Masséna's Retreat

On Saturday we were in Porto, where Wellington removed Soult who had taken Porto as part of the Second French Invasion of Portugal in the Peninsular War. 

After time in Spain at Talavera, and time back in Britain where he becomes Viscount Wellington he is ready when Masséna begins to move through Portugal in the Third French Invasion while Wellington goes South towards Lisbon until they meet at the Battle of Bussaco which we saw in details yesterday.

Today, we jump in a Tardis (or at least a coach) and move forward to March 5th, 1811, when the events of  October 13th 1809 to November 14th 1810 have taken place. We are to focus on those events tomorrow. So, far today we follow, in reverse order, as that is the way we are driving, the March Events when Masséna tries to beat a managed retreat out of Portugal, with Wellington and his army always on his tail. 

This artist's drawing of the skirmish at Pompel, the first of the interactions between the two army can set the scene for today, even though it will be the last place we visit today. 

Early Morning

I get up at 4am, I guess Drew is right it was a tiring day yesterday! He felt it last night and I this morning. 

I began yesterday's blog post and was astounded at how busy we had been in retrospect. 

Missing from our hotel rooms for the last three nights have been kettles or coffee machines, so what a delight that the Palace Hotel at Lousã has both. So that, when Drew wakes at 6am feeling refreshed, we have a cup of tea each, Breakfast Tea from the tea bags brought from the Holiday Inn in Lisbon. Then two espressos each from the coffee machine, it is a great way to start the day.

Breakfast

As with most of the hotels on this trip breakfast begins at 7.30am, so we are there when the doors open.

Drew begins with bacon, scrambled egg and a lovely cherry tomato dish with herbs and garlic. They certainly aren't afraid fo the garlic here. 

I have yogurt and the best selection of seeds and nuts I've seen this holiday. Crunchy, tasty good, I'll be glad to get back to my oatmeal with seeds and nuts at home, but Greek yogurt is a good alternative.

Drew, keeping his energy levels up, opts for a piece of cake. A sponge cake with meringue and fruits, there is no indication of a portion size, until, after he had taken his slice, he walked past one of the staff whose eyes widened in surprise. A number of our fellow travellers from the tour also stopped and remarked on the generosity of the portion. Drew just smiled and ate on. 

I went with salad and three cheeses, a gouda style cheese, a queso fresco and a cottage cheese, though with a dryer texture than much of the cottage cheese you see in the UK, it was sliced rather than scooped. 

Masséna's Retreat

As usual our departure time was 8.30am and Mark, our historian, provided us with a map of the three invasions by the French to set the scene for today.

Our focus is on the route in this map, which after breaking his army in an attempt to attack Torres Vedras, the Green Towers, Masséna looked to return to the safety of Spain though a managed retreat, which in the end was not as well managed as it could be.

Background 

Following the victory at Bussaco, both armies took different routes on their way to Lisbon. What Masséna didn't know and Wellington did is that the Torre Vedras were set as his trap for Masséna and his army. Masséna, tried, tried and tried again, but could not break through, he finally headed back north. Which is what we will be looking at throughout the day today.  

Beaten by the ravages of cold and famine, Masséna abandoned Santarém on  March 5th 1811 and began a retreat back to Spain and the safety of Ciudad Rodrigo to the northeast. Masséna's plan was to follow the same route that he had taken in July 1810, to the north of the river Mondego, passing through Coimbra and he split his force of 49,000 into two columns to make foraging easier. So the retreat became two armies with Ney taking 35,000 people as a rearguard and Reynier having 14,000. 

Masséna had left many injured troops in Coimbra and hoped to collect those fit enough for the return journey. Masséna was told in Condeixa. Thar new troops had arrived at Mondeo Beach, as happened earlier in the engagement, there were no new British Troops, he was told that a famous Portuguese General, General Silveira, who had 20,000 men was holding the Bridge at Coimbra, in fact General Trant was there with 5,000 troops.

This false news got Masséna to redirect his route from the one he knew, to the steeper one that Wellington was familiar with. Which in the end harmed him and his men immensely.

