one campaign more; and your lordship may depend upon it that there is nothing in the Queen’s power to do, to make you as easy as possible, and to remove the difficulties you have hitherto struggled with, that will not be done. You will see by her Majesty’s letter to the King of Spain how much she takes this to heart, and how strongly she insists upon his having an entire confidence in your counsels and advice.
“I will not say any more upon this subject; you will have it so much more strongly represented to you by my Lord Treasurer in his letter, and by Monsieur de Montandre when you see him. I must also acquaint you that the Queen has ordered my Lord Peterborough’s commission of Ambassador to be recalled, which I hope will contribute to make all that matter more easy. Since her Majesty is willing to consent that the troops with the Lord Rivers should join the King of Spain and the troops in Valencia, it is expected that they should be kept together in one corps and under one general, that they may march straight to Madrid, without dividing themselves or amusing themselves in taking inconsiderable places, and such little projects, — the doing of which before was one great reason that this last campaign you was not joined by any body of troops sufficient to keep you in possession of Madrid. This makes it yet more necessary for your Lordship to stay. I am sure nobody but yourself will have influence or credit enough to keep them together. And to enable you the better to do this, the most effectual measures will be taken to persuade the Portuguese to make the diversion they have promised by the way of Toledo; and in order to it, they will be assured that the troops from Ireland, that were to follow the Lord Rivers, shall be sent as soon as possible to join them and enter Spain that way. I must also acquaint you that such measures are now taking with the Duke of Savoy for the next campaign as will effectually prevent the French sending any considerable force more into Spain.”[1]
In January 1707 the Earl of Rivers arrived. Councils of war were held in the presence of King Charles during this month and the next. Lord Peterborough appeared as an ambassador, and the king now liked him better. Another ambassador was Major-General Stanhope, a great friend and admirer of Lord Galway (unlike the noble historian, his direct descendant). Sir Charles O'Hara had been raised to the peerage as Lord Tyrawley, and was on the same side. Lord Peterborough argued for a defensive warfare in Spain. Lord Galway led on the other side. Stanhope vigorously supported Galway, and with great warmth spoke to the following effect:— “Her Majesty spends such vast sums, and sends such numbers of forces, not to garrison some towns in Catalonia and Valencia, but to make King Charles master of. the Spanish monarchy; therefore if it is insisted upon to divide the forces, and to put ourselves on the defensive, I shall in her Majesty’s name protest against such measures.” This decided the programme, and Peterborough left the country.
Lord Sunderland, in a letter to Stanhope, dated February 13, wrote, “that he sent him a letter for the Earl of Rivers, which he desired Mr Stanhope to deliver to him if he took upon him the command of the army by the Lord Galway’s giving it up. Which, however, the Earl of Sunderland hoped he would not do. In which case Mr Stanhope was desired to burn that letter.”
Lord Rivers was disposed to take the command, and endeavoured to ingratiate himself with King Charles. But the difficulties of the post soon became apparent to him, and basing his decision on the grounds that the British Government preferred Lord Galway, and that he himself could serve under no general but the Duke of Marlborough, he declared that he would retire. The following is the substance of the document which the two earls signed:—
“It was agreed upon by the Earls of Galway and Rivers, Mr Stanhope being present, that it would be better for her Majesty’s service that there should be no more than one general. The Earl of Galway generously offered the command to Earl Rivers, which he refused in consideration of the Earl of Galway’s greater experience, more especially in the affairs of Spain and Portugal.”
Lord Rivers’ men, greatly reduced by disease, then passed under Lord Galway’s command. Our Queen had issued an ordinance, dated 18th January 1707, giving directions for the reduction of the several trains of artillery (formerly under the direction of the Earls of Galway, Peterborough, and Rivers) into one field train, in accordance with the “schedules and list transmitted to us by our trusty and wellbeloved cousin, the Earl of Galway, Captain-General of our Forces in Spain.”[2]
Although he had no enjoyment of life in Spain, for (as he said himself) according to old Lord Bedford’s view, he had lost his best friend there, namely, his appetite,[3]
