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+The Project Gutenberg EBook of Twenty-Five Years in the Rifle Brigade, by 
+William  Surtees
+
+This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
+almost no restrictions whatsoever.  You may copy it, give it away or
+re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included
+with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
+
+
+Title: Twenty-Five Years in the Rifle Brigade
+
+Author: William  Surtees
+
+Release Date: July 19, 2011 [EBook #36778]
+
+Language: English
+
+Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
+
+*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE ***
+
+
+
+
+Produced by Steven Gibbs, Moti Ben-Ari and the Online
+Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net.
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+
+    TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
+    IN
+    THE RIFLE BRIGADE.
+
+    BY THE LATE
+    WILLIAM SURTEES,
+    QUARTERMASTER.
+
+    WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH; AND
+    T. CADELL, STRAND, LONDON.
+
+    MDCCCXXXIII.
+
+
+    EDINBURGH:
+    PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY, PAUL'S WORK, CANONGATE.
+
+
+
+
+    TO
+    MAJOR-GEN. SIR ANDREW F. BARNARD,
+    K.C.B. and K.C.H.
+    AND THE OFFICERS OF THE RIFLE BRIGADE,
+    THESE REMAINS OF MY DECEASED BROTHER
+    ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,
+    BY THEIR OBLIGED AND MOST
+    OBEDIENT SERVANT,
+    JOHN SURTEES.
+
+
+
+
+PREFATORY NOTICE.
+
+
+The Author of the following Narrative entered the Army in early life. He
+commenced his military career in 1795, as a private soldier in the
+Northumberland Militia; and in the following year he volunteered into
+the Pompadours. In this regiment he first faced the enemy, during the
+expedition to Holland under the Duke of York. On getting his discharge
+from the Pompadours, in 1802, he again entered the service as a private
+in the Rifle Brigade, to which he was attached for a period of
+twenty-five years. From his steady conduct, and ardent love for his
+profession, he was soon advanced from the ranks, and, after various
+intermediate steps, was appointed Quartermaster; a situation which he
+held as long as he continued in the corps, enjoying the respect and
+esteem of his brother officers of all ranks, as is amply testified by
+the letters which form the Appendix to this volume.
+
+Though, as Quartermaster, the Author was not called by duty to join in
+battle, yet he lost no opportunity of entering the scene of action, or
+of placing himself in a favourable situation for observing what was
+passing. It is unnecessary to enumerate the arduous services of the
+Rifle Brigade from 1802 to 1815. During the whole of that period the
+Author was actively engaged with his corps.
+
+The Narrative is faithfully--indeed literally--printed from the Author's
+MS. as he left it at his death. The critical reader may therefore detect
+various inaccuracies which, had life been spared to the Author, would
+probably have been corrected; but he will find much to approve, and,
+hackneyed as Narratives of the Peninsular War have become, he will also
+find much that is new. There is no embellishment in the style of the
+Author's composition, but there is a quiet Defoe-like sincerity and
+simplicity characteristic of his pages, and a strain of unaffected
+piety, that is very pleasing; and the scenes and descriptions which he
+gives, though sometimes singularly chosen, and reported quite with a
+manner of his own, are on the whole portrayed with strong graphic
+effect. One word, however, before closing,--our Author is never vulgar.
+
+A severe pulmonary affection compelled him to quit his corps in 1826. He
+retired to Corbridge, his native village, where he arrived on the 24th
+of October in that year, and continued there, respected and beloved, and
+constantly engaged in acts of benevolence, till the period of his death,
+28th May, 1830.
+
+    _November 23, 1832._
+
+
+
+
+CONTENTS.
+
+
+    CHAPTER I.
+                                                                  PAGE.
+
+    Birth and Parentage--Enters the Militia--Volunteers into the
+    Line--Joins the army destined for Holland--The troops embark at
+    Deal--Land at the Helder--Laxity of discipline--March for
+    Schagen--Detachment under Sir Ralph Abercromby sent to surprise
+    Hoorne--Hoorne surrenders,                                        1
+
+    CHAPTER II.
+
+    The Russian Allies carry Bergen--Allow themselves to be
+    surprised, and the whole army forced to retire to their former
+    position--Skirmishing in the vicinity of Old Patten--The
+    Russians endeavour to force their way back to Bergen--The
+    Russian and British forces joined--The enemy forced to abandon
+    Egmont-op-Zee--Alkmaar surrenders--The troops advance to Egmont
+    Binnen--Skirmishing--General engagement--The Enemy
+    repulsed--The Forces retire to Zaand Wyck--Armistice
+    concluded--Return to England,                                    13
+
+    CHAPTER III.
+
+    Arrive in England--The Pompadours embark for Ireland--Arrive at
+    Kinsale--Privations in Ireland in 1800--Peace concluded--Our
+    Author resolves to return home, but ultimately volunteers into
+    the Rifle Corps or 95th--Embarks for England, and joins his
+    Regiment at Sussex--Is promoted,                                 35
+
+    CHAPTER IV.
+
+    Made Pay-sergeant--Moral Reflections--Wreck of a Dutch East
+    Indiaman--Reduced Officers--War with France in 1803--Encampment
+    at Thorncliffe under the command of General Sir John
+    Moore--Encampment broke up, November 1804--Embark for Germany,
+    October 1805--Vicissitudes at Sea--Land at Cuxhaven--March to
+    Bremen--Outposts established--Retrograde movements, in
+    consequence of the defeat of the Allied Forces at
+    Austerlitz--The Allied Forces evacuate Germany--Re-embarkation
+    of the troops--The Rifle Corps, or 95th, land at Yarmouth,       45
+
+    CHAPTER IV.*
+
+    Our Author made Quartermaster-Sergeant of the 2d battalion,
+    which he joins at Feversham, Kent--Expedition to
+    Denmark--Embark at Deal--Land at Vedbeck, Zealand--Partial
+    Engagements--Siege of Copenhagen--A division under Sir Arthur
+    Wellesley advance to Kioge--Copenhagen capitulates--Amnesty
+    between the Danish forces in the Island of Zealand, and the
+    British--The British evacuate Denmark--Embark at
+    Copenhagen--Arrive in the Downs--Land at Deal,                   59
+
+    CHAPTER V.
+
+    Our Author marries--The Battalion to which he belongs ordered
+    to join the Expedition fitting out for Corunna--Movements of
+    the Army in Spain--Return to England,                            73
+
+    CHAPTER VI.
+
+    Volunteering--Farther Promotion--Embarks for Portugal, with two
+    Companies of the Second Battalion--Debark at Cadiz--Advance to
+    the Isla--The French occupy all the adjacent Towns, except
+    Cadiz and Isla--Cannonading--Spanish Army--Detachment of the
+    Allied Army sent round by Gibraltar and Chiclana, to take the
+    Enemy in the rear of his works, and compel him either to fight
+    or abandon them--Come up with a portion of the Enemy in the
+    vicinity of Veger--Bravery of the British--The Enemy repulsed
+    with great loss, but, from the apathy and misconduct of General
+    La Pena, and the Spaniards under his command, the French are
+    allowed to retain their Works in the vicinity of Cadiz,          99
+
+    CHAPTER VII.
+
+    The 2d Battalion of the Pompadours ordered to proceed to
+    Portugal--Our Author visits England--Returns to Portugal, and
+    joins his Regiment at Rodrigo--The Army move towards
+    Badajos--Siege of Badajos--Badajos surrenders--Insubordination
+    among the Troops--Quelled by the prompt measures of Lord
+    Wellington,                                                     128
+
+    CHAPTER VIII.
+
+    The Army leave Badajos on the 11th of April, and move into
+    quarters near the river Agueda, where they remain, till the
+    11th of June--Advance towards Salamanca, which, with the
+    exception of three Forts, the enemy had evacuated--The Forts
+    invested--The main bodies of both armies bivouack within a mile
+    and a half of each other, in the vicinity of Monte Rubio and
+    Morisco--The Forts of Salamanca surrender--The main body of the
+    Enemy retire to Tordesillas--Movements of the Army,             153
+
+    CHAPTER IX.
+
+    Preparations for the Field--Amusements in winter
+    quarters--Grand Review--Advance of the Army in pursuit of the
+    Enemy--Come up with their rearguard in the vicinity of Hornilla
+    de Camino--Skirmishing--Encounter with the 1st Brigade of the
+    Enemy, who are beaten, and forced to retreat--Our Army advance
+    in pursuit--An affair between the rearguard of the Enemy and
+    our 4th Brigade--Vittoria--General Engagement--The Enemy
+    defeated--Remarks,                                              185
+
+    CHAPTER X.
+
+    Advance in pursuit of the Enemy--Our Forces retreat, in order
+    to counteract Soult's movements for the succour of
+    Pamplona--Total defeat of Soult in the several Actions near
+    Pamplona--Our Forces again advance--Come up with the retreating
+    Enemy at the Bridge of Yanzi--The Enemy take up a position,
+    behind Vera--A considerable body of the Enemy attached at the
+    Pass of Echallar, and forced to retreat,                        214
+
+    CHAPTER XI.
+
+    The Author, from a mistake, loses his Servants for a few
+    days--A Feast of Death--A Feast of Life--Fighting near St
+    Sebastian--Singular instance of Spanish Bravery--St Sebastian
+    is captured, but no Details given, the Author not having been
+    present--Attack of the Pass of Vera,                            232
+
+    CHAPTER XII.
+
+    The British Army advance farther into France--Pass the
+    Nive--Soult's Plans baffled--Two or three battalions of the
+    Nassau and Frankfort regiments come over from the
+    French--French Politesse--Threatened Attack by the
+    French--Battle of the Nive--Account of the Basques,             253
+
+    CHAPTER XIII.
+
+    The Author's Battalion quartered in Aurantz on 3d January
+    1814--The cantonments at Aurantz broke up on the 16th February,
+    and the Campaign of 1814 commenced--Farther Advance into
+    France--Skirmishing with the Enemy--Military Manoeuvres--Battle
+    of Orthes--Defeat and Pursuit of the Enemy--Succession of
+    Attacks on them--They are driven from their Position in and
+    near Tarbes--Skirmishing at Tournefoile--The Enemy retire
+    towards Toulouse,                                               269
+
+    CHAPTER XIV.
+
+    The British Army cross the Garonne--Advance on
+    Toulouse--Prepare for the Attack--The Attack--Spaniards driven
+    back--Battle very hot--French completely defeated--Soult
+    evacuates Toulouse, and tardily adheres to the Bourbons,        295
+
+    CHAPTER XV.
+
+    Author's happy state during 1813 and 1814--Character of the
+    veritable French--British distributed over the
+    Country--Civility of the Inhabitants of Grissolles--Amusements
+    in quarters--The British prepare to quit France,                308
+
+    CHAPTER XVI.
+
+    Author's Battalion embark for England--Land at Plymouth--Expect
+    to be again ordered on Foreign Service--Order received--Embark,
+    with other Troops, for America--Land at Pine Island,            322
+
+    CHAPTER XVII.
+
+    Proceed to attack the Enemy, and capture one of their
+    picquets--Advance in search of a Bivouack--Alarmed by shots in
+    front--Fired on by an American schooner--Captain Hallen
+    severely attacked--Manoeuvres on both sides--Ruse of the
+    Enemy--Fighting continues--Enemy repulsed at all
+    points--Courage of the British--Battery brought into
+    play--Activity of the Enemy,                                    339
+
+    CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+    British Army told off into Brigades--Advance, and are hotly
+    received--Heroism of a young Artillery Officer--We take up a
+    fresh position--The Enemy work incessantly in raising an
+    extensive breastwork--Two Batteries erected, from which our
+    heavy Ship Artillery are brought to bear against it, but
+    without effect--The Enemy also place their Ship Guns on
+    Batteries--Colonel Lambert arrives with the 7th and 43d
+    regiments--Preparations for a grand attack on the Enemy's
+    lines, which entirely fails, and the British are repulsed with
+    great loss,                                                     357
+
+    CHAPTER XIX.
+
+    Bravery and Success of Colonel Thornton--Negotiation for leave
+    to transport the Wounded across the River--Insult offered to
+    the British--They retreat--Our Army embark, and determine to
+    make an Attack upon Mobile--Proceed in the direction of Mobile
+    Bay--A Brigade detached to reduce Fort Boyer--The Fort
+    surrenders, the garrison becoming Prisoners of
+    War--Intelligence of a Treaty of Peace being concluded at
+    Ghent--Cessation of Hostilities,                                378
+
+    CHAPTER XX.
+
+    Ratification of the Treaty of Peace--Exchange of Prisoners--Our
+    Troops Embark for England--When off the coast of Ireland,
+    receive Intelligence of Bonaparte's escape from Elba--The
+    Author and his Battalion reach the Downs, and proceed to
+    Thorncliffe--Embark for France--Arrive at Paris, and occupy the
+    Champs Elysées--Review of the Russian Guards--Russian
+    Discipline--British Troops reviewed--Accident to Prince
+    Blucher--Amusements in Paris--The Allied Forces, except the
+    Army of Occupation, leave Paris--The Author's Battalion embark
+    for England--Reach Dover, and return to Thorncliffe--He obtains
+    leave of absence, and visits his Family--His Battalion ordered
+    to Ireland--Sets out to join it, accompanied by his Wife, who
+    dies three days after they reach Dublin--His Battalion
+    reduced--Joins the first Battalion at Gosport, which is ordered
+    to Scotland--Arrive at Leith, and march to Glasgow--The Author
+    returns home in ill health--His Father dies--Joins his
+    Battalion again--Winters at home--His Battalion ordered to
+    Ireland--Joins it at Belfast--They occupy different stations
+    during the Whiteboy Insurrection--Six companies of his
+    Battalion ordered to Nova Scotia, but the Author remains with
+    the other four companies--He is shortly ordered to proceed to
+    Nova Scotia--His health declines--Returns home in consequence,
+    takes advantage of Lord Palmerston's Bill, and retires on full
+    pay,                                                            401
+
+    APPENDIX.--TESTIMONIALS.--No. 1. From Lieutenant-Colonel
+    Duffy--No. 2. From Major Travers--No. 3. From Officers of the
+    2d Battalion--No. 4. From Lieut.-Colonel Ross, C.B.--No. 5.
+    From Lieut.-Col. Smith, C.B.--No. 6. From Officers of the 1st
+    Battalion Rifle Brigade--No. 7. From Colonel Norcott, C.B.--No.
+    8. From Lieut.-Col. Fullarton, C.B.--No. 9. From Lieut.-Col.
+    Balvaird--No. 10. From Major-General Sir A. F. Barnard,
+    K.C.B.--No. 11. From Major Logan--No. 12. From Lieut.-Col.
+    Beckwith, C.B.--No. 13. From Lieut.-General the Hon. Sir Wm.
+    Stewart, G.C.B.--No. 14. From Major Eeles--No. 15. From
+    Major-General Sir T. S. Beckwith, K.C.B.,                       425
+
+
+
+
+TWENTY-FIVE YEARS IN THE RIFLE BRIGADE.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER I.
+
+     Birth and Parentage--Enters the Militia--Volunteers into the
+     Line--Joins the Army destined for Holland--The Troops embark at
+     Deal--Land at the Helder--Laxity of discipline--March for
+     Schagen--Detachment under Sir Ralph Abercromby sent to surprise
+     Hoorne--Hoorne surrenders.
+
+
+I was born on the 4th of August, 1781, in the village of Corbridge, in
+the county of Northumberland; of parents who may be said to have been
+among the middle classes, my father being a tradesman. They gave me such
+an education as was customary with people of their station in life; viz.
+reading, writing, and arithmetic. My mother having sprung from a pious
+race, was the first to implant in my mind any sense of religion; indeed,
+it is to the spiritual seed sown in my heart by her during my youth,
+that I am indebted, under God, for having been brought, many years
+afterwards, to consider my ways, and to turn to Him. Nevertheless, being
+naturally of a sensual and wicked disposition, I, as might be expected,
+spent a dissolute youth, which often caused great pain and uneasiness to
+my good and pious mother. But I did not continue long under the paternal
+roof; for, having from my infancy a great predilection for a military
+life, I embraced almost the first opportunity that offered, after I
+became sufficiently grown, to enter into the militia of my native
+county. I enlisted on the 15th of November, 1798, being then little more
+than seventeen years of age. I entered this service with the
+determination that, should I not like a soldier's life, I would then,
+after remaining a few years in it, return home; but, if I did like it,
+to volunteer into the line, and make that my occupation for life. It
+will readily be believed that this undutiful step affected deeply my
+excellent parents; for though my father was not _then_ a religious man,
+he had a heart susceptible of the tenderest feelings; and I really
+believe that no parents ever felt more deeply the combined emotions of
+tender regret at my leaving them so young, and for such a purpose, and
+at the disgrace which my wayward conduct had, as they imagined, brought
+upon myself. But though evil in itself, God overruled it for good to me,
+and, I trust, to them also. I would here remark that the life of a
+soldier was by no means considered in my native village, at that time,
+as at all creditable; and when I sometimes in my boyhood used to exhibit
+symptoms of a military inclination, I was often taunted with the then
+opprobrious expression, "Ay, thou likes the smell of poother,"
+intimating thereby that I was likely to disgrace myself by going for a
+soldier.
+
+I left my family in much grief in the beginning of 1799, and marched
+with several other recruits to join my regiment at Chelmsford in Essex,
+where we arrived in about a month, and where I began my military career.
+I always liked a soldier's life, consequently I did not suffer from many
+of those parts of it which are so unpleasant to those of a contrary
+disposition; and, as I took pleasure in it, I of course made more
+progress in acquiring a knowledge of my duty than some others who set
+out with me. I was early placed in the first squad, an honour which I
+considered no trifling one in those days,--but none of us finished our
+drill; for, in July of the same year, an order was issued, permitting
+such men as chose to extend their services, to volunteer into the line,
+in order to recruit the army then destined for Holland. We had
+previously marched from Chelmsford to Colchester, a distance of
+twenty-one miles, which march was to me, I think, the severest I ever
+underwent; for being young, and totally unaccustomed to any thing like
+it, the weight of the musket, bayonet, accoutrements, and knapsack,
+appeared, towards the latter end of the march, to be almost intolerable;
+but I kept up, although excessively tired. This will show how necessary
+it is at all times to accustom troops, destined for service, to move in
+such order as they will be expected to do when they take the field--for,
+if unaccustomed to the carriage of the knapsack, and to frequent marches
+with it for exercise, they will be utterly unable to perform any
+movement against, or in the face of an enemy, with that celerity
+necessary to ensure success. I volunteered, with several of my comrades,
+into the 56th regiment, or Pompadours, so called from their facings
+being Madame Pompadour's favourite colour, and we set off (carried in
+waggons to accelerate our movements) for Canterbury, which we reached in
+two days and one night, having travelled without making a halt; and
+there we joined the skeleton of our regiment, just then returned from
+the West Indies, where twice, during the war, it had been nearly
+exterminated by disease.
+
+In a few days after our arrival, a selection was made throughout the
+volunteers for fit subjects for the light company, when, fortunately,
+both myself and William Sutherland (who had been in the same company
+with me in the militia, and who, from our names and size being so nearly
+similar, had always stood next me in the ranks) were chosen for this,
+in my mind, honourable service. I felt not a little proud at my
+advancement, as I considered it, (and as I believe the generality of
+soldiers consider it,) to be made a light-bob.
+
+The regiment had not at this time either arms, appointments, or
+clothing; but, being in a few days sent off to Barham Downs, where the
+army for Holland was assembled and encamped, we soon after were supplied
+with the necessary equipment, and commenced without delay to drill and
+get the men in readiness for embarkation. At this time the flank
+companies of all those regiments destined for Holland were separated
+from their battalions, and formed into what are termed flank battalions.
+That in which my company was placed consisted of eleven light companies,
+the command of which was given to Lieut.-Col. Sharpe, of the 9th
+regiment, an experienced and gallant veteran, who had commanded a
+similar battalion in the eastern district, under the Earl of Chatham.
+The grenadier battalion was composed of an equal number of grenadier
+companies, and belonged to the same regiments to which ours belonged.
+Before our arrival on Barham Downs, the first division of the
+expedition, under Sir Ralph Abercromby, had sailed; and we soon after
+were called out to fire a _feu de joie_ for their capture of the Dutch
+fleet, and their having effected a landing and gained a victory near the
+Helder. Nothing could be more brilliant than our display upon this
+occasion appeared to me--we were nearly 20,000 strong, I imagine, and,
+being formed in one extensive line, the firing of the _feu de joie_
+produced a fine effect. To my non-military readers, perhaps, it will be
+necessary to explain what is termed a _feu de joie_. The usual mode is,
+when formed in line, for the fire to commence by signal with the right
+file of the whole, and each of those on their left take it up rapidly
+in succession, so that, to a looker-on, it has the appearance of a
+wild-fire running along the line; but on this occasion we heightened the
+effect, by beginning with the right of the front rank only, and when it
+had passed along by the front, the left-hand man of the rear rank took
+it up, and so it passed along by the rear to the right again. It
+appeared to me, at that time, certainly the finest sight I had ever
+witnessed. Every heart present was elated with joy, and beat high to be
+led on to share in those glorious achievements which we were then
+celebrating; but, alas! we were then ignorant that we were as unfit at
+that time to suffer the toils and privations of a campaign, as if we had
+never seen a soldier; we were all young, and inexperienced in the
+highest degree, and our discipline, as might be naturally expected, was
+far from good; for, being an army hastily collected from every regiment
+of militia in the kingdom, the officers of course neither had that
+knowledge of the characters of their men, which is so essential, nor had
+the latter that confidence in their officers, which only a service
+together for some length of time can engender, and which is absolutely
+necessary to secure an unreserved and active obedience to their
+commands. But the period of our embarkation fast approached; previously
+to which, we were reviewed by his Royal Highness the Duke of York, (who
+was destined to command us,) accompanied by several others of the Royal
+Family, and by General Sir Charles Grey, my countryman. I believe they
+all expressed themselves highly satisfied with our appearance and
+movements, and hoped that we would shortly add fresh laurels to those
+already gained by our forerunners.
+
+As it was expected to be a service of only a short duration, it was
+determined that the men should embark in what is called "light marching"
+or "service order," that is, with only about half the usual complement
+of necessaries, consequently every soldier had to leave a considerable
+portion of his things behind him; and, in order to deposit them safely,
+empty casks were procured for each company, into which every man was
+ordered to stow his extra things, after being properly packed and
+labelled with his name, &c. This rather grieved me, for I had brought
+with me from home as good a kit (as the soldiers term it) as any in the
+army. My dear mother had prepared me shirts fine enough for any officer,
+and abundance of them, but of those thus left I never saw one
+afterwards. During our stay in this camp, I never enjoyed better health
+or greater lightness of spirits, forgetful or heedless of the deep and
+lasting anguish which my late rash step must naturally inflict upon the
+hearts of my tender and affectionate parents; but I was no doubt
+stimulated to this thoughtless forgetfulness of them, by witnessing the
+animating scenes around me, where all was bustle and high anticipation
+of more glorious doings.
+
+We marched from this camp to Deal, where we embarked in transports
+already prepared to receive us. As soon as we arrived we were instantly
+put on board, but never shall I forget the effect which the sight of the
+sea, and such a number of ships of various sizes and descriptions, had
+upon me; for before this I had never been near the sea, although I had
+marched from the north to the south of England. But, to add to all the
+strange things which then met my view, we were instantly on marching
+down put into a large boat that lay high upon the beach; which, when
+filled with troops, they run down into the sea with astonishing
+rapidity, turning my stomach, as we entered the water, completely
+topsy-turvy. The effect of all this can better be conceived than
+described; we were immediately rowed off to, and put on board our
+transport, which happened to be a brig called the Zephyr of Shields.
+Here also every thing was quite new to me; but all was met and performed
+with the highest spirits, so far as sea-sickness permitted. We remained
+on board two or three days before the fleet was ready for sea; but at
+length we sailed with a favourable breeze, and in two or three days more
+we made the coast of Holland, and soon afterwards came to anchor within
+the Texel. Every thing being ready for landing, and the Helder being in
+our possession, we disembarked there on the 15th of September, 1799,
+having been just one week on board. We were formed on landing near the
+town, and waited till some others had disembarked, before we moved off.
+Among those regiments which landed, I remember the 35th was one. This
+regiment, after coming on shore, was drawn up close to us; they had not
+been long landed before the men began with their knives to cut off each
+other's hair, which then was worn in the shape of a club; this was done
+without any orders from their officers, and appeared to me, I confess,
+such a breach of discipline, as I could not have anticipated; for though
+on the whole it was an improvement, as later usage has shown, yet I
+apprehend for a body of soldiers, without any permission from higher
+authority, to take upon them to break through the long-established
+custom of the service, was such an utter renunciation of all obedience
+to authority, as directly to threaten with destruction the best
+interests of the army to which they belonged; however, at such a time it
+would perhaps have been attended with still worse consequences to have
+made an example of the offenders, although, had stricter discipline been
+enforced from the outset, I feel assured the army in general would have
+benefited by it.
+
+Towards evening, we moved forward through the town of Helder, and
+proceeded on our route towards Schagen, and halted for the night on the
+road, and where such as could find houses, of which there were a few
+straggling ones in the neighbourhood, got into them. I awoke in the
+night, and still fancied myself on board ship; for the wind and rain
+were beating violently against the little hovel into which a few of us
+had crept, and I imagined it was the dashing of the sea against the bow
+of the vessel. Indeed so strong was this imagination, that when I got
+up, I literally could not stand steady, not having been long enough on
+board, to acquire what is termed my "sea legs;" that is, I had not
+learned the art of standing steady when the vessel heeled; and, strange
+as it may appear to a person who has never been at sea, I believe most
+landsmen have the same feeling for some short time after being put on
+shore. We had each man been supplied with a blanket while in camp on
+Barham Downs, but had no proper or uniform mode of carrying them; we had
+no great-coats, but made use of the blanket sometimes as a substitute in
+the morning, when we turned out to proceed on our march. We certainly
+made a strange appearance. Some had their blankets thrown around them,
+others had them twisted up like a horse collar, and tied over their
+shoulders in the manner of a plaid; while some had them stuffed into,
+and others tied on to the top of their knapsack; in short, we appeared
+like any thing but _regular_ troops. We moved forward as soon as we were
+formed, and early in the day reached Schagen-bruck, where his Royal
+Highness stood to inspect us as we marched past. Near this place we fell
+in with some of the Russian regiments, they having landed nearly at the
+same time, and of which nation there were, I believe, about 20,000
+troops expected to join our army. But if we appeared irregular and
+grotesque, I know not well how to describe them; their riflemen were
+shod with boots very much resembling those of our fishermen, coming up
+considerably higher than the knee; thus rendering them, I should
+imagine, incapable of celerity of movement, one of the chief requisites
+in a rifle corps; they also wore large cocked hats and long green coats.
+Their grenadiers were dressed more apropos, having high sugar-loaf
+shaped caps, mounted with a great deal of brass, and projecting forward
+at the top, with long coats, and gaiters reaching above the knee. Their
+regular infantry were nearly similar to the grenadiers, only they wore
+cocked hats instead of caps. The regiment which we saw on this occasion
+had with it, I should think, full half as many followers as soldiers,
+some of whom carried immensely large copper kettles; others the
+provisions, and others the officers' baggage; in short, these were the
+scullions, the cooks, and, as it were, the beasts of burden of the
+regiment; but this was a bad system, for it increased by one half the
+number of mouths to fill, and must have been attended with the worst
+consequences when provisions were scarce. The officers, I remember,
+carried what was formerly used in our service, a long sort of pole, with
+a head like a halberd, and called, I believe, a "spontoon." This, on
+passing a general at a review, the officer twists and twirls around his
+head, precisely as a drum-major in our service does his cane. When we
+had passed his Royal Highness at the bridge, we moved forward to the
+town of Schagen, and took up our quarters in the church. I thought this
+extremely odd, as I had been accustomed to view so sacred an edifice
+with more reverence than to suppose they would quarter soldiers in it;
+but we were stowed in it as thick as we could well be, and made the best
+of our quarters; some taking the chancel, others the vestry, and some
+the body of the church; nay, some even took up their lodging in the
+reading-desk and pulpit. We could contrive to make out the Lord's prayer
+in Dutch, but could not well proceed further, although there is much
+similarity between that language and the English of my native county.
+Here, for the first time, we learnt that our brigade was what was called
+the _reserve_, and commanded by Colonel M'Donald of the 55th regiment;
+but on this occasion and in Egypt, the reserve was not what is generally
+understood by that term, for in both places it was composed of some of
+the best troops in the expedition, and was generally first called into
+action. On this occasion, the reserve consisted of the 23d Welsh
+fusileers, the 55th regiment, the grenadier battalion before mentioned,
+and our light battalion.
+
+We remained here till the 18th, when towards evening we were ordered
+under arms, having been previously supplied with provisions; and, after
+every preliminary was adjusted, we set forward on our march towards the
+city of Hoorne, situated on the Zuyder Zee. Of our destination, the men,
+of course, were totally ignorant, but no doubt the officers knew. It
+turned out that about 8000 troops had been appointed for this service,
+the execution of which was intrusted to that gallant old veteran, and
+hitherto successful general, Sir Ralph Abercromby. The intention was to
+make a rapid and extensive flank movement during the night, and surprise
+and capture the said city, while his Royal Highness was to attack the
+enemy in front. We moved off as it became dark, but such was the state
+of the roads that it became the most trying and distressing march that I
+believe ever troops undertook; the roads were literally knee deep in mud
+in most places, while every now and then they were rendered nearly
+impassable, both by the enemy having broken down the bridges over the
+innumerable canals and dikes which intersect this country, and these
+canals in many places having overflowed their banks. None but those who
+have experienced this or something similar, can form an idea of the
+fatigue attending a night march in such a country, where the column is
+large. We marched, I think, in sections of about eight file, that is,
+with eight men abreast in the front rank, and the like number in the
+rear rank covering them. Conceive, then, your arriving at an obstacle
+which the darkness of the night multiplies a hundred-fold. Not more than
+one man will attempt to pass this obstacle at the same time, and he has
+to grope his way; consequently all the other fifteen men must stand
+still, or nearly so, till he is over, before they each move on in turn.
+Multiply this by the 300 sections behind, and you will have a halt for
+the rear of probably an hour or more; standing all this while nearly up
+to the knees in mire; or, what is worse, as each regiment has
+accomplished the task of getting over, this of course causes the others
+in the rear to be drawing up towards it by degrees, so that probably you
+are compelled to stand (or, if you choose, you may lie down in the mud)
+for a quarter of an hour, or more perhaps; and then move on again for
+the space of a few hundred yards, and then another halt; so that could
+you lie down to enjoy a little rest, the constant cry of "forward"
+resounding in your ears, just as you begin to close your eyes, renders
+it the most tiresome and trying situation that I know of. It is true,
+the head of the column does not suffer in an equal proportion with those
+in the rear, or a night march in an enemy's country would be a dangerous
+operation.
+
+During this march, I remember, when the road was extremely deep, some
+one on the right of my section called out that there was an excellent
+path a little beyond him; when one poor fellow moved in that direction,
+but had not made many steps, till souse he went into a deep canal.
+Whether the man who called out had been actually deceived by the smooth
+surface of the water, which appeared in the dark like a nice level
+road; or whether he did it through mischief, I know not, but the poor
+simpleton who followed his advice paid dearly for his curiosity, being
+with some difficulty extricated from his uncomfortable situation. I may
+observe that these canals or dikes skirt both sides of every road in
+this part of Holland, and are even made use of as fences for the fields,
+there not being any hedges or walls that I remember to have seen.
+
+About break of day we reached the city, which at once surrendered; but
+just before daylight, I became so excessively weary that I could not
+continue in the ranks any longer; indeed men had been dropping out for
+some hours before, so that, I suppose, when the head of the column
+reached Hoorne, one half the number had fallen out; for it was beyond
+the powers of human nature to sustain such excessive fatigue. I, with
+two or three others, got behind a house that stood by the roadside, and
+laid ourselves down on a paved footpath which led from the back-door.
+Never in my life did I experience a greater luxury than this appeared to
+be, where something hard, and that would keep me out of the deep and
+filthy mire, could be found to rest upon.
+
+I laid me down and slept as soundly as ever I did in my life for about
+an hour, which quite refreshed me. We then got up and set off with all
+despatch to overtake the column, which we came up with and joined just
+as they halted after reaching the city. None of the troops entered the
+place, I believe; but my battalion being towards the rear of the column,
+was at a considerable distance from it. All now lay down to rest, and
+such as had houses near them occupied them; but those who had not, chose
+the driest parts of the canal bank or road, and all were soon buried in
+profound sleep, excepting those who were placed on guard.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER II.
+
+     The Russian Allies carry Bergen--Allow themselves to be
+     surprised, and the whole Army forced to retire to their former
+     position--Skirmishing in the vicinity of Old Patten--The
+     Russians endeavour to force their way back to Bergen--The
+     Russian and British Forces joined--The Enemy forced to abandon
+     Egmont-op-Zee--Alkmaar surrenders--The Troops advance to Egmont
+     Binnen--Skirmishing--General Engagement--The Enemy
+     repulsed--The Forces retire to Zaand Wyck--Armistice
+     concluded--Return to England.
+
+
+From daylight we had heard a heavy and constant cannonade towards our
+right and rear. His Royal Highness, with the remainder of the army, as
+was before intimated, had moved forward and attacked the main body of
+the enemy; but as I did not witness this action, I forbear to relate
+what I heard concerning it, further than this, that the Russians who
+attacked the enemy posted in the neighbourhood of Bergen, having by some
+mismanagement allowed themselves to be surprised after having carried
+that village, the whole army had been obliged to retire to their former
+position. In consequence of this failure, I believe, we were ordered
+towards evening to fall in, and (what appeared annoying in the extreme)
+to retrace our weary footsteps by the same dirty road by which we had
+advanced. Nearly the same fatigue and misery were endured as in our
+advance; but the column did not keep so much together as before, the men
+falling out by hundreds, so that the stoppages were not quite so great.
+We did not return to Schagen after our retreat, but were cantoned in
+some villages in front of that town; and a few days afterwards we were
+moved to the right of Schagen, through Schagen-bruck, to a farm hamlet
+called Zaand Wyck.
+
+Here we remained till the 1st of October; but I should not omit to
+mention, that we had, during the intervening period, several marches,
+all of which were made by night, and in which similar sufferings and
+fatigue were endured as in the march to Hoorne. This, it may probably be
+remembered, was one of the wettest autumns almost upon record; and in
+these marches we generally had the full benefit of the torrents which
+fell in this naturally wet country. I have actually seen the water
+running out at the bottom of the men's trowsers like that from the
+gutter which carries the rain from the roof of a house. When we had not
+a night march, we invariably had to be at our alarm post an hour before
+daybreak,--and that being about four miles distant from our quarter at
+this time, we never had what may be called a full night's rest.
+
+Military men will know that the custom of being at the alarm post before
+daybreak is almost universal; for, that being the usual time of attack,
+it behoves those who are apprehensive of a visit from the enemy to be on
+the look-out, and to be prepared to receive them when they come--here
+they remain, till, as the vulgar phrase goes, "You can see a white horse
+a mile off," that is, till it is clear daylight, and they have
+ascertained that no enemy is in the neighbourhood; after which, if all
+be quiet, they retire to their quarters. Our accommodations at Zaand
+Wyck may be said to have been good, for our officers had a farm-house to
+live in, and we had a good dry barn and other outhouses to lie down in;
+and in which I enjoyed some comfortable nights' lodgings. But on the 1st
+of October, in the afternoon, we were ordered to fall in, it having
+been previously intimated to us that we might probably have a brush with
+the enemy.
+
+We were, of course, all life and glee on receiving the information, and
+the usual quantity of provisions having been issued, and every other
+preparation made in the night, we moved off by the same road by which we
+had usually advanced to our alarm post. This we passed, and then entered
+a most unpleasant country to march through; it being nearer the enemy,
+of course all bridges and other communications had been destroyed. As we
+moved on, a little after daylight we were overtaken by the 11th light
+dragoons, on which we were ordered to open to the right and left to let
+them pass us. They seemed in high spirits, and some of them cried out,
+as they passed us, "Go on, my lads, lather them well, and we'll come up
+and shave them."
+
+Sir Walter Scott mentions this saying as made use of by some of the
+cavalry at Waterloo, as if it were at that time new; but I can assure
+him it is as old as 1799, if not much older, for I certainly heard it
+used on this occasion, and I know not but it may have been said long
+before. The cavalry inclined, after passing us, to their left, while we
+kept down towards the sea; and soon after, on ascending a small
+eminence, we got a view of the village of Old Patten, where we
+discovered about 10,000 or 12,000 of our army drawn up near the
+sea-beach. We passed them, and moved forward in the direction of a high
+range of sand-hills, which commenced about a mile beyond the village,
+and which overlooked all the plain below. Here the enemy was posted, and
+I was told that they began as soon as we were within reach to cannonade
+us; but from the heads of the men in front, I could not perceive any
+appearance of such cannonade, nor do I believe that any of their shot
+reached us. A little farther on, however, we met a Russian yager, or
+rifleman, coming back and holding out his hand, which had been wounded,
+and from which the blood was flowing pretty copiously.
+
+This was the first blood that I had ever seen as drawn in hostile
+conflict, and it certainly produced a somewhat strange effect upon me;
+it showed plainly that we were in the immediate vicinity of that enemy
+we had so often talked about, and whom we hoped to conquer; that now the
+time had arrived which would infallibly prove what every man, boaster or
+not, was made of; and that it might happen that it was my lot to fall.
+Having reflected (rather confusedly I own) on the passing scene before
+me, and offered up an occasional prayer to Him who alone can cover the
+head in the day of battle, we now approached the bottom of this sandy
+eminence, when my company was ordered to unfix bayonets, (for we had
+previously primed and loaded,) and dash on at double quick time till we
+came in contact with the enemy. No time was left for reflection now, the
+immediate duty we had to perform occupied all our attention fully; we
+soon got into a smart fire from the enemy's riflemen, which we found was
+the only description of troops, except a few artillery, that we had to
+contend with, their main bodies of heavy infantry being on the right and
+left of this sandy range, which in some places was about a mile in
+breadth, in others more or less.
+
+After the fight had fairly commenced, we kept but little order, owing
+partly to the want of discipline and experience in our people, and
+partly to the nature of the ground, which was rugged and uneven in the
+extreme, being one continued range of sand-hills, with hollows more or
+less deep between them; and partly it may be attributed to the ardour of
+our young men, who pressed on perhaps too rapidly. We continued to
+advance, and never once made a retrograde movement, the enemy regularly
+retiring from height to height on our approach; but they had greatly
+the advantage over us in point of shooting, their balls doing much more
+execution than ours; indeed it cannot be wondered at, for they were all
+riflemen, trained to fire with precision, and armed with a weapon which
+seldom fails its object if truly pointed; while we were (what shall I
+say) totally ignorant of that most essential part of a soldier's duty.
+They consequently suffered little from our fire; but we could not
+believe this, and tried to persuade ourselves they had either buried
+their dead in the sand before we came up to them, or carried them off as
+they retreated; but experience has since taught me to know that we then
+must have done them little harm.
+
+About the middle of the day, as I and a young man of the name of Thomas
+Bambrough (a countryman of my own, and who had volunteered with me,)
+were moving on in company, in passing through one of the valleys to an
+opposite height, we were assailed by a little volley from a group of the
+enemy which we discovered on a hill in front of us; one of which shots
+took effect in poor Bambrough's thigh just about the ham; he instantly
+fell, and roared out most piteously; I laid down my musket and
+endeavoured to hoist him on my back, in order to take him out of the
+fire, which they now poured in without intermission; but in this I
+failed, for he was so completely disabled by the wound, as to be
+rendered totally helpless, and it was so extremely painful that he could
+not bear the least movement.
+
+I felt constrained to leave him, although I did so with reluctance,
+telling him that I would push on to the height we had first in view, to
+which I then perceived some more of our men had advanced, and would
+drive the enemy from their position; of course all this was not
+literally told him, but something to that effect was said; and I found
+that the moment I left him they ceased to fire on him; and, as I
+promised, we did drive off the enemy. Shortly after, some of our own
+people came up to where poor Bambrough lay, and carried him off to the
+rear; he was sent to an hospital, where he soon after died, they not
+being able, I understand, to extract the ball. Soon after this, there
+were some tremendous volleys of musketry heard on our left, apparently
+down in the plain below us. I, with one or two others, now inclined a
+little towards the left, in order to have a peep at the troops there, so
+hotly opposed to each other, in doing which, we still kept our line in
+front of the enemy's skirmishers.
+
+We found it was the Russian army endeavouring to force their way towards
+the village of Bergen, the scene of their former disaster; but they were
+most distressingly retarded by the innumerable canals or ditches, by
+which the country was so intersected, and which were generally
+impassable by fording. On some occasions I could perceive, when they had
+found an entrance into an enclosure, and had fought their way to the
+farther side of it, they were obliged to retrace their steps, and get
+out by the same way by which they had entered, the enemy all this while
+pouring into them a close and destructive fire. This appeared to me to
+be most trying to their patience, and very disheartening; but they bore
+it with great steadiness.
+
+Meantime, our own heavy troops were advancing on the right by the
+sea-beach, where was a plain of sand, of perhaps from 100 to 200 yards
+in breadth; the sand-hills between the two wings, as I said before,
+being swept by us, assisted by a small corps of Russian riflemen. We
+moved on till we got a little in advance of the Russian army, (which,
+from the obstacles they had to contend with, did not make very rapid
+progress,) and immediately over the village of Bergen, which stood on
+the plain, close under the sand-hills. Here, the enemy being in
+possession of considerable field-works, plied us pretty plenteously
+with shells from their howitzers, (their guns they could not elevate
+sufficiently to reach us,) but from which we suffered very little; for
+our people being much extended, and the sand being deep, the bursting of
+the shells was attended with very little mischief. Indeed, for a long
+time, I did not know what they were; for, having several times heard a
+loud explosion pretty near, I actually looked round to see the gun,
+which I imagined had fired, but could perceive nothing but a cloud of
+smoke rising from the spot, and the small bushes and herbs about it on
+fire. I thought it strange, and it was not till it was several times
+repeated, that we discovered what it really was, for my comrades were
+equally ignorant with myself.
+
+At length, towards the close of the afternoon, a loud and heavy fire of
+musketry broke out on our right, which continued for a considerable
+time, and then ceased. This was our heavy infantry, who had advanced by
+the sea-shore, and who had now approached the village of Egmont-op-Zee,
+where the enemy made a most determined stand, but at last were driven
+back with great slaughter, and our people took possession of the town.
+From this place the battle derives its name. A little after dark, the
+enemy abandoned Bergen also, so that we ceased any longer to be annoyed
+by their shells, which they continued to throw while they held
+possession of the place. But a short while before they retired, one was
+thrown, which pitched just close over my company, (for we had then been
+collected, and were formed in close order immediately above the town,)
+and where Colonel Sharpe and another officer were walking; it lay for a
+second or two hissing and burning, and might be expected every moment to
+explode. Their road lay close past it; the veteran however took no
+notice of it, but continued his walk and conversation the same as if
+nothing had occurred, and without going an inch out of his way. It
+burst with a tremendous report, but fortunately without doing either of
+them the least injury. I confess I thought it rather _too brave_; for it
+appeared to me that he might have walked a little farther from it, or
+stopped for a moment or two without any imputation on his courage; but
+people do not all see things exactly alike.
+
+Our loss in this action was but trifling, considering the extent of the
+operations. We had in my company only about fourteen or fifteen men
+killed and wounded; among the latter were my two countrymen, Bambrough,
+as before noticed, and Sutherland. One man of our company, I was told,
+in charging a fieldpiece, was struck down by the wind of the ball, and
+which, although it did not touch him, brought blood from his mouth,
+nose, and ears; he never after thoroughly recovered the effects of it. I
+do not remember ever to have felt more fatigued than I did after this
+day's work. We had marched before commencing the action, I should think,
+twelve miles or more. We had been kept upon the run the greater part of
+the day, and had fought over nearly as much more ground, through loose
+sand, sometimes nearly up to the middle of the leg, and over ground so
+extremely uneven, that a few miles of leisurely walking on such, would
+be more than I should be able to accomplish now; and we had been nearly
+all the day deprived of every sort of liquid, for our canteens were soon
+emptied of what little they contained in the morning, and having myself
+fired nearly 150 rounds of ammunition, the powder of which, in biting
+off the ends of the cartridges, had nearly choked me. What would I not
+have given for a good drink? I felt completely exhausted, and laid me
+down with the others with great good-will on the top of one of the
+sand-hills. But the night proved extremely wet, so that every one of us
+was very soon as completely soaked as if he had been dragged through a
+river; and, to crown my misfortunes, I was without a blanket. Here I
+must confess my folly, that others similarly situated may profit by my
+experience. Soon after the commencement of the action a rumour was
+spread along the line of skirmishers, that the Duke, seeing the very
+arduous duty we had to perform, had said, "Never mind, my lads, if your
+knapsacks are any encumbrance to you, and impede your running, throw
+them off, and I will take care you shall be furnished with others." No
+sooner did this silly report reach my ears, than I, with many others,
+equally simple, believed it, without taking time to consider that if
+even it were true, a knapsack and a blanket, (for they were together,)
+to be useful should be at hand when wanted. But, simpleton like, away
+went knapsack and blanket, and I felt greatly relieved in getting rid of
+such a burden, and now pushed on after the enemy with increased vigour,
+trying at the same time to persuade myself the report was true; although
+I own I occasionally had my doubts on the subject. But night came on, as
+I have said, and such a one as I have seldom seen for wet, and then I
+plainly perceived that I had played the young soldier.
+
+An officer of ours of the name of Lacy, who had formerly been the
+captain of the Northumberland light company, and who volunteered with
+us, offered any man half a guinea for the use of a blanket for that
+night only, but without being able to obtain one: this will give some
+idea of the kind of night it was. I had nothing for it, but just to put
+the cock of my musket between my knees, to keep it as dry as possible,
+and lay myself down as I was. I endeavoured to get as close as I could
+to one who had a blanket, and lay down with my head at his feet, which
+he had covered up very comfortably with his blanket. The rain pelted so
+heavily and so incessantly on my face, that I ventured after a while to
+pull a little corner of this man's blanket just to cover my cheek from
+the pitiless storm, and in this situation snatched a comfortable nap;
+but he awakening in the night, and finding that I had made free with the
+corner of his blanket, rudely pulled it from off my face, and rolled it
+round his feet again.
+
+I was fain to lie still and let it pelt away, and even in this exposed
+situation I got some sleep, so completely were the powers of nature
+exhausted by fatigue. At length morning arose and showed us to
+ourselves, and such a group of sweeps we had seldom seen. Our clothing
+was literally all filth and dirt; our arms the colour of our coats with
+rust; and our faces as black as if we had come out of a coal-pit. In
+biting off the ends of the cartridges, there are generally a few grains
+of powder left sticking on the lips and about the mouth; these,
+accumulated as they must have been by the great quantity of ammunition
+each of us had fired, and with the profuse perspiration we were in
+during the heat of the day, added to the wet which fell upon us during
+the night, had caused the powder to run all over our faces; so that in
+the morning we cut the most ludicrous figure imaginable. However we
+immediately set about getting our arms again in trim, for though the
+enemy had left us masters of the field of action, they were not far
+distant from us. We soon got our firelocks again in fighting order; that
+is, they would go off, though the brightness, on which a clean soldier
+piques himself, was gone past recovery at this time. I now felt rather
+sore from firing my piece so often; the recoil against my shoulder and
+breast had blackened them, and rendered them rather painful, and the
+middle finger of my right hand was completely blackened and swoln from
+the same cause.
+
+At this time it was reported that a sad accident had occurred in our
+battalion; a soldier of one of our companies, in cleaning his musket,
+had by some awkwardness allowed it to go off, and an officer being
+immediately in front of where he was standing, the ball had taken effect
+upon him, and killed him on the spot.
+
+After getting ourselves brushed up a little, the whole battalion was
+brought together, and moved to the right into the town of Egmont-op-Zee,
+where the guards and some other regiments had been since the evening
+before, after beating the enemy out of it, as I before mentioned. We
+remained here for that day, during which Alkmaar surrendered, and then
+advanced to the village of Egmont Binnen, or Egmont-op-Hoof, I am not
+certain which it is called, a few miles in front, and close by the sea.
+
+I omitted to mention, that our fight of the 2d took place over the
+ground from which Lord Duncan's victory derived its name, _i. e._
+Camperdown. This headland, I fancy, we must have passed during that
+day's operations--But to return. We remained in Egmont Binnen till the
+morning of the 6th, when my battalion was ordered to fall in and march
+towards the outposts, a few miles in front, in order, as we understood,
+to relieve our grenadier battalion, which had been out since the day
+before. We advanced by the sea-shore, but had not gone far before we saw
+and heard unequivocal signs that we should have something more than
+outpost duty to perform; the fact is, the enemy was rapidly advancing,
+their force in front having been greatly augmented by reinforcements;
+but when about two miles from the village, we met a soldier of the 11th
+light dragoons bringing in a French officer, whom he had taken prisoner.
+He belonged to the chasseurs-à-cheval, a sort of mounted light troops,
+who can act either as infantry or cavalry, as occasion may require. When
+we met them, and while they stood talking for a moment, I could not help
+thinking it would have made a fine subject for a painting; for the
+officer was most superbly dressed in dark green, with a richly
+embroidered pouch-belt over his shoulder, and with a deep cut across his
+cheek, from which the blood was streaming over an extremely handsome
+face; indeed he was altogether a most interesting figure, and,
+contrasted with the rough features and haughty bearing of the proud
+trooper who had taken him, produced a fine effect. The fellow gave his
+horse a slap over the flank with the flat of his sword, and set off with
+his prisoner, crying out, that there were plenty more of them to take,
+and that he would soon return and bring in another.
+
+As we advanced, we could plainly perceive the enemy in front,
+skirmishing with our grenadiers, and we also saw that they possessed a
+pretty strong body of cavalry--a species of troops we had not
+encountered on the 2d. We could distinctly perceive the cavalry wading
+into the sea as far as their horses could go, in order, as we imagined,
+to see past the point of a projecting sand-hill, which obstructed their
+view of the beach beyond it; but when they perceived that the force
+which was advancing against them was not great, they attacked our
+grenadiers with increased vivacity, and we soon after came in contact
+with them, for they were advancing with as great rapidity as if no force
+was in front to oppose them.
+
+We soon perceived that they were nearly four times our numbers, and were
+obliged to adopt such a _ruse de guerre_ as is frequently practised by
+the weaker party, but which had no effect, I am sorry to say, on this
+occasion,--that is, while one part of our force was skirmishing, the
+remainder got behind sand-hills a little in rear, and letting the men's
+heads just show over their tops, as if standing in columns of
+battalions, tried to induce the enemy to believe that each separate body
+which appeared was of that force; but no, Johnny (as the soldiers
+sometimes call the French) was not so easily gulled, for they had
+previously ascertained pretty accurately the strength of our force in
+front of them, by the operation of the cavalry before mentioned. They
+therefore pressed on us with the most desperate fury, and in
+overwhelming numbers.
+
+We maintained the action as well as our limited means permitted, and for
+a while kept tolerable order; but as the fight became hotter, and the
+disparity of force more apparent, I regret to say, our young troops fell
+into considerable disorder and confusion. This giving the enemy greater
+confidence, of course he availed himself of it, and attacked us with
+redoubled impetuosity; and, I lament to say, our dismayed and
+disheartened young soldiers fell from one degree of confusion to
+another, till at length all order seemed entirely lost amongst us; and
+what was at first a rather regular retreat, became at last a disorderly
+flight; for wherever an attempt was made to check the ardour of the
+enemy, the immense inequality of force they possessed soon completely
+overthrew the few that stood; and many were the brave fellows, both
+officers and men, who fell in this unequal contest, without their having
+the slightest chance of successfully opposing our impetuous foe.
+
+The flight now became more like a race than any thing else, and I
+imagine they drove us not less than three or four miles without giving
+us time to breathe; but when we had reached within about a mile of the
+village we had left in the morning, we perceived some regiments
+advancing to our succour; among them was the 23d, which advanced in
+line, and showed so good and steady a front as quite delighted us. We
+could also perceive to our left, that the Russians had become engaged
+with the force in front of them, and were holding it at bay; indeed by
+this time the action had extended considerably into the country, and
+some others of the British troops, I understand, were soon engaged.
+
+On the coming up of the reinforcement, the 23d in particular, our
+straggling and broken troops, which had been so wofully beaten, now
+united, and again advanced upon the enemy; and when the 23d had given
+them a volley or two, the French gave way and retreated with as great
+precipitation as they had advanced. In short the tables were turned upon
+them, and the pursuit of them now was equally rapid with our retreat
+before them a short while previously; and before the action ceased, we
+had driven them considerably beyond where we encountered them in the
+morning. Night scarcely put an end to the action, for the firing
+continued long after dark, each party being directed by the fire from
+the arms of their opponents; the unwillingness to desist on our part, I
+attribute to a desire of revenge for the disgrace they had inflicted on
+us in the morning. Towards the evening it came on exceedingly wet.
+
+Nothing could surpass the steadiness and fine appearance of the 23d, on
+entering into action; but they were all old soldiers, while our two
+battalions were composed altogether, I may say, of volunteers from the
+militia, who had as little idea of service in the field, as if newly
+taken from the plough. I would just remark here, that from what I have
+witnessed upon different occasions, I should never be inclined to put
+very much confidence in raw troops of whatever nation, or of what stuff
+soever they may be composed, for it is certain, that without being at
+all deficient in point of courage, they have not that confidence in
+their own powers which soldiers who are inured to service possess; and
+if hastily or hotly set upon, while without the aid and example of
+others more experienced than themselves, it is many chances to one I
+think that they will give way. So it was on this occasion. Nothing could
+exceed the materials of which these two battalions were composed, had
+they had the advantage of a little more experience; and no troops could
+fight better than they did, after gaining the support and countenance of
+the old regiments which were sent to reinforce them.
+
+But I confess with shame, we showed a great want of nerve in the early
+part of the day, although to any troops the occasion must have been one
+of severe trial. When the retreat had degenerated into a flight, and
+every one seemed intent only on making the best of his way to the rear,
+I, with some others who were among the hills, imagined we could get on
+faster if we took to the sea-beach, which, although it also was composed
+of deep sand, yet was level, and could not be so very fatiguing as
+climbing the innumerable hills over which we had to retreat. Away we
+accordingly set for the beach; but we had forgotten to calculate that if
+the beach would facilitate our retreat, it also would the enemy's
+advance. This we soon discovered, for we had scarcely descended from the
+hills when we found ourselves almost surrounded by the enemy; and it was
+not without the utmost exertion in our power that we were enabled to
+effect our escape, the balls flying thicker about us during our short
+stay here than they had done all the day before. My haversack was a
+great encumbrance to me on this occasion, for, having lost my knapsack
+as before related, I was obliged to stuff every thing I possessed into
+this inconvenient bag; which, hanging so low as to knock against my
+thighs, greatly impeded my progress to the rear, and had nigh got me
+lodged in a French prison.
+
+A girl, who had followed a grenadier belonging to my regiment when he
+volunteered out of the militia, accompanied her protector during the
+whole of this day's operations, and shared equally with him every danger
+and fatigue to which he was exposed, and no argument could prevail upon
+her to leave him till the whole business was over, and till the
+battalion to which her sweetheart belonged was sent to the rear at
+night. I am not certain whether it was his Royal Highness's intention to
+have fought this day, or whether the action was brought on fortuitously;
+but certainly, although we began the fight under very unfavourable
+circumstances, and things looked rather awkward at one part of the day,
+no army ever got a more complete drubbing than the French did before the
+business terminated. I have since learnt that the action became general
+along the whole line towards the close of the day. Thus ended the last
+affair between the British and French troops during that unfortunate
+expedition.
+
+The next day we fell back upon Egmont Binnen, leaving sufficiently
+strong outposts to occupy the ground we had taken, and this day I was
+fortunate enough to pick up the shell of an artilleryman's knapsack who
+had been killed in one of the late fights; but for necessaries I was
+totally destitute, and began soon after to feel the effects of my folly
+in throwing away my own. A little before midnight of the evening of the
+7th, we were again ordered under arms with all dispatch and without
+noise, and had no doubt it was for the purpose of advancing as before,
+so as to reach the enemy's line by daylight next morning. How great then
+was our surprise and disappointment, when we turned our faces towards
+the rear, and filed out of the village by the road leading towards our
+old quarters! We moved on in silence till we reached Egmont-op-Zee,
+where the flashes from a large coal fire erected by way of lighthouse,
+shed a melancholy gleam over our columns as we passed beneath the hill
+on which it was erected. Here also by the sea lay innumerable dead
+bodies, both of men and horses, together with broken tumbrils and other
+sad emblems of the devastation which a few days previously had been made
+on this very ground; for here it was that the heat and principal part of
+the action of the 2d took place, when the heavy columns of the opposing
+armies came in contact with each other. It would not be easy to describe
+our feelings as we moved sadly and silently along, knowing, as we now
+did, that we were for ever abandoning all the advantages that we had
+hitherto gained, after so much toil, privations, and loss as we had
+suffered; but it was useless to repine. Our leaders must know better
+than we could possibly do, what state the army was in, and what
+likelihood remained of effecting the object for which we came into the
+country; our duty therefore was to obey, without questioning the
+propriety of our present movement, however unpleasant it might be to our
+feelings.
+
+We passed by Old Patten, near to which the action of the 2d commenced,
+and finally returned to our old quarters at Zaand Wyck, which we reached
+some time next day, and where I found my comrade Sutherland, who had
+been here for some days; his wound, which was through the shoulder, not
+having disabled him from making his way thus far. He had some mutton
+already cooked, of which I partook with great relish, for I needed
+refreshment much; and after taking a swig out of his canteen, I laid me
+down and slept most soundly, rejoiced and thankful that I had so
+comfortable a home to return to.
+
+We remained in this quarter only a day or two, and then our brigade was
+removed towards the left of the line, which, as well as I remember,
+rested upon Kolhorn. My battalion occupied the village of Basingohorn,
+to which we had retired on a former occasion; I mean on our retreat from
+Hoorne. This was one of the villages farthest in advance, consequently
+it became an outpost. A night or two passed quietly, but on the second
+or third night, a firing commenced from the advanced sentries all along
+the line. Whether the enemy had merely been making a reconnoissance, or
+whether they had intended to advance in force, and our discovering them
+altered their plan, I know not, but think the former the more probable;
+but be as it may, it had the effect of turning out our whole line of
+outposts, which, as might be expected, prepared to give them the best
+reception we were able. I remember on this occasion putting in two balls
+when we were ordered to load, as I was determined not to spare them, for
+I (with all my comrades I believe) felt sore at having been obliged to
+yield up all the advantages we had gained, to an enemy which we
+certainly did not consider as having fairly won them from us in action,
+but who were more indebted to the severity of the weather, producing
+such disastrous consequences on our young army, than to their prowess in
+the field. They retired, however, without giving us an opportunity of
+welcoming them in the manner we intended. A few days after this, on the
+19th October, it came to my turn to be one of the advanced sentries.
+About break of day, while musing of many things, of home with all its
+comforts, and contrasting it with my then rather uncomfortable
+situation, I was suddenly aroused from my reverie by the beating of
+drums and sounding of trumpets and music, &c., all along the French
+line. I could not conjecture the cause of all this, for although it is
+customary to sound and beat the réveille at this hour, yet never having
+heard the French do so before, I concluded something more than ordinary
+had occurred to cause them to do so on this occasion, and I need hardly
+inform my reader that I kept a good look-out, in order that they should
+not catch us napping. In a short while, however, the mystery was cleared
+up; for an officer of ours came round all the advanced sentries to tell
+us, that, as an armistice had been concluded, we were not any longer to
+prevent the country-people from passing and repassing, as we had
+formerly had orders to do. I imagine the festive noises which I heard
+arose from this circumstance having taken place, for I believe the
+French were tired enough of the business, although they had now become
+in some measure the assailants; or else the cessation of hostilities
+allowed them to resume their wonted custom of beating the réveille in
+the morning.
+
+Seeing we had failed in our attempt to wrest the country from the
+French, and that no hope now remained of our ever being in a condition
+to effect it, the prospect of returning home once more became a pleasing
+consideration, and I fully gave way to it. My comrades also now began to
+turn their thoughts homeward, and cheerfulness once more beamed on
+countenances which for some days past had been rather gloomy. But by
+this time the dysentery had made sad ravages among our young and
+inexperienced soldiery, for on a day soon after this, we could in my
+company muster on parade only eighteen men out of one hundred, of which
+it was composed at the outset. This inefficiency was caused principally
+by disease, although we had certainly lost a fair proportion in the
+field. It was therefore well that our removal to a more favourable soil
+was about speedily to take place; and wisely had his Royal Highness
+acted in agreeing to evacuate a country, the climate of which had been
+so extremely prejudicial to his army. About this time also, I began to
+have my personal trials and sufferings; for now I began to feel the full
+effect of my folly on the 2d inst., in throwing away my knapsack, for I
+had not a change of any description, and the consequence may be easily
+conjectured. Filth and vermin now began to add poignancy to my other
+sufferings, but I bore up against them all as well as I was able; and I
+have reason to thank God, that the strength of a good constitution
+enabled me to continue my duty without yielding for one day to the
+accumulated effects of these disagreeables. Soon after this also, the
+good people of England, commiserating our uncomfortable situation, sent
+out presents of flannel shirts and shoes, which arrived most
+opportunely. I was not fortunate enough to obtain one of the former
+necessary articles, but my sergeant kindly put me down for a pair of
+shoes, of which I stood in great need, and now beg to return my best
+thanks to the kind friends who sent them, although at the time we
+expected we should have to pay for them. In a short while after this,
+the grenadiers and light battalions were broken up, and each company
+returned and joined its own proper regiment. We joined ours (the 56th)
+at a weeshaus (or poorhouse), situated on the great canal which connects
+this part of Holland with Alkmaer, and not far from Schagen-bruck. Here
+we were occupied for a few days in putting things in the best order we
+could, previous to our embarkation.
+
+About the 3d November we marched for the Helder, from whence we went on
+board. On our way down, one of my comrades, who was not over scrupulous
+in expressing his sentiments, was railing bitterly against the
+mismanagement (as he imagined) of the expedition, and saying, "he hoped
+the next time we came to that country, should we ever come again, that
+we would leave it under more favourable circumstances." General Manners
+(to whose brigade we now belonged) was riding close behind, unknown to
+this complainer, and overheard every word he said. When the soldier had
+finished, the General most good-naturedly rode up to him, and began to
+argue the matter with him. "Why," says he, "although we are leaving the
+country, it is not from the enemy having compelled us to do so from his
+superior bravery or success in the field, for we have fought only five
+actions since landing, and in four of these we have been the conquerors;
+it is owing solely to the great sickness and consequent inefficiency of
+the army that we have been compelled to this measure." I could not but
+admire the affability and kindness of the General, and was fully
+satisfied myself, and so were all who heard him, of, I believe, the
+justness of the remarks he made. We reached the Helder the same day,
+where we remained doing duty till the 10th November, on which we
+embarked on board his Majesty's ship Romney, of fifty guns, commanded by
+Captain Lawford, (afterwards by Sir Home Popham.) She was only a small
+vessel of her class, and yet our whole regiment was put on board her; we
+indeed were not very strong, but she was crowded beyond measure, for
+many, nay, most of the troops had not literally lying room, each company
+having barely the space between two guns, which, I should think, is not
+more than twelve feet at the utmost, and even here the sailors, whether
+with or without orders I know not, slung their hammocks over us. I
+particularly remember this being the case, for I had the second night,
+by way of securing room to stretch myself, lain down between decks early
+in the evening, and had had some little repose, when a sailor, whose
+hammock was slung right over me, and while standing and making it, put
+his foot right on my cheek, and stood there till he had finished. I know
+not whether he knew that it was a human head he was treading on, but I
+judged it best to be as quiet as possible; preferring the pain of
+bearing his weight on my head, rather than, by moving or crying out, to
+incur the risk of his foot slipping, and peeling the skin off my face.
+The voyage was fortunately short, for in seven days we landed at
+Yarmouth, glad and rejoiced that this unpleasant and ill-fated
+expedition was terminated. I know not whether my reader is old enough to
+remember the autumn of which I have been speaking, but to me it appeared
+one of the wettest and most uncomfortable that I ever remember; and it
+was here, while exposed to its effects, that were laid, most probably,
+the seeds of that severe pulmonic affection from which I have since
+suffered so much.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER III.
+
+     Arrive in England--The Pompadours embark for Ireland--Arrive at
+     Kinsale--Privations in Ireland in 1800--Peace concluded--Our
+     Author resolves to return home, but ultimately volunteers into
+     the Rifle Corps or 95th--Embarks for England, and joins his
+     Regiment at Sussex--Is promoted.
+
+
+We landed at Yarmouth on the 17th November, and the next day marched to
+Norwich, where we remained a few days, and where we found the people
+remarkably kind and attentive to our comforts; and, indeed, we now cut a
+most sorry figure, being literally nothing but rags and dirt; it was
+certainly a sad tax on the good landlords on whom we were billeted, to
+be compelled to find us lodgings, for we never left the beds unoccupied
+by some of the uncomfortable companions of our travels when we arose in
+the morning. I here began to find myself very unwell, for though I had
+borne up against sickness in the field, I could not now receive my food
+without feeling the most afflicting nausea, my stomach being completely
+out of order; and it was no wonder, for we had been compelled for
+several weeks past to drink the brackish water of the ditches of
+Holland, no springs (that ever I saw) being there to be found, and the
+little water in their wells, when we arrived in the country, being
+speedily exhausted. We had also been deprived of salt nearly all the
+time of our sojourn in that country, one of the greatest privations that
+I know of. Through the nursing of my kind landlady, however, I gradually
+regained my appetite, and with it my health, for which I have reason to
+be truly thankful to Him who has ever dealt so mercifully with me.
+
+In a few days we left Norwich on our route to Chelmsford, and on our way
+passed through Bury St Edmunds, where my late regiment, the
+Northumberland militia, was quartered; they vied with each other in
+showing us kind attentions, but our miserable appearance put the
+soldiers of this regiment sadly out of love with the regular service.
+
+We did not remain at Chelmsford long, but marched again for Horsham in
+Sussex, on which occasion I for the first time had a view of the
+metropolis, as we passed through it, by way of Whitechapel and London
+Bridge, &c. At Horsham we were quartered during the remainder of this
+winter. About the 10th or 12th of February 1800, we marched for
+Portsmouth, where we embarked for Ireland on the 14th. On this occasion
+the regiment was put on board two first-rate frigates; the Endymion was
+that on which the left wing went on board, but I do not recollect the
+name of the other. An agreement was entered into between the two
+captains, I understood, to sail for fifty guineas, they both being
+considered fast vessels; our destination was Cork; they were to start
+together, and the first there of course to be the winner.
+
+We sailed with a favourable breeze, and got on most delightfully,
+having, soon after sailing, parted from our antagonist, and passing, if
+I recollect right, inside the Isles of Scilly, we in a few days drew
+near our destined port. But on the 19th, as we were pushing on with all
+our might, having every stitch of sail set, a squall came on so
+suddenly, that, before she could be stripped of her superfluous
+clothing, she was actually running bows under water, the sea entering
+the bow-ports, and making its way along between decks, like to wash
+every thing away before it. At this time the log was hove, and we were
+going at the (I believe) unparalleled rate of fifteen knots an hour. But
+unfortunately for our captain, the vessel was completely driven out of
+her course, and towards evening we entered the harbour of Kinsale, thus
+losing the fifty guineas, although we were no doubt the better sailer.
+
+This was the first gale I had experienced, and I did not relish it; but
+when we entered the harbour, where the water was quite smooth, the
+sensation I felt was most delightful, after having been buffeted most
+violently by the sea without. The next day we landed, and were billeted
+in Kinsale, and here I had the first view of Irishmen and Irish manners.
+I need not attempt to describe them; for could I, so many have done it
+before me, that the subject is almost exhausted. In a day or two after
+landing, we marched to Cork, where the right wing had been landed, and
+with which we of course formed a junction.
+
+We remained in Ireland from this time till the peace of 1802 was
+concluded, and were quartered successively in the towns of Cork,
+Kilkenny, Clonmel, Fermoy, and Kinsale; but as there was nothing which
+could interest a reader that occurred to me during this period, I shall
+pass it over in silence, save mentioning the following:--In the year
+1800, it is well known the utmost distress was experienced by the poor
+of both countries, a scarcity, the effects of the wet harvest of 1799,
+having grievously afflicted all the British dominions. But in Ireland,
+the sufferings of the poor were great, beyond the conception of an
+Englishman who has not witnessed them, and many hundreds of them, I
+believe, actually perished of want.
+
+But my tale relates more immediately to my own sufferings and those of
+my comrades; for we had then but what was termed a "black shilling a
+day," that is twelve pence Irish, an English or white shilling, or Hog,
+going in that country for thirteen pence; we had not then any beer money
+either, but had solely this black shilling to subsist on. Meat at this
+time was no less than 10d. per lb., of which each man received half a
+pound; bread was 5d. per lb., of which we also got half a pound. This
+half pound of bread, and half pound of meat, and that not of the best,
+was all we had to live on, and do our duty, which was not always of the
+easiest description. The remainder of our shilling was taken to furnish
+necessaries, washing, pipeclay, &c., for I do not remember that we ever
+laid in any sort of vegetables for the pot. Potatoes were out of the
+question, for they were no less than three shillings a stone of fourteen
+pounds.
+
+Although we did not absolutely suffer want, the reader will perceive
+that we were but sparely dieted; the consequence was, innumerable
+robberies of potato fields, and gardens, &c., in the neighbourhood of
+our quarters; and many were the men that got punished for this crime,
+but it could not be put a stop to, for hunger is not easily borne.
+Indeed, on one occasion, I myself was seduced, by the persuasion of my
+comrades and by the cravings of hunger, into the commission of this
+crime. I remember well I was on what was termed the Commissariat guard,
+a short distance from the town of Fermoy, when my companions, thinking
+it a favourable opportunity for procuring something to eat, prevailed
+upon me to accompany them to a garden near the bridge, into which we
+entered, and each of us returned loaded with a fine cabbage, and which
+afforded us an excellent meal after our relief from guard. It is
+impossible to justify such an act, but the reader will be convinced, I
+trust, that sheer hunger alone urged me to the perpetration of this
+crime. Others, I have no doubt, were equally ill off, who did not resort
+to such disgraceful means of satisfying their hunger, but bore it with
+patient resignation. I believe that such was the case, and take shame to
+myself for yielding either to the calls of nature or the solicitations
+of my companions, some others of whom were not so scrupulous. During
+this distressing season I sold a watch which had formerly been my
+father's, and with which I felt extremely loath to part. I also received
+a little money from home, all, or nearly all, of which was expended in
+procuring food.
+
+The hedges and fields, &c. in the vicinity, were ransacked in all
+directions, for the purpose of procuring bramble-berries, nettles, &c.
+&c.; in short, for any thing that was eatable. Such was our situation
+during several months, while under the command of Lieut.-Col. Skinner,
+who, although an excellent officer, had little idea of disposing of a
+soldier's pay to the best advantage; but latterly we were commanded by
+Major Keating, who, making the comfort of the soldiers under his command
+his continual study and delight, soon adopted a system which secured to
+us plenty in comparison of our former state. He left off the meat and
+bread save occasionally, and procured for us plenty of oatmeal and milk,
+by which means our wasted bodies began shortly after to resume quite
+another appearance.
+
+We were quartered at Lap's Island, in Cork, when the news arrived of
+peace having been concluded; and as the bulk of the regiment had
+volunteered from the militia for five years, or during the war, measures
+were taken for discharging all those who did not re-enlist either into
+their own or other regiments. My mind was fully made up to return home;
+for although, as I said before, I never repented of having entered the
+regular service, yet I knew that the anxiety of my dear parents for my
+return was so great, that I had settled it fully in my own mind to leave
+the army.
+
+Another reason operated with me partly in forming this resolution--I had
+persuaded myself that I ought to have been promoted--for I judged myself
+fully capable of conducting the duties of a non-commissioned officer,
+and I flattered myself my conduct had been generally unexceptionable;
+but I was disappointed, for the great numbers in my company, who were
+judged both more deserving and better qualified, and withal
+better-looking soldiers, put it out of the question for me to look
+forward to promotion.
+
+I was in this state when an officer and a party of the Rifle corps
+arrived at Cork, to receive such of the men of the different regiments
+then about to be discharged, as chose to volunteer, for this novel, and,
+as some thought, dangerous service. I cannot account for the impulse
+with which I was urged on, from the moment I had seen one of the men, to
+enter this corps. Something strange seemed to push me on, contrary to
+the full determination to return home, which had possessed me an hour
+before. I will not attempt to account for it, but such was the fact. I
+immediately, with some others of my regiment, gave in my name as a
+volunteer for the Rifle corps, and was in consequence in a day or two
+sworn into that corps, in which I have ever considered it an honour to
+serve, and which I have reason to thank a kind and overruling Providence
+I ever entered.
+
+No news of course could be so afflictive to my dear parents, as to hear
+of the last rash and irretrievable step which I had taken. It had
+wellnigh broken their hearts, for they fully calculated on my returning
+home, as I had written to that effect. Judge then of their surprise and
+sorrow, when they learnt that I had entered, what was deemed by some, a
+condemned corps, and that for life--and that the West Indies would no
+doubt soon be my grave.
+
+On my leaving the 56th, the officers of my company expressed their
+regret that I should quit the regiment, and told me, that although the
+mode hitherto pursued of keeping all the best-looking men in the light
+company had kept many from obtaining promotion, who otherwise would have
+been made non-commissioned officers, yet that mode was no longer to be
+adhered to, and that I might shortly expect to be promoted into another
+company, if I would consent to remain. I thanked them, and told them I
+had made up my mind, on which they each gave me a certificate as to
+character, &c., recommending me to the officers of my new corps, and
+which were of service to me afterwards.
+
+The sergeant who had been sent to receive us, at once became my stanch
+friend, and employed me, as the party was now become pretty strong, to
+act as a non-commissioned officer. Every thing went on quite smoothly,
+and I felt happy in my new corps, and in my new employment.
+
+We marched soon after to Waterford, and thence to Passage, and there
+embarked for the Isle of Wight, and without encountering any remarkable
+event arrived at Cowes on the 27th June, 1802; here we remained a day or
+two, and then marched for the regiment in Sussex. We found them at East
+Bourne, although Blatchington was their quarter, but they had been sent
+out of it on account of the assizes or election, I do not remember
+which.
+
+We immediately commenced our light drill, in which I took great delight;
+but most of all I liked the shooting at the target. As recruits, we were
+first drilled at what is termed the horse, _i. e._ a machine to assist
+young riflemen in taking aim. At this I pleased my commanding-officer so
+much the first time I tried, that he ordered me to the front, and told
+me to load, and fire at the target. I did, and made a pretty good shot,
+hitting pretty near the bull's eye; on which he made me load again and
+fire, and hitting that also, he made me go on till I had fired ten
+rounds, all of which hit the target, and two of which had struck the
+bull's eye. The distance indeed was only fifty yards, but for a recruit,
+that is, a person unaccustomed to rifle-shooting, he called it a
+wonderful exhibition, and in consequence he gave me sixpence out of his
+pocket, and ordered me home. I thought the reward quite inadequate, so
+natural is it for us to overrate our own deservings.
+
+This officer (Major Wade) was one of the best shots himself that I have
+almost ever seen. I have known him, and a soldier of the name of
+Smeaton, hold the target for each other at the distance of 150 yards,
+while the other fired at it, so steady and so accurate was both their
+shooting.
+
+I continued to maintain my character as a good shot, which in a rifle
+corps is a great recommendation, and proceeded in acquiring a knowledge
+of my other duties with such steadiness as obtained the approbation of
+my officers. We soon after marched to Chatham--and while there, several
+non-commissioned officers being employed on the recruiting service, I
+was employed in doing the duty of one, having been appointed what is
+termed a "chosen man."
+
+I must record the manner of my appointment. An acting-sergeant was doing
+the duty of pay-sergeant of our company, but he took it into his head to
+go all wrong, spending the money intrusted to him for the payment of the
+men. He of course was deprived of the situation; and on this occasion it
+was, that the officer commanding the company came to me one day, and
+said to me, "Surtees, I shall be _forced_ to make you a chosen man." I
+thanked him, but could not help reflecting on the strange mode of
+expressing himself which he had adopted. The fact is, I believe, without
+thinking about the opinion I must form of the compliment he was paying
+me, he had been indeed forced to it, for he had no one to pay the
+company besides; and as I was not yet dismissed from the drill, it was
+an unprecedented measure. But he need not have told the _whole_ truth on
+this occasion, for I should have been no worse a non-commissioned
+officer, had he been more complimentary; but he was a _plain_ man, and
+not much given to compliment.
+
+On our march hither, some of the men broke into the plate chest of the
+officers' mess, while the baggage stopped in Maidstone; one man was
+discovered, and tried for it, and sentenced to receive 800 lashes, all
+of which he took at one standing, and that without evincing much
+suffering; this was the most I ever saw inflicted at one time.
+
+We marched again from Chatham in September, and on the 2d of October
+arrived at Thorncliffe. While here, my parents interested Mr Beaumont,
+M.P. for my native county, to solicit my discharge from the Honourable
+Colonel Stewart, my then commanding-officer, they paying the regulated
+sum to the government. The colonel sent for me, and talked with me on
+the subject, and argued most forcibly in favour of my remaining in the
+regiment, saying he had intended to promote me the first vacancy; and
+that he had no doubt whatever of seeing me one day an officer. I own my
+views were not so sanguine; but his reasoning prevailed, and I consented
+to remain. Soon after, an opportunity offering, I was appointed corporal
+on the 24th of the same month.
+
+Here again I had disappointed my beloved and tender parents, for it was
+not without considerable trouble and difficulty they obtained the
+interference of Mr Beaumont, and now I had again thrown cold water on
+all their endeavours to obtain my discharge. I fear I have much to
+answer for, as respects my conduct towards them. May God forgive me!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.
+
+     Made Pay-sergeant--Moral Reflections--Wreck of a Dutch East
+     Indiaman--Reduced Officers--War with France in 1803--Encampment
+     at Thorncliffe under the command of General Sir John
+     Moore--Encampment broke up, November, 1804--Embark for Germany,
+     October, 1805--Vicissitudes at Sea--Land at Cuxhaven--March to
+     Bremen--Outposts established--Retrograde movements, in
+     consequence of the defeat of the Allied Forces at
+     Austerlitz--The Allied Forces evacuate Germany--Re-embarkation
+     of the troops--The Rifle Corps, or 95th, land at Yarmouth.
+
+
+Having given satisfaction as a corporal, I was shortly after appointed
+acting-sergeant; and in that capacity also, having pleased my officers,
+I was, on a vacancy occurring on the 19th of February following,
+appointed sergeant, and given the payment of a company. My head was
+almost turned by such rapid promotion, and I began in earnest to
+contemplate the possibility of my colonel's predictions being one day
+verified. Kind Providence watched over me, however, and kept me from
+being too much elated, and of committing myself as I otherwise might
+have done. Indeed I many times did commit things which, if strictly
+searched into, would have brought censure upon me, and lowered the high
+opinion that both myself and others entertained of me; but nothing that
+openly violated the law by which I was then governed (although many of
+God's laws I daily transgressed) was done by me.
+
+I was at this time, although careful to secure the good opinion of my
+officers, little solicitous to please Him who had alone lavished all
+this bounty upon me. Indeed I believe I was as ungodly at this time as
+I ever remember to have been, and yet He caused me to prosper. Oh! how I
+ought to feel shame and confusion of face at the recollection of such
+abused goodness and mercy! May He pardon me for Christ's sake!
+
+A short while before my appointment as sergeant, a most melancholy
+occurrence took place in the neighbourhood of our cantonment. A large
+Dutch East Indiaman, outward bound to Batavia, and full of troops, in
+passing down channel, mistook, I understand, the light at Dungeness for
+one on the French coast, and in consequence stood in towards Dymchurch
+wall instead of keeping out to sea. As might be expected, she was not
+long in striking on the wall, running with her bow quite close under the
+road, and in an instant, almost, went to pieces; and although numbers of
+people were early at the spot, and some, I believe, at the very moment
+she struck, they could render the unfortunate sufferers no effectual
+aid, although only a few yards distant from them. Out of about 800
+persons on board, only seven men were saved. Many poor fellows, I
+understand, attempted to swim on shore, some on planks, and others
+without any aid; but such was the tremendous swell, and the general
+destruction of the ship so rapid, that only those seven before mentioned
+succeeded; and they not without being all more or less injured by pieces
+of the wreck. An admiral, I understood, was on board, and perished;
+several beautiful females were afterwards cast ashore among the dead,
+the wives or daughters, no doubt, of some on board; they were for the
+most part nearly naked, so that it is conjectured they had been in bed.
+
+As might be expected, the allurement to plunder so valuable a wreck was
+not resisted by the natives of this part of the coast, but Colonel
+Stewart humanely placed strong bodies of the regiment at different
+points where the wreck had drifted, to secure as much of the property as
+he could for the Dutch government, and also to collect and bring in the
+numerous dead bodies which floated along the shore; all of which he had
+decently interred in the churchyard at Thorncliffe, and had the poor
+wounded survivors taken into hospital, where every care was taken of
+them. Indeed nothing could exceed the unremitting attention which he
+paid both to the dead and living on this most melancholy occasion, and
+for which he received, as he well merited, the thanks of the Dutch
+government.
