The Private Journal of Judge-Advocate Larpent: Attached to the Headquarters of Lord Wellington During the Peninsular War, from 1812 to Its Close

by Francis Seymour Larpent, Ian Robertson (Introduction)

Reprinted over a century and a half since first being published, this facsimile of the Third Edition, which was referred to by Sir Charles Oman as being the best for hard facts. As Judge-Advocate-General, charged with the responsibility of reforming and simplifying the disciplinary machinery in the Duke of Wellington's army, Larpent was in almost daily contact with the Duke himself and has provided an excellent firsthand account of the working of Wellington's headquarters.

Genres: Biography

608 pages, Hardcover

First published April 1, 2001

Reviews

['Aussie Rick' · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed reading Mr Larpent’s journal that he kept during his time attached to the Duke of Wellington’s headquarters during the later stages of the Peninsula campaign and the invasion of France (1812-1814). The journal is made up of his daily observations and letters back home and offer an interesting and enjoyable insight into the going-on’s of the British army on campaign.

Don’t expect accounts of dashing cavalry charges and hard-fought battles by lines of Redcoats, it’s not that sort of book and to be honest I was not too sure if I would enjoy reading of the daily doings of a Judge-Advocate but I did. His honest account of the final stages of the campaign in Spain was quite fun and offered some interesting views on things around him, like this:

“People here are all very sore about the Americans and our taken frigates. I think we deserve it a little. Our contempt for our old descendants and half brothers has always rather disgusted me, and with some English is carried so far as not to be bearable. This reverse may set matters right. The Americans have faults enough; we should allow them their merits. Our sailors all thought the Americans would not dare look them in the face. I think the army rather rejoice, and laugh aside at all this falling on the navy, as they bullied so much before.”

The author also highlights some of the mundane but also vitally important issues of some of the logistical problems associated with warfare during this period:

"Yesterday, the 2nd of August, our orders were to proceed again to Lezeca. We started, and got into all the baggage of head-quarters (three divisions) eight miles extent if loaded mules in a string. There was a halt of about four hours, and no one could move."

And:

“The other day the Commissary-general told him [Wellington] that we had eaten nearly all the oxen in the country, that the cultivation of the lands in Portugal could not go on for want of them, and that he scarcely knew where to turn for a supply of beef, as there was this year no reserve store near Lisbon. Lord Wellington said, ‘Well then, we must now set about eating all the sheep, and when they are gone I suppose we must go.’ And General M____ added, ‘Historians will say that the British army came and carried on war in Spain and Portugal until they had eaten all the beef and mutton in the country, and were then compelled to withdraw.’ Without joking, I fear our Commissariat may have great difficulties next year.”

Another interesting observation in the journal was in regards to one of Wellington’s troublesome commanders, General Craufurd:

“On one occasion, near Guinaldo, he remained across a river by himself; that is, with his own division only, nearly a whole day after he was called in by Lord Wellington. He said he knew that he could defend his position. Lord Wellington, when he came back, only said, ‘I am glad to see you safe, Craufurd.’ To which the latter replied, ‘Oh, I was in no danger, I assure you.’ ‘But I was, from your conduct,’ said Lord Wellington. Upon which Craufurd observed, ‘He is d____ crusty to-day’.”

And this account of the sometimes civilized nature of warfare during this period:

"We carry on war in a very civilized manner, especially if a little anecdote related to me yesterday be correct. One of our officers, it seems, I believe Major Q____, was riding a troublesome horse close to the French pickets, and partly from the violence of his horse, and partly from his own inadvertence, he got close to a French sentinel. The latter called out several times that he was French, and ordered him off, and at last presented his bayonet. The horse still plunging on, and the officer apparently not understanding the man, the French sentry turned the horse the other way by the bridle, and sent him back without offering any harm to either beast or rider, though he might have killed or taken both."

Overall this is an enjoyable and fun book providing the reader with some insightful comments of this period of the Napoleonic wars but also a sort of travelogue of what the author saw and experienced in his travels through Spain and France.

[Elizabeth Grant]

What was the weather like in St Jean de Luz in January 1814? How did army officers send and receive private letters? How did camp life work? If you had to go back to England, how would you travel?

I came to this book with some very specific research questions. It gives all the answers, and I rather enjoyed Larpent's style, too, a curious combination of dry and gossipy.