Part 5

=Rodrigues and Isle of France.=--To keep our order chronologically we must leave for a moment the army in Spain to call attention to the fact that it had become necessary, in order to protect British shipping from the French ships harbouring in the Isle of France, or the Mauritius, that the place should be taken from them. Previous to this, as part of the same plan, it had been decided to also take the Island of Rodrigues, as a preliminary to the capture of the Isle of Bourbon. For the action which was fought at Rodrigues it was decided to award a medal to those who had taken part in the expedition in the then French islands, and on September 10th, 1811, a General Order was issued stating that a medal would be awarded to those who had taken part in the action at Rodrigues, the defeat of the French on the Isle of Bourbon, and the capture of the Isle of France. The medal was awarded to native troops only, although the 86th and 96th Regiments bear BOURBON on their colours. 2,201 were struck, 45 gold and 2,156 silver. The obverse bears a figure of a sepoy standing beside a field gun, holding the Union Jack unfurled in his right hand, and in his left his musket with bayonet fixed; with his left foot he tramples on a French colour and Eagle, whilst the British fleet at anchor forms the background. On the reverse is a Persian inscription surrounding a laurel wreath, stating that "this medal was conferred in commemoration of the bravery and accustomed fidelity exhibited by the sepoys of the English company in the capture of the Mauritius Islands in the year of the Hegira 1226." Outside the wreath is the record RODRIGUES VI JULY MDCCCIX. BOURBON VIII JULY & ISLE OF FRANCE IN DEC. MDCCCX. The medal, 1⁹⁄₁₀ in. in diameter, was intended to be worn suspended from a silken cord.

It is noteworthy that a corporal of the 86th planted the regimental colours on the redoubt, and in the fight for the Isle of Bourbon Lieutenant Munro of the 86th was killed, also 17 men killed and 59 wounded. At the taking of the Isle of France only 29 of both services were killed, and less than 150 wounded and missing; besides the fleet of 70 sail, an army of 10,000 men under Major-General Abercromby took part in the expedition.

=Barrosa.=--On September 29th Wellington retired with the allied armies of 25,000 British and 30,000 Portuguese behind the famous lines of Torres Vedras, where his force was augmented by the arrival of English troops. Masséna made a series of ineffectual attacks, which had the effect of keeping Wellington's army from getting stale, and then retired to Santarem. Meanwhile a force of 4,500 British, under Lieutenant-General Graham, and 7,000 Portuguese under General Dom Manuel le Lapeña, reached Tarifa to operate against the rear of the French army under Marshal Victor at Chaclana. Graham had unfortunately contented himself with the command of his own troops, leaving Lapeña to assume the position of Commander-in-Chief. On April 5th, 1811, Lapeña halted his army on the Cerro de Puerco, now known as the heights of Barrosa. The Spaniards, lacking in discipline and devoid of _esprit de corps_, straggled into a situation which gave the keen-eyed French Marshal an opportunity he was not slow to take advantage of, for the blundering Lapeña had left a position which could have been held on the heights of Barrosa, with the result that his Spanish army was routed and driven towards the sea. Lapeña's stupidity had placed Graham in a very awkward situation. He had obeyed the command to move to Te Bermeja, but, apprised of the danger that threatened the Spanish General, he countermarched, only to find that Lapeña had bolted with his rabble of soldiery, and that the French held the key of the position. Graham determined to take the heights, and it is said there was never a shorter, more violent, or bloodier conflict; it lasted one hour and a quarter, and resulted in a loss to the French of about 3,000 killed and wounded, including General Ruffin and Brigadier Rousseau, who were mortally wounded, and six guns. The British out of their small army lost in killed and wounded about 1,243 men, including 50 officers and 60 sergeants. The 87th Regiment, Royal Irish Fusiliers, distinguished themselves by charging the French line, and capturing the Eagle of the 8th Infantry, the first to be taken during the war; two companies of the Coldstream Guards accompanied the 87th in its charge.

The following British regiments took part in the battle: 2nd Batts. of the Grenadier, Coldstream, and Scots Guards; flank companies of the 1st Batt. 9th Regiment; 1st Batt. 28th; flank companies 2nd Batt. 47th; 2nd Batt. 67th; flank companies 2nd Batt. 87th; 2nd Batt. 87th; 2nd and 3rd Batts. Rifle Brigade; Royal Artillery and Royal Engineers, also the 2nd Hussars of the King's German Legion.

