letters · by a contemporary

Letters from Portugal and Spain

Sir Robert Ker Porter (1777–1842), 1809

Named on the page for Battle of Corunna.

machine-read Machine-read (OCR) from a scanned book at the Internet Archive: expect misread words and names. The scan itself is at the library.

draft Matched to the battle automatically; not yet reviewed.

Passages that name the battle; the whole book is at Internet Archive.

16 January 1809

Battle of Corunna

LETTER XX.
Joss—Vain attempts to destroy the bridges.— Lugo—Hurls money into a deep valley.— State of Lugo.— Awaits the arrival of the cavalry.— Pro. met of marching to Corunna— Ill-conduct of the Gahcians— Extremity of our troops. . 259

LETTER XXI.
Perishing state of the army.-Destruction of the horses—Failure in blowing up the bridges - French in sight—An attack-Enemy repulsed w.th loss-French second attack-Enemy again defeated-Spirit of troops-Indignation against the Spanish juntas— Military order— Bri<rade- majorRoberts-Reinforcements totheenemy lSir John Moore prepares for battle— General Frazer -General Soult-His advantages-British re- t.refrom their position-Beta„2as-Death on the inarch — Arrives at Corunna. . . 274

LETTER XXIV.
Lands at Plymouth. — General Moore's magnanimity. — Plan of the battle of Corunna. — Miseries of the voyage. — General Hope. — General Moore. — General Anstruther. — Their tomb.— Our sick. — Dying on shore. — Dragoon who took General Le Febre. — General Stewart. — Loss of the army in men and horses. — Power of the army.— Treachery of Morla. — Route of the army.— Conclusion. 307

LETTER XXIV.
As soon as I got on shore I put two letters in the post for you; one written at Corunna, and the other at sea. The latter ought to have been accompanied by what this con- tains; namely, a plan of the late victory at Corunna — and so it may justly be called; for though it was dyed deep in blood, yet from that depth of woe our brave general, even in

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