CHAPTER VII.
The March commenced—Scenes on the Road—Villa Dalla—Toro—Castro Monte—Palencia—Prospects of a General Action—Skirmishing—Massa.Head-quarters, Civil Department,Torre de Moncorvo, May 27, 1813.
The March commenced—Scenes on the Road—Villa Dalla—Toro—Castro Monte—Palencia—Prospects of a General Action—Skirmishing—Massa.
Head-quarters, Civil Department,Torre de Moncorvo, May 27, 1813.
My dear M——,
Wehere halt a-day; on the 22nd, about twelve, I arrived at Almeida—that heap of ruins—and turned out, by the authority of the Governor, two Portuguese officers, to get one miserable room as my quarters. Colonel Le Mesurier, the late governor, was too ambitious a man to remain inactive, shut up in Almeida during a campaign. He therefore applied for a brigade in the Portuguese service, and, though he could not obtain it, gave up his government to command a regiment. I met him at the gate on his way to Miranda de Duero to join his division. The new Portuguese governor was just moving, but as he had not yet got into the present government-house he gave us up all the great stable, which was very good, and he was in every respect very civil and willing to do the most for us. In my way here we had no particular adventures. By the aid of the Spaniard in loading we have much less trouble, and I have always ridden on, and got a quarter before the baggage arrived. My only companions were the Paymaster-general, Hunter, and Mr. Whitter, and nine other clerks with him, and the military chest, &c., and two or three commissariat parties. The weather has been uniformly fine, and at times very hot.We have daily been roused at five o’clock, and off at six, but have nevertheless suffered from the heat, at times very much, before we arrived at our station.
On the 23rd we left Almeida and descended to the Coa and passed it by a very picturesque bridge, rendered more so from one stone arch having been blown up, and repaired with wood in a rough style. After a mile of steep ascent, we reached a lofty, rough, level common, in a wild, uncultivated country, like Dartmoor; with the Sierra d’Estrella on one side, still partly tipped with snow, and the ridge of hills and Castello Rodrigo on the other. We passed Valverde,—a complete ruin now—a village without one roof remaining! I was sorry to hear that we had begun the destruction of it, and that the Portuguese soldiers afterwards left very little remaining for the French to do. The next village, Periero, was pleasingly situated, and we then soon got down by a river, and observed Pinhel with its old Moorish tower, fort, and walls, and a bishop’s palace, and a convent adjoining, a league before us, on the brow of a hill. At Pinhel we were all fixed by theJuez de Foresin the bishop’s palace, and had a choice of large empty rooms in this now uninhabited but lately handsome house. It was all tight, and Mr. Hunter having a table by means of baggage, and tubs for seats, we fared very well. The stables are magnificent, good ones for thirty horses, and inferior for sixty horses more.
At Almeida there was no green forage to be had; we bought small bundles of grass at about a shilling each in the grass-market for our animals. At Pinhel we however got an order for green barley from the Juge, twenty-eight pounds each animal for the day, and they all fared so luxuriously that my black gentleman was the next day very troublesome. In the bishop’s palace at Pinhel, the rooms formed a very handsome suite round a square court in the centre; the hangings, &c., all removed, but theceilings ornamented; the rooms well shaped, with a tolerable garden adjoining; but the house standing exactly like the Castle Inn at Marlborough, by the road side, at the end of the town. The water is very bad, a nuisance from which we are, it seems, to suffer much throughout the summer in Spain. Last year our men were at times obliged to hold their noses when they drank. At the convent adjoining the palace, which has been much damaged but not destroyed, one or two monks still remained, and I met one as I wandered over the building. He was very civil. The palace is now appropriated as barracks for officers or troops as they pass. The bishop lives at another, at Santa Euphemie, a league beyond Pinhel.
The castle is like all the Moorish castles I have seen here, with the square smooth towers of well-cut hard stone, as sharp now almost as when first built. In the castle lying about are four curious specimens of old cannon, two ribbed, made of beaten iron bars and braced together; one of them appeared to be hollow at both ends, and solid in the middle. The other two a sort of mortar, something in the shape of a very old-fashioned, clumsy earthenware jug, with a sort of handle to raise and fix it for use.
At the convent was a small aqueduct of stone pillars across the garden, to conduct a little stream of water to the monks’ habitations; the stream was so small in the pipe that you could scarcely see it run at all, but it was good, and ran constantly all the year, which, as the only good water was a mile off in the river, was very valuable.
On the 24th, our party, consisting of the ten paymasters, three commissaries, and myself, with about fifteen dragoons, and thirty or forty horses, and about thirty or forty baggage animals, assembled at five in the morning in the palace-court and marched onwards.
In less than a league we passed a very pretty village, called, I believe, Valbom, and in another short league came to Euphemia, another village, with rather a large but imperfect house where the bishop resides now; and I believe he was there sitting in his shady colonnade. In a short time we descended again and crossed the Lamego; here we all dismounted, and let the animals graze on the banks, whilst we got some bread and cheese. Half a league further on we turned up out of our road to Cotimos, our destination for the night. It was a bad village, but with a few houses formerly good and still tight. Mr. Hunter, Mr. Whitter, and I, were in a fidalgo’s house, and tolerably comfortable, though there was only an old woman there, but we had chairs and tables. We made a great cup with the country wine, brandy, lemons, &c., and were very well off for a dinner by the purchase of a leveret, eggs and bacon, and mutton broth.
