Marshal Soult, Duke of Dalmatia
from the portrait by Girardet
[p. i]
A HISTORY OF THE
PENINSULAR WAR
BY
CHARLES OMAN
M.A. Oxon., Hon. LL.D. Edin.
FELLOW OF THE BRITISH ACADEMY
CHICHELE PROFESSOR OF MODERN HISTORY
FELLOW OF ALL SOULS COLLEGE
CORRESPONDING MEMBER OF THE REAL ACADEMIA
DE LA HISTORIA OF MADRID, OF THE ACADEMY OF LISBON
AND OF THE ACADEMY OF SAN LUIS OF SARAGOSSA
Vol. V
Oct. 1811 – Aug. 31, 1812
VALENCIA CIUDAD RODRIGO BADAJOZ
SALAMANCA MADRID
WITH MAPS AND ILLUSTRATIONS
OXFORD
AT THE CLARENDON PRESS
1914
[p. ii]OXFORD UNIVERSITY PRESS
LONDON EDINBURGH GLASGOW NEW YORK
TORONTO MELBOURNE BOMBAY
HUMPHREY MILFORD M.A.
PUBLISHER TO THE UNIVERSITY
[p. iii]
PREFACE
In this volume Wellington’s campaigning in 1812is followed no further than the day (August 31st) on which he set outfrom Madrid to drive back Clausel from the Douro. Reasons of space makeit impossible to include the siege of Burgos and the retreat whichfollowed. I had written the narrative of them, but found it impossibleto add six long chapters to the 620 pages already in print. The fact isthat, from the point of view of Wellington’s army, the year 1812 wasmuch more tightly packed with military events than any which had gonebefore. In 1809 there was nothing important to chronicle after August:in 1810 the Anglo-Portuguese did not come into the forefront of thewar till July, when Masséna had crossed the frontier and laid siege toAlmeida. In 1811 the year opened with a deadlock, which was only endedby the commencement of Masséna’s retreat on March 9th, and concludedwith a similar deadlock which endured from July to December—interruptedonly by the short campaign of El Bodon and Aldea