A British Rifle Man: The Journals and Correspondence of Major George Simmons, Rifle Brigade, During the Peninsular War and the Campaign of WaterlooSimmons, George
History
A British Rifle Man: The Journals and Correspondence of Major George Simmons, Rifle Brigade, During the Peninsular War and the Campaign of Waterloo
Simmons, George
Peninsular War, 1807-1814; Waterloo, Battle of, Waterloo, Belgium, 1815
The wind and weather proved favourable. We arrived safe in the Tagus.
I was put upon a board and taken to the Golden Lion. We had beds upon
the floor. Those who were wounded so as not to be able to sit up,
remained in them. I ordered a good dinner, but the landlord began to
remonstrate with us upon the danger of taking much food in our present
condition. All my friends were of the same opinion as myself, namely,
that we had been starved long enough and ought now to enjoy ourselves.
I do not think I ever was more happy. An occasional twitch in my leg
and thigh merely came at intervals to remind me that I must not expect
happiness without some alloy in this world.
In the General Orders of the 6th the Light Division is to be formed
into two Brigades: 1st Brigade under Colonel Beckwith, 43rd Regiment,
right wing of 95th (Rifle Men), and 3rd Portuguese Caçadores; 2nd
Brigade to consist of the 52nd, left wing of 95th, and 1st Caçadores,
under Lieut.-Col. Barclay.
[Sidenote: 8th]
I found this morning that my bill was a very large one, which induced
me immediately to take measures to live at a cheaper rate, so I got a
billet at No. 26 Rua de Buenos Ayres. My servant, and a most faithful
one he was, took great care of me and enabled me to live very well
under my income, which made me as easy and comfortable as a forlorn
bed-ridden person could be in a strange land, without a friend (except
my servant) to beguile my lonely hours; particularly after leading so
active a life made it much more irksome.
With the fall of Almeida, the enemy were in possession of the two
frontier fortifications, in which their stores could be deposited
in safety. Marshal Massena's whole attention was now turned to the
subjugation of Portugal, which could only be effected by first
expelling the English from the country.
The enemy, having concentrated his whole force and supplied his
magazines with every requisite for his advance, endeavoured to bring
Lord Wellington to action as speedily as possible, and pushed forward
more rapidly than the Commander-in-Chief would allow. The Battle of
Busaco[13] was fought on 27th September, and terminated gloriously for
the British and Portuguese arms.
Letter No. VII
Lisbon, _10th August 1810_.
My dear Parents—When this letter comes to hand, which I hope no
unforeseen accident may prevent, it will be a means of quieting your
troubles on my account. I am out of danger. I know my dear mother's
affection for her graceless son. An earlier opportunity did not present
itself, which you will be convinced of in the sequel.
For some time, as usual, the Light Brigade had been continually in
sight of the army under the command of General Massena, numbering about
80,000, frequently partially engaged in skirmishing, which we took
little notice of, being so much in the habit of it.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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