Other causes besides those arising from the description of men
generally enlisted into our army, tended greatly to keep soldiers what
they were--that is to say, difficult to manage, and always ready to
avail themselves of any opportunity of getting away from under the
eyes of their officers, with the view of indulging in irregularities
whenever it was possible to do so; as, I trust, I shall be able
hereafter to point out. I cannot, however, undertake to say, what may
be the custom in the present day; but a soldier, in former times,
could not commit a greater offence than to presume to think or act
for himself; and I remain still in doubt, when, or at what rank, an
officer was supposed to be capable or had a right to think. And as for
education, too many entertained the strange notion, that beyond reading
and writing, which were allowed to be useful to non-commissioned
officers, the less soldiers knew of such matters the better. After this
need it have surprised any one, that intelligence of any kind was but
rarely to be met with in the ranks of a British army; and that it was
constantly found in those of the French, into which the conscription
necessarily introduced it; and when evinced, it was sure to meet a due
reward.
I remember, years ago, being visited by a brother-adjutant. As he
entered my barrack-room, a young soldier placed a book upon the table
and retired; which my visitor, a few minutes after, took up, and being
surprised at what it indicated as its contents, he asked me, in seeming
astonishment, what a private soldier could have to say to such a work?
I replied carelessly, that the soldier who had just left the room,
was a young man of considerable ability and great promise; and that I
wished him to read useful books; so as to be fit, at a future period,
for any station he might attain. He looked at me again, and seemed by
no means satisfied by what I had said, nor with the book, and thus
in a very friendly way addressed me:--"You are a very young man, the
youngest I ever saw made an adjutant--I have myself risen from the
ranks, and have consequently had much experience amongst soldiers;
and know them well. You may therefore take my word for it, that books
containing such information, only tend to make soldiers question the
wisdom of their officers; and to fit them for being ringleaders in
any discontent, or even mutinous conduct in their companies: and it
also causes them to be disliked by the non-commissioned officers who
have to teach them their duties, and especially the drill-serjeants,
who are always jealous of those who are likely to become rivals."
This certainly surprised me as coming from my visitor, but he had
been for many years an adjutant, and it has often been remarked, that
no officers are so severe, or have so little consideration for the
feelings of soldiers as those who have risen from the ranks. With
this as a kind of text, and also requesting that the reader will bear
in mind what was shown at the commencement of this work, by excellent
authorities, to be the character of our soldiers in general, I shall
now proceed with my remarks, some of which may probably be thought
trifling.
The French plan of carrying the knapsack, though not so smart looking,
is in the opinion of many, superior to that adopted in our army; as it
has much more the ease and comfort of the soldier upon a march in view.
Our present mode, which binds the soldier so tightly within the slings
and straps of the knapsack, as almost to prevent the free circulation
of the blood, is certainly far from judicious, but we have been long
accustomed to it, and like it on account of appearance. But in olden
times, we had many ways of trying the tempers and dispositions of our
soldiers; such as making them, though kept at drill, or at exercise
in the field the greater part of the day, to burnish the barrels of
their firelocks, to their serious injury, till they were made to shine
like silver, and to polish their pouches, and oddly shaped caps, so
as to render looking-glasses quite unnecessary. How often have I,
when a zealous and enthusiastic adjutant, cracked a pouch with the
head of my cane, when it was not bright enough to please my practised
eye, with the kind intention of affording the owner a pleasant week's
occupation to get it again into order. And how often have I, on my
well-practised horse, placed camp colours as points of movement, till
the whole "Eighteen Manœuvres" were gone through; many of them,
if the commanding officer was dissatisfied, with the regiment's
day's performance, two or three times over; having previously had
the delight of marching past repeatedly, in quick and slow time, to
please the spectators, or because the soldiers did not make the ground
sufficiently resound by the firmness of their steps; thus altogether
agreeably occupying from five to six hours of the officers and soldiers
time, with the prospect before them of a long evening parade, or
inspection, because they had not been so steady under arms as they
ought to have been during the morning's occupations.
I sincerely hope we shall never again hear of such things being
practised in a British army; and no commanding officer should be
allowed to keep his regiment longer than an hour and a half, or two
hours at a time under arms, which will be found quite sufficient, if
well occupied, for every useful purpose of instruction; especially
as at almost every parade, a battalion ought to be made to perform a
movement or two before it is dismissed. I however look upon it to be of
the first importance, that a soldier should be accustomed to consider
his knapsack and accoutrements, I may say, as parts of himself, and
that he should be so habituated to them, that whether marching or not,
he could perceive little or no difference; and to effect this, he
should never appear under arms without his knapsack; but I hope, if
this plan be enforced, as it ought to be, to hear of an improvement
being made in the mode of carrying them.
Our soldiers were greatly overloaded, especially on service, when they
had to carry, besides their arms, accoutrements and ammunition, their
canteens, haversacks, and well-filled knapsacks, their great coats,
and often wet and consequently very heavy blankets, and sometimes in
addition two or three days bread, and generally ten extra rounds of
ball cartridges. Overloading soldiers in this manner was down right
madness, especially if we had considered the description of men we too
often had to deal with; and this will never answer in the more rapid
modes of carrying on war, to which we must hereafter look forward.
I saw it not along ago announced in a daily paper, that the recruiting
of the army had been very successful, 13,000 men having been raised for
the line, and had joined their corps in the course of 1838. Of that
number, more than 4000 were passed in the London district, and this was
exclusive of men raised for the East India Company's service. By this
it would appear, that London alone furnishes about a third of the men
raised to fill up casualties in Her Majesty's regiments.
