Austerlitz December tour report

At the end of November we embarked on our Austerlitz anniversary walking tour. Here follows an interesting account of the battlefield tour, but one too long for just one newsletter, so part 2 will follow at the end of the month.

Our flight departed London Heathrow and arrived at Prague on time. There we enjoyed a coffee whilst awaiting the arrival of our Irish contingent.  But it was not long before Helena arrived with the coach and we commenced our journey to our lovely hotel which was situated in the beautiful city of Brno. After unpacking we enjoyed a couple of drinks before dinner which was a typical Czech affair followed by a battlefield briefing outlining the walks that we could expect over the ensuing days.
The next day we set off early in the hope of catching the sun of Austerlitz as it rose over the Pratzen Plateau, but due to cloud cover we were to be disappointed. Nevertheless the day was dry and we started our first walk from outside of Marshal Soult's headquarters in Slapanitz and from there we headed to Napoleon's morning command point on the Zuran via the gravel pit where he had spent the preceding night. From the Zuran the improving weather allowed us a great panorama of a battlefield that has changed little in 207 years. We identified the initial French troop dispositions and the Pratzen Heights, abandoned by the Allies, were clearly in view. With the exception of a lone Scotsman, we had this magnificent viewpoint to ourselves until we were ready to set off to Jirkovitz and thence to Blazowitz in the footsteps of Bernadotte’s I corps. Traversing the heights above this growing village we saw what terrific cavalry country the terrain was and it took little to imagine the massed squadrons of Murat and Lichtenstein clashing with each other. But time was pressing and rather than setting off to Hobulitz on foot our coach turned up and whisked off to lunch at the Old Post House on the Brunn- Olmutz road. The roadside inn is steeped in the history of battle, as our guide was quick to point out. We enjoyed a plum brandy in the very room were Napoleon and his marshalate determined their plan for the forthcoming battle. In the courtyard that must have witnessed so much, we were given a demonstration of French musket drill, with a couple of our party allowed the opportunity to load and fire in the French style. The ensuing lunch was a tasty meat stew served inside a hollowed-out spherical loaf of bread and was presented with a burning flare inserted into its lid. A dish previously known as the 'Santon Cannonball' had become a 'Santon Shell'! Thus fortified we commenced our afternoon walk. From the rear of the inn we could look along the Olmutz road to the heights occupied by Bagration at the end of the battle and speculated where the late arriving Austrian gun battery might have been positioned to provide covering fire under which the Russian commander withdrew his force to Austerlitz. We then picked up his early morning flank march towards Bosenitz but sadly the light was getting the better of us so rather than ascend the Santon in the dusk we jumped on our ever present coach and drove there in good time to appreciate the strength with which the French left flank was anchored. It also served as a useful recce, as below us was laid out the arena for the following day's battle re-enactment. With darkness starting to encroach we returned to our hotel. Friday evening was spent in a brewery restaurant in the centre of Brno where we enjoyed some typical Czech cuisine with some even brave enough to indulge in steak tartare. The timing of the tour was such that it coincided with the first night of the Brno Christmas market. Even at its worst, Brno is a stunning city, with its wide streets and beautiful 19th century architecture, but the tasteful manner in which this market had been laid out with shimmering Christmas lights and seasonal music coupled with the vibrant masses in attendance, made this evening magical.

Although it was one day before the anniversary of the battle, it was pragmatic to schedule most of the commemorative events on the Saturday. We started at the cleverly designed battlefield interpretation centre set beside the peace monument/chapel on the Pratzen Heights. You are taken through four presentations; the campaign; the night before the battle; the battle itself and the ensuing peace negotiations. As the day was bright, clear and crisp we were blessed with superb visibility from the heights allowing us to make most of yesterday's walks, those that were planned for tomorrow and importantly the key parts of the battlefield. Thence we headed to Austerlitz to briefly enjoy its street market: one of its atmospheric features is the large log fires intermittently placed amongst the stalls where crowds could warm themselves whilst enjoying a hot chocolate or mulled wine. After an early lunch we set off for the re-enactment and we were remarkably lucky being to park our coach very close to the event, which started promptly at 2 pm. It was very well co-ordinated with upwards of a thousand participants most of which were wearing the uniforms of France and Austria. There were cannon and cavalry a plenty:  a highlight being a French unit of two full-sized companies advancing as a division of companies towards the Austrians - a great aid to appreciate the size and dimensions of a battalion in column of divisions. When it was all over we returned to Slavkov (Austerlitz) where we toured its chateau and in particular the room where Napoleon received the Austrian peace entreaties and the balcony from where he gave his famous post-battle address to his soldiers. In the kitchen of the chateau we sat down to an atmospheric dinner, some of us enjoying Chicken Marengo! This fantastic day culminated in a march-past amongst the thronging populace of the soldiers of both sides who had so enthralled us that afternoon followed by a magnificent firework display set to martial music with the chateau serving appropriately as a back-drop. Sadly it was time to return to our hotel. I am sure that the events of today will stick in the minds of us all for a long time to come.

