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ADVENTURES IN HOLLAND AND AT WATERLOO;
AND EXPEDITION TO PORTUGAL.
Proceedings in Holland, Under the Command
of General Sir Thomas Graham, &C., &c.
by
CORPORAL KNIGHT.
Melbourne:
R. Bell, Printer, 97 Little Collins Street East.
1870.
_About thirty-three years ago_, THOMAS KNIGHT _(the author of this work)
published a very interesting account of his adventures. A few members of
the Stock Exchange bore the principal portion of the expense of printing
them. While attached to the Army in Portugal, he was in the same
regiment as my brother, Major F. E. Ebsworth, and servant to him._
FRED. EBSWORTH.
_Sydney, 11th March, 1867._
Adventures in Holland and Waterloo;
AND THE
EXPEDITION TO PORTUGAL.
My father was a cabinet maker at Frome, in Somersetshire. I was bound
apprentice to a weaver, not liking such a quiet life I ran off to sea,
and entered on board a collier at Southampton, as cabin-boy. In
returning we were driven into Ramsgate by a squall. The cook and I left
the captain to prepare his own dinner. We were fortunate enough to fall
in with a return post-chaise, and were carried along like gentlemen to
Canterbury. This was in the year 1811, or the beginning of 1812, when
soldiers were much wanted, and I thought myself a sharp sort of fellow,
and was fond of a frolic. More than one sergeant tried to cajole me. Two
rifle brigadesmen came to the town on furlough; they had green jackets;
but their fine promises were too much for me. At length they got the
best of me, and enlisted me. I was taken down to Shawn Cliff to the
regiment, and had to be inspected by the doctor; and the following day I
was taken to Hyde to be sworn in by the magistrate. He asked me which I
would go for--limited service or unlimited service. “What is the
difference in the money?” I asked. “Limited service is 10 guineas, and
unlimited service 16 guineas.” I said, “as I may not live seven years, I
will take the 16 guineas.” I received 8 guineas (one half of my bounty)
and returned towards the barracks. I was gaping about at what the
soldiers were doing, when one old chap came up to me and said I was his
first cousin. “I am not quite so green as to be done in that way,” I
answered. However, I soon fell in with a few jolly comrades, and spent
forty shillings out of the half of my bounty. After buying a few
articles I stood in need of, the rest of my bounty went in two days
more. Then I had to go through my discipline, after which I went on
guard, and considered myself an old soldier. There were 200 of the
ablest men picked out to go to Holland. One was a married man, who had a
family of children; the wife was making a great fuss about her husband
going out, and I said I would not mind taking his place. I did so. The
following day the general had to inspect us. He said it was not proper I
should go out, as I could not stand the fatigue; and asked who selected
me. I told him I had a notion of going out in place of private Rourke,
who had a wife and family. “Bravo!” he cried. “Well, we will try you.”
The day after, we marched to Dover, and then went on to Deal, in all
eighteen miles. This I found severe work, but did not let it appear so,
as we were about to leave England. I and five others were billetted at
Deal Castle, in the Walmer Road. In the course of the evening a mutton
pieman came into the room, calling out, “All hot! toss or buy.” We
bought and ate all his pies, shied the little dishes at one another,
made the pieman drunk, and enlisted him. His master came to fetch him
away, and we compelled him to pay a guinea smart money, which lengthened
the treat.
The next day we went to Ramsgate, and had hopes of passing a night
there; but were marched through the town, put on board ship, and not
allowed to pass the sentry without leave from the commanding officer. As
I and the rest of my comrades could not get leave, I was resolved to get
the better of them; so when night came I pulled off some off my clothes,
slipped over the side, and swam on shore. I had a good “spree” that
night among some friends I had been living with, as I thought it might
be my last in Great Britain. The next morning I went on board, and was
confined in the chain locker, which I did not mind, since I was happy
there as on the quarter-deck. We set sail the following day, and soon
came in sight of Ostend. We had to land in boats; and before the last
men were on shore, the first were quite uproarious from drinking
Hollands. The colonel, in “falling us in,” said he would work us for
that. We then marched to Ghent, and were quartered in some old
outlandish buildings for that night.
We then proceeded to Bergen-op-Zoom, to which our army was laying siege.
After the town had been taken, additional troops were placed to keep
possession of it, whilst other regiments had to march to the rear. We
next marched to Cotterie, from there to Ypres, and then (in 1814) to
Dixmieux, and quartered at a house in the town. The people were very
sulky; they obliged me to cook in my canteen, and gave me a pretty piece
of work to make it look smart on field-day, which was not so whenever I
found people desirous to attend on me and treat me as they ought. But
these people were so bothersome and troublesome, that I bothered them in
every fashion, by marching into their clean rooms with my dirty shoes,
till at last I forced them to pay me proper attention. Notwithstanding,
I went to the billet-master to procure a fresh billet; and he asked me
where I would like to go. I was fortunate enough to get a billet on a
shop. I went with the billet to a house in the Market-square, knocked at
the door, and two beautiful girls made their appearance, one about my
age (seventeen years), the other about nineteen. They kindly accepted
the billet, and in I walked; and they sent me down good refreshment,
which I required. I was very thankful to get into such good quarters,
and assisted them in all the little jobs about the house, such as
cooking and serving other men.
