The American Sharpe Page 8

  15th It commenced raining very hard today early. At about 12 o’clock Molloy13 came to relieve me on this duty. The colonel I understand pretends to be vexed that I was sent out of my turn. Molloy told me that the division had not moved since yesterday evening and that there was no talk of moving when he left them. Just as I left them, the commissariat stores and sick got orders to move. I set off immediately to join the division, attended by my servant and the little baggage I have got, carried on the pony I used to ride. I went into Salamanca to buy some things and saw Captain Smith14 who told me he had been advised to make the best of his way out of the town for that the French will shortly be in it. I accordingly took my departure & set off to find out the division. I was very soon informed by different stragglers that the army had commenced its retreat, but nobody could inform me in what direction I was likely to find our division, accordingly from this time I wandered at a hazard and was just as likely to walk into the French lines as the English. It continued to rain all this time tremendously. At about four o’clock in the afternoon I passed just at the flank of a line of our cavalry and the French, cannonading each other, there were a great number of people, cars &c in my rear, most of which must I am sure have been taken. I wandered in this uncertain manner (without knowing whether I was going right or wrong, and of course very uneasy, fully at times expecting to walk in among the enemy) until about an hour and a half after dark, when I came up to a house, at the door of which I saw a great many horses and soldiers. I went in and saw an excellent fire and two or three officers who I understood afterwards to be paymasters.

  I determined to go no further this night, but brought in my pony & baggage, got some meat cooked, dried myself and lay down in my boat cloak before the fire, I had not lain down 5 minutes before there was a great firing of musketry heard at a distance, all the paymasters cut & run, I not thinking it quite safe took my departure also. Close in rear of this house, between it and the fires of a camp I saw at a distance, which I understood to be the English camp, was a small river, but which was so swollen with the rain that it was impassable. I walked down the bank for about a mile, fording every now and then to find a place shallow enough to bring the pony & baggage over. Not finding any such place I turned back & went up the river, again fording every now & then as before asked. After walking about half a mile above the house, I at last brought the pony over myself & servant holding up his head. The stream was so deep & rapid that I fully expected to have lost him and all the baggage. After crossing I made direct for the lights of the camp and to my great joy walked into the Light Division camp, found out our company tent and heartily tired & wet through, lay down to sleep, this ended the most uncomfortable day I ever passed in my life.

  16th The division marched at about 7 o’clock, with the baggage on the reverse flank of the column about 3 leagues and encamped in a wood. The roads are dreadfully bad, I got up to my knee at almost every step, it rained at intervals all day, the weather is also very cold. In consequence of the badness of the roads we did not get to our bivouack until after dark. The firing that started me last night from the house was by the soldiers firing at pigs. There were a great many stragglers on the flanks, at the same thing the whole of today. Lord Wellington has ordered 2 or 3 to be hung15. I bought a piece of pig from a Portuguese soldier on the march today, it rained at intervals all night. The whole of the country through which we marched today was a thick wood of green oak.

  17th The baggage was ordered off some time before the column moved. The column moved at about ½ past 7. The roads as they were yesterday, miserably bad, the weather very cold. We had not moved on far before we were halted, that is to say, the 1st Brigade, the companies equalised to be ready to form a square, our company was sent to the front to look out. After about half an hour we moved on again for about a mile and made another halt for nearly an hour. All this time the enemies [sic] cavalry skirmished with ours. We then moved on after some time, the enemies cavalry and ours still skirmishing in our rear, we perceived some of the enemies cavalry on our left flank. Part of our company was out as a flank patrol, they fired some shots at the cavalry. Some of their cavalry rode in upon the column of the 7th Division which was just in our front & fired into them, they having no flank patrols. They also charged some sick and baggage who were between us and the 7th Division and took several. Lieutenant Cameron16 of our 2nd Battalion who was in charge of the sick was taken, they rifled his pockets, took away his horse & shoes & let him go again. Lieutenant General Sir E. Paget17 who was 2nd in command to Lord Wellington was taken prisoner about the same time. Soon after General Erskine18 told General Alten that it was necessary one brigade of the Light Division should halt to cover the retreat of his cavalry across the River Huebra which was just in our front. Our brigade was accordingly halted and while General Alten was remonstrating with Erskine, Lord Wellington very luckily for us came up and ordered us to retire immediately.

