Passage of the River—Start for Orthes—Effect of the Battle—Feelings
of the French—Wellington wounded—St. Sever—Church and
School—Aire—Wellington on the Conduct of the Allies—Indurating effects
of War.
Head-quarters, St. Sever,
March 5th, 1814.
MY DEAR M——,
Here I am with head-quarters, and within two leagues of my old quarter,
Mont de Marsan. We have had a most unpleasant, and, for the baggage
animals, a most laborious journey, from the terrible state of the
weather—hail-storms, rain-storms, with violent south-westerly winds
almost all the time. By warm clothing and good living I have escaped
with only one day’s return of rheumatism, which has now gone off, and I
feel in very tolerable repair.
On the 1st of March we left St. Jean de Luz, and passed the grand
bridge below Bayonne, in sight of, and I really believe within gunshot
of the walls. We all filed over in safety, and then along the sea-wall
for half a mile, with water on both sides, to Boucaut. I was surprised
that the animals were not more alarmed.
The bridge answered perfectly; it consisted of thirty-six two-masted
vessels, with anchors across all the way at the head and stern of
each; a strong beam across the centre of each, between the masts, to
which the cables were fastened, to form the road, so that each formed
a separate bridge, and the destruction of one cable only affected one
space. The boards were then fixed on these cables, and were interlaced
all the way by small cords, through notches in the boards; and thus we
went safely along between the masts, in a road about twelve or fourteen
feet wide, differing, however, from a common bridge, for the arches
between the boats (from the stretching of the cables) formed concaves
instead of convex arches, some of them descending nearly to the water’s
edge. It answered, however, perfectly, and will continue to do so,
unless the Spaniards suffer the Trench to come and destroy it. Of this
I have my doubts. The crews were living in their vessels at the head
and stern, cooking away and going on as usual. Five or six gun-boats
were moored about it, then came the boom and boats ready to tow ashore
any fireship.
At Boucaut we found Sir John Hope and his staff, so we were ordered to
the next village on the road. Our managing Quarter-Master clumsily went
to a bad village of a dozen houses, out of the road, when there was a
very good one on the right road, only a few miles further on. Several
of us had no houses, and were told we must find them for ourselves.
After waiting for some time until my baggage came, I determined to go
on the right road until I found a quarter vacant, trusting with full
confidence to the good disposition of the inhabitants, which is most
excellent towards the English. After looking into five, I found a
vacant one a mile and a-half off, no officer within half a mile, and no
English troops within two miles, and none at all towards the interior
of France on that road. The people expected some one, and a bed was
ready, and a hearty welcome I received.
In my way I went round by the picquet, within about eight hundred yards
of Bayonne citadel, where my tailor was on fatigue-duty in the works,
and I thus recovered my clothes. As I was just going to bed at eight
o’clock, a violent cannonading and sharp musketry commenced sounding
close by us. I did not think it prudent to go to bed until it ceased,
for we were within about a mile and a-half of a garrison of eleven
thousand men; but suspecting what was the case, that it was only our
people driving the French out of a field-work on the hill, and hemming
them in closer to the citadel, I was little alarmed.
My host and his family were great royalists in their professions, as
they had for the last six months been more than usually oppressed by
the French. He had a house and ten acres of land; the house probably
worth about 10_l._ a-year in England. The rent of his land was one-half
the produce of corn and maize; the taxes on his house had been already
that year sixty francs, and his contributions fifteen bushels of maize
and, I think, ten of corn. He said that no one could live if this
continued, and that all the young men were carried off. He had one
quarter to pay still, but expecting us every day, he put it off from
time to time, though much threatened, and now thought himself safe.
From thence we started early for Peyrehorade, rather a large place,
nearly as large as Kingston-upon-Thames. It was a market-day, and the
people of the country crowded in as usual. They all stared at us, most
saluted us; all were civil, and we got our quarters with much more
facility, and met with ten times the civility we had ever done in
Spain. I never witnessed a single quarrel, though the town was crowded
as it is during an election with you, and we had only about twenty
dragoons to protect all the twelve hundred animals and baggage of
head-quarters.
