Retreat to Corunna
Dr. Adam Neale

Lugo, 5 January 1809

It was a sad sight to behold the wretched state of the troops. A degree of spirit approaching to mutiny was manifest among them, owing to the excessive fatigue which they had undergone, and the disgrace, as they deemed it, of running away from the enemy.

Early on the morning of the 3rd, we continued our march up to the mountain. The road is here cut through the rocks. On the summit which is the boundary of Gallicia we had to scramble through deep snows.

Broken waggons and carriages, money-carts, dead animals, and the bodies of human beings, who had perished from the inclemency of the weather during the night, strewed the way for miles. Never had I conceived, much less witnessed, so awful a scene. In one baggage-waggon, which had overturned, an unfortunate soldier's wife, with several children, were frozen to death. But why dwell on these horrors; the bare idea of which must make you shudder?

Corunna, 11 January 1809

On the morning of the 9th, amid a storm of wind, sleet, and rain, more severe than I can recollect ever to have experienced, we proceeded to Guitterez. Our poor soldiers, drenched to the skin, and covered with mud, lengthened out their line of march. I felt as if scalding drops of lead pelted my face. It was with the greatest difficulty I could keep my seat on horseback. Every human being fled, 'the fenceless villages were all forsaken'. Our soldiers absolutely lay down and died in the ditches without a struggle. Few women were now to be seen, the greater part had perished.

I halted for half an hour in the rain, but was so stiff, that, on attempting to remount I fell down, and could with difficulty get on my legs. Here the troops had some salt beef and rum issued. Not having any fires to cook the beef, much of it was thrown away; but the rum was drunk greedily, and the powers of their stomachs being almost gone, I saw them fall down, after drinking it, in a comatose state. Death, I have no doubt, followed in an hour or two.

at sea, 19 January 1809

A severe engagement has taken place on the heights above Corunna. Our sick, artillery, and dragoons commenced embarking. The enemy had got possession of the heights above St Lucia, from which he opened a spirited fire upon the ships in the inner harbour. Nothing was now to be seen but the most dreadful confusion. The transports slipped their cables, and put to sea instantly; many running foul of each other, and carrying away yards, bowsprits, and rigging. Four or five ships ran aground on the rocks, and bilged. A 74-gun ship immediately stood in towards the French batteries, and opened her guns upon them. Having put to sea, we saw, after it became dark, a considerable body of light streaming along the horizon.

I am myself a good deal indisposed, and not much the better for being shut up in a little, noisome, damp cabin, with six other officers. Four of them are extremely ill, and generally raving all night long. Their complaints are the consequence of over-exertion; and their distempered and horror-struck imaginations are perpetually pursuing some dreadful hallucination connected with the casualties of war, famine, and shipwreck. It blows so violent a gale that I can wrote no longer. Farewell.

Letters from Portugal and Spain. (1809), pp. 302-303, 309-310, 324-325.