The History of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) Formerly the 95th

by William Henry Cope

For the first time, too, in this war tents were provided for the Regiment, three per company for non-commissioned officers and privates, and one for the officers of the company. In the last campaign indeed a sort of ‘tente d’abri’ had been extemporised by making the men sew loops on the corners of their blankets. Two blankets being looped together, and the ends fixed to stands of arms, four men could creep under them. But with this disadvantage, that as two blankets were used for the covering, the four men had only two blankets to wrap themselves in. Yet they were ordered to pitch these new company tents always behind rising ground and out of sight of the enemy.

The Light Division was divided into two brigades. The 1st and 3rd Battalions of the 95th, consisting respectively of six and five companies, with the 43rd and some Portuguese, formed the 1st brigade under the command of Major-General Kempt.

The 2nd Battalion, consisting of six companies, were with the 52nd, and some Portuguese regiments in the 2nd brigade, commanded by Major-General Vandeleur.

On May 21 the Regiment broke up from its cantonments, and marching to Molina des Flores and fording the Agueda near the mill, encamped that night near San Felices el Chico. Marching at daylight next morning, they passed S. Espiritus and Martin del Rey, and encamped near it on the banks of the Yeltes. On the 23rd, after a long march, they encamped on the left bank of the Huebra at San Munoz, which they repassed by the very ford where they had their hard fight with the French six months before. But the face of nature and their own feelings were indeed different. The slushy swamps were now green meadows; the then sullen, swollen river now glistened under a bright sun; the constant, chilling rain was replaced by warm spring sunshine. And they, then fatigued and faint, now rested and restored; then famishing with want, now amply supplied; then depressed by the pursuit of an enemy, now gallantly going to seek that enemy, and exulting at the prospect of driving him before them. Here they halted during the 24th; and on the 25th, passing through Aldea Quella de Penida and Castro, and crossing the Matillo, encamped near Robleza. On the next morning they marched to the banks of the Valmusa, where about mid-day they halted and cooked. And then resuming their march, arrived in the evening at the ford of El Canto on the Tormes, about two leagues below Salamanca, where they encamped that night and remained during the following day. On the 28th they moved, and having forded the Tormes, passed through Monte Rubio, and after a march of twenty-four miles encamped at Aldea Nueva de Figueira, where they remained until June 2. On that day marching early they arrived at Villa Buena, where they cooked and rested; and in the afternoon proceeded to Toro; where finding that the enemy had blown up the principal arch of the bridge, they encamped in some fields on the left bank. Marshal Jourdan now abandoned the line of the Douro, and fell back on Palencia. And in order to follow the line of retreat of the enemy, the Regiment on June 3 crossing the Douro by the bridge of Toro, which had been hastily made passable by planks laid across the broken arch, advanced to Terra Buena, where they encamped. On the next day they moved by Casa Sola and La Mota de Toro, and after a march of about eighteen miles encamped at night on some high ground overhanging the Convent of Espinaz.

On the 5th, passing through Castromonte, where they halted an hour, they encamped at Muderra; and on the next day they marched through Villa Alba to Ampudia, their camping place. On the 7th, marching early, they reached the city of Palencia, and passing through it amidst the acclamations and rejoicing of its inhabitants, encamped close under the walls on the banks of the river Carrion. On the 8th, advancing through Valdepero and Mongen, they encamped at Tamara. The weather now broke up, and from having been hot and fine, now became chilly with much rain. The next day they moved to La Peña de Campos, and encamped near the Rio Cieza. On the 10th they crossed the river by a stone bridge, and passing by the villages of La Peña and Francoen, and across the canal of Castile, encamped near Lantadilla on the right bank of the Pisuerga. During the last few marches the weather had been unfavourable, and the supply of food scanty. The country was devoid of wood, and fuel was with difficulty procured for cooking. The peasantry, too, seemed poor, and their dwellings inferior to those in other parts of Spain. Yet the villagers everywhere welcomed our men with shouts of joy, and the women danced before them, in their national manner doubtless, but it seemed absurd and ridiculous to our people. Yet this amused the tired soldiers, whose heavy load and rapidity of march were lightened by the antics of the rejoicing peasantry.

On the 11th they crossed the Pisuerga by a stone bridge, and passing by Pallacio encamped near Villa Sandino on the river Brullo.

Since leaving Toro in pursuit of the enemy they had never seen a French soldier; but on the 12th, after marching a few miles, and when near the village of Isar, they came upon a rear-guard, composed of a pretty large body of cavalry drawn up on some high ground, and a division of infantry formed in squares. On the cavalry attached to the Light Division advancing, the enemy’s cavalry at once withdrew. The Regiment was drawn up on some high ground over the river Hormaza, and when the squares of the infantry were cannonaded by our guns, though without much effect, they retired towards Burgos. But when passing under the height our men were on, they halted and gave them a volley. This they could do, being in square, and the 95th so much above them. Yet their fire was ineffectual by reason of distance. They moved across the plain, and as soon as they were clear of their guns, these opened a smart cannonade, without, however, doing any harm. The Regiment then continued its route, and encamped at Hornilla de Camino, near the river. On the 13th, as the Regiment was starting early on the march, a tremendous explosion, which seemed to shake the ground on which they stood, and which the soldiers fancied was an earthquake, was heard. This was, as they subsequently found, caused by the enemy blowing up the castle of Burgos, on their evacuating that place. Continuing their march through Villa Nueva, Organda and Villa Rejo, they encamped that night at Tovar.

On the next day, passing through Guermathes, Quintanaleia sobre la Sierra, to Quintanajuar and Poza, they encamped in a wood near these two villages.

On the 15th, after a long and wearisome march through Villa Alta, Pesados and El Almune, and over a most uninteresting country, they came to the edge of the heights overlooking the vale of the Ebro. And the sight of that noble river, fringed with verdant meadows and fruitful orchards, and dotted with farms and country-houses, inspirited them. For from the day they had left the neighbourhood of Salamanca till now, their route had lain through an unwooded, arid country, sometimes indeed bearing great crops of corn, but always uninteresting. Wood for firing could scarcely be found; provisions ran short, and when they were issued, consisted only of tough ration beef and hard biscuit. But now they were descending into a fruitful valley, teeming with everything which could supply their wants. The spirits of the men were elated, and coming to the village of Puente Arenas, they crossed its long stone bridge, the band of the 1st Battalion playing ‘The Downfall of Paris,’ and encamped close to the village.

At dawn of the 16th they started again, and winding along the left bank of the river for about a league, and then ascending the heights which shut it in, marched through a mountainous country, the rugged hills clothed with wood to their summits, and passing the villages of Encinillas and Bisquesas, and crossing the river Nela, encamped a little beyond Medina de Pomar, on the Trueba river.