Collections - Letters
Letters of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bevan, 1804-1811.
Letter Number 58
Dated: 26th November 1810 from CB Gibraltar
Addressed to Mrs C Bevan, Money Hill, Rickmansworth, Herts
My dearest Mary,
The Packet just arrived has brought me your most welcome letter & most
sincerely do I give my thanks to Providence for your safety; God grant
that this happy account may be able if possible improved in my next
letter – Pray give my best love and thanks to your Mother and to Eleanor
for their kindness in recounting you me. I have been in consequence of
information that Col Wynch is appointed on the staff in Portugal, this I
heard in Ceuta and immediately came over to assess -- --, as by the
greatest good luck the Topaz, frigate, came in then and took me on
board. I have been disappointed in hearing here nothing of this Report;
but I am to see General Campbell today at Eleven O’Clock & that then
leaves what I am to do – You will not be slow to know what this is, as
the Schooner in which my letter will go sails at 1 a.m. precisely;
indeed all the letters are now on board, but the Military Secretary will
forward this for me with the last of those that go on board; however if
any accident detains this vessel I will write a few lines more. I do not
know whether they will admit me in Ceuta on my return without performing
quarantine as they refused to admit General Heron & a party of ladies
the very day I had the good luck to escape. I shall be very happy to see
my little daughter and I trust I shall not long postpone that happiness;
I have received a letter from my Mother and from Mrs Berks (?). Pray
thank them for me; & tell Mrs Shaw that whenever I have any thing to
make a letter worth the Postage I shall not fail to write, indeed I
intend to write to her immediately; but I have hardly time even to get
this ready – God Bless you & our dear little people – Mary I bless you
and bless them too. Ever your own C.B.
You will I believe receive more letters from Mr by this conveyance which
I had sent to the Commissioner
NOTES BY TRANSCRIBER
i) Thanks to Mother etc – Mary had evidently given birth to their
daughter at her mother’s house – the previous children had been born
while her parents were serving in Jamaica
ii) Wynch – it seems that at last Wynch’s promotion had come through –
and the arrangement had been that CB would take over 1st Bn for him – CB
does not know however that Wynch’s health had been failing for some time
and in the near future he died – so it is likely that no-one knew
whether he would actually make his move before he succumbed
iii) Gen Campbell – GOC Gibraltar
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