Wellington’s Engineers: Military Engineering on the Peninsular War 1808-1814
Page 35
35. Oman, Peninsular War, Vol. 6, pp. 575, 578fn.
36. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 269.
37. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 5, p. 971. RE Journal, February 1890, p. 34.
38. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 5, p. 973.
39. Sabine, Frazer Letters, pp. 198–9. H. D. Jones also thought the breach should have been stormed the first night and waiting for the second breach would add no value. ‘Delays are dangerous!!’. RE Journal, February 1890, p. 34.
40. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 271.
41. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 2, p. 31; Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 268.
42. WSD, Graham to Wellington, 29 July 1813.
43. Burgoyne complains about this in his manuscript account of the siege, but it did not make its way into Wrottesley’s account. REM 5501-108-4, p. 111.
44. WD, Graham to Wellington, 27 Jul 1813; WSD, Fletcher to Graham, 27 July 1813.
45. Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 5, p. 973.
46. Sabine, Frazer Letters, p. 204.
47. WSD, Graham to Wellington, 24 July 1813.
48. Aspinal-Oglander, Freshly Remembered, pp. 256–7.
49. Quoted in Oman, Peninsular War, Vol. 6, p. 583.
50. Ibid, p. 584.
51. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, pp. 269–70.
52. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 2, p. 45.
53. RE Journal, January 1890, p. 34. H. D. Jones’ journal.
54. Carr-Gomm, Letters and Journals of Field-Marshal Gomm, pp. 311–12.
55. Ibid, pp. 314–16.
56. There are similar outspoken comments in the correspondence of most of the key engineers, including Elphinstone, Jones, Pasley, Squire, Burgoyne and Ross.
57. Connolly, History of the Corps of Sappers and Miners, pp. 194–7.
58. REM 5501-59-7, p. 65, Wright to Burgoyne, not dated.
59. WD, Wellington to Fletcher, Lesaca, 6 August 1813.
60. WSD, Graham to Wellington, Oyarzun, 14 August 1813.
61. WSD, Graham to Wellington, 28 August 1813 and 28 August 1813.
62. Sabine, Frazer Letters, p. 228. Burgoyne makes no mention of this advance battery being ordered.
63. Fletcher, Rhodes and Collyer killed. Burgoyne, Barry and Marshall wounded.
64. There were two officers senior to Burgoyne in the Peninsula, Elphinstone was at Lisbon and Goldfinch was at Pamplona.
65. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 273. The footnote on this page suggests that Burgoyne did not like the original plan and offered an alternative to Wellington on 25 July 1813, presumably after the failed assault. I can find no details of this alternate plan, but as mentioned above both Jones and Fletcher were of the view that Wellington wanted to persevere with the original plan of attack. Unfortunately, no-one has explained the reasoning behind the decision to persevere.
66. For example, WD, Wellington to Graham, 16 July 1813, 8:30 p.m.; 20 July 1813, 2 p.m.; 22 July 1813, 9 a.m.
67. RE Journal, January 1890, p. 32.
68. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, Vol. 1, p. 274.
69. REM 5501-79, Burgoyne to Rowley, 14 October 1813.
70. BL Add MS41963, Pasley Papers, Burgoyne to Pasley, 31 October 1813.
71. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, Vol. 1, p. 282.
