'Aussie Rick'’s Comments (group member since Jun 13, 2009)

'Aussie Rick'’s comments from the THE NAPOLEONIC WARS group.

Scott, I'm sure that may have been an option if he did try to take them into battle!

Betsy wrote: "Well, they did try to say that he was kind of a strange bird, never making friends or being very military. Sounds like they were glad to get rid of him or just making excuses."

Sometimes it's better to have no officer in charge than a bad one who doesn't know or care what he is doing. The unit would have some decent and experienced senior NCO's to lead the troops.

Hi Joe, welcome to the group and you picked one of the best single volume biographies on Napoleon to start your foray into the Napoleonic period. Let us all know how you go with the book.

Yes, that's never a good sign for a military unit, like the captain of a sinking ship taking off in the first lifeboat :(

Betsy wrote: "After some time protecting the farm of a French sympathizer, some members of the 9th were assigned a new mission: "To collect unpaid 'contributions' from recalcitrant peasants. . . .When they came ..."

Those French, astute businessmen and not too stupid or greedy to overstay their welcome. :)

"You will know for a month we have only run around the mountains after these accursed brigands, not content with marching all day, we march all night. Sometimes we are up in the heavens, sometimes in the plains. You will understand if one stops for a day, one does well to employ it all for resting." - Sounds very typical of counter-insurgency operations, even today!

That's a terrible loss in so short of time. No wonder these men were hardened soldiers.

Can never fault soldiers for their devious ways in scrounging!

Scott wrote: "[book:Captain Coignet: A Soldier of Napoleon's Imperial Guard from the Italian Camp..."

A fairly devasting description of the aftermath on a Napoleonic battlefield!

"History of the King's German Legion" - Saving the guns of the King's German Legion from the French cavalry during the battle of Albuera:

"The alarmed soldiers flying in disorder through the intervals of captain Cleeve's battery, prevented his men from limbering up the right division of guns before the arrival of the horsemen, and the gunners were cut down and speared by the hussars and lancers. By the great exertions and personal exposure of the non-commissioned officers and men of the two left guns, and more particularly owing to the bravery and presence of mind of sergeants Hebecker and Bussmann, these were limbered up, and were in movement to the rear, when the shaft horses of one gun fell wounded, and the leading driver of the other was shot from his horse. A corporal named Fincke now gallantly jumped from his own horse, and mounting that whose rider had been killed, galloped through the enemy's cavalry and brought off the gun:* the rest as well as three English guns were obliged to be abandoned, and lieutenants Thiele and Blumenbach of the German battery were wounded."

* Fincke's gallantry was afterwards rewarded by lord Wellington with the handsome present of a hundred Spanish dollars.

History of the King's German Legion, Volume One by N. Ludlow Beamish

Yes, I hate reading for work, but I always try to read a few pages of a decent book before lights-out to clear my mind of the days crap, keeps you sane :)

Scott wrote: "I am finally back into my book. A new contract started at work, so I have been under the pump getting it going but now I can settle back into recreational reading!

Surgeon-Major Vanderbach does in..."

Good to hear Scott - its a shame how work can disrupt our reading pleasure eh! :)

Betsy wrote: "I'm sure Coignet appreciated that, especially since he didn't add, 'If you aren't killed of course.'"

Excellent point Betsy! 😂😂😂

Betsy wrote: "In the aftermath of the Eylau campaign, the 9th was involved in the battle of Braunsberg where two more acts of bravery took place: 'Lt. Jean-Pierre Magontier at the head of twelve men forced a com..."

Surgeon-Major Vanderbach sounds like the sort of medic you want looking after you if wounded!

Betsy wrote: "Schroeder must have been quite the soldier to be so respected by the enemy. Any more info on him?"

I will do a bit of research and see what I can find :)

"History of the King's German Legion" - Spain, 1810, and the cavalry from the King's German Legion has a solid reputation not only with the British but also with their enemy:

"The many recontres which took place at the outposts during this period, led to frequent exhibitions of individual bravery, and among the most conspicuous on the side of the British, was a private of the German hussars named Schroeder.

Schroeder was an excellent horseman and swordsman, and gifted with a degree of daring seldom equalled. He was regularly the first in the attack, and the last in retreat, and so often distinguished himself on these occasions, that he became at length known by name to the French. Ah! vous voila monsieur Schroeder! was often heard from their ranks, as the German was descried in advance, ready to signalize himself by some new exploit. A French officer, who, one day, came over to the British posts with a flag of truce, begged that he might be presented to the famous monsieur Schroeder, of whom he had heard so much, and having been formally introduced, paid him some high compliments on his gallantry. It has been ascertained that between the years 1810 and 1812, this man individually cut down twelve different persons, wounded many, and took twenty-seven prisoners."

History of the King's German Legion, Volume One by N. Ludlow Beamish

Betsy wrote: "I imagine if you were hungry, this might seem to be a waste of eggs."

I think so too :)

Excellent post Betsy, not heard about the whole egg remedy before :)

"History of the King's German Legion" - The author's damning summary of the Legions involvement in the Walcheren expedition:

"Thus terminated the expedition to the Scheldt - an expedition in which nearly one-half of the finest armies that ever left the British shores either perished from sickness, or returned home sinking under a pestilential disorder - by which the treasury of England was uselessly deprived of twenty millions of money, and one million of annual taxes was added to the burthens of the country. Projected in ignorance, planned without judgement, and directed with a degree of languor which would have been alone sufficient to prevent its success, this fatal expedition stands ingloriously prominent in the annals of a glorious reign, strikingly exhibiting rashness on the part of a government, and inefficiency on that of a commander."

Walcheren 1809: a medical catastrophe:
https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/arti...

Betsy wrote: "I'm sure that was a welcome comment for the bombadier, but a few extra shillings in the pay packet might have come in handy too. ☺"

I'm sure it would have been Betsy!