Page:Tupper family records - 1835.djvu/127

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mortally wounded at the siege of Badajos, in 1812, — this bereavement, and the untimely end of so many of her brothers, undermined a naturally vigorous con- stitution, and hurried her prematurely to the grave : she died in December, 1830, and, possessing the graces both of mind and person, her memory is still fondly cherished by those who knew her worth. Of their uncles, four fell by the bullet, viz. their mother's brothers, Major-General Sir Isaac Brock, K. B., Lieut. -Colonel John Brock, and Lieutenant Ferdinand Brock, and their father's brother, William De Vic Tupper, Esq., as already mentioned. Another near relative, Lieutenant Carre Tupper, of the Victory, Lord Hood's flag ship, and only son of Major-General Tupper, was also slain in the Mediterranean : after distinguishing himself at Toulon and being in con- sequence assured of the first commander's vacancy, he volunteered to bring off an enemy's sentinel from Bastia to the fleet, for the purpose of gaining intel- ligence, and was shot dead in the gallant but des- perate attempt.

General Freire, irretrievably undone by the defeat at Lircai, was discovered some weeks subsequently in concealment at or near Santiago, and banished to Peru ; while Colonel Viel, after capitulating with the remnant of the cavalry, with which he escaped to the northward of the capital, was compelled to take refuge on board a French ship of war at Valparaiso, Prieto having again attempted to violate the treaty between them. His desertion of the infantry in the hour of need perhaps could not be avoided, as he may have been unable to prevent the shameful flight of the cavalry, but his behaviour on this day, as well as on the 14th of December, will not tend to

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