Major O'Higgins: The French have abandoned some badly needed, (Badly needed by Wellington and the French) gold, 100,000 spanish dollars worth in the church yard of Our Mother of Mercy in Palatto de Vaca, a quaint village in the mountainous north of Spain. You have orders to recover it. Your contact is a Spanish guerrilla leader in the village. Provost Martial Lt. Clive Syth Smythe: You are to clean up the scum that is the British Army in Spain and arrest all individuals regardless of rank or title who are engaged in unlawful activities. You are not to offend the worthless Spaniards who populate this God forsaken piece of cow dung. What a bore. You haven't seen action at all and it looks like there's no one to hang. The last blighter you hanged claimed he was in the Scot's Greys but the filthy bugger was Irish an obvious deserter who stole the fine horse you now ride. He claimed to have dispatches but the butt of a rifle quieted him down so he could be sentenced in peace. Corporal Hakeswill: You and your lads deserted the King's Army for various reasons you wish to escape to America and freedom or if not possible, surrender to the French as the Provost will hang you summarily. You hope to loot some food and get out of town. There is a nice looking girl in this rathole who would make an excellent wife for someone if she survives your acquaintances. Lt. d'Artillery DuFay: What an honor! You and your detachment have been left behind by the column to guard the church yard and keep this 8 pounder from falling into the hands of the Guerrillas. You have no limber to move the gun and your detachment is too small to move in this area alone. The Captain said he would be back with a detail to get you. Until then God help any fool who ventures into your view! El Guapo: Your band of Patriots wishes to destroy the French in this area, as long as there aren't too many of them. The English are protestant dogs but O'Higgins is a good Irish Catholic. One of your men took a message to him to join you at Palatto de Vaca where you think the French have buried Spanish treasure in the Church yard, is nothing sacred to the republican swine! Your men could only see from a distance. El Peurto: Your band of "Patriots" hopes the war will never end! It has been very profitable for you and for them. You understand from a French officer you "questioned" that the French pigs have hidden an eminence treasure in the village Church. You want to loot the village and the Church and get out of the area, if anyone sees you then the French won't get the blame and that would be a shame, kill them and blame the French. Your men could also stand for some feminine entertainment, obviously if any woman is alive in the village the French must have spared them so they are traitors and will get what they deserve from your men. Captain de la Vasquez: Your detachment of Spanish regulars (complete scum) has been directed to locate a cache of Spanish gold looted from Mexico by the Spanish and then from the Spanish by the French who temporarily control it. General Cuesta needs the gold and has ordered you to find it. El Peurto a local Patriot leader knows where it is and will help you. It must not fall into the wrong hands, French or British or anyone else. Captain La Value: You have been directed to relieve the battery (gun) left behind by the column when it left the village this morning. You are to spike the gun and burn the carriage and rejoin the column with the crew. You have two detachments in this little army, Sgt Belview commands the second and volunteered for this mission which is near suicide! What a great soldier he is and what an honor to have him with you! There is also a beautiful young maiden who smiled at you last night, if it is quiet in the village perhaps she would do so again. Sgt Belview: Last night you helped hide a large number of bags that could only have been gold in the churchyard. The brave idiot captain doesn't know it is there. If you can break away with your men you might be able to secure it and be set for life. You are mostly sure of your men and their help in the project. There are two new men in the section if you get a chance to head out you will need to query them. Lieutenant Sharpe: Major O'Higgins must have it in for you, he has directed that you to secure the church at Palatto de Vaca and hold it until he arrives. Your "chosen men" are worth ten frogs each but the frogs usually come in great number. You have been in the village before and know a young aristocratic maid who healed your wounds and eased your pain. She would make a fine wife, Maria was her name. Her brother was El Guapo the guerrilla leader of the area he does not know about his sister's honor. Sergeant Harper: You will obey Lt. Sharpe's orders and follow him to hell if he's headed that way. But right now you and several "chosen men" are attached to that cunning Irishman Major O'Higgins - Lord only knows what this mad Irishman is up to. But you and he and Sharpe have the luck of the Irish so things should work out. You came across your cousin's body hanging on a tree, he was supposed to meet O'Higgins with instructions, they were still in his pocket when you cut him down and buried him. God help the bastard who killed him. Major deStang: You have managed to secure the cache of Mexican gold but are unable to move it at this time. You hid it with the help of several French light Infantrymen but thought it best to move it later. You have secured it in the grave yard (you select the actual site and tell only the referee) and have killed the local priest and assumed his identity. All the townspeople have been removed from the village and only a small group of pro-french militia (Spanish Guadre Nationale) remain. The main column has moved on leaving only a small force in the village in a small fort. Spanish Guerrillas are swarming all over the area. M. Juan d'Vaca: You lead a small group of enlightened Spaniards who want Spain to step into the modern world. You have allied with the French. You want to drive a wedge between the English and the Spanish. More Sharpe's Mess Sharpe's Mess: Introduction Sharpe's Mess: Player Briefings and Missions Sharpe's Mess: Combat Rules Back to Table of Contents -- Courier #76 To Courier List of Issues To MagWeb Master Magazine List © Copyright 1999 by The Courier Publishing Company. This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web. Other military history articles and gaming articles are available at http://www.magweb.com