The Translation Process

I would like to take a few moments to explain the process that was involved in translating this document. Other than a Seventh Grade Spanish class that I failed miserable, I have no working knowledge of the Spanish language. So when I attempted this process using a computer program I was some what dubious. However the Macro Tak Spanish Assistant translation program proved to be a real break through.

I will be the first to admit that it is far from perfect, in fact quite a few words I had to look up in a rather large Spanish/English dictionary that I borrowed from the Library. Sentence structure proved at times to be extremely difficult and some of my poorer efforts are very apparent.

My second greatest challenge next to sentence structure was typing all of the Spanish text onto a word processor program. This took a mammoth amount of time. My ultimate solution to this problem will be a flatbed computer scanner, that would act as an input device to my computer so that whole pages of text could be scanned into the word processor program. This should prove to be a great time saver and allow many more translations to be done.

Having said all that I would like to take this opportunity to defend myself from all of the insults that will be hurled my way by our Spanish-speaking friends for my misinterpretation of sentences and total lack of flair with the Spanish language. The computer program has some interactive ability so that you do have some word choices as you go along. However most nouns translate to their most common meaning. For example: Cavalry translates into Chivalry, Brigade into Gang, Detachment into Posse, Camposanto into Cemetery, and Staff into Higher State (this one really had me going), to name just a few. I was forced in several situations to write out entire paragraphs and translate them word tor word using a Spanish dictionary. This solved a great many problems but was very time consuming and tedious.

So if the translation seems a bit choppy and hard to follow at times please bear with it. The sheer volume of information on the battle of Camposanto contained in this article out weighs anything I have seen written on the battlc so far and in my mind overcame the lack of writing flair that I imposed on the article with apologies to Herr von Hoen. Once again this article will not pull down any readability awards but it is chalk full of fascinating little tidbits about the battle as well as a very detailed account of the action.

A few things you will need to know before reading the article. Some words I was unable to translate and will leave it up to each individual to arrive at their own definition. I was very uncomfortable with assuming meanings of words for fear of reworking a whole sentence into something it was never meant to be. The Spanish language has a number of linking words that have multiple meanings and it was tricky sailing when attempting to choose the correct one. I am sure I have made a few mistakes in this article and I would appreciate any corrections that can be made to this article.

As of this writing I have no idea what an Eslavones looks like. I know they were a form of light infantry and cavalry and probable resemble a Croat, but they were not Croats, at least according to this article. If anyone out there has uniform information or a picture I would love a copy of it. Migueletes or Fusiliers Of The Mountain also fall into this category. I have no idea what these fellows looked like, other than they too fall into the light inflantry category.

One final word of caution. With a translation, at least any I have read, all of the writing style that the original author used is washed out of the translation. Basically what you get is a block of words describing an event with absolutely no flair. So if while perusing this you begin to think you are reading stereo instructions you will know why. Finally any misinterpretations I may have made during this very lengthy translation process are of course strictly my fault and I apologize to you all. Having said all that I hope you enjoy the article and some of that "Camposanto Fever" is abated.

The Battle of Camposanto

Author's Note
The Battle of Camposanto: Passage of the Panaro
The Battle of Camposanto: Spanish Operations at the Panaro
The Battle of Camposanto: The Armies Deploy for Battle
Petri: Some Observations on What Happened So Far
Order of Battle
Additional Notes

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