the dispositions of the enemy than he sent an order for the Baron to
charge them. They charged accordingly--broke through the squares, and
took the whole of the infantry--the enemy's cavalry and artillery
having fled.
Colonel May, of the British artillery, not satisfied with being
the bearer of the order, gallantly headed the charge, and fell
covered with wounds, from which he eventually recovered; but Lord
Wellington, however much he must have admired the action, cut him for a
considerable time in consequence, by way of marking his disapproval of
officers thrusting themselves into danger unnecessarily.
In an attempt so gallantly made--so gloriously executed--it would be
invidious to exalt one individual above another, and yet I have every
reason to believe that their success was in a great measure owing to
the decisive conduct of one man.
Our battalion just rounded the hill in time to witness the end of it;
and in conversing with one of the officers immediately after, he told
me that their success was owing to the presence of mind of a captain
commanding a squadron, who was ordered to charge the cavalry which
covered a flank of the squares--that, while in full career, the enemy's
horse in his front, without awaiting the shock, gave way, but, in place
of pursuing them, he, with a decision calculated to turn the tide of
any battle, at once brought up his outward flank, and went full tilt
against a face of the square, which having until that moment been
protected, was taken by surprise, and he bore down all before him!
My informant mentioned the name of the hero, but it was a severe German
one, which died on the spot like an empty sound--nor have I ever since
read or heard of it--so that one who ought to have filled a bright
page in our history of that brilliant field, has, in all probability,
passed--
"Nor of his name or race
Hath left a token or a trace,"
save what I have here related.
The baron, presuming that he had all the merit due to a leader on that
occasion, (for I knew him only by sight,) shewed, in his own person,
what we frequently see, that to be a bold man it is not necessary to be
a big one. In stature he was under the middle size, slenderly made, and
with a hump on one shoulder. He lived through many a bloody peninsular
field to perish by shipwreck in returning to his native country.
Throughout our many hard-fought and invariably successful Peninsular
fields, it used to be a subject of deep mortification for us to see the
breasts of our numerous captives adorned with the different badges of
the Legion of Honour, and to think that our country should never have
thought their captors deserving of some little mark of distinction,
not only to commemorate the action, but to distinguish the man who
fought, from him who did not--thereby leaving that strongest of all
corps, the _Belem Rangers_, who had never seen a shot fired, to look
as fierce and talk as big as the best. Many officers, I see, by the
periodicals, continue still to fight for such a distinction, but the
day has gone by. No correct line could now be drawn, and the seeing of
such a medal on the breast of a man who had no claim, would deprive it
of its chief value in the eyes of him who had.
To shew the importance attached to such distinctions in our service,
I may remark that, though the Waterloo medal is intrinsically worth
two or three shillings, and a soldier will sometimes be tempted to
part with almost any thing for drink, yet, during the fifteen years in
which I remained with the rifles after Waterloo, I never knew a single
instance of a medal being sold, and only one of its being pawned.
On that solitary occasion it was the property of a handsome, wild,
rattling young fellow, named Roger Black. He, one night, at Cambray,
when his last copper had gone, found the last glass of wine so good,
that he could not resist the temptation of one bottle more, for which
he left his medal in pledge with the _aubergiste_, for the value of ten
sous. Roger's credit was low--a review day arrived, and he could not
raise the wind to redeem the thing he gloried in, but, putting a bold
face on it, he went to the holder, and telling him that he had come for
the purpose of redemption, he got it in his hands, and politely wished
the landlord good morning, telling him, as he was marching off, that
he would call and pay the franc out of the first money he received;
but the arrangement did not suit mine host, who opposed his exit with
all the strength of his establishment, consisting of his wife, two
daughters, a well-frizzled waiter, and a club-footed hostler. Roger,
however, painted the whole family group, ladies and all, with a set of
beautiful black eyes, and then marched off triumphantly.
Poor Roger, for that feat, was obliged to be paid in kind, very
much against the grain of his judges, for his defence was an honest
one--namely, that he had no intention of cheating the man, but he had
no money, "and, by Jove, you know gentlemen, I could never think of
going to a review without my medal!"
THE END.
MARCHANT, PRINTER, INGRAM-COURT, FENCHURCH-STREET.
PUBLISHED BY
T. AND W. BOONE, 29, NEW BOND STREET.
COLONEL NAPIER'S
HISTORY OF THE WAR IN THE PENINSULA,
AND IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE;
From the Year 1807 to the Year 1814.
