For fear of being too late for the post, I shall now seal up my three letters in one packet and send it off.
In appearance, the size of Toulouse is very considerable, particularly its length. It seems much larger than Bristol; whether really so or not we have not just now conveniently the means of ascertaining.
All who come from Bordeaux are in ecstasies with the place and the life there. It seems everything a bachelor officer with a little money could wish for—everything to be had, and everything (except maps now) very cheap.
Head-Quarters, Grenade, April 5th, 1814.—In pursuance of the change of plans as to the passage of this formidable river, the Garonne, in the face of thirty thousand men, under the command of Marshal Soult, we very suddenly moved on Sunday morning, the 3rd, to Colomiers, a poor dirty village on the high road from Auch to Toulouse. The pontoons had been previously moved in the night from the neighbourhood of Carbonne, where they had been previously fixed, and where General Hill had passed over to the vicinity of Grenade. On the night of the 4th, about eight or nine o’clock, the whole army, excepting General Hill’s columns, were put in motion towards Grenade, the pontoons were launched in the river, the bridge successfully formed during the night, and about ten thousand men passed over without resistance by daybreak. It rained furiously almost all the night, and a failure was in consequence much apprehended by many, from the increased rapidity and breadth of the current of the river. Hitherto all has gone on well. General Hill’s corps remained in front of the suburbs and bridge of St. Cyprien near Toulouse.
Lord Wellington and his staff were all off about two or three o’clock in the morning, or rather night, for the river side near the bridge, and passed over early in the morning. Lord Wellington reconnoitred yesterday on the right bank to within about five or six miles of Toulouse, and did not return here until after dark. Civil departments and baggage were ordered to move across the country to Corn Barieu, a poor dirty place on the cross-road to Grenade, at daylight, and there to remain loaded till further orders. It was only four miles of bad road, and we were there about half-past six. I conclude we were kept at that point so that we might be secure, and away from the high road out of Toulouse, in case of accidents, and at the same time ready to go into Toulouse, in case the French should abandon the town and bridge on hearing of our passage of the river; whilst, on the other hand, if they remained fast, we were ready to come on here.
The poor mules remained loaded until near two o’clock before they were ordered on, and afterwards fell in with such columns of baggage, cavalry, and troops, particularly Spaniards, all converging to the bridge, that they did not arrive here until about seven or eight o’clock at night, having had to pass a deep cross country, by a clayey unformed road, in places sinking up to the middle, for the night’s rain and quantity of animals passing had quite cut it up. I left the printing-press and Mr. S——’s carriage fast in the mud, and many a load upset; at last I believe all arrived safe.
Whilst we were waiting in suspense, as I dare not again go much to the front, Dr. M’Gregor and several other civilians and I passed our time pleasantly enough. There was a chateau on a hill close to us, which commanded all the country, and particularly Toulouse. To that we bent our steps, and finding a young lad, son of the owner, in the house, we got our horses into the stable, bought corn for them, and from the Doctor’s canteen made a good breakfast, and then posted ourselves with our glasses to see what was going on. Had there been any fight we should have commanded the whole scene beautifully. As it was, we only traced our columns of baggage, Spaniards, and cavalry across the country, in two lines of about six or seven miles’ length, all moving gradually to the bridge. We also saw some large fires in Toulouse, but have not yet learnt whether they were anything in particular. About half-past one we set out again, and fought our way through mud and clay and baggage and Spaniards for about ten miles; and I am now again in a civilized home, but with rather a forward tradesman, who gave me a roast fowl for supper, but took his place and had his full share with me. It is odd enough that a man of his description, in a large good house, stables, and three or four horses, should boast, as he does, that he can talk French, and that his daughter of eight years old has learnt to talk French, and can speak and understand it a little when she chooses. Their patois I can scarcely make out, certainly, not so well as Spanish or Portuguese.
The country is all very rich and populous, and covered with villages and chateaux. The former are generally in evident decay; the latter are large and showy on the outside, but for the most part old, dirty, out of repair, and nearly unfurnished inside, with none of the comforts even of a cit’s villa, and still less of a great man’s house in England. At the same time one cannot but feel how much of what we in England think necessaries are mere superfluity. One cause of their present appearance in part may be, that the owners generally live from seven to ten months in the year in the great towns, Toulouse in particular, and only spend September and October in their chateaux to see to the harvests, so that they, somewhat like the Portuguese lords, when they do come, bring nearly all their furniture and comforts with them. By this means, luckily, we have not done these chateaux much damage. The young man whom we found in the chateau near Corn Barieu, had been sent out just before we arrived, to see what was going on, and to protect the place. He had not been able to hold any communication with his friends in Toulouse since, and I dare say, as I told him, they were in a terrible fright, and thought the Spaniards had roasted and eaten him up.
It unfortunately rained again all last night. This has swelled the river, and alarmed us a little, for there are at times such floods here that our bridge would not stand them, and we are now half on each side. This was also very unlucky for the troops, many of whom must have bivouacked without their tents and baggage. I have hitherto heard of no ill consequences, and it is thought that the French must either come out and fight us immediately, or be off and leave us at our ease for a short time to try and refit and get shoes for our poor barefooted soldiers. In the meantime we are here with no other orders than to be ready packed to march at ten o’clock, but not loaded. It is now half-past ten, and I have been quietly writing this, and four letters on business, since breakfast.
When last at Seisses I met at Lord Wellington’s Major M——, of the 53rd, the ci-devant prisoner and French squire, whom I mentioned before in my letters. He was at Toulouse when we came by his former house, and he took the opportunity of our pontoon bridge at Carbonne to come over to us, for to go out he was compelled.