Wellington’s Engineers: Military Engineering on the Peninsular War 1808-1814

by Mark S. Thomson

  51. NA WO55/977, Pasley to Handfield, 7 November 1808.

  52. NA WO55/977, Pasley to Handfield, 11 November 1808.

  53. Moore, A Narrative of the Campaign of the British Army in Spain, pp. 59–60.

  54. NA WO55/977, Jones to Handfield, 17 November 1808.

  55. Jones, Autobiography, pp. 22–6; NA WO55/977, Pasley to Handfield, Villa Franca, 6 December 1808.

  56. Moore, Narrative of the Campaign of the British Army in Spain, p. 63.

  57. Ibid, pp. 66–7.

  58. Boothby, Under England’s Flag, pp. 193–5.

  59. Ibid, p.195.

  60. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 30.

  61. Boothby, Under England’s Flag, pp. 200–1; Mulcaster diary, 28 December 1808.

  62. Fortescue, British Army, Vol. 6, p. 368.

  63. NAM 7004-15 f. 16, Birch to Leith, Corunna, 20 December 1808.

  64. Boothby, Under England’s Flag, p. 203.

  65. Mulcaster diary, 11 January 1809.

  66. Lipscombe, Wellington’s Guns, p. 68.

  67. Boothby, Under England’s Flag, p. 218.

  68. NA WO55/978 Chapman to Morse, Isle of Wight, 16 January 1809.

  Chapter 2

  1. NA WO55/1561/9, Mulcaster to Fletcher, 19 October 1808, and NA WO55/978, Landmann to Patton, 8 December 1808.

  2. BL ADD MS57544, f. 204, Mackenzie to Moore, 13 December 1808.

  3. NA WO55/977, Fletcher to Morse, St Julian, 23 September 1808.

  4. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Landmann, Salamanca, 26 November 1808.

  5. NA WO55/978, Landmann to Patton, 8 December 1808. Landmann signed his letter, Commanding Royal Engineer.

  6. NA WO55/958, Patton to Morse, 21 January 1809.

  7. BL ADD MS39201, Mackenzie diary, entry dated 22 February 1809.

  8. BL ADD MS39201, Frere to McKenzie, 25 February 1809.

  9. NA WO55/958, Liverpool to Landmann, 7 November 1811. WO55/958, Landmann to Morse, 25 November 1811.

  10. NA WO55/958, Drummond to Holloway, Gibraltar, 30 January 1809.

  11. BL ADD MS39199, Evatt to Mackenzie, Seville, 15 February 1809.

  12. NA WO55/958, Neville to Morse, South Street, London, 1 February 1809.

  13. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, Lisbon, 9 April 1809.

  14. NA WO55/958, Chapman to Morse, Lisbon, 5 March 1809.

  15. NA WO55/958, Chapman to Morse, Lisbon, 22 March 1809.

  16. NA WO55/958, Chapman to Morse, Lisbon, 22 March 1809.

  17. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 11.

  18. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 34.

  19. NA WO55/978, Fletcher to Morse, London, 22 February 1809.

  20. NA WO55/978, Fadden to Slater, 26 February 1809.

  21. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, Lisbon, 3 April 1809.

  22. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, Lisbon, 9 April 1809.

  23. WD, Wellesley to Richmond, 14 April 1809. Although Wellesley saw this as a key task, it was not actually done for 18 months.

  24. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, Lisbon, 13 April 1809.

  25. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, Lisbon, 11 April 1809.

  26. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 17

  27. Mulcaster diary, entry dated 18 April 1809.

  28. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Handfield, Leyria, 24 April 1809.

  29. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Rowley, 4 May 1809.

  30. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 4 May 1809 and WD, Wellington to Villiers, 7 May 1809.

  31. REM 4601-57-1, Emmett’s Journal entry dated 4 May 1809.

  32. Mulcaster diary, entry for 12 May 1809.

  33. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 24 May 1809. Connolly, History of the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners, Vol.1, p. 165.

