Lieutenant Colonel Charles Bevan

From Oman's History, Volume IV, pages 352-353 (footnote):

'Wellington says (to Lord Liverpool, May 15): 'Sir W Erskine was dining with Sir Brent Spencer at headquarters, and received his orders about 4 o'clock. He says that he sent them off forthwith to the 4th regiment, which was stationed between Aldea de Obispo and Barba del Puerco...The 4th regiment, it is said, did not receive their orders before midnight, and, though they had only 2 1/2 miles to march, missed the road, and did not arrive at Barba del Puerco till after the French.' (Dispatches, vii. 566.) Tomkinson's contemporary comment on this is (pp. 102-103 of his diary): 'The order reached Sir W Erskine's quarters about 2 pm: he put it in his pocket, and did not dispatch the letter to Colonel Bevan before midnight, and to cover himself, when required to explain by Lord Wellington, said that the 4th unfortunately missed its way, which was not the case.' Many years later (1836) in his Conversations with Lord Stanhope (which see, p 89) Wellington said that he believed Bevan had his orders 'about four or five in the afternooon, but the people about him said 'Oh! you need not march till daybreak,' and so by his fault the French got to Barba del Puerco.' Napier (History, iii. p 156) says plainly that 'Erskine sent no order to the 4th regiment.' Colonel Bevan always maintained that he got nothing from Erskine till nearly midnight.

Further, the footnote on page 356 states:

'For statements showing that every one believed Erskine to be the responsible person see Stepney, p 105: 'instead of promulgating the orders the general, it is said, put them in his pocket and forgot them.' George Simmons (p 174): 'Bevan was too late owing to Sir W Erskine, by accident, not sending him an order in time.' Charles Napier (Diary, p 173), It is said that Sir Wm Erskine is to blame, and next to him General Campbell.'

Oman writes on page 356: 'Public opinion in the army held that [Bevan] had been sacrificed to the hierarchical theory that a general must be believed before a lieutenant colonel.'