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MEMOIR, 
 
 WRITTEN BY 
 
 GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE, BART. 
 
 PROCEEDINGS 
 
 AS CONNECTED WITH 
 
 THE AFFAIRS OF SPAIN, 
 
 AND 
 
 THE COMMENCEMENT 
 
 OF THE 
 
 PENINSULAR WAR. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 THOMAS AND WILLIAM BOONE, STRAND. 
 
 3VIDCCCXXX. 
 
-Da 
 
 HcNRY MORSE STEPHEM* 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 MARCHANT, PRINTER, I NG RAM-COURT. 
 
 y •«*"»-"> 
 
CJUCL 
 
 The following narrative, as will be seen in 
 the Introduction, was originally written by General 
 Sir Hew Dalrymple, as a family record. Circum- 
 stances afterwards induced him to adopt the reso- 
 lution of printing it, which his last illness alone 
 prevented him from doing. I have therefore 
 thought it a duty I owed to my Father's memory \ 
 to publish what he had prepared with much care f 
 exactly as I found it, in his own hand-writing. 
 
 I have added to the Appendix two letters, one 
 from Brigadier-General Anstruther, the other 
 from Lord William Bentinck, on the subject of 
 the Convention, conveying the opinions of two 
 distinguished Officers on the spot, as to the wisdom 
 of allowing the French to evacuate Portugal with 
 their Arms and Baggage. 
 
 ADOLPHUS JOHN DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Park-Street, Grosrenor- Square, 
 August, 1830. 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The first volume of Mr. Southey's History of 
 the Peninsular War had long been before the 
 public, and that of Lieutenant-Colonel Napier's 
 incomparable Work either published or on the 
 eve of publication, when the Marquess of Lon- 
 donderry's Narrative appeared. 
 
 I had early intimation that my name was 
 everywhere unfavourably mentioned in that pub- 
 lication ; but, as the share I had in the transac- 
 tions of that period had now become, if I may 
 be allowed to say so, matter of genuine history, 
 I should, probably, have continued to disregard 
 the small measure of justice afforded me in the 
 Marquess's Narrative, had not an octavo edition, 
 
VI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 with an appendix of correspondence, been pub- 
 lished. 
 
 This correspondence contains expostulations 
 from some highly-distinguished officers, against 
 certain statements in the first edition of the 
 Narrative, of which each thought he had just 
 reason to complain ; and the justice those officers 
 sought, was, by the noble author, most hand- 
 somely bestowed, by publishing their letters, 
 with his replies, in an Appendix, prefaced by a 
 frank acknowledgement of the deficiency of his 
 Work, 
 
 A publication which officers of rank and 
 character thus thought it incumbent upon them 
 to notice, it might not be becoming in me to 
 overlook altogether ; and, indeed, I am not 
 wholly indifferent to the renewal of those misre- 
 presentations of my conduct and character by 
 which the people of England, twenty years ago, 
 were misled. But the course pursued by those 
 officers was not open to me, as I could scarcely 
 have proposed to the author so very extensive a 
 revisal of his Work as would have been necessary 
 to do justice, not to me only, but to the minister 
 who, in communicating to me the King's com- 
 
INTRODUCTION. Vll 
 
 mands, that I should forthwith proceed from 
 Gibraltar, to take the command of the army, 
 which I eventually found victorious in Portugal, 
 attributed my appointment to His Majesty's high 
 approbation of " the zeal and judgement which 
 " had marked the whole of my conduct under 
 " the late important events which had taken 
 " place in Spain." 
 
 Where, in the miscellaneous matter of Lord 
 Londonderry's fourth chapter, in which the early 
 transactions in Andalusia are alluded to, are the 
 examples of that zeal and judgement to be found ? 
 It is true that I am once or twice alluded to as 
 Governor of Gibraltar, and my name is once 
 honoured by being joined to that of Lord Col- 
 lingwood ; but I cannot acknowledge much 
 accuracy of statement in those passages where I 
 am thus noticed. On the 14th May, when 
 General Spencer's Corps sailed from Gibraltar, to 
 join Admiral Purvis, off Cadiz, by my authority, 
 and under my sole responsibility, (not " covered 
 by the squadron of Lord Collingwood," but 
 covered by a brig of war,) Lord Collingwood 
 was off Toulon, as His Lordship's published 
 correspondence will shew ; as, also, that, whilst 
 still off that place, it was in consequence of 
 
Vlll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 intelligence received from me of the events that 
 were ripening into maturity in Spain, that His 
 Lordship determined to resume his station off 
 Cadiz, which he had quitted eleven months 
 before. This part of Lord Londonderry's Narra- 
 tive is, perhaps, not very clear ; but, when His 
 Lordship speaks of General Spencer's Corps as 
 having been the first British Force which 
 " shewed itself upon the theatre of war," it is 
 difficult to avoid the conclusion that it is intended 
 to represent this corps as the one which, in the 
 preceding sentence, the reader is told Ministers 
 were determined to send, contrary to the wish 
 of certain deputies from the Asturias, as an 
 efficient nucleus round which larger armies might 
 gather. 
 
 During all this period the Marquess of London- 
 derry must have had access to my official corre- 
 spondence, as well as that of Lord Collingwood. 
 He was not only Under Secretary of State for his 
 brother's department (with which it was my duty 
 to correspond), but was actively engaged in the 
 business of the office, as appears by a statement 
 of Sir Henry Burrard's to the Board of Inquiry, 
 " that, whilst at Portsmouth, he received a letter, 
 " of the 26th July," from the Under Secretary 
 
INTRODUCTION. ix 
 
 of State, " Brigadier*General Charles Stewart, 
 " expressing great impatience on the part of 
 " Government that the armament should pro- 
 " ceed," the 18th Dragoons, under the command 
 of Brigadier-General Stewart himself, sailed soon 
 after, as there is a letter in the appendix to the 
 proceedings of the Court of Inquiry on the Con- 
 vention in Portugal, (No. 28,) dated the 4th 
 August, in which Lord Castlereagh conveys to 
 that Officer His Majesty's commands to call off 
 Oporto, to receive such instructions as Sir Harry 
 Burrard might have left there for him. Though 
 the circumstance is not mentioned in the Mar- 
 quess's Narrative, there is no doubt that His 
 Majesty's commands were obeyed. 
 
 It is most truly stated in the Narrative, that, 
 " on the 22d of August, I arrived from Gibraltar 
 " to take the command of the Army," by that 
 means superseding Sir Harry Burrard, who had 
 assumed the command during the battle of the 
 2 1st ; but I deny that, " before any definite course 
 " had been determined on, an event occurred, 
 " which gave a new turn to the General's deli- 
 " berations." Immediately on my first interview 
 with Sir Arthur Wellesley, I gave orders for the 
 march of the Army, the next morning, at day 
 
INTRODUCTION. 
 
 break, " undoubtedly as soon" (as observed by 
 the Board of General Officers composing the 
 Court of Inquiry in its report) " as it could be 
 " put in motion after his arrival;" and again, 
 " considering the extraordinary circumstances 
 " under which two Commanding Generals ar- 
 " rived from the Ocean, and joined the army, 
 " (the one during, the other immediately after, 
 " a battle, and those successively superseding 
 " each other, and both the original Commander, 
 " within the space of twenty-four hours), it is 
 " not surprising that the Army was not carried 
 " forward until the second day after the action." 
 
 The account given in the Narrative of the 
 social discussions of all Ranks of Officers in their 
 coteries, may afford a tolerable specimen of what 
 those discussions usually are; but, I strongly 
 object to its being made a vehicle for raising a 
 doubt, what Sir Arthur Wellesley's opinion of 
 the Armistice of Vimiera actually was ; as, also, 
 for inculating a belief, that the Oporto In- 
 trigue, in all its circumstances, was well known 
 in the Army " during the period which inter- 
 " vened, between the conclusion of the Armis- 
 " tice, and the return of the messenger," (namely, 
 " Lieutenant-Colonel, now Sir George Murray,) 
 
INTRODUCTION. XI 
 
 11 who carried a copy of the Convention to Sir 
 * Charles Cotton." 
 
 The Marquess of Londonderry, then Brigadier- 
 General Stewart, joined, at Head-Quarters, on the 
 24th of August; and, as appears by the corre- 
 spondence itself, was the bearer of the first of a 
 series of letters, from Brigadier-General the 
 Baron V n Decken, who had recently arrived from 
 England, on a special mission to Oporto. This 
 first letter, received on the 24th of August, con- 
 tained the first intimation I received, that, in 
 consequence of Baron V n Decken's own sugges- 
 tion, the Bishop of Oporto had consented to take 
 the Government of Portugal upon himself. The 
 transfer of " the executive" (as it is called in 
 the Narrative) to Oporto, was the subject of a 
 subsequent communication ; and I cannot admit, 
 that what I was wholly unacquainted with in the 
 morning, and knew but imperfectly at noon, 
 could have been well known in the Army before 
 night; for it was in the night of the 24th, not 
 on the 26th, as is erroneously stated in the Nar- 
 rative, that Lieutenant-Colonel Murray arrived 
 with Sir Charles Cotton's decision, upon the 
 subject of the Armistice. 
 
Xll INTRODUCTION. 
 
 The question whether Sir Arthur Wellesley 
 did, or did not, approve the Armistice at the 
 time it was concluded, was, I should have hoped, 
 set at rest by his letter, to Lord Castlereagh, of 
 the 6th of October, 1808, of which the following 
 is an extract : the letter itself has long been 
 before the public, in the Appendix to the Pro- 
 ceedings of the Inquiry (No. 152), and is not a 
 bad supplement to the extract from the Report 
 of the Board already given, as shewing the 
 fruits, as the latter does the immediate conse- 
 quences, of the measures adopted by His Majes- 
 ty's Ministers, in the outset of the Peninsular 
 War. 
 
 Extract. — "At the same time, adverting to the 
 
 " situation which I held in Portugal, previously 
 
 " to His Excellency's arrival, I think it but just 
 
 " to inform your Lordship, that I concurred with 
 
 " the Commander of the Forces in thinking it 
 
 " expedient, on the 22d of August, that the 
 
 " French army, in Portugal, should be allowed 
 
 " to evacuate that kingdom with their arms and 
 
 " baggage, and that every facility for this pur- 
 
 " pose should be afforded to them. I deemed 
 
 " this to be expedient in the relative state of the 
 
INTRODUCTION. xiii 
 
 " two armies on the evening of the 22d, con- 
 
 " sidering that the French army had resumed a 
 
 " formidable Position between us and Lisbon ; 
 
 " that they had the means of retiring from that 
 
 " Position to others in front of that city ; and, 
 
 " finally, of crossing the Tagus into Alemtejo, 
 
 " with a view to the occupation, in strength, 
 
 " of the Forts of Elvas, La Lippe, and, even- 
 
 " tually, Almeida. As Lieutenant- General Sir 
 
 " John Moore's corps had been diverted from 
 
 " the occupation of the position at Santarem, 
 
 " which had been proposed for them, there were 
 
 " no means to prevent, and no increase of num- 
 
 " bers could have prevented, the French army 
 
 " from effecting these objects." 
 
 I give this long extract the rather, as Lord 
 Londonderry has thought it right (" before dis- 
 " missing the subject of Cintra altogether") to 
 give the extract of a letter, from a correspondent 
 of his own, upon the same subject; it would ap- 
 pear, from the narrative, that the extract refers 
 to what the noble author would call the Conven- 
 tion of Cintra; but that this is not the case, 
 is evident from the first sentence : " The tumult 
 " of our joy, on Wellesley's glorious conduct 
 " and success, has been cruelly disturbed by 
 
Xiv INTRODUCTION. 
 
 " the communication of a supposed Convention;' 
 obviously alluding to a copy of the armistice 
 communicated, by the Portuguese Minister, to 
 Mr. Secretary Canning, the day after the news 
 of the victory of Vimiera was received, and pub- 
 lished; of which document Ministers affected 
 to disbelieve the authenticity. Moreover, this 
 correspondent's seven objections to the treaty, 
 principally relate to the supposed recognition of 
 Bonaparte as Emperor of the French, and the 
 acknowledgement of the neutrality of the Tagus 
 to the Russian Fleet ; matters which are not so 
 much as alluded to in the definitive Convention, 
 as a reference to that instrument will prove. 
 
 With reference to a discussion which arose 
 between Don Josef Galluzzo (Captain-General 
 of Estremadura) and myself, it is observed, by 
 Lord Londonderry, that " / consented that Colonel 
 " Graham should repair to Elvas, with full pow- 
 " ers to conciliate the Spanish General; the 
 " Colonel was moreover furnished with ten thou- 
 " sand dollars, as a means of enforcing his argu- 
 " ments, should they be violently opposed." 
 The noble author was misinformed in this matter ; 
 to Lord Lyndock I appeal, that no such dollars 
 were either furnished or bestowed ; and I dis- 
 
INTRODUCTION XV 
 
 claim the feelings with which I am said to have 
 been actuated on this occasion, and the absurd 
 declaration I am represented to have made, — 
 namely, " that, if my wish were not promptly 
 " attended to, I should withhold all succours 
 " from the Spaniards, and cease all correspon- 
 " dence with them." Don Josef Galluzzo was, 
 like some other great men, a dupe to the Bishop 
 and Junta of Oporto, and took the field accord- 
 ingly, for the express purpose of obstructing the 
 execution of the Convention ; but Galluzzo was 
 not more opposed to my measures than to those 
 of the Spanish authorities at Madrid ; and I can 
 scarcely be supposed so entirely devoid of con- 
 sistency, as to speak or think of abandoning the 
 cause of the Spanish Nation, to which I had 
 from the first been so zealously devoted, because 
 one of their own officers was regardless of his 
 duty to this Country. Had the Marquess of Lon- 
 donderry known me better, he would not have 
 believed so improbable a tale. 
 
 I shall abstain from farther remarks upon de- 
 tached passages of the Marquess of London- 
 derry's Narrative ; if that had never been pub- 
 lished, the following statement of all my ^pro- 
 ceedings, as connected with the insurrections in 
 
XVI INTRODUCTION. 
 
 Spain and the Peninsular war, would have con- 
 tinued to be, — that for which it was originally 
 intended, — a family record. I deem it now ex- 
 pedient to place it in the hands of such persons 
 as may take an interest in me and my conduct, 
 in order to supply the omissions and correct the 
 mistakes in those parts of the Marquess of Lon- 
 donderry's Narrative, which treat of the trans- 
 actions in which I bore a part. To posterity 
 and those who are capable of judging, Colonel 
 Napier's History leaves me nothing to wish for 
 or explain. 
 
GIBRALTAR, 
 
 BEFORE AND AFTER THE JUNTAS WERE 
 ESTABLISHED. 
 
GIBRALTAR. 
 
 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN BEFORE THE JUNTAS WERE 
 ESTABLISHED. 
 
 In June, 1806, I received orders to proceed to 180G - 
 Gibraltar, to take the command of that fortress, 
 in the absence of the Lieutenant-Governor, (Ge- 
 neral Fox,) who was about to be employed on 
 another service. 
 
 Upon my arrival in the garrison, on the 2d of 
 November, I found that the intercourse with 
 Spain was considerable ; and, having fully ascer- 
 tained that no possible danger could accrue to 
 the place from its continuance, (as the garrison 
 was sufficiently numerous, the troops in a high 
 state of health and discipline, and the duty 
 done with scrupulous exactness,) I cultivated 
 the friendly disposition which seemed to prevail, 
 and soon had direct and confidential communica- 
 tion with General Castarios, (who commanded 
 the Spanish troops in that part of Andalusia,) 
 upon the occurrences to which this intercourse 
 occasionally gave rise. 
 
 b2 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 18(M? - That this state of things was well known to 
 
 the Spanish Government could not be doubted ; 
 it was productive of mutual convenience, and, 
 to the garrison, it produced an ample supply of 
 many useful articles of provision, and, at the 
 same time, afforded to the British merchants the 
 means of carrying on their commercial specula- 
 tions with facility and advantage. 
 
 1807. Towards the end of the year 1807, columns 
 of French troops began to enter Spain, for the 
 avowed purpose of taking possession of Portugal, 
 which materially changed the face of affairs ; 
 and, on the 7th day of October, it was officially 
 notified to me, by the Brigadier-General com- 
 manding in the Spanish lines, " That Lieutenant - 
 " General Don F. Xavier de Castanos had 
 " received the orders of Government, to stop all 
 " manner of communication with Gibraltar;" 
 and, from this date, the fortress was held in as 
 rigorous a state of blockade as the enemy had 
 the power to enforce. 
 
 Soon after this, I received advices from several 
 quarters, confirmed, and more fully detailed, in 
 an official despatch from Lord Strangford, the 
 British Minister at Lisbon, that it was certainly a 
 part of Bonaparte's plan of operations to possess 
 himself of Gibraltar ; and, it must be confessed, 
 that the mode of attack, he was said to have in 
 contemplation, displayed much local knowledge 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 and great information of those circumstances I807 ; 
 which were most likely to contribute to the suc- 
 cess of his design. Although the danger was 
 comparatively distant, no time was lost in making 
 the necessary preparations to meet it when it 
 should arrive. 
 
 On the 24th of October, Captain Rosenhagen, 
 of the Volage frigate, brought me despatches from 
 England. He was proceeding, without delay, 
 for Sicily, with orders to Sir John Moore, which 
 he was anxious to deliver before the embarkation 
 of a body of troops with which Sir John had 
 been previously ordered to leave that island. 
 These orders, however, did not arrive in Sicily 
 till after Sir John Moore's corps had embarked 
 and sailed. 
 
 On the 1st of December, those troops from 
 Sicily arrived in the bay. On the 4th, Sir John 
 Moore sailed for the Tagus, in the Chiffonne 
 frigate, for the purpose of commuuicating with 
 Sir Sydney Smith, whom he expected to find 
 cruizing off that river. On the 10th, he return- 
 ed, bringing to us the first intelligence of the de- 
 parture of the royal family of Portugal for the 
 Brazils; and, on the 15th, Sir John Moore, 
 with the troops under his command, sailed fox- 
 England . 
 
 About the time that Sir John Moore arrived in 
 England, an expedition sailed from thence under 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1807. 
 
 the command of Major-General Spencer, des- 
 tined for a particular service, and which was to 
 rendezvous at Gibraltar. Those ships encounter- 
 ed a violent gale of wind, by which they were 
 dispersed. The General, with the convoy, and 
 the greater part of the transports were driven 
 back to England ; the remainder of the fleet, 
 with detachments of various regiments on board, 
 arrived in Gibraltar-bay on the 23d January, 
 1808. 1808. 
 
 Whilst those ships lay in the bay, exposed to 
 heavy gales of wind which at that time pre- 
 vailed, we had intelligence from a ship, detain- 
 ed by the Hydra frigate, that a French squadron 
 had escaped from Rochfort, and had, in the 
 night, passed Gibraltar into the Mediterranean ; 
 and, on the 10th of February, Sir Richard 
 Strachan, with seven sail of the line and one 
 frigate, (having communicated with the garrison 
 and ascertained the course the enemy had steer- 
 ed,) passed through the Straits in pursuit. 
 
 As it appeared to me, from a variety of cir- 
 cumstances, that Sicily would be exposed to con- 
 siderable danger, should that island be the des- 
 tination of the enemy's squadron, particularly 
 now, when so large a body of troops as that 
 under the command of Sir John Moore had been 
 withdrawn from its garrison, I took it upon my- 
 self to send the detachments of General Spen- 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 cer's corps, then in the bay, under the command 
 of Colonel Walker of the 50th regiment, to re- 
 inforce the British troops in Sicily. The trans- 
 ports sailed, on the 11th February, under con- 
 voy of the Phcebe frigate. 
 
 On the 10th of March, General Spencer, with 
 the remainder of his corps, arrived at Gibraltar, 
 and when the original object of his expedition 
 was relinquished, (for reasons wholly unconnect- 
 ed with the temporary diminution of his force by 
 the absence of the detachments sent to Sicily,) 
 the transports were secured in the Mole, and the 
 troops placed in such accommodations as could 
 be provided for them, until His Majesty's plea- 
 sure, as to their future destination, should be 
 made knowm This additional force at Gibraltar 
 soon became peculiarly seasonable; for, although 
 General Spencer's corps formed no part of the 
 regular garrison, and was, in fact, a separate 
 command, its presence gave weight to my sub- 
 sequent communications with the Spanish autho- 
 rities, and General Spencer himself expressed 
 the greatest readiness to act under my authority, 
 for the public service, whenever occasion should 
 require it. 
 
 When the French troops first entered Spain 
 and marched through Irun, on their route to Por- 
 tugal, the strength of each column and a descrip- 
 tion of the troops composing it, regularly ap- 
 
 1808. 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808> peared in the Madrid Gazette ; but, early in 
 March of this year, it was ascertained that large 
 columns had passed the frontier by other routes, 
 and for other purposes : the French had taken 
 possession of Pamplona and Barcelona by force 
 or fraud ; and at the moment when the insurrec- 
 tions at Madrid, and at the royal residence of 
 Aranjuez had terminated in the abdication of 
 Charles IV. ; the imprisonment of the favourite 
 Godoy ; and the elevation of Ferdinand VII. to 
 the throne of his father ; Murat was advancing 
 upon Madrid (under pretext of proceeding on 
 his route to Cadiz) at the head of the divisions 
 of Moncey and Dupont. 
 
 I never failed to communicate to His Majesty's 
 government the earliest and best intelligence I 
 could obtain of the transactions in Spain at this 
 interesting period ; but, on the 8th of April, the 
 arrival of a confidential agent from General Cas- 
 taiios, to inform me of the actual state of things, 
 with an accurate detail of the late events ; and 
 to commence that confidential communication 
 which henceforwards subsisted between us, gave, 
 to my subsequent reports to government, a new 
 and more interesting character. 
 
 By this Spaniard I was informed of all the 
 circumstances which preceded and accompanied 
 the revolution which had placed Ferdinand VII. 
 on the throne ; and, from his account, it appeared 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 9 
 
 that the turn affairs had taken was not antic i- 1808 - 
 pated by Bonaparte ; and that, when Murat 
 arrived at Madrid, he found a state of things 
 for which he was wholly unprepared ; and a go- 
 vernment in full activity, which he had no 
 authority, and probably no will, to acknowledge. 
 
 This gentleman further stated, " That all the 
 " political talents in Spain, long sanctioned by 
 " public opinion, now surrounded the throne of 
 " the new sovereign ; that the nation itself had 
 " caught the impulse, and was preparing, in the 
 " most energetic manner, to support its monarch ; 
 " that Catalonia, Arragon, and Valencia, had al- 
 " ready offered to raise and maintain an army 
 " of 1 50,000 men ; and that it was not doubted 
 " that the example would be universally fol- 
 " lowed : in short, he believed (or affected to 
 " believe) that should the perfidy of the French, 
 " already suspected, be proved, by subsequent 
 " acts of the generals or troops, the latter 
 " would, notwithstanding their discipline and 
 " numbers, be overwhelmed by the energy of 
 " an enraged and formidable population, thus 
 " roused into action by wrongs and insults." 
 
 That those opinions, so truly Spanish, were 
 those of the multitude, and perhaps of the in- 
 dividual who now uttered them, I thought most 
 probable ; neither did I doubt that the population 
 of Spain was actuated by the feelings described ; 
 
10 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - but it was from the sequel of the discourse of 
 this accredited agent, that I drew more reason- 
 able conclusions as to the objects of his mission; 
 for he was authorized to inform me that, had 
 matters taken an unfavourable turn, and the 
 Prince of the Austurias been constrained to fly, 
 he was to have taken refuge at Algebras, and 
 from thence to have passed over to Gibraltar, 
 preferring that port of embarkation to any other, 
 from the confidence he was inclined to repose in 
 the generosity of the English, added to the per- 
 sonal consideration which was known to subsist 
 between General Castaiios and the officers com- 
 manding that fortress. 
 
 In consequence of this communication, of 
 which I had an opportunity that very day of 
 sending the details to His Majesty's government, 
 I concluded my letter to Lord Castlereagh in the 
 following terms : "I must now observe to your 
 " lordship, that, though the sanguine hopes, at 
 " present entertained from the firm, (or rather as 
 " they themselves describe it,) from the fero- 
 " cious character of the Spanish nation, when 
 " roused into action by wrongs or insult, pre- 
 " vents any immediate contemplation of reverse 
 " or disaster, I think I can perceive that, in such 
 " an extremity, this would be the point to which 
 " the new King of Spain would direct his re- 
 " treat. In affording an asylum to an illustrious 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 11 
 
 " fugitive from French oppression, I feel con- 1808t 
 " fident I should be fulfilling the wish of the 
 " King; but, beyond this point, I should pro- 
 " ceed with diffidence and caution, if not first 
 " honoured with His Majesty's commands." 
 
 From the circumstances thus described, I felt 
 the fullest confidence that no time would be lost 
 by His Majesty's ministers in furnishing me with 
 at least provisional instructions ; but, though 
 this important despatch of the 8th of April was 
 received by Lord Castlereagh in the course of 
 that month, his lordship's answer to it was not 
 dated until the 25th of May ; and, in the margin 
 of this answer, was acknowledged ten despatches 
 from me, on the affairs of Spain, from the 24th 
 of March up to the 8th of May, inclusive.* 
 
 Whatever measures General Castanos and the 
 friends of the Spanish monarchy might have 
 had in contemplation at this crisis, to assert the 
 independence of their country, were frustrated 
 by the unexpected and most unfortunate journey 
 of Ferdinand VII. to Bayonne, of which, I am 
 quite sure, those faithful Spaniards had no pre- 
 vious intimation. The first accounts General 
 Castafios received from one of the ministers, 
 
 * A letter to Colonel Gordon, conveyed by the same vessel 
 that took my letter of the 8th of April, was answered the 27th 
 of that month. 
 
12 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - who accompanied the King to Bayonne, appeared 
 to him to be, in a certain degree, favourable. 
 They announced that, upon the 20th of April, 
 an interview had taken place in a country house 
 upon the frontiers, between Bonaparte and Fer- 
 dinand, in which it had been agreed upon — 
 that Ferdinand should be acknowledged King of 
 Spain and the Indies, and that he should have 
 the administration of Portugal until a general 
 peace ; but that Spain should accede to the con- 
 federation of the Rhine, furnishing a contingent 
 of 50,000 men, and should give the French a 
 free port in South America. 
 
 It is difficult to imagine what motive could 
 have induced any individual about the person, 
 and in the confidence, of the King of Spain to 
 concur in the propagation of these falsehoods : 
 it is, however, certain that, under such autho- 
 rity, the treaty I have mentioned was received at 
 Algebras. Those delusions were not, however, 
 of long continuance ; the bloody transactions at 
 Madrid, of the 2d of May; and, finally, the 
 deposition of Ferdinand VII. and the other atro- 
 cious measures which attended that proceeding, 
 roused into action that determined resistance to 
 Bonaparte's power, which ultimately contri- 
 buted so materially to its annihilation. 
 
 After the important communication from Ge- 
 neral Castanos, which I have mentioned, our in- 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 13 
 
 tercourse was carried on through the medium of 1808, 
 a native merchant of Gibraltar, named Viali* 
 This person was intimately acquainted with Ge- 
 neral Castanos, and much in his confidence, and 
 was employed by him to introduce the accredited 
 agent already alluded to. The communications 
 from Algebras to this gentleman were frequently 
 by letter, under feigned names and figurative ex- 
 pressions ; but on more important occasions, by 
 meetings, in the Spanish lines, between Mr. Viali 
 and the Secretary of General Castanos, or some 
 other confidential person employed by that 
 general. 
 
 My general instructions to Viali were, in the 
 first place, upon every proper occasion, strongly 
 to dwell upon the (indeed, self-evident) propo- 
 sition, that, under the present circumstances, 
 which were not, and could not have been, fore- 
 seen by His Majesty's government, I had no au- 
 thority to treat, and could therefore stipulate little 
 or nothing, except with reference to the pleasure of 
 the King, my master, consequently that any agree- 
 
 * Mr. Viali acquitted himself of the service for which he 
 had been selected by General Castanos with zeal and fidelity ; 
 but when the Juntas were established, and my intercourse with 
 the Spanish authorities was direct and official, I had no further 
 communication with Mr. Viali on political subjects ; indeed he 
 never was further in my confidence than was necessary for the 
 communication with General Castanos. 
 
14 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808. 
 
 merit I might enter into (beyond what it was in 
 my power immediately to fulfil) must be of such 
 a nature as, in my judgement, to merit His Ma- 
 jesty's approbation. 
 
 When the events at Bayonne were known, I 
 desired Viali to urge, that this last stride on the 
 part of France towards universal monarchy, ren- 
 dered it peculiarly necessary for England to 
 obtain military means and commercial advantages, 
 to enable her to sustain the contest in which she 
 was engaged, for the common cause of all inde- 
 pendent nations. That it was not easy, nor, 
 perhaps, immediately necessary, to suggest par- 
 ticular arrangements, as those must depend on 
 circumstances as they arose. Loose suggestions 
 might, however, be thrown out of those measures, 
 which might possibly soon be advisable, as being 
 likely to have a material influence on the future 
 conduct of the war. Of those measures, the 
 first and the most important was, by some con- 
 joint operation, to get possession of the French 
 fleet in Cadiz. The next was to secure Ceuta, 
 by our assistance, from falling into the hands of 
 France ; and that no difficulty could arise, on 
 the part of the British government, to a fair and 
 honourable compromise, respecting future pos- 
 session, in the event of a peace. In the mean- 
 time, the Spanish troops then in garrison in 
 Ceuta would be of essential service in the field. 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 15 
 
 Minorca was, also, at this moment, an object 1808 - 
 of consequence, on account of the Spanish fleet 
 in that harbour ; and it was essential to know 
 how that island and the fleet were commanded, 
 and what was their disposition. 
 
 On the 8th of May, Mr. Viali had an inter- Appendix 
 view with the General's Secretary, in the Spanish 
 lines, in which many of the above suggestions 
 were discussed. The General's Secretary first 
 informed him, that should the Duke of Berg 
 (Murat) endeavour to possess himself of the 
 regency by force, that the province would arm, 
 and join the regular troops ; and that the Gene- 
 ral would, at their head, move to the Sierra 
 Morena, to occupy the passes, and to check the 
 advance of the enemy ; and that, if the other 
 provinces concurred, and followed his example, 
 he would apply to me for such assistance as I 
 could afford. That General Don Manuel de la 
 Peiia commanded at Cadiz, of whose co-opera- 
 tion General Castanos had full assurance ; and 
 that the General had written to Don Ventura 
 Escalante, the Captain-General of Grenada, of 
 whose assistance he had no doubt : that if the 
 perfidy of Bonaparte should extend to the remo- 
 val of the reigning dynasty, timely measures 
 would be concerted to secure the possession of 
 South America. When Mr. Viali spoke of se- 
 curing the Spanish fleet, the Secretary alleged 
 
16 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808> the probability that, as soon as the nation should 
 consider itself at war with France, the Spanish 
 fleet would sail, (either with or without an escort 
 of British ships,) to convey the Infant Don 
 Francisco to South America ; when the British 
 fleet, assisted by the Spanish batteries, might 
 take possession of the French ships. Upon 
 many points which entered into the present dis- 
 cussion, the General's Secretary was fully pre- 
 pared, and occasionally referred to notes in 
 writing ; but upon other topics introduced by 
 Mr. Viali, he spoke his own opinion, and as if 
 the subjects were new to him ; when, however, 
 the temporary possession of Ceuta by us was 
 touched upon, he was ready in his reply, and as 
 if the measure had been considered. To this 
 proposition he answered, that they had nothing 
 to apprehend for Ceuta from the French, as the 
 measures already mentioned would prevent their 
 passing the Sierra Morena ; but that, when the 
 Spaniards came to a full understanding with us, 
 they would, probably, remove the garrison of 
 Ceuta, to reinforce their army in the field ; and 
 might also transfer some of the convicts now 
 there, to some of the other Presidios. When at 
 this point, Mr. Viali interrupted him, to propose 
 sending a small British garrison, to enable the 
 Spaniards to remove all their troops from Ceuta. 
 The Spaniard observed, that they would require 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 17 
 
 from us at least 8 or 10,000 men, (besides I808 - 
 money) ; and asked, whether, independent of that 
 number, we had more to spare for Ceuta ? This 
 observation, probably made at the moment by 
 the General's Secretary, to parry the proposition 
 about Ceuta, was the ground on which His Ma- 
 jesty's government, when the receipt of this de- 
 spatch was acknowledged, authorized me to offer 
 General Castanos 10,000 men. 
 
 At the time, when this conference took place, 
 the massacre at Madrid was known ; but nothing 
 upon which reliance could be placed as to the 
 transactions at Bayonne. The treaty of the Five 
 Articles, as it was called, though transmitted to 
 Algebras, from what seemed official authority, 
 began to be doubted ; and, although the Infant 
 Don Antonio and the Spanish authorities at 
 Madrid had (as it was understood) refused to 
 allow the Infant Don Francisco to depart for 
 Bayonne, such strong suspicions of Bonaparte's 
 designs began, at length, to prevail, that, when 
 the General's Secretary was asked, what might 
 be the consequence if the French should actualty 
 destroy or remove the whole royal family, when 
 Spain would be left without an acknowledged 
 head or leader, he answered, that even that event 
 was provided for ; and he was authorised to say, 
 that the Archduke Charles, of Austria, was the 
 person on whom, in that case, their choice would 
 
 c 
 
18 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808. 
 
 fall ; and that I should be requested to have a 
 British frigate in readiness to proceed to Trieste, 
 for the purpose of bringing the Archduke to 
 Spain, and to inform the Emperor of Austria of 
 the actual state of things in that country. 
 
 In reply to these observations, I desired that 
 it might again be intimated to General Castafios 
 that, in discussing those important matters, a 
 marked line of distinction must be drawn be- 
 tween such assistance to the Spanish cause as 
 the British government might eventually be dis- 
 posed to afford and such aid as it could be in my 
 power immediately to give, circumstanced as I 
 was, in the command of a fortress which it was 
 my duty to hold in a constant state of prepara- 
 tion effectually to resist the enemy, should he be 
 enabled to appear before it. That I thought the 
 General's plan of operations good ; but that its 
 success seemed to depend on the early possession 
 of the Sierra Morena, in order to anticipate the 
 enemy in occupying those important passes, of 
 which the French generals well knew the value. 
 That accidental circumstances, at the present 
 moment, placed at my disposal (by the consent 
 of General Spencer, who commanded them) a 
 few thousand men. That, probably, this corps, 
 (to which an addition was shortly expected from 
 Sicily, by the return of a part which had been 
 detached to that island,) augmented by such 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 19 
 
 troops as I could spare from the garrison of 1808> 
 Gibraltar, might be usefully employed, in con- 
 junction with the British fleet now off Cadiz, in 
 making a diversion in favour of the Spanish 
 army; but to this sort of measure the British 
 Admiral's consent and co-operation must be ob- 
 tained ; and, whilst a combined French and Spa- 
 nish fleet lay at anchor in Cadiz, the British 
 Admiral could not be expected to consent to any 
 conjoint operation that had not for its first object 
 the capture of the French ships, and the secure 
 possession of the Port of Cadiz by the Spanish 
 Royalists. That, with respect to money, public 
 money was not at my disposal ; I could, there- 
 fore, make no engagement on that point without 
 His Majesty's authority. That a frigate might, 
 probably, be kept in the bay in readiness to pro- 
 ceed to Trieste, but that it would be necessary 
 to know the exact state of the negotiation which 
 would render the service of that frigate neces- 
 sary, before I could propose the measure to the 
 British Admiral. 
 
 Early on the 9th of May, before the above 
 observations upon the General's proposals had 
 reached him, I received notice from General 
 Castafios, " That the time was now come to 
 " carry into execution what had been so long in 
 " contemplation ;" but that it was important to 
 
 c 2 
 
20 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808> avoid any unnecessary demonstration that might 
 attract the attention of the enemy, until the 
 return of Don Joachim Novarra, an officer he 
 was sending off to Cadiz to communicate with 
 Don Manuel de la Pena, and to urge him to 
 commence reprisals, and revenge the outrages 
 committed by the French in various places, which 
 the General enumerated, dwelling particularly 
 on the barbarity displayed by " Murat and his 
 " satellites," on the day of the tumult, " even 
 " upon the bodies of the dead." 
 
 I had at all times made an unreserved com- 
 munication to General Spencer of every infor- 
 mation I received, which could eventually affect 
 the operations of his corps ; and lost no time in 
 making him acquainted with this important no- 
 tice from General Castaiios. In consequence, 
 General Spencer became most anxious to embark 
 his corps, and hold it prepared to move ; but as 
 this operation seemed to be in opposition to 
 General Castafios's anxious wish to avoid any 
 demonstration that might create suspicion in the 
 enemy (who had ample means of knowing all 
 our movements) before the return of the Adju- 
 tant-General Novarra, from Cadiz, I assented 
 to the measure with some reluctance ; but the 
 reasons urged by General Spencer were so many, 
 and so forcible, that I could not but acquiesce in 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 21 
 
 liis proposal ; and the troops were, as soon as 1808 - 
 possible, embarked, and the transports prepared 
 for sea. 
 
 In the mean time I had it again intimated to 
 General Castanos, in reply to this notice of the 
 morning of the 9th, that the measure of forcing 
 the French fleet out of Cadiz was one of im- 
 mediate necessity, for the reasons already urged ; 
 and that, by producing an eifect greatly bene- 
 ficial to the common cause, it would, I had no 
 doubt, produce some decisive steps on the part 
 of England. I also furnished the General with 
 a letter, to be transmitted by him to Admiral 
 Purvis, (with whom I had been in correspon- 
 dence upon the passing events in Spain,) to 
 inform that Admiral of the real state of things, 
 should a Spanish force, at or near Cadiz, have 
 the means of friendly communication with him, 
 before a despatch I also addressed to him by sea 
 could reach him. 
 
 Early on the 12th of May I wrote an official Appendix 
 letter to General Spencer, putting him in pos- 
 session of my views in detaching his corps to 
 join the fleet off Cadiz, and repeated the most 
 important parts of my agreement with General 
 Castanos, of which I had before verbally ap- 
 prized him. 
 
 It unfortunately happened that the same day, 
 and soon after this letter was sent to General 
 
22 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808, Spencer, a communication was received from 
 General Castanos, which evidently showed that 
 something untoward had occurred, sufficient, at 
 least, to postpone, if not to frustrate the plans 
 we had concerted. In this letter the General 
 speaks of " his indifference as to any misfortune 
 " which might befal himself in an attempt to 
 " save his country, but that every thing would 
 " be lost if the enemy should come to the know- 
 " ledge of what we had been concerting." This 
 letter, however, stated that the Adjutant-General, 
 Don Joachim Novarra, had not yet returned from 
 Cadiz* 
 
 I immediately communicated this letter to 
 General Spencer, from which it was evident 
 that every hope was extinguished of the accom- 
 plishment of the objects set forth to him in my 
 letter of that morning, which was written with 
 reference to an effectual co-operation with the 
 Spanish authorities, of which there could no 
 longer be any reasonable grounds of immediate 
 expectation. It, however, happened, at this 
 critical juncture, that a despatch arrived from 
 
 * In a vindication of himself, which General Castanos put 
 forth, after his defeat at Tudela, dated the 27th of January, 
 1809, he dwells much upon the communication he entered 
 into with me in the month of April, 1808, and the beneficial 
 consequences to the common cause which it was calculated to 
 produce. 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 23 
 
 Admiral Purvis, containing a report from the 
 captain of a line-of-battle ship, stationed close 
 off Cadiz, by which it appeared that insurrec- 
 tions against the French actually existed in 
 many parts ; and that the town of Cadiz itself 
 was in such a ferment that the French Consul, 
 and the merchants of that nation were com- 
 pelled to seek refuge on board the French 
 Admiral's ship, in order to escape a general 
 massacre, with which they were threatened. 
 This letter concluded with a suggestion to the 
 Admiral, that the presence of His Majesty's 
 ships close into Cadiz, at such a moment, might 
 influence the minds of the people, and induce 
 them to ask assistance. 
 
 These details naturally excited in General 
 Spencer an anxious wish to join Admiral Purvis 
 forthwith ; which I very reluctantly gave him 
 authority to do, in a second official letter, in 
 which I did not fail to observe that, although I 
 was induced, by the despatch just received from 
 Admiral Purvis, to concur with him in the 
 decision that he should forthwith join that officer 
 off Cadiz, he must by no means now expect any 
 of that sort of Spanish co-operation, upon which, 
 the resolution of detaching his corps to join the 
 fleet was originally grounded. 
 
 I was not informed, till after General Spencer 
 had sailed, that it was the removal of Don 
 
 1808. 
 
24 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808. Manuel de la Peiia and the return of General 
 Solano to his government of Cadiz, and the 
 adherence of the latter to the French interest, 
 that had effectually frustrated General Castanos's 
 plans of operations. Had I been apprized of 
 that circumstance in time, I certainly should 
 not have given my sanction to General Spencer's 
 
 Appendix joining Admiral Purvis, a measure which, in 
 that case, could not (in my opinion) be pro- 
 ductive of any beneficial result. 
 
 From this period until the end of May I 
 received no intelligence from Spain of much 
 interest, except that at times there were obscure 
 allusions to the exertions about to be used to 
 rescue the Spanish nation from the thraldom 
 preparing for them; but, certainly, those ex- 
 pressions had no reference to the extraordinary 
 events then on the eve of accomplishment, and 
 of which I received the first notice on the 31st 
 of May, confirmed the next day by the arrival, 
 in the garrison, of Don Joachim Novarra, with 
 
 Appendix a letter from General Castanos, announcing the 
 No * *' establishment of a Junta of Government at Seville. 
 This officer was accompanied by Don Bantista 
 Esteller, First Secretary to this new government, 
 by which he was sent to Gibraltar to negotiate 
 with me. I found that, of this new government, 
 General Castanos immediately acknowledged the 
 authority, and was, in consequence, appointed 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 25 
 
 to the command of its army; but that General 1808 - 
 Solano, (the Marquess del Socorro,) having pur- 
 sued a different course, was barbarously mur- 
 dered by the populace of Cadiz, as being an 
 avowed partisan of the French. 
 
 It seems, so far from having been known, at 
 this period, that Juntas of Government, similar 
 to that of Seville, had, within the last few days 
 of May, been established in every place not 
 actually under the power of the French, that, 
 when General Castanos wrote to announce to me 
 the formation of the new government, he used 
 the following expressions : — " In the city of 
 " Seville has been established a Supreme Junta 
 " of Government for the four kingdoms of Anda- 
 " lusia." At no very distant period, however, 
 the General found that each of the four king- 
 doms of Andalusia — viz. Seville, Grenada, Jaen, 
 and Cordova — had a Junta of its own ; and that 
 the Junta of Grenada was so far from acknow- 
 ledging the supremacy of that of Seville, that it 
 only allowed its troops to join those of Seville, 
 and to act under the command of General 
 Castanos, in opposition to the French under 
 Dupont, in consequence of a regular treaty Appendix 
 negotiated and ratified by the authority of 
 the respective Juntas, in which the indepen- 
 dence of Grenada was affirmed and acknow- 
 ledged. 
 
26 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808< Don Bantista Esteller was a young officer of 
 
 artillery, probably selected not more for his 
 talents than for his ardent zeal in the cause he 
 had embraced. He spoke confidently of the re- 
 sources of the government he served ; he repre- 
 sented those resources, in point of money, as 
 considerable ; in point of men, as immense. He 
 estimated the four kingdoms of Andalusia at 
 300,000, and that, in truth, it would be more 
 difficult to select the men to be embodied than 
 to excite the population to arm; the enthusiasm, 
 he said, was general, excited and directed by 
 men of energy and influence, and kept up by 
 the whole body of the clergy. This gentleman 
 was sent by the Junta of Seville to communicate 
 with me confidentially on the present state of 
 things, and to court the most cordial amity with 
 England. But, although he was charged to 
 negotiate with me certain minor articles, which 
 were not of difficult arrangement, and, amongst 
 others, that I should, without delay, send a 
 confidential person to Seville, to keep up the, 
 necessary communication between myself and 
 the Junta, he never claimed for that body the 
 character of a national government, authorised 
 to treat, as such, with foreign powers in the 
 name of the Spanish monarchy. 
 . General Castanos having forwarded to me 
 open despatches addressed to General Espeleta, 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 27 
 
 at Barcelona ; and the governors of Valencia, Ma- L808 - 
 jorca, &c. announcing to them the state of things 
 in Andalusia, and the steps he had himself 
 pursued in reference to the Supreme Junta of 
 Seville ; I applied to Lord Henry Pawlet, com- 
 manding His Majesty's ships in the Bay of 
 Gibraltar at the time, who immediately for- 
 warded those important despatches, by a brig- 
 of-war, to their destinations. On the 2d of June, 
 his Lordship sailed for Cadiz, taking with him, 
 on board His Majesty's ship Terrible, Don Ban- 
 tista Esteller, and my military secretary, Captain 
 Dalrymple, whom I had selected to proceed with instruc- 
 the former to Seville, in compliance with the pendix?" 
 requisition of the Junta to that effect. Captain 
 Dalrymple, also, carried with him a letter to 
 Admiral Purvis^ communicating the nature of 
 his mission, and expressive of my confidence, 
 that the Admiral would concur with me in 
 opinion as to the urgent necessity of transmit- 
 ting, express to England, the important de- 
 spatches to Government, of which Captain 
 Dalrymple was the bearer. 
 
 On the 1st of June (the day that this officer, 
 from the Junta of Seville arrived at Gibraltar) 
 General Oakes and General Lumley came from 
 England, on their way to Sicily ; and with them 
 Captain Whittingham, who was appointed to 
 
 No. C. 
 
28 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808. serve with that army in the Quarter-Master- 
 General's department. This officer/ who had 
 passed much of his early life in Spain, took a 
 lively interest in the events now opening to view ; 
 and gladly accepted the proposal which, by 
 General Oakes's permission, I made him, of 
 being attached, by me, to General Castanos's 
 head-quarters. I never saw Captain Whitting- 
 ham before, and only knew him by character ; 
 but by what I had heard of that, I was fully 
 persuaded that, in him, good fortune had 
 placed at my disposal the very man I wanted ; 
 and the result amply justified my choice. Ge- 
 neral Castanos, on his part, received my 
 proposal of having Captain Whittingham at 
 his head-quarters with the most flattering ex- 
 pressions of satisfaction, — although he was 
 then but little aware of the value of the officer, 
 whose attachment and assistance I thus pro- 
 cured him. 
 
 On the 4th of June, General Castanos received 
 orders to take the command of the army, and on 
 the 6th he set out, accompanied by Captain 
 Whittingham, for Seville, to communicate with 
 the Government on the measures to be pursued. 
 On the 4th of June, also, the garrison of 
 Ceuta landed in the Bay, on its route to join 
 the army, and, at the same time, a supply of 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 29 
 
 money being necessary to put the troops in ^isos. 
 motion, the Gibraltar merchants (to their honour 
 be it recorded) subscribed, in a few minutes, 
 above forty thousand hard dollars, without pre- 
 mium, and on the security of the Junta of 
 Seville. 
 
 From contrary winds and other causes it so 
 happened, that I had little or no intelligence 
 from General Spencer, from the time he sailed 
 until the 4th of June, when Colonel Bathurst, 
 his Quarter-Master-General, came with de- 
 spatches over land from Cadiz. The principal 
 object of this officer's mission was to communi- 
 cate to me the proceedings of a sort of negotia- 
 tion, which General Spencer and Admiral 
 Purvis had been induced to enter into with 
 Morla, who had succeeded to General Solano, 
 as Governor of Cadiz. As I felt confident that 
 Morla had no authority, even from the Junta of 
 Seville, to treat for the objects he originally 
 proposed ; and having, from the first, a bad 
 opinion of this Spaniard, which every day's 
 experience tended to confirm, I declined entering 
 upon the subject officially with Colonel Bathurst, 
 or taking any part in the proceeding. Finding 
 that the Admiral and General Spencer had 
 thought it advisable not to allow Captain Dal- 
 rymple to proceed to Seville, even though he 
 was sent there in compliance with the desire of 
 
30 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - the Junta, I sent him orders to return to Gib- 
 raltar forth with. # 
 
 On the 6th of June, General Spencer's detach- 
 ments, which had arrived from Sicily on the 2d, 
 sailed to join their corps, and, on the 9th, the 
 6th regiment, part of the garrison of Gibraltar 
 which I could spare, and which I had promised 
 General Spencer to furnish, together with a pro- 
 portion of field-artillery, sailed to reinforce his 
 corps. 
 
 On the 8th of June, Captain Dalrymple re- 
 turned to Gibraltar; and, on the same day, I 
 Appendix received Lord Castlereagh's long looked-for reply 
 to my interesting report, dated the 8th of April. 
 It was (as I have already noticed) dated the 25th 
 of May, and it acknowledged nine of my de- 
 spatches, on the affairs of Spain, up to that of 
 the 8th of May, inclusive, which last contained 
 the details of Mr. Viali's conference with General 
 Castafios's secretary on that day. I was now 
 gratified with the assurance of His Majesty's en- 
 tire approbation of all my proceedings; and I 
 received instructions for my conduct in future, 
 that seemed entirely founded on the intelligence 
 I had sent. With reference to Mr. Viali's report 
 
 * The despatch, which Captain Dalrymple carried to 
 Admiral Purvis to be forwarded, was acknowledged by Lord 
 Castlereagh, the 6th of July. 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 31 
 
 of his conversation with the Spanish secretary, 1808 - 
 Lord Castlereagh informed me, that the utmost 
 exertions would be made to send out a re- 
 inforcement from England, so as to enable His 
 Majesty to afford the loyal party in Spain the 
 assistance of the 10,000 men, which General * 
 Castanos seemed to require, including what 
 could be spared from the garrison of Gibraltar ; 
 and a confidence was expressed, that, should any 
 requisition for troops have been already made to 
 me, I had afforded them under such precautions 
 as to ensure the communication with our fleet. 
 I was finally flattered with the assurance, " that 
 " His Majesty entertained a full reliance upon 
 " my vigour and discretion in the present junc- 
 " ture ; that as, on the one hand, I should not 
 " commit either the faith of his government, or 
 " the force under my command unnecessarily, or 
 " for an inadequate object, I would, on the 
 " other, act with determination and spirit, ac- 
 " cording to circumstances on the spot, relying 
 " on the disposition of His Majesty's Government 
 " to give my exertions the fullest support." Al- 
 though on this occasion it was not signified in 
 direct terms either to myself or General Spencer, 
 that his corps was to be considered as part of 
 the " force under my command," relative to the 
 employment of which I was so particularly 
 cautioned, the whole tenour of the instructions 
 
32 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - could not, I think, convey any other meaning ; 
 be that as it may, however, before these instruc- 
 tions reached me, General Spencer's corps, with 
 such augmentation from the garrison as I could 
 afford it, had joined the fleet off Cadiz, and was 
 no longer, to any useful purpose, under my direc- 
 tion or control. 
 
33 
 
 GIBRALTAR. 
 
 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN AFTER THE JUNTAS 
 , WERE ESTABLISHED. 
 
 Having been in the constant habit of confi- 1808 ' 
 dential correspondence with Lord Collingwood, 
 ever since my arrival at Gibraltar, I did not fail 
 to inform his Lordship, who was, during this 
 period, high up in the Mediterranean, of the 
 various occurrences in Spain, as they arose, and 
 as opportunities offered ; but when, from the 
 result of Mr. Viali's conference with Castanos's 
 secretary, on the 8th of May, it seemed that an 
 important crisis was at hand, in which the able 
 co-operation of his Lordship would be most de- 
 sirable, I communicated the important intelli- 
 gence by a sloop of war, which found him off 
 Toulon. In consequence of this notice Lord 
 Collingwood sailed for Gibraltar,* where he 
 
 * See Lord Collingwood's Letters of the 29th of May to 
 Mr. Drummond, at Palermo, and the Archduke Charles of 
 Austria, in the volume of his Correspondence, lately published. 
 
 P 
 
.'^4 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN 
 
 1808. 
 
 y 
 
 arrived in the Ocean, accompanied by Captain 
 Legge, in the Repulse, on the 9th of June. 
 
 Having been fully informed, by me, of all the 
 events which had recently happened in Spain, 
 as also of the feelings of the Spanish people, and 
 consequently of their government, as to the 
 measures they were inclined to adopt, whether of 
 war or alliance, Lord Collingwood sailed on the 
 10th, to take the command, off Cadiz, carrying 
 with him Major Cox, of the 61st regiment, 
 whom I had selected to reside as confidential 
 Cox's agent at Seville. Through that officer my com- 
 spon- munications with the Supreme Junta, and gene- 
 
 dence, . r to 
 
 Appendix rally those of Lord Collingwood, were conveyed, 
 and he certainly acquitted himself of the duties 
 confided to him with singular discretion and 
 ability. 
 
 The Junta of Seville, like the others which 
 were about the same period formed in every pro- 
 vince of Spain, arose out of the simultaneous 
 insurrection of the Spanish nation against French 
 violence and usurpation ; but the individuals 
 of which it was composed, being named by 
 popular acclamation, were not very judiciously 
 chosen ; and certainly few of them, in the sequel, 
 displayed extraordinary talents as statesmen ; or 
 were found to possess much disinterestedness or 
 enlarged patriotism ; but their early proclama- 
 tions and addresses to the Spanish people were 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 35 
 
 admirably composed, and produced a great effect, 1808t 
 in animating the zeal, and directing the energies 
 of the nation ; at the same time raising the repu- 
 tation, and encreasing the influence of the body 
 from which they proceeded. 
 
 General Castarios, from the integrity of his 
 character, and the important situation in which 
 he was placed, possessed the confidence of the 
 President, and considerable influence with the 
 Junta ; particularly when the approach of the 
 enemy threatened Seville itself; but when, Du- 
 pont having surrendered, that danger was past, 
 the influence of Morla, the Governor of Cadiz, 
 became more conspicuous. General Castanos 
 placed a just confidence in British honour, and 
 was desirous of concerting measures with British 
 officers, for the furtherance of the common cause. 
 Morla, on the contrary, was hostile to England, 
 used his influence with the Junta to excite sus- 
 picions of our views and intentions, and in his 
 intercourse with the British officers commanding 
 off Cadiz, before Lord Collingwood's arrival, 
 displayed much of that duplicity of character, 
 for which he was at the last so disgracefully 
 distinguished. 
 
