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

by James Campbell

"No. 1. The rolls must be called in camp every hour, and all persons must attend till further orders.

"No. 2. Brigadier-General Power is ordered and held responsible that no British or Portuguese soldiers, except those belonging to the place, or having a passport from a field-officer, shall go into Badajoz till further orders.

"No. 3. The Commander of the Forces is sorry to hear that the brigade in Badajoz, instead of being a protection to the people, plunder them more than those who stormed the town.

"No. 6. The Commander of the Forces calls upon the staff officers of the army and the commanding and other officers of regiments, to assist him in putting an end to the disgraceful scenes of drunkenness and plunder which are going on at Badajoz.

"No. 7. The Provost-marshal of the army, and the Assistant Provosts of the several divisions, are to attend there to-morrow at daylight and throughout the day.

"No. 8. Brigadier-General Power is requested to place 50 men, with officers in proportion, on guard at the gate of Elvas, and another of the same number at the breaches; and to prevent soldiers from entering the town, or from quitting it with bundles of any description.

"No. 9. British and Portuguese soldiers are forbid to go into Badajoz, and the Provosts are to punish those they may find there as being guilty of disobedience of orders, unless they have a pass signed by a field officer, or the commanding officer of the regiment."

This must surely open the eyes of the most incredulous as to the behaviour of our army; but even long before the Peninsular war the conduct of the British soldiers, wherever they had an opportunity of breaking loose, was much to be deplored, indeed nothing can show this more strongly than the following extracts from a modern publication, and for the correctness of which I think I could answer, from what I myself saw in South America.

"We took the cannon and turned them on the fugitives, after which we pursued them into Maldonado, and sweeping from house to house, were in five minutes masters of the town. Then followed a scene of barricading and plunder, such as I have no words to describe. While some ran to fill up the ends of the streets with barrels, cars, and household furniture, others broke into wine and spirit stores, or ranged through the dwellings of the inhabitants, carrying destruction and terror into all their quarters. For our commandant gave his people three hours license, and never surely did men make better use of the opportunities afforded them. It was in vain that the officers flew from cellar to cellar, knocking in the heads of casks, and pouring out the contents into the streets. The soldiers if they could not get at liquor elsewhere, dropped their canteens into the kennel and were soon in a state which set all subordination and discipline at defiance. It was well for us that the Spaniards did not think of returning to the attack. If they had done so, we should have been cut to pieces almost without resistance." We again read in the same publication, "Meanwhile the few among our people who were fit for duty, took the out-posts, and the rest slept where they had fallen down: some in houses, some in the streets, but all in a state of helpless intoxication. Under such circumstances, the night was, to those in command, an anxious one."

I think it must now be allowed, that the object I have in view has been effected; and that I have brought forward sufficient to sanction my entertaining a hope, that the plans I have proposed for calling out men for our regular army may be deemed worthy of notice; and I also trust that after what I have shown to be the conduct of our soldiers, in spite of the utmost exertions of their officers, the idea of enlisting men at low bounties for the militia will be well considered before it is adopted.