour elapsed, frora the eleventh to the twenty-fifth, without
some despatch of a formal character, or meraorandura of an
useful one, from his lordship to General Craufurd. He ordered
two battalions to support Craufurd's flanks at the sarae tirae
that he said, " he was not desirous of engaging in an affair
beyond the Coa," and requests that he raay let hira know how
his division was situated as soon as possible, and that he would
reply to his queries by the parte to raorrow, or earlier. Re
ports had been industriously and inviduously circulated, rela
tive to the conduct of the sixteenth light dragoons in the
brilliant affair of the eleventh, under Craufurd's coramand :
his lordship, with the assistance, of General Cotton, traced
those calumnies to their ungenerous source, and at once
checked the mischief. His lordship was determined to abide
by Craufurd's report of the conduct of the regiment, and de
clared, that he believed the arabuscade would have been signally
successful, but for the occurrence of accidents which could
not have been anticipated. His lordship's coraraents upon the
conduct of the idle and raalicious authors of the calurany,
were accorapanied by language the raost encouraging, and
expressions the most gratifying, to all the brave fellows engaged
in the sharp skirraishes of the eleventh. To caution Craufurd,
however, in a raanner at once delicate and decided. Lord
Wellington addressed hira in a despatch, on the twenty-fourth,
to the following effect, " I believe I omitted to tell you that I
had lately got the emplacement of the whole French array, on the
first of June, from which it appears that their force in Spain is
II. 3 a

358 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
not less than two hundred and fifty thousand raen. But I do
not believe they have the means of reinforcing it rauch further.
This document, together with the returns which I have of the
French corps in our front gives me a knowledge of the names
of all the principal officers eraployed with their corps : and any
paper which raay fall into your hands, such as a requisition
upon a Village, signed by an officer or coraraissary, would be
of use to rae, as it would serve in sorae degree to show their
disposition, and would aid other information. I have observed
that the French are singularly accurate in preserving the dif
ferent corps darmee in the order in which they are first
arranged in Une of battle. The corps of Ney, Soult, Mortier,
Victor, and Sebastiani, are at this moraent in the sarae situation,
in respect to each other, that they held before the battle of
Talavera, and Junot's corps, has corae in and been placed on the
right of the whole. Knowing the naraes of the officers, the
numbers of the regiraents and battalions, andthe names ofthe
coraraissaries attached to each corp, and the general order in
which they stand in the line, the narae of any person raaking a
requisition in any place, raust aid rae in forming an opinion of
the disposition of the array. Hill is at Atalaya, but I have no
letter frora him this morning. The fourth and sixth cagadores
will be at Valverde and Aldea Nueva to-raorrow, at your dis
position." This letter was written on the twenty-fourth of July,
and although it breathed not the narae of tiraidity or terror, or
even extrerae caution, rerainded Craufurd of the monstrous
number of his enemies, of their exact discipline, and showed him
clearly that he was hiraself not above taking a lesson of prudence
and accuracy from his enemies, whenever they presented one.
In still further proof of his extraordinary foresight and anxions
desire to avoid an action on the Coa, between Craufurd and the
eneray, on the sarae day, at three-quarters before three, p. m.
he again wrote, saying, " I think you had better retire upon
Carvalhal, holding Valverde and the heights upon the Coa only
by your piquets, and coraraunicate with the left of the Pinhel
with General Picton. So deeply seated was Craufurd's love of
distinction or glory, or so far had ambition clouded his j udgment.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 359
that he could not reconcile himself either to accept the advice, or
even to obey the orders of his superior in command. Hitherto
he had safely affronted a greater power, but forgetting that
his stay beyond the Coa, was a matter of sufferance, not of real
strength, with headstrong ambition he resolved in defiance of
reason, and of the reiterated orders of his general, to fight on
the right bank. The advance of the eneray obliged the British
to blow up fort Concepcion on the twenty-first, and retire to
wards Alraeida. This Fort had been destroyed by the French
in the campaign of 1808, and repaired afterwards by Lord
Wellington's directions, it was now again left in the situation
in which his lordship found it On the raorning of the twenty-
fourth Craufurd's division was formed in a position badly chosen,
in front of the Coa, having one line of retreat alone open,
naraely, by a narrow bridge across the river, about a raile in
his rear. As the rising sun chased away the raists, of the raorn
ing, it withdrew the cloud that concealed the erabattled hosts of
France, and dispelled the illusion with which the British general
deceived himself ; twenty-four thousand infantry, four thousand
cavalry with thirty heavy guns, were disclosed in silent pro
gress towards the Turones, a rivulet running nearly parallel
with the Coa. Still the British might have retired and the lives
of sorae ofthe raost gallant fellows in the Peninsular array been
spared, for a better purpose than the useless affair of the Coa:
but Craufurd's destiny prevailed, and he withstood the impetuous
attack of Ney's close and disciplined columns. The events
of this day have been variously related by the partisans of both
arraies, and the jealous and raalicious araongst his own com
panions : the official despatch addressed to the commander-in-
chief by the officer who conducted the engagement, shall be
followed here in preference to any other : it has obtained the
sanction of WeUington's name, first by being addressed to
him, and subsequently by his adoption of its content after
the severest scrutiny. " On the first appearance of the heads
of the enemies columns, the cavalry and brigade of artillery
attached to the division, advanced to support the piquets,
and Captain Ross with four guns was for some tirae engaged

360 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
with those attached to the eneraies cavalry, which were of much
larger calibre. As the immense superiority of the eneraies force
displayed itself, ours feU back gradually towards the fortress, upon
the right of which the infantry of the division was posted, having
its left in sorae enclosures near the windraiU, about eight hundred
yards frora the place, and its right to the Coa in a very broken
and extensive position, which it was absolutely necessary to
occupy, in order to cover the passage of the cavalry and artU
lery through the long defile leading to the bridge : after this
was effected the infantry returned by degrees, and in as good
order as it is possible in ground so extreraely intricate : a po
sition close in front of the bridge was raaintained with the
greatest gaUantry, though, I ara sorry to say with considerable
loss by the forty-third and part of the ninety-fifth regiments.
Towards the evening the firing ceased, and after it was dark I
withdrew the troops frora the Coa, and retired to this place."
This brief, raodest and clear stateraent dated frora Carvalhal,
twenty-fifth of July, 1810, detaUs the condition of Craufurd's
daring experiraent upon the eneraies patience, and the open
ing of the approaching carapaign between the French and
English. The gallantry and the service of the British artiUery,
in defending the bridge, were never exceeded by any division
of either array during the carapaign . Upon the first effort to
pass the bridge the eneray were permitted to accoraplish
about two-thirds of the length, when the whole section was cut
down as a single raan, and the dead and the dying falling to
gether filled up the causeway as high as the top of the parapet:
shouts of triuraph frora the British rent the skies, but produced
no faint heartedness araongst the eneray on whose ears they fell,
for a second coluran, raore nuraerous than the first, was in a mo
ment in raotion towards the fatal bridge, impelled by the addi
tion of implacable revenge to their native courage; hut the
unerring aira of our trained artillery again swept the plateau,
and the dreadful scene of carnage was repeated with circum
stances rauch more appalling than before : a few of theenemy,
who had by a providential interference reached the other side
of the river, wouldj of necessity have fallen into the hands of the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 361
British whenever the action terminated, to rescue these brave
fellows, the enemy deemed a point of honour, and for this
chivalrous object, atterapted the passage of the bridge for the
third tirae; but the stern loyalty of the British soldiers was
iraraoveable ; again the dread artillery fiashed, and the line of
death was traced to a considerable distance beyond the fatal
defile. At this awful moment, a powder raagazine blew up in
the Fi'ench lines, which created some confusion; one of their
heavy guns was disraantled; and, about four o'clock in the after
noon, a shower of rain descending, the combatants sullenly
retired from the contest The French loss on this day is
estiraated at one thousand rank and file killed, whUe on the
side of the British, only eighty-six were killed, one hundred
and ninety-nine wounded, and eighty-nine missing.
Notwithstanding the deplorable slaughter of the enemy,
made by the British artillery at the Bridge, Massena, after
his great raaster's raanner, had the presuraption to claira a
victory, and, in his despatches, returned two pieces of artillery
as araongst the spoils of that day. The French general had
reason to retain a lasting recollection of the British artillery
in the affair of the Coa, but that indelible irapression was raade
by the well-served artillery, which thrice overthrew his brave
colurans in their atterapts on the bridge, -not by the two light
pieces which he captured, as they were not British, nor had
they been eraployed in the action : these guns belonged to the
garrison of Alraeida, and the governor had proraised to raount
thera, either on the tower of the windraiU, or on the walls of an
unfinished building, frora whencethe enemy's cavalry would have
been annoyed : this proraise he neglected to perforra, and it is
probable that his indolence was a fortunate circurastance, for
such was the confusion, such the raixture of friends and ene
raies during the whole affair, that had guns been discharged
frora the windmill the shot raust have killed both parties
indiscrirainately. The affair of the Coa should not be closed
without sorae aUusion to the conduct of General Picton, who
had been desired to support Craufurd, but refused ; this refusal
raight have been attended with the raost ruinous results, had

362 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Massena thrown his reserve upon Craufurd's right flank, by
the bridge of Castle Bora. Picton rode up frora Pinhel during
the action, and must, therefore, have perceived the perilous
situation of Craufurd's division, and, that itwas not utterly
destroyed by such a manoeuvre as is here alluded to, was the
effect of accident and the chances of war. Colonel Napier
insinuates that Picton's refusal to co-operate, probably ori
ginated in some personal difference of old standing, or of recent
occurrence, with his brave companion in arms. " Picton and
Craufurd were not formed by nature to act cordially together.
The stern countenance, robust frame, saturnine coraplexion,
caustic speech, and austere demeanour of the flrst, promised
little syrapathy with the short thick figure, dark flashing eyes,
quick raovements, and fiery temper of the second : nor, indeed,
did they often raeet without a quarrel. Nevertheless, they
had raany points of reserablance in their characters and fortunes.
Both were inclined to harshness, and rigid in coramand;
both prone to disobedience, yet exacting entire subraission
frora inferiors, and they were alike arabitious and craving of
glory. They both possessed decided railitary talents, were
enterprising and intrepid, yet neither were remarkable for
skill in handling troops under fire. This also they had in
coraraon, that both, after distinguished services, perished in
arras, fighting gallantly, and being celebrated as generals of
divisions while living, have since their death, been injudici
ously spoken of, as rivalling their great leader in war. That
they were officers of rank and pretension is unquestionable,
and Craufurd raore so than Picton, because the latter never
had a separate comraand, and his opportunities were neces
sarUy raore circurascribed ; but to corapare either to the
Duke of Wellington, displays ignorance of the raen, and of
the art they professed. If they had even coraprehended the
profound raUitary and political corabinations he was conduct
ing: the one would have carefully avoided fighting on the
Coa, and the other, far frora refusing, would have eagerly
proffered his support."
The result of the affair of the Coa, in some degree changed

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 363
the circumstances of the British in that quarter. Lord Wel
lington, in his despatches of the twenty-seventh of July, thus
writes to General Hill : — " The loss which we sustained in
the affair at Alraeida, the fatigue which the troops, who were
engaged, had undergone, and the badness of the weather,
rendered it irapossible, and indeed, it would have been useless
to endeavour to raaintain the bridge of Alraeida ; and the loss
of the high ground on this side, necessarily occasioned the
loss of our position at Pinhel. I therefore withdrew the
troops to this neighbourhood yesterday, and CrauturJ's ad
vanced guard to Freixedas, keeping only his cavalry posts of
observation in front" The other paragraphs of his letter
direct General Hill to raaintain his position at Atalaya, till
Cole should have retired frora Guarda, and to keep Le Cor's
force upon his left His Lordship, conceiving it useless, even
if practicable, to prevent the enemy from investing Almeida,
abandoned the idea of securing that place, and the raanoeuvres
of Massena were not sufficiently intelligible to the British
general to enable hira to conclude whether Almeida was, or
was not, the real object of Massena's designs in that quarter.
In fact Lord WeUington thought that there was not the
smallest appearance ofthe enemy's intention to attack Almeida,
on the twenty-seventh of July, but concluded, that as soon as
the French should have got together their forces, they would
make a dash at him, and endeavour to make his retreat as
difficult as possible, and in consequence, his Lordship made
his dispositions accordingly.
At the moraent when Wellington was collecting his strength
for the corabat and looking towards the barriers of Portugal
before which the farae of Massena was destined to perish,
while he was calculating upon the surest raeans of retarding
those operations of the enemy which he was not strong
enough to obstruct, while in short, his clear judgraent, and
sound railitary and political views, told him of the tottering
fabric of Gallic supremacy, he had to encounter the most pain
ful interruptions from his allies, frora his own countryraen, his
professed friends, the very rainisters who had hitherto sustained

364 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
hira in his illustrious career; for now indeed all Europe
thought the doora of the Peninsula was sealed, its fate irre
vocable; and that the genius of no one raan in Europe, even with
the powerful raeans that WelUngton possessed, was equal to
oppose the countless numbers of France, led on by the "Child
of Victory" the favourite Marshal of Napoleon. The disgrace
ful and ungrateful feeling of distrust, the mean apprehension of
rapidly approaching danger, which appeared in Oporto. at this
moraent, was excited by letters written by British officers, who
were with the army at Celerico. " Persons who had but little
inforraation or raeans of forraing a judgraent on the real situa
tion of affairs." Of this base conduct his Lordship cora
plained, in a reraonstrance addressed to Brigadier-General
Trant, in which he stated, that the inhabitants of Oporto had no
ground for the alarra which they had taken frora two foolish
letters : and their conduct in creating a want of confidence
araongst the troops on the frontier, raight have had the raost
disasterous effects on their own interests and the general cause
ofthe allies. He recommended the citizens to place their
valuable property in security, although he had no reason to be
lieve that they were in any degree exposed to the rapacity of
the enemy. He requested General Trant to coraraunicate
these his sentiraents to the principal citizens, adding " I am
as unwilling to deceive thera, and that they should incur any
loss by a blind confidence in rae which they could avoid by
early precaution, as I am desirous they should not injure their
own property and the general cause of the allies, by premature
and unfounded alarm." The fears of the Portugeuse, although
nearest to the source of danger, were more easily allayed, than
those of the despondents in England, who had opposed the
policy of Wellington so uninterruptedly frora the coraraence
raent, and at every step of the campaigns ; so that, from the
eternal repetition of censure ministers begun at length to
believe that there raust be sorae solid foundation for these
arguments, and alraost distrusting their own views of Foreign
policy, hesitated as to the Umit of that confidence, which they
would, in future, repose in the hero of Viraeira. Every des-

THE DUKE OF WELLNGTON. 365
patch, either to the secretary of state, or to any individual in
high place or pohtical power, whora his lordship had occasion
to address, was replete with fresh arguraents to deraonstrate
the fact of the difficulties of the eneray, which were then invi
sible to all other eyes, unintelligible to all other rainds, and to
prove the nuraerous chances in favour of the success of his own
colossal plans for the ultiraate confusion of the great eneray
of Europe. On the nineteenth of August, his lordship wrote
to the Earl of Liverpool as follows : — " His raajesty's govern
raent will see, in the enclosed copies of intercepted letters, a
description of the difficulties under which the enemy labour,
in consequence of the operations of the guerillas, notwith
standing the large force, which, there is no doubt whatever, is
eraployed in Spain : and the whole of the information before
thera will probably convince them, as it has rae, that the
enemy cannot conquer Spain without employing a force still
larger, and that they cannot increase their forces in the Penin
sula, even admitting that they possess the military means,
without increasing their pecuniary and other difficulties and
distresses. I beg, also, to call the attention of his raajesty's
governraent to the opinions delivered by those excellent autho
rities, of the value of Portugal to the allies, of the mischiefs
done to them by its continuance in our possession, and of the
benefit which they expect to derive from depriving us of this
possession. There are other evidences from those same au
thorities in those papers, of the great interests involved in the
continuance of the contest of the Peninsula, which equally
deserve the attention of his raajesty's government : but I wish
to draw their attention to those parts of the correspondence
which relate to the British army and to this country, as con
firming every opinion that I have ever given them upon this
part of the subject. It will be unfortunate, if Great Britain
should not possess the means of securing still further the posi
tion of his raajesty's troops in Portugal, so as to ensure the
continuance of the contest in the Peninsula, which it is
evident to rae raust end favourably for his raajesty's interests,
if his army can be raaintained in the field of Portugal."
11. 3 b

366 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
A severe examination of the state of parties in England, will
unfold the cause of WeUington's inactivity more corapletely
than any general reasoning upon the strength or position of
the combatants, the indiscipUne of the allies, or the genius
and fortunes of Massena. That such an analysis would lead
to the conclusion predicted, raay, without entering upon it,
be inferred frora Lord Wellington's despatch, at this period,
to the Earl of Liverpool. " The iraportunity with which ,1
press the war in this country upon the attention of his raa
jesty's ministers, will, I hope, plead ray excuse for troubhng
you for a few raoraents with ray own private feelings upon
this subject. Nothing can be raore irksorae to rae than the
operations which have been carried on for the last year ; and it
is very obvious that a continuance of the sarae cautious system,
will lose the little reputation I have acquired, and the good
opinion of the people of this country. Nothing, therefore,
could be more desirable to me personally, than that either the
contest should be given up at once, or that it should be con
tinued with a force, so sufficient, as to render all opposition
hopeless. In either case, the obloquy heaped on me by the
ignorant of our own country, as well as of this, and hy those
of this whora I am obUged to force to exertion, and who,
after all, will be but iraperfectiy protected in their persons
and property, would fall upon the government. But seeing,
as I do, raore than a chance of final success, if we can raain-
ta,in our position in this country, although, probably, none of
a departure frora our cautious defensive systera, I should not
do my duty by the government, if I did not inform them of the
real situation of affairs, and urge thera with importunity even
to greater exertion. I acknowledge that it has appeared to
rae, tin very lately, that the governraent theraselves felt no
confidence in the raeasures which they were adopting in this
country ; and not an officer has corae frora England, who has
not told rae that it was generally expected that he would, on
his arrival, find the array embarking; and even some have
told rae, that this expectation was entertained by some of the
king's ministers. These sentiments are not encouraging ; and

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 367
I acknowledge that I have been induced to attribute the Uttle
exertion lately made in the cause, to the want of confidence
of the raembers of the government in the result of the
contest." When the Spaniards, in the flow of years, had retumed to
their calraer reason, their own historian, the Conde de Torreno,
justified and applauded the systera of delay and passive co
operation which Wellington adopted at this time — and, for his
resolute adherence to which, ministers were vilified, and his
railitary knowledge and judgraent irapeached. " Wellington
acted as a prudent soldier on that occasion, (the siege of Ciudad
Rodrigo,) says Torreno, since to raise the siege, a battle should
have been risked, his forces were not superior to those of
Massena, and the Portuguese not sufficiently disciplined to
raanceuvre efficiently in presence of such a foe, or enter with
confidence the field of battle against such an eneray. Had. the
battle been won, it would only have saved Ciudad Rodrigo;
had it been lost, the British would have been destroyed, i and
the cause of Spain struck down." But never did a caitipaign
present a raore instructive or interesting lesson in the art of war,
than that of Lord WelUngton, frora the raoraent when he
perraitted the investraent of Almeida bythe French, to t the
hour when he first occupied the heights pf Torres; Vedras.
His array, inferior in nurabers and composition, could, only
hope for success from the cautious raeasures, able guidatice,
wisdora, and genius of their comraander. And it is now fully
ascertained, that while the English nation was convulsed
with terror at the appalling picture painted by ignorant, and
mischievous politicians, the confidence of the troops in their
general was hourly increasing. The feeling between Wel
lington and his array was nicely balanced, the reliance was
mutual, for as anxiety, arising frora indecision, was never de
picted in his countenance, whoever turned to it whatever
raight have been the circurastances of the raoment saw safety
there, and felt that all would be right Even in the retreat to
the lines of Lisbon, when the British ministers were alarraed,
and alraost harassed into despair by the worrying attacks

368 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OP
of the opposition, and when even sorae of the superior officers
at head-quarters had, it was said, caught the unworthy in
fection, there was an assurance to the soldier, in every act of
WeUington, that bespoke and imparted a confidence in the
result:* " and it was on the heights of Arruda that one of the
bravest officers in the army, who too soon paid the debt of
his gaUantry, and did not live to verify his vision, was heard to
exclaira, 'I see the Pyrenees!' — but it was realized to his
surviving corarades : and the British army carried its standard
and its discipline into the heart of France." *
* Observations on the General Orders of the Duke of Wellington, &c.
page 39 J Wellington's Despatches, August, 1810; and the Conde de Torreno's
History of the Spanish War.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 369

CHAP. V.

Investment and fall of Almeida — the allies retire into the valley of thb
MONDEGO — the FRENCH FORCES CONCENTRATED AT VISEU — BATTLE OF BDSACO, AND
ATTEMPT OF MASSENA TO TURN THE RIGHT OF THE ALLIES — WELLINGTON CONTINUES TO
FALL BACK TOWARDS LISBON — THE INHABITANTS DESERT THEIR HOMES, AND ACCOM-
1>ANY THE TROOPS — WELLINGTON RETIRES BEHIND THE LINES OF TORRES VEDRAS,
AND MASSENA HALTS BEFORE THEM — DESCRIPTION OF THE LINES — THE FRENCH V,QS'
PITALS AT COIMBRA TAKEN BY COLONEL TRANT — MASSENA FALLS BACK ON SANTAREM,
AND THE BRITISH ADVANCE— ASSEMBLY OF THE SPANISH CORTEZ — DEATH OP ROMANA
— MASSENA EVACUATES PORTUGAL, AND IS PURSUED BY WELLINGTON, WHO PLANTS THE
BRITISH STANDARD ONCE MORE ON THE PORTUGUESE FRONTIERS — 1810 — 1811.
At the close of July and during the first days of August in the
year 1810, the aspect of the Peninsular war was extraordinary.
Powerful but unnatural efforts were raade by the opposition
party, in both houses of Parliament, to depreciate the talents,
and deprecate the military measures of WeUington: whUe
Massena was aided by all the resources of iraperial France ;
by the flattering encourageraent of the greatest warrior and
statesman that perhaps has ever appeared ; and by the prospect
of succession to a throne, in some part of Europe, for his
services. But the calra philosophic temperament of the
British soldier qualified hira for the endurance of disappoint
ment and adversity, with the same equanimity which he ever
after exhibited, when he in turn becarae the railitary idol of
re-conquered Europe ; while the resistance of the British, so
rauch more gallant and decisive than Massena had anticipated,
so surprised and disheartened that general, that his conduct
was marked by languor and apathy, which can only be refer
able to personal feelings. Having left Alraeida to its fate,
after the affair of the Coa, Lord WeUington withdrew his
posts on that river, on the moming of the twenty-sixth ;
finding, on the next day, that the advanced guard of Regnier's
corps had come through the Puerto Perales, as far as Navas
Frias, and that the enemy had it in their power to throw their
w hole force upon both flanks of the allied army, and compel

370 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
them to a general action, or to press thera in their retreat,
Lord Wellington withdrew the infantry another raarch to the
rear behind Celerico, in the valley of the Mondego, except the
fourth division, under Major-General Cole, which he left at
Guarda: the whole of the British calvalry was placed at
Freixadas in front, observing the raoveraents of the eneray
upon the Coa. This was the disposition of the British force on
the twenty-eighth, with the exception of the division under
General Hill. The coraraand intrusted to this officer was one
that required an union of discretion and courage. In the
beginning of the year, the second corps had been concent
trated on the Tagus, and the fourth, under Mortier, had
returned across the Sierra Morena, after the subraission of
Andalusia. Hill was placed at the head of a corps of fourteen
thousand raen, in Alentejo, the first duty of which was, to
observe the raoveraents of Regnier in Estraraadura, on whom
the corara£l,nd of the second corps had devolved, when Mortier
retumed to 'AndalUsia. As the hour of invading Portugal
approached, Regnier raoved, siraultaneously with the forces
under the iraraediate coramand of Massena, towards the
frphtiers of that kingdom which was to be made the theatre
of war, and on the tenth of July breaking up from Merida,
where he left a few men to keep possession in the narae of
th6 intrusive king, marched on Truxillo and Caceres; then
advancing rapidly towards the Tagus, he crossed that river at
Alraaraz and Alconeta, and, reaching Coria, took up a position
which was the left of the grand array of Portugal. Regnier's acti
vity is entitled to the highest praise: inforraed of the strength,
and convinced of the gallantry of Hill's corps, which was on the
eve of forraing a junction with that of Roraana, he succeeded,
by a well-timed raoveraent, in escaping from the watchful
attention of the British, and frora exposure to certain destruc^ •
tion. The resolution of his eneray was not to be shaken by
any reraediable event, so that, when Regnier's escape was ascer
tained, HiU's corps was put in raotion, and, by a rapid paraUel
raarch, arrived at Castel Branco on the twenty-first of July,
having accoraplished the passage of the Tagus at Villa Velha ;

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 371
raeanwhile, a reinforceraent of Portuguese cavalry arrived,
coraraanded by General Fane, so that Hill, when encaraped
at Sarzedas, found hiraself at the head of sixteen thousand
effective raen, with eighteen pieces of ordnance. He kept an
advanced guard at Castel Branco, and posted a Portuguese
brigade at Fundao, under Le Cor, which coraraanded the
EstreUa line of road, and preserved his coraraunication with
Guarda.i While Hill was occupied in taking up this judicious
position, the coramander-in-chief had continued, by the most
splendid display of military acuraen, to second every raove
raent. Fane's troop was not the only aid which he furnished ;
he placed, in addition, a reserve consisting of two thousand
British just arrived at Lisbon, and eight thousand Portuguese
butted at Thomar, under the comraand of General Leith, whose
instructions were, either to support Hill, or raove towards the
main body of the array, as circurastances should require:,, but
their position was well chosen, even for passive co-operation, as
it secured the line of the Zezere effectually. At first Regilier
made demonstrations towards Salvaterra, but sustaiijed. a der
cided check from the cavalry of the Portuguese: this repulse
seemed for awhile to confound his projects, a circurastance which
contributed, also, to increase the uncertainty of the English
general as to his plans, for he now divided his force,, placing
one body at Penaraacor, a second at Zarza Major, and a. therfi
on the Tagus, at the embouchure of the Rio del Monte, rendpr-
ing it difficult to. conjecture whether he meant to effect a junc
tion with Massena, to attaek the British encampment at Sarze
das, or to retire across the Tagus. But Regnier had no other
object in view, than to cross the Tagus ; and having corarauni
cated the intelligence to Massena, that general imraediatply
ordered Ney to cross the Agueda with the sixth corps : and it
was this raoveraent which occasioned the affair of the Coa,
already noticed. After this severe action, it was ascertained that
Loisson had his advanced guard at Pinhel, Regnier's remaining
in the position already described ; so that it was irapossible to
conclude, with any degree of certainty, whether Massena awaited
the junction of Regnier's corps, or purposed marching on the

372 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF,
district of Coria with all his force, to support him. In any case,
Massena's intended line of march could not possibly have be en
discovered by the British. It was while , events , were thus
balancing, that Lord WelUngton took up the position before
described, ready to advance to the relief of Almeida, should a
real investment afford an opportunity, or to retreat in sucl^.
order, and on such positions, as would maintain discipline,, an([|
spare his raen. - i-.
The judgraent of Massena seemed to oscillate, either frora an
apprehension of the raaster-raind to which he was so iramedi!-
ately opposed; or frora ignorance of the topography of th£itt,dis-,
trict of Portugal and Spain; or possibly his indecisipi^Wgh^
have arisen frora inconsistent or irapracticable instructions,-frojjji
one or both of his illustrious masters, the Eraperor .of tfee
French, or the intrusive King of Spain ; whatever may have
been the cause, his vacillation was extraordinary, his disposi-
tiflns scattered, and his conduct apparently negUgenl^ As
Massena possessed the power to strike, it becarae Wellington's
cautious duty to act as the weaker party, to evade the faUing
weight, and, whenever the strength of the giant should he
expended, or any vital part of his huge body exposed, to take
advantage of each occasion, and inflict a fatal wound. Yielding
to necessity, the British allowed Massena the choice of routes,
and the adoption of raanoeuvres, merely keeping an intent obser
vation on all his moveraents, and making correspondent ones,
until he should exhibit some decided policy. The labours of
the bureau were once again resuraed by the British general,
during the coraparative inactivity of the eneray; and the
extent of his inforraation, the variety of his knowledge, and
his extraordinary versatility, were never raore conspicuously
displayed, than during the interval that elapsed between the
fall of Ciudad Rodrigo and investraent of Almeida, Every
species of railitary, political, financial, and even private topic^
that arose araongst his array, the Portuguese governraent, or
the rainisters and the despondents in England, was touched
upon at length, and in a style sufficiently luminous to reflect
credit upon the ablest statesraen in those distracted lands.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 373
Having understood that government had sent out Mr. Drum
mond from England, on a mission to Lisbon and Cadiz, relative
to raising money ; as Lord Wellington had paid the same atten
tion to this as to every other part of the duty of commander
of a great array, he ridiculed the government raeasure, assuring
Colonel Gordon, whora he addressed on that occasion, " that
Druraraond could do no good, but raight do a great deal of rais
chief ; that he attributed his raission to a belief, prevalent at
the treasury, that we had not done our best to procure money ;
in which, he raight depend on it, they were raistaken." His
lordship, at the sarae tirae, proraised to give Druraraond all the
assistance and inforraation which he could, until he should find
his raediation mischievous, when, notwithstanding the threats
and taunts of the despondents, he declared that he " should
have no scruple in sending him to the place whence he came."
"It was a notion of ViUiers," observed Lord Wellington, " that
raore money might be had, at both Cadiz and Lisbon, by in
creased exertion ; but my answer to that was, that we were nei
ther pickpockets nor coiners — that we could only get the sums
it was convenient, or for the interest of individuals to transrait
to England, and that I did not see how any increase of exertion
could be followed by an addition to these suras. However, Vil
liers has been raore successful with the rainisters at horae than
he was with rae, and it is to hira we owe Mr. Drummond's arri
val." Snch rapid records of his thoughts were thus being daily
registered, for the benefit of his own country, and the resuscita
tion of prostrate Europe, subject to occasional interruptions
from aides-de-camp, who entered his hut at intervals, to an
nounce the contents of each telegraphic coraraunication, that
passed between the advanced posts of the cavalry at Ereixadas,
and Brigadier-General Cox, the govemor of Almeida.
On the second of August his lordship addressed to Lord
Liverpool a lengthened stateraent of the situation of both ar
raies, the hopes and prospects of the Peninsular cause, and the
certainty, which he alone perceived and understood, of a suc
cessful issue to the contest with France, in a raanner so con
densed, perspicuous, and bold, that, had the noble secretary
II. 3 c

374 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
before hesitated as to the abUity of the individual to execute
his gigantic designs, this explanation raust have reraoved
his doubts, and inspired hira with solid confidence. Leisure
was found on the sarae date to put Mr. Charles Stuart in
possession of his opinions, which were decided and unalter
able, with respect to the intriguing factions in Portugal, and
at the court of Brazil, and the inconsistencies which their
conduct introduced. " My opinion," says his lordship, " has^
been invariably the sarae, — that governraent alone can rule
Portugal, which the prince regent has naraed. I recomraendj
therefore, that the Conde de Redondo, and the principal
Souza, and the Dr. Rayraondo Nogueira, should now be called
to the regency, for the same reasons that I before recommended
that Redondo should not, without the prince's authority. In
respect to yourself, you can no more accept the office of regent
without the king's consent, than I could that of coramander-in-
chief, or marshal-general, without the king's authority." This
salutary advice, and clear exposition of the true nature of
allegiance -and loyalty, were followed, on the next day, by a
pointed arid powerful dissertation upon the causes of the
urisound policy which pervaded the Portuguese councils. His
lordship, on this occasion, thus writes: "I am not in comrau-
riicatlon with the secretary of state for foreign affairs, and I
do not interfere in the political concerns of the government ;
but I should recoraraend to you to draw Lord Wellesley's atten
tion to the arrangement for the government of Portugal lately
iriade in the Brazils, and to the principles upon which it has
been raade. It is extraordinary, that during the time you and
I have been working here, to give strength and stabiUty to the
government, and principally to support Don Miguel Forjaz,
as being the best instrument to co-operate with us to carry
on the war, the king's minister in the Brazils should have
proraoted a new arrangeraent of the governraent, purposely
calculated to destroy the very influence which we had sup
ported. Then the admission of Don Rayraondo Nogueira
into the regency, and the reasons for this adraission, are truly
ludicrous. He is said to aid in the destruction of the influence

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 375
of the Secretariat, which we had laboured to establish and
support ; and his appointment is to be agreeable to the lower
orders, frora araongst whora he is selected ! It is unfortunate
for the people of the Peninsula, that we in England have
always thought proper to give a democratical character to
their proceedings ; whereas nothing was ever farther frora their
intentions. The principle of all the actions of the good people
of these countries is anti-gallican, and that alone : all that
they desire is, that they should be saved frora the grasp of the
French, and it is a raatter of indifference to thera by what per
sons, or by what class of persons, their salvation is effected. In
the abstract, I beUeve that they would prefer to be governed
by the higher classes, frora a feeling that those belongiug to
the higher classes have turned their minds raore to the business
of government, have raore experience and capacity in the
transaction of public business, and are more deserving of their
confidence, as being raore likely to save them frora the French.
If indeed the Doctor had ever shown any talents, a^i, a
political character, there raight be sorae reason for his appoiut^-
raent ; but as it is, it is absurd and raischlevous. That which
we want in Portugal is, that governraent should be supported
in all its measures in the Brazils ; and that it should acquire
strength and confidence in its own measures, in consequence
of that support. The king's minister in the Brazils raight be
highly useful by using his influence for that object We also
require that there should be some permanence in the authority
of the persons employed to govern this country, and that
men's rainds should be diverted from an expectation of change
by every vessel which arrives frora the Brazils. Here also
the king's rainister in the Brazils can be highly useful to us ;
but I raust observe, that it is by the adoption of a Une of
conduct directly the reverse of that which he has followed
lately. I hope that ray letter to the Prince Regent, written in
April, had not arrived in the BrazUs before this arrangement
was raade, as nothing can be raore inconsistent with the prin
ciples and practice recomraended in that letter, than what is
contained in the papers which you transmitted to rae."

376 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
Having caUed the attention of Mr. Charles Stuart to the
gross inconsistencies, to the constant abandonraent of prin
ciple, on the part of the advisers of the prince regent, his lord
ship turned round readily, and addressed hiraself to evils that
existed in the governraent of the British array, particularly^ in
reference to the proraotion of officers. The privilege assumed
by Napoleon, of raising brave men frora the ranks to elevated
coraraand on the field of battle, was the raost potent incen
tive, the raost powerful stiraulant to deeds of heroisra, that any
conqoeror could desire or exert; and, that Wellington felt
acutely the inferiority of his situation in that respect,; is
sufficiently clear, notwithstanding the delicacy with which he
touches on the precise point, frora the following despatch, of the
fourth of August, to Lieutenant-Colonel Torrens,* in which the
closeness and clearness of the reasoning will tend to prove how
little his raental energies were influenced, how calra and tran
quil, and even at leisure, the great raan felt himself, not
withstanding the proxiraity of seventy thousand eneraies, led
on by the best generals of France. This official coramunica
tion coraraences by refreshing the raeraory of the military
secretary, as to the proraotion of Captain the Hon. H. Paken-
hara, who had been recomraended by the lord-lieutenant of
Ireland, and had received a wound at Obidos ; and also by a
reference to Captain Lloyd, whose clairas were exactly simUar :
hislordship then proceeds, "I have never been able to undei^
stand the principle on which the claims of gentlemen of faraily,
fortune, and influence in the country, to proraotion in the army,
founded on their military conduct, and character, and services,
should be rejected, while the clairas of others, not better founded
on railitary pretensions, were invariably attended to. It would
be desirable, certainly, that the only claira to proraotion should be
military merit ; but this is a degree of perfection to which the
disposal of railitary patronage has never been, and cannot be,
I believe, brought, in any raUitary establishraent The cora
mander-in-chief raust have friends, officers on the staff attached
* Military Sicri'taiy to Ihc Coininandcr-in-Chicf, and afterwards Major-
Gcnciii) Sir Henry Torrehs^ K.C,I5., K.C.T.S., Adjutanl-Gcneral to the Forces.

THE DLTKE OF WELLINGTON. 377
to him, who will press him to promote their friends and rela
tions, all doubtless very meritorious, and no raan can at all
tiraes resist' these applications ; but if there is to be any
influence in the disposal of railitary patronage, in aid of miU
tary raerit, can there be any in our army, so legitimate as that
of family connexion, fortune, and influence in the countfy ?
I acknowledge, therefore, that I have been astonished at
seeing Lloyd,* with every claira that an officer can have to
proraotion, still a captain ; and others connected vrith the
officers of the staff, proraoted as soon as their time of serviee had
expired. While writing on this subject, I am also tempted to
coraraunicate to you ray opinion upon another branch of it,
naraely, the disposal of the patronage of the troops employed
in' foreign service. In all services, excepting that of Great
Britain, and in forraer tiraes in that of Great Britain, the
commander-in-chief of an army employed against the eneray
in the field, had the power of proraoting officers, at least to
vacancies occasioned by the service, in the troops under his
own coraraand ; and in foreign services, the principle is cai'ried
so far, as that no person can venture to recommend an officer
for promotion, belonging to an army employed against) the
enemy in the field, excepting the comraandei- of that 'array.
It was pretty nearly the case forraerly in our own service ; sktid
I believe the greater nuraber of the general officers of the
higher ranks of the present day, were raade lieutenant-colonels
by Sir W. Howe, Sir H. Clinton, Lord Cornwallls, General
Burgoyne, and Lord Dorchester. But how is it now? The
forra reraains still in some degree the sarae ; that is to say,
ray secretary keeps the register of the applications, meraorials,
and regiraental recoraraendations — a trouble which, by the bye,
raight as well be saved ; but the substance is entirely altered,
and I, who coraraand the largest British array that has been
employed against the enemy for many years, and who have
upon ray hands certainly the raost extensive and difficult con
cern that was ever imposed upon any British officer, have not
* He was afterwards lieutenant-colonel of the ninety-foiirth, and killed at
the passage of the Nivelle, on the eighteenth of No.veinher, 18l3. . Lord
Wellington thus speaks of him in his despatch on that occasion : " An officer
who had frequently distinguished himself, and was of great promise."

