On the 29th, Wellesley’s army was strengthened by the arrival of Crawford’s brigade, consisting of the 43rd, 52nd, and 95th Regiments, with Captain Ross’s, “The Chestnut,” troop of Horse Artillery,[21] which, in their eagerness to reach the field of battle, and undeterred by the lies of the flying Spaniards, had marched no less than sixty-two miles in twenty-six hours, in the hottest season of the year, and in heavy marching order. But news reached the English General which determined him to fall back, and to have done with the assistance of Spanish troops, whose worthlessness he had now thoroughly tested. Hearing that Soult was pressing on by rapid marches, and with increased forces,—had already gained possession of one of his most important communications with Portugal, and was threatening the others,—he resolved to leave his wounded at Talavera, and to fall back into Portugal. He did so by means of rapid marches; but he still conducted them so as to show no appearance of flight, such as would have injured the reputation of his army in the eyes of the Spaniards—a most important To D. A. G. Dated Badajoz, 26 Oct. 1809. consideration. General Howorth, in alluding to the retreat from Talavera, emphasises this point. “We made a retrograde movement,” he wrote, “with a dignified deliberation perfectly suitable to the gravity of Spanish deportment.” The whole of his brigades of Artillery returned from Talavera complete, with the exception of one 6-pounder gun which had been damaged in the battle of the 28th, and which, the General wrote, had been privately buried, perhaps out of consideration for Spanish deportment also. But all the spare ammunition and stores had to be abandoned, as the carts were required to carry the sick. No less than 150 carts were so employed; for the sickness during the retreat, and even after the troops went into cantonments at Merida, was very great. The well-known sickness in the Chestnut Troop, which so nearly led to its return to England, took place at Merida after the retreat. So severely did it suffer, that, in sending in his returns of available Artillery force at this time, General Howorth wrote: “I have one troop of Horse Artillery, Bull’s,[22] and half a one, Ross’s. The latter has suffered severely by sickness and death of men and horses.” The sickness was aggravated by a dearth of medical officers; and the unfortunate Chestnut Troop, which required medical assistance to an extraordinary extent, was robbed of its own surgeon in an inglorious manner. “Poor Doctor O’Brien,” wrote General Howorth, “of Ross’s troop, died last night, owing to his servant’s getting drunk, and giving him too strong a dose of opium, which destroyed him.” Ere many weeks passed, the attempt to cope with the havoc made in the troop was almost abandoned. Two guns and their waggons were sent into store, from want of men and horses to work them; and orders were given that, on the arrival of another troop (Lefebure’s) from England, the surviving men and horses of the Chestnut Troop should be handed over to it, and Captain Ross and his officers return to England to organize a new troop. Luckily for him, Captain Lefebure’s troop suffered so much from a storm on its way to the Peninsula that, on its arrival, it was little more efficient than the one it was Memoir of Sir H. D. Ross. meant to relieve; so, to Captain Ross’s delight, he had his vacancies completed from the new arrivals, and Captain Lefebure had, instead, the duty of rebuilding his troop.
The head-quarters of the English General, on whom the title of Lord Wellington was bestowed after Talavera, were at Badajoz until the end of 1809. He devoted himself to the strengthening of his position, with the double motive of ensuring to himself the possession of Lisbon and the Tagus, and of securing the unmolested embarkation of his troops, should reverses render it necessary. The lines of Torres Vedras, which were to play so important a part in the campaign of 1810, were matured in the winter of 1809. Lord Wellington had given up all hope of succeeding by means of the Spaniards; but he by no means despaired of offering an effectual resistance to the most powerful French attacks by means of the combined English and Portuguese army under his command. He felt confidence in his troops. As Lord Wellington to Colonel Malcolm, Badajoz, 3 Dec. 1809. he boasted to a correspondent, “I command an unanimous army.” Supplies in Portugal were better arranged than in Spain; and, with the remembrance fresh in his mind of Talavera, which he himself pronounced “the hardest-fought battle of modern days, and the most glorious in its results to the English troops,” he looked forward to the next campaign with quiet confidence, and displayed during the winter an industry in strengthening his position which, at all events, deserved success.
Note.—Although the Peninsular War eclipses in point of interest any other operations in which the Royal Artillery was engaged in 1809, it would be a great omission, were no allusion made to the services of the Corps, in the beginning of 1809, during the operations in the West Indies under General Beckwith and Sir George Prevost, which resulted in the capture of the French colonies of Cayenne and Martinique. Over 500 officers and men of the Royal Artillery were present under the command of Brigadier-General Stehelin, and the value of their services may be ascertained from the following extract from the General Order issued at the termination of the campaign:—
G. O. Dated 8 March, 1809.
“To Brigadier-General Stehelin, commanding the Royal Artillery, for his regularity in all interior arrangements, and especially for that order and system established in this distinguished Corps, which led to those eminent services rendered by them during the bombardment, and which brought the siege to an early and glorious termination ... the Commander of the Forces is anxious to renew all those assurances of public and individual consideration, to which from their distinguished services they are fully entitled, and he requests, as an old soldier, that he may live in their remembrance and friendship.”
