The National Register.
London, England, 1808-11-27 00:00:00

THE NATIONAL REGISTER.

cOV. 27*

lane period. The Armistice was signed by Wellesley, because,
as general Kellermaa had said, it was not regular for the Com-
mander in Chief to.beeotne a party to an instrument with an in-
ferior officer in the opposite army. When Admiral Cotton re-
fused his Coneerredoe to the 7th article, he sent Colonel Murray
to Juaot'squarters, to inform hint of the circumstance, find with.
powers to treat for n Cenveution on new terms. Whilst Colonel
Idurray remained negotiating new terms With Janos, he wall
etg aloe in his correspondence with him (Sir Hew), and !Lis Jet-
tens were 'hewn to Sir Jahn Moore and Sir }lorry Bnrrard.—
They both proposed alteratleti occasionally, of which be made
minutes; but when the. Convention was concluded, Neither of
them expressed any disapprobation. lie did not consider their
deliberations on the articles to be in the nature of a Council of
War, but took the opinions of the Officers on what they thought
proper to he done for the honour and advantage of their coon-
try. He, however, did not wish to erect a barrier betwixt him-
self and the responsibility of the important command in witlrh
be was aualpectedly placed, as he would not servilely follow
Vie opinion of any man. unless he waesatisfied of its propriety.
lie also detailed the operations of the British army previous to
thepeactiation of Portugal by the French.- lie also described
the situation of Lisbon, and the resources of the enemy. The
castle completely commanded the town, and the new works
which the French bad lately erected were calculated for de-
stroying the town. The French, when they surrendered, had
abundance of every glossae,- Of previsions furnished them by a
Portuguese Contractor.
Lord Moira asked Sir Hew a feW questions, which arose from
his former answers, and the following is the substance of his
answers to the latter questions :—lle considered Junut's ultimate
defeat certain, from the impendine attack of the British, and, the
co-operation of the Spanish troops which remained in Aedalu.
#ia and Estramadura. The aggregate of the British troops was
thirty-seven thousand men. The last division of Sir J. Aloore's
tinny was landed on the ,9th, after experiencing much difficulty
had losing some men. Exclusive of the strong positions which
the enemy held, they had it iu their power to cross the river, and
throw themselves into Elva, and its dependencies. The posses- I
Fiell of the Castle of Lisbon in a great degree affects the whole
country, as the French had it in their ;tower to bombard and de-'
ttruy the city, w hies General Kellerman threatened would be
(Line. if that threat should not be executed, yet the fear of
would prevent the populace from mulcting the French rear
division when it should be .crossing the Tagus. fie intended to
dispatch part of his army to Valladolid, where they might as-
rit.. in tweuty-eight day:, if no extranrdioary circumstances
sheltie iotervene and retard them. Being asked, whether he
knew what progress General Moore bad in fact made on his
march to Spin ? he answered, that he could not say. When he
left Portugal, Sir John had advanced towards the frontiers; but
he left Lisbon on the 6th of October. fie thinks the presence
of a British force will have great effect in rotising the patriotic
etrorts of the Spanish nation, and that in etta,equence an advan-
tageous result may he expecttd to the common cause. This he
said under the impression that the co-operation of the Spaniards
was prompt and'efficacioes, without which oo calculation could
be made relative to the movements in Spain. lie could not say
what the estimated passage of the troops by sea was from Lis-
ten to the North of Spain, as the voyage of a fleet of transports
on thateimit, and at that season, was generally a work of uncer-
tainty; i?esides, the means for the movement of land forces in
the field had been already proVided in Portugal, and must have
keen sacrificed, whilst much time would he consumed before the
same requisites could'again be procured. lie could not say what
t?ine it would require the French to cross the Tagus, and pass
into Alentejo, as the British army would have taken early steps
to prevent them. The last position which they occupied was
not ill calculated to covet their embarkation, and their actual
passage might he accomplished Ina day.
Sir Arthur
Wellesley then pot the following "motions to Sir
new : •
Q. Did you ever make any comarnnieation with me on the
letter which was transmitted to You respecting ale by .Lord Cas-
tlereagh, and wlnc h
you read to the Il.:oOrt is your narrative ?
A, Never.