  34. REM 4601-74, Fletcher to Burgoyne, 23 May 1809. The report is REM 4601-72.

  35. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 26 June 1809.

  36. NA WO55/978, Fletcher to Morse, 31 May 1809

  37. NA WO55/978, Morse to Fyers, 6 July 1809

  38. Mulcaster diary, entry for 4 July 1809.

  39. Fortescue, British Army, Vol.7, p. 213.

  40. Mulcaster diary, entry dated 26 July 1809.

  41. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 35.

  42. Boothby, A Prisoner of France, pp. 4–5.

  43. NA WO55/1561/6, Report on the defence of Lisbon, 18 August 1809.

  44. WD, Wellington to Castlereagh, 25 August 1808; NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 28 August 1809.

  45. WD, Wellington to Castlereagh, Merida, 25 August 1809.

  46. WD, Memorandum of the Defence of Portugal, dated 9 March 1809.

  47. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, Merida, 28 August 1809.

  48. Mulcaster diary, entry dated 7 October 1809.

  Chapter 3

  1. Esdaile, The Peninsular War, pp. 311–39.

  2. WD, Wellington to Castlereagh, 28 August 1809.

  3. Thompson (ed), An Ensign in the Peninsular War, The Letters of John Aitchison, p. 67.

  4. Mulcaster diary, diary entry for 28 April 1809.

  5. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, pp. 45–6, entry for 22 October 1809.

  6. WSD, Vol. 6, p. 403, Fletcher to Wellington, 15 October 1809.

  7. Grehan seems to have missed off the twenty 24-pounders at St Julian.

  8. REM 4601-57-1, Emmett’s diary, entry for 8 October 1809.

  9. There appears to be an error in the printed edition of Jones’ book on the Lines. He records the start date of work at Ponte do Rol as 26 March 1810, whereas his diary records the start date as 26 February 1810. Mulcaster’s diary notes visiting Thompson as Ponte do Rol on 4 March, so 26 February appears correct.

  10. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 47.

  11. REM 2001-149-2, Goldfinch to Beresford, Report of the defences of Lisbon.

  12. WSD, Vol. 6, pp. 451–8, Fletcher to Wellington, 25 December 1809 and pp. 459–62, 31 December 1809.

  13. REM 4601-74, Mulcaster to Burgoyne, 2 January 1810.

  14. REM 4201-68, Burgoyne’s diary, Vol. 2, 1809, 20 December 1809.

  15. REM 4601-74, Mulcaster to Burgoyne, 7 January 1810.

  16. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 3, p. 125, 18 February 1810.

  17. Ibid, p. 19. Fletcher to Jones, dated 6 July 1810, and also p. 229, where two others (engineers?) were mentioned

  18. REM 4601-74, Mulcaster to Burgoyne, 12 November 1810.

  19. WSD, Vol. 6, pp. 538–46.

  20. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 4 July 1810.

  21. REM 5501-59-18, Jones to Fletcher, 12 July 1810 and 18 July 1810.

  22. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 3, pp. 226–7.

  23. Ibid, pp. 230–1.

  24. Ibid, p. 92.

  25. Ibid, p. 37.

  26. Ibid, p. 101.

  27. Ibid, p. 122.

  28. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 2 February 1811.

  29. NA WO55/958, Chapman to Morse, 22 March 1809.

  30. WD, Wellington to Liverpool, 21 October 1810.

  31. Connolly, History of the Corps of Royal Sappers and Miners, Vol. 1, p. 170; Oman, Peninsular War, Vol. 2, p. 611; Robertson, Commanding Presence, p. 172.

