David Carnegie Andrew Agnew

“ Bishop Burnet, in his thanksgiving sermon on 27th June 1706, thus panegyrized British soldiers:— “They run to battles with so bold an intrepidity that we seem to be near the state promised that one shall chase a thousand. Our men go to action as assured of victory, being resolved to conquer or die.” The general opinion as to Almanza was that if the Portuguese cavalry had not stood still, and then decamped, the day would have been ours; in which case Lord Galway’s glory would have been uppermost, and have overborne military criticism. ”

“ None, however, felt this contempt and anger, but men who had nursed it before — his rivals and personal enemies, — men, whose consciences told them that they themselves were to blame, and whose tongues had a brief opportunity of rancorously speaking out, when silence best expressed the grief of true British and Christian patriots. ”

“ Lord Peterborough argued for a defensive warfare in Spain. Lord Galway led on the other side. Stanhope vigorously supported Galway, and with great warmth spoke to the following effect:— “Her Majesty spends such vast sums, and sends such numbers of forces, not to garrison some towns in Catalonia and Valencia, but to make King Charles master of. the Spanish monarchy; therefore if it is insisted upon to divide the forces, and to put ourselves on the defensive, I shall in her Majesty’s name protest against such measures.” This decided the programme, and Peterborough left the country. ”

“ I must again repeat to your lordship, that nothing can effectually save our affairs and even the Spanish monarchy, as the Emperor’s sending Prince Eugene hither, whose rank and character will not only prevent all the confusion we are falling into, but he will be able to remove from the king those persons who now possess him so much, and establish the Spanish affairs upon a right foot. I hope this will come in time to your lordship’s hands, not only to prevent the dividing the English troops but also the Dutch. The Portuguese are already much dissatisfied ”

“ But what I dread most is, that he will be able to prevail with my Lord Rivers to join his troops with the army the King intends to command in person, who is already much soured against the Portuguese. If this should be done, I look upon us as entirely destroyed. The enemy is as strong as both these armies together, and will not fail to beat us both, one after the other, especially (as your lordship may imagine) as there will be little harmony in our councils and operations. ”

“ The king himself led the columns, and posted the troops on the other side of the rivulet, the Earl of Galway taking care to see them all pass in good order. The horse the enemy sent to disturb them was routed, and some Portuguese squadrons, that were very weak, defeated several of the enemy’s that appeared much stronger. The Marquis das Minas continued all the while in the rear, and when the whole army was passed they expected the enemy in order of battle. But though all their infantry was come up, yet they found the allies in so good a posture that they never durst attempt to attack them. ”

“ Austria agreed to send a Marshal to take the chief command in Spain, and this enabled Marlborough to make the suggestions already mentioned. On the English Lord Peterborough made little impression, though he tried to work on a popular prejudice and an insular delusion — the prejudice being against a foreigner (as he insisted on calling Lord Galway) , and the delusion being that, if a British General had the command of the whole allied army in Spain, he could do ever he liked, and that want of success could arise only from his want of brains. ”

“ The preceding years ought to give them the best lights how they came to have no better success at Almanza, which was a misfortune owing to the neglect of the past year, when they lost Madrid after being in possession of it six weeks. Mr Walpole said, that the world was under a great mistake as to the great conduct of a certain lord [Peterborough] who had been mentioned in that House [of Commons] as if everything that had been well done in Spain was solely owing to him, and all misadventures were to lie at other people’s doors. ”

“ My Lord Galway was wounded with a sword over the eye, at the beginning of the action, charging with the horse. This accident contributed much to the confusion that followed. Our foot is by everybody said to have done wonders, which makes the loss of it so much the more sensible Count Noyelles is for dispersing up and down in holes the poor remainders we have left, where they must be lost as soon as the enemy think fit to show themselves. ”

“ Godolphin’s plan, which he repeats in his letter of June 27, was as follows:— “As I have told you in my former letter, some of our friends here will be unwilling to bring home Lord Galway, while Count De Noyelles stays with the King of Spain; so the true way to make all things easy will be for the Emperor to send a good general with the troops from Italy.” ”

“ Our Queen, confirming her advisers’ recognition, both of Lord Galway’s seniority and of his greater local experience, sent him a commission giving him the rank of Captain-General of her forces in Spain and Portugal. This commission and promotion his lordship would, if he could, have humbly declined, for he adhered to his conviction that Lord Peterborough should be preferred for the command. Peterborough, however, took his departure from Guadalaxara, “pretending [says Godolphin] that he had the Queen’s orders to go to Italy.” ”

“ Lord Galway sent the following despatch to Lord Sunderland:—
“Alegre, April 27. — My Lord, your lordship will have heard by my letters, as well as by Mr. Stanhope’s, that in all the councils held at Valencia this winter, it was resolved we should march to clear this frontier, ruin the enemy’s magazines, and destroy the country between them and us, in case they retired, thereby to secure this kingdom [Valencia] and our march into Arragon; but that if the enemy did assemble upon this frontier, we should fight them. ”

“ But they must answer to the public for the faults I may commit; though I’ll do my utmost to save them from any reproach, if fidelity, application, and vigilance can do it; but I cannot answer for my capacity in affairs so very difficult to manage. ”

“ Stanhope wrote to Marlborough from Barcelona, 6th June 1707:—
“My Lord Galway is raising some Spanish regiments of foot, and does indeed use all application possible to prevent their [the French and Philip] reaping those advantages from the battle which they might have done had they followed their victory instead of amusing themselves as they have done. I wish I could do the same justice to the court.” [5]
The French were mainly employed at home in defending Toulon, and the Duke of Berwick’s services were demanded there. ”

“ The baggage continued their march, and afterwards the whole army began to move in the day time, and in sight of the enemy, and passed the Xabriel without the least opposition.”
Both Lord (now the Earl of) Godolphin and Queen Anne herself had written to King Charles, strongly advising him “to keep Lord Galway near him,” as a sagacious and trusty councillor. But a Dutch General had come into the camp, and had made himself more agreeable to the unreasoning king. ”

“ But wherever I am I shall always be proud to receive your lordship’s commands. — Being, with great respect, &c.
“Gallway”. [8] ⁠ Lord Peterborough was obliged to ride off from the field of controversy, saying that there must be vigorous action in Spain, and that he would serve in the army there, “even if it had the great misfortune of being commanded by the Earl of Galway.” ”

“ This makes it yet more necessary for your Lordship to stay. I am sure nobody but yourself will have influence or credit enough to keep them together. And to enable you the better to do this, the most effectual measures will be taken to persuade the Portuguese to make the diversion they have promised by the way of Toledo; and in order to it, they will be assured that the troops from Ireland, that were to follow the Lord Rivers, shall be sent as soon as possible to join them and enter Spain that way. ”

“ He evidently considered it an immense effort both in plan and in execution. “According to Berwick’s own account,” says Macfarlane [" Pictorial History of England,” vol. iv., p. 202] , “his horse was repeatedly repulsed by those steady columns of foot, and even when the French and Spaniards seemed victorious on both wings, their centre was cut through and broken, and the main body of their infantry completely beaten.” ”