  We were hard enough pushed as it was, if we had retired 5 minutes later, God knows what would have been the consequence. At this time we thought that they had nothing up but cavalry, they however pushed on their infantry just as we approached the river. The ground on the immediate bank of the river is quite flat, there is a ridge of very commanding heights on the right bank of the river, on which the enemy planted their artillery immediately on our quitting them and commenced cannonading us as we crossed the ford, they killed and wounded some of our men. We found the artillery of our division drawn up on the left bank of the river returning the enemy’s fire, also our and the rest of our division & the 7th Division drawn up in columns. They continued shelling and cannonading our columns & they sent a great quantity of infantry to our left and down towards the river, 2 companies of the 1st Battalion viz Grey’s and Macnamara’s19, were sent out to skirmish down to the bank of the river, the other four companies of the 1st Battalion were sent down towards the river and formed in line. Some of the 52nd companies were out skirmishing & poor Dawson20 (whose company was one) was killed. Ridout of the 43rd21 was wounded by a cannon shot which was thrown into the column. There were several other officers of the division wounded, but none of our regiment. We continued cannonading and skirmishing until dark. We lay all night on the ground on which we formed line, the 2 companies remaining in front (where they had been skirmishing) as a picquet. It rained very hard all night, we of course had no baggage, there was a little beef issued. By great good luck I got Leach to carry my boat cloak when the baggage was sent off this morning, otherwise I should have had nothing to lay in. Independent of the rain it was a bitter cold night.

  I am convinced that if we had not made those 2 long halts at the commencement of the march we should have crossed the ford without interruption.

  Leach records that the commissariat delivered cattle still on the hoof at the end of their day’s march which were instantly butchered. However, the incessant rains precluded any possibility of maintaining a fire and they were forced to go without and simply lived off the few acorns they could scavenge off the ground.22 The retreat continued, but luckily the French pursuit ended this day.

  18th It was intended that we should get off before day break, the divisions in our front however, not obeying their orders, we did not get off until 3 hours at least after daylight & even then on account of the road being so blocked up, we made but little way. We thought as did Lord Wellington himself that the enemy would follow us this day as usual and it was expected that our division which always formed the rear guard would be terribly cut up, as indeed it would if they had followed us. They however did not attempt it and we proceeded to a wood in the neighbourhood of Sancti Spiritus without interruption where we bivouacked. The country through which we marched this day was not so thickly wooded as formerly, but the roads were equally bad. I saw a great many Portuguese soldiers lying dead in the road today. We had our light baggage with us this evening, we are I understand to be quartered in Rodrigo tomorrow, that will be luxury indeed.

  A deserter from the enemy
who came in today says that Soult commanded in person, the troops that followed us and that they have gone back to Salamanca for want of provisions. It rained very little today.

  19th We marched this morning before day break, before all the other divisions, to Ciudad Rodrigo. I saw Watts on the march, he told me that their brigade of cavalry was to have covered our retreat on the 17th, but they missed their way & when we arrived at Rodrigo we halted outside of the town for a long time. We were informed that it was impossible to quarter any troops inside of the town and the suburbs being only capable of containing one brigade, the other is to go to the Convent of La Caridad. It was agreed that as the 1st Brigade had the choice at Madrid, the 2nd Brigade should occupy the suburbs and ours go to La Caridad (however they might as well have let us stay where we are as La Caridad is entirely unroofed and affords no shelter whatever). The brigade stopped here some time for biscuit which was served out, in the meantime I walked in to Rodrigo and satisfied my hunger which was most ravenous. After the biscuit was served out, we marched to La Caridad & bivouacked. Thus ended this retreat, one of the most fatiguing and annoying, miserable retreat, for the time it lasted the British army ever made, for though the marches were not long the roads were shockingly bad, the weather for the season of the year very cold and rainy and the want of provisions very great, much more so than from the nature of the case it ought to have been.

