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Passages in the Early Military Life of General Sir George T. Napier

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Passages in the Early Military Life of General Sir George T. Napier GENERAL SIR GEORGE THOMAS NAPIER, K.C.B LONDON : PRINTED BY SrOTTISWOODB ASD CO., NEW-STREET 3QUABT5 AND PARLIAMENT STREET at Ike, age of 50 . ofFlcrreroce- . PASSAGES IN THE EARLY MILITARY LIFE OF GENERAL SIR GEORGE T. NAPIER, KGB. WRITTEN BY HIMSELF EDITED BY HIS SON GENERAL W. C. E. NAPIER WITH PORTRAIT LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1884 All rights reservrii DEDICATED TO THE 52 ND LIGHT INFANTRY IN WHICH GLOBIOUS REGIMENT SIR GEORGE NAPIER RECEIVED HIS EDUCATION AS A SOLDIER AND PASSED THE HAPPIEST YEARS OF HIS MILITARY CAREER 495928 PEEFACE. THE narrative from which the following extracts are taken was written in the year 1828 by my father, entirely for the instruction and amusement of his children, and not with any view to publi- cation. Having lately become possessed of the manuscript, it has appeared to me and to others of my family that the publication of portions of it might be useful to young officers, and not with- out interest to the general reader, as it relates to stirring times, and treats of scenes and men of historic interest and fame. I therefore venture to lay these extracts before the public, premising that if the language used and the lessons of morality and conduct inculcated appear to be simple and homely, it must be recollected that Vlll PREFACE. the narrative was written for boys and girls of a tender age. General Sir George Thomas Napier was the second son of Colonel the Hon. George and Lady Sarah Napier. He was born in June 1784, en- tered the army in January 1800, at the age of fifteen and a half, served in the Corufia cam- paign as aide-de-camp to Sir John Moore, and in the Peninsular war with the 52nd Eegiment ; served afterwards in the Guards ; was Governor of the Cape of Good Hope 1838-44, and died at Geneva on the 8th of September, 1855. What his character was will be gathered from the narrative itself. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. PAGE Choice of a Profession Sir Charles Napier Sir William Napier Captain Henry Napier, R.N. 24th Light Dragoons 46th Regiment Sir James Duff 52nd Regiment Sir John Moore Mr. Conolly Debt Threatened Invasion of England Lord Frederick Bentinck Recruiting in Ireland Sir Samuel Gibbs Colonel the Honourable George Napier Lord Comwallis Nelson Collingwood Tangier A Levanter Tetuan Ceuta Messina Scylla and Charybdis Things that an Officer should observe when Travelling Should keep a Journal Courts-Martial Sicily 1 CHAPTER II. Expedition to Sweden Portugal Convention of Cintra Aide- de-Camp to Sir John Moore Anecdote of Moore March to Salamanca Retreat on Coruna General Lefevre Desnouettes Lugo Army Disorganised Officers Grumbling Their Duty to obey, not to criticise Battle of Coruna Death of Sir John Moore Majors Napier and Stanhope of the 50th Regiment Sir David Baird The Duke of York Sir David Dundas General Order on the Death of Moore Despatch of the Battle of Coruna 40 X CONTENTS. CHAPTER III. THE PENINSULAR WAR. PAGE Lord Lynedoch Passage of the Douro March of Craufurd's Brigade to Talavera Retreat to Portugal Sickness among the Troops The Lines of Torres Vedras Lord Wellington Gallantry of a French Detachment The Private Soldier Combat of the Coa General Alava Battle of Busaco Retreat to the Lines of Torres Vedras The Medical Depart- ment Lisbon Young Ladies Captain Pakenham, R.N. 103 CHAPTER IV. Advance from the Lines of Torres Vedras Night Alarm The' Brunswick Oels Regiment Execution of Deserters Wel- lington's kindness of Heart Pursuit of Massena French method of obtaining Provisions Affair of Redinha Adjutant Winterbottom, 52nd Regiment Sir William Erskine Death of Lieutenant Gifford, 52nd Regiment A Hot Day's Work Brother William and self wounded Lord March Colonel Light Private John Dunn Coimbra General Beckwith Adventure with a Thief. 160 CHAPTER V. Promotion General Craufurd refuses to let me join the Portu- guese Army Lord Beresford Portuguese Army Colonel Ross. 52nd Regiment Siege of Ceudad Rodrigo Assault of the Lesser Breach Lieutenant Gurwood, 52nd Regiment Wounded Prince of Orange General Vandeleur Arm Amputated Medical Etiquette Colonel Colborne, 52nd Regiment General Craufurd His Death The Light Division Craufurd's character Wellington's care of his Sick and Wounded Return to England 202 CONTENTS. XI CHAPTER VI. PAGE Marriage Appointed to the Staff at York Rejoin the 52nd at St. Jean de Luz Lord March joins the Regiment Decline a Staff Appointment Character of Sir Edward Pakenham His Death at New Orleans Sir Samuel Gibbs Battle of Orthez Lord March wounded Anecdote of Wellington Tarbes Colonel Sturgeon Conduct of the Spanish Army in France That of the Portuguese That of the French Battle of Toulouse Councils of War condemned Welling- ton's character. 