Title

Chapter 2

Identifier

http://www.nflibrary.ca/nfplindex/show.asp?b=1&ref=oo&id=298103

page

20-35

Bibliographic Citation

A veteran of 1812 : the life of James FitzGibbon / by Mary Agnes FitzGibbon.

10168803

A veteran of 1812 : the life of James FitzGibbon / by Mary Agnes FitzGibbon.

Type

Text

extracted text

el

20

THE TARBERT FENCIBLES.

A VETERAN OF 1812.

The Tarbert Fencibles were soon afterwards sent to
England to do garrison duty in the room of the
regulars required in Holland.
Before leaving home reiterated promises were extorted, both from the boy and his captain, that he
should not, on any account, be induced or permitted
to enlist for active service abroad. His mother's
fears, prompted by the boy's well-known bias, took
this precaution to ensure his return before she would
consent to his departure. Much, however, as the lad
loved soldiering, there was a stronger deterrent to his
taking the Queen's shilling than even his mother'g
fears or his captain's promise to bring him back in
safety to his native village.
Corporal punishment was at that time inflicted in
the army for the most trifling offences, and the reports
of the sufferings of the men under it had so excited
his indignation that FitzGibbon believed no persuasions could ever induce him to put himself voluntarily
in a position to run the risk of incurring such degradation.

21

CHAPTER II.
C

N the 9th of June, 1799, Major-General Whitelock arrived at Poole, in Dorsetshire, where
the Tarbert Fencibles were then quartered,
authorized to recruit non-commissioned officers and
men from its ranks for active service in the army
awaiting embarkation for the invasion of Holland.
Before leaving his quarters, FitzGibbon received a
hasty visit from Captain Creagh. He came to remind
him once more of the many promises he had made to
bring hiin back to Ireland, and added, " If you are
firm in your refusal to volunteer for active service,
I'll take you with me to Ireland, where I hear I'm to
be sent shortly on recruiting duty."
FitzGibbon assured him he had no intention or
desire to volunteer, so he might make his mind easy
on that score.
An hour afterwards the sergeants were paraded in
the barrack-yard to be addressed by the general.
He spoke at considerable length, saying, among other
things, that " as the enemy would not come to fight
us, it was determined by the Government that we
should go and fight them ;" that he " was quite confident we would rather go and fight for our king and
country than remain at home walking the streets of .
Poole with powdered heads ;" and, in short, that he

AN IMPORTANT STEP-A

22

vow.

23

A VETERAN OF 1812.

"expected to see us in a few months' time up to our
knees in French blood."
Little as he knew of the world, this speech sounded
an extravagant one to FitzGibbon. His position
placed him directly opposite to where the general
stood. His evident interest attracted that officer's
attention, and he repeatedly addressed him directly,
asking if he understood what he said ?
The sergeants were then dismissed to join their
. companies.
After parade the regiment was formed into a hollow
square, when the general addressed the men, much in
the same strain as he had used with the sergeants,
desiring those who wished to volunteer to step out of
their ranks into the centre ; and going from company
to company he urged the men individually to do so.
Upon reaching FitzGibbon's, he expressed surprise at
seeing him still in the ranks.
" I thought you would be one of the first to volunteer."
" I am determined not to volunteer, sir," replied the
soldier.
" And why should a young man of your appearance
not seize so glorious an opportunity of pushing his
fortunes in the service of his king and country ?"
" Because, sir, I am not willing to spend all my life
as a private soldier, nor as a non-commissioned officer,
and from the little I have seen of the army, I have no
• hope of obtaining a commission without money or
friends."

