'Aussie Rick'’s Comments (group member since Jun 13, 2009)

'Aussie Rick'’s comments from the THE NAPOLEONIC WARS group.

Thanks Betsy and I would like to pass on the same message to all our group members.

That's good to hear Betsy, glad that it was worth while in persisting and continuing on to the second volume.

Destruction and mayhem comes too easy to many Betsy!

Betsy wrote: "Am enjoying this second volume by Foy. He certainly goes into detail about the French in Portugal in 1807-08. One thing that strikes me as bizarre is that many of the Portugeuse were prepared to be..."

For a man who was adept at reading his enemies intentions he seems quite inept at the job in the Peninsular.

Great post Scott, totally agree with you in all respects. I love this painting of Ney with the rearguard:

https://artuk.org/discover/artworks/m...

The same point was raised by Sir Charles Oman in regards to Napoleon's orders to his Marshals in Spain and how much they contributed to the many disasters that befell the French forces in the Peninsular.

I hope its still a good story, bummer about 9 volumes!

I'm sorry to hear that Betsy, fingers crossed volume two offers you a decent account of the Peninsular War.

"A History of the Peninsular War, volume V" - Some observations/commentary by General Foy on the Battle of Salamanca:

"Undoubtedly the best summary and encomium of Wellington's tactics on this eventual day is that of an honest enemy, the very capable and clear-sighted Foy, who wrote in his diary six days after the fight:

'The battle of Salamanca is the most masterly in its management, the most considerable in the number of troops engaged, and the most important in results of all the victories that the English have gained in these latter days. It raises Lord Wellington almost to the level of Marlborough. Hitherto we had been aware of his prudence, his eye for choosing a position, and his skill in utilizing it. At Salamanca he has shown himself a great and able master of manoeuvres. He kept his dispositions concealed for almost the whole day: he waited till we were committed to our movement before he developed his own: he played a safe game: he fought in the oblique order - it was a battle in the style of Frederic the Great. As for ourselves, we had no definite intention of bringing on a battle, so that we found ourselves let in for it without any preliminary arrangements having been made. The army was moving without much impulse or supervision, and what little there was stopped with the wounding of the Marshal'."

Battle of Salamanca:
https://www.britishbattles.com/penins...

Some good web pages on the Battle of Salamanca:

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/battle-...

https://warfarehistorynetwork.com/202...

I hope Foy provides a good account of the fighting at Salamanca so keep us posted Betty. The best book that I have read on this battle so far has been Rory Muir's account:

Salamanca, 1812 by Rory Muir

Thanks MR9 :)

"A History of the Peninsular War, volume V" - Here is Foy's opinion on the Battle of Salamanca:

"His critic, Foy, held otherwise. 'The Duke of Ragusa,' he wrote, 'insinuated that the battle of the 22nd was lost because, after his own wounding, there was a gap in the command, anarchy, and disorder. But it was the Duke who forced on the battle, and that contrary to the advice of General Clausel. His left was already beaten when he was disabled: already it was impossible either to refuse a battle or to give it a good turn. It was only possible to attenuate the disaster - and that was what Clausel did'."

General Maximilien-Sébastien Foy:
https://www.frenchempire.net/biograph...

https://shannonselin.com/2015/04/gene...

https://www.napoleon-series.org/milit...

Betsy wrote: "Just came upon this statement by Foy, who has been discussing the real reasons behind the troubles between Spain and France: "A badly cultivated soil always produces weeds. In a a despotic court, D..."

I take it Foy is referring to Madame la Comtesse Dubarry:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Madame_...

Just a small note to wish all our group members a very Merry Christmas and all the best for 2021!

I loved the first two books plus they were on the battles of Eylau and Friedland which you don't always find a lot of material on so I have high hopes for the third and final volume in the series.

"A History of the Peninsular War, volume V" - From a first-hand account, Wellington has seen the opening he needs to destroy Marmont's forces in front of him and races to his right flank:

"His words were few and his ordered brief. Tapping Pakenham on the shoulder, he said, 'Edward, move on with the 3rd Division, take those heights in your front - and drive everything before yo.' 'I will, my lord,' was the laconic reply of the gallant Sir Edward. A moment after, Lord Wellington was galloping on to the next division, to give (I suppose) orders to the same effect, and in less than half an hour the battle had commenced."

A History of the Peninsular War, volume V, October 1811-August 31, 1812: Valencia, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Madrid by Charles William Chadwick Oman

Geez, that's not too good Betsy, I hope it gets better! I was considering getting a copy of Foy's books as he pops up a lot in many account of the Peninsular War and comes across as a very competent commander.

"A History of the Peninsular War" - Sir Charles Oman provides a good description of the parallel march of the British and French forces prior to the clash at Salamanca:

" ... As the long morning wore on, the two hostile forces gradually grew closer to each other, owing to the new westward turn which Marmont had given to his van. At last they were within long artillery range; but for some time no shot was fired, neither party willing to take the responsibility of attacking an enemy in perfect order and well closed up for battle. Either general could have brought on a fight, by simply fronting to flank, in ten minutes; but neither did so. Marmont remarks in his Memoires that in his long military service he never, before or after, saw such a magnificent spectacle as this parallel march of two bodies of over 40,000 men each, at such close quarters. Both sides kept the most admirable order, no gaps occurred in either line, nor was the country one that offered advantage to either: it was very nearly flat, and the depression of the Poreda brook became at last so slight and invisible that it was crossed without being noticed. The ground, however, on which the French were moving was a little higher than that on which the allies marched."

Indeed Betsy, the poor old horse and mule; the powerhouse of the Empire. I know after the Russian debacle the lack of horses was very detrimental to Napoleon's 1813 and 1814 campaigns.