It is very likely that the editor of the paper, who seemed so pleased
at being able to afford us this intelligence, is a zealous advocate for
doing away with flogging in the army; but if such be the description of
men of which it is chiefly composed, any person of common sense must
see that it is impossible to do so, for what are these men in general
but the vitiated and debilitated part of our population.
I have no doubt but it is very desirable that the country should get
rid of such subjects, who are mostly unfit for any military purpose
whatever; but why, at a great expense, burden the army with them?
Would it not be much better to allow the worthy Yankees to have many
of them at once, as emigrants or soldiers; and if sufficient authority
were given to our Police Magistrates, they could very soon, by only
threatening such fellows, with what a certain Colonel once upon a time
practised in Ireland with so much success, make volunteers in plenty,
and thus save our sympathizing friends the trouble and expence of
enticing them to desert from their corps in the Canadas. I am well
acquainted with their proceedings in this way, and can therefore speak
from experience, having been for some time employed upon the staff
of the army stationed in that part of the world. I certainly had at
that time no trifling task assigned me to make arrangements, so as
to have a good look-out kept all along the extensive frontier of the
lower Province, to prevent desertions, to which our soldiers were much
addicted, and encouraged by promises of both money and land, but which
were seldom intended to be fulfilled; indeed, most of those who got
off had nothing else left for it, in order to keep themselves from
starving, but to become once more soldiers, and to fight against their
old comrades.
It was supposed by some officers, that shooting a number of them (I
saw six shot in one day at Chambly), who were caught in attempting
to cross the boundary line, would have put a stop to this disgrace
to our army, but it had no effect whatever; indeed nothing we could
devise produced any change in this respect, until it was made the duty
of commanding officers to give me immediate information whenever a man
was missed from his corps. Small detachments of dragoons were posted at
certain points to convey to me at St. Johns the necessary intelligence.
Upon receiving it, the out-posts were instantly informed of the
circumstance. At the same time parties of Indian warriors were sent out
in all directions in search of him, and a reward was held out to them
for bringing him in. These arrangements being made known to the several
corps, and the deceptions of our kind neighbours being pointed out to
them, a complete stop was thus put for the time to desertions. But are
men who would so readily desert, those Great Britain should have in
her armies? I ought here however to mention, to the honour of my old
friends, the 88th, or Connaught Rangers, that they were exempted, by
Sir Thomas Brisbane, from witnessing executions for this crime, as not
a man of that corps had deserted to the United States.
In order to show what little effect executing men for desertion had
upon others, I shall take the liberty of mentioning what took place
upon one occasion at St. Johns. My General being absent at Montreal,
as Brigade-Major attached to the troops, most of the melancholy duty
of superintending such executions fell to my share. A private of De
Meuron's regiment was at this time to be shot. The troops were formed
in three sides of a square, at the other side towards the forest the
grave was dug, and the coffin for the criminal to kneel upon, was
placed, as usual upon such occasions, beside it. The Provost, with the
firing party escorting the prisoner, and with the band of the regiment
at their head playing the Dead march, entered the square--when, to my
surprise, there proudly marched the prisoner--coolly smoking a cigar.
Seeing at once the bad effects likely to result from such evident
contempt of death, painful as it was to me, I called the Provost, and
ordered him to take away the cigar from him. On approaching the grave,
the prisoner walked quietly, but steadily forward, looked into it, and
turning round to me, said, in French, "it will do." But still more
to my surprise, yet with equal calmness, he walked up to his coffin,
and before I was aware of what he was about, with his middle finger
and thumb he measured its length, and turning round again to me, he
said, in French, which his corps generally spoke, "it will do also."
This was so far beyond any thing I had ever before witnessed, that I
found it necessary to direct the Provost to proceed with the execution
as quickly as possible; he therefore went up to the prisoner with a
handkerchief, and, as is customary, offered to bind up his eyes. He
however, pushed the Provost aside, exclaiming, in French, "I am a brave
soldier, and have often looked death in the face, and shall not shrink
from it now." The Provost then desired him, or rather made signs to
him, to kneel upon his coffin, but he replied, "I prefer standing, and
shall do so firmly." "Vive L'Empereur, vive Napoleon," were his last
words. The party fired, and in an instant he ceased to exist.
He was a Frenchman, and had been a prisoner of war for a considerable
time in England, but had been very improperly allowed to enlist into De
Meuron's regiment; which he had, no doubt, entered with the intention
of deserting the first opportunity which should present itself.
I have yet to mention our North American possessions; but it would
appear, that it is now in contemplation, to employ corps of veterans
upon the Canadian and our other North American frontiers. It is,
however, evident that whoever can have suggested such a scheme, must
have altogether overlooked, or be ignorant of the rigorous nature of
a Canadian winter, and must likewise have forgotten, that almost all
our veterans have spent a great portion of their lives in tropical
climates, which cannot be supposed to have prepared their constitutions
to bear up against such cold as is quite unknown in any part of Great
Britain, as indicated by registers of the thermometer kept during
a residence there; where it ranges from zero to 10, 20 and even 35
degrees below it; and should a strong wind prevail along with such
cold, any one exposed to it is very likely to be frost-bitten. It
may also be supposed, that the proposers of such a plan, are not
aware of its being often necessary during winter in Canada, to have
sentries relieved, or at least visited every half hour; for if
they be unfortunately overcome by the severity of the cold, and in
consequence fall asleep, it is certain death. Are worn-out men, many
of them already martyrs to rheumatism, or must soon become so, fit
for service in such a country, and to which they may be sent from
their homes, probably reckoned upon as permanent, contrary perhaps to
their wishes, and very likely only to suit the economical notions of
penny-wise theorist and grumblers, who grudge old soldiers and sailors,
even the pittance their services entitle them to, whilst they would
handsomely reward the author of a mischievous pamphlet? But are these
poor veterans, I again ask, fit to guard such an extensive frontier,
constantly menaced by hardy and restless men, inured to a North
American climate?