 When Major Cox arrived at Seville, he re- Cox's 
 quested, at the outset, that some members of the spon- 
 
 Q0BO6 
 
 Junta, or some individual, authorised by that June 15. 
 body, should be appointed to communicate with 
 
 d 2 
 
3G AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - him officially, through whom every proposition 
 of the Supreme Government should be conveyed 
 to him. The suggestion was immediately adopted, 
 and Padre Gill, the most able, and one of the 
 most influential members of the Junta, was ap- 
 pointed to communicate with Major Cox, in the 
 name of the government, on all necessary oc- 
 casions. 
 
 General Castanos, accompanied by Captain 
 Whittingham, arrived at Xeres, on the 8th of 
 June, where he received orders from the Junta 
 to repair immediately to Seville. It was at this 
 time and place that the General first received in- 
 telligence that a body of Spaniards, principally 
 peasants, had been defeated at the Bridge of 
 Alcolea ; and that General Dupont was in pos- 
 session of Cordova. 
 
 On the 9th, General Castanos arrived at 
 
 Seville, and after having had an interview with 
 
 Don Francisco Saavedra, the President of the 
 
 Junta, set out for Carmona, where he established 
 
 his head-quarters. 
 
 Whuting- Before the General left Seville he sent Captain 
 
 Corre- Whittingham to Cadiz, to propose to General 
 
 dence, Spencer to land his corps, and to advance with 
 
 NolT 1X it to Xeres, where General Castanos offered to 
 
 meet him, in order to concert their plan of 
 
 operations. 
 
 General Spencer did not accede to this propo- 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 37 
 
 sition, but determined upon sailing immedi- 1808 - 
 ately to Ayamonte, in the hope of intercepting ^ord Coi- 
 a French column, of between three and four wood's 
 
 ' Corre- 
 
 thousand men, which (as he had been made to spon- 
 
 dence, 
 
 believe) was marching: along; the coast, and Appendix 
 
 ,. • i ^ ,. No. 10. 
 
 making preparations to pass the (jruadiana at 
 Ayamonte. 
 
 With this report of his mission Captain Whit- 
 tingham joined General Castanos, on the evening 
 of the 11th of June, when the General sent him 
 forthwith to Gibraltar to inform me that he had 
 his head-quarters at Utrera, where his force 
 amounted to 5000 men, and that he occupied 
 Carmona with three thousand ; Captain Whit- 
 tino-ham was further instructed to inform me of 
 the measures General Castanos intended to pur- 
 sue, under the various circumstances which the 
 enemy's movements might probably produce. 
 
 When Captain Whittingham returned from 
 Gibraltar to the Spanish head-quarters, he found 
 that General Castanos had got together, at 
 Utrera, 8000 regulars, with whom he had in- 
 corporated 12000 men, selected from the mass 
 of the peasantry. He had thus assembled and 
 formed, in a wonderfully short space of time, an 
 army (exclusive of the advanced guard at Car- 
 mona) of 20,000 men ; he had also organized the 
 staff of the army, and, upon the whole, placed 
 
38 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - his army in such a state of equipment, as to be 
 fit for offensive operations against the enemy ; 
 Dupont remaining all this time inactive at 
 Cordova. 
 
 From Captain Whittingham I received con- 
 stant accounts of the operations of this short 
 campaign, which terminated in a victory ob- 
 tained over the French, at Baylen, and the conse- 
 quent capitulation, not only of Dupont's corps, 
 but also of a strong re-inforcement, under the 
 command of General Wedell, which, during the 
 time, and while the Convention was negotiating, 
 attacked General Reding's corps, (by which 
 Dupont's retreat had been cut off, in the course 
 of the action,) and had surprised and taken pri- 
 soners the battalion of Cordova. As General 
 Wedell's retreat was open, and his force by no 
 means inconsiderable, his having consented to be 
 included in General Dupont's capitulation seems 
 rather a singular occurrence. It is understood 
 that a body of his cavalry, commanded by an 
 officer, who refused submission to the proposed 
 capitulation, effected its retreat to Madrid, with- 
 out molestation. 
 
 In consequence of this conversation, on two 
 succeeding days, the divisions of Dupont and 
 Wedell filed off before the Spanish army, and 
 piled their arms ; the former consisting of 5500 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 39 
 
 men (of which number 1200 cavalry) and 20 1808 - 
 pieces of cannon : the latter of 9100 men, of 
 which 1500 cavalry. 
 
 It was calculated, that, in the course of this whitting- 
 short campaign, the French lost 2600 men killed Co™e- 
 and wounded, and 1100 deserted after the battle, dence, 
 and before the surrender. It is probable that a u y 
 considerable proportion of this number were 
 Swiss soldiers in the French army, who even- 
 tually enlisted into the Swiss regiment of Reding. 
 The entire loss of the Spaniards was estimated 
 at 1200, killed and wounded. The Spanish 
 army, before the battle, was estimated at 25,000 
 men, of which number nearly one-half were 
 peasants ; and of those a battalion of 3000 men, 
 in General Reding's division, fled at the com- 
 mencement of the battle, and returned no more. 
 
 When the news of this victory reached Seville, 
 the Junta and people became so much elated by 
 this proof of their power, that the subsequent 
 accounts of the convention were received with 
 strong marks of disapprobation. Nevertheless, 
 on the 1st of August, General Castanos and Cox's 
 Don Tomas Morla (Governor of Cadiz) were re- spon- 
 ceived at Seville with great ceremony, a depu- Aug. 3. 
 tation of the Junta meeting them outside the 
 gates of the city. This reception of Castanos 
 was in consequence of the victory he had obtain- 
 
40 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 ham's 1 " 8 " ec ^ ^ was a ^ e ^ e( i tna t Morla was associated 
 Letter. with him in the triumph to 'prevent jealousy \ 
 
 Those two generals were, for some hours, shut 
 up with the Junta, where it was said that the 
 debates were warm. 
 
 From the first, Morla was a strong advocate 
 for breaking the convention with Dupont, and 
 was known to be the author of rather an able 
 paper, industriously circulated, recommending 
 that measure, to which Castaiios, as a man of 
 honour, and pledged to the fulfilment of the 
 engagements which he himself had made, was 
 most warmly opposed. At last the Junta, being 
 strongly inclined, if not fully resolved from the 
 first to break the treaty, sanctioned by the po- 
 pular clamour which Morla had contributed to 
 excite, and utterly regardless of the public faith 
 and the national character, adopted Morla's 
 opinion and broke the capitulation. 
 Cox's On the 3d of August, a despatch arrived at 
 
 s P °on- Seville addressed to General Castaiios from Ge- 
 Aug. 5. neral Grouchy, the French commandant, in 
 Madrid, in which it was stated that the troops 
 under his command being destined for another ser- 
 vice, he could wish that General Castaiios would 
 detach part of his army to occuwp the capital j to 
 ensure its tranquillity, to protect the French 
 sick left in the hospitals, and, also, the French 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 41 
 
 families established in the place : but, at all 1808 - 
 events, whatever the General's determination in 
 that respect might be, he (General Grouchy) re- 
 quested that an officer might be sent to treat of 
 matters which would probably be of advantage 
 to both nations. In consequence of this notice, 
 Major-General Moreno (the Quarter-Master- 
 General of the Spanish army) was sent off to 
 Madrid, which was soon evacuated by the 
 French. General Castarios himself did not enter 
 the capital until the 23d of August. 
 
 The glorious result of the campaign, and the 
 popular enthusiasm which the ostentatious re- 
 ception of the victor, and the pompous celebra- 
 tion of the victory could not fail to inspire, con- 
 tributed to exaggerate the pretensions, and excite 
 the ambition of the Junta itself, and to foster a 
 disposition which had before been manifested in 
 that body, to assume the supreme and sole go- 
 vernment of Spain ; and, at this period, in a 
 debate which arose upon the refusal of the Junta 
 of Granada to acknowledge the supremacy of 
 Seville, Count Tilly (the leader of the party 
 which espoused those ambitious projects) had the 
 hardihood to propose, in the Junta, that a divi- 
 sion of the army of Andalusia should be marched 
 into Granada, to reduce that kingdom to submis- 
 sion. It was in answer to this proposal that 
 General Castarios made the following remarkable 
 
42 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 18Q8 - reply : — " He should like" (he said) " to see who 
 Cox's " dared to order a division of the army, under 
 
 Corre- . . 
 
 spon- " his command, to move without his authority ; 
 
 dence, 
 
 Sept. 7. " that he knew no distinction of provinces ; he 
 " had the command of part of the army of 
 " Spam, and he should never suffer it to be the 
 " vile instrument of civil war." 
 
 Count Tilly and his party had not, upon this 
 occasion, sufficient influence to carry the violent 
 measures they proposed ; and the prevalence of 
 wiser councils was manifested in the very able 
 address to the Spanish nation which the Junta 
 of Seville put forth on the 3d of August, recom- 
 mending the establishment of a supreme national 
 government, to be composed of two delegates 
 from each of the provincial Juntas. This able 
 paper deprecates the discussion of subjects, or 
 the adoption of measures, likely to create dis- 
 union, particularly the subject of the right of 
 succession to the crown, upon which great dif- 
 ference of sentiment prevailed in Spain ; one 
 party supporting the Salique law and advocating 
 the pretensions of the house of Naples; the 
 other maintaining the old Spanish laws contained 
 in the great code called Las Partidas, by which 
 was enacted the right of female succession to 
 the crown. 
 
 It was singular that a body, from which had 
 emanated a document so wise should have fol- 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 43 
 
 lowed up the measure they recommended, by 1808 « 
 selecting (by ballot) the Conde de Tilly and Don Co *'s 
 Vicente Hore to represent them in the Supreme spon- 
 
 dence 
 
 Government. Of the former I have already Aug. is. 
 spoken, he was, in fact, a man of infamous cha- 
 racter ; of the latter it is only necessary to ob- 
 serve that he was a person of no respectability, 
 and only politically distinguished as having been 
 a warm friend and partizan of the Prince of the 
 Peace. Thinking, perhaps, that his known at- Cox's 
 tachment to a detested favourite might not re- spon- 
 commend him to favourable notice at Madrid, Aug. 27. 
 he declined the appointment, and the Archbishop 
 of Laodicea was chosen deputy to the Central 
 Junta in his stead. Don Andres Mifiano was 
 appointed to replace Count Tilly, as member of 
 the Junta, with Castafios's army, with a salary 
 (as at first decided) of 12,000 hard dollars a- 
 year f but this scandalous misapplication of the 
 pecuniary resources, which the British govern- 
 
 * On the 3d of September, the British Consul arrived at Cox's 
 
 Seville, to place, at the sole disposal of the Junta, a million and spon _' 
 
 a half of dollars and forty thousand stand of arms, with the J en ^ e t 
 J [ Sept. 5. 
 
 hope, expressed by Mr. Canning, to the Andalusian deputies, 
 
 " That the aid now granted may be considered as applicable V 
 
 " to the general service of the country." Upon what was 
 
 this hope founded ? Certainly not upon a just estimate of the 
 
 character of the body to which the sole disposal of the aid was 
 
 consigned. 
 
44 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 • ment had at this time so liberally supplied, ex- 
 cited so much popular indignation, that the grant 
 was, for the present, rescinded. It was after- 
 wards settled to allow this field-deputy 500 
 dollars a month ; and the same was granted to 
 Count Tilly, as deputy to the Central Junta. 
 
 As soon as the capital was evacuated by the 
 French army, the Council of Castile resumed 
 its functions, and began to issue orders and 
 decrees as the supreme tribunal of the nation. 
 This was a measure not unlikely to create dis- 
 sensions and discord amongst the provinces, as 
 they might each be inclined to acknowledge or 
 deny the power of this tribunal. Major Cox 
 discovered that a letter written to me by the 
 Council of Castile had been stopped by the 
 Commandant at St. Roque, and sent to Seville 
 by order of the Junta ; and in answer to his warm 
 remonstrance against this breach of confidence, 
 Padre Gill alleged, in excuse, that the Junta 
 wished to save me the embarrassment of being 
 drawn into a correspondence with an assumed 
 authority which could not be acknowledged; the 
 Padre promised that the letter should be for- 
 warded ; which, however, he did not enable 
 Cox's Major Cox to do before the 30th of August, 
 spon- when, doubtless, it was no longer deemed im- 
 Augfso. portant to withhold it. 
 
 Whilst the progress of the campaign against 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 45 
 
 Dupont, and the other occurrences which arose 1808 - 
 during this interesting period, furnished occasion 
 for frequent reports to the Secretary of State ; 
 the letters I received from him were few, and 
 had little or no reference to the substance of my 
 communications. 
 
 I have said that on the 8th of June I received 
 the satisfactory despatch of the 25th of May, 
 approving of my past, and giving me instruction 
 for my future proceedings. 
 
 Somewhere between the 20th and 25th of 
 June I received a despatch from Downing-street, 
 (without a date,) containing, for my information 
 and guidance, copies of further instructions, ad- 
 dressed to Admiral Purvis, then supposed to be 
 in the command off Cadiz. In those documents, 
 dated the 4th of June, were fully explained the 
 conduct to be observed towards the Spanish 
 patriots, particularly in regard to the advance of 
 money for their use. Those papers were received 
 by Lord Collingwood, who had taken the com- 
 mand off Cadiz. 
 
 On the 16th of July, Mr. Adair came to 
 Gibraltar, on his way to Constantinople, and 
 brought me two letters from Lord Castlereagh, 
 dated the 28th of June. The one contained 
 copies (for my information and guidance) of 
 Letters directed to Vice-Admiral Purvis and 
 Major-General Spencer, announcing the appoint- 
 ment of Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley 
 
46 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - to the command of a force destined to act, as 
 circumstances should point out, in support of 
 the efforts of the Spanish nation. In consequence 
 of directions those letters contained, I forwarded 
 Appendix to Sir Arthur Wellesley, through Lord Colling- 
 wood, a long despatch, containing all the infor- 
 mation respecting the affairs of Spain which it 
 was in my power to impart. 
 
 The other letter brought by Mr. Adair was to 
 direct me to reinforce General Spencer from the 
 garrison of Gibraltar to whatever amount I might 
 deem advisable. Those directions I had antici- 
 pated long before this letter of Lord Castlereagh's 
 was written. 
 
 On the 27th of July I received two despatches 
 from the Secretary of State, both dated the 6th 
 of that month. The one transmitted several 
 copies of the King's speech to Parliament, and 
 an order of His Majesty in Council for a cessa- 
 tion of hostilities with Spain : an order which I 
 had, under my own responsibility, practically 
 anticipated above two months before. 
 
 The other letter, of the 6th of July, from Lord 
 Castlereagh, acknowledged the receipt of two 
 letters from me, the one dated the 2d, the other 
 the 4th of June. The former was the letter I 
 sent by Captain Dalrymple to be forwarded by 
 Admiral Purvis, announcing the arrival at Gib- 
 raltar of the Deputies from the Junta of Seville ; 
 and of my having, in consequence of an intima- 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 47 
 
 tion from the Junta, sent my military secretary 1808> 
 to reside at Seville. The latter was to inform 
 his Lordship of the reasons which induced me to 
 order Captain Dalrymple back to Gibraltar. 
 
 A copy of this letter of the 6th of July was 
 laid before the Court of Inquiry, , and is inserted 
 in the Appendix to its proceedings : I annex a 
 copy of a part which it seems to have been 
 thought prudent to omit, and which greatly con- 
 tributed, with other circumstances, to convince 
 me, that, subsequent to the 25th of May, my 
 opinions were little regarded, and that the confi- 
 dence of ministers was transferred from me to 
 Admiral Purvis and General Spencer ; # and, also, 
 that, so late as the 6th of July, they (the minis- 
 ters) were ill informed of the probable course of 
 events in Andalusia and of the character of the 
 people and the authorities in that part of Spain. 
 The instance I allude to is as follows : — 
 
 " I thus write to you under the impression of 
 " the intelligence received from General Spencer, 
 " dated, off Cadiz, the 6th of June, at which 
 " time preparations were making for taking pos- 
 " session of the French squadron, and our com- 
 " manders were waiting for a ratification by the 
 -" Junta of Seville of the conditions proposed by 
 
 * The correspondence relative to General Spencer's move- 
 ments, after his return from off the Tagus, is to be found in 
 Cox's Correspondence, 28th June, and Appendix, No. 12. 
 
48 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - " them for their co-operation. The despatches 
 " of the Admiral and General leaves us little 
 " room to doubt that their propositions have 
 " been in the main acceded to ; and that His 
 " Majesty's forces are acting in alliance with the 
 " Junta of Seville." To this extent, as it ap- 
 pears, were the Admiral and General the dupes 
 of Don Tomas Morla and his confederates. 
 
 At length, on the 8th of August, His Majesty's 
 ship, Orestes, arrived at Gibraltar, with de- 
 spatches from England, of which the following 
 is a copy, of the most important, at least to me, 
 as proving, that, between the 6th and 15th of 
 July, a considerable change had taken place in 
 the opinions of His Majesty's ministers, respect- 
 ing my proceedings in the affairs of Spain, and 
 the reliance to be placed on my communications 
 
 Downing-Street, July 15, 1308. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I am to acquaint you, that His Majesty, 
 highly approving the zeal and judgement which 
 has marked the whole of your conduct under the 
 late important events which have taken place in 
 Spain, has been graciously pleased to entrust to 
 you, for the present, the chief command of his 
 forces, to be employed in Portugal and Spain, 
 with Sir Harry Burrard, second in command. 
 
 Lord Collingwood will be directed to place a 
 frigate at your disposal, in order that you may 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 49 
 
 have the means of transferring yourself to what- 1808 - 
 ever point of your command your personal pre- 
 sence may, according to circumstances, be most 
 required ; the charge of the garrison of Gibraltar 
 being entrusted, during your absence, to Major- 
 General Drummond, or the officer next in com- 
 mand. 
 
 I enclose copies of the instructions which have 
 been given to Sir Arthur Wellesley, Nos. 1, 2, 3, 
 and enclosures ; in the execution of which he is 
 directed to proceed, transferring his orders to 
 any senior officer in command. 
 I am, &e. 
 (Signed) Castlereagh. 
 
 To Lieut.-Gen. Sir Hew Dalrymple. 
 
 The instructions, Nos. 1 and 2, alluded to in 
 this letter, had reference to the corps which, on 
 the 30th of June, when they were written, was 
 supposed to be under the immediate command of 
 Sir Arthur Wellesley ; No. 3, on the contrary, 
 which announced the approaching reinforcement 
 of 10,000 men, related to the objects which the 
 army, when assembled, would have to provide 
 for, and was dated the 15th of July, the same 
 day as my appointment to the command. Of 
 this paper the following is an extract : — 
 
 " The motives which have induced the send- 
 " ing so large a force to that quarter, are — 
 
 E 
 
50 
 
 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808. 
 
 " 1st. To provide effectually for an attack 
 upon the Tagus. And 
 
 " 2d. To have such an additional force, 
 disposable, beyond what may be indispensably 
 requisite for that operation, as may admit of a 
 detachment being made to the southward, 
 either with a view to secure Cadiz, if it 
 should be threatened by the French force, 
 under General Dupont, or co-operate with the 
 Spanish troops in reducing that corps, if cir- 
 cumstances should favour such an operation, 
 or any other that may be concerted. 
 " His Majesty is pleased to direct that the 
 attack upon the Tagus should be considered 
 as the first object to be attended to. As the 
 whole force, (of which a statement is enclosed,) 
 when assembled, will amount to 30,000 men, 
 it is conceived that both services may be amply 
 provided for. The precise distribution, as 
 between Portugal and Andalusia, both as to 
 time and proportion of force, must depend on 
 circumstances, to be judged of on the spot ; 
 and should it be deemed advisable to fulfil the 
 assurance, which Lieutenant-General Sir Hew 
 Dalrymple appears to have given to the 
 Supreme Junta of Seville, under the authority 
 of my despatch of the 6th of July, that it was 
 His Majesty's intention to employ a corps of 
 his troops, to the amount of 10,000 men, to 
 

 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 51 
 
 " co-operate with the Spaniards in that quarter ; 1838 - 
 " a corps of this magnitude may, I hope, be 
 " detached, without prejudice to the main ope- 
 " ration upon the Tagus ; and may be reinforced 
 " according to circumstances, after the Tagus 
 " has been secured." 
 
 When I received these instructions the cam- 
 paign in Andalusia was over; and it was no 
 longer of consequence what assurances of support 
 had been given to the Supreme Junta of Seville 
 in His Majesty's name, or by whom they were 
 conveyed. I certainly gave such assurances to 
 General Castanos, under the authority of Lord 
 Castlereagh's letter of the 25th of May, written 
 before the Junta of Seville existed ; but in the 
 despatch of the 6th of July, here referred to, 
 there was no such authority, and, indeed, not 
 one word upon the subject. 
 
 Besides the official despatches, I received, by 
 this opportunity, a private letter from Lord Castle- 
 reagh, offering me, in the first place, his personal 
 thanks for the zeal and ability with which I had 
 (as his Lordship was pleased to observe) dis- 
 charged my public duties during the late im- 
 portant period. His Lordship then proceeds to 
 recommend to my particular confidence, Sir 
 Arthur Wellesley, whose high reputation in the 
 service, as an officer, would in itself dispose me 
 (his Lordship was very justly persuaded) to select 
 
 e2 
 
52 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - him for any service that required great prudence 
 and temper, combined with much military expe- 
 rience. The letter concluded as follows : — 
 " The degree, however, to which he has been 
 " for a length of time, in the closest habits of 
 " communication with His Majesty's ministers, 
 " with respect to the affairs of Spain, will, I am 
 " sure, point him out to you as an officer of 
 " whom it is desirable, on all accounts, to make 
 " the most prominent use the rules of the service 
 " will permit." 
 
 Under all the circumstances of the case, I 
 think it can scarcely be wondered at, that I re- 
 ceived these communications with, at least, as 
 much surprise as satisfaction. This ebb and flow 
 of approbation and confidence was not satisfac- 
 tory ; and something seemed to lurk under this 
 most complicated arrangement, which bore, 
 I thought, a most unpromising aspect. But I 
 was at a distance from Government; had no 
 means of stating difficulties, or of receiving ex- 
 planations or advice ; and could, therefore, only 
 hasten, as far as circumstances would allow, to 
 obey His Majesty's commands, by repairing to 
 Portugal, there to assume, " for the present," 
 the command of an army already in the field, 
 and actually engaged in active operations against 
 the enemy. 
 
 When busied in preparing for my departure, 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 53 
 
 a question arose, upon which I was obliged to 1808> 
 come to an immediate decision ; in direct oppo- 
 sition, as it appeared at the time, to the foreign 
 policy of His Majesty's Government, although 
 not officially pronounced. 
 
 At a late hour, on the 9th of August, His 
 Majesty's ship, Thunderer, arrived from Sicily, 
 having on board Prince Leopold, second son 
 of the King of Naples ; and the Duke of Or- 
 leans, with a large suite of attendants upon the 
 former. 
 
 Near ten at night the Duke of Orleans, attended 
 by Captain Talbot, of the Thunderer, came to 
 my quarters, when His Highness put into my Appendix 
 hands a letter from Mr. Drummond, His Majesty's 
 minister at the court of Palermo. At the same 
 time, Captain Talbot delivered a despatch, with Appendix 
 several enclosures, from Admiral Sir Alexander 
 Ball, by whose orders Captain Talbot was autho- 
 rized to give the Duke of Orleans a passage on 
 board the Thunderer to Gibraltar, but to the 
 Duke of Orleans only, as the Admiral had re- 
 ceived no intimation of Prince Leopold's intended 
 voyage. 
 
 From the Duke of Orleans, as also from Mr. 
 Drummond's letter, I understood that Prince 
 Leopold was come to establish himself at Gib- 
 raltar, for the avowed purpose of negotiating 
 
54 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - for the Regency of Spain; of which measure 
 Mr. Drummond not only expressed his entire 
 approbation, but frankly acknowledged that he 
 had urged it upon the King of Naples, as one 
 which His Majesty was called upon to pursue. 
 The Duke of Orleans anticipated so little dif- 
 ficulty on my part, that he proposed to make 
 with me the necessary arrangements for the for- 
 mal reception of Prince Leopold and his suite 
 into the garrison in the morning. 
 
 Though neither the Duke of Orleans nor Mr. 
 Drummond alleged any official authority from 
 His Majesty's ministers for this strong and deci- 
 sive proceeding, I could have no doubt that 
 they felt confident of approbation and powerful 
 support at home. I at once, however, told the 
 Duke of Orleans, that I would consent to no 
 measure which should appear to throw the weight 
 of Britain (with an army collecting on the coast) 
 into the scale of any competitor for the Regency 
 of Spain, without distinct orders from His Ma- 
 jesty's Government for that purpose ; I, therefore, 
 declined, in the first instance, to allow Prince 
 Leopold to land at Gibraltar, and sent off an 
 express to Cadiz, to Lord Collingwood, to inform 
 him of the embarrassing situation in which I was 
 placed ; in the meantime I took every step I 
 could to convince the authorities in Spain, civil 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 55 
 
 and military, that this act of the Court of Pa- 1808 - 
 lermo was wholly unauthorized by the British 
 Government and unexpected by me. 
 
 Before the return of the express from Cadiz, 
 Captain Talbot announced his intention of sail- 
 ing, and his disinclination to keep his illustrious 
 passenger on board, I therefore, on the 11th, 
 addressed a letter to Prince Leopold, expressive Appendix 
 of the concern I felt at having been compelled, 
 by a sense of duty, to expose His Royal High- 
 ness to the inconvenience of remaining so long 
 in a state of uncertainty on board ship, and also 
 to say, that I should give orders for the recep- 
 tion of His Royal Highness into the garrison, 
 with all the honours due to his illustrious rank, 
 upon certain conditions, which I mentioned, for 
 the regulation of his intercourse with Spain and 
 communication with the Spaniards. It was at the 
 same time understood, that the Duke of Orleans 
 was to proceed immediately to England. 
 
 Prince Leopold having most readily acceded 
 to the conditions proposed, landed in the gar- 
 rison, on the 12th of August, when I transferred 
 the command to Major-General Drummond, pre- 
 paratory to my embarkation next morning for 
 Portugal. 
 
 That His Majesty's minister at the Court of 
 Palermo should have recommended such a mea- 
 
56 AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 
 
 1808 - sure as this, and that a British line-of-battle-ship 
 should have been employed in its execution, were 
 occurrences for which I was by no means pre- 
 pared ; but that such an intrigue, carried on by 
 inferior agents, was in active operation, I had for 
 some time been aware. 
 
 Towards the end of June, I had good reason to 
 believe that the Court of Palermo had acquired 
 an able, and not very scrupulous, embassy in 
 Gibraltar ; and, in the middle of July, a sort of 
 accredited minister to the Spanish nation, named 
 the Chevalier Robertoni, arrived for the double 
 purpose of protesting, in the name of his Sove- 
 reign, against the late renunciations at Bayonne, 
 and of asserting His Majesty's claim to the suc- 
 cession. As I was not disposed to allow a Bri- 
 tish fortress to be the seat of this sort of diplo- 
 macy, and had also reason to believe that 
 Robertoni was charged with papers for circu- 
 lation, of which he did not chuse to communicate 
 to me the contents ; and, moreover, being assured 
 by Mr. Adair, who was then at Gibraltar, that 
 the object of this mission would not be ap- 
 proved by Government at home, I had it inti- 
 mated to the Chev. Robertoni that I wished him 
 to return to Palermo. 
 
 Just before the arrival of Prince Leopold, the 
 celebrated address from the Junta of Seville to 
 
AFFAIRS OF SPAIN. 57 
 
 1808. 
 
 the Spanish nation was received at Gibraltar. 
 This instrument, as I have already mentioned, 
 deprecated the discussion of any subject that 
 might create disunion, particularly that of the 
 succession. This publication placed an effectual 
 bar to the object of Prince Leopold's voyage, at 
 least for the present. 
 
1808. 
 
 PORTUGAL. 
 
 LANDING, ARMISTICE, AND CONVENTION. 
 
 Lord Collingwood having been directed to place 
 a frigate at my disposal, in order that I might 
 have the means of transferring myself to what- 
 ever point of my command my personal pre- 
 sence might be required, his Lordship appointed 
 the Phoebe frigate, commanded by Captain Os- 
 wald, for that duty. 
 
 On the 13th of August I embarked, and hav- 
 ing passed the Straits by the first fair wind, 
 after I received my orders, I communicated the 
 same day with Lord Collingwood, off Cadiz, as 
 I did, on the 19th, with Sir Charles Cotton, off 
 the Tagus. 
 
 From Sir Charles Cotton I received informa- 
 tion that Sir Authur Wellesley had landed in 
 Mondego Bay, and being joined there by Gene- 
 ral Spencer's corps, was advancing, along the 
 coast, towards Lisbon, deriving his supplies from 
 victuallers, &c. which attended the movement of 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 59 
 
 his army. The Admiral also told me of the ar- 1808 - 
 rival upon the coast of Brigadier-General Ack- 
 land with a corps of troops, seeking an oppor- 
 tunity to land, to join Sir Arthur Wellesley. 
 The Admiral had not then heard of the action 
 of Roli^a, and did not seem to anticipate much 
 opposition from the enemy to Sir Arthur Wel- 
 lesley's advance to Lisbon. 
 
 Having ordered the 42d regiment to be em- 
 barked at Gibraltar for Portugal, I arranged with 
 Sir Charles Cotton that, upon its arrival, it should 
 remain with the fleet for the present, and, on 
 returning on board the Phoebe, I desired Captain 
 Oswald to direct his course towards the Mon- 
 dego, for the purpose of joining the reinforce- 
 ments expected from England, with Lieutenant- 
 General's Sir Harry Barrard and Sir John Moore. 
 
 On the 21st, when sailing along the coast, 
 a fleet of ships was descried under the land, 
 and the first lieutenant of the ship and one of 
 my aid-de-camps, being sent on shore for intel- 
 ligence, they returned, about one o'clock in the 
 morning, with information, that a victory had just 
 been obtained, and that Sir Harry Burrard was 
 on shore and had taken the command of the 
 army. Upon receiving this intelligence I made 
 for Maceira Bay, at the place where the ships 
 were at anchor, and, landing on the beach, pro- 
 ceeded to the village of Maceira, where I found 
 
60 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808, Sir Harry Burrard, and established my head- 
 quarters. 
 See Pro- gi r Harry Burrard sailed from Portsmouth on 
 
 ceedmsrs, ^ 
 
 Court of the 31st of July, on board His Majesty's ship 
 Audacious, together with a fleet of transports, 
 containing Sir John Moore's corps of 10,000 
 men. 
 
 On the 16th of August, when off Cape Fi- 
 nisterre, Sir Harry shifted on board the Brazen 
 sloop, and made sail for Oporto, where he ar- 
 rived next day, and, learning that Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley had landed at Mondego, he proceeded 
 southward, and, on the 18th, arrived off the 
 Mondego, where he found despatches from Sir 
 Arthur Wellesley, in which it was recommended 
 that Sir John Moore's corps should land at 
 Mondego, and proceed to Santarem, to confine 
 the movements of the enemy on that side. 
 
 See Pro- This suggestion Sir Harry Burrard determined 
 
 ccctlintrs 
 
 Court of at first not to accede to ; but afterwards found 
 nquiry. cauge to genc | ^ ac k or( J ers to Sir John Moore to 
 
 land in the Mondego Bay, and (under a know- 
 ledge of Sir A. Wellesley 's despatches, which 
 were sent for his information) to act as he might 
 think best for Sir Arthur's support. 
 
 On the evening of the 20th, Sir Harry Burrard 
 arrived off the landing-place at Maceira, when 
 Sir Arthur Wellesley came on board to report 
 his proceedings and the actual state of things, 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. Ql 
 
 and ended by saying he had intended to march 1808 - 
 next morning, at five o'clock, by the Mafra-road, 
 to turn the enemy's position at Torres Vedras. 
 
 Of this plan Sir Harry Burrard did not ap- 
 prove ; and gave orders to Sir Arthur Wellesley 
 that the army should not move next morning. 
 He at the same time sent orders by land, and by 
 the Brazen sloop, to Sir John Moore, to proceed 
 forthwith to Maceira, and, if any of his troops 
 were on shore, to order them to embark and 
 follow. 
 
 Sir Arthur Wellesley being of opinion that, if 
 the army remained on its ground, it would be 
 attacked by the enemy, he made such dispo- 
 sitions as he thought necessary in consequence. 
 Sir Arthur was not disappointed in his expecta- 
 tions, for, soon after eight o'clock, a. m. on the 
 21st, the enemy appeared in force on the left of 
 the position. 
 
 On the 21st, about nine o'clock in the morn- 
 ing, Sir Harry Burrard landed from His Majesty's 
 ship Alfred, where he had passed the night; 
 and, upon receiving notice from an officer, sent 
 by Sir A. Wellesley, that large bodies of the 
 enemy were seen moving towards the left of the 
 position, Sir Harry hastened to Vimiera, where 
 he arrived about ten o'clock; at which time he 
 found Brigadier-Generals Anstruther and Fane's 
 brigades vigorously attacked by the enemy. 
 
62 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - Here Sir Harry Burrard was informed of, saw, 
 See Court anc [ approved all the steps taken by Sir Arthur 
 Proceed- Wellesley to repulse the enemy, and directed 
 him to proceed in the execution of an operation 
 he had so happily begun; but he afterwards, 
 before the Court of Inquiry, indignantly repelled 
 the supposition that he had, at any time, (but 
 particularly at that time,) an intention of giving 
 up the command of the army to another. 
 
 The enemy being repulsed in all parts, and in 
 full retreat, Sir Arthur Wellesley proposed to Sir 
 H. Burrard to take advantage of the victory, by 
 pursuing them ; which, however, the latter, 
 from the view he had taken of the state of 
 things, deemed it best to decline ; and the army 
 remained on the ground where the battle had 
 been fought, and where I found it when I landed 
 on the 22d. 
 
 Upon my arrival at Maceira, Sir Harry 
 Burrard gave me the necessary information re- 
 specting the recent transactions ; and (to use his 
 own words to the Court of Inquiry) " how and 
 " why he had acted." Soon after, Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley (whom I had never before seen) came 
 into the room, and expressed much anxiety that 
 the army should advance. As soon as I could 
 ascertain whether any orders had been issued by 
 Sir H. Burrard for the morrow, I acceded to the 
 proposition, and desired Sir A. Wellesley to hold 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 63 
 
 the army in readiness to march next day at day- 1808 - 
 break, " undoubtedly as soon" (as stated in the 
 Report of the Court of Inquiry) " as it could be 
 
 put in motion after his arrival ;" " and, 
 
 considering the extraordinary circumstances 
 under which two new commanding-generals 
 arrived from the ocean and joined the army, 
 (the one during and the other immediately 
 after a battle, and those successively super- 
 seding each other, and both the original com- 
 mander within the space of twenty-four hours,) 
 it is not surprising that the army was not 
 carried forward until the second day after the 
 action." 
 
 Between one and two o'clock, p. m. a report 
 came in that the enemy seemed to be advancing, 
 I, therefore, desired Sir A. Wellesley (who was 
 soon upon the spot) to take up the position as 
 the day before. This, however, soon proved to 
 be a body of French cavalry, with a flag of 
 truce ; and, soon after one o'clock, General 
 Kellermann arrived at Sir Arthur Wellesley 's 
 quarters, at Vimeira, where he found Sir Harry 
 Burrard, Sir Arthur Wellesley, and myself. 
 
 The object of General Kellermann's mission 
 was to propose, on the part of the General-in- 
 Chief of the French army, a suspension of hos- 
 tilities, in order to settle a definitive convention 
 for the evacuation of Portugal by the French 
 
64 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - troops, with their arms and baggage. Lieute- 
 nant-Generals Sir Harry Burrard and Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley assisted in the discussions which took 
 place upon this occasion; and I need urge no 
 other reason for my assenting to the measure 
 proposed than that it was recommended by Sir 
 Arthur Wellesley, whose opinion, as being the 
 most competent judge of the relative situations 
 of the two armies at this point of time, I should 
 have thought it my duty to follow, even if his 
 judgement had not been so particularly recom- 
 mended to my attention by the Secretary of 
 State. 
 Proceed- Sir Arthur recommended the measure of allow- 
 Appendix ing the French to evacuate Portugal with their 
 ry. nqui " arms and baggage, and that every facility for 
 this purpose should be afforded to them, from 
 the relative state of the armies on the evening 
 of the 22d, considering that the French had 
 then resumed a formidable position between us 
 and Lisbon ; that they had the means of retiring 
 from that position to others in front of that city; 
 and, finally, of crossing the Tagus into Alemtejo, 
 with a view to the occupation, in strength, of 
 Elvas la Lippe, and, eventually, Almeida;* " as 
 " Sir John Moore's corps had been diverted from 
 
 * See Sir A. Wellesley's Letter, of 6th Oct. 1808, to Lord 
 Castlereagh, in the Appendix to the Proceedings of the Court 
 of Inquiry. 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 65 
 
 " the occupation of the position at Santarem, 1808 - 
 " which had been proposed for them, there 
 " were no means to prevent, and no increase of 
 " numbers could have prevented, the French army 
 " from effecting these objects." 
 
 The suspension of arms was therefore agreed 
 upon, to terminate at forty-eight hours' notice. 
 The basis of the proposed treaty was also 
 settled, but not to be considered as in force 
 without the concurrence of Admiral Sir Charles 
 Cotton ; for I was quite determined to conclude 
 no definitive convention with the French Com- 
 mander-in-Chief, to which the British Admiral 
 should not be a party as well as myself. 
 
 The armistice being copied fairly, and signed 
 by Sir Arthur Wellesley and General Kellermann, 
 the latter retired ; when immediately an aide-de- 
 camp, from General Bernardin Friere de An- 
 drada, was introduced to me, being sent, as he 
 said, by his General (who had heard of my 
 arrival) to ask my commands. 
 
 That there was a Portuguese force somewhere, 
 I had probably heard; and, in the forenoon, I 
 had seen a Portuguese detachment marching to 
 occupy the post assigned it in the position; but, 
 as neither General Friere nor his army had been 
 mentioned to me during the recent discussions, 
 or spoken of as having had any share in the 
 battle of the 21st, I was not prepared to find 
 
 F 
 
66 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 18Q8 - them so near at hand ; I could only, therefore, 
 desire the aide-de-camp to give my respects to 
 his General, and to say that I should be glad of 
 the honour of seeing him next day at Ramalhall, 
 where I intended to have my head-quarters. 
 
 On the 23d, the army advanced to a new 
 position, within the line of demarcation ; and, 
 soon after my arrival at Ramalhall, I was visited 
 by the Portuguese General Friere de Andrada. 
 
 The General soon entered upon the subject of 
 the treaty, and the whole proceedings of the day 
 before, with which he seemed to be much 
 offended ; particularly, as he thought that he 
 himself, and the Government of Portugal, (for 
 such he considered the Junta of Oporto to be,) 
 had been treated with disrespectful neglect. 
 
 I was not prepared, at the moment, fully to 
 discuss this matter, but gave him to understand 
 that no disrespect was meant ; and that, however 
 meritorious the exertions of the Junta of Oporto 
 might have been, I could not consider that body 
 to be the government of Portugal, and the legi- 
 timate representative of its Prince. In the mean 
 time, that I should furnish him with a copy of 
 the armistice, provisional though it was, and 
 subject to the Admiral's approval, in order that 
 I might receive such observations as he should 
 think it necessary to make, that they might be 
 considered during the negotiation of the treaty. 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 67 
 
 In paying this respect to the Portuguese Ge- 1808< 
 neral, which I thought due to him under the 
 present circumstances, I committed a grievous 
 error, as the sequel proved, and as I shall have 
 occasion to shew. 
 
 Early on the 23d, in the morning, Lieutenant- 
 Colonel Murray, Quarter-Master-General, setoff 
 for the fleet, to communicate to Admiral Sir 
 Charles Cotton the terms of the agreement, pro- 
 visionally concluded with the French General, 
 but subject to his approbation and concurrence. 
 
 On the 24th, at night, Colonel Murray re- 
 turned from the fleet, with information, that the 
 Admiral objected to an article in the armistice 
 which regarded the Russian fleet ; as he was 
 ready himself to enter into an agreement with 
 Admiral Siniavin upon that point. But that he 
 had no objection to join me in negotiating with 
 General Junot upon the remaining articles. 
 
 Sir Charles Cotton having thus declined to 
 sanction the Russian article in the basis, I con- 
 ceived the armistice to be at an end, and deter- 
 mined on sending to announce the recommence- 
 ment of hostilities at the end of forty-eight 
 hours. In consequence, I sent Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Murray to Lisbon, on the 25th, with a letter, 
 informing General Junot of the Admiral's deci- 
 sion ; but, at the same time, I gave authority to 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, should Junot mani- 
 
 f2 
 
68 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808. 
 
 fest a wish to negotiate on the remaining articles 
 of the former agreement, (that respecting the 
 Russian fleet being expunged,) to enter upon 
 such negotiation, and to conclude a Convention 
 upon the terms specified in a paper of memoranda, 
 which Sir Arthur Wellesley had previously drawn 
 up. Lieutenant-Colonel Murray was further 
 empowered to prolong the suspension of hostili- 
 ties for a definite period, should the negotiation 
 be entered into. 
 
 During the night between the 26th and 27th, 
 a French officer arrived with letters from Lieu- 
 tenant-Colonel Murray and General Junot, in- 
 forming me that the negotiation was in progress ; 
 but as General Junot, by his letter, affected to 
 understand that the cessation of hostilities was 
 now to be for an unlimited period, and to depend 
 upon Sir Charles Cotton's negotiation with Ad- 
 miral Siniavin ; whilst Lieutenant-Colonel Murray 
 distinctly reported that, according to his instruc- 
 tions, he had only offered a continuance of the 
 truce for a limited period ; it seemed necessary 
 to Sir Arthur Wellesley and myself to send 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Murray instructions, (which 
 were drawn up by Sir Arthur Wellesley,) imme- 
 diately to clear up this misunderstanding ; and, if 
 that could not be satisfactorily done, to break off 
 the negotiation, and come away. In the other 
 case he was to continue it ; and, for that purpose, 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 69 
 
 was authorized to prolong the armistice for a 1808 - 
 further period of twenty-four hours. These 
 instructions were sent by Sir Arthur Wellesley 's 
 aide-de-camp, Lord Fitzroy Somerset, to Lisbon. 
 
 On the 29th, in the morning, Captain Dalrym- 
 ple, who had accompanied Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Murray to Lisbon, brought a treaty, which that 
 officer had concluded with General Kellermann, 
 who had been appointed to negotiate with him ; 
 some of the provisions of which seeming objec- 
 tionable. I assembled all the lieutenant-generals 
 I could immediately collect, namely, Lieutenant- 
 Generals Sir Harry Burrard, Sir John Moore, the 
 Hon. J. Hope, Mackenzie Frazer, and Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley ; when the treaty was read, article by 
 article, and the objections and proposed altera- 
 tions minuted down by Sir Arthur Wellesley, 
 which, being copied, was sent by my aide-de- 
 camp, Captain Fanshawe, to Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Murray, for his guidance. 
 
 On the 31st, at an early hour in the morning, Report of 
 Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, accompanied by inquiry. 
 Lord Fitzroy Somerset and Captain Fanshawe, 
 together with an aide-de-camp of General Kel- 
 lermann's, arrived at Torres Vedras, where my 
 head-quarters were then established, with the 
 definitive Convention, " in which some of the 
 " articles of the treaty of the 28th, which had 
 
70 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808. 
 
 " been objected to, were altered, and some other 
 " good alterations inserted, not before suggested." 
 At all events the season for negotiation was past ; 
 I, therefore, immediately convened theLieutenant- 
 Generals I could assemble — Sir Harry Burrard, 
 Sir John Moore, Hon. J. Hope, and Mackenzie 
 Fraser; and, in their presence, and with their 
 approbation, I ratified the Definitive Convention. 
 
 During these negotiations Sir John Moore ar- 
 rived at Maceira, and disembarked his troops as 
 fast as the state of the weather would allow. 
 Two regiments of infantry, two brigades of artil- 
 lery, and the German cavalry, landed on the 
 26th, but the last division did not land until the 
 29th of August ; and the disembarkation was not 
 effected without great difficulty, and, latterly, 
 some loss. 
 
 On the 29th, at noon, the term for the suspen- 
 sion of hostilities having expired, I moved my 
 head-quarters to Torres Vedras, in front of which 
 was, at the same time, placed Major-General 
 Paget's advanced guard ; on the 28th, the corps, 
 originally under the command of Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley, had marched towards, and near to 
 Torres Vedras ; leaving Brigadier-Generals An- 
 struther's and Ackland's brigades, with part of 
 Sir John Moore's corps, in camp at Ramalhall. 
 
 On the 31st, early in the morning, Sir Arthur 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 71 
 
 Wellesley's corps moved to the left, and the di- 1808 - 
 visions of Lieutenant-Generals Hope and Mac- 
 kenzie Fraser took up the ground in the rear of 
 Torres Vedras, which Sir Arthur's corps had 
 occupied. Sir Arthur Wellesley proceeded by 
 Sobral de Monte Agra^a to occupy the position 
 assigned to his corps. 
 
 The Definitive Convention having been con- 
 cluded, on the 1st of September, the troops un- 
 der my immediate command began their march 
 towards the positions they were to occupy during 
 the embarkation of the French ; and, on the 2d, 
 I established my head-quarters at Cintra, where 
 I learned that the treaty having been ratified by 
 the Admiral, our troops had that day occupied 
 the forts upon the Tagus ; from Cintra, therefore, 
 my despatches, giving an account of the recent 
 transactions, were dated, and sent off. 
 
 On this march, I was met by two Russian 
 officers, charged with a letter to me from Ad- 
 miral Siniavin, desiring to know what flag would 
 be displayed when we took possession of the 
 forts on the Tagus ? and whether, if the Portu- 
 guese flag were hoisted, the port of Lisbon would 
 be considered as neutral ? and his squadron en- 
 titled to the benefit of the neutrality ? 
 
 In reply to this letter, I intimated to the 
 Russian Admiral, that his query should have 
 been addressed to Sir Charles Cotton ; for that 
 
72 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808t I did not think myself at liberty to interfere in 
 a matter which that Admiral had reserved to 
 himself. 
 
 Had I thought it proper to enter into any dis- 
 cussion with Admiral Siniavin, I should have 
 assured him that the Portuguese flag would cer- 
 tainly be hoisted on the forts when occupied by 
 British troops; for, although Sir Charles Cotton's 
 negotiation with the Russian Admiral might be 
 facilitated by a contrary proceeding, I thought 
 it was of the utmost importance, that so great 
 and so just a cause of jealousy and offence 
 should not be afforded to the Portuguese nation, 
 as to appear to usurp the sovereignty which we 
 had just compelled the French to relinquish. 
 
 On the 3d of September, at a very early hour 
 in the morning, the long looked-for despatches 
 from England reached me, of which the most 
 important were — Instructions for the establish- 
 ment of a provisional Government at Lisbon, 
 when the French should be expelled from Por- 
 tugal ; and a confidential communication from 
 Lord Castlereagh upon the subject of the future 
 conduct of the war, when that great object 
 should be accomplished : the former of these 
 documents was dated the 19th, the latter the 
 20th of August. f 
 
 On the 4th of September, Captain Dalrymple 
 and Captain Halsted, first Captain of the Hiber- 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 73 
 
 nia, embarked for England with my despatches 1808 - 
 and those of Sir Charles Cotton, each containing 
 a copy of the Convention with General Junot 
 which we respectively had ratified. * Captain 
 Halsted was also charged with another despatch 
 from the Admiral, containing the Convention Sir 
 Charles Cotton had himself concluded with the 
 Russian Admiral Siniavin, in which I had no 
 share, and of which I had at the time no cog- 
 nizance. 
 
 I must not forget to mention that Sir Charles 
 Cotton, as soon as he had ratified the treaty 
 with the French General, and the forts on the 
 Tagus were, in consequence, evacuated by the 
 French, landed the 3d and 42d regiments from 
 the fleet, took possession of the forts, and caused 
 British colours to be hoisted. As soon as the 
 fact was made known to me, I ordered the Por- 
 tuguese flag to be substituted for the British ; 
 but this error, though soon rectified, was used at 
 Oporto as a means of inflaming the popular dis- 
 content. 
 
 On the 5th of September, the army advanced 
 and took up ground in front of St. Julian, the 
 left extending to the Heights of Bellas ; the same 
 day my head quarters were transferred from 
 Cintra to Oeyras. 
 
 * See London Gazette, Sept. 16, 1808, 
 
74 
 
 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808. 
 
 Report of 
 Board of 
 Inquiry. 
 
 Whilst the embarkation of the French was in 
 progress, the situation of our troops was changed, 
 and head-quarters removed, first to Prayas and 
 afterwards to Bemfico, both sufficiently near 
 Lisbon for every purpose of business. I never 
 fixed my residence in that capital. 
 
 To avoid long and minute details of the mea- 
 sures pursued to carry the provisions of the Con- 
 vention into effect, I shall insert that part of the 
 Report of the Board of General Officers which 
 relates to that particular subject. It was formed, 
 after minute inquiry into all the circumstances 
 of the case, and, being an official document upon 
 record, requires no reference to vouchers placed 
 in the Appendix. 
 
 " It appears that the forts on the Tagus were 
 taken possession of, on the 2d of September, 
 by the British troops, and the port was then 
 opened to our shipping ; that, on the 5th, the 
 army had its right at St. Julian's, and its left 
 on the Heights of Bellas ; that, on the 8th or 
 9th, a British corps marched into Lisbon to 
 ensure the tranquillity of that city during the 
 embarkation of the enemy, who were all sent 
 off (except the last division, purposely de- 
 tained,*) before the end of the month, and 
 part of the British army was then actually on 
 its route to the Spanish frontier. 
 * By orders from home. 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 75 
 
 " It appears that, during the discussion, and 1808, 
 afterwards during the execution of the Con- 
 vention, much firmness was shewn in resisting 
 the pretensions and interpretations of the ene- 
 my ; every stipulation being restricted to its 
 fair, honourable, and grammatical meaning; 
 and the French not allowed to carry off, but 
 obliged to disgorge plunder which they affected 
 to consider as private property. 
 " It appears that pains were taken to mis- 
 represent and raise a clamour, in Portugal, 
 against the Convention ; but, when it was 
 generally known, and its effects felt, the peo- 
 ple of Lisbon and of the country seem to have 
 expressed their gratitude and thanks for the 
 benefits attending it. 
 
 " On the whole, it appears that the Conven- 
 tion of C intra, # in its progress and conclu- 
 sion, or at least the principal articles of it, 
 were not objected to by the five distinguished 
 Lieutenant-Generals of that army; and other 
 general officers who were on that service, 
 
 * A name improperly and unluckily applied to this treaty ; 
 as it produced an opinion, that it was actually negotiated and 
 concluded in that village, in a certain hall, in the Marialva 
 Palace, whereas Cintra was in rear of the " formidable posi- 
 tion," the possession of which was obtained by the Con- 
 vention. 
 
76 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808. 
 
 " whom we have had an opportunity to examine, 
 " have also concurred in the great advantages 
 " that were immediately gained to the country 
 " of Portugal, to the army and navy, and to the 
 " general service, by the conclusion of the Con- 
 " vention at that time." 
 
 Pains were, indeed, taken by the Bishop of 
 Oporto, his partizans and adherents, to misre- 
 present and raise a clamour against the Conven- 
 tion, not only in Portugal but in England also. 
 In the former their misrepresentations were soon 
 contradicted by the evidence of facts ; not so in 
 England ; they were there so powerfully seconded 
 by the language held by ministers, and the mea- 
 sures they pursued, that the erroneous impres- 
 sion thus made upon the public mind was con- 
 firmed and perpetuated. 
 
 The main agents in propagating disaffection 
 in Portugal were General Friere and an officer, 
 called Sousa, whom the general asked leave to 
 attach to my head-quarters, whilst the Definitive 
 Convention was negotiating. This officer was, 
 certainly, not sparing in his observations upon 
 the stipulations which formed the basis of the 
 treaty, principally founded upon the assumption, 
 that the Junta of Oporto was the lawful govern- 
 ment of Portugal, which I never failed to deny. 
 But, both this officer and his general were deaf 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 77 
 
 to my requests, that they should state their ob- 1808 - 
 servations in writing", and in an official shape, 
 when every possible attention would be paid to 
 their representation. When, however, the treaty 
 was ratified, and the question was decided, both 
 those officers began to write, and their corre- 
 spondence abounded in some animadversions upon 
 the provisions of an instrument which it was now 
 my duty to abide by. 
 
 Although the letters of both those officers, a me- 
 morial from the General, a remonstrance and a 
 protest, were directed to me, they were, in fact, 
 addressed to the passions and the prejudices of the 
 people. I was, therefore, aware of the necessity of 
 replying to those vexatious addresses with civility 
 and temper, as it was evident the correspon- 
 dence would be immediately submitted to the 
 public : but when, in his memorial and protest, 
 General Friere indulged in false and injurious 
 animadversions upon the general character of the 
 British nation and government, I thought it time 
 to put an end to this sort of correspondence, and 
 closed my reply to those insinuations by saying, 
 " I hasten to assure your Excellency, and shall 
 " use the necessary means to give publicity to 
 " the pledge, that I serve in Portugal as Com- 
 " mander of a force acting in alliance with the 
 " sovereign of that country; and that I, there- 
 
78 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - " fore, consider myself to be bound, by duty 
 " and honour, (as far as my judgement and 
 " abilities stand,) to pay as strict a regard to 
 " the interests of the Prince Regent ; the dig- 
 " nity and security of his government ; and the 
 " welfare of the nation of which he is the law- 
 " ful Ruler, as even your Excellency yourself." 
 
 Amongst the papers which I received on this 
 occasion, one that was addressed to me by 
 Pinto de Sousa, in the form of queries, requires 
 notice, as it shews the connexion between Ge- 
 neral Friere and Don Josef Galluzzo, Captain- 
 General of Spanish Estremadura, to whose pro- 
 ceedings I shall have, by and by, occasion to 
 refer. The question I allude to was as follows : — 
 
 " If the Provisional Government of Portugal, 
 " approving the conduct of General Friere, for 
 " not having taken any part in the arrangements 
 " made with the French, should order him to 
 " move forwards in combination with the Spanish 
 " army in Alemtejo, would the English army, in 
 " that case, offer any opposition?" To this query 
 I thought no reply necessary. 
 
