Sgt. Robertson's Memoirs
of the Corunna Campaign

The Battle of Corunna

by Sgt. Robertson

HAVING rested ourselves here for two days, and being now plentifully supplied with victuals and provided with shoes and ammunition, we could not brook the thought of being driven into the sea (for the prisoners whom we had taken told us that such were Napoleon's instructions to his generals) without making an effort to retain our ground. We had scarcely taken up our line before Corunna, when the French formed upon a hill in our front apparently with the intention of coming into immediate action.

At this time the shipping made its appearance, the welcome sight of which so inspirited us that we gave a loud cheer of defiance to the French on the opposite height. As there was no way of carrying off the spare ammunition the whole of it was conveyed to the top of a rising ground and a match applied to it. The explosion was so tremendous and unexpected that it astonished the French, who thought it was some infernal machine, and made them run off in terror leaving their arms behind. Had we been on the alert and taken advantage of the opportunity their flight afforded us, we might easily have secured their arms and ammunition. Not being aware, however, that such an effect would be produced upon them, we contented ourselves with merely looking on and laughing at the panic into which they were thrown ; but as soon as they saw that their apprehensions were groundless, they returned to their position as before.

About mid-day they sent out skirmishers and discharged a few shots from their batteries to try if our line was in range of their guns. This was the prelude to what was to happen next day. The 92nd now took up its position on the left near the sea, having in its front a steep hill, which protected it from any attempt that might be made upon it in that quarter. All the divisions under the command of General Hope were at or near the same place.

On the morning of the following day (the 16th) the picquets were relieved before daybreak. Being the commanding officer's orderly sergeant, it was my duty to take charge ofthe picquets, and see that they kept their posts. Lieutenant Colonel Napier of the gznd, who was field officer for the outposts that day, desired me to look after his horses and get them safely embarked on board the ships. I was on my way to Corunna to execute this message when the firing commenced, and I immediately turned back and loined the picquet, which was now hotly engaged with the French riflemen at a few houses in front of the line.

Colonel Napier was at the time giving orders to carry the village by storm when he received a shot in the groin from one of the French riflemen, which almost immediately deprived him of existence. One of the men immediately took off his shirt, bound up the wound with it, and carried him to the rear. In consequence of this lamentable affair the command devolved upon Colonel Lamont. Although we were twice driven fiom the post, we returned to the attack with redoubled fury, and at last retained it in defiance ofall the efforts of the enemy to dislodge us. Exasperated at being thus repulsed, the French sent down a strong reinforcement upon us to drive all before it. In this however, they were disappointed; for General Hope, on perceiving the movement ordered two companies ofthe 14th to our assistance.

Then came the tug of war - such bayonet work I never saw before. There was little or no firing on either side, but fair hand-to-hand fighting. Night at length came on and put an end to the contest--the French withdrawing fiom the village, while we remained masters ofit.

Shortly after this, Colonel Lamont was sent for by the Commander-in-chief and, as it was dusky, I accompanied him. When we arrived we received an order requesting us to keep our post till five o'clock in the morning to deceive the enemy, as it was intended that the army should embark that night, and then we were to make the best of our way to the ships. We now heard for the first time that Sir John Moore was no more, and that Sir David Baird was severely wounded. But what added most to our grief was the death of Colonel Napier of the 92nd, whom every man in the regiment adored, and to whom he was more like an affectionate father than a commanding officer. On our return Colonel Lamont and I lost our way and before we were aware found ourselves among a French picquet. They were busy at work killing a bullock ; but as we did not think proper to wait and partake of it, we made the best of our way to where our own picquet was stationed.

We remained here until five o'clock when we started off for the beach as fast as we could. We had not proceeded far before we were observed by the French dragoons who gave the alarm that the whole army was off and none remained but the picquets, who had been left to cover the movement. On giving this intelligence, they were ordered to pursue us with all cheir might; but having only about a mile and a half to go over, we managed to keep out of their reach. Just as we arrived at the beach the last boat was pushing off; but after jumping from a height of twelve feet, we got into it, and were taken on board the transport, where we thought we were safe from all further danger.

