British Light Dragoon (Napoleonic Horseman Book 3)

by Griff Hosker

  “Thank you, captain.” He inclined his head. “Did you see anything of the French Fleet when you were sailing north?”

  “Aye they were just off the Portuguese coast. A big fleet it was too. I must be honest I was a bit nervous.” He pointed to the masthead. “Luckily we sail this under the flag of Naples. The French tolerate us.”

  I heard the sound of Sharp emptying the contents of his stomach over the side and I smiled. I had earned my sea legs the hard way. He would be better the next time we sailed. “Where are you bound?”

  “London. Trade has picked up since the peace and Mr Fortnum can’t get enough of our wines. This is the new vintage. We had a good summer and we can’t get enough of it.” He nudged me gently in the ribs. “A tidy profit both ways for you then sir eh? Your family and the ship.”

  “I suppose you are right.”

  “Which begs the question, what were you doing in France and being chased?” He held up his hand, “I don’t want to know the answer although I have probably closed Calais to my ship now.”

  “Sorry about that, Richard.”

  “It is your ship, sir.”

  We would be back in London quicker than Colonel Selkirk had anticipated. It would save us the long ride from London to Canterbury too. On the journey up the Thames I wrote a letter for my relatives in Sicily explaining my position as a Captain in the 11th Light Dragoons. I knew we had peace now but I was not certain that it would last. As I stepped ashore I gave the letter to Richard. “Please have this sent to my family when you are next in Sicily and thank you again, captain.”

  He smiled, “Thank you sir. I’ll have another tale to tell Captain Dinsdale now won’t I?”

  I took rooms at the ‘Coal Hole’ again and left Trooper Sharp there. He still looked a little green around the gills from the crossing and I did not need him for my meeting with the colonel.

  To say he was surprised to see me was an understatement. He frowned. “Did ye not go then?”

  “I did go sir but I was recognised in Paris and had to flee.”

  “Bah, a waste of time then.” He was like a grumpy bear awoken early from hibernation.

  I smiled, “No sir, quite the contrary. I discovered that the French are on a war footing. There are manoeuvres and briefings taking place all over northern France. There must be many camps there and…” I flourished the letters. “I discovered this on a courier who had been attacked by robbers. They are sending the French Fleet to Calais.”

  His demeanour changed in an instant. He banged the table in excitement, “Are they by God!” he grabbed the documents and began to read them.

  As he was reading them I told him what Richard had told me. “The French Fleet is sailing along the Portuguese coast even as we speak.”

  He jumped up and pumped my hand. “Well done Robbie. I knew you would do well. This is just the sort of thing I hoped that you would discover.” He clutched the letters and led me from his office. “I will need you again but not for some little time. I was going to send you to Malta; I know you know the island well but Prime Minister Addington has decided not to hand it over to the French after all. Enjoy yourself and settle down at the regiment.”

  “But they are in the Cape.”

  “Oh didn’t I tell you, they will be coming back as soon as they arrive. The damned politicians have given the Cape back to the Dutch as part of the peace treaty. So you see you haven’t missed anything. They’ll be back by early summer.” He smacked the letters against his open palm. “And now I will get our little admiral to put the French’s nose out of joint.”

  I shook my head as I left the building. What a waste of time for the regiment. To be on a cramped transport for weeks on end only to find that you had the same journey to endure was a crime. The colonel was right, damned politicians!

  Sharp and I took the mail coach back to the barracks. We caught up on our lost sleep and travelled much faster than had we been on horseback. We reached the barracks by evening and surprised Percy and the Sergeant Major.

  “Sorry Percy; I have come back to spoil your fun.”

  He shrugged, “I had a few days to play at commanding officer. That will suffice.”

  I nodded to Sergeant Major Jones. “And while I was in Whitehall I heard that the regiment will be coming straight back here. They will arrive by late spring at the earliest, perhaps early summer. You know what that means?”

