He made a rapid march on Madrid and was on the point of attacking Soult when he learnt, by an intercepted dispatch, that Bonaparte was marching against him in person and that he was in immediate danger of being surrounded. The consequence was his famous retreat. As to the manner in which that was conducted, I have heard a French General, who was employed in the actual army by which Moore was pursued, speak of his enemy's tactics with boundless admiration. But perhaps the highest praise which can be accorded to it is that the pursuit, in the first instance, was conducted by Bonaparte in person, and subsequently by Soult and Ney under his express directions, and yet that Sir John Moore succeeded in effecting his escape without once being _entraîné_, and crowned his efforts by the victory of Corunna--a victory which, sealed as it was with his own blood, ought to wash out the memory of any errors which he may have committed. [10] _Mrs Spencer-Stanhope to John Spencer-Stanhope._ RAMSGATE, _January 27th, 1809._ You will have experienced the greatest grief for the loss of our gallant defender, Sir John Moore--a great blow to this country. But while deploring his death, we must not forget to glory in what our brave troops performed, tho' 'tis grievous to think how many lives have been lost, and what the remaining army have gone through, without lamenting that this almost unexampled victory will be of so little use. Last night this place was thrown into surprise and confusion by the arrival of one or two Transports with part of the 52nd, and of two or three other Regiments. The poor men were obliged to pass the night in the Transports as they could not come on shore till the orders came from Canterbury. Your father went last night to see some of them. He found a Serjeant who said they had no assistance from the Spaniards, but the accounts are so various I do not like to give too ready credit to what I hear, tho' I hear there is not the patriotism amongst them one should suppose. Lady Lilford, [11] that beauty _en masse_ (who is here with two daughters ill out of the four she has with her) was made very happy last night by the arrival of her Son who was in the 52nd, & of whom she had not been able to hear anything. We have put on a black ribbon for Major Stanhope, son to Lord Stanhope. [12] The Knoxs will have been in great anxiety, for they have a son in the 52nd. Knox would be just in time to receive him. The excitement occasioned by news of the victory of Corunna and the lamentable death of Sir John Moore had scarcely abated when the attention of the public was arrested by a _cause célèbre_ which occasioned an unprecedented commotion.