My host was particularly civil, and gave me a very good apartment and
an excellent dinner—some roast beef _à l’Anglaise_, a duck, and a fowl.
The whole family dined with us, wife, mother, and two daughters. The
eldest son, who had been intended for an attorney, had been taken as
a conscript, and was wounded at Leipsic—since that time they had not
heard of him. I comforted them by suggesting that he must have been
left at Mayence. The next son was sixteen, and at school at St. Sever;
next year it became his turn to take his chance as a conscript. You may
well conceive that we were considered as welcome guests; independently
of the expectation of having coffee and sugar cheap for grandmamma, and
English linens, muslins, &c., for the two ugly misses.
On the 3rd of March we started again for Orthes, the scene of the
famous battle, of which you will have heard before you receive this
letter, and of which we received several imperfect accounts as we went
along. The reception all along the road, and at Orthes, was the same as
at Peyrehorade. Dr. M—— and Major G—— just stopped in the stable of a
château for shelter, when the owner came out and took them in, and gave
them cold turkey and champaign. At Orthes I got an excellent quarter
at the house of the _Juge de Paix_, who was very hospitable as usual;
and as the weather was so excessively bad, and my Portuguese almost
dead with their walk of twenty miles in the rain and mud, I stopped the
night there, notwithstanding the head-quarters were regularly eight
miles further at Soult. I knew the latter was a miserable place, which
was another inducement with me to remain.
At Orthes I found about two thousand wounded, one thousand English,
and the others French and Portuguese; the latter had behaved well, as
usual. I found the Adjutant-general, Pakenham, confined to his bed, ill
at the inn, but, at nine at night, and this morning, very much better.
The hospitals are all established, and in full activity. Lord March was
shot in the chest, but the surgeon hoped he would do well, and thought
so; he could not, however, find the ball, but had reason to think it
had not passed the lungs. Colonel Brook’s brother (a schoolfellow of
George’s) was shot through the lungs, and there is little hope of him.
The affair at Orthes was quite unexpected; as they had suffered our
army to pass all the rivers, no one expected this desperate stand, for
such I am told it was, the French having seldom fought better. They
stood some time after they had ceased to fire, and it is therefore
concluded that they had had no ammunition left; and even after our
cavalry (who behaved well) was in the midst of them cutting away. At
last they gave way, and then fled quickly. Their loss no one knows, as
the wounded got off to the villages round; but all say that their army
is actually reduced above eight thousand men, as the conscripts are
all running home as fast as they can. Above twenty had come back to
Peyrehorade; and one gentleman-like young man I met at my quarter there
was a convalescent conscript, and such he said he should now always
remain, unless affairs took another turn again.
Our state here is most curious; all riding about singly, entering any
house we please, and well received everywhere, the baggage straggling
all over the country; every one declaring that one man had caused
all their misery for the last three years. The Bourbons are almost
forgotten; and few, even of the better sort of people, know who the
Duke d’Angoulême is. All want peace, and, therefore, wish him well. The
French people are just now humbled to a most astonishing degree—I could
scarcely have believed it possible.
I went about talking to the people, and explaining a little who our
“royal tiger” is, and why he came as he did. At Flagenan I found the
_maire_ and townspeople waiting to pay their respects to him in form.
This was bolder than at most places; and I was sorry to mortify them
by telling them he had already passed. At Peyrehorade, when the French
army went by, every place was shut up; when we came, every place and
all the shops were opened.
Their horror of the Spaniards is, however, very great. Still the people
would take no active part; they remained quiet, hoping for peace. At
Orthes Marshal Soult ordered the inhabitants to arm and assist; and
the action was so close, on a formidable position on the hills above
the town, that several balls fell into the houses; but instead, the
inhabitants all shut themselves up, and there waited the event. He
vowed vengeance, and declared that the town should be pillaged in
consequence. Of course they wished us success, as you may well conceive.