On the 25th left Cotimos; and about a league beyond we came to a much better village, with two or three very good houses, of imposing appearance. This was directly in our road, and would have been a better division of the distance. After another league of excellent road we passed Marialva, half a league on our left, a village, with another Moorish castle. After another half league we came to the entrance of a long winding descent of a mile and a half, which brought us into a pretty vale, with another Moorish castle on the hill on our left; and there we again ate and the animals grazed in the meadows near a little stream. Thence we had a league and a half of excessively steep hill to ascend until we got on the high level where stands Villa Nova de Foscoa; this ascent at near one o’clock was tremendously hot work, and very difficult for the baggage.
We here began to get into the army train. About twenty hospital waggons were encamped on the hillnear the town, and two troops of the waggon train; and near them were about eighty ox-cars with bales of cloth done up in a sort of sacks to fill with straw for hospital beds, &c. We here got good quarters and tolerable fare.
On the 26th, leaving Villa Nova, we began immediately to descend a winding road to the Douro; this was very fine, one of the best things I had seen here.
I was off as soon after sunrise as possible to pass the ferry before the military chest. I got down to the bank and found about eighty cars drawn up to pass with ammunition, boards, planks, and beams, for the repair of bridges, &c. Two at a time crossed in one boat; and there was another for mules, &c. I stopped some Portuguese; and having waited an hour for the baggage, who had loitered on the road when I left them, we at last got on board this platform as close as we could stick.—Mr. Hunter, and six other gentlemen, about a dozen servants, seven stallions, three mares, and six loaded baggage mules. After some kicking and confusion, we landed safely, and after a league of ascent arrived at Torre de Moncorvo. Both banks of the river were covered on the sides of the road with parties of artillery or baggage grazing, &c.; some bivouacking, and others in camp. The scene was interesting, except that I regretted the obligation of cutting so much of the corn for green forage just as it was becoming ripe.
Here we found the same scene in all the environs; parties picketed and bivouacking, and more artillery drivers; quarters very moderate; but shops very decent; the town not destroyed, for the French have never been here.
The great number of troops which have been quartered here on the march has cleared most of the shops, and injured many of the buildings; even here we cannot buy anything except honey, sugar, bacon, bread, andcheese. The convent of Franciscans above the town is nearly entire, and has two tolerable pictures—the altarpiece, and one in the refectory, by Romano, the monks said, and from the style it may be so. There are some houses here with the furniture remaining; that of the Capitan Mor (the head inhabitant, and a colonel of militia) has painted coved ceilings, and apricot-coloured silk hangings, with old-fashioned wooden chairs and sofas, with bottoms to match the hangings. The church also is handsome. The town is surrounded by hills like Bath, and yet we ascended to it three miles from the Douro. I saw also something like a female to-day, a smart, pretty Lisbon miss going to church—quite a curiosity; and so, I believe, the inhabitants think. My old patrona (or landlady) here came to tell me to look out of the window, as “The Lady” was going by.
Head-Quarters, Civil Department, Villa Dalla, May 29th, 1813.—On the 27th, the night before I marched from Torre de Moncorvo, we had some heavy rain, which cooled the air, laid the dust, and made our journey onwards much more agreeable.
On the 28th, the road to Lagouça was very rough and hilly, and the distance four long leagues. The country is fine; the distance very like parts of Somersetshire and Devonshire in its general features, but the valleys are less rich, and there are some large pine-woods on the hills. About half way we passed Carvacies, a large village; and at the end of four leagues, Tornas, a poor place, where we had the option of stopping, but preferred Lagouça. A part of the staff corps were encamped near the pine-wood, with several cars and materials for bridges. They are, I understand, about to lay down a bridge somewhere on the Douro, very near that part, as a safe retreat in case of accidents.
At Lagouça I got a tolerable quarter, and bed, at the padre’s. House dirty only. I found books which hecould not understand, and I believe never looked at. There was the ‘Recopilacion of the Spanish Laws,’ a book of authority in Spain. He asked me if it was mine—the authority I acted from; had I known how to carry it I would have bargained with him for it. There was also a Horace, Bourdaloue’s Sermons in Spanish, and a few other sermons. He gave me some wine, and was very civil; and honestly sent after me something that I left behind.
Within a mile of Lagouça, but out of the main road, you look down on the Douro, which runs down in a deep rocky chasm, very fine and wild, with a very picturesque convent, which was once Mas Bonito, half way down on the Spanish side of the river, and the Spanish town of Miesa above. The French had long been at these places, and had much injured the convent; but had never got over, as there is only one little bark; and the brave Portuguese had a sort of battery. The scene was very fine.
To-day (the 29th) I started again after breakfast (but before six o’clock, being always called at four) for this place. The road was in general good, though rather hilly and in parts boggy. We passed to the left of Brosa; to the right of Majaduero, and near two or three other villages. The country is finer, and still more approaching Somersetshire. I have here, at Villa Dalla, got a decent quarter in a great farm-house, where there are five or six beds about my room, which has, however, only a door, no window or ceiling. In winter I should have been starved; it is now well enough. I got a table and chairs, and have bought one small fowl for a dollar, and two little chickens, nearly as big as pigeons, all bone, for half a dollar. We get eggs, and sometimes milk; and though this country has never seen the French, the houses do not seem quite in a state of English repair. The whole road is covered with marksof the encampments of troops, &c. The back of the village Lagouça was just like a drawing of an Otaheite village, and not much better, with bad thatch instead of tile, the general roof. The villages, however, are numerous, and much more populous than in the other parts of Portugal I have seen, and rather cleaner, being nearer Spain. There was bread from Zamora in the market at Lagouça regularly for sale.
