My Dear, Dear Father,
I arrived at this place this evening after being three days on the road since I left Falmouth, and most completely tired of Cornish moors and Cornish travelling at 4½ miles an hour. I only reached Bodmin instead of Launceston the first day, and Oakhampton on the next, and though I intended to have remained this day at Exeter and rested, I resolved, having lost a day, to push on, and, except I find myself unusually unwell, shall proceed by short stages to London without halting an entire day anywhere, and about the 22nd I hope to arrive. I am happy to say I have borne the journey better than I expected notwithstanding the weather, which has been much against me. I am, however, a good deal fatigued, and it is not unlikely I may be forced to remain a day on the road. I did not send you the reports by the Stag merchant vessel from Oporto, as considering dates and circumstances they appear to me quite improbable, not to say quite impossible. That a battle took place so that accounts reached Porto on the 7th is impossible, (as we sailed on the 4th, and such a thing was not expected), except indeed we can do away all improbabilities, those of the French attacking us, and then, en militaire, I do believe their defeat inevitable, and that Ld. Wn. attacked them I do not believe. Pray give my most affecte. love to my beloved Mother, I am, etc., etc., Yr. ever affectionate son,
Wm. Warre.
1811.
CHAPTER V
INTRODUCTION
During the early part of the year William Warre was at home, an invalid, under the care of his family. He gradually recovered his strength, and by the end of April was pronounced convalescent, the medical authorities allowing him to start for Portugal as soon after 1st May as he could find conveyance.
Meanwhile great events had occurred in the Peninsula, absence from which fretted him much. In January 1811 Marshal Soult had invested Badajos, which was surrendered by Imaz on 11th March. After securing Badajos, Soult, whose presence was required in Andalusia, returned to the south.
Masséna had early in March retired from Santarem, but still held on tenaciously to Portuguese soil, from which he was not driven till after the combat of Sabugal on 3rd April. In the interval Beresford had recaptured Campo Mayor and Olivença. He had now 22,000 men under his command. With these he proceeded to lay siege to Badajos. Wellington, who on 20th April had come to Elvas, was soon summoned back to his army, which was investing Almeida, by the news of a forward movement on the part of Masséna. Reinforced by detachments from Bessières, he had now a force of full 40,000 men at his disposal, and was strong in cavalry, in which the allies were weak. Followed on 5th May the battle of Fuentes d’Onoro, which was fought to cover the blockade of Almeida, and was almost not a victory for Wellington. On the 8th the French retreated. On the 10th the French garrison of Almeida, under General Brennier, made their escape. Meantime Soult from the south again advanced to relieve Badajos, which Beresford was besieging with no adequate battering train. The latter took up a position at Albuera, a few miles to the south-east of Badajos, where, on the 16th of May, was fought the fiercest battle of the war, the memories of which have been enshrined in immortal prose by Napier. Towards the middle of May, Marmont succeeded Masséna in the command of the army of Portugal. Poor King Joseph about the same time attempted, but in vain, to divest his head of the crown, which caused it so much uneasiness, and to retire into private life. On 25th May Badajos was for a second time surrounded, but not for long. The siege was raised again early in June. At the end of May, Wellington was blockading Ciudad Rodrigo.
Hostilities after this dragged on without any events of great moment, until in September Marmont advanced to relieve Ciudad Rodrigo. After the action of El Bodon, the allied army, which was in a critical position, in the face of superior numbers and a vastly superior force of cavalry, withdrew to the hilly ground of the upper valley of the Coa, and the French Marshal, having missed the opportunity of striking a decisive blow, retired, with the result that Ciudad Rodrigo was again invested. The fact was that the country was exhausted, and the French army, which had lived upon the country, could no longer find supplies.