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1913.

THE

Imperial Magazine;

OR, COMPENDIUM OF

RELIGIOUS, MORAL, & PHILOSOPHICAL KNOWLEDGE.

JANUARY.]

"PERIODICAL LITERATURE IS THE GERM OF NATIONAL LEARNING."

Biographical Sketch of

HIS GRACE THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, K.G. K.G.C.B. &c. &c.

Arma, virumque cano.

(With a Portrait.)

THE subject of this memoir has, by his great actions, associated himself so intimately with the history of our country, that his biography includes a series of the most interesting national events-and furnishes a proud memorial of British valour and independence, which will survive so long as the field of Waterloo remains unforgotten.

The family of Wellesley is descended from the Colleys, who, in the reign of Henry the Eighth had been settled from time immemorial in the county of Rutland. In this king's reign, Walter and Robert Colley, two brothers of the family, established themselves in the county of Kilkenny, Ireland, when his Majesty granted them, for their lives, the office of clerks of the crown in chancery. Robert subsequently became Master of the Rolls; while Walter was appointed, first, Solicitor General, and afterwards, Surveyor General of that kingdom.

Sir Henry Colley, eldest son of Walter Colley, took up the profession of arms, and held a commission under Queen Elizabeth. His able conduct procured him the favour of his sovereign, and he was appointed a member of the Privy Council. He married Catherine, daughter of Sir Thomas Cusack, Lord Chancellor of Ireland, by whom he had three sons. The second of these, Sir Henry Colley, of Castle Carbury, was the immediate ancestor of the present family of Wellesley.

Another Sir Henry Colley, a descendant of the last mentioned, left a numerous issue; among whom was Richard Colley, who first assumed the name of Wellesley, in consequence of his succession to the estates of his cousin, Garret Wellesley of Dangan. This gentleman held several offices under the crown, and so highly were his public services esteemed by his Ma

133.-VOL. XI.

[1830.

jesty George the Second, that, in 1747, he created him a peer of Ireland, by the title of Baron Mornington. His eldest son, Garret, succeeded him in his barony, and was, in 1760, created Viscount Wellesley and Earl of Mornington. He married Anne, daughter of the right honourable Arthur Hill, Viscount Dungannon, by whom he had issue, the present Marquis Wellesley, William, now Wellesley Pole, and ARTHUR, the subject of our history.

The Earl of Mornington dying while the greater part of his family were in their infancy, his lady was left, with a fortune impaired by unavoidable circumstances, to conduct them to maturity. Her ladyship's maternal virtues and energetic mind enabled her, however, to support the trying difficulties of her situation. Her eldest son nobly submitted the guidance of the family estates to her hands; and afterwards, from motives of filial respect, paid off the whole of his deceased father's debts.

ARTHUR WELLESLEY was born May 1st, 1769. At an early age he was placed at Eton; from whence, having chosen the army for his profession, he was sent to Angiers in France, where he remained some time under the tuition of the celebrated Pignerol, to be instructed in the art of war.

Having acquired a considerable knowledge of military tactics, he entered the army; and, receiving his first commission (in the 41st) during the time of peace, devoted his mind to the acquisition of the whole economy of war, and thus laid the basis of his future fame.

At the age of twenty-three he obtained the rank of captain in the 18th regiment of light dragoons; and, in 1793, was appointed to the majority of the thirtythird, vacant by the resignation of Major Gore. Availing himself of his right of seniority to purchase in succession, he obtained the lieutenant-colonelcy of his regiment, in the latter part of the same year. At this time he served under Earl Moira, and, early in 1794, accompanied the late Duke of York in his unfortunate expedition into Flanders.

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Biographical Sketch of the Duke of Wellington.

Immediately after the arrival of the troops in this country, great expedition was used to prepare them for foreign service, and the thirty-third being under orders for the West Indies, their lieutenant-colonel embarked with them in the fleet commanded by Admiral Christian, and destined for that country.

