New-York tribune., 1900-07-15
HOW DAILY SAVEDENGLAND
A BIT OF IMAGINATIvE HISTORY.
From The Navy and Army Illustrated

fatally for En=Iand and conse4mentI< for En-
Iop+, IN the winter of the year 1SOS-'tei had ii
aide-de-carnD - q 0'
As it is possible that the precise circum
stances oi the case may be fresh to or forgotten
~ some OF my readers, I think il as well TO
9'5oo lislh doWn concisely here. In December,
I>H ST John Moore, with 20,0}0 men and
xty-four guns, was marching gayIy after Mar
Shal Souli who had the same strength with
Ihe intention Of giving him such a pounding
d "oull astoHIsh him, while. unknown to Sir
John, Napoleon himself with 10000 men in
cludins The Imperial Guard. and with 1jg guns, !
- - = LstiiS Moore with q like intention
. The NapoIeonic trap was eyquisiteIy baited
me very door ready 10 snap. Napoleous aide
&c amp VAS on MS Way to give SOult the order
10 stand at Astorga and fight for the moment
Was arrived Wnen the English leopard might be
driven into the
Happily for the leopard aforesaid NapoIeon's
messenger came TO grief and his dispatches fell
INTO INTO the hands Of Sir John, who learned in the
mex Of time the fate that was awaiting him
The sequel we all know; the mastery if awful
retreat across the Esla, the pursuit by Soult
ana the Emperor, until the diversion of the
latter and his Guard by the Austrian war and
hnally the sad triumph Of Corunna, which in
spired the British Parliament TO renew the /
tugaI
The manner in which these fatefuI dispatches
came INTO English hands has been VaTioUsly
set down. the story TO which most credence has |
hitherto been given running that the bearer a /
man OF cholerlc disposition and Incorporate /
habits allowed himself to be drawn into a /
tavern braWl and was then and there knitted, /
ms dispatches being carried by his slayers to
staff for what they would fetch
This the view of the matter I myself until
recently entertained But since access has been /
given me to the papers of Captain DAILY, l have /
been fain to believe that this admittedly ex-
traordinary business was even yet more peculiar
IN its reality than has been generally supposed /
This Is my reconstruction of the plain tale which
the gallant officers papers more particularly /
those pertaining to his card account) attest.
on Christmas Eve, 1905 early in the morning
Captain Daily 10 be found playing Iansque-
net with two young gentlemen and an elder one, /
who were assisting him in the arduOus task Of
commanding a squadron Of the Horse GTena- /
diers thrown forward toward the river Carrion, /
in the Spanish province of Leon. They were no /
great distance from similar squadron covering /
the rear guard Of Marshal Soult and no doubt
understand nowadays, it the /
duty of all 70 be on the alert; but Major Apple /
by, who was the squadron leader, was not
strictly digent man Of war SO the Junior sub
altern deputed to do their work while his
elders INDUCED in a quiet f1utter.
Luck in favor Of Captain Masham, and (
so much against Captain DAILY that in tolerably I
rapid succession he lightened himself Of his .
never enormous stock Of ready money, bills on
Mr.. Greenwood, Of CharIng cross, representing (
a future six months pay discounted at war 1
rates his second charger. the saddlery pertain
ing TO the same. various items OF his personal .
wardrobe and his whole armOry, with the eX-
ception Of his sword. He played away not only .
what he had with him at the advanced post in .
the regmental carts and aboard the transport
down At the base. but every other possession .
near and far Of which the recollection occurred
10 him including q half interest in chasing
stable the Curragh. After he had actually
mOrtgaged the services Of his batman. he had
clothes he stood in. the sword ne carried, and
the value Of his commission.
Then he smulngIy observed that he would
play more and, Notwithstanding q pressing
invitation from Masham 70 put Pipus William
il the pool shook himself and retired, stu snll-
ing from the little knot Of gamblers.
The men called hanterinE jest after the
jauntily retreatng figure. and saw the shouI-
ders sIa ke as readily as their own, but had they
marked the wistfu! look which now his back
was turned TO them. appeared on Captain Daly
face they would have spared thelr chat
Saunteriug past the sentry, Daily mace Tor
c;1lTnD IT olive trees = few hundred yards in
front of the furthest veGette; ii ought 10 have
been either cut down Or occupied but the young
est eu!taltern had not a rudimentary knowledge
rf the business Of placing plchets. and no one
else bothered lis head about III. matter.
Captain Days object in approaching these
trees was to pick out nice one on "hlch 10
hang himself. out Of sight Of his friends, for
CaptaiD Daily was as broke broke could be.
Had he been at home he would have put a pistol
bullet through the roof Cf rs mouth but ne was
2 good enough soldier To remember the worry
TN r-ucr. # firearms causes On outpost cuty,
and besides ne had pistol, having Just parted
with his 10 CAPTAIN Mashau. Again he might
have Dla--.d The Roman fool and died on his own
sword JIt he feared that SOM "retchet peasant
might be strung UP under suspicion or having
murdered him. + he we're toEnC nan@-nS, ms
sword il it, scaabard by lis side, people would
,-rderst8r5 no one was 20 blame but himself
ais mind intent upon the dread sacIlhce. ne
entered the little grove and cast critical glance
around: he had hanged other men III MS day,
ard kne.. hat t. look foI.
The rr.Cise Kind Of tree he wanted stood IN
the uiGala # lle grove, but as he approached