HLI Chronicle 1921 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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xn DIARY OF WILLIAMGAVIN. 13th.-This day our works nearlv finished and played on the town. • , 14th.-The whole of the batteries opened against the town, and a division of gun boats and bomb vessels from the river. An incessant fire kept up the whole of the day, which was briskly returned by the town. This day another division of men-o'-war passed the town, commanded by Sir Richard Strachan. A gunboat s~ationed close in shore, in rear of our Regiment, was struck by a 32-pound shot, which sunk her and killed one man. Several parts of the town on fire. A cessation of firing took place from 8 till 10 o'clock. This night a detachment of our Regiment, and of the 36th and King's German Legion,* under the command of Colonel Pack, stormed a battery close to the walls of the town, and spiked the guns, taking about 40 prisoners. Our loss was : Killed. Wounded. Missing. 36th, ... 3 3 3 71st, 2 10 3 King's G. Legion, 12 24 4 Total, " 17 37 10 Officers killed and wounded.-Lieut. Macitonald, 71st, killed; 1 field officer, 36th, wounded; 1 subaltern, K.G.L., killed. This night the French cut the' Dyke and let the sea in upon us. Marks were put up next morning in different parts, with sentinels over them, to report hourly the increase of the water, which destroyed all the crops in our vicinity. We observed the Stad house Municipal IBuildings=(Stadthuis) and two churches on fire from our rockets. 15th.-The garrison of Flushing surrendered, to the amount of 3500,* under the command of Generals Monet and Osten; two companies of the 71st, and two of the Royals, were sent to take possession of the gates. 16th.-I went into Flushing, round the Dyke and through the dockyard, where two ships of war were on the stocks--the "Royale Hollande" (90 guns) and the "La Fidele" (frigllte). The former was taken to pieces and the latter finished. The materials and frigate were sent to England. This day the transports were sent round to Fort Ramekins to embark the prisoners. *Detachments from the lst and 2nd Light battaLions of the K.G.L. '. ...An underestimate; there were 5,800 prisoners. 17th.-200 more of our Regiment ordered into Flushing, the prisoners becoming very disorderly. 18th.-The whole of the army under arms at 5 o'clock a.m. At 10 the French garrison marched our of the west gaje, preceded by two field pieces, with lighted matches, and the Artillery, commanded by General Oaten, next the Infantry, with the Commander-in Chief, General Monet, with colours flying, and at about a mile from town laid down their arms. We observed many Irishmen in their ranks, * who scoffed at us as they marched past. At eleven o'clock the English colours were hoisted on the ramparts, and a Royal salute fired. General Graham's Brigade took possession of the town, which was terribly destroyed. 22nd.~We marched to Middleburg, the Capital of Zealand, a most beautiful and extensive city.' Here the Earl of· Chatham had his headquarters during the siege. 3lst.-Marched to Tervere; the fever of the country had by. this time attacked many of our men. Colonel Pack was appointed Commandant, and Lieut. Clements, Town Major of this garrison. About this time. Lord Chatham returned to England, and the command devolved upon Sir Eyre Coote. The men;wll~e now sending to hospit\tl qy 80m;e/l. 10rl 'tl'e 8th oursick in Regimental Hospital were 437. Lieut.-Colonel Pack and most of the officers were attacked and brought to death's door. Captain Sutherland died of it. Such demands were for surgeons and Peruvian Bark, i.e., Quinine, that England was nearly drained of it. Deaths were so frequent that a general order was issued to dig large pits and bury the men by night, in order that the sick and convalescent should not witness the removal of the dead. I myself about this time found' symptoms of the malady in my frame. I immediately took a large glass of Hollands Gin and walked round the ramparts, nut still it was gaining ground. I repeated the gin dose, which for the present kept it off, but I imbibed the disease and suffered dreadfully afterwards in Spain and Portugal. In the latter end of November, orders were given to destroy the guns of Flushing and Tervere, and send on board the brass ones. "'Naturally, as one of the bat,talions of the garrison was the Legion Irlandaise, entirely oomposed of deserMrs and renegades.