 About this time, another Portuguese general, 
 from the south, was introduced to my notice 
 quite as unexpectedly as had a few days before 
 been General Friere, from the north. This ge- 
 neral enclosed, in a letter to Sir Charles Cotton, 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 79 
 
 a Protest against the Convention, and demanded 1808 - 
 that all the vessels, in which the French troops 
 were embarked, should be embargoed in the 
 Tagus, until the pleasures of the King of Eng- 
 land, or the Prince Regent of Portugal, should 
 be made known. The writer of this letter was 
 no less a personage than " Francisco Mello del 
 " Cuhna de Mendon^a Menezes, Count of Castro 
 " Marino, Montiero Mor, &c. &c. &c. &c. Ge- 
 " neral of the Army of the South, and President 
 " of the Supreme Junta of the Kingdom of Al- 
 " garve." His letter contained a pompous ac- 
 count of his exploits, " having driven the enemy 
 " (he states) from Algarve, and pursuing him 
 " into Alemtejo, causing him to abandon all his 
 " Posts, and march away until the Portuguese 
 " army of the south took up its position on the 
 " south bank of the Tagus, &c." Although this 
 nobleman must have been a very respectable 
 person, as being the individual whom the Prince 
 Regent, on his departure, named to supply any 
 vacancy which might occur in the Regency; of 
 his military exploits, as described by himself, 
 I had considerable doubts ; as, however, the 
 letter and Protest were addressed to Sir Charles 
 Cotton and not to me, I left it to the Admiral to 
 reply to his expostulation. 
 
 I found it more difficult to deal with Don Josef 
 Galluzzo, Captain-General of Spanish Estrema- 
 
80 AFFAIKS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 18Q3 - dura, with whom General Friere thought he 
 might be ordered by the Junto to combine his 
 operations. 
 
 As soon as the Convention was ratified, I took 
 steps to communicate the fact to Galluzzo ; but 
 soon found, by a letter from him, that he had 
 not received, or did not choose to acknowledge, 
 the receipt of that intimation. In reply, I gave 
 him full information of what had been agreed on, 
 and that, therefore, there was no longer war in 
 Portugal ; that the Spanish troops, detained by 
 the French in the Tagus, would speedily be armed 
 and equipped, and would, ere long, join one of 
 the Spanish armies now marching to expel the 
 enemy from Spain ; and, in conclusion, observed, 
 " That, as we were all engaged in the same 
 " cause, it would be very satisfactory to me to 
 " be informed to what point it was his inten- 
 " tion to direct the march of the army under 
 " his command ; for I knew that the Spanish 
 " armies were assembling to act against the 
 " enemy at this favourable juncture ; and that 
 " His Excellency, with the army of Estrema- 
 " dura, was anxiously looked for to take his 
 " place in the line," I thought this observation, 
 which Galluzzo knew to be the truth, would 
 have had some effect upon him ; but I was mis- 
 taken ; Galluzzo had other views, and his pre- 
 sent object was, to oppose every obstacle he 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 81 
 
 could to the fulfilment of the Convention with 1808 - 
 the French. 
 
 In consequence of this determination, I learnt, 
 from Colonel Ross, of the 20th regiment, whom 
 I had sent in the command of a corps to take 
 possession of Elvas and Fort la Lippe, and to 
 escort the French troops occupying those places 
 to Lisbon, that, having sent forward an officer 
 to communicate to the French commandant the 
 approach of the British troops, and the object 
 of their march, he found that a Spanish force 
 from Estremadura, of from four to five thousand 
 men, had appeared before the place, and that 
 the French had retired into the forts, which they 
 were preparing to defend. The officer, however, 
 obtained admission into Fort la Lippe, and de- 
 livered to the French commandant a letter from 
 General Kellermann, of which the latter did not 
 pretend to doubt the authenticity ; but desired 
 leave to send an officer to the French head- 
 quarters to receive further instructions, before he 
 gave up the important place committed to his 
 charge. To this proposition, when communi- 
 cated to me, I saw no cause to object, neither 
 did the officer commanding the Spanish corps 
 before the place make any opposition; but, 
 though he allowed of this communication be- 
 tween the French commandant and his general- 
 in-chief, he would not permit him to conform to 
 
 G 
 
82 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - the instructions he had received, but pretended 
 to force him to submit to certain conditions, 
 which General Galluzzo had determined to im- 
 pose, but which he certainly, had not the power 
 to enforce. 
 
 Soon after receiving Colonel Ross's report, 
 which was dated the 15th of September, from 
 his camp, one league beyond Estremos, I re- 
 ceived a letter from General Paula Liete, who 
 commanded the Portuguese troops in Alemtejo, 
 dated on the 16th, from Estremos, informing me 
 that he had received an order, by an officer from 
 the Junta of Oporto, dated the 1st of September, 
 directing him to take possession of Elvas as soon 
 as it should be evacuted by the French. The 
 General expressed his opinion that this order was 
 given in consequence of the conduct of the 
 Spanish troops in Alemtejo, which was marked 
 by a system of plunder and devastation, and that 
 it was against them that this precaution was 
 taken. In this General Liete was mistaken ; 
 the order was given that he should act in co- 
 operation with those very Spanish troops; but it 
 fell out otherwise ; for Liete having, the day 
 before, seen a body of English troops pass Estre- 
 mos, on its route to Elvas, and " knowing (as the 
 " General observed) that, in a combined army, 
 " no officer should undertake an operation in- 
 " tended for another," he had sent his quarter- 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 83 
 
 master-general, the Marquess de Tornay, to de- 1908 - 
 liver that letter, and to communicate with me 
 upon the subject of its contents. I found the 
 Marquess de Tornay a reasonable and intelligent 
 man ; and he went back to his General with ex- 
 planations that proved entirely satisfactory to 
 him, and upon which he regulated his future 
 proceedings. 
 
 My correspondence with General Galluzzo, 
 though conducted in terms of civility and respect, 
 not promising any successful result, as he abated 
 nothing of the violence of his proceedings ; and 
 all the French troops at Lisbon being embarked, 
 it becoming necessary to extend the cantonments 
 of the army and to push part of it forwards to- 
 wards the Spanish frontier ; I directed Lieute- 
 nant-General Hope, with his own division, and 
 the advanced guard commanded by Major- 
 General Paget, to occupy advanced cantonments 
 upon the Tagus, in Alemtejo; and I, at the same 
 time, sent Colonel Graham to expostulate with 
 Galluzzo and the Junta of Estremadura upon 
 the hostile operations carrying on against the 
 fortress of La Lippe and its dependencies, which 
 could only tend to create delay, at a moment 
 when expedition was most desirable. Colonel 
 Graham was directed, if he found Galluzzo ob- 
 stinate, to proceed to Madrid, to lay the case 
 before the Central Government of Spain. 
 
 g2 
 
84 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - These measures had soon a favourable result, 
 
 and, by the judicious language held by Colonel 
 Graham, and probably from Galluzzo himself 
 being convinced of the unreasonableness of his 
 pretensions, and the insignificance of his means 
 of supporting them, he withdrew his troops 
 (composed of undisciplined peasantry) from the 
 neighbourhood of Elvas, which, with La Lippe, 
 were delivered up, by the French commandant, 
 to the British troops, and the French garrison 
 marched to Lisbon for embarkation. 
 
85 
 
 PORTUGAL. 
 
 ESTABLISHING THE REGENCY. 
 
 Amongst the papers which were put into my isos. 
 
 hands, when I first landed in Portugal, was an Appendix 
 Address from the Bishop and Junta of Oporto, ry, No. 
 to Sir Charles Cotton, dated the 4th of August, ' 
 upon the subject of the form of Government 
 with which they meant to govern Portugal, 
 " immediately the City of Lisbon was free from 
 " the French." 
 
 This document began by announcing the glo- 
 rious resolution the Junta had taken " of re- 
 " storing the Portuguese Monarchy in all its ex- 
 " tent, and of restoring the crown of Portugal to 
 " its lawful sovereign, Don John the Sixth." For 
 that purpose they proposed that they should them- 
 selves install the individuals composing the Re- 
 gency originally established by their Prince on 
 his departure, with the exception of those who 
 had accepted office under Junot. But, in order 
 to identify the Bishop and Junta with this new 
 Regency, it was proposed that one of their own 
 
86 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808. 
 
 body should formally install the new Government, 
 of which he was himself to be a member, and 
 when it should be acknowledged by the Junta of 
 Oporto, " and not before," it should assume 
 " the reins of Government of all the kingdom, 
 " in the manner ordered by the Prince Regent." 
 The whole, however, concluded with a proviso, 
 that, in case " this newly named Regency 
 " should be interrupted by a new invasion of 
 " the French, (which God forbid,) or by any 
 " other thing," that the Junta of Oporto should 
 resume the Government of the kingdom. By this 
 arrangement it was intended to establish the 
 Government at Lisbon; and in enumerating the 
 individuals of the original Regency, who were 
 to be restored, the name of the principal Castro 
 (half-brother to the Bishop of Oporto) was 
 omitted, as having accepted, from Junot, the 
 office of Ministre des Cultes ; a strange one 
 for a Romish ecclesiastic of high dignity to 
 accept. 
 
 When I perused this paper I did not conceive 
 it possible that the British Government could 
 sanction such a project, or contribute to the esta- 
 blishment of such a phantom of a Government, 
 claiming to represent the sovereign, but in fact 
 the mere creature of a revolutionary and local 
 Government, like that of Oporto. Strongly im- 
 pressed with this conviction, I did not hesitate, 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 87 
 
 in my conference with the Portuguese General 1808 - 
 Friere, to deny the attribute of sovereignty 
 which he claimed for the Junta he served ; but, 
 in less than twenty-four hours afterwards I began 
 to doubt the soundness of my judgement upon 
 that point, and to suspect that the views of the 
 Bishop and Junta of Oporto had powerful sup- 
 porters in England. 
 
 It was the policy of His Majesty's Ministers, 
 at this period, to send officers to the Peninsula, 
 upon a sort of separate, but confidential duty, 
 with instructions to report to the Commander of 
 the forces in Portugal, but to correspond with 
 Government at home. In pursuance of this 
 system, Brigadier Generals the Baron von Decken 
 and Sontag embarked, on the 11th of August, 
 at Plymouth, for the Asturias ; but on the same 
 day received notice from Lord Castlereagh, that 
 their destination was changed, and that they 
 were to proceed to Oporto, where they arrived on 
 the seventeenth. 
 
 At a late hour that same ni^ht, the Bishop Appendix 
 
 i • i t> t^ i • • n r No. 16. 
 
 desired to see Baron von Decken in private, when 
 the conference began by the former explaining 
 the motives which had induced him to assume 
 the Government of Portugal, — but hypocritically 
 added, that, as the Prince Regent, on leaving 
 Portugal, had established a Regency, he consi- 
 
88 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808. 
 
 dered it his duty to resign the Government into 
 the hands of that Regency as soon as possible. 
 
 Against this plan the Baron (although he pro- 
 fessed that he had no instructions upon the 
 subject) took it upon himself decidedly to object, 
 as he alleged that the persons who formed that 
 Regency had deservedly lost the confidence of 
 the nation, by their attachment to the French ; 
 but suggested to the Bishop, the propriety of 
 his retaining the Government of Portugal in his 
 own hands until the pleasure of his sovereign 
 could be known. 
 
 The Bishop allowed that the former Regency 
 did not possess the confidence of the people ; that 
 several of the members had shown themselves 
 partizans of the French, and that certainly all 
 the members of that Regency could not, with 
 propriety, be restored. Upon the whole, Baron 
 Decken became persuaded that, although the 
 Bishop declared the contrary, he was not averse 
 to retaining the Government, if it could be done 
 by the interference of the British Government ; 
 in the mean time it was agreed that the Baron 
 should communicate to our Ministers the sub- 
 stance of this conference, and (to save time) was 
 also to inform the General Officer commanding 
 His Majesty's forces in Portugal of the Bishop's 
 wish, that he should be pleased to write him an 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 89 
 
 official letter, expressive of his desire, that the 1808> 
 Bishop should retain the Government until the 
 pleasure of his sovereign should be known; 
 neither the Bishop nor the Baron seemed to have 
 any doubt, that the Commander of the Forces, 
 whoever that might chance to be, would write 
 the sort of letter he was thus called upon to 
 transmit. This first letter from Baron von 
 Decken was brought to me by Brigadier-General 
 Stewart, (now Marquess of Londonderry,) who 
 having called at Oporto, on his way out, for any 
 orders that Sir Harry Burrard might have left 
 for him, joined at head-quarters, on the 24th of 
 August ; the letter I did write to the Baron, the 
 very day I received this communication, was of 
 a very different import, as I could not but express 
 my extreme surprise at the whole proceeding, 
 conducted, as it professed to be, without any 
 formal authority from His Majesty's Government: 
 before this letter could reach its destination, two 
 more letters were despatched from Baron von 
 Decken to me, in which the whole arrangement 
 made with the Bishop of Oporto, for the future 
 provisional Government of Portugal, was fully 
 detailed. 
 
 It was decided upon that the Bishop should 
 preside over the new Government, of which the 
 members of the Junta of Oporto were to form a 
 part ; to them were to be added such individuals 
 
90 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 M *ft of the original Regency as had not, according 
 to the Bishop's account, joined the French ; but 
 in this number his Excellency did not fail to 
 include his half-brother, the Principal Castro, 
 Junot's Ministre des Cultes. But as the Bishop 
 of Oporto could not be spared from that City, 
 Baron von Decken was induced to consent that 
 Oporto should be the seat of the new Government. 
 The Bishop admitted that this would be highly 
 displeasing to the inhabitants of Lisbon and its 
 environs, but Baron von Decken was made to 
 believe that those people were much attached to 
 the French, it was, therefore, agreed on that the 
 ancient capital should be made a military post, 
 occupied by a strong British garrison, which 
 would thus be employed in supporting the 
 Bishop of Oporto's usurpation of the sovereign 
 power, by overawing a justly incensed popu- 
 lation. 
 
 During the whole of these transactions I re- 
 mained in total ignorance of the intentions of 
 His Majesty's Government as to the sort of 
 Regency that was to be established in Portugal, 
 after the French should be expelled ; in fact, 
 no later instructions, of any sort, had been re- 
 ceived by me, than those v of the 15th of July, 
 which reached me at Gibraltar ; but I could not 
 suppose, from the rank and general character of 
 the Baron von Decken, that he would so sud- 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 91 
 
 denly, and so soon after his arrival from England, 1808 - 
 have entered into the sort of negotiations I 
 have described, without being aware that the 
 views of the Bishop and Junta of Oporto had 
 powerful supporters at home. 
 
 As I have already mentioned, I received at 
 Cintra, on the 3d of September, instructions for 
 the formation of a Council of Regency, at Lisbon, 
 after the French should be expelled ; and that 
 they were dated at the very time when Baron 
 von Decken was occupied in making arrange- 
 ments for its establishment at Oporto. In this 
 one material point the Brigadier-General does 
 not seem to have been fully aware of the inten- 
 tions of His Majesty's Ministers ; in other re- 
 spects, allowing for the exercise of that discre- 
 tionary power, which they certainly contained, 
 he might have referred to the instructions I at 
 length received, to sanction his proceedings. 
 
 In the first place, the instructions (as the 
 Baron had done in his first audience of the 
 Bishop) assumed as a fact, that the Regency 
 appointed by the Prince, on his departure for the 
 Brazils, or at least a considerable number of 
 them, were strongly suspected of a close con- 
 nexion with the French interest ; and stated that 
 it had been suggested to His Majesty's Ministers 
 that, when the French were removed, those indi- 
 viduals would lay claim to resume their functions ; 
 
92 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808, that to such a pretension it would be impossible 
 for His Majesty to assent; and that I was, in that 
 case, to consider the authority of that Regency 
 of no effect. 
 
 In the next place, for the purpose of establish- 
 ing a Regency at Lisbon, with similar powers to 
 those exercised by the Regency thus set aside, 
 I was to take measures, in conjunction with such 
 leading individuals in Portugal* as had given 
 proofs of their own fidelity to their Sovereign to 
 form a council of Regency, composed of such 
 persons of rank, character, and talents, as might 
 be found ready and qualified to discharge so 
 important a trust. 
 
 If, however, from circumstances which might 
 have taken place in Lisbon, I should find the 
 establishment of such a Regency either imprac- 
 ticable, or, in my judgement, inexpedient, I was, 
 in that case, authorized myself to assume, in the 
 name and behalf of the Prince Regent of Portu- 
 gal, the chief civil as well as military authority. 
 
 After the measures here proposed should be 
 completed, either by the appointment of a Re- 
 gency, or by myself having assumed the chief 
 civil as well as military authority, it was inti- 
 
 * Baron von Decken found (was, perhaps, directed to find) 
 those individuals at Oporto. The interests and pretensions of 
 the Bishop and his associates were powerfully supported by the 
 Chevalier de Sonha, the accredited Minister of Portugal. 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 93 
 
 mated " that, as several of the Provinces of ^os. 
 " Portugal, which have risen against the French, 
 " have appointed temporary Authorities for their 
 " internal government and organization, it may 
 " be advisable that those authorities should be 
 " allowed to remain for a time in the adminis- 
 " tration of the respective Provinces after the 
 " appointment of the Regency, unless they vo- 
 " luntarily submit to a central Government; and, 
 " in case you should yourself be obliged to 
 " assume the chief civil authority, it will be 
 " expedient for you to act in concert with those 
 " Authorities until His Majesty's pleasure can be 
 " known." 
 
 With reference to those instructions, it is ne- 
 cessary to observe, that His Majesty's Govern- 
 ment did not seem to have been informed, that, 
 of the Regency left by the Prince on his depar- 
 ture for the Brazils, composed of five individuals, 
 one, the Marquess of Abrantes, was absent in 
 France, (whether voluntarily, or by constraint, 
 did not appear, and was of no consequence) ; 
 two, the Principal Castro and another, had ac- 
 cepted office under Junot; consequently, none 
 of these three persons had any claim, or right to 
 expect a place in a new Provisional Government ; 
 but in the Act of Regency itself, promulgated by 
 the Prince Regent, upon his departure, one 
 individual, namely, the Monteiro Mor, was 
 
94 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808> named to supply the first vacancy which might 
 occur ; and, if more vacancies should eventually 
 arise, it was especially provided that those 
 should be supplied by the suffrage of the re- 
 maining members. Thus there remained three 
 members of the Regency named by the Sovereign, 
 whose conduct for loyalty remained unimpeached ; 
 and it had not fallen in my way to know, or to 
 hear of individuals in Portugal, who had given 
 such undoubted proofs of their fidelity and 
 loyalty to their Prince, as to entitle them to more 
 confidence than the three personages above men- 
 tioned, either to be chosen themselves, or to 
 select others, to complete the number of which 
 a Regency, similar to that originally established, 
 ought to be composed. By adhering to the rule 
 prescribed by the original constitution of the 
 Regency, in supplying the place of those who 
 had, by their misconduct, forfeited the confidence 
 of the nation, I felt confident that the new Go- 
 vernment would appear most respectable, and 
 would be most acceptable to the nation ; and 
 that I should, by that means, be under no neces- 
 sity to resort to the very strong, and certainly to 
 the people of Portugal, offensive measure, of 
 assuming the chief civil authority to myself. In 
 truth, no council of Government, which could 
 have been selected by me, according to that part 
 of my instructions, could have possessed that 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 95 
 
 legal and constitutional character, necessary to 1808 - 
 silence the clamour, and frustrate the ambitious 
 and selfish designs of the factious. 
 
 It may be presumptuous in me to question the 
 policy, under any circumstances whatever, of 
 permitting the co-existence of the revolutionary 
 local Juntas which had at that time arisen in 
 the Peninsula, with a National, or what was 
 called a Central Council of Government ; but I 
 saw plainly that no such plan would be expe- 
 dient in Portugal, when a Regency should be 
 installed. In fact, there were but two of those 
 Juntas, that of Oporto, which had extended its 
 power over the north of Portugal and Alemtejo ; 
 and that of the kingdom of Algarve, of which 
 the Monteiro Mor, himself a member of the 
 Prince's Regency, was President. Under these 
 circumstances, for me to have placed a feeble 
 pageant of a Regency in Lisbon to represent 
 the Sovereign, but whose power would not have 
 extended far beyond the environs of the city, 
 would have been impossible ; and then I must of 
 necessity have, myself, assumed the civil as well 
 as the military power; and the capital would 
 have become, according to the suggestion of the 
 Bishop of Oporto, a British military post, whilst 
 that Prelate and his Junta would have governed 
 Portugal in effect. 
 
 Upon these considerations, I determined that 
 
96 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - the Regency should be restored as nearly as pos- 
 sible according to the original Constitution of that 
 Body, and that they should continue in the exer- 
 cise of their authority, until the pleasure of their 
 own Sovereign (not that of the Junta of Oporto) 
 should be made known. 
 
 As I had sent Lieutenant-General Hope into 
 Lisbon, in the command of a body of troops, to 
 protect the embarkation of the French army, I 
 availed myself of the assistance of that most 
 excellent officer, to communicate with those indi- 
 viduals with whom it was necessary to concert 
 arrangements for carrying this important measure 
 into effect; and, on the 19th of September, a pro- 
 clamation was issued, by which the two admis- 
 sible members of the original Regency, and the 
 Conde Monteiro Mor were invited to assume the 
 functions of Government ; and all the tribunals 
 were called upon to obey the orders of the Re- 
 gency thus restored. The Regency then met, 
 and proceeded to complete their number by the 
 election of the Bishop of Oporto, and the Mar- 
 quess de las Minas. 
 
 It appeared both to General Hope and myself 
 a matter of considerable importance, that the 
 Bishop of Oporto should be elected into the 
 Regency, and even placed at its head; it would 
 then remain for him to accept or decline the 
 proposed distinction. In order to prepare the 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 97 
 
 Bishop to accede to this proposition, when it 1808 t 
 should be made to him, I directed Brigadier- 
 General Anstruther — (who went, on the 7th of 
 September, to Almeida, to superintend the eva- 
 cuation of that Fortress by the French, and to 
 make the necessary arrangements for the early 
 advance of the army into the adjoining provinces 
 of Spain) — to take Oporto in his route, and to 
 endeavour to persuade the Bishop to adopt my 
 views. The General succeeded completely in 
 his mission, with the understanding, however, (to 
 which he was not aware of the objection,) that 
 the Principal Castro should be a Member of the 
 new Government ; but, although disappointed in 
 this object, the Bishop returned a favourable 
 answer to the letter I wrote him, announcing his 
 election to a place in the Regency, of which I 
 urged his acceptance in the most flattering and 
 respectful terms I could use. He had not, how- 
 ever, arrived in Lisbon when I left Portugal. 
 
 Having thus installed the Regency in Lisbon, 
 and the troops, under the command of Lieute- 
 nant-General Hope, having moved across the 
 Tagus into Alemtejo, I established Major-General 
 Beresford in Lisbon, as a channel of communi- 
 cation between the Commander of the British 
 forces and the Portuguese Government. 
 
 It is somewhat remarkable that, in the course 
 of little more than a month, it became my duty 
 
98 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - to defeat measures recommended by two more or 
 less accredited diplomatic Agents of His Majesty's 
 Government ; the first to give a Regent to Spain ; 
 the second to establish a Regency in Portugal. 
 And, although both those individuals disclaimed 
 any official authority for the measures they pro- 
 posed, neither of them anticipated the slightest 
 opposition to their execution from me. 
 
 When I arrived in London, I requested, from 
 Lord Castlereagh, some intimation of His Ma- 
 jesty's sentiments upon those two transactions; 
 and had the satisfaction of receiving, in reply, 
 the assurance of His Majesty's entire approbation 
 of my conduct in both those cases. 
 
99 
 
 PORTUGAL. 
 
 ULTERIOR OPERATIONS. 
 
 By a private letter which I received from Lord 
 Castlereagh, at Cintra, (dated the 20th August,) 
 upon the subject of ulterior operations, when 
 the French should be expelled from Portugal, I 
 was informed that the objects of His Majesty's 
 Government would be, to aid the Spaniards in 
 expelling the enemy from their country, and, in 
 the mode of doing so, to aim, if possible, at 
 the destruction or capture of the whole or a 
 part of the French army. 
 
 The amount and dislocation of the British 
 force, which was to co-operate in the accom- 
 plishment of those designs, (exclusively of what 
 might be eventually spared from Sicily,) con- 
 sisted of 30,000 men in Portugal, and 10,000 
 infantry held ready for embarkation in England; 
 the proportion of cavalry depended on the means 
 of conveyance. 
 
 h 2 
 
 1808. 
 
100 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808, In discussing the modes in which this force 
 
 might be most advantageously employed, His 
 Lordship dismissed from present consideration 
 the whole line of coast, from the Tagus to the 
 French frontier of Roussillon ; and the plans of 
 offensive operations were limited to the following : 
 1st, That such part of the force, under my com- 
 mand, as could be spared from Portugal, should 
 pass the Spanish frontier, and act, in co-opera- 
 tion with the armies of that nation, against the 
 enemy in front ; or, 2dly, Under the suppo- 
 sition that the native force of Spain could bear 
 up against the enemy in front, and that the 
 British troops might act from the northern Pro- 
 vinces with more effect than entering on the side 
 of Portugal, it was supposed that a British 
 corps, say of 20,000 men, with a proportion of 
 cavalry, and supported by the Spanish levies, 
 / would not be too much exposed in the Asturias, 
 or the Principality of St. Andero, taking into 
 consideration the defensive nature of the country ; 
 and when reinforced with 10,000 men more from 
 Portugal, (leaving the remaining 10,000 for the 
 service of that country,) it did not seem to be 
 doubted that this army of 30,000 British troops, 
 in co-operation with the force of the country, 
 might act against the French line of communi- 
 cation and the flank and rear of their army: it 
 seems also to have been confidently believed 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 101 
 
 that those operations, combined with the pres- 18Q8 - 
 sure by the main army of Spain in front, would 
 render the future advance of the enemy imprac- 
 ticable ; and that there was not then in Spain, 
 nor likely soon to be assembled in that quarter, 
 such an amount of force as would enable the 
 French to defend themselves against such an 
 attack. These reasonings seemed to have been 
 founded on the supposition that the enemy 
 should not have advanced further than Segovia 
 and Burgos. 
 
 This letter was evidently written under a most 
 exaggerated and erroneous opinion of the effici- 
 ency of the Spanish armies ; as well as of the 
 time that it would require for the French to 
 assemble an amount of force capable of resisting 
 measures of tedious and difficult accomplish- 
 ment, which were only in discussion so late as 
 the 20th of August; and/^although the plan of 
 advancing from Portugal, to join the Spanish 
 armies assembling to cover the capital, and to 
 act against the enemy's position, was not over- 
 looked, the difficulties and disadvantages of that 
 system of warfare were so much dwelt upon, 
 that it was evident the other was the favourite 
 plan of operations. Before my reply to this 
 letter could have reached England, (nearly, in- 
 deed, as soon as it was written,) the operations 
 
 V 
 
'/ 
 
 102 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - which Sir John Moore was fated to conduct 
 were almost determined upon. 
 
 Lord Castlereagh's letter concluded with the 
 following sentence, viz. : — " In the mean time, 
 " and whilst the necessary measures are pur- 
 " suing to collect information, I trust you will 
 " not hesitate to use the full discretion with 
 " which you have been invested in such manner 
 " as your own excellent judgement may point 
 " out to you to be for the advantage of His 
 " Majesty's service, without deeming it neces- 
 " sary to wait for authority or instructions from 
 " home ; and I can safely assure you that you 
 " will find, not only in me, but in my colleagues, 
 " the most sincere and cordial disposition to 
 " support you in the exercise of a responsibility 
 " which I am persuaded you will not shrink 
 " from, in any instance, where the good of the 
 " service may be promoted by your acting with- 
 " out reference home." // 
 
 The day I received tnis letter, and, indeed, 
 for ten days afterwards, when I undertook to 
 answer it, it was quite impossible that I could 
 have obtained such information as to enable me 
 to reply satisfactorily to the propositions it con- 
 tained, particularly as to the amount of force the 
 enemy actually had, and still less as to what he 
 was likely soon to have, assembled in the north 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 103 
 
 of Spain, upon which the whole question turned ; 
 I, therefore, thought it best, in order to show the 
 impression upon my mind, under such infor- 
 mation as I possessed, of the plan of ulterior 
 operations it was most advisable to adopt, to 
 apprise His Majesty's Ministers of the course I 
 intended to pursue when acting under the dis- 
 cretional power I was thus authorised, or rather 
 urged, to exercise. I could not help, however, 
 prefacing my reply by observing, that although 
 I should dismiss from consideration, according 
 to his Lordship's desire, the whole line of coast 
 from the Tagus to the French frontier of Rous- 
 sillon, I could not help thinking, as I had before 
 expressed to his Lordship, in a letter from Gib- 
 raltar, that the force which might be sent to 
 or might eventually arise in Catalonia, would 
 have a material influence on the result of the 
 war. 
 
 "l then informed His Lordship that I should, 
 as soon as circumstances would permit, place the 
 army in such cantonments as might enable the 
 whole to assemble and march from Portugal into 
 Spain, in co-operation with the Spanish armies, 
 against the enemy in front, but that the actual 
 advance of the army must depend, 1st, on the 
 real disposition of the Spanish nation and its 
 generals, as to having a formidable British force 
 enter their country ; and, 2dly, what means the 
 
 1808. 
 
104 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - Spaniards would undertake to furnish for the 
 supply of such an army in the field. By the 
 efficacy of those arrangements the more or less 
 inconvenience would be felt, from the length of 
 the line of operations from Portugal ; lastly, 
 that, whether the aid of a British force would 
 or would not be required to oppose the enemy in 
 front, (a query proposed by Lord Castlereagh,) 
 would depend, besides the force of the enemy, 
 not on the numbers only, but on the degree of 
 union of the Spanish armies and the state of dis- 
 cipline of each. 
 
 Upon the plan of operations to the northward 
 I professed myself unable to give any decided 
 opinion, as far as it might depend on local know- 
 ledge of the country; but that I thought the 
 question could not be argued as if thirty thou- 
 sand British troops could be brought to act at 
 once in that quarter: certainly the 10,000 in- 
 fantry from England might soon be conveyed to 
 the Asturias or the principality of St. Andero ; 
 and that 20,000 more, from Portugal, might, at 
 no distant period, arrive there also ; but then the 
 question arises, where may the French* army be 
 when those troops land ? and what plan of ope- 
 rations may their landing suggest ? It is im- 
 possible to suppose that the enemy should re- 
 main at Burgos all this time inactive, or that he 
 should not take the most prompt and decisive 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 105 
 
 measures to dispose of an enemy thus taking, by 1808, 
 detachments, a position to act on his communi- 
 cations. 
 
 In conformity to this opinion, I immediately 
 set about the necessary preparations for the 
 movement of the army into Spain as soon as the 
 French should be embarked, by forming the 
 divisions and brigades of the army, and issuing 
 all the necessary orders preparatory to its early 
 advance ; and, what was most important,' I sent 
 Lord William Bentinck to Madrid, to consult 
 with the Spanish Generals then assembled in that 
 Capital, and to concert with them the necessary 
 arrangements for the supply of our army, if it 
 should enter Spain. I also sent Brigadier-Gene- L>" 
 ral Anstruther to Almeida to obtain every neces- 
 sary information, should the army eventually 
 enter Spain by that route. He was also to su- 
 perintend the evacuation of Almeida by the 
 French garrison. y\ have already mentioned that 
 as soon as the French were out of Lisbon, and 
 the Regency installed, Lieutenant-General Hope's 
 presence being no longer necessary there, he was 
 ordered to occupy advanced cantonments with a 
 considerable body of troops. 
 
 No time was lost, after it could conveniently 
 be done, to arm, accoutre, and equip a Spanish 
 corps of between three and four thousand men, 
 which had been disarmed and imprisoned on 
 
106 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - board of ships in the Tagus, by the French, 
 when the insurrections broke out in Spain and 
 Portugal : and by ordering the Commissary-Ge- 
 neral to advance 10,000 dollars to the Marquess 
 of Villadares, who was in command of a Spanish 
 corps which had been serving with the Portu- 
 guese northern army, that corps was enabled to 
 march immediately to join General Blake in the 
 north of Spain. 
 
 As soon as the troops which had been im- 
 prisoned by the French were likely to be ren- 
 dered effective, that corps was claimed by the 
 Junta of Seville, and an officer sent to receive 
 it ; but he brought no money for its supply, re- 
 lying upon the funds (as they were called) of the 
 British army, to defray all the necessary expense. 
 Just before this time His Majesty's Ministers had 
 thought it wise to place at the disposal of the 
 Junta of Seville a million and a half of dollars 
 and 40,000 stand of arms, with the hope, as Mr. 
 Secretary Canning told the Andalusian Deputies, 
 that the aid then granted, might be considered as 
 applicable to the general service of the country ; 
 but the Junta thought differently, and the Secre- 
 tary of State was mistaken in reposing this con- 
 fidence in the Junta- of Seville. The corps in 
 question was soon given over by the Junta of 
 Seville to that of Estremadura, and Don Josef 
 Galluzzo sent a general officer to command it. 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 107 
 
 Ultimately, in consequence of an application 1808 - 
 from the Marquess del Palarios, supported by 
 one from General Castarios, both brought me by 
 a deputy from Catalonia, after I had received 
 His Majesty's commands to transfer the command 
 of the army to Sir Harry Burrard, and return to 
 England, (by the desire, also, of Galluzzo,) I 
 embarked those troops in British transports, with 
 the consent of Sir Harry Burrard, but under my 
 own responsibility, and sent them to Rosas, 
 with 90,000 dollars, for the remount of the 
 cavalry, and 10,000 stand of arms for the use of 
 the province of Catalonia. 
 
 At this time, when the sum of a million and a 
 half of dollars was entrusted to the management 
 of the Junta of Seville, so much difficulty was 
 found in procuring money for the payment of 
 our army, without raising the exchange to a de- 
 gree highly disadvantageous to the public, that 
 the Commissary-General was directed to procure 
 money for his bills at Gibraltar and Cadiz : such 
 were the funds of the British army. 
 
 In completing the history of this Spanish de- 
 tachment I have somewhat anticipated the course 
 of events to which I now return. 
 
 About the middle of September I received two 
 letters from Lord Castlereagh, by the same con- 
 veyance, the one dated the 2d, the other the 4th 
 of September, to which last I shall, by and by, 
 
108 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - have occasion to revert. The letter dated the 
 2d of September, which was the day the news 
 of the victory at Vimiera was communicated to 
 the public, was evidently written before those 
 advices were received by Government. Here 
 follows the copy : — 
 
 / 
 
 Downing-Street, Sept 2, 1808. 
 
 ■ 
 
 I am to acquaint you that it is the opinion of 
 His Majesty's Ministers, (Subject, of course, to 
 alteration from any subsequent information they 
 shall receive,) that it may be expedient, as early 
 as possible after the enemy's force shall have 
 been cither reduced or expelled from Portugal, 
 to direct as large a British corps as can be con- 
 veniently assembled to the north of Spain, there 
 to co-operate with the armies of Spain in ex- 
 pelling the enemy from the Peninsula. 
 
 Ten thousand infantry, and a proportion of 
 cavalry, are held in readiness here, to be united 
 with such part of the army in Portugal as may 
 be rendered disposable after due provision shall 
 have been made for the garrison of Lisbon, and 
 of the forts on the Tagus. It is presumed that 
 20,000 men may, in that case, be appropriated 
 from the force under your command/ for the ser- 
 vice in question ; and that 10,000 British troops, 
 with the Portuguese levies, will amply provide 
 for all the immediate wants of the country as 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 109 
 
 long as the enemy shall be kept at a distance isos. 
 from the frontier of Portugal. 
 
 I am, therefore, to convey to you the King's 
 pleasure, that you do hold such proportion of 
 your force, as you may be of opinion could be 
 spared for such a service, consistently with the 
 principles above stated, in such a state of prepa- 
 ration as may admit of its being detached upon 
 receipt of His Majesty's commands to that effect ; 
 and as circumstances may come to your know- 
 ledge, which might render the immediate em- 
 ployment of your disposable force, in the north 
 of Spain, of the utmost importance to the com- 
 mon cause, without waiting for orders from home, 
 I am to acquaint you, that it is not His Majesty's 
 pleasure that you should consider the present 
 instruction as depriving you of the latitude of 
 discretion, which you now possess, of acting in 
 such cases as the good of His Majesty's service 
 may appear to you to demand, without waiting 
 for express orders from hence. In this case, 
 however, you will lose no time in notifying your V 
 determination to me, in order that the movements 
 of the corps, now held in readiness for service 
 here, may be combined with those of the troops 
 from Portugal. // 
 
 (Signed) Castlereagh. 
 
 From this letter it appeared, that what had 
 
110 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808> been thrown out as a subject for consideration in 
 Lord Castlereagh's Letter, of the 20th of August, 
 had now become the plan of operations decided 
 upon by His Majesty's Ministers, subject to such 
 alterations as further information might produce, 
 and with this improvement, that the 20,000 men 
 from Portugal were at once to be united to the 
 10,000 from England, in the north of Spain, 
 instead of by detachments of 10,000 men each; 
 but how that union was to be effected does not 
 seem, at any time, to have formed a part of the 
 ministerial arrangements. It was, however, in 
 my opinion, most probable, that, should this plan 
 be persevered in, orders would be received for 
 the embarkation of the troops in the transports 
 which were quite ready for their reception in the 
 Tagus ; for it did not seem probable that a part 
 of a corps, collecting in the Asturias, and deri- 
 ving its security from the defensive nature of the 
 country, would be ordered to enter Spain from 
 the side of Portugal. But besides my own 
 opinion, that our early junction with the Spanish 
 armies was the only means (if there were any 
 means) of rendering those armies effective, there 
 was so much of uncertainty in this official com- 
 munication, depending, as it did, on further in- 
 formation ; and so much discretional power was 
 still left to me, that I determined to proceed in 
 the preparatory measures which I had com- 
 
 ■// 
 
 V 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. ] } 1 
 
 menced for an advance by land ; I did not, how- 1808 - 
 ever, think that I should be justified in incurring 
 a considerable expense in the purchase of bag- 
 gage animals, which the next despatches from 
 England might render useless. To establish 
 magazines, on the routes through Portugal never 
 occurred to me ; but measures were taking for 
 the supply of the troops, with provisions, on the 
 march, moving in small divisions, and by several 
 routes ; and it was thus, I believe, the army moved 
 to the Spanish frontier at last, when the decision 
 of the question, in what manner the army should 
 move, was left to Sir John Moore. 
 
 Whatever difficulty or delay Sir John Moore 
 might have experienced from the want of the 
 equipments which I did not provide, it was not 
 from that cause that the worst consequences 
 ensued, but from the total want of the necessary 
 preliminary arrangements, for the proper recep- 
 tion, at Corunna, of the troops from England ; 
 from whence arose much inconvenience, and the 
 delay of the junction of that corps with Sir John 
 Moore. The necessity of marching a column of 
 the army from Portugal to the north of Spain, by 
 the Escurial, was not suggested when I left 
 Portugal. 
 
 By Lord Castlereagh's letter of the 2d of Sep- 
 tember, discretional power was limited to opera- 
 tions in the north of Spain, but no favourable report 
 
112 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808, from Lord William Bentinck was received, whilst 
 I remained in the command ; and in point of fact, 
 there did "not exist, in the Spanish Government 
 or Armies, at that period, that unity of purpose, 
 or subordination to authority, which could render 
 any combined operation safe or expedient, as will, 
 I think, appear by the following statement of 
 what the Spanish armies actually were, and how 
 they were commanded and distributed. 
 
 General Castanos did not enter Madrid until 
 the 23d of August at the head of General La 
 Pefias's division of 7000 men, belonging to the 
 victorious army of Andalusia ; he was received 
 in a sort of triumph, amidst the acclamations of 
 the people. 
 
 The army of Andalusia, commanded by General 
 Castanos, amounting to about 28,000 regular 
 troops, had one division in Madrid, one in La 
 Mancha, and two at Puerto del Rey Carolina, 
 and St. Helena. 
 
 The army of Estremadura, commanded by Ge- 
 neral Gulluzzo, was at Badajoz, the infantry prin- 
 cipally composed of the peasantry, the exact 
 force not mentioned. 
 
 The army of Gallicia, commanded by General 
 Blake, of from 20 to 23,000 regular troops, sta- 
 tioned at Astorga and Leon. 
 
 The army of Castile, commanded by General 
 Cuesta, from 18 to 20,000 peasantry, but in- 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 113 
 
 1808. 
 
 eluding 2000 cavalry stationed at Salamanca 
 and the places adjacent. 
 
 The army of Arragon, commanded by General 
 Palafox, of from 20 to 30,000 peasantry and in- 
 habitants of the town of Saragossa, stationed at 
 Saragossa and Tudela. 
 
 The army of Valencia, commanded by General 
 Llamas, had one division of 12,000 men at 
 Madrid, and one division of 16,000 men at Tu- 
 dela. In the Madrid division there were 6000 
 regular troops. 
 
 Of the force in Catalonia I had no official ac- 
 counts at this time. The troops I have enumerated 
 were destined to cover the Capital ; to capture or 
 expel the French force, then in the neighbour- 
 hood of Burgos, to the amount, as was supposed, 
 of about 40,000 men ; and to recover the for- 
 tresses, and occupy the passes of the Western 
 Pyrenees. 
 
 / On the 4th of September, a meeting of the 
 Generals, commanding the Provincial armies, was 
 held at Madrid, to consider of the measures to be 
 pursued, and the plan of operations to be adopted, 
 in order to effect the above important designs. V 
 Here follows the result of their deliberations : 
 viz. — 
 
 General Llamas, when he should have occu- 
 pied Tarazona and Agreda, was to take post at 
 Cascante, Corella, and Calahorra. This move- 
 
 i 
 
114 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808. 
 
 ment was to take place as soon as General Pena, 
 with the army of Andalusia, was in readiness to 
 support his left, by moving to Logrono and Na- 
 jera ; and then (but not before) General Palafox 
 was to take up the position of Sanguessa. It 
 was intended that General Cuesta should fill up 
 the space between La Pefia and Blake, who was 
 supposed to have advanced to Palencia : at this 
 time it was calculated that the head of the An- 
 dalusian army would arrive at Soria, about (but 
 not before) the ] 7th of September. 
 
 Whatever might be the merits or the objects 
 of this disposition, there was not much chance 
 that either that or any other arrangement of the 
 sort could be carried into execution. 
 
 In the first place, the Junta of Seville had 
 given strict orders to their General not to advance 
 beyond Madrid; at least, until the Central Junta 
 should be installed ; and, to insure his com- 
 pliance with those injunctions, the Junta with- 
 held the necessary funds for the supply of his 
 army. 
 
 Don Josef Galluzzo, as we have already seen, 
 had formed an engagement (announced in a 
 letter of the 27th of August, to General Bernardin 
 Freire) to march a force into Alemtejo, an en- 
 gagement which he faithfully fulfilled. 
 
 General Cuesta, instead of advancing with his 
 army to Burgo del Orma, as had been agreed 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 115 
 
 upon at the Meeting of Generals, (at which he 1808 - 
 had himself been present,) fell back upon Segovia, 
 for the purpose of arresting the Captain-General 
 Valdes, (a Counsellor of State and Deputy from 
 Leon to the Supreme Junta,) and lodging him a 
 prisoner in the Tower of Segovia. 
 
 General Palafox, who, though son of a Gran- 
 dee of Spain, was, before this war, a person of 
 no rank or consideration as an officer, now found 
 himself a Captain-General, and in the command 
 of an army which was in the position assigned 
 it by the Meeting of Generals ; but he had be- 
 come so elated by the renown he had acquired by 
 the glorious defence of Saragossa, that he was not 
 much disposed to submit to any control, and 
 had even written in terms of authority to the 
 Council of Castile, telling that Body that he 
 should make it responsible for not immediately 
 sending forwards to him all the troops at Madrid, 
 in which Castanos's army was included. It is 
 not to be wondered at, therefore, that, in spite 
 of what had been decided upon at Madrid, this 
 presumptuous young man determined immediately 
 to send a corps of 7000 men, to take post at 
 Sanguessa, by this means turning (as he alleged) 
 the flank of the enemy, and threatening his rear 
 and his retreat ; and this was done before the 
 army under General Llamas could be sufficiently 
 advanced to support the corps, thus taking a 
 
 i 2 
 
] 1G AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808> position within seven leagues of Pampeloiia, and 
 at least seventy miles from Saragossa. In short, 
 every General commanding a Provincial army 
 thought himself completely independent, except, 
 perhaps, of the instructions from the Junta of 
 the Province to which his army belonged. 
 
 On the 9th of September, Major Cox remon- 
 strated, in emphatic terms, with the Junta of 
 Seville, upon their having withheld from General 
 Castanos the pecuniary supplies which were ne- 
 cessary to enable him to move the Andalusian 
 army to Soria, the place assigned for it by the 
 Council of Generals at Madrid. Next day the 
 Junta replied to this representation in lofty terms, 
 contrasting the efforts made by Andalusia in sup- 
 port of the common cause, with those of the other 
 Provinces of Spain. To this reply Major Cox 
 made a spirited rejoinder, which seems to have 
 produced the desired effect. On the 17th, the 
 Junta published a manifesto, in which was in- 
 serted an extract of a letter from that body to 
 General Castanos, giving him full powers to 
 exercise his own discretion, and assuring him of 
 pecuniary supplies. To persuade the people 
 that this was their own spontaneous act, the 
 Junta inserted the 8th of September as the date 
 of their letter to General Castanos, being the 
 day preceding that on which Major Cox's repre- 
 sentation was made. General Castanos having 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 117 
 
 published the same letter at Madrid, with its true 1808 - 
 date, (the 11th,) this mean device of the Junta 
 was exposed, and it became evident that the 
 measures they had at length adopted were, in 
 consequence of Major Cox's judicious interfe- 
 rence, and, probably, in no small degree from 
 the apprehension of the popular indignation, and 
 the consequences to themselves, individually, 
 which that might produce. About the same 
 time Lieutenant-Colonel Doyle, who was one of 
 the officers at this time employed by our Govern- 
 ment on a sort of military mission in Spain, and 
 who was at this juncture at Madrid, took it upon 
 himself to raise money for the immediate use of 
 the Andalusian army, drawing bills for the 
 amount upon the British Consul at Seville, by 
 whom his bills were honoured. The Consul (as 
 has been said) had not long before arrived from 
 England with a remittance of a million and a 
 half of dollars, to be placed at the disposal of 
 the Junta of Seville, which durst not object to 
 this mode of its application. 
 
 General Cuesta's conduct was in part ex- 
 plained to me in a letter from Major Cox, in 
 which was enclosed the copy of a paper from the 
 united Juntas of Leon, Castile, and Gallicia, 
 dated the 5th of September, and signed by 
 Valdes. This document, which was addressed 
 to the Junta of Seville, besides accusing Cuesta 
 
118 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808< of having betrayed Blake at the battle of Rio 
 Secco, and by that means having procured his 
 defeat, enclosed two letters from Cuesta, the one 
 to the Ayuntamiento of Leon, dated the 30th of 
 May, and another of the 2d of June, to the 
 Supreme Junta of the same kingdom, strongly 
 maintaining the legality of the renunciations at 
 Bayonne, and dissuading the people from any re- 
 volutionary movements. It was generally thought, 
 at this time, at Seville, that Cuesta was opposed 
 to the popular cause. It was, nevertheless, con- 
 sidered as a suspicious circumstance, the long 
 silence of the accusers, supposing that their al- 
 legations were founded in fact. His conduct at 
 last, with respect to Valdes, proved, at least, 
 that he was more actuated by private resentment 
 than by zeal for the public service or the cause 
 in which he was engaged. 
 
 The remedy for all this disorder was looked 
 for in the appointment of General Castanos to 
 the command of the army, by that means placing 
 all those discordant elements under one supreme 
 head. Castanos, soon after his arrival at Madrid, 
 proclaimed himself Captain-General and Com- 
 mander-in-Chief of the army at Madrid; but this, 
 though giving him local authority in the capital, 
 could have no beneficial effect upon the armies 
 assembling to occupy the positions assigned them. 
 As early as the 26th of September, Count Florida 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 119 
 
 Planca, the First President of the Central Junta, 1808 - 
 assured Lord William Bentinck that the appoint- 
 ment of General Castaiios to the. chief command 
 would immediately take place. This salutary 
 measure was, however, never adopted ; on the 
 contrary, in a letter from Lord W. Bentinck to 
 me, of the 2d of October, it is stated that the 
 Junta had come to the strange resolution of 
 making the several commands separate and in- 
 dependent. This determination his Lordship 
 thought the more extraordinary, as General Cas- 
 taiios was without a competitor, and enjoyed in 
 a marked degree the esteem and confidence both 
 of the Supreme Central Junta and the public. 
 
 Such was the state of the Spanish armies when 
 I left Portugal, and such was the force which, 
 in co-operation with a widely-separated British 
 army of 30,000 men, was expected to drive the 
 French beyond the Pyrenees. 
 
120 
 
 CONCLUSION. 
 
 1808, I have already mentioned that, when General 
 Freire visited me the day after the provisional 
 agreement with General Kellermann was con- 
 cluded, I, incautiously, furnished him with a copy 
 Appendix of that instrument for his own information and 
 
 No. 17. 
 
 guidance. He well knew that its validity de- 
 pended on the British Admiral's concurrence. 
 Freire, however, sent it off, together with a letter 
 from me, which enclosed it, express to Oporto, 
 and, doubtless, gave due notice to the Bishop, 
 by the same conveyance, that he would not find 
 in me a partisan of his ambitious pretensions. 
 The Bishop seized the opportunity, and imme- 
 diately sent off those documents, (together with 
 a characteristic report, from Freire, of his own 
 proceedings, from the time of his departure 
 from Lyria, until the 25th of August, the date 
 of his despatch,) to the Chevalier de Souza, 
 the Portuguese minister, in London ; the whole 
 Appendix accompanied by a letter from himself, written in 
 the most acrimonious spirit, and containing ob- 
 servations upon the several stipulations of the 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 121 
 
 Armistice, equally remarkable for virulence of 1808 - 
 style, and total disregard of truth and justice. 
 
 This communication from the Bishop had so 
 quick a passage from Oporto, that the Chevalier 
 de Souza was enabled to present the whole to 
 Mr. Canning, with a diplomatic note from him- 
 self, couched in terms sufficiently hostile, on the 
 3d of September, a very few hours after the 
 publication, in the London Gazette, of Sir Harry 
 Burrard's report of the victory at Vimiera. 
 
 In consequence of this, by the same convey- 
 ance which brought me Lord Castlereagh's letter, 
 of the 2d of September, already alluded to, 
 I received another letter from his Lordship, pro- 
 fessing to enclose copies of the whole of the 
 documents lodged by Souza in the Foreign Office, 
 together with Mr. Canning's note in reply. In 
 this letter, I am informed " That the King could 
 " not permit himself to attach any credit to such 
 " a Convention (meaning the Armistice) having 
 " been agreed to, under the relative circum- 
 " stances in which his fleet and armies were 
 " placed, towards those of his enemies, at the 
 " time when it professes to bear date ;" and his 
 Lordship concludes by observing, " His Majesty 
 " thinks it unnecessary that I should do more, 
 " under the present circumstances, than submit 
 " to you the communication which has been 
 " received from the Chevalier de Souza, toge- 
 
122 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808t " tlier with His Majesty's sentiments thereupon, 
 " as contained in Mr. Canning's note." 
 
 Lord Castlereagh certainly intended that all 
 the documents to which he referred should be 
 transmitted with his letter; but, in fact, the 
 Bishop of Oporto's letter to Souza, to which it 
 behoved me most particularly to reply, was with- 
 held, and another irrelevant document substi- 
 tuted in its place. I could only, therefore, say, 
 in answer to Lord Castlereagh's letter, that an 
 Armistice, or, subsequently, a definitive Conven- 
 tion, had been concluded, as his Lordship must, 
 by that time, have learnt by my despatch of the 
 3d, from C intra. 
 
 Although, upon the receipt of this letter, 
 I began to abate much of my confidence, in the 
 assurances of support which I had been flattered 
 with in a former communication, I, nevertheless, 
 could not but consider that, taking together the 
 despatches of the 2d and 4th of September, 
 which arrived at the same time, and came by 
 the same conveyance, I remained vested with 
 the discretional power which the former of those 
 letters had, to a certain extent, confirmed ; and, 
 as the period, when the enemy's force could have 
 been otherwise expelled from Portugal, was con- 
 siderably anticipated by the Convention, I was 
 willing to believe that, when my despatches of 
 the 3d, shoidd have been received by Govern- 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 123 
 
 ment, the unfavourable impression which the 1808 - 
 Chevalier de Souza had succeeded in exciting 
 would be removed. But, at all events, whatever 
 might be the issue, I was determined to pursue, 
 with unabated firmness, the course I had thought 
 it my duty to adopt. 
 
 On the 28th of September, Captain Dalrymple 
 returned with despatches, and, by the same op- 
 portunity, newspapers and letters were received, 
 by which the army and the people of Portugal 
 were informed of the reception which the news 
 of the Conventions in Portugal had met with in 
 England. The popular violence which prevailed 
 on that occasion is now matter of history ; and, 
 I believe, no measure was ever so little under- 
 stood, or even inquired into, or so universally 
 reprobated, as was the Convention, miscalled, 
 of C intra. To that treaty, which was attributed 
 exclusively to me, was ascribed every obnoxious 
 provision, not only in the Convention negotiated 
 at Lisbon, by Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, under 
 Sir Charles Cotton's instructions and mine, but, 
 also, in that concluded with the Russian Admiral 
 Siniavin, which Sir Charles Cotton reserved for 
 himself.* 
 
 The partisans of the Oporto intrigue, informed, 
 
 * See Southey's History of the Peninsular War, page 605. 
 Quarto edition. 
 
124 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - on the 3d of September, of the terms of the 
 armistice of Vimiera, on the basis of which it 
 was probable some definitive Convention would 
 soon be concluded ; and being also, no doubt, 
 apprised of my decided opposition to their views, 
 contrived to prepare a strong re-action in the 
 public mind, when the truth should be disclosed, 
 by circulating rumours of further successes in 
 Portugal, the inevitable consequences, as the 
 public were taught to believe, of the splendid 
 victories already obtained there. What greatly 
 contributed, also, to the popular delusion, was a 
 hasty and not very accurate account of the vic- 
 tory of Vimiera, early addressed, by Lord Cas- 
 A N Pe iQ ix ^ erea o n > to tne Lord Mayor of London, in 
 which my abrupt assumption of the command, 
 the moment I landed, was placed in invidious 
 contrast with the supposed generosity of Sir 
 Harry Burrard, who was untruly stated to have 
 declined taking the command from Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley, when he landed, during the battle. 
 As my arrival was in the same letter very truly 
 stated to be nearly simultaneous with that of 
 Kellermann to treat for terms, the public were 
 prepared to credit some impudent falsehoods 
 put forth in a ministerial journal, when my de- 
 spatches arrived, and to receive my account of 
 the Convention with increased indignation. 
 I found that, after Captain Dalrymple had 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 125 
 
 received from Lord Castlereagh himself the de- 1808 - 
 spatches intended for me, he set out for Ply- 
 mouth, where he was to embark, nothing 
 doubting, from his conversation with Lord Cas- 
 tlereagh, that the letters with which he was 
 charged only required from me some further 
 explanations of the circumstances which led to, 
 and the inducements which had recommended, 
 the treaty with the French General for the 
 evacuation of Portugal by his army. When he 
 arrived at Plymouth, he received orders, by 
 telegraph, to wait for further instructions, which 
 soon arrived by a special messenger, to whom 
 he was ordered to deliver the despatches Lord 
 Castlereagh had given, and to convey to me 
 others, with which the messenger was charged. 
 
