Chapter III: Part 3

The officers of Colonial corps should be kept distinct from those of the regular army, and there ought to be no exchanges permitted from the one to the other; and it might perhaps be thought advisable, that Colonial officers should receive a higher rate of pay or allowances, and they ought to be allowed--as the same system of promotion is supposed to exist in such corps as in the regulars--to join the latter in making a provision for their retirement from the service, upon the plan I have endeavoured to establish. But fixed rates of pensions for service in the Colonial corps should be established for the non-commissioned officers and privates, which ought invariably to be in proportion to good conduct, and to the period spent in those generally unhealthy climates. In these stations, and in the East particularly, I have observed that soldiers of regiments of the line, were very liable to be cast down, in consequence of the expectations they had formed of the pleasures they were led to look for, not being by any means realized; and being exposed to temptations which they could not resist, especially that of drinking, they were more likely to become slaves to it, and reckless, than in other parts of the world; it would therefore be a point requiring serious consideration, how far it might be prudent, when the composition of these Colonial corps is borne in mind; to dispense entirely with corporal punishment; it ought not, however, to be permitted to take place, but when called for by the strongest possible causes, and a special report of the circumstance, should invariably and immediately be made, by the officer commanding the corps, for the information of the Commander-in-Chief.

The establishments of Colonial corps ought to be fixed according to the service likely to be locally required of them; and where their officers obtained the rank of generals, they could, of course, be employed in any manner, or upon any service for which the Commander-in-chief might think fit to select them; but their knowledge of these countries would eminently qualify them for colonial commands, and thus this branch of the service would not only be rendered highly honourable, but it would also hold out many advantages to those who entered it. They ought, therefore, to be obliged to undergo before appointment, and afterwards before they get the rank of major, the examinations to which the officers of the regular army must submit.

I must now request attention to what I shall next bring before the reader--that is to say--as no one would hereafter, according to the plan proposed, be permitted to enter our regular army, who was not of a certain height, and of a sound constitution, I must strongly urge, that the old fashioned fancy of having grenadier and light infantry companies to regiments should be discontinued; for it takes away the best, or the picked men from the others, to gratify the vanity of two of the captains, at the expense of the feelings of the rest, and which also most seriously affects the general efficiency, and ruins the appearance of regiments: and how galling and discouraging it is to a corps, but especially to its commanding officer, to have these companies placed under the orders of probably a stranger; who may have sufficient influence or interest with a general commanding an expedition, so as to be able to induce him to form grenadier, or light infantry battalions, for a particular service, and which any regiment, or part of it, ought to be as well able to perform.

A battalion, or any body of troops, which is not perfect in the exercises and duties of light infantry as well as in the less rapid movements of the line, should be looked upon as unfit for modern warfare. All regiments of infantry ought therefore to be like the old 43d and 52d; and I must, at whatever risk, presume to say, that officers unable to make their corps, if not altogether, at least almost as efficient as these were when they came from the hands of Sir John Moore, ought to be considered incapable of commanding them. I have also no hesitation in adding, that during the late wars, these corps and the Rifles, far surpassed all others in many respects.

We all know that the celebrated Marshal Saxe, who was looked upon as a high military authority in olden times, is reported to have said, that the whole art of war was in the legs. This, to a certain extent, is true; but he then, of course, only spoke of the trade and not of the science. I have no doubt but that some of our ancients may be inclined to think they got on well enough without exerting much activity in their day; yet I must say, that officers unfit for rapid movements _on foot_ should be recommended to retire from the service, as their unfitness in this respect might render it indispensable that they should not be allowed to remain a burden upon it. And I would likewise take the liberty of suggesting, that all regimental officers, according to their rank, should be dressed and appointed alike; and all the soldiers of the ten companies alike.

If all our regular regiments were made light infantry, which they ought to be, it might no longer be considered advisable to encumber them with the large colours now in use. Once upon a time, a commanding officer of a light corps (not belonging to the famous light division), expecting next day to be engaged, actually came to the strange determination of burning those of his regiment; but when acting in line, I would propose (though some one else might think of something very superior), that there should be substituted as rallying points, and to which should be attached the same importance as to colours, two golden-lions, which might be ornamented by a scroll, upon which could be emblazoned, or inscribed, the actions in which the corps may have distinguished itself--these should be screwed on to light staffs; those for English regiments, being near their heads, adorned with Roses; those for Scotch, with Thistles; and those for Irish, with Shamrocks: these standards in the field should be consigned to the care of the two youngest lieutenants, and they should be made strictly responsible for them; for I once knew an ensign, who, in action, actually threw down one of the colours of a renowned regiment, and made off to the rear, without thinking more of it, from having been hit rather sharply by a spent ball. These are likely, I fear, to be thought too trifling matters for a work of this kind; but I hope the reader will excuse me for having introduced them; and also for adding, that in order to keep pace with improvements made by other nations in modern warfare, ought it not to be well considered whether our slowest movements, in what is termed ordinary time, would not be improved, if the soldier was required to take a greater number of steps, say 87, of only 30 inches in length in the minute; and if what is called quick time was made 126 paces of only 30 inches each per minute, which would make him pass over the same extent of ground in the same space of time as he does by the present plan. At least, I have no doubt, and I speak, as an old adjutant, and as an officer long practised in the movements of both small and large bodies of troops, that all manœuvres would be performed at these paces with much less chance of confusion, and with more ease to the soldier, especially in action, than according to the present mode.

