CHAPTER IX._A Soldier's Experience; or, A Voice from the Ranks Showing the Cost of War in Blood and Treasure. A Personal Narrative of the Crimean Campaign, from the Standpoint of the Ranks; the Indian Mutiny, and Some of its Atrocities; the Afghan Campaigns of 1863

List of Battles Fought by Land between 1704 and 1882,

showing date when each was Fought, the Number we Lost, the

supposed Number of the Enemy's Loss; the Regiments that

Fought them, and a few Remarks upon some of them--First

Action of the 15th Hussars--A Gallant Regiment of

Tailors--Singular Description of a Deserter, from _London

Gazette_, 1689--An Account of the Rise of the late Duke of

Wellington--Loss of each Regiment on the Field of

Waterloo--Some of the Duke's Letters about the Field of

Waterloo--Napoleon and the French Press--The British Amazon.

The following is a list of all the battles of importance that have been

fought on land by the British Army since 1704, with the Regiments that

fought them, the dates on which they were fought, and the number of

Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and men that fell dead or wounded

in each. The information contained in these tables cannot, I believe, be

found in any other work--I have been at no little trouble in collecting

it from various sources, and trust it will prove of more than passing

interest to the general as well as the military reader:--

+-----------+----------+---------+---------+---------------------------+

| | | | | |

+-----------+----------+---------+---------+---------------------------+

| | | | | |

| Abyssinia | 9.4.1868 | 21 | 1,249 |3rd Dragoon Guards, 4th, |

| | | | | |

|Afghanistan|1839-40-41| 3,457 | 10,670 |4th Hussars (Queen's), 16th|

| | | | | |

|Afghanistan| 1879-80 | 1,840 | 14,700 |6th Dragoon Guards, 8th, |

| | | | | |

| Albuera | 16.5.1811| 7,254 | 8,370 |3rd Dragoon Guards, 4th |

| | | | | |

| Alma | 20.9.1854| 3,679 | 6,240 |4th, 8th, 11th, and 13th |

| | | | | |

| Aliwal |28.1.1846 | 682 | 2,645 |16th Lancers, 31st, 50th, |

| | | | | |

| Assaye |28.10.1803| 1,240 | 6,324 |19th Hussars, 74th, 78th, |

| | | | | |

| Ava | | | | |

| Campaign | 1824-25 | 3,954 | 18,460 |1st, 13th, 38th, 41st, |

| | | | | |

| Ashantee | 1874 | 524 | 3,870 |23rd, 42nd, and Rifle |

| | | | | |

| Badajoz | 6.4.1812 | 5,750 | 3,240 |4th, 5th, 7th, 23rd, 27th, |

| | | | | |

| Balaclava |25.10.1854| 642 | 1,620 |4th and 5th Dragoon Guards,|

| | | | | |

| Barrosa | 5.3.1811 | 1,210 | 2,640 |Grenadier Guards, |

| | | | | |

| Bhurtpore | 1826 | 2,280 | 3,546 |11th Hussars, 16th Lancers,|

| | | | | |

|Bladensburg| 24.7.1814| 246 | 870 |4th, 21st, 44th, and 85th |

| | | | | |

| Blenheim | 13.7.1704| 12,000 | 35,000 |1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th |