232 CHAPTER VII. Appointed to the Command of the 71st Light Infantry Succeed in restoring the Tone and Discipline of the Regiment How to Command a Regiment Was Soult aware of the Peace when he Fought the Battle of Toulouse ? The 71st left to bring up the rear of the Army marching to Bordeaux Good Conduct of the Regiment on the March Arrive at Bordeaux Adventure on the River Sail for England. 264 CHAPTER VIII. Concluding Extract Death and Burial of Lady Louisa Conolly. 284 Addenda and Errata. ' Page 16, insert as foot-note to 'Colonel Eowan (line 10), 'Colonel Charles Rowan served in the Peninsula, France, and Flanders ; was wounded at Waterloo.' 26, 1. 14, for in the read on the very spot 34, 1. 3 from foot, for that our soldiers read and our soldiers 43, 1. 6, for Burnard read Burrard 48, 1. 1, delete he before did ' 70, insert as foot-note to ' Major-General Sir Henry Hardinge * (1. 9), Major-General Sir Henry Hardinge, G.C.B., was born in 1785, became Governor-General of India in 1844, was created Viscount Hardinge of Lahore in 1846, commander- in-chief of the British army in 1852, field-marshal in 1855, and died in 1856.' 106, insert as foot-note to 'Sir H. D. Eoss' (1. 12), 'Sir Hew Dalrymple Ross, K.C.B., was dangerously wounded at Bada- jos; he served in France and at Waterloo, and became adjutant-general of artillery.' 136, 1. 8, for Lord Downes read Lord Downe GENERAL SIR GEORGE T. NAPIER. CHAPTER I. Choice of a Profession Sir Charles Napier Sir William Napier Captain Henry Napier, R.N. 24th Light Dragoons 46th Regiment Sir James Duff 52nd Regiment Sir John Moore Mr. Conolly Debt Threatened Invasion of England Lord Frederick Bentinck Recruiting in Ireland Sir Samuel Gibbs Colonel the Honourable George Napier Lord Cornwallis Nelson Collingwood Tangier a Levanter Tetuan Ceuta Messina Scylla and Charybdis Things that an Officer should observe when Travelling Should keep a Journal Courts- Martial Sicily. I WAS at first determined to be a sailor, and was ' entered on the books of the Invincible,' Captain but as the sea Thomas Packenham ; disagreed with me I did not join the ship. I then thought I would be a clergyman (and a good clergyman, let is the of and if me observe, most respectable men ; he has the will, has the power to do more real good to his fellow-creatures, and particularly to the other of poor, than almost any member society ; B 2 GEKERAL SLR GEORGE T. NAPIER. CH. i. there is no situation in which one can, by a scrupulous discharge of one's duty, prove more useful to mankind in this life, or more sure of being acceptable to God in the next), as niy uncle, Mr. Conolly, had a living in Bedfordshire which he would have given me when fit for it. However, after working at Latin I was so idle, and disliked it so much, that I would not go into the Church, but said I would be a soldier, as I liked fighting, a red coat, and a sword ! Now here it is necessary to observe that it was lucky I was only a little boy at the time, and did not know my own mind, therefore, the saying I would change my profes- sion was mere words and did not signify. Had I been a young man and entered first the Navy, then altered my mind and gone to College to study for the Church, got tired of study, and after all entered the Army, why, I should have been fit for nothing, being too old to like the drill and a subaltern must I should hard work go through ; have acquired lazy and idle habits, and been totally unfit for my profession, which, above all others (except the navy), requires a man to be strong in body and mind, able and willing to bear and of all kinds fatigue, deprivations, hardships ; CH. I. SIR CHARLES NAPIER. 3 and not only to bear them without a murmur, but to seek them, always volunteering for every sort of for the the the more duty ; greater fatigue, severe the hardships, and greater the danger, the more glorious is the soldier's life. When a man once fixes on a profession he is bound to pursue it ardently, zealously, and indefatigably, till he mounts to the top of it, or is provided for by death. Now to resume my narrative. Being, as I said, determined to enter the army, I studied, or rather flattered myself I studied, mathematics and French, but not being much looked after, what I did learn was very superficial, and I soon forgot it all, to my inexpressible sorrow^ as even the little I did acquire would now be of vast use to you [his children].
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