378 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the power of making even a corporal ! ! ! It is impossible
that this systera can last. It will do very well for trifiing exper
ditions and short services, but those who are to superintend the
discipline and to excite and regulate the exertions of the- officers
of the army, during a long-continued service, raust have the
power of rewarding thera by the only raode in which they can
be rewarded, that is, by proraotion. It is not known to the
array, and to strangers, and I ara alraost asharaed of acknow
ledging the sraall degree (I ought to say nullity) of power of
reward which belongs to ray situation; and it is really- extrar
ordinary that I have got on so well hitherto without it: but
the day raust corae, when this systera raust be altered. I do not
entertain these opinions, and coraraunicate them tp you, because
tiiere are any officers attached to me in the service, fpr whora I
desire promotion. All ray aides-de-camp, respecting whora I do
feel a,u interest, have been promoted in their turn, in their regi
raents, or are to be proraoted for carrying home the accounts
of yictp^ries* J The only individual respecting whose proraotion
I ever interested rayself personally, was that of Colin Carap
bell, which the Duke of York had proraised hira, in conse
quence of his having brought horae the accounts of two victo
ries at the sarae tirae: and the difficulty which I experienced
in obtaining his proraotion, notwithstanding that promise, is
a strong practical proof of the effects of the system to which
I have adverted. The consequence of the change of the
system in regard to rae, would be only to give rae the power
of rewarding the services of those who have exerted, or should
exert theraselves zealously in the service, and thus to stimu
late others to sirailar exertions... Even adraitting that the
systera of proraotion by seniority, exploded in other arraies,
is the best for that of Great Britain, it would still be an
advantage that those who becorae entitled to it should receive
it iraraediately, and frora the hand of the person who is obliged
to expose thera to danger, to enforce discipline, and to call
for their exertions. I would also observe, that this practice
would be entirely consistent with the unvaried usage of the
British navy. I adrait that it raay be urged with truth, that
a larger view may be taken of the interests of the pubhc, in

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 379
the mode of proraoting officers of the array, than I ara capable
of taking; and this view may have suggested the expediency
of adopting and adhering to the mode now in use : at the
same tirae I raust say, that the public can have no greater
interest than in the conduct and discipline of an array era
ployed against the eneray in the field ; and I am thoroughly
convinced, that whatever may be the result in ray hands, a
British array cannot be kept in the field for any length of
tirae, unless the officers coraposing it have some hope that
their exertions will certainly be rewarded with promotion ;
and that to be abroad on service, and to do their duty with
zeal and intelligence, afford prospects of promotion, not
afforded by the raere presence of an officer with his regiment,
and his bearing the king's comraission for a certain nuraber
of years. I have been induced to communicate these opinions
to you, from the consideration of the claims of those officers
to which I have drawn your attention at the coramencement
of this letter, from a strong conviction of their truth, and nof^"
I assure you, from any personal interest I feel in the result.
I would not give one pin to have the disposal of every com
mission in the army."
In this argumentative letter, his lordship marks indirectly,
yet clearly, the great difference between an officer in the ser
vice of a republic, and in that of a mixed or absolute monarchy ;
he exhibits, in the raost intelligible manner, the amazing in
feriority of his militar}- situation to that of the raarshals of
France in 1810, and to that of Buonaparte in his early cara
paigns, as regarded the distribution of rewards and infliction
of punishraent upon the officers acting under the eye of the
comraander-in-chief in the field; and his reasoning should
have convinced the governraent he acted under, of the expedi
ency of relaxing antiquated forras suited to a peace estabUsh
raent only, in such an eventful period as the age of Napoleon
and WeUington. While he pleaded the cause of this raerito
rious officer before the highest authorities, and called for the
bestowal of iramediate rewards upon the brave and the
exemplary, he was employed with equal activity in punishing

380 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
those disreputable characters who were hourly acquiring for
the British narae the disgust and hatred of the Portuguese.
Already had he chid the pusillaniraity of sorae, who, with a raost
un-English feeling, trerabled at the approach of Massena, and
told too loudly the terrors of their breasts c_ he was now under
the necessity of cautioning the Gerraans in our service against
indiscipline and a propensity to plunder, = which they occa
sionally raanifested. Frequent complaints having been raade
to Lord Wellington of the violence and dishonesty of the
Gerraans in the British array, who were represented- as, being
equally cruel and ferocious with their countrjrmeni in the
service of Napoleon, his lordship inforraed Sir Stapleton
Cotton of the fact adding, " it has gone so far, that the. Orde
nanzas inquire whether they raay kill the Gerraans in our ser
vice, as well as in the service of the French, when urged to
' resist the enterprises of the latter." The cause of the hatKed
towards the Germans in the French serviee arose frora the
fact, that those soldiers were araongst the foremost in the ira
perial army, to refuse quarter to the Ordenanzas whom tbey
took in battle, unless they happened to be dressed in regular
tnilitai'y costume, which, in the impoverished state of Portugal,
could not be accoraplished, and the laws obliged thera to de
fend their country in every case of invasion. No situation,
¦ therefore, could be raore difficult and distressing than that of
the soldiers in the Portuguese railitia ; no conduct more inde
fensible and raerciless, than the general orders of Massena to
treat all Ordenanzas taken in coloured clotbps, as guerillas,
and give them no quarter. That the French, their declared ene-
miesii should adopt such sanguinary.raeasures, neither appalled
noriBOrprised the invaded, but that the raercenary Gerraans,
«J with whora no national difference existed, whose fellow-coun
tryraen fought on the side of libert)', and who were, perhaps,
theraselves constrained to appear under the shelter of the im
perial eagle's wings, should have stained their hands with cold
blooded assassination, excited the highest indignation against
the national character, and rendered it stUl raore advisable that
the hussars, in the British army, should use circumspection in

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 381
their intercourse with the people. Regardless of any such
necessity, they behaved so ill as to exasperate the peasantry,
and make Lord Wellington apprehensive of their being cut off
in detail by the offended natives ; he hastened in consequence
to request, that General Cotton would speak seriously with
Arentsehildt on the subject, and point out how unfortunate
it would be, if this conduct, which could be of advantage to
nobody, should deprive his regiment of the reputation they
had acquired^ There is," observed his lordship, "no excuse
for a soldier in the service of Great Britain plundering."
This infinite quantity and endless variety of vexatious ques-
tionss seeming to require th'e imraediate application of powerful
reraedies, did not disturb the calra, gentle, flow of the great
warrior's thoughts : on the contrary, scarcely had he closed
this most peremptory letter relative to the plundering hussars,
when he resumed the labours of the bureau in the: cause lof
mercy. It was on the eighth of August, and on the eve of great
and important events, that the case of poor Franceschi, who
had been made prisoner by a guerilla party, again occupied
Lord Wellington's most earnest attention. He had remitted
raoney to him, and received the promises of the Spanish;junta,
that he should^ be exchanged ; but, from a letter which he now
received frora the wife of the captive, whose raelancholy fate
has been previously noticed, he learned that the general was
still a prisoner, in the Alharabra at Granada, and that. the
raoney had never been transraitted to hira. Lord Wellington,
on the receipt of Madame Franceschi's letter, wrote to Mr.
Henry WeUesley, urging him anxiously, earnestly, and in a raan
ner that betrayed the raost huraane and benevolent feelings,
to give the captive the enclosed letter frora his wife, together
with one hundred dollars, which he added from his private
purse, and desired that he would press the regency incessantly,
to allow him to be exchanged. The capture, captivity, and
story of Fansceschi and his young wife, possess a remarkable
interest and their sufferings and their sorrows entitle them to
sorae brief notice, even in the eventful and crowded narrative
of the Peninsular wars ; but in this raeraoir, their little history
II. ,. 3 D

382 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
is of infinite value, in adraitting a beautiful gleam of heavenly
Ught to fall upon the portrait of the illustrious hero, and,
by shining partially, it raay perhaps ecUpse sorae dark spot on
the canvass. How many acts of harsh, stera, uncoraproraising
justice, which the censuring world have hastily and heedlessly
conderaned, should not his persevering huraanity towards these
unhappy lovers have extenuated or obliterated !
Turning front works of raercy, in which few conquerors
seeraed to have felt equal pleasure^ he next applied hiraself
to the question of a free trade with the Brazils. Finance, trade,
and political econoray had obtained a large share of his atten
tion from bis early years ; but hig innate raodesty, his total
disUke to raake himself or his acquirements the subject of
his conversation or despatches, to the prejudice of the public
business in which he was eraployed, in addition to his being
incessantly engaged in railitary services alone, sufficiently
.SiGeount for the public ignorance of his real character, and
their full confession of his fitness for the duties of the cabinet,
tft * that period when the country deraanded and obtained his
services as a statesraan.
"The inactivity of the foe now left his lordship at leisure to
indulge in the pursuit of one of his favourite studies, and, in
a tetter, of the tenth of August to his brother Henry, he
ehillengeS and invites a correspondence on the colonial trade
of Portugal : ^ his views of the question are highly interesting,
and prove the araazing activity of his mind: "I hope," says
Lord Welhngton," the regency will have firraness to resist the
deraands of a free trade with the colonies ; it raight answer
in sorae degree, and raight he connected with raeasures of
finance which would probably give thera avery large revenue :
but we ihaVe no right, and it is the grossest irapolicy in us to
deraand it. Great Britain has ruined Portugal by her free
trade with the Brazils: not only the customs of Portugal, to
the amount of a million sterling per annura, are lost but the
fortunes of numerous individuals, who lived by this trade, are
ruined ; and Cadiz will suffer in a sirailar raanner, if this
demand is agreed to. Portugal would now be in a very

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 383
different situation as an ally, if our trade with the BrazUs was
still carried on through Lisbon ; and I would only ask, is it
wise, or liberal, or just, to destroy the power and resources,
and absolutely to ruin our allies, in order to put into the
pockets of our raerchants the raoney which before went
into their treasuries, and would be now eraployed in the
maintenance of military establishments against the comraon
eneray ?" The subjects of Lord Wellington's correspondence
noticed here, are selections frora a raultitude. that poured with
an amazing rapidity from his pen, and made rather with a
view to illustrate individual character, than frora their being
the raost serious or valuable questions, in the discussion, of
which his lordship was then engaged. The British rainisters
have not been noticed, their distrustful coraraunications, nor
the quiet reraonstrances of the chieftain endeavouring to win
thera over to his aspiring views. The British envoys in Portugal
also contributed to test his lordship's facility in coraposition,
by their nuraerous,, doleful, and lengthened correspondence
relative to the best raeans of embarking the troops, as soon as
the British array should be compelled by Massena to evacuate
Portugal. To all these, some painful, others ludicrous, some
public and necessary, others private and undertaken through
benignant feelings, he replied with ease, punctuality, perfect
calraness, and coraposure : in few, very few instances, and thfen
in the raost delicate and well-chosen language, heiexbibifedrft
high degree of political courage, by rejecting altogeUiprhtJl^
counsels of the rainister at war, disapproving of his raeasures,
or threatening, as in the instance of Mr. Druraraond, tp undo
what the governraent had done. 5
While indecision continued to retard the raovements of
the eneray, Lord WeUington was obUged to wait upon the
initial operations of Massena, who had a force exceeding one
hundred thousand raen, under his coraraand. Some skirmish
ing occurred in the vicinity of Almeida, but it did not
obstruct the communication with the garrison : Regnier's
cavalry also sustained a check frora the Portuguese troops at
Fundao, on which occasion he lost fifty raen : intelligence
arrived at the head-quarters of successes gained by Silveira,

384 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
over a detachraent frora Kellerman's corps. Serras had
advanced as far as Monteray, to order provisions for ten
thousand men, and Silveira, learning the true araount of his
party, raoved on Puebla del Senabria, encountered, and
defeated it : advancing on the following day against a Swiss
regiraent in the iraperial service, which had the boldness to
raolest a Spanish post at Barba de Sanatrice, and succeeded
in putting the Spaniards to fiight, he shut up the eneray in the
little town of Senabria for three days, after which they were glad'
to capitulate, on condition of being allowed to return to their
own country, proraising that they would not serve again inr
the iPeninsular war. This meritorious effort by which five
hundred men were deducted from the actual numbers of the
eneray in the field, without the loss of one raan on the side of
the Portuguese, and with the gratifying reflection of having
borne away an eagle araongst the trophies, was attended with
the happiest consequences, giving the Ordenanzas new courage
in the conflict, and confirming their respect for that discipline,
with . the value of which they were unacquainted before the
appointment of Marshal Beresford. Silveira was so elated with
his ( good fortune, that his ambition would immediately have
taken a higher flight, and he did actually raeditate a descent
upon the division under Serras, when the warning voice of
Beresford recalled him from a temptation, which would have
led him into inevitable destruction.
Fortune exhibits raore fickleness in war than in any other of
the great games that raortals raeddle in ; and the loud shouts of
triuraph were suddenly checked by the raelancholy tidings of
the losses sustained by the Spaniards in Estraraadura : there
Roraana, who had been cautioned repeatedly by the British cora
raander not to risk a battle, never to engage such an eneray
as he had to front, unless at an obvious advantage; had been
inforraed that the separation of Hill had so weakened the allied
raain body, that he raust not calculate on reinforceraents —
had Campo Mayor granted to him as a place of arras, and
Portugal left open to hira as a safe retreat — still could not be
induced to follow WelUngton's advice, nor even his earnest
entreaties. Partaking of the sulky sentiraents which the fall

THE, DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 385
of Ciudad Rodrigo engendered amongst his countryraen to
wards the British, he united his forces with those of BaUas
teros, and, raeeting the eneray at Benvenida, he would have
been obliged to raake a total surrender, but for the providential
arrival of Carrera with a large reinforceraent of cavalry, who
rescued hira frora his embarrassment ; not however, until he
had lost above four hundred kUled or taken prisoners. — Lord
Wellington, anticipating his folly, yet desirous to save him from
its consequences, had detached General Madden's brigade, pre
viously attached to General Leith, to strengthen Roraana; but)!
before the arrival of Madden, the collision happened, and tire" '
temerity of the Spaniard was chastised bythe eneray. Ani i
accident contributed also to save Romana frora further loss;
that was, the sudden approach of eight thousand raen, who had '
effected a landing near Cadiz, and were advancing under Lascy
against Mortier : the operations of this force made a diversion
salutary to Roraana, who was finally enabled to occupy Zafra,
the eneray falling back on the Morena*
One raonth expired frora the fall of Ciudad Rodrigo^ and
about half that tirae since the affair of the Coa, without any
disclosure being raade, or any clue obtainedi, as to the plans of
Massena : the tiraid imagined that it was the magnitude of the!
design, for their more certain ruin, that occasioned the delay;
the brave man acquired renewed confidence from an impres
sion that the enemy was unable or unwilling to begin the con
test *' But we were headed," observes Lord Londonderry,
" by one who was not behind Massena, either in clearness
of foresight or multipUcity of resources, and we well knew
that he would direct no raovement which the circumstances of
the case raight not deraand." It is justly due to the character
of Wellington, to raention here, that while he was waiting
upon the raoveraents of Massena, under the circurastances
previously explained, he was also encurabered by every species
of political difficulty that grew out of the serious events
of the tiraes: to hira belonged the care and the conduct of
the British garrison in Cadiz, eight thousand strong^ and,
although they rendered hira no assistance, they were uniforraly

386 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
enuraerated as part of Ins force; reinforceraents had been
proraised frora Halifax and Sicily: of these,, but one regiraent
arrived, whUe sickness and desertion, those necessary resultg-
of inactivity in an army, thinned his ranks daily; the instruc
tions received frora rainisters left it altogether to the. general's
discretion as to his future operations, yet cautioned him
continually as to the preservation of the array intrusted to
his care ; the fears of the rainisters were imparted to, their
despatches and instructions, and, if the alarmists at home were
not in reality apprehensive, their conduct was only the raore
flagrant and injurious. To relieve hiraself frora. the burden
of the Portuguese rainister's advice and co-operation. Lord
WelUngtion literally took the governraent of that kingdom
upon hiraself, associating with hira in the duty, the British
minister: this corapletely suppressed the petty intrigues of
that court, but raultiplied his lordship's avocations : and
finding, frora experience, the valuable results of having placed
l^arshal Beresford over the Portuguese array, he concluded,
by analogy, that tl^e fleet of the allies would be better disci
plined, and more serviceable, if under the control of a British
admiral ; and in consequence. Admiral Berkeley was advanced
to that high comraand.
When Ciudad Rodrigo fell, Massena hoped that thp frontier
of Portugal was rendered practicable for an invading army, and
too hastily concluded that he had struck such an universal ter
ror to the hedi-ts of the Portuguese, by his masterly conquest
that the inhabitants would hasten to grasp his victorious hand,
if extended with the least serablance of friendship or of peace :
thus irapressed, he issued one of his verbose proclaraations* from
* Proclamation of Marshal Massena, issued from Ciudad Rodrigo, (from Southey's
Historyof the Peninsula War.) " Inhabitants of Portugal— The Emperor of the
French has putunder my orders an army of onehundred and ten thoasandmen, to
take possession of this country, and to expel the English, your pretended friends.
Against you he has no enmity : on the contrary, it is his highest wish to ptomote
your happiness ; and the first step towards securing it, is to dismiss from the
country those locusts who consume your property, blight your harvests, and
paralyze your efforts. In opposing the emperor, you oppose your true friend : a
friend who has it in his power to render you the happiest people in the world.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 387
the fallen city,, inviting the conquered to subrait to their
fortunes, and accept a ruler appointed by France. Upon the
fourth of Ahgust Lord WelUngton deeraed it his duty also
to address thP people of Portugal in a public raanifesto, to
guard thera against the eloquence of the French raarshal, and
point out to them their safest, wisest, best line of conduct.
Originally proclaimed in the Portuguese language, all copies
hitherto published were but translations from a translation ;
but the draft, of his lordship's own dictation, having been dis-
cPvered, the following is taken from that docuraent in the last
edition of his despatches.
Proclamation to the People of Portugal, hy Lord Viscount
Wellington, Marshal General, 8fc. : — " The tirae which has
elapsed during which the eneray has reraained upon the
frontiers of Portugal, has fortunately afforded, to the Portu
guese nation, experience of what they are to expect frora the
French. The people had remained in some villages, trustin!g
to the eneray's promises, and vainly believing that by treating
the enemies of their country iri a friendly raanner, they should
Were it not for the insidious counsels of England, you might nowhaveenjoyed
peace and tranquillity, and have been put in possession of that happiness;. you
have blindly rejected offers calculated only to promote your benefit, and have
accepted proposals which will long be the Curse of Portugal. His majesty has
commissioned me to conjure you that yOu would awake to yoiif true interests ¦'
that you would awake to those prospects, which, with your consent, may be
quickly realized : awake so as to distinguish between friends and enepiies.
The king of England is actuated by selfish and narrow views : the emperor qf
the French is governed by universal philanthropy. The English have put arhis
into your hands, arms which you know not how to use : I will instruct you.
They are to be the instruments of annihilation to your foes — and who those
foes are, I have already shown. Use them as you ought, and they will become
your salvation ! Use them as you ought not, and they will prove your destruc
tion ! Resistance is vain. Can the feeble army of the British general expect
to oppose the victorious legions of the emperor? Already a force is collected
sufficient to overwhelm your country. Snatch the moment that virtue and
generosity offer ! As friends you may respect us, and be respected in retum : as
foes, you must dread us, and in the conflict be subdued. The choice is your
own, either to meet the horrors of a sanguinary war, and see your country
desolated, your villages in flames, your cities plundered; or to accept an
honourable and happy peace, which will obtain for you every blessing, which
by resistance you would resign for ever."

388 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
conciUate their forbearance, and that their properties would
be respected, their woraen would be saved frora violation, and
that their Uves would be spared. Vain hopes ! The people
of these devoted villages have suffered every evil which a cruel
enemy could inflict. Their property has been plundered,
their houses and furniture burnt, their women have been
abused, and the unfortunate inhabitants, whose age or sex did
not tempt the brutal violence of the soldiers, have fallen the
victiras of the iraprudent confidence they reposed in proraises
which were raade only to be violated. The Portuguese now
see that they have no reraedy for the evils with which they are
threatened, but deterrained resistance.' Resistance, and the
deterraination to render the eneray's advance into their country
as difficult as possible, by reraoving out of his way everything
that is valuable, or that can contribute to his subsistence, or
frustrate his progress, are the only and the certain remedies
for the evils with which they are threatened. The army nnder
my coramand will protect as large a portion of the country as
will be in their power : but it is obvious that the people can
save themselves only by resistance to the eneray, and their
properties only by reraoving thera. The duty, however, which
I owe to his royal highness, the prince regent and to the
Portuguese nation, will oblige rae to use the power and
authority in ray hands to force the weak and the indolent to
make an exertion to theraselves frora the danger which awaits
thera, and to save their country : and I hereby declare, that
all magistrates, or persons in authority, who reraain in the
towns or villages, after receiving orders from any of the
raiUtary officers to retire frora thera ; and all persons of what
ever description, who hold any coraraunication with the eneray,
and aid or assist thera in any raanner, will be considered
traitors to the state, and shall be tried and punished accord
ingly." (Signed,) Wellington.
This able document called forth the following public notice from the Prince
of Essling ; —
Proclamation of Massena subsequent to the ith of Jugust.—" The armies of the
great Napoleon are on your frontiers, and going to enter your territory as friends,

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 389
Although few foresaw the solid foundation which this in
strument laid, for the elevation of British prosperity in the
approaching protracted wars, or the convulsive shake which it
gave, and the deep wound it infiicted, upon the French power
in the Peninsula ; yet its consequences were more fatal to the
not as conquerors. They do not come to make war against you, but to contend
against those who have compelled you to make it. Portuguese I open your
ieyea to your interests. What has England done for you, that you should suffer
the presence of her soldiers upon your soil ? She has destroyed your manu
afactures, ruined your commerce, and paralyzed your industry, with the sole
hope of introducing into your country articles made in her manufactories, and
to render you her tributaries. What does she do now, that you should embrace
that unjust cause which has raised all the powers of the continent against her ?
She deceives you as to the results of a campaign, in which she will not risk any
thing ; she makes a rampart of your battalions, as if your blood was to be
valued at nought ; she is ready to abandon you whenever it suits her interests:
must not the result, therefore, be injurious to you, both by multiplying your
sufferings, and their insatiable ambition ? She sends her ships into your ports
to bring away to her colonies, those of your children who may have escaped
the dangers to which she continues to expose them on the continent. Has not
the conduct of her army before Ciudad Rodrigo sufficiently proved to you what
you are to expect from such allies? Did they not excite the garrison, and the
unfortunate inhabitants of that place, by deceptive promises, and have they fired
a single gun to assist them ? and lately again they have thrown some of their own
forces into Almeida — where a governor was instructed to engage you in a defence
as badly seconded as that of Ciudad Rodrigo? and have they not insulted you
by thus placing in the balance a single Englishman against six thousand of your
nation? Portuguese! do not let yourselves be deceived any longer ; the gene
rous sovereign, whose power, laws, and genius so many people bless, wishes to
secure your prosperity. Place yourselves under his protection, receive his
soldiers as friends, and you will obtain safety for your persons and yoiif -j>ro-
perty. The evils which result from the state of Avar aie already known to
you : you know that they threaten you as to everything that you hold most
dear, your children, your parents, your friends, your fortunes, your political
and private existence. Adopt then a proposition which offers you all the advan
tages of peace. Remain quiet in your dwellings, devote yourselves to your domestic
works, and only look upon those as enemies who advise you to a war, in which
all the chances are contrary to the happiness of your country  The Marshal
Prince d'Essling, commander-in-chief of the ai'my of Portugal. Massena."
[Such was the counter-proclamation which the French general caused to be
published, to militate against the designs of Wellington ; but happily for Portu
gal, Spain, and England, these were too deeply laid, too securely treasured in
the hearts of a few, very few, brave and loyal men, to be either seen through
or fmstrated by any efforts of the enemy.]
II. 3 E

390 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
legions of Napoleon, and to his Peninsular projects, thain many
defeats in battle would have proved. Here are erabodied those
principles upon which WelUngton based his plans, the fulcrum
on which he rested a political lever, which was to eradicate and
overthrow that tree, miscaUed of liberty, which the iraperial
ruler of the French now sought to plant in the Peninsula.
Affairs now began to draw to a crisis ; the great plot seemed
rapidly to thicken; inactivity was no longer possible, as disease
and faraine began to reraind the French coraraander. On the
thirteenth, WelUngton, ever wary, wrote to Hill, inforraing him
that he agreed then completely with Fane's opinion and his,
" that the enemy were about to recross the Tagus. Regnier's
mPvement to this side," said his lordship, " although ordered by
Napoleon himself, was certainly a false one ; and the sooner a
reraedy is applied by recrossing, the better for the enemy. But
if they cross the river, you raust cross likewise, and resurae your
old position at Portalegre, and replace Le Cor in his : leaving,
however, until you hear further frora rae, two regiraents of
Portuguese cavalry on this side the Tagus, as I have sent Mad
den's brigade to the Marquess de la Roraana." He proceeds
then to supply General Hill with a raost specific and minute
stateraent of the nuraber and description ofthe troops under the
coraraand of Regnier, noticing the precise days on which they
joined that officer, and the quarters whence they raarched, and
exhibiting such a display of well-arranged particulars as proved
the possession of a raind so truly railitary, that early proraotion
in the king's service raust of necessity have been the lot of such
a raan. This interesting docuraent, which the young soldier
wiir peruse with astonishraent, was followed by an adraonition
to Hill, in whora he reposed the raost irapllcit confidence, " not
to pferriiit Fane to engage in any affair, unless he had an evident
superiority of nurabers."
Before the complete investraent of Alraeida, Lord Wellington
had still one day to devote to the public affairs of Portugal,
and this was principally occupied in reraonstrating with the
govemment upon their very improper mode of promoting
officers in the Portuguese service. Their systera was to

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 391
subrait a Ust of naraes to the prince regent, in the Brazils,
for his sign raanual, and then transmit that Ust to Marshal
Beresford for his adoption. Lord WelUngton, in his official
language, which is always free from personality or offence,
desired that the pubUcation of the promotions, forwarded from
the Brazils, should be either suppressed or suspended, first, be
cause it was expressly stipulated, when Beresford undertook
the drudgery of discipUning the rude levies of Portugal, that
he should be vested with the sole, unshackled power of conferr
ring rewards and punishments ; therefore the Ust was a direct
violation of the stipulation entered into with that officer. Se
condly, he conceived that it would be prejudicial to the interests
of Portugal to suffer officers to acquire promotion through pri
vate influence and court intrigue, in preference to those ijyfoo
were entitled to rewards by solid substantial services and real
merit For these reasons his lordship forbade the promotions
in the list to be corapleted, and wrote to the prince regent
justifying his conduct in having done so.
General Beresford was at the head of the army of^ Portugal,
and earned the admiration and respect of that nation ;. but
there was such an interval between the British hero and his
raany brave officers, in the opinion of the countries of Europe,
in the acknowledgraent of the erainent men themselves ^^ho
served under him, that they forgot to feel his superiority^riftS
much as he neglected to press it into notice ; and on every oc
casion of difficulty, in all their pride of power, and dignity, gf
office, they submitted their grievances to the coraraander-in(T
chief, asked his assistance to lighten the burden, alleviate
suffering, or throw over thera the shelter of his warrior shield.
The protection of Beresford's just rights, his vested powers,
he considered a portion of that parental care, which the hum
blest soldier in the ranks received from him, and in this in
stance it was but the carrying out of that just and wise prin
ciple of military legislation, which he previously impressed
upon the comraander-in-chief of the array of Great Brita,in.
It was an object of the utraost raoraent to the great plans of
Wellington, by which he calculated upon one day destroying
the dynasty of Napoleon, to educate, train, officer, and discipline

392 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the Portuguese forces in a raanner the raost perfect, and under
circurastances the raost secret. The army of England could
never cope with the multitudinous arrays of France ; on, this the
French securely reckoned ; and as to the resistance of the na
tive Peninsular troops, that never was admittedias an itera in
the great account of the expenditure of lives which the conquest
of Spain and Portugal would require. But Wellington resolved
to convert the canaille of Portugal into weU-trained bands,
and, by his systera of cunctation, afford them opportunities of
raeasuring swords with the foe they feared before, untU, instead
of insubordinate Ordenanzas, the army of Portugal should be
able to present and maintain a front in the field of battle, which
the Gallic host might assault in vain. This transmutation was
going silently on, under the judicious care of Beresford-; he, was
the skilful alchymist, who was to give to 'the body a new con
stitution, to the features a raore beautiful arrangement In
the process, the Portuguese were unconscious of the share they
had; the eneray were in total ignorance bf the -change ;5and the
English nation, who were acquainted with the cereraony, mis
understood its object, and attributed the dilatoriness of their
general to incapacity, timidity, to everything and anything
except the true cause, which was to gain sufficient tjme to dis
cipline twenty-five thousand brave Portuguese, so that, when
the Frpnch army was beginning to sink under the hardships of
a protracted war in the heart of an eneray's country, the allies
raight fall upon thera with nearly equal nurabers, and not infe
rior in discipline.
When Massena had ascertained with perfect accuracy the
moveraents of Mortier, he resuraed operations in the vicinity of
Alraeida ; and it appears that on the sarae day on which Mortier
occupied Zafra, the sixth corps corapleted the investraent of
Alraeida, an event which dissipated the doubts that hung over
Massena's raeasures, and developed his future plans. This
decisive step, after so long a pause, alarraed the inhabitantSj
now placed in a lamentable dilemraa by the proclaraations of
the French and English generals ; and on the fifteenth the
country presented an extraordinary spectacle. " The inhabit
ants in general had quitted their villages, and the eneray had

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 393
begun to experience sorae difficulty in procuring subsistence,
they were obliged to' send to a considerable distance, so that
their detachraents for foraging and other purposes, as well as
their patrols, sustained rauch annoyance from the Ordenanza,
and from the light detachraents Pf the array. The French at
length broke ground before Alraeida on the fifteenth, but
exhibited so little activity, that not a single battery was
constructed before the twenty-eighth. The first batteries
were erected at a considerable distance, beyond the range of
battering cannon ; but the approaches were pushed to the
very foot of the glacis in one place, owing to the faulty con
struction of the fortification at that point. ''
Alraeida had long been regarded by the Portuguese as a'
warrior-pile, that might bid defiance to a host of enemies, and
disregard the thunder and the ravage of a thousand guns,
and in strength it was inferior to Elvas alone, in Portugal.
An old foundation of the Moors, it is celebrated as having
been won frora them by the Cid, for Ferrarido the Great;
By the aid of the Alraoravides, this fortress was retaken, but
recovered again by Sancho I. of Portugal, in 1190. At the
siege of Talmayda; as it was anciently called, Payo Guterres
distinguished hitriself so much, that he obtained the title of
O'Almaydam, or The Alnlayda, and transmitted' to his de
scendants the surname of Almayda. This ancient nartie is
written with honour, in the histories of Portugal and India,
down to the date here referred to, when its possessor brought
disgrace upon his ancient house, by traitorously serving against'
his country in the array of the invader. After successive wars
had deteriorated the strength of this venerable place, important
to Portugal as a frontier fortress, king Diniz rebuilt the city,
and raised the stately castle herej which the proud Eraanuel
subsequently repaired.
As soon as the investraent of Alraeida was seriously cora
menced, the British general immediately crossed the Mondego,
and commenced concentrating the allied arraies, placing them
nearly in the same position which they had occupied before the
retrogression. The sarae corabination of circuinstanceS con
tinuing to operate here as at Ciudad Rodrigo, the policy of his

394 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
lordship being sound, it must now necessarily have been analo
gous, and, unwUUrig to suffer the eneray to carry on the siege
with the sixth corps only, he brought up the Portuguese, and
returned to his first position at Alraeida. This raanceuvre
obliged Massena to collect a large force at Alraeida, which
greatly increased the difficulty of subsistence, allowed greater
scope for the operations of the guerillas, and better opportuni
ties of resistance to the CastiUians. The Portuguese were now
posted in the rear at Trancoso, Govea, Melho, and Celerico,
the British occupying Pinhel, Freixadas, and Guarda. Delay,
wasting delay, the chief object of Lord Wellington in the
suraraer of I8I0, was accomplishing, by its passive powers, the
ruin of the eneray : Alraeida was a place of strength, having a
garrison of one regular and two mUitia regiraents, a corp^' of
artillery, and a squadron of cavalry, in all above four thousand
raen, under the coraraand of a loyal and resolute British
governor, Brigadier-General Cox. If this place should only
hold out until the rainy season, the situation of the French army
raust then be desperate, as all the avenues which Welling
ton Ppened to let in ruin upon thera, were now fast fiUing
with the eleraents of destruction. " The people of Portugal,"
observed his lordship, in writing to Mr. Henry Wellesley, "are
doing that which the Spaniards ought to have done. They
are reraoving their woraen and properties out of the enemy's
way, and taking arras in their ow'n defence; The country is
made a desert, and behind alraost every stone-wall the French
^Sfill raeet an eneray. To this add, that they have the English
and Portuguese arraies iraraediately in their front, ready to
take advantage of any fault or weakness. If we cannot relieve
Alraeida, it will, I hope, raake a stout defence : the govemor is
an obstinate fellow, and talks of a siege of ninety days. Frora
the folly of the French, in being a raonth before the place
raaking preparations to attack it the garrison, which was not
a very good one, has becorae accustoraed to the sight of them;
and have confidence in themselves, and are in good spirits.
The garrison are supplied for at least as long a time as they
talk of holding out, and every day that they hold out is an
advantage to the cause." Here once more the principle upon

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 395
which the military policy of Wellington then was based, is
distinctly and unequivocally stated^ — "delay," on which he
raainly relied as his best, raost faithful, and efficient ally, one
that would ultimately reduce the strength of the eneray to an
equality with that of the British, in which case the courage of
the men and the genius of the general would accoraplish the
rest. From the preceding letter it also appears that Lord
Wellington placed much reliance upon the strength of Alraeida
and the loyalty of its defenders — in which it will be seen he
was grievously disappointed ; illustrating once more the truth
of his lordship's assertion, that he could not be considered as
possessing that inestimable element in the character of a herp,
" fortune ;" almost every success which he obtained, being the
result of correct calculation, superior and secure plans, advan
tageous positions, and such other adjuncts as rendered success
alraost raorally certain. Thrice was he unfortunate at the open
ing of a new campaign : when delay was his chief object, £^nd he
hoped the resistance of Ciudad jRodrigo would occasion it, that
frontier fortress fell : he had cautioned, nay, entreated Craufurd
not to risk an action with the enemy ; yet that brave soldier
could not resist the temptation when the foe appeared, and
the untoward affair of the Coa was the consequence : this latter
disappointraent occasioned an alteration in Lord Wellington's
arrangeraents for the conduct of the approaching campaign :
the fall of Almeida was a still greater defeat of expectation, as
being so contrary to probability, and so amazingly sudden ; but
WeUington was not a spoiled child of victory, he had .been,
discipUned by fortitude, and knew how to endure and under
stand the frowns of fortune.
On Saturday night, or early on Sunday raorning, the 26th
of August, the enemy opened their fire upon Almeida, and
the batteries played at a long range : some daraage was done
to the houses, but the fire was loudly and briskly answered
from the walls until night-fall, when it slackened on both
sides : but scarcely had the thunder of the artUlery, rolled
away, when the ground on which the city stood, trerabled as in
an earthquake ; the old square keep, in the centre of the town.

