I think it right to inclose it, to show that I had not overlooked the request you made to me on that subject, in yours of the 19th of last June, and to this I add another from him (a private one) of the 23rd October, which was produced by one I addressed to him, upon receiving yours of 23rd August, on the 3rd of that month, which will convince you, I am sure, that I have never omitted any opportunity of urging your pretensions when I thought I could do so with any effect. Although I feel the delicacy there is in again alluding to that second melancholy event in your family, the account of which must have reached you long before this time, still I am most anxious that your good parents should be assured that every step had been taken to insure the immediate return of poor Chevalier from India, on my receiving the intimation of their request to that effect, and that had Providence spared him, he would in all probability by this time have reached Europe. I shall now conclude by desiring that the most affectionate remembrance of Madame de St. Laurent and myself may be made acceptable to your good mother and sisters, and that both your good father and yourself will believe how anxious we will be about you all till we hear from you. God bless you, my good fellow. Believe me ever to be, Major de Salaberry, Quebec. In the preceding chapter, it has been pointed out why the Duke, who was so particularly well qualified to take a prominent part in debate, and in all matters of public or benevolent interest, had kept himsef aloof from public attention; but in this year it became evident from the state of the King's health, that there was only a very remote prospect, if any, of his ever being able again to assume the direction of affairs, the Duke then felt that there could be no longer any impropriety in his taking his proper and leading place in all public matters. In the debates which took place in the House of Peers, on Lord Wellesley's motion, that the Catholics ought to be emancipated, His Royal Highness declared himself friendly to the measure, and on the 16th May, 1817, he divided with the minority, 90 against 142 on Lord Donoughmore's motion, that the whole House should take into consideration the petition of the Roman Catholics for relief from disabilities. He had on a previous occasion, assured the House, that he believed that the removal of the Roman Catholic disabilities was the first general measure by which the pacification of Ireland could be effected.” CHAPTER XVIII. Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajos-Fall of Edward de Salaberry-Assassination of Mr. Percival-America declares war-Battle of Chateauguay--General Orders-the Duke's opinions. 1812, 1813, AND 1814. "One sleeps where southern vines are dressed Above the noble slain; He wrapt his colors round his breast, Cn a blood-red field of Spain. And parted thus, they rest who played Whose voices mingled as they prayed, CAMP BEFORE CIUDAD RODRIGO, SIR,-At my arrival here I found that your Royal Highness had again had the excessive kindness to write to Colonel Fletcher in my favor; may I be permitted to assure your Royal Highness, that those marks of goodness can never be out of my memory, and that even were I ungrateful enough to forget for a single moment what I owe my illustrious protector, everything about me must accuse me of more than savage ingratitude. I arrived here last night about 6 o'clock, after having rode that day eleven leagues (about 50 miles) with my own horses; having before had some very long marches, and found that we had broken ground on the 8th. The occasion of my coming so fast from Castello Branco, was, that I heard there that the siege was begun, and wishing to participate in the hardships which my brother officers were enduring, I exerted myself as much as lay in my power to reach this in time, which I have accomplished, having arrived here the day after the batteries were opened. (Captain Ross, R. A., whom I believe your Koyal Highness knew, was killed the second night.) We have also lost another officer, and one wounded. The artillery has already made a very good breach and the storming is now daily expected. I hope we shall take the place soon, as it is of great consequence that it should fall, and we are suffering here every kind of hardship, having no tents, and indeed having hardly anything either for ourselves or horses to eat, with a very hard frost. Some of our officers have tents. We also understand that Marmont is coming down, which is another reason for hurrying the siege. -We have now sapped a good part of the 2nd parallel, and our batteries are keeping up a tremendous fire on the breach. The enemy made a sortie but was repulsed, after dislodging part of the parallel, by two of our officers and a detachment of the 42nd Regiment. I shall at some future period give your Royal Highness an account of the siege, together with what I have been doing since my arrival in this country. At present I must beg leave to end, being hardly able to hold my pen on account of the cold, which I hope will be an apology for this letter. I have the honor to remain, Your Royal Highness' most obedient ED. A. DE SALABERRY. H. R. H. The Duke of Kent. CAMP BEFORE Badajos, 5th April, 1812. SIR,-I am ordered to storm one of the breaches this evening. As the service is rather dangerous, and I may or may not return, I beg leave to assure your Royal Highness, as well as Madame, that whatever may happen to me, I shall at every moment feel how much I am indebted to you. Believe me, Sir, that my last moments shall be to wish all the happiness which you, as well as Madame eminently deserve. I have the honor to be, with eternal gratitude, Your R. H. most obedient and grateful servant, H. R. H. The Duke of Kent. E. A. DE SALABERRY. KENSINGTON PALACE, 24th April, 1812. MY DEAR DE SALABERRY,-Little did I think, when a few days ago, I put into the hand of