Talk:Sir John Slade, 1st Baronet

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WP:

Slade saw no active service until, in October 1808, he was sent to Corunna in command of a hussar brigade. Of limited ability, lacking initiative, and apparently capable only of going forward to carry out a definite order, he was 'nearly useless' according to Lord Henry Paget, who despised him. Paget publicly called Slade "that damned stupid fellow," and subsequently transferred his own regiment, the 7th Hussars, from Slade's brigade to Charles Stewart's. Slade led the 10th Hussars in the successful cavalry action at Sahagún on 20 December. The 10th arrived too late to play an active role in the action, primarily because Slade insisted on making a stirring, and apparently long, speech ending in the words: "blood and slaughter, march!"[3] Slade shared in the arduous work of the cavalry during John Moore's retreat, and served as a volunteer at the Battle of Corunna, when the cavalry had embarked.

He was employed on the staff in England for six months, but returned to the Peninsula in August 1809 with a brigade of dragoons, and served there for four years. He participated in the battles of Busaco and Fuentes de Oñoro. He commanded the cavalry division, in Stapleton Cotton's absence, during André Masséna's retreat from Portugal in the spring of 1811. He was said to have missed opportunities, but Wellington mentioned him favourably in his dispatch of 14 March.

ODNB:

Slade saw no active service until, in October 1808, he was sent to Corunna in command of a hussar brigade. Of limited ability, lacking initiative, and apparently capable only of going forward to carry out a definite order, he was ‘nearly useless’ (Anglesey, 77). Lord Paget (later first marquess of Anglesey) despised him, ‘that damned stupid fellow’ (ibid., 350), and transferred his own regiment, the 7th hussars, from Slade's brigade to Charles Stewart's. Slade led the 10th in the cavalry action at Sahagun on 20 December, shared in the arduous work of the cavalry during Moore's retreat, and served as a volunteer at the battle of Corunna, when the cavalry had embarked. He was employed on the staff in England for six months, but returned to the Peninsula in August 1809 with a brigade of dragoons, and served there continuously for four years. He was at Busaco and at Fuentes d'Oñoro. He commanded the cavalry division, in Cotton's absence, during Masséna's retreat from Portugal in the spring of 1811. He was said to have missed opportunities, but Wellington mentioned him favourably in his dispatch of 14 March.

You can use the public domain Dictionary of National Biography to reconstruct the article but do not restore the infringing text or you will be blocked. MER-C 09:44, 23 February 2010 (UTC)

DNB Entry

The DNB seems to say somethiong like this: DNB Entry (public domain)

SLADE, Sir JOHN ( 1 782-1 a^9), baronet, general, born in 1703, was the son of John Slade of Maunsel Grange, Somerset, a commissioner of the victualling board, bv Charlotte, daughter of Henri Portal of j'reefolk, Hampshire. He obtained a commission as cornet, in the 10th dragoons on 11 May 1780, became lieutenant on 28 April 1783, captain on 24 Oct. 178r, Major onl March 1794, and lieutenant-colonel on 29 April 1795. On 180ct. 1798 he exchanged to the lat dragoons Itnyals). He was appointed equerry to the Duke of Cumberland in 1800, and became colonel in the army on 29 April 1802.

June 1604 he was made brigadier, and gave up the command of his regiment.

He saw no active service until, in October 1808, he was sent to Corunna in command of the Hussar brigade. He led the 10th in the cavalry affair at Sahagún on 20 Dec,, shared in the arduous work of the cavalry during Moore's retreat, and served as a volunteer at the battle of Coruua, when the cavalry had embarked. He was employed on the staff in England for six months, but returned to the Peninsula in August 1809 a brigade of dragoons, and served then continuously for four years. He was present at Busaco and at Fuentes d'Onoro, and was included in the thanks of parliament for those battles. He commanded the cavalry tion, in Cotton's absence, during Massina's retreat from Poniigal in the spring of 1811. He was said to have missed opportunities, but Wellington mentioned him favourably in his despatch of 14th March.

On 11 June 1812, when he was employed under Hill in Estremadura, he was beaten by General Lnllemand in a cavalry action in Llera. Each had two regiments. The British had the advantage in the first encounter, and followed headlong in pursuit through a defile, beyond which they found the French reserve drawn up. Their own reserve had joined in the pursuit and lost formation ; and the whole brigade was seized with a panic, was pursued by thn French for several miles, and lost more than nine hundred prisoners. Wellington wrote: ' I do not wonder at the French boasting of it : it is the greatest blow they have Elnick.' Slade had ridden with the leading squadrons, instead of attending to the supports, and much blame fell on him.

In May 1813 his brigade was transferred to General Fane, and be went home, and was employed for a year in Ireland. He received a gold medal and one clasp for Coruiia and Fuentes d'Onoro. Before his death he also received the silver medal with clasps for Sabagun and Busaco. He had been promoted major-general on 2a Oct. 1809, and became lieutenant-general on 4 June 1814, and general on 10 Jan. 1837. In 1831 he was given the colonelcy of the 6th dragoon guards and was made a baronet, and in 1835 he received the grand cross of the Guelphic order. He died at Monty's Court on 13 .Aug. 1858. He married, first', on 20 Sept. 1792, Anna Eliis Dawson, who died in 1819; secondly, on 17 June 1822, Matilda Ellen, second daughter of James Dawson of Fork Hill, co. Armagh. He had eleven sons and four daughters; he was succeeded in the baronetcy by his third son, Frederic William

I have now restored the article, removing the only thing I can see which might be copyvio and not public domain. PS I must declare an interest in that I am a remote descendant of Slade's NBeale (talk) 17:10, 23 February 2010 (UTC)

An explanation why an apparently inept officer could reach high command and be heaped with honours

In the British army of the Napoleonic period promotion for officers was by purchase, rank was bought for cash, after reaching higher rank promotion was largely automatic, through seniority. Also in operation was patronage, this had influence on attainment of rank and in who was appointed to commands, retained commands and was given honours. That John Slade could achieve high rank, be given and retain field commands, and be heaped with honours, whilst being an inept commander is not surprising, or uncommon. Wm. Erskine was also a Peninsular War cavalry general and he was generally considered to have been insane. Slade had the patronage of Ernest, Duke of Cumberland, as a royal Duke, and son of George III, he had huge political clout and patronage. Wellington was stuck with a number of inept senior officers, but because of how officers were appointed by 'Horse Guards' (the army headquarters - under another of George III's sons) and because officers had political patronage, Wellington was forced into various subterfuges in order to be rid of them (usually by engineering another officer junior in seniority to be promoted over them). Urselius (talk) 16:10, 27 December 2019 (UTC)