The life of the most noble Arthur, marquis and earl of Wellington ...

Front matter

liAB QI7IS of W K I , f , .[ N < i T ON

Published bv Van ir,„kUbL Ml,

THE

Preface

THERE never was a question in politics, perhaps, in which there has been a greater, a more extreme difference, than on that of the war in the Peninsula ; and it is not less worthy of notice, that, perhaps, there never was a greater degree of unanimity of approval than at present upon this very question.

When all Spain rose, as it were by a miracle, (for the effect was simultaneous, and without combination,) in opposition to the insidious thraldrom of France, her exertions were looked on by many in this country with coldness, and even apathy. It was supposed impossible for a degraded, and almost enslaved, population to resist, even for a moment, the military power and political machinations of him who had conquered more than half of the civilised world. All feared her eventual success, and some prognosticated, with the most determined assertions, her eternal subjugation* Yet, in the space of a few short years, how changed is the scene ! — so changed, that even our most desponding statesmen venture to look forward to her restoration to her ancient rank among the kingdoms of Europe, and to her assuming that rank accompanied with feelings of esteem and gratitude to Britain ; feelings which, in future political connexions, may ultimately tend highly both to the political welfare and internal comfort of each country. To what, then, has this wonderful, this extraordinary change been owing? To what, indeed, but to the liberal and friendly assistance of this country ; — to the gallantry of our troops, and to the consummate skill and approved valour of him who has so frequently led them on to glory ! During the whole progress of this arduous, this almost unequalled contest, the gallant Wellington has unequivocally afforded grounds for the highest honours that his sovereign could shower down upon him, or his grateful country could bestow. He has, by his example, given spirit and enthusiasm, not only to his own troops, but to those of the sister kingdoms of the Peninsula. By his consummate skill, indefatigable exertions, and excellent judgment, he has foiled the best generals of France, overcome difficidties considered insuperable, and directed the exertions of Britain, and the force of her unfortunate allies, to those points where, in all cases, they were most available.

By his steadiness, and his Fabius movements, he has preserved his own strength unbroken, whilst that of his enemy was on the decline, and enabled the scattered bands of patriots to acquire both discipline and numbers, and thus to produce a hardy race of soldiers, who, as guerillas, have learned to despise French courage, and to counteract 5 even French discipline. At the same timet ty the well-timed rapidity of his manoeuvres, when necessary, as well as by their secrecy and determined purposes, he has beat all the calculations of the enemy, according even to their own confessions ; a proof of which, if proof were wanting, would be found in the fact of his having taken Ciudad Rodrigo in half the time which the French general had considered possible ; and this, by its capture, connected with that of Almeida, always a military post of importance, not only formed a powerful defence for Portugal, but opened a way into the very heart of Spain.

This latter excellence of rapidity and determination was, indeed, always e?:pected by his friends ; and we shall have occasion to see, in the progress of this biography, particularly in detailing his brilliancy of thought at the glorious battle of Assy e, on the plains of Hindoostctn, that their expectations were well founded ; but the steadiness of his other operations, the self-denial with which he has delayed to pluck the laurels which victory held out to him with open hand, are traits in his character which might have been considered as unlikely to appear, and that without derogating from the high character which he had acquired previous to his present distinguished rank in the Peninsida.

But it is to this latter part of his character that much of the success of the present contest has been owing ; and it is entirely owing to it that he has been enabled to overcome the various difficidlies he had to encounter, as opposed to the almost overwhelming power of France, commanded by

VI PREFACE.

her best generals, with a force of British troops, even now little more than half the number of French concentrated in any one spot. For, much as the Spanish and Portuguese troops have of lale improved in discipline, and much as might have, even at first, been expected from their native courage, yet Lord Wellington coidd not trust the safety of his army, or the ultimate success of the cause, to an absolute dependence on their almost untried exertions; he has, nevertheless, known how to avail himself even of their inefficient state with a degree of judgment and spirit happily justified by the event.

We must now close this slight sketch of the subject, with one observation on the character of our gallant fellow citizen. If we look at him, as will be exemplified in the course of this work, whether commanding, or commanded, we shall always find the' same greatness of mind, whether checked in his pursuit in the moment of victory, as at Vimiera, by the orders of a superior ; or prompted to delay the accomplishment of brilliant measures, where victory was certain, in order to spare the blood oj his gallant comrades in arms.

