On arriN ing at Lugo, the general was anxious to make a stand ; and though the force which hung on his rear was considerably superior, he wished to engage it there rather than nearer the place of his embarkation. On the 7th of January 1809, he observed the French force accumulating on his left wing, and repaired thither in per son, where General Leith's brigade was skirmish ing with the enemy. lie came to the front of the 52d regiment, in which he had early in life carried the co lours. The sight and the voice of their general so ani mated the men, that they rushed forward with charged bayonets, and drove back a column of the enemy, be fore whom they had been retiring, with considerable slaughter.
A month had now elapsed since the central junta had promised to Sir John Moore that 44,000 Spanish sol diers should be united to his army : this engagement they had apparently stampt with complete validity, by deputing a number of the junta to communicate it. Mr Frere had given authority to this mission, by deputing Charles Stuart, Esq. the diplomatic agent, to introduce the Spanish deputy, and to present his letter from Truxillo. The month was elapsed, and not a Spanish soldier had been seen ; not an effort had been made to attack the French posts when weakened by the pursuit of the whole disposable force of France after Sir John Moore.
Early in the morning of the 8th of January, the Bri tish army was marshalled in array at Lugo, and offered battle to the enemy. But Marshal Soult did not stir from his post ; he had experienced sufficiently the ta _ lents of the general, and the intrepidity of the troops whom he had to engage. On the other hand, the British commander perceived that it would be equally impru dent for him to attack the stronger position of the French, or to remain longer in his own. Reinforce ments were pouring in on the enemy—the country had no sustenance for our troops, and to stop was inevitably to have been surrounded by an enemy of quadruple force. On the night of the same day in which they had offered battle at Lugo, a retreat was ordered.
On the llth of January the British reached Corunna, pursued by 70,000 Frenchmen, under the command of Bonaparte, who had a great superiority in cavalry ; and in daily contact with the enemy, the army had traversed 250 miles of mountainous country, without being either beaten in their rear-guard, or thrown into confusion, or losing a single standard. * The position of the heights farthest from Corunna, but most important for its defence, was necessarily aban doned to the enemy, from the small force of our num bers, being insufficient to cover so large an extent of ground, and a second range, of much inferior advan tage, was occupied. On the 16th, the British army were drawn up in order of battle, to receive the enemy, who commenced a destructive cannonade from eleven guns planted on the heights, and five strong columns were seen advancing to attack the British. As the position
of the right wing of the British was unavoidably bad, and the enemy were threatening it with their most for midable attack, Sir John Moore plat, d himself where his presence was most needed to animate, and his skill to direct. It was soon perceived that the French extended beyond the right flank of the British, and that their ob ject was to turn it. In order to prevent them, half of the 4th regiment, which formed this flank, were order ed to fall back, to reluse their right, and thus make an obtuse angle with the other half. This manceuvre im peded the enemy by a flanking fire. Sir John Moore, observing his success, called out that was exactly what he wanted to be done. The general then rode up to the 52d regiment, which got over an inclosure in their front, and charged the enemy most gallantly. Ile ex claimed, " Well done, my 52d !" and then proceeded to the 42d, addressing them in these words, High landers, remember Egypt !" The Highlanders rushed on, driving the French before them. As Captain Har dinge, who had returned from ordering up a battalion of the Guards to the left flank of the Highlanders, was speaking with the commander, a cannon ball struck the left shoulder of Sir John Moore, and beat him to the ground. So composed and unaltered was his counte nance; so intently and earnestly was it fixed upon the advancing Highlanders, that for a few moments it was hoped he was only stunned by the shot ; but it was soon discovered that he was mortally wounded, and he was carried from the field of battle." The attack of the French upon the right of our army, was completely repulsed ; and, in their turn, the French were obliged to draw back their left flank for fear it should be turned. They then attempted the British centre and left in succession ; but the centre was suc cessively defended by artillery, and the left by its strength of situation. At five in the evening, when the light be gan to fail, the enemy had been repulsed in every at tack. When the disparity of numbers is considered, the honour NI hich this victory reflects on the British arms must be highly appreciated The number of Sir John Aloore's army did not exceed 15,000 (for a whole divi sion, tinder General Crawford, had separated and pro ceeded to Vigo.) The French were stronger in num bers by 10,000 men. They had marched, it is true, as far as our army ; but from the superior state of their commissariat, had suffered much less in the march. Their loss was supposed to amount to 2000 in killed or wounded ; that of the British was between 700 and 800.