1710-11. Anno 9 Annæ, Men, for fome Expedition on the Side of Catalonia. which were refufed; I muft declare I do not remember that the Earl ever applied himself to me, in particular, upon that Subject; if he had, the Anfwer muft naturally have been, that the Matter depended not upon me to grant, or refufe, but upon the King of Spain, under whofe Command I was. But I do remember the Earl propofed this at fome general Council, or Council of War, held in the King's Prefence, about the Operations of the enfuing Campaign, and joined with thofe that were of Opinion, that it was by no means convenient to divide the Troops, as may appear by a Copy of that Opinion figned by my Lord Tyrawley, and by me, bearing Date the 15th Day of January, 1706 7. But I must beg Leave to observe, that was not the decifive Council for the Operations of the Campaign, for many fubfequent Councils were held in the King's Prefence, more important than this; and tho' in them there might have been fome Variety of Opinions as to the Manner, yet almost all the Generals and Minifters that affifted at thofe Councils, agreed perfectly in the Subftance, which was, That we fhould join our Troops and march to Madrid: Some indeed, were for paffing thro' the Plains of the Mancha, and croffing the Tagus; but this Opinion was over-ruled, because of the Hazard in paffing the River if the Enemy opposed us, and of the Scarcity of Provifions in the Mancha, which had been exhaufted by the Enemy's Winter Quarters; for which Reafons it was, after many Debates, agreed, That we should take the Way of Valencia and Arragon, paffing the Tagus at its Head, to avoid all Oppofition. But left the Kingdom of Valencia might, by this means, be any ways expofed, it was likewife refolved, before we should begin our March, to deftroy all the Enemy's Magazines of Provifions and Forage, in the Country bordering upon the Frontier of Valencia, to prevent them from making Incurfions: And I do take upon me to aver, that nothing was ever tranfacted, during the Time I had the Honour to command the Queen's Troops, contrary to the pofitive Refolution of any General Council, or Council of War, unless that Resolution was afterwards repealed by fome fubfequent Council. So fenfible was every one of our being already too weak, it was refolved to defire my Lord Rivers (who was lately arrived at Lisbon) would join us with the Troops that came under his Command from England, which his Lordship did, not long after. For the better Execution of what had been refolved for our March thro' Valencia and Arragon, proper Commiffaries and Officers were dispatched to provide Bread and Forage fufficient 1710-11. fufficient for the Troops, in all Places where it was defigned Anno 9 Annæ the Army fhould pafs. I went with the Marquis das Minas to the Frontiers, towards the latter end of March, and we took the Field the beginning of April: We ruined Part of the Country bordering upon the Frontiers of Valencia, before the Enemy could join their Troops, particular Yecla, where they had their largeft Magazines; and judging it neceffary to take in the Cattle of Valencia, to prevent their Army from being Mafters of one of the most confiderable Inlets into the Kingdom of Valencia, fat down before that Place; but it proved ftronger than was expected, and after we had spent fome Days there, we had Notice the Enemy had affembled their Troops at Almanza. Upon this Advice, a Council of War was held, where it was unanimously refolved to fight the Enemy, which we were the rather induced to, because it was judged impoffible to fubfift upon the Defenfive in the Kingdom of Valencia ; for the Country had already been fo much exhausted by our Winter-Quarters, that there was not two Days Provifion to be found for the Army, and we could not have been able to have fubfifted there fo long as we did, but for the Supply we found in the Enemy's Magazines at Yecla: Nor did we think it proper to purfue the once intended March through that Kingdom and Arragon, left Provifions fhould be want. ing, leaving the Enemy to near, and in a Condition to follow us; for tho' Commiffaries had been employed, there was Reafon to apprehend, the Towns we were to pafs through would' fhut their Gates against us, whilft we were closely followed by the Enemy, and