Was this the best Battalion Commander of the Peninsular War?
Today's episode is the first of three exploring the life of Sir Hugh Gough - Peninsular War veteran and commander of the British and EIC forces during the Sikh Wars.
I am joined by Gough's biographer, Christopher Brice, and In today's installment we learn about Gough's background and his early years in Ireland. Chris puts forward the case that Gough was the best British Battalion Commander of the Peninsular War. What do you think?
Sign up for my mailing list over at redcoathistory.com/newsletter/ to get your free copy of my eBook about the Anglo-Zulu War.
Here is the link to Chris's book - www.helion.co.uk/military-his... - add the discount code LION2020 to save 20%.
If you are very generous, you can also buy me a coffee and help support the channel via ko-fi.com/redcoathistory
I joined the Royal Irish Fusilier's (The Faughs) at Gough Barracks Armagh in 1951. It was good to hear that regimental history again. FAUGH A BALLAGH
Keep hiding behind the privilege of history, you and your friends died in vain supporting nothing.
1 R IRISH keeping up the same traditions.
Interesting topic, Colborne would be up there also. There are two examples in this discussion where the French are able to deliver some seriously competitive musket fire, first against Brown's light battalion and second against the 87th, although for some reason French firepower is often underrated. While I don't disagree that the British were seriously efficient with musket firepower - often it seems because they delivered it at very close range - the French are also in many instances capable of delivering some pain as these examples and I think the 32nd at Salamanca and the 27th at Waterloo can attest to. David J Blackmore's thesis on British firepower called "Destructive and Formidable" which gives the background history of why British infantry firepower in the Napoleonic era was considered so good is worth a read by anyone interested in the development of British infantry firepower. Note: The 87th took the Eagle of the 8th Ligne at Barossa not the 8th Light, the unfortunate man carrying the Eagle was Lieutenant Guillemain who was seriously wounded.
Fascinating! Thank you! I'm really impressed with Dr. Brice as well and am looking forward to seeing him again on your channel.
Robert Ross should be up there as Best Battlion Commander. Wellington mentioned him in dispatches so that's got to count
Love the concept. My broken attention span makes 38mins a challenge. 15 is the sweet spot.
Wow! What a fabulous career, and life. I'm envious, but then I remember the diseases and bullets and no antibiotics so I'm glad to be in the 21st century... Thanks for this story!
Oh wow, what a coward. They had semi-antibiotics but they were crude...Napoleon died from arsenic consumption for syphilis.
@@patcooper793 hi Pat, I don't like to think of myself as a coward, just more of a sissy than anything :)
Maybe Wellington didn't like his Irish background but he certainly has many Irish high ranking officers under his command. Those English-Irish elite where a relative small group so he must have know them or their families from his youth and the social contact these families had. And they all spoke the same dialect. That must create some sort of bond and trust.
The Anglo Irish aristocracy did not consider themselves Irish. Irish referred to the ordinary people. Anglo Irish were heavily represented in military officers
LOL, it didn't work that way. How well do you know your local "homeless" population? Same idea, but more stigma.
@@knoll9812 absolutely untrue you would have to go case by case. Most of the Irish rebel leaders in the early risings were Anglo/Irish. They were more educated than the working class and realized the unfair treatment of the population. It also went by area my Mam's family are from the south east of Ireland and were probably treated fairly. My father's family on the other hand were from the west of Ireland and the ruling class were more harsh and no one expect for the really poor and the wealthy served in the British army as far as I'm concerned.
@@EireGenX you are not responding to my claims I said the Anglo Irish aristocracy very few of whom were in IRA.
Great and informative video. Thank you.
Rowland Hill + Samuel Ford Whittingham and others deserve a episode eh.
Fantastic more of the same please, looking forward to hearing the next episodes
Fun fact: Colonel Browne sang Heart of Oak as his battalion advanced. 😂 Also, if you're interested in covering more underrated generals, then I would say that Gerard Lake is a good pick. Anyone who can campaign successfully in India deserves praise.
Obviously he's not if you watched his toady and ball-less Churchill video.
@@patcooper793 Lake was a brute, borderline psychopath. But he was a ‘good’ soldier by the standards of the day.
