Memoirs of Henry Hunt, Esq., vol 2 | Page 7

afterwards claim compensation for more than he had actually entered.
This being done, the next thing required was, for each person to enter in
a column set apart for that purpose, how many quarters of grain, how
many waggons and horses, how many oxen, sheep, &c. he would
furnish gratuitously to the government in the event of an actual
invasion; and, if he were not serving in any volunteer corps, whether he
would become a pioneer or driver, or place himself at the disposal of
the Lord Lieutenant. I took the pen and wrote as follows:--"I, Henry
Hunt, of Chisenbury House, in the county of Wilts, have given a true
and faithful account of all the live and dead stock, cattle and grain, that
I possessed; and I do hereby voluntarily tender the whole of it, without
any reserve, to the government, to be at their disposal in case of an
actual invasion and landing by the enemy. I also engage to find, at my
own expence, able, careful, active and willing drivers for the teams, and
shepherds to attend the cattle and flocks, to conduct them wherever
they may be required. As for my own personal services, I having lately
been dismissed from the Wiltshire yeomanry by Lord Bruce, the
colonel, and having no confidence either in the courage or skill of the
colonel or any of the officers belonging to that regiment, but having, by

considerable pains and perseverance, obtained a pretty correct
knowledge of military tactics, I hereby engage to enter myself and three
servants, completely equipped, and mounted upon valuable hunters, as
volunteers into the regiment of horse that shall make the first charge
upon the enemy; unless the Lord Lieutenant should think that an active
and zealous friend to his country, well mounted, and ready to perform
any service, however desperate, accompanied by three servants, also
well mounted, can serve the cause of his country better by placing
himself at the disposal of the Lord Lieutenant of the county."
My neighbours stared, and I believe some of them thought me mad
with enthusiasm. And as well as I can recollect, so far were they from
following my example, that they all contented themselves with offering
some a waggon and four horses, some a cart and two horses, some a
few quarters of corn; but no one went further than offering a waggon
and four horses and a few quarters of oats. In fact, when the returns
came to be examined, the offer that I had made exceeded that of all the
farmers of the whole district, for many miles round. As soon as the
meeting was concluded, not satisfied with writing my name down in
the circular, and leaving it to find its way amongst others to head
quarters, I sat down and wrote a letter, which I sent by my servant, to
Lord Pembroke, explicitly stating the extent of the offer, and my
readiness to carry it into execution. I received the following answer,
which I have now before me.
"WILTON HOUSE, August 20th, 1801.
"SIR,
"I have been so overwhelmed for some days with business, resulting
from the necessity of calling upon a part of this county to put itself in a
state of military preparation, that it has not been in my power to send a
more immediate answer to your letter of the sixteenth. As the part
above alluded to does not extend to your residence, I conceive you will
not be called upon to make any movement, except in the event of actual
invasion, or of immediate threatening upon the coast; in which case the
offers you make would be of _infinite service_; in which case also, as
you ask my opinion, I think various lines of service might be pointed
out, in which your personal services, attended by your servants, would
be of much greater avail, and far more beneficial to the country, than as
a volunteer in any regular regiment of cavalry, should those corps be

permitted to receive volunteers.
"I am, Sir, "Your very obedient servant, "PEMBROKE. "To Henry
Hunt, Esq. "Chisenbury House, Wilts."
Now let the thinking reader look at this circumstance attentively, and
having done so, and marked down the dates, what a field for reflection
does this fact, this letter disclose!--It appears, by the date of this letter
and its contents, that, on the SIXTEENTH OF AUGUST, _in the year
1801, I was acting as CHAIRMAN of a public parish meeting_, held at
the Swan Inn, in the parish of Enford, in the county of Wilts, assembled
in consequence of a circular letter, written by Earl Pembroke, the Lord
Lieutenant of the county, in order to take into consideration and to
adopt the most effectual means of affording assistance to the
government, to resist and repel