by Peter Snow
‘rather fight 50,000 men’: Gordon, p. 96, letter to Aberdeen 18/7/1810
‘ablest’: Stanhope, p. 20
‘could not keep his hands’: O’Meara, p. 155
‘beautiful and romantic’: Donaldson, p. 118
‘[The French], each chafing’: Todd, p. 78
‘sweating and half smothered’: Donaldson, p. 121
‘took off my right’: Todd, p. 78
‘he is obliged to be left’: Kincaid, p. 256
‘with lungs that roused’: Costello, p. 92
‘Opposed, with their conspicuous’: ibid., p. 94
‘which made me stagger’: Kincaid, p. 37
‘although a strict’: Costello, p. 92
‘The soldiers received’: Smith, p. 49
‘Although [the squares]’: Napier, History, p. 345
‘He took advantage’: Wheeler, p. 56
‘Men and horses’: Napier, History, p. 345
‘Their hats set round’: Todd, p. 79
‘We were overpowered’: ibid., p. 137
‘Our Highlanders’: Grattan, p. 66
‘It so happened’: ibid., p. 68
‘Well done the brave 88th’: Donaldson, p. 124
‘If Boney had been there’: WSD, vol. 7, p. 177, W letter to W. Wellesley-Pole 2/7/1811
Wellington admitted later: Larpent, vol. 1, pp. 104–5, journal entry 1/3/1813
‘We would rather see his long nose’: Kincaid, p. 36
‘The Light Division’: Craufurd, p. 178
‘A ball had passed’: Kincaid, p. 39
‘Their limbs were swollen’: Grattan, pp. 76–7
‘Ay, I thought they meant’: Larpent, vol. 1, p. 108, journal entry 6/3/1813
‘I have never been’: WD, vol. 7, p. 565, W letter to Liverpool 15/5/1811
‘They had about 13,000 men’: WSD, vol. 7, p. 123, W letter to W. Wellesley-Pole 23/4/1811
‘drunken old’: Schaumann, p. 305
‘Old 29th’: Leslie, p. 225
‘If it had not been for me’: WSD, vol. 7, p. 177, W letter to W. Wellesley-Pole 2/7/1811
‘by 384 pairs of bullocks’: WD, vol. 8, p. 122, memo 19/7/1811 His artillerymen would be: Headlam, p. 156
‘We were much annoyed’: Donaldson, p. 140
‘I am glad to see you safe’: Craufurd, p. 185
‘weaker or more dispersed’: Gordon, p. 264, letter to Aberdeen 20/11/1811
Chapter Eight: Now, lads, for the breach
‘wolves were not’: Grattan, p. 123
blamed the army’s lack of supplies: Urban, Rifles, p. 140
‘with a view to purchasing some corn’: Napier, History, p. 292
‘In this starving state’: Knowles, p. 37, letter to father 3/12/1811
‘and vast numbers of officers’: W, Selections from the Despatches, p. 560, memo of operations in 1811, 28/12/1811
He put a huntsman named Crane: Thornton, p. 75
‘it gave him an opportunity’: Kincaid, p. 278
‘with his entourage’: Schaumann, p. 397
‘The cheerfulness or gloom’: Browne, p. 155
‘as a sitting and dining room’: Thornton, pp. 105–7
‘the best dinners’: Cole and Gwyn, p. 59
‘in his clothes’: Browne, p. 156
‘of his own invention’: Gleig, Life, p. 626
‘There was no throng’: Schaumann, p. 317
‘remarkable cast of feature’: Costello, p. 125
‘The commander-in-chief’: Schaumann, p. 366
‘as long as he is’: WD, vol. 8, pp. 378–9, W letter to Torrens 6/11/1811
‘I borrow two or three’: Cocks, journal entry 1/12/1811
‘a little Portuguese’: ibid., letter to Thomas 10/9/1811
‘I scarcely remember’: Grattan, p. 134
‘monasteries, convents and churches’: Cooke, p. 83
George Simmons: Simmons, pp. 218–19
‘a great annoyance’: Costello, p. 109
‘The frost was so excessive’: Donaldson, p. 144
‘When about fifty yards’: Colborne, pp. 161–4
Craufurd was not pleased: Costello, p. 107
‘A very fine young man’: Knowles, p. 42, letter to father 20/1/1812
‘Twenty two pieces’: Simmons, p. 219
‘The bellowing of eighty’: Garrety, p. 155
‘the women, from long habit’: Grattan, p. 146
‘Rangers of Connaught’: ibid., p. 147
‘Soldiers! The eyes’: Costello, p. 111
‘A tremendous fire’: Simmons, p. 221
‘quite sure that they would’: Craufurd, pp. 196–8, letter from General Sir James Shaw Kennedy 1861
‘jumped down the scarp’: Garrety, p. 157
‘bent double by the height’: Costello, pp. 112–13
‘Every man on the breach’: Grattan, pp. 152–3
‘engaged the French cannoniers’: ibid., pp. 154–5
‘He pushed the Frenchman’: ibid., pp. 156–7
‘I shall never forget’: Smith, p. 58
‘Remember, I was the first’: Green, p. 56
‘a sharp fellow’: Smith, p. 58
‘If I had not seen’: Cooke, p. 89
‘men, and Englishmen’: Robinson, vol. 2, p. 73
‘with the power of twenty trumpets’: Kincaid, p. 58
‘to admit an elephant’: Grattan, p. 162
‘Well, General’: ibid., p. 166
‘fell into the liquor’: Costello, p. 113
‘which they considered’: Grattan, p. 157
‘heartrending in the extreme’: Costello, p. 115
‘one last farewell’: Donaldson, p. 148
‘Yes, a great blow’: Craufurd, pp. 196–8, letter from General Sir James Shaw Kennedy 1861
‘He was a fine fellow’: Colborne, p. 166
‘at the commencement’: Kincaid, p. 59
‘Depend upon it’: Shulbrede archive, F. Ponsonby to his mother 21/2/1812
Chapter Nine: The town’s our own. Hurrah!
