WITH SIR JOHN MOORE—BATTLE OF CORUÑA.
1808-9.
I stayed in this happy land of my sires for two months, when I was
ordered to join. The Regiment was then quartered at Colchester.
Although there were many subalterns present who were senior to me,
I had given to me, for my exertions abroad as Adjutant, the command
of a Company. This was the act of my kind and valued friend Colonel
Beckwith, whom I shall have occasion frequently to mention in these
memoirs, but never without feelings of affection and gratitude. The
Company was in very bad order when I received it, which Colonel
Beckwith told me was the reason he gave it me. I now procured a
commission for my brother Tom, who was gazetted over the heads of
several other candidates.
In the summer [spring] of 1808 10,000 men were ordered to Sweden under
the command of Sir J. Moore. Three Companies of the Rifle Brigade
under Major Gilmour were to form part of the expedition. By dint of
great exertion I was appointed Adjutant to this detachment. We marched
to Harwich to embark. When the fleet was collected, we anchored a
few days in Yarmouth roads. The fleet arrived at Gottenburgh [on 7
May], blowing a heavy gale of wind. The harbour of this place is most
beautiful. The army never landed, but the men were drilled, embarking
and disembarking in flat-bottomed boats. I jumped against three
regiments, 95th, 43rd, and 52nd, and beat them by four inches, having
leaped 19 feet and 4 inches.
_Commenced at Simla, Himalayas, 11th Aug. 1844_—H.G.S.
At this period Napoleon announced his unjust invasion of Spain, and
Sir John Moore’s army was ordered to sail and unite with the forces
collecting on the coast of Portugal for the purpose of expelling
Junot’s army from Lisbon. On approaching the mouth of the Mondego, a
frigate met us to say Sir Arthur Wellesley’s army had landed in Mondego
and pushed forward, and that Sir John Moore was to sail for Peniche,
and there land on arrival. The battle of Vimiera had been fought [21
Aug. 1808], and the Convention was in progress. Sir John Moore’s army
landed one or two days after the battle and took the outposts. The
three Companies to which I was Adjutant joined Colonel Beckwith and the
headquarters of the Regiment, and I was appointed to Captain O’Hare’s
Company (subalterns Smith, W. Eeles, Eaton).
After the embarcation of the French army, an army was formed under Sir
John Moore for the aid of the Spaniards, and it moved on the frontier
of Alemtejo.
The 95th were quartered in Villa Viciosa, in an elegant palace. I
occupied a beautiful little room with a private staircase, called the
Hall of Justice. I was sent by Sir Edward Paget to examine the fort
Xuramenha and report upon it, the fords of the Guadiana, etc., near the
important fortress of Badajos.
In the autumn of this year (1808), Sir John Moore’s army moved on
Salamanca. As I could speak Spanish, I was employed by Colonel
Beckwith to precede the Regiment daily to aid the Quartermaster in
procuring billets and rations in the different towns, and various
were the adventures I met with. The army was assembled at Salamanca,
and never did England assemble such a body of organized and elegant
troops as that army of Sir John Moore, destined to cover itself with
glory, disgrace, victory, and misfortune. The whole of this campaign
is too ably recorded by Napier for me to dwell on. I shall only
say that never did corps so distinguish itself during the whole of
this retreat as my dear old Rifles. From the severe attack on our
rear-guard at Calcavellos [3 Jan. 1809], where I was particularly
distinguished, until the battle of Coruña, we were daily engaged with
a most vigorous and pushing enemy, making most terrific long marches
(one day 37 miles). The fire of the Riflemen ever prevented the column
being molested by the enemy; but the scenes of drunkenness, riot, and
disorder we Reserve Division witnessed on the part of the rest of the
army are not to be described; it was truly awful and heartrending to
see that army which had been so brilliant at Salamanca so totally
disorganized, with the exception of the reserve under the revered Paget
and the Brigade of Guards. The cavalry were nearly all dismounted, the
whole a mass of fugitives and insubordinates; yet these very fellows
licked the French at Coruña like men [16 Jan.]. The army embarked the
following day. I shall never forget the explosion of a fortress blown
up by us—the report cannot be imagined. Oh, the filthy state we were
all in! We lost our baggage at Calcavellos; for three weeks we had no
clothes but those on our backs; we were literally covered and almost
eaten up with vermin, most of us suffering from ague and dysentery,
every man a living still active skeleton. On embarcation many fell
asleep in their ships and never awoke for three days and nights,
until in a gale we reached Portsmouth [21 Jan.]. I was so reduced
that Colonel Beckwith, with a warmth of heart equalling the thunder
of his voice, on meeting me in the George Inn, roared out, “Who the
devil’s ghost are you? Pack up your kit—which is soon done, the devil
a thing have you got—take a place in the coach, and set off home to
your father’s. I shall soon want again such fellows as you, and I will
arrange your leave of absence!” I soon took the hint, and naked and
slothful and covered with vermin I reached my dear native home, where
the kindest of fathers and most affectionate of mothers soon restored
me to health.[11]