1808: The Road to Corunna Read online

  Percy Austen and I worked hard with our troop. I had been away too long from them and I knew that we needed to be at the peak of our training if we were to fight in the upcoming conflict. Some of the troopers took a shine to Georgie. I think it is the British love of an underdog. When they heard how the Navy had treated him they took him under their wing and made him one of their own. Sergeant Joe Seymour took a special interest in the Portuguese. One of Joe’s brothers had died at Trafalgar and, for some reason, it made them closer. Joe also began the Portuguese lessons. He had no idea why he was doing so but he seemed to enjoy it.

  By the time May came we had extra horses and most of the troops were up to their full complement. We just heard rumours from the Continent. I had wondered why I had not been summoned by Colonel Selkirk. I was not unhappy about the fact that I had been overlooked but I was curious. Finally, in the first week of June, Colonel Fenton and I were summoned to Whitehall. I took heart from the fact that the colonel was with me. It seemed unlikely that I would be sent spying again. That suited me.

  We left early to make the journey in one day. “We will stay at my club.”

  I glanced around at Sharp, “But sir, Sergeant Sharp.”

  “They have rooms for servants, don’t worry Robbie.” He chuckled, “The major tells me we now have two colonels in the regiment!”

  “I do not think so, sir.”

  “It may prove useful to you. I know you have a private income but you are a born soldier. The troopers and the officers admire you and you are damned lucky. That is a fearsome combination. Do not shun the talents that God has given you.”

  “It will be a long war anyway colonel. I shall be happy just to survive.”

  “You are right there.” He threw away the stub of the cigar he had smoked since leaving the barracks. “Portugal, Robbie, what do you make of it?”

  “It is not cavalry country; lots of narrow passes and raging rivers. From what I heard Spain is better but we would have to take Portugal first.”

  “I hope they have a decent general. The Duke of York was a fine fellow but he didn’t know his arse from his elbow when it came to tactics. Pardon my French!”

  “Sir Arthur Wellesley has his head screwed on. He is not a particularly nice man but then again neither is Bonaparte. I think he can do a fine job if he is given the chance.”

  “That’s the trouble with us English Robbie. We want everyone to be a nice chap.”

  I smiled. I was half French and half Scottish. There was not a drop of English blood in my veins.

  When we reached Whitehall, Sharp waited with the horses and we joined Colonel Selkirk. He was effusive in his praise for me. This was unusual and had me worried. “Their lordships were more than happy with your intelligence Robbie. You did a grand job.”

  The colonel and I waited. Colonel Selkirk continued, “Obviously we will be sending troops out there.” He addressed Colonel Fenton, “As Robbie may have told you it is not cavalry country but we want you to have a squadron ready to go to Portugal at a moment’s notice.”

  Colonel Fenton nodded, “And you would want Captain Matthews to command I take it?”

  “Well that would make sense. He could combine his work as an intelligence officer with his cavalry duties.” Colonel Selkirk frowned. “Is there a problem, Colonel?”

  “You seem to be putting a great deal of unnecessary pressure on my officer. You expect him to do your work and run a squadron. It is not satisfactory at all.”

  I saw Colonel Selkirk reach for the whisky bottle. I smiled. If he thought he could sweet talk Colonel Fenton with whisky then he was wrong. Colonel Fenton was old school.

  “Have a whisky. I am sure we can come to some agreement here.”

  As he sipped the whisky Colonel Fenton smiled, “Oh I am sure we can but I fear it will cost the war department.”

  I saw Colonel Selkirk’s shoulders droop in resignation. “What would you like?”

  Colonel Selkirk smiled, “If you are going to have my officer here running around the country doing your nefarious work then I need a captain to command the squadron.”

  “That is simple, transfer one of your other captains.”

  Colonel Felton snorted as he downed his whisky, “Which shows how much you know about serving in a cavalry regiment! Esprit de Corps. My officers are vital to their troops and squadrons.”