396 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
with the adjoining buildings, burst into fragments from which a
pillar of smoke ascended to an iramense height and then slowly
descended upon the ruined city and its desolated ways. The
ancient donjon, being the only bomb-proof in Alraeidftj was
therefore raade the chief powder-magazine, but sufficient cau
tion had not. been observed in securing the doors, and adapting
tbe entrance for the purpose to which the castle was now to
be employed : just as a supply of ammunition had been carried
out and placed in a waggon for transport to the walls, a shell
exploded at the open door, and the loose powder having
ignited, the fire comraunicated to the contents of the magazine,
and an awful explosion was the result UntU the occurrence
of this treraendous accident, the garrison had sustained no loss,
was in the best order and spirits, had no thoughts of surrend^,
but expected to hold out for two raonths at least, as they bad, up
wards of three-hundred and fifty thousand rations of bread.
The loss in araraunition, by this accident, raust necessarily
have destroyed all hopes of continuing the defence, as the
garrison now possessed only a very sraall supply of powder
stored in the raagazines on the ramparts, with a few raade-up
cartridges, and eighty-nine barrels of powder which reraained
in the laboratory ; but the destruction of life was still raore
to be deplored by a raan of such feelings as the governor,
and the ruin of the raraparts left the survivors exposed to the
.cruelty of the eneray. The explosion destroyed the whole
, town, breached the raraparts, blew all the guns, with the ex
ception of three, into the ditch, killed or wounded the greater
part of the artiUeryraen, besides five hundred of the inhabitants,
and the fragraents of the buildings that were thrown out by
the fiery eruption, killed fifty of the besiegers in the trenches.
The survivors stood aghast, disraay and pallid fear alike
pervaded the troops and the towns-people ; they were so
paralyzed with the suddenness, and the sound, and the sight of
destruction, that they becarae incapable of investigating i\\e
cause of the calamity, and they threw theraselves down in anger
with Prpvidence, resolved to take no further thought for their
lives or liberties. But there was one stout heart, which

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 397
throbbed as equably as we read that the pulses of those royal
victims did, whom the people's rage, both in France and Eng
land, sacrificed on the public scaffold to the goddess of their
idolatry — ^Liberty. Colonel Cox, an English officer, holding the
rank of brigadier-general in the Portuguese service, had been
entrusted with the gPvernorship of Almeida, frora. experience of
his resolute teraperament : apprehensive of an assault the
moraent the eneray should have ascertained the nature and
extent of the calaraity, he ordered the rappel to be beaten,
rallied as many as had recovered from the stunning effects of
the explosion, and, rushing to the raraparts, kept up a rapid fire
with the three guns that were left upon the walls. The enemy,
ignorant of the state of the works, continued to throw' in
shells as thickly as before, during the night; but, when the
feturn of light enabled them to perceive the magnitude of the
mischief, two officers were sent to the gates with proppsals
from the Prince of Essling.
That the mode in which the ruin of Alriieida was wrought
was purely accidental, no doubt can be entertained, but that
it would soon have fallen by the villany of traitors, few can
disbelieve who read its story. Cox still resolved on gaining
time; no raatter what its length, he knew its value to the
cause of Spain ; and being deprived of obtaining a respite of
two raonths, he reconciled himself to the brief measure of so
many days. Calling the garrison around hira, he reraonstrated
with thera upon their pusillaniraity, rerainded thera that the
loss they had sustained was not inflicted by the eneray, and
should be borne with raanly resignation ; that it was still
practicable to hold out for a few days, before which tirae it was
probable Wellington would corae to their relief, or, by sorae
skilful raoveraent, alarra the eneray, and oblige them to grant
more favourable terms of capitulation ; and should all fail, it was
his intention then to cut his way through the eneray's lines, and
join the allies. But this raeritorious display of steadfastness,
like the Lydian stone, only tested the purity of the coin, which
was unluckily found to be base and worthless. Treason had
existed in Almeida frora the coraraenceraent ofthe siege, and the
H. 3f

39S LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
French eraperor often conquered by corruption, in prefer
ence to risking the chances ofa battle : the desertion of Portugal
by the royal faraily, and the irabeciUty of the Spanish king,
weakened the bonds of fealty, gave a tinge of popularity to the
intrusion of France, and rendered raany dastards venal. Ber
nardo Costa, the Tenente Rey of Alraeida, before the batte
ries opened on the place, appeared to be a faithful servant of
the state ; but when the shells began to burst around, he con
cealed hiraself in one of the bomb-proofs : when the explosion
had thrown all persons into the utmost consternation, this
coward crept from his retreat, and, assuming a new character,
declared " that the place being no longer tenable, it was the
duty of the governor and the garrison to surrender ; and, that if
Cox persisted in rejecting the mild terras offered by the French
general, he would hiraself hoist the white flag." A supporter
of' these arguments presented himself in the person of Jo^e
Bareiros, chief of the artiUery ; a villain who had long held
secret correspondence with the enemy. Governor Cox; finding
that a rautiny actually existed, directed the major of artillery to
proceed to the French quarters, and settle the terms of capitula
tion ;. but that traitor inforraed the enemy of the exact state pf
the place after the explosion, and never returned ! Massena
in consequence rejected the terras proposed by the governor, but
consented to perrait the mihtia to return to their homes, while
the regulars remained prisoners of war. Entering the town,
the first part of the treaty was artfully executed, having first
exacted a proraise that the individuals then set free should not
Again take up anns against the French: but the raanner in
which Massena fulfilled the second condition, reflects disgrace
upon the general, and dishonour upon the service that re
tained araan so devoid of principle in a situation of so rauch
power. He addressed the Portuguese soldiers in the lan
guage of flattery, conciliation, corruption, and promised to
those raen whora he was instructing in treason, the favour of
his iraperial raaster, if they would pass over to his banners.
This disreputable transaction is thus noticed by Lord WeUing
ton, " I am sorry to add, that the whole of the twenty-fourth

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 399
regiment with the exception of the major, and of the English
officers, have gone into the French service. It is said their
object is to evade captivity, and that as soon as they can find
an opportunity, they mean to desert : this may be well enough
for private soldiers, but it is highly disgraceful to the character
of the officers." His lordship's indignation at the scandal
brought upon the profession of arms by such degeneracy of
raorals, was in unison with the sentiraents of every officer
under his coramand. Lord Londonderry expresses the same
feeling upon this occasion, in language creditable to a brave
and generous soldier. "It is hardly necessary to observe that
no one could' ever think of placing reliance on men who could
thus set all honourable feeling at defiance. For ray own part I
looked upon the ci-devant garrison of Alraeida as a band of
conteraptible cowards, or barefaced traitors; and I believe' that
the sentiraents which I entertained towards them were, with
out a single exception, those of every man and officervin
the British army." Marshal Beresford also protested agait^
the raeanness of Massena, and the raoral delinquency of the
Portuguese officers, whora he declared he would never receive
again into the service of tbeir prince, unless some mitigating
circumstances were found to aid in their restoration. After the
lapse of a few days, the majority of these poor ignorant beings
deserted from the P'rench, aud attached themselves to the -first
party of their own countrymen they came up with : their desti
tute condition, their jaded appearance, their mental agonies,
and their soleran asseverations that they had never taken any
oath of fidelity to the cause of France, pleaded not in vain with
their excellent commander, who felt for the ignorance, as well
as for the sufferings they had already undergone, and sus
pended the punishment he had intended to inflict.
Amongst the arguments adopted to induce the Almeidans
to surrender, was one that was artful, but disreputable to the
originators : the officers who were sent to summon the town
had instructions to invite the garrison to pass over to the
French array, and to enjoy that treatment and those advantages
which a number of their countrymen were then receiving in that

400'^ LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
service. In support of this specious frauds the Marquis
D'Alorna was brought forward, whose protestations were
veheraent in seconding the invitation of Massena. But it
should be stated, that no Portuguese troops had ever deserted
in a body to the standard of France; the few that were in that
service had been hurried out of their country by Junot and
were forcibly detained in France by the eraperor. As to
D'Alorna, he was a Portuguese, and a raan of rauch talent, but
little principle : he conceived that his family had always been
treated with severity by the royal family of Portugal, and,
prompted solely by a vindictive feeling, he embraced' the op
portunity of Junot's invasion of Portugal to become a traitor
to his country, not only without personal risk, but even with
expectation of reward for his infaray. Having once committed
himself as an enemy to his father-land, he becarae a deter
mined and uncoraproraising partisan of the French; and it was
in his power to aid their designs, and to direct the operations of
Junot, being at that period in the situation of governor of Beira,
and having a perfect knowledge of the different parties that
then rent the kingdora by their intrigues, and of all the secret
springs 'by which they were severally put in raotion. His
services, therefore, were highly acceptable to Napoleon, who
looked- on his hatred of the reigning faraily as a security for his
fidelity tO' himself, and, iraraediately appointing hira a general
of division, he sent him with Massena into Portugal.
The crueltyrwith which the French had treated the non-resist
ing villages on the frontier of Beira, had shown the Almeidans
how little faith could be reposed in the proclaraations of
Massena, or the proraises of his envoys, and D'Alorna was
known as a traitor to the whole array, so that negociaticn
proved futile ; butj after the destruction of the works by the
accidental explosion, necessity, and the hope of escaping ira
prisonment for life in a distant country, influenced the rainds
of the garrison to consent to the terras offered by the enemy.
The railitia, according to the stipulations of the treaty, were
to have been spared the humiliation of carrying arms against
their country and their kindred ; but perfidy was one of Mas-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 401
sena's infirmities, and when he found that there was not an
individual in the three railitia regiraents of Arganil, Trancosco,
and, Guarda, who could be induced to violate his allegiance,
he directed that two hundred raen and seven officers of each
regiment should be detained, and formed into a corps of
pioneers. Besides this flagrant breach of the articles, the
French were also guilty of the most barbarous inhuraanity,
by continuing to fire upon the defenceless town the whole of
the night after it had surrendered ; and, although it had all the
appearance of a pitiful punishraent, which they sought to
inflict upon the garrison for their refusal to enter the imperial
service, yet French historians assert that it was attributable to
an error in the transralssion of orders. Of the renegades who
aided in the fall of Almeida, one alone was reserved for justice,
this was the cowardly De Costa, who was subsequently brouglit
to trial, and shot as a traitor. One curious fact relative to
the fate of this fortress raay be added, as the close of its event
ful history. The occurrence of the dreadful catastrophe,' by
which all hopes of defending the place were dissipated, was
not officiaUy coraraunicated at British head-quartersy until
many hours after the surrender of the place, but Lord Welling
ton was, nevertheless, in possession of the fact: his lordship
was employed constantly with his glass, observing the moveraents
of the enemy and the progress of the siege, from the summit
of a hill at Marlal de Chao, and finding that there was a
cessation frora hostilities, from one p. m. till nine on Moriday
night, when the firing recoramenced, and lasted till near two,
and an explosion having been heard at the British advanced
posts, he again proceeded to make a personal reconnaissance,
when he discovered, on the Monday, that the steeple was de
stroyed, and the houses almost all unroofed: it was not until
after he was sufficiently satisfied of its fate, that official intelli
gence of its fall reached him.
The surrender of Alraeida was as unexpected as it was unwel-
corae to the allies : it afforded fresh food to the morbid appe
tites of the alarmists in England, it added fresh fuel to the fiame
of discontent, and disloyalty was occasionally observed bursting

402 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
through the thin veU that covered it: changes, had taken place
in the Portuguese government which; consisted in dismissing
troublesome political intriguers, to raake way for furious and
revengeful raonsters; proscriptions, deaths, and confiscations
were the occurrences of every bour in the capital; and ithe
despots, grown farailiar with power, and encouraged bythe para
graphs of the despondent English press, had the folly and pre
suraption to deraand an explanation, and to express theirdesjre
that the quick and great successes of the array raight soon bi^
able to obliterate the depression caused by the fall of Almeida.
Lord WelUngton's reply to this impudent docuraent evinced
his ability to struggle with difficulties, his pecuUar fitness for
the possession and administration of power, his. firmness,
decision, and political courage. " I have already raade known,"
he observed, " to the governraent of the kingdom, that the fall
of :Alraeida was unexpected by rae, and that 1 deplored its
loss, and that of ray hopes, considering it , likely to depress
and afflict the people of the kingdora- Itwas by no raeans
ray intentipn, however, in that letter, to state whether it had,
or .had not, been ray intention to have succoured the place;
and I now request the permission of the governors, of the
kingdom to say that, much as I wish to reraove the irapression
Yfhich this misfortune has justly made on the pubhc, I do not
propose to- alter -.the system and plan of operations which havp
been determined on, after the raost serious deliberation, as
raost adequate to further the general cause of the allies, and
consequently of Portugal. I request the governraent to be
lieve that I ara not insensible of the value of their confidence,
¦ as w,ell as of that of the public : as also, that I ara highly in
terested in removing the anxiety of the public upon the late
raisfortune : but I should forget ray duty to ray sovereign,
to the prince regent, and to the cause in general, if I should
permit public clamour or panic to induce me to change in
the snxallest degree the system and plan of operations which
I have adopted, after mature consideration, and which daily
experience shows to be the only one likely to produce a good
end," This reply, replete with confidence, was an answer

THE' DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 403
also to the despondents at horae ; it showed clearly that his
lordship did not hesitate to take the whole responsibility of
his confident conduct upon hiraself, that he shrunk frora no
inquiryj -but would not disclose what it was not necessary,
perhaps nPt safe, that the public should be inforraed of. Fully
aware of the conteraptible character of the new governraent
he' lost not a raoment in corapelling them to retract the faint
insinuation that the British generals were at least privy to the
proscriptions that were going forward ; and he further, through
Mr. Charles Stuart, inforraed thera, that if, by their raiserable
intrigues, they interfered in any raanner with the appointments
of Marshal Beresford's staff, or with the operations of the
army, he would advise his majesty to withdraw the assistance
which he was then affording to the Portuguese nation.
His lordship's determination to resist the machinations of
this wretched cabinet was warmly and decidedly expressed
in the sarae despatch, and he thus declares his resolution
as to their total co-operation, on pain of forfeiting thfe aid
of England in the war. " I purpose," added his lordship,
"to report to his raajesty's governraent, and refer to theircon-
sideration, wbat steps ought to be taken, if the Portuguese
governraent refuse, or delay to adopt, the civil and political
arrangeraents recoraraended by rae, and corresponding with
the railitary operations I ara carrying on. The preparatory
raeasures for the destruction of, or rather rendering useless
the mills, were suggested by me long ago : and Marshal
Beresford did not write to government upon them, till I' had
reminded hira a second tirae of ray wishes on the subject I
now beg leave to recoraraend that these preparatory measures
may be adopted, not only in the country between the Tagus
and the Mondego, north of Torres Vedras, as originally pro
posed, but that they shall be forthwith adopted in all parts of
Portugal ; and that the magistrates and others may be directed
to render useless the mills, upon receiving orders to do so
frora the military officers. I have already adopted this mea
sure with success in this part of the country, and it -must be
adopted in others in which it is probable the eneray may

404 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
endeavour to penetrate : and it raust be obvious to any person
who will reflect upon the subject, that it is only consistent
with all the other raeasures, which for the last twelve -raonths
I have recoraraended to the governraent, to irapede and render
difficult, and, if possible, to prevent the advance into, and
establishraent of the enemy's forces in this country. But it
appears that the government have lately discovered that we
are all wrong ; they have become irapatient for the defeat of
the enemy, and, in iraitation of the central junta, call out for a
battle and early success. If I had had the power, I would
have prevented the Spanish arraies from attending to this call,
and the cause would now have been safe : but now, having the
power in my hands, I ivill not lose the only chance which
remains of saving the cause, by paying the smallest attention
to the senseless suggestions of the Portuguese government I
acknowledge that I am much hurt at this change of conduct in
the regency, and as I must attribute it to the persons recently
introduced into the government it affords additional reason
with rae for disapproving of their nomination, and I shall
write upon the subject to the prince regent, if I should hear
any more of this conduct."
Lord Wellington's plans for the ultimate confusion of the
enemies of peace were wholly beyond the limits of the regency's
faculties, and, with few exceptions, very imperfectly compre
hended by the leading debaters in the British senate. Lord
Moira, at one period, caught a gUmpse of the great scheme of
the British hero, but it mocked him like a phantora, and, when
called on again to deliver a railitary opinion upon the Penin
sular campaign, the vision had totally fleeted away. To Lord
Holland it appeared requisite " that some great raan should
arise, capable of inventing and executing some great plan,
if Portugal were to be saved frora French doraination;" but
his lordship did not allude either to Wellington or his Fabian
plans ; on the contrary, he put this case as an impossible,
or, at all events, an improbable one — while the saviour of
Portugal was actually at the head of the British army, and
had been twelve raonths engaged in carrying into operation

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 405
this vast design, by which Europe was to be wrested frora the
powerfiil hand of Napoleon. It was absolutely incurabent
upon Lord WeUington to corapel the Portuguese to help thera
selves, although, in this instance, his plans for their relief
were certainly raost unpalatable. It was a hard necessity
which corapelled tbe poor cottager to forsake his hurable
home, and fly for shelter where he might be left in want of
food ; it was a cruel fate, that obliged the proprietor first to
destroy and then abandon his mill and works, in obedience to
raiUtary coraraand : but the pages of history will be consulted
in vain for an instance of raore consuraraate judgraent, a railitary
enterprise of more deep or daring character, than that which
Wellington so deliberately planned, and so resolutely exe
cuted — for the final expulsion of the French array reraains
corapletely without a paraUel. The system of destroying by,
delay is not novel in the art of war, but with such fearful odds
against hira, as the French array in the Peninsula, compared
to the little British force that foUowed Wellington, no other
general would ever ha,ve raeditated seriously upon any plan pf
resistance. The French habitually taunted the British with
their raarine association ; but it was to the proxiraity, of tUp,
sea that WelUngton felt indebted for his supply of provisions
after he had caused the country to be wasted: when thp
regency hesitated to destroy the raills or break the einb^pk-
raents of the water-courses, they forgot that the streara of, t|ipj
ocean would bring corn to Lisbon, while the eneray were
perishing by faraine in the fields. Lord Wellington's reraon
strance upon this point is one of his raost severe and
sarcastic public letters, but the tirae and the circurastances
called for that energy, proraptness, and finality.
With the fall of Alraeida, aU advantage of Wellington's
continuance in that vicinity was superseded ; he, therefore, fell
back to his forraer position, placing the infantry behind
Celerico, his cavalry at that place, their outposts being at
Alverca, and estabUshing posts of observation at Guarda and
Trancoso. While these raoveraents were in progress, a sirailar
accident to that which destroyed Almeida happened at Alhu-
n. 3g

406 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
querque, where the raagazine, being struck with Ughtning, blew
up, and kiUed above four hundred persons. The enemy begun
now to be stirring in every direction : on the thirtieth of
August they raade two attacks on the British pickets, but
were repulsed in both instances; however, in the afternoon ofthe
sarae day they obliged Sir Stapleton Cotton to draw his posts
within Freixadas. In these slight affrays. Captain Lygon and
two privates of the royal dragoons were wounded. Regnier,
who continued to raake deraonstrations in the direction of
Castello Branco, sent out frequent patroles, one of which fall
ing in with a troop of the thirteenth British, and another of
the fourth Portuguese, belonging to Hill's corps, but under the
coraraand of Captain White, was surprised, and the whole raade
prisoners, with the exception of their coraraander and one man
who were killed. Soon after this affair, Regnier arrived at
Sabugal, upon which Lord Wellington instructed Hill to ob
serve his further raoveraents, and in case he should march
towards Belraonte, and cross the Zezere, so as to place himself
between that river and the Alva, or, if he should move upon
Guarda, in either case Hill was to move on Thoraar by Villa del
Rey, where he would find fresh orders awaiting him ; but Regnier
hastily tuming his line of march upon Zaza Mayor, arrived at
Alcantara, and threw a bridge over the river at that place.
The conduct of Regnier was calculated to continue that
raystery in which the plans of Massena were involved, and to
confuse the British as to the line by which the eneray intended to
advance into Portugal. The inactivity of Massena was known
to his iraperial raaster, who thus reraarked in an intercepted
letter of his to that raarshal, " Wellington has only eighteen
thousand raen. Hill only six thousand; and it would be ridi
culous to suppose that twenty-five thousand English can
balance sixty thousand French, if the latter do not trifle, but
fall boldly on, after having well observed where the blow may
be struck. You have twelve thousand cavalry, and four times
as rauch artillery as is necessary for Portugal. Leave six
thousand cavalry, and a proportion of guns, between Ciudad
Rodrigo, Alcantara, and Salaraanca, and with the rest com-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 407
raence operations. The eraperor is too distant, and the
positions of the eneray change too often, to direct how you
should attack; but it is certain that the utraost force the
English can rauster, including the troops at Cadiz, will be
twenty-eight thousand raen." This letter is said to have been -
dictated by Napoleon, but it does not possess any of the cha
racter of his raind or his style ; and it is not irapossible but it
raight have been " a weak invention of the eneray," as the
French raarshal had coraraenced active operations before the
letter was intercepted. If Napoleon was the author of this
weak and useless letter of instructions, he displayed total igno
rance of every circurastance connected with the designs of the
British ; he never hints at the possibility of provisions failing,
raakes no allusion to Beresford and his vigorous young army,
and is totally silent as to Torres Vedras. His knowledge of
Wellington's plans for the recovery of Portugal was not more
accurate than that of the secretary of war in England, one of
whose despatches of the same date as Napoleon's instructions
coraraences with these words, " As it is probable the array
will embark in September," &c.
The British retired still farther, to Gouvea, where head
quarters were fixed, keeping a watch upon the road from
Sabugal, and preventing any alarra frora being created to Hill
by tuming his position on the Zezere ; but this raoveraent
proved ultiraately useless, the enemy suddenly drawing off
their whole force to the British left. Massena had been
instructed to make Almeida and Ciudad Rodrigo places of
arras, and to enter Portugal by both banks of the Tagus ; but
he confined his operations to the north bank only, and
limited his views to three lines of march, namely, by Viseu,
Celerico, and Belraonte. So far decided in his plans, Regnier
was called in, and stationed at Guarda : Ney, at Macal de
Chao : Junot, at Pinhel, threatening the selected Lines, and
betraying Massena's real object, which was to concentrate all
his forces on Viseu, which the traitor Alorna had represented
as the raost practicable route, and, pouring down thence into
the valley of the Mondego, reach Coirabra before Hill could
possibly have joined the raain body of the alhes. But

408 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
WeUington perceived that the invasion of Portugal was virtuaUy
begun, and, as soon as he ascertained that it was Regnier's
corps that occupied Guarda, he recalled Hill and Leith to
the raain body. It is due to the discernraent and activity
of General Hill, who had been entrusted with a separate
coramand, and enjoyed the entire confidence of Lord Welling
ton, to state, that knowing his comraander-in-chief's wishes
and views, he had judiciously anticipated his final orders, and
was on his raarch to join the raain body when the order
to that effect reached him. Wellington now retired behind
the Alva, leaving the light division and the cavalry at
Mortagoa ; Hill had come up on the twenty-first, and although
the eneray had actually reached the Criz at the sarae tirae, they
found theraselves corapletely baffled. Pack having destroyed
all the bridges. The badness of the roads occasioned rauch
delay to the French, and the artillery had not reached the
deserted town of Viseu on the nineteenth. Colonel Trant
having surprised a patrole, leamed from them that the railitary
chest and reserve artillery were at hand, foUowed by Montbrun's
,«avalry, and imraediately resolved to raake an attack upon the
convoy. This bold action was brilliantly perforraed, nor were
the collected forces of the eneray able to drive Trant away frora
Tojal until he had secured about one hundred prisoners. The
check occasioned a delay of two days raore to the advance ofthe
eneray — a circumstance of vital value to the allies. As long as
the enemy reraained at Viseu, so long Spencer continued to
guard the road to Oporto with a strong force at Milheada, but,
when Ney repaired the bridges, and crossed over the Criz,
Spencer was called in, the allied force concentrated, and
Wellington resolved upon receiving the eneray in a position of
his own selection on the Sierra de Busaco. There were those
in the allied array who expressed their fears that Massena
would not attack such a formidable position ; to which the
British chief replied, "Well, but if he does, I shall beat him :" and
there were others in the French army, who assured Massena that
the British at last were resolved to give hira battle ; to which
he answered,* " I cannot persuade rayself that WelUngton wUl
risk the loss of his reputation, but if he does — I have hira !

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 409
To-raorrow we shall effect the conquest of Portugal, and in a
few days I shall drown the leopard !"
Wellington possessed no such extraordinary and unjusti
fiable arabition as that of encountering sixty or seventy
thousand veterans led by Marshal Massena, with a force only
two-thirds of that araount, and of that force one-half untried
raen : but the folly and irapatience of the Portuguese, and the
fears of the governraent in England, and the discontent of the
Spaniards at the loss of Ciudad Rodrigo and Alraeida, and
the resistance to the execution of his orders to abandon their
horaes, which the regency gave, determined him upon making
such a display of railitary genius and physical force, as would
restore the courage of the Spaniards and Portuguese, and strike
terror into the foUowers of Massena. With this determination
the warrior took up the impregnable position of Busaco,
where he knew he could give the eneray a fatal reception
without rauch risk, and deceive the alarmists by appearing
to be at length prepared to bring the tedious contest to a
close. More perfect policy, more consuraraate skill, were never
exhibited by any general, than Wellington displayed in the
objects and the conduct of the defence at the Sierra de Busaco.
It was singular enough that Lord Wellington's secret plans
were so faithfully concealed by those to whom he had com
mitted thera, that both friends and foes were equally ignorant
of his objects, and both, nearly at the sarae raoment, exclaimed
against his policy. While the alcaldes resisted his authority
to destroy the raills, and drive the people towards the capital,
Massena echoed their sentiments, and assured the inhabitants
that their lives and properties would be more secure upon his
honour than upon that of <ihe English general, while he
most inhuraanly caused all the Ordenanzas that were taken to
be shot as traitors, unless they were clothed in railitary uni
forra. On the twenty-fourth of Septeraber, Lord WelUngton
addressed a reraonstrance to the French raarshal, on this pain
ful subject, which raust have increased- that general's respect
for his antagonist however uncorafortable to his feelings the
coramunication itself might have proved. His lordship observed.

410 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
" You call these raen peasants without any uniform, assassins,
highwaymen : I have the honour to assure you that they are
the Ordenanzas of this kingdom, military corps, coraraanded
by officers paid and appointed by railitary laws. You appear
to insist that those alone are entitled to the rights of war who
are clad in railitary costurae, yet forget that you yourself have
added to the lustre of the French array at the head of soldiers
who were not dressed in any uniforn. Is a country invaded
by a forraidable foe, justified in defending itself by every
possible raeans ? if so, Portugal is entitled to put its Orde
nanza in requisition, a body recognized and organized by the
ancient laws of the country. You coraplain of the treatraent
of Colonel Pavetti, a prisoner — your coraplaint is unfounded,
while you perraitted a railitia captain's house to be burned,
and his companions shot, because he discharged his duty to
his country. I ara sorry that the desertion of their houses by
the Portuguese has occasioned you so rauch personal incon
venience ; but it is my duty to oblige those to retire who are
not able to defend theraselves, and ray orders are the result
of necessity. Those who reraeraber the invasion of Portugal
in 1807, and the usurpation of their governraent in time of
peace, when there was not an English soldier in the country,
can scarcely believe your declaration that it is with the Enghsh
alone you are at war ; and they are unable to reconcile the
conduct of the French soldiers towards their property, their
woraen, theraselves, with the proraises of your exceUency.
It is not, therefore, surprising that they should voluntarily
abandon their horaes, having first burnt or destroyed what
they could not reraove ; and I have no regret to express for
the encourageraent I have given to corarait these acts, except
for the personal inconvenience which it has caused your
excellency. You are raisinforraed with respect to the raUitia
that forraed part of the garrison of Almeida; before you
complain of the infraction of the capitulation of that place,
you should recollect that you violated the conditions as soon
as they were signed : you promised that the officers and
privates of the railitia should be at liberty to return horae, yet.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 411
notwithstanding that solemn engageraent, you detained a
certain nuraber frora each regiraent, to form a corps of
pioneers ; the capitulation of Alraeida, therefore, is void, and
I have a right to act as I please with respect to it ; but I
assure you, at the same time, that there is not one militia-
raan of the late Alraeida garrison, in ray service at this
raoment." This interesting letter has been overlooked, by
those especially who adraire the policy of France at that
period ; but it possesses an important value to history, as
proving a fact which some have pretended to doubt — the dis
honour of Massena, and his flagrant violation of the terras
which he granted, on his princely faith, to the brave governor
and garrison of Almeida; and, in fact, the truth of Pelet's
statement is completely shaken by the contents of the pre
ceding docuraent
No uncertainty now existed as to Masseria's objects, and
Wellington was prepared to answer every raoveraent of the
enemy, and counteract their ablest designs and operations ;
the marshal desired to pass through Coimbra to the capital, in
order to obtain supplies on the route for his army ; the British
general determined upon preventing hira frora collecting pro
visions, upon arresting his progress towards Lisbon, and upon
giving hira a foretaste of British courage and discipline, as a
salutary admonition in his meditated advance. It was also in
the highest degree necessary to obtain some delay frora pursuit,
for tbe old, the infirm, the young, the gentle sex, that were
pushing along the narrow rugged way towards Lisbon, and to
inspire the Portuguese nation with renewed confidence in the
British, for the weight of their sorrow obliterated the recollec
tion of former achieveraents. Busaco, a narae now famed in
history, was the rocky citadel chosen for the consumraation of
these ends by the gallant leader of the allies. " The position of
Busaco was secure against artillery, and inaccessible to cavalry.
Here, frora the lofty ridge of one of theii' native sierras, Wel
lington first showed to the Portuguese levies the formidable
array of their invaders, and here he allotted to thera the easy
task of repulsing, by the side of British soldiers, one of those

412 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
desperate and hopeless assaults, which his knowledge of the
French character encouraged hira to expect. By this raaster-
stroke of railitary skill and sound policy, the Portuguese were
inspired with a confidence in hira and in theraselves, that never
afterwards forsook thera."
The Sierra de Alcoba, or Busaco, possesses other clairas to
recollection than those which the military judgraent of Wel
lington have conferred upon it by selecting its rugged front as
a field of battle. It is a precipitous ridge, extending frora the
Mondego about, eight railes in a northern direction, and sub
siding gently on the west and south into a rich, cultivated
populous country, adorned with villages, monasteries, churches,
and marked with the sinuosities of the rapid Mondego. This
picturesque river insinuates itself between the precipices that
terminate the sierras of Murcella and Busaco, presenting
the boldest and raost roraantic scenery in the province, and
continuing to possess equal ' beauty of forras, productions, and
colour, up to the very fountain of the Alva in the range of the
EstreUa. The Busaco chain is also continued in a northerly
direction to the Sierra Carramula, which extending north-east,
separates the valley of the Mondego from that of the Douro.
As all the roads to Coimbra frora the east lead across this
mountain-range, which presents a savage aspect towards the
Mondego, they are necessarily inconvenient for the passage of
an army, and advantageous as a point of resistance.
On the loftiest point of the sierra is a table-land, occupied
by a spacious conventual establishraent for Barefooted Car-
raelites, called a desert, where the advantages of the eremite
and discipline of the coenobite life, are at once enjoyed. The
principal building is surrounded by a dense forest, the whole
domain occupying a crater-formed hollow, about four mUes in
circuraference. Within the enclosure are chapels and devo
tional stations, and on the raost elevated and conspicuous point
a colossal cross has been erected, the pedestal of which alone
consuraed three thousand carts-load of stone. The cells of the
reverend brethren were constructed around the great church,
not at regular intervals, but on the raost sheltered and conve-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 413
nient sites; and, to protect the occupant frora the effects of the
darap climate, each cell was lined with cork, and that raate
rial adopted instead of wood wherever it could be introduced.
The only recreation in which the ascetics of Busaco indulged
theraselves, was the cultivation of the sraall gardens attached
to their narrow cells, and in one of which the first cedar-trees
that grew in Portugal were raised. This was an earthly
paradise which raan had converted into a purgatory, and
superstition seeraed to sanctify his work. Here the British
hero fixed his head-quarters, " and the solitude and the silence
of Busaco were now broken by events, in which its hermits,
dead as they were to the world, raight be perraitted to partici
pate in all the agitations of hope and fear." An eye-witness
thus describes the prospect frora the convent of Busaco, while
Lord Wellington was the guest of the brethren, iraraediately
before the battle." My regiment _had no sooner piled arras,
than I walked to the verge of the raountain on which we lay,
in the hope that I might discover soraething of the eneray.
Little, however, was I prepared for the raagnificent scene
which burst on ray astonished sight. Far as the eye could
stretch, the glittering of steel, and clouds of dust raised by
cavalry and artillery, proclairaed the march of a countless
array ; while iraraediately below rae, at the foot of the pre
cipitous heights on which I stood, their pickets were already
posted : thousands of them were already halted in their
bivouacks, and column after coluran arriving in quick
succession, reposed upon the ground allotted to thera, and
swelled the black and enorraous raasses. The numbers of
the eneray were, at the lowest calculation, seventy-five thousand,
and this host forraed in three distinct and heavy colurans ;
while to the rear of their left, at a raore considerable distance,
you raight see a large encampraent of their cavalry, and the
whole country behind them seeraed covered with their train,
their ambulance, and their commissariat. This then was the
French army : here lay before me the men who had once, for
nearly two years, kept the whole coast of England in alarm :
who had conquered Italy, overrun Austria, shouted victory on
n. 3 H

414 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the plains of Austerlitz, and humbled in one day the power,
the pride, and the martial renown of Prussia, on the field of
Jena." The British and Portuguese occupied a line of eight
miles in length, but the great extent of the position at Busaco
rendered it inconvenient as fighting ground, less than sixty
thousand raen being insufficient to occupy it fully, so that any
atterapt to turn the British left, by Milheada, raust ulti
mately have succeeded. This Massena neglected, and, im
pressed with the conviction that Wellington would not stand
his ground, he led his colurans against the British posts, which
proved to be as iraraoveable as the rocks they stood on.
On the twenty-third, the British cavalry being obliged to re
tire frora the carapaign country to the height behind Mortagoa,
one division being retained there, the reraainder were ordered
to cross the sierra and descend to Milheada, whence Spencer
was recalled, while Picton's division took up a position at
Antonio de Cantara, and the fourth was placed at the convent.
The advanced guard of the eneray crossed the Criz on the
twenty-fifth, took possession of Santa Corabadao, and pushed on
to Mortagoa, where Craufurd was strongly posted. Lord Weir
lington had issued pereraptory orders against any partial action,
or any affair of advanced guards, but Ney and Regnier's corps
followed so hotly, that the cavalry skirraishers were actually
exchanging shots, and Craufurd was not likely to endure this
insolence of the eneray rauch longer; at this critical raoment
Lord Wellington suddenly arrived, and, taking the personal
direction, covered the retreat with the fifty-second and ninety-
fifth, the cavalry and horse artillery, and brought off the division
without any loss of iraportance. In this affair fell Lieutenant
Hoey, an officer of much promise, aide-de-carap to Lord Lon
donderry, at whose side he was killed by a cannon-shot : and in
this manner, by a series of rapid and beautiful moveraents, by
a sharp cannonade, and an hour's raarch, the accident was
rectified, raischief prevented, and the division brought into
its position on the heights.
During the rescue of the division frora the risk of ruin, to
which Craufurd's irapetuosity had exposed it, Regnier turned

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 415
his route to the left and took up a position in front of San
Antonio de Cantara, opposite to General Picton's division.
This rock was the key to the pass, and becarae in consequence
the principal object of Massena's attack, as it was evidently
his intention, in the first instance, to have forced, in preference
to turning the British position. At this raoraent Ney would
have rushed upon the aUies, whose disposition was not yet
coraplete, and while he was yet beyond the Alva; but Mas
sena was at Mondego, and, in reply to Ney's alde-de-camps
who brought inteUigence of the weakness and confusion of
the allies, desired " that the honour of drowning the leopard
raight be reserved for hiraself upon the raorrow." But before
that raorrow shone forth, the confusion of the allies had sub
sided, and a perfect and beautiful chain of positions was forraed
on the heights of Busaco ; too distant frora each other to render
their ground irapregnable, but this defect was unavoidable, and
reraedled to a certain extent, by the full comraand which each
erabattled eminence possessed over the intervening ravines, by
which alone the enemy could advance, as well as by the indorait
able courage of the troops that raaintained thera. Another
circumstance materiaUy altered the situation of the contending
armies, when Massena did arrive to carry his foolish vaunt
into execution, thatwas, the junction of HiU's corps, which Lord
Wellington moved frora its position on the Alva across the
Mondego, on the raorning of the twenty-sixth, leaving Le Cor
with a Portuguese brigade on the Sierra da Murcella, to guard
the passage of the Alva, while Brigadier-General Fane, with
the thirteenth light dragoons, and a squadron of Portuguese
cavalry, was stationed in front of that river, to check the cavalry
ofthe eneray in any atterapt frora the direction of Mortagoa.
The line of battle was drawn out the reserved posts
occupied, and the arrangeraents for an obstinate resistance
coraplete on the twenty-seventh ; the allied array being thus
disposed — the second division, under General Fiill, forraed the
extrerae right, flanked by the Mondego, guarding the ground
that sloped gently towards the bank of that river, and forraed
across the Pena Covaroad: the erainence on Hill's left was

416 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
occupied by General Leith, coramanding the fifth division, and
having the Lusitanian legion in reserve : on Leith's left was the
third division, afterwards so distinguished for its intrepidity,
under the coramand of one of the bravest officers in the service,
General Picton, and placed decidedly in the post of honour
at Busaco, for it was expected that the eneray would direct
their chief atterapts, and employ their entire strength, to force
the passage of San Antonio de Cantara, which Picton was
appointed to defend. About one raile to the left of Picton, and
between the third division and the convent, the first division
under General Sir Brent Spencer was placed, occupying the
highest point of the ridge : Craufurd's light division continued
the line to the extrerae left, where General L. Cole, with the
fourth division, terrainated the line, their flank being protected
by an alraost perpendicular declivity. The British cavalry,
coraraanded by General Sir Stapleton Cotton, were posted in
the flat country, behind the fourth division, where there was
sufficient space for thera to act, and where they effectually
checked all atterapts on Coirabra by that route. General
Pack's brigade was forraed in advance of tbe first division; and
about fifty salient points, along the front of the line and of the
raountain, were occupied by as raany pieces of artillery ; while
skirraishers were thrown out along the entire front
On the arrival of Massena with the eighth corps, which took
place on the twenty-sixth at noon, that bold general expressed
his determination to force his way through the eneray; hut
Ney perceiving the increased strength of the position which
WeUington occupied since the arrival of Hill, endeavoured to
dissuade hira from such a vain atterapt; the prince, how
ever, trusting in the superiority of his nurabers, the quality
of his veterans, and his own fortune, resolved upon carry
ing the position. During the stiUy silence of night, on
the twenty-sixth, while the British, wrapped in their watch-
cloaks, " with the strong surface of the raountain for their bed,
and the sky for their canopy, slept or thought away the time,"
a rustling noise was heard proceeding frora the thick woods
that darkened the dells in front, upon which, about two hours

IkixLted "by MF."

En^aved "by j Jenims.

GEITT' STAPLETOI*]" COTTOIir. "VISCOUITT ^ BAnON" COMBERMEliE. G.CB &c

'¦^^^/U^

FISHER,' SOIT- fk C^ LCl>rDO]Sr, 1833

THE DUKE OF WELLNGTON. 4I7
before daybreak, the whole allied array was under arms, and
in battle-array.
Whilst the mists yet hung upon the mountain, and con
cealed the combatants frora each other's view, the irapetuous
foe was forraing in five dense, dark colurans, which were
occasionaUy discerned frora the heights of Busaco, as the
Ught clouds of raorn went and carae. To the gallant Ney
three colurans were intrusted, with orders to attack the heights
in front of the convent ; while Regnier, with the reraaining two,
should fall on the line of the allies about three railes to the
left at San Antonio de Cantara. The latter being the real
object of Massena, the atterapt was coraraitted to an elite
corps, consisting of three of the raost distinguished regiraents
in the iraperial service, and commanded by General Merle,
who had earned a high reputation in the field of Austerlitz.
These brave feUows rushed to the attack with a courage that
merited a happier fate, had they been engaged in a raore
honourable cause than the enslaving of all Europe. The
pass was defended by the seventy-fourth regiment, two Por
tuguese battalions, and twelve pieces of artillery ; and
although a coluran of t'ne eneray long persisted, with gallantry
and noble perseverance, they were never able to gain an inch
of ground, and were ultiraately corapelled to abandon the
atterapt in great confusion. During this success, however,
a heavy coluran penetrated on the left of Picton's position,
dose to the hUl of Busaco, and, araidst a storra of grape, round
shot, and musketry, actually gained the summit of the hill,
and instantly forraed with raost beautiful precision : had they
been supported, they would have raade a resistance both long
and sanguinary ; but the gallantry of the French only excited
the eraulatlon of the allies, and the forty-fifth British, with
the eighth Portuguese, opposed the hardy veterans with such
resolution, as to check any further advance, until the eighty-
eighth carae up to their assistance. The French had obtained
possession of a strong rocky point in the raiddle of Picton's
line, while that general was engaged in directing the defence
of the pass ; but, upon being satisfied that the eneray could

418 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
not effect their object in that place, he rode hastily towards
the rock, where he saw his right driven in, and the enemy
gaining ground. The presence of Picton, seconded by his great
exaraple of the boldest daring, was attended with imraediate
success; heading a Portuguese battalion that Lord Wellington
had that raoment sent to his assistance, he raUied his men,
returned to the attack with bayonets levelled, and, charging at
a trot, drove the eneray over the cliffs into the ravine below,
with frlghful havoc, presenting one ofthe raost awful spectacles
that was exhibited during the carapaign. When the enemy
becarae panic-stricken by the fierce bearing of the rauscular
Britons with pointed bayonets, they atterapted to fly with
the wildest precipitation ; but owing to the irregularity of the
ground, nurabers were thrown down and transfixed by their
foes, " and raany literally picked out of the holes in the rocks
by the bayonets of the soldiers." Another attempt was raade
by Merle's division to ascend the hill, but this was easily and
bravely repulsed by General Leith, who came up, at the precise
raoraent, with the first, ninth, ninety-eighth regiraents, and, in
an hour after, Hill arrived at this part of the line with a force
which would have rendered all further attempts fatal to the
enemy : after this, Massena abandoned the rash idea of forcing
the pass of San Antonio de Cantara. The attack on Picton's
division was raade in error, Massena conceiving that point to
have been the extrerae right of the allied line ; and it was not
until his veterans had reached the summit of the rocky ridge,
on which they fully thought that victory sat enthroned, that they
discovered the dark columns, which HUl and Leith now led on
to overwhelm, and to complete their destruction. It was im
raediately after this decisive repulse that Lord WelUngton
visited the spot, and, riding up to Hill, who waited in some
expectation of being attacked, said, " If they attempt this
point again, you will give them a volley, and charge- bayonets ;
but don't let your people follow them too far down the hill."
" I was particularly struck," says an officer in General HiU's
division, " with the style of this order — so decided, so raanly,
and breathing no doubt as to the repulse of any attack : it

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 419
confirraed confidence. Lord Wellington's simplicity of man
ner in the delivery of orders, and in comraand, is quite that
of an able raan. He had nothing of the truncheon about
him : nothing full-mouthed, important, or fussy ; his orders
on the field are all short quick, clear, and to the purpose."*
After General Picton had raade tbe necessary dispositions
for the reception of the enemy on the night of the 26th, and
personally visited every post, he retired to a convenient spot,
wrapped himself in his cloak, pulled on a coloured night-cap,
of a description which he always wore, and lay down to rest
having given orders to the proper officers that he should be
called upon the least alarra. Overcorae by fatigue, and
possessing that coramand over the senses which is the pre
rogative of strong rainds, he instantly fell asleep. Scarcely
had two hours elapsed, when he was awoke by the firing of
rausketry, and, springing frora his grassy bed, he put on his
hat, leaped into his saddle, and the next raoraent was defend
ing the pass of San Antonio. Frora this place he hastened to
the rocky erainence where his right was turned, and, having
succeeded in rallying his raen, placed Major Sraith at their
head, where that officer he was instantly struck down ; turning
round to the Portuguese battalion, that was advancing in the
raost perfect raartial order, as if glorying in the display of dis
cipline which the once despised canaille were now enabled,
by the genius and perseverance of Beresford, to present, he
encountered the full fiash of every eye, in the steady line, now
silently, but earnestly appealing to him, whether they were
not at length deserving of such a general ? He was not long in
appreciating the feeling, of which a soldier only perhaps is
susceptible, and without a raoraent's hesitation, putting spurs
to his charger, he dashed forward to the head of the coluran,
and taking off his hat with which he pointed to the enemy,
called aloud, " Forward, brave Portuguese." This was the
origin of the electric fire that instantly ran through the heart
of every raan in the battalion, and a loud burst of hurras rent
the air: this alone raust have proved startUng to the eneray,
• Recollections of the Peninsula.

