When the distribution of the Waterloo Medal both to officers and men
took place, it was no wonder that the veterans who had fought through
the several actions of the Peninsula war should desire to have a similar
distinction. By a letter from the Duke of Wellington, dated Brussels,
13th. April, 1815, to His Royal Highness Field-Marshal the Duke of Kent,
then Colonel of the Royals, it would appear that there was some general
distinction intended to be conferred on the Peninsula army:—“When your
Royal Highness first communicated to me your desire that the 3rd.
battalion Royals should wear a distinguishing badge for their services
under my command, it was in the contemplation of His Royal Highness the
Commander-in-Chief, that the whole army which served in the Peninsula
and in the South of France should wear one. I have not heard what has
prevented His Royal Highness from carrying that intention into
execution, but I will enquire, and I will recommend that the Royals
shall have one, if it is not intended that one should be given to the
whole army.” This design appears to have been abandoned.
[Illustration:
The War Medal.
]
It has been shewn that during the reign of King Charles the First, and
the period of the Commonwealth, the humblest soldier was eligible for a
medal, and that for Waterloo is the first since that time which has been
conferred by the crown on both officers and soldiers. Major Mackie, in a
poem entitled “Britannia Ingrata,” made a poetical appeal in behalf of
the gallant Peninsula army. There were volumes of correspondence in the
several military journals, in which the grievances of veterans were set
forth; officers who had passed through the fields of Corunna, Talavera,
Busaco, Salamanca,[21] and other sanguinary actions, felt they deserved
the red and blue-edged ribbon as well as the more fortunate Waterloo
man. Even the badge of merit was defined, some thinking that it should
be a cross formed of the metal of guns taken during the war.
The hardship continued for years, and there is no doubt that the Duke of
Richmond in his place in Parliament, aided by public opinion, was mainly
instrumental in obtaining the desired honour. So sensible were the war
officers of his exertions in their cause, that a testimonial was
subscribed for and presented to His Grace at a grand dinner at Willis’s
Rooms, on Saturday, the 21st. of June, 1851. It was a most interesting
gathering, and many of the Peninsula veterans were present. The
testimonial was in solid silver, the value of the plate being about
fifteen hundred guineas. The inscription was as follows: “Presented on
June 21st., 1851, 38th. Anniversary of the Battle of Vittoria, to His
Grace the Duke of Richmond, Lennox, and Aubigny, K.G., by the Recipients
of the War Medal, in grateful remembrance of his long and unwearied
exertion in their behalf, as a token of the Admiration, Respect, and
Esteem, from his humbler brethren in Arms, who successfully aided in
defending their Island Home throughout a long and sanguinary war, in
which they gained a series of resplendent victories, that led to the
capture of Madrid, Paris, Washington, and finally to an honourable and
lasting peace.”
Queen Victoria fully repaired the omission of her predecessors, by
conferring the boon so long and anxiously coveted, and on the 1st. of
June, 1847 (the anniversary of a glorious naval victory), the following
general order was issued, which, it is almost superfluous to add, was
read with delight by the surviving Peninsula veterans.
“Horse Guards, 1st. June, 1847.
“Her Majesty having been graciously pleased to command that a Medal
should be struck to record the Services of Her Fleets and Armies
during the Wars commencing in 1793, and ending in 1814, and that one
should be conferred upon every Officer, Non-Commissioned Officer, and
Soldier of the Army, who was present in any Battle or Siege, to
commemorate which, Medals had been struck by command of Her Majesty’s
Royal Predecessors, and had been distributed to the General or
Superior Officers of the several Armies and Corps of Troops engaged,
in conformity with the Regulations of the Service at that time in
force;—General and other Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and
Soldiers, who consider that they have claims to receive this mark of
their Sovereign’s gracious recollection of their Services, and of her
desire to record the same, are each to apply to the Secretary of the
Board of General Officers, Whitehall, London, and to send in writing
to the same Officer, a statement of his claim, for what Action, at
what period of time, and the Names of the Persons, or the titles of
the Documents by which the Claim can be proved.