Mr. Ryland, upon his calling here to take leave of me, the original of the letter from Lieut. Gordon of my regiment, announcing the particulars of the death of our poor Chevalier, (a copy of which I sent you in mine of the 18th November by running ship to the States) that it would so soon again fall to my lot to communicate what I fear will be a still heavier blow to my old friends, the untimely fall of your younger brother at the storming of Badajos, an event that has overwhelmed Madame de St. Laurent and myself in the deepest affliction, indeed so much so that no powers of language can convey to you the effect it had on us both. The accompanying letter, to inform his commanding officer, Lieut.Col. Fletcher of the Royal Engineers, which arrived last night, contains all the particulars I am at present possessed of, I send this off to Portsmouth to-night, in the hopes of yet catching Mr. Ryland before he sails. I can say no more, than that it is some consolation to think that our poor lamented Edward's going to Portugal, was the effect of his own earnest solicitation, and that we took no steps to get him appointed to Lord Wellington's army, but in conformity with his own wishes. You will, of course, say everything, both from Madame de St. Laurent and myself, to your afflicted parents, that will convey to them how deeply we unite in their grief for this fresh catastrophe, and accept for yourself the assurance of our unalterable friendship and regard, with which sentiments I subscribe myself, &c., Major de Salaberry. EDWARD. P. S.-You may rely on my writing again at the moment I receive further details. CAMP NEAR Badajos, 8th April, 1812. SIR, It is with extreme regret that I undertake the painful task of acquainting your Royal Highness with the fall of Lieutenant de Salaberry of the Engineers, at the storming of Badajos, on the night of the 6th instant. This valuable young officer was appointed to act under Captain Wilkinson of the same corps, in conducting the Light Division of the army to one of the breaches; in the execution of this arduous and important service, he was unfortunately killed by a musket ball. From the interest expressed by your Royal Highness for Lieut. de Salaberry, it may prove a source of some consolation to know that he was universally esteemed by his brother officers, and that his fall is deeply lamented by them. I will have the honor to address hereafter your Royal Highness as to the state of his affairs. I am led to believe that there may be a small balance against him with the regiment, and indeed this may occur without anything like extravagance, as it is extremely difficult from the pay and allowances of a subaltern to purchase the number of horses for which he is allowed forage with the army, and without them he cannot possibly perform the duties that are entrusted to him. I have the honor to be, &c., H.R. H. The Duke of Kent. B. FLETCHER, KENSINGTON PALACE, 10th May, 1812. DEAR DE SALABERRY,-In conformity to the promise I made you, in mine of the 24th ultimo, I now revert to the melancholy event, which I therein announced, for the purpose of communicating to you such of the afflicting details attending it as are contained in the accompanying letter from his friend and brother officer Lieut. Hulme of the same corps, which reached me last night, together with the five inclosures that were annexed to it. Of these you will perceive two are addressed to me, and I would not on any account part with them, as I wish to retain them as keepsakes of our poor lamented Edward. Still I feel it may be a melancholy satisfaction to your poor father and mother, to read them and take copies of them, and for that purpose I send them to you, under the fullest dependence that after keeping them as long as you may judge necessary for the purpose, you will return them to me, under cover to Colonel Torrens. You will perceive both from poor Edward's letter to me, a few hours previous to the attack, and from that to you which I took the liberty of opening, that he had a melancholy presentiment of the fate which awaited him. Yet he met it, with all the coolness of a hero, and all the fortitude of a Christian; in short every thing seems to combine to redouble our regrets of his untimely loss, and to overwhelm us with affliction, but yet we trust that the honorable death he has fallen may be the means of softening the blow in some degree. I shall now only add, that I mean on these repeated dreadful losses in your family, to ground a very strong fresh application in your behalf, which I hope will lead to your obtaining the Lieut.-Coloneley of the Canadian Regiment. In the meantime pray rely on my warmest friendship and believe me, &c., &c., EDWARD. P.S.-I herewith annex also the extract of a letter from Lieut.Colonel Muller, by which you will see that poor Captain St. Pal, our dear Edward's Marlow comrade, has shared the same fate with him, which I know you will deplore also, as next to Edward we considered him cur most interesting protégé. ALHAMBRA, near LISBON, 12th April, 1812. SIR,-No words can do justice to the feelings with which I convey to your Royal Highness the intelligence of an event which I could have wished to have been made known through some other more adequate channel, but being the person (in this country) most intimately interested therein, the unpleasant task has devolved on me. The corps of engineers, among other losses which it sustained on the 6th inst., has to iament that of Ed. de Salaberry, who was killed in the breach at the head of the column to which he was attached. Thus fell universaily regretted an officer, who, had he lived, would have become a most brilliant ornament to his corps, and an honor to his friends. The letters in his portmanteau, and which I have the honor to inclose, were forwarded to me, and I lose not a moment in trans mitting them to your Royal Highness. The management of his |