Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[dadlamassu]

I have been following this thread off and on for a while and do not claim to remember all that I have read. Nor do I claim an in depth knowledge of the original sources or Latin. My Latin is largely schoolboy Latin learned in the 1960s. That said I am a retired professional army officer of over 40 years experience including senior staff appointments.

So I may I offer a possible sequence based on what Suetonius MIGHT have done as expeditionary force commander?

While completing the destruction of the Druids on Mona intelligence arrives that the Iceni have risen and are massacring any Romans and Roman sympathisers that they find. In the likelihood that this revolt will spread if not contained he decides to march as soon as possible on the enemy. Now “as soon as possible” means finishing any mopping up and gathering sufficient supplies for a rapid campaign. He decides he needs to know more and leaves his second in command to follow with the main body while sending messengers to Legio XX Valeria Victrix, Legio II Augusta, Legio VIIII Hispana to send a vexillation each of Legionaries and their Auxiliary units to concentrate at a useful (central?) position possibly to the north and/or west of St Albans (maybe Ratae for example?) He also sends messengers there to have the local commander amass supplies of wagons, pack animals, food, fodder, weapons etc. SIDE NOTE – He may have chosen St Albans and that may have made it a very attractive target for the Britons as the supplies were gathered in or some other position on the way to join with Legio II Augusta. If there was to a "Seat of War" that is not the theatre of operations I would suggest that it would be this location.

Suetonius rides out with a proportion of the cavalry and possibly some light infantry maybe a maximum of 1,000 to 1,500 men in total. He does not take all his cavalry as that would blind his main body advancing into possibly hostile territory. He sends out his reconnaissance troops (exploratores) in small parties backed by a few turmae of cavalry. At this stage he is moving fast with supplies on pack horses and more picked up as he goes. It is likely that the first indications of enemy activity will be some distance away and heralded by refugees and/or the smoke of burning properties.

As he approaches he receives intelligence that Legio VIIII Hispana has been trounced and driven back with significant casualties and that Legio II Augusta is not marching north. He continues to move south probably passing near or through raided settlements. I doubt he stopped to rescue survivors but merely questioned them and sent them on their way.

When he reaches London he realises that he cannot, with the forces available, defend it. Boudica is also probably aware of his presence and he becomes a High Value Target. Killing him or capturing him would be a major success. He probably realises this too and he starts to draw the enemy by a circuitous route west then north trailing his small fast moving force as a target to give his army time to assemble. Whether or not he crosses the Thames would depend on the tactical situation as he knows that crossing the river with an army will take longer than he would with his smaller force. (I take the point that the sources do not mention him going to St Albans mainly because it is already within the area where the enemy are likely to to be active).

By this stage the Tribal Main Forces are carrying booty and have spent time looting so are probably moving at best about the same pace as he is but probably slower. He then detaches any civilian refugees that followed him from London (sends them south?) possibly a callous act to distract pursuit and then heads north to his pre-selected muster point. In addition he may have sent messengers ahead for the army to move to meet him, again to some chosen position. There he meets with his Legio XIV Gemina, a vexilation of Legio XX Valeria Victrix and their Auxiliaries with the supply train assembled at the initial rendezvous. All the while his reconnaissance troops have kept in touch with the Boudica's army so he has a good idea where it is and its strength. He prepares his, now rested, troops and advances to contact.

The Britons advance on him and the two sides meet at some, as yet undiscovered, battle site.

I hope that this is useful and fits with what we have been discussing. I realise that it does not necessarily help with finding the battlefield. However, I felt that some input of military thought and possible strategy may help.