THE RETREAT CONTINUED.
On leaving Calcabellos three or four miles behind, we approached Villa
Franca. The whole town seemed on fire. This conflagration was caused
by the destruction of stores and provisions; and so tenacious were
the commissariat in preserving everything for the flames that they
had guards posted around even the biscuits and salt meat to prevent
the men as they passed from taking anything away. A commissary or
one of his satellites stood close to each sacrifice, who exhorted
the officers as they passed to use every exertion in preventing any
diminution of the sumptuous repast prepared for the hungry flames and
grudged to the hungry soldiers. But notwithstanding these precautions
and strict orders and the chastisement received in the morning, many of
the men had the hardihood as they passed to stick their bayonets, and
sergeants their pikes, into the salt pork which was actually being set
fire to. Several junks were thus taken away, and many of the officers
who cut and slashed at the men to prevent such sacrilege against the
commissariat _auto da fe_, were very thankful that night at Herrerias
to get a small portion of the salt meat thus carried off.
[Sidenote: ROUND A POOL OF RUM.]
At this place we arrived about a couple of hours before daybreak
on the morning of the 4th. Being a good deal fatigued, we halted to
take some rest; but as soon as the genial light of morning diffused
its renovating influence over wearied mortals, we pressed forward for
Nogales, distant from eighteen to twenty miles. During this day’s march
the misery and suffering attendant on wanton disorders and reckless
debauchery among the men were awfully manifested; some were lying
dead along the road, and many apparently fast approaching a similar
fate. Cavalry horses too were continually being shot. One circumstance
I shall mention which roused every feeling both of humanity and
indignation. About seven or eight miles from Herrerias, seeing a group
of soldiers lying in the snow, I immediately went forward to rouse
them up and send them on to join their regiments. The group lay close
to the roadside. On my coming up, a sad spectacle presented itself.
Through exhaustion, depravity, or a mixture of both, three men, a
woman and a child all lay dead, forming a kind of circle, their heads
inwards. In the centre were still the remains of a pool of rum, made
by the breaking of a cask of that spirit. The unfortunate people must
have sucked more of the liquor than their constitutions could support.
Intoxication was followed by sleep, from which they awoke no more; they
were frozen to death. This was one of the closing scenes, brought on by
the disgraceful drunkenness and debaucheries committed at Villa Franca
during the previous two or three days. Being marked with peculiar
circumstances, the scene is still fresh before me.
Whilst I was contemplating the miseries and depravities of human
nature, and paying no heed to the frequent discharge of pistols by
our dragoons, I was aroused by hearing my name, and recognised an
old acquaintance, Captain Bennet, of the 95th. He rode slowly and
was much bent over his saddle-bow, suffering severely from a wound
received the previous evening at Calcabellos. He bore up stoutly,
notwithstanding his sufferings, which were manifold. His mind was
afflicted with thoughts of his family; he dreaded falling into the
hands of the advancing foe, and the bodily pain which he was suffering
may be imagined, as he had ridden upwards of five-and-twenty miles with
a musket-ball in his groin, during a freezing night through a country
covered with snow. Poor Bennet! the only assistance which I could then
afford was to give him a silk pocket-handkerchief, which I placed
between his wounded side and the saddle; yet little as this assistance
was, it added to his ease, which he more gratefully acknowledged than
the trifling incident merited.
The slaughter of the horses continued throughout the day. They were
led to the last by the dragoons, who then, whilst unable to restrain
their manly tears, became the unwilling executioners of these noble
animals, which had so lately and so powerfully contributed to their
heroic deeds, and with a martial spirit equal to that of the gallant
riders whom they bore irresistibly against the foe. Upon my enquiring
of the men how it was that horses in apparently tolerable condition
were incapable of at least proceeding quietly along, the invariable
answer which I received was, that from the roughness of the road,
hardened by continued frost, they cast their shoes, and that they had
not a nail to fasten on those picked up, nor a shoe to replace those
lost; and they added that there was not a spare nail or shoe in any
of the forge carts, which retired with the cavalry. This appeared the
more strange as the cavalry were the previous day at Herrerias--the
“Forges,” so-called from the number of blacksmiths’ work-shops there
found; in fact, the greater part of the town consisted of forges. In
one of these some of us were quartered during the few hours we halted
on the preceding night, and there we partook of our sumptuous repast,
consisting of a little salt pork and biscuit served upon a massive
plate, a blacksmith’s anvil, and in place of a superfluous nut-cracker
there was a sledge-hammer to smash the flinty biscuit.
[Sidenote: A HARASSING MARCH.]