420 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
but when the sky instantly after rang with still louder peals
of laughter at the brave general, (who, when uncovering, exhi
bited his coloured night-cap,) an effect still raore terrific fol
lowed ; then yielding to the pressure, and the courage, and the
high-wrought enthusiasra of the fresh troops that rushed against
them, the enemy replied to the tones of laughter only by the
expiring groans of those who were borne over the steep.*
Simultaneously with the attack on Picton's division, Ney
advanced with two colurans, the one under Loisson, the other
under Merraot, against the centre and left of the aUied
line. There the ascent was rauch raore difficult, and
Craufurd had taken every advantage of his poisiton, which
circurastances perraitted. In front of the convent was a
hollow, large enough to receive and conceal the forty-third
and fifty-second regiments drawn up in line ; and at the distance
of a quarter of a mile behind, on an erainence above the hollow,
and close to the convent walls, the Gerraan infantry were
placed, appearing to the eneray to be the only force posted in
that part of the line, while in front of the crater which con
tained the two regiments, arose a group of rocks, affording an
admirable position for a battery, and where Craufurd planted his
artillery. To impede still earlier the approach of the enemy,
the face of the hill was thickly planted with skirraishers, selected
from the Portuguese cagadores and the British rifle corps .
Against this impregnable position the enemy advanced with
the most gallant daring, and in perfect order, Marchand taking
the raain road, Loisson rushing up against the face of the
raountain, while a reserve division reraained at the foot of the
sierra. General Siraon led on his brigade with the raost
dauntless courage, unchecked by a terapest of bullets from the
light troops, or by the raore ruinous storra of heavy shot from
the guns, and, apparently, without the slightest slackening of
pace, or derangement of their line, except what was occasioned
by the fire of the allies, the French reached the crest of the
hill in corapact array ; then a pause took place, foUowed hy
• Robinson's Life of Sir Thomas Picton, from which also tbe account here-
given of the defence of the pass of San Antonio de Cantara is taken.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 421
a shout of vive I'empereur, and then a rapid advance upon the
British battery ; at this raoraent, Craufurd, who, during the
whole tirae of the enemy's bold attempt stood upon a detached,
projecting rock, to observe their raovements, and analyze the
designs of the coraraander of the division, was heard to screara
aloud, in a sharp shrill tone, the loudest and highest on his
voice, " Charge !" In an instant the two regiments that were
concealed in the hollow rushed out from their retreat and
falling on the breathless Frenchmen, offered raany hundred
lives as a melancholy sacrifice to the arabition of the hero
whose title of usurpation they so fondly followed. The re
served regiraents kept elose in their eover until Siraon's bri
gade approached within one hundred yards of their conceal-
raent, when, pouring in a close, well-aimed, and unanswered
volley, then raising a shout both loud and long, and present
ing, up to the very beards of the enemy, thirteen hundred
naked bayonets, they produced an effect from which the foe
could not recover, and which was followed by a scene of havoc
such as the veterans of AusterUtz had never witnessed before.
" The French, unable to retreat and afraid to resist were
rolled down the steep like a torrent of hailstones driven before
a powerful wind ; and not the bayonets only, but the very
hands of some our brave fellows became in an instant red with
the blood of the fugitives. "
The main body ofthe allies reraained in position, the wings
discharging repeated voUeys upon the flying, or rather falling,
fugitives, and many companies would have continued the chase
and the carnage, had not Ney brought forward the reserve divi
sion, and opened a few heavy guns, frora an erainence, to cover
theretreating brigades, which effectually checked pursuit It was
the wish of Ney to withdraw totally from the contest, but the
wounded feelings (rf Marchand and Loisson would not perrait
thera to abandon the ground, while the least glirapse of hope
existed that their lost honour raight possibly be recovered. For
soraetirae, therefore, they raaintained a wild and desultory
contest in the hollows at themoun tain-foot, but the courage, pru
dence, and pride of Pack and Spencer were equal to those of
II. 3 1

422 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
their adversaries, and fortune now bestowed her smiles upon the
efforts of British bravery. The disappointraent which the
French array sustained was general, extending its influence
injuriously to the junior officers. Although Massena had
drawn off his array, a captain with his corapany, who occupied
a village close under the brow of the hill, laboured under
such a paroxysra of chagrin as to have corapletely lost his
judgraent, and totally neglected the orders of his coraraanding
officer. Continuing foolishly to stand his ground, General
Craufurd sent an officer to advise hira " that it should be his
wish, as it was his duty, to follow his flying countryraen while
circurastances yet perraitted, and that huraanity alone was the
source of his interference." The irritated soldier desired the
ra.essenger to retum, and tell his general, " that he had been
intrusted with the raaintenance of that post, and raeant to die in
the defence of it." This gasconade was replied to by a discharge
of twelve pieces of artillery, which General Craufurd ordered to
play upon the eneray for half an hour, after which a corapany of
the forty-third entering the village soon dislodged the too
daring occupants.
This raay be called the expiring stru^le of the French at
Busaco : if an attack on the strong position of Wellington was
justifiable at any period, it raust have been before the junction
of Hill and Leith ; but, after that event, it was a rash, extra
vagant idea, despised by Wellington, and disapproved of by
Ney; founded in presuraption it terminated in results as
injurious to the author, as advantageous to his adversaries.
By the resistance which the allies raade on this raeraorable
occasion, the French were confirraed in the belief that the
British soldiers were raadly brave, and discovered at the sarae
instant, that they had so discipUned the allies, that, whether
they were habited in railitary costurae, or otherwise, they were
no longer exposed to the epithet of canaille, but entitled to
be ranked with the bravest and best soldiers in the Pen
insula. Many of the allies, exhausted by the prolongation
of hope and by the raoraentary expectation of being led against
the foe, gave way to unworthy suspicions, but Busaco lulled

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 423
all apprehensions as to the clear views of the general, and
increased the growing confidence in Portuguese co-opera
tion. While Beresford lauded the conduct of his raen in the field
of battle, and corapared their bravery to the brightest periods
of Portuguese history, Wellington added the valuable testi
raony of his approval, not only of the troops, but of the raarshal
hiraself, to whora the nation was largely indebted for the
introduction of that railitary discipline, which contributed in
an essential raanner to the recovery of the Peninsula: his
praise was not confined to the area of the battle-field, or
addressed to the brave raen who had so gloriously profited by
his lessons of subordination, but with his accustoraed raagna
niraity, he represented the services of Beresford, to the secre
tary at war, with an unexerapled generosity. " I should not,"
said his lordship, " do justice to the service, or to ray own
feelings, if I did not take this opportunity of drawing your
lordship's attention to the raerits of Marshal Beresford. To
him, exclusively, under the Portuguese govemraent, is due the
raerit of having raised, forraed, disciplined, and equipped the
Portuguese army, which has now shown itself capable of en
gaging and defeating the enemy." The raeritorious exertions
of Beresford were at once acknowledged by his sovereign, who
conferred on him the order of knighthood of the B ath, in
consideration of the discipline exhibited by the troops under
his comraand at the battle of Busaco. The prodigies of valour
perforraed by the veteran troops of Gaul, led only to their
greater destruction and raore decided overthrow. General
Graind'orge, and eight thousand raen were slain: Generals Foy,
Merle, Maucune, and Loisson wounded, while General Siraon*
* Simon being brought to England, was permitted to reside at Odiham, on
his parole, but, violating tis honour, he concealed hiinself in London, in the
hope of being able to effect his escape. Totally forgetting the high estimate
which a Briton entertains of the profession of arms, he condescended to
intrigue with other French prisoners, who were also on their parole, for the pur
pose of releasing all those that were base enough to participate in such a conspi
racy. His conduct being made known to government, a strict search was im
mediately ordered, and Simon and his accomplices being discovered, in the
kitchen of a house in Piatt--street, Camden Town, part were placed in Bride-

424 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
was made prisoner by the fifty-second regiment, along with
three colonels, thirty-three officers, and two hundred and fifty
men, making a total, put hors de combat, of about five thou
sand : tbe aUies sustained a loss under one thousand three
hundred, which included five hundred and seventy-eight of the
Portuguese corps.* When the din of battle had subsided,
Massena sent a flag of truce, requesting permission to bury
the slain ; but his request was refused by the victors, who per
formed that melancholy duty theraselves. Nurabers of the
wounded, whora the enemy abandoned in the field, fell into
the hands of the peasantry, who inflicted upon them the raost
shocking and inhuraan tortures ; sorae were rescued frora their
raercUess grasp by General Craufurd, and lodged in the
great convent of Busaco ; but nurabers are believed to have
perished in the raost infaraous raanner by the infuriated pea
santry, who had been deprived of every thing but life in this
unjust war of aggression. The despatches of Lord Wel
lington particularize those officers of the British army, that
were pre-eminently conspicuous for courage and abUity on the
day of Busaco, amongst whora the following were, perhaps, the
raost frequently raentioned: — Picton, Craufurd, Leith, Pack,
Mackinnon, and Mac Bean, but these are not selected here
frora an irapression that they displayed a more gallant bearing
in the hour of danger, than those whose names are of neces
sity omitted.* To fill up the vacancies created by the loss of
so many excellent officers, ten ensigns' coraraissions were sent
to the coraraander-in-chief, to be presented by hira to an equal
number of non-commissioned officers who had entitled them
selves, in the resolute repulse of the eneray, to his approbation.
This was the principle upon which Lord Wellington had
recoramended, to the government in England, that rewards
well, and others were sent to the hulks at Chatham, while Simon and a sur
geon, who was particularly active in the plot, were committed to the Castle
of Dunbarton.
• Amongst the killed were Major Smyth of the forty-fifth, Captain
Urquhart, and Lieutenant Ouselyj Ensign Williams of the seventy-fourth;
Lieutenant Henry Johnston of the eighty-eighth. The total number of officers
killed was eleven, wounded sixty-two, one only was taken prisoner.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 425
should be conferred, proraotion granted, in our array: it had been
acted upon by Napoleon, without any reference to the minister
at war in Paris, and was only too long postponed by the
British coraraander-in-chief at London. This well-tiraed con
cession, and prudent deference to his sound railitary judg
ment, completely appeased the indignation of Wellington at
the iraprudent and unfair distribution of patronage in our
array ; and, on the fourth of October he addressed Lietenant-
Colonel Torrens in language that indicated content, if not
entire satisfaction : " Let us drop the subject of array prorao
tion altogether, for I assure you I feel no interest in it, ex
cepting with a view to the public good, in which I raay be
raistaken ; and I should be sorry that you believed that I dis
approved of anything you have done in your office. My
opinions went against the system, not the raode of carrying
it on." The assault upon the British position at Busaco, being
raade by Massena's orders, and under his own personal direc
tion, occasioned the raore severe disappointraent and chagrin :
he feared to try the perilous chance again, and failing in force,
he resolved to raake trial of stratagera: less haughty than
before his failure, he called a council of war, at which Ney,
Regnier, Junot, and Freirion were present and comraunicated
to these experienced generals his intention of abandoning all
further atterapt on the position of the allies : the Portuguese
traitors, D'Alorna and others, were next consulted as to the
nature of the country beyond the heights, and the raost prac
ticable line of raarch, whereby the French raight be enabled
to turn the position which they had failed to force. These
conteraptible apostates declared their total ignorance of the
topography of that district, upon which Massena ordered Mont
brun, St. Croix, and Laraotte, to take strong detachraents,
and, going in different directions, explore the vicinity perfectly
One of the exploring parties succeeded in raaking prisoners two
peasants, frora whora, in vain, they endeavoured to obtain the
required inforraation, but, upon being brought before Massena,
and threatened with torture, they reluctantly told that there

426 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
was a path across the Sierra de Cararaula, leading by Boyalva
to Sardao, a village on the great road between Coirabra and
Oporto. As it was irapossible to have turned the position of the
allies by tbe Mondego, since they could cross that river rauch
sooner than the eneray, and as Massena had already experi
enced the difficulty, and the uncertainty, of breaking through the
pass of Antonio de Cantara, one course alone reraained, which
was to turn the left of the allies by the Mortagoa road. To
cover these raeditated raoveraents, the eneray set fire to the
woods in the hollows, and renewed the skirraishing with the
British light troops with such energy, that a general engage
raent was expected. But the prospect frora the lofty surarait
of Busaco is raost extensive, and frora its sudden elevation above
the valley of the Mondego, the occupants of the ground around
the convent could perceive, distinctly, that the movements in
the eneray's camp indicated a new design.*
* " From the ridge in front of our present ground, we could see them far
better than the evening hefore ; arms, appointments, uniforms, were all dis
tinguishable. The view of the enemy's camp by night, far exceeded, in
grandeur, its imposing aspect by day. Innumerable and brilliant fires illumin
ated all the country spread below us : while they yet flamed brightly, the
shadowy figures of men and horses, and the glittering files of arms, were all
visible. Here and there indeed the view was interrupted by a few dark patches
of black fir, which, by a gloomy contrast, heightened the effect of the picture ;
but, long after the flames expired, the red embers still emitted the most
rich and glowing rays, and seemed, like stars, to gem the dark bosom of the
earth, conveying the sublime idea of a firmament spread beneath our feet. It
was long before I could tear myself from the contemplation of this scene.
Earnestly did I gaze on it: deeply did it impress me: and my professional life
may never, perhaps, again present to me any military spectacle more truly
magnificent. Every one was fuUy persuaded that the morning would bring
with it a general and bloody engagement. Our line was in a constant state of
preparation : the men lay with their accoutrements on, in a regular column
of companies, front and rear-ranks head to head, and every man's firelock by
his side. As early as three o'clock we were roused, and stood to arms at our
posts,— at half past four the pickets sent word, that the enemy was getting
under arms. The pickets wire immediately and silently withdrawn, one staff-
officer remaining on the look-out. About five he came quickly up, and, as he
passed the commander of our line, Hill said, *' be prepared, they are certainly
coming on ; a very heavy column has just advanced to the foot of the position,
and you may expect an attack every moment."— The sun shone forth, butnoton
a fleld of blood. The French columns returned to their ground, and appeared

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 427
In the afternoon of the 28th, the raasses of the enemy in
front being sensibly dirainished, by a large body of infantry
and cavalry frora the left of his centre being moved to the rear,
they were discerned filing off along the Mortagoa road over the
raountains towards Oporto. Lord WeUington was prepared for
this raoveraent, and had previously sent orders, frora the Ponte
de Murcella to Colonel Trant, to raarch with his division of the
Portuguese railitia, on Sardao, in order to pre-occupy the moun
tain pass. LTnfortunately, that officer being desired by Bacellar,
then coraraanding in the north, to take the circuitous road by
Oporto, thathe raight avoid S. Pedro de Sui, which was occupied
by a detachraent of the eneray, he did not reach Sardao until
the afternoon of the twenty-eigth, at which tirae the advanced
guard of the eneray was in possession of the place. Although
Lord WeUington attached sorae importance to Trant's timelyar-
rival at Sardao, that could only have been his impression on the
afternoon of the twenty-eighth, for, subsequent events demon
strated the total inability of that officer, with only fifteen
hundred militia, to offer even a shadow of resistance to the
eneray. The activity and gallantry of Colonel Trant cannot
be too highly applauded. Having obeyed the orders of
Bacellar, bywhich his services were neutralized, he nevertheless
raade such gigantic strides, raarching one hundred and ninety
railes in nine successive days, and through a difficult country,
in order to reach the field of battle in tirae sufficient to parti
cipate in its glory, that he arrived at his destination on the day
appointed, and too late only by a few hours. Perceiving the
altered circurastances of the contending arraies, Trant hastened
to the head-quarters at Busaco, explained his own conduct
and satisfied Lord Wellington of his ardent zeal, indefatigable
exertions, and spirited efforts : then gallantly volunteered to
retrace part of his march, and with his little band throw hira
self into the village of Boyalva, and defend to the last the pass
of the Sierra de Caramula. This gallant proposal Wellington
throughout the day to busy themselves in hutting; towards evening some of
them were seen moving, and' at midnight, it was ascertained that they were al]
in motion to turn our left." — ReeoUections ofthe Peninsula.

428 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
could not accept ; such a sacrifice would "have been useless ;
and Trant therefore, returned to his division, but in atterapt
ing to retire behind the Vouga, he lost one of his patroles,
which was cut off by La Croix at the head of a column
of horse. It has been attributed as a serious error to Mas
sena, his neglecting to dissipate or destroy Trant's little force,
so as to secure hiraself frora being harassed on his rear, but
its insignifipance saved it from his power or cruelty, and the
raarshal was intent upon a single object, the occupation of
Lisbon, which he confidently expected to enter while the
British were erabarking for their native shores. The enemy
having evacuated the valley of the Mondego for the purpose,
and with the design of turning the left of the allies. Hill
recrossed the Mondego retiring by Espinal upon Thoraar,
while the centre and left of the allies defiled during the night
of the twenty-ninth, by Decentecio, Botao, Eiros, upon Mil
heada ; the guns were conveyed down the convent road, escort
ed by Craufurd's Ught division as far as Fornos, whence the
cavalry, which had been stationed in the open country con
voyed thera. Thus on the thirtieth the whole army under the
coraraand of Lord Wellington, with the exception of the ad
vanced guard, was on the left of the Mondego, by which Mas
sena's objects " of cutting him off frora Coirabra, or of forcing
hira to a general action on less favourable ground," were com
pletely frustrated.
In detailing the series of operations by which he succeeded
in resisting the attacks of the eneray, and obviating their
designs. Lord Wellington expressed regret at the failure of
the raoveraent which Trant was expected to have accoraplished;
but he still assured the secretary-at-war, that although every
operation had not been happily perforraed, little injury would'
result to the general issue of the contest in consequence ; and
if there were unfortunate events, so were there also compen
sations. Writing upon the affair of Busaco, he observed,
"This raoveraent has afforded rae a favourable opportunity
of showing the enemy the description of troops of which this
array is coraposed; it has brought the Portuguese levies

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 429
into action with the enemy, for the first tirae, in an advantageous
situation ; and they have proved that the trouble which has
been taken with thera, has not been thrown away, and that
they are worthy of contending in the same ranks with British
troops, in this interesting cause, which they afford the best
hopes of serving." The secretary at war received yet greater
consolation, a more valuable relief frora apprehension, in the
assurance that, " all operations had been carried on with ease ;
the soldiers had suffered no privations, had undergone no
unnecessary fatigue, there had been no loss of stores, and the
array was in the highest spirits."* The tone of the preceding
despatch was calculated to raise the spirits of the rainister,
and place the despondents in a situation of perplexity,
which would have been further increased, had they been able
to peruse the contents of the self-assuring letters which
Wellington addressed, at the sarae period, to the envoys and
agents in the Peninsula. So much strengthened had he been
by the conduct of the Portuguese at Busaco, that he thus
wrote frora Coirabra, on the thirtieth, to Mr. Charles Stuart,
" / am quite certain the French will not get Portugal this
winter, unless they receive a very large reinforceraent indeed ;
and it is probable that they will not succeed even in that
case." Again, on the third of October, he assures his
brother Henry, " we shall raake our retreat to the positions
in front of Lisbon without rauch difficulty, or any loss. My
opinion is, that the French are in a scrape ; they are not
a sufficient array for their purpose, particularly since their
late loss, and that the Portuguese array have behaved so well ;
and they will find their retreat frora this country a raost
difficult and dangerous operation." There is yet one brief
extract, which raust, from its prophetic character, be added
to those confident assurances of ultiraate success, which
the defender of Portugal did not hesitate to advance, even
while he was retreating before an array of seventy thousand
veterans : " We raake our retreat," observed Lord Wellington,
" with great ease. This day (the fourth of October) we all halt :
• Wellington Despatches, Vol. vi. p. 475.
II. 3k

430 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
and I have every thing now so clear, that I shall go no further
until I see their raoveraents."
The allies, occupying the shorter line to Coirabra, were
therefore in a situation to perforra all raoveraents, and to effect
a safe retreat, with the sarae order and regularity which had
characterized their retiring on Busaco. Reaching Coirabra
therefore without raolestation, the infantry crossed the river
at that place on the thirtieth, while the cavalry were posted
in front of Fornos, to cover the retreat; here they were
attacked by a large body of the eneray's horse, and driven
through the village in sorae confusion, but, entering the great
plain, they instantly rallied, drew up in line, and, with six
guns of the horse artillery, awaited the eneiny, who did not
exhibit any further intention of attacking thera. The rear-guard,
after this affair, withdrew to Coirabra, and crossed the river.
The enemy followed, but raade no atterapt to harass thera
until the passage had been completely effected, when they
pushed into the river, as if with the object of pursuit and
engagement, but they were repulsed with loss by a squadron
of the sixteenth dragoons, after which, discharging their car
bines across the water, they discontinued further pursuit, and
returned to Coirabra, which was now left corapletely to their
raercy. What that raercy was raay be conjectured from the
flight and the fears of the miserable citizens. On the fourth of
August Lord Wellington had issued his celebrated proclama
tion, one of the political engines by which he calculated upon
working the ruin of the enemy.* The conditions were difficult
to be complied with, frora their absolute severity, as well as
because their object was not perfectly understood ; and the
opposition which the new rainistry in Portugal gave to Lord
Wellington, contributed not only to frustrate his great designs,
but to increase considerably the sufferings of the people. The
jealous junta, and the intriguing characters that had been
introduced into the govemment, would not second the orders
of the British general, although his Portuguese rank entitled
him to their obedience and co-operation ; on the contrary, they
* Vide page 376, Vol. ii.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 431
talked of submission to a foreign dictator, and of the inhumanity
of the orders which he would impose upon the people of
Portugal ; and, notwithstanding the penalties which Lord
Wellington annexed to disobedience of his orders, they pro-
hibitedthe inhabitants of the country, behind the Mondego,
frora abandoning their horaes or usual occupations; thus
obeying the proclaraation of Massena, in preference to that of
the Marshal-General of Portugal. The richest, the wisest, the
least factious, and the raost grateful, reposing a just confidence
in the genius and ability of the British chieftain, had iraplicitly
conformed to the rigid rules laid down for their preservation,
although they could not understand how that corapliance was
to be raade subservent to the end.
As soon as it was ascertained that the allies, although
victorious, were still retiring, that the proclamation of Wel
lington had not originated in tiraidity, vanity, or ignorance,
but forraed part of a great design which he steadfastly pursued
to its consuraraation, the raiserable inhabitants of this splendid
city, and of the glorious plains that encircle it, subraitted to
their fate, consented to burst the strongest ties, to abandon
the dearest associations, to leave the scenes of their youth,
and to bid farewell to the homes of their fathers : judging frora
irapending events, no hope reraained that they were ever again
to return to the enjoyraent of those feeUngs and possessions
of which they were by a hard necessity deprived. The wealthy
had fled, but those who could not iraagine that their ancient
allies would fulfil to the letter the stern decree of the cora
raander, or that the invading array would be permitted to
penetrate to the walls of their city, still clung fondly to their
homes. But a cry arose that the French were coraing, and had
actually entered their streets; then a scene of confusion- —
distraction — terror, was exhibited, incapable of description,
although never to be forgotten by those who underwent the pain
of witnessing it. The whole population rushed en masse along
the steep and crooked ways towards the bridge, the only egress
now left open to them, and there, frora the contracted diraen-

432 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
sions of the causeway, not half their number being able to pass
in tirae, those that were disappointed leaped into the shallow
streara, and followed the route of the allies; " when the approach
of the eneray left no choice but to fly, or to risk the punishraent
of death and infamy announced in the proclamation, so direful a
scene ensued, that the most hardened of raen could not behold
it without eraotion. Mothers with children of all ages, the
sick, the old, the bedridden, and even lunatics, went or were
carried forth, the raost part with little hope and less help, to
journey for days in corapany with contending arraies. Fortu
nately for this unhappy raultitude, the weather was fine, (for
their flight was in the vintage season,) and the roads were
firm, or the greatest number raust have perished in the raost
deplorable raanner."* As the fugitives passed the water-gate,
which was the city prison, the horror of the scene was
increased by the screaras of the prisoners, who, breaking the
windowsi stretched forth their bleeding arras through the
grating, beseeching their countryraen to execute punishment
with their own hands upon those whose criraes had merited
the indignation of their country, rather than leave them to the
barbarity which they expected to experience from such invete
rate enemies as were then advancing. The jailor had fled, and,
in the confusion, carried away the keys of the prison-house ;
but British officers have always been foreraost, in every war, in
deeds of valour as well as examples of huraanity, and Captain
Williara CarapbeU, an officer of the gallant Craufurd's staff,
unable to endure the heart-rending cries of the wretched cul
prits frora their prison-bars, burst open the doors, and set them
all at liberty.f The road beyond the bridge passed between
two precipitous hills at so short a distance from each other,
that the interval was altogether insufficient for the passage of
a wide coluran of men ; into this narrow defile the fugitives
passed, and closed so entirely upon the flanks of the moving
* History of the Peninsular War.
t Dr. Southey says that the screams of the prisoners were heard by Lord
Wellington, who sent his aide-de-camp, Lord March, (Duke of Richmond) to
set them free, but Campbell had anticipated his benevolent intentions.

Pam.tea,TjyE. 'VfilUms, EoqT

ZngraveaiTyH CooV

THE E^ EON"^'^ CHAitLES LEIiTNOX, DTTKE OP HICHMOISTD, IL. G.

(v

FISHER. SON k C? liOHDOTT.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 433
coluran, that the soldiers were wedged up in the hollow, the
artillery irapeded in its advance, and the whole became exposed
to irarainent danger : fortunately the eneray had no desire to
raake a serious attack, their only object seeraed to be pushing
on the British, at a leisurely pace, towards the shores of the
ocean. With rauch difficulty, and sorae little violence, a pas
sage was at length opened, and the rear-guard, with a cloud of
fugitives, reached Condeixa at night-fall, a distance of only
eight railes, but which they occupied the day in performing.
The allies passed on through Redinha and Porabal to Leyria,
which they reached on the third ; during the fourth, the
advanced post arrived at Porabal. Sorae depredations having
been coraraitted by the troops in passing through Coirabra,
Condeixa, and Leyiria, Lord Wellington resolved on punishing
the offenders, for the sake of exaraple, and the ends of justice :
at Leyria three men, taken in the act of pillage, were hanged
upon the spot, and whole regiraents were forbidden to enter
the villages on the route, in consequence of reports of their
irregularity. In his Indian carapaign Wellington observed
the sarae respect for the property of the natives, in every dis
trict through which he led his victorious array ; and whenever
a rage for plunder seized a corps, he sent forward a detach
raent, with orders to halt in front of each village on the line,
and shoot all who atterapted to force an entrance until the
array had raarched by.* Frora this just and raerciful system
he never departed during his splendid railitary life ; and now
he wrote frora Leyria to Sir Stapleton Cotton, just such an
order as he had frequently issued to his officers in India.
" There is a report that there are some stragglers, Portuguese
as well as English, in the villages on the right and left of the
road, near where you are cantoned, and I shall be obliged to
you if you will send out patroles, and take up all raen of this
description, and send them in here as prisoners." But these
acts of insubordination were coraparatively few, and the
raost flagrant alone were punished with severity. Sacrilege and
raurder were not forgiven, but such instances were happily
• Vide p. 80. Vol. i.

434 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
rare. Indeed, Lord Wellington did not represent to the secre
tary that any indiscipline had arisen ; on the contrary, he stated,
on the fifth cf October, " that, with few exceptions, the troops
had continued to conduct themselves with great regularity,
and had suffered no fatigue." But the fact was, that this retro
grade movement of the allies was one of choice, not necessity ;
and had this peculiarity belonging to it, that it was raade by a
victorious array. Lord Wellington did not wish to risk another
action ; Massena, had no disposition to challenge or detain
hira, after the fatal affair of Busaco ; and the leisurely, inactive
conduct of the enemy in pursuit, engendered a spirit of insub
ordination, a degree of confusion, and opportunity for pillage,
amongst the French, that disgraced both general and army, ren
dering the latter raore like a pursued than pursuing force.
Wherever the allies passed, frora the moraent of the evacua
tion of Coirabra, their flanks were covered with the miserable
fugitives. The stupidity and indifference of the regency had
totally deceived and raisled thera, for, had they known that the
French would be perraitted to pass the frontier, they would at
once have submitted to the terms of the proclamation. A wit
ness to those scenes thus feelingly describes the general fea
ture of the distressing picture. " 1 feel that no powers of
description can convey to the mind of my reader the afflicting
scenes, the cheerless desolation, we daily witnessed on our
march frora the Mondego to the Lines. Wherever we raoved,
the raandate which enjoined the wretched inhabitants to for
sake their horaes, and to reraove or destroy their little property,
had gone before us. The villages were deserted ; the churches,
retreats so often yet so vainly confided in, were empty ; the
mountain-cottages stood open and untenanted; the mUls in
the valley, but yesterday so busy, were motionless and silent"
During three whole days the French army was in the
utmost disorder ; and although Massena had strictly prohibited
the commission of any excesses at Coimbra, Junot desired his
raen to break into the houses which the owners had deserted ;
and here, it is said, provision sufflcient for his array for two
months was discovered, but Massena's improvidence was such.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 435
that he neither directed that they should be stored in case of
need, nor did he insist upon his soldiers abstaining frora plun
der. Active service is the best reraedy for insubordination in
an array, and, unable to control the ferocity of his followers
while at rest, he put his heavy coluran once raore in raotion
frora Coimbra, on the fourth of October. Before his departure
he raade the best provision in his power for the sick and wound
ed, araounting to about five thousand, whora he lodged in the
convent of Santa Clara : besides this great deduction frora the
araount of the invading array, an equal nuraber had been put
hors de combat at Busaco, so that the policy of Wellington
was now working, with a terrible certainty, the destruction ofthe
eneray, ten thousand being now to be subducted. Famine was
also beginning to aid disease and slaughter in the field of battle :
as early as the fifth. Lord Wellington mentions, in his official
communication to Lord Liverpool, " From all accounts which
I have received, the eneray suffer great distress. The inhabit
ants ofthe country have fled frora their houses universally, car
rying with thera every thing they could take away that could be
deeraed useful to the eneray; and the habits of plunder which
have so longbeen encouraged inthe eneray's array, prevent them
frora deriving any general advantage from the little resources
which the inhabitants may have been obliged to leave behind
thera." A gross error which Massena coraraitted in pur
suing the allies, was his neglecting to keep open a retreat,
or to retain secure coraraunication with his places of arms : his
confidence in the belief that Wellington was only marching to
the sea, the deduction of ten thousand raen frora his force, his
conterapt of the native troops, and his total ignorance of the
fortified position which the British general had, to his iraraor
tal renown, prepared for the defence of Lisbon, all combined
to render him indifferent to any operations of either Spaniards
or Portuguese in his rear. This was an inexcusable blunder,
a raistake not to be reraedled, and which Massena lived to re
pent Scarcely had he evacuated Coimbra, when Trant, an
enterprising officer, whose spirit, gaUantry, and judgraent were
unequalled, caUing MiUer and WUson, generals in the array of

436 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the north, to his assistance, begun to close upon the eneray's
rear, and by his first moveraents intercepted their coraraunica
tion with Almeida. Continuing his dull pursuit, with little
diminution of interval between the main bodies of both arraies,
Massena reached Porabal on the fourth, where he drove in
the pickets of the allies, and raoved with an accelerated pace
on Leyria. The approach to this place was by a road that
intersected, at right angles, a succession of deep ravines. In
one of these, a squadron of British cavalry, coraraanded by
Captain Cocks, was posted ; and when the head of the eneray's
coluran carae in front of the defile, he charged it with so rauch
effect, as to check all further advance. The resolution of this
officer succeeded in delaying the eneray, until the arrival of a
troop of artillery, and a brigade of cavalry headed by General
Anson, whose united efforts restrained the eneray so seriously,
that the allies were enabled to evacuate Leyria without any
confusion or inconvenience. The loss of the eneray was by no
means insignificant and that of the British included nine officers
and forty raen. From Leyria the retrogression was continued:
Hill's corps proceeded by Thomar and Santarem ; the centre
of the army took the route of Batalha and Rio Major, and the
left by Alcoba9a* and Obidos.
Coraraunication with Alraeida had been cut off by the
courage and activity of Trant, who would have harassed the
• •' The raonks of Alcobacja performed on this occasion towards the British
officers, their last act of hospitality. Most of them had already departed from
the magnificent and ancient abode, where the greater part of their lives had
been spent peacefully and inoffensively, to seek an asylum where they could ;
the few who remained prepared dinner for their guests in the great hall, and in
the apartments reserved for strangers, after which they brought them the keys,
and desired them to take whatever they liked, for they expected that every
thing would be destroyed by the French. Means were afforded them, through
General Mackinnon's kindness, for securing some things which they could not
otherwise have removed ; and then the most venerable edifice in Portugal for
its antiquity, its history, its literary treasures, and the tombs which it con
tained, was abandoned to an invader who delighted in defiling whatever was
held sacred, and in destroying whatever a generous enemy, from the impulse
of feeling and the sense of honour, would caiefuUy have preserved." — Southey's
History ofthe Peninsular War.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 437
French army during their route frora Coirabra, had his force
been of any considerable araount : he now, however, resolved
upon an act of boldness, an enterprise of the raost daring cha
racter, the success of which raust have rested altoget'ner upon
the heroisra of the leader ; this was, to surprise Coirabra.
The devastated condition of the country to the north of
Milheada prevented the timely arrival of Wilson and Millar,
and Trant was aware that delay would be fatal to his design ;
without waiting for their arrival, therefore, he advanced rapidly
towards Coimbra, and, falling in with a detachment of the
enemy at Fornos, he succeeded in capturing the whole, a few
excepted, who fell in offering a gaUant resistance. This suc
cess, however encouraging, was not required to stiraulate
Trant's followers to the boldest exploits, the heroisra of their
leader was the raagic spell that nerved their arms. Now, as
he approached the city, he called to him a chosen band of
cavalry, and directing thera to dash into the streets, raake, at
full gallop, for the bridge at the further end of the town, of which
they were to take possession, and so cut off coramunication
between the French army and the garrison of Coimbra. This
exploit was performed as might have been expected from the
soldiers of such an officer ; and, although a volley of rausketry
was poured upon them as they flew rapidly past the convent
of Santa Clara, they reached the bridge with little or no loss.
And now the infantry arrived, and returned the fire of the gar
rison, and of the convalescents, who had undertaken to defend
the hospital, and for one hour the French continued to raake
a faint show of resistance, after which they proposed to capitu
late : Trant, however, neither adopted nor accepted any half-
raeasures, and assuring thera that their instant and discretionary
surrender alone could save thera, frora either a raore honourable
death in fighting to the last, or a fate ranch- less so, and which
he should deplore, at the hands ofthe infuriated Portuguese, the
garrison surrendered, and were protected according to the pro-
raise given by Colonel Trant: the unfortunate convalescents held
out too long for the impatience of the citizens, and their hos
pital being taken by storra, few of thera were reserved to perish
11. 3 L

438 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
by the slow process of disease in their cells of sickness, being
butchered inhuraanly by the rabble. This last act, so disgrace
ful to the character of the inhabitants, was to be expected, but
cannot on any grounds be palliated : the exertions of Trant in
the cause of huraanity, as a generous enemy, were incessant;
and although partisan writers, who never fail to defame the
British military character in this war, whenever the least pre
tence could be discovered for doing so, have endeavoured to
affix a stigma on this gallant soldier's honour for having per
raitted this cruel slaughter, it has been proved, by letters of
thanks addressed to him by the French officers of the garrison
who became his prisoners, that his exertions to restrain the
Portuguese were of the raost raeritorious character. It should
be stated, not in extenuation, but as one of the causes of the
outrage coraraitted upon the prisoners, that, of Trant's railitia-
raen eight hundred were natives of Coirabra, and, when they
passed through the streets where they saw their doors had
been broken open, their homes pillaged, their wives and
daughters driven to perish in the raountains, or forcibly carried
away by ruthless invaders — these, if palliation be admissible,
forra the plea of forgiveness which raay be offered in their
defence. Additional, convincing, and honourable testimony to
the humanity of Trant's conduct, and his observance of the laws
of war, is the fact of his having raarched the prisoners, four thou
sand in nuraber, to Oporto, frora a conviction of their insecurity
at Coirabra; and he felt it necessary also that he should accora
pany thera in person, otherwise the chances were against their
ever reaching their destination. Millar and Wilson now carae
up, to wonder at and iraitate the enterprise and bravery of their
co-adjutor, and, fixing their quarters at Coirabra, took posses
sion of raUitary stores and provisions of considerable value.
As Massena raoved along, the acquisitions he had raade
fell gradually away, lopped off by the persevering labours of
a spirited and able officer, who tracked his footsteps; — he was
cut off from Alraeida first, then Coirabra fell back into the
hands of his eneraies, "by an exploit," says Colonel Napier,
" as daring and hardy as any performed by a partisan officer

