History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 6Napier, William Francis Patrick
History
History of the war in the Peninsula and in the south of France from the year 1807 to the year 1814, vol. 6
Napier, William Francis Patrick
Peninsular War, 1807-1814
I have since I wrote my Justification procured some proofs about the
French numbers, you will find them in the following extracts from
the duke of Dalmatia’s correspondence of that time. They are worth
your attention. They throw some light upon the numbers of the allies,
and one of them shows unquestionably that my estimate of the French
numbers was, as I have before said, too high instead of too low. I
give the translations to avoid the trouble and expense of printing in
two languages, and I beg your lordship to observe that these extracts
are not liable to the praise of that generous patriotism which you
alluded to in speaking of French authors, because they were written
before the action and for the emperor’s information, and because it
was the then interest of the writer rather to exaggerate than to
lessen his own numbers, in order to give his sovereign an idea of his
activity and zeal.
Extract of a letter from MARSHAL SOULT to the PRINCE of WAGRAM.
_Seville, 22d April, 1811._
“General Latour Maubourg announces to me that general Beresford
commanding the Anglo-Portuguese army, and the Spanish generals
Castaños and Ballesteros with the remains of the corps of their
nation are united at Zafra, and I am assured that the whole of their
forces is twenty-five thousand men, of which three thousand are
cavalry.”
“Colonel Quennot of the ninth regiment of dragoons, who commands upon
the line of the Tinto and observes the movements on that side as far
as Ayamonte, informs me that on the 18th and 19th, general Blake
disembarked ten thousand infantry and seven hundred cavalry between
the mouths of the Piedra and the Guadiana. These troops come from
Cadiz, they have cannon, and Blake can unite in that part fifteen
thousand men.”
Ditto to Ditto.
“_May 4th, 1811._
“Cordova is menaced by a corps of English Portuguese and Spaniards,
many troops are concentrated in Estremadura, Badajos is invested,
Blake _has_ united on the Odiel an army of fifteen to sixteen
thousand men.” “I depart in four days with _twenty thousand
men_, _three thousand horses_, _and thirty pieces of cannon_ to
drive across the Guadiana the enemy’s corps which are spread in
Estremadura, to disengage Badajos and to facilitate the arrival of
count D’Erlon. If the troops which that general brings can unite
with mine, and if the troops coming from the armies of the north and
centre, and which I have already in part arranged, arrive in time,
I shall have in Estremadura, thirty-five thousand men five thousand
horses and forty pieces of artillery.”
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