ARAPILES, SALAMANCA, SPAIN 22 JULY 1812
Arthur Wellesley dismounted to settle in for dinner on early afternoon, 22 July 1812. For almost a week, his army had raced to keep up with French manoeuvres to avoid being outflanked. As he tucked into his chicken on the Lesser Arapiles observation point, Wellesley (who was given the title Duke of Wellington in 1814) could see the French Army deploying below. Looking to his right, he saw five of Auguste de Marmont’s divisions shifting west, ready to cut off the British retreat back to Portugal. “My God! That will do,” Wellesley exclaimed, seeing that the Seventh Division led by Jean Guillaume Barthélemy Thomières, followed by Antoine Louis Popon de Maucune’s Fifth Division, had outstripped their comrades. Tossing a half-eaten chicken leg over his…