It would lead me far beyond my present intentions if I were to enter extensively upon the subject of military evolutions; but I beg leave to say, that to simplify and render their execution easy, ought to become the primary object of all modern tacticians.

In manœuvring, especially large bodies of troops, rapid movements in columns at quarter distances ought to be much more attended to than they are.--Masses of such columns, or close columns, as practised by the Duke of Wellington at Paris or elsewhere, can be quickly and scientifically placed or prepared for advancing or retiring in any direction, or for deployment, by simply, when put in motion, marking time and bringing up the shoulder; and by this means gradually producing a change of position or of formation of the whole mass. Deployments can be made from such columns in quick or double-quick time, and with the greatest accuracy, by merely moving in threes or fours to the right or left. What an advantage an army thus instructed would have over one proceeding in the old heavy manner, in seizing hold of a position, or of a point, presenting evident advantages, and that too with perfect safety; for, in case of a sodden attack of cavalry, a quarter-distance column is in security in square in an instant. This column also possesses many advantages over the close column, not only in the superiority and rapidity of its movements, but likewise in its being much less liable to get into disorder in broken ground, or to suffer from cannon, which very soon, if well served, destroy a perfectly solid mass, especially if steady battalions of infantry are also firing into it, as was the case at Talavera, when our Guards in the afternoon made a gallant but injudiciously-directed charge; and when the 48th regiment, on the one hand, and the 45th on the other, taught the French, that breaking through an enemy's line in dense columns would not answer with a British army.--Echelons of these quarter-distance columns would, in many instances, be very superior to lines of battalions or brigades, as they could be moved with rapidity to the points of formation in a new line or position, and without any risk of getting into confusion; commanding officers of corps, their majors and adjutants having only carefully to attend to, judge, and preserve their respective distances; and even in common drill or manœuvres of a single battalion, this ought always to form an important part of the practice and instruction of these officers, who in regimental tactics are, in general, not sufficiently occupied, and consequently are too often found ignorant of their business when obliged to act in brigade, and with this object in view every movement should be performed as if in reference to a corps supposed to be upon either or both flanks, with which they ought to work in unison. Now I must beg the unmilitary reader to imagine a large body of troops thus manœuvring in columns at quarter-distances, or in open columns, or lines formed from them, covered by clouds of sharpshooters, supported by these columns or lines, cannon and cavalry, and he will have at once before him a chief feature in modern warfare, in which science and experience on the part of generals and staff officers must be so essential and indispensable.

In thus endeavouring to bring certain matters under consideration, and in doing so I fear I may exhaust the patience of the reader, I hope I may not give offence to some of those interested in their remaining as they are at present; but I must proceed in the task I have assigned myself, and observe, that I look upon it to be a point of importance that the present mode of furnishing clothing and accoutrements for regiments should be altered, and that upon a general being appointed colonel of a regiment, he should receive a fixed income as such; but all clothing and accoutrements of every description, ought, under proper regulations, to be supplied through the regimental agents, upon the responsibility of the colonels, but it should be so arranged that neither could have any interest in the articles being procured at a cheap rate. The granting, however, a fixed income to colonels need be no additional expense to the country; for what are the off-reckonings which go to colonels of regiments but an over-payment on the part of Government for clothing, &c. &c. Some colonels are very liberal to their corps, but many more cannot afford to be so; an alteration, whatever it may be, ought therefore to come under the notice of some board or other, so as to be kept, if possible, out of the hands of Mr. Joseph Hume and his liberal associates.

To all who saw much service during the late wars, it must have been obvious under what disadvantages, owing to the colours of their dress, our soldiers had often to contend with the French, but especially with the United States troops in skirmishing. The latter were certainly, from having much practice, good marksmen; and thickly wooded America was very favourable to their irregulars; for our brilliant scarlet coats, white belts, and bright belt and cap-plates, enabled the enemy to discover, whether in a wood, at the back of a hedge, or wherever they were posted, our unlucky soldiers, who were too apt to expose themselves, and many of them were in consequence laid low; whereas the French, or wary Yankees, almost entirely escaped; and that much owing to their being dressed in dark colours, which enabled them easily to conceal themselves. But officers who served in our Rifle brigade, and in that also experienced corps, of which I saw so much on many occasions, the 5th battalion of the 60th, could give the best information, and a correct opinion upon this head; and I feel certain that they would join with me in recommending that a change should be made in the dress of our army, so as to make it more suitable for modern warfare, in which light troops are so much employed. I must beg, at the same time, to say, that I often regretted that these fine regiments were not armed with superior muskets in place of rifles, for they are seldom to be preferred to muskets, and never but when loaded with great care, and this, in action, takes up too much time.