+
+About this period we had several individuals serving in the corps as
+soldiers, who had been officers in the army during the late war, but
+who, from different causes, had been reduced to the necessity of
+enlisting as private soldiers. The first that I remember was a person of
+the name of Conway Welch, who, I understood, had been an officer, and I
+think the Adjutant of the Surrey Rangers. He got on to the rank of
+Corporal, but, being excessively wild, I believe he never attained a
+higher rank. I do not remember what became of him.
+
+The second was called Hughes; he was, I believe, when he enlisted,
+actually in the receipt of half-pay as a lieutenant of the line. He was
+a person of good conduct, and was soon promoted to the rank of corporal,
+and the colonel took him for his own private clerk, or secretary, as he
+was denominated; but he did not remain long in this situation, for he
+was shortly after called upon full pay of his rank in the army. I
+believe his case was a singular one.
+
+The third unfortunate individual was of the name of Tait. He had been a
+captain in the Caithness Legion, but reduced when the regiment was
+broken up at the peace. He conducted himself extremely well for some
+time after he came into the regiment, and got on so far as to become
+pay-sergeant of a company. But in this situation, having considerable
+sums at his command, he became involved through his dissipation, and
+being unable to extricate himself from his difficulties, he adopted the
+fatal resolution of committing suicide, and accordingly, when quartered
+at Woodbridge, he one day retired to his room, loaded his rifle, and
+blew out his brains.
+
+The story of the fourth individual is a scarcely less melancholy one.
+His name was M'Laughlan. I had known him while serving in my late
+regiment, as he had been an officer in the light company of the 35th
+regiment, and stood next in the light battalion to the company to which
+I belonged. He, shortly before our embarkation for Holland, got
+involved, through a gambling transaction I heard, and was in consequence
+obliged to dispose of his commission, which, it would appear from this,
+he had originally purchased. But interest was made in his behalf, and he
+was permitted to accompany his regiment to Holland in the capacity of a
+volunteer, and he accordingly assumed the firelock and bayonet in place
+of his former weapon, the sword. He was fortunate enough to obtain
+another commission before the return of the troops to England, but how
+he became deprived of that I have been unable to learn. But about the
+latter end of 1803, he enlisted as a private in my corps. His conduct
+here was far from good, and he consequently never rose higher, for he
+was continually in scrapes from his dissipated habits; and becoming
+tired of the restraint laid upon him by the strict discipline which our
+excellent commanding-officer enforced, he one day made an attempt to
+desert and join the French at Boulogne, and was picked up by one of our
+cruisers in endeavouring to cross the channel in an open boat. He was
+brought back handcuffed, and lodged in the guard-house one day when I
+happened to be sergeant commanding the guard.
+
+As I looked on him, I could not help reflecting on the strange
+vicissitudes which attend some men in their passage through life. Here
+was a person whom I had known only a few years before while encamped on
+Barham Downs, a gay and handsome young officer, moving in the circle of
+men of gallantry and honour; and now behold him a wretched culprit,
+stretched on the wooden guard-bed, manacled like a felon. In contrasting
+his miserable situation with my own so much happier lot, what ample
+cause had I for gratitude to that kind and indulgent Providence, which
+had preserved me from those excesses, which entailed so much misery on
+others. He was shortly after tried by a general court-martial, and
+transported as a felon for life. I understand a sister of his was at
+Thorncliffe at the time of his trial, &c., the wife of a brevet
+lieutenant-colonel in the 4th regiment. What must she have felt!
+
+It will be recollected that, in 1803, war again broke out between this
+country and France, as my preceding story had intimated. The army was
+consequently augmented again, and my corps, till now called the "Rifle
+Corps," was made the 95th. This year a camp was formed on Thorncliffe,
+under the command of that able general and excellent man Sir John Moore.
+This was termed by some the "Vanguard of England," for here it was that
+the then threatened invasion of this country by Bonaparte must most
+likely have taken place, it being immediately opposite to the grand camp
+then forming at Boulogne. Daily rencontres took place between our
+cruisers and his far-famed flotilla; and on one occasion, the belief
+that he was sending forth his invincible host was so great, that our
+camp was struck, the troops turned out, and received each man his sixty
+rounds of ammunition; the waggons and carts were all put in immediate
+requisition, and the inhabitants were flying in all directions. But to
+our disappointment, I will not say whether disagreeable or otherwise, it
+all ended in smoke; it happened to have been some of his flotilla making
+a movement along the coast, which had been set on by our cruisers and
+pretty roughly handled.
+
+We remained in this camp till the 24th of November, I think, having
+occasionally before this period had our tents blown from over our heads
+by the autumnal gales. The next year a more formidable camp was formed
+on the same ground, the force having been augmented by a second line,
+composed of regiments of militia. This year also, like the last, passed
+over without witnessing the long-threatened invasion of Old England,
+although Bonaparte, in the pride of his heart and the vanity of his
+mind, had begun to erect a monument near Boulogne, to commemorate that
+glorious achievement. My regiment, on the breaking up of the camp,
+marched into Hythe Barracks, where we remained till the month of April,
+1805.
+
+In the spring of this year another volunteering from the militia into
+regiments of the line was ordered, on which occasion I was selected by
+my commanding-officer, Lieut.-Colonel Beckwith, to accompany Lieutenant
+Evans, of the regiment, down to my native county, to receive such men of
+the militia regiments there as chose to enter the 95th. On this occasion
+we were very successful, having obtained between seventy and eighty men
+from the different regiments in the north. It was on this occasion that
+I had the first opportunity, since I became a soldier, of visiting my
+native village, and my greatly-distressed parents and family. I need not
+describe the meeting that took place between us, on my first seeing
+them--it will be better conceived than told;--suffice it to say, joy
+and sorrow were strangely mingled together--joy to see me once more safe
+and sound--but sorrow that the line of life I had adopted should so
+soon, so very soon, call upon me to part from them again. In fact, I
+could only remain with them three days, at the end of which, I had
+orders to join my party at Morpeth.
+
+With this respectable batch of volunteers we marched, and joined the
+regiment at Canterbury, whither it had been removed during our absence,
+and, on our arrival, received the thanks of our commanding-officer for
+our exertions. Here, and at this time, a second battalion to the 95th
+was formed, the sergeant-majorship of which I was in hopes of obtaining;
+but in this I was disappointed, for a sergeant, who was both much older
+than me, and had much stronger claims than I could pretend to, was
+selected for the situation; and although he did not turn out so well
+afterwards as was expected, yet these circumstances ought to have
+satisfied me at the time that no injustice was done me by bestowing it
+upon him. But such was my folly, and the over-high opinion I entertained
+of my own merits, that I could not quietly acquiesce in this most just
+arrangement; and foolishly imagining myself ill-used, the chagrin of
+which drove me to the adoption of one of the worst expedients possible,
+I immediately took to drinking and to the neglect of my proper duties,
+thinking, like an ass as I was, that I should thus revenge myself for my
+supposed ill-usage, forgetting that it was only on myself that this
+revenge could ultimately fall. However, the same good Providence which
+has mercifully and so continually watched over me, stepped in to my aid
+in this my most dangerous situation; for one day my captain, who had
+always been my friend, sent for me, and urged upon me the folly and the
+baseness of my present conduct, and the unhappy consequences to myself
+that were likely to result from persisting in a course so absurd and
+blame-worthy. This, with my own reasoning on the subject, brought me at
+length to a better disposition of mind, and induced me once more to
+resume my duties with cheerfulness and alacrity.
+
+I have mentioned this circumstance, because I believe I was nearer at
+this time to falling into my original nothingness, than I ever have
+been, either before or since; and I have no doubt that many an excellent
+non-commissioned officer and soldier have been involved in the like
+error, who have not been so fortunate as I was in escaping its
+consequences.
+
+From Canterbury we marched to Brabourn Lees Barracks, in the same
+county, where we remained till some time in October, when we were called
+upon to embark for Lower Germany. During our stay at Brabourn Lees, a
+circumstance occurred which called forth an exhibition of as great
+magnanimity, on the part of Colonel Beckwith, as I almost ever remember
+to have witnessed: We had received about 200 Irish volunteers, who were
+wild and ungovernable in the extreme; a party of these, in strolling
+about one day, had fallen in with Mrs Beckwith, with her maid and child,
+taking a walk along the Ashford road. Not knowing, I imagine, who the
+lady and her maid were, they set on and assaulted them in the most
+violent and outrageous manner, proceeding to such lengths as perhaps
+delicacy forbids to mention. It was, I believe, discovered who they
+were. Accordingly, the next day, the Colonel formed the battalion into a
+square, and proceeded to relate the circumstance to the regiment; "But,"
+says he, "although I know who the ruffians are, I will not proceed any
+farther in the business, because it was _my own wife_ that they
+attacked; but, had it been the wife of the meanest soldier in the
+regiment, I solemnly declare I would have given you every lash which a
+court-martial might have sentenced you." Such a trait of generous
+forbearance is not often met with; but by this, and similar instances of
+liberal feeling, he completely gained the heart of every soldier in the
+battalion, a thing not always attainable by very excellent
+commanding-officers.
+
+About the latter end of October, 1805, we marched to Ramsgate, and there
+embarked, as before noticed, for Germany. It was my lot, on this
+occasion, to be put on board a small and ill-shaped collier brig, called
+the Jane of Shields, but the master I have forgot. She was a most
+miserable sailer, making on a wind almost as much lee as head-way, and
+in every respect ill adapted for the transport service. We had not been
+many days at sea before we lost the fleet, and in our endeavours to find
+it again were at one time on the coast of Jutland. All this time we had
+been beating against a contrary wind; but while here, the wind became
+favourable, and we appeared to have nothing to do but to bear away for
+the mouth of the Elbe, which river it was our destination to enter; but
+unfortunately, by some mismanagement, we fell quite away to leeward of
+it, and got entangled between the mainland and the Island of Wangeroog,
+not far from the mouth of Jade River, instead of the Elbe.
+
+While in this uncomfortable situation, it came on to blow a tremendous
+gale, which rendered our position not only most unpleasant, but
+extremely perilous, for we were embayed, and the wind blowing on a lee
+shore, and the vessel became almost unmanageable, her bad sailing
+becoming distressingly more apparent the more she was put on her mettle.
+In the midst of the confusion attendant on such circumstances, the
+master (with what intention I know not, whether to drown dull care, or
+to fortify him against his exposure to the watery element) went down
+below, and swallowed the best part of a bottle of brandy. In doing
+which, his corner cupboard, with all its contents, came rattling down
+about his ears. He would fain have had me to pledge him, but I begged to
+be excused. The consequence was, he became quite drunk at the time when
+all his abilities as a seaman were likely to be called into operation;
+but he probably saw things clearest after having his eye wet.
+
+My commanding-officer now became quite alarmed for the safety of the
+troops, seeing the master had incapacitated himself, as he conceived,
+for the management of the vessel; and, after a consultation among our
+officers, an attempt was made to deprive him of the command, and intrust
+it to the mate, who had in this case, in order to save as many of the
+troops as possible, determined on running the vessel high and dry, as he
+termed it, on the sandy beach, near the Jade River.
+
+At this proposal, however, the master stormed and blasphemed like a
+madman, swearing there was neither soldier nor sailor on board the ship
+but himself. He went so far, and became so outrageous, that our
+commanding-officer talked of hanging him up at the yard-arm; but it
+being a ticklish thing to take the command of a ship from the person
+legally authorized to exercise it, the major did not enforce the wishes
+of the officers. The poor mate sat down on the companion and cried like
+a child, partly owing to the abuse the captain gave him, and partly, I
+imagine, from the hopelessness of our situation. The captain, in his
+refusal to yield up the command, told the major he had been several
+times wrecked, and had been, I know not how many times, exposed for a
+considerable length of time in the water; and that he was not afraid to
+encounter it again. This, however, was but poor consolation to landsmen,
+who had not been accustomed to such duckings.
+
+A desperate case requires a desperate remedy--so our captain
+thought--for he instantly clapped on the vessel the square mainsail,
+which every moment threatened to carry away the mast, and in which case,
+nothing could have prevented our destruction; however, Providence so
+ordered it, that she bore it through the gale, and he, after putting her
+on the outward tack, continued to stand from the land till he imagined
+he had completely weathered Wangeroog; but at midnight, when he ordered
+to put about the ship, had it not been for the cabin-boy providentially
+seeing close to leeward of us the light of Wangeroog, we should
+instantly have been upon the rocks. This will show either what a bad
+sailer the vessel was, or how far the master had miscalculated the
+distance; for he imagined himself by this time to be quite clear of all
+the land, and considerably out to sea. He continued, after this
+providential escape, to stand on the same tack, and just cleared the
+island; and in the morning, the wind having somewhat abated, and shifted
+a little in our favour, we were enabled, soon after, to lay our course.
+
+We arrived in the Elbe, and landed at Cuxhaven on the 18th of November,
+1805, the day on which our fleet there was celebrating the victory of
+Trafalgar--clouded indeed it was by the death of the hero who fell while
+achieving it--yet glorious to the nation to which that fleet belonged.
+We, immediately after landing, marched for Dorum, a village twelve or
+fourteen miles distant, and from thence by Osterholtz and Bremer Lehe to
+the city of Bremen. On our arrival there, (my battalion forming the
+advanced guard,) we found the gates were shut against us; a Prussian
+garrison was in the town, the commandant of which seemingly did not
+know how to act, whether to admit us as allies, or not, the policy of
+his government at that time being so extremely ambiguous. Colonel
+Beckwith, who commanded the advance, was not however easily to be
+deterred from executing his orders, and he hesitated not to tell them,
+that if they did not choose to admit us peaceably, force should be
+resorted to to gain an entrance. This had the desired effect, for the
+gate was soon after thrown open, and we were received by the authorities
+of the town, and by the inhabitants in general, with the warmest
+expressions of friendship and cordial attachment; the Prussian officers,
+all the while looking on, apparently not over-well pleased with the
+conduct of their hosts; they were soon afterwards, however, withdrawn
+from the territory, and we then remained sole occupiers of this part of
+the country.
+
+Our army assembled in this city in considerable force, when it becoming
+necessary to establish outposts in advance, my battalion was sent out
+first to the town of Delmenhorst, and subsequently a part of it to the
+city of Oldenburg, and the remainder to the town of Wildishausen; to
+this latter place two companies were detached, under the command of
+Major Travers, and to which he appointed me to act as sergeant-major. We
+did not remain long in this situation, but were again recalled from
+Wildishausen to Delmenhorst, and afterwards sent to join the other
+companies at Oldenburg.
+
+Here we staid some time, during which we experienced the most unbounded
+hospitality and kindness from the whole of the inhabitants, but more
+particularly from the Duke. He actually did not know how sufficiently to
+express his friendly disposition towards our officers in general,--his
+kindness also extended to the soldiers,--for when we afterwards
+received an order to retrograde again to Delmenhorst, he sent forward to
+the half-way house refreshments of every description, for both officers
+and men; and the night before we left this hospitable city, he gave a
+splendid ball in honour of the officers of our corps, to which, of
+course, every inhabitant of a suitable rank was invited. Nay, I heard,
+and have no reason to doubt the correctness of the report, that he wrote
+to the burgomaster of Bremen, to which city we again retired, to
+endeavour, if possible, to have us quartered in his immediate
+neighbourhood, in the best part of the town, for that not only the
+officers, but the soldiers of the corps, were perfect gentlemen; indeed,
+the conduct of the battalion at this time, under its kind and excellent
+commanding-officer, was such as to entitle it to the highest praise. Our
+retreat on this occasion, I understood, was rendered necessary, in
+consequence of the defeat of the allied forces at Austerlitz, and of the
+fatal termination by that sanguinary action of the campaign in that part
+of Germany.
+
+Although I am no prophet, I predicted at this period what the result
+would be to the King of Prussia, whose hesitating and equivocal conduct
+kept him aloof from taking an active part, when his co-operation might
+have been of the utmost advantage to the general cause. It required no
+second sight to perceive, that when Bonaparte could clear his hands of
+his present antagonists, he would not hesitate for a moment to turn his
+arms against a monarch on whom he could not cordially rely, and whose
+dominions offered such a strong temptation to an ambitious and aspiring
+mind like his.
+
+We continued to occupy Bremen till towards the beginning of February
+1806, when the whole army gradually drew down towards our place of
+embarkation, for the purpose of evacuating the country, our stay now
+having been rendered useless by the unsuccessful and unfortunate turn
+which the allied affairs had taken. My battalion covered the retreat of
+the army; but as great numbers of the German Legion, which formed part
+of the British force in this country, were deserting and returning to
+their homes, we were sent away into the interior to endeavour to
+intercept such of them as might pass by the villages we occupied, and
+restore them to the army. We took some, but not many; and soon after we
+also retired, and went on board at Cuxhaven, and again returned to
+England, landing at Yarmouth on the 19th of the same month.
+
+During the whole of my military career, I never witnessed so cordial an
+attachment to the British name and character, as was manifested during
+this service, by the good people among whom we had been residing.
+Nothing was too good for us--and nothing was left undone by them to
+render us comfortable and happy. It is true they have their vices like
+other people; but barring one or two peculiar to continental nations, I
+believe them to be, generally speaking, as moral as any people among
+whom it has been my lot to sojourn. But, oh! with what shame and sorrow
+do I look back on the part I acted at this period--how profligate and
+abandoned was my conduct at the very time that a kind and gracious
+Providence was showering its choicest blessings upon me! but, alas, I
+paid no regard to the remonstrances of conscience, which I endeavoured
+and succeeded in drowning in debauchery and intemperance.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IV.*
+
+     Our Author made Quartermaster-Sergeant of the 2d battalion,
+     which he joins at Feversham, Kent--Expedition to
+     Denmark--Embark at Deal--Land at Vedbeck, Zealand--Partial
+     Engagements--Siege of Copenhagen--A Division under Sir Arthur
+     Wellesley advance to Kioge--Copenhagen capitulates--Amnesty
+     between the Danish Forces in the Island of Zealand, and the
+     British--The British evacuate Denmark--Embark at
+     Copenhagen--Arrive in the Downs--Land at Deal.
+
+
+We landed, as I before stated, at Yarmouth, and proceeded by way of
+Lowestoft to Woodbridge, in Suffolk, in the barracks of which my
+battalion was quartered. Here also was the 23d regiment, that which I
+had seen act so nobly in Holland: and as it was determined by its
+commanding-officer to give the regiment some idea of light movements, I
+was selected for the purpose of instructing their non-commissioned
+officers. But I did not long continue to instruct them, for in the May
+following, an offer was made me by Colonel Beckwith of the situation of
+sergeant-major in the Cornwall Miners, a regiment of militia, with the
+prospect, he told me, of shortly becoming adjutant. This, however, after
+due consideration, I declined accepting--preferring to remain in a
+regiment and service which I liked so well, and in which I hoped one day
+to rise to something higher than my present situation. I believe my
+conduct on this occasion was approved, for not long after, it was
+intimated to me, that the offer I had refused, had been made to the
+quartermaster-sergeant of our second battalion, and that he had, after
+some hesitation, accepted it, thus leaving his situation open for me.
+Accordingly, I departed for the purpose of joining that battalion, and
+entering on my new duties.
+
+I joined it at Feversham, in Kent. My means increasing, the sinfulness
+of my course of life was increased in proportion. It is true, I
+generally performed my various military duties to the satisfaction of my
+superiors; but could not at all times please my present
+commanding-officer, against whose wish and inclination I had been
+appointed to my present situation; he naturally wishing to have a person
+of his own selection. Soon after this, an expedition being ordered for
+South America, of which three companies of my present battalion were to
+form a part, I waited on him, and requested him to permit me to
+accompany them in the capacity of acting quartermaster. He said no; but
+if I chose to resign my present situation, and go as a sergeant, he
+would permit me. This I of course declined, as it would have been paying
+a bad compliment indeed to my benefactor, Colonel Beckwith, thus to give
+up for nothing what he had been at pains to procure for me.
+
+This, and some other little things which occurred about the same time,
+proved to me that I was no favourite with my new lieutenant-colonel, and
+that it behoved me to be very guarded in my conduct. We were, after
+this, removed to Brabourn Lees again, and remained there, without any
+occurrence arising, till we were summoned to take part in the expedition
+fitting out for Denmark.
+
+We accordingly repaired to Deal, where we embarked on the 26th of July,
+1807, and shortly after sailed for our destination. We arrived in the
+Sound about the 10th of August, where the whole fleet was assembled; one
+of the largest I had yet seen. On the 16th, every thing having been
+previously got ready, we landed at the village of Vedbeck, in the island
+of Zealand, about ten or twelve miles below Copenhagen. It was a most
+beautiful and glorious sight to witness the debarkation of the first
+division, or advanced guard, to which my battalion belonged. The most
+perfect arrangements had been made by Sir Home Popham, who superintended
+the landing of the troops; and nothing could exceed the beauty and
+regularity in which the different divisions of boats approached the
+shore, covered by some small brigs and bombs, which had orders to clear
+the beach by grape shot, of any enemy that might appear. Some light
+artillery also landed with us, prepared for immediate action, for it was
+not known but the Danes might attempt to oppose our landing, they having
+rejected every overture on the part of our commanders for the delivery
+of their fleet.
+
+After landing, mine and the first battalion of my regiment were sent
+forward in the direction of Copenhagen; and on this occasion, I for the
+first time saw the illustrious General, who has since made the world
+resound with his exploits. He commanded us, who formed the advance, and
+directed our two battalions during the operations of the day. But we met
+with no force of the enemy, save a small patrol of cavalry, which passed
+in front of us, and then retired towards the city; this showed that they
+were observing our movements. We halted for the night at a village
+called, I think, Lingbye, on the great road from Copenhagen towards
+Elsineur. We rested on our arms all night, and early in the morning
+moved forward on the Copenhagen road, and about mid-day took up
+cantonments within a long gun-shot of the city, and began to invest the
+place. All was quiet till about three o'clock in the afternoon, when a
+general cry of turn out, set the whole of our people in motion. A
+considerable body of the enemy were advancing from the town, and by this
+time had attacked the advanced picquets on our left, towards the
+sea-shore; but instant succour being sent, they maintained their ground.
+
+The force opposed to the enemy was but small, consisting of two
+companies of the 4th regiment, four of the 23d, and four of my
+battalion, with two light fieldpieces; in all not more than 1000 men,
+while the Danes were near 3000. Nevertheless, the moment the armies came
+in contact, they instantly gave way, leaving a considerable number of
+killed and wounded behind them, and retreated into the town.
+
+On this occasion, I attached myself to my commanding-officer, who, with
+the surgeon, and some others of the staff, advanced with one of the guns
+on the great road, having some of our companies on each flank. He gave
+me his glass to take care of, with which I soon after busied myself in
+watching the motions of the enemy. I discovered at a short distance to
+our left and front, a considerable body of troops, dressed in long red
+coats, which I knew could not be British, for that description of dress
+had long been laid aside by us; I accordingly began, pointing them out
+as an excellent mark for the artillery, which was then with us; but I
+had scarcely spoken, when an officer present, cried out, after looking,
+did I wish the artillery to fire on our own people? The colonel also
+made some severe and reproachful remarks, telling me, if I would fight,
+to go and take a rifle. I said nothing; but he had scarcely finished his
+harangue, when a round shot came directly from this body of supposed
+British troops, which nigh carried away one of the legs of the first
+officer who spoke.
+
+The enemy were soon repulsed, and the troops retired again to their
+former cantonments. After their troops retreated, a body of their
+gun-boats advanced against some of our small craft which happened to be
+rather close in shore, but their attack occasioned little injury, the
+distance being considerable.
+
+The next morning the enemy opened a heavy and rather destructive fire of
+artillery upon our outposts, by which we lost an officer of artillery
+and several men; their fire was chiefly directed against what was called
+the windmill battery, which was our farthest advance at this time.
+
+On the 19th, my battalion was moved farther to the right, and nearer the
+town; there was constant firing between the advanced posts of the two
+armies, and this continued for several days, during which the investment
+of the city was proceeding with, and batteries, &c. marked out for the
+purpose of bombarding it. All kinds of ordnance stores were at the same
+time disembarked, and sent off to the army with the utmost dispatch. In
+short, nothing could exceed the vigour with which the siege was now
+prosecuted, after the final rejection of pacific overtures by the Danish
+general.
+
+On the 24th, we were ordered under arms at two o'clock in the morning,
+and immediately advanced, driving in the enemy's outposts, with the view
+of carrying our works nearer the town. In this movement we experienced
+considerable opposition and suffered some loss, from their guns on the
+town walls, and from musketry from the windows.
+
+We this day established two strong and well advanced batteries, and at
+night set fire to a windmill in their possession, which obstructed our
+view of some of their works. During the whole of the 25th, there was a
+constant fire both of artillery and fire-arms, by which one of the light
+battalions of the German Legion suffered rather severely. My battalion
+relieved them at the outposts a little before dark, and was fortunate
+enough not to lose a man, where they had lost considerable numbers.
+
+On the 26th, a corps or division of the army was assembled, and placed
+under the immediate orders of Sir Arthur Wellesley. It consisted of the
+following regiments, viz. 43d, 52d, 92d, 95th, and 6th Battalion King's
+German Legion, with six squadrons of German cavalry, and some artillery,
+and was destined to advance against a body of the enemy composed
+principally of militia, which had been for some time past collecting in
+the neighbourhood of Kioge.
+
+At three o'clock P.M., we started from the neighbourhood of Copenhagen,
+the troops making their way through the country to the left of the great
+road to Roskild. I had charge of the baggage, which was carried on light
+German waggons, the bodies of which are formed chiefly of wicker-work,
+and are so light and easy of draught that the natives travel in them in
+the same manner nearly of our coaches--they going sometimes at a
+considerable rate.
+
+I found it impracticable to continue in the same direction the troops
+had gone, for they presently left all traces of a road, and struck right
+across the country--and as I knew I should be expected to have the
+baggage with them that night if possible, I determined to run all
+hazards, and proceed along the great high-road in hopes of afterwards
+being enabled to find them out--accordingly I moved forward, and
+presently passed the outposts of the German cavalry stationed in the
+direction of Roskild; the men, I doubt not, wondering at my temerity in
+pushing on with a few baggage waggons, where they were all on the alert
+with swords drawn, and with carbines and pistols loaded. I own it was a
+hazardous undertaking, for a very small party of the enemy would easily
+have captured both me and my baggage; but I knew my commanding-officer
+to be such a person as to pay little attention to excuses of any kind
+when he wished a thing to be done, and withal he loved his comforts, and
+would not have been easily pacified had he been deprived of them.
+Fortunately, after advancing for some miles beyond the outposts of our
+army before mentioned, I fell in with a road branching off towards the
+left, apparently in the very direction the troops had taken.
+
+Till I reached this point, I had advanced with considerable caution, and
+slowly; determined, if any enemy should appear in front, to endeavour to
+effect a retreat. But now, having left the great road, and taken that
+which I judged would bring me to the neighbourhood of those I was
+seeking, I accordingly ordered all my guards to mount, and set off at a
+brisk trot, keeping a good look-out to my right flank, for fear of
+surprise, and fortunately fell in with the division at the very moment
+it was entering the road by which I had come. I received great credit
+for my generalship, and was complimented by the officers of my corps,
+they being the only people in the division, I believe, who had the
+comfort of their baggage that night. The name of the village where we
+halted is Caughstrup.
+
+The next day we continued to advance in the direction of Kioge, and in
+the afternoon we reached a village which I forget the name of, and where
+evident traces appeared of the enemy having shortly left it; indeed, we
+found two or three stragglers in the village, who were of course made
+prisoners. We halted outside the village for the night.
+
+A short while before we reached this village, I saw a body of troops
+dressed in red, marching on our right flank, at right angles to the road
+by which we were advancing, and which I instantly concluded must be a
+part of the enemy's force, as we had no troops in that direction. But
+remembering the rebuke I received on the 17th for interfering with
+concerns that did not belong to me, I shut my mouth in silence, and did
+not, I believe, mention the matter. It is evident it was a part of the
+enemy's force, for the General's information led him to take that very
+same direction the next day; and that being towards Roskild, we set out
+and reached that city in the afternoon, but found the enemy had again
+given us the slip, and doubled back to nearly the same place from whence
+we had started.
+
+The next morning about three o'clock we left Roskild, and took the road
+for Kioge, near which it was now ascertained the enemy had come to a
+resolution to make a stand. I forgot to mention that previous to this
+our force had been divided and formed into two brigades; the 52d, 92d,
+our 1st battalion, and some cavalry and artillery, remaining under the
+command of Sir Arthur; while the 43d, the 6th German Legion, and our
+five companies, with the remainder of the cavalry, were put under the
+command of Baron Linsengen, one of the generals of the German Legion.
+Sir Arthur's people had not been with us for a day or two back, but
+where I do not exactly know. But this morning it was arranged that his
+brigade was to march directly upon Kioge and attack it in front, while
+we fetched a circuit behind, and came upon a part of their force
+stationed in a forest or wood behind the town--and thus cut off their
+retreat. But the poor creatures were unable to stand above a round or
+two, and almost immediately broke and fled in all directions.
+
+As we approached the wood we were destined to attack, the appearance was
+certainly rather formidable; for from the immense cloud of dust they
+raised in performing their movements, we calculated on meeting with a
+considerable body of troops; and indeed, just as we approached the wood,
+our cavalry laid hold of an officer of their horse, dressed partly in
+uniform and partly as a civilian. From him we obtained information that
+they had in the field 12,000 men; 5000 of which were armed with pikes,
+1000 cavalry, and the remainder consisted of artillery and infantry. He
+must, I think, have overrated their numbers, or surely they might have
+made some sort of a stand against 5500 men, the strength of our
+division.
+
+On Sir Arthur attacking them in the town of Kioge, they stood, as before
+said, only for a round or two, and fled, many of them coming in contact
+afterwards with our brigade; but from the extent of (and intricate roads
+through) the wood, very few of them were made prisoners; till towards
+evening, when a company of my battalion, with some of the German
+cavalry, overtook a considerable body in the village of Herfolge,
+apparently the rearguard of the enemy. In this village they made a
+stand, getting into the churchyard, which afforded an excellent
+position, it being considerably higher than any other part of the
+village. Here also they soon began to waver, and after a few shots from
+our people, they all laid down their arms and became prisoners of war.
+Their numbers were 1550 men, with 56 officers, and Major-General Oxholm,
+the second in command of this part of the Danish army. A considerable
+quantity of artillery, small arms, baggage, and provisions, &c., with
+two stands of colours, fell into the hands of the captors on this
+occasion. These poor creatures were instantly sent off as prisoners, and
+put on board our ships at Copenhagen; many of them apparently quite glad
+that they had done with fighting. Great numbers of them had nothing
+better by way of shoeing than wooden clogs--a very inconvenient kind I
+should imagine for a rapid retreat.
+
+The loss of the British during this day's operations was, as might be
+expected, quite trifling. I had this day followed the ill-natured
+advice of my commanding-officer on a former occasion, and had taken a
+rifle, but had little opportunity of using it, not having fired more
+than eight or ten shots. My battalion halted in the village of Herfolge
+for the night, and the next morning moved forward towards the town of
+Kingsted, that being the direction in which the broken fragments of the
+Danish army had retired.
+
+Our two battalions had been employed all the day of the 29th, after the
+first onset, in scouring the woods from Kioge to Herfolge. We continued
+this service on the 30th also, and took numbers of poor creatures who
+had been engaged in yesterday's operations, but who had not yet been
+able totally to divest themselves of their military habiliments,
+although apparently anxious to do so. We reached Kingsted on the 31st,
+and finding that the only regular part of the late army had retired into
+one of the islands in the Great Belt, and that the militia portion had
+totally disbanded itself, we halted here till the fall of Copenhagen,
+which took place on the 7th of September. But to prevent surprise from
+any lurking parties of the enemy, which might still have kept together,
+and to deprive them of the means of injuring us, strong detachments were
+sent out to scour the country, and to bring in all the military arms
+they could discover. A party of this description, consisting of 100
+cavalry, and 100 of my battalion mounted on light waggons, traversed the
+country for a considerable distance, and returned after having
+discovered and taken possession of ten pieces of ordnance of small
+calibre, and forty rifles belonging to the Kallundburg rifle company,
+with several muskets. They also gained correct information respecting
+the regular troops that had been lately opposed to us, and found they
+had retired into the islands of Falstar and Meon.
+
+On the capitulation of Copenhagen, terms of amity and peace were
+entered into between the Danish forces in the island of Zealand and the
+British; but these did not extend to the islands before mentioned, nor
+to the other parts of his Danish Majesty's dominions; consequently, we
+still remained at war with such of his forces as were not included in
+the capitulation; and he might at any time have collected an army, had
+he been able, and attacked us without any infringement of those terms.
+It behoved our generals, therefore, to watch against any attempt of this
+nature; and accordingly strong outposts were established all along the
+Belt, composed principally of the men of our two battalions. The 1st
+battalion occupied Kallundburg, Slagelse, Korsoer, and Skielskiore;
+whilst the following towns and ports were occupied by my battalion, viz.
+Mestyed, Lundbye, Wordingburg and Prestoe; thus forming a complete chain
+of posts around the west and south coasts of the island. We remained so
+posted till the 15th of October, by which time the greater part of the
+naval stores taken in the dockyard having been taken on board, and the
+period fast approaching for our evacuation of the country, we began to
+retire towards Copenhagen, which we reached on the 17th, and immediately
+embarked on board the Princess Caroline, a Danish seventy-four which had
+been surrendered with the others of that fleet, and which are mentioned
+below.[1]
+
+We remained in the roads till the 20th, when the fleet dropped down
+towards the Sound; and on the 21st the whole passed the Castle of
+Elsineur, with a favourable and pleasant breeze, the British ensign
+waving proudly from the lofty masts of their late gallant fleet; it must
+have been an extremely galling sight for them (the Danes) to witness,
+and I dare say they did not pray for many benedictions on our heads; I
+pitied them from the bottom of my heart. On taking leave of this
+country, I could not help remarking on the great similarity between its
+inhabitants and the Germans about Bremen--kind-hearted, hospitable, and
+inoffensive in the highest degree; and although suffering at that time
+so severely from the policy of our country, they were high in our
+praises as individuals and as a nation. I have great cause to speak well
+of those innocent and worthy people, for I have seldom experienced more
+kindness and attention than was shown me by them whenever circumstances
+rendered such kindness and attention suitable, particularly at Nestyde,
+where I met a young man who had formerly been in the West Indies, where
+he had learnt to speak a little English, (for of Danish I could not
+understand a word.) He introduced me to one worthy man, who had been an
+officer, and fought in the famous action of Kioge above narrated. Poor
+fellow, he felt heartily ashamed of the sorry attempt they had made to
+act the part of an army, and I daresay would gladly have blotted from
+his memory for ever the recollection of the ridiculous part they had
+acted. I was not aware of this circumstance at first, and when it was
+brought upon the tapis in the course of conversation, (my young friend
+being interpreter,) I unluckily said, that "any man armed with a
+bludgeon only, could easily beat three such soldiers."
+
+I felt quite ashamed of myself afterwards, when I discovered that he,
+poor man, had made one in that memorable action; but he took it all in
+good part, apparently conscious of the justness of my remark. Indeed, I
+was partly led on to use such expressions by the young fellow condemning
+so bitterly their conduct, and which I afterwards would have given
+something to have unsaid. He, however, bore no resentment, and kindly
+took me home and introduced me to his wife, and requested me to salute
+her with a kiss. I hesitated, thinking that I could not have understood
+him right, and feeling awkward in such a situation; but my young friend
+assured me it was the custom there to do so, on which I of course
+complied. They are, in my opinion, an extremely moral race of people, no
+vices that I know of being practised by them, save occasionally a little
+drunkenness by some few individuals. I heartily wish them well.
+
+We sailed, as I said before, on the 21st of October, and had fine
+weather till we arrived in Yarmouth Roads. We passed one Sunday on our
+voyage home, at a certain hour of which our pious naval commander (Lord
+Gambier) made signal for the whole fleet to lay to, and have divine
+service, that is, in such ships as there were chaplains on board of.
+This caused the irreligious and profligate part of our people on board
+the Princess Caroline to blaspheme and storm at a terrible rate, for
+being so long detained when the wind was so fair.
+
+It happened, when we arrived in the Roads at Yarmouth, or near there, I
+think it was on the Galloper Sand, that a tremendous gale began to blow,
+which baffled all exertions to withstand it. We cast out the anchors,
+but without effect, for we ran away with them both, and in the endeavour
+to vere out cable, or rather by the rapidity with which it was dragged
+out of the ship by the force of the wind, our bits caught fire, which
+with considerable difficulty were got extinguished after great
+exertions. During the gale, I understand a sailor was blown off the
+foreyard; and nearly at the same moment a woman, one of our corporals'
+wives, fell down the hatches into the hold, and broke her back, of
+which, indeed, she afterwards recovered, but never after regained her
+upright posture.
+
+Those scoffing gentlemen before mentioned, attributed the whole of our
+misfortunes to the delay occasioned by the divine service before
+adverted to, and were not sparing of invective against the individual
+who caused its performance, forgetful, it would seem, that _He_, whom
+that commander invoked on that day, holds the winds in His hand, and can
+at pleasure let them loose upon an ungodly fleet, whether for correction
+or judgment, at what time, and in what manner, best pleases him. I doubt
+not the excellent commander alluded to has been a blessing to many. May
+he long continue to ornament the exalted station he fills! We weighed
+again after the storm abated, and proceeded round to the Downs, and the
+next day, the 16th of November, landed at Deal, and from thence marched
+to our old quarters at Hythe Barracks.
+
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[1] List of Ships and Vessels captured at Copenhagen, 7th September,
+1807.
+
+                             Guns.
+    Christian the Seventh,      98
+    Neptune,                    84
+    Waldemer,                   84
+    Princess Sophia Fredrica,   84
+    Justice,                    74
+    Heir Apparent Frederick,    74
+    Crown Prince Frederick,     74
+    Frien,                      74
+    Oden,                       74
+    Three Crowns,               74
+    Shield,                     74
+    Crown Princess Maria,       74
+    Denmark,                    74
+    Norway,                     74
+    Princess Caroline,          74
+    Conqueror,                  64
+    Norge,                      74
+    Dalmakin,                   64
+    Pirle,                      44
+    Wory Wife,                  44
+    Liberty,                    44
+    Iris,                       44
+    Rotar,                      44
+    Denry,                      44
+    Mayed,                      36
+    Triton,                     28
+    Fredrington,                28
+    Kline Belt,                 28
+    St Thomas,                  22
+    Tylto,                      24
+    Elbe,                       20
+    Eydeman,                    20
+    Gluckstadt,                 20
+    Sarp,                       18
+    Glowman,                    18
+    Nid Elvin,                  18
+    Dolphin,                    18
+    Marcur,                     18
+    Cousier,                    14
+    Flying Fish,                14
+
+    Total,                      40
+
+Together with eleven gun boats, with two guns each in the bow, and
+fourteen do with one gun in the bow and one astern.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER V.
+
+    Our Author marries--The Battalion to which he belongs ordered to
+    join the Expedition fitting out for Corunna--Movements of the
+    Army in Spain--Return to England.
+
+
+Some little time after our return from the Baltic, I obtained a short
+leave of absence, for the purpose of visiting my parents, and the other
+members of my family; and, during my stay in my native village,
+contracted a marriage with a young woman whom I had known from my
+boyhood, she having been one of my earliest schoolfellows. I cannot say
+that I enjoyed in the marriage state that happiness which I expected
+from it, partly owing to the frequent and long separations which my
+calling rendered unavoidable, and partly from other causes which have no
+connexion with my narrative. I believe, during the eight years which my
+wife lived after our union, I spent more than six of these in absence
+from her.
+
+At the expiration of my leave, we set off to join the regiment, which
+still remained at Hythe, where we remained till the beginning of
+September following, when my battalion having again been ordered for
+foreign service in the expedition fitting out for Corunna, it became
+indispensable that my poor wife should return to Northumberland, and
+remain under the protection of her parents, till my return, should it
+please God to spare me. This, no doubt, was a severe trial to us both,
+but particularly to her, who had such a journey to undertake, alone and
+unprotected, and she at the time far advanced in pregnancy; but, however
+distressing, it must be undertaken, and I unfortunately could not be
+spared from the regiment, for our orders were to proceed immediately to
+Ramsgate, for embarkation.
+
+We parted, after I had accompanied her as far as I was able, and seeing
+her safely stowed in the coach. It may be supposed that a new-married
+pair, under such circumstances, would part with heavy and afflicted
+hearts.
+
+My battalion embarked at Ramsgate on the 10th of September. On this
+occasion, I was very fortunate in getting on board an excellent
+transport, called the Nautilus, of Shields, commanded by Captain Watson
+(my wife's maiden name), and the steward, a native of the Hermitage, a
+place within four miles of my home. Of course, we were mutually glad to
+meet each other, and often talked over old Northumbrian stories, which
+recalled delightful recollections of our younger years. The fleet in
+which we sailed rendezvoused at Falmouth, whence we took our departure,
+and arrived at Corunna on the 26th of October.
+
+On our passage, when we made Cape Ortegal, a pilot-boat came off, in
+which were the first Spaniards I remember to have seen; certainly, they
+did not prepossess me greatly in favour of their countrymen, but they
+are now so well known in England, that a description of those I here
+saw, would be only to repeat what has been so often and so much better
+told by others. We landed at Corunna, as before said, on the 26th, and a
+day or two after, proceeded up the country, halting for the first night
+at Betanzos. Our force consisted of cavalry, infantry, and artillery, in
+all, about 10,000 men, and was commanded by General Sir David Baird,
+and intended to co-operate, or form a junction, with that under Sir John
+Moore, then in Portugal, and who was then advancing into Spain.
+
+My battalion, and some companies of the first battalion of my regiment,
+formed the advanced guard, a situation which I consider the most
+enviable of any in the army--for here all is untried, and, as it were,
+unbroken ground; every thing is fresh, and although attended sometimes
+with a little more danger of being cut off while separated from the main
+body, yet possessing so many countervailing advantages, that I hesitate
+not to say it is the most desirable post of any in an army.
+
+At Betanzos, we began to experience the great defectiveness of our
+commissariat department, at this period of our history; for the
+gentleman sent forward to provide our two battalions with food, was so
+utterly unacquainted with his business, that he was actually afraid to
+make an attempt to issue provisions. Although bread had been baked by
+order of the Spanish authorities, he not understanding, as he said, the
+Spanish weights and measures, durst not issue any thing without his own,
+which were behind; but it was evident the troops could not remain
+without provisions. We were here, as in most of the towns we afterwards
+passed through, lodged in convents, the officers generally either being
+quartered on the inhabitants of the town, or lodged by the monks in
+their cells. On these occasions the men occupied only the corridors,
+into which straw was generally put by the authorities of the place, the
+men lying as close as pigs in a sty, which indeed was necessary to keep
+each other warm; but these lodgings were not to be complained of, as
+clean straw, and shelter overhead in that country, are no contemptible
+quarters.
+
+We moved forward by fair and easy stages, by way of Lugo, Villa Franca,
+Cacabelos, and Astorga; this latter place we reached on the 19th
+November, but during the march, we had experienced considerable
+difficulty in obtaining supplies both of provisions and the means of
+transport. This is a considerable town, containing probably about 5000
+inhabitants. Both it and Lugo are surrounded by old Moorish walls, which
+may formerly have been considered strong, but which, according to the
+present mode of warfare, would offer but a feeble resistance to a
+besieging army. It contains a number of convents, both in the town and
+suburbs, and, of course, a proportionate number of idle monks, &c. Here,
+as in many towns in Spain, they have a curious mode of keeping out of
+their houses unwelcome visiters; for the doors being all made remarkably
+strong, and kept constantly shut, you cannot enter till the inmates have
+first reconnoitred you through an aperture above the door, made for the
+purpose; and it is not till they are satisfied who you are, and with
+your business, that they will open the door, which they generally do by
+a cord communicating with the latch from their peep-hole above.
+
+Here we were pretty plentifully supplied with provisions, and rested for
+some days, my battalion having been pushed forward to a village called
+Zalada, about a league in front of the town. After having been refreshed
+by a few days' rest, my battalion was again pushed forward, and occupied
+the town of Labeneza, about four leagues in front of Astorga, while the
+main body of the army assembled in and around that town; but we had not
+remained more than a few days in Labeneza, before a report arrived of
+the enemy being in our front, and advancing in force; and we were
+consequently recalled to Zalada, in order to form a junction with our
+main body. Not long after this, about the latter end of November,
+orders were received from Sir John Moore, for our division to retreat
+and fall back upon Corunna. This measure, I understand, was rendered
+necessary, in consequence of the Spanish armies having been completely
+beaten and dispersed, so that nothing remained to oppose an overwhelming
+French force, which it was ascertained had entered Spain, but the few
+British troops comprising the armies under Sir John Moore, and ours.
+
+We accordingly set to the right-about, and fell back as far as
+Cacabelos, the main body occupying Villa Franca and its neighbourhood.
+This movement was not by any means liked by any of us; for, independent
+of its being so uncongenial to the spirit of Britons to turn their backs
+upon an enemy, we felt disappointed at what we saw and heard of the
+celebrated Spanish patriots. We had been given to understand that the
+whole nation was up in arms against the French, and that we should have
+been received, on entering their country, as liberators, and treated as
+brethren, but in both these points we were miserably disappointed; for,
+instead of a hearty welcome on our arrival, we could with great
+difficulty obtain leave to land, and still more to obtain the necessary
+supplies of carriages and provisions to enable us to come forward; and
+with regard to the patriotism of the people, whatever might have been
+their good-will to act in defence of their beloved country and
+Ferdinand, they appeared as little likely as any people I had ever seen,
+to effect any thing against such an enemy as the French. In fact, those
+of them who formed their armies, at least of those straggling parties we
+so often met, could be called nothing better than mere rabble--no
+organization, no subordination, but every one evidently pursued that
+plan which seemed right in his own eyes.
+
+While we remained at Cacabelos, (a place famous for good wine,) many
+were the schemes adopted by some of our bibbers, to obtain a sufficient
+quantum of this excellent beverage. I understand they occasionally
+borrowed each other's clothes; that is, a 43d man would borrow a
+rifleman's green jacket, and _vice versa_, and go and steal, or in some
+other illegal mode obtain, a camp-kettle full or two; and when the owner
+came to point out the person who had robbed him, of course he could not
+be found.
+
+We had not remained above a day or two in our new quarters, before an
+express arrived from Sir John Moore, with orders for us to advance again
+immediately; and which, notwithstanding we had little or no prospect of
+assistance and co-operation from the Patriots, was cheerfully complied
+with. We retraced our former steps, passing through Astorga and
+Labeneza, and reached Benevente on the 15th December.
+
+Our cavalry, consisting of the 7th, 10th, and 15th hussars, under Lord
+Paget, had by this time come up from Corunna, and had been pushed
+forward to join Sir John Moore's force; they fell in with a party of the
+French cavalry at the town of Rueda, not far from Tordesillas, and of
+which they either killed, or took prisoners, nearly the whole; in fact,
+through the whole of this service, nothing could exceed the gallantry
+and intrepid conduct of our cavalry under his lordship. At this town, as
+well as at Astorga and Villa Franca, depots of provisions began to be
+formed soon after our arrival.
+
+On the 17th December, we again advanced from Benevente, in order to form
+a junction with Sir John Moore's army, and passing through Valderas,
+Majorga, and Sahagun, we reached the convent of Trianon, about a league
+in front of the latter place. On the 20th, here the two forces were
+united, and a fresh distribution into brigades took place. Ours, under
+Brigadier-general Crawford, was termed the Light Brigade, and consisted
+of the 1st battalion 43d, 2d battalion 52d, and the 2d battalion of my
+regiment.
+
+The whole army was assembled in this neighbourhood, and consisted of
+about 26,000 men, the whole _now_ under the command of Sir John Moore.
+Previous to our arrival at Sahagun, Lord Paget, with a part of the 10th
+and 15th hussars, discovered that a considerable body of the enemy's
+cavalry occupied that town. He therefore detached the 10th by a
+circuitous road, while he with the 15th approached it by the more direct
+one. They were, however, discovered by the French before reaching the
+town, which gave the enemy time to turn out and form to receive the
+attack. His lordship, when a favourable opportunity offered, charged the
+French, who were greatly superior in numbers, and completely overthrew
+them, taking two colonels, eleven other officers, and about 150 men.
+
+On the evening of the 23d, the whole army was put in motion, with an
+intention, it was said, of attacking Marshal Soult, who, with a corps of
+about 16 or 18,000 men, was posted behind the River Carrion, his
+head-quarters being at Saldanha. The Spanish General Romana, was to take
+a part in this movement; his small and sadly inefficient force had
+approached the left of our army, or rather we had drawn towards his
+position, and he was, I believe, perfectly willing to lend all the
+assistance in his power, in the contemplated attack; but our General, I
+fancy, did not calculate upon any material help, from a force so greatly
+out of order as his was said to be. Soon after dark, the troops fell in;
+and as it was understood an attack was going to be made on the enemy,
+every pulse beat high, in expectation of soon congratulating each other
+on a victory. All was life and animation; and the necessary
+preparations, by the light of our blazing fires, for such an event as a
+battle, after the many long and harassing marches we had had, gave an
+interesting appearance to the scene.
+
+When all was ready, the troops moved forward. It was a cold and bitter
+night, and there were some small brooks on the road. An officer of my
+battalion, who was not very well, when he came to one of those, instead
+of marching straight through, as it appears had been ordered, went a
+little way round by the bridge, although not off the road. A certain
+general officer, who happened to be there at the time, observed it, and
+getting into a great rage at the officer leaving his section, made him
+turn back, and march through and through repeatedly, by way of
+punishment. Such a mode of treating an officer, certainly appeared
+rather harsh; but this general piqued himself on his being able to make
+his brigade better marchers than any other troops in the army; and in
+this he certainly succeeded, although it was not without frequent
+exhibitions, such as the above. Our people had not gone far, however,
+till they were countermanded, and returned back to our convent. I rather
+think the main body of the army had not moved out of their cantonments;
+but ours being the advanced brigade, it was necessary we should move
+before the others.
+
+It appears Sir John Moore, just before he intended to set out, had
+received information, not only of Soult having been greatly reinforced,
+but that several strong corps of the French army were marching directly
+upon us, by which, should he delay only a few days, we should be
+completely surrounded, and cut off from a retreat. This was most
+distressing information, for never was an army more eager to come in
+contact with the enemy than ours was at this moment, and never was there
+a fairer prospect of success, had things remained as they were; but now,
+instead of honour and glory being acquired, by showing the French what
+British troops could do in the field, it was evident nothing remained
+but to commence a retrograde movement, the worst and most unpleasant, in
+a British soldier's view, of any other.
+
+Winter had now completely set in; the face of the country being covered
+with deep snow, the weather was unusually severe. Our prospect,
+therefore, was by no means a pleasant one. To commence a retreat in
+front of a greatly superior force, and with the probability that other
+French armies might be before us, and intercept our retreat upon the
+sea, which was distant from us nearly 250 miles, with the country in our
+rear being already exhausted of every thing that could contribute to our
+support, and with such excessively bad weather to perform the retreat
+in, rendered it, I may say, as unpleasant a situation as troops could
+well be placed in. Added to which, our commissariat was by no means so
+efficient in those days as they have latterly become; and our troops in
+general being young, and unaccustomed to privation, it was but too
+obvious, that should the retreat continue long, many would be the
+disasters attending it. On Christmas day, our brigade, as the rear of
+the infantry, commenced its uncomfortable retreat, and continued
+marching till late at night, when we reached a convent near Majorga. The
+next day, although we started early, we only reached the village of St
+Miguel about midnight.
+
+Here I had considerable difficulty with the baggage. I had had charge of
+it all day, my guard being composed of officers' servants, &c., who, the
+moment they got into the village, set off to their masters, and left me
+alone with the mules, the troops having, by the time I got in, all lain
+down to sleep. Several of the muleteers had been pressed into the
+service against their wills, and of course would have made their escape
+whenever an opportunity offered. I was therefore compelled to drive them
+all into the churchyard, and watch them myself, till luckily, after
+waiting in this situation a considerable time, without daring to go to
+sleep after the fatigues of such a day, some men happened to wander in
+that direction in search of meat, by whom I sent to our quartermaster to
+request he would send a guard, which he did soon after, and I had the
+happiness to be allowed to throw myself down and take some rest.
+
+This day Lord Paget had another brush with the French cavalry, who,
+being apprized of our retreat, had advanced to Majorga. He attacked them
+with that gallantry which shone so conspicuously in the cavalry during
+the whole of this service, and completely overthrew them, killing and
+wounding many, and taking a number prisoners; in this affair the 10th
+hussars were engaged, and behaved nobly. The next day we reached Castro
+Gonzales, and Castro Pipa. At the latter village, my battalion halted
+for the night and the next day. These two villages command the passage
+over the river Eslar, they being about equidistant from the bridge, and
+something more than a mile apart on high ground over the river, which
+runs about a league in front of Benevente. Here we were obliged to
+remain during the time mentioned, in order that the heavy divisions of
+the army might get sufficiently forward before we moved.
+
+I had still the charge of the baggage, and not knowing where my
+battalion was to be quartered for the night, I had crossed the Eslar to
+the Benevente side, till I learnt long after dark that Castro Pipa was
+its quarters. I consequently turned back and recrossed the river, and
+just as I reached the end of the bridge, I heard a shot immediately in
+my front. The 43d regiment guarded the bridge. It turned out to be a
+patrol of the enemy's cavalry who had come close to the top of the
+slope leading down to the bridge, and where a double sentry of the 43d
+was posted. By some accident these two men were not loaded; the French
+dragoons were consequently permitted to come close up to them without
+their being able to give any alarm. One of them, however, run his
+bayonet into one of the Frenchmen's horses, and retreated, but the other
+was not only cut down with the sabre, but had a pistol fired at him,
+which was the report I had just heard. I saw the wounded man, who was
+severely hurt, but whether he survived or not I know not.
+
+When I reached Castro Pipa, my commanding-officer would scarcely credit
+the report I gave him, conceiving it impossible the French could be such
+near neighbours. I was a good deal chagrined at his suspecting my
+veracity, but he had never been what I may call a friendly
+commanding-officer to me, as the story of the rifle at Copenhagen will
+prove; indeed, as I had been put into the situation I held contrary to
+his wish, it was hardly to be expected that he would show himself very
+friendly. During the night, however, our quarters were beat up, not
+indeed by the enemy, but by our brigadier, who was not sparing of his
+censure for our want of alertness in turning out. Indeed, we neither had
+so good a look-out as we ought to have kept, nor did we get under arms
+with that promptitude which was desirable, and from the cause before
+assigned; that is, that our commandant did not believe the enemy was so
+near.
+
+I own I was not sorry that the General paid us such a visit, as it not
+only put us more upon our guard, a thing so indispensably necessary in
+the presence of an enemy, but it gave me some satisfaction for the
+dishonour put upon me by disbelieving my information.
+
+The enemy did not disturb us during the remainder of the night, and
+next morning the brigade was assembled on the height above, and in front
+of the bridge; considerable bodies of the enemy's cavalry appearing in
+the plain before us. Some skirmishing between our people and the enemy
+took place, but nothing of any importance occurred. Our brigade was left
+in this position to cover the working party who were preparing to blow
+up the bridge, at which they worked all day; during the night our people
+were withdrawn from the farther side, and the explosion soon after took
+place, but the destruction of the bridge was by no means so effectual as
+was wished and expected. When we turned out in the morning to move
+towards the bridge, I (still having charge of my battalion's baggage)
+discovered that a vast quantity of excellent biscuit was stored up in an
+empty house in the village, which, no doubt, had been baked for the
+purpose of supplying the magazine at Benevente; and as our people had
+been but very indifferently supplied with bread since we commenced the
+retreat, I determined to load a bullock-cart with it, and try to get it
+to a place of safety, where I hoped to be able to issue it to them.
+
+I accordingly took a cart and two bullocks, there being plenty in the
+village, and apparently without owners, for the inhabitants had mostly
+either abandoned the place on the appearance of the French, or had hid
+themselves. I loaded the cart, but still I wanted a person to drive it;
+and although I used both promises and threats, I could not prevail upon
+any person to go with me. I therefore mounted the cart myself, and using
+my sword by way of a goad, I entered the river at a place which looked
+like a ford, and had the good fortune to reach the other side in safety.
+I mention this to show that so much importance need not have been
+attached to the destruction of the bridge, as both here, and near Castro
+Gonzales, the river was perfectly fordable, for near the latter place
+the French cavalry forded it on the following morning.
+
+I now made my way to Benevente, where I remained during the day of the
+28th; and at night, as before hinted, the troops which had been guarding
+the bridge arrived, leaving cavalry piquets on the plain between the
+town and the river. The next morning our people left Benevente, and as I
+was a little behind them with the baggage, on my reaching a height in
+rear of the town, I observed in the plain in front a considerable body
+of the enemy's cavalry, who had, as before stated, crossed the river
+near Castro Gonzales, and were advancing towards the town, opposed,
+though feebly at first, by the few of our cavalry left there on piquet;
+but the cavalry regiments which were in town quickly turning out to
+their support, they were at length completely able to oppose, and
+finally overthrow them.
+
+During the time I remained here, I saw our brave dragoons make three
+most gallant and successful charges against superior numbers of the
+enemy, completely breaking and dispersing the different bodies against
+which the charges were made. The enemy appeared to be drawn up in
+different lines, the front one of which was that always charged; and I
+observed, that as our people advanced upon them, they were always
+received with a fire either from the carbines or pistols of the enemy,
+but this never appeared in the least to check the ardour of the charge,
+for in a minute or two after I observed the French troops retired in
+confusion, and formed behind the other lines. At length they were
+completely driven back to the ford by which they had crossed; and in a
+charge now made upon them, General le Febvre, with about seventy men,
+fell into our people's hands. These troops were a part of Bonaparte's
+Imperial Guard, and the flower of his army, being fine-looking men,
+dressed in dark-green long coats, with high bear-skin caps, and
+mustaches, which gave them a formidable appearance. It was said that
+Bonaparte was looking on at this affair, and witnessed the defeat of his
+hitherto invincible Old Guard; it is certain that he slept the night
+before at Villalpando, a place only four leagues distant from the field.
+I now set off and overtook the baggage and the bullock cart, not having
+had an opportunity of issuing the biscuit; but before I had proceeded
+above a few miles, the bullocks knocked up, and notwithstanding every
+exertion I found it impossible to get them any farther. Thus was I
+reluctantly compelled to abandon a cart-load of excellent biscuit, after
+having had so much trouble with it, at the time when I knew it was
+greatly needed by my hungry fellow soldiers, and to whom it would have
+been a most welcome offering. On this day's march, a most lamentable
+number of stragglers were overtaken by us, we being in rear of all the
+infantry; they had either fallen out from excessive fatigue, or from
+having (as in too many instances) drunk too much; indeed, the
+destruction of the magazine of provisions at the place we had left,
+enabled too many of them to obtain by one means or other considerable
+quantities of spirits, and which, of course, rendered them incapable of
+marching. This was a long and wearisome day's journey of nearly thirty
+miles; we did not reach Labeneza till late at night, where a
+considerable quantity of ammunition was obliged to be destroyed, the
+animals failing which drew it.
+
+The next day we reached our old quarters at Zalada, a league in front of
+Astorga, where we halted for the night, the remainder of the brigade
+going into the town. It was to this village, it may be remembered, that
+we were sent on our first advance, and subsequently after our first
+retreat from Labeneza; but besides these movements from the village and
+back again, during the time we remained in it, we almost every morning
+had orders to pack up and move a short distance out of the place. This
+was done no doubt to accustom us to a ready turning out, as till this
+period our baggage had been transported on bullock-carts; but now we had
+mules, and it was necessary to accustom those whose duty it was, to load
+the mules with dispatch. But on every occasion of this kind, the
+inhabitants always imagined we were actually going to leave them, and
+the moment we were clean gone, as they thought, they set to work and
+rung the church bell with all their might. This was either to testify
+their regret at losing our company, or to evince their gratitude to
+Heaven for having got rid of such a band of heretics, by which their
+most pure and holy dwellings had been defiled; it was laughable to see
+the long faces they put on when we, so contrary to their hopes and
+expectations, always returned to our wretched and uncomfortable
+quarters.
+
+During the whole of the time we remained in this village, I, as a
+staff-sergeant, could find no better lodgings than a dirty open shed;
+the reader will therefore judge how ill the privates must have been off.
+Our fellows began about this time to pick up little bits of Spanish, and
+would often exercise their ability to converse in the native tongue, by
+telling the inhabitants that we were certainly going to "_marcha
+manana_", that is, to march to-morrow, so that it became quite a
+by-word, which annoyed our hosts not a little. If I mistake not, the
+Padre of this village was a great knave, and did not scruple to help
+himself to such things as he had a mind for, belonging to our officers,
+whenever a fit opportunity presented itself. The next day, the 31st, we
+moved into Astorga, where we halted for an hour or two, till the
+destruction of the magazine there was completed, although nothing but
+rum remained; and here I witnessed such a brutal and swinish eagerness
+for drink as was quite disgusting. The rum casks were ordered to be
+staved, and to let the contents run out on the street, that they might
+not fall into the hands of the enemy: thus the rum which had cost so
+much trouble in bringing up all the way from Corunna was about to be
+lost for ever; a thing most heart-rending to the numerous soldiers
+looking on, who loved it so dearly. However, they were determined not to
+lose all, for when the heads of the casks were knocked in, and their
+contents permitted to run in streams down the gutters, some of those
+brutes deliberately took off their greasy caps, and laving up the rum
+and the mud together, drank, or rather ate, the swinish mixture. What
+noble soldiers would our country produce, were not that detestable vice
+of drunkenness so common among us; but to it how many have I seen
+deliberately sacrifice their own and country's honour, nay their very
+life itself, rather than forego the beastly gratification!
+
+All this morning we had been told to keep a sharp look-out on the Leon
+side of Astorga, for the enemy was every moment expected to make his
+appearance from that quarter; however, we were not disturbed during the
+short time we remained. We here fell in with a considerable body of
+Romana's army, apparently all confusion, and destitute of every thing.
+We understood that they were not to be marched in the same line we were
+taking, but that it had been concerted between the two generals that our
+route should be kept free; however, here, and for several days
+afterwards, we suffered greatly from their contiguity.
+
+We continued our march from Astorga the same day, and reached at night
+the village of Foncevadon, about twenty miles distant. Here we pigged
+in as well as we were able, there being only five or six houses; but as
+we had a few tents with us, we managed not amiss. Till now our brigade
+had formed the rear of the infantry, there being some cavalry in rear of
+us; but it was now determined that ours and the Light German Brigade
+under Brigadier-general Charles Alten, should strike off from the great
+road, and take the route for Orense and Vigo. This was done, I
+understand, with a view to secure a passage across the Minho at the
+former place, should Sir John, with the main army, be compelled to
+retreat in that direction, and probably with the view also of drawing
+off a part of the enemy's overwhelming force from the pursuit of that
+body, and to induce them to follow us into the mountains.
+Notwithstanding this, they continued to pursue Sir John on the great
+road, whilst they left us free altogether.
+
+I beg to notice here, that both Mr Gifford and Mr Moore (Sir John's
+brother), have fallen into a trifling error respecting the period of our
+separation from the main body, they both making us be detached before
+our arrival at Astorga, whereas it was not till we had passed a day's
+march beyond it that we were sent off. The thing is of no consequence,
+only it is as well to be correct.
+
+The next day, the 1st of January 1809, we marched by a most difficult
+road through the mountains, to Ponferrada, situated about a league to
+the left of the great road to Corunna, on which the main army was
+retreating. When we got in, our commissary immediately made a
+requisition to the Alcalde of the town, to provide bread for the two
+brigades, as we began to be in most fearful want. He promised to set the
+bakers to work immediately, and in a few hours, he said, the bread would
+be ready. We called on him repeatedly, without obtaining any, he still
+alleging it was not yet quite ready, and putting us off from time to
+time, till midnight, when the patience of our commissary being fairly
+worn out, he yielded to the anger so naturally inspired by such
+shuffling conduct, and used some strong language to the Alcalde.
+Whereupon, we discovered at once that he had been only amusing us with
+promises he did not intend to fulfil; and told the commissary that he
+did not fear any of his threats, for that, as Romana's army had now also
+entered the town, he had no doubt they would protect him, and revenge
+any insult offered to him. The commissary had indeed talked about
+hanging him for his double-dealing, and leaving the troops utterly
+starving; but if he could have got any bread ready, it is most natural
+to suppose he would prefer letting his own countrymen have it; this,
+however, as might be expected, had a most pernicious effect upon our
+suffering soldiers, for when provisions could not be procured in the
+regular and ordinary mode, it is evident they would take them wherever
+they were to be found--for hunger is not easily borne, accompanied by
+incessant fatigue. In the morning, when we turned out to continue our
+march towards Orense, we heard a heavy firing towards our right and
+front, and this proved to be an attack made by the enemy's light troops
+upon our first battalion, who, with some cavalry, had been left in
+Cacabelos as a rearguard. Our first battalion gained great credit for
+their conduct on this occasion. The force of the enemy greatly exceeded
+ours, yet our people drove them back with great loss, killing General
+Colbert, who commanded the advance. This was done by a noted pickle of
+the name of Tom Plunkett, who, fearless of all danger to himself, got
+sufficiently nigh to make sure of his mark, and shot him, which, with
+the fire of the others, caused great havoc in the enemy's ranks, and set
+them flying to the rear much faster than they advanced. Our situation
+was thus, in a manner, in rear of the enemy's advance guard, yet they
+did not turn in our direction. Cacabelos was distant from us only about
+a league.
+
+Our road this day lay over high and almost inaccessible mountains,
+deeply covered with snow. On the top of one of these, as our General was
+passing the column, a cry was passed from the rear to open out to allow
+him to pass, the road being very narrow. One of our men, as the General
+came near, happened to say, loud enough for him to hear, that "he had
+more need to give us some bread," or words to that effect, which so
+exasperated the General, that he instantly halted the whole brigade,
+ordered the man to be tried by a drum-head court-martial, and flogged
+him on the spot. It was a severe, but perhaps necessary discipline, in
+order to check in the bud the seeds of murmuring and insubordination,
+although I own it appeared harsh.
+
+Our march was a long and toilsome one indeed, and did not terminate till
+about ten at night, when we reached St Domingo-Flores, where nothing
+could be procured but a very small quantity of black bread, the village
+being quite small. Tired with the journey, we felt rather inclined to
+sleep than eat; and, wet and dirty as we were, we laid ourselves down
+till dawn, when we commenced another such day's march, and reached at
+night the village of La Rua. During these two days, want and fatigue had
+compelled many to fall out, some of whom, no doubt, perished in the snow
+on the bleak mountains, over which our road, or rather path, had lain;
+others fell into the hands of the enemy, and some few rejoined us after
+having obtained some little refreshment from the natives.
+
+It would but be a repetition of the privations and fatigues we
+underwent, to notice all that befell us on our way thence to Orense,
+which place we reached on the 7th of January, having previously pushed
+on, by double forced marches, a few hundred men, to take possession of
+the bridge over the Minho at this place. Here we remained a day, and
+obtained provisions, then much needed by us all, for the men had been
+literally starving for several days past. We had time and opportunity
+here also to strip and change our linen, that is, those who had a
+change; the others washed the shirt they took off, sitting without one
+till it was dry. Indeed, by this time we were in a most miserable
+plight; our shoes, of course, were nearly all worn out, and many
+travelling barefoot; and our clothes, as might be expected, were ragged
+and filthy in the extreme; indeed they could not be otherwise, for I
+suppose none of us had put any thing off since we commenced the retreat.
+This day's rest, however, refreshed us greatly, and enabled us to
+perform the remainder of our toilsome journey with more comfort; indeed,
+since we had secured the passage of the Minho, and thus prevented the
+enemy from getting in before us, our minds were more at ease, for strong
+apprehensions were entertained that the French would have detached a
+corps from their main body to seize this pass, and thus cut off our
+retreat to Vigo. A part of Romana's army entered Orense before we left
+it, worse, if possible, in point of appearance than ourselves; but they,
+in their best days, are more like an armed mob than regularly organized
+soldiers.
+
+It is a pity that Romana did not adopt the plan pointed out to him by
+Sir John Moore, either to retire into the Asturias with his army
+unbroken, or hang upon the flanks of the enemy as he passed through the
+mountains; and which he could have done with ease and safety, for these
+fellows could live where regular troops would starve, and there was no
+doubt but the peasantry would have assisted their countrymen with all
+their means. This would have in some measure retarded the too rapid
+progress of the French, and probably been the means of saving to our
+country one of its bravest and most skilful generals.
+
+Some of our men who had been compelled to stop behind from fatigue and
+starvation, rejoined us here, having generally been assisted by the
+peasantry, who gave them food, and helped them forward.
+
+On the 9th, in the morning, we left Orense, crossing the Minho to the
+north side of that river, and continued our march to the town of
+Ribadavia, situated at the junction of the rivers Avia and Minho, both
+of which, from the melting of the snow, and the immense quantities of
+rain that had fallen, were greatly swollen. So much so, that when I
+approached the town with the baggage, (the troops having gone on
+before,) and which I did not reach till near midnight, I found the road
+completely overflowed with water; and being without a guide, I could not
+of course in the night be certain where the road lay, the whole bank of
+the river being completely under water. We were in consequence obliged
+to climb the mountains to our left, and proceed in the best manner we
+were able with the loaded mules; but so precipitous were they in one
+place, that a load of ammunition slid off the mule's back, and the casks
+rolled rapidly down the hill towards the river. I durst not venture to
+leave them, although my chance of finding them in such a situation
+appeared small indeed; however, we halted the remainder of the mules,
+while a few of us set off down the steep in the direction we had seen
+them go, and after a long and anxious groping in every hollow of the
+rocky mountain, succeeded in recovering them; but the powder in them,
+and indeed nearly all the ammunition we had, was rendered completely
+useless, from the constant heavy rain that had fallen. I am almost
+astonished that no accident happened to either man or beast in this
+perilous journey, for our feet literally "stumbled upon the dark
+mountains," without either guide or path, and where the ground was most
+uneven and dangerous. We however at length reached our destination, wet
+and weary enough, and, just as we entered the town, were informed that
+the corridor of one of the convents where two of our companies were
+sleeping, had just fallen to the ground with a tremendous crash, and
+that several men had had their limbs broken by the fall; I do not
+remember that any were killed. It being so late, I could not procure any
+kind of quarter, so I was fain to sit down by the side of a fire kindled
+in the yard of this convent for the remainder of the night.
+
+We next morning resumed our journey, and in three days more from this
+place we reached Vigo. On this last day's march we had a pretty high
+eminence to ascend at some distance from the town, from which the view
+of the town, the shipping, and the sea, broke all at once upon us. It
+was a most delightful prospect, and it was highly amusing to observe the
+joy which seemed to animate the woe-worn countenances of our ragged and
+dirty soldiers. Fellows without a shoe or a stocking, and who before
+were shuffling along with sore and lacerated feet like so many lame
+ducks, now made an attempt to dance for joy; laughter and mirth, and the
+joke, now succeeded to the gloomy silence with which they had in general
+prosecuted their wearisome journey for several days past, as the
+friendly element before them promised shortly to put a period to long
+and toilsome wanderings. Indeed, although I am a bad sailor, and suffer
+always severely when at sea, I do not remember ever to have witnessed a
+sight which inspired me with greater pleasure than the shipping and the
+sea did on this occasion.
+
+The fleet of transports for the army under Sir John Moore, was just
+clearing the bay as we came in sight, but we observed that a sufficient
+number remained at Vigo to transport us to our native land, a place we
+sorely longed for, as we had often contrasted the happiness and security
+and comfort of our friends at home, with the poverty and misery we had
+lately witnessed in the country we were leaving; and this no doubt
+increased our anxiety for the change. We marched into Vigo, and were
+soon after put on board the vessels destined to receive us. It was my
+fortune to be sent on board the Alfred, 74, with two of our companies; a
+great number of men were still behind, for even the few last days'
+marches had deprived us of many who till then had braved the toils and
+privations of the journey, but who now had fairly sunk under exhaustion.
+The Commodore, therefore, remained as long in the bay as it was safe,
+sending the stragglers as they arrived on board the different ships; but
+within a few days after our arrival, the enemy entered the town, which
+of course precluded all hope of more escaping. We consequently weighed
+and stood out towards the outer bay, where we again came to anchor.
+
+A Russian ship-of-war was in a small harbour in this bay, which it was
+intended to board and cut out. As we were then, I believe, on rather bad
+terms with that nation, never did I witness such alacrity and delight as
+our tars on board the Alfred manifested when buckling on their cutlasses
+for the occasion, and I feel certain that if confidence in themselves
+would tend to insure the victory, no men had a better chance of
+succeeding; but from some cause or other with which I am unacquainted,
+the enterprise was abandoned.
+
+On the 21st January we weighed and stood out to sea; but a gale coming
+on we were obliged to come to anchor again under the shelter of the
+Isle of Bagona. We did not get to sea till the 24th, but on the 25th we
+spoke a frigate going out to Lisbon with General Dyatt on board, who
+informed us of the fatal business at Corunna. Indeed the people on board
+this ship had, from vague reports, greatly magnified our loss on that
+occasion, telling us that the whole army had been nearly cut to pieces,
+and that very few indeed had been able to effect their escape. We each,
+of course, mourned for his particular friends, not doubting but they had
+fallen among the rest. I think it was the same night on which we saw
+this ship, a fatal accident had very nigh taken place. Our captain was
+the Commodore, and the captain of the Hindostan store-ship had charge of
+the rear of the fleet; his place was consequently always behind all the
+other vessels. Some time after dark, however, our look-out people gave
+notice of a large vessel on our starboard quarter. We shortened sail and
+let her come up pretty close to us, and made the private signal, but no
+answer was returned. At length, when near enough, we hailed her, but
+still no answer. An order was now given to stand to quarters and prepare
+for action, not doubting she was an enemy which had got among the fleet.
+The guns were accordingly run out, the matches lit, and every thing
+prepared for action. She appeared a large ship, but of what force they
+could not guess. Again she was hailed, and again she disregarded it. Our
+first lieutenant was now fully convinced she was an enemy, and pleaded
+hard with the captain to give the word fire, but the captain said he
+would hail her once more, and if she did not answer he would fire.
+Providentially they heard us this time, and answered it was the
+Hindostan. What they had been about I know not, for we were quite near
+each other; and had she received our broadside, as was the intention had
+she not then answered, it is most probable she would have gone down; at
+all events the consequences must have been awful, for she had the whole
+of the 43d regiment on board, besides her own crew. Our captain
+certainly censured him in no very mild terms for leaving his station in
+the rear, and getting to the very head of the fleet. She was a very
+lofty ship, and carried forty-four guns I believe, and had not less than
+1000 men on board, many of whom must have suffered had we fired upon
+her.
+
+A few days after this we encountered a most tremendous gale, and came in
+sight of the English coast, somewhere near the Lizard or the Start; but
+our master not knowing exactly where he was, we stood off again towards
+the French coast.
+
+The next day the gale was if possible more severe, and the ship rolled
+so much that they were afraid her guns would break loose from their
+lashings, in consequence of which large spikes were driven in behind the
+wheels of each gun-carriage to prevent such an accident. In this
+situation, I know not whether I did not almost wish myself on the snowy
+mountains of Galicia again, rather than where I was, so miserable a
+sailor am I, and so much do I suffer from sea-sickness.
+
+The fleet was by this time completely scattered, every one making the
+best shift he could for himself; some got into Plymouth, some reached
+Portsmouth, and some, I believe, foundered in the gale, among which, if
+I mistake not, was a brig, on board of which my two companies had been
+first embarked, but were subsequently removed to the Alfred, and some of
+the German Legion, I think, put on board her.
+
+At length we made the Isle of Wight, and subsequently Spithead, which we
+reached on the 31st, and the next day landed once more on the happy
+shore of our native Britain. Thankful indeed I ought to have been for
+the ever watchful care of an indulgent and kind Providence, who had
+brought me safely through the toils and sufferings under which so many
+more robust and hardy than myself had sunk; but, alas! I had then no
+sense of the gratitude due for such unmerited favours, and instead of
+rendering thanks to Him who had thus preserved me, I entered, with all
+the eagerness of a person devoid of reason and religion, into every vice
+and sensuality that presented itself. I here learnt with sorrow the
+great loss which my friends in the first battalion had sustained, but
+glad nevertheless that it was not to the extent we apprehended, and that
+none of my particular friends had fallen.
+
+We left Portsmouth, and returned to our old quarters at Hythe, in Kent,
+passing again on the road my native county militia at Battle, in Sussex,
+as I did at Bury, on my return from Holland; and truly our appearance on
+this occasion was, if possible, more deplorable than on the former.
+However, our tattered and worn-out habiliments had the effect of
+inspiring some of my countrymen in that regiment with a desire of
+sharing in the glory, as they termed it, of suffering so much in the
+defence of our beloved country; and they accordingly made up their minds
+to volunteer into our corps the first opportunity that offered, and
+which they put in execution that same year, as will be told hereafter.
+We took up our abode in the comfortable barracks at Hythe, and
+immediately set about putting every thing in order, and truly much was
+wanting to fit us again for duty as soldiers.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VI.
+
+    Volunteering--Farther Promotion--Embarks for Portugal, with two
+    Companies of the Second Battalion--Debark at Cadiz--Advance to the
+    Isla--The French occupy all the adjacent Towns, except Cadiz and the
+    Isla--Cannonading--Spanish Army--Detachment of the Allied Army sent
+    Around by Gibraltar and Chiclana, to take the Enemy in the rear of
+    his works, and compel him either to fight or abandon them--Come up
+    with a portion of the Enemy in the vicinity of Veger--Bravery of the
+    British--The Enemy repulsed with great Loss, but, from the apathy
+    and misconduct of General La Pena, and the Spaniards under his
+    command, the French are allowed to retain their Works in the
+    vicinity of Cadiz.
+
+
+In April of this year, an order was issued to allow the militia
+regiments to volunteer, for the purpose of filling up the regiments of
+the line; and I was sent by Colonel Beckwith (our two battalions being
+then both at Hythe) to receive those who chose to volunteer from the
+Northumberland militia before-mentioned, which had now been removed to
+Ipswich. Lieutenant Beckwith had the charge of our party, but proceeded
+_incog._ to Ipswich, the general orders not permitting officers of the
+line to be seen in the quarters of the militia. On our arrival at
+Ipswich, I had the pleasure of obtaining the names of thirty fine young
+fellows, among whom the patriots formerly mentioned of course were
+included. Several other militia regiments in this district also gave
+volunteers to us, so that in three days, from the commencement of the
+volunteering, we obtained upwards of 1100 men; and had we not, by an
+order from the Horse-Guards, been precluded from taking any more, I
+doubt not we should have obtained several hundreds besides, for our
+regiment alone had near eighty names down for us, who were not allowed
+to enter from the above cause. Indeed the Commander-in-Chief, Sir David
+Dundas, (afterwards our Colonel,) appeared quite astonished, and not
+well pleased, that we had run away with so many men when others wanted
+them so much. He was obliged, however, to grant us a 3d battalion, as we
+had so many more men than were required to fill up the 1st and 2d; and
+our respected Colonel, Major-general Coote Manningham, dying about this
+time of the fatigue he had undergone in Spain, Sir David took us to
+himself, and became our Colonel-in-Chief, giving the command of the 3d
+battalion to my respected (and now lamented) friend and benefactor,
+Major-general the Honourable William Stewart. The Lieutenant-colonelcy
+was given to Major Norman M'Leod, our senior Major, and only two or
+three other steps were given to the officers of the regiment, although
+it was alone owing to their exertions in obtaining men, and to the high
+character the regiment had acquired, that such numbers had volunteered
+into it.
+
+It becomes not me to censure or criticise the measures of government,
+but I cannot help thinking that more favour was certainly due to the
+corps as a body. For myself, I ought and must speak with gratitude, not
+of them, but of that kind Providence which has favoured me so far, so
+very far, beyond my deserts, for, on the 8th of June following, I was
+appointed Quartermaster of the 3d battalion.
+
+Our 1st battalion was again sent out to join the army in Portugal, while
+mine was sent to Brabournlees to equip and drill our new levies. Every
+exertion was made to this effect, and the battalion was soon completed
+and rendered fit for service. Here my wife joined me again, the child to
+which she gave birth in my absence having died when six weeks old. This
+was the only child she ever had, and it was perhaps a providential
+dispensation, for she was extremely delicate, and by no means a healthy
+person, and it is not unlikely her offspring might have inherited her
+disease, that is, an affection of the chest. We had only lived a few
+months together, till another call for service separated us again.
+
+In June 1810, we received orders to send out to Cadiz two companies of
+my battalion, together with the commanding-officer and staff, three
+others having been already sent thither in the spring. The melancholy
+business of parting with my wife was again to be gone through; but on
+this occasion I was favoured by being permitted to accompany her to
+London, where, parting from her with a heavy heart, I took my place for
+Chichester, at which place my detachment would be quartered next day, on
+their way to Portsmouth. I omitted to mention, that Lieutenant-colonel
+Barnard of the 1st or Royals, had exchanged with Lieutenant-colonel
+M'Leod some time previous, and he consequently was now going out as my
+commanding-officer. We embarked at Portsmouth on the 11th July, on board
+the Mercury frigate, armed _en flute_, and commanded by Captain Tancock.
