[51] Lieut.-Colonel (afterwards Sir Ralph) Darling.

[52] A survival of this queue-bow is to be found in the "flash," still worn by the Royal Welsh Fusiliers.

[53] Roliça is sometimes written Roleia; Vimiera, Vimeiro; Corunna, Coruña, &c. The spelling followed in this book is that to be found on the Colours of British regiments.

[54] Other spellings, Casal Novo, and Foz d'Arouce (or Foz do Arouce).

[55] This is the spelling of the name of the village as borne on the colours of the regiments present at the battle. Napier calls it Fuentes Onoro, other writers Fuentes d'Honor, Fuentes d'Honoro, &c. The correct local spelling is, however, Fuentes de Oñoro.

[56] His brother, Lieut. Henry Rice, R.N., who died 1808.

[57] His sister, Mary Rice, who died 1810.

[58] 'Life of John Colborne, Field-Marshal Lord Seaton.' By G. C. Moore-Smith, M.A. London: John Murray. 1903.

[59] Frederick Mainwaring served with the 51st throughout the Peninsular War and in the Waterloo campaign. Before he had reached his nineteenth year he had been present at the battles of Fuentes d'Onor, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, Nivelle, and Waterloo, besides many minor actions.

[60] "Four Years of a Soldier's Life," in Colburn's 'United Service Magazine,' August 1844.

[61] Colonel John Montague Mainwaring, previous to having incurred Lord Wellington's displeasure, had had a most distinguished career. Entering the army in 1784, he served with the 67th Regiment at the capture of several of the West India islands; was with the 51st in the Corunna campaign, and in the Walcheren expedition; and took the regiment to the Peninsula in 1811. On retiring from the 51st he was given the command of Hilsea Barracks; was promoted colonel, 1813; major-general, 1819; lieut.-general, 1837; and died in 1842.

[62] His sister.

[63] Dorsenne.

[64] Frederick Sparks.

[65] Major-General Robert Craufurd, of the Light Division. He was mortally wounded in the assault on the lesser breach, and was subsequently buried there.

[66] Napier gives the following figures: troops (British and Portuguese) employed at the siege, 21,784; Hill's covering force, 9674; Graham's covering force, 19,567.

[67] I.e., the 51st.

[68] "D—n it, I'm off"—a common expression of the period.

[69] "Marshal Beresford had fixed upon and studied his own field of battle above a month before the action took place, and yet occupied it in such a manner as to render defeat almost certain; his infantry was not held in hand, and his inferiority in guns and cavalry was not compensated for by entrenchments."—Napier's 'History of the Peninsular War.'

[70] Ensign Mainwaring.

[71] Badajoz.

[72] 'Vicissitudes of a Soldier's Life.' By John Green, late of the Durham Light Infantry. 1827.

[73] 'The Autobiography of Lieutenant-General Sir Harry Smith, Baronet of Aliwal on the Sutlej, G.C.B.' Edited, with the addition of some supplementary chapters, by G. C. Moore-Smith, M.A. London: John Murray. 1901. Sir Harry saw much service in the Peninsula and at Waterloo; made a name for himself as victor of Aliwal (India); and was subsequently Commander-in-Chief at the Cape of Good Hope. The memory of Sir Harry is kept alive by the name of two towns in South Africa—Aliwal North, and Harrismith; while that of his wife is preserved in the name of Ladysmith.

[74] In 1813, Wellington was 44; Paget (Anglesey), 45; Beresford, 45; Hope, 48; Picton, 55; Graham (Lynedoch), 65; while Hill was only 41.

[75] Later in this year (December 1813), Samuel Rice's younger brother, Frederick, a militia officer, was given a company in the 51st, but was placed on half pay in the following year. In 1815, when travelling on the Continent, he heard of the coming struggle, and hastened to Brussels, in order to offer his services as a volunteer. Although too late to take part in the battle of Waterloo, he accompanied the 51st (unofficially) on the march to Paris, and was present at the storming of Cambray. He died at Geneva in 1823.