Introduction

IF it is by experience that we gain wisdom, and by a comparison of nearly similar events that we can best form an accurate judgment, it will not be irrelevant, in our introductory part, to take a slight sketch of the causes and conduct of a former war carried on by Great Britain in the Peninsula ; and that, by a very curious coincidence, nearly in the very corresponding years of the preceding century. In the conduct and issue of that war, and in the conduct and probable issue of the present one, there has, indeed, been a great contrast ; for there we were merely as auxiliaries, though now we have acted more immediately as principals. At that period, too, we were in opposition to that branch of the house of Bourbon whose rights we are now defending ; and in our objects we were unsuccessful, though without tarnishing the honour of the British name.

When, in the year 1701, Charles II. of Spain, a

Vlll INTRODUCTION.

branch of the house of Austria, deceased without issue, Philip Duke of Anjou, grandson of Louis XIV. being second son of the Dauphin of France, assumed the Spanish crown, according to the will of the deceased monarch ; but the Emperor of Germany having put up one of his own family as a claimant, it was considered as the interest of Great Britain to support him, in order to prevent the accession o£ such power to France, by her royal family thus coming into possession of the immense possessions and resources of the Spanish empire. There was also a party in Spain inimical to the French interest ; aud it was hoped that, by spirited measures, an Austrian prince might be established on the throne of Spain.

Charles III. the Austrian claimant arrived in England in 1703 ; and, in 1704, an auxiliary force of 12,000 British and Dutch troops was sent to Portugal ; the English under Duke Schomberg, and the Dutch under General Fagel. King Charles immediately published a manifesto, setting forth his right to the crown of Spain ; and on the arrival of the expedition at Lisbon, the Portuguese having already joined the grand alliance against France, the King of Portugal published a declaration in which he vindicated the claim of Charles, and gave his own reasons for taking up arms in his defence and support.

INTRODUCTION. IX

The Bourbon prince, under the title of Philip V. was not backward in preparing for hostilities, but immediately declared war against his competitor, and also against the King of Portugal and his other allies ; and, having hastily assembled an army, proceeded to the Portuguese frontier, when he captured Segura, Salvatierra, and some other places.

It being understood that the Catalonians were partial to the cause of the allies, Sir George Rooke, with a British squadron, proceeded with the Prince of Hesse Darmstadt and a force of 2,500 men to Bar- . eelona, where he landed the troops ; but being disappointed in his expectations of a flattering reception and cooperation, the army was again embarked, and the squadron proceeded towards Toulon.

In June of the same year, (1704,) the Portuguese were found to be very dilatory in furnishing the proper supplies which they had promised, so that nothing could be done. There was also a great want of cordiality amongst the generals of the three nations, English, Dutch, and Portuguese, so that the Duke of Schomberg, weary of his command, was anxious to be recalled, and was superseded by Henry de Ruvigny, Earl of Galway.

The Spanish monarch in July put an end to his short campaign, on account of the heat of the wea- [2]

X INTRODUCTION.

ther, and returned to Madrid, having put his army in cantonments ; and, fearing that it would be impossible to retain his petty conquests, destroyed all their fortifications, except those of Salvatierra and Mervan, and abandoned them to their fate.

Though our troops were thus left in idleness, yet our admiral was determined to do something ; accordingly he returned from Toulon towards Gibraltar, and captured that fortress on the 10th of July, after a siege of three days, having landed the Prince of Hesse with only 1,800 men. On the 13th of August the combined English and Dutch fleets defeated the united French squadrons fromToulon and Brest, and obliged them, in a most shattered condition, to retire to Toulon ; a part of them, however, was enabled soon after to proceed to the southward when the combined squadrons had left the straits, and the Sieur de Pontis, with a considerable force, blockaded Gibraltar by sea, the Spaniards having commenced the siege of it in September.

