Collections - Letters
Letters of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bevan, 1804-1811.
Letter Number 36
Dated: 27th April 1810 from CB Ceuta
Addressed to Mrs C Bevan, Money Hill, Rickmansworth, Herts
My dearest Mary,
I wrote to you a few days ago and believe my letter was forwarded from
Gibraltar in the Terrible, R Ad Paulett. The Lavinia is I hear, now in
that state and scarce laden on the point of sailing for England. I shall
endeavour to get this Epistle on board if we have an officer ?transiting
from hence I yesterday received the letters you entrusted to Belson,
his destination having been changed to Cadiz my poor letters were a long
time indeed in finding their way hither. My poor horse also has been
thirteen weeks on board ship. He is a --- melancholy animal, but I hope
warm weather may bring him round
- We are still without a packet from England, it has been due some time
and we are much at a loss today to guess why she has not made her
appearance an Easterly wind has now set in and we may wait another
month. Which is tiresome But patience I hope I shall be made content
by having very good accounts of yourself and our little men; I am most
anxious to hear how your Mother is; by Bakers letter I find that James
is to be married immediately and Wise also. I wrote to Caroline by the
same conveyance that I last wrote to you but they must not expect
regular letters from here it is really not like the certainty of the
twopenny Post from London to Epsom. I hope I shall soon hear something
about Colonel Wynch. Shall I ever see the prospect I entertain realized?
I wish I could answer that question Genl Fraser has not returned from
Gibraltar and I rather hope that when he does we shall have another Regt
to relieve us from the Citadel and the terrible heights to climb up,
which put all our men into the Hospital when the day --- set to. There
are at the foot of the hill barracks that would be much more preferable
on all accounts. I have not yet got a my quarter but am still on
sufferance in Don Antonios house. The Officers of the Regt living three
in a Room together. I hope this is to have a termination. You know I am
very patient I wish we may move from this place soon (I shall not be
sorry if towards England. I am surprised I have not heard from Paterson
as I imagine he is by this time at Lisbon I --- that the Army must go
home very soon Purvis (?Name) is here and very well, so if you ever
wrote to Mrs P you can tell her so. Does little Charles ever ask for his
Father I suppose Tom is very glad I am not there Edward is too young
to remember me Have you heard constantly from Montague Square?
God Bless you my best friend I am always Your C.B.
Ceuta 27 April 1810
NOTES BY TRANSCRIBER
i) Terrible 74 gun ship Paulet or Powlett Rear Admiral Lord Henry
ii) Lavinia 44/50 gun Frigate CB had sailed in her to Walcheren in
1809 with Bn HQ of 28 Ft then Captain Lord William Stewart
iii) Belson Former CO 1st Bn 28th Ft
iv) Baker (clear name) not identified
v) Wise retired Col Wise family friend of CBs Mother
vi) Gen Fraser GOC Ceuta probably Lieut Gen Sir Alexander who had
been in the Walcheren expedition
vii) Don Antonio elsewhere CB wrote that he had only 1 Spanish friend
who he described as a Minister presumably political and not
canonical
viii) Patient not the most apt description of CBs temperament
ix) Purvis not identified text here not easy to read
x) Charles, Tom, Edward CBs sons
xi) Montague Square CBs Mother either had a house or rented there
from time to time.
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