[458] Foy’s minutes of his conversation with the Emperor on Nov. 22, sent by him to Masséna, in his letter of Dec. 4. See Appendix to Foy’s Vie Militaire by Girod de L’Ain, p. 348.
[459] So Guingret, of the 6th Corps, who mentions that his own regiment received notice that no garrison was to be left, only just in time to enable it to pick up its slightly wounded and footsore men, who would otherwise have remained behind. (Memoirs, p. 79.)
[460] The best summing up of the Marshal’s resolve may be found in Foy’s minute presented to Napoleon on Nov. 22: ‘Le prince n’a pas pu se résoudre à faire un fort détachement lorsqu’il devait livrer sous peu de jours une bataille décisive à une armée déjà victorieuse et deux fois plus nombreuse[!] que la notre. Les dangers que couraient ses malades ont affligé son cœur, mais il a pensé que la crainte de perdre l’hôpital ne devait pas arrêter la campagne.’ (Foy’s Vie Militaire, Appendix, p. 348.)
[461] Though Slade’s brigade had the rearguard on the 7th, and was engaged on the 8th also, Anson’s only was in touch with the French on the 4th-6th, and again on the 9th-10th.
[462] This was the case with Picton’s division, despite its splendid services and heavy loss at Bussaco, only ten days back. Leith’s British brigade and the Lusitanian Legion are also specially upbraided for straggling. See General Orders for 1810, pp. 173-4.
[463] The brigade was not complete, the Feira battalion having—somehow or other—got to Lisbon. But Porto, Penafiel, Coimbra, Aveiro, Maia, and a combined battalion of light companies were apparently present.
[464] See Trant’s dispatch to Beresford in Soriano da Luz, vii, Appendix, p. 221.
[465] As for example Delagrave, p. 197, and Fririon, p. 75.
[466] Trant delivered nearly 400 British and Portuguese wounded, whom Wellington had been obliged to leave behind at Coimbra, as non-transportable.
[467] Sprünglin writes, under Oct. 7, in his Diary: ‘Lorsque le sort des malheureux abandonnés à Coimbre fut connu dans l’armée, on murmura hautement contre le Prince d’Essling. On qualifia de coupable entêtement et de barbarie sa conduite à Busaco et l’abandon des blessés à Coimbre. Il faut avouer que le maréchal Ney, le général Reynier et le duc d’Abrantes ne firent rien pour faire cesser ces murmures. Dès lors l’armée perdit de sa force, parce que le général-en-chef n’avait plus la confiance de ses soldats.’ Cf. Guingret, p. 79.