[Dispatches] 21 June 1808

' Lieut. gen. Sir A. Wellesley, K.B.' ' Commander in Chief. Viscount Castlereagh, Secretary of State, to Lieut. General the Hon. Sir A. Wellesley, K.B.

' Downing Street, 21st June, 1808.

Dear Sir,

' Our accounts from Cadiz are bad; no disposition there or in the neighbourhood of Gibraltar to move; General Spencer returning to Gibraltar: the proceedings, however, in the northern provinces, were not then known It is material to know the effect produced by that effort which may be hourly expected.

' The Cabinet are desirous of postponing, till they hear again, their final decision on your instructions, being unwilling you should get too far to the southward' whilst the spirit of exertion appears to reside more to the northward.

' Hitherto no time, in fact, has been lost, as your equipment cannot be assembled at Cork for some days. The arms and cavalry transports are not yet got to Portsmouth, and it is better to bring the whole together, than to trust to junctions on the coast of Spain.

' You will have the goodness to order the transports to be kept fully victualled whilst in port, that you may carry with you a full supply.

I am, &c.
' CASTLEREAGH.

A few ideas based on this dispatch:

• Cadiz, in the south of Spain on the Mediterranean Sea, was the traditional port of the Spanish Navy and successfully resisted the French Invasion ("special forces" style action, possibly?)
• Gibraltar, an English territory since 1704 and important Royal Navy port, was also threatened during the Peninsular Campaign (a good base for naval actions).
  
• Arms and cavalry traveling to Portsmouth, Hampshire (an opportunity for "flashback" style adventures for a game session).
  
• Transport ships waiting in Cork to travel to Spain (another naval adventure on the way to the front).