(Vol. viii., p. 199.; Vol. ix., p. 176.)
I perfectly recollect reading, when a boy, a critique on this poem, and
being much amused thereby. The critique appeared in the _Literary Gazette_
or _Athenaeum_, as well as I remember. I never saw the poem, but I recollect
some of the lines quoted, which went nearly as follows:--
"The following morning, at break of day,
An orderly dragoon did come this way:
'Holloa! holloa! I say, give ear,
Is Adjutant Hardman quartered here?
Holloa! halloa! I am not wrong,
Is Adjutant Hardman here at home?'"
I merely quote from memory and hope, therefore, that any deviations from
the original may be pardoned.
Lieutenant (Brevet Captain) Hardman, if not a first-rate poet, is a gallant
soldier, and I rejoice to see his name in the _Army List_ for March, 1854.
I cannot ascertain at what period he joined the army, but he was present at
the cavalry engagements of Sahagun and Benevente, on December 20th and
27th, 1808, on the retreat of Sir John Moore's army to Coruna, for which he
is decorated with a Peninsula medal. For his bravery as a non-commissioned
officer he was promoted, May 19, 1813, to a cornetcy in the royal wagon
train; and was transferred, August 12 following, to the 23rd Light
Dragoons, and was same day appointed Regimental Adjutant of that corps. On
the almost total change of officers that took place in the 10th Hussars,
owing to the quarrels of Colonels Quentin and Palmer, Lieutenant Hardman
succeeded Captain Bromley, on December 15, 1814, as Lieutenant and Adjutant
in the corps in which he had commenced his military career; a sufficient
proof of his having been a zealous, active, and efficient non-commissioned
officer, when serving as such in the regiment. He embarked at Ramsgate with
the service squadrons of his regiment in April, 1815, and landed at Ostend,
whence the 10th regiment proceeded to Brussels: it was present at Quatre
Bras, although not engaged with the enemy: and at Waterloo it behaved with
the greatest gallantry, and lost two officers, nineteen soldiers, and
fifty-one horses killed, in addition to six officers and twenty-six men
wounded. Lieutenant Hardman's position as adjutant necessarily kept him in
the vicinity of his commanding officers, Col. Quentin and Major Howard;
therefore he was an eye-witness of poor Howard's death. Lieutenant Hardman
received the Waterloo medal. The 10th Hussars landed at Ramsgate, from
Boulogne, in January, 1816, and marched to Brighton, where Lieutenant
Hardman resigned the adjutantcy, February 8, 1816, and exchanged to
half-pay of the regiment, June 6, same year, since which period he has not
served upon full pay.