Letter No. XVII
Alameda, Spain,
12th December 1812.
Dear Parents—I sent you in September another bill directed from the neighbourhood of Madrid, which I hope you have received, and also got the money. I am anxious to know when this letter came to hand. I beg you will directly inform me, as I begin to think and long for an answer. I have the second and third Bill of Exchange, which I hope will not be required. However, in case of accidents I shall take care of them. I fully expected to have had it in my power to have transmitted you some money immediately, but not having been paid up to the period I expected, I must reluctantly defer the pleasure for the present and put you off a little while longer. We flattered ourselves with the hopes of passing a pleasant winter in Madrid, but in consequence of the failure at Burgos, and the enemy receiving great reinforcements from France, besides concentrating the whole of their force in the country, we were obliged to retire before them.
Our noble Marquis of Wellington did everything that was possible to bring them to action when circumstances offered favourably, but the enemy, confident of success through the vast superiority of numbers and ten thousand effective cavalry, continually adopted the plan of moving on our flanks, which obliged us also to retire before them, not being able to oppose their course.
I will give you a specimen of our occasional hardships, though for my own part I am no croaker. Privations sometimes make you enjoy a comfortable quarter much more than if you had never felt them. About the 27th of October, we moved forward from our cantonments in and near Madrid in consequence of the enemy approaching and menacing this capital. Every one was rejoiced to move out to fight, thinking how comfortably the winter would be passed if wounded, having Madrid at our back.
On the 27th marched to Arganda, six leagues. The same night at eight o'clock moved back towards Alcala. Halted under the piazzas in the town, as the weather was very cold and rainy. Marching the whole night.
Moved towards Madrid on the 30th; the day very rainy; roads swimming with mud and water. Halted at nine o'clock at night in rear of Madrid upon the side of a hill. Extremely cold and windy; raining at intervals. Had some difficulty to find wood for a fire. Benumbed with cold and obliged to smoke my pipe and walk about, praying for a fine day to dry my clothes.
Moved at daylight on the 31st to the walls of Madrid. Halted and cooked upon the road. The people in the English interest very gloomy; others flying from the town. The people in the French interest dressed up and delighted beyond measure. Maud visited me, and told me how wet and uncomfortable he was, not having been dry for four days. I asked him, "What of that? Many thousands are in the same way." He then said, "I have had no bread or anything to eat these two days." I luckily had plenty, and gave him some. I was with him for ten minutes. I had not seen him since the storming of Badajoz. The Light Division now formed, as usual, the rear-guard. The other Divisions of the army walked generally near us, so daily I had the pleasure of seeing Maud. Towards night marched some distance; passed the night in the fields. Joe joined me this evening, and Maud visited me. I had plenty of wine and a good dinner in my tent. Joe was wet through and very delicate, having left Salamanca before he had recovered. I had an opportunity of letting him have blankets. We moved on daily in this way, always in the fields until we arrived near Salamanca. Weather generally bad. Moved from the right to the left of this place daily.
On 14th November we were upon the old position in order of battle. The enemy made a flank movement in the night, and we were obliged to retire.
On the 15th we halted in a wood, having been marching the whole day; continued rain. The country between Ciudad Rodrigo and Salamanca is a plain covered with woods, and in rainy weather the roads are intersected with rivulets, which makes them almost impassable.
Joe was so ill on the 16th I was obliged to walk the whole way, or he must have fallen into the enemy's hands. Bad weather and roads.
On the 17th the enemy attacked us in force, but we beat them off. Some of the enemy's cannon kept up a brisk fire upon a ford which we passed in good order, and luckily only a few of our men bit the ground. The enemy were checked here for the night. Occasionally some sharp skirmishing. Joe very unwell, though pleased with the fight. Under arms nearly all night. Very rainy and cold.
On the 18th the enemy, for want of provisions, could not push us; we expected to have had a tough day's work, but Johnny did not press us much. In want of bread. Several men died this day from cold and wet. Horses and mules were lying dead in every direction, which shows plainly a man can bear hunger and being exposed to the inclemency of the weather for a much longer period than an animal. In this country I have seen the same thing often. Being upon the rear-guard exposes a person to a much longer period under arms, as he must endeavour to drive all before him, and very often to form up to repel an attack of the enemy. This day's march it is impossible to describe, wading up to the middle very often, and all day up to the knee in mud and water; raining repeatedly. This night picked up a quantity of acorns and roasted them, which we were all very thankful for. Night excessively cold.
The enemy followed us on the 19th; most of us walking barefooted, my shoes also having no bottoms, as well as my friends'; my legs and feet much frost-bitten; could hardly crawl. Halted near Ciudad Rodrigo. Three days' bread served to us upon the spot. I sent into the town for a pound of English butter, only six shillings per pound, and some wine. This day tolerably fine. After eating and drinking most tremendously, in a moment you would see all faces jovial and everything forgotten. We halted in the fields near this town for a few days. I washed myself in the river every day and bathed my feet with cold water often. Thank God, I am as well as ever. Joe, though he rode, still got worse. However, he has had every attention paid him and is now quite well. He eats and drinks like a farmer. I keep him five hours a day at his studies, and I have no doubt he will soon astonish you. I must say he implicitly obeys my injunctions. He is now clear of the world, with everything comfortable. I have nothing more to do with him but give my advice. I have since found it was my interest got him into the 23rd Regiment, and not the Colonel of Maud's regiment. I beg you will have Charles well educated. I will then take him off your hands at fifteen years old. Do not despair, though you now are unfortunate. If I live and have any luck in my profession I shall be able to support you. I wish for no greater pleasure. Ann I am proud of. I shall always adore her. She must bear up against the misfortunes which at present cannot be resisted, in hopes that a few years will put a period to them. We cannot always be doomed to misery and misfortune.
I thank my dear mother for her kind remembrance of me. Joe often tells me little anecdotes of your fireside. This winter we are settled in our old quarters near the Agueda, and two or three leagues from Ciudad Rodrigo. I hope we shall get out several regiments before spring, and commence again handsomely in the New Year. Joe joins me in best wishes for your welfare. Believe me, yours affectionately,
G. Simmons.
I sent a parcel for Ann with my picture. Let me know if the thing arrived.
I send this letter by a friend, free of expense to England. You will find under the seal a small gold coin, value a dollar; it will pay the postage.
Pay particular attention to the education of Charles and Betsy. Let me know how Charles's leg is. By no means use quackery with him. Sea-bathing, plenty of exercise, and clean linen will be most essential at all times.
It is a great task imposed upon me—Joe's education. However, he is exceedingly willing, which pleases me, and he possesses no one vice. He regularly attends drill, and begins to move with the appearance of a soldier. He is very proud of his green clothes, and is a very smart fellow.
He is already wonderfully improved; he is two inches taller than I. Maud is about my size. When in England he was rather delicate in features; you would hardly know him, his complexion has changed so much. Exposure to all sorts of weather—in summer roasted, in winter nearly frozen—soon changes the appearance. Occasionally we get a detachment from England. They look as delicate as women when they first join us compared to those hard-faced veterans of the regiment.
When Joe left his brother to join me we were marching upon Madrid. He travelled nearly 500 miles before he joined. He has some wonderful tales to tell about his different adventures. He was six months in joining me from the time of starting, in consequence of illness brought on by hardships from starvation.
In England you little know the hardships a soldier endures in this country.