HLI Chronicle 1909 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

HIGHLAND LIGHT INI!'ANTRY CHRONICLE.Two Companies of the Seventy-First, underMajor Archibald Campbell,* were pushedforward to hold the difficult pass of theGuadarama; and on the 28th the convoy andguns were successfully brought over themountains with the help of teams of bullockswhich Hope had collected for the purpose.Throwing out his light cavalry as a screen onhis right flank, he pushed forward with theutmost speed to Peneranda. The infantryand draught animals were greatly fatigued,but the danger was not over; the patrolsreported 10,000 French in close proximity,and Hope drew his infantry and cavalry upin position, but made his artillery and convoyproceed without rest to Alba de Tormes,w here a detachment from Salamanca coveredtheir entry to that town, the division followingthem in on the 2nd of December. Two daysbefore their arrival at Salamanca the Seventy­First were obliged to form into a square torepel the attacks of the enemy, who pressedclosely upon the column; and in this positiontheyremained all night, which is described as oneof the coldest nights experienced during thewar. The men found their pig-tails frozento the ground where they had been lying,and were so numbed by the cold that manywere unable to rise. They marched 47 mileson this day before encamping, and nine milesnext morning to a village, where the inhabitantswere very kind to our men, bringing outlarge tubs of aquardiente into the marketplace, which one can imagine was more thanwelcome.Several incidents which occurred on thistrying march are recorded.We have already seen that billets were notalways handed over with the best grace.One night some of the men were billeted ina town where they were shown into a miserabledog-hole of an apartment; seeing other rooms*}Iajor Archibald Campbell \Vas appointea Majorin the Regiment from half.pay of the 6th Garri~onBattalion in April, ISO;), vi:" Major Emkine (deceased).He joined the 2nd Battalioll of Regiment. then beingraised at Glasgow, as second in commll,nd, and waslargely responsible for its unprecedented successexperienced in recruiting. He was now second incommand of the 1st Battalion in Spain.in the place, they used the military freedomof removing and taking possession of Olle ofthem. This act drew upon them the angerof the inhabitants, and they were quicklyassailed by the excitable Spaniards with astorm of oaths and imprecations. One of ourmen, the best Spanish scholar amongst UB,instantly arose and attacked them in turnwith their own weapons, pouring out volleY>lof· the bitterest words he could devise; totheir astonishment, this, instead of addingfuel to the flame, produced an immediatereconciliation, and the greatest harmonyreigned during the rest of their stay. TheSpanish picked up by many of the men duringtheir imprisonment in S. America no doubtproved of great use to them on many occasions,although the accomplishment, as we sa wat Truxillo, nearly led to unpleasant results.The practice of Company Officers riding onthe line of march does not seem to have beenlooked upon with favour in the Regiment atthis time, although at a later period in thePeninsula this practice was encouraged bythe Duke of Wellington, as he considered itdesirable that Officers should arrive as freshas possible at the end of the day's march,when on many occasions the most importantpart of their duties only really commences.Whether the praotice was afterwards favouredin the Regiment or not, it was not now {Jonsideredcorrect. During this march one of theOfficers, having got possession of a pony,thought proper to mount it while on the marchnext day. No doubt it was his intention toease his aehing feet; but being a very unsightlyrider, and no favourite in the Regiment toboot, the men now saw an opportunity, andembraced it. A shout of derision burstsimultaneously from every lip, the noose ofwhich alarmed the pony so much that it wentoff at full speed, its rider shouting for help.The whole Regiment was convulsed withlaughter at the incident, which had the inevitableending of the victim being depositedon the ground.The most stringent orders were in force atthis time against looting or pilfering from the