Rifleman Costello by Edward Costello

95th Rifles, Rifleman Costello, The adventures of a soldier of the 95th (rifles) in the Peninsular & Waterloo campaigns of the Napoleonic wars , By Edward Costello, 2005

Jenny, be careful whom you pick:

(143) (Nelly came with a sergeant of the 95th, a pretty woman whom others at first thought was his wife, until a grenadier arrived) "Nelly," said he, fixing a firm and deliberate look on her, his voice at first scarcely articulate with emotion,"Nelly, why do you treat me so, how can you stoop,'' and here he cast an almost contemptuous glance of recognition on Battersby, ''how can you stoop to such a discgraceful, so dishonourable a protection?''

''I am with those, '' said she, rather snappishly, '' who know better how to treat me than you.''
''That,'' rejoined the grenadier, ''may be your opinion, but why leave the child, it is but three years old, and what can I do with it?'' To this she made no answer, ''Do you think, '' he again continued, '' that I wish you to return to me, that is impossible. But I cannot help my feelings!''

This was only replied to by reproaches; which I did not listen to, for as it was no business of mine I turned to converse with my companions. The grenadier, at last, made a move to take his departure, and his wife, for such she evidently was, had agreed to accompany him a little of the way, and they walked together. [...] They had proceeded a few hundred yards, and I were some distance in advance, when she turned to wish him good night. The poor fellow paused again, as if in deep thought, fixing on her the same cool, deliberate look that he had exhibited all the evening.

'' So you are determined, Nelly,'' sad he at length, ''to continue this way of living?''
''Yes.'' said she.
''Well, then,'' he exclaimed, holding her firmly by the left hand, which she had extended for him to shake, while he drew his bayonet with his right, ''take that,'' and he drove it right through her body. The blow was given with such force that it actually tripped him over her, and both well, the bayonet still sticking in her side. The poor woman gave a convulsive scream and in a moment expired.

(the punishment of Bryen, the handsome grenadier:) (p 144) He was afterward brought to a court-martial, and sentenced to three months' solitary confinement. But he suffered for only a month only, when, as I suppose, in consideration of his case he was ordered to return to his regiment.

The crimes:

(Storming Rodrigo, before and after)

(p 110) We shook hands with a feeling of friendly sincerety, while we speculated as to the chances of outliving the assault, and, if truth must be told, the chances of plunder in town.

(p 113) The scene of desolation, crime, and horror that follows fast upon the successful assault of a town has been frequently described by pens more eloquent than mine, for which reason I shall merely hurry over those to which I was an eye-witness. (goes on to describe a German sentry being bayoneted, men getting dead drunk and some even drowning in spirit barrels unnoticed, while a fire started, leaving some to die in the flames).

(p 134) (after the storming of Badajoz) The shouts and oaths of drunken soldiers in quest of more liquour, the reports of fire-arms and crashing in of doors, together with the appalling shrieks of hapless women might have induced any one to have believed himself in the regions of the damned.

(p 135) The scenes of wickedness that soldiers are guilty of on capturing a besieged town are oftentimes truly diabolical, and I now, in the reflections this subject gives
rise to, shudder at the past.

(p 135) I had not long been seated at the fire which was blazing up the chimney, fed by mahogany chairs, broken up for the purpose, when I heard screams for mercy from an adjoining room. On hobbling in, I found an old man, the proprietor of the house, on his knees, imploring mercy of a soldier who had levelled his musket at him. I with difficulty prevented the man from shooting him, as he complained that the Spaniard would not give up his money. I immediately informed the wretched landlord in Spanish, as well as I was able, that he could only save his life by surrendering his cash. (upon this Costello received about 26 dollars of plunder money)

(p 135) After thus ejecting the Portuguese (there was a scuffle at first at the wrongful ID'ing of Costello due to wearing a French coat, his own wet. And then a further scuffle.), the victors, who had by this time got tolerably drunk, proceeded to ransack the house.

(p 136) Unhappily they discovered the two daughters of the old patrone, who had concealed themselves up-stairs. They both were very young and very pretty. The mother, too, was shortly afterwards brought from her hiding-place. Without dwelling on the frightful scene that followed, it may be sufficient to add, that our men, more infuriated by drink than before, again seized on the old man, and insisted on a fresh supply of liqour. And his protestations that he possessed no more were as vain as were all attempts to retrain them from ill-using him.


Dropping the captain:

(p 119) On the fourth day, after we had taken the town, the company received orders to pay the last tribute to our Captain Uniacke. We marched under the command of the lieutenant, and arrived at Gallegos about twelve o'clock. The men having plenty of money, which they had obtained at Rodrigo, got drinking, and actually while conveying the body to the grave, stumbled under the weight of the coffin, and the lid not having been nailed down, out rolled the mangled remains of our brave captain, to the consternation of a number of French officers en parole. One more careless than the rest viewd the occurrence with a kind of malicious sneer, which so enraged our men, that one of them taking the little tawny-looking Italian by the nape of the neck, kicked his hind-quarters soundly for it..

