Right Hon. Lord Viscount Castlereagh.
* * * * *
LETTER from Lieut.-Gen. HOPE to Lieut.-Gen. Sir DAVID BAIRD,
containing the report after the battle of Corunna, 16th January
1809.
HIS MAJESTY’S SHIP “AUDACIOUS,”
OFF CORUNNA, _January 18, 1809_.
SIR--In compliance with the desire contained in your communication
of yesterday, I avail myself of the first moment I have been able
to command to detail to you the occurrences of the action which
took place in front of Corunna on the 16th instant.
It will be in your recollection, that about one in the afternoon of
that day the Enemy, who had in the morning received reinforcements,
and who had placed some guns in front of the right and left of his
line, was observed to be moving troops towards his left flank, and
forming various columns of attack at that extremity of the strong
and commanding position which on the morning of the 15th he had
taken in our immediate front.
This indication of his intention was immediately succeeded by the
rapid and determined attack which he made upon your division, which
occupied the right of our position. The events which occurred
during that period of the action you are fully acquainted with. The
first effort of the Enemy was met by the Commander of the Forces,
and by yourself, at the head of the 42nd regiment and the brigade
under Major-General Lord William Bentinck.
The village on your right became an object of obstinate contest. I
lament to say that soon after the severe wound which deprived the
army of your services, Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, who had
just directed the most able disposition, fell by a cannon shot. The
troops, though not unacquainted with the irreparable loss they had
sustained, were not dismayed, but by the most determined bravery
not only repelled every attempt of the Enemy to gain ground, but
actually forced him to retire, although he had brought up fresh
troops in support of those originally engaged.
The Enemy, finding himself foiled in every attempt to force the
right of the position, endeavoured by numbers to turn it. A
judicious and well-timed movement which was made by Major-General
Paget, with the reserve, which corps had moved out of its
cantonments to support the right of the army, by a vigorous attack
defeated this intention. The Major-General, having pushed forward
the 95th (rifle corps) and 1st battalion 52nd regiments, drove
the Enemy before him; and in his rapid and judicious advance,
threatened the left of the Enemy’s position. This circumstance,
with the position of Lieutenant-General Fraser’s division
(calculated to give still further security to the right of the
line), induced the enemy to relax his efforts in that quarter.
They were, however, more forcibly directed towards the centre,
where they were again successfully resisted by the brigade under
Major-General Manningham, forming the left of your division, and
a part of that under Major-General Leith, forming the right of
the division under my orders. Upon the left, the Enemy at first
contented himself with an attack upon our piquets, which, however,
in general maintained their ground. Finding, however, his efforts
unavailing on the right and centre, he seemed determined to render
the attack upon the left more serious, and had succeeded in
obtaining possession of the village through which the great road to
Madrid passes, and which was situated in front of that part of the
line.
From this post, however, he was soon expelled, with considerable
loss, by a gallant attack of some companies of the 2nd battalion
14th regiment, under Lieutenant-Colonel Nicholls. Before five in
the evening, we had not only successfully repelled every attack
made upon the position, but had gained ground in almost all points,
and occupied a more forward line than at the commencement of the
action, whilst the Enemy confined his operations to a cannonade,
and the fire of his light troops, with a view to draw off his
other corps. At six the firing ceased. The different brigades were
reassembled on the ground they occupied in the morning, and the
piquets and advanced posts resumed their original stations.
Notwithstanding the decided and marked superiority which at
this moment the gallantry of the troops had given them over an
Enemy, who, from his numbers and the commanding advantages of
his position, no doubt expected an easy victory, I did not, on
reviewing all circumstances, conceive that I should be warranted in
departing from what I knew was the fixed and previous determination
of the late Commander of the Forces, to withdraw the army on the
evening of the 16th for the purpose of embarkation, the previous
arrangements for which had already been made by his order, and were
in fact far advanced at the commencement of the action. The troops
quitted their position about ten at night with a degree of order
that did them credit. The whole of the artillery that remained
unembarked, having been withdrawn, the troops followed in the order
prescribed, and marched to their respective points of embarkation
in the town and neighbourhood of Corunna. The piquets remained at
their posts until five on the morning of the 17th, when they were
also withdrawn with similar orders, and without the enemy having
discovered the movement.
By the unremitted exertions of Captains the Honourable H. Curzon,
Gosselin, Boys, Rainier, Serret, Hawkins, Digby, Carden, and
Mackenzie of the Royal Navy, who, in pursuance of the orders
of Rear-Admiral de Courcy, were entrusted with the service of
embarking the army, and in consequence of the arrangements made
by Commissioner Bowen, Captains Bowen and Shepherd, and the other
agents for transports, the whole of the army was embarked with an
expedition which has seldom been equalled. With the exception of
the brigades under Major-Generals Hill and Beresford, which were
destined to remain on shore until the movements of the enemy should
become manifest, the whole was afloat before daylight.
The brigade of Major-General Beresford, which was alternately to
form our rearguard, occupied the land front of the town of Corunna;
that under Major-General Hill was stationed in reserve on the
promontory in rear of the town.
The enemy pushed his light troops towards the town soon after
eight o’clock in the morning of the 17th, and shortly after
occupied the heights of St. Lucia, which command the harbour. But,
notwithstanding this circumstance and the manifold defects of the
place, there being no apprehension that the rearguard could be
forced, and the disposition of the Spaniards appearing to be good,
the embarkation of Major-General Hill’s brigade was commenced and
completed by three in the afternoon, Major-General Beresford, with
that zeal and ability which is so well known to yourself and the
whole army, having fully explained, to the satisfaction of the
Spanish Governor, the nature of our movement, and having made every
previous arrangement, withdrew his corps from the land front of the
town soon after dark, and was, with all the wounded that had not
been previously moved, embarked before one this morning.
