Collections - Paintings
(Artist's Pencil Sketch)Battle of
Vittoria, 1813
Pencil Sketch by J P Beadle RA
'Vittoria, 21st June 1813: Village of Gamara
Mayor, carried by the 4th, 47th and 59th Regiments of Robinson's
Brigade.' This is the original pencil and charcoal sketch by J P
Beadle RA for his oil painting, which was exhibited at the Royal
Academy, in 1913. The French held the village and bridge beyond,
one of two which had to be taken to close a possible line of retreat for
the enemy. Robinson's Brigade on the left of the attack comprised
three Battalions, the 1st/4th, 2/59th and 2/47th Regiments (all closely
associated with Lancashire after 1881 as the 1st Battalion King's Own
Royal Lancaster Regiment, 2nd Battalion, East Lancashire Regiment, and
1st Battalion, Loyal North Lancashire Regiments). Led by
Lieutenant Colonel Brooke, the 4th and the other Regiments took the
village at the point of the bayonet, although the bridge remained in
enemy hands despite three heroic assaults. The French were
eventually forced to retreat by Wellington's columns in the centre and
on the right.
The picture depicts, on the left, men and an officer of the 47th on
foot, led by Captain Livesey of the 47th on horseback. In the
centre Lieutenant Colonel Brooke, also on horseback, leads men of the
4th through the middle of the village. Near him is the Ensign with
the 4th Regimental Colour. A Colour Sergeant bends down to
retrieve the 4th King's Colour from the fallen Ensign. On the
right, men of the 4th fight with French troops on the other side of the
wall. The artists gave the sketch to Lieutenant Colonel A D
Thorne, whose great uncle, Lieutenant George Thorne, was killed at
Gamara Mayor, one of the Regiment's 91 casualties.
Accession Number: KO0395/03
The original oil painting can be found in Nuneaton Museum & Art
Gallery.
We recommend
The King's Own The Story of a Royal Regiment Volume
1 1680-1814 by Colonel Lionel I Cowper - the
best history of the King's Own. On a CD-rom, viewable through
a computer. Price including UK postage £12.75
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