WITH THE DUKE OF YORK IN FLANDERS.
The _causes_ of a war are to a certain extent beyond the province of a
work which has mainly to deal with [Sidenote: Hist. R. A. Chap. i. vol.
ii.] its history. In the present instance, allusion has already been
made to the ostensible reason; but it is very difficult [Sidenote:
Stephen’s ‘Wars of the French Revolution.’] to arrive at the exact
truth. “From the guilt and odium of this new and disastrous conflict the
ruling parties in both nations anxiously endeavoured to vindicate
themselves.” There is no doubt that in 1792 England threatened to
declare war, unless France should renounce her views of aggression and
aggrandisement; or, in other [Sidenote: Ibid.] words, “relinquish all
her conquests, and confine herself within her own territory.” The answer
given by M. Chauvelin to Lord Grenville, on the 13th January, 1793, was:
“We will fight the English, whom we esteem, with regret; but we will
fight them without fear.” Matters were precipitated by the execution of
the French King; and on the 24th January M. Chauvelin received notice to
quit England within eight days. Once again the French attempted to
pacify the English Government, but without success. They therefore took
the initiative--declaring war, in the name of the French Republic,
against England and Holland on the 1st February, 1793; and this was
followed on the 11th February by a counter-declaration on the part of
England.
On the 17th February the French army took the field, resolved to carry
the war into Holland; and speedily captured Breda, Klundert, and
Gertruydenberg. The siege of Williamstadt was not so successful; and
here good service was rendered by the Royal Artillery on board
bomb-vessels. Severe reverses having befallen another French army,
employed elsewhere in the Low Countries, the whole of the French troops
were withdrawn from this first expedition against Holland. Space
prevents any description of the operations between the Imperialists and
the troops of the Republic--the losses and defeats of the latter under
Dumouriez, and his subsequent defection. The movements of the Army under
the Duke of York will be all that it is necessary to study, to ascertain
the services of the Corps in this war.
[Sidenote: MS. Correspondence. Brigade-Major to B. of Ordnance.]
Although the main Artillery force for this expedition did not embark
until the 10th May, 1793, Woolwich was much disquieted after the end of
February with incessant demands for battalion guns and the requisite
detachments for the regiments under orders for the Low Countries. In no
English war was this pernicious system of battalion guns more
systematically urged and practised. Occasionally--as will be seen
presently--the guns were brigaded; and during the siege operations, as
at Valenciennes, the Artillery did duty by companies: but, as a rule,
the guns were attached in pairs to the different battalions. Only one
waggon accompanied [Sidenote: Ibid.] each pair of guns; and the
following was the strength of the Artillery detachment: viz., 1
subaltern, 2 non-commissioned officers, 8 gunners, 3 drivers, and 9
horses. The faults of this system have already been alluded to, but are
most [Sidenote: Captain H. W. L. Hime, R.A., on ‘Mobility of Field
Artillery.’] clearly shown in the following words:--“To prevent these
guns from impeding the movements of the infantry to whom they belonged,
their weight was reduced to an extent which made their fire under the
most favourable circumstances all but useless. Secondly, as a matter of
fact, they did seriously encumber their infantry. For, infantry
compelled to drag guns along with them could not be expected to march,
even on smooth and level plains, with the same order and rapidity as
infantry who marched free from such an encumbrance; and in a cultivated
country, intersected with ditches, hedges, and walls, the guns had to be
abandoned altogether. In this latter case they not only failed to fulfil
the very object of their existence, but left a gap in the line which, as
they were generally placed in the centre of the battalion, might produce
fatal consequences. Thirdly, as it was necessary for them to take part
in all the manœuvres of the battalion, the necessary time was not
afforded to the gunners for placing, loading, or laying their guns
carefully. No guns could have been effective under this system, which
violated _both_ the fundamental principles of Field Artillery tactics,
viz., that the movements of a battery in action should be minimum in
number, and should be made at a maximum speed. Fourthly, their constant
presence with their infantry led the latter to look upon the guns as
necessary to the safety of the battalion, and thus diminished that
self-confidence which infantry must possess to be successful. Fifthly,
as these guns were practically useless, not only was the money spent on
their construction wasted, but the regular columns or trains of
Artillery were deprived of a corresponding number of guns, which might
have been turned to good account by their own officers. In fine, this
bad system weakened the Artillery without strengthening the Infantry,
and raised a general prejudice against the use in the field of what was
regarded as a complicated and useless mechanism.”