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 439
during the war, and which convicted Massena of bad general
ship, and shook his plan of invasion to its base." WelUngton
alone told his true condition, which was, " that Massena pos
sessed in Portugal only the space his array occupied."
Massena's negligence of all advantages in the rear of his
array was analogous to his inactivity in the pursuit of the
eneray ; he seemed to feel that the latter were unimportant to
his design, and that the allies raust of necessity go forward,
and therefore the less loss he sustained in following thera, the
greater force would reraain for the occupancy of Lisbon.
This inertness allowed sorae leisure to the comraander-in-chief
for attending to the harassing comraunications received from
the regency; in reply to one of which, he alludes to the extra
ordinary secrecy with which his raeasures for the defence of
Lisbon had been conducted, and shows how entirely his own
is the glory of defeating the Prince of Essling. It was on the
sixth of October, at a short distance only from the celebrated
Lines, and when the main body had reached Campo Mayor, that
his lordship thus wrote to Mr. Charles Stuart : " I do not
know what people feel at Lisbon — but we at the army entertain
but little doubt of success. The Bishop and Souza would do
raore harra than good in the north, where we are carrying on
operations of great iraportance. But I hope the letter, which
I enclose, will bring these gentry to their senses, or I shall
certainly carry into execution the threat which it contains.
I believe you and the government do not know where the Lines
are. Those round Lisbon are not those in which I shall
place the array, but those extending frora Torres Vedras to
the Tagus. All I shall ask from the governraent is tranquillity
in Lisbon, and provisions for their own troops ; and as God
Alraighty does not give ' the race to the swift or the battle to
the strong,' and I have fought battles enough to know, that
under the best arrangements, the result of any one is not
certain — I only beg that they will adopt preparatory arrange
raents to take out of the eneray's way those persons who
would suffer if they were to fall into his hands." This last
paragraph, which is a repetition of his well-known coraplaint
against fortune, for never granting to him an advantage which

440 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
he had not secured by his genius, he introduced as a post
script to a still stronger and more imperative letter which he
wrote to the same civU officer on the following day : " I beg
that you wUl do rae the favour to inform the regency, and
above all the principal Souza, that as his raajesty and the prince
regent have intrusted rae with tbe command of their armies,
and exclusively with the conduct of the railitary operations, I
wUl not suffer thera, or any body else, to interfere with thera :
that I know best where to station ray troops, and where to raake
a stand against the enemy,* and I shall not alter a systera
framed upon raature consideration, upon any suggestion of
theirs. I ara responsible for what I do, and they are not :
and I recoraraend to thera to look to the raeasures for which
they are responsible, which I long ago recomraended to them,
naraely, to provide for the tranquillity of Lisbon, and for the
food of the array, and of the people, while the troops shall be
engaged with the eneray. As for principal Souza, I beg you
will tell hira frora rae, that I have no satisfaction in transacting
the business of this country since he has been a raember of the
government ; tnat being embarked in a course of railitary opera
tions, of which I hope to see the successful terraination, I shall
continue to carry thera on to their end ; but that no power on
earth shall induce rae to reraain in the Peninsula for one
moraent after I shall have obtained his raajesty's leave to
resign ray charge, if principal Souza is to remain either a
• The most remarkable illustration of Wellington's military prescience
which occurred during his eventful command, was at Busaco. 'When he
took up his position, saying, " the enemy will attack me here," every officer in
his own army was of a contrary opinion, believing that it would have been little
less than madness in an enemy to assault a position so completely impregnable ;
it was also the opinion of Massena, that Lord Wellington did not seriously mean
to occupy that abrupt precipice in his front, as a military station, — nor did
Massena intend to have attacked the heights of Busaco when first he perceived
that they were occupied ; so that, while the British generals could not believe
that Massena would attack them, nor Massena himself foresee that he would
be induced to attempt it ; yet, so great a master of human nature was the
British hero, that he calculated upon the impetuosity of the French national
character alone, when he declared, " that they would make an attack upon him
at Busaco:" the enemy themselves, at the samemoment, would have pronounced
this to befalse, but they soon after fatally verified his power of prophecy.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 441
raeraber ofthe governraent, or to continue at Lisbon. Either
he raust quit the country, or I shall ; and should I be obliged
to go, I will take care that the world, in Portugal at least
and the prince regent, shall be raade acquainted with ray
reasons. Frora the letter of the third instant, which I had
received frora Don Miguel Forjaz, I had hoped that the
governraent were satisfied with what I had done, and intended
to do ; and that, instead of endeavouring to render all further
defence fruitless, by disturbing the rainds of the populace at
Lisbon, they would have done their duty by adopting raeasures
to secure the tranquillity of the town. But I suppose, that,
like other weak individuals, they add duplicity to their weak
ness ; and that their expressions of approbation, and even
gratitude, were intended to convey censure. I request you to
communicate this letter to the regency, and to transmit it to
the secretary of state for foreign affairs."
The determination evinced in this letter was necessary for
the raaintenance of his own authority; the asperity was occa
sioned by tbe infaraous intrigues which these ungrateful mis
creants conducted, for the removal of Lord Wellington, and
substitution ofthe Duke of Brunswick. Had their dislike, dis
approval, or recoraraendation been overt, they would have had
nothing to dread, or encounter, but the calra reasonings of the
great soldier, in defence of his gigantic plans for the salvation
of their country ; but their opposition was mean, therefore
they were ashamed of it; and managed clandestinely, which
exposed them to deserved insult when discovered. To accom
plish the disgrace of the only man who had led their wild
levies in disciplined lines against the enemy, they disobeyed
his orders, and secretly lent themselves to the frustration of
his projects. They delayed the enforceraent of the proclaraa
tion, by which the sufferings of the people were raultiplied,
and the inconvenience sustained by the retiring array very
rauch augraented ; in addition to the creation of this irapedi
raent to the railitary operations, the government purposely
neglected to seize the boats at Santarem before the arrival of
the enemy, although repeatedly urged by Lord WeUington

442 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
to do so, an event which his lordship said "he considered to
be the greatest raisfortune which could happen to the array,
and which raight oblige thera to change their position, and
take up their second line. " The French," said he, " will
either arra these boats, and operate upon Hill's flank, in which
case the strength of Adrairal Berkeley's flotilla, and the sup
port given to it by larger vessels, would becorae an object
for his consideration ; or, they will use them to form a bridge,
and estabUsh theraselves upon the island in the Tagus, across
Hill's right flank ; or, they will use them for a bridge, or other
coraraunication, with Mortier, whora they will have it in their
power to draw to their support, either on this side or on the
other side of the river. In whichever way the boats raay be
used, their loss is a serious raisfortune, and at all events
the whole of the Aleratejo lies at the raercy of the enemy ! !
The government raay congratulate theraselves upon this notable
arrangement : they would not adopt in tirae any one raeasure
to reraove what raight be useful or necessary to the eneray ;
they neglected their peculiar business, to occupy theraselves
with what did not concern thera ; and there is not an arrange
raent of any description, which depended upon thera or their
officers, which has not failed. At this moraent the eneray are
living upon grain found close to the Lines, and they grind
it into flour with the raills in our sight, which the governraent
were repeatedly pressed to order the people to render useless,
and which could have been rendered useless, only by taking
away the sails." Souza and the intriguers would have stabbed
the reputation of the great raan in secret, upon whora they
dared not to make an open assault : so that this apparent sub
mission to his will, and approval of his policy, were the irarae
diate results of his declaration.
As the retrogressive raoveraent continued, sorae slight skir
raishes took place between the cavalry that covered the raarch
and the eneray's advance, at Leyria, Alcoentre, and Quinta de
los Torres. The heavy falls of rain had broken up the roads
rauch, and were otherwise a serious irapediraent to the advance
of the cavalry, obliging thera to bivouack every night, by which

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON.

443

rauch delay was occasioned. On the eighth, however. Sir
Stapleton Cotton reached Alcoentre, and established his
quarters in the viUage : he was not long in possession when the
shouts of a rapidly approaching squadron, which had driven in
his pickets at Rio Mayor, and the sounds of an irregular fire
of rausketry, told that danger was near, and in a few rainutes
the eneray dashed gallantly into the viUage, and took six pieces
of artillery which they found there. This was but a fleeting
gleara of glory, for a squadron of the tenth, recovering frora
their surprise, instantly charged down upon them, sabred nura
bers, drove the survivors through the streets before thera, out
into the open country, and recovered the guns.
Irritated by disappointraent and defeat, the third regi
ment of French hussars returned to the attack next morning,
and having displayed the utraost gallantry by their assault
upon the British, withdrew without obtaining any advantage,
but with the loss of raany valuable raen. While these vain
interruptions continued to be repeated, with consequences
uniforraly raore fatal to the eneray than the allies, the latter
began, unconsciously, to enter the Lines ; this raoveraent was
raade in three great divisions — the central by Sobral, the left by
Torres Vedras, while Hill's corps, which arrived frora Thoraar
at Villa Franca on the tenth, occupied the right by Alhandra.
" These raoveraents all took place on the eleventh, and on the
following raorning every division occupied the ground raarked
out for it, and all were in readiness, at a raoraent's notice, to
assurae the posts which they raight be required to defend."
General Pack's brigade, and the light division, were exposed
to a surprise at Aleraquer, frora which the courage and disci
pline of their raen rescued thera. Reaching Aleraquer on the
ninth, owing to the incleraency of the weather, Craufurd put
his men under shelter, gave no orders as to resuming their
march, posted no guards, sent out no patroles, nor took any
of the usual precautions, although the town lay in a hollow,
and, therefore, peculiarly favourable for any sudden attack
frora an eneray. This want of caution alarraed sorae of the
junior officers, and induced thera to observe, attentively, the

444 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
hill in front ; nor were they long detained on this their volun
tary watch, before a squadron of dragoons was observed on
the verge of the surarait. Soon the alarra was spread, and the
troops in a few raoraents were under arras, and at their posts.
The position which they occupied, however, was exposed, and
the line of retreat lay through a narrow ancient archway ; and
as the coluran of the eneray seeraed to increase every instant,
Craufurd desired his ranks to break, and to re-forra Ijeyond the
archway. This rash order was the prelude tp disaster : rushing
at the word of coraraand towards the contracted entrance, like
the devotees on the Ganges when our satellite is at the full,
nurabers were crushed and trarapled to death in the entrance ;
and the loss of life would have been still raore deplorable, had
not the sarae prudent officers who had kept a careful look-out
upon the eneray, detained the steadiest of the corapanies in
their ranks, until the first rush of this ill-judged order had ter
minated as it raight.
The eneiny perceiving the disorder, gaUoped through the
high street of the viUage, and attacked the rear of the
British ; but such was the steadiness of the division, that they
repulsed thera with loss, and covered effectually the disorderly
raovements of their front. The risk encountered in skirmish
ing with the eneray's advanced guard was of little coraparative
iraportance, to the difficulties which the affair of Alemquer
had nearly exposed the division. Craufurd was to have raarched
by Cadafaes to the position of Aruda, but, being thrown out
by the affair of Alemquer, ralstook the road, and the division
moved on Sobral, thus leaving the Lines open to the eneray for
several railes. Of this fact General HUl becarae informed,
and fearing for the security of the second line, he fell back
upon Alveiria; but learning soon after that his inforraation was
but partially correct, and that the error had been rectified by
a flank raarch of the division along the foot of the lines to
Aruda, he returned to his position at Alhandra. Massena, still
in utter ignorance of the designs of WelUngton, but rendered
cautious by the experience, which this retreat gave him, of the
quality of his forces, preserved a regular interval between both

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 445
arraies h-y raoving pari passu with the allies, but when the latter
entered the lines, and came to a stand, his advanced guard was
necessarily brought into contact with the outposts of the Britisb.
A large division of infantry, the advanced guard of the eighth
corps, moved upon Sobral, and dislodged Sir Brent Spencer
frora that town, who fell back upon the great redoubt of Sobral.
The despatch which brought to England the account of the
allies having entered the lines, concluded with these raeraor
able words, "As I conceive that I have reason to hope for
success, I propose to bring raatters to extreraities, and to con
tend for the possession and independence of Portugal in pne
of the strongest positions in this part of the country. The
Marquess de la Roraana raarched to Campo Mayor on the
eighth, to join this army, and share our fortune." It is areraark-
able feature in Lord Wellington's despatches, official letters,
and correspondence with private friends, that while he was in
the midst of difficulties, harassed, almost tortured, by the
wretched, unstable, provislonary governments of Spain and
Portugal, vilified by the despondents at horae, and continually
cautioned by ministers against rashly risking the lives of the
British under his control, that, in no one instance does an
expression of doubt distrust, or failure find its way into his
correspondence. He appears never to have calculated upon
the possibUity of defeat ; and this tone, in the delivery of orders,
is known to have produced a most powerful effect.
The party that entered Sobral, surprised at the disappear
ance of the British on their advance, now hesitated as to the
raore advisable route, and, meeting with a peasant, they en
deavoured to ascertain frora hira whither the allies had raoved.
These interrogatories obtained for the enemy the astounding
truth, of which they had not before the raost reraote knowledge
or conception, namely, that the British commander-in-chief had
been for several months engaged in fortifying the suraraits of
a raountain-chain, extending from Alhandra on the Tagus to
Torres Vedras on the sea; that the allies were now, in full force,
posted on those heights, that their retreat was a mere raockery
of the French, perforraed by the genius of the British chief; and,
n. 3 M

446 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
that the French raight from the spot on which this intelligence
was comraunicated, obtain a confirraation of its truth by only
looking towards the heights of Zibreira and Aruda.
Here then, at last, the British Fabius triumphed over his
own ungrateful country — over the favourite general of the great
Napoleon — over the stupid, infatuated governments of Spain
and Portugal — over the bright genius even of bis own brave
officers ! When the grateful testiraonials, which wondering
nations, in after-tiraes, shall raise to the raeraory of hira who
saved all Europe frora the degrading tyranny of a splendid
raonarch, but a reraorseless conqueror, shall have fallen to
decay, the rude heights of Torres Vedras will yet survive, to
testify the fact, that such things were, and be Wellington's
greatest, best, and most enduring monuraent. The corps to
which the intelligence of the construction of the Lines was
first coraraunicated, are said to have fallen back some paces,
as one body, upon its announceraent. When Massena re-
cei'ved the appalling news he stood for a while raotionless, and
totally confused : the dreadful truth now burst upon him, that
he was unequal to cope with the raaster-raind of Wellington :
he had been taught, by his iraperial raaster, to despise the
weakness- of the allies— but he was not rerainded, that the
deficiency of their nurabers was amply compensated by the
great talents of their leader.
As he paused and pondered over his fortunes, and analyzed
the movements and manoeuvres of the British, he found that
Wellington had never fought unless he had the advantage in po
sition, and that by his military skill he had always been enabled
to choose his ground. This had been his policy at Talavera and
Busaco, on both which occasions the issues proved that his con
fidence in his troops was not misplaced, and that it was utterly
impossible to dislodge a British army frora such positions as the
British general uniformly selected for them. Less prospect,
therefore, of success reraained before Torres Vedras ; although
sorae parts of the Unes had been disgamished of troops, whUe the
divisions were entering, Massena could not have taken advantage
of it by a sudden attack, because he knew nothing of such en
trenchraents; and, against such natural strength, such perfect

£ Sn^ravti-lyJiftJ)iu!ir-

I^iflhet, Soj^Jk C° lanion k Taris , 1840.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 447
fortification, such indoraitable troops, and after the sanguinary
repulse from the brow of Busaco, what hope of success could be
cherished in attacking the allies in their new position ? The
eagle essayed to wing its flight to the heights, but, ere it
flapped its heavy wing, the " leopard" placed his talons on its
back, and pinioned it to the ground. During three days Mas
sena remained in sullen raood, at first incredulous, then de-
ponding— ^fortune had deserted hira, and proved her inferiority
to virtue. Awaking for a raoraent from this reverie, he sent
out reconnoitering parties, to ascertain whether any hope of
advancing yet remained. On the L4th, a detachment of infantry,
supported by artillery, attacked a party of the seventy-first
regiraent which was then headed by Colonels Cadogan and
Reynell; but this little band charged thera with so much gal
lantry, that they fled into the town of Sobral. The whplp.of
the eighth corps d'arraee, however, arriving on the evening of
that day. Sir Brent Spencer's division was withdrawn frpm its
advanced position to Zibreira, about one raile in the rear.
With this brilliant affair, in which Cadogan received a sabre
cut which passed through his Highland bonnet, all atterapts at
reconnoissance terrainated. Experience had taught Massena
that the British were not to be subdued by the species of
warfare hitherto atterapted, so he now quietly disposed his
three corps d'arraee in bivouac.
The celebrated works, iraproperly denorainated " The
Lines of Torres Vedras," consisted of three distinct ranges of
defence, constructed across a tongue of land included be
tween the Tagus and the ocean, and having Lisbon seated at
its extreraity. Of these, the first, which extended forty railes
in length, and obeyed the windings of the mountain-chain, con
nected Alhandra on the Tagus with the erabouchure of the
little river Zizandre; the direct distance between these
points being twenty-nine railes : the second, which preserved
an average interval frora the former of about eight railes,
formed a chain of posts from Quintella on the Tagus to
San Lorenzo on the sea; the extent of this line was about
twenty-four railes : and the third, or innerraost line, constructed

448 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
with a view to cover a forced embarkation^ was between Passo
d' Arcos on the Tagus, and the tower of Junquera on the coast.
Within the third, or shortest line, an entrenched camp was
formed, to protect an embarkation stUl more effectually, if the
allies should be reduced to that extremity, and subjected to
unexpected delay or interruption : this last place of retreat
rested on Fort San Julian, a work of considerable strength,
with lofty ramparts, and deep-cut ditches, which defied all
attempts at escalade ; while provision was made at the rear, for
the defence of the whole array within, and, during erabarkation,
by a guard of even limited numbers, if only possessed of reso
lution. The first lines of defence were ndt originally constructed
with any idea of perraanent occupation ; they were intended
as a place for resting, and rallying, and re-forming, in order that
the allies might move thence with more complete system and
regularity, into their position in the second or principal lines,
and take up their ground there ; but Wellington had contrived
to protract the carapaign, by hovering around the besieged
places, and prolonging the operations of the eneray, by affect
ing to despise the solicitations of Spain and Portugal to put
the issue to the hazard of a battle, and by patiently enduring
the ingratitude of his own countryraen ; thus, while so many of
the suraraer's suns were setting on Massena inactive, the
defences of the first Unes of Torres Vedras were dally acquiring
such strength and perfection, that their author considered thera
sufficiently secure for every purpose. The first lines of defence*
consisted of five principal positions. The first on the right
extended frora Alhandra to the entrance of the valley of
Calandrix, a distance of five railes. This was a lofty, rugged
ridge, the brow of which, in the only assailable part, had been
scarped to a height of about twenty feet, and thirteen redoubts
were coustructed along its length. Here Hill fixed his head-
* Vide Wellington Despatches, 20th October, 1809; Memorandum for
Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher, commanding Royal Engineers; also, Memoranda
by Colonel Jones, in Napier's History of the Peninsular War ; the Marquis of
Londonderry's Narrative, vols. i. andii, ; and Robinson's Life of Sir Thomas
Picton.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 449
quarters, having a force under his coraraand consisting of both
British and Portuguese: the Tagus rolled its sraooth deep
course at the foot of this fortified hill, and a fiotUla of gun
boats was raoored between the island and the shore, fianking
the allied position. The second position was of nearly equal
length, and was forraed by two projecting hills, between which
lay the town of Aruda. Three redoubts coraraanded the
approach ; but the coraraander-in-chief placed still greater
confidence in the gallantry of Craufurd and his light troops,
to whom the defence was entrusted, than in the strength of
the military works at this particular point The central
position, Monte Agraqa, was the summit of a conspicuous
erainence, from which every point in the first lines was dis
tinctly visible. Separated from Aruda on the right by a deep
ravine, and hanging over the valley and village of Zibreira on
the left, the town of Sobral lay at its base in front. The
surarait of this great mountain-mass was occupied by one
immense redoubt, mounting twenty-five heavy guns, while
three minor works, with nineteen guns, were clustered around
it. The face of the hill was scarped, and all access raade iraprac
ticable ; and, as the great battery corapletely covered Sobral,
the strong castle at that place coraraanded th© great Lisbon
road, rendering approach by that Une utterly hopeless. Pack's
brigade, two thousand strong, garrisoned this position; the
reverse of which was taken up by General Leith and the fifth
division. A rough and well-defined extent of ground between
Zibreira and Torres Vedras, watered by the Zizandre, was at
first left undefended ; but the rains having set in, the river
having swollen and overfiowed its banks, it was deeraed ad
visable to raake this a position, and here the fresh troops just
arrived from England and frora Cadiz were placed, under the
imraediate coramand of Lord WelUngton. On the rock of
Secorra a telegraph was erected, by means of which con
stant correspondence was raaintained with every part of the
Lines, and the British head-quarters were fixed at Pero Negro,
adjacent to the telegraph station. At Torres Vedras, from
which these great works have derived the name by which

450 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
they are henceforth to be reraerabered, an iraraehse redoubt,
raounting forty guns, was constructed, and every approach,
however insignificant, was guarded by a smaller work ; forts
crowned every eminence frora the great redoubt to the sea
shore, and the Zizandre, which had totally- forsaken its banks,
and assumed the dignity of a spacious lake, forbade all atterapt
at approach for a length of raany railes. Along the foot of
the hills, and in front of the lines, there was a paved road, after
the Roraan raanner, continued frora Alhandra, by Aruda,
Sobral, and Runa, to Torres Vedras. Such were the outer
lines of Torres Vedras, designed by Lord Wellington in
October, 1809, and strengthened rauch beyond his original
intention by acquircraents, natural and artificial, which the
inactivity of the eneray had enabled him to make.
, The second lines, where WelUngton actually proposed to
plant the British standard, and defend it by British fortitude,
included three grand positions: the first of seven railes in
extent was between Mafra and the erabouchure of the San
Lorenzo. This length was occupied by steep and broken
hills, scarped wherever there was necessity, but in general
presenting raural cliffs, broken craggs, and deep ravines. Each
salieiUt point was fortified ; and, to secure the road between
Cintra and Erceira, a secondary post, in the rear, was strongly
secured. The position on the right, in the second lines, was
the, iraraediate vicinity of the Tapada or royal park of Mafra.
The Sierra de Chypre, in front of Mafra, was totally irapreg
nable, being thickly covered with redoubts ; and the defile of
Mafra was guarded by fourteen redoubts constructed with the
best skill and caution of two able British engineers. Bucellas was
the third point of importance in theseLines ; between it and the
Tapada rises the huge raass of the Cabega or Monte Chique,
blocking up the whole centre of the Lines, and overtopping all
other suraraits in the Lisbon range ; this vast hill, connected
with Mafra by a series of forts, was further secured by diffl
cult ground in front, by a stronger range of heights behind,
which were unapproachable by carrying either the Sierra de
Chypre, or the pass of the Cabeqa de Monte Chique: but the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 451
works on the latter Commanded all approaches, and the
heights themselves were naturally irapregnable ; and so
completely secure was the Cabepa considered in its own pre
cipitous strength, that it had not been thought necessary to
apply to artfor any further aid, than by destroying one narrow
raule-road. The Sierra de Serves, a cluster of inaccessible rocks,
arose on the right of Bucellas, and filled up a space of two
railes in extent, then, laying aside its rude character, the sur
face sloped gradually down into the level of Quintella on the
Tagus. It was here that the ingenuity of Colonel Fletcher
was displayed in the most conspicuous manner, by the systera
of fortification eraployed to sti-engthen this too vulnerable point.
Water-cuts, retrencbraents, and nuraerous redoubts^ were
forraed ; yet this point reraained the raost defenceless of the
whole. The first Lines were pierced by five lines of road, one
at Alhandra, two at Sobral, and the sarae number at Torres
Vedras ; two of these uniting at Cabepa, reduced the number
that passed the second lines to four, naraely at Quintella,
Bucellas, Monte Chique, and Mafra. Few positions can be
conceived rauch stronger by nature, as railitary defensive
ground, none of equal extent has ever been so securely fortified.
Had the eneray entered the first lines, they would have had to
fight the allies on positions selected for thera twelve raonths
previously by their general, and where defeat would have been
inevitable ; besides, although the first lines raight have been
forced, it appears irapossible that the second ever could have
been entered. Lord WelUngton accomplished raore than he
designed ; his object was to bring the eneray inside the first
lines, and there fight thera at an incalculable advantage; but he
had so strengthened his defences, that he was enabled to defeat
thera without fighting, and to choose, notwithstanding- rauch
personal suffering, the raerciful part. The Lines of Torres
Vedras extended fifty railes, included one hundred and fifty
forts, and raounted six hundred pieces of artillery, yet the
raoveraents of the great force, which was eraployed to raan
thera, were free and unrestrained, the coraraander being able,
in the space of a few hours, to concentrate the greater part of
the allies at any given point in his lines. Not so his eneraies ;

452 LIFE AND CAMPAH5NS O'FI
their raovements, on the contrary, were crippted and dis^
jointed ; the huge Monte Junto sent out a lofty- ridge^ iAm:
Baragueda, that extended nearly to Torres Vedras, rand as
this giant stood in the very centre of Massena's field of ope'--
rations, it became absolutely necessary to choose on which side
of the great arra of the raountain he should pitch ..his camp.
It would have been unwise to have raoved chis array across
the ridge occasionally, as the ground was difficult,, and the
experiment dangerous, the redoubt of Monte Agraea cora
pletely coramanding the ridge, whence the British could pour
down upon his flank; so that although delay, accident cir
cumstances, had probably saved the army of Massena froKL
certain death within the first, lines of Torres Vedras, outside
ef these defences they were not free from insuperable drfficul-
feiest) .Lord Wellington's care for the safety of the Portuguese
esil^iMte^ further than the repulsion of the enemy, or relief
olfl^^Bi.from the intrusion of the French ; he had caused
Pejiiiphe, Sptuval, and Palmela to.be fortified, as places of
Wfoi^fes those of the Portuguese who should prefer voluntary
exile, to the arbitrary government of some miUtary fuler; and
heth^di never contemplated a necessity for deserting Peniche,
©^..,^he contrary, he calculated upon retaining thati fortress
p^m^ngq^lyj under any circumstances, -mvii^a sai to -{talBa
Y.j^^e; .spparatcuposltions which constituted the three greaf^
^pi^s,|)^^Jhigl» the triangular and mountainous area included
bstoS¥^fe|Jlft;Tagusand the gea was fortified, being thus rather
iteifli'A^AS'jlfeS.^Rife^^j it will perhaps contribute to the clearer
coraprehension of Lord WeUington's vast plan of defence, to
najrae the officers appointed to the coramand pf each position,
fortress, or redoubt. To the general scholar, or mere student
of history, it may possibly form a subject of, little pioment to
investigate the reasons whyCraufurd was placed at one battery,
or brave Picton directed to hold anptherj but ,the. military
mind will discover new. beauties in the WeUington designs
at Torres Vedras, in an analysis of the characters pf the re
spective gt^ral officers ; >jand the study of their biography
will demonstrate the fact, that the comraander-in-rphief posted
each individual where his peculiar talent would be raost

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 453
likely to correspond with the peculiar difficulties of each respec
tive situation. The extrerae right of the external line was the
raost reraote from head-quarters, and the raost exposed to the
assaults of the eneray ; there Hill was stationed, who not only
had for sorae tirae previously a separate command, but on whose
calm courage the firmest reliance might be placed. On HiU's
left was the division of Craufurd ; this was a situation where
the efforts of science were believed to have been eraployed in
vain, but where such oft-tried bravery as that of Craufurd
raight calculate safely upon arresting the transit of ten tiraes
his own nurabers. Pack's brigade was honoured with the
defence of the great redoubt above Sobral ; Sir Brent Spencer
garrisoned the heights over Zibreira ; while that loyal and gal
lant ancient Briton, Picton, watched a deep ravine on Spencer's
left, not unlike in character, and not inferior in iraportance, to
the defile of San Antonio de Cantara at Busaco, where he first
established his iraperishable narae as a splendid exaraple of de
votion to his country — Picton was the Fluellen of the Georgian
era; Cole's division continued the line of the allies along the
raountain's brow as far as the Lisbon road ; and CarapbeU's
corps forraed the extreme left of the army. The compre
hensive raind of the British chieftain provided for the general
safety of the natives, by the coraplete fortification of a super
ficies of one thousand two hundred and fifty square railes ; every
salient rock or available point in which, was garnished with
ordnance, and garrisoned with troops. The control and arrange
raent of these raeans and masses, and the alraost sole dictatorship
of Portugal, these, even these extensive duties did not include
the sura of Wellington's arduous labours; but the tide of the
Tagus supported on its heaving waves a nuraerous fleet, and
his country, draining itself of all resources that could be spared,
had sent to his aid a fine corps of raarines ; these new re
sources he now united in operation with the municipal guards
of Lisbon, the Portuguese heavy artillery, and the Estrema-
duran Ordenanzas in a powerful reserve, covering evei^ square
mile, from the outer lines to the fort of St JuUan, with a
guard of arraed raen. In addition to this great organized force,
11. 3 N

454 LIFp AND CAMPAIGNS OE
WelUngton had influence su|5pient over f|;]^e honest ^nd sen
sible judgraent of Roraana, to induce hijio. to co-operate in
his plan of operations ; and this brave ofiicer, with andeserved
conterapt for the prohibitory raandate of his sgr^tpjied govern
raent, crossed the Tagus at Aldea GaUega on the lath of Oct.
and took up a position behind the Monte Agraqa at E^araji^
los CavaUeros — thus "not less than one hundred and eighty
thousand fighting raen received rations within the l^nfs,; more
than seventy thousand being regular troops, completely dispo
sable, and unfettered by the works. "_
r„5y ith. regard to the security of the works, independent pf
tjiB actual strength of the force which Lord WelUngton had
CPUcentrated within them, Lord Londonderry observes, ',' In
fortifying a line such as that of Torres Vedras, for the support
of a^large array in the field, the ordinary practice is to .con
struct ;J)a|teriss, and other ^o?'w^s d! appui, which shall present
as iraposing a front as possible to th e attacking fpr cc, but shall
rgjgain, open and utterly defenceless frora the rear. In the
jg-gser^t instance, however, the redoubts thrown up were not
so rauph field-works, as regular castles, raany of whicli were
capable of containing several hundreds, whilst one required no
fewer than three thousand raen to form its garrison. These
were built as if each had been intended to stand a siege of six
i^£^%, at the raost raoderate coraputation : they were placed in
situati/pns which rendered them quite as defensible from one
Sjij^as ,from another ; and they were all, to a certain extent at
least, independent of those near them, and well sheltered from
their fire, should they fall into the hands of the enemy. It was
Lord Wellington's design to garrison these posts chiefly with
the raUitia and least disciplined regiraents, whilst he kept the
whole of the British troops, and, the elite of the Portuguese,
free and unencurabered, as the circurastances raight require.
I cannot," adds his lordship, " proceed further without desiring
to draw the attention of ray brother soldiers, in a particular
raanner, not only to this point, but to the whole plan of the
carapaign ; because I ara sure that a British array never partici
pated in one better adapted to instruct it in the art of raanoeu-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 455
vering Pn a grSat scale, nor consequently so well calculated tb
raake efficient officers of those who shared in it, or are disposed
to take the trouble of studying it as it deserves."*
While WeUington was labouring to deserve success, a cora
bination of circurastances contributed to the consuramatlon of
his V^ast designs : araongst these, the retirement of Mortier
across the Morena, and the expedition of Soult to press the
siege of Cadiz, were not the least iraportant ; they widened the
distance between the French corps siraultaneously with Wel
lington's labours to concentrate the allies. Massena having
recovered frora the sfiupor and reverie that followed the sud
den disclosure of the designs of his powerful antagonist
devoted his best energies, and employed all the skill and
experience he possessed, in making a Careful reconnoissance.
Alhandra, it was true, he dared not assail, but the defiles of
Aruda and Calandrix invited further inquii-y. The jia^Sage
of the Calandrix would enable hira to turn Hill's left, and pene^
trate, possibly, the second lines, but closer examinatloh dii.!
covered that the aUles were stillbusied in strengthening that
point by abattis and redoubts. Towards Aruda, thert, he
turned his view, and tried every art to induce Craufurd to de
clare his real strength, but the genuine coul'age of that fine sttl^
dier enabled hira to play with Massena's skirmishers frorti
Aruda, which he occupied as an advanced post, while his raen
were engaged in perforraing prodigies of labour to secure' their
position effectually. The description given of this perform
ance, in the History of the Peninsular war, is almost incredible,
partaking raore of the character of ancient Roman achievements
than of raodern warfare.f " Across the ravine on the left a loose
stone wall, sixteen feet thick and forty feet high, was raised ; and
across the great Galley of Aruda a double Une of abattis was
drawn : not cPraposed', as is usual, of the Urabs of trees'/ but'of
full-grown oaks and ches7iuts, dug tip with all their roots and
branches, dragged by riiain force, for several hundred yards,
and then reset and crossed, so that no huraan strength" could
• Narrative of the Peninsular War, vol. h. p. 19. ''
t Colonel Napier's History.

456 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
break through. Breast-works, at convenient distances, to de
fend this Une of trees, were then cast up ; and along the isum-
mits of the raountain, for a space of nearly three raUes, including
the salient points, other stone walls, six tfeet( high; and- four in
thickness, with banquettes, were buUt; so that a good defence
could have been made against the attacks of twenty thpusand
men." In placing General Craufurd at the weakest point pf
the lines. Lord Wellington understood perfectly the character of
the man; and^ although he had raore than once perilled -fche
-safety of his division, he was not deficient in excellent judgment;
his resources were considerable, his enthusiasra unbounded, his
bravery never exceeded. Thus, the second reconnoisance was
even raPre discouraging than the first : the vale of the Zizandre
appeared to offer sorae better opportunity for an attack, being
unguarded in front, but the flanks and rear were fortified so
strortgly that it would inevitably prove a vallfey of death to an
amay that was rash enough to enter it. ' '
'All his resources were now exhausted, the cup was totally
dfainiedi even hope seeraed to have fled frora the camp of the
invaders; Massena, therefore, resolved upon sitting down
pa'riently before these fortified raountains, and awaiting the re
sult of accident, tirae, or revived energies. Disposing his forces
between Sobral and Villa Franca, in a raanner that raenaced
the weakest points in the Lines, he allowed the second corps to
iJbserve Alhandra, while the eighth corps was advanoed-towards
Sobral. In effecting even these neutral arrangeraents, Mas
sena had sustained sorae loss, disgrace, and disappointment.
On the fourteenth, a party of skirraishers atterapting to drive
the seventy-first from one of their field-works, were repulsed
with frightful slaughter, and actually deprived of their own
entrenchraents. At Villa Franca the eneray sustained another
serious disaster, and lost a gallant officer, St. Croix, who was
killed by the fire from the gun-boats in the Tagus. In one
of these petty affairs. General Stacey received a severe but not
a mortal' wound. The war in Portugal was now literally re
duced to a blockade ; Wellington having taken every possible
njieans to devastate the countiy through which he passed.

THE' DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 457
resolved to reraain* in his strong hold until faraine should begin
to waste the ranks pf the enemy; and Massena was equally
determined never to discontinue the blockade while food of any
kind could be procured for his numerous array. The appalling
truth of the strengthened Unes reached hira in tirae sufficient
to halt his sixth corps at O tta, and he now despatched foraging
parties, to collect provisions and forra a magazine at Santarera :
but in this, too, he was frustrated by his quick-sighted antago
nist, who invited the railitia and Ordenanza, to move on the
rear of the enemy, and obtained the co-operation also pf
Carlos d'Espana in harassing all foragers, and contracting the
enemy's sphere of operations. It will scarcely be creditftdi(]Py
the reader of history in after ages, that the wise and matured
schemes of Napoleon for the invasion of Portugal were fvjijis-
trated, thab Massena's manoeuvres were seen through -la^d
counteracted, that the rayriads of rayrraidons, whpB) the, impe
rial raarshals led over the Iberian border, were reduced ,isw!Be-
dibly in araount, that all these great ends were accomplished by
a raan who was reviled by the governraent of the very ,§QJiji^yy
he was eraployed, in saving, viUfied as a raUitary'iassa;S[Sjiii by a
set of raen at horae possessed of splendid raental acquireraeB(|s,
but whp panted for place so eagerly th^t;they were incapable
of viewing the position of our array with calmness. Thes^ain-
triguing politicians, whose oratorical powers; have- npt5fiule4f:|;o
shed a lustre on their descendants, would have acted mpre
honourably for their own raeraories, had they extpndecjtjj^i^d
of their acknowledged talents tp relieve, to encourage,J;heir;:^-
lant countryraan, entangled, as they supposed hira tO[be, in t^e
coraplicated raaize of an unusual warfare : they would h£ive (re
flected a brighter lustre on their naraes, by, caUing up prece
dents to defend his faUures, in case he should: have been,. so
unfortunate as to encounter any ; nor would they have had occa
sion to blush for the part they had acted,:while they were per
raitted to quote great Chathara as their type. "I wUl not" said
that statesraan, " condemn rainisters : they raight have instruct
ed their general wisely, he raigUt have executed his instructions
faithfully and judiciously, and yet he might have miscarried.

