Wellington the Statesman
(1815-52)
“_It is the duty of all to look our difficulties in the face and to
lay the ground for getting the better of them._”
WELLINGTON.
While the good folk of London were listening to the guns of the
Tower and of the Park, which told of the Waterloo victory, and the
joyful news was percolating to the smallest hamlet, Wellington was
fighting a battle in which neither sword nor gun was involved. It was
one of diplomacy, and he proved the conqueror. Blücher, armed with
the Declaration of the 13th March 1815 to the effect that “Napoleon
Bonaparte is put beyond the pale of social and civil relations, and
as enemy and disturber of the repose of the world, he is delivered
over to public vengeance,” was for seizing the fallen Emperor and
shooting him as an outlaw at Vincennes, the scene of the Duc d’Enghien
tragedy.[102] The bloodthirsty Prussian asked for Wellington’s views
on the matter. He received them without delay, and expressed in such a
way that Blücher must have felt thoroughly ashamed of himself, if only
for a passing moment. “They had both acted too distinguished a part in
the recent transactions to become executioners,” the Duke wrote. This
single sentence reveals the sterling uprightness of the man and his
hatred of unnecessary bloodshed. Even supposing that he had received
authority for the carrying out of such a measure, it is extremely
doubtful whether Wellington would have concurred in his colleague’s
wish. Blücher sneered--and accepted the decision. Wellington also found
himself in disagreement with the Prussian view regarding the bridge
of Jena at Paris, which commemorated the crushing Prussian defeat
of October 1806. Blücher, with true patriotic zeal as it seemed to
him, was for blowing it to pieces. Wellington regarded the idea as
foolish, and he carried his point. It would have been a bitter day for
the Capital had Blücher been allowed to work his will. The Prussian
Commander insisted on levying a contribution on the city of Paris of
100,000,000 francs. Wellington upset the scheme by insisting that the
question was one for the Allied sovereigns to arrange. For the third
time vindictive Blücher had to give in.
When the Provisional Government appealed to the Duke with reference
to Napoleon’s successor, he bluntly told them that “the best security
for Europe was the restoration of the King,” namely, Louis XVIII, and
that he should be recalled “without loss of time, so as to avoid the
appearance of the measure having been forced upon them by the allies.”
When the Exile King returned to Paris the enormous demands of
certain of the Powers, particularly of Austria and Prussia, had to
be discussed. Had it not been for the resistance of Castlereagh,
Wellington, and Nesselrode, extensive partitions undoubtedly would
have resulted. As finally settled by the Second Treaty of Paris,
concluded on the 20th November, the territory of France was reduced
to practically the limits of 1790, an indemnity of 700,000,000 francs
was determined for the expenses of the war, and an army of occupation
not exceeding 150,000 troops under the Duke was to garrison the
chief frontier fortresses, including Valenciennes, Cambray, Quesnoy,
Maubeuge, and Landrecy, for a maximum period of five years, the
expense being met by the French Government. The magnificent art
treasures, which Napoleon had gloried in plundering, were to be
returned to their rightful owners. That is why the celebrated bronze
horses of St Mark may be seen on the great Venetian Cathedral to-day,
and the wonderful “Descent from the Cross,” by Rubens, admired in the
Cathedral of Antwerp, from whence it had been taken to find a temporary
resting-place in the Louvre.
An excellent account of the Army of Occupation is given by a Scotsman
who visited Paris shortly after the battle of Waterloo. There were
comparatively few Austrians, the majority of them being in the south
of France, but those seen by the writer of _Paul’s Letters to his
Kinsfolk_ were “bulky men” who “want the hardy and athletic look of
the British, Russians, or Prussians.” The Russian infantry were “fine,
firm, steady-looking men, clean, handsome, but by no means remarkable
for stature.” The artillery were “in the highest possible order,”
the cavalry “remarkably fine men,” the appearance of the Cossacks
“prepossessing.” The Prussians, while never having been accused of
“gross violence,” succeeded in wrecking the Château de Montmorency,
where a large body of them was quartered. Camp-kettles were boiled with
picture-frames, and the furniture stripped by female camp followers.
Paul notes that the Prussian officers were the principal customers of
the expensive restaurants and theatres, but that many British officers
of rank had gone so far as to decline the quarters appointed them in
private houses. He bestows much praise on Wellington for his discipline
and justice: “The strong sense and firmness for which the Duke is as
much distinguished as for skill in arms and bravery in the field of
battle, easily saw that the high and paramount part which Britain now
holds in Europe, that preeminence which, in so many instances, has made
her and her delegates the chosen mediators when disputes occurred
amongst the allied powers, depends entirely on our maintaining pure
and sacred the national character for good faith and disinterested
honour. The slightest complaint, therefore, of want of discipline or
oppression perpetrated by a British officer or soldier has instantly
met with reprehension and punishment, and the result has been the
reducing the French to the cruel situation of hating us without having
any complaint to justify themselves for doing so, even in their own
eyes.... The soldiers, without exception, both British and foreigners,
conduct themselves in public with civility, are very rarely to be
seen intoxicated, though the means are so much within reach; and,
considering all the irritating circumstances that exist, few quarrels
occur betwixt them and the populace. Very strong precautions are,
however, taken in case of any accidental or premeditated commotion.”
Wellington threw the whole weight of his influence on the side of
moderation. Prussia was all for partition, for getting her territorial
“pound of flesh,” but the calmer statesmanship of the diplomatists
already mentioned, especially of Wellington, won the day. The Duke’s
policy is clearly outlined in his dispatch of the 11th August, which,
in the opinion of Dr Holland Rose, “deserves to rank among his highest
titles to fame.”
Wellington states that while France has been left “in too great
strength for the rest of Europe, weakened as all the powers of Europe
have been by the wars in which they have been engaged with France,”
his objection to the demand of a “great cession from France upon this
occasion is, that it will defeat the object which the Allies have held
out to themselves in the present and the preceding wars.” He then
proceeds to detail what were, in his opinion, the various causes which
led to so much bloodshed: “to put an end to the French Revolution, to
obtain peace for themselves and their people, to have the power of
reducing their overgrown military establishments, and the leisure
to attend to the internal concerns of their several nations, and to
improve the situation of their people. The Allies took up arms against
Buonaparte because it was certain that the world could not be at peace
as long as he should possess, or should be in a situation to attain,
supreme power in France; and care must be taken,” he adds, “in making
the arrangements consequent upon our success, that we do not leave the
world in the same unfortunate situation respecting France that it would
have been in if Buonaparte had continued in possession of his power.”
The Duke then goes on to review the situation. If Louis XVIII were to
refuse the cession of territory, his people would undoubtedly support
him, and the Allies “might take the fortresses and provinces which
might suit them, but there would be no genuine peace for the world,
no nation could disarm, no Sovereign could turn his attention from
the affairs of this country.” If the King consented to the partition,
“which, from all that one hears, is an event by no means probable, the
Allies must be satisfied, and must retire; but I would appeal to the
experience of the transactions of last year for a statement of the
situation in which we should find ourselves.” France was then reduced
to her limits of 1792, and “the Allies were obliged to maintain each
in the field half of the war establishment stipulated in the treaty of
Chaumont, in order to guard their conquests, and what had been ceded to
them.” In France “the general topic of conversation was the recovery
of the left bank of the Rhine as the frontier of France.” Wellington
therefore preferred “the temporary occupation of some of the strong
places, and to maintain for a time a strong force in France, both at
the expense of the French Government, and under strict regulation, to
the permanent cession of even all the places which in my opinion ought
to be occupied for a time. These measures will not only give us,
during the period of occupation, all the military security which could
be expected from the permanent cession, but, if carried into execution
in the spirit in which they are conceived, they are in themselves the
bond of peace.”
During the remainder of his stay in France, broken by a short visit
to England in 1816, Wellington was far from popular, and one or two
attempts were made on his life. It was scarcely to be expected that
a man who had been pre-eminently successful in the field against the
nation’s armies would be lauded as a popular hero, but, as we have
seen, he had helped to save the country from a bitter and vindictive
humiliation. He finally returned home in 1818, when the Army of
Occupation evacuated France with the consent of the Powers at the
request of its Commander-in-Chief. He never again drew his sword in
warfare, but he maintained a commanding position in the affairs of
Great Britain until the close of his long life.
