Page:Notes and Queries - Series 11 - Volume 5.djvu/596

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NOTES AND QUERIES. tn s. v. JUNE 22, 1912.

a number of the disbanded men of de Meuron's and de Watte ville's regiments, penetrated the North- West territory with them, took forcible possession of Fort William and other posts of the North- West Company, and held them throughout the winter, thus putting an end to the oppo- sition.

For further details about the Regiment de Meuron, I may refer the reader to a valuable article on the Swiss Regiments by Lieut.- General F. H. Tyrrell in The Journal of the United Service Institution for April, 1897 ; to the ' Essai Historique sur le Regiment Suisse de Meuron,' published by authority of the de Meuron family at Neuchatel in 1885 ; and to an article on the Hudson's Bay Com- pany in The Edinburgh Review for July, 1900, which quotes 'The Hudson's Bay Com- pany's Land Tenures and the Occupation of Assiniboia by Lord Selkirk's Settlers,' written by Archer Martin, barrister-at-law of the Canadian Bar, published by Wm. Clowes & Sons, 1898.

To this I may add that Mr. McCord, informs me that the pay-chest and the books of the regiment were left in Canada, and were destroyed " comparatively recently " apparently by accident. Mr. McCord himself, as a boy, knew many sons of the officers who in some cases anglicizing their names have made their homes in Canada, which they so gallantly and successfully helped to defend from invasion.

R. S. PENGELLY.

12, Poynder's Road, Olapham Park, S.W.

FORLORN HOPE AT BADAJOS (11 S. v. 288, 394). Not very many of the names of those officers who particularly distinguished them- selves or fell at the taking of Badajos are, I think, to be found. I take the following from Napier's ' History of the War in the Peninsula,' 1834, vol. iv. ; Col. John T.

Jones's ' Journals of Sieges under the

Duke of Wellington in Spain,' 2nd edit., 1827, vol. i. ; Southey's ' History of the Peninsular War,' new edition, 1837, vol. v. ; Thomas Hamilton's ' Annals of the Penin- sular Campaigns,' new edition, revised by Frederick Hardman, 1849 ; Edward Baines's ' History of the Wars of the French Revo- lution,' 1817, vol. 'ii. ; and Christopher Kelly's ' History of the French Revolution, and of the Wars,' 1818, vol. i.

Major Wilson of the 48th, assisted by Major Squire of the Engineers, with a detach- ment of two hundred men of the 4th Division, took the ravelin of San Roque.

General Kempt, leading the 3rd Division in the attack on San Roque, having passed through a terrible musketry fire, reached the foot of the Castle and fell severely wounded. As he was being carried back he met General Picton hastening forward to take the command. Picton was wounded.

In this attack " the heroic " Col. Ridge of the 5th was killed, of whom Napier writes (p. 421) :" No man died that night with more glory yet many died, and there wa.s much glory." With Ridge was Lieut. Canch, Grenadier officer, of the 5th.

Attacking the Trinidad, Lieut. - Col. Macleod, commanding the 43rd, was shot dead within a yard of the sword-blades. i.e., of the chevaux de frise.

In this attack Shaw of the 43rd (afterwards Lieut.-Col. Shaw Kennedy) greatly dis- tinguished himself, along with Capt. Nicholas of the Engineers attempting to force a way into the Santa Maria bastion. Nicholas was mortally wounded. Capt. James also fell there.

In the last of the combats on the ramparts General Walker " fell covered with so many wounds that it was wonderful how he could survive."

O'Hare (called Major O'Hara by Col. Jones) of the 95th (afterwards the Rifle Brigade) perished in the breach at the head of the stormers.

Ferguson of the 43rd, with two deep wounds received in former assaults still open, led the stormers of his regiment, "the third time a volunteer, and the third time wounded."

Lieut, Nixon of the 52nd had been shot through the body just inside the gate at Picurina (25 March).

Lieut. De Salaberry was killed in the breach on the left flank.

Lieut. Lascelles fell in the ditch before San Vincente.

Capt. Williams and Lieut. Emmett were severely wounded in the covered way.

Capt. Latham of the Artillery fell on the great breach, and Lieut. De Gruber of the Artillery was wounded at the Castle.

Girsewald, an officer of the German Legion, was one of the first who mounted. He caught hold of a Frenchman's bayonet so firmly that he pulled himself up by it, and then cut off the Frenchman's head.

I now give, quantum valeant, a few par- ticulars and names taken from ' Tales of the Wars ; or. Naval and Military Chro- nicle,' published by William Mark Clark and his successor M. Moore. 1836-9.