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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

Not very long after this, the Bailie came to see me, and I happened at
the time to be superintending the drill of several strong squads of my
newly enlisted recruits. The Bailie looked closely at them all, and I
could not help fancying that I read alarm in the countenances of many
of my prizes. "Well, Colonel," said the Bailie, "the city of Glasgow
is infinitely indebted to you, for you have freed it of many deserving
characters;" but observing that I became rather chop-fallen, he added,
"Never mind, man--they'll fight--they'll fight like devils. Was there
ever a better fighting regiment in the world than the ----, and they
were nearly all raised in Glasgow, which was, to my certain knowledge,
very peaceable for many a day after they were gone from it."

I am at this moment reminded, by what occurred upon the retreat to
Corunna, of the state into which many of our men were brought upon
that and other occasions from want of shoes. I may venture to say,
that we had seldom taken the field a fortnight--and our armies had
even more than once to halt on this account--when the greater part of
the soldier's shoes had gone to pieces, and others could not always be
got to replace them. This destruction of shoes was in a great measure
occasioned by the previous injudicious practice of highly polishing
them with injurious kinds of blacking, which I suppose must continue
to be the fashion in these quiet times; and I hope I may be allowed
to say, that whenever a corps of infantry is ordered upon service,
this practice should be positively forbidden. Two good pairs of
boots--not such clumsy concerns as some of the Russian soldiers wore
in France--should be properly prepared for every man--that is, well
saturated with the water-proof stuff, now so much used by sports-men,
and they should never after have anything else put upon them but some
of this composition, which not only softens, but also tends to preserve
them for a considerable time. Such boots will certainly not look so
well as those now in general use; yet for grand occasions, the soldier
might be made to carry another finer polished pair; but with the boots
I want, and good stockings, every soldier should be furnished, or
he cannot march as he ought to do, and is, therefore, so far unfit
for service. Some people may consider this trifling, but experienced
soldiers will think otherwise.

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

Not very long after this, the Bailie came to see me, and I happened at
the time to be superintending the drill of several strong squads of my
newly enlisted recruits. The Bailie looked closely at them all, and I
could not help fancying that I read alarm in the countenances of many
of my prizes. "Well, Colonel," said the Bailie, "the city of Glasgow
is infinitely indebted to you, for you have freed it of many deserving
characters;" but observing that I became rather chop-fallen, he added,
"Never mind, man--they'll fight--they'll fight like devils. Was there
ever a better fighting regiment in the world than the ----, and they
were nearly all raised in Glasgow, which was, to my certain knowledge,
very peaceable for many a day after they were gone from it."

I am at this moment reminded, by what occurred upon the retreat to
Corunna, of the state into which many of our men were brought upon
that and other occasions from want of shoes. I may venture to say,
that we had seldom taken the field a fortnight--and our armies had
even more than once to halt on this account--when the greater part of
the soldier's shoes had gone to pieces, and others could not always be
got to replace them. This destruction of shoes was in a great measure
occasioned by the previous injudicious practice of highly polishing
them with injurious kinds of blacking, which I suppose must continue
to be the fashion in these quiet times; and I hope I may be allowed
to say, that whenever a corps of infantry is ordered upon service,
this practice should be positively forbidden. Two good pairs of
boots--not such clumsy concerns as some of the Russian soldiers wore
in France--should be properly prepared for every man--that is, well
saturated with the water-proof stuff, now so much used by sports-men,
and they should never after have anything else put upon them but some
of this composition, which not only softens, but also tends to preserve
them for a considerable time. Such boots will certainly not look so
well as those now in general use; yet for grand occasions, the soldier
might be made to carry another finer polished pair; but with the boots
I want, and good stockings, every soldier should be furnished, or
he cannot march as he ought to do, and is, therefore, so far unfit
for service. Some people may consider this trifling, but experienced
soldiers will think otherwise.

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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