TWO MIGHTY MEN
ON the 20th of August Sir John Moore reached Portugal. He was ordered
at once to disembark and to join Sir Arthur Wellesley.
Three days before Moore's arrival Sir Arthur—future Duke of
Wellington—gained a victory over the French at Vimiera. Unfortunately
he was at this moment superseded in command by Sir Harry Burrard, who
arrived while the battle was being actually fought. The two Generals
greeted one another upon the field.
This meant that the pursuit of the flying foe, which ought to have
ended in a thorough rout, was timidly cut short. Next day Burrard was
in turn superseded by Sir Hew Dalrymple; and his management of affairs
and hasty signing of an armistice raised at home a storm of indignation.
Just at this point a little by-play took place, which so plainly shows
the characters of the then two greatest English Generals, that it is
worth telling.
Moore took the first step. He went to Dalrymple, chief in command, and
said to him, with decision, that if hostilities should begin again,
Wellesley, and not himself, ought to have the command. Moore had the
first right, as senior; but he counted it only fair that Wellesley
should be allowed to carry on what he had so well begun, and he offered
freely to waive his own right.
Wellesley took the second step. While Moore thus generously proposed
to sacrifice his own claims on behalf of a junior, Wellesley was only
anxious that Moore's great gifts should not be lost to his country. The
conduct of these two grand men, each towards the other, is a fair sight
indeed, beside the jealousies which sometimes mar the bravest natures.
A frank, soldierly letter was sent by Wellesley to Moore, referring to
his recent interview with "His Majesty's Ministers," and expressing a
fear lest Moore's action that day might stand in the way of his being
raised to the supreme command.
Would Sir John be willing to discuss the question with him? "It appears
to me," he wrote, "to be quite impossible we can go on as we are now
constituted. The Commander-in-chief must be changed; and the Country
and the Army naturally turn their eyes to you as their Commander."
This letter took Moore by surprise. The two had met before, perhaps,
but they had not been intimate. He at once replied cordially, and the
interview was arranged for the next day, Wellesley calling upon Moore
on his way home.
Outsiders, of course, did not know what this interview meant. Jack
and Roy, taking a stroll together in a leisure hour, passed Moore's
quarters at the moment when Wellesley rode up and dismounted. Their
eyes met, and Roy murmured, "Wonder what's up now!"
"Something will have to be up soon, if things are not to go to a
complete smash," returned Jack. "England won't stand long throwing men
and money away for nothing. If battles are to end as that did the other
day—" he referred to Vimiera—"there'll be a rumpus somewhere. Shouldn't
wonder if a change is coming soon. Those two don't meet for nothing."
"No chance of anything proper being done till Moore is put into his
right place," declared indignant Roy, not aware that he was echoing the
precise sentiments of Sir Arthur Wellesley himself.
And they knew nothing, they could know nothing, of what was at that
moment going on within the four walls of the house they had passed.
The confidential talk which took place inside those walls was a
remarkable one.
Two of the greatest men of their generation had met there—one who was
in a few years to become the foremost soldier of his age; another
who could hardly have failed to become so, had he lived a few years
longer. Each was bent upon the good of his country; each was willing
to sacrifice for the benefit of the other what might be for his own
gain. One by birth was Scots, one by birth was Irish; but both were
British—nay, English!—to the backbone.
Sir Arthur Wellesley, in age eight years the younger, was still at the
opening of his grand career. Sir John Moore, after thirty years of
hard service, was fast nearing the close of his. He at this date had a
world-wide fame. Sir Arthur, though he had made his mark by a masterly
campaign in India, was not yet famous beyond a certain circle. But
Moore had noted his power.
Wellesley's strongly-outlined eagle face and large Roman nose
contrasted with the refined delicacy of Moore's features. In force of
character, however, in strength of will, in courage and patriotism, in
freedom from all narrowness of party spirit, the two were alike. With
Wellesley, as with Moore, private interests went down before National
interests, and DUTY was a word utterly supreme through life.
Perhaps the main difference between the two lay in the fact that
Wellesley lacked that peculiar "strain of sweetness," that element of
womanly tenderness, which made Moore so intensely beloved. His was a
more homogeneously iron nature; yet it was of finely-wrought iron.
They went quietly into the matter together. Moore's impetuous
self-defence before Castlereagh was referred to; and Sir John gave full
particulars, adding frankly, "I thought it needful to express what I
felt under the circumstances. But having done so, I have felt no more
upon the subject."
Wellesley demurred. He feared that Sir John's heat on that occasion
might stand in the path of his future usefulness. He was absolutely
sure that no unkind intentions had existed on the part of the
Ministers. Lord Castlereagh was naturally "cautious;" and a difficulty
might have been felt in giving the chief command to Sir John until a
formal explanation had taken place with the Swedish Court.
Then Sir Arthur earnestly pressed to be allowed to say to the Ministers
that Moore was sorry to have misunderstood them, if no slight had been
intended; and that, having once for all spoken out, he would think of
the matter no more.
Moore hesitated. No opening had been made from the Government. He
hardly saw how he could take the first step. He had known what the
consequences might be of his course of action. And to make a submission
now, merely with a view to getting a higher post,—"That is out of the
question," he said firmly.
Wellesley was not convinced. Then, as ever, his one thought was for
England's good. He knew what the loss of Moore's services in any
degree could not fail to be to England. It seemed to him that personal
feelings, and what might be thought of any individual action, were
matters unimportant, compared with the one great question of the
Country's need, the one fact that Moore more than any living man could
supply that need. He still urged his own view of what ought to be done.
And Sir John partly yielded. If Sir Arthur were enough interested to
mention this conversation to Lord Castlereagh, simply stating as a fact
that Sir John had not the smallest feeling of ill-will to any man in
the Ministry, he was welcome to do so. If wrong impressions were held,
he would be grateful to any friend who should kindly set matters right.
Further than this Moore declined to budge. Wellesley had to promise
that he would keep strictly to the terms dictated. He sailed next day
for England.
But before he could carry out his generous intentions, such steps as
he most desired had been already taken. The opposition to Moore's
appointment, offered mainly by Canning, had been overcome by the
determination of the King, who roundly declared that "No man but Moore
should command that army."
Dalrymple was recalled; Burrard was superseded; and Moore was placed
at the head of about thirty thousand men, to be used in the north of
Spain, conjointly with the Spanish forces. Had the Duke of York been
allowed a free hand, Moore might have had sixty thousand.
So strongly had Sir John been impressed, during the interview, with
the lofty disinterestedness of the future Iron Duke, that it must have
gratified him to get a letter from Wellesley containing these words: "I
find that by the distribution I am placed under your command—than which
nothing can be more agreeable to me. I will go to Coruña immediately,
where I hope to find you."
It so happened that, after the Battle of Vimiera, Sir Arthur had
written to Lord Castlereagh, asking to be ordered home, since he
had been "too successful" with the Army "ever to serve with it in a
subordinate position" satisfactorily. Which meant that he could not
thus serve under those who were then placed over him. To serve under
Sir John Moore wore plainly in his eyes a very different aspect.
Unfortunately he was kept in England for other purposes, and Moore had
not the help of his presence during the coming campaign.