OSPREY - MEN-AT-ARMS SERIES ¢ (Sonnaught UNGEIS Text by ALAN SHEPPERD Colour plates by MICHAEL YOUENSMEN-AT-ARMS SERIES EDITOR: PHILIP WARNER ¢ (Sonnaught ANGCTS ‘THE DEVIL’S OWN’ Text by ALAN SHEPPERD Colour plates by MICHAEL YOUENS OSPREY PUBLISHING LIMITEDPublished in England by Osprey Publishing Ltd, P.O. Box 25, 707 Oxford Road, Reading, Berkshire © Copyright 1972 Osprey Publishing Ltd This book is copyrighted under the Berne Convention. All rights reserved. Apart from any fair dealing for the purpose of private study, research, criticism or review, as permitted under the Copyright Act, 1956, no part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, electrical, chemical, mechanical, optical, photo- copying, recording or otherwise, without the prior permission of the copyright owner. Enquiries should be addressed to the Publishers. spn 85045 083 7 Printed in Great Britain by Jarrold & Sons Ltd, NorwichTie Cbnnaught Rangers Me Origins SEPTEMBER 1793 Within days of the execution of Louis XVI the Revolutionary Government of France declared war on Great Britain and Holland. The date was 1 February 1793. France had never been so un- prepared. The army had shrunk to. 150,000 effectives ~ less than one fifth of its nominal strength. Eighteen months previously two-thirds of the officer corps, after generations of hereditary service to the King, had resigned and discipline had plummeted; nor had it been properly restored by those elected to command by popular vote in their place, The soldiers themselves were poorly armed and destitute of pay, clothing and equip- ment. The British were unprepared, but for a different reason. In the ten years following the Peace of Versailles the army had been cut back to 44,000 officers and men, hardly enough to find the weak overseas garrisons, and only a few thousand men remained for the defence of the realm or to carry out any offensive overseas. The urgent need was not just for recruits but for many more regiments. Among the first of the new regiments to be raised were De Burgh’s, on 25 September 1793, and the Scotch Brigade the following day. ‘These two regiments, later numbered 88 and 94, became united under the Cardwell Reforms as the two regular battalions of the Connaught Rangers. As we shall see the coincidence of the dates of their formation was only one of the ties that bound them together for over a century and a quarter of devoted service to the British Crown, THE SCOTS BRIGADE It is a matter of historic interest that the Con- naught Rangers can claim a direct link with the ancient Scots Brigade that was raised in 1572 for the War of Dutch Independence, The Scots Brigade remained in the service of the Netherlands for over two hundred years and for the majority of this period the regiments were officially held to be part of the armed forces of the Scottish and later British Crown. As early as 1577 the regiments carried the white St Andrews Gross on a blue background as their Colour and under their national flag won undying fame, The Brigade recruited in the Lowlands, marched to ‘Scots duty’, and in the very early days wore the old time great belted plaid. When, under the Truce of Tréves in 1609, Spain granted independence to” the seven United Provinces, the Dutch retained the Brigade to garrison the southern frontiers. In nearly a hundred actions against the Spanish the Brigade had gained a high reputation, and it was at this period that two of the regiments served under Gustavus Adolphus, the Swedish soldier- king, whose country was invaded by the Danes. Within a few years, war with Spain again broke out and dragged on until 1648, with the Brigade constantly occupied in guarding the Dutch frontiers and taking part in many siege operations. In recognition of two of their greatest feats of arms, the defence of Breda and siege of Bois-le-Duc, the Scots Brigade was awarded the proud designa- tion ‘the bulwark of the Republic’ by the Prince of Orange. Sixty years later his son, William of 3‘The last colours carried by the Scots Brigade in Holland and Inid aside in 1782 remained in that country for over & century until 1884. They were then recovered through the personal intervention of Lord Reay and laid up in St Giles's Cathedral, Edinburgh. (National Army Museum) Orange landed at Torbay and the Brigade, in their red coats lined in blue, white and yellow to distinguish the three regiments, marched with him, Under King William the Brigade was soon back on familiar ground, this time to fight the French, notably at Steinkirk, Landen and the taking of Namur. Shortly before the accession of Queen Anne the English regiments in the Dutch service were withdrawn and the Scots Brigade was increased to six regiments. Under Marl- borough the Brigade won distinction at Ramillies, Oudenarde, Lille, Tournay and Malplaquet, In the long years of peace that followed the Brigade was kept on garrison duty, but when Holland was drawn into the War of the Austrian Succession, to face the well organized armies of Marshal de Saxe, the Brigade was called on to make great sacrifices. This was due to the parsinomy of the Dutch Government that had failed to maintain adequate regular forces. At Fontenoy where the Dutch attack failed, Col. Donald Mackay was killed at the head of his regiment. He had succeeded his father in command and was the grandson of the veteran Gen. Hugh Mackay, who as a young officer seventy years previously had reorganized the Brigade at the request of the Prince of Orange. ‘The bitterly contested defensive battles of Roucoux and Laffeld followed, both fought to protect the fortress of Maastricht, In the autumn of 1747 the Scots Brigade fought their last battle at the fortress of Bergen-op-Zoom, an important fortress besieged by the brilliant and successfull Count Lowendahl. A few days later 4 the London newspapers carried a despatch that had appeared in the Hague Gazette, ‘The two battalions of the Scots Brigade have as usual done honour to their country; which is all we have to comfort us for the loss of such brave men, who from 1,450 are now reduced to 330, and those have valiantly brought their colours with them, which their grenadiers recovered twice from the midst of the French at the point of the bayonet.’ There followed many years of frustration and disillusionment. The British Government, des- perately short of troops for the Seven Years War and the War in America, repeatedly applied for the return of the Brigade, But the Dutch were loath to lose their best troops, and politically their sympathies lay with Britain’s enemies. Finally, in 1782, the officers of the Brigade were given the straight choice of renouncing their oath of allegi- ance to the British Crown, or resigning and leaving Holland. As for the regimental traditions, the uniform, colours and ancient marching airs, all were to be changed. All three regimental com- manders and the majority of the officers immedi- ately resigned and returned to England, where as the Peace of Versailles had meanwhile been signed they came on to half pay under a special Act of Parliament. The colours carried at Bergen- op-Zoom remained in Holland for over a century before they were finally handed over and laid up in St Giles’ Cathedral, Edinburgh, During the years of crisis preceding the outbreak of the War of the French Revolution the officers of the Scots Brigade petitioned his Majesty on four occasions to revive the Brigade in the service of the Crown. Only the outbreak of war stirred the Government to action. In the summer of 1793 the three senior officers who had returned to England received their ‘letter of service’, giving His Majesty's approval to the raising of three new battalions. Shortly afterwards the Gazetle announced the appointment of no less than twenty-six officers of the Scots Brigade to serve in the reformed Scotch Brigade. THE SCOTCH BRIGADE Regimental depots were established at Irvine, Dunfermline, Linlithgow and, when recruiting started for a fourth battalion, at Dalkeith fiveBattle of Seringapatam. (National Army Museum) miles outside Edinburgh. The command of this battalion went to Lt.-Col. Thomas Scott of the 53rd. In the flurry of invasion scares so many units had been raised, however, that few were up to strength; a situation much deplored by that admirable administrator the Duke of York, who had recently been appointed Commander-in- Chief. As the result of a series of amalgamations, Lt.-Col. Scott found himself, in 1796, command- ing the Scotch Brigade as a single battalion in Gibraltar. Within months the Brigade was sent to the Cape of Good Hope as reinforcements, to face a threat by the Dutch to recapture the colony. The Battalion was brigaded with the 86th under the command of Maj.-Gen. David Baird, a highly respected officer who knew how to train and lead these two ‘remarkably fine bodies of men’. In India, war against Tippoo Sultan was imminent and towards the end of 1798 the Scotch Brigade and the 84th under the command of Gen, Baird, sailed for Madras, Here a large force was assembl- ing under Col. Arthur Wellesley, for the invasion of Mysor nd the capture of Seringapatam. ‘The last company of the Scotch Brigade did not reach Madras until the following February, by which time six companies of the battalion had left to join the ‘Grand Army’ about to advance on Seringapatam. Under Capt. James Campbell this company was temporarily detached to take part in a remarkable naval action CAPTURE OF THE LA FORTE The La Forte, a fast and strongly armed French frigate, had for some time been operating in the Bay of Bengal, capturing merchant men and terrorizing the coastal shipping. The only British naval ship available was the frigate Sybille, recently in dock and undermanned through sickness amongst the crew. Within three days of their arrival, five officers and nearly a hundred men of, the Scotch Brigade were again at sea serving as marines on the Sybille, which cleared for action and sailed immediately. After dusk on the ninth day of the search faint flashes were seen a great way off. The Captain of the frigate decided that flashes could be the reflections from gunfire 5‘The breach of Guidad Rodrigo, 19 January 1812. (National Army Museum) beyond the horizon, The Sybille immediately changed course; a shadow slipping through the water in a light breeze under a starlit sky. On board 370 men crouched at their action stations in complete darkness. After an hour three ships appeared on the horizon, All were brightly lit up and the largest could soon be seen to have a double row of ports. ‘The French admiral, intent on putting a prize crew on the two merchantmen, hardly gave a glance to the approaching vessel, whose watch, he thought, must be asleep — another blundering Indiaman that would prove an easy prize, It was well after midnight when the Sybille came within range. The first few desultory shots from La Forte were ignored and it was some time before the French realized that the darkened ship heading straight towards them was no helpless merchant- man, Now on La Forte ‘all was shouting and noise’, and the frantic beat of drum, urging the crew to action stations, could be clearly heard across the water, as the Sybille rapidly closed on an opposite tack. The French, in their excitement, badly mis- judged the range and their broadsides passed clean over the Sybille, which still showed no light or 6 movement on deck. Suddenly the British frigate turned close under La Forte’s stern: in a moment the tarpaulins screening the battle lanterns were snatched aside and a double-shotted broadside crashed into the Frenchman’s stern at forty yards range. The action continued for nearly an hour with the two ships less than twenty yards apart, an ideal range for the ‘marines’ that lined the Sybille’s bulwarks. At one point the French attempted to disengage and sail away, but the sailors loosing the sails were shot down almost to a man, and soon afterwards Sybille’s guns brought the masts and yards crashing down. The effect of the ‘unremitting fire’ which caused great havoc on the quarter deck and fo’e’sle of the La Forte is reflected in the respective casualty lists. While the La Forte lost 65 killed and 85 wounded, the casualties on the Sybille were only 5 killed and 16 wounded, SERINGAPATAM ‘The advance on Seringapatam took nearly two months. Of the 37,000 troops only just over 5,000 were Europeans, Three of the four British batta-lions were formed into an assault brigade under Baird, the 12th, the 74th and the six companies of the Scotch Brigade, which mustered 559 all ranks with Maj. Skelly in command. Lt.-Col. Scott commanded a brigade of Madras Native Troops throughout the campaign. The forces available to Tippoo were estimated at 59,000 men, which included a large body of rocket troops, but only half-hearted attempts were made to delay the advance into Mysore. The invading force faced tremendous logistic problems. Transport for the baggage, commissariat and grain merchants amounted to 120,000 bullocks. In addition there were hundreds of personal retinues accompanied by elephants, camels, more bullocks and coolies. The non-combatants outnumbered the fighting men by five to one and the average advance with this conglomeration of men and beasts, which covered twenty square miles, was only five miles a day. ‘The siege operations had to be pressed forward as soon as Seringapatam was reached, as the troops were half starved owing to the difficulties of provisioning the huge army. The Scotch Brigade played a major part in driving back the outposts, and by 2 May the trenches were sufficiently advanced and the siege guns in position. Between the nearest parallel and the north-west corner of the fortress a branch of the River Cavery flowed. A practicable crossing point, some 280 yards across and not more than three feet deep, had already been reconnoitred by the engineers. Within forty-eight hours the batteries had breached the main ramparts and the assault was ordered for the next day. At this date the Sultan’s force for the defence of the fortress totalled nearly 22,000 men. Gen. Baird, who had old scores to pay off, voluntecred to lead the attack. The European infantry battalions, mostly represented by their grenadier or flank companies, were joined by twenty-eight companies of Native infantry to make up nearly 5,000 men for the assault. The troops had moved into the trenches during the night but the attack was delayed until the hottest period of the day, when it was hoped that much of the garrison would be stood down and resting. Shortly after 1.00 p.m. Baird called out, ‘men are you all ready?’ Those near him replied, ‘Yes’ and with a shout ‘then forward my lads’ he scrambled over the parapet and ran forward straight into the water to where low stakes marked the ford, The rush of men was met by a heavy fire of grape, musketry and rockets, causing a number of casualties, particularly among the supporting troops that were now leaving the trenches. The wide ditch below the rampart was almost filled with fallen masonry and hardly checked the men racing forward from the river bank. A staff officer watching the attack later wrote, ‘after a short and appalling interval we saw the acclivity of the breach covered with a cloud of crimson and in a few minutes afterwards observed the files passing rapidly to right and left.’ Six minutes after Baird’s order to advance the British flag was seen waving from the ramparts. The orders were for the assault columns to swing outwards and clear the ramparts and the Scotch Brigade led the right- hand column, The Grenadier company, under Capt. Molle, drove the Sultan’s troops before them until they met a strong force led by French officers. The arrival of the flank companies, how- ever, restored the situation. Soon the two columns moving round the ramparts were within sight of cach other and began to fire down onto the terrified mass of Mysorean troops, who struggled to escape out through the far gates. As volley after volley cut into the swaying mass, panic spread and the Sultan was shot down, unrecognized amongst the mass of struggling men. ‘Then the sepoys moved in and the number of Mysoreans that died that day in Seringapatam was reckoned as 10,000. In the general order issued after the battle Major Skelly received special mention. The Scotch Brigade lost 13 men killed and 80 wounded. Capt. Hay was killed during the siege, and four officers were wounded in the assault. The capture of Seringapatam cost the Grand Army over 1,500 casualties of which 367 were in the assault, ‘The East India Company granted a medal for Seringapatam, but the British troops were not allowed to wear it for over fifty years. So far as is known, none of the Scotch Brigade ever received the medal. A small batch (nineteen silver and two bronze medals) was sent on to the battalion in Spain but these were presumably stolen en route. Similarly the Naval General Service Medal with bar for the Sybille action was eventually granted, but of the 365 survivors only a midshipman and 7three seamen could be traced. None were ever issued to the gallant ‘marines’, During the Mahratta War the Scotch Brigade led the assault at Asseerghur and were in the forefront of the Battle of Argaum. After the storming of Gawilghur, a fortress previously considered impregnable, Maj. James Campbell and the light company under Capt. Frederick Campbell received the special thanks of Maj.-Gen, Wellesley. In 1851 the issue of an India medal was authorized and four officers and forty men of the battalion were alive to receive the medal. 94TH (SCOTCH BRIGADE) In 1802, while the battalion was in Madras, it was given a new title ~ g4th (Scotch Brigade). The allocation of this low number caused much bitter- ness in a regiment that claimed more than ninety years seniority over the Coldstream Guards. In 1808 the battalion returned to Dunbarin Scotland. Its services in India had not been forgotten by the East India Company on whose representation the following was published in the London Gazette, dated 16 April 1807:—'His Majesty has been graciously pleased to approve of the 94th Regi- ment bearing the Elephant on their Colours and on their Appointments as an honourable and lasting testimony of their distinguished Services in India.’ It was also about this time that the title ‘Scotch Brigade’ was dropped from the Army List. Early in 1810 the g4th joined Sir Arthur Welles- ley’s army in the Peninsula. The 88th Connaught Rangers were already there. 88TH CONNAUGHT RANGERS 1793 Connaught Rangers raised by Hon. John Thomas de Burgh (mainly in Connaught) and moves to Chatham. Numbered 88th. Moves to Jersey then to Holland to join Duke of York, Terrible deprivations campaign. Withdrawn to England, owing to typhus. 543 out of 773 men unfit for duty. Lt.-Col, William Beresford takes over command. 1794 of winter 1795 April September November/ Embarks for West Indies; transports December scattered by storms and only three companies reach Grenada. 1796 Battalion reunited in England and spends the next two years in Jersey. Strength 4oo. 1799-1800 Stationed in Bombay. 1801 Ceylon, then to Egypt under Gen. Baird and marches from the Red Sea to the Nile to reach Alexandria, 1802 Egypt. Lands in England the day war is declared against France. 1802-6 Anti-invasion role on South Coast. Inspected by Maj~Gen, Sir Arthur Wellesley and warned for a ‘secret” expedition, originally to Chile. Mie Peninsular Var 1SO0S-14 BUENOS AIRES ‘The Connaught Rangers embarked in September 1806 but did not sail for two months. Reaching Cape Town at the end of March 1807, the expedi- tion learned that Buenos Aires had been recap- tured by the Spanish and that this was now their destination. The force of eight battalions and three cavalry regiments (two of which were dismounted) sailed up the Rio de la Plata. The river was twenty miles wide, but shallow water extended from the banks for up to eight miles and naval bombard- ment was impossible, so the troops disembarked on 28 June some thirty miles from Buenos Aires. ‘The 88th had been almost continuously at sea fornearly ten months. The direct route to the city was across marshy land, which was intersected by many muddy streams, and the winter rains had turned the whole area into a swamp. The invading force was thus faced with a difficult and circuitous route (of nearly fifty miles) further inland. The conditions were appalling and the men unfit. ‘There was no shelter from the rain and many streams had to be crossed. In negotiating the swamp to reach the high ground, five out of six- teen guns and all but a ton of biscuits (the only rations landed) had to be abandoned. On 3 July, afer a five days’ march, during which two of the brigades lost their way, the outskirts of the city was reached. Here the Spanish Viceroy, Gen. Liniers, waited with a force of unknown strength, Spasmo- dic skirmishing continued for thirty-six hours before Maj.-Gen. Whitelocke, the British com- mander, launched his attack on the morning of 5 July. Every available man was employed, some 5,000 all ranks, divided into thirteen small columns. The columns were ordered to advance down the streets that were laid out in a conven- tional chess board pattern and led straight to the waterfront. The 88th found 560 all ranks organ- ized into two columns under Lt.