ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



transmitted by the Civil and Military Junta of Madrid to the Com'^ 

 rtiander of the British Army — Warmly seconded and supported by 

 Dispatches Jrom Mr, Ft ere — Strange Infatuation, as lueli as Arro- 

 gance and Presumption, of that Minister — Means by which the false 

 Intelligence was happily counteracted. — The Force brought against 

 Spain by Buonaparte after the Conference of Erfurth. — The bold 

 Measures adojited by the British Commander for the Extrication 

 of his Army, draw the ivhole of the French Forces from their March 

 to the Southern to the Northern Provinces. — The British Army 

 commences its Retreat — Closely pursued by 70,000 French. — General 

 Orders by Sir John Moore, refecting on the Conduct of both Officers 

 and Soldiers. — Difficulties overcome, and dreadfd Hardships, Priva- 

 tions, and Losses sustained during the Retreat to Corunna — Which is 

 at last effected. — Battle of Corzinna.— Death and Character of Sir 

 John Moore. — Embarkation of the British Troops for England. 



IT will be recollected that in our 

 last volume* we left Sir John 

 Moore at Lisbon, under instruc- 

 tions to march through Spain with 

 his face towards Burgos, which 

 was to be the general rendezvous 

 of the British troops ; not only 

 then under the command of that 

 officer, but of those with which 

 he was to be reinforced from Eng- 

 land. It appears from the most 

 authentic documents f that this 

 plan of sending a British army 

 into the heart of Spain, to act in 

 the plains of Leon and Castillr, 

 was formedby Lord Castlereagh and 

 the Marquis of Romana, not only 

 without any communication either 

 with Sir Hew Dalrymple, then 

 commander in chief of the British 

 forces in Spain, or Sir John Moore, 

 who was destined to command the 

 army to be sent there, but also 

 without any concert either with 

 the Supreme and Central, or any 

 of the provincial Juntas. The en- 

 thusiastic ardour of the Spaniards 

 was supposed to be universal ; and 

 it seems to have been presumed 

 that this patriotic ardour of the 



universal Spanish nation, without 

 any previous concert or arrange- 

 ment, would quickly run into some 

 form or other, in which it might aid, 

 support, and co-operate with a Bri- 

 tish army. The manifestoes of 

 all the provinces breathed the 

 most exalted patriotism and de- 

 termined spirit to resist the French 

 or perish in the attempt; nor had 

 the first efforts of the patriots been 

 unworthy of those declarations. 

 A number of young officers too, 

 sent into Spain for the double 

 purpose of exciting the people, 

 and transmitting information to 

 our government, conversing only 

 with such as were of congenial 

 sentiments, views and hopes with 

 themselves, and caressed and 

 flattered with Spanish rank and 

 honours, made such reports to 

 ministers, as they themselves, no 

 doubt, believed to be true, and 

 which for certain they knew to be 

 such as ministers wished for and 

 expected. The event proved 

 how miserably ignorant Lord Cas- 

 tlereaga and the Marquis of Ro- 

 mana were both of the strength of 



the 



• Hist. Euh. p. 225. 



t Papers laid before both Houses of Parliament. 



