In the annals concerning the bloody campaign in Italy during early 1808, no battle can go down in the history books that will compare to that fought out near Sienna on April 12th.

To the west of Sienna (the headquarter city of the defending French IVth Corp D'Armee) lay the area around Finger Ridge, one of the few prominent heights in the flat valley north of the Apoonines. Here General Scrubee had stationed his 6th Division, hoping to hold the British and their allies from entering Sienna. Capture of this Italian city by the British would force the French out of this area, giving the redcoats a strong beachhead upon the Mediterranean coast.

Thus, as is often said in Paris bars, "les chippes vair downe" (the chips were down; trans.) and for both forces it was do - or die - at Finger Ridge.

As for myself this was to be my third action in this campaign, after having two companies of my beloved 33rd of the Line destroyed in bloody fighting, I was not looking forward to Finger Ridge. However, I had been posted to the 4th Company shortly after the Battle of Pizza Pass, and now awaited the signal from our commander, Scrubee, as we looked out from our position on Finger Ridge at the red coats gathering across the valley.

By eight o'clock in the morning of a spring-like April 12th, our French Division stood to arms upon the battle ground. Finger Ridge, standing some 30 feet above the plain, was lined with units of several infantry regiments (The 33rd, Irish, Marines, Saxons, Nassau, 6th and 9th Legere) and our cuirassiers in reserve. Actually this force numbered 1100 infantry and 500 horse (on a 1:10 model soldier ratio).

Directly in the center of the battlefield almost at our feet, lay an abandoned sand pit. This excavation was perhaps 150 yards long by 50 yards wide and was filled with water. This sand pit -- and it was to assume tremendous tactical importance during the *battle - cut the fighting area of the battle ground in half. As a consequence, both armies would be forced to bypass or skirt this obstacle and might have to split their forces east and west of it.

Directly north of the sandpit on the extreme eastern edge of Finger Ridge, General Scrubee emplaced his battery of artillery. From here they could be moved to the north edge of the Sand Pit without fear of being attacked ex- cept around the flanks. And these flanks were well protected by French infantry as the guns were moved into position from whence they covered well the area the enemy must move over.

On the French left, hidden in the buildings of Petri's Farm were light infantry companies, while in reserve were hidden (off the table) 400 Grenadiers of the Imperial Guard. It was always heartening to know that these brave fellows were on our side, for in battle after battle they had more than proved their worth, and our hearts always leaped into our throats when their blue columns moved onto the field of battle!

The British advance elements could now be seen as a skirmish line composed of the 50th Foot, some Prussians and about 400 cavalry as they moved over the low Sardini Hill. Two enemy guns were brought up quickly south of the Sand Pit and a howitzer went into action near Sardini's Farm.

These guns now commenced a fierce duel with our own cannons as we each attempted to silence the other. Both sides proved to have accurate fire, and before long, only one battery remained for both British and French. Ac- tually, we infantrymen were relieved to see this happen for throughout the rest of the battle we suffered little from artillery fire. As it happened, this was the only good thing that occured during the battle!

During this artillery action our guns had set fire to the Sardini house, driving out a batch of redcoats hidden therein. Having exposed their force, General Scrubee ordered an attack upon Sardini's Farm, and we moved out for the assault, some 450 infantry and 300 cavalry strong. As we advance General Longlee brought in reserves (from off the table) and after a fierce little fire fight, our men moved out of range unable to penetrate the enemy strong point.

General Longlee, a noted counter-attack expert, now double-marched his left flank force at us as we retired towards Finger Ridge. Some 600 British infantry, supported by 500 cavalry, moved swiftly to catch us...and they did!

Crushed

Out-numbered, we stood and fought as best we could, but once again we were over-extended, and before long we were almost crushed by fire and melee, and our remnants were fleeing in all directions. I myself was fortunate in that I fell and was covered by the body of a Nassau Grenadier. For the British cavalry now swept forward through our decimated ranks, and moved right up to the crest of Finger Ridge... behind our lines... before we were able to do anything at all.

Our supporting French cavalry, only 280 strong, tried to stop the attack of the British dragoons, but were quickly smashed and scattered in a searing hand-to-hand action. (All this I witnessed from my position under the dead Grenadier). The British cavalry had now smashed the French right, and were atop Finger Ridge to our rear!

Frantically General Scruby rallied some troops from the line, formed a square to the rear of that line, and eventually stopped the enemy attack. They calmly trotted back to their line around Sardini's Farm, having wreaked havoc upon our entire force.

As a result of this action four French infantry units amounting to 1100 men had been almost destroyed, and halt the French cavalry had died. And the worst was not over, for now the British infantry center moved out upon the center of the French. As I struggled out from under the giant Grenadier and made for our troops, I saw that perhaps we were not entirely defeated. for the sand pit narrowed down the front of the British attacking party, and the assault came in between the Pit and the southeast slope of Finger Ridge along a narrow front.