72. WO55/959 Burgoyne to Mann, 10 September 1813.
73. REM 355.486, Jones Autobiography, manuscript, p. 58.
74. REM 4201-274, Elphinstone Letters, 22 March 1813.
75. BL Add41963 f. 131-2, Pasley papers, Burgoyne to Pasley, 24 November 1813.
76. REM 4201-274, Elphinstone to his wife, 13 October 1813.
77. REM 4201-274, Elphinstone to his wife, 16 October 1813.
78. REM 5501-79, Stanway to Burgoyne, 1 November 1813.
79. REM 5501-79, W. Reid to J. T. Jones, 3 November 1813.
80. Porter, History of the Royal Engineers, Vol. 1, p. 333.
81. WD, Wellington to Graham, 1 August 1813.
82. WD, Wellington to Bathurst, 8 August 1813.
83. WD, Wellington to Fletcher, Lesaca, 21 August 1813.
84. WSD, Murray to Fletcher Lesaca, 22 August 1813.
85. REM 5501-59-7, Pitts to Burgoyne, Lesaca, 25 August 1813.
86. WD, Wellington to Graham, 9 September 1813.
87. WD, Wellington to Graham, 17 September 1813.
88. WD, Wellington to Bathurst, 19 September 1813.
89. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 285.
90. WSD, Wellington to Wellesley, Lesaca, 12 September 1813.
91. Beatson, The Bidassoa and the Nivelle, pp. 60–1.
Chapter 9
1. Smith, Autobiography of Harry Smith, Vol. 1, p. 142.
2. Beatson, The Bidassoa and the Nivelle, p. 67.
3. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, Vol. 1, p. 286.
4. WSD, Hope to Wellington, Hendaye, 8 October 1813.
5. REM 5501-79, Reid to Jones, 3 November 1813. REM 5501-139, Reid to Burgoyne, 30 November 1813.
6. REM 4201-274, Elphinstone Letters, 23 October 1813.
7. WSD, Hope to Wellington, 1 November 1813.
8. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 287.
9. WSD, Hope to Wellington, Guethary, 12 November 1813.
10. WD, Wellington to Hope, St Pe, 14 November 1813.
11. Connolly, History of the Royal Corps of Sappers and Miners, Vol. 1, p. 198.
12. REM 5501-59-7, Pitts to Burgoyne, 1 December 1813.
13. REM 4201-274, 3 November 1813.
14. WSD, Wellington to Hope, 8 December 1813.
15. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, Vol. 1, pp. 287–8.
16. ADD MS41963, Pasley Papers, Burgoyne to Pasley, 17 January 1814.
17. Anton, Retrospective of a Military Life, p. 88.
18. Sabine, Frazer Letters, p. 357.
19. WSD, QMG to Cole, 15 December 1813.
20. REM 5501-59-7, Wright to Burgoyne, 13 December 1813.
21. REM 5501-59-7, H. D. Jones to J. T. Jones, 9 January 1814.
22. REM 4201-274, Elphinstone Letters, 23 January 1814 and 6 February 1814.
23. REM 4201-274, Elphinstone Letters, 16 January 1814. Also see Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 5, p. 1148.
24. Larpent, Private Journal, 3rd Edition, p. 405.
25. WSD Hope to Wellington, 23 February 1814.
26. WSD, Hope to Wellington, 24 February 1813; Penrose to Wellington, 24 February 1814.
27. WSD, Hope to Wellington, 25 February 1813.
28. WD, Wellington to Penrose, 7 February 1813.
29. Porter, History of the Royal Engineers, Vol. 1, p. 355.
30. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 2, pp. 122–3.
31. WD, Wellington to Hope, 2 March 1814.
32. WD Wellington to Hope, 25 February 1814.
33. Larpent, Private Journal, pp. 414–15.
34. Havard, Wellington’s Welsh General, p. 219.
35. WD, Wellington to Bathurst, St Sever, 4 March 1814.
36. WD, Wellington to Hope, St Lys, 26 March 1814
37. Larpent, Private Journal, p. 458 (NB not p. 488 as stated in Fortescue). Oman, Peninsular War, Vol. 7, p. 48. Fortescue, History of the British Army, Vol. 10, p. 67.
