[137] See Soult to Berthier, from Carmona, Jan. 31.
[138] Soult, in his dispatch of Jan. 31, says that the advanced guard of the 1st Corps appeared before Seville hier au soir, i. e. on the 30th. But the Spanish authorities give the evening of the 29th as the true date, and seem to be correct. Possibly Soult is speaking of the first solid force of infantry, and does not count the cavalry as a real advanced guard, but only as a reconnoitring force. As Latour-Maubourg was at Carmona on the 28th, it seems certain that he must have reached Seville (eighteen miles only from Carmona) on the 29th, not the 30th.
[139] Napier (ii. 298) seems unjust to the arrangements of the King and Soult when he writes: ‘From Andujar to Seville is only 100 miles, and the French took ten days to traverse them, a tardiness for which there appears no adequate cause.’ He then attributes it to King Joseph’s wish to make spectacular entries, and to display his benevolence to the Andalusian towns. But the facts are wrong. Joseph reached Andujar late on Jan. 22; Victor’s cavalry was in front of Seville on Jan. 29: this makes seven, not ten, days: and the distance by the direct road via Ecija and Carmona is not 100, but 130 miles. A rate of eighteen miles a day is no bad record for an army advancing through a hostile country, even if it is meeting with no actual resistance. And January days are short, with sunrise late and sunset early.
[140] After a very short tenure of office Fernandez de Leon was superseded by Lardizabal, another American.
[141] It is difficult to make out what precisely were the battalions in Seville on January 23-29. But they certainly included a battalion of the 1st Walloon Guards [the Junta’s old guard], with 1st and 2nd of España and Barbastro from Zerain’s division. It is almost certain that most of Zerain’s other battalions were with these three.
[142] Dessolles’ division had been left behind at Cordova and Andujar, to garrison Upper Andalusia, and to extend a helping hand to Sebastiani, if he should meet with any resistance in his conquest of the kingdom of Granada.
[143] Younger brother of the victor of Baylen.
[144] ‘Sire, il paraît que Cadix veut se défendre. Nous verrons dans quelques jours ce qu’elle fera lorsque nous aurons quelques batteries montées. Si votre Majesté pouvait disposer de l’escadre de Toulon, l’occasion pourrait être bonne.’ Joseph to Napoleon, Sta. Maria, Feb. 18.
[145] 79th, 2nd batt. 87th, and 94th regiments, and the 20th Portuguese line regiment.
[146] See Wellington to Bart. Frère and General Stewart, from Torres Vedras, Feb. 5th, and Vizeu, Feb. 27, 1810.