The customary medal was granted for the above battles, the pattern being
like that for the other actions in the Peninsula. The following letter
from Viscount Wellington to the Earl of Liverpool, dated July 11th.,
1811, gives his views regarding the distribution of medals:—
“I have had the honour of receiving your Lordship’s letter of the 22nd
of June, in which your Lordships desires to have my opinion as to the
restrictions which it may be expedient to put upon the grant of medals
to British officers, for distinguished merit displayed upon such
occasions as the battles of Vimeiro, Corunna, Talavera, and Barrosa.
“My opinion has always been, that the grant of a medal to an individual
officer ought to have been founded originally, partly on the importance
of the occasion or action which it was intended to commemorate, and
partly on the share which the individual officer had had in the action
to be commemorated; and that medals should have been granted for
important actions only, and to those engaged in them in a conspicuous
manner, whatever might be their rank in the service. It was decided,
however, that medals should be granted on the same principle only, but
following strictly the example of the grant of medals to the navy,
notwithstanding that an action on shore is very different from an action
at sea; and the merit of the different classes of individuals is
likewise entirely different. At the same time, this principle was
departed from in some of the grants made.
“If the principle adopted in the grant of medals to the navy is adhered
to in the grant of medals to officers of the army, and that medals, to
be granted to general officers, and Lieutenant-Colonels commanding
regiments, on an occasion to be commemorated, because, on a similar
occasion, they would be granted to Admirals and Captains of ships of the
line, it is difficult to restrict the grant or make a selection of
officers to whom they should be granted to commemorate the battles at
Busaco and Fuentes d’Onor, if government determine that these actions
should be commemorated in that manner. If, however, that principle is
departed from, it is not difficult to make out a list of the names of
officers already reported to your Lordship, who were at the head of
corps or detachments upon these occasions, and who had a conspicuous
share in the event which it is the intention of the government to
commemorate in this manner. It is not probable, however, that the
adoption of this principle will decrease the number of those to whom the
honour would be granted; but, as I have already represented to your
Lordship, I don’t think this important; that which is important in the
establishment of the principle on which the grant of this honour should
be made, is that every officer should feel that he shall receive the
mark of distinction, if he should be in the place to distinguish
himself, and should act in the manner to deserve to be distinguished,
whatever may be his military rank. It may be contended for by me, that
the officers of the British army don’t require an honour of this
description to stimulate their exertions, and that the grant of the
medal is therefore useless; but, however, those who contend for this
principle must admit that a selection of those who have had an
opportunity of distinguishing themselves in an action is a less
objectionable mode of granting it than the grant of it by classes,
whether the individuals composing those classes have distinguished
themselves or not.
“I have now the honour to enclose lists of the names of the officers
who, on the principle of selection, ought, in my opinion, to receive
medals for the battles of Busaco and Fuentes d’Onor, if government think
proper to distinguish these battles by medals. In respect to the battle
of Albuhera, I was not there, and I am not able to give an opinion upon
it. One brigade of the fourth division of infantry, however, was not in
the action, nor Brigadier-General Madden’s brigade of cavalry. The brunt
of the action was on the right; but some of the corps of infantry, I
believe, and certainly General Otway’s brigade of cavalry, on the left,
were not engaged. At all events, these troops were not engaged, as far
as I understand, in a greater degree than the whole army were at Busaco,
and every corps on the field at Fuentes d’ Onor.
“I mention these circumstances only to point out to your Lordship, that
in every action on shore, however severe, there must be some to whose
lot it does not fall to have an opportunity to distinguish themselves;
and that the principle of selection, without reference to ranks, ought
to be adopted in every instance of the grant of medals to the army.”
BATTLE OF ALBUHERA.
16TH. MAY, 1811.
Early in May the first siege of Badajoz was commenced by the British,
and whilst the operations against that fortress were in progress,
Marshal Soult quitted Seville, and advanced to its relief. The
portion[42] of the allied army under Marshal Sir William Beresford,
moved forward to meet him, and took up a position in front of Albuhera.
At nine o’clock in the morning of the 16th. of May, the enemy commenced
his attack, and after a strong and gallant resistance by the Spanish
troops, he gained the heights upon which they had been formed; meanwhile
the division of the Honourable Major-General William Stewart had been
moved up to support them, and that of Major-General Hamilton brought to
the left of the Spanish line, and formed in contiguous close columns of
battalions, to be available in any direction. The Portuguese brigade of
cavalry, under Brigadier-General Otway, remained at some distance on the
left, to check any attempt that might be made below the village.
