Head-Quarters, St. Lys, March 27th, 1814.—To-day, Sunday, we make a halt here, which most of the army is very much in need of. This is in order to enable Lord Wellington to make arrangements and reconnoitre, &c. Four divisions are in our front, and General Hill on our right. Nothing has been done to-day but the driving in of some French picquets on this side of a little stream about two leagues from hence, and half-way to Toulouse, and we are now placed on that stream. There seemed to be but little firing. I saw it from the top of the tower of the church here, but it was soon over. From the same place the view all around was very extensive and magnificent; Toulouse was plainly visible, and much of the country beyond, together with a number of villages, chateaux, &c., in the large plain through which the Garonne takes its circular course from the Pyrenees. The snowy summits of the latter closed the prospect with their heads in the clouds.
Having had some trouble to mount to this gallery round the church, by means of the bells and their scaffolding, for there was no ladder, I was up there for two hours with my glass, in a tolerably clear and fine day. Of the importance of the latter you have no idea. Yesterday was entirely rainy, and our road was, perhaps, as bad as any we have ever passed with artillery, and that is saying much. The troops were splashed up to their caps, and hundreds were walking barefoot in the clay up to the calves of their legs for about five miles, whilst the best of the road was that like to Hounslow in the worst season after a thaw. Lord Wellington said, the French, after consultation, had determined that this road was not passable for their artillery, but by means of lighter carriages and better horses, five brigades of our guns have got over this difficulty.
To give you a notion of it, I may mention that Lord Wellington’s barouche was three hours stuck fast in it at one place; one hind wheel up to the axle, the other in the air. No one was in it except General Alava, who was unwell. I left them endeavouring to move it by means of four artillery horses, in addition to his own six mules, but in vain; six oxen in addition at last got it clear. Lord Wellington is gone to-day round by Plaisance to the right, to General Hill on the St. Gaudens’ road, as that division is now approaching near us. I am always afraid of some accident in these parties in an enemy’s country, for there is generally no escort—only a few officers and two or three orderlies at the most.
In a Toulouse paper of the 22nd, which I saw yesterday, I was amused with observing, among other articles—“Bordeaux, 12th March. By accounts from this place troops without number are pouring through to join the grand army under the Duke of Dalmatia. The disposition of the people is excellent.” Then again, “March 15th. The prefect is taking measures for a number of improvements in the different communes.” These lies and frauds are curious. We also notice, that in publishing Soult’s proclamations in the Paris papers, in which he calls Lord Wellington the commander of brigands, the introductory part relating to the battle of Orthes is omitted altogether. It does not appear that any battle has taken place at all. We hope the silence as to Schwartzenburg means as much, and that the truth will be a set-off to any check given to St. Priest.
Bonaparte’s movements to Rheims and Chalons we cannot here comprehend. Many of the people here talk such bad French that I am often taken for a Frenchman, and my patron here told me that I need not be afraid to own it, for he was a Royalist, and always had been so. His simplicity yesterday provoked me excessively. I gave him some of my old silver spoons to take care of. Thinking all soldiers and followers of an army virtuous and honest, he left the spoons, with a loaf, in his kitchen, and left his door open, to let every one in who chose. On my return, his loaf and my spoons were gone. This vexed me excessively, but redress was in vain.
Seisses, 28th March.—At daybreak this morning head-quarters moved to this place, most of us, in my opinion, fully expecting to be in Toulouse before night. We arrived here, within a league of the Garonne, by eight o’clock, when, to our great mortification, the part of the second division which had left this village at ten last night was just returning here again after daylight, owing to the bridge of boats having been too short, and the troops therefore unable to pass the river.
This is most vexatious, for the immediate passage of the Garonne without a halt, and triumphant entry into Toulouse would have been an exploit worthy of our General. With five more pontoons the whole would have been effected, and, most probably, with little loss. In front of Toulouse the enemy had been left quiet, and pressed but little; the grand movement was to have been on the right to the banks of the river near Portet. Just below where the Arrige and the Garonne unite, a league above Toulouse, the bridge was to have been laid in the night, and half the army over or ready to pass by daylight. The width of the river was supposed to be about one hundred and forty yards, or four hundred and fifty feet, the stream strong; for this we were prepared. The boats were in the river, the cables, I believe, fixed, and every precaution taken for secrecy, when the discovery was made that five more pontoons would be necessary, as the river was twenty yards, or about eighty feet wider. The boats were all withdrawn, and the troops all in their way to head-quarters again before daylight; but it was a grand coup manqué. Apparently there must have been great inadvertence somewhere, though it may have been that no measurement was allowed, or even close observations, for fear of exciting suspicion.
I think it will be a triumph to E——, though I am sure he will not feel it as such. He told Lord Wellington at St. Jean de Luz that, in consequence of some order of his, the pontoon train would be rendered imperfect, and that if the army met with a wide river it would be stopped. Thus it has happened, and Lord Wellington, though in general so much a gainer by his decision and resources in getting rid of difficulties, has for once suffered for not attending to the counsel of his more steady and regularly-bred scientific advisers.
As the troops were not yet ordered out of the town, and were in possession of the houses, we remained for some hours with our baggage standing loaded, until our billets were settled. Most part of this time I spent in surveying the immense plain covered with farms, villas, villages, towns, and chateaux, in the neighbourhood of Toulouse, as well as the town itself. The number of apparently splendid mansions was considerable, some belonging to merchants of Toulouse; some to the old nobles who had not emigrated; some to the nouveaux riches of the Revolution and Bonaparte. The latter were much abused, the fournisseurs of the army, the intendents or tax-gatherers, &c. I believe there was much fraud in the management of the collection of contributions; and of late, particularly, much more was collected under the pretence of the necessities of the army, and to provision Bayonne, than ever reached its destination; and being but ill paid regularly, the managers took the liberty of paying themselves well irregularly.
Murillo’s corps has plundered again of late, and was guilty of some excesses last night. One man was caught in the fact, stealing wine, and brought forward. Lord Wellington had him shot in the most impressive manner this morning, before all the corps, after a solemn admonition, and much parade. The man, it is said, appeared absolutely dead from fear before a musquet was fired. He was unluckily one of the least culpable, for he had only taken away a bottle of wine by force; but he was caught in the fact, and suffered for the sake of example—as the least guilty in reality often do, from the most guilty being also the most knowing.