▁en ▁Gal ic ie ▁are ▁supposed ▁to ▁have ▁been ▁written ▁from ▁Sou lt ' s ▁papers . ▁ ▁Military ▁cap ability ▁Although ▁often ▁found ▁wanting ▁tact ically ▁– ▁even ▁some ▁of ▁his ▁own ▁a ides ▁question ed ▁his ▁in ability ▁to ▁am end ▁a ▁plan ▁to ▁take ▁into ▁account ▁alter ed ▁circumstances ▁on ▁the ▁battle field ▁– ▁his ▁performance ▁in ▁the ▁closing ▁months ▁of ▁the ▁Pen ins ular ▁War ▁is ▁the ▁fin est ▁proof ▁of ▁his ▁tal ents ▁as ▁a ▁general . ▁Re pe ated ly ▁defeated ▁in ▁these ▁campaign s ▁by ▁the ▁Al lies ▁under ▁Well ington , ▁it ▁was ▁the ▁case ▁that ▁many ▁of ▁his ▁soldiers ▁were ▁raw ▁cons cript s ▁while ▁the ▁Al lies ▁could ▁count ▁greater ▁numbers ▁of ▁veter ans ▁among ▁their ▁ranks . ▁Sou lt ▁was ▁a ▁skill ful ▁military ▁strateg ist . ▁An ▁example ▁was ▁his ▁drive ▁to ▁cut ▁off ▁Well ington ' s ▁British ▁army ▁from ▁Portugal ▁after ▁T ala vera , ▁which ▁nearly ▁succeeded . ▁Though ▁repeatedly ▁defeated ▁by ▁Well ington ▁in ▁ 1 8 1 3 – 1 8 1 4 , ▁he ▁conducted ▁a ▁clever ▁defence ▁against ▁him . ▁ ▁Sou lt ' s ▁arm ies ▁were ▁usually ▁well ▁read ied ▁before ▁going ▁into ▁battle . ▁After ▁V itor ia , ▁he ▁re organ ized ▁the ▁dem oral ized ▁French ▁forces ▁of ▁Joseph ▁Bon ap arte ▁into ▁a ▁form id able ▁army ▁in ▁a ▁remark ably ▁short ▁time . ▁An ▁exception ▁to ▁this ▁good ▁log ist ical ▁record ▁was ▁launch ing ▁the ▁Battle