  32. NA WO55/977, Fletcher to Morse, 29 September 1808.

  33. WO55/958, Chapman to Morse, 22 March 1809.

  34. WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 3 April 1809.

  35. WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 24 April 1809.

  36. WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 9 April 1809.

  37. WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 4 May 1809.

  38. WO55/958, Fletcher to Rowley, 4 May 1809.

  39. WSD, Vol. 3, p. 219, Coimbra, 7 May 1809.

  40. REM 4601-57-1, diary entry for 4 May 1809.

  41. NA WO55/1562/2, Fletcher to Morse, 17 October 1808.

  42. WSD, Vol. 6, pp. 401–2, Wellington to Castlereagh, 14 October 1809.

  43. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 54.

  44. RE
M 5501-59-18, Jones to Fletcher, 18 July 1810.

  45. REM 5501-59-18, Jones to Fletcher, 20 July 1810.

  46. 7 Sep 1810, Navy decides to withdraw sailors manning signal station; 11 Sep 1810, may need to revert to simple Portuguese telegraph; 2 Oct 1810, Wellington is asking ‘are new telegraphs complete’?; 5 Oct 1810 ‘I am very anxious about our signal posts’; 6 Oct 1810 ‘Lord W says he will not part with the seamen now, if they are not gone’.

  47. Jones, Journal of Sieges, p.124, n3.

  48. Thompson (ed), An Ensign in the Peninsular War, The Letters of John Aitchison, p. 67.

  49. Uffindel, The National Army Museum Book of Wellington’s Armies, p. 85.

  50. REM 4601-74, Mulcaster to Burgoyne, 12 November 1809.

  51. REM 4501-68, Ross to Dalrymple, 25 April 1810.

  52. Royal Military Chronicle, Vol. 1, p. 238.

  53. Pelet, The French Campaign in Portugal, p. 222.

  54. BL ADD63106 ff. 3-4, Squire to Bunbury, 27 May 1810.

  55. REM 4501-86, Ross to Dalrymple.

  56. BL Add63106 ff. 11-12, Squire to Bunbury, 10 October 1810.

  57. REM 4201-68, Burgoyne’s diary, entry for 1 November 1810.

  58. BL Add63106 ff. 13-15.

  59. 59. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 3, p. 41.

  Chapter 4

  1. REM 4201-68, Burgoyne’s Journal 1809, Vol. 2, 25 December 1809.

  2. REM 4601-72, 2 January 1810, Report by Todd.

  3. REM 4601-72, Murray to Burgoyne, 11 January 1810.

  4. Wrottesley, Life and Correspondence of Burgoyne, p. 94.

  5. Perrett, A Hawk at War p. 24.

  6. Wrottesley, Life and Correspondence of Burgoyne, p. 88.

  7. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 59.

  8. Mulcaster diary, entries for 8 and 9 August 1810.

  9. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 65.

  10. Mulcaster diary, entries for 19–21 September 1810.

  11. WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 30 September 1810.

  12. REM 4601-72, Burgoyne’s papers, Fletcher to Burgoyne, 22 September 1810.

  13. Boutflower, The Journal of an Army Surgeon, p. 64.

  14. BL Add MS63106, ff. 11-12.

  15. Wellington to Liverpool, 21 October 1810. This extract taken from Royal Military Chronicle, Vol. 1, p. 228.

  16. WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 4 September 1810.

  17. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 3, pp. 28–9.

  18. WD, 2nd ed, Vol. 4, p. 317.

  19. REM 5501-59-18, diary entry for 19 October 1810. There are a few weeks’ diary entries in this folder and this is amongst them.

  20. Kincaid, Adventures in the Rifle Brigade, p. 17.

  21. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 26 October 1810.

  22. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 3, p. 159, Wellington to Wedekind.

  23. Ibid, p. 172, Wellington to Berkeley, 10 November 1810.

  24. REM 5501-79, Squire to Fletcher, 20 October 1810.

  25. Information from Wikipedia and other sources.

  26. John Squire, A Short Narrative of the late campaign of the British Army under the orders of the Earl of Chatham, London, 1810.

  27. NA WO55/958, Squire to Fletcher, Chamusca, 24 December 1810 and WO55/958, Fletcher to Squire, Cartaxo, 4 January 1811.