Nearly at the commencement of the battle a heavy storm of rain came on,
which with the smoke from the firing, rendered it impossible to discern
anything distinctly. This, with the nature of the ground, had been
extremely favourable to the attacking columns. The right brigade of
Major-General Stewart’s division, under Lieutenant-Colonel Colborne,
(now Field-Marshal Lord Seaton,) first came into action, and behaved in
the most gallant manner, and, finding that the enemy’s column could not
be shaken by fire, proceeded to attack it with the bayonet; while thus
in the act of charging, a body of Polish lancers, which the thickness of
the atmosphere and the nature of the ground had concealed, (and which
was, besides, mistaken by those of the brigade when discovered for
Spanish cavalry, and therefore not fired upon,) turned it, and being
thus attacked unexpectedly in the rear, was unfortunately broken, and
suffered immensely. The second battalion of the 31st. regiment, under
the command of Major L’Estrange, alone held its ground against all the
_colonnes en masse_, until the arrival of the third brigade under
Major-General Hoghton. The conduct of this brigade was most
conspicuously gallant, and that of the second brigade, under the
Honourable Lieutenant-Colonel Abercromby, was not less so. Major-General
Hoghton, cheering on his men to the charge, fell pierced with wounds.
Although the principal attack was on this point of the right a continual
attempt was also made upon that part of the original front at the
village and bridge, which were defended in the most gallant manner by
Major-General Baron Alten, and the light infantry brigade of the German
Legion, whose conduct, in every point of view, was reported as
“conspicuously good.” The enemy’s cavalry, on his infantry attempting to
force the right, had endeavoured to turn it; but the able manœuvres of
Major-General the Honourable William Lumley, commanding the allied
cavalry, though vastly inferior in point of numbers, foiled the design.
Major-General the Honourable George Lowry Cole, seeing the attack, very
judiciously brought up his left a little, marched in line to attack the
enemy’s left, and arrived most opportunely to contribute, with the
charges of the brigades of Major-General Stewart’s division, to force
the enemy to abandon his situation, and retire precipitately, and to
take refuge under his reserve. Here the Fusilier brigade, consisting of
two battalions of the 7th. and one of the 23rd. Fusiliers, immortalized
itself.[43] So numerous were the casualties, that Captain Stainforth’s
company of the 23rd. Royal Welsh Fusiliers, was commanded, at the close
of the action, by Corporal Thomas Robinson. The enemy was pursued by the
Allies to a considerable distance, and as far as it was considered
prudent, with his immense superiority of cavalry, and Marshal Beresford
contented himself with seeing him driven across the Albuhera.
Commencing at nine o’clock, the battle continued without interruption
until two in the afternoon, when the enemy having been driven over the
Albuhera, for the remainder of the day there was but cannonading and
skirmishing.
It was observed during this sanguinary battle, that the British dead,
particularly the 57th. regiment, were lying as they fought, in ranks,
and every wound was in the front. This corps here gained the name of the
_Die-hards_.
On this memorable day the loss was very severe, but the French
casualties were still greater. About two thousand dead were left by them
on the field, and nearly a thousand prisoners were taken. Five of their
generals were killed and wounded. The British had Major-General Hoghton,
thirty-three officers, thirty-three sergeants, four drummers, and nine
hundred and seventeen rank and file killed.[44]
Amongst the instances of the defence and preservation of the colours,
the following are remarkable, and more especially that of the 3rd.,
Buffs, for which a medal was struck. In the accounts of the time, Ensign
Walsh, of the 3rd. Foot, was reported to have prevented the colour of
the regiment from being taken by tearing, when the staff of the colour
was broken by a cannon ball, the colour off and concealing it in his
bosom. This statement misled the then Chancellor of the Exchequer when
he moved a vote of thanks to the army, on the 7th. of June following,
for its gallantry in this sanguinary battle. The honour, however, was
due to Lieutenant Latham, who preserved the regimental colour from
falling into the enemy’s hands in the following gallant manner:—While
the Buffs were engaged with the French infantry, they were attacked in
the rear by a large force of French and Polish cavalry. Ensign Thomas,
who carried the second, or regimental colour, was called upon to
surrender; but he replied that could only be with his life. He fell,
mortally wounded, a victim to his bravery, and the colour was captured.
