[60] Of whom two, strangely enough, had been specially mentioned for courage at the September assault.
[61] Napier (ii. 249) says that the sortie was so far successful that the Geronese opened the way for the garrison of the Constable fort to escape into the city. But I can find no authority for this in either the French or the Spanish narratives, see especially Vacani.
[62] For details of this disgraceful cruelty, see Arteche’s ‘Elogio’ on Alvarez in the proceedings of the Madrid Academy. The Emperor Napoleon himself must bear the responsibility, as it was by orders from Paris that Alvarez was sent back from France to Figueras. Apparently he was to be tried at Barcelona, and perhaps executed. There is no allusion to the matter in the Correspondance de Napoléon.
[63] For details, see James’s Naval History, v. pp. 142-5.
[64] The Proclamation of Nov. 29 ordering this levy, written in a very magniloquent style, may be found in Belmas, Appendix no. 81.
[65] Napoleon’s comments on the operations of his generals are always interesting, though sometimes founded on imperfect information, or vitiated by predispositions. Of St. Cyr’s campaign he writes [Disp. no. 16,004] to Clarke, his Minister of War:
‘Il faut me faire un rapport sérieux sur la campagne du général Gouvion Saint-Cyr en Catalogne: (1) Sur les raisons qui l’ont porté à évacuer cette province, lorsque Saragosse était prise et sa jonction faite avec le maréchal Mortier. (2) Sur ce qu’il s’est laissé attaquer par les Espagnols, et ne les a jamais attaqués, et sur ce que, après les avoir toujours battus par la valeur des troupes, il n’a jamais profité de la victoire. (3) Sur ce qu’il a, par cet esprit d’égoisme qui lui est particulier, compromis le siège de Gérone: sur ce qu’il n’a jamais secouru suffisamment l’armée assiégeante, l’a au contraire attirée à lui, et a laissé ravitailler la ville. (4) Sur ce qu’il a quitté l’armée sans permission, sous le vain prétexte de maladie.’
The first point seems unjust to St. Cyr. From his position in front of Tarragona, after Valls, he had no real chance of combining his operations with the army of Aragon. But the other three charges seem well founded.
[66] The Valencian troops at Maria were eleven battalions, viz. Savoia (three), 1st and 3rd Cazadores de Valencia (two), America (two), Voluntarios de Valencia (one), 1st of Valencia (three). Of these only Savoia (now two batts. only) and Voluntarios de Valencia turned up for the relief of Gerona. Along with them came two fresh regiments, 2nd Cazadores of Orihuela, and Almanza, which had not been at Maria. But these were Murcian, not Valencian, troops.
[67] De Garay to Wellesley in Wellesley Dispatches, p. 92.