“These Claims are to be sent, by General Officers having such Claims,
through the hands of the Commander-in-Chief of the Army:—
“The Staff Officers having such Claims, through the General Officers
under whom they served, if alive;—if not alive, through the
Adjutant-General of the Army:—
“Officers, Non-Commissioned Officers, and Soldiers of Regiments,
Battalions, and Detachments, through the Commanding Officer of the
Regiment, Battalion, or Detachment, at the time, if still alive.[22]
This will be known by enquiry at the Agents of the Regiments resident
in London. If such Commanding Officer should not be alive, the
Application, in writing, must be sent through the Adjutant-General of
the Army.
“The Board of General Officers is hereby, by Her Majesty’s Command,
directed to take into consideration,—to investigate the facts stated
in each of these several applications,—and to report to the
Commander-in-Chief upon the same, for the information of Her Majesty,
and to enable those commanded by Her Majesty to deliver to the
Claimants the Medals accordingly.
“The Adjutant-General, and the Military Secretary of the
Commander-in-Chief will transmit to the Secretary of the Board of
General Officers, such information as they may have been able to
acquire, to assist in the investigations which the Board will have to
make.
“The Commander-in-Chief has been required to desire, that the Board of
General Officers will have Alphabetical Lists made out of the names of
the Claimants to one of these Medals, with his Rank, and the name of
the particular Battle or Siege for which he claims to receive the same
inserted in the Margin,—and at which the Board of General Officers may
consider that he was present.
“The occasions for which Medals have been granted by the Sovereign are
specified in the annexed page for general information and guidance, as
at page 73 of the Annual Army List.
“By Command of Field-Marshal,
THE DUKE OF WELLINGTON, Commander-in-Chief,
JOHN MACDONALD, Adjutant-General.”
“Honorary Distinctions have been granted to Officers in Commemoration of
their Services in the following Battles or Actions:—Maida, July 4th.,
1806; Roleia, August 17th., 1808; Vimiera, August 21st., 1808; Sahagun,
Benevente, etc., December, 1808, and January, 1809; Corunna, January
16th., 1809; Martinique, February, 1809; Talavera, July 27th. and 28th.,
1809; Guadaloupe, January and February, 1810; Busaco, September 27th.,
1810; Barrosa, March 5th., 1811; Fuentes d’Onor, May 5th., 1811;
Albuhera, May 16th., 1811; Java, August and September, 1811; Cindad
Rodrigo, January, 1812; Badajoz, March 17th. and April 6th., 1812;
Salamanca, July 22nd., 1812; Fort Detroit, America, August, 1812;
Vittoria, June 21st., 1813; Pyrenees, July 28th. to August 2nd., 1813;
St. Sebastian, August and September, 1813; Chateauguay, America, October
26th., 1813; Nivelle, November 10th., 1813; Chrystler’s Farm, America,
November 11th., 1813; Nive, December 9th. to 13th., 1813; Orthes,
February 27th., 1814; Toulouse, April 10th., 1814.”
A similar order was issued regarding naval services, these commenced
with Lord Howe’s action on the 1st. of June, 1794, but the earliest
military service thus decorated was the campaign in Egypt, 1801, a
general order, dated the 12th. of February, 1850, being issued, by which
the war medal was to be conferred on the surviving Egyptian veterans;
and if they had already received it, an additional bar, bearing the word
“EGYPT,” was to be granted.
The MEDAL has on the obverse the head of the Queen, with the date 1848;
and on the reverse Her Majesty, as the representative of the country or
people, is in the act of crowning with a laurel wreath the Duke of
Wellington, in a kneeling attitude, as emblematic of the army. In the
exergue is engraved 1793–1814, (the former date only applying to the
navy,) and by the side of the dais is the British lion. The inscription
is “TO THE BRITISH ARMY.” In the illustration only a few of the bars are
given, but all the services enumerated in the foregoing list were of
course commemorated by their names being placed on the bars. Fifteen is
the greatest number of bars known to have been worn by any recipient of
the medal. The rank and names of recipients were engraved round the edge
of the medal. The ribbon is red, with blue edges.[23]