Battle of Bosworth Field

“ The blood shed at St Albans on that fatal 22nd of May, 1455, was the first that flowed in the bitter contest which came to an end only when thirty years had come and gone, when thirteen pitched battles had been fought, and the victory on Bosworth Field had been achieved—a strife so deadly that, as Michael Drayton [Pg 320] tells us, the ties of blood and kindred were forgotten, and the nearest relations fought on opposite sides—
Then Dutton Dutton kills, a Done doth kill a Done ”

“ Just four days previously to the fight, the allied army, under Field-Marshal Otto, had received a handsome beating at the hands of the French. It is true we were hopelessly outnumbered, being able to oppose but 18,000 to 64,000. Though beaten, we were not disgraced. Fox's brigade, consisting of the three regiments above, losing 520 [94] of all ranks, whilst in the retirement the 7th and 15th Hussars showed persistent gallantry. Nevertheless, it was a defeat, for nineteen guns were left in the hands of the victors. ”

“ At the battle of Bosworth, where he fell, his courage was heroic: he sought Richmond, and endeavoured to decide their quarrel by a personal combat, slaying Sir William Brandon, his rival's standard-bearer, with his own hand, and felling to the ground Sir John Cheney, who endeavoured to oppose his fury. Such men may be carried by ambition to command the execution of those who stand in their way; but are not likely to lend their hand, in cold blood, to a base, and, to themselves, useless assassination. ”

“ When it is finished one may venture to say (without saying much) that it will be the most considerable fortress, and the best situated in Great Britain." [1] In the evening our travellers continued their journey to Inverness—a distance of twelve miles. The reviewer of Johnson's narrative in the Scots Magazine expresses his wonder that as "he must have passed near the Field of Culloden he studiously avoided to mention that battle." [2] Boswell is equally reticent. ”

“ A council being proposed for the next day, Harrison at once went into camp, taking, however, every precaution against a surprise. At four o'clock on the following morning a fierce attack was made on the camp by the savages, and the fighting continued till daylight, when the Indians were driven from the field by a cavalry charge. During the battle, in which the American loss was 108 killed and wounded, the governor directed the movements of the troops. ”

“ Few indeed were the men that Wilson could spare, but on the morning of September 21 Brigadier Greathed, Colonel of the 8th (King's) , now the Liverpool Regiment, marched towards Agra at the head of the little movable column. His force consisted of two troops of horse and one battery of field artillery; the 9th Lancers (300 strong) ; the 8th and 73rd Regiments, which, in consequence of their heavy losses, only numbered 450 men; four squadrons of the 21st, 22nd, and 25th Cavalry and of Hodson's Horse, the four squadrons some 500 strong ”

“ Of this grand total of upwards of 700,000 men it was clear that large numbers would never be available. India could only be denuded of a small portion of the British garrison, and of the auxiliary forces in the United Kingdom a very large proportion were by no means fit to take their places in the field; yet before the war was brought to a close the troops actually sent to the front were not far short of 400,000 men. Of these were despatched:
For transport purposes and to supply the wastage in our mounted troops 470,000 horses and 150,000 mules and donkeys were purchased ”

“ He had been reinforced by a couple of sepoy battalions from Bombay and by two field batteries from Bengal, and already some regiments were on the march from the Sutlej to support him. On March 24 he attacked the Amirs, and, though the action was a severe one, it was never for one moment in doubt. The losses in the 22nd Cheshires were sensibly higher than at Meeanee, and the 34th Poona Horse, for the second time in their history, had a fair opportunity of showing of what material they were made. They emerged from the ordeal with a reputation they have maintained to this day. ”

“ The British Army had held against an attack which could never be repeated, and the future was with the Allies.
Let us remember that at no time in our fighting withdrawal, either on the Somme or on the Lys, was there "anything approaching a break-down of command, or a failure in morale." So the Field Marshal. On the other hand, all over the vast battle-field—in every part of the hard "waiting game" which for a time the British Armies were called to play, men did the most impossible and heroic things. Gun detachments held their posts till every man was killed or wounded ”

