I have the honour to be,
Sir,
Your truly devoted humble servant,
THE AUTHOR.
Ravensdale, June 10, 1840.
CONTENTS
| [CHAP. I.] | |
| What a British Army was, is still, and the commencement of certainintroductory matter, intended to show in part what it ought to be | [1] |
| [CHAP. II.] | |
| Continuation of the subject, and pointing out what is required torender the army more suitable to the times | [31] |
| [CHAP. III.] | |
| Continuation of the subject, and showing how essential it is thatcorps for East India service, and for our colonies, should be formed,with a view to rendering the regular army perfectly efficient.—Variouschanges recommended and reasons assigned for thembeing necessary.—Some observations | [60] |
| [CHAP. IV.] | |
| Continuation of the subject, with observations upon various mattersconnected with the efficiency and discipline of the army.—Veteransunfit for service in North America.—Remarks uponproposed changes in our militia.—Attention called to varioussubjects.—Improvements in system, &c. suggested.—Numbers ofmen taken away upon service from corps as bat-men, &c., its evileffects, and a remedy proposed.—Baggage and followers of anarmy in the field, &c. | [88] |
| [CHAP. V.] | |
| Introductory observations upon the staff of an army.—Remarks uponthe état-major of the French army.—The staff wanted for aBritish army.—Remarks upon the battle of Talavera.—Staff of anarmy continued.—An efficient and highly respectable police foran army in the field recommended.—Some of its duties alludedto.—Important remarks upon military police and courts-martial.—Staffduties continued.—Medical department and its establishmentsin the field.—The commissariat department in the field.—Observations | [126] |
| [CHAP. VI.] | |
| Farther observations.—Insufficiency of allowance of practice ammunitionfor corps.—Hints for the maintenance of discipline inquarters and in the field.—Attention to the religious and generaleducation of regiments strongly urged.—A plan for this purposeproposed.—Various necessary observations, &c.—LordWellington's letter to generals commanding divisions and brigades, withremarks.—Useful observations upon the storming of CiudadRodrigo.—Remarks and general order relating to the 3rd divisionin the retreat from Elbodon to Guinaldo.—Storming of thecastle of Badajoz.—Conduct of our troops there given to showthe composition and conduct of a British army in the field | [171] |
| [CHAP. VII.] | |
| The escalade of the castle of Badajoz held up as an example tofuture commanders of such enterprises.—The part performed bythe 3rd division under Sir Edward Pakenham at Salamanca, withremarks, &c.—The French generals and état-major before thelines of Torres Vedras, &c.—Marshal Soult and his état-majorbefore the battle of Toulouse, &c.—The 3rd division at Toulouse,&c.—Part performed by the 3rd division at Vittoria, with remarks.—Someoccurrences at the Nivelle, with useful observations.—Afew necessary remarks upon the battle of the Pyrenees.The 3rd division at Orthes, and shewing its style of fightingthere, and upon other occasions.—This farther illustratedat the Vic Bigore, with other matters | [219] |
| [CHAP. VIII.] | |
| Observations upon the United States of America.—Their presentposition as regards Great Britain, the Canadas, &c.—Attentionparticularly called to that country, with observations upon navaland military matters.—Expedition to Plattsburg, with other mattersof importance; such as the question of the Boundary line,&c. and some official documents respecting our North Americanterritories.—Instructions of a military nature, respecting LowerCanada in 1814, with useful hints and matters of consequence tobe attended to by Great Britain.—Future combined naval andmilitary enterprises, with necessary and useful observations.—Concludinggeneral remarks | [264] |
ON THE BRITISH ARMY,
&c. &c.
CHAP. I.
I have imposed upon myself a task which may probably expose me to much annoyance, or perhaps severe criticism; so much so, that I am almost deterred from entering upon it, in consequence of feeling that although I may fancy I understand the subjects I intend to write upon, yet at the same time I greatly fear I am unequal to do them that justice which they require; but something I shall neither attempt to describe, nor analyze, urges me on in what I consider, as an officer of some experience, I ought to undertake; and let the consequences be what they may, I have the consolation to think, that my motives, at all events, are pure and disinterested.
Many well-meaning men, and many mischievous men, have for years past been exerting themselves, with unwearied assiduity, to have the corporal punishment of flogging done away with in our army; but no experienced officer, or person acquainted with the subject, when he considers its former and present composition, can for an instant entertain such an idea, unless some other mode of punishment can be thought of, as a substitute, equally prompt, and which, from its consequences, would keep the transgressor as short a time from the performance of his duties as flagellation does.
I do not presume to say, that the conduct of all corps of cavalry, infantry and artillery, were alike; but such officers as have been much employed with a British army in the field, must be aware of what he had to contend with, to prevent irregularities, and above all drunkenness, and the crimes arising out of its demoralizing effects, into which our soldiers invariably fell; so much so, that the greater part of them could never be trusted out of the sight of those who had the charge of them; and the annoyances and sufferings of the unlucky officers who had too often to bear the blame for their disorderly conduct, especially in going to and returning from the several hospital stations, and upon escort, and other duties, which took them away from their corps in Portugal, Spain, and other countries, cannot have forgotten what they had to encounter, and they must fully bear me out when I say, that it was perfect misery to have any thing to do with them; and nothing but the certainty of being flogged, if caught by the Provost absent from their corps, kept many of them in the line of march, or in their camps afterwards; and as for their conduct at sieges, and upon other occasions, when they had the power of breaking loose, or from under the watchful eyes of their officers, the less that is here said by me upon the subject the better.