The British had been under arms for twenty-four hours, and fought the battle with Lapeña and his men acting the part of spectators, except for the Spanish Walloon Guard and the regiment of Ciudad Real, who joined in the fray "impelled by the instinct natural to brave men." Napier, in comparing the two leaders at Barrosa, states: "The contemptible weakness of Lapeña furnished a surprising contrast to the heroic vigour of Graham, whose attack was an inspiration rather than a resolution--so wise, so sudden was the decision, so swift, so conclusive was the execution."

=Fuentes d'Onor.=--On Sunday, May 5th, 1811, the battle of Fuentes d'Onor (Fountain of Honour) was fought. The British and Portuguese armies under Marshal Beresford had invested Almeida, upon which Marshal Masséna marched his army, and the British light division and cavalry retired as the French advanced upon the village, which gave its name to the battle, and together with the heights behind was occupied by the 1st, 2nd, and 3rd division. The French attack upon the village on May 3rd necessitated the aid of reinforcements, and the 71st (Highland Light Infantry), the 79th (Cameron Highlanders), and the 24th (South Wales Borderers) were dispatched, the first-named regiment charging the enemy and driving them out of that portion of the village which they had occupied. The contest raged until nightfall, and over 250 officers and men fell on each side in what was practically a hand-to-hand conflict. The 4th was spent quietly, but on the 5th Masséna decided to try the fortune of the day, which at the commencement seemed to smile in his favour, for Junot carried the village of Posa Velha, while the French cavalry not only drove in the cavalry of the allies, but the whole movement caused Wellington to make a daring change of position, during which an episode unique in the annals of warfare took place. In the retirement, two guns, under Captain Norman Ramsey, had been left behind, and the French and British also were astounded to see Ramsey charge through the French masses at the head of his battery, "his horses breathing fire and stretching like greyhounds along the plain, his guns bounding like things of no weight, and the mounted gunners in close and compact order protecting the rear." Shortly after the 2nd Battalion of the Black Watch again distinguished itself by repulsing a charge of French dragoons.

While the fighting was proceeding on the vast plain, a furious attack was made on Fuentes d'Onor, which was desperately held by the 24th, 71st, and 79th Regiments, but the unequal contest was determined by the bayonet charge of the 88th Connaught Rangers. Nightfall compelled the cessation of hostilities, and both armies lay down to rest, looking to the morrow to decide the battle, but the French gave no sign of battle, and on the 8th retreated on the road to Ciudad Rodrigo. Masséna claimed Fuentes d'Onor as a victory, despite the fact that his object, to relieve Almeida, was unattained. In this sanguinary battle the British lost 200 killed, 1,028 wounded, and 294 missing. It is said that Masséna's total loss was about 3,000; of the French dead 200 were found in the lower village of Fuentes d'Onor. This was Masséna's last battle, Napoleon recalling the _enfant chéri de la victoire_, who returned to France broken-hearted, and when opportunity offered gave his allegiance to Louis XVIII.

The regiments engaged in the battle were the 2nd Foot Guards (Coldstreams), 3rd Foot Guards (Scots Guards), 1st Dragoons; 14th and 16th Light Dragoons; 1st, 4th, 5th, 9th, 24th, 30th, 38th, 42nd, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 60th, 71st, 74th, 79th, 83rd, 85th, 88th, 92nd, 94th, and the Rifle Brigade; Horse Artillery; 1st Hussars; 1st and 2nd Light Battalions, and the 1st, 2nd, 5th, and 7th Line Battalions of the King's German Legion.

=Albuera.=--"Modern history," wrote General Picton, "presents no example of an action so obstinately disputed as that of Albuera." It was there that the "Die-hards" gained their coveted name, and when the roll-call of the "Buffs" was called, after the battle, only three privates and a drummer answered to their names. It was the fight for the regimental colours which accounted in a degree for the grave loss of life, so Lieutenant-General Cust states. Ensign Thomas refused to yield the colours and was killed. Lieutenant Latham, when severely wounded, tore the precious flag he had received from Ensign Walsh from the broken staff, and concealed it under his body, where it was found after the battle by a sergeant of the 7th Fusiliers.

