THE PENINSULAR WAR

Taranaki Daily News, Volume LI, Issue 178, 18 July 1908, Page 6

THE PENINSULAR WAR

LECTURE BY DEAN ITTCIIKTT. Dean Fiuhett lectured at iJunedin lately on the Peninsular War. The lecture, in addition to the ability of the s speaker, was made more interesting ov j a number of little personal reminiscence, t . of the Dean's recent visit to the scenes ~ of the famous battlefields. [ Dean Filehelt said he had two reasons for venturing on what would be lo most of them a repetition. One was that the process of years was bringing us lo the . HlOtli anniversary of a series of military events which were among the most im- , portant in our history, and the most ', brilliant; those belonging to the Peninsular campaign beginning in 1808 and going on to Waterloo, Those of us who 1 lived to see the 18th of June, 1015, ; would see a celebration throughout tin I Empire which would not be inferior in ' interest to that which commemorated Trafalgar. AVe would hear a great deal more about Wellington. The character and abilities of Wellington would be more and more discussed, and lie would come into his own. The other reason was more personal—namely, that not long ago he hud visited many of the great liattlelields of the Peninsular War and places associated with the deeds of our soldiers during that great campaign; and he felt that possibly, if an opportunity presented itself, he might convey to his fellow-citizens of Dnnediu some of his impressions to interest them us citizen soldiers and on their pride of lioe and their disposition to honour their forefathers, who 100 years ago were living and lighting and dying for liberty. Xapolcon was the product of the french | Revolution, and he seemed for a time : I to incarnate the very spirit of the Revolution. In ISO 7 He annexed the whole of the Peninsula; he had definitely eon- ! slitnted himself the enemy of England; | he had collected a great army across IDover Strait; he hud shut up the whole

of the.Continent against us. In 1808 h made an attempt to take away th younger members of the Koyal Hous from Madrid across the frontier, bu the people rose and interfered. 'J'h whole of the country Mazed out in! insurrection, and asked liritain for heir Sir Arthur Wellesley was in his -thirl \ ninth year, just the same age as Na poleon. lie was of Irish-ICnglisu deseen: of an English family that had emigrate, to Ireland. Wellington was of a statemanlike eharaeter, and you could neve understand him unless you rememberc (hat his papers wore marked by a gras of great principles and details' distill guishing him as u military genius and statesman. He went out with 15,00 troops, and was soon reinforced wit 5,000 more. The French, as was the! custom, came on in column, but Wei lington saiil. just before the second en gageinonl that he knew their style, am would show them, he hoped, tha.l Uriiis troops could meet them with the ba.vonc -that n», in line. The .French'wer almost irresistible when they arrivei but they very seldom arrived against til Jtritisli troops. The French were thin (Highly defeated, but Wellington lost th fruits of his victory, as he was prevent ed by his superior from following it "\i\ The shuck to .lunol, however, was sue that he proposed to capitulate, and I'oi tugal was evacuated. The' Knglis •generals were called homo, and Welling lon returned to politics. Then came th tragic i use'of Sir John Moore. The cam paign was then followed in detail, th sites of engagements being pointed oil on a. large map drawn by the oll'icer of the defence forces for'the ptirpos' The British soldiers never did well in n treat, and Moore's men did not p'ui themselves together until they reaehe the coast, where Soult attacked and wa defeated: but .Moore died like Wolfe o the Heights of .Uraluun and Nelson a Trafalgar. Wellington returned to th Peninsula, a few months after Corunun ami proceeded to the Douro, where too! place one of the most complete surprise of the Peninsular War, and Wellingtoi disproved the assertion that, he was . man of excessive prudence, a wooden sol dier in comparison with Napoleon. Thei came Saragosa and Gerona, Taluvera and the. famous lines of Torres Vedras Wellington knew how to keep his counsel, and nobody knew his scercts, noi even his officers, but least of all Alas sena. There was nothing more illustrative of a general's foresight than this event, and we could say of our man that he was never beaten in the field. (Applause.) It was he that won a. hundred tights and never lost a British gun. The story of the campaign in Spain was followed with the greatest interest, especially the taking of the fortresses (,'uidad llodrigo and liadajos, and when I lie lecturer finished with the battle »1 Toulouse all seemed to think that- the ('.me had been too short. In connection with Badajos a little story was tool which should interest all New &alnn;lcrs. Our old Governor. Sir George (Jrev, was born in Lisbon eight days after that great fortress was taken, and his father was one of the ollicers who fell in the breach. And there was auother event connected with it. A handsome Young Spanish girl in her teens was rescued by a voting officer, who afterwards married her, and she accompanied him in his campaigns, /lie was subsei|iicntl>' known as Sir Harry Smith, and' was made Governor of South Africa, and l/adysmith was named after Sir Harry's wife, the poor little derelict who was nicked up nearly dead at the. siege of Radajos. It was a story, the lecturer said, to <lir the blood of everyone who was of inr race. And Wellington's men'were rnluntoers, they were not pressed men. md the war in'the Peninsula was strict-' y a defensive war. It was as truly to ireservc (he integrity and the sanetilv if I'lnglish homos us if an invader had anded on the coast of Kent. On the suggestion' of the Dean. Coloue! ■iniyth asked all the men to stand no md give three cheers fa,- th,. men of 00 years ago. They were heartilv gb''ii. A vote of thanks to the lecturer and he playing of the National Anthem losed the meeting.