I have no doubt but that prejudiced men, and such as are always ready
to cavil at any change proposed, be it good or bad, will at first be
inclined to look upon what I have suggested for keeping up our army,
as not only a wild and visionary, but also as an impracticable scheme;
yet all I request is a full and fair consideration of what I have said
and brought forward; and it ought now, I think, to be obvious, that our
regiments must be composed of a superior description of men, if the
country is to be served as it ought to be in our future wars, as will,
I trust, more fully appear as I proceed.
I shall now beg to remind officers, in general, of the numbers of
soldiers who arrived in Portugal and Spain, who went into hospitals
before we had many weeks carried on military operations in those
countries, many of whom, as might have been expected from their early
debilitating habits, never rejoined their regiments; and throughout
the war when fresh battalions arrived from England, nearly the same
thing invariably occurred, and with detachments of recruits for corps
already in the field, it was still worse, so much so, that we could
never calculate upon one-third of the new comers remaining fit for duty
with their regiments, even for a short time after their first arrival;
some of them, however, as they became more habituated to campaigning,
turned out to be good soldiers. Now many of these were men who had been
probably raised, according to our present system of recruiting, in
London, or in our manufacturing districts, and thus the country was put
to an enormous but useless expense.
The soldiers we could chiefly depend upon, were those who originally
belonged to the corps, or had come to us from many of the militia
regiments, and particularly those who had been brought up to early
habits of labour in our agricultural districts. I am aware that many of
the men we got as volunteers from the militia, had been called out from
our manufacturing population, but their habits and health had been much
improved by being obliged to relinquish debilitating practices, by good
feeding, and regular military exercises for a length of time before
we got them. A long peace has probably brought into our corps a more
robust description of men, than we had often to make the best we could
of during the late wars, and many of whom were frequently most wretched
creatures, so much so, that it was unfair to expect that British
officers, however zealous they might be, could always be successful in
battle against the finest men of France, which the conscription brought
into the French ranks; but if an immediate increase of the army, to any
considerable extent, should become requisite, and if the present system
of recruiting is to be still pursued, the same generally unprofitable
and expensive materials must be resorted to, for augmenting or
completing the respective establishments of our old, and also of any
new corps which it might be necessary to form, and many of whom must be
again found to sink under the fatigues and hardships of war, and the
weight of their knapsacks. I must, however, declare that none of the
inhabitants of Great Britain and Ireland are deficient in courage. But
let us reflect upon the state into which Sir John Moore's army (which
almost set him distracted) had got in the retreat to Corunna. Almost
all the corps had become completely disorganized in every respect, and
had nearly lost the appearance of regular troops. An opportunity of
fighting presented itself, and in a moment steady and well disciplined
British battalions appeared in the field. Such were the strange beings
British officers had to manage as well as they could.
It would appear that a new plan is about to be adopted for
re-organizing and training the militia, and that the men are in future
to be raised at a small bounty to serve for a period of five years;
and that the whole are to be formed into battalions, of one thousand
strong each. The training to take place annually, in portions of two
companies at a time, for 28 days, under the adjutant, or permanent
staff; which in future is to consist of an adjutant, a serjeant-major,
eleven serjeants, one drum-major, and five drummers: one Serjeant to do
the duty of quarter-master-serjeant; and it is intended to allow a part
of the men to volunteer annually for the line.
This appears to me an exceedingly bad plan. In the first place,
the corps of militia must hereafter be composed of a very inferior
description of men to what they were of old; and flogging must, as
a matter of course, be persevered in; but why in these times are
the militia to be embodied and badly trained at a considerable and
unnecessary expense to the country; for it is quite time enough to
think of calling out this force when the country may be threatened by
an enemy with invasion; for with the fine regular army I have in view,
the tranquillity of the United Kingdom can be completely secured;
and such militia corps, as those that seem to be in contemplation,
must be the very worst description of troops which could possibly be
employed in case of commotions. I must sincerely hope that the old
and constitutional mode of calling out the good and true men of the
nation to serve in the militia regiments will never be abandoned, and
I yet trust to seeing it extended, as I have proposed, to the Guards
and regular army. Surely I have shewn plainly enough the evils of
our present recruiting system to dissipate the notion of extending
it to the militia. I have long entertained a dislike to the plan of
enlistment, unless every possible inquiry were made into the characters
of the men who offered themselves as recruits; and I endeavoured to act
in this manner some years ago, when commanding a depot at Glasgow. I
had an old friend in that city, who had been one of its magistrates,
and could look back to the period when only herring boats could come
up to the Broomilaw, and who knew every body. I never took a recruit
without the approbation of my friend the Bailie; but he rejected so
many, who were instantly taken by other depots, of which there were
several at the time in Scotland, that I was at last called upon to
say why I did not get on quicker with the enlistment of men for the
regiment. I gave as my reason, that I was anxious to take only men who
could prove that they were respectable in character; but this was not
deemed satisfactory, and I had no longer any thing for it but to take
such as presented themselves; and then I certainly got on fast enough
with recruiting.
Not very long after this, the Bailie came to see me, and I happened at
the time to be superintending the drill of several strong squads of my
newly enlisted recruits. The Bailie looked closely at them all, and I
could not help fancying that I read alarm in the countenances of many
of my prizes. "Well, Colonel," said the Bailie, "the city of Glasgow
is infinitely indebted to you, for you have freed it of many deserving
characters;" but observing that I became rather chop-fallen, he added,
"Never mind, man--they'll fight--they'll fight like devils. Was there
ever a better fighting regiment in the world than the ----, and they
were nearly all raised in Glasgow, which was, to my certain knowledge,
very peaceable for many a day after they were gone from it."