Foz de Aroche

The second skirmish in Masséna's Retreat from Torres Vedras took place where we are stopping this morning 8.50am 

Wellington's army of 43,000 had decide to chase Ney, not Reynier, and know the route he was likelty to take by good reporting by exploring officers and scouts. 

A serious action took place here on March 15th 1811. It was here that the Light Division under Erskine, together with Picton's 'Fighting 3rd Division', surprised the French as they made camp on the near side of the Ceira river. 

For the third time since the start of the retreat, Wellington had caught up with Ney and his troops. 

This is the bridge with the line of sight being what the French, left on this side of the river, will have seen from their camp.

This memorial marks the events of the day. It has an interesting order of priority, the Portuguese defenders, the French invaders and the 'supporting armies' are listed. 

The bridge looks calm and unflustered, but not so on that March afternoon. Panic set in among the French with the allies on their tail. And they dashed for the partly-destroyed bridge which collapsed under their weight with many French men falling into the river. The total French losses amounted to 250, the majority died through drowning whilst attempting to ford the river. 

The night after this Wellington overnighted at Vila Seca and then in Lousã, at the palace of the Viscountess of Espinhal, where Masséna had slept the night before, this palace is the hotel where we stayed last night.

Wellington's dispatch of the 16th March 1811, came from the palace, which was not then an hotel. He reports that: "Animals, ammunition and baggage was being burnt or hamstrung by Ney as his men who couldn't cope with them any more. Many of the mules were starved, with bones being visible under flesh." 

There is another memorial on the hill above the town, which we visited, largely it seems to get our legs pumping for the day ahead.

After this event Masséna sacked Ney and took control of the rearguard. 

Ney, on his return to Paris, blackened Masséna's name, so after the battle of Fuentes de Oñoro in May, another failure, Masséna played no more part in the war, though later he became Chief of the Military Police in Paris and later Governor of Paris.

Reversals

At Casal Novo on March 14th 1811, Erskine, Commander of the Light Regiment, advanced his men along the main road in fog without proper scouts. When the fog suddenly cleared, his leading elements found themselves facing elements of Jean Marchand's division deployed in line with artillery support. This carelessness cost the Light Division 155 killed and wounded, while Marchand lost only 55 men. 

Rabaçal

On March 14th, Masséna was very nearly captured as he was taking lunch under a tree near the hamlet of Fonte Coberta with his mistress. 

It is a rural idyll 

Where the Camino de Portugal makes its gentle way to Santiago de Compostella. 

A patrol of the King's German Legion hussars surprised him, but were seen off by a few Grenadiers and a handful of French dragoons. A close run thing.

Here I am getting back on the coach after this visit.

Condeixa 

Leaping back through time again we leave Rabaçal and come to Condeixa. 

Here Masséna's aide de camp Marbor writing in his memos about it says: 

After this (dusk) Masséna marches through the night with Madame H. 

Her horse fell over in the dark and rolled over her. She was saved by a cavalry soldier pulling her into the back of his horse before her horse fell on her.

The night before the picnic dinner Masséna ate here. 

This place was the house of minor Portuguese aristocracy who were French supporters. Hence this building. Is one of the very few not torched when the town was left by the French. 

The worse burning by the retreating French in 1811 took place in Condeixa. Ney, when he left Condeixa torched the town. The palace and church and most of the houses were burnt. It is said the French were so annoyed with the Portuguese for not supporting them that they killed and destroyed everything. 

Lunch

We stop in Condeixa for lunch at the Café Conímbriga.

I have Tosta Mista Alentejana - ham and cheese toastie on rustic bread

and Drew a Tosta Kebab with kebab meat, cheese, shoestring potato and pita sauce)

which we washed down with a agua com gas and Coke Zero and an espresso each - or Dois espresso as they say here.

Redinha

After lunch we move on to Redinha, again leaping back in time to a location where a skirmish took place on the 12th of March 1911. 

We stand on the highland where Coles forth division is located on the map. 

Ney makes a similar error to that he will do in a few days time in Foz de Aroche, where we were earlier. 

