4/6 PENINSULAR WAR. [1809. 



printed, never having been looked over. It was sent 

 me in case there should be any errata in the sums 

 and dates. Not a word of news to-day, except that 

 Lord Grenville's friends continue very sanguine. I had 

 a singular confirmation of the account, which I must 

 have mentioned some time ago, from Wellesley's army 

 viz., that the wounded and sick (1900 in number) 

 were four days left to themselves before the French 

 came up, Wellesley having, with a very unusual 

 want of calculation and arrangement, supposed the 

 French to be at hand. An officer just arrived, whom 

 I examined on this point, broadly denied it altogether; 

 and on asking him more particularly, he said they 

 left Talavera on the 3d, and they received letters 

 dated the 5th, which stated the French to be twelve 

 leagues (forty miles) off. By inadvertency he had 

 forgotten that this exactly proved niy statement. 

 Had not a depot of chocolate-cakes been found, the 

 wounded must have starved, for the Spaniards left 

 them to themselves. 



" A friend of mine (physician to the forces) is just 

 come from Walcheren. He says 7000 have been 

 brought over sick, and 5000 sick remain. 1500 are 



O ' 



nominally fit for duty, but half of them can barely 

 crawl about ; and on the jubilee they mustered with- 

 out firelocks, from weakness. II. BUOUGHAM." 



FROM EARL GREY. 



"HowiCK, Nov. 22, 1809. 

 " MY DEAPW BROUGHAM, I am exceedingly obliged 