I am at this moment reminded, by what occurred upon the retreat to
Corunna, of the state into which many of our men were brought upon
that and other occasions from want of shoes. I may venture to say,
that we had seldom taken the field a fortnight--and our armies had
even more than once to halt on this account--when the greater part of
the soldier's shoes had gone to pieces, and others could not always be
got to replace them. This destruction of shoes was in a great measure
occasioned by the previous injudicious practice of highly polishing
them with injurious kinds of blacking, which I suppose must continue
to be the fashion in these quiet times; and I hope I may be allowed
to say, that whenever a corps of infantry is ordered upon service,
this practice should be positively forbidden. Two good pairs of
boots--not such clumsy concerns as some of the Russian soldiers wore
in France--should be properly prepared for every man--that is, well
saturated with the water-proof stuff, now so much used by sports-men,
and they should never after have anything else put upon them but some
of this composition, which not only softens, but also tends to preserve
them for a considerable time. Such boots will certainly not look so
well as those now in general use; yet for grand occasions, the soldier
might be made to carry another finer polished pair; but with the boots
I want, and good stockings, every soldier should be furnished, or
he cannot march as he ought to do, and is, therefore, so far unfit
for service. Some people may consider this trifling, but experienced
soldiers will think otherwise.
The plan I have suggested of calling out the regular army, of course,
overturns the present defective depot system, which seems to me to be
only calculated to give officers habits of idleness and restlessness;
and their frequent removals from the companies abroad to those forming
the depots, requiring others to be sent out to replace them, afford
opportunities of indulging in such pernicious habits. Depots are but
very inferior schools for the instruction of officers, non-commissioned
officers, or privates. The ten companies assembled form a fine
battalion, well adapted for all kinds of military movement and
instruction: a depot is quite the reverse of this.
There are now before me notes upon certain points, which I wish to
bring under consideration; but if they should appear to some readers
tiresome, or uncalled for, I can only regret that they should seem
so, and I must request that they will arm themselves with patience
sufficient to enable them to accompany me to the end of the chapter.
Regimental bands are looked upon as very pretty and necessary
appendages to corps; but as it is most essential that as few soldiers
as possible should be taken out of the ranks, it might be advisable to
consider whether it would not be wise to place them upon a different
footing. The present plan takes away from their companies perhaps
twenty soldiers to make second-rate musicians; as more men are almost
always occupied in this way, (at least it was so formerly) than
regulations would admit of; and supposing that all our regiments were
made light infantry, there would, I conclude, be neither drummers
nor fifers; but, in place of them, one sergeant as bugle-major, and
two buglers per company, and two extra buglers to accompany (when
necessary) detachments, the whole to be clothed almost the same as the
other soldiers; and I would also arm them with light muskets--indeed,
those which belonged to light companies generally contrived, when in
the field, to arm themselves. These muskets might be slung over their
shoulders when they were required to cheer the regiment on a march, or
to attract the fair to the windows as corps passed through towns; and
most delightful strains, at least, to a military ear, can be produced
by key bugles, French horns, trumpets, &c. There should, however, be
one good sized drum, on the new principle, allowed to mark the time;
and surely twenty-three men per regiment are quite sufficient for such
purposes, especially if some of them were also taught to perform upon a
few other instruments.
The corporal and ten pioneers per regiment, who are generally nothing
else but so many attendants upon the quarter-master and his sergeant,
should be done away with; that is, I would keep the men hitherto
employed in this way where they ought to be--in the ranks. If men are
wanted for fatigue, as it is termed, the soldiers should be employed
on it as a duty, and their time can never be better occupied than
in all kinds of labour or works, especially those which may tend to
instruct them in what is likely to be required of them at sieges, or
during campaigns; and above all, they should have a knowledge of the
best and quickest methods of making roads, temporary bridges, &c., and
even of preparing food, and lighting fires; if they were also taught to
be boatmen and good swimmers so much the better. It certainly would be
very desirable that soldiers had more practice in this way than is the
fashion in our army. But having mentioned preparing food, I think it
important to say a few words upon the subject.
The comfort in which the men of the 5th battalion 60th regiment (who
were chiefly Germans,) lived upon service was very striking, when
compared with the wretched diet of the generality of British soldiers.
I must, however, preface my remarks upon this subject by the following
division order which was issued by Major-general Colville, at Moimenta
de Beira, in Portugal, on the 29th March, 1813, respecting this corps:
"No. 9. A detachment of the 5th battalion 60th, has arrived at
head-quarters under the command of Captain Kelly, and which having left
Lisbon consisting of fifty men, has brought up all but one man who was
left sick at Coimbra, and no prisoners.
"This is so unlike the report of any detachment of the British part of
the division that has arrived at quarters since the Major-General's
taking the command of it, that he cannot help mentioning the
mortifying distinction, in the hopes that there may be yet left among
the good men of the division regard enough for their own honours to
keep a check upon the conduct of those of an opposite character."
