Star.
London, England, 1814-11-01 00:00:00

. . .
'evening of the 9th to dispatch in officer that hilebt
to General Murillo. He then states the situation o('
the troops in the valley, which he connects with some
nsisapprehensions of the order; that on arriving at the
valley, finding no officer had been dispatched, he
sent Captain Lloyd to General Murillo, and 'thinking
that there would be soon a sufficient covering party,
permitted some troops to forage ; notwithstanding'
that the distance which Capt. Lloyd had to go was two
miles, and that the road was, as he well knew, very
bed, and the parties foraging being then attacked,
though he did not Know the force of the enemy, and
had given no orders tu the foragers, lie came tq this
conclusion, that he would lead his regiment up the
hill. Can the Court think that any Commander of
a regiment could have left his detached parties at-1
tacked, not only without support, but without a'
single person to tell them by which way he had rodel
off with his men, and that too in a fog ? Colonel
Quentin has assumed some merit for having calcu-
lated the loss which the regiment sustained, and for
the anxiety which he displayed to Captain Fitecla.
rence respecting the fate of his troop. I have ,hewn
that the troops were left without orders, and that it
was but by the prudence of the officers that they were
drawn off, and that while Colonel Quentin was within
a short distance front the place where the safety of
the troops was hazarded. For though Colonel Quen-
tin affects to think light of the attack of the enemy's
cavalry, because Captain Fitzclarence, from the situa-
tion in which he was, was not able to distinguish whe-
ther they were not merely mounted Officers of the
cavalry, yet Captain Stuart, who had a better op-
portunity of seeing the force of the enemy, gave A
different statement.—[Colonel Palmer here read
Captain Stuart's evidence.]--So much for the un-
officerlike conclusion of Colonel Quentin. For the
anxiety of Colonel Quentin respecting the fate oil
1.0010;
Captain Fitzclarence's troop, I can give him no cre-
dit, as it seems the strongest evidence of-hisaat.
duct, as he seemed conscious that he had left great
duties unperformed, and neglected the safety of those
who were specially entrusted to his charge. For I
will venture to affirm, that if the men could have I
been examined as to their feelings when Colossi 1
Quentin led them to the rear, they would have stated
that they felt the greatest anxiety for the safety of
their comrades. I cannot but remark, that while
Colonel Quentin remained near the foragers, he was
far from displaying any energy, but continued tamely
riding his horse up and down, instead of going in-
stantly to the place of attack, as it was his duty to
have done. As to the statement that an officer was
detached for a detachment at day-break to cover the
foragers, no such circumstance could -have taken
place ; it was on the 12th, and not on the 10th, that
Lieutenants Wyndham anctFitzelarence were under
orders to procure a covering party from General Mu-
Alio, ant: the Colonel and the Sergeant Major must,
to say the least of it, have confounded dates and cir-
cumstances. This is proved by the silence of Colonel
Quentin when General blurillo's rebuke was related
to him ; and by the fact, that at the time, the officer
was not sent for to receive rebuke or graver punish-
ment. Why also did Colonel Quentin pat no question
to Lieutenant Fitzclarence on the subject ? and why
also is there no mention of the order in the orderly
book ? The evidence of Brigade Major Jones was
very strong in support of the charge. This officer,
though he rode off to bring up a party of infantry,
considered that a covering party had been stationed,
as an order to that purpose had been given. He
also :tates, that a chain of infantry would have pie-
vented the loss ; and that the ground was such. that
one hundred infant-y would have stopped a large
holy of troops ; how much more certainly then 'mglit
they have prevented the attack which took place, and
which was only made by the enemy's pipets. Tn-
deed, it is proved that the whole of Colonel Quentin's
conduct was a mass of inconsistency and confusion..
Quarter-Master Eyre found forage in plenty, in a,
place perfectly safe; yet Lieutenant Fitzclarence was,
sent to forage in General Murdlo's cantonments,
which were ordered to be respected. Lord Edwaid
Somerset's order of the 15th originated in the events of
the 10th, and these must have been among the circum-
stances which contributed to' Lord Cumbermere's opi.
pion. On the second charge, the point in dispute is
brought within a very narrow compass—whether Co-
lonel Quentin gave that support to the officers and
Men which he was bound to do. Colonel Quentin
rests his defence against this charge upon his former-
character, and on the station which it was the opinion
of officers of high rank that the Commander of a re-
giment of cavalry ought to occupy, and also (to a
degree which was not becoming in Colonel Quentin)
on the speed of his horse. All the officers are willing
to allow full force to Colonel Quentin's former good
character, in affairs in which other officers of the re-
giment were also engaged, and to their conduct, in
which they could adduce as favourable evidence as
bad been given respecting Colonel Quentin's. But is
the former good conduct of Colonel Quentin to estali
lish him for ever ? There are, notwithstanding the insi.
nuation of Col. Quentin, that to have led his regiment
would have been an act of rashness, pardonable only
in a young officer, officers even in the same regiment
'of older standing than himself. For let it be recol-
lected, in service Colonel Quentin is a young officer,'
and the affair of the 28th of February was the first.'
since he had joined the regiment in which he had had
an opportunity of animating the regiment by le s exam-
pie. The Earlof Uxbridge, in answer to a question,
where the Colonel of a regiment of cavalry should be
stationed, said, in the flank of the column. Now the.
case of Colonel Quentin has not been prnperly repre-
'sented to his Lordship—it was given in evidence that
Colonel Quentin was riding in front of his leading di-
vision, where Captain Fitzclarence s:ter him reining
in his horse, and moving of to the Mani,, • Oeteeiiht
Lacy also said, that.he passed him when tin, %v*, . at,
the head of the column.
~ Now it either Lord Uxbridge or General V %Pim
had been asked whether it was proper for a Colonel
who had been riding at the bead of his division to stop
and move off to the flank, when within 50 yards ui
the enemy, and they had answered yes, all the army
Might have retorted upon these excellent Officers,
that their practice was contrary to their princiewa.—
As to the silty invention of Serjeant Lacy, with'
-respect to Polokbel Quentin's mare, I was it lila
first disgusted se* 1, as tending to throw induesiol
odium on C4,414,?4h0tin, who is a light weight4ll
excellent selector o ltqrsers, and confessedly the best'
hoepeman in r.u.ope. lacy, to bear out tilt stOrf;
miril, that saTarai 'of ,iliirbstitaliera, dittivia4.66l