From a letter written by the Duke of Wellington to the British Foreign office around the year 1812:
"Gentlemen, while marching from Portugal to a position which commands the approach to Madrid, my officers have been diligently complying with your requests.....
We have enumerated our saddles, bridles, tents and poles and all manner of sundry items for which his Majesty's government holds me accountable. I have dispatched reports on the character, wit, and spleen of every officer. Each item and every farthing has been accounted for, with two regrettable exceptions for which I beg your indulgence.
Unfortunately, the sum of one shilling and nine pence remains unaccounted for in one infantry battalion's petty cash and there has been a hideous confusion as to the number of jars of raspberry jam issued to one cavalry regiment during a sandstorm in Western Spain. This reprehensible carelessness may be related to the pressure of circumstance, since we were at war with France, a fact which may come as a bit of a suprise to you gentlemen in Whitehall.
This brings me to my present purpose, which is to request elucidation of my instructions from His Majesty's government, so that I may better understand why I am dragging an army over these barren plains. I construe perforce that it must be one of two alternative duties, as given below. I shall pursue either one with the best of my ability but I cannot do both:
1) To train an army of uniformed British clerks, in Spain, for the benefit of the accountants and copy-boys in London, or,perchance
2)To see to it that the forces of Napoleon are driven out of Spain.
Your most Obedient Servant,
Wellington"