perfecuted by the Peafants of the Country, who, grown defperate by feeing themselves abandoned, would naturally be up in Arms in the Mountains. Befides, we had certain Advice that there was already a Body of French Troops, confifting of 8000 Men in Spain, upon their March to reinforce the Enemy. Thus, as the Army muft inevitably have perifhed, without fighting, thought reasonable to run the Hazard of a Battle, wherein we had an equal Chance to come off Victors; which was accordingly done two Days after, on the 25th of April, 1707, N. S. but with ill Success. and it was The Cavalry of the Allies, with fome fmall Part of the Foot that had efcaped the ill Fate of the Day, joined again at Alcira, from whence they retired to Tortofa; and, finding the Enemy had croffed the Ebro, endeavoured, by oppofing their Paffage over the Chinca, to amufe them till the latter end of the Campaign. Mean time, with great Expedition, I gathered the broken Remains of the Foot, (out of which I formed five Batallions, and raised four more of Catalans, 1710-11, Anno 9 Anna, with which we made a Stand against a victorious Enemy, and preferved the Principality of Catalonia entire, excepting Lerida. After the taking of which Place, the Enemy thought fit to retire to Winter-Quarters, and we did the fame. Earl of Rochef ter. In February following the Marquis das Minas, with most of the Portuguese Generals, embarked for Libon; and having the Queen's Leave to do fo too, I visited the feveral Quarters where the Troops in her Majefty's Pay, were lodged; and, having left the neceffary Orders with Majors Generals, Carpenter and Wills, for their Government in my Absence, took the fame Opportunity of going thither. Upon my Arrival in Portugal, I found the Queen's Orders there, to take upon me the Characters of Ambassador Extraordinary, Plenipotentiary, and General of her Forces ; which Charges I accepted in Obedience to her Majefty; tho' I had nothing fo much at Heart, as the Pleasure of returning to that Retirement, from whence, only the Queen's politive Command could have drawn me.' After the reading of this Paper, the Earl of Rochester moved, That the Lord Galway fhould be afked, whether he Earl of Godol- had any thing to add to it? Whereupon the Earl of Godolphin. phin faid, That the Earl of Peterborough's Narrative ought to be read before-hand, in his Prefence. The Earl of Galway and the Lord Tyrawly being called in, the Clerk read the The five Quef- five Queftions that were put the Friday before to the Earl of tions put to the Peterborough, with his Lordship's Anfwers, feparately. Earl of Peterbo rough, and his Lordship's Aniwers. FIRST QUESTION. That the Earl of Peterborough be defired to acquaint the Committee how he was fupported with Men and Money, during the Time he commanded in Spain, and what Ap plications he made for either, and to whom? ANSWER. To the firft Queftion he was pleafed to anfwer, That the Management of the War in Spain, when under the Conduct of other Generals, was not only fupported by great Numbers of Men, and vaft Sums of Money, but also with notorious Falfhoods, published in their Favour, to excufe their repeated Difgraces; whereas his Lordfhip was not fupported as the Service required, with either Men or Money; but had his Conduct traduced, notwithstanding his conftant Succeffes, by Multitudes of Reprefentations and Suggeftions to his Prejudice; all of them detected to be faife, before your Lordfhips, on the Evidence lying before the Houfe, or in his Hands to prove them fo, whenever his Lordship fhould be allowed the Opportunity. That 1710-11. That he had no Reinforcements of Men till three or four Anno 9 Annæ, Days before the French raifed the Siege of Barcelona; that Mr. Stanhope, who came with thofe Forces, in his Letter represents them, as far fhort, in his Opinion, of what the Occafion required; and that he received no Money from England, till his coming back to Valencia, after that Siege, and that little Sum was out of his Lordship's Power to make ufe of, the Pay-mafter, for above a Month, difputing to iffue it, by his Lordship's Orders, as appears by Proofs upon Oath in this House. That the Troops he brought there did not amount to 5000, tho' publish'd in the English Gazette to amount to 25000. That no one Regiment was provided