-Col, Duff and Maj. Vandeleur. In the city the Spanish General could call on some 15,000 men, a third of whom were partisans in organized groups, and the sup- port of nearly fifty guns. This well-armed force was held well back in ambush positions close to a main defence line, which was protected by strong barricades and covered by the artillery. But this was not all, as the citizens had barricaded their houses and were ready to resist with improvised grenades and any other weapons to hand. The core of the defence was centred on the Cathedral Square and a fort on the waterfront and several of the little columns were allowed to advance down silent and deserted streets until they were almost within sight of the beach. As soon as fire was opened from the houses and roof tops, Maj. Vandeleur led his men forward at the double, Ahead was a breastworks of bullock hides filled with earth and a six foot deep ditch which was negotiated under heavy fire, But the only exit from the street was up a narrow ramp enfiladed at 200 yards range by guns from the fort, and the men of the 88th were falling fast from the steady fire of marksmen posted on every rooftop. The trap had been carefully set. Any attempt to occupy nearby houses was beaten back and men sheltering in the ditch, behind the dead bodies of their comrades, were shelled by a field gun firing from a side street. Eventually ammunition ran out and the survivors, who were completely surrounded, were forced to surrender. The column under Lt.-Col. Duff actually reached their objective, which was a church not far from the Cathedral, without a shot being fired, but suffered a similar fate, While attempting to break down the heavy doors of the Church, the party came under such a devastating fire from the surrounding houses that the only course open was to sheer off into side streets, where the remnants of the force occupied three houses for several hours. Finally a handful of survivors surrendered. By the carly afternoon the fighting had died down all over the city. The British casualties amounted to over 1,000 killed and wounded and nearly 2,000 prisoners, compared with the Spanish losses of over go guns and 1,000 prisoners and an unknown, number of killed and wounded, Gen, Whitelocke decided that the task of occupying the province, even if he eventually captured the city, was beyond his means so an agreement to exchange prisoners and evacuate the province within ten days was signed in 7 July. The British troops felt humiliated and certainly had lost confidence in their commander. Lt.-Col. Duff, in giving evidence at the subsequent court martial of Gen. Whitelocke, stated that he had” deposited the Colours at his headquarters before the attack to avoid their possible capture. He also recounted the astonishing incident of his reserve companies being ordered by his Brigadier to re- move the flints from their muskets and leave them on the ground before being sent up as reinforce- ments. This pig-headed instruction related to an equally unrealistic general order: ‘the whole [force] to be unloaded and no firing to be per= mitted on any account!’ So much for a regimental commander's opinion of the tactical handling of the battle of Buenos Aires, in which the Connaught Rangers lost 20 officers and 220 men killed and wounded. Within a year of arriving back in England the battalion (now under the command of Maj. Vandeleur) was under orders to go to the 9aid of their recent enemy and landed at Lisbon in April 1809, Their Colonel, Lt.-Gen. Beresford, was given command of the Portuguese Army to which the Connaught Rangers were temporarily attached. 88TH (CONNAUGHT RANGERS) IN THE PENINSULA After the passage of the Douro the Connaught Rangers joined 3 Division to take part in the campaign for which Sir Arthur Wellesley received the title Viscount Wellington. A month’s march up the valley of the River Tagus, in pursuit of the French under Marshal Victor, brought the British, now joined by a Spanish army, to Talavera and the crossing of the river Alberche, Wellesley, threatened on his open flank and frustrated by the wretched supply arrangements that he had unwillingly left to the Spanish, was forced to stand and fight a defensive battle. On the afternoon of 27 July, 3 Division, having covered the disorderly retreat of the Spanish across the river Alberche, was moving back through wooded ground towards Talavera itself, The main body, which included the Connaught Rangers, was halted in a clearing close to the ruined walls of the Casa de Salinas. Covered by the smoke of some burning houses, the French slipped across the river and past the rear- guard. The first volley killed many men who had been comfortably resting in the shade, Both the 87th and 88th were thrown into confusion and were only rallied to the rear after some difficulty. Wellesley galloped back and was nearly captured, and the French were only driven back after the Division had lost nearly 450 men. THE BATTLE OF TALAVERA That evening the Allied troops formed up on the line of the Portina, a stream that flowed down from the mountains to the Tagus at Talavera. The key to the position was a ridge on the left of the ridge, the Cerro de Medellin, and the 88th were hardly in position on its slopes when the first French attack was launched. On the right, four Spanish battalions panicked and ran. But for Wellesley’s personal intervention the battle might have been lost there and then. The fighting con- tinued throughout the following day with two ‘The Peninsular Colours of the o4th (Scotch Brigade). Left: the King’s colour; right: detail of the central device on the Regimental colour. The Regimental colour has the customary Union canton in the upper left-hand corner. The elephant badge, conferred on the 94th by the King in October 1806 in recognition of their services in the East, is in the centre with the arms srs and motto of the City of Edinburgh (Misi Dominus Frustra): Around the elephant badge is « rag bearing ‘Edinburgh’ above and ‘Scotch Brigade’ belowseparate assaults on the British position, Over- night the French pulled out, having suffered over 7,000 casualties in their attempts to crush the British, whose loss of 5,363 men represented a quarter of Wellesley’s force. In the two days’ fighting the Connaught Rangers lost 136 including four officers killed. In their support role on the ridge, the battalion had more than a taste of French shelling and the previous day’s lesson on the value of sentries in close country had been learned the hard way. Talavera showed Welling- ton as ‘the first General of his time on the field of battle’ and the ‘superiority of courage, steadiness and discipline’ of the British soldier in their first major action against the French in Spain, THE 88TH AT BUSACO While the abortive Siege of Cadiz was in progress, at which the g4th played a distinguished part, the French forces in Spain rose to 300,000 and by July a strong force of 65,000 men was assembled near Ciudad Rodrigo under Marshal Massena for the