‘cursing all the way’: Kincaid, p. 63
‘a stupid beast’: Smith, p. 63
‘The elements’: Kincaid, p. 63
‘An adventurous Portuguese’: Cooke, p. 97
‘while the ramrod’: Garrety, p. 166
‘Death was dealt in every’: Lamare, pp. 25, 28
‘not advance beyond’: WD, vol. 9, p. 37,
‘memorandum for the attack on Badajoz’ 6/4/1812
‘Although there was’: Kincaid, p. 63
‘for a good bathe’: Green, p. 58
‘one of the most sanguinary’: Costello, p. 129
‘sucking an orange’: Cooke, p. 100
‘A Lieutenant Colonel’: Simmons, p. 232
‘You’ll be in hell before daylight’: Green, p. 58
‘I fell backward’: Costello, p. 131
‘shrieks uttered’: Blakeney, p. 220
‘from behind which the garrison’: Lawrence, p. 80
‘I told him the Fortieth’: ibid., p. 81
‘Desist blowing’: Green, pp. 64–74
‘the poor fellows’: Donaldson, p. 152
‘Twelve men sank’: Hennell, p. 14, letter to a friend 5/4/1812
‘conquer or die’: Robinson, pp. 110ff.
‘and his appeal’: Grattan, p. 200
‘Among the dead and wounded’: Costello, p. 132
‘most murderous’: Smith, p. 64
‘groups of fifty to a hundred’: Kincaid, p. 66
‘The discharge of grape shot’: Leach, p. 159
‘led by their gallant officers’: WD, vol. 9, p. 42, despatch 7/4/1812
‘fifty times’: Simmons, p. 229
‘I shall never forget it’: McGrigor, p. 121
‘screened from the enemy’s direct’: Blakeney, p. 222
‘On leaping into the place’: Knowles, p. 48, letter to father 7/4/1812
‘“The Devil,” says I’: Smith, p. 66
‘only a few random shots’:
Simmons, p. 230
‘The shouts and oaths’: Costello, p. 134
‘fell upon his knees’: ibid., p. 133
‘one of our officers’: Hennell, p. 17, letter to a friend 5/4/1812
‘delicate freshness’: Kincaid, p. 287
‘“impudent fellow”’: Smith, p. 72
‘Old Boy — will you drink’: Costello, p. 137
‘to execute any man’: WSD, vol. 7, p. 311, W order 7/4/1812
‘The men who besiege’: Costello, p. 136
‘the men were permitted’: Kincaid, p. 69
‘we were allowed’: Donaldson, p. 153
‘outrages committed’: WD, vol. 9, p. 227, W despatch to Liverpool 10/6/1812
‘The truth is’: ibid., p. 49, W letter to Torrens 7/4/1812
‘I bit my lips’: Arbuthnot, vol. 1, p. 143
‘Are we the Connaught’: Cooke, p. 224. Picton’s original rebuke is variously described by those who claimed to remember it. He is said to have called the 88th, among other things, ‘blackguards’, ‘footpads’ and ‘robbers’
‘affords as strong an instance’: Oman, vol. 5, p. 255, quoting W letter to Liverpool 7/4/1812
Chapter Ten: Marmont est perdu
‘completely upset’: Tomkinson, p. 156
‘much gallantry and judgment’: WD, vol. 9, p. 66, Cotton letter to W 11/4/1812
‘never more annoyed’: ibid., W despatch 11/4/1812
‘the trick of galloping’: ibid., p. 240, W letter to Hill 18/6/1812
‘Damned tempting’: Fortescue, vol. 8, p. 462
‘We have been looking’: Shulbrede archive, 7/1812
‘Wellington was in the thick’: Cooke, p. 120
‘one of our dragoons’: ibid.
