CALL FOR ALL SPANISH SHEPHERDS TO FORM LIGHT COMPANIES OF SLINGERS (AGAINST THE FRENCH) 1808

Last week I found this amazing document. It was written by a foreman from Soria and published in Malaga, addressing all Spanish shepherds to leave their flocks and form light units of slingers to drive out of the country the Napoleonic French armies. The style and tone is like if a shepherd was speaking to fellow shepherds, so it is actually very funny (unfortunately, I don’t think the whole text has being translated to English, but I might be wrong).

Out of its 5 pages, I’ve translated the parts that talk about the sling (most of the document are insults against the French and bravados to boost the morale). I’ve tried to keep as accurate as possible, so some parts may sound a bit awkward in English.

So, here it is:

“So friends, if we are as shepherds now as those were, the Shepherds from Bethelhem, if some of us are as precise in covering an eye with a pebble, even to the French Emperor himself, as did the Shepherd David with the Giant Goliath; let’s get dirty.”

“I know very well that when we hit with a stone, we make the same damage than a soldier with his gun, and even we make more, because the soldiers fire thoughtlessly, while we throw to hit, aiming to the eyebrow and hitting in the eye.”

“The Generals, our Lords, know us well, and they know that (…) our weapons are from our sheep’s fabric, because from their wool we make the slings, and our ammunition is found everywhere, and there is no need of carts to carry it, because empty bag, full bag. The Lords know well that we also know how to walk the twists and turns, and that we do ambushes, and in no time we carry on, and in no time we flee to another part (…) and because we usually do more breakage than a summer storm.”


I find very interesting the point that a shepherd slinger is way more accurate than soldiers with a gun of the time (not very surprising anyway). And they also seem very confident in their ability to hit an eye in the context of a confrontation.

I have read some stories about young boys slinging at French soldiers in the streets of Madrid and also during the battle of Bailen, but don’t know if this “light units of shepherd slingers” were actually operating during the war. I’ll try to find more info.

Hope you find it interesting, here is the link:

http://bdh.bne.es/bnesearch/biblioteca/Convocatoria%20que%20a%20todos%20los%20pa...

Samuel wrote on Feb 2^nd, 2020 at 5:30pm:


He talks like he has already killed a man with a sling. Did shepherds sling at each other to resolve disputes? or is he a veteran from another war?

This is really fascinating. Great find! Interesting that they made slings from sheep's wool and were so confident. I certainly wouldn't want to stand against and angry group of shepherds that have been using a sling since they could walk...

Shepherds are also used to living outdoors in austere conditions, so they’re good recruiting for a militia... if you can find them.

given that invading armies often have to 'forage' for food. I'd say many shepherds would have killed french soldiers in the course of their job.

Fascinating certainly that slings were still considered for warfare that late in the era of firearms !

There was a period where armour had lost a lot of it's significance, but guns were still slow and somewhat crude. I guess that would have been the perfect time for slings and arrows to be put back into use. It's a shame they are both quite hard to master and so had been largely forgotten... except for the shepherds

If you click Quote, the entire comment gets copied. If you highlight a certain part and then click Mark & Quote, it takes just that highlighted part.

Archaic Arms wrote on Feb 8^th, 2020 at 8:22pm:


I'm not an expert at all. Never fired a musket. Apparently a rate of 5 to 6 shots per minute was technically possible, but after the first minutes it dropped to 2 or 3, or even lower.

Check this video (rate of fire is around 9:40 mins): https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uw3wlU3eYsc

It says also that they usually sacrificed accuracy for mass shooting.

By the way, I have being checking some writings from the wars of independence in Latin America against the Spaniards (roughly the same period) and there are many references to entire battalions of slingers, even engaging in open battle. I should get some time and translate some for the forum.