invasion of Portugal. Wellington, having fortified the Lines of Torres Vedras and made his own supply arrangements, sent Gen. Hill to watch the frontier further south and waited for Massena to advance. As Wellington slowly pulled back through the valley of the River Mondego the French, who were desperately short of transport, were drawn further and further into hostile terri- tory which had been completely denuded of all supplies. Just north of Coimbra, and covering the approach to the road that led south to Lisbon, is the Serra do Busaco. Hill was recalled and by the evening of 26 September Wellington had 5,000 men in position on the nine-mile-long ridge be- tween the convent of Busaco and Penacova on the Mondego. The ridge, except for a succession of rocky peaks, stands up to 500 feet above the surrounding countryside and is covered with heather and gorse. The sides are precipitous in places and seamed with boulder-strewn ravines. ‘Three roads crossed the Serra do Busaco and Wellington had to split his force to cover each of these approaches, but to assist the movement of re- inforcements a road had been specially constructed along the reverse side of the ridge. Picton’s 3 Division held the central position covering the road up from the little village of San Antonio de Cantara, Believing the British were on a narrow front and preparing to withdraw by the main road past the convent, Massena ordered Marshal Ney with 22,000 men to attack in this direction, while Marshal Reynier with a further 15,000 infantry took the centre road and had the task of clearing the ridge up to the convent. Over- night, Picton was reinforced by a Portuguese brigade, plus the 8th Portuguese Regiment, and had moved the 88th to cover a deep and narrow gully that led up into the centre of his position between his own two brigades. Soon after dawn on 27 September Reynier’s divisions, totalling twenty-six battalions formed into two columns, started to toil up the steep slopes north of San Antonio. The assembly of the right-hand column, (Gen. Marle with about 6,600 men) had already been spotted and Picton sent four companies of the 45th to reinforce Wallace, commanding the 88th. ‘The other French column, climbing up towards the head of the San Antonio pass, was met with a storm of grape and musketry and were brought to a standstill, having suffered heavy casualties. Picton, judging the situation was in hand, and hearing the sound of heavy fighting on his left front, despatched the remainder of the 45th and a battalion of the 8th Portuguese in that direction and galloped off himself. With no road to guide them Marle’s battalions had climbed obliquely up the slope and, coming under the well directed fire of Lightburne’s Brigade, had swung back below Wallace’s position and begun to penetrate be- tween the 88th and the detached companies of the 45th. Wallace, who had sent Major Dunne to watch where the French attack might develop, immediately saw the danger of the 45th being overwhelmed. The light companies were already engaged with the French skirmishers but without hesitation Wallace moved the remainder of the battalion rapidly towards the head of the gully where the 45th had been posted. By now a number of French sharpshooters were ensconced on a rocky crag on the crest of the ridge. Wallace having sent his grenadiers and two other companies to deal with them had only six companies left. After their long climb the French regiments were intermixed and the men were much out of breath, Neverthe- less they surged forward intent on sweeping awaythe weak force resolutely formed on the crest of the ridge. At this moment the Connaught Rangers suddenly appeared on their right. At close range a single volley struck the mass of men debouching on to the ridge. Wallace, jumping from his horse, led the charge straight down the slope into the flank of the French column, His orders had been ‘Press on the rascals to the muzzle,’ and the shock of the charge brought fearful havoc to the crowded ranks, Wellington, who had witnessed the charge, had meanwhile brought up two guns, which poured grape into the flank and rear of the French. ‘Their leading regiment gave way and carried with it the other two regiments, surging back from the bayonets of the 88th who were now joined by the 45th and 8th Portuguese. The whole of Marle’s division was now in full flight down the slope and the slaughter only ended when the French guns forced the jubilant Allied infantrymen back to their positions. Picton’s arrival with reinforce- ments soon dealt with the remaining French skirmishers among the rocks on the summit of the ridge. A second attempt by the French to reach the San Antonio pass was similarly foiled and beaten back by the arrival of Leith’s division that had arrived at the double from the southern end of the Serra, over two miles away along the road below the crest. To the north, opposite the con- vent, Marshal Ney’s attack had also failed and the overall French losses amounted to 4,600 including five Generals and over 300 officers, The British casualties amounted to 631 and the Portuguese about twenty less, The brunt of the casualties was borne by two regiments, the 45th and the Gon- naught Rangers, which between them lost 284 officers and men. Immediately after the action Wellington personally congratulated Wallace with the words, ‘I never saw a more gallant charge than that made just now by your regiment’, a tribute to the regiment that was repeated in his official despatch. Marshal Beresford and Gen. Picton had meanwhile arrived and added their congratula- tions, but the soldiers had not forgotten their first encounter with their Divisional Commander, at which Picton had made an angry remark about ‘Irish robbers and Connaught footpads’. A certain Pte, Cooney indeed greeted him with, ‘Well, General, where were you this morning? We had a warm job of it, but our Colonel did it nately 12 are we the Connaught footpads now?’ These remarks brought an immediate reprimand from Gol, Wallace but Picton had taken them in good part. In addition to Wallace, one other officer of the Connaughts received particular mention in Wellington’s official despatch, This was Capt. Dansey. Armed with a musket and bayonet, he had led his company with exceptional gallantry in the desperate hand-to-hand fighting to evict the French sharpshooters from the rocky crag that overlooked the site of the Connaught’s vital charge. THE 94TH JOIN 3 DIVISION In 1810, after defending Cadiz, the 94th returned to Lisbon. Marching north they met the stream of wounded men sent back after Busaco, ahead of the army withdrawing to the Lines of Torres Vedras. The battalion joined the second brigade of, 3 Division which was holding a forward sector of the Lines. Their introduction to the Divisional Commander was somewhat dramatic! Some of the ‘4th had been caught stealing sheep and looting a wine store. The following Sunday, during the Church service in their billeting area, Picton stalked into the pulpit and addressed his ‘con- gregation’ in the bluntest soldiers’ language, concluding