All for the King's Shilling
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
ALL FOR THE KING’S SHILLING AN ANALYSIS OF THE CAMPAIGN AND COMBAT EXPERIENCES OF THE BRITISH SOLDIER IN THE PENINSULAR WAR, 1808-1814 DISSERTATION Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Edward James Coss, M.A. The Ohio State University 2005 Dissertation Committee: Approved by: Professor John Guilmartin, Adviser _______________________________ Professor Mark Grimsley Adviser Professor John Lynn Graduate Program in History Copyright by Edward J. Coss 2005 ABSTRACT The British soldier of the Peninsular War, 1808-1814, has in the last two centuries acquired a reputation as being a thief, scoundrel, criminal, and undesirable social outcast. Labeled “the scum of the earth” by their commander, the Duke of Wellington, these men were supposedly swept from the streets and jails into the army. Their unmatched success on the battlefield has been attributed to their savage and criminal natures and Wellington’s tactical ability. A detailed investigation, combining heretofore unmined demographic data, primary source accounts, and nutritional analysis, reveals a picture of the British soldier that presents his campaign and combat behaviors in a different light. Most likely an unemployed laborer or textile worker, the soldier enlisted because of economic need. A growing population, the impact of the war, and the transition from hand-made goods to machined products displaced large numbers of workers. Men joined the army in hopes of receiving regular wages and meals. In this they would be sorely disappointed. Enlisted for life, the soldier’s new primary social group became his surrogate family. The shared hardship of campaign and battle forged bonds of extraordinary strength between the British soldier and the men with whom he fought, lived, and suffered. When the commissariat failed to feed him, the soldier plundered out of desperation, sharing whatever could be found with his comrades. With little in the way of ii sustaining support on campaign, such as medals, chances for promotion, or the appreciation of the British public, the men looked to each other for esteem. Group mores, which put an emphasis on selfless acts that enhanced group survival, become the paramount driving force. Such group values applied on and off the battlefield; the ranker learned to lean on his group in order to face the physical and psychological demands of campaign and combat. No more a criminal than any other soldier of the Napoleonic wars, the British soldier was common in most every respect, except in his ability to adapt and survive under desperate circumstances. His victories in battle were the direct outcome of primary group cohesion and shared privation, not his base nature. iii Dedicated to David Chandler (1934-2004), friend, mentor, and consummate historian, and to Deb, Ben, and Brittany. They know why. iv ACKNOWLEDGMENTS I am indebted to a number of exceptional people, each of whom has contributed significantly to this endeavor. Any spark of insight comes from the inspiration they collectively and selflessly provided. First and foremost, I would like to thank, profusely, John Guilmartin and John Rule, my long-time mentors; I don’t have the words to express what their continued support, guidance, and infectious love of history have meant to me. Every graduate student should be so lucky as to have two such fine scholars and gentlemen as academic guides. I would also offer my appreciation to John Lynn and Mark Grimsley for their advice and insight into military history. Having access to such first-rate intellects has been rewarding and epiphanal, not to mention down-right enjoyable. As for support, I have had the great fortune to rely on Faith Anne Myers. It is her mathematical, statistical, and editorial abilities, combined with her unfailing confidence in me and the ideas underlying this dissertation, that have made much of this work possible. In addition, Judy Duguid, Phil Fry, and Tim Pray have provided editorial assistance as well as advice on content and approach; like Faith Anne, they have done yeoman work on my behalf, all the while offering unconditional support. Such extraordinary friends are priceless. v I also believe that the encouragement of David Chandler, a long-time friend and an unmatched genius when it came to military history, made an important difference over the years. From the genesis of this work, over a decade ago, to its now completed state, I have shared my ideas with him. When his health deteriorated, we exchanged letters and cards. I wrote this dissertation as if David were in the room reading over my shoulder. A special thanks goes to Joby Abernathy. Without her care, advice, and efforts on my behalf, I never would have survived the harrowing waters of graduate school bureaucracy. Like an angel, she watched over me and guided me out of harm’s way. Finally, this work would never have germinated beyond simple musings without the support and understanding of my wife Debra, and my two children, Ben and Brittany. My wife has traveled with me abroad and assisted me in gathering research, from the Public Records Office in London to Invalides in Paris. She also helped compile the demographic research contained herein. She has listened, bemused and tolerant, as I shared each aspect of my discoveries. Brittany was also pressed into service inputting data, much to her regret. Both she and Ben have put up with my seemingly endless streams of historical anecdotes and insights with an amazing degree of forbearance. The impact of my enthusiasm has not gone unnoticed: Ben has chosen architecture and Brittany medicine as their areas of academic interest. History was never in the running. Deb, Ben, and Britt have somehow understood my passion for military history and my need to comprehend and analyze the behavior of men in battle. They have put up with my absences, my need for solitude, and my piles of research notes and books without complaint. They have been my sustaining motivation throughout. My gratitude to all these people knows no bounds. vi VITA January 25, 1954 ...................................................................................Born - Toledo, Ohio 1976....................................................................................................Bachelor of Education University of Toledo Toledo, Ohio 1984................................................................................................................ Master of Arts History The Ohio State University Columbus, Ohio PUBLICATIONS “The Great War, Spanish Flu, and Memory,” Focus Magazine, 12.34 (2004). “The British Soldier in the Peninsular War: The Acquisition of an Unjust Reputation,” Journal of the Western Society for French History, 18, 1991. Presented at the annual meeting of the Western Society for French History, Santa Barbara, California, 1991. “The British Soldier Against Napoleon: A New Appraisal,” Journal of the Napoleonic Society of America, 30, Clearwater, 1990. Presented at the Historical Conference on the Iberian Peninsula, held in Lisbon, Portugal, 1989 and the annual conference of the Napoleonic Society of America in Montreal, Canada, 1990. “Trial by Fire: The Combat Behavior of the British Soldier in the Peninsular War,” Proceedings of the Consortium on Revolutionary Europe. Tallahassee, 1989. Presented at the Consortium on Revolutionary Europe, the Bicentennial of the French Revolution, in Tallahassee, Florida, 1989. “The Misadventures of Wellington’s Cavalry, from the Peninsula to Waterloo,” Journal of the Waterloo Committee, X (April), London, 1988. Presented at the First Historical Congress on the Duke of Wellington, held in Southampton, England, 1987. vii FIELDS OF STUDY Major Field: History Area of Emphasis: Military History Minor Fields: History of Early Modern Europe History of Modern Europe viii TABLE OF CONTENTS Abstract............................................................................................................................... ii Dedication.......................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgments................................................................................................................v Vita..................................................................................................................................... vi List of Tables .......................................................................................................................x List of Figures.................................................................................................................. xiv Chapters: 1. Introduction......................................................................................................................1 2. Manufacturing the Myth of the Scum of the Earth........................................................46 3. Gone for a Soldier: The Realities of Enlistment............................................................72 4. Over the Hills and Far Away: Surviving on Campaign...............................................137 5. Ordeal by Fire: The British Soldier in Combat............................................................234 6. Into Hell before Daylight: Peninsular War Sieges.......................................................299 7. Conclusion ...................................................................................................................326