It seemed to be settled amongst themselves, that every man of the
mess of the 5th battalion 60th, had to carry something, that is
say--highly-spiced meats, such as sausages, cheese, onions, garlic,
lard, pepper, salt, vinegar, mustard, sugar, coffee, &c.; in short,
whatever could add to or make their meals more palatable, nourishing,
or conducive to health. As soon as the daily allowance of beef was
issued, they set to work and soon produced a first-rate dinner or
supper, which were often improved by certain wild herbs which they knew
where to look for, whereas, in attempting this, I have known instances
of our men poisoning themselves; and what a contrast to this were the
ways of our too often thoughtless beings who rarely had any of the
above articles--day after day they boiled their beef, just killed,
in the lump, in water, which they seldom contrived to make deserving
the name of soup or broth. This and their bread or biscuit was what
they usually lived upon. But I lament to be obliged to add, that their
thoughts, of course unconnected with military matters, were too often
directed to ardent spirits and to the means of procuring enough of
it; for though a certain allowance, usually of rum, was issued daily,
this was not sufficient to satisfy their longings for more. And it was
always known when the rum was about to be given out when we heard a
shout in the camp, and from many voices a cry of "turn out for rum!"
Our mode of messing in barracks is extremely regular, and much in the
style so carefully exhibited in Russia to visitors of importance, and
is well calculated to produce effect. In general (at least in former
times,) cooks were hired, and the soldiers' wives were sometimes
engaged for this purpose, so that most of the men were kept almost in
ignorance of learning the simple art of boiling beef and potatoes: they
only knew, that at fixed hours daily, they were sure of a breakfast and
dinner; and although this was to be admired in quiet times, it sadly
unfitted soldiers for what they were afterwards to turn their minds
and hands to in the field; and it also sometimes left them more money
than they could spend with propriety. But if their thoughts could now
be more directed to the German and French style of living it would be
attended with the best results, and we should hear less of drunkenness
and the crimes arising from out of it in our regiments. These hints
might, perhaps, be thought useful to those interested in the welfare
of our population in general, whose early habits are too often very
pernicious and demoralizing.
The observations of his Grace the Duke of Wellington, on the 1st and
3rd of October, 1812, at the siege of Burgos, will shew the necessity
of our soldiers' being accustomed to labour and the consequences of
their not being habituated to it:--"The Commander of the Forces is
concerned to state, that the working parties in the trenches do not
perform their duty, notwithstanding the pains which have been taken to
relieve them every six hours, &c.;" and his Grace adds--"The officers
and soldiers of the army should know that to work during a siege is as
much a part of their duty as it is to engage the enemy in the field;
and they may depend upon it, that unless they perform the work allotted
to them, with due diligence, they cannot acquire the honour which their
comrades have acquired in former sieges." The Guards were exempted from
the censure contained in this order; indeed their conduct was most
exemplary on all occasions. And we can again read in a general order,
dated Cartaxo, 4th March, 1811:--
"No. 2. As during the two years which the brigade of Guards have been
under the command of the Commander of the Forces, not only no soldier
has been brought to trial before a general court-martial, but none has
been confined in a public guard; the Commander of the Forces desires
that the attendance of the brigade, at the execution to-morrow, may be
dispensed with."
This ought surely to convince the country, that though the changes I
have proposed, as to the officers of the Guards, may be necessary for
the general good of the army; yet the idea of disbanding such troops
can only be entertained by an ignorant and absurdly prejudiced mind.
I have often wondered it has never been deemed indispensable, that an
uniform system of regimental economy was adopted for the whole army.
This most desirable object is by no means attained by the book of
general regulations and orders; for although there is to be found in
it much that is useful, still a vast deal more is required to come up
to what is necessary for the guidance of a regiment in the various
situations in which it may be placed; and the want of such a well
digested plan is the reason we see such a difference in the state of
corps; some being in every respect in the highest possible order,
whilst others are the very reverse. The former is entirely owing to
their being commanded by talented and judicious officers; the latter
is evidently occasioned by their being under men who are themselves
ignorant, inexperienced, and yet very likely self-sufficient. Many
regiments have good standing orders if they were steadily acted up
to; but much depending upon the will of the commanding officer, he
most probably adopts something of his own, which is often injudicious,
or even injurious; or as much only of the old standing orders as he
thinks fit; or perhaps he allows the whole to become a dead letter.
A matter of such importance as this should not be left to whim or
caprice; but a simple, uniform, and sufficiently comprehensive system
should be established for the whole army, for the guidance of regiments
in barracks and quarters at home and abroad; upon a march, or when
on board ship, or in any situation, but especially when employed in
the field. If this were done, and positive orders given, that there
should not be the slightest deviation from the system laid down, on the
part of commanding officers, we should hear less of corps being more
annoyed and teazed by one commander than another; and we should not be
able to observe that remarkable difference to be met with amongst them,
both in appearance and discipline.
There could not be much difficulty in effecting this most important
object. The standing orders of some corps, though in general too
diffuse and complicated, and requiring too many returns or reports from
companies, &c., would afford ample ground-work for all useful purposes,
except in what is essential for the field; in which respect, all those
I have seen were totally defective; but uniformity in every point is as
necessary in this as it is in military movements; and if judiciously
adopted, would be found as strikingly beneficial, as the changes
were from the fancies of every commanding officer to the well known
"eighteen manœuvres."
Having proposed to do away with regimental pioneers, to make up
efficiently for them, two men of good character should be enlisted--but
that only for service in the field, to take charge of and lead a
bat-horse each, to carry on well fitted pack-saddles a few of such
useful tools as might be required for ordinary military purposes.
The surgeon, at such times, also requires a man and a horse of this
kind for his instruments and medicines; and so do the pay-master and
adjutant, for the conveyance of money, books, and various indispensable
papers and returns. These ought always to march in the rear of the
corps to which they belong. Thus, by doing away both with generally
indifferent musicians and misappropriated pioneers, I would save to
each regiment about thirty soldiers, or about half the effectives of a
company of the present day.
