Chapter I: Front Matter

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TWENTY-FIVE YEARS
IN
THE RIFLE BRIGADE.

BY THE LATE
WILLIAM SURTEES,
QUARTERMASTER.

WILLIAM BLACKWOOD, EDINBURGH; AND
T. CADELL, STRAND, LONDON.

MDCCCXXXIII.

EDINBURGH:
PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY, PAUL'S WORK, CANONGATE.

TO
MAJOR-GEN. SIR ANDREW F. BARNARD,
K.C.B. and K.C.H.
AND THE OFFICERS OF THE RIFLE BRIGADE,
THESE REMAINS OF MY DECEASED BROTHER
ARE MOST RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,
BY THEIR OBLIGED AND MOST
OBEDIENT SERVANT,
JOHN SURTEES.

PREFATORY NOTICE.

The Author of the following Narrative entered the Army in early life. He commenced his military career in 1795, as a private soldier in the Northumberland Militia; and in the following year he volunteered into the Pompadours. In this regiment he first faced the enemy, during the expedition to Holland under the Duke of York. On getting his discharge from the Pompadours, in 1802, he again entered the service as a private in the Rifle Brigade, to which he was attached for a period of twenty-five years. From his steady conduct, and ardent love for his profession, he was soon advanced from the ranks, and, after various intermediate steps, was appointed Quartermaster; a situation which he held as long as he continued in the corps, enjoying the respect and esteem of his brother officers of all ranks, as is amply testified by the letters which form the Appendix to this volume.

Though, as Quartermaster, the Author was not called by duty to join in battle, yet he lost no opportunity of entering the scene of action, or of placing himself in a favourable situation for observing what was passing. It is unnecessary to enumerate the arduous services of the Rifle Brigade from 1802 to 1815. During the whole of that period the Author was actively engaged with his corps.

The Narrative is faithfully--indeed literally--printed from the Author's MS. as he left it at his death. The critical reader may therefore detect various inaccuracies which, had life been spared to the Author, would probably have been corrected; but he will find much to approve, and, hackneyed as Narratives of the Peninsular War have become, he will also find much that is new. There is no embellishment in the style of the Author's composition, but there is a quiet Defoe-like sincerity and simplicity characteristic of his pages, and a strain of unaffected piety, that is very pleasing; and the scenes and descriptions which he gives, though sometimes singularly chosen, and reported quite with a manner of his own, are on the whole portrayed with strong graphic effect. One word, however, before closing,--our Author is never vulgar.

A severe pulmonary affection compelled him to quit his corps in 1826. He retired to Corbridge, his native village, where he arrived on the 24th of October in that year, and continued there, respected and beloved, and constantly engaged in acts of benevolence, till the period of his death, 28th May, 1830.

_November 23, 1832._

CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.
PAGE.

Birth and Parentage--Enters the Militia--Volunteers into the
Line--Joins the army destined for Holland--The troops embark at
Deal--Land at the Helder--Laxity of discipline--March for
Schagen--Detachment under Sir Ralph Abercromby sent to surprise
Hoorne--Hoorne surrenders, 1

CHAPTER II.

The Russian Allies carry Bergen--Allow themselves to be
surprised, and the whole army forced to retire to their former
position--Skirmishing in the vicinity of Old Patten--The
Russians endeavour to force their way back to Bergen--The
Russian and British forces joined--The enemy forced to abandon
Egmont-op-Zee--Alkmaar surrenders--The troops advance to Egmont
Binnen--Skirmishing--General engagement--The Enemy
repulsed--The Forces retire to Zaand Wyck--Armistice
concluded--Return to England, 13

CHAPTER III.

Arrive in England--The Pompadours embark for Ireland--Arrive at
Kinsale--Privations in Ireland in 1800--Peace concluded--Our
Author resolves to return home, but ultimately volunteers into
the Rifle Corps or 95th--Embarks for England, and joins his
Regiment at Sussex--Is promoted, 35

CHAPTER IV.

Made Pay-sergeant--Moral Reflections--Wreck of a Dutch East
Indiaman--Reduced Officers--War with France in 1803--Encampment
at Thorncliffe under the command of General Sir John
Moore--Encampment broke up, November 1804--Embark for Germany,
October 1805--Vicissitudes at Sea--Land at Cuxhaven--March to
Bremen--Outposts established--Retrograde movements, in
consequence of the defeat of the Allied Forces at
Austerlitz--The Allied Forces evacuate Germany--Re-embarkation
of the troops--The Rifle Corps, or 95th, land at Yarmouth, 45

CHAPTER IV.*

Our Author made Quartermaster-Sergeant of the 2d battalion,
which he joins at Feversham, Kent--Expedition to
Denmark--Embark at Deal--Land at Vedbeck, Zealand--Partial
Engagements--Siege of Copenhagen--A division under Sir Arthur
Wellesley advance to Kioge--Copenhagen capitulates--Amnesty
between the Danish forces in the Island of Zealand, and the
British--The British evacuate Denmark--Embark at
Copenhagen--Arrive in the Downs--Land at Deal, 59

CHAPTER V.

Our Author marries--The Battalion to which he belongs ordered
to join the Expedition fitting out for Corunna--Movements of
the Army in Spain--Return to England, 73

CHAPTER VI.

