430 NUMBERS AND POSITIONS OF FRENCH ARMY. commandant à Givet, et le Général Dumonceau comme général commandant au département des Ardennes. D'après des rélations du 5 de Philippeville le Général Dupuis s'y trouve comme commandant, dont on dit qu'il surveille l'approvisionnement du fort, et la rénovation des ouvrages de fortification, avec beaucoup de zèle. La garnison consiste de 2000 hommes, parmi lesquels 1500 gardes nationales, une compagnie d'artillerie, et une de sapeurs. Il y avait à Maubeuge au 5 de ce mois (où commande le Général Latur) 3000 hommes de troupe régulière et de gardes nationales. Plusieurs avis s'accordent à ce que les douaniers de l'ennemi ont quitté la ligne qu'ils tenaient occupée auparavant, qu'ils se sont retirés dans une seconde, et qu'ils ont l'ordre de se joindre à l'approche de l'ennemi à un signal donné sur un point, et d'épauler après en tirailleurs la retraite du corps. Aussi les postes mises près de la Sambre ont l'ordre de se retirer à l'approche des troupes Prussiennes vers les frontières, tout en paix et sans tirer. Dans la contrée entre Beaufort et Landrecy l'ennemi continue de ruiner les chemins de traverses et de les abîmer. Il n'y a pas de doute que la plupart de l'armée est portée pour Napoléon, et que les troupes souhaitent la guerre. Dans les gardes nationales l'opinion se montre différemment, mais en général plus contre Napoléon. La proclamation de Son Altesse le Prince de Blücher adressé il y a peu de tems aux habitans de l'autre côté a été reçue d'eux avec joie, de manière qu'ils attendent l'entrée des troupes Prussiennes avec plaisir. L'ennemi ne croit pas que la force de l'Armée Alliée qui se trouve ici soit considérable; et le Général Ameil a dit qu'il n'y avait au premier corps de l'armée Prussienne que de la Landwehr de Westphalie, de la garde nationale de Hambourg, et très peu de troupes de ligne. Earl Bathurst to Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington. MY DEAR LORD, Downing Street, 8th June, 1815. Your Grace will receive by this mail a proclamation for continuing the services of men whose term of service may expire. It is desirable to observe that, according to the opinion of our legal advisers, this proclamation will not attach upon those persons whose term of service shall have expired previous to the promulgation of the proclamation, and that therefore those whose term of service may have been prolonged by your Grace's order for six months must be at the end of that time discharged, if their term of service expired previous to the 2nd instant, the day on which the Regent's proclamation was issued. I am, my dear Lord, yours very sincerely, BATHURST. W. Hill, Esq., to Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington. MY DEAR LORD, JUNE, 1815. PIEDMONTESE CONTINGENT. 431 Count de Laval is a very faithful servant of the King of Sardinia, and a most respectable person. As he is perfectly acquainted with what is passing here, I need not trouble you with any news: it will be sufficient to say that we are now on this side perfectly prepared to enter France. The Austrians have already above 20,000 men in the King's territory, and as many more are daily expected; the first in the neighbourhood of the Simplon, and the latter will pass over Mont Cenis. The Austrians talk ultimately of sending through the King's dominions not less than 80,000. I conceive this number, though given by the highest authorities, to be exaggerated; probably 20,000 of their best troops may now be withdrawn from Naples: I should think therefore about 60,000 may be relied upon. Added to these will be the 15,000 Piedmontese contingent, which, I fear (although Count Laval may be instructed to say the contrary), will not be quite so efficacious as we might wish for two or three months, on account of its being still in want of several military articles and on the score of discipline. It is, however, but justice to say that the greatest possible pains are now taking to render the contingent complete in every respect, and I believe it will march with or immediately after the Austrians. I must not omit to add that I have not the smallest doubt this contingent can be doubled in the autumn if a subsidy is allowed as provided for in an article of your Grace's treaty with Count d'Agliè. As upon the conquest of Naples General Macfarlane is ordered with the whole British force which was in Sicily to