At the special request of the Duke of York, Major--afterwards Sir
William--Congreve was appointed to command the Artillery of the
expedition. He embarked in May with the main body of his force. A party
under the command of Brevet-Major Wright left England earlier in the
spring of 1793, to take part in the siege operations with which the
English share of the campaign commenced. Its strength and the names of
the officers were as follows:--
[Sidenote: Ordnance Letter-books and Records of the 1st Battalion.]
Brevet-Major Wright, in command.
Capt.-Lieut. Borthwick.
1st Lieutenant Thornton.
” ” Robe.
” ” Fenwick.
” ” De Ginkle.
” ” Watson.
2nd Lieutenant J’ans.
3 Sergeants, 7 Corporals, 4 Bombardiers.
5 First Gunners, 94 Second Gunners.
2 Drummers.
Total of all ranks, 123.
Major Wright’s Company, which formed the chief part of this force, was
No. 2 Company, 1st Battalion, now B Battery, 1st Brigade.
The main Artillery force, which embarked at Woolwich on the 10th May,
1793, was as follows:--
[Sidenote: MS. returns to B. of Ordnance.]
Major W. Congreve, in command.
Captain Trotter.
” Wilson.
Captain-Lieutenant Broadbridge.
” ” Cookson.
First Lieutenant Roberton (Adj.)
” ” Wilson.
” ” Hooke.
” ” Depeyster.
” ” Bentham.
” ” Fead.
Second Lieutenant Rudyerd.
” ” Downman.
” ” Foy.
” ” Phillott.
Sergeants 4
Corporals 5
Bombardiers 9
First Gunners 6
Second Gunners 192
Drummers 3
Surgeon, W. Smyth.
Surgeon’s Mate, Hearsley.
Commissary and Paymaster, Captain Williamson.
Commissary of Horse, Mr. Eastaff.
Clerk of Stores, Mr. Meek.
* * * * *
1 Conductor of Stores.
3 Wheelers.
1 Cooper.
1 Carpenter.
3 Smiths.
2 Collar-makers.
1 _Farrier_.
114 _Military_ drivers.
84 Horses.
The total of the military branch, exclusive of the drivers, was 236.
There was also an extraordinary addition to a force proceeding on active
service, in the form of 21 women and 23 children.
Yet a third detachment left Woolwich for Flanders, on the 26th August,
1793, as follows:--
[Sidenote: Ibid.]
Major Huddlestone, in command.
Captain Laye.
Capt.-Lieut. Boag.
Lieutenant Lawson.
” Geary.
” Shrapnel.
” Beevor.
” Lacy.
” Mann.
” Waller.
11 Non-Commissioned Officers.
232 Gunners.
3 Drummers.
4 Waggoners.
18 _Women_ and 7 _children_.
Various other officers joined the Army during the war, among whom can be
traced Lieutenants Schalch, Lefebure, Boger, and Spearman. The force of
Royal Artillery in Flanders reached its maximum in February 1794, when
it was as follows:--
3 Field Officers.
7 Captains.
14 Subalterns.
61 Non-Commissioned Officers.
478 Gunners.
There were also 224 _Gunner-drivers_ for service with the Field
Brigades, the Driver Corps having been formed in 1794 for that
purpose, the men being regularly attested soldiers. Hitherto, the
Drivers were generally called _Waggoners_.
An additional expedition, under Lord Moira, sailed for the Low Countries
during the war; and the Artillery portion of the force comprised a
field-officer in command--the 5th Company of the 4th Battalion--now B
Battery, 9th Brigade--with [Sidenote: MS. Returns to B. O.] 110 of all
ranks, and also 114 sergeant-conductors and _gunner-drivers_.
