A BRITISH ARMY, AS IT WAS,--IS,--AND OUGHT TO BE: ILLUSTRATED BY EXAMPLES DURING THE PENINSULAR WAR: WITH OBSERVATIONS UPON INDIA--THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA--CANADA--THE BOUNDARY LINE--THE NAVY--STEAM WARFARE, &c. BY LIEUT.-COLONEL JAMES CAMPBELL, LATE BRIGADE-MAJOR 3RD DIVISION, AND FORMERLY OF THE 45TH AND 50TH REGIMENTS. LONDON: T. & W. BOONE, 29, NEW BOND STREET. 1840. TO GENERAL SIR THOMAS M. BRISBANE, BART., G.C.B., &c. &c. &c. Sir, As a soldier who has seen much service in all parts of the world, and commanded large bodies of troops in the field, you can decide if my views are correct or not. As a General of the 3rd division, you must know whether I have erred (certainly unintentionally) in my statements; and I also trust you will be able to bear me out when I say, that the honour and renown of my companions in arms, and the good of the army in general, are my sole objects in appearing before the public. I wish to dedicate the fruits of my experience to you, as a trifling tribute of the gratitude I feel for the friendship and kindness you have shown me on many occasions. I can with truth say, my motives in the following work are pure and disinterested; but my views are not those of the generality of writers of the day. I know, as well as they do, that British soldiers will always follow their gallant officers in any attempt, if even requiring the most supernatural efforts; but I am not, as they almost all seem to be, blind to the great imperfections of too many of those allowed to enter our regiments. I can gladly leave them the reputation of possessing the most undaunted courage of any soldiers in the world, and the nation the honour and glory their deeds in battle have acquired. Let both pride themselves, as they have a right to do, upon these; but for the time to come, we want, and ought to have, the good and true men of the British Empire brought into the ranks of our armies; and of whom many--very many--can be found, if called upon, as they should be, to serve their Sovereign and their country as they might hereafter be served by a British army, formed, as it ought to be, to suit the times. I have the honour to be, Sir, Your truly devoted humble servant, THE AUTHOR. _Ravensdale, June 10, 1840._ CONTENTS CHAP. I. Page What a British Army was, is still, and the commencement of certain introductory matter, intended to show in part what it ought to be 1 CHAP. II. Continuation of the subject, and pointing out what is required to render the army more suitable to the times 31 CHAP. III.