THE WALCHEREN EXPEDITION.
The embarkation--Flushing--The Walcheren fever--The doctors at
fault--The Riflemen attacked--The one survivor out of thirty-nine--The
veteran battalion--The independent companies.
At Deal, the Rifles embarked in the Superb, a seventy-four, and a
terrible outcry there was amongst the women upon the beach on the
embarkation; for the ill consequences of having too many women amongst
us had been so apparent in our former campaign and retreat, that the
allowance of wives was considerably curtailed on this occasion, and the
distraction of the poor creatures at parting with their husbands was
quite heart-rending; some of them clinging to the men so resolutely,
that the officers were obliged to give orders to have them separated by
force. In fact, even after we were in the boats and fairly pushed off,
the screaming and howling of their farewells rang in our ears far out
at sea.
The weather being fair, and the fleet having a grand and imposing
appearance, many spectators (even from London) came to look at us as we
lay in the Downs, and we set sail (I think on the third day from our
embarkation) in three divisions.
A fair wind soon carried us off Flushing, where one part of the
expedition disembarked; the other made for South Beveland, among which
latter I myself was. The five companies of Rifles immediately occupied
a very pretty village, with rows of trees on either side its principal
streets, where we had plenty of leisure to listen to the cannonading
going on amongst the companies we had left at Flushing.
The appearance of the country (such as it was) was extremely pleasant,
and for a few days the men enjoyed themselves much. But at the
expiration of (I think) less time than a week, an awful visitation came
suddenly upon us. The first I observed of it was one day as I sat in
my billet, when I beheld whole parties of our Riflemen in the street
shaking with a sort of ague, to such a degree that they could hardly
walk; strong and fine young men who had been but a short time in the
service seemed suddenly reduced in strength to infants, unable to stand
upright--so great a shaking had seized upon their whole bodies from
head to heel. The company I belonged to was quartered in a barn, and
I quickly perceived that hardly a man there had stomach for the bread
that was served out to him, or even to taste his grog, although each
man had an allowance of half-a-pint of gin per day. In fact I should
say that, about three weeks from the day we landed, I and two others
were the only individuals who could stand upon our legs. They lay
groaning in rows in the barn, amongst the heaps of lumpy black bread
they were unable to eat.
This awful spectacle considerably alarmed the officers,[11] who were
also many of them attacked. The naval doctors came on shore to assist
the regimental surgeons, who, indeed, had more upon their hands than
they could manage; Dr. Ridgeway of the Rifles, and his assistant,
having nearly five hundred patients prostrate at the same moment. In
short, except myself and three or four others, the whole concern was
completely floored.
Under these circumstances, which considerably confounded the doctors,
orders were issued (since all hopes of getting the men upon their legs
seemed gone) to embark them as fast as possible, which was accordingly
done with some little difficulty. The poor fellows made every effort
to get on board; those who were a trifle better than others crawled to
the boats; many supported each other; and many were carried helpless as
infants.
At Flushing matters were not much better, except that there the
soldiers had a smart skirmish with their enemies before the fever and
ague attacked them. On ship-board the aspect of affairs did not mend;
the men beginning to die so fast that they committed ten or twelve to
the deep in one day.
It was rather extraordinary that myself, and Brooks, and a man named
Bowley, who had all three been at Corunna, were at this moment
unattacked by the disease, and, notwithstanding the awful appearance
of the pest-ship we were in, I myself had little fear of it, I thought
myself so hardened that it could not touch me. It happened, however,
that I stood sentinel (men being scarce) over the hatchway, and Brooks,
who was always a jolly and jeering companion (even in the very jaws
of death) came past me, and offered me a lump of pudding, it being
pudding-day on board. At that moment I felt struck with a deadly
faintness, shaking all over like an aspen, and my teeth chattering in
my head so that I could hardly hold my rifle.
Brooks looked at me for a moment, with the pudding in his hand, which
he saw I could not take. "Hallo," he said, "why Harris, old boy, _you_
are not going to begin, are you?"
I felt unable to answer him, but only muttered out as I trembled, "For
God's sake get me relieved, Brooks!"
"Hallo?" said Brooks, "it's all up with Harris! You're catched hold of
at last, old chap."