+
+We had a favourable passage, and landed at Cadiz on the 29th of that
+month. This city, it may be remembered, was besieged at this time by a
+French army under Marshal Victor; consequently, when we arrived, we were
+amused by seeing immense shells flying from one party to the other, but
+without doing any serious injury to either, the distance being too great
+to produce any effect of moment. As we came in sight of Cadiz, the view
+was most enchanting, for the city appeared as if composed of lofty and
+elegant snow-white buildings, apparently rising from the bosom of the
+ocean, for the land on which it is built cannot be seen at a distance;
+added to which, the numerous and beautiful towns about the bay, and a
+little beyond it, rendered it a most delightful scene. On the right was
+Cadiz, with its lofty lighthouse, and its strong sea-walls rising out of
+the water; on the left was Rota, an apparently neat little town. Farther
+up the bay, on the same side, was Port St Mary's, and beyond that
+Porto Real, both considerable towns. In the centre rises the Isla de
+Leon, now called St Ferdinand; beyond that Chiclana, composed of the
+elegant country residences of the more wealthy Cadiz merchants; and, in
+the distance, towering on the mountains behind, the dazzling white town
+of Medina Sidonia shining in the sun; indeed altogether imagination can
+scarcely picture to itself a more interesting _coup-d'oeil_, the scene
+being closed by the lofty snow-clad mountains of Ronda. We landed at
+Cadiz, and remained for the night in the barracks situated in the
+barrier, on the land-side of the town, and which is remarkably strong,
+the fortifications being composed of solid masonry, and the barracks all
+bomb-proof. I suffered dreadfully from the myriads of fleas which preyed
+upon me during the night, and was glad when morning appeared.
+
+We marched next day to the Isla, (be it observed the town is called by
+that name as well as the island on which it and Cadiz are situated,)
+distant from Cadiz about seven miles; the island is of a most singular
+form, being about ten miles broad at the end next the continent, from
+which it is separated by the river Santi Petri; immediately below the
+town of Isla it begins to narrow very rapidly, forming from thence to
+Cadiz nothing more than a narrow sand-bank, in some places not more
+than a hundred yards across, and on which a causeway has been built to
+connect the two places. We took up our abode in the Isla, where the
+Spanish government, such as it was, at this time resided; and here I
+witnessed the first opening of the Spanish Cortes in 1810, which was
+attended with all the pomp and show of a truly Roman Catholic people.
+_Te Deums_ and other pompous and brilliant ceremonies marked the event;
+indeed, here we had an opportunity of seeing a great number of the
+grandees of the Spanish nation, for, as I said before, the government
+had retired to this place from Madrid, and most of the courtiers and
+others attached to the government had assembled here, together with the
+deputies from the different provinces; altogether the scenes we
+witnessed here were sometimes very imposing.
+
+The French occupied all the towns before named save Cadiz and Isla,
+their advanced piquets being thrown forward to near the river Santi
+Petri, except near the Bridge of Luaza, which is the only communication
+across from the island to the mainland; here our pickets were advanced a
+considerable distance beyond the bridge upon a causeway on which is the
+road leading to Seville, through a broad salt marsh on the banks of the
+river; it is here about two miles wide, and utterly impassable, except
+to those who know the footpaths across it, being intersected at every
+few paces by deep salt-pits or pans. The enemy, as mentioned before, had
+their sentries at some parts pretty far into the centre of this marsh,
+and there were some fellows in the Spanish service called by the name of
+"creepers," they obtaining their livelihood by killing sea-fowl and
+other animals in this marsh; and so dexterous were they at this
+_creeping_, that they could steal upon the birds unperceived, which
+enabled them to get them with ease. Sometimes a fellow of this calling
+would set off on a _creeping_ excursion, and instead of bagging a
+wild-duck, or some other such bird, would plunge his stiletto into the
+heart of an unsuspecting French sentry, and leave him weltering in his
+gore. This was a noble exploit in their estimation, and marks strongly
+the character of the Spaniard, who, inured to blood by the frequency of
+their bull-fights and other similar exhibitions, hesitates not a moment
+at assassination if urged on by what he deems his own or country's
+wrongs; this inhuman act, of course, was perpetrated in the dark.
+
+I may mention, in connexion with this, that on the Christmas of 1810, it
+was reported that sixteen people had been assassinated in Isla alone, on
+the evening or night before; it is probable the number may have been
+exaggerated, but the thing was such an almost everyday occurrence that
+it appeared not to excite the least horror at its atrocity. I had
+occasion to go down the town during the Christmas day, and I saw still
+lying at the corner of one of the most frequented streets, one of the
+unhappy beings who had thus fallen. No one seemed inclined to own him;
+and his body, foul with blood and dust, was thus permitted to remain in
+the public streets without any enquiry being made with respect to the
+perpetrator of so foul a deed. In truth they are, as it were, trained up
+to this recklessness of human life from their infancy, for in the town
+of Isla there was a sort of naval academy, where a number of boys, from
+perhaps eight to twelve years of age, were educated; these urchins were
+permitted to wear swords, and it is really astonishing how desirous they
+appeared to make use of them, for they could scarcely ever pass along
+the streets without trying the sharpness of their points upon the backs
+of pigs or dogs, or any other unfortunate animal that came in their way.
+
+The French also occupied a long low tongue of land which stretches out
+into the Bay of Cadiz, taking its rise from between Port St Mary's and
+Porto Real, and extending to within about two and a half miles of Cadiz,
+and about one from Puntalis, a fort erected on the island opposite the
+extremity of this low tongue; this is called the Trocadero, since become
+famous as the field on which the Duke D'Angouleme, and Prince Carignan
+of Naples, gained so many honours. On the point of this tongue the
+enemy's principal batteries were erected, and from thence they contrived
+occasionally, but not often, and never with any great effect, to throw
+shells into the town of Cadiz. The mortar now in St James' Park, called
+the "Prince Regent's bomb," was cast at Seville on purpose to enable
+them to reach the town, no ordnance of common dimensions being capable
+of throwing a shell so far; but it did not answer the end proposed, or
+at least the effect expected from it, for it was imagined by them, that
+if they could once succeed in throwing shells into the city, the
+inhabitants would become so alarmed that they would compel the military
+to surrender. This, however, was far from being realized, although they
+did throw a few in; but the distance being so great, they were
+necessarily thrown much at random, some of them falling short of the
+town, others flying completely over into the bay near the lighthouse on
+the other side, and some few, as I said, falling in the city, but from
+which very few casualties occurred.[2] I am told they were obliged to
+have the mortar slung in chains at the time of firing it, the
+concussion being so great as to destroy the bed in which it was fixed.
+As may be supposed, there was constant war between our fort Puntalis,
+before mentioned, and the enemy's batteries on this point; in fact our
+people had orders to throw a thirteen-inch shell every quarter of an
+hour, besides the occasional firing from the guns and other mortars when
+any thing appeared on the opposite side; and you may be certain the
+French were not behind us in the expenditure of ammunition; they were
+remarkably fond of firing what are termed salvos, that is, volleys of
+artillery. On one occasion I happened to be looking out from a high
+tower near Isla, called the Tore Alto, and while all was deep and
+profound silence, and I happened to be looking towards the point of
+Trocadero, in a moment the smoke rose from at least 100 pieces of
+artillery, fired by signal, and the noise they made was tremendous. Our
+poor little fort of Puntalis appeared almost enveloped in the dust
+raised by the striking of the shot, and the smoke from them which fell
+about it, and seemed as if almost deprived of power by so sudden and
+unexpected a salute; but she began at length to return the compliment,
+although feebly in comparison of the tremendous volley she had received.
+This and such like were of frequent occurrence, scarcely a day passing
+without something interesting taking place.
+
+To enable us to cope in some measure with the French, a large double
+fortified sea-mortar was brought from Gibraltar, which threw
+thirteen-inch shells. It was brought up to the back of the town of Isla,
+near some powder magazines, and an attempt made there to throw some
+shells over to the Trocadero. The first trial, an empty shell was put
+in, with not less than thirty-two pounds of powder in the chamber. On
+firing it, the shell flew all to atoms, from the violent shock
+occasioned by so great a quantity of powder; and the shell being too
+weak for that description of mortar, another was tried filled with sand,
+to give it more weight and solidity; this answered the purpose, for it
+fell on the land on the opposite coast, but still, from the great range,
+much uncertainty must naturally attend the practice, and it was
+eventually given up. The next day, however, we were saluted from the
+opposite side with both shot and shell, the French thus showing us that
+they were better able to play at long bowls than we were; neither,
+however, did their practice continue, for there was nothing at the point
+where their shot and shells fell to be injured by them, the magazines
+before noticed being now empty.
+
+On another occasion an attack was made by our people on the Trocadero
+itself, where it was reported the French had got a considerable number
+of boats, &c., laid up on shore, about half-way between the point and
+Porto Real; our folks took gun-boats and boats with rockets, the
+intention being to set fire to the enemy's craft. They accordingly
+advanced in good style, keeping as far, however, as possible out of the
+range of the French batteries at the point, which, as they were directed
+towards Cadiz and Puntalis, could not easily bring their artillery to
+bear upon our boats. They reached the place where it was said the French
+craft was lying, and fired a considerable number of rockets, but without
+being able to effect any thing farther than burning one boat, I believe.
+As they were returning, however, they met the French commander, who had
+been down to the point in a light boat, and he, like a brave fellow,
+determined to run completely the gauntlet rather than return, keeping as
+close in shore, however, as possible. The whole of our gun-boats fired
+at him as he passed, and knocked the water up about him in all
+directions without ever once touching him, although, to look at him, one
+would have imagined it impossible he could escape; but here the old
+soldier's adage was verified, for there was still more room to miss than
+to hit him, and he accordingly escaped scot-free.
+
+While here, I had a most ample opportunity of closely viewing the
+Spanish army, great numbers being stationed in and about the Isla, and
+great numbers constantly coming into and going out of the place, after
+receiving such equipment as the government was able to provide for them.
+Nothing could exceed the hardy and robust appearance of the men in
+general; and had they been clothed, appointed, and disciplined like
+either their enemies or their allies, there could not have been a finer
+soldiery. I cannot, however, say so much for their officers; most of
+them appeared to be utterly unfit and unable to command their men. Those
+who had the means, seemed to think of nothing else but dressing like
+apes or mountebanks, and intriguing with the women. It was really absurd
+and ludicrous to see the strange figures they generally made themselves.
+In one regiment alone you might have observed more different uniforms
+than both we and the French have in all our armies. One would have had
+on a blue coat turned up with red, with a chaco and a straight sword,
+the uniform prescribed for officers of the infantry, I believe; the next
+would have most likely had on a hussar dress, with an enormous sabre
+dangling by his side; another would have had a red coat, a fourth
+yellow, a fifth white, and so on. In short, all the colours of the
+rainbow were generally exhibited in the uniforms of one regiment's
+officers; and every one of them appeared to vie with the other who could
+make the greatest harlequin of himself, whilst those of them who were
+mounted would caper and prance about the streets like so many fools,
+riding with their legs at full stretch, and the toe of the boot (if they
+had one) just touching the stirrup, and drawing the reins continually
+through the fingers of their right hand; and if by any chance an ape of
+this kind came near the window of his dulcinea, and thought there was a
+likelihood of her seeing him, I pitied the poor foot-passengers who
+might happen to be near him, for he would make his unfortunate Rosinante
+prance and caper by the immense long bit in its mouth, and the pieces of
+iron in the shape of spurs on his (shoes perhaps), till the poor animal
+was like to fall under him. In short, they had all the pride, arrogance,
+and self-sufficiency of the best officers in the world, with the very
+least of all pretension to have an high opinion of themselves; it is
+true they were not all alike, but the majority of them were the most
+haughty, and at the same time the most contemptible creatures in the
+shape of officers, that I ever beheld. It was, therefore, not to be
+expected that the soldiers would or could look upon them with that
+degree of respect and reverence so essential to a due maintenance of
+subordination in an army.
+
+About the month of February 1811, it was concerted between the Spanish
+government and General Graham, who commanded us, to undertake an
+expedition which should land in the vicinity of Gibraltar; and being
+there reinforced by some troops from that fortress, the whole should
+move forward in the direction of Chiclana, and, taking the enemy in the
+rear of his works, compel him either to abandon them or fight a battle.
+Accordingly, on the 18th of that month, we embarked on board some small
+vessels that had been fitted up for the occasion in the bay of Cadiz,
+and, sailing soon after, we reached Algeziras, ten miles on this side of
+Gibraltar, and landed there on the 24th. Our force consisted of a
+brigade of artillery, with ten guns; two battalions of Foot Guards; the
+28th, 67th, and 87th regiments; a battalion composed of flank companies
+from Gibraltar; two companies of the 47th regiment, and two of the 20th
+Portuguese regiment, with six companies of our corps and one squadron of
+cavalry,--in all about 4500 men. The Spanish army, under the command of
+General La Pena, (who, being senior officer, directed the whole,)
+consisted of two divisions,--in all from ten to eleven thousand. We were
+not allowed to take any baggage with us, consequently we could not
+expect much comfort during the service, which was expected to be short.
+The day we landed we bivouacked on a height near Algeziras, and the next
+morning moved on towards Tarifa, where we remained for that day and the
+next, to allow time to get the artillery and cavalry horses on shore.
+Here I observed a strange custom among the females of this place, the
+remains, I apprehend, of the Moorish fashion, (which no doubt would
+continue longer in this place than others, it being immediately opposite
+to and in sight of Africa.) The Spanish women all wear what they term a
+mantilla, that is, a kind of scarf made of cloth, generally black, which
+they throw over their heads lengthwise, letting the two ends come over
+their shoulders, and meeting and crossing on the breast, it forms a sort
+of head-dress which shows only the face, and keeps them close and snug
+about the head; but here, they bring it so far forward as to completely
+cover the face, leaving nothing but a very small hole in front of their
+left eye (I think it is), at which they peep out, without showing any
+part of the face. Colonel Brown of the 28th, who was then a most wild
+and eccentric character, although now I understand completely altered,
+could not relish this hiding of their beauty by the modest dames of
+Tarifa. All, therefore, that he met in the streets he stopped, and made
+them open the mantilla, that he might have a fair peep at them, to the
+great scandal of the good ladies of this still Moorish town, and which,
+had it been on any other occasion, might have been attended with
+unpleasant consequences to himself.
+
+When every thing was ready we moved forward from Tarifa, and halted for
+the night on a height about twelve miles distant. The next day we
+reached Casas Vejas, or "Old Houses," where we bivouacked on a scrubby
+hill, the weather being very bitter, which we felt in all its force,
+having no covering whatever. Next day we had to cross a considerable
+lake of fresh water, by a sort of ford which crossed it about the
+middle. We had started before daylight, and, through some mismanagement,
+did not reach this lake till near mid-day, although it was only a few
+miles distant from our last night's quarters. One division of the
+Spaniards led the column, and another was behind us, we being thus in
+the centre, as being the least thought of probably by our Spanish
+Commander-in-Chief; for indeed we had often heard it said in and about
+Isla, "what fine-looking and well-disciplined soldiers the British
+are!--what a pity they cannot fight!" So thought La Pena, probably; but
+by two o'clock the first division of Spaniards had not near got over the
+lake, at which the patience of our General was so completely exhausted,
+that he requested the Spanish General to allow him to bring forward the
+British troops, to show him the way how he and they would act. My
+battalion led the van, and were ordered to march straight through it
+without any picking of steps, and to go forward in regular sections, one
+man supporting another. They went in and marched right through it, as if
+it had been plain ground, the water taking them generally about
+mid-deep. The rest of the British army followed, and were all through in
+less than half an hour; a one-horse cart, indeed, stuck fast in the
+middle of it, from the wheels having got entangled between the large
+stones at the bottom. General Graham seeing this, instantly dismounted,
+and, plunging in, set his shoulder to the wheel, and fairly lifted it
+clear of the obstruction.
+
+La Pena, and those about him, after witnessing the example set them by
+our General and his troops, seemed really ashamed of their former
+conduct, and, setting to in good earnest, they contrived to urge their
+soldiers and officers to take the water with more freedom, and before
+dark the whole army had got over. While we were so long detained by the
+first division of Spaniards getting across, I, with several other
+mounted people, rode forward to the ford, to ascertain the cause of our
+stoppage for so long a time. The Spaniards were going into the water one
+at a time,--here one, and there one,--while the creatures of officers
+were making the men carry them on their backs. Had the whole army acted
+thus, we should not have got over before daylight next morning.
+
+When all were across, and the columns formed, we moved forward, and
+reached the neighbourhood of Veger, which stands on a high hill not far
+distant from the memorable Cape Trafalgar. We halted in an olive-grove
+below the town, and bivouacked for the night; it was bitter cold, and
+the troops could find but little wood for firing, which they much
+needed, from having got so completely wet in crossing the lake.
+
+We remained at Veger all the next day, and a little after dark commenced
+our march. We being now in the neighbourhood of the enemy, it became
+necessary to conceal our movements as much as possible. During the night
+we passed the fishing town of Conil, and, keeping near the coast, we
+arrived the next morning on the plain of Chiclana. I quote from our
+General's dispatch, as it states the thing in a much more clear and
+satisfactory manner than I could do. He says,--"After a night march of
+sixteen hours from the camp (bivouack) near Veger, we arrived on the
+morning of the 5th on the low ridge of Barossa, about four miles from
+the Santi Petri river. This height extends inland about a mile and a
+half, continuing on the north the extensive heathy plain of Chiclana. A
+great pine-forest skirts the plain, and circles round the height at some
+distance, terminating down towards Santi Petri, the intermediate space
+between the north side of the height and the forest being uneven and
+broken."
+
+The two Spanish divisions had preceded us, who, after having rested a
+while on the plain, moved down towards the Santi Petri, where a bridge
+was to be thrown over by the troops in the Isla de Leon, and thus open a
+communication between the two armies, that is, between those inside the
+island and us.
+
+The General goes on to say,--"A well-conducted and successful attack on
+the rear of the enemy's lines, near Santi Petri, by the vanguard of the
+Spanish army under Brigadier-general Ladrizabel, having opened the
+communication with the Isla de Leon, I received General La Pena's
+directions to move down from the position of Barossa to that of the
+Torre de Bermesa, about half-way to the Santi Petri river, over which a
+bridge had been lately established. This latter position occupies a
+narrow woody ridge, the right on the sea-cliff, and the left falling
+down to the Almanza creek, on the edge of the marsh; a hard sandy beach
+gives an easy communication between the western points of these two
+positions.
+
+"My division being halted on the eastern slope of the Barossa height,
+was marched about twelve o'clock through the wood towards Bermesa,
+(cavalry patrols having previously been sent towards Chiclana, without
+meeting with the enemy.) On the march I received notice that the enemy
+had appeared in force on the plain, and was advancing towards the
+heights of Barossa. As I considered that position as the key of Santi
+Petri, I immediately countermarched, in order to support the troops left
+for its defence; and the alacrity with which this manoeuvre was
+executed, served as a favourable omen. It was, however, impossible, in
+such intricate and difficult ground, to preserve order in the columns,
+and there never was time to restore it entirely. But before we could get
+ourselves quite disentangled from the wood, the troops on the Barossa
+hill were seen returning from it, while the enemy's left wing was
+rapidly ascending. At the same time his right wing stood on the plain,
+on the edge of the wood, within cannon-shot. A retreat in the face of
+such an enemy, already within reach of the easy communication by the
+sea-beach, must have involved the whole allied army in all the danger of
+being attacked during the unavoidable confusion of the different corps
+arriving on the narrow ridge of Bermesa nearly at the same time.
+
+"Trusting to the known heroism of British troops, regardless of the
+numbers and position of the enemy, an immediate attack was determined
+on. Major Duncan soon opened a powerful battery of ten guns in the
+centre. Brigadier-general Dilkes, with the brigade of Guards,
+Lieutenant-colonel Brown's (of the 28th) flank battalion,
+Lieutenant-colonel Norcott's two companies of the 2d rifle corps, and
+Major Acheson, with a part of the 67th, (separated from the regiment in
+the wood,) formed on the right.
+
+"Colonel Wheately's brigade, (consisting of the 28th, 67th, and 87th,)
+with three companies of the Coldstream Guards, under Lieutenant-colonel
+Jackson (separated likewise from his battalion in the wood), and
+Lieutenant-colonel Barnard's flank battalion (being two companies 47th,
+two ditto 20th Portuguese, and four of third battalion 95th) formed on
+the left. As soon as the infantry was thus hastily got together, the
+guns advanced to a more favourable position, and kept up a destructive
+fire. The right wing proceeded to the attack of General Ruffin's
+division on the hill, while Lieutenant-colonel Barnard's flank
+battalion, and Lieutenant-colonel Bush's detachment of the 20th
+Portuguese, were warmly engaged with the enemy's tirailleurs on our
+left.
+
+"General Laval's division, notwithstanding the havoc made by Major
+Duncan's battery, continued to advance in very imposing masses, opening
+his fire of musketry, and was only checked by that of the left wing. The
+left wing now advanced firing. A most destructive charge, by the three
+companies of the Guards and the 87th regiment, supported by all the
+remainder of the wing, decided the defeat of General Laval's division.
+
+"The eagle of the 8th regiment of light infantry, which suffered
+immensely, and a howitzer, rewarded this charge, and remained in
+possession of Major Gough of the 87th regiment. These attacks were
+zealously supported by Colonel Bilson with the 28th regiment, and
+Lieutenant-colonel Prevost with a part of the 67th. A reserve, formed
+beyond the narrow valley, across which the enemy was closely pursued,
+next shared the same fate, and was routed by the same means.
+
+"Meanwhile, the right wing was not less successful. The enemy, confident
+of success, met General Dilkes on the ascent of the hill, and the
+contest was sanguinary; but the undaunted perseverance of the brigade of
+Guards, of Lieutenant-colonel Brown's battalion, and of
+Lieutenant-colonel Norcott's and Major Acheson's detachments, overcame
+every obstacle, and General Ruffin's division was driven from the
+heights in confusion, leaving two pieces of cannon.
+
+"No expressions of mine could do justice to the conduct of the troops
+throughout--nothing less than the almost unparalleled exertions of every
+officer, the invincible bravery of every soldier, and the most
+determined devotion of the honour of his Majesty's arms in all, could
+have achieved this brilliant success against such a formidable enemy, so
+posted. In less than an hour and a half from the commencement of the
+action, the enemy was in full retreat. The retiring divisions met,
+halted, and seemed inclined to form; a new and more advanced position of
+our artillery quickly dispersed them. The exhausted state of the troops
+made pursuit impossible. A position was taken up on the eastern side of
+the hill; and we were strengthened on our right by the return of two
+Spanish regiments, that had been attached before to my division, but
+which I had left on the hill, and which had been ordered to retire.
+
+"An eagle, six pieces of cannon, the General of Division Ruffin, and the
+General of Brigade Rousseau, wounded and taken; the Chief of the Staff,
+General Bellegarde, and aide-de-camp of Marshal Victor, and the colonel
+of the 8th regiment, with many other officers killed, and several
+wounded and taken prisoners, the field covered with the dead bodies of
+the enemy, attest that my confidence in this division was nobly repaid.
+The animated charges of the 87th regiment were most conspicuous.
+Lieutenant-colonel Barnard, (twice wounded,) and the officers of his
+flank-battalion, executed the duty of skirmishing in advance with the
+enemy in a masterly manner; and were ably seconded by Lieutenant-Colonel
+Bush, of the 20th Portuguese, who (likewise twice wounded) fell into
+the enemy's hands, but was afterwards rescued."
+
+The dispatch contains many more acknowledgments, which, as they have no
+connexion with my narrative, I have omitted.
+
+I beg now to make such remarks and observations as may tend to throw
+light upon the different parts of the foregoing dispatch.
+
+The two Spanish battalions attached to our division, together with
+Lieutenant-colonel Brown's flank-battalion, were left upon the height of
+Barossa, when we moved down into the wood, in order to secure that
+position till we had possessed ourselves of the height of Bermesa; but
+we had not left the plain more than half an hour, I think, and descended
+into the wood, till an officer came galloping after us, saying the
+French had debouched from the wood, and were moving on to the high
+ground in our rear, and had attacked the troops left there for its
+defence. Orders were instantly given us to countermarch, and to get on
+to the plain and into action as soon as possible. In coming about, one
+of the guns got entangled with a pine-tree; there was no time to
+disengage it, and setting to with the whip, they pushed the horses
+forward, and tore up the tree completely by the roots, although one of
+considerable size. I thought (as our General says) it appeared a good
+omen, and that a trifling obstacle would not be allowed to impede their
+career.
+
+When we reached the plain, and perceived the enemy, never did a finer
+sight present itself. They were manoeuvring on the high ground before
+us; and as Home says,
+
+    "The hill they gained, and moving on its top,
+    Of more than mortal size, towering, they seemed
+    An host angelic, clad in burning arms."
+
+Those immediately in front of my battalion were the famed 8th regiment,
+and consisted of two battalions of 700 men each; one was composed of
+grenadiers, and the other of voltigeurs, or light infantry. The
+grenadiers had long waving red plumes in their caps, at least a foot in
+length; while the light infantry had feathers of the same length and
+make, but green, with yellow tops. The whole of the French army had on
+their best or holyday suits of clothing, with their arms as bright as
+silver, and glancing in the sun as they moved in column, gave them
+really a noble and martial appearance. We had no sooner cleared the wood
+than we inclined to our left, and went immediately at them. Major
+Duncan's guns commenced playing upon their column the moment he could
+get a clear piece of ground. The two companies of the 47th, attached to
+my battalion, were taken to cover and remain with the guns. Our people
+extended as we went up the hill, the Portuguese supporting us in the
+rear; and in a very short time we were hotly engaged with the fellows
+with the beautiful green feathers, many of which fell on the ground in a
+short time. As we advanced, the battalions to our right and in rear of
+us got formed in line, and moving forward in fine style, took up
+stronger ground in advance; the guns in the centre also moving onward,
+and causing dreadful havoc in the enemy's ranks.
+
+Early in the action my horse was killed, being shot in the head, which
+ball, had his head not stopped it, would in all probability have entered
+my body. He fell like a stone. I then went on and joined the ranks, and
+finding a rifle of a man that had just fallen, (poor little Croudace's
+servant, who afterwards fell himself,) I took a few shots at them in
+revenge for my horse. At this time the grenadier battalion of the 8th,
+with their waving red plumes, began to advance in close column, the
+drums beating all the time the _pas de charge_. They were supported by
+other columns in their rear, together with one, the French 54th, which
+they sent into the wood to try to turn our left. The 8th advanced,
+notwithstanding the galling fire kept up by our people and the
+Portuguese, every shot almost of which must have told, as they were in a
+solid body, not more than from 100 to 150 yards' distance. Our people
+were of course compelled to give way to this imposing column, when the
+regiments on our right and in our rear, opening out upon them a
+destructive fire, and the 87th and Guards immediately after attacking
+them with the bayonet, their rout and discomfiture was complete. The
+8th, which suffered most, and from whom the eagle was taken, never yet
+got into line--nor did they intend, I believe--but advanced as a solid
+body, (occasionally firing from their front,) till, coming in contact
+with the regiments above mentioned, and in this state receiving the
+charge, their loss was excessive, for they could not get away. I
+understand, when the 87th charged, Ensign Keogh of that regiment made
+the first attempt to wrench the eagle from the officer who carried it;
+but in so doing he was run through by several of those who supported it,
+and fell lifeless to the ground. Sergeant Masterson of that regiment
+then dashed at it, and was more fortunate, he succeeding in securing it.
+I understand there was some dispute between them and the Guards, who
+charged at the same time with the 87th, to whom it properly belonged;
+but I imagine the 87th must have been the captors, for Sergeant
+Masterson soon after received a commission for his gallantry, and is now
+a captain in that regiment.
+
+The 54th, the French regiment, which had been sent into the wood to turn
+our left flank, by some means got entangled; for, except their light
+company, no part of the regiment ever got into action again; and when
+their columns were routed, they found some difficulty in effecting their
+retreat. There is something rather extraordinary and very interesting in
+the story of the eagle and the 8th regiment, if it be true, and which I
+see no reason to doubt. They were one of the regiments, it is said,
+which were engaged at Talavera, and were particularly distinguished; and
+it is further said, that the 87th was one of the regiments opposed to
+them, and over which they gained some advantage; that is, the French
+troops caused the British brigade, in which the 87th was serving, to
+retire with considerable loss; and that it was for their conduct in this
+action that Bonaparte had placed a golden wreath of laurel round the
+neck of the regimental eagle with his own hand. If such was the case, it
+is most remarkable that the very regiment by whom they should have
+obtained this honour, should be the regiment that deprived them of their
+eagle, which had been so highly honoured. But here, poor fellows,
+although they did not lose their honour, they lost very nearly the whole
+regiment; for out of 1400 which entered the field, not more than 200 of
+them entered Chiclana after the action. Indeed I never witnessed any
+field so thickly strewed with dead as this plain was after the action;
+and I feel confident, and all accounts agree in confirming the opinion,
+that the loss of the French on this occasion was little short of 3000
+men; ours was about 1250. Here then we have a loss of 4000 men in about
+an hour and a half, out of about 12,000 which composed the two armies.
+
+In this action, Colonel Bush was almost absurdly brave and conspicuous.
+As soon as he got his Portuguese fairly into action, he rode slowly
+backward and forward among them, with his spectacles on, crying out as
+the balls whistled past him, "Que bella musica!" what delightful music!
+Poor fellow, he did not ride there many minutes; for, being within a
+very short distance of the enemy's tirailleurs so conspicuous an object,
+it was not to be expected he could escape. He died a few days after the
+action.
+
+Colonel Barnard, my commandant, (now Sir Andrew,) about the middle of
+the action, received a severe wound, and was borne away to the rear.
+Whilst the surgeon was dressing him, another shot struck him, and
+inflicted, I believe, a worse wound than the former. The horses of my
+battalion suffered greatly in proportion to their numbers. We had only
+four in the field, two of which, Major Ross's and my own, were killed,
+and Colonel Barnard's wounded; only the adjutant's escaped with a whole
+skin. Indeed there was scarcely an officer or soldier in the action that
+had not marks of shot about him. The caps of the tall guardsmen were
+riddled as it were; while the greater part of the enemy's shot passed
+over our little fellows, who were both too near them, and too low for
+their fire. I may remark on this subject that the French generally fire
+high, but here I think unusually so; for, after a considerable quantity
+of ammunition had been expended by my battalion, it became my duty to
+look out for a fresh supply. I accordingly posted off to the rear, where
+I expected to have found some mules which had been attached to us, with
+ammunition on their backs; but on my way thither, the ground was
+actually ploughing up on all sides by the enemy's large shot, and their
+musket-balls falling very thick; so much so, that some of our mules far
+to the rear had been wounded, and the others had dispersed. Hence also
+the second wound which my gallant commander received, where he ought to
+have been completely out of danger. Some ammunition for our rifles was,
+however, found in a one-horse cart belonging to the artillery, and out
+of it those whose ammunition was expended were replenished. But during
+my absence to the rear, the gallant and decisive charge had been made;
+and when I again reached the front, I perceived the enemy's columns in
+full retreat, covered by the remainder of their light troops, closely
+followed by some of my people. The retreat was accordingly sounded to
+recall them from the pursuit, and our brave and victorious little army
+cheered the enemy as his beaten and disheartened columns left the field.
+
+Immediately after our army began to move off towards the Isla, our
+General being, as I understood, so much exasperated with the apathy
+evinced by the Spanish General, that he would no longer co-operate with
+him, and consequently drew off our troops into the Isle of Leon. My
+battalion, however, was destined to remain on the field all night to
+protect the numerous wounded from any marauders, or small parties and
+cavalry patrols of the enemy, which might happen to return. However, not
+a Frenchman made his appearance there again that night. When it was
+determined to withdraw the British army, Major Duncan, with great
+humanity, (approved of course by our excellent General,) cast off from
+the artillery-carriages all the spare ammunition, in order to make room
+for as many of our wounded officers and soldiers as those carriages
+could accommodate, and thus a considerable number of them were carried
+from the field immediately.
+
+After they had left us, and my battalion was still standing in front of
+the position last occupied by our troops, all having retired but
+ourselves, and it now began to draw towards night, and we were preparing
+to move off, an unfortunate French sergeant attracted our notice. Poor
+fellow, he had been shot in the small of the back, and (on our surgeon
+examining him) pronounced to be mortally. He appeared to be a man above
+forty, and apparently a veteran, who had fought many a hard field; and
+was, I think, one of the most respectable-looking men of his class that
+I have seen. When he saw us preparing to leave him to his fate, the
+expression of his countenance became the most piteous and beseeching
+imaginable; imploring us in French not to leave him there to perish. My
+heart bled for him; but unhappily we had no means of removing him, had
+there even been a hope of his recovery. When he saw that his fate was
+inevitable, he crawled in the best manner he was able to a broken
+ammunition-box, and raising himself on his knees, supported by it,
+besought that Being who never casts out the cry of the unfortunate, and
+who, I sincerely hope, imparted to him that strength and comfort which
+his unhappy circumstances so greatly required. I doubt not he was a
+sincere Christian; never shall I forget the impression his unhappy fate
+made on my mind. To be left in solitude and darkness on this
+blood-stained heath, with the prospect of his own certain death before
+his eyes, and without any to comfort him in his last agony, must indeed
+have been a severe trial to his fortitude. Would to God I could have
+relieved him! His case was not singular, it is true; but none ever
+presented itself to my view under such truly affecting circumstances as
+this unhappy veteran's did.
+
+After dark, my battalion retired over the field where the thickest of
+the dead and wounded were strewed, and many were the dying groans which
+struck upon our ears, as we traversed this bloody field; but, except
+these groans, no sound was heard, where lately the din of arms had been
+loud and fierce, and where war had raged in all its fury; till coming to
+the house upon the sea-beach, where many of the wounded had been
+collected, we were formed into square on a sand-hill near it, and in
+this position rested on our arms for the remainder of the night. On our
+way from the front, we passed not far from where my horse had fallen;
+and as saddlery was scarce at Cadiz, I thought it would be prudent to
+try to recover that on which I had been riding. I found it; but my horse
+having fallen with his back inclined to the front, it was perforated by
+shot in five places, and the tree was broken. However, I disengaged it,
+and giving it to one of the men, whose rifle I carried in return, I got
+it safely into Isla.
+
+About twelve at night, poor General Rousseau died, a cannon-shot having
+carried away the greater part of the flesh of one of his thighs; and as
+no other troops were near, the task of paying him the last sad duty
+devolved upon me. I went to the house aforesaid, and procured a shovel
+or a spade, and digging a hole in the sand by the light of the moon, his
+body was deposited, where it in all probability will remain till the
+last trumpet shall summon it to rise. Poor drunken Gilles, one of the
+men I had employed on the occasion, pronounced the only service as he
+was committed to the dust, which was, "God rest his soul!" I indeed
+sincerely hope so. Poor Rousseau had been a noble soldier; in his pocket
+was found a leave which he had obtained to return to France on account
+of ill health; but in the prospect of the approaching action he had
+delayed his departure, and thus fell a victim as it were to his
+patriotism and his sense of honour. He was military governor of Xeres de
+la Frontera, from whence we have our wine called Sherry, a corruption of
+Xeres. He was a small slender person, and apparently had suffered
+greatly from ill health. During the night some Spaniards were sent into
+the field to look for and bring off the guns we had taken, which they
+did.
+
+As it approached towards morning, Major Ross, seeing all was quiet,
+moved us off by the beach towards our former quarters; and passing over
+the position of Bermesa, which the Spaniards still occupied, and
+crossing the Santi Petri by the lately erected bridge, we returned weary
+and hungry to La Isla, and where our friends received us once again with
+great cordiality. If my reader is not tired of the subject, I would just
+beg to draw his attention for a moment to the circumstances attending
+this action. The French troops were at least 7500 (some say 8000)
+strong, well clothed and appointed, and apparently well fed, and fresh
+from their cantonments, none of them probably having marched more than
+four miles. They were some of the best in the French service, and
+commanded by one of Bonaparte's ablest generals, a marshal of France,
+Victor, Duke of Belluno. They occupied a fine position, having the
+ground completely at their choice; while we did not muster more than
+4500 at most. We had been marching for sixteen hours successively
+through the night over bad roads; and being taken in a manner by
+surprise, we came out of the wood _beneath_ the enemy, broken and
+disjointed, and were instantly hurried into action.
+
+The French fought desperately; for when their marauding columns came
+down upon us with an intrepidity seldom seen in the French army, and
+opening out their heavy and destructive fire, my heart quaked within me
+for the safety of our little army, and the honour of our country, for I
+thought it would be impossible to resist them. However, the steady
+valour of our troops repelled the assailants, and, taking advantage of
+their proximity, charged as before stated, and completely overthrew
+them. It is certain, as General Graham says, that _all_ must have done
+their duty on this occasion; notwithstanding, we may sing with great
+propriety, "Non nobis, Domine"--"Not unto us, O Lord, but unto thy name
+be the praise;" for it is certain we must have been specially favoured
+by a kind Providence, or it is impossible we could have gained _such_ a
+victory under so many and so great disadvantages; for never was victory
+more complete. In less than three hours from the first glimpse we had of
+them as we debouched from the wood, a Frenchman was not to be seen in
+all the field, save the numerous killed and wounded.
+
+Although our General did not say any thing in his public dispatch of the
+abominable conduct of La Pena, no doubt he stated truly in his private
+information how ill that General had behaved; for he and the 10,000 or
+11,000 Spaniards he had with him remained within two miles of the field
+of action, quiet and passive spectators of the scene, without making one
+effort to support us had we been beaten, or to take advantage of the
+victory should we gain it; and the consequence was, the French retained
+their ground and works by which they invested Cadiz and La Isla,
+whereas, had he made the slightest movement during or after the fight,
+they would have all gone off, and the siege would have been raised, for
+it is evident they contemplated and were prepared for this, the soldiers
+having each three or four days' bread in his possession.
+
+A considerable number of other officers besides Generals Ruffin and
+Rousseau were taken. Ruffin was wounded in the neck by a rifle-shot,
+which touched the spinal marrow, depriving him of the use of his limbs.
+He was soon after embarked for England, but died as he came within sight
+of the Isle of Wight. He was an immense and a fine-looking man, about
+six feet two inches or six feet three inches high, and ate enormously.
+He every day received a mess from our General's table. The other
+officers also were treated with the greatest politeness and attention,
+dining first at one regimental mess, and then at another. They were
+fully sensible of the kindness shown them, and expressed themselves very
+grateful. They were afterwards sent to England.
+
+I cannot omit here noticing the high estimation in which General Graham
+was held by every officer and soldier of this little army. I may truly
+say, he lived in their affections; they not only looked up to him with
+confidence as their commander, but they esteemed and respected him as
+their firm friend and protector, which indeed he always showed himself
+to be.
+
+In all my fighting I never was in an action where the chances of death
+were so numerous as in this; and I may say, I never was in an action
+where I was less prepared to die. It is therefore of the Lord's mercies
+that he spared me--I hope, for good at last.
+
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[2] The distance to which the French threw these shells is truly
+amazing. The longest range of heavy iron sea mortars is only about 4200
+yards, whereas the distance from the French batteries on the Trocadero
+to the nearest point of Cadiz was, I believe, 4500 or more; but they
+exceeded this considerably, for, as I said above, some of their shells
+fell in the sea beyond the town, near the lighthouse, a distance of at
+least 500 or 600 yards farther. The shells were always half filled with
+lead, to increase their flight, so that when they burst the mischief
+they occasioned was never extensive; I believe not more than about
+half-a-dozen individuals suffered from them in all.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VII.
+
+     The 2d Battalion of the 95th Rifles ordered to proceed to
+     Portugal--Our Author visits England--Returns to Portugal, and
+     joins his Regiment at Rodrigo--The Army move towards
+     Badajos--Siege of Badajos--Badajos surrenders--Insubordination
+     among the Troops--Quelled by the prompt measures of Lord
+     Wellington.
+
+
+We remained at Isla till June, without any thing of importance
+occurring, but at this time I was brought nigh to death's door by the
+bursting of a bloodvessel in the lungs. I was so ill that it was deemed
+necessary to send me home for change of air, it being exceedingly hot at
+this time at Isla. I was accordingly removed to Cadiz to wait for the
+first ship returning to England, and while there I suffered greatly, not
+being able to lie down in bed. However, before a vessel could be had, an
+order was received for my battalion to proceed to Portugal, and our
+esteemed commander was likewise ordered to proceed to that country. As I
+felt myself somewhat better, I obtained permission to accompany my
+battalion to Portugal, and I accordingly embarked with it at Cadiz on
+the 30th of that month, on board a transport, the name of which I
+forget. General Graham intended to have gone in a 50 gun ship that was
+leaving that port for England, he being to be left at Lisbon in passing.
+He sent an aide-de-camp on board to prepare for his reception; but he
+met with such treatment while on board, as induced the General to alter
+his plan and go in a frigate, on board which some of our people were
+embarked. It is said, that after the aide-de-camp had been shown the
+accommodation, the captain intimated to him, that it was expected the
+military officers would always keep on the leeward side of the
+quarter-deck. The windward side on board a man-of-war is considered the
+most honourable, therefore this was in fact putting the General beneath
+himself. He suffered, however, for his ill-timed assumption of
+supremacy, for there was a quantity of specie at Cadiz which was to be
+transported at the same time for the use of the army in Portugal, and
+which was intended to have gone in the ship with the General; but after
+this reception of his aide-de-camp, and the imperious condition attached
+to his going in this ship, he went on board the frigate with his suite,
+and took the money with him, thus depriving him of a considerable
+premium for its transport, to which he would have been entitled had the
+General gone with him. He, however, being the senior officer, we were
+all put under his charge, save the frigate before mentioned, and we were
+greatly annoyed by him during our passage, which our master said he
+prolonged in looking out for American merchantmen, there being then an
+appearance of war between the two countries. They said he actually
+detained one or two which left Cadiz when we did, and that he fired
+small arms into them to bring them to, although war had not been
+declared. One day during the passage he made a signal to the transports
+which we did not immediately perceive. We were astonished at the report
+of a gun, and at the same time a cannon-shot whizzed past our rigging.
+This is not, I believe, customary, a blank gun being generally fired
+first, and when nothing else will do, a shot a-head of the vessel, but
+he appeared not to stand on any ceremony.
+
+We were glad when the voyage was over, it continuing from the 30th June
+to the 19th July, although three or four days only is the usual time.
+
+We landed at Lisbon, and immediately set about preparing for our journey
+up the country to join the army; but Colonel Barnard having received
+letters respecting the settlement of our late Colonel (General
+Manningham's) affairs, which could not be easily arranged without my
+presence, determined to send me home for the purpose, with a promise,
+however, that I should immediately come out again. I accordingly
+embarked on board the same transport with a ship full of all kinds and
+descriptions of people, sick and wounded, and lame and lazy; such a
+motley group I have seldom seen. Our paymaster also returned home with
+me, and besides him I did not know a person on board.
+
+We had a long and tedious passage, not reaching Portsmouth till the 27th
+August, although we embarked on the 1st of that month. When we entered
+the chops of the Channel, there was a considerable swell in the sea. Our
+master, for some purpose or other, had got up from the hold a small
+quantity of ballast (gravel), which was laid upon the quarter-deck. A
+fine stout young Irishman, an officer on board, came up the companion,
+and seeing the ballast lying there, asked where it came from.
+
+"Why, don't you see," says the master, "how rough the sea is? it has
+been washed up from the bottom and thrown upon the deck."
+
+The Hibernian seemed quite astonished at the effect of the swell, but
+believed the story with all the simple-hearted credulity of a
+Johnny-raw, as the soldiers term a young and inexperienced soldier. Our
+paymaster was a little of a gourmand, and having for some time been
+deprived of luxuries, determined to indulge a little now we had come to
+the land of plenty. On our road, therefore, to London, (he and another
+officer and myself posting it,) we stopped at Godalming for dinner; he
+would needs have a carp, which he happened to see in a pond in the
+garden, made ready for our dinner. It was prepared according to his
+request, and with it and other good things we contrived to fare pretty
+well; although, according to my taste, a fresh herring would have been
+preferable. But lo, and behold! when the bill was called for, the awful
+sum of _half a guinea_ for the carp was added to the other items of the
+dinner, which amounted to quite enough without it. To remonstrate would
+have been useless; we therefore paid the bill and set off, determined to
+be more economical in future.
+
+I passed through London, and reached the depôt of my battalion, then
+stationed at Ashford in Kent, where, after having arranged the business
+for which I had been sent home, I obtained a three months' leave of
+absence to visit my native place, where I arrived, thank God, in a much
+improved state of health, and where I found all my friends and
+connexions as well as could be expected, and no doubt happy to see me.
+
+About the middle of November of the same year, I started once more for
+foreign service, and embarked at Portsmouth for Lisbon on the 22d of
+that month, on board a small brig heavily laden with corn for the army
+in Portugal. We remained some time wind-bound, but at length got to sea
+and proceeded on our voyage, but shortly after the wind headed us and
+began to blow very fresh. We were therefore compelled to run for the
+Race of Portland, where we came to anchor. But the wind coming more
+favourable in a day or two, we weighed again, and got as far on our
+voyage as opposite Torbay; but here again the wind coming foul, we were
+obliged to enter the bay and drop anchor again. We were detained here a
+good many days, during which I went ashore with another officer, who was
+on board with me, and indulged in some Devonshire clotted cream at
+Brixham.
+
+In about a week we again started, and got about half way across the Bay
+of Biscay, when a heavy gale overtook us, and in which we lost a
+considerable portion of our quarter-bulwarks (I think they are called).
+Indeed, from the brig being so heavily laden, the water being within a
+very little of her gunwale, she did not weather the heavy seas which
+struck her very well, for during the night one came clean over her,
+partly filling the cabin where we lay with water; and I own I had
+considerable apprehension for our safety, which I believe was pretty
+universal on board. It pleased Him, however, who ruleth over all things,
+to bring us through the gale without further injury, although we
+appeared next morning in a very shattered condition, and after a few
+more days' sailing, we reached the Tagus, and landed at Lisbon about the
+middle of January 1812, and immediately commenced equipping for a
+campaign with the army which was at this time besieging Ciudad Rodrigo.
+I had to purchase a riding-horse and a mule to carry my baggage, and a
+great deal more of essential requisites to enable me to do my duty in
+the field; and to say truth, I had not, by any means, sufficient funds
+to meet these considerable expenses, and was consequently forced to
+borrow, and glad enough to find a friend who could and would lend me
+enough for the occasion. And here I cannot but remark, that it seemed
+peculiarly hard on junior officers, on their taking the field, to be
+compelled to furnish all this equipment at their own expense. I have
+known several who did not recover from the debt they thus incurred
+(could they find a friend, as I did, to lend them what they wanted) for
+a considerable time after they had joined the army; nay, I believe some
+never recovered it, and the persons who were kind enough to oblige them
+lost several large sums in this manner. In my own case, I know, I was
+most wofully put to it to raise a sufficiency for this purpose; and
+many, I know, have been compelled to take the field without the
+necessary equipment to render them efficient. They were thus of little
+service to the army for a considerable time after joining, and many of
+them were obliged to leave it again, after striving to do their duty,
+inadequately provided with the conveniences and comforts requisite to
+enable a man to bear up against the fatigues he had to encounter. It
+struck me as but just, and in this opinion I am not singular, that all
+officers who have not sufficient pay and allowances to enable them to
+provide themselves with the means of transport, ought to be furnished in
+the first instance at the public expense, and then be afterwards obliged
+to keep them in a fit state for service at their own.
+
+I set out from Lisbon soon after, and joined my regiment, which was one
+of those that formed the light division, and found them cantoned in the
+neighbourhood of Rodrigo, that fortress having fallen some days previous
+to my arrival. I had not been many days with the regiment till the
+division was assembled at a village called Ituera, on the banks of the
+Azava, to carry into execution the sentence of a general court-martial,
+before which seven men of the division had been arraigned for desertion
+to the enemy, they having been taken in Rodrigo at the capture of that
+place. They were of course all found guilty, as they were taken as it
+were out of the enemy's ranks, and never attempted to plead not guilty;
+but they had said in palliation of their heinous crime, that they were
+forced to desert from want of food and clothing; indeed the army had not
+been so well supplied for a short while previously, as they had been
+accustomed to, but there never was any thing like want. I understood the
+clothing also was getting bad, but the men could not be got up the
+country for want of transport, and they were no worse off than their
+comrades. Indeed, from all I could learn, they had acted in a most
+diabolical manner; for at the attack of the breaches in assaulting the
+place, they were distinctly heard crying out to one another, "Now here
+comes the light division; let us give it them, the rascals," or
+something to that effect, and had, it is said, done more injury to the
+assailing party than twice their number of Frenchmen. Death of course
+was their sentence, and now the wretched victims of delusion were to
+atone with their lives for one of the greatest crimes known in the
+criminal code of the army.
+
+The division was formed into three sides square, on a plain in front of
+the village, the graves of the hapless beings occupying a part of the
+fourth face of the square. When all was ready, and a firing party from
+each regiment had been formed in the centre, the provost-marshal went to
+the guard-tent, where the prisoners were in waiting, to conduct them to
+the place of execution. They soon after appeared, poor wretches, moving
+towards the square, with faces pale and wan, and with all the dejection
+such a situation is calculated to produce. Their arms had been pinioned
+one by one as they came out from the guard-tent, and all being ready,
+the melancholy procession advanced towards the centre of the square. The
+proceedings of the court which tried them, together with the sentence,
+and the approval of the Commander of the Forces, was read by the
+Assistant Adjutant-general, in the hearing of the whole division; which
+concluded, the prisoners were marched round in front of every regiment,
+that all might see and avoid their unhappy fate. They were then moved
+towards their graves. I ought to observe that the chaplain of the
+division had been with them in the guard-tent some little time
+previously to their leaving it, and when they quitted as above
+described, he followed them at a considerable distance, apparently
+ashamed of his peculiar calling, and the duty incumbent on him in such a
+conjuncture. They were led, as I said before, towards their graves; and
+when they reached the bank of earth in front of each, they were made to
+kneel down with their faces fronting the square, and then being one
+after another blindfolded, and left for a few moments to their own
+reflections or their prayers, the provost-marshal proceeded to the
+firing party, who had been previously loaded, and directing the men of
+each regiment to fire at their own prisoner, he advanced them to within
+about ten or twelve paces of the wretched men, and giving the signals by
+motion for their making ready and firing, the whole fired at once, and
+plunged the unhappy criminals into eternity. There was, indeed, one
+melancholy exception to this. One of the prisoners belonged to the troop
+of horse artillery attached to the division, and it seems the provost,
+in giving his orders for the soldiers of each regiment to fire at their
+own man, had not recollected that the artillery had no men there to
+fire. He was thus left sitting on his knees, when the others had fallen
+all around him. What his feelings must have been it is in vain to guess;
+but, poor fellow, he was not suffered long to remain in suspense, for a
+reserve party immediately approaching, they fired and stretched him also
+along with his companions in crime and misery; and in such of the others
+as they perceived life still remaining, they also immediately put an
+end to their sufferings, by placing their muskets close to their body,
+and firing into them. One poor man, when he received his death wound,
+sprung to a considerable height, and giving a loud shriek, he fell, and
+instantly expired.
+
+When all was finished, the division was formed into column, and marched
+round in front of the bodies, where each soldier might distinctly
+perceive the sad and melancholy effects of such a fatal dereliction of
+duty. They were then, without more ado, thrown into their graves, which
+were filled up without delay, and the division separating, each regiment
+marched to its quarters.
+
+I cannot describe the uncomfortable feelings this spectacle produced in
+my mind--nay, not only there, but in my body also--for I felt sick at
+heart; a sort of loathing ensued; and from the recollection of what I
+then suffered, I could not easily be persuaded to witness such another
+scene, if I had the option of staying away. Death in the hundred shapes
+it assumes on the field of battle seems honourable, and not near so
+revolting to the feelings, and withal comes suddenly; but to witness the
+slow and melancholy preparations for an execution such as this, is
+productive, in any heart that can feel, of the most unpleasant
+sensations, I think, imaginable.
+
+One of the poor wretches was the little shoemaker of our Highland
+company, by name M'Guiniss, whom I had known for many years, and who
+formerly bore an excellent character; but he had most likely been
+seduced by some of his companions to commit this heinous crime.
+
+Not many days after this, the whole army began to move towards Badajos.
+On the 26th of February we left our cantonments, and passing by way of
+Castello Branca and Villa Velha, we reached a village not far from Niza,
+called Povo das Meadas, where my battalion took up its quarters for a
+time. From hence I was dispatched to Lisbon for the regimental clothing,
+which had then arrived at that port; but being unable to procure the
+means of transport, I was obliged to return without it. I rejoined them
+in the camp before Badajos about the 25th of March, and witnessed the
+siege of that fortress from this period to its fall on the 6th of April.
+The breaches having been reported practicable by the engineers on the
+5th, in the evening the army was assembled for the assault, and was
+disposed as follows: the 3d division under General Picton was ordered to
+attack the citadel, and to endeavour to establish himself there by
+escalade; the 4th and light divisions, the former under General
+Colville, and the latter commanded by Colonel Barnard, were destined for
+the breaches; the 5th division, which had not co-operated hitherto in
+the siege, but brought this evening into the neighbourhood, was ordered
+to occupy the ground in front of the town by way of reserve. One brigade
+of that division was ordered to make a false attack on a work called the
+Pardeleras, which was connected with the town, although not actually
+belonging to it. Another brigade of the same division was ordered to
+make another false attack round towards the gate near the river
+Guadiana, which latter was to be turned into a real attack, if
+circumstances permitted General Walker, who commanded it, to do so.
+There was also a brigade of Portuguese, which was ordered to attack St
+Cristoval, a fort on the other side of the river. Every thing was
+arranged in the clearest and most satisfactory manner; all knew what
+they had to do, the point they were to occupy in the attack having been
+pointed out to most of them the day before. Soon after dark, the
+different divisions began to move towards their destined posts, all
+elated with the certainty of success.
+
+I was then in the mess of the senior captain of my battalion, who
+commanded it on this occasion; and my other messmates were poor little
+Croudace and Cary, both lieutenants, the latter acting adjutant, and
+another. We had taken a farewell glass before we got up from dinner, not
+knowing which of them would survive the bloody fray that was likely soon
+to commence. Poor Croudace, a native of the county of Durham, and
+consequently a near countryman, put into my hand a small leather purse,
+containing half a doubloon, and requested me to take care of it for him,
+as he did not know whose fate it might be to fall or to survive. I took
+it according to his wish, and put it into my pocket, and, after a little
+more conversation, and another glass, for the poor little fellow liked
+his wine, we parted, and they moved off. Although I had thus, as it
+were, settled it in my mind that I would not go with them on this
+occasion, for my services could have been of but very little utility,
+yet, when they went away, I felt as if I was left desolate as it were,
+and was quite uneasy at parting from my beloved comrades, whom I had
+always accompanied hitherto. I therefore slung over my back my
+haversack, containing my pistol and a few other things, and moved
+forward, to try if I could find them; but falling in with some of my
+friends, staff-officers of the 43d, who were in the same brigade, they
+strongly dissuaded me from it, representing to me the folly of uselessly
+exposing myself, and the little service I could render there; and one of
+them requested me to accompany him to a hill immediately in front of the
+breaches, where we could see the business as it proceeded.
+
+We waited till about ten o'clock, when the fire first commenced from the
+castle upon the 3d division, as they approached it; but the fire from
+thence did not appear very heavy. Not long after it opened out at the
+breaches, and was most awfully severe; indeed it was so heavy and so
+incessant, that it appeared like one continued sheet of fire along the
+ramparts near the breaches, and we could distinctly see the faces of the
+French troops, although the distance was near a mile. All sorts of arms,
+&c. were playing at once, guns, mortars, musketry, grenades, and shells
+thrown from the walls, while every few minutes explosions from mines
+were taking place. The firing too appeared to have such a strange
+deathlike sound, quite different from all I had ever heard before. This
+was occasioned by the muzzles being pointed downwards into the ditch,
+which gave the report an unusual and appalling effect. This continued
+without a moment's cessation, or without any apparent advantage being
+gained by our struggling but awfully circumstanced comrades. Lord
+Wellington had also taken his stand upon this hill, and appeared quite
+uneasy at the troops seeming to make no progress, and often asked, or
+rather repeated to himself, "What can be the matter?"
+
+The enemy had adopted an excellent plan to ascertain where our columns
+were posted; they threw an immense number of light balls on all sides of
+the town, and when they found out where there was a large body, a rocket
+was fired in the direction of where it stood, and instantly every gun,
+mortar, and howitzer, not previously engaged, was turned in that
+direction, and grievous was the destruction their shot made in the ranks
+of these columns. Still our people at the breaches did not get forward,
+although we distinctly heard, with emotion, the bugles of our division
+sounding the advance. His lordship seemed now to lose all patience, and
+aides-de-camp were sent to ascertain the cause of the delay. They flew
+like lightning, while the whole rampart round the town seemed enveloped
+in one flame of fire. Our brave but unsuccessful comrades were heard
+cheering every now and then; but still the fire at the breaches did not
+slacken. At length a dispatch arrived from General Picton, stating, that
+he had established himself in the castle. This was cheering news to his
+lordship, who expressed very strongly the gratitude he felt for that
+gallant General.
+
+During the reading of the dispatch, which was done by torchlight, the
+enemy, perceiving the light, and that a number of people had assembled
+on the hill, directed a shell in that direction; but it fell short, and
+did us no injury. His lordship now rode off, and ordered our people at
+the breaches to retire, as the town was now perfectly secure. I also set
+off to inform my people of the happy circumstance. I found them drawn
+off from the glacis a few hundred yards; but, oh! what a difference in
+their appearance now from what they were previous to the attack! The
+whole division scarcely mustered at this time 2000 men, so many had been
+killed and wounded, and many had been sent to the rear with the latter.
+I informed them that General Picton had got possession of the castle,
+but my story appeared to them an incredible tale; for it was actually
+impossible, they thought; and although they made me repeat it over and
+over again, they could scarcely bring their minds to credit such
+unexpected news.
+
+It was now dawn of day, and the firing had ceased at every point. Here I
+learnt the fate of my two beloved friends and messmates: Croudace had
+been shot through the body, and carried to the rear; Cary had fallen,
+but they could not tell what had become of him. I now went forward
+towards the breaches, where I found that several men of both the 4th and
+light divisions had remained; and when General Picton moved from the
+castle towards that point, which I believe he stated in his dispatch to
+be his intention, the enemy, finding themselves attacked in rear, began
+to abandon the defence of the breaches, and our people were then enabled
+to enter. Never did I witness any thing like the artificial impediments
+which the enemy had here thrown up, which, added to the natural ones,
+that is, to the breaches not having been so perfectly practicable as was
+desirable, rendered it next to impossible to enter, even after all
+opposition on their part had ceased. In one breach (the large one) this
+was literally the case; for at the top of it was fixed a
+chevaux-de-frize extending the whole width of the breach, and composed
+of a strong beam of wood, with sharp-pointed sword-blades fixed in every
+direction, they being generally about three quarters of a yard long, and
+so closely set together, that it was impossible either to leap over them
+or penetrate between them, and the whole so firmly fixed to the works at
+the top, that it could not be moved. In addition, they had fitted a
+number of long and thick planks, with spikes about an inch or more in
+length, and laid them all down the breach, but fixed at the top, so that
+it was impossible for any one to get up without falling on these. Beyond
+the chevaux-de-frize several ditches had been cut, into which those must
+have fallen who surmounted the obstacles on the breach; but I believe
+none did, although I saw one Portuguese lying dead upon the ramparts;
+but I imagine he must either have been thrown up there by some
+explosion, or been one of those of the 3d division who came from the
+castle. In addition to all the above, from the covered way down into the
+ditch was, I should imagine, at least thirty feet; our people had
+descended by ladders, and, I doubt not, in the dark, and, in the hurry
+and confusion of the moment, many were thrown down and killed. In the
+middle of the large ditch a smaller one had been cut, which was filled
+with water, and in which, added to the inundation close to the right of
+the breaches, (which had been caused by bringing the river partly into
+the ditch,) numbers were drowned. Small mines had been constructed all
+along in the ditch, which were exploded when it was filled with people,
+and which produced infinite mischief.
+
+On the top of the ramparts the enemy had a considerable number of shells
+of the largest size, ready filled and fused; and when our people had
+filled the ditch below, these were lighted, and thrown over on their
+heads, each shell being capable of destroying from twelve to twenty men
+or more. They had beams of wood also laid on the ramparts, with old
+carriage-wheels, and every sort of missile imaginable, which were poured
+upon the unfortunate people below.
+
+When these things are taken into consideration, added to the incessant
+and destructive fire of from 3000 to 4000 men, all emulous to do their
+duty, at the short distance of perhaps twenty yards, with the ditch as
+full as it could possibly stow, the reader will be able to form some
+idea of the destruction that must naturally ensue: and awful indeed it
+was, for, within the space of less than an acre of ground, I should
+imagine not less than from 1200 to 1500 men were lying: it was a
+heart-rending sight. I learnt afterwards that many were the desperate
+efforts that had been made to ascend the breaches, but all in vain; that
+many had nearly reached the top, but they being either shot or blown up,
+the others were forced down again. Another and another trial still was
+made, but each succeeding party shared the fate of their predecessors.
+At last the bottoms of the breaches were nearly blocked up with the
+bodies of those who fell.
+
+By this time, General Philippon, the French governor, had surrendered.
+When he found the 3d division had got possession of the castle, and were
+preparing to move down to second the attack of the breaches by taking
+the enemy in rear, and that General Walker, with a part of the 5th
+division, had escaladed, and established themselves at the other end of
+the town, he deemed further resistance useless, and retired, with the
+garrison, to St Cristoval, on the opposite side of the river; and
+shortly after the whole surrendered prisoners of war, the troops, after
+being stripped of their arms and accoutrements, being marched along in
+the ditch to one of the gates, from whence they were escorted on their
+way to Elvas. They passed near the breaches while I was there, and I had
+a full view of them as they moved along. I thought they seemed under
+great apprehension for their safety, as they appeared quite downcast and
+dejected, which is not generally the case with French prisoners, who
+will shrug their shoulders, and tell you it is the fortune of war; but
+these poor fellows, who certainly had made a noble defence, seemed
+low-spirited and timid to a degree. Certainly by the rules of war, I
+believe, they might have been put to death, for having stood an assault
+of the place; but a British general does not resort to the same measures
+which their Marshal Suchet did at Tarragona, when he put all, both
+soldiers and inhabitants, to the sword.
+
+Soon after daylight, the remaining men of attacking divisions began to
+rush into the town, in hopes of sharing, with those who had already
+entered, the plunder they imagined it would afford; and though every
+thing was done by Colonel Barnard, aided by the other officers, to keep
+out those of the light division, it was useless, although he even risked
+his life to prevent their entering. He had bravely, during the attack,
+repeatedly ascended the breach, in hopes of overcoming the obstacles
+which presented themselves, but he had always been driven back, although
+he escaped unhurt where all was death around him; and now his life
+nearly fell a sacrifice, in endeavouring to restore that discipline in
+his division which this unfortunate and unsuccessful assault had
+considerably impaired. He opposed his personal and bodily strength to
+the entrance of the plunderers, but in vain. They rushed in, in spite of
+all opposition; and in wrenching a musket from one of the soldiers of
+the 52d, who was forcing past him, he fell, and was nigh precipitated
+into the ditch. He, however, finding resistance here in vain, set off,
+accompanied by several other officers, into the town, to endeavour to
+restrain, as much as lay in his power, the licentiousness of those
+inside, whose bad passions, it was but too evident, would be let loose
+upon the defenceless inhabitants.
+
+I had been in company with Captain Percival, my commanding-officer
+before alluded to, from the time of my first coming down to the division
+before daylight; and now he and I, hearing the heart-piercing and
+afflicting groans which arose from the numbers of wounded still lying in
+the ditch, set to work to get as many of these poor fellows removed as
+was in our power. This we found a most arduous and difficult
+undertaking, as we could not do it without the aid of a considerable
+number of men; and it was a work of danger to attempt to force the now
+lawless soldiers to obey, and stop with us till this work of necessity
+and humanity was accomplished.
+
+All thought of what they owed their wounded comrades, and of the
+probability that ere long a similar fate might be their own, was
+swallowed up in their abominable rage for drink and plunder; however, by
+perseverance, and by occasionally using his stick, my commandant at
+length compelled a few fellows to lend their assistance in removing
+what we could into the town, where it was intended that hospitals should
+be established. But this was a most heart-rending duty, for, from the
+innumerable cries of,--"Oh! for God's sake, come and remove me!" it was
+difficult to select the most proper objects for such care. Those who
+appeared likely to die, of course it would have been but cruelty to put
+them to the pain of a removal; and many who, from the nature of their
+wounds, required great care and attention in carrying them, the
+half-drunken brutes whom we were forced to employ exceedingly tortured
+and injured; nay, in carrying one man out of the ditch they very
+frequently kicked or trode upon several others, whom to touch was like
+death to them, and which produced the most agonizing cries imaginable.
+
+I remember at this time Colonel (the late Sir Niel) Campbell passed out
+at the breach, and, as he had formerly been a Captain in our regiment,
+many of the poor fellows who lay there knew him, and beseeched him in
+the most piteous manner to have them removed. He came to me, and urged
+upon me in the strongest manner to use every exertion to get the poor
+fellows away. This evinced he had a feeling heart; but he was not
+probably aware, that for that very purpose both my commanding-officer
+and myself had been labouring for hours; but it soon began to grow
+excessively hot, and what with the toil and the heat of the sun, and the
+very unpleasant effluvia which now arose from the numerous dead and
+wounded, we were both compelled, about mid-day, to desist from our
+distressing though gratifying labours.
+
+It was now between twelve and one o'clock, and though we had had a great
+many removed, a much greater number lay groaning in the ditch; but our
+strength was exhausted, for he was lame and unable to move much, and I
+had been obliged to assist in carrying many myself, the drunken
+scoundrels whom we had pressed into the service seldom making more than
+one or two trips till they deserted us. But my lamented friend and
+messmate, poor Cary, was still to search for, and, after a considerable
+time, he was found beneath one of the ladders by which they had
+descended into the ditch. He was shot through the head, and I doubt not
+received his death-wound on the ladder, from which in all probability he
+fell. He was stripped completely naked, save a flannel waistcoat which
+he wore next his skin. I had him taken up and placed upon a shutter, (he
+still breathed a little, though quite insensible,) and carried him to
+the camp. A sergeant and some men, whom we had pressed to carry him,
+were so drunk that they let him fall from off their shoulders, and his
+body fell with great force to the ground. I shuddered, but poor Cary, I
+believe, was past all feeling, or the fall would have greatly injured
+him. We laid him in bed in his tent, but it was not long ere my kind,
+esteemed, and lamented friend breathed his last. Poor Croudace had also
+died immediately after reaching the hospital, whither he had been
+carried when he was shot.
+
+Thus I lost two of my most particular and intimate acquaintances, from
+both of whom I had received many acts of kindness and friendship. They
+will long live in my memory. Cary was buried next day behind our tents,
+one of the officers (my other messmate) reading the funeral service.
+
+I cannot help adverting to some of the scenes which I witnessed in the
+ditch, while employed there as above noticed. One of the first strange
+sights that attracted our notice, was soon after our arrival. An officer
+with yellow facings came out of the town with a frail fair one leaning
+on his arm, and carrying in her other hand a cage with a bird in it; and
+she tripped it over the bodies of the dead and dying with all the ease
+and indifference of a person moving in a ball-room,--no more concern
+being evinced by either of them, than if nothing extraordinary had
+occurred. It was really lamentable to see such an utter absence of all
+right feeling.
+
+Soon after this the men began to come out with their plunder. Some of
+them had dressed themselves in priests' or friars' garments--some
+appeared in female dresses, as nuns, &c.; and, in short, all the
+whimsical and fantastical figures imaginable almost were to be seen
+coming reeling out of the town, for by this time they were nearly all
+drunk. I penetrated no farther into the town that day than to a house a
+little beyond the breach, where I had deposited the wounded; but I saw
+enough in this short trip to disgust me with the doings in Badajos at
+this time. I learnt that no house, church, or convent, was held sacred
+by the infuriated and now ungovernable soldiery, but that priests or
+nuns, and common people, all shared alike, and that any who showed the
+least resistance were instantly sacrificed to their fury. They had a
+method of firing through the lock of any door that happened to be shut
+against them, which almost invariably had the effect of forcing it open;
+and such scenes were witnessed in the streets as baffle description.
+
+One man of our first battalion, I am told, had got a hogshead of brandy
+into the streets, and, getting his mess-tin, and filling it from the
+cask, and seating himself astride like Bacchus, swore that every person
+who came past should drink, be who he may. His commanding-officer
+happened to be one who came that way, and he was compelled to take the
+tin and drink, for, had he refused, it is not improbable the wretch
+would have shot him, for his rifle was loaded by his side, and the
+soldiers had by this time become quite past all control. Another, who
+had been fortunate enough to obtain a considerable quantity of
+doubloons, put them in his haversack, and was making his way out of the
+town, but was induced, before he left it, to drink more than he could
+carry. He laid him down somewhere to take a nap, and awoke soon after
+without even his shoes, and not only were the doubloons gone, but all
+his own necessaries also.
+
+In, short, a thousand of the most tragi-comical spectacles that can
+possibly be imagined, might be witnessed in this devoted city. The
+officers did all they could to repress these outrages, but the soldiers
+were now so completely dispersed that one quarter of them could not be
+found; and indeed the only benefit almost that the officers could render
+was, by each placing himself in a house, which generally secured it from
+being broken open and plundered. The different camps of our army were
+for several days after more like rag-fairs than military encampments,
+such quantities of wearing-apparel of all kinds were disposing of by one
+set of plunderers to the other. But they were not content with what they
+had brought out of Badajos; they had now got such relish for plunder,
+that they could not leave it off when driven out of the town.
+
+A night or two after the surrender of the place, they stole no less than
+eight horses and mules belonging to my battalion, and took them to some
+of the other divisions, where they sold them as animals captured from
+the enemy. I lost on this occasion an excellent little mule, worth at
+least L.20, and for which I of course never obtained a farthing. We
+used every exertion to discover both the perpetrators and the animals,
+but without success.
+
+An English army is perhaps, generally speaking, under stricter
+discipline than any other in the world; but in proportion as they are
+held tight while they are in hand, if circumstances occur to give them
+liberty, I know of no army more difficult to restrain when once broke
+loose. A reason may perhaps be assigned for it in part. On such
+occasions as this siege, where they were long and much exposed to
+fatigue almost insupportable, to the most trying scenes of difficulty
+and danger, which were generally borne with cheerfulness and alacrity,
+they perhaps reasoned with themselves and one another in this
+manner,--that as they had borne so much and so patiently to get
+possession of the place, it was but fair that they should have some
+indulgence when their work and trials were crowned with success,
+especially as the armies of other powers make it a rule generally to
+give an assaulted fortress up to plunder. They had also become quite
+reckless of life from so long exposure to death; but an English army
+cannot plunder like the French. The latter keep themselves more sober,
+and look more to the solid and substantial benefit to be derived from
+it, while the former sacrifice every thing to drink; and when once in a
+state of intoxication, with all the bad passions set loose at the same
+time, I know not what they will hesitate to perpetrate.
+
+The reader will judge of the state of our soldiers who had been engaged
+in the siege, when Lord Wellington found it absolutely necessary to
+order in a Portuguese brigade to force the stragglers out of the town at
+the point of the bayonet. At this time I think I was fairly tired of
+life, so disgusting and so sickening were the scenes the few last days
+had presented. I had also lost two of those for whom I had a great
+regard, together with several others of my brother officers, all
+excellent young men, with still a greater number wounded,--in all, in
+our fifteen companies, to the amount of twenty-six,--and men in equal
+proportion. It was indeed a trying time.
+
+Notwithstanding what has been said above of the bad conduct of the
+British troops on this occasion, I am fully persuaded there is more
+humanity and generosity to be found in the breast of an English soldier
+than in any other in the world, for, except when inflamed by drink, I am
+confident it would be most revolting to his feelings to be ordered to
+proceed with cool deliberation to the execution of such horrid
+butcheries as we read of in the armies of other nations.--No! When calm
+and sober, no man acts with more tenderness towards those in his power
+than an English soldier. Bonaparte would not have found in them the
+willing actors in his political tragedy in Egypt, when he coolly
+fusiladed several thousands of his unfortunate Turkish prisoners, as
+related by Sir R. Wilson.
+
+If I may be permitted to make a few remarks on the taking of this strong
+fortress, and of the conduct of the besiegers, I would say that never in
+the annals of military warfare was greater devotion shown by those of
+all ranks, from the General to the common soldier. The arduous and
+dangerous service of the trenches was cheerfully performed by every
+individual whose duty called him there; but the most conspicuous
+gallantry was manifested in the assault. Conceive of the heroic Picton
+and his brave division escalading a wall probably forty feet high, built
+on the summit of an almost inaccessible rock, and with troops at the top
+of all to oppose them as they reached its summit. It is true the enemy
+were not numerous here, having only about 200 men in the castle, but
+still one man in this situation was able to destroy probably twenty of
+the assailants, by throwing down a ladder after it had been set up; most
+of those ascending would be crushed to death by the fall over such a
+precipice. But he carried every thing before him, and after establishing
+his own division in this commanding situation, he either actually did,
+or prepared to move upon the body of the enemy, who were defending the
+breaches. General Walker also, who commanded a part of the 5th division,
+bravely forced an entrance into the town at the opposite side,
+overcoming every one of the numerous barriers and obstacles which
+presented themselves; and where he himself, in the act, I believe, of
+mounting the rampart, received a most desperate wound. It was said, but
+I know not how truly, that when he fell, the French soldier who wounded
+him was about to repeat the blow, which in all probability would have
+deprived him of life, but that the General, whether intentionally or not
+it is not said, made the masonic sign, which was understood by one of
+the Frenchmen, and that he instantly interfered in his behalf and
+stopped the blow. They say the General some time after found out that
+his brave deliverer had been sent to Scotland with his fellow-prisoners,
+and that he had him searched for and handsomely rewarded, and, I
+believe, procured him his liberty.
+
+It is well known, I believe, to be the rule in all services like the
+assault of fortresses, &c., that those, both officers and men, who form
+the forlorn hope and the storming party, are volunteers, these being
+services of extreme danger, and which generally procure for the officers
+who survive a step of promotion; but it might as well have gone (in the
+light division at least) as a tour of duty, for on all occasions of this
+nature, with only one or two exceptions, the senior officers of each
+rank insisted upon being sent on that duty. Nay, in one instance this
+heroic feeling was carried to an almost censurable excess. Lieutenant
+Harvest of the 43d having been some time the senior of his rank in that
+regiment, and there being a vacancy for a captain, he had been
+recommended for the company; and although he had not been gazetted, yet
+it had been intimated to him through his commanding-officer that his
+name should shortly appear as captain. Thus his promotion was perfectly
+secure; notwithstanding, when volunteers were called for for the
+storming party, he insisted on his right of going as senior lieutenant;
+so over scrupulous was he that his permitting a junior officer to occupy
+this post might be construed to the detriment of his honour. He went,
+and fell; and thus not only lost his company but his life, and by his
+too refined sense of honour deprived another officer, probably, of that
+promotion which would have been the consequence of going on this duty
+had he survived.
+
+Among the men also the same noble enthusiasm prevailed, for he who was
+selected for this dangerous service out of the superabundant numbers who
+always volunteered, was envied by his comrades as truly fortunate. In
+fact, it required a character for good conduct to entitle a man to this
+honourable employment. Whatever, therefore, their other faults might be,
+a want of bravery was not one of them.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER VIII.
+
+     The army leave Badajos on the 11th of April, and move into
+     quarters near the river Agueda, where they remain till the 11th
+     of June--Advance towards Salamanca, which, with the exception
+     of three forts, the enemy had evacuated--The forts
+     invested--The main bodies of both armies bivouack within a mile
+     and a half of each other, in the vicinity of Monte Rubio and
+     Morisco--The forts of Salamanca surrender--The main body of the
+     enemy retire to Tordesillas--Movements of the army.
+
+
+On the 11th April we left Badajos to return again to the neighbourhood
+of Rodrigo, the French having, during the absence of our army from that
+frontier, made an irruption into Portugal, and penetrated as far down as
+below Castello Branca, completely ravaging the country. Our first march
+was to Campa Mayor, where we were quartered in the town. We next day
+reached Arronches, where we bivouacked in a wood near it. The following
+day we marched into Portalegre, and on the 14th, Niza; the 15th we
+crossed the Tagus at Villa Velha, and moved on to Larnadas. Here we
+began to perceive some of the effects of the recent visit from the
+French; but at Castello Branca, which we reached next day, the
+devastation they had caused was truly deplorable. We halted here one day
+to refresh the troops and get forward our supplies, and the next day
+reached Escallas da Cima. Here we began to get very close upon the rear
+of the enemy; it therefore became us to move forward with
+circumspection, for our force on this side the Tagus was yet but small.
+We advanced, however, and occupied successively St Miguel d'Arch,
+Penamacor, and St Bartholomo, near Sabugal, which last town we passed
+through on the 23d, and bivouacked that night at Alfyates. The utter
+desolation of Sabugal was beyond conception; filth and misery presented
+themselves in every direction. It had been made a depot for provisions
+by the French, I imagine, for on all sides the entrails and other offal
+of bullocks and sheep polluted the atmosphere by the abominable stench
+they caused, and had attracted multitudes of vultures and other birds of
+prey, who had by this time become horribly tame and familiar: one
+vulture sat so long upon a dead horse as I was riding along the road,
+that he allowed me to come near enough to make a cut at him with my
+sword, as he stretched his enormous wings to mount up from his prey.
+
+On the 24th we reached Ituera, where we halted for two days. We had now
+entered Spain, and it not being intended as yet to commence another
+active campaign, we moved into quarters near the river Agueda, my
+battalion and the 43d occupying the village of La Encina, or "The Oak."
+Here it was necessary that every exertion should be used to re-equip and
+prepare the troops for service, as it was intimated that another
+campaign would speedily commence.
+
+All the winter and spring hitherto had been spent in active service,
+consequently much required putting to rights before we again took the
+field; all hands were therefore employed to patch up and repair our
+clothing and shoes, and to get every thing in good order when our
+services were again to be called for.
+
+While we were here, I began to experience some of the ill effects of a
+deep-rooted enmity which one of my brother officers had conceived
+against me, though till now partly concealed. I was unconscious of
+having given him any cause for this; but he, without ever giving me any
+opportunity for explanation, used all his influence in endeavouring to
+injure me in the opinion of two of my superior officers, who had
+hitherto been friendly to me; and not only with them, but, I have reason
+to believe, with our acting brigadier, whose mind, with the others also,
+he completely estranged from me for a time. But though he misled them
+then, they did not retain the ill opinion of me which his
+misrepresentations had produced, for there are testimonials from all
+three at the end of this volume. I was not so fully aware of his dislike
+of me, till one day I was dining at the table of our acting brigadier,
+when he and one of those before noticed were also guests. I overheard
+him telling this officer, (with an intention, I almost imagine, that I
+should hear,) that I must be a bad man, for that I was sitting silent
+when all the rest were talking, in order that I might listen to their
+conversation. But I was the junior officer there, and it did not become
+me to be talkative; besides, I never was loquacious. I said nothing,
+(although some may blame me for it, but I loved peace,) trusting that
+one day such forbearance would not be forgotten; but I felt it deeply,
+and mourned over it in secret with great bitterness of spirit.
+
+In this place also I began to receive very pressing letters from the
+merchants in England, from whom I had purchased a quantity of goods when
+last at home, but which, for want of transport, could not be got up to
+the army in order to their being disposed of; and, in short, scarcely a
+post arrived that did not bring some unwelcome and distressing tidings.
+I had purchased a fine mule in place of that stolen from me at Badajos,
+for which I had given about £30. I sent him down to Lisbon with my
+batman, to bring up as many of the goods as the mule could carry; but he
+had not been long gone till I had the mortification to learn that this
+mule also was lost. The man said he had been stolen, but I had every
+reason afterwards to believe that he had sold him. Be it observed, I
+could but very ill afford losses of this extent out of my pay and scanty
+allowances; but I endeavoured to bear up as well as I could against
+these misfortunes, although it is certain I was not able to bring
+religion to my aid at this time of trial, for I had lived hitherto in
+total neglect of that most momentous of all concerns, and, although I
+endeavoured to amuse myself occasionally by fishing in the Agueda, my
+mind began to be greatly depressed.