458 LIFE AND CAl^PATGNS' Ol?
There are raany events in war, Which the greatest huraan'Tore-
sight cannot provide against."
Despairing of success in any attempt upon the Lines, Mas
sena directed his attention to the opportunity afforded by the
islands in the Tagus, of cutting off the coraraunication between
the capital and the rural districts, and of annoying the right o
the alliesJ By culpable neglect on the part of the Portuguese,
or rather wilful and perverse resistance to the orders of Wel
lington by Souza and the Patriarch, the boat's were perraitted
to remain at Santarera until the arrival of the eneray; an event
which Lord Wellington " considered to be the greatest misfor
tune that could have happened to the allies, and which raight
possibly have Pbliged them to change their position and take
up the second line." " The French," observed his lordship, in
his very first despatch from Pero Negro, "will either arra these
boats, and operate upon Hill's right fiank, in vs^hich case the
slfrength of the flotilla, and support to be given it by larger
vfey^fels Would becoine an object for serious consideration ; or
they will use thfera to forra a bridge, and establish themselves
upon ffife islands in the Tagus aci'oss HUl's right flank ; or they
wUIetti ploy them for a bridge br other coraraunication with
lifoftifer, whom theywill have it in their power to draw to their
suppPrt either on the left or right side of the river." Pos-
sesSltitt of the boats facilitated the descent of the French upon
Leycei'ia, where they discovered a very seasonable supply of
pi'6'^isions, Which ministered for a •while to their pressing
n'^ceSsities, and for which they were indebted solely to the ira-
propeir conduct of the regency. The renewal of actual annoy
ance Pn the part of the Portuguese governraent, did not dis
able the British general frora pursuing the labours either of
the field or the bureau, and as the enemy seeraed dorraant after
the affair of the foui-teentb, and the death of St. Croix, his
lordship devoted raore than his usual portion of time to minor
matters connected with his varied duties. His applications, re
monstrances, and threats were incessant: he denounced the
regency, deraanded a supply of shoes for his raen, called the
attention of the envpy to sland^rpus paragraphs in the English

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 458
journals, totally, groundless, and tending to bring the office of
coramander-in-chief into disrepute ; required an explanation
ottjje difference in amount between the surgeon's report of sick
in -hospital, and the actual nuraber of absentees; entered at
cons^(}erahle length into the questions of the exportation of
raerinos by the Araericans from the Portuguese ports, and
supplied Vice-Adrairal Berkeley and Captain Wedekind with
very full instructions as to the quantity of balks, planks, anchors,
caljles, cordage, &c. which would be requisite for the construc-
tipn.pf three bridges, which he then conteraplated throwing, one
over the Zezere, at Punhete ; the others over the Tagus, at Villa
Velha and Abrantes. The preceding subjects are not included
i^,, any of i\ie thirteen iraportant and voluminous despatches
w,rit,ten ,a,tiieadrquarters on the twenty-seventh, day of October.
'I'Jie latter expressed his feelings, and conclusions as to the
intended raovements of the eneray. He assured his brother
Henry t^iat the French could do hira no raiscbipf ; on the .cpn?-
trary, that an. attack on hira would necessarily be attended. ^]?i,
the loss of the greatest part of their array ; and should, they,
reraain rauch longer, they would inevitably starve, Tlie only
active raeasures in which the Frenph appeared to be, engaged
towards the close of October, were the further collection pf
boats, and materials adapted for the construction of a bridge, ,
Lord WeUington being pressed by the envoy for his opinion
as to what were the eneray's objects, replied, " It is impossi
ble for rae to say positively, whether they wilL perforra thJB;
operation, having first endeavoured to carry the positions pccur
pied by the array, or without raaking such an attempt: but,, ad
verting to the nurabers with which they entered this country,
and to their probable existing force, and to the character and
reputation of the general coraraanding the array, and tp the im
portance of the object to be gained by their forcing our posi^
tion, and the certain loss of character, of tirae, and of all the
objects of the carapaign, by their retreat without attempting to
carry it, I cannot believe that the atterapt will not be made,
as soon as the raeans of passing the Tagus, in a retreat, in, case
of faUure, shall have been prepared." To this speciraen of

4C0 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
close reasoning, his lordship added an admonitory sentence, for
the guidance of the incapable regency, which was, « that tbe
enemy is constructing this bridge with the sole view of passing
into the Aleratejo." His lordship pressed urgently tbe ad
vantage and necessity for evacuating the Aleratejo by the inhabit
ants ; but his importunities were met by the intrigues of
Souza, who demanded that an officer and troops should be
sent to Alraada, and the war in fact waged upon the frontier. To
this absurd proposition he required Mr. Stuart to state, in reply,
" that he considered it unbecoraing raerabers of the Portuguese
government to urge hira to weaken his array by detachments,
when they were conscious, that owing to the weakness and
pusillanimity of their systera of government, neaxly two-thirds
of the mUitia were absent without leave, and the miUtary laws
had not the power of punishing them; when they knew also,
that during the previous year, in which the works which saved
the country had been constructed, he was never able procure a
tenth part of the number of workmen required, notwithstand
ing repeated and earnest representations to the regency, and
that the works were consequently not so complete as they ought
to have been." The raisconduct of this raiserable governraent
was at length fully understood in England, and Lord Wellesley
npw.4esired his brother's opinion as to the reform most desira
ble to be introduced for its araelioration: on this point he evinced
thp same deliberate, unprejudiced views, and, although it was
hardly possible there could be found a raore wretched assembly,
nor pould any body of raen be pointed to raore deeply stained with
ingratitude, yet the raagnaniraity of Wellington blotted out the
recollection of their raeanness and their crimes, and, giving all
the powers of his great mind to the chief question alone in
which the general safety was involved, declared that it was not
advisable to disturb the government by tlie removal of any of
its raerabers, with the exception of Principal Souza; that this one
oblation to his offended feelings would be sufficient, as with
him he was finally resolved to hold no further official inter
course. "As forthe Patriarch," he observed, "he is in my
opinion a necessary evil. He has acquired a kind of popularity

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 461
and coofid'etoce throughout the country, which would increase
if he were retnoved from office, and he is just the kind of man
to do much raischief if he Were not eraployed. If we should
succeed in reraoving the Principal, which inust be done, I
think 'the' Patriarch wUl take the warning, and behave better
in future. ' If Principal Souza does not go to England, or
somewhere out of Portugal, the country will be lost;" the time
we lose in discussing matters which ought to be executed
iraraediately, and the Wrong directions given to the deliberation
of the governraent, is inconceivable." His lordship had also
obliged the intriguers to pubhsh a contradiction' of the in
jurious falsfefaood that appeared in the Sun newspaper, relative
to the conduct of tbe British officers in the prosPriptiohs' at
Lisbon ; but these evasive wretches were only dispbsed tP state
that those brave men"had no shai^e in the proceeding," ortiittihg
to add, "that theyhad no knowledge of it until it Wa's
executed :" the matter,' however, was taken up, discdSs^a;
sifted, and truth separated' frora falsehood, in England, 'byr
which raeans thfe infaray of one party was establllRfed ia^ dis
tinctly, as the humanity ^nd honour ofthe other. "" ' '
And ribw the twenty-seventh of October arrived, a day raarked
by the dictation of a greater number of despatches tl'iain ^s
lordship probably had' ever issued on arty other Single Wceksiort,'
in his lorig railitary service. He confiraenced the laboi!i'i's''of
the bureau on this raeraorable day, by reeoraraendlng thfe "^iSe^
admiral, Berkeley, to send the French pi'iSoners to Engl&d, ' aWd
repeated to hira his desire to re-establish three bridge's at thfe
places already named, in the event ofthe enertiy's fetii'ihW,' which
he now began to think would take place at no Very distant day.
He complained to the British admiral also of Souza's rtiiscori-
duct and expressed his conviction that the Portuguese
governraent originated and circulated the calurany, that he had
not only approved, but caused the illegal arrests at Lisbon.
A curious instance of official confusion occurred in the instance
of Colonel Wilson, an active able officer. When Lord WeUington
arrived in Portugal, he found 'him doing diity vrith the Lusi
tanian legion, but could not ascertaiu by whosei leave' or
II. 3o

462 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF , ,
authority. His abiUties soon recoraraended hira to Marshal
Beresford and the coraraander-in-chief; and when orders were
sent to bira to join the Royal York Rangers, Lord Wellington,
suspended their execution, and assigned such reasons for that
suspension, as proved the amazing perspicuity of his own
judgment in the quick selection of raeritorious raen, and. con
ferred a reputation on the brave officer, of which ages shall not
be able to despoil hira. He afterwards attained the rank of
Major-General in the British array, and was appointed to the
coramand of the forces in the island of Ceylon.
When the Marquis Roraana seceded frora Spanish authority,
he relied upon the generosity of the British for the raainte-
napce of his foUowers; and the English spirit, which had
always influenced the actions of this gallant soldier, forraed a
strong bond of union between him and the British chieftain.
Wjellington had supplied hira with raoney, shoes, and pro
visions,' on account of the Spanish governraent, or, raore
properly, the Spanish cause ; and of this circumstance he now
deemed it necessary to inform Lord Liverpool officially.
Amongst the enclosures contained in the despatches of the sarae
date, were several intercepted letters addressed to the Prince
of Essling, frora which it appeared that the eneray possessed
rii^'aris' of acquiring intelligence in England; the stateraents of
the strength of the different divisions of the allies having
lihdoubtedly been extracted frora the weekly stateraents trans
raitted tb that coiintry. Frora another letter it appeared that
rMhforcements had arrived to the French array at Vittoria,
but not destined to succour the array of Massena. Lord
Wellington expressed his belief that the eneray could not
reraain much longer in their position, and his astonishraent at
their having continued there so .long. The troops had no
issue of bread frora the day of their quitting Alraeida, when
biscuit for fifteen days was distributed; but the greater por
tion of them being unable to carry so rauch, threw their
allowance away. The distress, therefore, arising frora want
of provisions was becoraing so oppressive, that Lord WeUing
ton's despatches breathed a confident tone, and painted the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 463
deplorable state, in which the country they were about to
evacuate would be left, and the sufferings to which the in
habitants of the wasted districts would be subsequently
exposed. He reminded the minister, " that upon forraer
occasions the wealthy inhabitants of Great Britain, and of
London in particular, had stepped forward to assist the
distresses of "foreign nations, whether suffering under calami
ties inflicted by Providence, or by a cruel ancl powerful enemy.
This nation has received the benefit of the charitable dis
position of his majesty's subjects ; and there never was a case
in which their assistance was required in a greater degree,
whether the sufferings of the people, or their fidelity to the
cause they have espoused, and their attachment to his
raajesty's subjects, be considered. I declare that I havp
scarcely known an instance in which any person in Portugal,
even of the lowest order, has had coramunication with the
enemy. Inconsistent with his duty to his own sovereign, pr
with the orders he had received. I would, therefore, beg leave
tP recomraend the unfortunate portion of the inhabitants wh^j
have suffered from the enemy's Invasion, to your lordship's
protection; and I request you to considpr of the raodp (^f
recoraraending them to the benevolent disposition of lil^
majesty's subjects, at the moraent, which I hope raay npt be
far distant that the eneray raay be under the necessity, pf
evacuating the country." Nothing could damp the ardopr of
Lord Wellington in the cause of huraanity; innunier^^|l,e^
instances have already been adduced, when ostentation could
have had no share In the transaction, the sublirae feeling of
relieving a fellow-creature being the sole reward : In this case
the strongest incentives to anger, and even vengeance, had
been applied, by the regency, to the raind and the feelings of
the British chieftain, without the slightest effect; he dis-
crlralnated hetween the few that were guilty, and the guUtless
nation: he fell Into no confusion as to the crirainality of
Souza, when his keen glance rested upon the thousand pallid
countenances that looked to bira imploringly for help. He
consigned Souza and his faction to the punishment of a

464 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
conscience wrung by raental agony and dtsappoilitttiejst, and
thought alone of those who had been the victims of an unjust
invasion and pretenceless war. After an interval of but two
brief days, the image of Portuguese suffering again presented
itself to his benevolent mind, and fPund its way into an official
coraraunication addressed to Mr. Charles Stuart, upon various
railitary topics. "I do not knoW," observed his lordship,
" whether they sent you open a despatch which I wrote to
Lord Liverpool, to endeavour to prevaU upon him to get a
subscription In London for the Portuguese, who have suffered
by the passage of the French through their country. I pro
pose to have one in the array, and I have no douht that every
soldier wiU contribute. But besides this raeasure, we raust
turn our rainds, seriously, to the introduction of large quanti
ties of gfain into the country during the winter. I spoke to
Sarapayo yesterday npon this point, and told him I would
lend rayself to the accoraplishraent of any reasonable plan for
this purpose. I have not much leisure to enter deeply Into
the consideration of detaUs ; but I shall be obliged to you if
you will consider the subject, and see what it will be best to
do, and how to do It, to prevent the people of Upper Belra^ in
particular, frora starving in the winter and spring."
Never checked in the pursuit of glory or huraanity by
aiiy of the griefs or disappointraents with which the cup of Ufe
1^ mingled, or its pleasure alloyed, these affecting, generous,
manly appeals to the rich and the noble were urged with the
utmost fervour, while the public journals teeraed with the
vilest caluranies against his own honour. The Moniteur, ever
foremost In falsehood where British character was impeached,
even when uhirapeachable, now loudly accused Lord Wellington
of having cruelly deceived Herrasti, the brave governor of
Ciudad Rodrigo, by proraises of relief. This charge, re-echoed
by the antl-ralnlsterial journals at home, excited painful feelings
in the hero's bOsora for an instant, but; advancing and grappling
with the foe, he soon subdued hira, with that power and efficacy
by which truth first chastises, and then annihilates falsehood.
Wellington's defence of his conduct on that momentous occasion.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 465
an occasion which laid the foundation of much and lasting dis
content amongst the Spaniards generaUy, was not only full
and sufficient as regarded his personal promises, but retorted
the arguments of the French writers upon their authors.
Time rolled his ceaseless course, yet no decisive raove
ment was raade by the raain body of the eneray, up to the
twenty-seven th of October, at which date Lord Wellington
thus described the relative positions ot the corabatants. "In
my opinion, the enemy ought to retire, for he has no chance
of annoying our position, and delay will only aggravate his
distress, and raake his retreat raore difficult. I calculate that
a reinforcement of fifteen thousand raen would not give him
so good an array as he had at Busaco. He had two thousand
men killed there; Trant took five thousand prisoners a,t
Coimbra; above one thousand prisoners have gone through
this army, many raore have been killed by the peasantry, and in
the skirraishes with our different detachments ; and they had
two hundred or three hundred wounded in the affair with, our
outposts about Sobral. They cannot have less than fcju^
thousand sick, after the raarch they have raade, the distress
they have suffered, and the weather to which they were e?,-
posed. Indeed, the deserters and prisoners tell us that alnipst
every body is sick. Frora this stateraent you. will judge of the
dirainution of their nurabers, and you will see that I liave not
much reason to apprehend anything from the quinze leaux
bataillons which fought at Essling, and which cannot be ,l?e^re
before the middle of Noveraber. I do not think Ihave raiich
to apprehend even if Mortier should be added to thera. Hpw-
ever, we shall see how that will be. We have an excellent
position, which we are iraproving every day ; and the array is
in good order and spirits, and not sickly. By the last returns
we had four thousand two hundred in hospital, and no serious
disorder. We had eight thousand five hundred sick In the
military returns, but these Included convalescents at Belem, of
whora, I hope, under better regulations not to have so raany.
I ara not quite certain that I ought not to attack the Fren,ch,
particularly as they have detached Loison either to lopk for

466 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OP'
provisions, or to open the road for their retreat ; but I think the
sure garae, and that in which I ara likely to lose fewest raen,
the raost consistent with ray instructions and the Intentions of
the king's governraent and I therefore prefer to wait the attack.
Besides, although 1 have the advantage of numbers, the
enemy are in a very good position, which I could not turn with
any large force, without laying open my own rear, and the road
to the sea. This is the worst of all these strong countries,
that they affoi"d equally good positions to both sides." While
Wellington soothed the wavering rainister of England, by flat
tering representations of the condition of his troops, and the
strength of bis position, he felt raost acutely the injuries that
had been done to the cause generally by the intrigues of Souza
and the Patriarch; nor was he totaUy reUeved frora doubt as to
the possibility of the eneniy raaintaining his ground, until sorae
assistance in raen, raoney, or provisions should arrive.
On the last day of October, Massena appearing as resolute
as before in the continuance of the blockade. Lord Wellington
felt the great Injury that had been done to his railitary repu
tation by the non-reraoval of subsistence of every kind front
the ground occupied by the eneray, and, in bitterness of spirit,
thus wrote to the British envoy : " For aught I know to the
contrary, the eneray raay be able to raaintain their position
till the whole French array is brought to their assistance. It
is heart-breaking to co'ntemplate the chance of failure from
such obstinacy and folly." This culpabUity on the part of
the regency , Lord Wellington still further explained, and raore
clearly fixed upon the supineness of the governraent, in a
despatch of the first of Noveraber, in which he observes, " Had
I not been able to stop the eneray at Busaco, he must have
been In his present situation long before the order for devasta
tion could have reached those to whora it was addressed. All
this conduct was to be attributed to the same course, a desire
to avoid adopting a raeasure which, however beneficial to the
real interests of the country, was likely to disturb the habits of
indolence and ease of the inhabitants, and to throw the odium
of the raeasure upon me, and upon the British governraent."

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 467
T^he .Portuguese rainister desired tp see the war sustained on
tlie frpntier by the aUied array, and expressed surprise that the
raeasureof.abandqnlng their horaes should have been at all
introduced in ,,that part of the kingdora ; but his lordship
replied,, satisfactorily to those who were sincere In the pursuit
of, trutii, by reralnding the envoy, that "the same raeasure
vif^is. parried into complete execution in LTpper Beira; notwith
standing that the array was in that province, and the raeans of
transport were required for its service, not a soul remained^
excepting at Coirabra, to which town his personal authority
and Influence did not reach, not an article of any description
ll?^d been left behind, and all the raills upon the Coa and
Mondego, and their dependent strearas, were rendered useless.
I^ut there were no discussions then upon the propriety of main
taining the war upon the frontier. The orders were given, and
they were obeyed in time, and the eneray suffered accordingly."
His lordship pursued this painful controversy with these
infatuf^ted/, statesmen in language that became his elevated
situation in that country, his important duties In the eventful
struggle for the recovery of European liberty, and, with as
little indignation and irony as could possibly have been ,ex^
pected, when the injustice and folly with which he was treated
are remerabered, " I raay," said Lord Wellington, " have
raistaken the systera of defence to be adopted for this country,
and Principal Souza, and other raerabers ofthe regency, raay
he better judges ofthe capacity of the troops, and of the opera
tions to be carried on, than I ara. In this case, they should desire*
his raajesty and the prince regent to reraove rae frora the
comraand of the array. Bid they cannot doubt my zeal for
the cause in which we are engaged ; and they know that there '
is not a moment of my time, noi' a faculty of my mind, that is
not devoted to promote it ; and the records of the government
will show what I have done for them and for their country.
1^ therefore, they do not raanifest their dissatisfaction and
want of confidence in the measures which I adopt, hy desiring
that I should be removed, they are bound, as honest raen, and
faithful servants to their prince, to co-operate with rae, by all

468 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS Qp-
the raeans in their power; and they should gaelth^ thwart
thera by opposition, nor render them nugatory by s useless
delays and discussions." The cliraax of this great raan's anger
seeraed to have attained its height about this period .;,.^i9di.(the
multitude of irritating topics,~with which he was; tormented,
led to the composition of the following passage, which pecum in
aletter to; Major-General Fane, the greatest departure from
the usual mild philosophy of his character, to be found dm his
correspondence during twenty years of active, arduous, public
service. " My dear Fane, I cannot be answerable for a mctd-
man. We sent the orders to the ca9adores as stated to you.
This person got hold of thera, and you know theconsequence.
I wish I had it in ray power to give you well-clothed troops, or
;to! Aan^ those that ought to have given thera Jbeir, clothing.
You: raust make the best of thera, and I will give you fuU
credit kfor everything you do." Uniraportant to history, i this
lAttleiburstof passion is valuable to biography; it answers
Lord Wellington's conteraporaries, rivals, eneraies, who have so
often and so falsely denied to him the susceptibility of en-
iJlusiastic feeling, either of, anger or affection : that he possessed
-thelatter abundantly, has been often demonstrated, and the
.^ftiftinuance of the friends of his youth around the path of his
lOld age, carries with it a meraorable conviction of the faet.
•C^t^rapt, disappointraent, or angei', he appears less seldora to
^ave expressed ; and the Instance here adduced will probably
prove lai solitary example, from which, therefore, it cannot be
concluded' that he was either subject to, or controlled by, the
impulse of evil passions. Like the lowering clouds of a
gathering storm, which the sunbeams break through and
dissipate, the moraentary vexation that brooded over his raind
was put to flight by the arrival of a coraraunication from the King
of England, desiring that Lord Wellington would immediately
proceed to invest Marshal Beresford with the Order of the
Bath. Feelings diametrically opposite in tendency and charac
ter were displayed in an instant; and the labours of the bureau
became Ught and grateful^ while hisi lordship thus addressed
his brave companion in arras: " I rather believe it would he

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 469
better to invest you in the mode in which I invested Sir
J. Sherbrooke, in presence of as many officers of the army, and
other individuals, as I can collect at a feast'; or, if you prefer
that mode, on a paf ade of sorae of the troops." The warrath of
his affection for Marshal Beresford, a warrath that sustained no
abateraent even from the chilness that accompanies the even
ing of life, was always raanifested in the strongest possible raan
ner : it 'Would be vain to say that Wellington did not envy their
wiell-earned honours to the brave raen who shared his fortunes in
the field, and aided hira in weaving his laurel wreath, this would
be but a weak and worthless corapliment to his generosity, for he
was not only superior to every feeling of rivalship, envy, or illi
berality, but he earnestly supplicated the govemment to confer,
upon every meritorious officer, the highest honours to which his
fortune, courage, or ability had entitled hira ; and, in almost
every instance, he exhibited the sincerity of his joy at their
obtaining the honourable reWard of their ambition, by becom
ing the medium through which such marks of distinction werfe
generally conveyed.
Free from every apprehension as to the operations of the
eneray, and disraissing the angry thoughts to which the igno
rant suggestions of the regency had given birth, he seeraed in
tent upon the single object of conferring this proud distinction
upon Marshal Beresford, with every circurastance of esteem
and honour. His plan consisted in asserabling all the officers
ofthe array not on duty, all the respectable society at Lisbon
and the vicinity, Adrairal Berkeley and the captains of the
squadron in the Tagus, to a feast at Mafra, on the seventh of
Noveraber; and, In presence of this elegant and joyous assera
blage, to perforra the cereraony of investiture. The officers of
rank, both naval and mihtary, were entertained at a dinner, after
which there was a grand ball. The style of his lordship's invi
tations, even that part Which relates to the gentle sex, is quite
a la militaire, stating that he had ordered quarters to be pre
pared for Lady Emily Berkeley and her family, andj as to the
nuraerous ladies and gentleraeuj with whose names he was un
acquainted, but whose rank he respected, and in consequence
H. 3 P

470 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF^
desired the pleasure of their company, he informed thera, in
the sarae military phraseology, " that quarters would be pre
pared at Mafra for any person who wolUd apply for them to
Captain Kelly, the deputy assistant-quarter-master-general."
How rauch and sincerely the brave soldier entered Into the
spirit of festivity on this occasion, and how entirely dedicated
were his efforts to the happiness and honour of his friend, ap
pears frora his reply to the adrairal of the fleet upon his accept
ance of the invitation to the feast : " I ara very rauch obliged
to you for your kindness to Marshal Beresford and rae ; and
I enclose a letter frora Mr. Deputy Commissary Dum'nore,
which I hope will provide for you the means of moving what
is necessary for Lady Emily, who, I anxiously hope, will not
suffer by her desire to favour us with her corapany. We shall
a-ppear in our best attire, but I fear that, with many, bad is the
best: and' we shall be highly flattered by your corapany, and
that of the captains ofthe fleet whether in full or In frock: uni
forras." What a condensation of graceful corapliraent, kind
and thougthful consideration, and attention to professional
forras, without the least neglect of all those rational courtesies
that belong to refined society ! The delicacy also with whichihe
apologizes for many of the brave partners of his fame, whose
uniforms were less gay and glittering than beseemed the ball
room and the ladies' presence, raust not pass unnoticed, nor
Sijbe indulgence which he expresses hiraself prepared to extend
to those of the naval service, who raight happen to be sirailarly
cioeumstanced. His lordship's plan of operations was too well
laid, to have undergone the slightest risk of failure ; and the
prosperous end was found to correspond with the kind means
employed for its accoraplishraent.
It was during the precise days, on which his invitations were
being distributed to the naval and railitary officers, to join the fes
tivities at Mafra, that Lord WeUington drew up that celebrated
defence of his past military measures, that extraordinary
comparison of the fulfilraent of his prophecies as to the results
of the carapaign, that able vindication of his resistance to Por
tuguese misrule and intrigue, that clear insight into the views

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, 471
of the .enPmyj which were sufficient to establish his claira to the
character of a politic statesraan, and a cautious general. " Were
all other records of Lord Wellington's genius to be lost, this
reraarkable letter would alone suffice to vindicate his great
reputation to posterity."* It is a raasterly composition, show
ing how clearly he read his adversaries' views, and how; little
confidence he reposed in the support of that fickle goddess
whora Massena is said to have worshipped with the raost entire
devotion. " I wish it was in my power to give your lordshipf
an opinion of the probable course of the eneray's operations,
founded upon the existing state of affairs here, considered in a
military point of view ; but, frora what I ara about to state to your
lordship, ypu will observe that it is irapossible to forra such an
opinion. The ; expedition into Portugal was. In ray opinion,
founded originally upon political and financial, rather than raili
tary considerations. It is true, that with a view to theconqa^eet
of Spain, there were advantages purely railitary to be derived
frora the removal of the British army from Portugal: but
I think I could show that it was not essentially necessary
to efifect that object, particularly after the door into Castile
had been closed upon us by the capture of Ciudad Rodrigo
and Alraeida. ¦¦ a9':fgoioq,f
" The political object, therefore, in removing us from Portu
gal, which was, the effect that our evacuation of the Peninsnlia
would have had upon the inhabitants of Spain in general, artd
upon those of Cadiz in particular — and the financial object,
which was the possession and plunder of Lisbon and Oporto^—
were the principal raotives for the perseverance in the expedi
tion into Portugal. I believe the latter to have been raore
pressing even than the forraer. It is irapossible to describe to
your lordship the pecuniary and other distresses of the French
armies in the Peninsula. All the troops are several months in
arrears of pay ; they are in general very badly clothed ; their
arraies want horses, carriages, and equipraents of every descrip-
.¦,-"¦ ' '>,'',':"'tj8qm
», Napier's History. .,¦•,,, ur', f,
t Despatch addressed to the Earl of Liverpool, dated from P?ro Negro, third
of Nov. 1810. , , '. ¦/, , ,-,.

472 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
tion : their troops subsist solely upon plunder, whether ac
quired individually, or more regularly by the way of requisition
and contribution : they receive no money, or scarcely any, from
France ; and they realize but little for their pecuniary contri
butions in Spain . Indeed, I have lately discovered, that the
expense of the pay, and of the hospitals alone, of the French
army In the Peninsula, araounts to raore than the sura stated
in the financial exposS as the whole expense of the entire
French array."
; i' This state of things has very ranch weakened, and in sorae
instances destroyed, the discipline of the array ; and all the
intercepted letters advert to acts of raalversation, and corrup
tion, and raisappUcation of stores, &c. by all the persons
attached to the array. I have no doubt, therefore, that the
desire to relieve the state of distress, and to reraove the conse
quent evils occasioned by it, by the plunder of Lisbon and
Oporto, was the first raotive for the expedition into Portugal.
The expedition not having been founded upon any railitary
necessity, has been carried on and persevered In against every
military priricij)le. We know that Massena could expect no
imraediate reinforceraents ; and without adverting to the vari
ous errors which I believe he would acknowledge he had com
mitted i'n the course of the service, he has persevered in it,
after he found that he was unable to force the troops opposed
to him when posted in a strong position, and when he knew
that they had one still stronger in their rear, to which they
Were about to retire ; and that they were likely to be rein
forced, while his array would be further weakened by sickness,
jtnd' by the privations to which he knew they raust be liable on
their raarch. He knew that the whole country was against hira ;
that a considerable corps was formed upon the Douro, which
would iraraediately operate on his rear ; that at the tirae of
the battle of Busaco he had no longer any coramunication with
Spain ; and that every step he took further in advance, was a
step towards additional difficulty and inconvenience; from which
the retreat would be almost impossible.
*' If the expedition into Portugal had been founded upon

THE DUKE' OF WELLINGTON. 473
mUitary principles onlyj it would have ended at Busaco ; and
I do not hesitate to acknowledge that I expected that Massena
would retirjB, frora thence, or at all events would not advance
beyond the Mondego. But he has continued to advance,
contrary to every miUtary principle ; and therefore, I conclude
that the pressure of financial distress, which was the original
motive for the expedition, was that for persevering in it and
raay operate upon the raeasures for the present raoraent. In
this view of the case, it is probable that Massena raay endea
vour to maintain his position as long as he can keep alive any
proportion of his troops, being certain that the sarae difficulties
which induced the emperor to undertake the expedition with
out any railitary necessity, would induce bira to raake ^very
effort to reinforce hira at the earliest possible period of time,
and, therefore, that he will remain some tirae longer where
heis, ,
"Your lordship is already acquainted with the raeans of
reinforcing, him. There is no douht that, by raising the siege
of Cadiz, and abandoning other unattainable objects, Massena
raay be reinforced to a considerable extent. Under these cir
curastances, I have frequently turned over in my mind the
expediency of attacking the French army now in my front,
hefore it should be joined by Its reinforceraents ; and, upon the
whole, I ara inclined to be of opinion tliat I ought not to do so,
I enclose your lordship an account of the nuraber of battalions,
squadrons, &c. which entered Portugal with Massena, and il
cannot believe that they coraposed an array of less than seventy
thousand raen at the battle of Busaco. I calculate their loss,
including sick, since that tirae, at fifteen thousand raen, which
would leave thera with fifty-five thousand raen, of whora six
thousand or seven thousand are cavalry, at the present raoraent
The effective strength of the British array, according to the
last return, was twenty-nine thousand infantry, cavalry, and
artillery, and one regiraent at Lisbon, and one at Torres
Vedras, which, In the view of the contest, ought not to be
taken into the account : and I enclose a statement of the Por
tuguese force, according to the last returns. Besides this.

474 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OW' '
force, the Marquess de la Roraana's corps consists of about five
thousand men, raaking a total of fifty-eight thousand six hun
dred and fifteen, of which I could coraraand the services, in
case I should act offensively against the enerayj of which
about*  would be cavalry. Besides these
troops, there are different bodies of railitia, infantry, and
artillery in our positions, but I should deceive rayself If I could
expect, and your lordship if I should state, that any advantage
would be derived from their assistance in an offensive operation
against the eneray.
*' Although the eneray's position is not so strong as that which
wei occupy, there is no doubt but that it has Its advantages;
onecof which is, that in attacking it, we could hardly use our
artillery. I would also observe, that in every operation of this
description by the British array in Portugal, no atterapt can
be raade to raanceuvre upon the eneray's flank or rear ; first,
because the eneray show that they are indifferent about their
flanks or rear,. or their coraraunications; and secondly, because
theanevitable consequences of atterapting such a raanceuvre
would be to open some one or other road to Lisbon, and to our
shippingst of which the enemy would take Immediate advantage
to, attain, his object. We must carry their positions therefore
by raain force, and consequently with loss ; and, In the course
of the operations, I raust draw the array out of their canton
ments; ,il, raust expose the troops and horses to the Incle-
raenejes of the weather at this season of the year ; and raust
Ippk to all the consequences of that raeasure, in increased sick
ness of the raen, and in loss of efficiency and condition in the
horses. 3,',' I observe that notwithstanding the length of time which
lia^, elapsed since the greatest and most efficient part of the
French army has been employed against us, there is yet no
other military body in the Peninsula, which is capable of taking,
much less of keeping the field ; and the relief of Cadiz, which
appears to rae to be a probable consequence of the state of
affairs here, would not give us the assistance of an army frora
* This hiatus occul-s in the original.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 475
that quarter, either in the way of co-operation or diversion,
nor would the reraoval of Sebastiani frora Granada, which
would be the consequence of the relief of Cadiz, enable Blake
to raake any progress beyond the Sierra Morena towards
Madrid^,. We shonld still stand alone In the Peninsula as an
array ; and if I should succeed in forcing Massena's position,
it would becorae a question whether I should be able to raain
tain ray own, in case the eneray should raarch another array
into this country. But when I observe how small the supe
riority of nuriibers is In ray favour, and know that the position
will be in favour of the eneray, I cannot but be of opinion that
I act in conforraity with the instructions and intentions of his
raajesty's govemraent, in waiting for the result of what is going
on, and in incurring no extraordinary risk. Every day's delay,
at this season of the year, narrows our line of defence, and
consequently strengthens It ; and when the winter shall have
set in, no nuraber, however formidable, can venture to- attack
It ; and the increase of the enemy's numbers at that period
wUl only add to their distress, and increase the difficulties
of their retreat. I have thought It proper to make your
lordship acquainted with the course of ray reflections Upon
this subject, and ray present deterraination, which I hope will
be consistent with the wishes of his- raajesty's governraent
Circurastances raay change: the eneray's distresses for provi
sions, and the operations of our detachraents in his rear, may
Induce him to detach to such a degree, as to render a general
attack upon him a measure of positive advantage, in which
case I shall alter ray deterraination. But, adverting to the
necessity of placing the troops in the field in this season, if 1
should raake any attack, the advantage raust be very obvious,
before I adopt a raeasure which raust be attended by the con
sequence of losing the services of ray raen by sickness:"
This able, anxious, raeraorable letter, upon the railitary and
political circurastances of Portugal, was followed, on the next
day, by a despatch of equal power and perspicuity upon the
asserablage of the cortes, choice of a regent, and provisional
governraent of Spain. The cares, the duties, the responsibili-

476 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
ties which he had subraitted to and undertaken, were of the most
extensive kind and highest importance, too much for a nation to
irapose on an individual, yet not tpo heavy for the strength
and firmness of him upon whom they had providentially fallen.
Frora the light and playful letters of invitation in which he
bade all welcome to the festive board spread: in honour of'his
gallant coadjutor, his calm yet thoughtful raind turns with
facility to the consideration of the gravest teraporal subjects
that can arise araongst mankind, and exhibits the sarae degrep
of wisdom, discrimination, propriety, and justice. In every sub
ject to which he had given his attention. He had always
expressed distrust in the provisional governments, or rather
self-elected local parliaments, of Spain, and hia confidence' was
not obtained for the lately assembled cortes by their initial
measures. In his letter to his brother Henry on this import
ant subject. Lord Wellington repeats his caution as to the inevi^
tably democratic tendency of all popular assemblies, and sug
gests, asabalance, the iraraediate appointment of a regency ' in
ther choice, however, of a regent delicacy> and difficulty ap-
pearedi; and his advice to the cortes was^ therefore, "to ap
point pjTi recognize as regent of the kingdom, with all the regal
authorities, whoever would siucqeed to the office accdHling' to
the law, asapplied to the case upon fair analogy."
)i , A very interesting opportunity of cotaparing Lord Wellington
Wil^, himseUv and of establishing, conclusively, an uniforraity,
exjuality, and consistency of conduct and principle in every
transaction of his eventful life, a fact, also, to which attention
has, been frequently invited, occurred at this period, in the
caseof ftlr,i0gilvie, a coraraissariat officer of rauch abiUty, and
whom Lord WelUngton considered deserving ¦ of being placed
over the heads of raany who had grown old without experience
in the sarae service. Colonel Gordon, the coraraissary-in-chief,
had ventured to remonstrate upon this departure from the
accustoraed rule, and urged the propriety of adherence to cus
toras sanctioned by practice rather than prudence; but this
was a doctrine of whioh Wellington never approved, and by the
violation of which England was twice saved from conquest

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 477
within the brief period of some ten short years, in the niemor-
able instances of Nelson and<l himself "When a raan like
Ogilvie," said his lordship, "is found out who is really capable
of beiAg the comraissary-general of an army, tbe rule is a bad
one which prevents his immediate promotion. I may be Wrong
buti have objections to all those rules which prevent the pro
motion of officers of raerit. It is the abuse of the unlimited
power of promotion which ought to he prevented, but the
power itself ought not tb be taken away, by regulation, from
the crown, or frora those who do the business of the croWn. If
this rule be obstinately adhered to in the commissariat; ah
array will -be lost on some fine day, on account of the total
incapacity of the greater number of the officers, seniors as W^ll
as juniors, to perform any duty except that which they learn in
England, namely, the superintendence of deliveries by ai- eon-
tractor, and to corapare his accounts With his vouchers, Thei%
is no power anywhere of rewarding extraordinary service's ot
conspicuous raerit; and under circumstances which req'Uirfe
unwearied exertion In every branch and departraent of bU^ mifr
tary system, we appear to be framing regulations to preveni
ourselves from comraanding it by the only stimulus -^ISh^
honourable reward of proraotion : these are ray declded'tifplfiiynft
They go to the principle of our proceedings, 'and Ti'Pt"i6
Ogilvife's 'case alone. If Kennedy was gone to-mPrrPW; 'Ogilvie
is, I think, the person raost qualified to fill his situation,' Uflid
I should then propose that he should be made a coranii^earyi^
general. I wish to know whether, in any service in the World,
a raan has ever been placed at the head of such a concern as
that which I am conducting, without having the power of
selecting the person who shall succeed to fill such an office as
that which Kennedy fills; and whether any rainister could show
his face to the country, and object ' that such an appointment
is contrary to the regulations.' The regulation, therefore,
mu.st be nugatory, and ought not to be raade. As for tbe gen
tleman who would succeed Kennedy, according to the regula
tion, be is quite unfit for the situation, and I could not do
business with him for an hour. This is even a stronger case
ll. 3 Q

478 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
than that which exists, though, by 'the bye, that is pretty strong.
Ogilvie, an assistant coraraissary, is, found the most capable in
the whole department of conducting the, business of Geneva!
HUl's separate corps, and he cannot be raade a deputy-coirt'^
raissary, because he has not served five years; and there are:
other assistants In the array senior to bita, who, although very
good raen, and possibly able to do the duty of assistant-com
raissary, are not able to do the duty which Ogilvie performs
well, and for which he was selected, notwithstanding! that there
were many deputy-coraraissaries with the army ! The nest
thing to do will be to order that the deputy -commissaries shall
perform those superior duties when there are any with jthe
army ; and then I hope the gentlemen In London will be so
kind as to be responsible for all that passes here; and bear
all the abuse and raisrepresentation to which he raust make
up his mind, who is honoured with the command of the British
troops on a foreign service."
This 'direct disapproval of rules which, in suchi a perilous
service, should have; been obsolete, this just sarcasm applied to
the heads of the department in England, did not originate in any
desire of acquiring patronage, or any undue partiality for the
individual Ogilvie, but was based upon one of Lord Wellington's
luiUtary maxims, . a raaxim on which he acted in his earliest
offices and .campaigns, a raaxim originating in disinterested
ness and ^a love of justice, and an indication of the possession
of those great natural abilities, which he so generally acknow
ledged in others, no raatter how hurable the possessor.
, The enemy's moveraents now assuraing the appearance of an
intention to attack Abrantes, Wellington's railitary Instinct and
prescience enabled hira to perceive and provide against their
efforts.^ Accordingly he directed Major-General Fane to cora-
munieate.to Colonel Lobo, who commanded in that district
his, entire approbation of that officer's general conduct, as a
stimulus to increased exertion In the event of an attack. His
attention was also bestowed on the operations of Don Carlos
de Espana, who had embarked In the cause of bis country, and
wa,s pffering a gallant resistance to the invader, at the head of

