(Early March)
The Spanish and the British nations have never got along well on theatre. Whether it be religion, colonies, politics, European dominance or simply prestige of nations, we have never negotiated. In fact, the Spanish allied with Napoleon, I doubted our nations would ever see eye to eye though I obviously misjudged the Frenchman’s lust for power. He is after all, the most distinguished man in Europe, so much so that he controls vast swathes of it through force unthinkable. I have heard him a likened Caesar, Hannibal and Alexander the Great, as if some kind of living God. But I have seen what he can do. His wrath is terrible and it clouds his judgement. He has driven his allies apart, and exiled Ferdinand VII in favour of his brother, Joseph, as king of Spain. The Spanish people, the riled and no waging guerrilla warfare all over the peninsular, look to our guidance and the King himself has bequeathed me with the honour of liberating this once most majestic of countries.
My first step into liberating the peninsular is by reclaiming Portugal. The last two years have seen bitter fighting and now the forces are weakened. Taking Coimbra and Porto are current objectives for me and my second in command, William Carr Beresford. I will besiege Coimbra now; it is of strategic value to secure a coastline before regiments of the King’s German Legions reach shore. Granville Payne, previously garrison commander of Gibraltar, has marched onwards to Cordoba, in hope of reaching it to aide Joaquin Blake y Joyes, the main Spanish general.
(Late March)
Coimbra is ours. The regiments have landed and already moved out to Beresford. The garrison was headed by charismatic leaders so when I arrived, they remained resolute in their defence. However, when Beresford arrived within a day’s march, they gave in. Some of the soldiers followed them and ran them down but have alerted me to the presence of Jean-Andres Messena: the commander of the French army in Spain. I have left a regiment of the Portuguese troops to see to the recruitment of local soldiers to the British cause.
In the south, Payne reached Cordoba but Blake y Joyes had decided his campaign lay north of Seville, rather than east. Payne has however managed to conduct an espionage campaign inside Cordoba itself. Military buildings have been damaged and riots have started in the surrounding areas, also credited to Spanish priests. It seems they haven’t completely disregarded coordination.
(Early May)
I have taken residence in the town of Viseau, between Coimbra and Salamanca. A marched out to meet Messena but when I reached his previous position, there was no sign of his army. Intelligence suggested he had retreated so I pushed onwards and here I am now. News reached me that the French army had withdrawn because Messena was dead. He had been shot by Aston Leake (a British spy) on a hunting expedition. Leake had been on orders to perform surveillance but he saw the perfect opportunity to strike. I rejoiced at the time but the French vengeance will be brutal, and much swifter than I anticipated. Marshall Soult, one of Napoleon’s highest regarded generals, has been sent in with reinforcements. He outnumbers me, I have had no news from Beresford and he is less than a week from my position. What’s more is that Leake has moved on, chased by French agents, into Salamanca. He has uncovered a hive of guerrilla activity and has managed to hire Rodrigo Chiamulera. He will no doubt be useful in the war effort.
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