Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

236 THE FRASERS OF PHILORTH, LORDS SALTOUN.
the 16th of January 1809, repulsing with a force reduced to less than 15,000
men the vastly superior numbers of the French led by Soult, and secured
an undisturbed embarkation, though the victory was dearly purchased by the
death of their gallant general, whose left shoulder was carried away by a
cannon-ball, and who died that evening, and was buried the same night on
the ramparts of Corunna.
On the night of the 1 6th, and during the 1 7th, the British army embarked
in the fleet that had appeared on the 1 5th, and set sail for England, where,
in spite of a storm that dispersed the ships and wrecked some of them, the
transports conveying the brigade of Guards arrived safely, and the two
battalions landed at Portsmouth on the 25th, and marched to Chatham.
About six months later Lord Saltoun was again on active service ; for in
the summer of 1809 the Government of the day resolved to send a force to
the coast of Holland, to capture the fortified city of Antwerp, where Napoleon
had established large arsenals, and to destroy the shipping in the river
Scheldt.
This project, which is known as the Walcheren Expedition, might have
led to important and glorious results, but from mismanagement unfortunately
resulted in complete failure.
A force of about 30,000 men, of which the first and third battalions of
the First Guards, with detachments from the Coldstream and Scots Fusilier
Guards, formed a part, embarked under the command of the Earl of Chatham,
in numerous transports, and escorted by a very powerful fleet, under Admiral
Sir Eichard Strachan, sailed on the 28th, 29th, and 30th of July.
Sir John Hope's division, which included the brigade of Guards, formed
the advance, and landing upon the north shore of the island of South Beve-
land on the 1st and 2d of August, obtained considerable success during the
ensuing week, advancing as far towards Antwerp as Fort Batz, which it
captured ; and the other divisions of the army also operated successfully in
the island of Walcheren, reducing the town of Flushing and other places of
strength.
But the over-caution and consequent delay of the general and admiral
commanding -in -chief lost precious moments. The French and Dutch
strained every nerve to assemble a superior force for the protection of