Voices from Vitoria: José Correia de Melo

«…had a horse wounded, who soon died, and my hat pierced; however, better that than the individual.»

Moisés Gaudêncio

Another personal account on the battle of Vitoria is that of major José Correia de Melo. This officer lead the 2nd battalion of the 11th Infantry Regiment into battle, which together with Infantry 23 and the 7th Caçadores Battalion, were the Portuguese brigade, commanded by colonel Thomas Stubbs, integral part of the allied 4th division.
José Correia de Melo, nephew of both marechal de campo (major general) José Correia de Melo and lieutenant general Florêncio José Correia de Melo, was only 26 years old in 1813, but already a veteran of the war in the Peninsula, having been present in the battles of Buçaco and of Salamanca, where he was severely wounded.

The Portuguese units in Stubb’s brigade distinguished themselves in Vitoria, having suffered considerable casualties while leading the advance of the allied 4th division in the attack of the center of the French position. These losses occurred mainly from the fire of the French artillery.
The Infantry regiments nº 11 and 23 were particularly praised by the commander of the Portuguese army, marshal William Beresford, in the Ordem do Dia (order of the day) of 1 July 1813.

(Battle of Vitoria, after William Heath)

José Correio de Melo kept a journal during the Peninsular campaigns, which Claudio de Chaby, Portuguese historian of the Peninsular War, was able to read and which he quoted frequently in his classic work Excerptos Históricos.
One of the excerpts quotes by Chaby is precisely the entry of 21 June, the day when the Battle of Vitoria was fought. It is this brief testimony we leave you:

«June, 21: Having Wellington made his reconnaissance of the position of the French army, commanded in person by the famous king Pepe [king Joseph], he ordered all divisions to motion early in the morning, in order to offer him an action; and so it came to be, having lasted the fight from eight in the morning till nine in the evening. Because of the great darkness, the enemy was not pursued beyond two leagues [1] from the city. The French left an immensity of baggage, much wealth, many prisoners, one hundred and fifty one artillery pieces, four hundred and eighty carriages, immense ammunition, at last, it’s incredible the defeat we inflicted on them! I commanded the second battalion of my regiment during the action, had a horse wounded, who soon died, and my hat pierced; however, better that than the individual.
I’ll report on what was told to me and what came to be: when king Pepe saw that lord Wellington was working on cutting his retreat, having occupied the royal chaussée of Bayonne, from a map he decided with his generals to retreat immediately by the track of Pamplona, the only one left to him; and so he took it taking with him only two pieces and a howitzer!» [2]

Bibliography:

Claudio de Chaby, Excerptos Historicos e Collecção de Documentos relativos à Guerra denominada da Península…., 1863-1882.

Generais do Exército Português, coord. Coronel António José Pereira da Costa, 2008.
Mendo Castro Henriques, Vitoria e Pirinéus -1813- O exército português na libertação de Espanha, 2009.

Original Portuguese post here. Translation by Jorge Quinta-Nova.

---

[1] A league is an archaic unit of length, very common in Europe and Latin America. The Portuguese league is about 6 kilometers, and was much later substituted by the metric league (5 km).
[2] Excerptos Históricos e Collecção de Documentos relativos à Guerra denominada da Península… por Claudio de Chaby, volume 4, p. 707-708.

Documenta: The Battalion of Caçadores n.º 8 in the Battle of Vitoria

Moisés Gaudêncio

In the battle of Vitoria, the Portuguese Caçadores battalions were committed very intensely over the course of the day, always fighting in the vanguard of the allied columns. Seasoned by the campaigns of the previous three years, they showed great discipline and combat effectiveness, asserting themselves as the Portuguese units most respected by friends and feared by the enemy.

(Soldier from the 6th Caçadores, by Ribeiro Arthur)

We highlight the 8th Caçadores Battalion, one which suffered the most casualties in the battle of June 21, 1813, and that earned the public commendation of lord Wellington, allied commander in chief, in the dispatches he sent to the Portuguese and British governments.[1]

In Vitoria, the 8th Caçadores was commanded by Lieutenant Colonel Dudley St. Leger Hill, and was part of the Portuguese brigade commanded by brigadier William Spry, aggregate to the allied 5th Division, of General Oswald. This division was part of the allied corps which Wellington had detached to attack the right wing of the French line, backed in the Zamorra river, and to cut the road that connected Vitoria to France, the main line of retreat for the French. This corps, which formed the left wing of the allied army, was under the command of general sir Thomas Graham and was constituted by the two Portuguese independent brigades, the 1st and 5th divisions, Longa’s Spanish division and British artillery and cavalry.