Genoa, we shall have in that place nearly 10,000 men under our command, independent of any Piedmontese regiments now there: some part of this force, according to events, may likewise be directed to the south of France. If I can be of any use to your Grace in this part of the world, I trust I shall receive your commands; but as I have every reason to believe His Sardinian Majesty writes to you himself, and as I can safely refer you to M. de Laval for every species of intelligence, I am sure I need only add how sincerely I remain, my dear Lord, your Grace's faithful humble servant, W. HILL. Earl Bathurst to Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington. Downing Street, 8th June, 1815. MY DEAR LORD, I have been very much disappointed at finding that neither the 4th nor 29th have yet sailed, and that the 7th and 43rd will not sail for some days. With respect to the two first, I think all the expedition which might have been used has not been exercised, and time would certainly have been saved if they had been sent off at once to Ostend to be organised there instead of landing here. With respect to the two last, the transports which have a company or two belonging to each have not yet arrived, having been separated in the passage. As time now presses, I shall order them to proceed the beginning of the week without waiting, as the remainder may be sent after them, 432 TREATIES WITH WURTEMBERG AND BAVARIA. by which I am sure time will be gained, although they may remain at Ostend until the arrival of the missing companies. I hope to hear of the arrival of the 38th at Ostend from Cork next week. Yours very sincerely, BATHURST. There has been also an unaccountable delay in the collecting together the 2nd Garrison Battalion: it is now, however, ready to sail. Major-Gen. Sir W. Dörnberg to Lord FitzRoy Somerset. MY LORD, I have the honour to lay before your Lordship the subsidiary treaties which I have concluded with the plenipotentiaries on the part of His Majesty the King of Wurtemberg and His Majesty the King of Bavaria. I have, &c., WELLINGTON. Intelligence from General Müffling. 9 Juin, 1815. Un émissaire parti d'ici le 31 du mois passé et arrivé le 4 de ce mois à Paris, en passant Mons, Valenciennes, et Péronne, vient de nous communiquer en principal ces nouvelles. La garnison de Valenciennes se montait à 4000 hommes, du nombre desquels étaient beaucoup de troupes de ligne; ils s'y trouvaient, sans l'artillerie des remparts, 100 pièces de canon et 200 caissons; on a fait prêter serment aux habitans de la ville de ne rendre ni la forteresse ni leurs personnes. PROPOSED OPERATION ON THE COAST OF FRANCE. 433 Quinze généraux pas encore nommés pour des commandemens séjournaient dans la ville. Ils se trouvaient des troupes en cantonnemens aux environs de Valenciennes, depuis la frontière Belge jusqu'à Cambrai. Cambrai en renfermait 600 ou 700 hommes. Entre Cambrai et Paris il n'y avait que très peu de troupes. On ne met pas beaucoup d'activité aux retranchemens commencés à Paris, quoiqu'ils soyent de grande étendue, de manière que les ouvrages ne sont guère avancés. Il y a beaucoup de troupes de ligne et de la Garde dans la capitale; on y fabrique 2000 fusils par semaine. Notre émissaire fut conduit chez Davoust, qui, après lui avoir enjoint de dire que Napoléon partirait pour Strasbourg, l'a envoyé au Duc de Bassano; celui-ci cependant n'ayant plus le portefeuille des affaires étrangères, le fit retourner chez Davoust, qui entre autres s'informa s'il y avait beaucoup de fusils en Saxe, et s'il ne saurait lui donner des nouvelles de la Pologne et de la Bavière ? lui recommandant qu'en retournant il se fasse conduire chez Soult, au quartier général. Le public s'attendait que Napoléon partirait le 7 de ce mois pour Valenciennes, et non pour Strasbourg, quoique la Vieille Garde doit être partie pour cette dernière ville. Chaque département doit fournir 3000 conscrits, et l'armée Française sera portée à 400,000 hommes. Les Prussiens ne sont pas aimés; on met de l'intérêt à connaître leurs forces. Les nouvelles qu'on débite à Paris sont: qu'il venait d'arriver à Paris un courrier Autrichien; que sur les frontières du Nord il doit y avoir 40,000 hommes; mais on ajoute que 60,000 hommes se mettraient en marche pour les renforcer. Dans la Vendée les insurgés ont essuyé un échec; 12,000 à 13,000 fusils ont été pris par le Général Travot; néanmoins il