[21] See narrative of Vacani, an eye-witness (vol. v. p. 399).
[22] To be found in print in Belmas, iv. pp. 124-8.
[23] This indictment of Suchet must be supported by details. In his elaborate table of casualties by corps at the end of his dispatch of Oct. 20, he only allows for 3 officers killed and 8 wounded, 40 men killed and 122 wounded—total 173. But the lists of officers’ casualties in Martinien show, on the other hand, five officers killed (Coutanceau, Saint Hilaire, Turno, Giardini, Cuny), and at least ten wounded (Mathis, Durand, Gauchet, D’Autane, Adhémar, Gattinara, Lamezan, D’Esclaibes, Maillard, Laplane), and probably three more.
Oddly enough, in his Mémoires (ii. p. 173) Suchet gives by name four officers killed at the breach (out of the five), while in his official report he had stated that there were only three killed altogether. We must trust rather Vacani, an eye-witness and a man much interested in statistics and casualties, when he gives the total of 300 for the losses, than Suchet’s table.
[24] Belmas, iv. p. 96.
[25] Which may be read in full in Arteche, xi. pp. 157-9.
[26] We are luckily in possession of the exact ‘morning state’ of Blake’s army, which is printed in the rare Spanish government publication of 1822, Estados de la Organizacion y Fuerza de los Ejércitos Españoles, pp. 184-7. Obispo had 3,400 men, Miranda 4,000, Villacampa 3,350, Mahy 4,600 infantry, under Montijo and Creagh, and 830 horse. This wing had 2 horse- and 2 field-batteries, 18 guns.
[27] There are terrible difficulties as to the timing of the battle of Saguntum. Suchet says that the first engagement was between Obispo’s flanking division, coming over the hills on the west, and Robert. Schepeler says that Obispo arrived too late altogether, and was practically not in the fight (p. 472). I think that the explanation is that Suchet took O’Ronan’s two battalions for Obispo, because they came from the direction where he was expected. I follow, in my timing of the battle, the very clear narrative of Vacani (v. pp. 440-1), who seems to make it clear that the main fighting on the French right was well over before that in the centre, and long before that on the left. Schepeler (who rode with Blake that day) also makes it certain that Lardizabal and Zayas were fighting long after Miranda, Villacampa, and Mahy had been disposed of. But difficulties remain, which could only be cleared up if we had a report by Obispo. General Arteche thinks that the action began fairly simultaneously all along the line, and follows Schepeler in saying that Obispo was late (xi. p. 174), the very reverse of Suchet’s statement that he came, and was beaten, too early.
[28] Burgos and Tiradores de Cadiz.
[29] Cuenca and Molina.