It will surprise those who know nothing of war, and even many
military men, when I mention how many soldiers are lost, I may say,
to the service, taken out of the ranks of corps to be employed as
non-combatant clerks, servants or bat-men, horse-keepers or grooms,
&c. The head-quarters and staff sweep off numbers in this way beyond
belief. The general officers and staff of divisions and brigades,
including engineer officers, staff surgeons, commissariat, &c. if
allowed, quite as bad. Then come field officers and regimental staff,
and perhaps forty captains and subalterns per regiment, all of whom
must be supplied; a few with two, for taking care of their chargers
and pack-horses or mules, and all with at least one each to look
after pack-horses for the conveyance of baggage; most of it probably
indispensable, if it is expected that these gentlemen are to be kept
efficient. But there is another demand of a man per company for the
care of pack-horses for the carriage of tents, &c. as wheel carriages
for such purposes ought never to be allowed upon the line of march.
For these various occupations, I have no hesitation in saying, many
hundreds of soldiers are taken away from where they should be, and
corps are thus deprived of their best men, and greatly weakened before
they come into contact with an enemy.
This must appear almost incredible to many good people, who will
naturally be surprised what Mr. Hume, that mirror of economists,
could have been about; but who, they may depend upon it, invariably
contrives to have, at last, the candle burnt at both ends. But how
indignant they must now be to hear, probably for the first time, that
they were obliged to pay for such a number of soldiers, who only made
a figure upon paper to the disadvantage of the general's reputation
who commanded the army in the field, who was supposed to have had,
perhaps, 30,000 men to act with, whereas in reality he could not bring
into action 25,000; and when a battle took place, there were a few more
drains from the ranks besides the killed and wounded; for the latter
and sick required attendants at the several hospital stations, and also
on the road to them; and how often have I, as a Brigade-major of the
3d division, had to encounter the cross looks of commanding officers
of regiments, when I could not avoid calling upon them for officers,
non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, for such purposes, when the
enemy had, perhaps, sufficiently thinned their ranks.
I would suggest that money should be allowed, and, if possible, no
soldiers whatever for any of these purposes at home or abroad, and
certainly not upon service; and even at home it would be advisable
to make officers a proper allowance for private, or non-combatant
servants, so that an end might at once be put to the custom of taking
away soldiers from their duties to be employed as such. All servants
should however, be regularly enlisted as soldiers are at present, but
for a limited period only; and they should be bound to accompany
their masters abroad, or upon any kind of service; and commanding
officers of regiments should have the power of discharging, at their
master's request, these servants if found guilty of bad or improper
conduct, and of enlisting others to replace them, of course, such
servants come under martial law; but what I have proposed, in this
respect, is nothing new, for does not history tell us, of non-combatant
servants being of old attached to armies; and allow me to ask, with
what intention is it, that officers receive at the commencement of a
campaign, and at fixed periods afterwards, bat and forage money? If
the sums granted are insufficient--which they undoubtedly are--for
providing servants, field equipments, pack-horses, &c. more should be
given, as it must be admitted, that they are all indispensable. It
could never, however, have been intended, that the number of muskets
and bayonets in the ranks, were to be so much reduced, as I have shown
is the case, to supply men for the purposes enumerated, when by a
trifling comparative increase of the expenses of a war, our armies
could be kept efficient, and in such a complete state, as to enable a
General to carry it on with that vigour, which is always so essential
towards its successful and speedy termination.
But the necessity of what I have just recommended being adopted,
appeared in so strong a light, to one of our best officers, that we
read in a general order, dated Tholen, 20th of December, 1813, as
follows:--
"No. 1. The Commander of the Forces being desirous to render the army
for the field as effective as possible, directs that all soldiers
acting as servants to officers, shall always appear in uniform, and
carry their arms and accoutrements on the march. The servants of
regimental officers to be in the ranks on the march, and the Commander
of the Forces calls upon the General and other officers in command
strictly to inforce this order."
"No. 2. With a view to diminish, as much as possible, requisitions
on regiments for soldiers as servants, General Sir Thomas Graham
authorizes any officer who is entitled by the usage of the service
to appear mounted and keep a horse, to hire a servant as bat-man in
lieu of a soldier, for which he will be allowed at the rate of 4_s._
6_d._ (quite insufficient) per week and a ration; but it is distinctly
understood, that the allowance is not to be extended to any persons
attached to this army, who, by the custom of the service, are not
entitled to soldiers to wait upon them, and whenever it is drawn, an
effective soldier is to be thereby restored to the army."
"No. 6. The Commander of the Forces strongly recommends to all general
officers of the army to return immediately any bat-men they may have to
their corps, and to direct their staff to do the same, at all events
no officer of any rank is to employ more than one soldier of this army
to attend upon him, whether he acts as his own personal servant or
bat-man."
"No. 7. Field officers of regiments are entitled each to a servant and
bat-man, and of course to draw the allowance for each, when men from
the ranks are not employed."
"No. 9 Announces that such servants come under martial law."
I believe that I could not any where, more conveniently or properly,
introduce some observations, I consider it necessary to make upon the
baggage of an army in the field, and upon some other matters connected
with it, than at the close of this chapter, and I feel convinced
that experienced officers will allow, that is a difficult subject to
enter upon. It must, however, have been obvious to many, how much the
quantity of baggage gradually increases as a campaign advances. Various
articles are accumulated in all sorts of ways, but chiefly by servants
upon the line of march, in the towns they pass through, in the field of
battle, and above all at sieges.