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 479
a small corps of twelve hundred Spaniards. Lord Wellington
calls this patriot, in his despatch to General Fane, " avery good
man, and a good officer ;" and he directs Marshal Beresford to
place confidence In him as an ally : In this there was, at that
period, little risk, for it was the Interest as weU as the in
clination, of Carlos to be faithful.
Considerable uneasiness began to be perceivpd in the French
quarters, and demonstrations were raade daily, alraost hourly,
towards different points. Araongst the prisoners brought in
by one of the patroles was a Portuguese naraed Masgarenhas,
who was in the French service, and aide-de-carap to Junot. On
his person were found despatches from the Prince of Essling to
tbe Prince of Wagram, relative to the battle of Busaco, besides
a series of questions to be put to the bearer of the despatches
at Paris, and the answers which he was to give. Mascarenhas
was on his road to the valley of the Mondego, towards'tbe
frontier, in the disguise of a Spanish peasant, and was taken
by the Ordenanza. This was.the second despatch' which Mas
sena had written since his entering Portugal, that had fallen
into Lord Wellington's hands. This renegade^:! who was a
lieutenant of cavalry in the French army, had deserted ihis
country with Marshal Junot. Although a manifest traitor,
there was sorae distinction between the guilt of those who
quitted Portugal In 1807 or 1808, and those who deserted to
the eneray on Soult's occupation of Oporto. These extenuat
ing circurastances Lord Wellington was willing to admit and
perceiving the sanguinary views of the Portuguese, he at onee
appealed to the British minister, sought his co-operation in
suspending the traitor's fate, and deprecated a system of
retaliation to which the execution of Mascarenhas would give
rise, and In which the lives of many eminent, honourable, and
valiant raen raight possibly be forfeited, nor would the retalia
tion be confined to Portuguese officers. This remonstrance was
necessary, humane, and characteristic : had he not caUed on
the British governraent to support his authority, the unfortu
nate raessenger' would have been assassinated ; and, in all in
stances of pardonable crimes. In his own arrtiy, Lord WeUing-

480 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF iT
ton was opposed to capital punishment : besides, he did not
consider an exaraple of this description necessary in Portugal,
as no disposition existed in any class to favour the^French
invasion. His lordship, therefore, recommended that Masca
renhas, after trial, should be sent to the Brazils, to be disposed of.
as the prince regent should think proper. This sentence, so
consonant to his practice of avoiding the infliction of the ex">
treme penalty of offended laws, his lordship felt himself called
upon to revise, and for this change assigned the following rea
son to the Earl of Liverpool, on the twelfth of Novemberi " I
think it not very iraportant what they do with Mascarenhas,
as there Is one fact in his case that would justify the putting
hira to death, whatever raight be the decision on the point re?i'
ferred to in my despatch of the tenth instant ; and that is, that
being a lieutenant of cavalry in the French service, and aide-de
camp to Junot, he was taken in the disguise ofa Spanish pea
sant ; and, upon his first examination by the officer who took
hitn, declared that he was a Spanish peasant. He Is, thereforey
lidble to be hanged as a spy. I had not seen his exaraination
when I wrote to you on Saturday, and was not certain of tliis
fact." «93'^ io .o» isdj ijiii-bB'^ -auu,')
Inactivity leads to habitual idleness, and idleness to profli
gacy and disruption of the ties of honour and of duty. The
British soldiers, whose early habits were moral If not religious,
whose instinctive propensity is attachraent to their country,
and submission to its laws, even they became infected with the
disease of desertion, and occasioned the raost painful feelings
at 'the loss of national character, to the great raan whose bright
star they had so longed foUowed : at the period when this
deplorable calaraity befell our array, there was no sickness
araongst thera, the nuraber in hospital was below four thou
sand ; no arrears of pay occurred, no stern laws had been
enacted or enforced ; on the contrary, every Indulgence that
could be granted, consistently with their duties, was perrait
ted both to soldiers and officers, bythe coramander-in-chief;
yet desertion disgraced the army. On the twelfth of Novem
ber Lord Wellington thus deplores the circumstance in a

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 481
letter to the secretary at war." Your lordship will be con
cerned to observ© the continued, and I ara concerned to add,
increasing desertion of British soldiers to the eneray, a crirae,
which till within the last few years was alraost unknown In our
army. It is difficult to account for the prevalence of this crirae,
particularly in this array lately. The British soldiers see the
deserters from the eneray coraing into their lines daily, all with
a story of the unparalleled distresses which their array are
suffering, and of tbe loss of all hope of success in the result of;
their enterprise : at the sarae tirae that they know and feel
thati they are suffering neither hardship nor distress ; that there
is not an article of food or clothing which can cpntribute to their
health or comfort that is not provided for them; that they are.
well lodged and taken care of in every respect, and not, fatigued) i
by work or duty; and having every prospect of success." The
deserters from the British ranks were principally Irishraen, ^n
whora a love of change and a thoughtlessness of dispositlpn pyjj..
ginated the coraraission of crime. The description , of ; rapn
drafted ifrora the Irish railitia was bad, they had beeninfej^Jt^^ii
with disorderly principles in the disturbances of thpii! own
country ; and they had coraraunicated their love of licentious
ness, and irapatience of restraint, to their fellow-soldiers in jtl^^
retreat through the north of Spain In the wlnte^ of 18C|8-9, ^p,
their subsequent service Inthe French array, audin their wan-,
derings through tbe country back again Into Pprt^^Jtl. y)?)E5
reraedy for this disease, the check to this deplprable crime, was
nearer than the general iraagined, and the unfort,una<te: cause, qf
this disgraceful effect Inactivity, was soon about tp be , ex
changed for the ardent pursuit of glory. To the honour of the
British array It sbould be observed, that this was one ofthe very
few instances In which the crirae of desertion disgraced it ; and
as it was the worst, so was it also the last case. , ,,,
That the desertion frora the British army Is to be attrlbute.d
to individual licentiousness and disregard of honour, to a reck
lessness and restlessness of character, to wantonness and moral
depravity, and similar causes, rather than to thp severity pr
Incaution of the coraraander-in-chief, will appear frora, the fpl-

482 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
lowing account of the mode in which the blockfided.array spent
their tirae, wiitten by one who was a participator in what
he describes, and who is too noble to be duped by art to
a purpose. " Neither the time of our soldiers nor that of
their chief was, however, wasted in idleness ; the former were
busily employed in the construction of new works, wbenpy©F
their erection appeared at all desirable, and in giving -,?^\^
tional solidity to those already thrown up : till the Lines be
came as perfect a speciraen of a fortified position, as it was
possible for nature and art to produce. The latter was Inde-
fa,tigable in his exertions to bring his army into a conditioni of
general efficiency, and his exertions were too judiciously ajj-
pjjed not, to be crowned with success. The Portuguese being
now, thoroughly amalgamated with the British troops, learned
from .them all those lessons, which, in after carapaigns, they
turned to an excellent account : and Beresford, tp whora the:
entii'P raerit of their training is due, was, in consequence, rer
lieved frora ,aU. further responsibility in field-operations. Every
day brought in its iraproveraent araongst thera ; and the gene
ra,! was soon r.ev((arded for all his trouble by the conviction that
h^ raight, rely upon thera alraost as perfectly as upon his own
cp,untrymen. , Nor was Lord Wellington inattentive to the
comforts,, ia,nd, even luxuries, of bis followers^ Provisions were
aljUftdW.'^ 5 1 there was no want of wine ; and sports and arause
raent?' went on, as if we had not been at the, seat of war, but
in, , England. Officers of all ranks, and in every department,
frora the coramander-in-chief down to the regimental subaltern,
ocgasionally enjpyed the field-sports of hunting, shooting, and
fishing. ,,The raen, too, had their pastimes, when not eraployr
ed on duty ; in a word, seldom has an army occupying ground
in ithe face of its enemy, enjoyed so many hours of relaxation,
or continued to unite so completely the pleasures of country^
life, with the serious business of war. It Is probably needless
to add, that so great ashow of security in their leader had the;
best possible effect upon the temper of the troops ; or that
the morale of the army was sustained, not raore by a contem
plation of things as they really were, than by a conviction that

THE DtFKE OF WELLINGTON. 483
they must be going on prosperously, otherwise so much relaxa
tion could not abound."*
While these scenes of recreation were perforraing along the
steep broWs, and amid tbe wooded deUs, of Torres Vedras,
Monte Jtinto, and Bucellas, distress pervaded the thousands of
refugees, whom the stern coraraands of the generalissimo had
cbrtipelled to take shelter within the hnes ; for, the rapidity with
which they were forced to abandon their homes, prevented
thera frora carrjing or transporting supplies, so that the desti
tution in the crowded precincts of Lisbon was raost lariiehtable.
It is not to be concluded, however, that the infirm, oi*' the
iffl^overished. Were abandoned by those whom duty, huraanity,
or religion should actuate in such cases ; on the contrary,'' a^
far as huraan relief eould be adrainistered their sUfferlii'^S''
were alleviated. Government threw open the port of Lisbon
to' vessels from Barbary, England, and America;' so that'M'
supply of provisions, and on terms reduced by competition,
was provided; equal to the wants both of the army artd the
increased population. Besides the influx of comthoditiesi and'
stores frora foreign countries, the fertile provinces of Alemtejd
and Algarve reraained unraolested by the hungr'y hoi-des ' of
the eneray, — that district, which the Inabitants themselves
call the granary of Portugal, was yet unconqufered^ and' within
their own control. While the military and civil goveYti^
ments adopted these prudent precautions for the ffiairtte-'
nance of the people, the nobUity and rich citizens contributed"
liberally, bountifully, both by pecuniary raeans and personal
attention, to raitigate the amount of suffering ' and^ distress.
Subscriptions poured into a public treasury, to be employed'
in hutting sorae of the fugitives in the open countiy Outside
the city, in transporting numbers across the Tagus into the
district not yet despoiled by the eneray, and in reraoving
others to their horaes at Coirabra, from which the French had
been driven by the intrepidity of Trant There was another,
a still raore sublime source from which bounty flowed, and
reUef emanated^religion ; and it is assuredly a blessed attri-
• Narrative' ofthe Peninsular War, hy the Marquis of Londonderry.

484 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
hute of their national faith, that It enjoins the giving of
alms, although accorapanied with the detractive character of
being a compensation for sin. The raerabers of different
raonastic orders were foreraost in the work of raercy ; charita
ble Institutions were opened for the distribution of food and
clothing, and adrainistering of raedical aid; and magazines
were stored with corn purchased frora the ships in the Tagus,
and l^id up as with the prospect of a protracted blockade.
This unreraitting attention to the necessities of the fugitives,
soon calraed the agitation attendant upon the irruption of so
raany thousand destitute beings within the liraits of the Lines,
and a feeling of security not only returned, but brought with it
such a degree of confidence, that at no period were the public
theatres raore crowded, or their private and public asserablies
raore gay and brilliant, than when the liberties of Portugal
were threatened by an array of seventy thousand raen, rendered
desperate by privations, and who lay panting for plunder alraost
under the walls of their metropolis. " It was strange to see
such fearless and inconsistent gaiety among people who raight,
in the course of a few short hours, be placed at the raercy of
a conqueror: but we are all the creatures of custom, and
short experience will reconcile us to anything. Hence it Is
that the inhabitants of PorticI sleep tranquilly under the
burning Vesuvius, and raariners sing jovially while rocked
uppn the restless waves, in which the starting of a single
plank might Ingulf thera for ever !"
The security which the allies as well as the inhabitants of
Lisbon seeraed to feel, the unrestricted pleasure In which they
appeared to Indulge at such a crisis, excited the highest and
raost marked indignation in the despondents in England,
whose supporters, attached to the public journals, proclairaed
their disapprobation in terras not to be raisunderstood, but not
either to be respected : they confessed their confident belief "that
Lisbon, not Massena, was in danger of famine ; he," they assert
ed, "could drive in uponour lines the population of the surround
ing country, to increase our difficulties ; and to relieve his
own, could send his foraging parties Into an Immense tract of

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 485
country, asyet urttoiiched. England, raeantime, must send out
not merely regiment after regiraent, but cargo after cargo of
grain throughout' the winter ; and what If the bar of the Tagus
should be locked up by adverse winds ? Massena, we might be
sure ; with the talents and prudence universally ascribed to hira,
did not act without a confident prospect of success. It had been
said in the gazette, that he possessed only the ground on which
his array stood; this was an erratum, ¦v/h&re for " Massena,"
We ought to read "Wellington." Our situation in Portugal
would becorae Infinitely more disagreeable than his, even if he
did not bring in his whole force to bear on one, two, or three
points, and by' bis superior numbers thus concentrated, break the
lines In which Lord WeUington's array was so much drawn
but.' ' He would have the most productive part of the kingdoni
'dfien to hiirt : we ' should have only Lisbon and its vicinity,
with the whole Portuguese array to raaintain, as well as tl^e
British ; nay, with the Whole population of Lisbon, increased by
the fugitives who had taken asylum there, deprived of their
usual resources, and thrown upon us even for daily brpad !
'What 'a delieate and irksome part then would our troops ha-ve
td support, if they were to pass the winter upon those moun
tains^ 'possessing no part of Portugal but that in which thpy
were posted, incessantly harassed by the French in their
frbnt, with a Portuguese army double their own nuraber 'withm
their lines, and a starving metropolis In their rpar? Tjie
French had obviously the advantage : they could remain in
their positions as long or as short a time as they pleased ; they
could retire, and return at their discretion. They might wait
for the reinforcements which their master would draw to their
aid frotn every quarter of subjected Europe ; they were likely to
accumulate, while the British raust in the nature of things
decrease. Massena was in truth master ofthe garae he had to
play. The naost disastrous thing that could happen to us,
next to positive defeat would be the necessity of keeping oiir
position on those heights for the winter; " and we trust" said
these hopeful directors bf pubUc opinion, " we trust that we
shall not have to Incur that calaraity ! Lord Wellington may
Tl. 3 R

486 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
re-embark his troops without much raolestation, and, rather
than he should be driven to the necessity of continuing in these
positions for the winter, we confess that we wish he were re-
embarked." This extract is preferred, in this place, to very
raany others of similar character, because, having been quoted
by Dr. Southey, in his History of the Peninsular War, a double
assurance of its authenticity is thus supplied. — The newpopular
assembly, which assuraed the reins of govemraent in Spain, In
Imitation of the Uberal portion of British institutions, publicly
permitted freedora of the press, and so closely did their par
tisans pursue the analogy, that, mutato nomine, they repeated
precisely the same fallacies and falsehoods as appUcable to
Roraana, which the free press of Britain had uttered of \^'el-
ington. It was this unprincipled eraployraent of their privilege
which eUcItpd frora WelUngton that well- tempered, and con
siderate reraonstrance, in which he universally expressed his
own private, personal opinion of this great national question,
and which he addressed to his brother Henry on the eleventh
of November, 1810, frora head-quarters at Pero Negro.
'' The Marquess de la Roraana," said Lord WeUington, " is
a good deal distressed by the paragraphs in the Cadiz news
papers respecting his raarch to this quarter ; and I acknowledge
that neither the pubUc raind In Spain, nor those whose con
duct is likely to becorae the subject of these discussions, are
prepared for thera. The freedom of the press is, undoubtedly,
a benefit, and it is difficult to fix the limits heymid which it
shall not go. But If the benefit consists in the inforraation
which the press conveys to the nation and tbe world in general,
it appears to be necessary that that inforraation should be
founded In fact, and that discussions upon the conduct of railitary
operations, and the characters of officers who carry them on,
should be founded on real knowledge of events, of the true
state of affairs, of the character of the troops, and, above all, of
the topography of the country which raay be the seat of opera
tions. I think rauch raischief is done In England, not only to
me personally, but to the character of the array, and of the
country, by foolish observations upon what passes here, in all

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 487
the newspapers. But in England we are accustoraed to these
caluranies, and to read this nonsense, which, it is to be hoped,
makes no real irapression, particularly as the sarae newspaper
generally contradicts the first statement, or argues against the
first reasoning. In the course of a short time after it has been
Inserted. But In Spain, a country unaccustoraed to these
discussions, in which all, even the best raen, are objects of
suspicion, and every raeasure is considered the result of a
treasonable conspiracy, it Is highly dangerous to expose raen,
In the situation of the Marquess de la Roraana, to this descrip
tion of calumny, and unfair stateraent and sophistical reasoning
upon his conduct. And It is particularly hard upon the in
dividual, because, in the present situation of affairs In the
Peninsula, neither he, nor his friends, nor the government,
who in this instance have approved of his conduct, can venture
to defend him, because, if they do on real grounds, they must
convey information to the eneray.*
" There is another very forcible objection, in ray opinion, to
subjecting officers in the situation of Roraana to this descrip
tion of discussion, and that Is, the effect which it may be
expected it will have on the officers and soldiers of the armies
under their coraraand. The Spanish arraies, which are neither
fed, nor paid, nor clothed, cannot be kept together by the bonds
of discipUne, as I keep ray troops ; but the authority of the
general, and the operations of the armies, depend almost
entirely upon the opinion which they entertain of hira, and the
confidence they repose In him. Both raust be shaken by this
description of discussion ; and I should not be at all surprised
if Roraana were to inform me, on some tine day, that the
opinion of his array was against his reraaining here, and that
he raust go ; as Carrera Informed rae during the siege of
Ciudad Rodrigo, that notwithstanding his opinion agreed
entirely with raine, and he wished to reraain with rae during
the carapaign, the opinion of his troops would be so rauch
• This was precisely Lord Wellington's own situation while he was secretly
fortifying the heights of Torres Vedras, declining hattie, and protracting the
campaign. Iu fact, the entire of this letter is equally applicable to his own case..

488 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
against us, if we did not attempt to relieve the place, that he
should be obUged to separate frora rae, if it should fall ; and
he actually raarched on the evening of the day that the place
surrendered. This fact shows what it is to coraraand troops
held together solely by opinion, and how dangerous those dis
cussions must be in a country which has only an array of this
description. " Roraana's junction with rae In this position was founded
upon two circurastances. First, the Impossibility of bis re
maining in Estreraadura, if I should be obliged to erabark ; and
the expediency of his embarking his troops at the same tirae,
in order to save thera for the Spanish nation. Secondly,
upon the expediency of increasing, to the utraost extent that
was practicable, the disposable force which I should collect In
these positions. In respect to the operations proposed for
Roraana, in these discussions, on the enemy's rear, we have so
much force In their rear at present, that they have no corarau
nication with Spain, excepting by large corps ; and they have
npt attempted such a coraraunication. The addition of the
Marquess de la Roraana's corps to the other troops thus em
ployed, would not have increased their difficulties for subsist
ence, or have enabled us to press closer on their rear, because
even if Roraana could have ventured to place hiraself on the
right of the Tagus, behind the enemy, he could not have ven
tured to place hiraself on the right of the Zezere. The eneray
raust still have had possession of the country along the right
bank of the Tagus to that river, and they extend no farther
now. But if Roraana had placed himself upon the right of
the upper Tagus by Abrantes, and we had been obliged to
erabark, what was to become of his corps ? It raust have been
left behind to the mercy of the enemy, or must have raade the
best of its way through the raountains, to the Mondego, and
thence to the nprth of Portugal. In the raean tirae the want
of its services and assistance in these positions, by its absence
for other objects. In a situation in which it could be of no use,
raight be the cause of the loss of the whole, and of the raisfor
tune of our being obliged to withdraw.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 489
" I have written you this rauch, in order that you raay have
topics, wherewith to reraind your friends In the cortes, that they
should not always go full gallop ; they should pull the bit sorae
tiraes, or they will destroy the whole fabric which It is their
object to raise, and will lose the confidence of all the wise and
thinking men of Europe."
However disgusted WeUington raight have been with the
cortes at Cadiz, however indignant he raight have felt towards
the public press in England, or rather that part of it which was
either corrupt or ignorant his raeasures or raovements did not
in consequence, sustain a moment's suspension, or the minutest
change. With his raind as intently fixed as his keen glance,
upon the least syraptora of aniraation in the great body of his
eneray, that had so long lain extended before hira, he awaited
cautiously the first fair opportunity of pouncing upon his victim ;
nor was Massenainsensible to the hazard of his situation, although
it was long before he recovered sufficiently from the effects of
surprise, to be able to act with vigour, or refiect with patience
and caution. While desertion and sickness were rapidly
thinning the ranks of the French, the Lines were acquiring
increased strength. The rear of the French was harassed, the
guerilla bands were hovering around, and the country behind
thera was laid waste : the allies bad obtained an accession of
strength by the arrival of Romana and of troops from Cadiz, and
the ports were thrown open to commercial enterprise, by which
means their supplies became inexhaustible. A council of war
was assembled by the Prince of Essling, at which Ney, Regnifer,
Junot and Montbrun were present, where it was decided, that
appUcation should be made to Napoleon for reinforceraents and
advice, and that the army should occupy a central position in
Portugal, until the arrival of one or both. General Foy was
chosen for this dangerous embassy, but his courage and energy
were fuUy equal to the task. In the struggle between WeUington
and Massena to reduce each other by famine, the former had
eminently succeeded ; the French were necessitated to live by
plunder, and at length every place was so completely rifled,
that the utraost ingenuity was required to procure any supplies.

490 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
It was the practice of the eneray to plunder systematically,
and tools for spoliation formed as constant a quantity in their
raiUtary stores, as arras or clothing. Furnished with such
irapleraents, plundering parties raarched in different directions,
under the guidance of their officers. Every article of furni
ture, in which It was possible that effects of value could be
concealed, was broken Into pieces ; every piece of fresh
raasonry was pulled down ; and, wherever the earth presented
any appearance of having been recently turned, an exaraina
tion was raade there to sorae depth. Taught by their cora
raander-in-chief those principles and that practice which he
subsequently conderaned and punished, a nuraber of deserters
frora the French ranks forraed theraselves into a regular corps,
appointed their own officers, and commenced the occupation
of banditti : all those who had previously fled frora the array,
readUy rallied round the standard of spoliation, and sraall
parties, sent out to forage, frequently abandoned the more for
the Ifess orderly systera of plunder. Sixteen hundred men
were leagued together In this infamous cause, creating little
less uneasiness to the general whora they had abandoned, than
to the inhabitants of the villages — who in sorae instances gave
thera an unexpected repulse. Two strong detachments were at
length sent against thera by Massena, who caused their leader
to be shot, and received the reraainder Into the ranks again.
Araongst the first cares of Massena, when he sat down be
fore the Lines of Torres Vedras, was that of collecting all the
boats, thathad been left upon the Tagus by the culpable negli
gence of the regency, with a view of crossing the Zezere and the
Tagus. Large supplies of provisions, collected by Montbrun's
cavalry along the right bank of the Tagus, were stored carefully
at Santarem, Barquina, and other depots: rafts were con
structed, and the few boats they possessed were placed on wheels,
for convenience of transport to such situations as tentation raight
require, until a practicable passage was ascertained. These
operations had attracted the watchful eye of the British gene
ral, and Major-General Fane had been passed over with a
brigade of Portuguese cavalry, several guns, and a howitzer, to

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 491
the left bank of the Tagus, to destroy any boats, or other pre
parations, which the eneray raight be proceeding with near San
tarera or elsewhere. Fane partially succeeded ; he destroyed
the eneray's incipient flotiUa, but his howitzer having been
disabled, and, by sorae accident his congreve. rockets being
overlooked, he abandoned further effort and went into canton
raents opposite to Santarera, a situation adralrably calculated
for rendering assistance to the garrison of Abrantes. With
iraraense labour the French constructed a bridge over the
Zezere, above Punhete, but the flood of that impetuous torrent
alraost Immediately after carried it away, an event which seemed
only to increase their efforts, and evidence their intentions very
fully, for they not only restored the lost structure, but even built
a second, higher up the stream, at Martinahal. Thus far pre
pared, Massena began to withdraw his army with the extreraest
caution, and by stealth, from before the meraorable Lines of
Torres Vedras — a raoveraent more difficult and more hazardous
than his approach to thera, being overlooked frora the Monte
Agraea. His preparatory operations consisted in sending the
corps of Marshal Ney to Thoraar silently, gradually, and in
the raost perfect order ; Montbrun was ordered to march upon
Leyria, Loison to Golegao ; while head-quarters were to be
transferred to Torres Novas.
Having decided upon withdrawing from before the Lines,
and having raade dispositions for that purpose, which prove
indisputably bis railitary knowledge and ability, on the night
of the fourteenth of Noveraber, 1810, the French army took
the first step In their downward career, a step which they never
after retraced or recovered; and from these heights the eagle of
France taking flight, never soared again in spiral path, or
with threatening aspect over the head of the British lion. On
the fourteenth of Noveraber, aided by the darkness of night
and by a thick raist that clothed the suraraits and sides of the
raountain. General Clausel withdrew frora his position at Sobral;
and the eighth corps passed through the defile of Aleraquer
on the foUowihg raorning, under cover of a strong rear-guard,
ahd a body of cavalry posted in front of the heights of Aruda,

492 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
and raoved on Torres Novas, while the second broke up
siraultaneouly from Alhandra, faUing back upon Santarera.
When the clouds that hung over the raoving columns of his
eneray had rolled away, and daylight, divested of raorning's
thin veU, was displayed in all its truth and brilliancy, Welling
ton perceived that Massena too kept secret councils, and, as
he had been brought into peril most unsuspectingly, by his
adversary, so did he prove hiraself equal to the achieveraent of
extricating his array, with perhaps less ability, but equal secrecy
and caution. The slopes of Monte Junto, Torres Vedras,
and Alhandra, so lately occupied by seventy thousand eneraies,
were evacuated so silently, that the first inforraation which
reached the allied Lines was derived frora their own re
connoissance, at early dawn on the fifteenth. Sooner or
later Wellington expected this raovement, and he had fre
quently expressed his surprise that the enemy had held their
position so long, yet such was his astonishraent at the rapidity of
their flight, and such his transports at the complete success of
his great design for the salvation of Portugal, that he now
appeared in activity to exceed himself, and never were more
stirring compositions written than the orders which he issued to
his general officers when he saw that the French had fled.
At, ten o'clock on the morning of the fifteenth, he began to
deliver orders, and continued to pour forth a perfect torrent of
commands, all well digested and obviously preconcerted, to
counteract the movements and operations of the enemy. Frora
the heights in front of Sobral he wrote first to Craufurd, acquaint
ing him with the retirement of Massena, and, that Sir Brent
Spencer's division was already feeling its way towards Alem
quer, and desiring bira. In case the enemy " had retired, their
left as well as their right," to cross the river, and feel bis way
towards Alemquer also, but by the Aruda road. He requested
that his note raight be forwarded to HiU, as he wished hira
to feel his way by the road of Villa Franca, and Castanheira,
to Carrageda. These advanced guards were like so many
antennce, put out to learn soraething certain of the enemy's
intentions, for a report had reached the Lines on the four-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 493
teenth, that a reinforceraent of fifteen thousand raen was on
its way to join the array of Massena, having reached the
frontier of Upper Beira on the ninth, which rendered the
utmost caution necessary in every movement of the allies.
This brief note gave irapulse to the different corps ; the next,
also to Craufurd, coraraences thus, "I enclose aletter in tri
plicate, which I wrote to you this moming, and I hope sorae
body at Aruda will have opened It, and acted upon it In your
absence. You see the enemy at Villa Nova, I conclude — In the
raorning I wish you to feel your way thither, and thence to
Santarera. I shall be up here very early In the raorning. A
courier flew to Adrairal Berkeley at the same Instant, request
ing " that he would have boats sent up the river iraraediately,
as far as Alhandra, and there await his further instructions."
In this Way "the work went bravely on," nor could any lan
guage convey a raore active picture of the night before a
battle, or give a raore aniraated description of the dreadful note'
of preparation, than the following spirited letter addressed to
Major-General Parte, alraost at the sarae instant : few graphic
atterapts to convey the idea of rapidity of thought and action,
have ever been raore successful : — " The enemy retreated last
night, their outposts were this evening at Villa Nova. They
have all gone to Santarem. Our advanced guard is this night
at Alemquer, they will to-morrow be well on towards Santa
rem. Hill wIU be at ViUa Nova, Spencer at Aleraquer. The'
eneray intend either to retire across the Zezere into Spain,
or the Tagus into Spain, or the Zezere to attack Abrantes.
The last Is possible, as I last night heard they had a reinforce
ment at Beira Alta. I have requested the admiral to have
boats brought up the Tagus, and I propose to pass over
General Hill's corps to Salvaterra, or at least to be in readi
ness for that raoveraent as soon as possible. This wUl enable
rae to prevent the success of an attack upon Abrantes, at all
events, and possibly the raoveraent of retreat across the
Tagus ; and If they retreat across the Zezere, I shaU be able to
annoy them by passing the river at or above Abrantes. You
must, in the first Instance, rocket Santarem, it you believe that
II. 3 s

494 lLfe and campaigns of
the boats and raaterials are still there ; in the next, you raust
encourage Lobo, at Abrantes, to hold out, whatever raay be the
attack raade upon him. If the French could pass the Tagus
between you and hira, desire him to get his boats over to the
right of the Tagus, and let Don Carlos de Espana pass over
to Abrantes, and tell hira that In this case Abrantes cannot
be attacked. You wUl, In that case, take care of yourself, by
withdrawing down the river. If you find that they are uSirtg
their raaterials in constructing a bridge over the Zezere, raove
your cavalry opposite to Abrantes ; make a great show there ;
throw a bridge over the Tagus, with the exception of three
or four boats on the other side, and have every thing in readi
ness for a complete bridge for you and Hill to cross, either to
pursue the eneray through Beria Alta, or to oppose hira in
his attack upon Abrantes. In this case (of their using their
raaterials to make a bridge over the Zezere) I think It pro
bable that you will have your cacadores, and rockets, and
artillery still opposite to Santarem ; but if you should have
reason to believe that the whole have been taken frora Santa
rem, or that the design to cross the Zezere is manifest, move
your whole force opposite to Abrantes, and encourage Lobo
and the garrison by all means in your power."
The Intentions of the eneray not being sufficiently developed,
the utmost caution was not only prudent, but observed by the
allies. It was suspected that the enemy had fallen back to a
position suitable for the junction of expected reinforcements,
and adapted for the reception of an attack from the allies : it
was conjectured that his design was a ruse, to draw the allies
after his retreating colurans, and then suddenly to wheel round,
and, with all his strength, strike one great blow upon the posi
tion of Torres Vedras. This It has been said was highly
Iraprobable ; but judgraent may be arrested on that point by the
recollection, that no general had ever experienced a more vexa
tious disappointraent than Massena, by the construction of the
railitary works at Torres Vedras — that he too was ready to
exclaim, like the mortified British queen, that the name of that
place, before which his high hopes were prostrated, would be

THE DUKE of WELLINGTON. 495
found engraven on his heart : his confidence had been increased
Iraraeasurably by the smiles of fortune, and the impetuosity of
a French array, rendered the speculation by no raeans irapro
bable ; and, lastly, an attack on Abrantes raight have been his
object. For every practicable or possible design, the British
coraraander was prepared ; he sent forward bold yet cautious
officers, to track the eneray, and feel the way ; while the main
body of the aUIes retained its irapregnable position within the
Lines : Sir Thomas WiUiams, and Captain Beresford were
already resting on their oars on the Tagus, waiting the signal
for passing across the troops to defend the Alemtejos ; and every
raoveraent inthe greatrailitary scene thatwas then enacting, was
within the ken, and under the immediate guidance, of the cora
raander-in-chief. Pursuing their retreat, htiwever. In two
colurans, the one taking the line of Rio Mayor, the other of
Santarera, the eneray soon convinced Lord Wellington, by pass
ing beyond Alcoentre, that they had no intention of setting a,ll
upon the hazard of the die, by raaking a last desperate assault
upon Torres Vedras. As they had still the control of two bridges
over the Zezere, they raight direct their march towards thera,
and cross that river, or turn to their left towards the Mondego.
This uncertainty rendered it advisable to harass the enemy's
rear, before the arrival of their expected reinforcements, and the
light division and the cavalry being sent forward, succeeded in
taking four hundred prisoners:-* from these, however, no infor
mation could be obtained, they were sick and weak men, who
had Uterally been abandoned to their fate, whose nuraber had
been Increased by the addition of a raarauding party, that was
acting Independently of railitary control, and committing robbe
ries in the district through which the enemy had just passed.
Reports had so far Imposed upon Fane, that he at first assured
* On this occasion "a remarkable exploit was performed by one Baxter,
a sergeant of the sixteenth dragoons ; this man having only five troopers, came
suddenly upon a picket of fifty men, who were cooking. The Frenchmen
ran to their arms, and killed one of the dragoons ; but the rest broke in amongst
them so strongly, that Baxter, with the assistance of some countrymen, made
forty-two captives." — Napier's History,

496 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the coramander-in-chief, that Massena was in full flight to the
Spanish border, having left only a rear-guard at Santarem to
cover his retreat. Upon this intelligence. Hill was directed
to cross the Tagus, and raove upon Abrantes, to give counte
nance to the defence of that place, in case the enemy should
attack it : or. If they should retire frora Portugal through Lower
Beira, that he raight annoy thera on their retreat The pursuit
of the enemy was rather slack ; the rains that had fallen, after
the fifteenth, destroyed the roads, and filled the rivulets, so
that had expedition been a vital object to the pursuing array, they
would raost probably have been frustrated . But however fortune
raay have sported with the fate of the aUies, the precaution of
their commander was never baffled by her unkindness ; he
pursued slowly, over broken roads, and in tempestuous weather,
an enemy of whose strength and position he was ignorant :
deceived by false intelligence as to their numbers and objects
at Santarera, and elated, possibly, by the triuraphant suc
cess of his great raeasure for the relief of Portugal, Welling
ton yet paused before the new position the rear-guard, as he
was assured, had taken up, and, contrary to Fane's advice, from
his own Intuitive perception, and with a wariness never to be
surprised, declined attacking the eneray. One who raarched
in the columns of the allies on this day describes that bum
ing desire, which pervades a pursuing army, and so much aug
ments the difficulty of restraining them, when an opportunity
of assault occurs. " The day was wet and stormy, and the
roads deep and heavy : but our Une of march was aU gaiety
and animation. To follow up a retreating army is at all times
arausing ; but when you do so for the first time, your curiosity
and pleasure are almost puerile." This feeling it became the
duty of the commander-in-chief to check, from weU-founded
suspicions of the truth of bis inforraation, and on the nineteenth
he wrote frora Cartaxo to General HiU, desiring that he would
proceed no further than Chamusca, until he found that the
eneray were actually passing the Zezere, after which, he thus
explains his own inaction. " I did not attack Santarem this
raorning, as the artillery for the left had missed its way ; and

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 497
I ara rather glad that I did not raake the attack, as the enemy
have there a very strong post, which we raust endeavour to turn ;
or, if they have not retired across the Zezere, or towards the
Alva, they rnust be too strong for us here. I believe, however,
I shall attack thera to-raorrow." The cause of Fane's raistake
was attributable to an error of Massena's, who had suffered
the eighth corps to be reraoved to a distance of ten miles at
least frora Santarera, so that the second corps raight have been
cut off by his adversary. Regnier perceiving the fault which
the coraraander-in-chief had coraraitted, hastened to apply a
reraedy, and, forwarding his baggage and hospitals with the
utraost rapidity to Golegao, and despatching a squadron to
watch the bridges by which he apprehended the allies would
approach, succeeded In correcting the oversight, and deceiving
Fane into the belief that the whole French army were In full
retreat to the frontier.
Santarem Is one of those strong positions which are every
where to be found in a rugged, water-worn region, conferring
little advantage on the occupying array, inasrauch as the adver
sary can readily find one of equal strength, and only valuable
as an asylura from which ultimately the army may, by stealth
and In darkness, effect its escape. Massena too late, however,
had been instructed by his eneray in this species of raanoeu
vering, and adopted a remedy which was inapplicable to the
case : retreat, precipitate retreat, held out the only prospect of
relief to his famishing army, while delay was tantamount to a
lingering but certain death. Besides, as delay was the game of
Wellington, it was therefore Infatuation of Massena to imitate
or adopt it.
Borrowing the idea of a strengthened position from the
raeraorable exaraple of Torres Vedras, the French marshal
resolved on taking up the strong ground of Santarera,* and
"•Santarem is a large town fourteen leagues from Lisbon, situated upon an
eminence that overlooks a wide plain, rauch exposed, as well as the lower part
of the town, in winter, to the inundations of the Tagus. A considerable
part of the ancient walls of its citadel, with the additions of Alphonso VI,,
still remains in good preservation. In the time of the Romans it was named

498 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
awaiting the result of the fortune of war, for certainly no
definite object was then conteraplated, with the exception of the
approach of reinforceraents, and he had not at that tirae received
any coraraunication on the subject frora Paris. Like Busaco's
stern front the raural cliffs of Santarera rise perpendicularly
from the banks of the Tagus ; these form a sort of advanced
works to a range of hills that succeeds and commands the Ponte
Seca, a bridge and nairow causeway, half a mile in length,
crossing the Rio Mayor, and the raarsh that extends from
that stream to the foot of the rugged hill, and being the only
approach to Santarem frora the Lisbon road. The plain at
the foot of Santarem raountains extending to the Tagus, was a
species of raoss. Intersected by deep drains, and Impassable by
any description of troops ; this constituted the defence of the
eneray's left ; the Rio Mayor, with Its two branches now swollen
into one great expanse of water, protected his right'; and those
who were bold enough to assault this position were necessarily
confined to the causeway and Ponte Seca. At this point, which
was so easily defended by railitary raeans, abattis were con
structed, and a battery established on a rising ground that swept
the road from end to end. The incleraency of the season, by
swelUng the rivers, had increased the natural strength and
security of this position, — a position, tbe railitary value of which
Lord Wellington had long before perceived and pointed out to
his officers ; on the 2 1 st of Noveraber, in a letter frora Cartaxo,
addressed to Mr. Charles Stuart, he says, " the eneray have
a position stronger than Busaco or Sobral," — and so far back
as the tenth of August 1808, he thus spoke of the sarae posi
tion In a coraraunication with Sir Harry Burrard. " The pos
sibility that in the present state of affairs, the French corps at
this moment In Portugal may be reinforced, affords an additional
Scalabis, and liso Presidium J«KMm;-.ind at later periods hecame the scene of
frequent combats between the Christians and the Moors, and subsequently the
residence of several of the Portuguese sovereigns. It contains a chapter of the
canons ofthe order of Avis. Its commercial communications with Lisbon are
very important, and form the chief source of its wealth. The village of Rio
Mayor, which is included within its jurisdiction, possesses salt-works, while
Azinheira supplies the surrounding country with gun-flijits. — Kiiiscy's Poitugal.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 499
reason for taking the position at Santarera, which I apprised
you in my letter of the eighth I should occupy, if the command
of the army were to remain in my hands, after the reinforce
raents should arrive : if you should occupy It, you will not only
be in the best situation to support ray operations, and to cut
off the retreat of the enemy ; but if any reinforceraent of
French troops should enter Portugal, you will be in the best
situation to collect your whole force to oppose it."
WhUe the judgraent of Massena is compliraented, by the
acknowledgraent that he perfectly coraprehended the impor
tance and valued the strength of this position, it is obviously
not at the expense of Wellington's mUitary reputation : and,
although the position was well chosen, it is a matter of doubt
whether he should have halted, or held it beyond the time re
quired for resting and restoring his faraishing legions. " As a
military body," observed Lord Wellington, "' retreat was the
raeasure raost expedient for thera to adopt. By a retreat into
Spain, they would — first, have been 'able to provide their army
with plenty of food during the winter ; — secondly, they would
have been able to put them into good and quiet cantonments ; —
thirdly, they would have been able to provide their numerous
sick with surgeons and medicines, the whole of which they
had lost ; — fourthlj', they would have been able to clothe and
re-equip their troops with shoes, and other necessaries, which
they required — fifthly, they must have been perfectly aware
that even should they be of insufficient strength to hope to
make any impression upon the position of the allies in Por
tugal, they would experience no difficulty in regaining the
position of Santarem from the frontier — sixthly, they raust have
been aware that as long as they remained in the country, its
cultivation would be impeded, and that by remaining they cut
up the roots, the resources which were to enable thera to
attack the alhes upon a future occasion." These reflections,
added to Fane's coraraunication, confirraed the belief that a
rear-guard, the second corps, reraained at Sahtarera, and in
duced Lord WeUington to send HUl across the Tagus on the
eighteenth, having taken up his own head-quarters at Cartaxo