In 1705 Gibraltar was relieved by Sir John Leake, who surprised and defeated the French squadron ; and in May, the Portuguese and confederate forces, having commenced the siege of Alcantara, took it by storm after six days ; Salvatierra and Albuquerque being soon after retaken. In the same month the Earl

INTRODUCTION. Xt

©f Peterborough was sent from England, with 5,000 additional troops, in a fleet commanded by Sir Clou-

desley Shovel. After touching at Lisbon, where King Charles embarked along with him, they proceeded to Gibraltar, and afterwards to Altea Bay, where a manifesto was published ; and the advices from Barcelona being very encouraging, the earl was induced to proceed there, where he landed the troops, accompanied by the king, and was soon reinforced by great numbers of Spaniards. On the 3d of September Monjuick was taken after a siege of three days, but the gallant Prince of Hesse fell in the attack ; in three weeks afterwards Barcelona surrendered, and all Catalonia immediately declared for King Charles.

On the opposite side of Spain the allies had laid siege to Badajoz, but were obliged soon after to raise it by the Marshal du Thesse, the French general in command of the combined French and Spanish army ; and, in the contest, the Earl of Galway lost his right hand.

The proceedings in Catalonia were, however, considered so important for the general cause, that both houses of parliament at home were induced to congratulate her majesty upon her message informing them of these events, in November, 1705. But the

Sill INTRODUCTION.

progress of the allies on the eastern side was still circumscribed, little remarkable happening until the latter end of December, when a Catalonian colonel, of the name of Nebot, was induced to leave the opposite party, with about 960 cavalry, and. to join King Charles at Denia, in Valencia, who soon after captured Xabea, a small place in that vicinity, which slight successes seem to have induced the whole kingdom of Valencia to declare in his favour, when his new friend, Colonel Nebot, took possession of its capital.

At the close of the year the French and Spanish armies proceeded to besiege Valencia ; but the Earl of Peterborough having marched with the English army to its relief, this plan was given up, and an attack was made upon St. Mattheo ; but Peterborough not only obliged them to decamp, but also took possession of Morviedro.

In the early part of 1706 a. battle of some importance for the numbers engaged, but of little in its consequences to either party, took place at San Estevan de Libera, after which the Spanish and French troops, under du Thesse, commenced the siege of Barcelona; which was, however, so 'speedily raised, on the arrival of Sir John Leake from Lisbon to its

INTRODUCTION. Xlll

relief, that the assailants left behind them 106 brass guns, 23 mortars, and an immense quantity of provisions and ammunition. On the opposite side of the kingdom the allies took Alcantara, in which they found 47 pieces of brass cannon ; and Moraliza and Coria having soon after fallen, the Earl of Galway published a manifesto in the name of his royal mistress, calling upon the Spaniards to acknowledge King Charles as their lawful monarch.

In May, in the same year, Ciudad Rodrigo was captured by the allies, after a siege of five days ; and the news of the raising of the siege of Barcelona having just then arrived, the Portuguese were in high spirits, and the allies proceeded to push through Spain for Madrid, where King Philip returned with all possible expedition ; but, soon finding that he had no troops on whom he could depend, he destroyed every thing of value which he could not carry off, and retired towards Burgos in order to be ready for a retreat into France.

On the 26th of May Carthagena declared for the Austrian claimant, and was secured by an English squadron; and in June the English and Portuguese confederate army, commanded by the Earl of Galway and the Marquis des Minas, pushed on for Ma-

XIV INTRODUCTION.

clrid, which made such an impression upon the inhabitants, that deputies were sent out to acknowledge their submission and allegiance to their new monarch. On taking possession of the capital King Charles was proclaimed, and the example of the inhabitants of Madrid was voluntarily followed by Toledo, and several other places of importance, inclusive of the whole kingdom of Arragon. Charles, however, was still with the English army at Barcelona, and is accused of want of celerity in staying too long there, notwithstanding the repeated solicitations of the Earl of Peterborough, and the invitations of the generals in the capital, who were all anxious that he should repair to Madrid. But even when he set out for that place he occupied so much time in the siege of Saragossa, that the confederate forces, for some reason never sufficiently explained, had evacuated Madrid, whither King Philip soon after proceeded with a few forces, having had time to recover from his alarm at the forme* rapidity of movement on the part of his assailants.

