Chapter I: Introduction

THE following pages have been selected from the autobiography of my grandfather, the late Colonel Joseph Anderson, who was born in Sutherlandshire, Scotland, on June 1, 1790, and died on July 18, 1877. It should be stated that this narrative was written only for his own family. He had never kept a diary—nor even any notes of his adventures and travels—and only began to write his reminiscences of the long-past years when he was seventy-four, in the quiet of his beautiful home near Melbourne, Australia. His memory was perfectly amazing; but if any slight inaccuracies should be discovered, the reader is asked to excuse them, on account of his age. He was a “grand old man” in every sense, and lived in excellent health of mind and body until his eighty-eighth year. To the very last he was always keenly interested in military matters, and never failed to attend, in uniform, all the important volunteer reviews held in Melbourne, where his upright, soldierly figure attracted universal admiration. His son, the late Colonel Acland Anderson, C.M.G., was for many years the Colonel-Commandant of the Military Forces of H.M. Government in Victoria, which appointment he held till his death in January, 1882. He was the founder of the Volunteer Organization, as in 1855 he raised a Rifle Corps in Melbourne, which was not only the first in Victoria but probably the first in Australia.

ACLAND ANDERSON,
_Captain, late 3rd Dragoon Guards_.

SEPTEMBER, 1913.

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CONTENTS

CHAPTER I

EARLY EXPERIENCES

Born in Scotland—At fifteen years old appointed to the 78th
Regiment—First visit to London—Join regiment at Shorncliffe—Embark
for Gibraltar—Put under arrest—Lieutenant James Mackay

CHAPTER II

THE CAMPAIGN OF MAIDA

Expedition to Calabria—In General Acland’s brigade—Battle of
Maida—Sergeant McCrae and the wounded Frenchman—Reggio—Capture of
Catrone—Taormina—Syracuse

CHAPTER III

IN EGYPT

Expedition to Egypt—We take possession of Alexandria—Entrapped by
the enemy at Rosetta—A trying retreat

CHAPTER IV

THE EL-HAMET DISASTER

Colonel McLeod’s death and losses of his detachment—Captain Mackay
honoured by Turkish Pasha—Return to Sicily—78th goes to
England—Attack of ophthalmia

CHAPTER V

THE BATTLE OF TALAVERA

Gazetted to lieutenancy in 24th Regiment—Embarked for
Portugal—Battle of Talavera—Wounded—Soldiers seize Spanish pigs

CHAPTER VI

THE BATTLE OF BUSACO

Army kindly received in Portugal—Much fighting with French army
under Massena—Lord Wellington’s retreat on the Lines of Torres
Vedras—Battle of Busaco

CHAPTER VII

THE LINES OF TORRES VEDRAS

Continued fighting—General Beresford knighted—English and French
officers spend evenings together at theatres, etc., with consent of
their commanders—Massena retires to Santarem

CHAPTER VIII

THE LOST REGIMENTAL BOOKS

Story of the lost regimental books and the honesty of the soldiers

CHAPTER IX

THE BATTLE OF FUENTES D’ONORO

Much fighting—We drive the enemy across the Mondego at Coimbra—Battle of Fuentes d’Onoro—I go into the French lines to take away the body of a friend

CHAPTER X

IN SCOTLAND

On sick-leave in England—In Scotland—Journey of seventy miles in
twenty-four hours on foot after a ball—Appointed to assist at
brigade office, 1813—Appointed captain and brigade-major in the York
Chasseurs

CHAPTER XI

VOYAGE TO BARBADOS

Portsmouth—Guernsey—Sail for Barbados—Honest Henry—Frightful
storm—Adventure at Funchal

CHAPTER XII

ST. VINCENT AND GUADELOUPE

Life in Barbados—I am appointed acting-paymaster—President of a
court-martial—Deputy judge-advocate—At St. Vincent—Expedition to
Guadeloupe—Appointed deputy-assistant quartermaster-general and sent
to Guadeloupe

CHAPTER XIII

DOMINICA

Sent to Dominica—A fatal foot-race—I give up appointment and rejoin
my regiment at St. Vincent—An awful voyage

CHAPTER XIV

AN AMUSING DUEL

Jamaica—Return to England—York Chasseurs disbanded—Trip to France—An
amusing duel

CHAPTER XV

CHASED BY A PIRATE

Appointed captain in the 50th Regiment—Embark for Jamaica—A terrible
storm and a drunken captain—Return to port—Sail again with another
captain—Ship chased by a pirate—Jamaica once more

CHAPTER XVI

LIFE IN JAMAICA

Appointed deputy judge-advocate—Sir John Keane—An interesting
court-martial—Sent with a small detachment to Port Maria—Awful
outbreak of yellow fever

CHAPTER XVII

HOME AGAIN AND MARRIED

Invalided to England—Ship injured on coral rock—Dangerous
voyage—Married on 25th November, 1826—Portsmouth—The Duke of
Clarence—Ireland—Complimented by Sir Hussey Vivian on execution of
difficult manœuvres.