=Latham Gold Medal.=--Latham, who had a wonderful recovery, was presented by the officers of the "Buffs" with a gold medal commemorating the event, and a royal authority was given him to wear it. The "Buffs," as I have indicated, were almost annihilated--4 officers, 4 sergeants, and 208 rank and file were killed; 13 officers, 11 sergeants, 1 drummer, and 222 rank and file wounded; 1 officer wounded and taken prisoner; 2 officers, 15 sergeants, 1 drummer, and 161 rank and file missing--a loss of 644 officers and men in one battle. The "Buffs" had already lost 27 killed and 208 wounded, and 7 missing, at Talavera. The 57th, Middlesex Regiment, who were called upon by their dying Colonel Inglis to "die hard," went into action 570 strong, but when the battle was over, 23 officers and 400 rank and file "were lying as they had fought, in ranks, with every wound in the front."

The battle was fought on May 16th, 1811, the Spanish leaders agreeing that Marshal Beresford should have supreme command, and to receive battle in the village of Albuera. The allied army consisted of 32,000 infantrymen and 2,000 cavalry, with 38 guns; half the force was Spanish, and the other half equally composed of British and Portuguese. The Spaniards, as usual, were slack, and did not get into position properly. The battle opened by the French attacking the heights on the right of the Spaniards, and though they fought stubbornly at first they gradually gave way before the onslaught of the French. Matters had become very serious when General Stewart sent the leading brigade of his division up the hill under General Colborne; the advance was made in a drizzling rain. The French made several brilliant charges, and in the _mêlée_ the commanding officer, Marshal Beresford, was attacked by a Polish lancer, whom he seized bodily and threw from his saddle. Those were heroic days indeed! The bad weather, which had so far favoured the French, actually helped to save the day for the English, for the drizzling rain prevented Marshal Soult from appreciating the sad condition of the British. On the heights the 31st had resolutely held its ground; other regiments had been cut to pieces, and Beresford thought of retreat, when the cool daring of Colonel (afterwards Lord) Hardinge, who took upon himself to order General Cole to advance, and, taking General Abercromby's brigade to the ground, saved the day--to which, by the way, the Portuguese regiments of the fourth division contributed--General Cole leading the 7th and 23rd Fusiliers in person. Cole drove off the Lancers and recovered the lost guns, but ere the enemy were driven from the ridge, they had fired a terrific volley from all the guns, which killed Sir William Myers, wounded the intrepid Cole and three officers, while the Fusiliers "reeled and staggered under the iron tempest like sinking ships, but nothing could stop them." Soult, rushing into the thickest of the fight, tried to encourage his brave soldiers to stand; it was useless. "Suddenly and sternly recovering, they closed on their terrible enemies, and then was seen with what a strength and majesty the British soldier fights." To again quote Napier, "Nothing could stop that astonishing infantry ... their measured tread shook the ground, their dreadful volleys swept away the head of every formation ... the French reserve, mixing with the struggling multitude, endeavoured to sustain the fight, but the effort only increased the irremediable confusion; the mighty mass gave way, and like a loosened cliff went headlong down the steep. The rain flowed after it in streams, discoloured with blood, and 1,500 unwounded men, the remnant of 6,000 unconquerable British soldiers, stood triumphant on the fatal hill." The dead and wounded lay in two distinct lines on the ground, and in such compact masses that 7,000 bodies occupied so small an area that the artillery advancing into action had to pass over the living and the dead, friend and enemy.

=The Immortals.=--The "Die-hards," the "Buffs," the 7th Fusiliers, and the 23rd Welsh Fusiliers immortalised themselves in that bloodiest of all battles, where in four hours no less than 15,000 men were placed _hors de combat_. Well might M. Thiers say that "a sort of fatality rendered the heroic bravery of our troops powerless against the cold courage of the English." The 23rd lost 347 men, 80 killed, and 257 wounded and missing, and it is noteworthy that one company was brought out of action by a corporal. The 29th mustered only 2 captains and about 100 junior officers and men; the 57th was little better off, likewise the 48th when the French were driven across the Albuera River. Of the 7,000 British soldiers engaged, 4,300 were killed or wounded; the dead included Major-General Houghton, who was killed while leading his division, 33 officers, 33 sergeants, and 917 men. The Spanish and Portuguese allies lost about 2,000 men killed or wounded, and as the allied army consisted of about 34,000 men, the brunt of the fighting was borne by the British troops. The French, who numbered about 33,000, lost about 1,000 more men than the British, including 5 of their General Officers killed or wounded; 2,000 dead and 800 of their worst wounded were left on the field when the French drew off, leaving the British uncertain as to what the morrow might bring forth, but reinforcements coming for the British, Soult moved off in the direction of Badajoz, followed by Beresford.