Miranda de Duero, May 30th.—I came on here to-day a very long journey, meaning to have two days’ rest, but found Lord Wellington’s head-quarters had passed through here this morning; that his lordship left Salamanca yesterday, and was to be six leagues off in advance, near the Esla, to-day, the 30th. The French absolutely ran away, near Salamanca, and a small party were taken. Spanish head-quarters here to-day, and all in confusion.
Head-Quarters, Toro, June 3rd, 1813.—A day’s halt will enable me to give you a few lines to let you know how we go on. The day I sent my last from Miranda de Duero (May 30th), I learnt that head-quarters were to be that day and the next at Carbajales, near the Esla, to superintend one great object of the movement, the passage of the Esla, a formidable river in a military point of view. Fearing to be left behind, though without orders, I determined to march again the next morning (31st), at four, six long leagues to Carbajales. I tried to find the nearest road, the longest being round by Constantia, and, though the best, I did not wish to go above a league out of my way. My directions were to pass Yal d’Aguia, Aldea Nova, Fonfrio, and Vermilho. I got right to near Fonfrio and then, through a wrong direction given me by a little miss who sent me by mistake for Carvajosa, I found myself two leagues out of my way at Pino, and had to cross straight over the country for Vermilho. The consequence was that Iarrived late and tired at Carbajales, where head-quarters still remained, and at last got a very bad quarter there, but a good stable, which General Graham had just left.
In the evening of the 30th I went down part of the way to see the ferry over the Douro at Miranda. The scenery was very fine, and very like that at Lagouça; the river very deep and narrow, running violently through a chasm of rocks not unlike Chedder cliffs in Somersetshire; and the little ferry-boat almost invisible from above the road down and up above three miles, though the real distance across seems not above a quarter of a mile. Lord Wellington and a part of the staff only came over there. Heavy baggage, printing-press, &c., were left with the light division near Salamanca.
In my way to Carbajales, the road I kept near the Douro towards Aldea Nova was very picturesque, but bad. For the rest of the way the road became better, but the country was ugly, like Bagshot Heath, only with several villages—and the mountains in Gallicia, still tipped with snow, on our left, or nearly behind us. The morning of the day I got to Carbajales (the 31st), the pontoon bridge was placed, and made passable on the Esla, in less than three hours. The Hussars passed a bad ford of above four feet water and bad bottom early in the day to protect this operation, and two divisions of the army passed before night and encamped. Lord Aylmer, who had forded in the morning to go over and look about him, found the bridge ready, and the troops passing as he returned. These were the pontoons which had travelled up from Lisbon, and had been the cause of so much anxiety. About nine of them were used, and the river about the width of the Thames at Windsor. This being the state of things, the orders were to have all head-quarters’ baggage down at the water-side by six, and to get them over before the other troops should arrive and the guns. As I had got into a quarter withSpaniards, and they were lazy, I had some trouble to get mine off, but succeeded at last, and afterwards rode with Lord Aylmer.
We soon fell into the train of head-quarters’ baggage, the whole of the eighteen-pounders with their ammunition, &c., and one hundred and sixty oxen and their spare horses; and also the whole of the fourth division of the army—a train of three miles length in the whole. The scene presented by the winding down the hill to the bridge, and the order with which everything was managed, and the winding up the opposite bank, was very interesting. We passed about eight o’clock, baggage and all, and the guns and two more divisions of the army were safely over before five o’clock in the evening, with baggage, &c. We then had about three more leagues of a Bagshot Heath road, sand and pines, until we suddenly came in sight of Zamora and the Douro. The latter is here about as wide as the Thames at Kew Bridge, rather wider—more perhaps as it is at Fulham. It winds along a large plain on the south side under the ridge of higher ground to the north, on which, boldly and well-placed, stands Zamora with its Moorish church.
The town pleased me much. It is nearly the size of Salamanca, and having been much less destroyed, is, at present quite as good a town: the convents alone have suffered and been gutted. Some of the French had not left the place until the very morning our troops entered; the greater part, however, went off the night before. The castle was rather strong, and would, if defended, have delayed us two or three days, but the garrison would have been sacrificed. It was fitted up very regularly in the inside by the French for troops, places appropriated for everything, with the names inscribed. There was also a large foundling hospital, and a general hospital for the poor. In the former were only about ten or twelve babies, and about sixteen children, for they had nowscarcely any funds. Nearly opposite was the general hospital, with much space and good wards, but not above six or eight sick, partly from the same reasons, and partly because the French had only left the people the use of one small ward, and the room of the intendant, and occupied the rest with their sick and wounded. They had also now in this last retreat carried off all the linen, &c., and only left bedsteads and bedding. They had not, however, done any wanton mischief in Zamora when they left it this time.
The bridge is handsome, but in our retreat last year we blew up the centre arch out of about a dozen; it had been repaired since with wood. This the French had burnt, on the 30th, but by to-day it is repaired and passable. The people received us very cordially, scattered roses over our heads, criedviva, &c., and hung all their counterpanes and the hangings of their rooms out of the windows. The lady at my quarters embraced me, and was very kind, but—she was old. There was another like a plump Englishwoman, to whom I passed on the compliment.