We every day hear of experiments and improvements in the construction of fire-arms; and the country can surely afford to supply our army with a superior musket, with a proper elevation, and a percussion lock. The present old fashioned firelock, with which nearly all our troops are still supplied, is very imperfect, and heavier than it ought to be. But would it not be well to consider, whether the new musket should not be considerably longer in the barrel and smaller in the bore; and that the bayonet should be much reduced in size; and I would also arm the soldiers, I have in view, with a sword, of the shape and size used by the ancient Romans; for we may depend upon it, that our brave, powerful men, would follow their officers, sword in hand, into the midst of their enemies. The musket could be then carried either in the left hand or slung upon the soldier's shoulder, and the bayonet could be fixed to it if preferred. It might be necessary to weigh well the consequences before we so armed our impetuous soldiers, for it would be certain to lead to a new era in war; and would expose troops so fighting, which must be in a degree of loose order, to be charged by cavalry; yet the Romans fought in that manner, and with great success, though equally liable to be so attacked. Every thing would, however, depend upon so high a state of discipline being established amongst the troops, as would enable officers to keep them in hand, and at all times obedient when commanded to resume their places; and our dragoons ought always to be at hand, ready to support infantry so acting. Such views as these are, I suppose, entertained by those officers who seem to be so anxious to have broad sword and bayonet exercises, introduced. I do not wish to enter farther into this discussion; yet I beg leave to say, that, though I am certain our soldiers would have closed with their enemies, yet, in all my practice, which was tolerably extensive, I never saw two bodies of troops fairly charge each other with the bayonet; for one side or other (and generally it was that attacked) gave way. I have certainly seen a few instances of individuals, French and British soldiers, actually attacking each other with the bayonet; and at the battle of Roliça, I remember seeing a soldier of the 29th regiment, and a fine-looking Frenchman, lying on the ground close together, who had, judging from the positions in which they lay, evidently killed each other with their bayonets; but such occurrences were, I believe, very rare.

The introduction of the percussion lock into the army will necessarily cause a change to be made in part of the musket exercise; but it will simplify the motions and expedite the firing. I, however, hope, that before any thing of this kind is decided upon, the following remarks may be allowed to have due consideration.

The pouch might be differently constructed, and advantageously converted into a magazine, to carry securely a certain quantity of powder in bulk, in an air tight tin canister, with a screw stopper, to insure its being, at all times, and in all situations, kept perfectly dry; and this is a very essential point, as many cartridges are destroyed or rendered unserviceable in the men's present pouches by rain, a damp atmosphere, and even continued friction; and this is too often only found out at the moment when they are required for service, and when there is, perhaps, no opportunity of exchanging them; and as this magazine ought at all times on service to be kept full of powder, the officer when inspecting his company or detachment, could easily ascertain if any of it had been made away with: indeed, the stopper might be safely sealed over, or otherwise secured; and thus the soldier could be made, without inconvenience, to carry such a supply of ammunition as to render it unnecessary that recourse should be so constantly had to that carried in reserve for the army. The pouch should also be made to contain, besides the powder, a sufficient supply of percussion caps, and a proportionate number of balls, to the quantity of powder in the canister; and every ball should be separately, thinly, yet sufficiently covered with a kind of stuff similar to soft leather, so as to make it fit tightly when rammed down into the barrel of the musket, and it would thus become a good wadding over the powder. For what is called blank cartridge firing, waddings of the common kind, and of the proper size, could be used.

The pouch thus contracted, would hold the soldier's reserve ammunition, which would amount to a much greater number of rounds than it contains according to the present plan. But to effect what I have in view, every soldier should be supplied with a good powder flask, with a proper measure to suit the musket, according to the most improved method, and similar to that which Mr. John Manton usually supplied along with his guns; having the measure forming an angle to one side, so as, in case of explosion, if such a thing could happen in loading, the right hand would not be much, if at all, hurt. This flask could be made to contain a sufficient quantity of powder, say for twenty rounds, at all times on service ready for use, and which, for the reason I have already assigned, ought, when the soldier is required to have ammunition in his possession, to be likewise kept full; and should it at any time be suspected that the powder in it had become damp, it could be easily aired by simply dipping the flask in boiling water.

