And in another letter, two years later, occurs a characteristic description of the boy.
"Jack was as fond as the Duke of returning to Geneva, and he is much too strong for me when the Duke is his second. We were received by our friends with infinite kindness, and have been wonderfully feasted. Jack quitted Geneva a boy, and has returned a man. Though he has been caressed by all the high and mighty of the Republic, and is always invited with the Duke and me, yet if, at the same time, he has an invitation from any of his old acquaintances of a much humbler class, he always prefers the latter. I pressed him one day to go with us, because the people had insisted particularly on his coming. It was to a fine villa, and a most brilliant party. I could not prevail; he silenced me with this sentence: 'They who have invited me are poor; they were kind to me when the others did not think me worth their notice.' Never was a creature less spoiled than your son by all the great people who have caressed him, nor by all the uncommon fine situations[2] he has been in. Though his manner is manly and noble, yet it is simple, and he assumes no airs. He is a charming youth. I wish you had him in your arms."
At the age of fifteen he was made Ensign in the 51st Regiment, though he did not actually join till some months later. Among the many dangers in his career was one in those few months, when paying a visit to Mount Vesuvius. "Jack" ventured perilously near to the crater, and in hurrying away he fell and damaged his knee. A shower of lava and hot stones poured directly afterwards upon the spot he had just quitted. Had Jack Moore's retreat that day been less prompt, another most famous and masterly retreat, followed by a never-to-be-forgotten battle, would not have been inscribed upon the pages of English history.
His great friend, Douglas, Duke of Hamilton, was seized by a passing fit of military enthusiasm, a few months after John Moore had joined the 51st, which in a letter at that date he described as "one of the best regiments in the service; as to officers, I never knew such a number of fine gentlemanly lads. General Murray told me he did not believe there was such a corps of officers in the army; there is no such thing as either drinking or gambling going on." However, in 1777 a fresh regiment was raised for the express purpose that the Duke of Hamilton might have the pleasure of commanding it; and though he soon grew tired of his new vocation, and resigned his commission, he sent first for his friend and made him lieutenant and paymaster. Moore went with the "Hamilton Regiment" to Nova Scotia, and had some hard fighting out there, gaining great credit for personal prowess.
Peace was proclaimed before the close of 1783 between Great Britain and her then four enemies: France and Spain, Holland and the United States. Though Britain in those days had much less than half her present population, she was wont most cheerfully to engage in war with three or four nations at one and the same time, apparently without any serious misgivings as to results.
The "Hamilton Regiment" being disbanded, Captain Moore, then aged only twenty-three, went home to live with his parents in London. He studied hard, and was much in society, being a universal favourite. Through the influence of the Duke of Hamilton, with whom when possible he always spent two autumn months, he was chosen to represent in Parliament four Scottish boroughs, but it was with the express stipulation on his part that he should be in all cases free to follow his own judgment. He never had been, and he never became in the true sense a party-man, but had friends on all sides, friends who held every variety of political opinion. Moore fought for country, not for party.
In 1787 he was appointed Major of a new battalion at Chatham, and he gladly forsook civil for military duties. During the following year he rejoined his first regiment, the 51st, at Cork, and soon became Lieutenant-General. While he was there young Anderson, an Ensign in his regiment, became one of his most devotedly-attached friends, and was ever after his inseparable companion.
By this time he was known as a disciplinarian of unusual power, indulgent when he might safely be so, but inflexible in enforcing strict obedience. In an age when hard drinking was the fashion, he set his face like a flint against habits of intemperance, alike in the ranks and among officers, from most of whom he had steady support. One young lieutenant, who ventured to appear on parade in a state of intoxication, was forced by him to resign the service, and from that time Moore had no further trouble. His regiment became widely known for its exceptional sobriety and dependableness.
In 1792 he was ordered to Malta, and two years later he was fighting with the French in Corsica, the peace having already come to an end. On the 10th of July ended successfully the siege of Calvi, that being the last spot in the island which the French had managed so far to keep. As Moore was gallantly storming the breach he had a severe wound, a fragment of shell striking him on the head. For an instant he was stunned; but regaining sense, he once more sprang up the breach. Sir Charles Stuart, chief-in-command, looking anxiously on, was alarmed at the bursting of shells among the assailants. He rushed forward and dashed over intervening obstacles, to find Moore in the midst of shouting grenadiers, his face streaming with blood. Apparently the great dread of Sir Charles had been that he was killed, for in the excitement of the moment he caught him in his arms, hardly able to utter his thankfulness, not only that the breach was won, but that John Moore still lived.
Two years later a collision between the English viceroy of Corsica, Sir Gilbert Elliot, and Sir Charles Stuart, made the latter resign his command and return to England; and later Moore was sharply ordered home by Elliot, who seems to have been annoyed with the friendship between him and the leading Corsican patriots. Moore, on reaching England, protested with much heat against the way in which he had been treated. He had, however, no need to disquiet himself. The King and the Duke of York took the matter up, promoted him to the rank of Brigadier-General, and sent him out to the West Indies, there to serve under Abercrombie. Both the Duke of York and Pitt had been, from the time of his seat in Parliament, his personal friends. Wherever he went he made friends for life.