HISTORY OF EUROPE. 189 



British army,* (for the Spaniards intercepting occasionally convoys 



were by no means fitted as yet to of provisions designed for the Eng- 



maintain a contest with the French lish army, and applying them to 



single handed) he gave the most the use of his own, he on several 



important and excellent advice to occasions refused to the entreaties 



the junta, which this council ap- of the British general the means 



peared to be disposed to follow; of conveyance or transport, mules, 



of which they gave earnest in the carts, and cattle for drawing 



recall of that refractory and capri- them. 



cious man, Cuesta, from the com- But whatever may be thought 

 mand of the army, and by greater of the effect produced by the 

 exertions to furnish both to the information and counsels that the 

 British and their own armies pro- marquis of Wellesley carried with 

 visions, stores, and the means of him to Spain, much important 

 transport. It appears from some and useful information was cer- 

 of Sir Arthur Wellesley's letters tainly brought back by the mar- 

 in August and September, 1809, quis from Spain to Britain. The 

 to his brother, the marquis, that marquis himself was received both 

 while Cuesta was in the habit of at Cadiz and Seville with every 



demonstration 



• Sir Arthur Wellesley calculated the disposable force of the French in Spain, 

 after the battle of Talavera, at 122,000 men, well provided with cavalry and artil- 

 lery, without including in this number the troops in Pampeluna, Barcelona, and 

 other garrisons. In that number, however, he reckoned the corps employed under 

 the generals, St. Cyr and Souchet in Caialonia, amounting to 32,000 men. The 

 other 90,000 were distributed in Castille and Estremadura. Of the aggregate force 

 70,000 were actually in the field, namely, the corps of Victor, Soult, Ney, Mortier^ 

 and Sebastiani. The remainder of the 122,000 were distributed in different gar- 

 risons, such as Madrid, the Escurial, Avila, Valladolid, Toledo, and other places, 

 or employed in keeping up the communications between one place and another. 

 But they could be brought into the field in an instant if occasion required it.— To 

 this force the Spanish government had nothing to oppose but the two corps under 

 the command of Venegas and Egiva, who had succeeded in the command of the 

 corps to general Cuesta. Blake might have re-assembled about 6,000 men. The 

 marquis of Romana had under his command 15,000 men; but having neither ca- 

 valry nor artillery, he was confined to the mountains of Gallicia. There was a gar- 

 rison of 9,000 men at Ciudad Rodrigo ; but the duke had a repugnance to their being 

 moved to any other position. The English army might be calculated at from 20 to 

 25,000. Considering the difference in the activity and discipline of the opposite 

 armies. Sir Arthur was decidedly of opinion, that no enterprise could be under- 

 taken with any prospect of success; especially when the difficulties arising from local 

 circumstances, which the allies had to encounter, were compared with the advan- 

 tages possessed by the enemy. The French could assemble the whole of their forces 

 in Castille and Estremadura, and place part of them in front of the allies, and part 

 in their rear, as they might thinlc proper. — The anecdote that follows places the 

 character of the supremejunta in a degrading, but, we doubt not, a very true light. 

 The junta was disposed to reinforce the arm^' under Venegas; not that this was 

 necessary or elegible in a military point of view, but because they were persuaded 

 that this army, which was a dangerous instrument, was safet in thehands of Vene- 

 gas than of any other general. They stationed no more than 12,000 men in Estre- 

 madura, because they were unwilling to place a more considerable force under the 

 command of the duke of Albuquerque, who was called for by the junta of Estre- 

 madura to take the command of the army stationed in that province. — Letter from 

 Sir A. to the inarqms of IVillesky. Meiida, September, 1809. 