In fact I was soon sprawling upon the forecastle, amongst many others,
in a miserable state, our knapsacks and our great-coats over us. In
this state the doctors, during our short voyage, were fully employed;
pails of infusion of bark were carried amongst us and given to the men
in horn tumblers, and thus we arrived at Dover.
As I lay on the deck, I looked up at that splendid castle in the
distance. It was identified with old England, and many a languid eye
was cheered by its sight. Men naturally love to die upon their native
land, and I felt I could now do so contentedly! Nay, I have that
frowning English fortress in my eye, at this moment, as I then beheld
it. The Warwickshire Militia were at this time quartered at Dover. They
came to assist in disembarking us, and were obliged to lift many of
us out of the boats like sacks of flour. If any of those militia-men
remain alive, they will not easily forget that piece of duty; for I
never beheld men more moved than they were at our helpless state.
Many died at Dover and numbers in Deal; whilst those who had somewhat
rallied, on getting from the land of pestilence, were paraded, in order
to get them on to their old quarters at Hythe.
I remember that the 43rd and 52nd Regiments (all that were able)
marched with us this day to Hythe; but I'm afraid we did not (any of
us) cut much of a figure on the road. In fact, such was the shaking
fever we felt, we were left pretty much to our own discretion to get
to our journey's end in the best manner we could. Many, indeed, would
never have got into barracks without assistance. In short, when I sat
down exhausted by the road-side several times during the march, and
looked at the men, I thought it bore in some degree a similitude to the
Corunna retreat; so awfully had disease enfeebled them.
The hospital at Hythe being filled with the sick, the barracks became
a hospital, and as deaths ensued, and thinned the wards, the men were
continually removed, making a progress from barrack to hospital, and
from hospital to the grave. The ward of the hospital in which I myself
was, accomodated eleven men, and I saw, from my bed in the corner where
I lay, this ward refilled ten times, the former patients being all
carried out to the grave. I had been gradually removed as the men died,
until I was driven up into a corner of the ward, where I lay, and had
plenty of leisure to observe my comrades in misfortune, and witness
their end. Some I beheld die quietly, and others were seized in various
ways. Many got out of bed in a shivering delirium, and died upon the
floor in the night-time.
Having been a shoemaker in the Rifles, I had saved during my service
near two hundred pounds, which I had in the bank at Hythe at this time,
so that I was enabled to procure extra wine and other nourishing
things, and often gave my companions in misfortune a treat also; and
this I think enabled my iron constitution to keep death so long at bay.
I saw one or two of my old Peninsular comrades, whom I had often seen
fighting bravely in the field, die in this hospital in a miserable
condition, their bodies being swollen up like barrels.
Everything was done for us that skill could devise, and nothing could
exceed the kindness and attention of Dr. Ridgeway towards us. Hot baths
were brought into the hospital--and many a man died whilst in the bath.
I remember hearing, as I lay sick, that the firing over the graves of
our comrades was dispensed with, the men died so fast; and when I got
out, and went to the churchyard to look upon their graves I saw them
lying in two lines there. As they in life had been enranked, so they
lay also in similar order in death.
The medical men made every effort to trace the immediate cause of this
mortality amongst us; and almost all the men were examined after death;
but it was of no avail, as nothing could arrest the progress of the
malady after it had reached a certain height. The doctor, I heard,
generally attributed the deaths, in most cases, to enlargement of the
spleen, as almost all were swollen and diseased in that part. I myself
was dreadfully enlarged in the side, and for many years afterwards
carried "an extra paunch."
As soon as the prospect began to brighten, and the men to recover a
little, we managed to muster outside the hospital, some three hundred
of us parading there morning and evening, for the benefit of fresh air;
and medicine was served out to us as we stood enranked, the hospital
orderlies passing along the files, and giving each man his dose from
large jugs which they carried.
As we got better, an order arrived to furnish two companies of the
second battalion, and two companies of the third battalion, of Rifles,
for Spain, as they were much wanted there. Accordingly an inspection
took place, and two hundred men were picked out, all of whom were most
anxious to go. I myself was rejected at that time, as unfit, which I
much regretted. However, on making application, after a few days, I was
accepted, principally on the recommendation of Lieutenant Cochrane,
who much wished for me; and I, in consequence, once more started for
foreign service.
From Hythe to Portsmouth, where we were to embark, was eight days'
march; but the very first day found out some of the Walcheren lads.