+
+About this time an order was issued for each British regiment in the
+Peninsula to endeavour to enlist fifty Spaniards to be incorporated in
+the regiment. I was sent in company with another officer into the
+mountains of Gata, not far from the city of Placentia. We were not
+successful, for although we obtained the names of some who promised they
+would follow us to La Encina, they never made their appearance. However,
+the beauty and magnificence of the mountain scenery amply repaid us for
+our trouble. From this village also I had the pleasure of visiting, for
+the first time, the lately captured fortress of Ciudad Rodrigo, and some
+of my brother officers who had shared in the toils and dangers of the
+siege, pointed out to me the most remarkable scenes about it. Like
+Badajos, it had been battered till practicable breaches were made to
+admit the besiegers, and then stormed in the same manner, but its
+defence was feeble compared with Badajos; and yet, to look over the
+ground in the neighbourhood of the trenches, one would imagine it
+impossible for troops to have lived, so completely was it ploughed up
+with shot and shells, each of the latter generally making an excavation
+sufficiently large in which to bury a horse.
+
+Whilst we remained in these cantonments, the officers of the division
+once or twice got up a sort of "pic-nic," every one contributing
+something towards the feast, which was held in a large wood in the
+neighbourhood of Ituera. On our way from La Encina to this assembly, we
+passed over the ground where the 5th and 77th regiments had so
+distinguished themselves in September 1811, against a very superior
+force of the enemy's cavalry. The bones of the combatants lay bleaching
+upon the plain, the flesh having been very soon devoured by the
+innumerable birds of prey, which appeared as if collected from every
+part of the Peninsula. Indeed so numerous were the battles and
+skirmishes which took place along this frontier, together with the offal
+from the animals killed for the use of the armies, that they were no
+doubt better fed than they had in general been accustomed to.
+
+But the period of our stay in this vicinity drew to a close, and on the
+11th June we broke up from our cantonments, and passing the Agueda, the
+division assembled in a wood about a mile or two in front of Rodrigo.
+While we were here a rather remarkable phenomenon appeared about
+mid-day, or soon after; the sun, which shone most brightly, and the
+moon, with several stars, appeared all at the same time, the latter
+being distinctly visible. This of course attracted great numbers, and
+many were the sage remarks that were made, some believing it ominous of
+disastrous events; and indeed very shortly afterwards a circumstance
+occurred which in some degree confirmed their prediction. A grenadier of
+the 88th regiment (I think it was) had come over from his own division,
+to endeavour to prevail upon his wife, who had deserted him and taken up
+with a sergeant of our first battalion, to return with him, she having,
+as I understand, left him with one or more children, the first of their
+marriage, which he was anxious she should come and take care of. They
+had often, I fancy, quarrelled, and he had probably used her ill, but he
+was now desirous of a reconciliation, and entreated her to return with
+him to his regiment. He prevailed upon her to accompany him to some
+distance from the bivouack, that they might the more freely discuss the
+subject, for she had hitherto refused to agree to his request, being
+probably better provided for by the sergeant than she had been with him.
+While walking in a field close to the wood in which the bivouack was
+situated, and arguing the point with some heat, and she still persisting
+in remaining where she was, he became so exasperated at her continued
+refusal, that he, in a rage of jealousy and anger, drew his bayonet and
+plunged it in her bosom. Her cries soon brought people to the spot, who
+at once secured him, and he was instantly committed to the provost
+prison tent, and her body of course brought in and buried. Poor
+creature! she was one of the gayest of the females which graced our
+rural balls near Ituera only a short while previous, and had often
+danced with old General Vandaleur on those occasions. I believe he was
+not brought to trial for it, as her ill conduct probably had been
+considered as in some measure palliating what he did, and that he might
+be supposed to have been irritated to a degree of madness when he
+perpetrated the fatal act. I subsequently learnt that he was a brave
+soldier, and that he afterwards fell in the hard-fought battle of the
+Pyrenees.
+
+We moved forward the next day in the direction of Salamanca, halting on
+the 13th at Alba de Yeltes, on the 14th at Sancho Bueno, the 15th at
+Matillo, in a large plain in front of which we bivouacked, where were
+the most luxuriant meadows I think I ever saw, the horses on our arrival
+being literally up to their bellies in fine rich grass. What a pity the
+natives know nothing of hay-making! This fine herbage is permitted to
+stand there till it perishes, and yet in the winter they are frequently
+very ill off for provender for their cattle; indeed I do not exactly
+know how they contrive to feed them in that season, but I know we were
+always greatly put to our shifts to procure any sort of long forage for
+our animals, being generally compelled by necessity to resort to this
+grass, rotten and dead as it was. I believe they use a considerable
+quantity of straw, which they chop very short, and which in truth is no
+bad substitute for hay; but when it is so very plentiful and so good,
+common sense, one would imagine, would induce them to preserve it.
+
+Lord Wellington in the following season caused a considerable quantity
+of hay to be made in Portugal, getting scythes, &c. out from England,
+but we never returned that way afterwards to reap the benefit of it. All
+this immensely rich and extensive plain is in a complete state of
+nature--no enclosures to mark the different boundaries of the
+proprietors, should it have any, but where there are "landmarks," the
+mode of ancient days is resorted to.
+
+On the 16th we moved forward to within about five miles of Salamanca,
+and bivouacked near a range of low hills extending from the Rio Valmuso
+(which we had just crossed) to the city. In front of this place our
+cavalry fell in with that of the enemy, with whom they had a _petit
+affaire_, and had captured a few of them, who, in the afternoon, passed
+our bivouack, on their way to the rear. We observed as they passed that
+they wore long queues, which had an odd appearance in our eyes, the
+British army having for so many years left them off.
+
+Next morning we advanced towards the city. We had gone, I think, about
+three miles, when ascending one of those heights over which the road
+passes, we had a most interesting view of this beautiful place. It
+seemed thickly studded with elegant and highly ornamented spires,
+springing from the numerous cathedrals and colleges, &c. which it
+contained; but what heightened the effect was an immense column of smoke
+rising from some magazines which the enemy (not having time to carry
+off) had set on fire. We feared it was but the prelude to the whole city
+sharing the same fate, for their barbarous conduct in Portugal during
+Massena's retreat, rendered it but too doubtful they were resorting to
+the same mode of warfare here. They still retained possession of a
+portion of the town, in which they had constructed three forts; one very
+strong, and capable of containing about 500 or 600 men; the other two
+were smaller, to cover and act as supports to the principal one. In
+constructing these works they had destroyed the greater part of the
+colleges, and a considerable number of other public buildings, besides
+several extensive streets which Salamanca had formerly contained; but
+even now it was still a beautiful and interesting city. One of these
+works commanded the bridge, which rendered our crossing the Tormes here
+impracticable. We were in consequence moved about a league higher up the
+river, where we crossed by a rather deep ford. However, all got safely
+over, and we halted for the night on a small plain, a short distance
+from the ford, the main body of the enemy having retired and left 800
+men in the forts before mentioned. These occupied but about one-third of
+the town, of course the remainder was open and free, and, as might be
+expected, every one was anxious to have a peep at this famous
+university. Consequently away a number of us scampered, and soon entered
+the city, the inhabitants of which were overjoyed to see us. The nuns
+were seen waving white handkerchiefs out of their iron-grated windows,
+and the Padres and other respectable inhabitants welcomed us with a
+thousand vivas, embracing us, and using every means of testifying their
+joy at our arrival.
+
+I need not attempt to describe the place, for I am not able, and it has
+so often been described that my reader will not be disappointed at my
+declining to do it here; suffice it to say, the buildings in general,
+and the religious edifices in particular, were most superb; but the
+Goths had destroyed the finest portion of the city.
+
+The forts were immediately invested, and we went and had a look also at
+them. They seemed remarkably strong, having been constructed principally
+of hewn stones, taken from the buildings they had destroyed; and on all
+sides of them a space of perhaps two hundred yards or more was cleared
+away to make room for the play of their artillery, and to prevent a
+lodgement being made by the besiegers.
+
+We next day moved from our bivouack near the ford, and marched to the
+village of Aldea Secco, in front of which our cavalry and the enemy had
+a rencontre, after which the latter retired: this was about a league and
+a half in front of Salamanca. Next day we were suddenly assembled in
+consequence of the enemy, in great force, making his appearance at some
+distance in front of our bivouack. We were then removed from the plain,
+and took up a position on a height called Monte Rubio, or Red Hill, a
+little to the right. Soon after, also, the other divisions of our army
+began to assemble on the height, and our Chief arriving on the spot,
+every thing had the appearance of something serious being about to take
+place.
+
+Here also, for the first time, I saw Don Carlos de Espagna with his few
+followers. These were better clothed and equipped than almost any other
+Spanish troops that I had seen. The day passed over, however, without
+the French making any attack, and without any movement being made on our
+side, farther than putting the different divisions into position as they
+arrived on the ground. The French were continually receiving
+reinforcements, or rather their different divisions were rapidly
+arriving in succession, when they all bivouacked in the plain in front
+of us, at perhaps a mile and a half distance, and near to the village of
+Morisco. This they very soon gutted of every portable article, whether
+it was food, clothes, furniture, or whatever they could carry off; nay,
+they unroofed the greater part of the houses for fuel for the troops,
+but this latter proceeding could not be avoided, there being no wood
+near them. Englishmen may well feel thankful that their dwellings have
+not been exposed to such visitors, who, in half an hour, will convert a
+comfortable and smiling village into a heap of ruins.
+
+We remained in this position for some days, the two armies, like two
+experienced pugilists, each waiting for the other to strike the first
+blow, by which he would in some measure lay himself open. It was not,
+however, Lord Wellington's game to commence operations, seeing a part of
+our army was then employed in the siege of the forts in Salamanca;
+besides, it is said, when some one ventured to hint that we should
+attack the enemy, that his lordship judged it would make a difference of
+3000 men less on the side of the attacking army. I know not if this
+story be true, but certainly great prudence was displayed on both sides.
+However, the enemy had occasionally cannonaded us a little from the
+first; but about three days after their arrival, they made a very brisk
+and vigorous attack upon a conical hill immediately in front of our
+position, and a little to the right of Morisco. It was defended by the
+seventh division, which repelled the attack with great gallantry,
+driving the enemy down the hill again with great precipitation. The 68th
+regiment distinguished itself greatly, but in their pursuit of the
+beaten enemy, they advanced too far into the plain, and which the French
+observing, a forward movement was made again by them, and before our
+people could recover the high ground, Captain M'Kay and Lieutenant
+M'Donald, with a considerable number of their men, were made prisoners.
+Poor M'Kay received I know not how many bayonet wounds on this occasion,
+I believe not less than ten or twelve, but none of them very serious of
+course, or he could not have survived. He, with the others, were taken
+into the French lines, but he was so ill when they retired a few days
+after, that they were obliged to leave him in Morisco. The enemy's
+artillery played upon our line during the greater part of this attack,
+and caused us some loss, but not of any consequence, the horses
+appearing to have suffered more than the troops.
+
+The French seemed disappointed and annoyed at our sticking so
+pertinaciously to the hills on this occasion, and told M'Donald (from
+whom I afterwards had this information) that it was only when we had
+every advantage on our side that we durst give them battle. Our armies
+were, I think, pretty nearly equal, each having perhaps about 40,000,
+but they were, I believe, superior in cavalry, and of course the plain
+was the very ground for them. Marmont seeing himself thus foiled,
+withdrew from before us, and made a movement to his left, crossing the
+Tormes with a considerable part of his force, and advanced on the other
+side of the river towards Salamanca. Our heavy German cavalry, under
+General Baron Back, opposed them here, and greatly distinguished
+themselves, driving the enemy's cavalry from the field. Our army made
+corresponding movements with the enemy, changing in parts our position.
+
+Meantime the siege of the forts had been proceeding with from the first
+day of our arrival, and as the distance from Monte Rubio to the town was
+not great, several of us rode in to see how the siege was progressing,
+as the Americans have it. An attempt had been made to carry them by
+escalade, but it had failed; General Bowes, who led the attacking party,
+with several officers and men, having fallen in the attempt. His
+lordship now deemed it necessary to batter them regularly previous to
+another assault being made upon them. Heavy ordnance was therefore got
+into battery, which not only effected a breach in the smaller fort
+nearest the principal one, but which also threw a considerable quantity
+of hot shot into a building in the centre of it, which served as a
+barrack to the troops, the roof of which was presently set on fire, and
+the only shelter they had was thus destroyed. They thus were compelled
+on the 27th to surrender prisoners of war.
+
+It is not easy to describe the effect produced on those inhabitants who
+lived nearest to the forts while the siege was going forward. Just as I
+entered one of our batteries, which had been established close behind a
+street, still occupied by the people, one of our artillerymen was
+carried out shot by a musket ball in the breast, and dead; the poor
+people when he was brought out into the street assembled round his body,
+and set up the most piteous lamentations imaginable. This impressed me
+with the good feeling which must have existed in their minds towards the
+English, for they are not a people, as the reader will be aware, who are
+very susceptible of horror at the sight of blood. A few hours after
+these forts surrendered, I went to visit the principal one--the
+devastation caused by our hot shot on the house before mentioned was
+awful. They had been obliged to make this their hospital also as well as
+barrack, and it was really lamentable to see the poor wounded Frenchmen
+lying there in a house that was literally falling about their ears, the
+roof having been completely fired, while burning beams and rafters were
+continually dropping upon these poor helpless beings. A French surgeon
+was still in charge of these men, and he had the politeness to show us
+all over the fort. As it had appeared from the outside, it was in
+reality remarkably strong, and the place where our people had made an
+attempt to escalade it, was pointed out to us; he said it was heavily
+mined, and that if our people had carried it by escalade, the mines
+would most likely have been sprung. There was fixed immediately opposite
+the gate a beam of wood, with holes bored in it, and about twenty musket
+barrels fitted into them, so as to command the entrance. These, I
+imagine, it was intended to have fired by a train, as our people forced
+the gate, and it would have been like a little volley, which must have
+swept away the first of the assailants. The inhabitants seemed greatly
+rejoiced when this business was concluded, and peace once more
+established in their city, and they vied with each other in showing us
+every mark of attention and kindness, looking upon us as their
+deliverers.
+
+If I am not mistaken, it was here where our illustrious Chief played off
+a sort of innocent _ruse_ upon some of the Padres of the place. Soon
+after our arrival, and before the attempt upon the forts had failed, he
+went to visit some of the principal cathedrals, &c. which remained
+entire; the priests of course were proud to show their churches on such
+an occasion. He admired them greatly, and praised them much; but what
+seemed particularly to attract his attention was the extreme whiteness
+and cleanness of their walls and ceilings, although they were so very
+lofty. He enquired how they managed to get up to them to keep them so;
+and the unsuspecting Padre, without hesitation, led him to where they
+kept the immensely long ladders by which they ascended. This was just
+the very thing he wanted in his meditated attempt upon the forts, and of
+course they, with others of a similar description, were procured for
+that service. I will not vouch for the truth of the above, although I
+heard it, and I think it was not unlikely to have taken place. Indeed
+had he made a formal demand for such things, it is not improbable they
+might have denied they had them; but his having seen them himself
+precluded this.
+
+The forts surrendered on the 27th, and on the 28th the enemy's main body
+retired altogether; for they soon learned the fate of the besieged, as
+they had occasionally communicated in some measure by rockets thrown up,
+and answered. On the same day, our division moved forward to
+Castilbanos; and the day following to Parada de Rubiallis. On the 30th,
+we reached Castrillo de Aguerino; and on the 1st of July, the town of
+Ravel-del-Rey. The next day, we moved on towards Rueda, a considerable
+town. Here we found the French in some force, their main body having
+retired across the Duero to Tordesillas. The force in and about Rueda
+consisted of both cavalry and infantry, and seemed to act as a rearguard
+till the enemy's columns had time to file over the bridge at
+Tordesillas. I was at some distance in front of our division, the
+cavalry having preceded it, with whom I went forward. As we approached
+the place, a pretty large column of the enemy's infantry left it, and
+moved in the direction of the bridge. Some of our horse-artillery at
+this time came up, and fired Shrapnel shells into it, which did
+considerable execution; one shell particularly having killed and wounded
+great numbers, among whom was an officer, I think one of the handsomest
+men I had almost ever seen. Our cavalry had a little brush with some
+squadrons of the enemy a little further on in the plain, and captured a
+few prisoners. One of these was the sergeant-major of one of their
+hussar regiments, and of all the men I ever saw taken, this man evinced
+the greatest trepidation and alarm. He was absolutely like to sink to
+the earth, either from fear of what awaited himself, or from the effects
+of the contest in which he had been engaged. He had lost his cap in the
+fray, and seemed like a person deprived of his senses. He must,
+notwithstanding, have been looked upon by the French as a good soldier,
+and a valuable non-commissioned officer; for I learned afterwards that
+they sent in a request that he might be exchanged for one of our
+sergeants whom they had captured, as it was intended immediately to
+promote him to the adjutancy of his regiment; of course this was
+immediately complied with. The enemy retired to Tordesillas, and we
+bivouacked near Rueda, a part of the officers being permitted to go into
+houses in the town during the day.
+
+In this situation we remained for a day and a night; but the sun being
+so powerful, the troops began to feel the ill effects of the heat. They
+were accordingly brought into the town and quartered in the houses. Here
+I experienced more of that hostility before spoken of, on the following
+occasion. In the number of houses allotted to my battalion, there
+happened to be some of the best of them without stables; but as there
+was not time to examine farther than their outward appearance, this
+could not be known by me. I therefore marked off the houses according to
+custom, giving the best, in point of appearance, to the senior officers
+in succession, and so on till all were served. It so happened that the
+house allotted to this officer, who had nearly the best in the
+battalion given him, had no stable. This I was, from the fore-mentioned
+cause, totally ignorant of. Neither had I any stable in the house I
+occupied, but, after some trouble, I had found one in a house occupied
+by some of the men, where I had put up my horses and mules, and went
+about the other duties of my station. In the evening I was informed by
+my servant that my animals had been turned out by this officer, and his
+own put in, in their stead; and that mine were running loose in a yard,
+he not caring what became of them. My saddlery, and all the
+mule-apparatus, (precious articles in this country,) had also been cast
+out. He was my _senior_ officer, and I was consequently obliged to bear
+this ill-treatment.
+
+I mention this little circumstance, because it will show with what
+determined and unrelenting hostility he pursued me. Indeed it might not
+have been so trifling an affair, for had I not heard of it in time, I
+might have lost every horse and mule I possessed, which would have been
+one of the most serious disasters that could have befallen me. I could
+obtain no redress, for the captain before mentioned, who commanded the
+battalion, and this officer, being on rather unfriendly terms, he felt
+delicate in interfering in my behalf. Indeed I have some reason to
+believe, that it was partly on account of his enmity to this captain
+(with whom I still messed) that he so persecuted me.
+
+I own I was on this occasion strongly tempted to demand that
+satisfaction which the rules of honour (as they are termed) dictate, for
+I then had not a Christian feeling on this subject; but after
+consideration and consultation with some friends, it was feared he might
+take advantage of his superior rank, not only to decline giving me that
+satisfaction, but to report me, and thus destroy my prospects for life,
+for he would have been compelled to the latter step had he not acceded
+to my demand; and from the feeling he displayed towards me, there is not
+the least doubt he would have rejoiced at such an opportunity of ruining
+me. At this time, also, I had very few _real_ friends who would have
+stood by me; for his secret machinations, and his having the ear of our
+brigadier, tended greatly to estrange my former friends from me.
+
+All this, as might be expected, tended powerfully to depress my spirits,
+and to cast a gloom over a mind but too susceptible of impressions of
+that nature; for there is not any thing almost I would not do or submit
+to, to live on good terms with those I associate with, and indeed with
+all men. My mind was also much harassed at this time by receiving very
+unpleasant letters from England on the subject of the goods I before
+mentioned, and which had not yet reached any farther than Abrantes; and
+as the men began to be ill off for want of clothing, I obtained leave to
+proceed forthwith to Abrantes, to endeavour to get both the clothing and
+goods brought up to the regiment. I therefore set off, accompanied by
+one servant on a mule, leaving the other animals with the battalion, and
+proceeded on the 16th on my journey, and passing through Ravel-del-Rey,
+I halted for the night in a village where the seventh division was
+quartered. As I knew some of the officers of the 51st, I took up my
+abode with them for the night, and they indeed received me very kindly.
+My friends spent the evening very merrily; but, about midnight, they
+were called out and put under arms, expecting shortly to turn in again,
+as they told me; but they were marched off, and left the place entirely,
+leaving only my servant and myself in occupation of the town.
+
+It seems that Marmont, with his whole force, had moved from Tordesillas,
+and had threatened Lord Wellington's communication with Salamanca. In
+order, then, to keep up a corresponding movement, and be ready to take
+advantage of any false step the enemy might make, his lordship withdrew
+his whole force, and began to retire as Marmont advanced. Thus, in the
+morning, to my surprise, all the army had left the neighbourhood, and as
+I was not certain who the next visitors might be, I quickly decamped
+from a village now left open to the enemy. I got on at a considerable
+pace, as both my servant and myself were riding, and on the 19th I
+reached Salamanca.
+
+During yesterday's march I heard a considerable cannonade to my right
+and rear, and I afterwards learnt that the two armies had come nearly in
+contact with each other, and some skirmishing and exchange of shots had
+taken place. I did not stop in Salamanca longer than to draw rations for
+ourselves and animals, being anxious to get on as fast as possible, to
+try to get up the supplies while the army remained near the frontiers,
+for it was still expected they would advance into the heart of Spain,
+notwithstanding the present partial retreat. I accordingly moved on that
+evening to Matilla, and continued thus making stages of thirty or forty
+miles a-day, and on the 25th I reached Abrantes; but on the preceding
+day I was overtaken by Lord Clinton, going home with the dispatches
+relative to the glorious and decisive battle of Salamanca, which took
+place on the 22d. His lordship was nearly worn out, being actually
+asleep on his horse as he rode past me, for he had never once stopped
+from the time he first set out. I learnt the news from the person who
+accompanied him. It is impossible to describe the joy this information
+created among the Portuguese inhabitants of the village. I stopped for
+the night at Gaviæ.
+
+I found at Abrantes a detachment of our second battalion proceeding to
+join the army; but, to my sorrow, learnt there was no chance of
+procuring transports for the clothing, &c., for months to come. This was
+distressing information to me, and of course added to the despondency
+already preying upon my spirits; for the merchants' letters I was
+continually receiving began to be most importunate, and indeed
+attributing the non-remittal of their money to a want of principle, and
+talked of reporting my conduct to the Commander-in-Chief.
+
+Want of a proper religious feeling, under such circumstances, as might
+be expected, laid me open to great temptations. I therefore, to drown
+sorrow, and because I had always been too much addicted to it, began to
+give way to intemperance, and, falling in with a number of officers of
+very dissipated habits, I was led on to indulge in the most vile and
+abominable of all vices, _drunkenness_, to an excess almost incredible.
+But the gloom still seemed to thicken, and a dark cloud seemed impending
+over me, of which I was fully aware, and wrote home to my friends to
+that effect. At length my birthday, the 4th of August, arrived, and
+which must, as my unhappy companions in sin urged on me, be kept with
+all due jollity. Accordingly, a dozen of strong port-wine was procured,
+and we boozed away most joyfully, the whole being drank by about four or
+five of us. This produced constipation in the bowels, and had nigh
+brought me to my end; but my mind was more affected, if possible, than
+my body. About two days after this debauch, on my retiring to bed at
+night, I felt an unusual inclination to rise up and fall down on my
+knees, to offer up my evening prayer; for, notwithstanding all my
+wickedness and forgetfulness of God, I had not altogether abandoned the
+_form_ of _saying_ my prayers at night, but it was always after I lay
+down. I resisted this impulse, however, to rise and pray, and, after
+mumbling over my _form_ without the _spirit_, I endeavoured to compose
+myself to sleep. I did sleep for a while, during which I was troubled
+with some confused and incoherent dreams; but soon after awaking,
+gracious God! what were my feelings then? Despair, black despair, had
+seized upon me. I rushed out of bed, and rolled upon the floor like one
+distracted, as indeed I was. Oh! what would I then have given that I had
+never been born, or that I could cease to exist! Had it been possible,
+by throwing my body into the flames, to annihilate for ever my
+consciousness of being, how gladly would I have done it! But no--the
+terrors of the Lord were upon me, and drank up my spirits; and no one
+who has not been in a similar situation can form the most distant idea
+of the misery which preyed upon me. The pains of hell got hold upon me,
+and hope seemed for ever to be shut out from my mind. I believed I had
+sinned past all redemption; that the mercy of God could not possibly be
+extended to me; and of the efficacy of the Redeemer's blood I knew
+nothing. Oh! this was a time much to be remembered by me, for none but
+He who afflicted me, and my soul which bore the affliction, knows what I
+then suffered!
+
+At length the morning came, but with it no comfort for me. One of my
+sinful and dissolute companions came to see me, but he seemed greatly
+shocked at the recital of my woful tale, and I believe then formed for
+himself resolutions of amendment, which I fear, poor fellow, he never
+was able to fulfil. He did not long survive, but was shortly after
+called to his awful account, whilst I am spared,--a monument of the
+long-suffering mercy of God. Amongst all my companions in error and
+wickedness, I could not procure a Bible, and, as a proof of the ungodly
+state I was then in, I had not one myself. This poor friend, however,
+had a Prayer-book, which he lent me, and out of which I eagerly sought
+for comfort and hope, but in vain, for all was against me. Yes--and all
+who make God their enemy, will find in the hour of need, that every
+other creature and thing will fail to yield them comfort; but I had
+sinned too deeply and too perseveringly to find peace speedily. Oh! in
+what black array did the sins of my whole life pass before me, and how
+did I sigh for annihilation; or, if I could in any way atone for my
+wickedness, if I could but go and bury myself in a cave or den of the
+earth, and forego for ever all intercourse with mankind, how easily and
+how cheaply did I then conceive I should purchase pardon and peace! But,
+alas! I knew nothing of the way of reconciliation with an offended God,
+although I had been duly instructed in my youth. I was in such agony of
+mind that I scarcely heeded my body, but was prevailed upon to have a
+surgeon, who administered what he considered necessary, but without
+effect. My bowels had ceased to perform their functions, and this no
+doubt would greatly affect my head; still, although this, as a _second_
+cause of the distraction of my mind, was easily discoverable, yet the
+_great first cause_, not only of my disorder, but of all its effects,
+was the God against whom I had so grievously sinned, and from whom alone
+I could hope for the removal of my present sufferings. But hope was at
+this time banished from my breast, and I gave myself up to all the
+agonies of a soul that is lost for ever; but still I could not _rest_ in
+this sad situation. I therefore now determined to set off for Lisbon, in
+hopes that I might obtain from the chaplain, who was stationed there,
+some slight alleviation of my misery, for none but Roman Catholic
+priests were to be found where I then was. I accordingly set off,
+accompanied by my servant, but in such a hurry, and so utterly
+regardless of all worldly concerns, that I left my baggage in my
+quarters, which was taken care of by the friend before mentioned.
+
+I started in the afternoon of the second day after my attack. The sun
+was scorching hot above my head, but I regarded it not, seeing there was
+a hotter fire within me; indeed I believed I could not mortify my flesh
+sufficiently, so blind was I at this time of the nature of atonement. My
+feeling was, that I had an Almighty enemy over me; that His eye was upon
+me for evil, let me go where I would; and that I could not possibly
+escape from the destruction which He would shortly inflict upon my soul.
+How gladly, as I rode along, would I have solicited the rocks and
+mountains to fall upon me, and hide me from His sight, did I believe
+they could have availed for this purpose! But no--I felt it was
+impossible, and that I must endure for a short while longer the lighter
+punishment he had then laid upon me; and by and by I must drink to the
+dregs the cup of His everlasting indignation. O, sinners! be persuaded
+to flee from the wrath to come, for indeed one of the slightest terrors
+of the Almighty is enough to drive to distraction the strongest mind,
+and to appal the stoutest heart!
+
+I arrived at Galigao, the place of my intended rest for the night--and
+here I was attacked with ague and fever in addition to my other
+disorder--this was the effect of my exposure to the sun in so weak a
+state. But I cared not for my body. I knew that would return to the dust
+from whence it was taken. But oh! the never-dying soul--to think that it
+should endure eternal and omnipotent wrath, overwhelmed me with dread
+indescribable. My mind, it is true, was affected by my disorder; but it
+could not be termed insanity or madness, for I even now remember with
+great distinctness the feelings I then experienced, and those feelings
+remained with me for a considerable time afterwards.
+
+Here I felt myself extremely ill, and believed I could not survive till
+morning. I consequently got my servant to make down my bed in a corner
+of the room I occupied, with his own near it, and told him to leave the
+candle burning, for that my time could not be long. I was compelled to
+submit, and quietly lay myself down, in dreadful expectation of the
+fatal hour, and when, as I imagined, the infernal fiend would be
+commissioned to seize and carry off my soul to its abode of everlasting
+misery. I could not pray, nor had I any the most distant hope that my
+sentence could be reversed, for I fully believed it had been finally
+pronounced by Him who changeth not.
+
+During this woful night, I appeared to possess a sort of second self, a
+being which existed and thought and reasoned quite distinct from that
+_me_ who was stretched upon the floor, and which appeared to upbraid me
+with the misery it was then suffering, and was still to suffer, for the
+sins of my past abandoned life. I know not whether any other person in
+despair ever experienced this feeling; but to me it was quite obvious,
+for I remember distinctly the sin to which it more particularly drew my
+guilty attention. Was not this the soul which will exist when the body
+is dissolved, and may not such an upbraiding take place between the body
+and the soul when the former shall be raised to join the latter in the
+judgment? But the fact is, my soul was that night as it were on the
+point of taking its departure from the tenement of clay, and seemed
+strong to endure the everlasting wrath of God.
+
+I do not know whether I slept any during this dreadful night; but
+morning came, and with it a certainty that I was still in this world,
+but without the hope that this might have been expected to produce. I
+felt as in a fire, yet I scarcely durst put my burning hands into the
+water my servant brought me. I felt convinced that I had forfeited all
+claim to any thing like blessings, and that curses, both in body and
+soul, were alone my due.
+
+Ill as I was, however, I proceeded on my melancholy journey, not with
+any hope that a minister of religion could give _me_ any relief, but a
+drowning man will catch at a straw. Oh! how strong, how awfully strong,
+did my soul appear at this time, to endure the tremendous wrath of
+Omnipotence, whilst my body seemed fast sinking into its original
+element!
+
+I reached Lisbon in two days from this time, having taken a boat at
+Santarem. I ate nothing, with a trifling exception. I had no inclination
+for food, nor did I think I ought, for the reason before given; my only
+sustenance was a little water which I kept in a bottle, and with which I
+now and then moistened my parched lips.
+
+I arrived at Lisbon about daybreak in the morning, and proceeded as well
+as I was able to a friend's house, and knocked at the door; but shocked
+indeed were he and his wife, when they saw me standing below, more like
+a ghost than an inhabitant of this world. Indeed it is not easy to
+describe my looks at this time; there must have been much of that
+spiritual misery depicted in them which a confirmed despair no doubt
+produces. They took me in, and after hearing my woful tale, prepared to
+do for me the best that lay in their power; they gave me their own bed,
+taking a pallet for themselves, and treated me as if I had been their
+brother. He, poor fellow, is no more, but his beloved and kind partner
+still lives, and may she always enjoy that happiness she seemed so
+desirous of contributing to on this occasion, and everlasting happiness
+hereafter! As soon as it could be conveniently done, the clergyman was
+sent for, and also a medical officer, although from neither had I any
+hope. But, alas! from the former, although a kind and sympathizing man,
+I derived but little benefit. He did not direct me to the only source of
+a sin-sick being's hopes, the Lamb of God which taketh away the sins of
+the world. He made my hopes to centre too much in my own resolutions and
+after-doings. No doubt, as my sins had been enormous and flagrant, my
+repentance ought to be proportioned; but when he saw me bowed down under
+an indescribable sense of guilt, oh! had he, like Paul to the jailer,
+pointed me to the Saviour, how unutterably precious and acceptable would
+it have been to my soul! I do not remember that any one character in
+scripture is described as having felt more fully and more keenly the
+sinfulness of sin, and of its consequent danger to the soul, than I did
+at this time. How thankfully would I have accepted the mode of salvation
+pointed out in the gospel; for indeed I was but too much (as all natural
+men are) inclined to expect pardon and happiness from the things which,
+if God spared me, I intended to perform. But He only knows best. This
+kind gentleman wrote me out prayers, and seemed much interested in my
+welfare; notwithstanding, the gloom of despair still hung heavy on me,
+and at length; and when the kind medical friend was enabled, after
+repeated efforts, to procure me some relief, I felt as if it was only
+the prolonging of my existence, in order that I might fill up the
+measure of my iniquity. This, I am now fully persuaded, was a suggestion
+of the Father of Lies, in hopes probably of prevailing upon me to adopt
+the awful and miserable resolution of Judas to get rid of life.
+
+I thank God this was the only temptation of that nature which he
+permitted me to be exercised with; for I felt no inclination even in my
+darkest hours to commit suicide, fully believing that the utmost of my
+sufferings here could bear no proportion to those of the damned in hell.
+I consequently had no inclination to hasten them by rushing into
+eternity; this, it is evident, was of the merciful goodness of the Lord,
+and for which I am bound to be truly thankful.
+
+I continued in this state of mind for several months, and could not,
+with all my reading, praying, and doing, find peace. My reading and
+praying seemed to me more like an irksome task, than an exercise in
+which I took delight. I had formed a resolution from the first to retire
+from the service, where it appeared to me I was exposed to so many
+temptations; but here the experienced Christian will perceive how
+erroneous were my views, and I think feel pleased that I never fully
+effected my purpose, although I made preparations for it. Indeed I could
+not well feel _certain_ that I should act right by retiring from the
+post to which God's providence had appointed me, although my firm
+determination was to live devoted to Him. But, alas! how wofully have I
+failed of maintaining that resolution!
+
+My health now gradually improved, under the kind and fostering
+attentions of my warm-hearted host and hostess, and it became necessary
+that I should resume my station at Abrantes, which I did, in hopes of
+being able to obtain transport from thence, although the army was at
+this time in the neighbourhood of Madrid. But after returning to
+Abrantes I suffered a relapse, and was again brought to the borders of
+the grave, my mind still deeply impressed with my former ill
+forebodings, although not quite so distressing as before. I got my
+servant to read to me while I lay groaning on the floor, for I could not
+bear to sleep in a bed at this time, but felt little comfort from his
+endeavours, the Scriptures being at this time "a sealed book" to me; so
+true is it that till the grace of God dispels our darkness we have no
+light in us.
+
+I think it is probable that some of my readers, on perusing this part of
+my narrative, will be inclined to say, "surely this man must have been
+an uncommon and atrocious sinner, above all others, or he never would
+have suffered thus." I acknowledge with shame that I have been a most
+abominable and vile sinner, deserving of all the Lord laid upon me, and
+much more, for I was, and am, fully deserving of hell fire; and should
+that be my portion (as, through the merits and sufferings of my Saviour,
+I have a humble hope it will not be), I must acknowledge the kindness
+and justice of God, although I perish for ever. But I would say to such
+readers, as our Saviour said to the Jews, that "except _ye_ repent, _ye_
+shall likewise perish." Others may be inclined, on the contrary, to say,
+that all this was merely the effect of disease, and not at all to be
+resolved into God's hatred of sin and punishment of it in this instance.
+I acknowledge that it was the effect of disease. But when God laid that
+disease upon me, He knew what effect it would produce upon my mind;
+consequently, both disease and mental agony came from Him; and, because
+I knew it came from Him, "I held my tongue and said nothing." And I have
+now, and I hope shall have for ever, the greatest cause to bless His
+holy name for this, as one of the greatest mercies He ever showed me,
+for having thus taught me to know how evil and bitter a thing sin is,
+and to set a juster estimate upon his favour. He thus taught me also to
+value and love the Saviour, who alone can deliver me from the
+punishment, the power, the pollution, and the love of sin, and to make
+me happy for ever. Blessed be His holy name, for He has done to me all
+things well, and I humbly hope to enjoy His favour for ever.
+
+During my stay at Lisbon, my batman, whom I before mentioned as having
+lost, or rather sold, my mule, and who had here rejoined me to take care
+of the horse and mule I had with me, either from remorse, or some other
+cause, made an attempt to cut his throat, and succeeded so far as to
+sever the windpipe, I believe, but did not quite effect his purpose. He
+was found in a field near Lisbon bleeding nearly to death, and brought
+into the hospital, where, with great care, and after some time, he
+recovered. Indeed 1812 was a sickly year, and many were affected
+strongly in the mind, several having committed suicide, I believe.
+
+While I lay here ill the second time, I received a letter from the
+regiment telling me that the paymastership had become vacant, the poor
+old gentleman with whom I returned to England last year, having come out
+again to the Peninsula, and got as far as Rodrigo on his way to the
+regiment, and there, being attacked with the same disease I had suffered
+so much from, died; and that as General Stewart, our colonel, had
+arrived at Lisbon, I was to go and wait upon him, and that letters would
+be written from the regiment requesting him to recommend me for the
+situation.
+
+I with great difficulty again reached Lisbon, and waited upon the
+general, but to my great mortification I found the promised letters from
+the regiment had never been received, and that another person had, in
+consequence, been recommended, he being the son of the late paymaster,
+and had applied some time before. My disappointment did not prey upon my
+mind, for at this time I set very light indeed by the good things of
+this world, and felt conscious that I already possessed much more than I
+deserved. I was compelled through illness to remain again in Lisbon some
+time, but found great difficulty to obtain permission from the
+commandant for so doing. My general, however, procured me leave to stay
+till I should be able to resume my post at Abrantes. Here, not only
+myself, but all the officers who were then in Lisbon, and also at the
+army, suffered much from the want of subsistence. I had at this period
+seven months' pay due me, and could not obtain a dollar from the public
+chest, although I wrote a note to the commandant showing him how I was
+suffering from want of money.
+
+The army had in the meantime pursued the French, as before noticed, on
+one side to Madrid, and on the other to Burgos; but the attempt to take
+the latter by storm having failed, and the enemy having been able to
+assemble a more numerous force than Lord Wellington had before it, he
+was obliged to retire from both those places to the frontiers of
+Portugal. The division from Cadiz, the siege of which having been raised
+by our forward movement in summer, had joined the army at Madrid. Much
+was suffered, I understand, during this retreat, the troops having been
+exposed to great privations, and the weather being exceedingly wet and
+unpleasant. My division, after the retreat, took up its quarters again
+in the villages on the Portuguese side of Rodrigo--my battalion being
+stationed at the village of Espeja. The army, as might be expected from
+the late severe and harassing service they had been engaged in, began to
+be extremely ill off indeed for want of clothing, many of the men being
+nearly quite naked; in consequence, the most pressing orders were sent
+from head-quarters to use every means possible to have the supplies
+immediately forwarded, for Abrantes at this time contained stores
+belonging to almost every regiment in the army. My health having been
+considerably improved, I again returned to that depot, and, after
+waiting a few weeks, the means of transport were at last given me by the
+commissary there. I need not say with what alacrity I prepared for and
+commenced my long wished for journey. I had got a sufficient escort
+assigned me, from a detachment of our men being about to join the
+regiment.
+
+We started about the beginning of January 1813, and proceeded on our
+route by way of Niza, &c. I had been obliged to buy another horse from
+some cause which I do not now recollect, but when we were leaving the
+town just named, I found, on turning out to move off, that a large nail
+had been driven right up into the centre of one of his feet. Whether
+this was done accidentally, or by design, I never could learn, but the
+consequence was the loss of the horse. I had great trouble also to keep
+the convoy, which consisted of about a dozen bullock carts, with as many
+soldiers as an escort, together; the drivers, if they were not strictly
+guarded, very often made their escape, taking their bullocks with them
+during the night, and leaving the cart in our possession, glad, I dare
+say, that they got off so cheaply, for they seemed to have a great
+antipathy to go with us. I was therefore compelled to collect them all
+together near Castello Branco, and making the soldiers load their rifles
+before them, told them as well as I was able that they had orders to
+shoot the first who attempted to desert with his bullocks. This had a
+good effect, for I believe we lost no more till we reached the regiment;
+but, as we approached the frontiers of Spain, several of the drivers ran
+away without their cattle, preferring the loss of both bullocks, cart,
+and payment, rather than enter that country, of which the peasantry in
+general seemed to have a great dread. Those who stuck by us to the last,
+were rewarded with the bullocks and carts of the deserters; but I think
+we did not take more than two or three out of the twelve to the
+regiment, the rest had all made their escape. Nothing can be conceived
+more tiresome than travelling with such a convoy. The carts are all
+constructed upon the principle of the Irish car; that is, the axle rolls
+round with the wheels, they being firmly united; consequently the
+creaking noise created by the friction is loud and most unpleasant, and
+they have no idea of grease or tar to diminish this, but believe in many
+parts, if not in all, the noise to be a sort of holy noise, which keeps
+the devil from them. I found, in removing these stores, that great
+robberies had taken place upon them, several of the bales having been
+opened while on board ship, great quantities of goods taken out, and
+their place filled up with old transport bedding, &c. I found it
+necessary, however, to endeavour to bear up against all this, for my
+mind would not suffer me to dwell too much upon such misfortunes. At
+length I arrived at the regiment, where indeed I was a welcome guest,
+for they were greatly in need of all kinds of equipment.
+
+The officer who had rendered my life so unhappy before, had left the
+regiment, and gone into another far distant from my present place of
+abode, for which I was truly thankful, and his absence I found produced
+a great change in my favour; for every one seemed glad to see me, and
+sympathized with me in my late alarming illness; in fact, the face of
+things was entirely changed for the better. I myself had benefited much
+by my late chastisement. I had learned to think meanly of myself, and to
+be kind and submissive to all to whom I owed submission; a virtue which,
+I fear, I was but too deficient in before.
+
+All things now went well with me. The goods, which before had been such
+a source of uneasiness and trouble, were rapidly disposing of, and thus
+the prospect of my soon being able to pay my creditors became every day
+brighter. But, in the mean time, what I had hinted at before took place:
+one of the merchants had actually reported me to his Royal Highness the
+Duke of York. This might, indeed, have deprived me of my commission, had
+his Royal Highness been harsh with me; but he caused a letter to be
+written to my commanding-officer, (now Sir Andrew Barnard,) to call on
+me to explain why I had not remitted the merchant what I owed him, and
+to account for my not answering his letters, which he said I had failed
+to do for several months. My answer was very simple, as the reader is
+aware; but, with respect to the letters, I showed the colonel one, in
+which the merchant acknowledged having received one from me a short time
+previously. This also was satisfactory, and I had moreover remitted him
+a short while before L.300 of the money I owed him. The colonel was
+fully satisfied, and wrote off to his Royal Highness accordingly, and I
+heard no more of the business. Soon after the captain, who had been
+acting as paymaster, was obliged to return to England, on account of ill
+health. After some necessary steps I was appointed to this duty, it
+being an addition of 10s. per diem to my pay. According to the army
+regulations, a person in my situation could not be appointed acting
+paymaster; but a committee of three captains was formed, who took all
+the responsibility of my transactions upon themselves, giving me, as
+before said, the whole 10s. per diem. This showed, at least, that they
+were not afraid to trust themselves in my hands; for I might have
+involved them deeply. In short, whatever I did (almost) prospered, and a
+kind Providence seemed to smile upon me; and I believe that from this to
+the close of the Peninsular campaigns was the happiest part of my life.
+I have reason, therefore, to bless God for his unbounded goodness to
+me.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER IX.
+
+     Preparations for the Field--Amusements in winter
+     quarters--Grand Review--Advance of the Army in pursuit of the
+     Enemy--Come up with their rearguard in the vicinity of Hornilla
+     de Camino--Skirmishing--Encounter with the 1st brigade of the
+     Enemy, who are beaten, and forced to retreat--Our Army advance
+     in pursuit--An affair between the rearguard of the Enemy and
+     our 4th Brigade--Vittoria--General Engagement--The Enemy
+     defeated--Remarks.
+
+
+I begin this chapter, through the mercy and goodness of God, with
+brighter prospects than any I have written hitherto; for though I was
+still ignorant of the peculiar doctrines of Christianity, I believed God
+was at peace with me, and, from my late dreadful sufferings for sin, I
+certainly walked very circumspectly, and I believe I had also more of
+the genuine feelings of a Christian, though not the knowledge; for I was
+lowly in my own eyes, and loved all mankind. In me was fully verified at
+this time that sublime, but seemingly ill understood, saying of our
+Saviour's, "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." I
+now was meek and lowly, and I had friends in abundance, and may truly be
+said to have possessed or inherited the earth, for I had plenty of every
+necessary good, and, withal, peace and contentment. I could not enjoy
+more had I been in possession of more. Alas! how lamentable is it that
+chastisement should produce a better effect upon me, than love and
+gratitude to God is capable of doing; for, to my shame be it spoken,
+pride and selfishness now prevail much more in my heart than they were
+able to do then; and I find it much more difficult now to bring my mind
+down to that lowly and contrite feeling which with God is so acceptable,
+and with the possession of which only He promises to dwell.
+
+As the officer whom I have had occasion so often to mention owed me a
+trifle of money, I wrote to him, in as friendly a manner as I could,
+hoping, now we were separated, that his enmity would cease, and I was
+desirous of being at peace with all mankind; for, as I said before, I
+never yet knew why he was my enemy. He wrote back, with an order for the
+money, telling me, he hoped never to hear from me again, for that he was
+anxious to forget that such a person had ever existed in the world.
+This, as might be supposed, wounded my feelings deeply, but I remembered
+that I had myself sinned as deeply against God, and that He might raise
+up such instruments for my correction as seemed good to Him. My
+feelings, therefore, towards this person were more of regret and pity
+than of resentment, and I think I did not forget to pray to God for him.
+Poor fellow, he has a good while since been called to his account, and
+that in rather an awful manner; he fell in a duel, but which (from all I
+could learn) he was engaged in from the best motives, that of
+endeavouring to prevent the seduction of a young female belonging to his
+regiment. I hope he is at peace.
+
+During our stay in winter-quarters every exertion was made to put the
+troops in a proper state to take the field again, so soon as the season
+was sufficiently advanced. While we remained here also every sort of
+innocent amusement, at least generally innocent, was had recourse to,
+both by officers and men, not only to pass the time of inactivity with
+pleasure, but to keep up that readiness for action always so necessary
+in a state of warfare. We accordingly had races, balls, plays, and every
+other description of pastime our situation admitted of. We in Espija
+established what was termed a _trigger_ club, each one in turn giving an
+entertainment at his house, and at which, as the name would imply, as
+much game was produced as our sportsmen could procure. The plays were
+generally held at Gallegos, the quarter of the 43d, and which were
+indeed got up in a surprising style, considering the means of doing so.
+A _walking_ club was established in our 1st battalion, which was
+quartered at Alamada; we were of course frequently favoured with the
+company of its members, for they thought nothing of setting out, each
+with a long pole in his hand, and walking twenty or more miles to
+dinner. Thus harmony and a brotherly feeling was promoted amongst the
+officers of the division,--a thing of great moment where regiments have
+to act together, as well as pleasant to all parties. Some of our people
+also occasionally had a wolf-hunt, for these animals were quite numerous
+in this part of the country; nay, so bold were they when pressed with
+hunger, that they did not scruple sometimes to enter our villages, and
+devour whatever fell in their way that they could master. An officer of
+ours had an ass or a mule torn to pieces one night while standing in the
+yard behind his house. The mode of hunting them was, to have a certain
+number with arms stationed at the different passes in the wood, whilst a
+large party of drivers scoured the wood in line, driving every thing
+before them, when the animals, coming upon the armed people, were shot;
+but I do not think they were at all successful: it requires people
+accustomed to the business to enable them to kill many. There is a
+premium given for every wolf's head, but I forget how much it is.
+
+I sometimes took a trip to the Azava, or the Agueda, on a fishing
+excursion; but I was ill off for fishing tackle: the hooks the Spaniards
+make are the clumsiest things imaginable, and would not, I am persuaded,
+be made with less dexterity by the natives of New Zealand. Those which
+we were forced to use for fly-hooks had a hole or eye at the top, like
+the crook which you will sometimes see in a butcher's shop, intended to
+be hung upon another, which was formed by turning the wire down again,
+and through this they run their line; besides, they almost invariably
+broke, and I have been wofully tantalized sometimes by having the hook
+break off the only fly that the fish were taking; notwithstanding, I
+caught some very fine trout in the Agueda, this river abounding with
+them. I sometimes also caught barbel in that river; but it was literally
+swarming with a sort of roach, or what some of our people called
+rock-fish: they generally feed from some stuff they find on the large
+stones. But as the season approached which was to call us to the field,
+a review of the whole division was ordered to take place on the plain of
+Espija, and which, I think, was as brilliant a spectacle of that
+description as it was possible for 5000 men to make. Every regiment was
+in high and complete order, the whole having by this time been fully
+equipped for the campaign: the movements, too, were beautiful, and
+executed with great precision and promptitude, and, as might be
+anticipated, called forth the unqualified approbation of our illustrious
+Chief.
+
+A new and different arrangement was made this campaign with respect to
+both officers and men in their field-equipment. Experience had proved
+that constant bivouacking injured the men's health, as the mode they had
+adopted last year, though very ingenious, was not calculated to protect
+them sufficiently from exposure to the weather. They had last campaign
+been ordered each man to have loops sewed on at the corner of his
+blanket; thus, when in the field, two of these were united, and spread
+over two stand of arms set up at the ends for poles, and being fastened
+down at the other corners with bayonets, they formed a sort of tent,
+into which perhaps four men might creep; but then they had thus only two
+blankets to serve as a bed for the whole four men; consequently they
+would, in cold weather, be much exposed. This campaign each company
+received four tents; thus allowing about twenty men for each, and the
+officers of each company had one among them, and the field and staff
+officers in like proportion. These were carried on mules, which before
+had carried the camp-kettles; but these being exchanged for smaller
+ones, the men carried them in turns upon their knapsacks. Thus it rarely
+happened that the tents were not on the ground nearly as soon as the
+men; but strict orders were given always to encamp out of sight of the
+enemy, if practicable, that they might not be able to calculate our
+numbers. How very different from the ancient mode of encamping! each of
+which being more like a town laid out with regular streets, &c. &c. But
+war was a very different thing in those days, and could Marlborough have
+risen to see one of our straggling and irregular mountain camps, I know
+not what his feelings would have been: he would, I fear, have thought we
+had sadly degenerated.
+
+All being now ready for opening the campaign, a part of the army, under
+Sir Thomas Graham, crossed the Douro low down in Portugal, and proceeded
+up the right bank, while we, with Sir Rowland Hill's corps, moved
+forward in the direction of Salamanca and Toro. On the 21st of May, our
+division broke up from its cantonments, and assembled at the village of
+St Felices el Chico, a few miles below Ciudad Rodrigo, each regiment
+having had the Agueda to ford in its march to this camp. Our division at
+this time consisted of the following corps:--viz. the 1st brigade, under
+General Kempt, was composed of the 43d regiment, 17th Portuguese, and
+the 1st and 3d battalions of my regiment; the 2d brigade, under General
+Skerrit, contained the 52d regiment, 1st and 3d Portuguese caçadores,
+and the 2d battalion of my regiment; one troop of horse artillery, under
+Colonel Ross, was attached to the division; the whole being under the
+command of General Charles Alten. On the 22d, we moved on to Martin del
+Rey, near the river Yeltes, by the side of which we encamped. On the
+23d, we marched to and encamped near San Munoz, where the division had,
+I understand, suffered considerably during the retreat of last year,
+from the French having gained ground upon them, and severely cannonaded
+them from a height near this village. On the 25th, we moved on to
+Robliza, having halted the day before to enable the other division to
+come up with us. We next morning moved forward to the little river
+Valmuzo, a few miles on the Portugal side of Salamanca, and alluded to
+in my former advance. Here we halted for three hours during mid-day and
+cooked, and in the afternoon advanced to the ford of El Canto, on the
+river Tormes, and about two leagues below Salamanca. Here we encamped
+for the night, and remained next day also. Lord Wellington, with some
+cavalry we understood, had entered Salamanca, where only a small force
+of the enemy's cavalry had been found, and which retired immediately;
+but I believe some little skirmishing took place between the parties. On
+the morning of the 28th we forded the Tormes, and advanced towards
+Aldea Nueva de Figuera, which we reached late in the day, the distance
+being about twenty-four miles.
+
+While we lay at El Canto, a few of our officers visited Salamanca, in
+hopes of meeting some of their old friends of last year; but not a
+_viva_ greeted their ears on entering the city; a sort of suspicious
+look of recognition was all they could obtain from those people, who had
+received us only last summer with such extravagant demonstrations of
+joy. No doubt they had been made to suffer for their former expressions
+of attachment to us, for the French had in almost every place their
+partisans, who doubtless would not fail to give them, on their return,
+an account of the manner in which the English had been received, and the
+contributions would be laid on accordingly.
+
+We remained at Aldea from the 28th May to the 2d of June, waiting for
+information from the corps under Sir Thomas Graham, it being intended to
+form a junction at or about Toro, where it was expected the enemy had a
+considerable force; this was distant from us about thirty miles. While
+we continued here, I took a trip to Sir Rowland Hill's division, where I
+had a townsman, an officer in the 28th, but had not the satisfaction of
+seeing him. I had other friends in that division, however, with whom I
+and my companions spent the day in great harmony and satisfaction, and
+at evening returned to our camp, about four miles distant, highly
+gratified.
+
+On the 2d of June, we set off early in the morning, and arrived at Villa
+Buena about mid-day, where we halted for three hours to cook and
+refresh, after which we continued our march towards Toro, which we
+reached in the evening, but the enemy having destroyed the bridge across
+the Douro at this place, we encamped for the night in some fields on the
+left bank of the river. We learnt here that the hussars attached to Sir
+Thomas Graham's division had attacked a corps of French cavalry soon
+after their having quitted Toro, and with whom a very smart affair had
+taken place, the enemy being completely routed, and about 150 prisoners
+taken from them. Our cavalry, I believe, lost an officer on this
+occasion, who fell into the hands of the enemy. Nothing could exceed the
+miserable appearance of the horses taken from the French on this
+occasion; they appeared really half starved, although at this season
+there was plenty of green forage to be had; they must either have been
+sadly neglected, or have been doing exceeding hard duty.
+
+The bridge having been rendered passable for the men, the division
+crossed on the following morning, the horses and mules fording the
+river. We left Toro immediately, and moved on in pursuit of the enemy,
+and encamped that night at Terra Buena. On the 4th, we reached the
+convent of Espinar, and encamped on a height just over it. It was a most
+picturesque and beautiful piece of country around this convent, but
+itself appeared to have been lately rendered uninhabitable. I believe
+the monks had been driven away by the French, but not a soul remained to
+enquire of; all about the building was desolation. We next day advanced
+to the village of Muderra, and on the 6th to Amperdia, and on the 7th we
+marched through the city of Palentia, and encamped outside the walls, on
+the banks of the river Carrion.
+
+Here the inhabitants evinced the same degree of enthusiasm on our
+entrance as we had been accustomed to witness in other large towns, till
+the French had taught them a little more circumspection, and which the
+good people of Palentia would have been most probably fully taught, had
+these good friends of theirs ever got possession of their city again.
+Some time after we had pitched our camp, and were strolling about the
+city, the lifeguards entered, and were of course saluted with repeated
+vivas. One of the men, a rather country-looking young fellow, cried out,
+"Ay, the folks be always glad to see we lifeguards," happily supposing,
+no doubt, that they were intended as a particular compliment to his
+corps alone. All the country through which we had marched for several
+days past, was one continued plain of waving corn, mostly wheat of the
+very finest description. There are no hedges or dikes, but, as before
+noticed, only landmarks to divide the different fields, so that its
+appearance is like an immense sea, stretching as far as the eye can
+reach, the long corn undulating with the wind as the waves in the ocean.
+
+On the 8th we marched forward and encamped at the village of Tamara, the
+weather having, from being exceedingly fine, and indeed rather hot, set
+in extremely wet and cold, and thus rendered marching very unpleasant.
+We next day reached La Peña, (the name, it may be remembered, of the
+Barossa Spanish hero,) the weather continuing very coarse and stormy. On
+the 10th we continued to advance, and marching through the village of
+Framosa, and passing over a canal which crosses here, we halted for the
+night on the right bank of the river Pisuerga, near the village of
+Lantadilla. In all these late movements, we had experienced a great
+deficiency of fuel for cooking and drying our clothes when wet, neither
+forest nor bush-wood being to be seen for days together, and indeed
+scarcely one solitary tree to be met with--nothing but corn; so that we
+were occasionally compelled to resort to the cruel and unchristianlike
+expedient of pulling down houses to obtain the timber with which they
+were built for the purpose of cooking, or we must have eaten our food
+raw. This, however, was done in a regular and systematic order, the
+Alcalde of the village pointing out such of the houses as were to be
+doomed to the fire, and the troops taking no more than was absolutely
+necessary. It is astonishing to me how the natives themselves exist for
+want of this article of first necessity.
+
+From this village we moved forward on the 11th, and crossing the
+Pisuerga, marched on the town of Pallacio, which we passed, and reached
+the village of Landrino, near which we encamped for the night.
+
+From the time we left Toro, the enemy had been gradually retiring before
+us, having withdrawn his forces from all the strong places on the Douro,
+and seemed concentrating somewhere in the direction of Burgos or
+Vittoria. Excepting our cavalry, no part of our forces ever had the
+satisfaction of seeing a Frenchman hitherto during the whole of this
+long and rapid march; but on the morning of the 12th, as we now
+approached Burgos, it was fully expected that we should be able to get a
+sight of the fugitives; and accordingly, after we had left our last
+night's quarters, and marched a few miles in the direction of the city,
+a pretty strong body of the enemy's cavalry was seen drawn out on a high
+plain, a little above the village of Hornilla de Camiño. These were
+supported by a division of infantry formed in square, and occupying the
+outer edge of the high plain facing the way we advanced, and apparently
+observing our motions. On discovering this force, our division was
+halted to give the cavalry attached to us time to ride forward to
+reconnoitre, and ascertain more exactly the force before us, than could
+be done while we were on the low ground.
+
+I rode forward with our cavalry, which, passing by the enemy's square of
+infantry, approached the main body of their cavalry. It not being,
+however, the intention of the French to fight here, they slowly and
+orderly retired before us across the plain; but as we had left the
+square of infantry nearly behind us, the guns attached to our cavalry
+turned in that direction, for this body seemed indifferent about the
+movements of our cavalry, and it was not till our division began to
+ascend the hill that they evinced the slightest intention of stirring.
+On seeing them, however, they quickly decamped, and as they had to pass
+within 150 yards of the position our guns had taken up, I imagined
+considerable execution must have been done upon them before they got out
+of our reach. But, strange to say, I believe only one single man was
+knocked down by the great numbers of shot fired at them. It must have
+been owing to the relative situations of the two parties; they passed
+down a hollow way which led from the high plain in the direction of the
+Burgos road, and which covered them completely till they came
+immediately below our guns, when it became a difficult matter to depress
+them so as to bear upon the enemy's square as they passed us. However
+the whole turned round and gave us a regular volley, for, as we were so
+much above them, there was no danger from their firing in square; but
+this, although the shots flew pretty thick about us, was not productive
+of any mischief that I remember. They retired across the plain below us,
+pursued by another division of ours which had advanced on our right, and
+between whom and the French a pretty smart skirmish took place. So soon
+as their infantry were clear from us, their guns opened out from the
+opposite side of the river upon us on the height, but, the distance
+being considerable, their shot did little execution. It was evident this
+force was only left here as a rearguard, to ascertain our movements and
+force, &c. We encamped for the night near the road by which we had
+ascended the high plain; but were awoke early next morning by a
+tremendous explosion which shook the earth beneath us, although at the
+distance of 6 or 7 miles from Burgos, the castle of which the enemy had
+blown up, and retired altogether. We soon after commenced our march,
+and, leaving that city to our right, made a long march in the direction
+of the Ebro, and halted for the night near the village of Tovar. The
+next day we moved on to Quintanajar, and on the 15th, after a long
+march, we reached the Ebro, and halted at the village of Puente Arrenas,
+situated in the delightful valley of Veras. This is one of the most
+picturesque and beautiful valleys in Europe, I dare say. When you arrive
+at the brow of the high ground over the Ebro, a sight breaks upon you
+all at once which is indescribably grand and beautiful;--a large river
+rolling under you, beyond which a rich and fertile valley, laden with
+the fruits of a hundred orchards, with charming villas and farm-houses
+dispersed through all the lawn; a stupendous bridge, of I know not how
+many arches, leading you across this magnificent river; and the whole
+closed by high and beetling rocks jutting out of the high woody bank on
+the opposite side. It really appeared like enchantment when we first
+arrived within sight of it, from the long dreary plains we had been so
+long traversing. Here, for the first time since we entered Spain, did we
+meet with "manteca de vaca," or "cow butter," all the other we had been
+compelled to use hitherto for want of better, was what they call
+"manteca de puerco," or "hog's-lard." The women who brought it wore a
+quite different dress from those we had seen in the parts we had passed
+through; the women had on generally yellow stockings, with abundance of
+petticoats of red, yellow, green, &c. &c., and were all very stout-made;
+they were, I believe, from Asturias. Poor creatures, many of them
+followed us with loads of butter, wine, cheese, &c. &c., even into
+France, so pleased were they with the excellent prices their
+merchandise brought amongst us; indeed, we had been so long debarred the
+enjoyment of butter and cheese, that we would have given almost any
+price to get them sweet and good. They carried their loads (and
+tremendous ones they were) as the flesh-wives in Newcastle carry theirs,
+that is, by passing a broad leather belt across the forehead and over
+the shoulders, and so underneath the heavy load upon their back. They
+were a civil and obliging race of beings, and apparently much more
+industrious and cleanly than the rest of their country people.
+
+We left this delightful spot on the morning of the 16th, following the
+course of the river upwards for about a league, then turning short to
+the right, passed through an enclosed country, and halted for the night
+at the town of Medina del Pomar. This is a considerable-sized place, in
+which was a nunnery, the inmates of which greeted us with hearty
+welcomes and vivas, with waving of handkerchiefs, &c., through their
+strongly iron-grated windows, where they more resembled criminals of the
+worst description shut up in a strong prison, poor things, than people
+who had devoted themselves to the service of their Maker. Next morning,
+we moved forward through a country almost without roads; we were, in
+fact, crossing the country in order to get nearer to the great road
+leading from Madrid to Vittoria, and on which the enemy's army was then
+retiring. We encamped for the night, after a fatiguing day's march, on a
+woody height near the little river Loza. We took the high ground on this
+occasion for our encampment, although extremely inconvenient and
+uncomfortable, being among stumps and brushwood, where there was
+scarcely room to pitch our tents; this was in consequence of being in
+the neighbourhood of a considerable force of the enemy, which was
+retreating, as before noticed, along the great road.
+
+The next morning, the 18th of June, we started pretty early, and
+calculating that we should this day come in contact with the above
+force, we marched in such a manner as to be ready, when that event took
+place, to take advantage of any favourable circumstances that might
+offer. We had in our front a squadron of Hussars belonging to the German
+Legion, and which were generally attached to our division. About mid-day
+the squadron in front of us reached the village of San Millan, where the
+road on which we were then marching, and the great road on which the
+enemy was retreating, unite; the latter descending from a high tableland
+just above the village, and passing a narrow defile between two high
+rocks. Our cavalry, on reaching this village, descried the advance of
+the French, composed also of cavalry; and what was not a little
+singular, they also were Germans in the French service. Our brave
+Hussars instantly charged those of the enemy, and immediately overthrew
+the body opposed to them, and in the charge captured several men and
+horses, which they brought in prisoners.
+
+By this time the head of the division had reached the spot, (my 1st
+battalion leading,) which in a few minutes got warmly engaged with the
+enemy's voltigeurs, a considerable number of whom had advanced to oppose
+us, in order that the main body of their division might be enabled,
+under cover of their fire, to pass through the village on the way
+towards Vittoria. Our people, however, pressed them so hard, that the
+whole of their leading brigade was obliged to join in the action. At
+this moment our illustrious Chief came galloping up; for, whenever any
+thing was to be done, he was always present. He had also taken care to
+have our 4th division moved so as to arrive at the village of Espija, a
+town about a league in front of us on the great road, nearly about the
+same time, so that, should the French contrive to get away from us,
+they might fall into their hands. He immediately sent me off to the
+leading company of our people who were engaged, for the guide they had
+had with them, in order that he might conduct his lordship to Espija;
+but that was no place for a Spanish peasant who had neither honour nor
+glory to gain, and he had accordingly made his escape the moment our
+folks got into action. His lordship instantly dashed off without a
+guide, while our two battalions, that is, the 1st and 3d of my regiment,
+kept advancing upon the enemy, and fairly drove them through the
+village, being supported by the other regiments of the brigade, but who
+had not any occasion to come into action.
+
+The first brigade of the enemy being thus beaten, retreated along the
+great road in the direction of Espija, leaving their second brigade and
+all their baggage to their fate. These latter being pressed by our
+second or rear brigade, and seeing us in possession of the village, and
+the road they had to pass, immediately broke in all directions, and
+dispersed themselves in the mountains over the village, each man making
+the best of his way. This their baggage could not do, and it
+consequently fell into the hands of the captors, an easy and valuable
+booty; but although my brigade, by beating and dispersing the enemy at
+the village, had been the principal cause of its capture, yet those
+whose hands it fell into had not the generosity to offer the least share
+of it to us, but divided it amongst themselves.
+
+During the skirmish in the village, a French hussar chased one of our
+officers several times round one of the trees growing by the side of the
+road, and repeatedly cut at him with his sabre, and it is likely would
+have cut him down at last, had not the officer seen a rifle lying near,
+belonging to a man just killed; and luckily it was loaded when he picked
+it up. He waited for the Frenchman, and coolly shot him through the
+body, and instantly seized his horse as lawful prize; had the rifle
+missed fire he was gone. We had not rested long after this brush till we
+heard a firing in our front, where indeed it was expected. The troops
+which had just left us, I imagine, had been attacked by the 4th
+division, and we, the 1st brigade, were instantly ordered to their
+support should they need it; but before we reached Espija, the enemy was
+completely beaten, and had retired in the direction of Vittoria. We had
+to retrace our steps and join our other brigade, and encamped for the
+night in the neighbourhood of San Millan.
+
+Our loss on this occasion was but trifling, considering the smartness of
+the affair. An officer of my regiment, of the name of Haggup, a
+countryman of my own, received a most dangerous wound in the abdomen, of
+which it was feared he would die, but he soon after completely
+recovered. An aide-de-camp of the French General was wounded, and taken
+prisoner, but he soon after died, poor fellow. Along with the captured
+baggage were a number of Spanish ladies, who had been attached to the
+French officers to whom it belonged, but they did not appear over
+faithful to their protectors, for most of them, I believe, preferred
+remaining in the hands of their captors, to being forwarded after their
+beaten and now ill-provided former companions; such is generally the
+fidelity to be expected from that sort of people.
+
+On the 19th we advanced by the same road the French had retired, till we
+reached the town of Salinas, where there were very extensive salt-works,
+as the name of the place denotes. We encamped for the night near the
+village of Pobes, on a small rivulet named Bayas, I believe. Near the
+end of our march to-day we had a view of the enemy's rearguard, as they
+rounded the end of a mountain, which lay immediately before us, and over
+which the road to Vittoria passes. After rounding the mountain, this
+part of the enemy's force fell in with our 4th division again, which had
+been moved forward from Espija by another road. A very smart skirmish
+was the consequence, which we distinctly heard, and in which a good
+number fell on both sides. The French retired from hence into their
+position in front of Vittoria. During the next day, while we halted
+here, it began to be whispered that the enemy had concentrated his
+forces in and around Vittoria, which was distant from us perhaps about
+ten or a dozen miles, and that the divisions of our own army had that
+day approached nearer together, which indicated a determination on the
+part of our Chief to try his hand with King Joseph, should he be bold
+enough to stay where he then was.
+
+Many, of course, and various would be the reflections which occupied the
+minds of the different individuals composing the two armies; but I can
+speak from experience, that those are of a much more pleasing nature
+which a consciousness of superiority and a good prospect of success
+inspires, than those which a retreating army are compelled to entertain.
+
+Pretty early in the morning of the 21st, we fell in and moved forward by
+the way the French rearguard before-mentioned had taken, and after
+having passed the end of the mountain and descended into the valley on
+the other side, we saw evident proofs that the affair between our 4th
+division and the French, above alluded to, must have been pretty warm.
+We continued to advance on the road to Vittoria, till, on ascending a
+rising ground, the French army appeared in position immediately in front
+of us. It was a noble and animating sight, for they appeared as numerous
+almost as grashoppers, and were posted as nearly as I can recollect in
+the following order. Immediately before us ran the river Zadora,
+passing from our left and front to our right and rear. In the centre of
+an extensive plain rose a pretty lofty conical hill, from which extended
+to their left a sloping plain, through which the great road lay, and
+terminated by a long range of mountains, stretching from Puebla de
+Arlanzon, just above the river, to a considerable distance beyond
+Vittoria. The city was shut out of our view by the conical hill before
+mentioned, and was distant from it about four or five miles; to the
+right of this hill, along the bank of the river, it appeared broken, and
+not easily approachable. On the face of the conical hill, and to its
+very summit, it appeared as thickly set with troops as if they had been
+bees clustering together; it was also thickly studded with batteries and
+other field-works. On the plain between that and the long range of
+mountains, the troops appeared to stand so thick that you might imagine
+you could walk on their heads. There did not appear any great force on
+the mountains to their left, and what they had to the right of the
+conical hill and towards Vittoria we could not discern, but it turned
+out they had a strong force there. There were several small villages in
+the plain and on the side of the mountains; the largest stood rather to
+the right of the plain, with a wood immediately behind it; this, I
+believe, is called Subijana de Alva. On the bank of the river also were
+three or four villages, most of them on our side, with a bridge at each
+village. The French army did not extend immediately to the river bank,
+but was placed at some little distance beyond it. The river was easily
+fordable.
+
+Our army began to arrive by divisions, and was posted as
+follows--General Hill with the 2d division, consisting of about 12,000
+men, was on our extreme right, except about 3000 or 4000 Spaniards under
+General Morillo, who were still more to the right, and facing the long
+range of mountains before mentioned. In the centre was his lordship
+with the 3d, 4th, 7th, and light divisions, perhaps 25,000 strong, with
+the main force of artillery and cavalry. Sir Thomas Graham had been
+early detached to our left with the 1st and 5th divisions and some
+Portuguese, about 12,000 in all, to turn the enemy's right flank, and to
+try to cut him off from the great road leading from Vittoria to France,
+which ran in that direction.
+
+Whilst this movement was executing, and the different divisions were
+getting into their several stations, we, who had arrived first, were
+allowed to pile our arms and sit down. His lordship, with a numerous
+staff, went down a little nearer to the river to reconnoitre the enemy's
+position. I wandered down with them, and got as near as I could in order
+to ascertain the opinion of the big-wigs as to the business about to
+take place. One staff-officer, after carefully examining the position of
+the enemy through his glass, gave it as his opinion, that we should
+scarcely be able to make any impression upon so numerous an army, and so
+very strongly posted; but this opinion must have been dictated, I think,
+by his rather desponding temperament, for I believe it was entirely
+singular.
+
+The enemy, however, did not fail to notice this movement of our General
+and his staff, and instantly detached a corps of voltigeurs, who,
+rushing down to the river, dashed across the bridge at the village of
+Villoses, and immediately took possession of a small woody height on our
+side of the river, from whence they opened a fire on his lordship and
+those that were with him. This of course could not be borne; and as my
+battalion was the leading battalion of the column and nearest at hand,
+we were ordered (with two companies of our 1st battalion, which stood
+next to us) to take our arms, and drive those fellows across the river
+again. Thus we had, I believe, the high honour of commencing the action
+on that memorable day. We soon chased the voltigeurs from the woody
+height, down through the village, and over the bridge, where they took
+post and remained, we not having orders to pursue them any farther. We
+took possession of the village, and continued skirmishing with the
+enemy, a good many men falling on both sides, as the river was not more
+probably than thirty or forty yards wide, and a constant fire was kept
+up by both parties till the French were afterwards driven away by our
+divisions crossing lower down the river.
+
+After we had chased the enemy along the bridge, and they were fairly
+clear of the village, a French battery, situated a little above the
+river towards the conical hill, opened its fire upon us, from which we
+suffered a good deal, one shot having taken our people, who were lining
+a garden wall, in flank, and swept away five or six at a stroke; after
+this we kept more under cover.
+
+Almost the first person who fell on our side was a lieutenant of the
+name of Campbell. He had, I am sure, a strong presentiment of his death,
+for he had, I believe, made his will the evening before; and when we
+first came in sight of the French army, and the others were all animated
+with life and glee at the prospect of gaining laurels in abundance, he,
+poor fellow, sat down by himself quite pensive, and seemed lost in
+thought. He received a shot in the forehead which terminated his career
+in a moment as it were, and plunged him into an eternity of bliss or
+woe. I hope he was prepared, but scarcely dare say I believe he was. Our
+duty having been accomplished by taking possession of this village, and
+keeping the French from coming over, we had now leisure to look round us
+and see what was going forward; and we had certainly a noble field for
+observation. My commanding-officer, with the rest of the staff-officers
+and myself, together with half a company of men, took up our station at
+the church, which, standing high, gave us a fine opportunity of
+witnessing the movements of both armies.
+
+A short while after we had taken post here, we observed the smoke to
+arise in dense columns in the direction which Sir Thomas Graham had
+taken, which showed he had commenced the attack on that flank of the
+enemy, and this was the signal for commencing operations on our right
+and centre. Sir Rowland Hill's people, with the Spaniards, instantly
+forded the river, and advanced along the top and side of the mountains
+before mentioned; and as this was done in considerable force, it seemed
+to disconcert King Joseph a good deal, for instantly his aides-de-camp
+were seen galloping in every direction, and the troops which stood upon
+the plain began to move in that direction, while those upon the conical
+hill began to descend in great numbers into the plain. This was
+precisely what our Chief had calculated upon; and now, by a rapid
+movement, he threw the centre divisions across the river, by the bridges
+of Trespuentes and Nanclara, a little below our village, and attacking
+the remaining troops upon the conical hill, they were overthrown as fast
+as our divisions reached them. The 2d, Sir Thomas Picton's division,
+here particularly distinguished itself.
+
+General Hill's people were by this time very warmly engaged, for the
+enemy having, as stated above, strongly reinforced that point, they made
+a rather obstinate defence, particularly at the village and wood of
+Subijana de Alva, which latter was filled with their light troops, and
+where our 28th regiment, which was opposed to them, suffered
+considerably, and were not able to make much impression. The action had
+now become general, and our people on every side advancing; at this
+moment old Douro, who never failed to inspire confidence wherever he
+appeared, came dashing down into our village, and seeing the light
+troops which had been opposed to us had retired, instantly ordered us to
+advance, and join our division on the other side of the river. We
+accordingly moved forward, and marched with all expedition to reach our
+point; but the French had now begun to retire, and our people to follow
+them, so that we found it difficult to overtake them, and did not do so
+till they had passed the conical hill. When we came near that eminence,
+I rode up to have a peep at the field before us, and never did I witness
+a more interesting and magnificent sight. A beautiful and extensive
+plain lay before me, covered with the cavalry, infantry, and artillery
+of the contending armies; while the noise and din, occasioned by
+repeated volleys and rolls of fire from the infantry, with the rattle of
+upwards of 200 pieces of artillery, almost stunned the ear. Near the end
+of this plain, and to the left, arose the lofty spires of Vittoria; and
+beyond that again, the smoke arising from the attack of Sir Thomas
+Graham's people added animation to the scene.
+
+I had not contemplated the scene before me above a minute or two, till a
+howitzer-shell from the French fell close at my feet. My horse's bridle
+was hooked on my arm, and I was standing looking through my glass; but
+when this unwelcome visiter descended so near me, I thought it high time
+to be packing. My horse, however, not having the same fear of the
+consequences that I had, would not move but at a snail's pace. I was,
+therefore, constrained to leave him to take his chance, and get myself
+out of the way. It burst, but providentially without injuring either
+horse or man, but in the scramble I lost the top of my glass, which I
+could not afterwards find.
+
+I got down the hill, and joined my people, who had by this time passed
+it; and just at this juncture I observed a body of troops a little to
+our right, moving in the same direction we were. They were dressed in
+blue, and had caps covered with white canvass. I took them for
+Spaniards; but upon consideration that no Spaniards ought to be there,
+and a closer inspection, I found they were a battalion of French, and
+most likely those who had been so warmly engaged with the 28th at the
+village of Subijana, and who having stood perhaps too long, and
+afterwards having the wood to traverse, they had been detained
+considerably behind the rest of the army; for by this time our advance,
+and consequently the French rear, could not be less than half a mile in
+front of us. I pointed them out to one of our lieutenant-colonels; but
+as we had received orders to push on with all haste, and he not liking
+to disobey his orders, and withal a ravine being between them and us,
+which would have prevented our closing with them, they were allowed to
+move quietly off, which they did with a pretty quick but steady pace.
+Before we reached our division, we had to pass a village, over against
+which was a very strong French battery, and where they peppered us
+considerably, but without doing much harm, I believe. We here joined our
+brigade. Immediately in front of this village the enemy made one of his
+longest stands. Our brigade now formed lines of battalions, and lay down
+in some ploughed fields, while their artillery kept playing upon us. On
+our left the 3d division was warmly engaged. In about half an hour we
+moved in that direction. The 45th we found posted behind a thin thorn
+hedge, with its commanding-officer poor Colonel Ridewood, whom I had
+known before, lying on its right, gasping in the agonies of death. A
+great many men of this regiment had fallen here. We passed them, and
+continued to advance along the plain by brigades and battalions; but we
+found the ground much intersected with ditches, which would have
+retarded us had we wished to advance rapidly; but from some cause or
+other, which we could not then comprehend, we never pressed upon the
+enemy closely, but gave them time to get quietly away. We were still,
+however, in expectation of their making their final stand; for at every
+short interval a beautiful little position presented itself, which the
+French invariably occupied in the finest style possible, forming their
+lines on these little eminences with the greatest precision, and in
+beautiful order; but they never stood to let us get at them, for the
+moment we began to come within musket-shot, they instantly began to
+retire to another, which they took and abandoned in like manner. All
+this time, indeed, there was continual skirmishing going on between the
+light troops of the two armies, and a constant cannonade, and
+occasionally the heavy lines came in contact; but their infantry
+appeared to us to leave the field in the main unbroken.
+
+We continued these movements till near dark, by which time we had
+considerably passed Vittoria, and the enemy's artillery had nearly
+ceased. Our cavalry now got at them; and although, from the nature of
+the ground, their movements were greatly cramped, yet they continued to
+charge, and nearly captured King Joseph. We halted when we had got about
+four miles beyond Vittoria, which we passed on the left hand. We thought
+we had indeed gained a victory, but it appeared to us to be a most
+barren and useless one; and many were not over well pleased that the
+enemy had been allowed to get off so easily. But our noble Chief knew
+well what he was about, for he reaped all the fruits from this that
+could have been possibly gained from the most bloody battle. Indeed it
+was far from being a bloodless victory, but he certainly did not
+sacrifice one half the men that some in the action would have done; they
+thought we should have pressed the enemy far more, and brought him to
+closer action.
+
+After we halted, I (being the only quartermaster present) was sent in
+search of the baggage belonging to the division, and which had followed
+as far as they could along the great road. I passed through Vittoria on
+my way to the rear in search of it, and saw as I entered it several of
+Morillo's men, who had descended from the mountains and come into the
+town. From the vivas and other marks of gratulation which some of the
+inhabitants were rendering these ragged ruffians, a stranger would have
+thought that Don Morillo, with his 3000 or 4000 Spaniards, had achieved
+the whole victory themselves. It is certain they are a vainglorious
+people.
+
+I passed through the town, and, taking the great road, I soon had ocular
+proofs of the value of our day's work; the road being literally blocked
+up with every description of carriage-guns, tumbrils, waggons, &c. &c.
+which filled the great high-road for nearly two miles to the rear of
+Vittoria. I found it difficult to make my way through them, but at last
+fell in with the baggage; I could not, however, get it through, and was
+obliged to leave it, after giving directions where to find the division
+in the morning. I again passed through Vittoria in returning to the
+division; but oh, what scenes had I now to witness! The followers of an
+army are sometimes very numerous, and here they were abundantly so;
+muleteers, Portuguese and Spanish concubines, with every description of
+vagabond you can imagine. These were by this time all labouring hard in
+their avocation of breaking open and plundering the carriages and
+waggons, &c. that had been left by the enemy. Among these were hundreds
+of soldiers, who were now beginning to feel the effects of the wine, &c.
+which they had found in the enemy's baggage; and such a Babel was here
+to be witnessed as is not easy to conceive.
