Category: Duke of Wellington

Napoleon Invades Russia, June 24, 1812

Napoleon in His Study, 1812
Jacques-Louis David (1748-1825)
National Gallery of Art, Washington D.C.

Another bicentenary is here, though its connection to Britain is not quite direct.  However, the failure of Napoleon’s Russian invasion and the destruction of a large part of his army contributed to his ultimate defeat(s) by the allied nations led by Great Britain.

With the benefit of hindsight, historians have spent two hundred years pointing out the deficiencies in Napoleon’s goals, strategies and execution.  I have to admit most of my knowledge about Napoleon’s  Russian campaign was learned in Tolstoy’s War and Peace, published in 1869.

And since it is incredibly long (though also brilliant), I skimmed (or skipped) large sections.  So my limited knowledge is, perhaps,  more attributible to the 1956 film of War and Peace.  I love that movie, starring Audrey Hepburn as Natasha, Mel Ferrar as Prince Andrei, and Henry Fonda as Count Pierre Bezukhov.

War and Peace, directed by King Vidor
There have been other non-novel versions of Tolstoy’s sprawling masterpiece, including an opera by Sergei Prokofiev, composed during World War II.  I remember the 1956 film with great affection.  In order to cover most of the story, however, it lasts about three and a half hours.

War and Peace, Metropolitan Opera production 2002

As everyone knows, Napoleon’s campaign in Russia was a total disaster.  Numbers vary but about half a million soldiers of the Grand Armee marched into Russia and only a fraction returned by the end of 1812. Well before the Russian campaign, Arthur Wellesley, later named first Duke of Wellington, began to turn the tide in the Peninsular War, invading Spain from Portugal in January, 1812.  Wellington and the allies won the Battle of Salamanca, June 17-22, 1812.  French Marshall Soult and his defeated troops fought on but slowly withdrew into France.

Battle of Salamanca, June 17-22, 1812

On June 24th, having heard nothing about the British and Allied victory in Spain, Napoleon’s troops crossed the river Niemen into what is now Lithuania, then Russian Poland.  The Russians, greatly outnumbered, usually retreated or conducted brief skirmishes instead of standing and fighting as Napoleon’s enemies usually did.  In doing so, the Russians drew the French deeper and deeper into their sparsely populated regions, completely fouling up supply lines for the rapidly moving French.  By mid-October, the French encircled Moscow, the capital.  The Russians evacuated the city — and it burned, whether set afire by the fleeing citizens or by the invading troops no one can know.  Probably both.

Napoleon’s Retreat from Russia
by Alfred Northen (1828-1876)
On the long retreat in the frigid weather through land already stripped of all provisions, constantly harrassed by Russian troops and Cossack raiders, the French troops simply starved or froze.  Supplies and artillery were abandoned. The horses also died or were consumed. By mid-December, when the last of the French left Russia, up to 380,000 men had been lost with almost 100,000 captured.  It had been a national disaster for France and a personal catastrophe for Napoleon.

Waterloo Skeleton Found

As the 200th Anniversary of the Battle of Waterloo approaches, a stunning discovery was made near the site of the Lion’s Mound – the intact skeleton of a British soldier. Crews were working on constructing a parking lot when a piece of equipment uncovered the remains, unfortunately destroying the skull in the process. However, other artifacts were uncovered along with the bones: a spoon, coins and the musket ball believed to have caused his death still between his ribs. Historians believe he is from one of the Duke of Wellington’s British regiments, and described the discovery of the skeleton as one of the best ever war finds.

Yves Van Der Cruysen, director of the Battle of Waterloo Association, said: ‘This is a major discovery. “It is the first time for over a hundred years that a complete corpse of a combatant from the time has been discovered in such a good state.”

“He could have been buried by a comrade or simply missed when the bodies were gathered up after the battle for burial. We hope to find evidence of his regiment from the spoon and the leather epaulets that were found with the corpse. And we know the names of the combatants thanks to military records of the time. When the soldier’s regiment can be determined we should be able to find his identity.”

Thanks to our loyal reader June Sproat for the heads up on this story!

Apsley House and it's Environs

From Walks in London by Augustus Hare (1894)

At the entrance of Belgravia, opposite Hyde Park Corner, is St. George’s Hospital (above, now the Lanesborough Hotel), occupying the site of Lord Lanesborough’s house, which bore the couplet—
‘It is my delight to be
Both in town and country.’
John Hunter died in the board-room of the Hospital, Oct. 16, 1793. Close by was the original site of ‘Tattersall’s,’ now built over, formerly well known as ‘The Corner,’ and much frequented on Sunday afternoons, when horses and dogs were exhibited on ‘The Green.’ It was here that Lord Hatherton’s hounds, sent up for sale, took advantage of the wicket being left open one Sunday, disappeared, and were all found safe back at Teddesley in Staffordshire next day.

