NOTICE.
In addition to the manuscript authorities used for the former volumes, several memoirs, journals, and notes of officers employed in the different operations have been consulted for this volume. Amongst others, the Journal of general Harvey of the Portuguese service, and some original papers supplied by sir Howard Douglas.
In a recent controversy, I have expressed my belief that the French army at Albuera, instead of being more, was less numerous, than I had represented it in my account, of that battle. The following letter, since procured, decides the question:—
Extrait d’une lettre écrite de Seville le 4 Mai, 1811, par M. le mal duc de Dalmatie, général-en-chef de l’armée du midi, à S. A. S. le prince de Wagram et de Neufchatel, major-général.
Le général Latour Maubourg a été obligé de se replier sur Constantina et Alamis, Cordove est menacée par un corps Anglais, Portugais, et Espagnol, beaucoup de troupes se concentrent en Estramadure; Badajoz est investie. Le général Blake a réuni sur l’Odiel une armée de quinze à seize mille hommes, et paroit se préparer à marcher sur Seville. Le restant du quatrième corps est en opérations contre les troupes qui out débauché de Murcie. Si j’enumere bien, je suis en cet instant attaqué sur divers points par plus de soixante mille hommes indépendamment de troupes qui sont restées à Cadiz et à l’isle de Léon, et de celles qu’il y a à Tarrifa, à Algesiras, et à Gibraltar, que je dois contenir, le danger est pressant, je dois faire face de tous côtés assurer de nouveaux triomphes aux armées de S. M. l’empereur, et éviter les facheux événemens, que l’on prépare contre l’armée du midi. J’espère réussir, mais le succès sera complet si les secours que j’attends arrivent apropos; voici mes dispositions. Je pars dans quatre jours avec vingt mille hommes, trois mille chevaux, et trente pièces de canon, pour rejetter au delà de la Guadiana les corps ennemis qui se sont répandus en Estremadure, dégager Badajos et faciliter l’arrivée du général comte d’Erlon. Si les troupes que ce général amène peuvent se réunir avec celles que je conduirai et si les troupes qui sont parties des armées du nord et du centre, dont j’ai en partie disposé, arrivent à tems, j’aurai en Estremadure trente-cinq mille hommes, cinq mille chevaux, et quarante pièces de canon de campagne; alors je livre bataille aux ennemis quand bien même toute l’armée Angloise qui est sur le continent y seroit réunie, et ils seront vaincus.
Si une partie des renforts que j’attends manquent je ferai avec ce que j’aurai, tout ce que pourrai vers le but proposé.
Le général-en-chef de l’armée impériale du midi,
(Signée) Mal Duc de Dalmatie.
Pour extraits conformes.
To her grace the duchess of Abrantes.
September 11, 1833.
Madam,
In the eighth volume of your “Mémoires,” which I have only just seen, I find the following passages:—
“Toutefois, pourquoi donc m’étonner de la conduite des Portugais? N’ai je pas vu ici, en France, un des frères d’armes de Junot souffrir qu’on imprimât, dans un ouvrage traduit de l’Anglais, des choses revoltantes de fausseté sur lui et sur le maréchal Ney?...... Cet ouvrage, fait par un colonel Napier, et qui a trouvé grâce devant le ministère de la guerre parce qu’il dit du bien du ministre, m’a été donné à moi, à moi la veuve de Junot, comme renfermant des documents authentiques. J’ai du y lire une indécente attaque contre la vie privée d’un homme dont on ne pouvait dire aucun mal comme militaire dans cette admirable affaire de la Convention de Cintra, puisque les Anglais ont fait passer à une commission militaire ceux qui l’avaient signée pour l’Angleterre; et les beaux vers de Childe Harold suffisent seuls à la gloire de Junot, quand l’original de cette convention ne serait pas là pour la prouver. Heureusement que je le possède, moi, cet original, et même dans les deux langues. Il n’est pas dans M. Napier;”————
It is not permitted to a man to discover ill-humour at the expressions of a lady; yet when those expressions are dishonouring to him, and that reputation and talents are joined to beauty to give them a wide circulation, it would indicate insensibility to leave them unnoticed.
