The Greville Memoirs, Part 1 (of 3), Volume 1 (of 3): A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IVGreville, Charles
History
The Greville Memoirs, Part 1 (of 3), Volume 1 (of 3): A Journal of the Reigns of King George IV and King William IV
Greville, Charles
Great Britain -- History -- George IV, 1820-1830; Great Britain -- History -- William IV, 1830-1837
The last time I was with him he told me a variety of particulars
about the Duke of Wellington's conduct at the siege of Seringapatam,
of Lord Harris's reluctance to entrust the command of a storming
party to him, of his not arriving at the place of rendezvous the
first night, of Lord Harris's anger and the difficulty with
which he was brought to consent to his being employed the second
night, when he distinguished himself so signally. Amongst various
other matters, of which it was impossible to bring away a perfect
recollection, from his confused manner of narrating, and
particularly his inaccuracy as to dates, he told me (with many
recommendations to secrecy) that which immediately explained to
me the dislike which he certainly bears to the Duke and (which I
did not know before) to Lord Londonderry. He said that after the
retreat of our army under Sir J. Moore from Spain (he was not
quite certain himself as to the exact period, though a reference
to the history of that period will probably elucidate the matter)
Lord L. sent for him, and communicated to him that it was the
intention of Government to send out an expedition to Portugal,
and to confer the command of it upon him. He replied that if
called upon he should consider it his duty to serve, but he
should never solicit any command. Nothing more passed at that
time, but the newspapers by some means immediately got hold of
this project and violently attacked the Government for thinking
of sending him out. He does not appear to have known what
intermediate deliberation led to a change in the determination of
the Ministers in regard to himself. He says that Lord Chatham,
who was much attached to him, and was then a Cabinet Minister,
came to him one day, and told him he was betrayed, and that he
was sacrificed to make way for Sir A. Wellesley; that soon after
this Lord L. sent for him, and said that he was extremely sorry
that public opinion was so strongly against his appointment to
the command of the army that it was impossible for Government to
confer it upon him. Soon after this the expedition was formed,
and Sir A. Wellesley was appointed to the command. This was the
Duke's own version of the transaction.
1823.
[Page Head: GEORGE THE THIRD'S WILL.]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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