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34 THE WINTER TROUBLES. CHAP. III. Commis- sariat forc( for foreign service. flatly tint for such a creation not weeks, not months, but even years would be needed, there seemed to be ground for discouragement ; (^^) but, on the other hand, there were some favour- ing circumstances, and the rare energy of Sir Sir Charles Charlcs Trevclyau proved equal to the occasion. Trevel van's rapid crea- The half-pay list included the name of Mr Filder, an officer sixty-four years of age, yet vigorous, active, and of commanding ability, who had been present at Talavera, Albuera, Sala- manca, Vittoria, ' Pyrenees,' Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse ; and if the first of those battle-fields — Talavera — was a name of glory for our arms, it was also one that suggested another kind of experience very terrible and yet very precious for a Commissariat officer.(^^) The Treasury appointed Mr Filder to serve with our army in the East as its Commissary-General ; and, to form part of his staff, there were drawn from the same retired list a few other excellent officers. In the search still continued for men not devoid of experience. Sir Charles Trevelyan's next ex- pedient was to recall some of our best Com- missariat officers from the Colonies ; but this last resource was one that, by reason of the distances requiring to be traversed, could not, of course, produce its full effect all at once.(^^) Still, in amply good time there were collected Commissariat officers to the number of forty, and these of such excellent quality that Sir Charles Trevelyan was able to say — and this from him is high praise — was able to say he felt ' proud of them.' This judgment did not