the vast territory which makes up the empire of | ceiving an enemy. On the next day, however, the Upper and Lower Hindostan-stretching as it did Mahrattas occupied it and at night Colonel from Delhi in the North, nearly a thousand miles, Wellesley, with his regiment and two native ones, to the river Tombudra, south of which the penin- proceeded to the spot to drive them out. On that sula tapers off, terminating with the two districts occasion occurred the check which has been so of Mysore and the Carnatic. Northward of these often made the subject of taunt against the Duke spread a wide extent of provinces ruled over by of Wellington, and with reference to which every different chieftains, but under the nominal dominion fault which a soldier can display has been charged of the Rajah of Sattara, as represented by his upon him-including want of discretion, want of peshwah, an hereditary minister, whose seat of coolness, and even of personal courage. Let the power was Poonah. But though the government history of the case suffice to answer all these small of that rich and varied country was nominally cen- and spiteful criticisms. The night was pitch tral, and all these provinces formed one empire, dark, the rough locality unknown to our troops, the fact was that the rajahs-theoretically the and perfectly seamed with irrigating canals; whilst peshwah's agents and subordinates-governed for an ambush of Mahrattas kept up a deadly and themselves as independent sovereigns, each being continuous fire. Nevertheless Colonel Wellesley despotic in his own province. Of these rajahs, of advanced boldly to charge the enemy at the whom there were five, the two most powerful and point of the bayonet. Somehow he was separated warlike were Scindiah and Holkar, whose terri- from his men, and was struck by a spent shot in tories lay north of the Nerbudda. The former, in- the knee, so that it was not until after several deed, held the peshwah himself in terror. Of his hours of painful wandering that he rejoined his army, 40,000 infantry, 9,000 cavalry, and 150 division, which had in the mean time been judipieces of artillery, had been organized by a French ciously withdrawn. Twelve grenadiers of the 33d officer, M. de Boigne, and two thirds of the officers had also been separated from their comrades. employed were European. Holkar also had a fine These men were carried into Seringapatam and army, which was mainly officered by Frenchmen. savagely murdered. In great agitation-for this These Mahratta chiefs were not at open war with affair was his first personal repulse-Colonel the English, but they feared and hated us; and, Wellesley sought General Harris' tent, and stated should a coalition be formed between Tippoo Saib, that the attack had failed. The commander-inHolkar, and Scindiah, aided by French support in chief had probably sense enough to see that it had men and money, it was evident that our Oriental failed simply from want of light. With early possessions would be in a most critical position. dawn Colonel Wellesley and Colonel Shaw renewed the attempt, and easily drove the occupants of the tope back into Seringapatam. Tippoo now began to feel that there was really a foe-of whom he had once before had fatal experience-at his gates. He vainly tried to negotiate, and the battering trains opened their fire upon his devoted walls. The details of the siege of Seringapatam are well known, and we need not recount how Sir David Baird led the storming party, while Colonel Wellesley headed the reserve in the trenches-how our troops carried all before them-how the eastern despot, after the city had been substantially won, at length plunged into the fray-how his glittering gems attracted in the mêlée the observation of his enemies-how there was a wild rush to his palanquin, followed by a struggle, sabre and scimitar flashes, and rattling pistol shots-and how, in the night which followed, Colonel Wellesley and Sir David Baird stood, by torchlight, beside the discovered body of the slain sultan. Its features were calm, as is usual with those who die by gunshot wounds. The dead man seemed asleep. He was taken up and carried respectfully to his harem. The British flag now waved over Tippoo Saib's unconquerable Seringapatam, and Colonel Wellesley was appointed governor and commandant of the capital of Mysore.

Happily, the new governor-general was a man stout of heart and fertile in resources; and he prepared to meet the impending danger by adequate exertions. He knew that Tippoo was conspiring with the Mabrattas on the one hand, and intriguing with Bonaparte on the other, and he lost not a moment. A blow must be struck, and, in an incredibly short space of time, the small and inefficient force which the governor-general had found in the Madras presidency was converted into a large and perfectly drilled army. In the work of organization Colonel Wellesley labored assiduously, and no sooner was the armament complete than it was brought into action. As Tippoo was the spirit of the apprehended combination, he was singled out for attack. On the 10th of March, 1799, an admirably appointed army, amounting to 80,000 men, under General Harris, marched upon Seringapatam, the capital of Mysore, determined to attack the lion in his den. For auxiliaries this force had a small body of infantry and a large one of cavalry-the troops of the Nizam of the Deccan, a faithful ally; and with these the 33d regiment, under Colonel Wellesley, coöperated. Meanwhile, the contingent of Bombay was marching from the opposite side of the peninsula to effect a junction. Ere Seringapatam was reached, Colonel Wellesley's forces had given battle to and driven in a portion of Tippoo's army. The sultan then attacked the main body of the British; but, discomfited by a brilliant flank charge of the Nizam's contingent and the 33d, and utterly failing in his efforts to break the stern array of the English regiment, the "Tiger of the Mysore" retired upon his capital. On the 4th of April, the British troops arrived before the city, to wrest it from him. The country around Seringapatam is irregular and broken, with dells, thickets, and groves, called topes. One of these it was important for the besiegers to secure, and General Baird "scoured the tope in all directions." without per

