Eating question

A bit off topic, but still about the food... I've read that Wellington rarely ate between breakfast and dinner, but what about the rest of the army? Would they eat lunch? Or at least something?

The men would carry rations with them, which they would eat on one of their breaks during the day's march. The officers would doubtless have their servants prepare something cold that they could eat during the day - alon the lines of cold meat and bread, maybe some fruit if they were lucky; nothing too fancy. Some officers had a bag of nuts, most commonly almonds, tucked away in their saddle bags if they wanted a snack on the move. Lunch was by no means formal, on the move.

So Wellesley is being weird about not eating?

Possibly. What he said on the matter was (rough quote) "I do not like to give the stomach too much to think on." He wasn't very fussed about food at all - which is why he put up with such a rubbish cook. His favourite was mutton (a rather plain meat), and hardly ever ate at breakfast either. Later in life it was reported that he once collapsed due to his not eating enough. He didn't drink much by the standards of the day either.