Sudden and unjust dismissal of the officers—Copies from General
Orders—Spanish compliments to the French and British Legions—Cordova
between two fires—Some French officers resign—Difference betwixt the
British and French Legion—Parting moments between a French Colonel and
his men—Legion receive orders to proceed to San Sebastian—The sick
left behind to guard the sick—March through the country to
Santander—Arrival at the Convent of Carbon—New clothing—Recruits,
&c.—My opinion of the Legion.
DURING our stay in and about Vittoria, a practice prevailed of
dismissing officers without granting them the right of either a
court-martial or a court of inquiry, and in some instances on the mere
assertion of the commanding officer, and not unfrequently through the
silent medium of the Brigadiers. In the Rifles alone, during the above
period, there were not less than one captain (Lomax), two lieutenants
(O’Brien and Villars), and one assistant surgeon (Greenwood), dismissed
the service under these circumstances. This, whoever it originated from,
was excessively cruel, and was particularly aggravated by the General
Orders of the time, notifying that all officers who had resigned their
commissions, or who had been dismissed from their regiments, or
departments, were not entitled to receive rations after their
resignations or removals had been notified in General Orders. Passages
to England in vessels employed for the service of the British Auxiliary
Legion were not to be allowed to such officers, unless directions had
been received from head-quarters to that effect. To crown the whole,
Colonel Arbuthnot (brother-in-law to General Evans), affixed a paper at
the portals of his own door, to the effect that officers anxious to
return to England might have a free passage, provided they signed a
document, prior to going on board, relinquishing all future claims on
the Spanish Government.
These tyrannical proceedings, as might be expected, had a most
lamentable effect on the officers of the Legion; placed as it were
between two extremes, the loss of pay and rations, as well as the most
cruel despotism of their superior officers, the most daring schemes were
consequently projected, and officers as well as men went over to the
Carlists. This may not be unaptly illustrated by the following relation,
which I received within a few days of our quitting Vittoria for San
Sebastian.
Passing one day through the Plaza, accompanied by my old friend the
Spanish Colonel, we observed a number of Carlist prisoners brought in by
some of our English Lancers; they had expected death in retaliation for
their cruelty on our men, and were profuse in expressions of gratitude
for the very different treatment they had experienced at the hands of
the British. One in particular my old friend seemed to bear some
recollection of, and entered into a very interesting conversation on the
accidents of the contending parties. He was a cadet of the Guards of
Alava, one of the smartest regiments in the Carlist service, and
appeared to be an exceedingly intelligent young fellow, and well versed
in English and French. After some chat with the Colonel, he addressed
me, saying with what I thought rather a satirical smirk on his
countenance, “You may remember an officer of yours deserting to us
during the stay of the Legion about Trevina.” I said I had some
recollection of a Lieutenant of the 1st regiment, named Wilkinson, who
did leave us at the period mentioned. “Then,” continued he, “I was the
first person whom he met with after crossing our lines, and who caused
his introduction to Muralo, prime minister of Don Carlos, to whom he
related the cause of his desertion, the circumstance of his having been
dismissed from the Legion, without a court-martial, or any court of
inquiry being allowed him to justify himself; and there and then
proposed a scheme to seize on the person of General Evans, on the road
between Trevina and Vittoria, which he was in the habit of passing with
a very small escort. ‘I will,’ said he, ‘if allowed twenty dragoons, at
the hazard of my own life, bring in my late General dead or alive.’ The
simple and earnest manner of your officer took great effect on Muralo,
who seemed inclined to the proposed scheme, and the English officer was
dismissed, with orders to attend the next day; the Minister observing,
as we left the room, he must not take the life of the General, but bring
him alive if possible.
“The day following, at the time appointed, your officer, who never
seemed to lose sight of his object, again attended on the Minister, and
pressed his plan of revenge. He was questioned on the number and state
of the Legion, and the character of its chief. ‘Pray, Sir,’ asked
Muralo, ‘what opinion is General Evans held in, in England?’ ‘Why, Sir,’
he replied, ‘as to that, he bears the character of most British
officers—great courage and personal daring; but as he never commanded a
company in action, he is thought incapable of conducting any great
enterprise.’ ‘They tell me,’ continued the Minister, ‘that your Legion
is dying by companies, through negligence and cruel treatment;’ and with
this your officer was dismissed to attend the next day for instructions.
The following morning, however, was designed to crush all the deserter’s
hopes, as the affair changed altogether. ‘We have considered the affair
over again,’ said Muralo, ‘and have resolved not to act in it. The Queen
Regent of Spain can afford to lose five men to our one, and from the
accounts of the proceedings of this General of yours, they will be of
more service to us than a victory; and I fear were he supplanted, some
more efficient officer might be put in his stead. Besides, if the
English press accounts be correct, his Excellency appears to be a man
too honest to be suspected, and too incapable to act conclusively.
‘This,’ said the cadet, as I thought smilingly, ‘was related the next
day to the King, who laughed heartily at the sagacity of his minister.’”