  28. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, Cartaxo, 5 January 1811.

  29. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, Cartaxo, 28 February 1811 and 2 March 1811.

  30. NA WO55/979, Williams to Fletcher, 8 November 1810.

  31. There were several pamphlets produced on their various disagreements, the most notable being, ‘Strictures on Napier’s History’, ‘Further Strictures …’ (both published anonymously in defence on Beresford), Napier’s, ‘Justification of his third volume’, Beresford’s refutation of this justification, and Napier’s final reply to the refutation.

  32. Napier, History of the War in the Peninsula, Vol. III, p. 393.

  33. Ibid, 1 March 1811, quoted in Appendix X

  34. Rousseau, Journal of D’Urban, 6 January 1811, p. 173.

  35. Ibid, 1 January 1811, p. 171.

  36. WD, 2nd Edition, to Beresford, 5 January 1811.

  37. Pelet, Journal, p. 336.

  38. Ibid, p. 351.

  39. Rousseau, Journal of D’Urban, 20 January 1811, p. 178.

  40. REM 5501.59. 1, 2, 3, Jones’ Diary, 21 December 1810.

  41. All of these are taken from REM 5501.59. 1, 2, 3, Jones’ Diary.

  Chapter 5

  1. WD, Wellington to Liverpool, 7 May 1811. It is interesting to note that Wellington did not have any great desire to take Almeida at this time. It was circumstance, not planning, that led to the blockade.

  2. Stanhope, Notes of Conversations with the Duke of Wellington, p. 90.

  3. F. S. Garwood, ‘The Royal Staff Corps’, RE Journal, June 1943.

  4. WD, Wellington to Beresford, 20 March 1811.

  5. REM 5501-59, Jones’ diary, entry dated, Thomar, 8 March 1811. Also mentioned in REM 4201-68 Burgoyne’s diary, 15 March 1811; REM 4601-71, Squire to?, Arronches, 23 March 1811.

  6. McGuffie, Peninsular Cavalry General, p. 84.

  7. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 3, p. 376.

  8. Ibid, p. 377.

  9. REM 4601-71, Squire to [Fletcher?], Jerumenha, 11 April 1811.

  10. Cole’s dispatch to Beresford, 16 April 1811, quoted in Dispatches.

  11. Oman, Peninsular War, Vol. 4, p. 274. More recently, Robertson, A Commanding Presence, also suggests that Wellington did not have access to a siege train.

  12. NA WO55/958, Fletcher to Morse, 16 April 1811.

  13. REM 4601-86, Ross to Dalrymple, Olivenza, 25 April 1811.

  14. WD, Memorandum 23 April 1811, Vol. 8, pp. 494–6.

  15. WD, Wellington to Beresford, 6 May 1811.

  16. WD, Wellington acknowledged Castaños’ acceptance in a letter to him dated 13 May 1811.

  17. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, 3rd edition, Vol. 1, p. 12. Unless otherwise stated references to Jones will be from this edition.

  18. Ibid, p. 13.

  19. REM 5501-59-1, Jones’ diary, 8 May 1811. The original diaries are very difficult to read. Copious notes from them were taken by John Hancock, the ex-Curator of the Royal Engineers Museum. Many of my comments are from his notes, not the original diaries.

  20. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 1, pp. 22, 26; REM 5501-59-1, Jones’ diary, various entries from 8 to 14 May 1811.

  21. Muir, At Wellington’s Right Hand, p. 193.

  22. Ibid, p. 205.

  23. Oman, Peninsular War, Vol. 4, pp. 282–3.

  24. Ibid, facing p. 286.

  25. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 3, Letter to Maj-Gen Macleod, 21 March 1811, p. 364.

  26. Ibid, map of Badajoz and surrounding areas. This map is loose in the 1987 facsimile edition.

  27. Rice Jones, Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 100.

  28. Fortescue, British Army, Vol. 8, p. 143.

  29. WD, Wellington to Beresford, Elvas, 20 April 1811.

  30. Oman, Peninsular War, Vol. 4, pp. 273–4.

  31. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 3, Letter to Maj-Gen Macleod, p. 364.

