The private journal of Judge-Advocate Larpent

by Francis Seymour Larpent

Head-quarters, Samatan,
March 25, 1814.

My dear M——,

At eight this morning, we left L’Isle en Dodon for this place, about eight miles nearer to Toulouse, from which we (the head-quarters) are now only distant about twenty-six miles. Our troops at St. Lys, and St. Foy, and that vicinity, are within eleven miles; our right is still a little more in the rear on the St. Gaudens’ road, near Martres, under General Hill.

I have just met with a corn-factor who left Toulouse this morning. He says that Marshal Soult arrived there with about eight thousand men last night. The same number were expected to-day, and a force of twelve thousand men from Suchet’s army was expected to join, or rather, the twelve thousand men were to be principally a reinforcement of conscripts, collected by the Imperial Commissioner Caffarelli. A small bridge, called St. Antoine, near St. Martin, about a mile from Toulouse, was destroyed on the road from Isle Jourdain to Toulouse, and some works were being formed, and an appearance of defence was being made near to St. Martin, at a place where three roads branch off, a mile from Toulouse, and called La Pate d’Ore. The narrator, though no judge, thought the works could not be completed in time, and that if we pressed on we should pass them without much difficulty. The bridge, he said also, was mined; it is a very noble bridge, but it was reported that there was a ford passable so near, that it was thought the mine would not be made use of.

The news from Paris had ceased for some days, and this gave rise to many stories of Paris having been taken, &c. I am lodged here with some very civil good people, and who, in my opinion, really wish us well, and are very different from the maire adjoint at the last place, who seemed a good Bonapartist, as are many of the people at L’Isle en Dodon. About six miles from that place, and ten from this, we passed through a very good old-fashioned town, larger than this, called Lombez, where the people, in spite of having had a division of troops quartered in their houses and in the church, seemed to wish us very well.

The country in this neighbourhood is a wide flat near the river, with a gently rising boundary of hill and good corn land, the soil heavy, and the roads very deep in consequence. I always expected my horses’ shoes to be sucked off every ten minutes by the strong clay.

The maire of Boulognes continues his route with us, looking very forlorn, and with three staff corps men round him, our gens-d’armes. He began to repent to-day, and offered to act as maire, but Lord Wellington said it was too late. He then wrote to his wife, saying, “He was a martyr to his principles,” &c., when his offer had been refused. So much for the principles of this good friend of Napoleon! Had his offer been accepted, he would have gone on as maire. His friend Bonaparte was, however, I really and truly think, never greater than he has been in his adversity during the last three months. The manner in which he has fought against all his difficulties is very astonishing, and it would not surprise me now if he succeeded in fighting himself into a tolerable peace. His boldness in finding fault with his generals, &c., and having them disgraced and tried at this moment, is very striking. In short, I am almost inclined to believe that his own spirit, the bad conduct of the Cossacks, and the wavering policy of some of our Allies, will enable him to keep his place amongst the list of sovereigns, though never to triumph over them all, as he intended, and very nearly managed to do.

There are several good chateaux near here I am told: one of these is occupied by Major M——, in our service, who was a prisoner of war, and thought it the best way to pass his captivity in double chains, or rather to cast off one chain by taking another, and by marrying an heiress, enjoy himself whilst here. I understand that he has served as maire of the place; General Pakenham and Colonel Campbell know him.

The army is now almost entirely fed on the country, and the rations paid for in bills or ready money. Our transports, such as they were, are quite outrun by our continual marches and distance from the depôts. We do not even resort to our grand prize-magazine at Mont de Marsan. We are also boldly isolated in the country, with scarcely five hundred men the whole way between this and Bayonne; and between this and Tarbes I believe none at all. Were not the general disposition of the people so good, at least so submissive, the stragglers and parties joining the army would be all destroyed; as it is, we have had few accidents. An affair is expected in a day or two near Toulouse, but this is doubtful. In the meantime King Ferdinand must be in Spain, as he long since passed through Toulouse on his way there.

9 o’clock at night.—Later accounts from the front say that the French are leaving Toulouse, but I think they will make a show of resistance at least. Lord Wellington said at dinner to-day he feared that they would blow up the bridge, but that he had his pontoons with him, and by showing the enemy that he could pass either above or below the bridge, he would try to save it. To-morrow will determine much, as head-quarters move four leagues to St. Lys, within about three leagues of Toulouse, and the troops are to move down into the plain in which the town stands. This is hard work for the men and baggage-animals, as the roads are excessively deep, and it is said will be worse to-morrow than to-day. We pass through St. Foy. We cannot learn where Marshal Suchet is; Lord Wellington does not know. He received despatches by a courier from Catalonia after dinner to-day, dated the 16th of March. It was not known there for certain that he had quitted Catalonia; several here say positively that he is gone towards Lyons. The post goes to-morrow early. You probably get two or three of my letters together, for we have now no regular post-day, and I am often quartered at a distance. I do not know when the mail leaves head-quarters, and by wishing to send you the last news, I may miss the post altogether.