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The subsequent invasion of Holland | Tope, from whence they considerably was attended with fresh disasters, and, on annoyed the British camp, Colonel Welthe evacuation of that country by the lesley received orders, on the evening British forces, Lieutenant-colonel Wellesley before the attack on Seringapatam, to coreturned to England. operate with Colonel Shaw in scouring this retreat of the enemy. A little after sun-set the detachments advanced, both at the same time, under the disadvantages of complete darkness. Colonel Wellesley, on entering the Tope, was assailed so violently, that he was unable to do more than make a diversion in favour of Colonel Shaw, who found means to seize upon a ruined village, which sheltered his troops from the musketry of the enemy. The next morning, however, Wellesley advanced with a strong force to the Tope, and eventually succeeded, in conjunction with Shaw, in driving the enemy from the strong hold.

Heavy gales, however, frustrating their voyage, the troops were placed under fresh orders; the thirty-third being sent into Ireland to recruit, where they remained till once more called into active service.

In 1797, Lieutenant-colonel Wellesley received an appointment to accompany his brother, Lord Mornington, then Governor-General, into India.

In the battle of Mallavelly, which immediately preceded the siege of Seringapatam, the gallantry and skill of Colonel Wellesley contributed not a little to the success of our arms.

On the 26th of March 1799, the British army encamped five miles eastward of Mallavelly; the forces of Tippoo Saib, the Sultan, lying, at the same time, near the banks of the Maddoor. Tippoo shewing a disposition to come to an engagement, Colonel Wellesley's division was ordered to move parallel to the left, but at some distance, so as to cover the baggage, and to be in readiness to act as occasion might require; while the main body marched on the great road leading to Mallavelly. The action having commenced, Colonel Wellesley taking advantage of a critical juncture, and supported by Major General Floyd, advanced an echellon of battalions; and the whole line thus moving slowly and steadily, time was given for the whole to act together; the enemy's cannonade being answered by as many of the field-pieces as could be brought up.

The action thus became general along the whole front. At this moment a desperate attempt was made on the part of Tippoo, by moving forward a column, to the amount of two thousand men, in excellent order, towards the thirtythird, Colonel Wellesley's regiment. This gallant leader commanded his soldiers to reserve their fire, and advance directly upon the column, which immediately gave way, and fell into total disorder.

A body of the Sultan's infantry and rocket men having possessed themselves of a large grove, called the Sultaunpettah

After the capture of Seringapatam, Colonel Wellesley was made Governor of this place, and one of the commissioners to fix the divisions of the conquered provinces. In the execution of the duties connected with these offices, he displayed great ability and the strictest integrity.

Having now attained the rank of Major General, he distinguished himself in the Mahratta war, more particularly in the famous battle of Assye, where he had to contend with an army ten times superior in numbers to his own. This victory confirmed his character and reputation, and its consequences were of such importance to the British cause, that a monument was erected to his honour at Calcutta, he received the thanks of the parliament at home, and was made a Knight Companion of the Bath.

In 1805, he returned to England, and shortly after became member of parlia ment for Newport. His military services not being immediately required, he was sent to Ireland, as Secretary to the Duke of Richmond; but was soon after called to accompany Lord Cathcart to Copenhagen; and for his conduct in that expedition he received the thanks of both houses of parliament.

The time was now drawing on when the abilities of Sir Arthur Wellesley were to be called into a field of martial enterprise peculiarly his own. He sailed from Cork on the 12th of July, 1808, with a force of ten thousand men, for the Spanish Peninsula, and arrived, on the twentieth, at Corunna.

When Sir Arthur first arrived in Spain, the aspect of affairs was far from encouraging. The activity of the enemy, and the divisions which prevailed among the

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Biographical Sketch of the Duke of Wellington.

natives, seemed likely to paralyze any attempt he could make for the promotion of the cause in which he had embarked. Satisfied that the principal things required by Spain at this time, were arms and money, he proceeded at once to Oporto, where agents had been provided by the English ministers to negotiate the necessary supplies.