In Valencia the war was still carried on with some briskness; and, in July, Sir John Leake proceeded with the English fleet before Alicant, which was immediately afterwards taken by storm, though the castle held out for a short time; but at length surrender-

INTRODUCTION. XV

cd upon an honourable capitulation. This, however, was but of little importance to the cause of Charles ; for the return of Philip to Madrid had such an effect, as to induce the kingdom of Castile to declare for him.

King Charles was, therefore, compelled to join the confederate army at Guadalaxara; and this he was the sooner reduced to, as the Earl of Peterborough, who had just then received the commission of an ambassador extraordinary, was leaving the eastern coast of Spain, in order to proceed for Italy, in hopes of raising some supplies. Soon after Sir John Leake arrived at Majorca with the British fleet, and obliged that island and Ivica to declare for King Charles; but this was shortly counterbalanced by the recapture of Carthagena ; and the year was closed with the death of Pedro, King of Portugal.

The year 1707 was a most unfortunate one for the confederate arms ; for, on the 5th of April, they were completely defeated at Almanza, whilst under the command of the Marquis des Minas and the Earl of Galway, having upwards of 10,000 men killed, wounded and taken prisoners. The whole number of British in the action were only 14,000 ; yet it is believed that it was entirely owing to the ill conduct of the Portuguese that the day was lost. So strong

<\V1 INTRODUCTION.

indeed wa3 this opinion, that the house oflords shortly after severely censured the Earl of Galway for having yielded the post of honour on that day to the Portuguese. It was also matter of complaint at home that the number of British troops was so small, although 29,000 had been voted by parliament for the service of the Peninsula.

The shattered remains of the confederate army were, notwithstanding their defeat, able to retire in pretty good order to Alcira, from whence they sent their wounded to Barcelona, and then crossed the Ebro, where King Charles had retired some time before with a small force, and was stationed at Tortosa at the mouth of that river. This movement they were now obliged to make, in order to defend Catalonia.

The victorious army, pursuing their advantage, and being no longer kept in check by the confederates, soon recovered Valencia, Saragossa, &c. but Philip lost much of his popularity by the atrocious conduct of France, in ordering the unfortunate town of Xativa, on the right bank of the river Xucer, in Valencia, to be utterly burnt and destroyed, and in depriving both Arragon and Valencia of some of their most ancient privileges. In July the party of

INTRODUCTION. XVU

King Charles was so strong in Italy, that he was proclaimed King at Naples ; but his cause began to decline rapidly in Spain, fresh forces having arrived from France, under the command of the Duke of Orleans, who invested and took Limosa, a strong and well fortified town in Catalonia, under the observance of the confederate army ; yet to counterbalance this in some degree, the Imperialists, under Count Thaun in Italy, captured Gaeta by storm, where they laid hold of all the partisans of King Philip in that country, and were thus enabled to secure Naples for King- Charles.

So great was the discontent at home at this period, respecting the conduct and issue of the war, that very strong debates were held in both houses; yet nobody thought of giving up the cause, but each body of the legislature came forward with an address to Queen Anne, stating their opinion that no peace could be safe or honourable for the country, or for our allies, which would secure Spain and her colonies to the power of France. They also requested her to call on the emperor to send some additional and powerful reinforcements into Spain, under the command of Prince Eugene, (the Wellington of that day,) but the emperor [3]

SV1H INTRODUCTION.

appears almost to have neglected this remonstrance from our court, as he merely sent a few troops under Count Stahremberg.

It is also a curious fact, that the house of commons, after a long and close examination, addressed her majesty complaining that there were then only 8,660 British troops in the Peninsula, instead of 30,000, the number voted ; to which the answer was, that nearly the whole number voted had been sent, but were now thus reduced inconsequence of death and desertion.

About the middle of 1708, after a long interval of quiet, the French captured Tortosa on the left bank of the Ebro ; an advantage counterbalanced by our conquest of Minorca on the 19th of August by Sir John Leake, and Major General Stanhope, with only 3,264 men ; and, in November, Denia and Alicant again fell under the French arms.