B. G. Stehelin to D.-A.-Gen. 23 March, 1809.
The officers of the Royal Artillery who were present during these operations were—in addition to Brigadier-General Stehelin—Captains Blaney Walsh, Unett, Phillott, St. Clair, Cleeve, Story, Du Bourdieu, Clibborn, Butts, and Rollo; and Lieutenants Spellen, Bell, Gordon, Lewis, Mathias, Tucker, Turner, Heron, Scriven, Simmons, and F. Arabin.
CHAPTER XVI.
Busaco and Torres Vedras.
It may not be uninteresting to the reader, before resuming the consideration of the Peninsular War, to study some statistics connected with the Regiment in the year 1810, the period to be treated of in this chapter. The number of troops and companies remained as before, 112—exclusive of the invalid battalion. They were distributed as follows:—16 Kane’s List. in the Peninsula, 5 in Italy and Sicily, 56 on home stations, 4 in Canada, 3 at the Cape of Good Hope, 3 in Ceylon, where they had been engaged on active service during the previous year, 6 in Gibraltar, 4 in Jamaica and 6 in the rest of the West Indies (these ten companies being actively engaged in the defence of the colonies), 1 in Madeira, 4 in Malta, 1 in Newfoundland, and 3 in Nova Scotia and Cape Breton.
The following tables show the strength of the battalions, and the proportions of the various ranks. They also show the pay of the various ranks, less the charges for agency, which are not deducted in the pay tables published in Kane’s List. But, in addition to the strength of the Royal Artillery, the reader will find detailed statements of the other corps which swelled the total Artillery force of Great Britain. It is hoped that, by publishing these tables in this form, reference will be easier, and lengthy description may be dispensed with. It cannot be too often repeated that the services in the Peninsula of the King’s German Artillery, the detail of which is given in the annexed tables, were of the most gallant description, unsurpassed by those of the corps to which they were attached. The active service of the corps, named the Royal Foreign Artillery, was chiefly in the West Indies.
From MS. Returns in Library of the Royal United Service Institution.
Statement of the Artillery Forces of Great Britain in the year 1810—according to the establishment laid down in the King’s Warrant—with the various rates of pay, less agency charges.
1.—ROYAL ARTILLERY. | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| a. Staff. | |||||
| Rank. | Pay per diem. | ||||
| £. | s. | d. | |||
| 1 | Master-General | No pay on the establishment. | |||
| 1 | Lieutenant-General | ||||
| 10 | Colonels-Commandant | each | 2 | 14 | 4 |
| 20 | Colonels | ” | 1 | 6 | 0 |
| 30 | Lieutenant-Colonels | ” | 0 | 17 | 11 |
| 10 | Majors | ” | 0 | 16 | 9 |
| 1 | Deputy-Adjutant-General | ·· | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 10 | Adjutants | each | 0 | 8 | 6 |
| 10 | Quartermasters | ” | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 1 | Chaplain | ·· | 0 | 9 | 11 |
| 10 | Sergeant-Majors | each | 0 | 3 | 7¼ |
| 10 | Quartermaster-Sergeants | ” | 0 | 3 | 7¼ |
| b. Company of Gentlemen Cadets. | |||||
| 1 | Captain | ·· | 1 | 4 | 7¾ |
| 1 | Second Captain | ·· | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 2 | First Lieutenants | each | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| 1 | Second Lieutenant | ·· | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| 200 | Gentlemen Cadets | each | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 1 | Drum-Major | ·· | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| 1 | Fife-Major | ·· | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| c. Ten Battalions, consisting each of | |||||
