by having Joseph assigned to the throne which had been promised to him. Mr. Erving, in a dispatch to our government, 22d June, 1808, says of Murat's departure from Madrid: "He will carry with him the good wishes of a great majority of the sensible and respectable people of Madrid, who admire his talents, his moderation, and the affability and frankness of his manners."*

It is not within the plan of this sketch to recite the history of the stub. born and unequal contest in Spain, the unparalleled heroism of the Spaniards, the unsubstantial kingship of Joseph, the coming of the great conqueror to Madrid on 2d December, 1808, his fruitless attempt to subjugate the Peninsula, and the re-establishment of the imbecile and unteachable Bourbon on the throne. The government in Spain being committed to a junta, driven from "pillar to post," our American representative, in his interesting letters to the Secretary of State, bears frequent testimony to their unquestioned patriotism, indefatigable zeal, undaunted firmness in the midst of most pressing dangers, and individual disinterestedness. Under circumstances of extreme embarrassment they never despaired of the public cause, notwithstanding they had to struggle against the weakness of their own feeble and abnormal texture, the impossibility of bringing into operation the interior resources of the country, the insufficiency of those from abroad, the vigor of the enemy, the activity of domestic intrigue and treason, the total defection of allies on the one side, total subjugation on the other, and the disorganization and dispersion of their armies. Turning reluctantly away from a theme so enticing, bringing into conspicuousness Spanish patriotism and courage, it may not be uninteresting for me to mention Murat's connection with the Legation of the United States.

* The history of this remarkable man illustrates the kaleidoscopic changes of the Napoleonic era, and is itself a thrilling romance. Joachim Murat was born of obscure parentage, 25th March, 1771. Dissipated, adventurous, reduced to distress in his youth, he served in a restaurant. Activity and quickness obtained him a place in the Constitutional Guard of Louis XVI., where he won rapid advancement. Attaching himself to Bonaparte, he became his confidential aid-de-camp. Ambitious as his chief, he attained to high dignities. Bonaparte gave him his sister Caroline in marriage, and made him Marshal of the Empire, Prince, Grand Admiral, and Grand Duke of Berg. By the solicitations of his wife, more impatient than himself, Murat became king of Naples under the name of Joachim Bonaparte. He loved pomp, ceremony, showy costumes. Napoleon, treating his royal creatures as subjects, wrote to his sister, "Your husband is very brave on the field of battle, but he is weaker than a woman or a monk when out of sight of the enemy." To Murat himself in 1815. "The title of king has turned your heard; if you wish to preserve it, conduct yourself well." After much vacillation and many vicissitudes, a military commission adjudged him to death. Refusing to have his eyes bandaged, he said to his executioners, Sauvez le visage, visez au cœur."

During the Napoleonic wars, commerce and travel were much interrupted, the rights of neutrals were little respected, force and fraud were substituted for international law, and American vessels were captured and detained illegally as prizes. Mr. Erving, our indefatigable chargé, "so much respected," says Mr. Ticknor, at a later date, "by the diplomacy, the government, and the Spaniards," was compelled to apply to all who had real or apparent authority, for the release of our vessels and for the protection of the property covered by our flag. To the proverbial procrastination of Spanish officials* was superadded the inability of the gov ernment. The transmission of instructions and dispatches between Wash ington and Madrid was slow and uncertain. Duplicates and triplicates even, as well as originals, were sent by any conveyance that presented itself, and the incomplete file of the archives, from 1800 to 1820, shows the loss of many important documents. The importance of communicating with the government, during that troublous period, necessitated the employment of a special messenger, and the engagement of a vessel. The Dutch minister informed Mr. Erving that it would be very agreeable to the Grand Duke to send by the same messenger dispatches to the emperor's ambassador in the United States. On 15th May, 1808, while dining with the Grand Duke, Mr. Erving mentioned his embarrassment in sending his special messenger, and asked an order for the immediate discharge of any suitable American vessel which might then be detained at the Spanish port of Algeciras, opposite Gibraltar. Murat acceded immediately to the request, professing his desire to do everything which might be agreeable to the government of the United States. On the expression of the satisfaction which would be afforded in being the medium of conveying dispatches to the French embassy in Washington, Prince Murat rejoined that the emperor would be infinitely obliged, and that the papers would be soon furnished. The Spanish Minister of State, having interposed some objection to the release of captured vessels, the prince gave a peremptory order that a vessel, to which the minister raised no objection, should be released, if such an one could be found; otherwise, that any vessel which Mr. Young, the messenger, should judge suitable, should be placed at his disposal. A few days later Murat gave an order for the discharge of all American vessels held in Spain.

MADRID, SPAIN.

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* Lord Bacon in one of his essays, says, "The Spaniards and the Spartans have been noted to be of small dispatch. Mi venga la muerte de Spagna. Let my death come from Spain for then it will be sure to be long in coming."

WASHINGTON'S DIARY FOR AUGUST, 1781

FROM THE MANUSCRIPT COLLECTIONS OF GENERAL MEREDITH READ

In the month of February, 1881, the Magazine of American History published Washington's diary from May 1st to August 1st, 1781, accompanied with a fac simile of its opening page, and a description of all the diaries of Washington that are preserved in our national archives, from the pen of Theodore F. Dwight, librarian of the State Department. For some reason an important part of this particular diary, from August I to August 14, 1785, was then omitted, and we now have the great pleasure of giving it to our readers. The following letter explains itself:

EDITOR OF MAGAZINE OF AMERICAN HISTORY:

PARIS, June 3, 1888.

