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A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b 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.Campbell, James

History

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b 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.

Name: A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b 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.
Author: Campbell, James

Campbell, James

Great Britain. Army

After the troops from Madrid and Burgos met, the army, when there
were roads running nearly parallel to each other, marched generally
in two columns; but I must say matters were not always well managed,
and we had no properly organized police, who could have promptly,
when necessary, enforced discipline, for what were a few provosts
with their infantry guards, generally accompanying the baggage? The
columns sometimes unfortunately and probably unavoidably, came into
contact with each other on the same road, occasioning a certain degree
of confusion, which afforded opportunities for some of the soldiers
to escape from under the eyes of their officers, however watchful
they might be, and to become as usual irregular; and at other times
the columns (probably also unavoidably), considering the state of the
weather, the nature of the country, and the then bad roads, were at
times too far asunder, and the communication not having been kept up as
it should have been by either our cavalry or infantry, the army became
liable to sudden and unlooked for events; and in one instance of this
kind, I believe it was, that one of our generals was taken by a French
patrole, that through mistake, occasioned by the rain, and a hazy state
of the atmosphere, and a want of proper precaution on our part, had
actually contrived to get in between our columns, certainly not very
much to our military credit.

When his Grace's letter reached us after the retreat, the feeling of
the officers commanding brigades and corps was, that, in this instance,
if nothing were said about the pig hunt, the 3rd division, although a
few of its soldiers had fallen into the hands of the enemy, did not
deserve the censure pronounced against the army in general; and it was
thought right that Sir Edward Pakenham should be waited upon, in order
to induce him to point out this to Lord Wellington, for they were
besides hurt at the implied superiority of the French in even making
fires and in quick cooking. Sir Edward, however, soon settled the
matter, by declaring in his usually laconic manner, that "he would do
no such thing," and adding, "let whoever the cap fits wear it."

They all knew well in what this supposed superiority of the French
lay, for the truth was, they never hesitated to turn a town or village
inside out, if it suited their purposes, or to pull down a house, or
half a dozen of them, if necessary, so as to get dry wood for their
fires, whereas our people had to be marched regularly under officers
for beef, bread, water, and wood, and they had seldom any thing else
for it, but to cut down, bring in, and use the green branches of trees
as fuel to cook with. This accounts for the observable difference
between the two armies, for when our soldiers occasionally, and when
not a tree was to be seen, got a house or two to burn, which were
always paid for, they could then cook as quickly as their practised
foes.

  "Sir, _Frenada, Nov. 28th, 1812._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

Opening the text

History

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b 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.

Campbell, James

Great Britain. Army

After the troops from Madrid and Burgos met, the army, when there
were roads running nearly parallel to each other, marched generally
in two columns; but I must say matters were not always well managed,
and we had no properly organized police, who could have promptly,
when necessary, enforced discipline, for what were a few provosts
with their infantry guards, generally accompanying the baggage? The
columns sometimes unfortunately and probably unavoidably, came into
contact with each other on the same road, occasioning a certain degree
of confusion, which afforded opportunities for some of the soldiers
to escape from under the eyes of their officers, however watchful
they might be, and to become as usual irregular; and at other times
the columns (probably also unavoidably), considering the state of the
weather, the nature of the country, and the then bad roads, were at
times too far asunder, and the communication not having been kept up as
it should have been by either our cavalry or infantry, the army became
liable to sudden and unlooked for events; and in one instance of this
kind, I believe it was, that one of our generals was taken by a French
patrole, that through mistake, occasioned by the rain, and a hazy state
of the atmosphere, and a want of proper precaution on our part, had
actually contrived to get in between our columns, certainly not very
much to our military credit.

When his Grace's letter reached us after the retreat, the feeling of
the officers commanding brigades and corps was, that, in this instance,
if nothing were said about the pig hunt, the 3rd division, although a
few of its soldiers had fallen into the hands of the enemy, did not
deserve the censure pronounced against the army in general; and it was
thought right that Sir Edward Pakenham should be waited upon, in order
to induce him to point out this to Lord Wellington, for they were
besides hurt at the implied superiority of the French in even making
fires and in quick cooking. Sir Edward, however, soon settled the
matter, by declaring in his usually laconic manner, that "he would do
no such thing," and adding, "let whoever the cap fits wear it."

They all knew well in what this supposed superiority of the French
lay, for the truth was, they never hesitated to turn a town or village
inside out, if it suited their purposes, or to pull down a house, or
half a dozen of them, if necessary, so as to get dry wood for their
fires, whereas our people had to be marched regularly under officers
for beef, bread, water, and wood, and they had seldom any thing else
for it, but to cut down, bring in, and use the green branches of trees
as fuel to cook with. This accounts for the observable difference
between the two armies, for when our soldiers occasionally, and when
not a tree was to be seen, got a house or two to burn, which were
always paid for, they could then cook as quickly as their practised
foes.

  "Sir, _Frenada, Nov. 28th, 1812._

Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b 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.

A British army, as it was,--is,--and ought to be : $b 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.

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