  He sighed, “Yes sir. The horses will be in awful condition. We will need to send out a party to get remounts. We will need more than twenty. We will require an officer to accompany them.”

  I looked at Percy, “Well Austen, you or Jackson?”

  “Well if we have the choice sir then me!”

  “Good. You can choose your men and leave tomorrow. Have we had many recruits?”

  “No sir. Only about eight or so.”

  “Right well I will take out a recruiting party and we will see how many we can drum up.”

  I suddenly realised how excited I was to be performing relatively mundane tasks. No-one would be shooting at me and I would be leading some fine troopers. Life was becoming good, for a change.

  I spent the next two days getting to know Lieutenant Jackson. He seemed to have gained confidence in the last week and I saw the sparks of a decent officer. Talking to him I discovered that his family were not well off and, like Austen, he would need to win a promotion on a battlefield. I could not tell him but I knew that we would be at war sooner rather than later.

  His face lit up when I told him that I was leaving him in command when I took out the recruiting party. I took with me Quartermaster Sergeant Grant, Trooper Sharp, Bugler Jones and Corporal Seymour. The corporal had improved as a soldier since Jem Green had deserted. I wanted the opportunity to observe him closely. When we had filled the ranks of my squadron with recruits then we would have to start a new troop and that would need sergeants.

  I made sure we all wore our best uniforms and that the horses were well turned out. Badger had enjoyed the rest and Trooper Sharp had trimmed both his mane and his tail. His coat shone and I knew that we would attract a crowd. We headed into the centre of Canterbury. The outbreak of war had meant that many workers had lost their jobs. The army might be a more attractive proposition, especially in peacetime. In addition the smart uniform was said to attract the ladies.

  The infantry had a drummer to attract a crowd but I would use my bugler. We rode close to the Cathedral and the nearby alehouses. After tying up our horses I nodded to Jones who began to go through all the calls that he knew. He was a good musician and he stitched them together so that they almost made a tune. We soon had a crowd who gathered around to see what we were about.

  Quartermaster Sergeant Grant had done this before and he began his routine, a little like a fairground barker. “You see here men of the finest cavalry regiment in Great Britain. Look at this fine uniform and admire the magnificent horses. Now we have a few places left for any suitable men who can ride.” Like a conjurer a coin suddenly appeared in his hand. “Now for those lucky few who join up today I will offer a King’s Shilling.” The coins disappeared again and he rubbed his hands together. “Now then, my lads, who’ll be the first?”

  I knew it would not be as easy as that and no-one came forward. Corporal Seymour shook his head, “You see the trouble is, Quartermaster Grant, that these lads think they will be marching up and down hills with the Grand Old Duke of York.” Many of the crowd laughed thinking of the satirical rhyme. “They probably don’t know that he isn’t leading our troops anymore. They probably don’t know that the rest of the regiment is, even now, sunning themselves at the Cape of Good Hope where it is warmer weather than here.” He winked at a couple of young lads and, lowering his voice, said, “Probably being waited on by a couple of dusky maidens I wouldn’t doubt. They’ll be enjoying the pleasure of a rich man and a summer cruise.”

  It was as though the flood gates had been opened and the two young men started it. By the end of the day we had ten rec
ruits all of whom had either signed up or made their mark. As we led them back to the barracks I said, to Grant, “But suppose they can’t ride? The colonel won’t be very happy.”

  He grinned, “Don’t you worry about that sir. We can make anyone into a horseman given time and if the Sergeant Major is correct and the rest of the regiment won’t be back for a couple of months then the colonel will have another troop of trained men.”

  He was right. I went on the next three recruitment drives and then realised that I was superfluous; Grant and Seymour were like a double act and they worked well together. I sent Lieutenant Jackson, who had realised that commanding an empty barracks was no fun, with them and it did his confidence no end of good. I joined Percy training both men and horses. Those three months were glorious. I had never had three months of peace and never had such power. It had to end and it did when two things happened. War was declared in May and the regiment arrived back two weeks later.