We unluckily have many wants, almost unknown to the people of other
countries, arising out of our early habits of indulging in many
comforts; indeed, so many and so productive are they of enjoyment, that
in spite of what some philosophers may say to the contrary, we cannot
easily divest ourselves of the remembrance of them, for with most of
us they too frequently become indispensables, or in other words, they
are apt to make us rather selfish. But a General who may wish to keep
such wants within reasonable bounds, or who is determined not to be
overwhelmed with baggage, followers, and animals of burden, must be
wholely uninfluenced by any other feeling than that of the good of the
public service, and must cut off, at once, with an unsparing hand, all
superfluities of every description; and he must endeavour to keep the
whole under due restrictions. All the odium of this ought not, however,
to be thrown upon the Commander of any army about to take the field, as
it must, to a certainty, render him unpopular with many; but it would
be much wiser that a British army should have, at all times for its
guidance, established regulations, which no one could, on any account,
be allowed to deviate from.
Selfish feelings never, I believe, show themselves more strongly
than amongst landsmen on board ship, and amongst too many men in the
field. Some, I have no doubt, have seen individuals retire to a snug
corner, to enjoy unobserved something good which they had in their
haversacks, lest they should be obliged to offer part of it to hungry
comrades. Others have been known to sleep sound, warm, and dry in
their tents, having probably offered shares of them, but in such a
way to the officers of their own companies, that even they could not
accept of their liberality, and preferred reposing at the roots of
trees, or behind hedges, exposed to the pitiless storm. My only object
in alluding to such trifling matters is, in the first instance, to
show that these things do sometimes occur, and, moreover, to try to
inculcate, if I can, into such badly brought up men, at least a little
feeling for the wants of others. Yet I would not leave it in their
power thus to enjoy their comforts--at all events in such situations,
for I would make the officers of a company live and sleep in the same
tent or hut, and be partakers of the same fare whatever it might be.
A regimental mess at home or abroad, is admirably calculated to keep
up respectability, by insuring a proper degree of genteel economy; but
of this the officers of corps cannot avail themselves in the field,
and then it becomes requisite to act upon established regulations. The
officers of a company should be made to have in common, a tent of a
particular size and shape, and they should all three contribute towards
its purchase, as well as towards the procuring of two horses or mules,
which they should be obliged to keep. I would also fix upon a trunk or
rather a portmanteau for each, of a certain size and shape. One of the
horses should carry, on a well-fitted pack-saddle, the two subaltern's
portmanteau, and the tent between them. The other horse should carry
the captain's portmanteau, which might be a very little larger than
those allowed to subalterns, but care should be taken that its size was
also fixed upon; and this should be balanced upon the horse's back by a
canteen (bought also amongst them) for the use of the mess, and between
them a bag of a certain size, made of some water-proof stuff, could be
placed, in which might be conveyed some useful articles for general
comfort, especially such as might be considered necessary, when the
country, the seat of war, could afford but few supplies.
It appears to me that the officers of a company could not possibly
contrive to get on, for any length of time, with less than those
two animals; but in the portmanteau should be carried, besides their
clothes and a blanket each, their mattresses made air tight, so as
to be inflated when necessary, and which can be rolled up into very
small compass, when not wanted for use; and such mattresses not only
make excellent beds, but also secure those who use them completely
from damp from the ground. This is all that could or ought to be
allowed to company officers in the field; and positive orders should
prevent any other article whatever from being put upon the horses, as
all good purposes are at once defeated if they are permitted to be
overloaded; and even the private servants or bat-men should be made to
carry their own knapsacks, in place of fastening them, as they will
always try to do, upon the loads. I at the same time conclude, that
the baggage of a company, regiment, brigade and division, marches in
proper order, and if one overloaded or sore backed animal knocks up,
the whole is most annoyingly and injuriously detained in consequence
upon the road. In any arrangement, however, of this kind, I should
expect that the baggage and animals allowed to field officers and
regimental staff, and to commissariat and medical officers, &c. were
likewise strictly brought under regulations, and the name of the owner,
or the number of the troop, company, and corps, being conspicuously
painted on a water-deck or cover, to go over the load of each animal,
any irregularity, and the individual who might occasion it, could be at
once ascertained.
It is quite impossible to make arrangements for company officers who
may be taken ill, and obliged to go to the hospital stations in the
rear. A company in the field is what must be kept in view in any
plan of this kind. The medical department, with the means I have
yet to propose to place at its disposal, would have to look to such
casualties. I must, however, here observe, that in Portugal especially,
we had often far too many officers at such stations--for instance at
Lisbon, or rather Belem, Coimbra, &c. where it was well known many of
them staid so long, that Lord Wellington had often to give them very
broad hints, that it was high time they should remember that their
regiments were in presence of the enemy. Some of these gentlemen, when
absent from their corps, had well supplied their wants, and returned at
last to their divisions, nicely mounted on a horse, probably purchased
in Lisbon, attended by a soldier, and perhaps a Portuguese boy, leading
a mule or two heavily loaded with the good things of this world. Thus
the baggage and animals with the army were always increasing. The
mule or horse had very likely soon to be sold, from want of food and
people to look after them, so that the good things brought up being
consumed, the temporary campaigner again fell so sick, that it became
indispensable for him to revisit an hospital station, to recruit his
health and replenish his supplies. This is by no means an over-drawn
picture; and when it was sometimes asked by those with the army, what
had become of so and so, the common answer was, that he had taken up a
strong position near Lisbon, his right upon the Tagus, and his left
at Belem; or that he was teaching the good people of Lisbon to cross
the river in cork boats,--for these gentlemen were not without their
amusements. It however strikes me at this moment, that as many of
these frequenters of hospital stations were really seriously ill, it
would be desirable, that when young gentlemen presented themselves to
be examined for commissions, it should not only be ascertained that
they had been educated, but also that they were fit for service. But I
must proceed with other matters. The large bell tents now in general
use for soldiers in the field, accommodate certainly a great many of
them at night, when well packed with their feet to the poles; but they
are much too heavy to be carried on the backs of animals when wet, or
when they must be struck before sunrise, saturated with heavy dew. The
baggage mules were often knocked up by them in this state. It is a bad
plan that of carrying the large iron camp kettles upon animals for the
use of companies; the light tin ones carried in turn by the soldiers
themselves, in a bag made for the purpose, are greatly to be preferred,
as they are always at hand.