Our rations were drawn from the town butchers and bakers, and our grog
issued by the non-commissioned officers of companies. Some used to take
the bottles and canteens “after,” but I used to take the right sort of
canteen (when once down my throat I thought it was the best place for
it), consisting of a half-pint of good Hollands gin. One afternoon,
after the gin had been served out, some of us soldiers assembled and
decided that we would have some sport with snowballs. There were a dozen
or fifteen round it, and we consulted as to what we had better do with
it. It would not do to leave it in one of the public streets, and the
colonel not being a favorite with us, we rolled the snowball up to the
front door of his quarters, which obliged him to go out at the back of
the house. He laughed at the trick, but was never after without a
sentry. Sometimes the inhabitants gave us a challenge (arranged to be
outside the town) to have some sport with snowballs. There we commenced
the battle with officers and soldiers. We beat the inhabitants up and
down, the snow congealing over the ditches and houses; and down it was
with many a one: plump they went into the ditches, roaring out for help.
The windows that day had a bad time of it. After all was over we offered
to pay for the broken ones, but the inhabitants would not permit such a
thing; as we accepted the challenge they would pay all expenses.
What with skating, sliding, and drinking “schnapps,” we spent our time
pretty merrily; and then had orders to advance into the frontiers of
France (1815). We marched to Louis, and brigaded with the 52nd Light
Infantry, the 71st Scotch, and the 15th Hussars attached to our brigade
(the 1st Brigade, 2nd Division), commanded by General Sir Frederick
Adam. Our field-days (two in the week) were Tuesdays and Fridays; the
French occupied the ground on Mondays and Thursdays. Our brigade sent
out daily 100 rank and file, one captain, two subalterns, and a portion
of the squadron considered on piquet duty. The river divided the small
town called Munge. The 15th Hussars, with their horses, occupied the
Market House; the sentries were on a portion of the bridge (a division
across it), the French sentry on one side, and the British on the other;
the 7th Black Horse had the barracks, opposite the French side of the
river; fourteen sentries by day and twenty-eight by night, a portion of
the 15th Hussars, patrolling on the banks of the river, looking out for
any alarm. Two companies of the Rifles were ordered to take the advance
post. We marched to Turp, two leagues from Louis, head-quarters, there
to remain till further orders.
Our field-days were as usual. We had a league further to go. I was very
badly off for clothing at the time, and the colonel told us we could
patch our clothing with any thing of a dark nature, as our rifle uniform
was supposed to be of a dark green. I went to the quarter-master’s
stores to procure two pairs of pantaloons, at eighteen francs per pair;
I also drew a pair of boots at the same price. I put on a pair of
pantaloons to go to field-day in. In jumping of ditches in skirmishing
order, I split the first pair of pantaloons into pieces; the other pair
went in the same manner; I then had to put on my old patched _friends_,
while I could get one pair made out of the two damaged ones; my boots
went in the same way,--coming home from field-day the weather was very
severe, the soles parted company from the upper leathers, so I had to
tread along on my bare toes.
I went on guard on the 15th day of June: it came to my turn at eleven
o’clock at night to relieve a soldier on outlying sentry. The sentry, in
giving up the orders to me, said that “I was to keep a sharp look out
betwixt those two trees, and when you see the beacon guard blaze up, you
are to set fire to this.” I said, “What do you mean, you gapes? Do you
mean to set fire to a turnip field as the seed of the turnips is up to
our heads?” I found out by his winks and words that I was not to set
fire to any such sort of thing, but to retire to the guard-house and
give the sergeant information when I saw the beacon blaze. About one
o’clock on the sixteenth morning the sergeant of the guard informed the
colonel what the sentry had seen. The colonel gave orders to the orderly
bugler who was on guard, to sound the assembly; I got permission, after
changing the guard, to go and take leave of the people I was quartered
on. The woman of the house filled my haversack with bread and cheese,
etc. I fell in, marched off about four o’clock on the morning. We
marched on during the sixteenth day, and on the sixteenth evening came
into a long town called Tourwee; halted outside the town to take a
little refreshment, and proceeded on during the night with a guide.
