Wellington, commander of the British forces in the Peninsular War, was a man of his word.
The day before the battle of Orthez in 1814, he sent to Marshal Soult, the French commander, saying that there was a bridge whose destruction would be a serious loss to the people of Orthez. He promised that if Soult would abstain from blowing up the bridge, the British army would not cross it.
The bridge was on French territory, and Soult had reluctantly decided to blow it up to prevent the easy passage of the British. On receiving Wellington's promise, he gladly abandoned his intention. True to his promise, Wellington advanced his men across the fords, the crossing being made under the severe fire of the French. As for the bridge, it stands to this day.
半島戰爭期間，威靈頓任英軍司令，言出必行。一八一四年奧爾泰茲戰役之前一天，他致函法軍司令蘇爾特元帥說，有一座橋，假如毀卻，對奧爾泰茲居民而言，將是一大損失。他請蘇爾特不要把橋炸毀，並保證英軍不會走這座橋。
這座橋位在法國領土，蘇爾特雖然很不情願，但本已決定炸毀，以免方便英軍走過。獲威靈頓許諾之後，他欣然打消炸橋的念頭。威靈頓如約，命英軍走淺灘，冒着法軍猛烈的射擊渡河。至於那座橋，今天仍然完好。