Chapter I: Front Matter

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A BRITISH RIFLE MAN

The Journals and Correspondence of Major George Simmons, Rifle Brigade, During the Peninsular War and the Campaign of Waterloo

Edited, with Introduction, by Lieut.-Colonel Willoughby Verner Late Rifle Brigade Author of 'Sketches in the Soudan,' etc.

With Three Maps

London A. & C. Black, Soho Square 1899

All rights reserved

To

GENERAL HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT AND STRATHEARN,

COLONEL-IN-CHIEF OF THE RIFLE BRIGADE,
FORMERLY (1803-1816) STYLED THE 95TH RIFLES AND
(1800-1802) THE RIFLE CORPS,

THIS VOLUME
IN WHICH A BRITISH RIFLE MAN RECOUNTS HIS PERSONAL
KNOWLEDGE OF MANY OF THE DEEDS THAT HAVE
MADE THE NAME OF THE REGIMENT
SO FAMOUS
IS (BY PERMISSION) DEDICATED
BY HIS MOST HUMBLE AND OBEDIENT SERVANT

WILLOUGHBY VERNER,

LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, LATE OF THE RIFLE BRIGADE.

SKETCH MAPS

Illustrating the operations on the Coa and Agueda _Facing page_ 198

Illustrating movements during the Campaigns of 1809-12 " " 272

Illustrating movements during the Campaigns of 1813-14 " " 350

CONTENTS

Introduction Page xi

Commencement of the Peninsular War. Campaign of 1808 1

Campaign of 1809 2

CHAPTER I

Letter No. I., To his Parents, from Hythe and Dover, dated 21st May 1809—Journal, May-July 1809—Letter No. II., To his Parents, from Castello Branco, dated 18th July 1809 4

CHAPTER II

Journal, July-December 1809—Letter No. III., To his Parents, from Campo Mayor, dated September 1809—Letter No. IV., To his Parents, from Campo Mayor, dated 29th October 1809—Journal, December 1809 19

Campaign of 1810 43

CHAPTER III

Journal, 1st January-27th February 1810—Letter No. V., To his Parents, from Villar Torpin, dated 28th February 1810—Journal, 4th March-30th April 1810—Letter No. VI., To his Father, from Villar de Ciérvos, dated 30th April 1810 44

CHAPTER IV

Journal, 7th May-8th August 1810—Letter No. VII., To his Parents, from Lisbon, dated 10th August 1810 66

CHAPTER V

Journal, August-September 1810—Letter No. VIII., To his Parents, from Pedroso, Lisbon, dated 30th September 1810—Journal, October-December 1810—Letter No. IX., To his Parents, from Lisbon, dated 16th December 1810 98

Campaign of 1811 127

CHAPTER VI

Letter No. X., To his Parents, from Lisbon, dated 11th January 1811—Journal, January-25th March 1811—Letter No. XI., To his Parents, from Mello, dated 26th March 1811 129

CHAPTER VII

Journal, 26th March-26th May 1811—Letter No. XII., To his Parents, from Espeja, dated 18th May 1811 158

CHAPTER VIII

Journal, 26th May-21st August 1811—Letter No. XIII., To his Parents, from Martiago, dated 26th August 1811—Journal, 29th August-30th September 1811—Letter No. XIV., To Lieutenant Maud Simmons, 34th Regiment, 2nd Division, Portugal, from Aldea Velha, Portugal, dated 1st October 1811—Journal, 1st October-20th December 1811—Letter No. XV., To his Parents, from Atalaya, Spain, dated 8th December 1811 185

Campaign of 1812 213

CHAPTER IX

Journal, 4th January-30th July 1812 216

CHAPTER X

Journal, 1st-31st August 1812—Letter No. XVI., To his Parents, from Madrid, dated 8th September 1812—Journal, 1st September-31st December 1812—Letter No. XVII., To his Parents, from Alameda, Spain, dated 12th December 1812—Letter No. XVIII., To his Father, from Alameda, Spain, dated 29th December 1812 245

Campaign of 1813 273

CHAPTER XI

Letter No. XIX., To his Father, from Alameda, dated 30th April 1813—Letter No. XX., From Lieutenant Joseph Simmons to his Parents, from Alameda, dated 5th May 1813 (Postscript by George Simmons)—Journal, 1st May-30th August 1813 275

CHAPTER XII

Letter No. XXI., To his Parents, from Vera, Pyrenees, dated 30th August 1813—Postscript, dated 4th September 1813—Journal, 31st August-31st December 1813—Letter No. XXII., To his Parents, from St. Jean-de-Luz, France, dated 7th December 1813, and Postscript 302

Campaign of 1814 331

CHAPTER XIII

Journal, 12th January-21st March 1814—Battle of Orthez—The Action of Tarbes—Letter No. XXIII., To his Parents, from Tarbes, France, dated 27th March 1814 (finished by Maud Simmons)—Journal, 13th April-23rd July 1814 333

Campaign of 1815 354

CHAPTER XIV

Journal, 25th April-June 1815—Letter No. XXIV., To his Parents, from Brussels, dated 19th May 1815—Journal, 15th-18th June 1815—Letter No. XXV., To his Parents, from Brussels, undated, but bearing a postmark of 1st July 1815—Letter No. XXVI., To his Parents, from Brussels, dated 21st July 1815—Letter No. XXVII., To his Parents, from Brussels, dated 18th September 1815 355

Conclusion 378

Appendix I., Letter from General Sir Harry Smith, 1846, after Aliwal 381

Appendix II., Medical Certificates 384