This day’s march was much retarded through our endeavours to rouse
the stragglers forward, who were very numerous, all left behind by
the leading divisions. Added to this, we were compelled to await the
95th Regiment, whom we had left when we retired from our position at
Calcabellos late on the previous evening. Piquets of the 95th were left
to occupy all the approaches leading to the position, and the regiment
halted some way in their rear for support. The piquets were repeatedly
attacked during the early part of the night by strong patrols; although
they lost some men, killed and wounded, they firmly maintained their
posts, always beating back the enemy, who invariably retired in total
ignorance as to whether the reserve had evacuated or still maintained
their position. Towards the end of the night the piquets, according
to orders previously received, fell back on their regiment, who now
followed the track of the division. As far as Herrerias all was safe
for them, as well from the darkness of the night as the start they had
of a few hours before the enemy discovered their retirement.
After Herrerias precautions became necessary. The 95th were a rifle
regiment. Rifles and swords were not so efficient as muskets and
bayonets to resist an attack of cavalry; and our last cavalry guard had
passed to the rear early on the preceding evening. We were therefore
obliged to make occasional halts to allow the rifles nearer approach to
efficient support.
During these halts the men lay down in martial wedlock, each folding to
his breast his better half--his musket--and thus enjoyed more repose
than they would have done in triple the time if regularly marched
into quarters; for when soldiers come into a town they become curious
travellers, and search very minutely for desirable objects--not that I
rank them as antiquarian virtuosi, since soldiers care rather for the
new and fresh than that rendered venerable by old age, and for quantity
more than quality. A bucketful of common black-strap even would by them
be preferred to a lesser portion, though it should be of the true old
Falernian; and a new polished dollar more highly estimated than a dusky
old medal or coin, although its antiquity should bear date even as far
back as the days of the first Darius.
In the evening, as dusk approached, and within two or three miles of
Nogales, we fell in with some Spanish clothing, shoes and arms. The
carts which contained these articles were totally abandoned; there were
neither mules, muleteers, nor guards. Our men immediately commenced an
inspection of necessaries; and the officers (I know not why) repeated
the same opposition as at Villa Franca. But in this instance the
soldiers, many of whom were severely suffering from want of shoes, were
not so easily deceived, and carried away many pairs of these absolutely
necessary articles, and also several pairs of trousers and other
clothing.
At length we arrived at Nogales, long after dark. By this forced march
we made amends for the day we halted at Calcabellos to cover Villa
Franca during the destruction of such stores as could not be removed,
as well as to push forward the numerous stragglers. It also enabled us
to regain our proper echelon distance from the leading columns. In this
place we were very reluctantly received by the inhabitants; so much so
that in most instances we were compelled to break open the doors to get
under shelter, for the owners had either fled or concealed themselves
to the last moment. This latter was the case at the house upon which I,
with the light company of the 28th, was billeted.
[Sidenote: KNOCKING AT THE DOOR.]
To force a Spanish door is not easy. They have large nails driven
through the panels at small intervals; these nails, or rivets, have
heads on the outer side of the doors nearly the size of a halfcrown
piece. And the doors are very massive--made of hard wood, generally
oak; so that striking against them with the butt ends of the muskets
was totally useless. On this occasion, after knocking for some time to
no purpose, we took a large stone, and, putting it into a sergeant’s
sash, four men stood close to the door supporting the sash, which
formed a kind of sling; others pulled away the stone as far as the
length of the sash permitted, and then, adding all their force to its
return, sent it with a tremendous bump bang against the door. After
we (for I acted engineer on the occasion) had repeated this mode of
rapping five or six times, the door became uneasy on its hinges, and
the master of the house put his head out of a window, as if just
awakened, and began to remonstrate loudly against the outrage; upon
which some of the men, in their desperation, threatened to shoot him at
the window, and I believe that, had his remonstrances continued much
longer, I should have found it difficult to prevent their carrying the
threat into execution. However, it could not have been held malice
prepense, since the muskets were always loaded; and as to manslaughter
or justifiable homicide, they were practising it every hour. The door
being at length wheeled back on its tottering hinges, we hurried into
the house; and so uncouth were we under such circumstances--fatigued,
fasting and freezing--that before we enquired after the master’s
health, the welfare of his wife and family, or whether he had any such,
he was closely interrogated as to the state of his larder and cellar.
It is lucky that we were even so far courteous, as it was the last
house we entered during the retreat. By “we” I mean the reserve, always
considering ourselves distinct from the _clodhoppers_--a term given by
our men to the leading divisions, who were always from one to three
days’ march ahead, as we advanced to the rear.