 I have ever been inclined to believe that Lord 
 Castlereagh was sincere in the promises of sup- 
 port he had given me ; and, in a private letter, of 
 which Captain Dalrymple was the bearer, his 
 Lordship expressed his concern at being obliged 
 to convey to me Commands from His Majesty, 
 which would give me uneasiness. But he seems 
 to have undertaken too much, when he answered 
 for his colleagues ; and the change of the de- 
 spatches at Plymouth proved that then a hostile 
 influence preponderated in the Cabinet; and the 
 system respecting me then determined upon was 
 ever afterwards pursued. 
 
120 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - One of the official despatches which I received 
 
 on this occasion, in speaking of the definitive 
 Convention, adopted, and in a great measure 
 applied to that treaty, all the invective and much 
 of the misinterpretation which the Bishop of 
 Oporto had bestowed on the armistice of Vi- 
 miera. The other letter was, properly speaking, 
 my letter of recal : it dwelt upon the surprise 
 felt by His Majesty that so important an agree- 
 ment as the Armistice should have been signed 
 so far back as the 22d of August, and no step 
 taken to communicate it to His Majesty's Minis- 
 ters until the 4th of September, together with 
 the considerations which had induced me, 
 under the relative circumstances of the two 
 armies, to sanction such an agreement. I am, 
 then, once more told of the embarrassment 
 occasioned to His Majesty's Ministers, by their 
 receiving this communication, in the first 
 place, through the Chevalier de Souza, " to 
 " whose representations" (his Lordship affirms) 
 " they have been obliged to reply, not only 
 " under a total ignorance, but under an abso- 
 " lute disbelief of the facts thus brought under 
 " their notice." 
 
 The letter concluded with His Majesty's com- 
 mands " that you do forthwith return to England, 
 " to give explanations with respect to your con- 
 " duct, transferring the command of the army, 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 127 
 
 u together with your Instructions, to the general 1808 - 
 " officer next you in command." 
 
 It cannot be doubted that, from the despatches 
 of the two General officers who preceded me in 
 the command, and from Sir Arthur Wellesley's 
 aide-de-camp, who brought them, and was recom- 
 mended, by both those generals, as an officer well 
 qualified to give every necessary information, 
 Ministers were fully informed what the relative 
 circumstances of the two armies actually were 
 when the command devolved on me ; and con- 
 sidering (as the public were informed by the 
 letter from Lord Castlereagh, above referred to) 
 that, before this confidential aide-de-camp left the 
 army, General Kellermann had arrived to treat 
 for terms, some judgement might have been 
 formed what the sort of terms were which the 
 French General had been sent to treat for. It is, 
 therefore, upon a view of the whole case, some- 
 what difficult to account for the total ignorance 
 and absolute disbelief with which ministers re- 
 ceived Souza's communications. It is most true 
 that I did not send home the agreement provi- 
 sionally concluded by me, and signed by Sir 
 Arthur Wellesley upon the 22d ; and which, 
 from the Admiral's refusal of his concurrence, 
 became a dead letter upon the 24th ; and whilst 
 I acknowledge, I do not altogether mean to 
 justify the omission. 
 
128 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - As soon as the most pressing business was 
 
 concluded, and the Spanish corps embarked for 
 Catalonia, I was prepared to obey His Majesty's 
 Commands ; and on the 2d of October I trans- 
 ferred the command of the army, with my 
 Instructions, to Lieutenant-General Sir Harry 
 Burrard; and, on the 5th, embarked on board 
 the Phcebe frigate, and sailed for England. 
 v Thus recalled, to account for my conduct, in 
 sanctioning a treaty recommended by Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley in all its most important provisions, 
 and negotiated under the joint instructions of 
 Sir Charles Cotton and my own, it became my 
 first duty, on arriving in London, to wait upon 
 the Secretary of State. 
 
 Lord Castlereagh received me with much 
 courtesy, but soon asked me, whether I wished 
 my conduct to be investigated by a general court 
 martial, or by a court of inquiry ? The question 
 somewhat surprised me, but the suggestion was, 
 perhaps, a friendly one ; for, if I had embraced 
 the former alternative, Ministers could not have 
 adopted the course they afterwards pursued. 
 
 My reply was, (in substance,) what I after- 
 wards observed to the Board of General Officers, 
 when alluding to those who, from friendship to 
 me, or any other motive, suggested the alterna- 
 tive of a General Court Martial, namely, that I 
 was not aware that any charges, capable of being 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 129 
 
 supported by evidence, could be exhibited 1808> 
 against me, that could come under the cogni- 
 zance of a Court Martial ; that if such charges 
 were brought, I must summon as witnesses some 
 of the principal officers serving with the army in 
 Portugal ; and, for my own share, I was impa- 
 tient for an early opportunity of repelling the 
 false and injurious imputations with which my 
 character had been assailed. A Court of Inquiry 
 was consequently ordered ; and to its published 
 proceedings (soon afterwards put into the hands 
 of each member of both Houses of Parliament) 
 I appeal for the accuracy of what follows. 
 
 When the Court (consisting of four Generals 
 and three Lieutenant-Generals) assembled, I 
 found, when His Majesty's warrant was read, 
 that my conduct was not more submitted to in- 
 vestigation than that of Sir Harry Burrard or 
 Sir Arthur Wellesley : it seemed a question to 
 whom blame attached ; and, in fact, whether 
 blame was imputable to any one. I was, also, 
 surprised to find, that no official letters were 
 produced to the Board, by the Secretary of State, 
 except the despatch which contained my appoint- 
 ment to the command ; and another, relative to 
 booty and prize of war : some important docu- 
 ments which had reference to the views and 
 proceedings of the Bishop and Junta of Oporto 
 being of the number of those withheld. 
 
 K 
 
130 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808, As I had reason to believe that it was to the 
 influence of the Bishop and his adherents, with 
 some, at least, of those in power at home, that 
 I had to attribute all the vexatious injustice I 
 experienced, I wrote to Lord Castlereagh to 
 express my disappointment, that the above docu- 
 ments had not been produced ; and, also, to in- 
 form his Lordship, that I had thought it advisable 
 to insert in the Narrative (which each of the three 
 Generals were directed by the Board to prepare) 
 the full powers I was, in such flattering terms, 
 urged to exercise, in his letter of the 20th of 
 August, as also the strong assurances of support 
 which that letter contained. 
 
 His Lordship informed me, in answer, that he 
 did not consider his private letter, of the 20th of 
 August, as in any degree material to my case, 
 being only a repetition, in an unofficial shape, of 
 the full powers and assurances of support con- 
 veyed, by His Majesty's commands, to Sir Arthur 
 Wellesley. As to letters referring to the imme- 
 diate matter of my recall, they did not appear to 
 his Lordship to contain information material to be 
 laid before the Board. 
 
 In consequence of this (as I thought) une- 
 quivocal declaration, combined with the very 
 general terms in which the King's warrant was 
 couched, I was induced to write to the Judge- 
 Advocate-General for permission to withdraw 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 131 
 
 that part of my narrative which adverted to 
 Lord Castlereagh's letter of the 4th of September, 
 with its enclosures, received from Souza, the 
 Portuguese Minister, containing comments upon 
 the armistice of Vimeira, highly reflecting upon 
 that treaty, and the officers by whom it had been 
 sanctioned, and totally unfounded in justice. 
 The request was acceded to, and the papers 
 withdrawn. I took care, however, that this my 
 application, and Lord Castlereagh's letter which 
 suggested it, should be placed on the face of 
 the proceedings. It was evidently the wish of 
 Ministers to withhold the Oporto intrigue from 
 public exposure ; # and, having been led into the 
 belief that I was to be no longer held forth to a 
 prejudiced public in the light of a culprit, I 
 waved the privilege I undoubtedly possessed of 
 bringing forwards the subject myself. 
 
 The unanimous decision of the Board was in 
 favour of all the Generals into whose conduct 
 they were instructed to inquire ; and when, after 
 the proceedings were closed, the separate opinion 
 of each member was required, as to the merits 
 or demerits of the Armistice and Definitive Con- 
 vention, a majority of the members decided in 
 
 * Lord Liverpool was reported to have said, in his place in 
 the House of Lords, that those documents were withheld by 
 desire of the Chevalier de Souza. 
 
 K 2 
 
 1808. 
 
132 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808, favour of both. Upon this last question (the 
 proceedings having been closed) no opportunity 
 was afforded me of urging that, whatever opinion 
 the majority of the members might pronounce 
 upon the Definitive Convention, I was not more 
 responsible than Admiral Sir Charles Cotton for 
 that treaty, or any of its provisions; a circum- 
 stance which Ministers seemed to forget, or wish 
 to have forgotten by the public. 
 
 The investigation being over, it was officially 
 announced to me that the proceedings of the 
 Board of General Officers " having been fully 
 " considered" by His Majesty's Ministers, " and 
 " their opinion thereupon humbly submitted to 
 " His Majesty's consideration," a severe censure 
 was addressed to me in the King's name, and to 
 me only, upon those very transactions which Lord 
 Castlereagh called the matter of my recall 
 
 A short time afterwards, when it became the 
 duty of the Board of Admiralty, under an order 
 of the House of Commons, to furnish such 
 documents as it might possess, on the subject of 
 the Convention concluded with General Junot 
 for the evacuation of Portugal, instead of merely 
 producing the Admiral's letter, of the 3d of 
 September, in which that treaty, as ratified by 
 himself, was enclosed, application was made to 
 Sir Charles Cotton (who was then in England) 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 133 
 
 for any paper he could furnish which might bear 
 upon the subject. 
 
 A letter from Sir Charles Cotton to me, of 
 the 27th of August, with my reply of the 
 28th, together with a paper also directed to 
 me, and purporting to be the enclosure in Sir 
 Charles's letter, were laid before Parliament 
 by the Board of Admiralty, and speedily pub- 
 lished in the newspapers, with a high pane- 
 gyric upon the Admiral for having been, as 
 it seemed by this paper, opposed to the Con- 
 vention, but particularly to those stipulations 
 to which the pretended enclosure seemed to 
 refer. 
 
 As soon as this publication came to my know- 
 ledge, I informed the First Lord of the Admi- 
 ralty that a spurious paper had been laid before 
 Parliament instead of the genuine enclosures 
 which I received in Sir Charles Cotton's letter, 
 of the 27th of August, of which I enclosed the 
 originals, with the Admiral's signature to each. 
 A correspondence ensued, of which the result 
 was that Lord Mulgrave promised to substitute 
 the true for the pretended enclosure, presenting 
 the former to the House of Lords, with the fol- 
 lowing explanation, viz. : — " That the papers to 
 " be presented, at your request, were those to 
 V which the letters of the 27th and 28th of 
 
 1808. 
 
134 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808, " August refer; and that paper, previously 
 " printed, were articles, the adoption of which 
 " Captain Halsted was instructed to exact, and 
 " which were, in fact, inserted in the treaty." 
 Thus Sir Charles Cotton, from his own mistake, 
 is recorded for having objected to those very- 
 stipulations in the treaty of which he was, in 
 fact, the author. 
 
 His Majesty's pleasure being pronounced, and 
 the Board of General Officers dissolved, Sir 
 Harry Burrard resumed the command of the 
 London district, which he held before he was 
 ordered to Portugal ; but, as it seems to have 
 been the policy of Ministers to hold me out to 
 the people of England as the cause of the 
 disappointment of what they were taught to 
 consider their just expectations, and an object, 
 also, of His Majesty's displeasure, there was no 
 question of my being permitted to resume the com- 
 mand at Gibraltar, which I had been instructed 
 to entrust, during my absence, to another General 
 Officer; nor were the representations I made to 
 Lord Liverpool, on the subject of my wrongs, 
 when his Lordship succeeded to the war depart- 
 ment, in the smallest degree attended to. At 
 last, in the year 1814, when peace was supposed 
 to be established, and Lord Castlereagh stood 
 deservedly high in public estimation, I addressed 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 135 
 
 to his Lordship a letter, of which the following 1814 - 
 is a copy: — 
 
 London, July 20, 1814. 
 
 My Lord, 
 The war on the Peninsula being at an end, 
 Government and the country seem to vie with 
 each other, in testifying their gratitude to those 
 who have contributed, by their talents, or their 
 exertions, to the glorious result of the contest ; 
 your Lordship, therefore, cannot wonder if I feel 
 myself peculiarly hurt by remaining, as I 
 do, under the censure ? with which it pleased 
 His Majesty's Ministers to dismiss me from 
 employment, in January, 1809, although I had 
 the good fortune, by the line of conduct I 
 observed, so successfully to cherish and promote 
 the rising enthusiasm of the Spanish people, 
 that expressions of gratitude to my country and 
 its Government were mingled with the popular 
 acclamations over a large portion of the South of 
 Spain, before I was honoured with that commu- 
 nication, from your Lordship, of the 25th of 
 May, 1808, which first acknowledged the receipt 
 of my important despatches, on the affairs of 
 that country ; and at the same time communi- 
 cated to me the pleasing assurances of His Ma- 
 jesty's entire approbation of all the measures I 
 had pursued. 
 
136 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808. 
 
 Your lordship must too sensibly feel the value 
 of well-earned reputation and esteem, not to form 
 an idea of what I must suffer, should I be doomed, 
 by Government to unmerited and perpetual re- 
 proach ; to avert such an indignity is a duty I 
 owe to myself and my family, and I anxiously 
 wish, that by some public testimony of the royal 
 approbation of those services, of which, sepa- 
 rately, I have received from your Lordship the 
 assurance that the King approved, I may be set 
 right in the estimation of my country, which 
 cannot fail to have formed a very erroneous 
 opinion of my conduct, from the manifold 
 delusions which have been practiced to mis- 
 lead. 
 
 I have even supposed, that if circumstanecs 
 had allowed, the promises of support which your 
 Lordship gave me, in your private letter of the 
 20th of August, 1808, (accompanied, as they 
 were, by too flattering compliments to the excel- 
 lence of my judgement) would not have proved a 
 mere repetition, in an unofficial form, of those 
 conveyed by His Majesty's command to Sir 
 Arthur Wellesley, transferred to me when I took 
 the command, and of course, devolved to Sir 
 Harry Burrard, at the moment I most wanted, 
 and, perhaps, thought, I had a right to expect, 
 the support that had been promised. 
 
AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 137 
 
 If there is any justice in this supposition, I 1808 - 
 should be happy to be allowed an interview, 
 whenever your Lordship may appoint, when I 
 shall explain the nature of the applications I 
 have officially, at different times, made to Lord 
 Liverpool upon this subject. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 In consequence of this letter (in the stile and 
 tenor of which I hope there is nothing that can 
 be deemed servile, or unworthy of myself) I had, 
 on the 25th of July, an interview with Lord 
 Castlereagh, in which I fully explained to his 
 Lordship my feelings and my wishes, to which 
 he listened with kindness and attention, and did 
 me the honour to observe — that during the course 
 of our official intercourse there was only one 
 point upon which he had ever differed from me 
 in opinion ! I was not there to enter into a dis- 
 cussion of that one point, so took my leave, very 
 well satisfied with my reception, though nothing 
 was promised. 
 
 A short time afterwards, Lord Castlereagh took 
 me aside, at the levee of the Prince Regent, 
 where we chanced to meet, and told me my 
 business was settled ; and, in fact, very soon 
 afterwards my name was placed at the head of 
 
 
138 AFFAIRS OF PORTUGAL. 
 
 1808 - a list of baronets ; and as a mark that the honour 
 was conferred, as a reward for public services, it 
 was especially provided, in the patent, that it 
 was given free from all the usual charges, which 
 became an item in the public accounts laid before 
 Parliament. This circumstance gave a value to 
 the honour conferred, in comparison of which the 
 cost, whatever it may have been, sunk into utter 
 insignificance. 
 
APPENDIX 
 
APPENDIX TO PART I. 
 
 GIBRALTAR. 
 
 (No. 1.) 
 TO LORD CASTLEREAGH. isos. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 8th May, 1808. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 A wish having been expressed that General 
 Castanos's confidential Secretary should meet Mr. Viali 
 at the Spanish lines this morning, an interview, by 
 my desire, took place accordingly. I have the honour 
 to enclose to your Lordship Mr. Viali's report of the 
 result. 
 
 A particular degree of anxiety seems to have been 
 expressed, as to the certainty of having the Frigate 
 always in readiness, to despatch to Trieste; but this 
 does not altogether accord with the nature of the ser- 
 vice that vessel is proposed to perform, which depends 
 upon many, and some of them improbable, events. 
 This matter will, I trust, be more fully explained at 
 
j 42 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. the next interview, which, I think will be soon, and 
 perhaps between the General and myself. 
 
 The Commanding Officer in the Bay has despatched 
 a vessel, with a copy of the enclosed paper, to Lord 
 Collingwood, and I will furnish Admiral Purvis with 
 another, by the earliest opportunity, as it discloses 
 some important circumstances, which it is necessary 
 both those officers should be apprised of. If events 
 succeed each other with the rapidity there is reason to 
 expect, and if the Spaniards are constrained to act 
 before His Majesty's pleasure can be known, any di- 
 version in their favour must, of course, depend on naval 
 co-operation; for I can scarcely foresee a case that 
 could justify the committing any British Troops, that 
 could be brought into action from hence, beyond the 
 safe and easy communication with the Fleet ; with that 
 precaution, situations certainly might be imagined 
 where a combined operation of Army and Fleet, added 
 to a favourable disposition on the part of the Spaniards, 
 might produce the happiest effects ; and though from 
 the substance of the enclosed communication, (in which 
 the extensive scale of the Spanish General's views is dis- 
 played,) Minorca and Ceuta are for the present, I think, 
 not to be bargained for, the seizure of the French 
 Ships in Cadiz is a measure of a different description, 
 and one which, under my present conception of the 
 subject, I think it might be right to require. 
 
 Although I cannot foresee the result of the very' ex- 
 traordinary and critical situation in which I find myself 
 placed, I think it incumbent upon me, by every oppor- 
 tunity, to apprise your Lordship of the effect the strange 
 course of events has upon my mind, and the' general 
 line of conduct I may, in consequence, be induced to 
 adopt, or recommend for adoption to the Admiral and 
 
APPENDIX. j 43 
 
 Major-General Spencer, upon whom much of the exe- i808. 
 cution must necessarily depend. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 The substance of the report of Mr. Viali has been 
 given in the narrative. 
 
 (No. 2.) 
 TO MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Head Quarters, Gibraltar, 
 
 12th May, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 As I have not failed to inform you of the pro- 
 gress of events in Spain, and of the communications I 
 have had with the Spanish General upon the measures 
 he has it in contemplation to adopt, it is only necessary 
 for me, at present, to put you officially in possession 
 of my views in detaching your Corps to join Admiral 
 Purvis. 
 
 You may recollect that, to a proposal of mine, it was 
 stated to Mr. Viali, in a conference he held with 
 General Castaiios's Private Secretary, that, in case of 
 open war with France, the Spanish fleet, in Cadiz, 
 would sail with part of the Royal Family to South 
 America, either with or without a detachment of British 
 ships ; and, that then the Spanish batteries would co- 
 operate with Admiral Purvis, in enabling the latter 
 to take possession of the French squadron. 
 
 As this plan did not seem sufficiently digested, and de- 
 pended on previous arrangements, which would probably 
 
144 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. create delay, and consequently failure, I have strongly 
 urged the seizure of the French fleet, as the first act 
 of hostility against France, without any direct or imme- 
 diate reference to the plan of emigration, which, how- 
 ever, it would eventually materially further : by this 
 means, an important blow would be struck at the outset 
 of the business, which could not fail to stamp a charac- 
 ter of vigour upon the Spanish councils. 
 
 As I am not without hopes that this measure may be 
 adopted; and as, in answer to a demand made by the 
 Spanish General for troops, I informed him that such 
 conjunct operations as could be undertaken by your 
 Corps, and Admiral Purvis's Fleet, for the purpose of 
 making diversions in his favour, was all the aid I could 
 offer, I think it may be essential that your Corps 
 should embark, and sail forthwith; for, although I could 
 have wished to have come to a clearer understanding 
 with General Castaiios, before any step was taken, I 
 agree with you, that it is still more important that advan- 
 tage should be taken of the present favourable wind, to 
 pass through the Streights, which opportunity, if lost, 
 may not speedily recur. 
 
 I foresee no concurrence of circumstances, which, in 
 the present situation of Spain, can justify any other 
 than a conjunct operation between the troops and the 
 ships of war, but I think it not impossible that, in 
 seizing the French ships, even by the countenance and 
 aid of the Spaniards, circumstances may arise to render 
 the assistance of your Corps necessary, exclusive of 
 such further operations as you and the Admiral may 
 think proper to pursue. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
APPENDIX 145 
 
 (No. 3.) i«Q8- 
 
 TO ADMIRAL PURVIS. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 Uth May, 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have received notice from Spain, that the 
 measures of security practised by Murat, and announced 
 in the enclosed Proclamation, have had complete suc- 
 cess; and that no further expectation remains of in- 
 surrection at Madrid. 
 
 When at first I wished to recommend the measures 
 of securing the fleets of Spain and her foreign posses- 
 sions for her lawful Sovereign, should he ever be restored, 
 I thought I was suggesting what might turn out 
 materially to the advantage of His Majesty's service, 
 as well as of the loyal part of the Spanish nation; and 
 I felt confident a spirit at that time existed in Spain, 
 which might have given success to the attempt: instead 
 of what I then hinted at, I was informed of the project 
 of defence of which I have already furnished you with 
 the details ; the plan was bold and extensive, but seems, 
 by a letter received last night from Spain, to have 
 vanished from the mind that detailed it; and, in truth, 
 some parts did bear the marks of wild and inconsiderate 
 theory. 
 
 By your letter, just received, I am happy to find that 
 a fermentation may possibly still exist at Cadiz, to 
 which the appearance of a co-operative force may 
 give consistence and effect. For this reason I detach 
 Major-General Spencer with the Corps under his com- 
 mand, to join you, and the General will concert with 
 you such measures as circumstances may recommend 
 for the advantage of His Majesty's service. 
 
 Although my hopes of success are not sanguine, from 
 
 h 
 
 
146 APPENDIX. 
 
 180&. 
 
 / 
 
 the untoward state of affairs, and the ascendency the 
 French have acquired in the Capital, I shall have at 
 least the pleasure to reflect that nothing has been omit- 
 ted to take advantage of any occasion, and that the 
 execution is in such hands. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 (No. 4.) 
 
 Exmo. Senor, 
 
 Muy Senor mio : En la Ciudad de Sevilla se 
 ha erigido una Junta Suprema de Govierno de los quatro 
 Reynos de Andalucia que Representando la Magestad 
 del S or# D n * Fernando Septimo, nuestro unico y legitirno 
 soverano, dicta quantas energicas providencia exigen 
 las criticas circunstancias en que se halla la nacion 
 Espanola y la justa causa de sa defensa. La misma 
 Junta me ha comunicado sus superiores instrucciones, de 
 que ha sido portador el Primer Secretario de ella el 
 qual para a esa Placa acompanado de mi Primer 
 Ayudante D n Joaquin Navarro para tratar con V. E. 
 a nombre de aquella Soberana autoridad aruntos de la 
 mayor importancia en cuyo pronto y favorable acuerdo, 
 espero encontraran, en V. E. el apoyo que en distintas 
 circunstancias me ha manifestado. 
 
 Reitero a V. E. mis respetos con los sinceros senti- 
 mientos que profeso a sa Persona Cuya vida guarde. 
 Dios muchos anos. Quartel General de Algeciras, 8° de 
 Junio, de 1808. 
 
 E m0 - S or - 
 
 B. L. M. de V. E. su mas, 
 
 # # # 
 
 XAVIER DE CASTANOS. 
 
 E mo ' S or - General Dalrtmple. 
 
APPENDIX. 147 
 
 1808. 
 
 (No. 5.) 
 (Copy of Translation.) 
 
 Agreement made between the Junta of the city of 
 Grenada, and the Supreme Junta of Seville, by the 
 Commissioners of Grenada, Don Rodriguez Riquelme, 
 Regent of the Royal Chancelaria, and, on the other 
 part, by His Excellency Senor Don Andres Minano, 
 and the R mo Pelho Manuel Gil, Auditors of the Su- 
 preme Junta. They agreed to the following : — 
 
 1st. That the army and its movements shall be 
 directed by the General-in-Chief, at Seville, who will 
 form his arrangements, including the troops from 
 Grenada who are placed under his orders, inasmuch 
 as the kingdom of Seville is invaded and in danger, 
 upon condition that, if Grenada or its kingdom be 
 attacked, the Commander-in-Chief and army of Seville 
 shall act in the same manner for the protection and 
 defence of Grenada. 
 
 2d. That the Junta Suprema of Seville, being in the 
 act of treating with the English, and having better 
 means than any other Province for this, Grenada accedes 
 and consents to what this Junta may treat upon, being- 
 assured that it will watch over, and act for, the interest 
 of this kingdom and the whole nation. 
 
 3d. That Seville does not support its independence 
 for its own particular interest, but for the general good 
 in the defence of the country, which she believes useful 
 and necessary. But this does not hinder the Supreme 
 Junta from joining with Grenada in the defence of their 
 King, inasmuch as they act for the same end. 
 
 4th. That what has been said is understood to last 
 until our King and Lord Ferdinand VII. is restored to 
 
 l 2 
 
 I 
 
148 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. his throne, who, it is certain, will act for the general 
 good of the nation, either by assembling the Cortez or 
 by other means. 
 
 (Signed) ANDRES MINANO. 
 
 ROD. RIQUELMO. 
 MANUEL GIL. 
 
 Seville, Uth June, 1808. 
 
 (A true Copy) JUAN BAUTISTA BARDO, 
 
 Secretary. 
 
 Compared with the copy sent to this Provincial Junta, 
 by the Supreme Junta of Seville. 
 
 (Signed) DON JOAQUIN PASCAL BANIGA, 
 
 1st Secretary. 
 
 DON RAFAEL ANOGO, 
 
 Malaga, ISth June, 1808. 2d Secretary. 
 
 (No. 6.) 
 
 (Copy of Instructions given to Captain 
 Dalrymple.) 
 
 The object of your mission to Seville is to commu- 
 nicate, confidentially, with the Spanish Government on 
 all such matters as shall pertain to operations against 
 the common enemy, and the consolidation of the power 
 of the said Spanish Government, in as far as, under 
 the circumstances of my want of Instructions from His 
 Majesty, I can take upon myself to act. 
 
 From your official situation, you are perfectly ac- 
 quainted with all the communications I have made to 
 His Majesty's Government on the subject of the late 
 events in Spain ; as, also, with the measures I have 
 stated it to be my intention to adopt relative thereto. 
 You will hold in mind the substance and spirit of those 
 
APPENDIX. 149 
 
 communications on all occasions where a reference 1808 - 
 thereto may be necessary. 
 
 Of the different requisitions stated in the note from 
 the Secretary to the Spanish Government, there is not 
 one that seemed to me, upon the general principle, sub- 
 ject to objection; some of them depend upon the con- 
 currence of the Admirals commanding His Majesty's 
 Fleets, particularly that off Cadiz. You will, therefore, 
 communicate with Admiral Purvis thereupon, that you 
 may arrive at the seat of the Spanish Government fully 
 aware of his intentions upon the subjects here alluded 
 to. 
 
 Although I feel the strongest conviction that His 
 Majesty will approve of every measure taken to forward 
 the operations of the Spanish Government in hostility 
 to that of France, some regard must be had to the 
 possible consequences of any measure acceded to, in 
 case of disaster, and the success of the French arms ; 
 as I should scarcely think myself justified in a temporary 
 suspension of active hostility, and by that means relin- 
 quishing such military advantages as may have been 
 gained, without a view to other advantages that might 
 tend to the further prosecution of the war with success, 
 should, unfortunately, the present struggle terminate 
 unfavourably, and the power of France prevail in 
 Spain. 
 
 Of this nature is the temporary occupation of the 
 Fortress of Ceuta, for King Ferdinand VII. or such 
 other Monarch as shall be acknowledged by the existing 
 Government of that Kingdom, not recommended or sup- 
 ported by France. This, as a temporary arrangement, 
 must be of advantage to both nations, and will admit of 
 the Spanish garrison of that fortress acting in the field. 
 
 With respect to the French Ships at Cadiz, I am 
 ignorant of the sentiments of the Admiral on that sub- 
 
150 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 - ject, or what measures he has deemed it necessary to 
 pursue ; but, it appears to me, that some arrangement 
 should be made, to preclude the possibility, under any 
 unexpected or unfortunate change of circumstances, of 
 all the ships of war in Cadiz falling under the power of 
 France. 
 
 The mere possession of the ships, except for the pur- 
 poses here hinted, it does not appear to me a great na- 
 tional object; and, perhaps, that end may, by other 
 means, be still more effectually provided for. 
 
 The ships in Mahon are, it is to be presumed, safe 
 whilst there ; it is necessary, however, to remark, on 
 the one hand, that the Island is distressed for provisions ; 
 and, on the other hand, that Swiss or French Troops 
 are said to have been sent there by the pretended Board 
 of Government at Madrid ; it is, therefore, probable 
 that the Commander of His Majesty's Navy will be 
 disposed to enforce a strict blockade of that island 
 until the garrison shall be such as to ensure the posses- 
 sion of it and the fleet to the legitimate Government of 
 Spain. 
 
 Should small arms and ammunition be required, you 
 may safely say that, of the former, there are not more 
 than is deemed necessary to replace the casualties of 
 service; but that, of the latter, there may be some 
 redundance, exclusive of what may be in the possession 
 of the merchants ; of course, every aid of that or any 
 other sort, will be given that is compatible with the 
 state of perfect preparation in which it is His Majesty's 
 pleasure that this Place should, at all times, be held. 
 
 Exclusive of your direct correspondence with me, 
 relative to all matters which it may be necessary for me 
 to know, and respecting which you may require more 
 detailed instructions ; you will not fail to communicate 
 with Admiral Purvis on the objects of your mission ; 
 
APPENDIX. 151 
 
 and, in any exigent case, when a speedy reference may isos. 
 be necessary to His Majesty's Government from that of 
 Spain, you will send the despatch direct to the Admiral, 
 stating its tenor, that he may judge how far it may be 
 necessary, for His Majesty's service, to send a vessel 
 express. I need not add that this is a measure to 
 which it can very seldom be necessary or proper to 
 recur. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 No 7. 
 
 Extract of a Letter from the Right Honourable 
 Lord Castlereagh to Lieutenant-General 
 Sir Hew Dalrymple. 
 
 " Downing-street, 
 
 " 25th May, 1808. 
 
 u Sir, 
 
 " Your several confidential despatches, re- 24th Mar. 
 4( specting the affairs of Spain, of the dates mentioned 3i s t Do! 
 " in the margin, have been received, and laid before ??J h A ^ n1, 
 " the King. 28ih Do. 
 
 " I am to convey to you, His Majesty's approbation ™ M °* 
 " of the conduct you have held in the correspondence 8th Do. 
 " which has been confidentially carried on with the Spa- 
 " nish General; and from advices, dated the 11th in- 
 " stant, which, together with yours of the 8th, were 
 " received from Cadiz this morning, it seems probable that 
 " the Governor of Cadiz will act in concert with Gene- 
 u ral Castatios, and that the Standard of Resistance 
 " to the French will have been raised in various parts. 
 
152 APPENDIX, 
 
 1808 - " The utmost exertions will be made to send out a 
 
 " reinforcement from hence, so as to enable His Ma- 
 " jesty to afford the loyal party in Spain the assistance 
 " of 10,000 men, which General Castaiios seems to 
 " require, including what can be spared from the gar- 
 " rison of Gibraltar. Should any requisition for troops 
 " have been already made to you, I doubt not that you 
 I / " have afforded it under such precautions as to ensure 
 " its communication with our fleet ; — and certainly it 
 " would not be prudent for you to hazard so small a 
 " corps as you could spare from your garrison for any 
 " interior and mixed operations in the field. The most 
 " useful manner in which such a corps could be em- 
 " ployed seems to be the occupation of some garrison or 
 " post near the sea, which it is essential to occupy, and 
 " which would liberate an equal or a greater proportion 
 " of Spanish troops ; and in this view, you will parti- 
 " cularly direct your attention to Cadiz, as the point 
 " most important to the success of the exertions in 
 " Spain, or to the retreat to the Colonies of those en- 
 " gaged, in case of failure. 
 
 !Jp gp # W # # :jfc 
 
 " As it has been stated, in the proposition made to 
 " you, that, in case the Royal Dynasty should be re- 
 " moved, measures will be taken to secure Spanish 
 " America, you will of course look to this contingency 
 " with the utmost anxiety, as it must be of the utmost 
 " importance that the resources of those opulent pro- 
 a vinces should not fall into the hands of the French. 
 
 " His Majesty entertains a full reliance upon your 
 " vigour and discretion, in the present juncture: — 
 " that as, on the one hand, you will not commit either 
 " the faith of his Government, or the force under 
 " your command unnecessarily, or for an inadequate 
 " object, you will, on the other, act with determination 
 
APPENDIX. 153 
 
 " and spirit, according to circumstances on the spot, 18 08 - 
 " relying upon the disposition of His Majesty's Go- 
 " vernment to give your exertions the fullest support. 
 " I have the honour to be, 
 (Signed) " CASTLEREAGH." 
 
 N.B. This despatch was received by me the 8th, and 
 the receipt acknowledged the 9th of June, in a letter 
 of some length, in reference to the instructions I had 
 received, and the actual state of things at the time. 
 
 Shortly after, further, or rather fresh, instructions, 
 addressed to Rear Admiral Purvis, were forwarded to 
 me, for my information and guidance. — To which the 
 following was the reply. 
 
 TO LORD VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH. 
 
 (extract.) 
 
 " Gibraltar, 
 " 2Mh June, 1808. 
 
 " My Lord, 
 
 " I have to acknowledge the honour of your 
 u Lordship's despatch, enclosing your instructions of the 
 " 4th June, addressed to Rear Admiral Purvis. — There 
 " was a moment of consternation and pause when my 
 " letter of the 13th May was written, but on the 31st, 
 " (the date of my last despatch,) the scene had com- 
 " pletely changed ; the hopes of every true Spaniard 
 " were exalted to the highest pitch, and the time was 
 " past for approaching those subjects which before had 
 " been, at least, patiently listened to. — The object be- 
 " came not only the expulsion of the French out of 
 
154 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808, '* Spain, but even the total overthrow of Bonaparte's 
 " power; and whatever judgement might have been 
 " formed of the probability of ultimate success, it was, 
 " I think, evidently fruitless, as well as impolitic, to 
 u urge measures, which the Spanish rulers were 
 41 prompted, perhaps constrained, by the temper of the 
 " people to refuse. 
 
 (Signed) " W. H. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 ** Lieutenant-General." 
 
 (No. 8.) 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 15th June, 1S08. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 According to the instructions* which I re- 
 ceived from your Excellency, I immediately waited on 
 His Highness, the President of the Supreme Board of 
 Government, on my arrival here yesterday, and deli- 
 vered to him your letter, and, also, a packet from Gene- 
 ral Morla, the Governor of Cadiz, enclosing letters for 
 Lord Collingwood. I was received with much civility 
 and attention ; but His Highness declined opening the 
 letters, or conversing with me on the objects of my mis- 
 sion, until a meeting of the Board should take place. 
 I, therefore, took my leave, and informed him where I 
 
 * Similar to Appendix, No. 6. 
 
APPENDIX. 155 
 
 was to be found whenever the Board should intimate a 1808 
 desire to see me. 
 
 I called, this morning, on the Padre Gil, a member 
 of the Board of Government, to whom I had letters of 
 introduction. This man is, I understand, a very lead- 
 ing character in the Junta, and, as far as I am able to 
 judge, he is a person of an enlightened and liberal 
 mind, extremely zealous in the cause in which he is 
 engaged, and possessing sufficient abilities to direct the 
 proceedings of a party, which is evidently guided, in a 
 great measure, by his opinions. He acquainted me 
 that it was the wish of the Board of Government that I 
 should present myself at their meeting, at five o'clock 
 this evening, which I accordingly did ; and, having ex- 
 plained, in general terms, the objects of my mission, 
 and the desire that was felt, on the part of the British 
 Government, to co-operate with that of Spain in the 
 prosecution of the great and glorious cause in which 
 they were engaged, and to afford them such assistance 
 as the circumstances of His Majesty's dominions would 
 admit, I requested that an individual of the Junta, or 
 some person properly authorized by them, might be 
 appointed to correspond with me on those subjects ; and 
 that all propositions of the government should be made, 
 through him, in writing, as considerable difficulties and 
 inconvenience must necessarily arise from verbal com- 
 munications. This request was immediately complied 
 with, and the Padre Gil was named as the person to 
 communicate with me, on all occasions, in the name of 
 the Spanish Government. Before I was to take my 
 leave, the President informed me that the Supreme 
 Board had determined to provide me with a house and 
 establishment suitable to the important situation in 
 which they conceived I was placed ; and the Marquis 
 de la Granina, a member of the Junta, who was pre- 
 
156 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. sent, made me the offer of his house, servants, and 
 carriage ; but all this I, of course, declined ; and I 
 shall endeavour, in the course of to-morrow, to hire a 
 small house or lodging, where I may be more conve- 
 niently situated for business than at the Inn where I am 
 at present lodged. 
 
 I am to have a second interview with the Padre Gil 
 to-morrow, and I shall make the result of our confer- 
 ence the subject of another despatch. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 16th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 In my letter of yesterday's date, I had the 
 honour to inform your Excellency of my presentation 
 to the Supreme Board of Government, and what passed 
 on that occasion. The interview between the Padre 
 Gil and me, of which I spoke, took place this morning, 
 and, in the course of our conversation, he explained to 
 me the difficulties under which the newly formed Go- 
 vernment had to labour, through the disorganized state 
 of their armies; their want of arms and clothing; and the 
 necessity which they felt, under such circumstances, of 
 imploring the assistance of the British Government. 
 He told me that they particularly required pecuniary 
 aid, to meet the exigencies of the present moment, and 
 he informed me of the letter, which had been written 
 to your Excellency, by General Herrera on that sub- 
 ject, and of his having sent an officer to Gibraltar to 
 
APPENDIX. 157 
 
 treat about the terms of a loan. I here took occasion 1808 - 
 to observe that great delay and inconvenience must 
 arise from such a mode of proceedings, and that I was 
 confident your Excellency would not enter into any 
 treaty or correspondence with an individual who was 
 not properly authorized to act in the name of the 
 Spanish Government ; that I was sent here to remain as 
 the channel of communication between your Excel- 
 lency and them ; and that I thought it would greatly ex- 
 pedite and facilitate the business, if he would write me a 
 letter on the subject, stating to me fully what the wants 
 and the wishes of the Government were, in order that 
 I might transmit them regularly for your consideration; 
 and that I was well assured your Excellency would be 
 disposed to meet their wishes to the utmost extent of 
 your power. This he has promised to do, and I expect to 
 hear more from him on the subject this evening. He also 
 informed me that he had written to Herrera, to apprise 
 him of my arrival here, and the purpose of my mission; 
 and, that it would, therefore, be unnecessary for him to 
 hold any further correspondence with your Excellency 
 on those subjects, to which it relates. The Junta seem 
 now to be satisfied with the present disposition of the 
 British troops, under General Spencer; though I be- 
 lieve it was much their wish that they should have been 
 marched into the Interior. Their landing at Ayamonte 
 has had a good effect on the minds of the people, by 
 convincing them, more clearly, of our determination to 
 countenance and support their cause ; and as it was the 
 first request of our new Allies, I think it was highly 
 proper that it should be complied with, but, otherwise, 
 it does not appear to be a place of any importance for 
 us to hold, particularly as the corps of French troops, 
 which were supposed to be marching along the Coast 
 of Portugal, are known to have turned into the Inte- 
 
158 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. T \ 0Yf w ith an intention of entering Spain by another 
 route. I have had no opportunity, as yet, of touching 
 on the occupation of Cadiz by our troops ; and I feel it 
 will be a difficult and delicate point to urge. I shall, 
 however, avail myself of the very first that offers to 
 bring forward the subject, though I fear there has been, 
 already, too much said upon it, in the negotiation 
 which General Spencer has been carrying on with the 
 Governor of that place. The direct and repeated pro- 
 posals which were made by him, on the subject of a 
 landing, have, undoubtedly, excited the jealousy and 
 alarm of the people, and it will, perhaps, be a matter 
 of no small difficulty to allay their fears, and convince 
 them of the honourable and disinterested motives 
 which actuate the conduct of the British Government. 
 I have kept the despatch open until to day (17th), that 
 I might be enabled to accompany it with the enclosed 
 letter from the Padre Gil, and the annexed propositions 
 of the Junta, which I did not receive last night, as I 
 expected: I also enclose my answer to the Padre, by 
 which your Excellency will see that it is my intention 
 to send the propositions of the Spanish Government 
 directly to England, if Lord Collingwood shall think 
 proper to forward them; but I shall not be able to pre- 
 pare copies of them for that purpose before to morrow. 
 I mean to enclose them to Lord Castlereagh, and I 
 shall, at the same time, send his Lordship copies of the 
 Instructions which T have received from your Excel- 
 lency, and also of this, and my first despatch, for the 
 information of His Majesty's Government. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 Note. — The four propositions enclosed in this 
 letter related to — 
 
APPENDIX. 159 
 
 The raising money as a loan to the Spanish Go- 1808. 
 vernment at Gibraltar, to the extent of two or three 
 millions of dollars. 
 
 The obtaining a subsidy from Great Britain, from 
 50 to 70,000 dollars. 
 
 The obtaining muskets, pistols, and other fire-arms 
 from Gibraltar. 
 
 The obtaining ammunition and warlike stores from 
 Gibraltar or the Fleet. 
 
 (enclosure.) 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY FATHER MANUEL GIL. 
 
 Seville, 
 17th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have had the honour to receive your Ex- 
 cellency's letter of this date with the accompanying 
 propositions of the Spanish Government, upon which 
 you desire my opinion. 
 
 As an individual placed here merely as the channel 
 of communication between the Supreme Board and the 
 commanders in chief of His Majesty's fleet and army, 
 I can scarcely venture to offer my own sentiments upon 
 subjects of such importance; but I shall feel it my duty, 
 not only to transmit them immediately to those by 
 whom I am deputed, but I shall also take upon myself 
 to suggest to Lord Collingwood, who commands His 
 Majesty's fleet off Cadiz, the expediency of sending a 
 vessel express to England with copies of them, which 
 I shall prepare for the purpose, addressed to His 
 Majesty's Ministers, in order that no time may be lost 
 in making them acquainted with the wants and wishes 
 of the Spanish Government, and that whatever succours 
 
160 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 ♦ they may be disposed to grant may be applied with as 
 little delay as possible. I am only authorized to say, 
 generally, that it is the ardent wish of the British 
 Government to second the exertions of the Spanish 
 nation in their glorious attempt to shake off the yoke 
 of France, and to assist and establish their national 
 independence ; and that, for the attainment of that ob- 
 ject, His Majesty is ever willing to forego any objects 
 more immediately affecting the interests of his own 
 Dominions. I feel fully confident that not only Spain, 
 but the whole world, will be convinced, by the generous 
 conduct of Great Britain on this occasion, that she has 
 ever been actuated by the most honourable and dis- 
 interested motives; and her views have ever been di- 
 rected to the maintenance and support of legitimate 
 sovereignty. With respect to the money which it is 
 proposed to draw from Gibraltar, I am sure that His 
 Excellency the Governor of that Place will do all that 
 lies in his power to facilitate the business, by making 
 known to the merchants the desire of the British Go- 
 vernment to assist that of Spain, and thereby encourag- 
 ing them to enter into a loan, on such terms as may 
 be agreed on, and I dare say it may be possible in this 
 way to raise about two millions of reals, in addition 
 to the sum which General Castanos has already drawn 
 from the same source. To expedite the arrangement of 
 this business, I think it would be extremely desirable 
 to send a proper person, who was conversant with com- 
 mercial affairs, and authorized by the Supreme Board, 
 to settle the conditions of the loan: the same I think 
 should be done with respect to the money which is 
 proposed to be raised by way of loan in England. As 
 to small arms, ammunition, and the other military equip- 
 ments which are mentioned in the third and fourth 
 propositions of the Supreme Board, I am almost certain 
 
APPENDIX. 161 
 
 that none can be spared from Gibraltar ; and that any 1808 - 
 supplies of that kind, which the British Government 
 may be disposed to grant, must eventually come from 
 England. 
 
 It will undoubtedly afford great satisfaction to His 
 Majesty's Commanders with whom I have the honour 
 to correspond, and to whom I shall send copies of your 
 Excellency's letter, to hear that the Ambassadors have 
 been sent from hence to the Court of London to treat 
 for Peace, which must be a desirable object to both 
 countries, and I am sure that they, as well as the Bri- 
 tish Government, will equally rejoice to hear of the 
 general spirit which has called forth the exertions of 
 the Spanish Nation in defence of their King and Coun- 
 try, and of the state of preparation to which her armies 
 have been brought in so short a time, to act against the 
 common enemy. 
 
 With respect to the British Troops which are already 
 disembarked in this Country, they are no doubt anxious 
 to participate in the glory which there is every reason 
 to hope will shortly crown the efforts of the Spanish 
 Armies; but so small a corps, as they are at present, 
 cannot be more usefully employed than in occupying 
 an important place near the coast, particularly as the 
 strength of the Spanish Armies, which is hourly in- 
 creasing, is such as not to require their assistance in the 
 Interior. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. Sec. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment, 
 
 gj 
 
162 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 22d June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have just been honoured with your Ex- 
 cellency's letter of the 20th instant, and shall take 
 care to pay particular attention to its contents. The 
 idea of the junction of General Spencer's corps, with 
 the Spanish army in the Interior, seems now to be 
 nearly at an end, particularly since my answer to Padre 
 Gil's letter,* the last paragraph of which evidently 
 alludes to such an arrangement. 
 
 I believe that the proposal for the expedition to the 
 Guadiana originated with Herrera, or the Governor 
 of Cadiz, and was afterwards approved by General 
 Castanos and the Junta. It was certainly undertaken 
 by General Spencer in consequence of a request made 
 to him in their name. # # # 
 
 He wrote, on the 19th, to the Spanish General, inform- 
 ing him of his intention of proceeding to Lisbon; and 
 this day, I understand, the Junta has received intelli- 
 gence of his having actually landed at Ayamonte. 
 There is such an apparent inconsistency in those two 
 accounts, that I really know not how to reconcile them. 
 
 When the Padre Gil shewed me General Spencer's 
 letter, I asked him whether the measure proposed was 
 approved by the Junta ; and he assured me that it was 
 entirely; as, however, I afterwards learned that the 
 business was a good deal talked of, and that some strong 
 expressions, respecting the conduct of the English, had 
 been made use of by a member of the Junta, I thought 
 it as well to ascertain, officially, what their sentiments 
 
 * Enclosed in my despatch, No. 2, (16th June, 1808.> 
 
APPENDIX. 163 
 
 were, and I, therefore, wrote this morning to Father Gil, 1808 - 
 the letter of which I enclose a copy. I have this mo- 
 ment received his answer, which I shall also subjoin. 
 
 I touched slightly upon the subject of occupying 
 Cadiz by a British force, in a converastion which I had 
 yesterday with the Padre Gil ; and I found, from him, 
 that the question had already been discussed in the 
 Junta, but was found to be totally inadmissible. He said 
 that, even if they had approved of it, the jealousy 
 of the people would never suffer it to take place. 
 
 I have frequently pressed the necessity of speedily 
 adopting measures for the security of the South American 
 Provinces, and have been every day assured that the 
 matter was under discussion, and that no time should 
 be lost in taking the necessary steps. I believe there 
 has been much difference of opinion among the mem- 
 bers of the Junta, with regard to the system that ought 
 to be pursued ; and I have reason to think that a plan 
 which was formed is now entirely done away, and some- 
 thing quite different substituted in its stead. Deputies 
 are certainly named, and are now at Cadiz ready to 
 sail ; but I do not know whether they have yet received 
 their final instructions, or what the nature of those in- 
 structions are ; but I dare say they will be communicated 
 to me. They carry out several copies of the enclosed 
 manifesto, which I have obtained from Padre Gil, under 
 an injunction of secrecy, for the present, as it is not to 
 be published in Spain till after the departure of the 
 Deputies for America. 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 P.S. The head quarters of the Spanish army are, I 
 iderstand, to be removed to Cordova. The first divi- 
 
 m 2 
 
164 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808, sion, under General De Pedro, marched last night from 
 Utrera ; and the second, under General Pena, this day. 
 
 (enclosure 1.) 
 
 HIS EXCELLENCY THE REVEREND 
 FATHER GIL. 
 
 Seville, 
 June22d, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 By the letter from Major-General Spencer to 
 the Commander in Chief of the British army, which 
 your Excellency has done me the honour to communi- 
 cate to me, it appears that the English General has it 
 in contemplation to proceed, with the force under his 
 command, to Lisbon, in consequence of information 
 which he has received, of that place being left exposed 
 by the march of a French corps from thence towards 
 the Spanish frontier. There can be no doubt but such a 
 movement is likely to be attended with considerable 
 advantages to the cause of Spain, by making a diver- 
 sion on the coast of Portugal, which would oblige the 
 enemy to draw back that part of his force which was 
 destined to act against this country. 
 
 As, however, the corps under Major-General Spencer, 
 and the reinforcements which are expected from Eng- 
 land, are destined, by the British Government, to assist 
 the loyal party in Spain, in their exertions to shake off 
 the yoke of France, and establish the independence of 
 their country; and, as this assistance has been afforded 
 in consequence of the desire of that party, expressed 
 through His Excellency General Castanos, it is of im- 
 portance that the manner in which it is employed 
 should, as far as possible, correspond with the wishes of 
 
APPENDIX. 165 
 
 his Excellency, and of the Supreme Board of Govern- 1808 - 
 ment, by which he is employed. 
 
 I have, therefore, to request that your Excellency 
 will have the goodness to communicate to me their sen- 
 timents on the subject, and acquaint me, whether the 
 proposed measure meets with their approbation, that I 
 may lose no time in informing his Excellency Sir Hew 
 Dalrymple, (under whom Major-General Spencer acts,) 
 and who will, in consequence, give such orders, respect- 
 ing the future disposition of the British troops as he 
 may judge necessary. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 (ENCLOSURE 2.) 
 
 S r Sargento Major Cox, 
 
 Muy Seiior mio, contesto con mucho gusto a. 
 la muy estimable de V. de hoy. 
 
 Hay motivos para creer que el Sefior Major-General 
 Spencer ha desembarcado toda 6 parte de su tropa 
 Inglesa en Ayamonte ; pero puedo asegurar a V. S. per 
 documentos autenticos, y per Carta que dirije a dho 
 General, el nro Don Francisco Xavier Castaiios con 
 fha de a Noche 21 que dexa al arbitrio del Mayor-Ge- 
 neral Spencer 6 permanecer en Ayamonte, o pasar por 
 mar a Setubal, y desembarcar alii, o acometer a la 
 misma Lisboa, 6 pasar mas al norte, como vea conviene 
 al fin unico nuestro, y de la nacion Ynglesa, que es 
 destruir a Junot, o impedirle que ataque a Estremadura, 
 6 pretenda unirse al Escrito de Dupont, que retrocede 
 de Cordova. 
 
 Anado que per la Ruta que sigue el ultimo, y por la 
 
 *. 
 
166 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 situacion que tenia ya en Andajar, no parece que intenta 
 pasar por la Sierra de Cordova a Estremadura, sino ver 
 si puede penetrar a la Mancha, lo que le sera muy 
 deficil. 
 
 Se tambien que despues que me vine de la Junta 
 Suprema, ha recibido esta Posta, con aviso de haberse 
 ganado ventajas considerables en el Algarve contra los 
 Franceses aloque creo nos habran ayerdado las tropos 
 Inglesas, pues las Veteranos que teniemos en aquel 
 punto, con cortas, y aun no podia haber llegado alii el 
 Coronel Don Luis Pesino, que iba a mandorlas. 
 
 Nos ha embiado el Seiior Gobernador de Gibraltar 
 noticias hasto importantes : da todas los Fusilas que le 
 es posible, y ha remitido al Puerto Utensilios de Campa- 
 mento, y todo prueba el Ardor con que se interesa en 
 nuestra Causa, el que vemos y admiremos en toda la 
 nacion Inglesa, por lo que le estamos sumamente 
 reconocidos, y es general la satisfacion en ambas 
 naciones. 
 
 Recuerdo a V. S. que no olvide el acelerar el convenio 
 en que quedamos de acuerdo. 
 
 Dios gue a V. S. muchos afios. 
 
 Quedo de V. S. con la mas perfecta consideracion su 
 muy afecto y humilde siervo, 
 
 MANUEL GIL, C. M. 
 
 Sevilla, y Janio 22d, 1808. 
 
 HIS EXCELLENCY SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 21th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your Excellency's letter of the 17th did not 
 reach me till yesterday morning, and I have since been 
 
APPENDIX. 1^7 
 
 honoured with both your letters of the 22d instant, one 1808. 
 of them arrived last night and the other this morning. 
 That of the 17th, which informs me of the authority 
 which you had given to General Spencer, to proceed off 
 Lisbon, accounts for the movements which he acquainted 
 the Junta it was his intention to make ; and which, in 
 the absence of intelligence, occasioned by the delay of 
 Your Excellency's letter, I was not able rightly to com- 
 prehend. 
 
 Captain Whittingham is just come over from Utrera; 
 and I have conversed with him upon the points you 
 desired. He assures me that General Castanos never 
 encouraged the idea of a junction of the British troops 
 with the main body of the Spanish army in the interior ; 
 that it never was his wish that such a junction should 
 take place ; nor was it ever expected at Utrera : that all 
 the General desired was, that General Spencer should 
 disembark, and occupy the position of Xeres, in order 
 to support the Spanish army, in case of their being- 
 obliged to fall back, and to cover the important place of 
 Cadiz, which it is of such consequence to defend. This 
 plan, he says, was proposed to General Spencer, but, 
 at once, peremptorily rejected. 
 