With Plates. Four Volumes 8vo. price £4; or, sold separately,
20_s._ each.
* * * * *
In One Volume, post 8vo. price 10_s._ 6_d._ boards,
A NARRATIVE OF EVENTS IN THE SOUTH OF FRANCE,
And of the ATTACK ON NEW ORLEANS, in 1814 & 1815.
By CAPT. S. H. COOKE, 43d Regt.
"This clever and fearless account of the attack on New Orleans is
penned by one of the "occupation;" whose soldier-like view and keen
observation during the period of the stirring events he so well
relates, has enabled him to bring before the public the ablest account
that has yet been given of that ill-fated and disgraceful expedition,
and also to rescue the troops who were employed on it from those
degrading reflections which have hitherto unjustly been insinuated
against them. The admirable conduct of the navy throughout this
campaign it is impossible too highly to extol."--_Gentleman's Magazine._
"We like this sort of thing extremely, and we say unhesitatingly,
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earnestly to call the attention of military men to the campaign before
New Orleans. It is fraught with a fearful interest, and fixes upon
the mind reflections of almost every hue. Captain Cooke's relation is
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must be generally read," &c.--_Metropolitan._
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in many of his stories that tells effectively."--_Sunday Herald._
* * * * *
AN ESSAY
ON THE
PRINCIPLES AND CONSTRUCTION
OF
MILITARY BRIDGES,
_AND THE PASSAGE OF RIVERS IN MILITARY OPERATIONS_,
BY MAJOR-GENERAL SIR HOWARD DOUGLAS, BART.
K.S.C., D.C.L., F.R.S., &c. &c.
The Second Edition, containing much additional Matter and Plates,
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* * * * *
COLONIZATION;
PARTICULARLY
IN SOUTHERN AUSTRALIA:
WITH SOME REMARKS ON
SMALL FARMS AND OVER POPULATION.
BY COLONEL CHARLES JAMES NAPIER, C.B.
Author of "The Colonies; particularly the Ionian Islands."
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"I have always, hitherto, advised _Englishmen_ not to emigrate, even to
the United States of America; but to remain at home, _in the hope that
some change_ for the better would come in the course of a _few years_.
It is now eleven years since I, in my YEARS' RESIDENCE, deliberately
gave that advice. Not only has there, since 1818, when the YEAR'S
RESIDENCE was written, been no change for the better, but things have
gradually become worse and worse, in short, things have now taken that
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Letter_ I. _paragraph 2_.
* * * * *
Just Published, in foolscap 8vo. price 1_s._
THE NURSERY GOVERNESS.
BY ELIZABETH NAPIER;
Published after her Death by her Husband, Col. Charles James Napier,
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"This is an admirable little book."--_True Sun._
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especially in the higher walks of life, may read it with
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either as a mother or governess."--_Sun._
* * * * *
Just Published, in post 8vo. price 5s.
RECOLLECTIONS AND REFLECTIONS
Relative of the Duties of Troops composing the advanced Corps of an
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BY LIEUTENANT COLONEL I. LEACH, C.B.
Late of the Rifle Brigade.
Author of "Rough Sketches of the Life of an Old Soldier."
* * * * *
In 8vo. price _2s._
PRUSSIA IN 1833;
ORGANIZATION OF THE ARMY OF PRUSSIA, AND HER CIVIL
INSTITUTIONS.
Translated from the French of M. de Chambray. With an Appendix by
General de Caraman.
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the authorities who have the destiny of the army in their hands, an
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fact, better dealt with than is the case '_with the best paid army in
Europe_.'"--_United Service Journal._
* * * * *
THE HISTORY
OF THE
KING'S GERMAN LEGION,
FROM THE PERIOD OF ITS ORGANIZATION IN 1803, TO THAT OF ITS
DISSOLUTION IN 1816.
_Compiled from Manuscript Documents._
By N. LUDLOW BEAMISH, Esq. F.R.S. late Major unattached.
Vol. I. 8vo. with coloured plates; price 20_s._ boards; to be
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"Of the late war we have had histories, partial or complete, in
countless abundance; but we have not seen one, displaying more
moderation, more diligence in investigating the truth, or more
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professedly merely a history of the services of the German Legion, it
is, in fact, a history of the entire war; for, from 'what glorious and
well-foughten field' can we record the absence of German chivalry?