500 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
on the preceding day. In this state of hesitation, having the
most entire reliance on the honour and bravery of his officers,
yet frora the prescient attribute of bis raind, distrusting In sorae
instances their penetration, Wellington paused before Santa
rera, and, like the Roman Csesar, filled up a moment of inac
tion by adding a new roll to his railitary raeraoirs. This ira
portant passage in his autobiography Is as free frora egotism
as the coraraentaries of his great predecessor, and not in
ferior In perspicuity and clearness of manner. "Having
advanced from the positions," said his lordship, " In which I
was enabled to bring the eneray to a stand, and to oblige thera
to retire without venturing upon any attack, it is but justice
to Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher, and the officers of the royal
engineers, to draw your lordship's attention to the ability and
diligence with which they have executed the works by which
these positions have been strengthened, to such a degree as
to render any attack upon that line occupied by the alhed
array very doubtful, if not entirely hopeless. The eneray's
army may be reinforced, and they raay again induce rae to
think It expedient. In the existing state of affairs in the Pen
insula, to resume these positions ; but I do not believe they
have it in their power to bring such a force against us as to
render the contest a matter of doubt We are indebted for
these advantages to Lieutenant-Colonel Fletcher and the
officers of the royal engineers, amongst whom I must parti
cularly mention Captain Chapman, who has given rae great
assistance upon various occasions."
On the twenty-second of Noveraber, the raoveraents of the
British towards the right of the position of Santarem, occasion
ing some jealousy on that flank, the enemy brought up a
large body of troops, from the direction of Torres Novas, and
the rear, which drove in the pickets of Major-General Anson's
and Brigadier-General Pack's brigades at the bridge of Cal-
hariz, where they halted, after which the eneray retired in the
night. This affair confirraed the suspicions of the coraraander-
in-chief, that the nurabers posted in Santarem were consider
able, and that troops were returning to that position from the

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 501
rear. In fact Massena's whole force was between Santarera and
the Zezere. It was now the determination of the British hero
not to depart frora his raatured systera of tactics ; all his suspi
cions had proved correct ; his own judgraent alone raust hence
forth, as hitherto, support his fortunes. Slow faraine and pale
disease had proved irresistible eneraies to the French, who
would now, with raore willingness, have encountered the point
of the British bayonet; but the calra-judging warrior, on whose
genius and fortune the fate of Europe hung, was iraraov
able frora his purpose. " I do not," he observed, " propose
to make any raoveraent by which I shall incur the risk of
involving the array in a general action, on ground less advan
tageous than that which I had fixed upon to bring the contest
to that issue. The eneray can be relieved from the difficulties
of their situation only by the occurrence of some misforfcuine
to the allied array : and I should forward their views by placing
the fate of the carapaign on the result of a general action, on
ground chosen by thera. Instead of on that selected by me ;
I therefore propose to continue the operations ofthe hght troops
on the flanks and rear of the eneray's array, and, to- confine
them as rauch as possible, but to engage in no serious affair
in this part of the country, on ground on which the result can
be at all doubtful." ,, ¦
Influenced therefore by so raany considerations, — the state of
the weather, the roads, and rivulets ; the concentration of the
eneray in the strongest position in Portugal, the risk attend
ing any atterapt, of having sorae of his detachments Insulated
and cut off; the inferiority In the description of the allied troops
to those of the eneray ; the spirit and raeaning ofthe instructions
received frora the secretary at war, with other arguments, Lord
Wellington did not conceive that he would be justified in any
attempt on the French position ; and, therefore, entrenching his
advanced troops In front of Santarera, between the town of Rio
Mayor and the Tagus, fixing head- quarters at Cartaxo, and the
main body in cantonments at Alcoentre, Alemquer, and ViUa
Franca, keeping open a free and unirapeded coraraunication
with all the roads leading to the Lines, between the Monte Junto
II. 3t

502 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
and the Tagus, Torres Vedras continuing to be occupied in
strength sufficient to repulse any assault that raight be raade
frora the north front of the Monte Junto, retreat, secure retreat,
and an Irapregnable asylura, lay always open to the allies.
The works at Alhandra, Aruda, and Monte Agraea were still
further strengthened : frora the heights of Alraada on the south
side of the river, where Lisbon is coraraanded, as far as Taffrai,
works were thrown up parallel to the shores of the Tagus ;
the towns of Abrantes, Setuval, and Palraella were provisioned,
and the discipline and organization of the native troops alraost
hourly iraproved. During these anxious moraents and raove
raents, the British hero knew that the eyes of all Europe were
directed towards him : and however his dignified raanner raight
haye tended to conceal raental anxiety, his portion of personal
suffering raust have been such as raagnaniraity alone cou}d
sustain. It is known that he slept In his clothes, rose at four
in the morning, and one hour after appeared on horseback in
the field, raaking a visit to the various posts. His exaraple
iiifiiSed a martial Spirit Into those that were not within the con-
trpl.pf martial law; and not only the great fortified camp, but
the city of Lisbon Itself began to assurae a railitary character.
The British marines garrisoned Lisbon, the Portuguese garrison
having joined the allied array : Roraana had arrived within the
Lines, and Cadiz had sent its contribution of raen : sailors and
raarines had been landed from the fieet, to work the guns on the
batteries: the banks of the Tagus were flanked by arraed
launches, supported by seven British sloops of war, while
redpubts on the south side of the river covered the shipping. The
Peninsula near Aldea Gallega and St. Ubes was fortified by
the double lines already noticed, where three thousand British
seamen were placed at the guns. HUl's corps, which had been
passed across the Tagus In boats at Valada, on the eighteenth
of November, under the superintendence of Adrairal Sir T.
WiUiaras and Captain Beresford, reraained on the left side of
the river, to obstruct any designs of the enemy upon Aleratejo,
and proceeding to Alraeyrlra, a sraall town two railes frora the
Tagus, and directly opposite to Santarera, there took up their

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 503
position,* while retreat to his old ground at Alhandra was
always practicable, fioating bridges being In constant readiness
on the Tagus and its tributaries. Between the two great
divisions of the allies the Tagus rolled Its ruffled course,
bearing on its agitated surface a British fieet : this proud
arraaraent, under Adrairal Berkeley's command, with all the
ardour of British sailors, was ready to co-operate In every or
In arty way by which the cause pf their country could be
proraoted ; always prepared for action, but equally disposed to
transport the brave troops from side to side of the rapid flood,
as occasion raight require or necessity demand, so that, although
the army was divided by the intervening river, the power of
concentration was always retained.
Notwithstanding this grand spectacle of a fortified country,
the whole area between the sea and the Tagus being a continued
* A mile from Almeyrim, embosomed among tress, but commanding a fine view
of the towns and buildings of Upper Santarem, stood a beautiful quinta, in his
happier and innocent days the residence of the Marquis d' Alorna, a nobleman
of Portugal, once a general in her armies,but one who, deceived or corrupted by
the French, had fled his country, openly espoused their cause, and had now return
ed as the guide andcounsellorof their legions. This miserable man vvas for three
months resident (with Massena's army) in Santarem ; a town in which he had
often, no doubt, been greeted with affection and respect by a smiling and a toppy
population, but where his eye now encountered, on every side, the glance of sus
picion, contempt, or indignation from foreigners, who, notwithstanding their own
bold and lawless aggressions, may sometimes reverence the patriot who opposes
them, but will ever distrust and despise the very traitor who serves them., Thp
quinta d'Alorna was at this time occupied by servants who held it for^ th^
crown, and the peasantry represented the marquis as a kind landlord, a tender
husband and father. What must such a man have felt, when from the windo\V
of his cheerless billet, he looked do\vn upon his family mansion, and knew that
he was banished from it for ever ? I can hardly imagine to myself a situation
more painful ; he must have regai'ded the quinta as a fearful monument of days
of peace gone by for ever ; as the tomb of his honour and happiness, the grave
of all his hopes. " Of all criminals, I look upon the traitor as one whose
punishment in this life is most certain ; for it is a punishment which the smiles
of fortune or of power can neither avert nor soften ; it is a restless poison of
the mind, an ever-aching void in the desolate and lonely heart; kindred,
friendship, love, all cast from their blessed bosoms the wretch who has be
trayed his country." — Recollections ofthe Peninsula. To this just censure ofthe
crime of treason, every honest bosom yields assent; but Alorna's apostasy admits
of palliation, vide vol ii. page 400.

504 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
camp, Torres Vedras retained its pre-erainence as the entrance
to the sanctuary, within which the retreating array or fugitive
people might find an asylum under the raost adverse fortune.
Torres Vedras, the Turres Veteres of the Roraans, who
fixed a seat of governraent here. Is of insignificant extent, en
corapassing the surarait of a steep hill, crowned by the frag
raents of an ancient castle. The interior does not correspond
with the idea forraed frora a distant view, yet it is still the
chief place of a district. The low country in its vicinity is
cultivated, and abounds with orchards and vineyards ; sand-hills
and pine-woods appear on one side, grey limestone cliffs with
hanging trees upon the other. Thermal springs gush up at
the foot of the raountains ; and, If industry prevailed here,
bituminous coal might be raised in abundance.*
The position of Santarera is said to have been skilfully
chosen, — but could it have been overlooked by an experienced
general ? It has been shown that Wellington was as familiar
with its military advantages as with those of Torres Vedras ;
and In later years here Don Miguel, the usurper, lay for some
tirae encaraped ; and so far was Massena frora having deceived,
surprised, or disappointed the British general by entrenching
himself in this inaccessible spot, that his stratagem had been
foreseen by that able officer, who thus alludes to It in a letter of
the fifteenth of Noveraber, addressed to General Fane : ' There
is still a chance that the eneray raay take up, and try to keep,
a position at Santarera, endeavouring to keep his rear open,
and his coraraunication with Ciudad Rodigo across the Zezere.
However, this ought not to alter your raeasures." Three dis
tinct lines of defence were to be broken In, before the French
could be assaulted In their citadel, which was Itself capable of
* At Torres Vedras there is a fortress of considerable extent on a hill over
hanging the town, which marks it as having been a place of no little irnport-
taiice during the time of the Moors ; but some vestiges of Roman workman
ship, which appear among its ruins, establish its claim to higher antiquity.
The eminence on which this fortress is constructed, round a mound, is a
singular feature in the landscape ; unconnected, isolated, it presents the appear
ance of an artificial mount raised above the plain for the purpose of defence.
Bradford's Narrative and Kinsey's Portugal.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 505
offering resistance ; and Massena's front at least was secure
frora attack ; the second corps was spread over the fiat country
in the vicinity of Golegao : Loisson's division observing the
Tagus, and maintaining a coraraunication with Punhete, where
theyhad a strong post ; the eight corps was disposed with its
right at Alcanhete, its centre at Femes, and its left thrown
back on Torres Novas, the head-quarters of the eneray ;
beyond Alcanhete the cavalry extended itself towards Leiria ;
the reserve, sixth corps, being stationed at Thomar. Massena
spread his army, but securely, over a surface large enough to
furnish hira with supplies, and in the country eastward of
Santarera, vegetables, cattle, reaped com, and maize upon the
stalk, were obtained ; the inhabitants, encouraged by Souza and
the Patriarch, declining to comply with the proclaraation of
Lord Wellington. These trifling supplies ministered to the
wants of the enemy for awhile, and enabled their commander
to continue and complete his plans of securing a coraraunica
tion with Coirabra, of keeping open a retreat on Spain by
means of his bridges over the Zezere, of commencing offensive
operations on his right, by turning the position of the Monte
Junto, or of atterapting the passage of the Tagus on the left
To these specious pretexts for continuing at Santarera, raay
be added the still raore visionary view which French historians
add, naraely, that while Massena held this position, Lisbon
raust be considered as in a state of siege, which every day's pro
traction rendered raore and raore calamitous. But foreign
writers do more justice to the raeraory of Massena, by attri
buting his obstinate tenure of Santarem not to his strategic
acquirements, but rather to his political speculation and judg
ment He was aware that the opposition party in England were
watching any false step of WeUington, as a plea for pouncing
on places of political power ; this necessarily rendered that care
ful general stlU raore cautious, and less wiUing to hazard the
chances of a battle. Massena raight, perhaps ought, to have
attacked the alhes, his loss would have been quickly repaired ;
If WeUington suffered a repulse, the Lines might have been
entered, Lisbon besieged, the opposition party thereby brought

506 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
into office, whose first act would have been the withdrawal
ofthe array frora the Peninsula. The state of the king's
health gave new hopes to the oppositlouj and augraented the
difficulties of WeUington's position: the prince regent had,
frora his earliest years, associated with sorae of the raost leamed
and accompUshed raen of his age, who all happened to be of
what was called the liberal party ; it was a natural and reason
able presuraption, that, on his accession to power, he would not
have forsaken the friends of his youth, especially as they were in
the possession of erainent talents. Massena, who was furnished
with accurate information of affairs in England by the opposition
journals, and of the raoveraents of the allied array by spies and
traitors, circulated a report that George III. was dead; the late
Prince of Wales seated on the British throne ; the advocates
of freedom In England become rainisters of state — whence he
argued, that he, whora the veteran soldiers of France, led on by
the raost fortunate generals of that military nation, were unable
to subdue, would at length be overborne. In an unnatural combat
with his own countrymen, and that his recall might be looked
for every hour. To this prospect of discomfiture, arising frora
England, Massena added the expectation that the Patriarch
would so materially obstruct the raeasures recoraraended for
the defence of Lisbon, that the British general would either
becorae disgusted, or rendered unpopular with the Portuguese
nation. It was on these, and sirailar political grounds, that
Massena rested his chief hopes of being ultimately able to enter
Lisbon, and repay, with plunder, the services and the sufferings
of his soldiers. He had stUl another hope to cling to, should
poUtical speculation prove abortive, — that was, the arrival
of reinforceraents, In tirae sufficient to undertake offensive
operations with sorae prospect of success. Gardanne, who
had entered Portugal on the fourteenth of Noveraber,
acted a culpable part : at first he raoved on the frontier, then
returned to Sobreira Forraosa, and again resuraing his route,
entered Spain. He was accorapanied by five thousand men,
and a convoy frora Ciudad Rodrigo, and crossing the frontier,
reached Cardegos, only three leagues frora the French armv.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 507
Harassed by the Ordenanzas in his advance, who retook from
hira sorae prisoners, and followed by Lieutenant-Colonel the
Hon. F. Ponsonby, on a reconnoissance frora Abrantes to the
river Codes, who ascertained that the eneray had raade very
particular Inquiries respecting the position of Hill's corps, and
the raeans which the allies possessed of crossing the Tagus at
Abrantes ; and, having been falsely Inforraed by their prisoners,
that General Hill was preparing to raove against thera, they
coramenced their march from Cardegos towards the Codes in
the morning ; thence retired about eleven with great precipita^
tion, and continued their retreat In the same raanner tUl they
reached the frontier. They were followed by the Ordenanzasi
who not only did thera rauch raischief, but took a great part of
their baggage; and so rauch were they harassed by this
Irregular corps, that they destroyed all the horses and rauleS'
that could not keep up with thera: in short, their raarch, if it
had been ordered by superior authority, and was connected
with any other arrangeraents, presented every appearance, and
was attended with all the consequences, of a forced retreat.
The raain body of the eneray continued at Santarera, with
out raaking any new deraonstration, up to the fifteenth of
Deceraber, with the exception of sending a detachraent of four
regiraents towards Coirabra, where they were baffled by the
activity of Trant, who had left Bacellar In possession of that
place. — Still expectations were entertained, hopes fpndly
cherished, of aid frora the ninth corps under Drouet; reports
were rife that Massena designed to raove on Oporto, that
large reinforceraents were advancing ; and the building of
boats at Santarera, to increase the fieet at Punhete and
Barquinha, implied prospective activity on both banks of the
Tagus. The duty of Drouet was inadequately performed,
his connexion with Massena lost, a division of his corps,
harassed by the guerillas, and advancing In connexion with
Gardannes, was defeated with loss by Silveira, who immediately
after formed a junction with Miller.* Gardannes pursued his
• When the disposition was formed for the defence of Portugal, the troops of
the line, and the British troops, were brought to the most vulnerable points

508 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
route, however, until he encountered Colonel Ponsonby and
a party of the Ordenanza. On the fifteenth, the reinforce
raent under Drouet crossed the Coa at Almeida, and rapyed into
Upper Beira by the roads of Pinhel, Trancoso, Alverca, and
Celerico. This was soraething of a fprward raovement, but
the whole force, which included Gardanne's division, and the
whole of the ninth corps, did not exceed fifteen thousand raen ;
advancing at a tardy pace, they reached Maceira, in the vaUey
of the Mondego, on the twenty-second,^ and two days after
arrived at Leiria, frora whence their raarch to join pn the right
flank of the array reraained unobstructed, Wilson feeling the ne
cessity of avoiding an encounter vvith the ninth corps. General
Silveira had retired with his division of troops to Molraenta de
Beira, but Miller, Wilson, and hiraself were always in readiness
tp act across thp Mondego upon the flanks and rear of the
eneray. To cover his advance, and keep open a line of retreat,
Drouet had left Claparede at Guarda ; this opportunity terapted
Silveira, a brave but vain soldier, to aspire to new laurels by
cutting off the rear-guard of the eneray. His atterapt, which
corapletely failed at Trancoso, did not deter hira from a
second rash assault, which ended more fatally, as well as by his
being driven across the Douro. These failures, by which the road
to Oporto was left unguarded, alarraed Bacellar, and he now
called in his troops, kept thera raore concentrated, allowing
Wilson to follow, and hang on Claparede's rear. This was
the raost briUiant era in the railitary history of these brave
fellows, whose active and serviceable co-operation received
a check frora Providence, by the sudden death of Miller at
between the Douro and the Tagus, and to the south of the Tagus. The
northern provinces were entrusted to the northern militia, about fifteen thou
sand in number, which were the best in Portugal ; and they were distributed into
three divisions, one under General Silveira, another under General Miller, and
a third under Colonel Trant, each division being aided by a body of regular
cavalry and artillery, and the whole under the command of General Bacellar.
When the enemy's attack upon Portugal was decided between the Douro and
the Tagus, these corps all crossed the Douro, and continued in various com
munications, but the defence of the northem provinces was the principal
ob.iect. — WelUngton Despatches, note to Mem. of Operations in 1810.

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 509
Viseu, which no defeat or repulse frora the enemy could have
exceeded in poignancy of feeling.
In Estreraadura, Mendizabel and BaUasteros obtained some
slight advantage over a division of Mortier's corps which was
stationed at Llerena, and obliged It to retire with loss upon
Guadalcanal. Reports reached Lord WeUington, at the same
time, that Mortier had received instructions from Paris to
effect a junction with Massena. No matter what truth the
report conveyed, it afforded an excellent opportunity for urging
the reluctant ministry at home to send out timely aid. "I
have heard," observed Lord Wellington to the Earl of Liver
pool, "that General Foy has passed through Madrid on his way
to Andalusia with orders for Soult If this be true, it Is pro
bable that Mortier's corps, or even more troops, are directed
to co-operate with Massena. I do not mind even that reinforce
raent : but, as I believe you have sorae regiments of infantry
in readiness to reinforce us, I think you will do well to send
them out."
The ignorance in which Massena and Soult were kept, reci
procally, as to each other's Instructions, designs, or operations,
was extraordinary," and the eraperor is supposed to have been
unacquainted with Massena's difficulties until^ the arrival of
Foy in Paris.* This Inconvenience was the natural conse
quence of the rapacity, and systera of piUage, by which the
arraies of Portugal and Andalusia were raaintained : as they
acted the part of robbers, every raan became their natural foe ;
and any messenger attempting to pass between their arraies,
lost his despatches, his liberty, and, too often, his life also. On
• General Foy has published a history ofthe Peninsular War, which attracted
much attention amongst his countrymen, and, on his arrival in Paris from the
scene of operations, inserted various accounts in the Moniteur relative to the
conduct of his fellow-soldiers and the dispositions of the British army. " In
these statements," observes Lord Londonderry, " I can by no means concur ; for
example, he assured the French public, that whilst multitudes daily came over
frora our camp, the crime of desertion was hardly known in the French army :
whereas the returns in my possession distinctly prove that we took in no
fewer than seven hundred and thirty-three deserters in the course of three
months." II. 3 U

510 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
the twenty-first of December, Lord WelUngton thus writes ^li
this remarkable fact to the secretary at war. "It iscertainly
astonishing that the enemy have been able to reraain in this
country so long, and it is an extraordinary instance of what a
French array can do. It is positively a feet, that they brought
no provisions with them, and they have not received even a
letter since they entered Portugal. With all our moneys and
having in our favour the good inclinations of the country, I
assure you that I could not raaintain one division in the dis
trict In which they have raaintained not less than sixty- thou
sand men, and twenty thousand animals, for raore than two
raonths. This time last year, I was obliged to raove the British
cavalry only, frora the district they now occupy with their whole
army, because it eould not be subsisted, but they take every
thing, and leave the unfortunate inhabitants to starve?'
¦ The French had now retired frora Torres VedraSj^and par
tially demonstrated the efficacy of Wellington's systera of war
fare ; Lisbon was unapproachable from any side by an enemy,
but open towards the sea, for the admission of reinforcements
and supplies. The Spaniards began to doubt the invincibility of
the French, and expose their own lives, even too daringly, against
their regolar raasses. But the long continuance of the war, its
tedious character^ the infrequent opportunities of winning new
laurels,- tried the temper, and almost the health, of the British
officers, and several of the most meritorious applied for leave
of absence. Foreraost on the list was one, the loss of whose
services was rauch felt and regretted. General Hill had been
placed in a separate comraand on the left bank of the Tagus,
and Lord Wellington had uniforraly relied upon his good
temper and adrairable judgraent; length of service, severity of
weather, and an insalubrious situation induced fever and ague,
against which he vainly struggled athis quarters in Charausca.
Being conveyed to Lisbon, he landed at the square, so weak
that he was unable to walk without assistance, and, supported
by two officers, tottered to a charaber of sickness. Several other
general officers laboured under indisposition, and also pleaded for
relaxation, but their claims and their cases shall be considered

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. ' 511
together, at the period when their number and frequency
seemed to call for public inquiry. The infirmity of General
Hill began to assume an alarming character, Major-General
the Hon. C. Stewart was directed to undertake the coraraand.
This brave soldier, distrusting In sorae degree the practica- '
bility and success of sorae of the raeasures entrusted to his
activity, at HiU's departure communicated his feelings to Lord
WeUington, who Immediately appointed Sir W. Beresford to
assurae the coraraand of the troops on the left bank of the
Tagus, until General HiU's health should be sufficiently re
established to enable- hira to resurae that duty;" but that
event was reserved by Providence for a period rauch more dis
tant than t'ne great chieftain had supposed, for General Hill
was obUged to seek for the blessings of Invigorated health in
the more variable climate of his native country. , ,
During the months of November and December in the year
1810, .the rancour of party in England appeared to^ have
attained/its climax: no assertions were too darii^, orin Jacfetoo
false, for those who aimed: at the possession of political power,
and no demonstrations proved sufficiently convincing, if urged
by those whose crime was the enjoyment of office; As Great
Britain was involved in war, our foreign policy constituted the
raost prorainent political feature, was the everlasting! object at
which all arguraents were levelled; and, as the success of our
arras could alone redeera the raeasures of rainisters. Lord Wel
lington becarae the principal, the sole object of vituperationvtby
those journals which then supported the opinions of the opposi
tion. The wise j udgment of Lord Wellington, upon that abuse
of the Uberty of the press which put the eneray in possession of the
weakness of our army, has been already remarked, but his calm
forbearance, under such repeated personal assaults, by the raost
powerful journal of that day in England^ deserves to be pointed
out for_iraItatIon. When It was the bounden duty of every loyal,
every generous Briton, to have encouraged their gallant country
raan, whoraj had he fallen then, they would have Iramortalized by
their griefs, the opposition affected to disbelieve the contents of
his despatches, of which time has since established the truth and

512 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
value ; and where even specious reasoning could not be advanced,
they directed the shafts of ridicule! " The narratives of Count
Ugolino," observed the organ of tbe party, "are trifles to the
gift of starving possessed by Massena and his followers. He
displayed this talent for starving in no coramon degree at
Genoa, but he has fuUy deraonstrated his powers of abstinence
in Portugal." Again, on the twenty-sixth of Noveraber, the fol
lowing invidious paragraph appeared in the sarae joumal, "1 he
private advices we have received bring Intelligence two days
later than the public despatches, and frora these we Infer that
the French are not so destitute of provisions as has been re
presented, and that they are throwing up works in their rear,
apparently for the raore convenient occupation of the ground
they possess, during the winter." This inteUigence, if ever
received, must necessarily have been derived from the eneray,
for, the fact of the distress which the French endured was
known to every soldier in the allied array : the deserters from
the ^enemy's ranks conveyed the knowledge.
Had the editor of the celebrated liberal journal, that pleaded
the cause of liberty so lo,udly, been bought with the gold of the
eneray, like the traitorous orator at Athens, he could not have
espoused the cause of Massena and of France raore warmly
than the following extracts frora his political essays testify. " As
to Lord I Wellington's despatches, we feel bound to point out
tb® palpable absurdities which It would be serviceable to his
fa>rae to refute. We shall raost unfeignedly rejoice. If he shall
triumph over the redoubted Masse7ia ; but with such a general
opposed to him, we cannot take glaring absurdities for proofs of
advantage ; nor agree, even at the call of rainisters, " to halloo
until we are out of the wood." Another extract goes to con
tradict, in the raost direct manner, an assertion of WeUington,
which tirae alone could have established or refuted, "The
public now begin to perceive the resources of Massena. Lie
is no longer confined to the ground his army occupies ; he has
the fertile and untouched province of Beira open to hira, and
may now keep his position for the winter." A moment con
science-stricken, this willing worker of so much raischief, ac-

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 513
knowledges a qualm, and thus defends himself against a writer
of less genius, but raore integrity. " The ' Sun' charges us
with exultation in the disastrous aspect of our affairs In Por
tugal. The imputation is unmerited, for none can feel more
sensibly than we do the predicament Into which so many gal
lant raen are brought by the unwise prosecution of a scherae
inconsistent with our means and our character as a maritirae
nation. We have, frora the coramencement, deplored the ex
pedition, aud feel no pleasure In the verification of our prophe
cies — all that we now pray for is, that our eyes raay at length
be opened to the true policy which we ought to pursue — that
of retrieving our finances, and eraploying our resources in ob
jects truly British;" The preceding paragraph had just been
given to the public, under the especial patronage of a British
duke, when Intelligence arrived of the retreat of Massena, and
advance of WelUngton, indisputable evidence of the veracity of'
Lord Wellington's unvarnished despatches, upon which the
following was the ingenious, but not ingenuous commentary of
the despondents. " He (Massena) has put himself in an
entrenched position and has drawn the enemy PUt of theirs 5
hehas separated, and consequently weakened, Lord Welling
ton's army, and the whole may be a feint, to bring the allies to
a battle."* .m, ,.,;;
As the year 1810 waned, the virulence ofthe antl-WelUnglioni
party seemed rather to acquire additional venom ; the successes
of the hero lashed them to madness, and in a frenzied fit on the
very last day of the year, the following announceraent appeared
in the columns of England's Buonapartist joumal. "Lord
Burghersh has arrlTed with despatches, and we have reason to
• Amongst other evidences of bad taste exhibited by the organ of the ppposi
tion, that of pointing to provincial distinctions and superiority, was not the
least remarkahle. ' Speaking of the officers who distinguished theraselves in
this iKa«spici<-MCamp^gn, the leading joumal of the despondents observed,
" tt must be a singular gratification to the natives of Ireland, that among the
officers that have distinguished themselves in Portugal, they reckon among their
countryraen, Lord Wellington, Marshal Beresford, Sir B. Spencer, General
Cole, General Stewart, Lord Aylmer, General Pack, General Cox, Colonels
Pakenham, Roach, Doyle, M'Creigh, &c."

514- LI FE AND € AM PA K3 NS OF
believe that Lord Wellington is now convinced of. the utter
impracticability of the objects of the exjiedition." This. decla
ration was the suggestion of the despondents' evil genius, who
was at length disgusted with the wickedness of her disciples, for
just one raonth before, the sarae British .^schlnes had con
fessed, and published that confession,; " ^Aa^ those accounts
of Lord Wellington were written in the implicit belief of
ultimate, success." Other journals, iraitating the great original,
followed in the sarae path of private calurany and public mis
chief, but their reasonings and reputations have sunk in the
stream of history, while the extracts here presented, frora the rank
of the parties to whora the authorship belongs, may, a^ vfjU,!
doubtless float still nearer to that vast ocean where all that's
worthless shall ultiraately perish. With one raore reraarkajjlp
excerptum from the splenetic attacks of party upon tbp^ great
est hero that Great Britain has ever produced, the domestic
notices of the year 1810 must be concluded ; It is a paragraph
so, personal, so pointed,, and sueh a recapitulation of their
special pleading to detract from the individual, that it Is Inse
parably associated with the. biography of our hero. ,
'f Whether Lord Wellington shall reraain in bis present
quarters at Cartaxo, or return to his former position at Torres
Vedras, is of .little consequence. He will reraain inactive at
th^rone place or the other, until it shall be convenient for, the
eneray to, renew the carapaign ; unless, indeed, It raay be
dreamtj that we may even yet look to sorae fortunate chance
that, raay turn the tide of affairs in our favour. That there
are men who stUl flatter theraselves with sorae happy incident
that raay trample down the conqueror and tyrant of Europe —
sorae resurreetion of spirit In France Itself, or the hurabled
countries around it — we have no doubt, for their whole conduct
seeras marked by the insanity which trusts to improbable and
miraculous interference. We seem, as a nation, to, have shut
our eyes to the just contemplation of the course we are pur
suing, and to strive only to preserve the deluslpn in which we
delight; It Is afflicting to read in the journals devoted to
ininistry, the pains that are taken to inveigh against all

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 515
endeavours to enlighten the public on this subject. The love
of railitary expeditions, and of creating a railitary power, has
absorbed in sorae rainds all other passions, and every thing
has been sacrificed to its- expression and fatal gratification.
We fear that no warning and no calaraity are sufficient to arrest
our career; though every calra observer is convinced thatwe
are driving headlong to national ruin."
'^Of the conduct of political parties in the Peninsula, It wiU
hfe necessary to speak raore at length at a subsequent period.
When the effects of their raeasures shall have begun to operate
iipon the railitary policy of Lord WeUington ; here it will be
sufficient to observe, that while the political writers in England
Wefe detracting from WeUington's character as a raan of genius,
pplicy, and wisdom, the supporters of the cortes were endea-
vouringto diminish the actual strength of his army, by abstract
ing the corps of Romana, and bringing that body of men to
Cadiz. The absurd porap with which this vapouring senate
was called together, their extravagant and' unsupported- pre
tensions,- had early excited the contempt of Lord'Wellingtoni,
and, too bold to dread their anger, too noble to mystliy* his
sentiments, he openly expressed his total want of' confidence
in that body, artd deprecated, at that period, their impelitlc
interference in his military measures. The cortes had' 'in
sidiously attempted to exercise a sovereign authority ovet
Romana, to control bis moveraents, and bring his corps into
Cadiz as their life-guard. Lord WeUington opposedf this
unwise step in a decided and successful raanner: his lordship
considered that the measure of calling Romana to Cadiz, was
founded upPn domestic, political expediency, rather than upon
military necessity ; and, as he was aware that the soldiers of
that corps, although possessed of strong personal attachment
to their brave general, could not be depended upon in a con
test between him and the people of Cadiz, or a popular
asserably, he looked upon the experiment as highly dangerous.
It was pretended that the object of calling Romana's corps to
Cadiz, was to silence " les braileurs" by their presence : but to

516 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS OF
this Lord WeUington replied, " If it is supposed that the cortes
are doing raischief, (of which I acknowledgeihat I have long had
no doubt, and am convinced that they have done' no good;) the
best mode of providing a remedy for that mischief, is to keep
such men as the Marquess de la Roraana, and the Catalonian
O'Donnell, and their arraies, clear of the influence of that body,
and of the intrigues which must always prevail, raore or le^,
at the place In which they are asserabled. At all events, I ara
of opinion that the Marquess de la Roraana, and his troops,
can do no good in Cadiz, and that they raay be entirely
destroyed there, if they atterapt to Interfere with the cortes :
and that in the mean tirae the absence of the marquess frora
this part of the Peninsula will be a fatal blow to the cause
of the allies."
When Wellington declared that the withdrawal of Roraana
from that part of the Peninsula raust prove fatal to the allies,
how diraly did he see into events beyond the grave ! Roraana
was soon to be called away frora the theatre of this world,
leaving to history another great, ennobled, honourable narae,
which his countryraen will do well to iraitate, when an
enemy shall carry desolation into her fertile fields. In the
month of January, 1811, this brave soldier, while in quarters at
Cartaxo, was suddenly seized with spasras in the chest, and,
after a few days of painful suffering, expired on the twenty-
third of that month. That Lord Wellington was sincere In his
expressions,' as to the loss the cause would have sustained by
the reraoval of Roraana to Cadiz, Is confirmed by his regret at
the death of so gallant abrother soldier. "His loss," said bis lord
ship, " is Irreparable under existing circumstances. I know
not how he cart be replaced, and we may expect that it will be
followed by the fall of Badajoz." When Mendizabel was
appointed to the vacant command. Lord WelUngton seized on
the opportunity thus afforded of relieving his mind from its
weightof anguish, by making that gallant officera participator in
his feelings. " You will. Sir," writes the hero, " have been raade
acquainted with the Irreparable loss sustained by the Spanish

THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON. 517
army, by your country, and the world, by the unexpected
death of the Marquess de la Romana,* after a short illness.
I have lost a colleague, a friend, and an adviser, with whom
1 have Uved on the happiest terras of friendship, intimacy, and
confidence ; and / shall revere and regret his memory to the
last rnotnent of my existence." The affectionate regard which
Lord WeUington entertained for the noble patriot, who had
fallen so unexpectedly into an early grave, was the result of a
long acquaintance with his raany virtues ; and he was always
so fully irapressed with the exceUence of Roraana's character,
that he had repeatedly eulogized him in his pubhc despatches,
and as frequently mentioned hira with the warrath of friendship,
in his private communications. The power that inflicted this
loss upon the defender of the liberties of Europe was almighty,
irresistible, omniscient, and the great raan bowed before
it with resignation: but against the raultitude of obstacles
which the Intrigues, jealousies, ingratitude of those who had been
* Don Pedro ,Qaro,y Sureda, Marquess ,de la Romana, was a native pf tl^e
island of Majorca, and bom at Palmain, in 1762;' he was a grandee of Spain
by descent, and by services, grand croSs of the royal Spanish ordei- of Chartes
the third, and captain-general of the Spanish armies. Afteri an education
suitable fo his birth, during which he made a rapid progress inj langnages, .agd
became intimately acquainted with classics ; emulous 'of hisfather's glory, whp
fell in the expedition against the Algerines, in 1775, he commenced a military
life in the marine guards ofthe royal Spanish navy, in which he serve3 dntil tlie
war that foUowed the French revolution, having obtained the command ofa
frigate. At this titne, however, he exchanged into the landTservice, and. was
appointed a colonel in the army of Navarre, then commanded by his uncle.
Lieutenant-general Don Ventura Caro. His eminent abilities soon recbtn-
mended him to his couritry, and in 1801 he was made captain-general of
Catalonia, and president of the Audiencia of that province, in which situation
he found raany opportunities of displaying his extensive learning and sound
political views. The farae he acquired in this office, led to his elevation tq
that of director-general of engineers, arid counsellor at war. When Napoleon
had matured his plan for the usurpation of the Spanish throne, he seduced
Romana from his country, and sent him to the north of Europe ; ostensibly in
an honourable military service, but his real object was the removal of that a)3le
and honest soldier from the vicinity of his unjust aggression upon his country^
From this period the biography of Romana is inseparable frdm that of the great
man who honoured hira with his friendship while living, and who cherisfhed
his memory with the fondest regard. Vide p. 127 and 184. vol. i.
II. 3x

518 LIFE AND CAMPAIGNS, &c;
created free, and whose actions, therefore, were within their
own control, he offered a resistance that has conferred im
mortality upon bis character, for wisdora, temper, and firraness.
Had he fled from the legions of Massena, dishonour would have
marked his narae ; had he failed in moral courage to oppose
the intrigues of the cortes, or patiently to endure the taunts
of the despondents, his lot would, if possible, have been more
deplorable; and, hadhe felt too keenly the privations to which
Providence had subjected hira, by the preraature fall of his
gallant associate, he would have violated the spirit of that pure
faith which constituted his best Inheritance. Equal to the
occasion, he displayed a daring front to the foe ; he heard heed
lessly, the idle criticisra of disappointed statesraen, and raain
tained his equanlraity and firraness, until he extorted their
reluctant approbation frora one party, while the other becarae a
fatal Illustration of the greatness of his railitary views. Having
driven Soult from Oporto, with circurastances as honourable to
hiraself as Inglorious to his adversary ; having converted the
wild hordes of Portuguese peasantry into well-trained bands;
having inflicted severe and raeraorable disgrace upon the arras
of France, in the hard-fought field of Talavera, and shed fresh
lustre over the narae of Britain, by a splendid display of
genius and bravery in the defence of Busaco; having es
tablished for ever the raUitary reputation of his country, by the
scientific lines of Torres Vedras ; and, lastly, having triuraphed
over the raost forraidable opponent in the civilized world —
opinion, public opinion — by firraly persevering in a deliberate
system of destroyirtg his eneray, he had the gratification of
beholding " the favourite child of victory" hastening back
ingloriously to the Spanish frontier, as the last winter's sun
of the year 1810 shed its fading rays upon the Peninsula.

END OF VOL. II.

LOI^DON I FISHEK, & CO. PlUNTliKS.

YALE UNIVERSITY LIBHARY

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