" Can you write ? " asked the general.
" Certainly he can, very well," answered Captain
Creagh for him, and added some kindly expressions
commending the lad's diligence and knowledge of his
drill.
" Why, then," said the general, " I will be the first
to recommend you."
" You will not, sir," replied the boy, with youthful
conviction as well as priggishness, " venture to recommend me until you know if I be qualified to hold a
commission, which I am now convinced I am not."
" All this," replied the general, " only tends to
convince me that you are, or very soon will be."
But FitzGibbon was still determined. The general
turned and went along the ranks, urging the men.
At length, in answer to his representations of the
many advantages to be derived from active service, a
number replied that if FitzGibbon would volunteer
they would.
" What was I to do?" FitzGibbon often asked when
telling the story in after years. "I must either forget
my promises, my fears, silence my doubts, or brand
myself forever a coward, not only in the eyes of my
comrades but in my own."
He assented, and carried forty men with him into
the ranks of the English army.
The step was taken and could not be retraced, but
with a mentally registered vow that if it should ever
be his fate to incur a sentence to the infliction of the

24

LANDING AT THE HELDER.

A VETERAN OF 1812.

lash, justly or unjustly, he would take his own life
rather than suffer such degradation.
FitzGibbon joined the army under Sir Ralph Abercrombie, then encamped on Bareham Downs, and on
August 6th, 1799, he was draughted into the 49th,with the rank of sergeant. On the following morning ,
they were marched to the coast, and embarked at the
neighboring seaport.
The fleet with the transports put to sea on the
12th. Bad weather prevented the vessels approaching the coast of Holland until the 26th, when they
anchored near the Helder. The troops were landed
on the 27th, but here we may quote FitzGibbon's
own words :
" The flat boats in which we were sent from the
transports moved off for the shore in the grey light
of early day. Our mortar ships had been throwing
bombs to the shore for a short time before. The
distance, however, was so considerable that I did not
think they could do much execution. My early
studies in Greek and Roman history had given me
an exaggerated idea of heroism, bravery and battle,
and I fully expected to find the French battalions
drawn up in battle array upon the beach, ready to
greet us with a volley the moment we were within
range, and, as our boats touched the shore, to oppose
our landing in a fierce hand-to-hand conflict.
"As we approached, and the light increased, I could
see five dark lines to our right, moving down upon
us, as I expected, to oppose our landing, but upon
.

25

nearer approach I could distinguish their scarlet uniforms. They were in fact the five British regiments
landed some distance to our right, and which as yet
had met with no resistance. Were the French so
deficient in courage, I wondered, as not to make the
most of such evident advantages ?
" The low line of sand-hills opposite our landing
place was lined with troops. A volley was fired upon
us as we jumped ashore. The regiments already
landed charged up the hill and drove the enemy back
at the point of the bayonet, while we landed without
further molestation.
"After fifty years of life, and having had some
experience of warfare, I am convinced my boyish
opinion was the correct one. Had the enemy realized
my expectation and opposed our landing in earnest,
the boats must have been destroyed or captured. To
know the value or force of fear upon the human mind
is one of the most important qualifications for a
commander to possess, second only to the power of
banishing fear from his own ranks and driving it
before him into the ranks of the enemy. The officer
who has not this power will never be distinguished
from the herd of ordinary men, and should never be
entrusted with a separate command.
"The brigade to which I belonged, Sir John Moore's,
was marched to the left, towards the Helder, where
we found no enemy-. All the fighting was on our
right, where our men drove the enemy back into the
country."
2

26

A VETERAN OF 1812.

There is a gap here in FitzGibbon's narrative from
August 27th to October 2nd. During that period the
Duke of York had joined the army and assumed the
command.
" Long before day on the morning of the 2nd of
October, the Russian and British forces advanced to
attack the French posted in the sand-hills on the
coast near Egmont-op-Zee. The column to which the
49th belonged advanced along the beach, having the
sand-hills to the right, the rolling sea in close proxi mity on our left. About eight o'clock the advance
commenced skirmishing, and the column was halted.
Several of the officers ran up a few paces on the sides
of the hills to snatch a view of our troops on the
level beach. I followed their example. Eighteen
thousand men were on the plain before me. The
long lines of cavalry and artillery deploying to their
several positions, the life and stir of coming battle
surprised and filled me with delight. I had dreamed
of deeds of bravery, of fierce single combats, but now
that the battle was imminent, I was surprised to find
that I was not nearly so brave as I had imagined
myself.
" The first man I saw killed was a fine handsome
young ensign, a lieutenant of grenadiers, who had
volunteered from the South Middlesex militia to the
line, still wearing the uniform of his late regiment.
He carried one of the regimental colors, and was one
of the finest-looking men I had ever seen. I stood
for a moment to look upon him as he fell, and thought

BATTLE OF EGMONT-OP-ZEE.