Soon after we entered our billets we all became on the best terms with
the landlord, who treated us very liberally; but notwithstanding our
not getting under cover until a late hour, being excessively fatigued
and feeling certain that we should be engaged with the enemy as soon as
the morning dawned, yet the men, except for their uniforms, resembled
more a party of sportsmen after a long day’s pleasant hunt than
soldiers after a long and harassing march.
[Sidenote: TALK OF THE MEN.]
The officers being obliged to lie down in the same apartment with
the men, we were condemned to listen to their rough jokes and loud
repartees, which under the circumstances were excessively unseasonable
and annoying.
“Gentleman” Roach, a title given to him from his continually boasting
of a long line of ancestors, was on this night more than usually
facetious. He certainly had received an education far above his present
station; but he did not rank among the best soldiers of the light
company, not being a stout marcher, rather inclined to be a lawyer,
and fighting his battles more poignantly with his tongue than with his
bayonet. His incessant chatter annoyed the whole company, who, being
anxious to enjoy a little repose, upbraided him for his loquacity.
Being no longer able to bear with his noise and vanity, which always
bent towards pride of ancestry, one of the men interrupted him by
crying out: “Bad luck to you and all your ancisthors put together! I
wish you’d hould your jaw, and let us lie quiet a little bit before the
day comes, for we can hardly hould up our heads with the sleep.”
The “gentleman,” always put on his mettle at the mention of his
ancestors, with indignant voice exclaimed: “Wretch! you personify all
the disproportions of a vulgar cabbage-plant, the dense foliage of
whose plebeian head is too ponderous for its ignoble crouching stem to
support.”
“Faith, then,” replied the plebeian, “I wish we had a good hid o’
cabbage to ate now, and we’d give you the shrinking part,--that’s like
yourself, good-for-nothing and not able to stand when wanted; and, damn
your sowl, what are you like, always talking about your rotten ould
ancisthors? Sure, if you were any good yourself, you wouldn’t be always
calling thim to take your part. Be Jabers! you’re like a praty, for all
your worth in the world is what’s down in the ground.”
“Contemptible creature!” replied the “gentleman,” “if even the least
of my noble line of ancestors were to rise from the grave, he would
display such mighty feats of arms as would astound you and all the
vulgar herd of which you appear to be the appropriate leader.”
The conclusion of this contemptuous speech, being accompanied with a
revolving glance, and his right arm put into semicircular motion,
including all the men as it passed through its orbit, brought him many
adversaries.
One of his new antagonists bellowed out with a loud laugh: “Bury him,
bury him! Since all the bravery that belongs to him is with his ould
dads in the ground, maybe, if we buried him a little while to make an
ould ancisthor of him too and then dug him up again, he might be a good
soldier himself.”
“Arrah! sure it’s no use,” cried out another, “to be loosing your talk
with a dancing-masther like him. Wasn’t he squeezed up behind a tree,
like the back of an ould Cramona fiddle, while I was bothering three
Johnny Craps, when they were running down screaming like pelebeens to
charge the bridge? And, after all that, I’ll engage with his rotten
ould ancisthors that when we goes home he’ll have a bether pinshun than
me, or be made a sergeant by some fine curnil that always stays at home
and knows nothing at all about a good soldier.”
At this period of the noisy orgies, the night being far advanced, with
no chance of repose owing to the loud laughter, a man of the company,
who was always looked upon as a kind of mentor, at length interposed,
and by some admirable and personal arguments put an end to the noisy
revels.
[Sidenote: THEY GO BACK FOR BOOTS.]
How little the minds of soldiers on service are occupied with thoughts
of the enemy from the moment they are separated from them may plainly
be seen by the merriment which they enjoyed during the greater part
of this night; and how reckless they are of the manner in which they
will be employed next day, and how completely their hardships and
fatigues are forgotten as soon as terminated, was also made clear on
that same night: for although we had been for the previous four days
and nights either marching or fighting or outlying piquets in the
snow, yet some of the light company returned back nearly three miles
to where the carts containing the Spanish clothing were abandoned, in
the hope of procuring more shoes, thus voluntarily adding a night march
of six miles to the most fatiguing march which took place during the
whole campaign. The shoes thus procured, as well as those carried away
previous to our entering the town, were regularly distributed among
the company, which enabled the men to march stoutly next day. They who
carried off some three, four or five pairs of shoes supplied those who
were so unfortunate as not to have been enabled to carry away any. But
the shoes were not given as presents; they were sold at high prices
on promise of payment at Corunna or on arriving in England. Some of
those promissory notes became post-obits next evening along the road
to Constantino, and many more shared the same fate before and at the
battle of Corunna.