  Chapter 7

  The talk in the mess the night the regiment returned was depressing. Many horses had suffered after months at sea; a sea voyage is always stressful and these poor animals had barely landed before being returned to the torture of a transport. The troopers were no longer fit, but even worse was the memory of so much time being wasted.

  “Politicians, Robbie, they haven’t the first clue. They must have known before we left that they were going to give the Cape away.” Even David was no longer his ebullient self.

  I tried to cheer them up with positive thoughts. “Well at least we can now build up the strength of the troopers and the horses.”

  “If that Bonaparte fellow gives us time. When we were sailing north we passed Nelson and his fleet. Our captain told us that there was a French fleet in the area. Good old Nelson, trust him to sniff out the Frog’s plans.”

  I smiled. I could hardly divulge that we had intercepted the plans. I gestured with my head, “And how did the DeVeres take it?”

  “If you thought they were bad here you should have heard them whinge and complain on the transport. I am sure that was why the major and the colonel sailed on another ship. They did not have to endure their incessant moaning.” He shook his head and then his face became serious. “That wasn’t the worst. They had men flogged for the most trivial of misdemeanours. The morale of the troopers is at rock bottom. Between the floggings and the disease we couldn’t field a whole troop let alone a squadron. The only squadron which would do justice to the regiment now is yours. Well done.”

  I shook my head, “It was these two lieutenants. They managed to get the best remounts and more recruits than we needed. We can start E Squadron as soon as the colonel gives the order.”

  “I think he will have to leave that until the men have recovered.”

  That was a luxury we did not have. The next morning I was summoned to the colonel’s office. We had all seen the courier arrive and then leave. I had wondered what he had brought and I was intrigued when I was summoned. Part of me wondered if Colonel Selkirk had another plan for me. I had heard that Napoleon had occupied mainland Italy and only Sicily remained free. Was I to be sent there? Speculation was of no use. I would find out soon enough.

  The colonel was red with anger. “Politicians Matthews! I’d sooner shoot them than the French!”

  The major was calmer, “There is little use upsetting yourself sir. We can do nought about it. You know as well as I do that we have to obey orders.”

  The colonel subsided and nodded. He waved at me to enter; obviously he was too upset to speak. The major gestured for me to sit. “We have been ordered to Swedish Pomerania.” I had never even heard of the place. The major smiled at my dumbstruck expression and strode to the map of Europe on the wall. In terms of who ruled what it was highly inaccurate but at least the coastlines were the same.

  He picked up a letter opener and used it as an improvised pointer. “It is here on the southern side of the Baltic. It is close to Prussia but, more importantly, it is close to Hanover and Brunswick. They are amongst our only allies, save Portugal, on the continent. Bonaparte is already eyeing them up and we are being sent, along with a battalion of infantry and a horse battery, to be on hand should the French invade.”

  It was ludicrous. My mouth must have dropped open for I saw the major smile again. “Sir, if Bonaparte decides to invade Hanover, it will be with whole Corps. What could a mere brigade do?”

  “It is a gesture Robbie. It is the politicians at work. It shows that Britain will not allow the French a free hand in Europe and it encourages those who might be wavering. The good news is that we only have to send a squadron.” His face became serious. “The bad news is that as you have the only squadron ready then it will have to be yours.”

  I began to work out the logistics of taking my squadron abroad. I was at least one officer short and I was about to mention that when the major said, “As you are a captain short and in view of your relative inexperience then I shall be accompanying you. We will take the Sergeant Major too. His experience and organisation will be worth another twenty men. We will have to take the doctor as well.”