| | | | | |

| | | | | |

| Busaco | 27.9.1810| 1,396 | 5,325 |1st, 5th, 9th, 38th, 43rd, |

| | | | | |

| Cabul | 1842 | 620 | 3,240 |3rd Hussars, 9th, 13th, |

| | | | | |

|Cape of | 1851-2 | 1,342 | 3,894 |24th, 59th, 71st, 72nd, |

| | | | | |

|Chillian- |2.12.1848 | 2,746 | 3,890 |3rd Hussars, 9th Lancers, |

| | | | | |

| China | 1841 | 1,004 | 5,325 |18th, 26th, 49th, 55th, |

| | | | | |

| Central | 1857-8 | 3,475 | 20,780 |8th and 14th Hussars, 12th |

| | | | | |

| Ciudad |19.1.1812 | 2,292 | 1,742 |5th, 43rd, 45th, 52nd, |

| | | | | |

| Corunna |16.1.1809 | 1,070 | 2,676 |Grenadier Guards, 1st, 2nd,|

| | | | | |

| Delhi, | 1857 | 2,890 | 10,985 |9th Lancers, 6th |

| | | | | |

| Dettingen | 1743 | 2,460 | 6,000 |1st and 2nd Life Guards, |

| | | | | |

|Douro, the |12.5.1809 | 282 | 1,374 |14th Hussars, 3rd, 48th, |

| | | | | |

|Egmont-op- | 1806 | 472 | 1,472 |15th Hussars, 1st, 20th, |

| Zee| | | | 25th, 49th, 63rd, 79th, |

| | | | | |

| Egyptian | 1801 | 4,756 | 10,845 |11th Hussars, 12th Lancers,|

| | | | | |

| Egypt | 1882 | 480 | 2,740 |1st and 2nd Life Guards, |

| | | | | |

| Emsdorf |16.7.1760 | 302 | 2,659 |15th Hussars. This was the |

| | | | | |

|Ferozeshah | 21 & 22} | 2,765 | 4,590 |3rd Hussars, 9th, 29th, |

| | 12.1845} | | | 31st, 50th, 62nd, 80th, |

| | | | | |

| Fuentes |3&5.5.1811| 3,892 | 5,850 |14th Hussars, 16th Lancers,|

| | | | | |

| Ghuznee | 1841 | 1,272 | 2,890 |4th Hussars, 16th Lancers, |

| | | | | |

| Gibraltar,| 1781 | 1,895 | 8,672 |12th, 39th, 56th, 58th, old|

| | | | | |

| Goojerat |21.1.1849 | 1,892 | 5,754 | 3rd and 14th Hussars, 9th |

| | | | | |

|Guadaloupe,|17.3.1794 | 223 | 1,020 |15th, 63rd, 70th, 90th, and|

| | | | | |

| Hindostan |1780-1808 |[E]6,898 |[E]25,670|8th Hussars, 17th, 36th, |

| | | | | |

| India |1760-1857 |[E]18,490|[E]58,754|12th, 14th, 65th, 67th, |

| | | | | |

| Inkermann |5.11.1854 | 3,434 | 19,058 |4th, 8th, 11th, and 13th |

| | | | | |

| Java | 4.7.1811 | 890 | 2,670 |14th, 59th, 69th, 78th, |

| | | | | |

| Louisburg | 1758 | 1,670 | 1,340 |1st, 15th, 17th, 28th, |

| | | | | |

| Lucknow, | 1857 | 692 | 8,640 |32nd, and a part of the |

| | | | | |

|*Lucknow, }| {1857* }| 5,680 | 26,754 |2nd Dragoon Guards, 7th |

|Havelock's}| {1858 }| | | Hussars, 9th Lancers, |

| & Sir C. }| | | | *5th, 8th, 10th, 20th, |

|Campbell's}| | | | 23rd, 34th,38th, 42nd, |

| | | | | |

| Maida | 4.7.1807 | 387 | 1,785 |20th, 27th, 35th, 58th, |

| | | | | |

| Malplaquet|12.9.1709 | 11,500 | 30,000 |1st, 5th, 6th, 7th Dragoon |

| | | | | |

|Martinique,| 17.3.1794| 982 | 2,040 |7th, 8th, 13th, 15th, 23rd,|

| | | | | |

| Minden | 1.8.1759 | 2,482 | 5,340 |12th, 20th, 23rd, 25th, |

| | | | | |

| Moodkee |18.12.1845| 1,495 | 3,690 |3rd Hussars, 9th, 31st, |

| | | | | |

| Mooltan | 1848 | 2,340 | 6,890 |10th, 32nd, 60th, 103rd, |

| | | | | |

| Niagara |25.7.1814 | 890 | 2,002 |1st, 6th, 8th, 41st, 82nd, |

| | | | | |

| Nive |{9 to 13.}| 7,682 | 12,425 |16th Lancers, 1st, 3rd, |

| |{12.1813 }| | | 4th, 9th, 11th, 28th, |

| | | | | |

|New Zealand|1875-76-77| 1,560 | 4,890 |12th, 14th, 18th, 40th, |

| | | | | |

| Nivelle | 9.10.11 | 6,390 | 9,370 |2nd, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 11th, |

| | | | | |

| Orthes |27.2.1814 | 4,756 | 14,540 |14th Hussars, 5th, 6th, |

| | | | | |

| Oudenarde |11.7.1707 | 12,000 | 17,800 |1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th |