with the damning words, ‘you are a disgrace to your moral country, Scotland!” For the next four years the 88th and g4th served side by side in Picton’s ‘fighting division’, and one of their proudest battles was Fuentes de Onoro in May 1811, But during the remainder of the summer, 3 Division was kept busy with the siege first of Badajoz and then of Ciudad Rodrigo. The soldiers thoroughly detested siege work. For the more intelligent men, who were pulled out of other companies to become temporary engineers, there was a change of routine and a chance to work with the much admired but mysterious ‘sappers’, of whom there were all too few in the army. For the average soldier, who had to dig the parallels and saps, and man the trenches forweeks on end under the very muzzles of the fortress guns, it meant hard, dangerous and unspectacular work. ‘The opening of the first parallel at Badajoz is described by a sergeant of the g4th: ‘We marched down towards the town for the purpose of breaking ground: it was fortunatelyg « The storming ofthe castle at Badajor, 6-7 April 3813 very dark, and as we kept the greatest silence the French were not aware of our approach . formed a line across the front of the town where two thousand entrenching tools had been laid. We were then told our safety depended on expedition, for if the French discovered our presence before we had worked ourselves under cover, a warm salute might be expected.’ Nearby, an officer of the 8th was getting his first taste of siege operations, ‘I scarcely ventured to breathe until we had completed a respectable first parallel and when it was fairly finished, just as morning began to dawn, I felt irrepressibly relieved.” Wellington, however, had no proper siege artillery. When Marshal Marmont, who had replaced Massina, advanced in strength, he moved back to cover the frontier. - ewe WINTER QUARTERS Winter quarters in Portugal were quite appalling. The poverty of the inhabitants and countryside, which had been burned and pillaged by the French and earlier denuded of supplies on Wellington’s orders, offered no comfort and little shelter. Most of the British troops were in rags and the men’s shoes were of such poor quality that they were in tatters after a week or so, or sucked off and lost in the sea of mud that threatened to engulf the billets, There were no tents, and the soldiers’ sole protection from the torrential rain, and freezing conditions, was a thin patrol coat and a single blanket. The officers fared better. Some had provided themselves with oilskin cloaks and when the baggage came up they could at least change into dry clothes, which were not necessarily of regimental pattern, Wellington judged both officer and man by his conduct in action and there was a total disregard of any uniformity of dress. Col. Wallace knew the quality of his ‘boys’ in action and equally respected their ‘aisy” manners and nonchalant disregard of any regulation that they considered unimportant. The men were ‘drilled’ as hard as any in the army, but off parade the officers never tormented or fussed over them, When the Brigadier asked a certain Pte. Rooney to which squad he belonged, Rooney was unable cither to reply in English, or give the answer 13through his sergeant. The incident caused much amusement within the Brigade, but both the Brigadier and Col, Wallace knew that there wasn’t a man in the battalion who didn’t know his place in the company and how to use his musket. CUIDAD RODRIGO By the New Year, Wellington was ready to march again on Cuidad Rodrigo. The siege train had arrived, and the supply system had been reorgan- ized. At dawn, on 4 January 1812, 3 Division was under arms, Snow had fallen overnight, and the column moved off in sleet, which turned to freezing rain. By the evening of 7 January, Cuidad Rodrigo had once again been invested. The fortress was well supplied with artillery and ammunitions, but was under-manned and poorly vitalled. Gen. Barrie, described by Marmont as a detestable officer, commanded the garrison of something over 1,800 troops. The town stood on a hill and was surrounded by a medieval wall 32 feet high. This in turn was enclosed by a fausse-braie or low rampart and ditch, constructed so far down the slope, however, that the wall itself was ill protected from direct fire, In contrast to the precipitous southern face of the fortress which overlooked the River Agueda, the ground to the north fell gradually towards a little stream, with beyond two ridges covered by outworks, It was here, against the north-west corner, that Wellington decided to make the main assault. On the night of 8 January, 1 Division captured the redoubt on the Great Teson, and work on the first parallel was started immediately only 600 yards from the town. Within a week the fortified convent of Santa Cruz had fallen to 4 Division and the second parallel had been opened, only 150 yards from the town. At this short range, the French started using fireballs at night to light up the working parties at which, fon one such occasion, Sgt. Fraser of the 94th seized a spade and ‘regardless of the enemies’ fire ran forward to where it was lying, and having dug ahole, tumbled it in and covered it with earth.’ By 19 January, two breaches had been achieved, and Wellington ordered the assault for that same night. Picton’s Division was to storm the great 14 breach, while the Light Division stormed the lesser breach to its left. At the same time, a Portuguese brigade would makea feintattackon theSan Pelayo Gate. Mackinnon’s Brigade provided the storming party of 500 volunteersand the honour offinding the forlorn hope went to the 88th and Lt. Mackie and twenty men of his company. Two battalions of Picton’s other brigade (which was under the temporary command of Lt.-Col, Campbell of the g4th) and the remainder of Mackinnon’s Brigade provided the reserve. The 5th and g4th had the task of capturing the outer wall and ditch to the right of the great breach, so as to cover the main assault. As the 88th waited in the darkness, Picton rode up. His address was characteristic. ‘Rangers of Connaught! It is not my intention to expend any powder this evening. We'll do the business with the cold iron.’ The cheer that followed almost drowned the sound of the signal gun for the attack. With Picton and Mackinnon at their head the troops moved rapidly into the trenches that led towards the breach. Contrary to Wellington’s intentions, the g4th arrived at the breach via the inner ditch a few moments before the main storming party, and both then scrambled to the top of the breach, Here there was a check, as there was a drop of between 12 to 16 fect to the street below and the crush of men was being swept by grape-shot from two heavy guns that enfiladed the gap itself, At this moment there was a shatter- ing explosion as a large mine was fired. Maj.