To War with Wellington

by Peter Snow

  ‘exchanged for a scene’: Landmann, vol. 2, pp. 76ff.

  ‘Several boats were upset’: Leslie, pp. 31–2

  ‘came running into the water’: Hale, pp. 14–15

  ‘I am not afraid’: Croker, vol. 1, p. 12

  ‘to be deployed’: WD, vol. 4, p. 16, Castlereagh letter to W 30/6/1808

  ‘our kind, good and amiable’: Bell, p. 102

  ‘I rejoice extremely’: WD, vol. 4, p. 13, W letter to Hill 23/6/1808

  ‘an active and intelligent’: WSD, vol. 5, p. 453, Richmond letter to W 11/6/1808

  ‘His Majesty has been pleased’: WD, vol. 4, p. 30, Castlereagh letter to W 15/7/1808

  ‘I didn’t know what’: Croker, vol. 1, p. 343

  ‘I hope I shall have’: WSD, vol. 6, p. 95, W letter to Richmond 1/8/1808

  ‘Fortunately we did not’: Landmann, p. 83

  ‘One punt capsized’: Gleig, Hussar, p. 134

  ‘and the children a quarter’: WSD, vol. 6, pp. 91–2, W General Order 31/7/1808

  ‘up to the knees in sand’: Todd, p. 39

  ‘I put a small pebble’: ibid., p. 140

  ‘hot enough almost’: Leach, p. 34

  George Landmann found himself: Landmann, p. 105

  ‘afraid of the French’: WD, vol. 4, p. 96, W letter to Castlereagh 16/8/1808

  ‘If I had rice’: Griffiths, p. 16

  ‘a quantity, equal’: WD, vol. 4, p. 57, memo for Commissary General 1/8/1808

  ‘I have had’: ibid., p. 72, W letter to Castlereagh 8/8/1808

  ‘were a great many wine’: Todd, p. 40

  George Landmann thought: Landmann, p. 89

  ‘throwing my arms’: ibid., p. 161

  ‘I remained shivering’: ibid., p. 101

  ‘Many of us’: ibid., p. 128

  ‘entirely new suit’: ibid., p.138

  ‘All was action’: Harris, p. 17

  ‘splashed thoroughly’: Leach, p. 37

  ‘Every mouthful of air’: ibid.

  ‘Poor Lake’: Landmann, p. 144

  ‘Few men could have’: Harris, p. 16

  ‘attacked with the utmost’: WD, vol. 4, p. 98, W letter to Castlereagh 17/8/1808

  ‘However acute may be’: ibid., p. 104, W letter to R. Borough Esq., 18/8/1808

  ‘She had, however’: Harris, pp. 2 off.

  ‘carefully untied’: Landmann, p. 174

  ‘one of our most important affairs’: Stanhope, p. 40

  Chapter Two: You must have bribed Junot

  ‘for want of cavalry’: WD, vol. 4, p. 103, W letter to Castlereagh 18/8/1808

  ‘gave his orders’: Gleig, Hussar, p. 143

  ‘a cloud of light troops’: Leach, p. 39

  ‘The Rifles, as usual’: Harris, p. 27

  ‘No no’: Landmann, p. 213

  ‘I received them in line’: Croker, vol. 2, p. 122

  ‘every man throwing’: Landmann, p. 214

  ‘a party of the 43rd’: Leslie, pp. 49–50

  ‘seriously scattered’: Landmann, p. 230

  ‘particularly handsome fellow’: ibid., p. 206

  ‘Now, 20th, now!’: Gleig, Hussar, pp. 144ff”.

  Some ran out of ammunition: Harris, p. 36

  ‘bore himself like a hero’: ibid., p. 37

  ‘They gallop’: WD, vol. 9, p. 240, Wellington letter to Hill 18/6/1812

  ‘a breathless sensation’: Todd, p. 42

  ‘still playing over our heads’: Lawrence, p. 38

  ‘Sir Harry’: WD, vol. 4, p. 240, proceedings of the court of inquiry

  ‘turned his horse’s head’: Sherer, pp. 42–3

  ‘in the midst’: Hale, p. 22

  ‘the peasantry prowling’: Todd, p. 42

  Harris used his bayonet: Harris, p. 39

  ‘picked up a bill’: Leslie, p. 52

  ‘gave him a rap’: Gleig, Hussar, p. 241

  After a later battle: Harris, p. 50

  ‘To several, a simple’: Neale, pp. 16–21

  ‘I don’t know whether’: British Library Additional MS 37415 f. 47, W to Marquis Wellesley 5/10/1808

