HLI Chronicle 1914 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

I ' ..~,128 HIGHLAND LIGHT INFANTRY 'CHRONICLE.A SHORT SKETCH OF THE CAMPAIGNS OF BALFOUR KJiJRMACK, 7lST REGIMEN'rHIGHLANDERS (LIGHT INFANTRY), FROM 1806 TILL 1814. -~-(WITH NOTES APPENDED POINTING OUT THE DANGERS AND PR.IVATIONS INCIDENT TO A MILITARY LIFE.),----~-~~-~~---~--~-----~-~-~~~----------.----------.-~-~.,-~.~---::;r0.NAMES OF BATTLES.WHERE FOUGHT.DATES.REFERENCES TO ::;rOTES,ETC.1 Cape of Good Hope~ Buenos Ayres3 Roleia4 Vimeiro5 Oporto6 Talavera de la Regna7 Fuentos de Honor8 Arroya de Molino9 Almarez10 Alba de Tormes11 Vittoria12 Puerto Maya13 Puerto Maya14 Pyrenees15 Pyrenees16 Pyrenees17 Pyrenees18 Passage of the Nive19 Passage of the Nive20 Saint SeverJH Saint Sever:12 Saint Sever:13 Orthes24 Aire25 ToulouseAfricaSouth AmericaPortugalPortugalPortugalSpainSpainSpainSpainSpainSpainSpain (Pyrenees)Spain (Pyrenees)SpainSpainSpainSpainFranceFranceFranceFranceFranceFranceFranceFrance6th Jan., 1806 See Note A.24th June, 1806BJ The " Regiment only17th Aug., 1807l partially engaged.!Hst Aug., 1807 See Note C9th May, 1809D!l8th July, 1809 " E3rd May, 1811 " F"JWe destroyed the~8th Oct., 1811 I enemy, took 5 gunsand 500 prisoners.19th May, 1812 See Note G10-11th Nov., 1812H~lst June, 1813 " I4th July, 1813 "8th July, 181325th July, 181330th .July, 1813K}"1st Aug., 18131st Dec., 1813{Wh,n driving th,enemy from the9th Dec., 1813 village of Cambo I13th Dec., 1813lost my Captain14th Feb., 181415th Feb., 181417th Feb., 181425th Feb., 1814!lnd Mar., 1814lOth April, 1814Taken prIsoner 11th Aug., 1806.by a cannon shot.( None of these actions"severe. They con­1 sisted chiefly inskirmishing.See Note LM" N"As it is the avowed design of the writer of shall state what passed within my own obserthefollowing notes only to point out the vation, and give a few anecdotes which maydangers and privations incident to a military in some measure amuse the reader.life, a fnU description of the battles in which A. The capture of the Oape of Good Hopehe was engaged cannot be expected. A was the fIrst of my active service, and it wassoldier in his ranks cannot describe a battle; accomplished with very little hardship tohe only knows what takes place in the Com­ the soldier. We suffered no privations.pany to which he belongs, or those on his Everything was as comfortable as circumrightand left. He cannot describe the move­ stances would admit. I state an anecdotements of the army; being confined to close or two among many that came within my ownranks his views only extend to his own front, observation. On the evening before theto which he is compelled to look. Such, then, battle we were seated in small parties talking .heing the case with the private soldier, I a.bout the work of to-morrow, some making