27

sadly of the young wife he had left to mourn his
untimely end. It was but a moment. I had to run
on to keep pace with my company and find myself in
the midst of a great battle. I was a supernumerary
sergeant ; I had no definite duties or position, nothing
to dc but look about me. My preconceived ideas of
the discipline of the regular army were soon dissi#.
pated. The nature of the ground, the confusion and
apparent hastiness of the officers served to cause
disorder, and I thought, ' Surely the French must be
better soldiers than we are.' "
FitzGibbon had evidently mentioned Colonel Brock
in the missing leaf of his reminiscences, as the following paragraph indicates :
" After the deployment of the 49th on the sandhills, I saw no more of Lieut.-Colonel Brock, being
separated from him with that part of the regiment
detached under Lieut.-Colonel Sheaffe. Soon after
we commenced firing upon the enemy, and at intervals rushing from one line of sand-hills to another
—behind which the soldiers were made to shelter
themselves and fire over their summits—I saw, at
some distance to my right, Savery Brock, the paymaster, passing from the top of one sand-hill to
another, directing and encouraging the men. He
alone kept continually on the tops of the hills during
the firing, and at every advance from one range to
another he led the men, and again was seen above the
others. Not doubting but that great numbers of the
French soldiers would be continually firing at hiin—a

28

A VETERAN OF 1811

TAKEN PRISONER.

large man so exposed—I. watched from moment to
moment to see him fall, but for about two hours
while in my view he remained untouched.
"After witnessing Savery Brock's conduct, I determined to be the first to advance every time at the
head of those around me, and I soon saw that of
those who were most prompt to follow me, fewer fell
by the enemy's fire than I witnessed falling of those
more in our rear.
" Still we advanced, and the French retreated from
one range of sand-hills to the next. About five
o'clock I was well on in advance, when, on the opposite side of a valley facing us, we saw dragoons in
green advancing toward us. Believing them to be
Russians who were moving against the enemy on the
other side of the hills, a cry was raised to ' cease
firing.' The moment the cry was obeyed, a body of
French infantry issued from a copse in the valley
and charged up the hill toward us. We opened fire
instantly but instead of retreating they advanced,
their officers waving their hats and swords as if
desirous of holding a parley with us. Upon this
someone cried they were Dutch troops who wished
to join us as three battalions had done a few days
before. Again we ceased firing. Our officers advanced to meet theirs. While we waited I formed
the men, about a hundred in all. Presently one of
my men, without orders, presented his musket. I
tossed it up with my pike, and declared I ' would
shoot any man who dared to fire without orders ;'

then, turning to learn the cause of the man's action,
I saw five of the enemy approaching. Believing they
meant to surrender, I went to meet them ;- I disarmed
two, throwing their muskets on the ground, but in amoment my pike was wrenched from my hold and I
was seized by the collar. Struggling to free myself,
I found two bayonets at my back. My men fired.
The Frenchman at my right fell, but in an instant I
was dragged over the hill. There they halted and
searched me. One drew my sword and threw it fai•
from me with an oath. Another took my sash and
wound it around his own waist. Two contended for
my great coat and nearly dislocated my shoulders in
their struggle for it. Then my coat and waistcoat
were pulled off in order that they might get at my
shirts, a flannel and a linen one, for I never could
endure the flannel next my skin. They had the
flannel one when a dragoon galloped up, snatched
my waistcoat from the infantry and drove them off
Possessing himself of what money was left in the
pocket, he flung it back to me and bade me dress
myself. He then gave me in charge of another dragoon, who seized my left wrist in his right hand and
trotted down the hill to where the dragoons were
drawn up.
" All this could not have occupied more than three
or four minutes. While my captor trotted down the
slope, we were met by another dragoon who, as he
passed me, brought up the hilt of his sword to his
ear and gave point at me. Fortunately I had learned

