George Gleig - Subaltern: Chronicle of the Peninsular War

First reprinted in 1969 by Leo Cooper

Reprinted in this format 2001 by
LEO COOPER
an imprint of Pen & Sword Books Limited
47 Church Street, Barnsley, South Yorkshire S70 2AS

Ian Campbell Robertson, 2001

ISBN 0 85052 830 5
PDF ISBN: 9781783377428
EPUB ISBN: 9781783379422
PRC ISBN: 9781783379224

A catalogue record for this book is available from
the British Library

Typeset in 10.5/12pt Sabon by
Phoenix Typesetting, Ilkley, West Yorkshire

Printed in England by
CPI UK

Contents

Maps and Plans

Chronology

Introduction

The first book on the Peninsular War I acquired was a copy of the first edition of Gleigs The Subaltern. That was over forty years ago, before the demand for such narratives caused them to rise in prices beyond the pocket of most of us. My interest in the subject had been excited by the fact that the families of my in-laws were from San Sebastin and Sare respectively, both close to the Franco-Spanish frontier, and our holidays were often spent in the vicinity of the battlefields so vividly described in this little book. Oman, the great historian of that war, when commenting on military memoirs of the period, remarked that not only was it charmingly written, but it had the additional merit of being trustworthy for matters of detail, sticking closely to personal experience and avoiding second-hand stories. Richard Ford, author of the Hand-Book for Travellers in Spain (1845), when referring to military authorities, observed that of the minor works of the period, among the most entertaining were those of Gleig, Sherer, and Kincaid. As The Subaltern was published three years prior to the appearance of the first volume of Napiers monumental History, on which too many later writers relied an understandable foible its author cannot be accused of plagiarism, whatever minor faults it may contain.

George Robert Gleig was born at Stirling on 20 April 1796 to Janet, the youngest daughter of Robert Hamilton of Kilbrackmont, and George Gleig (17531840), a pillar of the Scottish Episcopalian Church, who contributed frequently to the Gentlemans Magazine, among other periodicals. He also wrote several articles for the third edition of The Encyclopaedia Britannica, the last six volumes of which he edited from 1793. In October 1808 he was consecrated Bishop of Brechin.

Late in 1807 Napoleons troops under General Junot had crossed Spain to occupy Portugal, then allied to Britain; by the following Spring the French had also occupied Madrid. In May 1808 the Spaniards rebelled, uprisings taking place throughout the country. Envoys were sent to England to seek military support and, in August, an expeditionary force commanded by Sir Arthur Wellesley landed at Figuera da Foz on the west coast of Portugal some distance north of Lisbon, to win the battles of Rolia and Vimeiro. After the Convention of Sintra, by which the remaining French troops in Portugal were repatriated, Wellesley himself returned to England. It was during the following winter that the army, now under Sir John Moore, was forced to retreat to Corunna, in what might be described as the Dunkirk of its day. Wellesley then returned to the Peninsula and, after the battle of Talavera (July 1809), he was known as Viscount Wellington. He was able to delay Marshal Massnas advance on Lisbon at Busaco in the September of the following year and frustrated his capture of the capital by the Lines of Torres Vedras, secretly constructed during previous months, before pushing the invaders back to the Spanish frontier in the spring of 1811.

Like many other boys of his age, young Gleig must have followed the fortunes of the army with a lively interest, although so delicate was his health that his life was at one time despaired of, and he was taught at home by his father. He was then sent to the Stirling Grammar School, the rigours of which he survived, followed by studies under Dr Russell at Leith prior to attending Glasgow University. In 1811 the year in which the battles of Fuentes de Ooro and La Albuera were fought Gleig proceeded to Oxford, having gained a Snell exhibition to Balliol.

However, it was not long before he resigned this scholarship, finding himself unable to resist the urge to join Wellingtons victorious army in the Peninsula. Gleig obtained an ensigncy in the 85th Regiment of Light Infantry (the Bucks Volunteers), and joined his company at the Cove of Cork. Within a few months he was promoted Lieutenant, and thus we find him at the commencement of his chronicle at Hythe, impatiently awaiting orders to embark for Spain, delayed by bad weather until late July 1813.

First mentioned in Orders on 23 July, the 85th formed part of Lord Aylmers brigade, which took its place in the 1st Division, with which it always acted. On the resignation of Sir Thomas Graham due to his deteriorating eyesight, this Division was commanded by Sir John Hope (4th Earl of Hopetoun from 1816; he died in 1823). By the following January the 2/67th and 77th had joined Aylmers brigade, the 2/84th having been withdrawn, and soon afterwards the brigades strength was further increased by the arrival of the 1/37th.