[CONTENTS.]
| CHAPTER I. | |
| STUDYING FOR THE ARMY. | |
| PAGE | |
| Samuel Rice—Birth and parentage—Education—Sent to StOmer in 1792—French Revolution—Preparations for war—Frenchhussars and their moustaches—Massacre ofaristocrats—Expulsion of Jesuits—Founding of StoneyhurstCollege—Duke of Brunswick's manifesto—Citizen Rice—Frenchvictories over Prussians and Austrians—Troubloustimes—Rice returns to England | [1] |
| CHAPTER II. | |
| ENSIGN OF THE 51ST. | |
| Rice joins the army—How commissions were obtained—ThePurchase System—Officer's pay—Dress of officers—Onboard a transport—Disorder among the troops—Courts-martial—Flogging—Manyfalse starts—Gibraltar—Sansculottes—Affairs at Toulon at the end of 1793—The 51stproceeds on active service—Evacuation of Toulon—Loss ofthe regimental baggage—Hyères Bay | [14] |
| CHAPTER III. | |
| THE ATTACK ON CORSICA. | |
| Lieut.-Colonel John Moore—The British army in 1793—Theofficers—Moore interviews Admiral Lord Hood—England'sposition in the Mediterranean—Elba and Corsica—HoratioNelson—Operations against St Fiorenzo—Origin of Martellotowers—Operations against Bastia and against Calvi—Nelsonloses an eye—Moore wounded—Rice's experiences—Surrenderof Calvi—French driven from Corsica—Sicknessamong the troops | [35] |
| CHAPTER IV. | |
| CORSICA WON AND LOST. | |
| Taking over the island—The life of a subaltern—Garrisongaieties—The Viceroy of Corsica—Misunderstandings—Diseaseand deaths—The 51st garrisons Corte—Corsicanregiments—Sea-fights—Disaffection among the Corsicans—PascalPaoli and Sir Gilbert Elliott—Bastia—General risingin favour of the French—Hasty evacuation of Corsica bythe 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 offCape St Vincent—Evacuation of Elba—The 51st reachesGibraltar—Moves to Lisbon—Napoleon's drastic methods—Positionof Portugal—Rice a captain of light infantry—Navalwarfare—Convoys—The 51st sails for the EastIndies—Lands at the Cape of Good Hope—Arrives atMadras—Tippoo of Mysore—Prize-money and plunder—Ceylon—Kingof Kandy—A long and unfortunate war—Riceinvalided—Affairs in Europe—The 51st returns toEngland | [81] |
| CHAPTER VI. | |
| THE REFORM OF THE ARMY. | |
| Sir John Moore's great work—His treatment of regimentalofficers—He trains a brigade for war—Shorncliffe Camp—Lighttroops—Their origin and history—Discipline—Intelligentcode—Napoleon's proposed invasion of England—Nelson'svictory at Trafalgar—Regimental life—Uniformof 1808—The beginning of the Peninsular War—Sir ArthurWellesley—Vimiera—Occupation of Lisbon | [102] |
| CHAPTER VII. | |
| THE CORUNNA CAMPAIGN, AND AFTER. | |
| Sir John Moore at Lisbon—The 51st accompanies Sir DavidBaird to Corunna—Situation in the Peninsula—Mooreadvances north—Baird ordered to co-operate—Napoleon'sforced march from Madrid—Retreat on Corunna commences—Hardships—Lackof discipline—Good work of the 51st atLugo—Corunna reached—The battle—Death of Sir JohnMoore—The 51st arrives in England—The Walcheren Expedition—Wellesley'soperations 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—Conditionof Portugal—Major Rice's letters—Beresford atBadajoz—Battle of Fuentes d'Onor—Major Rice has an"all-but"—The French escape from Almeida—Second siegeof Badajoz—Assaults on St Christoval—Failure and withdrawal—Thecolours of the 51st—Strange episode—Regimentalofficers—Wellington's reticence—Winter quarters | [145] |
| CHAPTER IX. | |
| CIUDAD RODRIGO AND BADAJOZ. | |
| Sports and amusements of the army—Siege of Ciudad Rodrigo—Thecovering force—Guarding snow-passes—Fall of thefortress—Marching south—Siege of Badajoz—Attempt tosurprise Llerena—Disastrous night march—Storming ofBadajoz—Wild scenes—Remarks on the battle of Albuhera—Wellington'splans—Indiscipline of the army—Marauding—Punishments—Peninsulargenerals—The soldiers' opinionof Wellington—Flogging in the army | [180] |
| CHAPTER X. | |
| SALAMANCA AND MADRID. | |
| Wellington isolates Marmont—Follows him to Salamanca—GeneralGraham gives a ball—Major Rice's horse shotunder him and afterwards eaten—Grand manœuvres—Battleof Salamanca—Rout of the French—Advance on Madrid—Triumphalentry into the capital—Capture of the Retiro—The51st marches with Wellington to Burgos—Abortiveassaults—The bridge at Valladolid—French valour atTordesillas—Retreat from Burgos—Drunkenness of the twoarmies—Brave regimental women—Affair at San Muños—Numerousstragglers—Major Rice invalided | [205] |
| CHAPTER XI. | |
| DRIVING THE FRENCH OUT OF SPAIN, 1813. | |
| Wellington reorganises his army—The situation discussed—The51st marches to the Esla river—Passage of the Esla—KingJoseph—Battle of Vittoria—Complete victory—Flightof the king and his army—Marauding and drunkenness—Wellington'sstrictures—Pursuit to Pampeluna—The51st reaches the Pyrenees—Sharp skirmishes—Siege of SanSebastian—A hard day's fighting—The French 51st Regiment—Regimentalnumbers—Capture of San Sebastian | [227] |
| CHAPTER XII. | |
| THE CLOSE OF THE PENINSULAR WAR. | |
| Young regimental officers—Their effect upon the campaign—Casualtiesin the 51st—Wellington plans the invasion ofFrance—Crosses the Bidassoa—Fights his way into thePyrenees—Major Rice commands the 51st at the battle ofthe Nivelle—Peninsular medals—Battles before Bayonne—Ashort winter's rest—Campaign of 1814—Battle ofOrthes—With Beresford to Bordeaux—Toulouse—Napoleonabdicates—Peace | [247] |
| CHAPTER XIII. | |
| THE WATERLOO CAMPAIGN. | |
| Napoleon escapes from Elba—Europe decides to crush him—The51st proceeds to Belgium—Lieut.-Colonel Rice commandsthe regiment—The situation at the beginning ofJune 1815—The French invasion—Quatre Bras and Ligny—Thebattle of Waterloo described—The part played bythe 51st—Rout of the French—Flight of Napoleon—Honoursand rewards—Colonel Rice's letter about thebattle | [273] |
| CHAPTER XIV. | |
| PARIS—AND PEACE. | |
| The advance on Paris—The storming of Cambray—Rapidpursuit by the Prussians—Last shots—Anecdote of a 51stofficer—Friendly enemies—Paris occupied—Napoleon's fate—Lifein the French capital—Return of the regiment—Thebeginning of the long peace—Garrison duty—Newuniform—Ten years in the Ionian Isles—Colonel Riceconcludes his regimental soldiering—His subsequent employmentand death | [296] |
| Index | [313] |
THE
LIFE OF A REGIMENTAL OFFICER
DURING THE GREAT WAR,
1793-1815.