rioja routard
Active Member
Hola
I am reading a really good novel at the moment called 'The Mathematics of love' by Emma Darwin, which I can thoroughly recommend. Part of it is set in the Peninsular war which I admit I know little about. I felt compelled to do some research and found it interesting that the Camino must have been traversed by infantry. Is why part of it is called the Napoleon route? Here in a nutshell is what fascinates me. What I have always considered to be a way of peace must have witnessed violence apart from the usual robbery and murder inflicted on innocent pilgrims
At the end of October 1808 Napoleon, at the head of a large French army assembled in the northern Spanish city of Vitoria, prepared to place his brother Joseph on the throne of Spain by force.
Several Spanish armies gathered to resist him and the British corps in Portugal was ordered to advance to Burgos and assist the Spanish.
After the Battle of Vimeiro, in Portugal commanded by Sir John Moore. Moore commanded 23,000 troops in Lisbon and expected 10,000 reinforcements to arrive at La Coruna.
Moore sent his infantry by via Badajoz to Salamanca. Arriving at Salamanca, Moore learnt that Napoleon had defeated the Spanish armies and was already in Burgos, Moore’s intended destination. The British army, outnumbered by some two to one, was now heavily threatened and so headed to La Coruna to meet the reinforcements.
They left Astorga on December 31 1808 and reached La Coruna January 11 1809. There were some real problems of discipline and some British troops overindulged upon the contents of a wine cellar to such an extent that they had to be left in a complete inebriate state and left to the French.
The Battle of Corunna on January 16 1809 saw Sir John Moore lose his life although the victory was with the British with brave fighting from the Black Watch regiment.
I am reading a really good novel at the moment called 'The Mathematics of love' by Emma Darwin, which I can thoroughly recommend. Part of it is set in the Peninsular war which I admit I know little about. I felt compelled to do some research and found it interesting that the Camino must have been traversed by infantry. Is why part of it is called the Napoleon route? Here in a nutshell is what fascinates me. What I have always considered to be a way of peace must have witnessed violence apart from the usual robbery and murder inflicted on innocent pilgrims
At the end of October 1808 Napoleon, at the head of a large French army assembled in the northern Spanish city of Vitoria, prepared to place his brother Joseph on the throne of Spain by force.
Several Spanish armies gathered to resist him and the British corps in Portugal was ordered to advance to Burgos and assist the Spanish.
After the Battle of Vimeiro, in Portugal commanded by Sir John Moore. Moore commanded 23,000 troops in Lisbon and expected 10,000 reinforcements to arrive at La Coruna.
Moore sent his infantry by via Badajoz to Salamanca. Arriving at Salamanca, Moore learnt that Napoleon had defeated the Spanish armies and was already in Burgos, Moore’s intended destination. The British army, outnumbered by some two to one, was now heavily threatened and so headed to La Coruna to meet the reinforcements.
They left Astorga on December 31 1808 and reached La Coruna January 11 1809. There were some real problems of discipline and some British troops overindulged upon the contents of a wine cellar to such an extent that they had to be left in a complete inebriate state and left to the French.
The Battle of Corunna on January 16 1809 saw Sir John Moore lose his life although the victory was with the British with brave fighting from the Black Watch regiment.