The indeterminate measures of the Spaniards continued to threaten the neutralization of his plans; and his difficulties were increased by the still existing want of necessary provision and equip-| ment for his own forces. When a court of inquiry had been instituted, to examine into the state of the commissariat, the observations of Sir Arthur Wellesley gave rise to a minute investigation, which produced changes of the first consequence to the British army. "The fact is," said he, "that I wished to draw the attention of the Government to this important branch of the service, which is but little understood in this country. The evils of which I complained are probably to be attributed to the nature of our political situation, which prevents us from undertaking great military operations, in which the subsistence of armies becomes a subject of serious consideration and difficulty, and these evils consist in the inexperience of almost every individual belonging to the commissariat, in the mode of procuring, conveying, and distributing supplies."

Sir Arthur was joined at Vimiero by Generals Ackland and Anstruther, when an engagement took place, in which Junot's army was defeated with great loss. After this, an armistice was concluded, and in a short time the convention of Cintra put a stop to further hostilities; when Sir Arthur Wellesley returned to England.

The Junta of Oporto, headed by the bishop, an intriguing prelate, began to direct their aim at the supreme power; and considerable clamours were raised against the convention, both in England and Portugal. Sir John Moore was appointed to the command of an army sent into the Peninsula; and, after a long series of military operations, for the most part unsuccessful, the alarming crisis at which our affairs had arrived in that country, on the death of this general, determined the ministry to invest Sir Arthur Wellesley with the chief command. He accordingly set sail from Portsmouth on the 16th of April, 1809, and, after encountering much boisterous weather on his passage, arrived in the Tagus on the 22d of the same month.

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On his arrival in Portugal, Sir Arthur was immediately appointed by the Portuguese, Marshal-general of their armies, and thus invested with unrestricted power. But the difficulties with which he had to contend, were of so obstinate a nature, that nothing less than the energetic perseverance and determined conduct which he brought to the execution of his mighty enterprises, could have rendered them successful. It is impossible for us to give a detailed account of the Peninsular war, or of the subsequent achievements of our hero; we can only touch, and that briefly, upon the great incidents which, involving the fate of Europe, have encircled his Grace with a splendid halo, that will illumine the annals of succeeding ages.

"No words," says an eye-witness, "would be adequate to convey the faintest idea of the delight exhibited by all classes of persons, so soon as the arrival of Sir Arthur Wellesley at Lisbon became known. All day long the streets were crowded with men and women, congratulating one another on the happy event; and at night the city was illuminated, even in the meanest and most obscure of its lanes and alleys. In the theatres, pieces were hastily got up, somewhat after the fashion of the masks anciently exhibited among ourselves, in which Victory was made to crown the representative of the hero with laurels, and to address him in language, as far removed from the terms of ordinary conversation, as might be expected from an allegorical personage."

The battle of Talavera was, perhaps, the first engagement that gave a decisive advantage to the allied army of England and Portugal; and for this victory, Sir Arthur was raised to the peerage, by the title of Lord Wellington.

His Lordship then invested the city and fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, but deemed it prudent to raise the siege, in consequence of the great accession of strength that had been obtained by Massena. On the 16th of March, 1812, about two months after his first attempt, he again appeared before the city, and entered it in twenty days after. Massena had been succeeded in the command of the French army by Marmont. "On the evening of the twentyfirst of July, Wellington and Marmont lay in full view of each other, on two opposite rising grounds near Salamanca; when a great storm of thunder and rain came on, and, during the whole night, the sky was bright with lightning. Wellington was at table when he received intelligence that his

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Biographical Sketch of the Duke of Wellington.

adversary was extending his left with the purpose of coming between him and Ciudad Rodrigo. He rose in haste, exclaiming, "Marmont's good genius has forsaken him," and was instantly on horseback. The great battle of Salamanca was fought on the 22d of July. The French were attacked on the point which Marmont's movement leftwards had weakened, and sustained a signal defeat. For this victory, Lord Wellington received the most distinguished honours from the Spanish authorities; whilst his own country testified its gratitude by creating him a Marquis, and conferring a grant of one hundred thousand pounds.