Mermet is on one side of the river Ancos and Marchant on the other. Mermet and his soldiers was pushed to the bridge, which got backed up. The town was set on fire by the enemy to avoid the advance. But they came in a tangle to the bridge with many of them falling or being pushed off the parapet of the bridge. 

227 French lost, but the allies lost 205. A costly engagement for both. 

Pombal 

One more leap back in time, to the 11th of March 1811 in the town of Pombal, with its huge castle.

Ney placed Mermet's division on the heights behind the town and left a single battalion holding the ruined castle. Wellington ordered the 3rd battalion of the Portuguese Caçadores to charge across the bridge and occupy the town, supported by two companies of the 95th Rifles. They fought their way up the narrow streets and stormed the castle, only to be beaten back by Ney himself, at the head of four battalions. He then set fire to the town and retreated north after dark. This pattern of burning for burnings sake did nothing for the Portuguese reaction to the French after this time. The painting depicted at the top of this post shows Wellington looking down at the burning town.

The third of the bridges to play a part in the events we saw today.

Motorway Stop

With the toilets in Pompal under reconstruction we made a stop soon after leaving the village at a Motorway service station, a BP one at Nazaré

Hotel Dolce CampoReal

We arrive at the picturesque hotel Dolce CampoReal at 5.30pm.

 

From here we can look up to the top of the mountian called Wellington's Eagle Nest, as he rode to the top of the mountain early each day during the siege of Torres Vedras to look out at the French below. But much more, I suspect, much, much more about this tomorrow when we will be visiting the sites of Torres Vedras for most of the day.

Dinner

We were down for dinner at 7.30pm and enjoyed a delicious Creme de abóbora assada com suas sementes i.e. roasted Pumpkin soup which had pumpkin seeds on top. It was rich and full flavoured.

Our next course was Supremo de frango recheado com requeijão e espinafre batata gratinada e espargos, that is Chicken breast stuffed with cream cheese and spinach, potato gratin and asparagus. Depending on your perspective, mine or Drew's I was either: 'deep in discussion with other travellers about some of the niceties of various holiday destinations' or 'pontificating so much that he didn't have time to photos his food.' Either way, it means we don't have a photo of the chicken. It was nicely roasted as was the potato, but the asparagus was a little limp and was sadly cold.

There are two birthdays among our group today. A 70s something Cork man, who was an Orthopedic surgeon called Michael and a 28 year old Aussie called Conor. Choclate Birthcake was served in their honour.

Drew managed mine and his own and was delighted by it.

However when the real dessert, Tarte de maracujá merengada i.e Passion fruit meringue tart, arrived Drew managed his own but couldn't manage mine too - Connor, a 6 foot 4 incher, was pleased to consume it as part of his dinner celebrations.

At 9.30pm we go back up to our room and at 10.15pm to bed. Drew has a bad cough, which seems to be air-con related as it disappears in the daytime, but he sounds very hoarse indeed at night. Let's hope he is feeling better in the morning. 

 

Bussaco - Buçaco

Like many languages in Europe, the formal recognition of spelling and other orthographic factors in Portuguese happened as countless historical developments which had drawn Portuguese languages apart, especially the language as spoken in Portugal's largest colony, Brazil and the mother country, efforts were made to bring all Portuguese speakers into one form of the language - some people in Portugal claimed that this processes was Brazilification of the language! The most recent agreement in 2009 became compulsory since May 13, 2015, though still leads to debate.

This is what has happened to Bussaco - Buçaco. The former spelling has been replaced with the latter through the use of a tail on the central ç making the same sound as two ss did in the past. For our purposes, in Wellington's time it would have been Bussaco and now it is Buçaco and you sometimes see both on one signpost reflecting the historical sites in the modern village.

Enough about the language issues for now, let's start the day where we began in Curia.

Early Morning

I woke on Sunday at 3.30am and got up and began to reflect on the previous day's activities. As the blog post developed I realised quite how much we had seen and heard in the day.

By 6am I'd finished the blog post and began my ablutions, Drew woke at 6.30m and, having reviewed the blog content and spotting some typos I'd missed, let it go live. He then did his ablutions.

At 7.30am it was time for breakfast,

Breakfast

Drew began with pancakes and bacon.