Here let us note the first indication of one of the great traits of the Duke of Wellington's military character. War too often means fighting first, and plunder afterwards; but it never meant that when Arthur Wellesley had the control of events. Wantonly burnt villages, outraged or murdered peasantry, pillage, or sacrilege, never, so far as he could help it, stained his path of conquest. On this point he was inflexible a high gallows and a short shrift for the plunderes. He began to act upon this maxim at Seringapatam, and he never neglected to enforce it throughout his career. In the rich eastern capital, indeed, the strong hand was peculiarly requísite; and had it not been that

a blow from which it never recovered, and the | The unexplained and puzzling surrender of Dumont prestige gained at Assaye was almost worth its at Baylen roused to its height the enthusiasm of price in blood. This engagement put an end at the Spaniards, and determined England to act. An once to the war, and General Wellesley became expedition was planned, and in July, 1808, General the hero of India. Rich gifts poured in upon him. Wellesley with his troops, arrived in CorunnaFrom the army he received a gold vase-from the where, however, he soon found that there was not merchants of Calcutta a sabre, worth £1,000-much to be expected from the vaporing of the and, more gratifying than either, from the poor Juntas, who wanted our subsidies rather than our people of Seringapatam, whose wrongs he had swords. He, therefore, changed his plan, and redressed, and whose rights he had protected, an landed his troops at Mondego Bay. Junot, the address praying that the God of all castes and French pro-consul in Portugal, was then at Lisbon, colors would bless forever the just and equal ruler and forthwith despatched a body of 7,000 men to of Mysore. "drive the English Leopards into the sea." Our Wellesley-now Sir Arthur Wellesley-was anx-force consisted of about 14,000 men, and Sir John ious, however, to return to England. Possibly he Moore's division had also about this time arrived in wished to employ the military talent, which he Portugal. Before a junction took place, however, must have been by this time conscious of possess- General Wellesley was anxious to strike a good ing in the immediate service of his native land, blow on his own account, and he therefore marched then threatened by the armament of Boulogne. rapidly on Lisbon, disregarding the defection of But before he landed in England, Trafalgar had his cowardly Portuguese auxiliaries. After some blown the flotilla scheme into air, and the allies serious annoyance from a division of the French, talked confidently of marching into Paris. The who attacked our troops in a rugged and woody battle of Austerlitz put a stop to the scheme; and pass where their fire could not be returned, the after a short stay in England Sir Arthur Wellesley British at length forced their way; and everything joined Lord Cathcart's shabby expedition in Ger- seemed to promise the capture of Lisbon, which many, which, however, he very soon left in disgust. Junot had for the present abandoned-when all For two or three years he led a peaceful home life. the high hopes of the army were dashed by the On the 10th of April, 1806, Sir Arthur married arrival of General Burrard, from England, to take the Hon. Catherine Pakenham, third daughter of the supreme command. This commander's policy Lord Longford. By her he had two sons-Arthur, was of the very mildest and most cautious descripnow the successor to the dukedom, who was born tion. Sir Arthur Wellesley was eager to encounter in London, and Charles, born in Dublin. With a the French general, and represented to his superior seat in Parliament for Rye, and, in 1807, the Irish that if they did not attack Junot, Junot would secretaryship-an office his administration of which attack them. But Sir Harry Burrard would not did not tend to make the name of Wellesley popu- hear of any such rash proceedings-there was no lar on the other side of the channel-Sir Arthur hurry about the matter-the English troops were might have engaged actively in politics, but for the ill off for horses, and the artillery traces were interruption occasioned by the expedition to Co- rotten. Sir Arthur was answered in this style at penhagen, when he commanded the land forces every point, and with a bitter heart he left Sir intended to cooperate with Admiral Gambier. The Harry comfortably installed on board his frigate, period in question is little known to the generality and determined to await the arrival of Sir John of readers, but Sir Arthur behaved in a delicate Moore. diplomatic position with singular tact and moder- Thus matters stood when their complexion was ation. Lord Cathcart, who nominally commanded altered by the sudden appearance of Junot with the land forces, judiciously allowed his inferior his forces, acting on the offensive. The English in rank to exercise the real control of everything. troops were stationed among gently swelling hills In connection with this expedition we may say a close to the beach-the hills of Vimeira-and word of the famous horse Copenhagen. Lord unless they immediately prepared to fight, it was Roslyn, who accompanied the army, had a favorite evident that, in the Napoleonic phraseology, the mare, which proved with foal in the Isle of Zoa-" Leopards" would be driven into the sea, nolentes land. The produce-which, however, was English born-its owner gave to Sir Arthur; and the animal became his favorite charger-carried him, as all the world knows, through the battle of Waterloo-and finally died at a good equine age at Strathfieldsaye, where the visitor may yet see the mound which marks his grave.