After the battle of Salamanca, the Marquis retired with his forces to Ciudad Rodrigo; and thus closed the campaign of 1812.

Advancing from the Portuguese frontier, Marquis Wellington concentrated his forces on the plains of Vittoria; and there, on the 21st of June, 1813, totally defeated King Joseph and Marshal Jourdan. The eyes of all Europe were now directed towards him, in the fullest expectation and confidence, that he would eventually procure the safety and repose of the nations, from the common enemy who disturbed them. He was rewarded with the grant of an estate in Spain, worth ten thousand pounds a year; and was, moreover, created Duke of Vittoria. His present Majesty, then Prince Regent, was also graciously pleased to send his Lordship a highly complimentary letter, and a Field-marshal's baton.

The interval between these events and the entrance of the allies into Paris, was occupied by his Lordship in pursuing his advantages over Marshal Soult. The passage of the Bidassoa, and the battles of St. Race and Toulouse, reflected additional glory on the British arms. The last of these engagements must, however, be deemed unfortunate; since, if prompt in. telligence had been sent to Lord Wellington, of the signing of the Convention at Paris, the consequent effusion of blood might have been prevented.

The following characteristic anecdote of the noble Duke, may not be inappropriately introduced in this place :-During the campaign of the allied troops in Paris, a French citizen, who was returning from the country through the Champs Elysées, where the troops were encamped, was robbed of his watch, by a sergeant in the British army. Complaint was inmediately made to the commanding officer, and the troops were paraded before the Frenchman,

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who was thus enabled to single out the offender. A court-martial was held, and the criminal condemned to die on the following morning. As early as four o'clock the whole of the allied army was assembled in the Bois de Boulogne, near Paris, where the prisoner was to undergo the sentence. The charge upon which he had been tried and convicted was read aloud, and the unfortunate man prepared for the presence of an offended Maker. Not a murmur ran through the ranks. The justice of the decree was acknowledged by every soldier, and if the short lapse of time between the offence and its solemn expiation exeited feelings of terror, they were mingled with respect for the stern severity of their commander; the drums beat, and the black flag waved mournfully in the air. The ministers of justice had raised the engines. of destruction, and the fatal monosyllable Fire, was half ejaculated, when the Duke of Wellington rushed before the firelocks, and commanded a momentary pause whilst he addressed the prisoner; "You have offended against the laws of God, of honour, and of virtue, the grave is open before you,-in a few short moments your sout will appear before its Maker,-your prosecutor complains of your sentence,-the man whom you have robbed would plead for your life, and is horror-struck at the rapidity of your judgment. You are a soldier, you have been brave, and, as report says, until now, even virtuous. Speak boldly! in the face of Heaven, and as a soldier of an army devoted to virtue and good order, declare now your own feelings as to your sentence. "General," said the man, "retire, and let my comrades do their duty; when a soldier forgets his honour, life becomes disgraceful, and an immediate punishment is due as an example to the army-FIRE." "You have spoken nobly," said the Duke, with a tear in his eye."You have saved your life,-how can I destroy a repentant sinner, whose words are of greater value to the troops than his death would be? Soldiers, bear this in mind, and may a sense of honour always deter you from infamy." The troops rent the air with huzzas; the criminal fell prostrate before the Duke; the word, March! was given; he arose, and returned alive in those ranks which were to have witnessed his execution.

The Convention of Paris was signed on the 23d of April, 1814. In the following May, Lord Wellington was created Marquis of Douro and Duke of Wellington; and received a grant of four hundred thousand pounds, to be laid out in the

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Biographical Sketch of the Duke of Wellington.

purchase of an estate. He landed in Eng-| land on the 23d of June; and, having taken his seat in the house of lords, received, for the twelfth time, the thanks and congratulations of parliament.

