Alexander Dickson, who was an excellent artilleryman and ended up as Wellington's artillery commander, could not get promoted in the British service, so he either transferred or was told to transfer to the Portuguese service and became a general. He was one of the outstanding artillerymen of the period in any army.
The Dickson Manuscripts, five volumes, are an excellent primary source on allied operations in the Peninsula.
He was assigned to Packenham's command in the New Orleans campaign of 1814-1815 and despite his herculean efforts to bring the British artillery into action and inflict significant damage on the American defenses in January 1815, the obstacles were too great to overcome with the material and guns he had. And the terrain was also an obstacle which didn't help. And it was the American artillery that inflicted the most damage and casualties on the attacking British in the main action on 8 January.
Admiral Codrington of the Royal Navy heavily criticized the failed artillery effort ashore, of which Dickson manfully took responsibility for. The Royal Navy seemingly blamed the army, and the artillery in particular, for even the terrain and weather, and the mud that resulted in a Louisiana winter.
Dickson returned to Europe in time for the campaign in Belgium, but Wellington had already named his chief of artillery, but he seemed to have preferred to have Dickson. Dickson was named as the commander of the siege train, so Wellington did have him on hand.
Alexander Dickson, who was an excellent artilleryman and ended up as Wellington's artillery commander, could not get promoted in the British service, so he either transferred or was told to transfer to the Portuguese service and became a general. He was one of the outstanding artillerymen of the period in any army.
The Dickson Manuscripts, five volumes, are an excellent primary source on allied operations in the Peninsula.
He was assigned to Packenham's command in the New Orleans campaign of 1814-1815 and despite his herculean efforts to bring the British artillery into action and inflict significant damage on the American defenses in January 1815, the obstacles were too great to overcome with the material and guns he had. And the terrain was also an obstacle which didn't help. And it was the American artillery that inflicted the most damage and casualties on the attacking British in the main action on 8 January.
Admiral Codrington of the Royal Navy heavily criticized the failed artillery effort ashore, of which Dickson manfully took responsibility for. The Royal Navy seemingly blamed the army, and the artillery in particular, for even the terrain and weather, and the mud that resulted in a Louisiana winter.
Dickson returned to Europe in time for the campaign in Belgium, but Wellington had already named his chief of artillery, but he seemed to have preferred to have Dickson. Dickson was named as the commander of the siege train, so Wellington did have him on hand.