The War of the Axe; Or, Adventures in South Africa

by J. Percy Groves

weakestpoint--the right; and this movement he carried out entirely unknown toBeresford or his lieutenants, who remained in total ignorance of theproximity of this powerful force until it was too late to interposebetween it and the Spaniards.

  "So Blake was vigorously attacked and driven back with great slaughter;and Soult, confident that the day was won, pushed forward his columns.

  "At this critical moment General Sir William Stewart galloped up to ourbrigadier and ordered him to move to the right in support of theSpaniards; our company then rejoined the battalion. Without waiting toform order of battle the brigade, led by the fiery William Stewart,doubled up the hill in open column of companies, and, passing theSpanish right, attempted to open line by succession of battalions asthey arrived. But the French fire was too hot and well-directed to beborne quietly, and before the manoeuvre was completed the word was givento `charge.'

  "With a ringing cheer we dashed onwards, but when close to the enemy the`halt' was unexpectedly sounded, and the `retire' followed almostimmediately. At this time a heavy rain was falling, which obscured theview; and whilst we were wondering why the `retire' had sounded theenemy's cavalry appeared in rear of the `Old Buffs,' who were, Ibelieve, in the very act of re-forming column.

  "We then advanced again; but before we had moved many paces a perfectswarm of Polish lancers, supported by several squadrons ofchasseurs-a-cheval, charged the rear of the brigade and threw the fourregiments into confusion. Separated and taken at a terribledisadvantage, our men had to act for themselves; so they formed groupsof six or eight, and thus withstood the furious onslaught of the savagePoles. Many of the officers joined the men, and prepared to sell theirlives dearly; for quarter was neither given nor asked for. CaptainClarke, his junior subaltern, Ensign Hay, and I, found ourselves in themidst of a group composed of a dozen men of our own company. Clarkesnatched up a musket and blazed away as fast as he could ram home thecartridges, encouraging the men a while with words of approval orexhortation. Ensign Hay followed the captain's example, and fired ashard as he could fire; and I too abandoned my pike for `Old Brown Bess,'and may safely say that I never made better practice.

  "All this time the Polish lancers were wheeling round the groups,stabbing at us with their long lances whenever they got a chance. Itwas reported afterwards that they had been promised a doubloon apiece ifthey broke the British line. Gradually our men became mixed up withthese lancers and with the chasseurs and French linesmen; and every oneof us was thrusting and parrying, hacking and guarding, loading andfiring, to the best of his ability. Never have I witnessed such amelee.

  "I saw a savage-looking, bare-headed lancer attack our ensign and runhim through the lungs, the lance coming out at his back. He fell, butregained his feet immediately. The Pole again delivered point, hislance striking Hay's breast-bone; down he went as if shot, whilst hisassailant pitched over his horse's head and rolled over in the mudbeside him. I ran forward to the ensign's assistance, but came incollision with a chasseur-a-cheval, who cut at me with his sabre andbrought me on my knees. I staggered up and drove my bayonet through hisleg, pinning him to the saddle. He then cut at me again, inflicting asevere wound on my head and partially depriving me of my senses. Atthat moment my adversary's horse was killed by a musket ball, and in itsfall the poor brute crushed me to the ground. I struggled hard toregain my feet, but the weight of the dead charger kept me down, and soI was placed _hors-de-combat_ for the rest of the day.

  "In this desperate hand-to-hand encounter Colborne's brigade sufferedterribly, for of the four regiments composing it the 31st alone was ableto form square when the French cavalry charged us. The 3rd Buffs, the48th, and `Ours' were nearly annihilated.

  "At length a gust of wind blew aside the mist and smoke and revealed ourdesperate condition to General Lumley, who was in the plain below; andhe at once despatched four squadrons of heavy dragoons against thelancers. Almost at the same moment Houghton's brigade came up, andMajor Julius Hartmann brought his light guns into action.

  "When I heard the artillery thundering over the ground I gave myself upfor lost, making sure that they must inevitably gallop over me; but theypassed a few yards to my right, and, quickly unlimbering, opened fire.

