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VtULjAta
MART aARLMalO^
MCMOftlAL LI8RAilV
mVERSI-nr Of n-TSB|i
UNIVERSITY or PITTSBURGH
H5
JYlemona LiL. J Darl arlington Me
RECOLLECTIONSOF
RIFLEMAN HARRIS,(OLD95th.)
WITH
Hiifctlote^ of \)iS
(3^cixS
aiitl |)i^
ComiatJc^.
EDITED BY
HENRY CURLING,HALF-PAY 52d foot,
Esq.,
AUTHOR OF "JOHN OF ENGLAND."
" This story
The world may readWitli
inj
me my:
body's marli'd
Roman
swoids
And when a soldier was Was not far off."
the theme,
my name Shakespeare.
H. HUllST,
27,
LONDON: KING WILLIAM STREET,CHARING CKOSS.1848.
16,
CLAYTON AND CO PRINTERS, HART STREEl', COVENT GARDEN.,
TO THE MOST NOBLE
THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY.
NOTICE.Sincetheprintiug
of
thit.
volume was comiiieaced,Street, Soho,
" Rifleman Harris" has to 4,
removed from RichmondGolden Square.
Upper James
Street,
THE EDITOB.London, March,
TO THE MOST NOBLE
THE MARQUESS OF LONDONDERRY,G.C.B.
AND G.C.H.,&c. &e.,
COLONEL OF THE SECOND LIFE GUARDS,
IN TOKEN OF
HIGH ADMIRATION OF HIS LORDSHIP's CHIVALROUS BEARING DURING THE BATTLES OF THE PENINSULA,IS
RESPECTFULLY DEDICATED,
.
BY HIS OBEDIENT SERVANT,
THE EDITOE.London, March, 1848.
ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR.
Thequered
following pages, describing the che=life
of a private soldier,
who
served
during the most glorious period
of our
military history, speak so plainly for themselves, as scarcely to
need any introductoryfurther than the
remarks from theassurance of histheir truth.
editor,
own
sincere conviction ofas the narratives
Such worksafford
of Rifleman Harris, from the very natureof theirdetails,
occasionally
more
graphic sketches of the actual scenes ofwar, inits
stern realities
and concomitant
circumstances,
than the more stately and
largely -grouped pictures of the Historian.
Nor
are
these
humble records without
their moral.I>Iany abusesally
and grievances are incidentlight, that
brought to
can be but rarely
heeded in the excitement
and bustle of
active service, but which, nevertheless, for
11
ADVERTISEMENT.
the good of the soldier,
may
be of sufficient
importance to require correction.
The main source of our military superiority over foreign nations has
been almost
universally
ascribed
to
the incomparable
discipline of the
British army.
That the
well-being and judicious treatment of theprivate soldieris
the basis of this system
can (we think) scarcely be doubted.
To
maintain this disciplinebent on theofficers to
it is
surely incum-
become acquainted
with the nature and peculiar characteristicsof thetrol,
men
they have to conduct and con-
both in the elation of victory and thedifficult
more
emergencies consequent uponthis is best effectedis
retreat.
How
by whatrough
potent influence this mastery
exercised
and by what
sort of standard the "
and ready" privatewill be duly
soldier estimates,
and
accordingly respects and obeys his
officer,
shewn in the autobiography of
Kifleman Harris.
Henry Curling.MarcTi^ 1848.
RECOLLECTIONSRIFLEMAN HARRIS(Old 95th).
CHAPTERRecruiting for thesertion
I.
Army of Reserve The penalty de General Craufurd's cure cowardice and treachery Trial of General Whitelock recruits and the shillelagh Protestant and Catholic Danish expedition Riflemen home.for for
Irish
at
My fatheras soon
was a shepherd, and
I
was a
sheep-boy from
my earliest
youth.
Indeed,
almost as I could run, I began
helping
my
father to look after the sheep on
the downs of Blandford, in Dorsetshire, whereI
was born. Whilst
I
continued to tend the
'flocks
and herds under
my
charge,
and
2
RECOLLECTIONS OF
occasionally (in the long winter nights) to
learn the art of
making
shoes, Ifine
grew adayin
hardy
little
chap, and
was one
the year 1802,
drawn
as a soldier for the
Armymyself
of Reserve.
Thus, without troublingthe change which
much about
was
to
take place in the hitherto quiet routine ofray days, I was drafted into the 66th Regi-
ment of Foot, bid good-bye
to
my
shepherd
companions, and was obliged to leave
my
father without an assistant to collect hisflocks, just as
he was beginning more than
ever to require one ; nay, indeed, Ito
may
say
want tending and looking was growing
after himself,
for old age
and infirmity were coming onas white as the
him
;
his hair
sleet of
our downs, and his countenanceas
becomingfields
furrowed
asI
the ploughed
around.