The genius of war was, however, within twelve months, again awakened by the return of Napoleon from Elba into France. He arrived in Dauphiny March 5th, 1815. No sooner had his return become known to the Congress at Vienna, than they published a proclamation in these words: "By breaking the convention that established him in Elba, Buonaparte destroys the only legal title on which his existence depended. By appearing again in France, with projects of confusion and disorder, he has deprived himself of the protection of the law, and manifested to the universe that there can be neither peace nor truce with him. The powers consequently declare, that Napoleon Buonaparte has placed himself without the pale of civil and social relations, and that, as an enemy and disturber of the tranquillity of the world, he has rendered himself liable to public vengeance."

The Duke of Wellington was immediately placed at the head of an army, consisting of 50,000 men. Austria had provided 300,000, Russia 225,000, Prussia 236,000, the Germanic States 150,000, and the Netherlands 50,000 soldiers. This was a proud testimony to Napoleon's martial prowess,-that nothing less than an army of one million eleven thousand soldiers could wrest the sceptre of France from his giant grasp.

Napoleon had come down with great expedition on the Belgian frontier, before Lord Wellington, who was at Brussels, could be apprised of his advance. When intelligence was brought, it was so vague and indistinct, that his Grace, and many other distinguished officers, attended a ball, on the evening of the 16th, given by the Duchess of Richmond. "Amid these festivities, the roar of distant cannonade at length reached the ear of Wellington; and at midnight the bugle sounded, and the drum beat in Brussels." Every officer was shortly at his post, when the troops formed, and marched successively out of Brussels in the direction of Quatre-bras.

The engagements of Ligny and Quatrebras took place on the 17th of June, 1815. In the first of these, Blucher, having to contend with a slight superiority of forces, headed by Napoleon, was defeated with great loss, and obliged to retreat in the direction of Wavre. Lord Wellington was attacked at Quatre-bras by Marshal

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Ney with a body of 45,000 men; and, when these were afterwards reinforced by Napoleon's victorious troops, his Lordship deemed it prudent to retire to Waterloo, in the confidence of being joined by Blucher on the 18th, the following day.

The morning of the 18th was wild and tempestuous; as if inanimate nature sympathized at that awful moment with man. At length the cannonade began, and the contest remained for a long time dubious; while victory shifted from helm to helm. After seven hours of unintermitting battle, the Prussians made their appearance. Napoleon perceived that the decisive moment had arrived; and placing his Imperial Guard, formed into two columns, under the guidance of Marshal Ney, commanded them to proceed to the charge.

The solidity of the English line defied their efforts; and they at last fled in confusion. "The Duke of Wellington now dismounted, placed himself at the head of his line, and led them against the four battalions of the Old Guard-the only unbroken troops remaining-behind whom Ney was striving to rally his fugitives."

"The Marshal, at Wellington's approach, took post, once more, in the van, sword in hand, and on foot. But nothing could withstand the impetuous assault of the victorious British." Napoleon, who was watching this movement from the heights of La Belle Alliance, became suddenly pale as death;--"They are mingled together," cried he, "all is lost for the present,"-and immediately fled towards Charleroi. The fatal cry of Sauve qui peut! (save himself who can,) was soon heard in the remains of the French army, and a general flight immediately took place.

The consequences of this important struggle are fresh in our minds. That daring spirit, at the mention of whose name the whole world had been dismayed, was for ever fallen. Cast forth to wither in a desolate isle, he ultimately relieved the fears of Europe by his death. His ashes rest in a savage and sequestered spot; but his name and mighty deeds will live for ages in the annals of history.

The Duke of Wellington once more received the thanks of parliament, for his services at Waterloo; and an additional grant of two hundred thousand pounds was voted him on the 11th of July, 1815, as the just reward of his valour.

"The season of peace has not been one of rest or leisure to his Grace. On the death of his Royal Highness the Duke of York, he was appointed (January 22nd, 1827) Commander-in-chief; and on Janu

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