DIARY OF WILLlAM GA VIN. XVII November 29th.-All the brass guns were safe on board, and the iron ones destroyed and the carriages burned. The iron work was put on board ship, and the magazine built by our troops at.Tervere blown up, and the ramparts levelled. November 3Oth.-The baggage of the army ordered on board at Flushing, with every weak man. Every hand employed in destroying the Grand Basin, oapable of holding many ships of the largest kind. It was undermined, and the flood gates and enclosing timbers taken away, and the whole of this superb basin blown up. December 9th.-The whole of the army embarked, with the exc~ption of rear guards left in the different garrisons. The enemy were at this time erecting works on North Beveland, in which our gunboats greatly annoyed them. December 15th, 1809.-A dreadful gale of wind from the south-east, which drove five transports on shore to the east of Flushing, and all were abandoned. 16th.-All the artificers, civil and military, 8ent on board, after completely destroying all the works. This night that beautiful building, the Naval Arsenal, set on fire, and all houses in the dockyard consumed. 17th.-A signal made to weigh anchor. Some of the transports worked out of the harbour, but were obliged to put back, the wind being contrary. 18th.-The wind still contrary. 22nd.-The transports that were driven on shore on the 15th set on fire. 23rd.-The whole of the fleet got underway. I was on board the "George" transport. The batteries of Cadsand kept up an incessant fire as we passed, some of the shots falling short and others passing through the rigging. I, with a few others, got on the windlass to watch the direction of the shot, not dreaming that one would touch us, when an unlucky thirty-four pounder struck the windlass, which carried off both legs of Sergeant Steele, and wounded three sailors and nine soldiers in the forecastle. Another of the same size immediately after lodged in the deck, and penetrated nearly through to a berth where a dozen women had taken shelter. We had the ouriosity to weigh it, when it exceeded thirty pounds. Having only 'an assistant surgeon on board, as soon as we got out of range of shot, we lay too for the headquarter ship of the 68th, and got Surgeon Cole and another surgeon, who amputated both legs of poor Steele; but he only survived till next day. 24th.-Came in sight of Ostend at 3 o'clo.,k. A favourable breeze sprung up and we got into Deal Downs on Christmas Eve. 25th.-Marched into Brabourne Lees and took up our old quarters. V.-PENINSULAR CAMPAIGN OF 1810. May, 1810.-We received the' route for Deal, where we occupied the new barracks (not the Pavilion). The 18th Light Dragoons were in the cavalry barracks adjoining ours. In June I got leave of absence to go to London, and there spent some time with Lieut. John Graham at the Nagg's Head in tJ:te Bor()ugh. I received a letter from Colonel PaCk recommending me to join the 88th as paymaster, and went to London for the purpose, but arrived too late, as General Beresford had appointed another to the situation. September lOth.-Embarked at Deal with 600 of the regiment for Portugal under the command of Sir Nathaniel Levett Peacock on board the" Melpomene" and " San Fiorenzo" frigates. In six days we made the Tagus,. and disembarked at Lisbon. Here we received our camp equipage, with mules, and a light cart ~to carry the weak men's packs, a camp kettle for every six men, and a bill hook. I now bought a mule for 80 dollars that proved very serviceable afterwards. We marched the first day to Mafra, a palace and convent; we were quartered in: the convent. Here witnessed the burial of one of the brotherhood; which was truly grand. October 13th.-The command of our regi~ ment was taken by the bravest of soldiers, and the most honourable of men, the Honorable Henry Cadogan; Sir- N. L. Peacock preferring snug quarters at Hythe, in Kent, to the privations of a Peninsular campaign. Next day we advanced to Sobral de Monte Agraga, where the enemy were entrenched, with wine vessels and furniture taken from the inhabitants. During the night aD. Qrder
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HLI Chronicle 1921 - The Royal Highland Fusiliers

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