In many places the French have done much injury to the inhabitants
as they went off, burning mills, bridges, forage, and the suburbs of
Navarens, on military accounts, but plundering also very considerably
on private accounts. The people now fear that we are too weak, and
begin to tremble.
It is a trying time for them. The schoolmaster here has rubbed out his
_Collége Impériale_. This may be his ruin if matters change again.
At Mont de Marsan, as I expected, we have found immense stores. This
place, St. Sever, is larger than Orthes or Peyrehorade, and is said to
have had much _émigré_ and _ancienne noblesse_. The reception, however,
as to quarters, has not been quite so good as hitherto, more from
alarm, probably than anything else.
Lord Wellington and General Alava were close together when struck, and
both on the hip, but on different sides, and neither seriously injured,
as the surgeon told me who dressed them. Lord Wellington’s was a bad
bruise, and the skin was broken. I fear that his riding so much since
has made it rather of more consequence; but hope the two days’ halt
here will put him in the right way again, as all our prospects here
would vanish with that man.
From this vicinity the French took the road to Toulouse, and, you will
observe, made another stand near Aire. The Portuguese, I am sorry to
say, ran at that place; and we were at first repulsed, but General
Barnes’s brigade came up, and set all to rights, by driving the French
on again, and taking some prisoners. Our way here has been in some
degree difficult and dangerous, from the flooded rivers and broken-down
bridges, which have been hitherto only slightly repaired, so as to be
just passable. At the Adour, it is reported that we have here actually
been delayed two days. At Port de Lanne, we passed it on two large
rafts, and two ferry-boats, with some risk: my boat was nearly over,
from two spirited horses being on board; and my little mule, with his
panniers on, jumped into the water. This put my linen and sugar, &c.,
in a pretty mess, as you may suppose, and drowned the live fowls on his
back. At Peyrehorade I also lost a mule, and was obliged, consequently,
to overload the rest.
At this place I last night recovered my mule, and lost nothing on
the road, except the drowned fowls, which can now be replaced here.
The history of all the mishaps on a march is curious. I dined at the
ferry-house, and did not go away till all my own nine animals were
clear over. Some persons have never heard of their baggage since, and
are now here without it: it will turn up soon, no doubt, at least in
great part.
My old host at Mont de Marsan has sent to inquire after me. One feels
now quite strange in an enemy’s country, meeting deserters around on
the road, gens-d’armes, the same conscripts going home, and a stout
peasantry with great Irish bludgeons, all very civil and friendly;
and Lord Wellington, by proclamation, ordering the _maires_ to form
an armed police, and protect their own districts themselves from
stragglers, muleteers, &c.
I always expected that Soult would retire towards Toulouse, to fall
back on Suchet, and either hang on our flank, if we should go on to
Bordeaux, or draw us from the sea and our supplies if we follow him up.
We can push on to Bordeaux and the river, in my opinion, and then sweep
on before us towards Toulouse. Time will show Lord Wellington’s plans,
which no one can do more than guess at. In the end I was right as to
his crossing the Gaves in force.
I have just met with the Baron de Barthe. He tells me that all prospers
with the royal cause, and that the French provinces of Poitou, Guienne,
Brittany, &c., are all in open insurrection, and the white flag
flying. P——’s account of the state of France on his side coincides,
as you must observe, almost precisely with mine, as far as I have yet
seen. The people are all at market here to-day, just as if nothing
were the matter, and we were not here. Hitherto there is only hatred
in many of the lower classes and a few of the higher to Bonaparte;
but no effort for the Bourbons, and much alarm in the purchasers of
national property. The _ancienne noblesse_ is beginning to talk and
to stir a little, and the _nouveaux riches_ are by some laughed at.
Public opinion begins to dare to vent itself, and the minds of the
people at large are, I think, veering fast. Many think us too weak at
present. It is said that we move to-morrow to Aire, on the Toulouse
road; but nothing is fixed. I went to inquire after Lord Wellington
to-day; he was busy writing, and said he was better, and looked well
enough. The Duke d’Angoulême has sent to Mont de Marsan as his agent a
_professeur_, who was despised there, and this has given offence. The
truth is that he does not know where as yet to find men of weight and
talent.
