This extraordinary spot is situated in a ravine between steep and rugged rocks, and is uncommonly romantic. Here, then, I found it absolutely necessary to halt, that is, to remain till the evening of the 22nd, as the men stood in the greatest need of a little repose. In the course of the day many Arabs came to the camp with various articles of provisions for sale. Mutton we received as rations in abundance,—indeed at every post in the desert where water was to be had, even in the smallest quantity, General Baird had made depôts of provisions; therefore we had only to carry the necessary supply for those halting-places where no water was to be found. All our stragglers reached the camp before two P.M. of this day.
July 22nd.—I this day ordered the men to wash their persons, and otherwise to put themselves into as clean and good order as circumstances would permit. At six o’clock P.M. we marched. The road leads through a most romantic valley; at about six miles’ distance, under some craggy rocks on the left hand, are three wells or springs of water. Three miles from these are the nine mile wells, where we arrived at about ten P.M. Here I found an officer and a party of Sepoys, but was informed by him, that my detachment was so numerous it would very soon drain the pits or wells he was posted at; and the next day not a drop of water was to be got from them. At five P.M. I marched, and just before sun-set we saw a wild beast, which proved to be a lion. We continued our route over the dreary, desolate, and solitary waste for seven hours, when I found the men were excessively fatigued. Accordingly I gave orders to halt, although we had not arrived at the half-way distance between the nine mile wells and Legattah. We lay down upon a large and extensive desert plain, and at daylight, as usual, the camp was pitched. I had despatched a light camel or dromedary to Legattah with a letter to the officer stationed there, requesting him to send a supply of water to meet me on my march to that place; and relying upon his being able to comply with my request, I emptied the mussacks before I left this dreary halt, which was by much the worst we had as yet experienced. At six P.M. we marched from this abominable and burning spot. After six hours’ march the men began to complain grievously from the want of water, and I confess I almost feared the officer at Legattah had not found it possible to send a supply as I had required; however, a little after midnight, I had the inexpressible satisfaction to perceive a large escort coming towards us,—the first thing that attracted my attention was the glittering of the Sepoys’ arms, the moon shining in great splendour,—which proved to be twenty-eight camels loaded with water. Words cannot express the sensations of our poor fellows when I rode along the line of march, telling them a convoy of water was in front. I halted, and upon inquiry found that a great number had fallen behind; after supplying all the others in an ample way, I caused a captain’s guard, a surgeon, and seven camels’ load of water, together with every light and unloaded camel we could spare to remain in this spot, in order to bring up the stragglers. I then told the rest that those able to march might go on with me, as after an hour’s rest I was resolved to push on for Legattah (then distant nine miles) with the treasure and those of the troops capable of proceeding. To my great surprise, almost the whole said they could march from the comfortable supply of water they had first had, and the short repose I had given them; therefore, after leaving some of the most weakly with a captain, two subalterns, one surgeon, the water and camels as above stated, I continued my route, and after two hours’ march had the satisfaction to come in sight of the lights of Legattah camp. So fatiguing was this forced march, that I was frequently in danger of falling from my horse from sleep. An officer of the Tenth Regiment fell from an ass he rode, and hurt himself considerably. I got in just before the dawn of day, all of us exceedingly exhausted; and it was not until three P.M. that the captain with the rear-guard and stragglers came up; this made it impossible for me to leave the camp until the evening following,—the poor fellows who dropped in during the day, panting and fainting, were incapable of further exertions. The thermometer in my tent was here at 114°.