I myself was assisted that night to my billet, the ague having again
seized me, and on the third day waggons were put in requisition to get
us along the road. As we proceeded, some of those men who had relapsed
died by the way, and were buried in different places we passed through.
At Chichester, I recollect, a man was taken out of the waggon in which
I myself lay, who had died beside me; and at that place he was buried.
At Portsmouth I remained one night, billeted with my fellow-travellers
at the Dolphin. Here I was visited by an uncle who resided in the town;
and who was much shocked at seeing me so much reduced, concluding it
was impossible I could survive many days. Such was the sad state we
were again reduced to. The next morning spring-waggons were procured
for us, and we were sent back to Hilsea barracks for the benefit of
medical advice; and I took a farewell of my uncle, expecting never to
see him again. Such, however, was not to be the case, as, out of the
thirty-nine Riflemen who went into Hilsea hospital, I alone survived.
It may seem to my readers extraordinary that I should twice be the
survivor of so many of my comrades. I can only, therefore, refer them
to the medical men who attended us, if they yet live, Dr. Ridgeway, of
the Rifles, and Dr. Frazer, who at that time was the surgeon at Hilsea.
I must not forget to mention an act of great kindness and humanity
which was performed towards the soldiery whilst we lay sick at Hilsea
Hospital. Lady Grey, who, I believe, was the wife of the Commissioner
of Portsmouth Dockyard at this time, was so much struck with the state
of the sufferers, that she sent, one morning, two carts loaded with
warm clothing for them; giving to each man, of whatsoever regiment, who
had been at Walcheren, two pairs of flannel drawers and two flannel
waistcoats. This circumstance was greatly appreciated by the men, and
many, like myself, have never forgotten it.
After this, being the only Rifleman left at Hilsea, Lieutenant Bardell
made application to the General for leave for me to go into Dorsetshire
to see my friends, which was granted; but the doctor shook his head,
doubting I should ever be able to endure the journey. In about a week,
however, I considered myself fit to undertake it; and, accordingly, a
non-commissioned officer of one of the line regiments put me into a
Salisbury coach. A lady and gentleman were my fellow passengers inside,
and we started about four o'clock. They seemed not much to relish
the look of a sick soldier in such close quarters; and, indeed, we
had hardly cleared the town of Gosport before I gave them a dreadful
fright. In short, I was attacked all at once with one of my periodical
ague-fits, and shook to so desperate a degree that they were both
horror-struck, and almost inclined to keep me company in my trembling.
The lady thought that both herself and husband were lost, and would
certainly catch the complaint; expressing herself as most unhappy in
having begun her journey on that day. These fits generally lasted an
hour and a quarter, and then came on a burning fever, during which
I called for water at every place where the coach stopped. In fact,
coachman, guard, and passengers, outside and in, by no means liked it,
and expected every minute that I should die in the coach.
"Here's a nice go," said the coachman, as he stopped at a place called
Whitchurch, "catch me ever taking up a sick soldier again if I can help
it. This here poor devil's going to make a die of it in my coach."
It seemed, indeed, as if I had personally offended the burly coachman,
for he made an oration at every place he stopped at, and sent all the
helpers and idlers to look at me, as I sat in his coach, till at last I
was obliged to beg of him not to do so.
I had two attacks of this sort during the night, and was so bad that I
myself thought with the coachman, that I should never get out of the
vehicle alive. Never, I should think, had passengers so unpleasant a
journey as the lady and gentleman I travelled with.
At length, early in the morning, the coach stopped at a village one
mile from my father's residence, which was on the estate of the present
Marquis of Anglesey. I had left my father's cottage quite a boy, and
although I knew the landlord of the little inn where the coached
stopped, and several other persons I saw there, none recognised me; so
I made myself known as well as I could, for I was terribly exhausted,
and the landlord immediately got four men to carry me home.
My father was much moved at beholding me return in so miserable a
plight, as were also my stepmother and my brother. I remained with
them eight months, six of which I lay in a hopeless state in bed,
certificates being sent every month to Hythe, stating my inability
to move; and during which time Captain Hart sent four letters to the
commanding officer, desiring I might be drafted out, if possible, to
Spain, as, being a handicraft, I was much wanted there.