You can get a feel for the events surrounding the re-enactment and other tours from our youTube video. Why not join me on one of my other Napoleonic tours this year : Minskand Belarus, Napoleonin Germany or Nelson,Moore and Napoleon.

The treasure of Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes

As part of a 4 frigate flotilla loaded with a cargo of Spanish gold, silver and jewels, the 34 gun frigate Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes set off for Cadiz from Montevideo in mid 1804. Unbeknown to the Spanish, the Royal Navy was aware of their cargo and, importantly, their movements and on 5 October, just 100 miles short of their destination, off the Cape of Santa Maria (close to Faro in Portugal) 4 British frigates intercepted, engaged and captured the Spanish ships, with the exception of the Nuestra Señora de las Mercedes which exploded and sank with all her treasure on board. The action created tremendous anti-British feelings in Spain and resulted in her declaring war in Great Britain on 12 December. Less than a year later a combined Spanish and French fleet would be destroyed off Cape Trafalgar. In 2007 the American recovery firm discovered and recovered the treasure and quickly flew the coins to Miami, where they claimed salvage rights. Subsequently the hoard was valued at in excess of $500 million! Not unsurprisingly, the Spanish government took great umbrage at this act and commenced legal action in the US courts to have the fortune placed in their care. In February the courts found in favour of the Spanish and last Saturday (25 February), the trove arrived just outside of Madrid on-board a Spanish military aircraft, presumably the RAF being instructed to take the weekend off. Apparently Spain's Culture Ministry has ruled out the idea of the treasure being sold to pay off the country's national debt.

Raglan collection to be auctioned

Lord FitzRoy Somerset joined the Duke of Wellington’s staff in 1807 and as a prominent aide de camp served with him throughout the Peninsular War and at Waterloo his arm was severely wounded resulting in its amputation. After Waterloo he became the Duke’s secretary and ultimately his military secretary when the former became Commander-in-Chief in 1827. In 1852 he became 1st Baron Raglan and two years later he was promoted to General and appointed to command the British forces during the Crimean War. After victory at Inkerman in November 1854 he was promoted to Field Marshal, but died of dysentery shortly after the abortive assault on Sevastopol in June 1855.

On 10 January 2010 the 5th Baron of Raglan died without issue and his executors have decided that many of the items that the 1st Baron collected over the years should be put up for auction at Christies on 4 April.

Of particular interest are FitzRoy Somerset’s Peninsular War awards and medals estimated to fetch between £250,000 - £350,000 and amongst which are his Peninsular Gold Medal (with clasps for Badajoz and Salamanca), the Peninsular Gold Cross (with five clasps) and his Field-Marshal’s baton. As FitzRoy Somerset married Wellington’s ‘favourite’ niece, it is no surprise that the auction contains a ring that was supposedly taken from the Tippu Sultan’s body after the assault of Seringapatam (estimate up to £15,000). There are also two Russian bronze cannon taken from Sevastopol in 1855. As their estimate is up to £40,000. might this indicate that the Ministry of Defence is looking to back up its stock of Victoria Cross bronze?

Although Christies have yet to update their website with the details of the sale, the collection can be viewed at their Kensington showrooms from April 1 – 3.

Wellington Chair

I notice that Taylor and Fletcher auctioneers have the ‘Wellington Chair’ up for auction on March 1. According to the Daily Mail the chair could fetch up to £8,000!  whilst an ‘expert’ in a local paper put an estimate on it as high as £20,000.

And this struck a chord with me, as many years ago I remember seeing such a chair at Belvoir Castle. So, I wondered, just how many pieces of furniture were actually made from the famous Elm tree that stood at ‘Wellington’s Crossroads’ on the battlefield of Waterloo? I did a quick bit of research and found an article by A.E. Gunther in the September 1977 bulletin of the British Museum, whereby it seems that in the autumn of 1818 a gentlemen by the name of John George Children purchased the tree from the Belgian farmer on whose land it had stood. Children shipped it back to England and commissioned Chippendale the Younger to make “various items of furniture out of its timber”. Three chairs were made and one, known as the ‘Wellington Chair’ was presented to King George IV and Gunther asserts that this was still to be found in the Royal Collections at St James Palace in 1967. The second chair was presented to the Duke of Wellington and according to the Daily Mail  in 2008 still resides in his private apartments at Apsley House. The third chair was last known to be in the possession of the Duke of Rutland, and I personally saw this chair at Belvoir castle about 10 years ago and indeed the Duchess of Rultand confirms its presence in her book on the castle that was published in 2009.