The work is not like others we could name--a mere compilation from
newspapers and magazines. Major Beamish has left no source of
information unexplored; and the access he obtained to manuscript
journals has enabled him to intersperse his general narrative
with interesting personal anecdotes, that render this volume as
delightful for those who read for amusement, as those who read for
profit."--_Athenæum._
* * * * *
A TREATISE ON THE GAME OF WHIST;
BY THE LATE
ADMIRAL CHARLES BURNEY,
Author of Voyages and Discoveries in the Pacific, &c.
_Second Edition._ 18mo. boards, price 2_s._
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and what the Author considers the most safe principles. I have limited
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their being rightly comprehended and easily remembered. For the greater
encouragement of the learner, I have studied brevity; but not in a
degree to have prevented my endeavouring more to make the principles
of the game, and the rationality of them intelligible, than to furnish
a young player with a set of rules to get by rote, that he might go
blindly right."
In 8vo. price 5_s._
* * * * *
SKETCHES IN SPAIN,
During the Years 1829-30-31 and 32;
Containing Notices of some Districts very little known; of the
Manners of the People, Government, Recent Changes, Commerce, Fine
Arts, and Natural History.
BY CAPTAIN S. E. COOK, R.N. K.T.S. F.G.S.
Two vol. 8vo. price 21_s._
"Volumes of great value and attraction; we would say, in a word, they
afford us the most complete account of Spain in every respect which has
issued from the press."--_Literary Gazette._
"The value of the book is in its matter and its facts. If written upon
any country it would have been useful, but treating of one like Spain,
about which we know almost nothing, but of which it is desirable to
know so much, Captain Cook's Sketches must be considered an acquisition
to the library."--_Spectator._
"These volumes, the work of a gentleman of high and varied
accomplishments, whose opportunities of observation have been unusually
extensive and well-improved, will command and repay attention. They
contain by far the best account of Spain that has yet issued from the
press.
"These volumes comprize every point worthy of notice, and the whole is
so interspersed with lively adventure and description; so imbued with a
kindly spirit of good-nature, courting and acknowledging attention, as
to render it attractive reading."--_United Service Gazette._
"Approbation can be the only sentiment which this well-written and
deeply-searching book must elicit. No one could either pretend to write
or converse upon this country without preparing himself by a previous
perusal of this instructive work."--_Metropolitan._
* * * * *
To be completed in Four Volumes,
THE LIFE OF THE EMPEROR NAPOLEON,
With an Appendix; containing an Examination of Sir Walter
Scott's "Life of Napoleon Bonaparte:" and a Notice of the
principal Errors of other Writers, respecting his Character and
Conduct.
BY H. LEE.
Vir neque silendus,
Neque dicendus sine cura,----aliquando
Fortuna, semper animo maximus.--_Vell. Paterculus_, l. 4. c. 18.
"Quelques parcelles de tant de gloire parviendront-elles aux
siècles à venir, ou, le mensonge, la calomnie, le crime,
prévaudront-ils?"--_Napoleon à Ste. Hélène._
_Vol. I. with a Portrait of Napoleon, price 18s._
"It is exceedingly curious and interesting. It has been much less
talked of than it deserves to be. He has produced a portion of a
singularly interesting work. As soon as another volume appears, we
propose to give our readers a fuller account of this new Life. In the
meanwhile, we recommend this one to notice."--_Tait's Magazine._
"The life of Bonaparte now reads like a connected story, where we
can trace each successive step. We shall be glad to see the future
volumes."--_Spectator._
Transcribers' Notes:
Punctuation and spelling were made consistent when a predominant
preference was found in this book; otherwise they were not changed.
Simple typographical errors were corrected; occasional unbalanced
quotation marks retained.
Ambiguous hyphens at the ends of lines were retained.
Text uses "Padré", "Padrè", and "Padre".
Advertisement at front: "déjá" was printed with those accent marks.
There are two "CHAPTER VII"'s in the Contents and in the body.
Page 11: "remarkable" has been changed to "remarkably" as indicated in
the book's "Erratum".
Page 89: "bill-kooks" probably should be "bill-hooks".
Page 200: the "oe" ligature in "sacre boeuftake" may have been printed
incorrectly or transcribed incorrectly; the "t" was in the original.
Page 247: "fiery tale" probably should be "fiery tail".
Page 281: closing parenthesis added in "to win or to die,) thrust".
Page 293: "to day" was printed that way, with a space, without a hyphen.
End of Project Gutenberg's Random Shots From a Rifleman, by John Kincaid