Army:

Great Britain: Number of Mules Assigned to the Commissariat of the Infantry Divisions of Wellington's Army, June 1812

Author's Note:   "If to these we add the public mules employed in transporting ammunition (about 800), and those appropriated to the conveyance of intrenching tools, regimental books, medicines, forges for the shoeing of cavalry horses, etc. it will be found that scarcely less than 10,000 public mules were perpetually following the army, besides the crowd of baggage animals belonging to officers, which at a very moderate computation, would swell the list to 12,000 beasts of burden, independent of wheel transport, which was restricted as much as possible.  In this calculation, too should be observed, that the corps under Sir Rowland Hill, which at this period was separated from the grand army, and formed of itself a very respectable force, has not been included.  The train which followed them could not fall far short of 3000 animals."                                                                                                  

SOURCE:

Daniel, John Edgecombe. Journal of an Officer in the Commissariat Department: 1811 - 1815 Cambridge : Ken Trotman; 1997. P. 106

Placed on the Napoleon Series: July 2001

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