Page:Life of the Duke of Wellington.pdf/4

4 position, and had already sustained several reverses of fortuncfortune [sic]. The Austrians had been thrice defeated; the Hanoverians had been compelled to evacuate Bruges; the Duke of York had been driven from his position at Ghent, and Lord Moira, with a force of 8,000 men, originally intended to make a descent on Brittany, was compelled to hasten to his assistance. Colonel Wellesley's regiment, with two other battalions, was directed to proceed by sea to Antwerp; and here the future conqueror first beheld an army in the field. Yet, to an ardent mind, the movements of the British in this campaign, which were wholly defensive, must have been somewhat disheartening. Few opportunities of distinction presented themselves, but these few were improved. The 33rd regiment was engaged in several sharp skirmishes; and so well did its young commander acquit himself, that, towards the close of the campaign, he was selected by General Dundas to cover, with the brigade to which he was attached, the difficult and trying retreat from Holland; the manner in which Colonel Wellesley discharged this trust, rendered him a marked man, and was an earnest of his future fame. The army had formidable obstacles to struggle with. Their route lay through a deserted and flat heathy country; the villages, or rather hamlets, were small and at distant intervals; the ground was covered with snow, and the wind and sleet beat directly against their faces. Many perished from cold and fatigue. The army, however, returned to England with untarnished honour, if with doubtful success; they had failed because of divided councils, deficiency of supplies, and scanty numbers. Yet though his first campaign was far from brilliant, the active observation and energetic mind of Colonel Wellesley must have derived many advantages from it. He had seen something of war upon an extended scale; had felt the need of forethought and energy; had become aware