No. XVII.
Extract of a letter from the marquis of Wellington to lieutenant-general sir John Murray, dated Freneda, April 6th, 1813.
“In regard to feeding the Spanish troops in Spain, I have invariably set my face against it and have never consented to it or done it, even for a day in any instance. My reasons are, first that it entails upon Great Britain an expense which the country is unable to bear; secondly, that it entails upon the department of the army which undertakes it a detail of business, and a burthen in respect to transport, and other means to which the departments if formed upon any moderate scale must be quite unequal; thirdly, I know from experience that if we don’t interfere, the Spanish troops, particularly if paid as yours are, and in limited numbers, will not want food in any part of Spain, whereas the best and most experienced of our departments would not be able to draw from the country resources for them. I have already consented to the formation of a magazine for the use of general Whittingham and general Roche’s corps for a certain number of days, if it should be found necessary to give them assistance of this description. I can go no farther, and I earnestly recommend to you if you give assistance to all, to give over a magazine to last a given time, but not to take upon yourself to supply the Spanish troops engaged in operations. If, however, you should notwithstanding this recommendation take upon yourself to give such supplies, I must object, as commander-in-chief of the Spanish army, to your giving more than bread to the troops who receive pay, as that is positively contrary to the regulations and customs of the Spanish army. I recommend to you also to attend with caution to the demands of both general Whittingham and general Roche, and to observe that in proportion as you will comply with their demands, demands will be made upon you by general Elio and others, and you will involve yourself in a scale of expense and difficulty, which will cramp all your operations, and which is quite inconsistent with the views of government on the eastern coast of the Peninsula.”
No. XVIII.
General state of the French army, April 15, 1812.
Extracted from the Imperial Muster-rolls.
| Present under Arms. | Detached. | Hosp. | Total. | ||||
| Armée de | Men. | Horses. | Men. | Horses. | Men. | Horses. | |
| Midi | 55,797 | 11,014 | 2,498 | 700 | 6,065 | 64,360 | 11,714 |
| Centre | 19,148 | 3,993 | 144 | 51 | 624 | 19,916 | 4,044 |
| Portugal | 56,937 | 8,108 | 4,394 | 2,278 | 7,706 | 69,037 | 10,386 |
| Ebre | 16,830 | 1,873 | 21 | 6 | 3,425 | 20,276 | 1,879 |
| Arragon | 14,786 | 3,269 | 2,695 | 658 | 1,467 | 18,948 | 3,927 |
| Catalogne | 28,924 | 1,259 | 1,163 | 49 | 5,540 | 35,627 | 1,308 |
| Nord | 48,232 | 7,074 | 1,309 | 72 | 8,677 | 58,276 | 7,213 |
| Total | 240,654 | 36,590 | 12,224 | 3,614 | 33,504 | 286,440 | 40,471 |
| Reserve de Bayonne | 4,038 | 157 | 36 | 35 | 865 | 4,939 | 192 |
| General Total | 244,692 | 36,747 | 12,260 | 3,849 | 34,369 | 291,370 | 40,663 |
| Civic guards attached to the army of the south. | 6,497 | 1,655 | ” | ” | 258 | 6,755 | 1,497 |
| Troupes Espagnols. | 33,952 | 525 | ” | ” | ” | 33,952 | 525 |
| Total Espagnols | 40,449 | 2,180 | ” | ” | 258 | 40,707 | 2,022 |