Q. %V hat were the lines of eMnrnunieation, sand the Madan%
left ip the enemy's hands, in consettisence of my advancing to-
wards Eishon by the cowit 3--7 A. I stated my opinion on that
subject in a great deirect, if not entirely, before ; consequently,
the Members of the Court, who are much belief judges than I
km, may well know what degree of weight to attach to the ob..
Ocrvattun. Sir Arthur then asked whether be did give Sir

Hew printed memoranda of a h;►sis whereon Colonel Murray
might trent for a Convention ? To w hich Sir Clew replied,
that he did not recollect it. After a short conversation, sir
Arthur said he would not press the question, as he could proves

the fact by other evidence.
Q. Do yon,recollect that the first proposition which General
Kellerman Made was, that the Russian fleet should be at liberty
to return to the Baltic A. I cannot at the moment say that sech
a proposition was made, hut I tonsure that it was not strongly
urged, or long discussed, or it would have made an impression
qn toy memory.
General Fergussou was then called to give hi; answer; to the
questiens which the President had riven hint to writit', on
Tuesday. In his answers he stated as follows :—:it' joined the
expedition on its sailing ; was at V imiera on the Ust. lie did
not know how the whole army was served with provision, Ina
the brigade which he commanded was regularly supplie,.l.
From the position be held on the 't Ist, he had ;to epportunity of
ascertaining the French force. Does not know w !tether the
French erected any means of defence in the vicinity of Lisbon,
hut the ground afforded it. Does not think Lisbon itself could
make much resistance. Has no reason to think that the French
would surrender on nay other terms thnn those granted them.
He admitted the advantage: of the evacuation of Portugal.
stated by Sir Hew Dalrymple and Sir Arthur Wellesley, to the
Spanish and Portuguese cause, and the 'Tagus had been opened
to the British shipping, &c. Ile stated, that if General Moore
, had landed with the troops, the retreat of the enemy to Lisboa
might have been cut oil'.
A General Report, dated 28th September, of the state of
Fort St. J u 1 en, and the ether fortresses on the Tagus and ne:ga?
boorhood, was then read, and the Court adjourned to this
, day.

SEVENTH DAY.
lATV !WAY, Nov EltnEn, 26.
The Court proceeded immediately after assembline, to exne
mine Brigadier General Arland. or rather to the rending of his •
examination, the questions having been preViously sent to him,
and he having written his answers. A p'erson for the Judge
Advocate read over the questions, and Brigadier General Ae.
land read his answer's---The questions were the same as those
tent to Brig. Gen. Furgnsson. The answers of Brig. Gen. Arland
Were in substance that.he did not think that the French would
have surrendered prisoners of war on the 22d; nor if driven
back upon Lisboa, would they. without making further anti.
To question as to whether the Convention did nut liberate
Portugal from the French, put a stop to the ravages of war
upon the Tagus, &c. and whether these advantages coutri hare
been secured by any other measure The answer was, that till .
these advantages were secured by She Conventiou, and could not
have been, he thought, by any lather measure. lie tt a:. of opi-
nion that our army could not have prevented the Frena.rettr•
ing across the Tegus.
In this latter opinion Major-Gen. Spencer cone erred who
also thought that the French would not have surreudere;d pri7
soners of war, and that had nn English army been placed in
the same situation, they decidedly would not have surrendered.
As to whether the same advantages could have been derived faun
any other measure from the Convention, he observed, that
the result of military operations being necessarily uncertain, he
could not take upon himself to assert what might have been the
event. The artillery consisted of nine-pounders. The Con-
vention was similar to that in Egypt, in 1801.
To a question front Sir A. Wellesley, whether Major-Ge-
neral Spencer was aware that it had been arranged that the Al.
Fred should attend the movement of the army along the coast
from Montlego, in charge of the victuallers and store-ships,
that ship being armed with 11-pounders, and the amtnunition
expected front England being for 24-pounders. MOor General
Spencer answered that the Alfred was ordered for the es pre-s
purpose of supplying whatever heavy ordnance-uric Comman-
der in Chief might require.
To another question front Sir A. Wellesley, as to the situa-
tion of the army to attack any fortified place. Major General
Silencer an;wered, that the Alfred a lung tuner before the
heavy artillery could have been wanted.
The Earl of Moira—llad you any heavy artillery mounted
on carriages ? -Major- Gen. peecer—N one.
Sir A Vliellesle)--K' as there no heavy artillery 1- r
General Spencer ----Mortar,..l4ol t
Brigadier-General Nightingale ass- nearly 01.00 satt.e
ninth a the Qtber two ‘icaerals, aids Cie k r,urU routs out