  ‘disgorge the church plate’: WSD, vol. 6, p. 123, W letter to Castlereagh 23/8/1808

  ‘I did not think’: WD, vol. 4, p. 167, proceedings of the court of inquiry

  ‘I feel an earnest’: ibid., p.133, W letter to Castlereagh 30/8/1808

  ‘You must have bribed’: WSD, vol. 5, p. 476, Richmond letter to W 6/9/1808

  Chapter Three: Scum of the earth

  ‘He called to take’: Blanch, pp. 122–3

  ‘I had during that time’: Anglesey, p. 67

  Castlereagh briefly opposed the scheme: Castlereagh papers, letter 2/09/1809, Northern Ireland Record Office, D3030/3295

  ‘The British force’: WD, vol. 4, p. 262, W letter to Castlereagh 7/3/1809

  ‘you have saved me’: Bessborough, p. 136, F. Ponsonby letter to his mother 7/7/1805

  ‘The man fell the whole’: Tomkinson, p. 9

  One artful: O’Neill, p. 25

  ‘sternness’: Harris, p. 71

  ‘The affection is always there’: letter to wife quoted by Craufurd, p. 263

  ‘a damned tyrant’: Leach letter 24/7/1810, RGJ Museum, Winchester, 0028

  ‘long-wished-for day’: Simmons, p. 5, letter home 21/5/1809

  ‘duties of a war commissary’: Schaumann, p. 36

  ‘Wherever he is’: Simmons, p. 183

  ‘If there is to be’: WD, vol. 6, p. 325, W letter to Torrens 4/8/1810

  ‘I have never known’: Stanhope, p. 13

  ‘I know from experience’: Harris, p. 28

  ‘As seen on the far off’: Farmer, p. 29

  ‘What an ignorant’: Wheeler, p. 49

  ‘in possession of a part’: WD, vol. 4, p. 267, W despatch to J. Frere, Ambassador to Spanish Court, 24/4/1809

  ‘The weight each man’: Dobbs, p. 24

  ‘and began to plunder’: Tomkinson, pp. 16–22

  ‘the dirtiest and noisiest’: Costello, p. 86

  ‘dirty in the extreme’: Simmons, p. 14

  ‘fighting like lions’: ibid., p. 155

  ‘The advancing French’: Bunbury, vol. 1, pp. 32, 34

  ‘splendid view’: Leslie, pp. 112–13

  ‘retired in the utmost’: WD, vol. 4, p. 324, W letter to Castlereagh 12/5/1809

  ‘indescribable cruelties’: Schaumann, pp. 185–6

  Tomkinson was one: Tomkinson, p. 21

  ‘run great risks’: ibid., p. 320

  ‘In an instant’: Crumplin, p. 216

  ‘I cannot say too much’: WD, vol. 4, p. 325, W despatch 12/5/1809

  ‘rabble’: ibid., p. 380, W letter to Castlereagh 31/5/1809

  ‘it is impossible’: ibid., p. 432, W letter to Castlereagh 17/6/1809

  ‘issue a proclamation’: ibid., p. 374, W despatch to John Villiers 30/5/1809

  On one occasion: Gleig, Life, p. 581

  ‘composed of the scum’: Stanhope, p. 14

  ‘the stimulus of honour’: O’Meara, p. 129

  ‘Soldiers, I need you’: Longford, Years of the Sword, p. 176

  ‘The ball is now at my foot’: WD, vol. 4, p. 412, W letter to John Villiers 11/6/1809

  Chapter Four: The obstinate old Gentleman

  ‘quite giddy’: Holland papers, British Library Additional MS 51723

  ‘I am particularly’: WD, vol. 4, p. 415, W letter to Colonel Seymour 12/6/1809

  ‘our great anxiety’: Shulbrede archive, Shulbrede Priory, West Sussex, handwritten notes, dictated by F. Ponsonby to wife, pp. 1–2

