Rough Sketches of the Life of an Old Soldier
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Acerca de este libro Esta es una copia digital de un libro que, durante generaciones, se ha conservado en las estanterías de una biblioteca, hasta que Google ha decidido escanearlo como parte de un proyecto que pretende que sea posible descubrir en línea libros de todo el mundo. Ha sobrevivido tantos años como para que los derechos de autor hayan expirado y el libro pase a ser de dominio público. El que un libro sea de dominio público significa que nunca ha estado protegido por derechos de autor, o bien que el período legal de estos derechos ya ha expirado. Es posible que una misma obra sea de dominio público en unos países y, sin embargo, no lo sea en otros. Los libros de dominio público son nuestras puertas hacia el pasado, suponen un patrimonio histórico, cultural y de conocimientos que, a menudo, resulta difícil de descubrir. 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El programa de Búsqueda de libros de Google ayuda a los lectores a descubrir los libros de todo el mundo a la vez que ayuda a autores y editores a llegar a nuevas audiencias. Podrá realizar búsquedas en el texto completo de este libro en la web, en la página http://books.google.com 1 This is a reproduction of a library book that was digitized by Google as part of an ongoing effort to preserve the information in books and make it universally accessible. https://books.google.com \ r \ * i t ROUGH. SKETCHES OF THE LIFE OF AN OLD SOLDIER: DURING A SERVICE IN THE WEST INDIES; AT THE SIEGE OF COPENHAGEN IN 1807; IN THE PENINSULA AND THE SOUTH OF FRANCE IN THE CAMPAIGNS FROM 1808 to 1814, WITH THE LIGHT DIVISION J IN THE NETHERLANDS IN 1815; INCLUDING THE BATTLES OF QUATRE BRAS AND WATERLOO : WITH A SLIGHT SKETCH OF THE THREE YEARS PASSED BY THE ARMY OF OCCUPATION IN FRANCE, &c. 4c. 4tc. c ' By LIEUT.-COLONEL J. LEACH, C.B. LATE OF THE RIFLE BRIGADE, AND PREVIOUSLY OF THE 70tu REOIMENT. LONDON: PRINTKD FOR LONGMAN, REES, ORME, BROWN, AND GREEN, PATERNOSTER ROW. M.DCCC.XXXI. TO THE 70th REGIMENT, AND THE OLD 95th, (NOW THE RIFLE BRIGADE), ' , IN WHICH TWO CORPS I PASSED ONE AND TWENTY EVENTFUL YEARS, THE FOLLOWING PAGES BY THEIR OLD AND SINCERELY ATTACHED COMRADE, J. LEACH. U - -a o . » f; 2 la S- I -o PREFACE. As it is the fashion now-a-days for every one to become an author, I see no reason why I should not try my hand at it also, and let my book run the same risk of being criti cised, lashed, and abused by the literati (if, indeed, they deign to peruse it), as is every day the case with some production or other, and to which every one, who is bold enough to make similar experiments, must make up his mind. Such as mine is, forth it goes to the world ; and it must be taken for better for worse. During many years of active service, I kept a daily journal, in which I inserted matters and things as they appeared to me at the instant; and from which journals, aided by a tolerably fair memory, and some old notes and memoranda, the following pages were put together in a rough state many PREFACE. years ago, and may therefore, with great propriety, be styled "Rough Sketches." I pretend not to any thing resembling a history of the Peninsular War. A very old Light Division comrade of mine, Colonel Napier, has already done it in so masterly a style, as to throw every other work on the same subject comparatively into the shade. The operations of the Light Division of the Peninsular army I have detailed more minutely than those of any other. That division was, during a succession of cam paigns, much detached from the mass of the army, having ample employment at the outposts. But I have not omitted to men tion, also, the movements of other divisions, whenever an opportunity offered for my be coming acquainted with them. It is unnecessary to remind my military readers, that as I never, for one hour in my whole life, held a staff appointment, but always did duty with my regiment, it was impossible that I could be acquainted, on every occasion, with the general combined movements of so large an army. Those, however, who may have patience PREFACE. ix to wade through my " Rough Sketches," will find in them a little about voyages, storms, shipwrecks, yellow fevers, musquitos, san- garee and sangarorum, sharks, dolphins, and flying-fish ; night marches and day marches, camps and bivouacs, advances and retreats, skirmishes, battles, and sieges; signoras, waltzes, boleros, and fandangos; bull-fights, wild boar shooting, wolves, and red deer ; British soldiers, and French, Spanish, and Portuguese, — all of which I have endea voured to depict in their true colours. If I have failed in my attempt, I am sorry for it ; but my regret will be infinitely greater, if any of my brother-soldiers, whe ther of the cavalry, infantry, artillery, or engineers, either of the Peninsular army, or of that which fought at Waterloo, should accuse me of not having rendered due praise to the conduct of their respective divisions, brigades, or regiments, on particular occa- • sions. Let me again remind them, that I was always regimentally employed ; and that if any such omissions exist in my book, they are quite unintentional. That they will be viewed in that light, X PREFACE. by the liberal-minded, I entertain neither fear nor doubt. Forty -nine out of every- fifty of the scenes which I have here endeavoured to describe, I was an eye-witness of; and, on one or two occasions, when agues and fevers placed me for a short period on the sick list, the events which took place in the in terim I became acquainted with, by being allowed to have access to the log-books of some one or other of my brother-officers. The thread of the narrative is therefore unbroken. CONTENTS. Preface Page vii CHAPTER I. Join my regiment in Jersey. Embark for England. Winter at Chatham. The 52d regiment made Light Infantry. New system of drill introduced. Encamp at Shorncliffe in Kent. French camp and flotilla at Boulogne. Invasion threatened, and precautions taken by Sir John Moore. The Duke of York reviews the troops at Shorncliffe. Sudden order for our regiment to embark for the West Indies. Unfortunate occurrence on the march from Shorncliffe to Portsmouth. Remarks thereon. Embark and sail for Barbadoes. Tre mendous storm. Various occurrences on the voyage. Arrive at Barbadoes. First impressions as to climate, &c. Death of the Commander-in-Chief of the West Indies. We pro ceed to Antigua. The harbour and dock-yard. Disembark at midnight. Lose my baggage. Scarcity of fresh water in Antigua. The regiment suffers dreadfully from yellow fever. Its losses. Hurricane. Officers' funerals. The military governor and his brigade-major die. A receipt for yellow fever. Dancing and other gaieties.