Hd. Qrs., Mango Alde, May 3rd, 1810.
My Dearest Father,
It is indeed difficult to express to you the pleasure with which I read your very affectionate kind letter of the 8th of April. The approbation you express of my conduct (founded on the flattering accounts of my friends always willing to gratify a parent’s feelings) is the greatest reward I can ever wish for.
I avail myself of a courier, which the Marshal is sending to Lisbon, to write these few lines and to inform you that soon after my return from Porto to Coimbra, the Marshal went over to Vizeu, but I remained behind to rest my horses. But on the 26th, owing to some movement of the mounseers upon Ciudad Rodrigo, our army received orders to march immediately, which they did on the 27th, on which day I arrived at Vizeu, and found, to my great satisfaction, that the Marshal, who, I heard, was ill, was nearly recovered, and only suffered from a very severe cold. We remained there till the 1st, giving time to our troops to arrive, and then moved the Hd. Quarters to this place, and to-day, the 3rd May, we move on the Fornos d’Algodres, where we expect to remain a few days. This, however, must depend on the movements of the enemy, or Lord Wellington’s plans, and I am as ignorant of the intentions of the one as of the other. I conjecture that if they persist in the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, an action is inevitable. Our Army is in the highest spirits—and we all wish it. Notwithstanding the very unfavourable weather we have had, as it has rained incessantly during the whole of their march, the Portuguese troops are in the highest spirits, and seem anxious to prove the good effects of their discipline and reorganisation.
English Hd. Qrs. are at Celorico and the Army in that neighbourhood advanced as far as Gallegos. The French are about Tamames, St Espiritu, and advances before Cd. Rodrigo. Ballesteros, in the Sierra Morena, has been beaten, but not routed, “que milagre.”[19] Genl. Hill made a forward movement at the end of last month in order to disengage O’Donnel the Spanish General, who was at Albuquerque. But on the French retreating he returned to Portalegre. Their Germans and Italians desert in great numbers. I have seen several parties of them who are remarkably fine men, and very well clothed, but they complain of never being paid, and that the French treat them like canaille. Nor have they enough to eat. Many more would desert, but they are afraid of the Spanish and Portuguese peasantry, who murder every thing that wears a French uniform. Yesterday 23 went through from Braganza. They were Prussians taken at Jena and forced to serve. They told me they had rather serve us than the enemies of their country. I never saw finer men.
I now come, my dear Father, to a part that interests us more nearly, and I am very sorry to tell you that dear Clara has (notwithstanding the trouble I was at in preparing everything for her removal) refused to quit the convent. I have written to her in the strongest manner, and urged the propriety of this temporary inconvenience in the most forcible language, telling her how impossible it will be for me, should real danger occur, to break my trust by warning her even distantly, my principal reason for wishing to remove her, but all in vain. The nuns do all they can to prevent her, and every intrigue is used. It is their interest they fancy that she should remain, and you know the power those silly women have over her mind. She is, I fear, unwell with the agitation, and when Frè Bernardo went to bring her away, she pleaded illness not to see him, and he came away as he went. I am much vexed and annoyed at her resistance, but can do no more. It places me in a most unpleasant situation. I, however, enclose hers and the Abbess’ answers to my letters, and from them you will be able to judge of what I have had to fight against. I really believe, poor thing, that she is ill, and dare not press her farther, and trust only that neither herself or any of her friends may have reason to repent her folly.
I am very much obliged to you for the maps of the Tagus, Spain, and Portugal. The latter I much wanted.
I am not surprised at Wilson’s not mentioning the Marshal, who has no reason to be pleased with him. Nobody will deny him courage and talents as a Partizan, but to those who know facts, the attempt at thanks in the House are more adapted to make him appear ridiculous, than to do him honour. He can never want a trumpeter while he lives, and no man better knows the art de se faire valoir. He must really be a clever fellow, to have, with 700 undisciplined Portuguese, checked 30,000 French, terrified them much, and at the same time covered upper and lower Beira, Almeida, Ciudad Rodrigo, and ensured the retreat of English detachments, which the enemy never attempted to impede. Many other of his deeds, mentioned by the Hon. member, we never heard of. He is a very good fellow as a companion, and a very able light troop Officer, and if he would not attempt to be more than he really is, would be more respected. His conduct to the Marshal I can never approve, and he himself must feel lowered in his own estimation by it.
I have been obliged to leave a horse I gave 80 guineas for lame at Coimbra, and am reduced to two. On my return to Lisbon, however, whenever that period arrives I shall be able to buy another without drawing on England at all.