+
+I had some difficulty in forcing my way through the town, at the end of
+which I was accosted by five or six soldiers' wives, belonging to one of
+our light cavalry regiments, who wished to accompany me, in order that
+they might find their husbands, as that regiment was attached in some
+measure to our division. Of course it would have been cruel to refuse
+them; and as they were all mounted, away we posted, but had great
+difficulty to make out where the division now was. Many were the waggons
+and other carriages we passed on the road, either broken down, upset, or
+with people plundering them; and I did not reach the division till 10
+o'clock at night. I was very glad when I found them, being then
+excessively fatigued and hungry; and just as I reached my people, I
+found the mess to which I belonged cooking a piece of thin mutton, which
+they had cut off from a sheep that had been taken from the enemy. This
+was all the plunder I got that memorable day, although, had I done as
+many others did, I might have obtained a great deal both of money and
+other valuables; for, as I said before, the numerous carriages I passed
+gave me an opportunity which many would have rejoiced at of possessing
+myself of immense wealth; but plundering never was my forte. One officer
+whom I knew got, I believe, near L.1000 worth of money, and other
+valuable property; and innumerable others got considerable sums, more or
+less. I am glad now that I refrained from what _might_ have been
+accomplished with ease and safety, but what also _might_ have entailed
+upon me disgrace and ruin. One officer I heard of, who, while in the
+rear, where he ought not to have been, found a box full of money, most
+likely silver, but very heavy. A German dragoon coming up at the same
+moment laid claim to half of it, and when this officer took hold of it
+to remove it, the German also laid hold to prevent him. A sort of
+scuffle ensued, when the German made use of most abusive and mutinous
+language, with threats, which the officer was obliged to submit to,
+knowing, as both of them did, how far he had descended from his station,
+thus putting it in the power of the soldier to treat him as a brother
+plunderer. Surely the mention of such an occurrence is enough to deter
+any man who possesses the least spark of honour from ever putting it in
+the power of a soldier to treat him so. Besides, if an officer plunders
+before his men, what may not soldiers be expected to do?
+
+In looking back upon the events of this day, I cannot help being struck
+with the bad generalship of those who commanded the French army. Marshal
+Jourdan, I understand, was Joseph's adviser on this occasion. He had
+always borne the character of an able General, but here he showed but
+little ability. Why did he so much weaken his force on the conical hill
+to support his left? Had he maintained his ground there, which is strong
+by nature, and they had rendered it stronger by art, he might have
+completely checked us on the right; for if we had advanced too far on
+that side, our wings would have been separated, which would have been a
+dangerous experiment; and I think Lord Wellington would not have
+hazarded it. And after leaving his first position, why did he not fight
+at every one of the beautiful little positions which he afterwards took
+up but never defended? This conduct is most unaccountable, for had he
+made a longer stand, even although he should be beaten, which no doubt
+he would have ultimately been, yet, by making this stand, he might have
+got off the greater part of his materiél, instead of which he carried
+off with him one gun and one howitzer only, leaving upwards of 250
+pieces of ordnance in our hands. Most of his infantry left the field
+apparently unbroken; for only here and there they had stood to let our
+people get at them. It is true Sir Thomas Graham early cut off their
+retreat by the great road to France; but what then? This ought to have
+made them fight the more desperately, to enable them to get off the
+better by the Pamplona road. The infantry should have stood till the
+last, and not retired till fairly beaten out of the field. Nothing could
+be finer than the movements of our army.
+
+Every thing our Chief attempted succeeded to a tittle. The only thing I
+did not like was the delay we occasionally made in following up the
+enemy; but I could not, of course, comprehend the general movements,
+from seeing only a small part of them, and I believe the victory would
+not have been more decisive by being more bloody. We lost in the
+village, where we first began the fight, nearly thirty men, with the
+officer before mentioned as killed, and a considerable number wounded.
+There was something remarkable in the fate of one of the men who were
+killed by the cannon-shot I before noticed. This man was remarkably
+averse to fighting, and had shown, on all occasions, a disposition to
+leave that kind of work as soon as practicable. Poor fellow! his failing
+was known to all; and on this occasion those about him had orders to
+watch him, and keep him to his duty. They had not been in the village
+many minutes when this fatal shot swept him and about five others into
+eternity in a moment. It has often been remarked, that this description
+of people are generally the first to fall.
+
+It may not be generally known, perhaps, that a battle was fought on the
+3d April 1367, a little higher up this river, near the village of
+Novarete, between our Edward the Black Prince, and Henry the Bastard,
+who had usurped the throne of Don Pedro, King of Castile. The history of
+it is given by Froissart, who says, "a little before the two armies
+met, the Prince of Wales, with eyes and hands uplifted towards heaven,
+exclaimed, 'God of truth, the Father of Jesus Christ, who hast made and
+fashioned me, grant, through thy benign grace, that the success of this
+battle may be for me and my army; for thou knowest that in truth I have
+been emboldened to undertake it in the support of justice and reason, to
+reinstate the king upon his throne, who has been disinherited and driven
+from it, as well as from his country.'" This zealous prayer was
+immediately followed by the onset, the Prince crying aloud, "Advance
+banners, in the name of God and St George!"
+
+"At the commencement," says Froissart, "the French and Arragonese made a
+desperate resistance, and gave the good knights of England much trouble;
+but at last, when all the divisions of the Prince were formed into one
+large body, the enemy could no longer keep their ground, but began to
+fly in great disorder; and Henry, the usurper, perceiving his army
+defeated, without hope of recovery, called for his horse, mounted it,
+and galloped off among the crowd of runaways. The English pursued them
+through the town of Najara, where they gained considerable plunder; for
+King Henry and his army had come thither with much splendour, and after
+the defeat they had not leisure to return to place in security what they
+had left behind them in the morning."
+
+There is a striking coincidence in many parts of the two actions and
+their consequences, which the reader cannot fail to notice. The most
+material difference, I think, in the two stories is, the offering up of
+the prayer by the Prince, and the modern practice of not recognising,
+publicly at least, the hand of God at all in any of our victories. This
+is to be lamented.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER X.
+
+     Advance in pursuit of the Enemy--Our Forces retreat, in order
+     to counteract Soult's movements for the succour of
+     Pamplona--Total defeat of Soult in the several Actions near
+     Pamplona--Our Forces again advance--Come up with the retreating
+     Enemy at the Bridge of Yanzi--The Enemy take up a position
+     behind Vera--A considerable body of the Enemy attacked at the
+     Pass of Eschallar, and forced to retreat.
+
+
+We remained in bivouack all night where the battle had terminated; and
+did not begin to move till near mid-day on the 22d, when we set off in
+the track of the enemy, and at night reached Salvatiera, where King
+Joseph had slept the night after the action.
+
+The poor beaten French must have had a long march after the fight, for
+this was probably sixteen or eighteen miles from Vittoria. We started
+early on the morning of the 23d, and very soon began to overtake the
+rear of the enemy. They now resorted to a system of retarding our march,
+at once both cruel and cowardly; every village they passed through they
+set on fire. Of course this caused us some delay, as the road generally
+ran through the middle of the village, and the country on each side was
+enclosed, but still nothing could justify such barbarity to the
+unoffending natives, who were thus deprived of house and home, and
+probably all they possessed in the world. We overtook their rearguard
+near a village about two leagues from Salvatiera. They attempted to make
+a stand while the village was in flames, but a shrapnell shell from our
+horse artillery set them instantly in motion. We came upon a
+considerable body of them again near the village of La Cunca, where we
+again cannonaded them, and where our people had some slight skirmishing
+with their rear.
+
+We encamped for the night near this village, and again started after
+them in the morning early. My battalion led the column to-day, the post
+of honour. We had marched, I think, about eight or ten miles without
+overtaking any of the flying foe before us, but at last we came to an
+open country, that which we had traversed being pretty thickly enclosed,
+with bad roads and wet weather, which rendered marching very
+uncomfortable. Here a halt was ordered, as the enemy was in front in
+some force; here for the first time we got upon the great road leading
+from Pamplona towards Bayonne; and here, where it turned the corner of a
+mountain, forming a pretty acute angle, they had the only gun and
+howitzer they had saved from the fight in position, and ready to receive
+us. The men of my battalion, and a part of our 1st battalion, were
+ordered to put their knapsacks up behind the hussars of the German
+Legion, as it was not expected they would be wanted, and it thus
+rendered our people better able to run. The enemy appeared to have two
+battalions here, one of which remained on the great road near the two
+pieces of artillery, while the other moved off more to our right, down a
+valley which they imagined would, at the other end, let them out into
+the great road again.
+
+We now began to move forward, and as I happened to be the first mounted
+person who left the enclosed road we had been in, I was honoured with
+the first shot from their gun, which, although a good shot, did me no
+injury. Our people now pushed on at them pretty smartly, which caused
+them, after firing a round or two more, to limber up and retire with
+their artillery, though they of course retired as leisurely as possible,
+to give time for their troops, whom they were covering, to get away. The
+skirmishing between them and our people continued for about two miles,
+they gradually retiring before us; but when they came to a sort of pass
+in the road, formed by two rocks nearly meeting in the middle, their
+bugles or trumpets sounded first the halt to their troops, and
+afterwards the advance upon us. We could not comprehend the meaning of
+this, till in a few minutes the battalion which we had observed go down
+towards the right, suddenly made its appearance out of a wood among our
+skirmishers. Of course a sharp contest now took place, and the firing on
+both sides became more brisk; this battalion, it appears, had
+miscalculated on getting out of the valley, down which it had retired,
+and had been compelled, at whatever risk, to make the great road again
+before they passed the rocks before mentioned; and in order to let it do
+so, the other skirmishers had advanced to cover its movement. This
+battalion suffered considerably before it reached the road, and we did
+not get off scot-free, having lost out of our five companies about
+twenty-four men.
+
+Our artillery being pretty near at hand, Colonel Ross brought up two
+guns, and fired into their retreating column, doing considerable
+execution. We now moved forward in close pursuit of the enemy for about
+two miles farther, when a shot from Colonel Ross's guns having struck
+one of the leaders in their gun, and our people at this time pressing
+them so closely as not to give time to disentangle the dead horse, they
+unwillingly were compelled to throw their only gun into the ditch, and
+there abandon it. We continued the pursuit till we drove them under the
+walls of Pamplona, which I understand, poor wretches, they were not
+allowed to enter, on account of the scarcity of provisions in that
+fortress, and which after events proved was the case. We retired to the
+village of Aldava and others in the neighbourhood, where we remained for
+the night.
+
+On the morning of the 25th, we advanced on the road to Pamplona, the
+enemy having all retired towards France, till we came within about one
+mile and a half of it, when we branched off to the left, and moved along
+a range of hills at about a mile distant from the works of the place,
+till we reached the town of Villaba, on the mountain-road from Pamplona
+to France; thus cutting off all retreat from the garrison, and thus in
+fact investing the place. During our movements to-day, my people being
+in the rear of the 17th Portuguese regiment, I was riding in company
+with my commanding-officer at the head of the battalion, when the horse
+of the Portuguese major threw out with both his hind feet with all his
+might, and struck me with one foot on my thigh, and the other on the
+calf of the leg. The blow was so severe that I nearly fainted, and was
+obliged to dismount and throw myself on the ground; but as no bones were
+broken, I gathered myself up again, and mounted and set off after the
+troops.
+
+We encamped on the Pamplona side of Villaba, distant from the former
+about one mile and a half. The captain in whose mess I was, with his
+company, was that night ordered on picquet within about three quarters
+of a mile of the city. I went there to get my dinner, during which
+several poor people, who had made their escape from the place, came and
+welcomed us in the name of the people, telling us they were heartily
+tired of their present lodgers; of course there would be different
+opinions among them, but I believe the generality at that time hated the
+French most cordially.
+
+There was a division of the French army under General Clausel, which had
+not partaken of the flight at Vittoria, being then stationed at Logrona,
+and he having learnt the fate of his companions in arms, and their
+retreat into France, was moving through the country to our right, in
+order to effect his retreat also. Next morning, therefore, the 3d and
+our divisions were despatched in pursuit of this French corps. We
+marched that day to near Taffala, and halted at the village of Muro, at
+the junction of the great road from Logrona with that we now occupied,
+but we learnt that Clausel had kept more to his right, and was directing
+his course towards the mountain-road, which passes near Caceda and
+Languessa, into France.
+
+We accordingly passed through Taffala and Olite, and encamped for the
+night. Next day we started early, and moved on till mid-day, when we
+halted for an hour or two to cook and refresh near the village of
+Murillo del Fruto. We here came upon the river Arragon. This had been
+already a long day's march, and the greater part of the division were
+ready to lie down now, but a much longer portion still remained to be
+accomplished. Accordingly, we set off after a short rest, and traversed
+the right bank of this river for about ten hours longer. Night marches
+at all times are unpleasant, but much more so on such a road or path as
+this was, and every one so nearly tired before beginning it.
+
+We crossed the Arragon at the village of Galla Pienzo, and lay down in a
+field not far from the village of Caseda. Very few of the division
+reached this place until daylight next morning. But when I got in I
+unfortunately lay down on a ridge immediately behind our column, and
+where, had I given it a thought, I was continually liable to be
+disturbed. And indeed I was most wofully disturbed, for every fresh
+batch that came in tumbled themselves down upon me, or in blundering
+about in the dark were sure to stumble over me. It must be observed that
+my leg by this time, instead of getting better, had begun to swell
+dreadfully and to suppurate, consequently I was in a high state of
+fever; and to the thumps and kicks which I received in the dark during
+this uncomfortable night, I cannot but attribute much of my subsequent
+suffering. Next morning we discovered that all our labour had been in
+vain, for Clausel had got the start of us, and had got off by another
+road into France.
+
+We next day moved into Languessa, from which we were not far distant,
+but I could no longer accompany or precede the troops, my leg was now so
+bad. I was therefore obliged to get a pillow laid on my holsters, and
+then ride with my leg resting upon it, (a most uncomfortable position,
+could I have found a better,) while one of my men led my horse, and thus
+follow them as well as I was able. We rested in Languessa all the 30th
+and 1st July; and on the 2d reached Deriza, having passed through
+Monreal. Here I was obliged to be lifted off my horse, and put to bed. I
+was almost stupid from the pain I suffered; for my leg was now swoln as
+large as my thigh. We next day moved into Villaba, from whence we had
+started in pursuit of Clausel, and thence into some villages on the
+plain, close to Pamplona. Here I believe some works were thrown up to
+shelter the troops, either against the shot from the fortress, or a
+sally from the garrison. This continued all next day. I remained very
+ill in bed.
+
+On the 5th, the division left this quarter, and set off on the road
+towards France; but I could not follow them. I got with great difficulty
+from my present station, which was now occupied by other troops, and
+stopped at a village, the name of which I forget, just over the ridge
+where I received my hurt, and a few miles distant from Villaba. Here I
+found out that Dr Jones of the 40th regiment was in the latter town;
+and, as he had formerly been in our regiment, I took the liberty of
+requesting he would come and see me. This I found out by my servant
+going in for provisions. He very kindly came, and gave me the best
+advice he could. By this time my leg had burst, and had discharged a
+prodigious quantity of matter.
+
+I remained in this village till about the 10th, during which time a
+priest had shown himself remarkably kind and attentive; there were very
+few inhabitants remaining besides him. He told me in one of the
+conversations that I had with him, that, from the first entry of the
+French troops into this country, one million had passed out of France
+into Spain, for he had had good opportunities of making a just
+calculation; and that, out of that vast number, not more than 200,000
+had returned, thus proving that the enemy had lost in that country
+800,000 men. And this is not to be wondered at, for nearly the whole
+population during that time had been in arms against them; and, although
+not acting as soldiers in the field, they never failed to assassinate
+the French wherever they could accomplish it. He said, moreover, that
+Mina, with his little band, could produce documents to prove that he had
+destroyed 40,000 Frenchmen.
+
+About the 10th, I set off from this village, as my leg had by this time
+become somewhat easier; and, passing through Lantz, Elizonda, and St
+Estevan, arrived at Sumbilla on the 13th, still obliged to ride sideways
+with my leg over the pillow and holster. Here I found my division; and,
+as this journey had again brought my leg to nearly as bad a state as
+before, I was obliged to have it opened in two places, but without
+reaching the matter, as nothing but blood was discharged.
+
+On the 15th, my division moved forward to the town of Vera, the last
+town on the Spanish frontier. Here the enemy had taken up a strong
+position, both in front and rear of the town; the front position was on
+Santa Barbara, an exceeding high and almost inaccessible mountain. They
+were dislodged from the position before the town by my brigade, and
+retired into the Puerta, or Pass of Vera. I was not present on this
+occasion, having been again compelled to stay behind on account of my
+leg. While I remained at Sumbilla, I had been obliged to have my horse
+shod by a Spanish blacksmith, who drove a nail right into the quick.
+This I did not discover till several days after, when I found my horse
+quite lame.
+
+On the 18th, I again crept on after my people, whom I found encamped on
+the height of Santa Barbara, from which I before said they had driven
+the enemy. Here we remained till the 26th, During this time my horse's
+foot had also suppurated, and he was quite unable to move. My leg also
+was daily discharging a vast quantity of matter, so that I felt at this
+time very uncomfortable; particularly as very stormy weather came on
+while we were here, which killed a great number of our animals, horses
+and mules, I believe not fewer than seven or eight in one night.
+
+It will be known to the reader, perhaps, that on the 25th, Soult (who
+had now been appointed to the command of the French army) made an attack
+upon our posts at Roncesvalles and Maya, and had driven the divisions
+stationed there from their posts. He moved on towards Pamplona, in hopes
+either of beating back our army to Vittoria, (as he vainly talked,) or
+of being able to supply Pamplona with provisions, which it greatly
+needed. In consequence of this movement of the enemy, we also were
+compelled to fall back, although the troops in front of us made no
+demonstration of advancing.
+
+Accordingly, on the 26th, we began our retrograde movement, being myself
+at that time in as pitiable a plight as can well be conceived. My horse
+was so utterly lame, that he could scarcely hop on three legs, while I
+was totally unable to walk a step. My kind friend Captain Perceval, with
+whom I had long messed, helped me out of my trouble, by dividing the
+load of one of his baggage-ponies among the other animals, and lending
+it me to ride upon. We retired from the height, and crossed the river
+Bidassoa, near Lizacca, through which we passed, and kept along the
+mountains on the left bank of that river till we reached a height
+opposite Sumbilla, where we pitched our tents, and remained for the
+night. We did not move all next day; but just as night set in, we were
+ordered under arms, and continued our retreat. This was a still more
+distressing night-march than any I had previously witnessed.
+
+We were now, it may be noticed, in the midst of the mountains of the
+Pyrenees, where precipices abound; consequently the precaution to avoid
+falling over them would be doubled. One little streamlet, I well
+remember, delayed the division probably two hours. It came down from the
+sides of the mountain which overhung the road, and crossed it at a very
+dark and ugly-looking place, making a considerable noise as it fell from
+rock to rock. This of course made every one extremely cautious; and in
+consequence a poor good-natured corporal, who was killed soon after, got
+himself into the middle of the streamlet, and took hold of every
+person's hand as he passed, conducting him safely to the other side.
+Poor fellow, he was extremely anxious to help me and my miserable little
+pony safely over. This and a few other places, something similar,
+prevented us reaching our destination till an hour after daylight next
+morning, although the whole distance was not more than ten miles.
+
+We arrived at Zubietta in the morning. This place is about a league to
+the right of St Estevan, more into the mountains. Here we remained that
+day, and the next day moved higher up the mountain, behind the town,
+where we encamped, and remained till evening, when we again commenced
+our retreat. We had not quite so bad a march of it this night, the road
+being much more even, although, just at the outset, our adjutant, in
+riding along, had his cap pulled off by the bough of a tree, and in
+endeavouring to save it from falling, he pulled his horse right over a
+small precipice, which the two rolled down together. Luckily it was not
+a deep ravine into which he fell, or he would not have escaped so well:
+neither man nor horse were much hurt. We reached the village of Saldias
+in the morning, where we remained for the day. Last night my servant
+told me he had been obliged to leave my little horse behind, as he could
+not get him to hop any farther. I felt grieved at this, for he had
+brought me all the way from Lisbon, and shared both my good and bad
+fortune; however, it was no use to fret, for that would not improve my
+situation, which indeed was not an enviable one, my leg all this time
+being extremely painful.
+
+On the 30th, we made an excessively long march, (by day,) and at night
+reached Lecumberg, where we encamped. During the latter part of this
+day's march, we had heard an incessant cannonade and firing of musketry
+in the direction of Pamplona, from which we were apprehensive that Soult
+had penetrated too far; but as it did not appear to recede, we believed
+our people had been able to hold him in check at least. We were now on
+the great road from Bayonne to Pamplona, in order to keep up the
+communication between our right, where the fighting was now going on,
+and Sir Thomas Graham, who was besieging St Sebastian. We were here also
+to intercept any of the enemy's columns that might either advance or
+retreat by this road. Towards evening of the 31st, an aide-de-camp
+arrived from Lord Wellington, more dead than alive from the excessive
+fatigue which he had undergone for the last three or four days, with
+news of the total defeat of Soult in the several actions near Pamplona,
+termed the Battle of the Pyrenees, and ordering us to retrace our steps,
+and again advance. We set off in the evening, and reached Larissa, where
+we halted for the night. It was whispered that it was expected we should
+have gone much farther this night, but I am not certain whether it is
+true; but certainly we might have proceeded to Saldias, if absolutely
+necessary.
+
+On the morning of the 1st of August, we again started pretty early. It
+was again reported this morning that another dispatch had been received
+during the night, directing us to proceed with all haste, as the enemy
+were retreating by St Estevan, and that we were to attack them wherever
+we met them. We now of course stepped out very freely, and presently
+gained Zubietta. Here I had ridden forward to get a shoe fastened on, my
+horse having cast one in coming over the mountains; during which time
+the quartermaster had been called for some purpose or other, as I was
+not there.
+
+My General was not well satisfied: he saw me in this village, and asked
+me why I had not been present when I was wanted. I told him the cause,
+but he still did not appear satisfied, and, by way of punishment,
+directed me to remain in the village till the baggage came up, and show
+them the way the division had gone. I may here observe, that it was a
+little unreasonable in my General to find any fault with me on this
+occasion; for, had I not got the shoe put on my horse, I could not have
+been of any use at all as a quartermaster. My punishment indeed was
+slight, and I rather think he was glad to find any excuse to delay me
+for the purpose for which I was left. I am confident the officers of the
+infantry suffered more anxiety and even loss on account of the great
+want of farriers or horse-shoers in their regiments, than from almost
+any other cause. Without the officer was pretty high in rank, he had not
+only to pay most exorbitantly for any thing of this kind which he got
+done, but to beg and pray, and to look upon it as a favour conferred on
+him. Most of the good shoers were taken by the staff or general
+officers, consequently only the inferior ones were left for the
+regimental officers, and in several cases none at all. The consequence
+of all this was, the loss of several valuable animals, both horses and
+mules; besides, in some cases, the officers being rendered incapable of
+performing their duty as they otherwise would have done. To this I
+attribute a considerable loss in animals during this service. It might
+easily be remedied by each infantry regiment having a proper
+establishment of farriers, (say two,) with tools, &c. in proportion, and
+the means of carrying them; and then every officer, whose duty requires
+him to be mounted, might be served. I myself bought tools to the amount
+of L.4, and never had but one horse shod with them. I could not get a
+man to do it. As soon as I saw the baggage on the right way, I pushed
+forward, and joined the division again. We were literally at this time
+climbing up a mountain, where I could not ride, but was obliged to crawl
+up, and pull my horse after me. My leg by this time had much improved.
+We followed the road by which we had retreated a few days before, and at
+length came to the rivulet that had so alarmed us all on our
+night-march. It was really surprising that we should have been stopped
+so long by such a trifle; but in such a situation, and at such a time,
+things of that kind are magnified a thousandfold by the imagination. We
+passed our old camp ground opposite to Sumbilla, and here we came in
+view of the enemy's columns retreating along the road on the opposite
+bank of the Bidassoa. This gave our men new life; but here the 52d and
+other regiments of the 2d brigade were obliged to halt: they could
+proceed no farther.
+
+We had marched by this time to-day two and a half of the stages we made
+in retreating; but the 2d brigade had been in the rear of the column all
+day, and had consequently suffered much from stoppages, &c. My
+battalion, our 1st battalion, and the 43d regiment, continued to move
+on, and as they approached, the enemy seemed to acquire fresh vigour. At
+length we reached the point of attack,--the bridge of Yanzi,--and here
+the 1st battalion turning down towards the river, at once left the wood
+and ground above the bridge to be occupied by us. The enemy sent a
+pretty strong corps of light troops across, which got engaged with our
+people; but we soon drove down through the wood again towards the
+bridge. At length, we got two companies posted just over the bridge, in
+front of which all the rear of the French column had to pass. Poor
+creatures! they became so alarmed, that they instantly began to cut
+away, and cast off, all the loads of baggage, and both cavalry and
+infantry, &c. to make the best of their way. But the mountain on their
+right was inaccessible; consequently they had all, as it were, to run
+the gauntlet. Great was the execution done amongst the enemy at this
+bridge, and many were the schemes they tried to avoid passing. At length
+they got a battalion up behind a stone wall above the road, on the
+opposite side, from whose fire we received some damage; consequently
+those poor people who had afterwards to pass were not so much exposed.
+Just about the close of the business, my kind friend, Captain Perceval,
+received a shot through his right wrist. His left hand had been closed
+for a length of time before, in consequence of a wound through that
+wrist, which had contracted his fingers, besides being lame from a wound
+in the hip. Now he was rendered completely useless. Towards dusk I went
+with him a little to the rear, and got his tent pitched, and made as
+comfortable as circumstances would admit. I pitied the French on this
+occasion, they seemed so much alarmed. The whole of their baggage fell
+into the hands of our 4th division, who were closely following them up
+on their side of the Bidassoa.
+
+In this affair, the French were reduced to a dreadful dilemma; great
+numbers of their wounded had been brought off from the battles of the
+28th, 29th, and 30th, near Pamplona, which were carried on biers or
+stretches by men of this division. When they saw us in front of them,
+where they had to pass, as it were, immediately under the muzzles of our
+pieces, they were compelled to adopt the cruel alternative of either
+throwing their wounded men down to perish, or run the risk of being shot
+or taken themselves. I believe the former, shocking as it seems, was
+generally adopted; and I have reason to believe that the greater part of
+them were thrown into the river; for, from the point where we first came
+in view of them to near where this affair took place, the Bidassoa was
+literally filled with the dead bodies of Frenchmen, and they could have
+come into it in no other way. We lost only a very few men on this
+occasion, not more than six or eight, while that of the enemy must have
+been extremely severe. Here the effects of rifle-shooting were plainly
+visible.
+
+In remarking on this affair, I beg to draw the reader's attention to the
+following circumstances; viz. probably never troops made such a march
+over such a country before. We travelled at least thirty-two miles over
+mountains such as I before described, where you were sometimes nearly
+obliged to scramble upon your hands and knees. The day was exceedingly
+hot, and occasionally there was a great want of water. I am told that
+one of the regiments in our 2d brigade, which, it may be remembered,
+were obliged to halt, as they could go no farther, had no less than 200
+men fell out, unable to keep up, and that some of them actually died of
+fatigue. I heard of one poor fellow, who, when he came to water and had
+drunk, lost his senses, fell to the ground, and shortly after expired. I
+have reason to be proud of my battalion on this occasion, which, when
+the roll was called, just before the action commenced, had only nine men
+fallen out; but they had been in the front all day, a great advantage in
+marching, particularly over a mountainous country.
+
+This day's work gave me a higher idea of the powers of human nature,
+when properly trained, than ever I possessed before; for when you
+consider that each of those soldiers carried a weight of not less
+probably than forty or fifty lbs. and some much more, it cannot but be
+surprising that men should be able to sustain such fatigue for such a
+length of time--at the end of which to fight, and gain a victory.
+
+Next morning were clearly observable the effects of the evening's work.
+In the house, the yard, and on the road opposite the bridge, were a
+great number of dead Frenchmen; and to the rear, by the way they had
+advanced, the road was literally strewed with baggage, and equipments of
+every description. Some of our people picked up a number of visiting
+cards, with General Vandermason on them, very elegant; so that his
+baggage, no doubt, had been cast off, as well as that of inferior
+people.
+
+Soon after daylight, we were ordered to fall in, and move forward
+towards Vera. Just as we cleared the bridge, old Douro, with his staff,
+came riding up, who, when he saw how we had handled the enemy the night
+before, gave his head a significant nod, and smiled, which conveyed most
+intelligibly his approbation. We soon reached the neighbourhood of Vera,
+behind which, in the pass of that name, as before stated, the enemy took
+up a strong position, from which their picquets had never yet been
+driven. We were ordered to encamp a little below the bridge leading to
+Lezacca, between that and Vera, while the other regiments were intended
+to occupy the heights of Santa Barbara, from which we had before
+retreated. But towards mid-day it was discovered that the enemy still
+had a considerable body of troops in and about the pass of Echallar, a
+few miles to our right. Our brigade was therefore ordered again under
+arms, with the intention of co-operating with the 7th division in an
+attack upon those people. It was a thick mist, so that we could scarcely
+see twenty yards before us; but when we reached the bottom of an
+immensely high hill, on which the enemy were posted, we presently
+discovered whereabouts we had them.
+
+Our 1st battalion extended to the right, and my battalion moved straight
+forward up the hill. For a considerable time the enemy's fire did us no
+injury, being deceived, I imagine, by the denseness of the fog. They
+fired almost always over our heads, some of which shots struck the men
+of the 43d, a considerable way below us. At length we began to approach
+the summit of the mountain, where the enemy were of course much more
+condensed, the ground they had to occupy being much smaller. Our people
+were advancing regularly up the hill, when we run right up against a
+rock, on the top of which was collected an immense body of the French,
+and from whom our people received a most destructive fire, knocking down
+fourteen men in an instant. This unlooked-for circumstance checked our
+people, and made some of them retire for an instant behind a broken part
+in the mountain, from which they kept up the best fire they could.
+During this transaction, the French, who were not more than ten or
+twelve yards distant, were calling out to us in Spanish to advance, and
+abusing us most lustily. A Spaniard (one of the recruits I formerly
+mentioned) was so much annoyed, that he began in his turn to abuse the
+French; and, as if words were not enough, accompanying them with the
+best shot he could give them. Poor fellow, he was instantly shot through
+the body, and fell to rise no more.
+
+They now began to get courage, and made a show of advancing upon us:
+they did do so on the right against our 1st battalion, but my
+commanding-officer calling out to cheer our people, set up a shout,
+which had the effect of intimidating them, and they did not dare to
+advance. I was now sent away by Colonel Barnard to request the 43d (who
+were behind us) to send a company to support our 1st battalion, which
+they instantly did; and just as I returned, I found the French had
+evacuated the rock from which they had annoyed us, on the top of which
+we found a great number of caps and pouches, &c., belonging to men who
+had fallen there. We followed them over the hill, but they now gave us
+leg-bail, posting down into the valley towards France with all
+expedition.
+
+The 7th division had some pretty sharp work before they dislodged the
+people in front of them, and had suffered very severely in effecting
+their object. When every thing was settled, one of our men thought he
+saw a man hiding behind a tree just below us: he went to see what it
+was, and dragged out by the neck a French soldier of the 2d light
+infantry. Poor fellow, he came out shrugging his shoulders, and, putting
+on a most beseeching look, begged we would spare him, as he was only a
+"pauvre Italien." Of course no injury was done him, only the soldier who
+took him claiming and taking from him his knapsack, which appeared a
+fine full one, and which he appropriated to himself. I thought it cruel,
+and would have prevented it, had my voice been of any weight; and yet,
+had it not been taken from him now, it would very soon after, when he
+became a prisoner.
+
+One battalion was ordered to remain and occupy this hill, which
+dreadfully alarmed me, lest it should be ours, for it was bitter, bleak,
+and cold. Luckily a Portuguese battalion was ordered up, and we returned
+to our snug camp by the river side; and here, as if to crown our good
+fortune, one of our men, who had been left behind in charge of the
+tents, had got some meat roasted for our mess, of which we all partook
+with great delight and thankfulness.
+
+A friend of mine of our 1st battalion, during the advance the French had
+made upon that battalion, was nigh falling into their hands. They rushed
+at him, but he perceiving, and endeavouring to avoid them, fell into a
+bush, which scratched him most wofully, and in the fray lost his cap and
+sword. They grasped at the latter, (which was not drawn,) but which
+luckily broke loose from the belt, or they would have had him. This hill
+was always known afterwards by the name of Barnard's Hill, in honour of
+Colonel Barnard, who commanded on the occasion.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XI.
+
+     The Author, from a mistake, loses his Servants for a few
+     days--A Feast of Death--A Feast of Life--Fighting near St
+     Sebastian--Singular instance of Spanish Bravery--St Sebastian
+     is captured, but no Details given, the Author not having been
+     present--Attack of the Pass of Vera.
+
+
+We remained at rest here for some time, during which I, as acting
+paymaster, had several trips to Tolosa, a considerable town on the great
+road from Bayonne to Madrid, where the paymaster-general had taken up
+his residence with the military chest. In one of them I went and had a
+peep at St Sebastian, the siege of which was then going on. While here,
+I received directions from General Sir William Stewart to attend him at
+Villaba, where he lay wounded, he having received two balls in the late
+actions. I set off, directing my servants with my baggage to follow
+close after me: by some means they were delayed a few minutes, and,
+supposing I was going again to the paymaster-general at Tolosa, went off
+in that direction, without asking any questions. I imagined they knew
+very well where I was going, and still went on slowly, every now and
+then looking back to see if I could descry them coming; but although
+there was no appearance of them, I simply enough continued my route till
+I reached St Estevan; and here I put up for the night, thinking, of
+course, they would come by and by. In the morning, I was fully convinced
+they must have gone some other road, and as all my books, &c., from
+which I wanted information, were in my baggage, I thought it useless to
+proceed any farther. In retracing my steps, which I did leisurely, I had
+an opportunity of seeing the great number of bodies which the French had
+thrown into the river, the road running close by its brink nearly all
+the way. It was really shocking to behold such numerous wrecks of
+mortality, with the disgusting appearance which most of them had
+assumed; many of them were half eaten by the fish, and of others the
+flesh was hanging in rags, and bleaching in the stream. Of course I
+returned home, but did not see my servants again for several days, as it
+took three or four to accomplish the journey to Tolosa and back, and
+they had waited there a day for me.
+
+On the day that I was absent, all the officers of my corps had had a
+sumptuous and splendid entertainment, it being the 25th August, the
+anniversary of the regiment's first formation. They had dug a ditch in
+an oblong shape in the middle of a field, the centre of which served for
+a table, while they sat with their feet in the ditch. I am told the
+French, who were just above, and overlooked them from the heights behind
+the town, assembled and viewed them, as if in astonishment to see them
+regaling themselves with so much glee in the midst of the wild Pyrenean
+mountains. No doubt the wine went merrily round, and many were the
+toasts which were drunk with three-times-three.
+
+During this interval, I often amused myself with fishing in the
+Bidassoa, in which there were many excellent trout, and I was pretty
+successful, for I had got some tackle from one of our captains, which he
+had brought from England. On one of these occasions, while I was wading
+in a pool, I spied a fine salmon laying just below me; I threw in and
+brought my flies right over him, at which he instantly rose, but I
+missed him. I tried again, and hooked him, but in a moment he plunged
+right across the river, carrying with him all my flies and part of my
+line, for I had no reel. I might have calculated upon this, if I had
+thought for a moment; but the opportunity was so tempting, that I could
+not resist it.
+
+At length the 31st of August arrived, the day on which St Sebastian was
+to be stormed. We knew this, for we had furnished a number of
+volunteers, both officers and men, to take part in the assault; many of
+our higher officers had gone to witness the glorious spectacle. But
+early in the morning, we were all astonished at the bugle sounding
+through the camp the alarm, or assembly, and instantly orders were given
+for the tents to be struck, the baggage to be packed, and to set off
+with it to the rear without a moment's delay, for the French were
+advancing; of course all this was done in as short a time as possible,
+and the troops were ordered to move on to a hill just over the bridge of
+Vera. A detachment of ours had joined the evening before, and it cannot
+easily be conceived the strange effect this sudden alarm had on some of
+them. One of them, a lieutenant, was all in a bustle getting his pistols
+put in fighting order, and came to me begging I would take some money to
+keep for him. I told him that it was likely to be in as much danger with
+me as with himself, and of course declined. The old hands, on the
+contrary, were as cool and quiet about it as if it was an everyday
+occurrence. We moved to the height before mentioned, and saw a cloud of
+fellows with white caps coming down to the left of the town, and of
+course prepared to give them the best reception we could. I was sent
+with orders to my commanding-officer from the General, 'that he was,
+when pressed, to retire till he got on the ridge just over his house,
+(which was on the road a little to the rear of where we then were,) and
+that he was to stand there as long as it was possible.' I thought
+something very warm was going to occur, seeing such a cloud of Frenchmen
+were then approaching us, but we were all disappointed; they went
+quickly to their right after descending from the heights, and forded the
+river below the town, setting their faces towards St Sebastian. All this
+was effected under a cannonade from the heights.
+
+Our 1st brigade (except my battalion) was then ordered to cross the
+river by the Lezacca bridge a little behind us, and to move parallel to
+the enemy along the ridge above that town, which had all along been Lord
+Wellington's head-quarters. As soon as they got across, they sent a body
+of troops to the bridge of Vera, close to which some of our people were
+stationed, and from thence they kept firing on us all day from some
+small mountain guns, which they had brought down with them, and
+occasionally with musketry. We were now somewhat curiously situated. The
+French position was on the side we occupied, while the other side of the
+bridge had been fortified by the Spanish General Longa, to protect
+himself during the last excursion of the French towards Pamplona; but
+now they occupied the side on which the intrenchments had been thrown
+up, and turned them against us of course; they did little execution by
+their fire. Lord Wellington, seeing the intention of the enemy,
+assembled all the British troops he could easily collect, and brought
+them in rear of a corps of Spaniards, which met the French in this
+direction; and finding this a fair opportunity of seeing what the Don
+could do, withheld the British, and let the Spaniards attack them by
+themselves. They had now the best chance of showing their valour that
+ever had or might present itself; they had the high ground, and the
+enemy had to climb up on their hands and knees to get at them; besides,
+they had behind them backers that would not see them get foul play. So
+away they set at them, and indeed they did tumble the French down in
+good style, upsetting them in all directions; so that our English
+division had nothing to do but to look on. This was the only time I ever
+knew the Spaniards act in a body like good soldiers.
+
+The enemy, being beaten, were obliged of course to retrograde; but it
+came on one of the bitterest nights I have almost ever witnessed; the
+rain fell in torrents, and the lightning was very vivid. The French
+endeavoured to retrace their steps during the night, fording the river
+where they had crossed it in the morning; but the heavy rain had so
+swoln the river by midnight, that they could not continue any longer to
+wade it. A considerable number of them still remained on the other side,
+and no way presented itself of extricating themselves, but by forcing
+their passage across the bridge, near which a company of our 2d
+battalion, under Captain Cadoux, was posted, with one of ours, a short
+distance in the rear, to support him. Captain Cadoux's people were
+stationed in houses about thirty yards from the bridge, and had a double
+sentry on the bridge. The enemy's column approached very quietly, and
+then made a rush; but the rain having wet the priming of the sentries'
+rifles, they could not get them to go off to give the necessary alarm,
+and were in a moment driven from their post. The French then, seeing
+they had effected a passage, set up a shout, and rushed towards the
+houses where Cadoux's people were, who turned out at once, and with the
+supporting company, opened a deadly fire upon the enemy's column; but
+poor Cadoux fell instantly almost, as he had imprudently mounted his
+horse on the first alarm; his lieutenant also was severely wounded. The
+firing of course soon brought the whole brigade to the spot, which kept
+up a constant and well-directed fire during the whole of their progress
+along the little plain towards Vera.
+
+The enemy suffered dreadfully on this occasion, leaving the ground
+literally strewed with their dead, who, like the others before
+mentioned, were next morning thrown into the river; so that the fish had
+ample feeding for some time after. Some people afterwards reflected upon
+General Skerrott, who commanded here, for not posting a stronger force
+at the bridge, and for not blocking it up with an abbatis; the former he
+might and ought to have done; but the latter was impracticable, from the
+enemy holding the breastwork at the other end of the bridge, which was
+not more than about thirty yards long. Had a battalion been posted
+there, it is probable the French, who were compelled to have recourse to
+this daring attempt, might have been induced to surrender; but I believe
+the General never imagined they had need to make such an attempt. Our
+loss on this occasion was rather severe also. A great many of Captain
+Cadoux's men fell; Lieutenant Travers, who commanded the company of my
+battalion, was wounded, and a considerable number of men were killed and
+wounded; among the former, some of the poor fellows who had joined from
+England only the day before.
+
+Thus was Soult's second attempt frustrated, and St Sebastian fell into
+our hands. As I was not present at that glorious exhibition of British
+valour and prowess, I cannot take upon me to give any account of its
+capture. The volunteers who went from our division to assist in the
+storm or assault, sustained their full share in the casualties attendant
+thereon. The field-officer, Colonel Hunt of the 52d, was severely
+wounded; a lieutenant of the 43d, brother to Mr O'Connell, the famous
+Roman Catholic advocate, was killed; two lieutenants of our first
+battalion, named Percival and Hamilton, were severely wounded. The
+latter, I believe, was a volunteer on the occasion, not being entitled,
+from his standing, to take it as a tour of duty. He was conspicuously
+brave, and received two severe wounds, from which it would scarcely be
+imagined possible any one could recover.
+
+A few days after the surrender of St Sebastian, I had again occasion to
+go to Tolosa for money, and took the road by Passages, the port where we
+now received all our supplies from England; and also to see the ruins of
+that late formidable fortress. When I reached it, the houses were still
+on fire, and not I believe half-a-dozen in the whole town that remained
+habitable, or the inhabitants had quite deserted it. I went up to the
+citadel and examined it, and I believe this, with proper casemates or
+bomb-proofs, might be rendered one of the strongest places in Spain,
+next to Gibraltar; but the French had suffered dreadfully from our
+shells, which had literally ploughed the ground on the top of this
+naturally strong height, and from which cause they had been compelled to
+surrender.
+
+St Sebastian was indeed a melancholy spectacle at this time. I returned
+from Tolosa by a part of the road which we had traversed in our late
+retreat and advance again, as I now began to hope I might perhaps
+recover my little horse, for I suspected from some cause that my
+servant, instead of having been obliged to abandon him, because of his
+lameness, as he told me, had sold him at that time; and this I actually
+found had been the case. I compelled him to tell me where he had
+disposed of him, and, with my broken Spanish, traced him from thence for
+near twenty miles farther into the mountains, where I found him in a
+village, the name of which I do not recollect, but where a squadron of
+our German hussars were quartered. I of course claimed and took
+possession of the horse, giving the person the amount he had paid for
+him; but he being still lame, the commanding-officer of the hussars
+kindly permitted me to leave him with his farrier till he got well. He
+afterwards sent him to me, and would not even allow the farrier to
+receive any remuneration for his trouble, so kindly and politely did he
+behave.
+
+September passed away without any thing remarkable occurring. My friend
+Captain (now Major) Perceval had been obliged to return to England, and
+Captain Balvaird succeeded him as senior captain of my battalion. I
+still continued in that company's mess. At length it was determined to
+attack the Puerta, or Pass of Vera, which the enemy had rendered
+exceedingly strong. The left of our army, under Sir Thomas Graham, were
+ordered to attack in their front, and force the passage of the Bidassoa,
+and establish themselves in France. We were merely to drive them from
+the heights above the town of Vera, taking possession of all the strong
+ground between that and France. The fourth division was brought up to
+support our attack, and formed immediately in rear of the town. One of
+the captains who formed the Committee of Paymastership, and who, it may
+be remembered, were held responsible for my accounts, and the due
+appropriation of all public money which might come into my hands, took
+a fancy that I exposed myself too much, and requested the
+commanding-officer, Colonel Ross, to prohibit my again entering into
+action, except for the purpose of bringing ammunition, &c., when my duty
+required me; in consequence of which the adjutant was sent to me this
+morning, previous to the operations commencing, with an order for me not
+to accompany the battalion. It may seem to the reader perhaps like
+affectation when I tell him I felt hurt at this order, and determined
+not very strictly to comply with it, for I believed that my respected
+commanding-officer had no objection that I should accompany him, did not
+this untoward circumstance interfere with my so doing. Accordingly I
+remained a looker-on among the fourth division. My battalion was
+destined to commence this attack by driving the enemy from a high and
+rugged hill on the right of the Pass, which was a necessary operation
+before the Pass itself could be attacked. Accordingly he extended the
+battalion, and encircled its base on the side next to Vera; and I
+believe, without firing a shot almost, he marched right up to the top of
+the hill, notwithstanding the sturdy resistance made by the enemy, and
+in a very short space of time completely cleared this formidable height.
+
+This operation was the admiration of the whole fourth division, (for it
+was clearly observable by every one,) and they were most lavish of their
+praises for such a workmanlike movement. When my people approached the
+top of the hill, I felt alarmed for their safety and their honour, for
+the French commander closed all his force to one point, and, forming
+them into line, made them fix bayonets, apparently with a determination
+to charge them down the hill again; and I saw that my people, for they
+could not perceive what the French were doing, were likely to be taken
+by surprise. Whether the Frenchman's heart failed him I know not, but
+when Colonel Ross reached the top of the hill, the enemy went to the
+right about, and instantly retired.
+
+I felt proud of belonging to that corps, and happy at such a termination
+of this dangerous operation, and feeling a desire I could no longer
+resist, I set off to join them. By the time I reached the height just
+mentioned, the attack of the Puerta was going on, and a most arduous
+undertaking it was. My brigade attacked the right or strongest pass,
+which they carried in fine style, without much loss, although the enemy
+had a breastwork at every available point of ground. Our 2d brigade did
+not attack the left Pass quite so soon as the other, and when they had
+got about half way up they encountered the most formidable opposition.
+
+A redoubt which the enemy possessed was filled with men, who waited till
+our battalion came within a few yards of them, and then poured in the
+most destructive fire imaginable, making the battalion recoil, and
+leaving one-third of its numbers on the ensanguined ground. But the 52d
+regiment being close behind, promptly supported them when rushing on
+together to the charge, and the French, after some hard fighting, were
+finally driven from this stronghold. After this they never made any
+obstinate stand, although there was occasional fighting all the way from
+the Pass down into the plain below, where some of our people followed
+them; but it not being intended to quit for the present this high and
+formidable barrier, they were afterwards recalled. The boundary lines
+passed along this ridge.
+
+We lost a few men on ascending the first hill, and a few in skirmishing
+afterwards, but our loss was not severe. But that of the 2d battalion,
+before noticed, was awful; several of that battalion who fell in this
+action had only a few days before joined from England, and this was
+their first action. On looking at the ground on which this affair took
+place, one would imagine it almost impossible that any army could force
+a passage through such innumerable difficulties. The hill itself was
+nearly impassable, and with the numerous redoubts and breastworks, with
+which it was literally covered, no troops in the world, I think, but
+British, would have dared to attempt it.
+
+We found that the French, who occupied this station, had rendered
+themselves extremely comfortable, considering the kind of country and
+ground where they were posted. They had been at great pains in building
+very convenient and substantial huts in lines and streets, the same as
+an encampment, and which were indeed remarkably clean and neat. They had
+even built arm-racks at the end of each line, where their arms were
+stowed away most securely, and where they were preserved from the
+effects of the bad weather. Indeed, from the pains they had taken to
+render themselves comfortable here, it would appear as if they had not
+expected to be driven from it so soon.
+
+The left of our army, under Sir Thomas Graham, also established
+themselves within the French territory. A corps of Spaniards on our
+left, between us and Sir Thomas, had likewise made a forward movement
+corresponding with the British. Some Spaniards were on the right of our
+division also, and were destined to drive the French from La Rhune, an
+exceeding high rock, which overlooks all the other mountains, as well as
+the plain below. This they failed to accomplish, the enemy keeping
+possession all that night, and the skirmishing between the two forces
+continuing till after dark.
+
+My battalion was sent on the outpost duty in the evening down into the
+French plain below, and relieved the Spanish General Longa, whose corps,
+with our 2d brigade, were ordered to assist in the morning in dislodging
+the enemy from La Rhune. I will not say whether the sight of the
+red-coats coming against them the next morning had the effect of
+alarming them, but they certainly evacuated that exceedingly strong post
+without much farther opposition, and established themselves on a similar
+rock, but lower, on the French side, and called by them Petit or Little
+Rhune. But the possession of this lofty peak gave us the power of
+overlooking all their movements for miles around us, as well as of
+surveying La Belle France as far as the eye could see, and indeed,
+compared with the bleak and barren mountains in which we had so long
+been residing, it did appear a beautiful country, although, in reality,
+it is far from being such. But we gazed upon it with strange and mingled
+emotions, hardly believing it possible that we had now reached and
+entered the territory of that once formidable nation whose victorious
+armies had penetrated to the farthest confines of Europe, who had
+overrun and subdued some of the most warlike nations of the continent,
+and who had so often threatened, and as often alarmed, the inhabitants
+of England with the invasion of that sacred soil, on which never yet a
+Frenchman has dared, in hostile array, to set his foot since the days of
+the Norman William, but who met there either with a prison or a grave.
+
+We now pitched our camps by battalions, each occupying a post more or
+less important, and the enemy began again to construct their huts, and
+make themselves as comfortable as their circumstances would admit;
+Soult, no doubt, being mightily chagrined that we had now fairly beat
+them out of Spain, when he (as we now learnt) had promised his followers
+that he would soon lead them again to the plains of Vittoria, where
+they might again retrieve their lost honours, and at which city they
+would celebrate the Emperor's birthday. He thus boasted, and no doubt
+would have effected his purpose, had he not been so promptly met near
+Pamplona by his never-to-be outmanoeuvred antagonist.
+
+We now began to suffer greatly from the severity of the weather. It
+became exceedingly wet and stormy; and not infrequently the tents were
+blown away from over our heads, or the pole was forced up through the
+top, letting the wet canvass fall comfortably down about our ears while
+we were perhaps in a sound sleep. I had two streams flowing past my
+head, one went round the trench outside my tent, while the other I was
+fain to let pass through it; their murmurs lulled me to sleep, and I do
+not remember that ever I slept sounder than I did here, having made my
+couch comfortable by gathering dry fern, and spreading my mattress upon
+it.
+
+Whilst we remained here, a few officers were appointed to watch the
+motions of the enemy from an old work which we understood had been
+constructed by the Spaniards and emigrant French against their
+revolutionary neighbours, whom they endeavoured to keep from entering
+Spain; and, of course, this was the daily lounge of those who had no
+better employment, not only that they might themselves see, but hear
+also from others what of importance was passing. On one of these
+occasions, a vessel was descried (for the sea was not more than five or
+six miles from us) making for the harbour of Bayonne, or St Jean de Luz,
+with a small schooner following her in chase, and every now and then
+giving her a shot. The vessel, (which turned out to be a French brig
+going with provisions for the few Frenchmen who still retained the
+castle of Santona,) seeing she could not get clear of her unwelcome
+neighbours, her crew set her on fire, and taking to their boats,
+abandoned her, and escaped on shore--she soon after blew up with a
+tremendous explosion.
+
+On the 31st of this month Pamplona surrendered, the garrison, consisting
+of 4000 men, under Major-general Cassan, the governor, becoming
+prisoners of war. They had been compelled to adopt this measure from
+sheer starvation, of which they, I understand, had suffered dreadfully.
+I happened to be at Passages on the day they reached that port, where
+they embarked, on their way to England. The General was a stout,
+handsome, and intelligent-looking man, and such a one as I should
+imagine would make a noble officer. The soldiers seemed quite
+unconcerned about their fate; whether from the change being actually an
+improvement of their condition, or from the lightness and gaiety of
+their natural temper, I know not, but they were jesting and making as
+merry as if nothing had happened.
+
+During the time we lay on these mountains, I regret to state my gallant
+and respected commanding-officer, Colonel Ross, suffered so much from
+rheumatism, that he was compelled to leave the regiment, and take up his
+abode at Rentaria, a village near to Passages.
+
+It was reported that Lord Wellington intended attacking the enemy along
+his whole line, early in November, but the weather having rendered the
+roads impassable, it was postponed. On the day previous to the intended
+attack, the commanding-officers had been taken up to La Rhune, and the
+post that each corps had to occupy, with the movements they were
+intended to make, were clearly pointed out to them; an excellent plan,
+when practicable, as it leaves no one any excuse for mistakes or
+blunders during the action.
+
+At length, on the 10th of that month, I believe, it was settled to take
+place; but on the 9th I was ordered to set off with the mules of the
+battalion, to fetch corn from Passages, a distance of about thirty
+miles. I suspected this was a scheme of the captain I before mentioned,
+as one of the committee of paymastership, in order the more effectually
+to keep me out of danger, for certainly had any thing serious happened
+me, they would have had some difficulty in rendering their accounts. It
+was not quite certain the attack was to take place next day, although it
+had been so rumoured; however, I was determined to try and reach the
+division as early as possible on that day. I accordingly got my business
+done in Passages as early as I could get the commissary to work; and
+having got the corn, and come on to Rentaria, which I reached about
+mid-day, I took the liberty of leaving the animals in the charge of the
+non-commissioned officer who had accompanied me; and calling on Colonel
+Ross, obtained his permission to let the sergeant proceed in charge of
+them to the regiment, while I might, if I chose, push on at a quicker
+rate. I had heard by this time, that the action had commenced by
+daylight that morning. I accordingly set off at as quick a pace as my
+starved animal could carry me; and passing Irun, and crossing the
+Bidassoa, and keeping along the great road for a considerable distance,
+I then inclined to my right, and skirted the Pyrenees along the whole
+plain. I had thus an opportunity of witnessing the conflict carrying on
+by the left wing of our army, as I passed along towards La Rhune, but
+with every exertion of myself and my poor jaded horse, night closed in
+upon me before I had nearly reached the station of the light division. I
+was compelled to work my way through a country which I had not hitherto
+passed, and which having been the scene of a sanguinary combat,
+presented no very pleasing aspect. At last I heard some strange and
+foreign voices before me, for it was now quite dark, on which I turned
+into a field, and waited till they passed, by which I learned they were
+Spaniards. I was apprehensive I might have kept too far to the left, and
+had got into the French lines, which would not have been so comfortable;
+but after finding them to be men of General Frere's Spanish division, I
+then had hopes of shortly meeting with my own people. Directed by those
+good Spaniards, I at last reached Petit La Rhune, the late formidable
+position of the enemy, on which the blazes from a thousand of their huts
+were rising to the clouds, and enlightening the atmosphere around. But
+it being now ten o'clock, I found myself incapable of proceeding
+farther, more particularly as the Portuguese, among whom I now found
+myself, could not give me any certain directions which way my division
+had gone. I was fain therefore to take up my abode, and gladly did so,
+in a cottage with Colonel St Clair and several other officers of the
+sixth Caçadores. Let it not be supposed that a fighting disposition
+induced me to use so much exertion to reach my division on this
+occasion--no; but as I considered that a sort of trick had been played
+off upon me, I did what I could to render it nugatory; no man liking, as
+I imagine, to be the dupe of any other party's manoeuvres, with whatever
+friendly intention these may have been put in operation. I arose next
+morning early, and hastened to the point where I expected to meet my
+brave comrades, anxious to learn the fate of all I loved amongst them. I
+saw them and the third division at a considerable distance, each on a
+height in front, appearing like flocks of sheep huddled together as
+close as possible. I soon reached them, and learned with sorrow, that
+the brave Colonel Barnard was, as they supposed, mortally wounded, the
+ball having passed through the chest, and that little Lieutenant Doyle
+was killed.
+
+This was a most stupendous action; the scene of operations extending
+from right to left, embracing, I imagine, not less than thirty miles of
+country. The centre had fallen to the share of my division, which, in
+the eyes of the best judges, was the strongest part of the enemy's line,
+for it had been fortified with the most consummate skill, and no labour
+had been spared to render it impregnable, as the enemy had been busily
+employed in the construction of forts, redoubts, and other field-works
+of every denomination, from the day we drove them from the Pass of Vera;
+one in particular, a stone built fort, in the shape of a star, was
+exceedingly strong, and which was attacked and carried in the finest
+style possible, I understand, by the 43d regiment; the 52d also
+surrounded a fort in which the French 88th regiment was posted, the
+brave commander of which not having received any orders to evacuate it,
+remained till the retreat of the French left him no other alternative
+than to surrender at discretion. The part my battalion had to play, was
+to cross the valley separating the two La Rhunes in double quick time,
+and attack the French rock by a gorge, which allowed a passage from that
+valley into their position. This was to be in conjunction with the
+attack of the Star Fort by the 43d, as it in some measure took that work
+in reverse. In short, every corps in the division, and I believe in the
+army, had a most arduous duty to perform, and most nobly did they
+execute it. The left of our army, under Sir Thomas Graham, did not
+succeed in driving the enemy from his innumerable works which covered St
+Jean de Luz, and which he retained possession of till the next morning;
+when the centre, that is the 3d and light divisions, together with the
+Spaniards on our right and left centre, made a movement in advance, and
+crossed the Nivelle river, from which this action derives its name. Our
+movement, which threatened to separate the wings of the French army,
+caused the enemy to abandon his strong position in front of St Jean de
+Luz, as well as that town, on which occasion he attempted, and partly
+succeeded in destroying the bridge over the Nivelle at that place; but
+it being soon after repaired, Sir Thomas Graham's corps took up their
+quarters in the town.
+
+We encamped for the night in front of the village of Serres, or Sarre,
+or Zarre. It had rained hard all the day of the 11th, and it continued
+almost without intermission till our camp was literally swimming. I
+remember perfectly that the water in my tent was several inches deep;
+and when I awoke in the morning, I found a Portuguese boy (who had
+followed us, and had attached himself to our mess as a sort of servant)
+was sitting holding by the tent-pole, that being the only place where he
+could find rest for the sole of his foot. In short, we were as wet,
+clothes and beds and all, as if we had been dragged through a river. The
+evening before, I well remember, we had been highly amused by my Scotch
+quartermaster-sergeant and his friends, who had taken up their abode
+close by, singing, till they rather grew tiresome,
+
+    "We are nae fou', we're nae that fou',
+    But just a drappie in our e'e."
+
+This of course was done to drive away dull care, and to make the best of
+an uncomfortable situation.
+
+The next day towards afternoon, a considerable firing was heard on our
+right, which had continued but a short while, till our gallant and
+unwearied Chief came galloping up, with some few of his staff following,
+who could with difficulty keep pace with him, and asking most anxiously
+whereabouts and what the firing was. We could only point out the
+direction in which we heard it, but could give him no account as to its
+cause. Away he galloped in the direction we pointed out, and no doubt
+soon reached the spot.
+
+I forgot to mention, that a man of the Brunswick Oels corps had been
+hung the day before for plundering by the Provost Marshal, no doubt in
+compliance with superior orders. It was necessary thus to give the army
+an example of severity, in order to deter them from committing those
+acts to which all armies are but too prone. We found indeed very little
+to plunder, had we been so inclined; for the greater part of the
+inhabitants had left their houses, taking every thing portable with
+them. This they had been induced to do from the false statements which
+Soult had set forth in some proclamations he issued about this time, in
+which he described the English as savages, nay, even as cannibals, who
+would not scruple to commit the most monstrous atrocities; so ignorant
+were the generality of these poor peasants, that many of them implicitly
+believed his representations. This, no doubt, was done with the view of
+raising the whole population in arms against us, in order to defend
+their homes against such a set of wretches as he made it appear we were;
+but, although many of the natives joined the French army at this time,
+with which they were incorporated and led to battle, the result of his
+famous proclamations was not equal to his expectations; for a great part
+of them declined warlike proceedings, and retired into the interior of
+the country with their families, leaving only a very small proportion
+indeed who remained in their houses. As might be expected, the empty
+houses suffered dreadfully; every piece of furniture almost being
+destroyed, either for fire-wood, or in seeking for valuables; while the
+houses of those who remained in general escaped.
+
+General Harispe, being a Basque himself, had the organizing of the new
+levies now raised; indeed, many of these had taken a part in the
+irruption into Spain on the 25th July for the relief of Pamplona, and
+many of them fell on that occasion. We were not so fully aware of the
+extent of the misrepresentation to which Soult had gone in these
+proclamations, till some time after we had entered France, and had
+penetrated considerably into the interior, when some of our officers,
+either during or after a march, entered the cottage of a peasant who had
+not left his home, to get a little milk. The poor woman was remarkably
+civil, offering them any thing the house afforded. They got some milk,
+for which they offered her money, but which she declined. Her child was
+running about the house at this time, which, coming near one of the
+officers, he took it between his knees, and patted it on the head, with
+which the child seemed very well pleased; but the poor mother, standing
+at a little distance, and eyeing most intently every motion of the
+officer, was like to swoon with fear and agitation. But as the mother
+had declined receiving any thing for the milk, the officer who had the
+child gave it some small coin, and letting it go, it ran to its mother,
+who snatched it up into her arms with the utmost joy, and altering her
+look, began to say, she thought they had been deceived; for that they
+had been led to believe from the proclamations of Soult, that we were
+such barbarians that we would not scruple to kill and eat their
+children, and which was the cause of her late fear and anxiety, as she
+expected the officer had taken the child for that purpose; but now she
+found we were not such people as she had been led to believe. Of course
+the officer laughed most heartily at having been suspected of a
+man-eating propensity, and soon convinced the poor woman that the
+English were not quite such barbarians as that, whatever she might have
+heard to the contrary.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XII.
+
+     The British Army advance farther into France--Pass the
+     Nive--Soult's Plans baffled--Two or three battalions of the
+     Nassau and Frankfort regiments come over from the
+     French--French Politesse--Threatened Attack by the
+     French--Battle of the Nive--Account of the Basques.
+
+
+We left our wet camp on the 15th, and advanced to the village of
+Arbonne, where, for the first time during the campaign, we were
+quartered in houses, except once or twice. During our stay in the camp
+at Serres, or Zarre, we sent our baggage animals to Passages for corn,
+on which occasion I lost another horse, the batman pretending it had
+been stolen, but which, no doubt, he sold, as that trick had often been
+resorted to by this time, and there was no detecting it.
+
+On the 17th we left Arbonne, and advanced to Arcangues, sending forward
+picquets to the village of Bassozari, about half a mile in front. My
+battalion took up into quarters in some straggling houses in front of
+the church of Arcangues, while our first battalion occupied the chateau
+and outhouses of Arcangues, about a quarter of a mile to the right and
+front of the church. The enemy's picquets were close to Bassozari, so
+that in some places scarcely a quarter of a mile intervened between our
+quarters and their outposts. They allowed us to take up our outposts
+very quietly, they being now established in their intrenched camp in
+front of Bayonne, and which was not far distant from our advance. There
+were some houses in the line of posts occupied by the French, which, if
+in our possession, would add greatly both to our security and
+convenience, and which it was determined to wrest from them if
+practicable.
+
+Accordingly, on the 23d the division was put under arms, and our
+brigade, being in front, had this task assigned to them. The 43d, not
+having had so much work during the campaign as our two battalions had,
+was selected for the purpose of driving in the enemy's picquets, whilst
+we supported them. They accordingly attacked and carried the houses
+without a moment's delay; but unfortunately, Captain Hobkirk of that
+regiment, advancing with his company beyond the line at which it was
+intended to halt, got immediately in front of some of their
+intrenchments, from which he could not extricate himself, in consequence
+of which our first battalion was ordered to advance to cover his
+retreat; but he had by this time fallen into the hands of the enemy,
+with a considerable number of his men: his lieutenant was killed, and
+altogether the company suffered great loss. The remainder retreated, our
+first battalion people holding the houses it was intended to occupy.
+This occurred on the left of the ridge.
+
+On the right, and adjoining a marsh which separated us from some high
+ground near the river Nive, and which was occupied by another division
+of our army, were two or three houses also which it was intended to
+take, as their possession secured us a passage across this marsh by a
+causeway, which connected two eminences, that on which we stood, and
+that occupied by the other division, the principal object upon the
+latter being a large chateau called Garratt's House. One company of the
+43d also took those houses, supported by some more of that regiment and
+my battalion; but after they were taken, from what cause I know not, an
+order was sent to evacuate them, on which the 43d retired. Soon after,
+they were again ordered to be re-occupied, when a company of ours
+advanced, and took possession, but had not been there many minutes till
+another order was sent for them to be evacuated. This order, however,
+had scarcely reached them, when a charge was made on them by a body of
+French cavalry, supported by a strong column of infantry. The officer
+who commanded the company, either from the order he had received, or
+from want of presence of mind, called to his men to run to the rear when
+the cavalry charged him, by which he did not suffer much in point of
+losing men, for only one was wounded by the cavalry; but it had a bad
+appearance to run away from cavalry, a description of force which we had
+learnt by this time almost to despise, especially as, from his post, he
+might have knocked down great numbers of them, and finally have repulsed
+them, had he allowed his men to fire. The houses were, however,
+eventually taken possession of by another company of our battalion the
+next day, which retained them in despite of the enemy. The man who was
+wounded by the cavalry was shot in the head by a pistol ball: he came to
+the surgeon, where the main body of the battalion was standing, to be
+dressed; while this was doing, and the orderly man holding a tin-full of
+water near, from which the surgeon was sponging and cleaning the wound,
+a ball came, and, striking the tin, carried it right out from between
+the hands of the orderly. I was standing close by, and shall not easily
+forget the blank look which, as might be expected, the poor orderly put
+on. There was a good deal of firing all day, which, except what the 43d
+suffered, as before noticed, did little damage to the brigade.
+
+On the occasion of our company taking these houses the next day, a very
+young officer, who happened to command it, evinced great fortitude and
+presence of mind. He advanced on the enemy, who, being then rather
+inclined to quietness, retreated gradually before him; but after
+reaching the hedge, just beyond the principal house, told him (for they
+were quite near enough to speak) that he must not advance any farther,
+or they would be compelled to fire on him. The young fellow, solicitous
+about nothing but obeying his orders, told them that he was determined
+to have the house, and immediately putting his men under the best cover
+he could, called out that they might begin to fire whenever they
+pleased, he was ready for them. This young officer (whose name was Cary,
+and brother to my friend who fell at Badajos) spoke excellent French, so
+that the enemy understood him perfectly. The enemy did not contend any
+longer for the post, but planted their sentries within about thirty
+yards of ours. These sentries, indeed, were still so posted as to
+prevent a passage across by the causeway, had they been so inclined; but
+the next day I went with another officer across by this road, on which
+occasion we actually passed to the rear of the French sentries.
+
+A disposition had for some time been gaining ground with both armies, to
+mitigate the miseries of warfare, as much as was consistent with each
+doing their duty to their country; and it had by this time proceeded to
+such an extent, as to allow us to place that confidence in them that
+they would not molest us even if we passed their outposts for the
+purpose I have mentioned. And this mutual confidence in each other was
+productive of the most comfortable results to both parties. We could
+move about at any time, and almost in any place, shooting or otherwise
+amusing ourselves, without the dread of falling in with an enemy's
+patrol, or of getting among their sentries. They never molested us from
+this time, except when we either advanced upon them, or they upon us, in
+hostile array. Our division had two main picquets; all this took place
+at the right picquet. A few days after I happened to be at the advanced
+post on the left, commanded by one of my battalion, when the French
+officers beckoned to us. We, to show we were peaceably inclined, pulled
+off our swords, and advanced to meet them. A number of inhabitants, who
+had left their houses on our first entering the country, having heard
+that we were not what we had been represented, were desirous of
+returning to their homes, and the officers wished us to admit them, and
+see them safe through the advanced posts. This of course we gladly
+promised, and the poor people were quite overjoyed at being permitted to
+visit their dwelling-places once again; but, poor creatures, I fear they
+would find little there except the bare walls, if indeed these remained
+entire, for, from the reasons before assigned, it could scarcely be
+expected that houses without inhabitants, in the midst of an invading
+army, would be much respected. Each individual among them, old and
+young, carried heavy bundles on their heads, no doubt they having
+removed every thing that was valuable, if portable.
+
+The French officers were extremely polite, and asked us many questions
+of the news of the day, &c.; but the commander-in-chief, hearing of the
+familiarity which subsisted between the two armies, issued an order,
+prohibiting British officers from holding conversations with the enemy;
+for as all these conversations were necessarily conducted in French,
+(very few indeed of their officers being able to speak English,) he was
+apprehensive they might gain such information from our people, from
+their imperfect knowledge of the French language, as might materially
+injure our future proceedings. Before this order was issued, the most
+unbounded confidence subsisted between us, and which it was a pity to
+put a stop to, except for such weighty reasons. They used to get us such
+things as we wanted from Bayonne, particularly brandy, which was cheap
+and plentiful, and we in return gave them occasionally a little tea, of
+which some of them had learnt to be fond. Some of them also, who had
+been prisoners of war in England, sent letters through our army-post to
+their sweethearts in England, our people receiving the letters and
+forwarding them. They told us also how Hobkirk was situated, and were
+astonished at the extent and splendour of his equipage, (for he was a
+great dandy,) and could scarcely be persuaded he was only a captain.
+
+My present commanding-officer, who was the senior captain, and in whose
+mess I then was, had sent to England, and got out from thence two
+immense pies, weighing nearly a hundred-weight each, and packed in tin
+cases. They were composed of every kind of game, and the best
+description of fowls, such as turkeys, &c., with the bones taken out,
+and the meat baked till it became like brawn when cut in slices. They
+were most excellent. One of these he had made a present of to our
+Major-general, and the other we were eating in the mess. We had also at
+this time a considerable quantity of good wine, which, by some accident,
+we had got hold of. We also had bought a pig and killed it, both living
+quite sumptuously at present, and having a good stock for future use.
+
+But while we ourselves fared so well, our poor horses and mules were
+literally starving. There was no kind of forage for them, except what
+they could pick up in the now completely exhausted fields around us. We
+had nothing else to give them.
+
+In this way we were going on, when, on the 9th of December, Lord
+Wellington, determining on passing the Nive, preparatory to future
+operations, ordered our division and all the left, under Sir John Hope,
+who had now succeeded Sir Thomas Graham, to make a movement in advance,
+in order that the enemy's attention might be attracted to this point,
+while he threw over some divisions to the right bank of that river. My
+battalion had to advance along the ridge by which I had formerly passed
+in peace, to meet the returning inhabitants, as may be recollected; but
+now the face of affairs was completely altered;--a heavy fire was kept
+up by the French picquets from the moment they saw us advance in arms,
+but we soon drove them from their advanced works, and they were obliged
+to take shelter in their intrenched camp, which was remarkably strong,
+and which it was not intended we should attack. We accordingly halted on
+the brow of the ridge, while they kept up an incessant fire, both from
+their guns and infantry, but which, considering its extent and duration,
+was not by any means a destructive fire.
+
+Sir John Hope had a more laborious task to perform, or else his troops
+went beyond the point intended, for they continued the fight nearly all
+day, and at one time were considerably in advance, but afterwards
+recalled.
+
+The passage of the Nive was completely effected, and in the evening we
+returned to our comfortable houses, a short distance in the rear, and
+went to bed as usual. Next morning, however, very early, orders were
+given to turn out immediately, and stand to our arms, for the enemy was
+advancing; and indeed, when I came to the door, I heard a good deal of
+firing. The troops turned out at once, but the mules were to get, and
+the baggage to pack, and send away to the rear, or it might be lost; so
+I set myself about this with all dispatch; but before any of it was put
+up, I saw posting by me, with all expedition, a civil officer, who had
+only a short while joined us, and who, in his hurry, had put up all he
+could scrape together on his horse, on which he himself was riding. His
+boots, tied together, were slung over the horse's neck, and in short he
+looked more like a bagman than an officer, from the number of things he
+had hanging about him. It was most laughable to see him. I called out
+and asked him why he was in such a hurry, but he did not stop to give me
+an answer.
+
+I got up our baggage very well, but what to do with the pie, the pig,
+and the wine, I knew not, so was constrained to leave them as they were,
+hoping we might not allow the enemy to penetrate so far. I then moved
+off the baggage, and, directing the servants who had charge of it to
+proceed up a lane which carried them towards the rear, I moved on and
+joined the battalion. Just as I reached the plateau, or high ground in
+front of the church of Arcangues, I met an officer of ours to whom I had
+lately lent a fine young mare, for which I had not food sufficient; and
+he having no horse himself, I thought he would take care of her; but
+here I met him going into the fight riding on the poor animal, although
+scarcely able to drag one leg behind the other. I remonstrated with him,
+but he did not mind me. The result was as might have been
+anticipated--she soon after dropped down, unable to move farther, and
+died; thus I lost L.35 more, which she had cost me. By this time the
+enemy had driven in the regiment which had been on picquet, and one or
+two of our companies were sent forward to cover their retreat to the
+church behind us, where they were ordered to take post, it being a high
+and fine position, and had by this time been partly fortified. My people
+retired gradually before the enemy, who now advanced in great numbers.
+
+Our 1st battalion were not so fortunate in effecting their retreat. An
+officer and some men having got into a hollow way, were surrounded by
+the enemy and taken; another was killed; and another, with his section,
+had to force their way through a strong body which had got in his rear.
+My battalion did not fall into any scrape of that nature, but sustained
+a considerable loss in killed and wounded, from the vast superiority of
+the enemy in point of numbers, who, no doubt, did not escape with
+impunity. We held our ground at the bottom of the hill on which the
+church is built, the French not being able to force us farther back; the
+1st battalion, at the same time, holding the fence and ditch in front of
+the Chateau, as well as that building itself. But a rather unpleasant
+occurrence took place at this time. When the enemy appeared on the
+plateau before mentioned, a regiment behind us, without orders, I
+believe, opened a heavy fire upon them, several shots of which struck
+among our men. One of them went in at the back of one of our soldiers,
+and killed him on the spot; another penetrated the back window of a
+house into which a party of ours had entered for defence, and very near
+struck an officer, who was in the room at the time. These shots must
+have been fired either by young soldiers, who scarcely knew how they
+pointed their muskets, or they must have taken our people for the enemy,
+from which, indeed, they were not far distant. I am confident it was
+purely accidental, for no two corps could be on better terms than that
+regiment and ours always were. The skirmishing continued till dark.
+
+This was one of a series of masterly movements between the two
+contending generals. Lord Wellington having sent a pretty strong force
+across the Nive, as before mentioned, Soult imagined he had so weakened
+his force on the left, as to render it probable he might penetrate it,
+and thus cause his lordship to withdraw his troops again from the right
+bank of the Nive; but he was anticipated; for Lord Wellington had no
+sooner established himself on the other side of the Nive, than he
+brought one of the supporting divisions of that movement to support us
+at the church of Arcangues, it being an important post to hold; so that,
+when we looked behind us, after we retired into position, we saw
+innumerable bayonets glistening in the sun, and ready to move forward
+whenever they should be required; but they never were wanted here, the
+light division being quite sufficient to sustain any attack the enemy
+had yet made on them. This, however, showed the provident care of his
+lordship, and how completely he had penetrated Soult's design.
+
+This night two or three battalions of the Nassau and Frankfort regiments
+came over and left the French. They had heard that the Dutch had
+declared against Bonaparte, and wished to be transported to Holland,
+with all their arms and appointments, which they brought with them. We
+remained in bivouack on the ridge extending between the church and
+chateau of Arcangues all night, our picquets remaining in possession of
+the houses and hedges at the bottom of the hill, where we stopped the
+French in the morning. I visited the picquets at night, in company with
+my commanding-officer, where we found all well, and alert. The next day,
+there being no firing between us and those in our front, three French
+officers, seemingly anxious to prove how far politeness and good
+breeding could be carried between the two nations, when war did not
+compel them to be unfriendly, took a table and some chairs out of a
+house which was immediately in our front, and one which we had lately
+occupied as a barrack; and bringing them down into the middle of the
+field, which separated the advance of the two armies, sat down within
+100 yards of our picquet, and drank wine, holding up their glasses, as
+much as to say your health, every time they drank. Of course we did not
+molest them, but allowed them to have their frolic out.
+
+During the day, also, we saw soldiers of the three nations, viz.
+English, Portuguese, and French, all plundering at the same time in one
+unfortunate house, where our pie, our pig, and wine had been left. It
+stood about 150 or 200 yards below the church, on a sort of neutral
+ground between the two armies; hence the assemblage at the same moment
+of such a group of these motley marauders. They plundered in perfect
+harmony, no one disturbing the other on account of his nation or colour.
+There were a great number of apples in it at the time we left it,
+belonging to the owner of the house, but when we returned, two or three
+days afterwards, the desolation was complete. Our once comfortable
+quarter contained nothing now but filth and dirt. One poor girl had
+remained in it all the while, but she could not save one article;
+indeed, in such a case it would have been a service of danger to attempt
+it.
+
+At night one of our sergeants played the French a trick. He took with
+him a few men, and, knowing the ground well, they passed the French
+sentry unobserved, having reached the house at the top of the field out
+of which they had brought the table, &c., where their picquet was
+stationed. He made a rush at their arms, which he found piled in front
+of the house, and set to work and broke them before the French had time
+to recover from the consternation into which they were thrown by so
+unexpected an assault. He and his party then came running off without
+sustaining any injury. He was a most determined brave soldier this, but
+afterwards lost an arm at Toulouse, and was of course discharged with a
+pension.
+
+On the 12th, the enemy made a mighty show of attacking our position,
+having greatly increased their force in front of us, and had, some way
+or other, found the means of spreading a report in our lines that 1800
+grenadiers had been chosen to lead on the attack. They also traced out
+batteries, and cut embrasures, apparently with the intention of burning
+or knocking down the chateau of Arcangues, the owner of which remained
+in it all this time, and was rather suspected of holding correspondence
+with his countrymen. It is not unlikely it was by his means the report
+above alluded to was propagated. Every thing now wore a serious aspect,
+and of course every thing was done to render their attack abortive. All
+were animated with the best disposition to defend the post to the last
+extremity; but while the generality believed all these preparations were
+serious, there were others who thought it only a _ruse de guerre_;
+indeed, had our friends, the German hussars, (with whom we had often
+acted in concert,) been here at this time, it is more than probable they
+would have been strongly inclined to the latter opinion, for they
+scarcely ever saw the French make a great bustle and noise, as if about
+immediately to advance and attack, but they would coolly say, after
+eyeing them awhile, "Oh, he not come to-day!" "He go away!" and were
+generally certain of being right. So full of trick and artifice are our
+French antagonists, that they generally act in quite a contrary manner
+to what appearances indicate. But they began to be known; hence the
+scepticism of some of our people on the present occasion. Accordingly,
+about midnight, when the attack was to have been made, away they went,
+and retired nearly into their lines, leaving only a few to keep the
+ground.
+
+At daylight next morning we again moved forward, on which there was a
+good deal of firing between the Portuguese battalion that had followed
+them and their rearguard; but when our people advanced to our old post
+on the ridge, I, happening to be first, took off my cap, and, putting it
+on the top of my sword, held it up, which the French taking for a signal
+of peace, as it was intended, the firing on both sides ceased, each
+party taking up the post they held previous to the late movements. We
+wondered why the French had retired, but presently heard a tremendously
+heavy firing in the direction of the Nive. Soult, it seems, had
+withdrawn nearly all his troops from our flank, and marching rapidly
+through Bayonne, had attacked General Hill, who commanded on the other
+side of the Nive, with great impetuosity, thinking Lord Wellington had
+weakened that force to strengthen us; but here again Soult was
+outwitted, for he found on that side quite sufficient to give him as
+sound a drubbing as he ever got; the Portuguese on this occasion, I
+understand, performing wonders.
+
+These five days' fighting (for on every day there was firing, more or
+less, in one part or other of the line) were called the Battle of the
+Nive. We had had three days' work of it--they on our right two--and Sir
+John Hope's people, on our left, four, I believe, and they not trifling
+ones. In every thing Soult undertook, he was completely foiled--all his
+schemes having been clearly seen through by his more sagacious opponent.
+Indeed he had inflicted a heavy loss on our left wing, commanded by Sir
+John Hope, where the fighting had been most severe, but no doubt he
+suffered equally, if not more severely than they did. I am told that the
+enemy's light troops were most insolent and annoying to our heavy
+regiments on the left, on this occasion. What a pity that they could not
+have been opposed by troops of a similar description!
+
+It may be remembered the civil officer of whom I made mention, as having
+rode away with the greater part of his wardrobe hanging about his horse;
+he was more fortunate than we were, for the things which he left, his
+kind landlady took care of, and hid in some snug corner till the
+business was over, and on his return restored them all to him. He said
+the cause of his going off in such a hurry arose from a cannon-shot
+having struck the lintel of the door or window of his house while he was
+in the act of shaving, on which he bundled out with whatever he could
+scrape together, and set off. I verily believe it must have been the
+effect of imagination, for I remained behind him at least a quarter of
+an hour, and although our houses were close together, I did not either
+hear or see a shot fired in that direction till we had reached the hill,
+nearly an hour after; but he constantly maintained that it was so.
+
+We again took up our old quarters in front of the church; but oh, how
+changed were they now from what they had formerly been in point of
+comfort! nevertheless, they still afforded us shelter from the
+inclemency of the weather. Soon after dark on this evening, a rather
+unpleasant affair occurred at the left advanced post of our division. An
+officer and two men coming from the French advance, with what intention
+is not known, were observed by the corporal who was stationed at our
+abatis, who immediately took out his rifle and shot the officer through
+the body, on which his two men lifted him up and carried him into their
+picquet-house. We were apprehensive this would put an end to that good
+understanding which had hitherto subsisted between the picquets of the
+two nations, and much regretted the circumstance. It is more than
+probable the officer was coming as a sort of patrol, to ascertain
+whether or not we had left the post, which, being a military
+undertaking, subjected him to all the chances of war attendant thereon.
+This is the more probable from his having two soldiers with him armed,
+as I understand they were; but if it was meant as a friendly visit, as
+formerly sometimes took place, it was greatly to be lamented; however,
+they did not, on account of this occurrence, manifest any soreness or
+ill-will afterwards, and the mutual good understanding continued to
+subsist between us.
