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LAND AT WILLIAMSTADT.

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other regiments after we left Stralsund had comparatively light duty, as they were no longer apprehensive of an attack, having pretty correct information of the operations of the contending armies. Our corps cut rather a miserable appearance beside the others in another respect, they had managed to keep their uniforms in pretty good order, while ours, from our having marched near 300 miles and bivouacking in the woods, were in such a shattered condition that many of the red coats had (new) sleeves made out of the (old) gray trousers, there being no possibility of getting red cloth for the purpose. But though the others could boast a superiority in appearance, we had the largest share of the honour.

CHAPTER III.

Holland.-Prince of Orange created Stadtholder.

Driven from

Holland in 1795.-Seeks Refuge in England.-The Duke of York in
Holland. The Duke of Wellington's First Campaign. Holland
Fraternised with France. · Revolution in his Favour. -
British Troops. Sir Thomas Graham.

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Supply of The Advance. The Pickett. Change of Dress. - Novel Kilt.- Sagacity of the Dog. Concentration of Troops.- Harassing March.-The Church.-Visit of Sir Thomas Graham.-His Promise.-Meet the Enemy.-Return to Cantonments.- The Drum Major "Bombastes Furioso."-Something serious.-Arrival at Donk.-The Château.-The Snow Storm. The first Shot. Intrenchment stormed. - Attack on Merxen. Take Possession of Merxen. - Fire of Batteries from Antwerp. Visit of Duke of Clarence.-Commencement of Bombardment.-The Sandbag Battery. Casualties. The Stray Shot. — Ammunition exhausted.-Return to Cantonments.

HOLLAND, Some three hundred years ago, was under the government of the Spaniards; but the great spread of Protestant principles excited the jealousy of the pope, who brought all his influence to bear on the Spanish monarch, to induce him to exterminate heresy from his provinces. The bigoted tyrant entered with avidity on his mission. The Inquisition began its bloody work, and many of the principal nobility of the provinces were its victims. The minds of the people were completely alienated; and a chief only was wanted to give union to their measures. The Prince of Orange was, himself, under the sentence of the Inquisition; and, therefore, found no difficulty in raising an army. Having easily reduced some of the most important garrisons, he was proclaimed Stadtholder

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HOLLAND FRATERNISES WITH THE FRENCH.

of Holland and Zealand, in 1570. Eighteen thousand Protestants perished under the hands of the executioner in the five years that the Spanish general, the Duke of Alva, was governor. The whole seventeen provinces had suffered alike from the tyranny of their sovereign; but particular jealousies prevented a general union, and only seven of these asserted their independence by a solemn treaty formed at Utrecht, the 23rd of January, 1579, by which it was agreed that they should defend their liberties as one united republic: that they should jointly determine in matters of peace and war— establish a general legislative authority-and maintain a liberty of conscience in matters of religion. The seven provinces thus united, Guelderland, Holland, Zealand, Friesland, Utrecht, Overyssel and Groningen, William, Prince of Orange, was declared their chief magistrate, general, and admiral, by the title of stadtholder.

In 1795, the Stadtholder, or Prince of Orange, was compelled to seek a refuge in England, the French republican forces having triumphantly fought their way through Belgium, and, entering Holland, drove the Dutch troops, assisted by the British army, under the Duke of York,* from one town to another, until they were compelled, at least what was left of them, to abandon the country: which immediately fraternised with the French. But they were now heartily sick of them, and anxious for the return of the Prince of Orange. This revolution in favour of the Stadtholder was as unexpected to that prince as it was to the French; who, not expecting such an event, had drawn off a portion of the several garrisons to re-inforce the army, when the people spontaneously rose in several places, drove out the French troops, and proclaimed the Prince of Orange.

The French emperor was now placed in a position so extremely critical that his overthrow seemed inevitable, unless he should succeed in making some pacific arrangements with the allied sovereigns, who had now hemmed him in on every side; and, possessing such advantages, they were not likely to consent to any terms short of the complete restoration of all those places which had been taken by the French, since the revolution, as well as to obtain guarantees against future aggressions.

The chief command of the forces, concentrating in Holland, was given to General Sir Thomas Graham, an appointment * This was the Duke of Wellington's first campaign.