| | | | | |

| Pegu |21.11.1852| 1,760 | 6,986 |18th, 51st, 80th, 101st, |

| | | | | |

| Persia | 1856 | 370 | 2,005 |14th Hussars, 64th, 78th, |

| | | | | |

| Plassey |23.6.1757 | 220 | 2,900 |39th, 101st, 102nd, 103rd, |

| | | | | |

| Peninsula | 1808 to | 14,960 | 26,540 |1st and 2nd Life Guards, |

| | 1814 | | | Royal Horse Guards, 3rd, |

| | | | | |

| Punjab | 1848-9 |[F]4,790 |[F]12,985| 3rd and 14th Hussars, 9th |

| | | | | |

| Pyrenees | 28.7 to | 11,450 | 18,998 |2nd, 3rd, 6th, 7th, 11th, |

| | 3.8.1813 | | | 20th, 23rd, 24th, 27th, |

| | | | | all. |

| | | | | |

| Quebec |12.8.1759 | 648 | 1,460 |15th, 28th, 35th, 43rd, |

| | | | | |

| Ramillies |12.5.1706 | 5,700 | 13,600 |1st, 3rd, 5th, 6th, 7th |

| | | | | |

| Roliça |17.8.1808 | 675 | 1,492 |5th, 6th, 9th, 29th, 32nd, |

| | | | | |

|San | 1813 | 3,999 | 4,600 |1st, 4th, 9th, 38th, 47th, |

| | | | | |

| Salamanca |22.7.1812 | 6,240 | 12,570 |5th Dragoon Guards, 3rd, |

| | | | | |

|Seringa- | 1799 | 2,460 | 10,750 |12th, 33rd, 73rd, 74th, |

| | | | | |

|Sebastopol,| 9.1854 | 26,625 | 95,600 |1st, 4th, 5th, and 6th |

| | 8.9.1855 | | | Dragoon Guards, 1st, 2nd, |

| | | | | |

| Sobraon |10.2.1846 | 1,842 | 8,880 |3rd Hussars, 9th and 16th |

| | | | | |

| Talavera | 27 & 28. | 5,586 | 8,210 |3rd Dragoon Guards, 4th, |

| | 7.1809 | | | 14th, and 16th Hussars, |

| | | | | |

| Taku Forts| 1860 | 560 | 2,470 |1st Dragoon Guards, 1st, |

| | | | | |

| Tel-el- | 1882 | 355 | 1,846 |1st and 2nd Life Guards, |

| | | | | |

|[G]Toulouse|10.4.1814 | 4,750 | 5,260 |5th Dragoon Guards, 3rd and|

| | | | | |

| Umbeyla | 9.1863 to| 1,640 | 5,000 |7th, 51st, 71st, 93rd, |

| |24.12.1863| | | 101st, some twenty Native |

| | | | | |

| Vimiera | 21.8.1808| 780 | 2,649 |2nd, 5th, 6th, 9th, 20th, |

| | | | | |

|[H]Vittoria| 21.6.1813| 7,790 | 13,650 |3rd and 5th Dragoon Guards,|

| | | | | |

|[F]Waterloo|16, 17, & | 18,950 | 33,700 |1st and 2nd Life Guards, |

| | 18.6.1815| | | Royal Horse Guards, 1st, |

| | | | | |

+-----------+----------+---------+---------+---------------------------+

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+

| E: Fell in Minor Actions |

| |

| F: The French lost all their guns on the field, and it put the |

| finishing stroke upon Napoleon. The Sepoy General, as he used to |

| call Wellington, was one too many for him, and it was a good wind up |

| to a long war, upwards of 21 years. Waterloo is not the heaviest |

| battle on record, but it was a decisive one and brought peace to |

| Europe for nearly 40 years. It was nearly time that Napoleon was |

| taken down; he had been the cause of more bloodshed than any man |

| that ever disgraced this earth. Hanging was too good for him; as it |

| was, he was the cause of upwards of 5,000,000 of poor creatures |

| being launched into eternity, and then he was not satisfied. Had the |

| Germans got hold of him, the old Suffolk Regiment, the 12th, would |

| not have fired over his grave. For that was the Regiment that |

| carried him to his last abode in St. Helena, May, 1821. |

| |

| G: This was the last Battle in the Peninsular; all fought well. |

| Wellington had taught them, since Talavera, how to fight; all those |

| who bolted, after he took command, he shot, and the others might |

| take the hint, and fight it out. |

| |

| H: At this Battle 151 cannon were taken on the field, upwards of |

| £1,000,000 sterling was captured, King Joseph's coach and all his |

| state papers, and a number of very valuable documents being taken as |

| booty. It was reported to the Duke of Wellington that our people |

| were plundering the Treasure Chests, and his Grace said, "Let them |

| have it, they have earned it;" this is the only instance on record |

| where his Lordship winked at plundering. Our men were selling |

| Spanish silver by auction that night for gold. The French were |

| routed from the field, they never after recovered that blow during |

| the Campaign; they were off like a lot of frightened sheep, throwing |

| their arms away in order to avoid the devouring swords of our |

| cavalry. It was at this Battle that General Sir Thomas Picton went |

| into action with his night-cap on, and did not find it out until he |

| found both officers and men in the thick of the fight laughing at |

| him; and, reader, this noble old hero was not a man to be laughed |

| at. It was he, who, only a short time before, threatened to hang the |

| Commissary-General if he had not the supplies for the Divisions by a |

| certain time; the man whose duty it was to look after the needful, |

| reported Sir Thomas to Lord Wellington, and his Grace informed him |

| that Sir Thomas was a man of his word, and he, the Commissary, had |

| better look after himself, and not trouble him, as he had other fish |

| to fry. |

| |

| I: Some of the Belgian Troops behaved badly, and bolted. |

| |

+----------------------------------------------------------------------+

------------------+-----------------------------------------------------

Names of Battles. |Regiments that fought the Battles, and a few Remarks.

------------------+-----------------------------------------------------

Abu-Klea |19th Hussars, Royal Sussex Regiment.

Africa, Sth. 46-47|7th Dragoon Guards, 26th, 27th, 91st, and Cape

| Mounted Rifles.

do. do. 51-2-3 |12th Lancers, 2nd, 6th, 12th, 43rd, 71st, 91st, Rifle

| Brigade, and Cape Mounted Rifles.

do. do. 79-80 |1st, 7th Dragoon Guards, 17th Lancers, 3rd, 4th,

| 13th, 14th, 15th, 17th, 18th, 21st, 24th, 25th,

| 26th, 38th, 48th, 57th, 62nd, 88th, 91st, Rifle

| Brigade, and Cape Mounted Rifles.

Ali Masjad 1879 |10th Hussars, 17th, 47th, 51st, Rifle Brigade, and

| Native Troops. The enemy bolted, and there

| was little or no fighting.

Ally-Ghur 1803 |33rd, 76th, with a number of Native Regiments.

Almaraz |50th, 71st, and 92nd Foot.

Arroyo-dos-Molinos|34th. They proved themselves one too many for

1810 | the French 34th, for our people nearly destroyed

| them to a man or took them prisoners; our 34th

| now carry the French 34th drums.

Arabia |65th Foot.

Arcot |102nd Fusiliers, with Native Regiments.

Amboyna |102nd Fusiliers, with Native Regiments.

Aden |103rd Fusiliers, with Native Troops from India.

Banda |102nd Fusiliers, with Native Regiments.

Buxar |101st Fusiliers, with a number of Native

| Regiments.--The 101st Regiment was made Fusiliers

| after, for its conduct at this battle.

Bourbon |69th and 86th Foot, with Native Troops.

Bushire |64th and 106th, with Native Troops from India.

Beni-boo-Ally |103rd, with a number of Native Regiments--3rd,

|7th, 13th, and 18th Natives.

Cabul 1879 |9th Lancers, 9th, 67th, 72nd, 92nd, and Native

| Troops from India.

Candahar 1880 |9th Lancers, 7th, 41st, 60th, 66th, 72nd, 92nd, and

| Native Troops from India. The 66th were cut

| to pieces, but they left six times their own number

| of the enemy all around them. A star was

| given for the march in relieving Candahar.

Condore |102nd Fusiliers, with Native Regiments.

Canton |59th, with Native Troops from India.

Copenhagen |49th and old 95th, Sailors and Marines.

Carnatic |103rd Fusiliers, with Native Regiments.

Deig 1803 |33rd, 76th, 101st Fusiliers, and a number of Native

| Regiments.

Delhi 1803 |33rd, 76th, and a number of Native Regiments,

| both horse and foot; they had some rough fighting

| under Wellington, but got nothing for it but

| hard blows.

Detroit | 41st Foot and German Legion.

Dominica | 46th Foot and 1st West India Regiment.

Guzerat | 101st and 103rd Fusiliers, with Native Regiments.

Hyderabad | 22nd Foot, with Native Regiments. It was at this

| battle where the 22nd so distinguished themselves.

| The odds were very heavy against them.

| They were dropping for want of water, and when

| it was procured they made the Native Regiments

| drink first, although some of them were dying for

| a few drops of that precious liquid.

Jellalabad Defence| 13th Foot, with the late General Havelock and

| Native Regiments. He was there in 1839; he

| died a noble Christian; but he knew well how to

| fight for his country's honour, as he said "They

| can only kill the body."

Khelat | 2nd and 17th Foot, with Native Regiments.

Kirbekan | The South Staffordshire Regiment & Black Watch.

Kirkee | 103rd Fusiliers, with a number of Native Regiments.

| It was at this battle that this Regiment

| put ten times their strength into the Indus, and

| nearly all were drowned.

Kroshab 1856 | 64th, 68th, 78th, with Native Troops from India,

| under Sir Henry Havelock, Bart.