His honours and orders were now varied and many. England and foreign
countries honoured themselves by honouring him. Parliament voted him
£200,000 for the erection or purchase of Strathfieldsaye, Hampshire,
and the estate granted to him as Prince of Waterloo by the King of the
Netherlands was valued at £4000 per annum. On his return to England
he became Master of the Ordnance, which entitled him to a seat in the
Cabinet.
In 1821 Wellington revisited the scene of his most famous battle with
George IV, and afterwards proceeded to Verona to represent, with Lord
Strangford, Great Britain at the Congress about to be held there to
determine the attitude of England, France, Russia, Austria, and Prussia
regarding various matters, including the insurrection in Greece and
the relations of Russia and Turkey in the matter, the evacuation of
Piedmont and Naples by the Austrian troops, the slave trade, and more
particularly the unhappy state of affairs in Spain, which country
was then in a state of civil war. Should the five Powers send armed
assistance to Ferdinand, whom Wellington’s victories in the Peninsula
had replaced on the throne? Answering for his own country the Duke
maintained the principle of non-interference excepting in a case of
necessity. In this matter Great Britain stood alone, and the Duke had
to run the gauntlet of fierce criticism on his return to England.
His next continental journey was in 1826, when he was sent on a special
mission to Petersburg on the accession of the Emperor Nicholas, with
the object of arriving at a satisfactory settlement of the projected
Russian attack on Turkey over the Greek difficulty. In this he was not
entirely successful, for after events proved that he had only succeeded
in staving off the evil day.
On the death of the Duke of York in the following year, Wellington
was appointed Commander-in-Chief, retaining his other office, which
controlled merely the artillery and engineers.
A month later Canning became Prime Minister, and the Duke was asked to
continue as a member of the Cabinet. This request he not only declined,
but surrendered his two important offices as well. Mutual suspicion
seems to have been the cause of this unexpected event, certainly not
jealousy, for Wellington said that he should be “worse than mad if
he had ever thought of it for a moment,” the “it” referring to his
possible appointment as First Lord of the Treasury. Canning did not
live long to enjoy the sweets of office, for he died on the following
August, and was succeeded by “Prosperity” Robinson, otherwise Lord
Goderich, who resigned at the beginning of 1828.
The Duke, once again Commander-in-Chief, was sent for by George IV,
and requested to form a Ministry. He obeyed with the instinct of a
soldier when ordered by his superior officer, rather than as a keen
politician about to have his highest ambition gratified. Wellington
was a Tory, and the political freedom of the Roman Catholics and the
reform of Parliament were the burning questions of the hour. The
Duke was uncertain as to the practical utility of either, but he was
not prepared to go against the known wishes of the nation so far
as the religious question was concerned. After navigating a sea of
difficulties, the Roman Catholic Relief Bill passed both Houses in
the early days of 1829. One of his opponents, the Earl of Winchilsea,
charged Wellington with “breaking in upon the Constitution of 1688
in order that he might the more effectively, under the cloak of
some outward show of zeal for the Protestant religion, carry on his
insidious designs for the infringement of our liberties, and the
introduction of Popery in every department of the State.” The Premier
requested an apology, which was not forthcoming, whereupon the former
demanded “satisfaction,” in other words, a duel. Sir Henry Hardinge for
Wellington and Lord Falmouth for Winchilsea were the respective seconds.
The meeting took place in Battersea Fields.[103] “Now then, Hardinge,”
said the Duke, “look sharp and step out the ground. I have no time
to waste. Don’t stick him up so near the ditch. If I hit him he will
tumble in.” The signal was given to fire. Noting that his opponent did
not level his pistol on the command being given, the Duke purposely
fired wide, and an instant afterwards Winchilsea fired in the air.
The latter then produced a written sheet which he called an apology,
which had to be altered before it met with Wellington’s approval. “Good
morning, my Lord Winchilsea; good morning, my Lord Falmouth,” cried the
Duke as he saluted with two fingers, and, mounting his horse, cantered
off.
The Duke had a most thankless task during his administration, so much
so that we find him writing, “If I had known in January 1828, one
tithe of what I do now, and of what I discovered one month after I
was in office, I should never have been the King’s Minister, and so
have avoided loads of misery. However, I trust God Almighty will soon
determine that I have been sufficiently punished for my sins and will
relieve me from the unlucky lot which has befallen me. I believe there
never was a man who suffered so much for so little purpose.”
He had almost as much trouble with the King as had Pitt with George
III, and many of his old supporters were indignant with him over the
Relief Bill. Wellington vehemently opposed Parliamentary Reform in the
face of public opinion, with the result that his Ministry rode to a
fall in November 1830.
Two months before he had taken part in the opening ceremony of the
Manchester and Liverpool Railway, the first line to cater for passenger
traffic in the British Empire. He rode in one of the two trains which
made the initial journey, and the fact that they both went in the same
direction was the cause of a lamentable accident which deprived one of
Wellington’s friends of his life. The incident occurred at Parkside,
where the engines stopped to obtain a supply of water. While the trains
were at a standstill, Mr Huskisson, formerly President of the Board
of Trade, got out of the carriage in which he had been travelling and
sought Wellington. A minute or two later the train on the opposite
line started. One of the open doors knocked him down, and his right
leg was crushed by the locomotive. The Duke and several others ran to
the injured man’s assistance, but his injuries were such that he only
survived a few hours.
Wellington was succeeded as First Lord of the Treasury by Earl Grey,
whose Government was speedily defeated by the Reform Bill which it
introduced being rejected by the Lords. Riots broke out in London
and the provinces; William IV “was frightened by the appearance of
the people outside of St James’s”; the celebrated Dr Arnold wrote
that his “sense of the evils of the times, and to what purpose I am
bringing up my children, is overwhelmingly bitter.” The King implored
the Ministers not to hand in their resignation, the House of Commons
carried by a large majority a vote of confidence in the Government, and
the nation showed that it bitterly resented the action of the Lords.
There was an attempt at compromise, but the concessions were so trivial
from Wellington’s point of view that he declined to take part in the
negotiations. After further angry scenes in the following session Grey
resigned on the 9th May 1832. It was during this trying period of our
national history that the window-panes of Apsley House were stoned and
the Duke’s life was threatened.[104]
Once again the King requested Wellington to form a new administration,
and several meetings were held with that idea in view, but to no
purpose. He had to confess that the task was absolutely impossible:
“I felt that my duty to the King required that I should make a great
sacrifice of opinion to serve him, and to save his Majesty and the
country from what I considered a great evil. Others were not of the
same opinion. I failed in performing the service which I intended to
perform....” Several resident members of Oxford University, including
Professor the Rev. John Keble, impressed by the Duke’s devotion,
raised funds for the purpose of a bust to commemorate his self-denying
conduct. This appreciation of approval greatly pleased Wellington,
who announced his intention of sitting for Chantrey, the celebrated
sculptor, or whoever else the committee might choose, “with the
greatest satisfaction.” When Grey resumed office the Reform Bill was
read for a third time and passed, a number of peers having declared
“that in consequence of the present state of affairs they have come
to the resolution of dropping their further opposition to the Reform
Bill, so that it may pass without delay as nearly as possible in its
present shape.” Wellington quietly left the House. He was no more
kindly disposed towards the Irish Reform Bill, and subjected it to a
fire of criticism which did not, however, preclude it from passing.
One of the most remarkable events of the Duke’s crowded life occurred
in November 1834. When Earl Grey resigned in July 1834, on which
occasion his opponent made a graceful speech to the effect that
there had been no personal hostility in his opposition, the retiring
statesman recommended Lord Melbourne as his successor. This suggestion
met with the King’s approval, but the reign of the new Administration
lasted only until the middle of the following November. His Majesty
sent for Wellington at six in the morning. The latter refused to form
a Cabinet, and recommended Sir Robert Peel, who was then in Rome. The
Duke promised to carry on the Government during the interim, with the
result that he held the offices of First Lord of the Treasury, Home
Secretary, Foreign and Colonial Secretary, and Secretary at War for
nearly a month. On Peel’s return he appointed his industrious ally
Foreign Secretary, a position he held until the following April, when
the Government resigned. In 1841, in Peel’s second Administration, he
occupied a seat in the Cabinet, without office, and in the following
year he was created Commander-in-Chief for life by patent under the
great seal.
During the Chartist agitation Wellington was asked who was to command
the forces in London, where a riot was expected. He answered, “I
can name no one except the Duke of Wellington.” He organized the
arrangements with his usual thoroughness, disposing his troops to keep
them out of sight, and taking prompt measures to protect important
public buildings. Fortunately the excitement died down, and armed force
was not required.