Despite this, the first volley from the oncoming British was overwhelming, and our men retired in confusion, trying to hold their ranks as best they could, for once again, the hated British cavalry were in close support and as soon as we weakened, they were amongst us. Flushed with success, these giant cavalrymen -- or so they seemed to me, who had already been run over once by them this day moved in confidently. However, just behind our wavering ranks, General Scrubee had managed to set up a supporting line pulled from our left flank, and here with the help of our Cuirassiers, we held the British attack and hurled it back. Had they managed to break through at that moment, all would have been lost. But our gallant men held, despite deadly losses, and for the moment we had gained a breather.

At this instant -- the blackest in the entire day-long battle so far -- our Grenadiers of the Guard came swinging onto the battleground. It was a heart warming sight to see these fresh 400 giants march in perfect formation into position on our right flank, and with a great lift of morale, we reformed our lines. This time we formed up on a north-south axis, with our left flank based on the Sand Pit and our right on the lower slopes of Finger Ridge.

There now followed a lull in the battle as both sides regrouped. I myself was able to gather together the remnants of my company of the 33rd (they were fairly easy to spot dressed in their white uniforms with purple facings) and we formed up as a reserve just north of the Sand Pit. For by now General Scrubee had brought back his left flank force from the plain below Sardini Hill, and we now faced southwards with a line running across the Olive Grove to the Sand Pit, thence turned at almost right angles, the line continuing north from the Sand Pit to the foot of Finger Ridge.

The Sand Pit was now to become of great tactical importance to us, for it not only protected our center but caused the British to have to split their forces in any attack upon either side. In our turn, we could face south or west as desired merely by shifting our small reserve from side to side, while the British would be forced to skirt around the Sand Pit. And, as it happened, the British were now split into two distinct forces; one around Finger Ridge and one around Sardini's Hill, with the Sand Pit acting as a wedge between them.

Determined to use this tactical position to his advantage, our commander, General Scrubee, now commenced a movement from the Olive Grove against the redcoats on Sardini's Hill, and pushed the enemy back to further split their forces.

Fierce Attack

Then he followed this with a fierce attack spearheaded by the Grenadier Guards against the British massed on Finger Ridge. The fighting was bitter as both sides stubbornly fought it out toe to toe. The English infantry were smashed down to few survivors, while their cavalry was now so weakened they dared not attempt to charge the Guards. Gradually the British fell back, Finger Ridge w as cleared, and the French line once again was on an east-west axis, exactly in the position we had been in at the start of the battle. However, this movement had further split the English, who now were in two distinct groups; one holed up on Sardini's Hill with pressure applied against them from the Olive Grove, and one west of the Sand Pit.

General Longlee now scraped together every reserve he could find. He formed a fairly strong line west of the Sand Pit, and here the final action commenced. With a shout the remnants of our Division charged down the south slope of Finger Ridge and were at them with cold steel! Shaken by a fierce volley, the French infantry did not hesitate, and led by the remnants of the Gua Grenadiers, we smashed into the small red line. Into the fray dashed the last of our Cuirassiers, and with saber and bayonet we fought it out hand to hand until the enemy broke, racing for Sardini's Hill. The final Brittish battery was captured at the Sand Pit, the gunners were clubbed to death. Our Cuirassiers chased the fleet enemy infantry across the plain while, gasping and pantin g from the exertion, our infantry swept on, trying to take advan- tage of the pursuit of a smashed enemy force.

At this same moment of triumph General Scrubee ordered the final assault upon those English forces holding out on Sardini's Hill, and once again our la s rallied and moved forward into an inferno of fire. Just s the remnants of the enemy force we had smashed at t e Sand Pits reached Sardini Hill, our troops had fina ly broken the defense of the redcoats on the Hill, and it now remained only to find someone to stop the bloodshed.

General Longlee left the battlefield just two jumps ahead of a Cuirassier squadron, while his second in command hoisted the white flag on Sardini's Hill.

Thus ended the bloody battle at Finger Ridge, and for the moment, the British invasion had been stopped...

Continuing Campaign

The campaign of course was not ended despite our victory at Finger Ridge. I was in the hospital recovering from my wounds when word of the next battle reached me, in which General Longlee finally captured Sienna; and of course the military historian will know that the Campaign in Italy continued on through 1808, finally ending only in 1809 with the British safely in command of the entire southern boot of Italy.

Much later -- in fact almost 10 years after the BATTLE OF FINGER RIDGE -- I talked with General Scrubee and General Longlee before publishing these Memoirs.

I asked about the BATTLE OF FINGER RIDGE in particular, since I had played a part in the action that day long ago. General Scrubee had this to say:

"When I counted the survivors of this action after the battle, I can remember thinking, 'What has happened to my grand division?' I knew then that one cannot fight forever and win victories like this at the price that wa I paid. Over 90 percent of my force was disabled or destroyed. What price Glory?'"

General Longlee was still somewhat bitter at losing this action, even ten years later. He muttered coldly, "Well, if Scrubee and history called that battle a French victory, okay. But in my book he paid a helluva price to win."

Finger Ridge: Introduction