Whereas, I went for nuts and seeds, even though there was no natural yogurt today, fruit yogurt being to sweet for me.

I followed up with a selection of cheeses

And then with some sausages and bread.

feeling replate we return to the room at just after 8am.

Looking up to the Ridge at Bussaco

Leaving the hotel at 8.30am by 8.50am we are in Mealhada from where the whole of the 15km Bussaco ridge can be seen. 

Or at least at 8.50am it can't be seen for mist

which is just as it was on the day of the Battle of Bussaco when for the first hours of the battle the mist made visibility very restricted.

By the time we left at 9.30am, the ridge is starting to become visible

Background to the Battle of Bussaco

The Battle of Bussaco is the largest battle ever fought in the history of Portugal. 100,000 troops were deployed on the day. It became the first time the new/re-formed Portuguese army fought and did some amazing things. The Viscount Wellington called them: "My Portuguese fighting cocks". The battle began at 6am. 

The Third French Invasion of Portugal

The invasion was led by Field Marshal Massena. Massena was military commander during the French Revolutionary Wars who become one of the original 18 Marshals of the Empire created by Napoleon I on his elevation as Emperor. Napoleon nicknamed him "L'Enfant chéri de la Victoire" (the Beloved Son of Victory). He was among Napoleon's most experienced field marshall who had worked his way up to his position by experience, not training or familial connection.

Colonel Marcellin Marbot, aide de camp to Massena wrote a detailed memoir later in life. It has been translated into English and can be read here. It is clear that Napoleon was getting fed up of the small country of Portugal and even more fed up of Wellington whom he called the "Sepoy Leopard" in recognition of his Indian battles. Napoleon also wanted rid of the Guerrillas in both Spain and Portugal.  

As regards Wellington, who was still Wellesley at the time we saw him at the Douro yesterday. He had won the Battle of Talavera in July 1809 and had been recognised for it by being made a Peer of the realm as Viscount Wellington of Talavera and of Wellington, Somerset, with the subsidiary title of Baron Douro of Wellesley. 

After Talavera Wellington came back into Portugal, so as not to overstretch his supply lines from the Royal Navy. He works closely with Beresford on the re-forming of the Portuguese army that had been shuttered under Junot. So Wellington, has 22,500 Portuguese troops under a British colonel with British training, British muskets, a group distinguished by lots of live ammunition training and target practice. 

As Marbot reflected the British were suppierior in the field because they trained with live powder, while the French couldn't afford it, having to being it, not by ships to the coast, but by land from Parish. The well trained British/Portuguese troops could fire 3 volleys a minute compared to maximum of 2 volleys per minute from the French. 

From July 1809 to September 1810 both sides made preparation for another conflict. In these months Wellington had began Torres Vedras and the scorched earth policy associated with it, more of which on Tuesday.

Wellington arrived at Bussaco two days before the French and set the Royal engineers to prepare the ridge building a road behind it in preparation. In addition, Wellington had gained large number of heavy cavalry who had come to Portugal by Sea from Britain 

Massena also built up his forces. Secure in Salamanca, across the border in Spain The French a hammer blow against Portugal, he built up the grand army of Portugal with 65,000 troops, a bigger than Wellington's army which included lots of untried local troops. 

Massena had agreed to do this task for Napoleon on one basis, that he could take his mistress, known as Madame H and called Henriette Leberton with him. Napoleon agreed and Marbot says that they delayed marches and made special arrangements to meet Mrs Leberton's requirements.

The night before the Battle of Bussaco, the scene is set, the armies are in place and Massena rides 20 miles west for a night of pleasure with Madame H, before riding back the next morning. 

 
The Battle Begins

Wellington had made his base of operations the Discalced Carmelite Monastery just outside the village of Bussaco.

Massana had three senior generals under him Ney, Reynier and Junot (yes he is back). 

The first time they saw the ridge, there is no sign of anyone on top, but Wellington was, as he had in India and did at the Passage of the Douro kept his armies hidden on the new road his engineers had built, telling them not to light camp fires or give any sign of their presence. The French thought that the British weren't ready for the battle, but Wellington, yet again, was the master of preparation and logistics.