To contextualize the action of the battalion we present an excerpt from the report sent by general Graham to Wellington after the battle:

«The enemy had a division of infantry, with some cavalry advanced on the great road, resting their right on some strong heights covering the village of Gamarra Maior. Both Gamarra and Abechuco, on the great road, were strongly occupied as têtes du pont to the bridges at these places over the Zadorra. Major-General Pack with his brigade of Portuguese infantry, and Colonel Longa with his Spanish corps, were directed to turn and gain these heights, supported by Major-General Anson’s brigade of Light Dragoons, and the 5th division of infantry, commanded by Major-General Oswald, who was requested to take charge of all these troops.

In the execution of this service the Portuguese and Spanish troops behaved admirably. The 4th battalion of Caçadores of General Pack’s brigade, and the 8th Caçadores of the 5th division, particularly distinguished themselves.»

(Bridge over the river Zadorra in Gamarra Mayor; early XX century photograph taken from here.)

We leave to lieutenant colonel Dudley St. Leger Hill the more detailed description of the action of his caçadores, in the report he sent to brigadier Spry, from the original in the Arquivo Histórico Militar, 1ª Divisão, 14ª Secção, Caixa nº 243, 18, ms 6 to 8.

Document: Report by lieutenant colonel Dudley St. Leger Hill to brigadier William Spry

June 22nd 1813

Sir

Being detached from your brigade in the action of yesterday I have the honor to report to you for the information of his Excellency Marshall Sir William Beresford that I was ordered by major general Oswald to place the 8th Caçadores under the imediate direction of Brigadier General Pack and in conjunction with the 4^th Caçadores drive the enemy of the heights they occupied in front of the left column of the Army. This order was carried in to execution with the greatest promptitude and I cannot say sufficient in praise of the gallantry and forwardness of my men and officers. The heights we had to ascend were difficult of access and the fire of the enemy was very heavy yet did we succeed in driving the enemy from the different hills they successively occupy and obliged them to retire beyond the river [Zadorra].

The conduct of the battalion in pursuing the enemy afterwards on their retreat was no less conspicuous, having advanced in front of the various lines of columns of the army in conjunction with the 4^th Caçadores driving before them the enemy numerous light troops of infantry and cavalry. As general Pack will of course make a report to his Excellency on the conduct of the troops engaged under his command I beg you will refer his Excellency to his Report and that you will have the goodness to mention in yours, your opinion of the conduct of the battalion in the first part of the engagement could not have escaped your observation.

The officers of the battalion behaved with the greatest gallantry and to recommend those who distinguished themselves would be to ?  the whole. I have however to beg you will report to his Excellency the extreme brave and gallant conduct of the sergeant major of the battalion who in all occasions during the day distinguished  himself by heading the advance of every company and exhibited the greatest coolness and judicious  arrangements in placing those intrusted to his command. The name of the sergeant major is Domingos Lopes, who has before been recommended for good conduct.

I have the honor to be sir your obeying servant

Dudley Hill Lieut- Colonel 8 Caçadores

Note 1: It is possible to consult the map of the battle of Vitoria in the website Napoleon Series.

---

[1] The Dispatches of Field Marshall The Duke of Wellington (…) Volume The Tenth, 1838, p. 449.

[2] Supplementary Despatches, Correspondence and Memoranda of Fiel Marshall Arthur Duke of Wellington (…) Volume The Eight. 1861, p. 7.

(Jorge Quinta-Nova, translation)

Original Portuguese text in url

Voices from Vitoria: José Jorge Loureiro

José Jorge Loureiro, a Portuguese officer in the battle of Vitoria

Moisés Gaudêncio

«All were maneuvers and skirmishers»

In the campaign which started in May 1813, and which would lead the Anglo-Portuguese army to the borders of France, José Jorge Loureiro was an alferes (ensign) of the Infantry Regiment n.º 4 and aid de camp to the British brigadier, on the service of Portugal, Archibald Campbell, and it was as such that he was present in the decisive battle of Vitoria, fought in June 21, 1813.

Brigadier Campbell commanded the Portuguese brigade made up of the Infantry Regiments n.º 4 and 10 and by the Caçadores Battalion n.º 10, part of the Portuguese Division commanded by General Francisco da Silveira, Count of Amarante.

The Portuguese Division was part of the corps commanded by general Rowland Hill, which constituted the right wing of the allied army.
Campbell’s brigade stood throughout the battle in reserve in the right wing of the allied line.

During this period of his life, Loureiro kept correspondence with his brother-in-law and friend Ernesto Biester, and it’s precisely in one of those letters that Loureiro gives his account of the events of Vitoria. It was originally published by Mendes Leal Junior in the Revista Contemporânea de Portugal e Brazil, segundo ano, april 1860, I, Lisboa, p. 100 ff.