The following regiments took part in the battle: 3rd Dragoon Guards; 4th Dragoons; 13th Light Dragoons; 1st, 3rd Foot (the "Buffs"); 1st and 2nd 7th (Royal Fusiliers); 1st 23rd (Welsh Fusiliers); 1st 27th Inniskillings; 2nd 28th; 29th; 2nd 31st; 2nd 34th; 2nd 39th (Dorsetshire); 1st 40th; 1st and 2nd 48th (Northamptonshire); 1st 57th (West Middlesex); 1st and 2nd 60th and four companies of the 5th Battalion; 2nd 66th (Berkshire); 97th Queen's Own; 1st and 2nd Light Battalions of the King's German Legion, and one company of Brunswick Oels.

=Java.=--The capture of the East Indian island of Java, which the Dutch called the most precious jewel in their diadem, was effected after operations lasting from July 27th, 1811, when Lieutenant Edmund Lyons--after Admiral Lyons--made a daring landing with a few seamen, until August 26th, ten days after the battle fought at Serondel near Samarang. During this expedition the storming of Fort Cornelis took place, when the enemy lost 1,000 killed; and three Brigadiers, 30 Field Officers, 70 Captains, 140 Subalterns, and 5,000 rank and file prisoners; 400 cannons were captured. A million sterling was received by the British force as prize money. The British loss (naval and military) was 150 killed, 788 wounded, and 16 missing. By the Treaty of Vienna Java was restored to the Dutch in 1814.

=H.E.I. Co.'s Java Medal.=--A medal, 1·9 in. in diameter, was awarded by the Honourable East India Company to the sepoys who took part in the expedition. On the reverse is depicted the attack upon Fort Cornelis, with a British flag flying above the Dutch, and above all CORNELIS. The following is inscribed in Persian upon the reverse: "This medal was conferred in commemoration of the bravery and courage displayed by the sepoys of the English company, in the capture of the Kingdom of Java in the year of the Hegira 1228." "Java conquered XXVI August MDCCCXI." 133 gold and 6,519 silver medals of this type were struck.

King George III conferred gold medals upon the officers engaged, and when the Naval and the Military General Service Medals were awarded, the surviving participants in the capture received a medal with bar inscribed JAVA. Four distinct medals were issued for this expedition.

The military present at the capture of Java were the 14th (now West Yorkshire Regiment), 59th (now 2nd East Lancashire Regiment), 69th (now 2nd Welsh Regiment), 78th Highland Regiment (now 2nd Seaforths), 89th (now Royal Irish Fusiliers), Bengal Volunteers and sepoys of "John Company."

=Ciudad Rodrigo.=--The siege of Ciudad Rodrigo followed the "soldiers' battle" of Albuera. The army, after considerable manœuvring, marching, and countermarching, besieged Ciudad Rodrigo, which, together with the siege of Badajos, had to be undertaken before Wellington's plan of campaign could be carried out. On January 1st, 1812, the order for the siege of the fortress was suddenly issued, but some days elapsed before the order could be put into execution, owing to the inclement weather, snowstorms preventing any possibility of operations. On the 8th the investment of the fortress was commenced, and the earth redoubt of Teson Grande stormed and taken by Colonel Colborne with three companies of the 52nd Regiment. On the 13th the Convent of Santa Cruz, one of the two convents which had been fortified by the French, was stormed and carried by the light companies of the brigade of Guards, and on the night between the 14th and 15th the 40th Regiment escaladed and carried the fortified San Francisco Convent. Meanwhile preparations had been progressing for the general assault, which took place on the night of January 19th. Wellington had written in his orders "Ciudad must be stormed this evening," and the order was carried out in a brilliant manner, but alas! two British Generals were killed, General Crauford being mortally wounded whilst leading the light division, and General Mackinnon killed on reaching the ramparts of the greater breach. In this assault General Picton adjured the Connaught Rangers, who passed with the forlorn hope to storm the breach, to "spare powder and trust to cold iron," and it was by the use of the bayonet that the 43rd and 95th drove the French from the "fausse braye." The city was taken after a siege lasting twelve days, but the troops "committed frightful excesses," which some have condoned as a prescriptive right which successful besiegers may enjoy. The British losses were 9 officers and 217 rank and file killed, 84 officers--including Major-General Vandeleur and Major (afterwards Sir George) Napier, who lost an arm--and 1,000 men wounded. For the successful issue to his generalship, Wellington received the patent of an earl, and was made a Spanish duke, the British Government increasing his annuity to £4,000 per annum.