‘It was a beautiful’: Gordon, p. 298, letter to Aberdeen 25/7/1812
‘dense mass of Frenchmen’: Simmons, p. 239
‘I have … determined’: WD, vol. 9, p. 299, letter to Bathurst 21/7/1812
‘very warm work’: Granville, vol. 2, p. 450, F. Ponsonby letter to mother 25/7/1812
‘Luckily we got over’: Simmons, p. 241
‘This was a lucky pipe’: Wheeler, p. 86
‘a little nervous’: Tomkinson, p. 192
‘I am glad he has’: Robinson, vol. 2, p. 155
‘The enemy are in motion’: there several accounts of this episode: see Grattan, p. 240: Fortescue, vol. 8, p. 487; Maxwell, vol. 1, p. 282
‘quite unruffled in his manner’: Grattan, p. 242
‘shot and shell were’: Donaldson, p. 164
‘the entire French division’: Grattan, p. 245
‘Murphy, dead and bleeding’: ibid., p. 246
‘Pakenham may not be’: WD, vol. 9, p. 395, W letter to Torrens 7/9/1812
‘Royals … this shall be’: Douglas, pp. 43–4
‘My God, Cotton!’: Combermere, vol. 1, p. 275
‘such [Frenchmen] as got away’: Grattan, p. 250
‘These men totally’: ibid., p. 251
‘I never saw an army’: Raglan papers, W letter to W. Wellesley-Pole 25/07/1812
‘It raises Wellington’s reputation’: Girod de L’Ain, p. 178
Chapter Eleven: One step forward, two steps back
‘The vigorous following’: Napier, History, p. 504
‘women of all ranks’: Stewart, p. 75, F. Ponsonby letter to his mother 2/8/1812
‘impossible to describe’: WD, vol. 9, p. 346, letter to Clinton 13/8/1812
‘They got hold of his legs’: Simmons, p. 248
‘never kissed by’: Cocks, p. 191
‘Their breath was so highly’: Wheeler, p. 91
‘a remarkably plain-looking’: Grattan, p. 269
‘on Castilian beauty’: Leach, p. 174
‘We had a grand ball’: Shulbrede archive, F. Ponsonby letter to his mother 23/8/1812
‘had the advantage of’: Gleason, p. 342
‘I certainly think him’: Gordon, p. 314, letter to Aberdeen 25/8/1812
‘Your observations are’: ibid., p. 328, letter from Aberdeen 8/10/1812
‘cry viva, and are very fond’: WD, vol. 9, p. 366, W letter to Bathurst 18/8/1812
‘What can be done’: ibid., pp. 369–70, W letter to Henry Wellesley 23/8/1812
172 ‘They came down the road’: Tomkinson, p. 207
‘affair was not well managed’: Gordon, p. 321, letter to Aberdeen 21/9/1812
‘I am getting apprehensive’: WD, vol. 9, p. 437, W letter to Bathurst 21/9/1812
‘I am afraid we shall’: ibid., p. 458, W letter to Hill 2/10/1812
‘sincere friend’: Tomkinson, p. 213
‘So highly did the Duke’: Royal United Services Institute Journal, Memoir of April 1837, p. 4
‘that no serious consequence’: Bessborough, p. 228, W. Ponsonby letter to Lord Bessborough 18/10/1812
‘met with a little accident’: ibid., p. 229, F. Ponsonby letter to Lady Duncannon 28/10/1812
‘I hope before Christmas’: WD, vol. 9, p. 394, W letter to George Murray 7/9/1812
‘Maybe yer satisfied’: Wellington, Anecdotes, p. 16
‘inadequacy of our means’: Sergeant William Ingilby, journal entry 8/9/1812, Firepower Museum, Woolwich, ref MD 797
‘He paid no attention’: WD, vol. 9, p. 566, W letter to Liverpool 23/11/1812
‘I have not been in the habit’: Aitchison, p. 210, journal entry 19/10/1812
‘state of discipline’: Gordon, pp. 334–5, letter to Aberdeen 28/10/1812
‘I have got clear’: WD, vol. 9, p. 519, W letter to Charles Stuart 31/10/1812
‘after a sojourn’: Grattan, p. 273
‘we were now walking’: Kincaid, p. 92
‘One of our men’: Todd, p. 89
‘Wellington supposed’: Bell, p. 97
‘there was this young’: Smith, p. 86
‘The poor fellow’: Donaldson, p. 173
‘The men’s clothes’: Hay, p. 77
‘It was truly’: ibid., p. 81
‘I have had the great good fortune’: ibid., pp. 91–2
‘Sometimes, indeed’: Donaldson, p. 174
‘Don’t the jaws’: Grattan, p. 293
‘ran mad. I remember’: Wheeler, p. 106