The people entertained Lord Wellington and the staff with a concert, lemonade, and ices, &c. The former did not admire the time lost in singing psalms to him, as he said. I met him in the evening, in his Spanish uniform, riding down to the bridge to give directions. In the morning he was on one side of the pontoon bridge, and Marshal Beresford on the other. I almost knocked myself up running about to see Zamora, for we were to march again next morning. I could not attend a little dance given by Lord Wellington in the evening, and except for the iced lemonade should have been in a fever. A thunder-storm in the evening cooled the air, and a good bed made me ready again to march for this place (Toro), five long leagues, the next morning, June 2nd. The French having left Toro on the 1st of June, itbecame an object to take possession, and open a communication with the light division, and the second from Salamanca.
The road was admirable; a flat sandy level, by the river nearly all the way, until we came to the ascent on which the town of Toro is placed, standing still more boldly over the river than Zamora. The only village we passed, and that a poor one, was Fresno; but we saw several on our left, and across the river in the flat on our right.
Toro is very old, surrounded by ruined mud walls, and though it covers much ground has not many good houses, and is not to be compared to Zamora; there is, however, a market, with a little mutton and beef, and vegetables, pork, eggs, &c. The Moorish church here is much smaller than at Zamora, though that is not very large; there are a few tolerable pictures in both. The castle here is stronger than the one at Zamora, and appears almost new: it stands on the hill above the bridge, and is rather formidable. The two centre arches of this bridge had been blown up by us, repaired by the French with wood, burnt again by them now, and is now being repaired again by us.
We passed, two miles from hence, the sixth division and the seventh, taking up their encamping ground on a fine meadow by the river side, near a small wood. It was a very lively scene, the men marching with music, and as regular, without any disorder or loiterers, as if going to a review; the whole in high order. Yesterday evening the light division arrived from a place within three leagues of Salamanca, a march of nearly eight leagues, and encamped in a meadow near the water side, close to the bridge and ford opposite this town: they only left six men behind in their march. This morning the horse, the baggage, and the artillery, have all come over, passing by the ford; and though it is both wideand deep, I believe without accident, except wet baggage. The infantry crossed by ladders across the breach in the bridge—that is, down one side, then up the other—one by one. They encamp at Morales to-day. This was also a very interesting and animating scene from the hill, which is a humble imitation of Richmond Hill in point of beauty.
The Hussars have commenced famously; they brought into Zamora an officer of the 16th (French), and about thirty prisoners, whom they dashed at, and knocked over in fine style, with little loss. The officer came in here prisoner on horseback, which offended the Spaniards, who were disposed to insult the prisoners, whom they dared not fight, and who had been with them now nearly four years or more.
Yesterday the Hussars again came up with the 16th French cavalry and some others; the latter had only a small bridge to pass which would only carry four abreast. Two squadrons of the 10th formed and charged; the French stood at first well, but were broken, and then formed again. The 10th formed, charged again, and again broke the French; the latter then still made another effort, but at last ran for the bridge. The 10th killed a few, and brought about a hundred and ninety prisoners in here; no horses were taken. Twelve or fifteen men badly wounded were left about two miles off, where it happened. Several of those who came in here were much cut and wounded, covered with blood, wounds neither washed nor dressed; but they were fine-looking men; their horses thin, and smaller than ours. Another officer was taken, to whom I spoke. He said he had advised that they should not remain on this side the bridge, but his superior officer ordered otherwise, and afterwards ran away when attacked. We lost a Captain, who was taken prisoner, and a Lieutenant killed, both of the 10th; and about five or six men killed and wounded.The Captain passed some way over the bridge, where the French had artillery and infantry in force, and they came down and cut him off.
The French had yesterday, I hear, nearly ten thousand men about five miles off, and nearly thirty-eight thousand or more in the vicinity of Valladolid. This made us halt to-day. The second division are still between this and Salamanca, but are expected. The whole are now within eight leagues of this, I believe; most of the divisions very close. The Spaniards are near Benevente: Don Julian’s cavalry, between this and Salamanca, have sent in about thirty prisoners and two officers here to-day, who were marauding, I suppose. The French told the people here that they were only moving to make room for other troops.
The Portuguese troops are generally in very high order, as well as ours, quite as well clothed, and hitherto well in health, though they bivouac when ours encamp, their Government not furnishing them with tents. Yesterday was a pleasant cool day for a long march. I met Lord Wellington again last night, walking about in his grey great coat alone. We have a hundred pieces of field artillery with us, besides the eighteen-pounders.
A French commissariat party were caught in a wine-house on the 1st of June; one was brought in prisoner, and nine were killed in the house, as they would not surrender.
Lord Wellington reviewed the sixth and seventh divisions near Morales to-day. They did not perform well, and the poor aides-de-camp were galloped all over the country in consequence: the Portuguese were stupid.
Head-Quarters, Castro Monte, June 5th, 1813.—On the 3rd, we started for La Mota, three long leagues of good road. I was late, for my careless fellows had allowed one of the mule-saddles to be stolen in the night, and we were a long time getting off in consequence, andvainly endeavouring to replace the loss; but upon the whole, when I hear of all the sore backs, lost animals, &c., around me, I am lucky. I looked at the two hundred French cavalry horses which were sold, with a view to purchase one, but they were all half-starved, and the service having seized upon the best hundred and fifty for Government, the remainder, which were sold by auction, were most miserable.
