260 'about one soldier in four was new to the battalion': this is my own analysis of the muster rolls. 'Simmons's brother Joseph had been left behind': the process of senior men taking priority, etc. is described in one of Simmons's letters. 'Simmons's brother Joseph had been left behind': the process of senior men taking priority, etc. is described in one of Simmons's letters. 'the old sweats were calling them "recruits"': Costello. 'the old sweats were calling them "recruits"': Costello. 261 'This cursed war has knocked all my plans in the head': Gairdner MS letter, dated 23 April 1815, with various postscripts. 261 'This cursed war has knocked all my plans in the head': Gairdner MS letter, dated 23 April 1815, with various postscripts. 'my wife was separated from me when I went to the Peninsular War': the story of Pitt and many other fascinating details and quotations in this chapter come from a long memorandum on the Waterloo campaign written by Simmons for Sir William Cope when he was writing his early history of the Rifle Brigade. Simmons's document, which runs to many pages, can be found in Cope's letter book, National Army Museum MSS 6804-2, Vol. I. Although written decades after the event (dated 15 August 1855) Simmons's statement is consistent in every detail with his letters and journal and amplifies many points. I shall refer to material from this statement as Cope MS. After writing this passage, I came across the following in Field Marshal Lord Carver's memoirs, 'my wife was separated from me when I went to the Peninsular War': the story of Pitt and many other fascinating details and quotations in this chapter come from a long memorandum on the Waterloo campaign written by Simmons for Sir William Cope when he was writing his early history of the Rifle Brigade. Simmons's document, which runs to many pages, can be found in Cope's letter book, National Army Museum MSS 6804-2, Vol. I. Although written decades after the event (dated 15 August 1855) Simmons's statement is consistent in every detail with his letters and journal and amplifies many points. I shall refer to material from this statement as Cope MS. After writing this passage, I came across the following in Field Marshal Lord Carver's memoirs, Out of Out of Step Step, a description of what happened when his regiment returned to Britain in 1944 after several years' fighting in North Africa: 'several senior non-commissioned officers who had splendid records of gallantry and devotion to duty as tank commanders, applied to transfer to units less likely to be in the front line again. They were undoubtedly influenced by their wives, from whom they had been separated for several years and who resented their husbands going into the heat of battle again.' The similarities with Pitt and Underwood are interesting, I think. 'disliked flogging as much as any man': Cope MS. 'disliked flogging as much as any man': Cope MS. 'my legs will never carry me through a long campaign': Simmons's letter home of 19 May 1815, as is the quotation about entering Brussels. 'my legs will never carry me through a long campaign': Simmons's letter home of 19 May 1815, as is the quotation about entering Brussels. 262 'some riflemen were even attacked by the locals': this incident is described both in the Gairdner MS Journal and Cope MS. 262 'some riflemen were even attacked by the locals': this incident is described both in the Gairdner MS Journal and Cope MS.
262 'for we were all aware that Napoleon was about to make a dash': Kincaid, Adventures Adventures. 'in consequence of the difficulty of assembling the division': Gairdner MS Journal. 'in consequence of the difficulty of assembling the division': Gairdner MS Journal. 263 'Barnard, these fellows are coming on; you must stop them by throwing yourselves into that wood': FitzMaurice. 263 'Barnard, these fellows are coming on; you must stop them by throwing yourselves into that wood': FitzMaurice. 'Ah! My boys, you are opening the ball in good style!': Cope MS. 'Ah! My boys, you are opening the ball in good style!': Cope MS. 'Why man! You are like a fine lady!' Cope MS, as is the following quotation of Simmons about pushing Underwood through the hedge. 'Why man! You are like a fine lady!' Cope MS, as is the following quotation of Simmons about pushing Underwood through the hedge. 'We were saluted by a fusillade of extreme violence': Colonel Trefcon, 'We were saluted by a fusillade of extreme violence': Colonel Trefcon, Carnet de Campagne du Colonel Trefcon Carnet de Campagne du Colonel Trefcon, Paris, 1914. 264 'Look at that glorious fellow, our comrade and brother soldier': Cope MS. 264 'Look at that glorious fellow, our comrade and brother soldier': Cope MS. 265 'Oh Mr Simmons, the game is up with me, for this campaign anyhow': Cope MS. 265 'Oh Mr Simmons, the game is up with me, for this campaign anyhow': Cope MS. 'the news of this disastrous defeat of our allies was calculated to throw a damp on the prospects': Leach, 'the news of this disastrous defeat of our allies was calculated to throw a damp on the prospects': Leach, Rough Sketches Rough Sketches.