The French plan to attack by a flank action to take Wellington in his HQ. With 7,500 men Reynier led the main attack with Generals Foy, Merle and Hudellet leading the battalions.

There were 7km between Reyniers attack and that of Ney, Junot being held in reserve. 

Massena was overseeing the battle from a Windmill where he is commemorated in Portuguese and French. 

Wellington had established his operational base at another Windmill. Which is not preserved, but whose site is known.

The crossroads below was a key battle point, with Wellington in musket range to over see it.

The ground Wellington choose to fight on worked well for him, the French had a big hill to climb, wile at the time there were no trees in this area, the steepness was itself the first line of defence.

It was very very steep, Reynier's forces were starting where you can see a white vehicle (well OK it was my photo, it may look like a white blob) in the valley.

Imagine the troops seeing how high the climb might be up the ridge. 

The defenders were led by experienced generals too, one of them, General Picton, a native of Carmarthen, was said to have gone into battle with his night cap still on as the French began at 6am. 

It is reported: "The fire of the light troops started the day on the 27th of September. Captain Ley useing his 6" cannon, the 74th Highlanders came up"

It was at this time (7.20am) that the fog moved and General Wallace shouts out: "Drive them down the hill with your bayonets, now we have shot our shots". A rolling volley from two battalion with 800 muskets shooting at each time can be a devastating impact. Again Wellington had proved that a steady line of men with muskets could overcome a large group marching in column, the second time the French discovered this in Portugal, but something they never seemed to learn. 

The 21st Portuguese division now came into action. The press forward and press forward until the French are driven back. The site of the elite battalions that had dominated the whole of Europe giving way to the fire and bayonet of the British and Portuguese must have been exceptional.

General  Foy in his memoirs speaks of it not being like war. He said "They assassinated us, they were able to pick up off in their own time. It was murder. Our men turned and run." 

Lord Wellington is said to have been in close observation behind the 88th Connaught Rangers shouting his support to see the French off his ridge. 

The other front

Due to the fog over the hill, the two pincers of Massena's army, Reynier and Ney didn't start together as planned. Indeed they couldn't hear or see each other as they were between 5 to 7 km apart. It is reported that Ney thought he heard some guns, but couldn't be sure.  

The terrain also provided a formidable difficulty for Ney. In his attack Ney split his forces - with Loisin having 6,500 men and Marchant 7,500 - one taking a direct route up the hill, the others coming from the side.

At the top of the hill facing Ney, above the village of Sula was the commander of the light division was Major-General Robert Craufurd, known to the men as Black Bob, for his bad moods and irrasable nature. Behind his command post - yet another Windmill which, like Massena's, has survived - were Artillery, hidden from the opposing army by a slight decline in the ground.

The rocks looking over the village of Sula are called Craufurd's rocks to this day.

Yet again this was a steep hill for the French to climb.

Ney attacks 90 minutes later than Reynier's attack. Black Bob has 6,500 British and Portuguese troop on the range above Ney. Using rifles rather than muskets, they are able to pick off the French from a greater distance. The action began with the light company's rifleman (The fictional Richard Sharpe and his companions are members of the 75th riflemen.)  shooting at the column from their flank. 

The gradient steepened considerably as you can see above and those climbing were exhausted and struggling to maintain formation. Many of the French were aiming for a windmill just ahead and thinking that the enemy skirmishers were bested as they had withdrawn. It was at this point that 1,750 troops from the 43rd and 52nd of the Light Division suddenly rose up from concealed positions in a nearby sunken road. General Craufurd was waving his hat as a pre-arranged signal for this maneuver and the men now steadied themselves to fire. Craufurd shoults out: “Now 52nd, avenge the death of Sir John Moore!” Moore, who had died at A Coruna the year before had helped convert the 52nd into light infantry in 1803 and was a fondly remembered leader and mentor. 

The 52nd and 43red fired two volleys and then run down the hill towards them. The French were now being attacked by a whole division and the Portuguese rifle men shot them from the front and the sides. The performance of the Portuguese when they returned to the line as per ordered was clapped and cheered by the British Troops. 

