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

by William Henry Cope

Of the 2nd Battalion, Captain William Cox was slightly, and Lieutenants Charles Eaton, Henry Scott, and Doyle were severely wounded. Doyle died of his wounds. Five Riflemen were killed; 3 sergeants and 23 Riflemen wounded; and 3 missing.

Of the 3rd Battalion, there were Lieutenants Kirkman slightly, Loftus Jones severely, and 8 Riflemen wounded.

The Regiment bivouacked that night on the ground it had taken in front of Sarre. It rained hard all the following day, and for some days subsequently, and the troops suffered severely from the state of their camp. On the 15th the Regiment moved to Arbonne, where the men were quartered in houses, and on the 17th proceeded to Arcangues. Here the 1st Battalion occupied the château and some houses near it; while the 3rd Battalion were placed in some houses near the church, about a quarter of a mile to the rear. The village of Arcangues is built on high ground, from which three tongues or spurs run out like a trident. The enemy’s picquets were at the village of Bassussari, about 400 yards from our picquets posted on these tongues of land; and in fact the sentries of the opposing armies were so close that the reliefs passed each other. There were some houses in this line of posts in the possession of the enemy which it was important to take from them, and so to connect our picquets on the tongues by a line of sentries extending across the valleys between them.

Accordingly, on November 23 the Light Division was ordered to attack the houses. This task was given to the 43rd. They at once attacked and carried these houses; but unfortunately the officer commanding the company engaged went beyond, and attacked a fortified house which the French occupied in strength on their reinforcing their post there, and the 43rd became seriously engaged. The 1st Battalion were then ordered to move forward and cover this officer’s retreat. But he was made prisoner with many of his men, and his Lieutenant was killed. The 1st Battalion then held the houses which it was the object of this movement to secure.

While this was happening on the left projection, there were some houses also on the right in the possession of the enemy, which it was essential to take in order to secure access to a causeway, which ran along a marsh, and to some high ground near the Nive, occupied by another Division of the army; and on which stood a château, called, from the owner of it, ‘Garrat’s House.’

This task was also assigned to a company of the 43rd, supported by some other companies of that regiment, and by the 3rd Battalion. The houses were at once taken; but an order immediately arrived to evacuate them, and the 43rd retired. But ere long a counter-order was issued that they were to be held; when a company of the 3rd Battalion took possession of them. They had not, however, been long in them when a third order was given that they were to retire. Scarcely had they begun to obey it when they were charged by some cavalry, supported by a column of infantry. The officer in command of the company, anxious perhaps to fulfil the last orders, and not unnecessarily to engage himself with a superior force, ordered his company to run to the rear. He thus brought them off safely, with the exception of one man wounded; but rather to the offence of his brother Riflemen, who felt that he might have resisted, and punished the cavalry, and then have slowly withdrawn before a superior force of infantry.

One man of this company I have said was wounded. He was shot in the head; and came to the surgeon who was with the other 3rd Battalion companies in reserve, to have his wound dressed. As the surgeon was sponging it with water from a mess-tin held by the hospital orderly, a ball struck the tin, knocking it out of the hands of the orderly; but without injuring any of the party. There were also wounded of the 1st Battalion, Lieutenant Stilwell, 1 sergeant and 3 Riflemen, and of the 3rd Battalion, 1 sergeant and 1 other man.

The houses so often taken and evacuated were retaken next day by another company of the 3rd Battalion, who held them in spite of all attempts of the enemy to dispossess them. In taking them a young officer, George Cary, then a Second Lieutenant, advanced with his men on the enemy, who withdrew for some distance without much resistance; but on reaching a hedge some way in front of the principal house, they called to him to come no further, or they would fire. Cary, having placed his men under cover, called out to them (for he spoke excellent French) that they might begin their fire when they liked; but that he must have the house. They made no more resistance; but walking off planted their sentries within about forty yards of it.

This is but one of many instances of the good and chivalrous feeling that existed between the Riflemen and the French troops on outpost duty. On another occasion soon after, some French officers made signs of peace to those of our 3rd Battalion on picquet. These being courteously returned, the French officers advanced, and informed our officers that some of the inhabitants who had fled from their homes within our lines were desirous to return to them; and requested our officers to pass them through our outposts unmolested. This was of course readily agreed to, and promptly executed; and the officers on both sides parted with mutual expressions of esteem. ‘But the most remarkable instance’—(though it occurred a little later than the period of which I am writing, I will give it here, in the words of Sir William Napier)—‘happened on the occasion of Lord Wellington’s being desirous of getting to the top of a hill occupied by the enemy near Bayonne. He ordered the Riflemen who escorted him to drive the French away, and seeing the former stealing up, as he thought too close, called out to commence firing. With a loud voice one of those old soldiers replied “No firing!” and then holding up the butt of his rifle towards the French, tapped it in a peculiar way. At the well-understood signal, which meant “We must have the hill for a short time,” the French, who though they could not maintain would not have relinquished the post without a fight if they had been fired upon, quietly retired. And this signal would never have been made, if the post had been one capable of a permanent defence. So well,’ concludes the historian, ‘do veterans understand war and its proprieties.’[132]

The well-known signal was holding up the butt, and tapping the brass tool-box which was in the stock of the Baker, as it was also in that of the Brunswick rifle. It signified ‘We are in earnest;’ and was used by the Riflemen when they approached the French outposts to drive in picquets or with other hostile intent. Without this signal made they were unmolested.