 Captain Whittingham is of opinion with me, that any 
 proposition for the occupation of Cadiz would now be 
 attended with the worst effects ; and, he says, that, 
 unless particularly desired to do so, he should not like 
 even to mention the subject to General Castanos. 
 
 I do not find that the Junta have, as yet, taken any 
 steps about the loan from Gibraltar, in consequence of 
 my letter ; and I even doubt whether the Deputies they 
 have sent to England have been commissioned to treat 
 for pecuniary supplies. There seems to be a great want 
 of consistency in many of the measures of this Council ; 
 
168 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808, and I almost fear there is a want of unanimity amongst 
 its members. 
 
 I have not heard any thing from Lord Collingwood, 
 nor has he mentioned a word of pecuniary supplies in 
 a letter which I have seen from him to the Junta, 
 written after he had received his last despatches from 
 England. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENE- 
 RAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 28th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I yesterday received a letter from Lieute- 
 nant-Colonel Tucker, of which I have the honour to 
 enclose you a copy. Your Excellency may judge how 
 much I was surprised to hear of General Spencer's 
 return ; particularly as I am left totally in the dark 
 respecting the cause of it ; and am equally ignorant of 
 what his intentions now are. I have heard, but not 
 officially, that he has written more fully to the Junta ; 
 and that he has informed them that the reason of his 
 return from Lisbon was, that he found, on his arrival there, 
 that the French were in much greater force than he ex- 
 pected ; and that he did not think it prudent to risk a land- 
 ing with so small a corps as that which he commands. 
 I cannot help thinking it would have been better to have 
 remained off the Tagus, even though his force was not, 
 as yet, sufficient to attempt a landing ; and have waited 
 
APPENDIX. J 69 
 
 there for the expected reinforcements. A diversion on 1808 - 
 the coast of Portugal seems, in the present moment, of 
 infinite importance ; and I very much fear that if the 
 attention of the enemy, in that country, is not thus 
 attracted, this part of Spain will be exposed to the 
 most imminent danger. An account is just arrived of a 
 column of French troops, about 5000 men, under 
 General Belliard, being on the march to join Dupont; 
 and there is every reason to think that they have, by 
 this time, crossed the Sierra Morena, the passes of 
 which, it now appears, are, by no means, so well 
 guarded as General Castaiios and the Board of Govern- 
 ment were led to suppose. The accounts hitherto 
 received were that the Puerta del Rey and Despefia 
 Perros were occupied by 1000 regular troops and a 
 large body of peasantry j and that the road was cut in 
 such a manner as to render it totally impassable ; it 
 has, however, turned out that there are no regular 
 troops there at all, and that the cut has not been made. 
 It is really quite melancholy to think that there should 
 not be better information upon such essential points. 
 This junction, which, if it has not already taken place, 
 appears now impossible to prevent, will, of necessity, 
 draw the whole of the force under General Castanos to 
 a distant point ; and this part of the country and the 
 province of Estremadura will thus be left completely 
 exposed to an incursion of the French from Portugal. 
 Under these circumstances, it appears to me of such 
 consequence that General Spencer should again appear 
 off the Tagus, that I shall write, this evening, both to 
 him and Lord Collingwood, upon the subject, who will 
 judge, from the information I give them, of the propriety 
 of such a measure. 
 
 Captain Whittingham came over here yesterday from 
 Utrera; he was accompanied by Mr. Gordon, of Xeres, 
 
170 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. who is come up to the Junta, to speak to them concern- 
 ing the proposed loan from England. I fancy he is to 
 be employed on this business, but the matter is not yet 
 determined. Captain Whittingham returned to Utrera 
 this evening, with the Count de Tilly, who, after he 
 has consulted with General Castanos, is to go off* express 
 to Cordova, and from thence endeavour to pass round 
 the rear of the French to the Puerto del Rey, in order 
 to ascertain the true state of that part of the country, 
 and the passes of the Sierra, and to secure them, if 
 possible, in such a manner as to prevent the admission 
 of any further reinforcements of the enemy, and cut off 
 the retreat of those corps which have already passed. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 (ENCLOSURE.) 
 
 H.M. Brig Scout, off Ayamonte, 
 25th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I am directed to notify to you the arrival of 
 Major-General Spencer, off the mouth of the Guadiana, 
 and his intention to proceed on to Cadiz, at which place 
 he requests you will transmit to him such particulars and 
 information respecting the affairs in Spain as you may 
 be in possession of, and consider necessary to impart to 
 him, unless you should hear of his detention at 
 Ayamonte. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) G. B. TUCKER, 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel, A. Adjutant-General. 
 
APPENDIX. 171 
 
 1808. 
 
 Extract of a Letter from Major Cox to Sir Hew 
 Dalrymple. 
 
 « Seville, 
 « ZOthJune, 1808. 
 
 " This conversation with Father Gil gave me an 
 " opportunity of introducing the question of occupying 
 ** Ceuta, pro tempore, by a British force, which would 
 " liberate the Spanish troops at present doing duty in 
 " that garrison, and obviate the difficulty which now 
 " exists of supplying them with provisions : but this I 
 " find to be a most tender subject. Father Gil says, 
 " that he himself proposed the measure shortly after I 
 " came here ; but that it was opposed by every member 
 " of the Junta, except the President ; and he told me, 
 " in confidence, that the strong opposition met with 
 " was, in a great measure, to be attributed to the repre- 
 " sentations of Morla, the Governor of Cadiz, who 
 " had given it as his decided opinion that no Spanish 
 " fortress should be put in possession of the English." 
 
 Extract of a Letter from Sir Hew Dalrymple to 
 Major Cox. 
 
 " Gibraltar, 
 " \0th July, 1808. 
 
 " I think, however, that Lord Collingwood would 
 1 be more than justified by his instructions, did he lend 
 ' every aid, and make every necessary advance, to refit 
 ' the French and Spanish ships ; provided arrange- 
 * ments were made that those ships, as soon as fit for 
 1 sea, and manned with loyal subjects of Spain, should 
 ' anchor out with the British Squadron, and be no 
 ' longer under the fire of the land, and virtually a part 
 
172 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 - " of the place, and liable to the contingencies of the 
 " land-war. I think, for any Junta in Spain, that can 
 " give no national pledge, to object to arrangements by 
 " which Britain, being at all the expense, may share in 
 " the advantage with her ally, proves a jealousy so 
 " nearly bordering on hostility, that nothing further 
 " need be said about the matter ; but, as I have already 
 " said, I leave the fate of the fleets to Lord Colling- 
 " wood. General Morla may complain of me for not 
 " redeeming General Spencer's pledge ; # — but what 
 " pledge has that officer given that he would keep the 
 " fleets in a state of preparation, for the mutual advan- 
 " tage of George III. and Ferdinand VII. and not for 
 " Napoleon the Great ? What am I to understand of 
 " this same General Morla, who throws out insinua- 
 " tions to General Spencer that he shall want his corps 
 " for the defence of Cadiz, should any reverse befal the 
 " Spanish arms, (by that means thwarting the opera- 
 " tions of General Spencer's corps, which are officially 
 " recommended by General Castanos,) although it is 
 " understood that this same General is the most 
 " strenuous opposer of our being admitted into any 
 " Place?" 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENE- 
 RAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 16th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Brigade-Major Stuart arrived here this 
 morning, from Major-General Spencer, with a letter 
 to me, enclosing one to His Highness the President of 
 
 * See Sir Hew Dalrymple'a Letter to Major-General Spencer, ith July. 
 
APPENDIX. 173 
 
 the Junta ; and, by him, I have had the honour of 1808 « 
 receiving your Excellency's letters of the 5th and 7th 
 instant. As General Spencer's letter to His Highness 
 was sent to me open, I have taken a copy of it, which 
 is herewith enclosed ; and the purport of the answer, 
 with which Major Stuart returns this evening, is, that 
 the Board cannot come to a final determination without 
 consulting General Castanos, to whom the question 
 is to be immediately referred by express ; and that, 
 whatever his opinion is, will be adopted by them, and 
 the decision forwarded to the Major-General. 
 
 From the letter which I have now received from 
 General Spencer, I am led to suppose that he never 
 made the offer which Father Gil speaks of in his 
 letter,* of which I sent your Excellency a copy in my 
 last despatch ; and that the idea arose from General 
 Morla's having mistaken something which he said 
 in conversation ; for he now tells me that he never 
 had but one opinion upon the subject, which was 
 " not to advance with his present force beyond Xeres." 
 I believe it is very much the wish of the Junta 
 that it should j and I am not yet quite certain, either 
 from the wording of his letter to the President or that 
 which he has written to me, whether he means to 
 comply with their request or not. 
 
 The subjects mentioned in your Excellency's letter 
 of the 5th instant and its enclosures, have never been 
 spoken of to me officially; but hints have been dropped, 
 in private conversation, that it was imagined, amongst 
 the members of the Junta, that there was not the 
 
 * Extract from Father Gil's Letter to Major Cox. 
 
 " lZth July, 1808. 
 " Elmismo Mayor-General Spencer se ofreci6 a Don Tomas de 
 " Morla a pasar mas adelante de Xeres, y marchar a los puntos que 
 M se le seiialase, y paracienen convenientes a la defensa del Regn6." 
 
174 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808< most perfect understanding between Lord Collingwood 
 and General Spencer; and that they considered the 
 character and disposition of the latter as more open 
 and liberal: that he had come forward in the most 
 handsome manner, and not only made an unlimited 
 offer of his services to the Spanish Government, but 
 had also said that he would take upon himself to 
 supply them with money ; and this, I find, he really 
 has done. Major Stuart informs me that he has 
 already advanced 40,000 dollars; and that his intention 
 is to supply them every fortnight with a like sum, until 
 some other arrangement can be made. 
 
 Your Excellency's letter of the 7th instant, and its 
 enclosure,* relate to a subject which I consider of the 
 very first magnitude, and it has, for some time past, 
 occupied my most serious attention. The measure 
 therein recommended is indispensable ; and I am every 
 day more and more convinced of its necessity. Your 
 Excellency will see, by the enclosure No. 2, that I had 
 anticipated your wishes in mentioning the subject to the 
 Junta, and I had, before that, touched upon it in con- 
 versation, but the discussion was always evaded ; and 
 I never could obtain any other answer except that " the 
 matter would be taken into consideration in its proper 
 season ; but that the time was not yet arrived." I have 
 not yet received an answer to my letter ; but, as soon 
 as it comes, I shall send a copy of it to your Ex- 
 cellency. 
 
 The proclamation of Florida Blanca was received 
 here some time ago, but was carefully suppressed by 
 this Government ; and I never could get a copy of it 
 until that which your Excellency has had the goodness 
 to send me. It certainly speaks the language of strong 
 
 • The proclamation from Murcia. 
 
APPENDIX. 175 
 
 sense and reason ; but I fear there are not many here * 808 « 
 whose understandings are sufficiently enlarged to em^ 
 brace the project which has been so wisely suggested, 
 or to be convinced of its utility by the justness of the 
 arguments which are adduced in its support. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 TO HIS HIGHNESS THE PRESIDENT OF 
 THE JUNTA. 
 
 Puerto Santo Maria, 
 15th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to acquaint your Highness 
 that I have this moment received a despatch from His 
 Majesty's Ministers, which induces me to send Major 
 Stuart to wait on the Junta, to request the decision 
 of the Spanish Government. 
 
 I shall, upon their decision, follow their wishes ; and 
 if they think the presence of the British troops is not 
 indispensably requisite to the cause, and their departure 
 will produce no unfavourable sensation, I shall obey 
 the design I have the honour to communicate to your 
 Highness, of proceeding to join Lieutenant-General 
 Sir Arthur Wellesley off Portugal; or, if it is their 
 opinion that the troops now here are not essentially 
 necessaiy, they will have the goodness to express the 
 same to me, and I will take upon myself to remain 
 here until further orders. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 B. SPENCER. 
 
1 76 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENE- 
 RAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 27th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to enclose your Ex- 
 cellency the copy of an official letter from General 
 Castaiios to the Junta, which accompanied the capitu- 
 lation of General Dupont. Father Gil promised to let 
 me have a copy of this treaty yesterday, for the 
 information of Lord Collingwood and your Excellency ; 
 but as it has not been sent to me, I have this day 
 written to ask for it officially : a copy of my letter is 
 herewith enclosed. 
 
 Lord Collingwood does not appear to be perfectly 
 satisfied with the terms granted to Bedel ; and he 
 asks me if I can assign a reason why this division 
 should have been allowed to capitulate after the defeat 
 and surrender of the enemy's principal force. His 
 Lordship observes that this division may, if they 
 choose, be again within, or upon the frontiers of 
 Spain, in a week after they are landed at Rochfort. 
 I have informed him that the Junta are themselves 
 by no means satisfied with that part of the treaty ; 
 and that they can assign no satisfactory reason for the 
 favourable terms which have been granted. My own 
 opinion is that, as there was no Spanish force between 
 Bedel and the Sierra Morena, General Castaiios 
 thought him in a situation to make his escape if he 
 thought proper, and was, therefore, most probably 
 glad to include him, on any terms, in the capitulation 
 which was then pending, but not as yet concluded, 
 
APPENDIX. 177 
 
 with Dupont. It appears now that this division of 1808 - 
 Bedel's, or rather Bedel's and Gobert's united, amounts 
 to 9,000 men, instead of 6,000, as was at first 
 imagined. 
 
 I have received Lord Collingwood's answer to my 
 letter, enclosing him copies of the paper relating to 
 the Moroco conspiracy ; and I have communicated the 
 substance of it to the Junta. As my letter on this 
 occasion was in Spanish, and pretty nearly a transla- 
 tion of some paragraphs of his Lordship's to me, I 
 shall send your Excellency a copy of his letter, and 
 the answer which has been returned to mine by the 
 Junta. 
 
 I have not yet received an answer to my letter, of 
 the 14th instant, to the Padre Gil. Your Excellency 
 will see that I have reminded him of it, in that which 
 I have written him to-day. Several letters, some with 
 names and some without, have, I know, been written 
 to the Junta, or to individual members of it, upon 
 the same subject ; and other publications, containing 
 maxims similar to those inculcated by the proclamation 
 of Florida Blanca, have appeared, but are all sup- 
 pressed here with equal care. From one which has 
 fallen in my hands, I shall send your Excellency an 
 extract, which appears to me to contain much good 
 sense, though I do not approve of the last question 
 proposed for discussion. 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 Sir, 
 Your Excellency's 
 
 Most obedient and very humble servant, 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 P.S. An account has arrived here to-day which, 
 
178 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. though not official, is generally believed, that Cuesta 
 has gained a complete victory over a French army of 
 20,000 men, under the command of General Bessieres, 
 at Palencia, and has advanced towards Burgos: in 
 consequence of which, King Joseph, who was at 
 Vittoria, has thought prudent to return into France. 
 
 w. COX. 
 
 (private.) 
 TO SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 28th July, 1808. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to enclose you the copy 
 of a letter (with its enclosure) which I have this day 
 written to Lord Collingwood. 
 
 As I find, by Captain Dalrymple's letter of the 
 17th July, that you seem to think you cannot, with 
 propriety, speak again to the Junta on any national 
 subjects, I have refrained, though with extreme re- 
 luctance, from making use of your name in the same 
 way which I formerly did in my official communications 
 with the Board of Government. At the same time, I 
 feel most perfectly convinced that you are the person 
 who ought to have the most leading part in every thing 
 which concerns the intercourse between Great Britain 
 and this part of Spain, in the present day. No British 
 officer can be so well-informed as you are of the state 
 of affairs in this country ; and no one has, or is likely 
 to obtain the same unlimited confidence which you 
 possess with those who are principally concerned in 
 this wonderful revolution. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
APPENDIX. 179 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO MAJOR COX. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 2d August, 1808. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I have just received your letter of the 28th 
 past, marked private y with its enclosures, and think it 
 strange that the Junta should submit to Lord Colli ng- 
 wood and myself, as a question, whether they should 
 fulfil, or break through the terms of a Convention, made 
 by a General acting under their authority, and signed 
 by one of their own Body. To Lord Collingwood, in 
 particular, I think the question is very singularly ad- 
 dressed, as his Lordship's opinion of the duty of the 
 Junta, on this very question, may be very different from 
 what he may consider as his own, being himself wholly 
 unfettered by the provisions of the document in ques- 
 tion. For my own individual share, my opinion exactly 
 coincides with what must have been that of the Spanish 
 and French Generals, by whom the Capitulation, or 
 Convention,, was sanctioned, namely, that it is binding 
 on the contracting parties, in as far as the means of 
 carrying it into execution are in the power of each. 
 
 The laws of honour (and not the rule of political 
 expediency) still continue, I hope, to govern the conduct 
 of soldiers in solemn stipulations of the sort in question, 
 and certainly the surrender of Wedel's corps can only 
 be justified by the confidence he placed in that honour, 
 which is the characteristic of the Spanish nation. If 
 the French have been the first to break the Capitulation, 
 it is very extraordinary indeed, and I think that fact 
 should rest on something more striking and prominent 
 than any thing contained in No. 2, # which seems to 
 
 * This was an able paper, anonymous, but generally believed, or 
 rather known, to be by Don Tomas Morla, Governor of Cadiz. 
 
 N 2 
 
J 80 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. display more eagerness of research, than success in 
 discovering plausible pretexts for a measure which the 
 writer himself considers as standing in need of some 
 justification. 
 
 The reputation of a Government, particularly of one 
 recently formed, is a valuable part of its property, and 
 should not be lightly squandered ; perhaps this question 
 might be argued even on the grounds of expediency. 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieut-General. 
 
 HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 SIR HENRY DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 3d August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to enclose, herewith, the 
 copy of a letter, which I have received from the Padre 
 Gil, in answer to the last communications which I made 
 to the Junta on the part of your Excellency. It ap- 
 pears that they are not disposed to take any further 
 steps in the business of Morocco : they seem to think it 
 probable that the conspiracy no longer exists; and 
 that they are, at all events, determined to let the mat- 
 ter sink into oblivion. 
 
 I was not honoured by your Excellency's letter of 
 the 21st ult. till this morning; and I at the same time 
 received your despatch of the 28th. This was evident- 
 ly owing to some neglect at the Post-0 nice, where I 
 also found letters to day of an old date, from Cadiz, 
 and some others from Gibraltar. 
 
 It has been particularly unfortunate that your Ex- 
 cellency's despatches, which were written the beginning 
 of June, and also the arrival of the Andalusian deputies 
 
APPENDIX. 181 
 
 in England, should have been so long delayed; — isos. 
 and it is still more unfortunate that the Pickle, which 
 was probably charged with despatches in answer to 
 those, should have been lost, as she was approaching 
 the Port of Cadiz. It is difficult to persuade the people 
 here that those delays have been unavoidable ; and I 
 know that some are illiberal enough to throw out in- 
 sinuations that the English are much more ready to 
 promise than to perform. 
 
 Your Excellency will see, by the last paragraph of 
 Padre Gil's letter, that we are likely soon to see the 
 plan of this Junta, for a supreme and sole Government 
 of Spain. I very much fear that many members of 
 the Board still cherish the flattering but illusory idea 
 of possessing a superiority over the local Governments 
 of the other Provinces; and I think it not improbable, 
 that the plan which is about to be published may be 
 tinctured by some such foolish and contracted notions. 
 The recent successes of their army, the ostentatious 
 reception of the conquerors, and the pompous celebra- 
 tion of these victories, are circumstances which, opera- 
 ting on weak minds, cannot fail to make a deep 
 impression; and I am sure that they have tended much 
 to strengthen the ideas conceived by the Junta, of their 
 supposed superiority. The longer these ideas are 
 cherished, the more dangerous they will become; but 
 they must in the end be done away with, and this sha- 
 dowy grandeur resigned: — yet all who are acquainted 
 with human nature know how difficult it is to relinquish 
 power when once really possessed, or even to abandon 
 the pleasing phantom of imaginary greatness. The 
 present is certainly a momentous crisis; what the issue 
 may be I shall not pretend to anticipate, but I freely 
 confess that I cannot help feeling some degree of ap- 
 prehension that this great and glorious cause may be 
 
182 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. ruined by the baneful effects of jealousy and dis- 
 union. 
 
 General Castanos and Don Tomas Morla both arrived 
 here the day before yesterday; the former was received 
 by all ranks of people with the strongest demonstrations 
 of joy and gratitude. To avoid jealousy, the same 
 compliments were paid to each of them on their arrival, 
 and they were both met by a deputation from the Junta 
 without the gates of the City. They were shut up the 
 whole of yesterday morning, with the Junta, and I am 
 inclined to think their debates were very serious, and 
 touching points of much importance; but I am not yet 
 acquainted with the result. I have reason to think that 
 Morla is a strong advocate for breaking the Treaty 
 which has been made with Dupont, and that there are 
 many of the Junta of the same way "of thinking. 
 Castanos would naturally be averse from such an act, 
 which would so sensibly wound his honour. They all 
 seem anxious to know the sentiments of your Excellen- 
 cy and Lord Collingwood upon the subject. 
 
 I am sorry to say the reports we have had of advan- 
 tages gained by General Cuesta over the French have 
 proved to be false. I very much fear that he has been 
 worsted in the engagements which took place on the 
 14th and following days of July; in consequence of 
 which, he has been obliged to retreat; and, by the last 
 accounts, his Army occupied Salamanca and Ciudad- 
 Rodrigo. 
 
 An account has been received here, of a Corps of 
 5000 French troops having arrived at Evoramonte, in 
 Portugal. It is supposed that they have been merely 
 sent from Lisbon in search of provisions: but I can 
 hardly think so large a body would be detached for that 
 purpose, when an English force was on the Coast. My 
 own opinion is, that it is Junot's intention to evacuate Por- 
 
APPENDIX. 183 
 
 tugal, and endeavour to form a junction with the French 1808. 
 army under General Bessieres. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 TO SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 Saturday night, 6th August. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 I have written so much for this night's post, 
 that I must beg of your goodness to excuse my not 
 sending you a regular despatch; I shall, however, en- 
 close the copy of a letter, which I have written to Lord 
 Collingwood, with its several enclosures, which will 
 give you every information which I could have commu- 
 nicated, had I written more formally. 
 
 I have again taken upon myself to address Lord 
 Castlereagh directly, which I trust you will approve of. 
 I have sent his Lordship copies of my last letters to 
 you, No. 21, (3d August) without its accompaniments; 
 and the letter which I have now written to Lord Col- 
 lingwood with all its enclosures. 
 
 To my astonishment, I have this day heard that the 
 Count de Tylli, and the Assistente Hore (a creature of 
 the Prince of Peace), are named the deputies from this 
 Junta to the Central Board of Government. Minano is 
 to take the place of Tylli with the Army. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
]84 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 (ENCLOSURE.) 
 
 TO LORD COLLINGWOOD. 
 
 Seville, 
 5th August, 1808. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I have now the honour of sending your 
 Lordship a copy of the plan proposed by the Junta of 
 Seville, for forming a Supreme Board of Government 
 to represent the whole Kingdom. I am happy to ob- 
 serve that it is divested of those sentiments with which 
 I feared it might be contaminated. This public renun- 
 ciation of all pretensions to supremacy appears to me 
 a greater triumph, on the part of this Government, than 
 the glorious victories obtained by their armies in the 
 field; and the plan which they here propose, if carried 
 into effect, is likely to do more real service to the Coun- 
 try at large, than the most brilliant military achieve- 
 ments, under the partial Governments which at present 
 exist. 
 
 That the Junta had other ideas than those now de- 
 clared, and that they were cherished until very lately, 
 I am perfectly certain; and I have great reason to 
 suppose, that the Count de Tylli was a strong advocate 
 for totally a different system. Your Lordship asks me 
 how this nobleman stands in the public estimation ? of 
 this, I can inform you in a very few words : his attach- 
 ment to the King is very much suspected; his love for 
 the country at large very doubtful ; his general talents 
 are moderate; his political knowledge extremely limi- 
 ted; and his private character by no means respectable. 
 He is, however, what may be called a leading character 
 in the Junta. He was very instrumental in its original 
 formation ; and has since distinguished himself a good 
 
APPENDIX. 185 
 
 deal, by his zeal, in the prosecution of their measures ; lsos. 
 at the same time, I am much inclined to doubt the 
 purity of his intentions. 
 
 This party has, however, been over-ruled, and I hope 
 this danger is now past and guarded against for ever, 
 by this public declaration, which is ratified by the sig- 
 nature of all the members of the Board. The man, who 
 unquestionably possesses the greatest abilities in the 
 Junta, and who takes the most decided lead in that 
 Assembly, is the author of the enclosed publication, 
 Padre Manuel Gil, the person who, as I have before 
 informed your Lordship, is appointed to correspond 
 with me. He is a man of very uncommon endowments ; 
 and if he were a little less sensible of his superior 
 talents, and not so tenacious of his own opinions, or 
 impatient of listening to those of others, he would un- 
 doubtedly be a great character. Saavedra, the Presi- 
 dent, is a man of very tolerable abilities, good common 
 sense, and some political knowledge. Your Lordship 
 will recollect that he was formerly a Minister of State, 
 and was excluded from the Royal Councils, and banished 
 with the unfortunate Jovellanos, through the influence 
 of the Prince of Peace, for having advised his King to 
 adopt measures which he conceived likely to conduce 
 to the real interests of the nation. 
 
 An express arrived here the night before last, from Ma- 
 drid, with a letter of a very extraordinary nature, ad- 
 dressed to General Castanos, from Grouchy, the French 
 Commandant of the metropolis, in which he states that the 
 troops under his command being required for another 
 service, he could wish the General would send part of his 
 army to occupy the Capital, in order to ensure its tranquil- 
 lity, and protect the established French families, and the 
 sick which might be left behind in the hospitals. He 
 concludes his letter by a request, that whatever the 
 
186 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. General's determination may be, in consequence of this 
 intimation, he would, at all events, send one of his 
 officers to treat of matters which would probably be 
 conducive to the interest of both nations. Major-Ge- 
 neral Mireno, the Quarter-Master-General of the Spa- 
 nish army, who is reckoned a man of very good abilities, 
 has been sent off to Madrid on this business. Two 
 posts have since come in with intelligence, that the 
 French army have evacuated the Capital, and are 
 marching towards Segovia; evidently to join Bessieres, 
 who is opposed to Cuesta. It is supposed here, that 
 the French are panic-struck, and have resolved to quit 
 the country altogether ; but my own opinion is, that it 
 is their intention to unite their whole force, and attack 
 General Cuesta, who commands the armies of Castille 
 and Gallicia ; and, if they are successful in this enter- 
 prize, to turn their force upon those who may be induced, 
 by their stratagems, to approach Madrid, incautiously, 
 from this quarter, without the necessary combination of 
 military movements with the other provinces, or being 
 well assured of mutual support. Joseph Bonaparte 
 has undoubtedly left Madrid, accompanied by several 
 of the Grandees, and all the Ministers, except Cevallos. 
 The inhabitants are in the greatest consternation, and 
 are flying from the Capital in great numbers, into this 
 and the adjacent Provinces as the only places of secu- 
 rity; many persons of distinction have arrived here 
 within the last two or three days. 
 
 I have written to the Padre Gil to acquaint him with 
 your Lordship's sentiments upon the Treaty with Du- 
 pont, and also to ask for information respecting the 
 result of the conferences, which have lately taken place 
 in the Junta, concerning the future operations of the 
 army, and the destination of the French prisoners. I 
 shall do myself the honour of enclosing your Lordship 
 
APPENDIX. 187 
 
 a translation of my letter, and of the answer which I 1808. 
 shall probably receive before this is closed. 
 
 As the recent events in this country have been of 
 such vast importance, and the present state of things is 
 so likely to produce some new, and possibly unexpected 
 changes, it will, of course, be highly expedient that His 
 Majesty's Ministers should be fully acquainted with 
 what has happened, and is now passing. Your Lordship 
 will, no doubt, write fully upon those subjects, but, as I 
 conceive that a case has again arisen, which authorizes 
 me, according to my original instructions, to address 
 myself immediately to His Majesty's Government, I 
 shall prepare a despatch for my Lord Castlereagh, which 
 I beg your Lordship will have the goodness to forward 
 by the first opportunity. 
 
 1 1 have the honour to be, 8cc. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX. 
 
 P.S. It is impossible to procure the maps and charts 
 here, which your Lordship has mentioned: I believe 
 they are not to be had any where, except at Madrid. 
 My letter to Lord Castlereagh contains a copy of the 
 plan for forming a national government. 
 
 TO LORD VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH. 
 
 Seville, 
 6th August, 1808. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 Your Lordship has, no doubt, been fully 
 informed, by Lord Collingwood and Sir Hew Dal- 
 rymple, of the recent events which have taken place 
 in this part of Spain, of the victories gained by the 
 Army under General Castanos over the common enemy, 
 and the consequent annihilation of the French Force in 
 
188 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. this Province. These events, united with other cir- 
 cumstances which have occurred in different parts of 
 Spain, have given a decided turn in favour of the 
 loyal Party, and have produced a state of things which 
 must shortly bring about a still more important change. 
 There seems now to be every probability that a General 
 Representation of the nation will speedily be formed 
 to govern the country at large. The sentiments of the 
 Supreme Junta of Seville upon this subject are at last 
 made known, after repeated efforts to discover them ; 
 or, I might better say, this Assembly have now come 
 to a final determination on points that were not before 
 decided ; and have published their resolution. 
 
 The necessity of a head to direct the affairs of the 
 nation at large, and to rule and govern in the name 
 of the whole kingdom, has long been apparent to all 
 who were capable of reflecting seriously on the state 
 of this country. Several plans have been proposed, 
 and many publications have appeared on the subject ; 
 some proposing to establish a military form of Govern- 
 ment ; others to assemble the Cortes, according to the 
 Constitution of the Country ; and others, to appoint, at 
 once, a Viceroy, or Lieutenant, of the Kingdom. 
 Perhaps the most simple plan of any which has ap- 
 peared, the most easy to be effected, and the most 
 likely to be adopted, is that which has just been 
 published here by this Government ; and of which I 
 shall do myself the honour of enclosing your Lordship 
 a copy. 
 
 I have thought it of so much importance that His 
 Majesty's Government should, as soon as possible, be 
 informed of what has happened, and is passing here, 
 and also that it might be some satisfaction to receive 
 this information from a person on the spot, that I have 
 been induced to take the liberty to write directly to 
 
APPENDIX. 189 
 
 your Lordship. I only regret that there is not some 1808 - 
 one here more competent to the task : and I would, 
 with great deference, beg leave to suggest the expe- 
 diency of immediately sending out a person, invested 
 with the necessary powers, and possessing sufficient 
 abilities to direct the Councils, and take that leading 
 part in the affairs of the Government which is likely 
 to be established in this Country, which Great Britain 
 is entitled to act. 
 
 I cannot communicate the information which I 
 propose to give your Lordship better than by referring 
 you to my last letters to Lord Collingwood and Sir 
 Hew Dalrymple : I shall, therefore, do myself the 
 honour of enclosing copies of them, and shall only beg 
 leave to add that the demands of the Government 
 of this Province for money and arms are repeated 
 and urgent, and that I know their wants are great. 
 They cannot be brought to believe that their proposi- 
 tions, which I had the honour to forward to your 
 Lordship on the 18th June, did not arrive in England 
 time enough to have had an answer to them before this ; 
 and they most sensibly feel that, although their merits 
 have been at least as great, they have not been so 
 fortunate as other Provinces, in obtaining the promised 
 succours from Great Britain. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENE- 
 RAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 18th August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to acknowledge the 
 
190 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. receipt of your Excellency's letter of the 12th instant ; 
 the contents of which I have communicated, according 
 to your orders, to the Supreme Junta. I shall do 
 myself the honour of enclosing, herewith, copies of 
 the letter which I wrote to Father Gil upon this 
 occasion, and of his answer, which I have just received. 
 I shall also send your Excellency the copy of a letter 
 which I wrote to him on the 14th instant, by Lord 
 Collingwood's desire, respecting an application from 
 Valencia and Catalonia for field-artillery j and in which 
 I communicated to the Junta your coincidence in opinion 
 with his Lordship on the subject of the Morocco con- 
 spiracy and the conduct of the Spanish agents at 
 Tangier : to this I shall also annex Father Gil's reply. 
 
 On the 6th instant, I had the honour of sending 
 your Excellency the copy of a letter which I had 
 written to Lord Collingwood, accompanied by the plan 
 which has been proposed by this Junta for forming a 
 General Government. I hope this may have reached 
 your Excellency before your departure from Gibraltar ; 
 but, in case it should not have been received, I shall 
 put another copy under cover with this, together with 
 a detailed account of the battle of Baylen, which has 
 just been published. 
 
 Count Tylli and Don Vicente Hore are the two 
 members who have been elected, by ballot, to represent 
 this Junta in the General Board of Government. The 
 characters of these gentlemen are by no means re- 
 spectable ; and their nomination has caused a good 
 deal of surprise and much dissatisfaction : it is said, 
 and, I hope, with foundation, that they are likely to 
 be changed. 
 
 The Council of Castile, it appears, have resumed 
 their power and authority at Madrid, and are issuing 
 Orders and Decrees as the Supreme Tribunal of the 
 
APPENDIX. 19 L 
 
 nation. This will, most probably, give rise to very 1808 - 
 serious disputes. Their authority may be acknowledged 
 by some of the Provinces, but will most certainly be 
 opposed by many; and, amongst others, most decidedly 
 by this. I very much fear the consequences of this 
 variety of sentiment, which is so likely to prove an 
 obstacle to the formation of the General Junta, and to 
 produce those jealousies and divisions which are so 
 much to be dreaded. 
 
 I have heard, with great astonishment, from Padre 
 Gil, that a letter, addressed to your Excellency from 
 the Council of Castile, has been stopped at St. Roque, 
 and a copy of it sent here* by the Commandant of 
 that Place. I understand that the Junta have written 
 to desire him to transmit the original letter to them, 
 and that it will be given to me to forward to your 
 Excellency. These circumstances I learned from the 
 Padre, in a private and confidential conversation ; but 
 he told me that he was not authorised by the Junta 
 to mention the subject. I could not help expressing 
 fully what I thought of this very shameful and un- 
 warrantable proceeding ; and I told him that I was 
 very certain your Excellency would feel extremely 
 indignant at hearing of such a palpable breach of that 
 confidence which was supposed to exist between the 
 two Governments. He seemed a good deal confused 
 at finding that I took up the matter so warmly, and 
 tried to excuse the conduct of the Commandant of St. 
 Roque, and the Governmeut which authorised it, by 
 saying that there was a general order to stop all 
 expresses which were not sanctioned by a passport 
 from them ; and that they also wished to save your 
 
 
 The letter, I am told, was not opened; but was accompanied by 
 an unsealed copy. 
 
192 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. Excellency the embarrassment of being drawn into a 
 correspondence with an assumed authority, which was 
 not legitimate, and could not be acknowledged. To 
 this I answered, that the superscription of a letter 
 addressed to your Excellency, from whomsoever it 
 might come, ought to be considered as a sufficient 
 passport ; and that you were yourself the best judge of 
 the propriety of the correspondence or the expediency 
 of carrying it on. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 27th August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Since the letters which passed between the 
 Padre Gil and me, of which I had the honour to enclose 
 copies to your Excellency in my despatch, No. 23, I 
 have had no official communication with the Junta, 
 though I occasionally hear what passes there, but not 
 always through the same medium as formerly. The 
 Padre Gil has not of late been so open and unreserved 
 in his conversations with me as formerly, which I can 
 only account for by supposing that the Junta are them- 
 selves ashamed of their own proceedings. The fact is, 
 their attention has been, for some time past, so much 
 occupied by vain and frivolous disputes, and by views 
 of private interest and advantage, that they seem to 
 have neglected entirely every concern of real importance, 
 and almost to have lost sight of the general interest of 
 the country. 
 
APPENDIX. 193 
 
 Before General Castafios left this, it was determined 180s « 
 that an additional force of 30,000 men should be raised 
 in this Province, and formed on the ground-work of five 
 battalions of the line, which were left here for the pur- 
 pose of training them. I have lately been informed, 
 from good authority, that this business is entirely at a 
 stand, and that, for the last fifteen days, the Board of 
 Military Inspection, that have the management of this, 
 as well as all matters relative to the pay, clothing, &c. 
 of the army, have not been able to obtain an answer, 
 or get back any of their official papers, which, accord- 
 ing to the routine of office, they have been obliged to 
 lay before the Junta, for their sanction and signature. 
 
 I think I mentioned to your Excellency, in one of 
 my letters, that Don Andres Minano, one of the mem- 
 bers of the Junta, was appointed to accompany General 
 Castanos, and remain with the army, in the room of 
 Count Tylli, who, with Don Vicente Hore, were nomi- 
 nated as deputies from the Junta to the Central Board 
 of Government. A salary of twelve thousand hard dol- 
 lars a-year was assigned to Minano, but, shortly after 
 his departure, this scandalous misapplication of the 
 public money, which was much talked of by the people, 
 became a subject of discussion in the Junta ; it was 
 brought forward by the Archbishop, who declared that 
 he had always disapproved of the measure, and was 
 only induced to lend his sanction to it, and sign the 
 paper by which it was authorized, from a wish to avoid 
 those dissensions to which he feared his refusal might 
 give rise ; a warm debate ensued, which ended in the 
 order being rescinded. About this time, Don Vicente 
 Hore very prudently begged leave to decline his nomi- 
 nation as Deputy to the Central Junta, and the Arch- 
 bishop was appointed in his place : he, probably, fore- 
 saw the likelihood of this Assembly being formed at, or, 
 
194 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 - at all events, ultimately transferred to Madrid, and 
 judged that so warm a friend, and decided partizan of 
 the Prince of Peace, as he was formerly known to be, 
 would not be well received in the metropolis. I under- 
 stand that the Count de Tylli has, also, tendered his 
 resignation, and that the Marquis de las Torres, a man 
 of very respectable character, is likely to be appointed 
 in his stead. Tylli is, also, too well known at Madrid 
 to be very anxious to show himself there again ; he was 
 formerly obliged to fly from thence, under a strong sus- 
 picion of being concerned in a public robbery. I do not 
 say this lightly ; for I have heard it from many who 
 were there at the time, and the fact has even been men- 
 tioned by a colleague of his own in the Supreme Junta. 
 I believe, however, that he would have gone, had he 
 been able to gain the point of annexing a salary to the 
 employment ; but this was carried against him, by a 
 great majority, a few days since, in the Junta. 
 
 Part of the money which Mr. Duff has brought out 
 from England, for the service of the country, arrived 
 here to-day. I am ignorant of the terms on which this 
 aid is granted by Great Britain, whether by way of loan 
 or subsidy. A million of dollars have, I understand, 
 been sent out ; and I am told by the Junta that their 
 Deputies in England have written to say that this sum is 
 to be made up to a million of pounds sterling for Anda- 
 lusia. Mr. Duff is, no doubt, furnished with full 
 instructions as to the mode in which this money is to be 
 delivered : it certainly would not be prudent to entrust 
 so large a sum to the management of the temporary 
 government of a particular province, without having a 
 sufficient security for its proper application : my own 
 opinion is, that the less money which is given to them 
 the better, until the general Government is formed. 
 This Junta have shown too evident signs of a wish to 
 

 APPENDIX. 195 
 
 aggrandize themselves, and a disinclination to afford 1808 
 those aids to other Provinces which they had it in their 
 power to grant, not to afford just grounds of suspicion 
 that their boasted loyalty and patriotism have, at times, 
 been mixed with unworthy considerations of self-interest 
 and personal advantage. They are, every day, making 
 promotions in the army without much attention to merit, 
 and giving away employments of emolument which they 
 really have no right to dispose of; they have even 
 assumed the power of making canons of the church, a 
 privilege belonging, exclusively, to the Sovereign. 
 
 Every thing calls loudly for the formation of a Central 
 Junta ; and it will certainly be of the greatest conse- 
 quence that an accredited agent of the British Govern- 
 ment be sent out as soon as possible, to take a decided 
 part in the government of their councils. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENE- 
 RAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 30th August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 As my last letter to your Excellency was sent, 
 under cover, to Lord Collingwood, who, I since find, 
 has left Cadiz for the Mediterranean, I think it proba- 
 ble that it may not reach you so soon as this ; I, there- 
 fore, do myself the honour to enclose a duplicate of it. 
 I, also, send herewith the letter which, in my despatch, 
 No. 23, I informed your Excellency was addressed to 
 you by the Council of Castile, and had been stopped 
 
 o 2 
 
19G APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 by the Commandant of St. Roque. It is now upwards 
 of a fortnight since I first heard of this shameful pro- 
 ceeding, and was told that the Junta had written, by 
 express, to desire that the original letter, of which they 
 had before received a copy, might be immediately sent 
 here. It was not, however, till yesterday that I received 
 it, accompanied by a letter from Padre Gil, which I 
 have, also, the honour to enclose. I have myself but 
 little doubt that the letter has been opened, and that it 
 had been detained here by the Junta until they thought 
 its receipt, and the part which your Excellency might, 
 Possibly, be induced to take in consequence, should no 
 longer be likely to produce an effect contrary to their 
 wishes. Their great object was to prevent the other 
 Provinces of Spain from acknowledging the Council of 
 Castile as the supreme tribunal of the Kingdom, and, 
 if possible, to annul its authority altogether; but in this 
 they are not likely to succeed ; they cannot, nor they 
 ought not, to attempt to destroy a fundamental part of 
 the Constitution : — if any of the members, of which this 
 branch of it is composed, have betrayed their Country, or 
 taken an active part with its enemies, let them be 
 punished in the most exemplary manner : —both policy 
 and justice require it; but the institution itself should 
 remain untouched, and no attempt be made, for the pre- 
 sent, either to alter or dissolve it. 
 
 It has, after all, been determined that the Count de 
 Tylli shall go as one of the Deputies to the Central 
 Junta. He is to be allowed five hundred dollars a 
 month, to cover his expenses ; and Minaiio's salary, 
 instead of being entirely done away, as I mentioned in 
 my last letter to your Excellency, is to be reduced to 
 the same allowance. Tylli is, I understand, to set out 
 this day for Ciudad Real, and the Archbishop will fol- 
 low shortly after. 
 
APPENDIX. 197 
 
 An express arrived here, the evening before last, from 1808. 
 Aroche, with intelligence that an account had been 
 received there, from the Junta of Moura, of a victory 
 obtained, on the 21st instant, by the combined English 
 and Portuguese army, over the French, near Lisbon; 
 in which it was stated the enemy had lost upwards of 
 3000 men, and that Junot and the remainder of his 
 army had surrendered prisoners of war. As there has 
 since been no confirmation of this intelligence, and that 
 Badajos letters, received here to day, are silent on the 
 subject, I should fear the news is untrue, or, at least, 
 that the glorious event, which cannot now be far dis- 
 tant, has been anticipated. 
 
 General Castanos entered Madrid on the 23d, with 
 part of the army under his command, and was most 
 joyfully received by all classes of the inhabitants. I 
 think it probable that this night's post will bring some 
 accounts from Captain Whittingham, who accompanied 
 him ; but they will be too late to go with this, which I 
 mean to send to Mr. Duff, at Cadiz, to be forwarded to 
 your Excellency by the first opportunity. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 (ENCLOSURE, NO. 1.) 
 
 Sevilla, 
 a 29 de Agosto, de 1808. 
 
 Muy Senor Mio, 
 
 Par6 de orden de la Junta Suprema a V. S. 
 el adjunto pliego para el Exmo. Senor Governador de 
 Gibraltar que en este instante remite el Capitano Gene- 
 ral del Campo de San Roque y habia detenido por las 
 
198 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. ordenes generates de Policia que le habia dado esta 
 Junta Suprema. 
 
 Dios guarde a V. S. muchos anos, 
 
 B. L. M. de V. S. 
 
 MANUEL GIL. 
 Senor Mayor Doj* Guillemno Cox. 
 
 Exmo. Senor, 
 
 La Divina Providencia acaba de libertar a 
 esta corte de la opresion cruel en que ha yacido por 
 espacio de quatro meses. Jose Napoleon, su comitiva 
 y las Tropas Francesas que la circundaban han salido 
 precipitadamente dirigiendose por Castilla la Vieja, esta 
 prodigiosa emigracion al mismo tiempo que ha restituido 
 a los corazones de sus habitantes la alegria y los con- 
 suelos que desaparacieron desde el momento de la 
 agresion injusta de tan extraordinarios enemigos exige 
 imperiosamente que el consijo de Castilla occurra por 
 los medios mas prontos y efficaces a preparar una 
 vigorosa defensa, y habiendo sabido. el consejo con 
 mucha satisfaccion que las provincias litorales de 
 Espana han sido socorridas en los presentes aconteci- 
 mientos por nacion Inglesa, con quantos auxilios han 
 pedido y pendido de su posibilidad ha acordado que en 
 su nombre y como su Gobernador interimo me dirija 
 a V. S. por ser el Xefe de aquella potencia que reside 
 con mayor inmediacion a Espana tributandole las mas 
 expresivas gracias por tan generosas demonstraciones y 
 que le manifieste al mismo tiempo nuestra actual situa- 
 cion y la necesidad urgentissima en que nos hallamos de 
 acopiar trecientos mil fusiles con sus bayonetes y treinta 
 mil pares de pistolas para armar un numeroso exercito 
 que resista toda la fuerza que puede atentar nuevamente 
 
APPENDIX. 199 
 
 contra nuestra seguridad. El consijo confia que conti- 1808. 
 nuando la buena correspondencia que han experimentado 
 en esta occasion los Espanoles de la nacion Inglesa se 
 servira V. E. facilitarnos a la brevedad que la sea posible 
 los trecientos mil fusiles y treinta mil pares de pistolas, 
 de que tanto necesitamos, en la intelligencia de que su 
 pago se hara como de una deuda nacional, (de que 
 andara el consijo y de que esta fineza le sera del mayor 
 aprecio. Para no retardar la entrega de estos afectos 
 ha comisionado el consejo al Comandante General del 
 campo de San Roque que se presentara a V. E. con este 
 oficio y con la credencial correspondiente que le autorize 
 para estos reciviendo baxo las formalidades y risquardos 
 acostumbrados. 
 
 Dios guarde a V. E. muchos afios. 
 
 (Signed) ARIAS MON. 
 
 Madrid, 8 de Agosto, 1808. 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Seville, 
 5th September, 1808. 
 
 On the 31st ultimo, I had the honour of 
 writing to your Excellency by a courier, whom I de- 
 spatched with a packet of letters, which I had received 
 that day from Madrid, and which I was requested, by 
 Captain Whittingham, in General .Castanos's name, to 
 forward to your Excellency as soon as possible. I un- 
 derstand they have gone by the Loire frigate, which 
 was to sail on the 22d instant; and Mr. Duff informs 
 me that he put my despatch, No. 26, which contained 
 a duplicate of No. 25, on board the same ship. 
 
200 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 18 ° 8, The Loire brought out from England silver bars, to 
 
 the amount of half a million of dollars, the whole of 
 which has now arrived here, as well as that which came 
 by the Champion and Minorca; and I understand that 
 three transports are hourly expected at Cadiz, with 
 nearly 40,000 stands of small arms, and a large quan- 
 tity of ammunition. 
 
 Mr. Duff, who is charged with the delivery of those 
 supplies, arrived here the day before yesterday, and I 
 have had some conversation with him upon the business 
 of his mission: I find that he is instructed to deliver 
 the whole of the money and arms which have now come 
 out under his care, to the provisional Government of 
 this Province; from whom he is to take receipts, and 
 who are to be entrusted with the sole management of 
 them. It appears that it is the wish of the British 
 Government that all the southern Provinces of Spain 
 should be supplied through the channel of this Junta, 
 and a hope is expressed, in Mr. Canning's letter to the 
 Andalusian Deputies, that the aids now granted may 
 be considered as applicable to the general service of the 
 Country. 
 
 I cannot help expressing my regret that there should 
 not have been some better security for the proper ma- 
 nagement of those supplies which Great Britain, with 
 such a liberal and bountiful hand, has so generously 
 bestowed ; and that they should not have been placed 
 at the disposal of your Excellency, or Lord Colling- 
 wood, or some other person capable of judging, from 
 circumstances on the spot, how they might best be ap- 
 plied for the general benefit of Spain. It appears, at 
 least, the person entrusted with their care, should have 
 had discretionary powers to dispose of them, as he 
 should see most expedient, according to the state of 
 things at the time of his arrival. By Mr. Duff's present 
 
 y 
 
APPENDIX. 201 
 
 instructions, he would have had no option, even though 1808. 
 the iniquitous project of partition, which your Excel- 
 lency knows was once contemplated, were still in 
 existence. 
 
 Whether the Junta of Seville may now think it ne- 
 cessary, according to the wish and intention of the 
 British Government, to share the foreign aids which they 
 have received, with the neighbouring Provinces, I know 
 not ; but it is very well known that when their brothers 
 of Valencia and Catalonia were nobly defending the 
 cause of their country, against the repeated and despe- 
 rate attack of an incensed and inveterate enemy, almost 
 bare-handed, and the brave Catalans were reduced to 
 the extremity of substituting the trunks of trees, bored 
 and hooped with iron, for cannon, that the patriots of 
 this Province resisted their urgent solicitations for a 
 supply of artillery, which they could have spared in 
 abundance, from the well provided arsenals of Cadiz 
 and Seville, although Lord Collingwood offered them 
 the means of conveyance to any of the ports of Spain, 
 where they might think necessary to send them. 
 
 Mr Duff informs me that the million and a half of 
 dollars, which has now been sent out for Andalusia, is 
 to be considered either as part of the money which 
 this Government, through their Deputies, expressed a 
 wish to borrow from Great Britain, or as a gratuitous 
 subsidy, according as they may choose to accept of it ; 
 but the decision is not to be pressed for the present. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment 
 
202 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT- 
 GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 7th September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have been informed, in a conversation with 
 Father Gil, that he has repeatedly received letters from 
 Mr. Viali, and from the Vicar of Gibraltar, speaking 
 in the most favourable terms of the young Neapolitan 
 Prince, who still continues to reside there: praising his 
 amiable qualities, and exalting his virtues in a manner 
 which would seem to insinuate a wish to favour the 
 speculation upon which His Royal Highness was sent 
 from Sicily. 
 
 This conduct on the part of Mr. Viali in particular, 
 who knows the disapprobation which the British Go- 
 vernment have expressed of this intrigue, appears to 
 me extremely indiscreet and improper; and I, therefore, 
 think it my duty to make your Excellency acquainted 
 with it. Father Gil informs me that the letters which 
 he has received from that quarter have not been an- 
 swered, and he seems anxious to impress upon me that 
 the views of Prince Leopold have not received any sort 
 of encouragement from this Junta; and that, as a body, 
 they had no part whatsoever in the invitation which 
 brought him to Gibraltar; though he allows it is 
 possible that Tylli, or some other individual of the 
 Junta, may have been concerned in the business. This, 
 I think myself, there can scarcely be a doubt of; and 
 indeed I have some suspicion, though perhaps it may 
 not be well founded, that there is still an idea cherished 
 of making this Prince either President of the Central 
 Junta, or of appointing him Regent of the Kingdom. 
 
APPENDIX. 203 
 
 I am pretty sure that neither of these steps will take i808. 
 place, because I believe the general opinion is against 
 it; but I should not be surprised to hear of the proposi- 
 tion being made. 
 
 I shall do myself the honour of enclosing herewith, 
 to your Excellency, a copy of an anonymous paper 
 which Father Gil gave me some time ago, and which 
 I did not think then of sufficient consequence to trouble 
 you with; but, as connected with the present subject, 
 I think it right to send it. The original is in Mr. Viali's 
 hand-writing; and though on a separate sheet of paper, 
 appears to be a sort of postscript to another letter. 
 Your Excellency will observe, that it is expressed in 
 very ambiguous terms, and unconnected sentences, which 
 are not perfectly intelligible at the first glance. The 
 short eulogium, at the commencement, is not without 
 its meaning, and the observation that England wishes 
 to assist Spain, generously leaving her perfectly free to 
 make her own elections, is certainly meant to insinuate 
 that Great Britain would not disapprove of Prince Leo- 
 pold being elected to preside over the Spanish Govern- 
 ment, though Mr. Viali very well knew the contrary to be 
 the case. He then says, let what will happen, His Royal 
 Highness has, at all events, been made fully acquainted 
 with the individual conduct of the Senorones, as he is 
 pleased to call them, of Granada. This relates to a 
 dispute between the two Juntas, which had nearly been 
 productive of the most serious consequences, and would 
 probably have ended in open hostility, had it not been 
 prevented by the moderate, but decided conduct of 
 General Castanos. # 
 
 * This happened immediately after the battle of Baylen. Granada 
 refused to acknowledge the supreme authority of Seville ; a violent 
 dispute ensued, and the Count de Tylli had the imprudence to pro- 
 pose, in the Junta, that a division of the Andalusian army should be 
 
204 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. Supposing the people of Granada to have been in 
 
 the wrong on this occasion, what business had Mr. Viali 
 to convince Prince Leopold of their misconduct, or even 
 to speak to His Royal Highness upon the subject? It 
 was certainly meddling and officious in the extreme. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 10th September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 The day before yesterday I received a letter 
 from Brigadier-General Doyle, of which I have the 
 honour to enclose your Excellency a copy. I am in- 
 clined to think there is some mistake in the date, as it 
 came by an express, which brought despatches to the 
 Junta, and I received, by the same conveyance, and 
 upon the same subject, a letter of the 5th instant from 
 Captain Whittingham. 
 
 I immediately had an interview with Father Gil, to 
 whom I stated the substance of General Doyle's letter. 
 I asked him whether General Castanos had written to 
 the Junta upon the subject. He said that letters had 
 been received from the General, in which he asked for 
 
 marched into Granada to reduce them to submission. General Cas- 
 tanos, who was present, got up, and, striking the table, said, " he 
 should like to see the man who dared to order a division of the army 
 under his command to march, without his authority; that he knew no 
 distinction of Provinces; he had the honour to be entrusted, he said, 
 with the command of part of the army of Spain, and he would never 
 suffer it to become the vile instrument of Civil War !" 
 