  ‘a brace of greyhounds’: Kincaid, p. 75

  ‘several excursions’: Leach, p. 49

  ‘sparkling black eyes’: ibid., pp. 50–2

  ‘I can only say’: WD, vol. 4, p. 422, W letter to Frere 13/6/1809

  ‘the General received’: ibid., p. 506, W letter to Frere 13/7/1809

  ‘moved forward only’: Leslie, p. 137

  ‘had fought when I’: Stanhope,
p. 47

  ‘I find General Cuesta’: WD, vol. 4, p. 526, W letter to Frere 24/7/1809

  ‘are, in general, the most’: WD, vol. 9, p. 366, W letter to Bathurst 18/8/1812

  ‘motley and grotesque’: Leslie, p. 135

  ‘a motley crowd’: Cooper, p. 21

  ‘A battery was opened’: Shulbrede archive, p. 2

  ‘About nine o’clock’: Leslie, p. 143

  ‘It was evident’: ibid., p. 144

  ‘by means of’: Schaumann, p. 184

  ‘In the first place’: Leslie, p. 146

  ‘we were ordered’: ibid., p. 148

  ‘In we went’: ibid.

  ‘At about 7’: ibid.

  ‘gentlemanly to a degree’: Leach, pp. 119–20

  ‘put some coppers’: Bell, p. 169

  ‘An ear-splitting yell’: Schaumann, p. 186

  ‘Major Frederick Ponsonby’: Napier, History, p. 218

  ‘All we could see’: Schaumann, p. 186

  ‘We had the pleasing’: Bessborough, p. 188, F. Ponsonby letter to Lady Duncannon 3/9/1809

  ‘Good God’: ibid., p. 187, Lady Caroline Lamb letter to Lady Bessborough 14/8/1809

  ‘though it proved so fatal’: Shulbrede archive, F. Ponsonby letter to Lady Duncannon 3/9/1809

  ‘The thunder of the’: Schaumann, p. 185

  ‘The enemy were massing’: Cooper, p. 25

  ‘’Twas enough’: ibid.

  ‘a great and glorious’: WD, vol. 5, p. 98, W to W. Huskisson 20/8/1809

  ‘Exactly right’: letters 22/8/1809 and 13/9/1809, Raglan papers, Gwent Public Record Office

  ‘I really ought to be’: Bainville, p. 293

  ‘Yesterday, Sire’: Bingham, vol. 2, p. 470

  ‘had seized the field of battle’: ibid., pp. 468–71

  Chapter Five: Damned with might and main

  ‘to know when to retreat’: Fraser, p. 28

  ‘I like to walk alone’: W letter to Henry Wellesley 7/07/1801, Wellington MSS, quoted by Longford, Years of the Sword, p. 78

  ‘I have always felt the inutility’: WD, vol. 9, p. 584, W letter to Beresford 2/12/1812

  ‘The Caçadores’: Costello, p. 174

  ‘Then I advise you’: Tomkinson, p. 38; Fraser, p. 45

  On the day they arrived: Napier, History, bk 8, p. 218

  ‘The men suffered’: Costello, pp. 31–2

  ‘neither more nor less’: Leach, pp. 53–4

  ‘an onion or two’: Dobbs, pp. 47–8

  ‘combatants who had’: Garrety, p. 72

  ‘literally covered’: Smith, p. 19

  ‘the palms of their hands’: Green, p. 36

  ‘Heavens!’: Schaumann, pp. 190–1

  ‘our astonishment and vexation’: Simmons, p. 23

  ‘that deformed-looking lump’: Costello, p. 34

  ‘The Spaniards are’: Gordon, p. 50, letter to Aberdeen 8/8/1809

  ‘Your Excellency cannot’: WD, vol. 5, p. 32, W letter to Cuesta 13/8/1809

  ‘owing to carelessness’: Schaumann, p. 204

  ‘The soldiers’ wives’: ibid., pp. 204–5

  ‘A starving army’: WD, vol. 5, p. 15, W letter to Marquess Wellesley 8/8/1809

  ‘More than a month’: ibid., p. 51, W letter to Marquess Wellesley 18/8/1809

  ‘It is my opinion’: ibid., p. 80, W letter to Marquis Wellesley 24/8/1809

  ‘are really children’: ibid., p. 83, W’s ‘assessment of future war’ 26/8/1809

  ‘never forgave me’: Simmons, p. 26

  ‘The division paraded’: Leach journal entry 12/8/09, RGJ Museum archive, Winchester, 0026, p. 4