The road from Toro was full of animation: it was one train of baggage and soldiers the whole way, three leagues, as we are now in the midst of the division. La Mota is a very good, large farming village, in a productive corn country, and the quarters were very good in consequence, the inhabitants being comfortable; the French, however, who had left it the day before, had carried off all the bread and fowls, &c. My landlord, Don Fernando Granado, was very gracious to me. Lord Wellington was in a large and elegant palace of the Duke of Berwick and Alva, and, in order to celebrate the King’s birthday, had the band playing, &c.
At five this morning we marched for this place, three long leagues again only. It is a miserable hole; with only eighty houses of all sorts, and we require a hundred billets. Several are doubled up, several are encamped, which, as we have now a thunder-storm and rain, is not very agreeable. I have an humble quarter, with mules and all close.
We had a hot but cheerful ride to-day, as we were in the midst of the march. I first passed the Household Brigade; the Blues look very well, the Life Guards fair enough; then the third division, then the fourth, the seventh; I saw also the light division; five are within a league of this. The second crossed the Douro yesterday, and are to-day about a league on our right, under General Hill. I saw Picton with his, looking tolerably well. The French left Madrid the 20th or 28th of May,finally, and have by forced marches joined their army near here. The French were off again yesterday from Valladolid and Tordesillas, and were to be to-day at Duennas; it is thought they may stand at Palencia, or near there; I suspect not, however, though we all wish they would, and fight whilst our men are in health and spirits. I have just heard that their right is at Placencia.
To-morrow we move for Amputia, a good town, it is said, five leagues off. On our road to-day, about half way, we passed one of the finest convents in Spain—La Espina—in ruins; situation good, domain considerable; a large building, handsome, as far as it remains, but the walls only are standing. Adieu: I shall finish and send this off to-morrow.
Amputia, 2 o’clock, 6th June.—I arrived here at ten, having left Castro Monte at half-past five, and seen my baggage off, after breakfast; of course I was up soon after three. The road was by a bye-way over the common, but tolerably good, and covered with troops and baggage the whole way, for the third, fourth, and light divisions of infantry, with their baggage and artillery, head-quarters, the Household Brigade, and the Hussars were all on our route, and passed in their way; they are now in this neighbourhood.
We passed Villa Alba de Alcor, three leagues further; an old ruined village rather, with a castle and walls all around, but nothing particular; after that Villa Real, a little village, and then here. This is a large old-fashioned town, with the houses in the streets projecting, and standing on wooden pillars, so as to form covered footways, a tolerably large church, and a castle nearly perfect, where our police corps and the cavalry are quartered. The people are apparently more cordial and zealous. I have been over the church, spire and all, and castle, and have taken two sketches, for the rain hasmade it rather cool and pleasant to-day. The country round this town onwards, towards Sahagun, Placencia, &c., is a dead flat, covered with villages and towns, but no trees. Another large castle on a hill, half a league off, and on the whole rather striking.
The French left Palencia the day before yesterday, and are off again in advance, with a good start. Report says they have also left Burgos town, not the castle; they are seventy thousand strong, but think us, we hear, too much for them, and are consequently retiring to strong positions. By very long marches we might perhaps press them, and take some prisoners, and part of the cattle and provisions they are carrying off; but this might put our army out of the high order and condition it is now in, and Lord Wellington does not seem to think this worth while for such an object. So the Hussars and Household are both kept quiet in this neighbourhood, and not sent in pursuit; indeed they could do little without strong support.
Head-Quarters, Amusea, June 9th, 1813.—Another halt to-day enables me to proceed with my journal. The night I sent my last from Amputia, our orders were to have all the baggage ready to start, at the end of the town, by five o’clock on the following morning; and that I should fall in, and proceed on the road towards Palencia, in the rear of the column of the third division, but at the head of the baggage of all the light, third, and fourth divisions. This was because the French had shown twelve squadrons of cavalry at Palencia; and Colonel Waters who went on there that day, could not enter, so that it was not certain that it should be safe to give out in orders, “head-quarters, Palencia.” The cavalry had marched early; and as they entered one end of Palencia at about six in the morning, the last of the French were off at the other.
I passed the third and fourth divisions, went throughParadilla, and entered Palencia with the light division. On getting my billet, I wandered about to see all that was to be seen before my baggage came. The city is old and curious, in size much about the same as Zamora. Lord Wellington passed us on the road soon after six, and went on through Palencia, some way, to reconnoitre.
We passed through a good open corn country until about a league beyond Paradilla, and then descended a long hill, with a deep clay soil, into the green and rich valley in which Palencia stands. The city appears to great advantage surrounded with meadows, and some trees, but mostly young ones. The Carrion is a respectable river, and we passed the canal near it, about half a mile from the city, where a very considerable paper manufactory remains unfinished; and the French having taken down windows, mill-wheels, &c., for firing and shelter in their huts for their bivouacs there the day before, the work will, I take it, be for some time interrupted.
The bridges into Palencia were handsome and entire. The streets are rather narrow, and the main one, the “Calle Mayor,” about a good half-mile long, contains about three hundred houses, all old-fashioned, and standing upon stone tall pillars over the footway, on each side, with the shops under, like Covent Garden. The houses are in the old style, like Exeter, or Chester, and Geneva; the streets badly paved, with a most offensive gutter in the middle; the whole dirty. The bishop’s palace is a large, plain, neat stone edifice, quite modern, of 1799, being built round a square, complete only on one side and a half however, the rest being bare walls.
