My ever dearest Mother— ... The day after I wrote you an account of the battle we advanced some miles beyond the field towards the Adriatic, just under the town of Maida. The enemy had retired to Catanzaro, and it was generally expected that we should seek another battle before he could reinforce himself. It was judged, however, that the coming up with him was precarious, and the advantage of the chance of beating him still more—not adequate to the inconvenience of harassing the victors this burning weather, which reasoning was probably strengthened by the risk of any junction having been formed between two parties of the enemy’s force. No prejudgment would have given victory to five thousand men against eight, supposed to be the best troops in the world, fully prepared for the enterprise against them, having all the local advantages and local knowledge, commanded by a General of the greatest reputation, and particularly for manœuvring skill.
Our General went into the field under the idea that the force he was to attack was between two and three thousand men.
The fatal error of the French General was that, obstinately blind to experience, he despised his enemy—an enemy which the battles of Egypt should have taught him to consider at least equal to himself. He had suffered prejudice to mislead him until his slaughtered and flying troops and the severe personal wound forced open his eyes; but he opened them too late. In defiance of the general principle to avoid an invading enemy until you have involved him in a country of which he is ignorant, and from your own knowledge are certain to destroy him, General Regnier descended from the advantages of his position to fight front to front in the plain.
With the battle of the 21st of March before his eyes, he tells his troops that those very Egyptian regiments cannot stand the bayonet. The deluded Frenchmen charge with confidence, and, expecting to pursue hares, are met by lions.
The same error which has been so fatal to so many Generals was fatal to Menon, and was deservedly still more fatal to Regnier; for Menon could not know us, and Regnier would not.
But I stray from the point.
After staying a day under Maida the troops marched to Monte Leone, and there the General missed his baggage, which did not turn up until yesterday, when the General’s cook gave a very good account of himself. The inhabitants of the country were to be deceived as to the intentions of the retrograde movement, and consequently what conversation could be gleaned from the General’s table tended to an advance to Catanzaro. The troops marched backwards at two in the morning, but the baggage, with a guard of thirty men, not being properly attended to, was not quite so alert, but marched about an hour later towards the enemy, whose outposts (taking this little force for our advanced guard) retired and gave intelligence of the approach of the English army, which, corresponding with the report of our intentions, the enemy left Catanzaro to thirty men commanded by a cook, and retreated with precipitation to the borders of the Adriatic. The quick cook, smelling the rat, squeezed himself into the General’s coat and personated the General, until, finding himself neither attacked by the French nor joined by the English, he could retire without disgrace and seek the true situation of his allies.
The design of the march through Calabria was to seize the enemy’s garrisons and stores all the way to Reggio, which is just opposite Messina. This has already been done, as Reggio has been taken by a party from Messina, so that we now expect to embark from Pizzo, which lies just before this place. But nothing you know is certain.
In taking possession of the stores we have seen innumerable papers. One letter from Regnier[30] says, “When I have been with the English I shall come to you. They are only 12,000. I shall very soon finish with them.” Somewhere else he says he will take good care that we shall not reach our shipping again. Indeed everything betrays a most ridiculous confidence, arising not only from the consciousness of great merit (which was just), but from a most unreasonable contempt of an enemy which had before shown itself superior. Every prisoner whom I have heard speak upon the subject acknowledges to have been deceived, and condemns the order to charge an unbroken regiment. The French soldiers are generally remarkably fine men.
My dearest mother, I have not written you a very proper letter for a lady, but to make it a little more acceptable it assures you of my perfect health and spirits and constant love and affection to all of you. Adieu, my dearest mother.—Your most affectionate and devoted son,