-Gen, Mackinnon and his A.D.C., Lt. Beresford of the 88th, were killed and over 150 other officers and men were killed or wounded. As those behind pressed forward the two flanking guns continued to take a heavy toll. Sgt. Brazil and two privates (Swan and Kelly) of the 8th unscrewed their bayonets to use as daggers, and leapt across the intervening trench on their left. In a desperate hand to hand struggle they killed four of the French gunners, and the fifth in attempting to escape was killed by men of the 5th who had now reached the top of the breach. While the gun oppo- site was similarly being silenced, Lt. Mackie had jumped down into the street and led the survivors of the storming party in pursuit of the French who were now falling back on the citadel, Here no resistance was offered, and the gates were openedin order to surrender. At this moment, Lt. Gurwood of the 52nd, who had led the assault of the lesser breach arrived. Having a good com- mand of the French language, he promptly arranged to escort the Governor back to Wellin; ton’s headquarters. Controversy over Mackie’s claim to Gen, Barrie’s sword, which in fact was surrendered to Gurwood, continued until after Mackie’s death over forty years later. 88th and g4th both claim to have been first into the town, Wellington’s army suffered more casualties during the siege than in the assault, 553 as against 499 in killed and wounded, and the French casualties must have been small in view of the fact that 1,700 surrendered. In the assault, the 88th lost Lt, Beresford and 20 men killed, while 5 officers and 46 men were wounded. The 94th lost 2 officers and 5 wounded, while 13 other ranks were killed and 48 wounded. For some hours after its capture Guidad Rodrigo was the scene of serious disorders, with mobs of soldiers loose in the streets in search of liquor and plunder. During this wild house-to-house search a dozen deserters were discovered, including five men from Picton’s division. All were court martialled and sentenced to be shot, Two of the deserters belonged to the 88th and one of these, Pte, Mangin, was pardoned by Wellington on account of his previous excellent conduct. Unfor- tunately, the pardon was not read out until Mangin had witnessed the execution of the others, and found himself standing alone in front of his own grave before the complete division formed in hollow square. The experience unhinged his mind and he died from the shock a few hours later. BADAJOZ Within a month the men of 3 Division were once again working in the trenches — this time knee deep in mud, close under the walls of Badajoz, The siege operations lasted twenty-one days and cost the Allies 1,000 officers and men, but during the assault the losses to the British alone were three times this figure. On the night, 6/7 April, the Light Division and 4 Division struggled side by side for two hours to surmount the breach. Their losses were terrible. Two regiments, the 43rd and sand, of the Light Brigade lost 37 officers and 624 men. When the recall was finally sounded, with the dead and dying heaped against the chevaux-de-frise, made of sword-blades sct in huge tree trunks, and in the ditch filled with burning carts and every kind of explosive missile, not a single officer or man of either division had pene- trated the defences. By a quirk of fate it was the flank attacks, by Leith’s 5 Division down by the River Guardiana and by 3 Division, that eventu- ally captured the castle on the opposite side of the town, and turned defeat into victory. It was the sound of bugles from Leith’s columns, marching towards them along the line of the retrenchment, that first brought doubt to the jubilant defendersat the breaches. When the call of bugles sounding the advance replied from the castle, the French started to waiver and slip away to the rear. Within an hour the gallant and resourceful garrison com- mander, Gen. Phillipon, had abandoned the town and crossed to Fort San Christobal where he surrendered carly the following morning. Picton’s attack had preceded the main assault at the breaches by about twenty minutes. From the start things began to go wrong. Surprise had been lost when a rifleman of the vanguard fired back at a sentry on the rampart, and the nine battalions found themselves having to cross a mill dam in single file in the face of well-directed fire. For three-quarters of an hour every attempt to Isescalade the rampart was beaten back, Not only were the ladders too short, but the men crowded in the ditch were caught in a terrible cross-fire from two bastions. Picton, already wounded, led a second attempt himself, but was forced to draw off the leading battalions, By now the second brigade had negotiated the dam and moved further to the right below the castle walls. At this point the rampart, damaged during a previous siege, was about ten feet lower and the grenadier officers of the 5th succeeded in raising several ladders. The first officer to reach the rampart, Lt. MacAlpine of the 88th, was killed a few moments later, but the new attack had taken the defence by surprise and the French were slowly driven back. After an hour of confused fighting in the dark passages of the castle (which contained most of the garrison’s food and ammunition), the French abandoned the citadel but succeeded in barricading the main gate from outside, Shortly afterwards, the sound of the tramp of marching troops was heard and a voice in English de- manded admission, But Picton was not easily fooled. When the gates were thrown open the visitors, four companies of the French 88th Regi- ment, were met with a volley and a charge. At Badajoz the 88th lost 16 officers killed or wounded, and upwards of 225 men, th casualties of any battalion in the divi o4th, however, had been the last to cross the dam, and was spared the ordeal of the first attacks. The sack of Badajoz went far beyond anything that had occurred at Cuidad Rodrigo. Order was only restored on the third day, when a complete brigade of British troops was marched in with orders to clear the town, Wellington, who had broken down and wept openly when he learnt the extent of the casualties, was now so angry, one of ‘The 88th at the Battle of Salamanca, 22 July 1812. At this battle it was the Connaught Rangers who captured from the French their historic and much-prized trophy the ‘Jingling Johnnie’ or set of Turkish bells 16his staff reported, that he would ‘hardly thank the troops’ for taking the town. SALAMANCA The year 1812 proved the turning point of the war in the Peninsular, and greatly enhanced Welling- ton’s reputation that hitherto had rested on his successes against ill-armed native troops in India, Now he was to prove himself in a battle of the manceuvre against the finest troops in Europe. After the Battle of Salamanca, fought on 22 July 1812, Wellington becamea General ofthe firstrank. ‘The opposing forces were roughly equal, with about 47,000 men on either side. Wellington’s army included some 15,000 Portuguese and a small Spanish force ~ the remainder were British. Learning that Marmont would shortly receive large reinforcements, Wellington moved his bag- gage train to the rear and took up a concealed position south-east of the town to cover his lines of communication back to Cuidad Rodrigo. Mar- mont, however, believing that