with the camerons in the peninsular
(1810-1814)
i hear the pibroch sounding, sounding,
deep o’er the mountain and glen,
while light springing footsteps are trampling the heath,
’tis the march of the cameron men.
regimental march.
the 1st battalion of the famous cameron highlanders was founded in 1793 by alan cameron of erracht, inverness-shire, and owed its formation to the danger of invasion from france. the 2nd battalion was not embodied until 1897.
the camerons have not seen so much service as the other highland regiments, but have always displayed daring bravery.
as we have seen in our last chapter the regiment won battle honours at corunna, but at fuentes de o?oro it established a reputation.
between the years 1809 and 1813 wellington was in command of three armies in the peninsular—his own english army, an admirable veteran force, the portuguese troops commanded by beresford, and the spaniards. the latter were not very serviceable in the field, but had a perfect genius for guerilla warfare, and as they knew the country intimately and were not compelled to keep together, they proved a constant menace and irritation to the french, threatening their communications, cutting off their supplies, and sniping soldiers on the march or in camp. wellington was anxious to establish his base in portugal, and from there to push back the french until spain was free. this task occupied him for four years, but in that time he was fighting not only for england but for europe as well. the peninsular war may appear a very small campaign in comparison with the vast movements of napoleon, but it was sapping the strength of france. it drained napoleon’s forces of some of their best and most reliable troops, and humiliated them in the eyes of the world. napoleon might be victorious himself, but his arms and his generals suffered one defeat after another at the hands of wellington. the legend of invincibility was broken, and all over europe hope sprang into life once more.
the highland regiments did not leave for portugal in a brigade. the camerons were with wellington at busaco on september 25, 1810, whereas the 2nd battalion of the black watch did not embark for portugal until april 1812.
the camerons were commanded by major-general alan cameron, and resisted the advance of the french general, massena, prior to the retirement of the british army behind the lines of torres vedras. the long winter broke the strength of the enemy, and in the spring the battle of fuentes de o?oro was fought. in this action the following highland regiments were engaged—the highland light infantry, the gordons, the 1st battalion of the black watch, and the camerons. perhaps more than any other regiment the camerons excelled upon that day.
wellington had already invested the fortress of almeida, and to break the advance of massena he occupied the district between the two villages of fuentes de o?oro in spain, and villa formosa in portugal. it was on may 3 that massena hurled his assault upon the former, where the camerons and the h.l.i. were stationed.
throughout the whole of one day the french strove to capture the village, and at times it was touch and go whether the british would not be compelled to evacuate the place.
a cameron highlander, who fought in the action, has recorded his experiences. “the village,” he says, referring to the initial stage of the engagement, “was now vigorously attacked by the enemy at two points, and with such a superior force, that, in spite of the unparalleled bravery of our troops, they were driven back, contesting every inch of the ground. on our retreat through the village we were met by the 71st regiment (h.l.i.), cheering and led on by colonel cadogan, which had been detached from the line to our support. the chase was now turned, and although the french were obstinately intent on keeping their ground, and so eager that many of their cavalry had entered the town and rushed furiously down the streets, all their efforts were in vain; nothing could withstand the charge of the gallant 71st, and in a short time, in spite of all resistance, they cleared the village.”
but that was only the initial attack. upon may 5, massena came seriously to the assault. the light companies had now been withdrawn, leaving the h.l.i. and camerons to hold the position.
in the morning the fiercest attack was made by the french. for a time they carried everything before them. the english cavalry was driven back, ramsay’s horse artillery being cut off, and apparently captured. mad with victory the french squadrons came full at the british infantry. two companies of the camerons were taken after a gallant resistance. the flood of the enemy passed on, obliterating the detachments of the defenders as surf covers the shore. backwards the remainder of the camerons and h.l.i. were forced, till at the chapel they made their stand. that day was full of brilliant incidents. one of the most dramatic and picturesque was the return of ramsay, with his artillery cleaving the ranks of the french as a scythe cleaves the grain. another was the spirit with which the black watch met the french cavalry as they galloped in dense squadrons upon the british lines. down went their bayonets, the highland ranks stood grim and unshaken as a granite rock. the cavalry flung themselves with desperate bravery upon the steel, recoiling towards their own lines, broken and defeated.
in the meantime the camerons were carrying on their forlorn struggle, and at the climax of the battle they suffered their greatest loss. captain jameson has recorded how “a french soldier was observed to slip aside into a doorway and take deliberate aim at colonel cameron, who fell from his horse mortally wounded. a cry of grief, intermingled with shouts for revenge, arose from the rearmost highlanders, who witnessed the fall of their commanding officer, and was rapidly communicated to those in front.”
the rage of the highlanders knew no bounds. they flung themselves upon the french, who, surprised by the desperate vigour of the charge, were driven back. supported by the h.l.i., the camerons turned the scales at this point, and with the arrival of wellington’s reserves the battle of fuentes de o?oro was won.
ciudad rodrigo was the next place to fall. we are told that the story of the assault can never be adequately described, and the bravery and determination displayed by the british troops was beyond all praise. it was certainly a masterly feat to assemble 40,000 men about the fortress of castile without arousing the suspicion of the enemy, and following this up by a successful assault, capturing the stores and artillery of marmont’s forces.
