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Wellington's Army, 1809-1814 — Charles Oman

Wellington's Army, 1809-1814

Charles Oman

  • History
  • Book language: English
  • 384 pages

A historical study of the British army under Wellington in the Peninsular War. It examines its organization, daily life, and the outlook of the soldiers, while also treating strategy and tactics. It offers listeners a grounded view of how the army actually worked.

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Cover of the original edition (Project Gutenberg, public domain).

Text source: gutenberg.org · The work is in the public domain.

Opening of the book

WELLINGTON’S ARMY

PLATE I.

AǡǵƒǼǡ WŧƯƯŧǪƯŧΏ, DǼƫŧ Ljż WŧƯƯƗƿƄǵLjƿ.

From a portrait by Sir Thomas Lawrence.

WELLINGTON’S

ARMY

1809–1814

BY

C. W. C. OMAN

M.A. OXON., HON. LL.D. EDIN.

CHICHELE PROFESSOR OF MODERN HISTORY IN THE UNIVERSITY OF OXFORD

WITH ILLUSTRATIONS

SECOND IMPRESSION
LONDON
EDWARD ARNOLD
1913
[All rights reserved]

PREFACE

Much has been written concerning Wellington and his famous

Peninsular Army in the way of formal history: this volume, however, will I think contain somewhat that is new to most students concerning its organization, its day by day life, and its psychology. To understand the exploits of Wellington’s men, it does not suffice to read a mere chronicle of their marches and battles. I have endeavoured to collect in these pages notices of those aspects of their life with which no strategical or tactical work can deal, though tactics and even strategy will not be found unnoticed.

My special thanks are due to my friend Mr. C. T. Atkinson, Fellow of Exeter College, Oxford, for allowing me to use the admirable list of the brigade and divisional organization of the Peninsular Army which forms Appendix II. It is largely expanded from the article on the same topic which he printed eight years ago in the Historical Review, and enables the reader to find out the precise composition of every one of

Wellington’s units at any moment between April, 1808 and April,

1814. I have also to express my gratitude to the Hon. John Fortescue, the author of the great History of the British Army, for answering a good many queries which I should have found hard to solve without his aid. The index is by the same loving hand which has worked on so many of my earlier volumes.

C. OMAN.

OΎżLjǡŠ,

September, 1912.

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Contents

  1. WELLINGTON’S ARMY
  2. PREFACE
  3. CONTENTS
  4. LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS
  5. WELLINGTON’S ARMY
  6. CHAPTER I INTRODUCTORY—THE OLD PENINSULAR ARMY
  7. CHAPTER II SOURCES OF INFORMATION—THE LITERATURE OF THE PENINSULAR WAR
  8. CHAPTER III THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON—THE MAN AND THE STRATEGIST
  9. CHAPTER IV WELLINGTON’S INFANTRY TACTICS—LINE VERSUS COLUMN
  10. CHAPTER V WELLINGTON’S TACTICS—THE CAVALRY AND ARTILLERY
  11. CHAPTER VI WELLINGTON’S LIEUTENANTS—HILL, BERESFORD, GRAHAM
  12. CHAPTER VII WELLINGTON’S LIEUTENANTS—PICTON, CRAUFURD, AND OTHERS
  13. CHAPTER VIII THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY: HEADQUARTERS
  14. CHAPTER IX THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY: BRIGADES AND DIVISIONS
  15. CHAPTER X THE ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY: THE REGIMENTS
  16. CHAPTER XI INTERNAL ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENT: THE OFFICERS
  17. CHAPTER XII INTERNAL ORGANIZATION OF THE REGIMENT: THE RANK AND FILE
  18. CHAPTER XIII THE AUXILIARIES: THE GERMANS AND THE PORTUGUESE
  19. CHAPTER XIV DISCIPLINE AND COURT-MARTIALS
  20. CHAPTER XV THE ARMY ON THE MARCH
  21. CHAPTER XVI IMPEDIMENTA: THE BAGGAGE—LADIES AT THE FRONT
  22. CHAPTER XVII A NOTE ON SIEGES
  23. CHAPTER XVIII UNIFORMS AND WEAPONS
  24. CHAPTER XIX THE COMMISSARIAT
  25. CHAPTER XX A NOTE ON THINGS SPIRITUAL
  26. APPENDIX I.
  27. APPENDIX II DIVISIONAL AND BRIGADE ORGANIZATION AND CHANGES. 1809–1814.
  28. APPENDIX III. PENINSULAR AUTOBIOGRAPHIES, JOURNALS, LETTERS, ETC.
  29. FOOTNOTES
  30. INDEX

and 2 more chapters

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