+
+While we remain at rest here a short space, I will endeavour to put the
+reader in possession of the character of the inhabitants, among whom we
+have been sojourning for a few months past--I mean the Biscayans. From
+the time we crossed the Ebro, a wonderful change took place in the
+appearance of the natives; and I believe the same description of people
+extend considerably into France, although under another government;
+they, I understand, still retain their ancient customs, dress, and
+language; they are denominated Basques, from the name of the province, I
+apprehend, which is called Biscay. They speak a different language from
+either the Spaniards, who border them on one side, or the French, on the
+other; and some of our officers who spoke Welsh, said they could
+understand a few of their words; it is denominated the Basque language.
+They generally wear cloth of their own manufacture, which is commonly
+blue, in some parts red or brown; in the neighbourhood of Pamplona,
+almost always the latter. The men wear a sort of Scotch bonnet, with a
+short jacket and trowsers, and are an amazingly athletic and active
+people. The women wear a short jacket also, of the same colour with
+their petticoat; and with their hair, which they encourage to grow to a
+great length, plaited in one large plait, and tied with a small piece of
+ribbon; it is allowed to hang down their back, and almost in all cases
+reaches to, or below their middle. They wear a handkerchief tastefully
+disposed upon their head. They are a fine, tall, and handsome race of
+women; but they have a custom of compressing their breasts, so that they
+appear as flat in the bosom as the men, which, to an English eye, is not
+becoming. The women do the same kind of work as the men, that is, they
+plough, and labour at all sorts of husbandry; but what seemed most
+remarkable to us, was their sole management of the ferry-boats about
+Passages and St Sebastian; they row as well as any men, being amazingly
+strong and active; they seem content with their lot, and always appeared
+cheerful and happy. I believe they are strictly virtuous; and although
+very handsome in general, they did not seem so fond of admiration as the
+females of many other countries are; upon the whole, I think they
+resemble the Welsh more than any other people with whom I am acquainted;
+their countries are exceedingly similar, being mountainous, and in
+general not over fruitful, so that constant labour seems to be rendered
+absolutely necessary to insure to them the means of subsistence; hence
+they are industrious and frugal, and, upon the whole, an interesting and
+moral people.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIII.
+
+     The Author's Battalion quartered in Aurantz on 3d January,
+     1814--The Cantonments at Aurantz broke up on 16th February, and
+     the Campaign of 1814 commenced--Farther Advance into
+     France--Skirmishing with the Enemy--Military Manoeuvres--Battle
+     of Orthes--Defeat and Pursuit of the Enemy--Succession of
+     Attacks on them--They are driven from their Position in and
+     near Tarbes--Skirmishing at Tournefoile--The Enemy retire
+     towards Toulouse.
+
+
+On the 3d of January 1814, we were ordered to quit a part of the
+country, which, from the various occurrences that had taken place since
+we first arrived in it, had, in some measure, rendered it interesting to
+us. We moved a little to the right, and crossed the Nive, and again
+moved in advance about a league or more. This movement was made in
+support of some operations which Lord Wellington was conducting in the
+direction of the Adour, which being completed, we returned to the Nive,
+and took up our cantonments in the villages of Ustaritz and Aurantz.
+About this time, nearly the whole of the peasantry, who had fled on our
+entering France, were now returning to their habitations, all fear that
+we should murder them, and eat their children, having by this time been
+completely dissipated. Indeed we were often told after this, that they
+would much prefer having a British army among them, to their own people,
+for they were always haughty, they said, and overbearing, and never
+scrupled to take whatever they had a mind for, while we were orderly and
+quiet, and never took an article without amply repaying the owner for
+it. Indeed I am well convinced the change the poor people had made in
+their lodgers was greatly for the better to them.
+
+My battalion was quartered in the village of Aurantz, from which we
+often took a stroll, to look at the scene of our late operations. The
+French having, in consequence of Lord Wellington's movements near the
+Adour, strengthened their army in that direction, which of course
+rendered it necessary they should contract the limits of their front on
+the side towards Spain, they had consequently withdrawn their advance
+considerably within their former lines. We now also had plenty of
+opportunity for shooting, but were but ill supplied with fowling-pieces,
+or we might have killed an abundance of woodcocks, every thicket in the
+neighbourhood being filled with them.
+
+The weather now was extremely bad, and the roads impassable, except by
+yourself wading up to the knees, or having your horse almost continually
+nearly up to his belly. In consequence of the difficulty of
+communicating by dragoons, on account of the roads, telegraphs were
+established all along from the right of the army, on the banks of the
+Adour, to St Jean de Luz on our left, the head-quarters of the army.
+While in these cantonments, an account arrived of our gallant
+Major-general (Kempt) having been appointed to the colonelcy of the 8th
+battalion of the 60th regiment, which had just been raised. At the
+recommendation of my commanding-officer, now Major Balvaird, the general
+kindly transmitted my name to the War Office for the appointment of
+paymaster of his battalion; but unfortunately for me, before my name
+arrived, his late Royal Highness the Duke of York, as Colonel-in-chief
+of the regiment, had nominated another person to the situation. It had
+always hitherto been customary for Colonels-commandant, and not the
+Colonel-in-chief, to nominate their own staff, but on this occasion
+another rule was adopted, which, of course, was a great disappointment
+to me, as I had, with considerable trouble, got all my sureties, &c.
+prepared, although they were now not needed.
+
+I had, during our stay here, one or more trips to the paymaster-general
+for money, for although the paymaster of the battalion had by this time
+arrived, I had several months' pay still to draw, the army being
+considerably in arrear in their pay. I had thus an opportunity of
+visiting St Jean de Luz, and all the enemy's late fortifications and
+position in that neighbourhood, and amazingly strong they had indeed
+rendered the ground in front of that town. It was a considerable and
+well-built town, partaking a good deal of both the Spanish and French
+character of course, it being the first French town next to the
+frontier; and, as I said before, there being very little difference
+between the Basques on either side of the Bidassoa, the change of
+countries in respect to inhabitants was not very observable except among
+the better orders.
+
+On the 16th of February we broke up from our cantonments in Aurantz, and
+commenced the campaign of 1814, crossing the Nive at Ustaritz, and
+moving on in the direction of La Bastide de Clarence. We encamped on a
+wild heath, without any village or town being near us, and again the
+next morning continued our route to the place above-named, which we
+reached about noon, and encamped on a hill beyond it.
+
+On the 22d we advanced to St Palais, having passed other villages, the
+names of which I have forgot, in the intermediate days. Nothing,
+however, of any note occurred in that period. On the 23d we encamped
+near La Chere and Charrette; on the 24th we crossed two rapid and deep
+streams of the Bidowse. The first we got over with considerable
+ease,--it was the Gave de Mauleon, which we crossed at Nabes; but the
+second, the Gave d'Oleron, was not only both deeper and more rapid than
+the other, but the passage seemed intended to be disputed with us; some
+French cavalry having made their appearance on the opposite bank, as we
+approached the river. The resistance they could offer, however, seemed
+very trifling, for, on our bringing up some guns to the bank, and a few
+shots having been fired from them, and from a company of our second
+battalion, they withdrew.
+
+We now prepared to go over; accordingly, every man was ordered to take
+off his pouch and buckle it on the top of his knapsack, the ford being
+so deep as to take the men up to or above the middle. On this occasion I
+had I know not how many of the poor men hanging about me and my horse.
+Some were holding by the stirrup, some by the tail, and others by the
+mane, or wherever they could lay hold, for the stream was so rapid as to
+nearly sweep them off their legs. Indeed I understand several of those
+who followed us were actually swept down, and perished.
+
+On reaching the farther bank, we found the French had endeavoured to
+render it impassable, by throwing harrows, &c., with their spikes
+upmost, in the only places where you could ascend from the river. I
+believe a trumpeter of the French was all who fell on this day.
+
+We passed through Ville Neuve, and formed in a field beyond the village,
+till the whole division had got over. It was in this village where the
+scene between the mother, the child, and some of our officers, took
+place. When joined and formed, we moved on to a high and ugly common,
+not far in rear of the village of Orion, where we bivouacked for the
+night. It was most uncomfortable.
+
+Before we reached our ground this evening, we observed, at a short
+distance to our left, a body of about 200 French infantry moving on
+parallel to us, but apparently making all haste to get away in front of
+us. Some suggested the idea of attacking and taking them prisoners; but
+as they were rather before us, it could not have been done without
+setting one of the battalions at them in double-quick time, and which
+would not have been an easy operation, after a long and fatiguing march,
+and fording two rivers. Besides, as our Quartermaster-general said, it
+was certain they could not be far from their support; consequently it
+would only bring on an affair, which it was not the General's wish to do
+at that time, for there was none near to support us should the enemy
+send a force against us. This day General Picton's division had a sharp
+affair at Navarreins, where they forced the passage of the Gave we had
+crossed.
+
+On the 25th, we moved forward early in the morning, and on reaching the
+village of Orion, we found that Soult had had his head-quarters the
+night before, with a considerable portion of his army, in and around the
+village; it was therefore fortunate we did not attack the French
+detachment before mentioned, for we should certainly have had Soult,
+with all his people, upon our single division. A French band had
+remained in this village till our arrival, having deserted in a body
+from the regiment to which they belonged, or they, seeing they could not
+make their escape, pretended to desert and join our army.
+
+We bent our course towards Orthes, which was now only a few leagues in
+front of us. A man brought a cask of excellent wine to the roadside,
+with the intention of giving every man of the division a drink, but we
+could not wait, and were consequently obliged to leave the good man's
+gift. It showed that either good-will or fear had prompted him to this
+act. I rather think the former was the cause, as he lived some distance
+from the road. We had not continued long on the march, till we heard a
+loud and thundering explosion in front of us, which, as it was expected,
+turned out to be the bridge of Orthes, which the enemy had blown up. A
+short while after we came in sight of the town, and one of our
+Portuguese Caçadore regiments being sent forward, a smart skirmish
+commenced between them and the French, who had been left on and about
+the bridge to prevent our repairing it. I foolishly went down to see
+what was going on, and had nigh paid for my curiosity.
+
+We took up our ground behind a height which overlooked the town, through
+which the enemy were passing in large columns. In consequence of this,
+we got some guns into a field in front of our hill, and commenced a
+cannonade upon them, which, we could observe, made them hurry their pace
+considerably. They also brought some heavy field-guns to bear upon us,
+and fired some shots, but without doing us much injury. Throughout the
+whole of the road by which the French had come before us, desolation and
+misery marked their footsteps; and in the village of Orion, where Soult
+himself had slept the night before, nothing could exceed the despair and
+misery of the few remaining inhabitants, who told us they had been
+literally stripped of their all; indeed, they appeared most forlorn and
+wretched beings, and, as might be expected, poured out the most heavy
+and bitter complaints, not unmingled with imprecations, on the heads of
+their plundering countrymen. I went into a poor weaver's house here,
+where, if I mistake not greatly, the marauders had actually cut the web
+he was weaving out of the loom, and carried it off with them.
+
+We remained on this ground all night, and the next morning his lordship
+was intently occupied for a considerable time in reconnoitring the
+enemy's position. At length, as if he had fully made up his mind how to
+act, he ordered our division to fall in, which was promptly obeyed;
+then, sending his staff with directions, we were ordered to file to the
+right, and to move down towards the river, apparently with the intention
+of crossing a little above the bridge, which had been destroyed. On the
+other side, immediately opposite what appeared to be the ford, were
+large bodies of infantry, together with a great quantity of artillery.
+
+I recollect my battalion was leading the division, and it appeared at
+this moment as if we were going to be engaged in a most arduous and
+hazardous undertaking; for the enemy's artillery would have swept us off
+the face of the earth before we could possibly have reached the farther
+bank; however, this was only a _ruse de guerre_, and a most deep-planned
+and well-executed one it was; for while we were moving down towards the
+river, a staff-officer came riding, and ordered us all to hide as much
+as possible from the view of the enemy, by crouching down, &c. as we
+moved along. It may seem rather paradoxical to be ordered thus to act,
+at the same time that we wished the enemy to observe our movement; but
+the fact is, there were probably a thousand eyes fixed on us all the
+time we lay here, and who watched most closely our every movement;
+consequently, we could not stir without the enemy being aware of it; and
+if on this occasion we had made a show and a parade of our movement, it
+would have been suspected as only a feint at once, as the French
+themselves, from often practising this stratagem, would have penetrated
+immediately our object. But our Chief went a step too deep for them,
+adepts as they are in all the arts of this kind; for he made a pretence
+of hiding from them his movement, knowing well that we were observed;
+and this completely deceived them. This threat of crossing here was made
+in order to favour the construction of a bridge about eight or ten miles
+down the river, and the crossing there by another division, as they were
+thus enabled to guess where the principal force for opposition would be
+required. I believe a better planned or more successful stratagem was
+never practised. But I own, when we were marching down to the river to
+cross in front of the immense masses which we saw ready to oppose us, I
+believed that few would survive to tell the tale hereafter.
+
+The moment when we were just opening from the covered ground to plunge
+into the river, we were instantly countermarched with all expedition,
+and moved down the river at a quick pace till we reached the pontoon
+bridge which had been so successfully constructed and thrown over at the
+village of Sala. This being now perfectly safe, we encamped at the
+village for the night.
+
+On the morning of the 27th, we early crossed the river called the Gave
+de Pau, and moved forward in the direction of the town of Orthes by the
+great road. On the right bank of that river, when we came within about
+two miles of the town, we were moved more to our left, ascending the
+high ridge which runs parallel with the river, and on which the French
+had taken up a strong position, and were said to be between 30,000 and
+40,000 strong. One division had been ordered to move along the summit of
+this ridge, on which ran the great road to Peyrehourade, and to attack
+the enemy on that flank, while our division communicated with that and
+the 3d division to our right. When the action was commenced, the 2d
+division had been directed to ford above the bridge, where our feint had
+been made the day before, and passing through the town, to attack on the
+opposite flank, and thus cut off their retreat towards the Pau. The
+enemy's position proved to be exceedingly strong, and difficult of
+access by us.
+
+The action commenced by the 4th division attacking on the road leading
+along the ridge, where an obstinate and bloody conflict took place,
+without our people being able to make any impression. The attack of the
+3d division, on our right, also commenced immediately after; but such
+was the nature of the ground on this side, being mostly in long pointed
+ridges, running out like the rays of a star, and which were exceedingly
+strong, that no efforts were able to force them from this ground.
+
+General Hill had by this time got over the river, and was approaching
+the position. My division, having been deprived of two of its regiments,
+which had been sent, previous to the commencement of our operations this
+spring, to receive their clothing at St Jean de Luz, being rendered weak
+in consequence, it was kept in reserve, as I before mentioned. During
+this unsuccessful attack, our gallant Chief was for a considerable time
+immediately in front of us, watching with the most anxious care every
+motion of both armies. He appeared to me to be extremely thoughtful and
+serious on the occasion, as our troops did not succeed in forcing this
+stronghold of the enemy. The firing at this time was extremely animated,
+particularly on the ridge to our left, where great slaughter was made on
+both sides. And the French having discovered where he and his staff were
+assembled, opened a smart cannonade on the group, but without doing any
+mischief, I believe, and without being noticed by him. Their shots
+generally fell about our division, which was formed immediately behind
+the hill on which he stood.
+
+At length, whether from the request of Colonel Barnard, who was at this
+time by his lordship's side, or whether by his own direction, I know
+not, but the Colonel was ordered to take on the 52d and 1st Portuguese
+belonging to the Caçadores, our 2d brigade, and endeavour to force a
+passage through the French line, by the gorge of the valley, which lay
+immediately in his front, and they would thus, if successful, penetrate
+into the centre of the enemy's position. They accordingly moved up the
+valley in column of companies, sustaining all the time the most galling
+and destructive fire, for the enemy were thus on each of their flanks,
+as well as in front. When they reached within a short distance of the
+centre height, they formed line, and moving on at a brisk pace and
+carrying every thing before them, they drove the enemy from the plateau,
+and thus penetrated into the very heart of their army. This was a most
+daring and intrepid movement, for although assailed by ten times their
+force, and nearly surrounded by the enemy, these gallant corps hesitated
+not to push on, although the very elements seemed as it were to fight
+against them; for on the brow of the enemy's position the fire had been
+so heavy and so incessant, that the very furze bushes and herbs of all
+kinds were in a blaze along the front, through which, with innumerable
+foes behind it, these gallant men forced a passage at the point of the
+bayonet.
+
+This movement had the effect of at once deciding the fate of the day,
+for Soult seeing his very centre and strongest position carried, which
+separated between his wings, at once ordered a retreat of his whole
+force. The remainder of our division were now despatched with all speed
+in pursuit of the flying enemy, but they never attempted after this to
+make a stand, and nothing was left for us to perform but to give chase
+to the fugitives. When we reached the enemy's centre position, we found
+that every thing had been cleared away which could in the least impede
+his movements; every hedge and ditch had been completely levelled, so
+that nothing remained but a beautiful plain on the top of the ridge,
+except where works of defence had been thrown up. We were not successful
+in capturing any of the enemy, except the wounded, who had necessarily
+been left on the field, and we did not lay hold of any of his materiél,
+except a few guns which he had been obliged to abandon in a swamp below
+the position.
+
+I have related only such things as fell within my own observation, but
+no doubt many were the heroic and gallant deeds that were performed in
+this hard contested battle, besides what I have detailed. As might be
+expected, the gallant 52d and its supporting corps, the 1st Portuguese
+Caçadores, suffered dreadfully, leaving probably one-fourth of their
+numbers on the field. But I must not omit mentioning one trait of
+gallantry which attracted the admiration of the whole army. Lord March
+(now the Duke of Richmond) had for some time been on the personal staff
+of Lord Wellington, where his services had been most efficient. He also
+was at this time a captain in the 52d regiment, but from his high civil
+rank had never served as an infantry officer with his regiment. He was
+determined to know and practice his duty in every situation, and
+therefore requested leave from his lordship to be permitted to join his
+corps as a captain, which was granted of course, and this was his first
+debut in the character of an officer of foot. It was no doubt a sharp
+trial; and poor fellow, while bravely leading on the company which his
+Majesty had intrusted to his command, he fell dangerously (then supposed
+mortally) wounded. This was a noble example to set our young nobility,
+and they cannot do better than to follow such a precedent. I understand
+he has been heard to say, "that the chance of a staff-officer being hit
+in action, is not near so great as that of an officer of infantry, who
+must quietly brave all that comes against him, while a staff-officer,
+being well mounted, can quickly get out of danger; and that if a
+gentleman wishes truly to learn his profession as an officer, he ought
+to serve for a time in the infantry whilst engaged in operations in the
+field."
+
+This was a most decided, but withal an unfruitful victory, and only
+tended to establish more firmly the superior skill of our commander, and
+the superior bravery of the British army. We had heard of the
+proceedings of the allies in the north, and of a number of the French
+generals having deserted the cause of their once potent, but now fallen
+master. And I verily believed that Soult had collected his whole force
+together here for the express purpose of either allowing himself to be
+surrounded, and thus make a show of being compelled to surrender, or of
+inducing his whole army to come over at once to the side of the
+Bourbons, but in all these conjectures I was completely mistaken; for
+whatever may have been Soult's faults as a man, he has always shown
+himself a consistent and an able defender of the cause he first
+espoused, and as such is certainly respectable.
+
+We pursued the flying columns of the enemy for about two leagues beyond
+the field of action, crossing in our pursuit the river Luy de Bearne,
+and at night took up our abode in bivouack, near the village of Bonne
+Garde. The night proved extremely cold and frosty, for in the morning
+when I intended to arise, I found my cloak frozen to the ground. We had
+no kind of covering. My commanding-officer had taken up his abode in a
+cottage close by, where there was no bed but what the people occupied.
+He therefore got into the kneading-trough, in which he slept very
+comfortably; but in the morning I remember he turned out like a miller.
+
+We started soon after daybreak, and continued our march, crossing the
+small river Luy de France. Here I remember our assistant
+Quartermaster-general told us what great difficulty he found in
+obtaining information from the inhabitants as to the by-roads which run
+parallel to the great road from Orthes; for these good people could not
+conceive why he should be hunting after by-roads of this description,
+which were generally very bad, while the great road, which was always
+good, lay so near the line by which he wished to move, not knowing
+perhaps, or not understanding, that other divisions of the army were
+moving on the high-road, while we wished to make a corresponding
+movement on their flank. They would always, however, after directing him
+how to proceed for a while, bring him again on to the great road, which
+he wished to avoid for the reason before given.
+
+The comfort, and the efficiency of an army in the field depends more, I
+am persuaded, on the abilities and zeal of officers in the
+Quartermaster-general's department, than on any other branch of the
+service; for if they are remiss or unacquainted with their duty, the
+marches and counter-marches, the halts, and the changes of direction,
+are so numerous and annoying, that the spirits and strength of the
+troops are soon worn out, and of course dissatisfaction and inefficiency
+soon follow. But to the credit of the officers of this department at the
+period of which I am writing, I believe never army possessed more able,
+more zealous, or more active staff-officers, than we did, and that
+principally owing to the excellent example set them by the head of this
+department, than whom a more able conductor of an army does not exist.
+On one of these occasions when our assistant Quartermaster-general had
+occasion to wait upon the authorities of a village, he jokingly asked
+them for passports, as is customary in France, to proceed into the
+country. "Ma foi," says the worthy Mayor, "you obtained your passports
+at Vittoria, you need no others now."
+
+We halted for the night near the village of Duerse. In the morning, we
+forded the Adour near a small village, the name of which I forget, and
+making a long and rapid march, we took possession of the city of Mont de
+Marsan, where we found immense magazines of provisions, which had been
+collected by the enemy. This was the most valuable capture that had been
+made by the British army since its arrival in the Peninsula; for
+although a great deal of treasure was obtained at Vittoria, yet a
+considerable portion of that fell into the hands of individuals; but
+this was secured for the benefit of the whole army. The enemy had
+abandoned the city previous to our arrival, consequently it was a
+bloodless conquest, which rendered it the more valuable. Mont de Marsan
+is what may be termed a fine and an extensive city, containing about
+3000 inhabitants.
+
+The people received us kindly upon the whole, and showed us great
+attention. Here we had superb quarters, and the change from what we had
+lately been accustomed to, produced a rather uncomfortable feeling; for
+our clothes and all our equipments so little corresponded with the
+magnificence around us, that we should have preferred less stately
+mansions, if comfortable, as more congenial with our respective
+establishments. But we did not long enjoy our splendid lodgings; for,
+having secured the booty, we left the city, and returned to the banks of
+the Adour. The march both to and from this city had been along straight
+flat roads, cut through an immense pine forest, with which this
+department is almost completely covered. The roads had been for some
+time much traversed, and having a sandy bottom, were consequently very
+bad at this season of the year; added to which, a violent storm of snow
+and sleet assailed us all the march of this day, which made it a rather
+uncomfortable business. We halted for the night in a village named, I
+think, St Maurice, and the next day were moved into St Sever, a
+considerable town on the left bank of the Adour, in which Lord
+Wellington had taken up his head-quarters. Here we remained some days,
+doing duty over his lordship, when we crossed to the right bank, and
+moved up the river, halting at the town of Grenade. We next morning
+continued our route up that bank till we reached Barcelonne, a
+considerable town some little distance from the river, and nearly
+opposite Aire, a large town on the left bank, and near which General the
+Hon. Wm. Stewart, with the 2d division, had had a smart brush with the
+enemy on the day we captured Mont de Marsan.
+
+On the evening of the 10th we halted at the village of Arblade, and, on
+the 11th, entered Tarsac, where we remained for the night. We were next
+morning pushed on to a village in front, about a league distant, but
+were allowed to remain there only for one night, for the enemy now began
+to appear in our front in considerable force. We were consequently
+withdrawn, and, passing through Tarsac, the division formed in a wood
+about half-way between that and Aire. We expected something serious was
+about to occur, but, from what cause I know not, the enemy again
+retreated, leaving a body of cavalry on the road about half-a-league
+beyond Tarsac, to which we again returned and took up our quarters.
+
+On the 16th, as these fellows still continued so near us, although
+evidently without any infantry to support them, it was determined either
+to drive them away or take them prisoners. I must observe, our 15th
+hussars were at this time occupying Tarsac with ourselves, and one
+squadron of them were selected for this service. The advance of the
+French consisted only of one squadron, the remainder of their regiment
+being at some distance in rear as supports; consequently it was but fair
+that an equal force should attack them. Captain Hancox's squadron (in
+which was Captain Booth, with his troop) was pitched upon for this
+affair. The remainder of the 15th were drawn out to support them, if
+needed, but were not to take any part in the combat. Every one of course
+went out to see the fight.
+
+Accordingly this squadron moved on to the front, and steadily advanced
+upon the enemy, who seemed determined to stand the charge, as they put
+every thing ready to receive our gallant dragoons. When within a proper
+distance the word "trot" was given, and soon after "gallop," and then
+"charge," when our fellows dashed in among the French, upsetting them in
+all directions, and cutting many of them down to the ground. In a few
+minutes the business was settled, for our people returned, bringing in
+with them the captain commanding, (and who, I believe, had been
+personally engaged with Captain Hancox,) with about twenty-five men,
+prisoners. The rest made their escape. The French captain, and the
+greater part of the twenty-five men, were wounded, and some were left
+dead on the road.
+
+I shall not soon forget the little wounded captain. He, I believe, was
+either a native of Tarsac, or somewhere near, and had been determined
+to show his valour to the utmost; hence his standing, when he ought to
+have retired; but all the way, as they were bringing him along into the
+village, and after he reached the house where he directed them to take
+him, he kept crying out, "I'm as brave as a lion!--I'm as brave as the
+devil!" and could scarcely be got to hold his peace while the surgeon
+was dressing him. Most piteous moaning was made by many of the
+inhabitants, to whom it seems he was well known.
+
+We understood afterwards that this regiment, the 13th French hussars,
+had fallen rather under the displeasure of Soult, for some ill conduct
+on a former occasion, and that they were thus determined to wipe off the
+stain and retrieve their character; but they would have shown more
+sense, and have rendered more service to their country, had they retired
+when they saw it was determined to drive them away.
+
+On the 18th, we again advanced by the road the French had taken, and,
+crossing the Adour at the bridge and village of La Row or Arros, we
+pursued our route till we reached the town of St Germain's, where we
+halted for a short space; and thence to Plaisance, a good town, where we
+remained for the night. An unfortunate circumstance occurred in or near
+this town, which might have produced the most disastrous
+consequences:--A man, who most likely had been resisting the plundering
+of his house, was basely murdered by some soldier or soldiers of the
+division; but although every endeavour was made to discover the
+perpetrators of this vile act, they could not be found out; but a
+subscription was set on foot among the officers of the division, and 100
+guineas were collected and paid to the unfortunate widow, who, though
+grieved for the loss of her husband, was thankful for the money. I
+strongly suspect my friends the Portuguese were the culprits on this
+occasion.
+
+On the 19th we again moved forward, and, passing Obrigort, halted for
+the night at the village of Aget. Towards the close of this day's march,
+we both heard and saw smart skirmishing, down on the great road which
+runs parallel to the ridge on which we were, and from Auch to Tarbes,
+along the plain on our right, and passes through Vic Bigore. Near this
+town the firing was very brisk. We understood it was Picton's division
+driving the French before them.
+
+The next morning we started early, and, continuing our march along the
+ridge of the height on which our last night's quarters were situated, we
+reached pretty soon the town of Rabasteins, where we learnt that the
+enemy had taken up a position in and near the town of Tarbes. We,
+accordingly, changing our direction, moved to our right, down the road
+leading from the former to the latter place. We passed on this road the
+sixth division, which, it seems, was ordered to keep on the flank of the
+enemy, which, should he make a stand, this division was to turn. When we
+got within about a mile and a half of Tarbes, we discovered the enemy
+posted on a strong woody height on the left of the road, with a windmill
+on its highest and most distant point.
+
+The whole of our 95th people were accordingly ordered forward, to
+endeavour to drive them from this position. My battalion formed the
+right, the 2d battalion the centre, and the 1st battalion the left of
+our line of skirmishers. We found them covered in front with a great
+number of light troops, which occupied us some time in driving in, and
+in which service we suffered considerably, for they occupied the hedges
+and dikes on the high ground, from which it was necessary we should
+dislodge them. We had also a considerably-sized brushwood to pass
+through before we could get at them. At length, after much smart
+skirmishing, we gained the height, but found the whole of their heavy
+infantry drawn up on a steep acclivity, near the windmill, which allowed
+them to have line behind line, all of which could fire at the same time
+over each other's heads, like the tiers of guns in a three-decker. We
+continued, however, to advance upon them, till we got within a hundred
+paces of this formidable body, the firing from which was the hottest I
+had ever been in, except perhaps Barossa. At this moment I received a
+shot through my right shoulder, which compelled me for a moment to
+retire; but meeting the main support of my battalion advancing with
+Colonel Ross at its head, and finding my wound had not disabled me, I
+again advanced with him, until we got close under the enemy's line, and
+took post behind a hillock, which protected us from their fire.
+
+We here found Colonel Norcott, who then belonged to the 2d battalion,
+riding about on his large black mare; but he had not ridden long till he
+also was wounded through the shoulder, from which he still suffers.
+While we were in this situation, a shot struck a captain of ours in the
+side where he had his drinking-horn slung; in fact it struck both the
+horn and his side; but, from some cause, it did not penetrate the flesh,
+but bruised it sore, which is generally painful. The captain, and those
+about him, thought he was shot through the body; they accordingly picked
+him up, and were carrying him off to the rear, when he cried, "Stop, let
+me feel," and putting his hand down to the place, and finding no wound,
+he sprung out of their arms, and, with the most ludicrous appearance
+possible, returned to his post again. No one present could refrain from
+laughing at the ridiculousness of this occurrence, although at the
+moment the men were falling fast around us. At this time also, a spent
+shot, one which I imagine had first hit the ground, struck me on the
+left arm, but did not injure me. I now thought it better to go to the
+rear to get my shoulder dressed, immediately after which I became quite
+faint from loss of blood. The firing still continued most animated on
+both sides; but before an hour had elapsed, the French were driven
+completely from every position they held on this very strong hill; and
+as I returned, (after having been dressed, and having swallowed some
+spirits to remove the faintness,) I found them posting away with all
+expedition to the plain below, some guns, which had just arrived, giving
+them an occasional shot, but from which they did not suffer much, they
+marched with such rapidity. We immediately followed them down to the
+plain, on reaching which, we perceived a body of French troops coming
+apparently from the town of Tarbes, pursued by the 3d division, with
+whom they had been engaged, and which, with some exertion, we thought we
+could intercept and cut off; but they, perceiving our intention,
+inclined considerably to the right, and marching with all speed, they
+got away before us.
+
+The enemy now having all retired across the plain, began to take up a
+strong position on a height at its extremity, towards which we continued
+to advance; but Lord Wellington having expected that the 6th division
+would by this time have reached their position, and, attacking in flank,
+have rendered our attack in front more likely to succeed, and they not
+making their appearance, although it was now nigh dusk, he ordered the
+divisions here to halt, and bivouack for the night on the plain. I never
+saw any one more disappointed, or apparently more annoyed by this last
+order, than our Adjutant-general, the lamented Sir Edward Packenham; he
+was for attacking them at once; but this could not have been done
+without a great sacrifice of excellent troops, as all those were who now
+filled the ranks of the British army, having by this time been
+completely seasoned, and become almost invaluable. In reviewing the
+operations of this day, I need say little, as facts speak for
+themselves. The enemy had on the Windmill hill, as it was vulgarly
+called, or more properly the hill of Oleac, I believe a whole division,
+consisting of at least 5000 or 6000 men, while not a shot was fired by
+any but by the sixteen companies of my regiment, amounting probably to
+1000 or 1100 men; it is true the other regiments of the division were
+drawn up in rear of us, and would have supported us had we been
+repulsed. But it is not so much to the driving away of this so much
+stronger force, that I would draw the reader's attention, as to the
+great loss the enemy sustained, and solely from our fire. I believe I
+shall not be far from the truth, if I state their loss in killed and
+wounded as equal to the whole strength of our sixteen companies.
+
+Lord Wellington, in his dispatch, mentions the destruction caused in the
+enemy's ranks as unusually severe; hence the advantage of rifles over
+the common musket, or else the superior mode of using our arms beyond
+what is practised in the line. The Americans tauntingly tell us, our
+soldiers do not know how to use the weapons that are put into their
+hands; and, truly, if we are to judge by the awful destruction which
+they have occasionally inflicted upon our brave soldiers, we should be
+led to suspect that they understand this science much better than
+ourselves. It might, however, be easily remedied, if more attention were
+paid to the instruction of the recruit in this most essential
+qualification, and more time and ammunition devoted to target practice;
+but, at the same time, every officer should be made to know something of
+projectiles in general, or he will, as at present, be incapable of
+instructing his men. I will venture to assert, that eight out of ten of
+the soldiers of our regular regiments will aim in the same manner at an
+object at the distance of 300 yards, as at one only 50. It must hence be
+evident that the greater part of those shots are lost or expended in
+vain; indeed the calculation has been made, that only one shot out of
+200 fired from muskets in the field takes effect, while one out of
+twenty from rifles is the average. My opinion is, that our line troops
+ought to be armed with a better description of musket. If five shillings
+more were added to the price, it would make a great difference in the
+article, and be very trifling to the public. Our army has always been
+too sparingly supplied with flints, which may be had almost for an old
+song; but if wanted in the field, nothing can supply their place. Many a
+brave soldier has fallen while hammering at a worn out flint. It is true
+we can, with the weapons we have, drive any other army out of the field,
+but not without occasionally sustaining an overwhelming loss,
+particularly when opposed to the Americans; and could we meet them with
+the same advantages they possess in point of shooting, our chances of
+victory would be greater, and at less expense. These are my private
+opinions only, and are deduced from the experience I have had, both as a
+heavy infantry soldier and a rifleman. I am now firmly persuaded, that
+of the near 200 shots I fired on the 2d of October 1799, in Holland, not
+one took effect, from my total want of knowledge how to aim. What an
+useless expenditure this was of both time and ammunition! Much indeed
+has lately been done by Sir Henry Torrens, to supply the deficiency of
+which I have been speaking, but still not sufficient, in my opinion, to
+remedy all the evils attendant thereon.
+
+Our loss on this occasion was very heavy, being about 100 men and eleven
+officers killed and wounded; the proportion of officers being nearly
+double what usually takes place. The regiments which supported us also
+had some casualties, arising from the shots which passed over our heads
+striking among them; but they were not considerable. My servants having
+heard I was wounded, went to Tarbes, (where all the wounded were
+collected,) with my baggage. I should consequently have been very ill
+off, had not my kind friend and messmate, Major Balvaird, lent me his
+tent and bed, as he himself had been ordered on picquet. Immediately
+after nightfall, the enemy had all retired from the position in front of
+us. We accordingly next morning continued the pursuit, and halted at
+night at the village of Lannemazen, not far from the borders of the
+Pyrenees, towards which, in their retreat, they had been inclined. This
+day and night, my shoulder had become extremely painful. We started
+again in the morning; but leaving the Pyrenees, we turned our faces more
+towards Toulouse, and took up our abode for the night at a
+considerable-sized town, called Castelnau; here the inhabitants received
+us very kindly, and we had excellent quarters. However, on the following
+morning, we were obliged to continue our march, and passing through
+several villages on the road, halted for the night at L'Isle, in Dodon.
+During this day's march, my poor old horse played me a sad trick. He was
+one which I had been compelled to purchase as soon after I lost my
+little Portuguese one by the bad shoeing of the blacksmith at Sumbilla,
+as I could fall in with one for sale. He was a very tall grey horse,
+rather old, and whose mouth had not been well made in his breaking; he
+was withal rather stubborn, or more properly speaking stupid,
+consequently he did not always obey the rein as he ought. The roads were
+excessively deep and dirty, and as I was riding at the head of the
+battalion, and had occasion to pull him a little to one side, for some
+purpose or other, he either would not, or could not, obey the pull of
+the rein; and as I had but one hand, he took advantage of it, and sat
+down completely on his haunches, in the very deepest of the mire. Of
+course I was tumbled right over his rump, and rolled in the mud, and
+after extricating myself as well as I could, I crawled out, as pretty a
+figure as may well be imagined. This, as might be expected, raised the
+laugh of all who saw it, at my expense; but, uncomfortable and
+ridiculous as my situation was, I was not hurt, the mud being
+sufficiently deep to protect me from any injury by the fall. In this
+village I fell in with a Frenchman who had just come from Toulouse,
+towards which he understood we were bending our course. He gave me such
+a flaming account of the "belle position" in the neighbourhood of that
+town, and of the impregnable works which Soult had caused to be thrown
+up, and of the superb artillery which were stationed there, and which,
+he said, were those who had served in the famous battle of Austerlitz,
+and of the utter improbability of any impression ever being made on them
+by an enemy, that if I had given credit to the half of what he told me,
+I might have been filled with fear lest all our laurels might here be
+tarnished. From what motive this rather exaggerated statement was made,
+I know not, but am inclined to think it was merely an inclination to
+indulge in a trifling gasconade. On the 25th we reached Mont Ferrand,
+where we halted for the night.
+
+On the 27th, in the morning, we were moved forward to the village of
+Tournefoile, where it seems some of our cavalry had been quartered the
+night before, but who had had their quarters beat up during the night by
+a body of the enemy, who still held the ground beyond the village. My
+battalion, and a Portuguese battalion, were sent forward, the remainder
+of the brigade following. We found the enemy occupying the road leading
+from the village to a bridge about half a mile distant, together with
+the hedges and enclosures in the vicinity. My people extended to the
+left, while the Portuguese battalion kept on the road. A smart skirmish
+now commenced, during which the enemy gradually retired towards the
+bridge; but at this time a most remarkable occurrence took place. One of
+our men (the servant of a friend of mine) received a shot in the mouth,
+which struck out several of his teeth. One of these was propelled with
+such force by the blow that it flew at least twenty yards, and, entering
+the left arm of one of the Portuguese on the road, inflicted a deep and
+severe wound. When the surgeon of the 43d, who was the nearest to this
+man at the time, came to dress the wounded Portuguese, he, instead of a
+ball as every one expected, extracted a tooth, at which, no doubt, both
+he and all about him were quite astonished; and a report was immediately
+set afloat that the enemy were firing bones instead of balls. This most
+extraordinary circumstance was not cleared up till they were informed of
+our man having had his teeth knocked out, when, after comparing the
+relative situations of the two men, it became quite evident how this
+most uncommon wound had been inflicted. If any thing like a joke might
+be permitted on such an occasion, it may with great propriety be said,
+the Frenchman who fired the shot had killed two birds with one stone. I
+happened to be near our man at the time, and besides seeing him wounded,
+I enquired minutely into the circumstances, or I own I should have
+hesitated before I gave implicit credit to the story; so it may
+probably be with my reader. Poor fellow, he had afterwards nearly all
+his intestines torn out by a cannon-shot at the fatal attack near New
+Orleans, and where I saw him writhing in the agonies of death; his name
+was Powell, and he was, I believe, a Welshman.
+
+Not long after the commencement of the skirmish, the artillery on both
+sides was brought into play; but the enemy kept gradually retiring till
+they crossed the bridge, and as we did not pursue them, they quietly
+walked off, taking the road towards Toulouse. I cannot conceive for what
+purpose this body of troops had been sent here, unless it was intended
+as a reconnoissance, to ascertain whether any, and what description, of
+troops had arrived at this point, as their waiting, after driving out
+our cavalry, to see whether any infantry approached, would seem to
+indicate. Major Balvaird was conspicuously brave on this occasion. The
+loss on either side was but trifling.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIV.
+
+     The British Army cross the Garonne--Advance on
+     Toulouse--Prepare for the Attack--The Attack--Spaniards driven
+     back--Battle very hot--French completely defeated--Soult
+     evacuates Toulouse, and tardily adheres to the Bourbons.
+
+
+On the 28th or 29th, we were moved forward, and after a short march we
+reached a beautiful plain, with Toulouse appearing most magnificent in
+the distance. Here we went into cantonments, in the different villages
+and chateaux in the neighbourhood, the greater part of which were
+completely deserted, and many of them most wofully sacked and plundered,
+which could have been done only by their own troops. A noble and stately
+mansion, belonging to a Mr Villeneuve, stood immediately in front of our
+outposts, which had shared the same fate with all the others, every
+article of furniture having been entirely destroyed. The cloth had been
+torn from the billiard-table, the splendid pier-glasses shivered into a
+thousand atoms, and, in short, every article of luxury or splendour
+which a man could wish for, might have been found in this princely
+habitation previous to its desertion by its owner; but now devastation
+and destruction had laid its unhallowed hands on all in which its
+possessor had formerly delighted. I, with my messmates, took the liberty
+of visiting Mr V.'s fish-ponds, where we found some fine-looking carp;
+and having some hooks by me, we caught a considerable quantity, which we
+imagined would be a great treat to our messmates; but we found them
+excessively muddy, and not worth eating. Here also we rejoiced in being
+able to procure some good provender for our still half-starved horses
+and mules. The grass and cinquefoil which we found in this beautiful and
+luxuriant plain, in a few days began to make a wonderful improvement in
+our poor fellow-travellers. I know not a more gratifying feeling than we
+experienced in thus being able to feed the hungry; for although they
+were but of the inferior creation, yet so much did our own comforts,
+and, indeed, efficiency for service, depend on their being capable of
+performing the task allotted to them, and so much did the circumstance
+of our having passed through trials and dangers together attach us to
+them, that I very frequently would have preferred getting them a meal
+even at the expense of wanting one myself. Here my little Portuguese
+horse, which I had originally brought from Lisbon, and who had been my
+companion in all my wanderings, (except when he was left for a while
+owing to his bad foot,) began to look quite brisk and lively again; for
+hitherto his spirits had been very low indeed since he happened by his
+misfortune, and had been literally starved into the bargain.
+
+A pontoon bridge having been constructed some distance above the town,
+and which our engineers had been able to accomplish on account of its
+being thrown over above the junction of the Ariege with the Garonne, on
+the 31st we moved down towards this point, and crossing it, my battalion
+was left as its guard in a village on the bank of the river. The
+remainder of the division, and the ---- division,[3] moved up the Ariege
+river with the intention of crossing, and thus approaching Toulouse in
+that direction; but, from the heavy rains, the river was too much
+flooded, which, together with the dreadful state of the roads, these
+troops were unable to effect this operation, and were consequently
+recalled.
+
+By the 2d of April the whole had recrossed the Garonne, when we again
+went into our cantonments on the plain, but now farther down the river
+than before. We remained here a few days, and I cannot help recording a
+remarkable circumstance which took place at this time. For want of
+dwelling-houses we had been obliged to put a certain number of the men
+of my battalion into a sort of wine-house; it was not a vault, for it
+was above ground, but had a considerable number of barrels of wine in
+it, amongst which the men were obliged to sleep. It will scarcely be
+credited, but not one of these men ever appeared the least intoxicated
+during the whole time they lay there. Whether they were completely tired
+of wine, or whether their having been placed in such a situation
+produced a feeling of honour and pride among them, I know not, but I
+verily believe less wine was drunk by these men during the time they
+remained here, than would have been had they had to pay most
+exorbitantly for it. With soldiers I believe it is as with mankind in
+general; what is prohibited always appears more valuable or more
+pleasurable in our eyes, than what we may with freedom enjoy.
+
+On the 6th we moved down the river till within a short distance of
+Grenade, about twelve miles below Toulouse. We halted near a small
+village, and encamped. A pontoon bridge had been thrown over the Garonne
+here, and one division (I believe the 3d) had crossed; but now, owing to
+the swollen state of the river, together with several attempts which
+were now made by the enemy to destroy the bridge, by floating down
+trees, &c. which might eventually carry it away, it loosened at the
+farther end, and the anchors being taken up, the whole was allowed to
+float down to our side of the river, keeping fast the end next our own
+bank. We remained in this situation for several days, one division only
+being on the opposite side, with which it was impossible to communicate,
+or, if attacked, to afford it almost any support. Now was the time for
+the enemy to bestir himself; for had he marched out of Toulouse with
+half his force, and been met at this place by the force he had at
+Montauban, they must have annihilated this division, or taken them
+prisoners. It is true we might have rendered them some little assistance
+by our artillery from the bank we occupied, but the distance was so
+great that a determined enemy would not have held back from the dread of
+it.
+
+I took a trip from hence to Grenade, where the paymaster-general had
+established the military chest, as I had not yet quite finished my
+paymaster's duty. It is a good-sized town, but contains nothing
+remarkable, only here I remember I got some excellent wine of the
+Champagne kind, and which my friend poured out of an immense magnum
+bottle. I understood our Chief was most anxious to have the bridge
+re-established by the 9th, which was Easter eve, the weather having now
+somewhat taken up, and the river of course had fallen; but although the
+engineer thought he could effect it, and had promised his lordship it
+should be ready by that time, it was not passable till the morning of
+the 10th. Early on that morning, my division crossed to the other side,
+together with the 4th and 6th divisions, and a whole host of Spaniards.
+
+I omitted to mention, that these latter gentry, on their entering
+France, had behaved most wantonly, and had committed numerous
+atrocities; on which, his lordship, as Generalissimo, had ordered them
+back to their own country again; but upon the promise of good behaviour,
+and an anxious desire to participate in the honourable achievements of
+the allied troops, he had granted them permission to rejoin the army,
+and they were to have a post of honour assigned them at the ensuing
+battle. Such was the current report which prevailed among our army
+newsmongers: be it as it may, however, they were here in number, I
+should think, about 6000 or 8000. The whole army now present having
+crossed, except General Hill with the 2d division, advanced upon the
+town of Toulouse. We here found a beautiful country and excellent roads,
+along which we got on rapidly. The town stands close to the right bank
+of the river, along which there are numerous quays, and over which there
+is an excellent bridge, communicating with the suburb on the opposite
+side, called St Cyprian. From the river on the north side of the town
+runs the famous canal of Languedoc, with which it communicates by locks,
+and which, encircling the town on that and on the east sides, with the
+river on the west, almost entirely encloses it. On the east side of the
+town, and just beyond the canal, a considerable eminence arises, forming
+a sort of chain or ridge, on the top of which numerous redoubts and
+batteries had been constructed, and which, both from the nature of the
+ground and by the great labour bestowed upon them, had been rendered, as
+the Frenchman told me, nearly impregnable.
+
+The 6th division, supported by the 4th, had been ordered to move
+considerably to the left, and, after crossing the Garonne, to attack
+this formidable position on the outer side, while the Spaniards were to
+attack it immediately in front. My division was ordered to communicate
+with the right of the Spaniards, and, extending down to the great
+Montauban road, was to press upon the town in this direction, in order
+to aid the attack upon the height before mentioned. The 3d division
+joined our right at the Montauban road, and extended from thence down to
+the river, and were ordered to act similarly to us. The 2d division,
+under General Hill, remained on the other side of the river, and was to
+co-operate by attacking the suburb before mentioned, together with the
+works for the protection of the bridge, and for the same purpose of our
+attack, namely, to keep the troops in these parts of the town employed,
+while the 6th division and Spaniards attacked the height. Immediately in
+front of our division, we found considerable bodies of troops, at some
+distance from the town, occupying the houses all along the road, and
+which it took us a considerable time to drive in. They had also
+constructed a battery on the bridge over the canal, where the great road
+passes, and from which they kept up an almost incessant fire. At the
+hither end of the bridge also there stood a very large convent, which
+they had fortified in a very strong manner, having loopholed the whole
+of the surrounding wall, which was twenty feet high, and had also looped
+the upper part of the convent, which contained a garrison of probably
+1000 or 1200 men.
+
+We commenced operations in conjunction with the 3d division on our
+right, in driving these people in, and with whom a smart firing was kept
+up during the whole day. The French had also other troops beyond the
+canal, and on the Moorish or Roman wall which encircled the town inside
+the canal, and both of which they had fortified; so that, had it been
+intended we should force the town on this side, we should have found it
+a difficult undertaking: we were, however, merely (as said before) to
+press upon them without committing ourselves; but unfortunately, in the
+eagerness of some of our people to push forward, they got immediately
+under the muzzles of the pieces of the men who were defending the
+convent, and from the loopholes several of our poor fellows were shot
+without being able to see their antagonists. A good number fell here;
+for it was not more than thirty yards distant where they had taken up
+their post, and an unpleasant one it was as well as dangerous; for they
+were obliged to stand in a drain which ran from a jakes, and which of
+course emitted no very desirable flavour; or, if they had left it for a
+moment, they were immediately shot. Our adjutant escaped here as by a
+miracle, the bole of a very small tree having stopped the ball that
+would have pierced his body. When, however, we had got them fairly
+driven in, we had then time to look about us, and the first thing we saw
+was the Don moving on to the attack of the height with all due ceremony.
+They gained the first or lower ridge without much opposition, and here
+getting up some artillery, a pretty heavy fire was opened on the enemy;
+but the French remained quite passive, not offering to resist the
+approaching Spaniards till they got within a certain distance of their
+works on the top of the hill.
+
+The Spaniards, elated by having gained the first ridge so easily, pushed
+on too rapidly, and without having taken time to re-form their columns
+after the first conquest. They were not aware either that a rather deep
+ravine separated them from the enemy's works; however, on they pushed,
+in a very disorderly manner, till they reached the point the French
+intended they should reach, when a fire was opened out upon them, such
+as they had never witnessed before. Few troops would have remained
+unshaken by such a reception, but to the Spaniards it was intolerable;
+consequently they broke into a thousand parties, and, turning tail, it
+was who should be first away from such unpleasant doings. I am told that
+Lord Wellington at this moment could scarcely hold his sides for
+laughing, and cried out he "wondered whether the Pyrenees would bring
+them up again, they seemed to have got such a fright." He did not indeed
+depend on their valour, or he would have made a bad winding up of his
+Peninsular campaign. The moment they left the height, every man took the
+way that seemed to him best, and they soon after literally covered the
+whole plain, and set to work with all expedition to plunder at least, if
+they would not fight. Some of the villains had the audacity to come and
+take a poor man's horse out of the stable of the very house which we
+were then, as it were, defending, and had nigh got off with it; but
+having been perceived, it was taken from them, and restored again to its
+owner.
+
+The left of our division was now obliged to be moved up to fill the
+space vacated by these vagabonds; and in doing which a good deal of hard
+fighting took place. This also made the people in front of us rally
+again, and coming out in great numbers hurraing and shouting, we had
+something to do to drive them back. But by this time we heard, in the
+distance behind the hill, a dropping and now brisker fire; by and by,
+approaching the summit, it became quite animated. We could plainly
+perceive now the different appearance which the French assumed; they no
+longer lay supine and passive till their enemy approached their works,
+but fought for every inch of ground, and all was now animation and
+bustle among them, hurrying to the support of those troops who defended
+the redoubts, &c. on the point assailed. The battle now raged with great
+fury, each party with all their might for the mastery, and the French,
+we could perceive, when compelled by sheer force to yield ground, did
+it with the utmost reluctance. At length, we saw the British colour
+waving on the summit of the hill, with the most deadly warfare raging on
+each side of it; but every move we saw was in favour of the British.
+
+The 42d regiment had by this time gained possession of the principal
+redoubt, which they held till their ammunition was all expended, and
+which the enemy perceiving, or suspecting, again advanced, and gained
+possession of it. Things did not now wear quite so favourable an aspect;
+but being promptly supported by other troops behind them, a movement was
+again made in advance, and again the French were expelled from the
+redoubt. Great was the slaughter in and about this place, as I saw next
+day when I visited it.
+
+The enemy were now reluctantly compelled to yield up all those famous
+works, on which so much time and labour had been expended, and on which
+they so much relied, and were obliged to abandon (slowly indeed) this
+long disputed ridge; but they fought till they were fairly forced down
+into the town, where they still kept up a feeble fire; at length it
+gradually subsided. This was the principal part of the drama; but it had
+many subordinate plots. On our right, General Picton, with that ardour
+which ever characterised him, was scarcely well satisfied to play an
+under part on this occasion; and, instead of merely keeping his
+opponents in play, as I before hinted, he was for effecting a forcible
+entry into the town. He accordingly attacked with his division a strong
+and well-secured battery, near the canal, in doing which his brave
+Connaught Rangers, who had scarcely ever hitherto known a reverse, met
+with a severe and bloody repulse, in which they lost a great number of
+excellent officers and men. The other corps of his division, who
+co-operated, also suffered greatly. General Hill strictly obeyed his
+instructions, and, as he always did, effected every object at which he
+aimed.
+
+In this action I had another opportunity of witnessing the effect of
+presentiment. Early in it I was sent forward by my commanding-officer
+with some orders to a company of ours, which was in front skirmishing,
+and which had taken possession of a house, which partly screened them
+from the enemy's battery on the bridge. Behind this house, one of the
+men was sitting on a heap of stones with the most woe-worn countenance
+possible. He had separated from the rest of the men, and was sitting
+here apparently ruminating on his fate, and appeared to be quite
+absorbed in his meditations. I remarked him most particularly, wondering
+what could render him so different from the rest of his comrades, who
+were all life and animation, and from what he had formerly been himself
+in action. He presently went forward with some of the other men, and
+soon after fell to rise no more. The poor man's melancholy look made a
+deep impression upon me at the time, together with his fate soon after.
+
+Thus terminated the battle of Toulouse; our troops maintaining the
+ground they had gained, while the enemy had retired into the town
+completely beaten. Soult seemed undetermined how to act, whether to
+endeavour to hold the town, (which indeed he might have done for a day
+or two perhaps,) or to leave it by the road towards the south, the only
+one now open to him. We rested on the field all night, the enemy sending
+an occasional shot or shell in the direction of our camp. Next morning
+we still found the enemy retaining possession of the town; and nothing
+being likely to be done, I rode up with another officer to see the
+bloody field, with all its redoubts and batteries, and also to see, if
+I could, in what situation the enemy now appeared. Just as we reached
+the summit, a cry was given by the 42d sentry, "Turn out the picquet."
+There was a good deal of firing going on in the suburbs nearest to the
+position, which this Highlander thought it right to apprize his people
+of. We looked a considerable time with our glasses, and observed a good
+number of troops on a green and open space in that part of the suburbs,
+and who every now and then would fire their muskets. I thought it must
+either be a sort of _feu-de-joie_, or a funeral, and it turned out to be
+the latter. They were burying a general officer, who had fallen the day
+before, and to whom they were paying the last melancholy honours; but it
+was conducted in a quite different manner from our military funerals,
+for they did not fire in volleys like us; but every few minutes
+apparently a few men only fired, and by and by some others. This had the
+effect, however, of turning out our whole line in the neighbourhood of
+the position; and as I was afterwards returning, I met Colonel Barnard
+and Colonel Colborne (than whom there were not two better officers in
+the army) riding up to see what was the matter. Colonel Barnard asked me
+what it was. I told him what I thought it was. He said the whole line
+had fallen in, thinking it was an attack.
+
+Towards evening we heard that the inhabitants of the city had been most
+urgent on Soult to withdraw from it; and that he had promised to do so.
+Indeed, had he not, Lord Wellington might, if he chose, have soon
+reduced the town to ashes; for the heights we had taken were not 500
+yards distant from the city, and completely overlooked it. On the
+morning of the 12th, therefore, Soult marched out, and was not molested
+by our troops. He took the road to Villefranche and Carcassonne, up the
+canal of Languedoc, our cavalry following their track. Now all the
+loyalists came rushing out of the town to meet and welcome us; every one
+wearing white scarfs or favours to denote his attachment to the
+Bourbons. Now all was joy and festivity, and nothing but shaking of
+hands and embracing was to be seen in all directions. This day also
+arrived Lord Stewart from Paris with the account of Bonaparte's
+abdication, and of the Bourbons having been reinstated. It was also
+rumoured that Soult had received this news previous to the battle; but
+not being inclined to yield obedience to that dynasty, he had allowed
+the warfare to proceed. Indeed, what almost puts this beyond a doubt,
+was his still continuing for many days after this to refuse sending in
+his submission to the Bourbon government. We also heard afterwards that
+the courier bringing the official information of Bonaparte's fall, &c.
+had been detained by the postmaster of Montauban by Soult's direction;
+for although he had had private intelligence of the fact, he imagined
+the detention of the official information might screen him hereafter.
+Such are the surmises of the wise heads respecting this affair, which,
+as it turned out, is to be regretted; for the sacrifice of so many
+valuable lives on both sides was a thing of no trifling importance; but
+I believe Soult felt sore at his having been so often worsted, and hoped
+here in some measure to retrieve his lost honours; for it cannot be
+doubted, I believe, that he expected to be able to repel our attack at
+least, if not to force us to retire from Toulouse.
+
+On the 13th, the divisions marched into the town; my battalion having
+the fauxbourg adjoining the lately disputed position assigned to it, and
+in which we found very comfortable quarters. To show that the French
+people of this place took Lord Wellington either for a very generous
+person, or a great fool, a man who owned a house on the border of the
+position, and which the French had fortified by loopholing it, and
+otherwise rendering it unfit for occupation by its owner, sent in a
+memorial to his lordship, praying him to order that he might receive out
+of the military chest a sufficient sum to enable him to put his house in
+its former state; and this, although it had been done by his own
+countrymen. I suppose his lordship would laugh at it when he saw it. I
+should have been inclined to be angry with the fellow. The man showed
+the memorial to the adjutant and myself before he sent it in--a step
+which of course we dissuaded him from taking.
+
+Notwithstanding it was notorious that Bonaparte's career was at that
+time finished, Soult still made a show of holding out for him; in
+consequence of which the army was again put in motion to compel him
+either to send in his adhesion to the new government, or to resign his
+command of troops who had not now a master. He had taken up a position
+near Villefranche. Accordingly, we marched, I think, on the 15th or
+16th, the which rather alarmed him; and in consequence he despatched
+Count Gazan with terms to offer to his lordship, the which, after some
+alterations, were finally agreed upon, and the army returned once more
+to Toulouse, where we resumed our former quarters.
+
+Thus finished the Peninsular War, the last campaign of which had been
+the most active probably that is recorded in history. In ten months and
+a half we had marched from the frontiers of Portugal, had completely
+traversed Spain, which we had cleared of its long troublesome and
+insidious invaders; had penetrated far into the interior of that
+country, which three years before gave law to most of the continental
+nations; and had worsted, in various actions, those troops, which,
+except when encountering the British, had been accustomed almost
+invariably to conquer.
+
+
+FOOTNOTE:
+
+[3] Some obscurity is occasioned here and elsewhere, by blanks being
+left in the MS., which the death of the good-humoured and kindly author
+has rendered it now impossible to fill up.--ED.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XV.
+
+     Author's happy state during 1813 and 1814--Character of the
+     veritable French--British distributed over the
+     Country--Civility of the Inhabitants of Grissolles--Amusements
+     in quarters--The British prepare to quit France.
+
+
+When I look back on the events of 1813 and 1814, I cannot but deem that
+the happiest period of my life, for I had been actively, and, as I
+believed, usefully employed. My mind during this time was tranquil, and
+I was, with a few exceptions, prosperous in my outward circumstances.
+All those among whom my lot was cast were now sincerely friendly to me,
+and I believe I may with confidence affirm that I had not (with the
+exception of the person before mentioned, and who was now far removed
+from me) a single enemy in the world. It is true my occupation had not
+been, strictly speaking, of a Christian character, but I believed I was
+fulfilling my duty; hence the peace of mind which I enjoyed. I have
+since learned certainly, that a Christian, to resemble his Master,
+should be more ready to save than to destroy men's lives; but, at the
+same time, I cannot see why a Christian soldier should not be as
+zealous in the defence of his king and country, as those who are
+actuated by other motives; and it is certain, I believe, although I once
+doubted whether there was such a precept, that in whatever calling or
+occupation a man is in when called to become a Christian, that therein
+he should abide, 1st Cor. vii. 17, 20, and 24. But I attribute the peace
+of mind I then enjoyed as much to the constant employment which the
+nature of our services entailed upon us, as to any other cause. Be it
+remembered, I was doing the duties of both paymaster and quartermaster
+during this period, and my battalion had been as often called into
+action as any in the army, having been engaged in battles and skirmishes
+no less than sixteen times in less than ten months. This naturally left
+little time for reflection. But, above all, I am bound to render thanks
+to where alone it is due, to that gracious and beneficent Being, who not
+only watched over me during this period, and protected me from harm, but
+who poured his choicest blessings upon me, even the blessings of a
+cheerful and contented heart, together with the means of retrieving my
+sadly deranged finances; for had I not been appointed acting paymaster,
+I might have gone to prison on my return to my native country, from the
+unavoidable losses I had sustained, and which I shall mention by and by.
+Another cause of comfort and cheerfulness arose from our operations
+against the enemy having been invariably successful; for we never, from
+the time of our leaving the frontiers of Portugal, till we took
+possession of Toulouse, met with any thing like a serious reverse.
+
+Most of my readers no doubt know that the city where we had now taken up
+our quarters is one of the largest and finest in this part of France;
+but as it has been so often described, I shall content myself with
+merely informing my readers, that the people among whom we now resided
+were truly and veritably French. The character of the inhabitants,
+since we left our poor friends the Basques, had materially changed; that
+kind, but rude and simple hospitality, which had on most occasions been
+displayed by those honest mountaineers, had now given place to all that
+imposing, but less sincere politeness of the real French character. We
+were, indeed, treated here with every degree of respect; and perhaps
+more, or at least an equal degree of attention, was paid to our
+convenience and comfort, as they would have shown to their own troops.
+We had every reason, therefore, to be perfectly satisfied.
+
+In this part of the country there are a great number of Protestants,
+which, of course, permitted us to live on better terms with them than
+had they been all such stanch and bigoted Catholics as we met with in
+some parts of the Continent, and where our heretical presence was
+frequently looked upon as a contamination; for I remember well in the
+small village of Zalada, where we lay for some time, near Astorga, we
+never left the village, as they supposed, for a permanency, but the joy
+bells were rung for our departure. It was our lot, indeed, to be
+frequently quartered in this village, and such was their invariable
+custom. It is true the Padre and people of the place only expressed
+openly the feeling that was covertly, but universally, entertained
+throughout Spain and Portugal respecting us; for although the monks and
+priests made great pretences of friendship and good-will towards us,
+while we were upholding them in their iniquitous dominion over the minds
+of the people, yet secretly they cordially hated us, and were glad when
+at last our successes contributed to rid their country of both the
+invaders and their conquerors. One noble Spanish lady, (I remember
+well,) when I was quartered at Cadiz, made use of an expression which I
+am sure would shock and horrify my simple and delicate countrywomen.
+She said, "She should rejoice to see all the French then in their
+country hung up in the intestines (las tripas) of the English, who had
+come to drive them out." Thus they should get quit of both. This lady,
+as might be supposed, was a most depraved and abandoned being, yet even
+she, it seems, looked upon us in the light of a curse or plague sent
+upon their country, rather than as a generous and gallant people, who
+had not hesitated to sacrifice much, both of blood and money, in freeing
+them from their French oppressors. But such, I fear, is the too general
+feeling in that country; for while the innumerable religiosos which
+overrun that nation maintain their cursed dominion over the minds of the
+other classes, an Englishman will always be looked upon by them as a
+dangerous and hateful being, uniting in himself both the mortal sins,
+first, of having totally cast off the Pope's authority, and being the
+subject of a free and popular government--than either of which, not even
+Satan himself could be more odious to them.
+
+We were not allowed, however, to remain long in Toulouse, but were
+distributed over the country in the neighbourhood, lines of demarcation
+having been pointed out which were to separate the French and British
+armies. My division was sent down the right bank of the river, and
+occupied Castel Sarazin, Grissolles, and Castelnau, &c. My battalion was
+stationed at Grissolles. During our stay here I had two or three
+opportunities, in company with others, of going to see Montauban, the
+seat of a Protestant college, and famed in romantic lore. The people
+were kind and obliging, and showed us every attention; but unfortunately
+a French garrison was quartered in it, the officers of which took every
+opportunity of quarrelling with ours. Indeed we had no business there,
+and were consequently obliged to put up with more than we should have
+otherwise done, for we were strictly forbid to enter any place within
+the French lines; but we did not conceive that those fellows, who had
+shown themselves so friendly and polite near Bayonne, while we were
+avowedly in arms against each other, would now turn round upon us when
+peace was made, and endeavour to engage us in quarrels and duelling. But
+I believe they felt a degree of soreness at our acknowledged superiority
+as soldiers, (for even the inhabitants of Montauban, where they lay, did
+not hesitate to express it,) and thus wished to be revenged for the many
+victories we had gained over them. Indeed there was a sort of
+recklessness about them which is not easily accounted for, unless they
+supposed their occupation was gone, and cared not what became of
+themselves; but they did not succeed, I think, in any instance in
+obtaining their wishes, for they would not fight with pistols, the only
+weapon which gives each a fair and equal chance, but insisted upon using
+the sword,--a mode of fighting to which the English in general were
+utter strangers. The people uniformly gave us warning as soon as ever
+they learnt that a plot was laid to insult us, on which we generally
+came away without subjecting ourselves to it; and when their designs
+became too evident, we refrained from going there. It was only a short
+distance from our quarters.
+
+During our stay here, also, the Marquis de Pompignan, a gentleman
+residing between Grissolles and Castelnau, and where our Major-general
+had taken up his quarters, gave to the officers of the brigade a
+splendid fête. I know not exactly how to denominate it, for it was a
+sort of dramatic medley, part of it being performed in the garden and
+part in the house, where a private theatre had been fitted up; that in
+the garden, it was said, was intended to represent some military
+event,--I think it was the burning of Moscow, and in which the Marquis's
+beautiful daughter bore a part.
+
+This young lady was said to be greatly enamoured of an honourable
+gentleman, aide-de-camp to the General, who was quartered in their
+house, and between whom it was expected a match would have taken place.
+She was extremely beautiful and engaging.
+
+We sometimes went a-fishing while we remained here also, but were not
+successful, there being none other than lake-fish, such as perch, &c.,
+in the neighbourhood, which were scarcely worth taking.
+
+Here, also, for want of better occupation, some of our young gentlemen
+amused themselves by hunting and lashing the Spanish muleteers as they
+were returning, after having delivered in their loads at the
+commissary's stores. They always rode one mule, (sideways, like a
+woman,) and led one or two more, and were most dexterous in handling the
+long shank of the halter, with which they sometimes soundly belaboured
+their pursuers; and had they not been set on by two or three at a time,
+they would not have liked better fun than to fight one of our gentlemen
+with his whip, for they saw that it was only for amusement, and
+generally took it good-naturedly; but our young gentlemen, as they
+generally do, carried the joke too far, and it was consequently put a
+stop to. Of course none but the young and idle took any part in this
+exercise.
+
+We had, while we lay here, also several little balls and hops; and here,
+for the first time, several of our young men began to dance quadrilles;
+in short, there was no want of amusement among this gay and lively
+people, who are ever intent upon pleasure themselves, and who of course
+found our wild and thoughtless young fellows ever as ready to second
+their endeavours to get up something new and entertaining. Certainly
+their morality is not the highest in the world, but their vices are most
+of them divested of that coarse and disgusting appearance which similar
+vices carry on their front in England; and thus, while they are
+generally more pleasing, they are the more seducing, and consequently
+the more dangerous. However, as no person is compelled to enter into
+these scenes of dissipation and voluptuousness which they rejoice in, I
+found it, upon the whole, a very comfortable country to live in. The
+people were kind and civil, and were always good-natured and polite,
+and, as we now had plenty of the good things of this world at our
+command, I spent two months here very contentedly. It is true we had
+none of those excellent privileges with which my native country abounds,
+and which I have since learnt highly to prize,--I mean the privileges of
+the gospel,--the food for the nobler and never-dying part; but I was
+then ignorant of their value, for although I had been convinced and
+convicted, I had not been converted. I was still in darkness respecting
+the way, the truth, and the life, and yet my foolish and carnal mind
+whispered peace; hence my contentedness in this situation. No! it was
+not till some years that I discovered that there is but one way to real
+happiness, but one true foundation on which to build our hope,--even
+that which is laid in Zion.
+
+But the time had arrived for us to move down towards Bordeaux,
+preparatory to our quitting France. Accordingly, on the 3d June, we
+forded the Garonne, and stopped all night in Grenade, a place I formerly
+mentioned. We next day reached Cadours, a village near Cologne, where
+our 2d battalion was that evening quartered. In the afternoon of that
+day, a storm collected in the north, which I think had the most
+frightful appearance I ever witnessed. It was actually as black as night
+in the direction in which we saw it. It did not reach us, but it alarmed
+the inhabitants of our village so much, that they set on ringing the
+church bells with the utmost fury imaginable. We could not account for
+this strange proceeding till we enquired of them why it was done. They
+told us the devil was in the storm, and the bells being holy, he durst
+not, when he heard them, proceed any farther in that direction. Indeed
+they had ample reason to be in dread of its reaching their village; for
+the next day, as we passed along the country where it had raged most
+furiously, the whole face of the country was desolated. It had been a
+hail-storm such as I never before witnessed. The hailstones were still
+lying, some of them larger than a bullet; the vines had been all
+destroyed; the crops of corn completely swept from the face of the
+earth. Trees knocked down, birds killed; in short, nothing could equal
+the appearance of misery and woe which this awful hail-storm had
+inflicted upon the unfortunate inhabitants, many of whom were going
+about wringing their hands in all the bitterness of heart, which a
+consciousness of being deprived of every hope of subsistence for the
+year to come would naturally inspire. Indeed most of them were literally
+stripped of their all.
+
+On the 6th we marched into Lectoure, a fine town on the river, and
+famous for having given birth to Marshal Lannes, one of Bonaparte's best
+generals. It stands on a high ground near the river, and overlooks one
+of the richest and most beautiful plains I think I ever saw. Here I
+experienced another misfortune in my steed. My little Portuguese horse
+(which was now in high condition, and being an entire horse was apt to
+fight) quarrelled with a large horse belonging to one of our officers,
+while I was serving out the billets; and although we were both mounted
+at the time, the quarrelsome animals reared up against each other, and
+fought most desperately; but his, being the strongest, pulled mine and
+myself down to the ground. I luckily fell clear of him, and was not
+hurt; but he by some accident got a kick in his hind leg or foot, which
+completely lamed him, and I could not ride him any longer.
+
+We passed through Condom, another fine town, and Nerac, also a good
+town, and nearly full of Protestants. We next day halted at Castel
+Jaloux, where I was quartered on a house of religeuse. Here my poor
+little horse was so very ill that I could not drag him any farther. I
+was consequently obliged to leave him with those good dames, to whom I
+made him a present, and parted from him in the morning with sincere
+regret. They promised to take care of him, which I hope they did. We
+next reached the town of Bazas. Here there was to be another parting
+scene exhibited. The Portuguese were ordered to leave us here, and
+proceed towards their own country. The Spanish and Portuguese women who
+had followed the men were either to be sent home from hence, or their
+protectors were to consent to marry them. Some adopted the latter
+alternative, having had children by them, and some others who had not,
+and the remainder, of course, were compelled to separate. Our division
+drew up in the morning they marched, and honoured the brave Portuguese
+(for indeed they had always behaved well in the field) with three
+cheers, as they turned their faces towards Portugal. Many were the heavy
+hearts in both armies on this occasion; for it is not easy to conceive
+how the circumstance of passing through scenes of hardship, trial, and
+danger together, endeared the soldiers of the two armies to each other.
+It was perhaps never before felt so fully how much each was attached to
+the other; but the departure of the poor women caused many heavy hearts,
+both among themselves, poor creatures, who had a long and dreary journey
+before them, and among those with whom they had lived, and who had
+shared in all their good and bad fortune; but among these, several on
+both sides were not oppressed with too fine feelings. A friend of mine,
+who was an officer in the Portuguese service, told me afterwards that
+the women marched down to Spain and Portugal at the same time his
+regiment did; that they formed a column of 800 or 900 strong; that they
+were regularly told off into companies; and that the commanding-officer,
+a major, and all the captains, were married men, who had their families
+with them--all excellent arrangements; but that they were the most
+unmanageable set of animals that ever marched across a country. The
+officers had to draw rations for them all the way; but many of them, he
+says, left the column and went wherever they pleased. Few reached
+Portugal in the order in which they started.
+
+We reached Langon on the 12th, and Barsac on the 13th June. This latter
+place is famed for a fine white-wine, something resembling sauterne. The
+adjutant (who had now been my chum for some time) and I were here
+quartered in a fine old baronial castle, the inmates of which showed us
+great attention. A ball was given in the evening to the officers of the
+brigade.
+
+On the 14th we halted at Castres, and on the 15th entered Bordeaux. This
+was the finest town we had seen since we entered the Peninsula, except
+Lisbon and Madrid. This town had been occupied by the British for some
+time, a division of the army having been sent by Lord Wellington to take
+charge of it in the name of Louis XVIII.
+
+We were not, however, destined to be quartered in this southern capital
+of France, but marched right through it, on the road towards the
+village of Blancfort. On the road the division was formed, and very
+minutely inspected by our gallant Chief, who was dressed in all his
+finery, his orders, and medals, and ribbons, &c., which he wore for the
+first time that ever I had seen. He looked most splendid indeed, and
+right proud were we to see him in them. After inspection we moved on to
+the camp at Blancfort, where we found a great part of the army
+assembled, waiting for the arrival of shipping to carry them off. Some
+had sailed a considerable time before our arrival. Besides our tents,
+the adjutant and I had got a cottage close by, in which our servants and
+our baggage were put. We had not been here above two or three days, I
+think, till his two servants, that is, his servant and groom, took it
+into their heads to desert. This was not the first instance of desertion
+that had taken place lately; for as we drew near the time of departure
+great numbers ran off into the interior, mostly bad characters. However,
+on this occasion, these worthies were determined to have something to
+carry them on the road, and, without hesitation, broke open their
+master's panniers, or boxes, and took away all the money he had, which
+did not indeed amount to any great sum, for it was only 40 dollars,
+(about L.10 British,) but it being all he was worth it was a great loss
+to him.
+
+I have reason to be thankful to Providence for my escape on this
+occasion. My paymaster's chest was standing close to the adjutant's
+panniers when they broke them open, and they did not touch it, although
+it contained about L.400 worth of gold. Had they taken that I might have
+gone after them. I of course expressed my thankfulness for this lucky
+escape, and told several people of it. I fancy some person (my groom, I
+suspect) overheard me telling what a lucky escape I had been favoured
+with, and determined in his own mind that I should not always come off
+so well. The sequel will show: A few days after this I had occasion to
+go into Bordeaux to draw some money from the Commissary-general. The
+amount was 600 dollars, or about L.150. As I could not conveniently
+carry them out to the camp, I requested Major Balvaird, who had a
+quarter in town, to allow me to put them in his portmanteau till I had
+an opportunity of getting them sent out. His servant had overheard this
+conversation, and made up his mind at once to desert and take this money
+with him; but providentially again I escaped. I found the means, before
+night, of carrying it out to the camp, and the Major gave it me unknown
+to the servant. That night he broke open the portmanteau, and, taking
+every thing worth carrying away, (among which was a gold watch of mine,)
+deserted, and got clear off. This money, also, had it been taken, would
+have sorely crippled me, although I might perhaps have overcome the
+loss.
+
+We marched in a few days after, passing through the district of Medoc,
+famous for Bordeaux or claret wine, and halted for the night at
+Castelnau de Medoc. The next day we passed through Chateau Margaux,
+where the best and most expensive of the claret grows, and again
+encamped at Pauillac, from whence we were to go on board.
+
+Now was the time for the person who had overheard me speaking about my
+escape with the L.400, to make his grab and start off, or he would be
+too late. Accordingly, after dark, he or they lifted up a part of the
+tent where the box was standing, and, pulling it out, set off with it
+bodily. But, again directed by Providence, I had taken the money out of
+the box, and given it into the hands of a gentleman, to take care of for
+me; and there remained in the box my papers and books, public and
+private, about L.19 in money, an old silver watch, and, among other
+things, the half doubloon which poor Croudace had given me to take care
+of for him on the evening previous to his death at Badajos, and which I
+was preserving as a memorial for his afflicted friends.
+
+As soon as the box was missed I instantly raised the hue and cry, and,
+reporting the circumstance to my commanding-officer, he ordered the
+rolls to be called, to see if any man had deserted; but no, they were
+all present. I then offered a reward of forty dollars to any one who
+would bring me the box and papers, and did not regard the money.
+Instantly the whole camp was in a move to find the box, and search was
+made in all directions. I of course was not idle myself on the occasion;
+and having a man or two with me, I actually discovered where the box had
+been opened, for I found the inkstand, that had been in it, lying near a
+heap of wood close to the bank of the river, into which, after
+plundering it, no doubt they had thrown it. I now went down to the town
+and waited on the mayor, offering the same reward to any of his people
+that would try to find it in the river; but, unfortunately, just as
+there was the best chance of recovering it, the order came for us
+instantly to go on board.--Thus was I deprived of every document I
+possessed, both Paymaster's, Quartermaster's, and private. I had
+fortunately got my Paymaster's accounts made out up to the very latest
+period, and transmitted to the War-Office, or I know not what I should
+have done; but my duplicates were gone, and when afterwards objections
+were made to some of the items in the charges, (as is always the case,)
+I, being unable to answer them, was obliged to submit to the loss of
+them. I had also several private accounts unclosed, on which I lost
+considerably, so that altogether I calculate this loss fully amounted to
+L.100, besides the vexation of not having my papers to refer to when
+wanted.
+
+I had been obliged to part with all my remaining animals for next to
+nothing, for when the French people found we were obliged to leave them,
+they offered us the most shameful trifles possible, but which we were
+compelled to take or give the animals away. One I did actually make a
+present of, besides my little Portuguese horse before-mentioned. I made
+a close calculation, and found that my losses in horses and mules, from
+the beginning of 1812 to June 1814, did not amount to less than L.150,
+besides sums that I lost by officers who died. By one I lost L.84, and
+another L.74 odd, so that, as I said before, had I not fortunately been
+appointed Acting Paymaster, I should have been so much involved, that at
+this time I durst not have returned to my native country. I do not
+complain, for most of my losses were sent by Providence, who saw best
+what was fitting and good for me; but never, till the Peninsular
+campaigns, were officers obliged generally to provide and keep up their
+own baggage-animals, and from the loss of which I had suffered so
+severely; and I cannot but think that rule, always acted upon till these
+campaigns, ought to be continued, and that subalterns at least ought to
+have their baggage always carried at the public expense.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVI.
+
+     Author's Battalion embark for England--Land at Plymouth--Expect
+     to be again ordered on Foreign Service--Order received--Embark,
+     with other troops, for America--Land at Pine Island.
+
+
+We embarked on the 8th July on board his Majesty's ship Dublin, of 74
+guns, commanded by Captain Elphinstone, which took the five companies of
+my battalion, with two companies of the 43d. We sailed the next day, I
+think, and had generally fine weather during our voyage, which lasted
+till the 18th, when we arrived at Plymouth. She was but a dull sailer,
+or we ought not to have occupied so many days in so short a passage.
+During our voyage, as remarkable an instance of heroic fortitude and
+bodily strength was exhibited by a sailor of this ship as I ever
+remember to have witnessed. He was doing something on the fore-yard, and
+by some accident he was precipitated into the water, but in his fall his
+shoulder came in contact with the flue of one of the anchors, by which
+it was deeply and severely cut. The ship was going at about five knots
+an hour, and it took near half an hour before she could be brought
+round and a boat sent to his assistance; and notwithstanding the severe
+cut he had received, from which the blood was fast streaming, he not
+only contrived to keep himself from sinking by buffeting with a heavy
+sea, but actually stripped off his jacket in the water, as it seems it
+had been an encumbrance to him. When the boat reached him, the poor
+fellow was nigh exhausted, and a few minutes more would have deprived
+the ship and the service of an excellent sailor, but having been got
+into the boat, he was brought on board more dead than alive, where every
+attention being paid to him, he soon afterwards recovered.
+
+We landed at Plymouth on the 18th, and occupied one of the barracks. We
+did not exactly know what was to become of us. Kent being our regimental
+station, we expected to be ordered to march and join the left wing in
+that county, but were still kept at Plymouth, where we met with great
+kindness and attention from the inhabitants in general, who are upon the
+whole, I think, an excellent and a moral people. We also fared
+sumptuously here, every description of food being both cheap and good.
+Fish in particular is most abundant and excellent. In short, we were
+here as comfortably and as well quartered as we could desire, and every
+thing tended to make us perfectly satisfied with our lot. We relaxed by
+attending the theatre occasionally, which is one of the best provincial
+ones in the kingdom, and at this time could boast some very good actors.
+There were a variety of other amusements, such as fishing, &c., which of
+course we indulged in occasionally. From hence I was called up to London
+to meet our Colonel, the Hon. Sir W. Stewart, to arrange our battalion
+concerns, &c. for the few latter years of hurry and confusion, and which
+was at last got done to the satisfaction of all concerned. Here also we
+began to replenish our wardrobes, which, it will easily be imagined,
+were not the most magnificent in the world on our first arrival.