The present designations of five of the companies known to have been
with the Duke of York’s force are--
B Battery, 1st Brigade.
No. 4 Battery, 5th Brigade.
No. 4 Battery, 7th Brigade.
B Battery, 9th Brigade.
(No. 4 Company, 4th Battalion, which was also present, has since
been reduced.)
The 6th Company, which was with the Army, cannot be traced with
accuracy, but it was probably No. 7 Battery, 2nd Brigade. There were two
bomb-vessels, the ‘Terror’ and ‘Vesuvius,’ which did good service, and
on board of which were Lieutenants Suckling and Ramsay, 2
non-commissioned officers, 18 gunners, and 2 artificers, of the Royal
Artillery.
[Sidenote: MS. Returns to B. O.]
The total strength of the Regiment at this time was 4857 of all ranks;
and its distribution at the end of 1794 was as follows:--
Home Stations 6 Troops of Horse Artillery.
” ” 18 Companies.
Colonial Stations 22 ”
Holland 6 ”
Toulon and Corsica 1 ”
--
Total 53 Troops and Companies.
--
[Sidenote: Vol. i. p. 405.]
It will be remembered that the first five companies of a new Battalion,
the 5th Battalion, were raised in this year. In this estimate of the
strength of the Regiment, the Invalid [Sidenote: Kane’s List.] Companies
are not included. The companies on colonial service included 2 in the
East Indies, 7 in Canada, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland, 9 in the West
Indies, and 4 at Gibraltar.
Returning to the war, it may be observed that it was at the blockade of
Condé that the English troops first took the field, forming part of the
Allied Army under the Prince de Cobourg. The French suffered reverses at
Famars and Quiévrain; but the first occasion on which the Artillery
received special mention was on the 8th May, 1793, at St. Amand, when
the Brigade of Guards was engaged in support of the Prussians, and
contributed greatly to the success of the day. The Battalion guns
attached to the Guards on this occasion were of great service,
succeeding in silencing the enemy’s artillery, and so breaking his
infantry that the charge ultimately made by the Guards was doubly
effective. The wording of the letter to the Master-General, in praise of
the conduct of the Artillery on this occasion, seems to imply that the
guns were brigaded, from the fact of Major Wright’s name being mentioned
as in command:--
* * * * *
“Tournay, May 10, 1793.
“MY LORD,
“I have the utmost satisfaction in informing your Grace that the
zeal and ability of Major Wright and of Lieutenants Watson and
Fenwick have done them the highest credit. The guns commanded by
these officers were the only ones brought into action. I was
myself a witness of the promptitude with which Mr. Watson’s were
served, and know that they had great effect.
“I have the honour, &c.,
“JAMES MURRAY.
“_To His Grace the_ DUKE OF RICHMOND, _&c. &c._”
* * * * *
On this occasion the French General Dampierre was killed by a
cannon-shot from the English batteries. On the following day the enemy
was driven from his camp at Famars, and Valenciennes was invested by the
Allies. Condé was taken three months after the commencement of the
blockade. Valenciennes, having been approached in a methodical manner,
according to the strictest rule, did not suffer any serious attack until
the forty-first day of the siege. On the 25th July the outworks were
taken, mainly through the exertions and gallantry of the English under
General Abercromby; and on the following day, in answer to a second
summons, the place surrendered to the English and their allies. The
Siege Artillery used on this occasion was considerable in quantity, and
of its effect the following extract from the Duke of York’s despatch
will be the best proof: “The batteries were allotted at different times
to be worked by the Royal Artillery, and every commendation is due to
Major Congreve and to the officers and men of that Corps, who have upon
this occasion fully supported the reputation they have so long enjoyed.”
For his services on this occasion Major Congreve received on the 21st
August, 1793, the brevet rank of Lieutenant-Colonel.