After some distance, about three leagues (nine miles), the guide left
us, giving the colonel instructions which way he was to take, but the
latter, missing his way, came upon a battery occupied by the French: the
sentry on the ramparts called out, “_Qui Vive?_” (_Qui Vive_--English,
“Halt! who comes there?”) The colonel gave orders to the men to retire
in double time; the sentry challenging three times, and no answer in
return, fired a round shot from the battery after us; but, fortunately
enough, without doing any harm. We came into a village which we had
passed through during the night: the colonel thought it was requisite to
put the men into the different houses till the following morning, till
the seventeenth approached. Accordingly, myself, with eleven others,
were put into one house together. We kept the old man (Pizan) busily
employed in bringing wine out of the cellars during the remainder of
that night; so we had an excellent “chevot.” The following morning the
bugle sounded “turn out the whole,” just at the dawn of day. We formed
companies, marching off in sections from the right, down a hill in the
breadth of the township. At the foot of the hill there was a rapid
stream of water, and a narrow bridge over it, wide enough for about one
rank and file to go over abreast. The colonel waded through the river on
horseback; it took him up rather higher than the flaps of his saddle;
the men began to file march over the river, officers and soldiers. The
colonel observing the men coming over the bridge, he called out,
“Advance through the water;” I saw a great many of my height up to the
armpits; I put up my pouch over my shoulder, and also my rifle--I had a
hard struggle to stand against the stream. After we had crossed the
river we formed companies; we marched off up a lane and through a wood,
and passed by our old friends, the 52nd, lying down half dead at the top
of the hill, from fatigue; they gave us three cheers, and we turned and
saluted the same; we marched on to where the French had been encamped on
the fifteenth night, and our army had driven them back on the sixteenth
morning. The ground was covered with dead and wounded--we marched on to
Mount Reveille; from there to Quatre Bras, and from there to Mount St.
Jean, in which place the French lay in the rear. On Saturday, the
seventeenth, we took up our position in the meadow at the foot of the
hill of Mount St. Jean, when the commissary butchers were ordered to
kill and cut up for the Light Brigade--some having got wood, others
muddy water from the ditch--hanging our camp kettles, we lost no time in
cooking it, when we were not a little astonished by a volley of shot
rattling about us; but being loathe to lose our beef, some of which was
cooked, and some quite raw, we tore off a few morsels, stuffing what we
could into our haversacks, quickly ready to advance. Great was our
disappointment, however, to find that we had been disturbed by the
Brunswickers, who never having seen a rifleman in our dark uniform, took
us for French. We still kept on the advance, and came into the hard road
turning towards Brussels, to the left, passing by the Coldstream Guards
on our present right; they gave us three cheers, and returned a salute.
We marched leisurely towards Brussels, within four leagues, or twelve
miles, turning towards Brussels to the left, coming into Moret Reveille
early in evening.
THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO.
On the 17th of June, 1815, the Duchess of Richmond gave a little tea
entertainment at Brussels, with dancing in the programme, and for which
latter purpose the Brussels’ carpets had to be taken up. A few hours
previous to this eventful festivity, the commander of the British
regulars had been taking pot luck with the Prince of Orange and Count
Von Schwillensweiper, of the German embassy. Scarcely had the apples
and nuts been placed upon the table, when an aide-de-camp, all stuccoed
over with rural mud, rushed into the apartment, and placed before his
Grace a dirty despatch, sealed with a pipe stem. “Take a chair and a
nobbler,” said the Duke to the muddy young gentleman, after which he
opened the tobacco-scented missive, and, then, with his characteristic
determination, said nothing more. The fact was, that Bonaparte had begun
hitting Blucher, who had immediately sent to tell his big brother. “He’s
at him again,”--_ce coquin Bony_--quietly remarked the Duke, when the
messenger had quitted the room, and then he placed a lot of nut-shells
to show the position of the armies; “very simple,” continued his Grace,
“It lies in a nutshell--in for a penny, in for a pound, and to-morrow we
shall pound away.” The ball was brilliant in the extreme, but it did not
escape attention that the Duke wore thick boots before midnight. The
commander-in-chief slipped out, pretending he wanted a smoke. Picton,
whose presence of mind never forsook him, put a truffed sausage in each
pocket. The Prince of Orange whispered to the Duchess that “Ney had
turned up, and was teasing the Prussians.” “Ney turned up,” replied her
witty Grace of Richmond--what _Nay retrouse_. They kept up the capering
till daylight, long before which the Belgian belles couldn’t imagine
what had become of the red coats. The famous engagement of the 18th of
June--it must be borne in mind, that June is summer-time in Belgium--was
fought in a corn field, to the great injury of the crops. The rival
armies were considered as two of the best teams that had ever met. It
began, some historians say, at ten o’clock sharp, while others contend
that the Emperor had not breakfasted at that time, but the fact is, that
the battle seems to have resembled many quarrels. It is difficult to say
exactly, how it commenced. Charges were made from either side in turn,
and there was a good deal of recrimination, and bad language followed.
