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
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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
instant. Magennis, armed to the teeth, and having for bedfellows a
blunderbuss and brace of pistols, started up with horror, looking
wildly and in fierce anger round, while he made a violent struggle to
disentangle himself from the iron grip of Plunkett. The noise of these
proceedings being the signal, the men without burst into the scene of
action, when the ruffian, after making one last despairing effort to
fire at the Lieutenant, and seeing that further resistance would be
vain, surrendered to the party, delivering up his weapons to their
brave commander. So completely was the villain taken off his guard,
that he appeared almost paralysed with terror. Well aware that of
mercy for his crimes there was none in store, he submitted with dogged
looks to the men about him.
Astonished at the courage of his captor, he addressed him thus--"Sir,
what rank are you in the 50th,"--"I am a Lieutenant," returned the
officer. "Ah!" said Magennis, you ought to be General Plunkett, for
having taken me." The prisoner being pinioned, they marched him from
the village, and, on the following day, he was safely deposited in the
county goal. Thus was this notorious criminal taken in his bed,
through the intrepid conduct of one individual, after the ineffectual
efforts of many well-armed men. He was executed at Lifford, in a few
months after. The unfortunate man, who acted as guide to the captors,
was, in a short time, barbarously murdered by his countrymen.
CHAPTER XXII.
Being ordered to join the Regiment in the West Indies, I proceeded for
that purpose from Albany Barracks, in the Isle of Wight, to Cowes, the
21st of November, 1820.--On the morning of the 22nd, the troops
intended for the same destination embarked on board of the John
Rickards, a fine ship, the captain of which, John Ward, was an
excellent seaman, as well as a kind and amiable character. The
detachments were composed of men belonging to the Royal Artillery, and
50th, 58th and 92nd regiments; all commanded by Major Henry Pierce,
R.A.--
In consequence of the unfavourable state of the wind, the ship
remained at anchor in the roads. The officers employed this interval
in making further preparations, as well as in amusing themselves in
the best way they could, some in wandering along the sandy beach,
others in sauntering about the streets, and not a few in rambling
through the country in various directions, exploring the beauties of
the island.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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