Leipsic | Royal Artillery. The heaviest battle that ever was

| fought since powder was invented; upwards of

| 100,000 dead and wounded lay upon this field.

| It lasted three days. Bonaparte commanded the

| French, and the Emperor of Russia the Allies--

| Russians, Austrians, Prussians, and Swedes.

| Napoleon was beaten, and re-crossed the Rhine,

| with about 70,000 men out of 350,000. English

| gold did this for him; it kept the Allies in the

| field.

Leswarree | 8th Hussars, 33rd, 76th, with Native Troops.

Lincelles, | Grenadier Guards, Coldstream Guards, Scots

Siege of | Fusilier Guards, with King's German Legion.

Maharajpore | 16th Lancers, 39th and 40th, with Native Troops.

| A bronze star was given by the E. I. Company

| for this battle.

Marabout | 54th and Marines.

Mahidpoor | 102nd Fusiliers and Native Troops.

Mandora | 90th, 92nd, and Native Troops.

Mangalore | 73rd Foot and Native Troops.

Maheidpore | 1st Foot, with a number of Native Regiments.

Meeanee | 22nd Foot, with a number of Native Regiments.

| The 22nd fought with desperation, and a number

| of them concealed their wounds and marched

| after the enemy until they dropped.

Miami | 41st Foot, with Native Troops.

Monte Video | 38th, 40th, 87th, and old 95th, with Spaniards.

| The old Faugh-a-Ballaghs did not forget to use

| the bayonet. The Spaniards were struck with

| wonderment.

Moro | 56th Foot, with Native Troops.

Mysore 1803 | 102nd, with Native Troops.

Nagpoor | 1st Foot, with Native Troops, who ran away; but

| the old 1st made them face up, and showed

| them the way to do it.

Nieuport | 53rd Foot.

Nile 1884-5 | 19th Hussars, Royal Irish Regiment, Cornwall

| Regt., Royal Sussex, Staffordshire Regt., Black

| Watch, Essex Regt., Royal West Kent Regt.,

| Gordon Highlanders, Cameron Highlanders.

Nundy-Droog | 102nd Fusiliers, with Native Troops. The 102nd

| left upwards of 700 men on the field, and then

| won the day.

Peiwar Kotal, 1879| 8th, 72nd, with Native Troops from India.

Pondicherry | 102nd Fusiliers, with Native Troops. Here the

| old 102nd let the French see what sort of stuff

| they were made of; and the Natives went at

| them manfully.

Punniar | 9th Lancers, 3rd, 50th, and Native Troops.

Queenstown | 41st, 49th, and a number of Royalists.

Reshire | 64th, 106th, and Native Troops from India.

St. Lucia | 1st, 27th, 53rd, and 64th Foot, and West India

| Regiments.

Sahagun | 15th Hussars. They were a Regiment of Tailors,

| and fought desperately.

Scinde | 22nd Foot, with a number of Native Regiments.

Sholingur | 102nd Fusiliers, with a number of Native Regiments.

Suakin 1885 | 5th Royal Lancers, 20th Hussars, Grenadier Gds.,

| Coldstream Guards, Scots Guards, East Surrey

| Regt., Royal Berks Regt., Shropshire Lt.

| Infantry.

Surinam | 64th Foot, with Native Troops.

Tarifa | 47th and 87th Foot, with Spaniards.

Ternate | 102nd Fusiliers, with Native Troops.

Tofrek 1885 | Royal Berkshire Regiment.

Tournay | 14th, 37th, and 53rd Foot, with Native Troops.

Villiers-en-Couche| 15th Hussars, with Germans.

Wilhelmstahl | 5th Fusiliers, with Germans.

Wyndewash | 102nd Fusiliers, with Native Regiments.

A portion of the Royal Artillery were in almost every battle. The

Marines have often put their shoulders to the wheel, and these

amphibious gentlemen have proved that they are second to none; and the

late go-in at Tel-el-Kebir has shown that they have not degenerated from

their forefathers, who went at it, at the call of that glorious old

Nelson, of whom Norfolk may well be proud, for his name is immortal. And

last, but not least, our noble Jack Tars, or Blue Jackets, have

repeatedly helped to plant our glorious old Standard in many a hot

corner--shoulder to shoulder with the land-crabs, as they like to call

us sometimes. This little book must not attempt to unfold the glorious

deeds of our sailors, but I would fain pay a tribute of respect to them

for their manly conduct under the most trying circumstances. Nothing but

death will stop these "Trafalgar lambs;" the Russians will not forget

them for some time to come, and the Mutineers in India have had good

cause to remember them.

FIRST ACTION OF THE 15th HUSSARS.

The first regiment of Light Dragoons formed for permanent service was

the present 15th Hussars. In 1759 many journeymen tailors went up to

London to lay a petition before Parliament against certain grievances in

connection with the goose; failing to obtain their object, and becoming

slightly ruffled, some hundreds of them at once enlisted into the new

corps that was being raised by the afterwards celebrated defender of

Gibraltar, Col. Eliott. It is an old saying, that it takes nine tailors

to make a man; but in the maiden action, at Emsdorf, 16th July, 1760,

they proved that one tailor was more than a match for nine Frenchmen.

They put small oak branches in their helmets, and displayed the

firmness of that tree, proving themselves heroes of no mean quality; 500

of the enemy got separated from the main body, and had to lay down their

arms to the tailors; the pursuit was then continued, and the enemy

overtaken, and surrendered prisoners of war to the tailors; the total

number of prisoners amounted to 2,659 officers and men; while sixteen

standards or colours were captured by this regiment of tailors, in

Germany, from the French, during the seven years' war, from 1757 to

1763. The French say that it takes nine good men to make a tailor; they

evidently have not forgotten the 15th Hussars.

SINGULAR DESCRIPTION OF A DESERTER.

From the _London Gazette_ of July 10th, 1689.

