The war in the Peninsula, 1808-1814

3–5 May 1811

Battle of Fuentes de Oñoro

OPERATIONS BEFORE THE CAMPAIGN OF SALAMANCA

thereby scored many of his startling successes. But there Wellington was helpless, and we have seen how leniently he spoke of Beresford after the bloody and fruitless victory of Albuera. Yet even Wellington could not have screened him, had not Hardinge turned the day. Any general knew well that a signal reverse, in the temper of his country, would strip him of all the reputation he had won ; that he would certainly be court-martialled probably condemned ; and that, in any case, as the victim of popular clamour, he would be doomed for the future to mortifying obscurity. So that, in the course of complicated operations, which were necessarily diffuse, Wellington could only reckon with confidence on the developments he actually directed in person, and he might see his plans disconcerted at any moment by his most loyal and trustworthy followers. It was fortunate that these honest, though unhappy, mistakes were counterbalanced by the inveterate jealousies of the Frenchmen. Massdna's invasion of Portugal was seriously obstructed by the insubordination of Ney, his equal in rank, and Ney was backed up by Reynier and Drouet. The battle of Fuentes d'Onoro might have been a defeat for the British had Bessi^res acted cordially with Marmont when the marshes which covered our right had been crossed, and our battalions were retiring in confusion, embarrassed by the mob of non-combatants. So Soult, though perhaps with better reason, had held back from co-operating in an advance with the army of Portugal, in disobedience of Napoleon's definite instructions.