CONTENTS.

[CHAPTER I.]PAGE
THE BATTLE OF ALEXANDRIA—180113
[CHAPTER II.]
THE BATTLE OF ASSAYE—180324
[CHAPTER III.]
CAPTURE OF THE CAPE OF GOOD HOPE—180630
[CHAPTER IV.]
THE BATTLE OF MAIDA—180635
[CHAPTER V.]
THE BATTLE OF ROLICA—180839
[CHAPTER VI.]
THE BATTLE OF VIMIERO—180843
[CHAPTER VII.]
THE BATTLE OF CORUNNA—180947
[CHAPTER VIII.]
THE BATTLE OF TALAVERA—180960
[CHAPTER IX.]
THE BATTLE OF BUSACO—181073
[CHAPTER X.]
THE BATTLE OF BAROSA—181181
[CHAPTER XI.]
THE BATTLE OF FUENTES D’ONORO—181188
[CHAPTER XII.]
THE BATTLE OF ALBUERA—181192
[CHAPTER XIII.]
THE SIEGE OF RODRIGO—181298
[CHAPTER XIV.]
THE SIEGE OF BADAJOZ—1812103
[CHAPTER XV.]
THE BATTLE OF SALAMANCA—1812112
[CHAPTER XVI.]
THE SIEGE OF BURGOS—1812123
[CHAPTER XVII.]
THE BATTLE OF VITORIA—1813128
[CHAPTER XVIII.]
THE BATTLES OF THE PYRENEES (Part First)—1813138
[CHAPTER XIX.]
THE SIEGE OF SAN SEBASTIAN—1813145
[CHAPTER XX.]
THE BATTLES OF THE PYRENEES (Part Second)—1813149
[CHAPTER XXI.]
THE BATTLES OF THE PYRENEES (Part Third)—1813153
[CHAPTER XXII.]
THE BATTLES OF THE PYRENEES (Part Fourth)—1814159
[CHAPTER XXIII.]
THE BATTLE OF TOULOUSE—1814163
[CHAPTER XXIV.]
THE BATTLE OF QUATRE BRAS—1815167
[CHAPTER XXV.]
THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO—1815177
[CHAPTER XXVI.]
THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO (Continued)—1815180
[CHAPTER XXVII.]
THE BATTLE OF WATERLOO (Continued)—1815187
[CHAPTER XXVIII.]
THE BATTLE OF KEMMENDINE—1824193
[CHAPTER XXIX.]
THE BATTLE OF MELLOONE—1825201
[CHAPTER XXX.]
THE BATTLE OF PAGAHM-MEW—1825206
[CHAPTER XXXI.]
THE AFGHANISTAN DISASTERS—1838-39208
[CHAPTER XXXII.]
THE DEFEAT OF THE BILUCHIS—1842211
[CHAPTER XXXIII.]
THE BATTLE OF MOODKEE—1845215
[CHAPTER XXXIV.]
THE BATTLE OF FEROZEPORE—1845223
[CHAPTER XXXV.]
THE BATTLES OF ALIWAL AND SOBRAON—1846226
[CHAPTER XXXVI.]
THE BATTLE OF MARTABAN—1852231
[CHAPTER XXXVII.]
THE BATTLE OF PEGU—1852236
[CHAPTER XXXVIII.]
THE BATTLE OF THE ALMA—1854241
[CHAPTER XXXIX.]
THE BATTLE OF BALACLAVA—1854252
[CHAPTER XL.]
THE BATTLE OF INKERMAN—1854261
[CHAPTER XLI.]
THE SIEGE OF SEBASTOPOL—1854-55269
[CHAPTER XLII.]
THE BATTLES OF BUSHIRE, KOOSHAB, AND MOHAMMERAH—1856-57280
[CHAPTER XLIII.]
THE BATTLES AT DELHI—1857291
[CHAPTER XLIV.]
THE BATTLES AT DELHI (Continued)—1857299
[CHAPTER XLV.]
THE BATTLES AT DELHI (Continued)—1857308
[CHAPTER XLVI.]
THE BATTLES AT CAWNPORE—1857316
[CHAPTER XLVII.]
THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW—1857326
[CHAPTER XLVIII.]
THE RELIEF OF LUCKNOW (Continued)—1857335
[CHAPTER XLIX.]
THE FIGHTING AT ALLAHABAD—1857344
[CHAPTER L.]
THE FIGHTING AT FUTTEHGHUR—1857349
[CHAPTER LI.]
THE SIEGE OF KOTAH—1858352
[CHAPTER LII.]
THE FIGHTING AT JHANSI, ROOHEA, AND BAREILLY—1857-58356
[CHAPTER LIII.]
THE CAPTURE OF CANTON—1857364
[CHAPTER LIV.]
THE BATTLES AT THE TAKU FORTS—1860373
[CHAPTER LV.]
THE BATTLE OF AROGEE—1863382
[CHAPTER LVI.]
THE STORMING OF MAGDALA—1868388
[CHAPTER LVII.]
THE BATTLES OF AMOAFUL AND ORDASHU—1874393
[CHAPTER LVIII.]
THE BATTLES WITH THE ZULUS—1879401
[CHAPTER LIX.]
THE BATTLE OF MAZRA—1880413
[CHAPTER LX.]
THE BATTLE OF TEL-EL-KEBIR—1882420
[CHAPTER LXI.]
THE BATTLE OF MINHLA—1885430
[CHAPTER LXII.]
THE BATTLE OF THE ATBARA—1898435
[CHAPTER LXIII.]
THE BATTLE OF OMDURMAN—1898444
[CHAPTER LXIV.]
THE ADVANCE OF ROBERTS—1900454
[CHAPTER LXV.]
THE BATTLE OF JIDBALLI—1904465
[CHAPTER LXVI.]
THE BATTLE AT HOT SPRINGS—1904469