| 10 | Captains | each | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 10 | Second Captains | ” | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 20 | First Lieutenants | ” | 0 | 6 | 10 |
| 10 | Second Lieutenants | ” | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 40 | Sergeants | ” | 0 | 2 | 5¼ |
| 40 | Corporals | ” | 0 | 2 | 3¾ |
| 90 | Bombardiers | ” | 0 | 2 | 1¾ |
| 1240 | Gunners | ” | 0 | 1 | 5¾ |
| 30 | Drummers | ” | 0 | 1 | 5¾ |
| 1490 | being the total for each battalion, andtherefore 14,900 for the ten. | ||||
| d. Invalids. | |||||
| 1 | Colonel-Commandant | ·· | 2 | 14 | 4 |
| 2 | Second Colonels | each | 1 | 0 | 0 |
| 2 | Lieutenant-Colonels | ” | 0 | 19 | 9 |
| 3 | Second Lieutenant-Colonels | ” | 0 | 17 | 11 |
| 1 | Major | ·· | 0 | 16 | 9 |
| 1 | Adjutant | ·· | 0 | 9 | 0 |
| 1 | Quartermaster | ·· | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 2 | Staff Sergeants | each | 0 | 3 | 7¼ |
| 12 | Captains | ” | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 12 | First Lieutenants | ” | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 12 | Second Lieutenants | ” | 0 | 5 | 7 |
| 48 | Sergeants | ” | 0 | 2 | 5¼ |
| 48 | Corporals | ” | 0 | 2 | 3¾ |
| 108 | Bombardiers | ” | 0 | 2 | 1¾ |
| 100 | First Gunners | ” | 0 | 1 | 9¾ |
| 620 | Second Gunners | ” | 0 | 1 | 5¾ |
| 12 | Drummers | ” | 0 | 1 | 5¾ |
| 48 | Non-effectives | ” | 0 | 1 | 5¾ |
| e. Royal Horse Artillery. | |||||
| 1 | Colonel-Commandant | ·· | 2 | 19 | 3 |
| 2 | Colonels | each | 1 | 12 | 0 |
| 3 | Lieutenant-Colonels | ” | 1 | 6 | 9 |
| 1 | Major | ·· | 1 | 2 | 8 |
| 1 | Adjutant | ·· | 0 | 16 | 6 |
| 1 | Quartermaster | ·· | 0 | 10 | 9 |
| 1 | Regimental Staff Sergeant | ·· | 0 | 3 | 9¼ |
| 1 | Regimental Sergeant (for Staff) | ·· | 0 | 2 | 7¼ |
| 2 | Farriers and Carriage Smiths | each | 0 | 3 | 5¼ |
| 1 | Collar-maker | ·· | 0 | 3 | 5¼ |
| 1 | Trumpet-Major | ·· | 0 | 2 | 3¾ |
| 12 | Captains | each | 0 | 15 | 11 |
| 12 | Second Captains | ” | 0 | 15 | 11 |
| 36 | First Lieutenants | ” | 0 | 9 | 10 |
| 24 | Troop Staff Sergeants | ” | 0 | 3 | 9¼ |
| 36 | Sergeants | ” | 0 | 2 | 7¼ |
| 36 | Corporals | ” | 0 | 2 | 3¾ |
| 72 | Bombardiers | ” | 0 | 2 | 1¾ |
| 480 | Gunners mounted | ” | 0 | 1 | 5¾ |
| 628 | Gunners dismounted | ” | 0 | 1 | 5¾ |
| 720 | Drivers | ” | 0 | 1 | 5¾ |
| 12 | Farriers and Shoeing Smiths | ” | 0 | 3 | 5¼ |
| 12 | Carriage Smiths | ” | 0 | 3 | 5¼ |
| 24 | Shoeing Smiths | each | 0 | 2 | 3¾ |
| 24 | Collar-makers | ” | 0 | 2 | 1¼ |
| 12 | Wheelwrights | ” | 0 | 2 | 1¼ |
| 12 | Trumpeters | ” | 0 | 2 | 1¾ |
| f. Riding-House Troop. | |||||
| 1 | Captain | ·· | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 1 | Lieutenant, at | ·· | 0 | 15 | 0 |
| 1 | Lieutenant, at | ·· | 0 | 13 | 0 |
| 1 | Lieutenant, at | ·· | 0 | 11 | 0 |
| 1 | Quartermaster | ·· | 0 | 7 | 10 |
| 2 | Staff Sergeants | each | 0 | 3 | 2 |
| 3 | Sergeants | ” | 0 | 2 | 2 |
| 3 | First Corporals | ” | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 3 | Second Corporals | ” | 0 | 1 | 10¼ |
| 1 | Trumpeter | ·· | 0 | 1 | 11¼ |
| 1 | Farrier | ·· | 0 | 3 | 2¾ |
| 1 | Collar-maker | ·· | 0 | 1 | 10¾ |
| 44 | Riders | each | 0 | 1 | 3¼ |
II.-FIELD TRAIN. | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Chief Commissary. |
| 5 | Commissaries. |
| 24 | Assistant Commissaries. |
| 113 | Clerks of Stores. |
| 115 | Conductors. |
| 13 | Military Conductors. |
| 1 | Foreman. |
| 7 | Smiths. |
| 6 | Collar-makers. |
| 7 | Wheelers. |
| 2 | Carpenters. |
| 1 | Painter. |