Hyde Park Gate with Apsley House to the right

Close to Hyde Park Corner rises the pillared front of Apsley House (Duke of Wellington), over which, on fine afternoons, the sun long threw a spirit-like shadow from the statue of the great Duke upon the opposite gateway. The house was built in 1784 for Henry Bathurst, Lord Apsley, from designs by the brothers Adam: it was originally red brick; the stone front and portico were added in 1828. It will always excite interest from its associations as the residence of Arthur Wellesley, first Duke of Wellington, who died Sept. 14, 1852. At its gates, for many years, people used to watch for the appearance of the silver-haired veteran in his well-known blue coat and white waistcoat and trousers.

‘The peculiar characteristic of this great man, and which, though far less dazzling than his exalted genius and his marvellous fortune, is incomparably more useful for the contemplation of the statesman, as well as the moralist, is that constant abnegation of all selfish feelings, that habitual sacrifice of every personal, every party consideration, to the single object of strict duty—duty rigorously performed in what station soever he might be called on to act.’—Lord Brougham, ‘Statesmen of George III.’

On the right of the Entrance Hall in Apsley House is a room appropriated as a kind of Museum of Relics of the Great Duke. It is surrounded by glass cases containing an enormous plateau, candelabra, etc., given by the Spanish and Portuguese Courts after the Peninsular War; a magnificent shield with reliefs symbolising the victories of the Duke, presented, with candelabra, by the Merchants and Bankers of London in 1822; and services of china given by the Russian, Prussian, and French Courts. In a number of table-cases are preserved the swords, batons, and orders (including the extinct order of the Saint Esprit) which belonged to the Duke; his two fieldglasses; the cloak which he wore at Waterloo; the sword of Napoleon I.; the dress worn by Tippoo Saib at his capture; and the magnificent George set with emeralds, originally given by Queen Anne to the Duke of Marlborough, and presented by George IV.

The Corinthian Arch, which forms the entrance of the Green Park, removed in 1883 from a position immediately opposite Apsley House, was erected from designs by Decimus Burton in 1828. In its former position it supported the equestrian statue of the Duke of Wellington by  Wyatt (1846)—the ‘hideous equestrian monster’ of Thackeray. This statue, commemorating the great military achievements of the Duke, and intrusted to the keeping of the nation in 1846, was only preserved from destruction in 1883 by the spirited protest of Colonel Charles Lindsay I It was removed amid a storm of ridicule, the cocked hat being described as ‘too big for the Duke, and the Duke too big for the horse, and the horse too big for everything.’ It is now at Aldershot. In its place a smaller equestrian statue by Boehm has been erected. The horse is admirable in intelligent alertness, the Duke gravely observant, and the four figures at the angles of the pedestal, representing a Grenadier, Highlander, Welsh Fusilier, and Inniskillen Dragoon, are full of originality, though their taste may be questioned.

The road which passes beneath the arch leads into the Green Park (of fifty-six acres), called on some old maps Stonebridge Close, on others Upper St. James’s Park. It skirts the gardens of Buckingham Palace by Constitution Hill, where no less than three attempts have been made upon the life of Queen Victoria: the first by a lunatic named Oxford, June 10, 1840; the second by Francis, another lunatic, May 30,1842; and thethird by an idiot named Hamilton, May 19, 1849. It was at the top of the hill that Sir Robert Peel was thrown from his horse, June 29, 1850, and received the injuries from which he died on the 2nd of July. The principal houses on the opposite side of the Park are Stafford House, Bridgewater House, and Spencer House. Till 1825 ‘the Ranger’s Lodge’ stood in the Park near Piccadilly: the stags which ornamented its gateway are now at Albert Gate.

The Raglan Collection

On 4 April 2012, Christie’s Auction House in London offered The Raglan Collection: Waterloo, Wellington and The Crimea at the South Kensington saleroom, 85 Old Brompton Road. This private collection from Cefntilla Court, Monmouthshire – the ancestral home of the Barons Raglan since 1855 – included important historical medals, arms and armour, militaria, pictures, furniture, silver, books, Indian weapons and works of art, as well as a selection of enthnographic art. The collection is being sold by order of the Executors of Fitzroy John Somerset, 5th Baron Raglan (great-great-grandson of the 1st Baron Raglan). The collection comprises over 300 lots and was expected to realize in excess of £750,000.

