of life was to run his sword through the man, he did so and killed him on the spot; now if he had not had astraight sword, but a sabre, he would not have been able to run the grenadier through the body, and would have been killed himself. So I did as he desired me, and purchased a straight one; but, thank God, I was lucky enough never to use my sword in the same way as Sir John Moore was forced to use his (and he told me he never should forget the horrid sensation it gave him when drawing the sword out of the man's body, and that it was always a painful recollection to him), although I did command a storming party, as you shall hear in due time.

After a great deal of bother and much labour on the part of Sir John Moore, and indeed every branch of the service, the army was put in motion, and began its long and toilsome march for Spain in high order and higher spirits, and a more glorious set of fellows never was seen. But we wanted a great requisite in the art of war, and that was experience, for, except some few generals and superior officers, we had none of us seen war on a large scale; indeed the greatest part never had seen a regular campaign except that of Vimiera

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MARCH INTO SPAIN.

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a few months before. Our staff was inexperienced, our commissariat perfectly ignorant of their business, as well as our paymaster's department. In short, as this was the first British army (since the expedition to Egypt in 1801) which was assembled to act on the continent against the ablest and most experienced troops in Europe, no wonder we were often embarrassed and not in as good order (afterwards) as we should have been had we been old soldiers au fait at our business. However, after various difficulties, marches, fatigues, and disappointments to the general as well as his army, we all joined at Salamanca, one of the finest cities in Spain, and famous for its learned university, where the greater part of the Spanish nobility and priesthood are educated, as well as a large proportion of Irish, for the priesthood of that country. While we were there, the principal of the college was Dr. Curtis, an Irishman, and now (1828) the Catholic Primate of Ireland. He was a great favourite of Sir John Moore and afterwards of the Duke of Wellington, and I believe both those generals found him of great use to them, and could always rely upon his word and conduct.

After various difficulties, political as well as

E

military, Sir John Moore made a forward movement towards the enemy, in order to form a junction with Sir David Baird's corps, lately arrived from England and landed at Coruña, in the north of Spain, where, from the great apathy of the Spaniards, who would not give the smallest aid to Baird, and the general inexperience of his army, and particularly his commissariat and paymastergeneral's departments, he was unable to move and join Sir John Moore. Sir David had twice made the attempt, and latterly had got as far as Benevento, but from false information respecting both the strength and position of the enemy's army, as well as ignorance of Sir John Moore's movements, by which, of course, he would be guided, he was again obliged to retrograde, and was in full march for Coruña when a despatch from Sir John Moore informed him that he was on his march towards Sahagun, where he expected Sir David would join him, and then he would make a forced march and attack Soult at Saldanha. During our march to Sahagun, our cavalry under Lord Paget (afterwards Marquis of Anglesea) and Sir Charles Stewart (afterwards Marquis of Londonderry) had two or three smart

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FRENCH PRISONERS.

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affairs with the French cavalry, and were always successful. The very morning of our arrival at Sahagun Lord Paget had given them a dressing, making several prisoners, besides a number being killed and wounded. I found a number of the prisoners confined in a large cellar, where they were badly off, many wounded, and nothing to eat or drink. Of course I immediately mentioned this to the general, and he desired me to order the commissary to provide them with wine and bread. This being done, the poor fellows were as merry as possible, and began dancing and singing; and one of them, to my great amusement, took a little fiddle from his pocket and commenced playing quadrilles with as much energy and life as though he was playing to a parcel of ladies in a ball-room.

The next night we were joined by Sir David Baird's corps, and the head of the column was in motion to move on Marshal Soult's corps of the French army, which we were to attack at daylight on the following morning, when just as Sir John Moore was mounting his horse, and I was actually giving him his pistols, a Spanish peasant came up, and asking for the general-in-chief, put a note into his hand from the Marquis de Romana, the Spanish

general, which gave information that Napoleon had changed his plan of operations in consequence of Sir John Moore's movement in advance, and was marching with great speed down on the British army with an immense force. The instant Sir John Moore had read this letter he saw there was no time to be lost, as Napoleon would be on his rear and cut off his retreat through Galicia, and that a battle and victory over Soult could be of no advantage, but most probably be the cause of the total destruction of the army by the immense numbers of the enemy in front and rear who were pouring down on our small force from all directions. He immediately ordered the troops to countermarch, and we commenced our memorable retreat to Coruña, in the north of Spain, and the nearest point towards England, to which port the transports were afterwards ordered, to be ready to embark the army, as the general foresaw that it would be impossible to remain in Spain, and that the great effort would be to arrive at the place of embarkation without a battle if possible, and then sail with the army to some other place in the Peninsula, where we could be of more use. The soldiers, who do not ever like a retreat, as