APPENDIX. 205 
 
 a supply of Money, but not at all in the pressing terms 18 °8. 
 of General Doyle's letter ; that the Junta, had in con- 
 sequence, written to authorize him to draw for what he 
 wanted, and that they had some time ago sent him 
 150,000 dollars. I observed that this sum would go 
 but a very short way in the payment of so large a body 
 of troops, and that, as there would be, probably, great 
 difficulty in negotiating bills to any considerable amount, 
 I thought it better that part of the money, which had 
 been sent out from England, expressly for the purpose, 
 should be immdiately remitted to Madrid, for the use 
 of the army. Objections were made to this, the prin- 
 cipal of which was, that the greater part of the silver, 
 which they had received from England, had been sent 
 out in bars; and was not yet coined. In short, the 
 answer which I received was by no means satisfactory, 
 and I, therefore, determined to address the Junta, in 
 writing, upon the subject. I accordingly drew up the 
 paper, of which I have the honour to enclose your 
 Excellency a copy, and I presented it yesterday, in 
 person, to the Junta, having previously conversed with 
 them on the principal points. 
 
 Your Excellency will observe, that I have made use 
 of General Doyle's name only, as having written to me 
 officially, though I have taken some facts, which I 
 knew could be depended on, from Captain Whitting- 
 ham's letter, in order to make my representation stronger. 
 
 I hope that your Excellency will not think I have 
 exceeded the bounds of my duty, in the step which I 
 have taken on this occasion; and I trust that my conduct 
 will not be disapproved of by His Majesty's Govern- 
 ment, to whom I should write directly, if I knew any 
 shorter channel than through the medium of your 
 Excellency. 
 
 I found myself peculiarly circumstanced, and felt it 
 
20G APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. necessary at once to decide, called upon in the strong 
 language of General Doyle's letter, who is acting under 
 the immediate orders of Government; and the still 
 stronger expressions of Captain Whittingham, who, 
 though he writes to me privately and confidentially, 
 I must consider as the organ of Genenal Castafios; and 
 being myself aware of the critical situation of affairs, 
 and the absolute necessity of the measure which they 
 recommended, I thought it became my duty, though 
 not invested with powers, which, under other circum- 
 stances, could authorize me to act as I have done, to 
 speak decidedly, and assume a tone of firmness. In 
 times like the present, and on such an occasion, it was 
 necessary to do so. The safety of a nation is at stake, 
 and I should conceive myself unpardonable, if I omitted 
 any means of which in my poor judgement appeared 
 likely to contribute to its salvation. 
 
 It was evidently the intention of His Majesty's Mi- 
 nisters that the whole of the supplies afforded by 
 Great Britain to this Country, both of troops, arms, 
 ammunition, and money, whatever may have been the 
 manner in which they were given, or the channel through 
 which they were sent, should be made use of in favour 
 of the general cause of Spain, and with a view towards 
 the grand objects of expelling the French from the 
 Country, and replacing the unfortunate Ferdinand VII. 
 on the throne ; and not for the establishment of any 
 partial Government, or the aggrandizement of any par- 
 ticular Province. 
 
 The Supreme Junta of Seville have lately manifested 
 very different views, and I am sorry to say, they seem 
 almost to have lost sight of the common cause, and to 
 be wholly addicted to their particular interests. Instead 
 of directing their efforts to the restoration of their 
 legitimate Sovereign, and the established form of Na- 
 
APPENDIX. 207 
 
 tional Government, they are seeking the means of fixing 1808 - 
 the permanency of their own, and endeavouring to 
 separate its interests from those of the other parts 
 of Spain. 
 
 To what other purpose can be attributed the order 
 given to General Castafios, not to march on any ac- 
 count beyond Madrid ? to what the instructions given 
 to their Deputy Don Andres Miiiano, to uphold the 
 authority, and preserve the integrity of the Junta of 
 Seville, to distinguish the army to which he is attached 
 by the name of the Army of Andalusia, to preserve 
 constantly that appellation, and not to receive any 
 orders but what came directly from this Government ? 
 and, above all, what other motive could induce the 
 strong and decided measures of enforcing obedience to 
 those orders, by withholding from General Castaiios the 
 means of maintaining his troops, in case of his refusing 
 to comply with them ? If all the distant Provinces of 
 Spain, according to the example of this, had chosen to 
 mark the limits, beyond which their armies should not 
 pass, and had possessed this power of restraining them, 
 the cause of the Nation was totally ruined, and the 
 triumph of its enemies the inevitable consequence. 
 
 What have been the late occupations of the Junta of 
 Seville? Setting aside the plans, which were formed 
 for augmenting the Spanish Army, in these provinces, 
 and neglecting the consideration of those, which have 
 been proposed in their stead, their attention has been 
 taken up in the appointment of secretaries to the dif- 
 ferent departments,, in disposing of places of emolu- 
 ment, in making promotions in the army; appointing 
 canons of the church, and instituting orders of knight- 
 hood ! such steps as these make their designs too 
 evident, and I felt that my duty imperiously called 
 
208 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. upon me to declare, unequivocally, my sentiments, and 
 to protest against such conduct. 
 
 I have this instant (9 at night) received the official 
 answer of the Junta, and if I can possibly get it copied 
 in time, shall send it this post by way of Badajos, and 
 a duplicate to-morrow, by the way of Cadiz. 
 
 I have the honour to be, 8cc. &c. 
 WILLIAM COX. 
 
 (enclosure.) 
 TO MAJOR COX. 
 
 Madrid, 
 1st September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 At the momentous crisis in which I write, 
 the French, with their united force, pouring down 
 upon Zaragosa, and our army of Andalusia unable to 
 move to its assistance for want of money, I feel it 
 highly necessary to request that you do immediately, 
 in the name of the British Government, call upon the 
 Junta of Seville to send forward to this capital, without 
 a moment's delay, the money brought out by Mr. Duff 
 for the use of the army and the nation of Spain as 
 may still remain in their hands. 
 
 I do not mean to enter into any discussion as to 
 the intentions of His Majesty's Government, quoad 
 the distribution of this money, at the moment it was 
 sent from England ; but I am confident it was intended 
 to be employed according to existing circumstances, and 
 for the benefit of the cause of Spain, and not for the 
 use of any individual Junta. I do, therefore, thus 
 
APPENDIX. 209 
 
 solemnly protest, in the name of the Government 1808 - 
 by which I am employed, against the appropriation of 
 this money to any objects unconnected with the actual 
 benefit of the army now in this neighbourhood and in 
 presence of the enemy. 
 
 I have no doubt of your seeing the bearings of this 
 question in the same light with me j and I have the 
 fullest reliance upon your assistance to forward the 
 money. I build upon your decision, and consequent 
 prompt measures ; then the object, which is at once 
 so desirable and so imperiously necessary, will be pro- 
 duced ; and towards the completion of which grand 
 object all supplies, all troops, all monies which have 
 been sent into this country, namely, the expulsion of 
 the French. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 C. W. DOYLE, 
 
 Brigadier-General . 
 
 (ENCLOSURE.) 
 
 Paper addressed by Major Cox to the Supreme 
 Junta of Seville. 
 
 Most excellent Sirs, 
 
 By a letter which I have received from 
 Brigadier-General Doyle, who is charged with a par- 
 ticular commission from the British Government, and 
 at present resident at Madrid, from whence he writes, 
 I am informed that the French, with their united force, 
 are pouring down upon Zaragoza, that they have 
 retaken the town of Tudela, and threaten an imme- 
 diate attack upon the capital of Aragon. 
 
 Under these alarming circumstances, a meeting of the 
 
210 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. Generals commanding the principal armies of Spain was 
 held, at Madrid, on the 4th instant ; and the result of 
 their conference was an unanimous opinion that it was 
 absolutely necessary for the troops under General 
 Castanos to move forward immediately to Soria. It 
 was, however, found that, notwithstanding the liberal 
 supplies which Great Britain has so generously given 
 for the service of this country, the Spanish army was 
 literally unable to move for want of money ; and that 
 the Supreme Junta of Seville had refused General 
 Castanos the means of paying his troops, if he should 
 presume to march beyond Madrid, which was contrary 
 to their orders ! 
 
 I could have scarcely thought it possible that the 
 Supreme Junta of Seville, who have hitherto mani- 
 fested so much zeal for the general cause of their 
 country, and have done so much towards the attain- 
 ment of the great object which the Nation holds in 
 view, could have been capable of those ideas of partial 
 interest which are so clearly demonstrated in the orders 
 to which I allude, or of withholding the means which 
 the British Government, with such entire confidence, 
 has entrusted to their care, for the general benefit of the 
 Spanish Nation. 
 
 In the pressing exigency of the case, General Doyle 
 was induced, upon his own responsibility, to negotiate 
 bills upon England, and upon Mr. Duff, to the amount 
 of 200,000 dollars ; with which he has paid the army 
 which takes its name from the province whose Govern- 
 ment has received a million and half from Great 
 Britain, expressly for its support. 
 
 This has enabled General Castanos to put his army 
 in motion, but it cannot last long in the payment of so 
 large a body of troops, and the vast expenses attending 
 their taking the field. 
 
APPENDIX. 211 
 
 I therefore feel it my duty, both in conformity to the 1808 - 
 desire of General Doyle, the opinion of Mr. Duff, 
 (whom I have consulted,) and my own view of the 
 subject, to call peremptorily upon the Junta to send 
 forward, without the least delay, a considerable 
 portion of the money which is lately come out 
 from England, for the use of the army and the general 
 service of the country ; and, at the same time, to 
 protesj;, as I do solemnly, in the name of the British 
 Government, against the appropriation of the money, 
 or any part of it, to purposes unconnected with these 
 objects. 
 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 Seville, 9th September, 1808. 
 
 (ENCLOSURE.) 
 
 Reply of the Junta of Seville to Major Cox's 
 Letter of the 9th September , 1808. 
 
 Contesta la Junta Suprema a la de V.S. de ayer 
 9, y no dexa de admirar su contenido. 
 
 Sabe muy bien per su General en Xefe la reunsion 
 de las tropas Franceses en la Rioja, la fortificacion del 
 Puento de Logrono, y los fines a que pueda dirigirse, 
 y entre ellos baxa hacia Zaragoza y atacarla nueva- 
 mente. 
 
 El General en Xefe le ha escrito tambien la Junta 
 de Generales celebrada en Madrid, y lo que se deter- 
 min6 en ella. 
 
 Acaso podion faltarle algunos fundos para ponerse 
 en marcha, porque era de creer, que la Mancha, y las 
 demas Provincias, en cuya defensa se sacrifican nuestras 
 
 p2 
 
212 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 - tropas, las mantuviesen, y proveyesen a todos sus 
 necesidades, a lo menos durante sa residencia en ellas, 
 y las Andalusias habian hecho mas que ninguna otra 
 Provincia de Espaiia, formando su Exercito, organizan- 
 dole, preparendole, y dandole abundantemente quanto 
 necesita esta gran maquiena, y haciendo gastos muy 
 superiores a, sus fuerzas y a su obligacion, lo que erigia 
 tambien el agra-decimiente a, lo que ha trabajado 
 Andalusia, y las gloriosas, y unicas, hasta ahora, 
 Victorias, que ha conseguido. El Senor Brigadier- 
 General Doyle, que no puede ignorar ningunas de 
 estas Cosas hubiera manifestado su amor a Espaiia, 
 persuadiendo a. Madrid, al Consijo Real, y a. las Pro- 
 vincias invadidas que aprontasen estos fondos, que 
 ciertamente les tiraba de justicia. 
 
 Ademas que estos mismos gastos casi immensos a, 
 que ha tenido que atender Andalucia per si misma, y 
 sola podien hacer que sin culpa, ni omision suya, se 
 hubiesen detenido algun tanto los Socorros a su exercito 
 que esta en Castilla, y ciertamente no lo ha olvidado; son 
 increibles las diligencias que hasta a hora ha hecho, 
 para que nada le falta ; ha prevenido a, su General en 
 Xefe, que si estrechara la necessidad, tome letras 
 contra esta Junta Suprema, baxo la seguridad deque 
 sezan pagadas punctualmente, tiene alii un vocal suyo 
 en persona encargado di este destino, entre otros ; ha 
 enviado ya al General en Xefe algunos Millones, y 
 advertidole continuera estas Remezas ; en suma nada 
 se ha emitido, ni si emitira para defensa de Espana en 
 general, y sola Andalucia ha animado mas a las demas 
 provincias ofrecidoles y dadoles Mayores auxilios que 
 ninguna otra de la nacion, porque sabe esta Junta 
 Suprema que fue creado para este fin, y que desem- 
 penandolo, no hace mas que llenarlo. 
 
 No nos parece decoroso entrar a examinar por menor 
 
APPENDIX. 213 
 
 los Socorros que hemos debido a la generosidad Bri- 18 °8- 
 tanica, y que somos los primeros en publicar, alabar y 
 a los quales hemos correspondido con una franqueza y 
 buen fe que no son comunes, y que S. M. B. y sus 
 ministros han sido los que mas lo han celebrado. 
 
 Tampoco conviene discursir sobre si estos Socorros 
 han sido destinados para Andalusia solamente, y para 
 proveer a los gastos considerables que ha hecho, sin 
 recibir hasta ahora dinero de otra Provincia alguna y 
 para pagar los deudos grandisimos que ha contrado, 
 y a cuya satisfaccion es esta Junta responsable. Los 
 Socorros han sido espresamente embiados a la Junta 
 Suprema de Sevilla, como los enviados par la nacion 
 Inglesa a Asturias y a Galicia, han sido para estas 
 Provincias, que seguramente no podran mostrar ni 
 tantos gastos hechos, como la Andalucia ha executado, 
 ni haberlos repartido y auxiliado con ellas a otras 
 Provincias con la abundancia y prontitud, que lo ha 
 hecho esta Junta Suprema, olvidando alguna vez 
 quiza aun sus propios interes es y defensa, y esto es una 
 cosa demasiado publica y muy conocida de V. S. y de 
 toda la nacion Inglesa, para que nos detengemos en 
 ella. 
 
 El disenteres de esta Junta Suprema, y de todos sus 
 vocales, el ardor con que se ha aplicado, y sostenido la 
 causa comun de toda Espena, y las pruebas notorias 
 que ha dado de estos dos hechos, no pueden, ni 
 ocultarse a la penetracion de V. S. que tanto tiempo 
 hace, los ver tan de cerca, ni a la nacion Britanica, que 
 nos observa, y a quien V. S. habra informado de ello, 
 ni negarse aun par la misma embidia, aunque esta 
 suela carece de Oyos. 
 
 Despeus de todo aunque nuestre General en Xefe 
 nos escribe con la misma fecha 5 de Setiembre, cun que 
 lo hace V. S. el Brigadier Doyle, y nada nos dice ni de 
 
214 APPENDIX. 
 
 * 808 - dineros entregados per este, ni de letras que hayan 
 librado, esta Junta Suprema sabia corresponder con 
 honor a, qualesquiera aviso del ririmero, 6 aun sin el a 
 qualesquieras letras que se nos presenten firmadas de sa 
 nombre, tan alta es la confienza que tiene esta Junta 
 Suprema de su General en Xefe y de la nacion 
 Britanica. 
 
 Esperemos que V. S. nos hara toda la justicia, que 
 creemos no haber desmcricido, y que estara persuadido, 
 que para cumplir las obligaciones, que hemos contraido, 
 no necessitamos mas que se nos manifiestan sencil- 
 lamente. 
 
 Depues de escrita esta, se han recibido despachos 
 de Inglaterra, y se contestara con la mayor brevedad, 
 a nuestros deputados para que lo hayen al S or Ministro 
 Canning. 
 
 Dios gue a. V. S. m s * a 3 * Real Alcazar de Sevilla, a 
 10 de Setiembre, 1808. 
 
 FRAN E DE SAAVEDRA. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENE- 
 RAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Seville, 
 September 14, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 By the last post I had the honour of sending 
 your Excellency the copy of a paper which I presented 
 to the Junta on the 9th instant, in consequence of a re- 
 presentation which I received from Brigadier-General 
 Doyle ; I also sent the answer of the Junta, together 
 with copies of Brigadier-General Doyle's letter, and of 
 one which I received from Captain Whittingham upon 
 the same subject. The following day, 1 had the honour 
 
APPENDIX. 215 
 
 to write to your Excellency by the Pluto, and sent a 1808. 
 duplicate of my despatch of the preceding day, and a 
 copy of a letter which I thought it proper to write, at 
 the same time, to Lord Castlereagh. 
 
 I have now the honour of sending your Excellency 
 the copy of a second letter, which I wrote to the Junta on 
 the 11th instant, after I had closed my despatch to your 
 Excellency ; but to this I have not received any reply. I 
 understand that those letters have caused some sensation 
 in the Junta; and I am in great hopes they have pro- 
 duced a good effect. Orders were given the evening I 
 presented the first, to send off silver bars to the 
 amount of 250,000 dollars, to Madrid, to be coined ; 
 but, having heard that the Mint of that capital has 
 been destroyed, the Junta countermanded that order, 
 and have sent 200,000 in money; they have also 
 agreed to pay the money which General Doyle has 
 drawn for, whenever his bills on Mr. Duff become 
 due. Something was very necessary to be done, in 
 order to bring them to reason ; they are puffed up by 
 vanity and folly, and their late proceedings have dis- 
 gusted all classes of people, both in and out of Seville. 
 
 The Cabildo remonstrated strongly against their 
 nomination to the vacant Canonries, which firmness they 
 qualified with the name of rebellion, and threatened to 
 use force in case of resistance. The Cabildo answered, 
 that their only arms were reason and justice ; and that 
 if the Junta thought proper to make use of others, that 
 they certainly were unprepared to oppose them. It is 
 said, the Archbishop of Toledo has written to thank 
 them for their conduct, and to protest against the ap- 
 pointments made by the Junta. Those appointments 
 have also created great dissatisfaction amongst the peo- 
 ple : the vacancies have been left open for two or three 
 years, in order that the rents might augment the public 
 
216 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. funds ; and they say, with great reason, that, inde- 
 pendent of the incompetency of the Junta to fill them 
 up, in the present critical situation of affairs, when the 
 necessity of money is so great, and they are straining 
 every nerve to supply the deficiency, the revenues of 
 those places would have been much better applied in 
 support of the public cause than in augmenting the in- 
 come of private individuals. 
 
 Since those appointments have taken place, and sa- 
 laries have been annexed to the useless employments of 
 some members of the Junta, and their Secretaries, 
 many people have withdrawn their monthly contribu- 
 tions, which they were before accustomed to pay. 
 
 A meeting of several of the deputies from the provin- 
 cial Juntas, met a few days ago at Ocana, and I un- 
 derstand it was determined that they should transfer 
 their meeting to Madrid, as the properest place for the 
 Central Junta. It is also said that they have resolved 
 not to admit Count Tylli, as being an improper person, 
 on account of his general bad character, and the par- 
 ticular stigma of being under sentence of a court of 
 law, for being concerned in a public robbery ! The 
 folly of electing such a man to represent a great Pro- 
 vince is quite unaccountable ! 
 
 The Council of Castile have published a most excel- 
 lent justification of their conduct; but I still think that 
 some of its members should be hanged. A copy of 
 their letter to your Excellency, together with many 
 other papers and documents, is annexed to it, and it 
 concludes by a sensible and well-written letter, addressed 
 to the several provincial Juntas, which contains some 
 observations, which appear decidedly aimed at the il- 
 liberal censure bestowed on them by this. 
 
 I could now, with great deference, submit to your 
 Excellency an humble opinion, that my further resi- 
 
APPENDIX. 217 
 
 dence here, in an official capacity, can be of very little or 1808. 
 no use ; — the Central Junta, if not already assembled, 
 must now very shortly be formed ; in them all the power 
 and authority of the Nation will naturally reside, and 
 from them all orders and regulations, of course, will 
 emanate; if, therefore, my poor abilities can be of 
 service anywhere, I should think that my residence 
 near the seat of Government, as a channel of communi- 
 cation between your Excellency and them, might pro- 
 bably be the best situation ; I am, however, far from 
 thinking that I am a proper person for it, and I do not, 
 by any means, wish to ask for an appointment to which 
 I feel my abilities are inadequate. I confess, however, 
 that I am extremely anxious to see Madrid, and to have 
 an opportunity of witnessing the interesting scenes that 
 are passing, and I should be happy to make myself as 
 useful as I could, even though I were not placed in an 
 official capacity. Might I, therefore, presume to beg 
 your Excellency's permission to go there in any way, or 
 in any situation you may think proper ? if with an offi- 
 cial appointment, your Excellency may depend, at 
 least, upon my zeal and attention, and, at all events, 
 upon the most sincere gratitude for your kindness. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 WILLIAM COX, 
 
 Major, 61st Regiment. 
 
 (ENCLOSURE.) 
 
 Seville, 
 llth September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have received the answer of the Junta to 
 the official paper, which I had the honour to present 
 to them on the 9th inst. 
 
218 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. It is not my wish, nor my object, to enter into minute 
 
 discussions. I give the Supreme Junta every credit 
 which is due for their great exertions in the common 
 cause of their country. I have seen them with the 
 highest admiration, and spoken of them with the 
 greatest applause. I have seen a band of patriotic men 
 unite for the purpose of repelling a perfidious enemy, 
 of asserting the independence of their country, of 
 restoring their unfortunate Sovereign to his throne, and 
 re-establishing the national form of Government. I 
 should like to see them pursue the same purpose 
 steadily, and never look to anything beyond its ac- 
 complishment. 
 
 I make no doubt but the Provinces which are still 
 infested by the enemy, have contributed according to 
 their means to the support of the war; but, even if they 
 had been backward in this respect, Brigadier-General 
 Doyle, whose love to the Spanish nation can certainly 
 not be doubted, had no power or authority which could 
 oblige them, nor any influence which could persuade 
 them to come forward, though reason and justice should 
 require it. 
 
 He knew where funds were deposited by the Go- 
 vernment under which he was employed ; he knew the 
 intention of His Majesty's Ministers with respect to 
 those funds; he knew that they were withheld, and 
 that the general cause was suffering by jt ; and he knew 
 positively that General Castanos had received orders, 
 from the Junta of Seville, not to advance into Old 
 Castile, and that they had refused to supply him with 
 the means of disobeying those orders. Under these 
 circumstances he felt the necessity of writing the strong 
 letter to me, upon which I felt it my duty to make the 
 representation, which I had the honour to address to 
 the Supreme Junta on the 9th instant. J sincerely 
 
APPENDIX. 219 
 
 hope it may have the desired effect. My only object ,808 - 
 is to serve the Spanish Nation ; and, in contributing to 
 its welfare, I gratify my private inclination, at the same 
 time that I fulfil my public duty. I must, however, 
 speak plainly. 
 
 Whilst the enemy of Spain is in sight, it is no time 
 to stand disputing whether this province or that province 
 should maintain the army, upon which the safety of the 
 whole depends. The cause of Navarre is the cause of 
 Andalusia, and the cause of Catalonia is the cause of 
 Galicia. All their forces, all their means, all their ef- 
 forts, should be directed to one grand object — the ex- 
 pulsion of the enemy, and the defence of their religion, 
 their country, and their King, " Que es la Espaiia 
 toda." The whole of Spain is but one family; and 
 when danger approaches its doors, it is not prudent to 
 stand upon ceremony about which of its members 
 shall get up to bar the entrance. 
 
 I still see the necessity of money being remitted im- 
 mediately from hence to Madrid, for the use of the 
 army ; I am informed that there is little or no specie in 
 that capital, and, therefore, think it probable that 
 General Castanos would find great difficulty in nego- 
 tiating bills to any considerable amount. 
 
 I have written fully to-day to His Majesty's Ministers 
 upon all that has been done in this business, and I have 
 sent them copies of the paper which I had the honour 
 to present to the Junta, and the answer that has been 
 returned. I shall be truly happy to send one, which 
 may be considered more satisfactory, and the Supreme 
 Junta may rest assured that their compliance with the 
 reasonable request which has been made to them will 
 contribute much to induce Great Britain to send those 
 further aids to Spain which I know she is yet inclined 
 to afford. 
 
220 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. I beg your Excellency will have the goodness to lay 
 
 this letter before the Supreme Board. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) WILLIAM COX. 
 
 (No. 9.) 
 TO SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Cadiz, 
 10th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I take the opportunity of a Spanish courier 
 going to San Roque to give you an account of our 
 operations hitherto. 
 
 On the 8th of June, a little before eleven, A. M. we 
 arrived at Xeres. General Castaiios, who had been 
 previously appointed Captain-General of the Army of 
 Andalusia, here received a despatch, calling him imme- 
 diately to Seville. An affair had taken place, at Alcolea, 
 near Cordova, in which the Spaniards had been worsted. 
 Echavarri, a good partisan-leader, but no general, had 
 occupied a position near Alcolea, his right defending 
 the passage of the bridge, and his left extending into 
 the plain. General Dupont's division consisted of 
 17,000 men. Echavarri had with him 1000 regular and 
 about 10,000 new-raised men. The French advanced 
 guard attacked the bridge, (which was defended with 
 great gallantry,) whilst the main body crossed the 
 Guadalquivir, at a pass, a short distance higher up, 
 and took possession of the high ground upon the left of 
 the Spanish army, which Echavarri had neglected to 
 occupy. The new-raised levies immediately gave way ; 
 
APPENDIX. 221 
 
 but the few regulars conducted their retreat well, and 1808 - 
 lost only one piece of cannon, whose carriage broke 
 down. 
 
 The French took possession of Cordova. 
 
 9th June. We arrived at Seville at five A. M. Gene- 
 ral Castanos, soon after, waited upon the President 
 Saavedra. Upon his return, he expressed his wish that 
 I should immediately go to Cadiz, and endeavour to 
 prevail upon General Spencer to land, and advance, 
 with his force, as far as Xeres, where General Castafios 
 promised to meet him, and settle the plan of operations. 
 At ten o'clock, General Castanos set off post for Car- 
 mona, where his head-quarters are established, the 
 advanced posts extending as far as Ecija. At 11, I 
 went to the Junta Suprema, and received their despatches 
 for the Marshal de Campo Don Eusebio Herrera, at 
 Cadiz. This morning, about six o'clock, I landed here. 
 I immediately delivered my despatches, and found that 
 things were far different to what I had been used to wit- 
 ness between you, Sir, and General Castanos. I, soon 
 after, saw Sir George Smith, who desired me to wait 
 upon General Spencer. Five hours' pulling against 
 wind and tide brought me, at last, to the Atlas, on 
 board which General Spencer was embarked. I deli- 
 vered the message from Castanos, and told him of the 
 extreme hurry in which the General had left Seville. I, 
 also, mentioned the despatch I had brought for Herrera. 
 General Spencer said that he should wish to be ac- 
 quainted with the contents of that despatch, and with 
 the opinions of the Spanish Generals to whom it was 
 directed. That he could give no answer to any thing I 
 had to say, as it did not come in an official shape; and 
 that, no doubt, General Castanos had not communi- 
 cated to me his intended plan of operations. I returned 
 to Cadiz, and got Don Tomas Morla and Don E. 
 
222 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. Herrera to write to General Spencer an account of the 
 intelligence I had brought. I am now waiting the 
 answer, and shall return immediately to Castanos. 
 General Castafios's Force does not, I am sorry to say, 
 exceed, at the present moment, in regular troops, 5000 
 men. He expects daily a reinforcement of 7000 regu- 
 lars, which he had sent on before he left Algeciras. He 
 has under his command from 50 to 60,000 countrymen 
 of the new-raised levies. I wish I could add that I 
 entertain reasonable hopes of our success ; but I really 
 do not : and as, unfortunately, the people here have 
 taken it into their heads that we could assist them if we 
 would, we shall finish by being, at least, as much hated 
 as the French. The very moment General Spencer's 
 answer arrives I shall set off for Carmona, and, I trust, 
 I shall no more be forced to quit the honourable post 
 you were pleased to assign to me. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) S. WHITTINGHAM. 
 
 TO SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Head-Quarters, Utera, 
 \7th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to inform you that I 
 arrived at this place on the evening of the 15th ; and it 
 is General Castanos's particular order that I should ex- 
 press to you, Sir, how very grateful he feels for the 
 kind and liberal manner in which you were pleased to 
 meet his wishes at a moment which appeared so very 
 critical ! 
 
 During my absence, affairs have taken a very favour- 
 able turn. 
 
APPENDIX. 223 
 
 General Castanos has got together, at this place, 1808 * 
 8000 regulars ; and, having selected from the mass of 
 peasantry the finest young men, he has regimented 
 about 12,000 of them, and given them officers from the 
 line. These new-raised corps are already tolerably 
 dextrous in loading and firing. 
 
 In Carmona we have between 3 and 4000 regulars, 
 and a strong body of peasants. 
 
 The regiment of the line, called Voluntarios of 
 Arragon, supported by a considerable body of peasants, 
 has taken possession of the passes of Sierra Morena, 
 and particularly of Puerto del Rey. They are breaking 
 up the roads, &c. &c. the more completely to cut oft' 
 all communication between Madrid and Dupont's army. 
 
 Yesterday evening, General Castanos pushed on a 
 detachment of 1000 men, commanded by a Brigadier, 
 to Fuentos. The Brigadier has under his command a 
 body of light troops, who will patrole as far as Ecija. 
 
 On the right of this body is Colonel Valderanos, who 
 has under his command so large a force of the new- 
 raised levies from the kingdom of Jaen that he solicited 
 leave to attack the French in Cordova. 
 
 A considerable body of peasantry, commanded by 
 officers of the line, has been sent to take possession of 
 the passes of Estremadura, in case Dupont should 
 attempt to retreat upon the army of Portugal. 
 
 In a few days the whole of these dispositions will be 
 consolidated, and we shall attack the French under very 
 favourable circumstances. Should Fortune favour us, 
 the victory must be complete, and the French army 
 annihilated. Should we be worsted, Dupont will hardly 
 dare to follow up his advantage, surrounded, as he now 
 is, on all sides, and his communication with Madrid 
 cut off. 
 
224 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. The last intercepted letter from Dupont to Murat is 
 
 full of alarm. 
 
 It is reported, and some credit is given to the report, 
 that General Cuesta, at the head of the Castilians, has 
 intimated to Murat that he might retire from Madrid 
 unmolested, provided he began his march towards 
 Bayonne without delay ; and threatened him with an 
 immediate attack, in case his offer should not be 
 accepted. That Murat had began to fortify the position 
 of the Retiro. 
 
 That General Filangieri was at the head of an army 
 of 16,000 regulars in Galicia; and that nothing could 
 prevent his junction with General Cuesta, whose head- 
 quarters are at Valladolid. 
 
 Major Cox passed through this place on his way to 
 Seville, and saw General Castanos. 
 
 I shall take the earliest opportunity of going to 
 Seville, to see and communicate with the Major. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) S. WHITTINGHAM, 
 
 13th Light Dragoons. 
 
 I mentioned to General Castanos your idea of bring- 
 ing the Spanish squadron at Mahon, together with the 
 garrisons of Minorca and Majorca, to Cadiz. The 
 advantage of this reinforcement to the army, (at least 
 8000 regulars,) and of the concentration of their naval 
 force, was too evident not to strike General Castanos, 
 and he appeared extremely pleased at your having sug- 
 gested the idea. 
 
 Of course, the garrisons might be replaced from the 
 new-raised levies. 
 
APPENDIX. 225 
 
 « , 1808. 
 
 TO SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. , 
 
 Head-Quarters, Andujar, 
 25th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I had the honour of writing to you on the 21st 
 of this month. 
 
 At four o'clock A. M. 23d July, the troops of the 
 third and fourth divisions were drawn up in line on each 
 side of the high road, about two miles from the French 
 camp, General Castanos and his suite, on the right, 
 towards Baylen. At seven o'clock, the head of the 
 French column began to enter the street formed by the 
 Spanish troops. 
 
 The French Troops were in high order, and certainly 
 amongst the finest I ever saw : 5500 men, of which 
 number 1200 cavalry, followed by twenty pieces of can- 
 non, filed off before the Spanish Army, and piled their 
 arms at 800 toises distance. 
 
 It appears that the force of Dupont amounted, at the 
 battle of Baylen, to upwards of 9000 men, viz. 
 
 5500 prisoners of war. 
 
 2600 killed and wounded in the action. 
 
 1100 deserted after the action. 
 
 9200 total of the force of General Dupont's 
 -* division. 
 
 General Reding had a nominal force of 15,000 men ; 
 but, of this number, the battalion of peasants (3000 
 men) fled at the beginning of the action, and were 
 seen no more ; of the 12,000 men remaining, at least 
 5000 were composed of the new-raised levies, inter- 
 mixed with the regular troops. 
 
 Q 
 
220 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. General Dupont made seven partial and four general 
 
 attacks upon the Spanish lines, and was constantly 
 repulsed with great loss. The Spanish artillery per- 
 formed wonders. In less than two hours they dis- 
 mounted fourteen pieces of the enemy's cannon ; and 
 their well-timed discharge of grape upon the French 
 line, as it advanced, produced the finest effect. 
 
 If we include the 400 men left sick at Cordova, and 
 the great loss the French suffered at Mengibar and 
 Villanueva, it is evident the division of General Dupont 
 was at first composed of 12,000 men. 
 
 On the 24th July, at Baylen, at nine o'clock A. M. 
 the division of General Wedel, consisting of 9100 men, 
 (of which 1500 cavalry,) piled arms, and filed off to- 
 wards Mengibar. 
 
 The cavalry of this division is in much better condi- 
 tion than that of Dupont. The infantry did not appear 
 to me equally good. It is now forty days since General 
 Castanos arrived at Carmona, where his whole army 
 consisted of 3000 regulars and about 15,000 runaway 
 peasantry, who had disgraced themselves at the affair 
 of the Bridge of Alcolea. In this very short space of 
 time his Excellency has organized a force, whose valour 
 and discipline, directed by the talents of their General, 
 have enabled them to beat 21,000 French, and reduce 
 them to the ignominious necessity of laying down their 
 arms. General Castaiios returned to this place last 
 night. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) S. WHITTINGHAM, 
 
 13th Light Dragoons. 
 
 P.S. You will have observed that the real numbers of 
 the French have far exceeded what I supposed in my 
 last.-S.W. 
 
APPENDIX. 227 
 
 1808. 
 
 (No. 10.) 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Ocean, off Cadiz, 
 
 14M June, 1808. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I received the favour of your letters of the 
 11th and 12th, the former acquainting me with the 
 request made by General Castanos, the other enclosing 
 the copy of a letter to General Spencer. 
 
 When your letter arrived, the troops were on the 
 point of moving to the westward, towards Ayamonte, on 
 the requisition which the Spanish governor had made 
 to General Spencer, a day or two before, to meet, and 
 prevent the approach to Seville of a detachment of the 
 French army, which was said to be marching by the 
 coast from Portugal. 
 
 I stopped the sailing of the transport, until the 
 General informed me of his resolution to proceed as 
 originally intended; and the reasons which he assigned 
 for not changing his destination, you will see in the 
 letter which I enclose to you: and Colonel Bathurst, 
 who brought it, entered more fully into the probable 
 consequences of taking a position at Xeres; the princi- 
 pal of which was, that, on any disaster of the Spanish 
 army, an occurrence which made it necessary it should 
 be reinforced, they would doubtless be called upon; 
 completely engaging his corps in field service, for which 
 it was not perfectly provided ; identifying our army with 
 
 Q2 
 
228 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 - theirs, in whatever might happen to it; and deviating 
 from the line which His Majesty's Ministers, in their 
 instructions, had provided. 
 
 I have heard that a degree of coolness, and perhaps 
 a little jealousy, had shown itself, whenever there was 
 any mention or allusion to our putting a garrison into 
 Cadiz ; and I believe the appearance of the troops before 
 the port, and the application which had been made for 
 pilots to carry the ships into harbour, to have been the 
 sole cause of it ; and I very much suspect that the appli- 
 cation to General Spencer to proceed with his corps 
 towards Ayamonte, was more for the purpose of remo- 
 ving them from before Cadiz, than any apprehension 
 they had from an enemy in that quarter; for, yesterday, 
 two gentlemen, (a member of the Supreme Council and 
 a Rear-admiral,) who were deputed to come to me, in- 
 formed me that the accounts they had from that quarter 
 were vague, — they came from a suspicious quarter, — 
 and that they themselves did not believe the French 
 were advancing, as had been stated. If that is the 
 case, that they show doubts and apprehensions from 
 our army, I would submit to you, Sir, in the event of 
 their not finding any thing to engage their service where 
 they are gone to, whether they had not better be at 
 Gibraltar, until it is determined to what point they 
 should proceed ; for, hovering upon the coast, they will 
 consume their water and provisions, and, perhaps, when 
 wanted to proceed, have to return to port to complete. 
 
 The Spaniards having completed their batteries 
 against the French ships, and ready to open upon 
 them, they surrendered this morning, and are now under 
 Spanish colours; there has been much care taken to do 
 them no injury, which the Spaniards say was to pre- 
 serve them fit to go to America, should that be neces- 
 sary. 
 
APPENDIX. 229 
 
 Your despatches, which I brought out, went to Eng- 1814. 
 land yesterday by the cutter Alphea; and I hope to-day 
 the deputies to the Court of London will go in the 
 Alceste. The Admiral being one of them, it was not 
 convenient that he should go before the surrender of 
 the French ships. 
 
 I have the honour to be, 
 Dear Sir, 
 With the highest esteem and regard, 
 
 Your faithful and most obedient servant, 
 (Signed) COLLINGWOOD. 
 
 Every thing the Spaniards propose is " por Mariana ;" 
 but I have just been informed the plenipotentiaries will 
 not be ready for two days. 
 
 (enclosure.) 
 
 H. M. S. Atlas, 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I am just honoured with your Lordship's 
 letter, in answer to which I beg to submit to you the 
 impropriety of my corps taking up a position in the 
 interior, subjecting myself to be called upon to join the 
 Spanish army, perhaps at Seville, unequipped as my 
 corps is to take the field, and which I conceive so con- 
 trary to the wishes of His Majesty's Ministers. 
 
 I am, therefore, still anxious to proceed off Ayamonte 
 as soon as possible. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. 
 (Signed) B. SPENCER, 
 
 Major-GeneraL, 
 
 The Right Hon. Lord Colling wood. 
 
230 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 Ocean, 
 20th June, 1808. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 The moment I received your letter of the 
 17th, I despatched a ship with yours to General Spencer, 
 and gave directions to Captain Boyles, that whenever 
 the General determined to go, (which I understood 
 from Captain Boyles's letter he had resolved,) to send a 
 sufficient convoy to the Tagus. 
 
 To the Major-General, who had done me the honour 
 to ask my opinion, I observed, on one hand, that where 
 the troops then were, they were doing nothing, nor was 
 there any immediate prospect of their having any thing 
 to do; they were expending their provisions and water, 
 without means of replenishing them ; that the Spaniards 
 had shown much jealousy when they were near Cadiz, 
 and did not seem at all urgent for their landing any- 
 where : that, on the other hand, the French force in 
 Portugal was reduced to a small number; that amongst 
 the several forts they were much divided ; in every 
 point to the southward the French forces were in em- 
 barrassing and critical situations; that the population 
 of the country was, without exception, adverse to them ; 
 and that the object to be obtained there, by opening 
 the river to the squadron, was of the first magnitude; 
 leaving him with those observations to make his own 
 decision. I informed him, that the moment I knew 
 that he was gone there, I should send a frigate to the 
 north-west of Cape Roxent, to cruize for the reinforce- 
 ments expected from England, and inform the com- 
 manding officer where he was. Major-General Spencer, 
 in his letter of the 18th, informs me of his intention; if 
 he should not go to Lisbon, which he had not yet deter- 
 mined upon, nor received your Excellency's letter, he 
 
APPENDIX. 231 
 
 should, in a few days, return to Cadiz. I am sorry he 1808 - 
 had so resolved, because I am sure the Spaniards felt 
 uncomfortable at the presence of the army here, and it 
 will embarrass them ; they have resolved they shall not 
 come into the town, and every appearance of urging it 
 distresses them. I would rather recommend that (if 
 they are not gone to the Tagus) they should return to 
 Gibraltar, and, completing their water and provisions, 
 be held ready to go to that point where it is intended 
 they should act. 
 
 I mentioned to General Spencer that I concluded he 
 maintained a correspondence with General Castanos on 
 the subject of his movements. 
 
 At Minorca and Majorca they describe themselves to 
 be strong, and having nothing to apprehend; however, 
 they made the proposal for entering into a convention 
 with us for their defence; and, in the course of it, de- 
 manded money, arms, and the protection of the fleet; 
 when, in return for these, it was required that their fleet 
 should be given to us, to be held for their king Ferdi- 
 nand, or that a part of them should join our squadron 
 against the enemy ; or, lastly, that they should be laid 
 up, part at Minorca, part at Malta, to prevent their 
 passing over to the enemy. They rejected all these 
 proposals ; so that whatever we did for them, was to be 
 solely for the honour of having their friendship. A 
 paper that was sent, by the Governor, to Admiral 
 Thornbrough, contained an account of what had lately 
 happened at Barcelona. The proclamation of the 
 Spanish Governor, recommending good order, and sub- 
 mission to the French, had given great disgust to the 
 Spaniards, who quitted the town, and assembled at 
 Mataro, and the neighbouring towns, and considerable 
 numbers of cuirassiers and other troops, being rein- 
 forced by others from Barcelona, amounting in all to 
 
232 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. about six thousand ; the people, on having notice of 
 this assemblage of troops, rang the bell, called Same- 
 ten, and they were soon joined by a multitude, to the 
 amount of 16,000 armed men. On the night of the 5th, 
 they passed a bridge, and then cut it down, and, 
 charging the French, fought all night. On the 6th and 
 7th, there was fighting, but at intervals. On the 8th, 
 and until the morning of the 9th, there was continued 
 battle, which was not over when the vessel sailed which 
 brought the account to Minorca ; but, in the port, he 
 saw the families of the French officers embarking in 
 small vessels to go to France. This all happened with- 
 out the town, to which many of the wounded were 
 brought. The exterior French army was reinforced from 
 Monjuick, the garrison, and citadel, so that not more 
 than two thousand were left in those fortresses. 
 
 It is very extraordinary that the Spaniards will not 
 send any despatches to their Colonies — there is not a 
 vessel of any kind gone from them ; but I have sent to 
 Barbadoes and to Jamaica, by the Flying Fish Schooner, 
 and by her, sent many letters which the Merchants 
 wrote to their correspondents at the Havannah and La 
 Vera Cruz, with some of the edicts of the Government. 
 By that Schooner I received instructions from Lord 
 Castlereagh to spare no exertion or expense in support- 
 ing the Spaniards : but there can never be order until 
 there is one generally acknowledged Council of Go- 
 vernment, formed by deputies from all the several Pro- 
 vincial Councils with whom Foreign States may treat. 
 The want of this, I believe to be the reason why there 
 is yet no Instructions given to the Colonies in the West 
 Indies; — for Seville represents but a small part of Spain. 
 I am ever, my dear General, 
 
 Your faithful and most humble servant, 
 COLLINGWOOD. 
 
APPENDIX. 233 
 
 1808. 
 
 HIS EXCELLENCY SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Ocean, 
 23d June, 1808. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I have been exceedingly hurried to get my 
 letters ready for the Fleet off Toulon and Malta. 
 
 Yesterday the Windsor Castle arrived from Ayamonte, 
 and by her I learnt the Convoy with the Troops had 
 sailed. I think there is the chance of their doing some 
 good ; if the French are found to be weak, and few, as 
 represented by Sir Charles Cotton — and the Portuguese 
 as ready to make head against them as they say they 
 are, the troops with General Spencer may compel them 
 to confine themselves to the Citadel ; and if the river is 
 opened by the occupation of St Julian's, it is impossible 
 to say how advantageous the result may be. 
 
 Should it be otherwise, and they are found in too 
 great force, for I do not think that reports received in 
 the way Sir Charles Cotton got his information, should 
 have much confidence in the truth of them — the appear- 
 ance of the army there will embarrass the French, and 
 make them call in the troops they have at Elvas, or 
 Badajos, leaving that part of the country open to the 
 operations of the Spaniards. This is the only thing 
 that presented for them to do, except lying at Aya- 
 monte, where there was nothing for them, and I believe 
 their return to this anchorage would have caused a re- 
 newal of that jealousy with which the Spaniards viewed 
 them when they were here before. If they do not suc- 
 ceed at Lisbon, it will be necessary to return to Gib- 
 raltar to replenish their provisions and water, as they 
 have not been in any place where they could be sup- 
 plied. 
 
234 APPENDIX. 
 
 38 08 - The Governor last night sent me a paper, containing 
 
 an account of the battle they had fought at Barcelona, 
 in which it is stated that the French threw down their 
 arms and surrendered ; but no quarter was given them, 
 they were put to the sword ; and the Spaniards advanced 
 within two leagues of Barcelona, where they formed a 
 line of 20,000 men, to cut off the communication of 
 Barcelona with the country. The whole Province of 
 Catalonia was in insurrection. 
 
 The Supreme Council have yet despatched no person 
 nor vessel to the West Indies, nor do they seem to 
 have any anxiety on that subject. I cannot account for 
 what seems so great an omission, except that themselves 
 have not sufficient light into their affairs to enable them 
 to give any Instructions, or that this Council of Seville 
 do not consider themselves to have authority to give 
 them. 
 
 The Governor has sent a request that they may be 
 supplied from England with a large quantity of clothing 
 for their army, and linen for shirts, which I will trans- 
 mit to England, when I have a ship for the purpose. 
 I hear nothing of the movements of their army, nor 
 that of the French ; but if they do not something, like 
 Barcelona, they will let their enemy increase in strength. 
 The business there seems to have been conducted with 
 science: the roads were filled with timber-trees and 
 abatis, and the fields and narrower ways deeply trench- 
 ed, so that the cavalry could not act; a squadron of 
 frigates have made their escape from Toulon, and, I 
 suspect, either gone to Naples, where the Queen has 
 sent a little expedition against Procita ; or more East, 
 to the Adriatic, to join the Russians at Trieste, and 
 bring them down to Toulon. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 COLLINGWOOD. 
 
APPENDIX. 235 
 
 1808. 
 
 HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENERAL 
 SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Ocean, off Cadiz, 
 
 25 th June, 1808. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 When I wrote to General Spencer, on re- 
 ceiving the information from Sir Charles Cotton, I do 
 not recollect I gave any opinion upon the subject, but 
 told him I had forwarded Sir Charles Cotton's letter to 
 you, and that I concluded he maintained a correspon- 
 dence with General Castaiios on the subject of his 
 movements. A letter I received from Captain Boyles 
 informed me, that the General had asked for a convoy 
 to go to Lisbon, to which I made no reply until your ■ 
 
 letter came to me, which seemed to approve of the mea- 
 sure; I was glad of it, and gave orders for the convoy 
 whenever General Spencer wished it. 
 
 At Ayamonte they had nothing to do; there were in 
 that quarter a very few French, whom the Portuguese 
 (encouraged by the appearance of our troops) were 
 very eager to reduce. They were eating the provisions 
 and drinking the water where it could not be replenish- 
 ed; and their return to Cadiz I thought of as you do; 
 for I understand, while they continued here, they caused 
 extreme jealousy, and doubt of our good intentions. I 
 have since heard, from Mr. Gordon, of Xeres, that they 
 were continually increasing their force in the garrison, 
 and had at last 10,000 men in it, which, on the de- 
 parture of the troops, were all marched off, and there 
 only remains now five battalions of militia, amounting 
 to about 2500 men. 
 
 I am sending an officer to Barbary, to endeavour to 
 get the Emperor's permission to purchase horses; whe- 
 ther that can be accomplished, I do not know. I have 
 
236 
 
 1808. 
 
 APPENDIX. 
 
 understood there always was a great objection to the 
 exporting horses from thence. I remember a Moor 
 telling me that the Emperor gave horses as presents, 
 but that it was contrary to their religion to sell them. 
 
 I have just received a letter from Sir Charles Cotton 
 on the subject of the troops: he seems to be sanguine 
 in his expectations; I am not; but think that in every 
 case they will do good : and if the Portuguese are as 
 ripe for revolt as they say they are, it is impossible to 
 foresee how much good may result from the unexpect- 
 ed appearance of a British force, whose actual strength 
 is unknown, and, as is common in such cases, may be 
 much exaggerated. There is a letter for you, also, which 
 I must beg your pardon for having torn, and was very 
 near opening, before I looked, as I ought to have done, 
 at the direction. 
 
 There is nothing more disagreeable to me, and that 
 I can worse direct, than purchases ; perhaps it is known 
 at Gibraltar whether the Moors will sell their horses, 
 and what is the common price of ordinary ones. If 
 you can, my dear Sir, give me any information that will 
 direct me, I will be very thankful to you. 
 
 The Orestes, in coming out with despatches, captured 
 a vessel from St. Sebastian, bound to the Caraccas 
 with despatches from Murat to that Governor, they 
 were sent to England ; but the crew of her, and a num- 
 ber of letters were brought here, which I have sent to 
 the Spaniards for examination; they have now got 
 passports for the Rio Plata, and La Vera Cruz, and 
 their first despatches are about to sail. 
 
 I believe the French, in all the southern provinces, will 
 very soon be annihilated. The state of Barcelona was 
 most doubtful, but they are supposed to have been 
 reduced to great extremity there, by the battle with the 
 Peasantry. How they are in the north, I believe, is 
 
APPENDIX. 237 
 
 little known ; and I suspect, that in Biscay the arma- 
 ment is not very forward. 
 
 If the Spaniards keep close to the French Army, 
 always annoying, never fighting them in any numbers, 
 they must surrender here. 
 
 I am, &c. &c. 
 
 COLLINGWOOD. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR HEW DAL- 
 RYMPLE. 
 
 Ocean, 
 7th July, 1808. 
 
 My Dear Sir, 
 
 I am much obliged to you for your letters of 
 the 1st and 4th. You will have received, from Major 
 Cox, the account how the proposal to garrison Ceuta 
 was received; and I am quite convinced, that every 
 proposal, which can be construed, as proceeding from 
 interested motives, will increase their doubts and jea- 
 lousy, of which they appear at present to have a good 
 share. Besides, there is another consideration, which 
 will prevent the Junta from acceding to such proposals, 
 which is the danger of having their authority questioned. 
 I hear that when it was proposed to send the French pri- 
 soners to Ceuta, the governor of that fortress objected, 
 stating that the resentment against them was such, that 
 he could not be answerable for their lives ; in short, he did 
 not choose to have them there. Before I received Morla's 
 answer to the letter I had written to him on the sub- 
 ject of the ships, I sent Captain Legge to him, to 
 represent the danger of placing the ships where they 
 were going to ; that, on any reverse of fortune with the 
 army, which would enable the French to come here, 
 
 1808. 
 
238 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 - they would fall into their hands. Captain Legge was 
 also to mention to him the subject of my letter, 
 which stated the probability of the French sending a 
 squadron to the West Indies, to support those plans, 
 which their emissaries had doubtless formed there ; and 
 the necessity of their having a force to counteract them, 
 or, at least, to co-operate with the English, in defending 
 their provinces. On the last subject, he said they had 
 no doubts ; they were quite confident (I wish it may be 
 well founded) in the integrity of the colonies. On the 
 former, that the ships were moved to a place of more 
 security, from winds and weather ; for, as all their own 
 resources, as well as what England could supply them 
 with, would be required to maintain their army, it was 
 impossible to apply any of their funds to their navy. 
 Captain Legge (as I had directed him) observed that, 
 as their means were confined, probably the En- 
 glish Government would maintain the captured ships 
 for Fernando VII. and hold them for his service ; but 
 Morla evaded the subject, not thinking it necessary to 
 give a reply to it, but assured Captain Legge, that I 
 might have no anxiety about the ships, for both French 
 and Spanish, and Arsenal, should be burnt, whenever 
 there was a chance of the enemy penetrating to this 
 quarter. 
 
 Last night I received a letter from him, with a copy o* 
 letters intercepted, from Junot, at Lisbon, to Bonaparte 
 and Murat; he describes himself as entirely cut off 
 from all communication either with France, Murat, or 
 Dupont; — of 12,000 men, that part of them are with him 
 at Lisbon, and the rest in the defences near him. He 
 describes the insurrections at Oporto, and the general 
 disaffection of the people. He is in danger of being 
 attacked by the English, and when he is, he will do, 
 what his (Bonaparte's) Generals ought to do. It is 
 
APPENDIX. 239 
 
 odd, that, in the state of the country he describes, 1808 - 
 those letters should not be written in cypher. 
 
 I am much obliged for what you tell me of Mr. 
 Baker, and of the possibility of getting horses ; but I 
 have great doubts, notwithstanding the abundance, that 
 we shall get any. The Emperor was gone with his army. 
 I have not heard from him, but Slowey says, he will 
 use his influence for granting them, in his own way ; 
 that the Emperor will inform me, on what terms we 
 may have both horses, mules, and whatever else Bar- 
 bary produces ; that neither England nor Spain shall 
 pay for them ; that it will not be necessary to send any 
 person to select, or to purchase them, they will do that 
 themselves. Now, all this can only have Ceuta in view ; 
 give him Ceuta, and we shall have any thing ; without 
 it, nothing. So that business, I fear, will end. There 
 is no power in Spain to which a Foreign State can 
 address itself. 
 
 I received a letter yesterday, from General Castafios, 
 enclosing the copy of a letter he had written to General 
 Spencer. I enclose a translation of it. In the evening, 
 and before General Spencer could have received Casta- 
 iios's letter, I had a note from General Nightingale, to 
 say, General Spencer, with a part of the troops, were 
 about to proceed to Xeres. Is not it very extraordi- 
 nary, that Castafios has not known the state of the 
 passes before, and now only imperfectly? The Convoy, 
 from England, is in sight, and now, changes may take 
 place. 
 
 I am ever, my dear Sir, &c. &c. &c. 
 (Signed) COLLINGWOOD. 
 
240 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 ENCLOSURE FROM THE HONOURABLE CAPTAIN 
 LEGGE TO LORD COLLINGWOOD. 
 
 Repulse, off Cadiz, 
 
 5th July, 1808. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 In compliance with your Lordship's directions, 
 which I received yesterday evening, I waited upon 
 General Morla this morning. 
 
 He informs me, he had written to your Lordship, by 
 the Lieutenant of the Confounder, in answer to the 
 questions I was directed to put to him. He does not 
 seem apprehensive that the French are likely to send a 
 Squadron to their Colonies, in South America; and, 
 when I stated to him the necessity of keeping up a 
 Spanish Force, in case they should, to co-operate with 
 a British Force, and by way of ensuring a friendly re- 
 ception for that British force, in the Spanish Colonies, 
 he stated a total want of money to pay the Sailors, and 
 that he hoped the South Americans already knew the 
 state of affairs between the two countries at home. 
 
 He informs me, however, that he has ordered the 
 dismantling the ships to be put a stop to, till he hears 
 from the Junta at Seville, in consequence of your 
 Lordship's letter to him. 
 
 When I mentioned that, in case of any want of stores, 
 some of the ships might possibly be repaired in the 
 English Dock-yards, for Ferdinand VII. he did not 
 seem disposed to enter much upon the subject, but 
 hinted that at present there was no Treaty between the 
 two Countries, or even a signed Armistice, which he 
 seemed to regret, as the English privateers still dis- 
 tressed the Spanish trade. 
 