I regret that I am obliged to be particular in my descriptions of such trifles; but this flask should, I conclude, be carried for convenience on the left side or breast, and secured from falling when the soldier is in movement, by a slight chain attached to the belt, to which the flask might also be steadily fixed by some simple contrivance; and to render this the more easily done, it ought to be rather flat in shape, and not larger than to contain the quantity of powder I have mentioned; and twenty rounds are quite as many as can be wanted at reviews or field days. In action, if these twenty rounds are expended, I need scarcely observe, that if no other reserve powder be at hand, the flask could be replenished instantly from the magazine; but under an apprehension that ammunition might be made away with, the quantity in bulk should be touched as seldom as possible, and if any of it be used, it ought to be immediately replaced. A small pocket might be made in the right side of the soldier's coat, which should be only sufficiently large to contain a number of covered balls in proportion to the quantity of powder in the flask; and a flap should button over this pocket to prevent the balls from falling out. Each soldier would likewise require to be equipped with one of those brass cases for holding percussion caps, which, by a spring inside, forces each cap out in succession as it is wanted. Those I use contain thirty caps. This case should also be attached to the belt, but upon the right side.

The buck shot, I before mentioned, can easily be made up so as to serve for wadding, in place of the covered ball; and a sentry upon his post, especially at night, in many situations, would have more confidence with his piece so loaded, than if he had only a single ball in it. A better method than that which I have ventured to propose, may very likely be pointed out; but whatever it may be, the admitting of the knapsack being carried somewhat lower and easier to the soldier, ought to be kept in view; and he should not be obliged, as at present, to take cartridges with so much inconvenience out of his pouch every time he loads his musket; and the new exercise introduced on account of the percussion lock, must of course be made to suit the alterations.

Should the soldier be supplied with a well-constructed musket with a percussion lock--and if he be required to use a muzzle stopper, a charge though a day or two in the barrel, will go off almost as well as if just loaded, and this too in any kind of weather. Our commanding officers when going into action, or rather on supposing that they were about to do so, in general made the soldiers prime and load too soon, for this, I may say, is the business of a moment; and how often after the regiments had loaded, have they never had an opportunity of firing a shot the whole day. At night probably the soldiers bivouacked, and it rained heavily, so that in the morning not a firelock, if it had been attempted, would have gone off. Darkness had prevented it from being done the night before, and when the charge had next morning to be drawn, it was found to be a very difficult job, when the ball was held tight by wet paper. And then the barrel required to be well washed out, which took more time than could be allowed for the purpose, and consequently it was badly done. I need, therefore, now scarcely observe, that the percussion lock, in a great measure, obviates, by a very little attention, such serious inconveniences and defects.

It may very likely be deemed great presumption for me to propose so many changes; yet, having spoken of an alteration in the uniform of the regiments, I shall now venture to mention what has been suggested to me as likely to be a great improvement; but I do not by any means pretend to say that nothing superior could be thought of or invented. But if people take the liberty of finding fault with fashions or systems, whether old or new, it is but fair that they should be required to point out remedies or improvements.

Suppose that the uniform of the regular infantry was nearly assimilated to that of our Rifle Brigade (with Her Majesty's Guards I don't venture to interfere). It is generally allowed, that the dress of both officers and men of these corps is soldier-like, handsome, and far better adapted for service than that now worn by the rest of our army. But I am most anxious that the soldier's coat should be made for comfort as well as for appearance; and I should, therefore, greatly prefer that it was made in the shape of what is usually termed a frock, but to have a stand up collar, and to come down nearly to the knee. Both coat and trousers could, at a very trifling additional expense, be made water-proof. But soldiers ought never again to be overloaded on service with blankets, and let the reader only imagine their being obliged, as was often the case, to carry them when wet. But to make up for the blanket, they should be furnished with a large sized water-proof cloth great coat; in these they could sleep sufficiently warm and secure from any damp that might rise from the ground, and which in campaigning is of such importance towards preservation of health. The country would also be saved expense if this plan were adopted, by not being obliged to provide and convey bulky blankets to the points where they were to be delivered out to the troops; and these water-proof great coats being of a very durable material, would last much longer than the old fashioned ones.

Many of the absurdities which once existed in the dress of our infantry officers and soldiers; such as the powdered heads and long pigtails, and white pipe-clayed tight buckskin breeches, and large jack-boots of the former; and the soaped hair with finely feathered sidelocks, as they were termed, and long highly polished leather queues, tight white cloth breeches, and long tight gaiters of the latter, have long been done away with; and why not go a step farther, and in the way hinted at, in order to secure to our infantry great and decided advantages. Many may remember the strange figures, which most of our soldiers cut in Paris after the battle of Waterloo, in their dirty red coats, and ugly shaped caps; the former much stained, and the latter become brown and disfigured by exposure to rain and weather; the consequence was, that our army made, I do not hesitate to say, the worst appearance of all those assembled in and around that capital.