Ran away out of Captain Soames' Company, in his Grace the

Duke of Norfolk's Regiment, the present Holy Boys, the 9th,

a Barber-Surgeon, a little man, with short black hair, a

little curled, round visage, fresh coloured cloth coat, with

gold and silver buttons, and the loops stitched with gold

and silver, red plush breeches, and white hat; he lived

formerly at Downham Market, Norfolk, and his mother sold

pork. Whoever will give notice to F. Baker, agent to the

said regiment, so that he the Barber-Surgeon may be secured,

shall have two guineas reward.

"God Save the King."

OUTLINE OF THE LIFE OF FIELD-MARSHAL THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, K.G.

I will now venture to give a sketch of the life and military

achievements of that distinguished General, Wellington, under whom the

British Army met and conquered the terror of Europe, Napoleon.

Wellington, as most of my readers are perhaps aware, was a native of the

Emerald Isle, whose sons have for many years been the pride of our Army

and Navy, and have gone shoulder to shoulder with the sons of Albion

upon many a hard fought field; and here I would remark that the very man

whom Her Most Gracious Majesty and the nation at large now delights to

honour, the present Lord Wolseley, is a native of that Isle. Wellington

was born 1st May, 1769, (the same year that Napoleon was born); and the

following are the dates of his various promotions:--

Joined the Army as Ensign, 7th March, 1787.

Promoted to Lieutenant, 25th December, 1787.

〃 Captain, 30th June, 1791.

〃 Major, 30th April, 1793.

〃 Lieut.-Colonel, 30th September, 1793.

〃 Colonel, 3rd May, 1796.

〃 Major-General, 29th April, 1802.

〃 Lieut.-General, 25th April, 1808.

〃 General in Spain and Portugal, 21st July, 1811.

〃 Field Marshal, 21st June, 1813.

He had plenty of friends in high places to lift him up the ladder of

promotion, so that in eight short years he was in a position to reap all

kinds of honours.

From 1799 to 1815, his career had been one continual string of

victories--from Seringapatam to the Field of Waterloo.

After the Fortress of Seringapatam had been carried by storm, our young

hero, then in his 30th year, was appointed its Governor, 6th May, 1799.

The inhabitants of Central India and Calcutta soon acknowledged his

services by presenting him with a sword of the value of £1,000, 21st

February, 1804; and the Officers that had served under him at Assaye,

23rd October, 1803, presented the conqueror with a service of plate,

embossed with "Assaye, 26th February, 1804." He was appointed by the

then King, George III, Knight Companion of the Bath, for his valorous

services in India, 1st September, 1804. Thanked by his country in

Parliament for the first time, 8th March, 1805, he now returned to

England, and in April, 1807, was sworn in a Privy Councillor. He was

appointed Secretary to Ireland, 19th April, 1807. He was at the capture

of Copenhagen, 5th September, 1807, and his conduct there again brought

forth the thanks of Parliament, 1st February, 1808. He shortly

afterwards sailed for Portugal, to measure his victorious sword with the

best of Napoleon's Generals, and there the Officers who had the pleasure

of serving under him could see his worth as a General, and presented him

with a piece of plate to commemorate the battle and glorious victory of

Vimiera, 21st August, 1808. He was thanked, for the third time, by his

country assembled in Parliament, for his victory over the Legions of

France at Vimiera, 27th January, 1809. He was next appointed to command

our Army in Portugal, 2nd April, 1809; and was appointed Marshal-General

of the Portuguese Army, 6th July, 1809. He again met and rolled up the

Legions of France on the memorable field of Talavera, 27th and 28th

July, 1809; and was thanked, for the fourth time, by Parliament for this

victory, 1st February, 1810, while a pension of £2,000 per annum was

voted to him and his two succeeding male heirs, 16th February, 1810. He

was again thanked by Parliament for the liberation of Portugal at the

point of the British conquering bayonet, directed by his master-mind;