Sir Thomas Picton, at the head of his gallant men, who were all picked
ones, fought till he was out of breath. Hundreds of poor fellows cut
about till they had’nt a leg to stand upon, and the brave Lord Uxbridge
found himself with only one. To heighten the horrors of the scene, it
came on to rain in the afternoon, and the smell of gunpowder is
described as having been most oppressive. “Sire,” exclaimed a
distinguished general officer, as he stood upon a looking-out
arrangement, like a fire escape, “I see troops in the distance. They
must be Prussians--they look blue.” “_Sacre bleu_,” roared the Emperor,
“blue be confounded.” His Imperial Majesty spoke polite English with
fluency. “They’ll all look blue before I have done with them.” It was
the Prussian blue notwithstanding. At last somebody told the French
emperor that the Prussians were coming up to have a finger in the pie.
“You be hanged!” (_allez rous faire pendre_) roared Napoleon; “Its
Grouchy, but he knows better,” and fancying that his Grenadiers had got
their second wind, he ordered them to charge like mad. With a tremendous
shout of “_Vive le Empereur_,” which means “hoor-oar,” and sounds just
like it. They came on the British columns crouched in the mud, and the
Frenchmen fancied they had gone down to avoid punishment. “_Ces coquins
boutiquiers_,” sneered the Emperor, as he began to cut up a pipe of
tobacco. At this moment, the iron Duke, whose ferruginous nature made
him turn rusty at times, got quite out of temper, and gave his
celebrated order for his men to get up and “Give it ’em hot.” This, of
course, decided the whole business. “Confound it,” said the Emperor,
looking through his opera-glass, “There some mistake?” He was right. In
a few minutes an “aide” galloped up to tell him “that his men were
demoralised, and turning like red-shanks.” “It’s all up”--_tout est en
dessus_--cried Napoleon, blowing his nose from excess of emotion. “Your
orders, sire,” anxiously continued the staff officer. “My carriage!” was
the mournful utterance of the unfortunate commander, still busy with his
pocket handkerchief. It was Bonaparte’s last order on the field of
Waterloo!--
JAMES RICHARDSON,
18th Royal Irish Regiment, Melbourne.
From the severity of the weather during our march our men were
constantly falling; our shoes came off, and we had to walk in our
stockings; our bed at night was a corn field; our covering, blankets
soaking in wet. Some setting out to forage, picking up a little wood and
putting it on the fire, we had a little rest; and much we needed it.
Awaking early next morning (Sunday, 18th), we wrang our blankets, folded
them up, and put them under our straps on our knapsacks. We had orders
to remain there until further orders, when we had an order to take up
ground as a reserve, and there to remain under an expectation of the
French coming down the lane to cut off our rear. We lay there until
eleven o’clock, when we had orders to advance and to cover the 52nd
lines in skirmishing order; in case of being driven in by the cavalry,
to form on the right of the 52nd lines, and to the left of the
artillery; and to remain there to fire in line until the bugle sounded
the advance, firing in skirmishing order. About half-past four o’clock,
observing some heavy cavalry charging down to cut off the Light
Brigade--supposed to be 800 of the “Cuirassiers,” who charged up within
about 500 yards on to the field of artillery--General Adam called to the
officers commanding the artillery to commence firing on the French
Cuirassiers. From the first round of the artillery they made a roadway
between the columns; the second round from the artillery we could not
observe them for smoke; and from the third round we were completely
masked by smoke and darkness, as the smoke contracted along the right of
the lines. The trumpet sounded from the cavalry, and the Light Infantry
Corps of bugles and drums rolled for the charge; and on we stepped,
cheering and charging. We made the infantry give way, and took
possession of thirty-two field pieces of artillery and a number of
prisoners belonging to Napoleon’s army. The 42nd Highlanders charged the
French into the wood of Genappe, just at the back of a farm called
Hugenot,--the farm that was taken and re-taken seven times during the
18th; very heavy slaughter round the wood and farm; the 42nd were nearly
cut to pieces; about 200 came out of the wood out of 700 engaged.
Wellington gave orders to retire, to bring the French out of the wood
after us.
The inhabitants of Brussels were informed that Napoleon had captured
Field-Marshal Wellington; they were all up in arms in Brussels, throwing
their baggage into the river to prevent the French from plundering. The
British Army faced about, made a heavy charge on the French, and drove
them back to their former position (in the wood). We kept skirmishing,
taking up ground in different positions, till close up nightfall, when
we observed some heavy columns coming up from the rear, from the
Brussels side. We expected it was Grouchy, with 40,000 French troops. I
made the remark that we were all hemmed in betwixt two fires; but,
however, it turned out to be Blucher with the same reinforcement for us.