  It is calculated that the army have lost in prisoners, who were through fatigue & illness unable to keep up, more than 4,000 men, the loss in stores &c &c is immense. I here talk of the retreat from Salamanca to Rodrigo alone, for we never saw the enemy on the retreat from Madrid to Salamanca and the weather was for the most part, fine. Today a fine day.

  20th It commenced raining last night and remained all today.

  21st Rained all day with cold wind. There was an order given this evening for the brigade to march tomorrow morning to Saelices el Chico, a place which I understand affords no more cover than that the place we are at now. General Alten however said that it is but fair that the other brigade should take a spell of lying out and accordingly has ordered that they march tomorrow morning to Saelices el Chico and we march & occupy their quarters in the suburbs.

  22nd Last night was a miserable, cold rainy night, our tent was blown down twice. Marched this morning into the suburbs, got into very good quarters, a gloomy windy day.

  23rd A fine clear frosty day, Leach and I went up the Agueda with our guns, saw a great number of ducks, could not however get at them.

  24th Head quarters left this place today for Freineda, fine day, the breaches are not repaired yet and are getting on very slowly, nor are the forts finished.

  25th The 1st Brigade (with the exception of the 43rd Regiment which remain in the suburbs) marched this morning to the following places; 1st Battalion 95th to Villa del Puerco23, artillery & 1 company 3rd Battalion to Sexmiro, other 4 companies 3rd Battalion to Martillan, 20th Portuguese Regiment to Barquilla. We are very much crowded at Villa del Puerco. There were however in it before we came, a brigade of the 5th Division, some artillery and some of the 12th Light Dragoons, they all marched out as we arrived to make room for us.

  A fine frosty day. We crossed the River Azava by the bridge of Marialba and passed through Gallegos, a fine corn country about Villa del Puerco.

  26th A fine day.

  27th Blank

  28th Walked over to Martillan & bought some things at poor Firman’s sale, who died at Salamanca in consequence of the fall he got. I brought the man that lost my baggage to a court martial, today he was flogged.

  29th I went out shooting today, we saw some ducks & killed one, went as far as Villar de Cuervo, got some bread and wine there. It is a very nice village, there are no troops there.

  Chapter 8

  Winter Quarters

  Finally, the army was placed into winter quarters in Portugal to rest and recuperate after the devastating retreat. To while away the inevitable hours of boredom, races, tennis matches, balls, shooting parties, walking clubs and plays were organised. James’ irritation with Colonel Cameron’s nitpicking continued however.

  30th Marched this morning at about 7 o’clock to [La] Alameda [de Gardon], about 3 miles, it is to be our winter cantonment. Colonel Cameron not forgetting his old pique, took every opportunity of finding fault with me and with the company because I commanded it today, dirty low lifed work! General Alten and the staff of the division are here, his quarters are not very good. Today being St Andrew’s day we all dined together, had a very fair dinner.

  The 43rd are at Gallegos, 52nd Nave de Haver, 2nd Battalion 95th Espeja, 1st & 3rd Cacadores & Vandeleur at Fuentes d’Onoro, other regiments where they were before, viz Sexmiro, Martillan & Barquilla.

