The Napoleon Series The Bailen Enquiry Part IX: The Correspondence for the Critical Days By Susan Howard The correspondence between Dupont and Vedel for the critical days was available to the prosecution since Vedel had kept his register of correspondence, some letters were given in full at the enquiry and formed a major part of the prosecution case. Dupont repeatedly asked to see these letters but never received them. I have placed them here rather than in the enquiry procedure because there is other correspondence available which gives a fuller picture. Some of this was available to the enquiry but not all. Dupont's letters to Savary were intercepted and published in an English paper; I have included some correspondence between the Spanish officers which Titeux took from Arteche: “Guerra de la Indepencia” Dupont wrote to Savary July 15th giving an account of the advance of the enemy and the fighting at Andujar. “The enemy has similarly sent a considerable corps beyond Mengibar, situated on the road from Jaen by Bailen. General Liger-Belair is covering that position in order to defend the La Carolina road and the same night General Vedel has reinforced him with the whole of his division. I do not yet possess the necessary information but I have grounds for thinking that General Vedel has held his post with advantage. General Gobert marched this morning to Bailen to assist General Vedel. His division is much weakened by having had to detach six other battalions of which three are stationed in La Mancha and the Sierra-Morena for the security of the communications. It is of the greatest importance that this corps should reassemble as soon as possible.” On July 15th Gobert wrote to Dupont from Bailen at 3pm that he had heard the enemy was at Baeza and heading for La Carolina. “My position is embarrassing: after having assured myself of his march, if I go to him I risk being separated from you; if I remain the gate to Madrid is closed against us.” Dupont replied that evening at 9pm: “I am surprised that General Liger-Belair has not heard of the movement of the enemy on Baeza. I have often recommended surveillance of this point. The position of La Carolina is of the greatest importance. If the enemy is really going there it is necessary to get there quickly and to establish a stubborn defence.” He advised him to bring forward the troops left in the rear. “It will be necessary at the same time to occupy Bailen to connect our position from La Carolina to Andujar. I will leave it entirely to you. You know as well as I do the importance of La Carolina. This post must be held at all costs.” Vedel to Dupont July 15th: reporting on the situation at Mengibar he estimated the enemy strength at 3,500 but did not think they were planning to attack. “The ADC Desfontaines has just arrived. He has given me YE's instructions. As I firmly believe that the attack will not take place at this point I will only leave four companies more to General Belair, I am putting under the orders of General Gobert and I believe I cannot do better that to march to you with the rest of my division. I am persuaded that YE will not disapprove of this movement that I make with great pleasure.” He said he was © 1995 – 2016 The Napoleon Series forwarding a letter from Gobert, presumably the 3pm letter which Dupont got at 9pm: he left for Andujar at 5pm. On the 16th Dupont wrote to Savary again to report that the enemy was holding the same position and they were expecting another attack. “General Vedel is guarding the road from Jaen to Bailen and I have charged him to watch that from Jaen to Ubeda. I have also charged General Gobert to guard the road which leads to La Carolina which is of the greatest importance for maintaining our communications with Madrid. I believe, as I have already said to YE many times, that we must not lose any time in resuming our offensive operations.” He also wrote to Belliard asking for reinforcements and in particular that the Madrid road should be covered so that Gobert could join him with his whole division. “If we allow the enemy to hold the field in the south all the provinces and line troops will hasten to make common cause with the rebels. A decisive blow in Andalusia will contribute greatly to the submission of all Spain.” He also asked for doctors and bandages since the enemy had been intercepting ambulances coming from Toledo. Gobert wrote to Dupont on the 16th acknowledging receipt of letters from Dupont: the one Dupont had written at noon had reached him at midnight and the two others written at 2pm and 9pm on the 15th had arrived at 4am. He gave an account of his dispositions; he would have sent some biscuit from Bailen to Andujar but had no transport. In a postscript he announced that he heard that Liger-Belair was under attack and that he was marching to join him. “It is true that there are 5,000 men at Baeza.” Titeux explains that the Spanish at Baeza were volunteers from Valdecanas; not a detachment from the army of Andalusia as the French generals supposed. From the heights before Bailen, July 16th 1808 3.30pm, Dufour wrote to Dupont with an account of the day's fighting and reported Gobert's mortal injury: “I have decided to put all stubbornness possible in disputing the terrain foot by foot in order to conserve my communications with you but I fear that my efforts will fail against the disproportionate number of the enemy who holds his positions and who probably is only waiting till he is rested to attack again. Let me know your plans very quickly since I fear to be obliged to retire on Guarroman in order to hold the debouches of the gorges and to preempt the enemy at this point; he seems to be moving there from the movement he made this morning on Linares with a force of around 7,000 men, as chef de batallion Lanusse informs me. General Belair is in line with me; he has lost one gun.” Dupont received Dufour's letter about 6pm and gave written orders to Vedel: “I beg you, my dear general, to take yourself as fast as possible to Bailen to make your junction there with the corps that has fought today at Mengibar and which has fallen back on that town. The 6th provisional regiment [under Lefranc] and two squadrons, one of dragoons and one of chasseurs, will be reunited to your division. I hope that the enemy will be thrown back on Mengibar tomorrow, beyond the river, and that the posts of Guarroman and La Carolina will remain in security: they are of great importance. When you have obtained this success I want you to send part of your forces to Andujar in order to fight the enemy in front of us. You will leave at Bailen only what is necessary for its defence. If the enemy is occupying Baeza it is necessary to drive them out. Receive my assurances of friendship” © 1995 – 2016 The Napoleon Series Andujar July 17th: Dupont wrote to Vedel acknowledging a letter [probably just a note, it is not in any file] sent from the post house halfway between Bailen and Andujar and pressing him for news of his arrival at Bailen. “The enemy is still before Andujar but in less force than yesterday; he will probably be making a movement on his right. I hope that you will arrive in time to meet Reding and defeat him. If there are enemies at Baeza threatening Guarroman or La Carolina it will also be necessary to fight them since we must, at all costs, prevent them from establishing themselves on our line of operations and of communications. This important aim accomplished, we must promptly reunite to drive out the enemy which is in front of us and to profit by the moment when he is separated into several corps. If you find the forces against you too considerable I will march at once to join you. The essential point is to remain master of our communications. After we gain an advantage our movements will be free. I count on our fortune, on you and on our brave men.” PS: “It is 11am and I have not yet had your news. An enemy party has shown itself on the road, I am sending two companies to the post house. I fear that my first letter may have been taken [this letter is a duplicate]. Inform me quickly of the strength and movements of the enemy on your side.” This is almost the only mention of Dupont attempting to secure his communications with Bailen but there is one amplification of it: during the morning of the 18th Barbou wrote to Chabert, “The intention of HE the general in chief is that commander Balland will send you reports twice daily, having always two companies on the road to Bailen to communicate with the division Vedel and to know what is happening.” Bailen, July 17th 8.30am Vedel to Dupont: “My general, it is 8.30am. I have arrived at Bailen where I have found no-one. General Dufour left at midnight and has marched on Guarroman. As he has left no- one to inform me of the motives for this action, I cannot say anything positive in this respect but the rumour is that the enemy troops which attacked General Belair yesterday are heading, with those which were at Ubeda, for the gorges by Linares and Ste Helene; one must suppose that general Dufour has gone in pursuit of them in order to fight them.