  “Very well then I suppose you wish my department to purchase a captaincy for one of your officers?”

  “Of course, Lieutenant Stafford. A fine chap.”

  “Very well. And then we are happy?

  “Of course there is seniority. We really need a major to command such an expedition.”

  “That is preposterous! I cannot pay for a majority too.”

  Colonel Felton smiled, “But you do not have to. Captain Matthews is already a colonel in the Portuguese Army. I understood that such a promotion automatically bestowed a majority on the recipient.”

  Colonel Selkirk clapped his hands, “Well done, Colonel and remind me never to play chess with you. A clever gambit. Very well, Robbie you will be made up to a major.”

  “Thank you, sir.”

  “Actually it suits me for it gives you a little more power with the other officers. Now let us get down to the important issues. I do not know who will be in overall command, probably some general who has not fought for fifty years. But I do know who will be commanding the soldiers. It will either be Sir Arthur Wellesley or Sir John Moore. Now Sir Arthur is preparing to take an expedition to South America but Sir John Moore is at Shorncliffe. Robbie, er Major Matthews, I would like you to go to Shorncliffe and brief the general on what you know of Portugal and the problems he will be likely to encounter. He will need to prepare himself for the expedition.” As I rose he took something from his drawer and handed it to me. “Here is your commission from the Prince Regent. Horse Guards has a copy and it will be gazetted.” We spent some time with the Colonel making sure that we had all the necessary information and intelligence.

  I wondered just how much Colonel Selkirk had been manipulated by Colonel Fenton. I suspected that he had always intended to make a major but the devious man always liked to use cunning.

  We stayed with Colonel Fenton at his club. I felt both underdressed and out of place amongst the senior officers there but Colonel Fenton put me at my ease. “You are now a major and I can see greater things ahead for you. Just ignore any of the looks you receive. Many of the officers you see here have never drawn a weapon in anger! In fact some of them have never drawn a weapon. I can guarantee that none of them have seen as much action as you.”

  “I forgot to thank you for the majority sir.”

  “It cost me nothing and if I am brutally honest it was for Stafford. His people do not have the means to purchase him a captaincy and he seems to me the sort of earnest chap who might try to get one on a battlefield and do something reckless.”

  “You think the buying of commissions works then?”

  “In most cases I would say so.” He smiled, “There are exceptions Robbie. You are one and Stafford is another but my family have been fighting for this country in one form or other since the days of Henry II. It is in the blood. I believe that some men are born to lead.”

  I supposed, in one way, that I believed him. My father for all his cruelty had been a fine leader. However the army of France was made up of those who were not titled and had shown their skill as leaders before being promoted. I knew that if I had been with the Chasseurs still I would be a colonel at the least and possibly a general. Bonaparte’s wars brought rapid promotion. It would be interesting to fight against my former countrymen. This would not be a skirmish and then a return home. When we got to Portugal we would stay there. How would the officers who had bought their commissions fare against those who had earned them?

  We rode back together the next day. Shorncliffe was close to Folkestone and we would pass our barracks before we reached Sir John Moore’s headquarters. We left at six o’clock to
make Shorncliffe before dark.

  It was a huge army camp and had been built by Sir John some years earlier. I guessed that most of those in the camp would be the regiments sent to Portugal. I noted some of the regiments as they drilled and marched: the Northumbrian and Norfolk Foot were there as well as the 29th Foot, the Worcester regiment. I also saw some green jacketed soldiers whom I did not recognise but I recognised their weapons. They were the Rifle Brigade. The one arm I did not see was the cavalry.

  I was still in my captain’s uniform. I had ordered my new uniforms in London and I hoped they would be ready upon my return to our barracks. As we had passed through the town I had taken the opportunity of reserving a couple of rooms. I was not certain how long the general would require me. I did not relish a journey back to our own barracks late at night.