I'm reading a good book now Twenty five years in the rifle Brigade... William Surtees
Of coarse these events occurred well before the advent of England's and p'raps , the world's most daring , dashing and derring - do exponent of military endeavour , soldier and doer extraordinaire , Sir Harry Paget Flashman . Victoria Cross , K.C.B Knight Commander of the Bath : K.C.I.E Knight Commander , Order of the Indian Empire : Chevalier , Legion of Honour ; Order of Maria Theresa , Austria ; Order of the Elephant , Denmark ( not officially validated ) , US MEDAL OF HONOR ; San Serafino Order of Purity and Truth 4th Class . To name but a few . Damn your eyes man !
Mr Mckelvie ,one of the Irish generals was the Duke of Wellington , described as Anglo Irish.
Excellent thanks 😊 👍
This is one of the best You tube Videos coming from the UK !
Earnt a new subscriber!
Very educational videos
The notes of links to your other relevant video's is quite useful.
Very interesting. However, of course a battalion commander shared the same risks as his men! At the time, they stood out there on the field of battle as well.
What I have found at the PRO Kew is that muster rolls for regiments can be found in the wrong place, particulary if they have been wrong indexed, or if on a ship at the time are even in ADM files. the only way is to go methodical through the documents and read everything , in person it takes a long time.
(Infantry veteran) Battalion commanders in their 30's is a good age; you need lots of energy to do the job.
What if you made a series about the individual regiments and their commanders? I think many reenactors like me (79th) would love to learn more about the other regiments.
A lot of that stuff ends up being masturabatory and failing to see the forest through the trees.
Old Sir Hugh Gough - of the 87th .Great story. The Protestant Acendecy. Hope you may cover the Sir John Colborne , William Stewart, Coote Manningham. I believe that these men maybe contenders for the accolade. 2 others who did serve are John Harvey and Thomas Pearson but made they major contributions to the Empire in Canada defeating the American invaders at Stoney Creek and Crysler's Farm.
Aselm Danker, You are forgetting James Fitzgibbon Catholic Irish who rose from the ranks of the Irish militias. Fitzgibbon had an American army surrender to him while he had only 35 "drunken Irishmen" and a threat of "Indians back in the woods" to achieve this. Unfortunately, for the Irish and the Empire, the value of Irish Regiments was not given much credit in the British Press which was generally, unfortunately, due to traditional bigotry.
@@ccahill2322 I was not aware of this - where in the war of 1812 did this happen, appreciate your input.? War of 1812 is not well covered .Thank you .
@@anselmdanker9519 , Thank you for the inquiry. Captain James Fitzgibbon was the British officer whom Laura Secord ran and walked several miles to warn that an American "army" of seven hundred fully equipped men was coming to attack. I believe in was near a place in Ontario called Lundy's Lane. However you should check the location. I believe later on Fitzgibbon was appointed governor of Ontario. He is buried in London. He was born and grew up in a village named Glin, on the south bank of the Shannon Estuary, in County Limerick. In this case Fitzgibbon bluffed the American General and his officers to surrender to him. In some cases FitzGibbon in spelled thusly using the capital "G." I have taken an interest in many things historical not only about Britain and Ireland but the Peninsular and Napoleonic wars and the American Civil war as well. This is not because I believe in war but because I believe an honourable soldier is always a man of peace. One further point, if you're interested, if you look up the Guthenberg Press online, look for "The Memoirs of a Soldier" by Edward Costello. It is a very interesting read about his experience in the Peninsula with Wellington. It is even more interesting in what the relationship between Ireland and England was and what could have been.
@@ccahill2322 Thank you for providing the background of James FitzGibbon! He served in 1/49th Regiment in the war of 1812.He was at the battles of Stoney Creek and Crystal 's Farm as a company officer. He negotiated the surrender of the Americans at Beaver Dams, and received a Gold medal and ultimately rose to the rank of Colonel. The account I read does not cover his early career but says that he rose from the ranks. I very much appreciate the additional details. Cheers 😀
Well told. Would also be interesting to bring the story of the French foe of that time.
