The French, it is understood, are retiring very fast, and will probably not dispute anything south of the Ebro. A long march is before us ... we only know as far as Placentia. I miss my poor Bernardo very much, and would give anything to meet with him again, which I think I may do, if we go towards Madrid.
This fine battle of the Danube has cheered us again, perhaps ere you receive this you will know how fallaciously; but I will hope that you are in possession of recent victories for which we are yet to Huzza![29]
APPENDIX
Between St. Eufemia and Monte Leone,
July 6, 1806.
My dearest Father—In the first place I give you joy of a most complete victory gained by a body of English troops over a French force very superior in number, another proof that the extraordinary bravery of our countrymen is not solely to be attributed to salt provisions and sea air. This army had been reviled as fugitive in consequence of the wise retreat of Sir J. Craig from Naples.
General Regnier, the old calumniator of British troops, had threatened a speedy invasion of Sicily.
It was generally believed that the Calabrians, a ferocious race, held the French in abhorrence, and Sir J. Stuart’s plan, as far as I have been able to make out, was to raise the country—arm it—and then give the people a lesson in the art of war by beating the French. It was presumed that the effect of this would be to render the country uninhabitable to the French, and finally to deliver the territory from the general scourge of continental tranquillity.
Sir John left Messina on the night of the 30th of June, in pursuance of his object, which was then unknown.
At about midnight of the 1st of July the transports were collected in the Bay of St. Eufemia. Orders were then given for the landing at two o’clock. It was not expected that there was any enemy at hand, but upon the Light Infantry running forward, a firing commenced, which continued in bush-fighting the greater part of the morning, the enemy consisting of about three hundred Poles, scattered about in a very thick brushwood, they retiring and the Light Infantry pursuing.... They ran at the enemy like lions, and the event of the day was—about twenty of the enemy wounded (some badly), two officers, and about one hundred prisoners.
We had only one man wounded.