In this, however, we were disappointed for the French incensed at being outwitted in this way, and to have a parting shot at us, brought down two field pieces, and commenced firing at us with great fury. The sailors not having been accustomed to that sort of work, would not come on deck to work the vessels, but left the management of them to the soldiers who could not be supposed to be very proficient in nautical affairs. The consequence was that a number of the transports ran foul of one another, while some got on the rocks and became wrecks. During all this confusion the French still kept firing upon us, till the Victory of 98 guns brought her broadside to bear upon them and quickly silenced their noise. Such was the hurry and confusion attending the embarkation of the troops that no less than part of seventeen regiments were on board one transport.

The condition in which we were now with regard to clothing and cleanliness, beggars all description. From the length of time we had been without getting our clothes shifted or cleaned, we had become overrun with vermin, while our dress was so encrusted with mud, as to baffle all attempts even to discover what colour they originally were. In addition to this, a violent flux broke out among the men, which made the ships in a most loathsome state, while the effluvia it occasioned brought on a severe sickness from which few escaped.

At last however, we came in sight of England, and landed at Portsmouth. When we arrived here, I had neither shoes nor stockings on my feet, but had to walk along the streets barefooted. When we came to our billets, about six miles fiom Portsmouth, the inhabitants would not allow us to sleep in their beds, nor sit by the fireside, on account of the vermin that infested us;--cleaning ourselves was out of the question without a complete change of clothing.

When we reached Warley barracks, where our heavy luggage was lying, and among which I had a trunk containing a suit of clothes that I had left before we embarked for Spain, I soon divested myself of my filthy raiment and reduced it to ashes, with the exception of the Highland bonnet and feathers, which I preserved.

After such a disastrous result some will be anxious to know the cause of such a relaxation of discipline as there appears to have been in the course of this memorable retreat ; and to enquire why we were worse off than the French army when we were going over the ground first, they pursuing in the same tract. It is well known that a finer body of men (to appearance at least) never left the British shore, nor better equipped for service than this army. No expense was withheld to complete them with every requisite necessary for the expedition. We were not as yet enured to this sort of warfare, and, of course, did not understand how to conduct ourselves.

The British soldier, when at home, has every thing provided for him and of course does not know how to live without all the conveniences to which he has been accustomed. There is thus so much method in the army, that any deviation from the line laid down is considered a gross misdemeanor; and the consequence was, that when the army was reduced to live upon scanty allowance and to suffer privations to which it had not been accustomed, it went into disorder.

There is no doubt that had we been brought into action with the French on equal terms, we would have maintained our ground against them, or any army of like numbers in Europe ; but not one of ten amongst us was used to campaigning, whereas the French had been long on the war establishment, and had lately come from Germany where they had been enured to hardships for some years, which gave them a decided advantage over us. Another thing greatly in favour of the French arose fiom the relative condition of the two armies. The French entered Spain as invaders--we as allies.

Plunder was not only tolerated among the former, but even encouraged ; hence, if provisions were to be got in any way, they were not deterred by the fear of punishment from taking them; while if any act of a similar kind was detected in the British army, the perpetrator was in most instances punished with death. The French commissary department was also under better regulations than that of the British, which circumstance told greatly in favour of the French; and above all, they had all the advantage which a pursuing army has over a retreating one, being inspired and emboldened by the thought that retreat is an acknowledgemt of inferiority.

Soon after our arrival at Warley barracks in Essex, the most ofour regiment, along with the other regiments that had been in Spain, were seized with typhus fever, which carried off a great number of us. Indeed, so great was the prevalence of that contagious and fatal malady, that an order came from the War Office to the effect, that we should be relieved from doing any duty till further orders were given, that every article of clothing be burnt and that we be supplied with every thing new. There was also £ 2 given to each of us to provide necessaries in lieu of those destroyed. The Lords of the Treasury ordered another £ 2 to each man who was sickly, with which to purchase any cordial that the doctor thought proper.

More Spanish Adventures

Part 1: Sgt. Robertson's Memoirs of the Corunna Campaign

Part 2: Daniel Nicol's Memoirs with First Battalion of Detachments

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