doit y avoir derechef 25,000 Royalistes sous les armes, de manière qu'on a fait partir de Paris pour la Vendée beaucoup de troupes de ligne et de la Jeune Garde. Les plus grands partisans de Napoléon sont la populace de Paris; en général il n'y a que peu de monde pour les Bourbons en France. L'émissaire est reparti de Paris le 6 de ce mois; mais on l'a fait passer par Amiens et Arras, disant que sur la route directe par Péronne les chevaux de poste étaient réservés pour l'Empereur; en repassant Valenciennes et ses environs il n'a trouvé rien de changé. Earl Bathurst to Field Marshal the Duke of Wellington, MY LORD, Downing Street, 9th June, 1815. Your Grace's despatch, No. 7, with a copy of a memorandum received from a French officer employed by the Duke d'Aumont, proposing a plan for a naval operation on the coast of France, was immediately communicated by me to the Admiralty; and I have now the honour of enclosing the copy of a letter from Mr. Croker to my Under-Secretary, stating the steps which have been taken by their Lordships in consequence of your Grace's communication above alluded to. VOL. X. I have the honour to be Your Grace's most obedient servant, BATHURST, 2 F 434 PROPOSED OPERATION ON THE COAST OF FRANCE. [ENCLOSURES.] I. The Right Hon. J. W. Croker to Major-General Sir H. Bunbury. SIR, Admiralty Office, 8th June, 1815. In reference to your letter of the Ist of last month, enclosing a copy of a despatch from the Duke of Wellington, together with a memorandum therein referred to, left with his Grace by a French officer, and in which a plan is proposed for an operation on the coast of France, I have it in command from my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty to acquaint you, for the information of Lord Bathurst, that their Lordships have given the fullest consideration to the suggestions contained in the Duke's letter and in its enclosure; but that unless they were apprised more fully in detail of the particular operation which. his Grace wished to have performed at the mouth of the Seine, they can offer no opinion as to its practicability. As a general proposition, however, their Lordships have no difficulty in stating, that though seamen and marines may occasionally be employed with advantage in sudden attacks on batteries and other works on an enemy's coast, and may also afford useful assistance to troops in more extensive service on shore, they ought not, without such co-operation, to be opposed to regular troops in the field, or in besieging fortified places. As their Lordships, however, are very desirous to afford every aid in their power in carrying into effect the objects which the Duke of Wellington may have in view, they have directed Rear-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm, who commands a small squadron in the Scheldt, to repair to his Grace's head quarters for the purpose of conferring with him, and of communicating thereafter to their Lordships such further information as may enable them to decide on the practicability of such measures of naval co-operation as may be suggested. I herewith enclose a copy of the instruction given to Sir Pulteney Malcolm, and return you the French memorandum above alluded to, and am, &c., J. W. CROKER. II. The Right Hon. J. W. Croker to Rear-Admiral Sir Pulteney Malcolm. Admiralty Office, 7th June, 1815. SIR, In reference to my other letter of this date, acquainting you that my Lords Commissioners of the Admiralty have signed a commission appointing you Commander-in-Chief of a squadron of His Majesty's ships and vessels to be employed on a particular service, I have it in command from their Lordships to acquaint you that it is their intention that you should conduct the service of co-operating, in the event of hostilities, with His Majesty's land forces in the Netherlands and those of his Allies, on all occasions where the assistance of a naval force can be advantageously afforded; and I herewith enclose to you their Lordships' order for your proceeding, without loss of time, to the Scheldt, and taking under your command the ships and vessels therein named. You will lose no time in acquainting the Commander-in-Chief of His Majesty's land forces of your arrival, and communicating with him on the subject of the service entrusted to your charge, repairing personally to the head quarters of the said Commander-in-Chief whenever it may be desirable |