Leaving the Duke amused:

(p 125) Lord Wellington used occasionally to pay us a visit during the work, to make observations, and to examine the trenches [...]

[...] To obtain the clod I sprang at the other side of the trench, but exposed myself to a shot from the walls of the town, which immediately came in the form of grape, splashing me with mud from head to foot, and forcing me to throw myself back into the trench upon Crawley, who in fears, made sure that a shell had fixed itself upon his rear, and roared like a bull; in an instant however, the sunken missile really burst; on the smoke dispersing, who should I behold but the Duke himself, crouched down, his head half averted, drily smiling at Crawley and me.

Shot shall pay no respect to persons, but the enemy did, as they seemed awake to the near vicinity of his Grace, and poured in shells, grape, and canister, with other delicacies of the kind, wiht unusual liberality, whenever he came amongst us; which they always appeared alive to. But the fact is, the Duke, like his renowned contemporary, had a remarkable cast of feature, which made him ever distinguishable, at an almost incredible distance.

(p 137) (as said by Costello, at Badajoz) I am not aware that a single execution took place, notwithstanding the known severity of the Duke in matters of plunder and outrage.

Pet Frenchman:

(At the storming of Badajoz, he nearly kills a Frog, whom after sparing life, comes under his protection instead)

(p 136) Sick of the scene of horrors that had been enacted, and attended by my French prisoner, I left the house for one on the other side of the street. [...] (the next day, after switching houses, though more sober men in the next, still greatest outrages commited) I left the house, and proceeded to trace my road through the crowds, accompanied by my Frenchman, who rendered me every assistance in his power.

(p 138) (upon taking a mule) Mounted on the animal, led by the Frenchman we pursued our way until near the gates that let to the camp, when rather an affecting scene came under my eye.

(p 139) (leaving the town for camp) We had no sooner arrived there than I was obleiged to part with my faithful Frenchman, who was sent to join the other prisoners. I gave him a few dollars, which most likely he was deprieved of before he got many yards. He left me with many expressions of gratitude for the protection I had afforded him.

(continuation of this, third page)

If breaking parole:

(p 140) On receipt of the order, General Bernier, who commanded and who had already escaped from the British, he having broken his parole while prisoner with the English some years before, was even more anxious than ourselves, as he well knew had he been taken, in all probability he would have been shot. (in this event the starving French escaped and fought their way past the fed English )

German cavalry affair and French prisoners:

(p 151) I never before saw such severe-looking sabre-cuts as many of them had received; several with both their eyes cut out, and numbers had lost both ears. Their wounded, who were carried in waggons, were extremely numerous, and it was painful, even to an old soldier, to hear their groans and incessant cries for water.

Guerilla and prisoners:

(p 155) The prisoners, after having been stripped of nearly every article of wearing apparel, even to their boots, were confined in a space of ground encircled by pens or hurdles, and used for peeking cattle, round which were planted many sentries.

(during the night, they work themselves into a frenzy and take revenge on the prisoners, by beating them to death, in this both women and men participating)

(p 156) [...] While engaged in conversation with his sweetheart and her parents, we observed him take rather ostentatiously from his side a long heavy-looking silk purse, the contents of which he emptied into the lap of his mistress. The Spaniard's eyes sparkled with pleasure; but for the honour of a British soldier, a general disgust pervaded the minds of my comrades and myself when we beheld a number of human ears and fingers, which glistened with the golden ornaments they still retained.

French kindness, children returned:

(p 159) Among some captives the enemy made on this occasion were several children in paniers carried by donkeys. One Irishwoman, in particular, I remember seeing, whose grief seemed inconsolable for the loss she had sustained in that of her child. In a few days however, the French,[...], sent them back with a flag of truce. This was followed by a most interesting scene, as the different mothers rushed forward to clasp their darlings in their arms.

Grace with a little girl:

(p 161) Indeed, a report had arisen amongst us, at the time, that his Grace was not altogether right in his head -- but this was mere fiction. I used to observe him walking through the Market-place, leading by the hand a little Spanish girl some five or six years' old, and humming a short tune, or dry whistle and occasionally purchasing little sweets, at the child's request, from the paysannes of the stalls.

Here, for the first time, I saw Don Julian Sanchez, the noted Guerilla leader, linked arm in arm with the Duke -- an instance peculiar to the time of obscure merit rising of its own impulse, to an equality [...]

Castello's reward and that of the French:

(p 185) As for my own part, all I ever received in the way of reward, for my services as a stormer, was the sum of 6 dollars. This was after the taking of Badajos. In the French service, those men who volunteered in the ranks of ''Les enfants perdus' were always first in the list for commissions, and were distinguished also by a cross of the Legion of Honour, which was so respected amongst their countrymen, that even their comrades were always obliged to salute him who wore it.