The medical men round the neighbourhood hearing of my state, many of
them came to see me, in order to observe the nature of a complaint that
had proved so fatal to our soldiers.
At the end of the eighth month (being once more somewhat recovered,
and able to crawl about, with the aid of a stick, a few yards from our
cottage door), as my mother-in-law had once or twice expressed herself
burthened by this long illness, I resolved to attempt to return to my
regiment. I was therefore transported in a cart to the King's Arms Inn,
at Dorchester, my body being swollen up hard as a barrel, and my limbs
covered with ulcers. Here the surgeons of the 9th and 11th Dragoons
made an examination of me, and ordered me into Dorchester hospital,
where I remained seven weeks; and here my case completely puzzled the
faculty.
At length Dr. Burroughs, on making his rounds, caught sight of me as I
sat on my bed, dressed in my green uniform.
"Hallo! Rifleman," he said, "how came you here?"
Being told, he looked very sharply at me, and seemed to consider.
"Walcheren," he inquired, "eh?"
"Yes, sir," I said, "and it has not done with me yet."
"Strip, my man," he said, "and lie on your back. What have you done
for him?" he asked sharply of the doctor.
The doctor told him.
"Then try with him mercury, sir," he said, "_both externally_ and
_internally_."
After saying which in a rapid manner, he turned as quickly, and
proceeded in his rounds amongst the rest of the patients.
I was now salivated most desperately, after which I got a little
better, and resolved, at all hazards, to try and rejoin my regiment,
for I was utterly tired of the hospital life I had altogether so long
led. "For Heaven's sake," I said, "let me go and die with my own
regiment!"
With some little difficulty I got leave to go, and once again started,
at my own expense, for Hythe, in Kent, by the coach. Before doing so,
however, to my surprise, the medical man who had attended me under
my father's roof, brought me in his bill, which was a pretty good
one, amounting to sixty pounds! I thought this was pretty well for a
poor soldier to be charged. Having still, however, enough left of my
savings, I paid it; but I kept the bill, and afterwards shewed it to
Dr. Scott, of the Rifles, who remarked--"It could not have been higher,
Harris, if you had been a man possessing a thousand a year."
When I made my appearance in the barrack-square at Hythe, I was like
one risen from the dead; for I had been so long missing from amongst
the few I knew there, that I was almost forgotten. A hardy Scot, named
Mc Pherson, was one of the first who recognised me.
"Eh, my certie," he said, "here's Harris come back. Why I thought, man,
ye was gane amangst the lave o' them, but the deil will na kill ye, I
think!"
The day after my arrival I was once more in hospital, and here I
remained under Dr. Scott for twenty-eight weeks. Such was the
Walcheren fever, and to this day I sometimes feel the remains of it in
damp weather. From Hythe I was sent, amongst some other invalids, to
Chelsea. Sixty of us marched together on this occasion. Many had lost
their limbs, which, from wounds as well as disease, had been amputated;
and altogether we did not make a very formidable appearance, being
frequently obliged to be halted in the road to repair our strength,
when the whole turn-out would be seen sitting or sprawling at full
length by the way side.
This march took us ten days to accomplish, and when we halted at
Pimlico, we were pretty well done up. We were billeted in the different
public-houses in Chelsea. With others, I lodged at the Three Crowns,
close beside the Bun House.
I remember we paraded in the Five Fields, then an open space, but now
covered with elegant mansions, and become a part of London. Three
thousand invalids mustered here every morning--a motley group,
presenting a true picture of the toils of war. There were the lame, the
halt, and the blind, the sick, and the sorry, all in a lump. With those
who had lost their limbs, there was not much trouble, as they became
pensioners; but others were, some of them, closely examined from day to
day as to their eligibility for service. Amongst others I was examined
by Dr. Lephan.
"What age are you, Rifleman?" he said.
"Thirty-two, sir," I replied.
"What trade have you been of?" he inquired.
"A shoemaker," I replied.
"Where have you been?" he said.
"In Denmark, Spain, Portugal, and Walcheren," I said, "in which latter
place I met the worst enemy of all."
"Never mind that," he said, "you'll do yet; and we will send you to a
Veteran Battalion."
Accordingly I was appointed to the 8th Veteran Battalion, with
others, and sent to Fort Cumberland. Here I joined Captain Creswell's
company--an officer who had lost one eye, whilst in the 36th Regiment,
in Spain.