CHAPTER XVIII

TO NEW SOUTH WALES

Dr. Doyle’s sermon—Ordered to New South Wales—Sail for Sydney with
three hundred convicts—Mutiny at Norfolk Island—Appointed
colonel-commandant there

CHAPTER XIX

NORFOLK ISLAND

Life at Norfolk Island—Trial of the mutineers—A fresh
conspiracy—Execution of thirteen mutineers

CHAPTER XX

SUNDAY SERVICES AT NORFOLK ISLAND in 4 I appoint two convicts (who had been educated for the Church) to officiate—Find about a hundred ex-soldiers among the convicts—Separate them from the others, with great success

CHAPTER XXI

LIFE AT NORFOLK ISLAND in 4 Solitary case of misconduct among the soldier gang—I get many pardoned and many sentences shortened—Theatricals and other amusements—Visit from my brother—Mr. MacLeod

CHAPTER XXII

MANGALORE CATTLE STATION

Wreck of the _Friendship_—I am attacked by Captain Harrison and
MacLeod—I receive the Royal Guelphic Order of Knighthood—Secure the
sheep and cattle station of “Mangalore” in Port Phillip with my
brother—Leave Norfolk Island—Visit to Mangalore

CHAPTER XXIII

ON MY DEFENCE

Court of inquiry as to my management of Norfolk Island—Major Bunbury
reprimanded by Commander-in-Chief at the Horse Guards for his
unfounded charges

CHAPTER XXIV

ORDERED TO CALCUTTA

50th Regiment ordered to India—Sudden death of one of my boys—Voyage
to India—First experiences of Calcutta

CHAPTER XXV

LIFE AT CALCUTTA

Magnificent entertainments at Calcutta—Dost Mahomet—Wreck of the
_Ferguson_—Preparations for Burmese campaign—Special favour shown to
soldiers of the 50th Regiment

CHAPTER XXVI

AT MOULMEIN

Great welcome to Moulmein—No fighting after all—The Madras native
regiments

CHAPTER XXVII

VOYAGE UP THE GANGES

Return to Calcutta—Much illness in regiment—Boat journey of three
months to Cawnpore—Incidents of the voyage—Death of Daniel Shean

CHAPTER XXVIII

IN COMMAND AT CAWNPORE

Life at Cawnpore—Quarrel between Mowatt and Burke—Court-martial

CHAPTER XXIX

THE GWALIOR CAMPAIGN

Expedition to Gwalior—In command of the regiment—Brigadier Black—His
accident—I am appointed to the command of the brigade—Battle of
Punniar—In General Gray’s absence I order a charge on the enemy’s
guns—Severely wounded

CHAPTER XXX

WOUNDED AND MADE MUCH OF

“My brigade had carried all before it”—Painful return to
camp—General Gray’s dispatch

CHAPTER XXXI

RETURN TO CAWNPORE

Slow recovery from my wound—Painful journey by palanquin to
Cawnpore—Am created a C.B.—Other honours and promotions

CHAPTER XXXII

ON LEAVE FOR TWO YEARS

Riding accident at Cawnpore—Foot seriously injured—Get two years’
leave of absence—Voyage to Cape Town—On to Australia—A strange cabin

CHAPTER XXXIII

AUSTRALIA ONCE MORE

Sydney once more—Visit Mangalore—Select land for house near
Melbourne—My War Medal

CHAPTER XXXIV

SECOND VOYAGE TO CALCUTTA

Sail for India—Dangers of Torres Straits—Copang—Arrival at
Calcutta—My son appointed to the 50th Regiment

CHAPTER XXXV

TO CAWNPORE AND BACK

Violent gale at Loodhiana—Two hundred men, women, and children
buried—By river steamer to Allahabad—Rejoin the regiment at
Cawnpore—Return voyage down the Ganges

CHAPTER XXXVI

INDIA TO CAPE TOWN

The guns captured in the Sutlej campaign—Lord Hardinge’s compliments
to the regiment—I secure compensation for the regiment’s losses at
Loodhiana—Voyage to Cape Town

CHAPTER XXXVII

RETURN TO ENGLAND

Return to England—Continued in command of the regiment