APPENDIX to the CHRONICLE. 373 



to thesatisfaction of the Spanish go- 

 vernor, the nature of our move- 

 ment, and having made every pre- 

 vious arrangement, withdrew his 

 corps from thelandfrontofthetown 

 soon after dark, and was with all the 

 wounded that had not been previ- 

 ously removed, embarked before one 

 this morning. Circumstances for- 

 bid us to indulge the hope, that the 

 victory with which it has pleased 

 Providence to crown the efforts of 

 the army, can be attended with any 

 very brilliant consequences to Great 

 Britain. It is clouded by the loss 

 of one of her best soldiers. It has 

 been achieved at the termination of 

 a long and harassing service. The 

 superior numbers, and advantage- 

 ous position of the enemy, not less 

 than the actual situation of this 

 army, did not admit of any advan- 

 tage being reaped from success. It 

 must be however, to you, to the 

 army, and to our country, the 

 sweetest reflection, that the lustre 

 of the British arms has been main- 

 tained, amidst many disadvantage- 

 ous circumstances. The army 

 which had entered Spain, amidst 

 the fairest prospects, hadnosooner 

 completed its junction, than owing 

 to the multiplied disasters that dis- 

 persed the native armies around us, 

 It was left to its own resources. — 

 The advance cf the British corps 

 from the Duero, afforded the best 

 hope that the south of Spain might 

 be relieved, but this generous ef- 

 fort to save the unfortunate people, 

 also afforded the enemy the oppor- 

 .tunity of directing every effort of 

 his numerous troops, and concen- 

 trating all his principal resources 

 for the destruction of the only re- 

 gular force in the north of Spain. 

 You are well aware with what dili- 

 gence this system has been pursu- 



ed. These circumstances pro- 

 duced the necessity of rapid and 

 harassing marches, which had di- 

 minished the numbers, exhausted 

 the strength and impaired the equip- 

 ment of the army. Notwithstand- 

 ing all these disadvantages, and 

 those more immediately attached 

 to a defensive position, which the 

 imperious necessity of covering the 

 harbour of Corunna for a time had 

 rendered indispensable to assume, 

 the native and undaunted valour of 

 British troops was never more con- 

 spicuous, and must have exceeded 

 what even your own experience of 

 that invaluable quality, so inherent 

 in them, may have taught you to 

 expects When every one that had 

 an opportunity seemed to vie in 

 improving it, it is difficult for me 

 in making this report, to select par- 

 ticular instances for your approba- 

 tion. The corps chiefly engaged 

 were the brigades under major-ge- 

 nerals lord Wm. Bentinck, and 

 Manningham, andLeith; and the 

 brigade of guards under major-ge- 

 nera! Warde. To these officers, and 

 the troops under their immediate 

 orders, the greatest praise is due. 

 Major-general Hill and colonel Cat- 

 lin Crawford, with their brigades 

 on the left of the position, ably sup- 

 ported their advanced posts. The 

 brunt of the action fell upon the 

 4th, 42d, 50th, and 81 st regiments, 

 with parts of the brigade of guards, 

 and the 26th regiment. From lieut.- 

 colonel Murray, quarter-master- 

 general, and the officers of the ge- 

 neral staff, I received the most 

 marked assistance. I had reason to 

 regret, that the illne«s of brigadier- 

 general Clinton, adjutant-general, 

 deprived me of his aid. I was in- 

 debted to brigadier-general Slade 

 during the action, for a zealous offer 



of 