Provosts:

(p 218) Shortly after my arrival I was ordered on the Provost Guard [...]. We were under the command of the Provost Marshal, named Stanway, whose instructions were to take all whom he found marauding about the gardens in the neighbourhood of Paris, and to march them down to his guard-house for punishment.
The Provost was a keen fellow, and sometimes would pounce on as many as eighteen or twenty in the course of a morning; these were immediately flogged, according to the amount of their offence, or the resistance they made, and instantly liberated.

(p 219) Our guardhouse consequently was daily filled by soldiers of every unifor, indeed, ours may be said to have been a true Owenite Guard, for we made no objection to ''sect, coutnry, class, or colour, '' as we served them all ''alike''.

Needed to debreech, afraid for his seat.. does this mean, that they were actually flogged on their posteriors?)

(p 219) One morning we brought in sixteen of them, and the Provost, as usual, marched them into the little yard where the punishments were generally inflicted. The triangles stared them (Belgians) in the face from the centre of the ground, and the culprits one and all, as soon as they rolled their eyes on it, gave a bellow of horror, fell on their knees, and commenced praying and crossing themselves, and other symptoms of repenteance; but Stanway was inexorable. Our men had the greatest difficulty in unbreeching them, and getting them tied to the halberts. The first stripped, I recollect was a short, stubby, fat, desperate-looking fellow, who by the circumference of his seat of honour, and his struggles for its safety, seemed to bear about it all the honour of his native Belgium.
The first whistle of the fact, even before it reached him, appeared to have verified the assumption, for he roared with such a degree, and his fellow-culprits sympathized so loudly, and with such a crash of Belgic, that it set the whole vicinity by the ears, and actually aroused their whole regiment quartered in the village, and the place became in an uproar.

British Army and provosts:

(p 243) In the British army there was only one provost in a division of perhaps eight or ten regiments. Again, no officer, not even the provost himself, could order a dozen lashes unless he found the man in the act of plundering.

Provost rights:

G.O. issued by the Duke of Wellington:
(p 243) G.O. Head Quarters, Frenada, November 1, 1811.
''The office of Provost Marshal has existed in all British armies in the field; his authority must be limited by the necessity of the case, and whatever be the crime, of which a soldier may be guilty, the Provost Marshal has not the power of inflicting summary punishment for it unless he should see him in the act of committing it. If he should not see him in the act of committing it, he is directed to report the offence to the Commander-in-Chief of the army, in order that the soldier be tried, and evidence adduced against him. Further the Commander of the Forces desires that it may be clearly understood that no offence whatever, has a right to order the Provost Marshal, or his assistants, to exercise the authority entrusted to them; nor can the Provost Marshal, or his assistants, inflict punishment on any man, except they should see him in the act of committing a breach of orders and dicipline. Their duty is, by vigilance and activity, to prevent those breaches which the Commander of the Forces is sorry to observe are too common, and to punish those they may catch in the fact.''

Friendly with the French:

(p 196) Order had been promulgated prohibiting all intercourse with the enemy on pain of death, our company was on picquet near a dwelling called Garrett's house, when we clubbed half a dollar each, and sent a man into the French picquet-house to purchase brandy. It was, I recollect, Christmas-night. Grindle, the name of the man who was our messenger, staying longer than was usual, we became alarmed, and imagining something must have happened to him, sent two other men in quest of him. These learnt from the nearest French sentry that Grindle was lying drunk in their picquet-house.

Pet Frenchman, the End:

(p 223) It was customary for me to dine with the family every Sunday; and on my return off guard next day, as usual, I joined the domestic party. I noticed a stranger at table, who by his manner appeared the favoured suitor of Augustine. We had, however, scarcely been seated, when he gazed intently upon me, and suddenly tarting up, siezed me by the hand, and nearly bursting into tears exclaimed.''Mon brave soldat, est-ce vous?''. I immediately recognized in him the faithful Frenchman whose life I had spared in the streets of Badajos, before mentioned.

(p 224) He then related to me the cruelty he had received from the Portuguese soldiers who conducted him with the remainder of the garrison of Badajos on their march to Lisbon, where he was put on board a ship and conveyed to England. (but Costello describes no further what he said)

Fearless woman:

(p 211) Feeling rather thirsty, I had asked a young woman in the place for a little water, which she was handing to me, when a ball passed through the building knocking the dust about our ears; strange to say, the girl appeared less alarmed than myself.

Little child of the army:

(p 213) We had not proceeded far towards the main road along the pathway partially protected by a hedge from the enemy's fire, when one of my companions heard the cries of a child on the other side; on looking over he espied a fine boy, about two or three years of age, by the side of its dead mother, who was still bleeding copiously from a wound in the head, occasioned, most likely, by a random shot from the enemy. We carried the motherless, and perhaps, orphan child, by turns, to Genappe, where we found a number of women of our division, one of whom recognized the little fellow, I think she said, as belonging to a soldier of the first Royals.