,

29

30

A VETERAN OF 1812.

the sword exercise and was able to parry his thrust.
He rode on as if indifferent whether he hit me or not.
The man who held me swore roundly at him, and
instead of ascending the hill turned sharply to the
left, and followed the valley until w.e were quite in
the rear of the French lines. He then released me
from his hold.
" If I had had extravagant ideas of the glories to be
won in battle, I had also of the fate of prisoners of
war. I had recently read the memoirs of Baron
Trenck, and expected nothing less than confinement
in a dungeon with sixty pounds of iron about my
neck and limbs.
" The approach of another prisoner, an old sergeant
of the 49th, who had seen service in the West Indies,
was a relief to my mind. We soon after entered a
wood, where the dragoon ordered us to be searched.
Alas, my fine linen shirt pleased him, and I was
ordered to give it up. When I hesitated my fellowprisoner advised me to obey, adding, "A soldier of
the 92nd, who was taken with me, refused to give up
his canteen and a murderous Frenchman shot him
through the back."
" The dragoon gave me a shirt from his saddle-bag
in exchange. It was coarse as a barrack sheet and
nearly worn out. It was, however, clean from the
wash, and had ruffles to the wristbands as well as the
usual frill to the front. I remembered a song my
grandfather used to sing for me of ' French ruffles

A DISTRESSING MARCH.

31

and rags.' Now was I possessed of some to my no
small discomfort and mortification.
" While the exchange of garments was being made,
Lieutenant Philpott and some grenadiers of the 35th
were brought in. He stopped and asked me why
they stripped me. Before I could reply, a French
soldier struck him a blow from behind with the butt
of his musket that made him stagger forward several
paces before he could recover himself.
" We were marched into Alkmaar and put into a
church, where I slept on the flags from six till eight
o'clock, when we were awakened, hurried out into the
street and marched off under an escort.
" I supposed we were to be lodged in some prison in
the town, but to my surprise we soon left it behind
us. Exhausted from fatigue, I dreaded a long night
march. The dragoons of the escort frequently pushed
their horses upon us. One of them plunged in among
us, his horse dashing the man walking beside me to
the ground, and striking me a violent blow in the side
with his foot. To escape this danger I pushed on to
the front and strained every nerve to keep in the
advance. We were marched without halting to Beverwick, a distance of eighteen miles.
" This was the most distressing night of my life. I
had already suffered so much from fatigue during
our marches and countermarches since our landing at
the Helder, as to make my life a burden to me. Fifteen days later we reached Valenciennes, five officers
and one hundred and seven men." (See Appendix I.)

32

A VETERAN OE 181.
-

During this and the few weeks that intervened
before the exchange of prisoners was effected, FitzGibbon was not idle. He seized every opportunity
within his reach of conversing with his French
captors and learning as much of their language as
possible.
Among some odd scraps of letters and manuscripts,
I find the following anecdote :
" The exchanged prisoners of war were landed at
Ramsgate from Flushing, in January, 1800. On the
march to Beccles and Bungaye, where the 49th were
then stationed, I was sent forward to have the billets
ready for delivery to the men at the end of each day's
march. On entering the inn at Witham, near Colchester, a gentleman standing at the door asked me if
I did not belong to the 49th ? Upon my replying
that I did he said :
" ' Why then are you in such a ragged and stained
dress ?'
" I am returning from French prison, sir,' I replied.
" Come in, come in here,' he said, and immediately
ordered the waiter to bring breakfast and a glass of
brandy for me. He was surprised when I declined
the latter, as I never drank it.
" ' What, a soldier and not drink brandy ? Well, well,
I am very glad of it ; and now, where were you taken
prisoner ?'
" At Egmont-op-Zee,' I replied. Then to my surprise he asked a number of questions as to the
behaviour of certain of the officers in that battle.
•

A MARTINET—MILITARY DISCIPLINE.