38. Sabine, Frazer Letters, p. 447.
39. REM 5501-59-7, Wright to Burgoyne, 28 March 1814.
40. REM 5501-59-7, Wright to Burgoyne, 13 April 1814.
41. NA WO55/959, Goldfinch to Elphinstone, 12 April 1814.
42. REM 5501-59-7, Wright to Burgoyne, 13 April 1814.
43. WD, QMG to officer commanding on right bank, 5 April 1814.
44. REM 5501-59-7, Wright to Burgoyne, 13 April 1814.
45. REM 5501-79, Wright to Burgoyne, 10 April 1814.
46. REM 5501-79, Reid to Burgoyne, 8 May 1814.
47. WD, Wellington to Hope, 5 March 1814.
48. WD, Wellington to Hope, 5 March 1814 and 8 March 1814.
49. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, p. 297fn.
Appendix 3
1. C. Raeuber, ‘Military T
opographical Reconnaissance in Portugal, 1810’ in Berkeley (ed.), New Lights on the Peninsular War, pp. 165–77.
2. Hewitt, Map of a Nation.
3. Raeuber, ‘Military Topographical Reconnaissance in Portugal, 1810’ in Berkeley (ed.), New Lights on the Peninsular War, p. 174
4. See Gomez, Velilla and Aguglario, Tomas Lopez’s Geographic Atlas of Spain in the Peninsular War.
5. Thomas Jefferys, A New Map Of The Kingdoms Of Spain And Portugal With Their Principal Divisions, London, 1790.
6. WO55/958, Neville to Rowley, 17 March 1809.
7. BL Add63106, ff.9-10, Squire to Bunbury, 10 September 1810.
8. This is referring to W. G. Elliot RA – Treatise on the Defence of Portugal. REM 4601-86, Ross to Dalrymple, 14 December 1810.
9. Taken from Dr John Peaty’s presentation to Wellington Congress 2010, ‘Wellington’s Surveyors and Map-Makers in the Peninsula’.
10. NA 37/10, Scovell Papers. Not dated or signed.
11. Rice Jones, An Engineer Officer under Wellington, p. 13.
12. BL Add MS57544, f.204. Mackenzie to Moore, 13 December 1808.
13. Foster, Sir Thomas Livingstone Mitchell and his World.
14. NA WO55/1561/9, dated 9 November 1808.
15. Centeno, O Exercito Aliado Anglo-Português 1808-14, p. 339.
16. NA WO37/10, Murray to Scovell, 26 September 1808.
17. Centeno, O Exercito Aliado Anglo-Português 1808-14, pp. 338–43.
Appendix 4
1. RE Journal, January 1890, p. 4.
2. RE Journal, June 1943, Article on the Royal Staff Corps 1800–37, pp. 83–4.
3. Leith-Hay, Narrative of the Peninsular War, Vol. 1, pp. 300–10.
4. WD, Wellington to Liverpool, Niza, 18 April 1811.
5. NA WO55/959, Fletcher to Morse, 17 October 1811.
6. Based on the details in Dickson, Manuscripts, Vol. 5, p. 830.
7. RE Journal, January 1890, p. 6.
8. RE Journal, 1870, p. 14.
Appendix 5
1. Royal Military Chronicle, Vol. 1, part, 1, November 1810, p. 40.
2. Guggisberg, The Shop, pp. 1–2.
3. Ibid, pp. 264–5.
4. Ibid, p. 4.
5. Connolly & Edwards, Roll of Officers of the Corps of Royal Engineers, p. 10; Guggisberg, The Shop, p. 258.
6. W. D. Jones, Records of the Royal Military Academy, p. 81.
7. Guggisberg, The Shop, pp. 12–13.
8. W. D. Jones, Records of the Royal Military Academy, p. 91.
9. Guggisberg, The Shop, p. 14.
10. Ibid, p. 15.
11. Ibid, p. 44.
12. W. D. Jones, Records of the Royal Military Academy, p. 97.
13. Guggisberg, The Shop, p. 15.
14. James, The Regimental Companion, p. 38.
15. Duncan, History of the Royal Regiment of Artillery, Vol. 1, p. 110.
16. Guggisberg, The Shop, pp. 54–5.
17. Ibid, p. 33.
18. W. D. Jones, Records of the Royal Military Academy, p. 53.
19. Guggisberg, The Shop, p. 35.
20. W. D. Jones, Records of the Royal Military Academy, p. 54, 11 March 1795.
21. Ibid, p. 65.
22. Ibid, p. 75.
23. For example, Birch 1793; Lefebure 1793; Elphinstone 1793; Thackeray 1794; Squire 1797; Burgoyne 1798; Goldfinch 1798; J. T. Jones 1798; Pasley 1799; G. C. Ross 1799; Fanshawe 1801; Nicholas 1801; Boothby 1804; E. R. Mulcaster 1804.
