372 ANNUAL REGISTER, 1809. 



fully repelled every attack made 

 upon the position, but had gained 

 ground in almost all points, and 

 occupied a more forward line than 

 at the commencement of the ac- 

 tion, whilst the enemy confined his 

 operations to a cannonade, and a 

 fire upon his light troops, with a 

 view to draw oft" his other corps. 

 At six the firing entirely ceased. 

 The different brigades were re-as- 

 sembled on the ground they occu- 

 pied in the morning, and the pic- 

 quets and advanced posts resumed 

 their original stations. Notwith- 

 standing the decided and marked 

 superiority which at this moment 

 the gallantry of the troops had 

 given them over an enemy, who, 

 from his number and the command- 

 ing advantages of his position, no 

 doubt expected an easy victory, 1 

 did not, on reviewing all circum- 

 stances, conceive that I should be 

 warranted in departing from what 

 I knew was the fixed and previous 

 determination of the late comman- 

 der of the forces, to withdraw the 

 army on the evening of the 16th, 

 for the purpose of embarkation, the 

 previous arrangements for which 

 had already been made by his order, 

 and were in fact, far advanced at 

 the commencement of the action. 

 The troops quitted their position 

 about ten at night, with a degree 

 of order that did them credit. The 

 whole of the artillery that remained 

 unembarked having been with- 

 drawn, the troops followed in the 

 order prescribed, and marched to 

 their respective points of embarka- 

 tion in the town and neighbourhood 

 ofCorunna. The picquets remain- 

 ed at their posts until five in the 

 morning of the 17th, when they 

 were also withdrawn with similar 

 orders, and without the enemy 



having discovered the movemenyr 

 By the unremitted exertions of cap- 

 tains the honourable H. Curzon, 

 Gosselin, Boys, Rainier, Serrett, 

 Haw^cins, Digby, Garden, and 

 Mackenzie, of the royal navy, who, 

 in pursuance of the orders of rear- 

 admiral de Courcy, were entrusted 

 with the service embarking the 

 army ; and in consequence of the 

 arrangements made by commis- 

 sioner Bowen, captains Bowen and 

 Shepherd, and the other agents for 

 transports, the whole of the army, 

 was embarked with an expedition 

 which has seldom been equalled. 

 With the exception of the brigades 

 under major-generals Hill and Be- 

 resford, which were destined to 

 remain on shore, until the move- 

 ments of the enemy should become 

 manifest, the whole was afloat be- 

 fore day-light. The brigade of 

 major-general Beresford, which 

 was alternately to form our rear- 

 guard, occupied the land-front of 

 the town of Corunna; that under 

 major-general Hill was stationed 

 in reserve on the promontory in 

 rear of the town. The enemy push- 

 ed his light troops towards the town 

 soon after eight o'clock in the 

 morning of the 17th, and shortly 

 after occupied the heights of St. 

 Lucia which command the har- 

 bour. But notwithstanding this 

 circumstance, and the manifold de- 

 fects of the place, there being no 

 apprehension that the rear-guard 

 could be forced, and the disposition 

 of the Spaniards appearing to be 

 good, the embarkation of major- 

 general Hill's brigade was com- 

 menced and completed by 3 in the 

 afternoon ; major-general Beresford 

 with that zeal, and ability which is 

 so well known to yourself and the 

 whole army, having fullj' explained, 



to 