TWENTY-SIX Waterloo Waterloo
267 'camp kettles were boiling away outside Barnard's billet': Kincaid, Adventures Adventures. 'It was here that Captain Leach was initially posted with two companies': dispositions pieced together from Leach, 'It was here that Captain Leach was initially posted with two companies': dispositions pieced together from Leach, Rough Sketches Rough Sketches, Simmons and the Cope MS. 268 'we perceived our adversaries bringing into position, on the heights opposite': Leach, 268 'we perceived our adversaries bringing into position, on the heights opposite': Leach, Rough Sketches Rough Sketches. 'the very first shot from the grand battery taking off a rifleman's head': this is described by Kincaid and Simmons in the Cope MS. 'the very first shot from the grand battery taking off a rifleman's head': this is described by Kincaid and Simmons in the Cope MS. 'This rush and enthusiasm were becoming disastrous': Capitaine Duthilt, 'This rush and enthusiasm were becoming disastrous': Capitaine Duthilt, Memoires du Capitaine Duthilt Memoires du Capitaine Duthilt, Lille, 1909. 269 'French cuirassiers cantering up to a Hanoverian militia battalion': Leach and Simmons. 269 'French cuirassiers cantering up to a Hanoverian militia battalion': Leach and Simmons. 'many of the riflemen panicked': this story emerges from Barnard's letter quoted later in this chapter. 'many of the riflemen panicked': this story emerges from Barnard's letter quoted later in this chapter. 271 'Oh lift me up, I am suffocating!': Cope MS which also says Fairfoot was crying. Simmons's published letter says only that the sergeant became highly agitated. 271 'Oh lift me up, I am suffocating!': Cope MS which also says Fairfoot was crying. Simmons's published letter says only that the sergeant became highly agitated. 272 'I regret to say that a 272 'I regret to say that a great great number of our men went to the rear without cause': this letter, of 23 June 1815 addressed to Cameron, is deeply compromising in a way memoirs almost never were. It survives in copy form in the RGJ Archive, Box 1A, item 35. The copy, evidently made by Verner, was of an original in the Cameron family papers. number of our men went to the rear without cause': this letter, of 23 June 1815 addressed to Cameron, is deeply compromising in a way memoirs almost never were. It survives in copy form in the RGJ Archive, Box 1A, item 35. The copy, evidently made by Verner, was of an original in the Cameron family papers.
273 'all soldiers ran away sometimes': Wellington's remark was quoted by Croker in recounting dinner on 27 April 1828. '[Wellington was] very frank and amusing. He said all troops ran away that he never minded; all he cared about was whether they would come back again, and he added that he always had a succession of lines for the purpose of rallying fugitives.' It is contained in his two-volume set of reminiscences of the Duke. soldiers ran away sometimes': Wellington's remark was quoted by Croker in recounting dinner on 27 April 1828. '[Wellington was] very frank and amusing. He said all troops ran away that he never minded; all he cared about was whether they would come back again, and he added that he always had a succession of lines for the purpose of rallying fugitives.' It is contained in his two-volume set of reminiscences of the Duke. 275 'George Baller was another veteran of O'Hare's company': details from 275 'George Baller was another veteran of O'Hare's company': details from Rifle Brigade Chronicle Rifle Brigade Chronicle, 1930.
TWENTY-SEVEN The Legend is Born The Legend is Born
279 'The bayonet may, in truth, be termed the grand mystifier of modern tactics': this phrase was used by Mitchell in the United Services Journal United Services Journal and his book and his book Thoughts on Tactics and Military Organisation Thoughts on Tactics and Military Organisation, London, 1838. The quotations here come from the book. 280 'It is discipline, which is nothing but each man, shoulder-to-shoulder': this letter by W.D.B. is in the 280 'It is discipline, which is nothing but each man, shoulder-to-shoulder': this letter by W.D.B. is in the United Service Journal United Service Journal, 1838, Part 3. 'Our corps gained the reputation ... not by aping the drill of grenadiers': Leach, 'Our corps gained the reputation ... not by aping the drill of grenadiers': Leach, Rough Sketches Rough Sketches. 281 'Kincaid for example arguing that skirmishing soldiers needed to be kept moving': he did this in Random Shots, not the 281 'Kincaid for example arguing that skirmishing soldiers needed to be kept moving': he did this in Random Shots, not the United Services Journal United Services Journal. The book was published in 1835 and the USJ bayonet debate took place in 183840. 284 'there, perhaps, never was, nor ever again will be, such a war brigade': Kincaid, 284 'there, perhaps, never was, nor ever again will be, such a war brigade': Kincaid, Adventures Adventures. 286 'the most celebrated old fighting corps in the Army or perhaps the world': Major General G. Bell, 286 'the most celebrated old fighting corps in the Army or perhaps the world': Major General G. Bell, Rough Notes by an Old Soldier Rough Notes by an Old Soldier, London, 1867. 'A remarkable revival of curiosity in the events of the time of Napoleon has lately arisen': Du Cane in his article on Molloy. 'A remarkable revival of curiosity in the events of the time of Napoleon has lately arisen': Du Cane in his article on Molloy. 288 'new fangled school mastering': Wellington made this remark in a letter to his friend Rev. Gleig. 288 'new fangled school mastering': Wellington made this remark in a letter to his friend Rev. Gleig.
