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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

I think it but fair next to mention, that the dispositions made by the
French at Orthes, were not only superior to what we usually met with,
but they also fought that battle with seemingly more confidence in
themselves, and in their chief, than they had latterly done. For some
time after the action commenced, neither the 3rd nor 4th divisions,
whose movements came more particularly under my observation, were
able to gain any ground to their front, or to set properly to work;
indeed, it was next to impossible for the former to advance, the
position before them being judiciously and most formidably occupied by
a considerable part of Soult's army; and we were aware that the moment
we should attempt to go forward, we would have been taken in flank
by a large body of troops, of whom part held very strong ground, and
part possessed a wooded ravine, which separated the 3rd from the 4th
divisions. We were thus most provokingly brought to a complete stand,
exposed to a heavy cannonade, and also to the fire of the infantry in
our front; and the French troops will fire away in that manner, and
usually with considerable effect, as long as their opponents please.

Sir Thomas Brisbane saw plainly how his brigade, the most advanced of
the three, was situated; and though most anxious to push forward to
assail the enemy, so well posted in his front, and to fight as the 3rd
division always did, yet in this state of things, it would have been
decidedly wrong to have done so. I was carefully observing what the
French before us, as well as those hitherto successfully opposed to
the 4th division, were about; and seeing a body of cavalry assembling
behind the infantry, with which we were more particularly engaged, I
pointed them out to Sir Thomas Brisbane, who took such steps as he
thought necessary in case of their venturing to charge us. Impolitic as
it was, with such a large force to contend with, it was evident that
there was nothing for it, but to detach some companies into the ravine,
to drive out the French skirmishers, who invariably took in flank the
4th division, in the several gallant attempts successively made on the
narrow tongue of land, by the regiments composing it, to get forward. I
conclude Lord Wellington saw how the two divisions were situated, and
sent a considerable part of the light division to our support, and to
clear the ravine; and to my delight, I saw Sir Andrew Bernard coming on
at their head for that purpose.

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

I think it but fair next to mention, that the dispositions made by the
French at Orthes, were not only superior to what we usually met with,
but they also fought that battle with seemingly more confidence in
themselves, and in their chief, than they had latterly done. For some
time after the action commenced, neither the 3rd nor 4th divisions,
whose movements came more particularly under my observation, were
able to gain any ground to their front, or to set properly to work;
indeed, it was next to impossible for the former to advance, the
position before them being judiciously and most formidably occupied by
a considerable part of Soult's army; and we were aware that the moment
we should attempt to go forward, we would have been taken in flank
by a large body of troops, of whom part held very strong ground, and
part possessed a wooded ravine, which separated the 3rd from the 4th
divisions. We were thus most provokingly brought to a complete stand,
exposed to a heavy cannonade, and also to the fire of the infantry in
our front; and the French troops will fire away in that manner, and
usually with considerable effect, as long as their opponents please.

Sir Thomas Brisbane saw plainly how his brigade, the most advanced of
the three, was situated; and though most anxious to push forward to
assail the enemy, so well posted in his front, and to fight as the 3rd
division always did, yet in this state of things, it would have been
decidedly wrong to have done so. I was carefully observing what the
French before us, as well as those hitherto successfully opposed to
the 4th division, were about; and seeing a body of cavalry assembling
behind the infantry, with which we were more particularly engaged, I
pointed them out to Sir Thomas Brisbane, who took such steps as he
thought necessary in case of their venturing to charge us. Impolitic as
it was, with such a large force to contend with, it was evident that
there was nothing for it, but to detach some companies into the ravine,
to drive out the French skirmishers, who invariably took in flank the
4th division, in the several gallant attempts successively made on the
narrow tongue of land, by the regiments composing it, to get forward. I
conclude Lord Wellington saw how the two divisions were situated, and
sent a considerable part of the light division to our support, and to
clear the ravine; and to my delight, I saw Sir Andrew Bernard coming on
at their head for that purpose.

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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