HISTORY OF EUROPE. 



23 



final result of the contest, Sir John 

 Moore's plan of operations, and 

 its execution, actually saved Spain 

 from complete subjugation at that 

 time. He drew Buonaparte from 

 the south to the north ; ruined his 

 equipments, diminished the num- 

 ber of his army, and so harassed 

 his troops as to prevent the pos- 

 sibility of making any progress for 

 several months. The breathing 

 time afforded by these means, and 

 by the Austrian war, was employed 

 by the Spaniards in recovering 

 from their terrors. In the weak 

 defence made in parliament by Mr. 

 Canning for Mr. Frere, whom he 

 had so injudiciously selected as 

 the British minister plenipoten- 

 tiary in Spain, and clothed with 

 such extravagant powers, some 

 dark insinuations were thrown out 

 against the conduct of the general. 

 The hint was instantly seized by 

 some of the hirelings of adminis- 

 tration, who, after an eager search 

 for a fault in the conduct of the 

 campaign, pretended that he ought 

 to have defended the passes of 

 Gallicia. But those who possess 

 the slightest knowledge of military 

 affairs, by casting their eyes on the 

 map, will see at once, that had 

 this been attempted, Buonaparte, 

 by his numerous corps, would 

 easily have sent detachments round 

 into the rear, blocked up the com- 

 munication with the sea, and thus 

 have surrounded the British army. 

 It appears that exclusive of 

 small passes and mule paths, there 

 was a practicable road for the 

 French not 30 miles distant from 

 that which the English had taken. 

 Under these circumstances, Sir 



John Moore knowing that another 

 road was open which he did not 

 dare to occupy,* as it would have 

 been dangerous to have divided so 

 small an army, did not delay an 

 hour more than was absolutely ne- 

 cessary, the retreat of the army. 

 And it is a fact, that a Spanish 

 battalion made good their way 

 through small passes or mule- 

 paths, on their march to join the 

 Marquis of Romana. 



Besides, this province of Spain 

 is so destitute of provisions, that 

 though Sir David Baird, in con- 

 formity to the orders repeatedly 

 sent him by Sir John Moore when 

 he first entered Gallicia, attempted 

 to form magazines; little more 

 could be collected than what was 

 required for the daily subsistence 

 of the troops ; and the country 

 was quickly so exhausted, that 

 some hundreds of the Marquis of 

 Romana's men were actually fa- 

 mished in the neighbourhood of 

 Astorga. From this dearth, chiefly. 

 Sir John Moore was compelled to 

 detach from his small array, Gene- 

 ral Crauford with three thousand 

 men ; and to send them to Vigo 

 by Orense. Unless then, the troops 

 could have subsisted upon snow, 

 it was impossible for them to re- 

 main in that country;— we have 

 not heard of any military man 

 maintaining the propriety of an 

 attempt to make a stand at the 

 passes of Gallicia, except Colonel 

 Charniilly. 



While General Moore was con- 

 veyed in the manner above-menti- 

 oned from the field. Captain Hard- 

 ing observing that his sword in- 

 commoded him, attempted to un- 

 buckle 



• Count Cherljot, and several oilier English officers travelled tliis very road 

 during a heavy ttdl yf snow, on the 2nd, 3ra, and 4th of January. 



