The Adventures of Captain John Patterson: With Notices of the Officers, &c. of the 50th, or Queen's Own Regiment from 1807 to 1821Patterson, John
History
The Adventures of Captain John Patterson: With Notices of the Officers, &c. of the 50th, or Queen's Own Regiment from 1807 to 1821
Patterson, John
Great Britain. Army. Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment; Peninsular War, 1807-1814 -- Personal narratives, British
Intelligence being received that peace was concluded, the second
Division of the Army embarked at Bordeaux, and, sailing from the
Garonne, arrived in England early in 1814. The 50th was ordered to
Cork, and, after marching through various parts of the Emerald Isle,
they were sent to the north of it, where with the head quarters in
Aughnacloy, they remained for the winter of the same year. Early in
the spring of 1815, the regiment was removed to Enniskillen.[33] Here
we were treated with the most liberal hospitality, not only by the
inhabitants of the town, but by those of the surrounding
neighbourhood, who generously received and entertained the officers,
during the whole time of our residence there. The 2nd Battalion of the
27th, and some troops of the 7th Dragoon Guards, together with the
staff of the Fermanagh Militia, composed the garrison, the whole in
charge of Major General Stephen Mahon.
[33] Lieutenant Robert Keddle, of the 50th, died in this
place, from the effects of a severe wound, which he received
in France. He was interred with military honours, and a
stone with a suitable inscription was placed over his
remains.
Bonaparte's return from Elba was the signal for renewed warlike
preparations; hence every possible means were resorted to for the
augmentation of the British Army. The troops in Enniskillen commenced
beating up with active zeal, and our regiment having on its return
from France been reduced to a mere skeleton, was compelled to use
redoubled exertions in order to complete its numbers. The whole of the
noncommissioned officers, with the band, and drums at their head,
marched daily through the streets, tempting by most alluring baits
those young fellows, who, struck with military ardour, were gazing and
listening with wonder at all the fine speeches of the Serjeant[34]. Of
the raw material there was abundant food for powder, and so many of
the Hibernian youths were out of work that our battalion was soon
filled up, and in the course of the summer we were quite prepared for
any service.
[34] The beating-up was a most enlivening affair; the horns
and kettle-drums, together with the noise of various other
instruments, made such a rattling through the town as kept
the good people thereof wide awake, calling to the windows
on every occasion a precious bevy of fair and blooming
damsels, ready themselves to take on with any gallant gay
Lothario, who might feel inclined to serve a campaign or two
with them, in the field of Venus instead of that of Mars.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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