One or two minor actions took place before winter put an end to
hostilities. At Lincelles, on the 18th August, 1793, the Artillery
attached to the Brigade of Guards under General Lake again did good
service; and on this occasion the first officer of the Corps who fell
during the war lost his life--Lieutenant Depeyster. The official account
of this engagement, after lauding the gallantry of the Guards, went on
to say: “Equal praise is due to Major Wright and the officers and men of
the Royal Artillery attached to the Battalions.”
Ill-success followed. The siege of Dunkirk by the Duke of York proved a
failure. He was badly supported by his allies, and received little or no
assistance from the navy. He had therefore to retreat--certainly in good
order--but leaving behind him 32 heavy guns intended for the siege. At
Lannoy, on the 28th October, Lieutenant Thornton of the Royal Artillery,
afterwards Sir Charles Thornton, A.D.C. to King William IV., lost an
arm. It was by this time apparent to the Allies that the war, so far as
they were concerned, must be a purely defensive one; and they found it
extremely difficult to hold Austrian Flanders. The darkness of their
situation was lit up at the end of October by a successful attack on
Marchiennes, made by General Kray under the direction of the Duke of
York, in which the enemy lost 12 pieces of cannon, and 2000 killed and
wounded. In spite of this success, however, winter came upon the Allies,
finding them in a very different frame of mind from that in which they
had commenced the campaign. They did not, however, despair, but resolved
and prepared to commence with greater vigour than ever the campaign of
1794.
Their united strength on the 16th April amounted to 187,000 men; but it
was injudiciously divided into eight columns, to march on different
points; the fourth and fifth being under the command of the Duke of
York. The object of these two columns was the attack and capture of the
village of Vaux, which they undertook, and in which they succeeded on
the 17th April, 1794. Major-General Abercromby and Sir William Erskine
commanded the columns, and Colonel Congreve in person commanded the
Royal Artillery, whose well-directed fire on this day has been
acknowledged by all writers. The French lost 30 pieces of Artillery. One
of the companies of the Corps received on this day an honour,
unprecedented in the previous or subsequent annals of the Regiment.
[Sidenote: MS. Records of 4th Battalion.]
No. 1 Company, 4th Battalion--now No. 4 Battery, 7th Brigade--attracted
the admiration of the Duke of York to such an extent by its gallantry
and skill, that he made the whole army form up on the field of battle
while this company marched past him. He also published a General Order,
saying: “His Royal Highness desires that Captain Boag and Lieutenant
Fead of the Royal Artillery (the officers with the company) will accept
his thanks for the very spirited and able manner in which they conducted
the battery entrusted to their care.” If history is not utterly
powerless, the story of the 17th April ought to stir the hearts of this
battery, and make every man in its ranks strive to be not unworthy of
those, who proved themselves worthy of so rare and honourable a
distinction. To be singled out for bravery on a day when all were brave,
and to display a spirit and an ability which, amid all the confusion of
battle, attracted the observation of a preoccupied commander, surely
these are traditions which should fire the most generous emotions, and
awaken the most noble resolves. It is in such a belief, and with such a
hope as this, that men have been found to record such tales in
Regimental records, and that others have been found to transcribe them
fondly from faded pages, and give to them a new life and a wider
circulation.
Encouraged by the success at Vaux, Landrecies was besieged by the
Allies, the English troops covering the operations towards Cambray.
Twice between the 23rd and 26th April did the Duke of York’s force
defeat the French; and on the 26th it was mainly owing to the
well-directed fire of the Royal Artillery, under Colonel Congreve, that
the French were dislodged from their position in the village of
Troisvilles, with a loss of 35 guns and 300 prisoners. Landrecies
surrendered on the 29th April; but this advantage, even when combined
with the Duke of York’s successes, did not atone for the severe defeat,
which had been experienced on the 26th April by the Allied Army under
General Clairfayt at the hands of a French army under General Pichegru.
There seems from this time to have been a want of harmony among the
Allies. Their armies melted away into more isolated columns every day;
and the system of incessant attack, irrespective and regardless of
frequent defeat, which was pursued by the French forces, seems to have
produced a nervous effect upon their opponents, under which each
commander seemed to play, so to speak, for his own hand. The
representatives of the old school of war were bewildered by the activity
of those of the new. They found themselves fighting, confined by strict
and wooden rules, by which their adversaries refused to be bound; and
the consequences proved fatal.