The Duke frequently spent several hours a day at the Horse Guards.
“Speaking from the experience which I had of him,” says General Sir
George Brown, G.C.B., “I should say that the Duke was a remarkably
agreeable man to do business with, because of his clear and ready
decision. However much I may have seen him irritated and excited,
with the subjects which I have repeatedly had to bring under his
notice, I have no recollection of his ever having made use of a harsh
or discourteous expression to me, or of his having dismissed me
without a distinct and explicit answer or decision in the case under
consideration. Like all good men of business, who consider well before
coming to a decision, his Grace was accustomed to adhere strictly to
precedent; to the decisions he may have previously come to on similar
cases. This practice greatly facilitated the task of those who had to
transact business with him, seeing that all we had to do in concluding
our statement of any particular case was to refer to his decision or
some similar one.”
“Everybody writes to me for everything,” he once remarked to Stanhope.
“They know the Duke of Wellington is said to be a good-natured man,
and so at the least they will get an answer.” The Earl, astonished at
the amount of the Duke’s correspondence, ventured to say that his host
might expect to be allowed some rest and recreation while he was at
Walmer. “Rest!” cried the Duke. “Every other animal--even a donkey--a
costermonger’s donkey--is allowed some rest, but the Duke of Wellington
never! There is no help for it. As long as I am able to go on, they
will put the saddle upon my back and make me go.”
Georgiana, Lady De Ros, who was a frequent visitor at Walmer Castle and
at Strathfieldsaye, relates an incident which has a direct bearing on
this point. “Wellington,” she says, “would tell a story against himself
sometimes, and amused us all quite in his latter days by the account
of various impostures that had been practised upon him; for years he
had helped an imaginary officer’s daughter, paid for music lessons for
her, given her a piano, paid for her wedding trousseau, for her child’s
funeral, etc., etc. At last it came out that _one man_ was the author
of these impostures, ‘and then,’ the Duke said, ‘an Officer from the
Mendicity Society called on me and gave me such a scolding as I never
had before in my life!’”
In a book inscribed as “A Slight Souvenir of the Season 1845-6” we find
a delightful little glimpse of “the hero of a hundred fights” as a
country gentlemen. “What can be a finer sight than to see the Duke of
Wellington enter the hunting field?” the author asks. “Not one of those
gorgeous spectacles, it is true, such as a coronation, a review, the
Lord Mayor’s Show, or a procession to the Houses of Parliament--not one
of those pompous Continental exhibitions called a _chasse_, where armed
menials keep back the crowd, and brass bands proclaim alike the find
and finish; but what can be a finer sight--a sight more genial to the
mind of a Briton--than the mighty Wellington entering the hunting field
with a single attendant, making no more fuss than a country squire?
Yet many have seen the sight, and many, we trust, may yet see it. The
Duke takes the country sport like a country gentleman--no man less the
great man than this greatest of all men; affable to all, his presence
adds joy to the scene. The Duke is a true sportsman, and has long been
a supporter of the Vine and Sir John Cope’s hounds. He kept hounds
himself during the Peninsular War, and divers good stories are related
of them and their huntsman (Tom Crane), whose enthusiasm used sometimes
to carry him in the enemy’s country, a fact that he used to be reminded
of by a few bullets whizzing about his ears.”
Wellington was now the trusted friend of Queen Victoria, who ever held
him in the highest esteem. He was one of the first persons, perhaps
actually the first,[105] outside the Royal family and the medical
attendants to see the baby who afterwards became Edward VII. According
to one account he was met outside Buckingham Palace by Lord Hill, who
was informed “All over--fine boy, very fine boy, almost as red as you
Hill.”
Two days after the first anniversary of the birthday of Edward Albert,
Prince of Wales, the Queen and the Prince Consort, accompanied by the
Royal children, journeyed to Walmer Castle to pay the Duke a visit. An
even greater honour was reserved for the veteran warrior, for on the
birth of her Majesty’s third son on the 1st May 1850, it got noised
abroad that the infant was to be called Arthur, “in compliment to the
Hero of Waterloo.” The present Duke of Connaught is thus a living link
with Wellington. “I must not omit to mention,” the Queen writes exactly
a year later, “an interesting episode of this day, viz., the visit of
the good old Duke on this his eighty-second birthday, to his little
godson, our dear little boy. He came to us both at five, and gave him a
golden cup and some toys, which he had himself chosen, and Arthur gave
him a nosegay.”
The day was also that on which the great Exhibition at the Crystal
Palace was opened. “The Royal party,” says Queen Victoria, “were
received with continued acclamation as they passed through the Park and
round the Exhibition house, and it was also very interesting to witness
the cordial greeting given to the Duke of Wellington. I was just behind
him and Anglesey [on whose arm he was leaning], during the procession
round the building, and he was accompanied by an incessant running fire
of applause from the men, and waving of handkerchiefs and kissing of
hands from the women, who lined the pathway of the march during the
three-quarters of an hour that it took us to march round....”
Although the Duke never courted popularity, seemed indeed to shun it
and to regard the satisfaction shown by some of his colleagues in the
plaudits of the multitude as a sign of weakness, there can be little
doubt that he felt a glow of inward pleasure, however slight, when he
reflected on the good feeling displayed towards him in the closing
years of his long and well-filled life. Apt to be somewhat cynical on
occasion, and to think that the times were “like sweet bells jangled,
out of tune and harsh,” he was neither censorious nor vindictive.
Nelson preached the gospel of Duty, but Wellington lived it and
sacrificed everything to it.
Brougham, as champion of Parliamentary Reform, was an opponent of
Wellington, but in middle age he took up an independent position, and
has left in his “Historical Sketches of Statesmen who flourished in the
Time of George III” a magnificent testimony of the Duke’s worth.
“The peculiar characteristic of this great man,” he writes, “and which,
though far less dazzling than his exalted genius, and his marvellous
fortune, is incomparably more useful for the contemplation of the
statesman, as well as the moralist, is that constant abnegation of
all selfish feelings, that habitual sacrifice of every personal,
every party consideration to the single object of strict duty--duty
rigorously performed in what station soever he might be called to act.
This was ever perceived to be his distinguishing quality; and it was
displayed at every period of his public life, and in all matters from
the most trifling to the most important.”
Regarding the Reform Bill, Brougham says that Wellington’s conduct
“during the whole of the debates in both sessions upon that measure was
exemplary. Opposing it to the utmost of his power, no one could charge
him with making the least approach to factious violence, or with ever
taking an unfair advantage.... After the Bill had passed, the same
absence of all factious feelings marked his conduct.”
The Duke’s modesty, his good sense, candour and fairness, love of
justice, hatred of oppression and fraud are touched upon by Brougham,
who closes his brief acknowledgment of his subject’s virtues by quoting
a remark made by Lord Denman, “the greatest judge of the day.” It is
that of all Wellington’s “great and good qualities, the one which
stands first, is his anxious desire ever to see justice done, and the
pain he manifestly feels from the sight of injustice.”
On the morning of the 14th September 1852 the victor of Waterloo had a
paralytic stroke at Walmer Castle. At six o’clock his valet entered the
Duke’s room to call him, but he complained of not feeling quite well
and sent for an apothecary. In the evening he was lying dead on his
camp bedstead. We are apt to use the phrase “full of years and honour”
rather too glibly perhaps, but it is intensely apposite when applied
to the great Duke. He was eighty-three years of age, and as for honour
a glance at the following list of distinctions bestowed upon Arthur
Wellesley will make the fact self evident:
He was Duke of Wellington, Marquis of Wellington, Earl of Wellington
in Somerset, Viscount Wellington of Talavera, Marquis of Douro, Baron
Douro of Wellesley, Prince of Waterloo in the Netherlands, Duke of
Ciudad Rodrigo in Spain, Duke of Bennoy in France, Duke of Vittoria,
Marquis of Torres Vedras, Count of Vimiero in Portugal, a Grandee of
the First Class in Spain, a Privy Councillor, Commander-in-Chief of
the British Army, Colonel of the Grenadier Guards, Colonel of the
Rifle Brigade, a Field Marshal of Great Britain, a Marshal of Russia,
Austria, Prussia, Spain, Portugal, and the Netherlands; a Knight of the
Garter, the Holy Ghost, the Golden Fleece; a Knight Grand Cross of the
Bath and of Hanover, a Knight of the Black Eagle, the Tower and Sword,
St Fernando, of William of the Low Countries, Charles III, of the
Sword of Sweden, St Andrew of Russia, the Annunciado of Sardinia, the
Elephant of Denmark, of Maria Theresa, of St George of Russia, of the
Crown of Rue of Saxony; a Knight of Fidelity of Baden, of Maximilian
Joseph of Bavaria, of St Alexander Newsky of Russia, of St Hermenegilda
of Spain, of the Red Eagle of Bradenburg, of St Januarius, of the
Golden Lion of Hesse Cassel, of the Lion of Baden; and a Knight of
Merit of Würtemburg. In addition, Wellington was Lord High Constable of
England, Constable of the Tower and of Dover Castle, Warden, Chancellor
and Admiral of the Cinque Ports, Lord-Lieutenant of Hampshire and
of the Tower Hamlets, Ranger of St James’s Park and of Hyde Park,
Chancellor of the University of Oxford, Commissioner of the Royal
Military College, Vice-President of the Scottish Naval and Military
Academy, the Master of Trinity House, a Governor of King’s College, a
Doctor of Laws, and a Fellow of the Royal Society.