33

" Ignorant of who my questioner might be, I could
only reply faithfully as to what I had seen and knew,
and unconsciously was able to remove the odium of
cowardice from at least one to whom it had been
i mputed. I learned later that my interrogator was
the surgeon of the 49th. He shook hands with me,
and bade me take care of myself and I would rise to
be a general officer. I was not very sanguine of that,
but they were kindly words to cheer on the hopes
and ambition of a lad who loved his profession."
In the summer of 1800 the regiment was sent to
Jersey. During the senior Lieut.-Colonel's absence
on leave, the second assumed the command. Of this
officer's ability, FitzGibbon speaks highly.
" He was the best teacher I ever knew, but he was
also a martinet and a great scold. His offensive
language often marred his best efforts. The latitude
taken at drill in those days was very great and very
injurious to the service. The late Duke of York saw
this, and by appropriate regulations greatly abated
the use of offensive language.
"To such a state of feeling was the regiment worked
up by this man's scolding, that upon the return of
the senior officer,* his first appearance on the parade
was greeted by three hearty cheers from the men.
This outbreak of welcome was promptly rebuked by
the returned colonel and the men confined to barracks
for a week."
FitzGibbon does not name either of these officers,
* Colonel (afterwards Sir Isaac) I3rock.

34

A VETERAN OF 1812.

A PROVIDENTIAL FIND.

adding only : " I might record the future career of
the two men, but will only say that they were not
on the same level. The history of the one officer
who won the affection and respect of his men by
kind though firm discipline bears the higher military
reputation."
While the regiment was in Jersey, several recruiting
parties were sent from it to England. With one of
these FitzGibbon was ordered to Winchester. The
party consisted of a captain, two sergeants, a corporal
and drummer. The captain appointed, being on leave,
was to join the party later from London.
Before embarking, and without FitzGibbon's knowledge, his fellow-sergeant drew the month's pay for
the corporal and drummer, went out of barracks, and
either gambled or, as he said, lost it, by having his
pocket picked. FF this he was tried and sentenced
to be put under stoppages as a private until the
amount was refunded. Notwithstanding, before
going on board the Rowcliffe sloop for Portsmouth,
the man again drew the month's pay, and soon after
their arrival in Winchester, lost or spent the money.
The captain had not yet joined them, and upon payday FitzGibbon's duty would be to report the case to
the regimental headquarters. This would inevitably
result in the reduction of the sergeant to the ranks,
or possibly the infliction and degradation„of the
lash. The man was of respectable parentage, in education equal if not superior to FitzGibbon, and his
pleasing, gentlemanly manner had won his fellow-

soldiers' affection. Having full confidence in his
truthfulness, FitzGibbon out of his own month's pay,
as yet untouched, gave the corporal and drummer
their week's pay. Another week passed without the
captain having joined the party, and again he paid
the men. This was repeated until he had not a penny
remaining.
" Twenty-four hours had elapsed since I had tasted
food. We were walking down the high street of
Winchester, poor as hungry and miserable as
myself, neither of us knowing what to do nor where
to turn for help. To sell any part of our regimentals
was impossible. It was a military offence, and its
commission would inevitably have brought the disgrace I dreaded. Walking slowly and in silence,
weary with thinking and the vain effort to puzzle a
way out of the difficulty, I had almost given way to
despair, when, the light of a street lamp falling across
my path, my eye caught the gleam of a coin lying on
the wet pavement at my feet. I picked it up, and
carrying it to a neighboring shop-window, saw it was
a half-guinea. I rang it on the sill to be sure my
eyes had not deceived me. I did not stay to enquire
who had dropped it. The street had many passersby ; its owner might have passed long since, but the
thought that it had ever been owned by anyone else
never crossed my mind. I was hungry through no
fault of my own, and this half-guinea was to me a
direct gift from Providence, and as such I used it and
was grateful."

35