The Plains of Talavera

by Martin McDowell

  “This is something about nothing! Both affairs. Taking the first point against Major Carr, that of La Casa, I am convinced that he did make an attempt to bring the line to readiness and he cannot be blamed if scrub and smoke and whatnot gave the French the chance to approach our line unseen. On that I have heard sufficient proof.”

  He sat back, made the sleeves of his tunic more comfortable and then resumed his original posture.

  “Regarding the second. Again there is proof that Major Carr’s actions were necessary and justified. Perhaps he could have sent a runner to the 48th, but he felt the need to do the job himself and perhaps it’s just as well that he did, to co-ordinate with other Officers. Perhaps he was relieved to get away from his line for a while on such a mission, who knows, but that is mere conjecture. Therefore, on the face of it, I can find no proof of any misconduct on the part of Major Carr. He conducted himself as a responsible Officer responding, as he saw it, to a perilous situation in the best way. Therefore, I cannot condemn him there. Either!”

  He picked up the pistol and hammered it onto the desk.

  “Enquiry closed!”

  Carr stood and turned to Drake, who was smiling enough to imperil his face.

  “Well done, Henry. Perry and his gang truly seen off.”

  Carr smiled his agreement, but his voice conveyed no sense of triumph as he shook Drake’s hand.

  “Thanks for your help.”

  He then looked at Ellis and Saunders, who were just behind Drake.

  “Thank you, men.”

  He came to the attention and saluted, as did they. Carr then took himself to the back of the room to find Wilson and Sillery. They were both in conversation, which they interrupted as Carr approached.

  “I wish to thank you both.”

  He shook the hand of each, but Sillery spoke first.

  “Sorry that I wasn’t of much help, Sir. I’d have liked to say more. After all, it was your men and my battery who held the line.”

  “Think no more of it. You told the truth in answer to what you were asked. You could do no more. You told the truth, unlike some!”

  He placed a hand on the arm of each.

  “This has taken up too much of your time, but I am in debt to you both. If you ever need my help, it is yours, you have but to ask.”

  Both smiled broadly at the offer, somewhat surprised, then they saluted and left. Carr, now at the back, stood and waited for Drake to come up to him, so that they could both leave. In the aisle nearby he noticed Picton walking to the door with Pengammon behind, these being passed by a Colonel of Wellington’s Staff walking back. As Picton passed, quite close, he looked at Carr, a hard stare, but with no animosity.

  “Carr.”

  Carr came to the attention and saluted.

  “Sir.”

  Picton swept on, followed by Pengammon, who did grin as they passed, but then Drake arrived and so they both left the room. Meanwhile, Perry was standing pleased with himself, a satisfactory result, the Enquiry had run its course and had not been dismissed out of hand. He was gathering his hat and gloves, when Wellington’s Aide-de-Camp reached him.

  “General Perry.”

  Perry turned towards the voice, to find himself in the company of a full Colonel, tall, young and resplendent. He was brief and perfunctory.

  “I’m Colonel Stapleford, Sir. Lord Wellington wishes to see you tomorrow, at his Headquarters, at eleven.”

  Perry’s face became puzzled.

  “In Badajoz?”

  Stapleford nodded, just before he walked away.

  “The same. Sir.”

  Now Perry was puzzled, also apprehensive. He recalled the last time he had spoken one to one with Wellington and it had been none too pleasant. He put on his hat and gloves, thinking and hoping that this time it would be different. Meanwhile, another meeting was taking place outside, Tavender and Templemere had placed themselves before Carr and Drake, hindering their path. Carr stopped and folded his arms whilst looking from one to the other, for some seconds.

  “You wished to see me, for some reason? Captains!”

  The use of rank had an effect. Carr was not allowing this to be in any way social, this was military, but it was Templemere who recovered, his voice full of sarcasm.

  “We merely wished to congratulate you, Sir, on the verdict just pronounced. I’m sure people will now hold you to be exonerated. That comment about being relieved to leave the line, well, I’m sure it will count for nothing.”

  Carr again looked from one to the other.

  “Those words carry as much truth as those which I just heard in there!”

  He stared hard, at each in turn.

  “So, if that does conclude your business with me, well, I have none with you. You are both dismissed! Which comes after a salute.”

  The pair had no choice but to salute, albeit in very desultory fashion and then turn and leave as Carr stood his ground. Stood with Drake, he watched both enter the crowd and they saw Perry join them, then all three disappeared further into the throng, both military and civilian.

  “Odious Harpies, each and every corner of that hideous triangle!”

  “No argument there, Nat. I can only wonder what I’ve done to deserve such a depth of dislike.”

  “Oh, I think I can ascribe some sort of reason to each of them. But to go to these lengths! Templemere, perhaps, what with two duels of sorts, but the other two?”

  Carr sighed and nodded.

  “The other two! Indeed yes.”

  Drake looked at his friend.

  “Indeed yes, but it’s done. You got the verdict.”

  Carr gave a small laugh.

  “Yes, but they’ve got what they wanted and some of this will stick. A letter to The Times condemning me and also a full Enquiry into my conduct. Such as this will never fully fall away.”