On the successful issue of the Copenhagen enterprise, Sir Arthur Wellesley again returned to England; but the time was fast approaching when the great drama of his life was to commence, and 1808 saw the opening of the Peninsular war. Napoleon was then at the very height of his glory. His power seemed unlimited and illimitable. The combination of the Allies had been scattered. Germany was prostrate. He determined to take advantage of the moment of European lassitude, and he seized Spain and Portugal. For some time England followed the laisser aller principle; but at length, stirred by the desperate resistance made in some parts of the Peninsula by the population, who displayed an eager patriotism, our government began to entertain thoughts of succoring them.

volentes. Sir Harry was consequently obliged to land and to assume the command. The French had by this time already made an attack, and been driven back; and the English, in full force, were pressing upon them in such a manner that Junot and his troops, cut off from Lisbon, must infallibly have surrendered at discretion, when General Burrard countermanded the manoeuvre, in spite of the most earnest remonstrances. In fact, he could not comprehend the combination proposed by his subordinate. He said that enough had been done for the day, and, through his obstinacy, Junot made his way back to Lisbon. The nature of the French commander's position was sufficiently proved by his readiness to conclude the Convention of Cintra, for the evacuation of Portugal by the French-which document, upon the arrival of Sir Hew Dalrymple, who came out to replace General Burrard, was duly signed and sealed in Lisbon. It was with a heavy heart that Sir Arthur Wellesley witnessed the proceedings and heard the terms of the stipulation. He knew that he had had the French in his hand, and had only to close his grasp upon

them; yet the two incapables by whom he was | Finally, it is an opinion formed after the event." controlled were persuaded by Junot to put an Here, too, is the testimony to Sir John's military English fleet of transports at his disposal for the skill from a generous antagonist. Marshal Soult comfortable conveyance of the whole French army, writes:-" General Moore opposed every possible bag and baggage-which principally meant plun- obstacle to me during a long and difficult retreat, der-to the nearest French port. The fact was, and died in a battle which does honor to his that Junot was a very able and plausible diploma- memory." Napoleon now imagined, and not withtist. He certainly thoroughly outwitted the two out apparent good grounds, that Louis XIV.'s English generals; and he published a smooth ac- aspiration was at length realized, and that there count in the Moniteur, in which he asserted that were no longer any Pyrenees. Spain and Portuhe had won the field of Vimeira, but had unhap-gal both lay crouching at his feet, while upon his pily been worsted in treating by the extraordinary brother's head was placed the crown of Charles diplomatic acuteness of Generals Burrard and Dal-V. But his anticipations were disappointed. rymple. Utterly disappointed and disgusted, Sir Arthur Wellesley threw up his provisional command and turned his face homewards. He found England, as well she might be, furiously indignant at the conduct of the two incompetent generals, whose weakness had thrown away the fruits of the battle of Vimeira. At first, and before the facts were known, it was General Wellesley who was principally blamed; but an inquiry having taken place before the Earl of Moira, the whole truth came out, and the proceedings of the younger general were seen in their true light. As an instance of the generous magnanimity of Sir Arthur, it may be mentioned that, throughout the investigation, although he persisted steadily in his opinion that his advice had been wrongly slighted, he acknowledged that General Burrard was supported by the technical rules of war. The one commander acted entirely by old routine methods, and as he would have done in any other circumstances-the other wished to act without reference to routine, and according to the peculiar and exceptional circumstances of the occasion.

