I would just like to point out that what the French did throughout Central Portugal in 1811 was what today we call war crimes, or/and crimes against humanity. I'm looking at yesterday with the eyes of today (If with the eyes of the past, I would be cutting throats or die trying). In a lot of small villages the local priest accounted for the damages, and most included burning houses, stealing (not just food, but all kinds of things), killing (after torturing for information on food).
I repeat, these are war crimes now and then, according to the sensibilities of the Portuguese, British and also French of the time. The difference is that French witnesses try to separate the 'good ones' from the 'bad ones'.

Not only do we have the account from what the French troops did, we have more about what the French troops left behind. Hunger, orphans roaming the countryside, decomposing bodies of men and beast, bringing epidemics.

As for others crimes, between contending armies (or when the French had to confront people with actual guns) we have the episode of Wellington trying to convince Massena that the Ordenanças were part of the Portuguese military establishment. After trading correspondence, Wellington finally wrote Massena, that if he wouldn't stop executions he couldn't be held accountable for what the Portuguese troops reaction might be in the future. Only after this, he confides to Forjaz in a letter, does Wellington stop hearing about any retaliations against the captured Ordenanças. How many Ordenanças were then executed, contrary to the laws of war?

Now, I'm using expressions of today to talk about the past, but then again, we are here in the present and talking about the most desastrous period in Portugal since the Earthquake in 1755. It kind of still hurts collectively.

Jorge