Authority. Extract from sir John Moore’s letter to Mr. Stuart.
1st December, 1808. “At Zamora there are three or four thousand stand of arms, in other places there may be more. If they remain collected in towns they will be taken by the enemy.”
7º. History. “Sir John Hope’s division was ordered to pass the Duero at Tordesillas.”
Authority. Extract of a letter from sir John Moore to sir David Baird, 12th Dec. 1808.
“Lord Paget is at Toro, to which place I have sent the reserve and general Beresford’s brigade, the rest of the troops from thence are moving to the Duero, my quarters to-morrow will be at Alaejos, Hope’s at Tordesillas.”
Now it is true that on the 14th sir John Moore, writing from Alaejos to sir David Baird, says that he had then resolved to change his direction, and instead of going to Valladolid should be at Toro on the 15th with all the troops; but as Hope was to have been at Tordesillas the same day that Moore was at Alaejos, namely on the 13th, he must have marched from thence to Toro; and where was the danger? The cavalry of his division under general C. Stewart had already surprized the French at Rueda, higher up the Duero, and it was well known no infantry were nearer than the Carion.
8º. History. “Sir John Moore was not put in communication with any person with whom he could communicate at all.”
Authority. Extracts from sir John Moore’s letters and Journal, 19th and 28th November.
“I am not in communication with any of the Spanish generals, and neither know their plans nor those of their government. No channel of information has been opened to me, and I have no knowledge of the force or situation of the enemy, but what as a stranger I picked up.”—“I am in communication with no one Spanish army, nor am I acquainted with the intentions of the Spanish government or any of its generals. Castaños with whom I was put in correspondence is deprived of his command at the moment I might have expected to hear from him, and La Romana, with whom I suppose I am now to correspond, (for it has not been officially communicated to me,) is absent, God knows where.”
9º. History. “Sir John’s first intention was to move upon Valladolid, but at Alaejos an intercepted despatch of the prince of Neufchatel was brought to head-quarters, and the contents were important enough to change the direction of the march. Valderas was given as the point of union with Baird.”