  Drake looked at him puzzled.

  “Only over time! Over time such as this fades from memory and there is a great deal more to come in this Spanish saga; for you to make a name for yourself and for those three clods to cover themselves in incompetence and absurdity.”

  Now Carr did laugh.

  “You do have a good way with words, Nat. You should start a book!”

  Drake swayed his head from side to side.

  “Perhaps. Perhaps. But now, we have our Leave, mine just granted! Both me and thee! There is nothing to stop us, but the need to pack. Let’s get Morrison going.”

  They both strode off with more than a spring in their step, which could not be applied to Carravoy and D’Villiers, simultaneously making their way through the narrow streets. Carravoy was in black mood and D’Villiers was fairly certain as to why.

  “What choice did you have, Charles? We more or less allied ourselves to them, during that evening back in Lisbon, and you carried it through, after a fashion. You showed yourself to be no ally of Carr.”

  Carravoy looked straight-ahead, almost pushing aside a Montijo resident carrying a basket of fruit.

  “I did neither!”

  D’Villiers remained silent and waited.

  “I neither acted as an ally to their scheme, nor did I support Carr. I made myself neutral.”

  “What else could you have done?”

  “I could have supported a Brother Officer, or I could have used my position to get Carr sent up to a Court Martial. I did neither.”

  D’Villiers now turned to him, as they walked.

  “Then I’d say that you got it about right! You didn’t condemn Carr, which would have been a lie anyway and you distanced yourself from this unpleasant scheme and I do think unpleasant, which those three are now cooking up. For their own purposes; revenge, plain dislike, or whatever. Things will be no worse, now, between you and Carr than they were before, and, well, as for the three, in my opinion you’d do well to keep them at arms length. I fear for any future that would be shoulder to shoulder with such as them.”

  Carravoy felt better. He was right, there had been no real harm done,
but he spoke wearily, resignedly.

  “Very good, I’ll go for that. It’s now in the past, let it lie there.”

  However, one further thought crossed his mind, but he left it unspoken; D’Villiers was growing up!

  The following morning, Perry was where he needed to be, but not where he wanted to be. He needed to be in the right place at the right time, but not this, which was for an audience with Wellington. He was stood behind Badajoz church, looking at a large, dignified, grey stone building whose façade was regularly brightened by scarlet and blue uniforms all going in and out of the wide door. His apprehension grew as he mounted the few steps and entered, to be greeted by the ancient and discordant chimes of a large clock, striking eleven. He approached a wide and deep desk, manned by a Major.

  “I have an appointment to see Lord Wellington. I am Brigadier Perry.”

  The Major looked up.

  “Indeed you have, Sir. I have been told to send you straight up.”

  He stood, to be better able to point.

  “Up those stairs, Sir, and through the arch that you can see. There is a desk just through there. Say who you are, Sir, and the General’s Staff will take it from there.”

  Perry took two steps backwards, now very apprehensive that the Major did not have any need, even, to consult a list of Wellington’s visitors that day. He was plainly very much expected, even arrangements made for dealing with him! Perry climbed the stairs and turned towards the arch, then immediately he could see the desk, smaller than the one in the hall, but manned by equal rank. He came to the desk and noticed a single door, ajar, to the right of it.

  “I am Brigadier Perry. I have an appointment …….”

  His words were cut off by a shout from inside the room.

  “Send him in!”

  The Major looked up at Perry and said nothing, but conveying much with a knowing half smile. Perry entered to find Wellington studying papers, a large despatch box open at the end of the desk. There was no other chair and so Perry had to stand. Wellington raised his head and pointed his nose at him, then the high, perfectly arched eyebrows came together in a frown.

  “Two things, Perry. Let’s begin with the general. You know my army almost fell apart from starvation at Mirabette and Jaraicejo.”

  Perry nodded.

  “Yes, Sir.”

  “And General George Murray, my Quartermaster General, had placed you in charge of the Badajoz route from Lisbon to my men.”

  A pause.

  “Your responsibility, Perry. What happened?”

  Perry found the piercing eyes to be most unpleasant, but he found a reply.

  “There were difficulties. Sir?”

  Wellington sat back.

  “My army starved at Talavera. I blame the Spanish for that. However, as we fell back I sent word that we would be falling back to hold the bridge at Almaraz, sent on the 2nd August.”

  Wellington sat forward.

  “Do you know the date, General, when we finally received some significant supplies from our own Commissariat?”

  Perry hands went behind his back, where fingers seized each other.

  “27th August, Perry. The 27th ! 25 days, almost a month later!”

  Perry untwisted his hand.

  “As I say, Sir, There were difficulties.”

  “What, Perry? Such as? I mean there was food enough in Lisbon, was there not?”

  Perry had thought of something, although it was not quite true.

  “I received the letter on the 6th, Sir.”

  Wellington had had enough of this topic.

  “You say difficulties. Fine excuse that would be, if I used it as a reason as to why I could not get my army into the field to stop a French invasion.”

  He warmed to the subject.