To judge of the talents of a general by his conduct in the field has always been the undisputed right of every military writer. I will not therefore enter upon that subject, because I am persuaded that your grace could not mean to apply the words “revolting falsehoods” to a simple judgement of the military genius of the duke of Abrantes. Indeed you intimate that the offensive passages are those directed against his private life, and touching the Convention of Cintra. I think, however, your grace has not perused my work with much attention, or you would scarcely have failed to perceive that I have given the Convention of Cintra at length in the Appendix.
But, in truth, I have only alluded to general Junot’s private qualities when they bore directly upon his government of Portugal, and, by a fresh reference to my work, you will find that I have affirmed nothing of my own knowledge. The character of the late duke of Abrantes, as drawn by me, is that ascribed to him by the emperor Napoleon, (see Las Cases,) and the authority of that great man is expressly quoted. It is against Napoleon therefore, and not against me, who am but a repeater of his uncontradicted observations, that your resentment should be directed.
If your grace should deign to dispose of any further thought upon me or my work, I would venture to suggest a perusal of the Portuguese, and English, and Spanish, and German histories of the invasion of Portugal; or even a slight examination of only a small part of the innumerable, and some of them very celebrated periodicals which treat of that event. You will be then convinced that, so far from having wantonly assailed the character of general Junot, I have made no slight effort to stem the torrent of abuse with which he has been unjustly overwhelmed; and believe me, madam, that the estimation in which an eminent man will be held by the world is more surely to be found in the literature of different countries than in the fond recollection of his own family. I admired general Junot’s daring character, and having enough of the soldier in me to like a brave enemy, I have, wherever the truth of history would permit, expressed that feeling towards him and towards other French generals whose characters and whose acts have been alike maligned by party writers in this country: such indeed has been my regard for justice on this point, that I have thereby incurred the charge of writing with a French rather than a national bias, as your grace will discover by referring to my lord Mahon’s History of the War of the Succession, in which his lordship has done me the honour to observe that I have written “by far the best French account yet published of the Peninsular War.”
For my own part I still think that to refrain from vulgar abuse of a gallant enemy will not be deemed un-English, although lord Mahon considers it wholly French; but his lordship’s observation incontestibly proves that I have discovered no undue eagerness to malign any of the French generals; and with respect to the duke of Abrantes, I could shew that all the offensive passages in my work rest upon the published authority of his own countrymen, and especially of his great master the emperor Napoleon, and that they are of a milder expression than those authorities would have warranted. It is, however, so natural and so amiable in a lady to defend the reputation of her deceased husband, that rather than appear to detract in any manner from the grace of such a proceeding, I choose to be silent under the unmitigated severity of your grace’s observations.
Not so, however, with respect to that part of your remarks which relate to marshal Ney. After carefully re-examining every sentence I have written, I am quite unable to discover the slightest grounds for your grace’s accusations. In all parts of my work the name of Ney is mentioned with praise. I have not, indeed, made myself a partizan of marshal Ney in relating his disputes with marshals Soult and Massena, because I honestly believed that he was mistaken; neither have I attributed to him unbounded talents for the higher parts of war, but this is only matter of opinion which the world is quite capable of appreciating at its true value; and upon all other points I have expressed admiration of marshal Ney’s extraordinary qualities, his matchless valour, his heroic energy!
In the hope that your grace will now think it reasonable to soften the asperity of your feelings towards my work, I take my leave, with more of admiration for your generous warmth in defence of a person so dear to you, than of any sentiment of resentment for the harsh terms which you have employed towards myself. And I remain, madam,
Your very obedient servant,
William Napier, Colonel.
HISTORY
OF THE
PENINSULAR WAR.