Wellington had already started a retreat, moved the majority of his troops in a wide, sweeping movement so as to threaten the Allied right flank and cut off their line of withdrawal, The route chosen by the French led them through wooded and undulating country and the leading divisions got very strung out. This gave Wellington the opportunity to attack while the French army was divided and off balance. As soon as the outflanking movement was spotted, Wellington switched 3 Division from their position covering the ford at Cabrerizos to a lay-back position on his right flank in front of the village of Aldea Tejada. Issuing orders for his main body, which was still hidden from the French, to be moved forward, Wellington galloped over to 3 Division, this being the nearest to the French columns now approach- ing Monte de Azan. Picton was recovering from his wounds and on sick leave in England, and Wellington’s brother-in-law, Sir Edward Packen- ham, was commanding the division, The time was about 5.00 p.m. and the men, who had been resting after their forced march, were called to arms as Wellington arrived at top speed. His, orders were short and to the point: ‘Ned, move on, with the 3 Division; take the heights to your front; and drive everything before you.’ As their Commander-in-Chief galloped back to the centre the division moved off in four columns. On the right was a mixed force of light cavalry, then came Wallace’s Brigade (with Maj. Seton commanding the 88th), the Portuguese Brigade and finally the left brigade, commanded by Lt.-Col. James Campbell of the 94th. The objective was 2} miles away, but much of the advance was screened by intervening hills. The last 1,000 yards, however, had to be covered in the face of the French skirmishers and of some twenty field guns that were rushed forward onto Monte de Asan, Undeterred by this harassing fire, the division pressed forward to reach the crest line without serious opposition. On the summit, the French columns were in some con- fusion and still only half formed. At this moment, a terrified horse bolted right across the front of Wallace’s Brigade dragging the bleeding corpse of Maj. Murphy of the 88th, who had been shot, as he led his company over the crest. The sight so stirred the blood of the men of the 88th that they became quite uncontrollable, and Packenham turning to Wallace, shouted, ‘Let them loose!” With a great shout all three regiments surged forward. The charge was irresistible, and the leading columns of Thomiéres’ Division dissolved into a mob of panic-stricken fugitives. One of these regiments, the ror Line, was practically annihil- ated, losing their eagle and over 1,000 men. It was from this regiment that the historic and much- prized trophy, the ‘Jingling Johnny’ was captured by the Connaught Rangers. By now four more British divisions had come up in line with 3 Divi- sion, and a general engagement ensued. The climax came with the dramatic and decisive charge of Le Marchant’s heavy dragoons, and by sunset the French were in full retreat. The Allied losses were around 5,000, a third of those of the French, But for the Spanish abandoning their post guarding the vital bridge over the river Tormes, the French losses might well have been doubled. THE RETREAT FROM BURGOS After Salamanca, the 88th and g4th formed part of the garrison of Madrid, As guests in the liber- ated capital the troops settled down to enjoy the 17fruits of victory. Every place of entertainment was thrown open, with public balls for the officers and free seats at theatres and bull fights for all, The interlude, however was short-lived, In late October, Wellington was forced to recall 3 Divi- sion, raise the Siege of Burgos and fall back into winter quarters across the frontier. The retreat from Burgos is a classic example of the fortitude of the British soldier, and equally an example of Wellington’s skill as a tactician when faced with heavy odds. In torrents of rain, shaken by ague and weakened by dysentery and fever, with their clothing in tatters and mostly without shoes, the troops struggled back with the French hard on their hecls. The commissariat failed. No camp kettles or rations ever arrived, and a few handfuls of acorns saved many men from death by starva- tion. Grattan, the chronicler of the 88th, at least had a pair of serviceable shoes, but remarks that for three weeks he could never take them off, for his feet were so swollen that he could not get them ‘on again. His silk-lined frock coat, made out of a cassock belonging to a priest captured at Badajoz, was in rags, ‘A mere spencer and no longer the object of envy that he had sported on the boule- vards of Madrid.’ Many men owed their lives to Col. Lloyd of the 94th. Marching at the rear of his brigade, Lloyd piled his horse with the knapsacks of men who were in the last stages of exhaustion. Time and time again, a soldier who had collapsed and was ready to accept death or capture rather than attempt to go on, would be hoisted into the saddle, while Lloyd himself led the horse back with the rear-guard, THE END OF THE PENINSULAR WAR The following summer, Wellington’s army was on the move again, marching north, and this time it was the French who were in retreat. Lloyd ex- horted his men to even greater efforts in the forced marches that led to the victory at Vittoria and the crossing of the Pyrenees. Lloyd was killed in the Battle of Nivelle. He was only 30 years old - a professional soldier of the highest quality, known asa wit and for his courage and herculean strength throughout the army, and as a leader whose first thought was always for the men he led. One of these later wrote: 18 ‘When he came into camp he was never a moment idle, either reconnoitring the enemy's position, or drawing charts of the roads, etc. He scarcely allowed himself to rest, and was always up an hour or two before the bugle sounded: but he would never allow the men to be disturbed before the proper time. But then he expected them to be alert . . . all his motions were double quick and he detested nothing so much as laziness.’ Within six months the French had again been beaten at the Battle of Orthes, Toulouse had fallen, and the war was over. CMe 83th from 1814 to 1881 In mid-June the 88th were despatched to Canada to reinforce the garrison that for two years had been defending the frontiers. The Americans, taking the opportunity of twisting the British lion’s tail, had declared war in support of France, and had already gained naval supremacy on Lake Erie, Under the command of Lt.-Col. Macpherson the Connaught Rangers landed at Quebec on 3 August and immediately sent a detachment to Fort William Henry. Within a few weeks the majority of the battalion was im action at Platts- burg at the head of Lake Champalin. Gen. Sir George Prevost, the Governor-General of Canada, had crossed the frontier with about two brigades and reached the west side of Plattsburg Bay. The Americans under Brig.-Gen, Macomb were seri- ously outnumbered. While Prevost waited for his gun-boats to sail up the lake, militia and volunteers