and was appointed Knight Grand Cross of the Tower and Sword of Portugal

by its Prince Regent, 26th October, 1811. We next find him at Ciudad

Rodrigo, which, after a desperate resistance, he took by storm, 19th

January, 1812. For this he was created by the Regency of Spain, Duke of

Ciudad-Rodrigo, January, 1812; and he was thanked for the sixth time by

his country in Parliament for this victory, 10th February, 1812. He was

now advanced in the British Peerage by the title of Earl Wellington,

18th February, 1812; and £2,000 more was voted in addition to his former

grant, 21st February, 1812. He was, shortly after this, under the walls

of Badajoz, which was carried by storm at the point of the queen of

weapons. Here our men disgraced themselves under the influence of

liquor; the desperate resistance that the enemy had made had wrought our

men up to a state of madness, and, once an entrance was forced, the

scene baffles all description, on that terrible 6th April, 1812. The

great military historian Sir W. Napier, may well say of that night, "Oh,

horror of horrors! pen refuses to record the horrible fiend-like deeds

of our poor deluded half-mad countrymen." Our hero was thanked by

parliament, for the seventh time, for Badajoz, 27th April, 1812; the

order of the Golden Fleece of Spain was conferred upon him by the

Regency of that unhappy country, July, 1812; he was appointed General of

the Spanish Armies 12th August, 1812, and advanced in the British

Peerage by the title of Marquis of Wellington, 18th August, 1812; again

advanced by the Regent of Portugal to the title of Marques de Torres

Vedras, 12th September, 1812. His forethought in throwing up those

formidable works at this place struck the French commanders with awe,

and none dared attack them. He again struck a terrible blow on the

plains of Salamanca, and routed the Legions of France, with all their

martial pride, from the field, 22nd July, 1812; and was again thanked by

Parliament, for the eighth time, for this crushing defeat he inflicted

upon the enemy, while a grant of £100,000 was voted by Parliament for

the purchase of an estate for our hero, 7th December, 1812. He inflicted

another terrible blow on the proud Legions of France on the plains of

Vittoria, 21st June, 1813; for this he was raised by the Regent of

Portugal to the title of Duke of Vittoria, 18th December 1813, he was

elected a Knight of the Garter, and thanked by Parliament, for the ninth

time, for his glorious victory of the 21st June, 1813. The

Field-Marshal's baton of Marshal Jordan was captured on this field and

was sent home to the Prince Regent, and in return the Prince sent out to

his conquering General the baton of a Field-Marshal of England. San

Sebastian was carried by storm, and a number of minor operations were

conducted to a successful issue, for which our hero was, for the tenth

time, thanked by Parliament. On the 4th March, 1814, the Prince Regent

granted permission to the Marquis of Wellington to accept and wear the

following Orders or Grand Crosses:--the Imperial and Royal Austrian

Military Order of Maria Theresa, the Imperial Russian Military Order of

St. George, the Royal Prussian Military Order of the Black Eagle, the

Royal Swedish Military Order of the Sword. Napoleon kept continually

changing Wellington's opponent Generals, but our hero beat them all in

detail. Marshal Soult, or the Duke of Dalmatia, was Napoleon's favourite

General. He had been tried upon nearly 100 fields, and now he was to

measure his sword against Wellington, who had by this time immortalised

himself, and had beaten all who came in his way. Soult got a warm

reception, for on the field of Orthes, 27th February, 1814, the Legions

of France, under Napoleon's pet General, were again routed by the Allied

Armies under our hero, who was again thanked, for the eleventh time, by

the Parliament and the Prince Regent for the victory. Our hero was next

advanced in the British peerage by the title of Marquis of Duoro and

Duke of Wellington, 3rd May, 1814, and a grant of £400,000 was voted by

Parliament, in addition to all former grants, 24th June, 1814. Other

battles were fought in the Peninsula but all opponents had to go down

before the never-failing, conquering British bayonet, led by our

invincible son of the Emerald Isle. Peace was now for a time purchased

by the blood of thousands of the best of the sons of Britain; and, on

the 5th July, 1814, our hero was sent as Ambassador to France. On the

11th April, 1815, he again took command of the British Forces on the

Continent. Napoleon the disturber of the civilized world, was again in

the field, and at Waterloo, 16th, 17th, and 18th June, 1815, threw down

the gauntlet at our hero's feet. It was hard pounding, but Wellington

said, "let's see who will pound the longest." Napoleon had collected an

army of veterans, and was determined to measure his conquering sword

upon such a fair field with the despised Sepoy General, as he was wont

to call his Grace. The greater portion of the Army that won Waterloo

consisted of recruits; but, as His Grace said afterwards, had he had

with him the Army that fought Vittoria, he would have charged the whole

of the proud Legions of France from the field, long before our Allies

the Prussians came up, but most of these veterans were then across the

Atlantic. His Grace exposed himself on this field until he was

remonstrated with, and when requested to go to the rear, his answer was,

"I will when I see those fellows off," pointing to the grim-faced

veterans of the Guard that had decided almost every field that Napoleon

had fought. On every field that Napoleon commanded in person, his old

Guards were with him, and when called upon on the field of Waterloo to

surrender, the answer was: "The Guard may die but not surrender." Such,

were the men that our Foot Guards and 52nd routed from the field. Our

hero was again, for the twelfth time, thanked by a grateful country

in Parliament for Waterloo, and a grant of £200,000 was voted by

Parliament, in addition to all former grants, 6th July, 1815. He was

created Prince of Waterloo by the King of the Netherlands, 18th July,

1815, and on the 22nd October, 1815, was appointed Commander-in-Chief

of the Allied Armies of occupation in France. On the 15th of November,

1818, he was appointed a Field-Marshal in the Austrian, Russian,

and Prussian Armies. His Grace had exhausted all the honours that

a grateful country could heap upon one of its citizens. He became

Commander-in-Chief of the British Army, 22nd January, 1827, and on the

13th February, 1828, First Lord of the Treasury. On the 20th January,

1829, he was appointed Lord Warden of the Cinque Ports, and was

elected Chancellor of the University of Oxford, 29th January, 1834. No

other man ever lived to attain the honours that His Grace the Duke of

Wellington did. But in spite of all the gifts that a grateful Sovereign

and country could heap upon him, he had to die and leave them behind.

His remains were accorded a State funeral, and rest in St. Paul's

Cathedral, London, where a fitting monument records the esteem and

admiration with which he was justly regarded by his fellow countrymen.

WELLINGTON AND NAPOLEON.

Waterloo was a terrible fight; and the following are a few extracts from

some of His Grace the Duke of Wellington's letters to his friends,

written shortly after the battle, and which will prove of much

interest:--

From "Garwood," Vol. XII.

To Marshal, Prince Schwarzenberg.

Ioncourt, June 26th, 1815.

Our battle on the 18th was one of giants, and our success

was most complete, as you perceive. God grant I may never

see another (and He did grant it), for I am overwhelmed with

grief at the loss of my old friends and comrades.

WELLINGTON.

The following extracts will prove the early and complete conviction of

the Duke that all had been decided at Waterloo:--

To General Dumouriez.

Nivelles, 20th June, 1815.

You will have heard what I have done, and I hope you are

satisfied. I never saw such a battle as the one the day

before yesterday; and never did I gain such a victory. I

trust it is all over with Buonaparte. We are in hot pursuit

of him.

WELLINGTON.

To General, the Earl of Uxbridge.

Le Chateau, 23rd June, 1815.

My opinion is that we have given Napoleon his death-blow. He

can make no head against us. He has only to hang himself.

WELLINGTON.

To Marshal, Lord Beresford.

Gonesse, July 2nd, 1815.

You will have heard of our battle of the 18th. Never did I

see such a pounding match. Both were what the boxers call

gluttons. Napoleon did not manoeuvre at all. He just moved

forward in the old style, in columns; and was driven off in

the old style, in line. I had the infantry for some time in

squares; and we had the French cavalry walking about us as

if they had been our own. I never saw the British Infantry

behave so well.

WELLINGTON.

The following will prove that our hero had no animosity towards

Napoleon:--

To Sir Charles Stuart, G.C.B.

The Prussians think the Jacobins wish to give him over to

me, believing that I will save his life; Blucher wishes to

kill him, but I have told him that I shall remonstrate, and

shall insist upon his being disposed of by common accord. I

have likewise said that, as a private friend, I advise him

to have nothing to do with so foul a transaction, that he

and I had acted too distinguished parts in these

transactions to become executioners, and that I was

determined that, if the Sovereigns wished to put him to

death, they should appoint an executioner, which should not

be me.

