The journal of an Army surgeon during the Peninsular War / [by Charles Boutflower].

  • Boutflower, Charles, 1782-1844.
Date:
[1912]
Catalogue details

Licence: In copyright

Credit: The journal of an Army surgeon during the Peninsular War / [by Charles Boutflower]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

    111/192 (page 107)
    [Sept.] our original destination, which we suppose to be between the Coa & the Agueda. We are entirely ignorant as to the cause of these different changes. It was a twelvemonth yesterday since we quitted Guarda under circumstances which would have rendered the idea of our being at this time in the neighbourhood as nothing less than madness; there is no calculating on the future, but certainly during no period of the Contest have our prospects been brighter than at present. Sept. 2. We yesterday Morning marched from Mamolina to a village called Preixal. This Morning we proceeded to a village, whose Misery beggars description, & which unfortunately is assigned as our Cantonment; it is called San Pedro, & being only two Miles from the Spanish Frontier in the direction of Ciudad Rodrigo it has consequently frequently been visited by the Enemy, who have left it nearly a heap of Ruins. 5th. We hear nothing of the Enemy, nor are we as yet able to assign any probable cause for our movement to this part of the Country. Since I have been here I have had an opportunity of riding over to Almeida, it being only a league from hence and a most melancholy spectacle it presents; nothing can be more complete than the destruction of the Bastions; indeed with the exception of two or three houses the Town is one heap of undistinguished Ruins. I had also yesterday an opportunity of seeing Fort Conception, which is situated just within the Spanish Frontier ; it was destroyed last year by order of Lord W. when the enemy advanced upon Almeida ; its destruction also is very complete. nth. It is reported that the Enemy are concentrating their Forces for the purpose of throwing succours into Ciudad Rodrigo, which are there much wanted; this Lord W. will of course endeavour to prevent unless he is greatly outnumbered. The Light Division are some distance in front of Ciudad Rodrigo in the direction of Salamanca. Sickness unhappily prevails to