Public opinion in England strongly pronounced itself for another effort to rescue the Peninsula. It was a tremendous enterprise to look forward to. The flower of the French marshals held nearly every important point, and Soult was strongly established as far west as Oporto. Nevertheless the English Parliament resolved that the attempt should be made. The Portuguese still held possession of Lisbon, supported by a considerable body of English troops, and Sir Arthur Wellesley arrived at that capital, to take the command, on the 22d of April, 1809. He was at length his own master, and it was distinctly understood that he should not be controlled, nor, except for very urgent reasons, removed. Soult was still lingering on the Douro when Sir Arthur Wellesley disembarked on the banks of the Tagus.

And now it was that that grand succession of campaigns which form the great Peninsular war was to commence. The system of small expeditions had at last come to an end. Its fruitlessness had been tried and proved, and it was now distinctly understood that England was really putSir Arthur again turned his attention to poli- ting forth her force-that the Island Empire tics, resuming the duties of his Irish secretaryship; had determined that the Peninsula should not and meantime the gallant Moore was fighting his languish under French rule-and that the contest last sad campaign. The Convention of Čintra had would be à l'outrance. Hitherto we had played ruined everything. Previously to that unhappy but a comparatively small part in the great blunder, the French forces in the Peninsula had European struggle and that, except at sea, not been driven back behind the Ebro. A large body a very glorious one. It was time to redeem our of Spanish soldiery were hovering around them, national character upon land, and to show that all and there were some 30,000 English troops still our generals were not Dukes of York, Cathcarts, left in the Peninsula. For the native army, how- Burrards, and Dalrymples. It is impossible to ever, Napoleon cared little. The men were in- conceive a more arduous task, or a heavier respondividually brave, but they were totally undis- sibility, than that which devolved upon Sir Arciplined; while, from the singular kindliness with thur Wellesley. He found himself entrusted with which a young Frenchman takes to soldiering as a the sole conduct of the war, and he found, moresort of national and natural pursuit, the emperor's over, that, despite the national enthusiasm for its raw levies were scarcely less reliable than veteran prosecution, the authorities at home were by no troops. Napoleon saw his advantage, and made a means cooperating with him in the spirit and with second and overwhelming descent upon Spain. the energy which the emergency demanded. The Sir John Moore, with his small army, was ordered very reverse was the case, and continued to be so to cooperate with the Spaniards in the south-eastern throughout nearly the whole of the Peninsular provinces. Disgusted, however, with their vacilla- war. It was, indeed, only a genius like that of tion and untrustworthiness, he advanced to give Wellington which could have borne up under the battle to Soult, whose army he hoped to find isolated. manifold discouragements and vexations-many But the emperor himself immediately moved from of them no doubt intentional-which he had to Madrid to support his general; and then came the endure from home. However, he lost not a day. famous and the melancholy retreat upon Corunna. In less than a fortnight after his arrival, he had This campaign has been much criticized, and Sir organized his troops, and was on his way to the John Moore's generalship has been strongly Douro. He had under his command the Portublamed. The Duke of Wellington's opinion of it guese army, augmented to its full extent, and inwas this: The only error I can discern in Sir creased by an English force of 30,000 men. John Moore's campaign is, that he ought to have native troops, numbering about 15,000 men, were looked upon the advance to Sahagun as a move-officered in part, though not to the extent usually ment in retreat, and have sent officers to the rear supposed, by Englishmen; and General Beresford, to mark and arrange the halting-points of each their commander, was an officer of great and brigade. But this is an opinion formed after a long experience of war, and especially of Spanish war, which must be seen to be understood.

The

deserved distinction. Yet there were two enemies close at hand-Soult was to the north, at Oporto, preparing to cross the Douro with 24,000 men,

and Victor and Lapisse, with 30,000 more, were | had so successfully outwitted, Soult rejected the descending from the inland provinces. They were proposal, and learning from a pedlar that there all to close round Lisbon. Wellesley's plans were was a wild mountainous road over the Sierra into at once decided-he determined on immediately assailing Soult, whose force lay encamped, not dreaming of attack, in Oporto.

Galicia, he at once decided upon taking it. The little remaining baggage was then flung away, and the French fled helter-skelter-every straggler being cut down by the peasants-and with the clamor of the British cavalry close in their ears. A river, the Cavado, stretched across the fugitives' course, and a Portuguese guard kept the bridge. vanced party of the French to fling themselves upon them, and capture the structure, which was hastily repaired, it having been half cut down; and Soult thus managed to save all the survivors of the army, except the rear-guard, which was cut to pieces by the pursuers. The defeated marshal ultimately reached Orense, in Galicia, with the wreck of his army. He had 19,000 men left of the 25,000, and they brought nothing back but the clothes on their backs and the arms in their hands.

