The Life of Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, Volume 1Ingram, Cooke, and Company, 1852 |
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Common terms and phrases
allied army arms artillery attack Badajoz battalions battle battle of Talavera Bidassoa blockade Bonaparte brigade Burgos Cadiz campaign castle cavalry charge Ciudad Rodrigo Colonel Wellesley column command conduct corps defence discipline Douro Dragoons Duke of Wellington duty enemy enemy's England English favour fire force fortress France French army Fuentes gallant garrison Government Graham ground heights Hill honour horse House immediately infantry letter Lieutenant-Colonel Lieutenant-General Light Division Lisbon Lord Castlereagh Lord Wellington lordship Madrid Mahratta Major-General Marmont Marquis Marshal Soult Massena military movement Napoleon nation occupied officers operations Pampeluna passed Peninsula plunder Portugal Portuguese position Prince Regent prisoners Pyrenees reached rear received regiment retired retreat river road Royal Highness Russia Salamanca siege Sir Arthur Wellesley Sir Rowland Sir Rowland Hill Sir William Beresford soldiers Soult Spain Spaniards Spanish success Suchet Talavera took town troops victory village Vittoria wounded
Popular passages
Page 196 - ... but I am concerned to have to observe, that the army under my command has fallen off, in this respect, in the late campaign, to a greater degree than any army with which I have ever served, or of which I have ever read.
Page 354 - For the repeated thanks and grants bestowed upon you by this house, in gratitude for your many and eminent services, you have thought fit this day to offer us your acknowledgments; but this nation well knows that it is still largely your debtor. It owes to you the proud satisfaction, that amidst the constellation of illustrious warriors, who have recently visited our country...
Page 175 - ... every moment. The number of dead on the field is very large. • " I am informed that Marshal Marmont is badly wounded, and has lost one of his arms ; and that four general officers have been killed, and several wounded. " Such an advantage could not have been acquired without material loss on our side, but it certainly has not been of a magnitude to distress the army, or to cripple its operations.
Page 107 - ... flashing of pistols, indicated some extraordinary occurrence. Suddenly the multitude became violently agitated, an English shout pealed high and clear, the mass was rent asunder, and Norman Ramsay burst forth sword in hand at the head of his battery, his horses, breathing fire, stretched like greyhounds along the plain, the guns bounded behind them like things of no weight, and the mounted gunners followed close, with heads bent low and pointed weapons, in desperate career.
Page 243 - The whole, therefore, of the latter which had not already been taken by the troops, in their attack of the successive positions taken up by the enemy in their retreat from their first position...
Page 197 - ... none in which the retreating armies were so little pressed on their rear by the enemy. We must look, therefore, for the existing evils, and for the situation in which we now find the army, to some causes besides those resulting from the operations in which we have been engaged.
Page 89 - Lisbon, and for the food of the army and of the people, while the troops will be engaged with the enemy. As for principal Souza, I beg you to tell him, from me, that I have had no satisfaction in transacting the business of this country since he has been a member of the government ; that, being embarked in a course of military operations, of which I hope to see the successful termination, I shall continue to carry them on to the...
Page 14 - ... murder, and he has certainly changed his mind ; but the world, which is always goodnatured towards those whose affairs do not exactly prosper, will not, or rather does not, fail to suspect that both, or worse, have been the occasion of my being banished, like General Kray, to my estate in Hungary. I did not look, and did not wish for the appointment which was given to me ; and...
Page 134 - The notion of its existence prevented even the attempt to discipline the armies ; and its existence has been alleged, ever since, as the excuse for the rank ignorance of the officers, and the indiscipline, and constant misbehaviour of the troops. . I therefore earnestly recommend you, wherever you go, to trust nothing to the enthusiasm of the people. Give them a strong and a just, and, if possible, a good, government; but, above all, a strong one...
Page 368 - Soldiers! We were not conquered; two men risen from our ranks betrayed our laurels, their country, their prince, their benefactor. , "Those whom during twenty-five years we have seen traversing all Europe to raise up enemies against us; who have passed their lives in fighting against us in the ranks of foreign armies...