In my walks to-day, I met a poor gentleman who told me we had taken all his forage, and that his oxen were starving, and that he must sell them; he was going to a contractor for that purpose. I advised him to go to our Commissary Haines, to whom I took him, for I thought each would gain by a bargain direct. His oxen are to be inspected to-morrow. During our conversation, he told me that he was the brother-in-law of Dulau, the French bookseller in Soho Square, and that the latter had no nearer relation, but that he could never hear of him, or write to him. I undertook to send his letter. If such a letter is enclosed to you, therefore, you will know all about it, and my poor man may get a legacy or something by it, from the great Mr. Dulau, for such he must be.
Saturday, March 12th.—We remain here to-day, and shall do so probably for a few days, unless the French move off. We seem to be moving up. A brigade of artillery and some troops were yesterday taking the direction to Pau, to secure that town, I conclude, as we have now only artillery there, and also, perhaps, to turn the left of the French position at Tarbes. Lord Wellington is better; his hounds go out to-day, and I should not be surprised at his being out with them. As a proof how savage war makes every one, even an English soldier, I may tell you that poor H——’s body was stript by the English soldiers of his own division, to which he was acting as Adjutant-general, and almost before his body was cold. I believe two or three men have been flogged for this. By degrees we all get hardened to anything.
I find the same sort of custom here as to letting land, as is to be found near Bayonne. The landlord puts a peasant into a little farm, furnishes it, pays the taxes, and finds the necessary cattle, beasts, and horses, for the cultivation of the land; in return, he receives the full half of the clear produce as rent, but in kind, and very little money is seen. Before we came, bread was three sous the pound, which would be about sixpence three-farthings the quartern loaf. A goose has been five francs of late, but that is dear. Fowls are now only half-a-crown or three shillings each, and very good even to the English. If we remain long in a place, we soon cause the prices to rise.
CHAPTER XXIV.
Reports from the Seat of War—The Duke d’Angoulême—The German Cavalry—Misconduct of the Spaniards—Attacks on our Grazing Parties—Movement of Head-Quarters—Death of Colonel Sturgeon—Visit to the Hospital—New Quarters—Skirmishes—Wellington and the Mayor.
Head-quarters, Aire,
March 16, 1814.
My dear M——,
Here we remain still, and probably shall do so for a few days, for the French Marshal not only keeps his position near Conchez, across our road to Tarbes and Toulouse, but does not seem disposed to go beyond demonstrations, and cannot muster courage to attack us, and we, I believe, are not quite prepared to attack him. The glorious reception Marshal Beresford met with at Bordeaux, and the spirited and decided conduct of the maire, &c., there, you will have heard by the last mail, for the news came after my letter, but before Lord Wellington’s bag was dispatched. We have all sorts of reports from the vicinity of Paris, about the battle at Meaux, of a large French corps having gone over to Bernadotte. There are reports from Bordeaux, but all uncertain; I think, however, that the maire must have had some good intelligence to induce him to take the line he has done, which must be his ruin, and that of all his friends, if we make peace at last with Bonaparte.
The Duke d’Angoulême, at first, it is said, declined a burgher guard, and preferred an English one. This will not do: he must show confidence and spirit, and rely upon his French friends, and give no offence by partialities for the English. This was bad advice in some one about him, for I understand he personally has always wished to take a decided line, and risk his personal safety for the cause.
We hear the Royalist party are beginning à la lanterne again, but I hope this is not true. The inhabitants of Bordeaux must arm and protect themselves. We shall leave but a small force there. The river and their own people must be their chief reliance. Lord Wellington has sent for the fourth division from Marshal Beresford to help here. Canning went off at four o’clock on the 14th, with these orders (as I understand); he was sent from Gartin by Lord Wellington, eleven miles from this in front, and was here in an hour. Whilst he was dressing and getting a fresh horse, I got him his money from the Paymaster, and he was off, remounted for Roquefort, twenty miles; and thence he was to post the other seventy miles all night to Bordeaux. He was heard of at Langon, about three or four in the morning, so that by nine o’clock on the 15th he would be in Bordeaux; and as the fourth division, which was at Langon, would march that day, in about two days more they will be here. All our 18-pounders and some other reinforcements will arrive, and then Soult must be off, or I hope get another beating.