The siege of Alicant having been undertaken by the French, and conducted mostly as a blockade for three months, they contrived at last to form a mine under the rock on which the castle stands, which being partly blown up, the governor and several valuable officers lost their lives ; yet the castle held »ut nearly two months longer, and was only forced

INTRODUCTION. XIX

to surrender, but on honourable terms, after a siege conducted with great exertion.

On the 27th of April another unfortunate defeat of the confederate troops took place on the banks of the river Caya, after which the Earl of Galway escaped with great difficulty ; but the Earl of Barry - more, Major General Sankey, Brigadier Pearce, and two whole brigades, were made prisoners of war.

Some negotiations about this time had taken place, by which it was stipulated that Charles III. should be acknowledged as the lawful Spanish monarch, and that the French army should evacuate that kingdom ; but Lewis XIV. after amusing himself with the credulity of the allies, laughed at the treaty, and most shamefully evaded its signature, so that the war was recommenced, when Count Stahremberg, the imperial general, was lucky enough to capture fort Ballaguer, on the banks of Rio Segre, in Catalonia, a strong post with a garrison of 700 men.

The French ministry, in 1710, in order to amuse the allies, and to gain time, again made some pacific proposals, in which they offered to consent to a partition of Spain ; but in this the allies knew them to be insincere; nor would they themselves, indeed, have agreed to it ; and, notwithstanding the Gallic

XX INTRODUCTION.

machinations, the tide of success began to turn in favour of King Charles, whose army, commanded by General Stanhope, (ancestor of the present Earl Stanhope,) defeated King Philip at Almanera, in Catalonia, on the 16th of July, when the French, having lost about 1,500 in killed and wounded, were obliged to retire to Lerida ; but, being closely pursued by the confederates, fell back upon Saragossa. On the 10th of the ensuing month, August, King Charles being then with the army, another brilliant victory was obtained over King Philip near Saragossa, which city immediately opened its gates to the conquerors ; and so powerful did Charles then feel himself in Castile, that he immediately superseded the form of government established by Philip, restored the ancient rights of the Castilians, and reinstated their former magistrates. Indeed, the French power was at this juncture so w-eakened, that Philip, not feeling himself safe at Madrid, retired to Valladolid ; and the confederates marching towards the capital, General Stanhope advanced with the cavalry, and took possession of it on the 10th September, 1710.

About a fortnight afterwards Charles made his appearance in his capital ; but soon found that the inhabitants were more attached to his rival than to him-

INTRODUCTION. XXI

self: he soon left it, therefore, and placed his troops in quarters to the southward of it, and in the vicinity of Toledo, in full confidence that, notwithstanding the disaffection of the capital, he might still be enabled to spend the winter thus in the very heart of Spain by the aid of the Portuguese ; but they having disappointed him, and King Philip again collecting some forces, he was obliged to retire into Arragon, where, in the succeeding November, Major General Stanhope, with a British force of 2,000 men at Brihuega, was surprised and made prisoner of war, by the unexpected junction of the French and Spanish armies.

The imperial general, Count Stahremberg, hear* ing of his danger, marched immediately to his relief, but was too late to prevent the disaster ; he was fortunate enough, however, to fall in with the enemy under King Philip and the Duke of Vendosme, about one league from Brihuega, when he brought them to action at Villaviciosa, and defeated them, although their forces amounted to 25,000 men. After this Stahremberg advanced to Saragossa; but, for some reason never explained, soon retired into Catalonia, thereby enabling Philip to return to Madrid, where the inhabitants received him with open arms ;

XXU INTRODUCTION.

and, on the 16th December, Gerona, the key of Catalonia, was permitted to fall into the hands of the French army, after a gallant resistance of six weeks, so that Charles was obliged to retire to Barcelona.

This disastrous and unexpected turn of the campaign naturally produced a great sensation at home : and in the commencement of 1711, the house of lords having entered into an inquiry on the cause of our losses, Lord Peterborough succeeded in throwing the blame upon the Earl of Galway, whilst he himself received public thanks. Instead, however, of sending him out again to Spain, he was appointed plenipotentiary to the Austrian court, and the Duke of Argyle was intrusted with the high commissions of ambassador extraordinary, and plenipotentiary, and of commander in chief in Spain, These proceedings were followed up by a vote of the upper house, that the Earl of Galway, in yielding up the post of honour to the Portuguese at the battle of Almanza, had acted contrary to the honour of the imperial crown of Great Britain.

