Opening the text

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

The corporal and ten pioneers per regiment, who are generally nothing
else but so many attendants upon the quarter-master and his sergeant,
should be done away with; that is, I would keep the men hitherto
employed in this way where they ought to be--in the ranks. If men are
wanted for fatigue, as it is termed, the soldiers should be employed
on it as a duty, and their time can never be better occupied than
in all kinds of labour or works, especially those which may tend to
instruct them in what is likely to be required of them at sieges, or
during campaigns; and above all, they should have a knowledge of the
best and quickest methods of making roads, temporary bridges, &c., and
even of preparing food, and lighting fires; if they were also taught to
be boatmen and good swimmers so much the better. It certainly would be
very desirable that soldiers had more practice in this way than is the
fashion in our army. But having mentioned preparing food, I think it
important to say a few words upon the subject.

The comfort in which the men of the 5th battalion 60th regiment (who
were chiefly Germans,) lived upon service was very striking, when
compared with the wretched diet of the generality of British soldiers.
I must, however, preface my remarks upon this subject by the following
division order which was issued by Major-general Colville, at Moimenta
de Beira, in Portugal, on the 29th March, 1813, respecting this corps:

"No. 9. A detachment of the 5th battalion 60th, has arrived at
head-quarters under the command of Captain Kelly, and which having left
Lisbon consisting of fifty men, has brought up all but one man who was
left sick at Coimbra, and no prisoners.

"This is so unlike the report of any detachment of the British part of
the division that has arrived at quarters since the Major-General's
taking the command of it, that he cannot help mentioning the
mortifying distinction, in the hopes that there may be yet left among
the good men of the division regard enough for their own honours to
keep a check upon the conduct of those of an opposite character."

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

The corporal and ten pioneers per regiment, who are generally nothing
else but so many attendants upon the quarter-master and his sergeant,
should be done away with; that is, I would keep the men hitherto
employed in this way where they ought to be--in the ranks. If men are
wanted for fatigue, as it is termed, the soldiers should be employed
on it as a duty, and their time can never be better occupied than
in all kinds of labour or works, especially those which may tend to
instruct them in what is likely to be required of them at sieges, or
during campaigns; and above all, they should have a knowledge of the
best and quickest methods of making roads, temporary bridges, &c., and
even of preparing food, and lighting fires; if they were also taught to
be boatmen and good swimmers so much the better. It certainly would be
very desirable that soldiers had more practice in this way than is the
fashion in our army. But having mentioned preparing food, I think it
important to say a few words upon the subject.

The comfort in which the men of the 5th battalion 60th regiment (who
were chiefly Germans,) lived upon service was very striking, when
compared with the wretched diet of the generality of British soldiers.
I must, however, preface my remarks upon this subject by the following
division order which was issued by Major-general Colville, at Moimenta
de Beira, in Portugal, on the 29th March, 1813, respecting this corps:

"No. 9. A detachment of the 5th battalion 60th, has arrived at
head-quarters under the command of Captain Kelly, and which having left
Lisbon consisting of fifty men, has brought up all but one man who was
left sick at Coimbra, and no prisoners.

"This is so unlike the report of any detachment of the British part of
the division that has arrived at quarters since the Major-General's
taking the command of it, that he cannot help mentioning the
mortifying distinction, in the hopes that there may be yet left among
the good men of the division regard enough for their own honours to
keep a check upon the conduct of those of an opposite character."

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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