+
+But we were not long permitted the enjoyment of English society or
+English comforts, for we had scarcely been a month at Plymouth till we
+received an order to prepare again for foreign service, and the nature
+of that service being kept a profound secret, we scarcely knew what
+necessary articles of equipment to prepare. The general opinion,
+however, was, that our destination was some part of America,
+consequently we endeavoured to meet all contingencies by preparing both
+for a warm and cold climate. All hands of course were vigorously set to
+work, in order to be ready when the summons arrived, which we knew might
+be very soon expected. An alteration was made in the arrangement of our
+battalion. The staff was ordered to proceed to join the other wing at
+Thorncliffe, which of course included myself, but Major Mitchell, who
+was now appointed to the command of these five companies, was anxious to
+take me out with him in the capacity of acting paymaster, and to his
+friendly and earnest endeavours, added to the kindness of Captain James
+Travers, who had at first intended to apply for that situation himself,
+but renounced it on my account, I am indebted for again having an
+addition of 10s. per diem made to my regimental pay during the
+continuance of service on this expedition.
+
+At length the order arrived for our embarkation, and on the 18th
+September, just two months from the day of our arrival in England, our
+five companies were sent on board his Majesty's ships Fox and Dover,
+both frigates of the smaller class, and which had been prepared for the
+reception of troops, by having a part of their guns taken out, and
+being, as it is termed, armed "en flute." The commanding-officer, with
+the staff and three companies, were put on board the Fox. We laid in an
+immense sea stock of provisions, &c. not knowing how long we might be on
+the water, but unfortunately for us we had scarcely put foot on board,
+when the order was given to weigh and proceed to sea forthwith, so that
+no time was given for the stowing away of all the stock, which had cost
+us about L.24 per person; the consequence was, a great part of it was
+lost or destroyed, from its being knocked about the deck in the midst of
+the confusion and bustle consequent on the crew and the soldiers
+(strangers to each other) being set to work to weigh anchor and make
+sail in such a hurry. Little assistance was afforded us from the ship on
+this occasion. We thus lost nearly the half of what we had been at so
+much pains to provide; but such things being common occurrences in a
+life like ours, it was therefore vain to fret.
+
+The force that embarked at the same time with us, consisted of the 93d
+Highlanders, a company of artillery, some rocketeers, a squadron of the
+14th light dragoons, without horses, and our five companies, the whole
+under the command of General Keane. The good people of Plymouth, as is
+customary, cheered us as we left their shore, wishing us the most ample
+success and good fortune, and which we, who had for so long a time been
+in the habit of conquering, did not for a moment admit a doubt of being
+fully realized.
+
+We sailed, as I said, on the 18th September, and stood down the channel
+with a pretty fair breeze, till we reached what are commonly called its
+"chops," where we encountered adverse winds, and blowing a succession of
+gales (equinoctial, I imagine) which detained us beating off and on for
+seven days. This was as uncomfortable a beginning of our service as
+could well be imagined. High winds, with rain, and contrary to the way
+we wished them, were certainly rather trying to the patience of us
+landsmen, and there was something in our situation on board this ship
+which did not at all tend to alleviate our discomfort. In fact, we
+wished our fortune had placed us on board a transport rather than where
+we now found ourselves. All the discipline and strictness of a regular
+man-of-war was enforced, without any of the countervailing comforts and
+conveniences usually found on board such ships; and to such a length was
+this carried, that because our officers sometimes stood on the
+quarter-deck, holding on, in the rolling of the ship, by the hand-ropes
+which surround the companion, not only these, but the ropes which were
+stretched to prevent people falling out at the gangway, were ordered to
+be removed, that nothing should remain by which lubbers like us might
+hold on in the heavy rolls to which the vessel was subject in gales like
+those I have been describing. We were no less than twenty-four people in
+the cabin, twelve of our officers and twelve gentlemen of the
+commissariat department, so that we were sufficiently crowded, besides
+being in several other respects ill provided. But all this would have
+been borne with cheerfulness and good-will, had we not experienced such
+a total want of kindness and urbanity from a quarter where we least
+expected it, and from which that unkindness could be made most
+effectual.
+
+We lost the fleet during the continuance of these gales, but sealed
+orders having apprized our commander where to rendezvous, we made sail
+for the Island of Madeira, which we reached on the 9th October, and
+where we found the fleet. Some of the wags of our other two companies on
+board the Dover, pretending to think we must have been cast away and
+lost, had erased all our names from the army list as defunct. This
+rather annoyed some of our folks, but it might have been easily seen it
+was only a little waggery in which they had been indulging themselves.
+
+A day or two before we reached Madeira, we fell in with a strange sail,
+to which we gave chase, and brought her to; she proved to be an English
+merchant brig. It was said our commander wished to have a little
+independent cruise, which caused him to part from the fleet, and that
+there was a famed American privateer called the Wasp that had made a
+great number of captures, and which he was anxious to fall in with that
+he might take her. Had such a thing occurred as the Wasp appearing in
+sight, and we had given her chase, I could have compared it to nothing
+but to a vulgar simile which I have sometimes heard used, that of a cow
+endeavouring to catch a hare, for indeed she was, I believe, one of the
+fastest sailers that had ever been known, while we, on the contrary,
+were in comparison just like the cow to the hare. This also must have
+been a piece of waggery on the part of those who first set such a report
+afloat, for no man in his senses would have ever thought of chasing
+privateers with the Fox frigate at the time of which I am now writing. I
+regret I did not go on shore on this beautiful island, the town and
+scenery of which were most inviting, but as our stay was only to be so
+very short, it was scarcely worth while.
+
+We sailed again on the 11th, after having first got a cask of excellent
+Madeira wine from the house of Messrs Gordon and Co. This was the best,
+I think, I ever drank. We stood almost due south, passing pretty close
+to Teneriffe and the other Canary Isles, until we fell in with the
+trade-winds, when we kept more away towards the south-west. Our voyage
+now became delightful, for a gentle and refreshing, but constant and
+steady breeze, carried us on at the rate of about five or six knots an
+hour, without having occasion hardly to alter a sail or rope. We passed
+to the tropic of Capricorn on the 15th October, when our sailors
+prepared to indulge in the same innocent but amusing ceremonies that are
+adopted on crossing the equator. Neptune, with his Amphitrite, got
+dressed in full costume, and every other appendage being ready, it only
+now remained that the commander's sanction should be obtained to their
+commencing the imposing ceremony; but no! his godship was dismissed in
+no very courteous manner, and told to go and attend to his duty. Thus
+the fiat of a greater than Neptune, even in his own element, reduced him
+from the godlike rank he held to that of a mere forecastle sailor; and
+thus were all our expectations frustrated. In all the other ships of the
+fleet the amusement was carried on with the greatest good humour, as we
+could plainly perceive with our glasses.
+
+On the 18th, we passed pretty near the Isle of St Antonio, the
+westernmost of the Cape Verde Isles, and then bearing off still rather
+more to the west, we kept our course generally at about 12 or 13 north
+latitude, and in this manner crossed the Atlantic.
+
+From the time that we had entered between the tropics, we had seen
+numerous shoals of flying fish, some of which, when closely pursued, (by
+the dolphin generally,) actually fell on board our ship. A very accurate
+drawing of one of these was made by one of our lieutenants, a friend of
+mine, who, I believe, has it to this day. They were generally about the
+size of a herring, and much resembling that fish in shape and colour,
+with two fins projecting from behind their gills, nearly as long as
+their body. These are their wings, with which they can fly generally for
+100, or 150, or sometimes 200 yards, when they fall again into the
+water. We also caught a dolphin about this time, our carpenter having
+harpooned it from the bow of the ship; but I was considerably
+disappointed in finding it did not exceed from twenty-four to thirty
+inches in length; and the hues of it, though beautiful when dying, by no
+means answered my expectations.
+
+On the ---- November, we made the island of Barbadoes, and anchored in
+Carlisle Bay, off Bridgetown, the capital of the island. It is not easy
+to describe the effect which is produced on an European the first time
+he beholds the beauties of a tropical country, and which, I think, he
+does in the greatest perfection while they are yet distant from him.
+Robertson's description of Columbus's first view of a West India island
+is, I think, as correct and as beautiful as any thing can possibly be;
+and his feelings for the moment (heightened indeed by the circumstance
+of his having at length attained to his long-looked-for Western India)
+will describe pretty nearly what every one must feel, who has not before
+beheld the productions of a tropical climate. But oh! how is the scene
+changed when you get on shore! Nature indeed is still beautiful and rich
+beyond the conception of a northern native; but man--how fallen! Here (I
+think I shall not far err if I say) you behold man in his lowest state:
+the savages of the woods are, in my opinion, much higher in the scale of
+being than those whom our cursed cupidity has introduced to all our
+vices, without one alleviating virtue to counterbalance the evil. But
+how could the poor Africans learn any thing that is good from those who
+do not practise good themselves?
+
+One of our people while here said, "he thought the men were all rogues,
+and the women all unfaithful." Of the slave population the latter is
+certainly a correct description, almost universally, in Bridgetown; for,
+with shame be it spoken, their masters and mistresses calculate upon
+their worth as if they were brood-mares, by the number and the
+description of wretched beings which they can bring into this world of
+misery. What indeed could you expect from those who can thus act, and
+those who sanction such conduct, but the like treatment that Mr
+Shrewsbury met with, if you endeavour to show them to themselves or to
+others in a true light? While the strong man armed keepeth his castle,
+his goods are in peace; but let another endeavour to bind this strong
+man, and take his goods from him, and oh, what a resistance may not be
+expected! Let the West Indians have slaves whom they may treat as cattle
+for their own gain and profit, even if it be at the expense of the souls
+of the poor wretches whom they thus destroy; but endeavour to show these
+degraded human beings that they are capable of being raised to a level
+with their unfeeling and avaricious masters, and you may shortly expect
+the fate of a Smith or a Shrewsbury, so regardless are these dealers in
+human flesh of their duty as men who must soon render an account of all
+their actions.
+
+It may be said, that I saw little, while here, but the very worst of
+society, and this may in a great measure be true; but it is evident that
+such things were done and sanctioned at Bridgetown when I was there, in
+1814, as led me to pray that my lot might never be cast among such
+people.
+
+I now gladly turn from this scene of vice and misery, and pursue my
+narrative.
+
+In the bay at this place a hulk was stationed for the reception of
+prisoners of war. Our boats usually passed pretty near it on going on
+shore for water. A number of Americans were on board as prisoners. On
+one occasion, or more, I believe, they called out to our fellows as they
+passed under her stern, "So you have come out from England to attack our
+country, have you? I hope you have brought your coffins with you, for
+you will need them before you return." And, in truth, many of those
+fine fellows to whom this insolently coarse but patriotic speech was
+addressed, did indeed require coffins before the business we were going
+upon was finished.
+
+We left Barbadoes on the ----, and, passing down through the midst of
+the islands, we left St Lucia on our left and Martinico on our right
+hand. We also passed close to Dominico and Guadaloupe, with several
+smaller islands which I do not recollect, and, keeping to the southward,
+passed St Christopher's, Santa Cruz, Porto Rico, and St Domingo, having
+a fine view of the whole as we moved delightfully along. This latter
+large island took us more than two days in passing; but on the 21st we
+came in sight of Jamaica, the chief of our West India possessions. We
+stood off and on near to Port-Royal till the 23d, when we made sail to
+the westward, and on the 25th came to anchor in Negril Bay, at the
+extreme west end of the island of Jamaica. Here we found several sail
+both of men-of-war and transports, having on board the troops which had
+been engaged in the operations against Washington and Baltimore, &c.,
+and consisting of the 4th, 21st, 44th, and 85th regiments, with some
+artillery. They were not strong indeed, having been considerably reduced
+by their late arduous services; but their numbers, added to ours, we
+thought quite sufficient to enable us to make a descent upon the
+American coast, near New Orleans, which it was now whispered was our
+destination: indeed this had been conjectured from the time we left
+England, but nothing certain was known, and even now it was not
+officially made public. A day or two after our arrival here, two of the
+West India regiments also joined us, the 1st and 5th, at least a part of
+both; so that we now mustered a respectable force. Admiral Sir Alexander
+Cochran commanded the naval part of the expedition, he being here on
+our arrival on board the Tonnant 84; several smaller vessels also, with
+stores, &c. &c. joined us from Port-Royal. When the whole were collected
+together, we felt proud of our fine force, which we vainly imagined
+nothing we should have to encounter could withstand for a moment: but
+the battle is not always to the strong; and we were shortly after
+painfully reminded of this truth. But I must not anticipate,--evil
+always comes early enough.
+
+During our stay here, I went on shore for a few hours, and visited some
+of the farms or plantations. Indeed, while we remained, the place where
+we landed was generally like a fair; for the inhabitants had assembled
+in great numbers, bringing with them live stock and poultry and
+vegetables, &c. for sale, all of which were greedily bought up at prices
+high enough, I warrant you. The vegetation at this place was most
+luxuriant, even in this the middle of winter almost; but I apprehend
+this was the finest season of the year, for it was not at all
+intolerably hot, and every thing, had the appearance which our country
+assumes in the height of summer. An accident occurred whilst we
+continued here, which had nigh proved serious. The Alceste frigate, one
+day, in shifting her berth, run with her head right on board the Dover,
+where our other two companies were on board. She cut her up from the
+stern into the cabins, not less I am sure at the top than ten feet. Two
+of our people were in the cabin at the time playing at backgammon, and
+were not a little astonished to see the prow of another large vessel
+tearing its way right into the very place where they were sitting.
+
+On the 29th, signal was made to weigh, when the whole got under way, and
+started in fine style; our now gallant fleet covering the ocean for many
+miles. We kept along on the south side of Cuba, and on the 3d December
+made Cape St Antonio, the westernmost point of that large island. From
+hence we now stood to the northward, crossing right athwart the Gulf of
+Mexico. During our stay at Barbadoes, we had purchased a live sheep and
+a pig, as we feared our stock might run out before we landed. The sheep
+was productive of great amusement to our messmates, at the expense of
+the poor caterer. In all hot climates, I believe, the wool of the sheep
+becomes in course of time more like the hair of a goat than what it
+really is. This was the case in the present instance, most of our people
+declaring they would not eat of such an animal, which was, as they
+conjectured, a sort of mule bred between a sheep and a goat; while the
+poor caterer was like to have the sheep thrown on his hand. This
+produced many a bickering, even after it was known that such was the
+case in warm climates; for they kept up the fun as long as possible,
+always trying to keep the unfortunate caterer in hot water about it. The
+sheep was killed, and produced excellent mutton--not fat indeed, but
+eatable. We were not so fortunate, however, with our pig; it appears it
+must have been diseased--what, I believe, is usually termed measly. It
+was dressed without this being known, and eaten; and the consequence
+was, all the twenty-four of our mess, except myself and another were
+literally poisoned. In the middle of the night, when it began to take
+effect, the most distressing scene took place imaginable, and the
+medical men were kept busily employed for a considerable time afterwards
+preparing and administering emetics, which providentially had the
+desired effect on all, for in a short time the whole recovered; but had
+medical assistance not been promptly administered, the chances are some
+of them would have suffered. Its effects were something like cholera
+morbus, working both up and down in the most violent manner.
+
+On the 10th December we made the American coast off Mobile, where we
+fell in with a vessel, on board of which was Colonel Nichols of the
+marines, with three or four Indian chiefs of the Creek nation, to which
+people he had been for some time previously attached, they being then at
+war with the Americans, and consequently our allies. They came on board
+our ship, and were shown every thing curious; but their reason for
+visiting us was, that they might see our rifles, for they considered
+themselves good shots, and wished to examine our arms, with which they
+did not express themselves over-satisfied, as they had been accustomed
+to see no other description of rifles than those used by the Americans,
+which are both much longer and heavier, but carry a much smaller ball.
+Indeed they had never seen any military rifles, but only such as the
+above, and which are constructed solely for the purpose of killing deer
+and other game. The gallant colonel endeavoured to amuse us a little on
+this occasion with the wonderful feats of his protegés. He told us, that
+they being generally very short of balls, were always very careful how
+they expended them in hunting; and that their rule was never to fire at
+a deer, until it was in the act of passing between them and a tree,
+that, should the ball go through its body, as it sometimes did, it might
+lodge in the tree on the other side, and they would then go and pick it
+out, and recast it. We thought he ought to have told that story to his
+own corps the marines; for I believe he did not get many of us to give
+implicit credit to so wonderful a tale. They were most grotesque-looking
+figures; most of them were dressed in some old red coats, which they had
+got hold of by some means, with cocked hats of the old fashion. These I
+believe had been given them by some of our people, for they were English
+manufacture. But they had tremendous large rings, &c. hung in their
+ears, the laps of which were stretched nearly to their shoulders; some
+of them also wore rings in their noses; and some of them were without
+any sort of lower garments, having nothing but a sort of cloth tied
+round their waist, which passed through between their legs and fastened
+before. These people it was intended should bring their warriors to join
+us near New Orleans; but, owing to some cause with which I am not
+acquainted, none but these three or four chiefs ever came near us.
+
+On the 11th we anchored near the Chandeleur Islands, at the entrance
+into Lake Ponchartrain. But it was discovered that the Americans had
+some gun-vessels, which, on account of their drawing only little water,
+had been stationed in this lake for its protection, and on our
+appearance had retired nearer to New Orleans. It was necessary that
+these should be previously disposed of in some manner, before the
+disembarkation of the troops could with safety be effected. None of our
+ships could follow them on account of the shoalness of the lake. An
+order was therefore issued for all the men-of-war to prepare their boats
+for an attack on these vessels, the chief command of which was given to
+Captain Lockyer of the Sophia gun-brig. On the morning of the ----, they
+therefore assembled for this purpose, and pushed up the lake in search
+of the gun-vessels, which were discovered moored near some islands
+called by the natives, "Les Isles Malheureuse," or the "Unfortunate
+Islands," and which form the entrance from Lake Ponchartrain into Lake
+Borgne, or Blind Lake. No time was lost in attacking this formidable
+flotilla, consisting of vessels carrying from five to six guns each, and
+commanded by a lieutenant of the American navy, named by them Commodore
+Jones. A most determined and gallant resistance was made by the
+Americans; but superior numbers, with equal, if not superior courage and
+seamanship, prevailed, and in a short space of time the whole were
+captured. Both the commandants were severely wounded, with a great
+number of officers and men killed and wounded. Nothing could exceed the
+gallant intrepidity, I understand, with which our boats advanced to the
+attack; for, from experience I am well convinced, the fire from those
+gun-vessels must have been most destructive; for better shots, either
+with artillery or small arms, do not exist than the Americans. Orders
+were now issued for the army to prepare to land; but the distance, from
+where we had been obliged from shoal water to stop to the town, being so
+great, it was determined to form a sort of depot on a small island, near
+the mouth of the Pearl River, called Pine Island; and farther to
+facilitate the transport of the troops, small brigs, &c. were sent as
+far up the lake as possible, into which the troops were put successively
+from the larger vessels, and from which they generally took their
+departure for the above island.
+
+On the 15th our people left the Fox, and were moved up the lake into one
+of the brigs before noticed, where we were packed in as tight as
+herrings, there being near 400 men on board a little thing scarcely
+calculated to contain the fourth of that number, and where there was not
+literally room to lie down. But, on the 19th, we were relieved from this
+rather close confinement; and being put on board of long boats, we
+pushed off for the island, which lay at a considerable distance,
+notwithstanding the measures that had been adopted to shorten our
+voyage. The weather proved extremely rough and unpleasant, which
+rendered our trip neither over-safe nor comfortable; and to mend the
+matter, the seamen on board our boat were rather in the wind, and did
+not manage her so well as was desirable; for, poor fellows, they had
+been engaged in this fatiguing service for several days, (a considerable
+number of the troops having been previously landed,) and were
+consequently the more easily prevailed upon to indulge when grog came in
+their way. Our middy too was quite worn out with fatigue, and slept
+nearly all the time we were on board. Our boat was several times on the
+point of being swamped, for the water came in quite plentifully on
+occasions of her being laid down by sudden squalls. Another boat, which
+accompanied us, had her mast carried away.
+
+We landed on the island before mentioned in the evening, and of course
+looked out for the best shelter we could find. But it was a complete
+desert; nothing but reeds grew on it, except a few stunted and scrubby
+bushes at the lower end of it. It came on a most severe frost during the
+night, which I understand caused the death of several of the sailors,
+who had indulged perhaps a little too freely, and had lain down without
+any covering. Some of the poor blacks also, I understand, suffered in
+consequence of the severe cold, a thing with which they were totally
+unacquainted, and against which they were ill provided, having nothing
+but their light and thin West India dress to keep it out. It was
+laughable the next morning to see them examining so intently the ice
+which had been formed on the pools near our bivouack. They could not
+conjecture what it was; some of them asserting it was salt; while the
+greater part were totally at a loss respecting it. I had by great good
+luck got into a sort of hut belonging to some of the officers who had
+previously landed; but I do not remember in all my campaigning to have
+suffered more from cold than I did this night, and was extremely glad
+when daylight appeared, that I might be able to move about.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVII.
+
+     Proceed to attack the Enemy, and capture one of their
+     picquets--Advance in search of a Bivouack--Alarmed by shots in
+     front--Fired on by an American schooner--Captain Hallen
+     severely attacked--Manoeuvres on both sides--Ruse of the
+     Enemy--Fighting continues--Enemy repulsed at all
+     points--Courage of the British--A British Battery brought into
+     play--Activity of the Enemy.
+
+
+By the 21st, the whole army had been landed on this island, when they
+were told off into brigades, and inspected by the General. During our
+stay here, about five or six French Americans, (the natives of New
+Orleans, or neighbourhood,) arrived as friends, and told us that there
+were scarcely any troops in the district; so that we had nothing to do
+but to land on the opposite side, and march right on to the town, and
+that the inhabitants would welcome us most cordially, and that no
+resistance might be expected. I did not, I confess, put much confidence
+in their information, and believed at the time, that they came more as
+spies than with any view of befriending, as they pretended, our cause.
+More correct information was obtained from Spanish fishermen, who had
+been following their occupation at the mouth of a creek on the New
+Orleans side of the lake, and who had come across, I believe, at the
+suggestion of Major Peddie, our assistant Quartermaster-general, who
+had been despatched to find out a suitable landing-place for the army.
+From one of them, I learned afterwards that there were troops in the
+town, commanded by General Jackson, and that a battery of two guns had
+been erected on the road, by which we must advance. What they told the
+General, I do not know, but fancy he saw no reason to alter his plans,
+from the information of either party. Every thing being ready by the
+morning of the 22d, the advance guard, commanded by Colonel Thornton,
+and consisting of the 85th and 95th regiments, with two light
+three-pounders, some artillery and some rocketeers, accompanied by a few
+artificers to repair bridges, &c. embarked on board the boats, that had
+been assembled for the purpose--two companies of the 93d followed us;
+these troops occupying the whole of the boats that could be mustered in
+the fleet, consequently the remainder of the army had to remain where
+they were till the return of the boats. The distance was not less, I
+should think, than from thirty to forty miles. We pushed off about two
+o'clock P.M., the wind being favourable for a considerable part of the
+way, but it failing, the men were obliged to commence with the oars. We
+were completely wedged in, so that there was no moving, let the call be
+ever so urgent. I suffered much from a severe pain in my side, from
+being obliged to remain so long in the same position; but we endeavoured
+to divert the tedium in the best manner we could by amusing stories, &c.
+My luck placed me on board the Bang-Up, a fine cutter belonging to the
+admiral, and commanded by a countryman of mine, a Lieutenant Foster of
+that ship. We did not reach the mouth of the creek, or bayou, as it is
+called by the natives, till a long time after dark. As we approached it,
+some light boats were sent forward with Captain Travers of ours and his
+company, to endeavour to surprise a regiment of the enemy, which we
+knew were stationed in some huts at the mouth of the creek, and which
+huts belonged to the Spanish fishermen before mentioned. From the
+information they gave, the best arrangements possible were made for
+effecting this; for Travers, moving silently on, and landing his men at
+the opposite ends of the hamlet, there remained no way of escape open
+for the troops in the houses. As soon as all was ready, they rushed
+forward and secured the whole picquet without a single shot being fired,
+with the exception of two men, who preferred venturing into the marsh,
+in rear of the huts, where it is not improbable they perished. The duty
+was conducted so quietly, and so expeditiously, that very few of the
+other troops knew any thing of the matter; but this alone secured us a
+landing without opposition, for had a firing been begun on either side,
+it must have alarmed the American army, who, no doubt, would have used
+their endeavours to oppose our landing.
+
+We soon after began to enter the creek, but such was the darkness of the
+night, and the shoalness of the water, and such the uncertainty of the
+way by which we had to proceed, that very little progress was made
+during the remainder of the night; daylight, however, enabled us to move
+forward at a brisker pace, but from the obstacles that had presented
+themselves in the dark, the squadron of boats was sadly dispersed; and
+when we reached the head of the creek, only two or three of the light
+boats, with the staff and naval officers, had arrived, and considerable
+intervals of time elapsed between the arrival of the different boats
+with troops; so that had the enemy been aware of our intention, and had
+they had a force of a few hundred men hid in the high reeds which grow
+in this marsh, they might, I am persuaded, have cut us off in detail,
+for from the causes before mentioned, no two boats were sufficiently
+near to assist each other.
+
+We got on shore about an hour after daylight; and right glad was I to be
+enabled to stretch my legs, which had been kept motionless for the last
+sixteen hours. As soon as the whole advance-guard had landed, and a few
+planks had been thrown over a deep rill which we had to cross, we moved
+forward towards the high ground, Captain Travers' company leading; and,
+in order to magnify the appearance of our force, should any concealed
+American be looking on, we extended our files to double the usual
+distance, and thus passed through a wood which skirted the swamp, and
+which it was necessary to traverse before we could reach the open
+country, which we did about six miles below New Orleans. As soon as our
+advance cleared this wood, they observed a good-looking farm onstead,
+towards which they moved in double quick time, and arrived just in time
+to seize and make prisoner a Monsieur Villerey, a major of the militia,
+just then setting off to join his people. We heard (but I will not vouch
+for the truth of the report) that a considerable body of the enemy had
+been assembled on the high-road, near to Monsieur Villerey's house, but
+on learning that we had landed, and were moving rapidly forward, they
+separated, one part retiring towards the town, while the other went down
+the river. Our advance now moved on with celerity, and dashing on to the
+different farm-houses in the neighbourhood, seized several groups of
+arms at each of them, which it seems had either been abandoned by the
+troops to whom they belonged, or had been collected there for some
+military purpose. They captured at some of these farm-houses to the
+amount of twelve or twenty stand; and in all not less than fifty.
+
+Monsieur Villerey unfortunately contrived to make his escape, through
+the too great leniency of one of our lieutenants. I think the most
+probable opinion respecting the arms and the troops assembled near
+Monsieur Villerey's is, that it was the militia of the district just at
+that moment assembling, which will not only account for the arms being
+found in such numbers, (under the verandas of the houses,) but also for
+Monsieur Villerey himself being then on the point of setting out in his
+warlike costume, and the number of men which were observed near his
+house.
+
+About twenty militiamen were also captured in and about these houses.
+Except there, the whites had all abandoned their houses; but a
+considerable number of black slaves remained at each, whether of their
+own accord, or left to protect the property, and occasionally convey
+information to their masters, I know not. As soon as our advance had
+sufficiently reconnoitred the adjacent houses, &c. the whole of the
+troops moved on past the house of Monsieur Villerey, and turning to the
+right, followed the great road to New Orleans for about half a mile,
+till a suitable piece of ground presenting itself in the neighbourhood
+of some other farm-houses, the whole turned in to a green field a short
+distance from the road, and forming into close columns of battalions,
+commenced bivouacking for the night. The road ran partly on, and partly
+alongside of the river dike. Immediately between the troops and the
+river, this dike was perhaps about three feet high. On our right was a
+farm-house, and a little to the right and front another--the latter a
+pretty large one--all these, and indeed all the farm-houses in this
+neighbourhood, are surrounded at one end by the huts of the slaves, and
+generally on the other by barns and other out-buildings, and in the rear
+a garden or orchard. The ground in all this country, which is perfectly
+flat, apparently of alluvial formation, is divided into fields, &c. by
+wooden paling of the common description, very few hedges being to be
+seen.
+
+The situation in which the troops were placed, was as follows, viz. The
+artillery and rocketeers in one line; immediately behind them, my
+battalion and the 85th, in close column; the 4th in rear of us, and the
+93d two companies in rear of the 4th; the whole in close columns. The
+men, as soon as dismissed, instantly set about cooking, for they had had
+nothing from the morning before, and it was now considerably past
+mid-day. Captain Travers' company, which had formed the advance-guard,
+still remained in front as a picquet, and occupied a post on the great
+road, about a mile in front of the division.
+
+About three o'clock P.M., we were all alarmed by some shots at the
+advanced picquet; and, on enquiry, found that an American staff-officer,
+escorted by about thirty cavalry, had come galloping down, no doubt for
+the purpose of reconnoitring us; when within distance, our people
+instantly fired, one of which shots wounded the staff-officer, and
+another killed a horse, but they contrived to get him off. This caused
+the whole of the troops to fall in till the cause of alarm was
+ascertained, after which they set about their cooking again with great
+glee. Considerable discussion now began to take place amongst the
+knowing ones, as to the merits and demerits of our situation, in point
+of security; and of course various opinions were given on the occasion.
+One officer of ours, a particular friend of mine, did not hesitate
+roundly to assert, that we were in a most unprotected and dangerous
+situation. I do not remember exactly the reasons he assigned; but
+certainly, could he have foreseen what yet remained in the womb of time,
+he would have had much stronger reasons for his opinion. Another company
+of ours, (Captain Hallen's,) and one of the 85th, were ordered to
+prepare at dusk to relieve the picquet in advance; and as I messed with
+Captain Hallen's company, I accompanied it on this duty. I did not go
+with the main body of the company, there being no house at that post,
+but with one section, commanded by Lieutenant Forbes, and we occupied a
+small house to the right, and a little to the rear of Captain Hallen's
+party, which was stationed on the great road. The company of the 85th
+occupied the large farm-house before-mentioned, a little to the right
+and front of the column. I had purchased an excellent turkey on our
+arrival at Monsieur Villerey's house, which we had dressed at this
+little house, and made a most hearty meal indeed, after which we took
+each a tot or horn of grog to comfort us.
+
+We had not long finished our comfortable meal, when we were astounded by
+the report of heavy ordnance, apparently close to the bivouack of the
+column, and which reports followed each other in quick succession. A
+cheer was also given, but by whom, or what the occasion of the firing
+was, we were totally at a loss to conjecture. I at first imagined it was
+some of our men-of-war that had been able to pass the forts down the
+river, and that they were firing a salute and cheering in consequence;
+and yet this seemed a strange conjecture; but we did not long remain in
+suspense, for we were soon after informed of the real state of the case,
+that it was a large American schooner, with at least fourteen guns, and
+which she had been enabled to bring to bear upon our unfortunate
+bivouack with the most deadly precision, great numbers having fallen at
+her first broadside. The troops of course dispersed in some measure,
+leaving their fires, which had too well served as a direction for the
+fire of this terrible schooner. But the time was not far distant when we
+should have other enemies to encounter; for by the time the schooner had
+fired a dozen broadsides, a noise was heard in our front; and just at
+this moment an American was brought in by a man from Captain Hallen's
+post, who had foolishly come right into the centre of his picquet, and
+asking if they could tell him which way the regulars had gone. This
+showed that he was a young soldier, who did not know our troops from his
+own; but it also showed that the regulars which he was seeking could not
+be far distant; consequently, every thing was got ready to give them the
+best reception possible; but as the people we had heard in front of the
+post where I then was appeared to be rather to our right, I feared lest
+they might get unawares upon the company of the 85th, which was
+stationed in the farm behind us. I consequently set off with all
+dispatch to give them timely warning, but when I arrived there, I could
+not find the officers, nor could I see where the picquet was posted; I
+therefore thought they must be on the alert at the bottom of the garden,
+which lay in the direction in which we heard the noise; and meeting here
+an officer and several of our men, who had moved in this direction, from
+the fire of the schooner, I told him I was certain that Hallen would be
+shortly most vigorously attacked, from the information I had learnt
+respecting the regulars, and advised him to collect all the men he
+could, and proceed forthwith to reinforce him at the advance. This he
+instantly did, and it was well, for by this time the firing had
+commenced in volleys at that post. I then returned to the picquet-house,
+where I had previously dined, and found the officer was going round his
+sentries; but as the firing was going briskly on at Hallen's post, I
+expected every moment to be attacked here, and began, in the absence of
+the officer, to post the men as advantageously as the nature of the
+ground would admit.
+
+The house stood on a little path, or bye-road, running across the
+country, from the river towards the wood, and which, before he could get
+into, the enemy would have to clamber over a railing which lay on the
+side from which they were advancing. On the hither side of the road was
+a ditch, with a hedge, almost the only one to be met with, and a little
+copse of small trees. Into this copse I put the men, extending them
+along the inside of the hedge, which would not only keep them from the
+view of the enemy, but be some little protection from their fire, and
+would leave them the more at liberty to retreat when overpowered by
+numbers, as it was certain they must shortly be. But all my labour was
+in vain, for when Forbes came from visiting his sentries, he did not
+approve of my disposition, but took them all out, and formed them on the
+open road, without any cover, and with a hedge and ditch in their rear,
+both of which they would be compelled to pass the moment the enemy
+pressed upon him. I felt annoyed, not only at his want of courtesy to
+me, but that he would thus expose his men to almost certain destruction,
+without being able to effect any thing against the enemy, or at all
+check his advance. I accordingly left him in a huff, and went again to
+try to find the picquet of the 85th in the house behind us. I was
+determined to make a more close and thorough search than I had done
+before, and for this purpose went over the gates, &c. into the yard
+behind, when lo, I found myself within a yard or two of a strong body of
+the enemy, which had got into the garden at the lower end, and were just
+advancing to the house. I crouched down, and hid in the best manner I
+could, and luckily was enabled to creep off without their discovering
+who I was. Just as I reached the outer gate, I found a sergeant of ours
+there, to whom I said, we must set off with all possible speed; and
+accordingly we both took to our heels, and ran like heroes; the noise
+of which brought the fire of twenty or thirty rifles after us, but
+luckily without effect.
+
+I now made the best of my way towards where I judged the main body of
+our people were, on the great road, in order to inform Colonel Thornton
+of what I had seen, of this column of the enemy having got possession of
+the house and garden I had just left, and by doing which they had nearly
+separated the advance picquet from the main body. He said he had sent
+two companies of ours, and two of the 85th, to the house immediately in
+the rear of this I speak of, and in a short time afterwards they and the
+Americans came into close contact, for they immediately commenced
+firing; and where as strange a description of fighting took place as is
+perhaps on record.
+
+The enemy soon discovered from some men, whom they had unfortunately
+taken, what the regiments were that were opposed to them--and with all
+that cunning which the Yankees are famed for, instantly turned it to the
+best account--for in several places they advanced in bodies, crying out
+at the same time, "Come on, my brave 85th!" or "My brave 95th!" and thus
+induced several of our small detached parties to go over the rails to
+them, supposing they were some of our own people, when of course they
+were instantly made prisoners. This _ruse_ did not always succeed,
+however, for some of the parties turning restive on their hands, refused
+to surrender, and thus a fight hand to hand took place, and in which
+they generally had the worst of it.
+
+On one occasion of this kind our people made a body of them prisoners.
+The men and officers being requested to lay down their arms, the
+officer, after surrendering, when he saw there were not many of our
+people, drew a sort of dirk or knife, and made a stab at the officer of
+ours who had taken him. We instantly cried out to the men near him, one
+of whom took up his rifle and shot the villain through the body. They
+had before this time brought two of their regular battalions close in
+front of our advance, which did not consist of more than 100 men, and
+were pouring in dreadful volleys into that small but gallant detachment;
+but even in this they showed themselves young soldiers, for they formed
+up the two battalions in line at about forty or fifty yards in distance
+from the post, and gave the words "ready--present--fire," with all the
+precision of a field-day; but being so near, of course every word was
+heard by our people, who, at the critical moment, always took care to
+cleave as close to the ground as possible, by which they escaped most of
+their shot. They then up and at them, and, pouring in a desultory but
+most destructive fire, brought great numbers of them to the ground.
+Their force, however, was too great to be opposed successfully by such a
+handful of men, and these brave fellows were at length compelled to
+yield a little ground; but it was not more than just to enable them to
+cover themselves, and form again in proper order; and from this time all
+the efforts of these two battalions were unable to remove them. Indeed,
+not long after, our people became the assailants, and, advancing again,
+retook their original position. Poor Hallen was severely wounded on this
+occasion, and lost about forty of his men.
+
+Two or three naval captains came also to see the fight at Hallen's post,
+one of whom soon fell severely wounded. The other, the gallant captain
+of the Dover frigate, with whom part of our people went out, and with
+whom we all came home, behaved most nobly. Whenever the enemy had fired
+their volley, he cried, "Now, my lads, up and give them another
+broadside!" and thus contributed, by his animating conduct, to inspire
+all around him with confidence.
+
+Poor Forbes just met the fate that I expected. He stood upon the road,
+and opened his fire upon the enemy as they approached; but they being
+perhaps more than twenty times his number, he was instantly compelled to
+give way, after being himself wounded, having his sergeant killed, and
+losing nearly the half of his men. The schooner all this time kept up a
+most galling and incessant fire. Some attempts were made with our light
+three-pounders, and with rockets, and even with small-arms, to compel
+her to sheer off, but they were all in vain. Her men, protected by her
+stout bulwarks which surrounded them, defied all our efforts, and
+continued to pour in both round and grape wherever they judged, from the
+direction of the fire, our people were stationed. Luckily the darkness
+of the night rendered her fire less destructive than it would otherwise
+have been.
+
+A considerable body of the enemy had penetrated to the house immediately
+on the right of our original bivouack, where the firing was kept up
+between them and the parties opposed to them with great spirit for a
+long time; but the General, having detached the 4th regiment to form
+line a little to the rear and right of that house, completely secured
+that flank from being farther turned. Notwithstanding this, the
+skirmishers of both armies extended to the wood, some of whom we found
+lying the next morning almost touching each other. The firing now began
+to slacken, the enemy having been repulsed at all points, and, towards
+three o'clock in the morning, it had completely ceased, when they
+retired, leaving us in possession of the warmly-contested field.
+
+My battalion had been extremely unfortunate in this action; for almost
+at the very outset, when the attack on Hallen's picquet commenced,
+Major Mitchell, our commandant, had taken a party of about twenty or
+thirty men, and advanced for the purpose of supporting that post.
+Between the bivouack, however, and the point he intended to reach, he
+unexpectedly fell in with a large body of Americans, (for it was so dark
+he could not distinguish who they were,) when both himself, and all the
+men he had with him, were made prisoners. The loss of our five companies
+in this action was about 120 men; that of the 85th more, I believe; and
+in all, I think, it amounted to about 300 men. The loss of the enemy
+must have been considerably greater, if we are to judge from the number
+of dead they left on the field, and, which is a good criterion, the
+general average being about ten wounded for one killed.
+
+Nothing could equal the bravery of the few troops we had in the field on
+this occasion. Their numbers certainly did not amount to 1800 men; while
+the enemy could not have had fewer than from 4000 to 5000. They had two
+regular regiments, the 7th and 44th; they had a large corps of irregular
+riflemen from Kentucky, and another stronger corps from Tennessee, with
+all the militia of New Orleans and its neighbourhood, every man who is
+able being compelled to bear arms in case of invasion. They had about
+300 irregular horse, whether militia or not I cannot tell, but think it
+likely they were in all at least 4000 men--with the great and effectual
+assistance of the schooner, which did us more mischief than 1000 men
+could have done, probably not so much by the loss she occasioned us, as,
+by being able to fire on our flank, and even in our rear, she rendered
+the enemy the most essential service, besides the fire of the ship on
+our advanced picquet.
+
+We were thus completely surrounded on three sides, and had not the
+troops behaved with the most determined courage and intrepidity, we
+must have been driven back, and eventually the greater part would have
+been taken prisoners; for the path to the water was quite narrow, and
+even should we reach the head of the creek where we landed, the boats
+had probably all left it by this time to return for the other troops.
+Indeed it was reported afterwards, that the arrangements of General
+Jackson were such, that we were to have been attacked in the rear at the
+same time as in front, and by the schooner; but the troops for that
+purpose either not being in readiness, or being too distant to arrive in
+time, were too late to take part in the action, but arrived about three
+o'clock in the morning, when they met with a half-drunk artillery-driver
+of ours near Mons. Villerey's house, as he was returning from the field,
+and who, seeing a large body of men, which he took for some of our other
+regiments that had landed, cried out to them, "Come on, my lads, for the
+Yankees never got such a licking in their lives!" This, it is said, had
+the effect of frightening them back, without proceeding farther.
+
+I will not vouch for this being fact, but such was the report the next
+morning; and indeed it is feasible, from the number of people
+(apparently going with orders, &c.) which we saw galloping down on the
+other side of the river in the afternoon; and it is certain that a
+considerable body of militia must have resided down the river, setting
+aside the report which I mentioned, of some troops having retired in
+that direction in the morning, when we first advanced; and nothing would
+have tended more to our complete overthrow than such an attack on our
+rear, could it have been accomplished.
+
+I might here mention, that Captain Hallen saw the schooner as she passed
+his picquet, on her way down from New Orleans, on which he instantly
+despatched a man with the information; but she having the current in
+her favour, sailed much quicker than the man could run, consequently his
+information came too late.
+
+I omitted to mention also, that a large ship of 20 guns came down the
+river at the same time with the schooner, but being less manageable than
+that vessel, she had anchored abreast of Hallen's picquet; and that he
+had to sustain her fire, as well as that of the troops in his front,
+during the whole of the attack of the 23d. She remained at that spot
+without moving.
+
+I will here also notice another circumstance which took place at this
+post. An American rifleman fell into the hands of some of Captain
+Hallen's people, who, when he was brought in, were desired to take his
+arms from him. These he seemed reluctant to part with, and said to the
+officer, "Recollect I shall hold you responsible for that rifle, if you
+take it from me!"--on which the officer took hold of it by the muzzle,
+and flung it right into the river. I daresay the poor fellow thought
+they were a strange sort of people he had got amongst; and I doubt not
+he had set a great value upon his rifle.
+
+Another officer and myself had a providential escape the next morning,
+for we had scarcely left a little wooden hut, behind which we had taken
+up our abode, and slept for a few hours after the fight, when bang comes
+an eighteen-pound shot right through the house, just at the very spot
+where we had a minute or two before been sitting. It seems the captain
+of the schooner, which still lay abreast of us at about 800 yards
+distance, and from which this shot had been fired, was determined we
+should not occupy any of the houses in the vicinity, for, beginning with
+our hut, which was nearest to him, he fired into every house within
+reach of his guns, although he saw as plainly as we did that most of
+them were filled with the wounded; nay, he carried his savage cruelty so
+far, that he actually fired on a party of the 85th as they were removing
+one of their wounded officers. It could not be pleaded that he did not
+know what it was, for, being only half-a-mile distant, and much elevated
+above our level, with a glass he could see as well as we could what they
+were doing, for they were carrying the poor fellow on a bier, on their
+shoulders. He continued this cruel work all the next day, the ship also
+giving us an occasional shot. One shot which he fired went through the
+front of a house in which some of our wounded men were lying, and,
+striking low, it carried the knapsack out from under the head of a man
+of ours named Rayour, which he had put for a pillow, without doing him
+the smallest injury. I could not credit the story till I went and
+actually saw the hole by which it entered, the knapsack and the shot
+lying near the fire-place. After this I went to view the house where I
+had fallen in with the column of the enemy the night before, and where
+the 85th were now stationed; but the fire of the schooner still
+continued, one shot from which we saw was directed towards us. It fell
+right in among the 85th, and, striking a corporal about the breach, as
+he was endeavouring to get out of its way, it passed out at his breast,
+on which he gave himself a sort of shake, and fell lifeless to the
+earth.
+
+Nothing could exceed the great annoyance this mischievous schooner
+continued to be to us all that and the next day, for they not only saw
+every thing we did, but we could not move in any number without being
+saluted with an 18 lb. shot, and we had no means of retaliation. But
+during the 25th, efforts were made to get up some heavier guns from the
+fleet, and every thing having been settled as to the plan, &c., a
+battery was constructed as close to the water's edge as possible in the
+river dike, and a number of gun barrels having been collected from those
+broken, &c. during the late fight, a sort of furnace was erected for the
+purpose of heating shot, with which it was determined to give her a
+salute the next morning. Every thing succeeded admirably. The battery
+was constructed, embrasures cut, and shot heated, and all ready by
+daylight on the morning of the 26th; of course we were all looking out
+to witness the effect, and most noble it was, for when the guns opened
+out upon her, the people on board seemed quite thunderstruck, and
+although they attempted to return our fire, it was only like the blows
+of a man beat blind by his antagonist, for her shot fell in every other
+direction but that in which she should have thrown them. However, they
+could not stand to fire more than one round, as our hot shot rendered
+their situation very soon untenable, and taking to their boats, they
+made their escape to the opposite shore with all expedition.
+
+The distance from the battery to the schooner had been so accurately
+measured by Major Blanchard, who superintended the construction of the
+work, that almost every shot and shell penetrated the hull of the
+vessel, and in a short time after her crew had left her, she broke out
+into a blaze of fire, which soon reaching the magazine, she blew up with
+a loud explosion, to the great comfort and joy of all our army. This of
+course deserved and obtained three as hearty cheers as I believe were
+ever given by Britons, and no doubt the Americans were greatly chagrined
+at the loss of their fine and exceedingly useful vessel. A shell or two
+were directed towards the ship, but she having seen the fate of the
+schooner, got out her boats, which, taking her in tow, she set off up
+the river in all haste. Could a battery have been constructed to fire
+upon her at the same time, it would have saved us some hard knocks
+afterwards. She, however, effected her escape, and we now remained in
+peace for a few days at least.
+
+On the 25th, Sir Edward Packenham and General Gibbs had arrived; the
+former immediately assumed the command, and they both set off to the
+front to reconnoitre the enemy and the kind of country around us. Every
+night since our arrival the enemy had been incessant in their means to
+harass and annoy us, as in truth they had a right to do if they pleased,
+but it was exceedingly distressing to the troops, and therefore I
+mention it. They seldom let an hour pass during the night, that they
+were not firing at some of our out sentries, and on some occasions they
+brought the body of irregular cavalry, before mentioned, immediately in
+front of our outposts, and fired volleys, which, although it did not do
+much injury to our advanced picquets, had the effect of turning out the
+whole line, and that often repeated, with the annoyance from the
+schooner, certainly did not leave us much time for comfortable rest.
+They frequently lay in ambush for the reliefs of our sentries also, and
+patrols, and fired upon them sometimes with effect. In short, they did
+all they could to annoy and weary us out, but of which we ought not to
+complain, as they were defending their own country, and allowances ought
+to be made in such a case that would not be tolerated in an army having
+no interest in the soil. I trust Englishmen will be equally zealous and
+bitter to their enemies should our country ever be invaded.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XVIII.
+
+     British Army told off into Brigades--Advance, and are hotly
+     received--Heroism of a young Artillery Officer--We take up a
+     fresh position--The Enemy work incessantly in raising an
+     extensive breastwork--Two Batteries erected, from which our
+     heavy Ship Artillery are brought to bear against it, but
+     without effect--The Enemy also place their Ship Guns on
+     Batteries--Colonel Lambert arrives with the 7th and 43d
+     regiments--Preparations for a grand attack on the Enemy's
+     lines, which entirely fails, and the British are repulsed with
+     great loss.
+
+
+The remainder of the army all arrived during the 24th, and were put in
+bivouack in an oblique direction, with their front to the late field of
+action, their right thrown back towards the wood, and their left towards
+Mons. Villerey's house. The 93d formed line in advance at an angle of
+the wood, as a sort of outpost, while the 85th and ours were stationed
+in and around the house, to which I have so often alluded, _i. e._ where
+I fell in with the column of the enemy. Our advanced picquets remained
+the same as before the action. If I might here be permitted to hazard an
+opinion, I should say that had we advanced upon New Orleans the morning
+after the fight, I think there is little doubt we should have been
+successful; for when an irregular and undisciplined body of troops once
+meet with a reverse, it is difficult to bring them into action again
+with that steadiness and determination which they often evince in their
+first essay.
+
+I understood General Jackson had some trouble in keeping them together
+after their defeat on the night of the 23d, and the only mode in which
+he could get them to form was, in planting the first who retired in line
+near the road, and as each successive detachment arrived from the fight,
+they were made to form on their left, the whole line sitting or laying
+down for the remainder of the night. It is easy to perceive that they
+would have been quite unmanageable should they have been seriously
+attacked, while their spirits were depressed by their recent failure,
+and as the works which we afterwards encountered did not then exist, at
+least only in part, I think they would have retired after a very slight
+resistance indeed. I had the information as to the manner in which they
+formed, from some of those who were made prisoners, and who witnessed
+it. All this, however, is merely the opinion of a private individual,
+who judged from appearances only, and it is not in the nature of things
+probable that I should be able to form so correct a one as those who
+possessed more ample information.
+
+After the arrival of the two general officers before mentioned, the army
+was told off into brigades as follows, viz. the 1st brigade, commanded
+by General Gibbs, consisted of the 4th, 21st, and 44th British, and 5th
+West India regiments; the 2d brigade, commanded by General Keane,
+consisted of the 85th, 93d, and 95th British, and 1st West India
+regiments, (observe, the West India regiments had by this time become
+exceedingly reduced in point of numbers from cold and hardship, which
+they seemed unable to bear, and very soon after almost ceased to be
+regiments, so many of them were sent away sick;) the artillery was
+commanded by Colonel Dickson, an excellent officer; the squadron of the
+14th light dragoons not being able to get mounted, formed the guards at
+the hospitals, and at head-quarters, &c.
+
+Every thing having been previously arranged on the morning of the 28th,
+we advanced in two columns, the right near the wood commanded by General
+Gibbs, and ours on the left by the great road near the river, commanded
+by General Keane. The enemy had all along kept possession of those
+farm-houses which lay at some distance in front of our picquets. They
+were consequently driven from these as we moved forward, which we did, I
+should imagine, to the distance of about three miles, their picquets
+retiring gradually before us. We here discovered that the enemy had
+thrown up a strong field-work, which extended from the river to the wood,
+and which consequently shut up every avenue to our farther advance,
+without fighting. We also found that their numbers had considerably
+increased, as we could perceive by the immense bodies of troops behind
+their works. As we pressed upon their picquets as they retired, we got a
+shot or two at them with our field-guns; but every thing remained quiet
+within their lines till we had arrived within about 400 yards of them,
+when they opened out on the head of our columns as destructive a fire of
+artillery as I ever witnessed. One shot struck in the column of the
+85th, which knocked down two officers and about ten men. My battalion
+was leading, and being partly extended skirmishing, they did not offer
+so fair a mark for artillery as a solid body, and consequently escaped
+this.
+
+The ship also, which was anchored a little in advance of their work,
+opened her broadside on the columns on the road at the same time. Our
+gun and howitzer, the only two pieces we had there, endeavoured to
+return the fire of the ship, but without doing her much injury. When the
+fire was found to be so galling, the troops were moved off the road
+into the fields on the right, and my battalion advancing about 100 paces
+farther, was ordered to lay down in a sort of ditch which was there, and
+to shelter themselves the best way they could. The 85th and 93d formed
+also more to the right, and secured themselves as well as the nature of
+the ground would admit. It was only intended as a reconnoissance,
+consequently the troops did not advance farther, as soon as the nature
+of their position was ascertained. It appeared to be a high dike of
+casks, formed as a breastwork, with a considerable quantity of artillery
+mounted on it, and with a sort of canal or wet ditch in front of it.
+
+Of course, all this took some time to ascertain, during which they kept
+up an incessant cannonade, both from their works and from the ship. The
+latter poured in an immense quantity of large grape, which rendered the
+situation of those exposed to it extremely unpleasant. Our two
+fieldpieces were very soon silenced by the superior fire of the enemy,
+and in an hour after our arrival at this point, there was not a man left
+with them but the officer, who was quite a youth, but yet stood as
+steady as if he had been on a common parade, although all his men were
+knocked down about him. I never witnessed more devoted heroism than this
+fine young man displayed. One shot, nearly towards the last, struck off
+his sergeant's head, and sent his cap spinning over a ditch, where
+another officer and I had taken up our post. Some rockets were also
+tried from this point, both against the ship and the enemy's works, but
+those directed against the vessel flew quite wide of the mark, and
+totally failed. Some of those fired into the works, we saw pass over the
+heads of the men posted in them, but whether they produced any effect we
+could not see.
+
+The enemy either had set fire to the houses near us before they retired
+from them, or they had fired heated shot with a view of producing that
+effect; but we had not been long here ere the whole of the houses in the
+neighbourhood were in one grand and terrific blaze of fire. I do not
+exactly know what was done on the right, for we could not see distinctly
+for some trees which grew in the garden of the farm in that direction,
+but imagine they encountered something similar to ourselves, as the play
+of artillery from the enemy's line in front of them was equally
+unceasing with that in our front. Not a man showed himself out of the
+enemy's works.
+
+When every thing was ascertained that could be, the troops began
+gradually to draw off, but this was obliged to be conducted in a very
+cautious manner, or the loss from their fire would have been severe. The
+93d retired first, by separate wings, afterwards the 85th, but ours did
+not leave their ground till after dark, when, I believe, some of the
+Yankees began to advance in a rather triumphant and bullying manner, but
+were taught to keep at a respectful distance by a few shots well laid in
+among them. A party of sailors had been sent forward to bring off the
+two fieldpieces, there being no artillerymen left to do it, and we had
+no horses. They undertook and accomplished this task most cheerfully and
+effectually, without a man hurt I believe.
+
+The loss of my battalion on this occasion was not great. The army now
+took up a fresh position in which to bivouack, at about a mile and a
+half distance from the enemy's line, but which they could easily reach
+with the shot and shells of their larger pieces. The head-quarters were
+removed from Monsieur Villerey's house to a large farm or chateau behind
+our new lines, and which were formed in the following manner, viz.:--the
+4th and 44th composed one line, with their right near the wood. The 21st
+formed on their left, but with an intervening space between them. The
+85th and 93d formed one line on the left of the 21st, with an interval
+between their line and that regiment. This latter line was rather in an
+oblique direction, with its front towards a farm-house in advance and to
+the left, and where my battalion was ordered to take its station. This
+latter post was more exposed to the enemy's shot than any of the others;
+it being a good deal advanced, and being close to the river, the guns
+from the opposite shore ceased not firing on it, generally with hot
+shot. The men were put into a sugar house belonging to this chateau, the
+floor of which being sunk a little below the surface of the adjoining
+earth, protected them wonderfully; but on occasions they had their very
+cooking utensils knocked off the fire by the enemy's shot, in
+consequence of the exposed situation of this house. The acting
+quartermaster and myself being deemed civilians, and having no
+inclination to be deprived of our natural rest at night, as long as we
+could be allowed to obtain it, took up our abode in one of the outhouses
+at head-quarters, which we found unoccupied, and where our respective
+duties could be carried on with as much facility as if we were in the
+same house with the battalion, the distance between them being only
+about half a mile.
+
+Here, also, the sick and wounded were brought, where they could enjoy
+more comfort than in the sugar-house, till an opportunity offered of
+sending them down to the shipping. To secure our front a little more,
+and to protect the troops against the shot from the opposite shore, a
+redoubt was thrown up about half a mile in front of the right, and
+pretty near the wood; while batteries and breastworks were constructed
+on the road, to fire on any vessels of the enemy which might come down
+the river. These latter were principally constructed of hogsheads of
+sugar, which were found in the sugar-houses of the different
+plantations in the neighbourhood. But nothing could have answered worse
+than they did for this purpose, the enemy's shot going quite through
+them, without being at all deadened almost by the resistance they
+offered. In front of the left also, inside the road, a breastwork was
+thrown up, which secured the persons of a corps of marines and sailors,
+who occupied that part of the line. This body was, soon after the 28th,
+landed from the fleet; and the latter, having brought small arms on
+shore with them, acted as a small battalion.
+
+It is evident the enemy must have worked incessantly, from our first
+landing, to complete the work they occupied; for, from the information I
+before mentioned, as given me by one of the Spanish fishermen, it is
+clear they had only two guns, mounted on something like a battery, on
+the great road. But now that work extended even into the wood, a
+distance of at least three quarters of a mile, and at this time there
+could not be less than ten or twelve pieces of heavy ordnance mounted on
+it. We were told by the slaves who had remained in the houses, that the
+ditch behind which they had constructed this work was a sort of small
+canal, which the gentleman who owned the property used for the purpose
+of transporting the produce of his farm from thence into the river. From
+this time we could plainly perceive great numbers of men continually at
+work upon it, mostly blacks, of which they would, of course, have
+abundance; but their white people also (the army, we conclude) were
+constantly employed upon it. We could see distinctly that they were
+widening and deepening the canal in front of the work, and raising the
+parapet to a considerable height.
+
+It was now determined to try what our heavy ship-artillery would do
+against this work. Accordingly, the greater part of the army were
+employed in bringing up these unwieldy machines, and to effect which
+required no slight power and perseverance, as we had no means of
+transport but the sheer strength of a number of men combined, to drag
+them successively through the deep soil. A sufficient number of them
+having been brought up by the 31st, strong working parties were employed
+all night in erecting two batteries, as near to the enemy's works as
+they could with safety venture, and getting the guns, carriages, and
+ammunition, &c., into them. These were formed principally of casks, &c.,
+filled with earth; and I am not sure that some sugar hogsheads were not
+used on the occasion. However, at daylight on the morning of the 1st
+Jan. 1815, the whole of the troops were ordered under arms, and moved
+forward to nearly the same points they occupied on the 28th ult.
+
+This morning there was an extremely thick fog, which greatly favoured
+our movements, the Americans being, I believe, totally ignorant that any
+alteration had taken place in the situation of our army. As soon as the
+fog cleared away, our artillery opened out a tremendous and thundering
+cannonade upon the enemy's line, which so completely astonished them,
+that there was not a shot returned for twenty minutes at least, so
+little did they expect heavy artillery there. Nay, we heard afterwards
+that a great number of the irregular troops were so alarmed, that they
+actually quitted the lines without orders, and were posting off to New
+Orleans, and were with great difficulty brought back again. As soon as
+they perceived, however, that nothing more than a cannonade was
+intended, and that our troops did not advance to the attack, they
+commenced gradually with their artillery against ours, the fire of which
+increasing as their confidence increased, they were not long in
+silencing our guns, and in dismounting some of them. The fact is, our
+works had been thrown up in such haste, that they were not nearly so
+strong as they ought to have been made, had there been more time; the
+consequence was, their shot penetrated into every part of our works, and
+caused us not only considerable loss in artillerymen, (with one officer
+killed,) but, as I said before, actually dismounted a great many of our
+guns. This consequently entirely failed of having the desired effect;
+but with such a very favourable opportunity as this morning's fog
+presented, together with the alarm and terror with which the enemy were
+struck on opening our artillery upon them, there is not the most distant
+doubt that we should have at once got possession of their lines, had we
+but advanced to the attack. It is true, we were not prepared for passing
+the ditch, having no fascines or other necessaries for that purpose; but
+the resistance, in my opinion, would have been so slight, that we might
+almost have chosen our own place to cross it; and it was not very deep
+at any place. The battalion of sailors were quite annoyed at being kept
+looking on, while so fair an opportunity, as they thought, offered, and
+were crying out one to another, "Why don't we go on? what is keeping us
+back?"
+
+'Tis not to be doubted that the first effect of any new thing in warfare
+is always the most certain of producing success, particularly against
+inexperienced troops; but let them see and know the whole of the effects
+that such a thing is calculated to produce, and the alarm wears off, and
+confidence and courage return with wonderful rapidity. So it was here;
+the first fire of our guns struck them dumb with amazement and
+terror--But mark the contrast! Both the latter part of this day, and on
+the 8th, at the general attack, how little they seemed to care for all
+the artillery we could bring against them! Their gun, a 32-pounder, was
+a most bitter antagonist to our principal battery. This happened to be
+erected nearly in front of that part of the line where this gun was
+situated, and when it fired, its shot always struck the battery at the
+first bound, and then it ricocheted into the redoubt where I had taken
+up my post. General Keane, with a part of his brigade, was in this
+latter work, and some of them narrowly escaped the effects of the
+numerous balls thrown from this gun. We were told the captain of the
+schooner, after having been deprived of his vessel, had been appointed
+to the charge and management of this gun, with some of his crew to work
+it; and indeed it seemed very like the bitter and determined manner of
+our former opponent, for any of the other guns seemed like children's
+play to the unceasing and destructive fire of this heavy piece of
+ordnance. I could distinctly see that they were sailors that worked
+it--one of whom, a large mulatto, with a red shirt, always spunging her
+out after firing.
+
+In what I am going to relate, I know I shall incur the risk of being
+deemed a _traveller_ by some of my readers, but that shall not deter me
+from telling what I plainly and repeatedly saw with my own eyes,
+assisted by a glass. At the distance of three quarters of a mile, I
+could distinctly perceive the ball from this gun every time it was
+fired, it appearing like a small black spot in the midst of the column
+of white smoke, and which gradually grew larger in appearance as it
+approached us. In many instances I was providentially the cause of
+saving some of the men who were in the redoubt with us, because, seeing
+which way the ball was coming, I told them when to lie down; and on one
+occasion was the shave so close, that it actually carried away one of
+the men's packs as he lay on the ground. Another shot struck about
+three feet above our heads, and carried away part of a piece of timber
+which supported a shed just behind us.
+
+I forgot to mention, that, after the 28th, the Americans, conceiving
+that the guns of the ship would be of more use if taken out and placed
+in batteries, this was accordingly done; the greater part of them being
+planted on the other side of the river, and being completely on our
+flank, were enabled to annoy our people considerably, who were posted
+near the great road.
+
+About two or three o'clock in the afternoon of the 1st, the army began
+again to retire to its bivouack, leaving covering parties to protect the
+batteries; and after night, the whole having formed, working parties
+were sent to bring off as many of the heavy guns as possible. Some of
+these, however, they were obliged to bury in the earth, not being able
+to drag them away before daylight next morning. This work seemed more
+oppressive and fatiguing to the troops than the bringing of them up did,
+inasmuch as they were animated in the latter instance by the hope of
+their being able to effect something against the enemy through their
+toil and labour; but now disappointment added poignancy to their
+sufferings. However, although things began to assume not quite so
+favourable an aspect as formerly, yet every thing was borne with the
+greatest good-will, as they were still confident of all their laborious
+services being ultimately crowned with success. In all these fatiguing
+services, the sailors bore an ample share, and were of the very utmost
+benefit to the whole army, for they could readily contrive the means of
+moving those immense masses of metal by purchases, &c., which to a
+soldier would be utterly impossible. Indeed, throughout the whole
+service, the gallant tars deserved the very highest praise, for they
+were equally brave as laborious and willing.
+
+All hands, both soldiers and sailors, had been up the whole of the night
+of the 31st, and now up again all night of the 1st. This was very
+trying, no doubt. If any thing like dissatisfaction was evinced, this
+incessant toil and want of rest in encountering it, arose more from a
+desire to be led on to the attack, than from any wish to be rid of their
+labours, however painful these were. As this attempt had failed, no
+other scheme now appeared to present itself, but a vigorous and well
+sustained attack on their line; for several efforts had been made to
+penetrate through the wood, to endeavour to ascertain whether it was
+possible to turn their position at that point, but all these efforts had
+failed. The last that was attempted was conducted by Lieutenant Wright
+of the engineers, but both himself and nearly all his party perished;
+for it seems they fell in with a body of American riflemen, who, being
+much better accustomed to travelling in woods than our people were, fell
+on them, and, as said before, nearly cut off the whole party; yet it is
+evident it was not utterly impassable, or the two parties could not have
+met.
+
+I do not recollect to what regiment the men belonged who accompanied
+Wright, but think it probable they were altogether unacquainted with
+that description of service, which led them into the fatal snare in
+which they fell. I am confident I saw blacks, who passed and repassed by
+the wood, but it is certain that no attempt upon a large scale could be
+made in that direction to turn their position; and it was probably the
+better plan to abandon the idea altogether. A very excellent expedient
+was however devised, for the purpose of turning the right flank of the
+enemy; it was certainly a bold and vigorous idea, and one which, if
+successful, would no doubt have secured to us the victory and the
+possession of New Orleans. This was no less than cutting a canal, in
+order to unite the Mississippi with the lake by which we had arrived,
+and by getting boats out of the latter into the river, to transport a
+sufficient number of men to the opposite shore, for the purpose of
+making a diversion in aid of the principal attack on this side.
+
+Nothing could exceed the grandness of the conception. Accordingly, all
+hands were set to work to widen and deepen the rill of water which flows
+into the creek at the landing-place, and, continuing it up past Monsieur
+Villerey's house, to let it enter the river a little above that point.
+This, as may easily be conceived, was most laborious and dirty work;
+and, lest the health and spirits of the troops should suffer from such
+incessant fatigue, they were told off into four watches or spells, each
+of which followed the other in regular succession, so that the work
+never stood still. When it had reached near the house and high-road,
+screens were put up on the latter, to prevent the enemy on the opposite
+bank of the river from seeing what was carrying on; but as the blacks
+were passing and repassing almost continually by the wood, as I before
+mentioned, no doubt the Americans were well acquainted with what we were
+doing.
+
+On the ---- General Lambert arrived with the 7th and 43d regiments, to
+our great joy, two finer regiments not being in the service.
+Consequently every eye now sparkled with hope, that our labours and
+privations would soon terminate, as every one confidently anticipated a
+favourable result, and seemed still inclined to despise that enemy who
+had shown us that we could not do so with impunity. We were glad to meet
+many of our old Peninsular friends in these two fine corps, and of
+course welcomed them to the New World in the best manner we were
+capable of. They took up their ground a little in front of the canal
+which was cutting, there not being room sufficient for them in the line
+of our bivouack. We were now about 7000 effective troops, and all
+beginning to cheer up again, imagined nothing could withstand us.
+
+By the 6th the canal was finished, and the boats brought up into it.
+There was obliged to be a lock in it at the entrance from the river, for
+the strength of which Sir Edward, our Chief, I understand, expressed his
+apprehensions, but was assured by the engineer that there was not the
+slightest danger. I give this merely as report.
+
+On the 7th the arrangements for the attack next morning having been
+completed, orders were issued to that effect. The arrangements were as
+follows, viz.--a corps consisting of the 85th regiment, with 200 sailors
+and 400 marines, and the 5th West India regiment, with four light
+fieldpieces, the whole under the command of Colonel Thornton, was to
+embark in boats by twelve o'clock, and to be all across the river by
+daylight next morning. This force would amount to about 1200 or 1300
+men, and were destined to attack and carry the works on the opposite
+bank, getting possession of the guns without allowing them to be spiked
+if possible, when they were to be turned upon the right flank of the
+enemy's position, on this side the river, to favour our attack. It is
+clear, then, that this movement should precede that of the grand attack
+by a considerable space of time. In the grand attack the troops were to
+be disposed as follows, viz.--The right column, under General Gibbs, was
+to consist of the 4th, 21st, 44th, and three companies of my battalion,
+which latter were to extend as close to the enemy's work as possible,
+previous to the advance of the column, and, by maintaining a constant
+fire, were to endeavour to keep the enemy down as much as possible. The
+44th was to be divided; one-half of that corps was to carry fascines,
+&c., which they were to throw into the ditch on reaching it, in order
+that the remaining regiments of that column might be able to pass it.
+These fascines were to be had in the redoubt I before mentioned. The
+other wing of the 44th was to lead that column, followed by the 21st,
+and then the 4th, regiments. This was to be the principal attack. The
+left column, commanded by General Keane, was to be composed as follows,
+viz.--one company of the 7th, one of the 21st, one of the 43d, and two
+of ours. The whole to be supported by the 93d regiment. These were to
+make a feint attack upon the half-moon work which the enemy had
+constructed near the river, and if opportunity offered, to turn it into
+a real attack, and penetrate the enemy's line, co-operating with the
+other column. Our two companies were to act here in the same manner as
+the other three with whom they were to form a junction, thus covering
+the whole front of the enemy's work. Some blacks of the 1st West India
+regiment were to enter the wood on the right of our right column, and to
+keep up as much noise as possible by firing and sounding bugles, &c. to
+induce a belief that a large body of troops was moving in that
+direction. The reserve, under General Lambert, was to consist of the 7th
+and 43d regiments, and was to be so stationed as to be able to render
+aid to either of the attacking columns. Strict orders were given that no
+obstacle was to be permitted to retard the advance of the columns, but
+that they were to press forward and endeavour to overcome every
+hinderance that might present itself.
+
+As far as I recollect, and from the information I have since gained,
+these were substantially the orders issued, and arrangements made, on
+this occasion. The commanding-officers and heads of departments were
+also assembled, and each told the part he had to perform; on which
+occasion, I understand, the commanding-officer of the 44th expressed
+himself in terms which I could scarcely conceive it possible could fall
+from the lips of a soldier, which were, that "it was a forlorn hope with
+the 44th." In all my campaigning I never yet heard a commanding-officer
+who did not look upon the post of danger as the post of honour, and who
+did not rejoice, as if a favour was conferred on him, when appointed to
+an arduous or hazardous duty. Had the commanding-officer of the 44th
+served in the Peninsula under our illustrious leader there, he would, I
+am confident, have been animated by a quite different spirit. After dark
+I went with my commanding-officer and adjutant to view the ground over
+which our battalion was to march next morning, and to find out the
+wooden bridges, &c. over some ditches which lay in the way, that no
+delay might take place when they were to be called upon to act.
+
+I was sadly disappointed at our not meeting with any other
+commanding-officers engaged in this most necessary duty, and at the time
+I expressed my apprehensions as to the result. I pointed out to him the
+different manner in which the business had been conducted previous to
+the assault of Badajos, and previous to the attack on the enemy's
+position on the Nivelle, where every commanding-officer, or others, who
+had any particular duty assigned to them in the next day's operations,
+were brought to ground from which it was clearly pointed out to them how
+they were to move and act; but here all seemed apathy and fatal
+security, arising from our too much despising our enemy. This latter, I
+believe, was the principal cause of our not taking the necessary
+precautions, and consequently of our failure; particularly the
+commanding-officer of the 44th ought to have been brought and shown
+where the fascines were lodged, that no excuse of ignorance on that
+score might be pleaded. A rocket thrown up was to be the signal for the
+troops to advance to the attack, after they had been properly posted
+under the cover of night for that purpose. I own I did not at all feel
+satisfied with what I had seen and heard, and retired to rest with a
+considerable degree of despondency on my mind; and as I knew I could
+render little aid to the service in a case like the present, I
+determined I should not take any part in it, for I almost felt confident
+of its failure.
+
+The whole of the troops were at their post by the time appointed; but,
+unfortunately, as the sailors, &c. were getting the boats out of the
+canal into the river, the lock gave way after only a very few had passed
+it. Thus the whole business seemed at one blow to be totally ruined.
+Every effort was made to remedy the evil, but it was irremediable. They
+toiled, however, to get more boats into the river, but the delay had
+been so great that it began to draw towards dawn before they had
+effected any thing worth mentioning. Poor Sir Edward seemed like one
+bereft of his reason, for this failure had blasted all his most sanguine
+hopes; and as the troops were now close under the enemy's works, and
+could not be withdrawn before daybreak, nor without being perceived by
+the enemy, he thought it as dangerous to turn back as to go forward with
+the operation, consequently he ordered the rocket to be fired, although
+it was considerably past the time for the attack to take place, and no
+troops on the opposite shore. As soon as this was done, he galloped to
+the front. But the enemy had been quite prepared, and opened such a
+heavy fire upon the different columns, and upon our line of skirmishers,
+(which had been formed for some time within about 100 or 150 yards of
+the enemy's work,) as it is not easy to conceive. I was not in it as I
+said before, but I was so posted as to see it plainly. But the 44th,
+with the fascines, were not to be found. Their commanding-officer had
+taken them considerably past the redoubt where the fascines were placed,
+and when he bethought him of what he had to do, he and his men were
+obliged to turn back to seek them; and thus, when he ought to have been
+in front to throw them into the ditch to allow the other troops to pass
+over, he was nearly half a mile in rear seeking for them. But I believe
+it would not have availed much had they been there in time, for the
+right column never reached the point to which it was directed; but from
+the dreadful fire of every kind poured into it, some of the battalions
+began to waver, to halt and fire, and at last one of them completely
+broke, and became disorganized. Sir Edward seeing this rushed forward
+with his hat in his hand, and endeavouring to animate them by his
+presence, he cheered them on to advance again; but at this moment he
+fell, after receiving two wounds, the last of which was mortal. General
+Gibbs also fell nearly at the same time mortally wounded, and was borne
+off the field. Thus was the right and principal column deprived of both
+its leaders; and although one regiment gave ground, and could not be
+brought again to the attack, the other continued to keep in a body,
+although any attempt now must be hopeless, and they were losing such
+numbers of men that they must shortly be annihilated. They accordingly
+retired without effecting any thing.
+
+The left column succeeded somewhat better; but, as things turned out, it
+was only to enhance their own loss. They forced their way into the
+circular work before mentioned, in which they made all the men who
+defended it prisoners. But the canal still lay between them and the
+main work, which was passed only by a plank; and being so few in
+numbers, it would have been madness in them to attempt to go beyond
+where they had at present stationed themselves. Indeed, they were in a
+most critical situation; for, being within a few yards of the enemy's
+main body, they could not move without being shot through the head by
+their riflemen; and it was not till they had threatened to shoot the
+prisoners they had taken, that they induced the Americans to desist from
+attacking them; for by this time General Keane also had fallen severely
+wounded, and the 93d had been nearly cut to pieces; and General Lambert,
+with the reserve, had been obliged to advance and cover the retreat of
+the other columns. Colonel Dale, who commanded the 93d, fell early in
+the action, and the command devolved on Colonel Creagh; this officer,
+being unwilling to retire his regiment without effecting the object
+aimed at, although the men were literally mown down by the murderous
+fire of the enemy, and the other column had given way, still endeavoured
+to advance, but was at length reluctantly compelled to retrograde,
+taking care to keep his men together. This showed a fine and noble
+feeling in him, and is equally honourable to his gallant regiment; but
+unfortunately it tended only to swell the list of killed and wounded on
+this lamentable occasion.
+
+My people were thus left to shift for themselves, and to get away in the
+best manner they could. But being extended, and not being so good an
+object for the artillery to fire at as the columns, they escaped with
+much less loss than could well be supposed. Some few of them reached the
+ditch when they saw the columns advancing, and which they say could have
+been passed with ease; but the columns never advanced so far, which had
+they done, and that rapidly, their loss would not have been half so
+great; for the enemy's troops in front of the right column were
+evidently intimidated, and ceased firing for some seconds as the column
+approached; and there is little doubt, had they pushed on to the ditch
+with celerity, the Americans would have abandoned their line; at least,
+such is my humble opinion. But the poor fellows on the left, who had
+gained the only work which fell into our hands on this bank of the
+river, were still detained there, unable either to advance or retreat;
+and not one durst show his head above the parapet, or he was instantly
+shot dead.
+
+Such was their confined and critical situation at this period, that an
+officer of the 7th, whose name I forget, being himself rather tall, and
+wearing at this time the high narrow-topped cap, could not squeeze in
+sufficiently close to cover himself completely by the parapet, the top
+of the high cap he wore sticking above the top of the work. This part of
+the cap, which was visible to the Americans within the line, had no less
+than four or five rifle-shots put through it while he lay there, but
+without touching his head. All this information respecting these three
+companies I had from Lieutenant Steele of the 43d, one of the officers
+who was in the work.
+
+They were obliged at last to adopt a very singular but politic
+expedient, which was, to make one of the American prisoners embrace a
+man of the 43d, and thus to stand up together to see what was going
+forward; for hitherto they were totally ignorant, from the causes above
+assigned. The enemy durst not fire in such a case, for fear of killing
+their own man. The news they now learned was most disheartening indeed,
+which was, that the whole of the British had retired, and that the
+Americans were coming out of their lines, and were moving in the
+direction of that work. Nothing now remained but to surrender, or to
+make an attempt to retreat, at the risk of being every man knocked
+down. The latter, however, they preferred; on which Colonel Rennie, of
+the 21st, who commanded these three companies, was the first to make the
+experiment, and in doing which, the moment after he left the fort, he
+fell to rise no more. They thought it better for them all to go at once,
+and instantly the whole party made a rush out of the work. The greater
+part of them providentially succeeded in effecting their escape,
+although many a brave fellow fell in the attempt.
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XIX.
+
+     Bravery and Success of Colonel Thornton--Negotiation for leave
+     to transport the Wounded across the River--Insult offered to
+     the British--They retreat--Our Army embark, and determine to
+     make an Attack upon Mobile--Proceed in the direction of Mobile
+     Bay--A Brigade detached to reduce Fort Boyer--The Fort
+     surrenders, the Garrison becoming Prisoners of
+     War--Intelligence of a Treaty of Peace being concluded at
+     Ghent--Cessation of Hostilities.
+
+
+It now remains to detail the operations of Colonel Thornton's party. It
+will be seen, that, although his people were all ready at the appointed
+hour, they could not get a sufficient number of boats to transport them
+to the opposite shore. In fact, they did not get on board till it was
+near daylight, and then only about one-half of the appointed number.
+But, although at the risk of sacrificing himself and the few men he took
+with him, he hesitated not to make the attempt of fulfilling his orders.
+The signal for the general attack, however, was made before he could
+reach the opposite bank, and he had then to land, and after making his
+disposition with the few troops he had, to advance and attack a corps of
+2000 men, mostly covered by works, some of which were extremely strong.
+He dashed on, however, the advance of the enemy giving way before him,
+till coming to their principal battery, he was obliged to detach a part
+of his force through the wood on his left to turn their flank, while he
+with the remainder attacked in front. This was conducted in such a
+soldierlike manner, that, after a short conflict, the enemy gave way on
+all sides, and retiring with precipitation, abandoned to the victors
+batteries and works containing sixteen guns of various calibre.
+
+But, alas! all this success came too late; for the principal attack had
+by this time ended in a total failure, attended with the loss of three
+out of four generals, and with nearly 2000 officers and men killed,
+wounded, and made prisoners. Had Providence prospered the work of the
+canal, and the troops could have been got across at the appointed hour,
+and in sufficient numbers, there is every reason to believe that the
+effect produced on the main body by such a powerful diversion, would
+have tended to the complete overthrow of the whole force before us; for
+so insecure did General Jackson feel himself to be after our
+establishment on the other bank of the river, and so alarmed at its
+consequences, that, in the evening of the fatal day, he would not
+consent to a cessation of hostilities, to enable us to bring off our
+numerous wounded, till General Lambert (who had now succeeded to the
+command) agreed as a preliminary to withdraw the force under Colonel
+Thornton from that bank; and this, although with great reluctance, the
+General was compelled from motives of humanity and other causes to
+consent to.
+
+Before, however, a final answer was returned to General Jackson, I
+believe it was suggested to our General, that, with the possession of
+the other bank of the river, and with the 7th and 43d nearly yet entire,
+and with the remainders of the other regiments, our chances of success
+had not yet entirely departed, particularly as Jackson evinced such
+eagerness for our withdrawing from that bank. General Lambert in
+consequence used means to ascertain the feelings of the troops on this
+proposition, but without their knowledge of his having done so; but I
+regret to state, they seemed utterly hopeless of ever being able to
+overcome such formidable difficulties as had presented themselves,
+particularly now that their means of overcoming them had been so
+lamentably diminished. The idea was consequently abandoned.
+
+In this negotiation between the Generals, which continued for some
+hours, Lieutenant-colonel Smith, our assistant adjutant-general, had
+repeatedly to pass from army to army with flags of truce, before the
+matter could be finally arranged. This officer was most indefatigable in
+his exertions on this unfortunate expedition, and to him the army is
+greatly indebted for his zeal, ability, and gallantry, on this and every
+other occasion where they could be of service to his country, and by
+those in authority no doubt they are duly appreciated.
+
+Thus terminated the fatal attack on the lines of New Orleans--a
+termination probably as disastrous in its consequences as any of modern
+date--not even excepting that of Buenos Ayres; for that, discreditable
+as it was to our arms, did not cost the lives of such a number of fine
+soldiers; and I fear we have not yet experienced the full consequences
+of this failure, for it is certain that the Americans are greatly
+elevated by it in their own estimation, and it is not improbable they
+may be thence induced to maintain a higher tone in all their future
+negotiations with this country.
+
+One instance may be to the point, as showing the feeling of individuals
+of that country on this subject. A fellow in the shape of an officer
+asked Colonel Smith, (I think it was,) "Well, what do you think of we
+Yankees? Don't you think we could lick any of the troops of the
+continent easily?"--"I don't know that," says our officer.--"Why, I'll
+prove to you," says Jonathan, "that we have shown ourselves the best
+troops in the world. Didn't the French beat the troops of every other
+continental nation? Didn't you beat the French in the Peninsula? and
+haven't we beat you just now?" This of course was conclusive, and no
+farther argument on that subject could be advanced.
+
+The remainder of the troops retired in the evening to their sorrowful
+bivouack, worn out and sadly dispirited. All that night was of course
+devoted to bringing off the unfortunate wounded; but several of those
+who fell far in advance had been taken into the American lines, and, I
+have every reason to believe, were treated with the greatest humanity.
