Reminiscences of Captain Gronow | Page 8

very remarkable character,
the Hon. W. Dawson, of my regiment. He was surrounded by muleteers,
with whom he was bargaining to provide carriage for innumerable
hampers of wine, liqueurs, hams, potted meat, and other good things,
which he had brought from England. He was a particularly gentlemanly
and amiable man, much beloved by the regiment: no one was so
hospitable or lived so magnificently. His cooks were the best in the
army, and he, besides, had a host of servants of all nations - Spaniards,
French, Portuguese, Italians - who were employed in scouring the
country for provisions. Lord Wellington once honoured him with his
company; and on entering the ensign's tent, found him alone at table,
with a dinner fit for a king, his plate and linen in good keeping, and his
wines perfect. Lord Wellington was accompanied on this occasion by
Sir Edward Pakenham and Colonel du Burgh, afterwards Lord Downes.
It fell to my lot to partake of his princely hospitality and dine with him
at his quarters, a farmhouse in a village on the Bidassoa, and I never
saw a better dinner put upon table. The career of this amiable
Amphitryon, to our great regret, was cut short, after exercising for
about a year a splendid but not very wise hospitality. He had only a
younger brother's fortune; his debts became very considerable, and he
was obliged to quit the Guards. He and his friends had literally eaten up
his little fortune.
FOOLHARDINESS
I may here recount an instance of the folly and foolhardiness of youth,
and the recklessness to which a long course of exposure to danger
produces. When Bayonne was invested, I was one night on duty on the
outer picket. The ground inside the breastwork which had been thrown
up for our protection by Burgoyne was in a most disagreeable state for
any one who wished to repose after the fatigues of the day, being
knee-deep in mud of a remarkably plastic nature. I was dead tired, and
determined to get a little rest in some more agreeable spot; so calling
my sergeant, I told him to give me his knapsack for a pillow; I would

make a comfortable night of it on the top of the breastwork, as it was an
invitingly dry place. "For heaven's sake take care, sir," said he; " you'll
have fifty bullets in you: you will be killed to a certainty." "Pooh,
nonsense," said I, and climbing up, I wrapt myself in my cloak, laid my
head on the knapsack, and soon fell into a sound sleep.
By the mercy of Providence I remained in a whole skin, either from the
French immediately underneath not perceiving me, or not thinking me
worth a shot; but when General Stopford came up with Lord James Hay
(who not long since reminded me of this youthful escapade) I received
a severe wigging, and was told to consider myself lucky that I was not
put under arrest for exposing my life in so foolish a manner.
Among the many officers of the Guards who were taken prisoners in
the unfortunate sortie from Bayonne, was the Hon. H. Townshend,
commonly called Bull Townshend. He was celebrated as a bon vivant,
and in consequence of his too great indulgence in the pleasures of the
table, had become very unwieldy and could not move quick enough to
please his nimble captors, so he received many prods in the back from a
sharp bayonet. After repeated threats, however, he was dismissed with
what our American friends would be pleased to designate "a severe
booting." The late Sir Willoughby Cotton was also a prisoner. It really
seemed as if the enemy had made choice of our fattest officers. Sir
Willoughby escaped by giving up his watch and all the money which
he had in his pockets; but this consisting of a Spanish dollar only, the
smallness of the sum subjected him to the same ignominious treatment
as had been experienced by Townshend.
Among the numerous bad characters in our ranks, several were coiners,
or utterers of bad money. In the second brigade of Guards, just before
we arrived at St. Jean de Luz, a soldier was convicted of this offence,
and was sentenced to receive 800 lashes. This man made sham Spanish
dollars out of the pewter spoons of the regiment. As he had before been
convicted and flogged, he received this terrible sentence, and died
under the lash. Would it not have been better to have condemned him
to be shot? - It would have been more humane, certainly more military,
and far less brutal.
DISCIPLINE
When the headquarters of the army were at St Jean de Luz, Soult made
a movement in front of our right centre, which the English general took

for a reconnaissance. As