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A BRITISH RIFLE MAN

The Journals and Correspondence of Major George Simmons,
Rifle Brigade, During the Peninsular War and the Campaign of
Waterloo

Edited, with Introduction, by
Lieut.-Colonel Willoughby Verner
Late Rifle Brigade
Author of 'Sketches in the Soudan,' etc.

With Three Maps







London
A. & C. Black, Soho Square
1899

All rights reserved




  To

  GENERAL HIS ROYAL HIGHNESS

  THE DUKE OF CONNAUGHT AND STRATHEARN,

  COLONEL-IN-CHIEF OF THE RIFLE BRIGADE,
  FORMERLY (1803-1816) STYLED THE 95TH RIFLES AND
  (1800-1802) THE RIFLE CORPS,

  THIS VOLUME
  IN WHICH A BRITISH RIFLE MAN RECOUNTS HIS PERSONAL
  KNOWLEDGE OF MANY OF THE DEEDS THAT HAVE
  MADE THE NAME OF THE REGIMENT
  SO FAMOUS
  IS (BY PERMISSION) DEDICATED
  BY HIS MOST HUMBLE AND OBEDIENT SERVANT

  WILLOUGHBY VERNER,

  LIEUTENANT-COLONEL, LATE OF THE RIFLE BRIGADE.




SKETCH MAPS


Illustrating the operations on the Coa and Agueda      _Facing page_ 198

Illustrating movements during the Campaigns of 1809-12     "    "    272

Illustrating movements during the Campaigns of 1813-14     "    "    350




CONTENTS


Introduction      Page xi


Commencement of the Peninsular War. Campaign of 1808      1


Campaign of 1809      2


CHAPTER I

Letter No. I., To his Parents, from Hythe and Dover, dated 21st May
1809—Journal, May-July 1809—Letter No. II., To his Parents, from
Castello Branco, dated 18th July 1809      4


CHAPTER II

Journal, July-December 1809—Letter No. III., To his Parents, from Campo
Mayor, dated September 1809—Letter No. IV., To his Parents, from Campo
Mayor, dated 29th October 1809—Journal, December 1809      19


Campaign of 1810      43


CHAPTER III

Journal, 1st January-27th February 1810—Letter No. V., To his Parents,
from Villar Torpin, dated 28th February 1810—Journal, 4th March-30th
April 1810—Letter No. VI., To his Father, from Villar de Ciérvos, dated
30th April 1810      44


CHAPTER IV

Journal, 7th May-8th August 1810—Letter No. VII., To his Parents, from
Lisbon, dated 10th August 1810      66


CHAPTER V

Journal, August-September 1810—Letter No. VIII., To his Parents, from
Pedroso, Lisbon, dated 30th September 1810—Journal, October-December
1810—Letter No. IX., To his Parents, from Lisbon, dated 16th December
1810      98


Campaign of 1811      127


CHAPTER VI

Letter No. X., To his Parents, from Lisbon, dated 11th January
1811—Journal, January-25th March 1811—Letter No. XI., To his Parents,
from Mello, dated 26th March 1811      129


CHAPTER VII

Journal, 26th March-26th May 1811—Letter No. XII., To his Parents, from
Espeja, dated 18th May 1811      158


CHAPTER VIII

Journal, 26th May-21st August 1811—Letter No. XIII., To his Parents,
from Martiago, dated 26th August 1811—Journal, 29th August-30th
September 1811—Letter No. XIV., To Lieutenant Maud Simmons, 34th
Regiment, 2nd Division, Portugal, from Aldea Velha, Portugal, dated 1st
October 1811—Journal, 1st October-20th December 1811—Letter No. XV., To
his Parents, from Atalaya, Spain, dated 8th December 1811      185


Campaign of 1812      213


CHAPTER IX

Journal, 4th January-30th July 1812      216


CHAPTER X

Journal, 1st-31st August 1812—Letter No. XVI., To his Parents, from
Madrid, dated 8th September 1812—Journal, 1st September-31st December
1812—Letter No. XVII., To his Parents, from Alameda, Spain, dated 12th
December 1812—Letter No. XVIII., To his Father, from Alameda, Spain,
dated 29th December 1812      245


Campaign of 1813      273


CHAPTER XI

Letter No. XIX., To his Father, from Alameda, dated 30th April
1813—Letter No. XX., From Lieutenant Joseph Simmons to his
Parents, from Alameda, dated 5th May 1813 (Postscript by George
Simmons)—Journal, 1st May-30th August 1813      275


CHAPTER XII

Letter No. XXI., To his Parents, from Vera, Pyrenees, dated 30th August
1813—Postscript, dated 4th September 1813—Journal, 31st August-31st
December 1813—Letter No. XXII., To his Parents, from St. Jean-de-Luz,
France, dated 7th December 1813, and Postscript      302


Campaign of 1814      331


CHAPTER XIII

Journal, 12th January-21st March 1814—Battle of Orthez—The Action of
Tarbes—Letter No. XXIII., To his Parents, from Tarbes, France, dated
27th March 