The History of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) Formerly the 95thCope, William Henry
History
The History of the Rifle Brigade (the Prince Consort's Own) Formerly the 95th
Cope, William Henry
Great Britain. Army. Rifle Brigade (Prince Consort's Own)
In this affair great deeds of valour were done. Beckwith, while
lowering a piece of rock to hurl down on the advancing Frenchmen,
received a musket-ball through his shako, without its wounding him.
And James Stewart, then the Adjutant, was engaged in a hand-to-hand
fight with two of the grenadiers, when a Rifleman named Ballard shot
one, on which the other was overpowered by, and surrendered to,
Stewart, who was specially mentioned by Sir Arthur Wellesley in his
Despatches, and recommended by Beckwith for promotion; but it never
came, and he was killed a year after in the advance from Santarem.
Lieutenant Mercer and 3 Riflemen were killed, and 10 were wounded.
In repelling this night attack the Riflemen stood against more than
double their numbers. Six hundred grenadiers crossed the bridge, and
only three companies repulsed them, O’Hare’s picquet and two under
Beckwith; the fourth company occupying the post being detached to
defend the path on the right, which was not attempted, never having
been engaged.
This fight opened the campaign of 1810. The stern Craufurd, ever
sparing of praise, issued the following divisional order:
Villa de Ciervo: _March 25, 1810_.
D. O.
Brigadier-General Craufurd has it in command from the
Commander-in-Chief to assure Lieutenant-Colonel Beckwith and
the officers of the 95th Regiment who were engaged at Barba
del Puerco that their conduct in this affair has augmented the
confidence he has in the troops when opposed to the enemy in any
situation.
Brigadier-General Craufurd feels peculiar satisfaction in
noticing the first affair in which any part of the Light Brigade
were engaged during the present campaign. That British troops
should defeat a superior number of the enemy is nothing new; but
the action reflects honour on Lieutenant-Colonel Beckwith and
the Regiment, inasmuch as it was of a sort which the riflemen of
other armies would shun. In other armies the rifle is considered
ill-calculated for close action with an enemy armed with a musket
and bayonet; but the 95th Regiment has proved that the rifle in
the hands of a British soldier is a fully sufficient weapon to
enable him to defeat the French in the closest fight, in whatever
manner they may be armed.
(Signed) V. GRAHAM, D. A. G.
Sir Arthur Wellesley also repeatedly mentions this gallant fight
in his Despatches and letters. Besides the message thus conveyed
by Craufurd, he tells Admiral the Honourable G. Berkeley that the
French were ‘repulsed in fine style’ by the 95th; and in his Despatch
reporting it to the Earl of Liverpool, he adds that ‘this affair was
highly creditable to Colonel Beckwith, and displayed the gallantry
and discipline of the officers and troops under his command.’
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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