 He expressed himself strongly against any jealousy 
 
APPENDIX. 241 
 
 subsisting between the two countries, and that he hoped, 1808. 
 as soon as a treaty was concluded, the war would be 
 carried on with mutual good faith against the common 
 enemy ; that the war was not like any former war ; that 
 we were not fighting for a colony, or an island, but for 
 the liberty of the two countries themselves. 
 
 He objects to mooring the ships below the Puntal, 
 from their distance from the Arsenal, and from their 
 not being safe there with strong easterly winds ; and as 
 to any danger of their falling into the enemy's hands 
 where they now lay, he begs me to assure your Lord- 
 ship that should the enemy come down in force, while 
 he commands at Cadiz, every ship should be burnt, 
 with the Arsenal, sooner than that they should get into 
 the possession of Napoleon. 
 
 General Morla expressed, in general, a strong desire 
 to meet your Lordship's wishes, as far as he himself 
 was concerned, on every point. He mentioned an in- 
 tention of fitting out the St. Anna, as soon as they had 
 the means, but at present they had not " un sous," — 
 such was his expression. 
 
 There is a report to-day of the Spaniards having 
 taken a convoy of ammunition and provisions, going to 
 Dupont's army, with a reinforcement of 1300 men. 
 
 I have enclosed the Mercury's report of Guard, who 
 yesterday boarded a small vessel from Villa Nueva, who 
 told the officer that accounts had arrived there of the 
 surrender of Junot to the Portuguese. 
 
 General Morla had received your Lordship's letter 
 respecting the horses from Morocco. 
 
 I have now stated, as fully as I am able, what passed 
 between General Morla and myself; but, I make no 
 doubt, your Lordship has received a more full and 
 satisfactory answer in his reply of yesterday to you, 
 and as he speaks French but indistinctly, it is not 
 
242 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. eas y to understand him in conversation without an 
 interpreter. 
 
 I remain, 8cc. &c. 
 (Signed) A. K. LEGGE. 
 
 (enclosure.) 
 
 Translation of the Copy of a Letter from General 
 Castanos to Major-General Spencer. 
 
 Most Excellent Sir, 
 
 Since I have transmitted to your Excellency 
 the communication of my plans, almost in every man- 
 ner conformable to those proposed by your Excellency 
 in your last letters from Ayamonte and Cadiz, of the 
 25th and 27th June, events have occurred, which 
 oblige me at present to alter them, of which I hasten 
 to give you notice. 
 
 The enemy, (although I have not heard it officially,) 
 I am assured, have forced the posts of Puerto del Rey 
 and Despenaperros, in Sierra-Morena, not because they 
 have beaten us, but because one of our best battalions 
 of light troops, and which has been distinguished in 
 Campaign, called the First Volunteers of Arragon, have 
 abandoned that point. I do not know whether they 
 are gone to Arragon, their country, or whether their 
 chief has been gained over by the enemy : — an event 
 which astonishes me, as it is the first of the kind 
 amongst the Spanish troops. 
 
 The enemies reinforce ; it is, therefore, necessary to 
 attack them immediately ; but, as the chances of war 
 are various, it appears to me indispensable that your 
 Excellency should disembark at Port St. Mary, and re- 
 main at Xeres, where, in case of defeat, you will be a 
 
APPENDIX. 243 
 
 point of support in our retreat ; and, favoured by this 1808. 
 position, we may have it in our power to attempt new 
 enterprises. If your Excellency approves of this pro- 
 posal, the competent orders are given at the Port and 
 at Xeres. 
 
 If, as I promise myself, we beat the enemy, your 
 Excellency may re-embark, and follow new projects in 
 the Tagus, with this difference, that I do not approve 
 of a disembarkation at Ayamonte, because the present 
 circumstances of the Algarves are distinct from the 
 times when we embraced this system ; — at present there 
 are no enemies in that quarter ; you can, therefore, be 
 dispensed with. We have some forces there, under the 
 direction of Colonel Contreras, a skilful soldier, who 
 will organize them in a short time. If your Excellency 
 disembarks at Ayamonte, it will be to call the attention 
 of the French dedicated to Lisbon. 
 
 If I destroy Dupont, it will be the moment for your 
 Excellency to threaten Lisbon, indistinctly, right or 
 left, as, in that case, if they attempt to abandon Por- 
 tugal, to assist their army here, your Excellency may 
 then enter Portugal, be master of the country, and 
 even harass them in their retreat. This is my opinion, 
 which I believe is in combination with the actual state 
 of the country, and which I should wish your Excel- 
 lency to adopt, if it merits your approbation, and I 
 shall constantly transmit my informations. 
 
 I enclose to your Excellency the signature of Don 
 Joaquim Rodriquiz, Commissary of War, that you may 
 know it, in case of your having occasion to write to him, 
 requiring assistance. 
 
 I remain, with the highest consideration, &c. &c 
 
 Head Quarters, Cordova, 
 3d July, 1808. 
 
 &2 
 
244 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT-GENE- 
 RAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE, COMMANDER- 
 IN-CHIEF. 
 
 Ocean, off Cadiz, 
 
 26th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have received the honour of your Excel- 
 lency's letter of the 24th instant, enclosing a detail of 
 the circumstances which led to the victory obtained by 
 the Spanish forces, which is so glorious to the army 
 that achieved it, and so highly beneficial to their 
 country, — on which happy event I beg to congratulate 
 your Excellency. 
 
 The despatches you have sent to me for England, and 
 Sir Arthur Wellesley, I will forward by the earliest 
 conveyance. The handsome manner in which General 
 Castanos acknowledges the merit and services of Cap- 
 tain Whittingham gives me very great pleasure. 
 
 I informed your Excellency that I had received a 
 letter from General Spencer, desiring that the transport, 
 with artillery, might remain here until I heard from you ; 
 but, as from your former letter, I concluded you had 
 made your determination respecting them, and as here 
 they were reducing their water and provisions, I thought 
 the sooner they arrived at Gibraltar, the sooner any new 
 disposition of them would be made, and they can now 
 depart from thence in number what you propose, and 
 completed in whatever they may want. 
 
 They left this on Sunday, for Gibraltar, and whenever 
 such part of them as you propose should proceed to 
 Lisbon come here, I will immediately forward them 
 with a convoy. I return to your Excellency the letter 
 addressed to Lieutenant-Colonel Ramsay. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) COLLINGWOOD. 
 
APPENDIX. 245 
 
 1808. 
 (No. 11.) 
 
 Letter from Right Honourable Lord Castlereagh 
 to Lieutenant-General Sir Hew Dalrymple, 
 communicating the Appointment of Sir A. Wel- 
 lesley. 
 
 Downing-street, 
 
 6th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your despatches of the dates stated in the 2d June, 
 margin have been received, and laid before the King : June * 
 and I am to convey to you His Majesty's approbation 
 of the line of conduct which you have so judiciously 
 pursued in your communications with General Castaiios, 
 and in sending Major-General Spencer's corps off 
 Cadiz. 
 
 His Majesty's Speech and Order in Council, which 
 I have transmitted to you separately, will fully disclose 
 the feelings of His Majesty towards the patriotic efforts 
 of the Spanish Nation. It must be evident that, if this 
 noble spirit which has burst forth, and which seems to 
 be universal through the Provinces of Spain, can be 
 maintained for any considerable time, the most be- 
 neficial results may take place, not only to Spain itself, 
 but to Europe and the world. If, on the contrary, the 
 effort shall turn out to be merely momentary, and shall 
 languish or cease upon conflict or ill success, not only 
 the servitude of Spain, but that of Europe, may be, 
 for a long period, irrevocably fixed. I am, therefore, 
 to desire you will neglect no means in your power for 
 encouraging the spirit, and assisting the efforts of the 
 Spanish nation, and take every opportunity of ex- 
 
246 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. pressing the disinterested wishes of Great Britain in 
 their favour, as well as His Majesty's determination 
 to afford them every means of assistance he can supply. 
 
 I take this opportunity to inform you that Lieutenant- 
 General Sir A. Wellesley has been ordered to sail from 
 Cork, with a corps of near 10,000 men, and is appointed 
 to rendezvous off theTagus; where it is hoped, according 
 to the advices received from Vice- Admiral Sir Charles 
 Cotton, his expedition will be attended with immediate 
 success. He has been instructed to send to Cadiz for 
 the corps under Major-General Spencer, unless it shall 
 be at the time employed in that quarter upon an object 
 of greater consequence to the common cause. He will, 
 of course, take care that his proceedings shall be 
 communicated to you. 
 
 I have desired you, in my separate letter, to transmit 
 the most recent state of events in Spain to Sir John 
 Stewart, in Sicily, and Sir Alexander Ball, at Malta ; 
 and I trust you will not neglect any occasion of in- 
 forming them, particularly the former, of the progress 
 of events : and you will pursue the same line in respect 
 to Lord Collingwood. 
 
 I thus write to you under the impression of the in- 
 telligence received from Major-General Spencer, dated 
 off Cadiz, the 6th June ; at which time, preparations 
 were making for taking possession of the French 
 squadron : and our Commanders were waiting for a 
 ratification, by the Junta of Seville, of the conditions 
 proposed by them for their co-operation. The de- 
 spatches of the Admiral and General leave us little 
 room to doubt that their propositions have been, in the 
 main, acceded to, and that His Majesty's forces are 
 acting in alliance with the Junta of Seville. 
 
 The promptness with which the merchants of Gib- 
 
APPENDIX. 247 
 
 raltar advanced a loan for the aid of the Spanish 1808. 
 army under General Castaiios has afforded His Majesty- 
 much satisfaction. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) CASTLEREAGH. 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT GENERAL THE HONOUR- 
 ABLE SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 16tk July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Having received directions from Lord Castle- 
 reagh to forward to you all possible information respect- 
 ing the state and progress of events, in the southern 
 parts of Spain, I lose no time in communicating the 
 substance of what I have had opportunities of learning 
 upon those points, as also the observations I have made 
 thereupon. 
 
 The latter end of May the Insurrection was (I believe) 
 general in every Province and Subdivision of the King- 
 dom, not actually kept down by the presence of the 
 French Armies, and the Clergy in general; and the 
 Populace have displayed a degree of revolutionary 
 and fanatical fury which I understand to exceed even 
 what appeared during the French Revolution ; but, as 
 the motives (Loyalty and Religion) were very different 
 from those in France, there has been of course a diffe- 
 rence in the results. 
 
 In almost every considerable place there is formed 
 a Junta Suprema de Gobierno ; that of Seville (with 
 which we have hitherto communicated most) evidently 
 betrays the wish to assume the character of the Na- 
 tional Government, a pretension that will produce bad 
 consequences, if not checked in time. I must add, that 
 
248 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. every Junta acts in the name of Ferdinand VII. 
 towards whom the popular enthusiasm is at present 
 principally directed. 
 
 Although General Spencer proceeded to join Admiral 
 Purvis, off Cadiz, by my authority, I think it necessary 
 to state that I had no part in the negotiations that 
 were carried on between that officer and Admiral Purvis 
 on the one part, and Governor Morla and General 
 Herrera on the other. # # # # # 
 
 I am confident that it is decided at the Junta at 
 Seville, by a very large majority of the members, that 
 our Troops are not to be admitted, as a Garrison, into 
 any place of strength. I am also informed, from good 
 authority, that General Morla, the Govenor of Cadiz, is 
 the most strenuous supporter of this resolution: this 
 fact I think it my duty to state, as General Spencer 
 seems to be persuaded that this General Morla looks to 
 his corps for the defence of Cadiz, should any reverse 
 befal the Spanish Armies. 
 
 I have an Officer of the Sicilian Quarter-M aster-Gene- 
 ral's Staff (Captain Whittingham) at present with General 
 Castanos's Army; him I shall direct to communicate 
 with you in future, and I beg to recommend him to you 
 as a man of great zeal and activity, and a perfect 
 Spaniard. I have also an Officer, Major Cox, of the 
 61st Regiment, at Seville, through whom Lord Colling- 
 wood and myself have communicated with the Junta: 
 this Officer I also beg leave to recommend to your 
 attention, he has displayed considerable talents in the 
 Mission upon which he has been employed. 
 Coxe's J enclose an extract from one of Major Cox's 
 
 spon- despatches, as to the subject of our being allowed to 
 June 6 ' occupy Cadiz, by which you will judge of the grounds 
 30th. upon which my opinion is formed. 
 
 Probably, before this despatch can reach you, General 
 
APPENDIX. 249 
 
 Castanos will have fought Dupont. In case of disaster, ,808 - 
 he wished General Spencer to occupy a position at 
 Xeres: the General meant to advance with a part of 
 his force, keeping something afloat to afford assistance 
 to General Morla for the defence of Cadiz. He also 
 meant to have a detachment at Port St Mary's. * # 
 At Valencia the Supreme Junta was formed some 
 days earlier than at Seville ; and the proceedings of the 
 populace (by whom every where the governments were 
 formed) were, at Valencia, marked with peculiar vio- 
 lence; and above 300 French traders were, at the 
 beginning, put to death. Since that, it is pretty clear 
 that the populace of the town of Valencia have 
 checked, if not entirely defeated, Moncey's division, 
 which had reached that place by overpowering and, 
 after a desperate action, nearly annihilating a Swiss 
 and another regular regiment, at a pass called the 
 Cabrillas, and evading another corps the Valencians 
 had in the field : they believe, in Valencia, that this 
 last corps had cut off Moncey's retreat, and destroyed 
 his corps. I do not assert the accuracy of any of these 
 particulars; but entertain no doubt that, upon the 
 whole, the French were baffled there. 
 
 Barcelona is in the hands of the French ; and our 
 accounts from Catalonia are vague and uncertain. 
 Arragon is in arms, certainly; and we have official 
 notice of a defeat the French have sustained at Sara- 
 gossa, with immense loss: there seems somewhat 
 fabulous in the narrative, though generally credited in 
 Spain, where it is attributed to N a ' S ra * la V. del Pillar. 
 Such are the ideas of the people at this moment. 
 
 Next to the support General Castanos hoped to 
 derive, in case of disaster, from the position he wished 
 Major-General Spencer to take at Xeres, the strongest 
 opinion he has lately given touching the employment 
 
250 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. of the British Force, is to act upon the Tagus : but I 
 conceive this likely to originate from the jealousy of 
 our intentions with respect to Cadiz. I have found 
 the Spaniards shrink from any proposal that tends to 
 place at our disposal their Fleets or their Fortresses ; 
 and I think a large force off Cadiz would cause a Gar- 
 rison to be sent there, even from the army opposed to 
 Dupont. 
 
 I transmit a publication from the Junta at Murcia, 
 (to which the name of Florida Blanca is affixed,) that 
 paints, in warm and true colours, the present peril of 
 Spain. Of Bonaparte we hear nothing: his armies 
 seem to be left to their fate. 
 
 I have received deputations from Seville, Jaen, 
 Granada, Valencia, Cartagena, the Balearick Islands, 
 and most of the towns on the coast of the Mediterra- 
 nean between the Straits and Catalonia, and even from 
 Tortosa, in that Province : all speak the same senti- 
 ments, and all make the same demands, — money, arms, 
 and ammunition, 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 (ENCLOSURE. TRANSLATION.) 
 
 Murcia, 
 2 2d June, 1808. 
 
 Provinces and Cities of Spain ! ! We are all of 
 one way of thinking : our will has declared itself in a 
 wonderful and most unequivocal manner. We are all 
 anxious to defend our country, and to maintain the 
 august rights of our amiable and wished-for Ferdinand 
 VII. Let us dread a complete disorganization, if 
 discord should prevail; let no other words be heard 
 
 \/ 
 
APPENDIX. 251 
 
 throughout the Peninsula but words of union, fraternity, 1808. 
 and defence. Let us be truly great, and rise above the 
 insignificant considerations which take up the attention 
 of weak minds. Let us not individually affect supre- 
 macy. Let a solid and central Government be esta- 
 blished, consisting of provinces, which shall have power 
 to issue orders and laws in the name of Ferdinand VII. 
 The General Cortes, held in 1789, solemnly acknow- 
 ledged our present worthy Monarch as Prince of the 
 Asturias, and heir to the Crown. The Deputies of that 
 assembly, and King Charles IV. respectively swore, upon 
 the Gospel, to maintain the Privileges, Rights, Laws, 
 Usages, and Customs of the Kingdom. The Grandees 
 and Lords did homage to the King agreeably to the 
 Laws and Usages of Spain. By this mutual oath, the 
 subjects are bound to pay the obedience which they 
 have sworn, and the Sovereign to fulfil his solemn pro- 
 mise to maintain the Laws, Usages, and Customs of the 
 nation. The first, and perhaps the most essential, is 
 the succession to the Crown settled in our great code, 
 called Las Partidas, the laws of which evince the most 
 ancient mode of succession in Spain. This mode the 
 nation ever refused to alter; and, accordingly, when 
 King Philip V. wanted to introduce the French Salique 
 Law, by which women are excluded, (an attempt which 
 was renewed at the above mentioned reciting in 1789,) 
 the members unanimously declared, * that His Majesty 
 " had it not in his power to alter the Spanish Settlement 
 " which he had sworn to maintain, and that, therefore, 
 " the Princess Charlotte of Brazil was to inherit the 
 " Crown, in failure of her Brothers/* In consequence 
 of this Convention, by which the subjects bound them- 
 selves to allegiance, and the Sovereigns to the perform- 
 ance of their sworn promises, it is submitted to the 
 consideration of the nation. The resignations and ab- 
 
252 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. dications of King Charles IV. and Ferdinand VII. in 
 favour of the Emperor of the French, have been posi- 
 tively and notoriously nul and void; being made in 
 favour of an individual who does not belong to the 
 family appointed by the Cortes, in conformity to the 
 Laws, Rights, Usages, and Customs of Spain; and 
 contrary to the solemn and reciprocal oath taken by the 
 King and his subjects at a solemn meeting of the said 
 assembly. Besides this nullity, which releases us from 
 the obligation of acknowledging the Emperor of the 
 French as our Sovereign, there is, further, the compul- 
 sion under which they were made, and the circumstance 
 that the individual appointed was with a powerful 
 army on the sopt where the resignation took place, and 
 whither the Prince, who had been solemnly acknow- 
 ledged, and proclaimed King by the nation, was drawn 
 by deceit and treachery. 
 
 King Francis I. of France, refused to fulfil the Treaty 
 made with the Emperor Charles V., and by virtue of 
 which he had recovered his freedom, under pretence 
 that he was a prisoner when he signed it. Let nations 
 compare the two facts: Francis I. had been taken at 
 the famous battle of Pavia, in the course of an open 
 and just war; and Ferdinand VII. has been taken at 
 Bayonne, when he fancied that he was going to embrace 
 an intimate ally, who invited him there to consolidate 
 and draw closer the bands of peace and union, and to 
 heighten the glory of the two nations. 
 
 The cession and abandonment of a Fortress, or even 
 of a Province may be tolerated, if it brings a bloody and 
 cruel war to a conclusion; but the unheard of and sur- 
 prising resignation of a great Monarchy in time of peace, 
 and without any farther communication to the nation, 
 or consent of the respective kingdoms, than to have 
 extorted it from a Monarch in confinement, or even 
 
APPENDIX. 253 
 
 perhaps printed it, without its ever having taken place, 1808. 
 is so violent and extraordinary a proceeding, that no 
 other instance of the kind is to be found among the 
 usurpers of Crowns in the annals of the whole world. 
 
 The French newspapers censured the conduct of Eng- 
 land, when her forces made themselves masters of our 
 Frigates, and of the Royal Navy of Denmark ; what 
 will they say, then, upon the black attempt of disposing 
 of the whole Monarchy of Spain, under the cloak of 
 friendship and alliance? The powerful Charlemagne, 
 with disciplined armies, and an immense Empire, at- 
 tempted to assert certain claims upon this kingdom; 
 but the chaste Alphonsus made him sensible, at Ronces- 
 valles, that even petty sovereigns, like that of Leon, 
 could destroy those, who, like Nebuchadnezzar, trust 
 only in their own forces. 
 
 He who has justice on his side is under the protec- 
 tion of God ! and if God be with us, they set up in 
 vain who assail and persecute us. Cities which have a 
 right to vote in the Cortes ! let us unite, let us form a 
 body, let us form a council which shall, in the name of 
 Ferdinand VII., organize all the civil dispositions, and 
 let us avert the evil with which we are threatened, 
 namely, Division. The report, really dreadful, that, in 
 each Capital, the Board of Government deems itself 
 Supreme, would create anarchy, desolation, and the ruin 
 of all; and we, who united should prove invincible, 
 shall, through Division, afford the common enemy the 
 satisfaction of seeing us in the most melancholy state. 
 Let Spain shed tears if such should be her fate. 
 
 Ferdinand VII. is invested with the supreme power ; 
 the Cortes acknowledge him as Hereditary Prince ; the 
 nation has proclaimed him King; Seville, Granada, 
 Valencia, Saragossa, celebrated cities, now come for- 
 ward, unite, adopt this plan ; appoint a place and day 
 
254 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. f or the meeting of the representatives of the people, 
 make them known, and, for the present, act for the 
 noble cities of Burgos and Toledo, which, being in a 
 state of subjection, cannot express their sentiments. 
 Captains General, renowned General Officers, patronise 
 this proposal, which will save your country. Worthy 
 Herves ! you ought to be formed into a military coun- 
 cil, vested with the power of issuing orders to the com- 
 manders of our armies; and, being thoroughly acquainted 
 with all the resources of the country, and the move^ 
 ments of the enemy, it will be for you to direct their 
 operations, and to send assistance, whenever it may be 
 requisite, and where essential service may be rendered 
 to the nation. This city is confident that this last 
 remedy is the only one that can save us. A Central, a 
 Supreme Government is absolutely necessary; Ferdinand 
 VII. requires it; Ferdinand cannot be restored to his 
 throne without this union and sovereignty. Whenever 
 all the Provinces are united by means of their represen- 
 tatives, there is no rivalry for superiority, the formidable 
 arms of disunion and intrigue are effectually wrested 
 from the hands of the enemy, and foreign powers know 
 with whom they are to treat of peace or war. In short, 
 by acknowledging an universal Government in Spain, 
 the monarchy will be preserved, whole and entire, for 
 its lawful and beloved Sovereign. 
 
 This city expects to be favoured with an answer from 
 you, for her information and satisfaction. 
 (Signed) Clemente di Campos.— Josef, Bishop of 
 Cartagena.— Count de Florida Blanca. — 
 Joachim de Elquita. — Julien Josef Reta- 
 mosa. — M. Marquis de Espiiiardo y Aqui- 
 lar. — The Archdeacon of Villena Vicente 
 Heyeta. — Count de Campo Hermoso. — Ant°- 
 Fontes Abal, Marquis del Villar. — Ant * 
 
APPENDIX. 255 
 
 Fernandez de St. Domingo. — Viscount de wos. 
 Huerta. — Louis St. Jago Bado. — Francisco 
 Lopez de Aquilar. — Josef Herrarijes, 
 Agreeably to the Resolution of the Board, 
 
 (Signed) ANT - JOSEF CALAHORRA. 
 
 TO SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 2Mh July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Major General Spencer having strongly 
 urged the detaching a part of the Artillery Officers and 
 men, belonging to the Garrison, to join the Corps 
 under your orders, I have requested Lord Collingwood 
 to furnish the means of sending, to Lisbon, one com- 
 pany of Artillery, and two 5 3 inch howitzers: the heavy 
 12 pounders, which encumbered General Spencer's 
 Corps, not having suitable equipments for field service, 
 I have ordered back, as also the other company of 
 Artillery, which I cannot spare from hence, and which 
 I am confident you cannot stand much in need of, as 
 the supply of your force, with an adequate proportion 
 of Artillery, could never be calculated to depend on a 
 supply from hence, which was not ordered, and could 
 not have been in contemplation the end of last month. 
 If a Veteran Battalion, which I am promised, arrives 
 here, I can afford you the temporary service of an effec- 
 tive Battalion, by the same tonnage, provided directions 
 that may arrive from England, at the same time, do 
 not interfere with the arrangement. I congratulate 
 you upon the victory, of which I enclose the details. 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
25G APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO SIR ARTHUR WELLESLEY. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 27 th September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Adverting to my letter of the 24th instant, 
 I have now the honour to acquaint you that before 
 Lord Collingwood received the letter I addressed to 
 him, on the subject of the Artillery, his Lordship had 
 directed the Transport, with the two companies on 
 board, to return to this place, and they, in consequence, 
 arrived here yesterday. I shall now wait, until I hear 
 from you, or receive orders from England, before I 
 make any further detachments from this garrison. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 (No. 12.) 
 TO MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 9th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 As a corps of British Troops is already before 
 Cadiz, I think it expedient that no time should be lost 
 in rendering it as respectable as possible. I, therefore, 
 now send you the 6th regiment and the detachment of 
 Artillery I promised. You will find that the latter wants 
 many equipments ; for which, it is to be hoped, the 
 country will be able to supply substitutes, in case of a 
 landing. 
 
 As it is evidently the intention of His Majesty's 
 Government to furnish troops upon the requisition of 
 
APPENDIX. 257 
 
 that of Spain ; and, as the promised corps, amounting ls08 - 
 in all to ten thousand men, is given in consequence of 
 General Castanos having, in his communications with 
 me seemed to require that number, it is of importance 
 that no proposal upon the subject of landing should, at 
 the present moment, originate with you ; or that you 
 should even, too eagerly, grasp at any such proposition 
 from an individual officer, however flattering it may be, 
 without being sure he acts by the authority acknow- 
 ledged at Seville, within which the Fortress of Cadiz is 
 placed. That unjust and injurious sentiment of the 
 British character, which is displayed in the striking 
 paragraph of the Marquis of Soccorro's last unfortunate 
 Manifesto that alludes to the combined Army and Fleet 
 then off Cadiz, has been diligently propagated by the 
 enemy, particularly in the vicinity of Cadiz, where so 
 many have suffered by the war ; I feel that to counter- 
 act that prejudice will be a delicate, but certainly a most 
 important consideration; and I cannot but rejoice that 
 the sentiments expressed in my private and confidential 
 communications with His Majesty's Government enable 
 me boldly to hold a language that will speak home to 
 the enlightened and liberal mind of General Castanos, 
 to whom, as also to the Board of Government at Seville, 
 I shall send a despatch, relative to the landing of the 
 forces, as soon as I have had the necessary communica^ 
 tions with Lord Collingwood, whom I am to see this 
 morning. 
 
 Of course, nothing that is here said is to interfere 
 with the exercise of your own judgement, in case of 
 the actual appearance of an enemy, or the Fortress of 
 Cadiz being placed in a state of danger; but even then, 
 in discussing the measure, it would be extremely desira- 
 ble that no form should be used, and certainly not per^ 
 sisted in, which the jealousy of the Spanish Officer in 
 
258 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 - Command could construe into the language of dictation 
 or superiority. 
 
 As the idea of a diversion in Portugal, first proposed, 
 does not seem to meet with your approbation, I deem it 
 not impossible that it may be proposed that a position 
 should be taken to cover Cadiz. Instead of, in the first 
 instance, occupying the place, it may be stated that 
 such a movement would, probably, produce the most 
 beneficial effects. Your Corps is, from time to time, 
 receiving reinforcements ; its original strength is, proba- 
 bly, very little known, and the strength of all bodies 
 of troops that assume an attitude of apparent boldness 
 is, generally, exaggerated. 
 
 As this language would be wise or otherwise, accord- 
 ing to local circumstances, and the nature of the country, 
 I should be very glad if you would favour me with the 
 necessary information upon these essential points ; that, 
 should the measure be proposed, I may judge of the 
 value of the reasons urged in its support. 
 
 At present, the Spanish Nation is unanimous ; and 
 the combined effort, at the same moment, and in nearly 
 the same form, proves that there is somewhere a power 
 that actuates the whole. But these separate Boards of 
 Government, constitutionally formed, but, also, con- 
 stitutionally independent of each other, without any 
 man, or body of men, to whom Foreign Nations can 
 look, may produce several inconveniences and some 
 difficulty ; at present, the best way is, certainly, to 
 follow the current; to direct it when possible; but never 
 to sanction the assumed power of any men, or body of 
 men, although usurped for the best and the most patriotic 
 motives. I have here daily opportunities of seeing effects 
 of the present ferment, which afford me this useful 
 lesson. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
APPENDIX. 259 
 
 I have enclosed the copy of my late despatch from 1808 - 
 the Secretary of State. 
 
 TO MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Convent, 
 10th June, 1808. 
 
 Dear General, 
 
 I enclose the translation of an Extraordinary 
 Requisition which I received last night, and to which I 
 saw no cause to wait for your opinion, to give a decided 
 negative. I never made the offer alluded to, and I 
 should never have thought of authorizing the move- 
 ment proposed, particularly on the call of two indivi- 
 duals, speaking in their own name, and giving no 
 account of the actual state or situation of either the 
 Spanish or French Armies, or what plan of operations 
 either seems about to pursue. This will be given you 
 by Major Cox, who proceeds to Seville, to communi- 
 cate with the Government there, on all those points 
 which it may be necessary to discuss, as I am tired out 
 with the applications that are made to me from all 
 quarters ; and several times, I fear, I have given dis- 
 pleasure by not entering into the detail of difficulties 
 which I have it not in my power to relieve. 
 
 In case of any direct proposal for the disposition of 
 the Corps under your orders, I shall desire Major Cox 
 to transmit it to you forthwith, that I may, as early as 
 possible, be favoured with your sentiments thereupon ; 
 if the case is of an urgent nature, and the operation 
 will not remove you too far from the Fleet, you will, of 
 course, exercise your own judgement without waiting 
 for mine ; but, in such case, you will, naturally and of 
 course, communicate with Lord Collingwood, without 
 
 s2 
 
260 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808t whose approbation I do not think any measure should 
 be adopted. In answering the enclosed, I proposed the 
 occupation of some Fortress on the Coast, by which an 
 equal or a greater number of Spanish Troops might be 
 liberated for the field. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 12th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Thinking it expedient to have a confidential 
 officer at the Head-Quarters of Don F. Xavier de 
 Castanos, Captain- General of the Army of Andalusia, 
 I have to acquaint you, that I have selected Captain 
 Whittingham for that service, who has directions to 
 communicate with you as circumstances require. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General . 
 
 MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 12th June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Should you have thought it expedient to 
 comply with General Castanos's requisition, and have 
 proceeded to Xeres, you will consider yourself as fully 
 authorized to acquiesce with him in any further move- 
 ments which your own judgement and military experience 
 may approve. 
 
APPENDIX. 261 
 
 General Castaiios, and the members of the New Spanish 1808 - 
 Government, can have no interests distinct from those of 
 Britain in the present contest : and " the first principle 
 " which His Majesty's Ministers wish to be observed, 
 " is a fair and honourable co-operation with the Spanish 
 " Nation, in any attempt they may make to throw off 
 " the yoke of France." 
 
 Should those endeavours prove fruitless, it becomes 
 the next object to secure a retreat for those who wish to 
 fly from tyranny ', and to impede the extension of that 
 tyranny over South America. Holding those objects in 
 view, it seems essential to insure a communication with, 
 and the means of falling back upon, Cadiz, which I 
 should conceive to be the point to which the French 
 corps, under General Dupont, is to direct its operations. 
 
 As I have it in command, on the one hand, not to 
 commit the force under my directions unnecessarily, or 
 for an inadequate object, and on the other to act with 
 determination and spirit, according to circumstances on 
 the spot, I conceive that I fulfil His Majesty's com- 
 mands in taking upon my own responsibility, in the 
 present case, any measures your experience and judge- 
 ment may suggest. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER, 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 l5thJune, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have received the honour of your letter of 
 the 10th instant, informing me of the proceedings at 
 Cadiz up to that date. 
 
*262 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. As I signified to you, when you were about to sail 
 
 from hence, that the advices I had recently received from 
 the interior of Spain discouraged the expectation of 
 any of that co-operation upon which the measure of 
 detaching your corps to join Admiral Purvis was first 
 grounded, I feel no surprise at the difficulties you have 
 met with, particularly as to taking possession of Cadiz. 
 Captain Whittingham has reported to me, in detail, the 
 result of his mission, by General Castaiios's desire. 
 Whether you should advance to Xeres or not, could only 
 be decided by your own experience and judgement ; 
 this might, perhaps, have been only an experiment, to 
 prove what sort of aid the Spaniards were to expect 
 from the British Force before Cadiz. I have reason to 
 think, from my latest communications, that neither 
 General Castafios nor the Government at Seville have 
 any immediate wish that you should land, particularly 
 until you are reinforced. When the time comes that 
 they may think such a measure advisable, General Cas- 
 tafios will feel the propriety of communicating to you 
 his plan of operations. You will then decide according 
 to your own judgement and military experience, holding 
 in mind the considerations detailed in my letter of the 
 12th instant, (communicating with Lord Collingwood 
 and acting in concert with him). 
 
 Captain Whittingham, as I have already signified to 
 you, is with General Castafios, by my orders ; and any 
 communications he shall make to you, you are to consi- 
 der as official. 
 
 The nature of Captain Bradford's mission to Seville 
 must be, of course, perfectly of a private nature, as 
 you would, otherwise, have alluded to it in your letter. 
 I think it will, however, be better for that officer to 
 join you forthwith, as Major Cox, whom I have sent 
 there, is fully instructed with the intentions of His 
 
APPENDIX. 263 
 
 Majesty's Government. Don Eusebio de Herrera is the 1808 - 
 gentleman, I believe, who addressed to me, by Sir 
 George Smith's desire, a very extraordinary requisition 
 for the march of troops ; I have transmitted his letter to 
 General Castanos, hoping that, notwithstanding the 
 present state of Spain, the Junta at Seville will see the 
 necessity of not allowing official communications in 
 their name to pass through so many channels. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 TO MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 nth June, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have to acknowledge the honour of your 
 despatch of the 12th, and entirely agree with you in 
 opinion as to the inexpediency of your advancing to 
 Xeres, if you had reason to believe, by so doing, you 
 would be drawn into more extended operations in the 
 field ; for such, your Corps is certainly not equipped. 
 
 I have received a letter from Sir Charles Cotton, 
 dated the 12th, from Lisbon, requesting the, co-opera- 
 tion of your Corps ; with the assistance of which, if it 
 amounts to 5 or 6000 men, he does not seem to doubt 
 of being able to take possession of the whole of the 
 maritime means now collected in that river. 
 
 I have to request that you will communicate with 
 Lord Collingwood upon the expediency of this measure 
 at the present time ; and if no objection arises from the 
 local circumstances at Cadiz, I think it should be im- 
 mediately adopted. 
 
 Should any reason, which I cannot foresee, operate 
 
264 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808 - against this determination, I shall be glad to know it. 
 In the state of things in Spain when I received my last 
 advices from thence, your remaining off Cadiz seemed 
 altogether inexpedient; and I was about to request 
 your return to this Port until the reinforcements should 
 arrive, and the further instructions promised by His 
 Majesty's Ministers be received. 
 
 To act in Spain will, of course, be considered as the 
 ultimate design of your corps. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 P.S. Your corps nearly amounts to 5000 men; if 
 not quite, the deficiency may be supplied, perhaps, by 
 Sir C. Cotton from the Fleet, by landing marines. I 
 have not the means of sending any thing at this 
 moment. 
 
 MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER TO LIEUTE- 
 NANT-GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Cadiz, 
 July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to transmit to your 
 Excellency a letter from Sir George Smith upon an 
 urgent demand made for an immediate supply of 
 money, of which the Junta is in such want as to 
 have chosen the dismantling the fleet from the 15th 
 instant, as a less evil than sacrificing the rising hopes 
 of the country by disbanding the army. Under 
 these circumstances, I have taken upon me, in the 
 name of the British Government, to assure General 
 Morla, until I hear from your Excellency, that 
 the money absolutely required for the use of the 
 
APPENDIX. 265 
 
 Fleet shall be granted ; and I further his request; that 1808 - 
 a sum, independent of what may be advanced to the 
 Junta of Seville, may be furnished to him, to repair 
 the French ships of war and put their fleets in order, 
 which they must keep in view as a last resource. 
 
 I have directed two regiments to land , to-morrow, at 
 Puerto St. Maria ; and, as barracks can be procured, 
 I shall cause the rest of the Force to land : but I do 
 not think it prudent, at this season of the year, to put 
 the men under canvass, unless absolutely requisite ; 
 as it is to this Force General Morla looks for the 
 defence of Cadiz, should any reverse befal the Spanish 
 Arms. 
 
 I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt of 
 your Excellency's letter ; and, by the first opportunity, 
 shall direct Colonel Bowes, of the 6th Regiment, to 
 proceed to Gibraltar. 
 
 I have thought the situation of affairs, with regard 
 to the Spanish resources for supplying their immediate 
 expenditure, so critical, that I send Captain Bradford 
 as the bearer of this despatch to your Excellency : he 
 can give any further information you may require 
 upon this important subject; in which is so deeply 
 interested the honour of the existing Government, and 
 the safety of South America. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) B. SPENCER, 
 
 Major- General. 
 
266 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 (ENCLOSURE.) 
 
 SIR GEORGE SMITH TO MAJOR-GENERAL 
 SPENCER. 
 
 Cadiz, 
 2d July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 The Spanish sailors of the squadron in the 
 Harbour of Cadiz being about to be discharged, I 
 waited upon General Morla, who told me it proceeded 
 entirely from the want of money ; that he had but just 
 enough to pay the soldiers, and supply the most urgent 
 demands ; that the Junta of Seville had ordered him, 
 in consequence of these distresses, to discharge the 
 sailors. 
 
 I took it upon myself to assure him that the means 
 of paying the sailors should be immediately afforded 
 him ; on which condition, he most readily agreed to 
 give immediate orders to stop the discharging the 
 sailors. He will not require money for that purpose 
 till the 15th instant ; when he will give in a statement 
 of the money required for a fortnight's pay ; and con- 
 tinue doing so twice every month until other measures 
 are determined upon. He also offers, that if the 
 British Government would advance money, to proceed, 
 without loss of time, to repair the ships taken from 
 the French, and fit them for sea. He says nothing 
 could afford him more satisfaction than that part of the 
 Spanish squadron was united with the English upon 
 any service that might be required. 
 
 (Signed) GEORGE SMITH, 
 
 Lieutenant-Colonel. 
 
APPENDIX. 267 
 
 1808. 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYM- 
 
 PLE TO MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 4th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 As Lord Collingwood is in possession of full 
 instructions from His Majesty's Government upon the 
 subject to which your letter alludes, I have transmitted 
 that, with its enclosure, to his Lordship. I am 
 ignorant by what authority Sir George Smith offered 
 himself as a negotiator upon this occasion, or in whose 
 name he contracted the engagement he mentions ; but 
 if he intended that I should fulfil what he promised, 
 I fear his indiscretion may have created some inconve- 
 nience, exclusive of that which must necessarily result 
 from the doubts that the Spaniards cannot fail from 
 thence to entertain, through what channel the real 
 intentions of the British Government is, in point of 
 fact, to be conveyed, or by whom its intentions are to 
 be fulfilled. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYM- 
 PLE TO MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 5th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 In reply to your letter which I received 
 yesterday, by Captain Bradford, I only adverted to the 
 subject upon which you principally dwelt ; there are, 
 however, other points that you incidentally touched 
 upon, which I feel I cannot consistently pass over. 
 
268 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. After having informed me that you are landing your 
 troops at Port St. Mary's, you add, by way of ac- 
 counting for your placing them in barracks, that you do 
 not think it prudent at this season of the year to put 
 the men under canvass, unless absolutely requisite, as 
 it is to this force General Morla looks for the defence 
 of Cadiz, should any reverse befal the Spanish Arms. 
 I think it now incumbent on me to ask what arrange- 
 ments you have made with General Morla for the 
 purpose you mention? In the first place, I think I 
 can assure you that it was once determined, in the 
 Junta, (and of that determination General Morla was 
 one of the warmest partizans,) that you should not be 
 put in possession of any one fortress whatsoever, par- 
 ticularly Cadiz. In the next place, should a reverse 
 happen to the Spanish Arms, it is to be presumed that 
 General Castaiios's army will not be exterminated, but 
 that he will be able to take a position, perhaps, at Xeres, 
 perhaps even to cover Seville. Under such a circum- 
 stance, I think you would find yourself reduced, 
 without an option, to pursue those measures of which 
 you before disapproved ; indeed, you have already said, 
 " with regard to any position in the outside of the 
 " Island of Leon for the British Troops to occupy, 
 " you thought you could not, in honour, place your 
 " Corps in such a situation, without having made up 
 " your mind to advance into the interior, should the 
 " Spaniards urge you to that measure for the defence 
 " of Seville, or any important point." I have already 
 told you, from good intelligence, what has been General 
 Morla's real disposition as to the admitting you into 
 Cadiz; were you to urge the expediency of your 
 entering that place after having received intelligence 
 at Port St. Mary's of any reverse having befallen the 
 Spanish Arms, General Morla would, I think, again 
 
APPENDIX. 269 
 
 be enabled, and with truth, to say to you that he could 1808 - 
 not reconcile the people to the measure of your ad- 
 mittance. I beg to observe that I do not here advance 
 as an opinion of my own that, being at Port St. Mary's, 
 you would be bound, in honour, to advance in the 
 interior as far as Seville; on the contrary, I should 
 never sanction, by my approbation, such a measure : 
 neither do I object to your occupying, even joined to a 
 beaten Spanish Army, a position to cover Cadiz ; and 
 I think it would be absolutely necessary, now you are 
 landed outside the Island, so to do. But as you have 
 adopted the measure without my previous knowledge, 
 and contrary to an opinion I suggested in my letter of 
 the 17th ult. I think I should neglect a duty which I 
 am commanded to perform, which I shall not delegate, 
 but which I shall be extremely glad to be relieved from, 
 did I not call for the explanation I now request. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER TO LIEUTE- 
 NANT-GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Puerto San Maria, 
 
 7th July, 1808. 
 
 I have mentioned to Lord Collingwood my in- 
 tention of proceeding to Xeres with Brigadier-General 
 Nightingale's brigade, the light infantry, and four 
 guns and horses, as soon as the means of con- 
 veying them can be procured ; the expense of which 
 must be defrayed by the British Government; and 
 will, with the utmost economy, average one thousand 
 pounds a week: but it is absolutely necessary that 
 the horses, and peasantry to conduct them, be on the 
 
270 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. spot. Nor can I trust to contingencies for the removal 
 of my guns ; without which, I could not attempt any- 
 thing, nor could I afford them any assistance : this 
 indispensable expense I shall take on myself, to 
 meet the views of the Spanish Government. Nor 
 shall I neglect the design repeatedly expressed by General 
 Morla to Brigadier-General Nightingale, Sir George 
 Smith f and me, to trust the defence of Cadiz to the 
 British Forces, if any reverse befal the Spanish Arms. 
 (Signed) B. SPENCER, 
 
 Major- General. 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYM- 
 PLE.TO MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 \0th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have just received the honour of your 
 letter of the 7th, and am glad you have acquiesced in 
 General Castanos's requisition; but it is my opinion 
 that you should collect your whole Force at Xeres, as, 
 when divided, I think it useless for any valuable 
 purpose whatever. I can add nothing to what I have 
 already said relative to the suggestions thrown out by 
 General Morla, as to his trusting the defence of Cadiz 
 to the British Forces, until you send me some official 
 document from that officer to prove that he is in earnest, 
 which I have very substantial reasons to doubt. The 
 movements of a British Army must, of course, be at 
 the expense of Britain; and there can be no doubt 
 that your deficiency of equipment for the field will 
 require some arrangement, and must enhance expense. 
 I conceive, however, that the instructions which autho- 
 rize your corps to act on shore, and the authority I 
 
APPENDIX. 271 
 
 have already given you to accede to any proposal from 1808 - 
 General Castanos to proceed to Xeres, necessarily 
 conveys to you a sanction to defray and charge the 
 incidental contingent expense attending that or any 
 other movement equally authorized. I have never 
 received any official notice of Colonel Bowes being 
 placed on the staff of this Garrison, as Brigadier- 
 General, and have not, of course, put him in orders 
 as such. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYM- 
 PLE TO MAJOR-GENERAL SPENCER. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 17 th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have received a despatch from Lord Castle- 
 reagh, dated 28th June, in which is contained a copy 
 of his Lordship's letter to you of the same date. I 
 find, from the tenour of those letters, that no commu- 
 nication from me had reached his Lordship subsequent 
 to the revolutions against the French in the southern 
 provinces of Spain. As the troops under your orders 
 are to be considered as a part of the Force commanded 
 by Lieutenant-General Sir A. Wellesley, it is only 
 necessary for me to request that the detachment of 
 artillery and the engineer officers, together with the 
 guns and howitzers which I attached to your corps 
 from hence, be returned, as soon as possible, to this 
 Garrison. 
 
 The 6th Regiment will continue under your com- 
 mand ; but not having received any notice from the 
 
272 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. Horse Guards of Colonel Bowes's being placed upon 
 the staff of this Garrison, as Brigadier-General, I can 
 only say that T think he had better return here than 
 continue to serve as Colonel in an army to which he 
 is not regularly attached ; for doing which, he has 
 my full authority. This letter is written under the 
 impression that none of the artillery officers or men 
 belonging to this Garrison are absolutely necessary for 
 any operations you may have undertaken in the field 
 in front of Cadiz; for which, the detachment belonging 
 to your corps will, I conjecture, be amply sufficient: 
 should, however, the contrary be the case, you are at 
 liberty to retain whatever officers and men may be 
 necessary to complete your detachment to the number 
 so employed until the service is over. I have written 
 to Lord Collingwood to request that a convoy may be 
 appointed for the artillery transport. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 (No. 13.) 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR HEW DAL- 
 RYMPLE. 
 
 Palermo, 
 24th July, 1808. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 This letter will be delivered to you by His 
 Royal Highness Don Leopold, second son to the King 
 of the two Sicilies. This prince goes to Gibraltar to 
 communicate immediately with the loyal Spaniards, and 
 to notify to them that his father will accept the Regency, 
 
APPENDIX. 273 
 
 if they desire it, until his nephew Ferdinand VII., King 1808 
 of Spain, be liberated from captivity. Don Leopold, 
 and his cousin, the Duke of Orleans, will offer them- 
 selves as soldiers to the Spaniards, and will take such 
 situations as may be given to them, suitable to their 
 illustrious rank. If their visit should not be acceptable 
 to the Spaniards, Don Leopold will return to Sicily, and 
 His Serene Highness the Duke of Orleans will proceed 
 to England. 
 
 Being of opinion that the appearance of an infant of 
 Spain may be of the greatest utility at the present 
 crisis, and in all events can hardly be productive of harm, 
 I have urged His Sicilian Majesty to determine upon 
 this measure, which I conceive to be required at his 
 hands, in consequence of the manifesto of Palafox, which 
 you have probably seen. At the distance of a thousand 
 miles, however, we cannot be supposed to be accurately 
 informed here of many circumstances, with which you, 
 probably, may be intimately acquainted. Prince Leo- 
 pold, therefore, will be directed to consult with you, 
 and to follow your advice, which I have no doubt you 
 will readily and cheerfully give him, I take the liberty 
 at the same time of recommending him to your care 
 and protection. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) W. DRUMMOND. 
 
 TO THE RIGHT HONOURABLE WILLIAM 
 DRUMMOND. 
 
 Gibraltar, 
 lllh August, 1808. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I must confess that nothing could, in my 
 opinion, happen more out of season than the arrival of 
 
 T 
 
274 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. th e Duke of Orleans and Prince Leopold, at this exact 
 time. The French have been beaten, and have laid 
 down their arms to Spanish Generals and Spanish Sol- 
 diers, and greater skill and gallantry have never been 
 displayed than by these troops; the several Juntas of 
 Government have in all parts, not immediately under 
 the pressure of the French Armies, exercised a wise 
 authority, which has been universally acquiesced in with- 
 in their limits; and the only difficulty that seemed to 
 threaten, was from the Junta of Seville, which was 
 suspected to entertain a design to ingross more than 
 their share of power. Luckily I think for Spain, (but 
 certainly the contrary for the views of any royal visi- 
 tants,) this Junta did not know of a volunteer Regent 
 so near, or (if the suspicion I have mentioned was well 
 founded) they would, through his means, have perhaps 
 assumed an authority that would have distracted Spain, 
 and perhaps ruined the great cause which is now at 
 issue. It has come to pass, however, that this Junta 
 has published an address, recommending the formation 
 of a Central Government to direct the helm of the State 
 during the captivity of their lawful Sovereign ; but, 
 above all things, Spain is enjoined to steer clear of the 
 question of succession, as that would divide their 
 opinions, create animosity, and ruin their cause. This 
 recommendation is probably suggested by an address 
 from Murcia, recommending a National Government, 
 but sustaining the claim of the Princess Charlotte of 
 Brazils. I believe the people at Seville once thought 
 of the House of Sicily, but they have just deprecated 
 the question themselves. My own opinion is, that our 
 Government cannot, consistently with the most solemn 
 assurances, become a party to this business, and I am 
 confident they are anxious to avoid any such appear- 
 ance; I have, therefore, felt myself constrained to disavow 
 
APPENDIX. 275 
 
 the arrangement though made by you, as I am at the 1808. 
 eve of my departure to take the command of a con- 
 siderable army assembling in Portugal, which circum- 
 stance the ill designing might so couple with the arrival 
 of these persons, as to authorize any disagreeable con- 
 clusions. After some hesitation, I have consented that 
 Prince Leopold should be received here under certain 
 restrictions, but the Duke of Orleans proceeds to Eng- 
 land forthwith. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 (No. 14.) 
 LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR H. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Malta, 
 12th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I beg leave to address you on a subject of 
 importance, respecting the Duke of Orleans. His 
 Highness has been encouraged by their Sicilian Majes- 
 ties and Mr. Drummond to go into Spain, conceiving 
 that the appearance of a Member of the House of 
 Bourbon will be acceptable to the Spaniards. I enclose 
 copies of my correspondence with His Highness and 
 Mr. Drummond on this subject. I must confess to you, 
 Sir, that I was surprized at reading the two lines that 
 follow Mr. Drummond's signature, as I do not perceive 
 any reason for simulation, and I cannot but conceive 
 that it would have been more becoming a minister to 
 have expressed fully his doubts and real sentiments on 
 such an occasion. 
 
 T 2 
 
276 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808> I am directed, by Lord Castlereagh, to order the 
 
 Duke of Orleans a passage to England, in any of His 
 Majesty's ships bound there. His Highness was to have 
 embarked on board of His Majesty's ship Thames, 
 which will sail from hence, with the convoy, the first of 
 next month ; but, as the Thunderer will go sooner, I 
 have directed Captain Talbot to receive His Highness. 
 
 I have written a private letter to the Duke, recom- 
 mending him to go to England, for I do not conceive 
 that he can be allowed to go to Spain without the 
 sanction of His Majesty's Ministers, more especially as 
 I have reason to believe that the Archduke XUharles is 
 now on his way for that Country. 
 
 The Spaniards evince a character worthy of their 
 brave ancestors. They have passed the Rubicon ; and 
 their cause is now that of almost all Europe. I hope 
 that our conduct on this memorable occasion will be so 
 generous and liberal as will convince them that we have 
 not any selfish views in our offers of assistance and 
 interposition. The confederate powers who join us 
 should take warning by the fatal disasters which re- 
 sulted from their operations in the late wars against the 
 French Government, in which they evidently betrayed 
 great jealousy of each other, and showed that they 
 were not fighting the cause of the Bourbon Family, but 
 taking advantage of the misfortunes of France to 
 aggrandize their own dominions. 
 
 I have not time to send copies of my correspondence 
 with the Duke of Orleans and Mr. Drummond to Lord 
 Collingwood; I must, therefore, request you (should 
 you judge it necessary) to send them to him. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) ALEXANDER J. BALL. 
 
APPENDIX. 277 
 
 1808. 
 
 (The Four following Letters were enclosed in the 
 preceding.) 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY SIR ALEXANDER 
 BALL. 
 
 Palermo, 
 Ath July, 1808. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 His Highness the Duke of Orleans has 
 applied to me to write to you on a subject about which 
 he appears to be extremely interested. I take it for 
 granted that you are acquainted with all the events 
 which have lately happened in Spain. The Duke thinks 
 that the appearance of a Member cf the House of 
 Bourbon in that Country might be acceptable to the 
 Spaniards, and of great service to the common cause. 
 In this I perfectly concur with His Highness, and if 
 you be of the same opinion, you will, probably, have 
 no objection to send a ship here to carry His Highness 
 to Gibraltar. He himself is exceedingly sanguine. 
 We have letters from London down to the 7th of June. 
 
 Portugal has followed the example of Spain, and Lis- 
 bon is, probably, now in other hands. An invitation 
 has been sent to Sir Charles Cotton. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) W. DRUMMOND. 
 
 Weigh well what is said here, 
 Written at the side of the person. 
 
 TO SIR ALEXANDER BALL. 
 
 Palermo, 
 4th July, 1808. 
 
 My dear Sir Alexander, 
 
 I now apply to you with confidence to do me 
 
278 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. a great service, and one which may, perhaps, be of 
 some use to the general cause, and to that of England 
 in particular. You have heard the delightful news from 
 Spain, and the glories, the wonderful exertions of the 
 Spanish Nation, for their King, their Government, their 
 Religion, and their Independence. You cannot wonder 
 that, being a Bourbon, and so very near the spot where 
 my services may be of some use, I should be most 
 anxious to make a tender of them ; and, setting aside 
 all personal considerations, I must own that I am per- 
 suaded my presence and services, at this critical juncture, 
 might be of use in giving impulse to the generous efforts 
 of the Spaniards, and lead them there where a deadly 
 blow may be struck at the Usurper, and upset his odious 
 empire. My name and my presence may have great 
 effect on the French Troops in Spain and upon the 
 French in France ; but no time is to be lost, and I 
 know you well enough to be certain that you need not 
 be put in mind qu'il faut battre le fer pendant quHl est 
 chaud. I know you would do for me alone what I ask 
 of you for public considerations of such magnitude. 
 What I wish is, that you might send me any ship to con- 
 vey me from hence to Gibraltar. Mr. Drummond sends 
 you this express, and writes to you to request it from 
 you, as he heartily concurs in my wishes to see me 
 conveyed there, where both duty, honour, and grati- 
 tude to the Country who so generously supported me 
 imperiously calls me. This Court are, also, informed 
 of my intention, and are very anxious that I might be 
 enabled to repair to Spain with the greatest despatch. 
 I cannot give you an idea of the effusion of affection 
 with which I have been honoured, by the Queen and by 
 Her Majesty's sons when (about an hour ago) I commu- 
 nicated my resolution to them. It was a scene never to 
 be forgotten, If you can send me a frigate, so much 
 
APPENDIX. 279 
 
 the better ; but a brig, a sloop, or cutter, any thing ; I 1808 » 
 don't care what, provided I can be conveyed imme- 
 diately to Gibraltar, from whence I will shape my 
 course, by other means, where my presence may be 
 judged most useful. I entreat it of you in the most 
 pressing manner. 
 
