[Illustration: TERENCE FINDS THAT THE SEA-HORSE HAS BEEN BADLYMAULED BETWEEN-DECKS.]
WITH MOORE AT CORUNNA
BY
G. A. HENTY
Author of "With Cochrane the Dauntless," "A Knight of the White Cross,""In Freedom's Cause," "St. Bartholomew's Eve," "Wulf the Saxon,"etc.
PREFACE
From the termination of the campaigns of Marlborough--at which time theBritish army won for itself a reputation rivalled by that of no other inEurope--to the year when the despatch of a small army under Sir ArthurWellesley marked the beginning of another series of British victories asbrilliant and as unbroken as those of that great commander, the opinionhad gained ground in Europe that the British had lost their militaryvirtues, and that, although undoubtedly powerful at sea, they could havehenceforth but little influence in European affairs. It is singular thatthe revival of Britain's activity began under a Government which was oneof the most incapable that ever controlled the affairs of the country. Hadtheir deliberate purpose been to render nugatory the expedition which--after innumerable vacillations and changes of purpose--they despatched toPortugal, they could hardly have acted otherwise than they did.
Their agents in the Peninsula were men singularly unfitted for theposition. Then the Government divided the commands among their generalsand admirals, sending to each absolutely contradictory orders, and when atlast they brought themselves to appoint one to the supreme command, theychanged that commander six times in the course of a year. While lavishingenormous sums of money, arms, clothing, and materials of war upon theSpaniards, who wasted or pocketed them, they kept their own armyunsupplied with money, transport, or clothes. Unsupported by the homeauthorities, the British commanders had yet to struggle with thefaithlessness, mendacity, and inertness of the Portuguese and Spanishauthorities, and were hampered with obstacles such as never beset aBritish commander before. Still, in spite of this, British genius andvalour triumphed over all difficulties, and Wellesley delivered Lisbon andcompelled the French army to surrender.
Then again, Moore, by his marvellous march, checked the course ofvictory of Napoleon and saved Spain for a time. Cradock organized an army,and Wellesley hurled back Soult's invasion of the north, and drove hisarmy, a dispirited and worn-out mass of fugitives, across the frontier,and in less than a year from the commencement of the campaign carried thewar into Spain. So far I have endeavoured to sketch the course of theseevents in the present volume. But the whole course of the Peninsular Warwas far too long to be condensed in a single book, except in the form ofhistory pure and simple; therefore, I have been obliged to divide it intotwo volumes; and I propose next year to follow up the adventures of mypresent hero, who had the good fortune, with Trant, Wilson, and otherBritish officers, to attain the command of a body of native irregulars,acting in connection with the movements of the British army.
Yours sincerely,
G. A. HENTY.
CONTENTS
CHAP.
I. THE MAYO FUSILIERS
II. TWO DANGERS
III. DISEMBARKED
IV. UNDER CANVAS
V. ROLICA AND VIMIERA
VI. A PAUSE
VII. THE ADVANCE
VIII. A FALSE ALARM
IX. THE RETREAT
X. CORUNNA
XI. AN ESCAPE
XII. A DANGEROUS MISSION
XIII. AN AWKWARD POSITION
XIV. AN INDEPENDENT COMMAND
XV. THE FIRST SKIRMISH
XVI. IN THE PASSES
XVII. AN ESCAPE
XVIII. MARY O'CONNOR
XIX. CONFIRMED IN COMMAND
XX. WITH