_St. Sever, March 6th, 1814._—The mail is to be dispatched to-day,
so I add a few lines, as we halt here again to-day, and probably
to-morrow, owing to the flooded state of the river, and the enemy
having destroyed the bridges in their retreat to Auch, where we are
told they now are. Marshal Soult, it is said, finding that the Italians
also are now beginning to desert since Murat’s new alliances, has
ordered all Italian soldiers to be disarmed. Another story current, but
not so much to be relied on, is, that Bonaparte has been badly wounded,
and desired General Macdonald to put him out of his misery; and that
the latter took him at his word, and shot him.
The Duke d’Angoulême was at high mass again to-day, at which some
hundreds of the new levy attended, my hosts tell me, known by their
short cropped heads. Our situation here is so different from what it
was in Spain, that it is quite droll. I have a general invitation from
my host whilst I stay. To-day I go to Lord Wellington’s.
_Later on the 7th._—We stay to-day, as the bridges are not repaired
and the floods have not quite subsided. I walked down to the bridge
with Lord Wellington yesterday, and observed him limp a little, and he
said he was in rather more pain than usual, but that it was nothing. At
dinner yesterday, he said he was laughing at General Alava having had a
knock, and telling him it was all nonsense, and that he was not hurt,
when he received this blow, and a worse one, in the same place himself.
Alava said it was to punish him for laughing at him. At dinner we had
the new Swedish tiger, the Prince’s aide-de-camp, who had been here a
few days, covered with gold. His pantaloons are most _magnifique_. He
seemed a good-tempered man, but I did not think very much of him.
Two of the Bordeaux people were also there, who are to return to-day,
and General Frere’s aide-de-camp from Peyrehorade, as he is marching
up that way by Orthes. The people in office at Pau sent to say that
they were ready to declare for the King, and Count Damas boldly enough
went over there to see the state of things. He has come back safe, and
reports them ready, but that they cannot take any public step until
we are in force there. Amongst other opinions and feelings here, we,
the English, have our partisans. Many say they should like an English
Government, and Lord Wellington told me, laughing, he believed we had
almost as many friends and partisans as the Bourbons. Peace certainly
is by far the most popular project of all. I am excessively hurried
with business to-day, and must prepare to see Lord Wellington.
_Head-Quarters, Aire, March 11th, 1814._—By a sudden order we moved
from St. Sever to this place yesterday, so far on our road to Toulouse,
and the scene of the battle a few days since, when the Algarve brigade
(all Portuguese) took to their heels, and the English brigade of
General Barnes behaved so well.
We are now playing a bolder game than usual. The French, as I
suspected, took the Toulouse road from St. Sever, and have a column in
our front on the road to Auch, I believe, and another near or towards
Tarbes. This leaves Bordeaux open. To take advantage of this, we have
also divided two divisions under Marshal Beresford; the seventh and
the fourth are gone to Bordeaux, and must be by this time close to the
town, which is said to be ripe to join us, and declare for the King,
The Duke d’Angoulême is gone that way.
In front here we have Sir Rowland Hill’s corps, the second and sixth
divisions, and also the third and light divisions; and General Frere’s
Spanish army of twelve thousand men, to be fed by us, is on its road
up, and to be, it is understood, at St. Sever to-day; and to support
this main movement against Soult, who is said to be near Auch. In the
meantime, General Hope remains with the first division, including all
the Guards and German Legion (the choice men and in high order, and
undiminished by service nearly), together with the fifth division and
General Don Carlos d’Espagne’s Spanish brigade, and, it is believed,
also Lord Aylmer’s British one, to blockade and take Bayonne. It
is most unfortunate that so large a force should be required for
that object; but we dare not trust, I conclude, the bridge and our
communications to the Spaniards’ keeping.
Great preparations are making against Bayonne, and the garrison have
been driven in very close to the citadel; but no steps have been
hitherto taken for the actual siege by regular approaches or batteries.