“ On the extreme right Sir Harry Smith's attack had been no less successful, but in the centre Gilbert's advance had been checked, owing to the nature of the breastworks in the front, which were from [285] 8 to 10 feet in height, the men having to mount on each other's shoulders before they could force their way in. On Dick's left the 3rd Hussars had also found an entrance to the entrenchments, and were charging down on the enemy, driving them in confusion towards the one bridge which was their one and only chance of safety.
Casualties at the Battle of Sobraon. ”

“ The field of battle was a sight too horrible ever to be forgotten by me; the dead lay in vast heaps in every direction around the forts—the ditches were full of mutilated bodies—the tents were torn to rags—arms, clothes, broken ammunition-boxes lay strewed about. Upwards of 6000 Russians fell, and more than 4000 muskets have been collected, and 150 prisoners taken. The total loss to the enemy in killed and wounded must have been very near, if not more than, 15,000. Several Generals were killed or wounded ”

“ They came with banner, spear, and shield;
And it was proved in Bosworth-field.
Not long the Avenger was withstood,
Earth help'd him with the cry of blood:
St. ”

“ These repeated disasters had aroused the nation—temporarily, at any rate—to a proper sense of its responsibilities, and all ranks and all classes responded to the call for volunteers. The veteran Field-Marshal Lord Roberts, who had served his apprenticeship at the Siege of Delhi just two-and-forty years before, accepted the chief command, and at once embarked for the seat of war. On his arrival the situation was no clearer. Methuen, with the First Division, lay immobile twelve miles south of Kimberley, [419] with a Boer army strongly entrenched in his front ”

“ No means existed of ascertaining the enemy's losses, but that they were most severe was undoubted. They abandoned their entrenched position, and recrossed the frontier, leaving seventy-three guns in our hands. But the campaign was not over. Reinforcements were called up from Meerut, Delhi, and Cawnpore, and on January 6 Sir John Grey arrived at headquarters with the 9th and 16th Lancers, the 10th Foot (Lincolns) , two regiments of native cavalry and three of native infantry, whilst the 53rd (Shropshire Light Infantry) was within a few days' march. ”

“ The services of the infantry were not called into requisition, but, owing to some inconceivable blunder, never yet properly explained, the Light Brigade of cavalry, without any supports, were ordered to attack the Russian troops in the westernmost valley. Here there was a whole division of Russian cavalry, with a force of six battalions of infantry supporting thirty-six guns, and at this force the little cavalry brigade, just 636 strong, was let loose. "C'est magnifique, [302] mais ce n'est pas la guerre!" was the comment of a French General who witnessed the spectacle. ”

“ If we reckon that only about 8000 were engaged, these numbers show that nearly every third man was killed, wounded, or fell into the hands of the enemy. The Russians admit a loss of 2969 killed, of whom 42 were officers; and 5791 wounded, including 206 officers; giving a total loss of 8760. There can be no rational doubt that their real loss was nearly double, and the number of Russians killed or wounded was at the least equal to the entire English and French forces engaged in the battle. Our brigade of Guards alone lost twelve officers killed on the field, besides many wounded. ”

“ Reinforcements were daily arriving from England, but it was not until the beginning of March that Sir Colin was able to commence his advance on Lucknow. His army now numbered upwards of 20,000 men, with 180 guns. Never in the history of India had such a large number of British troops taken the field.
The Cavalry Division, under Sir Hope Grant, included the Queen's Bays, 7th Hussars, 9th Lancers, Hodson's Horse, Daly's Horse, Sam Browne's Horse, and the 25th Cavalry, in addition to the division under Outram. ”

“ And on the far right of the English line, Polson Jervase is standing at his horse’s head, cheering with the rest, when on a sudden he discerns a familiar figure: General Boswell is at the Chiefs side and the two are in familiar converse. The young soldier’s first battle not yet begun, and Irene’s father going by so near and yet so unmindful of him as a mere unit among the waiting thousands. And it is not yet, not even yet, so very certain that we are to give battle this morning, after all. ”