The motto on Wellington’s escutcheon, _Virtutis fortuna
comes_--“Fortune is the companion of valour”--was exemplified in his
long and eventful career, and perhaps the following words, once used by
him in a dispatch, suggest how keen was his sense of responsibility:
“God help me if I fail, for no one else will.” With true British
inconsistency the nation spent £100,000 on the funeral of him whose
habits were of Spartan simplicity, but with more appropriateness the
body of the Conqueror of Napoleon was placed next to that of the Hero
of Trafalgar in the crypt of St Paul’s Cathedral.
And so these two great Warriors sleep together. They were worthy of
England; may England be worthy of them.
Index of Proper Names
Abbé Siéyès, 21
Abercromby, General, 30, 47
Abrantes, 109, 125
d’Abrantès, Duc, 103
Acland, General, 90, 91
Adam, Sir Frederick, 235
Addington, Henry, 65
Agraça, Mount, 131
Agueda, River, 148, 158, 161, 170
Ahmednuggur, 53, 66
Aire, 196
Alava, General, 171, 172, 173
Alba de Tormes, 124, 171, 180, 182
Alberche, 112, 117
Albergaria, 106
Albert, Edward, Prince of Wales, 249
Albuera, 152, 153, 154
Albuquerque, Duke of, 125
Alcarez, 186
Alcobaço, 88, 138
Aldea da Ponte, 159
Alemtejo, 147, 158
Alexander, Emperor, 71, 75
Alhandra, 131
Alicante, 181
Alison, 29, 149
Almarez, 120, 170
Almeida, 129, 132, 143, 145, 147, 148, 150, 151, 152, 159, 163, 164,
170, 187
Almonacid, 120
Alps, the, 210
Amarante, Convent of, 107
America, North, 207
Amiens, Peace of, 68
Amotz, 194
Amrut Rao, 52
Andalusia, 181, 182, 186
Angers, 20, 21
d’Angoulême, Duc, 196
Anselme, 25
Anstruther, General, 90
Antwerp, 25, 29, 30
Antwerp, Cathedral of, 238
Apsley House, 245
Aragon, 80, 127, 161
Areizaga, General, 124, 125
Argaum, Battle of, 60, 66
Armia, 131
Armour, James, 230
Arnold, Dr, 245
Arzobispo, 120
Ascain, 194
Assaye, Battle of, 54, 56, 66
Asseerghur, Fortress, 57, 66
Astorga, 185
Asturias, 103, 171, 186
Augereau, 199
Austerlitz, 18, 69
Austria, 101, 127, 237, 241
Austrians, the, 24, 25, 26, 29
Aviella, River, 140
Badajoz, 106, 109, 122, 125, 140, 142, 145, 147, 152, 155, 156, 163,
164, 165, 170, 185
Baird, General, 40, 41, 48, 49, 50, 64, 65, 100, 101
Baji Rao, 51
Balasore, 61
Ballasteros, 148, 152, 185
Bappoo, Manoo, 58
Barcelona, Fortress of, 79
Baring, Major, 231
Barnard, Colonel, 166
Barrington, Sir Jonah, 22, 70
Bassein, Subsidiary Treaty of, 51
Batavia, Island of, 45, 47, 48
Batavia, Expedition to, 65
Bathurst, Earl, 201
Battersea Fields, 243
Bautzen, 187
Baylen, 79
Bayonne, 160, 190, 195, 200
Baztan, 190
Beckwith, 144
Beere, Harry, 233
Belgium, 25, 205, 207, 210
Belle Alliance, La, 223
_Bellerophon_, H.M.S., 235
Belvedere, 100
Bentinck, Lord William, 192
Beresford, Marshal Sir W. C., 104, 106, 121, 125, 143, 147, 148,
152, 153, 154, 157, 178, 195, 196, 197, 198, 202
Bessières, 100, 103
Bhonsla Rájá of Berar, 51, 53, 54, 58, 61
Bidarray, 194
Bidassoa, River, 192
Blake, General, 80, 100, 125, 148, 152, 160
Blakeney, Robert, 83
Blücher, 211, 216, 217, 218, 220, 235, 236, 237
Boialva, Pass of, 137
Boigne, Comtesse de, 201
Bombay, 48, 52, 53, 65
Bonaparte, Jerome, 221, 226
Bonaparte, Joseph, 79, 99, 110, 113, 116, 117, 120, 124, 181, 182,
187, 190
Bonaparte, Letizia, 18
Bonnet, 178, 179, 180
Bordeaux, 196
Bowes, Major-General, 165
Boxtel, Village, 30
Boyer, 175, 176, 179
Bradford, 173
Braganza, House of, 78
Braine-le-Comte, 211, 213
Brazil, 78
Bremen, 31
Brienne, 21
Brissac, Duc de, 21
Brougham, 250
Brown, Sir George, 129, 247
Bruges, 25
Brune, Marshal, 210
Brussels, 20, 25, 205, 211, 225
Bucellas, 131
Bülow, General, 217, 218, 227, 234
Burghersh, Lady, 202, 208
Burgos, 181, 182, 185, 186, 187
Burrampur, 56, 57, 66
Burrard, Sir Harry, 87, 90, 91, 93, 94, 97, 100
Busaco, 134
Bylandt, 227
Caçadores, the, 105
Cadiz, 80, 88, 125, 132, 184, 185
Cadogan, Colonel, 188
Caffarelli, 182
Caillou, Farm, 217
Calcutta, 33, 35, 52
Cambray, 237
Camden, Lord, 33
Cameron, Alister, 166
Campbell, Captain, 61
Canada, 17
Canning, 71, 74, 75, 126, 242
Cantabrian Hills, 160
Carnatic, the, 53
Casserbarry Ghaut, 57
Castaños, General, 80, 100, 148, 152
Castilian Mountains, 116
Castile, 125, 185
Castlereagh, Lord, 22, 23, 64, 70, 87, 88, 96, 97, 101, 102, 108,
109, 126, 201, 207, 237
Catalonia, 80, 103, 127, 190
Cathcart, Lord, 68, 72
Cawnpore, 52
Cazal Nova, 142
Ceylon, 48
Châlons, 24
Chantrey, 245
Charlemagne, 127
Charleroi, 29, 212, 225
Charles IV, 79
Chasseurs Britanniques, the, 156
Château de Montmorency, 238
Chateaubriand, 21
Chaves, 103
Chelsea, 19
Chelsea Hospital, 97, 182
Chesterford, 96
Choiseul, Duc de, 17
“Christian’s Storm,” 33
Cinco Villas, 143
Cintra, Convention of, 94, 96
Ciudad Real, 103
Ciudad Rodrigo, 123, 124, 128, 132, 140, 145, 147, 148, 157, 158,
159, 160, 161, 163, 164, 170, 172, 183, 185, 187
Clausel, 181, 182, 190, 196, 210
Clerfait, 29
Clinton, 179, 180
Clive, Lord, 38, 45
Coa, River, 129, 144, 145, 149, 159
Coalition, Fifth, 209
Coburg, 25
Coimbra, 86, 125, 133, 137, 139
Colborne, Colonel, 195, 198
Cole, Major-General, 178
Collingwood, Vice-Admiral, 80
Colville, Hon. C., 166, 225
Comorin, Cape, 48
Conahgull, 44
Conception, Fort, 150
Condé, 26
Consuegra, 185
Cope, Sir John, 248
Copenhagen, 73, 74, 76
Cork, 84
Cornwallis, Marquis, 69
Corsica, Island, 18
Cortes, the, 183
Coruña, 80, 85, 101, 106
Costello, Edward, 104, 110
Cotton, Sir Stapleton, 150, 171, 173, 196, 202, 220
Cox, Colonel, 129
Cradock, Sir John, 100
Crane, Tom, 248
Craufurd, General, 119, 129, 151, 163
Croker, John Wilson, 55, 85, 171, 172
Crystal Palace, 249
Cuesta, General, 103, 109, 110, 111, 112, 119, 120, 121
Cuttack, Province, 52, 61
Danes, the, 72, 74
Dangan Castle, 18
Dalrymple, Sir Hew, 87, 94, 95, 97, 100
D’Archambault, 21
Daulat Rao, 51
Decaen, Count, 210
Deccan, the, 53, 62, 66
Delaborde, General, 88, 90
Deleytosa, 120, 121, 123
Denman, Lord, 251