We brought our right shoulders forward, and we made a desperate attack
on the French. I witnessed the French firing over their shoulders at us,
under their retreat. Leaving the farm and the wood to our right, when up
the brow of the hill leading towards Brussels, about half a mile
distant,--the French officers of all ranks and soldiers lay so thick on
the ground that you could scarcely get a yard of ground but what we
stumbled against either a horse or man,--we came into the road leading
from Brussels to Paris. By this time it became nightfall with us. We
took up our position on the right of the road, and threw ourselves down
on the ground to have some rest. We had nothing to eat; and were almost
asleep before we reached the ground. Awaking early on Monday, 19th, we
could scarcely believe our eyes, that there were only six of us
together. We went on foraging. Some Brunswickers and ourselves got a big
“porker” in the farmyard; we brought him into camp and hoisted him on
three poles, and put a good fire under his jacket; so, as it was getting
ready, we cut off slices of it to our heart’s content. We managed to get
some wine, when we proceeded on our way. We came down to a village,
distant about half a mile, called Floreice, on the main road from
Brussels to Paris--that which the French occupied during the three days
of Waterloo. We went out in search of our comrades, and had some of the
Brunswickers with us. On the right of the Paris road, about half a mile
from the village, we discovered some of the rifles, as we thought; but
they turned out to be Brunswickers, for their uniform and ours were so
much alike. We were informed by an officer of that corps that an officer
and some of the rifles lay over to the left of the road; and the
officer, discovering us, jumped up and shook us by the hand; glad he was
to see us alive. Out of 205 rank and file who went into the field on the
18th June, about eleven o’clock, 172 killed and wounded were lost,
leaving thirty-three men. We lay there that day and part of the next,
when we had orders to advance. We refreshed ourselves with fruit from
the roadside. The potato fields suffered much also. When encamped our
swords and bayonets served us for spades.
On our journey to Paris, we travelled at the rate of four leagues
(twelve miles) per diem. At the end of the day, as soon as the tents
were pitched, throwing my accoutrements and knapsack into the tent, and
taking my haversack and canteen, I used to make an object of proceeding
into the country to procure some provender. I one day had to visit a
wine cellar. I took a good drop of wine, filled my canteen, and brought
up a pitcher with a portion of wine in it; and who should be in the room
but the provost-marshal. As soon as he saw me deliver the pitcher in the
kitchen, he kicked it over with his foot, called the sergeant of the
provost, and told him to go down into the cellar and bring up a soldier:
I had concealed myself behind the door of the cellar. The sergeant
passed me, went down, looked about, but could not discover me; he went
up and told the captain that I was not there, saying that the cellar was
too dark for him to see me. I was in a rifle dress. “Take a light down,
sergeant,” said the provost-marshal, which he did, and then hunted about
for me again, but still could not find me. However, in coming up the
cellar steps, he saw me behind the door, and brought me into the
apartment where the captain was standing. “Oh,” he said, “Mr Rifleman, I
have got you at last. I have had a great deal of trouble in catching
you.” He ordered the sergeant to appoint four men to take me to the rear
guard; so the four men came up and told me to march on, one on each side
and two in the rear, the captain giving them strict orders not to let me
go. They brought me down to the rear guard, and put me into an apartment
where there were twenty more prisoners. The captain also gave orders to
the sergeant to “fall us in,” and march us into an orchard to receive
the punishment that was to be inflicted upon us. “Come, Mr Rifleman,” he
said, “I will begin with you first.” He just read over a small sentence
to me, to the effect that I was to receive twenty-four lashes, and
ordered me to strip off. I was tied to an apple-tree, and, coming round
me, the captain said, “If you will join the provost, it will prevent you
from being punished.” “No, captain,” I answered; “I will not leave my
regiment.” He then ordered the drummer to put the “cat” on my back. When
I had received one dozen, the captain again told me if I would consent
to his request he would cease flogging me. I still refused, and he
ordered the drummer to give me the other dozen. As soon as they had
finished they took me down, and the captain ordered the sergeant to
empty my canteen of the wine; they then gave me my canteen and haversack
and told me to proceed to the camp. I picked up my clothing, and went
over a wall out of the orchard. I then commenced to put my clothes on.
In the meantime they had another man tied up to the same tree as I had
been at, and, I believe, they gave him five or six lashes, when he
bellowed out, begging for mercy, and said that he would never plunder
any more if the captain would let him down. I heard no more of him, but
proceeded towards the camp, leaving the Provost about half a mile to the
rear of me. I got into a farm house and filled my canteen with good wine
again, and was fortunate enough to pick up part of a loaf. Coming out of
the yard I knocked a fowl down, put it into my haversack, and proceeded
into the camp. It was late in the evening. I went into the officers’
marquee and told him what had taken place, giving him full particulars.
He asked me to pull off my clothes and he examined my back. “Oh!” he
said, “they have not hurt you much.” But I told him I felt very sore,
and that I should be hardly able to carry my knapsack on the morrow. He
said he would get it put on the baggage waggon, so that I had nothing to
carry but my accoutrements, sixty rounds of ball cartridge in my pouch,
and forty in my haversack; the weight of these caused my shirt to stick
to my back, and gave me great pain. Afterwards I usually kept myself
very quiet.
The Prussians had the advance of the British Army, when the French came
up the River Seine, which they had to cross. They opposed the Prussians.
