CONTENTS
CHAPTER I
Born in Scotland—At fifteen years old appointed to the 78th Regiment—First visit to London—Join regiment at Shorncliffe—Embark for Gibraltar—Put under arrest—Lieutenant James Mackay
CHAPTER II
Expedition to Calabria—In General Acland’s brigade—Battle of Maida—Sergeant McCrae and the wounded Frenchman—Reggio—Capture of Catrone—Taormina—Syracuse
CHAPTER III
Expedition to Egypt—We take possession of Alexandria—Entrapped by the enemy at Rosetta—A trying retreat
CHAPTER IV
Colonel McLeod’s death and losses of his detachment—Captain Mackay honoured by Turkish Pasha—Return to Sicily—78th goes to England—Attack of ophthalmia
CHAPTER V
Gazetted to lieutenancy in 24th Regiment—Embarked for Portugal—Battle of Talavera—Wounded—Soldiers seize Spanish pigs
CHAPTER VI
Army kindly received in Portugal—Much fighting with French army under Massena—Lord Wellington’s retreat on the Lines of Torres Vedras—Battle of Busaco
CHAPTER VII
Continued fighting—General Beresford knighted—English and French officers spend evenings together at theatres, etc., with consent of their commanders—Massena retires to Santarem
CHAPTER VIII
Story of the lost regimental books and the honesty of the soldiers
CHAPTER IX
[The Battle of Fuentes d’Onoro]
Much fighting—We drive the enemy across the Mondego at Coimbra—Battle of Fuentes d’Onoro—I go into the French lines to take away the body of a friend
CHAPTER X
On sick-leave in England—In Scotland—Journey of seventy miles in twenty-four hours on foot after a ball—Appointed to assist at brigade office, 1813—Appointed captain and brigade-major in the York Chasseurs
CHAPTER XI
Portsmouth—Guernsey—Sail for Barbados—Honest Henry—Frightful storm—Adventure at Funchal
CHAPTER XII
Life in Barbados—I am appointed acting-paymaster—President of a court-martial—Deputy judge-advocate—At St. Vincent—Expedition to Guadeloupe—Appointed deputy-assistant quartermaster-general and sent to Guadeloupe
CHAPTER XIII
Sent to Dominica—A fatal foot-race—I give up appointment and rejoin my regiment at St. Vincent—An awful voyage
CHAPTER XIV
Jamaica—Return to England—York Chasseurs disbanded—Trip to France—An amusing duel
CHAPTER XV
Appointed captain in the 50th Regiment—Embark for Jamaica—A terrible storm and a drunken captain—Return to port—Sail again with another captain—Ship chased by a pirate—Jamaica once more
CHAPTER XVI
Appointed deputy judge-advocate—Sir John Keane—An interesting court-martial—Sent with a small detachment to Port Maria—Awful outbreak of yellow fever
CHAPTER XVII
Invalided to England—Ship injured on coral rock—Dangerous voyage—Married on 25th November, 1826—Portsmouth—The Duke of Clarence—Ireland—Complimented by Sir Hussey Vivian on execution of difficult manœuvres.
CHAPTER XVIII
Dr. Doyle’s sermon—Ordered to New South Wales—Sail for Sydney with three hundred convicts—Mutiny at Norfolk Island—Appointed colonel-commandant there
CHAPTER XIX
Life at Norfolk Island—Trial of the mutineers—A fresh conspiracy—Execution of thirteen mutineers
CHAPTER XX
[Sunday Services at Norfolk Island] in 4 I appoint two convicts (who had been educated for the Church) to officiate—Find about a hundred ex-soldiers among the convicts—Separate them from the others, with great success
CHAPTER XXI
[Life at Norfolk Island] in 4 Solitary case of misconduct among the soldier gang—I get many pardoned and many sentences shortened—Theatricals and other amusements—Visit from my brother—Mr. MacLeod
CHAPTER XXII
Wreck of the Friendship—I am attacked by Captain Harrison and MacLeod—I receive the Royal Guelphic Order of Knighthood—Secure the sheep and cattle station of “Mangalore” in Port Phillip with my brother—Leave Norfolk Island—Visit to Mangalore
CHAPTER XXIII
Court of inquiry as to my management of Norfolk Island—Major Bunbury reprimanded by Commander-in-Chief at the Horse Guards for his unfounded charges
CHAPTER XXIV
50th Regiment ordered to India—Sudden death of one of my boys—Voyage to India—First experiences of Calcutta
CHAPTER XXV
Magnificent entertainments at Calcutta—Dost Mahomet—Wreck of the Ferguson—Preparations for Burmese campaign—Special favour shown to soldiers of the 50th Regiment
CHAPTER XXVI
Great welcome to Moulmein—No fighting after all—The Madras native regiments
CHAPTER XXVII
Return to Calcutta—Much illness in regiment—Boat journey of three months to Cawnpore—Incidents of the voyage—Death of Daniel Shean
CHAPTER XXVIII
Life at Cawnpore—Quarrel between Mowatt and Burke—Court-martial
CHAPTER XXIX
Expedition to Gwalior—In command of the regiment—Brigadier Black—His accident—I am appointed to the command of the brigade—Battle of Punniar—In General Gray’s absence I order a charge on the enemy’s guns—Severely wounded
CHAPTER XXX
“My brigade had carried all before it”—Painful return to camp—General Gray’s dispatch
CHAPTER XXXI
Slow recovery from my wound—Painful journey by palanquin to Cawnpore—Am created a C.B.—Other honours and promotions
CHAPTER XXXII
Riding accident at Cawnpore—Foot seriously injured—Get two years’ leave of absence—Voyage to Cape Town—On to Australia—A strange cabin
CHAPTER XXXIII
Sydney once more—Visit Mangalore—Select land for house near Melbourne—My War Medal
CHAPTER XXXIV
Sail for India—Dangers of Torres Straits—Copang—Arrival at Calcutta—My son appointed to the 50th Regiment
CHAPTER XXXV
Violent gale at Loodhiana—Two hundred men, women, and children buried—By river steamer to Allahabad—Rejoin the regiment at Cawnpore—Return voyage down the Ganges
CHAPTER XXXVI
The guns captured in the Sutlej campaign—Lord Hardinge’s compliments to the regiment—I secure compensation for the regiment’s losses at Loodhiana—Voyage to Cape Town
CHAPTER XXXVII
Return to England—Continued in command of the regiment
CHAPTER XXXVIII
[Farewell to the 50th Regiment]
Decide to retire—Return to Australia