The English army continued to achieve minor successes at Lannoy,
Roubaix, and Monveaux; but met with a serious reverse on the 18th May,
1794, when Major Wright’s Battery was nearly cut to pieces. The French
succeeded in completely surrounding the English, who had actually to
effect a retreat through the enemy’s troops, in doing which Major
Wright’s battery, now B Battery, 1st Brigade, Royal Artillery, was
charged by the French cavalry, and suffered the loss of its commander, 5
men and 31 horses killed, and 2 subalterns, Lieutenants Boger and
Downman, 45 men, and 70 horses wounded. In fact, the battery was placed
completely _hors de combat_, as might have been expected when guns were
so hampered as to allow a charge of cavalry to be possible. Surrounded
as they were on all sides by mingled friends and foes, it was impossible
to come into action on the advancing hussars; and the many acts of
individual bravery failed to save them from virtual annihilation.
Fortune was more favourable a few days later--on the 22nd May--when the
English successfully resisted a general attack of the French under
General Pichegru; and their obstinacy on this occasion was the origin of
the barbarous order issued by the ruffians who held the reins of
government in Paris, forbidding any quarter to be given “to the slaves
of King George.” This was nobly answered by the Duke of York, who in a
General Order, dated 7th June, 1794, urged his troops to “suspend their
indignation, and to remember that mercy to the vanquished is the
brightest [Sidenote: Gen. Order.] gem in a soldier’s character.” In the
repulse of the enemy on the 22nd May the conduct of the Artillery was
such that “His Royal Highness the commander-in-chief begged to thank
Captain Trotter, with the Artillery under his command, for their great
display of intrepidity and good conduct, which reflected the greatest
honour on themselves, and at the same time was highly instrumental in
deciding the important victories of the 22nd.”
From this time, however, the Allies experienced nothing but disaster.
The capture of Charleroi and the battle of Fleurus proved the
increasing merits of the French army, while the welcome from the Belgian
cities, which one after another, including Brussels itself, fell into
the hands of the French, proved that the sympathy of the people was much
more with them than with the Allies. It is difficult to overrate the
value of such sympathy in war.
In the course of these disasters the Duke of York’s communications with
Ostend were interrupted, and the English Government, becoming seriously
alarmed, fitted out the expedition already referred to, which left
Southampton for the Continent, under the command of Lord Moira. After
many vicissitudes this second army succeeded in effecting a junction
with the Duke of York, after defeating the French at Alost and Malines.
The continued advance and repeated attacks made by the French army,
compelled the Duke to retire across the Meuse into Holland. The
surrender of the frontier fortresses followed; and then, while other
French armies were detailed to pursue the Continental part of the Allied
forces, Pichegru himself, with a much larger force than that under the
command of the Duke of York, resolved to invade Holland, and exterminate
the English. From this moment the Duke, being completely outnumbered,
was compelled steadily to retire. An action took place on the 15th
September, between his advanced guard and the French troops, at Boxtel,
the result of which was a further retreat, and the abandonment to their
own resources of Bois-le-duc, Breda, and Bergen-op-Zoom. The first-named
of these places was invested by the French on the 23rd September, 1794,
and surrendered on the 10th October. Without waiting to take the other
two, and leaving them in his rear, Pichegru, with the energy which
characterised the French armies of the Revolution, and with a contempt
for the laws of war which paralyzed his opponents, pushed on in pursuit
of the English, whose retreat in face of superior numbers was--it must
be confessed by every one--very skilfully managed. The Duke of York was
in position at Pufflech when the French came up, and on the 19th
October, 1794, a severe engagement took place, which ended in the
English army being compelled to retire behind the Waal, while the French
undertook the siege of various garrisons. On the 28th October, Venloo
was taken; followed, on the 5th November, by the capture of Maestricht;