Denmark, 71, 72, 75
D’Erlon, 210, 212, 216, 227, 228, 232
Despeña Perros, Pass of, 125
Don Carlos d’España, 152
Dorsenne, 158, 159
Dos Casas, River, 150
Douro, River, 106, 171
Douro of Wellesley, Baron, 122
Dresden, 190
Dublin, 18, 69
Dumouriez, 25
Dundas, Sir David, 31, 97
Dungannon, Viscount, 19, 20
Dunkirk, 26
Dupont, 79, 100
Duran, 185
East India Company, 36
Ebro, River, 79, 182, 187, 193
Edinburgh Castle, 92
Edward VII, 249
Eguia, 120, 121, 123
Egypt, 47, 48
Elba, 208
Ellichpúr, 58, 60
Elvas, 129, 153, 155, 156
d’Enghien, Duc, 236
England, 21, 25, 68, 70, 71, 72, 73, 74, 96, 103, 132, 186, 190,
241, 242, 252
Essling, Prince of, 127
Estremadura, 80, 109, 123, 124, 127, 132, 139, 156, 164, 170, 186
Eton, 19, 20
Europe, 23, 24, 27, 156, 157, 194, 237, 238, 239
Ewart, Serjeant, 228
Falmouth, Lord, 243
Ferdinand VII, 79, 122, 202, 203, 242
Ferguson, 91
Ferrol, 80
Figueras, Fortress of, 79
Finisterre, Cape, 86
Flanders, 25, 29, 208
Fleurus, Plains of, 29, 113
Fontainebleau, Treaty of, 78
Forbes, Dr, 168
Foy, General, 174, 175, 177, 180, 190, 220
Foz d’Aronce, 142
France, 24, 26, 27, 71, 94, 101, 113, 128, 194, 195, 239, 240, 241
Francis II., Emperor, 208
Frasnes, 212, 215
Frazer, Mackenzie, 87
Freer, 167
Freire, Bernardino, 86
Freneda, 151, 159, 183
Frénilly, Baron de, 99, 208
Freyre, General, 197, 198
Frischermont, 227
Fuente Guinaldo, 158
Fuentes de Oñoro, 148, 150, 151
Gagern, Captain Baron von, 213
Gaikwár of Baroda, 51
Galicia, 79, 80, 103, 106, 108, 110, 111, 118, 123, 124, 127, 158,
182, 186
Gallegos, 164
Galluzzo, General, 80
Gambier, Admiral, 72
Garonne, the, 196
Gave de Pau, the, 195
Gawilghur, Fort, 60
Gémioncourt, Farm of, 215
George III, 68, 244, 250
George IV, 241, 242
Georgiana, Lady De Ros, 247
Gérard, 210
Germany, 69
Ghent, 25
Gleig, George Robert, 23, 69, 193
Goderich, Lord, 242
Godoy, Duke of Alcudia, 78
Good Hope, Cape of, 34
Gordon, Colonel, 193
Graham, Sir Thomas, 186, 191, 192, 202
Great Britain, 25, 68, 75, 76, 102, 163, 238, 241, 242
Greece, 241
Grey, Earl, 244, 245, 246
Grouchy, General, 210, 217, 220, 227
Guadalaxara, 185
Guadiana, the, 103, 164, 165, 169
Guareña, 171
Hal, 225
Halkett, 232, 234
Hampshire, 241
Handel, 19
Hanover, 68
Hanoverians, the, 25, 26, 226
Hardinge, Colonel Sir Henry, 153, 243
Harris, General, 38, 39, 40
Hastings, 69
Herrasti, Governor, 128
Hessians, the, 25, 26
Hill, Lord, 104, 125, 130, 134, 158, 170, 182, 186, 187, 190, 192,
195, 196, 199, 201, 202, 211, 249
Hockrill, 96
Holkar of Indore, 51, 52, 62
Holland, 25, 29, 30, 53, 205, 207
Holy Roman Empire, 24, 25, 28
Hood, 27
Hope, Sir John, 195, 200, 201, 202
Hope, the Hon. J., 87
Hostalrich, 127
Houchard, General, 26
Hougoumont, 221, 225, 226, 232, 234
Houssaye, 220
Houstoun, Major-General, 150, 151
Huebra, River, 164, 183
Hughes, 20
Hungary, 49
Huskisson, Mr, 244
Hyde Park, 226
Hyder Ali, 36
Hyderabad, 38, 53, 66
Iberian Peninsula, 78, 127
Imperialists, the, 25, 29
India, 17, 66, 69, 70, 71
Indore, 53
Inglis, Colonel, 153
Inniskillings, the, 228
Ireland, 18, 22, 70, 71, 76
Irish Reform Bill, 246
Isle of Wight, 103
Jackson, Mr F. J., 72
Jaraicejo, 120, 121
Jaucourt, Marquis de, 21
Jemappes, 25
Jena, Bridge of, 237
Jerome, 221
Jesuits, the, 17
Jeswant Rao, 51
John, King, 21
Joseph, 79, 99, 110, 113, 116, 117, 120, 124, 181, 182, 187, 190
Jourdan, Marshal, 26, 29, 113, 115, 190
Junot, General, 78, 79, 81, 88, 90, 94, 96, 100
Jura Mountains, the, 210
Keble, John, 245
Kellermann, Marshal, 103, 120
Kempt, Sir James, 228
Kennedy, Captain Clark, 228
Kennedy, Sir Robert, 201
Kincaid, 148
Kiöge, Battle of, 74
Kléber, 128
Kray, General, 49
Labada, 60
La Carolina, 103, 120
La Haye, 225, 235
La Haye Sainte, 222, 225, 227, 231, 234
Lake, General, 52, 53
La Mancha, 120, 123, 124
Lamego, 106
Landrecy, 237
Langlands, Lieutenant, 60
Lannes, Marshal, 128
Lanz, the, 191
Lapisse, 116
La Romana, Marquis, 100, 103, 123, 132, 139
La Trinidad, 166
La Vendée, 26, 209
Le Courbe, 210
Lefebvre, Marshal, 100
Lefebvre-Desnoëttes, General, 212
Leiria, 88
Leith, General, 134, 166, 173, 177
Le Marchant, General, 175, 176, 177, 180
Lennox, Lord William, 226
Leon, 80, 160
Lerida, 127
Lesaca, 192
Ligny, 212, 214, 216
Lion Mound, 220
Lisbon, 78, 88, 90, 91, 100, 101, 103, 104, 105, 119, 123, 128, 130,
131, 132, 183
Liverpool, Earl of, 125, 126, 138, 142, 154, 155, 157, 185
Lobau, General, 210, 234
Loison, General, 88, 90, 143
London, 17, 80, 236
Longford, Baron, 23
Los Aripeles, 171, 175, 178, 179
Los Santos, 103
Louis XV, 17
Louis XVIII, 21, 196, 199, 200, 208, 237, 240
Lourinhão, 91
Lützen, 187
Lyons, 26, 27
Mack, General, 29, 69
Mackay, Piper, 92
Mackie, 176
Mackinnon, Major-General, 163
Madras, 35, 52
Madrid, 79, 101, 109, 111, 118, 124, 160, 181, 182, 185, 186, 187,
202
Maes, the, 29
Maestricht, 25
Mafra, 131
Maitland, Captain Frederick Lewis, 235
Maitland, General Sir Peregrine, 215
Malavelly, 39
Malcolm, Sir John, 49
Malines, 25, 29
Malpurda, River, 44
Manilla, 35
March, Lord, 169
Marchand, Jean Gabriel, Comte, 124
Marhattás, the, 51, 53, 54, 56
Marion Street, 18
Marmont, Marshal, 152, 156, 158, 159, 162, 163, 170, 171, 172, 173,
175, 181
Masséna, Marshal, 127, 128, 129, 130, 134, 135, 137, 139, 140, 143,
145, 148, 149, 150, 151, 152
Maubeuge, 26, 27, 237
Mauritius, 47
Maxwell, Colonel, 55
Maxwell, Sir Herbert, 50, 97
Mayence, 26
Meath, County, 22
Medellin, 103, 109
Medina de Rio Seco, 85
Meer Allum, 42
Melbourne, Lord, 246
Mequinenza, Castle of, 127
Merbe Braine, 225
Merida, 122
Metternich, Prince, 207, 208
Metz, 27
McGregor, Dr James, 168
Middlesex, 17
Milhaud, 232
Mina, General, 160
M‘Laine, Major, 234
McLeod, Colonel, 167, 168
Moira, Lord, 28, 29, 97
Monasterio, 103
Moncey, Marshal, 81, 100
Mondego, River, 123, 125, 132, 137
Mons, 25
Mont St Jean, 217, 222, 225
Montbrun, 151
Montealegre, 108
Montechique, 131
Montesquiou, 25
