Wednesday, February 22

ASPECT OF LISBON (May 1809)

Leaves from the diary of an officer of the guards. Published 1854


We arrived at the inn, a dirty, spacious, dear,
and badly attended hotel, with good wine and good 
living, as we thought at least, who had just quitted 
a transport. On landing, we went to report our 
arrival to the Commandant, Colonel Peacock, of 
the Guards*, who asked us all to dine with him the 
next day. Mr. Stuart, our Minister, gave a ball, 
to which we were also invited. Neither "love nor 
money" however could procure me a bed at the 
inn that night ; all were filled ; some by officers who 
had come down on leave from the Army, others 
by those either embarking, or, like ourselves, dis- 
embarking; the squadron of our navy in the Tagus 
also took their share of the inns when they came 
on shore. Our men being still on board the trans- 
port, we were not entitled to billets ; I contrived at 
last, through a brother officer who had just left the 
army, to obtain a bed in the apartments of a friend 
of his, the Superior of a monastery. The goodly 
Monk, who bestowed upon me a lodging, was a lively 
comfortable-sized clerico, who, according to his own 
account, had dreamed of more things in his philo- 
sophy than saying his prayers ; and he spoke of the 
world, and what was passing in it, as one who was 
on good terms both with it and himself. 

In the evening we attended our dinner and ball ; 
the latter was very gay: the military and naval 
uniforms of our own country mingled with those 
of Portugal and Spain ; the dark eyes and expressive 
countenances of the Lisbon ladies, contrasted with 
the fair faces of our countrywomen, formed a novel 
and agreeable mixture. The women of Portugal 
have fine eyes, which are their principal attraction, 
and more expressive countenances than the tamer 
beauties of the North ; but their skin is generally 
sallow, and neither in clearness of complexion nor 
regularity of feature can they vie with their neigh- 
bours the Spaniards or the natives of Italy. With 
respect to the Portuguese men, they are generally 
a Jewish-looking race, and in the higher orders 
there prevails a diminutiveness of stature which is 
anything but dignified. 

The hospitable entertainment and affability of 
our Minister were well known and appreciated by 
the whole of the British Army during this event- 
ful period. At this ball we heard that intelligence 
had been received, that Marshal Massena with 
120,000 men had taken Ciudad Rodrigo, and ad- 
vanced ; and a sharp affair near Almeida, on the 
Coa, had taken place between our Light Division 
under Craufurd and the advance-guard of the 
French army ; that Massena was about to invade 
Portugal, and that our army was already in move- 
ment. We had it also intimated to us from the 
Commandant, that we were to shift our transports 
to others, and go by sea round to Mondego Bay. 

On our way from this gay scene, conning over 
the new order of our destination, we encountered 
an army of half-wild dogs in the streets. These 
animals, in conjunction with pigs, were the sole 
scavengers of Lisbon; and as night approached, 
the canine dustmen came forth from their dens in 
the ruins of the town, to feed on its filth, and fight 
over it half the night through. Sometimes even 
they were bold enough, if interrupted at their 
orgies, to attack foot-passengers. 

They were not destroyed, in consequence of the sanitary service 
they rendered to his Majesty of Portugal's capital. 






Saturday, February 11

Exploring Officers

Faced with a lack of information about his enemy, as well as the terrain
and countryside, Wellington wasted no time in being able to answer 
such a simple question as "what is over the next hill," by starting a 
corps of "Exploring Officers." Wellington recruited men who shared 
three distinct skills: they were fine horsemen, skilled linguists, and able
to express themselves in writing or sketching in the briefest and
most concise terms. 

One of the first duties in the winter of 1810 when the fighting was at a low
ebb, was for the Exploring Officers to map every bit of the Portuguese
countryside four miles to the inch. This they accomplished with the aid of
local inhabitants who knew their own immediate area but had often never
traveled beyond the sight of their villages or farms. 

With the countryside mapped, the next duty of exploring officers was to
be sent out on reconnaissance, moving behind enemy lines, learning troop
movements and strategic information & return this news to Wellington
in a timely manner.

John Waters of the Royal Scots was known as a wily and capable man
behind enemy lines. Despite his skill and stealth, he was caught by the
French and given up for dead by his regiment.
When Wellington was told about his capture and probable execution, he
delayed the usual splitting up of a lost soldier's personal possessions,
saying that "Waters would be back and would want his things."
Wellington was right, for Waters eventually returned. 

Considering that a soldier or officer caught behind enemy lines out of
uniform was immediately shot as a "spy," most of the exploring officers
wore their uniforms while they went about their jobs. 
However, John Grant was one of the few officers who considered himself
a spy and went about in disguise. He identified very closely with the
Portuguese people and adopted local dress, much to the horror of his
fellow officers. 

It would seem that these daring men, who took such great risks to aid their
fellow soldiers, would have been lauded after the war, but unfortunately
they were shunned by their regiments and in some cases not welcomed back
at all. They were regarded by officers of their former regiments to which they
belong as having been "gadding about" while the real business of war 
was being fought at the walls of Badajoz or on the fields of Salamanca. 
At least history has been kinder to these heroes and their exploits and
feats of skill and daring are now part of the annals of British history
as the founding members of Britain's military intelligence service.

The activities of Wellington's exploring officers during the Peninsular Wars,
are the stuff of legends, with lone British Officers on fast mounts, scurring
across the Spanish Peninsular to spy on french troops, bases and depots,
often liaising with partisans who would pass on any captured dispatches.
Of course their activities became well known to the french who would
leave no stone unturned in giving chase and tracking down these Officers.

Upon capture, their was little the french could do to punish them as
being in uniform and what's more fully commissioned Officers as well.
They were entitled to the same generous courtesies bestowed on
any Officers captured during the Napoleonic Wars.
Namely to be treated as 'prisoner officer guests' upon 'giving their parole'
either to be held until the next Officer exchange or else returned to
France, to be confined to one of the numerous 'Parole Towns' just 
like the ones set up in England.

expatua

Tuesday, February 7

«cést la fortune de la guerre.» - june 1811







in under the duke of wellington - random recollections of campaigns