  ‘It entered into my head’: Costello, p. 42

  ‘Your mama tells me’: Craufurd MS letter 15/8/1809, RGJ Museum, Winchester

  ‘There is nothing dangerous’: Bingham, p. 17, Napoleon to Joseph 31/1/1810

  ‘We may protract’: Gordon, p. 75, letter to Aberdeen 27/11/1809

  ‘Your chances of’: WSD, vol. 6, p. 493, Liverpool letter to W 13/3/1810

  ‘All I beg is’: WD, vol. 6, p. 10, W letter to Liverpool 2/4/1810

  ‘If I am in a scrape’: WD, vol. 5, p. 611, W letter to Torrens 31/3/1810

  ‘disputed the military’: Creevey, vol. 1, p. 123, journal entry 23/01/1810

  ‘all the indignation’: ibid., p. 127, journal entry 1/02/1810

  ‘approaches very rapidly’: ibid., p. 128, journal entry 17/02/1810

  ‘must have been most’: ibid., p. 105, journal entry 4/9/1809

  ‘I wish’: Brett-James, Wellington at War, p. 189

  ‘with some anxiety’: Grattan, pp. 18–20

  ‘I found him to be’: Stanhope, pp. 68–9

  ‘and by night we’: Leach, p. 79

  Chapter Six: Unpardonable butchery

  ‘The country in which’: WD, vol. 6, p. 257, W letter to Liverpool 11/7/1810

  ‘Hill does what he is told’: Fraser, p. 182

  ‘When I reflect’: WSD, vol. 6, p. 582, W letter to Torrens 26/8/1810

  ‘It was ill planned’: Gordon, p. 94, letter to Aberdeen 12/7/1810

  ‘Craufurd never moved’: Smith, p. 29

  ‘In short’: WD, vol. 6, p. 259, W letter to Craufurd 11/7/1810

  ‘It is desirable’: ibid., p. 275, W letter to Craufurd 16/7/1810

  ‘I am not desirous’: ibid., p. 285, W letter to Craufurd 22/7/1810

  ‘[Craufurd] with headstrong’: Napier, History, p. 294

  ‘Although the left’: Leach, p. 95

  ‘we repulsed them’: Simmons, p. 77

  ‘The French cavalry’: Costello, pp. 50–1

  ‘The conflict was tremendous’: Garrety, pp. 95–6

  ‘In ascending the hill’: Leach, p. 97

  ‘a few hundred’: ibid., p. 98

  ‘It was a piece of’: ibid.

  ‘a French surgeon’: Garrety, p. 97

  ‘fighting a very dangerous’: Grattan, p. 25

  ‘we were puzzled’: Leach, p. 99

  ‘more abhorred’: Leach letter home 24/7/1810, RGJ Museum archive, Winchester, 0028

  ‘disappointed’: Torrens letter to Colonel Bathurst 14/8/1810, NA WO 3/597

  ‘You will say’: WSD, vol. 6, p. 561, W letter to W. Wellesley-Pole 31/07/1810

  ‘Craufurd remained much too long’: Gordon, p. 99, letter to Aberdeen 24/7/1810

  ‘The retreat was made’: Craufurd, pp. 139–46, quoting letter to The Times 21/11/1810