Volunteering--Farther Promotion--Embarks for Portugal, with two
Companies of the Second Battalion--Debark at Cadiz--Advance to
the Isla--The French occupy all the adjacent Towns, except
Cadiz and Isla--Cannonading--Spanish Army--Detachment of the
Allied Army sent round by Gibraltar and Chiclana, to take the
Enemy in the rear of his works, and compel him either to fight
or abandon them--Come up with a portion of the Enemy in the
vicinity of Veger--Bravery of the British--The Enemy repulsed
with great loss, but, from the apathy and misconduct of General
La Pena, and the Spaniards under his command, the French are
allowed to retain their Works in the vicinity of Cadiz, 99

CHAPTER VII.

The 2d Battalion of the Pompadours ordered to proceed to
Portugal--Our Author visits England--Returns to Portugal, and
joins his Regiment at Rodrigo--The Army move towards
Badajos--Siege of Badajos--Badajos surrenders--Insubordination
among the Troops--Quelled by the prompt measures of Lord
Wellington, 128

CHAPTER VIII.

The Army leave Badajos on the 11th of April, and move into
quarters near the river Agueda, where they remain, till the
11th of June--Advance towards Salamanca, which, with the
exception of three Forts, the enemy had evacuated--The Forts
invested--The main bodies of both armies bivouack within a mile
and a half of each other, in the vicinity of Monte Rubio and
Morisco--The Forts of Salamanca surrender--The main body of the
Enemy retire to Tordesillas--Movements of the Army, 153

CHAPTER IX.

Preparations for the Field--Amusements in winter
quarters--Grand Review--Advance of the Army in pursuit of the
Enemy--Come up with their rearguard in the vicinity of Hornilla
de Camino--Skirmishing--Encounter with the 1st Brigade of the
Enemy, who are beaten, and forced to retreat--Our Army advance
in pursuit--An affair between the rearguard of the Enemy and
our 4th Brigade--Vittoria--General Engagement--The Enemy
defeated--Remarks, 185

CHAPTER X.

Advance in pursuit of the Enemy--Our Forces retreat, in order
to counteract Soult's movements for the succour of
Pamplona--Total defeat of Soult in the several Actions near
Pamplona--Our Forces again advance--Come up with the retreating
Enemy at the Bridge of Yanzi--The Enemy take up a position,
behind Vera--A considerable body of the Enemy attached at the
Pass of Echallar, and forced to retreat, 214

CHAPTER XI.

The Author, from a mistake, loses his Servants for a few
days--A Feast of Death--A Feast of Life--Fighting near St
Sebastian--Singular instance of Spanish Bravery--St Sebastian
is captured, but no Details given, the Author not having been
present--Attack of the Pass of Vera, 232

CHAPTER XII.

The British Army advance farther into France--Pass the
Nive--Soult's Plans baffled--Two or three battalions of the
Nassau and Frankfort regiments come over from the
French--French Politesse--Threatened Attack by the
French--Battle of the Nive--Account of the Basques, 253

CHAPTER XIII.

The Author's Battalion quartered in Aurantz on 3d January
1814--The cantonments at Aurantz broke up on the 16th February,
and the Campaign of 1814 commenced--Farther Advance into
France--Skirmishing with the Enemy--Military Manoeuvres--Battle
of Orthes--Defeat and Pursuit of the Enemy--Succession of
Attacks on them--They are driven from their Position in and
near Tarbes--Skirmishing at Tournefoile--The Enemy retire
towards Toulouse, 269

CHAPTER XIV.

The British Army cross the Garonne--Advance on
Toulouse--Prepare for the Attack--The Attack--Spaniards driven
back--Battle very hot--French completely defeated--Soult
evacuates Toulouse, and tardily adheres to the Bourbons, 295

CHAPTER XV.

Author's happy state during 1813 and 1814--Character of the
veritable French--British distributed over the
Country--Civility of the Inhabitants of Grissolles--Amusements
in quarters--The British prepare to quit France, 308

CHAPTER XVI.

Author's Battalion embark for England--Land at Plymouth--Expect
to be again ordered on Foreign Service--Order received--Embark,
with other Troops, for America--Land at Pine Island, 322

CHAPTER XVII.

Proceed to attack the Enemy, and capture one of their
picquets--Advance in search of a Bivouack--Alarmed by shots in
front--Fired on by an American schooner--Captain Hallen
severely attacked--Manoeuvres on both sides--Ruse of the
Enemy--Fighting continues--Enemy repulsed at all
points--Courage of the British--Battery brought into
play--Activity of the Enemy, 339

CHAPTER XVIII.

British Army told off into Brigades--Advance, and are hotly
received--Heroism of a young Artillery Officer--We take up a
fresh position--The Enemy work incessantly in raising an
extensive breastwork--Two Batteries erected, from which our
heavy Ship Artillery are brought to bear against it, but
without effect--The Enemy also place their Ship Guns on
Batteries--Colonel Lambert arrives with the 7th and 43d
regiments--Preparations for a grand attack on the Enemy's
lines, which entirely fails, and the British are repulsed with
great loss, 357

CHAPTER XIX.

Bravery and Success of Colonel Thornton--Negotiation for leave
to transport the Wounded across the River--Insult offered to
the British--They retreat--Our Army embark, and determine to
make an Attack upon Mobile--Proceed in the direction of Mobile
Bay--A Brigade detached to reduce Fort Boyer--The Fort
surrenders, the garrison becoming Prisoners of
War--Intelligence of a Treaty of Peace being concluded at
Ghent--Cessation of Hostilities, 378