  Sir John Moore’s aide was a very young lieutenant. I suspected he was appointed because he was a relative. I had encountered such appointments in Sicily. Sometimes they worked and sometimes they caused more problems than enough. This young man appeared to be the former.

  “Captain Matthews?” I nodded; it seemed churlish to point out my new rank. The uniform would serve to tell the world of my promotion and I would wait until I donned it. “I am the general’s aide; Lieutenant Henry Stanhope. The general is with the Light Division. He likes to train with the troops each day. He is a great man!”

  “I have heard that. Is it right that when he built this camp he made the builders wait until the soldiers had walked around before ordering where the paths should be?”

  Lieutenant Stanhope’s face lit up, “He did indeed. He is a great believer in the welfare of the men. They adore him.”

  I nodded, without committing my approval. Sir Arthur’s men did not have the same opinion of that particular general but they trusted him and that was sometimes more important. “Does he have many light troops in the Light Division?”

  “Only four at the moment but he has them trained really well.”

  “They will have to if they are to defeat the Voltigeurs and Tirailleurs of the French.”

  “You have fought them?”

  I smiled I had fought with them and against them. “I have seen them in action. We fought them at Maida.”

  “Then my uncle… the General will be delighted to meet with you. He likes to prepare well when he faces an enemy.”

  “Perhaps we could go to meet him?”

  “That would be a good idea. I shall just get my horse.” As we passed the outer office he said, “Mr Colborne we will just go and see the general.”

  “Yes sir.”

  I asked the lieutenant, when had left the building, “Who was that?”

  “My uncle’s military secretary.”

  We soon left the roads and headed across the rolling Kentish hills. I heard the pop of blanks and the flash of red in the distance. The troops were engaged in manoeuvres. The route we took gave us a panoramic view of the skirmish. One regiment was in line while riflemen and light infantry men operated in pairs. One fired while the other ran. It was effective and mirrored the Tirailleurs I had seen. This general knew his business.

  We watched until they had finished. I saw General Moore talking with the two colonels. We rode down to meet him. Upon seeing us he turned his horse and met us half way.

  He held out his hand. “You must be Matthews.”

  I noticed he had a slight Scottish accent but it was not as broad as Colonel Selkirk’s. He also had a very gentle way of speaking. I could not help but contrast him with Sir Arthur who was brusque to the point of rudeness. “Yes sir and this is Sergeant Sharp.”

  “Come, we will ride back to the office while we talk.” It was getting on for four o’clock. That in itself was unusual for senior officers. They liked a short day and long meal times. “Tell me then of Portugal.”

  “Very poor roads. There are steep passes and rocky gorges. It will be an easy place to defend but not to attack.” I gestured back to the skirmish. “Those are the best troops to take.”

  “Any good for cavalry?”

  “Light cavalry would be needed for skirmishing and scouting but that is all. It is not cavalry country.”

  “Artillery?”

  “Mountain pieces or horse artillery would be the best.”

  “I will, of course, ask you to commit this to paper for me to read in my own time. I merely wish to get a flavour.”

  “When do you think the army shall go?”

  “That depends upon their lordships. I suspect they will wish to see the viability of such an offensive. I would hope to be there by August. If it is much later then we might be stuck in the middle of an Iberian winter. If what you say is true then such poor roads would become impassable in winter.”

  “They will be for the rivers are mighty rivers. They flow through steep gorges.”

  He gave me a searching look as we reined in at the main building. “You were spying for Colonel Selkirk?”

  “I prefer the term scouting.”

  He laughed as he dismounted, “And yet you were not in uniform and would have been shot as a spy if you had been captured.”

  It was my turn to laugh, “Sergeant Sharp and I are quite good at talking our way out of situations.”

  We strode into his office. He led the way and Lieutenant Stanhope scurried behind. “You can speak languages then?”

  “A few.”

  “Please, sit. Er your sergeant can go to the mess if he wishes. We will be some time. Henry, show the sergeant to the mess.”

  “Sir, the horses?”