Our army is thus very much divided just now, and the communications
would be difficult, except that the country is with us. All the French
posting establishment has remained, and nearly everything goes on as
usual. The people quietly suffer us to take our own measures, and
offer no opposition, though not openly declaring or helping us. It is
remarkable that we go about as if in England, and yet no mischief has
been done either to officers, men, or baggage. If the country people
had been like the Spaniards, and against us, what we are now doing
would have been out of the question. Half our army, by straggling
about, would have been knocked on the head. We have, fortunately, just
now plenty of money, and pay for everything; and the English are in the
highest repute.
In general, also, we have behaved well. There are, however, many
instances to the contrary; and many more, I am sorry to say, amongst
the Portuguese. When the Spaniards come, I am afraid things will be
much worse. The mischief done by, and injury arising from, the passing
through a country of the very best disciplined army is considerable.
The people feel that, and are ready in general to submit to much,
especially as the French army has been so much worse than ours, and
does not pay for anything, whilst, on the other hand, we enable many to
make almost little fortunes against quiet times; and Lord Wellington
begins upon a plan, which I hope he will have funds to continue, of
paying for all damage done when fairly stated. Some most exaggerated
and unreasonable demands have been made to him in consequence. Guineas
are already spread all over this province, and pass most readily.
I am at an apothecary’s here, who was, I am sorry to say, robbed by our
men just after the attack. Lord Hill offered to send him the money,
nearly 15_l._ and a watch; but he declined taking it.
Lord Wellington has a cold, but rode here yesterday in his white cloak,
in a terribly cold day, with the snow directly in his face; for we have
now got another little winter here, which is unusual.
At the latter place there was a large church which was built by the
English. In general, it is exactly in the style we call Saxon, or Old
English, circular arches and Saxon ornaments. I suspect, however, it
must have been built just as the Gothic style was coming into fashion,
as the side aisle arches and part of the body of the church were
Pointed or Gothic; and this did not appear to have been, like some
of ours, a subsequent alteration. A handsome small old Corinthian
façade was inserted within the large Saxon heavy arch, which formed
the original entrance of the front of the church. In the town was a
very good school, called _Le Collége Impérial_. About ninety-two boys
were then in the school, who all remained, and were very civil to our
officers whenever we went there. The boys seemed to wish us well; and
they do not usually conceal their real opinions. The establishment
was in an old Benedictine abbey, and was exceedingly good. The lower
cloisters and the great church, gutted at the Revolution, formed
excellent play-places; and all the great corridors above were half
enclosed by small wooden rooms for the boys, each having one to himself
about eight feet by five, holding his bed, his chair, table, and box;
and, by being all open at the top to the gallery, they were airy and
yet retired and private. The expense of this school is about 400
francs, or 20_l._ a-year. For this, Latin, writing, French, geography,
music, dancing, and a little mathematics were taught. Some boys could
read Livy, Tacitus, and Cicero. The dinner and other arrangements are
cleanly and good. Napoleon gave them the building. The funds were all
private, no foundation, lands, or allowances from Government.
The road from St. Sever here was through a rich flat bottom near the
Adour, with a high bank all the way on the south side, with several
chateaux. We crossed the Adour to come here at Sever, over our
newly-made bridge; came along the great road on the north bank, and
recrossed again at a ferry at this place, this for the fourth time
since we left St. Jean de Luz. The country seems well cultivated, and
not unlike parts of the Bath road, in Berkshire—a flat corn country,
with wooded, rising grounds and villas at some distance, which
formed the valley. We passed Grenade, rather a large village, about
eight miles from St. Sever, and a large chateau about six miles off,
belonging to the Marquis de St. Maurice, the chateau deriving its name
from him. We also passed a small village, about four miles further on,
called Cageres; and four miles more brought us here. The bridge at
Barcelonne is about a mile and a half higher up, over the Adour, and
has not been destroyed by the French; they only broke one arch of wood,
which we have repaired. We were to have crossed there to get hither,
but I came almost the first, found a ferry just re-established, and
came over; most followed the same way.