The cathedral is Gothic and very handsome, the arches lofty and rich; but the custom all over Spain of having the choir in the centre, with very high double screens, deprives you altogether of the fine main aisle, so magnificent in our churches. This spoils the effect, though thescreens and sides of the choir in the centre were most richly wrought, with Gothic masonry, like some of our monuments of Henry VIIth’s time. The side-aisles above are left open, and as there is a range of chapels the whole way down each side, and at the end, filled with gildings, saints, and pictures, the whole striking. There were also a few good pictures.
I afterwards went to the top of the spire, to survey the town, villages, and roads around. On my return, I was sorry to find orders to march again for this place, Amusea, next morning.
The town was all hung with counterpanes on our arrival, which made it look gay, and the people cheered us much. The general cry, however, is everywhere, “Viva Espana!” though there is scarcely a Spaniard to be seen in our line of march. Now and then, however, we hear, “Vivan los Ingleses!” and “Los Portugueses!” or “Las tres naciones aliadas!” The Portuguese are in the highest order, the men really look at least equal to ours, better than some; the officers are well dressed and gay, and have the advantage of language; the infantry and the Caçadores in particular. The whole army marches very fresh hitherto, but the Portuguese in particular: they come in even to the last mile singing along the road. The cavalry are not nearly so good, and, I suppose, are not much to be trusted. From what passed last year near this place, when they turned short round and ran away, they are called the Vamuses, for they ran off with a general cry of “Vamus!” Their infantry are termed Valorosas, from their having hugged and cheered each other early in the war, when they had for the first time behaved well and beat off the French, each patting the other on the heart, and saying, “Mucha valorosa!—Mucha valorosa!”
I hope the latter will support their name; and indeed they are disposed to do so, for we have put so much beefinto both men and officers, that they are quite different animals, and will not submit at all to what they used to do, even from the English.
Our horses finished the half-eaten meal of the French, and I believe that has been all they have left behind for us hitherto; not a store of any kind, sick man, or anything else, has been discovered at Valladolid or anywhere; they must have been well-prepared for this plan.
The young avenues of trees round the town suffered a little by the French bivouac; and our men laid waste many a field of wheat in their march and for forage. The former is particularly wrong, being quite unnecessary, and merely to save perhaps a few hundred yards, or to get before others a little. I was glad to see General Picton stop a party, and about to punish them on the spot. The taking the wheat for forage is also very bad, for the commissaries regularly buy a field at each place, and allow us to take each our proportion, cutting the whole fairly and properly; whereas the fellows who go and steal, cut patches all about, and tread down more than they cut.
King Joseph left Torquemados, three leagues on the right, the day before yesterday, and it is said, peeped in again afterwards. The last French troops left it yesterday at five in the morning, and I believe General Hill’s head-quarters were there afterwards from Duennas. Castanos and his Spaniards are on our left all the way; they came by Benevente across the Esla and so towards Carrion. Their head-quarters were yesterday, I believe, at Villoldo, on our left. The Life-Guards and Blues looked well on their entrance into Palencia, and on their march yesterday the former, however, seem dull and out of spirits, and have some sore backs among their horses. The Blues seem much more up to the thing, but they are neither of them very fit for general service here. Lord Wellington saves them up for some grand coup, houses them when he can, and takes care of them. Tobe sure, if many of the French cavalry are like some specimens we have seen, particularly two deserters yesterday, who were on ponies I could almost jump over, one of our Householders must upset them like an elephant, if they come fairly in contact.
A French officer, a deserter (the third officer), came in two days since, with a pretty woman, daughter of a General, with him; he calls her his wife. Another starved scullion came here yesterday, and says he is an officer, and has some papers, but I think he stole them. He is a little dirty beast, in rags and without uniform. The cavalry who have been taken and deserters are quite new-clothed, and the men very fine; the last who has come in is a Fleming, and had they not persuaded him to enter our corps of guides, I should have taken him as a groom, and bought his pony.
Tamarra, a village a league from this, was deserted by the inhabitants, with their provisions; the French, in consequence, made an example of it, and it is as bad as the Portuguese villages now, almost a heap of ruins. Indeed, all the houses and villages on the high road to Torquemada have suffered terribly, and the villages generally are now becoming worse, more dirty, andà la Portuguese. I hear this is now the case all round Burgos, and till we get across the Ebro, if we are destined to do this. We are eleven leagues now from Burgos. The weather has been cool and excellent for the march this last week, and rain often in the night; it has now rained the last sixteen hours, and I hope will be fine again for the march to-morrow. I dined with Lord Wellington yesterday, for the first time on the march, and gave him your Roman Catholic book, with the lists of their schools and establishments in England. He looks well, but anxious, as you may suppose just now, for a false step may be fatal. All prospers hitherto. The eighteen-pounders are near, the twenty-fours still atCorunna, and if wanted will, I suppose, go round by sea to St. Andero. For the present, adieu.
