The Sun.
London, England, 1823-01-09 00:00:00

SIR JOHN MOORE.

The following accodni of the last mornents
of this distinguished General, extracted from
SOUHTIILY'S History of the Peninsular War, will
he deeply interesting to every British heart.

" Marshal Soult's intention was to force the right of the'llri
ash, and thus to interpose between Corunnk and the
and cut it off from the place of embarkation. Failing in this
attempt, he was noes endeavouringtooutila4 Ifalf of the
4th regiment, was therefore ordered to, fall back, forming an
&Amite angle with gip other half. This manteuvre was excel-
lently perforMed; and they commenced a heavy flanking fire;
Sir John ;Moore called out to them, that this was exactly
what he wanted to be done, and rode on to the tiOth, command.
cd'hy Majors Napierand,Stanhope. They got over an incla
sure in their front, charged the ,eneroy most gallantly, and
drove them out of% the village of Elvina; but Major Napier,
advancing too'far in the pursuit, received several wounds, and
was made prisoner, and Major Stanhope was killed.

" The General noviproeeetied to the 42d. Highlanders,'
said he, remember Egypt V.—they rushed on, and drove the
French before them, till tin were stoPped by a wall : Sir
John accompanied them in this charge. Ile now sent Captain
Ilardinge to order up a battalion of ciptuch to the left flank of
she 424. The officer ynnmatuling the, light infantry conceiv-
ed, at this, that they were. to, be, relieved by the, guards,, be.
cause their ammunition was nearly expended, and he began. to
fall back. The General, discovering the mistake, said to
them, My brave 424, join your comrades; ammunition is
coming, and you , have yOur bayonets Upon this, they
instantly moved forward. Captain . Hemline returned, and.
Pointed out to the General where the guards were ad,
vancing. The enemy , kept up a hot fire, and their artil-
lery played incessantly on the spot where they were . stand-
ing. A cannon-shot struck Sir John, and carried away his
left shoulder, and Part or the collar.bone, leaving the arm hang
ing by the flesh. He fell from his horse on his back, his coun-
tenance did not change, neither did he betray the least %Mimi-
tion of pain. Capt. liartlinge, who dismounted, and took him
by the hand, obserVed him anxiously watching the 424, which
was warmly engaged, and told him they were advancing ; anti
upon that intelligence his countenance brightened. Colonel
Graham, who now came to assist him, seeing the composurs Of
his features, began to hope that he was not wounded, till he
perceived the dreadful laceration. From the size of the wound,
it was in vein to make any attempt in stopping the blood ;
and Sir John consented to be removed in a blanket to the
rear. In raising him 'up, his sword, hanging on the wound.
ed side, touched his arm, and became entangled between his
legs : Captain Hardinge began to unbuckle it ; but the General
said, in his usual tone and manner, and In a distinct voice, 'lt is
as well as it is; I had rather it should go out of the field with
me.' Six soldiers of the 424 and the guards bore him. Ilar,
dinge, observing his composure, began to hope that the wound
might not be mortal, and said to him, he trusted he might be
spared to the army, and recover. Moore turned his head, and
looking stedfastly at the wound for a few seconds, replied, No,
Ilardinge, I feel that to be impossible.'

" As the soldiers were carrying hfin slimly along, he made
them frequently turn round, that he might see the field of
battle, and listen to the firing ; and he was well pleased when
the sound grew fainter. A spring7waggon came up, beatjug
Col. Virynch, who was wounded : he Colonel asked who was
in the blanket, and being told it was Sir J. Moore, wished him
to be placed in the waggon. Sir John asked one of the High-
landers whether he thought the waggon or the blanket was best?
and the man said the blanket would not shake him so much, es
he and the othersoldiers wauld keep the step, and carry him
easy. So they proceeded with him to the quarters at Corutine,
weeping as they went.

" The General lived to hear that the battle was won. ,‘ Are
the French beaten ?' was the question which he repeated to every
one who came into his apartment; and he expressed how great a
satisfaction it was to him to know that they were defeated. I
hope,' he said, the people of England will be satisfied ! I
hope my country will do me justice.' Then addressing C'ol-
Anderson, who had been his friend and companion in arm,
for one-aiiii.twenty years, he said to him, Anderson, you know
that I have always wished to die this way. Von will see my
friends as soon
,as you can ;—tell them every thing—Say to
any mother'--but here his voice failed, he became exces.
sively agitated, and did not again venture to Annie her.—
Sometimes he asked, to be placed in an easier posture,—
' I feel thyself so strong," he said, I fear I shall be burg
dying. It is great uneasiness—it is great pain.' But, after a
while, he pressed Anderson's hand close to his body, anti, in
a few minutes, died without a struggle. Ile fell, as it had
ever been his wish to do, in battle and in victory. No
man was more beloved in private life, nor were there any
General in the British army so universally respected. .Ml
men had thought him worthy of the thief command. Had he
been less circumspect, had he looked more ardently forward.
and less anxiously around him, anti on all sides, and tiChintl„---
heti he been more confident in himself and in hilarmy, and im.
pressed with less respect for the French Generalii he would
'have been more equal to the difficulties of hie eituatiom Dee
spondeney, was the nidical weakness of his mind. Personally he
. •
was as brave a man as ever met death in the field r but he wante
ed faith in British courage, and it is faith by which miracles
are wrought in war as well as in religion. Put let it ever be
remembered with gratitude, that, when some of bet General
Officers advised hint to conclude the retreat by 4 capitulation.
Sir John Idoore preserved the honour of England.

" Ito had often said that, if he were killed in battle, he
wished to be burned where he fell. The body was removed at
midnight to the citadel of Corunna. A grave wits dug for hint
on the rampart there, by a party of the ittit regiment, the aides-
du-tamp attending by turns. .No coffin could be procured
and the officers of his stair/rapped the body, dmssed its it was,
in 'a
Military cloak and blankets. The interment was has.
tencd ; fbr, about eight in the Morning, some firing *SA heard,
and they feared• that, if a serious attack were 'Made, they
ihoold be ordered- away, Find not suffered to pay hint their last
duty. The officers of 'his family bore-hint to The crave the
funeral servscc acts read by the chaplain ; and the corpse
covered with earth."