final result of the contest, Sir John Moore's plan of operations, and its execution, actually saved Spain from complete subjugation at that time. He drew Buonaparté from the south to the north; ruined his equipments, diminished the number of his army, and so harassed his troops as to prevent the possibility of making any progress for several months. The breathing time afforded by these means, and by the Austrian war, was employed by the Spaniards in recovering from their terrors. In the weak defence made in parliament by Mr. Canning for Mr. Frère, whom he had so injudiciously selected as the British minister plenipotentiary in Spain, and clothed with such extravagant powers, some dark insinuations were thrown out against the conduct of the general. The hint was instantly seized by some of the hirelings of administration, who, after an eager search for a fault in the conduct of the campaign, pretended that he ought to have defended the passes of Gallicia. But those who possess the slightest knowledge of military affairs, by casting their eyes on the map, will see at once, that had this been attempted, Buonaparté, by his numerous corps, would easily have sent detachments round into the rear, blocked up the communication with the sea, and thus have surrounded the British army. It appears that exclusive of small passes and mule paths, there was a practicable road for the French not 30 miles distant from that which the English had taken. Under these circumstances, Sir

John Moore knowing that another road was open which he did not dare to occupy, as it would have been dangerous to have divided so small an army, did not delay an hour more than was absolutely necessary, the retreat of the army. And it is a fact, that a Spanish battalion made good their way through small passes or mulepaths, on their march to join the Marquis of Romana.

Besides, this province of Spain is so destitute of provisions, that though Sir David Baird, in conformity to the orders repeatedly sent him by Sir John Moore when he first entered Gallicia, attempted to form magazines; little more could be collected than what was required for the daily subsistence of the troops; and the country was quickly so exhausted, that some hundreds of the Marquis of Romana's men were actually famished in the neighbourhood of Astorga. From this dearth, chiefly, Sir John Moore was compelled to detach from his small army, General Crauford with three thousand men; and to send them to Vigo by Orense. Unless then, the troops could have subsisted upon snow, it was impossible for them to remain in that country;-we have not heard of any military man maintaining the propriety of an attempt to make a stand at the passes of Gallicia, except Colonel Charmilly.

While General Moore was conveyed in the manner above-mentioned from the field, Captain Harding observing that his sword incommoded him, attempted to unbuckle

buckle it: "It is as well as it is," said he, "calmly: I had rather it should go out of the field with me." He was so sensible of his approaching dissolution, that he said to the surgeons who offered their assistance, "You can be of no service to me: go to the soldiers, to whom you may be useful. -You know," said he to his friend Colonel Anderson," that I have always wished to die this way. I hope the people of England will be satisfied: I hope my country will do me justice." The remainder of his moments were consecrated to tender remembrances, and inquiries about the fate of his friends. He was buried in his uniform upon the ramparts of Corunna; where a monument to his memory has been since raised by the Marquis Romana.* A monument also, in consequence of an address to his Majesty by the House of Commons, was ordered to be erected to his memory in the Cathedral Church of St. Paul's, London.

His Royal Highness the Duke of York, commander in chief of the British army, which he had raised to a state of the most distinguished excellence, while he was not more attentive to discipline and good order, than to the comfort of the soldiers and the good of their families, in the general order issued by his command, after the return of the army from Spain, bestows on its late commander the following just and elegantly simple praise. The life of Sir John

* Vide Chronicle, p. 375.

Moore was spent among the troops. During the season of repose his time was devoted to the care and instruction of the officer and soldier. In war, he courted service in every quarter of the globe. Regardless of personal considerations, he esteemed that to which his country called him, the post of honour! And by his undaunted spirit and unconquerable perseverance, he pointed the way to victory. His country, the object of his latest solicitude, will rear a monument to his lamented memory. And the commander-in-chief feels that he is paying the best tribute to his memory, in thus holding him up as an example to the army."

