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قراءة كتاب The Life of a Regimental Officer During the Great War 1793-1815
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اللغة: English
The Life of a Regimental Officer During the Great War 1793-1815
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preserved, hitherto unpublished, letters written by him one hundred and twenty years ago, and I have thought that some of these, showing as they do the ways of the military world when England's reputation was being made, are of sufficient general interest to be worthy of publication.
My best thanks are due to Miss Lucy Augusta Rice for the loan of her great-uncle's papers, and to the past and present officers of the King's Own Yorkshire Light Infantry—the old 51st—for information concerning their gallant regiment.
A. F. MOCKLER-FERRYMAN.
St John's House,
Tavistock.
CONTENTS.
| CHAPTER I. | |
| STUDYING FOR THE ARMY. | |
| PAGE | |
| Samuel Rice—Birth and parentage—Education—Sent to St Omer in 1792—French Revolution—Preparations for war—French hussars and their moustaches—Massacre of aristocrats—Expulsion of Jesuits—Founding of Stoneyhurst College—Duke of Brunswick's manifesto—Citizen Rice—French victories over Prussians and Austrians—Troublous times—Rice returns to England | 1 |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| ENSIGN OF THE 51ST. | |
| Rice joins the army—How commissions were obtained—The Purchase System—Officer's pay—Dress of officers—On board a transport—Disorder among the troops—Courts-martial—Flogging—Many false starts—Gibraltar—Sans culottes—Affairs at Toulon at the end of 1793—The 51st proceeds on active service—Evacuation of Toulon—Loss of the regimental baggage—Hyères Bay | 14 |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| THE ATTACK ON CORSICA. | |
| Lieut.-Colonel John Moore—The British army in 1793—The officers—Moore interviews Admiral Lord Hood—England's position in the Mediterranean—Elba and Corsica—Horatio Nelson—Operations against St Fiorenzo—Origin of Martello towers—Operations against Bastia and against Calvi—Nelson loses an eye—Moore wounded—Rice's experiences—Surrender of Calvi—French driven from Corsica—Sickness among the troops | 35 |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| CORSICA WON AND LOST. | |
| Taking over the island—The life of a subaltern—Garrison gaieties—The Viceroy of Corsica—Misunderstandings—Disease and deaths—The 51st garrisons Corte—Corsican regiments—Sea-fights—Disaffection among the Corsicans—Pascal Paoli and Sir Gilbert Elliott—Bastia—General rising in favour of the French—Hasty evacuation of Corsica by the British—The army takes refuge in Elba | 56 |
| CHAPTER V. | |
| FROM THE MEDITERRANEAN TO CEYLON. | |
| The situation at Elba—News of Admiral Jervis's victory off Cape St Vincent—Evacuation of Elba—The 51st reaches Gibraltar—Moves to Lisbon—Napoleon's drastic methods—Position of Portugal—Rice a captain of light infantry—Naval warfare—Convoys—The 51st sails for the East Indies—Lands at the Cape of Good Hope—Arrives at Madras—Tippoo of Mysore—Prize-money and plunder—Ceylon—King of Kandy—A long and unfortunate war—Rice invalided—Affairs in Europe—The 51st returns to England | 81 |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| THE REFORM OF THE ARMY. | |
| Sir John Moore's great work—His treatment of regimental officers—He trains a brigade for war—Shorncliffe Camp—Light troops—Their origin and history—Discipline—Intelligent code—Napoleon's proposed invasion of England—Nelson's victory at Trafalgar—Regimental life—Uniform of 1808—The beginning of the Peninsular War—Sir Arthur Wellesley—Vimiera—Occupation of Lisbon | 102 |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| THE CORUNNA CAMPAIGN, AND AFTER. | |
| Sir John Moore at Lisbon—The 51st accompanies Sir David Baird to Corunna—Situation in the Peninsula—Moore advances north—Baird ordered to co-operate—Napoleon's forced march from Madrid—Retreat on Corunna commences—Hardships—Lack of discipline—Good work of the 51st at Lugo—Corunna reached—The battle—Death of Sir John Moore—The 51st arrives in England—The Walcheren Expedition—Wellesley's operations in the Peninsula in 1810 | 126 |
| CHAPTER VIII. | |
| CAMPAIGNS OF 1811 IN THE PENINSULA. | |
| The 51st ordered to take the field—Joins Wellington's army—Condition of Portugal—Major Rice's letters—Beresford at Badajoz—Battle of Fuentes d'Onor—Major Rice has an "all-but"—The French escape from Almeida—Second siege of Badajoz—Assaults on St Christoval—Failure and withdrawal—The colours of the 51st—Strange episode—Regimental officers—Wellington's reticence—Winter quarters | 145 |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| CIUDAD RODRIGO AND BADAJOZ. | |
| Sports and amusements of the army—Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo—The covering force—Guarding snow-passes—Fall of the fortress—Marching south—Siege of Badajoz—Attempt to surprise Llerena—Disastrous night march—Storming of Badajoz—Wild scenes—Remarks on the battle of Albuhera—Wellington's plans—Indiscipline of the army—Marauding—Punishments—Peninsular generals—The soldiers' opinion of Wellington—Flogging in the army | 180 |