However, asit
had no choice
in the matter,
was quitefate.
as well that I did
not grieve over
my
My
father tried hard to
buy me
off,
and
RIFLEMAN HARRIS.
3
would have persuaded the Serjeant of the66th that I was of no use as asoldier,
from
having maimedthe fore-finger
my
right
hand (by breaking
when
a child).
The
Serjeant,little
however, said I was just the sort of
chap he wanted, and
off he went, carryinghe-
me (amongstlected)
a batch of recruits
had
col-
away with him.first soldiers I
Almost the
ever saw were
those belonging to the corps in which I was
now
enrolled a
member, and, on arriving
at
Winchester,
we found
the whole regiment
there in quarters.
Whilst lying at Winchesmonths),
ter (where we remained three
young asout,
I
was in the
profession,!
was picked
amongst
others, to perform a piece of
duty
that, for
many
years afterwards, re-
mained deeply impressed uponand gave
my
mind,
me
the first impression of thelife.
stern duties of a soldier's
A private of
the 70th Regiment had deserted from thatcorps,
and afterwards
enlisted into several
B 2
4
RECOLLECTIONS OFI
other regiments; indeed,
was
told at the
time (though
I
cannot answer for so great adifferent times he
number) that sixteenreceived the
hadoff.
bounty and then stolencaught atlast,
Being,
however,trial
he
wassen-
brought to
at Portsmouth,
and
tenced by general court-martial to be shot.
The 66th received a routeto be present
to Portsmouth,
on the occasion, and, as the
execution would be a good hint to us young'uns, there
were four lads picked out of our
corps to assist in this piece of duty, myself
being one of the number chosen.Besides these men, four soldiers
from
three other regiments were ordered on thefiring-party,
making sixteen
in
all.
Thenear
place of execution
was Portsdown
Hill,
Hilsea Barracks, and the different regiments
assembled must have composed a force of
about
fifteen
thousand men, having beenIsle
assembled from theChichester, Gosport,
of Wight,places.
from
and other
The
RFLEMANsight
HARRIS.
5to
was very imposing, and appeareda deep impression onall
make
there.
As
for myself, I felt that I
would have givenI possessed it) to
a good round
sum (had
have been in any situation rather than theone in which I now found myself; and whenI looked into the faces of
my
companions, Iin
saw, by
the pallor
and anxiety depicted
each countenance, the reflection offeelings.
my ownwas
Whenthe
ail
was ready, we wereand theculprit
moved
to
front,
brought out.
He made
a short speech to the
parade, acknowledgingsentence,
the justice of hisevil
and that drinking and
com-
pany had brought the punishment upon him.
He behavedblindfolded, he
himself firmly and well, andall to flinch.
did not seem at
After being
was desired
to kneel
down
behind a
coflin,
which was placed on the
ground, and the Drum-Major of the Hilseadepot, giving us an expressive glance,
we
immediately co mmenced loading.
b
RECOLLECTIONS OFThis was done in the deepest silence, and,
the next moment,
we were primed and
ready.
There was then a dreadful pause for a few
moments, and the Drum-Major, again looking towards us, gave the signal before agreed
upon (alevelled
flourishfired.
of
his
cane),
and we
and
We
had been previously
strictly enjoined to
be steady, and take good
aim, and the poor fellow, pierced by severalballs, fell
heavily upon his back
;
and as hesides, I
lay,
with his arms pinioned to his
observed that his hands
waved
for a
few
moments,
like the fins of a fish
when
in thealso
agonies of death.
The Drum-Majorand,
observed
the
movement,
making
another signal, four of our party immediately stepped
up
to the prostrate body,
and
placing the muzzles of their pieces to the
head, fired, and put
him out of his misery.back byto
The
different regiments then fell
companies, and the word being given
march past
in slow time,
when each com-
RIFLEMAN HAERIS.
7
pany camewas
in line with the body, the
word
given to "
mark
time,"
and then " eyesall
left," in
order that
we might
observe the
terrible example.
We then
moved onwards,differ-
and marched from the ground to ourent quarters.
The 66th stopped that nightHill,
about three miles from Portsdown
and
in the morning we returned to Winchester. The officer in command that day, I remember,
was General Whitelock, who wasbrought tofirst
after-
wards
court-martial
himself.
This was theofficer.
time of our seeing thatat
The next meeting was
Buenos
Ayres, and during the confusion of that day
one of us received an order from the fiery
Craufurd to shoot the traitor deadcould see
if
he
him
in
the battle,
many
others
of the Eifles receiving the
same order from
that fine and chivalrous officer.