+Every effort was used, during the continuance of the truce, to bring
+away the great numbers who lay wounded in the different parts of the
+field; and on this as on all other occasions, the sailors with their
+officers, evinced the utmost solicitude to render assistance to the
+army; a great number of them were employed all night on this distressing
+duty. During the whole of that afternoon, both while the negotiations
+were pending, and at other times, the American officers were unceasing
+in their endeavours to induce our soldiers to desert and join their
+army. Too many, I regret to say, listened to their offers, and accepted
+them. To some they promised promotion, to others money or grants of
+land; in short, they were more like recruiting sergeants, I understand,
+than the officers of a hostile army. My battalion did not quit the field
+till after dark, and it is from some of them I have this information. A
+group of two sergeants and a private of ours were accosted by an
+American officer of artillery with a request that they would enter the
+service of the United States; that the sergeants should be promoted if
+they wished to serve, or that they should have grants of land if they
+preferred a civil life; but that, if they chose to enter the army, he
+would ensure them the rank of officers. Our people listened to this
+harangue for some time, and then began, I regret to say, to give him
+some bad language; telling him, at the same time, that they would rather
+be privates in the British army, than officers among such a set of
+raggamuffins as the Americans, and told him to sheer off or they would
+fire upon him. This so exasperated the cowardly villain, that he went
+off instantly into the line, they watching him all the while, and
+pointing the gun, of which, it seems, he had charge, it was fired, and
+knocked down the private, who was only wounded, however, by the shot.
+Innumerable attempts of this nature were made both now and all the time
+we remained before their lines subsequently, but which attempts, I am
+proud to say, as far as I have been able to learn, failed in every
+instance in the men of my battalion.
+
+Much about the same time, an American soldier came within about 150
+yards of our line, and began to plunder such of the killed or wounded
+men as he thought possessed of any thing valuable. He at length
+commenced upon a poor wounded man belonging to my battalion, which being
+perceived by a Corporal Scott of ours, he asked permission from his
+captain to take a shot at him. This being granted, (although a sort of
+truce had been established while the negotiations were going on,) he
+took up his rifle, and taking a steady aim, he fired, and tumbled the
+plundering villain right over the body of the poor wounded man.
+
+The loss of our five companies in this attack amounted to seven officers
+and about ---- men killed and wounded. Some of the other regiments, the
+93d in particular, had suffered dreadfully, having lost more than half
+their numbers. The sad ceremony of burying such of the officers whose
+bodies had been recovered, together with attention to the wounded,
+occupied several days from this period, and sending the wounded, who
+were able to bear removal, to the shipping, kept great numbers of the
+remaining men continually employed; and the attention of all was now
+turned towards drawing off from this scene of our late disastrous
+attempt.
+
+The General entered into a negotiation with Jackson about being
+permitted to send a portion of our wounded down the river in boats; for
+which permission some equivalent, which I forget, was to be granted on
+our part, and which, after considerable discussion, was eventually
+agreed to. The sick, the wounded, the stores of every description, were
+now despatched as fast as circumstances would allow; but the effecting
+of this occupied not less than nine days, during the whole of which time
+the enemy was incessant in his attempts to harass and annoy us. All
+their heavy ordnance was brought to bear on our bivouack; the
+sugar-house our people occupied, and even the head-quarters, did not
+escape; night and day they kept up a fire of shot and shells upon these
+points; but the distance being considerable, no very great mischief
+resulted from it, further than the continual state of uneasiness and
+alarm in which it kept the troops. On one occasion, however, a shell was
+thrown into the lines of the 43d, who had since the attack occupied a
+part of the general bivouack, and which, falling into a hut occupied by
+Lieutenant Darcy of that regiment, while he lay asleep, carried off both
+his legs as it fell. Poor fellow! he would thus be awakened in a rough
+manner indeed. I have since seen him in Dublin, the government having
+kindly compensated him by giving him a company, and I believe two
+pensions.
+
+Several shells were thrown into the head-quarters premises, but
+providentially without injuring any one. One fell in the yard while a
+party of troops was halted there for a short while, and which falling on
+one of the men's knapsacks, which he had put off, it carried it, with
+itself, not less than six feet deep into the earth. It did not explode.
+Some fell on the roof, which penetrated through all the stories to the
+very ground. Every night also the picquets were kept in a state of
+agitation and alarm by the continual attacks of small parties of our
+skulking enemy, and my battalion, as did the others also, lost
+considerable numbers by this petty warfare. In short, the men's lives
+began almost to be a burden to them.
+
+There was another source of annoyance adopted on the part of the
+Americans on this occasion, but which, affecting only the mental, and
+not the bodily powers of our soldiers, was not so much heeded. Every day
+almost they assembled in large bodies on the parapet of their line, with
+flags of various descriptions, some with "sailors' rights" and numerous
+other devices, &c. painted on them, using the most insulting
+gesticulations towards those who were near enough to see them, a band
+playing Yankee Doodle, and other national airs, all the while, and
+sometimes ironically favouring us with Rule Britannia. Considerable
+numbers of our men deserted about this time. Every encumbrance being
+removed, however, by the 17th, orders were issued for the march of the
+army on the following evening soon after dark, leaving the picquets as a
+rearguard, which were not to march till a short while before daylight.
+In retiring, some of the wounded, who were unable to bear removal, were
+necessarily left in the houses where they had been collected; but there
+were not many so left, and no doubt the enemy acted humanely by them.
+There were seven men of my battalion left, out of which three rejoined
+us after the conclusion of peace; the other four, I believe, were very
+badly wounded, and died in consequence. It was also necessary to abandon
+such of the guns as remained in the advanced batteries, because, both
+from their weight and their being so near the enemy, they could not be
+brought off without exposing our intentions of retreating. Neither were
+these numerous, and most of them only iron ship-guns, which are of no
+great value.
+
+The movement commenced according to the preconcerted plan, and being
+conducted with secrecy and regularity, every soldier was brought off,
+over a country almost impassable, and where, if followed and harassed by
+an enterprising enemy, great numbers must have either fallen into their
+hands or perished in the swamp. But I believe, had the Americans even
+been aware of our intention, they would have hesitated before they came
+into collision with our highly exasperated army, and would scarcely have
+dared to attack us in the open field: they had had enough of that work
+on the 23d, to give them a specimen of what British soldiers could do
+when met fairly, front to front.
+
+The marsh, it may be necessary to mention, extended from the lower skirt
+of the wood to the fishermen's huts at the mouth of the creek. This
+creek we had sailed up on our advance, but this could not possibly be
+the case at present, both on account of our numbers being much too great
+for the number of boats, and of the danger to which it would have
+exposed the troops had they been attacked from the shore, but
+principally on the former account; a sort of road had therefore been
+constructed by our artificers, by cutting down boughs from the wood, and
+laying them across such places as required something on the surface on
+which to tread. This road extended, as nigh as I can judge, about eight
+or ten miles, and in passing which numerous slips were made into the
+sloughs on each side; but there being plenty of assistance generally at
+hand, they helped each other out: some men, I understand, were lost,
+however, in this night-march through the swamp.
+
+Having arrived at the huts before-mentioned, the whole army set about
+forming such places of shelter as the desert swamp afforded. There were
+certainly reeds in abundance, but we wanted some sort of timbers for the
+support of the outward covering. We, however, did the best we could; and
+now every exertion was made by the navy to bring the army off from this
+most uncomfortable place of abode, and regiment after regiment were
+despatched as fast as the boats and other small craft could go and
+return, the distance from hence to the shipping being about seventy
+miles. While we remained here, we who were fond of shooting found plenty
+of wild-ducks on which to exercise our sporting abilities; but, alas! we
+wanted shot, and were therefore seldom able to bring home a couple for
+dinner.
+
+A considerable number of slaves, belonging to the estates where we had
+lately been stationed, followed us down thus far, some of whom would not
+return, but were afterwards sent on board of ship. These, male and
+female, often amused us with their native dances, the men generally
+having a number of rings or bells about them, which sounded as they kept
+time to the tune. Some of their dances were, however, far from decent,
+particularly on the part of the females, which, it may be supposed,
+highly delighted some of our young and thoughtless countrymen. Some were
+induced to return to their masters: for those who came on board of ship,
+I believe it was not till very lately that the two governments came to
+terms as to the remuneration which their owners claimed for them.
+
+At length the turn came for my battalion to go on board, which we did on
+the 25th of January, when our whole five companies were put on board the
+Dover, the ship that had brought out two companies of the battalion, and
+which were then not much fewer in number than the five at present were;
+in fact, we had lost more than half. The whole army did not get embarked
+till ----, when the 7th Fusileers came on board. This regiment had been
+necessarily left alone at the fishermen's huts till the boats could
+return, as before stated, to bring them off, and yet even this single
+battalion the enemy, with upwards of 10,000 men, dared not come down and
+attack, although there were no works to protect it in this exposed
+situation. Nothing could possibly demonstrate more fully and clearly,
+that, notwithstanding the repulse they had unfortunately given our
+troops, they dreaded them in the open country; or else it must be
+attributed to the prudent sagacity of their leader, who, having gained a
+victory which he had previously scarce dared to hope for, now wisely
+resolved not to risk the tarnishing of his dear-bought laurels. It is
+not an easy matter to reconcile this cautious and timid conduct with
+their furious onset on the night of the 23d, and with their boasting
+speeches after our failure on the 8th instant.
+
+Now, while we remain at rest for a short while on board of ship, let us
+take a retrospective glance at the late events. It is certain we were
+singularly unfortunate. Providence, which had smiled upon us in our late
+operations against the most formidable army in the world, the French,
+here taught us most painfully, that the victory is not always to be
+gained by strength or courage. Indeed it was but a just punishment for
+the contempt we entertained for our opponents, and which unfortunate
+feeling, I believe, was almost universal. I own I entertained it in a
+high degree; for I judged it next to a moral impossibility that an army
+of undisciplined and unmanageable peasants, however numerous, could for
+a moment withstand the attack of those troops who had overthrown the
+victorious legions of Bonaparte. But every soldier was a patriot, and
+they fought for their country, and for a country of all others most
+suitable for the operations of such troops; full of fastnesses, composed
+of creeks, and necks, and woods, &c. of all which they did not fail to
+take the utmost advantage. For this work of theirs, constructed on a
+spot of ground said to have been pointed out by General Moreau,
+completely shut us out from all approach towards the town, and
+compensated for every disadvantage under which they, as irregulars,
+laboured; for it was not only a formidable barrier to our army, but it
+gave them, by the protection it afforded their persons, all the
+steadiness of troops inured to combat, and permitted them the full
+exercise of that superior skill as marksmen for which they are famed,
+and which exposure in the open field would have deprived them of; for
+here they were covered up to the chin, and suffered comparatively
+nothing from all our fire.
+
+But I fear we have something for which to blame ourselves on this
+occasion. It is certain, I believe, that they had been timely apprized
+of the destination of our expedition, however secret we pretended to
+keep it ourselves, and if rumour may in such a case be permitted to go
+for any thing, it is said that information was conveyed from Jamaica to
+New Orleans direct by a French ship, which left the former for the
+latter place some time before our arrival. How she came into the
+possession of that information, I cannot justly tell. It is certain,
+however, that the Americans must have had timely notice, or General
+Jackson could not have had the men from Kentucky and Tennessee to
+oppose us the first night we landed.
+
+I before hazarded an opinion, that had we pushed forward on the 24th
+December, we should in all probability have proved successful. I will
+say nothing as to the point of debarkation being well or ill chosen,
+although many have said we should have been more likely to succeed had
+we attacked Fort ----, which, after carrying, would have allowed us to
+land behind the town, instead of three leagues below it. These things I
+am totally incapable of judging of, from my ignorance of the country. I
+also before expressed my opinion, that had we attacked on New Year's
+Day, when our artillery produced such an effect on the appalled
+Americans, we should have had a better chance of carrying their works.
+
+Another thing in which I venture to differ from the plan adopted by our
+lamented commander, is, that I would have employed the 7th and 43d to
+the post of honour, instead of keeping them in reserve. They, it was
+well known, had each established a reputation for being the finest
+regiments in the service, and every reliance might have been placed in
+their executing whatever task was assigned them, if executable by human
+powers. Far different was it with those who unfortunately led the
+attack, for except one of the regiments of the attacking column, they
+had not any of them been conspicuous as fighting regiments.
+
+It was, I believe, a well known maxim of Bonaparte's, always to put his
+best troops in front; if they were successful, their example served to
+stimulate the others to copy their example; if unsuccessful, their
+discipline and valour never permitted them to become so totally
+disorganized as to render the reverse irretrievable. The onset also of
+these better troops, must produce a far different effect on the enemy
+than the hesitating and dispirited attack of inferior ones. Had our
+troops on this occasion rushed forward to the ditch in double quick
+time, or at least at a quick march, I venture to affirm the work would
+have been carried with the fourth part of the loss of what they
+suffered. Reason itself must point out to any man, whether acquainted
+with military matters or not, that to move slowly under a galling fire
+is more trying and destructive to the troops so moving, than to rush at
+once to the point aimed at; but much more, to halt at the very point
+where every fire-arm can be brought to bear upon them with the deadliest
+effect, is of all other modes of proceeding the least likely to succeed.
+They were thus exposed for hours to as destructive a fire as ever was
+poured upon the heads of an attacking army, while, had they pushed on at
+the rate I mention, a few minutes would have sufficed to put them from
+under the fire of the artillery at least, for when close to the ditch,
+it could not be brought to bear upon them. Mark the mode in which the
+three companies on the left effected the task assigned to them. Before
+the enemy were aware almost that they were to be attacked, these troops
+were in possession of the work they were destined to storm; so quickly
+indeed that the defenders of that work had not time to effect their
+retreat, and were, as before noticed, made prisoners by the attacking
+party. This not only secured their safety while left there by
+themselves, but enabled them, in some degree, to effect their retreat
+with less loss than they would otherwise have been exposed to.
+
+I have dwelt perhaps too long on this, but of all other causes I deem
+this to have been the greatest of our sad failure. It is lamentable,
+however, to be obliged to confess, that ill conduct on the part of some
+parties, but of one individual in particular, contributed in no small
+degree to our repulse on this melancholy occasion. For the rest,
+nothing could exceed the determined courage and patient endurance of
+hardship that the army in general evinced, and certainly nothing could
+exceed the gallantry of our leaders.
+
+It was now determined to make an attempt upon Mobile, a town lying about
+thirty or forty leagues to the eastward of New Orleans. Accordingly, the
+fleet got under weigh and proceeded in the direction of the entrance
+into Mobile Bay, which is protected on the west side by shoals and Isle
+Dauphine, and on the east by a fort, built on a point of land called
+Mobile Point, and mounting about twenty pieces of heavy ordnance. Its
+name is Fort Boyer, I believe. Before our arrival in this country, an
+attempt had been made on this fort by one of our frigates, but which
+entirely failed, owing to her taking the ground on the shoals before
+mentioned. As she could not be got off, and as she lay under the fire of
+the fort, her crew were compelled to abandon her, but, I believe, not
+till they had first set her on fire; her wreck lay here when we came.
+Until this fort was taken, no vessel of any size could enter the bay,
+consequently it became necessary to attack it in form. The brigade
+formerly General Gibbs's, consisting of the 4th, 21st, and 44th, was
+therefore landed a little behind the point, and proceeded without delay
+to invest it; the remainder of the troops were landed on Isle Dauphine.
+
+We were put on shore on the 8th February, and instantly commenced
+hutting ourselves by brigades. Some of the officers had tents issued out
+to them; the acting Quartermaster and myself had one between us. This
+island is almost covered with pine-wood, but in other respects it is
+nearly a desert, and without any inhabitants resident on it, save one
+family, a Mr Rooney, formerly from Belfast I understand, but now a
+naturalized American. He was married to a native of Louisiana, a lady
+of French extraction. He had been a midshipman in the American navy, but
+had been dismissed for some misconduct, it was said, and banished to
+this island. He appeared to us to be no great things.
+
+I omitted to mention that the 40th regiment had arrived from England
+before we left the banks of the Mississippi, but it being after the
+failure they were of no use, and were consequently not permitted to
+land. They were afterwards placed in our brigade, which now bivouacked
+near to the point of the island facing the bay. When we arrived, the
+island contained a considerable number of cattle, with pigs, &c.
+belonging to Rooney, but which had been permitted, as is customary in
+this country, to run wild in the woods, there being no danger of their
+leaving the island. These, however, soon fell a prey to such hungry
+fellows as we were, who had been for some time past on rather short
+commons. But they did not answer our expectations, being in taste, what
+may appear singular, quite fishy. This was attributed to their feeding
+so much on marine vegetables, there being little other pasture for them
+on the island.
+
+A hoax was played off upon great numbers of our young hands respecting
+this fishiness. There was on one point of the island a considerable
+oyster-bed, and it was generally pretty near this that the cattle were
+found and shot, that being the most distant from our bivouack. It was
+therefore said the flesh of the cattle became of that peculiar flavour
+from feeding upon oysters. Some, without reflecting, credited this
+strange story, as the assertor generally said he had seen the cattle
+opening the oysters with their tongues. This oyster-bed, however, was a
+source of great luxury to us, for it not only afforded us the means of
+rendering the salt junk more palatable by having an excellent sauce to
+make it go down, but it even afforded a most wholesome and delicious
+meal upon occasions by eating them raw. We also made the best use of our
+time when not employed on military affairs, in endeavouring to catch as
+many fish as we could; and for this purpose, my mess purchased from one
+of the poor Spanish fishermen before mentioned (and who, for the
+information and kindness they had shown us, were obliged to quit their
+habitations and follow us), an excellent casting-net, with which the
+acting Quartermaster and myself occupied ourselves from day to day,
+generally bringing home a sufficient quantity of fish to serve our mess.
+I never laboured more assiduously in any occupation than I did in this,
+not only from a relish for such amusement, but because we really wanted
+something to eke out our scanty meals. We at length got a siene-net from
+one of the men-of-war, with which we were not only able to supply
+ourselves most abundantly, but always had a large quantity to give away
+to the soldiers. Wild-fowl also were very plentiful when we first
+entered the island; but from the number killed, and the constant
+shooting at them, they soon became scarce and difficult to get at.
+
+Here also there were abundance of alligators, and on our fishing and
+shooting excursions we frequently started them from their
+lurking-places, which were generally among the reeds by the side of an
+inland lake, or rather creek of the sea. On these occasions we seldom
+saw them, for they always endeavoured to avoid us; but wherever they ran
+along the bottom of the water, they stirred up the mud so greatly all
+the track they took, that we had no difficulty in tracing them. I never
+remember to have seen a live one on these occasions, but a dead one once
+afforded us considerable amusement. One evening, on our return home from
+our constant occupation, there being three or four of us of the party, I
+was in front, and the acting Quartermaster and the others in the rear
+of me. On a sudden I was alarmed by the cry of "Oh stop, here's an
+alligator!" and before I could look round, a shot was fired apparently
+into the earth, close beside their feet. I went back to see what was the
+matter, and found indeed, as he had said, an alligator, but one which I
+suppose had been dead for several months at least. It was buried in the
+sand, and only a part of its body appeared; but whether he imagined it
+might have placed itself in that situation intentionally, with the view
+of enticing its prey within its reach, or what other thought he had, I
+cannot tell, but, to make assurance doubly sure, he fired his rifle
+right into the body of the half-rotten alligator. He was long and often
+severely roasted about this afterwards. A young one was caught alive,
+however, by some of the 14th dragoons, and brought home to England, and
+afterwards, I understand, presented to the British Museum. All this
+while the siege of the fort was going forward, but as we had nothing to
+do with it, we had plenty of time, not only to hunt for extra prog, but
+to amuse ourselves in any other manner we pleased.
+
+The army, about this time, was inspected by our Chief, General Lambert,
+by battalions. My kind late commanding-officer, Captain Travers, who was
+severely wounded at the attack on the 8th, had rejoined by this time,
+although still very lame. During the inspection, the General said to
+him, "Travers, I am sorry to hear that your sergeant-major ran away on
+the night of the 23d, during the attack."--"That is impossible,
+General," said Travers, "for he fought as bravely as any man could
+possibly do, and was carried off the field near the end of the fight,
+severely wounded. But I have a guess what has given rise to this report.
+A sergeant of ours left his battalion, I believe, either during or after
+the fight, and having taken up his quarters near one of the houses
+where the wounded were carried, the surgeon pressed him to remain with
+him as hospital-sergeant. I made efforts to have him sent to his
+battalion, but could not get it done. This must have been the cause of
+such a story having got abroad."--"Ah," says the General, "I am sorry
+that the poor sergeant-major should have lain under a stigma, of which
+he was altogether undeserving; and, now since we have done him an
+involuntary injustice, and he is a deserving man, we must try what
+amends we can make him for it." He accordingly recommended him for an
+ensigncy in one of the West India regiments; and before that day
+twelvemonth, he had risen to the rank of lieutenant. Nothing could be
+finer than the feeling of Sir John Lambert on this occasion; indeed, he
+has always shown himself a most excellent upright man, and a gallant
+officer.
+
+About this time, a Russian vessel was detained going up to New Orleans
+with a cargo of wine from Bordeaux; but although she would, I doubt not,
+have been a legal capture, for breaking the blockade, the master was
+permitted to dispose of his cargo to our army, and an excellent thing he
+made of it, for the wine, which he must have purchased for about one
+shilling or one and sixpence a bottle, he charged us in general about
+four shillings for; we were glad, however, to get it at any price, and a
+most seasonable supply it was indeed. On one of our shooting excursions,
+an officer of ours fell in with a sow and two or three pigs, in the
+wood; he instantly fired at one of the pigs and killed it; but when
+going to pick it up, the sow set upon him with such fury, that he was
+glad to abandon his prize, and retreat with precipitation.
+
+When the army landed near New Orleans, the 14th light dragoons had taken
+their saddles and other horse equipments with them, in hopes of being
+able to get mounted in the country; and which, being bulky, required a
+good large boat to bring off again. They were therefore put on board a
+considerable-sized one, with an officer of the regiment and a guard to
+protect them. On their way down towards the shipping, night overtook
+them before they could reach their destination, on which they pushed
+towards the shore, whether of an island or the mainland, I cannot say,
+in hopes of being more secure for the night; they consequently put on a
+sentry, and all lay down in the boat to sleep. Soon afterwards, however,
+a boat came rowing rapidly alongside, and before the sentry could
+discover who or what they were, they boarded, and instantly made the
+party all prisoners. The officer, I believe, when called on to deliver
+up his sword, was so annoyed at being trapped in such a manner, that he
+threw it into the lake, as far as he could fling it. The American
+officer who captured them was a lieutenant in their navy, and went by
+the name of Commodore Shiel (for every fellow is a commodore who
+commands even a few boats). He was so elated by his success on this
+occasion, and, I believe, by having taken another boat with stores, that
+he boasted to his prisoners, that he would take even Admiral Cochrane
+himself yet, before he left the country.
+
+While we remained on Isle Dauphine, a commissary, with a sergeant and
+party of our men, were sent on shore, on the mainland, to shoot bullocks
+for the supply of the army. They had landed, and the commissary, with
+the sergeant and I think two men, went off into the neighbouring wood,
+leaving the two or three other men at the landing-place to protect the
+boat. Here again Mr Shiel made his appearance, quite suddenly and
+unexpectedly, having come round a jutting point before the men were
+aware of his presence; he instantly, of course, made them prisoners,
+and, taking their arms from them, he put them on board their own boat,
+then, sending a part of his crew on board to manage it, despatched it
+for the American harbour. He now with a few more of his people went in
+search of the commissary and his party, whom he soon found; and they
+seeing resistance would be vain, when their own boat was departed, were
+compelled at once to surrender. He instantly put them into his own boat;
+and taking the commissary into the after-sheets alongside of himself,
+the sergeant and the other men were put forward to the head of the boat.
+Whether any preconcerted scheme and signal had been agreed upon between
+the commissary and the sergeant, I do not know, but an opportunity soon
+after offering, the commissary gave the sergeant the wink, and instantly
+seizing Mr Shiel by the thighs, pitched him right overboard in an
+instant; the sergeant, at the same moment, seizing the stoutest of
+Shiel's men, and serving him in a like manner. The others being attacked
+by the remaining two men, at once surrendered, and, I believe, suffered
+themselves to be bound; and our people, having now resumed their arms
+and become masters of the boat, admitted Mr Shiel, who, I fancy, had
+clung to the boat to prevent his drowning, to come once more on board.
+What became of the other man who was thrown over, I know not; whether he
+swam on shore, or was drowned, or was afterwards taken into the boat, I
+cannot tell; but the result was, that the great, the boasting Commodore
+Shiel, was brought to the island a prisoner, where he landed like a
+drowned rat, and quite chopfallen.
+
+The commissary, who was a fine, stout, and gallant young fellow, spoke
+highly in praise of Tom Fukes, our sergeant, for his bravery and good
+management on the occasion.
+
+At length the works being all completed for battering the fort, Colonel
+Smith was sent in with a flag of truce to demand its surrender. The
+commandant was quite undecided how to act, and asked the Colonel what
+he, as a man of honour, would advise him to do. "Why," says the Colonel,
+"do you not see that our guns are now overlooking your whole work, and
+that we could, in a very short time, knock it down about your ears? I
+have no hesitation in telling you, that the rules of war will fully
+justify you in surrendering to such a superior force, and when the siege
+has advanced to such a point as it actually is." His arguments, together
+with the truth of his statements, at length overcame the courage and
+determination of Jonathan, and he instantly agreed to surrender, the
+garrison, afterwards becoming prisoners of war, marching out and laying
+down their arms on the glacis.
+
+Thus, on the 12th February, this important fortification fell into our
+hands, together with 400 men of the 2d regiment of the United States,
+and either one or two American colours. This obstacle removed, every
+exertion was now made to advance up the lake to the attack of Mobile;
+but on the 14th, a vessel arrived with the unexpected, but cheering
+information, that peace had been concluded at Ghent between the two
+nations, and that it only required the ratification of Mr Maddison, the
+United States' president. Of course, all further operations of a warlike
+nature were suspended for the present, till it was known whether the
+treaty would be ratified or not. This ship also brought out the
+notification of our two Generals, Lambert and Keane, being appointed
+Knights of the Bath. Some of our Colonels also were included in the
+list, viz. Blakeny of the the 7th, and Dickson of the royal artillery.
+
+And now nothing was thought of but amusement, and making ourselves as
+comfortable as possible. But we began to get very short of provisions.
+Our people were therefore obliged to send to the Havannah, where they
+procured the strongest sort of beef I ever saw. It was not salted; but
+after the cattle had been killed, all the thin belly part had been cut
+round the whole bullock, in narrow stripes, of about two inches in
+width; this being laid, or hung up in the sun, which is extremely
+powerful in that country, it was dried without having the least
+offensive taste or smell, farther than a little rancidity, which was not
+by any means unpleasant; but when brought from on board, it had much
+more the appearance of coils of ropes (for it was coiled up in a similar
+manner) than provision for the use of man. An aide-de-camp of General
+Lambert's, then Lieutenant, but now Major D'Este, son of his Royal
+Highness the Duke of Sussex by Lady Augusta Murray, used frequently to
+join the shooting party of our acting quartermaster and myself; and, on
+one occasion, having obtained a canoe, a trip to the mainland was
+projected, for the purpose of shooting; accordingly we took two or three
+men with us, and started from the northernmost point of the island, that
+being the nearest to the main, which we saw before us, and not more than
+five or six miles distant. It was considered the best mode of proceeding
+for us all to get into the boat, except one man, who was a famous wader,
+(having often accompanied us in our expeditions around the island,) and
+who was to wade as far out into the sea as he could, dragging the canoe
+after him. This he could do very easily, for she was quite light, and
+the water was exceeding shallow for a great distance into the sea. He
+continued towing us in this manner for about half a mile, when, being
+fairly up to his chin, he and we thought it was high time for him to
+come on board; but, in doing this, he gave her such a cant as turned her
+right over, and pitched us all into the water. I luckily had my eye
+upon the man when he sprung to get into the canoe, and suspecting that
+she could not bear so rough a pull, was ready; and accordingly, when I
+saw her going, leaped out, without being plunged overhead, as all the
+others were. But all our rifles, &c. were pitched out, and of course
+sunk to the bottom, to which we were obliged to dive before we could get
+them up. This accident put a stop to our excursion, and we waded out
+again, looking extremely foolish. Nevertheless we ought to have been
+truly thankful to Providence that it occurred before we got out of our
+depth; for, with such a frail bark, it is more than probable some
+accident would have happened before our return, had not this prevented
+our further progress.
+
+Innumerable were our adventures of this nature, for the water was
+delightfully warm, and having no military occupation at the time, we
+could not find any better amusement. A party, indeed, suggested the
+getting up of theatricals, which being approved on all hands, workmen
+were instantly set about erecting the theatre-royal, Isle Dauphine.
+This, of course, with the getting off of parts, occupied the managers
+and the other performers for some time; but at length all being ready,
+most excellent entertainments took place, following each other in quick
+succession. At some of these parties, American officers, who now often
+paid us visits, were highly entertained, and paid us high compliments,
+not only as to the splendour and magnificence of our theatrical
+representations, but to our ingenuity as displayed in hut-building,
+which, they said, even surpassed the architectural abilities of the
+Indians in that branch of the art,--a high compliment indeed!
+
+
+
+
+CHAPTER XX.
+
+     Ratification of the Treaty of Peace--Exchange of Prisoners--Our
+     Troops embark for England--When off the coast of Ireland,
+     receive intelligence of Bonaparte's escape from Elba--The
+     Author and his Battalion reach the Downs, and proceed to
+     Thorncliffe--Embark for France--Arrive at Paris, and occupy the
+     Champs Elysées--Review of the Russian Guards--Russian
+     Discipline--British Troops reviewed--Accident to Prince
+     Blucher--Amusements in Paris--The Allied Forces, except the
+     Army of Occupation, leave Paris--The Author's Battalion embark
+     for England--Reach Dover, and return to Thorncliffe--He obtains
+     leave of absence, and visits his Family--His Battalion ordered
+     to Ireland--Sets out to join it, accompanied by his Wife, who
+     dies three days after they reach Dublin--His Battalion
+     reduced--Joins the first Battalion at Gosport, which is ordered
+     to Scotland--Arrive at Leith, and march to Glasgow--The Author
+     returns home in ill health--His Father dies--Joins his
+     Battalion again--Winters at home--His Battalion ordered to
+     Ireland--Joins it at Belfast--They occupy different stations
+     during the Whiteboy Insurrection--Six companies of his
+     Battalion ordered to Nova Scotia, but the Author remains with
+     the other four companies--He is shortly ordered to proceed to
+     Nova Scotia--His health declines--Returns home in consequence,
+     takes advantage of Lord Palmerston's Bill, and retires on full
+     pay.
+
+
+On the 5th March, the ratification of the treaty of peace, by Mr
+Maddison, arrived; and now all our thoughts were turned towards our dear
+native country. On the 15th also, all our poor fellows, who had been
+made prisoners by the Americans, joined us at this island, an exchange
+in consequence of peace having of course taken place. Many of these
+were strange-looking figures when they came among us, most of them
+having been stripped of great part of their uniforms, their caps
+particularly, and wearing mocassins, a sort of Indian sandals, instead
+of shoes or boots, and being so sunburnt as to be scarcely recognisable.
+
+Major Mitchell told us that General Jackson had treated him exceeding
+harshly, because he did not choose to give the General such information
+respecting our numbers, &c. as he wished. He also said he met with great
+insolence on his way up to Natchez, where the prisoners were kept, from
+the different parties of Kentucky men, and others, whom he met on their
+way down "to take a shoot," as they termed it, "at his countrymen." He
+met many thousands in this manner, so that 10 or 12,000 is the very
+lowest number that Jackson could have had for the defence of his lines.
+
+I do not remember that we ever had Divine service performed during the
+period of this expedition except once or twice, and that about this
+time. Indeed the activity required of the army at all times, during the
+continuance of hostilities, almost necessarily precluded it. At this
+time I remember perfectly the preacher's text was, "My son, give me thy
+heart." Alas! how few of the hearts of his hearers were given at that
+time to Him who only had a right to demand them! I confess with shame
+and sorrow, that almost any trifle, however unworthy, possessed a
+greater interest in my heart than He who had formed it, and who alone is
+worthy of supreme regard.--The good Lord pardon this neglect, for
+Christ's sake!
+
+The regiments now began to go on board the different ships, as fast as
+arrangements could be made to receive them; and when on board, they
+sailed at once without waiting for the others, there being now no danger
+of falling in with an enemy. The weather now began to grow exceedingly
+warm, which brought out alligators and snakes in abundance. The latter
+were extremely annoying, for they sometimes got into our very tents, and
+one on one occasion so frightened a captain of ours (who was not afraid
+of man) as to make him sprawl up the tent-pole to get out of its reach,
+roaring out at the same time most lustily for help. It was killed and
+put into a bottle of spirits, and I believe he brought it home. It was
+an exceeding small one, but with the most beautiful crimson, or rather
+pink-coloured wavy streak running down its back imaginable. We were told
+it was one of the most venomous of all the American reptiles, save
+probably the rattlesnake.
+
+The thunder and lightning also became very frequent, and the former, I
+think, the most awfully grand I ever heard. It appeared to roll along
+just on the very tops of the pine-trees, many of which indeed were
+scathed to the very roots by the latter.
+
+On the 31st March our turn came to go on board, and we were rejoiced to
+find that the Dover, our old friend was to be our principal ship, the
+remainder of the men beyond what she could hold being sent on board the
+Norfolk transport. While we were preparing for sea, I took a boat and a
+party with a siene, and went on shore on a sandy point of the island,
+where I had not been before, and in a short time caught a fine load of
+fish, mostly grey mullet, with which we returned on board, greatly to
+the satisfaction of all those who shared in them. Every thing being now
+ready, we weighed and bid adieu to America on the 4th April, shaping our
+course for the Havannah, where our captain intended to call for various
+purposes, but principally to replenish his stock, which had begun to get
+exceedingly low.
+
+On our passage thither we encountered a heavy gale, which detained us
+longer than we had calculated for our voyage. We did not reach that
+place till the 19th. Here we found ourselves once more in Espana, every
+thing here being exactly like what you meet with in the mother
+country,--the same stink of oil, garlic, and dried fish. Speaking of the
+latter, which is called by them Bacalao, an officer of ours who kept a
+journal, when describing this place, says, "The natives catch a great
+quantity of fish on the coast, called Bacalao." Unfortunately it is not
+called Bacalao till after it is dried, but Piscado. This brought, as it
+might be expected, lots of laughter upon his head.
+
+I need not describe the Havannah, because any one who has a Gazetteer,
+may there read an account of it; and which, though perhaps not
+altogether a correct one, will be sufficient to give him an idea of what
+it is; suffice it to say, it is an exceeding strong place, and would
+not, I apprehend, be so easily taken, if the inhabitants are true to
+their country, as it was in the year 1762. The capture of it at the time
+above stated, made the place extremely interesting to me, for one of my
+earliest and best friends served as a lieutenant in the 56th grenadiers
+at the taking of it; and often have I heard him expatiate, with great
+delight and animation, on the scenes he witnessed, and the dangers he
+encountered, in this most arduous undertaking. He is now, poor man, no
+more, having died only very lately, and I sincerely trust and hope he is
+in peace. The Moro and the Punta, and all the other immense
+fortifications, attracted my particular regard, on this old gentleman's
+account; but so extremely jealous were the Spaniards, that they would
+not permit even us, their late faithful helpers and friends, to view the
+works. We visited the theatre, which is a fine building, but heavy and
+badly lighted, but apparently well supplied with performers. The piece
+on this occasion was Anthony and Cleopatra. There were also some
+equestrian performers here from the United States. They had built a fine
+circus, at about half a mile's distance from the city, to which every
+one of course repaired. All the world was there; even little Connolly,
+whom I had known at Cadiz as a major in the Spanish service, was here in
+the command of a regiment, and had attained the rank of full Colonel. He
+did not seem over anxious to recognise any of his former acquaintances,
+nor even to let it be known that he was so much of a Briton as to have
+acquaintance with any people of that country; in short, he wished to be
+considered a complete Spaniard. I doubt not he is now a rank
+apostolical. We paid a visit also to old Woodville, the famous
+cigar-maker. He was an expatriated Englishman, from Portsmouth I
+believe, obliged to flee his country on account of some smuggling
+transaction, and, in doing this, he had changed his name. We found the
+old man ill in bed, but able to sit up and speak with us. He wore an
+immense long white beard, reaching down nearly to the bed as he sat up.
+Yet this old man had a young black wife, and a whole fry of young
+mulattoes running about the house like as many little pigs. He was very
+kind, but apparently not over well to do. We bought each a considerable
+quantity of his famed cigars, for which we paid him, I think, four
+dollars a thousand--more, I apprehend, than he usually gets from the
+Spaniards for them.
+
+Having laid in such sea stock as we could conveniently procure, and
+having stored ourselves well with the delicious preserves of this
+country, and withal bought a fine turtle, weighing about two cwt., on
+the 24th we set sail for old and happy England, glad once more to set
+our faces homeward.
+
+We had a quickish run through the Gulf of Florida, or, as it is more
+properly called, the Bahama Channel, and, keeping to the northward of
+Bermuda, shaped our course so that we passed a little to the south of
+the Great Newfoundland Bank. From hence the wind was roughish generally,
+but quite fair, so that we frequently ran at the rate of 200 miles in
+the twenty-four hours, the transport being an excellent sailer.
+
+Nothing particular occurred till we were within a few days' sail of
+Ireland, when we fell in with an American who had just left England.
+From him we learned the totally unlooked-for information, that Bonaparte
+had made his escape from Elba, and had returned to France, and that the
+whole continent was once more involved in war. Nothing could exceed the
+change which this unexpected news produced among our people. Some who
+were desponding at the gloomy prospect of half-pay, revived in a moment,
+and again set honour, glory, and promotion, once more before the eyes of
+their imagination. Indeed, I think no one seemed sorry at the change;
+but some probably would have preferred a short repose, before they were
+called upon again to leave that home which they had painted to
+themselves so comfortable and happy.
+
+On the ---- we arrived at Plymouth, where the good folks received us with
+great cordiality; but the news from Flanders now engrossed all
+attention, and our unfortunate business seemed forgotten. It was as well
+perhaps that it was so, for we had no victory to boast; and with the
+world it is but too often the case, that a want of good fortune is
+almost tantamount to a want of good conduct. We were ordered on to
+Portsmouth, which we reached in two days; and from thence proceeded
+still onwards to the Downs. Our arrival was telegraphed to London,
+from whence, after some communication by post also with the
+Commander-in-Chief, we were ordered to disembark, which we did on the 2d
+June. The cause of this being ordered, and of our not proceeding direct
+to Flanders, was, that we were extremely ill off for equipment, nearly
+one-fourth of our men being without arms or appointments, all those who
+had been prisoners, and many of those who had been severely wounded,
+having been deprived of them. In some respects the order for our landing
+was unfortunate, as far as regards the honours of that great and
+crowning victory of Waterloo, in which we consequently had no share;
+and, on the other hand, as far as regards my own public accounts, at
+least it was fortunate for me, for I was thus enabled to have them
+prepared, and forwarded to the War Office, and finally settled without
+loss of time, which I could not have done had we left England again
+immediately.
+
+We were ordered from Deal to Thorncliffe, our old quarters, where we
+found three companies of my battalion, and five or six of the other two.
+All our old friends were of course glad to see us; and, under such
+circumstances, the meeting of those between whom friendship has long
+subsisted, is in a great measure a compensation for the toil and
+sufferings of a soldier's life. We continued at Thorncliffe for some
+time, but busily preparing once more to take the field; and had
+Bonaparte not been so precipitate in his movements, we might have shared
+in the glory of his final overthrow.
+
+I was compelled to go to London while we remained here, for the purpose
+of settling a variety of accounts, &c., and while there was persuaded to
+appear before the Medical Board, for the purpose of obtaining a
+certificate as to the nature of my wound, on which to found a claim for
+a year's pay, the amount at this time given to all whom that Board
+recommended as fit subjects for this bounty. I had omitted doing so when
+in London before, because I thought no one had any claim for it, except
+such as had suffered most materially in health in consequence of their
+wounds. However, at the suggestion of my friends I did appear before the
+Board, who considered my wound of such severity as to entitle me to that
+bounty; and I accordingly soon after received the sum of L.118, 12s.
+6d., the amount of one year's pay. I have reason to be thankful both to
+the government and to my friends for this unlooked-for augmentation of
+my funds, and trust I did not make an ill use of it.
+
+But at length the news of the memorable battle of Waterloo arrived, and
+we had no share in it. I know not whether I shall be believed, but I
+think there were few of my companions in the late expedition but felt
+somewhat disappointed, and rather vexed, that this decisive action
+should have taken place so early, and almost wished that the government
+had despatched us even as we were on our first arrival in England; for
+really, as it turned out, it was most unfortunate to those of my
+friends, who had been undergoing probably as severe and hazardous a
+service as any our army had lately been engaged in, and that all that
+should be looked upon as almost worse than nothing, while some young
+fellows, who had never before seen an enemy, should be covered with the
+honours and distinctions which were so amply lavished on them, merely
+because they had the good fortune to share in that brilliant and
+decisive victory. But regret is vain and unprofitable, and a soldier
+must make up his mind to meet with bad as well as good fortune, or he
+will only render his life the more miserable.
+
+On the 10th of July we embarked at Dover, and on the 13th landed at
+Ostend; but we were entering only on a barren service, the honours
+having been all acquired previous to our arrival. We moved forward by
+the way of Bruges, Ghent, Oudenarde, and Mons, and then through Bavay
+and Chatelet to Peronne; from Peronne through Roye, Pont Lant, Maxence,
+and Louvre, to Paris. Here we were posted to the brigade in which our
+other two companies were stationed, and occupied the Champs Elysées as
+our camp. Certainly the sights we witnessed in this far-famed capital
+amply repaid us for our trip to France, however devoid of military glory
+that might be.
+
+It will not be expected that I should enter into a detail of all the
+lions which this splendid city contains, and which have attracted the
+curiosity of nearly half the gentry of this country. Suffice it to say,
+we saw the palaces of the Tuilleries, St Cloud, Luxemburg, and
+Versailles, with all the splendour they contain--the churches of Notre
+Dame and the Pantheon--the Hospital of Invalids--the Garden of
+Plants--the Hotel de Ville--the Palais Royal, and the far-famed Louvre.
+In this latter, a person might at that time spend a twelvemonth, without
+exhausting the curiosities and beauties it contained; but, during our
+stay here, we witnessed its divestment of nearly all its most valued
+specimens of art, to the great regret, grief, and annoyance of those who
+had ransacked almost all nations to decorate this splendid gallery. This
+was undertaken and executed by our illustrious Chief, in the name and on
+the behalf of this our generous nation. He dealt out with a just and
+impartial hand, to all who had claims upon this magnificent collection,
+the specimens of art which had formerly adorned their national churches
+and palaces, without one painting or one statue of the meanest
+description being reserved for himself, who had been mainly
+instrumental in this restoration, or for the nation which he
+represented.
+
+We saw also the triumphal arch of Bonaparte, in the Place de Carousel,
+stripped of its four matchless Venetian horses. The stately pillar in
+the Place Vendome was also deprived of the effigy of him who erected it.
+In short, every thing was done by the Bourbons at this period,
+sanctioned by the Allies, to obliterate even the very remembrance of
+such a character as Bonaparte. We visited also the splendid manufactory
+of china at Sevres--the National Museum of Antiquities--the Royal
+Library, and the Theatre Français, to witness Talma's performance of
+Hamlet, with various other places of curiosity, too tedious to notice
+here; and, finally, the catacombs, the repository of millions of human
+bones.
+
+Here it is where man is taught to remember what he is--a worm--a shadow
+that departeth--even a vapour, which appeareth for a moment, and then
+passeth away for ever. Oh, how does all human greatness dwindle into
+nothing, while you stand viewing these silent memorials of our frailty!
+The myriads of generations that have passed away, multitudes of whose
+bones are collected in this vast, dark cavern! Now how noiseless those
+who perhaps once shook the world with alarms! I love to meditate on this
+sad scene, which, if duly considered, teaches the soundest wisdom. How
+apt are we to be allured by the gay fantastic follies of an hour, to
+forget that we must soon, so very soon, take up our abode in the dark
+and silent tomb! Oh! to be ready, when called upon, to descend into the
+house appointed for all living! But though these meditations may be
+pleasing to myself, they may not be so to my reader. I will therefore
+leave this dark, deep, and capacious charnel-house, and once more ascend
+with him to the light of the sun.
+
+We had not remained long in Paris, till there was a grand review of the
+Emperor of Russia's Guards, and which took place in the Place of Louis
+XV., immediately in front of the Tuilleries. Nothing could exceed the
+uniformity and the steadiness of these Northern warriors. There were
+troops of all armies amongst them; the Cossacks, the hussars, the
+artillery, the grenadiers, and the regular infantry, all vied with each
+other in their endeavours to please their beloved Czar. Here were all
+the great ones of the earth assembled to witness this imposing
+spectacle; exhibited, no doubt, as much as any thing, for the purpose of
+showing the French the power of those who now held them in subjection.
+But that arbitrary power which is so intolerable to the ideas of an
+Englishman, was here exhibited in all its native deformity. A Colonel of
+one of the regiments, whose movements did not please the Emperor, was,
+without the least ceremony, taken from the head of his regiment, and
+rammed into a common guard-house, where an English officer was on duty.
+He hesitated to receive him, until assured that such was the custom in
+the Russian service, and that it was the Emperor's orders.
+
+My battalion was soon after removed from the brigade it was originally
+posted to, and joined another, stationed on Montmartre. Here the
+adjutant and myself were quartered on a proprietor of the pits out of
+which the famous plaster of Paris is dug. These pits are situated on the
+side of this hill, facing the city. From hence I often took a fishing,
+or a shooting, or a coursing excursion. The first was generally confined
+to the Canal del Ourq, in which I found pike, perch, and tench. I never
+was very successful, however, both from the vast numbers of fishermen
+which frequented this water, and from the scarcity of fish. Partridges
+and hares were abundant in the neighbourhood of Paris, but we had not a
+good dog among us. We obtained leave from the Duke of Orleans to shoot
+in one of the royal preserves, the Forest of Bondy. In our coursing
+expeditions we were more successful, sometimes bringing in to the amount
+of seven hares in a day. This would be looked upon almost as poaching in
+England, but in France it was otherwise; they know nothing of coursing
+there; and nothing could exceed the beautiful country round Paris for
+that sport; it was a dead level generally, without a hedge, sometimes
+for miles together, and a rich corn country, so that hares abounded.
+Towards autumn, we had two or three reviews of the British troops; these
+were splendid exhibitions of the tactics of our great General. But
+though the army had the appearance of a fighting army, I do not think it
+equalled the Russians in point of regularity and uniformity; with them
+the whole army is nearly dressed alike, especially the infantry; while
+the variety of our facings, and other distinctions of regiments,
+detracts greatly from the appearance of the army as a whole. Here also
+the crowned heads of Europe assembled in this city, paid us the
+compliment of their presence, the Emperor Alexander inspecting most
+minutely every regiment and division as it passed him. The Austrians and
+the Prussians also occasionally showed themselves in bodies, but I do
+not remember to have seen a general review of either of these armies;
+indeed neither of them had a large force in or near Paris, they being
+mostly at some distance from the capital, I believe. But we were often
+delighted with the Austrian Emperor's band, in which there were no less,
+I believe, than seventy performers, and all these the very first-rate
+musicians. We also had horse-races occasionally, that is, among the
+English officers; at one of which I witnessed poor old Blucher receive a
+hurt, from which he never recovered. Near the winning-post, the course
+was roped in, which the brave old fellow, as he came galloping down, all
+life, from the city, did not perceive, and coming up against them with
+great force, he was thrown from his horse, and unfortunately broke his
+arm. He lingered some time afterwards, but never got well of it, till
+death released him. We had two English boxers over there also, to amuse
+the people; they only sparred of course, with gloves on; and I rather
+think they realized a good deal of money by these exhibitions. Balloons
+also were set up from the gardens of Tivoli, with various other sources
+of amusement, so that to recount them all would only tire out my reader;
+suffice it to say, that in Paris, with plenty of money, and with an
+inclination to enter into all the gaieties of the place, no city on
+earth, I believe, is so fruitful of the means of pleasure and
+dissipation; but they leave a sting behind, which far outweighs these
+momentary gratifications; and if I was asked which I considered the most
+sinful city in the world, I would without hesitation say Paris.
+
+Towards December arrangements were made for the army leaving Paris, and
+going into cantonments on the north-eastern frontier; but the remainder
+of the troops above the number required for the army of occupation were
+ordered home to England. My battalion was among the latter number; and,
+accordingly, we left the French capital on the 3d December, and marched
+out to St Denis, that famous burying-place of French royalty. From
+thence we passed near Beaumont, through Noailles to Beauvais, thence
+through some small villages, where we halted for the night, and on the
+11th reached Abbeville.
+
+On the 14th we quartered in Montreuil-sur-Mer, and on the 20th reached
+Calais, where we embarked for Dover. We landed at the latter place on
+the 22d, and the next morning proceeded to our old quarter Thorncliffe.
+
+All warlike proceedings having now terminated, I made application for,
+and obtained, leave of absence to revisit my wife and my family, whom I
+had not seen for four years. I need not describe my feelings on once
+more beholding those I loved, and the reader will best appreciate them
+by placing himself in my situation. But I had not long enjoyed this
+pleasure till I heard that my battalion had been ordered to Ireland. I
+confess I did not much relish the information. When my leave expired I
+started for that country, and endeavoured to procure a passage across to
+Dublin; first from Maryport, in Cumberland, but without success. I then
+tried Workington, next Whitehaven, but was equally unable to get off
+from either of these. I then moved on to Liverpool, and took my place in
+one of the packets; but, after waiting several days, I was obliged to
+start for Holyhead, the only place from whence I was able to proceed to
+Ireland. All this disappointment and fatigue, together with some sad
+punches which a large woman in the coach had given my wife with her
+masculine elbows, so preyed upon her health and spirits, that three days
+after our arrival in Dublin she breathed her last. She had been in
+delicate health for a number of years, of an affection in the chest, but
+she complained mostly of this woman's elbows, which she said had injured
+her much. It will easily be conceived how afflictive such a dispensation
+must have been to him who had to bear it. But God does all things well;
+and even in the midst of our severest chastisements, we should view Him
+as a kind and tender parent, who only chastens us for our good, and who
+does not willingly afflict the children of men. A part of the battalion
+had arrived in Dublin when the melancholy event took place, almost all
+the officers of which favoured me by their presence at the funeral. I
+had her buried in St Mary's churchyard, Mary being her own name.
+
+We remained in Dublin for twenty-seven months--a longer period than any
+other regiment I believe; and here I think I may truly say I acquired
+the first knowledge of the only way of salvation; for although born and
+reared a Christian, and having, as the reader may recollect, been
+brought sensibly to the knowledge of myself as a condemned sinner, I had
+as yet no distinct knowledge or apprehension of the nature of the
+Christian faith; and I think I may, under the blessing of God, attribute
+my earnest search after a sure foundation of hope to the reading of
+Doddridge's "Rise and Progress of Religion in the Soul," and to the
+truly evangelical sermons I heard from the many eminent preachers which
+fill the pulpits of this capital, but more particularly to the Rev. Mr
+Matthias, chaplain to the Bethesda Institution. My narrative will
+contain nothing interesting from this period to the general reader. I
+will, therefore, generalize as much as possible. From Dublin we marched
+to Birr, in the King's County; and while here, it was determined upon by
+government to reduce the battalion to which I belonged, which was
+carried into effect in January 1819; but as I was then the senior
+quartermaster of the regiment, I was ordered to join the 1st battalion
+of the corps at Gosport, which I did in February. Here we remained till
+September, when the Radical war called us to the north.
+
+We embarked on board the Liffy frigate and ---- corvette, in about three
+or four hours' notice, on the 18th of that month, and landed at Leith on
+the 28th, whence we marched to Glasgow, the seat of this unhappy
+disturbance. I need not describe the Radical war, it being well known.
+Here my health began to be much impaired. The affection of my chest,
+occasioned by the rupturing of the bloodvessel at Cadiz, produced most
+distressing effects upon my general health. I consequently obtained
+leave, and returned home for a few months.
+
+During my stay at home my dear father departed this life; and I had thus
+the melancholy satisfaction of witnessing the last sad scene, and of
+paying the last duties of a child to a beloved parent. He was not, as I
+mentioned at the beginning of my narrative, a religious man when I left
+home; but towards the close of his life I have every reason to believe
+he was a sincere penitent, and a believer in Him through whom alone our
+sins can be forgiven; and I have a well-grounded hope that he is now
+enjoying eternal felicity in heaven, whither I hope myself to come
+through Him that loved me, and washed me from my sins in his own blood,
+and to whom be praise and glory for ever. Amen.
+
+I joined again in the spring, and remained there all that summer, during
+which I had many pleasant fishing excursions into the country. I visited
+the falls of the Clyde, and proceeded to some a considerable distance
+higher up, where another officer and myself caught abundance of trout. I
+also took a trip into the Highlands of Argyleshire, where I had
+excellent sport. But at the approach of winter I was again obliged to
+leave Glasgow, the damp atmosphere of which, together with the smoke of
+the numerous steam-engines employed in its manufactories, fairly drove
+me out. I again went home for the winter; but during this period this
+battalion also got an order to embark for Ireland, and I joined them in
+Belfast in January 1821. From hence we marched in the spring to Armagh,
+where I had the high privilege of becoming acquainted with a sincere and
+pious clergyman, one of the reading vicars of the cathedral; and I
+trust I benefited by this favourable opportunity. From Armagh we marched
+to Naas, the country to the south having become much disturbed by the
+Whiteboys, as they termed themselves. We did not remain long at Naas,
+but were pushed on to Kilkenny, where I first became acquainted with
+that truly Christian minister, the Rev. Peter Roe, a gentleman well
+known in the religious world. I am proud and happy that I ever had the
+privilege of knowing him. May God prosper his pious and unceasing
+endeavours to benefit the souls of his fellow-creatures!
+
+We did not remain long, however, at Kilkenny, but moved on to Fermoy,
+and thence to Newcastle, in the county of Limerick, the cradle of the
+Whiteboy insurrection. Here we were for a time actually shut up as in a
+besieged town; and no individual belonging to the army durst attempt to
+move out without a sufficient number being together, to deter the
+misguided peasantry from attacking us. Innumerable were the murders that
+were committed about this neighbourhood at this time; and one's blood
+runs chill to think that these miscreants, when taken and brought to the
+gallows to atone for their crime, protested their innocence with their
+last breath, although hundreds around them could attest their guilt.
+This Rockite war gave us considerable trouble, and it was not for a long
+time after that it was finally put down.
+
+We remained in Newcastle till September, when we marched to Rathkeale,
+in the same county. Here we continued stationary till October 1823, when
+we marched again for Dublin. I had thus an opportunity of again hearing
+my favourite preacher; but the place was always so crowded that it was
+seldom practicable for strangers to obtain seats.
+
+From Dublin we marched to Belfast, in September 1824, where we
+continued till July 1825, when my battalion was ordered for service in
+Nova Scotia. The orders of the army being now for only six companies out
+of the ten to go abroad, the other four remained at home, to form what
+is termed the depôt. Application was made for me to remain and act as
+paymaster to this body; but it having been decided that quartermasters
+could not act as paymasters, according to the new regulations, this boon
+was refused me, although I had acted four times before. This is to be
+attributed to the ill conduct of many of my brother quartermasters who
+had obtained paymasterships during the war, but who generally did not
+conduct themselves as men of honour and integrity ought to do, and many
+were consequently dismissed from the service. It was perfectly correct
+for those in authority to consult the good of the public in all
+appointments of this nature, but it was hard on those who were thus made
+to suffer for the sins of others,--nay, this ineligibility of
+quartermasters extended farther than to the appointment of acting
+paymaster. They have since 1817 been precluded from holding the
+situation of full paymaster, however well recommended they might be. I
+was a second time recommended, in 1820, by Lieutenant-General the Hon.
+Sir William Stewart for the paymastership of his own battalion, that is,
+the one in which I was serving, but received the same answer from the
+Secretary-at-War, that quartermasters were ineligible to the situation.
+I cannot but feel keenly the degradation to which the ill conduct of
+certain individuals has reduced that situation, which formerly was only
+like a step towards the more lucrative and more respectable one of
+paymaster; but, as I said before, we must not murmur at the
+dispensations of Providence, however severely they affect our worldly
+prospects; and no doubt all this was done by the direction of Him who
+cannot err. However, I have great reason also to be thankful to Lord
+Palmerston, notwithstanding my disappointments as above stated; for
+he--taking into consideration the injury that the present quartermasters
+had sustained, in consequence of the ill conduct of the individuals
+before noticed, and their consequent deprivation of all prospects of
+farther promotion, however eligible in other respects they might be, and
+however exemplary their conduct--brought in a bill in the session of
+1826, to allow these officers to retire on _full_ pay after twenty
+years' service in the army, provided their health was such as to render
+them incapable of farther service. This could not formerly take place
+till after thirty years' service. I have, therefore, abundant cause of
+gratitude to that Right Honourable Lord, for his kind remembrance of us
+on this occasion, as well as for his kindness in permitting me to avail
+myself of the benefit of this act; and I have on this, as on all other
+occasions, abundant cause of thankfulness to the Great Disposer of all
+events, not only for what He has permitted me to enjoy, but for what He
+has withheld from me; for He only knows what is really good for me, and
+I doubt not will give me always that. I may with great truth declare,
+that goodness and mercy have followed me all my days, notwithstanding my
+seeming disappointments, and which I believe were inflicted on me solely
+for my everlasting good. To Him, therefore, be praise and glory for
+ever.
+
+But to return. Having been disappointed of obtaining the acting
+paymaster's place, I remained with the depôt in my capacity as
+quartermaster till the spring of 1826, when I received an order to be
+ready for embarkation to join the battalion in Nova Scotia. Accordingly
+I embarked, with four other officers, at Liverpool, on the 14th of June,
+on board the Robert Burns merchant brig, and reached Halifax after a
+rather tedious passage, in which we encountered some roughish weather on
+the 22d July.
+
+I scarcely need say any thing of Halifax, which, being one of our oldest
+colonies, must be well known to almost all my readers. Neither was I
+there a sufficient time to enable me to enter into a minute description
+of the town or country: suffice it to say, it appears to be a town built
+mostly of wood along the face of a hill, on the left-hand side of the
+harbour, reaching close down to the latter, which is so deep, capacious,
+and sheltered, that I question whether there is a better in the world: a
+seventy-four can lie close alongside the wharfs. The town contains, I
+understand, about 13,000 inhabitants, composed of settlers from
+different countries, but chiefly English, Irish, Scotch, and Dutch.
+There are a few negroes, a part of the slaves taken from the Americans
+during the late war having been located here.
+
+The colony is not so flourishing as it was during war, as it was then
+greatly supported by the immense number of ships and troops which always
+were stationed here. The country round Halifax is barren in the extreme,
+except a very small portion, where hay is generally grown. It seems
+incapable of cultivation, being little else than rock, with forests of
+stunted pines, &c. growing upon it. In some parts of Nova Scotia,
+however, there is excellent land, which yields a great return for
+cultivation; and were it not for the severity of the winter, which in
+this country is both long and severely trying to weak constitutions, it
+would, I doubt not, be an excellent country to which to emigrate. The
+waters in every direction afford abundance of fish, but not of the best
+quality. There are portions of two tribes of Indians occasionally in the
+neighbourhood of Halifax. I forget their names; but the men of one tribe
+are exceedingly tall, being seldom below five feet ten inches, and many
+reaching to six feet three inches. The men of the other are in general
+short. Both tribes are fast diminishing in point of numbers. They are
+greatly addicted to the fatal vice of drunkenness, whenever they can
+command the means of becoming so; and in Halifax it is no difficult
+matter, for the abominable rum which is sold here may be had almost as
+cheap as ale in England.
+
+These unfortunate wanderers have hitherto resisted all efforts to induce
+them to settle and cultivate the land, although many of them are _good
+Christians_, their progenitors having been converted by the Roman
+Catholic priests while the French held the country.
+
+The woods, &c. in the neighbourhood of Halifax contain little game of
+any kind. There are a few what they call partridges, which, I believe,
+roost on trees; but they have more the appearance of grouse than the
+partridge of England. There are some woodcocks also in the season, but
+they are rather scarce. Snipes also, and several species of plover, may
+be met with occasionally; but you will seldom be able to fill your
+game-bag with any thing. There are some hares of a very small
+description, little larger than our rabbits; but these are rare. Bears
+also, with a few other wild animals, occasionally show themselves; but
+in winter, I am told, a deathlike silence pervades the whole face of the
+country, as if every living animal had totally deserted it, and I
+believe with all the winged tribes this is actually the case.
+
+The women here are remarkably fair and beautiful, and, generally
+speaking, are, I believe, as virtuous as at home; but among the lower
+orders, whose virtue is so frequently assailed by the temptations which
+a large naval and military force always brings with it, like our
+Portsmouth, and other places of a similar description, the scenes of
+vice and abomination are extremely disgusting. A great many of the
+unfortunate blacks before mentioned are included in the number of these
+unhappy prostitutes.
+
+The places of worship in Halifax are both good and pretty numerous.
+There are two churches, two or three Presbyterian or Scotch churches,
+two Baptist, two or three Methodist, and one or two Roman Catholic
+places of worship.
+
+I did not remain here long; for, finding that my broken and debilitated
+constitution could not possibly withstand the severity of a winter in
+this climate, I was ordered to be examined by a board of medical
+officers, who recommended my return to England without delay.
+Accordingly, on the 20th of September, I embarked on board the Borodino
+transport. We sailed on the 22d, and on the 25th encountered one of the
+severest gales I almost ever witnessed. It carried away every sail we
+had set, and swept away our jolly-boat from the quarter. I often wished
+I was once more snug in England, and my hope was, I should then tempt
+the sea no more. That same all-gracious Being who had so long watched
+over me, and had brought me in safety that far on my journey, He also
+brought me to my native land once more in peace; for on the 13th of
+October I landed at Portsmouth, having been only three weeks in
+returning from, while we had been nearly six in going to, Halifax.
+
+I immediately set off for London, where, having reported myself to the
+Secretary at War, I was ordered to be examined by the Director-General
+of Hospitals as to the state of my health, and with a view to avail
+myself of the benefits of the act of Parliament before mentioned, and
+being prospered by Him who has always been better unto me than I could
+possibly deserve, I have been permitted to set myself down in peace in
+this my own native village for the remainder of my life, having the
+unspeakable privilege of being surrounded by many kind and dear
+relations, who vie with each other in their endeavours to render me
+comfortable and happy, and where I can in serenity watch the gradual
+approach of that enemy which my Saviour has overcome for me, and which,
+my hope is, He will deprive of all his terrors, as I trust he has done
+of his sting, and that, when I shall have continued my appointed time in
+this vale of tears, I, as well as the reader of this narrative, shall be
+taken to Himself, to dwell with Him for ever.
+
+
+
+
+APPENDIX.
+
+
+The following are copies of fifteen testimonials addressed to the late
+Quartermaster Surtees.
+
+
+    No. 1.--FROM LIEUT.-COL. DUFFY.
+
+    _Birr, 24th January, 1819._
+
+DEAR SIR,
+
+As you are on the point of removing to the 1st battalion, I take this
+opportunity of expressing my entire satisfaction at the very regular and
+orderly manner in which your department has been conducted during the
+time you have been placed under my command; and it will give me great
+pleasure should an occasion occur where my testimony to your
+gentlemanlike conduct can be of service to you.
+
+    I remain, Dear Sir,
+      Very faithfully yours,
+        J. DUFFY,
+        Lt.-Col. Rifle Brigade.
+
+  Quartermaster Surtees,
+  1st Bat. Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 2.--FROM MAJOR TRAVERS.
+
+    _Tuam County, Galway, 19th April 1820._
+
+DEAR SURTEES,
+
+With feelings of most sincere regret I read your letter to me, which I
+received yesterday, and lose not a moment in complying with your
+request, which, should it prove to be of any use to you, I am sure will
+be productive of the most heartfelt gratification to every one of those
+concerned, whose opinions of you are, as they always have been, of the
+highest description. Your conduct, both as a gentleman and soldier, has
+ever been such as to excite in the breast of your brother officers
+sentiments peculiarly favourable; and for myself, I have only to say,
+that few of my old acquaintances in the corps have had my esteem in a
+higher degree. I send you the sentiments of such of your old brother
+officers, in the shape of a certificate, as I could obtain, whose
+standing may have some influence in the procuring the accomplishment of
+your wishes, and regret that the dispersed state of the regiment
+prevents its being more general.
+
+    Dear Surtees,
+      Yours faithfully,
+        JAS. TRAVERS.
+
+  Wm. Surtees, Esq.
+  Quartermaster, Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 3.--FROM OFFICERS OF THE 2D BATTALION RIFLE BRIGADE.
+
+The following testimonial is subscribed by us, in hopes it may prove
+beneficial to an officer who has so long supported the character which
+we are desirous to portray in the terms it deserves.
+
+We certify, that Mr William Surtees, late Quartermaster in the Rifle
+Brigade, has been for a considerable number of years known to us in the
+regiment, and that for soldierlike and gentlemanly conduct, no person
+bore a higher character. He served in the situation he filled in the
+corps, particularly that of Acting Paymaster, for two considerable
+periods in the Peninsula, and with the expedition to New Orleans, with
+credit to himself, and satisfaction to his superiors, and, to our
+knowledge, obtained the general esteem and approbation of all his
+brother officers of the regiment who knew him.
+
+    S. MITCHELL, Brevet Lieut.-Col. and Major, 2d Bat. Rifle Brigade.
+    JAS. TRAVERS, Brevet-Major, Rifle Brigade.
+    WM. COX, Capt. Rifle Brigade.
+    BOYLE TRAVERS, Capt. Rifle Brigade.
+    CHAS. GEO. GRAY, Brevet-Major, Rifle Brigade.
+    WM. HALLEN, Capt. Rifle Brigade.
+    T. H. RIDGWAY, M.D., Surgeon, Rifle Brigade.
+
+  _Tuam, 19th April 1820._
+
+
+    No. 4.--FROM LIEUT.-COL. ROSS, C.B.
+
+    _Paisley, 15th July 1820._
+
+DEAR SIR,
+
+I learn with extreme regret that you consider it to be expedient to make
+application to be removed as Quartermaster to a veteran battalion. I
+have stronger reason to feel this regret than I believe any other of
+your brother officers, as I have known you longer, it being now about
+twenty years since we met at the formation of the Rifle Corps; during
+the greater part of this time you served, I may say, under my immediate
+command; and I can bear the most ample and unqualified testimony to the
+zeal, intelligence, and gallantry with which you discharged the duties
+of the different situations you have filled in the corps.
+
+I shall have great pleasure in hearing of your future welfare; and
+should it ever happen to be in my power to promote your views in any
+way, I hope you will consider that you will only have to make them
+known.
+
+    Believe me, my Dear Sir,
+      Ever yours most sincerely,
+        JOHN ROSS, Lt.-Col.
+        Major, Rifle Brigade.
+
+  Quartermaster Wm. Surtees,
+  Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 5.--FROM LIEUT.-COLONEL SMITH, C.B.
+
+    _Halifax, Nova Scotia, 25th August 1826._
+
+MY DEAR SIR,
+
+Were it permitted a soldier to regret the loss of his comrades, then
+truly should I deplore yours; I have only just learned that you are
+about to avail yourself of Lord Palmerston's permission to retire from
+the service on account of ill health, after having in your present
+situation completed your period of twenty years. You have struggled
+against indisposition with manly fortitude in various climes, and have
+ever performed your duty zealously and conscientiously.
+
+I, as well as the other officers of the corps, have ever lamented that
+your natural zeal and talent as a soldier, should not have been called
+forth in a more conspicuous situation; and there is not an old officer
+in the regiment who has not witnessed your intrepid bravery in the
+field.
+
+I must again assure you, that you leave us with the most heartfelt good
+wishes for your welfare, and the universal regret of the corps, in which
+you have served so many years with the most rigid integrity and zeal;
+and should I have it in my power upon any future occasion to render you
+any service whatever, it will afford me as much satisfaction as I now
+feel distress, in losing one of my old companions in arms, with whom I
+have been so many years happily associated.
+
+    And ever believe me,
+      Your very sincere friend,
+        H. G. SMITH,
+        Brevet Lieut.-Col. Rifle Brigade.
+
+  Quartermaster Surtees,
+  Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 6.--FROM OFFICERS OF THE 1ST BATT. RIFLE BRIGADE.
+
+    _Halifax, Nova Scotia, 30th August 1826._
+
+We the undersigned officers present with the 1st Battalion Rifle
+Brigade, who have had the satisfaction of an intimate acquaintance with
+Mr Surtees for a series of years at home and abroad, beg leave to add
+our testimony as to the valour, integrity, zeal, and gentlemanlike
+conduct which we have ever witnessed in him; and beg to express our
+sincere regret at the prospect of losing his society and services.
+
+    J. LOGAN, Major.
+    W. JOHNSTONE, Captain.
+    A. WADE PEMBERTON, Captain.
+    G. HOPE, Captain.
+    JOHN COX, Captain.
+    J. KINCAID, Lieutenant.
+    JOSEPH BURKE, M.D. Surgeon.
+    GEORGE SIMMONS, Lieutenant.
+
+
+    No. 7.--FROM COLONEL NORCOTT, C.B.
+
+    _Halifax, Nova Scotia, 30th August 1826._
+
+MY DEAR SIR,
+
+I most truly and sincerely regret that your long, zealous, and
+indefatigable duties have so seriously undermined your constitution, as
+to oblige you to retire from the service.
+
+Although I feel a very lively gratification in bearing testimony to your
+merit and gallantry in the field, as well as to your public and private
+character as an officer and a gentleman, in the most unqualified sense,
+during a period of twenty-four years which I have known you, I cannot,
+at the same time, but lament the circumstances which bind me, in justice
+to your meritorious services, to tender you this my humble tribute of
+regard and esteem for all you have done for the service and the corps,
+and for such unremitted integrity and worth. You have my ardent wishes
+for your health and happiness wherever you go.
+
+    Believe me to be,
+      My Dear Sir,
+        Always sincerely yours,
+          A. NORCOTT, Colonel.
+
+
+    No. 8.--FROM LIEUT.-COLONEL FULLARTON, C.B.
+
+    _Halifax, Nova Scotia, 25th August 1826._
+
+DEAR SIR,
+
+Having served in the same battalion with you for eighteen years, during
+which time I had every opportunity, both public and private, in various
+situations of home and on foreign service, of witnessing your very
+exemplary conduct, both as an officer and a gentleman, I, with my
+brother officers, have to regret that your ill health has deprived the
+regiment of a valuable officer, and your companions of a friend, whose
+amiable and excellent qualities will ever be revered by them.
+
+With regard to myself, it will afford me the greatest pleasure if at any
+future period I can in any way be of service to you.
+
+    Believe me, my dear Sir,
+      Yours most truly,
+        JAS. FULLARTON, Lt.-Col.
+        Major, Rifle Brigade.
+
+  Quartermaster Surtees,
+  Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 9.--FROM LIEUT.-COLONEL BALVAIRD.
+
+    _Naas, 2d June 1826._
+
+MY DEAR SIR,
+
+It affords me much pleasure to assure you, that during the time I was in
+the Rifle Brigade (13 years), and more particularly when you served
+under my immediate command, I can bear the most ample and unqualified
+testimony to the zeal, intelligence, and gallantry with which you
+discharged your duty--and wherever you may go, you carry with you the
+good wishes of,
+
+    Yours most sincerely,
+      W. BALVAIRD, Lt.-Col.
+      late Major, Rifle Brigade.
+
+  Quartermaster Surtees,
+  Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 10.--FROM MAJOR-GENERAL SIR A. F. BARNARD, K.C.B.
+
+    _Albany, 18th October 1826._
+
+DEAR SIR,
+
+I have heard with great regret that your state of health has obliged you
+to avail yourself of the regulation which enables you to retire from the
+Rifle Brigade, in which corps I had such frequent cause to praise the
+gallantry and assiduity which you showed in the discharge of your duties
+in the field, and your regularity and assiduity in quarters.
+
+The officers of the corps, I am confident, will all regret the loss of a
+person whose mild and gentlemanlike manners and disposition had so much
+endeared him to them.
+
+With every wish for your future welfare,
+
+    I remain, dear Sir,
+      Very sincerely yours,
+        A. F. BARNARD.
+
+  Quartermaster Surtees,
+  Rifle-Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 11.--FROM MAJOR LOGAN.
+
+    _London, 18th October, 1826._
+
+MY DEAR SURTEES,
+
+I have just learnt with much regret that you are about to retire from
+the Rifle Brigade, from an impaired constitution, owing to your
+unwearied and zealous exertions in the service.
+
+From the period of my entering the Corps, _twenty-two years_ ago, I have
+had the pleasure of being intimately acquainted with you, and I must do
+you the justice to state, that a more gallant, zealous, and
+indefatigable officer, I have seldom fallen in with. As a gentleman,
+your conduct always won and gained the esteem of your brother officers.
+
+Believe me I shall ever feel warmly interested in your welfare.
+
+    Yours, my dear Surtees,
+      Most faithfully,
+        J. LOGAN,
+        Major 1st Bat. Rifle Brigade.
+
+  To Quartermaster Surtees,
+  1st Bat. Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 12.--FROM LIEUT.-COLONEL BECKWITH, C.B.
+
+    _London, 20th October, 1826._
+
+MY DEAR SURTEES,
+
+I cannot suffer you to return to your home, without adding my mite of
+applause to that of our brother officers, who have, together with
+myself, known you so well and so long.
+
+From the day that we were employed together at Ipswich, in obtaining
+volunteers from the Militia, when you were so instrumental in obtaining
+so large a number of men for the service, and during the whole of our
+services in the Peninsula, and elsewhere, when my situation as Assistant
+Quartermaster-General of the Light Division threw us so constantly
+together, until the last period of our regimental service, I have always
+known and respected your courage, your active discharge of your duties
+in times of difficulty and hardship, and your zeal and affection for the
+Rifle Brigade.
+
+Your present poverty is the surest testimony of your integrity, which
+you have always kept in times of strong temptation, when very many
+others similarly placed have not resisted so well.
+
+All my feeble services are constantly at your disposal, and wishing you
+content, and as much happiness as we can reasonably expect here,
+
+    I remain, my dear Surtees,
+      Yours, most sincerely,
+        CHARLES BECKWITH,
+        Lieut.-Colonel.
+
+  Quartermaster Surtees,
+  Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 13.--FROM LIEUT.-GENERAL THE HONOURABLE SIR WM. STEWART, G.C.B.
+
+    _Cumloden, Newtonstewart, Nov. 19, 1826._
+
+If the three or four-and-twenty years, my dear sir, that I have had the
+satisfaction of having had you under my command in the Rifle Regiment or
+Brigade, suffice not to authorize my full approval of your conduct, both
+towards that corps and towards the public service, I know not what
+experience would do so. To this extent and to still farther extent, if
+it be required in detail, I am gratified by your having given me this
+opportunity of certifying the above. The loss that my battalion will
+sustain by the deprivation of your services will be great, and the only
+consolation that I shall have will be in learning that your present
+object of retiring on full pay be obtained, and that your health,
+injured, as my own has been, by perhaps too great a zeal in the
+fulfilment of our respective duties, may be somewhat amended by your
+retirement in private life. I have much to thank you for the most justly
+merited encomiums from your several commanders and from your elder
+brother officers, enclosed in your letter of the 13th instant, and to
+these honourable documents favour me by adding this one. I wish it was
+in my power to be of any service to your views towards a civil
+appointment under government, but as your age much exceeds that to which
+all official nominations are now limited, application for such will be
+fruitless.
+
+I have the honour to be, my dear Sir,
+
+      With repeated assurance of regard,
+        Your faithful friend and obedient servant,
+          WM. STEWART,
+          Lieutenant-General.
+
+  Quartermaster Surtees,
+  1st Bat. Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 14.--FROM MAJOR EELES.
+
+    _Dublin, Nov. 28, 1826._
+
+MY DEAR SURTEES,
+
+I enclose herewith copies of two letters which I have received from the
+office of his Royal Highness the Commander-in-Chief.
+
+In congratulating you on their contents, I cannot refrain from
+expressing, strange as it may seem, not only my gratification but also
+my regret; gratification that you have succeeded in obtaining the object
+of your wishes, and regret the most lively, that your state of health
+should have obliged you to quit the corps; the more particularly, as the
+regiment will not only by your retirement be deprived of the benefit of
+your zealous and meritorious services, but I shall lose the society of
+one of my oldest and most valued friends.
+
+The senior part of the regiment will ever remember with pride the
+glorious occasions in which you so often signalized yourself in the
+field, while the younger members of the corps will not fail, equally
+with the former, to admire the gentlemanlike conduct and urbanity of
+manners which have secured to you the friendship and good wishes of us
+all.
+
+    Believe me, my Dear Surtees,
+      Very sincerely yours,
+          WILLIAM EELES,
+          Major, Rifle Brigade.
+
+  To Quartermaster Surtees,
+  Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    No. 15.--FROM MAJOR-GENERAL SIR T. S. BECKWITH, K.C.B.
+
+    _Gilsland, June 26, 1827._
+
+MY DEAR SIR,
+
+In returning to you the packet you have favoured me with the perusal of,
+I cannot refrain from expressing, in common with all your old friends
+and brother officers of the Rifle Brigade, my regret that your health
+made it necessary for you to retire from a corps, where your faithful
+and unremitting services for nearly thirty years had been so eminently
+useful, and where you possessed the friendship and confidence of every
+individual of any standing in it.
+
+That your concern is as sincere as theirs in parting with them, I am
+perfectly convinced; yet it will be matter of real consolation to you to
+be able to reflect that you never gave just cause of offence to any
+member of the corps, and never neglected an opportunity of rendering
+them a service when in your power.
+
+That you have not retired a richer man, is a subject of regret to us
+all; and we shall learn with great satisfaction of any event, that may
+tend to increase your means of doing good to those who look to you for
+protection.
+
+Should any such opening present itself, I do not hesitate to express my
+conviction, that whoever may employ you, will never have reason to
+repent doing so; as I am well assured you will undertake no situation,
+without due reflection, and the nature of which you do not understand;
+and that, once taken in hand, you will discharge the duties of it with
+the same diligence and fidelity that you have performed those of your
+public life for so many years past.
+
+Earnestly wishing that a little repose after such a lengthened series of
+toils and dangers, may restore you to health and strength,
+
+    I remain,
+      My Dear Surtees,
+        Your sincere and faithful friend,
+          THOS. SIDNEY BECKWITH,
+          Col. 2d Bat. Rifle Brigade.
+
+  To William Surtees, Esq.
+  Late Rifle Brigade.
+
+
+    FINIS.
+
+
+    EDINBURGH: PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY,
+    PAUL'S WORK, CANONGATE.
+
+
+       *       *       *       *       *
+
+
+    Transcriber's Notes
+
+Obvious punctuation errors repaired.
+
+Presumed archaic spellings have not been changed: apprize, assertor,
+fusileers, grashoppers, harraing, mocassins, reconnoissance, sailer,
+siene, shrapnell, spunging, vere, visiters, woful.
+
+The following words appear both with and without diacritical marks and
+have not been changed: Camiño, depôt, Peña.
+
+There are two chapters "IV". The second one is denoted with an asterisk.
+
+Hyphens removed: "quarter[-]master" (page 60), "wind[-]mill" (page 63,
+twice), "Porto[-]Real" (page 102), "brush[-]wood" (page 197),
+"death[-]like" (page 139), "road[-]side" (page 274), "fore[-]yard" (page
+322).
+
+Hyphens added: "farm[-]house" (page 14), "mid[-]day" (page 61),
+"half[-]way" (pages 107, 283), "field[-]work(s)" (page 248, 369).
+
+Page xi: "Ships'" changed to "Ship" (place their Ship Guns on
+Batteries).
+
+Page 25: "apppeared" changed to "appeared" (separate body which
+appeared).
+
+Page 45: "94th" changed to "95th" (The Rifle Corps, or 94th).
+
+Page 55: Removed duplicate "on" (to stand on the same tack).
+
+Page 55: "Lhe" changed to "Lehe" (Bremer Lehe to the city of Bremen).
+
+Page 60: "Feversham" changed to "Feversham" (I joined it at Feversham).
+
+Page 79: Illegible number changed to "2d" (2d battalion of my regiment).
+
+Page 82: "18th" changed to "10th" (in this affair the 10th hussars
+were engaged).
+
+Page 106: "call" changed to "called" (called the Tore Alto).
+
+Page 128: "Pompadours" changed to "95th Rifles" (2d Battalion of the
+95th Rifles).
+
+Page 157: "bettter" changed to "better" (no doubt better fed).
+
+Page 209: "Morilhl" changed to "Morillo" (thought that Don Morillo).
+
+Page 245: "officer" changed to "officers" (the commanding-officers had
+been taken up).
+
+Page 258: "horse" changed to "horses" (our poor horses and mules).
+
+Page 297: "numder" changed to "number" (to put a certain number).
+
+Page 346: "chooner" changed to "schooner" (the fire of the schooner).
+
+Page 398: Redundant "the" removed (Blakeny of the 7th).
+
+Page 404: "brough, ast" changed to "brought, as" (This brought, as it
+might be expected).
+
+
+
+
+
+End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of Twenty-Five Years in the Rifle Brigade, by 
+William  Surtees
+
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