and on the same day the siege of Nimeguen was commenced. Here gallant
service was rendered by the English, and, among others, General
Abercromby was wounded; but the impetuosity of the French was such that
the Duke of York, finding his intercourse with the garrison cut off,
retired a little farther to take up a fresh position, and, on the 8th
November, Nimeguen surrendered. The Duke of York was, for many reasons,
anxious to escape an engagement, and he intrenched himself strongly in
the lines of Nimeguen. The French commander, however, having received
peremptory orders from his Government not to desist hostilities,
notwithstanding the lateness of the season, prepared to cross the Waal,
but was prevented by the fire of the Allied Artillery. He gave up the
idea for the time, and confined himself to making the necessary
dispositions for invading Holland in the spring;--no easy task, when one
reflects on the facilities with which the whole country could have been
flooded. Most fortunately for him an exceptionally severe frost set in,
freezing the rivers and canals so that they could support troops and
artillery. Hostilities were at once recommenced by the French, and,
after taking several strong places in the end of December, fighting in a
temperature lower than it had been for thirty years, on the 11th
January, 1795, Pichegru, with his whole army, crossed the Waal. In the
attempt made by the British to prevent this, considerable loss was met
with, and, among others, two subalterns of Artillery, Lieutenants Walker
and Legg, were wounded.
From this time commenced a retreat which, for misery, discomfort, and
losses, has been compared with the French retreat from Moscow, although
on a much smaller scale. The English Government, having resolved on the
withdrawal of the army, directed it to retire on Bremen, there to embark
for home. This order rendered it necessary for the troops to traverse
the district called the Weluwe, a perfect [Sidenote: Cust.] desert, over
which the wind was drifting the snow into almost impassable
ridges--where the few scattered villages had been rendered hostile by
French emissaries, and where [Sidenote: Ibid.] “numbers of English
soldiers perished through want and weakness, and many were frozen to
death.” The hardships borne by the army did not interfere with their
discipline; and they were soothed by the sympathy of all classes in
England, and ultimately by a hearty welcome home. With the exception of
a small force under General Dundas, which remained on the Continent
until the following year, the whole army reached England in May 1795. It
was on the 8th of that month, that the six companies of Artillery
disembarked at Woolwich, from which station they were speedily removed
to Chatham and Portsmouth.
The barbarous order given by the French Government with reference to the
English soldiers, which has been mentioned above, was almost atoned for
by an act of chivalry on the part of the French troops at the end of the
campaign. During the retreat of the English, the 87th Regiment had been
left as part of the garrison of Bergen-op-Zoom. The Dutch Government,
dismayed by the continued successes of the French, and urged on by a
party in the country, by no means inconsiderable, which sympathised with
the Republican cause, came to terms with the French Commander, and
consented to the surrender of the various garrisons. Considerable
anxiety naturally existed as to the [Sidenote: Cust.] fate of the 87th
Regiment; “but, compromised by the defection of an ally, it was
generously permitted by the conquerors to separate itself from the
garrison, and to be sent back to England.”
One or two facts remain to be mentioned. It was during this campaign, at
the affair at Boxtel, that the Duke of Wellington, then in command of
the 33rd Regiment, first was under fire, and displayed the same coolness
and intrepidity which afterwards characterised him. It was also during
the concluding months of the war--after the resignation of the
Stadtholder--that the singular military episode occurred--more singular
even than that mentioned in the [Sidenote: Vol. i. p. 372.] annals of
the American War, when a fleet was defeated by a field battery--the
capture of a fleet by a charge of cavalry. The Dutch fleet was lying
ice-bound at the Helder--the harbour frozen over,--and was in this
position captured by a body of Dragoons who had penetrated to that place
in relentless pursuit of the French Royalist emigrants, who had fled
thither for refuge.
