One thing you might be overlooking is that the French expertise at fighting
insurgents of any type was increasing with experience. The Calabrians were
eventually suppressed and the toughest insurgency the French would face would
be in the Tyrol in 1809-1810, including the Spanish. An insurgency has to be
supported by a regular army to be successful, as in Portugal and Spain.
Wellington's army kept the Spanish guerillas alive and without it they would
have been suppressed just like the insurgencies the French had faced before.

The one big advantage the Spanish insurgency had was that it was unexpected by
the French. Baylen didn't help.

So what? Have you even been reading what I've written and the texts supplied?

Back to Smith and his advantures-it should be noted that his exploits were in
secondary theaters and had little or no contribution to the main efforts
elsewhere. Both Egypt and southern Italy were secondary theaters with the
'main events' taking place elsewhere.

Again, so what?

Kevin, please feel free to move along. You aren't adding anything positive to the discussion.