Frasers of Philorth > Volume 1

238 THE FRASERS OF PHILORTH, LORDS SALTOUN.
army and the Isla de Leon ; notwithstanding that two of their own generals,
namely, Sayis and Ladizabal, were so convinced that we had gained a complete
victory, that they repeatedly urged La Pefia to advance on Chiclana ; although
General Graham offered to advance on Chiclana if they would support him,
which they declined; yet the Spanish government countenanced a false
account of the action, which was published by General Lacy, the head of their
staff (a runaway rascal who had been turned out of the French service), in
which he gives the whole merit of the action to the Spanish army, denies
General Graham's statement, and attributes the failure of the general plan to
the ill-judged attack (as he calls it) that the English made. This produced a
correspondence between them, and General Graham obliged him to eat his
words. Lacy had been put under arrest after the battle of Barrosa, but, soon
after this statement made its appearance, was reinstated in his rank and com-
mand ; this of course created an open rupture between our heads of depart-
ments and the Spanish government, which is likely to continue, at least as
long as tilings go on in their present style. The mass of the people and the
army are with us, and if we were to offer them our pay we might revolutionise
the place in three days ; but that is not our system. So much do the Spanish
government fear this, that false accounts are circulated, in order that the
people may not be acquainted with the extent of their obligations to the
British, and to excite, if possible, a jealousy between the two nations. They
yesterday ordered away four thousand men, against winch our Minister
remonstrated very strongly. Some of the troops, however, marched yesterday
evening. Whether they will embark or not I know not, but if they do, our
force will not be sufficient to defend the place, as our works are now become
very extensive ; but we must do the best we can, and I do not think the
French will attack."
Lord Saltoun remained with his battalion in Cadiz until August 1812,
when just before the raising of the siege by the French, consequent on Lord
Wellington's movements in the centre of Spain, it marched with the force
under General Cruz Mourgeon and Colonel Skerrit to join Hill's division,
which was operating to the southward of Lord Wellington's advance upon
Madrid.
From a journal kept by him at this time it appears that they embarked