This chapter would hardly be complete without a short notice of an event
which occurred at Toulon in 1793, and which deserves special mention,
because then for the first time was the Royal Artillery brought face to
face with a young French Artillery officer, who was destined to become
famous, Napoleon Bonaparte. Toulon was held by the British on behalf of
the royal family of France; and part of the force employed was a company
of the Royal Artillery from Gibraltar, under Major Koehler, the
Captain-Lieutenant of the company. Among his subalterns were Lieutenants
[Sidenote: Browne.] Brady, Lemoine, John Duncan, Newhouse, and Alexander
Duncan; and although in December the town had to be evacuated, this was
not done until the greatest gallantry had been displayed by the British
troops. The loss in the Artillery was very great; and the following
order by General Dundas, dated on board the ‘Victory’ on the 21st
December, [Sidenote: ‘London Gazette,’ 17 Jan. 1794.] 1793, speaks well
as to their skill:--“Lieutenant-General Dundas reports, that after a
most gallant defence of Toulon, he was under the necessity of evacuating
it, from the very great superiority of the enemy’s army, and the report
of the Engineer and Artillery officers that it had become untenable.
After destroying the enemy’s men-of-war and stores in the Dockyard, the
army embarked on board our men-of-war. As the security of this operation
depended much on the protection afforded from the happy situation of
Fort La Malgere, which so effectually commands the neck of the
Peninsula, and the judicious use that should be made of its artillery,
this important service was allotted to Major Koehler with 200 men, who,
after seeing the last man off the shore, and spiking all the guns,
effected, from his activity and intelligence, his own retreat without
loss. At Fort Mulgrave, Lieutenant Duncan of the Royal Artillery was so
essentially useful that to his exertions and abilities that post was
much indebted for its preservation for so long a time.”
The officer last mentioned was Lieutenant John Duncan, who was promoted
in the following year, and was mentioned as follows for his conduct at
the capture of Bastia, in Corsica, the service in which the Toulon
garrison was [Sidenote: Admiral Lord Hood’s Despatch, ‘London Gazette,’
10 June, 1794.] next engaged:--“I cannot but express in the strongest
terms the meritorious conduct of Captain Duncan and Lieutenant Alexander
Duncan of the Royal Artillery, and Lieutenant de Butts of the Royal
Engineers; but my obligation is particularly great to Captain Duncan, as
more zeal, ability, and judgment were never shown by any officer than
were displayed by him, and I take the liberty of mentioning him as an
officer highly entitled to His Majesty’s notice.” Lieutenant Alexander
Duncan, who is also mentioned in this dispatch, afterwards commanded the
Royal Artillery during the defence of Cadiz in 1810-12, at the battle of
Barossa, and at Seville, at the last-mentioned of which places he was
accidentally killed.
During the service in Corsica, which resulted in its surrender by the
French, the Royal Artillery did duty with Nelson’s seamen,[6] and
received great credit for their exertions at the capture of Bastia and
Calvi. A fatal fever played havoc with the men; and it was found
necessary to send an additional company from England, which absorbed the
remnant of Major Koehler’s. That officer was made Quartermaster-General
to the forces in the island on its surrender to the English, and Major
Collier was sent to command the Artillery with the title of Inspector of
Artillery.
This garrison remained until the evacuation of the island by the English
in 1796.
Even thus early, and in spite of much inexperience on the part of their
commanders, the French armies of the Revolution had evinced merits,
zeal, and courage of no ordinary description. The new system of fighting
had already defeated the old; and when organized, as it eventually was,
by a master hand, Bonaparte, it was an engine before which the old
system, with its pedantry, sluggish precision, and winter-quarters, was
sure to go down like a house of cards. Happily for England, there were
in her army in Flanders men like Wellington and Abercromby, who could
see the faults of the school in which they had been trained, and at the
same time not be ashamed to own the superiorities [Sidenote: Major C. B.
Brackenbury, R.A., at U.S. Institution.] which might be possessed by an
enemy,--men, in fine, who, while “conservative of glorious traditions,
were fearless of all necessary changes--endeavouring to catch the
meaning of present progress, or, with prophetic eye, reaching forward to
anticipate future developments.”
Without such men, the glorious stories of Egypt and the Peninsula would
have been but repetitions of this futile war in Flanders.