John Gurwood - The Dispatches Of Field Marshal The Duke Of Wellington, K. G.: During His Various Campaigns In India, Denmark, Portugal, Spain, The Low Countries, And France From 1799 To 1818, Volume 3...

The Dispatches of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, K. G.

John Gurwood

Google Book Search

This is a digital copy of a book that was preserved for generations on library shelves before it was carefully scanned by Google as part of a project to make the world's books discoverable online. See the back of the book for detailed information.

army in Portugal; I only hope that it will not suffer so much from its absence as that the revenue will fail.

'I have not written to you for a long time, and I am afraid that you have not been better treated in the way of correspondence by others. In the way of military news and intentions, I have nothing to add to my dispatches. I think I am too strong for Soult, on the defensive ; and I shall probably take the offensive as soon as I can take San Sebastian or Pamplona, and can hear of the northern Powers deciding upon their line one way or other.

'It is reported on the frontier that peace is made, but I have no reason to believe it. I do not, however, like the state in which matters were in Germany early in July, although ministers and Lord Cathcart did. In order to show you how they stood, and my opinion upon them, I enclose Centre nous} the copy of a letter which I wrote to Lord Bathurst yesterday,

'The accounts of the battle of Vitoria were received at Brandeiss from Dresden on the 8th of July. Buonaparte knew of the battle only on the 6th, and it was kept secret even from Maret; but Count Bubna discovered it on the 7th. The last battles, however, are more important; and I am only afraid that they will lead to concessions by Buonar parte to Austria and to Russia and Prussia which may lead to a peace with those Powers, to the exclusion of England and the Powers of the Peninsula.

'Believe me, &c. 'Sir Charles Stuart, K.B: ' Wellington.

To the Hon. Frederick North.

' My DEAR Sir, 'Lesaca, 15th August, 1813.

'I received only this day your letter of the 11th, for which I am very much obliged to you; and I am very sorry that I have not had the pleasure of meeting you.

'I write to Sir George Collier, who commands the squadron on the north coast of Spain, to request that he will facilitate to you, by every means in his power, a passage to England for yourself and your party at Bilbao. I am inclined to believe, from what I have heard of the navigation of the river at Bilbao since I have directed that some of the transports should go there, that you will accomplish your object sooner either by coming to Passages, from whence some transports will be dispatched immediately, or by going to Santander, where there is a packet waiting to be dispatched, and which I will not order to England till Sunday next, the 22nd.

'I write to Sir George Collier, who will send you this letter, to request that he will advise you what to do. But I must add to the advice which he will give you, that the siege of San Sebastian is carrying on within two miles of Passages, and that that harbour is full of transports, ordnance, store ships, victuallers, &c., and the town and its neighbourhood of soldiers of all nations, muleteers, &c. &c., and that you would be very uncomfortable while waiting there. I would therefore rather recommend the packet at Santander; but I must tell you that you cannot got there in a carriage. I do not believe there will be another packet at Santander, as I have desired that they may in future come to Passages.

'Believe me, &c. The Hon. F. North. ' ' Welungton.

To Captain Sir George Collier, R.N.

' My Dear Sm, 'Lesaca, 15th August, 1813.

'Mr. North and a party of gentlemen, consisting of Lord Bayning, Mr. Joinville, Mr. Howard, Dr. Holland, and Mr. Taylor, are at Bilbao, and are desirous of going to England; and I shall be very much obliged to you if you will facilitate the means of their going in a transport either from thence or from Passages. Adverting to what you have stated of the difficulty of getting out of Bilbao, I have told Mr. North that you would probably think it advisable that he should come to Passages; but there, on the other hand, he will find a want of accommodation, and other inconveniences resulting from the operations going on in the neighbourhood. I shall be very much obliged to you if you will send to Mr. North at Bilbao the enclosed letter, with what you will write to him regarding his passage to England.