Disorganised state of the Legion—Three months’ pay—A holiday—The 6th and
8th Scotch lay down their arms—Reasons—My wishes to retire from the
Legion—I give up the command of the company—A reflection—I embark for
Santander—Report myself to Colonel Arbuthnot—My new command—The
convent of Carbon—Short description—Inhabitants of—First sample—A
speculation—A Quarter-master’s conscience—I place him under arrest—A
horse! A horse!
ABOUT this period nothing could exceed the disorganised state of the
Legion (the men being now full six months in arrears of pay). Disgusted
with the privations they had endured through the Spaniards and their own
officers, and clamorous for their money, they at last broke out into
open mutiny, and carried it to such a pitch, that they even refused to
mount guard, much less meet the enemy, unless their demands were
satisfied. Three months’ pay, at length, by a general levy on the
inhabitants, was with difficulty procured, and given to them. But the
confusion, nevertheless, grew even more terrible. The whole
neighbourhood instantly became one scene of uproar and beastly
intoxication: the guard-houses were nightly filled with men, and every
hedge and ditch was strewed with drunken soldiers. Had the Carlists
attempted to surprise the Legion quartered in the villages and
farm-houses in advance of San Sebastian, I have no doubt that not ten of
a company would have been found able to stand to their arms, and the
whole must have been cut to pieces. Many of the unfortunates who had so
abused their hard earnings, found themselves woefully deficient the next
morning, the more sober or wide awake ones having picked their pockets
during their insensibility. These, however, on discovering their
deficiency, in turn took to robbing their comrades even of great-coats,
shirts, shoes, and even their rations. This became so universal, that
complaints to the officers became altogether useless, for scarcely one
could “cast the first stone.”
I must here remark, that a great number of the men had enlisted only for
a twelvemonth, and held documents to that effect, signed by the officers
who enlisted them. Their time of service was now up, and whole companies
of the 6th and 8th Scotch gave notice to their officers, and the next
day followed it up. I was present when they piled arms, and hung their
accoutrements upon them. The whole Legion, however, was in such a state
of insubordination, that it was with much ado they could muster enough
men to march the delinquents to the castle (which was effected after all
only by stratagem), from whence they were shipped on board a steamer to
Santander and Santona.
I now began to feel tired of an inactive life; and as my wounds were of
a nature to disable me for future service, I expressed a wish to the
General then commanding the brigade, that a medical board should examine
me. He spoke to the Adjutant-General on the subject, who suggested that
a month or two at Santander might recover and enable me to rejoin. To
this, I of course consented, and got in readiness for starting. I made
up my books, and settled with my company, up to the last day of April,
1836, giving credit to the Spanish Government for one sergeant-major,
five sergeants, three corporals, and sixteen rank and file, who died in
hospital at Vittoria. I gave up the command to my first lieutenant, de
Burgh.
I was not a little delighted at the anticipated change of scene, and
looked anxiously for the time of my departure. San Sebastian, at one
time so welcome to me, from pride and military reminiscences, had now
sunk into the medley of strange and indescribable events I had so lately
partook in. I was on the point of leaving—perhaps for ever—a Legion from
which I had expected so much, but now, alas! nothing. Truly, with
Hamlet, I might have exclaimed—
Take it for all in all,
I ne’er shall look upon its like again.
Nor did I ever wish it—so much abused, badly used, and worse officered.
After getting my little necessaries packed, and on board, accompanied by
my servant, I embarked for Santander. I must leave it to the reader to
imagine my feelings when on the deck of the ‘James Watt’ steamer, as it
weighed anchor, and carefully made head out of the harbour. Little did I
anticipate how great a change was to be presented before me: the horrors
of Vittoria sank into insignificance before those of the convent to
which I was on my way.
In the course of thirty-six hours we reached our destination, over a
distance of about one hundred miles. I landed immediately, and proceeded
to report myself to the Commandant, Colonel Arbuthnot’s quarters, from
whom I received orders to go instantly and take charge of the convent of
Carbon.