in a similar manner badajoz was surrounded by 30,000 men, and three attacks were planned—on the right by picton, in the centre by colville, and on the left by leith. the soldiers swarmed up the ruins in the broken walls, to be hurled down again and again by the besieged. with dogged courage they still persisted, and carried the place by storm, with a loss of 2000 killed and wounded. portugal was saved.
it was early in june that wellington began to move towards salamanca. of that engagement napier has written: “salamanca was the first decisive victory gained by the allies in the peninsula. in former actions the french had been repulsed; here they were driven headlong, as it were into a mighty wind without help or stay ... and the shock reaching even to moscow heaved and shook the colossal structure of napoleon’s power to its very base.”
for their part in this battle the camerons and h.l.i. were allowed to add the name ‘salamanca’ to their battle honours.
although the wars in the peninsula were not ‘highlanders’ battles’ in the way the crimean and indian mutiny campaigns were—yet the regiments principally engaged, namely the black watch, camerons, gordons, and h.l.i., fought with the greatest distinction and gallantry.
on september 9, 1812, the black watch and camerons stormed the hill of san michael, carrying ladders and splicing them together under the very walls. a terrific fire was opened on them as they ascended, and for a long time every man who clambered to the top of the ladder was certain of death. this signal slaughter so discouraged the portuguese that they would on no account support the highlanders, and for this reason their loss of life was of no avail, as it was impossible to storm the garrison without reinforcements. and so burgos was doomed to be a failure, and the retreat began. the loss of the 42nd in the storming of san michael was exceedingly heavy, and with the abandonment of the siege the allied forces gave up the attempt and withdrew to the frontier of portugal, where winter quarters were established.
in 1813 wellington set his face towards france. with graham were the black watch, the camerons, and the argyllshire highlanders. colin campbell, who had been with moore, and who was to see service in the crimea and in the mutiny, was in one of the battalions under graham.
on the 20th of june wellington was nearing vittoria, while graham, who had been despatched southward, was to attack the french right and force the passage of the zadora. graham approached this valley of the zadora on the 21st, but before advancing it was essential that the enemy’s troops should be driven across the river.
this was accomplished successfully, and by this action graham cut off the french from their only way of retreat to bayonne, and the only possible road was rendered altogether impassable by the confusion of the troops and baggage. as an authority has pungently written, “never was there a defeat more decisive, the french were beaten before the town, and in the town, and through the town, and out of the town, and behind the town”; indeed so thoroughly were they beaten that the whole french force at vittoria relinquished its baggage, guns, stores, and papers, making it impossible to know what was owing or what was to be done, while even the commanding officers suffered considerably from an absence of clothes. in this action the h.l.i. lost very heavily. their commanding officer, colonel henry cadogan, gave them the lead, and almost immediately was mortally wounded. like wolfe at quebec, his sole anxiety was whether the french were beaten, and the same answer was given him, “they are giving way everywhere.”
on that eventful day the h.l.i. lost 400 officers and men, the toll of gallantry commemorated in the jingle:
loud was the battle’s stormy swell,
where thousands fought and many fell,
but the 71st they bore the bell,
at the battle of vittoria.
during the campaign of the pyrenees the highland regiments were not members of the brigades that saw most of the fighting. we have dealt with their achievements under graham, and we must not forget that the 42nd were rewarded with the word ‘pyrenees’ to commemorate the success of their arms, but on the whole the brunt of the fighting fell to other troops.
in september san sebastian was taken, and on october 7 the passage of the bidassoa was carried, upon which the british troops caught their first glimpse of the country of france, and, rushing up the slopes on the other side of the river, carried the croix des bouquets stronghold.
along the river nivelle rose the french lines of fortifications, but the british troops, in no way disheartened, forded the river on november 10, and carried the position by storm. it was for this action that the royal highlanders display the word ‘nivelle’ upon their regimental colours. the humiliation which soult suffered was in no way lessened by the desertion of his german troops, who, learning that their country had decided to throw off the tyranny of france, marched over to the allies. presently the french fell back towards orthez, but a severe defeat compelled soult to retire altogether from the coast towards toulouse, after a loss of some 8000 men. by the first week in march the allies were in hot pursuit, with beresford threatening bordeaux.
the campaign was approaching its final stages, and it was high time. “the clothing of the army at large,” records a highlander, “but the highland brigade in particular, was in a very tattered state. the clothing of the 91st regiment had been two years in wear, the men were thus under the necessity of repairing their old garments in the best manner they could. some had the elbows of their coats mended with grey cloth, others had one-half of the sleeve of a different colour from the body; their trousers were in equally as bad a condition as their coats. the 42nd, which was the only corps in the brigade that wore the kilt, was beginning to lose it by degrees. men falling sick and left in the rear frequently got the kilt made into trousers, and on joining the regiment again no plaid could be furnished to supply the loss....