WELLINGTON.

LOSS OF THE REGIMENTS AT WATERLOO.

Strength of the British Army on the 16th of June, 1815, and the loss of

the different Regiments in killed, wounded, and missing, on the 16th,

17th, and 18th.

+--------------+--------+-------------------------------------+--------+

| |exclu- +------------------+------------------+Officers|

| Regiments. |Officers+---------+--------+---------+--------+ on the |

+--------------+--------+---------+--------+---------+--------+--------+

| Guards | 263 | 2 | 18 | 4 | 65 | 2 |

| Guards | 235 | .. | .. | 2 | 155 | 1 |

| Guards Blue | 254 | 2 | 8 | 4 | 98 | 1 |

| Guards | 571 | .. | .. | 11 | 246 | 7 |

| Dragoons | 428 | .. | .. | 14 | 196 | 5 |

| (Scots Greys)| 442 | .. | .. | 15 | 199 | 7 |

|6th | 445 | .. | .. | 7 | 217 | 2 |

|7th Hussars | 408 | 4 | 46 | 10 | 150 | 2 |

|10th Hussars | 452 | .. | .. | 8 | 94 | 2 |

|11th Hussars | 438 | .. | 3 | 6 | 73 | 1 |

|12th Hussars | 427 | .. | .. | 5 | 111 | 3 |

|13th Hussars | 449 | .. | 1 | 10 | 108 | 1 |

|15th Hussars | 447 | .. | .. | 11 | 79 | 3 |

|16th Hussars | 434 | .. | .. | 6 | 32 | 2 |

|18th Hussars | 444 | .. | 2 | 2 | 102 | .. |

|23rd Hussars | 347 | .. | 6 | 6 | 72 | 1 |

| 2nd Batt. | 1066 | 8 | 285 | 11 | 153 | 4 |

| 3rd Batt. | 1122 | 9 | 262 | 7 | 343 | 6 |

| 2nd Batt. | 1045 | .. | .. | 13 | 308 | 4 |

| 2nd Batt. | 1063 | .. | 7 | 15 | 239 | 7 |

| 3rd Batt. | 671 | 10 | 218 | 22 | 144 | 7 |

| 1st Batt. | 670 | .. | .. | 10 | 134 | 1 |

| 3rd Batt. | 630 | .. | .. | 2 | 36 | .. |

| Fusiliers | 741 | .. | .. | 12 | 104 | 7 |

|27th | | | | | | |

| Inniskillen | 750 | .. | .. | 14 | 104 | 2 |

| 1st Batt. | 631 | 6 | 75 | 14 | 177 | 3 |

|30th | | | | | | |

| 1st Batt. | 686 | 8 | 51 | 12 | 228 | 6 |

|32nd | | | | | | |

| 1st Batt. | 699 | 8 | 196 | 20 | 174 | 3 |

|33rd | | | | | | |

| 2nd Batt. | 682 | 7 | 106 | 15 | 185 | 7 |

|40th | | | | | | |

| 1st Batt. | 862 | .. | .. | 12 | 219 | 2 |

|42nd | | | | | | |

| 2nd Batt. | 717 | 18 | 288 | 6 | 49 | 4 |

|44th | | | | | | |

| 2nd Batt. | 618 | 12 | 138 | 6 | 64 | 2 |

| Infantry | 619 | .. | .. | 2 | 42 | .. |

| Infantry | 1148 | .. | .. | 10 | 199 | 1 |

| 2nd Batt. | 696 | 9 | 155 | 4 | 85 | 5 |

|71st | | | | | | |

| Highlanders | 929 | .. | .. | 17 | 202 | 3 |

| 2nd Batt. | 554 | 4 | 56 | 20 | 280 | 8 |

|79th | | | | | | |

| Highlanders | 644 | 26 | 204 | 9 | 175 | 10 |

|92nd | | | | | | |

| Highlanders | 708 | 20 | 286 | 8 | 116 | 7 |

| 1st Batt. | 482 | 6 | 64 | 12 | 156 | 4 |

| 2nd Batt. | 655 | .. | .. | 15 | 246 | 1 |

| 3rd Batt. | 202 | .. | .. | 5 | 50 | 1 |

| 1st Batt. | 4972 | 3 | 28 | 33 | 476 | 10 |

+--------------+--------+---------+--------+---------+--------+--------+

The total loss of 11,950 Includes--Belgians, King's German Legion,

Hanoverians, Brunswickers, and Dutch Troops. It may not be generally

known that, although the whole of Europe was banded together against

Napoleon, not a man, so to speak, could any of the Nations put into the

field, without the help of the needful from England. This short Campaign

cost us £110,000,000 sterling; England was the universal Pay-master.

* * * * *

The Allied and Prussian Armies entered Paris on the 7th July, and were

followed next day by Louis XVIII. Before the end of the month the armies

of Europe congregated in and around Paris, amounted to the enormous

number of nearly a million of men in arms.

Napoleon in the meantime had left the Capital, and surrendered himself

to Captain Maitland of the _Bellerophon_, on the 15th July, 1815; and by

a decree of the Allied Powers, he was sent to St. Helena, where he died,

5th May, 1821.

Since these events nearly seventy years have passed over us, and peace

between the two greatest nations of the globe, England and France, has

been uninterruptedly maintained. We have fought shoulder to shoulder on

more than one hard-fought field, both in the Crimea and China; and long

may we continue to act together, to the honour of those whose blood on

the field of Waterloo purchased this friendship, and to the lasting

happiness of the civilized world.

NAPOLEON AND THE FRENCH PRESS.

Talk about two faces under one hat! The following will help the reader

to see how many faces our gallant neighbours the French have.

When Napoleon escaped from the Isle of Elba, whither he had been sent as

a sort of state prisoner, the French newspapers announced his departure

and progress until his entry into Paris, as follows:--

March 9th.--The Anthrophagus has quitted his den.

〃 10th.--The Corsican Ogre has landed at Cape Juan.

〃 11th.--The Tiger has arrived at Gap.

〃 12th.--The Monster slept at Grenoble.

〃 13th.--The Tyrant has passed through Lyons.