June 11th, Head-Quarters, Castrogores.—The church at Amusea is large and handsome: a room 150 feet by 50, and 70 feet high, without a pillar, and the whole end one mass of gilding. Yesterday morning, after the violent rains of our halting day, we started at five on a fine day, the roads in a terrible state, for Mergan de Fernamental, head-quarters, on the 10th, five long leagues. Our way was near the noble canal, and through Pino (one league), a large village. From thence another league through Fromista, a larger place; then another league to Requena: then another to Lantidillo, where we crossed the Pisuerga over a large bridge, left entire; and then after another long league, Mergan de Fernamental.
The country was flat, and rich in corn, meadows, &c., nearly all the way, but low and boggy, and a hard march for men and baggage, &c.; mine started at five, and did not arrive till about two. There were villages thickly set all around us, and all with large churches. The latter, compared with ours, are very much superior, considering the size of the places: all possess a considerable church of rather curious construction, and all somewhat different, though in general appearance alike. The church at Mergan was particularly handsome, and more like our Saxon at Gloucester and Tewkesbury. It had some decent pictures, so indeed have several of the quarters, though perhaps not very valuable. Many are to be bought very cheap, and I should have purchased some, had I known how to carry them home.
At Mergan we were in the right road for Reynosa and St. Andero, and the first division were two leagues in advance the same way. I conjectured we were going to open a communication with St. Andero, and to cross the Ebro as soon as the French from Burgos, and thusturn them. There seems now, however, to be a change of plan, as to-day we are come three leagues here, nearly in the right road again for Burgos, which we had before left on our right. Here we have fallen in with General Hill’s division, who are now within half a league of this place. We are thus all now quite close together, and report says that the French have united their army of the north to the rest, and are now between this and Burgos eighty thousand strong, about four leagues distant.
They thus seem to make a stand here, and we are, probably, assembled in case they should persist, but many think it is still only a plan to make us assemble and draw up, to see what we have, and also to give time for their baggage and plunder, oxen, &c., to withdraw without loss: time will show. The sooner the battle comes for us the better, I think: and so do most, but it will be more tremendous, probably, than any hitherto fought in Spain. The numbers now approach those of the great continental armies on both sides, and we are at least equal, if you reckon all that are well dressed and ought to fight on our side; as to the Spaniards, hitherto we must put a query to that. Don Julian’s cavalry have sent in about forty or fifty infantry stragglers of the French, and have killed a dozen or more,—about fifty or sixty in all; several with bad pike or lance wounds.
Mergan is a very dirty old town, but this town, Castrogores, though larger, and the quarters better, is in that respect much worse; the streets so offensive, that you must hold your nose in passing through them, and everything about the place filthy. We passed the German hussars in quarters half a league off on our way here, and crossed the line of march of the light and fourth divisions, meeting General Hill’s army on our arrival here.
The scene is now very animated. This place is above a mile long, round the bottom of an insulated hill, with a castle at the top of it, which looks over a rich country for some way to a ridge of hills which bound the whole, about a league off; trees, however (except just round a few quintas or villas, and about the several ruins of the old monasteries), are very scarce; corn most luxuriant, but not much forwarder than with us in England. Weather, hitherto, scarcely at all too hot, and that only for a few hours; at times very cold. Lord Wellington has gone through again on in front.
Castrogores, June 12th.—As we halt here to-day, instead of marching to Eglesia, as was intended, I determined to finish this, and seal up to-day for Lisbon. Colonel A——, of the German hussars, told me that he saw about two or three thousand French cavalry the day before yesterday, but they filed off as we came in sight. Colonel Waters went on yesterday to within a league of Burgos. He only saw about fifteen thousand French in a valley near there, near Quinta della Duennas. They were about to march, and the reports are that they are off again, and the whole of the second division of General Hill’s army have advanced hence this morning. They began at daylight, and about eight o’clock the Spaniards began to file by, just below my house. This was General Murillo’s corps: I went down to look at them. There were about ten regiments, I think, but most of them small ones. The men looked very well, though a great many were quite boys. They were singing, joking, and in good spirits: the artillery with them in good order, the draft mules quite fat. The clothing and equipments of some very good, though unequal to ours, or to the Portuguese; others moderate only. They wore a sort of flannel jacket and trousers not at all alike, and some were ragged, here and there a man barefoot,—very few; all with good caps, in the French style, and the officersmore respectable than usual, and generally mounted; some very fierce-looking pioneers, fine grenadiers, and all with good English town muskets in good order, brighter than our own, being, most probably, nearly new: in short, the whole was respectable. If they will but fight as well as they look, it will do. Doyle’s regiment was one of the best; but the very best, I think, was the Regimento del Unione.
General Alava, the Spanish great man at head-quarters, is in high spirits, thinks all going on well, and is beginning to ask one or two to dine with him at his mansion near Vittoria, where his estates lie. He only begs that he may have a guard to preserve his green forage from our soldiers. The Spaniards are astonished at our baggage. The French carry very little, as they make the people at the quarters furnish everything they want, which is not so much as we require. We carry everything with us. An English captain, therefore, has (plunder excepted) almost as much baggage as a French colonel. Barley is already scarce, and not to be bought, though we pay in guineas. Bread is also scarce, as well as beef. I hope soon to hear through St. Andero, but the French have Castro and Santona. We still have reports that the works at Burgos are being destroyed; it may be so, if the French resolve to go to the Ebro, for the garrison will otherwise be sacrificed. We have only six eighteen-pounders, about the same as last year; the twenty-fours are at Corunna. This will not do for the siege well, and I hope that will not be necessary. For the last thirty miles and more the style of the houses has changed. They are generally now mud or cob walls, like those in Devonshire, whitewashed, but not in the best repair, or else they are unburnt brick, or dried mud bricks with mud plaster.