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It is not to be supposed that this encomium would have been made on Sir John Moore by any commander-in-chief, at all under the influence, or of the same party with the ministers of the day, from whom the general had repeatedly met with slights and injustice, and who had discovered and loudly declared, that he had found all things in Spain the very reverse what the ministry had represented them to be; and, in short, advised them to send no more troops to Spain. The animating breath of justice is to an army what that of liberty is to a state. The Duke of York, therefore, elevated by his royal dignity far above ministerial cabals and interested views, did not hesitate to hold up Sir John Moore, though as it were in the teeth of certain ministers, as an example to the army. It is not necessary to go

go far back in the history of the Duke of York's predecessors in the high and important office of commander in chief, to illustrate the evils that may arise to the army, when the person who holds it is not above an understanding with the heads of political parties, and even factions.

There are some points in the account that has been just given of Sir John Moore's campaign in Spain, such as the extreme ignorance of the British ministry and their agents of the real state of Spain, the imbecility of the Junta, and the treachery of many Spaniards of the higher ranks there are many things in our account of this campaign that might well appear incredible, if they were not authenticated by so great a profusion of official documents, and by the official correspondence of Sir John Moore, arranged into a kind of digressive or miscellane

ous narrative, in which, however, the main object is kept still in view by Mr. James Moore, the general's brother, whose publication on the present subject has been our principal, though by no means our only guide. Yet we are well assured, that the passages in that correspondence, bearing the hardest on the conduct of both the British and Spanish government, have been suppressed.

The campaign in Spain was allowed on all hands, with the exception of weak insinuations above noticed, to have been conducted by Sir John Moore with great glory to himself, his army, and his country; and with it no small advantage to the cause of Spain. But the conduct of the parties who planned the expedition, became one of the principal objects of discussion in the British Parliament which was assembled early in 1809.

CHAP.

ration of the immense interests at stake in the war now carrying on, that they should proceed with as little delay as possible, to consider the most effectual measures for the augmentation of the regular army.*

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An Address to his Majesty, which was an echo to the Lords' Commissioners speech, was moved by the Earl of Bridgewater, and seconded by Lord Sheffield. But the Earl of St. Vincent rose, and said, That the Address just read was such, that no man who had a veneration for his sovereign, or a love for his country, could ever assent to. Some parts of it, which went to express a determined hostility to the common enemy, and firm resolution to carry on the war against him, all must approve. But when he adverted to the manner in which that opposition to him had been conducted on the peninsula of Europe, it was wholly impossible not to express both sorrow and indignation. He would assert it in the face of the country, and in the face of the world, that it was the greatest disgrace that had befallen Great Britain since the days of the Revolution; and this he openly declared, whether he took into consideration the manner in which the war was carried on in Portugal, or the way in which our troops had been sent there. Transports were hired, and great merit was to be attributed, forsooth, to ministers in providing these transports. But the public ought to be undeceived upon that head; there was not a tittle of merit in the case; it was only going to market, and offering a little

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more than the market price, and transports were to be obtained in abundance. He wished, however, to notice the important services to which these transports were eventually applied; why truly," said his lordship, "they were at last employed to convey the rascally ruffians whom Junot commanded, to that part of France which was nearest the boundaries of Spain, that they might, as speedily as possible, be again brought into action, with more effect against our soldiers. that those devils," added his lordship, "are at this moment harassing the rear of our retreating army." The impolicy of sending British troops to Portugal he always disapproved; but the result of the war there he was disgusted with and then the delay that prevailed before we sent a man from thence towards Spain, was disgraceful. In fact it would seem as if ministers had not even a geographic knowledge of the country through which our troops were to pass, insomuch that they ought to go again to school, to make themselves masters of it. But their ignorance of that species of knowledge, one would suppose, was official; for a "Heaven-born Minister," just after he first came into power, asked whether Port Mahon was in Europe or not? and the persons at present in power manifested just the same local ignorance, when they sent an army to

traverse a wild and inhospitable country, at the very commencement of the rainy reason, to drink new wine, and to be overwhelmed with disease as well as fatigue.

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