"La Gloria Impune - San Sebastian 1813" Topic

Quite interesting Napoleonic link here…

lagloriaimpune.blogspot.com.ar

Amicalement
Armand

Tango01

Very interesting. A bit cartoonish in style in places but still good.

However, I was stunned to see the extract from a British soldier, stating they were ordered to kill women and children in 1813.

It comes from 'The Life of John parker late a corporal in arms of the 20th Regiment of Foot.

He states that on the 31st August 1813, regarding the siege of San Sebastian, the British troops 'Received an order to put both man, woman and child to death at the point of the bayonet.'

I thought this might be a false piece of info, but it seems genuine, well, the memoir at least.

link

Glad you like it my friend!. (smile)

Well, if you visit San Sebastian and talk about those old days with anyone there… they could tell you worst histories…

Seems like in other hard sieges in the Penninsula… the British officer cannot restrain their men…

The silly thing was that it was suposed the Spanish were Allied… (smile)

Amicalement
Armand

It is an interesting find. I don't think I have seen a full published memoir of a soldier from the 20th from the Peninsular War. I wonder why it was never published.

Seems like in other hard sieges in the Penninsula… the British officer cannot restrain their men…

AFAIK, no nation in the Napoleonic Wars (or previously) could restrain their men after forcing an opposed breach, hence the system of negotiated capitulations after a practicable breach to avoid this. Napoleon's order that all garrisons must resist at least one assault broke down this system.

Anyway, Oman helpfully summarizes the British Army's POV at the time: link

Glad you enjoyed it too my friend!

Thanks for the link!.

Amicalement
Armand

Whirlwind

Perhaps, like Whittingham's memoirs, it wasn't originally written for publication so has not been offered to any publishers, as yet? And the fact it is only 96 pages in length, with 38 pages of notes, might also put off publishers, although I could not say that for sure. (I know there have been some titles published of 48 and 88 pages in length published concerning the Battle of Albuera 1811, but I think they were self-published)

However, while I agreed that in terms of officers not being unable to control their men in some siege situations, on all sides, is certainly true, it is important to note that this memoir implies that they were 'ordered' to kill women and children, which makes it all the more interesting, if true and if the memoir is genuine.

it is important to note that this memoir implies that they were 'ordered' to kill women and children, which makes it all the more interesting, if true and if the memoir is genuine.

As you say. Apart from the obvious "if true" more general caveat, the most interesting question would be "who" did the ordering. I guess if it had been an Army-wide order – or even a division or a brigade – there would be other evidence of it; so one wonders who in the 20th gave such an order. The colonel? The captain? Or perhaps the man's sergeant? Anyway, an interesting curio.