As the location of all three chairs has been established as late as 1967, the recent auction story in the Daily Mail asserting that the ‘Wellington Chair’ for auction was purchased by its vendor in the 1950s raises the eyebrows somewhat, especially given the values concerned. So was A.E. Gunther, who was a prominent historian at the British Museum (and incidentally, or coincidentally, J G Children was Assistant Keeper at the Natural History Museum), incorrect in stating that there were only three chairs made from the Elm Tree?

The auctioneers state that they found some provenance from an article in a 1936 edition of the Gentlemen’s Magazine, and yet that august magazine ceased publication in 1922. However my research indicated that volume 156 (p290) of the same magazine published in 1834 corrects hearsay in a book review of ‘Thomas Dykes travel memoirs’ and states that J G Children was the purchaser of the said elm tree and that he did make a chair, but that it was not for sale. So could the chair that is up for auction be of doubtful provenance? A mystery that requires further research, particularly on behalf of the potential purchaser. Certainly a question that I will be asking of eminent historian Professor Jeremy Black who will be accompanying our Waterloo Campaign tour this June.

St Mary’s Collegiate Church, Warwick

Whilst in the Midlands recently, I had an hour or so to spare in Warwick. This town has a wealth of historical places to visit, not least its famous castle. But in the short time I was there I happened across the Collegiate Church of St Mary. And what a pleasant surprise it was. Besides its fine architectural style (it was rebuilt on its Norman foundations after the great fire of Warwick in 1694) and its imposing tower (with its impressive views of the surrounding area and the castle in particular), there are a number of beautiful tombs of some very important characters from the medieval and Tudor periods.

As the church was born out of the benefaction of the Thomas Beauchamp, 11th Earl of Warwick, naturally he lies in pride of place in the chancel besides his wife, Katherine Mortimer. He was Marshall of England for 25 years until his death in 1369. He fought beside Edward III at Crecy, the siege of Calais (both 1346) and with the Black Prince at Poitiers (1356).

Inside the Baeuchamp Chapel.

The 13th Earl of Warwick (Richard de Beauchamp) commissioned the construction of the Beauchamp chapel, were he was subsequently laid to rest some years later after his death; his magnificent tomb is made from Purbeck marble and gilded latten. During his life time, the earl was the scourge of the Welsh and the nemesis of Owen Glendower. He also fought with Henry IV against Harry 'Hotspur' at Shrewsbury in 1403.

Also in the chapel can be found the Dudley brothers – Ambrose and Robert; the latter, the 1st Earl of Leicester and suitor of Elizabeth I. Both their tombs are works of art in their own right, the detail of their sculptured effigies being remarkable.

Elsewhere in the church can be found the chapel of the Royal Warwickshire Regiment with many memorial plaques to its former members, Enoch Powell (who is buried in Warwick cemetery, apparently buried in his Brigadier's uniform) and Field Marshall Montgomery included.

Whilst there are a myriad of reasons to visit Warwick (and I will provide more in future editions of this newsletter), if you only have an hour to spare, it would not be wasted at St Mary’s. See the church website for more information. 

James Arnold's 'Napoleon on the Danube'

Wading my way through James Arnold's 'Napoleon on the Danube' in preparation for The Cultural Experience's tour of the same name - see http://www.theculturalexperience.com/battlefield_tours/vienna.php.
I read his 'Crisis on the Danube' many years ago, which I remember enjoying. The latter dealt with the opening battles of the 1809 campaign in Germany - Ratisbonne, Eckmuhl, etc, whereas this one deals with Aspern-Essling and Wagram.
Arnold writes really well - an easy author to get to grips with. His description of Aspern-Essling is very good as his round up of other worldwide events concurrently taking place in 1809. The book lacks a bit of balance because its light on Austrian sources. However he needs to understand that river banks are defined as left and right when one faces the direction of flow of a river. Either he has got that wrong or he erroneously believes that  the Danube flows from east to west. These are errors that he repeats throughout, and given that much of this book is about the crossing of the Danube, they can very much confuse the reader. Also the maps (in my 1990's edition) are appalling - I suspect that he or his 'cartographer' where trying to get to grips with the latest 'drawing' software, which in the early 1990s was pretty bad compared to what it available today. If this book has been reprinted, I hope that the publishers have the good sense to have the maps redrawn. Failing that, you will need to get hold of other maps to facilitate your understanding - especially with the manoeuvring of 5/6 July.
Overall though, a good read so far and despite my criticisms (and anyhow you have been forewarned) I would recommend this book. I'll update this review when I've finished it.
Really looking forward to Vienna though.

Salamanca and Corunna battlefield tours

No doubt keenness to avoid the Olympics has been a reason why our Salamanca Anniversary and Retreat to Corunna battlefield tours have proved so popular. Or it could be that the inimitable Major Gordon Corrigan is our expert?