THE NEW YORK ASTOR, LENOX LONDON: Printed by WILLIAM CLOWES and SONS, THE DISPATCHES OF FIELD MARSHAL THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, IN THE PENINSULA, IN 1811 AND 1812. To Lieut. General Sir Brent Spencer, K.B. MY DEAR SPENCER, 'Quinta de Granicha, 11th June, 1811. I have received your letter of the 9th June. 'I do not exactly understand what orders have been given to General Pack, and in what manner affairs are situated at Almeida. · My memorandum to you of the 15th May was founded on a supposition that it might be necessary for you to retire from the frontier, and I expressed a particular anxiety "that that place (Almeida) should not be abandoned till it should be necessary." 6 My letter to you of the 1st instant was founded on a supposition that the enemy were about to move through the mountains towards the Tagus; and, after having requested you to make a corresponding movement, I requested that General Pack's brigade might remain at Almeida, and in the neighborhood, till relieved by the militia. 'I did not think it probable that, if you should make the movement to the south directed by my letter of the 1st instant, there could exist any necessity for abandoning and destroying Almeida, and I did not advert to it in that letter. But it appears by your letter of the 8th instant, VOL. VIII. B which I received yesterday, that you had directed General Pack" to consider his secure retreat as a primary object, and that, upon evacuating the place, he should blow up the remainder of the fortifications, and destroy the military stores," adverting, of course, to my memorandum to you of the 15th May. According to this memorandum, Almeida should not have been abandoned till it was necessary; and yet it appears, by your letter of the 9th instant, to have been so little necessary, that General Pack left in that neighborhood one regiment of his brigade, which is there still. There can be no reason whatever why that regiment should now remain at Almeida. The place, and everything it contained, are destroyed, and the regiment should be directed to join the brigade; but as I have had a good deal of correspondence with the Government upon the subject of Almeida, and they have taken some pains and incurred some expense in preparing to repair the place, it is desirable that I should have a copy of the orders sent to General Pack, and his official report of the mode in which he executed them; and that the necessity for abandoning and destroying the place should be made clear. Upon this last point, it would be desirable to have in detail the reports of the enemy's situation on the 6th, 7th, and 8th, and the situation of Barbacena's cavalry and of our posts. I requested Colonel Murray to write to you yesterday respecting the passage of the Tagus by the troops under your command; since which I have received Captain Grant's letter of the 7th, from the enclosures in which it would appear that the passage of the Tagus by the army of Portugal, although a probable operation, is not absolutely decided. I request, therefore, that the following disposition may, for the present, be made of the troops under your command, instead of that directed in Colonel Murray's letter of yesterday: the Light division, and one brigade of cavalry, at Niza, as therein directed; the 1st division, the right at Villa Velha, the left in the villages between Villa Velha and Castello Branco, and one brigade of cavalry in front of Castello Branco, towards Salvaterra; the 5th division in the cantonments, as directed in Colonel Murray's letter of yesterday. I have seen Mr. Kennedy regarding your supplies. From your letter, I understand that the whole have, or will have, bread to the 15th inclusive; 100,000 rations of bread have been ordered to Castello Branco, which it is apprehended may not arrive there. But there are 50,000 rations at Villa Velha, and the magazine is at Abrantes, about nine leagues from Niza. 'Quinta de Granicha, 12th June, 1811. I received this morning your two letters of the 10th. You had better send the sick you may have to Abrantes, but not by water from Villa Velha. The Portuguese should also go from Castello Branco to Lisbon by Abrantes. 'Lieut. General 'Believe me, &c. ⚫ WELLINGTON. Sir B. Spencer, K.B.' To Colonel Austin. 'SIR, 'Quinta de Granicha, 12th June, 1811. In consequence of the expected early collection of the enemy's whole force in Estremadura, I think it probable that General Blake's corps will return to the Condado de Niebla, and that they will pass through Portugal on their way thither. I have desired the Commissary General to prepare for their passage with provisions at Beja and at Villa Viçosa; and I request you to have from 12,000 to 15,000 rations of bread and meat, and 1500 rations of forage, prepared for them at Mertola, and boats collected at that place, in order to transport them across the Guadiana. I cannot say exactly when they will march, but it is desirable that all the preparations should be made immediately; and I will give you the earliest intimation of the movement. I will pay any expense that may be incurred to collect the rations or boats. 'Colonel Austin? I have the honor to be, &c. J'ai reçu la lettre que votre Excellence m'a fait l'honneur de m'écrire le 11, et je conviens avec vous que vous ferez bien de porter les opérations du corps d'armée de votre Excellence dans le Condado de Niebla, en cas qu'il devienne nécessaire pour l'armée alliée Anglaise et Portugaise de se porter sur la Caya. 'Je vous envois une route par laquelle seule votre artillerie pourrait marcher, et vous verrez à la note la provision qu'on aura faite pour votre marche. J'ai donné ordre qu'on fasse provision pour 12,000 hommes et 1500 chevaux, et je vous prie de me faire savoir s'il vous en faut plus. Le siége de Badajoz sera entièrement levé cette nuit. 'Je n'ai pas encore de nouvelles du mouvement du Maréchal Soult; mais je crois qu'il aura été joint par le corps de Drouet aujourd'hui, et probablement qu'il se mettra en mouvement demain. Son premier mouvement sera, il y a apparence, vers Hornachos, ou même plus à sa droite, pour éviter toute affaire avec nous, jusqu'à l'arrivée de l'armée de Portugal. Je suppose que votre premier mouvement sera sur Valverde pour attendre celui de l'ennemi. Celui de nos troupes en avant sera sur Albuera. Les 3me et 4me divisions de l'armée de Portugal, sous les ordres du Général Regnier, sont arrivées à Plasencia le 9 de ce mois. C'est un jour plus tard que je n'ai compté, mais elles pourront toujours arriver à Merida le 16; et si elles font la jonction par le pont de Medellin, elles la feront le 15. Je vous prie, Monsieur le Général, de donner ordre qu'on conserve la discipline en passant par le royaume de Portugal. 'Je suis bien fâché que je n'ai pas eu le plaisir de faire la connaissance de votre Excellence; mais j'espère que l'occasion est seulement retardée pour le moment. |