A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be

by James Campbell

It is unnecessary here to give these regulations, but his Grace repeats the orders which had been so frequently issued, that no officer of the medical department should have any soldier from the ranks as his servant and bat-man, or to attend upon him in any manner; and he declares his determination to bring to trial before a general-court-martial, any of the medical department, who should make use of a non-commissioned officer or soldier in any menial capacity whatever.

We had formerly attached to the medical department large cumbersome waggons, which could scarcely have answered any wise purpose, even upon our English roads, but which were next to useless in such countries as Portugal; and the tortures and sufferings of the wounded and sick, when sent off to the rear upon commissariat mules going for provisions, or in country carts, drawn by bullocks, were beyond belief, especially when aggravated by the effects of a burning sun, or the severity of the wet and cold seasons of the Peninsula.

It is absolutely necessary that this department should be better organized hereafter, as soldiers are induced to go forward and into battle with much more confidence, when they know that it is enabled, through good management, to remove them with care and kindness, if sick or wounded, to places where they can be properly attended to.

The head of this department ought to be a man of great energy and ability, capable of arranging and carrying into effect whatever plans may have been adopted for the removal and care of the sick and wounded, and above all he should possess, like the celebrated Dr. Larrey, of the French army, not only extraordinary perseverance, but also that kind-hearted benevolence, which insured for him, on all occasions, the respect and affections of both officers and soldiers.

Under such a head, there should be placed, to be disposed of as he might deem best, but in communication with the Adjutant-General, or his assistants attached to divisions, who could, through the means of the police at their disposal, afford him great help in carrying their united views into effect, a complete establishment of conveyances, or cars upon springs, calculated to contain, at most, four men each, of a light but strong construction, with covers to them sufficient to afford the sick and wounded protection from the sun and rain. They should only be of such a size and weight that two horses of ordinary powers could draw them and the four patients with the greatest ease, even when required to move with some degree of rapidity, and the generally low condition of horses on service in the field, should not in the calculations be overlooked. The corps, as I may call it, to which these conveyances should belong, ought to consist of steady drivers, one for each car and pair of horses, (but he ought not upon any account to be allowed to ride) some non-commissioned officers and officers having certain military rank and authority. This useful body of men should be formed by enlistment in the United Kingdoms, and the horses either procured there, or in the country to become the seat of war; but the corps and its cars and equipments should accompany any military force whenever it was ordered to embark for service. It should however always remain at the disposal of the medical officer at the head of the department, who could appropriate parts of it, as might be arranged between him and the Adjutant-General, and as circumstances required, for the removal of sick and wounded from the divisions or brigades to the hospital stations, and they could from thence assist recovered men to rejoin their corps with less fatigue than they might otherwise be too soon exposed to, and the officers and non-commissioned officers of this establishment, occasionally assisted by the police, could take the entire charge of such men, together with the usual lists furnished by officers commanding companies or troops, of the articles of necessaries, &c. sent with them, so that it would no longer be necessary to detach numbers of officers and non-commissioned officers from their regiments, where their presence is always required, to perform this important duty.

The great utility of what I have just pointed out, must be obvious to all experienced officers, who will, I think, coincide with me in opinion, that such an establishment is indispensable in the field, indeed both humanity and prudence most strongly call for it, as it would tend to render an army much more efficient than it could possibly be, if defective in this respect, or if such matters are left merely to chance, or to the generally miserable resources of this kind to be found in most countries.

It appears to me that the commissariat cannot properly or prudently be separated from the Quarter-master-general's department, for all its arrangements must depend upon the intended movements, stations, positions, and views of the Commander of the Forces, to be carried into effect by the Quarter-master-general, and his assistants, attached to the division. But the commissariat ought to be under the immediate superintendance of an officer of considerable abilities; possessing a mind capable of comprehending, and performing with accuracy his extensive part in all military combinations, for almost every thing in war depends upon the troops being regularly supplied with food.

The officers of this branch of the service, cannot be formed in a day; for they require not only the knowledge and habits of business, but also experience in the modes of ascertaining and calling forth the various resources of countries. Providing transport for supplies of provisions is alone an extensive and difficult part of the duty of the commissariat. There are few countries in which such means would present themselves so efficiently and opportunely, as the brigades of mules did in the Peninsula. It will not answer, entirely to depend upon the resources of countries which may become the seat of war, for such transport; but how far this may be prudent, can sometimes be ascertained beforehand. But I beg here to ask, if it would not be important to arrange how far rice might occasionally be made a substitute for some of the articles usually issued to our troops in the field by the commissariat? A little of it becomes a considerable quantity of nourishing food when cooked, but its great advantage is, that the means of transport required for it is trifling when compared with what it takes to bring bread or biscuit from perhaps a distant point, to an army acting in the field. Soldiers may not like rice at first, but it should be remembered, that it constitutes in India, the principal part of their food.

It is at all times very hazardous to allow the roads in the vicinity of an army, especially when near the enemy, to become blocked up, but especially in bad weather, by heavy waggons or carts of any kind; so that pack-horses or mules, (the breeds in Great Britain and Ireland of the former have mostly become too large for this purpose) with well fitted saddles, and perhaps panniers, are the only conveyances for provisions or stores, which should be allowed to come up to an army in the field. But all such subjects require much consideration, and also able arrangements, which should, as far as possible, be completed before troops are allowed to quit our shores. The expense is always great to provide even what is indispensable in this respect for an army, but it would cost, in all probability, twice as much, to form such an establishment in a country in which war had already commenced. This naturally leads the mind to form plans so as to meet the difficulties which will certainly present themselves, and to calculate as to the manner in which a well-organized department, with means at its command, can be produced; and though its vast extent may be apt to discourage, yet it ought to be wisely looked into by a Commander of the Forces, his quarter-master and commissary generals. But if the commissariat consists of able, responsible and experienced officers, much apprehension on this head may be removed. The selection therefore of gentlemen qualified for this branch of the service, ought always to be of primary importance, and their advancement in rank, and consequent higher payment, should depend upon the ability and habits of business they evinced in the discharge of their duties; and to the exclusion, if such a thing can be, of interest or patronage.

I hope I shall be excused for here introducing what I may call a commissariat anecdote; which those who knew Sir Thomas Picton will at once recognize as characteristic of him.