700 



BRITAIN. 



1809. 



Death of 

 Sir John 

 Mcre. 



Britain, make an obtuse angle with the other half. This 



' - v manoeuvre impeded the enemy by a flanking fire. Sir 



John Moore, observing his success, called out that 

 was exactly what he wanted to be done. The gene- 

 ral then rode up to the 52d regiment, which got over 

 an iriclosure in their front, and charged the enemy 

 most gallantly. He exclaimed, " Well done, my 52d!" 

 and then proceeded to the 4^d, addressing them in 

 these words, " Highlanders, remember Egypt !" 

 The Highlanders rushed on, driving the French be- 

 fore them. As Captain Hardinge, who had return- 

 ed from ordering up a battalion of the Guards to 

 the left flank of the Highlanders, was speaking wil h 

 the commander, a cannon ball struck the. left shoul- 

 der of Sir John Moore, and beat him to the ground. 

 So composed and unaltered was his countenance ; so 

 intently and earnestly was it fixed upon the advan- 

 cing Highlanders, that for a few moments it was 

 hoped he was only stunned by the -<hot ; but it was 

 soon discovered that he was mortally wounded, and 

 he was carried from the field of battle. I 



The attack of the French, upon the right of our 

 army, was completely repulsed ; and, in their turn, 

 the French were obliged to draw back their left 

 flank for fear it should be turned. They then at- 

 tempted the British centre and left in succession ; but 

 the centre was successively defended by artillery, and 

 the left by its strength of situation. At five in the 

 evening, when the light began to fail, the enemy had 

 oeen repulsed in every attack. When the disparity 

 of numbers is considered, the honour which this vic- 

 tory reflects on the British arms must be highly ap- 

 preciated. The number of Sir John Moore's army 

 did not exceed 15,000 (fora whole division, under 

 General Crawford, had separated and proceeded to 

 Vigo.) The French were stronger in numbers by 

 10,000 men. They had marched, it is true, as far as 

 our army ; but from the superior state of their com- 

 missariat, had suffered much less in the march. 

 Their loss was supposed to amount to 2000 in killed 

 or wounded ; that of the British was between 700 and 

 800. 



When the session of parliament was opened, on the 

 ings in par- ]9th of January 1809, it appeared, by a recommen- 

 liament. ,J a tion in the royal speech to augment the regular 

 arm^ that the design of foreign expeditions was not 

 abandoned by ministers. The disgraceful conven- 

 tion of Cintra, and the ministerial conduct of the 

 war in Spain, formed the first subjects of debate. 

 Motions of thanks were carried to the commander 

 Sir Arthur Wellesley, and to the officers and privates 

 who had won the battle of Vimeira. The same 

 thanks were voted to the victors of Corunna ; and 

 both parties in the house were emulous to express 

 their zeal in decreeing a monument of public grati- 

 tude to the lamented Sir John Moore. 



To this discussion succeeded one of very consider- 



1'roceed- 



able interest and importance, in regard to the abuse 

 of power at home; the person chiefly implicated be 

 ing no less than a prince of the blood, his Royal 

 Highness the Duke of York, in his capacity of 

 cammander in chief. The circumstances which led 

 to the investigation, originated in a way not very 

 creditable to any of the parties concerned. A dis- 

 carded mistress of his Royal Highness, (Mrs Mary 

 Ann Clarke,) conceiving she had reason to complain 

 of the non-fulfilment of pecuniary engagements, be- 

 came the willing instrument of a Col. Wardle, in dis- 

 closing corrupt and improper influence respecting 

 the disposal of military commissions and offices du- 

 ring the time ,of her connection with his Royal 

 Highness. The rank of the person implicated, and 

 the pretended extent of the abuses, created an uncom- 

 mon degree of interest throughout the nation ; and 

 the House of Commons, for many weeks, pursued 

 the investigation with much perseverance and zeal. 

 Col. Wardle, and the leading members of the oppo- 

 sition, supported the charges against the Duke, while 

 Mr Pcrcival,and the principal members of administra- 

 tion, endeavoured to exculpate or palliate his con- 

 duct. Much evidence was brought forward on both 

 sides ; and the result, although, considering the con- 

 duct and motives of the parties which were disclosed, 

 it did not, in the opinion of the house, lead to cri- 

 minate the Duke, as regards a direct knowledge or 

 participation of pecuniary advantages, or intentional 

 corruption, yet established sufficient evidence of im- 

 proper conduct, and produced three separate propo- 

 sitions for an address to the throne. The proposi- 

 tion adopted by a majority of 334 to 135, was brought 

 forward by the Chancellor of the Exchequer, and sta- 

 ted the regret of the house, that his Royal Highness 

 should have formed so immoral a connection, and a 

 hope that he would, in future, imitate the bright ex- 

 ample of virtue held out by his royal father. This 

 proposition wasadopted on the 17th of March, and, on 

 the 20th, the Chancellor of the Exchequer commu- 

 nicated to the house, that his Royal Highness the 

 Duke of York had made a voluntary resignation of 

 his command, which had been accepted by his ma- 

 jesty. 



The subject of reform was brought forward by 

 Mr Curwen in the month of May, who moved for 

 leave c bring in a bill for securing the independence 

 and purity of parliament, by preventing the obtain- 

 ing seats by improper means, and also to extend the 

 laws respecting bribery. Leave to bring in the bill 

 was unanimously granted. Mr Curwen proposed to 

 attach the severest penalties to the purchase and sale 

 of seats, and superadding the oath of the representa- 

 tive, with respect to the mode of his introductio* 

 into parliament, accompanied by the usual guards 

 against perjury. While the ministerial antagonists 

 of reform, struck by the irresistible power of facts, 



Britain. 



GEORGE!! 

 1809. 



Investiga- 

 tions re- 

 specting 

 the Duke 

 of York. 



Duke of 

 York re- 

 sign', the 

 office of 

 comman- 

 derinchia 



Mr Cur- 

 wen's re- 

 form bill. 



J As Sir John had repeatedly declared his wish, to a particular friend, to be buried where he had fallen, if it should be 

 ki lot to be killed in battle, it was determined to bury his body on the rampart of the citadel of Corunna. Accordingly, at 

 eight o'clock in the morning, he was deposited uncoffined. The body was never undressed, but wrapt up by the officers of his 

 staff in a military cloak and blankets. Towards eight o'clock, next morning, some firing was heard. It was then resolved to 

 finish the interment, lest a serious attack should be made, on which the officers would be ordered away, and not suffered to 

 pay the last duties to their general. Some months afterwards, when the Spaniards again got possession of Corunna, the Mar. 

 quis of Romana ordered the body to be taken up and properly inteired in the citadel ; and over the tomb short and 

 inscription was engraven. 



