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.
Campbell, James
Great Britain. Army
How often in his intercourse with his troops did we find the Emperor
Napoleon imitating Cæsar. At the battle of Jena, the infantry of the
Imperial Guard could not, as he tells us, conceal their annoyance,
when they saw all around them engaged, and they themselves kept only
as spectators of the battle. He at last heard from many voices the
words, "en avant." "What is that I hear?" said the Emperor, "Ce ne peut
étre qu'un jeune homme qui n'a pas de barbe, qui peut vouloir préjuger
ce que je dois faire; qu'il attende qu'il ait commandé dans treute
batailles rangées avant de prétendre me donner des avis!"
As it may serve as a lesson to many a gallant soldier, and show him how
to act, if ever it should be his fortune to be similarly situated, I
must now relate, and in as few words as I can, what I saw Sir Edward
Pakenham achieve at the battle of Salamanca, in which, during the
absence of Sir Thomas Picton, he commanded the 3rd division; and I am
anxious also to give the reader some idea of its style of fighting.
I shall not indulge myself in giving a description of the splendid
movements of the two armies, useful as they might be to the young
soldier, which took place previous to that battle--this has already
been done by able military writers; and I shall only say, that the
3rd division crossed the Tormes in the forenoon of the 22nd July, and
took up a position in the rear, and towards the right of our army.
Here the troops commenced cooking, but from what I saw going forward
in both armies, I did not expect that the soldiers would be allowed
to eat their dinners in tranquillity. The ground we occupied was well
selected, and offered many advantages to the part of the army intended
to form a rear-guard; in case, as appeared very likely, that we were to
fall back on Ciudad Rodrigo; and the manner in which Marshal Marmont
manœuvred at the moment, evidently showed that his object was to force
us to do so, under certain disadvantages. I, therefore, looking upon
the 3rd division as intended for that rear-guard, fully expected hot
work before long.
Thus situated, we were able to enjoy a delightful view of what was
going on in both armies. We were not, however, destined to remain long
mere idle spectators; but, on the contrary, to take a most active and
conspicuous part in the approaching action.
It might have been near two o'clock, when Lord Wellington, followed by
some of his staff, galloped up to where the 3rd division was posted;
and calling for Sir Edward Pakenham, he gave him certain orders in
a very few impressive words, and Sir Edward's reply was quite in
character.
Our camp kettles were in an instant overturned, and packed on the
mules, which started for the rear; many looking blank enough at having
lost their dinners; and venting their ire upon the stubble they had
been obliged to use as fuel, and which had made the business of cooking
so tedious.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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