I do not intend in this work to make many remarks upon our cavalry, but I must say, that I hope yet to see some of our lights made heavier, and mounted on powerful yet sufficiently active horses. I confess I am not one of those who admire what are called hussars, &c., because I know how to value our heavy cavalry, and am therefore induced to draw a comparison between the two; and I boldly assert, that no cavalry in the world can stand before our splendid heavy dragoons and their noble steeds. One regiment--and I am enabled to judge from what I saw of them upon several occasions--would with ease cut their way through all the Cossacks of the Don, or any such _Lights_, which are seldom of any other use but to follow up a beaten enemy; and, I must say, that it has often surprised me, how we could think of copying the inefficient cavalry of any nation. Sir Thomas Picton, but he was an infantry officer, was also no great admirer of our light cavalry, and some of them may, perhaps, remember an opinion he publicly expressed of their efficiency at Roncesvalles, when he, in his emphatic way, and, I must admit, not very politely, drew a comparison between them and the dragoons of the German Legion, who were not only excellent and experienced, but always effective. We were all greatly attached to the German dragoons, and for nothing more, than for their literally making companions, or playfellows, of their fine English horses, which they always thought of, with respect to care and food, before they did of themselves.

At the opening of one of the campaigns, a body of these German dragoons, so much and deservedly admired by Picton, which had been attached to the third division during most of the previous one, returned to us from their cantonments, when we were again close up to the enemy, and hourly expecting to be engaged; officers, non-commissioned officers, and soldiers, turned out in a body to welcome their old friends, who passed through the camp to where they were to be stationed for the night, amidst the cheering and congratulations of the fighting division--and Picton's division knew well who were good soldiers. In making these remarks, I by no means presume to say any thing against our light cavalry, but I must protest against a system of mounting brave men upon horses unable to carry them through their work on the day of trial, and in this respect foolishly aping foreigners, who would give the world for such horses as we possess; and who are doing all they can to improve their breeds in order to be able to meet us at a future period. The plan, however, which I have suggested for promotion in the army, would wonderfully change matters in our cavalry regiments, into which many officers would no longer go merely for the day, and for amusement, but into a profession to which they were to belong for life. But mentioning these German dragoons, reminds me of a welcome Sir Thomas Picton himself met with on his return to the 3d division in the South of France, after an absence occasioned by severe illness, and to which the following letters allude.

"_Valley of Bastau, August 27, 1813._

"Dear Sir,

"It has long been the wish of the officers of the three brigades, which we have had the honour to command under you in the 3d division, as also of the divisional staff, to have an opportunity of offering you an ostensible mark of their high respect, gratitude, and esteem, which we so sincerely feel in our hearts.

"Every objection seems now removed, in point of time and otherwise, when on the recurrence of severe illness, which has in four successive seasons assailed you; you at present only await a sufficient degree of convalescence, to admit of your trying change of climate, with but too little prospect, we lament to think, of your returning to your command in this country.

"Services such as yours, cannot but have been acknowledged before this, by the offering of one or more swords from your attached military brethren, or a grateful country. We therefore, for ourselves, and those who have desired us to represent them, request you will do us the honour to accept of a piece of plate with a short inscription, commemorative of the circumstance, and of the corps which composed the 3d division under your command in the Peninsula.

"With most sincere wishes for your early convalescence, followed by your confirmed good heath, on leaving a climate that has proved so unfriendly to you, we have the honour to subscribe ourselves,

"Dear Sir,

"Your ever faithful Servants,
(Signed,) "C. Colville,
Thomas Brisbane,
M. Power.

"_For the Staff of }
the Division_, } F. Stovin, A.A. G^r.

"_Lt.-Gen. Sir Tho. Picton, K.B.
&c. &c. &c._"

"_London, 18th Sept. 1813._

"My Dear General,

"In the extreme weak state to which I was reduced previous to my leaving the Peninsula, my feelings were too powerful for my spirits, and it was not possible for me adequately to answer the kind letter of the general officers commanding brigades in the 3d division, which you did me the honour of forwarding to me from the Valley of Bastau, on the 29th of August last.

"I cannot but highly value the testimony of gentlemen, to whose talents, zealous co-operation, and gallantry on every occasion, I feel myself indebted for the honours that have been conferred upon me, and for the degree of reputation to which I have risen in the service; and I shall receive any memento of their esteem and regard with corresponding sentiments and feelings of the heart.

"The period of my life to which I shall always recur with the greatest satisfaction, is that which was passed at the head of the 3d division, when I always experienced such a spirit of unanimity and heroism, as never once failed of success in any of the difficult enterprises we were employed upon. Though I may never again have the honour of commanding so distinguished a corps, I shall ever feel myself identified with the 3d division in all its operations, and shall take as strong an interest in its success as I ever did, whilst I had the honour of presiding at its head.

"Accept my many acknowledgments for your kind attention, and of my sincere and constant wishes for your success and prosperity on all occasions.

"Your devoted and faithful,
"Humble Servant,

(Signed,) "Thomas Picton, Lt.-Gen.