An express order came to the rear for the British Army to push forward
in forced marches; so we proceeded on at the rate of twenty-one miles
per diem, under a broiling sun, and, on the third evening we formed on
the top of the hill where the Prussians were encamped. On the following
morning we erected a substantial battery. By giving the French a few
rounds from the artillery, after a short time, we compelled them to
move. Word was then given to charge, and we drove them across the river;
but before we arrived at the river, the enemy blew up the Bridge of
Lourai, which left them on the St. Denis side, and we on the other.
We discovered a flour mill on the banks of the river, and I said to one
of my comrades, “I will go down and see if I can find some flour.”
Accordingly, I proceeded to the mill, got inside without any difficulty,
and discovered a large flour bin, in which I found as much flour as my
haversack would hold. In coming down the mill steps from out of the
mill, I met another man coming up upon the same errand as myself; he
called out, “Miller, what is the price of a sixpenny loaf?” I said,
“Faith, comrade, if I have a white jacket, I have no white feather;
better to be a miller than starving.” As my uniform was all green, the
flour on the skirts of my coat caused me to appear more like a magpie
than a rifleman. There was plenty of wine in all the farm houses, and I
availed myself of it by mixing it with the flour, by which we soon had a
good pot of dumplings; it made good “prog,” I can assure the reader.
Our pontoons being someway down the river, the Prussians went down to
cross the pontoons--the boats came up the river the following day to
take the British army over. As soon as we all got across the river, the
Prussians and the British army made a rapid attack across St. Denis
until we came up to where there was a bridge leading across an arm of
the river; the bridge was obstructed by trees being thrown across it to
prevent us from crossing. On each angle of the bridge, there was a
_chevaux de frise_, and in the main road a large trench was cut about
twelve feet deep, and twelve feet wide; and also a barricade formed
across the road, consisting of empty wine casks filled with earth, &c.;
but in spite of all this opposition, our artillery unyoked their horses
from the guns to draw the trees from off the bridge; the sappers and
miners also cleared away to let the army over, and filled up the
trenches. After we got across upon the main road, our cavalry sounded
the trumpet, and the light infantry the key bugles, and the bands played
from the regiments of the line. We had about three miles to go before we
entered Paris; the Prussians on our right were bombarding the outlets of
the city. Previous to our arrival within a quarter of a mile of the
township, they sent out a flag of truce, agreeing to surrender Paris to
us; so we marched into the town with colours flying and drums beating,
the people on the tops of the houses, and leaning over the balconies,
some thousands of them singing out, “_Vive le Roi!_” and others, in
opposition, “_Vive Napoleon!_” But witnessing the number of the army,
they thought it best to desist; we went through the Palais Royal, and
then marched out and took up our quarters convenient to the river; the
fifty-second light infantry and the seventy-first Scotch regiments, and
the rifles, occupied the opposite side of the road to that on which the
seventy-second light infantry were; a portion of the cossacks were
stationed along with us, and also the artillery; the commissariat took
up their department on one side of the camping ground to serve us out
with rations. I often amused myself by looking at the river side, and
going into a river on top of the horses’ backs naked: when the horse
would be out of his depth, he would strike off swimming, and the man
would swim alongside of the horse; they used to go a considerable way
from the bank, turn their horses heads round, and swim back after them.
The constant practice amongst the soldiers was plunder. When the
inhabitants came out to see the soldiers, before they returned to the
town they were robbed; reports went to Wellington about these offences,
and upon all those that were caught corporal punishment was inflicted.
When our light brigade was in camp, scarcely a day passed without some
flogging; I was very keen myself to see if I could get something in the
way of provender to enable me to be strong and long-winded. I went out
one night with several others about a mile from the camping ground, to
procure some vegetables in the gardens belonging to the Pizans, or
market-gardeners; we had a strong mud wall to go over, dividing the road
from the garden, about ten foot high; we all got over the wall and went
up through the gardens, and the owners of the place hearing us began to
fire away with their old muskets at us, and compelled us to retire. In
coming back to cross the wall, I made a leap with the rest of my
comrades--unfortunately, in trying to get over, I caught hold of the top
of the wall, which being, as I said before, of mud, gave way, and down I
came on the broad of my back inside the garden again; and I was alarmed
about my bones, when I concealed myself under the wall. The gardeners
were at this time going up and down looking for us; they were calling
out, in French, “_Sacre non de dieu!_” (which means in plain English,
“Damn your eyes and limbs!”) also, that “we were a lot of thieves.”
There was a dog not far from me, that set to howling, which enlightened
them as to where I was concealed, when they all came up and dragged me
out by the collar, and vowed vengeance on me; they brought me to the
gateway, and in pushing me through the gateway into the road, one fellow
gave me a rap on the back of the head with a pole, which made me see all
the colours of the rainbow; I thought this was too much to stand from a
Frenchman: but their being too strong for me, I proceeded quietly to the
camp determining to watch my chance. We used often to meet them coming
into market with their vegetables, so, instead of going over mud walls
any more, we helped ourselves from their carts to get an excellent
supply.