“ As he rode near to the Confederate troops just placed in position, and ignorant that that he was in the front, the left company began firing to the front, and two of his party fell from their saddles—Capt. Boswell of the Engineers, and Sergeant Cunliffe of the Signal Corps. Spurring his horse across the road to his right, he was met by a second volley from the right company of Pender's North Carolina Brigade. Under this volley, when not two rods from the troops, the general received three balls at the same instant. ”

“ No. 3 column was under the command of Colonel Glyn, of the 24th (South Wales Borderers) . It consisted of both battalions of that unfortunate regiment, one of native levies, with six guns. Its strength was 4,700 men.
No. 4 column was under Colonel (better known as Field-Marshal Sir Evelyn) Wood, V.C., C.B., of the 90th (Scottish Rifles) . He had with him the 13th (Somerset Light Infantry) , his own corps, and native levies, including a regiment of Frontier Light Horse, under Colonel Redvers Buller, V.C., C.B. Its strength was 2,270 men, with six guns. ”

“ The seamen and Marines escaped the sickness which more than decimated the army, and the Admiral landed a body of 800 Marines to lighten the labours of the army.
On July 1 a heavy bombardment commenced, the fleet standing in to aid. In this the Dragon, Cambridge, and Marlborough suffered severely. For a time the fire of the defence slackened, only to be renewed with increased vigour in a couple of days. On the 21st the garrison made a gallant sortie, which was repelled with equal gallantry by the 90th Light Infantry, under Colonel Stuart. ”

“ Suddenly a shot rings out, and another, and another! The forest is full of unseen foes, before, behind, on all sides, the cavalry forces breaking rank and dashing forward among the wagons. Boerstler sees it will be as unsafe to retreat as to go on. Sending messengers back to Fort George for aid, he pushes forward into an open wheat field. Fifty-six men have fallen, and the bullets are still raining from an invisible foe. Looking back he sees mounted men in green coats passing and repassing across his trail, filing and refiling. ”

“ The night was clear and moonless. The day had been warm; it was freezing again now. At eleven he heard below the welcome call of Benson, the relieving watch, and scuttled down to the ground as fast as his cold hands and stiff legs would allow. At twelve o’clock Bosworth took his turn. He got up with some difficulty, as he was little used to climbing, and pulled up after him by a string a voluminous ulster borrowed of a larger classmate, in which he rolled himself snugly, as he crouched at the base of the belfry where the lightning-rod reached up its side to the weather-vane above. ”

“ It proved that very great damage had been inflicted on the tower, and nearly all the guns dismounted. In a few minutes, with the loss of only one man, the French had leaped into the work, and the tricolor waved triumphantly on the summit of this great fort—the key to the town. The Russians contested their ground with great bravery, renewing again and again their attacks, but every time repulsed with enormous loss. General Bosquet was early wounded, and retired from the field.
The signal was now given by General Pelissier for the commencement of the English assault on the Redan ”

“ Whilst the Bombay artillery shelled the heights, three columns of infantry, each consisting of but four weak companies, pushed up the three principal spurs, the remainder of the force, under the General's own personal command, being held in reserve. The Bombay artillery always held the reputation of being second to [257] none, and the accuracy of their fire not only silenced the few Baluch guns which were posted on the heights, but compelled the enemy to seek shelter behind the walls of the fortress before the advancing columns had come to close quarters. ”

“ Fly for your lives!” From point to point of the swaying battle-line the panic spread, throwing the army into hopeless confusion. Before long the whole of the Bear’s troops were in retreat, and the victorious army of the winged-creatures swept on and over them.
Late that night Bruin the Bear and Isengrim the Wolf, both of them very bedraggled and wearied with much running, sat together gloomily in a distant part of the wood. Presently they saw Reynard the Fox limping towards them, and immediately they rose and began to heap reproaches upon him. ”