Such was the famous battle of the Douro. So sudden were the movements, and so decisive the success, that it is said that the dinner prepared at Oporto for Soult and his staff was eaten by Wellington and his. The exploit has always taken the highest rank in the annals of military strategy.

The town, it will be remembered, is situated on the north side of the river-Wellesley was approaching from the south. The Douro, at Oporto, is nearly three hundred yards across, and the bridge of boats by which it was generally trav-The latter were unwary enough to allow an adersed had been brought over to Soult's side, with all the barges and other craft in the neighborhood. Some miles up the river General Loyson held a bridge by which Soult, in case of reverse, would be able to join Victor. Wellesley's plans were simple, but daring. His object was to seize the bridge held by Loyson, to get the British cavalry under Sir John Murray across at another point, which was fordable, and somehow to cross the broad stream himself and take the French by surprise at Oporto-these movements to be as nearly simultaneous as possible. Bold as was the scheme, it was successful. The French, lulled in false security-possibly, too, indulging in stronger wines than their own land produces, and not the more watchful on that account-little thought of the thousands of British bayonets mustering beneath the opposite orange and cork-tree groves. When marshals like Victor and Jourdan were in Creeping along so as to be unseen by the enemy, the field on one side, and Wellesley on the other, Sir Arthur Wellesley and his staff reconnoitred for great battles soon came thick and threefold. The the means of crossing. They succeeded through next was Talavera. Marshal Victor, on hearing the diligence of Colonel Waters, a staff officer, who of Soult's discomfiture, advanced to meet the conmanaged to secure a small skiff, and with this queror, and was speedily strengthened by the forces skiff a flotilla of barges was quietly removed from of Jourdan, with whom came King Joseph in perbank to bank. Then came the word, "Let the son. He had thus an army of more than 50,000 men cross. They commenced the operation unobserved, and took up a position in a ruined convent on the top of a steep ascent above the town. Detachment after detachment crossed, and still no alarm. At last, however, their movements were observed, and the drums of the French pickets, and the quick spatter of the fire of the sentinels, warned the British that what they did now must be done in the face of the enemy. The convent was soon attacked-desperately assailed, and as desperately defended. The French poured in from Oporto, but the English, crossing the river by hundreds, met and drove them back towards the city; while, in the very thick of the combat, the cheering of Murray's cavalry was heard above the din of the fray, and Soult was utterly bewildered at being attacked by a formidable body of British horse. He at once saw that the game was up, and he abandoned the city. His flight became a panic and a rout. He sacrificed all his stores, artillery and ammunition, and fled towards the bridge, which he believed to be safely held by For this action Sir Arthur Wellesley was created Loyson. Sir John Murray has been blamed for Baron Douro of Wellesley and Viscount Wellington not having, at this juncture, followed up with his of Talavera; but although these honors were becavalry the flying French, though a vigorous stowed by the government, the country was far charge made by General Stewart, now the Marquis from being satisfied. The British commander had of Londonderry, hurried the progress of the certainly repulsed the French with one man of his fugitives. Before, however, Soult arrived at the to two of theirs; but as, from his position, he bridge, he was confounded by th. appearance of could only conquer to retreat, the immediate withLoyson with his troops, and with the news that drawal of the army in Portugal was severely Beresford, like Horatius Cocles, now held that criticized by the stay-at-home sneerers at our efforts position. He was maddened with vexation. He to redeem the Peninsula. The government, too, felt that the state of affairs was desperate, and he although it sent out titles, sent very little money listened to Loyson's suggestion of a surrender and or stores. The troops were in a very destitute cona second edition of the convention of Cintra. Re-dition, their pay greatly in arrears, and Wellington, flecting, however, that he had to deal with a very sick of Spanish soldiers and Spanish generals, withdifferent man from the two generals whom Junot drew his army along the valley of the Tagus; and

men, in high condition and perfect discipline. Sir Arthur Wellesley was at the head of forces numbering 78,000, but of these only 22,000 were reliable Englishmen. The Portuguese troops had not quitted their own country, and therefore the bulk of the allied forces was Spanish, under General Cuesta. This personage was very nearly causing the total loss of the army. He was a braggart impracticable, obstinate man-alike slow in action and prompt in speech-and through his blundering, Sir Arthur Wellesley found himself obliged to oppose his 22,000 Englishmen to 50,000 Frenchmen. On the field of Talavera the Spaniards gave him no available assistance. The brunt of the conflict was entirely borne by his own troops, but so successfully that, notwithstanding the disparity of numbers, we remained masters of the field at the close of a severely fought pitched battle, the forces of King Joseph being repulsed on all hands, leaving the British in possession of seventeen cannon and many hundred prisoners.