Our field-days were on Tuesdays and Fridays, something better than a
league of three miles towards St. Denis, in an angle of Mont Mart. We
used to go through our evolutions, of forming line and squares, &c.,
during the day, and then retire to camp. Some time in August (I cannot
remember the exact date), there were two men ordered by Wellington to be
executed; one belonged to the 71st regiment of the line, and the other
to the 52nd light infantry. The 71st man was to be hung on a tree, and
the 52nd man to be shot; and, as the regiment stood in close column to
watch the execution, placed in such a position that every man could
witness it, the man was first hanged; and we then changed front to the
rear to witness the man who was to be shot; when we faced about, the man
was kneeling on his coffin, and his grave before him; the Chaplain was
praying with the man some considerable time while he was on his coffin,
and when the Chaplain was about to bid him farewell, he shook hands
with him. Immediately the provost-marshal ordered the sergeant to draw
the cap over his eyes; as soon as he did so, the General of the Brigade
gave orders for the men to prime and load. Just as the men were coming
to the “recover,” and then to the “present,” waiting for orders to fire,
an orderly dragoon came into the field as hard as he could; the General
called out to stop the execution till the dragoon came up; when he
arrived before the General, he pulled round his sabretash, and presented
a despatch from Wellington to the General of Brigade; when he opened it
and discovered the contents, he ordered the man to be liberated, and the
cap to be drawn from off his head, which was thrown on the ground, and
unfastened his arms, which were pinioned behind him. He jumped off the
coffin, and stood for a minute or two quite confused, when he wheeled
himself about and went up through the columns as smart as ever I saw a
man walk. The General called out to form line of regiments, to step off
in slow time by subdivisions, and to march past the gallows where the
man was hanging from the tree, for an example against plundering. The
General called out to the Colonels to march their regiments to their
respective camping grounds; which we did, the band playing “Over the
hills and far away,” leaving the corpse hanging on the tree behind us.
Some short time after this occurrence, all hands were to attend
parade--sick, lame and lazy--at the square of the general hospital.
There was a man brought up by the provost to be flogged for plundering;
his sentence was for 1,000 lashes. When he was tied up to the triangles,
he received 500 lashes and never cried “Oh!” to it; the other 500 were
to be delivered at another time. He was conveyed away to the hospital to
be dressed by the doctor, and we marched back to the camping ground. A
fortnight after, the brigade all mustered again and assembled in the
general hospital yard; the man was brought out and then received the
other 500 lashes; at the first lash the blood spurted out, but he took
the whole of the lashes without uttering a word; and we marched back
again to our camping ground.
We used to have parades and field-days as usual. Nothing more took place
of any importance, as far as I witnessed, until the early part of
October, when the brigade all fell in one morning, marched toward the
city, and formed in line, with the cavalry and artillery on each flank,
and there remained till further orders, while they were taking down the
statues that Bonaparte had taken from other countries. From the sulky
looks of the inhabitants that day, we expected some disturbance; but
seeing the numbers of the allied army, they kept themselves quiet. We
marched back into the camp during the evening, and there lay till
further orders. On the 12th of October we had orders to break up camp,
and our brigade marched to Versailles, four leagues from Paris, and
there to remain till further orders. Our brigade field-days were as
usual; there was very little I can give an account of for the short
time that we were in Versailles. The Rifles were then ordered to march
to Calais, to embark for Great Britain. We went on board the troop ship
after stopping in Calais only two days. The Jewish inhabitants came on
board to know if any of the soldiers had anything to dispose of; they
said they would buy anything, so the men asked them would they buy
blankets, and they replied they would--those being the campaign
blankets; the men asked how much they would give for a blanket, they
said eighteen francs, to which some of us agreed, some selling half a
one only, which my comrade and myself did, dividing one between us for
our use, and selling the other and dividing the money. I purchased a few
articles with the proceeds, from the French Jews, such as I stood in
need of.
The following morning we proceeded on our way, and the second day we
sighted Dover, at which place we had to land. We found on the beach,
Colonel Duffay (formerly belonging to the forty-third light infantry)
who took the command from Colonel Ross; he gave orders for all those
that had articles on the top of their knapsacks to take them off and to
leave them on the beach; I picked up some of my things and concealed
them about me as well as I could; we then marched up to the
quarter-master’s stores--companies being called for, and the list being
gone over to go forward and give in their blankets, haversacks, and
canteens: some had none, others threw in half a one, but those were as
well off who threw in nothing, as those who had only a half one. After
this had been done, we marched to the heights, and took up our position
in barracks, and there remained till further orders.