  ‘Picton and Craufurd’: Napier, History, p. 296

  Smith had a ball: Smith, p. 31

  ‘For a few moments’: Simmons, pp. 78–81

  ‘The bullocks ran away’: Smith, p. 32

  ‘I cocked up my leg’: ibid., p. 39

  ‘by care and syringing’: Costello, p. 54

  ‘The French army’: Donaldson, p. 160

  ‘As soon as a man’: Hale, p. 67

  ‘I cannot express’: WD, vol. 5, p. 386, W letter to Hill 28/8/1810

  ‘There are certainly’: ibid., p. 453, W letter to Charles Stuart 18/9/1810

  Jonathan Leach complained: Leach, p. 112

  ‘We have an excellent’: WD, vol. 5, p. 459, W letter to Cotton 21/9/1810

  ‘and from the bustle’: Grattan, pp. 31–5

  ‘But when they were mixed’: ibid., p. 37

  ‘Wallace, I never witnessed’: ibid., p. 40

  ‘so we continued’: Hale, p. 51

  ‘Now, 52nd’: Napier, History, p. 304

  ‘firing and bayoneting’: Craufurd, p. 158,

  ‘a murderous fire of grape’: Leach, p. 106

  ‘a taste for an amusement’: WSD, vol. 6, p. 606, W letter to W. Wellelsey-Pole 4/10/1810

  ‘I have not now’: Gordon, p. 116, letter to Aberdeen 30/9/1810

  Wellington said much later: Stanhope, pp. 19–20

  ‘After it was made’: Shulbrede archive, p. 8

  ‘My people followed’: Schaumann, p. 269

  ‘My only covering’: Kincaid, pp. 6 and 17

  ‘They
won’t draw me’: WSD, vol. 6, p. 612, W letter to Arbuthnot 5/10/1810

  ‘I condole with you’: Buckingham, vol. 4, p. 438

  ‘I stood gasping for breath’: Todd, p. 70

  William Tomkinson: Tomkinson, p. 61

  ‘as one of our party’: Kincaid, p. 50

  ‘The French looked’: Todd, p. 72

  ‘Masséna’s army’: Gordon, p. 122, letter 27/10/1810

  ‘the cunning rogues’: Leach, p. 114

  ‘We could not advance’: Todd, pp. 72–3

  ‘Lord Wellington arrived’: Simmons, p. 116

  ‘over his wine’: ibid., p. 117

  ‘seized a musket’: Napier, History, p. 316

  ‘very very different’: Bessborough, p. 209, F. Ponsonby letter to Lady Duncannon 12/9/1810

  ‘She stood in a corner’: Cavendish, p. 242, letter to Lady Morpeth 12/11/1807

  ‘men like her a lot’: ibid., p. 235, letter to Lady Morpeth 6/11/1807

  Chapter Seven: A dangerous hour for England

  ‘Where is the man’: Aldington, p. 156

  ‘People now are not satisfied’: Gordon, p. 140, letter to Aberdeen 22/12/1810

  ‘You taught us to expect’: ibid., p. 162, letter from Aberdeen 13/2/1811

  ‘We contrived to amuse’: Leach, p. 119 Some of the soldiers: ibid., p. 121

  ‘Having very little duty’: Todd, p. 74

  ‘He found means to’: Donaldson, p. 101

  ‘God be praised’: Leach, journal entry 3/2/1811, RGJ Museum archive, Winchester, 0031

  ‘We gave the Germans a cheer’: Blakeney, p. 165

  ‘The fox-hunting’: Maxwell, vol. 1, p. 164

  ‘a brilliant and most’: Royal Military Calendar, vol. 2, London, 1820, p. 157: General Thomas Graham, dispatch 6/3/1811, an account of Barrosa

  Ponsonby was wounded: Bessborough, p. 214

  ‘Beau Ideal’: Stewart, pp. 64–5

  ‘The horses in Masséna’s army’: Leach, p. 119

  ‘squalor and filth’: ibid., p. 123

  ‘torn and dilapidated’: Simmons, pp. 13–18

  ‘to make fun of us’: Schaumann, p. 290

  ‘The poor creatures’: Kincaid, p. 229

  ‘force them out’: WSD, vol. 7, pp. 1–2, W letter to W. Wellesley-Pole 8/10/1810

  ‘In an instant’: Costello, p. 81

  ‘Lord Wellington’: Kincaid, p. 228

  ‘drowned in the Ceira’: Leach, pp. 126–7

  ‘some of the enemy’s’: Kincaid, p. 27

  ‘The fords were still so’: ibid., p. 229

  ‘With the blood streaming down’: Garrety, p. 133

  ‘I must say I think’: Gordon, p. 187, letter to Aberdeen 3/10/1811

  only two people: Chaptal, p. 304 (’Il n’y a que Wellington et moi en Europe capable d’exécuter ces measures’)