  “Er yes, General will we be staying this evening? If so then Sharp can see to the horses.”

  “No, that will not be necessary. An hour at most and you can write your report at your own barracks.” The two of them left. “I like a man who looks after his equipment.”

  “I am a horseman sir and I know the value of a good mount. I have had my life saved before now by a gallant steed.”

  “Now these languages?”

  “French, Italian, a little German and Swedish and I am in the process of learning Portuguese. Sergeant Sharp is too.”

  Captain, you are unique! How on earth did you come to learn Portuguese? Have you a tutor?”

  I told him the story of Georgie and when I had finished he nodded. “It pains me, too, the way that this country uses soldiers and sailors and then discards them. It is grossly unfair and lacks any honour.” He began to scribble something on a piece of paper. “I am not certain if your regiment will be accompanying us to Portugal but I want you and your sergeant on my staff. You would be invaluable.” My face must have fallen. “You do not wish to serve me?”

  “No sir, it is not that but I am a blunt soldier and a man of action. I do not fit in well with fine uniforms and cultured conversation. No offence, sir.”

  He laughed, “None taken. I take it you mean my nephew?” I nodded. “He is desperate to serve. However I do like to surround myself with soldiers. If you serve me you shall see action, Captain and you will command. Have no doubts about that.”

  “I am a soldier, sir, and I obey orders.”

  ”And I prefer to have officers about me who choose to be with me.”

  There was something about his honesty that I liked. “Then I will serve on your staff sir.”

  “Good. I will let you know when I need you but you are just along the road in any case.”

  We chatted for some time about his officers and his methods. He asked for clarification on some of the issues arising from my Portuguese visit. He pulled out the maps I had captured. “You did well to bring these. The French have good cartographers. I will have copies made.” He stood. “I shall see you within the month and keep up with the Portuguese lessons. They may prove to be the difference between success and failure.”

  In the event, Sharp and I had a mere two weeks for the Iberian Peninsula was proving to be a fast moving theatre of operations. On July 1st I received a note from Colonel Selkirk advising me that Sharp and I would b
e embarking for Portugal. Sir John’s note followed the next day confirming my appointment to his staff. It also told me that the army would be embarking from Portsmouth which was better equipped to load large numbers.

  Colonel Fenton and I were hard pushed to prepare the men in time. The squadron which would be sailing had to head down to Portsmouth under the command of Major Lucian Hyde-Smith. He would oversee their embarkation. I had expected to do that but Colonel Selkirk himself rode down to see me, Colonel Felton and Major Hyde-Smith.

  “Robbie. Needs must you have to sail tomorrow for Portugal. You are to board the sloop ‘Crocodile’.”

  “What about our mounts?”

  “They will need to go with the regiment.”

  “Don’t worry Robbie, I shall ensure that they are safely embarked.”

  “Thank you Lucian.” Badger was the least of my problems. I had hoped to have longer to prepare. “But why the haste? Sir John will not be embarking until the end of the month.”

  “We are sending Sir Arthur Wellesley and an advance party. It is the division we intended to send to South America. Their transports were already in Cork. They left Ireland a few days ago. ‘Crocodile’ will rendezvous with him. It is a fast ship and will enable you to reach Portugal sooner. Sit Arthur will command until Sir John lands. Your local knowledge and your language skills make you eminently qualified. Sir Arthur needs to be brought up to date with the situation as soon as possible. Your first hand intelligence is vital.”

  “But I thought I was on Sir John’s staff?”

  “Don’t sound so petulant, Robbie, it does not become you. You are on Sir John’s staff as is Sir Arthur.”

  I was not keen on Sir Arthur. I thought him a snob. Sir John was more my kind of soldier. However I would obey orders. It was in my blood. “Very well sir.”

  With barely enough time to collect our weapons, bags and spare uniforms Sharp and I were whisked into the Colonel’s coach to Dover where ‘Crocodile’ awaited us. It was another frenetic ride. We were off to war again.