Moore, Sir John, 75, 81, 87, 90, 94, 100, 101, 109
Moreau, General, 128
Mornington, Baron, 19
Mornington, Countess of, 18, 20
Mornington, Earl of, 19, 33, 34, 35, 36, 39, 64, 65
Mornington House, 18
Mortago, 134
Mortier, Marshal, 100, 103, 119, 120, 123
M‘Quade, Serjeant Robert, 129
Munro, Sir Thomas, 45
Murat, Marshal, 79, 99, 209
Murcia, 80
Murray, Lieutenant-Colonel George, 74
Murray, General Sir John, 107, 192
Mysore, Presidency of, 36, 38, 42, 43, 50, 52
Namur, 25, 218
Napier, Major Sir George, 73, 83, 121, 163, 196
Naples, 25, 79, 209, 241
Napoleon, 18, 20, 21, 24, 27, 38, 46, 47, 71, 78, 79, 80, 81, 94,
101, 106, 121, 125, 127, 130, 131, 133, 158, 199, 201, 202,
208, 217, 218, 224, 225, 227, 229, 234, 235, 236
Napoleon, Fort, 170
Nassauers, the, 226
Nava d’Aver, 150
Naval Moral, 120
Navarre, 160
Neerwinden, 25
Nelson, 22, 69, 80, 250, 252
Nesselrode, 237
Ney, Marshal, 100, 101, 103, 110, 119, 120, 129, 134, 135, 208, 212,
214, 216, 217, 234
Nice, 25
Nicholas, Emperor, 242
Nive, River, 195
Nivelles, 213, 225
Nizám of Hyderabad, the, 36, 38, 39, 43, 52, 57, 66
Nuestra Señora de la Peña, 171, 172
Obidos, 88
Ocaña, Battle of, 124
O’Donnell, 127
Ohain, 234
O’Hare, Captain, 167
Old Castile, 80, 123
Oman, Professor, 88, 109, 159, 222
Oporto, 86, 101, 103, 106, 108, 130, 134, 142, 147
Orange, Prince of, 29, 30, 166, 211, 213, 214, 215, 225
Orcain, 191
Ordal, 193
Orense, 108
Oropesa, 110, 120
Orthez, 195
Ostend, 25, 29
O’Toole, Colonel, 162
Oude, 70
Oxford University, 245
Pack, General, 162, 174, 178, 179, 228
Paget, Sir E., 87, 107
Pakenham, Major-General, 173, 174, 175, 176
Pakenham, Hon. Catherine, 23, 69
Palafox, General, 80, 100
Pampeluna, Fortress of, 79, 190, 191, 194
Papelotte, 225, 235
Paris, 24, 101, 202, 235, 237
Parkside, 244
Parque, Duque del, 123, 124
Pasquier, Duc de, 128
Pau, 195
Peel, Sir Robert, 246
Penafiel, 108
Penang, 35
Perar, 66
Perceval, Spencer, 126
Pero Negro, 131
Perron, 51
Perwez, 218
Peshwá of Poona, the, 43, 51, 53, 57, 65
Philippine Islands, 35
Philippon, General, 165, 169
Pichegru, General, 29, 30, 128
Picton, General, 134, 162, 166, 169, 195, 198, 215, 229
Picurina, Fort, 165, 166
Piedmont, 241
Pignerol, Marquis of, 21
Pirch, 218
Pitt, William, the Younger, 22, 28, 244
Planchenoit, 234
Plasencia, Vera de, 111, 119, 120, 157
Poço Velho, 150
Poland, 25, 28, 207
Pole, Miss, 202
Pombal, 142
Ponsonby, Major-General Sir William, 228, 229, 230
Pont-à-chin, 29
Poona, 51, 65
Popham, Sir Home, 74, 185
Porlier, 160
Portland, Duke of, 70
Portugal, 25, 71, 72, 76, 84, 94, 95, 100, 102, 103, 104, 106, 111,
114, 118, 121, 123, 126, 127, 129, 146, 148, 152, 157, 163
Praslin, Duc de, 21
Prince Consort, 249
Prussia, 24, 25, 28, 29, 71, 237, 241
Prussians, the, 24, 26, 227, 238
Puerto de Baños, 120
Puerto del Rey, Pass of, 125
Pyrenees, the, 100, 187, 190, 193, 210
Quatre Bras, 212, 213, 214, 215, 216, 217
Quesnoy, 237
Quinta de Granicha, 155
Quinta de St João, 156
Quintella, 131
Ragusa, Fort, 170
Rainier, Admiral, 45
Ramsay, Captain Norman, 150
Rao, Amrut, 52
Rapoula de Coa, 143
Rapp, Count, 210
Reding, General, 80
Redinha, 142
Red Sea, 50
Reille, 196, 210, 212, 214
Reynier, General, 134, 144
Rhine, the, 26, 27, 28, 210, 240
Richmond, Duchess of, 212
Richmond, Duke of, 70, 161
Ridge, Lieutenant-Colonel, 168
Rio Mayor, River, 140
Rivillas, River, 165
Roberts, Earl, 31, 66
Robinson, 242
Rocca, Captain M. de, 112, 133, 134
Roliça, 88, 89, 97
Roman Catholic Relief Bill, 243, 244
Rome, 127, 246
Rose, Dr J. Holland, 74, 220, 239
Roskilde, 73
Ross, Major-General Robert, 191
Ross-Lewin, Major, 92
Rubens, 238
Ruffin, Count, 116
Runa, Ravine of, 131
Russia, 25, 71, 75, 241
Rye, 69
Sabugal, 143, 149, 150, 159
Sagunto, Battle of, 160
Sahagun, 101
Salamanca, 100, 103, 120, 124, 145, 148, 159, 163, 170, 171, 181,
182, 183, 185
Salamonde, 108
San Antonio de Cantaro, 133
Sanchez, Don Julian, 150, 151, 160
San Christoval, Fort of, 155, 169, 170
San Francisco, 161
San Juan, General, 80
San Marcial, 192
San Sebastian, Fortress of, 79, 190, 191
Santa Cruz, 161
Santa Maria, 166
Santander, 186
Santarem, 140, 141
San Vincente, 166, 169
Sardinia, 25
Savanore, 43
Savary, General, 190
Savoy, 25
Sax-Weimar, Prince Bernard of, 212
Scheldt, 29
Schwartzenberg, Prince, 29
Scindia, 66
Sebastiani, General, 103, 106, 110, 115, 116, 117, 119, 120
Sedasser, 39
Segovia, 183
Seringapatam, 38, 39, 40, 42, 49, 50
Serra, the, 107, 135
Sersooly, 58
Seton, 176
Seven Years’ War, the, 17
Seville, 106, 109, 125, 147, 157, 170, 185
Shaw, Colonel, 40
Sherbrooke, General, 40
Sherer, Captain, 62
Shore, Sir John, 35
Sierra Catalina, 108
Sierra de Busaco, 133
Sierra Morena, 103, 124, 125
Simon, General, 133
Sindhia of Gwalior, 51, 53, 54, 55, 56, 58, 59
S. Lourenço, River, 132
Smith, Robert, 19, 20
Smith, Sir Harry, 81, 130, 166, 167, 223
Smith, Sydney, 19
Soignes, Forest of, 225
Somerset, Lord Edward, 196, 232
Sorauren, 191
Souars, 195
Souham, 182, 183
Soult, Marshal, 101, 103, 106, 107, 108, 110, 118, 119, 120, 123,
125, 140, 147, 156, 170, 181, 182, 191, 192, 195, 196, 197,
199, 200, 210, 227
Southampton, 33
Spain, 23, 25, 71, 78, 79, 95, 99, 100, 102, 104, 127, 160, 190
Spencer, General Sir Brent, 87, 147, 148
Spry, 179
St Amand, 214
Stanhope, 247
St Cyr, General, 81, 100, 103
Stevenson, Colonel, 52, 54, 57, 58, 60
Stewart, General Sir Charles, 108, 138, 149, 201
Stewart, Major-General the Hon. W., 125
St Jean de Luz, 194
St Jean Pied de Port, 194
St Julian, Fort of, 132
St Ledger, General, 35
St Peter’s, Dublin, 18
Strangford, Lord, 78, 241
Strathfieldsaye, 241, 247
Stuart, General, 39
Styles, Corporal, 229
Suchet, Marshal, 127, 157, 181, 190, 199, 200, 210
Surat, 52
Sweden, 71, 75
Taggart, Lieutenant, 167
Tagus, the, 106, 110, 112, 119, 123, 124, 125, 131, 132, 140, 157,
159, 170, 185
Talavera, 109, 111, 112, 115, 119, 120, 121, 122, 157, 191