"_To the Hon. Major-General Colville,
Major-General Brisbane,
Major-General Power,
Lt.-Colonel Stovin, &c._"

The day upon which Sir Thomas Picton unexpectedly rejoined his division, the 45th regiment was lying down at the head of Sir Thomas Brisbane's brigade, which was concealed behind a height, ready for an intended attack. The enemy were posted at a bridge on the right bank of a brook, and occupying, advantageously, a few houses close to it. Our sentinels and theirs were within ten yards of each other, when to this corps delight, which had so long served under him, up rode their favourite chief: in an instant, and under strong and general impulse of feeling, which could not be suppressed, they to a man stood up, and gave him three hearty cheers, which were immediately responded to by the 74th and 88th regiments; thus discovering where they were to the French. "Well 45th, you have let the enemy hear you, you may now, if you please, let them feel you," was Picton's smiling reply; and at the same instant he ordered the attack, which I need scarcely say was completely successful.

I hope I may be excused for giving here another trifling anecdote. I remember well Colonel Guard, whose adjutant I was at the time, being most anxious that the 45th regiment, which he for some years commanded, should be made Light Infantry, and also to have had them styled, "The Sherwood Foresters." He, however, for what reason I know not, failed in the objects he had in view. Not long after, the 45th was brigaded in England for exercise with the 87th and 88th regiments. Colonel Guard had constantly, and much to his annoyance, and more particularly on account of his recent failure, heard these corps called to attention by their appropriate local designations, in place of their numbers; but one day he could stand it no longer, and when Colonels Butler and Duff loudly and proudly exclaimed, "Prince's Irish," and "Connaught Rangers,"--he in a very shrill voice, called out at the same instant, "Nottingham Hosiers," attention. His brother chiefs, who seemingly had not heard, or understood what he had said, looked all astonishment, when the whole brigade burst into an irrepressible, and unmilitary fit of laughter. I fear that in this instance, like old soldiers in general, I have been led away by the love of telling my story, and must therefore apologize for the liberty I have taken with the reader; yet, if I am not mistaken, I think I have shown, that a particular designation, however acquired, is considered by many, as of more importance to a corps, than a mere number; I therefore look forward to the day, if my views are adopted, when a district will have just cause to be proud of its regiment; and to a regiment never hearing it named but with a feeling of revived affection, and a determination, that their home shall never be disgraced by any act of theirs.

CHAP. IV.

Other causes besides those arising from the description of men generally enlisted into our army, tended greatly to keep soldiers what they were--that is to say, difficult to manage, and always ready to avail themselves of any opportunity of getting away from under the eyes of their officers, with the view of indulging in irregularities whenever it was possible to do so; as, I trust, I shall be able hereafter to point out. I cannot, however, undertake to say, what may be the custom in the present day; but a soldier, in former times, could not commit a greater offence than to presume to think or act for himself; and I remain still in doubt, when, or at what rank, an officer was supposed to be capable or had a right to think. And as for education, too many entertained the strange notion, that beyond reading and writing, which were allowed to be useful to non-commissioned officers, the less soldiers knew of such matters the better. After this need it have surprised any one, that intelligence of any kind was but rarely to be met with in the ranks of a British army; and that it was constantly found in those of the French, into which the conscription necessarily introduced it; and when evinced, it was sure to meet a due reward.

I remember, years ago, being visited by a brother-adjutant. As he entered my barrack-room, a young soldier placed a book upon the table and retired; which my visitor, a few minutes after, took up, and being surprised at what it indicated as its contents, he asked me, in seeming astonishment, what a private soldier could have to say to such a work? I replied carelessly, that the soldier who had just left the room, was a young man of considerable ability and great promise; and that I wished him to read useful books; so as to be fit, at a future period, for any station he might attain. He looked at me again, and seemed by no means satisfied by what I had said, nor with the book, and thus in a very friendly way addressed me:--"You are a very young man, the youngest I ever saw made an adjutant--I have myself risen from the ranks, and have consequently had much experience amongst soldiers; and know them well. You may therefore take my word for it, that books containing such information, only tend to make soldiers question the wisdom of their officers; and to fit them for being ringleaders in any discontent, or even mutinous conduct in their companies: and it also causes them to be disliked by the non-commissioned officers who have to teach them their duties, and especially the drill-serjeants, who are always jealous of those who are likely to become rivals." This certainly surprised me as coming from my visitor, but he had been for many years an adjutant, and it has often been remarked, that no officers are so severe, or have so little consideration for the feelings of soldiers as those who have risen from the ranks. With this as a kind of text, and also requesting that the reader will bear in mind what was shown at the commencement of this work, by excellent authorities, to be the character of our soldiers in general, I shall now proceed with my remarks, some of which may probably be thought trifling.