At Legattah we found a large detachment of Sepoys, under Captain Mahony, of the Seventh Bombay Regiment: he behaved to us in the most attentive and liberal manner. We were supplied with every necessary by this officer; and he fulfilled the duties of his post, not to the strict letter of his orders, but to the fullest extent of every humane and hospitable construction of them. The ensuing march to Buramba was to be a very long one; and I found it necessary to make it in two, as follows: at six P.M. of the 26th, we left Legattah, and continued our route for six hours and a half by my watch, when I ordered the detachment to halt, caused the treasure camels to be unloaded, and directed the rest with the tents, baggage, sick, &c., to proceed on Buramba. I then ordered the detachment to be served with plenty of water, when we all lay down and enjoyed three hours’ most refreshing sleep. A little before day the drums beat, the treasure was reloaded, and we proceeded, and arrived at Buramba at six A.M. of the 27th. Here we first saw verdure: this agreeable prospect opened to us immediately upon the dawn of day, and infused spirit into everybody. This village seemed to us a little paradise, and, like sailors arrived at a shore of plenty and ease, after the perils of shipwreck, distress, and want, was looked upon by all as a blessed haven. At noon I despatched an officer with a report to General Baird, Commander-in-Chief of the Indian army, who was at Kenè on the Nile, of my having reached Buramba without the loss of a single man; and at two o’clock A.M. on the 28th, I marched (having previously at midnight sent on the tents and baggage). Shortly after daylight we passed two miserable Arab villages; we then found ourselves in cultivated ground, and were eagerly looking out for the glorious Nile, whose direction we could easily trace from the date-trees and vegetation apparent upon its banks, although we could not see that noble river; shortly afterwards we got sight of Kenè, and a mile or two from it were met by General Baird and his suite. He ordered me to proceed to the banks of the Nile, and at seven o’clock we encamped about a quarter of a mile westward of the town of Kenè, and fifteen yards from the brink of the river. One cannot picture the joy we all felt at arriving amongst our brother soldiers, after the ten days of uncommon fatigue we had just experienced. Kenè abounded with every kind of provision, such as mutton, poultry, fish, milk, vegetables, &c., the whole at the most reasonable rates. The heat in this camp was excessive, certainly greater than at Cosseir. The General ordered the troops to be in readiness to embark in d’jirms, already collected to convey the army down the Nile, and which were to rendezvous at Cairo, where the General meant to collect all his army, in order to carry it entire to Rosetta, from which place he could make every arrangement for our junction with the English army before Alexandria. We embarked on the 2nd of August; the Sixty-first Regiment, about 900 strong, was allowed seventeen d’jirms, and fell down with the current. The distance to Cairo is about 400 miles. We arrived at that celebrated place on the 11th. The army encamped on the island of Rhoda on the Nile, between Cairo and Gaza; and on the 28th, the whole being collected, we re-embarked and proceeded towards Rosetta; and on the 31st we landed and encamped at El Hamed, four miles to the southward of that town; two days after which the General changed his camp to Aboumandour, so called from the tower which stands just above the Nile, about one mile and a quarter to the S.E. of Rosetta: it was from this tower that Pousseilgue made such accurate remarks upon the memorable battle between the English and French fleets in Aboukir Bay.
J. J. Barlow,
Lieut.-Colonel, 61st Regiment.
SIXTY-FIRST REGIMENT.
Return of Casualties during the Peninsular War,
from 1809 to 1814.
| Place and Date | NAMES OF OFFICERS. | |
| of Action. | Killed. | Wounded. |
| Major R. J. Coghlan | ||
| Captain A. Hartley | ||
| ” W. Furnace | ||
| Battle of | Major H. F. Orpen | ” J. Laing |
| Talavera, | Captain H. James | ” D. Goodman |
| 27th and 28th | Lieut. D. J. Hemus | Lieut. G. Collins |
| July, 1809. | ” H. T. Tench | |
| ” G. McLean | ||
| ” J. Given | ||
| Ensign W. Brackenbury | ||
| Adjutant R. Drew | ||
| Storming the | ||
| Forts at | Captain J. Owen | |
| Salamanca, | Lieut. J. Given | |
| 22nd June, 1812 | ||
| Major J. Downing (died) | ||
| Captain S. Favell (died) | ||
| ” J. Oke | ||
| ” W. McLeod | ||
| ” W. Greene | ||
| Lieut. S. Falkner | ||
| Lieut.-Col. F. Barlow | ” H Daniel | |
| Battle of | Captain G. Stubbs | ” J. Chapman |
| Salamanca, | ” P. B. P. Horton | ” J. Chipchase |
| 22nd July, 1812. | Lieut. A. Chawner | ” T. Gloster |
| ” J. Parker | ” N. Furnace | |
| Ensign H. Bere | ” J. Collis | |
| ” J. Wolfe | ||
| ” W. Brackenbury | ||
| ” J. Royal | ||
| ” A. Toole | ||
| Ensign W. White | ||
| ” J. F. Singleton | ||
| Siege of the | ||
| Castle of | Lieut. G. Stuart | |
| Burgos, | ||
| in October, 1812 | ||
| Place and Date | Total Loss. | ||||
| of Action. | Officers. | Serjeants. | Drummers. | Rank and File. | |
| Battle of | Killed | 3 | -- | 1 | 45 |
| Talavera, | Wounded | 11 | 10 | -- | 186 |
| 27th and 28th | Missing | -- | -- | -- | 16 |
| July, 1809. | |||||
| Storming the | Killed } | ||||
| Forts at | and } | 2 | 1 | -- | 12 |
| Salamanca, | Wounded} | ||||
| 22nd June, 1812 | |||||
| Battle of | Killed | 6 | 3 | 1 | 35 |
| Salamanca, | Wounded | 18 | 22 | 1 | 280 |
| 22nd July, 1812. | |||||
| Siege of the | Killed } | ||||
| Castle of | and } | 1 | -- | -- | 10 |
| Burgos, | Wounded} | ||||
| in October, 1812 | |||||