Impediments having arisen to the fulfilment of that article of the convention which relates to the cession of Elvas by the French to the British army, in consequence of the unexpected and unaccountable conduct of the commander in chief of the army of Estremadura, in bombarding that place, and endeavouring to impose upon the French garrison terms of capitulation different from those which were agreed upon by the British and French generals in chief; and as the British corps sent to take possession of the above fortress, and to hold it in the name of the prince regent until reinforced by a body of Portuguese troops, is not of sufficient strength to preclude the possibility of insult, should the general above mentioned persevere in the contemptuous and hostile disposition he has hitherto shown; I have therefore thought it advisable to order the remainder of your division, and general Paget’s advanced guard, to cross the Tagus, and to occupy cantonments as near as possible to the place above mentioned. In the mean time colonel Graham is gone to Badajos to expostulate with general Galluzzo on the singular and very inexplicable line of conduct he has seen cause to adopt....
No. XIII.
JUSTIFICATORY EXTRACTS FROM SIR JOHN MOORE’S AND OTHER CORRESPONDENCE.
SECTION I.—RELATING TO WANT OF MONEY.
Sir John Moore to lord William Bentinck, October 22, 1808.
“Sir David Baird has unfortunately been sent out without money. He has applied to me, and I have none to give him.” ... “I undertake my march in the hope that some will arrive; if it does not, it will add to the number of a great many distresses.”
Sir John Moore to general Hope, October 22, 1808.
“Baird has sent his aide-de-camp Gordon to me: he is without money, and his troops only paid to September. He can get none at Coruña.”