〃 14th.--The Usurper is directing his steps towards Dijon,

but the brave and loyal Burgundians have risen _en masse_

and surrounded him on all sides. And Marshal Ney, "the

bravest of the brave," has gone forth to meet him, and has

sworn to bring him to Paris in an iron cage, and present him

to our beloved King.

〃 18th.--Buonaparte is only sixty leagues from the capital.

He has been fortunate enough to escape his pursuers.

〃 19th.--Buonaparte is advancing with rapid steps, but he

will never enter Paris alive. 〃 20th.--Napoleon will

to-morrow be under our ramparts.

〃 21st.--The Emperor is at Fontainebleau.

〃 22nd.--His Imperial and Royal Majesty yesterday evening

arrived at the Tuilleries, amidst the joyful acclamations of

his devoted and faithful subjects.

A BRITISH AMAZON.

This brave woman was--to perpetrate a "Bull"--an Irishman, or rather was

supposed so to be. She served as a foot soldier and dragoon in several

campaigns, under King William and the Duke of Marlborough. She gave

surprising proofs of courage, strength, and dexterity in handling all

sorts of weapons. She was a married woman with two children. Her

husband, under the influence of drink, enlisted into the 1st Foot, and

was at once sent off to Flanders. Our heroine was determined to find him

up, so she cut off her hair, dressed herself in a suit of her husband's

clothing, and enlisted into the 5th foot, under the name of Christopher

Welsh. Shortly after, our heroine joined the army in Flanders, and was

present at the Battle of Landen, where she was wounded just above the

ankle. To use her own words, "When I heard the cannon play and the small

shot rattle about me, it threw me into a sort of panic, not being used

to such rough music." This wound laid her up for two months. Shortly

after she was taken prisoner by the French. Here she met her first

cousin, Captain Cavenagh, a French officer, but was not recognised.

After nine days she was exchanged and returned to the army, and gained

the affection of a butcher's daughter, which led to a duel with a rival

lover, a Sergeant of the same regiment, who had insulted the lady in

question. The Sergeant was wounded; and for this she was imprisoned, the

Sergeant's wounds being mortal. The father of the young lady obtained

the release of our heroine, and her discharge; but she managed to escape

this love affair, and enlisted again, this time into the Scots Greys,

and served during the siege of Namur, 1695. An odd adventure now befell

her, for a child was laid to her charge as being the father, and,

refusing to expose the perjury of the mother, she defrayed the expense

of the infant. In the second attack at Schellenburg she received a ball

in the hip, which was never extracted; her sex narrowly escaped

detection while in hospital. After the Battle of Blenheim she was sent

to guard prisoners, and met with her husband, who was embracing a Dutch

woman. She made herself known to him, and the recognition may be more

easily imagined than described; his faults were all overlooked, but she

resolved to pass as his brother until the war was over, and left him,

after giving him a piece of gold. "The pretty Dragoon," for so she was

called, next gained the affections of a young Dutch girl. She was

wounded again at Ramillies, and, although she suffered much, yet the

discovery of her sex was a greater grief to her. The surprising news

spread far and near, and Lord J. Hay declared she should want for

nothing. Brigadier Preston made her a present of a handsome silk gown,

and the officers all contributed what was necessary to furnish her with

proper costume, and she was dismissed the service with a handsome

compliment. His lordship hoped she would not continue her cruelty to her

husband now she no longer passed under a disguise; there was a new

marriage, all the officers being invited, the old practice of throwing

the slipper not being forgotten, and a kiss being given to the bride by

all on taking leave. She was very useful to the Army as a suttler, and

in obtaining information. Whilst at Comtray she won a race with her

mare, on which she carried provisions, with Captain Montgomery of the

Grenadiers. The officers bet heavily upon her; they both went to the

place chosen to run upon, and starting at the beat of the drum, the

Captain suffered her to keep pace with him for some time, but all at

once she made a furious push at him, flung man and horse into a ditch,

and thus won the race; the general and all the officers laughed heartily

at her stratagem, except the Captain who had been in the ditch. Many

other adventures are related about this singular woman. Her husband was

killed at the Battle of Malplaquet, and she found his body and buried

it; her grief was great, but she married H. Jones, a Grenadier, about

seven weeks afterwards. Her second husband was killed at St. Vincent,

and she covered him with her clothes. After the peace she presented a

petition to Queen Anne, who said it would be her care to provide for

her, and if she was delivered of a boy, she would give him a commission

as soon as born. The child proved to be a girl, much to the mother's

vexation; and her Majesty ordered £50 to be given her to defray

expenses. Her third husband was a soldier named Davis, who had served

with her. At the time of his marriage he was in the Welsh Fusiliers. The

Queen had ordered one shilling a day for Mrs. Davis, which the Lord

Treasurer reduced to 5d.; but a friend took the matter up, and the King

ordered one shilling as originally intended. This heroine marched in the

funeral procession of the Duke of Marlborough, as she says, "with a

heavy heart and streaming eyes." She died on the 7th July, 1739, and was

interred, with military honours, in the burying-ground belonging to

Chelsea Hospital.

A similar instance of a female soldier is recorded on a tombstone in the

parish Church of St. Nicholas, Brighton, the singular inscription being

as follows:--

In memory of

PHEBE HESSEL,

Who was born at Stepney in the year 1713.

She served for many years

As a Private Soldier in the 5th Regiment of Foot,

In different parts of Europe,

And in the year 1745 fought under the Command

Of the Duke of Cumberland,

At the Battle of Fontenoy,

Where she received a Bayonet Wound in the Arm.

Her long life, which commenced in the time of

Queen Anne,

Extended to the reign of

George IV.,

By whose munificence she received comfort

And support in her latter years.

She died at Brighton, where she long resided,

December 12th, 1821, aged 108 years.

George the IV. allowed this veteran a pension of half-a-guinea a week,

which she enjoyed for many years.

A Soldier's Experience; or, A Voice from the Ranks Showing the Cost of War in Blood and Treasure. A Personal Narrative of the Crimean Campaign, from the Standpoint of the Ranks; the Indian Mutiny, and Some of its Atrocities; the Afghan Campaigns of 1863 · 第 11 / 17 章