The French plan of carrying the knapsack, though not so smart looking, is in the opinion of many, superior to that adopted in our army; as it has much more the ease and comfort of the soldier upon a march in view. Our present mode, which binds the soldier so tightly within the slings and straps of the knapsack, as almost to prevent the free circulation of the blood, is certainly far from judicious, but we have been long accustomed to it, and like it on account of appearance. But in olden times, we had many ways of trying the tempers and dispositions of our soldiers; such as making them, though kept at drill, or at exercise in the field the greater part of the day, to burnish the barrels of their firelocks, to their serious injury, till they were made to shine like silver, and to polish their pouches, and oddly shaped caps, so as to render looking-glasses quite unnecessary. How often have I, when a zealous and enthusiastic adjutant, cracked a pouch with the head of my cane, when it was not bright enough to please my practised eye, with the kind intention of affording the owner a pleasant week's occupation to get it again into order. And how often have I, on my well-practised horse, placed camp colours as points of movement, till the whole "Eighteen Manœuvres" were gone through; many of them, if the commanding officer was dissatisfied, with the regiment's day's performance, two or three times over; having previously had the delight of marching past repeatedly, in quick and slow time, to please the spectators, or because the soldiers did not make the ground sufficiently resound by the firmness of their steps; thus altogether agreeably occupying from five to six hours of the officers and soldiers time, with the prospect before them of a long evening parade, or inspection, because they had not been so steady under arms as they ought to have been during the morning's occupations.

I sincerely hope we shall never again hear of such things being practised in a British army; and no commanding officer should be allowed to keep his regiment longer than an hour and a half, or two hours at a time under arms, which will be found quite sufficient, if well occupied, for every useful purpose of instruction; especially as at almost every parade, a battalion ought to be made to perform a movement or two before it is dismissed. I however look upon it to be of the first importance, that a soldier should be accustomed to consider his knapsack and accoutrements, I may say, as parts of himself, and that he should be so habituated to them, that whether marching or not, he could perceive little or no difference; and to effect this, he should never appear under arms without his knapsack; but I hope, if this plan be enforced, as it ought to be, to hear of an improvement being made in the mode of carrying them.

Our soldiers were greatly overloaded, especially on service, when they had to carry, besides their arms, accoutrements and ammunition, their canteens, haversacks, and well-filled knapsacks, their great coats, and often wet and consequently very heavy blankets, and sometimes in addition two or three days bread, and generally ten extra rounds of ball cartridges. Overloading soldiers in this manner was down right madness, especially if we had considered the description of men we too often had to deal with; and this will never answer in the more rapid modes of carrying on war, to which we must hereafter look forward.

I saw it not along ago announced in a daily paper, that the recruiting of the army had been very successful, 13,000 men having been raised for the line, and had joined their corps in the course of 1838. Of that number, more than 4000 were passed in the London district, and this was exclusive of men raised for the East India Company's service. By this it would appear, that London alone furnishes about a third of the men raised to fill up casualties in Her Majesty's regiments.

It is very likely that the editor of the paper, who seemed so pleased at being able to afford us this intelligence, is a zealous advocate for doing away with flogging in the army; but if such be the description of men of which it is chiefly composed, any person of common sense must see that it is impossible to do so, for what are these men in general but the vitiated and debilitated part of our population.

I have no doubt but it is very desirable that the country should get rid of such subjects, who are mostly unfit for any military purpose whatever; but why, at a great expense, burden the army with them? Would it not be much better to allow the worthy Yankees to have many of them at once, as emigrants or soldiers; and if sufficient authority were given to our Police Magistrates, they could very soon, by only threatening such fellows, with what a certain Colonel once upon a time practised in Ireland with so much success, make volunteers in plenty, and thus save our sympathizing friends the trouble and expence of enticing them to desert from their corps in the Canadas. I am well acquainted with their proceedings in this way, and can therefore speak from experience, having been for some time employed upon the staff of the army stationed in that part of the world. I certainly had at that time no trifling task assigned me to make arrangements, so as to have a good look-out kept all along the extensive frontier of the lower Province, to prevent desertions, to which our soldiers were much addicted, and encouraged by promises of both money and land, but which were seldom intended to be fulfilled; indeed, most of those who got off had nothing else left for it, in order to keep themselves from starving, but to become once more soldiers, and to fight against their old comrades.

It was supposed by some officers, that shooting a number of them (I saw six shot in one day at Chambly), who were caught in attempting to cross the boundary line, would have put a stop to this disgrace to our army, but it had no effect whatever; indeed nothing we could devise produced any change in this respect, until it was made the duty of commanding officers to give me immediate information whenever a man was missed from his corps. Small detachments of dragoons were posted at certain points to convey to me at St. Johns the necessary intelligence. Upon receiving it, the out-posts were instantly informed of the circumstance. At the same time parties of Indian warriors were sent out in all directions in search of him, and a reward was held out to them for bringing him in. These arrangements being made known to the several corps, and the deceptions of our kind neighbours being pointed out to them, a complete stop was thus put for the time to desertions. But are men who would so readily desert, those Great Britain should have in her armies? I ought here however to mention, to the honour of my old friends, the 88th, or Connaught Rangers, that they were exempted, by Sir Thomas Brisbane, from witnessing executions for this crime, as not a man of that corps had deserted to the United States.

