Wellington’s Scapegoat: The Tragedy of Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bevan

Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bevan was the officer held responsible for the dramatic night escape of the French garrison from Almeida, for which he incurred the wrath of the Duke of Wellington. Drawing on letters and papers of the Bevan family and other contemporary sources, this book attempts to rehabilitate Bevan, shifting some of the blame onto General Erskine, whose version of events Wellington's accepted uncritically – even going so far as to refuse Bevan's request for an inquiry. Bevan in the end committed suicide as a direct result of the dishonour brought upon him and his regiment by the event.