  I rode with Leach & Doyle1 to Almeida, 4 leagues from here, it is a small but very neat fortress, the works which the French destroyed are repairing very fast, all the earth work is finished and the facing of stone is getting on very well. The town itself is a filthy dirty miserable place, there are however very good shops in it, much better than in Rodrigo. We went by way of Vale da Mula which is in Portugal close on the bank of the small River Turon which divides Portugal from Spain. On the Spanish side of the Turon just opposite to Vale da Mula is Fort Concepcion2, a very beautiful fort which has been destroyed by the French & English. Coming through Vale da Mula on our way back, we were entreated by a woman of the place to make some Portuguese Cacadores assist her in burying the body of an English soldier who had died in her house, which these brutes though sitting at their ease in the market place refused to carry 20 yards to a grave that was ready dug. We arrived at home about dark.

  December

  1st It is in contemplation to have a regimental mess, I do not think it will answer.

  3rd – 5th Blank

  6th Walked today to Fort Concepcion, it has been a beautiful fort, the fort itself consists of four bastions & four curtains, the only ground that is not completely commanded by the guns of the fort is on the left of it as you look towards Portugal and here are two outworks in a line with each other and the fort. The first is a circular work with a passage through the centre of it, the outer work is what I believe is called a ravelin, it is in the shape of a fleche. They are both of stone, the outer work is connected with the inner one by a covered way, which is connected with the inner work in like manner.

  There is one thing here which I never saw in any fortification before viz on the covered way or crest of the glacis of the outer work or ravelin are stone walls loop holed. All the works are completely destroyed having been blown up by both the French & English. In the main work are many human skeletons & bones. Came home through Aldea del Obispo & Castillejos de Dos Casas.

  7th There being no straw nearer than Barba del Puerco3 and it being my tour of duty to go for forage, I rode with the bat men of the regiment there today, it is full four leagues there from Almeida. In passing through Villar de Ciervo, General Victor Alten, who is quartered there with the 1st Hussars told me he had that morning sent a party to bring all the forage away and advised me not to go there, I however went on and found plenty. The country between Villar de Ciervo & Barba del Puerco is rocky & uncultivated with a good deal of wood. Barba del Puerco is a nice village, it is situated on the left bank of the Agueda on the opposite bank is St Felices de Los Gallegos as it is down in the map but I have generally heard it called St Felices Grande.

  There is a bridge across the Agueda at this place, the banks of the river are most tremendously steep and this pass is the most formidable without exception I ever saw, for even if there were no opposition it would be impossible to get cannon up or down, yet the French attempted to carry it when our regiment was there about three years ago.

  The arch of the bridge nearest Barba de Puerco has been destroyed, the arch is not repaired again, but a passage carried on to the bridge from on one side. As a proof how little confidence the Spaniards place in commissary’s Vals4, when I offered the owner of the straw th
e Val, he was sitting among a great many women, they all burst out laughing and he said it was very good paper for segars [sic] but worth nothing more.

  8th The regimental mess commenced this day, the pay master has agreed to advance the money which is to be stopped from the officers at each issue.

  9th – 12th Blank

  13th The mess answers admirably well, much better than I expected, it is a capital thing, though at first we did not pull exactly together.

  14th Blank

  Whilst the army lay in winter cantonments, the Duke rode to Cadiz to meet and confer with the Spanish Central Cortez on the campaign ahead. The Spanish promised both supplies and men and conferred command of the Spanish army on Wellington, despite the open opposition of some of the Spanish generals.

  15th Lord Wellington has gone to Cadiz.

  16th Blank

  The Duke of York was keen to remove a number of badly depleted battalions from the peninsular to recruit and sought to replace them with new battalions. Wellington was less keen, recognising that one veteran was worth at least two recruits and was three times more likely to remain fit for duty in the trying conditions of Spain. He therefore came up with the expedient of combining two of these battalions together as ‘Provisional Battalions’ incorporating all of the fit men of both battalions.

  Those deemed unfit and any excess of officers and NCO’s were shipped back to Britain to recruit. What now became officially the 1st Provisional Battalion had been unofficially (as regards Horse Guards) formed nearly a year earlier without the provision of a number5, but the four battalions were officially recognised at the end of 1812. Some of these battalions fought as such throughout the remainder of the Peninsular War.