Having been somewhat refreshed by our short repose at Nogales,
we commenced our march on the morning of the 5th about daybreak;
but scarcely was darkness succeeded by light when the fight again
commenced, and continued until darkness again returned. For as soon as
the enemy discovered on the morning of the 4th that the reserve had
retired during the previous night from the position which they occupied
at Calcabellos, they had pushed forward, and by a forced march arrived
at Nogales before daybreak on the 5th. Our skirmish with their cavalry,
who all carried long carbines, was rather sharp during the morning; but
at a few miles’ distance from Nogales, as we approached a beautiful
bridge, the skirmish became much more lively. This bridge, the name of
which I do not recollect, presented a most romantic appearance. It was
situated close to the foot of a hill. The stream immediately after
passing through the bridge suddenly winding round the base of the high
ground on the opposite bank, was entirely screened from our view as we
approached the bridge, thus giving its numerous arches the appearance
of so many entrances to subterranean caverns beneath the mountains,
into which the current rushed. On the opposite bank and not far from
the bridge, the road assumed a zigzag course; and to have allowed the
enemy, who were fast increasing in numbers, to come too near would have
subjected our men to a destructive fire while ascending this meandering
road. To avoid this General Paget marched us quickly across, and having
surmounted the zigzag road, halted us just beyond range of musket-shot
from the opposite bank; he then ordered the guns to be unlimbered and
the horses removed to the rear; and the division then moved on, leaving
the guns apparently abandoned. At this bridge we found a party of
engineers endeavouring to destroy it, but as the stream was fordable
on either side, the party were sent to the rear to practise their art
elsewhere.
[Sidenote: SOME WORDS OF GENERAL PAGET.]
We remained at our post beyond the bridge for about an hour, during
which, although the firing continued, it became more slack. The enemy
held back, evidently awaiting reinforcements; yet they were continually
pushing small parties across the fords. General Paget, who sat the
whole time on a slope where the light company were posted in sight
of the bridge, anxiously awaiting any attack which might be made to
capture the guns, and seeing the passage at the fords, addressed me,
saying, “You are a younger man than I am; run up that hill” (rather
on our flank, and round it the stream ran), “and see what force the
enemy have collected on the other side.” I instantly started off, and
returning as quickly as possible, reported that the enemy on this bank
were from two to three hundred men, infantry and cavalry, but that
they were collecting in greater force on the opposite side. The general
merely remarked, “It is no matter,” and ordered the guns to be horsed,
saying, “These fellows don’t seem inclined to add to their artillery.”
Had they indeed taken the guns, which I believe it was the intention of
the general to permit, they could never have been more warmly received,
and they would have paid most dearly for their momentarily held prize.
The light company were posted behind a low hedge immediately on the
flank of the guns; the grenadiers were drawn up about a hundred yards
in their rear; the remainder of the regiment (28th) were posted at
an appropriate distance in rear of their grenadiers, ready to push
forward, and our gallant general was present to animate and direct.
The guns being horsed were immediately sent forward to join the main
body of the reserve, who by this time had got a start of four or five
miles, to gain which advantage was the principal object of our halt.
But General Paget, perceiving the great number of the enemy coming upon
him, and his flank partly turned, judged it prudent to delay no longer,
the more especially as he had but one regiment with him in the rear. We
therefore lost no time in following the guns.
The general, observing our disappointment at the reluctance of the
enemy to come forward to attack us, took a pinch of snuff out of his
buff-leather waistcoat pocket, and said, “28th, if you don’t get
fighting enough, it is not my fault.”
Scarcely had we moved when a column of the enemy crossed the bridge in
perfect order. Their light troops, together with those who forded in
the morning, were soon close to our rear, when the skirmish resumed
its lively character, which was incessant during several miles’ march.
Hurrying our pace about noon and thus gaining a mile or two ahead of
our pursuers, we halted on the road (we of the light company only), at
a place where we could only be attacked in front, and that by a strong
force; we therefore threw out no flankers. The mountain on our left, as
we turned round to face the enemy, was stupendous, covered with snow,
and rose nearly perpendicularly from where we stood. On our right the
precipice was very deep, its steepness bearing proportion to the sudden
rise of the mountain above.