Miserable Head-Quarters at Massa, June 14th, 1813.—The regular English post-day was yesterday, but I hadnot time to write then, and as it is ten to one but that this will be in time for the same packet, though you will have, I hope, a long letter by the same mail, yet, wishing to give you the latest news from hence, and to let you know the events which have occurred, I write again.
At four o’clock on the 12th, as I told you, Lord Wellington had not returned from the front when my last letter was sent off. He came back at seven o’clock; he and his horse and his comrades well tired. The enemy were found about fifteen thousand strong, two leagues south-west nearly of Burgos, with cavalry and artillery. We had up the hussars (heavy), and General Fane’s brigades of cavalry. Manœuvring went on a considerable time with skill. Our infantry could not get up in force in time, or much would have been done. We had a gun, however, close to a French column, and killed a few. We also took an officer and about ninety men prisoners, some desperately wounded, and one gun. A charge of cavalry was ordered, but the French moved off.
There seems to be considerable confusion at times in the intermixture of the French and English. The light divisions were at hand; the second near with the Spaniards, but not up. The Prince of Orange galloped about well, with orders; he knocked up his horse, and was in some danger. Lord March met a French dragoon, took him till he came close for an English soldier, turned short round, was struck at by the Frenchman, and his horse slightly hit below the ear: in short, something material was very nearly happening.
The next day (the 13th) we had orders to march to Villa Diego, where head-quarters were yesterday; a dirty place, but quarters tolerable. The country between is rich and good, and covered with villages. We passed, among others, Ormillos, Villa Sandine at a distance, and Sasamon, in perfect ruin; the whole place, church and all, both of considerable extent and size, having beenburnt by Romana and his army for some real or supposed treason. The destruction was certainly well performed; the punishment severe, and very impartially inflicted. The next place we came to, which had been a very neat village, was nearly in the same state, from the same cause. Villa Diego was nearly six or seven leagues from Burgos. Lord Wellington, &c., went round that way, to see how matters went on. They could not find any French, and at last ascertained that the works, castle, &c., of Burgos, had been all blown up and destroyed by five o’clock yesterday morning. This news caused no little joy to every one, and most particularly to those who expected to have to knock their heads against the place. Many good lives have thus been saved. This news met us about four o’clock yesterday, and in consequence to-day we had a long march to this place, Massa, on our way to the Ebro.
We shall probably nearly all get across about the same time; I think French and all. Some of the Spanish army of Gallicia pass to-day up towards Reynosa. The first division do the same to-day or to-morrow. We met one cavalry brigade on their road to cross at St. Martine to-day. General Murray told me that we should probably cross to-morrow; but I find we are here five leagues from a bridge or ford. The first two leagues here to-day were through a productive country like Wiltshire; round smooth chalk hills, well-watered meadows, and rich pasture valleys, with abundance of grass: draining and better farming, with cleanliness, were all requisite. We then entered a rough, wild country, with rocks, &c. We nearly all lost our way, including General Murray, the Quarter-Master-general, with whom I was riding, Lord Wellington himself, and nearly all the baggage! We were near a place called Brulla, ought to have passed Cuirculo, near Urbel de Castro, whereas we got througha rugged pass in the rock, came down to a picturesque village, called La Piedra (so called, probably, from the rocks around it), and there we fell in with the fifth division. At last, after passing another little space called Fresnoy, and leaving Urbel de Castro, in a valley on our right, with a curious small castle on a pointed hill close to it (from whence the name), we arrived at this wretched place. The houses in this place would not in any way hold half of us; so the Spaniards have been sent back to Fresnoy, the artillery, commissaries, paymasters, and doctors to Vilalda, or some such place, a league off.
I was forgotten, but have, from there being one spare quarter, got a wretched dirty hole here: it is the worst of dirty cottages. My baggage is all in the entrance. I have no place but a dirty passage to put up my bed in; I have a table and chair, but am surrounded by baskets, hampers, tubs, boxes, sheepskins, dirt, &c. Cobwebs and dirt are dropping upon me continually. Most have encamped. Lord Wellington and Marshal Beresford are walking up and down the street, and the Military Secretary is writing under a wall, upon his knees, whilst his servants are pitching his tent. In a little field where General Alava is about to encamp, there were just now the Military Secretary, Colonel Scovell, the Commander of the Police Corps, Fitzclarence, General Alava, the Spanish Aide-de-camp, Colonel Waters, the Prince of Orange, and your humble servant, all lying upon the ground together, round a cold ham and bread, some brandy, and a bottle of champagne. And no bad fare either you will say. The Prince and Lord Fitzroy, like two boys, were playing together all the time.
The people in this part of the country are as bad, if not worse than in Portugal. There is nothing but filth and laziness. They are not good-looking either. They live in dirty mud houses, and fleas are so abundant thatI cannot sleep from their annoyance. I suppose we shall cross near Puente Arences, or Rampalaise, to-morrow, or next day at the latest. The French have left about ninety sick or wounded at Burgos, and the bedding of the hospitals, about eight hundred beds. No cannon, &c. We are already short of forage or corn for the horses; bread scarce, as well as spirits, and the country we enter produces little or nothing.