  I was pleased that we were taking Sergeant Major Jones; his experience and reassuring presence would make up for any deficiencies in either the two lieutenants or myself. Having just prepared three squadrons for foreign service it was no problem for us to organise merely one. It was made easier by the fact that we had spent the last couple of months drilling and preparing for just such an event. The colonel paraded the whole regiment the day we left. The contrast in the mounts and the men was remarkable. The horses and men which had been to the Cape drooped and sagged. Our squadron paraded with a spring in their step and a smile on their faces. I rode behind the major as we took the road to Dover where the transports would be waiting. The other elements, the infantry battalion and the horse artillery would be proceeding from Harwich, close to their base.

  I had loaded Badger on to a ship before and he took to it calmly and easily. Some of the newer horses became agitated. I wondered if the vet might have been more appropriate than the doctor. The transport was hired from the East India Company and was therefore both comfortable and adequate for the task. The stalls for the horses were well ventilated and roomy. There was a good system to secure them in bad weather and a small area for them to be exercised.

  As officers, the five of us had a cabin each, while the men had hammocks just as the sailors did. I was looking forward to the voyage. I enjoyed seeing new places and we would pass Denmark as well as Sweden and Hanover. These were new lands to me.

  I did not get much time to see the coastline as we passed north. We were far too busy preparing for the forthcoming campaign. The officers and the Sergeant Major spent every day examining maps of both Pomerania and Hanover.

  “I am not sure what Horse Guards intend us to actually do but I suspect we will be scouting for the infantry.”

  “How many infantry will there be sir?”

  “If it is a full battalion then it could be nine hundred. On the other hand it might be as few as five hundred men and the guns will just be four or six pounders and only six of them. We are a token gesture and we are expendable.” I saw the looks on the lieutenants’ faces. I think they thought there was planning in all of this. “Be under no illusions gentlemen we will be on our own over there.”

  “And who will command?”

  “The commanding officer of the 5th is Colonel Mackenzie so I assume it will be him.” The major spread his arms. “I know nothing about him. The 5th are from Northumberland and have a good reputation. That is something any way. As for the battery, I think it is Johnston’s Battery.“

  “How do we address him sir?”

  “Brigadier or Colonel. Sometimes they can be a little prickly so we will use Brigadier until we see the lie of the land.”

  I do not know what I expected but Stralsund, the capital of Swedish Pomerania, was not it. It was a walled city which looked as though it had been preserved in time. We could have been en
tering a town in the Middle Ages. Everything looked old as we entered the port. The harbour only had small ships within it and the guns which protruded from its bastions were ancient pieces. A couple of frigates could have captured it.

  We disembarked the men while the horses were hoisted over the side and it gave me the opportunity to observe the soldiers who were guarding the guns. They wore strange little shakos with a turned up brim and a large feather. They looked to be as antique as the town. Their muskets were also longer and looked older than any I had seen, even amongst the Austrians. It did not bode well but, as the major had told me, Sweden was not at war with France yet but their king, Gustave, liked Britain. He had given permission to cross his land and enter Hanover.

  A small carriage halted next to us and a fussy little man with a fur hat emerged. The hat seemed strange as it was almost June. He had a pair of glasses perched precariously on the end of his nose and a harassed looking assistant behind him hovered with a mass of documents.

  “I am the Consul here. James Whittingham is the name. This is my assistant, Postelthwaite.” He shook his head, “I know preposterous name what? But at least he speaks the local languages.” I felt sorry for the young man but he must have been used to it for he smiled.

  “I am Major Hyde-Smith and…”

  The Consul waved an impatient hand away, “Yes, yes, I know who you are and these are your men. Now I have secured an area outside the city walls for you to camp. The other forces aren’t here yet. I have arranged for some supplies to be sent to you but the city elders made it quite clear that they do not want you in their town. “He saw the major’s raised eyebrows. “I know what you are going to say major, that your men will behave themselves and I do not doubt that you are correct. However this part of Sweden is surrounded by armies who would like to take it from them and they are suspicious. Added to the fact that Admiral Nelson was a little high handed when he sank the Danish Fleet a couple of years ago, you can understand it. Besides as soon as the other units arrive you can toddle off to Hanover.” He smiled as though that explained all.