On our return to Vittoria, and when on the point of leaving, the
inhabitants gave a grand ball to the officers of the Legion; and a
piece, entitled “Des Circonstances,” was got up at the theatre; at the
same time, in honour of the English, another, entitled “Charles the
First,” in which that monarch was made a second Don Carlos, and the
English who dethroned and beheaded him, were compared to the noble
Spaniards then fighting against the tyranny of the Spanish Charles.
While the French Legion were at Vittoria, they also were honoured with a
_fête_; the piece selected to flatter their national pride was a
spectacle representing the life of Napoleon, from his first campaign in
Italy to his death. But the part he acted in Spain was entirely omitted.
Yet Sir Hudson Lowe was not forgotten, nor were allusions wanting to the
cruel conduct of the British Government towards the Man of the Rock.
I could not help contrasting the healthy and spirited appearance of the
French soldiers to that of the unfortunate English. But the privations
the latter had endured, and still were suffering, through neglect, and
the continued lash of those in command of them, actually had pinched out
that noble spirit which I ever found the British soldier to possess.
Indeed, I have wondered since that the slightest subordination was kept,
under the system of cruelty pursued towards them. Any, or the least
dereliction of duty, even the forgetting to touch the hat to a passing
officer, was commonly followed by the _cats_; while the distant bearing
of most of the commanding officers prevented the soldiers’ complaints
being heard: the total disregard also of the latter to the billets and
personal comforts of their men—and in many cases, tyrannical ejections
from quarters, where they interfered in the least with those petty
despots, had totally alienated the man from the officer.
But with the “Foreign Legion,” composed, as it was, of men of all
nations, everything went pleasantly, and officers and men were so alive
to each other’s welfare, that it extended its secret services even to
the unfortunate British Auxiliaries. Many and many were the instances in
which the miserable Legionite, stretched in liquor on the street, has
been dragged by them to concealment, to screen him from the lash of the
Provost. In truth, this sympathy was found among the Spaniards, also,
who constantly witnessing the cruelty, had become quite alive to the
risk the delinquents daily incurred.
A day or two following that on which Cordova withdrew from the positions
about Arlaban, and from between the British and Foreign Legion, who were
posted to the right and left of the Spaniards, an occurrence took place
which will illustrate the sympathy that existed between the officers of
the French Legion and their soldiers. It will be remembered, that in
consequence of the above movement, many officers of the French resigned,
and Cordova, for the first time, was stigmatised as a traitor. The two
Legions withdrew from their advance posts, and a recrimination followed
between the Foreign and Spanish Generals.
At about twelve o’clock in the day, a crowd of French soldiers had
collected around the doorway of the house next to that in which I was
billeted. Being able to speak French, I inquired the cause of the
assemblage, when I was informed that some French Colonel had resigned,
and was going back to France, and the men had come to bid him farewell.
In a short time the Colonel, who seemed to be an elderly man, made his
appearance, and the air resounded with acclamations. The old soldiers
flocked around him, and a thousand eyes watched his every look; many
strove to get forward to shake hands with him, and several did; the
veteran seemed much affected. After a little desultory conversation with
one and the other, he, at length, made a move to depart, saying, as he
waved his hand, “Adieu, mes enfants—soyez heureux,” &c., which latter
words I almost lost in the farewells that followed from the soldiers:
“Adieu, mon Colonel!” said some, “Adieu, notre père!” exclaimed others,
and indeed, every one seemed to have some expression of regret suited to
the kindness received by them.
The old man could scarcely suppress his emotion, but turning aside,
passed his fore-finger and thumb across his eyes to check the anguish
that visibly filled them; suddenly he turned his horse’s head up the
road, and after clearing the crowd, galloped off towards the gates. In a
moment all was gloom, and the soldiers stood watching his retiring form
as it swiftly disappeared in the length and turning of the streets, and
then in gentle murmurings retired to their quarters.
How different were ours! Few of those in command deserved so much, and
none I believe, ever experienced such a parting expression of true
soldierly sentiment.
In the beginning of April, 1836, the British Legion received orders to
leave Vittoria, and proceed towards San Sebastian. As it was rumoured
that the Carlists were laying close siege to that fortress, the whole
marched with the exception of the 2nd Lancers. Our invalids, however,
formed what is called a provisional battalion, and the unfortunates in
hospital were left behind under their protection, who, actually were
incapable of taking care of themselves.
At length we reached our destination (Santander), and finally occupied
the convent of Corbon, distant about four miles from that town. This
place having been a kind of depôt for the Legion during our stay in the
interior, we were joined here by a second batch of recruits from
England, and the chief part of the Rifles received new great-coats,
shirts, shoes, and other necessaries, which they stood much in need of.
It was astonishing to behold the change made in the exterior of the
battalion by this addition to their comforts. The men, for the first
time, exhibited a military appearance, which, to a soldier’s eye was
very prepossessing. They were a fine set of fellows, and were now ripe
and ready for any duty, and only wanted efficient men at their head.