We transcribe, with modern orthography, this rare eyewitness testimony of a Portuguese officer.

Field next to Salvaterra, June 23, 1813

Dear Ernesto

I hurry in reporting to you the events of the 21st instant, the most glorious day that until now the allied armies have had. As you should want to know what happened, I will tell you what I have witnessed, and what I have heard after.

On the 21st all the army advanced from the banks of the Bayas in different columns on Vitoria. General Hill’s corps was the right of all the army, and as it had less to march, it was the first to encounter the left of the enemy, which was on a mountain, and made an oblique line with the right covering Vitoria. On other mountains, next to the royal road of Bayonne the whole enemy army was in position. It had, to the front of its left, dense woods, which it wanted to dispute with the caçadores. As soon as we arrived, the attack began with an English brigade, and my division as reserve. The other brigades slowly climbed a steep mountain in order to flank the enemy.

As the rest of the army hadn’t yet arrived to the established points, our attack was much delayed and a demonstration. The French, with courage and success, defended the woods only with skirmishers, supported by some artillery on the road, which did us no damage. The attack went on like this for two hours, until General Graham, having flanked the enemy on our left, began also his own attack. Then the general action came about. The French, who expected the full attack on their left, seeing themselves flanked, began retreating their right in much confusion.

At this time, our right had already advanced too much on the mountain, and the enemy seeing their left almost being equally flanked, began also with much hast and confusion their own retreat. My brigade, who protected the English brigade who made the attack, marched in reach of the French, as did all the army. As the field was all cultivated and with many ditches, to mark the lands and wash way the mountain waters, we could never go with the necessary speed; and they took advantage of the order by which we marched, to flee and regroup at another point. The field was so much to their advantage, which presented at each point small positions, from where they were dislodged by skirmishers, and maneuvers, with which they were always in danger of being cut off by both flanks. The chase lasted all day till dark night and in the space of two [Portuguese] leagues and a half, counting from where the action began. They left open the Bayonne road, and retreated on the Pamplona royal road, where we are today on their trail. They lost 105 artillery pieces with all its equipment, and more than 2000 baggage carts, almost all of the army. King Joseph lost all its own baggage inside Vitoria, as well as 24 servants. Only the horses escaped by hand. We made from 700 to 800 prisoners, and 180 officers. General Sourry and Grenier dead and 2 prisoners (I ignore their names). Our soldiers are filled with riches from the plunder. Our loss in dead and injured is greater than that of the enemy; however the wounded are all slightly so. There is no general of ours injured. The way the enemy retreated is quite shameful. The position they took, and the way by which they allowed themselves to be flanked gives no credit to their generals. My brigade, though it didn’t fire, did no small service, as it marched with incredible speed, threatened always very close the enemy’s left.
 

We march for 23 days without halting, and I believe we shall not do it before going to Pamplona.
 

The action began at 11 am, became general by two, and ended at night.
There was no regular attack. All were maneuvers and skirmishing.

Goodbye Friend

Loureiro

(Jorge Quinta-Nova, translation)

Original Portuguese text in url

The Side Door

In its Memórias Arqueológico-Históricas do Districto de Bragança, the Abbot of Baçal (Francisco Manuel Alves, 1865-1947) references a curious occurrence with which he illustrates the passage of the Anglo-Portuguese allied army trough the lands of Miranda do Douro: an inscription, in cursive characters, on the side door of the Mother Church of Malhadas:

Gen. Lecor

Maio 24, 1813

Mother Church Malhadas (photo taken
from http://miranda_do_douro.voila.net/malhadas.htm)

The same notable historian says that it was general Lecor himself who wrote it.

This detail from History, seen through a magnifying glass, is about the then Marechal de Campo (Major General) Carlos Frederico Lecor (1764-1836), commander of the Portuguese Brigade of the 7th Division, made up of the Infantry Regiments n.º  7 and 19 (respectively, from Setúbal and Cascais) and the Caçadores Battalion n.º 2 (from Moura). The brigade, which in July of that year will be numbered as the 6th, 2,102 strong (according to data of the previous month, had just arrived at Malhadas, located about 10 kilometers from Miranda do Douro, where all the 7th Division, commanded by Lord Dalhousie, had been sent.

Moving away the magnifying glass, letting us see the bigger picture, this brigade had set off from Moimenta da Beira, in May 14, together with the 3rd Division, after having there their winter quarters following the end of the 1812 campaign. The orders, transmitted the day before by the Marquis of Wellington, or “Douro”, as he was known among our soldiers, gave orders to all the army to group in two large troop agglomerates; one, under the command of Sir Rowland Hill, around Ciudad Rodrigo, making for the right wing, and another, larger, to the care of general Sir Thomas Graham, in the Portuguese Northeast frontier, in the district of Bragança, with the ambitious goal to fulfill Wellington’s plan for 1813.

