62 



ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



xnand, that there was nothing that 

 army would not attempt under 

 that commander, and few things 

 that they would not achieve. Mr. 

 Adam was particularly anxious 

 to express his strong approbation 

 of what had fallen from the ho- 

 nourable general respecting bri- 

 gadier general Anstruther. It 

 was impossible to speak too highly 

 of the military merit, the capacity 

 in all respects, and the excellent 

 character of that officer, who, if 

 his life had not been lost to the 

 public, would have been in the 

 list of those this day to receive the 

 thanks of their country.* Mr. 

 Adam, speaking with great interest 

 and feeling of general Ferguson, 

 stated, that he knew from the best 

 authority that Sir A. W. had said, 

 that the intrepid gallantry and 

 conduct with which general Fer- 

 guson led on his troops to the 

 charge was the finest thing he had 

 ever seen in his military service — 

 He thought that his honourable 

 friend, Mr. Whitbread, would pre- 

 judge the matter, by his amend- 

 ment as it regarded Sir H. Bur- 

 rard. — Mr. W. in compliance with 

 the recommendation of his honour- 

 able friend, withdrew his motion ; 

 retaining however the opinion he 

 had already expressed, that Sir 

 H. B, was entitled to the thanks 

 of the house. The amendment 

 being withdrawn, the resolution 

 for a vote of thanks to Sir A. W. 

 was put and carried. The thanks 



of the house were next voted lo 

 major generals Spencer, Hill, and 

 Ferguson ; and to brigadier gene- 

 rals Ackland, Nightingale, Fane, 

 and Bowes, and the officers under 

 their command. A resolution 

 was then agreed to, expressive of 

 the approbation of that house, of 

 the conduct of the non-commis- 

 sioned officers and privates. 



On the same day, January 25th, 

 in the House of Lords, the Earl 

 of Liverpool rose to move the 

 thanks of the house for the defeat 

 before Corunna. After a handsome 

 eulogium on Sir John Moore, and 

 some observations on the difficul- 

 ties encountered in the retreat, 

 and the battle in which it termi- 

 nated, and stating that in wording 

 the raolion, the precedent of 

 Egypt, in which the gallant Aber- 

 crombie fell, had been followed, 

 moved the thanks of the house to 

 lieutenant-general Sir D. Baird se- 

 cond in command of the army in 

 Spain; lieutenant-general the hon. 

 John Hope, who took the command 

 on Sir John Moore's receiving the 

 wound, which terminated in his 

 much-lamented death, and to the 

 other officers employed. All the 

 lords who spoke on this occasion 

 concurred heartily in this motion, 

 bestowed the highest praise on 

 the character and conduct of Sir 

 John Moore, and deeply deplored 

 his loss to the country. But the 

 Earl of Moira, in giving his con- 

 currence, could not avoid asking 



ministers, 



* It is with particular satisfaction that we record these honourable testimonies in 

 favour of general Anstruther. In his early years, when preparatorily to his entrance 

 into the army, he was prosecuting mathematical and other studies at St. Andrews, 

 he attracted the love and esteem of all around him, by the mildneSs and benignity 

 oHiis disposition, the quickness of his pai'ts, and his aptitude for study, and the ac- 

 quirement of all manner of knowledge. Every one wondered at his choice of a 

 military life, as kind nature seemed to have " formed him for the studiofis shade," 

 both by the poivers of his mind, and the delicacy of his bodily constitution. 



