1

Early rank in the army.

been considered as the Vauban of modern warlike architecture and engineering.*

After acquiring a fund of information, and thereby laying a good foundation of future observation and study, our young candidate for military fame received his first commission in the army at an early period of life: and this taking place during the time of peace, he had leisure to apply his scientific knowledge to garrison and regimental practice, in which we are enabled to say, that his conduct was such as to merit the esteem of all his brother officers; for he applied himself sedulously to the best authors on the subject of military affairs, thus forming a basis for future military fame: and, having his own rank and connections to trust to for promotion, he preserved throughout a gentlemanlike and steady independ

́ence.

We have not been able to ascertain the date of his first commission: but we find that at the age of twenty-three he bore the rank of captain in the 18th regiment of light dragoons, from which corps, on the 30th of April 1693, he was appointed to the majority of his present regiment, the 33rd, in the room of Major Gore, who then resigned.

In this junior rank of field officer he did not long remain, but availed himself of his seniority to purchase in succession from Lieutenant-Colonel Yorke, who resigned his commission in that regiment; and his appointment took place on the 30th of September

1723.

Lieutenant-Colonel Wellesley, now scarcely four and twenty,

D2

*The advantages derived from this mode of preparation før an active and public life must have been very great, when we consider that Angiers, under the old regime of France, was a large town with upwards of 30,000 inhabitants; and contained not only an university founded by St. Louis, but also an academy of belles lettres instituted in 1685; thereby affording every opportunity for the acquirement of general and useful knowledge, and also that polish, so useful, so essential, in an enlarged intercourse with mankind.

Expedition to Britanny.

twenty, engaged in active service under his gallant countryman the Earl Moira, and early in 1794 was actually embarked with that force which was intended to have erected the standard of loyalty in Britan*but the fate of the Netherlands and of Flanders was no sooner decided by the unfortunate issue of

ny;

With respect to the propriety of this expedition, both in its object and the various details connected with the formation of the force and means intended, there have been a variety of opinions; but as his Lordship has lately acted so conspicuous a part on the theatre of politics at home, it may be interesting to notice the manly and rational vindication of his own conduct which took place in the House of Lords on that occasion in Febuary 1794. Alluding to some observations which had been thrown out in the lower House upon the plan and object in view, he detailed, with clear and manly eloquence, the general outlines of the expedition, the views of ministry, and the various communications which had taken place with the Royalists on that subject. He informed the House that he had communicated with government early in the preceeding October, (1793,) and then was first made acquainted with the extent of the assistance intended to be afforded to the Royalists. The importance of the object, and the extent of the means, he considered as sufficient to determine him to accept the proposed command, and to risque the responsibility which he considers as attached to it. To the accusation of an illegal appointment of French officers, he urged that the motives which actuated his conduct were strictly proper; and the reasons which he stated were, that he understood from indubitable sources of information that the Royalists, though in possession of great numbers of cannon, had no men capable of managing them; it therefore became an object with him to take as many artillerymen with him as possible to supply this deficiency: unfortunately, however, it happened that the exertions made by the government here in other expeditions had so exhausted the country, that the number of artillerymen which were sent to him scarcely amounted to one-seventh of the number he had requested. Under these circumstances he suggested to ministers the propriety of employing some French artillery officers, then on the continent, in his ariny; those gentlemen were sent for; and as it could not be expected that they could defray their own expenses, they were put upon an allowance, but not upon the regular establishment.

In consequence of this arrangement he had appointed two French officers to be his aids-du-camp, and one to be Quarter-Master-General, to act in the Royalist's army when the junction should take place.

This explanation was so plain and simple, that the voice of party, and whisperings of slander, were completely hushed.

War in Flanders.

of the early part of the campaign of that year, under His Royal Highness the Duke of York, than his Lordship was ordered to proceed with his little army to Ostend...

