Chapter I: Santarem to Celorico. March 9th-22nd, 1811 (3)

[219] The student must he specially warned against Fririon’s
figures for French losses. Though he was Masséna’s aide-de-camp,
and wrote a quasi-official account of the whole retreat, his
numbers are wholly untrustworthy. He states (p. 149) that the
6th Corps only lost 179 killed and wounded between March 1 and
March 15. The actual losses were Pombal, 63; Redinha, 227; Casal
Novo, at least 55; Foz do Arouce, at least 250 = 600. Similarly
he states the loss at Sabugal at 250; the official casualty list
sent in to the Marshal gives a total of 750. Fririon, from his
position, must have seen, or at least could have seen, these
figures.