‘The commander of forces’: WSD, vol. 7, p. 470, W General Order 16/11/1812
‘from the powerful blow’: Hay, pp. 70–1
‘I looked on with surprise’: ibid., p. 83
‘I am concerned’: WD, vol. 9, p. 574, W to ‘Officers Commanding Divisions and Brigades’ 28/11/1812
‘too sweeping’: Leach, p. 183
‘afforded a handle’: Kincaid, p. 96
he couldn’t bring himself: Stewart, p. 78
‘in a hasty moment’: Tomkinson, p. 231
Britain would have to withdraw: Gordon, p. 342, letter to Aberdeen 19/11/1812
‘accomplished all he expected’: Hansard, vol. 24, col. 161, 3/12/1812
‘Thank God we have committed’: ibid., col. 168, 3/12/1812
‘most disastrous’: ibid., col. 163, 3/12/1812
‘power of England is not competent’: Aldington, p. 176
Chapter Twelve: I saw them fall like a pack of cards
‘Lord Wellington’s retreat’: Gordon, p. 346, letter from Aberdeen 7/12/1812
‘there is scarcely any French army’: WD, vol. 10, p. 114, W letter to Henry Wellesley 12/2/1813
‘has a good stud’: Larpent, vol. 1, p. 61, journal entry 26/1/1813
‘remarkably neat’: ibid., vol. 3, p. 6, journal entry 22/2/1814
‘then for an hour or two’: ibid., vol. 1, p. 66, journal entry 7/2/1813
‘Here are no books’: ibid., p. 36, journal entry 26/11/1812
‘It is impossible to imagine’: Leach, p. 183
‘This is the right sort of man’: Leach journal entry 1/2/1813, RGJ Museum archive, Winchester, ref 0717
‘very busy with parades’: Bell, p. 103
a substantial part of the French army: Urban, Codes, p. 260
&
nbsp; ‘great hilarity, buoyant spirit’: Bell, p. 109
‘Well here we go’: Urban, Rifles, p. 210
‘Farewell Portugal. I shall’: Maxwell, vol. 1, p. 310
‘All my staff: Croker, vol. 1, p. 336
‘What then was our excessive’: Leach, p. 190
‘They had on generally yellow’: Surtees, p. 164
‘It was a heavenly morning’: Schaumann, pp. 374–5
‘Hay, I am very ill’: Hay, p. 109
‘The bright morning sunshine’: Schaumann, p. 375
‘Immediately we marched’: Todd, p. 101
‘that he would have a drink’: ibid., p. 102
‘the wretched old firelocks’: Bell, p. 111
‘I found myself’: Cooke, p. 175
‘No, sir!’: Robinson, vol. 2, pp. 208–10
‘Who got that?’: Dobbs, p. 70
‘A whole regiment came’: Costello, p. 171
Harry Smith was galloping: Smith, pp. 97–100
‘That’s right, my lads’: Costello, p. 174
‘which I knew to be’: Kincaid, pp. 108–9
‘extreme disorder’: WD, vol. 10, p. 530, W letter to Picton 16/7/1813
‘clamour, the flashing’: Bell, p. 112
‘the principal part of the action’: Robinson, vol. 1, p. 205, Picton to his brother 27/6/1813
‘He replied no’: Lawrence, p. 95
‘good deal too old’: Aitchison, p. 241, letter home 19/6/1813
‘Our trumpet sounded’: Hay, pp. 113–14
‘in one confused mass’: Kincaid, pp. 109–10
‘Had all the cavalry’: Tomkinson, p. 251
‘Lord Wellington may not’: ibid., p. 255
‘They were young and good-looking’: Schaumann, p. 380
‘secured a small box’: Wheeler, p. 118
‘big sack, a cold fowl’: Bell, p. 117
‘I compelled him to lay it down’: Costello, pp. 175–7
‘but an Arab camp’: Wheeler, p. 119
‘In their lust of plunder’: Schaumann, p. 379
One document was extracted: Urban, Codes, p. 274
‘vagabond soldiers’: WD, vol. 10, p. 473, W letter to Bathurst 29/6/1813
‘We have in the service’: ibid., p. 496, W letter to Bathurst 2/7/1813
Chapter Thirteen: The finger of God is upon me
‘I was right in my military expectations’: Croker, vol. 1, p. 336
‘I never saw a large army’: Gordon, pp. 385–6, letter to Aberdeen 23/6/1813
‘I trust you will be satisfied’: WSD, vol. 8, p. 64, Liverpool letter to W 7/7/1813
‘Wellington — there’s a general’: Granville, vol. 2, p. 476, Lady Bessborough letter to Lord Granville Leveson-Gower, undated, probably 9/1813