▁British ▁high ▁command , ▁accepts ▁the ▁idea ▁of ▁Tem era ire ▁as ▁an ▁officer ▁in ▁his ▁own ▁right , ▁tre ating ▁Tem era ire ▁there after ▁with ▁all ▁the ▁rights ▁and ▁respons ib ilities ▁of ▁any ▁colon el ▁( including ▁che wing ▁him ▁out ▁when ▁his ▁command ▁goes ▁wrong , ▁which ▁to ▁Tem era ire ' s ▁credit ▁he ▁takes ▁to ▁heart ). ▁Sir ▁H ew ▁Dal ry m ple ▁Ross ▁commands ▁the ▁defense ▁of ▁London , ▁though ▁W elles ley ▁dismiss es ▁the ▁effort ▁as ▁a ▁lost ▁cause , ▁now ▁that ▁Hor atio ▁Nelson ▁and ▁his ▁twenty ▁ships ▁have ▁been ▁sent ▁to ▁C open hagen . ▁Reg ard less , ▁the ▁effort ▁is ▁made , ▁augment ed ▁by ▁tact ics ▁created ▁by ▁Tem era ire ▁and ▁Pers cit ia , ▁a ▁violence - ab hor ring ▁but ▁very ▁clever ▁drag on ▁who ▁( am ong st ▁other ▁things ) ▁has ▁been ▁entr usted ▁to ▁operate ▁the ▁milit ia ' s ▁art illery . ▁Both ▁sides ▁involve ▁about ▁thirty ▁thousand ▁men , ▁but ▁this ▁leaves ▁the ▁question ▁of ▁where ▁Marsh al ▁Dav out ▁has ▁got ▁to ; ▁after ▁the ▁battle ▁is ▁joined , ▁he ▁is ▁discovered ▁out fl ank ing ▁the ▁British ▁with ▁an ▁additional ▁twenty ▁thousand . ▁Only ▁a ▁brilliant ▁action ▁by ▁W elles ley ▁allows ▁the ▁British ▁to ▁escape . ▁ ▁While ▁helping ▁the ▁British ▁Army ▁in ▁its ▁withdraw al , ▁Laur ence ▁and ▁Tem era ire ▁speak ▁with ▁W elles ley ▁about ▁their ▁not ions ▁of ▁dra con ian ▁equality