The French were left to run through the narrow streets of Sula with artillery pouring on them. A French trooper was to write: "It was carnage not conflict." 

Marchant and his men faced the same, but not quite as dramatically as those coming direct from Sula.

By the end of the battle there were 4,800 French died and 1,200 British/Portuguese dead. 

After the Battle

Wellington moves his whole army at midnight on the end of the day of the battle (28th). They travel quickly down the Coimbra valley.  Wellington heads for Torres Vedras of which more on Tuesday. Massena leaves his many wounded in convents and follows Wellington, thinking he may have better luck in a future encounter. But not knowing that Torres Vedras has been prepared as a trap. 

Memorial to the Battle of Bussaco

We travel to the memorial of the battle

Mark recalls that the Duke of Kent and the President of Portugal where here for the 250th anniversary in 2008, as was Mark as Chair of the British-Portuguese Historical Socitety. 

Lunch

We travel back to Luso, through which we have travelled three times now in our chronological attempts to visit the sites on this ridge. We stop here for lunch. 

It was tomato and cheese bruschetta for Drew

and a Nossa Bifana for me, this turns out to be a large sandwich with pork loin on the the bottom topped with cheese, ham and a fried egg. Yummy, but perhaps not the light lunch I intended. 

We were obviously enjoying the air-conditioning in the cafe as unusually we have taken photos of each other.

The cafe has been here for five generations and are proud of their family heritage.

Taking the Waters

When I hear the phrase 'taking the waters' I think of that lovely Victorian pagoda in the rock park in Llandrindod Wells, with people daintaly drinking out of small glasses of water while having a cream tea. They do it on a different scale in the town of Luso. 

 

The water is light and sweet, not like the mineral rich offer of Llandrindod Wells, Bath or Cheltenham Spa.

The above is just for public use, but the Luso Water Company exports it worldwide.

Wellington's Monastery

We next visited the Monastery where Wellington stayed as a guest of the Abbot.

Since that time the monastery has become a royal palace had gained a lot of fussy decoration. But the building and its gardens are quite special. 

A hotel on the grounds also has representation of the battle of Bussaco in tiles.

The convent itself, with cork doors and religious art remains quite spectacular.

Bussaco Museum 

We leave the Monastery and travel down to the Bussaco Military Museum, which is a small local museum with a range of interesting 'left-overs' from the battle.

Plus topographical representations of the battle field, both in terms of terrain and in some of the war games type layouts. Madame H's fan is also on display. 

The museum also has a small chapel attached, which was the blood hospital, where arms and legs etc were removed, in a former church. The church houses a statue of St. Anthony of Lisbon (also of Padua) who was a Lieutenant Colonel in the Portuguese Army and was on a mule at the front of the Portuguese forces as they faced Ney's troops above Sula.

Leaving Bussaco

We leave Busacco at 5.20pm having arrived at the bottom of the ridge of Bussaco at 8.40am. Eight and a half hours in one small area, but we seem to have done and seen so, so much.  We passing the place where we had looked up through the mist to the ridge this morning.

Lousã

We drive to the village of Lousã where we arrive at the delightful Palacio de Lousã at 6.20pm

Views from room 114, we have a corner room so look out both to the town and the country beyond.

At 7.30pm I went down for dinner, Drew was exhausted after so many busy days in a row, so decided to snooze instead.

We started with Sopa de peixe com massa e tomate, a typical mediterranean fish and shellfish soup. It was fresh and delicious, I couldn't say know when they offered a second helping.

the main met with less appreciation from the group. It was risoto de peru com curry, yes Turkey risotto with curry - there were many jokes about someone having found a post-Christmas risotto recipe and thought it was typically British!! It turned out to be perfectly palatable, just an odd combination.

I didn't have the chocolate cake with ice cream, so no photo of that. I didn't have a Drew to eat it for me!

I returned to the room at 9.15pm, Drew must have heard me coming - I was chatting to a Californian who is on the tour - the door opened for me without me needing to knock. Drew looked a whole lot better, the white colour of exhaustion in his face was gone. 

I edited some photos from the day and got to bed at 10.30pm.