Talleyrand, 21
Tamames, 124
Tarragona, 157, 192, 193
Thielmann, General, 218
Thomière, 172, 173
Tilsit, Peace of, 71, 75
Tipú Sultan, 36, 38, 39, 41, 42, 43, 65
Toledo, 120, 183
Tordesillas, 171
Toro, 171
Torrecilla de la Orden, 171
Torres Vedras, 91, 123, 130, 131, 133, 139
Toulon, 26, 27
Toulouse, 195, 196, 199, 200
Tournay, 25, 29
Trafalgar, 69, 80, 201
Trant, Colonel, 139, 143
Tras os Montes, Province of, 86
Trim, 22
Trincomalee, 48
Troisville, 29
Tudela, 171
Turkey, 241
Turones, River, 150, 151
Ulm, 69
Uxbridge, Earl of, 225, 232
Valencia, 80, 161, 181, 190
Valenciennes, 26, 237
Valladolid, 103, 120, 127, 163, 182, 183, 185, 186, 187
Vallée, 105
Valmy, 24
Vandal, Count, 74
Vandamme, General, 210
Vandeleur, 229
Vedras, 91
Velasquez, 189
Veldbeck, 73
Vellore, 53
Vendas Novas, 106
Venegas, General, 103, 110, 111, 118, 120
Verona, 241
Victor, General, 81, 100, 103, 106, 109, 110, 111, 115, 116, 117,
119, 120, 124
Victoria, Queen, 248
Vienna, Congress of, 206, 207
Villa Franca, 193
Villatte, 116
Villiers, Rt. Hon. John, 126
Vimiero, 90, 91, 92, 94, 97, 98
Vincennes, 236
Viseu, 126
Vittoria, 187, 189, 190
Vives, General, 80, 100
Vouga, River, 106
Walcheren, Expedition, 126
Walker, General, 169
Wallace, Lieutenant-Colonel, 174, 175, 176
Walmer Castle, 171, 247, 248, 249, 251
Warre, Sir William, 92
Waterloo, 18, 19, 111, 217, 223, 235
Waterloo, Prince of, 241
Waters, Colonel, 107
Wattignies, 26
Waugh, Dhoondia, 43, 44, 45, 47
Wavre, 217, 218, 220
Webster, Lieutenant, 213
Wellesley, Henry, 48, 70
Wellesley, Lord, 19
Wellesley, Richard, 22, 28
Wellington of Talavera, Viscount, 122
Wesley, Garret, 19
West India Islands, 156
Westleys, 19
West Meath, 18
Westmorland, Lord, 22, 28
Wilkes, John, 17
William IV, 244
Wilson, Sir Robert, 73, 101, 120, 123, 143
Winchilsea, Earl of, 243
Windham, 96
Yeltes, the, 164
York, Duke of, 25, 26, 28, 29, 30, 31, 92, 242
Zamora, 187
Zaragoza, 103
Zibreira, 131
Ziethen, General, 211, 212, 218, 234, 235
Zizandre, River, 131
FOOTNOTES
[1] Sir Herbert Maxwell in his “Life of Wellington” (p. 2) suggests
that the confusion arose owing to the then comparatively recent
alteration of the calendar. Supposing Arthur Wellesley was born on the
1st May (new style), that date would be the 18th April (old style), and
the 30th April (old style) the 12th May according to the present way of
reckoning.
[2] It must be remembered that Barrington wrote from the point of view
of a “patriot,” and that Castlereagh had much to do with the Union of
Great Britain and Ireland. Castlereagh entered the Irish Parliament in
1790, served in the Pitt, Addington, Perceval, and Portland ministries,
was present at the Congress of Vienna, and died by his own hand in 1822.
[3] Dumouriez was in London from the 12th June until the 22nd, 1793. He
lived in England from October 1803 until his death on the 14th March
1823.
[4] Similar incidents occurred during the Peninsular War.
[5] At Arnheim, on the Rhine, less than twenty-five miles distant.
According to the de Ros MS., consulted by Sir Herbert Maxwell, Dundas
paid a visit to Wellesley “about once a fortnight.”
[6] Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland, 1794-8.
[7] Letter to Sir Chichester Fortescue, dated 20th June 1796, cited by
Sir Herbert Maxwell, vol. i. p. 19 n.
[8] Sir Herbert Maxwell, p. 35.
[9] Gleig (p. 26) says £7000, Roberts (p. 11) £7000 in money and £1200
in jewels. Sir Herbert Maxwell (p. 39) calls attention to a letter,
dated the 14th June 1799, in which Wellesley “gives it as 3000 pagodas
in jewels, and 7000 in money; in all, 10,000 pagodas, equal to about
£4000.”
[10] In later years Wellington offered to provide for the unfortunate
Spanish general, Alava, and gave him a small house in the park of
Strathfieldsaye.
[11] Created 20th December 1800.
[12] The Austrian general, Kray, had succeeded Archduke Charles as
Commander-in-Chief of the army in Germany in the campaign of 1800, but
owing to his ill-success he was superseded in a few months by Archduke
John, hence Wellesley’s reference.
[13] “The Life of Wellington,” pp. 45-6.
[14] “Dispatches,” vol. ii. p. 312.
[15] “The Life of Arthur Duke of Wellington,” by G. R. Gleig, M.A.,
F.R.G.S. (London Ed. 1864), pp. 33-4.
[16] 79 officers and 1778 soldiers were killed and wounded.--Sir
Herbert Maxwell, p. 58.
[17] Gleig, pp. 37-8.
[18] Envoy.
[19] Alison in his “Lives of Lord Castlereagh and Sir Charles Stewart”
(vol. i. p. 175), says that it generally took six months to make the
voyage. When Sir James Mackintosh sailed from Portsmouth for Bombay in
1804 his vessel only occupied three months and thirteen days (see his
“Memoirs,” vol. i. p. 207).
[20] “His relationship to the Governor-General naturally lent much
weight to his views with Lord Clive and General Harris, but,” Sir
Herbert Maxwell adds (p. 24), “it is remarkable how freely and
frequently the elder brother sought the younger’s advice.”
[21] “The Life and Correspondence of the Right Honble. Henry Addington,
first Viscount Sidmouth,” by the Honble. George Pellew, D.D. (London,
1847), vol. ii. p. 242. In this connection see also “Wellington’s
Dispatches,” vol. ii. pp. 335-36 n., and “Despatches, Minutes, and
Correspondence of the Marquess Wellesley, K.G.,” vol. iii. p. 543.
[22] “The Rise of Wellington,” by Earl Roberts, V.C., p. 26.
[23] “Personal interest was as much recognized in those days as
the chief motor in military promotion, as seniority and merit are
now.”--Sir Herbert Maxwell, vol. i. p. 67.
[24] Shortly after his return from India Wellesley had his only
interview with Nelson, an account of which is given in the author’s
companion work, “The Story of Nelson,” pp. 113-4.
[25] See _ante_, p. 23.
[26] “Personal Reminiscences of the first Duke of Wellington”
(Edinburgh 1904), p. 274.
[27] Lord-Lieutenant of Ireland.