  "The battle was now continued with redoubled fury; the guns belchedforth grape at half-range, the musketry kept up an incessant rattle; andthe carnage on both sides was truly awful. Presently our gallantfellows found that their ammunition was beginning to run short, and theywere obliged to slacken fire; and at this juncture--misfortunes nevercome single--another French column established itself on the rightflank.

  "Marshal Beresford--who had been doing his utmost to induce the cowardlySpaniards to advance to the assistance of their well-nigh vanquishedallies--now saw that retreat was inevitable, and he most reluctantlygave the unwelcome order. But happily the battle was saved by the_moral_ courage--hark ye to that, you young fellows!--by the _moral_courage of a young staff-officer, Colonel Hardinge, [afterwards LordHardinge, commander-in-chief], who entirely on his own responsibilityrode off at full speed to General Cole (who had just arrived fromBadajos) and urged him to advance with the 4th Division andAbercrombie's brigade of the 2nd Division. Cole readily assented, andat once led the 7th and 23rd Fusiliers, flanked by a battalion ofPortuguese cacadores, up the hill; whilst Abercrombie's brigade followedin support.

  "Separating themselves from the crowd of broken soldiery, these freshtroops attacked the French with irresistible fury, and slowly but surelydrove them back to the farthest edge of the hill. In vain did Soultcall upon his veterans to hold their ground, in vain did he bring up hisreserves; nothing could withstand Cole's splendid infantry; and after adesperate struggle the French masses went down the slope of the hill,breaking like a loosened cliff.

  "The battle was over. By three o'clock the last shot had been fired,and the remnant of the British troops, who had fought with such devotedcourage, stood triumphant on the bloodstained ground. Since thatmemorable day I have taken part in many a `stricken field,' but neverhave I seen harder fighting than at the battle of Albuera."

  "It was indeed a brilliant affair," said Major G--n when the old officerstopped speaking; "and our soldiers gave unmistakable proof of theirsuperiority over Bonaparte's veterans. Pray, what were the losses oneither side?"

  "I cannot say how the Spaniards and Portuguese came off; but out of 6000British and Hanoverian troops actually engaged more than 4000 werekilled, wounded, or missing," Captain Jamieson replied. "The French, Ibelieve, lost between 7000 and 8000 men. As for the poor old --th, wewent into action over 400 strong, and on the morrow only 53 bayonetsmustered at parade! The battalion may almost be said to have ceased toexist."

  "Well might Byron exclaim, `O Albuera, glorious field of grief!'" saidS--. "But you have not told us how you fared after the battle."

  "Well, I lay crushed beneath the chasseur's dead charger until morning,when I was found by a party of the light company who had been searchingfor me throughout the night. My wounds were not very severe, and when Irecovered, the commanding officer, Major K--, appointed mesergeant-major of the battalion. I held that post until the end of thewar, when I was invalided home and promoted to an ensigncy on thehalf-pay list. In 1821 they gave me my lieutenancy in the Cape MountedRifles."

  "You are to be congratulated on having seen so much active service,"said Major G--n. "I always envy you Peninsula heroes. Few men, Ishould imagine, have passed through so much peril, and yet lived to tellthe tale."

  "I am not out of the wood yet, G--n," was Jamieson's quiet rejoinder."But talking of peril, no man has experienced more of `moving accidentsby flood and field' than my friend Richards," he went on, nodding at awiry-built grave-looking man who sat near him. "You've seen some roughwork in America--eh, John?"

  "Yes, Jamieson," responded the person addressed, who was an officer ofnative levies; "but not such work as you've been describing. This, youmust know, is my first regular campaign. I have always been a `man ofpeace,' gentlem
en--that is to say, when the Red-skins would let me!"

  "Which was seldom enough, no doubt," put in Captain Jamieson. "By theway, hadn't you a remarkable escape from the Indians some years ago? Ithink I remember hearing of it."

  "A--ah!" rejoined Mr Richards with a sort of gasp--he spoke, too, witha slight American intonation; "a--ah! that _was_ an adventure! Why, doyou know, gentlemen, that though it happened twenty-two years ago comenext fall, I feel kinder nervous even now when I think of it; for 'twasjust about the very narrowest shave of being scalped that ever I didrun."

  "Come, tell us all about it, John," said the captain. "I'm sure ourfriends