The officers wounded were Captain Thompson,--whose brigade did as good service as it had done at Busaco, and the practice made by which attracted universal admiration,--Lieutenant Martin, and a subaltern of the same name as the officer who fell at Barossa, Lieutenant Woolcombe. The total casualties on the side of the Allies amounted to 1786: those of the French to 2665. The battle resulted in the evacuation of Portugal by Massena, and the capture of Almeida by the English, although, unfortunately, not until the garrison had made its escape. During these continued successes, Lord Wellington was afflicted by a want of adequate supplies and money,--and by discouraging letters from England. With a temerity such as few commanders would have displayed, he did not hesitate to point out to the Government how weak and mistaken their vacillating, timorous policy was. Still undeceived as to the worthlessness of Spanish promises, the English rulers urged upon Wellington to make Spain the theatre of his operations, and yet declined to make him independent of the Spanish authorities. His protestations, also, in favour of Portugal as a base of operations fell on doubting and unwilling ears. English statesmen seemed to live in a fools’ paradise: and from their dreams it seemed impossible to [Sidenote: To Lord Liverpool, dated Santa Marinha, 23 March, 1811.] wake them. On the 23rd March, 1811, Lord Wellington had actually to write, beseeching the Government to forego an intention which appeared to have been formed of withdrawing the troops from Portugal on account of the expense of the war. He had already urged on them the folly of starving an expedition in the hope of securing popularity for their party; and he now boldly asserted that if they carried out their intention, and freed the French from the pressure of military operations in the Continent, they must prepare to meet a French army in England. “Then,” he wrote, “would commence an expensive contest;--then would His Majesty’s subjects discover what are the miseries of war, of which, by the blessing of God, they have hitherto had no knowledge.” It was a difficult task which Lord Wellington had to perform,--not merely to fight his country’s battles under difficulties and discouragement,--not merely to be exasperated by advice, the folly of which was glaring,--but also in his few moments of leisure to have to take up his pen, and teach her senators wisdom. The superiority of England’s greatest General cannot be realised without a careful study, not merely of his campaigns, but also of his correspondence.