Meanderings of an opera obsessed mind...

It's weird that no matter who or what I get obsessed with (and later, unfortunately tire of *fingers crossed this will NOT happen with TA*), my affection/interest for the Duke of Wellington never ceases...-____-

I found his scathing letter to his superiors in England hilarious...a letter that Jane Austen would have approved of, most probably.


Message from Sir Arthur Wellesley, Earl of Wellington, to the British Foreign Office in London, written in Spain, August 1812

Gentlemen,

Whilst marching from Portugal to a position, which commands the approach to Madrid and the French forces, my officers have been diligently complying with your requests, which have been sent by H.M. ship from London to Lisbon and thence by dispatch to our headquarters.

We have enumerated our saddles, bridles, tents and tent poles, and all manner of sundry items for which His Majesty's Government holds me accountable. I have dispatched reports on the character, wit, and spleen of every officer. Each item and every farthing has been accounted for, with two regrettable exceptions for which I beg your indulgence.
Unfortunately the sum of one shilling and nine pence remains unaccounted for in one infantry battalion's petty cash and there has been a hideous confusion as the number of jars of raspberry jam issued to one cavalry regiment during a sandstorm in western Spain. This reprehensible carelessness may be related to the pressure of circumstance, since we are war with France, a fact which may come as a bit of a surprise to you gentlemen in Whitehall.

This brings me to my present purpose, which is to request elucidation of my instructions from His Majesty's Government so that I may better understand why I am dragging an army over these barren plains. I construe that perforce it must be one of two alternative duties, as given below. I shall pursue either one with the best of my ability, but I cannot do both:

1. To train an army of uniformed British clerks in Spain for the benefit of the accountants and copy-boys in London or perchance.

2. To see to it that the forces of Napoleon are driven out of Spain.

Your most obedient servant,

Wellington

(Basically, generals were to be held accountable for every piece of equipment, money, supplies, etc. sent from home and it was their responsibility to deal with any problems. What Wellington was exasperatingly pointing out here to his superiors that this particular process was sorely hindering his efforts to beat the French...and with great wit and style. XD)