Prior to the sale, Amelia Elborne, Specialist and Head of Sale commented, “FitzRoy Somerset, 1st Baron Raglan, was one of the most well-known British soldiers of the early 19th century. His career spanned service at the right hand of Britain’s greatest soldier, the first Duke of Wellington for almost 40 years, during the Peninsular War, at Waterloo, and as Private Secretary, through to his command of British forces in The Crimean War – Raglan’s legacy is of foremost importance. This fascinating collection chronicles Lord Raglan’s role in some of the most famous battles in British history, as well as featuring more personal items stemming from his relationship with ‘the Iron Duke’ and the family he created with his wife, Lady Emily Wellesley-Pole, Wellington’s favourite niece. The collection comes to auction from Cefntilla Court, the Monmouthshire home which was given by a group of admirers to the son of Lord Raglan after the Field Marshal’s death in June 1855 – before what would eventually be victory in The Crimea. The selection on offer has been collected by the 1st Baron Raglan as well as by his descendants – almost all military men themselves – including the 3rd Baron Raglan, a politician and governor of the Isle of Man, and the 4th Baron Raglan, an anthropologist and collector.”

Highlights from The Collection
Commissioned into the army at the age of fifteen, Lord FitzRoy Somerset  became the Duke of Wellington’s Aide-de-camp in 1808, at the age of twenty, as Captain. Somerset proved himself in battle, bearing the dispatches after  Talavera (1809) and receiving a wound at Busaco (1810). He played a  distinguished role in the bloody storming of Badajoz in 1812 and fought at the battles of Salamanca (1812), Vitoria (1813) and Toulouse (1814), after which he was made KCB. He was awarded the Peninsular Gold Medal (with clasps for Badajoz and Salamanca) illustrated right and the Peninsular Gold Cross (with five clasps) illustrated far right. These latter medals were instituted by the Prince Regent on behalf of his ailing father, George III, to reward senior officers for their service in the Peninsula. For his first battle the recipient would be awarded a gold medal, for his second and third two clasps, and thereafter the exquisite gold cross (with clasps). In total, only 165 crosses and
clasps were ever awarded.

A magnificent gold and diamond-hilted sword presented to General Don Alava by the city of Vitoria in gratitude, who then gave it to his great friend and comrade-in-arms, Lord FitzRoy Somerset. It is believed that Alava holds the distinction of being the only person to have been present at both Trafalgar and Waterloo – one as opposition and the other as an ally to the British. Estimate: £30,000-50,000. Photo: Christie’s Images Ltd 2012

The medals are included in the highly important and exceptionally rare group of honorary awards and medals awarded to Field Marshal Lord Raglan (estimate: £250,000-350,000). The field marshal’s baton that Raglan was awarded after his victory at Inkerman in the Crimea (a rank that had been created for Raglan’s mentor Wellington after his success at Vitoria) is also included in the lot. Designed by the Prince Regent, and presented by Queen Victoria, the deep red velvet baton is decorated with small gold lions, and the base is engraved: “From Her Majesty Alexandrina Victoria Queen of the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland to Field Marshal The Lord Raglan G.C.B. 1855‟, with maker’s mark WN for William Neal, hallmarks for 18 carat gold, London and 1854; it is surmounted by a figure of St. George slaying the dragon. Somerset’s Waterloo Medal, issued in 1816-17 and the first award given by the British government to all soldiers present at a battle, as well as his Crimea Medal with four clasps are also included in the lot. The lot comprises a total of twelve awards and medals, and is accompanied by a letter signed by Frederick, Duke of York as commander-in-chief to Lord FitzRoy Somerset, Horse Guards, 21 September 1813.
As Wellington’s right-hand-man for almost forty years, the collection includes a number of lots related to the first Duke of Wellington, including a mahogany armchair by Holland and Sons, used by Wellington in his office at Horse Guards (estimate: £4,000-6,000). Somerset married Lady Emily Wellesley-Pole, the daughter of Wellington’s brother William Wellesley-Pole later third Earl of Mornington, and Wellington’s favourite neice. Wellington gave many personal treasures to Emily, including a diamond-set gold bracelet containing a lock of his hair (estimate: £1,500-2,000), and a heavy Indian gold ring which he had purportedly taken from Tipu Sultan, after the Battle of Seringapatam in 1799 (estimate: £10,000-15,000).

