I do not quite understand his own story, so as to make his conduct correct. He was always on a sort of parole in Languedoc and Gascony. On our coming near Toulouse he was told that he must retire towards Montpelier. He asked delay on the plea of health, got a day, and was then ordered to move post by Carcassonne. He went two stages, then turned to the right, came over to us, and now rides about, a strange figure, in a new handsome 53rd uniform, and a great French cocked hat, with his English loop and button. He is, moreover, a round broken-backed country-squire volunteer sort of gentleman, on a high white tumble-down French nag. He was of course full of information and conversation, but I rather doubted the accuracy of the former.
He told us that Bonaparte was making for Metz, giving up Paris; and that he intended to relieve his garrisons in that direction even as far as Wesel, and then to try and bring the war to the frontier again. This would be giving up nearly all France, and putting himself between the Crown Prince at Liege and the Allies near Paris; whereas, if compelled to leave Paris, his line, in my opinion, must be to fall back towards Lyons, and to endeavour to unite in that direction with Augereau, and even with Soult, who will very likely fall back that way also. If Bonaparte were to go to Metz, Lord Wellington said he thought then the Allies, on entering Paris, would probably let the King be proclaimed, and that he should not then despair of seeing Bonaparte a grand Guerilla chief on a large scale, fighting about for his existence, which he had never expected to happen in his lifetime. Major M—— also said that Soult’s plan was, if obliged to give up Toulouse, to go towards the Black Mountains, and retreat by way of Carcassonne, making his stand there in a country where our superior cavalry could not act. If he does this, I think half his men will desert, and the remainder be in jeopardy, unless Suchet brings him more assistance than is thought possible. Suchet is said to be withdrawing everything, and to be mustering all he can. Oh that we had your English reinforcements, and General Graham’s army! for our own real English army dwindles away very fast in this active service, and ten thousand men may make all the difference in regard to the event. The 53rd regiment and the eighteen-pounders are, I hear, hutted at Tarbes, to try to reduce a small garrison at Lourdes. The Householders are also arrived, I believe, as far as Tarbes.
On the 23rd of March, Caffarelli sent his orders to all the communes round Toulouse, for a considerable distance (about fifty communes), to send men to work at the fortifications in front of Toulouse. The numbers to be sent by requisition were very considerable; but we have rather disturbed the march of the larger half. He also called upon all the inhabitants to arm, and to make the town a second Saragoza.
Major M—— says he was told that there was not the same motive. I understand they have been obliged to arm by compulsion, but it is supposed will do nothing. Some old French officers also came to Soult to offer to raise Guerillas corps in our rear. Major M—— said that their offers were to be accepted; but, except a few for plunder, I do not think, as yet, they will find many followers. Lord Wellington makes the maires responsible for any disturbances in the rear, and threatens garrisons, as on the French plan, garnissaires, in case of a breach of order. To execute this duty the maires are allowed to arm guards in their communes. All the communes around here were to have garnissaires, in case the workmen did not arrive—that is, soldiers to keep in their houses gratis.
One o’clock, same day.—Here we are still; and I hope shall not move to-day, unless to go into Toulouse, for there is a report that the French are moving off now, and that we have taken two cars of money. This I will not vouch for. What is more certain is, that our pontoon bridge is on its legs again by land, and moving towards Toulouse, to be laid down nearer the town, to make our communications shorter between the two parts of our army, on the right and left bank. This, it is to be feared, may draw head-quarters into some little dirty village near the bridge; and I should like to enjoy the tolerable clean brick room which I have to myself, and a little stable with some hay for my horses, for one day, if it suits our plans.
At first I was surprised at Major M——’s boldness, and, as it appeared to me, folly, in going about in his uniform, in a way to do no good to anybody, and possible harm to himself. I have now heard that he has been divorced from his lady, and of course by the French law from his château and terre also, and that now he has nothing whatever to lose. He may as well make a merit of his love of England and the Bourbons. His daughter, about sixteen, is married, and the property goes with her. A party of five dragoons took yesterday a messenger from Montauban to Soult. It was known by eleven o’clock at Montauban that we had cut off the communications on the main road. The messenger was sent round a bye-road but was caught. His despatches were, it is reported, principally complaints that the people would not arm for the fight, and were not very material. I pitied the man. He was a respectable man of business in Montauban; but being told that unless he became a civic soldier he must be a regular, he put on his sword “by compulsion,” was sent to carry these letters, and thus fell into our hands. He says that it will be his ruin to send him to England as a prisoner; and I hope, though he is threatened with this, that Lord Wellington will soon release him. This is to be hoped, for I believe his story to be true, for the Préfet of Montauban is reported to be a most furious Bonapartist, and that he compels the people to take up arms in the cause, and even threatens their lives if they do not. All here profess great friendship for us, and I believe, at present, are sincere.
Six o’clock.—About two o’clock I saw Lord Wellington come in, and the real news was, that all was quiet on both sides the river, but that the floods had carried away or sunk one pontoon, and that the bridge was impassable. It was just on the point of being moved higher when this happened. Just now, it is not safe to place it anywhere. We have only three divisions and three brigades of artillery across, and two or three, it is believed, of cavalry. The Spaniards are not over, as I supposed, but were to have gone over this morning. Unless Soult is an arrant coward, he must now attack these men, and it is to be feared that we shall have sharp work. A position, however, may be taken near the river, so as to enable our artillery on this side to assist. The river has fallen above a foot since morning, as it has hitherto been fine to-day, but I am sorry to say it has now begun to rain again, and it looks very much like another bad night. Rain upon the present river would be tremendous. A quarter of an hour after Lord Wellington came home from Toulouse, I met him going off again to cross the river; it is to be concluded, therefore, that something important had happened.
6th of April, 9 o’clock at night. Head-Quarters at Grenade.—My principal occupation to-day, when not engaged by business, has been to watch the river. It continued to fall many hours after the last rain had ceased, and began to rise at ten to-day, about fifteen hours after the last rain commenced, and five after it ceased; at this rate it will continue to rise until six or eight to-night, and then fall again; and if the weather relent a little, to-morrow, probably, our bridge will be restored.
Marshal Soult has left our three divisions quite quiet on the other side. If he knows their numbers this is playing the game of a coward. At present he seems to think of nothing but fortifying Toulouse with ditches and works, and his men are hard at work. This makes the delay very unfortunate for us. It has, indeed, been so on every account, for we have to-day received accounts which appear to be believed, that twelve hundred French cavalry, cuirassiers, from Suchet’s army, joined yesterday; and that he is endeavouring to gain time; and the elements seem to favour his obtaining it.
The only two events here to-day have been, first, the arrival of the pontoon which was lost and floated away. Lieutenant Reid, of the Engineers, galloped to Verdun, two leagues down the river, offered a reward of cent francs, or five pounds, to any inhabitants who would get boats and stop the pontoon and bring it ashore: the deserter was thus secured, and to-day brought back in triumph by a party of soldiers. The other arrival astonished us all. A troop of the Royal Horse Guards Blue arrived with drawn swords and a Captain’s guard escorting a carriage. Some said that it was the Duke d’Angoulême, some one great person, some another. One officer asked the Captain if it was King Ferdinand? This was a hoax. At last it was discovered to be a maire of a small commune near Tarbes, and his wife. The maire is supposed to have been endeavouring to favour a guerilla system, and exciting the people to arm. He was in consequence ordered to be sent to head-quarters. The Blues were in high condition; and Lord Wellington, when he was told of the French cuirassiers, said, “Well, then, we must have the Householders for these gentlemen, and see what they can make of them.”