 I remain, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) LOUIS PHILLIPE D'ORLEANS. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE RIGHT HON. 
 W. DRUMMOND. 
 
 Malta, 
 9th July, 1808. 
 
 My dear Sir, 
 
 I am honoured with your letter of the 4th 
 instant, acquainting me that His Highness the Duke of 
 Orleans has expressed a desire to proceed immediately 
 to Gibraltar, with a view of going into Spain; con- 
 ceiving, as you do, that the appearance of a Member 
 of the House of Bourbon might be acceptable to the 
 Spaniards, and expressing a hope that, should my 
 opinion accord with that of His Highness and your 
 Excellency, I shall despatch a ship of war to convey 
 him down, I have, in consequence, ordered His Ma- 
 jesty's ship Thunderer to call at Palermo, for the accom- 
 modation of His Highness ; but I beg leave, with 
 great deference, to observe, that the subject is of so 
 great importance and delicacy that it can only be finally 
 decided upon at Gibraltar, where His Highness will 
 receive such information and advice as will guide his 
 future proceedings. Possibly, indeed, the posture of 
 affairs may be such as to induce His Highness to wait 
 for the opinion of His Majesty's Ministers. 
 
280 - APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. It is reported that the Spaniards have invited the 
 
 Archduke Charles to accept of the regency, and that 
 he is now on his way to Spain. If, therefore, the Duke 
 of Orleans were to interfere, it might afford great 
 umbrage to the Archduke, and occasion jealousies that 
 might hurt the cause. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) ALEXANDER JOHN BALL. 
 
 TO HIS SERENE HIGHNESS THE DUKE OF 
 ORLEANS. 
 
 Malta, 
 9th July, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I am honoured with your Highness's letter of 
 the 4th instant, expressive of your desire to proceed to 
 Gibraltar, with a view of going into Spain, conceiving 
 that the appearance of a Member of the House of 
 Bourbon might be acceptable to the Spaniards. 
 
 I have, in consequence, ordered His Majesty's ship 
 Thunderer to call at Palermo, for the accommodation 
 of your Highness to Gibraltar, where, on your arrival, 
 you will receive such information as will guide your 
 future proceedings, and may, possibly, induce Your 
 Highness to wait for the opinion of His Majesty's 
 Ministers. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) ALEXANDER JOHN BALL. 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 (No. 15.) 
 HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS PRINCE LEOPOLD. 
 
 Head Quarters, Gibraltar, 
 11th August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your Royal Highness will, I hope, pardon the 
 inconvenience to which you have been exposed, from 
 the infinite delicacy of the situation in which I find 
 myself placed from the sudden and unexpected arrival 
 of your Royal Highness, for an avowed purpose, 
 respecting which I have not received the commands of 
 my Sovereign, and which involves considerations of the 
 first moment, at the present crisis. 
 
 To relieve your Royal Highness from this state of 
 inconvenience and doubt, I presume to suppose what 
 may be acceptable to the King, my master, and to act 
 in consequence ; confiding in His Majesty's indulgence 
 to the goodness of my motive should I act amiss. 
 
 I shall give orders for the reception of your Royal 
 Highness into this Garrison, with all the honours due to 
 your rank and character, as soon as the necessary 
 arrangements can be made for that purpose, and such 
 accommodation be prepared for your Royal Highness, 
 and your attendants and family, as the limited means 
 of this Garrison will allow. For this purpose, I pre- 
 sume to request that your Royal Highness will give 
 orders that a list of the names of all persons attached 
 to your person be given in to the Major-General, who 
 will, in my absence, command the place. 
 
 During your Royal Highness's residence here, (or 
 until His Majesty's pleasure shall be known,) every 
 facility shall be given to those noble Spaniards, who 
 
 281 
 
 1808. 
 
282 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. ma y be desirous of paying their respects ; subject only 
 to such regulations as the Major-General commanding 
 the Fortress may see cause to establish, for the purposes 
 of police and the security of the Place. 
 
 The Provisional Government of Andalusia, which has 
 acquired great weight by the talents of its members, 
 the wisdom of its proceedings, and the brilliant suc- 
 cesses attained by the generals and troops acting under 
 its orders, has publicly proclaimed the necessity of 
 establishing a national Government ; and has, in its 
 declaration, sanctioned some leading principles, which, 
 I think, the British Government will highly approve. 
 Without presuming to judge what effects that publica- 
 tion may produce upon the objects of your Royal 
 Highness's voyage, it is only necessary for me to say, 
 that, as it will follow, of course, if your Royal High- 
 ness be named Regent of the Kingdom, that a fit depu- 
 tation will be sent from the Spanish Nation, to attend 
 your Royal Highness, I shall direct that the persons 
 composing it, be received here as attached to Your Royal 
 Highness's retinue, and proceed with you to Spain. But 
 no such deputation from any local or provisional Govern- 
 ment will be so considered. 
 
 Such, Sir, are the terms which I humbly presume to 
 propose, should your Royal Highness still retain the 
 design of establishing yourself here for the present. 
 
 I have the honour to be, with sentiments of high 
 consideration and respect, 
 
 (Signed) W. H. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
APPENDIX. 283 
 
 1808. 
 
 (Copy.) 
 S. E. SIG. GENERALE SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Gov. Cora. Gen. della Piazza di Gibilterra. 
 ECCELLENZA, 
 
 Ho ricevuto con molto gradimento il foglio di 
 V. E. della data di questo stesso giorno, e mentre le 
 manifesto di rimanere pienamente soddisfatto de suoi 
 sentimenti, le assicuro che mi adattero, e faro ubbedire 
 la Gente del mio Seguito alle sagge misure, che ha 
 creduto di emmciarmi nel mentovato foglio per la mia 
 dimora in cotesta Piazza, desiderando, che Y E. V. sia 
 certa della mia premura nell' uniformarmi a tutto cio, 
 che possa incontrare il piacere di S. M. Britannica, e 
 sia analogo alle attime disposizioni colle quali si regolano 
 le guernigioni de suoi Reali Dominii, ed alle particolari 
 providenze relative a questo assunto. 
 
 Ho ordinato che dal Maggiordomo Maggiore, Principe 
 di Cassero, sia rimessa al Maggior Generale, Co- 
 mandante di Cotesta Piazza, la nota di tutta la gente 
 del mio Seguito. E contestandole i sentimenti della 
 mia riconoscenza, sono collo maggior considerazione. 
 Di V. E. Rada di Gibilterra, 11 Agusto, 1808. 
 
 (Signed) AfTecionatissimo, 
 
 LEOPOLDO. 
 
284 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Downing-Street, 
 
 toh November, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have to acknowledge the receipt of your 
 letter of the 31st October, with the accompanying 
 papers therein referred to ; also, your letter of the 2d 
 instant, with its enclosures. 
 
 Your despatches from Gibraltar, to assume the 
 command of the army in Portugal, immediately 
 after your letters were written, announcing the unex- 
 pected arrival of Prince Leopold and the Duke of 
 Orleans at that place, and acquainting me with the 
 measures you had taken thereupon, will, I trust, ex- 
 plain why I did not address you on a subject, the con- 
 duct of which had, from this circumstance, passed, 
 together with the command of that garrison, into other 
 hands. 
 
 I have great pleasure, however, in assuring you that 
 the measures pursued by you, on that delicate and 
 important subject, received His Majesty's entire appro- 
 bation. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) CASTLEREAGH. 
 
APPENDIX. 285 
 
 1808. 
 
 (No. 16.) 
 
 TO THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE 
 BRITISH ARMY IN PORTUGAL. 
 
 Oporto, 
 18th August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 The Bishop of Oporto having expressed to 
 me his wish to see me in private, in order to make me 
 an important communication, which he desired to be 
 kept secret, I went to his Palace last night at a late 
 hour. The Bishop told me, that he had taken the 
 Government of Portugal in his hands, to satisfy the 
 wish of the people, but with the intention to re-establish 
 the Government of his lawful Sovereign, and he hoped 
 that His Majesty, the King of Great Britain, had no other 
 point of view in sending troops to this Country. After 
 having given him all possible assurance on that head, 
 the Bishop continued: — that as the Prince Regent, on 
 leaving Portugal, had established a Regency, for the 
 Government of this Country, during his absence, he 
 considered it his duty to resign the Government into the 
 hands of that Regency as soon as possible. 
 
 My answer was, that I had no instructions from my 
 Government on that head, but that I begged him to 
 consider whether the cause of his Sovereign would not 
 be hurt in resigning the Government into the hands of a 
 Regency, which, from its having acted under the influ- 
 ence of the French, had lost the confidence of the 
 Nation ; and whether it would not be more advisable for 
 him to keep the Government, until the pleasure of the 
 Prince Regent was known. 
 
 The Bishop allowed that the Regency, appointed by 
 
28G APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. the Prince Regent, did not possess the confidence of 
 the people ; that several members of it had acted in 
 such a manner as to shew themselves as friends and 
 partisans of the French, and that, at all events, all the 
 members of the late Regency could not be re-established 
 in their former power, but, he was afraid, that the 
 Provinces of Estremadura, Alemtejo, and Algarva, 
 would not acknowledge his authority, if the British 
 Government did not interfere. 
 
 After a very long conversation, it was agreed that I 
 should inform our Ministers, with what the Bishop had 
 communicated tome, and, in order to lose no time in wait- 
 ing for an answer, the Bishop desired me to communicate 
 the same to you, expressing a wish that you would be 
 pleased to write to him an official letter, in order to 
 express your desire that he might continue the Govern- 
 ment, until the pleasure of his Sovereign was known, 
 for the sake of the operations of the British and Portu- 
 guese Troops under your command. 
 
 The secretary of the Bishop, who acted as interpreter, 
 told me afterwards, in private, that the utmost confu- 
 sion would arise from the Bishop resigning the Govern- 
 ment at this moment, or associating with people, who 
 were neither liked nor esteemed by the nation. 
 
 I beg leave to add, that although the Bishop ex- 
 pressed the contrary, yet it appeared to me that he 
 was not averse to his keeping the Government in his 
 hands, if it could be done by the interference of our 
 Government. 
 
 (Signed) FREDERICK V'DECKEN, 
 
 Brigadier- General . 
 
APPENDIX. 287 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO THE GENERAL COMMANDING THE 
 ARMY IN PORTUGAL. 
 
 Oporto, 
 22d August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your Excellency will have received the 
 secret letter, which I had the honour to send you by 
 Brigadier-General Stewart,* on the 18th, respecting the 
 communication of his Excellency the Bishop of Oporto, 
 relative to his resignation of the Government into the 
 hands of the Regency, established by the Prince Re- 
 gent. In addition to what I have had the honour to 
 state upon that subject, I beg leave to add that his Ex- 
 cellency the Bishop has this day desired me to make 
 your Excellency aware, in case it might be wished that 
 he should keep the Government in his hands until the 
 pleasure of the Prince Regent may be known, that he 
 could not leave Oporto, and the seat of Government 
 must, in that case, necessarily remain in this Town. 
 His Excellency the Bishop thinks it his duty to in- 
 form you of this circumstance as soon as possible, as 
 he foresees that the City of Lisbon will be preferred 
 for the seat of Government as soon as the British Army 
 have got possession of it. 
 
 If the seat of the temporary Government should re- 
 main at Oporto, the best method to adopt, with respect 
 to the other Provinces of Portugal, appears to be to cause 
 them to send Deputies to that place, for the purpose of 
 transacting business relative to their own Provinces ; in 
 the same manner as the Provinces of Entre Douro, 
 and Tras las Montes now send their representatives. 
 
 One of the principal reasons why his Excellency 
 
 * Now Marquis of Londonderry. 
 
288 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. the Bishop can only accede to continue at the head of 
 the Government, under the condition of remaining at 
 Oporto, is, because he is persuaded that the inhabi- 
 tants of this Town will not permit him to leave it, 
 unless by order of the Prince Regent. 
 
 It might also be advisable to keep the seat of Go- 
 vernment at Oporto, as it may be supposed that Lisbon 
 will be in a state of great confusion for the first two 
 months after the French have left it. 
 
 (Signed) FREDERICK V'DECKEN. 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Oporto, 
 2Sth August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Your Excellency will have received my secret 
 letter of the 18th and 22d instant, relative to the tem- 
 porary government of this kingdom. His Excellency 
 the Bishop of Oporto has received, lately, Deputies from 
 the Province of Alemtejo; and the Kingdom of Algarve, 
 part of Estremadura, viz. the town of Leira, has also 
 submitted to his authority ; and it may be, therefore, said 
 that the whole kingdom of Portugal has acknowledged 
 the authority of the temporary Government, of which 
 the Bishop of Oporto is at the head, with the exception 
 of the City of Lisbon and the town of Setubal (or St. 
 Ubes). Although the reasons why these Towns have 
 not yet acknowledged the authority of the temporary 
 Government may be explained by their being in posses- 
 sion of the French, yet the Bishop is convinced that the 
 inhabitants of Lisbon will refuse to submit to the tem- 
 porary Government of Oporto, in which they will be 
 
APPENDIX. 
 
 strongly supported by the members of the former Regen- 
 cy established by the Prince Regent, who, of course, 
 will be very anxious to resume their former power. 
 
 The Bishop, in assuming the temporary government, 
 complied only with the wishes of the people ; he was 
 sure that it was the only means of saving the Country; 
 but, having had no interests of his own in view, he is 
 willing to resign the authority, which he has accepted 
 with reluctance, as soon as he is convinced that it can 
 be done without hurting the cause of his Sovereign, 
 and throwing the country into confusion. 
 
 There is every reason to apprehend that the inhabi- 
 tants of the three northern Provinces of Portugal will 
 never permit the Bishop to resign the Government and 
 submit to the former Regency; they feel extremely 
 proud of having first taken to arms, and consider them- 
 selves as the deliverers and saviours of their Country. 
 And as the inhabitants of Lisbon will be as much dis- 
 inclined to submit to the temporary Government of 
 Oporto, a division of the Provinces, which will excite 
 interior commotion, will naturally follow, if not support- 
 ed by your Excellency. 
 
 It has appeared to me that the best way to reconcile 
 these opposite parties, would be in endeavouring to unite 
 the present Government at Oporto with such of the 
 members of the former Regency, who have not forfeited, 
 by their conduct, the confidence of the people. And, 
 having opened my idea to the Bishop, his answer was, 
 that he would not object to it if proposed by you. I, 
 therefore, take the liberty of suggesting that the diffi- 
 culty above mentioned would be in a great degree 
 removed, if your Excellency would be pleased to make 
 it known, after Lisbon has surrendered, that, until the 
 pleasure of the Prince Regent was known, you would 
 consider the temporary Government established at 
 
 289 
 
 1808. 
 
290 APPENDIX. 
 
 ie08. Oporto as the lawful Government, with the addition of 
 • the four members of the late Regency, who have been 
 pointed out to me by the Bishop as such who have be- 
 haved faithfully to their sovereign and country, viz: — 
 D. Francisco Noronha, 
 Francisco da Cunha, 
 The Monteiro Mor, and 
 The Principal Castro. 
 These members to be placed at the head of the different 
 departments, and to consider the Bishop as the Presi- 
 dent, whose directions they are to follow; a plan which 
 will meet with the less difficulty, as the President of 
 the former Regency, named by the Prince Regent, has 
 quitted Portugal, and is now* in France. 
 
 The circumstance that Lisbon is now in a state of the 
 greatest confusion will furnish a fair pretence for fixing 
 the seat of the temporary Government in the first in- 
 stance at Oporto, to which place the gentlemen above 
 mentioned would be ordered to repair without loss of 
 time, and to report themselves to the Bishop. 
 
 Independent of the reasons which I had the honour 
 of stating to your Excellency in my letter of the 22d 
 instant, why it is impossible for the Bishop to leave 
 Oporto, I must beg leave to add that, from what I un- 
 derstand, the greater part of the inhabitants of Lisbon 
 are in the French interest, and that it will require a 
 garrison of British Troops to keep that city in order. 
 The Bishop of Oporto, although convinced of the ne- 
 cessity of considering Lisbon at present as a military 
 station and of placing a British Commandant and a 
 British Garrison there, yet, from a desire that the feel- 
 ings of the inhabitants might be wounded as little as 
 possible, wishes that you would be pleased to put, also, 
 some Portuguese Troops in garrison at Lisbon, together 
 with a Portuguese Commandant, who, though entirely 
 
APPENDIX. 291 
 
 under the orders of the British Governor, might direct 1808 - 
 the police in that town, or at least be charged with 
 putting into execution such orders as he may receive 
 from the British Governor under that head. 
 
 If your Excellency should be pleased to approve of 
 this proposal, the Bishop thinks Brigadier Antonio Pinto 
 Bacelas to be the properest Officer of those who are 
 now with the Portuguese Army, to be stationed at Lis- 
 bon, and who might also be directed to organize the 
 military force of the province of Estremadura. The 
 Bishop is fully convinced that the temporary Govern- 
 ment of the Country cannot exist without the support 
 of British Troops; he hopes that our Government will 
 leave a corps of 6000 men in Portugal after the French 
 have been subdued, until the Portuguese Troops may 
 be sufficiently organized and disciplined to be able to 
 protect their own Government. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) FREDERICK VON DECKEN, 
 
 Brigadier-General. 
 
 TO BRIGADIER-GENERAL DECKEN. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Head Quarters, Ramalhall, 
 
 August 24th, 1808. 
 
 I have to acknowledge the honour of your 
 letter of the 18th instant, and am much surprised to 
 understand thereby that the Bishop of Oporto has taken 
 the Government of Portugal into his hands, as that is a 
 measure of considerable delicacy and importance, and 
 which I by no means understood to have taken place. 
 
 What steps it may be adviseable to take in conse- 
 quence of this event, I cannot at this moment determine, 
 
 u2 
 
292 APPENDIX. 
 
 3808 particularly without having communication with Sir 
 Charles Cotton thereupon, who will not, however, I con- 
 jecture (any more than myself) entirely approve of the 
 strong step you have taken, in recommending it to the 
 Bishop to retain an authority which I cannot conceive to 
 have been conferred by the unanimous voice of the Portu- 
 guese Nation. And I must request that, in future, you 
 will hold no language which may be interpreted as being 
 expressive of the sentiments of His Majesty's Govern- 
 ment, or of those of the Officers, Commanders-in-Chief 
 of the British Army and Fleet, without having received 
 distinct authority and instructions for so doing, in order 
 that the sanction of Britain may not be cited for different 
 and, perhaps, opposite measures. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY LIEUTENANT- 
 GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Oporto, 
 1st September , 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I am very sorry to see, by your Excellency's 
 letter of the 24th last, which I had the honour to 
 receive last night, I have had the misfortune of having 
 excited your displeasure, and I lose no time to beg 
 you will be convinced that your direction shall be 
 most strictly obeyed ; and that, even in case instructions 
 should reach me from Government, I intend not to act 
 upon them until I have received your orders. 
 
 The Bishop of Oporto knows that I have received 
 no instruction, neither from you or from Government. 
 All that has passed between him and me, on the 
 subject of his resignation, has been only considered as 
 
APPENDIX. 293 
 
 private, although, on the part of the Bishop, as a 1808 - 
 means to convey his ideas to you. If, in the letters 
 which I have had the honour to write to you, there 
 are proposals which have not been stated as made by 
 the Bishop, it is owing to his desire not to mention 
 his name where it might be suspected that he wished 
 to remain at the head of the Government ; but the fact 
 is, that all proposals and remarks have been suggested 
 either by himself or his secretary : and your Excellency 
 may be sure that the Bishop has not received from me 
 any hint whatsoever as to give him hopes that you 
 or our Government wish him to remain at the head of 
 the temporary Government. 
 
 It is true that (as I had the honour of stating in my 
 letter of the 18th of August) I had no instruction to 
 return in answer to the first communication of the 
 Bishop : he might take into consideration whether it 
 would be advisable to resign at the present moment ; 
 but I was then convinced that the Bishop was the 
 only man who had some influence over the mind of 
 this uncultivated people, which was in a state of re- 
 volution ; and I considered that even the appearance 
 as if the Government was to be taken away from the 
 man they had chosen for their leader, might be of 
 the most fatal consequence for the common cause. I 
 had every reason to endeavour to gain the confidence 
 of the Bishop, and could, therefore, not object to 
 convey to you his wishes ; and the more as from my 
 assuming no authority whatsoever, it remained entirely 
 in your hands to act according to your pleasure. The 
 brilliant achievements of the army under your Excel- 
 lency's command have made a great change in the 
 state of affairs. Order might now easily be restored ; 
 whilst it would have been difficult as long as the 
 country was the theatre of war, and the necessity of 
 
294 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. complying, at least, apparently, with the wishes of the 
 people, who have taken arms, is certainly removed in 
 a great measure. 
 
 The declaration of the Bishop, that he cannot leave 
 Oporto, and, therefore, take no part in the Govern- 
 ment, if the seat of it is not transferred to this town, 
 will leave it entirely in the hands of your Excellency to 
 take a fair pretence from thence, to exclude the Bishop 
 from the Government ; and to give it to the former 
 Regency ; or to such member of them as you will think 
 proper. I beg leave to add that, since a few days, the 
 Bishop appears to be aware that the seat of Govern- 
 ment will not be transferred to this town, and that he, 
 consequently, must resign. Although I do not know 
 him sufficiently to form a decided opinion, yet I 
 dare say he is too much attached to the interest of 
 his Sovereign to use his great influence against the 
 Government your Excellency will think proper to 
 appoint, with the exception of several members of the 
 late Regency, whom he accuses of being in the French 
 party. 
 
 FREDERICK VON DECKEN, 
 
 Brigadier- General. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE PRESIDENT OF 
 THE SUPREME BOARD OF COUNCIL AT 
 OPORTO. 
 
 Head-Quarters, Torres Vedras,* 
 1*/ September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to inform your Excellency 
 
 * This letter was dated 31st August ; but the copy sent to Lord 
 Castlereagh, from Portugal, was dated 1st September. 
 
APPENDIX. 295 
 
 that the French Army will soon quit Portugal, in con- 1808 - 
 sequence of a Convention concluded for that purpose 
 between the French Commander-in-Chief on the one 
 side, and the Admiral commanding His Majesty's Fleet 
 off the Tagus and myself on the other. The ratifica- 
 tions of this Convention are not yet exchanged, and I 
 have not an accurate copy of the treaty at this moment 
 in my possession, to transmit to your Excellency ; but 
 I think it essential that you should have the earliest 
 possible notice of the fact : in the meantime, I have 
 ordered the substance of the several articles to be 
 communicated to Major Ayres Pinto de Souza, who is 
 here on the part of General Bernadine Friere. As 
 soon as Portugal is relieved from the oppression of that 
 power by which the authority of the lawful Prince, and 
 the Regency, which, on his departure, he established, 
 was suspended, it might naturally be supposed to 
 ensue that every thing should revert into the channel 
 from which it was diverted by foreign Force ; but as 
 some members of the Regency appointed by the Prince 
 seem to have abandoned his cause, and adhered to the 
 enemy, and have consequently rendered themselves 
 incapable of resuming their former functions, some 
 delicacy certainly becomes necessary in re-establishing 
 a Government which the Portuguese Nation will be 
 inclined to avow. 
 
 On this point, I have read, since I took the com- 
 mand of this army, the papers addressed by the 
 Supreme Board of Government at Oporto to Sir 
 Charles Cotton, in the beginning of August, together 
 with his answer thereto. It would be presumption in 
 me, so early after my arrival in the country, and un- 
 acquainted as I am with the circumstances of the case, 
 to offer any opinion on the means proposed to accom- 
 plish an end which I do not hesitate to acknowledge 
 
296 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. has my most perfect approbation: and it seems evident 
 that, next to the expulsion of the French from Portugal, 
 no object can be so important as to take early pre- 
 cautions against those evils which might arise to the 
 people from local or any source of jealousy. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY THE MOST ILLUS- 
 TRIOUS THE BISHOP OF OPORTO. 
 
 Head-Quarters, Cintra, 
 
 5th September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 As effectual measures are taking for the 
 speedy embarkation of the French Troops, Portugal 
 will soon be relieved from the foreign force by which 
 it has been oppressed. The Prince Regent will then 
 be reinstated in all his rights ; and, were there no just 
 ground of objection, the Council of Regency, which 
 he appointed, would resume the exercise of their 
 functions of course. 
 
 As, however, a number of the members composing 
 this Council are strongly suspected of being closely con- 
 nected with the French interest, I feel myself authorized 
 to state that, however desirous the King, my Sovereign, 
 may be to interfere as little as possible in the internal 
 affairs of Portugal, it will be impossible for His Ma- 
 jesty, under the peculiar circumstances of the case, to 
 acquiesce in the return of those persons to power. 
 An arrangement of this nature His Majesty apprehends 
 would be equally inconsistent with the stability of the 
 Government, the restoration of public confidence, or, 
 perhaps, even the safety of the individuals themselves. 
 In regard to those members of the Regency who kept 
 aloof from the interests of the enemy, and retained 
 
APPENDIX. 297 
 
 their fidelity to their lawful sovereign and the confidence 1808 - 
 of the nation, it will, I think, be admitted that such 
 persons (and, doubtless, there are such) have an un- 
 questionable claim to the situation in which they were 
 placed by the Prince, if at present in Portugal. 
 
 His Majesty deeming it necessary for the peace of 
 Lisbon, and highly conducive to the interests of the 
 Prince Regent, that a Regency should be established 
 in Lisbon, with the same powers that were delegated 
 by the Prince Regent on his leaving Portugal, I have 
 it in command (upon communication with such leading 
 individuals in Portugal as may have given undoubted 
 proofs of their fidelity to their lawful Sovereign) to take 
 measures for forming a Council of Regency as soon as 
 possible, composed of such persons of rank, character, 
 and talent, as may be found ready to undertake and 
 qualified to discharge so important a trust ; but with as 
 limited a change of persons left in authority by the 
 Prince Regent (particularly in the subordinate depart- 
 ments) as may be compatible with the public interests. 
 
 I need not mention that the persons to be selected 
 and appointed are merely to act in their several capa- 
 cities and functions till the pleasure of the Prince 
 Regent shall be known. In fulfilling the duty thus 
 imposed upon me, I naturally address myself, for 
 assistance, to your Excellency and the Members of the 
 Provisional Board of Government over which you 
 preside. 
 
 You have already turned your thoughts to the great 
 question now at issue, and are doubtless prepared to 
 propose measures so to complete the Council of Re- 
 gency, according to the views above developed, as to 
 merit the confidence of the Nation, and to prevent any 
 just cause of discontent in any other Provisional 
 Government, or other respectable description of the 
 
298 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. people. For my own part, I have only been able, from 
 the information I have received since my arrival in 
 Portugal, to form one decided opinion on the subject, 
 which is, the infinite importance to the public welfare 
 that your Excellency should yourself hold a distin- 
 guished place in the proposed Council of Regency. 
 
 From the devotion your Excellency has already shewn 
 to the cause of your Country, I am induced to indulge 
 the hope that you will complete the great work you 
 have begun, by giving Portugal a Regency, faithful to 
 the Prince, and possessing the confidence of the people, 
 and I need not urge any arguments to prove the indis- 
 pensable necessity that this should be accomplished 
 without delay. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE, L. G. 
 
 Commander of the British Forces, in Portugal. 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Oporto, 
 IQth September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to acquaint you that I 
 arrived here yesterday afternoon, and, having waited on 
 the Bishop in the evening, am happy to say that his 
 answer to the communication I was directed to make 
 to him, is such as you will, I hope, consider favourable. 
 He consents to repair to Lisbon, for the purpose of 
 being placed at the head of the Regency, and the only 
 reservation made, is in regard to the mode of his ap- 
 pointment to that situation. 
 
 On this point, his Excellency has directed me to 
 explain that, of the members of Regency originally ap- 
 
APPENDIX. 299 
 
 pointed, whose conduct is unimpeached, there are, at 1808 - 
 present, in Lisbon, viz. D. Francisco de Noronha; D. 
 Francisco de Cunha, and the Principal Castro. Count 
 Monteiro Mor is understood to be with the army, in the 
 Alemtejo. The Bishop, therefore, thinks that the most 
 regular and legal proceeding will be to assemble the 
 three members of the Regency, who are in Lisbon, and 
 cause them to proceed, as their first step, to the elec- 
 tion of a president, which your influence will secure to 
 himself. A letter should then be written to him, by 
 the Regency, announcing his election, and requiring 
 his immediate presence in Lisbon ; with which summons 
 he will immediately comply. This his Excellency con- 
 siders as the only course by which the forms of the 
 Government will not be violated : any other would ren- 
 der questionable the authority of the Regency, in 
 general, and his own, in particular; and might expose 
 him to the displeasure of the Prince, whom he would, 
 on no account, offend. In short, his mind appeared to 
 be made up on the point, and I hardly think he will 
 be prevailed on to accept the situation under any other 
 circumstances. 
 
 You will observe that the name of the Principal 
 Castro, mentioned by the Bishop as eligible for the new 
 Regency, does not, I believe, appear in the project of 
 Government proposed, by the Junta of Oporto, to Sir 
 Charles Cotton. The Bishop says the Principal Castro 
 was obliged to accept the office of Minister of Laws 
 and Religious Worship, under the French, which he 
 could not at the moment decline, without great per- 
 sonal risk, but that he resigned very soon, under 
 pretence of bad health : he is brother to the Bishop. 
 
 The Bishop is anxious that his intentions should not 
 be known here until the moment of his departure, as 
 he apprehends some opposition on the part of the 
 
300 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. people. Baron Decken is the only person to whom I 
 have mentioned them ; and I requested him to remain 
 here, even if recalled, which he daily expects, in order 
 to receive your farther commands, and prevent delay 
 on the part of the Bishop, after my departure. 
 
 There will be no difficulty, in regard to the Portu- 
 guese Garrison for Almeida, as a considerable body of 
 troops are near the place. I shall proceed thither by 
 Tuesday or Wednesday at furthest, or earlier, if the 
 march of the troops shall appear to require it. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. 8cc. 
 (Signed) ROBERT ANSTRUTHER, 
 
 Brigadier-General. 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Lisbon, 
 9th September j 1808. 
 
 Dear Sir, 
 
 I had, yesterday, the honour of receiving 
 your orders, conveyed by the Adjutant-General's letter 
 of the 7th, directing me to repair to Lisbon, to arrange 
 with the French General different points relative to 
 the occupation of the Town, by the British Troops. 
 As also, your communication of the steps that have 
 been taken by the Existing Government of Oporto. 
 
 I have not yet been able to communicate with the 
 Officers named to arrange with me the time and mode 
 of occupation by the troops, but I hope, in the course 
 of this day, to be able to make a communication to you 
 upon the subject. 
 
 After having reflected maturely upon the several 
 topics which you did me the honour to communicate, 
 I shall take the liberty of submitting to you my ideas, 
 
APPENDIX. 301 
 
 with that diffidence, however, which I ought to feel upon 1808. 
 a subject, in great measure, new to me, and respecting 
 which there has hardly yet been sufficient time for me 
 to acquire the requisite information. 
 
 Whether the apparent jealousy entertained by the 
 leaders of the Portuguese Army could have been avoided 
 or not, it is not now material to inquire. It is totally un- 
 founded, and is as childish as it is groundless. Nor is 
 it probable that any additional umbrage they can take, 
 will have any material influence in the final settlement 
 of the Country, when it shall be seen that it is the 
 bona fide intention of the Commander of the British 
 Forces, in execution of the Instructions of their Go- 
 vernment, to replace the Portuguese Monarchy on the 
 footing on which it stood, previous to the irruption of 
 the French Army. The following principles appear to 
 me such as it would be desirable to establish, viz. 
 
 That the ancient and original Regency, as far as it 
 may be prudent, should be established, with the addi- 
 tion of the Bishop of Oporto, and such other members 
 as may be agreeable to him. That this Regency should 
 be proclaimed the moment the French are completely 
 embarked. That, if the consent of the Bishop cannot 
 be had in time, his name should, nevertheless, stand at 
 the head of the Government, leaving it to him to decline 
 hereafter if he sees fit. That the residence of the 
 Regency should be peremptorily fixed in Lisbon, there 
 being no probability that the people of the Capital 
 will submit to the species of controlling influence, 
 which it seems to be the wish of some to throw into 
 the hands of the Provincial Government of Oporto; and 
 there being reason to apprehend that the most serious 
 evil consequences might be expected to result from pur- 
 suing an opposite line of conduct. 
 
 It is extremely natural for the Bishop, and those who 
 
302 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. are his advisers, to conceive that, by fixing themselves 
 at Oporto, supported by that popularity and reve- 
 rence which late events and local circumstances throw 
 round their Government ; holding in their hands the 
 resources of the Northern Provinces; retaining that 
 degree of influence which the nomination of a Regency 
 would give them ; and withdrawn from any immediate 
 contact with the British Power ; they will gain, in real 
 and substantial influence, infinitely more than they 
 seem to lose in eclat and ostensible place. 
 
 Such a proposition I should, however, hold to be 
 altogether incompatible with the future welfare of the 
 Countiy. Similar reasons, I think, make it extremely 
 desirable that the nomination of the Regency should be 
 the act, not of the Government of Oporto, but of the 
 British Commanders; and that, in the execution of this 
 act, they should seem only to re-establish the Govern- 
 ment left by the Prince Regent, upon his removal to 
 Brazil. 
 
 It seems to me perfectly clear that the restoration of 
 that Government is as much the effect of the efforts 
 made by Great Britain, as much the result of the suc- 
 cess that has attended her arms in Portugal, as any 
 other event whatever that has marked our progress in 
 this Country; and that neither the Portuguese Govern- 
 ment nor any individual whatever can reasonably 
 object to any step, however strong, which the British 
 Commander may deem necessary to take, in order to 
 complete the re-establishment of every thing upon the 
 basis which was fixed by the Prince of Portugal, 
 subject always to his future pleasure. 
 
 It, moreover, seems to me to be entirely in conformity 
 to the Instructions which you did me the honour to 
 communicate, to proceed to the arrangement of the 
 Government, without any reference whatever to existing 
 
APPENDIX. 303 
 
 local interests ; and this principle is carried so far, that, I808 - 
 if I mistake not, you are, under circumstances, empow- 
 ered to assume the Government of the Country into 
 your own hands, until further Instructions from Britain 
 can be received. 
 
 Without having recourse to this last extremity, it is 
 fortunate that an opening is given for arranging such a 
 Government as will be agreeable to the leading autho- 
 rities acting in the northern parts of Portugal; by 
 including the names of the four members of the original 
 Junta, who have remained faithful to the interests of 
 the Monarchy; placing at their head the Bishop as Pre- 
 sident ; and adding such other names as it may be 
 found, after communication with his Agent, Don Louis 
 de Figueira, are likely to be acceptable to him. 
 
 In the above view of things, I cannot help deeming 
 it of the highest importance that the Admiral and 
 yourself should, from this moment, consider all interfe- 
 rence on the part of the Portuguese, in the affairs of 
 Government, beyond what it may be necessary to leave 
 in the hands of inferior Magistrates, inadmissible, until 
 after the Regency is fully established; that the esta- 
 blishment of that body should be entirely your act; 
 that it should be fairly avowed that the liberation of 
 the Country from a Foreign Army, and the opportunity 
 of restoring the Portuguese Monarchy that now pre- 
 sents itself, having been conquered by the British 
 sword, it is the right of the British Government, and 
 the duty of the British Commanders, to place the Go- 
 vernment in such hands as to them seem most likely 
 to preserve the peace of the Capital; to insure the 
 prosperity of the Country at large; and to possess the 
 confidence of the Prince. That, in carrying these mea- 
 sures into effect, they are actuated by no other interests 
 than such as are purely Portuguese. That the moment 
 
304 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 the Regency is established, all military interference 
 will become unnecessary, and will cease ; but until that 
 moment arrives, and until the peace and subsistence of 
 the Capital can be secured, the most effectual and 
 prompt measures will be taken to insure tranquillity by 
 military means, and all offenders against the public 
 peace will be proceeded against with most rigorous 
 severity. 
 
 As a consequence of the above idea, I would further 
 suggest, that, until the final embarkation of the French 
 Troops, no part of the Portuguese Army should be 
 permitted to enter Lisbon, and that all remonstrances 
 on that, or any other subject connected with our pre- 
 sent relative situation, that may be made by the leaders 
 of that army, should be met with the most decided 
 resolution, not to give way on subjects so materially 
 affecting the welfare of this Country and the honour 
 of the British Army. 
 
 In order to convey my ideas in a more precise form, 
 I have drawn up a draft of a Proclamation, which should 
 certainly run in name of yourself and the Admiral. 
 
 Whatever Proclamation is adopted should be imme- 
 diately prepared and transmitted by some confidential 
 person, and printed ready for circulation the instant the 
 French march out ; and I am of opinion it should be 
 such as could be communicated to them for their con- 
 currence, which, if it can be obtained, would give great 
 facility in the preparation. It should be accompanied 
 by another, and third, to be issued in the name of the 
 Officer commanding the Troops, which should contain 
 regulations of Police, and such details relative to the 
 preservation of good order as it may be necessary to 
 introduce into the more general Proclamations. 
 
 I must here observe that there seems to be a great 
 want of persons whose principles are known to be well 
 
APPENDIX. 305 
 
 affected, with whom to communicate, and through whose 1808. 
 agency to prepare these preliminary steps ; for I ap- 
 prehend some of the persons, named in the paper you 
 yesterday communicated to me, will not make their ap- 
 pearance till the French are gone. If you can give me 
 any information on this subject, I should be extremely 
 obliged to you. 
 
 It only remains that I should apologize for taking up 
 so much of your time, on a subject respecting which 
 I must acknowledge I am a very inadequate judge. 
 I have the honour to be, &c. 8tc. 
 (Signed) JOHN HOPE, 
 
 Lieutenan t-G eneral. 
 
 (TRANSLATION.) 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Most Illustrious and Most Excellent Sir, 
 After having completed the glorious restora- 
 tion of the Regency in the Capital, agreeable to the decree 
 of our August Prince Regent, your Excellency desired to 
 reward my labours by promoting my nomination to a 
 situation in the Regency. Supposing that some recom- 
 pense might be offered for my endeavours to be useful 
 to my Country, and being fully persuaded that the best 
 rewards for services done to Religion and our Country 
 are new occasions to render them still greater, and 
 knowing, by the force of reason and experience, the im- 
 portance of my remaining in my present situation, I 
 thought that, for the service of God and the Prince, I 
 ought not to resign it. However, as I wish to comply 
 with the desires of your Excellency, and from a con- 
 
306 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. sideration for the Governors of the Kingdom, who now 
 inform me of my nomination, I shall have to go to 
 Lisbon, agreeable to my promise to General Anstruther, 
 and I can assure your Excellency that my intentions 
 embrace no other object than the interests of Religion 
 and of my Country. 
 
 Animated with the sincerest sentiments of respect 
 and gratitude, I am, &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) BISHOP OF OPORTO, 
 
 Governor. 
 
 Without a date, but received the 30th September at 
 Lisbon. 
 
 H. W. DALRYMPLE, 
 
 Lieutenant-General. 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Downing-street, 
 Mh November, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to acknowledge the receipt 
 of your letter of the 2d instant. 
 
 Your proceedings, for establishing the Regency in 
 Portugal, having been only reported to me in your letter 
 of the 20th September, written on the eve of your de- 
 parture from thence on your return to England, it was 
 not possible for me officially to transmit to you, previous 
 to your arrival in England, an answer to that letter. 
 
 In the first interview I had with you, I, however, inti- 
 mated to you, that the arrangements made with respect 
 to the Regency, under the Instructions which you had 
 received, had been approved by His Majesty, as the 
 
APPENDIX. 307 
 
 most suitable, under all the circumstances, to the dignity 1808. 
 and interests of the Prince Regent. 
 
 (Signed) CASTLEREAGH. 
 
 (No 17.) 
 TO GENERAL FRIERE. 
 
 Head-Quarters, Ramalhall, 
 
 23d August, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I have the honour to enclose, for your Excel- 
 lency's information, a copy of the suspension of arms, 
 agreed upon yesterday, and signed by Sir A. Wellesley 
 and General Kellerman. 
 
 It may be necessary to explain to your Excellency, 
 that what is mentioned about the Portuguese Army re- 
 lates to some Corps in the part of the country mentioned 
 in the article; but that the Army serving under your 
 Excellency's immediate command, united with the British 
 Troops, is comprised under the same head with them. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 MAJOR AYRES PINTO DA SOUZA. 
 
 Head-Quarters, Cintra, 
 
 2d September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I reply to your letter of yesterday's date, 
 with which I am just now honoured, and beg to remind 
 you, that, on the 23d of last month, I enclosed, to General 
 Bernardine Friere, a copy of the articles of the Agree- 
 
 x2 
 
308 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. ment for a suspension of hostilities between the hostile 
 Armies, which were to serve as a basis for the proposed 
 Convention for the evacuation of Portugal by the French 
 Army. In reply to the letter which adverted to these 
 articles of Agreement, the General might, as a matter 
 of course, have made any observations, or recommend- 
 ed any stipulations he thought proper ; and I am sure 
 you will do me the justice to assure the General and the 
 Portuguese Government (if necessary) that I advised 
 and even urged you to recommend it to his Excellency 
 to favour me fully with his sentiments on the subject, 
 whilst the negotiations were in progress. As my wishes 
 on this point were never acceded to, and as I never re- 
 ceived one word of comment from General Friere relative 
 to the basis on which the present Convention is founded, 
 I hope I shall be excused in expressing some surprise 
 at this late expostulation on terms fixed and agreed 
 upon, and to which the honour of the Commanders of 
 the British Army and Fleet is pledged, in as far as their 
 influence or power can be supposed to extend, by the 
 common known laws of war. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 TO HIS EXCELLENCY GENERAL FRIERE, 
 COMMANDER OF THE PORTUGUESE 
 TROOPS. 
 
 Head-Quarters, Cintra, 
 
 2d September, 1808. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 I had the honour to transmit to your Excel- 
 lency, on the 23d of last month, the several articles 
 agreed upon as the basis of a Convention for the evacua- 
 tion of Portugal by the French Army, and I now en- 
 
APPENDIX. 309 
 
 close a copy of the Convention itself, as ratified by the 1808 - 
 French General-in-Chief. I received the original of 
 this paper the day before yesterday, at an early hour ; 
 but, as the French General had accidentally omitted to 
 affix his signature to the Convention itself, (it being only 
 at the end of the additional articles), I was obliged to 
 send it back, in order to have that error rectified, which 
 put it out of my power to transmit you the enclosed 
 authenticated copy so early as I could have wished ; I, 
 however lost no time in causing Lieutenant-Colonel 
 Murray to make a confidential communication of the 
 substance of the whole to Major Ayres Pinto da Souza, 
 who, doubtless, lost no time in communicating the same 
 to your Excellency. I shall be anxious to receive a 
 communication from your Excellency as to the position 
 you wish the Portuguese Army to occupy until the em- 
 barkation of the French Troops; and there are now 
 many details of importance to arrange, which I should 
 be happy to confer with your Excellency upon, when it 
 may suit your convenience. 
 
 (Signed) H. W. DALRYMPLE. 
 
 (No. 18.) 
 
 Translation of a Despatch received by the Che v. de 
 Souza from the Bishop and President of the 
 Supreme Junta of Oporto. 
 
 (Extracts.) 
 
 Porto, 
 28tk August, 1808. 
 
 " I have had the honour of receiving your Excel- 
 " lency's despatches, &c. 
 
 " Thirty-two thousand English troops have landed in 
 
310 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. " this kingdom, according to their own account ; they 
 " have already had some actions with the French, in 
 " which they were always victorious. The accounts 
 " received here are not as yet authenticated in all their 
 * circumstances ; for which reason I do not, at present, 
 " send your Excellency an official relation : it is, how- 
 " ever, certain that the English attacked the enemy 
 " with incredible valour, and always conquered them. 
 " Finally, the French offered to capitulate, which the 
 " English consented to, and framed the preliminary 
 " articles, of which I send you a copy, and upon 
 " which the Supreme Junta has made the following 
 " observations. 
 
 " 1st. That our General was not called to assist at 
 " the Convention, but only informed of it after the 
 " articles were formed. 
 " 2d. That this Supreme Government, representing 
 
 " His Royal Highness, was not consulted. 
 " 3d. No declaration whatever was made respecting 
 " the manner the French army was to retire ; 
 " being clear that, in consequence of the offensive 
 " and defensive Treaty, entered into by us, with 
 " the Province of Gallicia, we can never consent 
 " that twelve thousand armed enemies should pass 
 " through Spain on their evacuating this Country. 
 " 4th. The line of demarcation established for the 
 " two combined armies obliges a part of our force, 
 " (the army of observation, commanded by General 
 " Baccelar,) which is at Santarem, to retire much 
 " further from Lisbon, which ought not to be per- 
 " mitted. 
 " Lastly. That, by these articles, the French are 
 " allowed to take with them whatever Portuguese 
 " property they may think proper, that they may 
 " embark them on board the Russian squadron ; 
 
APPENDIX. '4 I 1 
 
 * and that all persons attached to the French are 1808. 
 " at perfect liberty to depart with them. 
 " The Supreme Junta has thought fit to make these 
 " representations to the English General. 
 
 (Signed) « BISHOP and PRESIDENT." 
 
 " P.S. With regard to the Russian squadron, in 
 " order to avoid any reprisals, I have sent the enclosed 
 " despatch to the Commander of the said squadron, 
 " having first communicated it to the English General, 
 " that he might know our intentions in this respect. 
 " (A faithful Translation,) 
 (Signed) « DE SOUZA COUTTINHO." 
 
 Note. — This despatch ought to have been enclosed to 
 me, but was omitted. The despatch to the Russian 
 Admiral was to announce to him the neutrality of the 
 Tagus to his squadron. I was not the English General 
 to whom the Bishop alludes. — H. W. D. 
 
 (Two days after the preceding Despatch, the following 
 was addressed, by the same Person, the Bishop of 
 Oporto, to Sir IL Dalrymple.") 
 
 (translation.) 
 
 THE BISHOP OF OPORTO TO LIEUTENANT- 
 GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Porto, 
 30th August, 1808. 
 
 Most illustrious and most excellent Sir, 
 Having been informed of the arrival of your 
 Excellency, to continue to us the protection for which 
 we have hitherto been indebted to the most illustrious 
 
312 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. and most excellent General Sir Arthur Wellesley, I, 
 with the greatest satisfaction, present myself to your 
 Excellency, congratulating myself on your safe arrival, 
 and begging of your Excellency the good offices of your 
 protection; at the same time, assuring you of my 
 respect and gratitude. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. 
 (Signed) BISHOP AND PRESIDENT, 
 
 Governor. 
 
 (No. 19.) 
 
 LORD VISCOUNT CASTLEREAGH TO THE 
 LORD MAYOR OF LONDON. 
 
 My Lord, 
 
 I have the honour to acquaint your Lordship 
 that Captain Campbell arrived, this evening, with de- 
 spatches from Lieutenant-General Sir Arthur Wellesley, 
 dated Vimiera, the 22d ultimo, giving an account of two 
 victories obtained over the French Army, in Portugal ; 
 the first, on the 17th, at Zambria, over the advanced 
 corps of the French, consisting of 6000 men, com- 
 manded by Generals Laborde and Brennier ; in which 
 the French were defeated, with the loss of 1500 men, 
 in killed, wounded, and prisoners ; the second, over the 
 whole of the French Army in Portugal, consisting of 
 14,000 men, commanded by General Junot; wherein 
 the French were completely defeated, with the loss of 
 thirteen pieces of cannon, twenty-three tumbrils of am- 
 munition, and about 3500 men, killed, wounded, and 
 prisoners. 
 
APPENDIX. 313 
 
 In consequence of this action, General Kellerman 1808. 
 arrived, with a flag of truce, at head-quarters, on the 
 22d, to treat for terms. 
 
 Lieutenant-General Burrard landed, and arrived in 
 the field of action, after the battle had commenced, on 
 the 21st ultimo ; but he generously declined taking the 
 command from Sir Arthur Wellesley. On the 22d, 
 Lieutenant-General Sir Hew Dalrymple landed, and 
 took the command. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. &c. 
 
 (Signed) CASTLEREAGH. 
 
314 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. 
 
 TO GENERAL SIR HEW DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Almeida, 
 2lst November, 1808. 
 
 My Dear Sir Hew, 
 
 In consequence of the remoteness of this place, 
 and the almost incredible delays and difficulties attend- 
 ing all communication with it, I did not learn, till very 
 lately, not, in fact, until the arrival of Sir John Moore 
 here, the extent and violence of the frenzy which has 
 seized John Bull on the subject of the Convention for 
 the Evacuation of Portugal. It is very obvious by what 
 persons, and by what unworthy means, the public 
 opinion has been misled, and the passions of the mul- 
 titude inflamed on this subject; and, under such cir- 
 cumstances, I really rejoice to find that your conduct 
 (with which that of the whole army in Portugal may be 
 said to be identified) is about to be brought before a 
 tribunal, capable, I trust, of judging the merit of the 
 case, and of doing you and us that justice which a set 
 of profligate politicians attempt to deprive us of. 
 
 In looking over my papers, the other day, I found 
 the enclosed original, which you gave me at my depar- 
 ture for Oporto. You may, perhaps, wish to produce 
 it, and I hope it may reach you in time. 
 
 You will learn, from other sources, the state of affairs 
 in Spain, I consider them as very critical ; but think 
 that Sir John Moore will now be able to unite all, or 
 nearly all, the British Forces, and to collect on them 
 such part of the Spanish as may have sense enough to 
 avoid general actions with the French at the present 
 
 S 
 
APPENDIX. 315 
 
 moment. Such has not been the case with Blake, nor 1808. 
 with the corps of Galluzzo. I hope Castanos will be 
 more prudent. 
 
 I expect, every hour, to be permitted to join my 
 Brigade. Having, from hence, been employed to 
 manage the advance of the army, Sir John Moore has 
 thought it fair to keep me to bring up the rear : this is 
 now very near accomplished, the Buffs and Sixth alone 
 remaining behind. I have no notion of our intended 
 movements, and will not speculate upon them. 
 
 I beg you will have the goodness to present, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) ROBERT ANSTRUTHER, 
 
 Brigadier-General. O— ■ 
 
 TO LIEUTENANT-GENERAL SIR HEW 
 DALRYMPLE. 
 
 Sir, 
 
 Madrid, 
 18M October, 1808. 
 
 I learn, both from my private letters and 
 from the newspapers, that no public measure ever 
 received the same universal disapprobation, in England, 
 as the Convention made by you with the French Army 
 in Portugal. Under these circumstances, I trust that 
 the unsolicited offer of my opinion and evidence will be 
 attributed to the sole motives which occasion it, — a 
 sense of justice; and of that duty which exists between 
 man and man. For the correctness of my opinion I 
 dare not answer, but for its impartiality I may. With 
 the Convention I had no concern. With all its condi- 
 tions I was not acquainted till after it was sent to 
 England ; and between us there existed no friendship 
 which might give a bias to my feelings. 
 
316 APPENDIX. 
 
 1808. Of the principally obnoxious article, which allows the 
 
 return of the French to France, my opinion at the time 
 was that it was highly advantageous. It seemed to me 
 that, if this was not granted to them, the French could 
 not avoid defending themselves to the last. A resolu- 
 tion to this effect, though it might, ultimately, have 
 ended in their unconditional surrender, would, in the 
 mean time, have occupied our army for a great length 
 of time, and might have exposed it to great distress, 
 from the uncertainty of the communication with the 
 Fleet, and from the non-existence of any magazines or 
 preparation for a campaign ashore. An inevitable con- 
 sequence must have been that the efficacy and numbers 
 of the army for future operations, would have been 
 materially impaired. Believing, also, as was then sup- 
 posed, that the enemy's force did not amount to more 
 than 16,000 men, the disadvantage of the distant 
 junction of this reinforcement to the French Army in 
 Spain, bore no comparison, in my judgement, to the 
 advantages of the more immediate union of double the 
 number of highly-disciplined British Troops to the 
 newly-recruited Spanish Armies. Such were the rea- 
 sons, at the time, which made me approve this article. 
 I have since been in Spain, and am better enabled to 
 judge of the value of this reasoning; and my decided 
 opinion now is that the speediest union of the largest 
 British Army that can be collected with that of Spain 
 is indispensable to the welfare of the common cause. 
 The Spanish Government have pressed, in the strongest 
 manner, the arrival of our army ; and, let it be observed, 
 that the necessity that has occasioned these urgent de- 
 mands, while it has no connexion with the objection to 
 this article of the Convention, entirely supports the 
 reason for which it was made. 
 
APPENDIX. 317 
 
 With respect to the other articles, I must, with the 1808. 
 same truth, declare that I do not approve of some of " 
 them ; but, as they are of minor consequence, and do 
 not seem to be much objected to, I need not advert to 
 them. 
 
 I do not just wish this opinion to be put in the public 
 papers ; but, in any other manner, you are authorized 
 to make what use of it you please. 
 
 I have the honour to be, &c. &c. 
 (Signed) WILLIAM BENTINCK. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 LONDON : 
 Marchant, printer, ingram-court, fenchurch-street. 
 
ERRATA. 
 
 Page 11, line 15, for " ten" read ,( nine." 
 .. 38, .. 26, for ll conversation" read " Convention." 
 .. 40, margin, for " Whittingham's Letter" read " Cox's Letter. 
 ..112, .. 23, for " Gulluzzo" read " Galluzzo." 
 .. 146, .. 21, for " aruntos" read u asuntos." 
 . . 164, . . 11, for " British Army" read " Spanish Army." 
 . . 166, . . 10, for u Veteranos" read " Veteranas." 
 . . 177, . . 8, for " Moroco" read u Morocco." 
 . . 196, . . 13, for « Possibly" read " possibly." 
 . . 198, . . 7, for " Guillemno" read " Guillermo." 
 . . 205, .. 12, for " immdiately" read " immediately." 
 .. 206, .. 17, omit "of." 
 ..211, .. 21, for "reunsion" read " reunion." 
 . . 213, . . 21, for " interes es" read u intereses." 
 
 25, for u cun" read u con." 
 
 . . 214, . . 5, for " sa" read '* su." 
 
 10, for " desmcricido" read " desmericido." 
 
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