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RIFLES.
Mark Urban is the Diplomatic Editor of the BBC's Newsnight Newsnight and wasformerly defence correspondent for the and wasformerly defence correspondent for the Independent Independent. He has coveredmany wars as a journalist and is the author of Big Boys' Rules: TheSAS and the Secret Struggle against the IRA, UK Eyes Alpha: InsideBritish Intelligence Big Boys' Rules: TheSAS and the Secret Struggle against the IRA, UK Eyes Alpha: InsideBritish Intelligence and, most recently, the bestselling The Man Who and, most recently, the bestselling The Man WhoBroke Napoleon's Codes. He lives in London with his wife and threechildren.
Further praise for Rifles Rifles:
'A superb study of the unit that effectively created the modern BritishArmy's infantry tactics.' Nicholas Fearn, Independent on Sunday Independent on Sunday
'Fans of Bernard Cornwell's Sharpe series have a real treat here. In adeeply researched, beautifully crafted and captivating volume, MarkUrban recounts the story of the 95th Rifles the elite regiment whoprovided the Duke of Wellington with his crack troops and helped towin the Peninsular War against Napoleon's marshals ... After his previouswork on codebreaking in the Peninsular War, Urban must nowbe accounted one of the leading scholars of the period but the ordinaryreader will find this a riveting slab of derring-do and high adventure.'Frank McLynn, Daily Express Daily Express
'A delight, wise in its judgements and clear-headed in its approach tothe painful field of battle.' Trevor Royle, Sunday Herald Sunday Herald 'As though Mark Urban, the diplomatic editor of BBC2's Newsnight Newsnight,did not have enough to do in his day job, he is fast carving out a secondcareer for himself as a first-class military historian of the Napoleonicwars. His recent biography [The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes]was critically acclaimed, and now he has followed it up with a historyof the 95th Rifle Regiment that is as dashing and unconventional as thelegendary unit itself.' Andrew Roberts, Literary Review Literary Review
'A colourful history of that daredevil corps, the Royal Greenjackets ...A must for Sharpe fans.' John Crossland, Sunday Times Sunday Times
'Urban's book is war unplugged vicious, immediate, chaotic and raw.Well known as a Newsnight Newsnight reporter, he brings to his subject the journalist'ssense of drama. But the book is not just a lurid story; he hasspent the requisite time in the archives, among neglected diaries andcorrespondence. The evidence he has collected enables him to tell thestory of the 95th through six soldiers: two officers and four lowly privates.This gives the battles a humanity usually lacking in studies ofwar.' Gerard DeGroot, reporter, he brings to his subject the journalist'ssense of drama. But the book is not just a lurid story; he hasspent the requisite time in the archives, among neglected diaries andcorrespondence. The evidence he has collected enables him to tell thestory of the 95th through six soldiers: two officers and four lowly privates.This gives the battles a humanity usually lacking in studies ofwar.' Gerard DeGroot, Scotland on Sunday Scotland on Sunday
'Should be read by everyone who has an interest in soldiering and warfare.'Gary Sheffield, Living History Living History
'[The Man Who Broke Napoleon's Codes] was very good. This is evenbetter. How he finds the time, with his broadcasting commitments, toresearch and write quality history in under two years is a mystery.Somehow he does and it won't only be Sharpe fans who are gratefulfor this brilliant warts-and-all depiction of Wellington's famous riflemen.'Saul David, Daily Telegraph Daily Telegraph
by the same author
THE MAN WHO BROKE NAPOLEON'S CODES
BIG BOYS' RULES
UK EYES ALPHA.
SOVIET LAND POWER.
WAR IN AFGHANISTAN.
Author biography
Mark Urban is the Diplomatic Editor of the BBC's Newsnight Newsnight and was formerly defence correspondent for the and was formerly defence correspondent for the Independent Independent. His most recent book is Fusiliers: How the British Army Lost America but Learned to Fight Fusiliers: How the British Army Lost America but Learned to Fight, described as 'superb ... an inspiring account' by Bernard Cornwell, and by Simon Sebag Montefiore as 'a vivid, gritty, poignant and well-researched charge-by-charge, barrage-by-barrage march of one regiment of Redcoats through the battles of the American War of Independence.'