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Adventures with the Connaught Rangers, 1809-1814

Chapter 3: THE OFFICERS OF THE 88TH 1809–14
By William Grattan
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About This Book

A subaltern's memoir of service with the Connaught Rangers during the Peninsular campaigns, offering vivid, often graphic accounts of major engagements — Busaco, Fuentes d’Onoro, El Bodon, the sieges and storms of Ciudad Rodrigo and Badajoz, Salamanca, and the retreat from Burgos — alongside descriptions of daily regimental life, shortages, wounds, and practical improvisations. The narrative mixes detailed battle description and dark humour, recording colourful comrades, surgeons, and servants, and reflecting on leadership, discipline, and the psychology of stormers. Occasional digressions into wider campaign matters appear, but the core remains immediate frontline observation and anecdotal portraiture of an Irish infantry battalion.

THE OFFICERS OF THE 88TH
1809–14

Grattan’s Memoirs cannot be fully understood without a list of the comrades whom he is perpetually mentioning in the narrative. I therefore append the names of the officers of the 88th from the Army List of 1809–10. I have added to each of those who were killed or wounded during the war a note specifying the casualty. No less than 49 of the 103 names bear this addition!

Colonel
William Carr Beresford, Major-General, wounded at Salamanca, 22.7.12.
Lieutenant-Colonels
Alexander Wallace.           John Taylor.
Majors
  • Richard Vandeleur, died at Campo Mayor, 5.11.09.
  • Daniel Colquhun.
  • John Silver, killed at Busaco, 27.9.10.
  • R. Barclay M‘Pherson.
Captains
  • Robert B. M‘Gregor.
  • Campbell Callendar.
  • John Dunne.
  • William C. Seton.
  • Barnaby Murphy, wounded at Badajoz, killed at Salamanca, 22.7.12.
  • Charles John Peshall, wounded at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • James P. Oates, wounded at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • William Adair M‘Dougall.
  • William Hogan, killed at Salamanca, 22.7.12.
  • Charles Tryon.
  • John Groffer.
  • Christopher Irwine, killed at Fuentes d'Oñoro, 5.5.11.
  • Joseph Thomson, killed at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • Richard R. Browne, wounded at Busaco, died at Pinhel, 1810.
  • Peter Lindsay, killed at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • H.G. Buller.
  • Walter W. Adair, wounded at Salamanca, 22.7.12.
  • Robert N. Nickle, wounded at Toulouse, 10.5.14.
  • Henry M‘Dermott, wounded at Vittoria, 21.6.13; killed at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • George Henry Dansey, wounded at Busaco, 27.9.10.
  • J. Macdonald.
  • Robert Christie.
Lieutenants
  • Duncan Robertson, Adj.
  • George Bury.
  • John Bower Lewis.
  • Richard Bunworth.
  • William Flack, wounded at Ciudad Rodrigo, 19.1.12.
  • William Mackie.
  • James Flood, wounded at Vittoria, 21.6.13.
  • Richard Fitzpatrick, wounded at Vittoria 21.6.13; wounded at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • Nathan Gregg.
  • Henry Johnson, killed at Busaco, 27.9.10.
  • John Smith, died at Salamanca, 1812.
  • Thomas North, killed at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • John D. Hopwood.
  • Alexander Graham.
  • John Armstrong, wounded at Rodrigo, 19.1.12; wounded at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • John Stewart, wounded at Fuentes, wounded at Badajoz.
  • Robert Hackett, wounded at Fuentes, 5.5.11; died on return voyage.
  • George F. Faris.
  • Bartholomew Mahon.
  • Timothy Richard James.
  • William Nickle, wounded at Salamanca, 22.7.12.
  • Isaac Walker.
  • John Davern, wounded at Badajoz; wounded at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • David Weir.
  • Ralph Mansfield, killed at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • Pat. Heron Cockburn.
  • Leigh Heppenstal, killed at Foz d'Aronce, 15.3.11.
  • Edward Cotton, killed at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • Frederick Meade, wounded at Salamanca, 22.7.12.
  • Hercules Ellis.
  • Samuel M‘Alpine, wounded at Fuentes, 5.5.11; killed at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • George Johnson, wounded at Rodrigo, 19.1.12.
  • William Hodder.
  • William Whitelaw, wounded at Busaco, 27.9.10; killed at Badajoz, 6.4.12.
  • Peter Pegus.
  • Thomas J. Lloyd.
  • Jason Hassard.
  • Geoffrey K. Power.
Ensigns
  • Christian Hilliard.
  • John Graham.
  • Maurice O‘Connor.
  • Thomas Leonard, killed at Busaco, 27.9.10.
  • William Rutherford.
  • Simon Fairfield.
  • Parr Kingsmill, wounded at Salamanca, 22.7.12.
  • William Kingsmill, wounded at Rodrigo, 19.1.12.
  • Maurice Mahon.
  • William Devereux Jackson.
  • Joseph Owgan, wounded at Fuentes, 5.5.11.
  • John Fairfield.
  • William Grattan, wounded at Badajoz, 6.4.12; wounded at Salamanca, 22.7.12.
  • John Christian.
  • John M‘Gregor, died on landing at Portsmouth, invalided 1812.
  • George Hill.

The following additional officers joined the regiment, either as ensigns or by exchange as lieutenants and captains from other corps, between 1810 and 1814.

  • T. Moriarty, killed at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • John D‘Arcy.
  • L. Beresford, killed at Ciudad Rodrigo, 19.1.12.
  • Walter C. Poole, wounded at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • T. Rutledge, died at Lisan, 12.9.13.
  • Richard Holland, wounded at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • James Mitchell, wounded at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • Charles G. Stewart, wounded at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • D. M‘Intosh, wounded at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • —— Gardiner.
  • Thomas Taylor.
  • Charles Crawford Peshall.
  • Samuel Fisher.
  • Oliver Mills.
  • Barnard Reynolds, killed at Orthez, 27.2.14.
  • John Atkin.
  • Albert W. Sanders, killed at Vittoria, 21.6.13.
  • James M‘Clintock.
  • George Bunbury.
  • William Smith.
  • James Wright.