In the Peninsula with Snappy Nappy

Darren organised and ran another all day multiplayer Snappy Nappy campaign game, this time based in the Peninsula.  I was General Sebastini in command of the Army du Centre based in Madrid. Richard Cox was Marshal Victor in command of Army of the Sud, Brad was Ney in command of Army du Nord and Curtis had the Army of Portugal as Marshal Soult.

Marshall Soult was to hold Oporto until joined by Marshal Ney for an advance on Lisbon.  Marshal Ney would protect the southern approaches to Madrid which was to be held by General Sebastini.

My army is camped on the outskirts of the city, enjoying the sunshine.

There are three roads and cavalry are dispatched to scout the environs.

0947 scouts dispatched down road #22

0952 scouts report guerrillas at Castile which they dispatched, identified road #17 to Salamanca

0959 scouts return to Madrid.  

Message sent to Marshal Ney (circa Salamanca) advising route open to Madrid.

1004 scouts dispatched down road #11

1005 message received from Marshal Victor that a Spanish army is located at Cadiz and that he is staying at Talavera.

1018 message from Marshal Victor that Beresford and a Spanish army are converging on Talavera.

1019 scouts report from La Mancha that road #4 leads west to Talavera.

Message sent to Marshal Victor (circa Talavera) advising route open to Madrid.

1020 message received from Marshal Ney that his way to Oporto is blocked and that he will move to Madrid.

1038 Army du Centre starts to move to Talavera.

Snow on the mountains over shadowing the approach to Talavera via La Mancha.

Army du Centre arrives to find that it is not Beresford and some Portuguese, but Wellington and the British.  The Spanish are yet to arrive, but Marshal Victor is already engaged with the enemy.

The British have seized Talavera!

Dragoons versus Light Dragoons.

This fight went on for a while.

After some very hard fighting and the Army du Sud being roughly handled,

Army du Centre starts to make progress.

Wellington is doing his best to influence the battle.

The Spanish are now engaged, but it is too late,

the British army has been wiped out.

Only Wellington remains.

He was heard to say that it was still early days.

The Spanish start to withdraw and the mauled Army du Sud 

has slipped off with the intent of capturing Lisbon.

Meanwhile... The real Beresford along with some units taken from Wellington's command had assailed Marshal Soult who had abandoned Oporto and was heading to Madrid via Salamanca.  A Spanish army blocked his way and his army succumbed on the battlefield.  However Marshal Ney had sent some troops to rescue him and these fell upon the Spanish routing them.

There seemed to be a belief that the Coalition forces had won the day, that is what the British press were saying, but the loss of the bulk of the British army would suggest otherwise.