[76] At High Wycombe until 1812, when it moved to Sandhurst.

[77] Napier's 'Battles and Sieges.'

[78] The Gold Medal for Corunna, inscribed with his name, was subsequently handed to his relatives, and is now to be seen, with other relics of the great man, at the Museum of the R.U.S. Institution.

[79] The battles and sieges for which Gold Crosses, Gold Medals, or clasps were granted were as follows: Maida, Roliça, Vimiera, Corunna, Sahagun (and other cavalry actions), Talavera, Busaco, Barrosa, Fuentes d'Onor, Albuhera, Ciudad Rodrigo, Badajoz, Salamanca, Vittoria, Pyrenees, St Sebastian, Nivelle, Nive, Orthes, Toulouse, and, in addition, Martinique (1809), Guadaloupe (1810), Java (1811), Fort Detroit, America (1812), Chateauguay, America (1813), and Chrystler's Farm, America (1813).

[80] 'Narrative of Events in the South of France.' By Captain John Henry Cooke, late of the 43rd Regiment of Light Infantry. London, 1835. The author was a distinguished regimental officer; was present at all the important battles and sieges; was twice wounded; received the Peninsular Medal with eight clasps and the Spanish Gold Cross; was appointed to the Corps of Gentlemen-at-Arms; became Ensign of the Yeomen of the Guard, and was knighted.

[81] The 35th, 54th, 59th, and 91st Regiments, forming the 6th British Brigade (4th Division) received no acknowledgment of their services in the Waterloo campaign, their absence from the battle debarring them from obtaining the battle honour for their colours. But the officers and men were granted the medal, and took their share of the prize-money voted by Parliament.

[82] In the Peninsular War a considerable amount of theatrical effect was given to the French attack by the bold advance of the drummers, whose drumming was called by the British soldiers Old Trousers.

[83] Published (1891) in 'Waterloo Letters,' edited by Major-General H. T. Siborne, late Colonel R.E., son of Captain W. Siborne, the historian. These letters were selected for publication out of several hundreds, the originals of all of which are now in the Library of the British Museum.

[84] James Henry Phelps, K.H.; ensign, 51st, 1798; major, 4th Foot, 1834; retired (lieut.-colonel), 1838; police magistrate, Liverpool; died at Sydney, 1842.

[85] In the affair near Sarre (during the battle of the Nivelle, 10th November 1813), Captain Phelps held on too long, and was cut off. He then ran for it, but the Frenchmen discharged their muskets at him, surrounded him, and took him prisoner. Even then he would have been bayoneted but for the timely arrival on the spot of the French officer. By a miracle, none of the shots fired at him had taken effect, though several bullets had passed through his clothes and cap.

[86] On the reduction of the establishment of the regiment, a captain and twelve subalterns of the 51st were transferred to the half-pay list. None of them rejoined the 51st, and only three ever served again.

[87] Heligoland was a British possession from 1807 to 1890, when, by the Anglo-German Agreement, it was ceded to Germany.

[88] Percy John Rice, ensign, 51st, 1828; lieutenant, 1834; captain, 1837; major, 1849; died (unmarried) at Bangalore, India, 1850.

Augustus Thomas Rice, ensign, 51st, 1831; lieutenant, 1837; captain, 1841; major, 1852; brevet lieut.-colonel, 1853; retired as colonel on full pay, 1854; died (unmarried), 1888. He served with distinction in the Burmese War, 1852; severely wounded at the capture of Bassein; mentioned in despatches; promoted for gallantry; and received the medal for Pegu.

Samuel Rice's third nephew, Horatio Morgan Rice, took holy orders, and died in 1863, leaving a son, the Reverend John Morgan Rice (who died without issue in 1895), and a daughter, Miss Lucy Augusta Rice, who is the sole surviving member of the family bearing the name of Rice.

[89] The daughter, Margaret Rice, married Captain B. T. Foord Bowes, 95th Regiment, and died (without issue) in 1842. Samuel Rice survived all his twelve brothers and sisters except one—viz., Sir Ralph Rice, who lived for another ten years.