THE BATTLES
OF THE
BRITISH ARMY

CHAPTER I.
THE BATTLE OF ALEXANDRIA.
1801.

In 1800, an attempt on Cadiz was planned and abandoned; and an army, the corps élite of Britain, was kept idly afloat in transports at an enormous expense, suffering from tempestuous weather, and losing their energies and discipline, while one scheme was proposed after another, only to be considered and rejected. By turns Italy and South America were named as countries where they might be successfully employed—but to both designs, on mature deliberation, strong objections were found; and on the 25th of October final orders were received from England, directing the fleet and army forthwith to rendezvous at Malta, and thence proceed to Egypt.

The troops on reaching the island were partially disembarked while the ships were refitting; and the fresh provisions and salubrious air of Valetta soon restored many who had suffered from long confinement and salt rations. Five hundred Maltese were enlisted to serve as pioneers. Water-casks were replenished, stores laid in, the troops re-embarked; and on the 20th of December, the first division got under weigh, followed by the second on the succeeding day.

Instead of sailing direct for their destination, the fleet proceeded to the Bay of Macri. Finding that roadstead too open, the admiral shaped his course for the coast of Caramania. There he was overtaken by a gale of wind—and though close to the magnificent harbour of Marmorrice, its existence appears to have been known, out of a fleet of two hundred vessels, only to the captain of a brig of war. As the fleet were caught in a heavy gale on a lee shore, the result might have been most disastrous to the transports, who could not carry sufficient canvas to work off the land. Fortunately, Marmorrice proved a haven of refuge; and the surprise and pleasure of the soldiers can scarcely be described, when they found themselves in smooth water, and surrounded by the grandest scenery imaginable, “though, the instant before, the fleet was labouring in a heavy gale, and rolling in a tremendous sea.”

Another landing of the troops took place, and no advantages resulted from it to compensate the loss of time which allowed the French to obtain strong reinforcements. Goat’s flesh was abundant, and poultry plentiful; but the Turks had probably been apprised beforehand of the munificence of the British, as every article was advanced on the arrival of the fleet four hundred per cent. in price.

The remount of the cavalry formed an ostensible, almost an only reason, for the expedition visiting Asia Minor, and consuming time that might have been so successfully employed. The horses arrived, but from their wretched quality and condition they proved a sorry equivalent for the expense and trouble their acquisition cost.

While the expedition was in the harbour of Marmorrice, an awful tempest came suddenly on, and raged with unintermitting fury for two days. It thundered violently—hailstones fell as large as walnuts—deluges of water rushed from the mountains, sweeping everything away. The horses broke loose—the ships drove from their anchors—the Swiftsure, a seventy-four, was struck with lightning—and many others lost masts, spars, and were otherwise disabled. Amid this elemental war, signal-guns fired from vessels in distress, and the howling of wolves and other wild animals in the woods, added to the uproar.

After a protracted delay in waiting for the Turkish armament, which was expected to have been in perfect readiness, the expedition left the harbour without it on the 23rd of February. The sight, when the fleet got under weigh, was most imposing; the men-of-war, transports, and store-ships amounting to one hundred and seventy-five sail.

The British army was composed of the whole or portions of twenty-seven regiments, exclusive of artillery and pioneers.[1] Its total strength in rank and file, including one thousand sick and five hundred Maltese, was fifteen thousand three hundred and thirty men. In this number all the attachés of the army were reckoned—and consequently the entire force that could have been combatant in the field would not exceed twelve thousand bayonets and sabres. This was certainly a small army with which to attack an enemy in possession of the country, holding fortified posts, with a powerful artillery, a numerous cavalry, and having a perfect acquaintance with the only places on the coast where it was practicable to disembark in safety.

[1] EFFECTIVE STRENGTH OF THE EGYPTIAN ARMY.

Guards—Major-General Ludlow.
1st, or Royals, 2nd battalions 54th and 92nd—Major-General Coote.
8th, 13th, 90th—Major-General Craddock.
2nd, or Queen’s, 50th, 79th—Major-General Lord Craven.
18th, 30th, 44th, 89th—Brigadier-General Doyle.
Minorca, De Rolde’s, Dillon’s—Major-General Stuart.