The first, or the king’s colour, was carried by Ensign Walsh; the
sergeants who protected it had fallen in its defence, and this officer
was pursued by several Polish lancers. Lieutenant Latham saw the danger
of the colour being borne in triumph from the field by the enemy; his
soul was alive to the honour of his corps, and he ran forward to protect
it. Ensign Walsh was surrounded, wounded, and taken prisoner; but
Lieutenant Latham arrived at the spot in time to seize the colour, which
he defended with heroic gallantry. Environed by a crowd of assailants,
each emulous of the honour of its capture, and his body bleeding from
wounds, Lieutenant Latham clung with energetic tenacity to his precious
charge, defended himself with his sword, and refused to yield. A French
hussar, seizing the flag-staff, and raising in his stirrups, aimed at
the head of the gallant Latham a blow which failed in cutting him down,
but which sadly mutilated him, severing one side of the face and nose.
Although thus severely wounded, his resolute spirit did not shrink, but
he sternly and vigorously continued to struggle with the French
horsemen, and, as they endeavoured to drag the colour from him, he
exclaimed, “I will surrender it only with my life.” A second sabre
stroke severed his left arm and hand, in which he held the staff, from
his body. He then dropped his sword, and, seizing the staff with his
right hand, continued to struggle with his opponents until he was thrown
down, trampled upon, and pierced with lances; but the number of his
adversaries, impeded their efforts to destroy him, and that moment the
British cavalry came up and the French troopers fled. Lieutenant Latham,
although desperately wounded, was so intent on preserving the colour,
that he exerted the little strength he had left to remove it from the
staff and to conceal it under him. The Fusilier brigade advanced, and,
by a gallant effort, changed the fortune of the day. Sergeant Gough, of
the first battalion of the 7th. Royal Fusiliers, found the colour under
Lieutenant Latham, who lay apparently dead. The colour, for which so
desperate a struggle had been maintained, was restored to the Buffs, and
the sergeant was rewarded with a commission, being, in consequence of
his gallant conduct, appointed ensign in the 2nd. West India Regiment,
on the 14th. of November, 1811. After lying some time on the ground in a
state of insensibility, Lieutenant Latham revived and crawled towards
the river, where he was found endeavouring to quench his thirst. He was
removed to the convent, his wounds dressed, and the stump of his arm
amputated: he ultimately recovered. Ensign Walsh escaped from the enemy
soon after he had been made prisoner. When recovered of his wounds, he
joined his regiment, and made known the circumstance of the colour
having been thus preserved by Lieutenant Latham. The officers of the
Buffs, with a readiness which reflected great honour on the corps,
subscribed one hundred guineas for the purchase of a gold medal, on
which the preservation of the colour by Lieutenant Latham was
represented in high relief, with the motto, “I will surrender it only
with my life.” Application was made to His Royal Highness the
Commander-in-Chief, by General Leigh, then Colonel of the 3rd. Foot, or
the Buffs, for the royal authority for Lieutenant Latham to receive and
wear the medal, which was granted, in a letter dated Horse Guards, 4th.
January, 1813. The medal was presented to this gallant officer at
Reading, on the 12th. of August following. An operation was performed in
1815, by the celebrated surgeon, Mr. Carpue, assisted by Assistant John
Morrison, M.D., of the Buffs, to repair the mutilation of Captain
Latham’s face, at the suggestion of His Royal Highness the Prince
Regent, who kindly defrayed the expense of the operation and cure.
Captain Latham received, by authority of the royal warrant, a pension of
one hundred pounds a year, in consequence of the loss of his left arm,
and a further annual pension of seventy pounds on account of his other
severe wounds. He continued to serve in the 3rd. regiment until the
20th. of April, 1820, when he exchanged to half-pay, receiving the
regulated difference.
Ensign James Jackson carried the regimental colour of the 57th. at
Albuhera. Soon after the action commenced, the officer with the king’s
colour was severely wounded, and the colour fell to the ground, when
Ensign Jackson immediately directed one of the non-commissioned officers
to pick it up, and taking it from him, gave the regimental colour to the
sergeant, which he retained until an officer was brought to take charge
of it. The king’s colour, which Ensign Jackson carried, received thirty
balls through it, and two others broke the pole and carried away the
top. Nine balls passed through his clothes, of which four wounded—one
through the body. During the greatest part of the battle the hostile
lines were less than one hundred yards from each other. Brevet-Major
James Jackson was placed on retired full pay as captain, 57th. regiment,
on the 25th. of June, 1841, and was promoted to the brevet rank of
Lieutenant-Colonel on the 28th. of November, 1854.
Marshal Soult retired after the battle to the ground he had been
previously on, and during the night of the 17th. he commenced his
retreat towards Seville, leaving Badajoz to its fate.