24. REM 5501-79, Pasley to J. T. Jones, 3 February 1811.
25. Ward, The School of Military Engineering, p. 5.
26. Connolly, History of the Royal Sappers and Miners, Vol. 1, pp. 183–4. Warrant for increase signed 28 May 1811.
27. REM 5501-59-1, Jones diary, Vol. 1, entry dated 25 April 1811.
28. Connolly, History of the Royal Sappers and Miners Vol. 1, p. 179; J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, Vol. 1, p. 10.
29. BL, ADD63106, Squire letters, f. 28. Squire also makes mention of artificers (i.e. RMA) and junior officers being trained in a letter of 30 April 1811.
30. REM 5501-59-2, Jones’ diary, 9 November 1811.
31. BL, ADD41963, ff.13-16. Squire to Pasley, 3 March 1812. Portalegre.
32. BL, ADD41963, ff. 38-40, Pasley to his sister, 2 May 1812.
33. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, Vol. 1, p. 166, Pasley to Burgoyne, 2 March 1812.
34. WD, Wellington to Liverpool, 11 February 1812.
35. Athenaeum, 27 April 1889, p. 537, Wellington to Liverpool, 7 April 1812.
36. BL, ADD63106, Squire Letters, ff. 54-5, 8 April 1812.
37. BL, ADD41962, f. 149. Pasley Papers, Pasley to Fyers, 12 May 1809.
38. REM 4601-79, f. 49, John Rowley to Pasley, 6 August 1811.
39. BL, ADD41962, Pasley Papers, ff. 359-60, Pasley to Lord Mulgrave, 11 December 1811.
40. BL, ADD41963, Pasley Papers, ff. 1-2, Pasley to Gother Mann, 18 January 1812.
41. BL, ADD41963, Pasley Papers, ff. 9-10, John Rowley to Pasley, 17 February 1812.
42. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, Vol. 1, p. 164, Fletcher to IGF, 29 January 1812.
43. Ward, The School of Military Engineering, p. 5.
44. Royal Military Chronicle, May 1812, Gazette dated 24 April 1812, announcing dispatch received previous day.
45. See WO54/252 for officers commissioned in 1812.
46. BL, ADD41962, Pasley papers, ff. 38-40, Pasley to his sister, 2 May 1812.
47. Wrottesley, Life of Burgoyne, Vol. 1, p. 166, Pasley to Burgoyne, 2 March 1812.
48. WO47/291, 11 May 1812.
49. REM 4501-65, ‘Memoir relative to the Royal Sappers and Miners No 1, 1813’.
50. BL, ADD41963, Pasley papers, ff.60-61, Dickens to Pasley, 4 September 1812. Dickens had been CRE at Malta from 1800 to 1812, then returning to England. According to the returns, he was on leave at this time, before returning to Malta in February 1813.
51. REM 4501-65. These comments are taken from Pasley’s ‘Memoir relative to the Sappers and Miners’.
52. Kealey, General Sir Charles William Pasley, p. 13, quoting Pasley, talking about planned content of second part of his Essay.
53. J. T. Jones, Journal of Sieges, 1st edition, p. ix.
54. Kealey, General Sir Charles William Pasley, p. 9.
55. REM 5501-79, Burgoyne to Squire, 4 January 1811.
56. REM 2201-79, Dickenson to Burgoyne, 9 January 1811.
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