In Spain affairs began to take a more disastrous turn ; for in August, the Portuguese having entered into a separate negotiation with King Philip and the French court, King Charles found it necessary in the ensuing month to embark at Barcelona for Italy. On

INTRODUCTION. XX111

his arrival in Italy, he was elected King of the Romans, and Emperor of Germany; and, on being crowned at Frankfort on the 11th of December, 1711, seems to have given up all further thoughts of the Spanish crown. In order to do away some of the objections to his establishment on the throne of Spain, King Philip, now settled at Madrid, published his renunciation of all claims to the succession of France ; and in September of the same year, Lord Lexington, having proceeded to Madrid to receive the fore-mentioned renunciation, the English forces, then in Ca-« talonia, commanded by Brigadier Pearce, were embarked on board the squadron under the orders of Sir John Jennings, who immediately proceeded for Minorca, where the colours of King Charles were haled down, and those of the English substituted in their stead. • •

On the 5th of November the act of renunciation took place in the presence of the English ambassador, and was registered by the Cortes, and from that period we may consfcler the war at an end.

To draw a parallel between those events and the transactions of a later date would here be premature ; but we shall have occasion to notice them more fully, and shall now proceed to the principal design of the work.

LIFE

OF THE MOST NOBLE

MARaUIS WELLINGTON.

Section I

Preliminary observation— Ancient respectability of tlie family of Collcy, now Wellesley— Birth— Military education— Progress to the rank of field officer — First military embarkation for Brittany — Observations — Joins the army in Flanders — Capture of Tournay, and anecdotes — Evacuation of Ostend — Judicious conduct of the Earl of Moira — Affair at Alost — Anecdotes of General Doyle — Conduct of the French army— Invasion of Holland—Military anecdotes — Gallant affair at Boxtel — Meritorious conduct of the Governor of Grave— Attack of the Waal — Gallant attack of the Tuyl— Retreat through Holland — Conduct of the Dutch — Affair at Metteren, and gallant behaviour of the 33d regiment — Dreadful sufferings of the army— Exemplary conduct of his royal highness the Duke of York —Evacuation of Holland — Embarkation at Bremen — Return to England

IF example is more poAverful than precept, no apology can be necessary for a minute detail of great and virtuous actions; and there is perhaps no mode more generally useful and efficacious tor the preservation and extension of that example, than in recording the biography of the great and good.

Though the personal worth of the Marquis of Wellington is alone sufficient to give splendour to nobility; yet the natural curiosity respecting the origin and family antiquity of such a man induces us to take a slight sketch of his ancestors, who were originally English, being settled in the county of Rutland for time immemorial, under the appellation of Cowley, Cooley, 01 Collcy* as is now the modern mode of writing it.

* In Glaiston church, Rutlandshire, there is a monument of Walter Oolley, Esq. and Agnes his wife. He was lord of the manor in H n ~. 4

Id the reign of Henry VIII. when many gentlemen of family were induced, by royal grants, to emigrate to Ireland, two brothers of this family, Walter and Robert Cowley, established themselves at Kilkenny, and were presented by the king, in his 22d year, with a grant of the office of clerk of the crown in chancery, for and during their lives respectively.

It is evident that both brothers had been brought up to the bar ; for the younger became master of- the rolls, aod the eldest, Walter, ancestor of the present family, was appointed solicitorgeneral of Ireland in 1537; but having surrendered that office in 1516, he was two years afterwards raised to that of surveyorgeneral of that kingdom.

His eldest son, Sir Henry Colley, appears to have dedicated himself to the profession of arms ; for he held a commission front Q,ueeu Elizabeth of captain in the army, from whom he also received a warrant, in 1559, to execute martial law in the districts of Offaley, Carbury, &c. His conduct in this important commission was so satisfactory, that he was soon after appointed a commissioner of array for the county of Kildare ; and cjhosen representative for the 'borough of Thomastown in the couDty of Kilkenny in the parliament of that year. He was likeAvise >nighted by Sir Henry Sidney, the lord deputy, and appointed a member of the privy council.