  32. WD, Wellington to Beresford, Gouvea, 27 March 1811.

  33. WD, Wellington to Beresford, Villar Maior, 6 April 1811.

  34. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 3, pp. 374–5.

  35. REM 4601-71 Misc Letters, f. 13. Squire writing on 11 April 1811 dates that ‘there are no means at Elvas, and we have not a single platform at our disposal’.

  36. WD, Memorandum for Col. Fletcher and Commissary Gen, 9 April 1911. The stores list is detailed in J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 1, p. 345.

  37. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 1, p. 351. The requisition was for fifteen 24-pounder and five 18-pounder guns, with 8,000 roundshot.

  38. WD, Wellington to Beresford, Villa Formoso, 10 April 1811.

  39. REM 4601-71, Hardinge to Squire, Albuera, 12 April 1811.
<
br />   40. REM 4601-71, Squire to Hardinge, Olivenza, 13 April 1811.

  41. Fortescue, British Army, Vol. 8, p. 143.

  42. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 1, p. 18.

  43. BL, ADD63106, Squire letters, f. 28, Squire to Bunbury, 30 April 1811.

  44. WD, Wellington to Beresford, Celorico, 30 March 1811.

  45. WD, Wellington to Beresford, Elvas, 21 April 1811.

  46. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 3, p. 384, 17 April 1811.

  47. REM 4601-71, Squire to Hardinge, Olivenza, 10 April 1811.

  48. REM 4601-71, Misc Letters, f.14, Squire to Hardinge, 10 April 1811; f.19, Hardinge to Squire, 20 April 1811.

  49. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 1, p. 348.

  50. WSD, Beresford to Wellington, Almendralejo, 3 May 1811.

  51. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 3, p. 389, letter to Macleod, 1 May 1811; BL, ADD63106, f. 28, Squire Letters, Squire to Bunbury, 30 April 1811.

  52. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 3, p. 390.

  53. Ibid, pp. 389–90.

  54. For example, REM 4501-86-4, Ross letters, Ross to Dalrymple, 25 April 1811; BL, ADD63106, Squire letters, f. 28, Squire to Bunbury, 30 April 1811.

  55. REM 5501-59-1, Jones’ diary, 4–8 May 1811.

  56. BL, ADD63106, Squire letters, ff. 31-33, Squire to Bunbury, 17 May 1811.

  57. REM 4501-86-4, Ross letters, Ross to Dalrymple, 20 May 1811.

  58. REM 4201-68, Burgoyne’s diary, 19 May 1811.

  59. REM 4601-57-1, Emmet’s diary, 7 May 1811.

  60. REM 5501-59-1, Jones’ diary, 7 May 1811.

  61. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 1, p. 26

  62. Rice Jones, Engineer Officer under Wellington, pp. 100–3, records the same story as John T. Jones. One was Brigade-Major and the other was the Adjutant for the Royal Engineers at the siege. They would have been working together. The similarity in words is too close for coincidence and clearly one of them has copied their diary from the other.

  63. REM 5501-59-1, Jones’ diary.

  64. REM 4601-71, Squire to Fletcher, 10 May 1811.

  65. REM 4501-86-4, Ross letters, Ross to Dalrymple, 20 May 1811.

  66. REM 4201-68, Burgoyne’s diary, 19 May 1811.

  67. Rousseau, Journal of D’Urban, p. 213, Oman, Peninsular War, Vol. 4, p. 286. Did Oman take this from D’Urban’s journal? D’Urban was not actually at Badajoz. He was with Beresford’s army.

  68. REM 4501-86-4, Ross letters, Ross to Dalrymple, 20 May 1811.

  69. REM 5501-59-1, Jones’ diary, 11 May 1811.

  70. Duncan, Royal Artillery, Vol. 2, p. 293.