The enemy, seeing it impossible to force us in front until their heavy
columns should come up, sent their voltigeurs and some cavalry into the
valley low down on our right to turn that flank--an operation attended
with many difficulties. The country being deeply covered with snow,
the inequalities of the ground were undiscoverable to the eye; and it
afforded us much amusement to see men and horses tumbling head over
heels as they advanced through the valley.
It was during this short halt that an officer wearing a blue coat rode
up from our rear (we faced the enemy), and on his enquiring for General
Paget, some men of the company sent him forward to me for an answer.
Upon his coming up he addressed me by saying, “Pray, sir, where is
General Paget?”
As the general was not five yards distant, leaning against the wall of
the road, and heard the demand as plainly as I did, I considered it
would be indecorous in me to make any reply. The officer with the blue
coat repeated his question rather hastily, and for the reason already
mentioned I remained silent.
The general then stood up, and putting on his hat said, “I am General
Paget, sir; pray, what are your commands?”
[Sidenote: GENERAL AND PAYMASTER-GENERAL.]
By a partial closing of one of the general’s eyes I discovered a small
shadow under the inner corner of its lower lid, which, although it did
not prophesy a raging monsoon, yet clearly indicated severe weather not
far distant.
“Oh, beg pardon, sir,” said the blue-coat officer; “I am
paymaster-general, and----”
Here he was interrupted by the general, who, advancing one or two paces
towards him, said in a voice not to be mistaken, “Alight, sir!”
The gentleman complied, yet apparently as if he did not see the
absolute necessity of so doing. Then, repeating that he was a--or
_the_--paymaster-general, I forget which, continued by saying: “The
treasure of the army, sir, is close in the rear, and the bullocks being
jaded are unable to proceed; I therefore want fresh animals to draw it
forward.”
“Pray, sir,” said the general, “do you take me for a bullock-driver or
a muleteer, or, knowing who I am, have you the presence of mind coolly
to tell me that through a total neglect or ignorance of your duty you
are about to lose the treasure of the army committed to your charge,
which, according to your account, must shortly fall into the hands of
that enemy?” (And he pointed to the French advanced guard, who were
closing upon us.) “Had you, sir, the slightest conception of your
duty, you would have known that you ought to be a day’s march ahead of
the whole army, instead of hanging back with your foundered bullocks
and carts upon the rearmost company of the rearguard, and making your
report too at the very moment when that company is absolutely engaged
with the advancing enemy. What, sir! to come to me and impede my march
with your carts, and ask me to look for bullocks when I should be
free from all encumbrances and my mind occupied by no other care than
that of disposing my troops to the best advantage in resisting the
approaching enemy! It is doubtful, sir, whether your conduct can be
attributed to ignorance and neglect alone.”
There were other expressions equally strong which are now in part
forgotten; yet the words, “ought to be hanged!” have been hanging on my
memory for many years.
While the sterling and the pound-sterling generals were thus giving
and getting, the enemy were creeping round our right flank. Soult’s
heavy columns were closely approaching in front, and their balls coming
amongst us obliged us to retire. I thought at the time that the general
prolonged his discourse to give the man of money an opportunity of
witnessing how the rearguard were generally occupied, and to show him
the different use of silver and lead during a campaign.
[Sidenote: MUSIC AND MEDICINE.]
We now retired and soon came up to the treasure, contained in two
carts lugged by foundered bullocks, moving so slowly as to render
motion scarcely visible even in the wheels. The light company were now
ordered to the rear in double quick time, to a village called, I think,
Gallegos, about two miles distant, there to refresh and halt until
called for. This order, although we had been fighting since daybreak,
rather astonished and mortified us; but General Paget formed a pretty
correct idea as to how we were to be employed during the remainder of
the day. As the light company passed to the rear the regiment were
drawn up close to the carts, and preparation commenced for the fall
of the dollars. As they rolled down the precipice, their silvery notes
were accompanied by a noble bass, for two guns were thundering forth
their applause into Soult’s dark brown column as they gallantly pressed
forward.
After the money had been thus disposed of, and the enemy’s column for
a short time checked, the regiment and the guard of the treasure,
consisting of a subaltern’s party of the 4th or King’s Own, passed to
the rear. The light company by this time had had a halt of upwards of
an hour, during which time we had some little repose, and sparingly
partook of our frugal fare; but our moderation arose more from economy
than care of health, of which there was no necessity, for scarcely
had the regiment and guard of the 4th Regiment got clear through the
village when our old friends came up and liberally supplied us with
their pale blue digesting pills. We were instantly under arms; and the
fight proceeded, and was well maintained on either side during several
miles without the slightest intermission, until we came to a low hill
within little more than musket-shot of the village of Constantino.