In order to show what little effect executing men for desertion had upon others, I shall take the liberty of mentioning what took place upon one occasion at St. Johns. My General being absent at Montreal, as Brigade-Major attached to the troops, most of the melancholy duty of superintending such executions fell to my share. A private of De Meuron's regiment was at this time to be shot. The troops were formed in three sides of a square, at the other side towards the forest the grave was dug, and the coffin for the criminal to kneel upon, was placed, as usual upon such occasions, beside it. The Provost, with the firing party escorting the prisoner, and with the band of the regiment at their head playing the Dead march, entered the square--when, to my surprise, there proudly marched the prisoner--coolly smoking a cigar. Seeing at once the bad effects likely to result from such evident contempt of death, painful as it was to me, I called the Provost, and ordered him to take away the cigar from him. On approaching the grave, the prisoner walked quietly, but steadily forward, looked into it, and turning round to me, said, in French, "it will do." But still more to my surprise, yet with equal calmness, he walked up to his coffin, and before I was aware of what he was about, with his middle finger and thumb he measured its length, and turning round again to me, he said, in French, which his corps generally spoke, "it will do also." This was so far beyond any thing I had ever before witnessed, that I found it necessary to direct the Provost to proceed with the execution as quickly as possible; he therefore went up to the prisoner with a handkerchief, and, as is customary, offered to bind up his eyes. He however, pushed the Provost aside, exclaiming, in French, "I am a brave soldier, and have often looked death in the face, and shall not shrink from it now." The Provost then desired him, or rather made signs to him, to kneel upon his coffin, but he replied, "I prefer standing, and shall do so firmly." "Vive L'Empereur, vive Napoleon," were his last words. The party fired, and in an instant he ceased to exist.

He was a Frenchman, and had been a prisoner of war for a considerable time in England, but had been very improperly allowed to enlist into De Meuron's regiment; which he had, no doubt, entered with the intention of deserting the first opportunity which should present itself.

I have yet to mention our North American possessions; but it would appear, that it is now in contemplation, to employ corps of veterans upon the Canadian and our other North American frontiers. It is, however, evident that whoever can have suggested such a scheme, must have altogether overlooked, or be ignorant of the rigorous nature of a Canadian winter, and must likewise have forgotten, that almost all our veterans have spent a great portion of their lives in tropical climates, which cannot be supposed to have prepared their constitutions to bear up against such cold as is quite unknown in any part of Great Britain, as indicated by registers of the thermometer kept during a residence there; where it ranges from zero to 10, 20 and even 35 degrees below it; and should a strong wind prevail along with such cold, any one exposed to it is very likely to be frost-bitten. It may also be supposed, that the proposers of such a plan, are not aware of its being often necessary during winter in Canada, to have sentries relieved, or at least visited every half hour; for if they be unfortunately overcome by the severity of the cold, and in consequence fall asleep, it is certain death. Are worn-out men, many of them already martyrs to rheumatism, or must soon become so, fit for service in such a country, and to which they may be sent from their homes, probably reckoned upon as permanent, contrary perhaps to their wishes, and very likely only to suit the economical notions of penny-wise theorist and grumblers, who grudge old soldiers and sailors, even the pittance their services entitle them to, whilst they would handsomely reward the author of a mischievous pamphlet? But are these poor veterans, I again ask, fit to guard such an extensive frontier, constantly menaced by hardy and restless men, inured to a North American climate?

I have no doubt but that prejudiced men, and such as are always ready to cavil at any change proposed, be it good or bad, will at first be inclined to look upon what I have suggested for keeping up our army, as not only a wild and visionary, but also as an impracticable scheme; yet all I request is a full and fair consideration of what I have said and brought forward; and it ought now, I think, to be obvious, that our regiments must be composed of a superior description of men, if the country is to be served as it ought to be in our future wars, as will, I trust, more fully appear as I proceed.

I shall now beg to remind officers, in general, of the numbers of soldiers who arrived in Portugal and Spain, who went into hospitals before we had many weeks carried on military operations in those countries, many of whom, as might have been expected from their early debilitating habits, never rejoined their regiments; and throughout the war when fresh battalions arrived from England, nearly the same thing invariably occurred, and with detachments of recruits for corps already in the field, it was still worse, so much so, that we could never calculate upon one-third of the new comers remaining fit for duty with their regiments, even for a short time after their first arrival; some of them, however, as they became more habituated to campaigning, turned out to be good soldiers. Now many of these were men who had been probably raised, according to our present system of recruiting, in London, or in our manufacturing districts, and thus the country was put to an enormous but useless expense.