The unfortunateAyresaffairis
issue
of
the
Buenos
matter of history, and I
have nothing
to say about it; but I well
8
KECOLLECTIONS OFthe impressionit
rememberall at
made upon us
the time, and that Sir John Mooreat
was present
Whitelock's court-martial;
General Craufurd,
and
I
think
General
Auchmuty, Captain
Eledfer of the Rifles,
Captain Dickson, and one of our privates,
being witnesses.time,
We
were at Hythe at theofficers
and
I recollect
our
going olF
to appear against Whitelock.
So enraged was Craufurd against him,that I heard say he strove hard to have
himwas
shot.
Whitelock's father I also heardson's trial,
at his
and cried
like
an
infant during the proceedings.
Whitelock'sI
sword was broken overandfor
his
head
was
told
months afterwards, when our men
took their glass, they used to give as atoast " Success to grey hairs ^ butWhite-locks.'"
bad luck
to
Indeed that toast was drunk
in all the public-houses
around
for
many
a-day.
Everything was new to me,
I
remember,
RIFLEMAN HARRIS.
9
and
I
was
filled
with astonishment at theI
basthng contrastinto
was
so suddenly called
from the tranquil and quiet oflife.
my
former
Whilst in Winchester, we got a route forIreland,
and embarking
at
Portsmouth,
crossed over and landed at Cork.;
There
we remained nine weeks and being a smartfigurelight
and very
active, I
was put
into the
company
of the 66th, and, together
with the light corps of other regiments, we
were formed into light battalions, and sentoff to Dublin.
Whilst in Dublin, I one dayRifles,
saw a corps of the 95 th
and
fell
so
in love with their smart, dashing,
and
devil-
may-care appearance, that nothing wouldserve
me
till
I
was a Rifleman myself;
so,
on arriving at Cashel one day, andin with
fallingregi-
a recruiting- party
of that
ment, I volunteered into the 2nd battalion.This recruiting-party wereall
Irishmen,
and had been sent over from England toB 3
10collect
RECOLLECTIONS
01"
(amongst
others)
men from
the
Irish Militia,
and were just about to returnI think
to England.
they were as recklessset of
and devil-may-care a
men
as ever I
beheld, either before or since.
Being joined by a Serjeant of the 92ndHighlanders, and a Highland Piper of the
same regiment
(also a pair of real rollicking
blades), I thought
we should
all
have gone
mad
together.
"VVe started
on our journey,spirits,
one beautiful morning, in tip-top
from the Royal Oak,lot
at Cashel; the
whole
of us (early as
it
was) being three sheetsparaded before the
in the wind.
When we
door of the Royal Oak, the landlord andlandlady of the inn,
who were quite as lively,two decanters offists
came
reeling forth, with
whiskey, which they thrust into thethe Sergeants,
of
making them a present ofall,
decanters and
to carry along with them,
and refresh themselves on the march.
The
Piper then struck up, the Sergeants flourished
KIFLEMAN HAREIS.their decanters,
11
and the whole route com-
menced ato dance,
terrific yell.
We
then
all
began
and danced through the town,stopping for another
every
now and thenuptill
pull at the whiskey decanters.
Thus we
kept
it
we had danced,Such a day,
drank, shouted,
and piped thirteento Clonmel.
Irish miles,
from CashelI never
I think,
spent, as I enjoyed with these fellows;
and
on arriving at Clonmel, we were as gloriousas
any
soldiers in all
Christendom need wishthis,
to be.
In about ten days aftercollected
our
Sergeants had
together a goodstarted for
batch of recruits, andland.
we
Eng-
Some few days
before
we embarked we weredif-
(as if
we had not been bothered enough
already with the unruly Paddies),
nearly pestered to death with a detachmentof old Irish
women, who came from
ferent parts (on hearing of their sons havingenlisted), in order to
endeavour
to get
them
away from
us.
Following us down to the
12
RECOLLECTIONS OF
wator's edge, they
hung
to their offspring,forth such
and, dragging
them away, sentit
dismal howls and moans thatdistracting to hear them.
was quite
The Lieutenant
commanding theto keep
party, ordered
me
(being
the only Englishman present) to endeavour
them back.
It
was, however, as
much
as I could do to preserve myself
from
being torn to pieces by them, and I wasglad to escape out of their hands.
Atand
length
we got ourEngland.
lads safe on board,
set sail for
Xo
sooner were
we outfor,
at sea,
however,
than our troubles began afresh with these
hot-headed Paddieselse to do,
;
having now nothing
they got up a dreadful quarrelreligious
amongst themselves, and a
rowre-
immediately took place, the Catholics
viling the Protestants to such a degree that
a general fight ensued.
