I have imposed upon myself a task which may probably expose me to much
annoyance, or perhaps severe criticism; so much so, that I am almost
deterred from entering upon it, in consequence of feeling that although
I may fancy I understand the subjects I intend to write upon, yet at
the same time I greatly fear I am unequal to do them that justice
which they require; but something I shall neither attempt to describe,
nor analyze, urges me on in what I consider, as an officer of some
experience, I ought to undertake; and let the consequences be what they
may, I have the consolation to think, that my motives, at all events,
are pure and disinterested.
Many well-meaning men, and many mischievous men, have for years past
been exerting themselves, with unwearied assiduity, to have the
corporal punishment of flogging done away with in our army; but no
experienced officer, or person acquainted with the subject, when
he considers its former and present composition, can for an instant
entertain such an idea, unless some other mode of punishment can be
thought of, as a substitute, equally prompt, and which, from its
consequences, would keep the transgressor as short a time from the
performance of his duties as flagellation does.
I do not presume to say, that the conduct of all corps of cavalry,
infantry and artillery, were alike; but such officers as have been much
employed with a British army in the field, must be aware of what he had
to contend with, to prevent irregularities, and above all drunkenness,
and the crimes arising out of its demoralizing effects, into which our
soldiers invariably fell; so much so, that the greater part of them
could never be trusted out of the sight of those who had the charge of
them; and the annoyances and sufferings of the unlucky officers who had
too often to bear the blame for their disorderly conduct, especially
in going to and returning from the several hospital stations, and upon
escort, and other duties, which took them away from their corps in
Portugal, Spain, and other countries, cannot have forgotten what they
had to encounter, and they must fully bear me out when I say, that
it was perfect misery to have any thing to do with them; and nothing
but the certainty of being flogged, if caught by the Provost absent
from their corps, kept many of them in the line of march, or in their
camps afterwards; and as for their conduct at sieges, and upon other
occasions, when they had the power of breaking loose, or from under the
watchful eyes of their officers, the less that is here said by me upon
the subject the better.
This is really a melancholy picture to draw of most of our soldiers;
but I lament to say it is a true one, and I am also reluctantly obliged
to admit, that the almost only redeeming quality which they possessed,
was undaunted courage in battle. But to show that I do not make these
assertions on slight grounds (and I would never have been induced to do
so without an important object in view), I must beg that the words of
his Grace the Duke of Wellington, upon several occasions, may be duly
considered.
In the month of May, 1809, he thus, in general orders, addresses his
army--"The Commander of the Forces is much concerned to be obliged
again to complain of the conduct of the troops; not only have outrages
been committed by whole corps, but there is no description of property
of which the unfortunate inhabitants of Portugal have not been
plundered by the British soldiers, whom they have received into their
houses, or by stragglers from the different regiments of the army. The
Commander of the Forces apprehends that the interior discipline of the
regiments is materially relaxed, &c. &c."
After establishing certain regulations for the maintenance of
discipline, his Grace further observes that, "the object of these
visitings is to see that the soldiers conduct themselves regularly
in their quarters, to ascertain if there are any complaints by their
landlords, and of whom, and that the men are in their quarters,
instead of marauding in search of plunder." And after calling upon
officers of all ranks to perform the duties required of them, he thus
concludes--"The people of Portugal deserve well of the army; they have
in every instance treated the soldiers well; and there never was an
army so well supplied, or which had so little excuse for plunder, if
any excuse can in any case exist. But if the Commander of the Forces
should not by these and other measures be enabled to get the better of
these practices, he is determined to report to His Majesty, and send
into garrison those corps who shall continue them, as he prefers a
small but disciplined and well-conducted body of troops to a rabble,
however numerous; and he is resolved not to be the instrument of
inflicting upon the people of this country the miseries which result
from the operations of such a body. The regulations of these orders are
to be understood as applicable to the dragoons and the artillery as
well as the infantry."
Again, in the month of June, 1812, we read--"The soldiers must not be
allowed to quit their corps to plunder, and Assistant-Provosts attached
to divisions must see that the orders of the army on this subject are
not disobeyed. The Commander of the Forces is sorry to observe, that
the outrages so frequently committed by the soldiers when absent from
their regiments, and the disgraceful scenes which occurred upon the
storming of Badajoz, have had the effect of rendering the people of the
country the enemies, instead of being the friends of the army. It is
the duty of all officers to prevent the soldiers from plundering, and
the Commander of the Forces calls upon them to perform it. He declares
his determination to punish any person who may be found plundering
on any occasion, and to make the soldiers give up any money or other
valuable articles that they may have plundered.
"As these acts of outrage are generally committed by parties of men,
the parties shall be put under stoppages to make good the damage which
they shall do upon any occasion," And His Grace concludes this order by
calling upon the officers, and non-commissioned officers, to assist in
putting a stop to such disgraceful crimes and irregularities.