Chapter C: Boothby

_July 6, 1806._

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MONTE LEONE, _July 11, 1806_.

MY EVER DEAREST MOTHER-- ... The day after I wrote you an account
of the battle we advanced some miles beyond the field towards the
Adriatic, just under the town of Maida. The enemy had retired
to Catanzaro, and it was generally expected that we should seek
another battle before he could reinforce himself. It was judged,
however, that the coming up with him was precarious, and the
advantage of the chance of beating him still more--not adequate to
the inconvenience of harassing the victors this burning weather,
which reasoning was probably strengthened by the risk of any
junction having been formed between two parties of the enemy’s
force. No prejudgment would have given victory to five thousand
men against eight, supposed to be the best troops in the world,
fully prepared for the enterprise against them, having all the
local advantages and local knowledge, commanded by a General of the
greatest reputation, and particularly for manœuvring skill.

Our General went into the field under the idea that the force he
was to attack was between two and three thousand men.

The fatal error of the French General was that, obstinately blind
to experience, he despised his enemy--an enemy which the battles of
Egypt should have taught him to consider at least equal to himself.
He had suffered prejudice to mislead him until his slaughtered and
flying troops and the severe personal wound forced open his eyes;
but he opened them too late. In defiance of the general principle
to avoid an invading enemy until you have involved him in a country
of which he is ignorant, and from your own knowledge are certain
to destroy him, General Regnier descended from the advantages of
his position to fight front to front in the plain.

With the battle of the 21st of March before his eyes, he tells his
troops that those very Egyptian regiments cannot stand the bayonet.
The deluded Frenchmen charge with confidence, and, expecting to
pursue hares, are met by lions.

The same error which has been so fatal to so many Generals was
fatal to Menon, and was deservedly still more fatal to Regnier; for
Menon could not know us, and Regnier would not.

But I stray from the point.

After staying a day under Maida the troops marched to Monte Leone,
and there the General missed his baggage, which did not turn up
until yesterday, when the General’s cook gave a very good account
of himself. The inhabitants of the country were to be deceived as
to the intentions of the retrograde movement, and consequently what
conversation could be gleaned from the General’s table tended to an
advance to Catanzaro. The troops marched backwards at two in the
morning, but the baggage, with a guard of thirty men, not being
properly attended to, was not quite so alert, but marched about an
hour later towards the enemy, whose outposts (taking this little
force for our advanced guard) retired and gave intelligence of the
approach of the English army, which, corresponding with the report
of our intentions, the enemy left Catanzaro to thirty men commanded
by a cook, and retreated with precipitation to the borders of the
Adriatic. The quick cook, smelling the rat, squeezed himself into
the General’s coat and personated the General, until, finding
himself neither attacked by the French nor joined by the English,
he could retire without disgrace and seek the true situation of his
allies.

The design of the march through Calabria was to seize the enemy’s
garrisons and stores all the way to Reggio, which is just opposite
Messina. This has already been done, as Reggio has been taken
by a party from Messina, so that we now expect to embark from
Pizzo, which lies just before this place. But _nothing you know is
certain_.

In taking possession of the stores we have seen innumerable papers.
One letter from Regnier[30] says, “When I have been with the
English I shall come to you. They are only 12,000. I shall very
soon finish with them.” Somewhere else he says he will take good
care that we shall not reach our shipping again. Indeed everything
betrays a most ridiculous confidence, arising not only from the
consciousness of great merit (which was just), but from a most
unreasonable contempt of an enemy which had before shown itself
superior. Every prisoner whom I have heard speak upon the subject
acknowledges to have been deceived, and condemns the order to
charge an unbroken regiment. The French soldiers are generally
remarkably fine men.

My dearest mother, I have not written you a very proper letter for
a lady, but to make it a little more acceptable it assures you of
my perfect health and spirits and constant love and affection to
all of you. Adieu, my dearest mother.--Your most affectionate and
devoted son,

C. B.

1808

EXPEDITION TO SWEDEN

TWO LETTERS TO SIR BROOKE BOOTHBY, Bart., from CAPTAIN CHARLES BOOTHBY[31]

_Quite private. Don’t speak of this._

_July 1, 1808._

MY DEAR UNCLE--We are certainly bound for England. Sir John Moore
was made prisoner at Stockholm, and escaped in disguise, having, I
suppose, been previously provided with couriers’ passes, etc.

I am now going on board the _Victory_ to ask Sir John if there will
be any objection to your going in this ship, and as no objection
can be made, you had better, if it suits you, put yourself afloat
as soon as possible, as we shall sail to-morrow.

If you think of any comforts for yourself on the voyage, procure
them. We have no tea.