It must altogether depend upon circumstances, but it would at all
times require serious consideration, whether company officers should
be allowed to keep riding horses or not. When they are allowed to ride
on the line of march, they are certainly enabled to go unfatigued into
action, and to look more closely after their men at the end of a day's
work; but I beg to ask (servants being along with the baggage) who
are to take the charge of their horses, when they must dismount when
near the enemy, on going into action; and no soldier should be taken
out of the ranks for such a purpose; how can any country be supposed
capable of furnishing the enormous quantity of forage required for such
increased numbers of animals, after regiments of Cavalry, Infantry,
(I mean those that must be kept by them) Artillery, and the other
departments have been supplied? Here therefore an almost insurmountable
difficulty presents itself, and it becomes wise to curtail as much as
possible in time, for every animal allowed to be kept, must be fed in
some way or other.
The fewer women permitted to accompany an army the better, for they are
generally useless, and tend immensely to increase the number of animals
and quantity of baggage. I once knew a general, who, in an order he
issued, was so ungallant, as to style these ladies, "his advanced guard
of infamy;" and I must admit that he had too often just cause to style
them so.
His Grace the Duke of Wellington was often greatly annoyed at the
enormous consumption of forage by his army, and found it necessary to
issue many orders upon the subject, of which I shall now give a few.
"G.O. _San Pedro, 19th May, 1809._
"No. 10. As the Commander of the Forces has reason to believe many
horses and mules are kept by even the soldiers of the army, and
maintained by means entirely inconsistent with discipline and good
order, he desires officers commanding regiments and brigades, to
inquire into the number of horses and mules which are attached to the
regiments under their command, and to enforce the immediate sale of
those not allowed to be kept by the regulations of the army."
"G.O. _Zarza Mayor, 4th July, 1809._
"No. 17. The Commander of the Forces requests the attention of general
officers commanding divisions and brigades, to the general orders
of the 4th and 5th of March, by the late Commander of the Forces,
relative to the use of mules allowed for conveying camp kettles, in
any service, except for the carriage of camp kettles.
"No. 18. The consequence of loading them with other baggage is, that
they are unequal to carry the kettles which they are given to convey,
and the loads are so ill put on, that they fall from the mules, and
the camp kettles do not arrive from the march till after the hour, at
which they ought to be used by the troops."
"G.O. _Merida, 25th August, 1809._
"No. 3. The army must not forage for themselves, but must get it from
the Commissary according to the usual mode, by sending in returns of
the number of animals for whom forage is required, and receiving from
him the regular rations; or if forage cannot be provided in that mode,
and it is necessary it should be taken from the fields, it must be
taken according to the general orders of the 17th of June, 1839."
"G.O. _Villa Formosa, 13th April, 1811._
"No. 1. The Commander of the Forces requests, that, if possible, the
green corn may not be cut for the horses, &c. belonging to the army;
and that they may, if possible, be turned into the grass fields in
preference to the green corn. It must be understood, however, that the
horses, &c. attached to the army, must be fed, and must have the green
corn, if they cannot get grass."
"G.O. _Nave de Rey, 16th July, 1812._
"No. 1. The Commander of the Forces particularly requests the
attention of the commissariat attached to divisions and brigades of
Infantry, and to regiments of Cavalry, and of the general officers of
the army, and commanding officers of regiments, to the orders which
have been issued regarding the cutting of forage.
"No. 2. He desires, that whenever it is possible, grass may be given
to the horses and other animals, instead of straw with the corn in the
ear.
"No. 3. The Assistant Provosts must be employed to prevent the plunder
of the corn-fields, and their destruction by turning cattle into them."
"G.O. _Frenada, 25th November, 1812._
"No. 4. The Commander of the Forces has taken the precaution of having
the grass mowed, and saved as hay, in many parts of the country in
which the troops are now, or may be cantoned, which resource is ample
for the food of all the animals of the army during the winter, if duly
taken care of, and distributed under the regulations of the service.
"No. 5. The Commander of the Forces is sorry to learn, however, that
much of what was thus provided in this part of the country, has been
already wasted, or trampled upon and destroyed, and in particular
35,000 rations of hay, which were at Espeja, and of which Lieutenant
Holborne took possession, has been destroyed.
"No. 6. He entreats the attention of general officers, and commanding
officers of regiments, to these orders, as they relate not only to the
hay provided by the orders of the Commander of the Forces, but to the
forage, and other resources of the country."
Much more might be given and said upon this most important subject;
but being apprehensive that I have already exhausted the patience
of many readers, I shall only farther observe, that in the French
armies they act in a very summary manner with respect to carriages and
animals kept contrary to the rules of the service. All such carriages
and animals, and the persons along with them, are laid hold of by the
police, and taken to head-quarters, to be delivered up to the provost,
who reports the circumstances to the major-general, and who commonly
orders the transgressors to be punished by the provost-corporals, and
the carriages and animals to be sold for the benefit of the captors.
It now becomes necessary to consider other subjects connected with the
higher branches of the military profession, and which require to be so
well weighed, that I may, if possible, give offence to no one; at least
it shall be my study to endeavour to avoid doing so.