News from France—Lord Fitzroy Somerset—Departure of the Prince of Orange—Exchange of Prisoners—Proximity of the two Armies—Wellington’s Cooks—Warlike Movements—French Attack—The Guards—-Deserters—More Fighting.
Head-quarters, St. Jean de Luz,
December 2, 1813.
My dear M——,
At last we have got a mail from England. Your papers give us little public news, that is, news to us, for you have no late accounts from the Allies, and French papers we always get sooner this way. Thus we have long known of Bonaparte’s arrival at Paris, which you only just now communicate to us. Lord Wellington has, I understand, news of a rising in Holland; and this has been confirmed by our reports through the French, who, in conversation with Dashwood yesterday, when he went in with a flag-of-truce, and a parcel of women, seemed to admit it. We had had this as a report before the arrival of the packet, and Major Dashwood therefore tried to pump them on the subject. We have also had a report here that Admiral Young had taken the Texel fleet; but as no news of this sort has reached us from you, we fear from dates that this must be all false.
This is only a Passages report from some straggling ships, not French news. The deserters who come in also from Bayonne, and the returned inhabitants, all state that the Italian regiments here have been removed to the rear; at least all Italian officers have given up their lodgings and have packed up. I think now that they will scarcely rely much upon the Dutch either, and there were some line men and several good officers of that nation here. I told you that the only two officers who were disinterested, and most uniformly civil to us whilst we were prisoners, were two Dutchmen of the 130th regiment.
The Burgundy side of France (Switzerland being with us) is certainly as unguarded as this frontier, except by a naturally strong country in places. Strasburg, almost the only strong place except our old friends Huningen and Kehl, is far removed, and the latter may probably be left on one side, but for all this the French Italian army must be well disposed of first.
If Lord Charles Somerset deserves promotion as well as our Military Secretary here, the grumbling you mention against his appointment must be unfounded. The latter gets through a great amount of business with little assistance, and always quite in public, almost in a common coffee or lounging room, in the midst of talking, noise, joking, and confusion. The Prince of Orange left us yesterday. As he used to be one of the above loungers, this put me in mind of him. He has had a complaint in his eyes, and could not embark before yesterday, when he did so with a fair wind. His arrival, however, and all news about him will precede this. The French, yesterday, when told that he was going off for England, said, “Oh they supposed that it was in consequence of what had happened in Holland.” In short, the French seem still (as when I was in France and now even more so) willing to listen to all bad news against Bonaparte, and do not make the least of it at all. All exchange of officers here has now, I fear, at last been broken off, and angry letters have passed. How fortunate I was! I will send in your French Captain Le Fevre’s letter concerning his exchange, if an opportunity should offer soon, and it is permitted.
Friday, December 3rd.—I find Lord Wellington’s news about a Dutch insurrection came to him by a telegraphic note from Mr. Croker, dated the 20th ult. This is a grand point. Next for Italy, and then we shall do; and after twenty-three years of murder, we have a reasonable chance of being able to give the military word when things go wrong,—“As you were.”
The Prince of Orange, from all appearances here, where the sea has been tremendous, must have had a most famous passage; but I should think a quick one, as the wind has been fair. We have a notion that he has been chased by four French frigates which have escaped from some French port. I yesterday gave a grand dinner at the French café here; the dinner was abundant, and from the paucity of materials the variety was surprising. Ten dishes for the first course, two removes for the soups; ten for the second course, rotis and sweets together; ten for dessert; and we were ten in company, and two excuses—dinner for twelve. Some dishes were admirable, particularly all the patisseries. The champaign excellent; Madeira and sherry very fair; port and claret very moderate. I am now paying the bill, and the tout ensemble is forty dollars.
I spoke to Lord Wellington this morning about the French Captain’s letter you sent to me. He laughed and said, “Yes, when you can, you may send it; but the whole matter is now at an end, and your companions are all sent to the rear, as Bonaparte has refused to let the exchanges take place, unless three French go for one British, one Spaniard, and one Portuguese. The old squabble in Mackenzie’s negotiation, and though very flattering to us as English, very unpleasant to our poor prisoners.”