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which gave universal satisfaction to the troops. It was some time, however, before we saw or heard anything of him. The regiments with whom we had been associated were now separated, mixed with other troops, and formed into divisions and brigades. We left Williamstadt on the 21st of December. There was at the time a partial thaw, and our first day's march was about the most miserable I have ever experienced; the roads were literally knee-deep in mud. After toiling all day, many of us leaving our boots and shoes behind us, we were only able to accomplish a distance of about ten miles, when we were quartered on the inhabitants of a small town; and, though the people were poor, they treated us kindly, expressing themselves as being very desirous of release from French domination. The frost set in again with increased severity; and, for a time, put a stop to our operations: we were quartered in the various towns and villages, and received from England an ample supply of stores, including the year's regimental dress (not before we wanted it) with an abundance of flannel shirts, thick worsted stockings, and such other things as were deemed necessary to protect us from the inclemency of a winter in Holland; bearing in mind, probably, the horrible sufferings of the British troops when last there, under the Duke of York, which have been thus recorded :—

"The Duke of York quitted the command of the army on the 6th of December, 1794, and returned to England; a sufficient indication that even the British ministry had given up the cause of Holland as desperate. The state of the army was extremely bad, even while the Duke, by his presence, controlled, in some degree, the rapacity of the inferior agents, and prevented, as far as the exertions of one man in the midst of a corrupt system could, the unpardonable neglect which prevailed in every department. But he was no sooner departed, and the army placed under the command of a foreigner, than the grossest abuses were committed. Perhaps there never was a period when the supplies to the troops cost such enormous sums to the nation, and there certainly never was a war in which the army was so destitute.* From the flannel waistcoats supplied by the patriotic contributions of the English nation, by some mismanagement or corrupt practice, many of the wretched, suffering victims, never received any

* Query, have they not found a parallel in 1854?

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MISMANAGEMENT, AND SUFFERING OF THE TROOPS.

advantage. The condition of the sick was deplorable beyond all precedent; and, when a man was ordered for the hospital, the common expression throughout the army was, that 'he was sent to the shambles.""

An eye-witness, a British officer, whose account has never been contradicted, and whose attachment to government cannot be suspected, has described the affecting scene in the following terms:

"The sickness of the army increased daily, with the extreme severity of the weather, and the total inattention to the comfort and convenience of our suffering fellow-countrymen, rendered their situation pitiable in the extreme."

A description, circumstantially detailed, of their poignant sufferings during this retreat, would form a tale whose lightest word would harrow up the soul, and make the blood run cold with horror.

Constantly removed in open waggons, exposed to the intense severity of the weather, to drifting snow and heavy falls of sleet and rain, frequently without any victuals till the army halted, and then but scantily provided; littered down in cold churches, upon a short allowance of dirty straw, and few of them enjoying the comforts of even a single blanket to repel the rigorous attacks of the night air, it is no wonder that they expired by hundreds, martyrs to the most unpardonable neglect. The sufferings of the flying army, in their nocturnal marches, are beyond the power of description. The multitudes who sunk into the arms of death, oppressed with cold and fatigue, are beyond calculation. Some of the sufferers were mounted behind the cavalry, and even behind some of the officers, whose humanity on this occasion reflects honor on their character; but many more were left behind, dead or dying, or buried under the drifts of snow.

The

The 16th of January was a day more peculiarly marked by distressing scenes than any other during the retreat. troops were on that morning put in motion at daybreak, with the view of reaching Loonen, a village distant about twentythree miles. Owing to the uncommon severity of the weather, and the snow, which lying deep on the ground, was drifted in the faces of the men by a strong easterly wind, they were so worn down by fatigue that it was thought advisable to halt some of the regiments at two neighbouring villages, about

WINTER CAMPAIGNS IN HOLLAND.

33 nine miles short of their destination. The whole of the British could not, however, be possibly accommodated; and it was left to the discretion of commanding officers of corps to continue the march, or to take up such situations as they could meet with on the road. Some of the regiments proceeded even after sunset with their baggage and field-pieces; and, consequently, were entirely dispersed, as it was impossible to trace out any pathway over the dreary common. Great numbers of men, unable to bear up against the fatigue they had undergone, and several women and children, were frozen to death in their attempts to discover the road which their battalion had pursued.

The whole of the 88th regiment was so scattered that no return whatever of its strength could be given next day, and the few straggling parties that joined gave a very melancholy account of the main body. An officer of the guards who was ordered to reconnoitre next morning, had more opportunities than any other person of witnessing the dreadful consequences of the preceding night's march, the distressing account is therefore given in his own words :

"On the morning of the 17th, I was sent upon a particular duty to trace out a road over the common, by which the army and artillery might safely proceed to Loonen. When the party marched it was scarcely light; and, as day broke in upon us, the horrible scenes that it revealed afforded a shocking proof of the miseries of a winter campaign. On the common, about half a mile off the road, we discovered a baggage cart, with a team of five horses, apparently in distress. I galloped towards the spot, and found the poor animals were stiff but not dead, the hoar-frost on their manes plainly showing that they had been there all night. Not perceiving any driver with them, I struck my sword repeatedly on the covered tilt, inquiring at the same time if there was any person in the cart; at length a very feeble voice answered me, and some one underneath appeared to be making an effort to rise; a pair of naked, frost-nipped legs, were then advanced, and the most miserable object I ever beheld sunk heavily to the ground, the whole of his clothing so ragged and worn, that I can scarcely say that he was covered; so stiff and frozen was the miserable wretch, that he was by no means capable of moving. He informed me that his regiment, the 54th, which he was

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