It is not our place here to enter minutely upon the question of the continental coalition war; the subject has already been sufficiently canvassed: yet though there were many who predicted defeat in this country, it was then still the opinion of a great majority of the political world that France, torn as she was by disunion and mistrust, would be unable to cope with the veteran troops of Europe. That there were strong grounds for this latter opinion may well be inferred from a consideration that even one or two only of the confederate powers had, in former wars, been fully able to cope with that country when a potent monarchy; and that, even in her most flourishing periods, France had been not only successfully opposed in her ambitious designs, but even reduced to the utmost distress.

It was forgot, however, by one party, and perhaps overlooked even by the other, (for the foreboding of doubt and despair were certainly rather hazarded as oracular prophetic denunciations, than as conclusions drawn from past experience,) that the constant jealousies which had for so many ages existed between the coalesced powers would still operate against the general unanimity and singleness of plans and views which were so necessary to ensure ultimate success.

With respect to our own exertions, it may fairly be concluded that our force was too small for us to act as principles; for though it was, perhaps, numerically larger than any which we had previously sent to the continent, yet times and circumstances, and even the mode of warfare, were much changed since .that period when campaigns were conducted often by movements only, without coming to action, and when the siege of one or two towns, undertaken in

t

some

Anecdotes of French cruelty.

some measures like holiday amusements, dered as sufficient employment for a summ There is no doubt, also, that much of th attendant upon our campaign of 1794, Royal Highness the Duke of York, aros want of cordiality in the inhabitants of in which our operations were carried on been well observed, that though at first were on a very friendly footing with the of Flanders, yet still so rooted was the that people to the Austrian government, tial were they to the principles and v French republican party, that their troop ways welcomed into the towns with the clamations, and always treated with ever attachment.

It must also be remembered that in t Joseph the 2nd, most of the fortifications had been completely destroyed, in con the perturbed state of the country, and its to revolt. This, however, turned out a m licy; for many of these were the most com ever constructed, and would have been of service in obstructing the progress of the F in the early part of the campaign.

After the surrender of Tournay,* ind

*The evacuation of Tournay was followed by one rences so shocking to humanity, and yet so frequent C est part of the revolution. One who was almost an eye melancholy events relates, that amongst the numerous tiable French barbarity were two beautiful young w bly situated as milliners in that city. Britannia's pleasing writer, are ever tremblingly alive to the ch sex; it is no wonder, therefore that the angelic sister place found many admirers in the Duke of York's a been so long, and so frequently encamped, in the The young women selected their favourites, an attac subsisted between them and two English officers; and a tion of the town, letters from their absent lovers were

Arrival at Ostend.

very day on which the capitulation was signed, his Royal Highness was obliged to abandon the position near Oudenarde, and to retire towards Antwerp; to which city he sent his sick and wounded. The French immediately took possession of Oudenarde; and, most fortunately for themselves, were there supplied, as well as at Tournay, with large quantities both of military stores and provisions, for want of which they must otherwise have soon been in extreme distress.

At this eventful period, the little army under the Earl of Moira arrived at Ostend; and his Lordship, having got intelligence of the perilous situation of his Royal Highness's forces, soon found it necessary. to call a council of war, in which it was considered, that it would tend more to the ultimate safety of the British army to proceed immediately to its relief, than to risk the chance of a siege, which the French would certainly undertake; and in which even the bravest. and most protracted defence of the garrison, whilst the French were pressing on the Duke with such an imposing force, would not tend in the slightest degree to make a diversion in his favour.

This conduct of Lord Moira, however prudent and justified by the circumstances of the case, appears to have been very different from the original intention of his expedition to this place; for in a vindication of his conduct in MS. which was handed about amongst the superiors officers, it was stated that the orders under which he embarked, pointed out the restricted object of defending Ostend; and also that he had told the ministry that any orders for his serving in Flanders, must occasion his immediate resignation. The day after his landing, however, he

possession. Accused of having corresponded with the enemy, they were instantly hurried to the fatal cart, conveyed to Lisle, and never did the merciless blade of the gullotine descend upon more lovely and innocent victims.