Aire is not so large a town as St. Sever or Orthes; it is about the
size of Epsom. It is close to the river, is old and dirty, and half
deserted. Several good houses gutted, or, at least, without furniture;
and the ruins of a very large modern-built bishop’s palace, destroyed
during the Revolution, when this place suffered much. At Upper Aire,
which stands well on a hill half a mile above this, is a celebrated
school or college, or rather two united. It was first formed about
sixty or eighty years since, a handsome building erected for the
purpose, and well contrived—in plan much like that at St. Sever. It
was in great repute before the Revolution, but was then destroyed, and
almost completely gutted. Within the last ten years, the professors
and clergy have by degrees, by charities, charity sermons, and
great exertions, nearly restored the whole again without Government
assistance; and, before this late attack, above two hundred boys were
there. In one building there are above a hundred boys, all destined
for the church; in another, above a hundred for lay employments. An
old church built by the English, but much altered, and in a much later
style than that at St. Sever, stands between the schools, is used by
them as a church, and unites the two establishments. The whole has
a good broad play-terrace on the brow of the hill above the river.
Education here is cheaper than at St. Sever, though there are no
Government funds at either. The yearly cost is about three hundred or
three hundred and fifty francs. I rather think clothing was, however,
included in the estimate at St. Sever, and that would make the two
much alike. The studies are the same. It puts me in mind of Maynooth
College, near Dublin, and seemed what our colleges were three or four
centuries ago.
My patron or host at St. Sever is a sort of small landholder and
noble, with his house in town and villa two miles off, which dated,
as he took care to tell me, 130 years, as the builder’s mark and
his ancestor’s name proved, and therefore, “_C’est clair, mais ce
n’est rien pour moi, c’est bien vrai maintenant, que ma famille est
supérieure à celle de M. le Maire de notre ville_,” &c. M. le Maire
had made most of his money by dabbling with national property during
the Revolution, and succeeded better than many others here. “But,”
continued my host, “as I have always been considered one of the
noblesse, I have suffered accordingly; _mais n’importe_—I am grown a
philosopher. I never can see such times as Robespierre’s again; so
I see English, Spanish, Portuguese, and all with indifference, and
remain quiet. At the same time I am now English (he always said _nous
autres_, which often puzzled me), and I wish the cause well, and
would contribute much to its success.” He seemed surprised that this
contribution of maize for our horses was all paid for instantly, and
that in gold, and at a fair good price, even though M. le Maire, who
managed it (no one knew for what), detained eleven sous out of every
eighty from all to whom he made payments. M. La Borde de Menos was my
host’s name. He was very civil, and I dined with his family—his wife,
two daughters, and a son—whenever I was not engaged, which happened
only twice, at Lord Wellington’s. He also gave my men wine, &c.; in
short, I believe he rejoiced much at the change he had experienced in
having me instead of a whole company of officers, men and all, which he
had one day when we first came.
In return for his treatment, I bought toys for the lad; gave some tea
to Madame in case of sickness, and a pretty cadeau to Mademoiselle. In
a word, we parted excellent friends. The many stories he told me of
what had passed in Robespierre’s time were curious. M. La Borde was
obliged to act with the Representant, and attend all meetings, to be
only pillaged and abused by every one, and to bow and say, “Thank you
all,” with his hat in his hand; and this was to prevent their having
an excuse for guillotining him, as thirty of the principal people were
put to death in the small town of St. Sever. The living alone and
staying away was of itself a heinous offence, and every requisition of
a cart for a day’s use was called for _sous peine de mort_. That was
the form of all demands. A ball was given by the Representant. Every
one was obliged to go or be suspected. Madame went. She had a valuable
gold watch-chain; but not daring to show it, she went with a cut steel
one. The Representant said, “_Mais où est donc votre chaine d’or? Le
publique en a besoin._” She was obliged to swear it had been stolen,
and to hide it ever afterwards. The Representant seemed incredulous,
and the risk of this fraud was great, but it answered. Monsieur was not
so lucky; he had a valuable ring, and attended one of the meetings with
it on. The Representant said, “_Tu F—— Noble, donnez moi ta bague, ce
n’est pas pour des gens comme toi; le publique en a besoin._” He took
it off and gave it up, and some months after saw it on the finger of
one of the Representant’s relations.