It is the great-grandson of Baron Raglan who is putting the collection up for auction. The collection comes from the family house of Cefntilla Court in Monmouthshire, Wales, which has been the seat of the Barony since 1855. Meanwhile it has emerged that Lord Raglan’s heir has put Cefntilla Court (above) on the market at a guide price of £2 million. The chairwoman of a Gwent civic society has called for a “tragic” sale of war memorabilia from the home of Lord Raglan to be stopped. Ms Morse said Usk Civic Society, which Lord Raglan served as president of from 1973 until he died in 2010, was shocked by the sales: “We are pretty sure that he would have wanted it all kept together.” She said that the house was given to the son of the first Lord Raglan, FitzRoy Somerset, in recognition of his father’s achievements as a soldier and to be with the family for perpetuity.

UPDATE: The Sale ha
s been postponed, with a Christie’s spokesperson saying this week: “The auction has been postponed pending resolution of a legal claim filed by a family member.” Bettina Harden, of the Raglan Rescue campaign to keep the best parts of the collection together and in this country, said: “The battle may have been won, but now the war begins.” The injunction will be reviewed in May. If it is not extended, this allows campaigners only a short time in which to raise the necessary funds. The collection has been valued at £750,000 and the house at £2 million.

We’ll bring you updates on the debate as they are received.

The Wellington Connection: Waterloo Chairs

Discovered during a routine valuation morning at the Chipping Norton branch of Tayler and Fletcher, Auctioneer and Valuer Stephen Sheppard could not believe his eyes when a photograph of The Duke of Wellington Chair appeared before him.

This fine regency period elm cross frame chair proudly proclaimed the name ‘Wellington’ in bold brass lettering to the top rail and carried a metal plate inscribed with the following inscription ‘This chair is formed from a tree which grew on the plains of Waterloo, and under which the Duke of Wellington stood during a great portion of the day on which he achieved the most glorious of his many Victories. The wood was given to me by J G Children Esq., of The B. Museum, who purchased the entire tree of its proprietor E.V.U.’

Field Marshal Arthur Wellesley, 1st Duke of Wellington, KG, GCB, GCH, PC, FRS (1 May 1769 – 14 September 1852), was a British soldier and statesman, a native of Ireland, from the Anglo-Irish Ascendancy and one of the leading military and political figures of the nineteenth century. He is often referred to as the ‘Duke of Wellington,’ even after his death and there have been subsequent Dukes of Wellington.

Wellington rose to prominence as a general during the Peninsular campaign of the Napoleonic Wars, and was promoted to the rank of field marshal after leading the allied forces to victory against the French at the Battle of Victorian in 1813. Following Napoleon’s exile in 1814, he served as the ambassador to France and was granted a dukedom. During the Hundred Days war in 1815, he commanded the allied army which, with a Prussian army under Blücher, defeated Napoleon at the Battle of Waterloo. Wellesley’s battle record is exemplary, ultimately participating in some 60 battles throughout his military career; he was also twice prime minister under the Tory party and remained Commander-in-Chief of the British Army until his death.

Following further research, it was discovered that The Gentleman’s Magazine of 1836 carried a contemporary review of Dykes Tour in Belgium – Kay’s Caffraria, which states “As to accuracy of fact – Mr Dyke mentions that the elm tree on the plain of Waterloo, under which Lord Wellington stood, “was purchased of a farmer, by a mercenary Goth from England, who hacked and twisted it into tooth picks and snuff boxes”. Now the fact is, that this said mercenary Goth was John George Children, Esq. of the British Museum, the learned and scientific translator of Berzelius, who did not cut it into tooth picks or snuff boxes, but formed it into a massive and handsome chair, in which he reposes, and which he does not sell.” Could this be the very chair mentioned in the magazine article of 1836?  The Wellington Chair is estimated at £5,000-£8,000 and measures 97cm high x 61cm wide. Provenance: Purchased at a country house sale in Oxfordshire during the 1950’s thence by descent to the private vendor.

This fine piece of furniture is only one small part of a much larger auction sale that will include ceramics, glassware, metalware and bronzes, silverware, jewellery, clocks watches and barometers, collectables and bijouterie, paintings and pictures, mirrors and books, soft furnishings, textiles and hand knotted oriental rugs and carpets and viewing for this particular auction sale at the Pittville Pump Room, Cheltenham, is on Wednesday the 29th February from 8am-7pm and also on the morning of the sale from 7.30am until the start of sale at 10am. 01451 821666 www.taylerandfletcher.co.uk