Head-quarters, Frenada,
May 8, 1813.
My dear M——,
I have first to thank you for your letter and paper of the 21st, which was most acceptable, as it happened to be, once more, the only paper of that date at head-quarters, and of course the only one which had the accounts from the French papers of Bonaparte’s having left Paris, and of the state of their armies, &c. Finding this to be the case I hastened to read it, and laid it, with three Courts-martial, before Lord Wellington; more particularly, among other things, pointing out to him a malicious letter against him, from Lisbon, stating the discontent of the cavalry officers at having their horses turned over to the Germans, and at its being done by a German officer, &c., and the disgrace at being sent home dismounted. He read it through, and at every sentence of that part relating to the general state of the cavalry, he went on, with a laugh, “a lie!”—“a lie!”—“a lie!” except as to Lieutenant-colonel Sherlock’s being vexed at the regiment being sent home. “That’s very true—all the rest is a lie!”
I think we are still likely to be here for some days. The pontoons are only expected to arrive in this neighbourhood to-morrow, and I have then heard it whispered that we shall not stir until they are on the banks of the river, or indeed till they are fixed ready. The brigade of heavy artillery, namely, six eighteen-pounders, were encamped about two miles from hence on Thursday, and I went over to see them. The difficulty of transport may be conceived when I tell you that there were above a hundred and sixty of the strongest oxen employed in getting these six pieces, with the appurtenances, along the road, besides spare animals.
The next day the whole proceeded to Almeyda; this, and what I hear about the pontoons, makes me conceive that a part of the army at least will cross the Douro immediately, somewhere in the vicinity of Eschalona; but of course I can only conjecture, and am very much in the dark on the subject. The troops still remain at Lamego, Vizeu, Cea, Coria, Maimento, &c.; the cavalry only round by Oporto, and some of General Hill’s, have moved yet. The Hussar brigade are now all up near us, and the Household troops all in the road on this and the other side of Sabugal. Some of the Blues have been here; they are in fine order. I saw some horses as fat as in England; I hear, however, a much worse account of the Life-Guard horses. Colonel H., of the Blues, says that he does not see why his horses should not continue to be in as good condition as they are now, and look as well through the campaign; the other soldiers here, however, say, “Wait for a little duty and starvation, and then talk; you have done nothing but come up in the best time of the year, in the grass season.”
I dined yesterday at head-quarters, to meet General Graham. He is a very fine old man, but does not indeed look quite fit for this country work; every one seems to think and say the same, and also that he is broken since he was here. It is really to be regretted that such a fine old man should be exposed as he must be. General Picton was also there, and seemed in full vigour. All the great guns come here to pay their respects to head-quarters. Lord Wellington is quite well again; was out hunting on Thursday, and, being kept in by rain all yesterday, is making up for it to-day by persisting in his expedition to the fourth division. He was to set out at seven this morning for the review of General Cole’s division, on a plain beyond Castel Rodrigues, about twenty-eight miles from hence, was to be on the ground about ten, and was to return to dinner to-day by four or five o’clock. This is something like vigour, and yet I think he overdoes it a little; he has, however, a notion that it is exercise which makes head-quarters more healthy than the rest of the army generally is, and that the hounds are one great cause of this.
Monday, May 10th.—The weather is, since yesterday, clearing up again, and is just now perfection—a mild sun, moist ground, and fine, genial, south-west wind: it will soon turn now to heat. I inquire daily about the pontoons, upon which our movement depends, and have now ascertained that they only left Castello Branco three days since, and that a commissariat clerk went yesterday to meet them with fresh animals at Sabugal. They cannot be here, it is clear, before the 13th and 14th, and so says General Picton, who passed the men on the road. If they are then to move on to be fixed, we cannot well stir before the 16th or 17th, and that seems the general opinion here now, though Lord Wellington appears to be impatient about it.
I have now to tell you of a piece of gaiety of mine yesterday. I went to leave a Court-martial with Lord Wellington about twelve o’clock; saw him, and found that he was at two o’clock to set out for another review of the Spanish cavalry of the Conde de Penne Villemur, who have often been mentioned, and were of use in General Hill’s surprise, &c. I had much curiosity to see these gentlemen, and finding, after calling upon the Adjutant-general, that I had only one summons to send out, I agreed with Lord Aylmer to go with him to this review, ran home, wrote, sent off my summons, dressed, &c., got my black horse equipped in his best also, and at one we set off for Huero, near which the cavalry were ordered to assemble, on the Agueda. It was about twelve or thirteen miles distant, and we got there, riding gently, soon after three, having gone about two miles round, under the guidance of Colonel B——, close to the Quinta de Agueda, a pretty farm and gentleman’s house (so esteemed here), in a wild, park-like scene in the wood. I knew the road well, for it was nearly my way to Guinaldo, but I had no objection to see this Quinta, so took merit for my modesty, but only undertook to be guide home. The meadows were quite green, the woods all coming out in leaf, and the thorn in blossom.
At about a mile from this place we fell in with Lord Wellington and his aides-de-camp, who had got over, in about an hour and twenty minutes, by my road. The party then consisted of Lord Wellington, Lord F. Somerset, Colonel C. Campbell, the Prince of Orange, his aide-de-camp, Lord Aylmer, Colonel B——, and myself; and I assure you the black went neighing about in high spirits, looking very sleek and respectable. On the ground we were met by the Spanish generals O’Donnell and O’Lalor, and found the cavalry drawn up in front of the river in open order, about seven hundred in all. The first and best regiment was that of Algarve, the second was that of Estremadura, and then came on the left a single squadron of partizans, to be the regiment de Gallicia. The two first regiments were tolerably clothed, and some of the men fine-looking fellows, all very fierce in appearance, with their dark faces and black beards, &c. The arms, though not uniform, good enough; the greater part with our cavalry broadsword and carbine, but many with our sailors’ long straight boarding-sword, and no bad weapon either—I should think the best of the two. The helmets—black and steel, or rather bright iron—were serviceable, and seemed to have seen no little service; many, however, were black and brass, belonging to other regiments, of Saguntum, &c.; the belts generally white, at least those of the Algarve regiment, many black in the other. The horses, in general, very small, and some scarcely fit for duty, but for the most part apparently well fed, and in very-fair condition; out of the two one very tolerable set might have been chosen, as good, I understand, as many French regiments have been when here.
The left squadron of Portuguese were queer-looking gentlemen, in dirty brown, blue, and green jackets of all hues and ages; one fellow among them was quite a monster in size, and excited much notice. Lord Wellington quite burst out into a laugh as he passed. After his lordship and his suite had passed in front and in the rear of the whole, as in England, they passed him in troops and saluted. The officers then appeared the worst—they were awkward louts; some did not salute at all, some in a most clumsy manner; but perhaps this was not a custom with them, as they had inquired what was usual with us. They were, many of them, however, round-shouldered, dirty, ill-looking men. Lord Wellington desired them to form once into close column, and then to deploy again, and as there was more room across the river, desired it might be done there. We galloped across, and then the scene of the cavalry passing the ford was very picturesque, as the day was very fine and the mountains and country in great beauty. This was between Huero and Castilegos. They manœuvred thus much very tolerably, that is, the regiment, for the squad of partizans remained behind practising the broadsword. The ground on which the regiments were reviewed was quite a bog.