[28] At Copenhagen.
[29] Flat-bottomed boats, usually armed with small guns.
[30] Sir Herbert Maxwell, vol. i. p. 87.
[31] Wilson is wrong in some of his facts. The Danish troops numbered
some 14,000, and 1100 prisoners were taken. See Sir Herbert Maxwell,
vol. i. p. 87.
[32] “The Croker Papers,” vol. ii. pp. 120-21.
[33] H. W. Wilson, B.A., in “Cambridge Modern History,” vol. ix. p. 236.
[34] “The Life of Napoleon I,” vol. ii. p. 143.
[35] See Oman’s “Peninsular War,” vol i. pp. 1-11.
[36] Oman, vol. i. pp. 631-639. Returns of October-November 1808.
[37] Succeeded by Soult in November 1808.
[38] Oman, vol. i. pp. 640-45.
[39] “The Autobiography of Sir Harry Smith,” 1787-1819. Edited by G. C.
Moore Smith, M.A. (London Ed. 1910).
[40] “A Boy in the Peninsular War,” edited by Julian Sturgis (London,
1899), p. 313.
[41] _Ibid._ p. 311.
[42] Vol. i. p. 235 n.
[43] The total loss of the regiment was 190, by far the heaviest of
those engaged.
[44] The case of Peter Findlater at Dargai is almost an exact parallel.
[45] See also some remarks in “The Croker Papers,” vol. ii. pp. 121-22.
[46] As to the merits and demerits of national resistance, see some
wise remarks in Arnold’s “Introductory Lectures on Modern History,” pp.
158-64.
[47] See also some pregnant remarks in Wellesley’s dispatch dated
Badajoz, 21st November 1809. It will be remembered that at the time
of the Russian-Japanese war, newspaper men were wisely precluded from
publishing particulars of proposed movements and similar intelligence
likely to be of service to the enemy. During the recent conflict
between Italy and Turkey the most rigid censorship was exercised by the
former Power.
[48] “I rather think that Mortier had removed from Zaragoza; but some
time elapsed before he arrived in Old Castile.”--Note by Wellesley.
[49] “The Adventures of a Soldier,” by Edward Costello.
[50] Oman, vol. ii. p. 334. This disposes of the often-repeated story
that Waters discovered the little craft in the reeds. Brailmont, for
instance, says that the Colonel “suddenly darted off from the throng,”
and half an hour later the skiff “shot out into the deep” with six men
on board.
[51] At the approach of the enemy no fewer than 6000 Spaniards took to
their heels and played no part in the battle.
[52] Napoleon made a similar error of judgment at Waterloo by keeping
the Imperial Guard in reserve until after 7 p.m. (See _post_, p. 222).
[53] Sir Herbert Maxwell, vol. i. p. 165, says 6268; Professor Oman
(“Cambridge Modern History,” vol. ix. p. 452) gives 5300, the Spanish
casualties “trifling.” The latter authority states that 7200 Frenchmen
were killed or wounded.
[54] “Passages in the Early Military Life of General Sir George T.
Napier, K.C.B.” (London, 1884), pp. 111-12.
[55] See _post_, p. 130.
[56] “Cambridge Modern History,” vol. ix. p. 455. This authority gives
the date of the battle of Tamames as the 18th October, but Wellington
states that it occurred on the 19th.--See “Dispatches,” vol. v. pp. 261
and 350.
[57] Its object was to destroy the ships and dockyards at Antwerp.
[58] General Sir George T. Napier, pp. 120-21.
[59] Really his two reserve divisions, consisting of some 8000 men. See
Oman, vol. iii. p. 432, and _post_, p. 139.
[60] September 1810.
[61] On the 27th September 1910, the centenary of the battle, an
anniversary banquet was given at Busaco, which was attended by
Wellington’s grandson. King Manoel--now dethroned--signed a decree
reaffirming the duke’s Portuguese titles of Duke of Vittoria, Marquis
of Torres Vedras, and Count of Vimiero. Celebrations were also held on
the site of the battle.
[62] The writer is speaking literally.
[63] The usual French mode of attack.
[64] Not Marshal Soult, but his nephew.
[65] The Proclamation is printed in full in Gurwood’s edition of
“Wellington’s Dispatches,” vol. vii. pp. 455-7.
[66] Lady Butler’s picture, “Steady, the Drums and Fifes,” represents
this regiment drawn up on the ridge.
[67] He had recently received reinforcements from England.
[68] Napoleon dominated practically the whole of Northern Europe.
He was then planning a confederacy which was to consist of Sweden,
Denmark, and the Grand Duchy of Warsaw.
[69] Wellington’s instructions to Hill will be found in “Dispatches,”
vol. viii. pp. 180-82.
[70] “Cambridge Modern History,” vol. ix. p. 469.
[71] _i.e._ The province of Leon, in which Ciudad Rodrigo is situated.
[72] “Autobiography,” pp. 64-5.
[73] Sir Herbert Maxwell, vol. i. p. 280.
[74] A monument to the memory of Major-General Gaspard Le Marchant is
in St Paul’s Cathedral.
[75] It is given in Gurwood, vol. x. pp. 61-66.
[76] Lützen was fought on the 3rd May 1813, and Bautzen on the 20th
and 21st May. In both battles the Prussians and Russians, who at the
opening of the Leipzig campaign bore all the fighting for the Allies,
were defeated. The only result of the armistice was that Austria threw
in her lot with Russia, Prussia, and Sweden.--See the author’s “Story
of Napoleon,” pp. 296-299.
[77] “Personal Reminiscences of the Duke of Wellington by Francis, the
first Earl of Ellesmere,” p. 129. (London, 1903.)
[78] General Sir George T. Napier, pp. 255-260.
[79] Lady Burghersh.
[80] Parliament also granted to him the sum of £400,000.
[81] See the author’s “Story of Nelson,” p. 195.
[82] The complete Memorandum will be found in Gurwood, vol. xii., pp.
125-9.
[83] “Cambridge Modern History,” vol. ix. p. 619.
[84] “The Campaign of 1815, chiefly in Flanders,” by Lieut.-Colonel
W. H. James, P.S.C., pp. 14-15.
[85] “Cambridge Modern History,” vol. ix. p. 625. See also “The Life of
Napoleon I” by J. Holland Rose, Litt.D., vol. ii. p. 455.
[86] James, p. 27.
[87] James, p. 100.
[88] Croker, vol. iii. p. 173.
[89] This interesting relic still exists.
[90] Rye.
[91] Disbanded in 1816.
[92] Rose’s “Napoleon,” vol. ii. p. 487-8.
[93] Rose’s “Napoleon,” vol. ii. p. 488.
[94] Comte Charles van der Burch is the present owner of Hougoumont.
[95] Now the Grenadier Guards.
[96] Rose, vol. ii. p. 496.
[97] “Some of this brigade, particularly the 5th Military, had behaved
with great gallantry on the 16th, at Quatre Bras.”--Cotton’s, “A Voice
from Waterloo,” p. 56.
[98] General Gascoigne in the House of Commons, the 29th June 1815.
[99] “Some one asked whether the French Cuirassiers had not come up
very well at Waterloo? ‘Yes,’ he (Wellington) said, ‘and they went down
very well too.’”--Croker, vol. i. p. 330.
[100] _I.e._ the guns were not removed, the artillerymen working them
till the last moment and then seeking refuge in the nearest square, to
resume their former position when the enemy began to retire.
[101] “Cambridge Modern History,” vol. ix. p. 639.
[102] See the author’s “Story of Napoleon,” p. 135.
[103] Not at Wimbledon, as Mr Asquith said in a speech at the Guildhall
in 1911.
[104] See Foreword.
[105] The point is somewhat obscure owing to conflicting evidence.--See
“The Boyhood of a Great King,” by A. M. Broadley, pp. 99-100.
Transcriber’s Notes
Punctuation, hyphenation, and spelling were made consistent when a
predominant preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not
changed. Spelling variants in quoted passages were not changed.
Simple typographical errors were corrected; occasional unbalanced
quotation marks retained.
Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained.
Index not checked for proper alphabetization or correct page references.
Page 172: “wrapt attention” was printed that way.
Page 177: “downright” was printed that way, rather than as “down right”.
Page 200: Opening quotation mark added before “I march”.
Page 234: “doing their upmost” was printed that way.
Footnote 9 (originally on page 42): Missing closing quotation mark
added at the end of the footnote.
End of Project Gutenberg's The Story of Wellington, by Harold F. B. Wheeler