Our parades and duty were very moderate; we remained here for two
months, when we had orders to march to Ramsgate, to embark on board of
troopships for Ireland. We disembarked six miles from Waterford, at a
place called Darsage--marched six miles into Waterford, took up our
position on the Quay, and there remained till the billets were issued
out--only one night. The following morning we marched to New Ross, in
the County of Wexford, twelve miles; we came up to the bridge leading
into the town, when the band struck up playing through the town, and we
formed in the Market Square. Shortly after the billets were handed out
by the sergeants of companies; I received a billet for six of us, and
went to the house, which was a huckster’s shop. The woman of the house
said, “Well, men, we have not much room to put you into;” but we said we
could put up with that; so she showed us an apartment where we had to
reside, and we put our knapsacks, &c., all up on one side of the room
and slept on the other. We came out into another apartment to get a
smoke of our pipes, where there was a large turf fire, and we sat down
beside if, and the woman of the house asked us if we would take any
refreshments, and we replied that we would; she asked us what we would
take, and we said “anything;” so with that she put a big pot on the
fire, full of potatoes, about fourteen pounds. While they were boiling,
she threw in a quantity of eggs on the top, and set about laying the
tablecloth; she then took a lot of bacon and fried two pansfull of it,
and set it all down before us, with plenty of good table ale, bread, &c.
After we had made a good meal, I asked the woman of the house what the
expenses would be, she said, “Two tenpenny pieces;” I said to my
comrade, “You pay threepence halfpenny, and I will do the same.” I told
two others to pay the same, and two threepence each, making in all one
and eightpence; after we had smoked our pipes a bit, we made our
departure to go to the town; we went into the market and saw a great
quantity of provisions; I asked the price of potatoes per stone, and was
told three halfpence; I asked what the eggs were per dozen, they told me
two pence; how much the bacon was per lb., they said three halfpence. I
thought to myself our dinners were charged for very moderately. We then
retired down through the town, and took two or three glasses of whisky.
In the evening we returned and took some more refreshment, the following
morning we did the same, and continued this kind of living until Monday.
Sunday being a halting day, I had a pair of boots that wanted soleing
and heeling; I took them to the shoemaker belonging to the company, but
he said he would work for nobody on the Sabbath day. As our route was
for Dublin, I knew my boots would not carry me there, and I was
determined to get them mended by Monday. I tied them up in my
handkerchief, went down through the town with them to see if I could get
them done there; I was informed by a man where I could; he directed me
to a back lane, and knocked at the door of a house; I asked the person
who opened it if he was a shoemaker; he replied, “I am;” I said, “I have
a pair of boots to mend;” he replied that he did not work on the
Sabbath, but, as I was a soldier on the line of march, he would do them
for me; so I went in; he set to work to mend them at once, and was not
long before he had them repaired. I asked what he charged; he said, “As
you are a soldier I will only charge you tenpence,” for which I said I
was very thankful, and asked him if he would take a glass of whisky, at
which he agreed, and we went out at once to a whisky shop; I called for
half a pint, and totted out a good bumper to the old man, which he
kindly accepted, and wished me all prosperity. We agreed very well, and
both got pretty “top heavy;” I then wished him good bye.
I went back to my residence, and lay down to have a sleep; when I woke
up I found I was all right. On the morning following the bugle sounded
“Turn out the whole;” I went down and fell in with my company; the roll
was called; after we had all answered to our names, we marched off in
two divisions; the right wing to which I belonged was to go through
Kilkenny, and from that to Dublin. When we arrived there we took our up
residence in the Palatine Square, convenient to the Royal Square; we
did duty for two years in Dublin; our parade and duties were very
severe--every other night upon guard, and field days very hard. After
the two years were up we were ordered to King’s County, sixty-three
miles from Dublin and forty-one from Talamore, there to do duty
until further orders. Shortly after the arrival the colonel had an
order to break up the battalion, so we gave in our arms and our
accoutrements--one company each day. Previous to our being dismissed the
colonel formed square, and told us he was going in as colonel of the
first battalion, and if any of us would wish to join him we could. A
great many did, but I did not. I took a blank discharge, as a soldier of
good conduct; I had all my regimental pay given to me, and so much a
mile to the place of my enlistment. We then were sent to Dublin,
sixty-three miles; we marched from Barr to Talamore, and arrived in the
evening, having walked forty-two miles in one day; we put up at a
public-house, and in the course of the evening two men came in at about
nine o’clock, and asked if there were any passengers for Dublin; we
asked what sort of a conveyance they had; they said, “Canal boats;” we
asked what they would charge each; they replied, “Two tenpenny pieces
each;” so we got a drop more to drink, and all departed at ten o’clock.
In getting into the canal boats there was great amusement, and during
the night we had fiddling and dancing, and we kept it up till the
morning, when we arrived on the quay in Dublin; we then had to proceed
to the recruiting depot, on the Kings-end road, leading toward the
Pigeon house, and there we lay till further orders on board of the
Edward, barque, troopship; we lay there two days, and on the third day
we weighed anchor at nightfall, and proceeded on our way.