  “I am no Quartermaster, but I can think, here, now, of a dozen things that could have been done to get supplies up to my men. There were Regiments of cavalry in Lisbon, if nothing else, you could have loaded supplies onto their horses and brought them forward! My army was utterly starving, General!”

  “I had not the authority, Sir.”

  Wellington leaned even further forward.

  “Authority Perry! You are a full Brigadier General. Only three ranks below me! And did my request not give you all the authority you needed? To wave under the nose of some obdurate Colonel!”

  He sat back.

  “My men starved, General, and I hold you responsible, for most, if not all.”

  A pause.

  “Now. This Carr business. What you levelled against him, Perry, was utter stuff! Complete tosh! I got away from La Casa because of Carr’s men, not so much the orders he gave them, but the training that he put into them. And as for that rubbish about deserting his post, whilst running along our front to achieve a better conjunction with another Regiment; regarding that, words fail me!”

  He sat forward again, elbows on the desk.

  “And then, Perry, you write a letter to The Times disparaging one of my Officers and by implication, my army and me!”

  A pause.

  “For your information, Perry, I have no problem with Major Carr, Colonel Lacey nor any of his 105th. Plainly you have, for reasons I’m sure I would find too tedious to listen to, but my 105th I would put on a par with The Guards for cohesion, discipline and fighting ability!”

  He sat back, resignedly, spleen building.

  “I’ve had enough of you, Perry! This has come on top of the shambles you made of that independent command I gave you at Oporto. You’re going home! Go home and be a farmer, or some such. You’d do well to think seriously about that, were I you, for I have written to Horse Guards, recommending your removal from the list of active Brigadier Generals. You may, of course, get yourself involved with your local Militia, but I sincerely hope you do not. You may have influence somewhere, but the army that I command and its source of reinforcements, wants nothing more to do, with you!”

  He looked at Perry, very briefly, before returning to his papers.

  “Dismiss!”

  Perry slunk from the room in a daze, only coming to full cognition when the sunlight outside in the Square hit his eyes.

  oOo

  Chapter Eight

  Of Things Marital

  Carr sat the narrow cot, which occupied more than half the room in his cabin, with two letters open on the chair before him, reading one, then the other. A third was alongside, but unopened. He was interrupted by Drake opening the door.

  “Have we become better sailors? Three days out and I haven’t felt the need to visit the lee side once yet.”

  Carr did not look up.

  “No. Just a better voyage, caused by a ‘following sea’, as I believe the sailors call it.”

  He moved along the cot to make room.

  “These letters that I told you about. What are we going to do?”

  Drake looked astonished.

  “Do! Why regarding the one from Jane, when you get back, you get married. In an instant! Especially with what she has said about the doings of her Father. Both are pretty much adrift from each other, now, I’d say.”

  A pause.

  “And, from what you tell me about what she has said about you and her, well. I’d say it was now on rails. More than you deserve, in my opinion.”

  He smiled as he reached across to pick up the more military of the opened two.

  “Regarding this from Lacey, stating that we find two more Officers and 70 to 80 more men, well, that’s obvious. We go to the Militia and see how many will take the Bounty.”

  “You think it’s that simple? Haul Jane up the aisle and bribe some Wessex Defencibles!”

  Drake subsided, considerably.

  “Well yes. A quick wedding shouldn’t be hard. Just how many guests do you need? Enough to make it look like a wedding and more than half fill the local Church. Using the one that I got hitched in will do. Prior to that you get the Banns read or get a licence, whichever works best. Plainly Jane has no concerns, now th
at Father’s pretty much out of the way. Relations between the two at about the lowest ebb possible.”

  “And I can count on you to do the Best Man bit?”

  “Of course! I’ve been mulling over various witticisms since you told me that you had, at last, written that fateful letter!”

  Carr nodded, smiled and then changed the subject.

  “And there’s the men. Lacey’s counting on us. So’s Picton!”

  He placed his finger on the unopened letter.

  “Every Officer in his Division who has been granted leave has been given one, from him, expecting them all to bring back men. In his letter the Colonel says we lost seventy-six at Talavera, 25 killed, 5 missing and 46 either died of wounds or recovered but no longer fit for service. There are some on this ship with us, are there not?”

  “Yes.”

  Carr’s face changed to one of deep concern.

  “Can anything be done for them? When we get back.”

  Drake shook his head.

  “What can we do? My people may be able to take a couple, around the estate. It’s a scandal, in my view, but what can we do? So many end up as beggars. We could try to get a small pension for them, sometimes it’s successful. Wounded at Talavera will help. There will be a local Pensions Board for our area.”

  He looked at Carr.

  “We should give it a go!”

  Carr nodded.

  “Yes, we should. And see if two or three are fit enough to train the Militia. Perhaps more.”

  He folded the letters.

  “Right. We’ll see what we can do when we reach land. In fact there isn’t too much we can do about anything until we reach land.”

  He turned to Drake, changing the subject entirely.

  “When we get back, we’ll be involved in a wedding and getting around the Militia. And undoubtedly things I haven’t thought of. You have some of your pay, I take it.”

  “Of course. All of it! I have nurseries to furnish and whatnot.”