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The Role of the British Cavalry 1808-1814 Mark T Florida State University Libraries Electronic Theses, Treatises and Dissertations The Graduate School 2005 Command and Control in the Peninsula: The Role of the British Cavalry 1808-1814 Mark T. Gerges Follow this and additional works at the FSU Digital Library. For more information, please contact [email protected] THE FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY COLLEGE OF ARTS AND SCIENCES COMMAND AND CONTROL IN THE PENINSULA: THE ROLE OF THE BRITISH CAVALRY 1808-1814 By MARK T. GERGES A Dissertation submitted to the Department of History in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy Degree Awarded: Summer Semester, 2005 Copyright © 2005 Mark T. Gerges All Rights Reserved The members of the Committee approve the dissertation of Mark T. Gerges defended on 15 June 2005. ______________________________ Donald D. Horward Professor Directing Dissertation ______________________________ Alec Hargreaves Outside Committee Member ______________________________ William O. Oldson Committee Member ______________________________ Michael Creswell Committee Member ______________________________ Jonathan Grant Committee Member The Office of Graduate Studies had verified and approved the above named committee members. ii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS With an endeavor of this scale, the list of people that facilitated my research and provided guidance over the years is vast. I owe a debt of thanks to the staff of the Florida State University’s Strozier Library Special Collections and sub-basement staff, where this project started. The archives in Great Britain provided the guidance and assistance I needed to successfully mine their vast holdings in the limited time I had. I would like to thank C.M. Woolgar in particular and the staff of the Special Collections at the University of Southampton for their assistance with the Wellington Papers; the staff of the National Army Museum, Chelsea, London, in using their valuable and under-utilized journals and correspondence; and the staff of the Public Records Office, Kew Gardens. The library staffs, and especially the inter-library loan personnel, from the United States Military Academy Cadet Library and the Combined Arms Research Library at Fort Leavenworth, provided exemplary service in locating books when given the most rudimentary of information, particularly Sharon Strein and Joanne Knight. I would like to express my appreciation for the faculty that guided me over the course of this enterprise. Since 1992, my major professor, Dr. Donald Horward, has been a mentor, a friend, an encouragement and set the example for so many of his students. Without his commitment and support this dissertation could not have been completed. To finish this study before he retired, he spent months working with me going through the various drafts. He has given freely of his time and expertise over the years it has taken to see this project through to fruition. His vast knowledge of this period and the sources has been truly amazing. His example can never be surpassed, only emulated. I would also like to thank Dr. William Olson, Dr. Jonathan Grant, Dr. Michael Creswell and Dr. Alec Hargreaves for their support and consent to serve on my committee. Numerous colleagues and friends have assisted throughout the years by listening to ideas, providing feedback on graduate papers, and encouraging my completion. Many of my ideas in this dissertation have been formed from their comments and observations in our graduate seminars. At the Institute of Napoleon and the French Revolution, Hal Blanton, Lew Cook, Michael Leggerie and John Weinzierl, all provided frank and candid feedback. At the iii Department of History at West Point, Colonel Bob Doughty, Colonel Casey Brower, Colonel Cole Kingseed and Colonel Jim Johnson fostered the environment to write, and provided opportunities to conduct research in Europe. I must also mention the Association of Graduates at the U.S. Military Academy for the two grants that allowed me to research in Europe. At the United States Army Command and General Staff College, I would particularly like to thank Colonel Clay Edwards for his encouragement as I was working on this project. Friends and colleagues at the Command and General Staff College that provided that final impetus to finish were Dr. Tim Challans, and Dr. Ethan Rafuse, among many others, and Dr. Alex Bielakowski who assumed my teaching duties at short notice so I could pursue the Research Fellowship. Through the years, I could count on the mentorship of Brigadier General (retired) Jack Mountcastle. A former brigade commander of mine, he has his Ph.D. in history and showed me that an armor officer could pursue an advanced degree and an army career. General Mountcastle will now have to find another way to close his letters. I also owe special thanks to two good friends that fit into multiple categories of those who assisted me. Dr. Curt King has listened to my complaints, commented on my ideas, and provided feedback on numerous occasions both at West Point and Fort Leavenworth. Lieutenant Colonel Brian DeToy was one of the graduate students that critiqued my ideas at the Institute; then encouraged me on the faculty of the U.S. Military Academy and then at the Command and General Staff College. Brian was always willing to impart an insight, and opened his “Archives DeToy” to answer many questions or fill gaps in my research. Tom Gerges, my father, deserves a special mention for his willingness to follow me, in the middle of an Iberian summer, to view yet another seemingly empty field. Viewing the terrain to help gain an appreciation and understanding of a 200-year-old journal comment was much more enjoyable with a designated driver. My wife, Katherine, and children, Alexander and Sarah, have been a blessing and inspiration to me. That both my children have a love for history has been very satisfying for me and made for more interesting dinner conversation. Their love and encouragement has kept me going and helped me reach my goal. Katherine has accepted this project with all of its demands and ramifications over the years without complaint. Whether it was being tolerant that I had to own another old book, or her willingness to get her own reader’s ticket in London so she could assist me in the archives, she has been my source of strength and steadfastly supported my work. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS List of Figures ..............................................................................................vii Abstract ..............................................................................................xi INTRODUCTION ..............................................................................................1 CHAPTER 1 PRELIMINARIES: REORGANIZATION AND REFORM OF THE BRITISH CAVALRY, 1794-1808. ................................5 CHAPTER 2 THE FIRST TESTS .......................................................................27 The La Coruña Campaign..............................................................38 CHAPTER 3 ADVANCED GUARD: THE OPORTO CAMPAIGN.................54 CHAPTER 4 THE TALAVERA CAMPAIGN...................................................67 CHAPTER 5 PROTECTING THE ARMY.........................................................82 Action at Gallegos .........................................................................95 Action at Villar de Puerco .............................................................98 CHAPTER 6 MASSÉNA’S INVASION OF PORTUGAL ................................110 CHAPTER 7 STALEMATE AND ADVANCE .................................................132 Events in Extremadura...................................................................139 CHAPTER 8 CAMPO MAYOR ........................................................................156 CHAPTER 9 FUENTES D’OÑORO ..................................................................168 CHAPTER 10 ALBUERA AND USAGRE..........................................................185 The Combat at Usagre ...................................................................195 CHAPTER 11 BADAJOZ AND EL BODON ......................................................201 El Bodon ........................................................................................217 Arroyo dos Molinos.......................................................................223 v CHAPTER 12 SPRING 1812—CUIDAD RODRIGO AND BADAJOZ.............231 Cavalry Operations Around Badajoz.............................................235 The Cavalry Combat at Llerena.....................................................242 CHAPTER 13 RETURN TO THE NORTH AND MAQUILLA..........................250 The Bridge at Almaraz...................................................................255 The Combat at Maquilla ................................................................258 CHAPTER 14 MANEUVERING BEFORE SALAMANCA...............................263 The Rear-Guard Action at Castrejon .............................................273 CHAPTER 15 THE BATTLE OF SALAMANCA...............................................280 Garcia Hernandez ..........................................................................291 CHAPTER 16 MISSED OPPORTUNITIES.........................................................299 The Action at Majalahonda............................................................304 CHAPTER 17 ACTION IN THE SOUTH AND THE RETREAT FROM BURGOS........................................................315 Combat at Venta del Pozo .............................................................330 CHAPTER
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