Twenty years ago I procured copies of all the diaries of the illustrious Washington existing in the State Department, with permission to publish the same. You will observe the certificate of Secretary William H. Seward appended to the copy I now forward you. In writing to me on the 3d of July, 1868, Mr. George Bartle, the copyist, then occupying an important post in the State Department, said: 'I received your letter of the 22d ultimo, and transmit by this day's mail a copy of the diary which I commenced before you left this city. The following is an exact description of the original. The book is a plain volume, half bound in sheep, with paper sides. It is half an inch thick, seven and a half inches in length, and five and a quarter inches in breadth. It opens the long way. On the left hand cover is written Journal, 1781.'

The original is not ruled or paged, and it is written throughout on both sides of the leaves. The copy I send you contains the same number of lines on each page, and words are divided and spelled the same as in the original, and all interlineations are copied. This manuscript is .perhaps the most important of the diaries of Washington in possession of the government. It opens on the 1st of May, 1781, with these words: I begin at this epoch a concise journal of military transactions.' And it terminates in an abrupt and incomplete manner on the 14th of August, 1781.'

Washington traces in a simple and generally clear style the progress of

events, and the results of his military observations in the neighborhood of New York. He sums up the situation in May, 1781, in a brief but graphic manner, and sets forth in striking terms "our wants and our prospects." There are many interesting allusions, and many side-lights of history introduced into the pages. Washington's account of the interview with Count de Rochambeau and Chevalier de Chastellux at Wethersfield is important, for it outlines the plan of campaign and the operations to be begun against New York. The diary vividly depicts the condition of affairs which led up to the final surrender of Cornwallis on the 17th of October, 1781. Reading this in the light of after events, we are led to believe in an overruling providence in the affairs of nations as well as of individuals.

The most salient points in this vigorous daily statement is the reiteration of the unpatriotic indifference of the New England states to Washington's pressing needs. In one instance he called for six thousand men and received only one hundred and seventy, and so on until the end of this chapter of the nation's history. While from the immediate standpoint of Washington this criminal negligence seemed to be a misfortune, it was really a benefit in disguise, for it led him to turn his attention southward, and to get all his forces well in hand, so that when the decisive moment arrived, he was ready to swing them with a crushing blow against the bewildered enemy.

To all persons acquainted with the environs of New York, the graphic account given of the reconnoitering in the neighborhood cannot fail to be of extreme interest. Each spot is pictured with its peculiarities, and the landscape is set before us in all its varied yet consecutive features. The language is that of a simple soldier, but the ideas conveyed are vividly artistic.

THE DIARY, AUGUST 1-AUGUST 14, 1781

August 1st. By this date all my boats ready-viz.-one hundred new ones at Albany (constructed under the direction of Gen. Schuyler) and the like number at Wappings Creek by the 2a M: Gen.; besides old ones. which have been repaired. My heavy ordnance & stores from the eastward had also come on to the North River-and everything would have been

in perfect readiness to commence the operation against New York if the States had furnished their quotas of men agreeably to my requisition—but so far have they been from complying with these that of the first not more than half the number asked of them have joined the army; and of 6200 of the latter, pointed and timorously called for to be with the army by 15th of last month, only 176 had arrived from Connecticut, independent of about 300 State troops under the command of Gen! Waterbury, which had been on the lines before. We took the field, and two companies of York levies (about 80 men) under similar circumstances.

Thus circumstanced, and having little more than general assurances of getting the succours called for-and energetic laws and resolves—or laws and resolves energetically executed, to depend upon with little appearance of their fulfillment, I could scarce see a ground upon which to continue my preparations against New York-especially as there was much reason to believe that part (at least) of the troops in Virginia were recalled to reinforce New York and therefore I turned my views more seriously (than I had before done) to an operation to the southward-and, in consequence, sent to make enquiry, indirectly, of the principal merchants to the eastward what number and in what time, transports could be provided to convey a force to the southward, if it should be found necessary to change our plan and a similar application was made in a direct way to Mr. Morris (Financier) to discover what number could be had by the 20th of this month at Philadelphia—or in Chesapeak bay-at the same time General Knox was requested to turn his thoughts to this business and make every necessary arrangement for it in his own mind-estimating the ordnance and stores which would be wanting and how many of them could be obtained without a transport of them from the North River. Measures were also taken to deposit the salt provisions in such places as to be water born— more than these, while there remained a hope of Count de Grasse's bringing a land force with him, and that the States might yet put us in circumstances to prosecute the original plan, could not be done without unfolding matters too plainly to the enemy and enabling them thereby to counteract our schemes.

August 4th. Fresh representations of the defenceless state of the Northern frontier for want of the militia so long called for, and expected from Massachusetts bay; accompanied by a strong expression of the fears of the people that they should be under the necessity of abandoning that part of the country—and an application that the second York Regiment (Courtlandts) at least should be left for their protection induced me to send Major-Gener! Lincoln (whose influence in his own state was great) into the