SECTION III.—RELATING TO EQUIPMENT AND SUPPLIES.
Sir John Moore to lord Castlereagh, October 9, 1808.
“At this instant the army is without equipment of any kind, either for the carriage of the light baggage of regiments, artillery stores, commissariat stores, or other appendages of an army, and not a magazine is formed on any of the routes by which we are to march.”
Sir John Moore to lord Castlereagh, Oct. 18, 1808.
“In none of the departments is there any want of zeal, but in some of the important ones there is much want of experience.” ... “I have no hope of getting forward at present with more than the light baggage of the troops, the ammunition immediately necessary for the service of the artillery, and a very scanty supply of medicines.”
Sir John Moore’s Journal.
“My anxiety is to get out of the rugged roads of Portugal before the rains.”
Sir John Moore to lord William Bentinck, Oct. 22, 1808.
“The season of the year admitting of no delay, there was a necessity for beginning the march, and trusting for information and supplies as we get on unfortunately our commissariat is inexperienced, and a **** of a contractor, Mr. Sattaro, has deceived us.”
Sir David Baird to sir John Moore, October 29, 1808.