Circumstances forbid us to indulge the hope, that the victory
with which it has pleased Providence to crown the efforts of
the army, can be attended with any very brilliant consequences
to Great Britain. It is clouded by the loss of one of her best
Soldiers. It has been achieved at the termination of a long and
harassing service. The superior numbers and advantageous position
of the Enemy, not less than the actual situation of this army,
did not admit of any advantage being reaped from success. It
must be, however, to you, to the army, and to our Country, the
sweetest reflection, that the lustre of the British arms has been
maintained amidst many disadvantageous circumstances. The army,
which had entered Spain amidst the fairest prospects, had no sooner
completed its junction, than, owing to the multiplied disasters
that dispersed the native armies around us, it was left to its own
resources. The advance of the British corps from the Duero afforded
the best hope that the south of Spain might be relieved; but this
generous effort to save the unfortunate people also afforded the
Enemy the opportunity of directing every effort of his numerous
troops, and concentrating all his principal resources, for the
destruction of the only regular force in the north of Spain.
You are well aware with what diligence this system has been pursued.
These circumstances produced the necessity of rapid and harassing
marches, which had diminished the numbers, exhausted the strength,
and impaired the equipment of the army. Notwithstanding all these
disadvantages, and those more immediately attached to a defensive
position, which the imperious necessity of covering the harbour
of Corunna for a time had rendered indispensable to assume, the
native and undaunted valour of British troops was never more
conspicuous, and must have exceeded what even your own experience
of that invaluable quality, so inherent in them, may have taught
you to expect. When every one that had an opportunity seemed to vie
in improving it, it is difficult for me, in making this report, to
select particular instances for your approbation.
The corps chiefly engaged were the brigades under Major-Generals
Lord William Bentinck and Manningham and Leith, and the brigade of
Guards under Major-General Warde.
To these officers, and the troops under their immediate orders, the
greatest praise is due.
Major-General Hill and Colonel Catlin Crauford, with their brigades
on the left of the position, ably supported their advanced posts.
The brunt of the action fell upon the 4th, 42nd, 50th, and 81st
regiments, with parts of the brigade of Guards, and the 26th
regiment.
From Lieutenant-Colonel Murray, Quartermaster-General, and
the Officers of the General Staff, I received the most marked
assistance. I had reason to regret, that the illness of
Brigadier-General Clinton, Adjutant-General, deprived me of his
aid. I was indebted to Brigadier-General Slade during the action,
for a zealous offer of his personal services, although the cavalry
were embarked.
The greater part of the fleet having gone to sea yesterday evening,
the whole being under way, and the corps in the embarkation
necessarily much mixed on board, it is impossible at present to
lay before you a return of our casualties. I hope the loss in
numbers is not so considerable as might have been expected. If I
was obliged to form an estimate, I should say, that I believe it
did not exceed in killed and wounded from seven to eight hundred;
that of the Enemy must remain unknown, but many circumstances
induce me to rate it at nearly double the above number. We have
some prisoners, but I have not been able to obtain an account of
the number; it is not, however, considerable. Several Officers
of rank have fallen or been wounded, among whom I am only at
present enabled to state the names of Lieutenant-Colonel Napier,
92nd regiment, Majors Napier and Stanhope, 50th regiment, killed;
Lieutenant-Colonel Winch, 4th regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel
Maxwell, 26th regiment, Lieutenant-Colonel Fane, 59th regiment,
Lieutenant-Colonel Griffith, Guards, Majors Miller and Williams,
81st regiment, wounded.
To you, who are well acquainted with the excellent qualities of
Lieutenant-General Sir John Moore, I need not expatiate on the loss
the army and his Country have sustained by his death. His fall
has deprived me of a valuable friend, to whom long experience of
his worth had sincerely attached me. But it is chiefly on public
grounds that I must lament the blow. It will be the consolation of
every one who loved or respected his manly character, that, after
conducting the army through an arduous retreat with consummate
firmness, he has terminated a career of distinguished honour by
a death that has given the Enemy additional reason to respect
the name of a British Soldier. Like the immortal Wolfe, he is
snatched from his Country at an early period of a life spent in her
service; like Wolfe, his last moments were gilded by the prospect
of success, and cheered by the acclamation of victory; like Wolfe
also, his memory will for ever remain sacred in that Country which
he sincerely loved, and which he had so faithfully served.
It remains for me only to express my hope, that you will speedily
be restored to the service of your Country, and to lament the
unfortunate circumstance that removed you from your station in the
field, and threw the momentary command into far less able hands.--I
have the honour to be, etc.,
JOHN HOPE, Lieut.-Gen.
To Lieutenant-General Sir David Baird, etc., etc., etc.
LAST ORDERS GIVEN TO THE ARMY OF SPAIN BY THE GREAT GENERAL, SIR
JOHN MOORE, K.B.
HEADQUARTERS, CORUÑA,
_January 16, 1809_.
G. O.--The Commander of the Forces directs that commanding officers
of regiments will as soon as possible after they embark make
themselves acquainted with what ships the men of their regiments
are embarked, both sick and convalescents, and that they will
make out the most correct states of their respective corps; that
they will state the number of sick present, also those left at
different places, and mention at the back of the return where the
men returned on command are employed.
His Majesty has been pleased to appoint Lt.-Col. Douglas to be
Assist. Qr.-Mr.-General. Appt. to bear date 5th Decr. 1808.
Hon. Capt. James Stanhope, 1st Guards, is appointed extra
Aide-de-Camp to the C. of the Forces.
[Illustration: John Moore.(signature)]
_Printed by_ R. & R. CLARK, LIMITED, _Edinburgh_.