Or the story of the Native Americans and French vis-a-vis the British. You take the broad name of British Redcoat History for yo channel you got to be a generalist before a specialist. Odd nothing about great British generals such as Wolfe and Cornwallis.
Another great video, thanks Chris, incidentally I got a t-shirt of Masterson taking the cuckoo 😂
Another great video, keep it up. Respect to you for the Ukraine footage
A very interesting topic/discussion. I have a question for you or anyone else to clear up if they can? In a book i have about Wellington and his campaign the 87th are listed as "the King's Irish or Prince of Wales' Irish" (I don't have the book with me as i write this question sorry). Rather than the Irish Fusiliers. Is this a mistake in the book?
I love that theme at the end but what is it called?
“First commission at age 13”…same as General Wolfe.
I respect the Jocko shirt big dog 👊
Consider doing an episode on Blaise De Monluc. Yeah, he's French, but he only fought the Habsburgs and the French, and he was a total badass.
And better yet, do a brief on the "krekers," those valiant English heroes of the early 1520s.
It would be interesting to discover how many good Irish Generals we have had over the history since 1800?
Definite irish mate. If you think Normans in Ireland were Irish I got something for you.
As wellington said a horse born in a pig sty doesn’t make it a pig
Brig. Gen. Patrick Cleburne, CSA. Brig. Gen. Thomas Meagher, USA. Alfred Thayer Mahan’s (American Naval Theorist and author of The Influence Of Sea Power On History) paternal grandparents were Irish Catholic immigrants to New York.
@@MrTangolizard 🤣🤣🤣
Beckwith and Colborne perhaps.
15:40 bhave he left the wounded ,ran away❤️🇬🇧💯 16:13
3:08 unlucky 4 some❤️🇬🇧💯 3:22
Arthur Wellesley Duke of Wellington had a Extremely successful military career in India ( Anglo Mysore wars ), Anglo maratha wars before the Peninsular wars
Hi there, thanks a lot. I have a couple of episodes on Wellesley including the Anglo-maratha war. You may enjoy those.
@@redcoathistory pls do send Anglo maratha war link - by the way I am from Madras India - and Heard that 50% of Wellesley's troops were from Madras Sappers / light infantry from South India
A world of 'purchased commissions', but also a sense of duty.
Ironically, Wellington said he wished he had his Peninsula veterans at Waterloo
What stopped him?
@@paulmcgee1867 That army was basically disbanded, and scattered all over the place.
Thanks for the info
@@paulmcgee1867 Cheers mate.
14:16 he save his own fcukin skin❤️🇬🇧💯 14:34
What is the primary mission of the Royal Navy ??? Rescuing the British army.....
3:45 I'm no 12❤️🇬🇧💯 3:57
His portrait makes him look like Tintin!
1:44 lions led by donkeys❤️🇬🇧💯 2:00
Must have had access to funds.
I would be surprised if the "best battalion commander of the Peninsular War" was to be found in the tiny British army ... With hundreds of thousands of French troops to compete with.
Lol you are quite a fun guy. I appreciate your comments. All the best 👍🏼
No. My Uncle was.
This guy is a military historian, odd for a 3-part bio. IMHO The best and most passionate biographers have a background in the humanities, social history, psychology, English literature, etc then history for PHD not focusing on military history primarily, as it's an abstruse subject lending to toady positions, as we see in your Peninsular videos.
It could be that Gough was in worse shape than most knew, so he was left to convalesce.
Interesting stuff, but I wish he'd stop saying "you know ! " I bet you don't say it so often when you write a book !
get rid of the chap with the blue top;;;;;;;;;;;;;2023;;;;;;
Mr Mckelvie ,one of the Irish generals was the Duke of Wellington , described as Anglo Irish.
He wouldn’t describe himself that way
@@MrTangolizard it doesn’t matter how he describes himself the facts are the facts.
@@johnhannigan8265 erm yes it does I was born on a British base in Germany I’m not Anglo/German I’m actually Cornish/welsh and wellington was born to British family in Ireland
@@MrTangolizardExcept he was Anglo-Irish. But it was seen as inferior lower grade of gentry. Wellesley's family had pretensions and intentions to get away from provincial Ireland