with the leaft Equipage; no Mule, nor Horfe; no Carriage for the Troops, nor any Beaft of Draught for the Artillery; no Magazines for Provifions for a March. His Lordship having taken and relieved Barcelona, drove 7000 Men with 3000, out of Valencia, and 25000 Men out of Spain, with the inconfiderable Forces he had, before he received one Penny from England. His Lordship faid farther, he never had any Eftablishment ordered, nor was allowed for Baggage-Money, Forage-Money, or the Train of Artillery, till just about the Time when the Command of the Forces was put into 'other Hands. His Lordship was pleafed to fay, he was forced to fhift as well as he could, with what Money he had of his own, and could pick up and down the World, and was rewarded for his Pains and Services, with having his Bills protested, which he drew from Genoa, for Monies put on board her Majefty's Ships; for which her Captains were accountable to the Pay-mafter, and put out of the Earl's Power. That the Troops received the full Sum, without any Difcount, tho' it was made ufe of by a Secretary of State, as one Motive for recalling his Lordship, that he had drawn the Bills at 25 per Cent. Difcount. The Earl further took notice, that, tho' he wanted Money, and all Neceffaries whatsoever, it was objected to him, that he did not immediately put the Troops in fuch a Condition into the Field, which was utterly impoffible, for the aforefaid Reafons; and his Lordfhip affirmed, that a Merchant had stopped, and yet detained 14007. of his Lordship's Money in his Hands, for the Damages he pretended to have received by the protefting the Bills, which the Earl of Peterborough had drawn in his Favour. His Lordship further obferved, that fome Lords had feemed unfatisfied upon this Head, tho', notwithftanding all thofe Difficulties, it appeared by the Oaths of all the Offi cers 1710-11. Anno 9 Annæ, cers examined in the Houfe, that the Troops fent to the Siege of Requena went without Baggage, which Place was to be taken to make the Entrance into Caftile poffible; and that all the Regiments begun their March, Regiment by Regiment, the Moment they had their Mules delivered to them for the Equipage. His Lordship concluded this Head with obferving what untrue Reprefentations were made in favour of others, when, to excufe the fatal Battle of Almanza, a King was to be used at that Rate, as to have it in an Account printed by Authority, declared, That he took Numbers amounting to 4 or 5000 Men, from a Battle to be fought for his Crown; the very Regiments of Horfe and Foot being mentioned by Name; whereas it is notoriously known to the whole World, that he took only about two hundred miferable Spanish Dragoons; and that of the Regiments mentioned to be taken away from the English General in Valencia, fome of them were never in being; others were Regiments of TrainedBands in Barcelona, and none of them within 250 Miles of the Place. SECOND QUESTION. That the Earl of Peterborough may acquaint the House of what he knows of the Earl of Galway's Proceedings during his Stay with the Army at Madrid, his March to Guadalaxara, and his Retreat to Valencia, and if he knows any thing of the Oppofition made by the King of Spain, the Count De Noyelles, and the Spanish Minifters and Generals to thofe Measures? ANSWER. To the fecond Queftion the Earl was pleased to answer, That from the Time the Earl of Galway came firft into Spain as far as Almaras, and thence returned back into Portugal, the Earl of Peterborough had no Advices from the Earl of Galway, no Account of the Motives of that Retreat, nor any Hopes given him of the Return of the Portuguese into Spain. That, after the raifing the Siege of Barcelona, and the Retreat of the French Army out of Catalonia, the Earl of Peterbo rough received no Letter, or Meffage, from the Earl of Galway, after his fecond Entrance into Spain; nor had he the leaft Notice of his Situation, Circumftances or Defigns, till he faw his Troops retreating from the Enemy to take the frong Camp of Guadalaxara, though the Marches of the King from Arragon, and thofe of the Earl of Peterborough from Valencia, were well known in the Portugal Camp. That two feveral Officers, fent by my Lord Galway, came to Valencia, and brought no Letters to the Earl of Peterborough, one |