An Infamous Army Chapters 1-12

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

He is sort of leaning into her. To me it says, "I don't want to leave you, but I must."

GH writes that most of the Brunswicker's were only around 18. :(

[Hana]

Carolien wrote: "I had some sort of silly idea in my head that the French would have been glad to get rid of Napoleon, too. Well, obviously not! ..." My reaction exactly! When I read The Black Count: Glory, Revolution, Betrayal, and the Real Count of Monte Cristo last year I was horrified by how much damage Napoleon did to the ideals of Liberté, égalité, fraternité.

[Karlyne]

Hana wrote: "Carolien wrote: "I had some sort of silly idea in my head that the French would have been glad to get rid of Napoleon, too. Well, obviously not! ..." My reaction exactly! When I read [book:The Blac..."

You're right! Those ideals completely bit the dust. The 18th century was crazy for the French, but at least they were fighting for their ideals- mostly, I mean, war being war and the reasons always being suspect. But the 19th wasn't any more peaceful, and it was most certainly less idealistic.

[Karlyne]

***Carol*** wrote: "He is sort of leaning into her. To me it says, "I don't want to leave you, but I must."

GH writes that most of the Brunswicker's were only around 18. :("

I think it was his youth that so strongly spoke to me!

[Karlyne]

I looked again, and I can see the skull on his helmet, too. Awe-inspiring!

[Hana]

Karlyne wrote: "I looked again, and I can see the skull on his helmet, too. Awe-inspiring!"

I missed that detail. Helmets off to Milais! You are so right about their youth, Karlyne and Carol.

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Hana wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "I looked again, and I can see the skull on his helmet, too. Awe-inspiring!"

Wow! I missed that detail. Helmets off to Milais! You are so right about their youth, Karlyne and Carol."

Far out! I checked the wallpaper this time to make sure I haven't missed anything else!

[Karlyne]

***Carol*** wrote: "Hana wrote: "Karlyne wrote: "I looked again, and I can see the skull on his helmet, too. Awe-inspiring!"

Wow! I missed that detail. Helmets off to Milais! You are so right about their youth, Karly..."

You made me go look at the wallpaper...

[Karlyne]

Carolien wrote: "Has anyone seen this article yet regarding the latest Battle of Waterloo between the Belgians and the French?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/wor......"

Wow! I didn't know all of this! It was an expensive proposition, Carolien, and was put in place to make sure that the officers were wealthy and wouldn't be tempted to graft (in an over-simplified nutshell). The money was a kind of bond of good behavior, too, and any officer who was cashiered forfeited the money. It led to some pretty bad officers, though, with more money than brains (40,000 pounds for a colonelcy by Lord Cardigan-I can't even figure that out to modern dollars or pounds), and was finally abandoned after the Crimean War (and the charge of the light brigade) in 1871. (It took a while for the reforms to be put in effect!)

Thanks for making me look all that up!

[Karlyne]

Carolien wrote: "Has anyone seen this article yet regarding the latest Battle of Waterloo between the Belgians and the French?

http://www.nytimes.com/2015/06/10/wor......"

That was in reply to the buying of colours, by the way!

[Hana]

Wow! Thanks for those figures on the cost of military colors, Karlyne. Lord Cardigan's colonelcy was a serious sum of money. In P&P Mr. Darcy's income was £10,000 per year.

This is a fun post on the purchasing power and value of of money in Regency times. Full disclosure: I haven't checked the calculations ;)

https://janeaustensworld.wordpress.co...

[QNPoohBear]

The Two Nerdy History Girls did some posts about the Millais painting
http://twonerdyhistorygirls.blogspot....

[Andrea AKA Catsos Person]

Hana wrote: "Wow! Thanks for those figures on the cost of military colors, Karlyne. Lord Cardigan's colonelcy was a serious sum of money. In P&P Mr. Darcy's income was £10,000 per year.

This is a fun post on t..."

That is an interesting article.

It is sometimes hard to imagine or find meaning in money matters in some stories/novels that takes place in the past.

[Hana]

When the average farmer earned £15-20 that rather puts it all in perspective. It would take WWI to begin to shift the balance of power in England.

[Carolien]

Thanks, Karlyne! That is a serious sum of money and it explains quite a bit about the system. So the family would probably pay the money for the younger son to get into the Army as that seems to gave been the career path for them.