God bless you.

You may as well make use of the boat that brought Jack, bringing
him also with you.

C. B.

To Sir Brooke Boothby, Bart.,
Seagerlind’s Hotel.

* * * * *

_2nd July 1808._

MY DEAR UNCLE--The information I sent you yesterday was from the
Fountain head, and is indeed perfectly true.

The General found himself, by his instructions, obliged to return
to England, but the King wished him to wait for despatches from
England. This the General declined, upon which he received a
message in the night not to leave Stockholm without the King’s
consent.

Sir John sent a messenger to embark the army and horses
immediately, and then remonstrated through the minister. No
attention was paid, until a second remonstrance was made, when the
prohibition was repeated.

Sir John then made his escape in his travelling dress. The
Secretary of Legation drove him beyond the first stage in his
curricle, and a messenger was despatched by Mr. Thornton with
orders to take him up on the road. This is incredible, but
_certainly_ true.

I went on board the _Victory_ yesterday. Sir J. M. was very kind,
and went himself to the Admiral to get an order for your coming on
board this ship (which I carried through its several stages), and
she is prepared to receive you, and Mr. Christer will describe her
accommodations. If you come you will be sorry to learn that I am
not going straight to England, being ordered on board the _Superb_,
at the request of Admiral Keats, to _reconnoitre_ the little Isle
of Sproe in the Belt, after which I shall be sent to England by
the first ship of war that goes. Pray, if I do not see you this
evening (for I shall not go on board the _Admiral_ till to-morrow),
communicate this to Edwinstowe. It is an excursion which I am
delighted to make, because it is creditable, useful, and agreeable.
I hope to see you here this evening. In the meantime believe me
ever most affectionately yours,

C. B.

Your fellow passengers are very pleasant young men--quite young.

Major Cockburn, the General’s secretary, arrived to-day. He
reports that on Wednesday the King did not know of Sir John’s
departure, which took place on Monday. When his Majesty does
discover it, he will not unlikely take some very strong, furious
measures. Therefore pray do not delay getting off.

1809

CORUNNA

Before reading the official despatches on the battle of Corunna it is important to have some idea of the plan adopted by the enemy, and it is with the greatest interest we read that,[32] “When Buonaparte received intelligence that the British were moving to the Duero,” he said, ‘Moore is the only General now fit to contend with me; I shall advance against him in person.’

“Orders were then sent to the Duke of Dalmatia to give way, if attacked, and to decoy the British to Burgos, or as far eastward as possible, and at the same time to push on a corps towards Leon, on their left flank. And should they attempt to retreat, he was ordered to impede this by every means in his power. The corps on the road to Badajoz was stopt, and ordered to proceed towards Salamanca, while he himself moved rapidly with all disposable force to Madrid, and the Escurial, directly to Benaventa. Neither Buonaparte nor any of his Generals had the least doubt of surrounding the British with between 60 and 70,000 men before they could reach Galicia.

“Sir John Moore, as appears both by his letters and his conduct, saw clearly the whole of this plan; he had prepared for the danger, calculated the time, and has acquired the glory of being _the first General who has frustrated Buonaparte_.”

LETTER from Lieut.-Gen. SIR DAVID BAIRD to Lord Viscount CASTLEREAGH, Secretary of State.

_London Gazette Extraordinary_

DOWNING STREET, _January 24, 1809_.

The Honourable Captain Hope arrived late last night with a
Despatch from Lieutenant-General Sir David Baird to Lord Viscount
Castlereagh, one of His Majesty’s Principal Secretaries of State,
of which the following is a copy:--

HIS MAJESTY’S SHIP “VILLE DE PARIS,”
AT SEA, _January 18, 1809_.

MY LORD--By the much-lamented death of Lieutenant-General Sir John
Moore, who fell in action with the Enemy on the 16th instant, it
has become my duty to acquaint your Lordship that the French[33]
army attacked the British[34] troops in the position they occupied
in front of Corunna at about two o’clock in the afternoon of that
day.

A severe wound, which compelled me to quit the field a short
time previous to the fall of Sir John Moore, obliges me to
refer your Lordship for the particulars of the action, which
was long and obstinately contested, to the enclosed report of
Lieutenant-General Hope, who succeeded to the command of the
army, and to whose ability and exertions in direction of the
ardent zeal and unconquerable valour of His Majesty’s troops is
to be attributed, under Providence, the success of the day, which
terminated in the complete and entire repulse and defeat of the
Enemy at every point of attack.

The honourable Captain Gordon, my Aide-de-Camp, will have the
honour of delivering this despatch, and will be able to give your
Lordship any further information which may be required.--I have the
honour to be, etc.,