We are all alive again with regard to the Allies, and the stories from Bordeaux are most animating. In addition to this, we move after Soult to-morrow. Head-quarters to be at Viella, nearly three leagues in advance, towards Auch. I fear we shall, as part of head-quarters, see neither Toulouse nor Bordeaux; for if my generalship correspond with Lord Wellington’s, Soult will in my opinion cross the Garonne, and our right will go to Toulouse, and we, as part of head-quarters, shall pass the river by some bridge to be laid down below near Agen,—more towards the centre of our movements. The scene at Bordeaux I much regret to have lost. We already hear of disturbances at Toulouse, and even reports of Louis XVIII. being proclaimed at Paris. From the want of a popular Bourbon cry at Bordeaux, I hear they have set up “Henri IV.,” and “Gode sav de King.” The weather to-day is delightful: I only hope it will last. We are told that Suchet has offered to withdraw all his garrisons from Spain into France, and give up the towns in their present state; this has been referred, it is said, to Lord Wellington, and by him refused, as only releasing so many men for present use, who must sooner or later, if we persevere, be prisoners. This is quite right no doubt for the common cause.
Viella, 18th.—I have just time to add a few lines at this place, which is about nine miles from Aire, on the road to Tarbes, and our head-quarters to-day. It is a small scattered village, so much so that I am at a farm at least two miles or more from the main village, and nearly by myself at the last house in the commune. I have, however, a doctor and a commissary within a quarter of a mile, and as we are fortunately well received, and welcomed everywhere, it does not signify. I feel quite at ease.
We had a tiresome march here, for the third division, the sixth, and the heavy Germans with the baggage of all three, the whole of the pontoon train, the artillery of the two divisions, head-quarter’s baggage, and eight thousand Spaniards all went the same road, over our newly-made bridge across the Leis, a small stream which falls into the Adour, near Barcelonne. The French, in destroying this bridge, had not blown up or burnt the main centre pier, so that about twenty-five elm trees, about twenty-five feet long, and bundles of fascines, about twelve feet long, placed crosswise, and then covered with dirt, in two days’ time made us a famous bridge.
Some time hence, when the fascines get rotten, some luckless car or horseman will no doubt go through into the water, which is deep, and about twenty feet below. The high roads are excellent, and the country, though not a rich soil, very pretty and loveable. Almost every drain under the road, or a small arch for streams to pass under, had been broken down; some left so from neglect of late, some I believe just made on purpose to delay us: faggots, and a little mould, with a few small trees at bottom, soon made a passage, but created delays.
19th, 7 o’clock.—To-day we move to Maubourguet, nearly in the Tarbes road. This looks as if Soult was making for Tarbes, and not Toulouse. I can scarcely believe this. If he places his rear on the mountains, he gives up Toulouse, and the richest country; and if beaten when up there, will, in my opinion, escape with difficulty. He may expect some reinforcements from Suchet that way, but still must go to Toulouse.
We, however, have now a chance of seeing the latter, whereas I thought we should have crossed nearer Agen, lower down the river.
My patron here is very friendly. The French plundered him terribly, and all his neighbours. They call them brigands, and dread them more than our army. My man let five Portuguese dragoons through his premises, and, he says, saved them. He is of a class of men that existed in former days in England; the owner and cultivator of eighty acres of land, partly corn, partly wood, partly vineyards, and partly meadow—thus he has all within himself. He has a wife and four children, two women servants, two pair of oxen, of which he has been obliged to sell one pair to pay the French contributions. He has two labourers, both deserters, for keeping whom he knows he is liable to a fine of from five hundred to three thousand francs, and to be confined five years, but he can get no other servants, and of course these are faithful.
His land, he says, is worth about 50s. an acre. It requires much labour, but when left alone he says is good enough to make them very happy. In spite of all that he has suffered, and his earnest desire for peace, he is certainly no friend to the Bourbons. He curses Bonaparte for his ambition, has a tolerably just notion of all his losses in the North, and in Spain, from the soldiers; but still, would rather, in my opinion, have Bonaparte and peace than the Bourbons. I can never get him to say a word, good or bad, as to the latter. At the same time, like all the rest of the French, he would just now submit to anything for peace. All have the highest respect for Lord Wellington, which they say they learn from the French army, high and low.
Maubourguet, 5 o’clock.—We left Viella at nine, and after a tiresome ride through baggage the whole way, arrived here about four o’clock, though it is only about fifteen miles. The bridges were all broken down, and nearly every gutter across the road, but this only caused delays, and was quite ineffectual. The troops and artillery waggons all found some way round or through. When about twelve miles on our road, we found the last three miles quite choked with all the baggage of head-quarters and the troops. At first I conceived the delay arose in a broken bridge being repaired, and was patient; but a sharp firing and cannonade soon commenced in front of Maubourguet, near Vic, and then, guessing that it was an intentional halt, I made my way through it here, and found every one in front, and a sharp firing about four miles in advance, near Vic Bigorre.
I met also a party of the fine German cavalry wounded going to the rear; they had had an affair the day before yesterday in advance of Madiran, half way between that place and this, and with two squadrons instantly upset four squadrons of French chasseurs, took many horses, and cut up many men, but the French ran too fast to leave any prisoners. This tempted the Germans to attack yesterday a very superior force, it is said three times their number—three French regiments; and I hear they suffered much.