“it is impossible to describe the painful state that some shoeless men were in, crippling along the way, their feet cut or torn by sharp stones or brambles. to remedy the want of shoes, the raw hides of the newly-slaughtered bullocks were given to cut up on purpose to form a sort of buskins for the bare-footed soldiers.”
the writer finishes his reflections upon a cheerful note—just as true to-day as it was a hundred years ago. “we were getting hardier and stronger every day in person; the more we suffer the more confidence we feel in our strength; all in health and no sickness.”
on april 10, 1814, came the first movement towards the last decisive battle of toulouse, and the final and culminating victory of the arduous peninsular war was about to take place. wellington was in command of some 40,000 anglo-portuguese troops, 12,000 spanish troops, and 84 pieces of cannon. under soult were some 38,000 men, in addition to which there were the national guard of the city, while 80 guns defended the formidable ramparts constructed by the townsfolk of toulouse. wellington advanced the spanish, who, displaying great courage, were successful in driving the french back on to their own fortifications.
at the same time the lines of redoubt on the right were taken and carried by general pack’s brigade with the black watch, camerons, and argylls. unfortunately the spaniards were not sufficiently experienced or proven to withstand the fire from the french batteries, and for a time were disorganised. on the extreme right picton had not been any more successful.
this repulse of the spaniards disarranged to some extent the plan of attack, and beresford’s artillery was hurried up to shell the heights. after a brief rest the assault again began. with heroic courage the spaniards advanced in the teeth of a heavy fire, but in each case were repulsed. general pack’s brigade was then ordered to attack the works at the two centre redoubts under the full range of the enemy’s fire. it is recorded that they did not return a shot, but advanced with perfect steadiness. before the highlanders lay the enemy’s entrenchment, while “darkening the whole hill, flanked by clouds of cavalry, and covered by the fire of their redoubt, the enemy came down on us like a torrent, their generals and field-officers riding in front, and waving their hats amidst the shouts of the multitude, resembling the roar of an ocean.”
the highlanders, unmoved by the spectacle, fired a volley which was returned by the french, then without pause charged the position, taking the redoubt. it was a brilliant piece of work, carried out mainly by the black watch and the camerons.
shortly after, general pack rode up and uttered the following words: “i have just now been with general clinton, and he has been pleased to grant my request, that in the charge we are now about to make upon the enemy’s redoubts, the 42nd shall have the honour of leading the attack. the 42nd will advance.”
during the next few minutes the artillery poured their fire upon the black watch. men fell in heaps. there was only one thing to do before the regiment was annihilated, and that was to rush the batteries. not a hundred of the 500 who had started were left when the redoubt was taken. but it was impossible to hold such a position with only a handful of men. the remnant of the black watch retired towards the argyllshires, who were in position near a farmhouse. the enemy, determined to recover the lost ground, nearly achieved their purpose. with a force of some five or six thousand men advancing under sheltered ground they rushed impetuously upon the black watch, who were forced by sheer weight of numbers to fall back upon the 91st. it was but a momentary retirement. suddenly, irresistibly, the two highland regiments crashed upon the disordered front of the enemy. panic overcame the french. victory was assured.
it was the highland regiments, and the black watch above all, that, in fitchett’s opinion, saved wellington from a reverse at toulouse. anton relates that, having once started towards the french entrenchments over ground difficult to man?uvre on, it would have meant annihilation to retreat. it was only the invincible character of the highlanders’ charge that carried them to victory.
toulouse was still within the range of the british artillery, and soult decided to evacuate that evening, in order to avoid a siege without very much chance of holding out long. it was humiliating for a field-marshal of france to surrender the capital of the second province, within whose walls a veteran army, that had already conquered two kingdoms, had rushed for protection following a series of defeats at the hand of wellington.
the troops of great britain had come to the liberation of spain and portugal; had fought eight pitched battles against commanders only second to napoleon, and had “out-man?uvred, out-marched, out-flanked, and overturned their enemy.” there only remained the decisive actions of quatre bras and waterloo to convince napoleon himself that the british army and the british leader were not to be despised.
toulouse was the final battle and the decisive victory of the peninsular war. in a manner, however, toulouse was more spectacular than serviceable, for eight days before the action took place napoleon had resigned his crown; and while wellington was beating back soult step by step, first to the pyrenees, then to vittoria, to san sebastian, and then to toulouse, the enormous forces of the allies were with the same inevitable progress driving the army of napoleon towards paris. beaten in the field, and distrusted in paris, he decided that the time had come to throw himself upon the mercy of the allies, if by abdicating his throne he might at least retrieve some hope of the accession of his little son. the allies in due course occupied paris. napoleon, deserted even by his wife, reached the little isle of elba, and louis xviii.—brother of that tragic louis who was executed twenty-one years previously—ascended for a brief time the throne of france.
battle honours of the (queen’s own) cameron highlanders
egmont-op-zee, corunna, busaco, fuentes de o?oro, salamanca, pyrenees, nivelle, nive, toulouse, peninsula, waterloo, alma, sevastopol, lucknow; egypt, 1882; tel-el-kebir; nile, 1884-1885; atbara, khartoum; south africa, 1900-1902.
raised in 1793. from 1873 to 1881 the 79th (queen’s own cameron highlanders) regiment.
the 2nd battalion raised in 1897.