I was again the only green jacket of the lot, and the officers
assembled round me during the first muster, and asked me numerous
questions about my service amongst the Rifles, for we had a great
reputation in the army at this time. Major Caldwell commanded the
battalion; he had been in the fifth, and received a grievous wound in
the head. He was a kind and soldier-like man, but if you put him out of
temper, you would soon find out that he felt his wound. Captain Picard
was there, too, and Captain Flaherty, and Lieutenant Moorhead; all of
them were more or less shattered, whilst their men, although most of
them were young, were very good specimens of war's stern service. One,
perhaps, had a tale to tell of Salamanca, where he lost an eye, another
spoke of the breach at Badajoz, where he got six balls at once in his
body. Many paraded with sticks in their hands, and altogether it was
something of a different sort of force to the active chaps I had been
in the habit of serving amongst. In fact, I much regretted my green
jacket, and grieved at being obliged to part with it for the red coat
of the Veterans.
I remained in the Veterans only four months, as, at the expiration of
that time, Napoleon was sent to Elba. We were then marched to Chelsea,
to be disbanded, where we met thousands of soldiers lining, the
streets, and lounging about before the different public-houses, with
every description of wound and casualty incident to modern warfare.
There hobbled the maimed light-infantry man, the heavy dragoon, the
hussar, the artilleryman, the fusileer, and specimens from every
regiment in the service. The Irishman, shouting and brandishing his
crutch; the English soldier, reeling with drink; and the Scot, with
grave and melancholy visage, sitting on the steps of the public-house
amongst the crowd, listening to the skirl of his comrades' pipes, and
thinking of the blue hills of his native land. Such were Chelsea and
Pimlico in 1814.
In about a week's time I was discharged, and received a pension of
sixpence per day; and, for the first time since I had been a shepherd
lad on Blandford Downs, I saw myself in plain clothes, and with liberty
to go and come where I liked. Before, however, my pension became due, I
was again called upon to attend, together with others, in consequence
of the escape of Bonaparte from Elba; but I was then in so miserable a
plight with the remains of the fever and ague, which still attacked
me every other day, that I did not answer the call, whereby I lost my
pension. And here I may perhaps as well mention a slight anecdote of
the Great Duke.
The Duke, I was told, observed in Spain that several men who had come
out from England after Walcheren were unable to keep up on the march,
and afterwards completely failed. He inquired the reason of this, and
was told they were men who had been on the Walcheren expedition.
"Then never," said the Duke, "let another man be sent here who has been
at Walcheren."
At Fort Cumberland I remember another curious circumstance, which may,
perhaps, in these times, be thought worthy of narration.
Many of the French prisoners had volunteered into the English
service, and were formed into four companies, called the Independent
Companies. These men were smart-looking fellows, and wore a green
uniform, something like the Rifles. Whilst I was with the Veterans,
one of these men deserted and was re-taken at Portsmouth, and tried
by court-martial at Fort Cumberland. Besides his crime of desertion
he had aggravated it by gross insubordination, and he was accordingly
sentenced to be flogged. We all, French and English, paraded to see the
sentence carried into effect, and, in case of anything happening, and
our opposite neighbours, the green jackets, shewing fight, the Veterans
were all ordered to load with ball.
When the culprit heard the sentence read out to him, he was a good deal
annoyed, and begged that he might be shot, as would have happened to
him in his own country. Such, however, it was explained to him, could
not be allowed, and he was accordingly punished. The Duke of York, who
was then Commander-in-Chief, had thought it necessary to make this
example, although all of us would have been glad to see him forgiven.
Shortly after this, on Napoleon's being sent to Elba, these men were
all liberated and sent home to their own country, with four pounds
given to each man; and gloriously drunk they all were at Portsmouth the
night they embarked.
The Veterans were very intimate and friendly with these Frenchmen, as
they were quartered together; and we were all sorry to hear (whether
true or false I cannot say) that on their return, their uniforms
betraying their having served us, they were grossly maltreated by their
fellow countrymen.
FOOTNOTES:
[Footnote 11: Lord Chatham (as is well known) commanded this
expedition, and Marshal Beresford had command of that part of it which
occupied the island of South Beveland at this time.]
THE END.
Clayton and Co., Printers, 16, Hart-street, Covent Garden.