The regiments engaged in the siege were the 2nd Foot Guards (the Coldstreams); 3rd Foot Guards (Scots Guards); 5th, 7th, 24th, 30th, 40th, 42nd, 43rd, 45th, 48th, 52nd, 60th, 74th, 77th, 83rd, 88th, 94th, 97th, and the Rifle Brigade.

=Siege of Badajoz.=--Before bringing to a successful issue the siege of Ciudad Rodrigo, Wellington had been busily engaged in preparing for the third siege of Badajoz. On March 16th, 1812, it was invested, but the weather for some time was particularly unfavourable to the besiegers, rain falling in torrents so that the men in the trenches were knee-deep in mud and water. By March 23rd, however, the weather had improved, and the ground was in better condition for placing the guns, which by the 25th were in position at Picurina, the place being taken by storm on that day. On the 26th breaching batteries opened fire on the city, and by April 6th it was deemed possible to storm the castle by escalade, Picton's division being ordered to do so. The bastion of La Trinidad was to be stormed by Colville's division, and the Santa Maria by the light division under Colonel Barnard, while the lunette of San Rocque was to be carried by the 48th under Major Wilson. At 10 o'clock at night the attack was made: General Kempts, leading his brigade to the foot of the castle, was there wounded, but, his men dashing on, the castle was won in an hour and a half. "At the breaches the tumult was such as if the earth had been rent asunder ... the carnage was frightful. It is doubtful whether, since the invention of gunpowder, any mass of men had ever been more fearfully exposed to all its murderous power. The dying were piled upon the dead in mounds, which the living could not pass; and the French soldiers, undisturbed in their avocation, raised the deriding cry _'Vive l'Empéreur!'_" By midnight 2,000 men had fallen outside the city, and Wellington ordered the troops to withdraw; but this was as impossible as to go forward. Meanwhile some of the 5th division had entered the town (the 4th Regiment being in first), which by 6 o'clock the next morning was surrendered by the Governor. The besiegers lost 131 officers and 1,707 rank and file killed, and 564 officers and 6,083 men wounded. Napier states that "when the havoc of the night was told to Wellington, the pride of conquest sunk into a passionate burst of grief for the loss of his gallant soldiers," for in the assault alone the British casualties were 59 officers and 744 men killed, and 258 officers and 2,600 rank and file wounded. No wonder one of the Connaught Rangers exclaimed with an oath, "Och! Boys, Soudradrodrago was but a flay-bite to this." The 43rd Monmouth Light Infantry lost more men than any other regiment; 20 officers, including its chief, Colonel M'Leod (who was only twenty-seven), 335 sergeants and privates killed and wounded. Alas! the Saturnalia of Ciudad Rodrigo was repeated, and the disciplined men who had fought with such valour gave way to demoniacal passions which we of to-day can scarce believe. The indignity of the threatened gallows was the only way in which Wellington could curb his men, but not before several of the worst plunderers had been executed.

The following regiments were engaged at the siege and storming of Badajoz: 2nd Foot Guards; 1st, 4th, 5th, 7th, 23rd, 24th, 30th, 38th, 40th, 43rd, 44th, 45th, 48th, 52nd, 60th, 74th, 77th, 83rd, 85th, 88th, 94th, and 95th Regiments, the Rifle Brigade, and the 13th and 14th Light Dragoons.