The convent of Carbon is situated at the extremity of a bleak morass,
about four miles from Santander, and presents one of the most gloomy
aspects imaginable. It is a large square building, enclosing an
extensive court and colonnade, and has much the appearance of what it
really now was—a great gaol. The ground around it is almost impassable
for a dry foot, particularly in damp weather. Napoleon, during his stay
in the neighbourhood, made it once his resting-place for a night, and
reviewed his army on some of the adjacent grounds. The monks who had
then, and up till very lately occupied it, were scattered about in the
neighbouring hamlets, and were depending on small pensions granted them
for their losses by the Spanish Government, and on the charity of the
peasantry. The convent had long been a depôt for the auxiliaries, and a
sort of magazine for stores, ammunition, &c. The Commandant was
generally some field-officer, whose power was almost despotic, and
particularly secure from complaint, as Colonel Arbuthnot seldom if ever
visited it.
On my arrival, the first thing that caught my attention was a number of
Spanish sentries posted round the different entrances and inside. On
entering I beheld a miserable-looking group, seemingly belonging to the
Legion. Anxious to see the Commandant whom I was to relieve, I found him
in bed, in almost the last stage of fever; his name was Deacon, Captain
of the 1st regiment; he had formerly been a Lieutenant in the British
Marines. There were also, besides, several officers convalescent, and a
number of men disabled through wounds, &c. But the major part of the
inmates were composed of the 6th and 8th Scotch, to the number of two
hundred and fifty—being the men who had laid down their arms at San
Sebastian. The officer appointed to officiate during the Commandant’s
illness, was the Quarter-master of the depôt, and one who might be well
compared to a land-shark.
I had scarcely left the sick Captain’s quarters, when one of the Rifles
placed in my hand a small bit of paper written on with a pencil, and
begging me to call at the guard-house and see their condition. I
followed him immediately, and was proceeding to open the door, when an
effluvium of the most fetid description obliged me to retire outside the
building. I gave instant orders for the prisoners to come out, and fall
in before me; and out came thirty-six of the most cadaverous-looking
objects man ever beheld. The room from which they thronged, and their
misery-stricken haggard forms and countenances, would have well typified
the horrors of the Hole of Calcutta. It had been formerly used as a
stable by the monks: the only window was now blocked up by the miserable
beings to keep out the northern blast.
Here, upon inquiry, I was informed they had been placed on nothing more
or less than a speculation of the Quarter-master’s, who taking advantage
of an order issued by Colonel Arbuthnot “to deprive all prisoners of
their meat and wine,” had confined these invalids (for that they really
were), and was in the habit of occasionally sending the proceeds and
selling them at Santander: of this I afterwards found every proof. I, of
course, immediately released the whole, ordering them to their rooms;
and the next morning gave directions for every one to fall in, prisoners
as well as invalids. It would be impossible to portray a faithful
picture of the miserable creatures before me. They stood like beings
just come out of the grave: their eyes sunk in their heads, and their
countenances, with want, filth, and the confinement, hardly
recognizable. Scarcely a dozen of them had even jackets or shirts, and
not one either shoes or stockings, and many were covered only with a
ragged rug. Their daily allowance had been a pound and a half of black
bread, and water _ad libitum_; and if they strayed beyond the boundaries
to get a little maize or Indian corn to eke out their miserable
pittance, they had, perhaps, a leaden bullet from the Spanish sentry, to
digest, for their temerity.
But in this there was but little difference between the prisoners and
the invalids, excepting in the rations, the latter having meat and wine;
but even thus they were but little better off—the meat being most
unfairly dealt out to them, and the wine measured in a tin, out of which
it escaped as through a cullender. This utensil, from its antique
appearance, seemed to have been one of those used by the fifty daughters
of Danaus, who could not have been better provided.
After a few days, and as soon as I got a little settled, I determined on
searching into the cause; and, as a first step, on an opportunity
offering, ordered the Quarter-master under an arrest, which he refused
to answer, but taking horse, rode off to Santander. I had been
influenced to this by perceiving one day a quarter of beef and other
things, waiting in a cart at the gate to be sent to town. On my asking
him about them, I was answered that they were surplus provisions, sent
by the Depôt Commissary, and he was sending them back; but guessing the
true cause, I did as above.
I, however, as quickly procured one of the Lancers’ horses and set off
after him, and succeeded in bringing him to a court of inquiry some
short time after. I had innumerable witnesses, and amongst them his own
sergeant and the sergeant-major. But the court was either inefficient or
something worse; so that the affair was bolstered up, and he escaped to
resume his old tricks—which, however I counteracted as much as lay in my
power. But he was a cunning fellow; and if bribery could have gained me,
he certainly tried it on, for never was a table better provided than
mine and the officers who messed with me.
But I had my eye on him, like an old soldier’s on a fugleman, and
watched his every movement.