The poor
Protest-
ants (being few in
number) soon got the
worst of
it,
and
as fast as
we made matters
RIFLEMAN HARRIS.
13afresh
up among them, they broke outbeo-an the riot ao;ain.
and
From
Pill,
where we landed, we marchedto Bath.
to Bristol,
and thence
Whilst in
Bath, our Irish recruits roamed about the
town, staring at and admiring everything
they saw, as
if
they had just been taken
wild in the woods.
They
all
carried im-
mense
shillelaghs in theirfor a
fists,
which theyIndeed they
would not quit
moment.
seemed to think their veryon possession of these
lives
dependedbeing
bludgeons,
ready enough to make use of them on theslightest occasion.
From Bath we marched to Andover, and when we came upon Salisbury Plain,our Irish friends got up a fresh row.first
At
they appeared
uncommonlycommenced aone
pleased
with the scene, and, dispersing over the softcarpet of the Downs,Irish jigs,till
series of
at
length as
of
the
Catholics
was
setting to his partner (a Pro-
14
RECOLLECTIONS OF
testant), he
gave a whoop and a leap intoat the
the
air,
and
same time
(as if
he
couldn't bear the partnership of a heretic
any longer), dealt him a tremendous blowwith his shillelagh, and stretched him uponthe sod.
This was quite enough, and the
bludgeons immediately began playing awayat a
tremendous
rate.
The poor Protestants were again quicklydisposedfor theof,
and then arose a cry of Huzzaboys,
Wicklow
Huzza
for the Con-
naught boys, Huzzafor
for Munster,
and Huzza
Ulster!
They then recommenced the
fight
as if they were determined to
make
an
end
of
their
soldiering
altogether
upon Salisbury
Plains.
We
had, I
remem-
ber, four officers
with
us,
and they did their
best
to
pacify
their pugnacious recruits.
One
thrust himself amongst them, but was
instantly knocked
down
for his
pains, so
that he was glad enough to escape.
After
they had completely tired themselves, they
RIFLEMAN HARRIS.began to slackenapparently toin their endeavours,effect of the
15
and
feel the
blows
they dealt each other, and at length suffering themselves to be pacified, the officers got
them
into
Andover.
Scarcely hadthere,
we been a
couple of hours
and obtained some refreshment, ere
these incorrigible blackguards again com-
menced
quarrelling, and, collecting together
in the streets, created so serious a disturbance
that the officers, getting together aconstables, seized
body of
some of the most violent
and succeeded
in thrusting them- into thethis their
town
jail;
upon
companions again
collected,
and endeavoured to break open
the prison gates.Baffledinthis
attempt,
they rushed
through the streets knocking down every
body they met.
The drums now comfor a
menced beating upof
volunteer corps
the
town,
which,
quickly mustering,jail,
drew up
in the street before the
and
16
RECOLLECTIONS OForderedto
immediately werebaU.
load with
This somewhat pacified the rioters, and
our
officers
persuading them to
listen to
a
promise of pardon for the past, peace wasat length restored
amongst them.for Ashford,Rifles,
The next day we marchedin Kent, wdiere I joined the
95th
and
about six months after
my
joining, fouror-
companies of the second battahon weredered on the expedition to Denmark.
We
embarkedtile
at Deal,
andon a
sailing for the hoslittle
shores, landed
place called, I
think,
Scarlet Island,
somewhere between
Elsineur and Copenhagen.
The expedition
consisted of about 30,000
men, and at the moment of our getting onshore, the
whole force
set
up one simultaI
neous and tremendous cheer, a soundcannot describe,This, indeed,it
seemed sofirst
inspiring.
was the
time of
my
hear-
ing the style in which our
men give tongue
RIFLEMAIT HARRIS.
17
when they get near the enemy, thoughafterwards
my
ears
became pretty well
ac-
customed to such sounds.
As soon as we got on shore, the Rifles were pushed forward as the advance, in chainorder,
through some thick woods ofcleared these
fir,
and
when we had
woods and ap-
proached Copenhagen, sentries were posted
on the roads and openings leading towardsthe town, in order to interceptall
comers,
and prevent
all supplies.
Such posts we
occupied for about three days and nights,whilst theshipping.
town was being
fired
on by ourfirst
I rather think this
was the
time of Congreve rockets being broughtinto play,
and as they rushed through thethey appearedlike so
air in the dark,
many
fiery serpents, creating, Irible
should think, ter-
dismay among the besieged.the
main army came up, we advanced and got as near under the walls of the placeas
As
we could without being endangered by the
ISfire from
IlECOLLECTIONS OF
our own shipping.
"We
now receivedfirin