The concentration in the northeastern border was done in three distinct points:
- Bragança, to the North (with the Spanish Galician Division to the left), made up of the Anson’s and Ponsoby’s heavy cavalry brigades, coming from Braga and Guimarães, which they left the 13rd and the 17th of May, the 1st Infantry Division (exclusively British), from Viseu and Mangualde on the 23th, and the Pack’s independent Portuguese brigade (future 1st Infantry Brigade), from Penafiel also on the 13th. These units arrived between the 22nd and the 23rd of May;
- Vimioso & Outeiro, to the center, made up of D’Urban’s Portuguese light cavalry brigade and Bock’s German heavy cavalry brigade, from Santo Tirso on the 14th May, the 3rd and 5th Infantry Divisions [1], from Moimenta da Beira (on the 16th) and Lamego (14th), through São João da Pesqueira, where they crossed the Douro; and, finally, Bradford’s Portuguese independent brigade (future 10th). According to the Supplementary Dispatches, their date of arrival to Vimioso and Outeiro occured between the 21st and the 24th of May;
- Miranda do Douro e Malhadas, to the South, formed by Grant’s Hussards brigade, the 4th, 6th and 7th Infantry Divisions [2] coming from the areas of São João da Pesqueira [3], Seia and Moimenta da Beira. The last two divisions departed their winter quarters on the 14th of May and arrived to their sdestinies on the 23rd and 24th, crossing the Douro in the barge of Pocinho. The Hussards Brigade, as referred in the Orders, arrived at Miranda either on the 26th or the 27th, with no indication of origin.

Most of the artillery allocated to the left wing of the army, not belonging to any division, like the 18 pdr. Portuguese Brigade or the Reserve Brigade, or the Pontoon train for the crossing of large rivers, moved to Miranda do Douro.

Having arrived to these points, all this left wing of the army, made up from the vast majority of all the resources of the allied forces, was ready to, in three columns, each departing from the areas described before, penetrate in Spanish territory and fulfill Wellington’s Plan. On the 26th of May, all these troops began their march, with their respective cavalry in the vanguard.

Coming back to our beginning, I am nor sure of the intentions of one of its brigade commanders, when he wrote his name and the date, or had it written, on the side door of the  Mother Church of Malhadas, a simple temple, of gothic design, dedicated to Our Lady of the Expectation, in that day of the 24 May. This door is hidden by a porch and gives direct access to the only nave of the church; a simple identification would not have been the objective; it was highly unlikely that he would place there the brigade headquarters. I can only imagine that it was a promise, ‘encomenda da alma’, the request to Our Lady for intercession. If that is the case, it seems only fitting that it was made to the facet f the Marian cult that celebrates the future, what will come, the expectation.

[1] Each one of these divisions had a Portuguese Infantry brigade: In the 3rd Division, Power’s Brigade (future 8th Brigade: Regimentos de Infantaria n.º 9 e 21 & Batalhão de Caçadores n.º 12), and in the 5th, Spry’s Brigade (future 3rd: Infantaria 3 e 15 e Caçadores 8).

[2] Each one of these divisions had a Portuguese Infantry brigade: in the 4th, Stubb’s Brigade (futura 9th: Infantaria 11 e 23 e Caçadores 7); in the 6th Madden’s Brigade (future 7th: Infantaria 8 e 12 e Caçadores 9), and in the 7th, Lecor’s Brigade (future 6th: Infantaria 7 e 19 e Caçadores 2)..

[3] The several sources I've consulted cannot permit to locate the exact place where the 4th Division quartered for the Winter, but Oman places it close to the river Douro, somewhere around Moimenta da beira and São João da Pesqueira. Anyway, and still according to Sir Charles Oman, the headquarters of this devision was located in São João da Pesqueira, by early December of the previous year.

 

Bibliography

- Supplementary despatches and memoranda of Field Marshal Arthur, duke of Wellington, K. G (Volume 14), John Murray: Londres, 1872;

- Abade do Baçal, Memorias archeologico-historicas do districto de Bragança : ou repositorio amplo de noticias chorographicas (vol. 4), Coimbra : Imprensa da Universidade, 1911-1918;

- René Chartrand, The Portuguese Army of the Napoleonic Wars (v. 3) (Col. Men-at-Arms, n.ºs 343), Oxford, Osprey Pub., 2000;

- Sir Charles Oman, A History of the Peninsular War (Volume VI), Green Hill Books: Londres, 1996 (1922).