I have now a will to draw up in case of accident, for Sir N. P——,
bart., to secure 10,000_l._ to each of his younger children. He is here
with his regiment; so adieu.
Lord Wellington abuses the Allies for having been beaten when they
had the game in their hands; and says, one ran his head against the
Marne, and the other against the Seine, and the whole was ill-managed.
We have the further news of a French column having made its way from
Lyons to near Geneva again; but a report still later, that the Allies,
under Blucher, got into Bonaparte’s rear. These checks are, even if
they end in nothing, of the greatest use to him. They deter people
from declaring their opinions; may make every difference in that way
here and at Bordeaux; and I should not be surprised if they encouraged
Marshal Soult to make another stand near here, on this side the
Garonne, which I do not think he would otherwise have done.
I am told that he is in a position at present from Tarbes to Plaisance,
on a ridge of hills, and that the country is full of positions. My
news is from M. D——, the husband of my young Spanish Bilboa lady, who
came to me to-day. They have left Bayonne from fear, and are waiting
the events of the war at Pau, whence he came over here—and like a true
placeman, thinking matters were about to change, he insinuated to me
that he should like an appointment under the new order of things—under
the direction of the Bourbons or the English.
He also wanted a passport for his little wife’s brother to go back
to Bilboa, from General Alava. This I have obtained for him; but on
condition that the civil authorities are written to, and the brother
examined on his arrival, as to his conduct, &c. M. D—— was Colonel
F——’s friend and not mine; and to confess the truth, I had no great
opinion of him, but thought he was only attentive to Colonel F——
to serve his own purposes, and seemed to be rather an intriguing
gentleman. It is, however, quite my principle that every one should be
allowed to go home, and go about his business; and I am sure that Spain
will profit by the residence of any one who has lived at all with the
French, and acquired some notions of what mankind are capable of, and
of human exertion.
In my walks to-day, I met a poor gentleman who told me we had taken all
his forage, and that his oxen were starving, and that he must sell
them; he was going to a contractor for that purpose. I advised him to
go to our Commissary Haines, to whom I took him, for I thought each
would gain by a bargain direct. His oxen are to be inspected to-morrow.
During our conversation, he told me that he was the brother-in-law of
Dulau, the French bookseller in Soho Square, and that the latter had no
nearer relation, but that he could never hear of him, or write to him.
I undertook to send his letter. If such a letter is enclosed to you,
therefore, you will know all about it, and my poor man may get a legacy
or something by it, from the great Mr. Dulau, for such he must be.
_Saturday, March 12th._—We remain here to-day, and shall do so probably
for a few days, unless the French move off. We seem to be moving up.
A brigade of artillery and some troops were yesterday taking the
direction to Pau, to secure that town, I conclude, as we have now only
artillery there, and also, perhaps, to turn the left of the French
position at Tarbes. Lord Wellington is better; his hounds go out
to-day, and I should not be surprised at his being out with them. As a
proof how savage war makes every one, even an English soldier, I may
tell you that poor H——’s body was stript by the English soldiers of his
own division, to which he was acting as Adjutant-general, and almost
before his body was cold. I believe two or three men have been flogged
for this. By degrees we all get hardened to anything.
I find the same sort of custom here as to letting land, as is to be
found near Bayonne. The landlord puts a peasant into a little farm,
furnishes it, pays the taxes, and finds the necessary cattle, beasts,
and horses, for the cultivation of the land; in return, he receives
the full half of the clear produce as rent, but in kind, and very
little money is seen. Before we came, bread was three sous the pound,
which would be about sixpence three-farthings the quartern loaf. A
goose has been five francs of late, but that is dear. Fowls are now
only half-a-crown or three shillings each, and very good even to the
English. If we remain long in a place, we soon cause the prices to
rise.